Before Chan Wei's astonished eyes, the scene unfolding was both fascinating and terrifying—a macabre theater performed by monstrous actors upon a wild, shadowy stage.
A colossal spider, nearly three times larger than Simia himself, seemed to glide through the forest with sinister grace. Its nearly translucent body swept away a dozen or so worker ants with a swift slash of its razor-sharp limbs, then vanished into the darkness of the woods with its prey. Towering like a queen of the shadows, it was an implacable predator reigning atop the Silver rank.
On the other side, a massive beetle—twice the size of an elephant—stood devouring ants as though they were mere snacks. Its gleaming carapace reflected the light of the setting sun as it swallowed fifty ants without so much as a twitch. Its raw strength and formidable defense confirmed it to be Gold-ranked, dominating its prey with terrifying ease.
Yet, in the third direction pointed out by Simia, a different confusion reigned. Fifteen oversized ants were attacking the workers with unnerving brutality, carefully avoiding the soldier ants who tried in vain to repel them. Their movements were fluid, their strikes coordinated, but their rank remained a mystery—the ease with which they slaughtered workers was matched only by the caution they showed around the soldiers. It was as if they were a separate breed of predator, evolving on another level, elusive and enigmatic.
Chan Wei's sharp observation finally shed light on the strange dynamic at play. These ants, rather than posing a direct threat to the ruins, actually served as a food source for other, more ravenous species—mere pawns in a grand, complex game of survival and predation.
"Alright, I get it," Chan Wei murmured calmly, a slight smile curling his lips as he turned toward Simia.
Then, with a voice full of resolve, he declared: "We're going to wipe out all the ants in this area, then head into the anthill to find their queen."
As the other predators retreated, satisfied by their feast, only the ants of the colony remained—alone and unaware of the imminent threat looming before them.
Chan Wei began by summoning only the monkey shadows, revealing an impressive army composed of 691 Bronze-ranked shadows, 103 Silver-ranked, and 19 Gold-ranked. The gray monkeys, while slightly smaller than their blue-armed counterparts, made up for it with superior agility and fierce determination.
"Simia, these are your troops. Make me proud," Chan Wei said with a confident smile, trusting completely in his loyal companion.
"ROAR!"
Simia bellowed with such force that the surrounding leaves trembled. He pounded his chest in a primal display of defiance. Then, in a single smooth and graceful motion, he launched himself toward the nearby anthill, his roar signaling the start of a titanic battle.
What followed was the stuff of legend—a symphony of agile movement, wild roars, and ferocious clashes. The monkeys leapt skillfully from tree to tree with astounding ease, while the ants, caught off guard by the sudden attack, scrambled desperately to mount a defense.
The monkey shadows, led by Simia, proved themselves fearsome warriors. Using their intelligence and agility, they overwhelmed their insectoid foes. They were everywhere at once, unleashing chaos upon the enemy ranks and tearing through the ant forces with unwavering resolve.
As the battle raged outside, more and more ants reinforced the troops already engaged against Simia's army. However, despite their efforts, it appeared to be a futile struggle against the devastating force of the monkeys and the relentless strategy of Chan Wei.
Suddenly, a burning sensation on his skin made Chan Wei flinch. He realized it was Little Bai, his small serpent companion hidden within his garments, who had suddenly launched upward. Instinctively, he dodged just in time to avoid being impaled by the razor-sharp leg of the giant spider.
Covered in white flames, Little Bai launched himself with fierce boldness, sinking his fangs into one of the abomination's eight eyes. Meanwhile, Chan Wei drew his sword with impressive fluidity, the blade gleaming in the twilight as he plunged it forcefully into the creature's thorax.
A shrill screech tore through the air as the giant spider, caught off guard, was brought down by the devastating combination of attacks. With a final shudder, it collapsed to the ground, vanquished by Chan Wei's determination and strength—and by his loyal allies.
Chan Wei immediately retrieved the shadow of the colossal creature lying at his feet, intent on making it a faithful guardian in this perilous region. He summoned it with intense focus, channeling his power to bind it to his will.
After calming Little Bai, Chan Wei let him slither back into his sleeve, silently grateful for his swift reaction.
As he scanned the battlefield, he noticed shadows returning to him—familiar silhouettes, though visibly wounded. As he welcomed them back, a hint of concern touched his features: his attempts to summon them again failed. Their connection to his soul realm seemed weakened by the conflict, rendering them temporarily unusable in battle.
Understanding that the front line was now hopeless for the ants—whose bodies piled up silently as grim witnesses to the unfolding tragedy—Chan Wei moved to the rear. He began extracting shadows from the fallen ants, a glint of resolve in his eyes as he worked to maximize his resources to protect the ruins and repel further threats.
Chan Wei quickly harvested the ants' shadows, their weak spirits making the task much easier. The harvest turned out to be immensely valuable: 1,300 Bronze-ranked workers and 572 Silver-ranked soldier ants.
However, with his current limit of 300 Silver-rank shadows reached, only 116 soldier ants could be maintained at that rank—the remaining 456 reverted, unfortunately, to Bronze. Nonetheless, this still expanded Chan Wei's shadow cultivation base, further amplifying his power and strategic options.
Once all the shadows were subdued, Chan Wei turned on his heel and headed straight to the rear, leaving the corpses of his victims strewn across the ground. Though pragmatic, this decision reflected his unyielding determination to avoid wasting time on insignificant spoils.
Observing the weakened ranks of the ants, Chan Wei realized just how vulnerable they were—far more than he had initially thought. The workers, barely Bronze 1-star, were almost insignificant, and even the soldier ants only reached Silver 1-star. This discovery only solidified his resolve to conquer the anthill.
"However, I lost eight Bronze-ranked gray monkeys in this fight, yet they returned to my soul realm. What does that mean?" he pondered silently, his mind troubled by this strange reappearance.
Turning to Simia, he expressed his gratitude: "You've done an exceptional job. Once we return, I'll get you equipped and see if I can keep you outfitted going forward."
"HRI HRI," Simia growled joyfully in response.
Chan Wei then gathered all the monkey shadows, commanding them to return to him with a single expert gesture of his hand. Aware of the massive addition to his army, he set out in search of a safe place to consolidate his newfound strength and assess the condition of his injured shadows.
After half an hour of cultivation nestled between the roots of a tree, the 1,872 ant shadows were fully under his command, posing no risk to his soul realm. As for the wounded monkey shadows, the cultivation session had helped them partially recover, but thirty minutes wasn't enough for a complete restoration—they could not be summoned again until fully healed.
Setting aside the missing eight shadows, Chan Wei re-summoned his monkey army and headed toward the anthill. Upon arrival, most of the fallen ants' bodies had already disappeared, retrieved by the workers into the nest.
Charging with Simia and the others, guided by a lone soldier ant through the maze of tunnels, they encountered almost no resistance—only five struggling worker ants. Most of the colony had already perished outside.
When they reached the queen and the nymphs, something intriguing was taking place. The 15 strange ants from outside were attacking the queen and her last five guards. Most of the nymphs had already been destroyed in the conflict, while the queen—limited in mobility—managed to fight back using her corrosive acid, killing three of the intruders, even as her guards were torn apart by the others.
"Hello there!" exclaimed Chan Wei as he struck down the foreign ants from behind, quickly followed by Simia and the 19 Gold-ranked monkeys. After swiftly ending the fight, Chan Wei found himself face to face with the queen. He hesitated, but he knew she wouldn't survive here on her own.
He ended the creature's life swiftly and harvested her shadow. Though originally Silver rank 3-star, it quickly reverted to Bronze 5-star due to Chan Wei's restrictions. While skinning the creature, he discovered a nymph still within her abdomen.
Chan Wei sat before the nymph and cultivated in silence. Around him, a staggering number of miniature shadows formed, some resting directly atop the nymph. Thousands of blue threads, as fine as hair, connected each shadow to Chan Wei in an elegant web. Under this surge of Yin energy, the nymph gradually swelled with the essence provided by his cultivation.
After three hours of effort, he had successfully raised all his shadows to their maximum star level. "Gold ranks really help boost low-ranking Bronze shadows," he thought with a smile, satisfied with the result of his labor.
The nymph, nourished by Chan Wei's Yin energy, finally hatched, revealing a surprising creature. As it emerged from its cocoon, a tiny head appeared, instantly drawing Chan Wei's attention.
No larger than a flea, the creature that emerged seemed perfectly adapted to its new form. Its entirely black carapace gleamed with a mysterious shimmer, while its ethereal blue insectoid eyes seemed to reflect the depths of the abyss.
Its first move, upon being freed, was to leap gracefully onto Chan Wei, landing with barely a sound in his hair. There, it nestled in, blending into the young man's silky locks and becoming completely invisible to outside eyes—like a shadow in the darkness.
"So I was right—my Yin energy can modify demonic beasts," Chan Wei said to himself, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes as he felt the tiny ant's presence among his hair. "I need to give you a name," he added, letting a soft, curious smile escape.
Reaching out his hand toward the creature, the tiny ant sprang forward with agility, suddenly revealing itself before the astonished eyes of the young man.
"I'll call you Little Nyx, since you're a female," Chan Wei announced, his voice filled with gentleness and respect toward the new arrival. Then, turning to his loyal companion, he added, "Little Bai, meet our new friend."
The snake, poking its head out from his master's shirt collar, curiously observed Little Nyx, its eyes gleaming with interest at the tiny creature.
Inspecting his new companion, Chan Wei was surprised to find that, despite her recent hatching, she was already ranked Bronze 3-star. Her attributes were listed as Chaos/Yin—an intriguing combination that promised explosive potential.
"I hope you'll be more energetic than Lu Piao," he joked, referring to his friend and combat partner, Lu Piao, as he gently stroked Little Nyx. Then, with care, he placed her back into his hair, where she nestled in comfortably.
It was an unexpected encounter, but Chan Wei already felt a special connection with this new ally. He knew their bond would prove valuable in the trials ahead, and he looked forward to uncovering the mysteries hidden within Nyx's attributes and potential—a powerful force in a tiny package.
A violent tremor shook the anthill, rumbling through the ground with ominous force. Chan Wei, accompanied by the soldier ant, rushed toward the exit as the tunnels collapsed around them, forcing them to take numerous twisting detours before finally emerging into the open air.
Once outside, their eyes were met with a breathtaking sight: a colossal beetle, as large as an elephant, fiercely battling two mantises over the last ant corpses scattered across the ground. Its glossy carapace gleamed under the sunlight, reflecting shimmering hues of the forest environment.
The beetle was a massive embodiment of muscle and shell, its powerful mandibles crushing everything in their path. Its movements were surprisingly fast and agile despite its enormous size, a testament to its raw strength.
On the other side, the praying mantises were elegant but deadly predators. Their long, slender bodies bore intricate patterns, and their eyes glinted with a cunning light as they moved with eerie grace.
The battle that unfolded was a deadly ballet—a macabre choreography of lightning-fast strikes and nimble dodges. The beetle, with its powerful blows and impenetrable shell, faced off against the mantises' swift and precise attacks in a clash for supremacy over the anthill's remains.
(Author's note: That's it for this week! Don't hesitate to leave a review to support me. I'm also attaching an image of little Nyx here!)