Deep within Jinshan.
After Xu Chu returned with the silver-white flower, he quickly rendezvoused with the Hunter King.
"Boss, what do you need me to do here?" Xu Chu asked.
"Third Brother is busy," the Hunter King replied. "I believe she'll find the Ant Queen's lair very soon."
At the front stood a dark-skinned female Military Supervisor, who was currently controlling several male ants to move forward.
"Have you found it yet?" Xu Chu asked eagerly.
"Not yet. We'll know soon enough," the Hunter King said, unable to guarantee success, though this method had always worked for them.
This "Third Brother" specialized in the Mind Element—one of exceptional talent. She was controlling the Bloodthirsty Ants to lead them straight to the Ant Queen's location.
The other Military Mages had been dispatched to draw the Ant Queen's attention while this group secretly closed in to destroy her nest.
"Boss, we need to hurry. The Ant Queen seems to be sending her army to invade You City (Oil City)," Xu Chu said grimly.
"I know," the Hunter King replied, his face serious.
"That's a distraction. It wants to keep us from finding it. But if we don't eliminate the Ant Queen, none of this will end. Its behavior only means one thing—it's panicking. That means this is our best chance."
Xu Chu nodded. Their mission was to find the Ant Queen controlling the swarm. As for You City—there were still Military Mages, Ling Tiancheng, and others to defend it.
Meanwhile, Song Jie sped through the sky, the sound of wind roaring past his ears.
Before long, he spotted the endless tide of Bloodthirsty Ants surging across the land.
He had already learned from the Military Mages how to identify the male ants—their key difference was an extra pair of wings.
So all he had to do was look for the Bloodthirsty Ants with wings. Those were the male commanders.
The swarm advanced like a living wave, a dark torrent flooding the plains. Song Jie didn't attack immediately. Instead, he lowered his altitude and scanned for his target.
Soon, he saw it—a Bloodthirsty Ant with two pairs of wings.
Without hesitation, Song Jie unleashed Bursting Laser. After the radiant explosion, several beams of light pierced through the air, annihilating the male ant and dozens of surrounding Bloodthirsty Ants in an instant. Their remains scattered into a bloody mist.
The Wind Riding Sky Eagle swooped down at lightning speed, allowing Song Jie to collect the essence orb.
As soon as the male ant died, a portion of the Bloodthirsty Ants suddenly stopped moving. Having lost their commander, they became dazed and directionless.
As expected—
these creatures had no will of their own, acting solely under male ant command.
"It works!" Song Jie exclaimed, realizing the tactic's effectiveness. He immediately began searching for the next target.
The Wind Riding Sky Eagle joined in, summoning its Wind Tornado.
Its powerful wings flapped, releasing twin cyclones that swept across the battlefield, capturing countless Bloodthirsty Ants in the storm and smashing them into the ground.
"Nice work!" Song Jie praised, already spotting another winged ant. He raised his hand and cast another spell—thousands of Bloodthirsty Ants were obliterated once more.
"Oh? A Warrior-level essence orb!" Song Jie grinned. He had the Wind Riding Sky Eagle dive down to retrieve it.
But at that moment—
the Bloodthirsty Ants shifted their attention to him.
As the eagle descended, the surrounding ants rapidly piled up, crawling over one another to form a living tower.
In seconds, a writhing mountain of Bloodthirsty Ants rose toward the sky—then lunged upward in a terrifying wave.
"Holy crap!!" Song Jie's eyes widened in alarm. He hadn't expected them to counterattack like this.
"Up!" he ordered.
The Wind Riding Sky Eagle sensed the danger too. If it dropped any lower, it would be swallowed whole.
Mid-dive, the eagle suddenly banked sharply, drawing a beautiful arc in the sky before soaring upward again.
The mountain of ants missed by inches and came crashing down.
Song Jie grinned. "Perfect."
He cast another powerful spell, blasting the fallen swarm. In an instant, hundreds of thousands of Bloodthirsty Ants were reduced to red mist, leaving behind a vast clearing.
"Go down again!" Song Jie urged. He wasn't about to let those essence orbs go to waste.
Before long, his bracelet absorbed all the essence orbs scattered below, storing them safely within its inner world.
Scanning the battlefield, Song Jie frowned. The coordinated attack earlier hadn't come from random instinct—it had been directed.
That meant there was a commander-level ant—one that had developed intelligence.
A big one.
"Where are you hiding?" Song Jie muttered, scanning the endless black tide below. He found nothing.
He decided not to waste time. The more male ants he killed, the more the army would crumble—and the easier it would be for You City to defend itself.
As long as they held out until reinforcements arrived, You City would survive.
Spotting another winged male ant leading a unit forward, Song Jie tightened his grip. "Found you," he whispered, and charged in once more.
At the same time, atop the walls of You City (Oil City), all available mages had gathered—Military Mages, hunters, and even civilian mages.
"How long until the Bloodthirsty Ants reach the city?" asked the female Military Supervisor, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
"Estimated two hours," an officer beside her reported.
"Two hours…" she murmured, glancing at the sky. Thankfully, it was summer—darkness wouldn't fall too soon. If it were night, the battle would be far worse.
"We just need to hold until nightfall. Reinforcements will arrive then," she said calmly.
"Hold… for one night?" The officer's expression darkened. He understood what that meant. The Bloodthirsty Ant army was vast—even with a barrier, lasting until night would be almost impossible.
"Actually," the Military Supervisor added quietly, "there's another possibility."
"What is it?"
"If the Ant Queen is found and killed tonight, the Bloodthirsty Ant army will retreat."
The officer fell silent, praying their comrades would find her soon.
"Have all residents been evacuated?" she asked next.
"Most have, but some are still being moved," the officer replied.
With several million people in You City, a full evacuation in one night was impossible. That was why they had to hold the line.
"There's still time. Tell them to hurry," the Military Supervisor said firmly.
She didn't know how long they could withstand the coming assault—but she placed her hope on Song Jie and the others fighting outside.
The Bloodthirsty Ant army was expected to reach You City in two hours.
But before even that much time had passed, the defenders on the city wall could already see the black tide crawling toward them in the distance…
...
Author's Note:
The first half (completed version more that 320 chapters) of Versatile Mage: My Magic Has Gone Beyond Limits! is now available on Patreon!
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1.Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
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