"Stop acting so thirsty!" Caiyi scolded the mantises. "Look at you all, acting like you've never seen the world! It's just one male..."
After her reprimand, she turned back to observe the battlefield.
...
Meanwhile, a flying ant spotted an opening. Opening its comically massive mandibles, it lunged straight for Lu Qing's back.
If that bite landed, his head would be instantly severed from his body.
However, this was an opening Lu Qing had intentionally left.
As long as the ants' aerial forces were not annihilated, they would remain a massive threat.
Right on cue, the low-intelligence flying ants fell for the bait. Two of them attacked without hesitation.
Yet before they could even draw near, Lu Qing unleashed his skill: Enhanced Hack and Pierce.
Both of his black Scythes struck at once.The left Scythe slashed with blistering speed and precision.
It struck cleanly into a gap in the ant's armor.
Fueled by overwhelming strength and the flying ant's naturally weaker defenses, the strike cleaved the insect squarely in half.
The right Scythe delivered a piercing thrust, just as fierce.
The tip of the Scythe stabbed directly through the flying ant's mandibles and burst out from its thorax.
With a flick of his Scythe, he hurled the impaled corpse into a soldier ant, sending it flying.
Witnessing this, Caiyi squeezed her four legs together, a rush of female hormones flooding her mind.
A flying ant's defense might be slightly weaker than a soldier ant's, but it was still an ant!
Cleaving a flying ant in two with a single Scythe strike, while simultaneously skewering another entirely...
Even she, a Lord, lacked such skill!
The natural mantis law of strong females and weak males seemed completely useless in this moment!
This wasn't just strong! It was absurdly strong!
She had never encountered such a magnificent, powerful male mantis in her entire life!
He was, quite simply, the mantis of her dreams!
Squeezing her legs together at the sight of him was only natural!
"What a powerful male~ Ah," she whimpered.
One look was enough to tell she was in heat!
The mantises beside her were instantly left speechless.
Good lord, she had just reprimanded them for acting thirsty, and now she was practically throwing herself at him...
...
Lu Qing had no idea that a group of female mantises was staring at him, practically drooling.
The ant army had surrounded him. If he didn't break out soon, he wouldn't be able to handle the battle of attrition.
He repeated his old trick, exposing a slight opening to lure the flying ants in again.
His black Scythes struck their vitals with flawless precision, delivering a one-hit kill every time.
In less than a few minutes, he had eradicated more than half of the aerial forces.
With the threat of the flying ants reduced, he beat his wings and took off.
After effortlessly reaping the few remaining flyers, he casually flew toward the opposite side of the river.
"Ant Queen, today's workout was great, and I've had my fill of fighting. I won't stick around. Make sure you send your strongest ants next time, otherwise a battle of cutting melons and chopping vegetables is really no fun."
"Oh, right! You'd better hurry up and lay some more of those delicious ant eggs, otherwise I won't have enough to eat!"
After speaking, he even let out a burp, as if he hadn't quite had enough.
Talk about adding insult to injury!
Frustrating, it was far too frustrating!
He destroyed our livestock farm, slaughtered my offspring, and even ate my unhatched eggs.
And now he was making sarcastic remarks!
The Ant Queen instantly went mad with rage.
"Damned mantis! I swear to wipe the Mantis Race from the face of the earth!"
Lu Qing continued his leisurely flight. "Who are you trying to bluff? How could a bunch of tiny ants drive our mighty Mantis Race to extinction? Besides, our Lord Caiyi is the most valiant mantis in all of heaven and earth! When it comes to dealing with you ants—heh—she'd slaughter you all with a single strike each!"
Even as he left, he made sure to draw their hatred onto his Lord.
Lu Qing's figure gradually faded into the distance, but the female mantises up in the treetops were left dumbfounded.
Naturally, they couldn't grasp a high-level scheme like "borrowing a blade to kill a mantis," but they were stunned to discover that this male belonged to their own territory!
Lord Caiyi felt that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.
However, hearing Lu Qing's flattery instantly filled her with excitement!
Look at that, this was what they called a true connection!
'I like this male, and this male admires me!'
With this, the feelings were mutual!
Her mind consumed by thoughts of mating, Caiyi instantly cast her hatred for the Ant Race out of her head.
Nothing in this vast world was more important than carrying on the bloodline!
"We will spare the Ant Race for today. Come, follow me to complete a far greater mission!"
The other mantises naturally understood what this "greatest mission" was.
...
Dazhuang, having already eaten and drunk his fill, was currently curled up inside the cave, sleeping soundly.
Hearing the commotion, he immediately sat up.
"Boss, you're back?"
He had absolutely no idea what Lu Qing had just been through.
As soon as Lu Qing entered the cave, he quickly asked, "How was it? Was there anything good inside the Ant Nest?"
"There was. Ant eggs. Those things are soft, sweet, and packed with nutrients. Every single one is Fourth Grade. They're absolute premium tonics."
Dazhuang immediately started drooling at the words, clutching his Sickle Legs together.
"Did you bring any back? Quick, let me get a taste."
"I couldn't bring them out. The Ant Queen noticed, and I was almost beaten to death by the swarm."
Right at that moment, a telepathic message came from outside the cave.
"Come out quickly! The Lord has arrived!"
A Lord. A female!
Dazhuang's eyes lit up, clearly letting the hormones go to his head again.
"Boss! A Lord! It's a Lord!"
"What are you so excited for?!"
With a smack of his Sickle Leg, he nearly flattened Dazhuang's triangular head into a square.
That strike sobered Dazhuang up considerably, reminding him of Lu Qing's teachings... and brainwashing.
"Your life or women. Choose one."
If this were before, Dazhuang would have chosen women with absolute pride.
But now that he fully grasped the beauty of staying alive—the taste of bird meat, the free meat worms, and his continuously growing strength—he was filled with anticipation for his future mantis life.
"If you don't want to die, control your thoughts!"
Dazhuang nodded frantically. "Control! I'll control them!"
Lu Qing shook the dust off his body. "Come on, let's go out and meet them."
...
Over ten females had formed a circle around the cave.
All of them stared with burning gazes at the newly emerged Lu Qing.
Their gazes were exceptionally pure, filled with nothing but raw desire for a male.
Caiyi, arriving last to make a grand entrance, slowly descended while flapping her tricolored wings.
She looked noble and majestic.
After landing, she took a few elegant steps forward on her long legs.
The wings on her back flared open once more.
"Male, you've caught my eye. Accept the glorious favor of the Lord!"
After declaring her intent, she raised her noble, triangular head.
In her eyes, what male could possibly resist a Lord's grace?
No male could ever resist!
What were males?
They were nothing but natural-born tools!
The stepping stones for female power!
Since the dawn of their race, there had never been an exception!
Even if the male before her was incredibly strong—perhaps not even weaker than herself!
So what?
This was destiny. An irresistible destiny!
Theoretically, it was irresistible...
One had to admit, for a creature who had been single for decades, even female mantises looked quite attractive right now!
If it were simply a matter of enjoying a fleeting romance with a female mantis, he might have considered indulging himself just once.
But this stuff cost you your life!
'I find you attractive, yet you want my life?'
Besides, the Ant Race had already devastated them to this extent, yet they were still in the mood for romance.
Damn it, I didn't screw them over hard enough!
"Not interested."
His answer was simple and to the point.