However, as the Soldier Bugs advanced, they would devour all the trees they encountered, leaving nothing behind. This behavior not only caused irreversible damage to the ecosystem of the forest, but also, survivors have not yet figured out how to cultivate those giant trees.

Most importantly, whenever a Soldier Bug cut down a giant tree, it effectively reduced the amount of fuel available for the survivors to generate electricity.

This was the most troublesome issue for the Officials, considering that although there were many giant trees around, if they were to enter a period of rapid industrial development, the electricity these trees provided might not be sufficient.

However, as much as it hurt, the Officials currently had no effective way to deal with the situation and could only seek help from higher authorities.

Despite Pengcheng’s frequent trading with Kyoto, Pengcheng had no means to deal with large-scale combat; after all, even during the era of ancient creatures, all Pengcheng could do was to defend the camp.

Although the Hunting Team went out daily to hunt small ancient creatures, hunting was different from large-scale combat. This difference usually went unnoticed until an event like the current large-scale march of the Soldier Bugs.

The Survivor Camp located in the path of the march decisively arranged for the survivors within to relocate and evacuate, without any attempt to mount a defense.

After much time had passed, the Soldier Bugs still advanced to the vicinity of the shadows cast by the tree canopy.

But just as they reached this area, the previously fearless and relentless Soldier Bugs hesitated at the edge of the shadows. Watching the Soldier Bugs roar at the border of the shadows, the idiom "a display of strength with no substance" sprang to everyone’s mind unanimously.

Perhaps it was the courage brought on by the ever-increasing number of Soldier Bugs behind them, but those near the shadow eventually charged headlong into the shadows cast by the tree canopy.

Following the lead of the first Soldier Bugs, those behind mindlessly surged into the shade.

As the Soldier Bug horde continued to pour in, the shaded area beneath the trees became like a gaping maw of an abyss leading to another dimension, devouring all the creatures that entered the shadows indiscriminately.

As an unceasing stream of Soldier Bugs entered the shade, the ground suddenly trembled. Although the tree shade weakened the effects of Divine Sense, the size of the giant trees was too large, and since it was daytime, the situation inside could still be faintly seen from the outside, despite the sunlight not penetrating the shade.

Following that massive tremor, robust tree roots burst from the soil and continuously attacked the surrounding Soldier Bugs. With each sweep of a thick root, Soldier Bugs directly in its path were split apart. Even those not hit directly were injured by mere grazes from the roots.

Although every attack from each root could damage more than a dozen Soldier Bugs, the bugs weren’t merely targets that wouldn’t fight back. In response to the tree roots’ assaults, some Soldier Bugs that had not been attacked leaped onto the roots during their pause between strikes and began tearing at them.

The Soldier Bugs’ biting force from the jaws and the sharpness of their forelimbs weren’t particularly strong in other aspects, but each attack inflicted great damage on the tree roots. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

With an endless stream of Soldier Bugs joining the fray, those fearless Soldier Bugs gradually annihilated the tree roots that had burst from the soil.

When the battle had ended, the Soldier Bugs, whether heavily wounded or with broken limbs, instinctively sought nearby targets to devour in order to heal their bodies.

The first thing the Soldier Bugs began to consume were the shattered tree roots on the ground. The broken roots continuously oozed green fluid from the root system, much like blood flowing from severed limbs.

Whether it was the fluid’s strong attraction to the Soldier Bugs or not, even if the liquid had spilled onto the ground, some Soldier Bugs would scoop up the mud soaked with fluid and gulp it down.

Even though the battle inside the tree shade had concluded, there was still an unending flow of Soldier Bugs entering the shade.

Just as Dong Tianyu considered whether those Soldier Bugs would be able to wholly consume the towering ancient tree.

Many Soldier Bugs within the tree shade disappeared as rapidly as if they had turned into gravel, and seeing this, Dong Tianyu instantly reacted.

He had thought that the tiny bugs hidden in the tree shade would not attack the Soldier Bugs, but unexpectedly, it wasn’t that they didn’t attack, just that they hadn’t found the right opportunity yet.

However, this situation was quickly discovered by the Soldier Bugs that hadn’t been attacked.

But what did it matter if the Soldier Bugs discovered them? The bodies of those tiny bugs weren’t large, and they could move quickly as well as hide using the shadows within the tree shade.

Thus, these little creatures were actually a difficult opponent for the Soldier Bugs. Just think, if a Flame Bug were there, it would only need a single breath of fire to eliminate most of the Soldier Bugs.

Whether it was Dong Tianyu’s illusion or not, following the death of those first few Soldier Bugs, the disappearance of the large army of Soldier Bugs seemed to accelerate.

It was as if they were splitting apart using the bodies of the dead Soldier Bugs. No matter how the Soldier Bugs in the shadows resisted, they were disappearing at a rapid pace.

At that moment, a scene that left everyone gaping in astonishment occurred. The Soldier Bugs entered the tree shade relentlessly and were then rapidly devoured by those bugs hiding in the shade.

In the beginning, the Soldier Bugs entering the tree shade could last for a while, but as the number of Soldier Bugs dying in the shade increased, the boundary line between the tree shade and the outside world turned into something like a portal. As soon as a Soldier Bug entered the shade, it would disappear in a very short time.

And this scene left all the survivors, whether they were on the scene watching in person or observing remotely through drone cameras, utterly dumbfounded.

At this time, everyone was unclear why the Soldier Bugs, which clearly possessed independent thought and had seen the death that awaited in the shadows, would still charge into the tree shade without hesitation.

Could it be that there was some treasure within the tree shade causing the Soldier Bugs to disregard their own safety and surge into the shade?

Unlike the others, upon seeing the Soldier Bugs being devoured by the bugs in the tree shade, Dong Tianyu observed the boundary between the tree shade and the outside world.

After a thorough observation, Dong Tianyu confirmed his hypothesis; the towering tree in Pengcheng would indeed expand its shade after devouring a certain number of living creatures.

As the Soldier Bugs entered unceasingly, the tree shade had already expanded about three meters from before they entered. The expanded area didn’t seem large, but considering the current coverage of the shade already encompassed the area within Pengcheng’s second ring road, even an expansion of an inch could add hundreds of square meters.

It took a full three days for the Soldier Bugs that fell from the crack closest to Pengcheng to be completely buried within the shade.

Although nobody knew why those Soldier Bugs were so recklessly eager to rush into the tree shade, everyone understood that there must be something within the shade extremely valuable to the Soldier Bugs, which is why they were so desperate to enter it.

During Dong Tianyu’s observation in this period, the coverage of the tree shade had expanded by no less than a hundred meters.

Seeing this, Dong Tianyu couldn’t help but sigh. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the giant tree engulfed the entire area within Pengcheng’s third ring. Give it a bit more time, and even the Survivor Camp in Saxon County might be threatened.

Now was the time to prepare an escape route for his parents. Since it was inevitable that Saxon County would be threatened by the giant tree, then Dong Tianyu needed to arrange for their safety as soon as possible.

While those who were cheering for the Soldier Bugs being eliminated by the tree shade hadn’t realized it, Dong Tianyu had already started to plan an escape route due to the potential threat posed by the tree shade.