Chapter 190 - 178: Divine Techniques and Soul Defense

Chapter 190: Chapter 178: Divine Techniques and Soul Defense

What was an Array?

The sages of the human race observed the mountains and the earth, studied the Secret Patterns on Demon Fiends to comprehend the profound mysteries of heaven and earth, and ultimately learned to borrow the power of nature or unite individuals to resist formidable foes. The talent of the Gold-devouring Insect was a natural Daoist Soldier Array. They did not need complex Array Plates or Daoist Armor; the Secret Patterns on their bodies were the finest Arrays. Simply by gathering together, they naturally complemented and coordinated with one another.

These Exotic Insects were not large. When newly hatched, they were about the size of a fingernail and completely silver. Even mature adults were only the size of a human fist. Their individual strength was not particularly impressive; though their bodies were as tough as refined iron, their strength and speed were quite average. They might not even defeat an ordinary Martial Artist in the Qi and Blood Realm. This was the reason why the Gold-devouring Insect only cost eighty thousand Merit Points.

However, Gold-devouring Insects could devour ore to grow, evolve, and multiply on their own. Their evolution was slow, requiring vast amounts of resources and a long time to reproduce. Yet, once they completed multiple evolutions and their numbers reached a certain scale to form a swarm that blotted out the sky, they would become a terrifying calamity. Even those in the Primordial Spirit Realm or Immortals would give them a wide berth!

For the Insect Swarm, was there any Treasure more suitable for the present moment? Therefore, Qin Yu chose to purchase them without hesitation! For others, it would take decades or even centuries to nurture them, but for the Insect Swarm, time was not an issue at all. As for devouring minerals to evolve, that was the Insect Swarm’s specialty.

"Please confirm, do you wish to purchase the Exotic Insect, ’Gold-devouring Insect’? Upon purchase, eighty thousand Merit Points will be deducted!" the Array Spirit’s figure emerged as the white-robed old man bowed slightly to ask.

"Confirm!" Qin Yu nodded. Following the Array Spirit’s instructions, he took out his Demon Suppression Bureau Waist Token. After scanning it, the Merit Points on his personal page instantly dropped by eighty thousand.

"The Exotic Insect ’Gold-devouring Insect’ is sealed within the Yunlong County Treasure Vault and can be collected directly," the Array Spirit stated.

Qin Yu’s eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. Treasures purchased within the Demon Suppression Bureau were not always available in the County City. For instance, if one bought an Immortal Tier Technique, it would certainly have to be transferred from the State City or even the Royal Capital. Even with Space Transmission and other methods, it would take several days. Being able to take the item directly saved a lot of time.

After the purchase, Qin Yu did not rush to leave. Instead, he browsed through the general catalogs for Cultivation Techniques, Weapons, Elixirs, Arrays, Rare Treasures, Materials, Exotic Insects and Beasts, and more. Even though he could not afford them, doing so greatly expanded his knowledge. As long as one had Merit Points, almost anything could be bought!

In terms of Cultivation Techniques, the absolute best were the Twelve Immortal Tier Techniques. However, in another category, he noticed a top-tier Secret Technique classified as Divine Techniques.

Techniques like the Infinite Wonders Skill were primary Cultivation Techniques meant to guide the elevation of one’s Realm. For combat, there were corresponding Sword Skills, Archery Skills, Body Techniques, Object Manipulation Techniques, and so on. These belonged to Combat Techniques. And among them, the highest tier was none other than Divine Techniques!

In the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Treasure Vault, he saw these Divine Techniques—Divine Secret Skills that required at least the Primordial Mansion Realm to practice! Divine Techniques were even rarer than Immortal Tier Techniques. The entire Demon Suppression Bureau only housed six types of Divine Techniques: Three Heads and Six Arms, Scattering Beans into Soldiers, Heaven and Earth Technique, Eye of the Netherworld, Moving Mountains and Filling Seas, and Flying Wing Escape Technique.

Each was unimaginably powerful. For example, Three Heads and Six Arms literally manifested three heads and six arms, and its function was incredibly brutal—it directly tripled one’s strength! Furthermore, one could execute other Secret Techniques while in this state. If paired with the Heaven and Earth Technique, the user could transform into a thousand-foot-tall Dharma Body with three heads and six arms. The resulting strength would reach unbelievable levels. Even against an existence like Leviathan, one could clash head-on. The description mentioned a Great Power who transformed into a ten-thousand-foot-tall giant, fighting ancient Divine Demons to a standstill. It left Qin Yu in absolute awe.

Another example, the Eye of the Netherworld, startled Qin Yu even more. This was a method of Soul Destruction! With a single glance, it could instantly annihilate a soul. Even if an expert in the Primordial Spirit Realm could split their soul to create a second avatar, it would be useless against this Soul Destruction method. The attack could trace the invisible connections of the soul and obliterate all of their Clones.

This put Qin Yu on high alert instantly. This was a Secret Technique capable of killing him! While his soul could transfer across the Insect Swarm’s Mind Network, conventional methods could only destroy his physical body at most. However, this Divine Technique specifically targeting souls was different. According to the description of the Eye of the Netherworld, it could extinguish a soul completely. This meant that if a powerful entity possessing a similar Divine Secret Skill annihilated all Insect Race units within the entire Mind Network, they could theoretically kill him.

"I was right to keep a low profile in the past," Qin Yu thought to himself, his gaze solemn as he looked at the various items in the Merit Treasure Vault. "If I assume I can recklessly unleash an Insect Swarm Calamity just because I have the swarm backing me up, I probably won’t even know how I will die. I need to come up with a viable solution for the Insect Swarm’s soul defense as soon as possible."

The Insect Swarm was not invincible. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have ultimately turned into an inheritance egg inside his body. This proved that the previous Dominator of the Insect Swarm, who commanded the once overwhelmingly powerful Insect Swarm, had encountered an unstoppable foe. In the Merit Treasure Vault, he even saw a living, sealed, and suppressed Divine Demon!

The only thing he was thankful for was that these items were incredibly expensive. Their prices were no less than those of Immortal Tier Techniques. Expensive meant rare. For instance, the Eye of the Netherworld required not only an extremely powerful soul but also the comprehension of the Netherworld Mental Realm, making its barrier to entry absurdly high. Even the cheapest Three Heads and Six Arms cost three hundred million Merit Points. Though it could be purchased in stages, cultivating Divine Techniques consumed massive amounts of Rare Treasures. Qin Yu could not help but sigh with emotion.

"For offenses, I have the Gold-devouring Insects. I still need to choose a Soul Defense Secret Technique; that is the top priority." Qin Yu’s gaze quickly swept over all the treasures.

Skipping the ones he couldn’t afford, his eyes finally settled on an Alpha-level Middle Grade Soul Defense Secret Technique called the Tower of Void. It allowed the user to condense a soul pagoda within their Sea of Consciousness using Soul Power to defend against soul and Divine Thought attacks. At its peak, it could reach the seventh-tier Pagoda Realm. The total price was six million Merit Points. The first tier, which could be cultivated at the Qi Sea Realm, cost thirty thousand Merit Points!

He bought it!

"Phew, I only have three thousand Merit Points left. I need to figure out a way to earn more so I can buy the first tier of the Infinite Wonders Skill." Qin Yu let out a long breath.

Cultivating the Tower of Void also required many precious materials. For the first tier alone, buying them with Merit Points would cost another thirty or forty thousand. Fortunately, most of the materials could be gathered within the Cyan Profound Sect or by the Insect Swarm in the wilderness. Even if they couldn’t be found, he could still buy them with Primordial Stones at places like the Treasure Pavilion. He wouldn’t necessarily need Merit Points.

Through the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Merit Treasure Vault and by questioning the Array Spirit, he had finally caught a glimpse of the pinnacle of the Great Wei Dynasty. To some, this might just be trivial information. But to him, it dictated the future development and strategic layout of the Insect Swarm. Unlike purchasing Exotic Insects and Beasts, Cultivation Techniques could only be studied inside the Demon Suppression Bureau. Furthermore, one had to swear a Celestial Dao Oath never to leak them to outsiders. Otherwise, they would be thoroughly obliterated!

Under the guidance of the Grey-robed Steward, Qin Yu proceeded to another quiet room specifically meant for comprehension and cultivation. Not long after, someone delivered the Jade Scroll containing the cultivation Magic Skill for the first tier of the Tower of Void.

He sank his Divine Sense into it, and the profound Secret Technique flooded his memory. This was not a direct offensive skill but a method to visualize, construct, and refine a pagoda that guarded the Divine Soul. The first tier involved visualizing the "pagoda foundation," utilizing his Spiritual Power to sketch the initial outline of the tower within his Sea of Consciousness and stabilize it. Once refined, the Tower of Void could resist the vast majority of soul and Illusion Technique attacks.

"As expected of an Alpha-level Technique, it is incredibly profound!" Qin Yu thought. With his memory, he easily memorized it. Only then did he leave, taking with him an insect egg the size of a fingernail shimmering in gold and silver—the egg of the Gold-devouring Insect, of course.

PHEW...

Qin Yu let out a long breath, stepping out of the nine-story tower where the Merit Treasure Vault was located.

"Ancestor Tianfeng, I need to make a trip to the Arresting Department," Qin Yu said, looking at the Celestial Wind Ancestor and the two squads of Hive Guards who had been waiting outside for half the day. He needed Merit Points right now—enough to purchase the first tier of the Infinite Wonders Skill!

"The Arresting Department?" Qin Tianfeng paused. He naturally knew what kind of place that was. "You... want to hunt down those wanted Evil Demons? But after exchanging for Merit Points, aren’t you going to seek a master?"

"Ancestor Tianfeng, with the Mother of Ten Thousand Worms assisting my cultivation, I can reach the Peak of the Sea of Qi Realm in a month at most. Inside the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Merit Treasure Vault, there is an Immortal Tier Technique perfectly suited for me. As long as I get it, I can quickly break through to the Primordial Mansion Realm. I will break through to the Primordial Mansion Realm with a Perfect Dao Foundation!" Qin Yu shook his head slightly, not explaining too much.

Qin Tianfeng was dumbfounded. Reaching the Peak of the Sea of Qi Realm in a month, then casting a Perfect Dao Foundation with an Immortal Tier Technique to break through to the Primordial Mansion Realm? Was there still a need to seek a master? Or rather, was there a need to rush into finding one?

If the current Qin Yu had a chance to be taken in as a disciple by an expert in the Primordial Spirit Realm, then a Qin Yu who broke through to the Primordial Mansion Realm with a Perfect Dao Foundation forged from an Immortal Tier Technique would have True Monarch Primordial Spirits fighting over him to take him in! The two scenarios were entirely different.

Still in a daze, he followed Qin Yu’s group in a stupor as they headed toward another palace.

People came and went here, with members of the Demon Suppression Bureau arriving constantly. When they had no assignments, bureau members would actively take on tasks in exchange for Merit Points.

The main hall was exceptionally spacious, grand, and well-lit, free from any unnecessary decorations. A massive jade wall displaying the bounty list dominated the center of the room. Dozens of Demon Suppression Bureau members with varying auras stood before the jade wall, their heads raised in observation as they whispered among themselves or silently took notes. Along the sides of the hall were counter-like structures where logistics personnel sat, responsible for registration, verification, task distribution, and the handover of bounties.

Qin Yu’s arrival caused a bit of a commotion. Others might not recognize him, but everyone recognized Qin Tianfeng, the Ancestor at the Primordial Mansion Realm, and naturally deduced Qin Yu’s identity. These people were mostly in the Qi and Blood Realm, with a small fraction in the Qi Sea Realm, but their gazes toward Qin Yu were entirely filled with awe, apprehension, and even envy!

An eighteen-year-old Martial Artist in the Qi Sea Realm whose breakthrough triggered a Heaven and Earth Phenomenon, and who became a Junior Sixth Grade Ling State Inspector the moment he joined the Demon Suppression Bureau. How could they not be envious? Some wanted to step forward and befriend him, but upon seeing Qin Tianfeng acting like a bodyguard, they consciously backed away.

Qin Yu seemed entirely oblivious to this. He walked straight toward the central jade wall displaying the bounties. The information on the jade wall was not chaotic; it was clearly categorized by threat level, Merit Point reward, and area of activity, distinguished by different colors and font sizes.

"Some of these targets are already under the Insect Swarm’s surveillance!" Qin Yu thought. "It is time for the Insect Swarm to make its move."