It took only a split second for Zong Shou to drag his consciousness back to the present. That humanoid Ant Queen was still struggling fiercely.

A raw, peerless torrent of malevolence surged up from within its body. Zong Shou sighed inwardly.

He was lucky he had been cautious; even a Master-Pledge Incantation and an Immortal Talisman of unknown grade had failed to completely subjugate the humanoid Ant Queen's spirit. Now, not only had he failed to gain an ally as desired, but this new guardian was consuming a significant portion of his focus.

If not for the presence of the Thunder Winged Flood Dragon—this Rank Seven dragon-flood approaching Divine Beast status—providing deterrence, and Zong Yuan standing guard, he would likely have been forced into a humiliating retreat right now. Resuming a cross-legged position, Zong Shou formed hand seals and began chanting a series of strangely melodic spiritual incantations.

The Soul-Control Array tied to the Master-Pledge Incantation, which was hidden within the humanoid Ant Queen, abruptly activated. Waves of spiritual force poured in, ceaselessly washing over the Ant Queen's mind.

However, as time wore on, Zong Shou’s brow furrowed deeper, and he halted. The Ant Queen’s spiritual consciousness was terrifyingly strong and solidified.

Zong Shou poured his divine soul power into the assault, but no matter what method he employed, he could not shake it in the slightest, nor could he truly penetrate the core of its mind. He could only vaguely sense that within it was an icy, absolute stillness; though its form resembled a winged humanoid, its thoughts remained akin to those of a crystal ant.

Even the Grand Profound Heart-Locking Talisman could only advance its influence marginally, drop by drop. At this point, Zong Shou was genuinely troubled.

He could see that the Immortal Talisman did possess some strange efficacy, slowly locking down the Ant Queen's soul, but this required a considerable amount of time. And if he stored the humanoid Ant Queen away now, he felt uneasy.

Although he possessed several Spirit Beast Pouches nearby, none of them contained defensive formations. As soon as he placed it inside, it would likely break free.

He lacked any truly foolproof method to control this being. For the moment, he had no choice but to withdraw temporarily and think of a solution upon returning.

If he absolutely could not restrain it, he would have to bite the bullet and destroy it. Such a rare Heaven and Earth anomaly was precious, but his own life was a hundred times more so.

Keeping a bomb that could detonate at any moment by his side was tantamount to courting death. He shifted his spiritual gestures again, and within Zong Shou’s Sea of Consciousness, the fiery totem suddenly sprang back to life.

A sheet of crimson flame erupted beneath the humanoid Ant Queen, burning fiercely—it was the Sky-Burning Flame unique to the Lu family bloodline. The humanoid Ant Queen, however, grew calm.

More white flames rose around it, countering the streak of Sky-Burning Flame. Despite the scorching heat surrounding it, there was no sign of discomfort, and its silver carapace showed no indication of melting.

Though clearly at a disadvantage against the surging white flames, it managed to hold on. Zong Shou let out a slight snort, having anticipated that the Sky-Burning Flame would be ineffective.

He flicked his finger, preparing to launch a small purple thunder orb, when suddenly a series of intricate spirit patterns flashed across the Ant Queen’s purple eyes, forming what looked like a bizarre array. Following its gaze, the markings locked onto Zong Shou.

Zong Shou’s eyelids twitched; he sensed impending doom. He instinctively tried to shut his eyes but was too late.

They made contact for a single moment, and then he felt a vast surge of soul power burst through, breaking through defenses like a battering ram, impacting his own consciousness. First, his mind spun into a daze.

When Zong Shou regained clarity, he clearly saw a new imprint settled within his Sea of Consciousness. Zong Yuan was startled by this sudden change and instantly strode forward several paces, placing himself directly in front of Zong Shou.

The Purple Thunder Spear in his hand pointed directly at the humanoid Ant Queen, but the creature stood perfectly still, devoid of any movement, like a lifeless object resting within the crimson Sky-Burning Flames. Zong Yuan first let out a small sigh of relief, then his spirit instantly tensed.

He kept his spear aimed, daring not to relax his vigilance for a moment, and asked with slight concern, "My Lord, are you unharmed?" Zong Shou remained silent, sitting still for nearly half a moment. He observed the imprint carefully.

After a long pause, he let out a wry smile. "I am fine!

But this time, I truly misjudged the situation—I hunted geese all day only to be pecked in the eye..." Standing up, Zong Shou’s expression was extraordinarily complex as he looked at the humanoid Ant Queen. This beautiful, regal creature, ethereal and dreamlike, like an elf, met his gaze with a cold, unyielding demeanor.

There was no warmth in its purple-gold eyes. "That was a Spiritual Seal, somewhat similar to a Symbiotic Spirit Array but also different.

It should be one of its innate divine abilities. If it dies, my divine soul will suffer severe damage.

However, through this Spirit Seal, I can also exert some of its abilities and even share a portion of its vitality..." Zong Yuan hadn't fully grasped it, but hearing that Zong Shou’s soul would be harmed if the Ant Queen perished, he understood completely. His eyes lit up slightly: "It is afraid.

It fears you might destroy it, or perhaps that you might deliberately sacrifice it!" At this realization, Zong Yuan inhaled sharply. This humanoid Ant Queen intended to mutually constrain Zong Shou.

While Zong Shou could control it with the Master-Pledge Incantation Array and the Grand Profound Heart-Locking Talisman, this bizarre creature could equally ensure its own safety via this symbiotic spiritual imprint. Zong Shou’s brow was deeply furrowed, and he rubbed his temples in frustration.

If his speculation was correct, this symbiotic imprint was inherited from its birth mother, a result of its long symbiosis with the Ant Daoist. Somehow, it had evolved into an innate divine ability of the humanoid Ant Queen.

His current headache was how to deal with this thing. For him, this symbiotic spiritual imprint was not entirely unsolvable, but the cost would be significant—a loss of at least one-sixth of his soul power, requiring several months to recover.

"Remarkable. This little thing possesses intelligence comparable to a human..." It attacked immediately upon hatching.

It understood that the Grand Profound Heart-Locking Talisman and the Master-Pledge Incantation would eventually gain complete control over its mind, leaving no room for resistance. Upon failing to assassinate Zong Shou and sensing further efforts were futile, it switched tactics, using this method of mutual constraint to prevent him from acting against it.

In terms of intellect, the Thunder Winged Flood Dragon and Little Wisdom had respectable minds, comparable perhaps to an eight-year-old child in their most innocent state. But this humanoid Ant Queen was different; it was born with the intellect of an adult, which was truly astonishing.

After a brief contemplation, Zong Shou swept his sleeve and dispersed the Sky-Burning Flames entirely. The symbiotic spiritual imprint originated from the Ant Daoist’s symbiosis array, which was inherently detrimental to a spirit pet serving as a guardian.

This innate ability of the humanoid Ant Queen was a direct inheritance. If Zong Shou died, it would certainly perish as well.

Therefore, Zong Shou no longer feared the humanoid Ant Queen suddenly resisting him and attacking. In the next instant, the creature’s purple-gold eyes fixed on him once more.

Then, its silver-white, sacred body shimmered suddenly. Its six pairs of transparent, delicate wings fluttered lightly, and it zipped outside the ritual platform.

Four streaks of blade light flashed, piercing into the body of a Rank Six Demon-Eyed Lion. Blood instantly sprayed forth.

This six-rank demonic beast was slain without any chance to resist, a bloody hole bored through its brow. The sacred white flames burned wildly, refining the demonic beast's flesh and blood within moments into fine streaks of milky-white essence, which flowed into the silver-white body.

Then, the humanoid Ant Queen transformed into a streak of white light, circling the altar. Holes were punched through one after another; beast after beast fell dead on the spot.

Especially against the fiends and demons, the burning sacred white flames seemed to be anathema to them. Wherever the white flame passed, the surrounding malevolent aura was annihilated without question!

The corner of Zong Shou’s lips curved slightly, tinged with a hint of mockery. Was this how it intended to demonstrate its value after establishing the symbiotic seal?

Indeed, its combat prowess was formidable, even surpassing that of his Thunder Winged Flood Dragon! It wasn't just its speed; the silver armor was incredibly sturdy, and its two pairs of blade arms were no less formidable than Grade Eight spirit weapons.

Its small body contained immense, potent strength! Such combat power could even contend with some slower, Grade Eight spirit beasts!

However, if that was all, it wasn't enough to sway him. He would have ample opportunities to acquire powerful guardians in the future.

There was no need to take the risk of entrusting a full quarter of his divine ability to the survival of this humanoid Ant Queen! Even though accepting the symbiotic spiritual imprint had elevated it to the status of a natural guardian, he was unwilling to use such a dangerous spirit pet!

As these thoughts formed, his decision began to crystallize, and Zong Shou's gaze grew colder. In the next moment, countless white flames suddenly erupted around the humanoid Ant Queen, sweeping outward.

They melted down the bodies of the beasts and evil spirits it had slain, transforming them into streams of bloody vitality that were drawn into its form. It did not even spare the matter left after the melting of fur and carapace, allowing it to seep bit by bit into its body.

Zong Shou’s eyes narrowed; he guessed this was likely the Ant Queen’s method of feeding. No wonder it had been born without even an obvious mouthpart.

Moments later, the rear carapace of the humanoid Ant Queen gradually split open. A mass of silvery-white material was pushed out from within, growing and separating until it reached about two feet in length.

Then, the Ant Queen wielded its blades sharply, completely severing the connection between the two! It was a flying ant, finally bearing some resemblance to the previous crystal ants.

However, this one was exceptionally beautiful, possessing a natural form of great aesthetic appeal, lacking the savagery of the Fiery Crystal Ant, its silver carapace appearing even more magnificent. It bore four pairs of transparent cicada wings on its back, and it also possessed two pairs of blade arms.

White flames burned around it, though its quality was slightly inferior. Zong Shou and Zong Yuan exchanged a glance, both utterly astonished.

A single term flashed simultaneously in both their minds: Fission Reproduction! Furthermore, it possessed formidable combat strength immediately upon birth, requiring no incubation time!

If he could acquire even half the combat strength of this Ant Queen, that alone would be astonishing!