127: Soul Stealing and Worm Mother Body

Yuanlian Island.

Ink spread, and a portrait of an old man sitting cross-legged emerged on the paper.

At the same time, a spark of spiritual light entered his mind.

[Spirit Devouring Technique: Can absorb the spiritual essence from Magic Treasures and ore Materials, extract their Essence, and enhance the grade of Magic Treasures]

“No wonder this person’s Natal Flying Sword could reach the grade of a Half-step Spirit Treasure.

So that’s it…”

Gu Changsheng caressed a crimson flood Dragon Flying Sword. The sword body trembled incessantly, emitting a soft hum, as if Sword Qi was about to erupt and harm its master.

“Spirit Treasures possess sentience.

Even a Half-step Spirit Treasure has intelligence.

Coupled with the fact that that person nurtured this sword for a hundred years, wanting to completely refine it would be time-consuming and arduous… Forget it…”

Gu Changsheng pointed into the Void Realm, and an Azure Dragon sword shadow tore through the air, landing on the ground and transforming into a childlike Tong Er, carved from pink jade.

“Master.”

Azure Dragon Child stood holding the sword, his voice tender.

After many years of nurturing, the longquan sword had long been cultivated to the peak of a Magic Treasure.

Unfortunately, limited by its Innate Materials, breaking through the threshold of a Spirit Treasure was incredibly difficult.

Now, a new opportunity had appeared.

“Tong Er, you have followed me for many years. Today, I shall help you advance to a higher level.”

Dark light emerged from Gu Changsheng’s palm, forming a vortex that absorbed the spiritual essence of the Flying Sword in his hand.

Visible to the naked eye, specks of crimson light converged in his palm.

Whoosh, whoosh—

The crimson flood Dragon Flying Sword trembled continuously, and the flood Dragon Sword Spirit within let out a mournful cry.

In just a few breaths, hundreds of cracks appeared on the sword body.

Crack—

The sword body broke into two, its radiance extinguished, resembling a rusty, broken sword that had endured the ravages of time.

The flood Dragon Sword Spirit whimpered and dissipated into the air.

At the same time, a crimson light appeared in Gu Changsheng’s palm and was swiftly infused into the longquan sword. Immediately, the sword body hummed softly, as if a Dragon was roaring.

The original mottled Mortal iron separated, as if a dust-covered precious sword had been re-forged, and spiritual essence surged.

A terrifying pressure spread, and invisible Sword Qi was born, causing countless specks of dust on the ground to float into the air.

Half-step Spirit Treasure!

Azure Dragon Child’s eyes widened, his body trembling. He knelt on one knee, cupped his hands, and said, “Thank you, Master!”

Gu Changsheng waved his hand, “It’s a minor matter.

If you transform and ascend to a Spirit Treasure, it will also greatly benefit me.

Perhaps, in the future, you might even advance further…”

These words were not false. It was rumored that some peak Spirit Treasures, nurtured for countless years, gathered the essence of the sun and moon, endured Heavenly Tribulations, and directly entered the Dao of soldiers, comparable to Yang Spirit Realm mighty experts who broke through the Realm and Ascended.

Azure Dragon Child’s mind trembled, and he nodded, transforming into a stream of emerald light and returning to the heart of the tree.

“Very good. The Weapon Forging Sect just provided me with many Materials.

Once the Myriad Swords Zhuxian Sword Formation is complete, I’ll extract the spiritual essence from the remaining Materials to see if the longquan sword can Breakthrough…”

Half a day later, Gu Changsheng bathed and burned incense, changed his clothes, and after calming his mind, entered a secret chamber.

With a lift of his hand, various sizes and shapes of Storage Pouches appeared on the stone table.

These were precisely what he had obtained from annihilating the Weapon Forging Sect earlier.

It was said that bathing and burning incense helped improve one’s luck.

These Storage Pouches were essentially like blind boxes.

Opening blind boxes was one of the few pleasures in these endless years.

Bang, bang, bang—

One after another, Divine Soul imprints were shattered by black Qi.

With a thought from Gu Changsheng, the items inside poured out.

Spiritual Artifacts, Magic Treasures, Medicinal Pills, Spiritual Plants, crystals… countless rare treasures and spiritual Materials, difficult to find in the outside world, piled up like a small mountain of trash.

This quantity, even if Cave Profound Old Monster saw it, his mind would waver, and greed would arise.

Yet, Gu Changsheng’s eyes were indifferent, like an ancient well without ripples.

Only when he opened Lingxiao’s Storage Pouch and found a bottle of tianyi holy water did a slight ripple appear in his eyes.

He caressed the white jade porcelain bottle. At the mouth of the bottle, the azure holy water churned, resembling a starry river in the night.

“tianyi holy water… It can cleanse the Physical Body and purify the Divine Soul… It’s quite good.

Unfortunately, what I lack most now are methods to strengthen the Divine Soul… After breaking through to the Profound Cave Realm, I might consider going to Great Jin to search for Wangchuan…”

Gu Changsheng gathered everything and looked at the black, insect-sac-shaped Storage Pouch.

It was left by Heavenly Saint Child.

A hint of excitement flickered in his eyes, and he couldn't help but rub his hands: “The wealth of Cave Profound Old Monster… Let me see how rich it is…”

Black Qi poured in, like a breaching river impacting the Divine Soul imprint.

“Hmm? Cave Profound Old Monster’s Divine Soul is indeed powerful. Even after his death, the Divine Soul imprint cannot be erased immediately…”

Gu Changsheng’s eyes sharpened, his Qi circulating. Seven star phantoms appeared above his head.

This Divine Ability could enhance one’s essence, Qi, and spirit.

Immediately, the black Qi surged, like a black python passing through, leaving devastation in its wake.

Boom—

The scene inside the Storage Pouch suddenly appeared before him.

Massive amounts of spiritual bones, Spirit Medicine, Medicinal Pills… piled up like mountains.

Especially the shimmering spinal bones, each with a different aura, were clearly the Spiritual Roots left behind by Cultivators who had passed away.

In the Tiansheng Sect, this item was an incredibly precious spiritual Material.

Used for Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and everything in between.

Suddenly, a black armored insect body, identical to a Heavenly Saint Worm, caught his attention.

It was about three feet long, with strange patterns covering its black armor, and traces of smoke and fire at its tail.

Yet, its aura was like a deep, vast sea, unfathomable.

“This aura… seems to be above the Profound Cave Realm…”

Gu Changsheng frowned slightly.

“Could it be left by the Insect Mother…?”

Secret ancient texts of the Tiansheng Sect once recorded.

In ancient times, a Saint Worm descended one day, slaughtering Cultivators burdened with Karma.

The Insect Mother, out of compassion for the suffering of Mortals, bestowed spiritual seeds. After consuming them, Mortals could cultivate and enjoy the Great Dao of longevity.

This was naturally a beautified narrative.

Gu Changsheng believed the truth should be that the Insect Mother of the extraterrestrial Heavenly Saint Worms crossed Realms, occupied territory, and reproduced.

The so-called spiritual seeds were actually insect eggs.

The Mortals being able to cultivate was merely because the founding Old Ancestor of the Tiansheng Sect was extraordinarily talented, comprehending a path of symbiotic cultivation from the Heavenly Saint Worms.

The insect body before him was as thin as gauze.

Yet, it was incredibly tough.

Tapping it produced the sound of clashing metal.

Inside, eight different elemental energies subtly circulated.

“I didn’t expect this to involve a Yang Spirit Realm existence…”

Gu Changsheng’s expression showed a hint of solemnity.

The scars remaining on the Insect Mother’s body were likely left from that great battle long ago.

The result, of course, was that the Insect Mother lost, otherwise, there wouldn’t be this insect corpse before him.

However, seeing one part allowed him to infer the whole.

He could roughly imagine the ferocity of that great battle.

As black Qi infused, Gu Changsheng immediately understood the purpose of the insect body.

“I didn’t expect the Insect Mother to persist even in death.

Even with its Divine Soul extinguished, a trace of vitality remains in its body.

It can continuously produce Heavenly Saint Worm eggs.

One day, its bloodline might even give birth to a new Insect Mother.

Moreover, by integrating into the Earth Veins, it can also shape a sect mountain, creating an environment suitable for Heavenly Saint Technique cultivation out of thin air.

Interesting…”

Gu Changsheng’s spine stretched, emitting crackling sounds. A phantom of a Xuanhuang mountain appeared above his head, causing the Earth Veins to churn. The insect body integrated into a node of Yuanlian Island’s Earth Veins.

As it traveled with the Earth Veins, the ‘Spiritual Qi’ mentioned in the Heavenly Saint Technique gradually emerged in the air. Spiritual rain and sweet dew appeared above Yuanlian Island, and numerous mineral veins rose from the ground.

“This is… the Spiritual Qi concentration has increased!”

“Such strong Spiritual Qi.

Cultivating in this environment is at least three times faster than before.”

“Spiritual Qi turning into rain, oh my god, I’m not dreaming, am I…?”

On Yuanlian Island, many Cultivators practicing the Heavenly Saint Technique noticed the anomaly and frantically circulated their techniques, absorbing the Spiritual Qi.

Boom, boom, boom—

In an instant, dozens of people broke through their Realm, their bodies emitting crackling sounds like popping beans.

Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the sky. Black Qi formed a funnel, and Spiritual Qi converged into a long Dragon, pouring into an Immortal Cave.

Inside the secret chamber, Fang Yu’s face was flushed, his teeth clenched, his skin red, with beads of blood appearing.

The Spiritual Qi was too abundant, filling every part of his Meridians. If this continued, he feared he would become the first True Dan Cultivator to burst from an excess of Spiritual Qi.

Just then.

“Gather!”

A familiar voice suddenly appeared in the Void Realm. Immediately, the Spiritual Qi within Fang Yu’s body seemed to receive a command, spontaneously forming a vortex, absorbing the swollen Spiritual Qi from all parts of his Meridians. The feeling of his body bursting disappeared in time.

His cultivation, however, steadily increased.

True Core Middle Stage!

Moreover, the Spiritual Qi vortex was still slowly releasing Spiritual Qi, increasing his cultivation.

“This method… Thank you, Teacher!”

Fang Yu quickly got up, his face filled with pleasant surprise.

‘That’s right, the anomaly on Yuanlian Island must be Teacher using his great Divine Ability and immense Magic Power to change the world… Heaven intends to prosper my Heavenly Saint Technique lineage.’

In Fang Yu’s heart, Gu Changsheng was the omnipotent Heaven!

Since the purging of the sect, the Cultivator Family had declined.

Yuanlian Island had countless cultivation methods, giving rise to hundreds of schools.

Now, it was a contention among the various school branches.

Even a powerful method like the Heavenly Saint Technique could only rank in the top five.

However, with the increase in Yuanlian Island’s Spiritual Qi, making it more suitable for cultivation, taking the first place was almost a certainty.

Inside the secret chamber.

Gu Changsheng withdrew his gaze and smiled.

This was merely something he did casually.

However, a giant like him, even with a casual thought, could cause ripples and surging waves in the lake that was Great Shang.

Suddenly, Gu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, and a hint of ecstasy flashed within them: “Nine Revolutions Golden Pill… The old fellow hid it well…”

Within the Earth Vein Insect Mother’s body, three Golden Cores appeared.

They emitted three colors: wind-green, ice-blue, and purple-lightning.

These were precisely the wind, ice, and lightning attributes.