The system is the proficiency panel - 264. Freshmen
The system is the proficiency panel
264. Freshmen"Let me go!"
The ant king's voice was sharp and piercing, filled with rage. It struggled frantically, splashing countless water drops as its wings vibrated, but it was unable to break free from the spring's constraints.
True Lord Yu Shui remained expressionless and spoke calmly.
"Shijin, are you willing to work for my Xuantian Sect?"
"Don't think about it!"
The ant king roared loudly.
"I would rather die than be a slave to the human race!"
Yu Shui Zhenjun nodded slightly, as if he had expected it. He raised his hand and the spring water suddenly boiled, turning into countless streams that enveloped the ant king. The ant king let out a shrill scream, and the silver shell dissolved at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing the crystal-clear flesh and blood inside.
Xiao Ningxue's heart was shocked, but she saw that Master Yu Shui had a calm look in his eyes. The magic formula in his hands changed, and the dissolved flesh and blood condensed again, turning into a silver egg, floating in the center of the spring.
"This is……?"
She couldn't help but speak out.
Master Yu Shui put away his magic spells and the spring water returned to calm.
"It is unruly and difficult to tame. There is no need to waste time. I will return it to its origin and transform it into an ant egg. Although the newly born ant has lost its memories of its previous life, its innate abilities have not diminished in the slightest."
He looked at Xiao Ningxue, a hint of deep meaning flashing in his eyes.
"You are to take this egg back to Tianshu City and place it in the spiritual vein for nurturing. After three months, the new ant king will hatch and recognize its master."
Xiao Ningxue suddenly understood and took the silver egg respectfully. The egg was cold and felt like metal, but it also had a faint pulse that was unique to life.
"Disciple understands, and will definitely live up to your trust."
Yu Shui Zhenjun nodded slightly and closed his eyes again.
"Go."
Xiao Ningxue bowed and left. As the mountain breeze blew by, she looked down at the silver egg in her hand, her lips slightly raised, and she whispered softly.
"My dear, when you come back, you may see a brand new tribe of gold-eating ants..."
Her figure gradually moved away and finally disappeared in the vast clouds.
……
After Xiao Ningxue returned to Tianshu City, she immediately placed the silver egg in a room at the edge of the Heavenly Dao fragment. Rich spiritual energy surged toward the silver egg like a tide, forming a layer of light silver light on its surface. She personally set up a spirit gathering formation to ensure that the life in the egg could get the most adequate nourishment.
As time went by, the pulse of the silver egg gradually increased. Every seven days, Xiao Ningxue would come to check and record the changes in the egg. At first, the eggshell only occasionally glowed; by the second month, the light had flickered regularly like breathing; and now, as the day of hatching approached, there was even a slight "clicking" sound coming from the egg, as if something was waking up.
On this day, Xiao Ningxue came to the core of the spirit vein as usual. As soon as she stepped into the secret room, she heard a crisp cracking sound - a thin crack appeared on the surface of the silver egg. She stopped, held her breath, and stared at the eggshell.
The crack gradually spread, and finally broke apart with a "pop". A palm-sized silver ant crawled out of the egg, its shell shining like mithril, and the two slender antennae on its head swayed gently, as if sensing the surrounding environment. Unlike the previous ant king, its eyes were clear and ignorant, without the slightest violent aura.
Xiao Ningxue slowly stretched out her hand and said softly.
"come over."
The little ant tilted its head, its antennae trembled slightly, and then it actually climbed onto her palm. Its toes were cold, but they carried a hint of the warmth of life. Xiao Ningxue smiled lightly, stroked its carapace with her fingertips, and whispered.
"From now on, you will be called Silver Star, and you will be a member of the Empire."
The little ant seemed to understand what she said and waved its antennae happily.
At this moment, the door of the secret room was pushed open, and Luo Youran appeared at the door. She saw the silver ant in Xiao Ningxue's palm at a glance, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.
"Success?"
Xiao Ningxue held up the little guy in her palm.
"It's very docile, and its aura is completely different from the previous ant king."
Luo Youran took a few steps closer and looked at the newborn ant curiously.
"The True Lord's methods are indeed extraordinary. Can it produce silver essence now?"
"Not yet."
Xiao Ningxue shook her head.
"It takes time to grow, but with the nourishment of the spiritual vein, it will grow much faster."
Luo Youran seemed to be thinking about something.
"In that case, why not give it to Garnier? She is quite knowledgeable about biotechnology and may be able to speed up its growth."
Xiao Ningxue pondered for a moment and thought this was a good suggestion. The technology that Garnier mastered might indeed help the growth of the gold-eating ants. She looked at the little ant in her palm and said softly.
"How about taking you to meet a new friend?"
The little ant tapped its antennae, as if in response.
A moment later, the two brought the little ant to Garnier's laboratory. Garnier was hovering in front of a precision instrument, and when he saw them come in, a hint of doubt flashed across his blood-red eyes.
"Is something wrong?"
Luo Youran smiled and explained the situation of the little ant. After listening, Garnier's eyes fell on the little ant, and the data stream flashed rapidly in his pupils.
"Interesting life form, its genetic structure is completely different from that of ordinary ants, it's perfect."
Xiao Ningxue raised her eyebrows.
"You mean, the Gold-Eating Ants might have been created?"
Garnier nodded.
"It's a possibility that can't be ruled out. I need to collect some samples for analysis."
The little ant seemed to sense something, its antennae stood up alertly, and it shrank towards Xiao Ningxue's sleeve. Xiao Ningxue touched it soothingly.
"Don't be afraid, she won't hurt you."
Garnier took out a tiny needle and gently extracted a drop of fluid from the crack of the ant's shell. The ant resisted at first, but soon calmed down after Xiao Ningxue's comfort.
The analysis results came out quickly. Garnier looked at the data on the screen with a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"As expected! It has a special metal-converting enzyme in its body that can convert metals into silver essence. But I can't tell whether it is a man-made life form."
Luo Youran and Xiao Ningxue looked at each other, and saw shock in each other's eyes. Luo Youran asked.
“Can this enzyme be replicated?”
Garnier shook his head.
"No, its genetic lock is very complex, I can't do it. However, I can try to use biotechnology to speed up its growth and make it reach maturity faster."
Xiao Ningxue nodded.
"Then please."
In the following days, Garnier designed a special training program for the little ants. She prepared a nutrient solution, which added active ingredients extracted from silver essence, which can stimulate the metal conversion enzymes of the little ants to accelerate their development. At the same time, she also built a miniature training ground for the little ants so that they can exercise their abilities in a simulated natural environment.
The growth rate of the little ant was much faster than expected. In just one month, its size doubled, and the silver luster of its shell became deeper. The most surprising thing was that it had begun to devour metals and produce a small amount of silver essence. Although the amount was small, the purity was extremely high.
Xiao Ningxue would visit it every day, and occasionally bring some rare metals for it to "taste". The little ant seemed to be particularly close to her, and every time it saw her, it would happily swing its antennae and even gently touch her fingers with its front feet, as if to express gratitude.