Chapter 837: Terrifying Insects

"Go."

The word was spoken so lightly from Kevin’s lips that it was nearly drowned by the wind, but Max caught it—and the sound that followed confirmed his instincts. A deafening, eerie screech erupted from the spirit beast bag on Kevin’s waist, and in the next instant, a wave of inky black burst out.

A swarm of bloodthirsty black insects surged into the air like a demonic cloud. These were no ordinary pests. They were larger than the ones Max had seen used against that green-robed young man earlier. Much larger. And more dangerous.

At the forefront were two that instantly caught Max’s attention. Their aura was terrifying—each emanating a power equal to a 3rd and 4th level Legend Rank cultivator. Their eyes glowed with a fierce crimson hue, and their wings buzzed with such force they kicked up gales in the confined canyon. Behind them followed thousands—yes, thousands—of vicious, razor-winged insects.

The swarm darkened the valley as they swept forward, guided by the scent of blood and death. A sickening, almost choking stench filled the air, the combined aura of so many insects enough to make even seasoned warriors flinch.

When Max saw the monstrous swarm of bloodthirsty black insects rushing at him like a sea of death, his scalp tingled in alarm. He didn’t hesitate—he immediately swung the Blue Dragon Sword with all his might, trying to cleave through the wave and open a path.

But just as his blade connected with the two leading insects—those hideous ones that had reached the 3rd and 4th levels of the Legend Rank—thick, oozing black blood spurted out of their cracked carapaces.

The dark blood splashed directly onto the blade of the Blue Dragon Sword, and in an instant, something terrifying happened. The sword’s glow dimmed, its surface dulled, and the surging energy of the sword abruptly vanished. The level 2 severing sword concept, the level 2 flame concept—it all faded into silence.

The Blue Dragon Sword trembled faintly in Max’s hand like it had been sealed or poisoned.

Max’s eyes widened in disbelief, his breath caught in his throat.

"What the hell?!"

The realization struck him like a thunderclap. That black blood wasn’t ordinary—it was evil, corrosive, suppressive to energy itself. Panic briefly flashed in Max’s eyes.

Without thinking further, he jumped back, retreating quickly while raising his left hand. With a flash of green light, he activated one of his strongest defensive skill—Omni Guard—and enclosed himself in a thick, spherical forcefield that shimmered like emerald glass.

Inside, he quickly channeled his black flames, sweeping his arm out and casting a wall of searing flame across the narrow tunnel, aiming to burn the insects down to ash.

But then, horror gripped him even more tightly.

The black flames roared to life, but the bloodthirsty black insects didn’t even flinch. They flew straight through the flames like shadows dancing through smoke, their speed and ferocity undiminished. Max’s pupils shrank as he realized the truth. The flames had no effect. None at all.

"Hahaha!" Kevin laughed wildly from behind the swarm, his figure half-shrouded in the black mist. "My insects are born from death! Your black flames, born of the same nature—extreme yin and devouring essence—have no effect on them! You want to burn death with death?! Foolish!"

Max’s lips pressed into a thin line as a storm of worry surged through his chest. His green shield—his last line of defense—started to crack under the onslaught.

The insects collided with the Omni Guard, and it rippled violently. Tiny holes formed like burrowing ants in glass, then widened rapidly. The swarm was eating through his shield. Devouring it.

"Damn it," Max growled, retreating further, step by step, until his back pressed against the large, peach-shaped lava structure in the cave. There was nowhere else to go.

’Should I use teleportation to get out of here?’ He thought briefly for a moment.

"You can’t escape now, right?" Kevin’s voice echoed coldly in the cavern, filled with triumph and scorn.

Max’s face was solemn. He could escape here safely if he wanted to using his teleportation but he didn’t want to. Since he had almost fully shown his true abilities to Kevin, Max wanted to kill him. But the insects were the problem here.

Then, suddenly—an idea struck him.

These insects were born from extreme yin. Their black blood, their affinity for death, the way they ignored his black flames—it was all the same type of energy. But what if he tried its opposite?

Pure yang... lightning!

Max didn’t know for sure if it would work. But he had no better option. His right hand flashed suddenly with streaks of sharp blue lightning, pure and crackling, like a thunder god’s spark. The energy surged from his body, causing faint arcs to zip through the air.

And the moment the lightning appeared—the insects stopped.

The bloodthirsty swarm, which had been flying forward relentlessly like a flood, suddenly froze mid-air. Their wings fluttered erratically. Some even backed off.

The two high-level insects screeched in discomfort, their bodies twitching uncontrollably under the lightning’s radiant glow. It was clear—they feared it.

Max’s expression hardened, and a cold smile touched his lips.

"Looks like I found your weakness."

Kevin’s face turned darker than the abyss itself when he saw the change in the swarm. His expression twisted, and he let out a cold snort as if trying to suppress the mounting irritation in his chest.

Without another word, he flicked his index finger sharply, and a single drop of blood flew out, glowing faintly red. At the same time, he rolled up his sleeves and performed a hand seal that turned that drop into a swirling mist of blood essence.

The mist spread rapidly, sinking into the swarm of bloodthirsty black insects like a fog wrapping around shadows.

Especially the two leading insects—those terrifying creatures at the 3rd and 4th level of the Legend Rank—the mist seemed to drive them mad. Their tiny red eyes burst into bright crimson, their bodies trembling with power as they let out screeches filled with feral rage.

The entire swarm suddenly turned frenzied, their formation tightening like a storm cloud about to descend. The insects, now maddened by the blood mist, roared toward Max with a unified will to tear him apart.

From a distance, it looked like a massive black tidal wave or a cloud of death about to crash down on one tiny figure. Kevin stood behind with a twisted smirk, his arms folded as he watched the chaos unfold.

"Hahaha!" Kevin laughed with wild delight, convinced that Max had reached the end of his path. "Let’s see how you survive this, you freak!"