Song Jie was momentarily stunned by the sudden kiss, frozen in place for several seconds.
"She actually ambushed me!" he muttered in disbelief—then shook his head and turned his full attention back to the Bloodthirsty Ants swarming around him.
Those countless ants weren't just monsters—they were treasure! If he killed them all, how many Essence Orbs could he forge from their remnant souls?
His bronze necklace functioned much like Mo Fan's jade pendant—a growth-type cultivation artifact capable of absorbing souls and condensing them into essence.
"This is too refreshing!" Song Jie grinned. He unleashed several Burst Radiance spells, and each blast wiped out huge patches of Bloodthirsty Ants.
With no one else around, he could finally fight without restraint—no need to hide his true strength!
Meanwhile, high above on the Wind Riding Sky Eagle, Jiang Shaoxu was still in shock.
She hadn't even understood why she'd done it—she had just walked up to Song Jie and kissed him. Perhaps it was because he had stayed behind to fight while sending them to safety.
Maybe it was admiration… or guilt for teasing him earlier. Or maybe, in that desperate moment, she simply didn't want to regret never doing it.
Blushing, Jiang Shaoxu looked back toward the opposite bank. "Hmph… consider that your reward. You'd better make it back alive!"
On the other side of the river, Mu Lei and the others stood frozen, staring at the flashes of golden light erupting across the water.
The night was dim, yet the opposite bank shone like daylight.
"What kind of magic is that? It's insane!" Zhuge Ru exclaimed, eyes wide.
Bai Liang and Dongfang Ming stayed silent. They had once thought they could compete with Song Jie—but after witnessing that kind of power, they knew they were worlds apart.
Moments later, the Wind Riding Sky Eagle landed, and Ding Yumian, Jiang Shaoxu, and the others jumped down.
"Let's move! The Bloodthirsty Ants are already crossing the river!" Zhuge Ru shouted.
They could see the corpses in the water being devoured to the bone—soon the river would be crawling with ants.
Huo Yumeng hesitated. "But Song Jie's still over there!"
"His Summoned Beast came back for us. He'll be fine. But if we stay, we'll drag him down!" Zhuge Ru said sharply.
Ding Yumian and Jiang Shaoxu exchanged a tense glance, then nodded. Zhuge Ru was right—they'd already slowed Song Jie down once.
"Song Jie… you better come back alive," Mu Lei muttered, clenching his fists. He wanted to help, but against that endless swarm, he was powerless.
Across the river, Song Jie was unstoppable.
He tore through wave after wave of Bloodthirsty Ants, his spells lighting up the battlefield. With each kill, his bronze necklace pulsed with energy as remnant souls poured into it, forming luminous Essence Orbs.
He could feel his power growing with every explosion.
"These souls can't be taken out," he realized. "But I can use them to strengthen my Star Chart!"
His plan was clear—boost his Basic Level spells to higher tiers.
To reach the fourth level, he needed seven Servant-level Essence Orbs. He already had more than enough!
Maybe he could even reach the fifth level—or beyond!
If his Basic magic reached the seventh level, after six powerful transformations…
He laughed to himself. "Black Dragon Emperor? Ocean Emperor? Pharaoh? Dark King? You're not the only ones who can dominate the world!"
Of course, that was a distant dream—but it didn't hurt to imagine.
His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the ants starting to cross the river midstream.
"Not good!"
He quickly fired off a Radiance Explosion, blasting a nearby skeleton into the current. It shattered and sank, sending up a wall of water that surged to both banks.
But the Bloodthirsty Ants didn't stop. They just kept swimming, driven by madness.
"Crazy little monsters!" Song Jie hissed, realizing it was useless to stop them. More were coming from the front.
"Then come! Let's see who lasts longer!"
His killing intent surged. Each spell brought a storm of glowing remnants. Raising his Light Element to the sixth level might actually be possible tonight!
Every hundred ants seemed to yield at least one Servant or Warrior-level Essence Orb, which also fed his artifact's growth.
Cultivation tools, like mages, had ranks—Stardust, Nebula, Star River, and beyond—each divided into Mortal, Spirit, and Soul grades. The higher the level, the faster the cultivation speed.
His bronze bracelet was already Nebula-level, upgraded with Earth Holy Spring energy. If he could gather enough essence, he might reach Star River-level before breaking through to the Advanced Stage!
Then, his future cultivation would soar. Even passively, the bracelet nourished his Nebulae—a slow but steady gain that would build over time.
Within moments, he slaughtered two more waves of Bloodthirsty Ants. The ground had become a river of blood, thicker and darker than the river itself. The stench of death filled the air.
Just then, the Wind Riding Sky Eagle swooped down with a loud cry. Its wings beat fiercely, unleashing a gale that blew the nearest swarm backward.
Song Jie seized the moment—he hurled another Burst Radiance straight into the densest mass of ants.
The explosion tore through them. Blood and fragments splattered everywhere as the smell of iron intensified.
He jumped, grabbed the Sky Eagle's leg, and swung himself onto its back.
Even as they took off, the ants below didn't stop. They plunged into the river, following the current toward the opposite shore.
"They're not just attacking blindly," Song Jie realized grimly. "They're hunting something specific…"
Still, he wasn't ready to leave.
"Just a few more waves," he said, eyes gleaming. "I'll use up at least eighty percent of my Light Element energy before I go."
Meanwhile, Ding Yumian and Jiang Shaoxu had already entered the forest—but the Bloodthirsty Ants had caught up, chasing them relentlessly.
Seeing the swarm behind, Zhuge Ru panicked and bolted forward, shoving Huo Yumeng aside to clear his path.
"Move! I'm not dying here!" he yelled.
Huo Yumeng stumbled from the shove and fell hard.
"Fiery Fist! Heavenly Strike!"
Ding Yumian stopped and cast her spell. A massive flaming fist smashed into the ground, creating a wall of fire that blocked the ants' advance.
Jiang Shaoxu dashed back, grabbed Huo Yumeng's hand, and pulled her to safety.
At the same time, Mu Lei raised his arm. A purple hexagram lit up under his feet.
"Thunderbolt—Heavenly Strike!"
A bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, obliterating the leading ants in a burst of thunder.
"Retreat!" Mu Lei shouted as the ground sizzled.
But before they could move far—
Countless blood-red eyes glimmered in the dark forest around them.
They were completely surrounded.
...
Author's Note:
The first half (completed version more that 320 chapters) of Versatile Mage: My Magic Has Gone Beyond Limits! is now available on Patreon!
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