Ant Lord in the Star Realm

Chapter 819 - 629: Close Encounter_2

Incredibly, it could slide upward along the sheer cliff face, then skim back down along the rock, howling all the way.

Dragon Cypress's "Whirl Beast" had yet to fuse with the Freezing Ability, but that was work he'd have to do sooner or later; following the Kirin Beast Ant King, he started trying as well.

There was a lot he didn't understand, so from time to time he'd climb into the high sky to take a look at the Kirin Beast Ant King.

Watching while learning.

...

Time flew by.

The ten days were up.

They entered the teaching segment for Cloud Mist in gaseous form.

Dark red thick clouds rolled and churned as the Kirin Beast transformed into an Eight-Winged Flying Snake, sometimes racing low, skimming the mountain forests, sometimes shooting into the high sky to roam along the skyline.

The Kirin Beast Ant King was also constantly experimenting, attempting to merge some kind of auxiliary flight Ability of the Wind System into "Kirin."

Dragon Cypress followed along to learn.

He tried to combine Twilight, Vortex Worm, and Hydra Power.

Unexpectedly, the progress was unusually smooth.

Under the stunned gazes of Butterfly King White Crystal, Butterfly King Jacaranda, and Rainbow Parasol Butterfly King, he succeeded in just two days.

Cloud Mist excelled at shapeshifting; the Vortex Worm became an Ant form, while Hydra Power turned into the Ant's Tentacle, six legs, and four wings.

In its Cloud Mist flight form, Dragon Cypress's "Vortex Beast Devouring" was a giant big-headed Ant with a wingspan of four to five hundred meters, somewhat reminiscent of a super-giant, big-headed Ant of the Bee Clan.

The forms of "Whirl Beast" and "Kirin Beast" were completely different, yet in other aspects there were many commonalities.

Dragon Cypress watched and learned at the same time.

Sometimes he hugged close to the sea surface, racing with a howl and kicking up surging waves, sometimes he flew into the high sky and stirred up the winds and clouds.

The ten days quickly passed, and he'd gained a lot.

...

Nightfall descended.

The Kirin Beast Ant King ended the day's training, controlled the Eight-Winged Flying Kirin, and dived straight down into the deep sea.

Rainbow Parasol Butterfly King fanned its wings; its figure flickered, flashing as it approached Dragon Cypress.

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, hurry, it's starting!"

"It's starting?"

"Didn't you want to see the 'Devouring' of the Sea Beast Devouring Ability? Hurry up! If you miss it, you'll have to wait another month."

"Oh—"

Dragon Cypress controlled the giant-headed Ant in Cloud Mist form and rose straight up.

Rainbow Parasol Butterfly King stuck close behind. "Over there! Northern waters of Blue Island! The disturbance is especially small, you've got to look carefully!"

Following Rainbow Parasol Butterfly King's guidance, Dragon Cypress activated Scorching and Super Brain Ability to search.

The night wind howled; over the vast sea, waves rolled endlessly.

Very soon he detected an abnormal movement: a surge of waves rolling southward against the swell.

Dragon Cypress exerted himself to unleash the Scorching Ability, capturing information from the light source below the sea and combining it into a blurred image.

A ferocious giant head, mouth wide open.

A slender body like a sea serpent, swaying and darting about.

—Hunting!

Dragon Cypress came to his senses.

During the full month of training, the Kirin Beast Ant King and his subordinate Assistant Kings and Ant Army had not eaten.

And right now, the Kirin Beast Ant King was using the Devouring Ability to feed the group.

With a giant head disproportionate to its body and a gaping mouth, it swallowed all the fish and shrimp along its path in one go, then quickly digested and dissolved them.

Kirin's biomimicry degree was close to that of living Life; it could store the prey it caught inside its body and, for a long time, continuously nourish the Ant King, Assistant Kings, and the Ant Army under its command.

—An Ability similar to Refinement!

—Something like blending Refined food into fresh Water?

—Tracing it back to the source, it's the same Ability, but used differently, manifesting utterly different properties.

—Does the Dominating Throne have some connection to the Ocean God's Scepter?

—They appeared in the same Origin Force Era, maybe on the same Starship, or the same batch of Starships; in any case, their origins are connected...

—What kind of ties are there between the Civilization called "Jungle" and the Creator Civilization?

—They're definitely connected!

Dragon Cypress pondered, certain in his heart.

But,

with only a blurry image, he couldn't see clearly, let alone understand the exact Primordial Energy nature of the "Devouring" in the Sea Beast Devouring Ability.

And that was the most critical question.

Dragon Cypress was very confident that as long as he could get close enough to feel it directly, he'd be able to imitate it.

Dragon Cypress calmed his mind and observed Kirin's cruising path.

It continued northward, seemingly without concern.

Butterfly King White Crystal and Butterfly King Jacaranda came closer.

Dragon Cypress asked, "Butterfly King White Crystal, when that guy goes out to hunt at sea each time, roughly how far south does it go?"

Butterfly King White Crystal said, "Not sure. If the sea is rich in food, it turns back to the island after cruising about a hundred kilometers. If it doesn't catch enough, it'll swim farther south. At most it might reach 200 kilometers, getting close to our side."

Rainbow Parasol Butterfly King said, "But it won't bother with us. It knows very well that in the air, it's hard to run into us, and even if it does and kills us, it's pointless—after a few days, we revive again."

Butterfly King Jacaranda reminded him, "That guy's Perception is extremely sharp. It might already have realized that Dragon Cypress Ant King isn't a Saint Butterfly..."

Butterfly King White Crystal agreed. "Dragon Cypress Ant King, you don't have the Feather Transformation Rebirth Ability, so you'd better keep some distance; let's fall back."

Dragon Cypress lightly swayed his Tentacles and said fiercely, "Let's go meet it!"

"Butterfly King White Crystal, Butterfly King Jacaranda, Rainbow Parasol Butterfly King, let's go a hundred kilometers ahead and say hello to it."

Without waiting for objections, Dragon Cypress continued, "There's payment! One Insect, one Life-Extending Divine Good, extends Life by fifty years. Later the Fuzzy Spider King will pay you."

—That guy definitely has Divine Grade items!

—I've always found it strange. The Flame Spider Tribe isn't generous; they'd never spend massive resources to help an Ant King for no reason.

Jacaranda and Rainbow Parasol Butterfly King were tempted yet puzzled, and cast him questioning looks.

Butterfly King White Crystal hesitated and asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, are you planning to get close and feel the 'Devouring' Ability?"

Dragon Cypress twitched his Tentacles in a nod. "Please rest assured, you three Butterfly Kings—if there's any danger, just block it for a moment. I'm sure I can run away."