He wiped sweat from Zhou You’s brow and kept watch, ensuring no mutated beasts approached during this crucial moment.

As Zhou You was nearing his limit, the roar of aircraft echoed from above.

Qin Lifen looked up and first spotted a massive transport plane. The markings on it were unmistakably military. He hadn't expected the army to deploy such a behemoth.

They once joked that if a beast tide attacked the base, they'd take to the skies in this airborne fortress to fend them off. Even if they couldn’t protect the base, they'd perish alongside the invaders.

Trailing the transport were battle jets in a 'human' formation, seemingly numbering in the hundreds. Had the Marshal mobilized the entire Flame Squad?

Zhou You couldn’t concern himself with the external events; his psychic energy was almost drained. If he ceased his calming efforts, the swarm would surely resume its internal conflict.

"Brother Zhou... Brother Zhou... Reinforcements are here," Qin Lifen's voice reached Zhou You's ears.

Relief washed over him, and he severed the psychic connection, collapsing to the side but caught by Qin Lifen.

"Quickly, drink this nutrient solution."

He sipped slowly, finding even the roaring from the skies strangely comforting.

"They sent so many?"

He murmured weakly, "Heh, perhaps the Marshal is worried about you."

"Not really. I simply informed him of the method to exterminate these bugs. He probably feared his initial firepower wasn't sufficient."

Those hundreds of jets adjusted their formation and began to descend, hovering mid-air around the swarm.

This commotion caught the insects' attention, but they had no idea what was about to unfold.

Soon, ropes descended from the aircraft. Soldiers rappelled down, each carrying a transparent shield on their backs. Upon landing, they drove these shields into the ground, enclosing the swarm.

"What are these?" Just as Zhou You voiced his question, a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, and Qin Lifeng retreated to the side.

Those arms held him close, and a voice whispered in his ear, "Those are electrical resistance barriers. I'm not entirely sure how they work, but they prevent the spread of thermal reactions."

Shao Qi lifted Zhou You. It seemed like only days since they last met, but Zhou You appeared much thinner. "We should retreat further. Where's the white tiger?"

"He went hunting yesterday and hasn’t returned. He might be nearby."

"We'll head into the dense forest. If it hears the commotion, it might come looking for you."

Seeing himself left behind, Qin Lifeng calmly climbed onto the aircraft with his comrades. From above, the sheer size of the insect swarm was evident, even after many had perished.

Zhou You had single-handedly controlled such a massive horde. That man was becoming ever more formidable.

It was a relief he was on their side. Otherwise, the nation's situation might have been different.

"Boom..." Bombs mixed with a special powder rained from the sky, blanketing the swarm. Visibly, insects were blasted away, followed by a flurry of white powder obscuring everyone's view.

The fate of the insects remained uncertain, but had they been humans, they'd have been obliterated.

Zhou You felt the ground shaking. Trees toppled around them. Deep within the forest, a tiger's roar was drowned out by the blasts. Zhou You and Shao Qi exchanged glances, then dashed towards the sound.

Shao Qi placed Zhou You on his back and sprinted ahead. The white tiger, hearing the noise, raced towards them. Man and beast met by a stream.

Seeing Zhou You on Shao Qi's back, the white tiger thought he was injured. It roared and lunged, its paw aimed at Shao Qi's chest.

Shao Qi sidestepped, placing Zhou You down. He shot a kick at the tiger, "Ungrateful creature! Don't I deserve your trust?"

The white tiger snarled, then grabbed Zhou You in its mouth, swinging him onto its back, and began to run through the stream.

Shao Qi rolled his eyes, thinking about the inexplicable joy of surviving a catastrophe.

He glanced upwards. Tall trees obstructed the view, leaving him uncertain if anyone above had spotted the flying white tiger in the forest.

Regardless, even if they had, it wouldn’t matter. Their primary mission was the blue beetle swarm.

Having vented its feelings, the white tiger brought Zhou You ashore and proudly paraded around Shao Qi.

"Fine, I won't stoop to the level of a mere animal."

For Zhou You, riding atop the tiger was a novel experience, even more thrilling than any luxury car.

Chapter 217: The Meeting

"Let's move. It's time to clean up the battlefield," Shao Qi called out to Zhou You.

Zhou You released the white tiger. The commotion in the distance was growing louder, and sensing the presence of outsiders, the white tiger instinctively retreated deeper into the forest.

The two made their way to the battlefield. What was once a flat land was now a deep pit stretching several meters, filled with insect carcasses.

Soldiers from the Flame Brigade stood guard at the edge, weapons raised, ensuring no creature was still alive.

Situ Han, wearing life-detecting glasses, darted about. Seeing their return, he approached and said, "Marshal, Mr. Zhou, it appears we've annihilated them. These bugs weren't so hard to kill after all."

Shao Qi didn't mention that the insects had already been "tamed" by Zhou You. These bugs, now with only their hard shells, posed minimal threat. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been this easy.

Shao Qi and Zhou You donned armor and descended into the pit. Inspecting the charred remains, they noted the tough exteriors of the insect carcasses. Such material could be invaluable.

"It seems we've cleaned them up well. Yet, as long as we don't know their origin, countless more could emerge."

"If more swarms are found, notify me immediately. I've found these creatures beneficial for my cultivation."