In the blink of an eye, layer after layer of mutated ants retreated like a tide, because they all felt the most instinctive fear and panic from the depths of their souls.

Although Maoqiu is still just a cub, he is, after all, a ferocious spatial thunder beast, and a direct descendant of the king beast. This natural dominance in his bloodline is imprinted in his soul and can never be erased.

The bloodline hierarchy system followed in the world of monsters is extremely strict. Lower levels must unconditionally submit to higher levels, not to mention a true king-level beast with pure blood like Maoqiu. The bloodline suppression alone is enough to make a group of low-level monsters tremble and submit.

"Roar!"

Seeing that the mutated ants were trying to flee, Maoqiu let out two more threatening roars, domineeringly forbidding the disgusting creatures from escaping.

In addition to the warning roar, a bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, as if Maoqiu were punishing them.

Despite only a few moments passing, Maoqiu had already figured out the situation. His bloodline's natural kingly aura could not tolerate defiance from such lowly creatures, not even worthy of being called demonic beasts.

The bolt of lightning was aimed directly at the ant king, a minor punishment serving as a major warning.

"How dare you brainless lowly insects try to flee instead of immediately kneeling in submission!" Maoqiu thought, irritated. "Clearly, these unintelligent creatures need to pay a real price."

In Maoqiu's anger, not only the ant king but countless other mutated ants nearby were instantly reduced to ashes, leaving nothing behind.

"Damn it, don't you know Zhang Yiyi is mine? You disgusting little bugs dare bully her while I wasn't around!"

"You need to see how powerful I am!"

All the ant-beasts trembled in fear, instinctively kneeling in worship before Maoqiu, showing the ultimate reverence buried deep within their souls for a kingly beast. Even the fifth-tier ant queen, who had just gained sentience, though unwilling, had no choice but to submit completely to the royal aura.

For a moment, the entire sea of ants bowed to Maoqiu in unconditional submission, creating a magnificent scene.

Maoqiu, radiating with the disdain of a king, glanced down at the lowly creatures. Despite his small size, his majesty was undeniable, and even Zhang Yiyi, who usually found him childish and amusing, now saw him in a new light.

"How could I have forgotten? Maoqiu is one of the most formidable legendary beasts. His bloodline naturally suppresses ordinary demonic beasts, let alone these lowly mutated ants."

"Maoqiu, you're amazing! You've really saved me this time!" Zhang Yiyi praised Maoqiu excitedly, relieved that the danger was over.

"Of course! Do you even know who I am? These disgusting creatures stood no chance under my watch!"

Maoqiu, full of pride, continued boasting non-stop: "You should've called me out sooner! Why bother fighting them to the death? You almost got yourself killed, and all because you left me in that stupid bag and forgot about me!"

Maoqiu noticed Zhang Yiyi's amused expression and quickly stopped talking before getting too carried away.

"Uh, by the way, what do you want to do with these disgusting things?" Maoqiu awkwardly changed the subject, avoiding his usual boastful self. "Now that they all listen to me, it's up to you to decide how you want to deal with them."

"Oh? In that case, thank you, Lord Maoqiu. Hmm... could you first ask the ant queen what's so special about this place beneath the Liuyun Mine? How did they mutate so quickly?"

Zhang Yiyi didn't expose Maoqiu's slip-up. After all, the ants were still there, and even though they couldn't understand their conversation, she needed to maintain Maoqiu's royal dignity in front of them.

"Thank me? We're friends. Of course, I'd help!"

Maoqiu confidently raised his tiny paw in reassurance.

Then he strutted over to the trembling mutated ants, who didn't dare move without his command, and leaped onto the ant queen.

Feeling Maoqiu's aura approach, the ant queen didn't dare make a sound, laying perfectly still and submissive.

"Brother Han, what's going on here?" Shi Feng, still in shock from the turn of events, finally started to recover. He couldn't believe that their seemingly certain doom had been averted by what appeared to be a small, hedgehog-like beast that Zhang Yiyi released from a beast pouch.

After just a few roars, the creature had subdued the mutated ants, and a single lightning strike had obliterated the ant king and hordes of mutated ants.

"What kind of beast is this? How could it be so powerful?" Shi Feng wondered.

"Big Brother Shi, I think we're safe now," Zhang Yiyi said, watching Maoqiu interrogate the ant queen. "I guess we got lucky—my little Maoqiu just happened to be the perfect counter to these mutated ants."

Zhang Yiyi downplayed Maoqiu's identity, explaining only that he could suppress the ant creatures.

Shi Feng, though still skeptical, didn't press the issue. He understood that such a powerful beast must be Zhang Yiyi's trump card, and no one would easily reveal their secrets.

So, Shi Feng, respecting her privacy, didn't ask any further questions. "Thank you, brother. And also, thanks to your little spirit beast. Without you, I surely would have died in the belly of those ants."

"Big Brother Shi, don't mention it, but Maoqiu isn't my spirit pet."

For Maoqiu's sake, Zhang Yiyi explained, "He's my friend and partner, not a spirit pet. If he heard you call him that, he'd be upset."

"Oh, I see. I won't say that again," Shi Feng replied, covering his mouth to show he wouldn't make that mistake in the future.

"Even though Maoqiu's still young, he has some unique abilities. Once we leave this place, Big Brother Shi, please keep his skills a secret," Zhang Yiyi added. "If word gets out, people might try to capture him and turn him into a spirit pet."

Shi Feng quickly assured her, "Don't worry, brother. I won't tell anyone about today. You saved my life, and I would never repay you with trouble!"

"I trust you, Big Brother Shi."

Just then, Maoqiu finished his interrogation and bounced back onto Zhang Yiyi's shoulder.

"I found out that there's a special substance beneath the Liuyun Mine that helped these disgusting things mutate," Maoqiu explained. "They don't know exactly what it is, but eating it made them stronger. That pile of flesh said they were guarding it to keep gaining strength."

Maoqiu then had some mutated ants bring a sample to Zhang Yiyi. "Here, this is it. I've checked, but I don't know what it is. It seems only these gross things can use it. I'm not sure if humans can."

Zhang Yiyi inspected the substance but couldn't determine its nature. She decided to take a sample back to her master and senior brothers for further study.

"Is there a lot of this stuff underground?" Zhang Yiyi asked.

"Not a huge amount, but the ant queen said it would be enough to help her reach the sixth tier," Maoqiu replied. "But her power has clearly been artificially boosted. She's no match for a real fifth-tier beast."

After explaining everything, Maoqiu asked eagerly, "So, how do you want to deal with them? Just say the word, and I'll make them die in a hundred different ways!"

Zhang Yiyi smiled. "Why kill them? Maoqiu, do you want to collect more high-level beast pills to help with your cultivation?"

"Of course! Where are the treasures?"

"No treasures, but there's Liuyun Kou here."

Zhang Yiyi raised an eyebrow. "Can you make all the mutated ants mine all the Liuyun Kou for us? We have ten more days here. If we collect everything, we'll strike it rich, and then we can buy all the materials you need for your beast pills."

"Haha! Got it! I'll have them mine it all!"

Maoqiu immediately barked orders at the ant queen, commanding the ants to mine the entire area clean.