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

The journey to the Spirit Field and Beast Pen areas.

Hong Xingwang explained the situation of the spiritual field to the three of them.

For some unknown reason, many insects suddenly appeared in Lingtian District. Unlike the usual insect plagues, they seemed to appear out of thin air, without any source, and the types were even more diverse, including both ordinary insects and demonic insects.

Because it appeared suddenly, it caused injuries to many people.

The reason Hong Xingwang went to the market to recruit cultivators to expel insects was because he signed contracts with many cultivators who were unwilling to manage the spiritual fields and instead focused on arduous cultivation. He would take responsibility for caring for and cultivating the spiritual plants and herbs, and he would receive 70% of the profits.

This insect infestation caused him considerable losses.

If we don't start getting rid of the insects soon, I'm afraid that all our hard work this year will not only yield no results, but we'll also lose a lot of spirit stones.

As they spoke in detail, a large expanse of spiritual fields soon appeared ahead.

The group had just stepped into the spirit field area.

Zhu Yu sensed with his divine sense that the air was filled with a chaotic and poisonous aura, like miasma, which made people feel nauseous and uncomfortable upon contact.

"What is this?"

He was puzzled for a moment, but didn't think much of it. What happened in the Spirit Field area was none of his business; he was only here to earn some spirit stones.

"The foul air has increased again."

Hong Xingwang carefully sensed it, his eyes filled with worry.

The foul air is produced by the gathering of a large number of poisonous and demonic insects, whose auras are mixed together. Over time, not only will spiritual plants and herbs suffer from poor harvests, but even spiritual fields will become rotten and the soil's fertility will be greatly reduced.

Kuang Yan seemed to know about the situation in the Spirit Field District and said with a hint of schadenfreude, "It's already bred with foul air, and the Spirit Field Palace isn't doing anything about it?"

Both the spirit fields and the beast pen areas are covered by large arrays. Once the arrays are activated, all the insects can be wiped out in an instant. It just depends on whether you are willing to pay the price.

Hong Xingwang glanced at him, a hint of displeasure on his face, but remembering that he still needed his help to exterminate the field insects, he suppressed his anger and said calmly:

"Fellow Daoist is not a member of the Spirit Field Palace, and is unaware that the Spirit Field Palace has its own rules."

He teased Kuang Yan and strode forward.

"Ha, a bunch of farmers..."

Kuang Yan's face stiffened, she muttered something disdainfully, and followed with her head held high.

The woman, Chen Ying, played with a hairy spider without saying a word.

After turning a few country lanes.

Hong Xingwang stood motionless in front of a patch of bright red farmland.

Zhu Yu looked around and recognized the spirit rice growing in the field; it was the Blood Fang Spirit Rice he had bought earlier.

Just by looking at those ears of rice missing grains, you can tell that this acre of spirit rice is definitely going to have a poor harvest this year.

"call…"

Hong Xingwang took a deep breath, suppressing his resentment towards the Spirit Field Palace, and turned to Zhu Yu and the other two, cupping his hands in greeting, "These five adjacent acres of spirit fields all need pest control. I wonder if any fellow Daoist would be willing to lend a hand?"

"A spirit stone will be offered afterward."

"I'll do it, I'll do it..."

Before Zhu Yu and the other could speak, Kuang Yan stepped forward and, without saying a word, strode into the spirit field.

Without him making a move, golden rays suddenly surged around his body, swirling and swirling, accompanied by a whooshing sound.

The insects in the field were startled and began to peek out, but as soon as they did, they were swept into several pieces by the golden light. Furthermore, strands of fine golden light fell down, removing the insect eggs from the branches of the spirit rice.

"Xiao Cheng's 'Grass Cone Sword Qi'!"

Seeing this, Hong Xingwang's eyes lit up slightly. This man may have a foul mouth, but his methods are indeed remarkable. He wondered how he had ended up being expelled from the Lingtian Palace.

Suppressing his thoughts, he nodded slightly to Zhu and Yu, and stepped towards the next spiritual field.

"This sharp 'grass-prick sword energy' is actually a farming technique. I wonder how powerful 'chewing gold and eating iron' is..."

Zhu Yu watched in amazement as Kuang Yan slaughtered insects in the spirit field with unbridled abandon, and followed him.

Traveling along the way.

Along both sides of the road, cultivators were using various methods to repel and kill insects in the spiritual fields, which showed how rampant the insects were and broadened his horizons.

Not long after.

Hong Xingwang stood still again. In front of him was a large patch of three-inch-tall, milky-white chalcedony mushrooms with golden patterns.

Its effects include strengthening muscles and marrow, and its value is no less than that of Blood Tooth Rice. Looking around, one can see many insects of various shapes crawling on the Chalcedony Mushroom and eating it.

Chen Ying, who was standing nearby, saw the chalcedony mushroom field and a hint of joy flashed in her eyes. She was also eager to try it out.

Hong Xingwang looked at the pitted and mangled jade mushroom, his heart aching with heartache. He turned to Zhu Yu and the other man, cupping his hands in greeting:

"Which fellow cultivator is willing to rid these three acres of jade marrow mushrooms...?"

"Let me do it."

Chen Ying smiled at Zhu Yu, and one after another, spiders the size of an adult's fist, covered in black fuzz, crawled out of her indigo robe. Their bodies swayed and they slowly entered the spirit field.

The demonic insect widows beside her pounced on the surrounding insects. One of the widows grabbed a leech-like insect, its ferocious fangs piercing its body. In no time, it was reduced to a withered skin.

The widow who had ingested leeches was noticeably more excited.

Chen Ying also seemed to have eaten something very nourishing, a blush rising on her cheeks.

"Insect cultivation..."

Upon seeing the woman's reaction, Hong Xingwang, who had initially admired her graceful figure, trembled and hurriedly said to Zhu Yu:

"Fellow Daoist, there's no time to lose. Follow me to the next spirit field..."

Zhu Yu nodded slightly, glanced back at the woman in the field, and looked at her with a strange expression.

Insect cultivation is not as simple as controlling insects.

It belongs to the combination of the flesh and blood path and the spirit path, using itself as a nest and flesh and blood as nourishment to nurture and care for countless insects. Only those with a firm mind and will can cultivate it.

The deeper one's cultivation, the more inhuman one becomes. Anyone who dares to cultivate this path is a ruthless and vicious person.

He remained silent the entire way.

soon.

Hong Xingwang led Zhu Yu to a lush orchard. The trees were verdant and shrouded in a light mist. Underneath the branches and leaves, one could vaguely see green fruits, shaped like water droplets and as large as fists.

Seeing that there weren't many insects in the orchard, Hong Xingwang breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Zhu Yu, cupping his hands in greeting, saying, "I'll trouble you with these five acres of Qingling orchard, fellow Daoist."

He paused, then added:

"Afterwards, I will prepare a small gift for you fellow Daoists. Please take good care of it."

After saying this, he cupped his hands in greeting, left with a worried expression, and hurried towards the direction of the Spirit Field Hall.

Hiring someone to exterminate the insects is only a temporary measure. Only by eliminating the source can the problem be completely eradicated. Otherwise, the insects will never be eliminated, and no one can stand hiring someone every day.

Wait until they leave.

Zhu Yu looked around at the rows of pure spirit fruit trees and secretly admired, "Fellow Daoist Hong is quite wealthy..."

The Qingling Fruit Tree is a mid-grade first-tier tree, while its fruit is of low grade. Its effect is to cleanse the body of impurities and remove toxins, and each fruit is worth one spirit stone.

These five acres of orchard alone can earn him nearly ten thousand low-grade spirit stones a year.

After a moment of reflection, Zhu Yu looked around and saw insects on the branches and leaves of the fruit trees, but most of them were ordinary insects that had been imbued with a little spiritual energy. He withdrew his gaze and shook his sleeves.

"Xiaoyu, get up and get to work..."

call out…

A beam of white light flew out from the sleeve, soared into the air, and transformed into a jade-white mantis. The blood-red markings on its sickle-shaped forelimbs turned crimson, and a fierce and malevolent aura quickly spread out.

Squeak...rustle...

Suddenly, the orchard was filled with the hissing of insects, and they took flight, scattering in all directions like headless flies.

hum…

A surge of joy welled up in Xiaoyu's heart. Her wings trembled, and she transformed into a beam of white light, suddenly descending to the ground.

Wherever it passed, the insects hovering in the air were all split in two, and before they even hit the ground, they suddenly turned into ashes and scattered with the wind.