Chapter 39: The Fire Spirit Ant Tide

Xuan Shiyan swung his sword again. Sword energy swept out, forcibly clearing a patch of empty ground.

But in the blink of an eye, the ant tide filled the gap again.

Yan Li’s brow gradually furrowed.

“We can’t keep wearing ourselves down,” Xuan Shiyan said after another sweep knocked over a group of fire spirit ants. “These things never end.”

Yan Li knew he was right.

The worst part of fire spirit ants wasn’t their hard shells, or the fire poison in their fluids. It was that they feared no death and could never be killed off.

Firelight and sword energy exploded again and again. Fire spirit ants fell in swaths.

Yet the red tide did not shrink at all. It surged harder and pressed closer.

Yan Li’s frown deepened. No matter how pure her spiritual power or how fast her flying sword, she couldn’t hold off this swarm, small, numerous, and endless.

Every time she cleared a patch, more ants filled it in the next moment. If this went on, they would be the first to fall.

Suddenly, a faster rustling came from the rock walls on both sides.

Yan Li’s pupils shrank. “Above!”

The top of the rock wall was already covered with fire spirit ants. The whole swarm poured down on them like a red waterfall.

Yan Li drove back the ant tide in front with one sword strike. With a thought, her silver flying sword turned back and shot up as a streak of light.

At the same time, Xuan Shiyan pointed two fingers. His black sword shot skyward in a dark glow.

One silver and one black sword light crossed and spiraled in the air, weaving a tight net of sword energy.

The descending fire spirit ants were shredded before they could get close. Scalding ant fluid splattered everywhere.

But hidden in the swarm, two fire spirit ants clearly larger than the rest forced their way out through the sword net.

Xuan Shiyan’s gaze sharpened. He stepped in front of Yan Li and cut with his black sword, splitting one in half on the spot.

The other used its companion’s corpse as cover and burst out, grazing his shoulder.

Xuan Shiyan swung his sword backhanded.

Sss!

The fire spirit ant burst apart. Scalding fire-poison ant fluid sprayed out.

Xuan Shiyan’s protective spiritual light trembled violently. A large patch of his robe burned black. A burning pain came from his shoulder, and the fire poison spread quickly through the wound.

He grunted, but did not retreat half a step.

The fire poison kept invading his meridians through the wound. His spiritual power grew sluggish, each circulation harder than the last.

Yan Li watched the back always blocking her way. Her gaze moved. A thread of silver-white spiritual power quietly flowed into Xuan Shiyan’s body.

A cool sensation spread along his meridians. The burning pain from the fire poison eased greatly, and his spiritual power gradually flowed smoothly again.

A flicker of surprise passed through Xuan Shiyan’s eyes. He said nothing. His black sword still wove back and forth, crushing the fire spirit ants that lunged at them.

He swept a group of ants away with one strike. Sweat ran down his temples.

If this kept up, they would be worn to death.

He swung his sword while thinking of a way to break the deadlock.

A formation? No time.

Force a breakthrough? Ants were everywhere. Which way?

His spiritual sense swept quickly through his storage ring. Item after item flashed through his mind.

Fire-repelling talismans, Cleansing Spirit Pills, the Cold Jade Pendant, a tent, a small stool… and an unremarkable little cloth bag?

Xuan Shiyan’s heart stirred.

Time to gamble!

“Senior Brother, step back two steps!”

Yan Li didn’t ask more. Her flying sword swept out, forcibly clearing a small patch of ground. Holding Yan Shu, she stepped back two steps.

A cloth bag appeared in Xuan Shiyan’s palm. He ripped open the bag and scattered all the white powder inside onto the ant tide.

Insect repellent powder.

They hadn’t planned to buy it. In the end, Chen An had seen how much they were buying and forced it on them as a free extra.

The white powder fell across the red ant tide. The two did not act rashly. Back to back, swords ready, they waited two breaths. The fire spirit ants had no reaction at all.

The frontmost red ants stepped on the powder and rushed straight over, speed undiminished, without pause.

The swarm behind pressed forward, trampling over the white powder as if it weren’t there.

Xuan Shiyan’s eyelid twitched. His fingers clenched around the empty bag. “…It’s useless?”

Yan Li didn’t answer. Her silver-white sword light rose again, cutting the few ants at her feet into two. But her spiritual power was mostly spent. The sword light was dimmer than before, and the cleared space grew smaller.

In her arms, Yan Shu shrank her neck from the shockwaves of spiritual power. Her little claws clutched Yan Li’s collar, lips pressed tight, silent.

Xuan Shiyan threw the empty bag to the ground. His black sword swept horizontally, cutting down the row of fire spirit ants rushing at him. Shattered stone and ant shells flew everywhere.

He glanced from the corner of his eye and saw fine sweat on Yan Li’s forehead. Her control of the flying sword was no longer as sharp as before.

If this dragged on, neither of them would escape.

A determined look flashed in his eyes. He shouted, “Senior Brother, you go first!” The black sword suddenly burst with sharp sword light, and he charged straight into the ant tide.

Yan Li frowned. “Shut up.”

The silver flying sword let out a long cry and shot out from her side. Together with Xuan Shiyan, one behind the other, they charged into the ant swarm.

Just then, the fire spirit ants at the front suddenly began spinning. More and more ants staggered in circles like drunks. Some flipped over, six legs kicking wildly.

The swarm behind grew restless too. The once ferocious charge fell apart instantly, slowing down.

The two exchanged a glance. No words needed. They struck with their swords at the same time.

The moon-white flying sword suddenly cried out! The black sword tore through the air after it!

A broad sweep of sword light cleared a large swath of the front ranks.

In moments, the overwhelming ant tide was finally torn open.

“Go!” Xuan Shiyan shouted.

The two didn’t linger. Taking advantage of the chaos, they sped deeper into the valley.

Behind them, a large swath of fire spirit ants still spun madly in the powder. A few struggled after them, but their movements were slow, and they lost the target after a few steps.

The two hurried along the valley path, one behind the other.

Only after confirming no more rustling behind them did Yan Li slow down and catch her breath beside a protruding rock.

Her spiritual power was still churning violently. That ant tide was truly disgusting. Without Chen An’s packet of insect repellent powder, they probably wouldn’t have made it past the valley entrance before being worn down.

Yan Shu lay quietly in Yan Li’s arms. The Cold Jade Pendant on her chest gave off a faint blue glow.

Yan Li reached out and felt her forehead, then swept her spiritual sense through Yan Shu’s meridians. After confirming the Cold Jade Pendant was working, she finally relaxed a little.

Xuan Shiyan wasn’t much better. Sweat ran down his temples and cheeks, and the back of his Daoist robe was soaked.

He raised a hand to wipe his sweat, looked back at the fire spirit ants still spinning in place, and smiled.

“We owe him big for this.”

Yan Li nodded. “We’ll give him more spirit stones when we get back.”

Xuan Shiyan couldn’t help laughing. “Fine.”

“Let’s go. We need to find the crystal before dark, or we’ll have to spend the night in the valley.”

📚 Also on NHV Novels

What Should I Do When Girls Keep Trying to Win Me Over After Rebirth?

CampusRomanceHaremlove

Read Now →
Not interested