CHAPTER 657: CHAPTER 114: GREAT OPPORTUNITY

The mystery of the transmission array in Dawo Village was finally unraveled.

However, the person who discovered the truth was Mu Hu, the village idiot, a result that clearly surprised everyone.

When Long Jiuzun and others arrived upon hearing the news, they only saw Mu Hu digging up the soil around the transmission array.

It turned out that beneath what appeared to be solid soil surrounding the transmission array, several large ant nests were discovered.

Unlike the vicious ant nests on Poison Mountain, the ants around the transmission array were very small, reddish-gray throughout, very difficult to spot even upon close inspection, and they did not emit strong fluctuations of Dark Energy like other Dark Beasts.

This was why their presence went unnoticed.

Since Yue Jinghua could not come forward, Mu Hu naturally became the "scapegoat."

But it was also thanks to Mu Hu that Yue Jinghua accidentally discovered the existence of the Ant Clan, a rather special kind within the Dark Insects.

If there is a Dark Beast that can approach the transmission array unnoticed and completely drain the Dark Pill energy within, it could only be the ants, an insignificant creature with astonishing collective power.

The area around Dawo Village and Poison Mountain is home to a large number of ants.

Due to local landslides and the untimely processing of excessive corpses, this area has bred a large number of poisonous and Dark Insects unlike other regions of the continent.

The foremost among them is a type of Spirit Ant living in Dawo Village, called the Soul Devouring Ant.

The greatest characteristic of these ants is their ability to silently absorb Dark Power.

They built their nests around the transmission array, and through channels as small as pinholes excavated between their nest and the transmission array’s Elixir groove, they allow passage and devour the Spiritual Power within the Dark Pill.

In this way, even though the Southern Expedition Army was vigilantly guarding the area, they found no clues.

Upon discovering the Soul Devouring Ant, Long Jiuzun immediately ordered the soil beneath the Qing Residence’s supply ship to be dug up, where several nests of the Soul Devouring Ant were indeed found.

After burning the soil of the villages with Fire, the unexplained depletion of the transmission array’s Dark Pill finally ceased.

The discovery of the Soul Devouring Ant was a good thing for the Southern Expedition Army, but it undoubtedly served as a strong slap in the face to the responsible Long Jiuzun, casting a shadow over his reputation.

As for Mu Hu, who "made a great contribution," he still wore a silly smile, completely unaware that he had become a great hero.

When Yue Minzhi asked him what reward he wanted, he didn’t even know to ask for a reward.

Compared to the arrogant and rude Long Jiuzun, Mu Hu had a very good impression of the gentle and courteous young lord, Yue Minzhi.

Especially when he learned that Yue Minzhi also owned an impressive Five-Colored Jiao Dragon, he was filled with envy.

Seeing that Mu Hu couldn’t come up with a reason after thinking for a long time, Yue Jinghua interjected from the side: "Big Brother, this kid doesn’t know what a reward is. Seeing as the paths in Dawo Village were blocked by rocks, cutting it off from the outside world, and many villagers were buried under the rocks in front of the village years ago. Nearby, only a group of the elderly, weak, and widowed are unable to move the rocks, why not have the Dragon Riders command the Sub-Asian Dragons to help clear these rocks, opening up the roads and uncovering the buried corpses, thus also helping the villagers significantly."

Upon hearing this, Mu Hu immediately looked at Yue Minzhi with great anticipation, while Cheng Ying beside him also lit up with fascination.

They never expected that the seemingly cold-blooded and cunning Yue Jinghua would have such meticulous empathy.

Yue Minzhi, feeling apologetic for the disturbance caused by the Southern Expedition Army to the villagers’ daily lives, discussed this with the other members of the Dragon Rider Team afterwards.

Everyone summoned their Sub-Asian Dragons, and in an afternoon, all the massive stones in front of Dawo Village were cleared.

Seeing the village roads cleared and the bodies buried under the stones for years dug out one by one, the villagers were deeply grateful to the Southern Expedition Army.

Dawo Village, with its roads restored, will gradually regain its vitality under the function of the Transmission Array.

On the evening before the departure of the Southern Expedition Army, Mu Hu approached Yue Jinghua.

With a "thump," Mu Hu knelt down in front of Yue Jinghua, knocking his head against the ground three times.

"These head knocks are on behalf of my parents and the villagers," Mu Hu looked foolish, but his mind was sharper than anyone’s.

He clearly understood that this time Yue Jinghua had helped him and the village greatly. The Spirit Devouring Ants were discovered by Yue Jinghua, yet he took the credit.

Although he did not understand why this handsome boy, who always had a mischievous smile, would do so, Mu Hu was still infinitely grateful to her.

The villagers’ bodies buried under the stones had long since turned into bones, and Mu Hu could only vaguely identify two corpses that resembled his parents in age and appearance. Yet, even so, he fulfilled a wish he had harbored since childhood.

After knocking his head, Mu Hu did not leave immediately. This simple mountain man hesitated for a moment and finally took something out of his bosom and stuffed it into Yue Jinghua’s hands.

The object looked no different from a rotten wood stump, but was unusually heavy; holding it, a refreshing pine-like fragrance filled the air.

"Wow, it’s Wood Jade!" Gold Eater Worm sensed the unique scent of Wood Jade, immediately poked its head out, ready to sneak a bite, but was grabbed by Yue Jinghua and thrown out.

It turns out that Mu Hu had experienced changes in his body after consuming Wood Jade years ago.

Even fools can be cunning at times—he discovered another piece of Wood Jade by those withered old stumps.

He didn’t know the value of Wood Jade, but he knew it must be a treasure and had carefully kept it hidden, never revealing it to outsiders.

After giving the Wood Jade to Yue Jinghua, Mu Hu left contentedly, for him, the grace was priceless.

For the Southern Expedition Army, this trip to Dawo Village was quite an obstacle.

But for Yue Jinghua herself, it was immensely beneficial. Merely the Wood Jade was already a priceless treasure, not to mention the unexpected gains she acquired.

In Shalman’s Hidden Dragon Ring, there were several ant eggs of the Spirit Devouring Ant, which Yue Jinghua had specifically saved after excavating the ants, and handed them over to her.

Due to early stone mining, Dawo Village’s environment underwent mutations, nurturing special spirituality possessions like Wood Jade, and the Spirit Devouring Ants are no ordinary Dark Insects.

After Shalman’s inspection, she confidently told Yue Jinghua that with enough Dark Elixirs, she could help these Devouring Ants evolve further into a new kind of Dark Insect called the Spirit Devouring Butterfly.

Spirit Devouring Butterflies are an advanced version of Spirit Ants, which, once hatched successfully, can envelop enemies in groups, gradually consuming their Spiritual Power.

By then, even a massive Sub-Asian Dragon, if surrounded by an army of Spirit Devouring Butterflies, would collapse due to the exhaustion of its Spiritual Power.

Even though the Spirit Devouring Butterflies have not yet hatched, it is conceivable that if Yue Jinghua’s Dark Beast army gains an addition of Spirit Devouring Butterflies, its strength will increase substantially.

The Transmission Array was also reactivated under the maintenance of the villagers, and the Southern Expedition Army is set to depart today, continuing their journey to Fandi Port.