Chapter 112: The Thousand Gu Myriad Insects Art and Ancient Treasure (Please Vote for Monthly Tickets!)
Half a month later.
Heavenly Ridge Mountain Range.
The underground of a relatively secluded and safe place.
Exhale—
Almost there.
Looking at his arm restored to its original state, feeling the magical power replenishing within his body, Yunhe's brows relaxed slightly.
Fortunately, the Black Wood Seal helped block it at the end; otherwise, if that red dart had landed on him, it would really be hard to say.
"Indeed, for cultivators at the late Foundation Establishment stage, having a background or not makes a world of difference."
For cultivators, wealth, partner, and land—wealth is the true path.
"Although this was dangerous, fortunately the gains were not bad."
There are still many hidden treasures in the Heavenly Insect Sect.
If not for a fourth-level Heavenly Corpse Gu occupying it, it would definitely be a precious secret realm hard to come by.
Originally, after finding the exit, Yunhe wanted to linger a bit longer to see if he could find more good things, after all, he hadn't yet had the chance to go to the Heavenly Insect Sect's Treasure Pavilion and Technique Pavilion.
But after killing Xiao Qiyuan, he sensed a more dangerous presence approaching, likely more Heavenly Capital Gu Corpses appearing.
In such a situation where Heavenly Capital Gu Corpses run rampant, comparable to Golden Core cultivators, it's best not to linger too much, lest one ends up unable to leave.
Moreover, the existence of the Corpse Gu constantly made Yunhe feel as if a sharp blade hung over his head, possibly falling at any moment, which is too unsafe.
"Wait until my cultivation base improves a bit, after breaking through to Golden Core, maybe I can go in again to have a look."
After all, he now has mastered the entrance and exit of the Heavenly Insect Sect ruins' barrier.
Begin tallying the gains.
"Two stalks of thousand-year-old 'Dragon Blood Ginseng', one stalk of thousand-year-old 'Jade Qing Aconite', plus a nine-hundred-year-old 'Blood Return Herb', and a Three Tribulations Bodhi Seed."
To be honest.
Actually, even if it's just these spiritual plants, letting a Golden Core cultivator know about them would probably make him willing to risk venturing into the Heavenly Insect Sect ruins.
"Also there's a dead-sleep cicada; we can try to control it, and it can also add some combat power."
These are all very precious and their value has been confirmed.
What Yunhe cares about most are those two unnamed metal pieces.
Taken out from the storage ring.
The two finger-width grayish-white metal pieces look similar, but there are some subtle differences.
"Something that Xiao Qiyuan would risk danger to obtain is probably not simple, but how should it be used?"
Yunhe showed a look of doubt.
Extended his spirit sense.
When he first obtained one of them, he was still at the Qi Refining stage.
The spirit sense of Qi Refining cannot detect any clues.
Perhaps the spirit sense can.
But to his disappointment, after checking, he still found nothing.
Yunhe, after pondering for a moment, gritted his teeth.
Simply, he sacrificed the Black Tortoise Bracelet and the Li Fire Pearl.
Each was refined with water and fire respectively.
But although these two metal pieces look ordinary, they actually cannot be damaged in the slightest by the Black Tortoise Bracelet and the Li Fire Pearl.
Even a fool would understand that they are extraordinary objects.
Yunhe rubbed his temples with some worry.
"Surely we wouldn't let the Red-Ring Gold-Spotted Wasps try gnawing on them again, would we?"
The moment the words slipped out unconsciously, his heart jolted.
His eyes gradually lit up.
He slapped his spirit insect bag.
A vast gold-red cloud surged forth.
But he didn't actually let the Red-Ring Gold-Spotted Wasps bite; instead, he controlled them, arousing a demonic power belonging to spirit insects.
Since these are things from the Heavenly Insect Sect, perhaps one needs to rely on the demonic power of demon beasts or spirit insects to open them, though not necessarily.
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
Surrounded by the Red-Ring Gold-Spotted Wasps, strands of weak demonic power gathered.
"Indeed!"
Yunhe suddenly felt invigorated.
Under his gaze, the gathered demonic power, like a mud ox entering the sea, vanished without a trace upon contacting the metal pieces, as if absorbed.
And as the demonic power was infused, a faint halo appeared on the two metal pieces.
But these metal pieces are like a bottomless pit, absorbing however much demonic power is poured in.
Until the Red-Ring Gold-Spotted Wasps conveyed feelings of fatigue and exhaustion, it still only glowed with a faint halo.
"Could it be that we need to send it to Yao Shou Shijie for the Demon Beast Body to help open it?"
Yunhe wasn't overly panicked either.
The demonic power available to the Cultivator Body is limited, but the Demon Beast Body need not worry about this issue.
However, just as he was contemplating whether to give up first, the metal piece finally underwent another change.
Upon it, splendid light blossomed; it no longer absorbed demonic power, but instead gently pushed aside the surrounding Red-Ring Gold-Spotted Wasps.
Yunhe suppressed his excitement, his spiritual sense fully extended, staring fixedly at the changes in the metal sheet.
Buzz—
Suddenly, the metal sheet's brilliance instantly retracted, then shot out ant‑sized condensed characters that floated in mid‑air.
And as Yunhe's spiritual sense swept over it, the characters seemed to be summoned by some force, actually squeezing bit by bit into his spiritual sense.
This situation made Yunhe startle and lose color.
A cultivator's spiritual sense is extremely fragile; if tampered with, lightly one becomes an idiot, heavily one dies outright.
The ensuing stabbing pain made him clutch his head, curl up on the ground, with cold sweat continually seeping from his forehead, nose tip, and back.
After a full half‑hour, that pain finally gradually faded.
Yunhe slightly recovered his condition, hastily sat up, closed his eyes, and examined his own state.
Fortunately, his spiritual sense was not only undamaged but seemed to have been strengthened! This left Yunhe somewhat astonished.
At the same time.
He also discovered that, out of nowhere, a cultivation manual had appeared in his mind! "The 'Thousand Insects Myriad Gu Manual'—is that the technique Wei Ming mentioned before his death that could increase the odds of forming a golden core?"
This gave Yunhe a hint of delight in his heart.
Increase the odds of forming a golden core!
Just those few words alone are enough to make countless Foundation Establishment cultivators fight each other to the death.
"Xiao Qiyuan is also after this manual; it seems he too knows the function of the 'Thousand Insects Myriad Gu Manual'."
Moreover, judging by the name of the manual, it seems to be a cultivation method teaching how to control insects and gu.
This also somewhat matches Yunhe's needs, after all the 'Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique' he originally obtained is a fragmentary method.
"However, a sect of insect control exists in the form of a cultivation method."
He didn't think further, and calmed his mind.
One part adapting to the recovering headache, another part examining this so‑called 'Thousand Insects Myriad Gu Manual'.
At first glance Yunhe felt fine, but the deeper he read and understood, the more astonished he became, until finally, accompanied by delight, he was completely immersed in this cultivation method—he "read" it continuously for two days.
Only then did Yunhe finally manage to grasp the basics of this cultivation method.
This sect's Heavenly Insect Sect's sect‑protecting heritage cultivation method, the 'Thousand Insects Myriad Gu Manual', is actually a cultivation method dedicated to tempering the spiritual sense!
Moreover, the insect‑ and gu‑controlling techniques within this method are also based on the spiritual sense.
Using thought as thread, using spirit as lock.
Not only can it enhance a cultivator's command over spirit insects, but it can also increase the number and flexibility of spirit insects they can control at will, and so on.
As is well known, spirit insects are a special kind of demon beast, born with simple minds and difficult to awaken spiritual intelligence.
Based on this foundation, spiritual sense control allows a cultivator to simultaneously command large numbers of spirit insects, and to direct them as easily and freely as manipulating one's own spiritual sense.
Yunhe had also seen cultivation methods for tempering the spiritual sense in the Qingzong Sect's library of techniques, but those pale in comparison to this 'Thousand Insects Myriad Gu Manual'.
Whether it's the changes in spiritual sense after cultivation, or some clever techniques for using the spiritual sense, none can compare.
This method has eight layers, but Yunhe only obtained the first four, each coming from one of the two metal sheets.
According to the method's description, it can indeed increase the odds of forming a golden core, and the higher the level cultivated, the greater the increase in those odds!
It is a special cultivation method that combines spiritual sense training, spiritual sense application, separating the mind into threads, controlling insects and gu, raising insects and nurturing gu, and various other means.
"No wonder they say that increasing the odds of forming a golden core, a cultivator's breakthrough hinges on the three gates of essence, energy, and spirit; strengthening the spiritual sense naturally also raises those odds."
Yunhe's eyes gleamed.
His own spiritual sense is already considerably stronger than that of an ordinary cultivator; at mid‑Foundation Establishment, his spiritual sense surpasses that of most late‑Foundation Establishment cultivators, rivaling that of a perfected Foundation Establishment cultivator.
If he further cultivates this method and achieves minor success, could his spiritual sense rival that of a golden‑core cultivator? However, he already chiefly practices the 'Great Longevity Five Elements True Scripture', which boosts his cultivation speed—more important than spiritual sense, so he cannot abandon it.
Then he can only supplementally cultivate the 'Thousand Insects Myriad Gu Manual'.
Fortunately, these two cultivation methods do not conflict with each other.
"Cultivating two top‑tier methods simultaneously would probably consume an enormous amount of time."
But upon further thought.
He currently seems to lack nothing most.
That is time.
Though he is over forty, he still has nearly eight hundred years of lifespan.
His demon beast body is accumulating energy to break through to the mid‑second stage; at that point his lifespan will inevitably increase further.
Spending a little more time could again increase the odds of forming a golden core—how many Foundation Establishment cultivators dream of that!
Moreover, it does not merely increase the odds; it can also greatly enhance combat ability.
The importance of spiritual sense in combat is beyond doubt; when it is strong, one can control more spirit insects, and Yunhe can finally mass‑cultivate the red‑ringed gold‑spotted bee.
What's more, the method also contains a secret technique for attacking with spiritual sense using spiritual sense.
Thinking this through, Yunhe decided to supplementally cultivate this method! Of course, not right now.
At the very least, he first needs a relatively stable environment.
"Right, there's also that thing."
Carefully putting away the two metal sheets, Yunhe flicked his storage bag again.
For a moment.
Deathly aura filled the small cave dwelling.
Seeing before him this utterly distorted Heavenly Capital Gu corpse, Yunhe's expression turned solemn.
He had carefully examined it; the heavenly corpse gu worms on the corpse had been killed by the gold‑fire centipede, but consequently the Heavenly Capital Gu corpse lost its ability to move.
"Although the damage is extremely severe, this is undoubtedly a gu corpse comparable to a golden‑core cultivator; controlling it would be somewhat difficult."
But it is not impossible.
Before obtaining the "Myriad Insects Technique", Yunhe had absolutely no solution.
Now, there's still a bit of possibility.
However, he now took out this gu corpse not to try to control it, but because of the copper-colored thing on its body.
Carefully take it out.
"Brick, brick?"
Looking at the square brick in his hand, covered with rust stains, glowing copper and unusually heavy, Yunhe wore a look of astonishment.
But he soon discovered a clue.
He covered it with his divine sense and slowly infused magical power.
He felt little in the way of prohibitions.
Hum—
On that ancient copper brick, a faint spiritual light arose.
But the faint magical power he infused was nowhere near enough to activate that ancient copper brick.
After a brief moment of thought, Yunhe steeled himself and released his control over magical power.
For a moment, the ancient copper brick seemed like a monster devouring magical power, frantically sucking in Yunhe's magical power as if it could never get enough.
Only after Yunhe injected about eighty or ninety percent of his magical power into it did it finally stop absorbing.
It emitted an unhidden terrifying aura.
It hovered in midair.
Only then did Yunhe finally determine what it was.
"An ancient treasure!"
It really is an ancient treasure! So-called ancient treasures are actually artifacts forged by ancient cultivators.
Because ancient cultivators lived in a different environment and practiced different methods, their artifacts mostly had a single function but were tremendously powerful! Moreover, ancient cultivators did not classify their artifacts as finely as modern cultivators do, distinguishing between magical artifacts, spiritual artifacts, magical treasures, and spiritual treasures.
Their artifacts share one outstanding trait.
If your cultivation base and magical power are sufficient, you can use it.
This is both a difference in refinement method and a difference in the amount of usable materials.
Looking at that uneasy, hovering ancient copper brick, Yunhe hesitated but still did not release it.
He took it back.
If he threw it out, who knows how terrifying the destruction would be.
Know that his magical power itself is far stronger than that of an average mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, not just in quantity but also in quality.
Infusing eighty or ninety percent of his magical power is needed to activate that ancient treasure; throwing it out might barely match a strike from a Golden Core cultivator. Of course, if he expends eighty or ninety percent of his magical power in one go and the strike fails to achieve the effect, afterward he'd likely be like a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.
But as a desperate trump card, it's still not bad.
Moreover, once his cultivation advances, the consumption might not be so great.
"What a pity."
Yunhe lightly rubbed the rust stains on the ancient copper brick.
Because it wasn't preserved properly, the ancient treasure's power has been somewhat affected.
He felt this when he infused his magical power.
Some parts of the ancient copper brick cannot be fully permeated by magical power.
"But it's precisely because of this that it can be driven; if there were no damage at all, I'm afraid I couldn't fill it with magical power to move it."
That's a case of gains and losses.
But no matter how you say it.
Once fully activated, its power should be comparable to a Golden Core cultivator's magical treasure to some extent! ————
PS: At the start of the month, please vote for the minimum monthly ticket! (End of chapter)
End of Chapter
