The Kingdom Below Jia, Ants as Beauties

"Ten hours!"

Old Daoist Sun listened to Ao Ding describe his Foundation Establishment process back then and marveled inwardly.

"True Person, what do you think of my attainment? Auntie Wang told me not to mention this in front of the outer court disciples in future. She said my progress was faster than that of ordinary outer court disciples, and it might provoke petty people's jealousy."

Heh?

Petty people's jealousy?

Wasn't she afraid that if this boy Ao Ding learned the truth, they would no longer be able to 'temper' him?

After a moment's consideration, Old Daoist Sun understood Wang Weilong and Wang Daniangzi's calculations.

They had deliberately kept Ao Ding ignorant of his exceptionally high aptitude, and might even have deliberately misled the outer court so its disciples would not understand what "establishing one's foundation in ten hours" meant.

Perhaps this entire generation of outer court disciples had been placed under a curse. Their thoughts could be controlled through curses, keeping them from broaching the subject of "Foundation Establishment in a hundred days" with Ao Ding. But to be safe, Ao Ding was forbidden from raising the subject himself.

Hah-the same old methods the various lineages used to temper the heart!

Disgusting!

The branch traditions of the Six Sects chose all manner of bizarre methods to temper their disciples' hearts.

The more normal ones deliberately neglected and chastened them, leaving them on a cold bench to temper their Dao hearts. The more outrageous ones impersonated demonesses or devil women to stage a romance between immortal and demon. A fake immortal-demon romance laid some groundwork in advance. Surely that was better than someone becoming a True Disciple of the Six Sects, then suddenly losing their head over a demon of the opposite sex, ruining their Great Dao and slaughtering their own sect?

The current sect master of the Guangfa Sect had emerged from just such an ordeal. In his youth, sheltered by his True Person father, he had indulged in pleasure instead of cultivating. To temper his son's Dao heart, his father had conspired with the entire family to fake their deaths and brought in a branch of the Demon Court as the enemy. This spurred his son to strive with determination, and the truth was only revealed after he became a True Person. Though his son had been deeply displeased, and father and son had nearly come to blows, he had already attained the fruit of a True Person, with longevity stretching far into the future. Even quarrelling over their grievances was better than performing filial devotion before a yellow-earth grave.

Compared with such outrageous methods as a master impersonating a lover or an entire household faking its death, Wang Weilong's arrangements for Ao Ding were already quite measured.

He had arranged for isolation and bullying in the outer court to serve as a whetstone.

Worried that the outer court's crooked methods would lead Ao Ding completely astray, he had even specially sent the Northern Yin Diagram to strengthen his foundation.

Among the strange methods of the many branches, Wang Weilong's approach could already be considered open and aboveboard, even painstaking.

But Sun Chen came from the direct lineage of the Six Sects and rather looked down on these scheming maneuvers of the branches.

Still, regarding the matter of his Foundation Establishment speed...

Sun Chen said slowly, "Madam Wang is right. You established your foundation and planted qi in ten hours. Don't tell outsiders about this in future."

Ao Ding obediently nodded.

After some thought, Sun Chen also worried that Ao Ding might grow arrogant if he learned of his extraordinary talent in future. He said solemnly, "Although your aptitude is good, and your left eye can detect the presence of qi, allowing you to establish your foundation quickly, that same left eye is also why your cultivation has progressed slowly over these six years. So you must not grow proud or complacent. Keep a humble heart."

"I understand. Over these years of cultivation, at least half my true essence has been sucked away by my left eye. I know all too well what a burden this eye is."

"How could a mortal body nourish a True Person's eye? Your vital essence is depleted now. Though you've received nourishment year-round in the kitchen gardens..."

Oh, Wang Weilong probably arranged that deliberately too.

He had specially assigned him to the kitchen gardens so he could replenish his vital essence through food every day.

But such dietary nourishment only kept his condition from worsening; it could not resolve the trouble caused by his left eye... So Wang Weilong must have prepared large quantities of spiritual treasures to nourish him once he formally entered the lineage.

The Nine Nether Stone Mansion.

Wang Weilong could not help lamenting, "Twelve thousand-year spiritual treasures! I prepared twelve thousand-year spiritual treasures for him, and eighteen spirit beast inner cores. And besides those..."

He listed his preparations as though counting his household treasures.

Yin Chimei looked at him sympathetically.

Foundation Establishment in ten hours?

Such aptitude might not be unique throughout all history, but among the cultivation sects of the Central Wasteland, it still marked a rare, first-rate prodigy.

As far as she knew, among this generation's True Disciples of the Four Sects of the Central Wasteland, fewer than a hundred had managed Foundation Establishment within a day.

A talent like that-never mind Wang Weilong...

If she had encountered him, she would have cast aside propriety, honor, and shame, married beneath her station, and taken her entire fortune to support him in seeking a master in the Six Sects.

A genius like that had at least a one-percent chance of ascending to immortality in future.

Suddenly, a thought stirred in the madam's heart. Senior Brother is nearly dead. After he dies, Ao Ding will have no one to look after him. If I can find this child, settle a marriage, then support him in seeking a master in the Guangfa Sect... With his aptitude, passing the entrance trials would be nothing. And after that... I can use his status as a True Disciple to attain the Great Dao.

A dao companion to a True Disciple of the Six Sects-if I don't act now, when will I?

She made her decision at once. "Do you have anything belonging to Ao Ding? I'll help you cast a spell to find him! Senior Brother has gone too far! How could he risk dragging such a talent into his karma?"

With such fine aptitude, why had he seemed so timid in the yin residence earlier?

Could Senior Brother have deliberately made him hide his abilities, causing me to overlook him?

Wang Weilong nodded repeatedly.

"Good, good. Madam and I will join forces-"

He took out the rouge box he had obtained from Luo Qiushui, and the two cast their spells together.

Even as he cast, he continued lamenting.

"Ah-I had it all planned out!

"Without letting his cultivation go to waste, I would first have Ao Ding temper his mind, growing through cold treatment and suppression, lingering in the Qi-Seeding Realm for years. Once he was ready and his Dao heart firm, I would formally take him into my lineage and teach him the Mystic Gang Method. With a stable, mature disposition and his aptitude, he could complete the Mystic Gang Realm in just a few years. Then I would use his achievement of 'reaching the Mysterious Gang Ultimate Realm in a few years' to recommend him to the Guangfa Sect. And with his solid mental cultivation, he would progress swiftly there as well."

"An outstanding talent who would need only a little guidance from a Guangfa Sect master to advance through the Jade Palace and Light Joining realms and aim straight for the Divine Illumination Realm would give those masters a tremendous sense of accomplishment. A True Person might even be willing to take him as a personal disciple."

Madam Chi Mei listened with a smile, pouring ever more magical power into her spell.

Indeed, for someone with such talent to be used by Senior Brother as a protector, and even hunted by a branch of the Demon Court-what suffering!

I must save him from this sea of bitterness!

Ten thousand miles away, Sun Chen faintly sensed something. With a casual sweep over the ground, he scattered a large pile of pine needles.

At once, heaven's workings grew muddled, and Wang Weilong and Yin Chimei found their divinations increasingly difficult.

Divining me?

Your cultivation isn't up to it yet!

Inwardly pleased, Sun Chen smiled and pointed toward the pine forest ahead.

"The Mystic Jia Kingdom is just ahead. Follow my footsteps and walk carefully."

Around the forest's edges, signs of withering and flourishing could still be seen. But the farther they went, the more Ao Ding felt the abundant spiritual energy around them. The pines were lush and evergreen, untouched by the wearing of years, already showing the qualities of spirit trees.

Yet after they walked a little farther, the pines instead grew sparse and scattered, with few spirit trees among them. A stretch of barren earth even appeared ahead, sharply divided from the pine forest.

At the center of the barren ground, a hundred zhang across, stood a great tree nine zhang and nine chi tall, its entire trunk wreathed in five-colored mystic qi.

"Come, come. I'll take you to the Country of Xuanjia."

Old Daoist Sun strode forward, pulling Ao Ding along as he performed a spell around the Xuanjia Immortal Tree.

Amid curling auspicious clouds, Ao Ding saw heaven and earth turn upside down. When he could see his surroundings clearly again, he stood before a magnificent city.

"Senior, where are we...?"

Old Daoist Sun pointed at the ground. "We're underneath."

Underneath?

Instinctively, Ao Ding thought again of the Netherworld Dharma Realm he had visited not long before.

Could this place also be in the Nine Nether Yellow Springs?

You're a perfectly respectable True Person. Why do you keep burrowing underground?

Just then, the city gates swung open, and soldiers came out.

Seeing the two standing outside, they approached warmly.

"Have you two come to become imperial sons-in-law as well?"

The soldiers were all valiant, dashing beauties, each armored and carrying a spear, their bearing imposing.

Ao Ding looked at the burly, valiant female soldiers, then at his own slender, skinny fourteen-year-old frame.

Ao Ding inwardly clicked his tongue-they were all sturdier than he was!

The female captain said, "Our princess is seeking a husband, and several brave men have already gone ahead. You two-come quickly. Don't delay."

Ao Ding wanted to speak, but Old Daoist Sun stopped him.

The old Daoist surveyed their surroundings with a smile, letting the female soldiers lead them toward the palace.

Along the way, Ao Ding saw clean, orderly streets and many beauties peering out from their houses.

No, they were all women. There were no men.

There weren't even any children.

Suspicion stirring in his heart, Ao Ding asked Old Daoist Sun quietly, "Senior, could this Country of Xuanjia be a kingdom of women?"

Old Daoist Sun was about to speak when the female soldiers beside them laughed. "Sir, this is the Jiaxia Kingdom, not the Mystic Jia Kingdom. Only the Jiaxia Kingdom and the Jiashang Kingdom together make up what you call the Mystic Jia Kingdom."

"Our kingdom has many women and few men. Officials, soldiers, merchants, farmers... all are women. Men serve only as the queen's lovers and ordinarily don't go outside."

The Jiaxia Kingdom... There were men, but they were all with the queen, while the women moved about outside...

Ao Ding's heart jolted, and his expression turned ugly.

He badly wanted to look around with his left eye, but feared that he might truly see something that would leave him suspicious and trembling.

When they reached the foot of the imperial city, Ao Ding's left eye began to feel faintly hot.

A sea of citizens cheered.

"The queen is here!"

"Her Majesty has come out!"

The packed "crowd" pushed Ao Ding and Old Daoist Sun into the center.

Eight other men of varying ages stood there.

Before Ao Ding could speak with them, a stunning beauty in fiery red robes atop the gate tower declared, "Brave men, our kingdom is suffering from a monstrous bird! Whichever brave man helps our kingdom eradicate it, I shall give him my daughter's hand in marriage!"

Ao Ding raised his head, and his left eye opened of its own accord.

When he saw the beauty's true form, Ao Ding nearly fainted.

The kingdom-toppling queen in red robes and a crown was actually a huge, bloated ant wearing a golden crown. More than ten meters long, the fat ant had a slender, almost naked female upper body atop its swollen yellowish-pink body. Its plump lower body, concealed behind the city wall where the brave men could not see it, was still laying white oval eggs the size of washbasins, one after another.

Beside the ant queen stood several glossy female ants. Some had human arms, others human faces... Combined with their ant lower bodies, they were exceedingly bizarre.

Yet through the boy's right eye, they remained a beautiful, captivating sovereign and graceful princesses. The princesses were even casting flirtatious glances at them.

He could still hear the other brave men laughing and talking.

"How wise Your Majesty is!"

"Hahaha-I'm marrying that princess!"

"Third Brother, help your eldest brother find a wife this time!"

"Brother He, our chance has come! It's just as your family's ancient books recorded!"

"Hahaha-who said getting lost in the pine forest this time was a disaster? This is clearly a blessing!"

He silently turned to look around.

Mm...

The female soldiers surrounding them were also ants, each as large as an ox or horse, their bodies gleaming black. Their sharp mouthparts and limbs flashed with a cold light, capable of slicing through metal and jade.

Surrounded by the many female soldiers stood himself, Sun Chen, and the eight brave men.

Ao Ding was certain that these people should be humans, just like him.

But-

A few humans had come to an ant kingdom?

These ten humans were surrounded by thousands upon thousands of ants as large as themselves, or even burlier, and now they were supposed to compete for an ant princess's hand?