The female insects that had laid eggs pounced on the males they had just mated with and devoured them. The male bugs seemed completely exhausted and had no strength left to escape. All they could do was struggle feebly and cry out in anguish as they were swallowed whole. After eating up the males, the female insects started bulging up once more and yet another batch of eggs entered the soil.

After two waves of egg-laying, there were no longer any male insects on the surface. The surviving female insects started attacking one another, and the survivors then began laying the third batch of eggs. This process was repeated until there was only one female bug left. Seeing no more food in sight, it also drilled into the ground.

In less than an hour, the swarm of insects had demonstrated their entire life cycle to Qianye.

Acting on a sudden idea, Qianye moved to where the last female insect had vanished and dug out a large clump of soil.

The ground was so hard that Qianye could feel slight pain from his fingertips; it was really no different from digging out a large piece of steel. Yet that bug had drilled through...