Chapter 524 - 296: First Acquisition of Exotic Insects, Embryo Forged
Chapter 524: Chapter 296: First Acquisition of Exotic Insects, Embryo Forged
BUZZZZ~
Their wings trembled frantically, but they couldn’t fly away.
Relying on his powerful Divine Sense, Lin Changheng precisely controlled a large net of energy, separating the Miasma Insects from the willow roots they inhabited. He then quickly took out a confiscated Golden Bottle and pulled them all inside.
There were about thirty in total.
’According to the records, these creatures are usually born in a Land of Yin and Evil or a place where the resentful energy of living beings gathers... Could there be some kind of Yin Evil or resentful energy here?’
Staring at the captured Exotic Insects in his hand, Lin Changheng was puzzled. This was Floating Immortal City. The city’s Earth Veins should have been cleared and aligned at its founding, so it was unlikely for Yin Evil to appear unless it formed later.
Moreover, these insects wouldn’t have just appeared out of thin air; they must have been brought here from the outside for some reason.
Lin Changheng continued to dig, determined to get to the bottom of it. He held nothing back this time, moving much faster.
His Flying Sword became a streak of light, easily severing the remaining roots and clearing away the soil below. However, after digging down about ten feet, the tip of the sword struck something hard.
He waved a hand to brush away the loose dirt, and his pupils contracted the moment he saw what lay beneath.
Underneath the soil lay not rock, but five twisted, entangled skeletons, rotted down to bleached bone!
The skeletons were arranged in an exceedingly bizarre formation. Their limbs had been forcibly broken, and their skulls all faced the center, forming a broken circle.
Carved upon their skin were simple yet eerie Runes, which emanated an ominous black energy!
Even more unnerving, a palm-sized Small Banner was planted in the center of the five skeletons. It was entirely pitch-black, as if it could absorb all light!
The banner’s surface fluttered without any wind, emitting a resentful energy and Yin Evil Qi so thick it wouldn’t dissipate. This negative energy was gathered and projected, and it was precisely this which nourished the Soul-Eroding Miasma Insects!
’This wasn’t some naturally formed Land of Yin and Evil! This was clearly a wicked Array, one that had been deliberately constructed using the corpses and souls of living beings as Materials!’
’Judging by the decay of the skeletons and the density of the resentful energy, this Array was set up a long, long time ago!’
’Such methods...’
Lin Changheng could tell that the residual Cultivation of these skeletons was only at the Qi Cultivation Stage; not a single one had reached Foundation Establishment. This meant it was highly probable that the Array had been set up by Sound Master Cui’s partner, the Bronze Masked Cultivator.
That man’s Cultivation was at the Peak of Qi Cultivation, which was more than enough to accomplish this.
Based on this deduction, Lin Changheng guessed what happened next: the Bronze Masked Cultivator had obtained the Soul-Eroding Miasma Insects by some stroke of luck, realized their wondrous properties, and went to great lengths to find and set up an Array to accelerate their hatching and growth.
And that was indeed the case. Another key factor was the old adage: the most dangerous place is the safest place.
In a peaceful and stable place like the Immortal City, bringing in corpses from the outside to create an Array Formation was perfectly safe, with no fear of being discovered or interrupted.
And so it was. Fifty years had passed, yet the Array remained, and the insects had grown and propagated well.
Just as he had anticipated.
The only problem was, the setup was still here, but the man himself was long gone.
...
Lin Changheng looked at the five twisted skeletons, their flesh and blood long since withered away. He knew the Array had run out of sustenance, which explained why the swarm hadn’t continued to expand.
’I’ll send you to your final rest.’
The Divine Light in Lin Changheng’s eyes faded. He put away the Small Banner, having already memorized the Array’s pathways and nodes. Then, shaking his head with a sigh, he flicked his finger. A wisp of Flame shot out, granting the corpses their release.
It was merely a Tier One Demonic Array, laughably crude in his eyes. It was useless to him and could no longer provide any sustenance.
’Even if I were to set one up,’ Lin Changheng thought, ’with my current Skills as a Tier Two Lower Grade Array Master, I would certainly create an Array of Tier Two and Above. But I would never use the corpses of innocents.’
After refilling the pit under the willow tree, Lin Changheng had completely dealt with the strange, hidden danger, eliminating it without a trace.
Afterward, Lin Changheng went straight into the Quiet Chamber in his residence. With a wave of his hand, he laid down several layers of isolation and protection Restrictions, then began the process of Refining his long-awaited Lifebound Treasure Embryo.
He took out all the required Spiritual Materials, opening their containers, undoing their Seals, and arranging them neatly before him. Instantly, a dazzling, multicolored light filled the air as dense Spiritual Qi suffused the room, illuminating the entire Quiet Chamber in a brilliant, flowing radiance...
There was a fragment of the Primordial Jianmu, as thick as a baby’s arm, deep cyan in color, and emanating an ancient, Dao-like rhythm; a piece of 150-year-old Centennial Warm Jade, as warm and smooth as fine tallow, with mist-like patterns swirling within; the essence of Iron, glinting with a cold, metallic light; the essence of Geng Metal, which radiated an overwhelming Sharpness; the multicolored Five Elements Spirit Ointment, used to harmonize the Five Elements; and the Zephyr Thunder Liquid, through which arcs of lightning flowed and the rumble of thunder could be faintly heard...
Any one of these items, if revealed to the world, would be enough to tempt a Fake Core Cultivator and spark a fierce battle. Yet now, they were all laid out, almost casually, before Lin Changheng, awaiting his refinement.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement and a hint of nervousness. He meticulously scanned all the Materials with his Divine Sense one more time, checking their quality and condition. After confirming everything was in order, he mentally reviewed the entire process one last time—both the refining steps recorded in the Magic Technique for creating a treasure embryo and the specific details he had worked out himself—to ensure nothing was overlooked.
’Time to begin!’
Lin Changheng’s eyes sharpened, his hesitation gone.
With a single thought, the cluster of Dark Radiance Profound Flame deep within his Dantian stirred, slowly rising from his palm.
At first, it was just a pea-sized flicker of deep golden flame. But as Lin Changheng continuously poured his Magical Power into it, the flame rapidly expanded, transforming into a Fireball the size of a human head. It burned silently, yet radiated a terrifying heat.
The core of the Flame was as deep and dark as the night sky, while its edges seemed to warp space itself, scorching the surrounding Spiritual Qi with an audible CRACKLE.