Taking Down the Nine-Hundred-and-Ninety-Year Thousand Jun Ant

By afternoon, the group finally arrived at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky and sun.

Dai Huabin stopped and raised his right hand in a signal.

Everyone immediately stopped talking and swiftly went on guard.

This was the tacit understanding they had developed through a month of privately training together.

"We'll only wander around the outskirts. Under no circumstances are we going deeper."

Dai Huabin gave his instructions in a low voice.

"If we can't find anything suitable today, we'll camp on the outskirts and continue tomorrow."

The group carefully searched the outer region.

By evening, as the sun set, the forest grew dim.

Cui Yajie suddenly raised her hand and pointed at a clump of bushes ahead.

An extremely faint rustling sound came from there.

Everyone pushed aside the bushes.

A massive ant appeared in their field of vision.

Its entire body was dark gold, its shell reflecting a metallic sheen.

Its six legs were thick and powerful, while its enormous mandibles slowly tore apart the carcass of a small soul beast.

"A Thousand Jun Ant!"

Wang Dong'er exclaimed in a suppressed voice.

"This thing is incredibly strong and its defense is absurdly high. It's definitely the best Soul Ring choice for a heavy-defense build."

Dai Huabin sensed the Soul Power fluctuations coming from the Thousand Jun Ant.

"It's nearly a meter long, and the color of its shell has already begun turning a deep dark gold."

"This is a Thousand Jun Ant that's around nine hundred and ninety years old. It's just a tiny step away from crossing the thousand-year threshold."

"Judging by how it's wandering around alone without a clue, it probably got separated from its group."

When Xiao Xiao heard its age, she shrank back in fright.

"Nine hundred and ninety years? Class Monitor, this is only my second Soul Ring. Isn't the upper limit just seven hundred years?"

"That's too old. I..."

Wang Dong'er walked over and threw an arm around Xiao Xiao's shoulders.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Did you forget all the suffering we went through in the dorm every night this past month?"

"The Whale Rubber Dai Huabin gave us, plus the medicinal baths that rich girl Ning Tian provided, have already improved your physique. Don't be scared!"

Wang Dong'er patted her slightly rising chest with complete confidence.

"Forget nine hundred and ninety years—even if it were exactly a thousand years, you could still give it a try!"

Cui Yajie smiled and chimed in.

"That's right, Xiao Xiao. Don't be afraid. You're actually amazing; you just lack confidence."

"Those of us from Class Nine don't fight battles we haven't prepared for."

Hearing her companions encourage her one after another, Xiao Xiao took a deep breath.

"Alright. Then I'll use it as my first target!"

Casting aside her usual timidity, Xiao Xiao directly summoned the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron.

The phantom image of a huge black cauldron appeared above her head.

Dai Huabin pulled Zhu Lu back more than ten paces, clearing the battlefield ahead.

"Dong'er, Yajie, Xiao Xiao, it's up to you."

"This is the best opportunity to test how well you've worked together in actual combat over the past month."

"Lulu and I will watch from the back. Don't embarrass yourselves."

A dazzling glow suddenly flared behind Wang Dong'er.

The wings of the Light Goddess Butterfly unfurled in an instant, and their blue-gold radiance illuminated the surrounding woods.

A yellow and a purple Soul Ring rose beneath her feet.

"It's just a big ant. Watch this young lady smash its shell to pieces!"

Wang Dong'er pushed off the ground and soared into the air.

"Second Soul Skill, Butterfly Goddess Light!"

Countless tiny blue-gold light orbs shot from her wings and rained down toward the Thousand Jun Ant.

The Thousand Jun Ant reacted with incredible speed. Sensing danger above, it immediately dropped its meal.

Its enormous mandibles suddenly crossed over its head.

A dark-gold glow appeared across its body, forcefully withstanding the barrage.

The light orbs struck its shell, producing a dense series of crisp clangs.

They failed to leave even a single white mark.

"What a ridiculously hard shell!"

Wang Dong'er landed on a tree trunk to the side and curled her lips.

"Yajie, hold it!"

Cui Yajie's first Soul Ring lit up.

"First Soul Skill, Charm!"

A pink glow rippled out from her body.

Although a fox using Charm on an ant was rather comical, the Soul Skill's spiritual effect still worked.

The Thousand Jun Ant's movements stiffened for one second.

Now!

Xiao Xiao fiercely shoved both hands forward.

"First Soul Skill, Cauldron Shock!"

The enormous Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron tore through the air with a dull howl and slammed viciously into the Thousand Jun Ant's back.

A muffled boom echoed through the surroundings.

The Thousand Jun Ant was smashed flat against the ground, its six legs deeply embedded in the soil.

"It's not over yet!"

Xiao Xiao shouted.

The month of nourishing herself with Whale Rubber had not been for nothing. Her Soul Power output had become exceptionally abundant and smooth.

The instant the massive black cauldron struck its target, a wave of high-frequency vibrations erupted within it.

The Thousand Jun Ant's shell was hard, but the vibrations that penetrated its body made it writhe in agony.

Drops of green bodily fluid seeped out through the gaps in its dark-gold shell.

"Dong'er, cut off its legs!"

Cui Yajie shouted directions from the rear.

Wang Dong'er's first Soul Ring instantly shone brightly.

The edges of her wings transformed into sharp blades, and she became a blue-gold bolt of lightning as she descended from the sky.

"First Soul Skill, Wing Blade Guillotine!"

Wang Dong'er's Wing Blade Guillotine fell from above so quickly that it left only a blue-gold afterimage.

The Thousand Jun Ant below had just had its insides churned by Xiao Xiao's Cauldron Shock and had no time to assume a defensive posture.

Several ear-piercing, muffled slashes rang out. The Thousand Jun Ant's four frantically kicking front legs, along with its proud massive mandibles, were cleanly severed by Wang Dong'er.

Green bodily fluid splattered everywhere. The Thousand Jun Ant let out a miserable shriek as its huge body rolled wildly through the mud, kicking up clouds of dust.

Standing at the rear, Cui Yajie was not frightened off by the bloody scene at all. Her eyes remained locked on the openings in the Thousand Jun Ant's struggling movements as she shouted:

"Xiao Xiao, now! Combine the three cauldrons and finish it!"

Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth and drew out every bit of Soul Power in her body without holding back.

The three Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons in midair instantly merged into one enormous cauldron.

"Crush it!"

Xiao Xiao cried out, fiercely pressing her small hands downward through the air.

The fused Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron descended with the force of Mount Tai crushing down, smashing onto the Thousand Jun Ant's head.

The next moment, a cracking sound rang out as the dark-gold shell completely shattered.

Before long, specks of yellow light gathered above the Thousand Jun Ant's corpse, eventually forming a deep-yellow Soul Ring floating in midair.

"Beautiful." Crisp applause came from behind them.

Dai Huabin slowly walked over with Zhu Lu and stopped beside the dead Thousand Jun Ant.

He looked over the three girls' performance, his tone filled with undisguised approval:

"You coordinated very well. Especially Yajie—you chose your timing to intervene perfectly. You have a clear head and real potential as a commander."

Receiving praise in front of everyone, Cui Yajie lightly flicked her pink hair and replied with smiling eyes:

"That's also because the class monitor's tactical arrangements were good."

Dai Huabin continued reviewing the battle:

"Dong'er's explosive power is beyond question.

The cutting power of your first Soul Skill is truly fierce. You'll be the sharpest spear in the team from now on. And Xiao Xiao, if you stick to this heavy-defense path, you'll definitely become the toughest shield of our team."

At that, he turned toward Cui Yajie and analyzed seriously:

"As for Yajie, your Nine-Tailed Fox Martial Soul actually leans more toward the spiritual type. There's no need for you to compete with assault-type soul masters in frontal destructive power.

From now on, you should focus on spiritual control. During battle, stay in the middle and coordinate everyone as both battlefield controller and the team's brain. That's the position best suited for you."

Zhu Lu, who stood nearby, nodded in deep agreement and spoke softly:

"You really were amazing. Huabin and I were watching from the back, and we thought you might panic when facing a soul beast that was nearly a thousand years old for the first time. We didn't expect you to handle it so cleanly. Yajie really is suited to be the captain of a small team."

Wang Dong'er was displeased upon hearing that.

She retracted her gorgeous wings, jumped back down to the ground, planted her hands on her waist, and slightly raised her chin.

"Hey, Dai Huabin, aren't you underestimating us a little too much? When this young lady personally takes action, wouldn't dealing with a lousy ant be effortless?"

She walked over, threw an arm around Xiao Xiao's shoulders, then casually pulled Cui Yajie over as well, looking every bit like the big sister of the group.

"Besides, the three of us are good sisters who squeeze into the same bed every day now! We talk tactics in the dorm until midnight every night, so of course we've already built up our coordination. Do we need some guy who's been watching from the back to act like a know-it-all afterward?"

Dai Huabin looked at Wang Dong'er's haughty expression without taking the bait, instead directly pointing at the Soul Ring in the air.

"Fine, you're all the best. Xiao Xiao, stop standing there. Strike while the iron's hot and absorb it."

Xiao Xiao looked at the deep-yellow Soul Ring and subconsciously swallowed. This was absorbing beyond her level—something she would never have dared to even imagine before.

"With the high-year Whale Rubber I gave you as a foundation, after this month, the width of your meridians and your physical condition are already no worse than those of an ordinary assault-type Soul Grandmaster.

As long as you keep your mind steady, taking it down will absolutely be no problem."

Dai Huabin gave Xiao Xiao confidence once more.