Qin Zhaoming, who was trying to get as far away from the Dew Tree as possible, frowned.
Whether due to his intense movement or the fierce aura of the swarm of insects, maintaining the Concealment Technique was becoming rapidly difficult.
Even his concealment wavered unstably as if it would break at any moment.
'No!'
If his concealment technique broke now, it was obvious what would happen.
It would be a straight trip to the afterlife. Neither the stalkers nor the swarm of insects would let him live.
Since he absolutely couldn't accept this, he boldly made a wish.
Crack!
He consumed three of his remaining 12 Supreme Great Power spheres at once.
The moment the mysterious wave swept through his entire body...
"He's disappeared! I can't track him!"
"That's impossible!"
The Concealment Technique regained stability. His presence became hazy as if he had become invisible.
"Stop talking nonsense and look again! We can't let him escape!"
He passed by the stalkers who were still shouting without understanding the situation.
It was a perfect opportunity for an ambush, but he didn't attack. He merely focused on using them as shields to distance himself from the Dew Tree.
He had no time to waste on them. He poured all his attention into running.
How many seconds had passed?
"W-wait! The guy isn't important right now! Those insects—something's strange. It doesn't look good!"
"Come on, what could mere insects possibly do... huh?"
"B-brother! Save me—Aaaahh!!"
A terrible scream filled with pain that gave goosebumps just from hearing it echoed, but it didn't last long.
It was buried under the fierce momentum of the swarm of insects and disappeared. It vanished without even leaving a proper trace.
At that moment.
Qin Zhaoming, who was fleeing, unconsciously turned his head. He simply couldn't suppress his instinctive curiosity.
'...Whoa.'
His eyes widened. He was so shocked by the horrific scene that he almost stopped in his tracks.
How long does it take to turn one's head? Naturally, it was an extremely short time, not even a second.
In that instant.
Two of the three had disappeared, leaving only bones. No, even those bones couldn't last long and turned to dust.
'They're insane.'
He knew the poisonous insects were dangerous, but he didn't know they were this bad.
The insects' reaction today was particularly violent. It was as if all the anger they had accumulated from having their dew stolen by him for half a year had exploded.
Qin Zhaoming, who was rubbing the goosebumps on his arm, gradually slowed his pace.
He had already distanced himself by more than 50 meters, so he had secured a safe distance. Now he needed to focus on the concealment technique and regulate the Supreme Great Power consumption.
He focused his gaze on the mid-stage Qi Refinement practitioner who was the only survivor.
"How dare mere insects!"
He was a muscular man with a grim appearance. After glaring at the poisonous insects with hate-filled eyes, he pulled out a golden disc the size of his palm.
Woong!
The moment spirit qi was injected into the golden disc, it instantly enlarged. In the blink of an eye, it had grown into a large shield with a diameter of 1 meter.
The transformation didn't end there.
A golden aura surged from the shield and transformed into a thick curtain. A protective barrier made of qi surrounded and protected the muscular man from all directions.
The qi curtain was thick and solid, like a fortress wall. It looked incredibly sturdy, as if nothing could penetrate it.
'A defensive magical artifact?'
Magical artifacts were special equipment used by practitioners. They could be considered precious treasures with all sorts of mysterious abilities.
The surprised Qin Zhaoming flinched at that moment.
Boom!
The curtain and the swarm of insects collided, and...
A powerful shockwave erupted, strong enough to make his hair flutter from 50 meters away.
Some of the insect swarm turned to powder and poured down like rain. The tyrannical momentum that had been pulverizing everything was blocked.
Indeed.
The power of the magical artifact was as remarkable as rumored. The insects didn't give up and charged several times, but it was useless.
With each shockwave, countless insects died.
'This is troublesome. He's stronger than I thought.'
Qin Zhaoming's expression darkened. The muscular man's skill was more exceptional than expected.
He was truly a mid-stage Qi Refinement practitioner armed with a magical artifact. If they had fought head-on, he wouldn't have lasted even one exchange.
'What to do.'
The Dew Tree was his most powerful card.
If the situation ended like this, the tracker would return alive and would surely seek revenge.
Just as he was pondering with narrowed brows...
Buzz!
The swarm of insects, which had been blocked several times by the shield, hesitated before retreating. They seemed to have given up.
The man watching this curled his lips and sneered.
"Kuhehe! Mere insects, did you think you could penetrate my Golden Light Shield! Get lost now!"
Just when it seemed the situation had ended...
The insects' flight pattern changed. As if they had developed a collective intelligence, they began to draw patterns in the air.
They started merging into one while tracing strange trajectories, and an ominous energy rippled.
"...Hmm?"
The man, who had been holding his shield triumphantly, flinched.
He swallowed dryly at the suddenly changed aura of the poisonous insects, but soon snorted. Believing in the power of his magical artifact, he didn't retreat.