Yellow Court Daoist

In the blink of an eye, two months passed.

Taoyun Peak.

Where the Golden Wave Sect's gate was located.

Sect Leader Jin Jiuxiao sat at the center, with elders standing solemnly below him, respectfully reporting, "Recently, the Luoxia Sect has consecutively promoted three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, one of whom is called Wang Yuan. Wang Yuan was originally the Deacon of the Silver Horn Mountain Medicine Garden of the Luoxia Sect. Following Lu Qingfeng's arrival at Silver Horn Mountain, he started to follow Lu Qingfeng. Initially having average talent, yet he managed to stand out among the many True Qi Realm cultivators of the Luoxia Sect, which suggests he must be highly regarded by Lu Qingfeng."

"After several clandestine tracking attempts, I finally discovered that Wang Yuan indeed still has dealings with Lu Qingfeng. At this moment, Lu Qingfeng is hiding on a small peak not far from the Sky Pit Mine. Concerned about alarming the enemy, I did not rashly reveal myself after confirming his location and have come to report back."

Ever since the upheaval in the Juyun Mountain Range and the beginning of the overt and covert struggles among the Four Sects, Lu Qingfeng, along with Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu, fled to the deep mountains.

Firstly, Demon Extermination Castle lost Silver Horn Mountain.

Subsequent investigations by the three other sects never located Lu Qingfeng.

Two months ago, when the conflict subsided, Lu Qingfeng then settled in the Peak Rain Mountain next to the Sky Pit Mine. Wang Yuan, a mere True Qi Realm Deacon, was not noteworthy. But a month ago, after refining the Vibrant Sun Pill, he advanced to Foundation Establishment.

Suddenly, he stood out from the many inconspicuous True Qi Realm practitioners of the Luoxia Sect.

Following this lead, the whereabouts of Lu Qingfeng were no longer a secret.

"Lu Qingfeng—"

Jin Jiuxiao's eyes revealed a contemplative look.

He turned to an old man standing by his side and asked, "Elder Sun, how do you think we should deal with this boy?"

This Elder Sun, whose name was Sun Li, was one of the two Supreme Elders of the Golden Wave Sect with Body Refining Realm cultivation. More than his cultivation, what Jin Jiuxiao valued even more were his wisdom and meticulous thinking.

He was largely relied upon for significant affairs.

Sun Li's face was full of wrinkles, and his eyes appeared murky, but occasional flashes of sharpness showed he was not to be trifled with.

Hearing Jin Jiuxiao's question, Sun Li pondered for a moment, then spoke with a light chuckle, "The Luoxia Sect may remain, but Lu Qingfeng cannot."

Upon hearing this, the elder who had reported the news immediately wore a serious expression.

"The Luoxia Sect may remain, but Lu Qingfeng cannot—"

Jin Jiuxiao repeated softly, a smile appearing on his face.

...

Sky Pit Mine.

This was a mine deeply recessed into the earth. Most of the minerals were located deep underground, where there was an abundant supply of copper and iron ore, and occasionally precious minerals like gold and silver could be found.

Right in the middle of the mine.

There was an Array that connected heaven and earth, inside which flames surged wildly.

A figure walked leisurely through it, and wherever he went, the flames parted ways to create a path.

It was indeed Lu Qingfeng.

Lu Qingfeng arrived in front of a cave that was empty. Before long, a faint sound arose. Two black ants, each only as long as a segment of a finger, skimmed through the air, scurrying out from the ground, and appeared in the cave.

Upon seeing Lu Qingfeng, they joyfully pounced towards him.

Lu Qingfeng smiled and extended his palm.

The two black ants landed on Lu Qingfeng's palm and playfully frolicked, seeking his affection.

These were the Iron Fire Ants.

It took two months of time.

First, he arranged the Peak Rain Mountain and the Sky Pit Mine, then he carefully hatched two Iron Fire Ant Eggs and constructed the Refining God Array using the methods from the Strange Insect Heart Scripture.

Two months later, the pair of Iron Fire Ant Eggs finally hatched three days ago. Through the Refining God Array, they were tamed and controlled by Lu Qingfeng.

The Iron Fire Ants, as soon as they hatched, possessed no small might.

They could fly in the sky and burrow in the ground, capable of anything.

"Iron Fire Ants."

Lu Qingfeng looked at the two black ants in his hand, feeling their joy.

The fierce and terrifying Iron Fire Ants, in the hands of Lu Qingfeng, surprisingly behaved in such a manner. If Lu Rong saw this, he would surely be astounded.

Lu Qingfeng quietly watched the two Iron Fire Ants as they frolicked.

On their bodies, wisps of faint black flame flickered. Lu Qingfeng pinched one with his hand, feeling the fiery heat of the black flame as well as the strength of the iron fire ants.

He used quite a bit of force, and yet he could only feel their hardness, unable to inflict any harm on the iron fire ants.

"Truly worthy of being iron fire ants."

Lu Qingfeng was pleased internally. These were just newly hatched iron fire ants, nominally mature, but in reality there was still much potential to be unearthed.

Even now, their strength wasn't even one percent of the iron fire ants at their peak.

Iron fire ants at their peak strength, even if a Jiedan True Man took action, would find it very difficult to destroy their divine bodies.

Originally puzzled, Lu Qingfeng, having obtained the "Strange Insect Heart Scripture" and after personally breeding them, came to know of such defensive power of the iron fire ants—it was indeed as it should be—

First of all, iron fire ants are mutant species, ranked ninety-ninth on the Strange Insect List.

Secondly, iron fire ants feed on copper and iron ore, forging steel-like bodies.

Lastly, they are refined and tempered by magma Earth Fire, digesting the copper and iron to construct their bodies.

Thus.

Even such small iron fire ants could possess such defense.

Lu Qingfeng fed them refined insect food, and specially chose a mining area, allowing the two iron fire ants to freely devour copper and iron ores. Additionally, with the Magma Earth Fire and the True Sun Flame from the heavens drawn over, the iron fire ants grew rapidly.

Although they hadn't reached their peak yet, ordinary Energy Introduction and Condensed Liquid Realm practitioners could not easily destroy them.

It was just two iron fire ants, which really wasn't significant in scale.

Nor were they poisonous strange insects; their fierce reputation all stemmed from being part of an 'Iron Fire Ants' swarm.

A single iron fire ant or even less than thousands were not enough to be feared.

Only when they formed a considerable scale, gathered in groups or tens of thousands, did they truly become terrifying.

Black flames joined together to form a massive force.

Tens of thousands of iron fire ants formed spears and broadswords, traversing the Void with great speed and considerable sturdiness. Iron fire ants gnawing and biting would break through any defense.

"Two iron fire ants."

"What a pity they are both female ants."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head.

Two female ants naturally couldn't breed; Lu Qingfeng had hatched two iron fire ant eggs, but couldn't expand the scale of the iron fire ants.

With just two iron fire ants, the amount of refining crystals they could produce was insignificant.

"Although iron fire ants are mutant strange insects, they are still ants after all, with fast reproduction and short cycles. It wouldn't be difficult to make two female ants lay eggs and form a significant scale of iron fire ants."

Lu Qingfeng pondered, "It's also possible to let the iron fire ants go out, find male ants to mate on their own, and then come back to lay eggs."

Through the connection between the same species, it wasn't difficult for iron fire ants to find their swarm.

Lu Qingfeng couldn't move the iron fire ant swarm, but he could let the female ants mate and then come back to lay eggs.

Thus.

His only concern was that there were no iron fire ant swarms in the surrounding Earth Realm or Juyun Mountain Range, or that the two iron fire ants might die en route while searching for their swarm.

"It's still necessary to cultivate the iron fire ants to be strong to reduce the chance of them dying outside."

This period is not long.

The breeding cycle of iron fire ants was already faster than other strange insects.

Ample insect food and copper and iron ore could shorten half the time.

If a Purple Insect Bell could be refined, it would reduce half the time again.

"The original effects of the Purple Insect Bell were heaven-defying, simplified later; it only limits the upper growth of cultivated strange insects. But before iron fire ants reach a certain level, it has miraculous effects."

After thinking for a moment, Lu Qingfeng placed the two iron fire ants back into the cave and left the Sky Pit Mine.

…

Peak Rain Mountain.

Two months had passed, with little change.

Qingyu was cultivating in his cave dwelling.