81: Chapter 81 Raising Poisonous Insects

In the Qinling Mountains.

Ye Jing was sitting cross-legged in a cave. Although he still appeared as a white-haired old man, his cheeks remained ruddy, carrying a natural Immortal Qi that gave him the appearance of an ageless sage.

He had laid out many pieces of jade around him to assist in his Cultivation. After he focused his mind and finished his session,

Ye Jing suddenly opened his eyes and patted his sturdy arm with a joyful expression: "Excellent! I have finally achieved a Breakthrough to Qi Refining Level 3!"

Feeling the Spiritual Qi in his body, which was several times more robust than before, Ye Jing slowly stood up and stretched his limbs. At this moment, though he still looked old, his movements were exceptionally agile, showing no signs of senility at all.

He immersed his consciousness into the Immortal Willow. The Immortal Willow had become increasingly majestic, and the spiritual fields beneath it had expanded from the original one mu to ten mu. crimson blood fruits were growing vigorously in the fields, each fruit shimmering with golden patterns.

The Spiritual Qi within the Immortal Willow was extremely abundant, and Ye Jing felt refreshed after taking a deep breath.

He had spent 1,500 points to upgrade the Immortal Willow again. The spiritual fields began to expand, and he could freely place Spiritual Plants into the Immortal Willow for cultivation. Two branches on the Immortal Willow also emitted a soft white light.

In just one year, since his family stepped onto the path of immortality, the Immortal Willow had given him over a thousand points of Immortal Light. Although he had used a significant amount, Ye Jing felt very secure in his heart.

At the edge of the spiritual field, a faint light curtain had appeared, locking the Spiritual Qi inside so it wouldn't dissipate, allowing the crimson blood fruits to grow better and faster.

However, planting only crimson blood fruits made the space look a bit empty, so Ye Jing took out the Spiritual Plant seeds he had prepared long ago from his robe.

These were seeds he had accidentally found near the deep mountains of Qinling, called "qi condensing grass." They were very suitable for helping a Qi Refining Cultivator with their Cultivation and had a short growth cycle. After being Enlightened, they were perfect for planting in the spiritual field.

He carefully scattered the seeds into the tilled spiritual field and then channeled fresh water from the outside for irrigation.

As soon as the seeds touched the ground, they instantly absorbed enough water and sprouted tiny green shoots.

Ye Jing discovered that this spiritual field had excellent compatibility; as long as the Spiritual Plants were Enlightened, they could be grown inside, making it very suitable for nurturing Spiritual Plants.

Thinking of this, Ye Jing felt it was a pity. The Immortal Willow could currently only accommodate Spiritual Plants and could not let Essence Spirits inside. The abundant spiritual energy here was also perfect for a Essence Spirit's Cultivation.

Perhaps the time just hadn't come yet.

After finishing all this, Ye Jing exited the Immortal Willow Space and looked out of the cave.

By now, the sky was approaching dusk. The depths of the Qinling Mountains were shrouded in mist, and the roars of wild beasts could be heard faintly.

He was now a Qi Refining Cultivator, and his senses were several times sharper. He could clearly perceive the strength of wild beasts' auras several miles away.

Except for the animals in the Qinling Forbidden Zone, Ye Jing had no rivals in this area.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he easily caught two wild boars. He shouldered the boars and walked toward the deep mountains.

Stepping through the morning light, Ye Jing arrived at a deep mountain area filled with green miasma. He walked into the poisonous fog, no longer fearing the dense miasma at all.

When he reached that dark fox den, a scent of blood lingered within. Upon entering, he found the source of the smell: a blood-red pool where several pieces of flesh bound by red ropes were soaking.

Looking closer, the flesh was already riddled with holes from biting. Several blood insects, only the size of a fingertip, were fluttering their wings while devouring the meat.

"You lot really can eat," Ye Jing said as he set down the wild boars. The blood insects seemed to sense his approach and flew over one after another, their tiny forms turning into a thin layer of blood mist.

The blood mist swirled around Ye Jing, appearing exceptionally affectionate. Ye Jing reached out to catch one. Looking closely, these tiny blood-red insects resembled bees, with a pair of sharp mouthparts and bodies that were entirely blood-red.

This was a type of insect monster Ye Jing had raised over the past year using the Thousand Insect Curse. There had been a nest of wasps occupying the eaves of his house like squatters. On a whim, Ye Jing used Immortal Light to tame them, and they became his fourth tamed beast.

Using the insect-raising methods from the Thousand Insect Curse, Ye Jing tried raising them in this cold, miasma-filled place, providing them with blood and meat daily. Eventually, these ordinary wasps grew into this form.

Ye Jing named them Poisonous Variant Bees. There was no other reason than that he had refined these bees according to the method for Poisonous Variant Insects.

After a long period of being nurtured by poisonous miasma and Blood Qi, combined with the secret technique bonus of the Thousand Insect Curse, they had long since undergone a complete transformation. Not only was their toxicity far beyond that of ordinary poisonous insects, but they could also condense into a blood mist, possessing unique capabilities in both offense and defense.

Ye Jing lightly pinched his fingertips and released the blood insect back into the swarm, saying in a deep voice, "These two wild boars are enough for you to have a full meal today. After eating, refine them well and strive to achieve a Breakthrough to Essence Spirit as soon as possible!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the thin layer of blood mist surged toward the two wild boars like a tide. Although their numbers weren't vast, their sharp mouthparts instantly pierced the tough boar hide, and they began sucking the warm blood.

In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two boars, weighing hundreds of catties, were sucked dry until only shriveled hides remained.

The color of the Poisonous Variant Bees became even more crimson, and the Blood Qi surrounding them thickened slightly.

However, after watching the swarm for a while, Ye Jing didn't see the Bee Queen. He glanced toward the blood nests where poisonous gas lingered; it seemed the Bee Queen was currently in the middle of Cultivation.

Seeing this, Ye Jing didn't forget to take a small bottle from his robe. He tilted it slightly over the blood pool, and as the blood-red liquid dripped in, the entire pool began to boil.

A trace of pure spiritual power was mixed within the dense Blood Qi, all of which was absorbed by the blood insects.

This was the juice of the crimson blood fruits, which was very nourishing for them.

"Grow well. I want to see your Divine Ability!" Ye Jing murmured.

After handling the matters with the blood insects, Ye Jing turned and left the area, heading toward home.

The sky was already dark.

When Ye Jing arrived at the front door, two little snowballs pounced out, shouting "Grandpa."

A look of affection appeared on Ye Jing's face as he reached out to pat his two grandchildren. This boy and girl were the two-to-three-year-olds, Ye Tianxue and Ye Tianyao.

Now that the family was wealthy, the two children had grown to be as lovely as carved jade, making them extremely likable.

"Grandpa! You're back!" At this time, Tianyao also ran over happily, holding Xiao Chi in her arms, with the sturdy Hei Feng following behind her.

By now, Tianyao was no longer the silly little girl she used to be. She was fourteen this year, growing into a beautiful and charming young lady with a graceful figure.

She perfectly inherited her mother's beauty, and her personality was also like Wu Guiyun's—fiery and energetic. She was already at Qi Refining Level 3 and was one of the best practitioners in the family.

Many single young men in the village admired her, and the matchmakers coming to propose marriage had almost worn down the family's doorstep.

But since his granddaughter was already a Cultivator, she looked down on those village Mortals and rejected them all.

Ye Jing naturally went along with his granddaughter's wishes; his granddaughter could never marry down.

"Yaoer, you're a big girl now. Be a bit more composed!" Ye Jing said helplessly.

Tianyao rubbed her head sheepishly: "Grandpa! How am I not composed? I'm just happy you're back!"

Ye Jing chuckled: "Yaoer, where is your brother?"

"Brother and Dad are sparring in the main hall! Does Grandpa want to go see?" Tianyao giggled.

Hearing this, Ye Jing laughed helplessly and said, "Those two, father and son... fine, I'll go take a look."