The Amiable Ant Queen

"Eh! What's that?"

Lan Chen, who was walking at the front, suddenly asked.

Her gaze was fixed on a corner of the stone steps, where two cocoon-like objects lay.

The cocoon-like objects were roughly the size of fists, milky white, with distinct pulses of life emanating from within.

"Gold-Eating Ant eggs!"

As Blood Brow explained, she fired a stream of spiritual power and shattered the eggs.

At once, a foul stench rushed into their faces.

"Why does it stink so badly? It even seems to be somewhat poisonous."

Lan Chen frowned and slightly increased her speed, darting past the eggs.

"It truly reeks beyond bearing!" Blood Brow had clearly not expected this either, and her face showed a hint of surprise.

The eggs were merely a minor interruption, but they further proved beyond doubt that this was indeed a Gold-Eating Ant nest.

The four continued onward.

The stone stairway passage was unexpectedly safe. Without encountering a single fourth-rank Gold-Eating Ant, the four arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

Before them stood an enormous underground cavern hall.

The cavern hall spanned dozens of li, and its walls and floor bore many traces of human construction.

These traces had been severely damaged by the Gold-Eating Ants, riddled with countless holes of all sizes.

Gold-Eating Ants occasionally entered and exited through those holes.

The Gold-Eating Ant colony appeared extremely busy. Some carried ores mined from somewhere unknown or ordinary vegetation from the Orchid Realm, while others carried Gold-Eating Ant eggs.

All four concealed their auras. These low-rank Gold-Eating Ants failed to notice their arrival and continued bustling about as usual.

"Fellow Daoist Blood Brow, what is that Gold-Eating Ant carrying in its mouth?"

Lan Chen asked, with a faint note of anticipation in her voice.

In the direction she pointed, a second-rank