Otherworldly Desert Dust

The team of twenty-one people was divided into two sections.

At the front, ten individuals were protected by the Spirit Crown released by the tall, pale member of Wu Hen's team.

At the back, another ten individuals were shielded by the Spirit Crown released by a man with a brown scarf wrapped around his face from Cai Jinlin's team.

Little Stutter stood in the very middle of the team, holding the spirit candle, ensuring both sections could see if the Spirit Crown was still intact.

"I... I am maintaining the Spirit Crown," the pale man said immediately, intensifying the Spirit Crown to a level visible to the naked eye to prove his innocence.

Captain Qin Sheng instantly realized it was the man with the wrapped face at the back of the team who hadn't released the Spirit Crown!

"This isn't good. Mingyi, Fei Ying, there's something wrong on your side!" Qin Sheng shouted loudly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the spirit candle that Little Stutter was holding extinguished!

"Creak, creak, creak~~~~~~~~~~"

A dense swarm of Yin Ants began terrifyingly converging. Though each was as small as a grain, they possessed a strength thousands of times their size. Even a tiny White Bone Yin Ant, when it flew, had the impact of a bullet!!

"Puff, puff, puff, puff!!!"

At the back of the team, a man without Spirit Awakening was pierced and rapidly corroded in mere seconds. The Yin Ants on the ground furiously climbed up his body, gnawing from small holes at a terrifying speed…

Soon, a skeleton stood there, and even in its skeletal form, the agony and despair of his last moments could be felt from his postures!

"What are you standing there for? Release the Crown to protect yourselves!" a burly man with a black band shouted.

The ten people at the back, realizing they were not under the Spirit Crown's protection, immediately released their own Spirit Crowns…

But they underestimated the power of the White Bone Yin Ants. Unlike the sand locusts outside, if the Spirit Crown wasn't bright enough, these ants could combine their bodies to cover it, swallowing its light completely!

The release of the Spirit Crown, from dark to bright, required a process.

In fact, the moment they realized they had no protection, the White Bone Yin Ants had already surrounded their feet and the area around them. Even if they released the Spirit Crown immediately, by the time it reached the dispersal intensity, they would have been devoured completely!

Thus, skeleton after skeleton appeared, from the end of the team to the middle.

Not even in a blink of an eye, five team members were swallowed by the White Bone Yin Ants!

"It's too late. Get over here!" Captain Qin Sheng urgently released his own Spirit Crown, hoping to expand the protected area.

At that moment, the White Bone Yin Ants surged from all directions like a tide. Even those under the Spirit Crown dared not move a step, fearing an exposed arm or hand would be gnawed to the bone.

Mingyi and One-eyed Sister were also among the Crownless Team at the back.

They responded quickly, running toward Qin Sheng and Wu Hen the moment they realized.

But the Yin Ants seemed to possess intelligence, swiftly building a white wall, trapping Mingyi and One-eyed Sister outside the Spirit Crown…

"No, no, I don't want to die!!" a Night Ghost-level woman in the team screamed.

A wisp of Spirit Crown bloomed from her, like a weak candle flame, igniting amidst the dense white tide of Yin Ants.

But the strong malevolent aura and the relentless charge of the Yin Ants made it excruciatingly difficult for Spirit Awakeners, like a damp candle struggling to light. Even if the Spirit Crown was released, it would be extinguished immediately!

The Night Ghost-level woman lasted only a few seconds. Finally, her face swarmed with White Bone Yin Ants, these otherworldly bugs cruelly burrowing into her orifices, stripping her skin and muscles, leaving only bone!

Mingyi glanced back just in time to witness the horrifying scene.

She took a deep breath, her vibrant eyes scanning the surging Yin Ants around…

Mingyi realized that releasing the Spirit Crown now would not protect her. She noticed that the white wall ahead had completely blocked the path, but also that the street buildings on the sides had become sparse!

With her Spiritual Sense, she could clearly see the movements of the White Bone Yin Ants. In reality, their numbers in an area were limited. The high wall in front wasn't conjured from thin air but drawn from the surrounding "Yinzhou buildings"!

"Fei Ying, follow me!" Mingyi grabbed One-eyed Sister's hand and sprinted toward the side street!

The white wall was as imposing as the walls of an ancient palace, seemingly impossible to climb over at first glance.

But as Mingyi and Fei Ying moved sideways about a hundred meters, they found the wall had weak spots, with only a thin layer of White Bone Yin Ants!

"Blast it open!" Mingyi said to Fei Ying.

"Alright!" Fei Ying, undaunted by the crisis, extended her hand, quickly covered by a layer of mechanical material.

The mechanical glove began to heat up. With a roar, Fei Ying's entire palm burst into intense flames. The fire, like a red python, flared towards the thin wall ahead!

Meanwhile, the ancient white path beneath them had turned into a long tongue of the Heavenly Demon, countless Yin Ants surged onto their bodies, with the force of bullets. Mingyi and Fei Ying seemed like they were in a hailstorm battlefield.

"Out of my way!" Mingyi's temper flared. Her skin manifested thin armor like silkworm wings, glowing bright red!

The surging Yin Ants were unstoppable. Other Spirit Awakeners could last only a few seconds before turning into skeletons, but Mingyi's explosive power could momentarily resist the ant tide.

With arms like massive flaming wings, Mingyi smashed through, turning the flame into a fiery whirlwind, clashing with the ant army that had turned into a giant demonic tongue!

Instantly, the Yin Ants turned to ash. A whole road of white ants was obliterated, and the ant-constructed buildings on both sides ignited, making the street look charred and ruined!

"Mingyi, they're consolidating into walls again!" Fei Ying released high temperatures from her palms.

Though the high temperatures burned the outer layer of the wall ants, the entire wall swiftly reformed…

Ants from other regions of the wall shifted quickly to this weak spot, acting with extraordinary coordination!

"Watch this. This wall will fall!" Mingyi took another deep breath, raising her hands high, gathering all her heat above her.

Saturated flames converged, and a majestic Fire Sparrow materialized above Mingyi!

With piercing eyes fixed ahead, Mingyi hurled the Fire Sparrow heavily!

The Fire Sparrow, trailing searing flames, charged at the formidable white wall…

The outer layer ants turned to ash at the touch of the Fire Sparrow.

But more ants continued to gather, layer upon layer, consumed and reassembled, relentlessly!

The Fire Sparrow penetrated halfway into the wall, almost visibly reaching the other side, yet a new white ant web quickly weaved together. More ants covered it, turning back into a barrier.

From all directions, an immense number of Yin Ants filled the gap in no time, reestablishing the impenetrable tomb wall!

"Creak, creak, creak~~~~~"

A chilling resonance arose from billions of Yin Ants, like the cackles of demons.

Clearly, they were telling the Spirit Awakeners who ventured into the otherworldly Yinzhou that, no matter how powerful, escape was futile!

"Quick, this way!!"

Suddenly, Wu Hen's voice called from the initial position.

"Come into my Spirit Crown!" Captain Qin called out.

That section of the tomb wall was indeed thick and impenetrable, but it also meant the main road's wall was weakened.

After releasing the Fire Sparrow, Mingyi hadn't expected the wall to break. Holding One-eyed Sister's hand, she sprinted back to the original spot!

By then, the tomb wall at the initial road position was thin. Captain Qin's Spirit Crown had intensified, dispersing the white ants upon reaching the thin wall…

Wu Hen and Captain Qin sprinted towards Mingyi and Fei Ying, with Mingyi and Fei Ying reciprocating, a coordinated run!

"Creak, creak, creak~~~~~~~~~"

The Yin Ants' hive mind must have overloaded with the humans' maneuvering!

A brief chaos ensued. The front white wall trembled, actions no longer synchronized.

But soon, the ants amassed in another section realized the humans' feint, hurriedly reconfiguring, morphing into a gaping black mouth, abandoning the "segmented" form, pouncing towards Mingyi and Fei Ying!

Unfortunately, despite their overwhelming assault, they were a bit too late.

Mingyi and Fei Ying successfully reached Captain Qin and Wu Hen, diving into the area shrouded by the intense Spirit Crown…

"Creak, creak, creak~~~~~~~~~"

The black gaping mouth was inches away, turning the vicinity into a white ant tomb, with the Spirit Crown's light like a torch in the cavern, just large enough for four people.

And the Spirit Crown light flickered, threatened to be extinguished anytime by the terrifying ant army. Yet, as sheer and ruthless, the ants stopped, still wary of the Spirit Crown, not invading even a bit.

One-eyed Sister Fei Ying sighed deeply in relief.

They narrowly escaped death.

She glanced at Mingyi gratefully.

Thanks to Mingyi, who was in the Thunder Bright Realm with incredible power, they could withstand the terrifying ant swarm, unlike the others in the team who turned to bones in seconds.

Wu Hen gently patted Mingyi's shoulder, comforting, "Stay close to me, it's alright, it's alright."

Beside them, Captain Qin appeared puzzled, "Why would getting closer to my Spirit Crown help?

Wu Hen immediately explained, "Captain, that's a bit insensitive. For women, a shelter from the storm is critical. But the warmth and care a man can provide anytime, that's what truly soothes a girl's heart."