Chapter 155: The Ant Nest

A wave of warm, humid air rushed forth, carrying a faint, moldy scent that was sticky and unpleasant.

Hearing the sound of someone entering, the enormous ant raised its head. Its massive mandibles clicked together, producing a sharp, metallic sound that gleamed coldly in the dim room.

Upon seeing the densely packed, menacing bristles covering the gigantic insect's body, Huo Yuqing couldn't help but take half a step back.

Even though she knew that any creature appearing in Emerald City was unlikely to be aggressive, an innate fear of insects still crept up within her.

However, Wen Qiang casually reached out and patted the soldier ant's antenna. It was unclear what kind of communication passed between them, but the soldier ant obediently moved aside, revealing a hidden door on the ground.

"Don't be afraid. These little guys have lived underground for years. They just look a bit rough, but they're very gentle by nature," Wen Qiang bent down and fiddled with the door.

...Little guys?

Huo Yuqing silently glanced at the towering soldier ant, which was taller than an average adult when it fully extended its legs, its massive mandibles seemingly capable of snapping her head off in one bite.

Yeah, right. "Little guys."

She absolutely did not want to know how large Wen Qiang's true form was.

Absolutely. Did. Not.

She wasn't sure what Wen Qiang did, but the crystal at the center of the door emitted a brilliant golden light. Then, pure golden soul power began flowing like liquid, sketching the outline of a sun on the door.

With a deep mechanical rumble, the door slid open to reveal a staircase leading downward.

"Welcome to the Ant Nest." Wen Qiang turned back to smile at her before stepping into the underground passage.

Huo Yuqing followed behind him, and the door above them sealed shut with a heavy thud.

They descended the staircase.

The tunnel was pitch black, the steps beneath their feet steep, high, and treacherously slippery. A damp, eerie chill seeped from the depths, accompanied by the occasional sound of water dripping in the distance.

At intervals, small patches of bioluminescent moss clung to the walls, casting a faint, cold glow. However, the light was too weak to pierce the thick darkness surrounding them.

The jingling of Wen Qiang's golden ornaments echoed ahead.

Huo Yuqing attempted to use her Spiritual Detection in the passage but found that her mental power was restricted to the corridor itself. The walls surrounding her were like smooth mirrors—whenever her spiritual power touched them, it was immediately reflected back, preventing her from perceiving anything beyond them.

Curious, she reached out and brushed her fingers against the walls.

To her surprise, the surface was rough, and when she knocked on it lightly, she could tell that the material was somewhat porous.

"If I were you, I wouldn't touch that," Wen Qiang remarked without even looking back. "The coating on these walls is made from the secretions of several underground insect-type soul beasts."

Huo Yuqing immediately withdrew her hand.

"The struggle between predator and prey has been ongoing for millions of years, long before the first soul beast ever appeared," Wen Qiang explained casually. "Predators rely on their sense of smell, so prey suppress their scent. Predators use their vision, so prey minimize their presence... Later, hunters evolved spiritual perception, and prey responded by developing ways to hide even from that."

"This coating can completely block spiritual detection. Though it hasn't been officially tested, our estimates suggest that it might even prevent divine sense from penetrating—at least for reconnaissance purposes. Of course, it wouldn't hold up against a high-intensity mental attack."

"After all, blocking sunlight and blocking a concentrated beam of sunlight are two very different things."

"...Then what exactly are we defending against?" Huo Yuqing sensed an undercurrent of tension in his explanation and pressed for more information.

Wen Qiang merely shrugged indifferently. "Plenty of things."

"The Ant Nest is invaluable to Beast Sect's cities—even to the entire Star Dou Forest. The Sacred Beast has been planning this for over ten thousand years. It was constructed by underground soul beasts, primarily ant colonies, making use of Star Dou Forest's natural cave systems. The deepest tunnels are estimated to be over three thousand meters below the surface, and even now, the network continues to expand."

His voice echoed in the underground passage, hollow and slightly eerie. The steps beneath them gradually became less steep, easing into a more level incline.

"The underground space is mainly used for cultivation and farming—growing edible plants, medicinal herbs, and even immortal-grade flora. There's a species of soul beast called the Gardener Ants—by the way, they also engage in underground livestock farming, though I doubt you'd want to see that. There are also vast storage chambers. After all, we can't just keep all our supplies in soul tools."

If one knew the correct pathways, they could navigate through the interconnected Ant Nests to reach any human nation on the continent.

Any.

Including the Sunset Forest.

Directly beneath the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well lay a massive cultivation chamber, fully utilizing the energies radiating from the legendary spring to produce an endless supply of immortal herbs.

Of course, some soul beasts still snuck up to the surface every now and then to cultivate around the genuine Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—or to simply enjoy a vacation.

Regardless, the Myriad Demon King was highly impressed with the Sacred Beast's Ant Nest plan.

Naturally, all eggs weren't placed in a single basket. Deep beneath Star Dou Forest, another beast-made "Two Elements Well" served as the core power source of the entire Ant Nest.

But these were highly classified details, and there was no need for Huo Yuqing to know just yet.

They continued forward. The dim moss lights gradually gave way to clusters of luminous mushrooms and other bioluminescent flora. Eventually, a set of tracks extended into the darkness ahead.

A crude-looking four-wheeled minecart rested on the rails, and a dog-sized red ant perched at the front. Beside it was a control panel of sorts.

After climbing into the cart, Wen Qiang instructed the ant, "Take us to Cultivation Chamber 360."

The ant twitched its antennae in acknowledgment.

Then Wen Qiang placed his hand on the control panel. "Hold on tight."

With a teeth-grating screech, the minecart shot forward like a slingshot.

The sheer acceleration slammed Huo Yuqing against the back of the cart, and the wind battered her face mercilessly.

"Could we at least—GET A COVER—FOR THIS THING?!" she screamed over the howling wind, nearly biting her tongue.

"We CANNOT!" Wen Qiang shouted back. "The Sacred Beast insists on this design!"

What kind of weird hobby does the Sacred Beast have?!

They sped down the tunnel. The wind stung Huo Yuqing's eyes so badly she had to shut them tight, relying only on her Spiritual Detection.

The tracks branched off in countless directions, and each time, the ant at the control panel would flick its antennae to signal a turn.

This was a vast underground labyrinth—without a guide, one could easily become lost forever.

(End of Chapter)