C16 Ants Could Form a Mountain

The sound of rustling grew louder as it approached.

Tiny figures scaled the boulders scattered across Embercrest, their numbers swelling until they formed a mighty torrent converging in one area.

A glint of satisfaction flickered in Chu Haoyun's eyes. For the first time, he was able to actively control the ants within a ten-mile radius. Sensing the multitude of insects drawing near, Chu Haoyun set Qin Bing down and stepped out from behind the rocks, fixing a cold gaze on the middle-aged man before him.

"Hmm?" Surprise flickered across the middle-aged man's face, clearly not expecting the young man to boldly step out of cover and confront him directly.

Chu Haoyun's eyes locked onto the bluefeather in the man's grasp and he demanded icily, "How did you manage to track me down?"

He was genuinely curious. After he had slain the member of the Order of the Skyfeather, he had left no clear trail, so how had this man found him?

"Oh? Wanting to die with understanding, are we? Hehe!" The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. Dismissing the sarcasm, he explained, "You think you can comprehend the methods of the Order of the Skyfeather? But since you're so undaunted, I'll indulge you."

He paused, tossing the bluefeather casually as if toying with a mouse, and declared arrogantly, "Anyone who encounters the remnant feather technique of the Order of the Skyfeather retains a trace of its aura for at least a month. No one marked by us has ever escaped!"

Only members of the Order of the Skyfeather could detect this unique aura, which was why many of them became assassins. Their distinctive approach made it nearly impossible for their targets to elude their deadly reach.

Chu Haoyun's brow furrowed as he instinctively brushed his shoulder. As the swarm of ant-like insects around him grew, a sigh of relief rose from deep within him.

"Why have you come to the lands of the Order of the Celestial Veil, skulking around like thieves?" Chu Haoyun shifted the conversation. He knew that every moment he could delay mattered. Despite his outward composure, he was on high alert, his elementary force waning, his attention never straying from the bluefeather in the middle-aged man's hand, ready to act at a moment's notice.

"You talk too much!" The middle-aged man's gaze turned icy as the bluefeather in his hand radiated a chilling aura. With a swift motion, he transformed it into a streak of cold light that shot forth. Simultaneously, he became a blur, swiftly closing the distance!

Chu Haoyun had kept his focus on the bluefeather. As soon as it twitched, he triggered his Flash ability. His broken sword unleashed a sharp burst of sword energy at the middle-aged man. Twisting his body, he landed on a massive rock, then quickly sidestepped. The bluefeather, like a shooting star, pierced through the sturdy green-brown rock, causing an explosion of energy that blasted the boulder to smithereens with a loud bang.

The middle-aged man's hands glowed faintly with blue elementary force, and he effortlessly shattered Chu Haoyun's sword energy with his bare hands. Without slowing down, he flickered and reappeared at Chu Haoyun's side. He unleashed a palm strike, fierce and powerful, aimed straight at Chu Haoyun's chest.

"Glacial Touch!" Chu Haoyun realized the frightening speed of his adversary as his palm thrust forward, and the broken sword vibrated with the sound of thunderous wind. But the disparity in their abilities was immediately evident. Chu Haoyun's palm strike was effortlessly deflected, and his broken sword was pulverized by the man's fist. The tremendous force of the blow sent Chu Haoyun flying, tumbling through the air before he staggered to a stop atop another rock.

"Smart kid, quick on your feet. But it's time to end this game," the middle-aged man said with a cold laugh, his body's elementary force growing more intense. Lin Beikong's escape had unsettled him; if that youngster managed to draw out the elders from the Order of the Celestial Veil, his own escape would be uncertain.

With a gesture, he launched four or five bluefeathers in a sharp formation. Their keen energy sliced through the air, stripping a fine layer of stone chips from the rocks they passed.

"Flash!" Chu Haoyun used the Flash to move agilely among the rocks, leveraging the complex terrain to evade. Three bluefeathers struck the boulder beneath him, and with a resounding crash, it exploded, sending stone chips scattering. Despite the Flash's speed, there was a brief pause after each activation. He narrowly avoided another bluefeather, only for the rock beneath his feet to disintegrate. A numbness spread across Chu Haoyun's shoulder as the final bluefeather plunged mercilessly into his flesh.

His body trembled slightly as a violent aura threatened to tear him to shreds. In that instant, the Astral Orb within him, previously dormant and illusory, flickered to life, causing the fine threads of elementary force surrounding it to whirl faster. A consciousness surged into his mind! Chu Haoyun seemed to have grasped that peculiar sensation, breaking it down, reorganizing it, and ultimately absorbing it.

Leveraging the impact of the bluefeather, Chu Haoyun swiftly retreated, increasing the distance between himself and the middle-aged man. Without realizing it, he had moved far from Qin Bing. In his body, a wondrous state emerged; the bluefeather on his shoulder shimmered continuously. As blood fell, it was neutralized by an odd power and integrated into his body's meridians. Eventually, the purple strand within his Qi Sea absorbed it, regaining its luminosity and thickening ever so slightly.

"Why is there no reaction?" The bluefeather hadn't detonated Chu Haoyun as expected. The middle-aged man's brow furrowed in confusion as he pursued. His speed was incredible, and in no time, he closed the distance once again. Suddenly, the ground erupted with countless black dots that obscured his vision.

The swirling black specks formed a wave of darkness. The sound of sand scraping filled his ears, accompanied by the hum of wings. The middle-aged man's pupils contracted at the sight of a barrier composed of innumerable Mountain Moving Ants and Flamemaw Ants. In the sky, countless dots converged, blanketing the heavens like a swarm of locusts.

"Venomous Bee Ants?" The middle-aged man's heart skipped a beat. These tiny creatures possessed acidic venom. While one or two posed no threat, the overwhelming swarm before him sent a shiver down his spine.

With a thunderous roar, he unleashed a burst of energy that sent the ants flying. The bluefeather in his hand launched at breakneck speed, scattering like arrows from a crossbow in all directions. Explosions of energy erupted around him, each dull thud claiming the lives of tens of thousands of ants. Smoke and dust billowed, further obscuring his vision.

In the sky, bursts of blue light exploded, sending shockwaves through the air with each detonation. The expanding ripples sliced through everything within a three-meter radius like the grim reaper's scythe, as swarms of venomous bees and ants plummeted to the ground like rain.

Yet, in just fifteen minutes, an even larger horde of ants converged from all directions. They blanketed the earth in a dark mass, resembling a tumultuous tide that tumbled and swirled. Countless ants banded together, forming massive spheres that hurtled through the air. The venomous bees and ants swarmed chaotically, converging on the middle-aged man with fiery determination.

"Relish the moment! Though ants are small, they can muster the force to move mountains. They surge like a tide, engulfing their target!" Chu Haoyun, at a distance, fought to contain his injuries, wiping the blood from his lips. He watched with a cold gaze as the area was slowly consumed by darkness. Harnessing the power of the Glimmering Soul Orb, he exerted full control over the frenzied swarm.

His gaze was fixed on the shattered blade held between his fingers. His entire being was attuned to the fragment, radiating a chilling light that struck fear into the heart. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he anticipated the decisive strike, with the Flash technique primed and ready.

Within mere moments, the spot where the middle-aged man stood had transformed into a vast black mound. Countless ants tumbled over its surface, while the venomous bees and ants spiraled above, occasionally diving into the mound to fill the voids left by the man's powerful blows.