Chapter 121 Cultivating Electric Ants and the Ability of the Treasure Mirror

At the urging of his advisors, King Chiron slowly regained his composure.

Yet, his orders remained unchanged.

He was not a mere warlord, but a contender for the imperial throne of Aragon State.

And for a ruler—

Words were law.

Once spoken, they could not be taken back.

In the depths of Zachary Palace, within a modest stone hall, sat a figure of neither towering stature nor extravagant dress—

Yet his presence alone commanded an indescribable authority.

This was King Zachary, the only known Level 4 Perfection cultivator in all of Aragon State.

Unlike the other feudal lords—

Despite ruling the largest territory and controlling the greatest resources, King Zachary’s palace was astoundingly simple.

The main hall occupied only a few dozen miles of land.

Its structures were built not from celestial jade or rare wood, but from ordinary stone.

Beyond the inner palace, elaborate mansions and opulent pavilions stood in stark contrast—

A jarring division between King Zachary’s personal residence and the luxurious estates of his court.

To the outside world, it seemed absurd.

A king’s palace—less grand than a noble family’s estate?

But for King Zachary, this was a deliberate choice.

He had once declared:

“For a seeker of the immortal path, a single room is enough.”

“A ruler must share in the burdens of his people.”

When he was first bestowed the title of king, he had made a solemn vow—

To ensure that no mortal under his rule would suffer from hunger or cold.

To prevent cultivators from oppressing the common people.

His ambition was not merely the imperial throne—

He sought to be a Sage Emperor, a ruler who would unite both the mortal and cultivation worlds under a just and righteous reign.

In the alliance of righteous nations, this stance had granted him great favor.

For in the righteous path, every action was wrapped in the guise of morality—

“For the people!”
“For justice!”
“For the greater good!”

King Zachary had masterfully positioned himself as the guardian of these ideals.

His gaze swept over his assembled retainers.

“Everyone.”

“What are your thoughts on King Marruis’ claim to the throne?”

His voice was calm, his tone measured.

There was no anger, no amusement—

Only detached observation, as if the chaos of the world could not touch his heart.

Even as he sat upon his wooden chair, an undeniable majesty radiated from his presence.

The first to step forward was a middle-aged Level 4 early-stage cultivator.

Bowing with respect, the man let out a chuckle before speaking.

“King Marruis? Claiming the throne?”

“That is the greatest joke I’ve heard in a hundred years!”

He shook his head in disbelief.

“The six other kings have already agreed to carve up his lands.”

“Pyrenees King (Older Pyrelis),has mobilized his entire army—longest estimate, two years. Shortest? A few months.”

“And Murrican Palace will be nothing but rubble.”

“And yet he chooses now to declare himself Emperor? Hahaha! Absurd!”

The moment his words fell, laughter erupted across the grand hall.

To these cultivators—

Had Pyrenees King,or King Chiron declared themselves Emperor, they might have found it tolerable.

Those two kings, at least, controlled substantial domains.

Even if their claim was premature, they could resist for some time.

But King Marruis?

His forces were already on the verge of annihilation.

Declaring himself Emperor at such a moment—

It was pure madness.

“Enough.”

A single word from King Zachary silenced the room.

Unlike his retainers, he did not find this matter amusing.

A shadow of concern flickered across his heart.

And when King Zachary spoke, the entire hall fell into absolute silence.

Then—

A new voice cut through the quiet.

A young man, delicate in appearance, with an androgynous face and an aura of eerie stillness, rose from his seat.

Though he appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen, the immense Level 4 late-stage pressure he exuded revealed the truth—

He was no youth.

He was an ancient monster, his age concealed by rejuvenation pills.

For a long while, he had remained silent, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

Now—he met King Zachary’s gaze and finally spoke his mind.

“Your Majesty…”

His voice was soft, but carried weight.

“King Marruis is still a feudal lord.”

“He has cultivated to Level 4—he is not a fool.”

“We all understand the cost of declaring oneself Emperor.”

“King Marruis does as well.”

King Zachary’s expression remained unreadable.

But his fingers—gently tapped against the armrest of his wooden chair.

A subtle movement.

A sign that he was listening intently.

“Even if King Marruis has lost all reason, even if he is blinded by ambition—he would not declare himself Emperor without some backing.”

“Especially considering the recent infiltration of Aragon State by the Velmorian Sect.”

“It is highly likely that he has struck a deal with them.”

The youthful-looking cultivator paused, his eyes flickering with thought before he continued.

“However, Your Majesty need not concern yourself too much.”

“The Velmorian Sect may be growing bolder, but if they overstep, the Righteous Nations Alliance will not sit idly by.”

“Even if a full-scale war between righteous and demonic forces erupts once more, it is the Level 5 cultivators who will bear the brunt of the conflict—not us.”

“For now, let Pyrenees King, and his allies probe King Marruis’s strength.”

“If something truly dangerous lurks beneath the surface, they will be the first to suffer.”

King Zachary nodded slightly.

His gaze remained calm, but deep within his heart, his wariness did not fade.

The political landscape of Aragon State was unpredictable.

If King Marruis fell, or if he somehow crushed the other six kings—

Either outcome would inevitably lead to an earth-shattering battle against Zachary Palace.

This was not a conflict he could afford to ignore.

“Issue my decree.”

“Continue gathering intelligence across the three provinces and seventy-two counties of Aragon State.”

“Furthermore—”

His gaze hardened.

“Reduce our stored resources to just ten percent.”

“Distribute the remaining reserves to the cultivators of Zachary Palace.”

“In the coming months, everyone must focus on advancing their cultivation as much as possible.”

His words were clear and decisive.

For now, they would observe.

But when the time came—Zachary Palace would be ready.

Far from the political turmoil of the feudal lords, within the secluded halls of the De Molinos Family, a figure in a gray robe sat quietly.

In his hands—

A crimson ant, no larger than a fist, its body surrounded by arcs of crackling purple lightning.

It had six pairs of translucent wings, and its chitinous shell bore intricate, flickering runes.

This was Arius’s first success.

After months of cultivation, through the careful expenditure of vast resources, he had finally nurtured his first venomous insect—

The Thunder Ant.

Though small in size, the Thunder Ant had officially reached the Early Level 1 realm.

Of course, in terms of raw combat ability, a single Thunder Ant could only threaten lower-level cultivators—

At most, it could overwhelm a Body Tempering Stage practitioner.

But that was not its true value.

Unlike ordinary spirit insects, this Thunder Ant was completely under Arius’s control.

A single thought was all it took for it to strike swiftly and precisely.

It was a true assassin’s weapon.

“Early Level 1… still not enough.”

Arius sighed, running his fingers along the creature’s glowing carapace.

“Little one, let’s get you something better to eat.”

He retrieved a small jade bottle from his storage ring, uncorking it with a flick of his wrist.

A single pill tumbled into his palm—its surface etched with fine golden script, radiating a potent medicinal scent.

The Mirror of Immortal Appraisal, his mysterious artifact, had revealed one crucial truth—

It could not directly increase the cultivation of living beings.

At most, it could enhance their innate potential, fortify their bodies, and improve their bloodline.

But it required a minimum level of talent to take effect.

A common ant, no matter how many resources were poured into it, would never become a celestial beast.

At least—not yet.

Arius contemplated.

Perhaps the Mirror of Immortal Appraisal simply lacked this ability.

Perhaps it was because his clan’s fortune was insufficient.

Or perhaps—

It was because he had yet to fully unlock its power.