Fang Zhou took a careful look. This ugly, oversized insect had to be the Fierce Ant Queen.

During previous cave hunts, he had killed several Fierce Ant Queens, but none had been this large.

Perception from his [Soul Realm] told Fang Zhou that although this Ant Queen seemed to possess no offensive capabilities, the radiance of its soul was far more dazzling than that of the Kobold Warlock leader or the Fierce Ant leader.

It was on the verge of reaching the Black Iron Tier!

Fang Zhou frowned and immediately retreated behind his skeletons.

This thing must be put down; its subjects are already waiting for it on the Yellow Springs Road.

With a slight wave of his Magic Staff, a thick, long Skeleton Flying Spear instantly coalesced and shot out like a white comet, tearing through the air.

With a sharp whistling sound, the Skeleton Flying Spear flew toward the disgusting Fierce Ant Queen.

HISS! Like oil spattering on a fire, countless bone fragments scattered in all directions.

To Fang Zhou's surprise, the spear didn't penetrate the Ant Queen's corpulent body when it struck. Instead, a rebounding force shattered it on impact. The Skeleton Flying Spear fragmented, and countless bone shards exploded like brilliant fireworks on a summer night.

After the bone fragments settled, the spot where the spear had struck the Ant Queen showed only a superficial wound.

So, in addition to its reproductive abilities, this Fierce Ant Queen has also maxed out its defense Attributes, Fang Zhou thought with a jolt of surprise.

He immediately ordered the Skeleton Army to attack. Dozens of skeletons rushed into the pit and began swarming the Ant Queen's enormous, bloated body.

However, even though the skeletons' claws could leave clear marks on steel plates, they only sank in slightly when they raked across the Ant Queen's thick flesh, failing to cause any effective damage.

Seeing this, Fang Zhou decisively waved his Magic Staff and cast [Group Brutality Skill].

Under the dual buffs of Death Energy and Corrosive Poison, the skeletons' claws and fangs could finally, just barely, break through the Fierce Ant Queen's thick hide.

Watching Fang Zhou and his Skeleton Army's potent methods, Wang Tao, who was observing silently from the side, clicked his tongue in astonishment.

Fang Zhou had only just broken through to the Middle Rank of the Apprentice Tier, yet he could unleash such powerful and sustained Attack Power against the incredibly resilient Fierce Ant Queen.

Recalling his own performance during his Apprentice Stage decades ago, Wang Tao silently shook his head.

Back then, I probably couldn't have even beaten a single one of the skeletons Fang Zhou casually summons. I wonder what kind of awe-inspiring strength he'll display when he breaks through to the Silver and Gold Tiers?

Wang Tao's eyes filled with anticipation.

Meanwhile, Fang Zhou wasn't idle.

He rubbed the [Ring of Burning Fire] that Shen Ziwei had given him and launched three consecutive fireballs from his [Fireball Skill] directly at the wounds the skeletons had torn open.

Brilliant flames, like a torrent of lava, burst forth from the [Ring of Burning Fire]. They surged toward the Ant Queen in the pit, spreading out over three meters.

A sizzling sound filled the air as the lava-like flames clung to the Ant Queen's body and burned fiercely.

Although his Lower-rank Apprentice Tier [Fireball Skill] could hardly harm the Upper-rank Fierce Ant Queen on its own, the intense pain of the flames searing its open wounds was evidently unbearable for the pampered creature.

It trembled in agony, rolling back and forth in the pit, which created even more opportunities for the Skeleton Army to attack.

SQUELCH!

SQUELCH!

Although a single skeleton didn't inflict much damage, the Skeleton Army was numerous and attacked quickly. Since each blow also carried continuous Corrosive Poison Damage, they soon tore many wounds into the Ant Queen.

The Ant Queen's writhing grew more intense as it struggled, seemingly trying to climb out of the pit. But its bloated body and barely visible legs were completely disproportionate, making any movement exceptionally difficult.

An Ant Queen's main purpose was to lay eggs and propagate the colony. Despite its Demonization, which had greatly increased its size and strength, it inherently lacked any real combat power.

An Ant Queen might have wings, or it might not. This one did not. Furthermore, its immense size and tiny legs made movement incredibly difficult.

Normally, it would summon worker ants to help, but Fang Zhou had already killed them all, leaving it with no assistance.

Facing the relentless barrage from the Skeleton Army, the Ant Queen could bear it no longer and flew into a complete frenzy. It struggled to lift its head and let out a silent scream toward the ceiling.

A powerful wave of Spiritual Power instantly condensed into a storm, sweeping across the entire cave.

The Ant Queen's last-ditch Mental Shock did achieve significant results.

Skeletons, as Undead Creatures summoned by an Undead Mage from the Undead Realm, have a high resistance to mental attacks. However, under the full force of the Mental Shock, over a dozen skeletons closest to the Ant Queen froze completely. Their Soul Fire was instantly extinguished, and they collapsed into heaps of bones.

With these sacrifices acting as a buffer, the Soul Fire of the skeletons slightly farther away weakened significantly, but they narrowly survived and were not killed on the spot. And as long as an Undead Creature wasn't killed outright, Fang Zhou could restore it with his [Resurrection of the Dead] skill.

As for Fang Zhou himself, he was already far away, with layers of skeletons forming a flesh-and-bone shield wall in front of him. Moreover, he was constantly watching for any desperate moves from the Fierce Ant Queen. The moment the Ant Queen released its Mental Shock, Fang Zhou had already cast his perfected [Skeleton Shield], which could effectively defend against such attacks.

Protected by these multiple layers, Fang Zhou only felt a slight dizziness before quickly recovering, even though the Fierce Ant Queen's Spirit Attribute was much higher than his own.

However, the close call made Fang Zhou even more vigilant.

He waved his Magic Staff, casting [Resurrection of the Dead] to restore vitality to the Skeleton Army swarming the Fierce Ant Queen. He himself retreated even farther, creating a larger buffer zone.

But after unleashing the Spirit Storm, the poor Fierce Ant Queen was clearly at the end of its rope. Facing the increasingly dense onslaught from the skeletons, it could only struggle in the pit. Its fierce thrashing gradually weakened until, at last, it lay still, as if it had drowned. Its entire body flipped over, its short legs twitching feebly in the pool of blood.

After the attacks continued for a while longer, Fang Zhou still hadn't absorbed any Soul Power.

He knew this Fierce Ant Queen was not yet dead.

He continued to command the Skeleton Army to tear at it frantically. Finally, a notification appeared on his attribute panel.

"Soul Power +1."

Fang Zhou's brow twitched, and he let out a small sigh of relief.

This Fierce Ant Queen was by far the most difficult Demon he had encountered in the caves. Fortunately, there were no Fierce Ant Guards by its side, allowing him to take it down without any real danger.

If that Fierce Ant leader, the one that had wreaked havoc in the Kobold camp, had been guarding the Ant Queen, Fang Zhou's cautious nature would have compelled him to retreat immediately. He would not have risked a fight against a combination of two Upper-rank Apprentice Demons.

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