Chapter 120: The Ancient Tree’s Wrath, Terrifying Thoughts

"This is a strategy of retreating to advance. If the Anxi Protectorate is occupied by the enemy, it will serve as a stronghold, allowing them to continuously transport troops, provisions, and water. Our nearest city in the Beiting Prefecture is a thousand miles away; if we lose this, we will never be able to contend with them again! However, the Anxi Protectorate is located deep in the Western Desert, where the environment is harsh. It is heavily guarded and easy to defend but difficult to attack. Rumor has it that two great armies are already laying siege to it. If these two forces receive reinforcements, the city is bound to fall!" General Xun shook his head slightly, his voice deep and grave.

"Then what should we do? Shall we lead our troops in pursuit, or hold our ground and wait for reinforcements?" Leng Feichen asked.

"Alas, I do not know either. We are not military men, after all. Facing such a complex situation, we have truly been forced into a role we are unprepared for."

"Although we are not versed in military affairs, I, Han, know one thing: no matter what conspiracy the enemy has, we must not let them succeed!" Han Chong said, bowing solemnly.

"Oh? General Han, despite serving in the Demon-Slaying Division, you seem quite knowledgeable about military matters. Do you have some brilliant strategy?" General Li thought to himself, feeling bitter that this young man named Han, who had appeared out of nowhere, had stolen all the glory during this trip to Beiting.

"Marching through the Western Desert is difficult, and we are heavily outnumbered. I do not know how to lead an army, but I could go ahead alone and harass them."

"You? Alone? What use would that be? They have an army of nearly four hundred thousand. Even if your movement techniques are swift and you can escape unscathed, harassing them alone is like scratching an itch through a boot."

"Heh, don't you worry about that, General Li. Farewell, everyone." Han Chong gave a cold smile and descended from the corner of the city wall.

"Alas, General Han is far too impulsive. No wonder his name is 'Chong' (Impulsive)," Xun Kang said, unable to stop him, and shook his head.

"Indeed. Although the boy often has clever ideas, he is too keen on showing off. How can such an impulsive person live a long life?"

"Humph, General Li, you repeatedly slander General Han with malicious words—what is your true intent? If you do not change your ways, when we return to the capital, I will certainly report your misconduct to the General Headquarters and demand severe punishment."

"Don't, General Xun! I may like to grumble, but I have no ulterior motives against the imperial court. I just can't keep things to myself and speak without thinking. I won't do it again." Frightened by Xun Kang, the latter immediately became servile.

"Hmph, I hope so. Someone, order the scouts to monitor the enemy's movements day and night. If there is any anomaly, report it immediately!" Xun Kang flicked his sleeves and turned back, his brow furrowed with worry.

...

Han Chong followed the combined armies of the two nations at a steady pace, nursing a plan that even he found terrifying. The marauding forces of Shule and Bilu had committed countless atrocities; their crimes were unforgivable. He wondered: if he could lure a swarm of insects in the uninhabited desert, could he wipe out their entire force of four hundred thousand? However, if the swarm grew too large, he himself would be surrounded by millions of alien insects. With more insects lurking beneath the ground, even his earth-escape techniques would not guarantee his survival! Thus, he bypassed the enemy and sprinted toward a remote location.

At noon the next day, Han Chong reached a deserted area a hundred miles away. He channeled a sliver of his vital energy and struck out with a sword beam. Before long, under his close observation, a winged flying snake crawled out from the ground. The buzzing sound of its wings drew swarms of demonic insects from the soil. In moments, dozens of them swarmed toward Han Chong. He emitted a sonic wave of merit, scattering the swarm, and carefully observed their behavior.

After repeating this dozens of times in seven or eight different locations, Han Chong finally noticed something strange. There was a small, leafless, withered tree, similar to a desert poplar. The alien insects seemed to deliberately avoid it, as if the tree were highly toxic. Han Chong's eyes brightened. He approached the tree, and the insects, which had been buzzing toward him, suddenly hovered in the air, hesitating and circling in confusion.

Sniffing the tree closely, Han Chong caught a scent—both fragrant and foul—that made his stomach turn. He broke off a branch and held it in front of him as he walked toward the swarm; the insects recoiled repeatedly. It was truly a case of one thing being the bane of another; these desert insects, which even cultivators at the Void-Returning stage feared like tigers, were actually afraid of the scent of a withered tree. It was truly unfathomable!

Han Chong searched the surroundings and found that such trees were extremely rare, occurring only once every few dozen miles. After taking a section of the branch, he headed east and found a small earthen village. The village elders told him this was an ancient wood known as "Chicken Rage," named for its shape resembling a rooster spreading its wings. It had long been extinct, with only the withered remnants, charred by heavenly fire, remaining—indestructible and rare. The villagers kept them as talismans to ward off insects, a secret unknown to outsiders.

Han Chong realized the tree's mystical nature. He searched extensively, cutting down several branches and storing them in his storage bag for future use.

...

Amidst rolling sand and wind, the two armies wound their way forward like a long, black snake. Having finally escaped the wretched and stifling confines of the Beiting Prefecture, everyone was in high spirits.

"Marshal, we will reach Anxi in three more days. I wish to be the vanguard for the siege. I swear I will be the first to reach the ramparts and slaughter the Great Feng army to the last man!" Beside the command carriage, a burly general in black ox-hide armor laughed in a muffled voice. The other generals also rolled up their sleeves, grinning and clamoring for the chance to fight.

"Heh, very well. General He Hu and all you generals, you shall all be vanguards. Whoever captures the city wall first, I will petition the King to reward you with ten thousand taels of gold, a thousand bolts of silk, and ten beauties!"

"Hahaha!" With such heavy rewards, all the generals were eager for battle.

"Eh? Look there, what is that dark, ominous thing?" As the general in black ox-hide armor laughed, he suddenly caught sight of a massive, dark cloud surging from the northern sky!

After a moment, the observers saw a man in black sprinting at full speed in front of the cloud, looking back from time to time as if pursued by a terrifying demon!

*Buzz, buzz, buzz...* A scalp-tingling low hum filled the air. The generals finally saw clearly: behind the man was no cloud, but a sky-covering swarm of millions of insects in hot pursuit!

"Not good! It's an insect swarm!" The white-robed man in the command carriage was startled, his pupils shrinking as he let out a loud cry. Even more shocking and infuriating was that the man in black fleeing ahead was the same youth who had broken his sonic soul-piercing technique that day!

The boy was absolutely mad! He was actually leading a massive swarm of millions of insects toward the two armies—his intent was clearly to drag them all down with him!

With a flash of white light, the white-robed man fled toward the south, abandoning the army; his own survival was all that mattered! Even with his formidable cultivation, a few thousand desert insects could strip him to the bone—let alone a swarm of millions. To be caught in that meant certain death, even for gods!

The marshals and generals of the two nations realized the situation and, without a word, abandoned their troops and fled in all directions.

However, Han Chong gave a cold smile. An hour ago, he had activated his Divine Movement technique in the north of the army, frantically unleashing sword beams to draw this million-strong swarm. His goal was to decide the outcome in one stroke, annihilating forty thousand marauding troops and striking such terror into the hearts of the two kings that they would be forced to retreat!