Chapter 12: Awakening of Zhou Jun

The oncoming swarm of ants split into three groups, with one wave charging towards Huang Mang and Wang Lingling. Another wave advanced directly on Ji Chang and Zhou Jun, while the last one headed towards the rice entangled in spider silk.

The brink of battle was upon them. Ji Chang swiftly flipped onto an ant, beckoning Zhou Jun to take cover behind him. Without hesitation, he confronted the first ant that had charged at him. Under Ji Chang's command, the ant beneath him swiftly lifted its body and then forcefully slammed the attacking ant to the ground with a resounding crash. The neck of the fallen ant snapped instantly upon impact.

Following this, Ji Chang's mental command made the antennae of the ant beneath him tremble intensely as it rushed towards the remaining five ants.

At this moment, Ji Chang appeared like a knight, incredibly valiant!

As for Huang Mang, he transformed into a metallic state just before the ants reached him. His two iron fists were like the blades of a scythe, continuously smashing the ants' heads.

Wang Lingling, after a brief moment of panic, took flight by flapping her wings. She persistently interfered with the ants attacking Huang Mang through a series of stomps.

In an instant, the two of them exhibited remarkable coordination.

Regarding Zhou Jun, there was no immediate danger since Ji Chang had taken the initiative to confront the enemy.

However, before long, the swarm of ants attempting to steal their rice discovered Zhou Jun's presence. Simultaneously, Zhou Jun, holding tightly to the spider silk, felt it tremble violently in his hand. Turning his head, he saw that five or six ants were attempting to bite through the silk binding the rice.

Before Zhou Jun could react, he suddenly noticed a lone ant rapidly approaching him. Realizing the danger, his expression turned cold, and he attempted to flee.

But how could his two legs outrun the six legs of the ant?

He had barely taken a few steps when the ant closed in on him.

Panicking, Zhou Jun's legs gave out, and he fell to the ground. Watching the ant draw nearer, along with its fierce mouthparts and the razor-sharp bristles on its chest, Zhou Jun grabbed nearby rocks in a frenzy, hurling them and cursing.

Yet, the ant seemed utterly unfazed by Zhou Jun's attacks. It swiftly reached him, mounting his body.

Its powerful forelimbs seized Zhou Jun's arms.

Meanwhile, Ji Chang, having just dealt with one ant, caught sight of Zhou Jun struggling beneath the ant's grasp. His expression tightened, and he instantly controlled the ant beneath him, changing direction to rush towards Zhou Jun.

However, just as Ji Chang was about to turn and rescue Zhou Jun, the remaining three ants seemingly coordinated their movements and simultaneously lunged at him.

In the midst of Ji Chang being besieged by three ants, he suddenly witnessed the ant that was pinning Zhou Jun focus its mouthparts on Zhou Jun's head and fiercely bite down.

Witnessing this scene, Ji Chang knew there was no time left.

Yet, the following turn of events left Ji Chang wide-eyed in astonishment.

Just as the ant's mandibles were about to swallow Zhou Jun's head, his body suddenly trembled violently.

The next moment, the ant mounted on Zhou Jun's body burst open!

A muffled explosion resounded, and the shattered remains of the ant splattered over Zhou Jun, completely soaking him.

The unexpected transformation left even Zhou Jun himself stunned, rooted in place.

What just happened?

What had transpired mere moments ago?

Zhou Jun stared blankly at the ant corpses that resembled "mud" all over his body, his face filled with bewilderment. It seemed he didn't quite grasp what had happened. However, Ji Chang, who had been attentively observing Zhou Jun, bore witness to the ants' explosive demise.

At the most critical moment, Ji Chang saw two invisible energies burst forth from Zhou Jun's hands. Under the influence of these energies, the ant disintegrated into fragments. Ji Chang was able to detect these invisible energies because, in that instant of their appearance, he witnessed the distortion and resonance of the air.

Swiftly, Ji Chang eliminated the three ants that had surrounded him and then hurried towards Zhou Jun. Simultaneously, Huang Mang and Wang Lingling dispatched all the attacking ants.

Immediately, the two of them turned to engage the ants that were attempting to steal their rice once again.

"Ji-ji-ge, what just happened? Why can't I feel my arms anymore?" Zhou Jun, now back to his senses after seeing Ji Chang, spoke anxiously.

As he watched the ants explode in front of him and struggled to comprehend the reason behind it, Zhou Jun realized he couldn't sense his arms anymore. Initially, he thought the ants had suppressed his arms earlier... but now, they were still intact and attached to his body. However, he couldn't feel them at all. When he lightly moved his body, his arms felt as if they were empty sleeves swinging with his motion.

Ji Chang flipped off the ant he was riding, instructed it to assist Huang Mang in protecting the rice, and then inspected Zhou Jun's arms. Simultaneously, he shared what he had witnessed with Zhou Jun.

"Ji-ji-ge! Are you saying I've awakened some extraordinary power? Did the shockwaves from my arms turn that ant into mush?" Zhou Jun's eyes widened in disbelief.

"But Ji-ge, my arms..." Zhou Jun, excited about awakening an extraordinary power, once again examined his arms and let out a wry smile.

Having finally awakened this extraordinary power, he now found his arms seemingly lifeless, swinging as if they were empty sleeves. Ji Chang explained that this might be a side effect of using the extraordinary power and instructed Zhou Jun to carefully reflect on what had just happened. He asked him to see if he felt a sensation of emptiness in his body, like he had lost something – that was what they referred to as "spiritual energy."

"Wait, what's going on, Zhou Jun? Are you alright?" Before long, as Zhou Jun followed Ji Chang's guidance and closed his eyes slightly to contemplate, Huang Mang arrived breathless with Wang Lingling.

At this point, the ants attempting to steal their rice had all been slain.

Seeing that Huang Mang and Wang Lingling were unharmed, Ji Chang's worry eased. He explained to them what had just happened with Zhou Jun's awakening.

"Wow, no wonder this guy looked so filthy! So, it turns out... not bad! He just awakened and managed to turn an ant into mush. He's only a tiny bit worse than me!" Huang Mang observed Zhou Jun, who had just reverted from his metallic state. He playfully swung his fist a few times and raised an eyebrow at Wang Lingling. "Right, Wang Lingling?"

Seeing this, Wang Lingling couldn't help but roll her eyes at Huang Mang.