The Path to Immortality: Starting with an Analysis of Basic Concepts

The words fell.

Zhu Yu immediately felt the suffocating pressure dissipate like clouds, and a gentle, somewhat honest voice came from behind.

"I am a young insect of the 'Great-Winged Wasp' clan, named 'Master of Qulong Mountain.' If you wish to purchase 'Flesh-Gel Grass Fruit,' you can seek out a young 'Great-Nosed Weevil.'"

"The 'Flesh Ganoderma' spirit seed is for exchange only, not for sale. Any spirit seed that 'Qulong' has never seen before, regardless of grade, can be exchanged."

"You only trade, not sell...?"

Zhu Yu pondered for a moment, as if he had thought of something. He rummaged through the spider silk bag on his back and took out a spirit seed shaped like a peppercorn. Its spiritual essence was faint, and its surface emitted a light blue glow, like a star.

It was the "Star Mushroom" spirit seed that Hua Ling gave him.

"Huh..."

The "Lord of Qulong Mountain" originally didn't care, as Zhu Yu was too young and his savings were probably not much. However, to its surprise, he actually had a spirit seed that it had never seen before, and it sensed the aura of a wild and exotic land on it.

He summoned the "spirit seed" closer, examined it for a moment, and asked:

"Did it originate from that newly emerged domain?... "

Zhu Yu nodded and explained, "It's called 'Star Mushroom.' It's one of the earliest spiritual species to emerge from the 'Fungus Domain.' It parasitizes trees and grows by absorbing spiritual energy, causing the trees it hosts to grow taller and larger."

"Star mushrooms are very easy to cultivate."

"Just put the seeds on the tree, and after a rain, they will take root and sprout, and grow into mature plants in just a few days."

After speaking, he looked expectantly at "Master Qulong".

"Master Qulong" did not break the contract, but instead planted it on the "Meat Fungus Grass," a Master-level plant as large as a small mountain, beside him. When it was moistened by rainwater, it visibly sprouted, grew mycelium, and small mushrooms.

It nodded in satisfaction, "Very good..." Its gaze turned to Zhu Yu, its mouth slightly open, and a faint stream of light flew out, landing in front of Zhu Yu and manifesting as a ball of flesh resembling necrotic, tangled muscle.

"This is a spiritual seed condensed from the life essence of the Qulong. It's considered to be of excellent quality even among 'Flesh Ganoderma.' Giant Peak, are you satisfied?..."

"Satisfied, satisfied."

Zhu Yu nodded hurriedly, then carefully put the "Flesh Ganoderma" spirit seed into his spider silk bag. Immediately afterward, he felt a gentle force push him aside, clearly indicating that "Mount Qulong" did not want to talk to him anymore.

He wasn't in a hurry. He waved his paw at Cai Ling, whose comb was blood red and looked like it was facing a great enemy, signaling it to relax. Then he led the group of spirit beasts towards the much smaller "big-nosed weevils".

Ignoring the gaze of most "big-nosed weevils".

Reaching the "big-nosed weevil" at the end of the line, which was only the size of a foal, he took out a "jade coin" from the spider silk pouch on its back, under its somewhat wary and nervous gaze.

After all, he came from one of the ten major tribes.

Although small, the little "big-nosed weevil" recognized the "jade coins" issued by the five major merchant tribes of the south. As soon as it saw them, its yellowish-brown pupils were fixed on them.

Zhu Yu was very satisfied with its performance. He waved the paw holding the jade coin before saying, "My name is Jufeng. What's your name?"

"Twenty-three of them," the little "big-nosed weevil" said, its gaze unwavering.

"Jia Twenty-Three, what a strange name." Zhu Yu thought to himself, then asked, "Ju Feng wants to buy the 'Flesh Ganoderma' spiritual fruit from you. Do you have any? How much does it cost?"

Yes, yes!

Upon hearing that Zhu Yu wanted to buy the "Flesh Ganoderma" fruit, Jia Ershisan's yellowish eyes lit up. He removed the package from his carapace, which was no less impressive than his own, and pried it open with his claws, revealing a series of spider silk pouches.

Jia Twenty-Three raised its paw and pointed at the package, saying, "Giant Peak, do you need any other kinds of spiritual food? Jia Twenty-Three has plenty of goods." It was quite intelligent, and seemingly afraid of being looked down upon by Zhu Yu, it slightly raised its head and said, "Jia Twenty-Three's mother is the great 'Sea Serpent Queen Lord'."

"The Siren Tanuki Lord? ...Lord!..."

Zhu Yu was stunned for a moment, then looked Jia Twenty-Three up and down with some surprise. The difference was that it and the other "Big-nosed Weevil Beetles" were all high-level insectoid warriors, but it was much smaller than the other "Big-nosed Weevil Beetles".

But then he had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but when he thought about it carefully, it was like looking at flowers through fog, he couldn't see it clearly no matter how hard he tried.

Baldhead and Firetail had no concept of "lord" and looked at each other, both completely bewildered.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Cai Ling's crimson pupils as she sized up Jia Twenty-Three, her gaze settling on the clearly exquisite spider silk bags within the bundle. She then transmitted her voice to Zhu Yu:

"Jufeng, among the three lords of the 'Great-Nosed Weasel Beetle,' the 'Siren Fox Lord' is also a wealthy insect. Jufeng, you can ask Jia Twenty-Three if they have any 'Siren Fox' spirit seeds or fruits."

Then Cai Ling's voice came through.

Zhu Yu's body suddenly trembled, and his heart was filled with turbulent waves.

He finally understood the awkward feeling that had been lingering in his heart as he came into contact with Hua Ling and learned more and more about the "Insect World".

Even after he established his foundation, this awkward feeling not only did not disappear, but became stronger and stronger. It was this feeling that made him eager to go out.

And what Cai Ling just said.

It completely tore away the haze that had been shrouding his heart.

Then so.

The "Insect Realm" is far too powerful!

The "Big-nosed Weasel Beetle," one of the ten major tribes of Tiannan, actually has three "lords" who are comparable to the "Golden Core Realm."

Their tribe alone possesses a strength comparable to the "Heavenly Dao Sect".

What about the other ten tribes?

To be ranked alongside it, there should at least be a "lord".

In other words.

In the "Tiannan Region" alone, there are at least eleven "Lords" who are comparable to the "Golden Core Realm".

What does this mean?

Even during the heyday of the "Heavenly Dao Sect," they probably wouldn't have dared to provoke them.

And yet, the "Insect World" is so powerful.

Why is it rumored to be a "super-large spiritual ruin"?

And why does the "Insect Realm," which is so brutally plundered from otherworldly spiritual ruins, give people a fresh, natural, and easy-to-bully feeling?

This has attracted many cultivators from other realms to come here in search of opportunities…

For no apparent reason, a chill suddenly rose in Zhu Yu's heart.

The way the "insect world" behaved reminded him of a plant called "pitcher plant," which attracts insects to come and feed on its sweet and delicious juice.

Then, without realizing it, it sticks to and drowns, absorbing it as its own nourishment.

How far is the "Immortal's Tomb and Spirit Ruins" from the "Insect Realm"?...

As Zhu Yu thought about this, he suddenly remembered the information he had learned from chatting with Xiang Sui in the past, and a sense of fear rose in his heart. He quickly transmitted the information to his main body.

"Giant peak, giant peak..."

Just then, Cai Ling's words startled Zhu Yu. He came to his senses and saw Cai Ling's puzzled and worried gaze. She waved her paw to indicate she was alright, then turned to look at "Jia Twenty-Three," whose enthusiasm had waned. Remembering what Cai Ling had said earlier, he asked:

"Jia Twenty-Three, do you have any 'Sea Witch' spirit seeds or fruits here?..."

Jia Twenty-Three's eyes lit up again, and he nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, Jia Twenty-Three has many good goods," he paused, then said firmly, "As long as you have 'jade coins,' I'll sell them all to you!"

Zhu Yu was preoccupied with something and didn't want to waste words, so he asked directly, "What's the price?"

His question clearly stumped Jia Twenty-Three. He scratched his head, his yellowish-brown eyes darting around, and hesitated before saying:

"One...no, two jade coins per coin."

"So expensive!?" Zhu Yu was taken aback and asked subconsciously.

Upon hearing this, Jia Twenty-Three's earthy yellow eyes flickered, and he said somewhat hesitantly, "This is the spirit seed and fruit condensed from the life seed of Jia Twenty-Three's mother, the great 'Sea Siren Queen Lord,' and it's not expensive at all!..."

As it spoke, it nodded affirmatively at Zhu Yu, with an expression that clearly indicated this was the case.

Not far away.

"Master Qulong" opened his eyes, his dark yellow pupils glancing at the outwardly strong but inwardly weak Jia Twenty-Three, then shook his head slightly, no longer paying him any attention.

Just as Zhu Yu was about to say something, Cai Ling's voice suddenly rang in his ears.

"Jufeng promised it, it will buy as much as it has."

Zhu Yu looked at Cai Ling in surprise, but without asking, he said directly, "Jia Twenty-Three, how many 'Sea Witch Fox' spirit seeds and fruits do you have? Ju Feng bought them all."

"Really?!... "

Jia Twenty-Three's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly rummaged through the many spider silk bags, quickly finding one. As if afraid Zhu Yu would change his mind, he tossed it to him, his tone full of excitement:

"Jia Twenty-Three went out to steal... and brought 'three' spirit seeds and six fruits, for a total of..."

It cracked its paws and said excitedly:

"There are eighteen jade coins in total!..."

Zhu Yu wanted to open the spider silk bag to check, but Cai Ling stopped him with her high-pitched voice.

"A23, how much is your cloth bag?...

Jia Twenty-Three was taken aback for a moment, then waved his hand generously and said, "It's for Jufeng."

Cai Ling gestured to Zhu Yu to quickly take out the jade coins. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at "Master Qulong" lying at the front of the group. Seeing that it did not object to this transaction, which was comparable to robbery, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Coming to its senses, it saw "Jia Twenty-Three" counting eighteen jade coins with great enthusiasm, and its crimson pupils couldn't help but look at the open package.

"That's enough..."

At this moment, the slightly helpless voice of "Master Qulong Mountain" came, and Zhu Yu immediately felt an immense earth element energy sweep over him, moving a group of insects and beasts to the outside of the "Big-nosed Weasel Beetle" group.

"Master Qulong" gave them a warning look that didn't welcome them before slowly closing his eyes.

Zhu Yu then vaguely realized that he had probably just bought something from Jia Ershisan that even "Master Qulong" felt was a bad deal.

With this thought, his mood improved considerably. Not daring to linger, he led his group of insects and beasts toward the market.

"etc…"

At that moment, the voice of Jia Twenty-Three came from behind.

Zhu Yu paused, then turned to look.

Then, Jia Twenty-Three, carrying a bundle identical to his own, came running over with cheerful steps. Before Zhu Yu could speak, he handed her a spider silk pouch, beaming with delight:

"You forgot about the 'Meat Grass' spiritual food..."

Zhu Yu was taken aback, then took out a spider silk pouch and asked, "How many jade coins?"

"Two!..."

Jia Twenty-Three's eyes lit up, and he said firmly.

Not far away, "Master of Qulong Mountain" opened his eyes again, his dark yellow pupils staring straight at "Jia Twenty-Three", with a faint sandstorm rippling beneath his calm gaze.

Fearing something might go wrong, Zhu Yu, without knowing how many "Flesh Ganoderma Fruits" were inside, did not haggle at all, took out two jade coins and handed them to Jia Twenty-Three, and took the spider silk bag.

Just as he was about to take out the spiritual food.

Jia Twenty-Three carefully examined the two "jade coins" and confirmed they were genuine. He then happily said to Zhu Yu:

"Grandeur, I look forward to seeing you again, Jia Twenty-Three."

After saying that, he hurriedly ran back to the group.

Zhu Yu looked at the exquisite spider silk bag in his hand, then at Jia Twenty-Three, who was jumping around and chattering away, seemingly talking to "Master Qulong Mountain" about something. Without thinking, he said:

"Let's go!"

Returning to the market, he was relieved to find that Jia Twenty-Three had not come looking for him. Instead, the vanished Black Soil emerged from a ditch beside him, accompanied by a Red Fire Ant warrior as big as a dog and entirely crimson.

Heitu explained, "Giant Peak, Giant Peak, this is the guide 'Sheep' that I invited. It knows how to get to the 'Fungus Domain'."

"sheep…"

Zhu Yu sized up the red imported fire ant, vaguely feeling it was somewhat familiar, but didn't think much of it. He waved his paw and said, "Sheep, Giant Peak is going to the 'Fungal Domain,' could you please lead the way? Giant Peak won't treat you badly."

As he spoke, he grabbed a handful of life stones, about a hundred of which he had obtained from the three-headed dog, and handed them to the red fire ant "Sheep".

Wu Yang took the Life Stone and put it away. Without saying a word, he asked directly, "When are you leaving? I want a thousand Life Stones as payment."

"one thousand!"

Before Zhu Yu could speak, the bald men objected. "Just to lead the way, they want a thousand life stones? They might as well just rob us!"

He glared angrily at the demons.

Wu Yang showed no outward signs of panic, but inwardly he was somewhat flustered. His distraction was merely that of a mid-level insectoid warrior in the fifth stage, while the demons were all at the peak of the first stage.

At this time.

Zhu Yu nodded and said, "Okay, let's go now."

Wu Yang nodded hurriedly, "Follow me." With that, he ran off in a certain direction from the market.

Seeing this, the bald-headed, fire-tailed, and other spirit beasts said no more and followed behind Zhu Yu and Cai Ling.

soon.

The group of insects and beasts left the market and entered the mountains and forests again.

I don't know how long I walked.

When the warm sun tears through the rain clouds.

The group of insects and beasts stopped to rest by a stream.

"Phew, so tired..."

"stupid."

"This old man is exhausted..."

Three voices in succession drew Zhu Yu's attention. When he saw the three-headed greyhound lying paralyzed by the stream, its three heads tilted to the side as it drank water voraciously, he was speechless.

I have no idea what's wrong with that three-headed dog.

They stubbornly insisted on following them.

Zhu Yu originally wanted to coax it away, but Cai Ling persuaded him to stop, saying that this "three-headed dog" was a good watchdog and could be kept at home to guard the spiritual plants.

Seeing the three dog heads biting each other while drinking water, Zhu Yu shook his head, flapped his wings and landed on a blue stone, taking down the two spider silk bags he had obtained from Jia Twenty-Three.

He glanced at the "big-nosed weevil" mark embroidered on it, then gently opened the cloth bag. Instantly, a rich aroma of meat wafted out, and just one sniff made him feel a surge of excitement.

When a fruit the size of an infant's fist was taken out, its entire body a dark gold color, resembling a fruit formed from densely packed, strong muscles, a rich, meaty aroma spread out like a tide.

Zhu Yu suddenly felt an intense hunger throughout his body.

"It smells so good..."

Bald Head and Fire Tail, who were not far away, smelled the aroma of meat and turned to look at it with longing in their eyes.

Glug...

The three-headed dog stopped fighting, rolled over and stood up, staring intently at the golden ball of flesh, swallowing hard, but some saliva still dripped uncontrollably down its face.

"This is..." Zhu Yu stared in astonishment.

Cai Ling, standing to the side, proudly declared, "This is a Lord-level 'Flesh-Groined Grass Fruit'..."

"Lord-level..."

Zhu Yu added a sentence, then came to his senses and his gaze involuntarily fell on the other spider silk bag. At this moment, he understood why Cai Ling had told him not to look at it and to trade directly with Jia Twenty-Three.

"What a practical and wealthy insect..."

A lord-level "Flesh Ganoderma" spiritual fruit.

Even if its effects are special, one would cost at least 40,000 Life Stones, right?

Thinking of this, Zhu Yu stuffed the "Flesh Ganoderma" fruit into Cai Ling's hands, opened the spider silk bag and counted them. There weren't many, only twenty.

After conversion...

One of them cost about 10,000 Life Stones.

Without any hesitation, Cai Ling swallowed the Lord-level "Flesh Ganoderma" fruit. Her narrow eyes narrowed, with a faint glow flickering within them, suggesting she had benefited greatly. Her tone was somewhat lazy as she said:

"The 'Meat Ganoderma' is harmful and not beneficial to the transformation of Kyoho moguls into mountain masters; it's best not to eat it."

"The Siren Girl's Spirit Fruit..."