Chapter 233: Chapter 231: Celestial Blood Grass, Blood Pattern Ant

As light and shadow flickered, Jiang Jichen found himself standing in a forest covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves.

He looked up and gazed into the distance. Giant trees reached for the sky, and leaves drifted down, painting the bleak picture of a forest in deep autumn.

This was clearly the second level of the Exquisite Treasure Tower. It was an unfamiliar environment.

Jiang Jichen could even smell the faint, lingering scent of blood in the air.

’This place... is dangerous!’

Even though he stood perfectly still, not moving an inch, that feeling had already taken root in Jiang Jichen’s heart.

RUSTLE RUSTLE...

The moment that feeling surfaced, Jiang Jichen heard a sound coming from below.

The thick layer of fallen leaves trembled slightly, as if something were moving underneath, approaching him. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Jiang Jichen was heavily injured and extremely weak. If he were to face another great danger now, the outcome would be dire—he could even lose his life.

’Damn, I can’t be this unlucky, can I? I just got here and I’m already in danger. My luck is really something else...!’

After grumbling inwardly, Jiang Jichen composed himself and began to scan his surroundings with his Divine Sense.

Soon, he discovered a round, blood-colored jade stone to his side. It was mostly covered by fallen leaves and would have been completely unnoticeable without a careful look.

But then, Jiang Jichen’s expression changed, his gaze locked onto the center of the blood-colored jade.

There... a small, blood-colored plant, an inch tall with nine leaves, swayed gently in the breeze.

Its roots were embedded in the blood-colored jade, surrounded by loose leaves. If not for Jiang Jichen’s sharp eyes, he would never have discovered it.

’Celestial Blood Grass!’

Jiang Jichen’s breath grew ragged.

’Just a moment ago, I thought my luck was rotten!’

But now... he felt his luck was heaven-defyingly, unbelievably good.

When a Celestial Human perishes, their blood stains the stone. From this, a Spirit Grass is born. Only then can there be Celestial Blood Grass!

In other words, a so-called Celestial Blood Grass is formed only when the entire lifeblood of a fallen Celestial Human fuses with a jade stone. After absorbing the Sun and Moon Essence for thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, a single, small, blood-colored plant may finally grow.

This single, small plant contained the entire lifeblood of a Celestial Human, infused with millennia of absorbed Sun and Moon Essence.

It was a supreme treasure, second only to Immortal Grass!

Its miraculous uses were too numerous to count.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Jichen leaned over and reached out to pluck it.

However, the instant he plucked the Celestial Blood Grass, his expression changed drastically. Without a second thought, he executed Illusory Indeterminacy, his body flashing like lightning as he shot up to land on a large tree.

HSSSSSS...

The spot where Jiang Jichen had just been standing was instantly overrun by a swarm of blood-red figures. The fallen leaves there disintegrated into nothing, revealing the bare earth beneath.

The ground was riddled with thousands of holes from which poured countless thumb-sized, blood-red ants—a truly scalp-numbing sight.

Where the leaves had vanished, a thick, crimson tide now spread out in all directions.

The blood-red ants had enormous heads, and their teeth glinted with an eerie, bloody light, making them look utterly terrifying.

Their bodies were marked with two bands of blood-colored patterns, giving them an unnatural, almost demonic appearance.

’Blood Pattern Ants!’

Jiang Jichen’s expression darkened.

’Of all the places I could have been sent, it had to be a Blood Pattern Ant nest.’

Blood Pattern Ants feed on flesh and blood. They are savage, violent, and immensely strong, with teeth sharp enough to shatter Spirit Weapons forged from metal. Their destructive power is terrifying.

Although the Blood Pattern Ants before him were only at the two-patterned level, each was equivalent to a human at the Innate Seventh Level Minor Grandmaster Realm.

Perhaps a single Blood Pattern Ant equivalent to an Innate Seventh Level Minor Grandmaster would seem pathetically weak to a talented Foundation Establishment Cultivator, something to be swatted away casually.

But... there were thousands, even tens of thousands of them, all equivalent to the Innate Seventh Level Minor Grandmaster Realm.

It was as if they sensed the Blood Qi wafting from Jiang Jichen’s wounds.

The scent of Blood Qi was enough to drive all the Blood Pattern Ants into a bloodthirsty frenzy, whipping them into a state of extreme agitation and excitement.

HSSSSSS...

In the span of a single thought, Jiang Jichen saw the base of the ancient tree he stood upon vanish, devoured into dust by hundreds of Blood Pattern Ants.

If he were at full strength, Jiang Jichen would have no fear of these Low Level Blood Pattern Ants, but his current condition was abysmal.

Furthermore, he had no idea if this commotion had disturbed any of the High Level Blood Pattern Ants within the nest.

Or worse, the Blood Pattern Ant King in the deepest part of the nest!

That was the truly terrifying one.

However, it seemed his worst fears were coming true. The ground quaked, and a swarm of fist-sized Blood Pattern Ants surged forth. There were several hundred of them, each marked with three blood-colored patterns, equivalent to human Grandmasters.

But... it wasn’t over. The soil churned, and Blood Pattern Ants as thick as water buckets emerged. They bore four blood-colored patterns, making them equivalent to the human Foundation Establishment Realm, and there were a hundred of them.

’That should be all of them, right?’

’I only stumbled in here by accident. Is all this really necessary?’

From what Jiang Jichen knew of Blood Pattern Ants, normally only the Low Level ones were active outside. The High Level ones were supposed to be slumbering deep within the nest, cultivating by absorbing Earth Spirit Qi. They shouldn’t awaken so easily, let alone crawl out.

But this... this was a full-scale uprising. The entire nest was pouring out.

’Wait... if the entire nest is coming out, what about the Blood Pattern Ant King?’

The thought had barely formed in Jiang Jichen’s mind when he felt the very world seem to turn upside down. It trembled violently as a fierce gale erupted. A massive, hill-sized figure abruptly shot into the sky. With a flap of its translucent, blood-red wings, the surrounding ancient trees were shattered. Even swarms of Low Tier Blood Pattern Ants were sent flying, their bodies trembling violently.

Its baleful, blood-red eyes—brimming with merciless cruelty—were now fixed upon Jiang Jichen.

In that instant, Jiang Jichen’s blood ran cold. His Divine Thought nearly ground to a halt.

’The Blood Pattern Ant King... Six blood-red patterns... It’s beyond the Foundation Establishment Realm!’

Jiang Jichen felt that this was the closest he had ever come to true death.

This creature was so powerful it could crush him effortlessly.

And Jiang Jichen could feel its towering rage.

’How could I possibly withstand the Blood Pattern Ant King’s fury in my current state?’

In that moment, Jiang Jichen finally understood why he had provoked the Blood Pattern Ant King and caused the entire nest to swarm.

It was all because of... the Celestial Blood Grass.

This was the Supreme Spirit Grass they had guarded for ten thousand years, and Jiang Jichen had dared to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth.

In this moment between life and death, Jiang Jichen unhesitatingly broke the seal on his Seven-colored Spiritual Power!

HUMMMMM!

The very air trembled as a seven-colored light shone in all directions. Spiritual Patterns surged like an endless tide.

The Power of Spiritual Patterns from his Seven-colored Spiritual Power, at the Innate Ninth Layer Great Perfection Realm, coursed through him, and his injuries healed in an instant.

Faced with this faint Seven-colored Spiritual Power, even the Blood Pattern Ant King felt a surge of terror.

This had nothing to do with power; it was a fear that came from the deepest depths of its soul.

Moreover, Jiang Jichen took out a corner of the Azure Heaven Killing Array... a piece of Celestial Desolate Beast Hide.

He poured his Seven-colored Spiritual Power into it, and the aura of a Celestial Desolate Beast erupted, pressing down on the world.

At this moment, the Blood Pattern Ant King felt more than just fear; it felt its very soul begin to tremble.