Chapter 323

Chapter 323: Lord of the Forest, Mother of Earth Dragons

"Ah, Mom’s being unfair! You’re only eating Stealth One’s! I want you to eat mine too!"

The green ant suddenly noticed something unusual and leapt down from the dragon’s back while chirping.

"Mom!"

"No need. I can handle this myself. You should all focus on your own meals."

Hearing the other daughters pause their feeding at the commotion, Lin Yu’s heart lurched. She swiftly declined in an icy tone.

Honestly, there’s no way I could finish all this food…

Wait, why does that phrasing sound odd somehow?

Hmph! Truthfully, I was just teasing Stealth One. I’m no pampered lady who needs everything handed to me—in my past life, I handled both laundry and cooking myself!

Therefore—

"Puh."

The white ant spat out Stealth One’s severed forelimb and crawled toward the Earth Dragon carcass. It began voraciously devouring flesh through an existing bite mark of unknown origin.

Her level promptly climbed from LV.6 to LV.7.

As she continued consuming raw flesh, her Experience Value steadily accumulated—level-up notifications chimed incessantly in her ears.

Rebuffed but undeterred, Lvzi bounced back over, chattering nonstop while nibbling beside Lin Yu.

By the time all Class B and Class A daughters had eaten their fill, over half the Earth Dragon’s remains had vanished.

Lin Yu surveyed the scene: every Class B daughter had reached their tier’s maximum level of LV.35, while Class A daughters hovered in their mid-twenties. Further gorging would likely require immobile gluttony for marginal gains.

Beyond her daughters’ progress, she herself had ascended from LV.6 to LV.20.

Truly, the flesh of a high-tier Class A Earth Dragon lived up to its reputation!

Delicious and potent!

This sudden surge brought three new skills:

First came "Magic Scale"—a skill conjuring a magic essence shield around the user, enhancing defense against elemental magic. Red Pupil had previously acquired this, but unlike her, Lin Yu could bestow it upon any daughter through her "Unique Skill – Queen Ant." Particularly valuable against magic-wielding Earth Dragons.

Next emerged "Regeneration." Though inferior to the "Undying" skill, it could restore severed limbs or eyes with minimal Magic Value expenditure—a perfect complement since activating "Undying" drained 10% Magic Value.

Finally, "Health High Speed Restore" manifested. While persistent use of Health Value potions and red fruit might eventually yield similar effects, the uncertain timeframe and quantity required made this immediate skill invaluable.

After all, this skill is passive and does not consume Magic Value.

Among the three acquired skills, the one currently most beneficial for combat should be "Magic Scale."

With this thought, Lin Yu utilized the Magic Value restoration from leveling up to bestow this skill upon her Class A daughters.

…

"Let’s move out."

Once Magic Rainbow confirmed all Class B and Class A ant tribes had regained their optimal conditions, she issued the command.

The daughters nodded in unison, and an elite force composed solely of Class B and Class A ants began advancing toward the forest depths where Darkling Stalker resided.

They soon rendezvoused successfully with Darkling Stalker.

Upon witnessing the slain red and blue Earth Dragons firsthand, all ants couldn’t suppress their astonishment.

Darkling Stalker had truly eliminated three high-tier Earth Dragons single-handedly…

"Little Shadow, do you know the whereabouts of these Earth Dragons’ mother?"

Magic Rainbow, who shared the closest bond with Darkling Stalker among the ant tribes, inquired.

The gray ant first cast a sidelong glance at the white-haired girl beside her—a look that stirred Lin Yu’s unease—before turning back to address Magic Rainbow.

She extended a forelimb toward a specific direction.

"Unclear, but this Ice Dragon approached from that bearing."

"Which suggests high probability of the target lying there."

Magic Rainbow nodded decisively.

"Proceed with heightened vigilance. Without the Fog Zone’s concealment this time, we may encounter other Earth Dragons en route."

Beyond the five max-level Class A Earth Dragons, the forest depths housed additional specimens of inferior ranks and attributes.

After traversing some distance, scouts from the Flying Ant unit—including Purple Cloud and Purple Mist—relayed new intelligence:

A colossal stone cavern approximately three thousand meters ahead, measuring over ten meters in height and several meters wider in breadth.

Such dimensions strongly indicated the lair of the Mother of Earth Dragons.

Upon advancing another thousand meters, most Class B ants descended underground under Earth Digging Ant guidance, while the remainder approached the cavern frontally.

To prevent premature detection, reconnaissance duties shifted from Flying Ants to Stealth Ants equipped with "Stealth," "Hidden Shadow," and "Invisibility"—skills ensuring minimal exposure even if Earth Dragons lurked within.

Yet Lin Yu’s forces had gravely underestimated the cavern’s occupant.

As Stealth Ants commenced operations and the ant army closed within a kilometer, an earsplitting draconic roar saturated with bloodlust erupted from the depths. The sonic wave instantly blasted away snow within hundreds of meters, reverberating through every ant’s consciousness:

"ROAR!!!"

Class B ants petrified instantly, limbs locked in paralysis.

Even Class A specimens experienced movement impediments as primal dread seeped into their minds—the roar fused a control-type skill, akin to Lvzi’s fusion of "Paralysis Attachment" with "Poison Gas."

The cavern’s dweller… radiated overwhelming might!

A terror far surpassing the five Class A LV.50 Earth Dragons!

Before the roar’s echoes faded, gale-force winds heralded the emergence of a winged silhouette at the cavern mouth—no ordinary Earth Dragon, but a true draconic entity!

A western-style behemoth matching Lin Yu’s mental imagery materialized: crimson eyes blazing beneath twin horns, seven-meter-tall frame armored in jade-green scales, bat-like wings spread wide, spine bristling with spikes, and tail lashing like a battering ram. Razor-edged claws and fangs completed the nightmare visage.

"Leave now, and I might grant mercy!"

The dragon’s piercing gaze sliced through the arboreal veil to pin down Lin Yu, encircled by her daughters.

In that electric moment, the Mother of Earth Dragons and the Ant Queen stared into each other’s souls—a collision of primal sovereigns.