Perhaps it was because the Saint King stood guard, with Meng Chuan, the mysterious figure who had refined the Resurrection Pill, beside him.
Or perhaps some sensed the Heavenly Horned Ant's deep reserves and knew he was certain to succeed this time.
Either way, no one stepped forward to interfere with his ascension to Immortal King.
To obstruct someone's path to the Dao was to make a mortal enemy and incur karma that would be hard to settle.
If the attempt succeeded, that was one thing. If it failed, that karma could only be settled in the future with one side's life.
As the Heavenly Horned Ant became an Immortal King, his very nature underwent an earth-shaking transformation, and his strength soared beyond measure.
"In the past, I could fight Immortal Kings. I was arrogant enough to think they were nothing special," the old Heavenly Horned Ant said with a look of deep feeling.
"Only now that I truly stand in this realm do I see how shallow I was."
Realm and combat strength were two different things.
One could say realm was the foundation.
Even if one's combat strength reached that level, without the realm, certain things remained impossible and certain insights remained out of reach.
But once one reached the realm, combat strength would rise with it, bringing methods that raw power alone could never grant.
Once someone became an Immortal King, in an ordinary age, he could truly say, "My fate is mine, not Heaven's."
In the past, barring a Reckoning, an entire era might pass without a single Immortal King falling.
Unfortunately, the coming age would be anything but ordinary.
"Congratulations on attaining the Dao and becoming an Immortal King, fellow Daoist." Everyone offered the Heavenly Horned Ant their congratulations.
News also spread throughout the Nine