Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Chapter 87: Master Hu Becomes Enthralled i (2/2)

“Take out your Grade Three insect and let me have a look,”

Qin Niu took out the pottery jar containing the termites.

“Fourth, come out!”

With Qin Niu’s command, a green figure rapidly crawled out from the jar.

Chairman Li’s expression, initially indifferent, became serious in an instant, and his gaze turned focused.

He watched Fourth as it crawled out.

After staring for a while, his face showed a mix of envy and surprise.

“It’s actually a termite, and an extremely rare breed at that, with an exceedingly long lifespan. May I ask how you came by it?”

“It was after a heavy rain. 1 subdued a female ant, and then it laid a batch of worker ants. After that, I left them in the mountains and didn’t care for them. As a result, the first batch of worker ants suffered an accident, leaving only this one alive. As for what happened, I’m not very clear. I feel something big must have happened on the night of the accident.”

Qin Niu had thought through his story well in advance.

Half-truths and half-lies.

He would certainly not reveal the Ancient Banyan Tree as a major treasure.

After listening, Chairman Li’s expression of envy became even thicker.

“Xiao Cui, please call Master Hu over.”

He instructed the female employee outside.

Not long after, a gaunt old man with a goat beard walked in quickly. This old man was very short, less than 1.3 meters, likely a dwarf.

The long goat beard floated in front of his chest, but he was wearing the black robe only an Insect Master could wear, with gold trims at the cuffs and collar.

Embroidered on his chest was “Chief Identification Master of the Insect Master

Association.”

Appearances can be deceiving indeed.

Who would have thought that such a small-statured man would turn out to be the Chief Identification Master of the Insect Master Association?

“Master Hu, this termite is unlike any I have ever seen in my life. My identification skills are limited, so please take a look and see what breed it is!”

Chairman Li spoke very politely to Master Hu.

Master Hu’s gaze had already fixed on the termite on the table, deaf to Chairman Li’s words.

He was like an artist, utterly fascinated by an indescribably exquisite piece of art.

“Tsst, tsst, this pattern, this skin color, and that metallic sheen on the mandibles, what a rarity in this world! No… this is an extreme rarity, not just a rare breed. It’s a pity one of its antennae is broken; it must be very aggressive by nature,”

Master Hu muttered to himself.

The more he looked at the termite, the more spellbound he became.

“Ahem… Master Hu, I know you get engrossed whenever you see a rare or unusual insect, but could you start by identifying its breed?”

Seeing that Master Hu was not yet finished, Chairman Li had no choice but to awaken the engrossed old man.

Otherwise, given Hu’s disposition, he might have studied for three days and nights without finishing.

“The pattern on its body is quite peculiar, somewhat resembling that of a Tiger Stripe Ant, but I feel its pattern is more intricate and the color is deeper, likely stronger than the Tiger Stripe Ant. It has the powerful mandibles of a soldier ant, as well as the mouthparts of worker ants. Its body and six legs have integrated some of the advantages of both worker and soldier ants, which is incredibly rare. Also, I suspect it could be poisonous, as 1 won’t mistake that unique scent; moreover, the poison is highly potent.

To ascertain the exact type of venom, one would need to have it bite another insect.

The skin on its body shines with a metallic luster, as if it’s clad in iron armor, much like the predacious Ironclad Tiger Stripe Ant.

Even with one antenna broken, it’s still apparent.

Based on my expertise in appraisal, the Ironclad Tiger Stripe Ant often possesses a unique ability in battle, which is berserk. Once it enters a berserk state, its combat capabilities will be greatly enhanced, including speed, biting force, and defensive abilities, at least doubling.

This termite is much larger than the highly unusual Tiger Stripe Ironclad Soldier Ant, several times stronger, and with a more intricate pattern, and the aura it emits is extremely powerful, indicating it is more formidable than the Tiger Stripe Ironclad Ant.

It can be determined without a doubt that it is a Grade Three termite, but as for the specific breed, I’m afraid my level of appraisal is limited, and I’m unable to identify it for the time being,”

Master Hu analyzed the abilities of this termite in detail, like reciting precious knowledge.

Displaying high appraisal skills, he certainly lived up to the title of Chief Identification Master.

It’s just that the Ironclad Battle Demon Ant is so rare that even he couldn’t determine its exact breed.

Many insects can be appraised only to family, which is quite good already.

Some can be identified only to order.

To identify the species, even master appraisers specializing in ants might not have that capability.

“You’re so enviable! Your luck is truly extraordinary, young man.”

Chairman Li was quite satisfied with the appraisal result.

“All right then, congratulations on passing the Insect Master certification, I’ll go ahead and process the relevant procedures for you now. Please give me your waist badge, and 1 will replace it with an Insect Master’s badge.”

The certification process for an Insect Master turned out to be much simpler than expected.

“Qin Niu!”

Master Hu looked at Qin Niu’s waist badge and read his name.

“May I see your Ant Queen? Such a powerful termite must have come from her, so I believe she must possess excellent genetics.”

Because for Insect Master certification, it’s only necessary to have one Grade Three insect that can follow commands.

Therefore, Master Hu wanted to see his Ant Queen and had to get Qin Niu’s permission.

ii

No problem.”

All of Qin Niu’s special termites were kept inside the Ant Nest.

The termites he brought were not afraid to be seen by others.

“Ant Queen, come out.”

Following Qin Niu’s command, the Ant Queen slowly crawled out of the jar.

Her size had become seriously bloated, appearing rather corpulent.

Now laying a hundred eggs a day, her accumulation of energy seemed to be accelerating.

“What an exquisite Ant Queen!”

Master Hu’s eyes lit up again as he observed the Ant Queen with keen interest.

■I

Her abdomen is quite large, her butt is flat and round, indicating she is prolific. Her antennae are agile, and the rhythm of their movement is complicated yet not chaotic, which means her intelligence far surpasses that of the average termite. May I take a look at her abdomen?”

Master Hu sought Qin Niu’s consent..