Thousand Jun Ant Emperor

Thousand Jun Ant Emperor

After taking in Spirit Hall's Soul Hunting Squad, this massive hunting party had reached an astonishing scale: three Titled Douluo, four Soul Douluo, and over thirty Soul Saints!

Judging by their lineup alone, it would have been perfectly reasonable to say they were heading out to hunt a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Tianshui, Blazing Fire, Godwind Academy, and Spirit Hall had fairly ordinary relations.

But interpersonal relationships were just this unreasonable: Shui Feng was Liu Erlong's best friend, Huo Lie and Shui Feng were rivals who had come to know each other through fighting, Feng Wuji was Huo Lie's close brother, while Yue Guan and Guimei had joined the team through Blue Tyrant Academy for their own various reasons.

None of them had known one another before.

But, borrowing Ye Qingcang's words, it did not matter that they had not known one another before. Every friendship had to go through a stage of going from nothing to something. Once they got acquainted, would they not know each other whenever they met again in the future?

This theory quickly won everyone over.

Of course, Spirit Hall's members were not as hard to approach as imagined. During the process of getting to know one another, they had also played an indispensable role.

It was just that...

"Erlong, allow me to ask something I probably shouldn't..."

Shui Feng glanced back.

Yue Guan was at the front, Guimei was in the middle, and Dugu Bo brought up the rear. The four Soul Douluo, including herself, followed behind Yue Guan. Further back was a mixed squad of Spirit Hall Soul Saints and Soul Saints from their side. At the center of the team was the student squad led by Ye Qingcang, consisting of Xiao Wu, Shui Bing'er, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan, Huo Wu, Feng Xiaotian, and Violet.

Based on strength, talent, and status, they had formed three tiers.

The first tier was the one led by Ye Qingcang.

The second tier was led by Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Huo Wushuang. Zhu Zhuqing, Ma Hongjun, and Shui Yue'er were all in this tier.

Only in the final tier was Yu Xiaogang, moving together with support-system Soul Masters such as Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Zhang Ping, and Xue Wu.

What Shui Feng wanted to ask was precisely related to Yu Xiaogang. "What is going on with your Blue Tyrant Academy? As a teacher, especially at his age, he doesn't even know what should and shouldn't be said?"

"One must always guard against others." Huo Lie rarely shared Shui Feng's stance, including her opinion. "Blazing Fire Academy deeply admires Blue Tyrant Academy for its campaign against Evil Soul Masters. I have no other thoughts regarding Spirit Hall's friendship with Blue Tyrant Academy. What I mean is, no matter how good the relationship is, some things absolutely cannot be spoken of. You never truly know what lies in someone's heart. Just as you have no idea whether any of us covet that Self-Created Soul Skill your son created. Allow me to say something I probably shouldn't as well—you really ought to properly straighten out Blue Tyrant Academy..."

Feng Wuji nodded.

Huo Lie had said more than half of what he wanted to say.

Other than nodding, all he could do was nod.

He could hardly throw out a line like, "Same here."

Liu Erlong silently bit her lip.

A faint trace of blood could be seen on her red lips.

What could she say?

She had regretted it long ago!

Clinging to her fantasies about Yu Xiaogang from years ago, she had finally waited for Yu Xiaogang to come looking for her. Before she could express her joy, her own son had slapped one ugly reality after another across her face. Her already crumbling fantasy had then been dealt a second blow by the Jade Seal Machine her son gave her. To verify it, she had spoken with Flender and persuaded him, using her entry into the soul hunting team as a condition. She obtained the truth and confirmed that her son really had not lied to her. Yet even after she had handed all authority to her son, Yu Xiaogang—the man who had chilled her heart—had openly stabbed her in the back...

What could she say?

She had already regretted it, but was there any medicine for regret?

She could only make a clean break with Yu Xiaogang!

Especially after seeing Yu Xiaogang's vindictiveness and her son's repeated concessions and restraint—her son had trusted her so much, so how had she repaid him?

This guilt coiled around her heart.

Liu Erlong unconsciously began to mentally manipulate herself.

She was mentally manipulating herself.

She had completely fallen into Ye Qingcang's trap.

And yet, the one who had pushed her into it was not Ye Qingcang, but Yu Xiaogang, whom she had loved for many years.

This round, Ye Qingcang had profited tremendously.

He had deeply grasped human nature.

He knew that people would automatically beautify their memories.

Even if someone persuaded Liu Erlong ten thousand times, it would only provoke her resentment and achieve nothing. Twelve years of nurturing grace could not compare to more than twenty years of unrequited love. Especially since unrequited love revolved around the other person, while nurturing grace revolved around oneself. Even if the situation were reversed, with more than twenty years of nurturing grace wrestling against twelve years of unrequited love, the outcome would still be uncertain. To completely shatter a love-struck mind—especially the love-struck mind of an emotional creature like a woman—the pain had to cut deep enough. Then, they would naturally wake up.

Therefore, Liu Erlong now only wanted some peace and quiet.

She did not even dare look at Ye Qingcang.

Because she was afraid of seeing disappointment in Ye Qingcang's eyes.

Her son had not disappointed his mother.

Instead, the mother had disappointed her son.

The roles had been utterly reversed. She had nothing to say.

But in reality, Ye Qingcang had no disappointed expression at all.

It was all merely Liu Erlong's imagination.

Even if Liu Erlong broke free from her fantasy, he would remain spotless.

What ill intentions could a son who cared for his mother possibly have?

Seeing Liu Erlong fall into a withdrawn state, Shui Feng could only sigh helplessly. Even an upright official could not settle family disputes, much less a mere best friend like her. If she had a perfect son like Ye Qingcang—even a fraction as perfect—he would have been enough to suppress and persuade Huo Wu. His interpersonal skills were maxed out, and it seemed as if he could get along with anyone. She would certainly hold Ye Qingcang in her hands like a gem and polish him with care.

All she could say was that Liu Erlong was foolish, yet fortunate.

They would not even have time to search for a gem to polish.

Liu Erlong's gem had already polished itself, yet Liu Erlong had not even noticed it.

What was the use of regretting it now?

She could only hope that Ye Qingcang would be forgiving enough to pardon Liu Erlong, this foolish mother of his.

Fortunately, Liu Erlong knew how to regret.

If Liu Erlong still did not know regret, there would not even be a chance to repair this mother-son relationship.

After traveling for an entire day, they had hunted seven Soul Beasts.

It was not just Shui Feng, Huo Lie, Feng Wuji, and the others whose horizons had been broadened.

Even Yue Guan, Guimei, Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and the rest of Spirit Hall had their eyes opened by the more than thirty geniuses wearing Blue Tyrant Academy uniforms—some in black-and-gold cloaks, some in white-and-gold cloaks—who showed no trace of arrogance, yet were flawless in their excellence.

Night fell.

The soul hunting party did not rush onward through the night. Instead, they found an open plain and lit a bonfire.

They restored their stamina and Soul Power, adjusting their mental states.

Within this vast forest, where human traces were scarce, everyone bore considerable psychological pressure.

If a bowstring was drawn too tightly, it would snap.

The Star Dou Great Forest was enormous.

Its terrain was also highly complicated.

There were swamps, plains, and basins, though forests still made up the majority.

Finding a small plain with an unobstructed view was not difficult.

"After today, I suddenly feel like my Self-Created Soul Skills aren't worth much anymore..." Xie Yue fiddled with the wood in his hands as he stared into the bonfire before him. Sitting beside him was his younger sister, Hu Liena, whose graceful movements, languid aura, and curvaceous figure constantly radiated the charm of a fox woman. He complained bitterly, "There are simply too many Self-Created Soul Skills."

"Seven Soul Beasts, seven One-on-Ones."

"More than twenty Soul Skills, all with different styles."

"To borrow Brother Ye's explanation: Eternal Freeze, Overload, Electro-Charged and Paralysis, Illusion Arts, Spread, Stacking Armor, and Extreme Speed—seven tactical styles in total."

"A saber in the left hand, a sword in the right. The saber covered in ice, the sword covered in water."

"The Soul Beasts could only stand there and take the beating. They could not even move."

"They even combined Blade Intent and Sword Intent."

"Is that even human?"

"Dual cultivation of lightning and fire, pushing offense to its utmost."

"That final Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire—in terms of power, it was already no weaker than a full-force strike from an ordinary assault-system Soul Emperor. Even ordinary assault-system Soul Emperors could not achieve that kind of destructive force where one plus one was greater than two."

"There is no need to mention Electro-Charged and Paralysis."

"The range of Spread was enormous."

"Especially that Vortex Water Blade."

"Its single-target lethality was no weaker than my Crescent Moon."

"Even Feng Xiaotian from Godwind Academy—his Swift Wind Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes were also quite interesting. They had much in common with my Crescent Moon."

"The world is vast. It cannot be described in a few words."

"Today, this frog at the bottom of a well finally learned that he truly was a frog at the bottom of a well."

Xie Yue let out a deep sigh.

Yet the fire in his eyes had not gone out.

Instead, it burned even hotter. "I have to admit, I really thought too highly of myself. Shutting myself away and building a cart would never bring great achievements. The collision between ideas—especially when Brother Ye occasionally chimed in—was truly the finishing touch, clearing away the clouds and revealing the sun. It broadened my thinking all at once. But what is most unbelievable is that Blue Tyrant Academy, with so many Self-Created Soul Skills, had remained completely unknown?"

Hu Liena's gaze was somewhat vacant.

She looked exactly like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.

It was the aftereffect of having her worldview shattered.

Only after hearing Xie Yue's confusion did her eyes shift.

She straightened up and stretched lazily.

Too lazy to pay attention to Yan's lecherous expression, she turned and glanced at Ye Qingcang, who was sitting with Violet and Xiao Wu. Her gaze lingered briefly on the pot of spirit food between them. A flash of envy passed through her eyes before she forced herself to turn back. Her slightly hoarse voice added an extra touch of wildness to her presence.

"There is nothing unbelievable about it."

"Would Ghost Grandpa go around telling others how strong he is?"

"Would Chrysanthemum Grandpa go around telling others how strong he is?"

"Do we need to tell Shui Bing'er, Huo Wu, Feng Xiaotian, and people like them how strong we are, flaunting ourselves without anyone even asking?"

"No!"

"The answer is no, across the board!"

"Even if they asked us, we would only tell them the truth."

"As for whether they believed it, that had nothing to do with us."

"We disdained deceiving them."

"We disdained proving ourselves to anyone even more."

"I think Ye Qingcang and his Blue Tyrant Academy followed the same principle!"

"Yes..." Xie Yue laughed at himself. "I have never seen Brother Ye make a move. Just his maid, Violet—one flying dagger from her could redirect Chrysanthemum Elder's Fifth Soul Skill. Chrysanthemum Elder and Ghost Elder both suspected it was a spatial-type Self-Created Soul Skill. She also possessed the rare skill of preparing spirit food. Even we could not guarantee spirit food at every meal. One meal a day was already treatment available within Spirit Hall, and once we came out, it was gone. Violet was not only a genius, but also a spirit food master, yet she was only fit to be Brother Ye's maid. He really had no need to prove anything to me, to us, or to the world."

"Just as humans would not care about the ants beneath their feet. If they stepped on one while walking, that meant the ant had bad luck. If they did not step on it, they would not turn back after passing by just to deliberately crush that fortunate ant."

At that moment, another female student from Spirit Hall's team added a comment.

Seeing Hu Liena purse her lips slightly, Yan suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"Na Na, you don't like that pretentious brat, do you?" Controlling his expression, Yan tested Hu Liena's thoughts in a joking tone. "If you ask me, only incompetent people hide themselves away. If he is not famous, it can only mean he has no ability..."

"Enough, Yan!" Hu Liena's face turned cold. Just moments ago, she had looked like a coquettish fox, but now she seemed like a white fox that kept people thousands of miles away. Even her gaze was full of displeasure. "How many times have I told you? Call me by my full name, Hu Liena. Do not call me Na Na!"

Hu Liena's evasive response instantly enraged Yan.

But in front of the girl he liked, Yan truly did not dare lose his temper, much less damage his own image. He could only swallow his anger and force out an awkward smile. However, the corner of his eye, when directed at Ye Qingcang, was already filled with rage.

The incompetent would use even more incompetent methods to humiliate those weaker than themselves.

Those seeking death could never be stopped.

Thus, Ye Qingcang did not deliberately pay attention to Yan.

To him, Yan was that ant.

But the difference was that if this ant provoked him, he would specifically return and slap it dead. In more professional terms, this was called settling one's thoughts!

Watching Xiao Wu act as if she were completely at home, eating the meat soup and exclaiming over how delicious it was—not only unafraid of him, but even beginning to cling to him like taffy—Ye Qingcang took a sip of soup and shifted the smile onto his own face with one blunt truth. "Tasty, isn't it... I caught this Soft Bone Rabbit specifically for you. Try its bones. Seventy percent of its entire body is cartilage. As expected, there are only miswritten characters, never wrongly named things."

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Xiao Wu's hand holding the bowl trembled. She pouted, but after coming to terms with life and death, everything in the world had suddenly become less frightening. "Still, although I don't know how you did it, I have to thank you. Even if you are not a good person, when that Grandmaster framed you, you were still better than Little San..."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"I once coveted you too."

"You should thank yourself."

"Or thank Yu Xiaogang instead."

"If he had not gone to beg my mother, you would have been captured and killed by me long ago."

"I would not have needed to come to the Star Dou Great Forest to prepare my fourth Soul Ring."

Ye Qingcang's answer secretly alarmed Xiao Wu.

But after the shock came an overwhelming sense of relief.

Good medicine tasted bitter, and honest advice grated on the ear.

Ye Qingcang's truth was unpleasant to hear.

Yet it was exactly the kind of truth she needed.

Because someone who wanted to kill her would never tell her, I'm going to kill you. In Rongrong's words, a venomous snake's danger lay in the speed of its sudden attack and its ability to hide itself. Venom capable of killing someone in one second and venom capable of killing someone in one minute had nearly identical lethality in the wild.

Since that was the case, as a Soul Ring that had been spared, was it not perfectly reasonable for her to show Ye Qingcang some concern? "What type of Soul Beast are you planning to choose for your fourth Soul Ring? I can help you consider it."

Better a dead fellow cultivator than a dead poor cultivator.

Returning a peach for a plum, Xiao Wu decisively stood on Ye Qingcang's side for the sake of her own life.

"Thousand Jun Ant Emperor." Ye Qingcang took another sip of soup.

"Oh, so it's a Thousand Jun Ant..." Xiao Wu immediately choked. "Wait, do you mean those three Thousand Jun Ant Emperors I know about?"

"That's right." Ye Qingcang's gaze was exceptionally far-reaching. Xiao Wu could not understand what he was saying now. "None of you understand the essence of Soul Power and Soul Rings. Three ninety-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ant Emperors together will be enough to stack a Soul Ring of over one hundred and fifty thousand years for me. Perhaps even two hundred thousand years. My fifth ring can be four hundred thousand years, my sixth eight hundred thousand, my seventh one million six hundred thousand. It doubles each time, just like the Stellar Martial Path. This world is ultimately too small. I hope that before I reach level fifty, the matters on the Heaven Dou side can be resolved, so I can go find the Ice Empress, meet another little rabbit in person while I'm at it, and see whether that thing with the Dual God Position blocks my path. If it does, I'll conveniently sweep it out of my home..."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely help you!" Xiao Wu looked like an old general on an opera stage, with flags planted all over her back. "For the sake of you sparing me, even if I can't help you, I definitely won't help your opponents... By the way, can you kill those three Thousand Jun Ant Emperors?"

"We'll see."

Ye Qingcang ate his meat calmly. "This is also a good chance to test the strength of the Stellar Martial Path. I am actually looking forward to that moment very much."