Bai Liang and Dongfang Ming had already escaped ahead, leaving only Mu Lei, Ding Yumian, Jiang Shaoxu, and Huo Yumeng trapped amidst the swarming Bloodthirsty Ants.
They stood back to back, surrounded on all sides by the chittering horde.
"I'm sorry… this is my fault," Huo Yumeng said guiltily as she stared at the endless red eyes glimmering in the darkness.
"Now's not the time to blame anyone," Ding Yumian said calmly. "We need to deal with the situation first!"
"We just have to hold on a little longer. Song Jie might be on his way!" Mu Lei said, already channeling his Lightning Element magic.
"Thunder Mark! Wrath Strike!"
Thunder boomed as a web of lightning spread out from his position. The others quickly followed suit, completing their Star Orbits and launching spells into the tide of ants.
Blinding flashes of lightning lit up the trees, flames scorched the ground red, and Jiang Shaoxu cast Mind Soothe, disrupting the ants' movements.
Huo Yumeng—who possessed both Healing and Shadow Elements—could only rely on her Shadow Magic for offense now.
Thanks to Song Jie's earlier efforts, most of the Bloodthirsty Ants had been blocked. Otherwise, they'd already be nothing but bones.
But after less than two minutes, a weak point appeared—Huo Yumeng's position.
The ants swarmed toward her like a tide of hunger.
In desperation, Huo Yumeng flung her backpack away from her.
Within seconds, it was shredded to ribbons by their razor-sharp mandibles, its contents scattering everywhere.
"Thunder Mark! Wrath Strike!" Mu Lei shouted again, sending another blast of lightning crashing into the advancing ants.
The ones that broke through were instantly fried and fell twitching to the ground.
Though there were countless ants, their defense was fragile. Even a Basic-level Tier-3 spell could kill them outright.
Huo Yumeng staggered backward, her breathing uneven. She'd almost been torn apart—if not for Mu Lei's quick reaction, she might not have survived that instant.
But then, something strange happened.
The swarm in front of her began to… retreat.
"What's going on?" she murmured. "Why are they backing away?"
It made no sense. These creatures had charged through fire itself to get to them—what could they possibly fear?
That was when a faint, pleasant fragrance drifted past her nose. She looked down and saw a silver-white flower nearby, its glow subtle but distinct.
The ants continued retreating, increasing their distance from the flower.
"Is it because of this flower?" Huo Yumeng thought, her heart leaping with hope.
"Everyone—come here, quickly!" she called out.
The others hesitated for only a moment before regrouping around her. As they drew closer, the flower's scent spread further—and miraculously, the Bloodthirsty Ants halted their attack entirely.
"They're stopping?" Mu Lei asked, stunned.
"It's these flowers," Huo Yumeng said, relief washing over her face.
The others looked down. The ground around them was dotted with clusters of small silver-white blossoms, their petals glowing faintly in the night.
"They must hate the scent," Ding Yumian guessed.
"Then we've found a treasure," Huo Yumeng said with a faint smile.
By sheer luck, they had discovered something the Bloodthirsty Ants feared.
The ants began to scatter, crawling away into the deeper parts of the forest.
Huo Yumeng quickly plucked several of the silver-white flowers, handing them out. "Keep these on you. Ding Yumian, Jiang Shaoxu—take one each. Mu Lei, you just stay close to us."
Mu Lei nodded helplessly. Three flowers weren't enough for everyone, but proximity would do.
Ding Yumian studied the flower in her hand. "Yumeng… look, it's starting to wilt."
Huo Yumeng's smile faded as she checked her own. The petals were indeed drooping.
"It wasn't like this before…" she whispered, her expression turning grim.
If the flowers lost their effect, they'd be defenseless again.
"We should move," Ding Yumian said decisively. "Find a safe place to wait for Song Jie."
The others agreed immediately. They moved quickly, slipping between the trees, careful not to draw attention.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the river, Song Jie was still fighting—but the swarm was endless.
Even with his powerful Light magic, he couldn't break through completely. His magic energy was nearly depleted, and he needed to save what remained for defense.
"Time to pull back," he muttered.
He had already cut down countless ants, but many more had crossed the river.
Guiding the Wind Riding Sky Eagle, he flew low over the treetops, heading toward the direction the others had fled.
The forest below was pitch dark. Finding them wouldn't be easy.
Then, he noticed a faint golden light flare up in the distance—Radiance.
"That's Jiang Shaoxu's spell!" Song Jie said.
The Sky Eagle banked hard, wings slicing the night air as it dove toward the light.
In a clearing surrounded by rubble, Ding Yumian and the others huddled together.
"Do you think Song Jie will see it?" Huo Yumeng asked softly.
"If he's nearby, he'll definitely notice," Jiang Shaoxu said.
She had fired off Radiance as a signal, hoping it would guide him to them.
"I just hope he's safe…" Jiang Shaoxu murmured.
The glow faded, and the night returned to shadow.
Then—movement.
A dark shape was approaching through the air.
"What's that?" Mu Lei tensed. "Don't tell me the light attracted another demon?"
"Jiang Shaoxu, cast Radiance again!" Ding Yumian ordered. The silhouette felt familiar.
Jiang Shaoxu nodded and released another Radiance, lighting up the entire clearing.
And then they saw it clearly—
"It's Song Jie's Summoned Beast!" Huo Yumeng cried out in relief.
Smiles broke across every face. If the Sky Eagle had returned, then Song Jie had to be with it!
The Wind Riding Sky Eagle landed gracefully, its wings stirring a strong breeze.
"Is everyone alright?" Song Jie called out as he leapt down from its back.
"Song Jie!" Huo Yumeng ran straight into his arms, hugging him tightly.
For a moment, Song Jie stiffened—the two soft weights pressing against his chest nearly made him stumble backward.
"Are you hurt? I can heal you right away!" Huo Yumeng said anxiously.
Song Jie let out a soft, exhausted groan and leaned slightly against her shoulder.
Ding Yumian and Jiang Shaoxu rushed forward, their eyes filled with worry.
"I'm fine," Song Jie said weakly. "Just… worn out from the fight."
The Wind Riding Sky Eagle, standing nearby, glanced at him with amusement.
"Worn out?" it thought. "You still had energy to spare!"
But it stayed silent, deciding to learn a thing or two from its summoner—perhaps this "playing weak" trick worked well with female eagles, too.
"Let's help him sit and rest," Jiang Shaoxu said quickly, moving to support him.
Song Jie nodded and allowed them to guide him to a nearby rock.
The three girls surrounded him, handing him food and water, their faces full of relief and care.
From the side, Mu Lei watched with envy, muttering under his breath, "When we get back, I'm making sure Mu Nujiao gets closer to him. Otherwise…"
He clenched his fists in mock frustration.
"The main support's gonna get stolen!"
...
Author's Note:
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