The vanguard camp charged into the Insect Path, unstoppable and victorious. At this depth, the interference of the origin magnetic field was very weak, almost negligible. Additionally, with insect blood applied, it could block the erosion of the origin magnetic field, naturally not affecting the cultivators' strength. With the strength of Long Bai and Pang Zhen, even if a dragon-class insect came, they could kill it instantly! Not to mention, the ones they encountered on the path forward were mostly below Divine Sea Realm. The formation continued to advance, with ninety percent of the vanguard camp members appearing idle because only those at the forefront had the opportunity to engage in combat. But everyone knew this was temporary. The Insect Path was long, and the deeper they went, the more their cultivation was restricted. Coupled with the need to conserve their strength, it was unwise to let Long Bai and Pang Zhen remain at the front indefinitely. In due time, others would replace them, allowing them to rest and recuperate. Two hours later, someone from the front suddenly called out, "Where is Lu Yiye?" "Coming, coming!" Lu Ye's figure flickered as he passed several people at the front, arriving at the source of the voice. In the flickering torchlight, he saw a physique cultivator with broad shoulders and a thick waist pressing down on a mantis insect, spirit force surging all around him. No matter how much the mantis struggled, it couldn't break free from his grasp. This was a Divine Sea Realm insect, the first suitable one the team had encountered thus far. Lu Ye wanted to control the insect, so it was not possible to choose targets casually. He had to select one at the Divine Sea Realm level; only then could the subsequent plan be guaranteed. It seemed the vanguard camp learned through various channels that Lu Ye possessed the skill to control insects. Therefore, when Lu Ye arrived, streams of Mental Consciousness probed from the front and the back, eager to know what methods he would use. Lu Ye raised his hand to point at the mantis insect's forehead, transmitting to Nian Yuexian, "Senior Sister Nian, please activate a spiritual attack to help tear apart the insect's psyche defense." Although he could do this himself, he hadn't cultivated any Psyche Secret Technique, and his Divine Soul Power wasn't as strong as Nian Yuexian's. It was more convenient and quicker for her to tear apart the insect's psyche defense. Nian Yuexian immediately activated her Divine Soul Power, and the mantis insect, upon being attacked, screeched incessantly, struggling even more vigorously, but was firmly suppressed by the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge physique cultivator, unable to resist. Lu Ye's Mental Consciousness surged, clearly sensing that the insect before him had little resistance, and he effortlessly planted the Soul Taming Divine Runes into its mind. The mantis insect immediately calmed down. The physique cultivator sensed something, exclaiming in surprise, "Is it... done?" Lu Ye nodded, "Yes, Fellow Daoist, you can release it now." The physique cultivator complied and released the insect, finding it indeed ceased resisting, marveling at it, "Astonishing skills!" Cultivators of the beast-taming faction might also control insects, but not so effortlessly. The process was complex and carried a high risk of failure. Yet Lu Ye achieved it in just a few moments—a Divine Sea Realm insect was tamed. He couldn't fathom how it was done. "Could this secret technique... be used on humans?" the physique cultivator asked a sensitive question. Lu Ye felt like all ears around him perked up. Such a secret technique, mysterious and unpredictable, would be terrifying if usable on humans. Lu Ye said, "The higher the intelligence, the stronger the Divine Soul Power, the harder it is to control. Basically unusable on humans, only on insects with flawed spiritual intelligence." In truth, it was usable; otherwise, Dao Thirteen wouldn't have controlled one previously. But in this situation, how could Lu Ye give an unsettling answer? It's uncertain if the physique cultivator believed him, but he nodded slightly and turned to head forward. Lu Ye and Nian Yuexian also advanced, though the team now included a mantis insect of Divine Sea Realm, moving forward with its pincers brandished. As they continued to penetrate deeper, Divine Sea Realm insects were captured alive one after another and then enslaved by Lu Ye using Soul Taming. Three days later, the team had dozens more insects, rumbling along with the formation forward, with Lu Ye sitting atop one of the insects. Nian Yuexian sat on another insect next to him... Their leisurely demeanor was more akin to a countryside excursion rather than a counterattack on the Great Secret Realm of the insects, drawing frequent glances from the vanguard camp's powerful members. Long Bai, Pang Zhen, and others in the lead had been replaced. Such rotation had occurred numerous times; the coordination of different levels of cultivation was extremely tacit, especially since all these people were cultivators above Level 7. Sometimes, without words, a mere glance or a simple gesture could convey each other's thoughts. Currently, leading the charge were the sect master and several other physique and combat cultivators. At this depth, the suppression of the origin magnetic field on the cultivators' strength had become quite evident, but as they had applied insect blood in advance, it was still within acceptable limits. Lu Ye's position remained near the front but not at the very front. As they delved deeper, the number of Divine Sea Realm insects in the team increased, but correspondingly, the pace of advancement slowed. As expected, the suppression of the origin magnetic field grows stronger the further down we go, requiring increased caution and vigilance during our advance. Moreover, due to the necessity of capturing alive the Divine Sea Realm insects, it often takes a considerable amount of time. Unlike the vanguard camps of the other Eight Great Provincial States, which don't have this concern. Their sole objective is simple: kill! Slay all insects encountered, leaving none alive. Thus, in terms of advance speed, Bingzhou's progress is undoubtedly the slowest, as confirmed in the audio transmission exchanges between Pang Zhen, Long Bai, and other provincial leaders. Several large insects were encountered, which have now become part of Lu Ye's forces. On the eighth day deep inside the Insect Path, Pang Zhen suddenly approached Lu Ye from the rear of the team with a concerned look, asking, "Can you still hold on?" Though Lu Ye's techniques for controlling the insect tribe are astoundingly skillful, it seems impossible for such tactics to be without limits. Logically, each additional insect Lu Ye controls should place an increased burden on his psyche. Especially since Lu Ye previously stated at a major council meeting that the limit should be around one to two hundred insects. Now, the number of Divine Sea Realm insects under his command has exceeded two hundred. That is why Pang Zhen asks this question. Lu Ye pondered briefly and replied, "It's about right." While he could continue to control more, there's no need. Over two hundred Divine Sea Realm insects are adequate for the coming plan; any more would merely be an embellishment. Pang Zhen nodded and ordered the front ranks, "If we encounter more Divine Sea Realm insects, there's no need for capture—kill them without mercy!" At this depth, everyone's abilities are almost reduced to sixty percent of their potential, and constant fighting and movement have substantially drained their resources. Facing large insects with the intention to capture poses risks; killing them is undoubtedly more convenient and effective. It's crucial to note that counter-attacking the insect tribe's Great Secret Realm is divided into three stages. The first stage is actually the easiest to accomplish; the most dangerous part is the initial phase of the second stage. The vanguard camp must, of course, preserve its strength as much as possible. Upon receiving orders, the vanguard camp cultivators accelerated their advance significantly. Another day passed, and faint lights began to appear in the distance ahead, immediately signaling everyone that the end of the insect path was near. The source of that light was where the portal lies. Indeed, as the formation advanced to the light source, an enormous elliptical portal appeared before everyone's gaze, resembling a blurred mirror. As the surface of the mirror fluctuated, insects continuously emerged from the portal. The diverse cultivators gazed at this portal, fully aware that crossing it means entering the Great Secret Realm of the insect tribe—the source of the Nine Provinces' insect disaster. The first step has been taken. The next step depends on further progress, which, if successful, could resolve a disaster persisting for years. "Rest here, and focus on restoring spirit force!" Long Bai shouted, assigning a few individuals to guard the portal, destinating any insect that appears. The Nine Provincial States need to act in unison. Though the nine vanguard camps are poised at the nine different portals, ready to strike into the insect tribe's Great Secret Realm, the main armies of the Nine Provincial States have yet to arrive. While the vanguard camp delved into the insect path, teams from all over the Nine Provinces were already advancing from fissure locations and gradually converging at different positions within the insect path, steadily pressing on. Given the vanguard camp's clearing of the way, the pressure they face is considerably reduced, and they only need to deal with scattered insects encountered in side paths. Currently, the Nine Provinces' main army is marching deeper into the insect path. In truth, the insect path's interior is already filled with the presence of Nine Provinces cultivators, perhaps dispersed across various side paths, but with one unified objective! Only when the main army is largely in place can the vanguard camp launch into the Great Secret Realm of the insect tribe; otherwise, even if the vanguard were all above Level 7, they'd struggle to achieve much. While the vanguard camp strong rested, Lu Ye was busy working. He needs to affix a certain number of Explosive Fire Spirit Stones onto each insect under his control. Otherwise, relying on these insects alone would hardly stir substantial commotion. With Explosive Fire Spirit Stones, it's a different story. These stones are extremely volatile and can trigger powerful spirit force fluctuations. Since the insects are highly sensitive to spirit force waves, exploding these stones will inevitably catch the insects' attention. Seizing this opportunity would allow the vanguard camp to strike into the Great Secret Realm, efficiently constructing a defensive line. He wasn't alone in this task—others assisted, based on prior assignments. Even so, it took nearly two hours to satisfactorily organize everything. After a final check to ensure no detail was missed, Lu Ye approached the sect master and Pang Zhen, saying, "Disciple is ready here." Pang Zhen replied, "The next tasks are in your hands, but make sure to prioritize your safety." The sect master also advised, "If it's unwinnable, retreat at the first moment." "Disciple understands." Lu Ye nodded solemnly.