The world was plunged into chaos by the Demon Insect plague, with tremendous casualties among military commanders and soldiers alike, not to mention the widespread death of civilians in cities and towns, corpses littering the landscape.

Now, almost every nation had committed its entire military strength against the Demon Insects; this battle was no longer about individual survival, but about determining the fate of all humankind.

。。。。。。 Within the borders of the "Winter Moon Empire," officers and soldiers were locked in bloody combat! "Hold the line! We absolutely cannot let the Demon Insects advance another half-step!" Even though the commanding officers had strained their voices raw, they could not turn the tide of defeat; they were simply too weak against the formidable Demon Insects.

Currently, the armies of various nations were only holding on by sheer numbers in their entanglement with the Demon Insects, but as the insect population continued to swell, this advantage was rapidly diminishing! "General, General, the Demon Insects' attack is too fierce! We can hardly hold on!" A blood-soaked soldier, his face etched with exhaustion, spoke anxiously. "Hold fast, even in death! Reinforcements will arrive momentarily!" The General’s face displayed an expression of unyielding resolve.

Although he had uttered this phrase countless times, the mere mention of "reinforcements" brought a glimmer of hope to the eyes of soldiers who had already descended into despair.

Belief was now the final pillar supporting them, and at this moment of life and death, the mettle of the "Winter Moon Empire's" soldiers shone through; not a single man broke ranks and fled! The sound of roaring explosions was incessant, and the cries of battle echoed piercingly across the heavens! The Demon Insects slaughtered the Imperial soldiers with their razor-sharp claws and powerful mandibles, and the entire defense line was on the verge of total collapse.

At this critical juncture, shouts and the sound of waving banners suddenly erupted from behind them.

Finally, the reinforcements they had desperately awaited had arrived! In an instant, the soldiers, previously utterly exhausted, seemed to have consumed an elixir of life, immediately becoming energetic and spirited, each one roaring: "Charge! Charge! Charge, defend our homes and our nation..." "General Huth, hold on! We are here to support you!" A voice carried from a distance, invigorating Huth, who was responsible for the defense here, because he recognized the speaker as his dear friend across generations—Nie Fu'er! Nie Fu'er, clad in brand-new armor and wielding a strange, long-handled implement, quickly ran up to Huth’s side. "Old friend, you finally made it.

If you hadn't arrived soon, we would have perished for the nation!" Huth grasped Nie Fu'er’s shoulder, his face alight with emotion. "What's the situation?" Nie Fu'er cut short any pleasantries and got straight to the point. "The situation is far from optimistic!" Huth paused before suddenly asking, "Nie Fu'er, how many troops did you bring?" "Five thousand!" "Five thousand?" Huth’s eyes widened, and the hope that had just risen in him seemed instantly extinguished by a bucket of cold water. "Nie Fu'er, you aren't joking, are you? Five thousand? You brought only five thousand! My army of two hundred thousand couldn't stop these Demon Insects—what good can your five thousand do?" "It's the quality of the troops that counts, not the quantity!" Nie Fu'er suddenly shifted his tone. "Do you think bringing half a million troops would have been useful?" Huth fell silent, for no one knew the true power of the Demon Insects better than he.

Of his two hundred thousand troops, fewer than twenty thousand remained, yet the number of Demon Insects had not decreased but continued to multiply! Nie Fu'er suddenly smiled. "You don't need to worry.

We didn't come here to be cannon fodder!" With that, Nie Fu'er turned, his expression becoming stern. "All officers, heed my command! Quickly set up the 'Insect Repulsion Towers'!" "Yes!" The five thousand troops immediately set to work. "What are these?" Huth looked at Nie Fu'er suspiciously. "Goods from the 'Dark Commerce Association'!" Nie Fu'er gave a sly smile, deliberately pausing before continuing, "This time, I brought more than just 'Insect Repulsion Towers.' Rest assured, His Majesty Alexadrian has purchased ample equipment from the 'Dark Commerce Association'—enough to handle this crisis!" Just as his words ended, a soldier, his face flushed with excitement, rushed over and knelt on one knee before Huth. "General, the Demon Insects have been brought under control!" Under control? So fast?? Huth could hardly believe it; they had just been on the brink of total annihilation moments ago! Could the things from the "Dark Commerce Association" truly be that effective? All this in just a short time… While he was distracted, Nie Fu'er issued another command: "All soldiers, heed my order! Quickly change your gear and follow me to slay the Demon Insects!" When the soldiers looked at the equipment being distributed to them, they were so overcome with emotion they nearly wept.

His Majesty was truly generous! With this gear, they had hope for survival! Good heavens, so many magic scrolls! Wait, what is this? Oh my god...

is this the legendary non-sale item?? "Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty!" If Alexadrian were present, he would surely be beaming with satisfaction, for his foresight had been impeccable; being able to latch onto the great tree that was Zhong Shenxiu was undoubtedly a blessing for the entire "Winter Moon Empire"! Subsequently, a dramatic reversal occurred; the soldiers, who had been continuously forced back, finally gained the upper hand, chasing the Demon Insects in all directions! (Summary in one sentence: Equipment is indeed the hard truth!!!) ※※※※※※ The other empires faced similar situations, but they lacked the good fortune of the "Winter Moon Empire" to receive supplies from the "Dark Commerce Association." The scale of their losses was catastrophic, so severe that it could be described as rivers of blood! In just one day since the Demon Insect outbreak, the economic losses incurred by the various empires reached an incalculable, astronomical figure.

The Demon Insects were truly terrifying; now, the entire world clearly understood this reality, deeply immersed in ever-growing panic! As the disaster intensified, more and more people recognized the crucial importance of the goods sold by the "Dark Commerce Association." They realized that only what the "Dark Commerce Association" offered were the most ideal products for eradicating the insects.

To their gratitude, the "Dark Commerce Association" did not inflate prices due to the crisis; instead, they repeatedly slashed the prices of several products that had a direct effect against the Demon Insects! Consequently, the fronts of "Dark Commerce Association" outlets across the nation were swamped with people coming to purchase goods! By conservative estimates, the revenue of the "Dark Commerce Association" in just this one day reached what it usually earned in an entire year.

Driven by fear, people had lost all reason, treating money as filth, and sparing no expense to hoard every item the "Dark Commerce Association" offered against the Demon Insects, all to secure more capital for their own survival! While the world was gripped by terror and disaster, Zhong Shenxiu and his companions did not stand idly by.

Wherever they went, they did their utmost to resolve the local Demon Insect crises.

While they could not exterminate every single insect, they could at least guarantee the safety of the local populace.

Moreover, Zhong Shenxiu even unleashed his four incredibly potent skeletal roosters, saving numerous common people.

Because of this, a short jingle spread among the populace: Skeletal Rooster, the fighting rooster among roosters! It is mighty, and utterly magical, where it passes, disaster subsides!! Although Zhong Shenxiu and his group managed to slaughter hundreds of millions of Demon Insects, because of their incredibly rapid reproductive capacity, coupled with the ceaseless torrent of insects pouring out from the "Access Points" at every moment, this catastrophe could simply not be halted! To fundamentally resolve this crisis, they had to find a way to control the "Access Points." The most effective and direct method was to refine the "Alien Space," molding it into a part that Zhong Shenxiu commanded, thus allowing him to instantly seal off all entry points! Just as Zhong Shenxiu began preparations to refine the "Alien Space," a creature dozens of times more formidable than the "Yansen" appeared in this world—its name was the "Gesi La"!!! The location where the "Gesi La" manifested was peculiar; it was neither a dense forest nor a great canyon, but rather a vital transportation hub.

By the time Zhong Shenxiu and his group arrived, a full week had passed, during which countless lives had been claimed at that site! Before even reaching the actual location, they could smell waves of a coppery, bloody stench. "How foul!" Diya covered her nose. "Look, what is that?" Following Xia Luo’s pointing finger, they saw several vine-like structures, varying in thickness, shooting toward them at great speed.

No, they were not vines; describing them as mutated tentacles would be more accurate, as they were covered in sharp, backward-facing barbs, and terrifying mouths opened and closed along their length. "'Gesi La,' this must be the 'Gesi La'!" Kaini rarely displayed such a serious expression.

From these tentacles, one could understand why it was named "Gesi La"; these appendages must be its weapons, and those sharp barbs could easily slice apart the bodies of other Demon Insects.

Within the mouths gaping open on the tentacles, remnants of various life forms could be seen, including undigested human skulls.

Xia Luo saw them too, but what she witnessed was the half-mangled body of an infant.

This brute didn't even spare babies! "Begone!" At Xia Luo’s furious roar, the tentacle-like things shattered completely.

Zhong Shenxiu also took action; with a wave of his hand, he seized one tentacle and pulled upward slightly, causing the entire earth to tremble.

Then, a massive, round body surfaced from the ground, but the moment it emerged, it disintegrated into a pile of dust that drifted away with the wind! Gazing into the vast pit, Zhong Shenxiu walked slowly down.

His objective was not the "Gesi La" itself, but the "Access Point" beneath the crater! This place would serve as the precise location for him to refine the "Alien Space"! Favorable terrain, human support—now all that was missing was the right "timing"! Zhong Shenxiu commanded the members of the "Misty Mercenary Group" to evacuate everyone nearby and ordered them to retreat thirty kilometers away, while he waited here for the opportune moment! This moment had finally arrived.

Zhong Shenxiu was truly about to begin refining the "Alien Space," and he would utilize the "Ascension Force"! Releasing the power suppressed within his body, it erupted instantly, the entire sky immediately shrouded in dark clouds! Just how terrifying would the heavenly tribulation he was about to face be this time?