People Are Ants

"Submit to me or die," Ming Ren commanded the Spirit Beasts, his voice resonating with the authority of a true king. The behemoths, sensing the aura of a divine beast, bowed their massive heads in submission. With the immediate threat neutralized, Ming Ren collected the Spatial Rings from the fallen cultivators, his movements devoid of remorse. The smaller beasts, their minds linked to their rulers, mirrored the King and Queen's subservience, their aggression fading like a tide receding from the shore.

"Gather the fruits and stones for me," Ming Ren instructed, his tone brooking no argument. The beasts, now obedient servants, set about their task with surprising dexterity. Soon, a bounty of treasures lay at Ming Ren's feet. Among them were Spirit Fruits, each pulsing with the essence of earth and metal: the robust Ironwood Fruit, its surface resembling petrified bark, rumored to fortify the body and enhance earth-based defenses; the Quicksilver Fruit, its skin shimmering with a metallic sheen, said to grant the user unparalleled speed and agility, allowing them to move with the swiftness of flowing mercury; and the Mountainheart Fruit, a heavy orb radiating earthen energy, known to empower earth-based attacks and bolster one's connection to the very core of the world. 

Alongside the fruits, lay a collection of Spirit Stones, crystalline formations brimming with raw spiritual energy, essential for cultivation and powering formations.

"These spirit beasts," Ming Ren mused, examining the subdued creatures, "were brought here before attaining Spirit Gate realm. From the state of things, they broke through recently. This is the perfect cultivation environment for them. However, their intelligence remains underdeveloped, making them susceptible to manipulation." 

He could perceive the parasitic presence within their bodies, wriggling tendrils of darkness woven into their very essence. These creatures were pawns in a larger game, bred and manipulated to spread the parasite's insidious influence.

The depleted array offered no immediate escape. The only path forward lay deeper within the mountain. Ming Ren ventured further, the cave passage twisting and turning like a serpent's path. The air grew denser, thick with the scent of damp earth and the faint metallic tang of the living rock. 

Finally, he arrived at another Teleportation array, its intricate patterns more complex than any he had encountered before. "This one is of a higher order," he observed, "designed to bar Spirit Beasts passage. I could rewrite it, but the energy required exceeds what I can spare right now."

With a final guard command to his newly acquired guardians, Ming Ren activated the array, stepping into the swirling vortex of light alone. The sensation of teleportation was akin to being unraveled and woven anew, a dizzying disorientation followed by a sudden arrival.

He found himself in a vast chamber, its walls and ceiling constructed of a luminous, living metal, etched with intricate runes and formations. At the chamber's heart, suspended above a swirling pool of verdant energy that surrounded a heavy core, floated a miniature temple, no larger than a fist.

Ming Ren's eyes, augmented by his spiritual sense, pierced through the veils of reality. "The mountain core," he realized, "and... origin energy?" The temple acted as a suppressor, aided by the surrounding formations, preventing the potent energy from escaping. "Something powerful pushes against the seal from below," he surmised, his mind racing to comprehend the implications.

Intrigued, he delved deeper, his investigation revealing tampering with the formations. The culprit, he concluded, was the same individual who had modified the arrays and introduced the Spirit Beasts – the architect of the chaos that had engulfed the Wandering Woods.

A subtle fluctuation in spiritual energy, barely perceptible, heralded a sudden attack. A dagger materialized from thin air, aimed at Ming Ren's exposed neck. With lightning reflexes, he struck out, deflecting the blade and sending its wielder reeling backward. The assailant, clad in gleaming metal armor – a Spirit Gate artifact – emerged from the shadows, unharmed.

"How did you detect me?" The voice, laced with disappointment, echoed through the chamber.

"It is truly a magnanimous cloaking rune," Ming Ren conceded, "however, since I knew you would be here, I just had to pay attention to my surroundings and react faster than you. Your movement right now sent out a ripple of spiritual energy."

"I honestly did not think you would risk coming here," the figure admitted, "and I was sure you would never reach this place. To think you passed through all the formations and spirit beasts on the way. What kind of monster are you?"

With a flick of his hand, Ming Ren drew his sword, his eyes burning with righteous fury, "Am I the monster here? After everything you have done?"

"Escape is futile," the figure taunted. "I know you used the array before to send people out, didn't you? That was your last chance of getting out of here alive!"

The figure lunged, his form multiplying into six identical shadows, each wielding a deadly blade.

[Assassination Art: Six Piercing Shadows]

Ming Ren sidestepped the illusory assault with effortless grace, his blade slicing through the phantoms to find its true target. The armor, though resilient, bore a deep gash.

"Ugh!" the figure gritted his teeth, "To think someone at the Peak of the Body Tempering Realm has this much power... You are the first one since the Young Lord to surprise me this much. That's why you need to die here!" 

[Assassination Art: Ghost Flying Daggers]

A barrage of daggers materialized, hurtling towards Ming Ren with deadly precision. He parried each strike with fluid movements, his sword a whirlwind of steel. A final dagger, imbued with concentrated killing intent, pierced towards his heart. With a deft twist, he deflected the blow, the force of the clash sending both combatants staggering backward.

The strain of the battle began to take its toll. The spirit bugs within him, invigorated by the proximity to the origin energy, devoured his spiritual energy at an alarming rate. His breath grew ragged, his movements sluggish.

The metal-clad figure smirked, sensing his opponent's waning strength. "It's finally here, uh? Your limit. I feel them, you know? The bugs within your flesh – my children. Right now, they are going crazy, since this is the best feeding ground for them. You suppressed them well, but that facade crumbles now."

Ming Ren coughed, a speck of blood staining his lips. "Do not overestimate yourself," he retorted, defiance flickering in his eyes. "Even without spiritual energy, I have many ways to kill you!" 

With a flick of his wrist, he launched a volley of weapons from his spatial ring – swords, spears, daggers – each aimed at his elusive foe. The assassin dodged them with ease, his confidence growing with every passing moment.

"Now, this is nothing but despair!" he declared, launching another attack. 

[Assassination Art: Piercing Death]

The assassin, drawing upon his honed killing intent, vanished once more into the shadows. A deathly stillness descended upon the chamber, broken only by the sound of Ming Ren's ragged breaths. Then, with the suddenness of a viper strike, the assassin reappeared, his form a blur of motion as he launched his ultimate attack – Piercing Death. His dagger, now seemingly an extension of his will, became a conduit for pure killing intent, aimed at Ming Ren's heart with pinpoint precision. The air crackled with dark energy as the blade pierced forward, its trajectory a perfect line devoid of hesitation or remorse. This was the culmination of years of training, a strike designed to extinguish life in a single, swift motion.

Ming Ren countered, his form blurring as he channeled the Bright Sword Art. With a sudden stillness at the eye of the storm, he gathered his strength, his blade shimmering with barely contained power. Then, in a fraction of a heartbeat, he unleashed the Burst technique. The sword, propelled by explosive force, became a meteor of shining steel, tearing through the air towards the assassin's defenses. The sheer power of the blow resonated through the chamber, the very air groaning under the strain.

[Bright Sword Art: Burst]

Once again, the sword slashed the armor, and this time the cut reached the enemy's chest, spurting blood.

"Too shallow," Ming Ren lamented, frustration gnawing at him.

"Damn you!" The assassin retreated, his voice laced with venom. "I cannot beat you through combat. I know that now. But I don't need to. I only need to wear you out and wait for your painful death. My bugs will eat your spiritual energy until you die. Can you even find me if I don't attack?"

With a flicker, the assassin vanished, his presence merging seamlessly with the shadows. Ming Ren hurled his remaining weapons, searching for any sign of his foe, but to no avail. The pulsating origin energy stimulated the bugs within him, forcing him to his knees.

Laughter, cold and cruel, echoed through the chamber. "To think a mere brat like you almost ruined the Young Lord's grand design! How dare you! Why couldn't you just have gone your own way? How stupid! This trap was supposed to lure some bigshots for the kill, but a mere brat at the body tempering realm passed through all those complex formations? How infuriating! I wish I could kill you a thousand times!"

"Unless your plan is to hide inside this cave forever, I guess its pretty much ruined," Ming Ren provoked.

"The Young Lord knows no failure," the assassin retorted. "You see, his mind is way beyond the likes of you and me. You thought the plan was merely to spread my bugs around and catch some bait, right? But this entire place is a trap. This mountain is the real trap."

A look of surprise flickered across Ming Ren's face, fueling the assassin's amusement. "Did you not realize? From the moment you arrived, escape became an illusion, even for those you sent away. All they can hope for is a quick death."

He gestured towards the mountain core. "That's some sort of powerful type of energy. For some reason, it is being suppressed forcefully by the temple. But what if it wasn't? What if, instead of suppressing it, the formations around forced it to explode? How great would that be?"

"You... you cannot..." Ming Ren stammered, the implications sinking in

"Hahahah, but I can! We can! Even if my bugs can't kill people, once those outside spread what they saw inside, it's a matter of time before the bigshots come. And, like you, they won't leave. Once enough have gathered, this mountain will erupt, unleashing untold destruction. And do you think that's the end?"

Ming Ren gritted his teeth.

"This is but a prelude," he continued, his voice dripping with malice. "This is too much fun. The young lord's plans are always so amusing. Do you know who resides above? The Peak Lord of this mountain, currently vulnerable as it birthed its young. Imagine its fury when this mountain explodes, claiming the lives of its offspring. Which unfortunate land will suffer its wrath?"

Ming Ren's fury ignited, "You would kill not only cultivators, but an uncountable number of people! You're mad!"

"People? just ants," the assassin scoffed, "Why should cultivators concern themselves with such insignificant creatures? You are the funny one here. About to die, and yet talking about common people."

A deafening roar reverberated through the mountain, shaking its very foundations. The Peak Lord, its fury awakened, had heard their exchange.

The assassin's confidence wavered. "The Peak Lord? Why this sudden outburst?"

"I warned you," Ming Ren smirked, a flicker of hope returning to his eyes. "You talk too much. It heard your every word."

"You! Could it be? Again? No, that's not possible. Even if the Peak Lord's spiritual sense is powerful, there's no way it would reach all the way here to the mountain core. What did you do?!" 

"All the formation's here are connected. Did you know? In places like this, there's always spiritual gathering arrays. It is quite simple to modify them to carry messages."

"You cunning bastard!" The assassin's voice trembled with rage, but his bravado had vanished., "This… I can't believe it. This doesn't change anything!"

"It indeed doesn't," Ming Ren acknowledged, "It would still seek vengeance for its slain offspring, but that will never happen. Because I am going to kill you and find out who is behind you."

"You cannot even locate me!" the assassin taunted, his voice laced with desperation.

"I need not to!" Ming Ren declared, his eyes blazing with power. Determination surged through him, fueled by righteous fury. Fire Qi erupted from his dantian, temporarily suppressing the spirit bugs and unleashing his full potential.

[Ming Ren Style Arts: Dance of the Clear Sword]

Physique and bloodline exploded to their potential. His body became a conduit for the inferno within, his movements a mesmerizing dance of destruction. His sword, ablaze with fire Qi, carved through the air, leaving trails of shimmering light in its wake. The chamber itself seemed to bend to his will, the living metal responding to his fiery spirit. With each strike, he carved deeper into the very fabric of the room, his attacks encompassing the entire space, leaving no corner untouched. The assassin, his cloaking abilities rendered useless, became a desperate prey, his attempts to evade futile against the all-encompassing assault.