Below Me, All Are Ants

Time flew by, it was the first day of the month.

In the mountain forest, winding paths led to secluded spots, ancient trees provided shade, and white wildflowers bloomed.

"Just how high does one's cultivation need to be to be considered high?"

Chen Xuan muttered to himself, hands clasped behind his back, strolling leisurely forward.

"Giggle giggle!"

On the cliff in the distance, a yellow-haired monkey lay on its side on a green stone. Seeing Chen Xuan, it immediately revealed a strange smile like a human face, raised its hands high, twisted its body, and ran away laughing.

This was a Chimei ghost.

Chen Xuan didn't pursue it, still walking slowly on the mountain path. The Southern Wilderness was originally the territory of the Twenty-Four Ghosts and Monsters, so encountering a Chimei on the road was not surprising.

Before long, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

In the distance, a group of Red Crow City Qi Refiners were gathered, numbering several dozen.

The three members of the Chu Family, the people from the Li Family, and the Wu Family members he had seen when they were competing for the treasure fish at Small Stone Lake were all among them.

"Chu Huo Gun has undergone Second Ascension and Nirvana."

Chen Xuan noticed that Chu Huo Gun had grown a brand new body, with complete limbs and a ruddy complexion. He even looked a few years younger than when they first met.

"Brother Xiao Wang, I couldn't find you recently. I heard you caused a big commotion at the Hanging Temple a few days ago, even snatching their treasure medicine..."

As soon as Chu Huo Gun saw Chen Xuan, his eyes lit up, and he led the two younger members of his family over to greet him.

He had previously entered the Southern Wilderness with a group of Qi Refiners, attempting to find Yan Yushu, but Yan Yushu had long since disappeared without a trace, making their trip in vain. Later, upon returning to the Hanging Temple camp, he learned of the huge incident Chen Xuan had caused, which was simply appalling.

Later, because the Buddha Heart Treasure Tea was snatched by Chen Xuan, the Qi Refiners in the camp immediately couldn't stay put, caused a big scene, and all ran away.

"I was plotted against, and my revenge is not yet complete."

Chen Xuan's mood was very calm. When talking about the past, he didn't show any signs of dejection. He then asked, "What are you all gathered here for?"

Chu Huo Gun told Chen Xuan that he had recently been following a prominent Qi Refining family in Red Crow City. A friend he had made in his youth had now become a very important figure in the Red Crow City area. He had been following him a few days ago and had gained many benefits.

"In the past hundred years, there have been two top Qi Refining families in Red Crow City, known as Wang and Xie. We are currently waiting for the head of the Wang Family, Wang Zhenyang..."

Chu Huo Gun licked his lips, a trace of imperceptible loneliness flashing in his eyes, and sighed, "But things have changed. My old friend and I are no longer on the same level."

Chen Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to speak, he saw a patch of red clouds suddenly rise in the sky in the distance, spreading out like a gorgeous and vibrant brocade.

"My old friend is here," Chu Huo Gun suddenly said with a solemn expression.

Chen Xuan focused his gaze and saw that beneath a brilliant red glow, two red treasure horses pulled a carriage. On the carriage sat an old man wearing a red dharma robe, with white hair draped over his shoulders and a dignified face.

The old man named Wang Zhenyang had a ball of fire flickering in his pupils, and his aura was powerful. He leaned back against an iron seat, and six thick, strong hands extended from his six large sleeves, resting slightly on the armrests, appearing nonchalant.

"A great cultivator of the Dao Repository Realm has arrived," someone in the crowd whispered.

"Wang Zhenyang... six arms. He has comprehended the Dao Repository from the True Scripture." Some Qi Refiners trembled, large beads of sweat dripping from their foreheads.

"No... I must kneel first." A Red Qi cultivator's face was flushed red, unable to bear it any longer. His knees suddenly went weak, and he plopped down onto the ground, prostrating himself.

Dao Repository Realm.

It was the second realm on the path of Qi Refining.

As Wang Zhenyang approached, nearly half of the Qi Refiners present began to show abnormalities, all of them Red Qi cultivators.

Their faces were pale, their knees trembled, and one after another, they knelt on the ground, burying their faces, unable to look directly, unable to even lift their heads.

"Alas, I can't hold on either."

Chu Huo Gun was drenched in sweat, even spitting fire from his mouth. While kneeling, he mumbled, "Every time I see my old friend, I have to kneel. It's no longer like before, I have to call him Master Wang now."

Chu Qing Ling and the sickly cousin behind him, having just undergone Ascension and not yet cultivated Red Qi, were instead normal and unaffected in the slightest.

"Is this what a great cultivator is like..."

Chen Xuan's gaze swept around, seeing that the Li Family, Wu Family, and others had also knelt down one after another. It wasn't voluntary, but rather compelled by the influence of the higher-level Red Qi.

"Fortunately, I cultivate three types of Immortal Qi, so I won't encounter this situation."

Chen Xuan muttered to himself. The Metal Virtue White Qi was flowing within him at this moment, so he didn't detect any abnormality.

"Fellow Daoists, there is no need for such courtesy. Please rise."

Wang Zhenyang's face was stern, and he spoke calmly, gently raising one hand. It was as if he held the mandate of heaven in his mouth, and an invisible force immediately dissipated.

Chu Huo Gun and the others felt the agitation in their Red Qi subside. While wiping the sweat from their foreheads, they supported their knees and stood up:

"As you command."

The path of Qi Refining had strict hierarchies.

Within the same realm, it might be possible for the weak to defeat the strong,

But if separated by a major realm, it was completely impossible. One couldn't even have the thought of resisting in their mind; as soon as they thought it, it would be detected. The higher the realm, the stronger this upper-level suppression.

If Wang Zhenyang wanted to, he could kill all the Ascension Realm Red Qi cultivators here in a short time. Their numbers held no meaning for him.

"Sister Qing Ling, sickly cousin, I missed you so much after not seeing you for a day!"

A beautiful young girl in a red dress with a round face rushed out from Wang Zhenyang's group and came to the Chu Family, embracing the peach-eyed Chu Qing Ling.

"Sister Wang Ling'er, oh dear, don't touch me there." Chu Qing Ling looked helpless, struggling to grab Wang Ling'er's fair hand.

"Huh? Who are you? Is your surname also Chu? Why have I never seen you before?"

Wang Ling'er's gaze landed on Chen Xuan with curiosity.

She was very surprised in her heart, because she clearly sensed that Chen Xuan's vital energy was strong, like a tiger or a leopard, and was not beneath hers.

The top-tier geniuses in the Red Crow City area were all very familiar with each other. Today, a stranger suddenly appeared, which made her extremely curious.

"Wang Chan."

Chen Xuan answered calmly.

"Wang Chan?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ling'er's head snapped back, her bright eyes wide, staring at Chen Xuan with a strange look. After a while, she murmured:

"Didn't Yellow Millet Dream die...?"

Chen Xuan was slightly taken aback. It turned out that Yellow Millet Dream Wang Chan was no longer a secret among these Qi Refiner families.

Just then, Chu Huo Gun suddenly turned his head and glanced at Chen Xuan, muttering softly, "Wang Zhenyang is trying to hook my Red Qi. What is he looking at? He's hooked many times these past few days, I don't understand..."

Chen Xuan heard this and turned his head to look at the carriage not far away.

On the carriage, Wang Zhenyang's fingers lightly tapped the armrest. His fiery gaze moved over, showing Chen Xuan a kind and benevolent smile, then calmly moved away.

Wang Zhenyang noticed me... The keen intuition and various methods of these high-level cultivators are truly impossible to guard against.

Chen Xuan grumbled inwardly.

He already knew that higher-level cultivators could easily hook the Immortal Qi of lower-level cultivators of the same Qi, directly peering into their memories. Lower-level cultivators had no privacy whatsoever... This was similar to how Mystic Cat Goddess worked.

Wang Ling'er and Chu Qing Ling were very close and talked about everything. She whispered, "My grandfather said these past two days that there's a young man with excellent root bone aptitude here in the Southern Wilderness, surnamed Chen or something... My grandfather peered into dozens of Qi Refiners before coming to this conclusion..." Dao Repository Realm cultivators needed to be in close proximity to lower-level Qi Refiners to hook their Immortal Qi. Wang Zhenyang only gradually became aware of Chen Xuan's existence after arriving in the Southern Wilderness.

"Ah, this young man is so amazing..." Chu Qing Ling widened her eyes and responded, her gaze subconsciously glancing at Chen Xuan.

Not only her, but Chu Huo Gun and the sickly cousin also looked at Chen Xuan in unison, then quickly and nonchalantly looked away.

From now on, I won't use the name Wang Chan. This person is already dead, it's unlucky.

Chen Xuan muttered to himself. His perception was very sharp, and he immediately noticed the gazes of the three members of the Chu family.

Qi Refiners were all shrewd people, there was nothing to say, Chen Xuan was already used to it...

In fact, a few days ago, Chu Qing Ling had blurted out and called him: "Little Brother Chen...". Just now, Chu Huo Gun was also subtly reminding him that Wang Zhenyang knew his true identity.

Wang Ling'er's gaze was solemn, and she said in a low voice, "Of course he's amazing. My grandfather spent twenty to thirty years learning a page of the Ancient Chu Kingdom's Lei Bird True Scripture to advance to a Dao Repository grand cultivator... But my grandfather said this person surnamed Chen might succeed in just ten years..."

"In the future, Qing Ling, the sickly cousin, and I, this generation of ours, will have to kneel to him first before speaking when we meet."

Upon hearing this, Chu Qing Ling's heart surged. She widened her peach blossom eyes, misty with water, and exclaimed in surprise:

"Grandpa Zhenyang actually praises Little Chen, ah, this person surnamed Chen, so highly?"

Chu Huo Gun's reaction was even greater. He immediately stared at Chen Xuan without blinking, thinking to himself... He knew his talent was high, but he never expected it to be this high.

Succeeding in ten years, by then his teeth would have all fallen out, and he would still have to kneel to Chen Xuan along with Qing Ling and the other grandchildren? Just thinking about it made him lose face completely.

Wang Ling'er was also a well-known genius. She snorted, "I really want to see this person surnamed Chen, just how capable he is..."

As everyone was talking, in the distance, Wang Zhenyang's carriage set off again, leading a group of attached Qi Refiners towards their destination.

Peach Blossom Garden could descend at any time today.

The top figures of Red Crow City and the Southern Wilderness would hold a negotiation for the distribution of interests.

Many things hidden beneath the surface would be brought to the table for discussion.

Chen Xuan followed the crowd forward. His planned route was already the same as theirs.

Through Mind Fast, I saw Yan Yushu of the Six Desires Heaven nearby. There are some important matters that need to be discussed.

One thing Wang Ling'er said was correct, he would learn the True Scripture quickly.

But it wasn't the ten years Wang Zhenyang speculated.

It will take three years...

Chen Xuan didn't know which was more difficult, the Ancient Chu Kingdom's Lei Bird True Scripture or his Yellow Millet True Scripture.

But these past few days, he had completely figured out the Yellow Millet True Scripture. The Yellow Millet Qi of the first chapter, the Ascension realm, was about to be cultivated, and the method for the second chapter, advancing to the Dao Repository realm, would only take three years to get started.

Three years was not long. For a Qi Refiner, it was just a flick of a finger.

Chen Xuan had even spent three years persistently practicing secular martial arts.

But now.

He hoped this time could be shortened. There were many monsters on the path of Qi refinement, he needed to strive forward!