First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!

Lu Ding quickly chased after them.

Now that he finally had some time, he could examine the rewards dropped by Ling Tian.

[Contained Monster: Soldier Ant]

[Containment Reward: Shadow Army Formation]

[Shadow Army Formation: Divide shadows, summon negative emotions, one man forms an army, life and death matter not]

In simple terms, Lu Ding could summon shadow warriors representing his negative emotions from his own shadow.

Manifestations of rage, brutality, cruelty, ferocity, venom... and other concretized shadow soldiers.

But they had no reason, no thinking ability, and could not speak.

They would only execute Lu Ding's simple commands.

In other words.

They existed solely for slaughter.

Each monster born from the shadows possessed a portion of Lu Ding's strength and the characteristics of the techniques and spells he knew.

It was essentially an enhanced version of "Sprinkle Beans to Summon Soldiers."

From another angle, it once again made up for Lu Ding's shortcomings. While it didn't greatly enhance his personal combat power, abilities like "Shadow Army Formation" perfectly solved situations where he didn't have enough hands on deck.

It also enabled the "Rook-King Exchange," allowing him to swap positions between his main body and his shadow army.

This was one of those essential abilities.

And the strength of these shadow monsters was not low.

Lu Ding's own power, bolstered by countless spells and states, already far surpassed Qi Refiners of the same realm.

Even if the summoned shadow army only possessed a fraction of his strength, ordinary Qi Refiners at the same level couldn't casually challenge them.

Now.

He no longer had to worry about someone sneaking into his home and stealing his goods while he was out working.

And he no longer had to conceal the fact that he was leaving. From now on, whenever Lu Ding went out, he would do so openly and honestly.

Then he would leave the Shadow Army Formation behind in the western region.

If anyone dared to attack his home while he was away.

He would directly Rook-King Exchange and swap places!!!

He would destroy them!!!

Useful, practical, and massively powerful!!!

Lu Ding's gaze fell on the term "Soldier Ant." Seeing those three words, he almost laughed.

"Can't even get your own species right, and you call yourself a Celestial Armor Beetle..."

Even though "Celestial Armor Beetle" sounded pretty intimidating, and it dressed like a damn Kamen Rider.

Lu Ding felt.

No matter how you looked at it, "Celestial Armor Beetle" just didn't have the same aura as "Soldier Ant."

Both the ancient texts "Yijian Zhi" and "Yiyuan" had records of them.

"Yiyuan": During the Taiyuan era of Jin, there was a man named Huan Qian, also known as Jingzu. Suddenly, tiny people, each only an inch tall, appeared... They all wore armor, carried horse lances, and were fully equipped... They roamed around the house, in groups of hundreds, with commanders directing them... They collided and stabbed at each other. Their horses were swift, and they themselves were nimble, able to climb tables and stoves in search of food. Sometimes, they even cut up meat.

Basically, it said that during the Taiyuan era of the Jin dynasty, a man named Huan Qian was pondering what to eat for dinner. He had just walked into the kitchen when he saw a group of little people marching out in formation from a small hole beneath the stove.

They shouted out cadence: One, two, three, four!!!!

Though they were only an inch tall, each one wore armor, carried horse lances, and emitted light. They climbed walls and floors as if on flat ground. In groups of hundreds, with commanders, they charged and fought each other: I'm going to kill you!!!!

The victors.

Claimed territory, searched everywhere inside and outside the house, and whenever they found something edible, they'd hoist it with their horse lances, throw it over their shoulders, and carry it back to their hole, swaggering and triumphant.

Back when Lu Ding first read this, he thought to himself: Aren't these just ants?

Ants that had become spirits?

In any case, Lu Ding found it quite novel. There were countless spirits in the world—wolves, tigers, leopards, venomous snakes, foxes—but it was rare to see ants that had become spirits.

A real rarity!!!

But thinking more carefully about that era, the Jin dynasty... Soldier Ant, Soldier Ant... this probably had some deeper meaning.

Meanwhile.

Elsewhere.

Inside the small courtyard of Black Phoenix Gathering.

Su Yun and Nishang were playing Gomoku.

The girl cheered happily: "I win again!!!"

She looked at Su Yun, only to find him frowning, his mind elsewhere.

As Nishang gathered the pieces, she asked, "Su Yun, what are you thinking about?"

Su Yun glanced toward the direction outside Black Phoenix Gathering: "I'm thinking about Yu Ci and Ling Tian. I wonder how they're doing."

"They've been gone so long and haven't sent any news. I have this uneasy feeling."

Although he had great confidence in Ling Tian's strength, having been in Black Phoenix Gathering for three years, Ling Tian might not match the little red bird or the fish king swimming in the pond, the tree king, and so on in terms of cultivation level...

But the arrogant dominance he displayed was something no other being in this courtyard could match.

In simple terms, he knew how to show off, and he had the strength to back it up.

Compared to Lu Ding, whom he'd only heard of recently and never met.

Su Yun trusted Ling Tian more.

But now, he had this... indescribable feeling.

As if something was about to happen.

Though Nishang didn't like Yu Ci—the two were rivals.

Seeing Su Yun worried.

Nishang still said, "Should I send someone to investigate?"

This time, Su Yun rarely refused Nishang's help: "That would be good."

Nishang got up and walked outside.

Just as she stepped out of the small courtyard, she ran into a subordinate who had come looking for her.

Before Nishang could speak.

The subordinate bowed and reported: "Princess, Yuwen Longyuan from Wuwang has arrived."

Nishang's expression shifted slightly. She instinctively glanced back at the absent-minded Su Yun in the courtyard, then moved aside and lowered her voice.

"Keep your voice down."

"What does he want?"

Though Su Yun was mysterious, Yuwen Longyuan was no less extraordinary.

Moreover.

Compared to Su Yun's hesitation and overthinking.

Yuwen Longyuan carried a confidence born from multiple reincarnations and lifetimes of experience. He had considerable personal charm and was good-looking.

Princess Nishang had previously taken quite an interest in Yuwen Longyuan.

Comparing him to Su Yun.

In truth, Yuwen Longyuan fit her criteria for a mate more closely.

It was just that Yuwen Longyuan wasn't particularly interested in her.

But that very fact made Nishang even more intrigued by him.

Whether in status or strength, she surpassed Yuwen Longyuan by far more than a small margin.

Yet every time Yuwen Longyuan faced her, he displayed a calm confidence and indifference that came from unknown depths.

In this regard, Yuwen Longyuan and Su Yun were somewhat similar.

But there were also differences.

Yuwen Longyuan's calm indifference and confidence came from his many lifetimes, from thousands of years of experience and knowledge.

Su Yun's, on the other hand, came from his modern perspective on royal status and the confidence granted by his Golden Finger.

Their temperaments were different in depth.

Though Nishang appeared to be an innocent princess inexperienced in the world, fulfilling every trope Su Yun imagined from novels about princesses.

The truth was.

In this world where personal martial prowess reigned supreme.

How many favored princesses were truly naive?