Chapter 2044: Soul-Draining Ant

“Devouring Spirit Ants, it’s a Devouring Spirit Ant Swarm!”

As soon as Han Li clearly saw those purple chopstick-like demonic insects, he immediately gasped in shock, his face revealing a rare trace of fear.

“Go, back to the city now!” Han Li shouted without hesitation. A flash of spiritual light enveloped his body as he transformed into a streak of azure light, soaring into the sky and streaking toward Blood Crow City.

In just a few blinks, the azure streak had already traveled over a hundred zhang away!

The little girl also panicked, rolling on the ground before transforming into her beast form and chasing after him frantically. Once she caught up, she flickered and vanished into Han Li’s body.

The insect swarm behind them wasn’t particularly slow, but under Han Li’s full-speed flight, they were quickly left far behind.

Yet another strange occurrence unfolded. After the purple cloud completely devoured the green mist, the overwhelming purple mass trembled slightly before receding like a tide, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Though Han Li didn’t witness this, his mind remained tense as he raced forward, his thoughts churning with information about the Devouring Spirit Ants. His expression grew increasingly grim.

“What exactly is happening here? First, the Butterfly-Tailed Beasts formed a beast tide, and now even the Devouring Spirit Ants have appeared! The ant swarms they form are one of the great natural disasters of the demon realm, utterly unstoppable by human means.” Han Li muttered to himself, his mind racing even as he flew at breakneck speed.

A single Devouring Spirit Ant might only be comparable to a Qi Refining cultivator, but once they formed a swarm, their ability to absorb spiritual and demonic energy, combined with their terrifying numbers, made them an unstoppable force—slaying demons and immortals alike.

It was said that wherever the ant swarm passed, nothing remained. Everything in their path would be devoured clean.

The beast tide formed by the Butterfly-Tailed Beasts was already terrifying, but compared to the ant swarm, it was insignificant, its danger negligible.

Rumors even spoke of a Saint Ancestor-level existence once being trapped and exhausted of all their magic power, ultimately perishing within the swarm.

Thus, even though Han Li was confident in his abilities, he had no desire to be caught in such a disaster.

But when he finally caught sight of the distant silhouette of Blood Crow City’s towering walls, his heart sank.

At this moment, Blood Crow City was tightly encircled by layers of demonic beasts, numbering in the millions.

The auras of these beasts varied in strength, but among them were several exceptionally powerful ones, seemingly on par with the pressure of a Demon Venerable.

Strangely, however, these beasts weren’t attacking the city. Instead, they huddled together regardless of species, nervously scanning the wilderness while emitting uneasy growls.

The city walls were also packed with countless demons—some were the city’s guards, but most were ordinary demons who had taken refuge there.

They ignored the beasts outside the barriers, their fearful gazes fixed on the distant wilderness as if expecting something horrifying to emerge at any moment.

“Could it be that the demons in the city already know about the approaching Devouring Spirit Ants?” Seeing this bizarre scene, Han Li quickly pieced together the situation.

With his speed, it took only moments for his streak of light to pass over groups of demonic beasts before flashing onto the city walls without any attempt at concealment.

The activated barriers rippled slightly but couldn’t hinder him in the slightest.

Though the guards and demons were startled, no one dared to stop or question him under these circumstances.

With another flash of azure light, Han Li shot toward the city center.

Blood Crow City was in chaos. The flight restrictions had clearly been lifted, and streaks of light darted through the air while groups of demons gathered in the streets, whispering gravely among themselves.

It was as if a great calamity had arrived.

Just then, a yellow streak of light shot toward him from the void.

Han Li paused momentarily before snatching it out of the air.

A burst of flames erupted in his palm, and the deep voice of the Long Family Patriarch reached his ears.

Though the message was brief, Han Li’s expression shifted slightly. Adjusting his course, he sped toward a corner of the city.

A short while later, his azure light dimmed as he appeared in an unremarkable courtyard.

There, the Long Family Patriarch, the robed maiden, the Lin Family man, and Elder Hui were already waiting. However, the Spirit Tribe members, including Sage Qianqiu, were nowhere to be seen.

“Fellow Daoist Han, you’ve finally arrived. Had you been any later, we might have had to break through on our own,” the Long Family Patriarch said with relief upon seeing him.

“What happened? Is it because of the ant swarm? If so, there’s no need to panic. At our speed, we should still be able to escape,” Han Li said with a nod, his expression serious.

“It seems you don’t know yet. Not long ago, signs of the Devouring Spirit Ants appeared around Blood Crow City. Now, everyone in the city knows. The demonic beasts outside were also driven here by the swarm. The surrounding area, spanning tens of thousands of li, has already been encircled. Even with our strength, breaking through would carry significant risks,” the Long Family Patriarch sighed.

“So the entire region is already surrounded? No wonder the beasts and the demons in the city are coexisting peacefully. But the longer we wait, the harder it will be to escape. Once the Ant Queen appears, Blood Crow City will be at the center of the swarm, making escape nearly impossible,” Han Li said firmly, his expression darkening.

“I understand that. But before we break through, there are a few things I must say. Given the unpredictability of this situation, we must split up to reduce the swarm’s pressure on us. If we stay together, the Ant Queen will surely target us, and none of us may survive. Given the swarm’s ferocity, our only chance is to flee deep into the untamed wilderness. Once there, we’ll regroup at Phantom Night City, just before the Illusory Roar Desert. Once we escape, don’t wait for anyone—head straight there. We’ll discuss the Eight-Legged Demon Lizards and the desert afterward,” the Long Family Patriarch explained in one breath.

“What if someone is delayed or trapped along the way? Should those who arrive first wait indefinitely?” the Lin Family man frowned.

“Rest assured, I’ve considered that. From today, we’ll set the meeting for exactly two years from now. Whoever arrives by then will proceed; we won’t wait. The gathering point will be the largest inn in Phantom Night City,” the Long Family Patriarch replied decisively.

“Two years should be enough unless major setbacks occur. As for the location, I have no objections. But where are Sage Qianqiu and the others? Why haven’t they appeared yet?” Han Li asked after a brief pause.

The others also showed no opposition to the plan.

“Speaking of which, why haven’t we seen our Spirit Tribe companions? Did something happen to them?” Han Li glanced around before asking again.

At this, the Long Family Patriarch and the others exchanged odd looks.

“Fellow Daoist Han, you may not know, but the Spirit Tribe members left two days ago. I have a message jade slip from Sage Qianqiu. The rest of us have already read it,” the robed maiden explained calmly, tossing a white jade slip toward Han Li.

The Long Family Patriarch wore a bitter smile.

“Is that so? Let me see.” Han Li caught the slip and scanned it with his divine sense.

After a few breaths, he withdrew his divine sense and said neutrally, “It seems Sage Qianqiu and the others encountered an urgent matter and had to leave early. They’ve also arranged to meet us in Phantom Night City. In that case, our earlier plan stands.”

“Indeed. Though we don’t know what happened, for them to act so hastily, it must be serious. The Spirit Tribe’s strength is no less than ours, so we needn’t worry. Right now, we must act quickly. Many demons seem to share our thoughts—some have already begun leaving the city,” the Long Family Patriarch said, glancing meaningfully into the distance.

Han Li’s expression shifted as he extended his divine sense outward.

In the short time they had been talking, thousands of mid-to-high-level demons had already formed over a dozen groups and were cautiously fleeing into the wilderness.

With others taking the lead, the remaining demons in the city grew even more panicked. Countless low-level demons surged out of Blood Crow City like a tide, scattering in all directions.