According to the information recorded on the map jade slip, Golden Ant Mountain should be teeming with countless Gold-Devouring Ants. Yet, as Lin Feng climbed halfway up the mountain, he hadn't encountered a single one. This puzzled him greatly. Moreover, Xiaoqiu hadn't signaled anything either, still wholly focused on sensing spirit herb auras.
Just as Lin Feng began to suspect Yu Zhun might have deceived him, Xiaoqiu finally reacted. Its tiny nose twitched, ears perked up, and it stood tall, letting out excited squeaks while staring intently to the left.
"Found it?!" Lin Feng's expression brightened with delight. He immediately looked toward the left cliff face, sweeping the area with his spiritual sense. Finding nothing—likely due to insufficient range—he promptly turned and headed in that direction.
"Qiu!! Qiu!!"
However, after walking less than two hundred meters in that direction and passing through a small patch of stone pillars, Xiaoqiu suddenly let out alarmed cries—its unmistakable warning signal!
Lin Feng jolted in surprise. Without a moment's hesitation, he stopped dead in his tracks and instantly activated his Spiritual Light Barrier. His spiritual sense surged out in all directions, his guard raised to its peak.
"Pop... pop... rustle... rustle..."
At that very moment, bizarre sounds erupted all around him. Lin Feng's expression shifted drastically, a flicker of shock crossing his eyes. He watched as holes suddenly burst open in the numerous large and small rocks surrounding him. From these holes surged forth streams of golden 'liquid'!
A closer look revealed it wasn't liquid at all, but countless golden ants, each the size of a grain of rice!!
Gold-Devouring Ants!!
When Lin Feng had scanned the area earlier, he had only swept past these rocks. It was impossible for him to meticulously probe inside every stone. He hadn't expected the Gold-Devouring Ants to be hiding within the rocks, successfully evading his perception. Even Xiaoqiu hadn't detected them before they launched their assault. Now, erupting suddenly, Lin Feng found himself completely surrounded by countless layers of Gold-Devouring Ants before he could fully react!
Glancing around, he saw surging waves of Gold-Devouring Ants closing in from every direction. Extending his spiritual sense, he discovered that within the hundred-meter radius he could scan, it was nothing but Gold-Devouring Ants! A single Gold-Devouring Ant was pathetically weak. Yet, when tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions gathered together, the aura they collectively emitted was utterly terrifying. To Lin Feng, it felt no less intimidating than facing a Level 3 demon beast.
In the blink of an eye, the countless ants had swarmed to within a few meters of Lin Feng. It seemed mere seconds remained before he would be completely submerged. Frowning slightly, he glanced upwards, considering using his flying sword to escape the encirclement.
"Hmmmmm..."
Yet, the moment this thought surfaced in his mind, a dense, buzzing drone filled his ears. To his astonishment, he saw individual ants launching themselves into the air, surrounding him from every conceivable angle without a single gap!
These Gold-Devouring Ants... could fly!! Their wings were almost transparent, nearly invisible, which was why Lin Feng hadn't noticed them before.
It seemed escape by air was also impossible. Surveying the overwhelming sea of ants filling his vision, Lin Feng's eyes glinted. His right hand swept forward, and a fist-sized globule of dark red flame materialized before him—his Lava Flame.
As soon as the Lava Flame appeared, a wave of intense heat radiated outward. The ants slowly encircling him actually paused. Lin Feng concentrated, and with a BOOM, the fist-sized Lava Flame erupted violently, swirling outward into a whirling vortex of fire.
"Screeeee!!!"
Instantly, sharp, ear-piercing shrieks erupted around Lin Feng. The Gold-Devouring Ants recoiled as if encountering their natural predator, panicking and trying to retreat. But the distance was far too close for escape. Every ant within ten meters of Lin Feng was engulfed by the spreading flames. The air filled with sizzling sounds and popping like roasted beans, instantly permeated by the acrid smell of burning chitin. All ants caught within the Lava Flame were incinerated to charcoal within moments!!
Seeing the Lava Flame's astonishing efficacy, Lin Feng felt a surge of pleasant surprise. Surging his true essence, the flames roared, expanding several times their previous size, consuming countless more ants. On the periphery, the remaining ants were now frantically retreating, burrowing deep into the ground.
Over ten seconds later, as the roaring flames covering dozens of meters gradually contracted and dissipated, the ground was blanketed in a thick layer of ash. Only the small circle where Lin Feng stood remained clear. Not a single living Gold-Devouring Ant remained.
Even if an ordinary Golden Core cultivator attacked with fire-based spells, the effect on these ants would likely be minimal. But today, they had encountered Lin Feng's mid-grade Lava Flame, their natural bane. They were dispatched with ease—a result even Lin Feng himself hadn't anticipated.
The greatest threat rumored to inhabit Golden Ant Mountain had been solved so simply. Lin Feng couldn't help but feel a touch of pride and felt considerably more at ease as he continued forward.
After walking for another half-hour, traversing almost from one side of the mountain to the other, Lin Feng encountered several more swarms of Gold-Devouring Ants. Yet, with the Lava Flame clearing his path, he faced no real danger. Finally, guided by Xiaoqiu, he stopped before the entrance of a natural cave.
"Inside here?" Lin Feng murmured, a flicker of joy in his eyes as he peered into the dark, seemingly bottomless cavern that even his spiritual sense couldn't penetrate to its end. He stepped inside without hesitation.
He hadn't traveled more than fifty meters inward before he was halted by a 'wall of Gold-Devouring Ants'. This cave was evidently an ant nest. Calmly summoning his Lava Flame once more, Lin Feng instantly filled the passage with searing fire. He forged a burning path through the living barrier, pressing slowly deeper into the mountain.
After advancing another few dozen meters, surprise washed over Lin Feng. Unlike the swarms encountered outside that fled wildly at the sight of his exotic flame, these ants surged forward relentlessly, like moths to a flame. The deeper he went, the more ants poured out, their frenzy seeming to intensify with every step.
"An ant colony nest..." Lin Feng's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Could it be... there's a queen inside?!" It seemed likely that a leader of this Gold-Devouring Ant colony resided deep within this cave. Now, he, the 'intruder', had penetrated their very heart. That explained their desperate, suicidal attacks.
"SCREEEEECH!!!"
Just as Lin Feng had this thought, an incredibly loud, shrill shriek tore through the depths of the cave—the unmistakable cry of a Gold-Devouring Ant, but amplified many times over. It was filled with rage and terror. Simultaneously, a powerful aura erupted into Lin Feng's perception.
"Late-stage Level 3?!" Lin Feng's expression tightened. He sensed the aura's strength had reached Level 3, Stage 7. He immediately slowed his pace, his vigilance soaring to new heights.
What happened next, however, left Lin Feng utterly dumbfounded. Following that piercing shriek, the surrounding ants abruptly retreated like a receding tide, as if obeying a command to withdraw. Within a few breaths, Lin Feng's spiritual sense detected no more Gold-Devouring Ants nearby. The formidable Level 3, Stage 7 aura he had felt moments earlier also vanished without a trace.
It appeared the leader of the Gold-Devouring Ants, realizing it couldn't stop Lin Feng, had chosen to abandon its nest and flee.
That it possessed such intelligence... Lin Feng marveled inwardly. This outcome suited him perfectly. While confident in his ability to handle a Level 3, Stage 7 ant queen, avoiding the trouble was certainly preferable.
He continued inward for another few dozen meters, encountering no further obstacles. Finally, he emerged into a natural cavern roughly half the size of a football field. As he stepped into this vast space, joy lit up his face.
There, in the center of the cavern's open ground, a golden light shimmered. At the heart of this radiance lay a partially opened, golden flower bud.
It was the Ten-Breath Golden Ephemera!!