Everyone looked up, watching Cao Yusheng fade into the distance, shrinking to a tiny black dot before vanishing completely from sight.
It was astonishing. Cao Yusheng had achieved remarkable breakthroughs in both the Glyph and Array Realms, even carving out the third most lethal formation in the world. His combat prowess was formidable, yet the scene before them left everyone dumbfounded—he had been sent flying with a single punch, disappearing without a trace.
“He’s out cold!” the Witch muttered under her breath.
Before Cao Yusheng vanished, many had caught sight of his pitiful state—knocked unconscious, eyes rolled back, utterly incapacitated by that single blow.
“How embarrassing!” The Lunar Grace Goddess showed no sympathy, giggling without restraint. She knew the fatty wouldn’t die, though he’d certainly suffer.
Now, all eyes turned to the ground, searching for the true culprit.
The crowd stood petrified, mouths agape, utterly bewildered by what they saw.
For a long while, silence reigned. The expressions on everyone’s faces were priceless, as if they’d seen a ghost.
Because now, they all noticed the creature responsible—a tiny being no longer than a finger joint, standing there with an air of arrogance, clearly pleased with itself.
It was an ant. A golden ant, barely an inch long. And it had sent Cao Yusheng flying with a single punch!
“Ugh, that fatty’s useless. So embarrassing!” The little rabbit covered her face, blushing on his behalf. It was beyond absurd—a single ant had knocked him out cold.
By now, Cao Yusheng had landed who-knows-where, likely dozens of miles away.
No one knew what to say. The scene was too ridiculous, too bizarre. They wanted to laugh, but the absurdity stifled it.
“This is what happens when you defy me!” Beside the Divine Pool, radiant mist swirled, and the air shimmered with brilliance. The ant stood there, brimming with pride.
Its golden body was compact yet sturdy, as if forged from a grain of pure gold. Tiny as it was, it stood upright like a human, arms crossed over its chest, head held high. Its large eyes gleamed like golden lanterns, one foot forward, the other back, exuding an air of nonchalant arrogance.
“Ha ha ha…”
Finally, someone burst into laughter.
This “speck” of a creature had sent Cao Yusheng flying without a trace. How ludicrous! How would the fatty ever live this down? Would he ever dare boast again?
“Laugh all you want! If you doubt me, step forward!” The golden ant extended an arm—complete with five fingers, just like a human’s.
Undoubtedly, this was no ordinary ant. Though small, it bore human-like traits. It curled a finger, challenging the crowd, as if daring them to take it on.
Its childish voice and flippant demeanor made the whole situation feel surreal. How could something so tiny act so brazenly?
“So, you’re saying this Divine Pool is your personal bath?” asked a disciple from the Celestial Academy.
“Indeed!” The golden ant nodded grandly, trying to appear mature despite its obvious youth. “This is where I, your king, bathe. Why are you all drinking my bathwater?”
The little creature was downright infuriating. Everyone had the urge to smack it with a shoe—one stomp would surely bury it.
Of course, if it were an ordinary ant, a single step would’ve turned it into paste.
“Good thing I didn’t drink any,” the Lunar Grace Goddess stuck out her tongue. Feng Wu and the others sighed in relief.
As refined beauties, they couldn’t bring themselves to dive in and guzzle the water like the others. It simply wasn’t elegant or ladylike.
Some remained silent, their gazes fixed on the ant. Shi Hao, for instance, had been watching the golden insect intently, his expression grave.
Others, like Chang Gongyan, the Witch, and Mo Dao, observed it closely as well.
“Heavenhorn Ant,” Shi Hao murmured under his breath. After a long observation, he’d reached this conclusion.
The moment those words left his lips, the crowd’s expressions shifted dramatically. Their hearts pounded—this was one of the legendary Immortal Ants? Weren’t they supposed to be extinct?
In all the world, if there was one creature known for unrivaled strength, it was the Heavenhorn Ant. No being could match its raw power. It was said to crush all foes beneath its might.
Even the True Dragons paled in comparison. This was the undisputed supreme insect of legend!
Of course, the Heavenhorn Ants of the Immortal Ancient Era differed from their descendants. Adults of that age were never as small as a bean—they stood at least ten feet tall.
Some even evolved into humanoid forms, retaining ant-like features, making them even more terrifying!
Even in their youth, they could topple mountains and kick apart mountain ranges with ease. Their strength was beyond compare.
Upon closer inspection, the crowd realized they’d overlooked something—a tiny protrusion on its head, barely noticeable unless scrutinized.
That was the Heavenhorn Ant’s namesake—the “Heavenhorn,” capable of splitting the heavens and shattering the cosmos. Legends said the horn of an adult Heavenhorn Ant ranked among the mightiest weapons in existence!
This one was still young, so its horn hadn’t fully manifested.
Despite its size, its golden body exuded an aura of sheer power, forming an invisible force field around it.
This creature’s divine strength was peerless, unmatched in the realm of raw power!
Many gasped in awe, but fear soon followed. A juvenile Heavenhorn Ant here—did that mean an adult Ant King lurked nearby?
The thought sent chills down their spines. One of the Ten Calamities of the Primordial Era—was it about to emerge?
Some faces darkened, even among the young supremes at the back. The Ten Calamities were notorious for their tempers—hence their fearsome titles.
Only Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he stared at the golden ant, a grin spreading across his face, nearly drooling.
To him, this was a heaven-defying opportunity. He’d dreamed of obtaining the Heavenhorn Ant’s supreme techniques—the pinnacle of strength-based divine abilities.
If he could tame this little ant, his power would skyrocket!
Already, his physique was monstrous, his strength unparalleled—more like a body-refining expert than any other. With these divine abilities, who could stop him? He’d dominate the heavens and earth, unrivaled across all realms!
Yet, a doubt nagged at him. Back in the Three Thousand Provinces, when the Immortal Ancient Ruins opened, hadn’t the Banished Immortal entered a Heavenhorn Ant nest? He’d slaughtered tens of thousands there—wasn’t that the ants’ habitat?
So why was there one here? And a juvenile, no less.
It seemed their nests weren’t limited to one place. This one must hold significance.
Shi Hao had never underestimated the Banished Immortal. He knew that man had likely mastered the ultimate strength techniques and possibly wielded an ancient horn.
Back then, if not for the Ten Thousand Spirit Diagram, Shi Hao would’ve been obliterated by that mysterious horn!
“Little ant, are your parents here?” A female cultivator smiled, addressing the juvenile.
“Drop the ‘little.’ Address me as ‘Your Majesty.’ How dare you belittle me, treating me like a child?!” The golden ant clasped its hands behind its back, lifting its chin with an air of aged authority.
But its voice was undeniably young, betraying its immaturity.
“How old are you, really?” someone asked. Despite knowing its terrifying origins, they struggled to feel reverence for something so small.
“I’ve lived for over an era. How old does that make me?” the ant replied coldly.
“What?!” The crowd gasped.
An era? Was it lying? That was an unfathomably long time. No one alive today was that ancient.
Unless… it was an ancient monster reborn through nirvana. Otherwise, how could it be so old?
A shiver ran through them. It wasn’t impossible. Legends spoke of ancient beings stealing the essence of heaven and earth, reversing their life cycles to rejuvenate.
“Where’s that speck?!” Suddenly, Cao Yusheng reappeared. He’d recovered quickly from his knockout, limping back in tattered robes, looking like he’d been trampled by a herd of wild bulls. He was badly injured, barely holding together.
“Your Majesty is here, fatty! Bow and pay homage!” The golden ant declared haughtily.
Cao Yusheng’s face twisted with rage. Unlike Shi Hao’s excitement, he was utterly humiliated. Veins bulged on his forehead—being sent flying by an ant was beyond shameful. Even his thick skin couldn’t save him now.
“Fatty, don’t act rashly. That’s a Heavenhorn Ant. Being sent flying by it isn’t embarrassing,” Shi Hao warned.
“Heavenhorn Ant?!” Cao Yusheng’s voice shot up an octave, his mood shifting instantly. His round face broke into a grin brighter than flowers.
He wiped drool from his mouth, nudging Shi Hao. “The blood of ultimate strength! Does this mean we’ll have an endless supply now?”
“Ahem!” Shi Hao coughed, signaling him to keep quiet.
“Ha ha ha!” Cao Yusheng laughed uproariously, his eyes gleaming with greed instead of resentment. He was thrilled.
In the Sacred Academy, the blood of ultimate strength existed, but it was monopolized by Jin Zhan, the Little Sage, and Qi Gu Daoist. Others could scarcely obtain a single drop!
For body refiners, this was the rarest treasure—capable of transforming their physiques, granting unparalleled strength and rebirth!
“Hey, fatty, what are you muttering about? Asking for another beating? My next punch will turn you to dust!” the golden ant snapped.
Cao Yusheng’s mood soured again. He stared down at the tiny creature, baffled by the sheer disparity in size and power.
*Tap. Tap. Tap.*
Footsteps echoed as several armored figures approached. Clad in dark, mysterious armor, they carried heavy weapons, resembling unsmiling war gods.
“Opportunities here are earned by merit. But the core inheritance is reserved for the two purest descendants of the Immortal Ancient bloodlines,” one of them stated bluntly.
The crowd glanced at the snow-white qilin cub and the golden ant, realizing these were the two lineages.
“Elders, are you… immortals?” a young supreme beside Da Xu Tuo asked from the rear.
Everyone listened intently, eager for the answer.
“We are but old soldiers. When blood stained the heavens and the world perished, all the mighty fell in battle. Our lingering wills struggled here, turning ourselves into puppets to guard this place to the end,” one replied.
The crowd was deeply moved.
For a moment, visions of a cataclysmic war flashed before them—the sky filled with battle cries, mountains of corpses, rivers of blood. All races had faced annihilation.
The horror of that era seemed to press upon them.
These old soldiers, dragging their broken bodies here, had done so only to preserve a spark of hope. They were worthy of reverence.
“With great effort, we revived the descendant of the Heavenhorn Ant. After eons of slumber, it has hatched anew into this world,” another added.
Understanding dawned, and sighs filled the air.
“Honored elders, while the Immortal Ancient bloodlines are important, it doesn’t mean later generations are inferior. The coming war’s main force will come from among us. You mustn’t withhold the greatest inheritance from us,” Lan Xian argued passionately.
“Very well. We’ll give you a chance. Whoever can lift the Primordial Mother Cauldron will earn our recognition,” the leader declared, pointing his black halberd forward.
Atop a stone mountain shrouded in immortal mist stood a cauldron—three feet tall, exuding an ancient aura.
“The Primordial Mother Cauldron… I think I’ve heard of it,” Lan Xian murmured, frowning.
“It was the foremost heavy artifact of the Immortal Ancient Era. Unimaginably weighty—forged as the Heavenhorn Ant’s weapon. Ordinary beings couldn’t even budge it, let alone wield it. Even touching it would send one flying,” Da Xu Tuo explained.
“Who will step forward? Whoever can move it gains our approval,” a puppet-like soldier intoned mechanically, his will eroded, leaving only a hollow shell of duty.
“I’ll try!” A young supreme stepped forward.
“Shi Hao, you should go too. With your strength, you might succeed!” The Celestial Academy disciples urged him eagerly.
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