The armies of the Two-Armed split into two, with half heading to the water’s edge, predictably joining the ranks of procreation. The other half surged like a black tide, howling as they flooded into the forest.
The first batch of Two-Armed who entered the woods were almost instantly covered in biting insects. Unlike the Thick-Skinned Six-Armed Giants, they lacked the protective layers and bloodfire, and before they could even scream, their blood and fluids were sucked dry, turning them into mummified corpses. One by one, these bodies fell, landing in the domain of the ant-rats, which quickly devoured them, leaving not a shred of bone behind.
In the blink of an eye, thousands of Two-Armed were swallowed by the forest. But the next moment, thousands more poured in, and the wasps, mosquitoes, ants, and snakes emerged from their nests once again, engulfing this new wave. Yet, the Two-Armed outside the forest were like mountains and seas; when several thousand were devoured, ten thousand more rushed in.
These ten thousand ventured deep into the forest for about a hundred meters, all turning into corpses. However, this stretch of ground was now littered with thousands of skeletons, a clear sign that the bone-eaters were full and unable to consume more.
In no time, tens of thousands of Two-Armed charged into the forest, screaming and smashing through any obstacles with their crude, makeshift weapons. Whether it was thorns, ant nests, or wasp hives, nothing seemed to be insurmountable.
Mosquitoes and wasps, having exhausted their venom, fell to the ground, only to be trampled into a mush. Many of the Two-Armed, perhaps driven by hunger, grabbed anything alive and shoved it into their mouths. As they feasted on the insects, many collapsed, but more staggered deeper into the forest.
Qian Ye, perched high in the treetops, watched this scene unfold with a heavy heart. He had never imagined that the Six-Armed Giants would flatten the forest in such a manner. Even if the Two-Armed were considered lowly and inferior, they were still tens of thousands of lives, discarded so easily. And this was just the beginning—how many Two-Armed would it take to fill this vast expanse? Five hundred thousand, or a million?
Even in the days when humans were slaves and food for the dark races, they had never faced such a scale of slaughter. Even the Blood Race, who saw humans as valuable property, had never done this.
There were far more efficient ways to clear the forest. For instance, the simplest method would be to set it ablaze.
Originally, smoke and fire were the best ways to deal with the insect infestation. A single charge of Qian Ye’s bloodfire could burn off the wings of a wasp hive. Yet, the Six-Armed Giants never seemed to consider this. Not a single torch was in the hands of the Two-Armed or Four-Armed.
At this moment, the forest fell suddenly silent.
As if some unspoken agreement had been reached, the forest quieted, and all the insects vanished. Even the most dangerous small beasts retreated to their dens, not to be seen again. Over a hundred thousand Two-Armed surged into the forest, like a pack of ravenous wolves, roaming and searching.
Four-Armed warriors, armed with swords and spears, eyes gleaming with ferocity, advanced with the flow, appearing particularly menacing.
Qian Ye’s brows furrowed; this was not good news. The call of desire in the forest had completely ceased, and both the Two-Armed and Four-Armed were no longer affected, allowing them to search with full force. The forest was vast, but the Two-Armed were numerous.
All this effort, just to hunt him down? Qian Ye didn’t think he warranted such attention. Yet, without such a reason, the relentless pursuit by the Six-Armed Giants remained inexplicable.
For now, escaping the immediate danger was paramount.
The Six-Armed Giants did not enter the forest, clearly wary of the sharp, blade-like branches of the ancient trees that had previously caused them great pain. The ancient trees were incredibly hard, and while the Six-Armed Giants could force a path elsewhere, here, they could only topple a tree by full force, at the risk of injury.
A sea of Two-Armed scoured the forest, with the Four-Armed warriors serving as the core, commanding teams of hundreds of Two-Armed.
Qian Ye concealed his aura and silently slithered up the tree trunk, stopping about ten meters above the ground. Just then, a dozen Two-Armed appeared, pushing aside the tall grass and thorns, searching everywhere. As their gaze was about to turn toward him, Qian Ye flicked a pebble, striking the back of one of the Two-Armed.
With a startled cry, the Two-Armed raised his weapon and looked around. His companions turned almost simultaneously, staring at him. He pointed in Qian Ye’s direction, and countless eyes focused on the tree, seeing only bare branches, no trace of Qian Ye.
Several Four-Armed warriors arrived, their intelligence evident as they all looked up towards the treetop.
This ancient tree, though thick and tall, was not particularly lush. The branches were sparse, and there was no sign of anyone.
The tallest Four-Armed warrior grew impatient, kicking the Two-Armed away. The Two-Armed scrambled and ran, continuing his search.
The group passed beneath the ancient tree, proceeding deeper into the forest.
In truth, Qian Ye was just above them, concealing his aura, clinging to the tree, and circling out of their sight. After evading this wave, Qian Ye leaped lightly to the ground and followed from behind.
Three Two-Armed were advancing side by side, beating the tall grass, when the middle one suddenly vanished. The other two continued forward, unaware.
Qian Ye dragged the unconscious Two-Armed to a hidden spot in the forest. Drawing his blood-sucking blade, he placed it against the Two-Armed’s neck and woke him up.
The Two-Armed and Four-Armed were not unintelligent, but their civilization was severely distorted, still in a primitive tribal state. Even the Six-Armed Giants, with their instincts often overriding their wisdom, were more beast-like. Qian Ye didn’t expect to glean much from the Two-Armed, but he decided to try.
Qian Ye knew his value didn’t warrant such a grand mobilization.
The Two-Armed, waking from his daze, opened his eyes to see the blood-sucking blade at his throat. For any intelligent race, a knife at the throat was a universal language, easily understood.
However, the Two-Armed’s reaction was unexpected. Fear etched on his face, he let out a silent howl!
Silent because the sound was beyond human hearing, yet Qian Ye’s senses caught it. The howl didn’t travel far, about a hundred meters, and within this range, all the Two-Armed and Four-Armed warriors turned, gazing in his direction.
Not only that, but all the Two-Armed and Four-Armed within another hundred meters also turned, their reaction slightly delayed but perfectly synchronized. This continued outward in waves, like a tide, until the entire forest was fixated on Qian Ye’s location.
“Bad!” Qian Ye cursed inwardly. He had dealt with the Two-Armed in the high-gravity zone. These relatively weak beings, abundant and living in harsh conditions, were mere cannon fodder and slaves. Naturally, they weren’t brave. Yet, Qian Ye hadn’t expected that, upon seeing him, the Two-Armed would alert others at the cost of their own life.
Sensing the situation in the forest, Qian Ye’s heart sank. He realized some powerful being must have used mystical means to link these tens of thousands, allowing information to spread instantaneously among the Two-Armed and Four-Armed.
Qian Ye pressed his hand, and the blade cut through the Two-Armed’s throat. The Two-Armed, still alive, opened and closed his mouth, trying to issue another warning. But every time he opened his mouth, blood gushed out, silencing him.
Footsteps, countless and faint, echoed from all directions, closing in.
Qian Ye lunged forward, covering dozens of meters in a single step, and swept with his sword, causing a burst of blood.
Several Two-Armed, emerging from the undergrowth, were instantly decapitated by Qian Ye’s blade.
But more kept coming, and with the sound of heavy footsteps, several Four-Armed warriors appeared from the woods.
Qian Ye sheathed his sword and used agile movements, weaving through the multitude like a fish. Wielding his blood-sucking blade, he left small but lethal wounds on the passing Two-Armed. These injuries, though seemingly minor, were deadly, and if not treated, could lead to disability or death.
Using the enemies to shield himself, Qian Ye searched for an opportunity to hide again. Facing the current situation, he only thought of how to escape cleverly, never considering eliminating the tens of thousands of Two-Armed.
Yet, just as Qian Ye rounded behind a Two-Armed, a sudden gust of wind bore down, nearly suffocating him!
Qian Ye, realizing the danger, pushed the Two-Armed aside and saw a Four-Armed warrior wielding a thick, log-like branch, swinging it recklessly at him.
The branch, a meter in diameter and over ten meters long, swung with earth-shattering force. Such a blunt object was impossible to block, so Qian Ye dodged. With a sudden burst of strength, he moved laterally, knocking over a dozen Two-Armed, barely avoiding the crushing blow.
This strike had the Four-Armed warrior exerting all his might, smashing a large pit into the hard ground. Unmindful of the Two-Armed around Qian Ye, over a dozen unlucky ones were crushed into pulp.
Qian Ye felt a chill at his waist and, without hesitation, leapt.
A steel spear, like a venomous dragon, pierced the spot where he had just been. Another Four-Armed warrior, wielding a spear over seven meters long, struck with the same disregard for the Two-Armed. This spear thrust also brushed past a dozen Two-Armed, turning them into a bloody mist.
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