Tang Yuan was beside himself with surprise at actually receiving a response. Honestly, he felt his suspicion might have been reaching slightly. Yet here they were with actual contact with the queen of the mound.
It wasn't exactly words he realized as he examined the first message. Instead, it was in the form of feelings, images, scents, and more as if the message was deciphered to obtain the words, and meaning.
It required a few seconds to properly decipher. Her nature was different from his own in how she saw the world. She was trying to get his attention in a way. Finally, he tried his best to compose and send a message of his own.
A few moments later he received a second message. It was almost like sending a text message in his past life, if more vivid.
As he examined this message the sense of authority was layered into it. A subtle hint in the message, royalty but not the queen. So perhaps a sub ruler, a princess of the mound under the queen. He sent another message with such connotations as best he could.
Another message arrived quickly in response with agreement. The second part of the message then radiated question. What did they as humans want from them? What was it they sought from their hive? Parts were changed in his own translation yet the message was clear.
Tang Yuan realized that fact easily enough, and more. His previous words weren't likely understood well enough. Thus she asked this question to understand what would get them to leave. It showed that this princess and likely the mound were wary of them.
Considering it for a few moments, he composed a larger message. First the description of the two beasts they sought in the desert. Secondly, he wanted directions to an exit that they would leave from. He made a point to ask for a different exit than the one they entered.
As he waited for the return address he considered what would happen. Either his demands would be accepted or rejected by the other party. Either way, this experience had taught him something. He tilted his head as the awaited message arrived, rather a package.
This message had quite a lot of information compared to the others. He slowly combed through the very detailed amount of information. Not only was there a path out of this place, but also information about their targets.
There was also a subtle context to the message. In his view, it was basically to leave, and never ever return. Of course that was his interpretation, but he felt it was accurate. They really did not want them to be here a second longer than they were.
He supposed that natural considering they were the invaders. Though the fact that they actually acquiesced to his demands meant they weren't confident enough to handle them. With a final message of agreement, he left the confines of his mind.
As he did he found that the tension had not lessened much. The ants had made no move to get closer and had even stepped back. Likely waiting to see what they would do next.
"Alright, I have a way out of this nest now." Tang Yuan says alerting them to his return. He turned to look at them as each of them placed attention on him.
"What happened exactly?" his mother asked. Her words were quiet, and yet he could sense a storm behind them. One that demanded a satisfactory answer, or else!
Tang Yuan had no desire to face the protective wrath of his mother. He supposed he was a little abrupt with his explanation. "I talked with one of the rulers of this mound the princess. She is eager to see us away exit there home, and never come back," he informed her.
Tang Nuan narrowed her eyes at that answer "I see." she said simply.
Tang Yuan continued "I have directions out of this mound, and information on the two beasts." he was a tad nervous she was really seemingly calm about this. Or in the near future, he was going to get a stern or worried lecture to be careful.
Tang Nuan decided to have a talk with her son about this later. She would decide if she should be mad afterwards. For now "very well than lead the way out." she told him.
Tang Yuan decided to try something he had learned from his conversation. He moved close to his mother "Let me try something first." he placed his fingers against her brow as she leaned down slightly.
In an instant, he put all the information together in a package. Transferring it through his touch to her as best he could. The result was slightly clumsy he had to admit, not like the ants. Yet it was an effective first try on his own power.
Tang Nuan blinked as suddenly she knew things she didn't know even a moment ago. It was slightly disorienting to her for a few moments. Though she quickly processed this sudden influx of information.
"I see then," she said as she led their group through the tunnels. She knew exactly where they had to go to get to this exit.
"So why did they let us go so easily?" Bibi Dong asked wanting to know. They had invaded their home and killed their soldiers and workers.
"They knew they couldn't win this fight." Yue Guan said confidently about that fact. Though he was surprised that the soul beasts were so intelligent. Though Spiritual types are naturally strange like that after all.
Bibi Dong nodded, they did have four Soul Douluos after all. Except for a Titled Douluo or Hundred-Thousand-Year Beast, such a group was difficult.
"That was part of it no doubt. Though I doubt it was the sole reason, ants are well known for swarming." Tang Nuan reminded her companions. Though she already had her own suspicion.
"Another reason is likely Senior Bo being with us right." Tang Yuan said knowingly.
"Yes, I thought so as well." Tang Nuan agreed with her son. Seemed her son shared her suspicions in this matter.
Bibi Dong considered that answer, and why that was. Remembering their own battles with ants of the last few days. "Poison is that right, because Senior Bo is a poison master?" she asked the question.
"That sounds about right." Tang Yuan accessed. Poison was amongst the best at killing large numbers easily. That was probably what the ants were wary of the most. Even if Dugu Bo were to die he could self-destruct killing thousands of them. Nor would the remnant poison be easily dealt with by them.
Dugu Bo the one being talked about spoke up. "Those little ones are sturdy, but are highly susceptible to my poison. I can easily kill thousands before feeling anything." he was best with crushing vast numbers of weaker enemies. Though he could fight stronger single enemies as well.
"In the end, the queen or princess simply didn't view it as worth it. So they took the chance provided to them and reduced the loss. We have killed more than a hundred, but that is an incredibly small fraction." Tang Yuan surmised why they could so easily leave this place.
It took them hours before they decided to take another rest. They had made great progress this time, but the distance was also great. They had entered through one of the four surrounding entrances and were heading to one beyond it.
They still had ants stored in their belts from previous battles. So they had cooked ant on this day as well. Tang Yuan could really not dislike that fact considering how it made him feel. He might be able to eat this every day for months honestly.
Unfortunately, they really did not have months to do so. Obtaining a soul ring was far more important right now. The benefits far greater than simply consuming the ants here though they provided as well.
They had been traveling through the mound for several more days. Until finally they began to move upward after finding a vertical tunnel. Now they should be moving within the surface mound area. They had taken a final break within the cool area of the mound before setting off.
They stepped back out into the scorching desert they had missed for days. It had been about a week since they descended into the underground. Not long enough to miss the heat and dryness surrounding them.
This time they had directions to follow, or at the very least possible leads. They had decided to head to target the Golden Scarab first as the closer one. Yet they were still days away from that target.
So they moved along the sands that stretched as far as the eye could see. The days passed more slowly, as was their pace compared to when they were underground. The continued heat just continued to drain their stamina.
As they moved nothing particular happened this time around. Nothing dangerous, but nothing to take away from the common travel. Their days of traveling actually started to blend together as they moved. It was both reassuring and especially tiring for them.
On the bright side, Tang Yuan could resume his Spiritual Power cultivation, and normal cultivation. His Spiritual Cultivation continued at a pace as he felt himself growing steadily. Once again he found himself annoyed that he had no way of measuring his Spiritual Power. He would need to look into that at some point.
Tang Yuan found that as he cultivated under the sun he made great progress. His body was still filled with nutrients from the ants even now. His cultivation would be better over the following days he suspected.
Finally, upon the third day after departing the ant mound, they arrived at their destination. Except for a few rock formations, and the exceedingly rare bush it didn't seem like much. They were between several rock formations now yet no sign of the beast.
Tang Yuan looked around for the creature. He didn't see a sign of it, perhaps it was in the sand. He looked at the Soul Douluo for their own assessment. At least that was what he had intended to do, but.
They all heard the moment as it surfaced from the sand surrounding them. Its body was a dull yellowish gold with only a slight shine. Sand clung to its body perhaps reducing that it's luster. The creature was the size of a small car supported by its six legs.
Each leg was like a massive blade ready to strike down its enemy. Its body was fortified with an armor-like carapace that seemed highly formidable. Its eyes on either side of its head had locked onto them with wariness.
"The Golden Scarab." Tang Yuan identified the creature as a rather old one as well. He noted that parts of its body were a brighter color than others.
Tang Nuan observed the creature determining it to be above four thousand and below five. Continuing to observe it based on what she read she determined it to be at least 4,500 years old. It was a perfect fit for her son's fourth spirit ring.
Tang Nuan turned to Dugu Bo "Dugu Bo, would you have another battle with this guy?" she asked the man.
Dugu Bo understood her meaning immediately. "It would be a good experience, and we will be here if necessary." he agreed to her proposal.
Tang Nuan nodded at him "Children, the three of you will do your best to subdue this beast. Work together and victory will not be impossible. We will intervene if you or the beast are in danger of dying." Her voice was commanding as she sought to instill confidence in them.
Tang Yuan gazed at the creature in consideration, perhaps they would be able to take it on. "Very well we will start as we did before. Remember this one is much stronger than the ants, and far sturdier. Attack." he commands
Bibi Dong acts first transforming as her martial soul possesses her. She quickly activated her first soul skill shooting the poison bubble at the beast. As she moved to face it upfront as the physically strongest of the three.
Dugu Xin begins to move around the large insectoid. Waiting for an opening to make itself known for his attack.
Tang Yuan moved slightly to the opposite side of his friend. Ready to strike when the battle began properly.
The bubble burst into the poison cloud covering the scarab. Yet just as quickly the cloud was dispersed by movement. The poison showed no immediate effect yet.
Bibi Dong moved forward with her second soul skill already active. As she prepared to pierce through its strong carapace armor. One of her spider's legs moved quickly to do just that.
The Scarab brought one of its own much larger legs up. The leg met the soul skill in defense like spears clashing against each other. The scarab found itself surprised as it found itself in a deadlock.
Bibi Dong found herself surprised as the skill was so easily countered. This thing "it's very strong you two attack it while you can." she informed them both as she was forced to step back. It was winning the exchange as it adjusted its strength.
Dugu Xin took the chance "Jade Phosper Bite Strike." he unleashed his third skill, which had the strongest attack. He rushed forward sinking projected fangs into the distracted beast.
Tang Yuan swings his hammer with abandon attempting to stack his combo. In a span of a few moments, his strikes climb "2, 3, 5, 7, 11," he counts the attacks out loud as they land on the beast.
The Golden Scarab finds itself besieged from three sides. Finally, its leg begins to glow a gold color as it attacks. The deadlock is broken in a moment as it forces Bibi Dong away. Moving its body to deal with the other two its leg is ready to slash them apart.
Dugu Xin had already stepped away from the creature. He looked for another potential opening for another attack. "My soul skill can pierce its armor, but not deeply enough," he shouted.
Tang Yuan allowed his footing to slip on his latest attack. The recoil sends him backwards as he takes advantage of it to retreat. As the leg came sweeping like a sword slash as a yellow arc. He stops his backward movement quickly after moving back a few feet.
Bibi Dong recovered quickly from the short exchange. She moves quickly he leg transforming once again into her second skill. Aiming to pierce the Scarab's body while it was distracted. The leg lands upon the creature's hard carapace with a bang.
As the creature swung its leg at her she stepped back. Glancing at the point of impact she saw little damage. Like the hole left by a small nail in wood. She wondered if her poison would be able to affect its body from such a small wound.
The Scarab tensed in irritation at the wound it suffered. These humans had managed to wound his body. Especially that one it thought gazing at Bibi Dong in anger.
With slight tensing of the scarab's body, it prepared itself. Then it dashed forward at high speed aiming for Bibi Dong. Its forward legs are like spears ready to pierce through her body if the scarab could.
Bibi Dong quickly moved away from the charging beast stepping to the side. The large scarab misses her by a few inches. She drove another spider lance into the side of the beast as it paused.
The scarab moved away from the strike with surprising dexterity. As the shallow blow glanced off its body with little force. It repositioned itself to try to strike her down as the greatest threat to itself.
Tang Yuan swung his hammer at the unprepared Golden Scarab. He had snuck up behind it, and let the beast have it. A dozen blows landed on its tough armored carapace.
The scarab found itself annoyed as energy circulated through its body. It spun around in another arc with its blade forcing them back. Before its outer wings rose, its softer wings lifted its large body into the air. A soft golden glow surged to cover its body in a thin layer of power.
Tang Yuan no stranger to such things "Move away from it now." shouted as it hovered in the air. He was proven right quickly as it came crashing down from its height.
As the scarab came crashing down the impact was far greater than it should have been. The force radiated outward like a large boulder or hammer strike. The impact seemed to extend slightly beyond its own body.
Tang Yuan watched with interest that would probably be a soul skill he might get. It seemed to be an attack that increases the slam's impact. It seemed fairly straightforward as an attack if potentially devastating. He thought as he moved forward to strike the beast once more.
Tang Yuan's hammer hit the beast once again with great force. Dugu Xin used his third skill sinking his fangs into the beast once more. Bibi Dong hit it with two spider lances one landing on its shell. As she pulled the first back he thrust the second blow at the small wound.
The Scarab screeches in pain as it was damaged by Bibi Dong. A stronger Golden light formed from its body being shaped into something. A shield blocking Tang Yuan's blows in golden light.
Tang Yuan not one to surrender strikes the shield several more times. The shield quickly begins to crack as his hammer hits it. A little too fast in fact, suddenly the shield cracks far more severely. Until then shield bursts apart towards himself?
Tang Yuan is barely able to ready himself before the fragments of the shield hit him. Suddenly he finds himself being sent backwards from a powerful force. The shield seemed to be both a defense and an attack. A fairly powerful attack as well having faced it himself.
Tang Yuan was nearly sent flying from the recoil of the shield breaking. Slamming his hammer on the ground to slow himself. His hammer and the soul power wrapped around him absorbed most of the damage. Still, he would need to be careful of that one.
The Scarab faced Bibi Dong trading blows in clashes of legs. Bibi Dong was holding her own against the creature. Each exchange was her countering its aggressive strikes with her lances. She could not gain an advantage, but she wasn't losing outright.
Tang Yuan moved to the side where Bibi Dong had injured it most. Drawing a long dagger he drove it into the wound as much as possible. Then moving fast he swung his hammer at the loose lodged dagger. Even as he stepped back from the soon-to-be mad creature.
The Scarab goes into an absolute frenzy at that wound. As actual blood begins to drip from its wound. It turns to Tang Yuan the source of these pains as a Golden aura emerges from it. It charges at Tang Yuan its large horns ready to eviscerate its enemy.
Bibi Dong not one to let that go unpunished, unleashed a blitz of her second soul skill. The blows land on the Scarab's carapace as multiple wounds appear on its body. As the grouping of wounds affects it cracks begin to spread on the shell.
The Golden Scarab senses major danger escaping the attack. Before opening its wings to try to escape. This battle had gone too far, its injuries were too severe. It was prepared to escape from this battle while it still could.
Tang Nuan had been watching closely and was more than satisfied. "Thats enough you three good job," she spoke even as she jumped into the air.
The force of her jump sent her sailing high into the air with dangerous force. She timed her jump perfectly instantly arriving before the fleeing injured Golden Scarab. Then she moved her hand slowly clenching it into a fist. With an almost lazy casualness, she hit the beast with an almost slow strike.
When the fist hit the creature it went crashing into the desert sand. Upon looking at it the creature was an absolute mess now. Its wings had been destroyed, and its powerful carapace that had taken all of their attacks. It had been shattered like an eggshell almost.
Tang Nuan landed on the sand from her jump with surprising elegance. "Xiao Yuan, it's severely injured, now go while it yet draws breath." she hurried the stunned Tang Yuan along.
Tang Yuan nodded moving over to the downed Scarab. He brought his hammer down on another knife driving it into its head. As the creature breaths its last a purple soul ring emerges from the creature.
The soul ring was a much deeper purple than his second had been. It was also larger to match its shade circling around the Scarab. Tang Yuan sat down in meditation next to the scarab as he began. Taking a few minutes to recover as much as possible, he began.
The ring came to circle him as he began to draw the power to himself. Purple streams flowed into his body steadily as he began to cycle it. The energy was incredibly rich and condensed, nothing like his second ring.
He cycled the energy in his body in high amounts as he sent it through every inch. It flooded his meridians like an unending flood yet he controlled it. Finishing the first cycle quickly as it re-entered his dantian.
Then he felt it as he stepped into his Mental Palace on guard. He was aware of how this would go after all. The remnant would not make this easy. He had no idea how strong it would be compared to his previous experiences.
Then his gaze fell upon the Scarab's remnant will yellow form. It was like a vicious thick gas almost like liquid gold. It was rather stable compared to the Golden Lightning Leopard, and seemingly tangible.
Tang Yuan immediately felt the pressure he had come to expect in absorbing a soul ring. More intense than previous times. Yet, he felt little trouble from this form of attack now. He had grown quite a bit since then even with the difference in power.
Then the yellow phantom seemed to ripple as a new tide came crashing forth. Stopped in its tracks by the Mental Place's incomplete defense wall. Then the remnant moved smashing against the barrier in a charge.
Scarabs' remnant tried again and again to destroy the barrier. Trying to destroy the defense with its legs, horn, or body. Tang Yuan felt slight trouble from the attacks, the wall would eventually break. He was confident though it would be a while.
He decided to try something while he had the chance. Drawing forth the Spiritual Power he had ready for offense. The energy gathers above his Mental Place before he brings it all down on the Scarab. Unprepared for this retaliation the remnant was crushed into the ground.
The pressure faded as he did so, no rather it receded into this remnant. As it did he felt his attack was being countered, reduced in impact. "Oh fighting back are we?" he mused out loud seeing it. That was good it would be a good chance to try something.
He let off the pressure for a moment as the Scarab seemed almost confused. Then he brought it down again and repeated like the swinging of a hammer. The remnant tried its best to defend from the strikes, until it stopped.
Than Tang Yuan transformed the power into the form of lightning. Sending it raging at its target. The imagined lightning struck the Scarab with massive destructive power. He had already practiced this before, but only now could he test it.
When his two experiments finished the form of the Scarab had become less tangible. His mental attacks had been highly effective if brutally direct. Though he supposed direct methods would always be an option.
Tang Yuan continued his experimentation with more advanced and subtle methods. The Golden Scarab was at a major disadvantage against him. It simply lacked experience or proper insight to face him. Not after spending so much time of his own sharpening his skills if he should face that one again.
Several hours after he began the remnant will simply started to fade away. It almost seemed to have lost any remaining will to fight. He supposed he may have overdone it a bit, or a lot. In mere moments the remnant simply fades away to nothing.
Tang Yuan refocused on the absorption of the ring's energy. It still retained a great deal of power even if that power had turned more docile. He continues to cycle the power in the ring. The hard part had already passed now.
The energy of the ring was rather compatible with him he felt. As nearly another two hours passed the energy of the ring was finally exhausted. Disappearing completely as he began the final few cycles. Sending the energy through his expanded meridians with calm anticipation.
With a final step, the cycle was finished as a burst of power radiated from him. His first two soul rings spun around him as a third larger ring joined them. He had broken through officially becoming a Soul Elder, and he examined his condition. He was currently level 32. Once more, there was something else.
He looked down at his Golden Veined Hammer that had undergone changes. The gold had spread covering more than two-thirds of it in golden veins. Parts of it had darkened in color as well. Perhaps when the gold spread all the way he would experience an evolution.
Tang Yuan found that his body had much improved from before. He looked at his mother with a happy smile. He felt especially happy as she looked at him with motherly love and pride.
Unfortunately, they had to keep moving for now to find a better place for camping. So they moved towards the next target. Hoping to find a suitable place for them to rest along the way. Now two out of three targets had been found only the third remained.
Bibi Dong found herself looking forward to that. A slight impatience being the only one without the third ring.