Immortality: Raising an Ant Queen to Cultivate by increasing stat points

Chapter 395: Chapter 387 Exploring the Branching Path_1

Bubbles kept emerging from beneath, making the lava form pockets that then burst.

It was as if a group of mischievous children were hiding under the lava, blowing bubbles incessantly.

Qin Niu had not easily entered this place, and naturally, he searched everywhere in hope of discovering some natural treasures.

Whether it was him or his wives and concubines at home, they all greatly needed some big opportunities to help them with their early accumulation of power. As long as one person advanced to the level of Immortal Master, the path of cultivation for their entire family would become much easier.

As of now, they were still too weak

They even lacked the means to access real cultivation resources.

Whether it be spells, magical treasures used by Immortal Masters, or even high-level Cultivation Techniques and Immortal Pills, they were all out of reach.

They knew only a little of the many cultivation basics known to Immortal Masters.

As the head of the family, Qin Niu had to assume the role of a guide.

He was the sole reliance of his wives and concubines.

“Lazy Bull, why must you drag me to explore deeper?”

Qin Niu asked Green Ox.

“Moo!”

Its response had let Qin Niu thoroughly understand the true meaning of “talking past each other.”

Because of the language barrier, it was very difficult to communicate with Green Ox.

Qin Niu also wondered if Green Ox was just too young?

After all, he could communicate more smoothly with the Red-eyed Golden Toad and the Diamond Ink Turtle.

Even though he didn’t understand animal language, having formed a mental contract with Green Ox, they could easily communicate through their souls.

The current situation was such that Green Ox could understand what he said, but he couldn’t understand Green Ox.

Having no other choice, Qin Niu could only continue to explore forward following Green Ox.

The air became even hotter, and he started to sweat profusely.

To reduce the injury from high temperatures, he had no choice but to circulate his Cultivation Technique, channeling it into his King Pig Leather Armor, forming a thin layer of protective aura.

Although this aura layer was thin, it had the capabilities to insulate heat, provide defense, and shield from toxic gases.

Fortunately, his Everlasting Spring Technique had already reached the peak of the initial stage of the Innate Realm.

While his Cultivation Technique wasn’t incredibly profound, it would at least allow him to hold out a little longer in such a perilous environment.

After activating the protective aura of King Pig Leather Armor, another benefit was that it could fend off those annoying Giant Fire Bees.

His termites couldn’t withstand high temperatures, and in this environment, only Fourth and some Grade Four Puppet Ants could hold on.

A man and an ox moved forward and after about two hundred meters or so, the cave branched into two paths.

One was very narrow, with the ground full of scalding hot lava that occasionally bubbled up. The other seemed a bit wider, with some black rocks that hadn’t melted, offering a place to step, but it felt dangerous.

The main path in front turned spirally deeper into the ground.

For the time being, some narrow black rocky surfaces were still available for walking.

“Lazy Bull, I’ll go explore that narrow branch path.”

Qin Niu estimated that the width of the branch path was at most not more than two meters, with the narrowest sections being even less than one meter.

The ground was full of scalding hot lava, unsuitable to step on, but he could use his hands and feet to brace against the walls of the tunnel to move forward.

Green Ox watched as Qin Niu leaped directly, and with a few bounds, he reached the narrow branch path.

Then, using his hands and feet, he braced himself against the walls of the tunnel to advance.

After moving forward about eighty or ninety meters, Qin Niu reached the end of this branch path.

At the end, bright red lava was spewing forth like a “spring’s eye.”

After exerting so much effort to come here, he found no treasures.

He had no choice but to exit the branch path.

Feeling somewhat unwilling to let it go, he turned to look at the other branch path.

This path had places to stand, but it was also not very spacious, and Green Ox would probably have a hard time getting in.

Having cultivated the Misty Rain Elusive Step, Qin Niu could try his luck using this set of light-footed skills to navigate it.

With a few leaps and bounds, he entered the branching path.

Feeling an implicit danger, he heightened his alertness and tightly gripped the Ink Blade in his hand.

After advancing about forty or fifty meters, the ground was completely covered in scorching lava, leaving him nowhere to set foot. He had yet to find any treasures and hadn’t encountered any threats beyond the lava.

He stood on a piece of black rock, peering into the depths of the branching path.

He had a feeling that this path could be very long.

However, after traveling less than fifty meters, he could no longer proceed. After all, he had no way to walk on the lava.

Reluctantly, he prepared to give up exploring and decided to inspect the main cave once more before leaving.

At that moment, Qin Niu faintly heard a buzzing in his ears.

Looking up, he saw several Giant Fire Bees swooping toward him.

He felt that these Giant Fire Bees seemed a bit dim-witted. Because not long before, Qin Niu had captured five bees of their caliber, which were now still in the Insect Jar hanging at his waist.

They were purely on a suicide mission.

“Killing a few Giant Fire Bees to feed to the Ant Queen wouldn’t be bad.”

Qin Niu didn’t stand on ceremony and directly had Fourth lead the Termites to launch a Mental Attack on them.

The Grade Four and above Ghost Ants were also ready for combat.

There were around two thousand Ghost Ants total.

Their attack was a Mental Attack, aimed at hurting or killing enemy insects.

Qin Niu cultivated more Puppet Ants.

Because he preferred to capture enemy insects alive, rather than killing them.

Some mystical creatures in the world, once killed, are gone for good.

Some were even one-of-a-kind.

Meaning there was only one of their kind and it was very unlikely to find another one.

“One, two, three…”

As many as seventeen or eighteen Giant Fire Bees ferociously flung themselves at Qin Niu, prepared to launch their poison fog and sting attacks at any moment.

It was unfortunate for them that with Fourth and a group of Grade Four Puppet Ants protecting Qin Niu, they stood no chance of getting close.

They were controlled three or four meters away from Qin Niu.

One by one, they were all captured by Qin Niu into jars.

Just when he thought he had dealt with them all, even more fire bees flew out from deeper within the cave, and there were no small ones—all were of the Giant Fire Bee variety.

He even spotted two larger Giant Fire Bees.

Their color was a bit deeper than the others.

“Come on, entering the cave once, I can’t just return empty-handed, right? Capturing some to cultivate the Ant Queen is quite good. It will help advance her to Grade Seven sooner.”

Qin Niu’s most important creature was always the Ant Queen.

Advancing an insect to Grade Seven was a watershed moment.

It was like when humans advanced to the Innate Realm, only then they are considered to have one foot within the threshold of becoming an Immortal Master.

One by one, the Giant Fire Bees were captured without suspense; for each that came, he took one.

He didn’t even have to lift a finger.

As long as they got near Qin Niu, they would immediately be controlled by the Puppet Ants.

The battle went on continuously.

“Moo~!”

Green Ox, sensing its master under attack, let out an anxious moo from outside the branching path.

In its heart, Qin Niu must be as important as its ‘mother.’

If anyone tried to harm Qin Niu, it wouldn’t stand for it.

Just as Qin Niu was enjoying himself capturing the Giant Fire Bees, he sensed danger. Subconsciously looking up, he saw a dark red fire bee leading a large swarm of Giant Fire Bees flying toward him.