The hurricane suddenly came to a halt, its form sluggish and motionless, standing stock still. Its ice shield and green aura vanished completely, and at its chest, a transparent hole the size of a clenched fist appeared, leaving behind a blackened, charred area as if scorched by something intense. The man looked down at his chest, instinctively reaching out to touch it, his face filled with astonishment, as though he still couldn't believe what he was seeing. Yet at that moment, the long black spear emitted a hissing sound and once again transformed into a dense swarm of black flying ants, which surged forward without hesitation, overwhelming the man and knocking him flat to the ground, completely covering him instantly. The man only managed a few cries before going silent. After a while, the swarm suddenly rose into the air and returned to its original position, settling down once more, indistinguishable from the surrounding sand grains. Where the man had fallen, there was now nothing left—completely absorbed and consumed by the ants. The entire scene was clearly observed by Han Li, who stood far away at the mountain's summit from beginning to end. While deeply astonished, Han Li's expression grew somewhat unusual. "Iron-fire ants! That's definitely it. I never expected to encounter such a rare spirit insect here." Han Li murmured softly, so quietly that only he could hear. When the iron-fire ants first appeared, Han Li had not yet recognized their origin. It was only when they demonstrated no fear of the yellow-faced cultivator's flying dagger and defensive法宝, and finally coalesced into a long spear, that he identified them as "iron-fire ants." After all, flying ant-type spirit insects are not uncommon in the cultivation world, and their appearances are nearly identical. Most cultivators who do not specialize in pest control techniques find it difficult to distinguish between them. However, the capabilities and the level of threat among different types of flying ant spirit insects differ dramatically. Even a Qi-level cultivator armed with ordinary tools can easily eliminate a weak group of flying ants. The more impressive flying ants would even make Dao-period cultivators furrow their brows and step back, retreating several paces. Among the thirty-seventh-ranked spiritual insects on the Unusual Insects Roll, these are among the most formidable flying ants. Aside from the legendary "Heavenly Crystal Ant" ranked ninth, these Iron-Flame Ants are arguably the most terrifying. These flying ants not only withstand attacks from blades and projectiles but also resist most elemental spells. Only mid-level and higher water- and ice-based spells, as well as certain spells of other attributes, can inflict damage upon them. Their defensive capabilities rival those of the Gold-Eating Insects in terms of extremity, and they surpass the Gold-Eating Insects in resisting direct attacks from magical artifacts. Of course, they lack the extraordinary ability of the Gold-Eating Insects to absorb and consume spiritual energy; however, they compensate with powerful abilities—spewing out black flame and the capacity to group and morph collectively. Thus, in a certain sense, a colony of these Iron-Flame Ants functions as a flexible, shape-shifting fire-based artifact. Thanks to their terrifying aggression, ordinary defensive talismans and spells are utterly unable to withstand their full-force attacks. Huang-face man's death was far from unjust! Although the Iron Fire Ants are not as rare as the Gold-Eating Insects—classified as extinct spiritual insects—they are still extremely uncommon in the immortal cultivation realm. Even when people occasionally encounter them, they usually see only hundreds or a few thousand ants at most. This is because the Iron Fire Ants require an extremely demanding habitat—specifically, hot molten rock regions with abundant copper and iron mineral deposits nearby. Once they leave this environment, they rapidly weaken and deteriorate. Within a short time, their unique abilities fade completely, leaving them no different from ordinary flying ants. If it were only this, there would still be many cultivators capable of commanding such ants. Creating a similar environment—or actively seeking out such environments—to rear and cultivate these ants is truly nothing compared to the alluring capabilities of the iron-fire ants. However, one critical limitation of these flying ants leaves the monastics who seek to harness them utterly disappointed. Whether wild or cultivated over time, iron-fire ants simply fail to recognize or accept any master. Whenever someone attempts to control them through various recognition rituals, the ants invariably explode one after another, without exception. This completely shatters the hopes of the monastics! As for the specific reasons behind this phenomenon, there are numerous theories. Some attribute it to the ants' inherently strong and independent nature, unwilling to be driven or controlled. Others suggest it may be related to the unique physiology of the iron-fire ants. Of course, information about these ants is scarce throughout both the southern heavens and the turbulent star seas. For nearly a thousand years, they have been rarely encountered, and the size of their colonies has steadily diminished. Indeed, a kind of creature nearly extinct! At this moment, Han Li gazed at the black desert, his mind filled with thoughts about the iron-fire ants, standing in quiet contemplation. It seemed that the iron-fire ants were nature's own traps for the desert. Though he didn't know exactly how many such flying ant swarms existed in the desert, the fact that even a yellow-faced cultivator encountered a swarm just hundreds of paces into the desert clearly indicated that the ant populations were substantial. Perhaps even swarms of tens of thousands might exist. With this realization, even Han Li felt a cold shiver rise up his spine. He quickly scanned the several storage bags on his person with his divine awareness. There were about fifteen mid-level ice and water-type talismans—enough to handle perhaps two or three swarms of the size he had just witnessed. Yet, to traverse the entire desert using only these talismans was nothing short of a dream. However, when his eyes fell upon the several spirit-animal bags containing the gold-devouring insects, a sudden spark of inspiration stirred within him. Didn't the gold-devouring insects prove particularly effective against the iron-fire ants? After all, the gold-devouring insects ranked above the iron-fire ants in the hierarchy, and they were numerous. Observing the color of the iron-fire ants' exoskeletons, they had not yet evolved to the legendary "black-gold" stage—clearly still in a semi-mature phase, much like the gold-devouring insects themselves. Thus, it made perfect sense to attempt the gold-devouring insects as a trial. The very thought took root in Han Li's mind and grew increasingly enthusiastic. He managed to suppress his excitement momentarily, reflecting further, and ultimately concluded that there was no issue with the plan. He decided to proceed with the group of iron-fire ants he had just encountered. Even if the gold-devouring insects failed, he still had his mid-tier seals, which would ensure his safety, allowing him to retreat from the desert unharmed. With a sudden coolness in his demeanor, Han Li swiftly descended the mountain peak, heading straight toward the Black Desert. Within a short while, he reached the edge of the desert and halted. He gazed at the black sand grains on the ground, yet his eyes slightly narrowed. Suddenly, he bent down, picked up a handful of black sand, and held it close to his eyelids, studying it intently. After a while, Han Li emitted a cold sigh. Then, a flash of yellow light passed through, his fingers clenched tightly, and slowly released. The result was that most of the sand grains flattened out, with only a few crushed beneath his grip. "What a black desert—turns out it's just some mineral grains containing black iron," Han Li murmured, a touch of self-mockery in his tone. "Still, it's remarkable how they managed to spread these iron-rich grains over such an extensive desert-like terrain. The master of the Xitian Pavilion must have truly laid out an impressive plan back then." Reflecting further, he added a moment of admiration. When he finally tossed the sand grains aside and stood up, his brows furrowed suddenly. Then, he lightly tapped his jade-embossed belt at his waist, and a white light shield appeared on his body. Earlier, to evade that yellow-faced cultivator, he had been forced to temporarily deactivate the jade pendants' fire-resisting function, relying solely on his own cultivation strength to endure thus far. Now, as he approached this black desert, the surging waves of heat immediately caused him to feel dizzy and breathless within a short time—this startled Han Li, who promptly reactivated the Lingxi pairing. At this moment, it was far from a time to conserve spiritual energy. With no further hesitation, Han Li gazed toward the iron fire ant colony and carefully advanced toward it. Walking through this black desert proved to be an extremely taxing ordeal—each step was met with scorching sand grains, and the surrounding air seemed as if it were burning. Even with both the Lingxi pairing and the fire-resistant robe in use, Han Li still felt as though he were suffocating, the heat being three degrees more intense than the molten rock path he had traversed the day before. After merely walking thirty paces, Han Li sighed and reached into his storage pouch, where a smooth, warm orb appeared in his hand. He hesitated not, and poured in some spiritual energy into it. A flash of white light, and a wave of coldness radiated from within the pearl. Han Li felt the coolness around him intensify, his spirit naturally invigorated. He immediately quickened his pace. Using the Lingxi together with the Cold Ice Pearl greatly increased his spiritual energy consumption, and he had to pass through this desert as swiftly as possible. When Han Li was still fifty to sixty paces away from the cluster of "Iron Fire Ants," he halted, carefully observing the area. After a while, he gently shook his head. The hidden cluster of "Iron Fire Ants" was extremely difficult to distinguish from the surrounding black sand grains. Even though he used his spiritual awareness to probe, he still could not clearly detect their presence. The spiritual fluctuations on the ants' bodies were faint and intermittent, as though they had naturally mastered an exceptionally refined art of concealing themselves. It seemed that attempting to use an open spiritual awareness to maintain a safe distance from the ants would be futile; he would have to try the Golden-Biting Insects instead.