The Three Qianjun Ant Emperors
As for Huo Lei himself, although he has not reached the Titled Douluo realm, he already possesses the strength of Titled Douluo. Even if he were to fight a Titled Douluo below level 94, he probably wouldn't lose.
Huo Lei and his group of five walked slowly through the Star Dou Great Forest. They didn't follow any particular formation; they simply walked together casually. Their expressions were also very calm. They didn't give the impression of walking through the perilous Star Dou Great Forest; it was more like they were strolling down a street. Their composure stemmed entirely from their confidence in their own strength.
Half an hour later, Jin Shan, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped. He raised his right hand to give a signal and said, "Everyone, stop for a moment. We've spotted targets a kilometer ahead. According to my spiritual detection, they are around 80,000 years old in cultivation, and there are three of them. They are feeding. Let's go take a look."
As soon as Jin Shan finished speaking, he took the lead and stepped out. His speed was not fast, but his steps were very light. Huo Lei, An Jun, Huo Feng, and Lin Yin followed closely behind.
As Huo Lei and his group approached, the appearance of the three Soul Beasts was revealed. These three Soul Beasts were the kind that were easy to find in any Soul Beast forest; they were the Qian Jun Ants. However, the Qian Jun Ants that appeared in front of Huo Lei and the others were somewhat different.
The three Qian Jun Ants were the same size, each over two and a half meters long.
The three Qian Jun Ants, each over two and a half meters long, were covered with a layer of dark golden carapace and had six thick, powerful short legs. The three Qian Jun Ants, which were originally feeding, stood up when they noticed Huo Lei and his group of five approaching.
Each of the three Qian Jun Ants has six eyes on its head—two large and four small—that are emitting a ghostly green light.
Huo Lei and his group of five stopped when they were fifty meters away from the three Qian Jun Ants.
"Qian Jun Ants? Three of them, and they're so big! If I'm not mistaken, these three should be the Three Qianjun Ant Emperors." This thought flashed through Huo Lei's mind. (To explain why the Three Qianjun Ant Emperors aren't three meters long as in the original story, but over two and a half meters; and why their cultivation level isn't over 90,000 years, but around 80,000 years. The reason is the different timelines. Based on the timeline, Tang San was around twenty-four or twenty-five years old when he hunted the Three Qianjun Ant Emperors in the original story, while he's only around twenty now.)
"This... this is Qian Jun Ant? It's huge! I've seen many of these Soul Beasts before, but this is the first time I've seen such a large Qian Jun Ant." Huo Feng was shocked, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"I've never seen such a large Qian Jun Ant before either," An Jun chimed in, standing next to Huo Feng.
The Qian Jun Ant is a Soul Beast with extremely tenacious vitality, outstanding physical defense, extremely strong resistance to blows, and incredible strength, possessing power far exceeding its body proportions.
As a weak species of Soul Beast, the Qian Jun Ants have no special skills. In any Soul Beast forest, they often become food for other Soul Beasts. Although their defense is decent, it is ultimately limited, and they lack offensive means. Although they have considerable strength, it is difficult for them to exert it effectively.
Of course, many Soul Beasts also look down on the Qian Jun Ants. After all, breaking through their defenses and then hunting them is quite tiring, not to mention that ordinary Qian Jun Ants are too small and don't have much meat. It is precisely because of their tenacious vitality that these Soul Beasts exist in large numbers in the Soul Beast Forest.
Generally speaking, Qian Jun Ant with ten years of cultivation is about three inches long and has only one pair of saber teeth at its mouth, which can bite through hard objects.
Even Qian Jun Ant with a hundred years of cultivation will not exceed six inches in length. Only with a thousand years of cultivation is it possible for it to grow to a foot long. This is already a rare Qian Jun Ant. This is because they really do not have any powerful means of survival, and there will be infighting among their own groups.
In the original story, Yu Xiaogang, in his spare time, had studied the Qian Jun Ant, a weak species of Soul Beast. In his judgment, if the Qian Jun Ant's cultivation reached ten thousand years, its body length would probably only be about two feet, and it would only exceed one meter after thirty thousand years of cultivation. However, Yu Xiaogang's strength was limited, and it was precisely because of his lack of strength that his understanding was restricted.
According to Tang San's recollection, the largest Qian Jun Ant that Yu Xiaogang knew of was only about one meter long and had a cultivation level of over 30,000 years. He learned this information while chatting with Tai Tan, the patriarch of the Strength Clan.
It takes 30,000 years of cultivation to reach a body length of one meter, while the three Qian Jun Ants that appeared before Huo Lei were all over two and a half meters long. Therefore, Jin Shan's judgment that the three Ant Emperor Qian Jun had reached 80,000 years of cultivation was relatively accurate. This also reflects Jin Shan's extensive knowledge and quick thinking. He had not wasted his decades of wandering on the continent.
Facing three 80,000-year-old Soul Beasts at the same time, Huo Lei and his group of five showed no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, they appeared somewhat excited. The combined strength of the five of them was enough to put them in a fighting chance even against three Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, let alone the three in front of them who were only 80,000-year-old.
The three Ant Emperor Qian Jun had all undergone physical mutations. Each of them had a pair of enormous, transparent wings on its back, clearly indicating their ability to fly, and their two saber-like teeth were particularly prominent. They also each had two thick forelimbs. The forelimbs resembled the large pincers of a scorpion, but not exactly the same; they looked more like three sharp spikes fused together, waving from side to side. In addition to the dark golden light, they also had a layer of peculiar green on them.
According to the original description, the three Qian Jun Ants in front of us were originally three brothers, all of whom were powerful Soldier Ants in the Qian Jun Ant colony. During a battle with another colony of Qian Jun Ants, the three brothers performed outstandingly and were appreciated by the Ant Queen, becoming the leaders of the Soldier Ants. After that, they fought in the north and south, roaming the Star Dou Great Forest, and gradually grew stronger after countless near-death experiences.
As their strength increased, they gradually became feared by the Ant Queen decided to eliminate them. This is the core reason why the Qian Jun Ants have difficulty growing to a higher level.
In Qian Jun Ants, the Ant Queen is responsible for issuing commands and ensuring the continuation of the colony. However, the Ant Queen has no offensive capabilities; she is only responsible for reproduction. If Soldier Ants that are out of her control appear in the colony, the entire colony may face problems. Therefore, the Ant Queen will never allow powerful Soldier Ants to appear. Once Soldier Ant reaches a cultivation level of a thousand years, it will immediately be attacked by other Soldier Ants dispatched by the Ant Queen and completely annihilated.
However, these three Qian Jun Ants were lucky. Because of their bravery in battle and their great strength, they were supported by the Soldier Ants. When the Ant Queen ordered the other Soldier Ants to attack them, the other Soldier Ants informed them in advance, and the three brothers were able to escape.
They were originally loyal to the Ant Queen, yet they suffered such treatment. Having cultivated for a thousand years, they had acquired a certain level of intelligence, and they were naturally furious. Therefore, they did not go far. Using their knowledge of their own kind, while their original group was fighting another group of Qian Jun Ants, they quietly entered the Ant Queen's nest, killed the queen Ant Queen, and after the three brothers ate the Ant Queen's corpse, they fled.