READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Fire Ants
In no time, over a hundred Fire Ants had surrounded Fang Chang.
The most powerful among them had spirit power of only 60–70 years, while the weakest were just a few years old. But their sheer numbers made even ordinary thousand-year spirit beasts wary.
For Fang Chang, trapped in a muddy pit with his legs still unhealed, the sight of the relentless swarm emerging from their burrow left him utterly panicked.
Once the Fire Ants reached critical mass, they began to move again under Fang Chang's tense gaze.
The swarm formed three neat columns, marching toward him in an orderly fashion.
Fang Chang mustered his strength and let out a series of threatening hisses.
But the Fire Ants, devoid of auditory senses, ignored his display entirely. They continued advancing toward him, heads down and focused.
The lead ants reached Fang Chang's body first. They waved their antennae over his surface, inspecting him.
Once they confirmed he was a viable prey, the Fire Ants wasted no time.
Their massive mandibles, nearly half the size of their bodies, clamped down hard on Fang Chang's armored carapace.
Clink! Clink clink!
The sound resembled a child clashing two rocks together.
Despite their intimidating mandibles, the Fire Ants were simply too weak. Fang Chang's evolved carapace was far beyond their capacity to damage.
Several ants refused to give up, biting down with all their might. But instead of harming Fang Chang, they ended up snapping their mandibles.
Ha! Not even Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer could break my armor. You little pests think—
Fang Chang's smug thoughts came to a screeching halt.
The Fire Ants, realizing their bites were ineffective, began spraying deep red secretions from their abdomens onto his body.
As soon as the liquid made contact with Fang Chang's carapace, it emitted thick white smoke.
The heat penetrated his armor, causing patches to glow red-hot.
These secretions, capable of reaching temperatures as high as 800–900 degrees Celsius, were the Fire Ants' signature weapon and the reason behind their name.
"Ssssss!"
Fang Chang writhed in pain as the burning liquid scorched his flesh beneath the armor.
A charred, meat-like smell wafted into the air.
In desperation, he swung his remaining functional legs at the Fire Ants, trying to knock them away.
While some were sent flying, others simply returned, undeterred, and resumed spraying him.
Worse yet, some ants deliberately targeted areas beyond the reach of Fang Chang's legs.
They climbed onto his back, swarmed under his belly, and continued their fiery assault from all directions.
Fang Chang's HP began to drop again.
The Fire Ants' relentless attacks burned away the gains he had painstakingly made from his regeneration ability.
His already weakened state made it harder to resist, and even his remaining mobile legs were soon overrun.
More Fire Ants continued to emerge from the burrow.
By now, Fang Chang's carapace was dotted with glowing red patches, and his movements grew feeble.
With no other options, Fang Chang shook his body violently, dislodging some of the ants from his back.
He then turned his head and spat out a Poison Web.
The web enveloped about 30 Fire Ants, pinning them to the ground. The venom-laced silk quickly went to work.
"Sizzle! Sizzle!"
The trapped Fire Ants were dissolved into pools of goo within moments, leaving behind only scorched remains.
But the surviving ants quickly adjusted their strategy.
They spread out, staying out of the web's range, and renewed their relentless assault.
Fang Chang spat out two more Poison Webs, but their effectiveness diminished.
The ants avoided grouping, and his restricted movements limited his ability to target them.
HP -1.
HP -1.
HP -1.
Though the individual damage from each ant was negligible, their cumulative attacks caused his HP to plummet rapidly.
At this rate, Fang Chang estimated he had less than 15 minutes before he was burned alive.
Unbelievable! After surviving Tang San and the Titan Giant Ape, I'm going to die to these tiny pests?!
As if sensing his despair, two Fire Ants climbed to his mouth, attempting to crawl inside.
"Oh, no, you don't!"
Without hesitation, Fang Chang activated Devour, engulfing the ants in a single gulp.
The ants dissolved in his stomach, releasing a warm energy that soothed his battered body.
The comfort was fleeting, but it rekindled a spark of hope.
Fang Chang's mind raced.
If I'm going down, I'm taking as many of you with me as I can!
He opened his mouth wide and created a powerful suction force, pulling several nearby Fire Ants directly into his maw.
"Crunch, crunch!"
Fang Chang chewed them into a paste, swallowing them with relish.
As he consumed the Fire Ants, a notification appeared before his eyes:
[New Skill Acquired: Fire Resistance]
Fire Resistance: Enhances the body's tolerance to heat, significantly reducing damage from fire-based attacks.
Fang Chang froze in shock for a moment before erupting into laughter.
"Yes!"
With the new skill, the searing pain across his body subsided noticeably. While still uncomfortable, the burning sensation became far more manageable.
Though his HP continued to drop, it did so at a much slower rate.
Determined to fight back, Fang Chang used his remaining strength to scoop more ants toward his mouth with his legs.
One by one, he devoured them, triggering another system notification:
[Fire Resistance upgraded to Low-Level Fire Immunity.]
Low-Level Fire Immunity: Nullifies damage from low-level fire attacks and allows survival in high-temperature environments.
Fang Chang felt the tide begin to turn.
The Fire Ants' once-devastating secretions now did not affect him, and his confidence surged.