White Jade Ant

Chapter 17: White Jade Ant

In truth, Luo Mu had no certainty in his heart, unsure if those two ill-intentioned cultivators had truly departed. Yet, he could not remain cowering in this inn forever. Furthermore, having felt a strange resonance today, his heart had been tethered to the insect eggs back home, and he could no longer sit still.

However, as he walked toward the city gate with a heart full of trepidation and stepped onto his flying sword, the shadows of his pursuers never appeared. Luo Mu finally let out a sigh of relief, inwardly cheering that he had gambled correctly.

Along the way, Luo Mu was as eager as an arrow in flight, not stopping for a single moment. The journey that usually took several days was completed in a mere half-day thanks to the rapid speed of his flying artifact. This clearly demonstrated the vast difference between possessing a flying artifact and not.

On a small hill far outside Dragon Gate Town, Luo Mu halted his steps and stowed his flying artifact. Despite the intense excitement in his heart, he had no intention of flying directly into the town.

As of now, no one in the entire town knew he had successfully entered the Qi Refining stage, let alone reached the second level. Why did Luo Mu choose to do this? Was he not the one who had always wanted to reveal his status as a cultivator?

The scene of Xiao Ling'er feeding him that so-called Forget-Love Pill remained vivid in his mind; the cultivator behind it, Bai Lin, had been bent on taking his life.

From that moment on, Luo Mu understood one thing: without formidable strength, one must keep a low profile, or else they would meet a miserable end. If Luo Mu had acted more tactfully that day, perhaps Bai Lin would not have decided to end his life.

But none of that mattered anymore. What mattered was that Luo Mu had not only survived but had turned a misfortune into a blessing. Now, before he had truly matured, Luo Mu would not reveal his status as a cultivator in Dragon Gate Town, lest the news reach the ears of those with ulterior motives and bring him harm.

However, Luo Mu was not the type to suffer in silence. Once he felt his strength was sufficient, he would absolutely give everyone who had mocked him a surprise—especially the Xiao Family of Xiao Ling'er!

Just like that, Luo Mu walked toward the town on foot while beginning to plan his future and the path he would take. Lost in thought, he soon arrived at the gates of Dragon Gate Town.

"Eh, isn't that little Luo? Wonderful! Little Luo has finally appeared." The moment his feet touched the ground in Dragon Gate Town, an excited voice reached his ears.

Turning his head, Luo Mu recognized the person at a glance: it was Auntie Zhang from the town. Auntie Zhang had always been in poor health, but fortunately, there was a clinic in town run by the Luo family, which had allowed her to cheat death many times.

Following Father Luo's passing and Luo Mu's recent departure, the clinic had not opened its doors for nearly a month. Auntie Zhang, plagued by illness, had been frantic with worry. Now, seeing Luo Mu return, she was so overjoyed that she exclaimed loudly in excitement.

"Hehe, Auntie Zhang, are you feeling unwell again?" Seeing her intense reaction, Luo Mu had already guessed the reason, so he asked with a smile.

"Yes, the old ailment has flared up again. It's a pity your family's clinic hasn't been open; it nearly worried an old bag of bones like me to death." Auntie Zhang set aside her excitement and complained with a feigned look of anger.

To this, Luo Mu only chuckled and said nothing.

"Little Luo, although your father is gone, your medical skills are no less than his—the whole town has witnessed this. Don't think about cultivation anymore; that is not a path for us ordinary mortals. You possess brilliant medical skills and can make a living anywhere. Your future is bright; don't persist in things you shouldn't, or you'll ruin your whole life."

Seeing Luo Mu remain silent and only smile, Auntie Zhang spoke to him with earnest concern. Over the years, she had watched with her own eyes as Father Luo emptied his family fortune to buy spiritual herbs for Luo Mu. In her view, Luo Mu was still young and naive; previously, Father Luo had made all the decisions for him, but now that his father was gone, if Luo Mu continued to be so "delusional," he would only destroy himself.

From Auntie Zhang's perspective, there was no sarcasm or mockery in her words—only heartfelt worry.

"Hehe, don't worry, Auntie. I won't ruin myself. I know what should be done and what shouldn't," Luo Mu said with a firm expression, feeling a pang of emotion at the mention of his father.

"That's good. Auntie Zhang watched you grow up, and I've lived long enough to eat more salt than you've eaten rice. I wouldn't lead you astray." The resolute look on Luo Mu's face led Auntie Zhang to believe he had truly given up on cultivation. Her expression instantly relaxed, thinking that her few words had unexpectedly saved this child's life.

What the auntie did not know was that the determination on Luo Mu's face was not because he was giving up on cultivation, but because he was silently resolving to make a name for himself in the cultivation world. If she knew what he was thinking, she might have coughed up blood in anger.

"I see your complexion isn't good, Auntie; your condition must have worsened. Come to my clinic in a moment, and I will write you a prescription. While it may not cure you completely, it will certainly provide some relief." Luo Mu had no intention of lingering with her and immediately stated his point before preparing to leave.

"That would be wonderful! I'll go call Auntie Wang and bring her along; she hasn't been feeling well lately either. Since you're back, please take a look at her as well," Auntie Zhang said with great delight.

"That's fine. I'll wait for you both at the clinic." With that, Luo Mu smiled and headed toward his clinic.

Along the way, Luo Mu encountered many residents who greeted him. Having not seen him for nearly a month, many were naturally surprised by his sudden reappearance.

Among the surprised crowd stood Father Xiao, who had witnessed Luo Mu consuming the "Forget-Love Pill" with his own eyes that day. Seeing Luo Mu now, Father Xiao frowned, his heart a complex mix of emotions. He wondered if he should truly believe that the pill had made Luo Mu forget Xiao Ling'er, or if he should be suspicious of why Luo Mu appeared completely unaffected.

Whether it was the former or the latter, only Father Xiao knew for sure.

Luo Mu, however, showed nothing. When he saw Father Xiao, his expression remained perfectly normal, and he bowed respectfully as he always had. This left Father Xiao feeling incredibly awkward, while Luo Mu wore a look of well-rehearsed confusion.

Father Xiao gave an awkward smile and walked away, and Luo Mu smiled back—though the coldness in his eyes was bone-chilling.

After brushing past Father Xiao, Luo Mu finally returned to his clinic. Once inside, he locked the door tightly and hurried toward the Blood Pact Formation.

As for the residents waiting for medical help, they would have to wait; he would deal with them only after finishing his current task. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Luo Mu slowly approached the Blood Pact Formation.

The Blood Pact Formation, as the name implied, was a formation that used blood as a medium and a contract as its core. Any insect or beast hatched within the formation would view Luo Mu as its master and obey his every command, even to the point of death without hesitation. For Luo Mu, this would undoubtedly be a powerful asset.

Before him, the Blood Pact Formation still glowed with a bloody light, but the eggs were gone—they had successfully hatched!

Three ordinary-looking caterpillars crawled about in the formation; clearly, these had emerged from the three larger eggs. Compared to common caterpillars, these three possessed no special traits.

On the other side were five thumb-sized demon insects that looked identical to ants, only much larger. The giant ants were milky white, resembling jade, and looked incredibly cute. However, their ferocious, terrifying maws and the cold, glinting limbs made them look far less adorable.

The eight demon insects, sensing Luo Mu's arrival, suddenly became incredibly excited, shaking off their lethargy and rushing toward him.

But just as the eight insects leaped up, the Blood Pact Formation flashed with red light, and a blood-red barrier appeared, blocking their path. Caught off guard, the eight insects slammed into the barrier, unable to move forward an inch, their bodies comically plastered against the crimson light.

Standing by the formation, Luo Mu was amused by the sight. His heart was linked to these eight insects; he knew exactly what they had been trying to do.

It seemed his future days would not be so monotonous after all; at least he would have these little fellows to keep him company, Luo Mu thought to himself.

As he looked at the two types of demon insects, their data instantly appeared in his mind.

White Jade Ants: Their bodies are snow-white like jade and incredibly beautiful, but their ferocious, terrifying maws can easily snap steel, making them razor-sharp. White Jade Ants prefer to eat meat, especially the flesh of demon beasts, as it contains vast amounts of spiritual energy, allowing them to advance more quickly. The higher the level of the demon beast, the more the White Jade Ants crave it!

Furthermore, the true energy and flesh of human cultivators are also favorites of the White Jade Ants. Like demon beasts, the flesh of human cultivators contains spiritual energy. What the White Jade Ants love most is the cultivator's dantian, as the spiritual energy there is the most concentrated—the very foundation of a human cultivator's power!

A single White Jade Ant is only a first-level mid-tier demon beast in its larval stage, but upon reaching adulthood, it can attain the level of a third-level peak demon beast. A single ant might not mean much to a high-level cultivator, but a swarm of adult White Jade Ants could make even the most powerful cultivators tremble with fear!

Few "high-level" cultivators would have the courage to face a swarm of White Jade Ants alone!

As the information about the White Jade Ants continued to surface in his mind, the corners of Luo Mu's mouth began to rise, not stopping until they reached his ears!