This plan had already been settled upon well before departure, and now, as the moment arrived, the senior cultivators naturally had no objections. After a brief moment, the vast army of demons hovering above the ancient wilderness roared and then split into several groups, rolling forward in unison toward the same direction. Only a few ten thousand of the most elite demon guards and a number of senior cultivators remained in place. An hour later, the remaining elite demon forces stirred and then boarded several massive vessels, departing the wilderness. Seven days later, on a high plateau devoid of grass or trees, a large army of over one hundred thousand armored demon soldiers surged forward through the sea of insects. This demon army advanced with disciplined precision, forming an intricate circular array in the sky supported by hundreds of giant vessels, and layering seven or eight defensive light shields. From within these shields, thick beams of light and dense clusters of dark energy and spears surged forth continuously, with vast numbers of insect corpses falling from the sky at nearly every moment. But the number of stem-bugs in this sea of insects was simply too overwhelming! No matter how many were killed or wounded, more strange insects would continuously surge in, relentlessly attacking the entire formation. The originally steadily advancing army of the magical races had to halt in place under successive waves of resistance, yet the attacks emanating from the circular formation grew even more intense, swiftly eliminating countless nearby stem-bugs and thus easing the pressure they faced somewhat. Yet the three magi at the combined stage aboard a single massive vessel within the formation observed this scene with grim expressions, showing no signs of cheer. "Now that we're finally drawing upon our reserve forces—it's far from a wise move. The time we can still delay is likely to be significantly shortened," murmured a tall magical warrior clad in crimson armor. "Hmph. If we don't act now, the entire formation might collapse right now. And if we can't even make it through this current phase, what hope do we have for anything beyond?" "Another lean, elderly mage coldly remarked, 'But the holy elders have commanded us to endure for more than half a day within the insect sea. We've only just passed a few hours so far. If we truly wish to survive and return, we must reserve our strength. Otherwise, when everyone is utterly exhausted, how could we possibly break through the insect sea with just us?' The red-armored mage countered. 'If we don't deploy all our strength, we're already in peril—how can we even hope to break through the insect sea? At the very worst, we can unite and activate our secret techniques to tap into our latent potential, and perhaps we can still make it out safely.' The lean elder seemed unconcerned. 'Tap into our potential! You speak with ease. Should there be even the slightest misstep, we'll still be devoured by the insect larvae.' The red-armored man replied coldly. 'I believe, with proper planning and timely opportunities, this is far from an insurmountable task.' The gaunt elder sneered and hummed. Upon hearing this, the tall man grew furious, intending to speak further—only to be cut off mid-sentence by the final magus, a middle-aged woman. "What time is it now, that you two are still arguing? If you truly have the leisure, you may wait until we all safely depart. But until then, we must work together as a team. All our forces have already been dispatched; now it's too late to regret. Let us, therefore, think carefully—beyond simply unlocking our potential, is there any other way to break through the swarm of insects?" The woman, with a certain grace, spoke calmly and evenly. "Your words, Lady Tianmiao, are well taken. We shall reconsider and strive to find other means, rather than merely relying on our current efforts." The red-armored man, his expression shifting between frustration and composure, finally managed to suppress his displeasure and offered a polite smile. "Indeed, I hadn't expected the locusts here to be so much more formidable than those from the outer realms. At this point, we must unite and act together." After a dry cough, the thin, elderly mage's expression eased. Thus, the three magi-kingdoms further deliberated carefully on their escape strategy aboard the great vessel. At the same time, several other magi-armies were likewise besieged by vast swarms of locusts in various remote regions, with their own magi-kings leading their forces in fierce resistance against wave after wave of attacks—each struggling desperately to hold on. However, the several thousand elite magi under Han Li Bao and his companions, taking advantage of the fact that most of the locusts near the origin site had been drawn away by the main magi-armies, swiftly broke through over a dozen locust swarms with their fastest possible speed, now approaching the origin site closely. Yet by this time, the other locust swarms had finally reacted and, converging from all directions, completely surrounded them, sealing them off just as the other magi-armies had, now fully immersed in an endless sea of locusts. Yet unlike those vast armies of the magical races! Although the senior elders of the Baohua Sect had not yet launched their attacks, the combined efforts of tens of thousands of elite magical troops and nearly a thousand disciples from the senior elders' respective sects proved utterly unstoppable against ordinary pests. Immediately, countless waves of swordlight and blade-sharp flashes surged forward, sweeping across the front lines and instantly transforming the pests into splashing showers of blood, completely impeding their advance. Under the steady flow of swirling magical energy, the entire magical army made no pause, pressing forward with remarkable speed. Even when a few more formidable pests blocked the way, they were swiftly crushed and eliminated by countless magical weapons. Within just half an hour, the magical army had advanced a distance of one million li, annihilating countless pests along the way. Suddenly, an unusual hissing sound arose from the midst of the pest horde ahead. Then, the pests suddenly parted, revealing a large group of towering, emerald-green giants. Each of these colossal insects measures over ten zhang in length, with chelate forelimbs and sharp, jagged teeth, appearing fearsome and imposing. "Be cautious—these are high-tier Míng chóng. Their breath attacks are equivalent to a full-power strike from a fused Divine Sovereign!" One of the high-tier magical beings instantly recognized these giant insects and issued a startled warning. Yet at that very moment, the giant insects in front suddenly opened their massive mouths, unleashing a series of swift, vibrant green light columns that vanished in an instant. The nearly three thousand elite magical warriors at the forefront—ranging from Xuangui to higher ranks—were unprepared and struck directly through their defensive magical aura, their bodies vaporizing instantly with piercing cries of pain. The power of these light columns was astonishing; even the battle armor of the magical guards and their protective spiritual radiance proved utterly ineffective. "Ha! These high-tier Míng chóng have gathered so many all at once—clearly, they now understand that we are indeed the main force of this expedition. Then, what are we waiting for?" A Magian Sage-Founder clad entirely in black armor, standing at the prow of the great vessel, burst into laughter. With a single hand gesture, a cascade of black filaments shot forth, swiftly coalescing into a colossal net several miles across, which then descended directly upon the great insects. At this moment, several other senior cultivators nearby also reacted, stepping forward. One merely pressed a hand seal, and instantly a surge of fierce wind erupted before him, lifting dozens of hurricane-like gusts reaching thousands of feet in height, which then rolled forward with overwhelming momentum. Another simply pointed his hand into the void, causing a ripple of vital energy in the sky, followed by a thunderous roar—then countless lightning serpents, thick as dinner plates, burst forth in a torrential downpour. Meanwhile, beneath the silent efforts of the remaining senior cultivators, long blades of wind, each several feet in length, and blue fire orbs the size of large bowls, began to emerge around the insects and surged forth without hesitation, converging directly upon the swarm. Even a senior bodhisattva master simply reached out into the void, and a shimmering, slender sword materialized instantly. With a simple flick, it surged forward in a powerful slash. A loud rushing sound erupted, and countless shimmering sword beams flashed forth, sweeping across the sky in a continuous wave of piercing sound and brilliance. Han Li stood within the grand hall of the great vessel, yet with a mere sweep of his divine awareness, he perceived everything with clear precision. Upon seeing how several Dao-level cultivators, merely working in unison, effortlessly eliminated all the colossal insects, a faint smile played at the corner of his lips. Though these insects emitted power comparable to that of Consolidated cultivators, their defensive capabilities were vastly inferior—seeming more like subpar specimens. Otherwise, even with multiple Dao-level cultivators joining forces, such a decisive and swift annihilation of so many Consolidated cultivators would have been impossible. Clearly, these insects were not among the true apex beings of the insect army. In fact, out of the ten Dao-level elders gathered in the hall, only seven or eight stood at either end of the vessel, ready to respond to any unforeseen developments. The precious flower sat calmly on a chair at the center of the hall, idly handling a mirror in her hands—exactly the small Mirrored Heaven Mirror. The other Dao-level cultivators either gathered in pairs to whisper softly to one another or sat in meditation, eyes closed. Han Li's gaze flickered, landing on a woman seated by the window—none other than the Xie Lian Sage. The woman bore a striking resemblance to Bao Hua, facing the window with quiet focus, watching the guards engage in battle against the mingsheng insects. Her expression remained utterly still, as if her thoughts were hidden within. Nearby, the Copper Crow elder sat in meditation on the floor, supported by several high-ranking Tian Yu officials. A faint, steady glow of pale yellow crystal light pulsed subtly around him, as though he were practicing a specific cultivation technique. Han Li swiftly shifted his focus and settled into stillness as well. Beside him, the Crab Daoist stood motionless, yet the silver moon was nowhere in sight. This was deliberate—Han Li had judged the journey to be particularly perilous, and thus had chosen not to bring the woman along, leaving her temporarily in the desert's temporary abode. While the silver moon would be affected by the "Forgetting the Heart" technique once she departed his side, as long as the separation was not prolonged, the impact would remain minor.