Chapter 116 - 113: Intelligence within Yunlong County

Chapter 116: Chapter 113: Intelligence within Yunlong County

Amidst clear, sharp cries, the Thunder Roc slowly descended onto the martial arts arena of the Qin Residence in Cyan Peak County.

"Young Master!"

"The young master has returned!"

The Qin Family Guards stationed at the martial arts arena cheered loudly. Someone immediately sprinted toward the backyard to report the news to Ouyang Xue.

The Qin Family had undergone immense changes these past few days.

In less than a month, the sudden transformation left these veterans utterly dumbfounded. Fearsome War Beasts flew out of the Wilderness Mountain Range in an endless stream. A portion of the supplies purchased from Bishui City was sent into the Wilderness Mountain Range, but another portion was delivered directly to Cyan Peak County. The constant takeoffs and landings of the Black Thorn Eagles had long since numbed everyone to the sight.

Even though the Thunder Roc was much larger and exuded a terrifying pressure, they were already accustomed to such spectacles.

Invaders? If there was no reaction from the Black Thorn Eagles constantly circling the sky, it naturally meant these were the Qin Family’s War Beasts.

Many people had witnessed the scene of Qin Yu entering the Qin Family Manor while stepping on the Profound Flood Dragon. Since even a Flood Dragon had submitted to him, a Thunder Roc was truly nothing to fuss over.

Of course, the Qin Clan members were thrilled. But for the other noble families in Cyan Peak County, this was no different from the sky falling. Suddenly, the Qin Family had grown powerful to the point of being completely unrivaled.

"Mhm."

Qin Yu nodded to the surrounding clan members and walked briskly toward the inner courtyard. He bowed slightly to an elegantly dressed woman who was rushing over. "Mother."

"It’s good that you’re back! Do you still need to go out this time?" A look of joy appeared on Ouyang Xue’s face.

She knew what Qin Yu was doing in the mountains—he was slaughtering countless Demon Fiends. Even though she knew how powerful the Insect Swarm was, how could she not worry?

"I won’t be going out. I’ll be resting at home for a while," Qin Yu replied with a smile.

The Insect Swarm no longer had any rivals in the Wilderness Mountain Range. Their next step was to develop their occupied territories while simultaneously conducting external reconnaissance. Various simulation projects were also proceeding in an orderly manner.

All he needed to do was focus on his cultivation and break through to the Qi Sea Realm as soon as possible. This would allow the Insect Nest to reach Tier Three!

For simple cultivation, it was the same anywhere. With abundant resources, he could easily establish an underground Insect Nest right here in Cyan Peak County. Not only would it facilitate his cultivation, but it would also protect the Qin Family’s safety.

"Good! You must not have eaten or drunk well in those deep mountains and old forests these past few days. I’ll go prepare some of your favorite dishes." Ouyang Xue instantly relaxed, a smile blooming on her face.

"Mhm."

Qin Yu smiled as well. In the forests, his safety was never an issue, but the food left much to be desired. He usually just roasted some beast meat to make do. It was nowhere near as comfortable as being at home.

Upon returning home, Qin Yu didn’t rush to cultivate. Instead, he spent time chatting with his mother and eating delicious food, completely relaxing.

Balancing tension and relaxation was the true Dao of cultivation.

Ever since obtaining the Insect Race’s inheritance, his mind had been highly tense these past few days. He had been constantly prepared for life-and-death battles, knowing that a single misstep could result in the annihilation of his entire clan. Fortunately, the Insect Swarm was now powerful enough that he didn’t need to worry about such things anymore. Naturally, he felt much more relaxed.

That night.

Lying in the bed he had slept in for eighteen years, Qin Yu looked at the sky outside the window. The starry sky remained the same, but his mindset was completely different from before.

With a single thought, his consciousness sank into the Insect Swarm’s Mind Network.

SWISH.

A hundred meters beneath the Qin Residence, large numbers of Worker Insects were busy at work. Freshly excavated underground tunnels sprawled beneath the residence and even extended throughout all of Cyan Peak County.

When he made the trade with Li Wanqing, he had left thirty Escape Armor Scorpions beneath the Qin Residence. Usually, with nothing else to do, these scorpions dug tunnels underground. If they were ever ambushed by enemies, the clan could use these subterranean passages to evacuate quickly.

After the Insect Nest was upgraded to Tier Two, Qin Yu transferred a batch of Worker Insects and other units skilled in Earth Escape and excavation to assist, making the underground network even more developed. Burrowing and excavating were practically innate instincts for all Insect Race units!

Thus, in just a little over ten days, an underground network belonging to the Insect Swarm had already taken shape beneath Cyan Peak County. An Insect Nest had been nurtured here, and a Cultivation Room specifically designed to assist with his training was currently being incubated. By sunrise, a Cultivation Room similar to the one in Snake Valley would be fully developed.

Meanwhile.

Around the Insect Nest near the Bishui River, larvae were rapidly mutating. As their eggs ruptured, large swarms of reconnaissance units that looked completely indistinguishable from ordinary fish swam out.

Although they were also one to two meters in length, they were not Demon Fiends. They appeared as nothing more than ordinary fish. While these disguised reconnaissance units possessed very weak combat strength, they required minimal resources to nurture, and absolutely no one would pay them any mind.

SPLASH.

With flicks of their tails, the fish swam swiftly toward the Bishui River.

In less than half a day, over a thousand reconnaissance units had been produced, and the Insect Nest was still continuously nurturing more. Besides them, combat units such as Sharp-toothed Catfish and Profound Flood Dragons were also appearing in large batches.

Around the Insect Nest, a highly simplified Water Mirror Illusion Array was slowly taking shape through the efforts of the Worker Insects. The towering underwater Insect Nest and the exposed eggs gradually vanished amidst the rippling water.

This was also one of the most basic illusion arrays in the Hundred Array Formulas, only capable of creating simple static illusions for the purpose of deception. However, for the Insect Swarm, this was tantamount to a monumental leap forward.

Whether or not the Dragon Race’s curse existed, the Bishui River was a territory the Insect Swarm needed to occupy as they expanded. Naturally, it was best to strike first and gain the upper hand. Moreover, there might be a connection between the Bishui River Dragon Race and the Blood Demon Sect. This was also something Qin Yu had to consider.

Judging from how the Blood Demon Sect had been attacking surrounding towns and inciting Demon Fiends to strike, the intelligence obtained from Inspector Liu, and the appearance of the Xuan Nine Squad... everything undoubtedly pointed to one conclusion for Qin Yu.

The Blood Demon Sect was brewing something massive!

A blood sacrifice of Bishui City? It could be true, or it could be a bluff.

They definitely had some sort of scheme, and if it succeeded, it would certainly shake the world! If the Demon Suppression Bureau could react in time to stop it, then all would be well. But if they failed, it would inevitably result in a horrific tragedy for the mortal world.

Because they now possessed sufficient wealth, his father had spent these past few days in Bishui City not just buying cultivation techniques, secret manuals, and materials, or trading with the Treasure Pavilion and the Demon Suppression Bureau. He had also paid a hefty price to purchase intelligence from the Golden Wind Pavilion.

It was information detailing all the large and small factions within the entirety of Yunlong County.

The Wilderness Mountain Range was where the Insect Swarm rose to power, serving as their main base. However, for the Swarm to grow stronger, they naturally needed to expand outward. But they absolutely could not expand blindly.

The Insect Swarm’s intelligence network was primarily concentrated in the Wilderness Mountain Range. Their networks in areas like Cyan Peak County and Bishui City had only just been established and were still incomplete. With detailed intelligence in hand, he could know which areas harbored danger, which were suitable for the Swarm’s expansion, and which factions were not to be provoked.

In this intelligence report, hundreds of factions in Yunlong County were documented in detail.

Among those notable enough to be ranked... excluding official organizations like the Demon Suppression Bureau and the Evil Suppression Army, there were outwardly thirteen factions that possessed experts at the Primordial Mansion Realm!

These included the three major sects: the Cyan Profound Sect, the Golden Sword Sect, and the Pai Sect. There were also the four great noble families: Qin, Zhang, Lin, and Su. The Qin family mentioned here was his own Celestial Wind Qin Family!

Additionally, there were merchant guilds like the Treasure Pavilion and the Golden Wind Pavilion. Finally, there were the Blood Demon Sect and the Bishui River Dragon Palace.

The Blood Demon Sect was spread throughout the entire Great Wei Court. It boasted a very long history, and its internal personnel structure was extremely complex. Its members ranged from scions of noble families to street thugs, joining either in pursuit of power or for revenge. There were also wanted evil demons being hunted by the Demon Suppression Bureau, and so on.

However, as a whole, its hierarchy remained relatively clear.

In prefecture cities like Bishui City, there would typically be a sub-branch of the Blood Demon Sect. In a commandery-level region, there would be a branch altar. The squad leaders of these sub-branches were usually experts at the Qi Sea Realm!

However, a mere Qi Sea Realm Sub-Branch had absolutely no qualifications to negotiate any sort of cooperation with the Bishui River Dragon King! This was because, according to the intelligence provided by the Golden Wind Pavilion, the Bishui River Dragon King was a mighty existence at the Primordial Mansion Realm!

A mere Qi Sea cultivator trying to negotiate cooperation with a Primordial Mansion mighty figure? It was simply a fantasy!

Only the strong were qualified to collaborate with the strong! Even if the Bishui River Dragon Palace wanted to cooperate with the Blood Demon Sect, it definitely wouldn’t be with Li Xuehai, the Sub-Branch Squad Leader of Bishui City. It would be with a Primordial Mansion mighty figure behind him!

He pondered, "Furthermore, the Celestial Wind Ancestor of the County City Qin Family is nearing the end of his lifespan. Yet, a small Void Nether Ore mine was discovered on the edge of their territory, leading to ceaseless battles with the Zhang Family. Even Qi Sea Realm experts have made their move."

The Patriarch of the Celestial Wind Qin Family was a Qi Sea Realm expert, but the pillar of the Qin Family was that Celestial Wind Ancestor. If he were to fall, it would likely have no small impact on Qin Yu as well.

He had little impression of the Zong Family. When he was young, he had even suspected that there might be some hidden reason why his grandfather was sent to this small Cyan Peak County to establish a branch family—perhaps he had been humiliated, framed, or something similar.

But in reality, there wasn’t so much messy drama. It was just a normal branching out of the family. Just like a growing tree, it would inevitably sprout different branches.

Moreover, it was undeniable that his father’s ability to quickly gain a foothold in Bishui City was inextricably linked to the Commandery City’s Zong Family. Sometimes, simply operating under a certain banner made many things seem much more reasonable and easier to execute. Almost everyone believed that Qin Yu’s sudden rise to power was an arrangement made by the Commandery City’s Zong Family.

Qin Yu was happy to see this misunderstanding persist. However, if the County City Qin Family truly collapsed, the corresponding troubles would inevitably follow suit!

He thought, "I still need to improve my strength! As long as I break through to the Qi Sea Realm, the Insect Nest will reach Tier Three, allowing it to incubate Qi Sea Realm units in massive quantities. Then all problems will be easily solved!"

Qin Yu closed his eyes. Within the Insect Swarm’s Mind Network, the situations of all the factions in Yunlong County were quickly organized in his mind.

The stronger the Insect Swarm became, the more opponents they would face. And the stronger those opponents would be!

At this moment, inside the Nurturing Pool in Snake Valley, hundreds of his Clones were experimenting with various cultivation techniques derived from the Insect Nest’s simulations.

With a large number of experimental subjects and ample cultivation techniques, the fusion and simulation of techniques like the Spirit Snake Shadow Poison Scripture, the Wind and Thunder Treasure Mirror, and the Five Poison Dragon Transformation Technique were underway. After absorbing their essence, a cultivation technique most suited for Qin Yu had already taken shape.

He smiled to himself, "Finally, some results."