Chapter 184 - 160: Promotion

Chapter 184: Chapter 160: Promotion

"It’s like this..."

Ma Rong didn’t hide anything. He explained everything one by one, from the discovery of the locusts to the two major factions in the Ten Thousand Poison Forest and their respective goals.

A moment later, after hearing about the herding faction, the Insect Slaves, and the Great Pill, Li Changsheng was a bit stunned. Once he regained his senses, he gave Ma Rong a strange look.

’He covets your Spirit Medicines, and you’re after the Great Pill made from his body...’

’This is very much the way of the Demon Dao.’

Li Changsheng then asked, "So, should we eliminate the locusts in the Spirit Field or not?"

If they did nothing and let them multiply and evolve, their nature meant they would devour all the Spirit Medicines in the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land sooner or later.

"Don’t worry, Junior Brother."

Ma Rong smiled. "That servant hiding in the shadows is already dead. The Insect Mother’s mark inside him that controlled the swarm has dissipated, so the swarm is now like a headless fly." He pondered for a moment before adding, "At most, seven days. At least, three. The swarm will either die off or disperse."

"Oh, that’s good then."

Li Changsheng nodded, relieved. Then, a thought occurred to him, and he asked, "Senior Brother, do you have any books with general knowledge about the Cultivation Realm and some maps?"

"General knowledge and maps?"

Hearing this, Ma Rong was slightly taken aback. He thought for a moment, then with a flip of his hand, he produced two jade slips, one white and one yellow, and handed them over.

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Li Changsheng accepted them happily, cupping his hands in thanks.

Ma Rong shook his head and then stood up to leave.

He had come specifically to tell Li Changsheng the reason for what was happening, fearing he might be worried. Now that he had explained things, he needed to return to preside over the Independent Practitioner Camp.

Li Changsheng put away the jade slips and saw him to the door. He watched the vanishing Escape Light for a moment before turning and walking into the kitchen.

Not long after, smoke rose from the chimney, and the crisp sound of chopping vegetables mingled with clanking noises.

Just then, a five-colored stream of light shot out from Little Wooden Head’s canopy, disappearing after a few leaps.

Shortly after it left, a five-meter-long green python, as thick as a bowl, slithered out from Little Wooden Head’s trunk and climbed over the fence.

HISS...

A few more sharp hisses came from the insect nest.

Before long, a dozen or so insects dragged over the bodies of snakes and locusts.

The Insect Mother crawled out of the nest and began devouring the Blood Food with great mouthfuls.

One could see that its back was covered with densely packed larvae that looked like tiny fragments.

In the kitchen, Li Changsheng, who was chopping vegetables, glanced out the window. A smile appeared on his face when he saw the larvae on the Insect Mother’s back.

The swarm’s numbers had dropped significantly after a batch was killed by the Power Demon Sect Cultivators and others were lost during the advancement to the middle grade. Now, only a little over two hundred remained.

’The Insect Mother is breeding larvae again. This will be perfect for replenishing the losses.’

’The Insect Mother’s cultivation is also about to reach Middle Grade Perfection. I just wonder if it can advance to a high-grade insect.’

As these thoughts ran through Li Changsheng’s mind, his hands never stopped moving. Soon, he had finished chopping the pig feed.

An hour later, after feeding the Spirit Beasts, Li Changsheng rode Xiaohua out the door. After a look around, he guided her toward Xu Li and the others.

He didn’t say much, only telling them that the locust plague would disperse in a few days and that there would be no attack from Power Demon Sect Cultivators, so they could continue planting Spirit Medicines in peace.

Then, with the three of them seeing him off respectfully, he turned and left.

With Ma Rong’s assurance, Li Changsheng recalled the insects he had posted to monitor the surroundings. After tidying up the Spirit Field, he returned home to enter secluded cultivation.

The days passed one by one.

Just as Ma Rong had said, after three days, the strange locusts vanished, leaving only a few corpses behind as if they had never been there at all.

The Spiritual Land returned to its former tranquility.

Aside from infusing the Spirit Field with life-giving spiritual energy, Li Changsheng spent the rest of his time cultivating, and his progress was rapid.

During this period, Ma Rong would occasionally visit the island to chat with him.

Tan Hu, however, still hadn’t returned to the Spiritual Land, which made him a little worried that some accident had befallen him.

「One and a half months later.」

On Ten Thousand Serpent Lake Island, in the small courtyard at the center of the summit.

The third floor.

"Hooo..."

Li Changsheng slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened his eyes. A faint red fluorescence flickered and vanished.

He regulated his breathing for a moment, then focused his gaze inward on himself.

[Name: Li Changsheng]

[Cultivation: Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation "1%"]

[Cultivation Technique: "Blood River Refining Yang True Skill (9/12)" / Traits: Blood Toxin, Yang Malevolence]

[Magic: Three-leaf Spirit Absorption Vein Map "Lesser Mastery 21%" / Spirit Pact (Fragment) "Greater Mastery 3%" / Golden Turtle Shield "Lesser Mastery 65%"...]

In just over a month and a half, not only had his cultivation risen to the ninth level of Qi Cultivation, but the several Magic techniques he practiced had also improved to varying degrees. The most frequently used one, the Lesser Cloud and Rain Art, was on the verge of reaching Greater Mastery.

’I should nourish my Spirit Veins for a while first, then take the Spirit Ascending Liquid to open them.’

With a thought, Li Changsheng dismissed the panel. He scooped up the limp Xiaobai lying beside him and carried it down the stairs.

He walked out the door, scanned the area, and strode toward Little Wooden Head.

DING DING DING...

Sensing his arrival, Little Wooden Head’s branches and leaves danced, creating a series of crisp chimes.

Li Changsheng focused his gaze.

[Early-Demon Realm: 9%]

"Not bad."

Li Changsheng nodded lightly.

After all, besides going to the deep pool to drink water, Little Wooden Head spent all its time rooted in the courtyard. Without any Blood Food to supplement it, this level of cultivation was quite good.

Li Changsheng glanced at the larvae on the branches, then bent down to look inside the insect nest, his gaze fixed.

[Advancing...]

’It still hasn’t woken up...’

Seven days ago, the Insect Mother’s cultivation had risen to Middle Grade Perfection. Without any special requirements, it had directly entered a dormant state to advance, which had made him quite happy.

Li Changsheng watched for a while, then straightened up and turned to look at Xiaohua’s family lying by the door.

In just under two months, Little Xiaohua’s body had grown another size larger. It now looked a full size bigger than Xiaohua and the others.

Li Changsheng focused his gaze.

[Name: Little Xiaohua]

[Species: Tusked Pig (Male)]

[First-Order High-Grade: 19%]

[Innate Magic: Steel Armor, ...]

[Status: Healthy.]

Although its other innate Magic still showed no signs of awakening, as Little Xiaohua’s body grew, the blood-red patterns entwined on its tusks became more intricate.

Li Changsheng guessed that Little Xiaohua was gradually adapting to the Magic, and the change in the blood-red patterns was a manifestation of that. Perhaps this innate Magic could be nurtured to maturity even before it reached the Demon Realm.

A thought stirred in Li Changsheng’s mind. He dismissed the panel, set Xiaobai down, and turned back into the kitchen.

While he was busy making pig feed.

Countless thousands of miles from the Ring Mountain Spiritual Land.

Beyond an Immortal Mountain shrouded in clouds and mist, circled by immortal cranes and strange beasts, stood hundreds or even thousands of varied peaks.

On one of these inconspicuous, hundred-zhang-tall peaks, various pavilions and towers were scattered about. Mountain springs and streams flowed downward, with green bamboo and pine trees dotting the landscape.

In a pavilion on the mountainside, a girl with a slightly round face, rather plain features, and a tranquil disposition sat in a gazebo. She held a yellowed scroll in her hands, reading it with great relish.

But when she picked up a piece of candied fruit from the table and popped it into her mouth, her tranquil demeanor was instantly broken. She shook her head back and forth, looking utterly adorable.

Just then, the sound of slightly heavy footsteps approached.

The newcomer was nearly two meters tall and wore a set of dark yellow leather armor. Her exposed arms and legs were corded with muscle, giving her a very burly and powerful appearance.

Far from being frightened upon seeing the visitor, the girl went forward and affectionately hugged her arm, pulling her insistently into the gazebo. She giggled and said, "Aunt Rong, come quick! This candied fruit is delicious."

A hint of warmth appeared in Rong Ying’s eyes. She let the girl pull her into the gazebo.