Chapter 553: Fierce Battle

"You flatter me, Clan Chief. I am but a humble passerby in this wilderness, who happened upon your territory only to seek a map of the region ahead. How would I dare to involve myself in the conflict between your two clans?" Han Li swept his gaze across the crowd and shook his head.

"Regarding the map, I sincerely apologize. This is the map I have pieced together so far. Once the other clans arrive, I will complete it and give you a full copy, Fellow Daoist Li." Nuo Qinglin took out a white beast bone and handed it over.

Han Li took the beast bone, probed it with his divine sense, and nodded.

This beast bone was like a jade slip, containing a detailed map of the area ahead. Although there were still many blank spots, it was far better than nothing.

"This is a small token from our Beast Race. Please accept it, Fellow Daoist Li, in exchange for your assistance this once. After we repel the Insect Race, there will be a generous reward." Nuo Qinglin took out a white bone ring and handed it over again.

Han Li took the ring and probed it with his divine sense. Inside, there was nothing else but a small pile of immortal spirit stones, roughly five thousand in number.

"Since Clan Chief Nuo is so generous, I will make an exception and act once. But let me be clear: I will only act within my capabilities. If the enemy proves too formidable, I will prioritize my own life." Han Li weighed the bone ring in his hand and said.

Though for him now, these immortal spirit stones were not much, they were likely a considerable resource for this great clan of the wilderness. More importantly, he had his own motives, intending to use this as a cover.

"Clan Chief Nuo, this man is so timid and cowardly, why seek him out?"

"Indeed! If he fears death, he shouldn't come to the wilderness!"

When the other clan chiefs heard Han Li's words, their eyes blazed with anger again, and several shouted in fury.

"Everyone, with the enemy at hand, we must prioritize the greater good. Fellow Daoist Li, we will do as you say." Nuo Qinglin said with a smile.

Han Li nodded to Nuo Qinglin and then stepped aside.

Nuo Qinglin had Nuo Yifan accompany Han Li, while he himself discussed tactics with the other clan chiefs.

Han Li had only glanced briefly earlier, but now as he carefully observed the Beast Race army ahead, his expression shifted slightly.

Although there were many Beast Race tribes, their sizes varied, with three tribes being the most numerous.

One tribe was over ten feet tall, bear-like in build, extremely robust, covered in thick black fur, resembling that Ulu.

Another tribe was the Youchen Clan, whose combatants mostly rode giant lizards with wings on their backs, each carrying a large blue bow.

The last tribe had a physique and appearance very similar to humans, but their skin was a green color, with a single green horn on their heads and green light flickering in their eyes, giving a cold and eerie feeling.

The warriors of these three tribes were numerous, accounting for about seventy percent of the Beast Race army.

"Those two tribes are the Storm Bear Clan and the Unicorn Clan, both among the eight sacred clans of our Beast Race. That Ulu clan chief you saw earlier is the chief of the Storm Bear Clan." Nuo Yifan explained, noticing Han Li's expression.

"Eight sacred clans?" Han Li raised an eyebrow.

"Our Beast Race has many tribes, and the eight strongest are called the eight sacred clans. Our Youchen Clan is also one of them. Unfortunately, only three sacred clans have gathered at the Dark Star Canyon, otherwise the Insect Race would not dare to attack." Nuo Yifan said bitterly.

Han Li's eyes flickered upon hearing this.

He suddenly looked up and gazed into the distance.

A rumbling sound came from afar, like countless thunderclaps exploding.

A black line appeared on the distant horizon, rapidly thickening and growing larger.

An endless army of spirit insects emerged densely at the junction of heaven and earth in the distance, gradually growing larger, blotting out the sky and covering the earth, seemingly even more numerous than the Beast Race's beast army ahead.

Behind the spirit insect army was a massive gray cloud, upon which stood countless Insect Race beings, tens of thousands of them, also outnumbering the Beast Race side.

Han Li's gaze swept over the Insect Race, his expression unchanged, but inwardly he was startled.

The number of Golden Immortal-level beings in the Insect Race army also exceeded that of the Beast Race, about thirty or so.

No matter how one measured it, the Beast Race was at a disadvantage. If the Beast Race had no other tricks, this great battle would likely be lost.

Nuo Qinglin and the others also darkened their expressions at this sight.

"Clan Chief Ulu, Clan Chief Manlin, Clan Chief Sahan, proceed according to plan." Nuo Qinglin took a deep breath and said slowly.

Three figures stepped forward in response, and Han Li looked over.

He already knew Ulu. Beside him was a green-eyed giant with a green horn on his forehead, wearing cyan armor, his face and body covered in scars.

Nuo Yifan quietly told Han Li that this man was Manlin, the chief of the Unicorn Clan.

The last one, Clan Chief Sahan, was quite thin, his entire body shrouded in a dark red wide robe, his face unseen.

The three bowed to Nuo Qinglin, then flew down from the platform into the Beast Race army below.

Clan Chief Ulu waved his hand, and a blood-red rhinoceros beast appeared beside him, its massive body like a moving fortress, exuding rolling pressure that inspired awe.

He mounted it, and at the same time, a blood-red light flashed in his hand, producing a blood-red battle axe, greatly increasing his aura.

The blood-red rhinoceros galloped through the air, carrying Ulu to fly above the Beast Race army.

"Warriors of the Beast Race, ahead are our base enemies, behind are our clansmen, in our hands are our weapons. Defend our clan's dignity! Fight!" Ulu shouted passionately, his voice echoing through the air, then he swung his axe forward.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The warriors of the Beast Race tribes roared, brandishing their weapons, surging forth like floodwaters from a broken dam.

The Storm Bear, Youchen, and Unicorn clans led the charge, rushing at the forefront.

The beast army also erupted with sky-shaking roars and charged out fiercely.

The Insect Race, already charging, sped up even more upon seeing this, rushing out with greater ferocity.

Only the Insect Race Golden Immortals stopped, standing in distant confrontation with Han Li and the others.

The two armies, like two raging tides, collided with earth-shattering rumbles, shaking heaven and earth as they charged at each other.

Han Li watched the scene before him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The two armies filled almost the entire field of vision, the aura of war and slaughter surging, stirring his heart slightly.

At that moment, a rumbling explosion sounded from behind, and huge fireballs shot out from the rear, landing far into the Insect Race army.

Amidst the deafening roars, massive fire clouds erupted among the insects, turning into patches of crimson seas of fire that engulfed nearby spirit insects, reducing them to ashes.

Han Li let out a soft exclamation, turning to look behind. He found that these fireballs came from those black war chariots, the front of which had a thick barrel glowing with red light.

As the spiritual patterns on the chariots flashed, a thunderous boom sounded, and a fireball over ten zhang in size shot from the barrel, striking the Insect Race army like a meteor.

"These are our Beast Race's Fire God Chariots, extremely powerful. Unfortunately, the materials are rare and difficult to produce. If we could manufacture ten thousand such chariots, their firepower alone would be enough to annihilate the Insect Race." Nuo Yifan explained, noticing Han Li's expression.

Han Li nodded slightly upon hearing this.

At that moment, hundreds of zhang-sized black shadows rose from the Insect Race army, then burst open, turning into dense swarms of tiny black figures that shot toward the Beast Race army like a storm, incredibly fast.

These tiny figures were actually strange insects, slender and narrow like small knives, gleaming with a sinister light, appearing extremely sharp.

Miserable screams immediately rang out from the Beast Race army, as many Beast Race warriors were pierced through by these strange insects, suffering countless casualties.

However, after piercing one person, these insects immediately exploded, dying as well.

"Damn it, it's the Bone Thorn Insects! I didn't expect the Insect Race to bring their nests too!" Nuo Yifan's pretty face changed, and she snorted coldly.

Han Li looked into the distance and soon saw over a hundred black shadows like small mountains behind the Insect Race army, each hundreds of zhang in size, resembling giant cicada pupae. As they squirmed, clusters of black shadows continuously spewed from their tops.

The rate at which these nests spewed Bone Thorn Insects was far slower than the Beast Race's Fire God Chariots, but each cluster contained a staggering number of Bone Thorn Insects, so their power was not inferior.

In this first clash between the two armies, casualties were heavy, but no one retreated.

The two sides rapidly closed in. When they reached a certain distance, the Youchen Clan warriors suddenly stopped, flew into the air, and took down their large blue bows, nocking azure arrows.

The arrows were not ordinary; their surfaces were inscribed with blue patterns.

Swish, swish, swish!

Countless blue arrows shot out like lightning, raining down on the Insect Race army.

Instantly, large numbers of Insect Race warriors and spirit insects were pierced through and killed, their bodies flying backward.

These arrows contained immense power, some even piercing through several insects in a row.

Moreover, after piercing the insects, the arrows flashed with blue light, then exploded, turning into clusters of azure flames that splashed in all directions.

Nearby insects touched by the azure flames immediately screamed in agony, their flesh rapidly melting away, turning into skeletons in the blink of an eye.

The Youchen Clan warriors continued to rain down blue arrows from above, inflicting heavy losses on the Insect Race army.

At that moment, a piercing screech sounded, and a group of golden Insect Race beings flew out from the army.

These insects were entirely golden, with wings on their backs, and their arms were shaped like scythes, extremely sharp at the tips, resembling two golden cleavers. They looked like humanoid mantises.

These mantis insects flapped their wings rapidly, moving at astonishing speed like streaks of golden light, charging straight at the Youchen Clan warriors.

The Youchen Clan warriors, forced to abandon shooting the insects below, aimed their arrows at the mantis insects.

Swish, swish, swish!

A rain of arrows engulfed the mantis insects, then exploded into a sea of blue flames.

But the next moment, golden light flashed repeatedly, and one mantis insect after another flew out of the blue flames. Though almost all were wounded, their numbers had only decreased slightly. They continued to charge at the Youchen Clan warriors, reaching close range in an instant.

Forced to, the Youchen Clan warriors put away their bows and drew long blue war knives, engaging the mantis insects in close combat.