Yet Han Li's loss of spiritual power felt more pleasant than before. Though it was only a modest portion compared to the total power he possessed, sustained depletion would still be significant over time. Given his far superior spiritual cultivation level compared to peers of his stage, as long as the consumption remained at a stable, minimal level, he should be able to safely escape. While flying, Han Li pondered these thoughts, and suddenly, the faint, shimmering blade light radiating from his body contracted sharply—from originally several dozen feet down to just a few feet in size. With a few swift glides of his light, he plunged deep into the heart of the ant swarm, completely submerged by the dense, countless maggot ants. However, for ordinary magical beings with lower cultivation levels, this situation was akin to drinking poison to quench thirst—their inner energy would soon be depleted. Soon after, these lower-tier magical beings would inevitably be completely consumed by the maggot swarm. Faced with the relentless, dense waves of maggot ants surging toward them, these magical beings could only panic, desperately channeling their inner energy without pause. Magical beings who had reached the Yuan Ying stage and had solidified their magical infants could sustain much longer, enduring for half a day or even an entire day. As for those at higher stages—such as Hua Shen and Lian Xiu—despite constant assaults from the maggot ants, they could endure for several days, or even up to a month. The combined numbers of the Blood Raven City's magical beings caught in the swarm and the originally driven-away mythical beasts were truly staggering. Naturally, the ant sea could not fully encircle every single one, and thus, there was certainly hope for many to escape and survive. Time passed, one moment after another. After several hours, the lower-tier magical beings gradually exhausted their magical energy, no longer able to activate their magical techniques to protect themselves. The power emitted by the magical artifacts weakened progressively, and eventually, they began to emit piercing, agonized cries. After half a day passed, only those magical beings at the Yuan Ying level or above remained, struggling to hold on amidst the swarm of ants. As the various magical creatures and beasts fled in all directions, the once-impenetrable, vast ant swarm that had encircled the area inevitably fragmented into dozens of separate sections, slowly spreading outward in the same direction as the fleeing prey. As for the female demon, dressed like a common woman, a dark ancient mirror floated above her head, spewing out clumps of azure light that carried faint rumblings of wind and thunder, blasting apart any nearby demon ants. These three demons were none other than the three Sea Clan demon beings who had once blocked Han Li's path in the city of Blood Raven. The final three male demons, each around forty years old, bore a striking resemblance to one another—clearly sharing a close bloodline. Without summoning any magical artifacts, they instead raised their hands and chanted incantations, channeling a swirling, ink-black aura that danced wildly around them, clearing away countless ants. All six demons had achieved the Lingxu stage of cultivation; together, their combined power was truly formidable, and in a matter of moments, they surged through the ant sea, advancing hundreds of miles. The number of ants ahead gradually thinned, as though they had reached the outer edge. Seeing this, the six demons naturally felt elated. Yet, just at this moment, an unexpected turn of events occurred! A sudden rift opened in the sea of ants, and hundreds of colossal ants—each several zhang in height—burst forth. Each of these magical ants was uniformly emerald green, with a pair of translucent, crystalline wings rising from their backs, their sharp fangs exposed and making them appear particularly fierce. As soon as they emerged, they charged directly toward the three magi-like men who bore strikingly similar faces. His body vanished by nearly half. Yet the giant ant poured out even more purple liquid without mercy. This time, the liquid spheres primarily targeted the three male magical beings. Each of the three men showed a slight change in expression. The leading man roared, opening his mouth to project a miniature shield several inches in size, simultaneously channeling a surge of magical energy into his core. The shield instantly swelled to a hundred times its original size, transforming into a towering white giant shield several zhang high. Its surface was uneven and rough, with faint sounds of ghostly wails and howling wolves echoing through it—revealing that it had been crafted from countless white bones. Under the impetus of his magical power, black magical patterns surged across the shield's surface, coalescing into a thick, dark, misty veil that now protected him and the two companions beside him. The purple liquid spheres struck the veil like a sudden downpour, sending up thick plumes of yellow mist. The dark veil trembled violently and rapidly shrank and thinned, visibly under relentless pressure. "Unfortunate," he exclaimed, "you two—help me!" "I alone cannot hold them off," cried the leading man, trembling with fear. At the same moment, the two other magical beings from the realm of the demons, startled, swiftly moved to the back of the leading man and each pressed one hand firmly against his shoulder. Instantly, waves of black energy—alive and pulsing—rushed from their arms into the body of the leading man. The previously trembling light shield thickened once more, yet the magical power within the three men drained at an astonishing pace, leaving them unable to mount any further effective resistance. "Sea friend, act quickly!" the leading man turned sharply and urgently called out to the female demon. "Do not be afraid, my lords. I will swiftly destroy them," replied the female demon without hesitation, pointing her finger at the ancient mirror in the air. Immediately, the mirror spun smoothly, then turned its surface toward the great swarm of magical ants. As the surface of the mirror solidified with a shimmer of green light, it released a powerful spell. A piercing shriek rose once more, and on the other side, the swarm of magic ants surged, from which a dense wave of large, jade-colored ants surged forth—numbering no less than five or six hundred. The magic woman, who had just been about to launch an attack, was instantly startled. Without a word, she changed her hand seals, and the ancient mirror instantly transformed into a shimmering jade glow, descending and enveloping her body completely. A low hum resonated. A flash of jade light rippled across her form, and she broke free, soaring through the air as a luminous streak. At this moment, she not only paid no attention to the three trapped magic men beneath her, but even abandoned her two attendants. The two men from the Hai family, witnessing this, were left stunned and panicked, instantly transforming into a crimson and a white streak of light, and racing off in opposite directions. In a flash, only the three men from the Nan Gong family remained—facing the sky, thunderstruck and shouting in outrage. The same scene unfolded repeatedly across the ant swarms in other directions. The emergence of the variant high-tier magical ants instantly caused the majority of the magical race to collapse and perish under pressure. Among those who survived, high-tier magical beings either possessed unique treasures that protected them or had developed special divine abilities; otherwise, they relied on fortunate circumstances, such as having their companions absorb the brunt of the assault, thus allowing them to escape. As for the human cultivators like Han Li and the few remaining magi or magical beasts of magus-level rank, they managed to forge a path through the colossal ant horde through sheer strength of cultivation. Nevertheless, the magical ants showed no signs of relenting, persistently pursuing the survivors like an unrelenting plague, always closing in whenever the survivors slightly relaxed their vigilance. Even the slightest lapse in defense would plunge them back into the encircling tide of ants, forcing them to endure another grueling battle. Thus, day after day, the wave of ants continued for nearly six months before finally beginning to fade and dissipate. Yet, despite this, a string of cities surrounding the grasslands had been wiped out—seven or eight in total—and millions of magical beings had been consumed by the maggot ants. As a result, many magical people still speak in awe when they mention this wave of insect invasion. The reputation of the maggot ants had become so formidable that it was now a subject of widespread dread in this region. The azure light surged forward, covering over ten thousand li before finally easing and slowing down. "Indeed, such a substantial piece of Wind-Flame Crystal has been discovered here—certainly something of great value in the future. In the glow of the light, a young man single-handedly held a crimson crystal the size of a human head, a gentle smile playing at the corner of his lips as he murmured to himself. This man was Han Li. A year ago, after relying on his powerful techniques to continuously advance deep into the wild, untamed realm of the Magi's Cataclysm, he finally managed to rid himself of the Magi Ants. Then, following the plan agreed upon with others, he made no further pursuit of the old elders of the Long family, and instead journeyed straight toward the Phantasm Desert. While the wild realm was naturally perilous even for ordinary Magi, Han Li, with his formidable abilities, regarded it as nothing more than a mere challenge. In fact, along the way, he accumulated a series of remarkable discoveries—uncommon materials and rare medicinal herbs rarely seen in the spiritual realm—leaving him deeply delighted.