Jia Ren became busy with alchemy, cultivation, enhancing his Insect External Incarnation, and raising the proficiency level of various spells.

The most important thing was still to enhance his cultivation level and strength.

He temporarily set aside magic artifacts and formations to focus on digesting the collected spiritual medicines.

Progress was fastest with the Consolidating Yuan Pill (Modified). Jia Ren had a rich inventory of medicines and, in the short term, lacked no spiritual medicines. Thus, the Consolidating Yuan Pill (Modified) became the priority target for raising its proficiency level.

For half a month, the alchemy room was filled daily with the faint fragrance of pills.

The reserve of medicinal materials gradually dwindled, and the proficiency level continued to improve.

The proficiency level has finally reached Master Level! Jia Ren thought with satisfaction.

He took out a Consolidating Yuan Pill (Modified) that had just been successfully refined. Observing its quality, he noted it had reached an almost flawless state with hardly any impurities.

Upon ingesting a pill, he clearly felt its medicinal power—three times that of an ordinary Consolidating Yuan Pill—explode and transform into warm spiritual power that flowed to every part of his body.

He operated the Mysterious Turtle Water Strategy at full strength, absorbing the medicinal power to increase his cultivation level.

The absence of pill impurities also meant he could avoid adverse effects during the breakthrough to the Golden Core realm, preventing a potential failure.

He would rather cultivate a bit slower than endure such an outcome. My pursuit is the Dao of Longevity, not merely Foundation Establishment or Golden Core. The road ahead is long, and I must persevere, moving forward without hesitation. I do not want to one day face a failed realm breakthrough and live with lifelong regret, all because of my haste for quick success and the consumption of numerous low-quality pills, which would leave behind irreparable consequences.

"From now on, I can cultivate with peace of mind!"

After taking the master-level Consolidating Yuan Pill (Modified), Jia Ren entered a period of rapid strength growth, his cultivation level increasing extremely fast.

He dedicated four to six hours per day to cultivation. The rest of his time was spent cultivating his Insect External Incarnation, the Xuan Yuan Heavy Water Technique, and the Xuan Shui Escape.

All three showed rapid progress.

Jia Ren entered the Insect Breeding Room.

The spirit insects had already successfully returned to their ancestral forms, and there were many of them.

After this reversion, their quality had improved greatly.

The majority of spirit insects were not high-grade. The highest they had reached after returning to their ancestral form was First Order Superior Grade. As he looked around, there were no exceptions.

The one that changed the most was the Yellow Spring Worm, which had returned to its ancestral form as the Yellow Spring Dark Bug. Its aura had reached the limit of First Order, and it naturally possessed a type of poisonous water that specifically targeted the soul with formidable power.

The specific abilities of the spirit insects after their ancestral reversion were still unknown for now, but the soul-damaging effect of their poisonous water had not disappeared; instead, it had become even stronger.

The other spirit insects also underwent considerable changes. The Qi Cai Poison Butterfly successfully reverted and was renamed the Nine-Colored Poison Butterfly.

The Hundred-eyed Fu Chong reverted to become the Thousand-Eyed Viper Insect.

The Hei Du Zhu reverted to become the Dark Deadly Poison Spider.

The Qian Zu Du Gong reverted to become the Thousand-Legged Myriad Poison Centipede.

...

Compared to before, the strength and toxicity of the spirit insects had improved by leaps and bounds.

Jia Ren began to fuse the spirit insects individually, striving to bring them to their most perfect state.

Begin the King Insect Fusion, he thought.

After feeding them the secret medicine for fusion, he took out the Resurrection Pill and the Purifying Spirit Pill, dissolving them to be ready to rescue the spirit insects at any moment.

The Insect Breeding Room was divided into individual battlefields, with fights raging ceaselessly.

Spirit insects of the same origin fought each other in life-and-death battles, the scene resembling that of raising Gu insects.

In each battlefield, there was destined to be only one victor.

The victor flourished; the defeated perished.

He multitasked, closely watching the spirit insect battlefields, ready to intervene at any moment.

Jia Ren initiated the King Insect Fusion with over thirty Yellow Spring Dark Bugs, awaiting the outcome.

This was the spirit insect with the highest hope of advancing to Second Order.

Whenever a battle concluded in one area, he would promptly feed the surviving spirit insects the dissolved spiritual liquid of the Resurrection Pill and the Spirit Nourishing Pill.

One by one, the spirit insects entered a deep slumber, accelerating their transformation.

The number of spirit insects in the battlefields dwindled, and the ground became littered with their remains.

The sight of countless spirit insect corpses was shocking.

The population of over one hundred thousand spirit insects in the Insect Breeding Room decreased at an astonishing rate, soon dwindling to just over two thousand.

Time and again, Jia Ren's gaze fell on the King Insects undergoing fusion, disappointment clouding his face.

The majority of the King Insects were in hibernation, digesting their power, with not a single one at the critical point of advancement.

This truly showed the power of the Fish Saint Pill. Not even the potential unlocked by forcing a hundred thousand spirit insects through Gu-style battles could match its effects.

After reaching sufficient proficiency, I can achieve a second limit break for the Ancestral Worm Pill, which should have an effect similar to the Fish Saint Pill, Jia Ren mused.

Fortunately, the problem wasn't without a solution.

The effects of the Fish Saint Pill could be replicated. Using Skill Breaking Points, I can raise the proficiency level of the Ancestral Worm Pill. The Fish Saint Pill helped Spirit Fish return to their ancestral forms and advance. I refuse to believe that a second limit break of the Ancestral Worm Pill wouldn't have a similar effect.

"Eh? Is a victor about to be decided?" Jia Ren muttered, surprised.

Just as he thought that none of the spirit insects had any hope of advancing to Second Order, a victor had already emerged from the Yellow Spring Dark Bug battlefield.

Compared to the other spirit insects, their fights were relatively mild.

Yellow Spring Dark Bugs resembled longhorn beetles in appearance, with a yellowish hue and many deep yellow patterns on their bodies. Whenever the yellow patterns flashed, they would spray light yellow poisonous water from their mouths.

The Yellow Spring Dark Bugs were the first to start fusion and the last to determine a victor.

Jia Ren promptly fed a large amount of spiritual liquid to the victorious Yellow Spring Dark Bug, which had won by first exhausting its poison spray and then relying on physical combat to defeat its target.

An advancement state?!

The Yellow Spring Dark Bug fell into a deep slumber, but unlike the others, its body emitted strange power fluctuations.

Jia Ren had witnessed the advancement of a Spirit Fish not long ago. The process for spirit insects was largely similar, so it wasn't difficult to recognize.

Finally, a successful example!

He decisively set up restrictions around the Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King to prevent other spirit insects from disturbing its hard-won advancement.

「In the following days」

Besides cultivating and improving his spell proficiency, Jia Ren checked on the status of the Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King every day.

His hard work paid off; eventually, the wait yielded results.

「On the fifth day」

Just as Jia Ren was preparing to improve the proficiency level of his Insect External Incarnation, astonishing fluctuations of demonic power emanated from the Insect Breeding Room.

Was it successful?

He went to the Insect Breeding Room immediately, a smile spreading across his face.

The Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King has successfully advanced!

Its body was a full size larger, and the patterns on its body became more profound.

The Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King became the first Spirit Insect under Jia Ren's control to reach the Second Order.

Different from other Spirit Insects, the Second Order Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King had very weak combat abilities and was at the bottom of its tier among its peers.

What mattered most was its poison! Its unique Yellow Spring Poison, a rare soul poison, would weaken the soul force of those affected, leading to the eventual extinction of their souls. After reaching the Second Order, the power of the Yellow Spring Poison has become even stronger. If utilized fully, it will surely become a trump card in my hand.

"Haha, how lucky!" Jia Ren couldn't stop smiling. He hastily fed a large number of Ancestral Worm Pills and Spirit Nourishing Pills to the Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King.

"Give me some of your poison," Jia Ren instructed.

The Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King, having just successfully molted, was extremely excited. Following its master's command, it spewed out a large amount of Yellow Spring Poison.

Jia Ren took out a Jade Vase inscribed with special restrictions and carefully collected the poison.

The Yellow Spring Poison was a natural toxin that could be used directly. However, Jia Ren did not intend to do so straight away.

The Yellow Spring Poison can affect Foundation Establishment Cultivators. With the knowledge from the Hundred Poisons Scripture, if I can strengthen it with the right combination, its power will be maximized. Perhaps it could even be useful against Golden Core Cultivators. With the Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King as an endless source of poison, I don't need to worry about wasting the venom and can begin to conduct numerous experiments. The practices of alchemy and poison-making are similar; historically, healers and poisoners were not distinct professions. Mastering both pills and poisons means understanding the properties of medicines. The next step is to analyze the toxicity of the Yellow Spring Poison and use it as the 'monarch' poison, combining it with other poisons and auxiliary materials to maximize its effects. The venom can also be made into poison pills, poison powders, and poison smoke. If the experiments are successful, my methods of poisoning will diversify, making it harder for targets to defend against. This will be a relatively slow process that I just need to perfect over time.

Having consumed over ninety percent of his Spirit Insects, Jia Ren sent his Insect External Incarnation to the Poisonous Miasma Lake to collect a new batch and replenish the Insect Breeding Room.

This is one of the biggest advantages of relying on the Poisonous Miasma Lake, he thought. With such a multitude of Spirit Insects there, it's impossible to eliminate them all at once; this is the largest source of Spirit Insects available to me.

It's a pity there are no swarms of Exotic Black Mosquitoes here, Jia Ren mused.

There were many different species of Spirit Insects in this place, including a species called Wen Wen, but no Exotic Black Mosquitoes were found.

Without a large number of Exotic Black Mosquitoes, my plan to create a Sonic-Thief Mosquito King is thwarted.

Jia Ren took a particular interest in Wen Wen, knowing it was a type of poisonous mosquito naturally adept at spreading plagues and capable of carrying dozens of different poisons. Wherever it went, plagues would break out, making it extremely troublesome.

The Insect Control Scripture recorded an instance where an Insect Tamer Master controlled Wen Wen to spread plagues in human regions, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. As a result, the Spirit Beast Sect, the predecessor of Thousand Beasts Mountain, became a target of public condemnation and was destroyed in a joint attack by many sects. This historical lesson served as a cautionary tale. The Insect Control Scripture strictly forbade the control of such Spirit Insects to prevent individuals with malicious intent from using Wen Wen to create plagues, which would ultimately tarnish the name of Thousand Beasts Mountain.

Wen Wen has the special trait of carrying multiple poisons. Controlling it to carry out a suicidal attack laden with various toxins would be an effective method of poisoning, Jia Ren considered.

Should I switch the Spirit Insect of my Insect External Incarnation? Jia Ren pondered. Even after a Spirit Insect has been chosen for the Insect External Incarnation, it isn't set in stone. With some time, it can be switched to a new one. Since the Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King has advanced to Second Order, changing to a Second Order Spirit Insect would also enhance the power of the Insect External Incarnation. However, the Yellow Spring Ghost Insect King is not suitable as an Insect External Incarnation; it's an assassination-type Spirit Insect. I have no current need to use the Insect External Incarnation in battle, so no change is needed for now.

After hesitating for a moment, Jia Ren decided to give up on the idea.

What I desire for my Insect External Incarnation is high mobility, strong survival capabilities, adeptness at intelligence gathering, and logistical support. Aside from its raw power, the Yellow Spring Dark Bug species doesn't meet any of these criteria. Every day, the number of Skill Breaking Points I gain is increasing. With a little more time, I'll meet the conditions for the second limit break of the Ancestral Worm Pill. By then, it might be possible for the Sonic-Thief Mosquito King to advance to Second Order. My current Insect External Incarnation is quite useful, and I have no intention of replacing it yet.

After leaving, Jia Ren returned to the Cultivation Room to continue his diligent efforts.

His cultivation level advanced steadily, his spell cultivation was stable, and the number of his Spirit Insects continually increased.

The situation is very promising, he thought.

「Three days later」

As usual, Jia Ren recalled his Insect External Incarnation to improve its proficiency level.

The Blood Origin Secret Patterns on the stone slab disappeared, having all flowed into the Sonic-Thief Mosquito King's body, further increasing its proficiency level.

Jia Ren opened the Proficiency Panel. He saw that the proficiency level of his Insect External Incarnation had advanced further, reaching Grandmaster Level.

The next moment, a deeper understanding of the Insect External Incarnation emerged in his mind. The Insect External Incarnation was comprehensively optimized, gaining new effects.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.