Chapter 1284: Ants Devouring Humans

Tian Tian was taken aback for a moment before taking the fountain pen from Chu Tianqiu’s hand.

She carefully wiped away the bloodstains on the pen, then touched the strange door with its nib.

Though not as pronounced as touching it directly with her hand, Tian Tian could still roughly sense the hardness and material of the door.

It was similar to other wooden doors, crafted from wood, but of higher quality and adorned with intricate carvings.

The complexity of its craftsmanship far surpassed that of the simple wooden doors in the “Cangjie Chess” and the “train.”

Back in the “Cangjie Chess” arena, Tian Tian had painstakingly replicated every grain and crack on the “door” to make her creation indistinguishable from the real thing.

This finely crafted door followed the same logic—to truly create something that could lead to Tianlong’s room, she would need to perfectly replicate even the dust on its surface.

“Give me some time…” Tian Tian said seriously. “This is a bit challenging for me.”

Chu Tianqiu nodded and was about to speak when suddenly, the sound of countless footsteps erupted like rolling thunder, shaking the entire “train.”

It seemed as though an unimaginable number of people were approaching.

He hurried to the door and peered out but saw no one, though the deafening sound of footsteps persisted.

Just as he was puzzled, Yan Zhichun’s face suddenly flashed past the door crack.

Seeing Chu Tianqiu there, her expression changed, and she quickly reached out to steady the door. “Damn… Why are you here?”

“It’s a long story… What’s going on outside—”

“Hide, quickly,” Yan Zhichun said gravely. “You have too many ‘targets’ on you. You’ll be mistaken for a ‘Celestial’—it’s too dangerous.”

“What…?”

“The ‘Ants’ are moving,” Yan Zhichun said. “The ‘train’ is about to change.”

Chu Tianqiu’s eyes widened, and in the next second, a flood of “Ants” surged behind Yan Zhichun, swarming like a tide. A few even turned their gaze toward him.

He hastily slammed the door shut, and the few “Ants” crashed into it.

Zhang Chenze and Yun Yao turned at the commotion, hearing something frantically pounding on the door—a chaotic noise that made it hard to focus.

Amid the violent knocking, Chu Tianqiu reflected on the situation with lingering fear before looking up at Yun Yao. “Yun Yao, your ‘Fortune’ just saved even me…”

“What’s happening…?” Zhang Chenze asked.

“The situation is shifting…” Chu Tianqiu murmured. “Someone unleashed a ‘double-edged sword.’ Now, we have to make the most of our final moments.”

Tian Tian nodded and continued tracing the door’s contours with the pen.

In the corridor, swarms of “Ants” dispersed, throwing the “Human-Level” and “Earth-Level” participants into further chaos. Fortunately, these “Zodiacs” bore no targets the “Ants” sought, so their lives were temporarily spared.

Almost half of the “Ants” immediately headed toward the fork leading to the “Celestial” rooms, with Yan Zhichun and Jiang Ruoxue striding boldly among them, as if leading an eerie army to conquer.

Strangely, no “Ants” lingered near the two doors closest to Qinglong’s room. They bypassed them, charging deeper instead.

Frowning, Yan Zhichun glanced at the doors on either side of her, a sense of unease creeping in.

The sorrow she had just suppressed seemed to resurface.

Gazing at the door to her left, as if compelled, she slowly pushed it open—only to find an endless darkness shimmering with the vast cosmos.

It seemed empty, yet contained everything in existence.

Standing before the universe, she felt hollow inside.

Jiang Ruoxue paused behind her. “What’s wrong, Zhichun?”

“I… don’t know,” Yan Zhichun muttered, staring dazedly at the starry expanse. “This should be a ‘Celestial’s’ room… Why does it lead to…?”

“Maybe not all doors lead to their rooms,” Jiang Ruoxue said uncertainly. “The door across the hall also has no ‘Ants’ lingering. Perhaps both lead to nothing…?”

Yan Zhichun found it odd. Why would all the “Ants” bypass these two doors so close to Qinglong’s room?

If not a “Celestial,” who was inside?

To test her theory, she tried pushing the opposite door but found it locked.

After a brief pause, she knocked and pressed her ear to it. Sounds came from within, but the occupant seemed unwilling to open up.

Bolstered by the “Ants” around her, she knocked again.

A moment later, the door cracked open slightly, revealing the eyes of a slightly plump man.

Though overweight, his face was pale, and his forehead glistened with cold sweat.

Yan Zhichun took a cautious step back, glancing at the “Ants,” but none reacted to the man. They rushed past the barely open door as if oblivious.

“What do you want?” the man asked.

“Who… are you?” Yan Zhichun countered.

The man seemed unsure how to answer. After a long pause, he said, “I’m no one.”

Then he shook his head and closed the door.

Jiang Ruoxue tugged at her sleeve. “That guy was weird… Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…” Yan Zhichun frowned. “He’s definitely strange—probably a ‘Celestial.'”

“A ‘Celestial’…?” Jiang Ruoxue glanced at the “Ants.” “Are you sure?”

“Normal people wouldn’t stay so calm opening the door to this madness,” Yan Zhichun reasoned. “The corridor is crawling with monstrous ‘Ants’ and ‘participants’ who shouldn’t be here, yet he just blankly asked, ‘What do you want?’ No way he’s ordinary.”

Jiang Ruoxue nodded. “But if he’s a ‘Celestial,’ how did he evade the ‘Ants’ detection…?”

“Only he knows that.” Yan Zhichun shook her head and looked down the corridor.

The “Ants” were now pounding on doors, their chaotic clamor rising and falling.

Soon, the first door gave way, and a flood of “Ants” poured inside.

Yan Zhichun and Jiang Ruoxue hurried over to see a bloodied scene—an unconscious Earth Rabbit slumped on the floor, while a middle-aged woman, covered in wounds, stood before him.

The “Ants” lunged at her, and as terror filled her face, they dragged her down.