Only twenty or so from that contingent of over fifty from the Linhai Academy managed to safely reach the rocky perch above. Among the guiding Doctors and Instructors, there were certainly those, like He Yan, who were desperate only to save their own skins.

Yet, others stood their ground, fighting a desperate rearguard action to shield the students as they fled. Only four Sixth-Tier experts, along with a scattering of students—only a few of whom had reached the Fourth-Tier Innate or the Out-of-Body Realm—made it back to the Snow-Patterned Rock.

Every last bit of strength was expended, constantly bolstering the basic spirit formation laid down by Zong Shou’s subordinates. Fortunately, as they were all from the same sect, their studies overlapped significantly.

The Beast Crystals they dispersed and the spirit runes they inscribed did not clash or interfere with one another. Zong Shou glanced at these people, lost interest, and then frowned; among this group, he notably could not see the figure of Gong Xinran’s younger brother.

He gazed farther into the distance and saw a tide of black-and-red ants surging toward them. Each ant was the size of a half-man-high water vat, possessing an indescribably ferocious appearance.

Black flames burned upon their bodies, and their carapaces were crystalline and translucent, resembling crimson crystal. However, ahead of this ant tide, several figures were running for their lives.

One of them was precisely Gong Xinran’s brother. Zong Shou’s expression instantly eased, and he signaled Zong Yuan.

The latter shot up into the air, moving like lightning. In but a moment, he was before the ant tide.

Beams of spear shadows instantly erupted forward like a sudden, violent storm of rain. Driven by the power of lightning, they manifested as thousands upon thousands of purple spear shadows crackling with electricity, completely overwhelming the sprawling ant tide in an act of total submersion.

Zong Shou’s gaze immediately brightened. This technique was called ‘Mad Thunder Thousand Blades,’ the move that best embodied the intent of the Mad Thunder Spear.

He had once performed it in front of Zong Yuan against Xiong Kui. Yet, Zong Yuan had already learned it.

Though his control was inferior to Zong Shou’s, only achieving about twenty percent precision, the sheer dominance of his spear force surpassed Zong Shou’s own initial grasp! As the spear shadows surged, they whipped up gusts of fierce and brutal airflow that blasted in all directions!

Instantly, dozens of Fire Crystal Ants were utterly shredded by the tremendous force of the spear! The surrounding Crystal Ants were thrown into disarray by the powerful gale, staggering as if about to collapse.

It was precisely during this momentary lull in the ant tide that Zong Yuan spun around, seized Gong Xinran’s brother, and dared not delay an instant. With a single leap, he was back on the giant rock.

The other few individuals seized the opportunity to continue their frantic run. By the time the ant tide recovered, several people had fortunately managed to scramble onto the huge rock.

Among them was Zhong Li Shuang. Only one person, slightly slower, was mercilessly carved up and devoured by the ant tide almost right before everyone’s eyes; in the blink of an eye, only a splash of blood marked the spot where they had been.

It wasn't just the people from Linhai Academy who fell silent, stunned by the sight. Zong Yuan’s heart also turned cold; how could there be fewer than three thousand ants in that swarm?

Just a rough count revealed over ten thousand Fire Crystal Ants. And the Soldier Ants, which were two tiers higher, had yet to even show themselves.

Had he reacted a moment slower just now, or lingered in the fight for even slightly too long, a safe return might not have been guaranteed. He Yan’s gaze was cold.

Seeing Zong Yuan return safely, a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes, though for reasons unknown to others. After a brief pause, he cupped his hands toward Zong Shou and said, “Many thanks to Your Highness for the prior warning and for setting up the spirit formation that provided us a place of refuge!

The intervention of your subordinates just now saved the lives of several disciples from my Academy; He Yan is even more grateful!” Zong Shou shot him a sidelong glance, not even bothering to respond. Even the people from Linhai Academy showed contempt on their faces.

The students with ordinary backgrounds were one thing, but those like Zhong Li Shuang, who relied on family backing, stared at He Yan with icy eyes. Some even looked as if they wished to tear him apart and consume him raw.

He Yan coughed lightly, a bit awkwardly, and said no more. He pretended to observe the spirit formation and the situation with the Fire Crystal Ants, glancing below.

In a short time, the Crystal Ants had completely surrounded the two massive stone pillars. Linhai Academy had set up a lightning array; as soon as the Crystal Ants drew near, dozens of thunderbolts would strike down.

Coupled with the dozens of Spirit Masters on the platform simultaneously activating their talismans, over sixty Fire Crystal Ants were instantly killed, causing the ant tide to momentarily retreat slightly. The section Zong Shou occupied, however, was guarded by an ice-element spirit formation.

He Yan keenly noticed that the majority of the Fire Crystal Ants were reluctant to approach. He then recalled that Crystal Ants abhorred cold and loved heat, making them naturally fearful of that area and hesitant to draw close.

Occasionally, a dozen or so Fire Crystal Ants flapped their wings, leaping dozens of feet into the air, intending to scramble directly onto the summit of the giant rock. But just then, several sword lights flashed with sudden, chilling brilliance, instantly shredding the flying Crystal Ants into dust before vanishing again, dissolving back into the void.

He Yan felt a chill in his heart. He had assumed that these two individuals, occupying one rock alone, even with a powerhouse like Zong Yuan, would be struggling immensely.

Now, he completely suppressed any lurking malicious thoughts, which vanished without a trace. He only worried inwardly that even if they escaped this day, death would likely still await them.

The Fire Crystal Ants probed several times, leaving behind over two hundred corpses, before temporarily retreating to a distance of a hundred yards, seemingly waiting for something. This only tightened the tension in everyone’s minds; they all knew the truly difficult phase had yet to arrive.

Everyone hastily continued preparing their spirit techniques and talismans. Zong Shou diverted a measure of his attention to the youth beside him, who was visibly trembling, clearly still recovering from shock.

“Are you Gong Xinran’s brother? Gong Yue?” “Your Highness knows me?” Gong Yue snapped back to attention, his eyes lighting up: “My sister often mentioned Your Highness in her letters.

It’s just that, for the past year, we haven’t had any news from her.” Zong Shou nodded, subtly guiding a spiritual hand seal from his sleeve. He cast a layer of illusion magic around himself without drawing attention, then directly retrieved the Martial Scripture Secret Manual from his Qiankun Pouch and tossed it over.

“This is an heirloom your sister took from one of your Gong family ancestors, entrusted to me to give to you. It contains your ancestor’s annotations and some of your Gong family’s martial arts secrets; it should be of great benefit to your cultivation.” Gong Yue took the scripture with astonishment, and as he flipped it open, sheer ecstasy flooded his eyes.

The Martial Scripture Secret Manual, authored by the Three Sages, was considered a classic hidden treasure by all noble houses; he never expected to obtain one himself. Just as the joy began to surge, Gong Yue remembered his sister and was about to inquire about her whereabouts when a buzzing sound echoed near his ears.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of crimson Crystal Ants came flying from the horizon. This time, they were all winged ants, possessing four pairs of wings.

Though fewer in number, they were all Fifth-Tier or higher. The most ferocious among them had six wings and was slightly smaller, yet it positioned itself in the center of the flying ant swarm like a monarch.

Its compound eyes glittered with merciless light as it looked down. Below, the ground swarm also parted to clear several paths.

Over a hundred Magic Fire Crystal Ants, each twice the size of the common ants, emerged from the center. The people on the pillars all felt their breath catch.

The total number of Sixth-Tier experts here, plus Zong Yuan whose strength was unfathomably deep at peak Fifth-Tier, only amounted to five individuals. After the swarm reformed its circle, it paused again briefly.

Suddenly, over a hundred flying ants charged downward toward the highest rock. Dozens of Soldier Ants also rapidly advanced several of their segmented limbs, rushing toward the giant rock at a speed comparable to a normal person’s pace.

He propelled himself, unfurled his wings, and soared over two hundred zhang down in a glide. Seeing this, the Linhai Academy members, even those previously grateful, could not help but exhale in relief; several of them even harbored secret schadenfreude.

Zong Shou’s lips curled into a cynical sneer. These Magic Fire Crystal Ants were formidable, but they lacked brains—were they trying to bully them because they were few in number?

Zong Yuan was already prepared; the Purple Lightning Spear vanished in his hand in an instant. Then, a surge of intent, even more potent than before, suddenly swept out.

Several purple lights, flickering like dancing lightning, pierced the heads of a dozen flying ants, causing them to plummet swiftly. Finally, all dozens of purple lightning bolts converged, forming a single spear shadow that instantly pierced through the bodies of two Sixth-Tier Soldier Ants!

However, Zong Yuan himself seemed severely depleted, breathing slightly heavily and stepping back half a pace. Fortunately, the spirit formation activated at that precise moment.

A magnetic force instantly erupted, making the bodies of the dozens of Soldier Ants feel as if their weight had multiplied several times. They plummeted from the air, either colliding with each other or smashing against the stone pillar.

The Snow-Patterned Rock’s hardness had already been enhanced by Zong Shou’s magic, so it remained completely undamaged; instead, the Soldier Ants striking it were left dizzy and stunned. The thirty-six Bamboo Leaf Cold Swords also activated just in time.

In the blink of an eye, they dismembered four Sixth-Tier Soldier Ants in rapid succession! Zong Shou gripped the Thunderwing Sword at this moment.

Little Gold’s body immediately attached itself to the blade, further strengthening this spirit weapon, making it approach the status of a Seventh-Tier spirit weapon almost infinitely! The Thunderwing Sun Serpent also transformed once more into a streak of lightning, coiling around his right arm.

He took a shallow breath, then abruptly drew his sword. Sword shadows flashed instantly, accompanied by piercing shrieks, carving through the void around the stone pillar, filling in the gaps left by Zong Yuan’s Mad Thunder Spear.

Anything brushed by the purple sword light, whether dust motes fine as mustard seeds or the huge bodies of the Soldier Ants, was instantly severed! And he performed no unnecessary follow-up strikes, wasting not a single bit of energy.

Cooperating with the spirit formation and Zong Yuan’s spear, they sealed off every possible avenue. In merely a dozen breaths, over sixty flying ants were slain by the sword light and spear shadows.

Just then, the Flying Ant King suddenly flashed, transforming into a streak of light, cutting diagonally through the ant swarm. Zong Shou’s gaze sharpened slightly, followed by a cold sneer.

He had been waiting for this fellow for a long time! A blade light of red and blue suddenly emerged from his sleeve, carrying the Earth-Shaking True Strength.

It left a mere afterimage in the sight of the other Sixth-Tier experts as it sliced diagonally forward.