books44 Chapter 227 Ancient Cave
Chapter 227 Ancient Cave
"Enough!" Brother Qi shouted sternly at the person who spoke!
He then looked at the rogue cultivators and the leaders of the sects.
Behind them, the apricot-yellow trees emitted a dazzling halo, clearly a sign that the ancient cave was about to open.
"We have gathered here today for the sake of the secret realm. There is a time limit for entering, and to avoid causing a disturbance, you are all representatives of your respective groups. Let's discuss this."
Although it was more of a notification than a discussion, Brother Qi's tone was quite forceful, clearly indicating that he wanted his side to come first.
Brother Xiao looked at the group of rogue cultivators with dissatisfaction and disdain: "Why bother discussing it? Of course, we'll go first! Does anyone have a problem with that?"
Qi Ge looked at his foolish younger brother. Could he really say such a thing?
Upon hearing this, the faces of the sect members and independent cultivators present turned extremely ugly.
Although he felt that what his younger brother said was inappropriate, Qi Ge did not think it was wrong.
"Please forgive my brother's rude words, but what do you all think?"
Qi Ge apologized for his younger brother, but the arrogance in his words was impossible to hide.
The group of rogue cultivators exchanged glances. Sister Hua looked at the other rogue cultivator representatives with disdain, a charming smile playing on her lips, but her words carried an undisguised forcefulness.
"I don't think it's a good opportunity! If it's a chance, then the capable should take it!"
With Qiao Song's addition, Sister Hua's team was undoubtedly the strongest among the rogue cultivators present, so Sister Hua spoke with great confidence.
Previously, they did not refute the insults because they lacked the strength to deal with each other individually and did not want to be targeted alone. However, this matter involves the interests of all the independent cultivators.
With so many independent cultivators present, so what if they are being targeted? Once they leave the secret realm, the world is far away. Do you think the other party will hunt them down because of this?
If the other party really does that, then the powerful figures among the rogue cultivators will not sit idly by; that would be breaking the rules.
Someone spoke on behalf of the independent cultivators, and the rest of the independent cultivators gathered around Sister Hua, all their eyes turning towards the aristocratic families to show their support for her.
Feeling humiliated by Sister Hua's words, Brother Qi looked at her with cold eyes: "I hope your strength matches your words. Don't die in the secret realm!"
And what about you? What are your opinions?
After making the threat, the other party looked at the sect representative on the other side, but the sect representative was not afraid of the aristocratic families at all.
Although they are not among the five major sects, they are not without elders behind them. Their previous silence was simply because they did not want to get involved in the conflict between aristocratic families and rogue cultivators.
"We think the flower fairy is right. What do you think, Young Master Shang?"
Are you kidding me? This is an undeveloped ancient cave. Whoever gets there first will have the upper hand. How can we let them take it over with just a few words? They're dreaming!
Seeing that the representatives were showing no respect, Brother Qi was furious and sneered repeatedly: "Fine! Fine! Since you're so disrespectful, I'll see just how much strength you really have."
Qi Ge's negotiations failed, and the aristocratic families, who had thought they had it in the bag, looked at the two sides with anger in their eyes and wanted to teach them a lesson.
However, they were met by a united group of independent cultivators and sect representatives. Dozens of Golden Core stage experts were staring at them, outnumbering the Golden Core stage cultivators from their own families.
Although he was still indignant, he dared not speak or act again.
If a fight breaks out, they will definitely be at a disadvantage.
Cheng Jiu and his three companions, who were not far away, had certainly had their fill of watching the spectacle and enjoying the gossip.
Watching the apricot-yellow tree dissipate in place, turning into a vortex of white mist.
"rush!"
With a command given, the cultivators used their own methods to fly towards the vortex, their figures disappearing into it.
Cheng Jiu and his three companions also quietly blended into the large group.
Stepping out, you'll find yourself on a lush, green lawn.
"It's actually a hidden realm on land!"
Sensing the abundant spiritual energy here, Cheng Jiu looked around curiously. The secret realm was a random teleportation system, and only Cheng Jiu landed here, while Senior Sister Yingyue and the others were teleported to other places.
Random teleportation like this really tests one's luck. Cheng Jiu was one of the lucky ones. Not only was the place she was in safe, but she also saw many spiritual herbs and plants along the way.
In the secret realm, only Cheng Jiu and three others were at the Nascent Soul stage, so Cheng Jiu was not worried about the safety of his senior brothers and sisters.
Even though Wen Sishu and Liu Shaoyuan are not good at fighting, they are still dominant forces in this secret realm.
Even if they encounter real danger, with their alchemy furnaces, they can either fight back or escape.
Cheng Jiu was very relaxed. She hadn't seen many high-level demonic beasts along the way in this secret realm. The strongest one she had seen was only at the Golden Core Realm. She walked around, stopping occasionally, picking some spiritual herbs, just like a leisurely stroll.
"Help! Help me!"
She walked for a while without seeing anyone. Suddenly, she seemed to hear a cry for help. She looked around, but apart from some low-grade spiritual herbs and demonic beasts, she saw no one else.
"Help! Is there anyone kind enough to help me?!"
Cheng Jiu scanned the area with her divine sense and couldn't help but chuckle. She wondered why she hadn't seen anyone, but the person was right under her feet.
Rather, it was more accurate to say that she was hanging from the insect burrow beneath her feet, bound tightly by some inexplicable transparent threads, clearly being used as a food reserve by an unknown monster.
Judging from his still energetic appearance, this monster is quite particular; it likes to eat live prey.
Cheng Jiu did the math. They hadn't been in the secret realm for very long, so how did this unlucky guy get caught and hung up?
The underground caves are interconnected, each with its own unique purpose, and they all look very exquisite.
Cheng Jiu continued to probe downwards with his divine sense, searching for the true owner of this cave.
A small creature, entirely crimson with black horns on its head and a dark blue tail, carrying a fleshy ball on its back, appeared in her spiritual vision.
A green-tailed ant in the late stage of Qi Refining.
The other party suddenly looked up, and the antennae on its head moved rapidly in the air, as if it had sensed something was wrong.
However, its strength was too weak to detect Cheng Jiu. After a moment of doubt, it continued to busily move food around the cave.
Cheng Jiu's divine sense followed it downwards, and soon it arrived at a huge cave. On either side of the cave were two larger blue-tailed ants, guarding the cave like sentinels.
Upon seeing it approach, the thick horn quickly tapped against the other's horn twice to confirm its identity before accepting the meatball it offered.
After delivering the meatball, the little green-tailed ant quickly returns to continue transporting food, busily going about its business day after day.
Not long after it left, an even larger ant crawled out of the cave, took the lump of flesh with its powerful pincers, and walked into the cave.
Their queen is covered in a transparent keratin layer, layer upon layer, as if trying to envelop it completely!
It wasn't laying eggs, but its body kept writhing, its ruby-like eyes gleaming with an undisguised ferocity. When it saw the lump of flesh offered by its male lover, it swallowed it fiercely.
It's obvious that the opponent, at the peak of the Golden Core stage, is about to break through!
Now, it is extremely eager to consume blood to accumulate strength, and in order to ensure that its breakthrough can proceed smoothly, this colony of green-tailed ants has stopped hunting and is using its stored blood.
Once the enemy breaks through and their supplies are exhausted, the green-tailed ants will frantically clear out the nest to stockpile food.
Ants are very united, and most of them are still in the foundation-building stage. Once they swarm out, it is no less than a small-scale animal tide.
Those cultivators who entered this secret realm to search for treasure were in dire straits; almost no one could withstand the swarm of ants.
The queen ant seemed to have sensed something and sent out a threatening signal into the air.
The queen ant was so restless, while the ant guards, who had been diligently protecting her in the cave, were pacing anxiously around the cave, trying to detect any signs of danger to her.
Not only them, but the signal spread very quickly, and the entire Green-tailed Horned Ant colony became agitated, taking defensive measures around the queen to ward off the unknown enemy.
Cheng Jiu looked at the sea of consciousness that was now the size of a bean. Come to think of it, she had never tried a mental attack before.
With a slight movement of his divine sense, he pinched it, and the sea of consciousness, the size of a bean, was instantly extinguished.
The queen ant's originally fierce red eyes gradually dimmed, and the entire ant remained motionless, its ever-increasing aura also stopping and disappearing.
After a while, a green-tailed ant, sensing something was wrong, cautiously approached the queen.
The black antennae carefully tapped the queen ant's white, keratinized body, confirming that the queen was completely dead.
They were stunned for a moment, then let out a sharp shriek. Their king had been assassinated right under their noses!
The entire anthill descended into madness.
"Hey! What's gotten into those ants now?"
The unfortunate ant, tied up in the anthill and used as food for the green-tailed ants, also noticed that the entire anthill was abnormal.
This is manifested in the ants frantically scurrying around in the cave, not caring even if it destroys their carefully constructed castle.
One cave after another collapsed, and even the cave where he was tied up began to sway precariously.
Even more terrifying is that they not only destroy caves, including their own stored food, but also devour it all, engaging in suicidal self-destruction.
And the ants that die or are injured in this self-destructive process will be mercilessly devoured by their companions.
"It's over, it's over! Mother, your son is unfilial! I'm afraid I can't go back."
"Heaven above, if I am fortunate enough to be saved, I will certainly not be so willful in my trials, and I will obediently inherit the family business."
Just as this young man was lamenting that his prime years were about to end prematurely.
Cheng Jiu gently rubbed his aching forehead. Although the spiritual attack was successful, his sea of consciousness felt as if it had been hit hard by a sledgehammer, and it hurt terribly.
After taking a calming pill, the green hairpin on the top of her head slowly released a cool aura, instantly soothing her somewhat chaotic mind, which returned to normal in the blink of an eye.
It's best to be cautious about attacking the sea of consciousness.
Listening to the boy's last words at his feet, Cheng Jiu couldn't help but roll his eyes. This unlucky guy was really dramatic.
However, Cheng Jiu didn't ignore him. The main reason was that the kid wasn't annoying, and it was his good fortune that she ran into him.
Cheng Jiu took out the Heavenly Wood Sword. She had long wanted to try wielding sword energy from a distance, so she casually swung the sword twice at the ground.
The ground was flat and undamaged, and the transparent silk threads binding the unfortunate man underground fell off with a rustling sound.
The young man, who had already resigned himself to his fate, was completely unprepared and fell flat on his face.
"?"
The young man, however, showed no sign of distress. He touched himself from head to toe to make sure he was unharmed, looked around the cave, scratched his head, and asked with a puzzled look in his eyes: "Could it be that the old silk left by those green-tailed ants has become worn out? Or did some kind passerby save me?"
Before he could even think it through, looking at the already frenzied Green-tailed Ant, only one word remained in his mind: escape. If he were caught again, he didn't believe there would be another kind person to help him, nor did he think he would encounter another "dilapidated" cave.
As the only active anomaly in the cave, the young man immediately attracted the attention of all the ants in the cave.
The death of the queen had driven these ants to madness. Although the young man did not have the power, they were obsessed with the idea that he was the one who killed their queen.
The unlucky young man: "?"
Seeing the red eyes fixed on him, he couldn't help but smile wryly and raise his hand, his tone tentative: "Brothers, if I said I was just passing by, would you believe me?"
The only response he received was a swarm of ants that kept charging up.
We've just escaped one wolf's den only to fall into another! Help!
The young man burst into tears, turned around and ran away frantically. What bad luck he had!
Teleported by the secret realm, they landed directly in the food storage of this group of green-tailed ants. Coincidentally, they also encountered green-tailed ants that came to the storage to collect blood food.
The young man, already immobilized by the transparent threads, was powerless to resist. He was hoisted to the cave ceiling by the green-tailed ant and bound even more tightly.
Even if he becomes the enemy's food supply, at least he's still alive, and the enemy doesn't want to kill him so quickly.
They were on the verge of escape, but ended up getting caught in the eyes of these crazed ants.
They were being chased around like dogs.
All he could say was, "What bad luck, what bad luck, what terrible luck!"
Cheng Jiu, however, was unaware of the misfortune that awaited his opponent. After cutting the silk threads binding him, Cheng Jiu left with his sword on his back.
As for what happens next, we're just casual acquaintances, and it's enough that she's willing to lend a hand.
Little did they know that after being rescued, the other party would re-enter a new round of underground parkour.
The green-tailed ant underground should be the overlord of this plain. Apart from a few herbivorous demon beasts that are at the Golden Core stage, there are very few carnivorous demon beasts, and those that are are only at the Foundation Establishment stage.
This place seems to have become a pasture for the ant colony underground.
After walking quite a distance, having left the territory of the Green-tailed Horned Ants, the area before them was even more vibrant and lush than before.
At least there are more demonic beasts, but the number of spiritual herbs has visibly decreased, while the number of rare spiritual herbs has increased.
However, it can't compare to the Wild Flower Sea that Cheng Jiu and the others visited before.
For cultivators outside the five major sects, these are already tremendous opportunities.
"Junior Sister Jiu!"
Yingyue's initial drop point in this secret realm was not far from this grassland.
Whether it was bad luck or good luck, she happened to fall where a tiger beast at the late Golden Core stage was.
Fortunately, she had some skill, and after killing her opponent, she also obtained a sixth-grade spiritual herb, so it can be said that she had a good harvest.
This grassland was much larger than the plain where Cheng Jiu had stayed before. He traveled along, stopping occasionally to gather some spiritual herbs, and that's when he happened to run into Cheng Jiu.
Hmph! Sure enough, she and Junior Sister Cheng Jiu are much more destined for each other than Wen Sishu and the others.
She was the first to meet Junior Sister Cheng Jiu!
proud!