Suddenly, a series of explosions sounded, and the lingering civilians who were reluctant to evacuate were frightened, muttering as they ran, "Is all this firepower really necessary? Oh my! Is it the insect army coming?"

The inner city broadcasts kept repeating, "All citizens, please move to the underground shelters immediately. The shelters will close in ten minutes. Those unable to evacuate should stay at home. Do not go outside! Stay indoors!"

The explosions continued for what felt like an eternity, to the point where everyone's ears were ringing. The ground shook violently, causing some unstable buildings to collapse.

It's horrifying! Since its establishment, Jiangnan Base had never faced such a large-scale conflict, and our enemies are just swarms of insects.

Outside the city gates, the ground was completely destroyed, pitted everywhere. Sadly, their vacuum equipment wasn't retrieved, and it's uncertain whether it survived the blast.

With dust filling the air, no one could see whether any bugs remained on the ground. Zhou You tried sensing them with his psychic power, but it seemed like there were none. Could they all be dead?

However, that hope quickly faded as he saw bugs emerging from the soil at the bottom of the pits. These insects burrowed underground during the explosion. Their shells are hard, and their pincers sharp. They are exceptional diggers.

Zhou You sensed a faint psychic fluctuation. Before he could ponder its meaning, he noticed the dispersed bugs converging towards a particular pit.

A bad premonition struck him, and almost instinctively, he shouted, "Everyone, fall back!"

"We can't retreat!" Cheng Zi'ang firmly said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We cannot fall back!"

"Numbers aren't always an advantage. Against these bugs, sheer numbers won't help. At the very least, we should evacuate the lower-ranked fighters and keep only those with internal energy. Their internal energy can best protect their brains."

Cheng Zi'ang agreed, immediately ordering the warriors below the level of Wushi to leave the battlefield. Those who remained were the elite. The ones with internal energy defended the front line, while those without retreated five hundred meters to form a second line of defense.

As more and more bugs gathered, Zhao Jinghao aimed his laser cannon at the pit and fired. Unlike conventional cannons, this one uses energy and produces a silent explosion. It shoots countless rays in all directions, posing a risk of friendly fire due to its broad range.

Zhou You expected the blast to kill a significant portion of the insects. However, the blue glow on the insects' backs intensified, illuminating the surroundings even brighter than the laser's light. The cannon seemed to have no effect, as if it were a dud.

"How is this possible? What just happened?" Zhao Jinghao exclaimed in disbelief.

After a brief pause, Zhou You analyzed, "The laser cannon, unlike conventional weapons, relies on energy. These bugs might absorb surrounding energy. Look, the glow on their backs has intensified. If they're intelligent, their next move might be a counterattack."

Zhao Jinghao bitterly laughed, "Even without intelligence, they would do that. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have approached the base."

"Every day, they must need to replenish a lot of energy. The base has the most concentrated prey, so it's no surprise they're attracted to it. What I'm curious about is why they obtain energy from blood."

"Stop pondering. We need to figure out how to kill them. By my estimate, there are about ten thousand left."

As the dust settled, clarity returned to the view. All the bugs congregated in a pit, their collective glow resembling a 1,000-watt light bulb, making one overlook their dark bodies.

"Perhaps physical attacks might work, like flooding or setting them on fire," Zhou You suggested. But before he could finish, he felt a surge of mental energy, hundreds of times stronger than any previous attack. Channeling his power, he urgently warned, "Protect your minds, they're attacking!"

Zhou You could feel the force approaching. Looking around, some had already collapsed. Judging by the ones rescued earlier, they'd merely fainted, not died. The real cause of death was blood-draining.

Zhao Jinghao was struggling. Zhou You used his energy to shield him from the mental assault, while pondering a question: If the bugs could target the brain directly with mental force, could he do the same? Previously, he had only used his mental strength to control weapons, never attempting this tactic.

As the soldiers began to fall one by one, the roaring of an aircraft echoed from above. A helicopter appeared over Jiangnan Base, gradually descending and dropping a package into the pit where the bugs gathered.

Chapter 202: Playing Dead?

Zhou You watched the package fall into the pit and then explode. Metallic-like shards scattered everywhere, seemingly harmless, leaving him puzzled about their purpose.

But he sensed the bugs' mental assault weakening, as they began to scatter chaotically.

With a calm demeanor, Zhou You commanded, "Switch to the laser cannon. Let's see if we can wipe them out this time."

A soldier standing beside Zhao Jinghao acknowledged, adjusted the cannon's angle, and fired at the pit. This time, there appeared to be no resistance, and a large swarm vanished under the laser beam.

Tossing aside his laser gun, Zhao Jinghao remarked, "We should've used the laser cannon from the start."

"Not necessarily. I think that package earlier played a role," Zhou You replied, looking up at the hovering helicopter as it landed within the city walls.

A man in military attire leaped out. At a single glance from him, Zhou You jumped off the towering wall to greet him, and the two embraced warmly in front of everyone.

The onlookers gasped, the man's identity apparently evident.

As Zhao Jinghao hesitated, torn between greeting the newcomer and monitoring the pit of bugs, a man named Kang took the lead.

Zhou You hadn't expected Shao Qi to come personally, and so timely at that. "Why are you here? Did you rush over as soon as you got my message?" He had informed Shao Qi earlier about the bug sighting near Jiangnan Base.