Chapter 523 - 296: First Acquisition of Exotic Insects, Embryo Refined
Chapter 523: Chapter 296: First Acquisition of Exotic Insects, Embryo Refined
Of course, Lin Changheng had no intention of renting an Outer Lake Cave Mansion again.
Lin Changheng had already used the Divine Light of his Three Techniques Combined to figure out the cultivator in the neighboring residence.
He was a Late Stage Demonic Cultivator who had hidden his Cultivation to appear as Middle Stage Foundation Establishment.
Demon Cultivators were rare. ’Thinking about it now,’ he mused, ’he might be connected to the mastermind who placed that imprint on me.’
But Lin Changheng didn’t act rashly. It wasn’t that he was afraid, but he was unwilling to make a reckless move that would alert his foe.
Most importantly, Magical Combat was forbidden within the Immortal City. To openly violate the ban would be a slap in the face to the city’s authorities. Even with connections, under the public’s watchful eyes, a major incident could not be downplayed, let alone dismissed.
So, he decided it was better to simply rent a cave mansion in the Inner City.
It was safer and less trouble. Better than being surrounded by hungry wolves, constantly worrying. That was no way to live.
Besides, his main task for the time being was Refining a Magical Treasure Embryo, which didn’t have an especially high demand for a Spirit Vein or Spiritual Qi.
As luck would have it, a spot had opened up in Yunjian Que, so he decided to return to his old home.
...
The plaque for Sound Master Cui’s "Qingyin Cloud Residence" had been taken down.
The courtyard itself, however, hadn’t changed much.
Lin Changheng could still vaguely make out its former layout. As he looked, the voice and smiling face of its departed resident seemed to appear before his eyes.
Then, he recalled the strange rumors he’d heard from cultivators in the Outer World.
’They sounded so convincing. Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators weren’t immune, they said. Sinister Evil Qi that brings endless misfortune on contact...’
’I’d like to see for myself just what’s so strange about it.’
Lin Changheng immediately activated his Insight Demon Technique, stacking it with his Perfection Realm Spirit Observation and Observing Qi skills. Three streams of light—pale gold, cyan, and gray—intertwined and spun within his eyes like two softly glowing lamps. A condensed Divine Light instantly began to sweep across the courtyard, slowly passing over the pavilions, the plants, the rockeries, and even deep beneath the ground.
He was extremely thorough.
No peculiarity could hope to hide from this threefold investigative technique!
At first glance, although the Spiritual Qi distribution in the courtyard was a bit stagnant, there were no major abnormalities, let alone the resentful or ghostly energy the other cultivators had mentioned.
In this bizarre and wondrous Cultivation Realm, techniques for Refining Ghosts and borrowing resentment were not unheard of. This was especially true for Demonic Magical, whose practitioners specialized in attacking human souls and corpses, and also manipulated Yin Evil and resentful energy to fight enemies or refine Magical Treasures.
If any such traces truly existed, they could not have escaped the probe of Lin Changheng’s Insight Demon Technique.
’Strange... Rumors don’t just appear from thin air.’ Lin Changheng frowned slightly. His Divine Light spread like liquid mercury, sweeping even more meticulously over every inch of soil, every piece of rubble.
Just when he thought he would come up empty-handed...
...his gaze swept over a seemingly withered old willow tree in the corner of the courtyard and the ordinary-looking soil beneath it, and he received clear, unusual feedback!
’Huh?’
His gaze sharpened, and the Divine Light focused on that spot.
In the vision created by the Three Skills of his Insight Demon Technique, the depths of the old willow’s root system weren’t wrapped in some curse. Instead, a cluster of shimmering, little-finger-sized points of light were parasitizing it, seeming to wriggle.
’What is this?’
Lin Changheng’s curiosity was instantly piqued.
His Divine Light could see the cyan-green Wood Spirit flowing among the willow’s roots, but the points of light were completely different. They were not inanimate.
The points of light had almost fused with the tree’s root system. They trembled faintly at a unique frequency, emitting a "special fluctuation"—formless and intangible, yet capable of interfering with one’s Divine Sense and triggering one’s Heart Demon!
Without another thought, Lin Changheng commanded his Cyan Gold Flying Sword to fly over and hack wildly at the ground near the willow’s roots.
Dust and dirt flew as the pit deepened, exposing the willow’s roots.
As he dug deeper, the Divine Sense he had spread out also registered a response.
BUZZ!
He recalled his Flying Sword, and what he saw made him freeze.
Dozens of bizarre little insects clung to the willow roots. They were entirely transparent, almost invisible, save for a single, faint blue dot of light flickering on their abdomens.
’It’s insects?’
Lin Changheng immediately took out the Insect Emperor Ancient Scroll that Mo Zhaoli had given him and searched for an insect that matched their form and characteristics.
’This is... the Soul-Eroding Miasma Insect?’
When he checked the Insect Emperor List at the very end, he finally found a matching entry at rank 361.
This insect wasn’t a man-made Curse Skill, but one of the extremely rare Marvelous Insects of Heaven and Earth. They were typically born in a Land of Yin and Evil or a place where the resentful energies of living beings converged.
They fed on remnant souls, resentful thoughts, and the yin energy from Earth Veins. The special fluctuation they emitted could subtly influence the Divine Souls of nearby creatures, causing hallucinations and emotional turmoil.
The "Evil Qi" and "bad luck" those cultivators had sensed were the work of these insects! Foundation Establishment Cultivators had stronger Divine Sense and should have been less affected. However, the Old Monster Yin they all spoke of was likely old, his mind filled with distracting thoughts and his Divine Soul weakened, making him more susceptible to having his own Heart Demon triggered by them.
This, in turn, had led to a series of strange and bizarre events.
’So the so-called haunting and evil presence was just these little things causing trouble,’ Lin Changheng realized. At the same time, a flicker of interest ignited within him. Although the Soul-Eroding Miasma Insect was harmful to Cultivators, it was also a rare Spirit Insect. If he could tame it, it might have some unique uses.
With a thought, he decided against using his overwhelming Dark Radiance Profound Flame to incinerate them. Instead, he carefully circulated his Magical Power, channeling the Sharp Gold Qi from his Limb Hardening Demon Technique. He formed it into a large, invisible net that slowly descended toward the cluster of Miasma Insects.
Among the Five Elements, only Gold could counter this insect!
The Insect Emperor Ancient Scroll had stated it clearly.
Sensing the Sharp Gold Qi, the Soul-Eroding Miasma Insects instantly grew agitated. The faint blue dots of light flickered erratically, and the interfering fluctuations they emitted became chaotic. Suppressed by the Gold Element Power, they instinctively felt fear.