110: Insect King Breeding

The Yuan Ci Avatar cast a spell, and the token in his hand shot out a spiritual light. Instantly, the hazy gray mist on the periphery dissipated, revealing a passage.

This was the outer mist Formation; even a True Dan Cultivator would be trapped for three days if they forced their way through.

He stepped into the Insect Garden.

Several Spirit Building Stage cultivators, seeing the Yuan Ci Avatar, quickly cupped their hands: “Greetings, Elder Yuan Ci…”

These were Disciples who had taken on Sect missions to manage the Insect Garden.

The Yuan Ci Avatar was focused on Alchemy and wasn't particularly concerned with slow-producing resource points like the Insect Garden.

At this moment, his gaze wandered, seeing rows of lush, green insect trees.

On the branches, large and small insect people were growing.

“Not bad. In the past two years, my Insect Garden has been well-managed… You shall be rewarded!”

With a flick of his hand, several bottles of pristine porcelain fell into the hands of the Cultivators.

“This is… Lihuo Pill…”

“They are all Medicinal Pills to advance Foundation Building Realm cultivation…”

“Thank you, Elder…”

The few people expressed their gratitude profusely.

The Yuan Ci Avatar then walked up to a stocky, dark-faced Cultivator: “Yang Chen, you have managed the Insect Garden the longest.

Have you noticed anything unusual in the Insect Garden recently?”

Yang Chen pondered for a moment, then pointed towards the center of the Insect Garden, asking in confusion: “Replying to Elder, the insect trees’ growth has always been stable.

Only the one numbered A-137 is quite peculiar…”

“Peculiar?”

The Yuan Ci Avatar’s escape light flashed, grabbing Yang Chen and bringing him before the insect tree.

A gray tree tag was conspicuously hanging on it, with ‘A-137’ written on it.

This particular insect tree before them had shed its branches and leaves, appearing completely bare.

However, its main trunk was swollen like a pregnant woman, with its vitality hidden.

“Three days ago, this insect tree suddenly shed its branches and leaves.

I initially thought it was entering a dormant period.

Now that I look, how did it suddenly turn into this state?

Please spare my life, Elder…”

Yang Chen stared at the insect tree before him, full of astonishment, and quickly knelt down to beg for mercy.

The Yuan Ci Avatar frowned, and a purple light bloomed in his eyes.

His vision immediately changed.

Inside the originally bulging trunk, a massive insect cocoon had formed.

An insect person, shaped like an infant, was gestating within.

A long, narrow tube connected the insect tree and the insect cocoon, expanding and contracting, drawing in nutrients, much like an umbilical cord.

‘Insect trees usually give birth to insect people by flowering and bearing fruit.

Only an Insect King is special… it resembles human pregnancy to gestate.

And the gestation period varies.

As short as three months, as long as three years.

Generally speaking, the longer the time, the better the quality of the Insect King.

I should appropriately use some methods to supplement the insect tree’s nutrients…’

The Yuan Ci Avatar turned and planted a Restriction.

A moment later, Yang Chen only felt his mind empty.

When he opened his eyes, he had already left the Insect Garden.

“Strange, why am I here?

It seems I forgot something…”

Yang Chen rubbed the back of his head, muttering to himself.

On the other side.

The Yuan Ci Avatar returned to his Immortal Cave, quietly consuming blood essence pearls to raise the Realm of his Rapid Growth Technique.

‘For planting Spirit Trees, the best method I have is none other than this…’

He sat cross-legged.

Before him, blood essence pearls exploded one by one, and a rich Qi and blood energy filled his body, transforming into traces of cold Qi.

He focused his consciousness on the Rapid Growth Technique, and the difficult obstacles of the past broke through like a breaching river.

A moment later, the Yuan Ci Avatar opened his eyes, a slight smile on his lips.

“Very good… now all that’s left is the flesh and blood essence for Birth…”

He wasn't lacking in this item.

The Tiansheng Sect raised Spirit Beasts and Vicious Beasts.

Additionally, Cultivators explored Secret Realms and slayed demons.

Essence blood was the most common harvest.

Soon, the Tiansheng Sect Disciples were surprised to find a new mission on the mission jade tablet to collect flesh and blood essence.

The generous rewards drove the Spirit Building Stage cultivators crazy.

A few days later, a massive amount of flesh and blood essence filled dozens of black jars.

The Medicinal Pills paid out were merely a drizzle scattered through his fingers.

Before the insect tree.

Bang, bang, bang—

Jars of black earthenware shattered, blood seeped out, staining the ground.

A strong bloody smell permeated the air.

As spells were cast one after another.

The originally almost withered branches of the insect tree wriggled, inserting themselves into the ground like tentacles, absorbing the flesh and blood essence.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Qi and blood dissipated, the insect tree branches retracted, but its internal spiritual charm became incredibly vibrant.

Compared to before, it had at least multiplied several times over.

“Very good… at this rate, the quality of the Insect King born will far exceed that of Insect Garden A-9…”

These past few days, he had already visited the Insect Gardens where Insect Kings had been born.

The newly formed Insect King, with its condensed traces of top-grade insect crystals, made him envious.

Typically, ninety percent of the Insect Gardens that produced Insect Kings were in the hands of the Cave Profound Ancestors, Heavenly Saint Child.

It was estimated that these top-grade insect crystals would also be quite useful for Dongxuan Realm Cultivators practicing the Heavenly Saint Technique.

“During the Insect King’s gestation process, I only need to perform the Rapid Growth Technique once a month.

Conversely, too much is as bad as too little.”

The Yuan Ci Avatar quietly concealed the information.

Although this Insect Garden was his, and any Insect King born would only make outsiders envious,

it was better to avoid trouble.

On this day, a piece of news spread, quickly overshadowing the Insect King’s prominence.

The auction held by the Weapon Forging Sect in Suspended Mountain Marketplace had begun.

“Are you really not going? I heard there’s a top-grade Magic Treasure Pill Furnace this time.

With this treasure, you won’t have to go to the Pill Hall and pay the usual fees for Alchemy.

Over a hundred years of savings, and you’ll pretty much break even.”

Gu Danqing said.

“Although the item is good, how can a newly promoted True Core Cultivator like me afford it?”

The Yuan Ci Avatar rolled his eyes.

Outwardly, having been promoted to True Core for thirty years, he was indeed a greenhorn.

Even if his Alchemy skills were superb, they had only gradually shown their edge in the last decade.

His wealth couldn’t compare to those old monsters who had accumulated for years.

Gu Danqing pondered for a moment, then suddenly made up his mind: “If you’re not too short on insect crystals, I could lend you a sum.

No interest whatsoever.

As long as, in the future, you make a move and refine a Nine Revolutions Golden Pill for me.

The Materials, of course, I will provide.”

“Haha, you think so highly of me…”

The Yuan Ci Avatar joked.

Based on the Alchemy level he had displayed, he wasn’t yet capable of refining a Nine Revolutions Golden Pill.

Outwardly, throughout the entire Tiansheng Sect, the only Cultivators qualified to refine a Nine Revolutions Golden Pill, besides Heavenly Saint Child, was the heavily injured Chief Dan Huo.

Asking a Cave Profound Ancestors to open a Pill Furnace for a True Core Cultivator was simply dreaming.

Chief Dan Huo, however, was heavily injured and had damaged his Foundation.

Refining a Nine Revolutions Golden Pill also greatly depleted Origin Qi.

To ask him to act, the price would inevitably increase significantly.

Hearing this, a hint of melancholy flashed in Gu Danqing’s eyes: “I am already four hundred and fifty years old… How many years do I have left until my great limit?

At most ten years, I will have to fight with my life.

If I win, I will become a Sect Ancestor.

If I lose…”

Gu Danqing didn’t speak.

However, his rough hands, like tree bark, trembled, his heart clearly not at peace.

The Yuan Ci Avatar saw it.

‘Why is there a hint of sorrow… Old Gu, don’t worry.

When you die, I’ll still be young. I’ll be sure to visit your grave and light an incense stick…’

Night.

The Yuan Ci Avatar quietly left the Tiansheng Sect and arrived at a hidden stronghold.

He donned the skin of Elder Chang Mo’s grand-Disciple.

Stepping on the black cloud miasma, with a Myriad Soul Banner tucked at his waist, his body was overflowing with Evil Qi.

“Not bad, with this disguise, others will at most think I’m a member of the Demon Hunting Society… Elder Yuan Ci is poor, but Old Demon Yin Huo is very rich!”

The Yuan Ci Avatar skillfully adopted his new persona.

He naturally didn’t want to miss the auction held by the Weapon Forging Sect.