In a wide room inside the spirit beasts' last fortress, stood a young man. It was difficult to see who he was as there were 9 swords rapidly orbiting over him. They moved so precisely not touching between them and quickly that there wasn't any opening to see the young man that seemed covered in a sphere twister.
"Fuuuuu!" The young man exhaled. The swords broke the formation piercing the ground around the young man finally revealing him, a handsome black-white haired young man that of course, it was Bai. At his hands stood a long weapon surrounded by a purple aura that made it difficult to see through. The weapon disappeared as he fell to the ground sitting on it.
He was all sweety and was panting but a smile was at his face. He lifted his right hand, clenching it "With this, I have an opportunity." Bai opened his hand a black aura appeared over it. This wasn't his usual Slaughter, it was the refined result of the ants' aura. From it, a great suction strength could be sensed, capable of absorbing both energy and physical objects. Somehow, Bai didn't find affected by it at all.
1 month had passed since Bai's group came to the spirit beasts' fortress. In this time, Tang San and Chenxiang had helped at Lingling's place that was continuously growing, its vitality aura growing stronger every day as the Life Tree increased its size. Moreover, they also trained themselves with the help of spirit beasts. Mei helping Tang San to strengthen his Blue-Silver Grass Emperor, and Chenxiang learning more about light manipulation from light attributes beasts. Experience was very important when fighting and there were little humans that could compare with long-aged spirit beasts that had lived hundreds of thousands of years.
Xiao Wu focused on searching for her brothers Er Ming and Da Ming. Finally, she found them completely safe over the Wall, making Xiao Wu extremely relieved and happy that nothing had happened to her brothers. They were in charge of shooting down the flying ants. There were very few ants with wings but all of them were kinda strong, at least 10.000 years old. With the ants' defense was very difficult to quickly kill them, but stopping their flight was much easier, so Er Ming and Da Ming mostly used their domains. Er Ming's increase of gravity made them fall to the ground and Da Ming lowered the speed of their wings making it not enough to fly. Once they fell to the ground, it was Mei and Myriad's job.
Talking with her brothers, Xiao Wu also discovered that they almost die being attacked by what they thought was the leader of the ants. If it weren't for Bi Yi's subordinates helping them escape they would have been eaten by the ants. She also discovered that the anthill of the ants was situated where they lived, Lake number 3. After Da Ming and Er Ming were attacked, the ants made it their lair.
For Bai's part, after purified Myriad, he passed all his time training, especially in how to confront the incredible number of ants and some methods to stop Mayi. After this time analyzing the aura, Bai was 100% sure that Mayi was being affected by an external force and she was not in her right mind. He also deducted that it was improbable that she was controlled by someone, it was only that she was in an altered state due to Slaughter City as he could feel the familiar feeling from the City in the ants' aura. Bai speculated that Mayi had turned mad at the City, then she started controlling other ants, infecting them with her madness and making them stronger.
As Mayi was a Ten Thousands Catties Ant Empress, she wasn't only strong, she kept the Fifteen Ton Ant Queen's ability to control other ants. Being an empress, it should have even more power to control other ants, being able to even take control of the others queens, making control the ants of the forest an easy matter,
After much searching, Bai had finally found a solution for that aura, being possibly able to regain her mind. Now that he had a solution and finished his training, it was time to start.
Bai thought that Mayi's state was his fault, so he decided to take care of it alone without the help of anyone. Bai waited for the night to come, as the ants were more active at night while the plants were less, the spirit beasts would be more busy facing them.
Bai hid his presence and went up the Wall. Wings appeared at his back, he wouldn't put anyone at risk, he would do it alone "Let's start!" He said for himself. He flapped his wings, starting to flight towards the anthill.
"Shinx!" Suddenly there was a flash of light, Chenxiang appeared in front of Bai blocking him "Don't you dare to go alone!" Chenxiang said with an angry face.
"Don't take all the fun alone" Behind Bai stood Tang San and Xiao Wu.
"It's also part of our trial, so of course we will help you" Xiao Wu hummed.
"Do you know that it mostly a suicide mission with only my suppositions as the base?" Bai said.
"More for you not going alone" argued Chenxiang "The probability will increase with our help. And don't think for a moment that you will able to free from me so easy." She glanced at Bai decided.
Bai recognized that face from when she promised to chase him. Chenxiang had already made up her mind, making impossible to convince her against. "Okay, you can come." Bai sighed in resignation "Thank you" he said in low voice, truly glad to have people to trust and accompany him in this death and life situation.
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At the Life Tree, Lingling had tried to also go and help Bai but she was stopped by Di Tian. It was also Lingling who warned Chenxiang, Tang San, and Xiao Wu about Bai's plans as she had observed Bai all this time and was sure that he would try something alone.
"Tian, pleas-" "Don't force me to break your legs and plant you here" Di Tian threatened Lingling "You better than anyone know that you must stay here, you can't help him, but" Di Tian said with a serious voice "While it didn't condemn us, we will do something" He looked at Lingling's worried face with a sad smile, even if he didn't accept the other human and would never forgive him, Lingling was completely different and he could accept her as one more "Don't worry"