Ant Nest

"This... this place... isn't some underground lava cave at all... this is... an ant nest!!!" Lin Chuan's mind was filled with the scene he had just witnessed, leaving him utterly speechless in shock.

Two kilometers underground, a colossal red ant lay dormant beside a vast lake of magma. It stretched nearly a thousand meters long, and all around it were fiery red eggs.

Some of these eggs had already hatched, revealing half-meter-long red ants. These ants fed on magma, and as they consumed it, dense crimson markings would appear on their bodies.

Lin Chuan finally understood the purpose of the narrow passages he had seen behind the rock walls with his Byakugan; they were simply the pathways for these red ants to crawl through.

"That thousand-meter-long ant must be the queen. Judging by the terrifying aura it emits, its cultivation is at least Nascent Soul Stage! Damn it, does the Lin Clan not know about the existence of such a creature?" Lin Chuan's expression was grim.

If it weren't for the fact that the queen seemed to be asleep, everyone with them would have died here, with no chance of survival.

The Lin Clan truly didn't regard them as human beings!

"No wonder we found those torn bodies earlier. It must have been these ants climbing up through those narrow passages to hunt," Lin Chuan shuddered at the thought. They were currently scurrying around inside the lair of this behemoth. If they accidentally woke the giant creature below, everyone would perish.

"Lin Chuan, what's wrong? Let's go!" Zhang Leyang and the other two had already walked more than ten meters ahead. Noticing Lin Chuan wasn't following, he waved him over.

"Okay!" Lin Chuan responded with a low hum. At this moment, he had no desire to stay in this Lava Ant Nest any longer. He didn't even want to collect the Crimson Flame Lotus anymore; he just wanted to get out of this cursed place as quickly as possible.

"Let's hurry! It's very dangerous here!" Lin Chuan quickened his pace, pulling Zhang Leyang and the other two as they rapidly ascended.

"Did something happen?" Zhang Leyang saw Lin Chuan's troubled expression and asked.

The other two also found it strange. Based on their brief time together, Lin Chuan was a very steady person, even possessing a composure far beyond his years. Yet, Lin Chuan's current fear was written all over his face, evident even to them, who were usually quite oblivious.

Lin Chuan shook his head, his face dark. "Once you get up, leave this cave quickly. Don't linger around here either. Run towards the edge of the Hunting Grounds, understand?"

"Why? Although it feels oppressive here, it doesn't seem particularly dangerous. Besides, we still need to collect some Crimson Flame Lotus, or we might not pass this assessment!" Zhang Leyang asked, puzzled.

While the three of them were reasonably strong, they hadn't hunted many Spirit Beasts. They didn't possess abilities like Lin Chuan's Byakugan, which allowed him to easily find suitable Spirit Beasts to hunt. They had also encountered a powerful trio once and were severely exploited, which led them to decide to take a gamble by entering the Lava Cave.

Now, Lin Chuan was telling them to return empty-handed, and the three of them were unwilling to agree!

Lin Chuan frowned. It was difficult to explain, and impossible to explain properly. Should he tell them he saw a Nascent Soul Stage queen ant a kilometer below ground? Not only would no one believe him, but even if they did, what good would it do? If this matter got out, it would bring him no benefit; he might even be captured and studied like a lab rat.

"Let's go up first!" Lin Chuan said vaguely. Anyway, his Byakugan could see where the Crimson Flame Lotus was, and he could take the three of them to collect some later, as long as it was done discreetly.

After ascending for about a kilometer, Lin Chuan finally found a suitable spot and led the three of them in that direction.

Through Lin Chuan's Byakugan, he could see five Crimson Flame Lotuses growing in a cave within the rock wall of that passage. The location wasn't too hidden either; he just needed to lead the three of them past it and pretend to discover it by chance.

Lin Chuan's speed could have been much faster, but to keep pace with the other three and to avoid revealing his strength, he didn't go all out, matching their speed just barely.

When they were still a hundred meters away from where the Crimson Flame Lotuses grew, Lin Chuan deliberately slowed down and said, "We've been running for so long, you must all be tired. Let's rest for a bit and walk slowly!"

Lin Chuan's words were immediately agreed to by the three. They had also been pushing themselves, not wanting to appear too weak in front of Lin Chuan, so they hadn't asked to rest. Now that Lin Chuan had brought it up, they readily accepted.

From their previous conversation, Lin Chuan learned that these three were originally disciples from the same family, all surnamed Zhang. Besides Zhang Leyang, the slightly fatter one was Zhang Wei, and the thinner one was Zhang Mo.

They were from a prominent family in a small town. If not for the catastrophe that wiped out their clan, they would likely be studying in a school right now. However, what happened later completely changed their destinies. Not only was their family destroyed, but they themselves were also abandoned here by Lin Chuan as orphans.

The only fortunate thing was that the talents of the three were not too poor, which allowed them to survive until now and have a chance to pass this assessment. As long as they passed, they would have a place in the Lin Clan, and their future lives would be secured. This was also why they were willing to take risks here.

Otherwise, given the personalities of Zhang Leyang and the other two, they would absolutely not have come to this place to take such risks.

"Look! It's Crimson Flame Lotus!" Zhang Wei's shout instantly drew everyone else's attention.

"It is, it really is! We found Crimson Flame Lotus here!" Zhang Leyang exclaimed happily.

The corners of Lin Chuan's mouth curved slightly. This was considered his gift to the three of them. At least the scholarly aura they exuded gave him a sense of having traveled through time.

"I'll collect them!" Lin Chuan said, then channeled Sage Chakra into his palm and walked towards the Crimson Flame Lotuses.

Lin Chuan's actions caused the excited expressions of the three to change. It wasn't that they were unwilling to share with Lin Chuan, but rather they feared Lin Chuan would take them all. Throughout this, they had never considered killing Lin Chuan to claim the Crimson Flame Lotuses for themselves.

"I don't need a single one; they're all for you! Our team's Spirit Cores are already sufficient, and we've collected some Crimson Flame Lotuses. It's more than enough to pass the assessment!" Lin Chuan's next words dispelled all their concerns.

Although Lin Chuan's back was to the three, his Byakugan allowed him to see their expressions and movements. If Zhang Leyang had intended to kill him at this moment, it would have been the best opportunity, but the three showed no intention of doing so. "It seems they truly have good hearts and haven't been completely corrupted in this place. They are worth befriending..."

Lin Chuan mused inwardly, then shifted his gaze to outside the cave. About three hundred meters away, two groups of people were approaching. Most of them were at Qi Refining Stage Level Six or higher; they were the ones who had already passed the assessment earlier.