Chapter 104: Spirit World
Chapter 104: Spirit World
In the Spirit World, the air was filled with the agonizing screams of fear and pain. It was as if the cries of suffering had become an intrinsic part of the Spirit World itself. Blue blood, the lifeblood of the spirit race, stained the entire realm. Corpses and bodies torn to shreds were devoured by the blood ants, who feasted without discrimination, consuming flesh, blood, bones, and even the blood that seeped into the soil.
Once a glorious and mighty world, nearly rivaling the power of Tianyuan World, the Spirit World was now reduced to ruins. Few of the spirit race remained, fleeing in desperate hope of escaping death's relentless grip that drew nearer with every second.
Suddenly, the sky was engulfed by a deep golden light, and a torrent of water cascaded down endlessly. This immense power belonged to Ling Meng, the Emperor of the Spirit Race, who wielded the power of dreams. Using his ability to turn his dreams into reality, Ling Meng unleashed a colossal wave of water imbued with terrifying pressure, sweeping across the entire Spirit World and crushing the blood ants that were devouring his people into dust. However, the spirits trapped on the ground were unaffected by the wave, which gently carried them toward evacuation ships.
But in another dimension—Ling Meng's personal dream world—the situation was growing increasingly dire. He stood in a vast field littered with the corpses of both spirit race members and blood ants. His own body was covered in deep wounds, blood dripping from him and staining the earth with an aura of sorrow and despair.
In front of him stood 39 blood ants, all of them at the demi-god level. These ants were incredibly powerful, making them nearly impossible to defeat head-on. Their vitality bordered on immortality—they could regenerate even after being torn in half or having their heads destroyed, as long as they had enough blood. Even worse, they were feasting on the bodies of the ancestors of the Spirit Race right before Ling Meng's eyes.
Ling Meng stood helpless. Most of his energy had been spent saving his people, leaving him unable to rescue the ancestors of his race. The Seven Rainbow Guardians who had fought alongside him were in no better condition. Parts of their bodies had been consumed by the ants, and the poison from the blood ants coursed through them, rendering them immobile and in agonizing pain.
One of the blood ants licked its lips, stained with blue blood, and spoke in a raspy voice, "Spirit race... tastier... than humans..."
Ling Meng forced a smile, struggling to remain standing despite his severe wounds. Earlier, he had managed to kill 15 demi-god-level blood ants, but the cost was the loss of all the spirit race ancestors in this place. However, he had sent most of the ancestors to protect the evacuation ships, ensuring that the spirit race would not vanish from history.
The blood ants laughed mockingly, their eyes gleaming with amusement. "Join us... become part of the blood ant race... I assure you, our queen will welcome you warmly."
At that moment, a soft blue light began to emanate from Ling Meng's body, his eyes glowing with icy determination. Though his body ached, his spirit remained unbroken.
"Foolishness. I am the Emperor of the Spirit Race. My life is for the spirit race alone!"
In an instant, the power of dreams surged from within Ling Meng, and both sides clashed fiercely.
On the evacuation ships of the spirit race, chaos and despair reigned. Millions of ships, filled with survivors of the blood ant onslaught, sped through space, desperately fleeing the relentless pursuit of the blood ants. The protective barriers around the ships were holding for now, but cracks were beginning to form, and the spirit race could see the blood ants relentlessly following them without any sign of stopping.
The spirits on the ships used their spirit weapons to fend off the blood ants attacking the barrier. While they managed to repel some, the number of blood ants only seemed to increase, and there was no end in sight.
As the escape seemed possible for some, aboard one ship, a spirit who had been wounded during the blood ant attack began exhibiting strange symptoms. He coughed up blood and collapsed to the floor in agony. Those around him tried to help, but no one noticed the transformation happening within him—until his hand suddenly morphed into a sharp claw, tearing into the abdomen of the nearest spirit.
Panic spread like wildfire as screams of terror echoed through the ship. "He's turning into a blood ant!" someone yelled in horror.
The terror only grew as those bitten by the infected spirit began transforming into blood ants themselves. They turned on those around them, biting and clawing with savage fury. The mutation spread quickly, and those bitten had no time to use their spirit energy to resist the poison, as they were too busy defending themselves from the newly turned blood ants. The remaining options were grim—death or becoming a blood ant.
Amidst the screams of death, the once hopeful evacuation ships of the spirit race turned into floating nightmares. The spirits aboard fought desperately to survive, unaware that the danger had already infiltrated their ranks.
"What are they? They keep coming!" one spirit shouted as they struggled against the blood ants.
"Why does it seem like their numbers keep growing?!" another cried in frustration and confusion.
"Enough whining! Just—" Before the spirit could finish, his head was severed by a blood ant's claws that emerged from within the ship.
The remaining spirits stared in shock and fear, trying to defend themselves, but the blood ant infection wasn't limited to just this ship. On other vessels, spirits who couldn't resist the blood ant poison had also turned, and the newly mutated blood ants began attacking their fellow spirits, spreading chaos across the fleet.
When a ship full of infected spirits lost control, it crashed into other ships, breaking through their protective barriers. The resulting explosions and collisions sent the remaining survivors into a frenzy, as cries of despair filled the air.
A lone surviving spirit crawled from the wreckage, dazed and confused. But the sight before him made his heart freeze—a sea of blood ants, countless in number, watching him with hungry eyes, saliva dripping from their mouths.
The blood ants launched themselves at the spirit, and the all-you-can-eat buffet began. His screams joined the chorus of death as the blood ants devoured him and the remaining spirits. The desperate battle for survival had begun, but hope seemed to fade as the blood ants closed in from all sides, swallowing the battlefield in darkness.