Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Harvesting the Talents of Demonic Beasts

Chapter 279 Obtaining the Fire Crystal Again, the Ancient Scroll of the Insect Emperor

"go."

Lin Changheng flicked his finger, and the dark golden flame silently disappeared into the red crystal wood canopy.

next moment--

"Buzz!"

The red crystal wood crown suddenly shrank inward, as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand. Then, a dazzling dark golden light burst out from within, but without making a sound!
After the light faded, the entire canopy, along with the swarm of bees within it, instantly vaporized, leaving only wisps of blue smoke. Mo Zhaoli timely manipulated the surrounding vines to quietly close up, completely concealing the dissipated energy fluctuations and the wisp of blue smoke.

The whole process was clean and efficient, taking only a moment.

In the blink of an eye, as the dark golden flames plunged into the canopy and destructive energy was about to erupt, the second-tier mid-grade Crimson Winged Bee Queen, with her superior strength and instinctive intuition for danger, was much faster than the entire swarm!
"Buzz~"

Once the order to flee was given, its fist-sized abdomen, covered with crimson ring-shaped spots, suddenly contracted, and its two pairs of wings on its back, thin as cicada wings but with edges as sharp as knives, vibrated wildly at a frequency imperceptible to the naked eye, emitting a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air!

"call out--!"

It transformed into a crimson afterimage, like a poisoned arrow shot from a powerful bow, desperately trying to break through the canopy and escape the shadow of death that made its very soul tremble.

In that instant, what was reflected in its compound eyes was no longer the familiar nest and its people, but endless dark golden light. The destructive will contained in that light caused its ferocious mandibles to open and close unconsciously, emitting a silent, terrified hiss.

Its original menacing glint has now been replaced by the most primal, extreme fear of death!
Before the [Crimson Sky Profound Flame] closed in, driven by the instinct for survival, the Crimson Winged Queen Bee managed to escape. However, with her entire clan wiped out, she lacked the courage to seek revenge. With a flap of her wings, she turned and ran.

"Want to go?"

Mo Zhaoli raised an eyebrow and made her move.

With a pinch of her hand, a golden cage appeared out of thin air, traversing space to cover the Red-winged Bee Queen from above and lock her inside.

The bee flapped its wings repeatedly, trying to break free, but golden ripples surged from the edge of the cage, slashing towards it.

"Bah! Bah!"

After taking several hits, the Crimson Winged Bee Queen was in pain and looked at the Golden Cage with great fear, not daring to break through again.

Seeing this, Mo Zhaoli smiled slightly, raised his hand and took it into his hand. He carefully examined the Crimson Winged Bee Queen, which was full of dejection and seemed to have resigned herself to her fate, before asking Lin Changheng if he had any idea of ​​keeping it in the dojo.

"This bee produces a special kind of honey called 'Hundred Flowers Spirit Honey,' which can help to quickly restore mana."

Lin Changheng shook his head: "I already have enough spirit beasts and spirit plants on my island. If I raise these bees that don't have a colony, I'll need to increase the colony size. Not only will I not have enough manpower, but it will also be a huge waste of time and energy. Let's just forget about it."

Then he added, "If Li'er wants to raise him, then feel free to put him away."

“Alright.” Mo Zhaoli nodded and smiled gently. “When the spirit honey is produced, I will fetch it for Brother Lin.”

At that moment, the Crimson Winged Bee Queen's abdomen suddenly contracted, and the demonic power in her tail rapidly gathered. The poisonous needle shot out towards Mo Zhaoli in a treacherous and unexpected manner.

They aimed straight for Mo Zhaoli's throat.

"Beware!"

Just as Lin Changheng gave the warning, Mo Zhaoli sneered, flicked his finger, and sent a golden light flying, striking the poison needle with a bang.

Then he cast several seals, locking the Crimson-Winged Bee Queen tightly, and threw her into the spirit beast pouch.

"This bee is ruthless; Li'er will probably need to be tempered a bit more."

Seeing that Mo Zhaoli hadn't suffered any losses and that his methods were skillful, Lin Changheng nodded slightly and still gave him a word of advice.

“Brother Lin, there’s no need to worry. Li’er happens to have a second-tier [Insect Control Inheritance] that she obtained by chance. She’s confident that she can make this bee obedient.”

Mo Zhaoli had no intention of hiding anything from Lin Changheng and pointed out the key point.

"【Insect Control Heritage】?"

Lin Changheng looked surprised.

【The Way of Insect Control】is also one of the hundred arts of cultivation. It focuses on raising and controlling insects. When cultivated to a high level, one person can become an army. They are unpredictable and difficult to defend against, and in some aspects, they are even more troublesome than beast taming.

However, this path is not easy to enter, requiring extremely high levels of talent, resources, insect sources, and cultivation. Its inheritance is also far rarer than mainstream techniques such as alchemy, artifact crafting, talisman making, and array formation.

There was once only one cultivator in the mid-stage of Core Formation, known as the "Insect Demon," who obtained an ancient and wondrous insect and cultivated it into a swarm of tens of thousands. With a wave of his hand, a cloud of golden and silver insects would roar out as if he were controlling his own arm.

It once completely covered and devoured a late-stage Core Formation cultivator. Its spells were useless, and its magic treasures were ineffective against it. The cultivator wailed endlessly in the insect cloud, and in the end, no remains were left.

They also left behind a formidable reputation in the Song-Jin lands, inspiring fear in all who heard of them.

It is said that he later traveled to foreign lands and was never seen again in the Song and Jin territories.

However, it remains a nightmare for many high-level cultivators when it is mentioned.

“Not bad.” Mo Zhaoli smiled.

"Congratulations, Li'er, on inheriting this hundred arts. With another skill added to your protection methods, your path to enlightenment is promising."

Lin Changheng nodded, happy for her. Mo Zhaoli had never had a suitable skill, and now that she had acquired one, it was a good thing.

"Brother Lin, are you interested in insect control?"

Mo Zhaoli suddenly asked, her beautiful eyes already fixed on Lin Changheng.

Lin Changheng naturally understood the implication.

"Alright, I'm actually quite interested in learning more about it." He immediately replied without making excuses or refusing.

"Brother Lin, please wait a moment."

Mo Zhaoli spoke up, and then without hesitation took out a blank jade slip and placed it on his forehead. His divine sense surged, and he quickly imprinted a large amount of information into it.

A moment later, she solemnly placed the newly copied jade slip, which still had a slightly warm feel, into Lin Changheng's hand.

Lin Changheng didn't say much, and his consciousness immediately sank into the jade slip.

The opening page features four ancient characters that read "The Ancient Scroll of the Insect Emperor".

The name has a simple and grand feel to it.

I didn't look at it in detail, but just browsed through it. The records included methods and experiences in various aspects such as the selection, mating, hatching, breeding, control, and driving of strange insects.

Very detailed.

Finally, a ranking of the "Insect King List" is also included.

According to the author, this is a list compiled and ranked by a master insect controller from thousands of years ago. The list consists of five hundred of the most powerful and rare insects in the Southern Realm.

It was artificially appended to the "Ancient Scroll of the Insect Emperor" by later generations. This list was originally called the "List of Strange Insects", but was later renamed.

Lin Changheng's gaze swept across the list and landed on the name of the "Red-Winged Queen Bee" at the very end, ranked 488th.

"It can be considered a strange insect."

Lin Changheng seemed to be deep in thought.

Then he smiled at Mo Zhaoli and said, "This inheritance is novel, so I will accept it without being impolite."

"Brother Lin, what are you saying? We are not related, there is no need for such formalities."

Their relationship had reached the point where "she would be unhappy if Lin Changheng didn't accept it."

……

Although their actions and exchanges seemed slow, they actually didn't take long.

"Let's go on."

Lin Changheng glanced at the sky and saw that it was getting late; there was still time to clean up a bit more.

After the sun sets and night falls, danger lurks in this unknown place, so it's best not to take any risks.

After a while.

"There's a nest of fire lizards there."

Lin Changheng's eyes swirled with three-colored energy, and the divine light he projected slowly receded. He pointed to a dark, gloomy cave entrance hidden beneath vines to his left.

Although Lin Changheng had never formally encountered a living [Fire Lizard], he had collected over a thousand portions of its essence blood.

I'm fairly familiar with them.

This demonic beast, with its mortal and impure bloodline, is now able to live peacefully here, something even Lin Changheng never expected.

However, he was able to confirm that the demon's aura matched, and that it contained second-tier demonic power.

Generally speaking, the upper limit of miscellaneous monsters is basically no more than the second tier, but the facts are right in front of us now. Either there is an opportunity, or the bloodline of this [Earth Fire Lizard] has mutated.

The possibilities are very slim, and Lin Changheng can easily list them all.

"it is good!"

Mo Zhaoli nodded, and like a ghost, he floated to the front of the cave. He raised his hand and took out a second-tier low-grade [Ice Shock Talisman]. After activating his magic power, he directly cast it into the cave.

After three breaths.

Suddenly, a series of loud noises came from the cave. First, an explosion suddenly rang out, causing the cave walls to shake slightly, followed by the muffled sound of falling stones.

Then came the "squeak, squeak, squeak" sound. Under the obvious surge of demonic power, a giant lizard, three times larger than a water buffalo, rushed out amidst the sand and gravel.

Its body was covered in black scales, wreathed in burning black flames, and sparsely remaining ice.

It was none other than a mid-stage Tier 2 [Earthfire Lizard]!
Moreover, his aura was weak, indicating that he had only recently been promoted.

Now, the lizard, filled with rage and its eyes cold and indifferent, looked at the fairy-like female cultivator standing at the cave entrance. It knew perfectly well that she was the one who had disturbed and ambushed it, and its killing intent was palpable.

"Chichi!"

Mo Zhaoli simply raised his hand, and golden light flashed in his hand as he immediately unleashed the golden magic.

Several incredibly condensed, almost tangible "Gengjin Qi" burst forth from her fingertips, accompanied by a sharp shriek that could tear everything apart. They were not aimed at the fire lizard's hardest carapace, but rather precisely pierced its relatively vulnerable limb joints and its gaping maw!
"Pfft! Pfft pfft!"

The fire lizard, its body wreathed in flames, abruptly halted, blood spurting from its joints as it let out a painful hiss, its charge instantly broken. The lava fireball it was about to spew was instead struck into its mouth by a cunning beam of energy, detonating prematurely!
"Boom!" A muffled sound came from its throat, causing its head to tilt back and freeze briefly.

In that split second—

"Whoosh!"

A silver-white short-bladed spiritual weapon shot out silently from Mo Zhaoli's sleeve!
It was a high-quality mid-grade spiritual artifact that Lin Changheng obtained from Jie Xiujia San's storage bag, and he gifted it to Mo Zhaoli.

Like a hot knife through butter, the short-bladed magical weapon easily bypassed the gaps in the scales covering the fire lizard's neck, making a gentle loop!
"Hey!"

The fire lizard's enormous head instantly separated from its body, and its scalding blood gushed out like a spring, but Mo Zhaoli, who was prepared, blocked it all with a water curtain spell, so that it did not touch the fire lizard.

The狰狞 ​​(zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) head rolled to the ground, its icy pupils still holding rage and a trace of incredulous terror. From the moment the fire lizard launched its attack to its decapitation, the entire process took no more than three breaths!

Mo Zhaoli's expression remained unchanged. With a light wave of her hand, the Geng metal aura dissipated, and the short blade flew back. She quickly stepped forward, skillfully carving out the demon core of the fire lizard, drawing out its essence blood, and collecting its valuable materials.

She even carefully stored away the body, which could serve as food for the blue-haired tiger she had once been given.

"It's resolved, Brother Lin." Her gentle voice rang out, as if she had only done a trivial matter.

“That’s right, and according to the Ziji Sect’s array requirements, this place is just right for setting up an array base in one corner.”

Lin Changheng nodded approvingly, while also offering a reminder.

Mo Zhaoli also carefully examined and compared the samples. After confirming the location, he immediately began to bury the first jade array base, which was engraved with intricate array patterns, in the designated position.

The two worked together seamlessly. One used his magical abilities to detect the monsters and provide relevant information, while the other quickly killed them and set up the array base. Like the most efficient cleaners, they steadily advanced through the lush green land.

"I'll trouble Brother Lin to help clear out the remaining monsters in the cave."

Mo Zhaoli's telepathic message also reached Lin Changheng's ears at the right time.

"Alright."

Lin Changheng also wanted to explore the fire lizard's nest to see if there were any companion spirits or other finds.

He immediately moved with lightning speed, like a wisp of green smoke, and entered the cave that was still filled with the stench of blood and the heat of the night.

The cave was deeper than expected, with winding passages leading downwards, and the temperature was noticeably higher, with the fire elemental energy in the air becoming increasingly active.

Lin Changheng felt comfortable, and instead of using his magic to protect himself, he felt as relaxed as if he were soaking in a hot spring. A divine light flowed deep in his eyes, allowing him to see clearly in the dim environment and keenly sense the aura of fire-attribute spiritual objects.

"Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!"

With a flick of his fingertips, he easily slaughtered the weak, first-tier [Earth Fire Lizard] horde, their corpses lying scattered on the ground.

It is obvious that the second-tier [Earth Fire Lizard] had something special about it that allowed it to break through the shackles of the mortal bloodline and enter the second tier.

Other fire lizards were not so lucky.

……

After walking for about ten feet, the cave suddenly opened up, forming a small natural stone chamber. In the center of the chamber, there was a shallow depression, where the scent of the fire lizard lingered, clearly its usual resting place.

His gaze was immediately drawn to a small area in the corner of the stone chamber.

There grew three small grasses, about the size of a palm, entirely crimson, and shaped like burning flames, radiating pure fire spirit energy.

"【Crimson Flame Grass】, a second-tier spiritual herb, judging by its age, it should be around fifty years old. It is an auxiliary material for refining various fire-attribute pills, not bad." Lin Changheng recognized the item and carefully picked the few spiritual herbs with a wave of his hand, putting them into a jade box.

Just as he was about to search more carefully, a faint yet yearning throbbing suddenly came from deep within his dantian.

This is the reaction given by [Crimson Sky Profound Flame].

Lin Changheng was immediately taken aback.

He had only encountered this situation twice.

The first time was when I obtained the [Crimson Crystal] from Huang Jiuyuan, the Great Elder of the Huang family. This was the crystallization of someone else's cultivation of the "Jade Void Bright Scripture". After refining and consuming it, it would greatly benefit my own cultivation technique and could also "feed" the [Crimson Sky Profound Flame].

The second one is [Lava Fire Crystal].

Originating from the depths of volcanoes or derived from unique fiery environments, it possesses a powerful and abundant accumulation of fiery essence. It can enhance the cultivation of fire-based techniques and aid in the transformation of second-tier innate demonic flames.

Lin Changheng's [Crimson Sky Profound Flame] was among those blessed, having been obtained twice before, resulting in significant improvements.

Could it be...

A thought flashed through his mind, and a hint of excitement appeared on his face. In this near-third-tier land where fire spiritual energy was abundant, it was truly a special fire-type environment.

"it's here……"

Following that faint feeling, Lin Changheng walked to the innermost rock wall of the stone chamber.

The rock walls here are in normal condition and color, but they are warm to the touch, even a little hot.

He pointed his fingers like a sword, a trace of magic power gathering at his fingertips, and gently traced it across the rock wall.

"laugh--"

The rock face was easily sliced ​​open, and a layer of stone peeled off. Instantly, a purer and hotter fire elemental aura rushed out! Beneath the stone skin, several fist-sized, crystal-clear ores were hidden, with what appeared to be slowly rotating crimson flames inside!

"This is... [Firestone Essence]?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Changheng's eyes.

This item is a fire-attribute associated spirit ore, a high-quality auxiliary material for refining fire-type spirit weapons. Its value is not low; although it cannot compare to those few Crimson Flame Grasses, it is still a considerable gain. It seems that the Fire Lizard's choice of this location as its nest was not accidental.

More importantly, the presence of [Fire Crystal] is usually seen around [Fire Stone Spirit].

While it cannot be concluded that there is definitely a [Lava Fire Crystal] nearby, there is a certain probability.

Therefore, without hesitation, he immediately took action, summoning his lapis lazuli flying sword to mine all the exposed [Firestone Essence].

At the same time, he once again activated the divine light in his eyes, searching for the possible distribution and extension of this spiritual material deep within the rock wall. Then, stone chips flew everywhere as he tried his best to cut and open a new passage.

……

Two hours later.

Mo Zhaoli also arrived at the stone chamber and found it filled with the corpses of demonic beasts. There was no human figure in sight, only a dark, narrow hole about the height of a person, like the gaping maw of an abyss leading to an unknown place.

"Brother Lin..."

She had already set up the array base and came in to find Lin Changheng, but she discovered this scene. She immediately set up a simple concealment array along the outer edge of the narrow cave, so that the cave entrance could not be seen from the outside.

Then he sat cross-legged in the stone chamber and waited quietly, while his divine sense spread outward to monitor the situation outside.

It's clearly a protective stance.

She worried that if she went in directly, and something went wrong, or if someone was lying in wait outside, wouldn't Brother Lin have no way out?
As for what Lin Changheng discovered or what he would gain, she neither cared nor was curious.

If Brother Lin makes a profit, she will only be happy for him.

……

About half an hour later.

A figure in a green robe emerged from the narrow cave.

A hint of excitement flickered across his face, but when his gaze swept across what lay before him, he noticed subtle fluctuations in the array formation. He was slightly startled, but then his divine sense surged forth, and all five senses were activated. He detected the figure inside the stone chamber, and only then did he feel relieved.

"Brother Lin."

At this moment, Mo Zhaoli also knew that Lin Changheng had come out, so he immediately put away the formation and went to meet him.

"The harvest is acceptable," Lin Changheng said with a slight smile.

Under Mo Zhaoli's gentle gaze, she tossed out a storage bag, saying, "It contains many [Flowing Fire Stone Essences]. We'll each take half."

"This is inappropriate."

Mo Zhaoli shook his head and refused.

The rules are such that whoever puts in the effort gets the reward, which is perfectly normal. Although this trip was only possible because of her, it wouldn't be appropriate to take half of it directly.

"There are some [Lava Fire Crystals] among them, which are useful to me, but I didn't take them out to distribute."

Lin Changheng shook his head. He had nothing to hide from Mo Zhaoli.

Just now, following the distribution of the [Firestone Essence], he went straight down and finally found that it connected to a fire cave.

The cave was only about ten feet square, but the earth fire inside surged and the temperature was extremely high. Even ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators would probably find it difficult to stay there for long.

It is difficult to insulate against flames and high temperatures; its magical shield will be breached, and it may even be burned to ashes.

At this moment, the true meaning of the [Fire Control Divine Power], the [Fire Resistance Demon Talent], and the [Fire Repelling Demon Technique] that Lin Changheng had been acquiring through the process of seizing spiritual life finally came in handy.

With his full power, Lin Changheng kept most of the raging earth fire and high temperature at bay. The remaining part was even quite comfortable for Lin Changheng, who was a master of fire magic and had cultivated the Jade Void Bright Scripture to perfection.

It felt like a fish in water.

At the heart of that fiery cave, where the earth's fire had been scorching and tempering it year-round, three pieces of [Lava Fire Crystals], each the size of an infant's head, were obtained.

Removing it was quite difficult and took him a lot of effort.

If it were any other Foundation Establishment cultivator specializing in fire magic, let alone trying to retrieve it, even getting close would likely be life-threatening.

However, the gains were also enormous. These three [Lava Fire Crystals] were enough for him to enhance and transform [Crimson Sky Profound Flame] to the third tier.

At that time, with this third-tier fire, the illusion of a pseudo-core cultivator will be shattered in front of Lin Changheng, and he will no longer be so aloof and unapproachable.

Upon hearing this, Mo Zhaoli finally agreed to accept the storage bag.

Neither of them left the cave after that.

Since it was already dark and the outside world was even more dangerous, there was no rush to clear out and set up the formation.

They immediately set up a triple formation for cover and protection, and the two spent the night alone together again after more than ten years.

Last time, the two of them teamed up to hunt down the Green-haired Tiger, completed the mission, and obtained the key resources for advancing to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

This time, the monster meat was still roasting over the fire, the fat dripping into the fire and making a sizzling sound, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.

But the two people who were originally sitting opposite each other across the fire are now sitting side by side, shoulder to shoulder, on a fallen dead tree.

The distance has been shortened without us even realizing it.

The flickering firelight illuminated their profiles, flashing intermittently.

Mo Zhaoli lowered her head slightly, focusing intently on the slowly rotating roasted meat in her hands, as if it were the most worthy thing to study in the world. However, her slightly reddened ears betrayed that she was not as calm as she appeared.

Lin Changheng remained completely calm, able to clearly smell the faint scent emanating from her, a blend of her delicate fragrance and her feminine aroma.

"Crackling!"

The surrounding area was a tranquil space isolated by an array, with only the crackling of burning firewood and the faint, weakened roars of wild beasts coming from afar.

No matter what the outside world was like, it didn't affect the flickering firelight, casting the shadows of the two people gradually embracing each other onto the rock wall behind them, making them appear very long.

(End of this chapter)