"A mere group of ants, how strong could they possibly be?"
"They could be crushed beneath a single foot!"
Lu Yuan felt quite helpless about this.
With his current power, he could hunt tigers and lions, yet had no way to deal with demon beasts.
After all, these demon beasts had tough hides, strong bloodlines, and intelligence not inferior to humans.
Even a casual Blood Refining Realm demon beast could easily wipe out all Fire Spirit Ants.
Let alone the fact that.
Many predators of ants existed in the Black Wind Forest.
"Bang!"
One day.
Just as Lu Yuan was toiling silently as usual.
The ant nest suddenly shook violently.
Large chunks of soil and stone were being overturned by sharp claws.
Then a pink, extremely long tongue followed the tunnels of the ant nest, sweeping up masses of panicked Fire Spirit Ants.
"Oh no, it’s a pangolin!"
"Quick, protect Your Majesty and the Empress!"
Many Fire Spirit Ants screamed in terror.
Although they possessed intelligence, their thinking was simple.
No matter the situation, they would always prioritize the survival of the colony.
Seeing that slender tongue attacking again.
All the Soldier Ants rushed forward, using their bodies to block the entrance, buying time for Lu Yuan to escape!
Watching those who sacrificed themselves to protect his retreat.
Even with his steely heart, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but be moved at this moment.
"That pangolin is already a Blood Refining Realm demon beast, unless I can step into the Second Realm, or the Third Realm."
"Otherwise, rushing out recklessly is no different from courting death."
Lu Yuan stayed in the deepest part of the ant nest, trying to conceal his presence while watching the pangolin devour numerous Fire Spirit Ants with open eyes.
And outside the ant nest.
A pangolin with stout limbs and scales covering its body was using its sharp front claws to dig up the soil, continually rolling Fire Spirit Ants into its mouth with its tongue.
These Fire Spirit Ants had hard shells, crunching crisply as they were chewed, making it thoroughly enjoy its meal.
After satisfying its appetite.
The pangolin finally stood up and slowly left the ant nest.
Being a demon beast with just-awakened intelligence, it understood the principle of sustainable resource management.
Every meal, it would not drive the prey to extinction but leave behind the Queen and male ants to ensure a sufficient food source for itself.
When the pangolin had gone far away.
Lu Yuan crawled out from the depths of the ant nest.
Looking at the Fire Spirit Ant colony, which suffered heavy casualties, he felt a nameless rage burning in his heart.
This was the Fire Spirit Ant colony he painstakingly built, yet it was destroyed in an instant!
At this moment.
The desire for power in Lu Yuan’s heart had reached an extreme intensity.
Get stronger!
He must become stronger as soon as possible!
Only by possessing greater power could he escape this powerless situation of being at the mercy of others!
Right then.
Lu Yuan turned his anger into motivation, tirelessly working day and night.
Meanwhile, he dispatched large numbers of Fire Spirit Soldier Ants to seize territories and Queens from other ant colonies.
As long as it doesn’t lead to death, they’ll push to the limit of life!
The more they reproduce, the more rewards they earn!
The White Ant Queen birthed five thousand offspring, and your blood qi significantly improved!
The Black Ant Queen birthed ten thousand offspring, your blood qi reached Perfection, power surged dramatically, and successfully stepped into the Second Realm, Shackles Realm!
The number of Fire Spirit Ants breached the fifty million mark, and you gained the Ant Race cultivation technique, Celestial Ant Divine Skill!
...
As the prompt from the Will of the Heavens resounded.
Lu Yuan’s body trembled, his blood qi surged outward like rolling smoke, turning the entire cave into a blood-red spectacle.
His momentum soared explosively, ascending into a completely new realm.
His power had increased by at least tenfold compared to before.
Endless strength surged from within him, giving him the illusion that he could shatter a great mountain with a single punch.
Moreover, in Lu Yuan’s perception, after stepping into the Second Realm.
Blood qi, bones, meridians, flesh, and even his soul seemed to have invisible shackles.
Instinctively, Lu Yuan realized.
If he could break free from these shackles, he could obtain unimaginable power.
Yet among all the rewards, the most significant was the special cultivation technique for the Ant Race.
Celestial Ant Divine Skill!
According to the information in his mind.
The Celestial Ant Divine Skill was a supreme technique tailor-made for the Ant Race, capable of enhancing the body with Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, and unlocking one’s potential.
It could even permit the transformation of one’s bloodline.
Even as a lowly ant, one could suppress all Divine Bodies and remain invincible in the world!
Lu Yuan was overjoyed and immediately continued his cultivation.
Time flowed like water.
In the blink of an eye, two months passed.
When that pangolin returned, intending to feast once more.
It was amazed to discover.
Those ants that used to flee in terror upon seeing it now dared to leave the nest and appear outside.
And from the looks of it, did they intend to battle it?
The pangolin smiled.
Yet before it could rejoice, it saw an Ant Emperor emerge, surrounded by many Soldier Ants, from within the ant nest.
The Ant Emperor was only the size of a thumb, much smaller than before.
But its body seemed cast from Immortal Gold, emitting a blood-red glow all over.
Upon seeing Lu Yuan, the pangolin drooled excessively.
Because within Lu Yuan’s tiny body was abundant pure spiritual energy.
This was a great tonic indeed!
If it consumed him, it could certainly become a Shackles Realm demon beast!
As for whether this ant could pose a threat to it?
The pangolin never considered such things.
Was that a joke?