133: Chapter 133 A massive insect swarm strikes, the situation is critical.

The tremors from the ground didn't come from beneath our feet, but slammed directly into our eardrums.

It was a muffled sound, like millions of iron boots stepping on rotting flesh, coming from afar and drawing near, growing denser and heavier.

The air began to reverse, rushing toward human faces with a fishy, sweet, damp scent, making even breathing feel viscous.

"They're here!"

The teenager on the watchtower's voice cracked, and before he could finish, he was swallowed by the sound of an explosion.

Three pre-planted mines detonated on the outer edge of the warning circle, flames shooting into the sky, black shadows tumbling.

The severed limbs and broken wings of Blade-Wing Mantis were tossed into mid-air, yet in the next instant, more figures stepped over their companions' corpses and charged in, wings pressed against the ground, compound eyes glowing red, moving fast enough to leave afterimages.

"Form up according to the original tactics!"

Chen Wuwang kicked over the stunned technician beside the console, leaped onto the high platform, his roar cutting through the chaos like a blade, "Three groups rotate output! Group two, reinforce the shields! Group one, clear close-quarters! Whoever dares to retreat a single step, I will personally behead them to sacrifice to the flag!"

As the order fell, the mech formation immediately moved.

Six heavy "po shan" mechs spread out in an arc, the spiritual cannons on their backs humming as they charged, muzzles aimed at the three main passages.

A spiritual energy shield unfolded in front of the position, rippling with a pale blue wave.

The Sword Cultivator squad split to both flanks, long swords drawn, their Sword Intent condensed into a single line, ready to cut into close combat at any moment.

The first wave of the insect swarm crashed into the shield.

Boom—

The Hydralisk tail hooks slammed violently against the barrier, the Giant Scorpion venom needles pierced through, and the mantis double blades cut at high speed; the energy layer vibrated violently, and the alarm sounded at full volume.

One mech's power supply module overloaded and began to smoke. Before the pilot could jump away, a Worker Ant King had already pounced in front of the cockpit, its mouthparts biting through the alloy plate, blood spraying out.

"Clear it out!"

Chen Wuwang flicked his wrist and threw a Titanium Alloy Dagger, the Talisman runes exploding, stabbing directly into the Worker Ant King's cranium.

The insect body convulsed and burst; he flipped off the high platform. As he landed, his right arm was slashed open by a Hydralisk tail spike, blood streaming down the edge of his armor.

He didn't even look at the wound, grabbed a shock-blast gun that had fallen on the ground, and unleashed a volley at the gap.

"Don't stare at one target! Disperse the firepower! They aren't afraid of death, but we are afraid of losing people!"

He roared, kicked away the rubble blocking the path, grabbed the communicator, and roared again: "Logistics! Push the spare energy modules up! Now! Immediately!"

No one responded.

The rear passage was already entangled with spore filaments; three clansmen were clearing it with flamethrowers, tongues of fire sweeping past, the air filled with a scorched stench.

A transport vehicle was stuck at the corner, and the spiritual energy crystal plates stacked on it were on the verge of being ruined.

"Old Li! Take two people to secure the vehicle!"

Chen Wuwang pointed at an old craftsman covered in grease among the crowd.

Old Li wiped his face, nodded, grabbed a welding torch, and rushed out.

Two others followed closely behind, one carrying a small spiritual cannon, the other holding a box of detonating Talismans.

Just as the three of them rushed to the vehicle, the ground suddenly arched up, and a heavy-armored Giant Scorpion broke through the soil, its tail needle aimed straight at Old Li's heart.

"Get down!"

Chen Xiaodao's voice was as cold as ice.

He was in the center of the main formation, yet he had already soared into the air, his sword not yet drawn, but his Sword Intent leading the way.

The third form of Meteor Sword Intent, "Falling Star," crashed down. A silver light descended from the sky, precisely hacking at the Giant Scorpion's joints; the carapace shattered, and venom sprayed.

Old Li rolled on the ground, dodging the tail strike, and backhanded the welding torch into the Giant Scorpion's eye socket. With a sizzle, scorched smoke rose.

The other two seized the opportunity to set up the spiritual cannon and bombard the insect's belly, while the third person pulled the fuse and stuffed the Talisman box under the vehicle.

"Go!"

The three had just retreated when, with a bang, flames swallowed the Giant Scorpion and the transport vehicle. Most of the crystal plates were saved, but a section of the tunnel was also blasted shut.

"Well done!"

Chen Wuwang looked up at Chen Xiaodao. When the latter landed, sparks burst from the armor on his left shoulder, clearly damaged, but he stood straight, the hand holding the sword not trembling in the slightest.

"Don't just stand there! Move the crystal plates in! Hurry!"

He turned his head and continued to roar.

The pressure on the front line was growing.

The insect swarm came one after another, their corpses piling up into mountains, actually becoming new steps for the attack.

The shield's flickering frequency increased, and the energy reading dropped below 40%.

A mech caught fire due to a blocked cooling System, the pilot struggled to climb out and was dragged back to the defensive line by two clansmen.

"Ammunition is critical!"

The blacksmith at the right position roared.

"Hold on for ten more minutes! Ten minutes is enough!"

Chen Wuwang gritted his teeth, veins popping on his forehead.

He stared at the battlefield data stream, his fingers tapping a rapid rhythm on the console, as if calculating something.

He knew this was just the beginning.

The insect race was sparing no cost, without pause, without respite. They weren't here to test; they were here to exterminate the clan.

"Clan Head!"

A young clan member's voice trembled, "Can we... still hold on?"

Chen Wuwang turned abruptly, staring at that soot-covered face, and suddenly smiled—a chilling smile.

"Can't hold on?"

He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his face, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye glimmering, "Your father was torn in half by the insect race back in the day, and he still crawled back to light the last furnace. Tell me, when has our Chen family ever known how to cower?"

The teenager's lips quivered, and he didn't speak.

"I'll tell you."

Chen Wuwang stepped closer, his voice low but every word heavy, "Take one step back, and our ancestral graves will be buried in this insect nest! Take one step back, and the mother who gave birth to you did so just to provide feed for these beasts! Are you willing?"

The teenager raised his head abruptly, fire burning in his eyes.

"I am not willing!"

He let out a roar, grabbed his spear, and rushed toward the gap again.

Morale was stabilized.

But reality would not concede because of that.

The left defensive line suddenly became critical. Three Giant Scorpions broke through the flank and charged straight at the logistics area. There, the newly mined Spiritual Vein raw stones were piled, along with unassembled interference devices.

"Stop them!"

Someone shouted.

But no one dared to move. The main force was holding the front, and there was no manpower to spare.

Just as the Giant Scorpions were about to crash into the storage area, two old "Plowing" mechs charged out crookedly.

Sitting in the cockpits were two young men in their early twenties, their faces full of determination.

"Brother, I'm off!"

One of them said with a smile, and pressed the engine overload button.

Boom! Boom!

Both mechs detonated simultaneously, the waves of fire swallowing the three Giant Scorpions, the shockwave overturning a dozen Worker Insects.

Debris scattered, and scorched cockpit fragments fell at Chen Wuwang's feet; inside, a hand still clutching the control stick remained, only half of it left.

The whole scene was silent for a moment.

Immediately, everyone's eyes turned red.

"Kill!"

Not knowing who shouted first, the entire position erupted in a roar.

The spiritual cannons fired at full power, the Sword Cultivator squad charged collectively, the mech formation pushed forward ten meters, forcing the insect swarm back a distance.

Chen Xiaodao sped through the formation; his sword was not yet drawn, but he used his Sword Intent to guide the spiritual cannons to lock on.

Every step he took, the ground shook slightly, and his Sword Intent, like a net, instantly captured three mantises trying to climb the wall.

"Triple-burst shot!"

He commanded in a low voice.

The gunner understood, and three beams of light blasted out with precision, evaporating the insect swarm at the top on the spot.

Following that, a Hydralisk broke through a crack in the shield and charged straight at the gate of the core workshop. Chen Xiaodao's eyes turned cold, his body surged, and his sword finally left its sheath.

Clang!

The tip of the sword parried the venom needle; he used the momentum to flip, and with one slash, severed the Hydralisk's spine. The insect body collapsed; he didn't stop upon landing, and backhanded his sword into the second insect's head.

"Seal the gap!"

He roared.

Two clansmen immediately rushed up and welded the gap shut with prefabricated steel plates.

The defensive line was temporarily stabilized.

But no one dared to breathe a sigh of relief.

In the distance, deep in the darkness, the tremors continued.

The insect corpses were piled nearly two meters high, yet more were still surging from behind, densely packed, with no end in sight.

Chen Wuwang stood at the edge of the high platform, blood seeping from the wound on his right arm, dripping onto the console, spreading into a small patch of dark red. He stared at the battlefield data, his brows locked tight.

"Energy consumed 70%, ammunition remaining 40%, twelve wounded, three sacrificed."

He murmured, his fingers tapping a rhythm on the tabletop, as if waiting for something.

Chen Xiaodao walked to his side, sparks crackling from the left arm of his mech, his voice hoarse: "Next wave, they will change their tactics."

"I know."

Chen Wuwang nodded, his gaze not moving, "They are wearing us down."

"Then don't let them have their way."

Chen Xiaodao tightened his grip on the sword hilt, "Let me take some people for a sortie?"

"No."

Chen Wuwang shook his head, "You are the reserve force now; you need to be able to step up at the critical moment. This battle hasn't reached the point of risking everything yet."

He paused, looking at the wriggling black tide in the distance, his voice lowered: "Their Mother Monarch has given the order; this is a full-scale counterattack. Only if we can hold this wave do we have a chance to survive the next."

The wind blew from deep in the tunnel, carrying the smell of blood and scorch.

The shield flickered again, and the alarm sounded briefly.

"Prepare for the next round."

Chen Wuwang raised his hand, his voice regaining its ruthless edge, "Everyone, remember your names! You are people of the Chen family! You are not deserters, not sacrifices! You are the people who can make the insect race die on their knees!"

As the roar fell, the Battle Intent on the position ignited once more.

The insect swarm pressed in again.