After finishing her meditation session, the queen felt a surge of power coursing through her body. She could sense the world around her more acutely, her senses sharpened by her newfound level of cultivation. Her body felt lighter, her movements more fluid, and her mind clearer than ever before. She looked down at her hands, and she could see the qi flowing within her. She felt a sense of pride and accomplishment at having achieved such a significant milestone in her cultivation journey. She knew that with her newfound strength, she could better protect her colony and help her fellow ants achieve their own breakthroughs.
The two ants, eager to impress their queen, reported to her with great excitement about the village's weakness in terms of cultivators. "Your highness, we know that the majority of the villagers are mortals, with only a handful of cultivators," Wan xi exclaimed. "The strongest cultivator we know was only at the late stage of qi gathering, which is comparable to your battle power before you started cultivating," Wan qing added. The queen listened attentively, nodding along as they spoke. "If you break through to the late stage, your power will be comparable to a foundation establishment cultivator, giving us a clear advantage in taking over the village," the ants suggested. The queen's eyes widened at the thought of such power, and a smile spread across her face. "And what about you two?" she asked, gesturing towards the ants. "We're working on breaking through to the early stage ourselvesand considering our strong bodies compared to the humans...," one of the ants replied confidently. "We believe that this would give us a battle power comparable to a middle stage qi gathering cultivator, allowing us to assist you in your conquest," the other ant added.
The ant queen listened intently to the ants' report on the village's weakness. She appreciated their loyalty and determination to help her, but also knew that they were trying to impress her with their progress in cultivation. She decided to be cautious and not underestimate the village's strength. The queen understood that breaking through to the late stage of qi gathering would make her battle power comparable to a foundation establishment cultivator. She knew that this breakthrough would take time, but it was necessary for their success. She expressed her gratitude to the ants for their hard work and suggested that they focus on their own cultivation while she continued to meditate and cultivate. Once she had broken through, they would attack the village together. The queen also cautioned the ants to keep a low profile and not draw any attention to themselves in the meantime. She knew that they would need to be patient and strategic in their approach to achieve their goals.
The atmosphere in the village was tense and nervous. Mortals huddled together in small groups, discussing the rumors they had heard about the ant-like monster that was said to be hunting them down. Some believed it to be a demon sent from the underworld, while others thought it was a cursed creature that had been awakened from a long slumber. They spoke in hushed tones, as if afraid to draw the monster's attention to themselves. All they could do was wait and hope that their makeshift defenses would hold up against the impending attack.
Days passed, and there was still no attack from the ant creature. The cultivators, who had been nervously waiting for the onslaught, slowly started to relax as the tension left the air. They began to think that perhaps the ant had changed her mind or found another target. Mortals resumed their daily routines, but still spoke in hushed tones about the terrifying ant-like monster that threatened their village. The cultivators, however, remained vigilant, knowing that they could not let their guard down until the threat had passed.
The man from the village had embarked on a perilous journey that lasted for two months to deliver a letter from the village leader to the sect. After finally arriving at the sect's entrance, he handed the letter to the guards, who recognized the village leader's seal and immediately brought it to the village leader's son, who was now a prominent cultivator in the sect.
The village leader's son was named Liang Chen, which meant "bright morning". Liang Chen remembered when he first arrived at the sect, he caught the attention of several elders due to his exceptional talent in cultivation. He quickly became a disciple of one of the elders, who saw great potential in him. Liang Chen trained hard every day, never wasting a moment to improve his cultivation. He had just broke through to the foundation establisment realm and was eagerly waiting to tell his master. As he received the letter from the guard, he was curious about its contents and hoped it wasn't another request for him to return to the village to deal with some mundane issue. With his talent, his master already instructed him to cut ties to the mortal world and focus on cultivation. It only took him 5 years to breakthrough from Qi Gathering to the Foundation Establishment. Which is considered a top talent in the sect. Everyone he knew back in the village will soon die of old age while he lives on. After breaking through his lifespan already increased to 900 years compared to a mortal who's average lifespan is 60 years.
After quickly reading through the letter, his expression quickly changed. The letter detailed the recent events in the village, including the appearance of a terrifying ant-like monster that had yet to attack. The village leader was requesting assistance from the sect in dealing with the monster, as they feared it may be a powerful demonic beast. Liang Chen knew that he had to act quickly to protect his home village, he planned to gather a group of his fellow sect disciples to head back to the village and kill the creature.
Liang Chen's heart was heavy with worry and nervousness as he made his way to meet his master. He knew that he had to tell him about the situation in his village, but he feared his master's disappointment. As he entered the grand hall, he bowed respectfully and presented himself before his master.
His master looked at him with a stern expression and asked, "Liang Chen, what brings you here again?"
Liang Chen felt ashamed and guilty as he replied, "Master, I know I made a promise, but something urgent has come up in my village. A terrifying monster, unlike anything we've seen before, is threatening our lives. The village leader has asked for my help, and I cannot turn my back on my people."
His master's disappointment was palpable, and he sighed deeply. "Liang Chen, you must understand that cultivation requires focus and dedication. You just broke through. Your foundation is still not stable. The mortal world is full of distractions that can lead you astray from your path. You must make a choice, my disciple. Will you continue to be a cultivator, or will you choose the path of a mortal?"
Liang Chen's heart sank as he realized the gravity of his situation. He knew that he could not abandon his people, but he also did not want to disappoint his master.
"I know I have been wrong, Master," Liang Chen said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I had to go back to the village. My father is in danger, and my family needs me."
His master's expression softened slightly, but he still looked disappointed. "Liang Chen, you must understand that to cultivate, you must be focused and dedicated. Look at your senior brother. He may be less talented than you, but he is diligent and hardworking. He only leaves the sect to do sect missions and nothing else. He has not been distracted by worldly matters and has made great progress in his cultivation as a result."
Liang Chen nodded, feeling a pang of envy as he thought of his senior brother's single-minded devotion to cultivation. He knew he had a lot to learn from him, but he also knew that his family needed him. It was a difficult balance to strike, but he was determined to find a way to make it work.
Liang Chen's master sighed and shook his head, disappointed at his disciple's lack of dedication. But he knew that he couldn't change the past and he had to focus on the present. He walked over to a shelf and picked up a dusty old scroll. "Take this," he said, holding out the scroll to Liang Chen. "It's a new technique that I have been working on. It may help you in your journey."
Liang Chen took the scroll with both hands, grateful for the gift. He unrolled the scroll and examined the characters carefully. The technique was called "The Celestial Strike". It was a powerful attack that could harness the energy of the heavens and the earth, and unleash it in a devastating blow. Liang Chen's eyes widened with excitement as he realized the potential of the technique.
"Thank you, Master," Liang Chen said, bowing deeply. "I won't disappoint you again."
"Remember, Liang Chen," his master said sternly. "Cultivation is not just about talent, it's also about hard work and dedication. Don't forget that." With those final words of advice, Liang Chen left the sect to find companions to leave with him, carrying the new technique and the weight of his master's disappointment on his shoulders.