Chapter 31: Collaborative Hunt

Sensing the trembling earth and the sudden gust of wind, Ji Chang and Huang Mang felt a surge of excitement. Zhou Jun and Zheng Haiyu, who hadn't experienced the arrival of the locusts before, wore expressions of caution.

"Everyone, be careful, they're coming!" Ji Chang hurriedly reminded, mounting his horse and taking to the air on his wings to search for the locusts' location.

Soon, just as Ji Chang had taken off, he spotted the locust launching itself into the air once again. The direction the locust leaped was right into the range of their operation.

This locust was larger than a hornet by a good measure. Its body was a vibrant green, and even in its state of propelled flight, its two sturdy hind legs remained robust. Not only were its hind legs impressive, but even its front legs seemed thicker than Ji Chang's arms.

Ji Chang estimated that this locust was even more robust than the one they encountered on their first encounter. In the next moment, while Ji Chang was observing the locust, it landed accurately on a leaf next to a water spout.

Seeing this, Ji Chang immediately commanded the wasps to fly towards the airspace directly above the locust's position. Zhou Jun, Zheng Haiyu, and Ji Chang's ants, together with Huang Mang, swiftly approached the vicinity of the leaf where the locust was.

Ji Chang, riding on a wasp, remained suspended in the air directly above the locust's head. The locust, busily munching on the leaf, seemed unaware of the encirclement closing in on it.

At this moment, as it chewed the leaf and periodically shook its long antennae, the locust appeared quite content.

Observing the seemingly defenseless locust, Ji Chang suddenly infused a surge of pure spiritual energy into the wasp beneath him. With the boost of this energy, the wasp swiftly descended to a position just above the locust's head.

Before the locust could react, urged by Ji Chang, the wasp executed an elegant tail whip.

Bang!

With a muffled sound, the locust trembled and plummeted to the ground.

"Mangzi, now!" Seeing the locust fall, Ji Chang shouted.

"It's here!" Huang Mang, who had prepared for this moment, exclaimed. In an instant, his whole body turned metallic, and he rushed towards the fallen locust like a shooting star.

Watching Huang Mang charge ahead, Zhou Jun and Zheng Haiyu both took a deep breath. Following their pre-arranged plan, they flanked the locust from both sides.

"Locust, where do you think you're going!" Huang Mang, who had reached the locust in the blink of an eye, shouted as he lunged forward. The locust had turned over, attempting to propel itself into the air again, but Huang Mang's hands clamped down on one of its hind legs with the force of a vise.

Caught by Huang Mang, the locust stumbled and crashed to the ground, with Huang Mang falling alongside.

Seeing this scene, Huang Mang, despite the rising dust, couldn't help but grin excitedly. "Hehe, let's see where you're trying to escape!"

Yet, just as Huang Mang was in high spirits, the locust, steadying itself, exerted force from its hind legs again, and its wings unfurled in an instant.

Snap!

Accompanied by a crisp sound, Huang Mang froze in place.

As for the locust... it propelled itself into the air once again.

And at this moment, Huang Mang's hands were still firmly gripping the locust's hind leg!

This locust, in the face of danger, had abandoned one of its hind legs and fled for its life...

Ji Chang, who had been closely observing the ground, furrowed his brows as he witnessed the locust launching into the air once more. He hadn't expected the locust to resort to such a drastic measure as breaking its own leg to survive.

In a moment of slight distraction, watching the locust spread its wings and take flight, Ji Chang's thoughts shifted, and the wasps immediately sprung into action.

Having finally encountered the locust, Ji Chang couldn't simply let it escape. If it weren't for the fact that the locust's flesh was rendered inedible due to fear of the wasps' venomous stinger, Ji Chang would have finished it off in an instant earlier.

The locust, now sensing the danger, propelled itself a great distance with the aid of its wings during its leap. However, the wasps, empowered by Ji Chang's spiritual energy, easily outpaced its flight.

Just as the locust soared, Ji Chang commanded the wasps to appear right in front of it. At such close range, Ji Chang could even see the tinge of panic in the locust's small "green bean"-like eyes.

In response to Ji Chang's intent, the wasps once again executed a graceful tail whip.

Bang! Boom!

Two consecutive muffled sounds rang out as the locust, battered by the attacks, lost control and crashed to the ground.

However, just as Ji Chang thought the locust, with its broken leg, wouldn't be able to struggle much longer, it used its remaining leg to push off and adjusted its posture. It contracted its thighs once more, preparing to spring with renewed force.

Seeing this, Ji Chang immediately directed the wasps to dive towards the ground. At the same time, Zhou Jun came rushing in. Seeing the locust attempting to escape once more, he stretched out his hands without hesitation.

Buzzing sounds echoed in a continuous series as a violent, invisible shockwave surged from Zhou Jun's palms, striking towards the locust just about to take off.

Instantly hit by the shockwave, the locust's body was sent hurtling through the air. Meanwhile, an ice lance shot forth and punctured the locust's body.

After a few breaths, accompanied by a resounding crash, the locust fell to the ground, dead beyond any doubt.

...

Not long after, by a water hole near the water spout, Ji Chang was cleaning the two hind legs and front feet of the locust alongside a few others.

Behind them, wasps and ants chewed on the remains of the locust's body. Although most of the locust's body seemed edible except for the legs, at least Huang Mang had no qualms about swallowing it whole before.

However, just now, when Huang Mang had dismantled the locust's body with his metallic hand, the rich green liquid that spurted out even made someone with Huang Mang's tastes a bit queasy...

In light of this, they had only taken the locust's six legs.

"Hehe, Ji-ge, wasn't I cool just now? I didn't even use my full strength, you know. I was worried about turning the locust into paste!" As Zhou Jun cleaned the locust's legs, he grinned and looked at Ji Chang nearby.

Before Ji Chang could reply, Zheng Haiyu chimed in, "I was the coolest, right? Isn't that right, Ji-ge? My ice lance was like a flying sword, 'whoosh~ crack,' and it directly took care of it. I didn't even know I could launch an ice lance like that!"

Earlier, after Zhou Jun arrived in haste, Zheng Haiyu, fearing the locust would escape once again, had channeled all his spiritual energy into the ice lance that surged from his arm. In that instant, he felt an unprecedented sensation. Subconsciously aiming his arm at the locust flying away, the ice lance shot out like a flying sword.

Even now, reminiscing about it, Zheng Haiyu couldn't help but feel excited.