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墨書 Inktalez
"I know what that monster is about," Chu Xi said, her brows slightly furrowed as she pointed to a spot beside her feet. "Look over there."
The platform formed by the branches of the Fake Tree was actually quite large. On the front of one of the main branches that forked to one side, there was a strange, barrel-shaped long mark, indented a bit and polished smooth. Li Hong stepped forward and spread his fingers to measure; it matched the width of the monster below.
"The monster has been staying here, waiting to absorb Fire Essence every morning. It has already begun to transform into a demon. If I'm not mistaken, it should be..."
Just as Chu Xi was saying this, a loud shout came from below. "Look over there!"
Chuxiong was floating in mid-air, and the green ground beneath him had turned bright red, resembling a Fire Sea. The weeds had vanished, and all the leaves of the low bushes were gone, replaced by bare red shrubs. Everywhere he looked was filled with fiery red, and the area was continuously expanding.
Li Hong took a closer look and felt his scalp tingle; it wasn't fire at all but rather a swarm of gigantic fire-colored ants!
The ants that had fallen from the tree earlier were just a small matter; now, an endless stream of these massive fire ants was pouring out from underground like a red tide. The layer of fire ants on the ground grew thicker and thicker. Li Hong casually grabbed a twig and threw it down; it sank into the ground like it had been tossed into a Fire Cave's Fire Lake, creating a five-inch deep hole. The crawling ants quickly filled the hole.
These fire ants were different from ordinary Southern Wild Fire Ants; they were not only larger but also more venomous. They covered the ground like a thick carpet, layering upon each other and rising higher as they surged toward the monster lying in the pit. The monster was completely covered in fire ants, its pale skin hidden beneath a thick layer of ants, resembling a vibrant red pillar of flesh that trembled violently from time to time.
Li Hong felt his scalp tingle with dread; just as he was about to summon Lingyi to end the monster's suffering, something strange happened.
The prominent red pillar of flesh in the center of the sea of fire ants began to rise slowly, lifting three feet in no time. More fire ants surged in, continuously emerging from underground, all gathering beneath that fleshy pillar. The pillar was being elevated higher and higher, as if sitting atop a fountain made of ants, being sent skyward.
With its head tilted upward, ants crawled up and down its body. Occasionally, there would be a spot where the ants were sparse around its "head," revealing its "face," allowing them to clearly see the monster's "expression." It appeared to be smiling, exuding an oddly benevolent aura.
"Queen Ant! It’s become a Queen Ant! These ants want to lift it up!" Chu Xi's clear voice clarified for Li Hong.
"Oh my! So it's an ant's mother! But this mother is way too big! It's creepy!" Chuxiong exclaimed while scratching his head.
"The Queen Ant has been lying on the Fake Tree platform absorbing Fire Essence. Fire Essence is extraordinary; something that has grown this large must have consumed a lot of it. It has begun to transform into something more powerful. One day, it will shed its ant form and take on human form, becoming a truly beautiful woman," Chu Xi said with her usual contemplative expression.
As she spoke, the army of ants had already lifted the Queen Ant beneath the vines; they just needed to navigate through the tightly entangled layers of vines to reach the platform at the fork in the trunk. This was precisely the most challenging part.
The Queen Ant must have accidentally climbed onto the platform and drank the Fire Essence, discovering its benefits. After that, she couldn't bear to leave, her body nourished by Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, growing larger and larger, making it difficult for her to move up or down. Earlier, she had been knocked down from the tree by Chuxiong's tremendous force, and now she could only rely on her offspring to lift her back up. It was easy to come down but hard to go up; her descendants struggled tirelessly just to get her "head" into the vines, while her body remained stuck.
"I'll help her," Li Hong said, suddenly enlightened by Chu Xi's words. He waved his hand, and Awareness surged forth, effortlessly lifting the Queen Ant through the layers of vines and floating her onto the platform, following suit himself.
The Queen Ant rolled into the hollow where she usually rested, facing upward, blinking her large eyes at Li Hong. No matter how one looked at it, it seemed she was expressing gratitude.
Li Hong pointed at the pit in the center of the platform and smiled, "If you really want to thank me, I have no other requests. Just let me take ten drops of Jade Liquid every day for the next ten days. You can keep the remaining five drops."
Without hesitation, the Queen Ant blinked her eyes again, her gaze bright with intelligence, clearly understanding him.
Chu Xi exclaimed in surprise, "She can understand our words."
"That's how creatures are; as long as they interact with humans frequently, they can quickly learn to understand human speech. The Black Abyss is a prime example," Li Hong replied before waving at the Queen Ant. "Thank you! We still have things to do; see you tomorrow morning!"
As he turned to leave, he heard the Queen Ant bumping her head against a tree, making a hollow sound as if she had something to say.
A dozen fiery lines quickly stretched upward; the Queen Ant's offspring had arrived.
First came a large figure resembling a winged general giving commands, followed by regular Fire Ants forming a vertical line that moved swiftly up along the Fake Tree trunk without any disorder. Once all the winged generals gathered around the Queen Ant, the Fire Ants behind them halted their advance. A dozen fiery lines connected directly to the ground, silent and orderly without a single ant moving out of line.
The Queen Ant lay quietly, evidently having some mysterious way of conveying orders. The winged Fire Ant Flying Generals began to act; they danced in front of Li Hong and his companions, gradually forming a shape resembling a human finger that pointed southward.
Li Hong was greatly surprised and turned to look at the Queen Ant. "Do you want us to follow them?"
The Queen Ant blinked twice in response.
"Alright! Let's go! Please lead us, Flying Generals!"
The jungle was dense; even during daylight, it was dimly lit. A dozen giant Fire Ants with wings led the way ahead of them, surrounded by an unusual hazy red glow. Clearly, they had also benefited from the Fire Essence. These were no ordinary worker Fire Ants; their flying speed was extraordinary, as fast as arrows released from bows.
They were very familiar with the destination, moving without a hint of hesitation or pause. They traversed dense forests with no paths and crossed several small rivers. By noon, the Flying Generals began to slow their flight speed, occasionally buzzing around the faces of Li Hong, Chu Xi, and Chuxiong. Although they could not understand the sounds, Li Hong felt that they were intelligent creatures, seemingly warning them that they were nearing their destination and to be cautious.
Li Hong quietly instructed Chu Xi and Chuxiong, and the three of them summoned their magical artifacts, remaining vigilant.
The terrain gradually lowered as they entered a river valley. This valley had recently experienced flooding, and even now the water level was still quite high. The central riverbed was deep and murky, with water overflowing its banks and flowing throughout the valley, while the water in some areas was extremely clear and shallow. The dark forest was filled with the sound of flowing water, but there were no sounds of insects or beasts. The Fire Ant Flying Generals flew slower here, their antennae constantly moving.
Li Hong could not discern anything unusual about this river valley; his mind was still occupied with thoughts of that strange Fake Tree.
That Fake Tree was undoubtedly man-made. Although he could not clearly identify the surface material, Li Hong had already vaguely guessed what it was made of internally. A question lingered in his mind, one that made him anxious: who would create such a precious tree that produced Jade Liquid in such a desolate wilderness? After crafting it, why would they leave it unattended and let a Queen Ant benefit from it?
There must be more secrets hidden within that Fake Tree.
As he pondered about the Fake Tree, Li Hong's heart tightened as he looked down at his feet.
The three of them were flying close to the ground, just a foot above the water's surface. Li Hong distinctly saw a shadow lying motionless among the deep green aquatic plants below; it seemed to be some kind of strange beast. However, it lacked any sense of life—it was an inanimate object.
Li Hong bent down to reach into the water. He touched the head of the strange beast; its surface was slippery and cold. With a gentle pull, he brought the entire object out of the water.
Now clearly visible, it was a stone sculpture of a strange beast, about a foot long, crouching on four legs. It was difficult to identify what kind of beast it represented; one could only say that its two large eyes resembled those of a lion. Its body was covered in moss and mud, making it appear dirty and dark purple-black. It seemed to be crafted by a skilled artisan; its lines were smooth and lifelike. Once out of the water, its large eyes sparkled with a jade-like brilliance as if it were alive, making everyone feel as though the Stone Beast was staring back at them.
Li Hong felt a surge of excitement and wiped away the mud from the surface of the Stone Beast. The grime vanished completely, and he held it up to the sunlight. After just one glance, he was astonished.
"Ancient God Forbidden Stone Beast!" Li Hong recognized it immediately.
It turned out to be a Black Jade Forbidden Stone Beast crafted by the Ancient God! Entirely black and translucent, its material was precisely what the Ancient God favored—Black Jade. This was originally an artifact made by the Ancient God!
Upon hearing about this little Stone Beast's origins, Chu Xi immediately became tense. "Will holding it trigger any mechanisms?"
"It won't," Li Hong replied confidently, pointing at the center part of the small Stone Beast. "This Stone Beast is already damaged or rather has lost its function. The Ancient God often used these Forbidden Stone Beasts to guard their temples; there were two long rows in front of the ancient Center of the Celestial Field's Restrictions palace. I didn't expect there would be one here too."
As they spoke, Li Hong's expression changed, and Chu Xi and Chuxiong mirrored his reaction. The three exchanged glances and simultaneously exclaimed, "There’s a Celestial Mansion Map here!" They were both surprised and delighted, quickly continuing to explore further ahead.
The deeper they went, the more Dysfunctional Black Jade Forbidden Stone Beasts they discovered. Li Hong made sure not to miss any, collecting everything he encountered along the way into his Cosmic Bag.
After walking for a while, the terrain began to rise gradually. In the distance, they could hear the sound of rushing water, indicating that their path was always alongside a river. Soon, the trees started to thin out, and as they walked, they suddenly found themselves emerging from the forest.
Before them lay a vast Great Lake, with Clear Water shimmering like emeralds under the blue sky and white clouds. A gentle breeze caused the grass along the shore to sway like waves. Across the lake was a long waterfall resembling a White Dragon cascading down from a cliff; even from this distance, they could still hear the thunderous roar of the water.
The Fire Ant Flying General soared directly above the Lake Surface, and the three followed suit. Accidentally looking down, Li Hong let out an exclamation. The lake was incredibly deep and crystal clear, revealing many long, shadowy shapes at the bottom.
Li Hong said, "There’s something down there; I’m going to take a look."
He parted the water and descended. The lake water automatically receded three feet, not even wetting Li Hong's clothes.
The deeper he went, the more astonished Li Hong became. What deep water! What magnificent ruins!
Even from above the Lake Surface, one could sense the enormity of these ruins, but standing right in front of them made it clear that "grand" was an inadequate description. Even though it was a pile of ruins from tens of thousands of years ago, it still evoked a profound sense of awe deep within.
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