Translator: CinderTL
"Breaking the protective formation? Easier said than done! Although the successive generations of Ant Queens of the Gold-Eating Ants possess intelligence no less than that of humans, they have never come into contact with any literature related to formations. They are completely ignorant of human formations, so how could they possibly break the protective formation of the Dark Orchid Realm?"
"As for the teleportation array leading to other parts of the Divine Blood Hall, there is one here as well. But I don't know the method to activate the teleportation array, so naturally, I cannot open it."
The Ant Queen's voice was filled with bitterness.
It was the helplessness of possessing immense power but having nowhere to apply it.
Breaking the protective formation of the Dark Orchid Realm was difficult, as difficult as ascending to heaven!
However, the magic seal to activate the teleportation array was very simple, so simple that Nascent Soul cultivators like Song Wen could perform it on their own after seeing Gou Jun demonstrate it just once.
But for the Ant Queen, who knew nothing about teleportation arrays or formation seals, it was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
"Where is the teleportation array?" Song Wen asked.
"Walk ten miles to your left, and you will see a passageway about ten feet high. At the end of the passageway is where the teleportation array is located," the Ant Queen replied.
Upon hearing this, the four of them exchanged glances.
This Ant Queen seemed inexperienced in the ways of the world, unaware of the treachery of human hearts?
She answered every question and granted every request?
"Humans, I have given you everything you asked for. Shouldn't you now hand over the Bronze Key Coffin you promised me?" the Ant Queen's voice rang out again.
"We need to see the teleportation array with our own eyes and confirm that it hasn't been damaged before we can give you the Bronze Key Coffin," Mo Yexue replied.
She was being cautious, wary that the Ant Queen might be lying or that she might renege on her promise after obtaining the Bronze Key Coffin.
At the moment, although the Ant Queen appeared extremely amiable, the initiative in the negotiation was in her hands.
After all, this was the lair of the Gold-Eating Ants. If a battle were to break out, it would undoubtedly be unfavorable for Song Wen and the others.
If they could see the teleportation array, the decision to stay or leave would be in their hands, and the initiative would shift to the four of them.
"Fine. You may proceed on your own. I have already ordered all the Gold-Eating Ants not to obstruct you," the Ant Queen said.
"Fellow Daoist Fu, you are most accommodating! We will proceed immediately."
Mo Yexue offered a compliment, then signaled to Song Wen and the other two, preparing to head toward the teleportation array as the Ant Queen had indicated.
"Fellow Daoist Mo, wait."
Xue Mei's voice suddenly rang out, her brows furrowed tightly as if she were deep in thought.
Her voice was low, as if she were speaking to Song Wen and the others, or perhaps analyzing the situation to herself.
"From what I know, the Ant Queen of the Gold-Eating Ants is renowned for her powerful Divine Sense, and due to her bloodline suppression, she can control the entire colony of Gold-Eating Ants. However, the Ant Queen's physical body is weak and not suited for combat. Therefore, why would she only want a Bronze Key Coffin and leave the Dark Orchid Realm alone? She would at least need to bring out one or two fourth-tier Ant Kings to establish herself in the outside world."
At this point, a cold glint flashed in Xue Mei's eyes, and her tone turned icy.
"Fellow Daoist Fu, the cave you mentioned with the teleportation array—isn't that a trap?"
The Ant Queen's voice echoed in the minds of the four once more, but it was no longer as gentle as before. Instead, it had turned cold and sharp.
"You know quite a lot. But even if you've seen through my plan, what can you do? You will still die."
As soon as the Ant Queen's voice fell, the ground around them began to churn, and Gold-Eating Ants of various sizes emerged from the earth.
The strength of these Gold-Eating Ants varied, ranging from first to third tier. They did not attack Song Wen and the other three but instead opened their mouths to spew yellow Poison Mist.
The Poison Mist quickly spread.
The underground cavern, only a few dozen miles wide, was rapidly filled with the Poison Mist as tens of thousands of Gold-Eating Ants exhaled it. The concentration of the mist was highest around Song Wen and his companions.
"Retreat! Fall back to the upper cavern!" Lan Chen shouted loudly.
The confined space made it impossible to disperse the Poison Mist, putting the four at a clear disadvantage.
Lan Chen planned to retreat to the upper cavern and strategize from there.
In less than a breath, the four of them traversed a distance of ten miles and arrived at the entrance of the stone stair passage.
However, a deep rumbling sound suddenly echoed from the depths of the stone stair passage.
Immediately after, a large amount of dust surged out from within.
The interior of the stone stair passage had collapsed!
Song Wen raised his hand, and a Blood-colored Tentacle pierced into the collapsed passage.
Wherever the tentacle passed, the stones in the passage turned to powder.
The passage was reopened.
However, the tentacle only managed to clear a little over a mile of the passage before encountering an obstacle.
A fourth-tier Gold-Eating Ant appeared in the passage.
This was not the first time Song Wen had encountered this fourth-tier Gold-Eating Ant.
Its head carapace was cracked, a result of the combined damage inflicted by Xue Mei's Black Water of Destruction and Song Wen's Void Breaking Blade.
However, the cracks on its carapace had been partially repaired, covered with a layer of black, fibrous material resembling overlapping black spiderwebs.
The Gold-Eating Ant flicked its tail, and a three-foot-long Tail Stinger shot out.
The stinger pierced into the Blood-colored Tentacle, causing it to instantly disintegrate.
"Damn it! There's a Gold-Eating Ant blocking the way," Song Wen cursed under his breath.
He had activated the Ten Thousand Poisons Body, and the green phantom protecting him made the current toxicity of the Poison Mist in the cavern almost negligible to him.
However, the situation was far more severe for Lan Chen and the other two women.
They had all raised Mana Shields, relying on their abundant Spiritual Power to resist the continuous assault of the Poison Mist.
The Poison Mist surged like turbulent seawater, wave after wave crashing against the Mana Shields.
The surface of the shields showed mottled marks under the erosion of the Poison Mist, but they were continuously repaired by the endless infusion of Spiritual Power.
Though they were safe for now, over time, their Spiritual Power would inevitably deplete, leaving them unable to sustain the shields.
"I'll clear the path," Mo Yexue said.
Before her words had fully faded, her pitch-black flying sword shot straight upward.
The sword's black blade radiated a sharp aura, directly piercing into the rock above.
She intended to carve out a new passage leading directly to the upper cavern.
In the face of the sharp flying sword, the rock was as fragile as tofu, easily crushed to create a vertical hole three feet wide.
Mo Yexue followed closely behind the flying sword.
Xue Mei and Song Wen entered the vertical hole, following beneath Mo Yexue.
Lan Chen took up the rear, guarding their retreat.
"Since you've come, why not stay?"
As the Ant Queen's voice echoed in the minds of the four, the walls of the vertical hole suddenly exploded.
Four fourth-tier Gold-Eating Ants appeared simultaneously, opening their massive mandibles to bite at the four.
These four Gold-Eating Ants were the same ones they had encountered earlier.
The one biting at Song Wen was the same ant whose eyes had been gouged out.
The wounds where its eyes had been were also covered with the black, fibrous material.
Although it had lost its eyes, the Gold-Eating Ant's movements were not hindered in the slightest. Its mandibles accurately snapped toward Song Wen.
The Gold-Eating Ant burst through the rock wall, appearing mere inches away from Song Wen, leaving him almost no time to react.
Fortunately, Song Wen had been cautious and had been continuously activating his Dark Scale Shield.
The Gold-Eating Ant's mandibles, like a pair of giant open scissors, struck the Dark Scale Shield.
Song Wen felt an immense force hit him, and both he and the shield were sent crashing into the rock behind him.
He felt a surge of Blood Qi in his abdomen, a sweet taste in his mouth, and then he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Gritting his teeth, Song Wen endured the excruciating pain from his internal injuries, not daring to slack off for even a moment. He activated the Blood Sea Seal within his body.
As his thoughts shifted, a vast Blood Mist surged out from his body, instantly transforming into a ferocious tentacle that fiercely stabbed into the hard rock below.
The Gold-Eating Ant could move freely through the rock, and fighting it in the narrow vertical tunnel was clearly unwise.
Therefore, Song Wen had no choice but to retreat to the chamber below.
Not only did Song Wen plan to do this, but the three women also employed their own methods, both blocking the Gold-Eating Ant's attacks and retreating to the chamber below.
(End of the Chapter)
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