Xu Kun held a ball of light in his other palm. When the two of them unleashed their ultimate moves at the same time, he immediately smashed it toward the ground.
"Come out, Pikachu!"
Following Xu Kun's shout, a ball of red light appeared on the ground, and a Pikachu...
No, a crimson ant appeared!
Head held high and chest puffed out, the blood-red ant exuded an intense kingly aura the instant it appeared. The pressure it gave off far surpassed that of the Corrosive Poison Termite Emperor Xu Kun had encountered before!
However, its flashy entrance did not even last a second. When the blood-red ant's antennae twitched and it sensed its surroundings, it was so frightened that it nearly turned and ran!
This blood-red ant was naturally the summon Xu Kun had obtained from the Soul-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor Soul Essence dropped by the Corrosive Poison Termite Emperor!
Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor: I***, you*** really are a bastard!
The summoned Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor had never imagined that the very moment it appeared, it would have to face the full-screen damage of Forbidden Winds!
"No time to hesitate. Let's go!"
"Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor, use your skill, Swarm Protection!"
It was only because this giant ant was Xu Kun's summon. Otherwise, without waiting for Xu Kun's command, it would definitely have swallowed him whole before the gale arrived!
Unable to defy Xu Kun's command, the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor immediately activated its innate skill, Swarm Protection!
Its mandibles opened slightly, and a red glow enveloped Xu Kun. His body gradually shrank until the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor swallowed him in one bite.
"Hey, this little place is pretty nice. Not a hint of wind, warm in winter and cool in summer, soft and squishy too. Quite comfortable!"
At that moment, Xu Kun, who had been shrunk down and sucked into the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's abdomen, looked around curiously. Feeling the soft surface beneath him, he excitedly bounced twice.
The Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's expression changed: Stop bouncing! If you keep bouncing, you'll shake the shit right out of me!
Having a master like this was truly the worst luck it had had in eight lifetimes!
The Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor helplessly lay flat on the ground, enduring the damage from Surge of Wind, which covered an area of 1000 by 1000.
Sharp wind blades scraped against the hard shell covering its body. Though each blade took away a considerable amount of its health, ten seconds later, the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's health was nearly depleted, yet it stubbornly held on to a sliver. Its antennae twitched slightly, and only after sensing that the wind elements had calmed did it finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Its abdomen moved slightly, and Xu Kun, who was connected to the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor by thought, understood that the damage from Surge of Wind had passed.
He immediately gave the order. "Open wide, sis-in-law, I'm coming out now!"
The Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's face instantly turned as bitter as a gourd, but it reluctantly opened its mouth!
It had never received this kind of treatment before. Normally, even if it sheltered its offspring, once the danger had passed, it would reproduce them from its abdomen. When had it ever let someone walk out through its mouth?
But Xu Kun was its master, and a master's command was absolute!
The Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor kept its mouth open for a long time, yet Xu Kun was nowhere to be seen. It let out a series of surprised chirps.
Meanwhile, the shrunken Xu Kun stood at the corner of its mouth and patted its hard upper jaw. "Why are you rushing me? Shouldn't I take a look around first?"
The Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor was Xu Kun's final means of survival. After observing from its mandibles for a while and confirming that everything had indeed calmed down, Xu Kun finally stepped out. His body naturally returned to its original size!
He patted the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's huge head. "Good job. I'll get you something extra to eat another day!"
The Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's antennae twitched in response.
Xu Kun had not asked Ling Feng to use his most powerful SSS-tier Forbidden Technique because he was being reckless.
It was all because of information he had noticed when examining the Soul-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor Soul Essence, which led him to this decision.
Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor
Rank: D-rank Boss Talent: D-rank Hardened Shell (reduces damage taken by 20%) Level: First Tier, Level 0 Physical Attack: 1300 Health: 18000 Physical Defense: 800 Magic Defense: 800 Evasion: Unable to evade Kun's attacks Movement Speed: 20 M/S Skills: King's Hymn: Selectively increases all attributes of Blood Devouring Ants within 1000 yards by 20%, and all attributes of other ant races by 10%! King's Intimidation: Selectively suppresses all attributes of ant races below D-rank within 1000 yards by 20%, while reducing all attributes of other races below D-rank by 10%! Emperor of Ants: 20% of the damage dealt by Blood Devouring Ants within 1000 yards can be used to restore its own health! Swarm Protection: Can absorb fewer than 1000 ants into its abdomen, while the Ant Emperor itself blocks all attacks! (Note: Trial participant "Kun" has replaced the Corrosive Poison Termite Emperor's status within the Corrosive Poison Termite Race and can be considered a member of the ant race!) Description: Known as the "Battlefield Transport Officer" and the "Ant Race War Banner," it lacks offensive means itself. However, once deployed onto a battlefield, every Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor represents an ant army. Its hard shell allows it to endure on the battlefield for a long time. An ant army centered around a Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor is absolutely a terrifying presence on low-level battlefields!
None of the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's four skills were offensive. Even its Hardened Shell talent was damage reduction. A boss like this was essentially a fortress on the battlefield!
Many times in human history, Blood Devouring Ants had slaughtered entire cities, precisely because war machines like the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor could transport their swarms!
It could silently bring thousands of ants into a city. Once released, they would begin a bloody feast!
With the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's buffs, as long as they were within 1000 yards, Blood Devouring Ants and allied ant races of the same level would have their strength greatly increased, while hostile targets would be greatly weakened!
Even if someone discovered the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor and attempted a Decapitation Strike, its hard shell aside, its exceptionally high health, combined with the supply of health from the damage dealt by Blood Devouring Ants within range, would allow it to endure for a long time!
Even if the plan failed, the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor could still retreat with all its ant soldiers!
The Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor Xu Kun had summoned was only a low-level First Tier, Level 0 specimen. It was difficult to imagine what terrifying consequences a Level 100 Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor would cause if it appeared in a human city. That would be a disaster...
Of course, the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor serving as Xu Kun's summon did not pose such a problem. After obtaining the Soul-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor Soul Essence, what Xu Kun valued was its final skill!
Swarm Protection!
After Xu Kun killed the Corrosive Poison Termite Race's sole ultimate boss, he had replaced the Corrosive Poison Termite Emperor. By the system's judgment, he could be regarded as a member of the ant race. Naturally, like the other ant soldiers, he could enter the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's abdomen to evade the incoming Surge of Wind!
According to calculations, although Ling Feng's Forbidden Winds covered a huge area, the total damage it could inflict was only 21800!
The Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor had 18000 health. After reducing the damage by 20%, it only needed to withstand 17440 points of Wind Attribute damage!
It had to be said that heaven had favored him. If it had been short by another 560 health, the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor would have been unable to protect Xu Kun, its master!
Xu Kun had no time to feel sorry for the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor, which was already at critical health. In any case, it could only exist for ten minutes. Even if it died, he could summon it again after waiting twenty-four hours!
After completing the beginner trial, it would be a long time before he could enter the Haotian Pagoda again. There was no reason not to make use of this cooldown!
"Still, I used a rather underhanded method to defeat Ling Feng. He won't refuse to honor the bet, will he?"
Only then did Xu Kun look toward where Ling Feng had originally been, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Based on Unyielding Starfire's damage, it should have been enough to instantly kill Ling Feng, who only had 2720 health, more than a dozen times over!
But... even after the ten seconds of Surge of Wind ended, Xu Kun had not received any notification that Ling Feng had been killed.
Surge of Wind had turned the entire Desolate Shrine into ruins. Even after the wind died down, the sight before him was still a complete mess.
The bricks and stones had turned into dust, filling the air!
On the contrary, visibility was much better, because Ling Feng's ultimate had torn away even the shrine's roof, exposing the sea of clouds unique to Mist Island. The dust now had somewhere to drift away.
Standing atop the ruins of the Desolate Shrine at Mist Island's highest point, with layers of clouds overhead, it felt as though he stood in a heavenly palace. If he reached out, he could seemingly embrace the entire sky!
Xu Kun waved his hand, dispersing the dust blocking his vision, and called out tentatively, "Senior, are you still there?"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~
Xu Kun's scalp tightened. That was the sound of wind rising!
Ling Feng... wasn't dead?
"Gale Slash!"
Hearing Ling Feng's murmur, Xu Kun's expression changed drastically, and despair filled his face.
"Damn it, I screwed up. Ling Feng isn't dead. This time, I'm the one who's done for!"
He equipped every life-saving item he had and even dragged the critically wounded Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor in front of him, trying to block this attack!
But to Xu Kun's surprise, Ling Feng's voice did indeed stir up a fierce gale. Yet the gale was not aimed at him. It was aimed at the sky!
A fierce wind rose, sweeping up the dust covering the ruins and turning it into a tornado that drifted into the heavens!
The white mist that had blanketed Mist Island year-round was punched through by this whirlwind. Long-lost sunlight streamed through the opening Ling Feng had torn apart, descending like holy rays and bathing the entire shrine ruins in golden brilliance!
Refracted through the moisture in the air, a beautiful seven-colored rainbow appeared above Mist Island's highest point!
For a moment, Xu Kun, who was hugging the Heart-Devouring Blood Ant Emperor's huge head, was completely stunned!
It was not only Xu Kun. Even trial participants from other races who were still struggling for their lives across Mist Island lost themselves upon seeing the rainbow hanging in the sky!
Unfortunately, the monsters facing them had no appreciation for art. Instead, they seized the chance while their opponents were distracted and raised their butcher's blades!
Ling Feng's move had indirectly caused who knew how many trial participants from other races, who might otherwise have completed the trial, to perish!
"Is it beautiful?"
Xu Kun nodded involuntarily, then immediately snapped back to his senses.
Inside the now-clear great hall, Xu Kun could finally see everything around him.
The original Desolate Shrine... aside from its foundation, had been completely destroyed, making Xu Kun's teeth ache just looking at it.
Oh, no. There was also the throne holding a skeleton. Ling Feng must have deliberately protected it!
But the ruins were not what mattered. Xu Kun looked toward Ling Feng's original position and saw Ling Feng standing there with a faint smile at the corner of his lips, as though nothing had happened.
But upon closer inspection, Xu Kun noticed something different about Ling Feng.
At that moment... his entire body was somewhat translucent, and his feet were actually floating above the ground, like... a ghost!
Meanwhile, the Cheng Ying Sword that had originally been in his hand now flowed around Ling Feng like a streak of light, seeming to let out mournful cries!
"Senior, you..."
Ling Feng walked through the air and quickly arrived before Xu Kun. His eyes were full of admiration as he said, "Congratulations. You defeated me!"
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