High-level martial arts: Contract cashback, invincible starting from the Zerg.

The smoke from the churning ammunition spread with the wind and snow, and the stench of blood mixed with the roars of humans and insectoids permeated the sub-zero air, lingering for a long time.

The battle gradually came to an end several hours later.

......

When Chen Feng put away the Diamond Demon-Slaying Armor, he sat down on the ground, his hands braced against the frozen snow, his chest heaving violently.

Before them, a large number of Ice Claw Berserker Insects abandoned the already exhausted Great Xia army and fled continuously toward the distant Mother Nest.

However, seeing these Ice Claw Berserker Insects, which had clearly become easy targets, not a single Xia soldier fired at them.

"commander!"

A company commander, covered in blood, staggered over, removing his helmet as he spoke, his voice trembling. "We've finished counting... Of the two battalions, only 112 men are still capable of carrying a gun. The rest... are all gone."

Chen Feng suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping over the company commander's expression.

Before Chen Feng lay the corpses of nearly three thousand Ice Claw Berserker Insects and hundreds of human soldiers, their severed limbs and weapons scattered everywhere, stretching as far as the eye could see.

With a force of nearly two battalions, five hundred soldiers, only a little over a hundred remain after the fighting.

"Where's the ammunition?" Chen Feng asked in a low voice, hoarse from the intense battle.

"We only have half the ammunition left, but all the combat mechs are destroyed, and our men are no longer capable of large-scale operations." The company commander's Adam's apple bobbed.

Before he finished speaking, the four martial gods arrived at Chen Feng's side one after another.

At this moment, all four martial gods were injured.

Together they withstood the attack of the Purple Guards, and then slaughtered nearly a thousand insectoids. Everyone's face was pale.

"Commander, we haven't captured Hill 73 yet." A warrior wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and pointed to the Purple Zerg nest hundreds of meters above sea level. "If we don't capture it in time, the Zerg nest will keep hatching warriors, and then another wave of attacks will come. We simply can't hold it with our small force."

"Although Commander Lu Ling has temporarily cut off the hatching process of the broodstock, if the broodstock is not destroyed, they can launch an attack at any time."

After learning about the thoughts of others, Chen Feng also gained a preliminary understanding of the Purple Sky Zerg's combat style.

Chen Feng slowly stood up, supporting himself on the snow, his gaze sweeping across the entire battle line.

From the mountain pass at the foot of the mountain to the middle of the highlands, layers upon layers of purplish-black insect corpses covered the road. The broken claws and shattered carapaces of the Ice Claw Berserker Insects were embedded in the snow, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Among these insect corpses, the scattered light blue military uniforms stood out even more.

Many of the soldiers who fell on the retreat route died with their guns raised.

"They never intended to hold their ground," Chen Feng suddenly said.

Chen Feng raised his hand and pointed to the direction in which the insect swarm fled at the foot of the mountain, then pointed to the nest halfway up the high ground that was still faintly glowing purple. "You see, the order in which the Purple Azure Insect Clan retreated was that the Imperial Guards retreated first, and they retreated without any disorder, and then the Ice Claw Berserker Insects followed."

"Captain Chen, you mean... they weren't driven back by us?" Li Yuanwei asked.

"Whether it's the Purple Guards or the Ice Claw Berserker Insects, they seem to have an extremely accurate prediction of the casualty ratio between the two sides in the war," Chen Feng said calmly. "On the surface, they spared our hundred or so people, but if we continue to complete the mission with these people, whether we get reinforcements or fight to the death, our casualties will be even greater."

Several martial gods were stunned for a moment before they gasped in shock.

During the fiercest battle just now, more than ten Purple Guards broke into the lines and directly entangled the Martial Gods and the heavy firepower positions, forcing Chen Feng and the four Martial Gods to split up and intercept them.

Without the cover of high-level combatants, ordinary soldiers were instantly overwhelmed by the swarm of insects, losing half of their position and having no choice but to withdraw from their existing fortifications and retreat continuously to the rear.

If Lu Ling hadn't immediately launched a sniping attack, directly threatening the safety of the Purple Guards, the soldiers of those two battalions probably wouldn't have been able to leave here alive.

"High-ranking units are responsible for breaching the formation, decapitating, disrupting command, and tearing holes in our formation."

Li Yuanwei spoke calmly, but the solemnity in his eyes grew heavier.

"Then they'll use low-level berserker bugs to kill us, forcing us to expend our ammunition, spiritual energy, and stamina, and finally conserve their strength to lure us into continuing the charge with the nests above... That's their plan!"

Silence fell between the martial gods.

The remaining soldiers gathered around them leaned against the rocks, and upon hearing these words, even their breathing became lighter. Some looked down at their semi-empty automatic rifles and then at their comrades who would never wake up again.

No one wanted to admit it, but they had to admit it—from the moment the Purple Guards appeared and broke into the lines, the battle logic of this war was completely different from what humanity had anticipated.

From a strategic perspective, humanity has been at a disadvantage from the very beginning.

From the moment the Imperial Guards of the Purple Palace broke into the battle lines, the logic of this battle was completely different from what humans imagined.

Just then, Lu Ling's voice rang out on Chen Feng's communication channel, but it carried a hint of cold reality.

"The energy supply to the nest on Hill 73 has been restored to 67%, and the creep has resumed nutrient delivery... Based on the hatching rate, it should be ready for combat deployment again in just three hours... In addition, three Purple Guards remain outside my sniping range, more like they're on standby. Chen Feng, what are your plans?"

Chen Feng stared at the outline of the nest that glowed purple on the mountainside, and tapped the communicator twice with his fingertips.

"Their plan is very clear. They use the nest as bait and the guards as the blade, just waiting for us to act rashly and rush in."

Chen Feng spoke calmly, as if stating a fact he had already seen through.

"With our small force, the swarms of insects along the way will wipe out most of our wounded. By the time we reach the nest, it's only a matter of time before we're all wiped out."

Li Yuanwei frowned: "Are we just going to stand by and watch the nest recover? And plan the next attack?"

Chen Feng turned around, his gaze sweeping over the tired faces behind him, and raised his voice slightly.

"Since they want to force us to fight on the battlefield they've chosen, then we'll turn the tables and make them fall into our trap."

"oh?"