With its tiny body, the small creature worked tirelessly to accomplish its simple task.
Even though it tried its best to succeed in its task, even if it managed to accomplish something, others might also be capable of doing it. Its lifelong efforts were worth nothing on the grand scale of its colonies.
When facing humans, the simple-minded ant would react on instinct and attack a human if it had a chance. However, its attack could only cause minor discomfort, resulting in a futile attempt.
Thus, for humans, the term "ant" would be an apt word to convey insignificance in the face of true power.
Da Jiu, who had already advanced past the golden core level and become a saint, thoroughly enjoyed his newfound privilege and power. He reveled in it to the point where he no longer identified as human; rather, he saw himself as a saint. Those bipedal creatures that referred to themselves as humans were nothing but fools in his eyes.
With his Saint's Dignity alone, he believed he could conquer the world. However, he was not the sole saint in this world.
Yet, this was understandable, as those who managed to reach the golden core naturally would discover the path to advancement, even in the absence of a clear route before them.
Precisely because of this, the existence of saints was on an entirely different level compared to achieving the golden core level.
When faced with no apparent path, they broke free from their cognitive limitations, glimpsed the truth, forged their own path forward, and created their own futures.
Niu Chang, who seemed somewhat different from his usual demeanor, regarded the overwhelming Saint's Dignity with less interest.
It wasn't that he was entirely immune to it; rather, it just didn't affect him significantly.
'This pressure wasn't as straightforward as physical pressure, qi pressure, or even soul pressure. It operated on its own level. If I were to describe it, it would resemble a natural order—akin to how humans view insects or how gods perceive humans. Da Jiu's cultivation level enabled him to elevate his life's order, resulting in these qualitative changes that gave rise to this unique phenomenon. This allowed him to easily subdue any living being that hadn't attained his level.'
With his usual carefree demeanor replaced by a dimmed gaze, Niu Chang resolved to bring an end to this uneventful battle.
"Fall," he said succinctly.
There were no energy fluctuations or anything of the sort; he had merely spoken a word. Yet, Da Jiu could feel an immense threat in his heart. His mind urged him to leave immediately.
From his perspective as a saint, someone who existed on a higher level as a life form, he could perceive the Laws and see through the veil of this world. What he had heard was just a simple word, but what he saw was something beyond his senses.
As a saint, what had he not seen before? As someone who stood at the pinnacle, what kind of thing could disturb his saintly heart? And yet, now he was facing one.
Even after extending his perception to gain clarity, he was unable to react immediately.
There was no explosion, light, sound, or anything of the sort. Niu Chang still stood where he was. It was only a fraction of a second after he uttered the word "fall" that Da Jiu disappeared.
Using his karmic connection, Niu Chang accurately pinpointed Da Jiu's location. He was currently in motion, rapidly distancing himself from Niu Chang.
"Now you want to run?" Niu Chang said emotionlessly, "Did I give you permission to leave?"
Then his body blurred and left only an afterimage.
The feeling of hot pursuit slowly welled up in his heart. Even after using his best movement skill, he still couldn't easily catch up to Da Jiu.
'This feeling is not bad, it's something I desire. But what's the point if my enemy can only evoke this feeling when they're trying to escape from me?'
The world in Niu Chang's eyes was blurry, and he couldn't discern what or where anything was. All he knew was that he was moving in the right direction according to his karmic bond.
Far from Niu Chang, Da Jiu, who was invisible to the rest of the world, was in a sorry state. His Taoist robe was tattered, with many wounds on his body. Blood covered his body in red, yet it didn't fall to the ground.
His facial expression displayed shock, hatred, and contempt.
'How? How? How?'
He kept asking himself what had just happened.
It remained vivid in his mind, having occurred less than a minute ago. Despite this, he found himself beaten into a near-death state within that short span of time. Not only was the attack intense, but even his saint-level body couldn't immediately recover from its impact.
He had tested this scenario before; regardless of the attacker's identity, as long as they were below saint level, their strikes barely grazed his clothes, vanishing in less than a second.
However, in this instance, he had been pummeled to the point where he began to doubt his invincibility.
"Could that kid also be a saint?" he questioned.
"No! It's impossible!" he retorted.
"No matter how well he concealed his true power, it's highly unlikely for me to misjudge his cultivation level… but how do I explain what transpired?"
As a saint, his mental prowess allowed him to reconstruct every detail before and after the event.
Niu Chang stood with apparent disinterest in his gaze before uttering a single word. This marked the point at which everything defied common sense.
Energy—copious amounts of it—poured forth, extending beyond mere qi and vitality. Saint Da Jiu was left dumbfounded as he beheld such vast energy being not only contained but also controlled.
If he were to liken this energy to something, it would be comparable to the sea. If he had to sum it up in one word, "impossible" would be his choice.
If he dared to share this experience, his fellow saints would brand him as insane. However, the story doesn't end here.
Following the abrupt emergence of this immense energy, it detonated instantly, as if there was no concept of the "next" moment.
The sequence unfolded seamlessly, without apparent steps or attachments.
And if these two events weren't sufficient to label him a lunatic among his peers, the subsequent occurrence would undoubtedly sever his ties and tell him to come up with a better lie next time.
The substantial energy ignited in an instant, yet nothing ensued—no explosion, no light, no sound. It was as if nothing had occurred.
However, as a saint, his perception extended beyond that of mortals.
Within a one-kilometer radius, everything was engulfed in a vast energy explosion, yet it caused no harm, nor did it affect the material plane.
However, it could hurt him as if it were normal, precisely able to fully damage his body as if it were targeted at him.
It wasn't like a punch where someone needed to get close to him, nor was it like projectiles that arrived after traveling towards him. It struck him directly at his core.
"It's as if that boy could directly target my very existence. Not my body, not my soul, but something deeper and more profound," he thought.
Recalling how absurd the attack was, Da Jiu couldn't comprehend anything even after witnessing and experiencing it himself.
A shiver ran down his spine as he felt the person he despised and abhorred the most on his tail.
However, that boy's speed was still lower than his own. Despite this, the boy, who was clearly far behind, managed to chase him in a straight line as if he could sense him.
"What kind of freak is he? How is this even possible?" he wondered.
He wanted to fight back and teach the boy a lesson, but his body, soul, and essence had suffered great damage, leaving him with less than five percent of his true strength.
Even in his current state, he could easily kill any golden cores without a problem. However, facing a freak of nature like Niu Chang was a different story. Even if he advanced and improved his cultivation level to the next step, he would still choose to run away from that freak.
Da Jiu tried his best to suppress and heal his injuries. The damage he had sustained was pure and had no subsequent effects, but it was so severe that he needed time to recuperate.
He continued to flee while pondering his next move. After ten minutes passed and the distance between them slightly decreased, Da Jiu's heart suddenly jumped as he noticed the freak behind him rapidly increasing his speed.
"Impossible!" he exclaimed in shock, trying to deny the truth.
His heart, already in a state of turmoil from the pursuit, began to crumble.
Da Jiu attempted to assess Niu Chang's condition, only to become more horrified by what he discovered.
"That boy actually created a new technique just to increase his speed and chase me? What... What kind of monster is he?"
At a glance, Da Jiu could discern the immense power behind the new movement technique Niu Chang was currently using. It was so potent that Da Jiu found himself doubting how Niu Chang could still survive in such a state.
What was even more astonishing was Niu Chang's rapid improvement in mastering the new movement technique, causing the distance between them to decrease in real time.
An unfamiliar emotion began to creep into Da Jiu's heart, causing his heart to race and drops of sweat to form on his face.
Unbeknownst to him, the primal instinct inherent in every living being surfaced in his mind. For the first time in a long while, to the extent that he could no longer recognize or comprehend it, he was overwhelmed with fear.