Several flying swords shot into the sky.
Spiritual Energy erupted from the blades, purging all the Fertility Worms in the vicinity.
A miraculous void emerged amid the dense swarm of the Insect Tide.
Standing on the Mother-Child Longsword, Xiong Kang reached out to grab Xie Da, and the longsword ascended, swiftly breaking through the siege and flying away.
Unable to stop Xiong Kang and Xie Da from leaving, the Fertility Worms let out a frustrated hiss before disappearing from the pier like a tide.
"Captain Xiong, I’ve already notified the STO headquarters."
Taking a deep breath, Xie Da wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, "Such a scale of Insect Tide must mean there is a Fertility Mother Worm. The tide is gaining momentum, and if it grows into a large tide, it will be a catastrophic disaster for Lingchuan City."
Looking ahead, Xiong Kang, who was controlling the longsword, nodded in acknowledgment.
He understood what Xie Da was saying.
But he was pondering one thing: Why had no one at the busy pier noticed any trace of the Insect Clan?
What were the STO members who were supposed to be watching over Lingchuan City doing?
The longsword flying high in the sky disappeared in the blink of an eye, like a streak of light.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The sound of knocking on the door rang out, and Lu Zixun, who was lying bored and scrolling through his phone, perked up and hopped out of bed to head to the door.
Before he reached the door, Lu Zixun caught a strong whiff of blood, furrowing his brows.
Xiong Kang walked into the ward with an air of killing intent.
"Lord Cat, your KFC."
Smiling, Xie Da placed the KFC in front of Lu Zixun and touched his nose.
"What happened to you guys?"
Ignoring the KFC, Lu Zixun eyed Xiong Kang and Xie Da, "Did the Insect Clan invade Lingchuan City?"
He went to pour himself a cup of water from the dispenser.
Seeing the confused looks in the room, Xiong Kang sighed, "I found an Insect Tide composed of Fertility Worms at the pier, its scale so large it must include a Fertility Mother Worm."
"Fertility Mother Worm."
Repeating it, Wang Duli’s eyebrows knitted tightly, "A Fertility Mother Worm capable of forming an Insect Tide must have extraordinary abilities, especially in a place like the pier..."
He didn’t finish his sentence, but the room was filled with a gloomy atmosphere.
Grabbing a chicken leg in hand, Lu Zixun raised his eyebrows at the mention of the pier.
Wasn’t that the place where the spiritual event happened last time?
"That pier, it should be Lin Ye Pier, once reported by the media for having a spiritual event."
After sharing what he knew, Lu Zixun’s mustache quivered, "I thought it was just unethical media at first, but it seems that things aren’t so simple."
Hearing this, Xiong Kang immediately took out his phone and started searching for keywords.
Sure enough, he found the spiritual event mentioned by Lu Zixun, and after reviewing it, Xiong Kang’s gaze gradually turned icy.
Lu Zixun, staring at Xiong Kang and seeing his mood change, hastily inquired.
Without a word, Xiong Kang squatted down and tilted his phone screen towards Lu Zixun, allowing him to clearly see the contents.
The content of the report was roughly the same as what Mu Tianzi had said.
But one thing caught Lu Zixun’s attention—the article published in the Lingchuan Daily had come from the Spiritual Pattern Newspaper.
That newspaper had left a strong impression on Lu Zixun; the previous public opinion regarding Lin Siyin had originated from this outlet.
"I wondered why the members responsible for monitoring Lingchuan City hadn’t provided any feedback, and now I see there’s a whole other layer to this."
With eyes deepening by a shade, Xiong Kang’s expression turned a bit unpleasant, "If any strange noises or incidents occur, it must be STO who goes to investigate."
"But once it becomes common gossip among the people, it will be received by another layer of civilian management."
At this point, Lu Zixun also understood what Xiong Kang meant.
It was probably another of Tan Ye’s schemes, hoping to cultivate an Insect Tide army and smash through Lingchuan City head-on.
"Now is not the time to talk about this."
Shaking his head, Lu Zixun licked his front paw, "Our priority should be to deal with the Fertility Worm at Lin Ye Pier, followed by checking if any Blood Worms have infiltrated the city."
It was then that Lu Zixun remembered something he had forgotten.
Before Ma Jiang had been infested, it had been said that Qingniao University was only one area.
Given Tan Ye’s personality, he definitely wouldn’t put all his eggs in one basket.
Taking out another chicken leg, Lu Zixun handed it to Lin Siyin and then took a bite of a chicken nugget himself while opening the map of Lingchuan City.
If they were to divide Lingchuan City into regions for action, there was Qingniao University, Lin Ye Pier... and the next place would be...
His eyes barely squinting as he scanned the map, ultimately Lu Zixun’s gaze landed on Yangming Mall.
Qingniao University was located to the north of Lingchuan City.
While Lin Ye Pier was at the very southern end of Lingchuan City, each area also encompassing a third of the city’s land.
So, the only place that fit the last piece of the region, apart from Yangming Mall, was nowhere else.
"Excuse the interruption."
Interrupting the conversation between Wang Duli and Xiong Kang, Lu Zixun tossed his phone to Xiong Kang, "I think we need to not only eradicate the Insect Tide, but also have someone keep a close watch on Yangming Mall."
Looking at the map, Xiong Kang paused in his question, then turned serious, "According to your division, Yangming Mall is indeed the last place Tan Ye might invade, but there’s a big problem."
Looking puzzled at Xiong Kang, Lu Zixun asked, "What problem?"
As long as they have STO members watching, what could the big problem be?
"The people going for surveillance should at least have A-level ability, and with a massive flow of people and the mall’s extensive area, one or two might not be enough to cover it."
"Now we see, we need at least three squads, about fifteen people."
Xiong Kang sighed resignedly, pinching the bridge of his nose, "There aren’t that many A-level members within STO."
Hearing this, Lu Zixun hung his head.
Indeed, this was a big problem; if the members who went weren’t strong enough, they might get killed before they even begin the surveillance.
Or might fail to notice anything, rendering the surveillance useless.
Having finally caught on to Tan Ye’s movements, but unable to proceed due to the lack of personnel, Lu Zixun couldn’t help feeling a bit helpless.
Just as one man and one cat looked at each other in silent understanding, Wang Duli chuckled softly, "Have you forgotten that Lingchuan City also has me?"
At that, Xiong Kang’s gaze shifted to Wang Duli, and his eyes brightened.
Right, how could he forget about this big shot? With Wang Duli going there, the issue of insufficient personnel would be solved.
Xiong Kang asked tentatively, his eyes brimming with hope.
Wang Duli retorted, smiling.
The gloomy atmosphere in the room dissipated considerably.