《Immortality: Raising an Ant Queen to Cultivate by increasing stat points》


 Chapter 1 - 1 Chapter 1 This Ant Queen is Extraordinary_1

    1 Chapter 1 This Ant Queen is Extraordinary_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    The rainstorm raged for two full days, puncturing the ground with countless holes, before it finally began to relent.


    Faint blushes of evening glow appeared at the edge of the sky as the cries of cicadas came in waves.


    A lithe teenager, about sixteen or seventeen, ran barefoot on the muddy path, splashing mud with every step towards the mountains behind the village.


    ¡°Ah Niu, it¡¯s getting dark. Don¡¯t go up the mountain, or the tigers will eat you,¡± someone called out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the tigers, there are also ghosts and goblins!¡± another added.


    The boy ignored the well-meaning advice and occasionally looked up at the sky.


    Then he continued running toward the mountains.


    The villagers shook their heads and sighed; they thought the child might be cursed.


    What a sin for a child without parents!


    Boys cherished by their parents would already be negotiating marriages and warming beds with pretty wives at his age.


    Yet for Ah Niu, even food and clothing were problems.


    The teenager didn¡¯t look back as he ran along the uneven mountain path into the chilling quietude of the mountains.


    He climbed a large tree with agile, monkey-like movements.


    Then he waited quietly and patiently.


    Time trickled away, the sky dimmed, and dusk was about to fall.


    His clear, shining black eyes stared intently at the open space above a weeds-filled field ahead, his gaze steadfast and determined.


    ¡°Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­¡±


    Countless tiny dark shadows flowed from all directions in the air, dancing above the open field of weeds.


    This was a large swarm of termites, their bodies white or brown.


    They blanketed the sky, their numbers astonishing.


    Qin Niu¡¯s expression grew more focused as he carefully watched the swirling ants. Every year this season, after a heavy rain at dusk, large swarms of termites would emerge from their nests, gather, and pursue one another to select mates.


    This phenomenon was known as the mating flight.


    ¡°The last one I picked starved to death before the first batch of worker ants grew up; this time, I must select the best one,¡± he muttered to himself.


    He did not rush but instead patiently sought out the strongest and most promising female from the swarm.


    At that moment, he was like an expert hunter.


    After the termites had freely found their ¡®marriage¡¯ partners, they landed on the ground to complete the act of mating.


    After the act, some of the male and female termites would go their separate ways. Others would find a good spot to dig a nest, then seal the entrance, consummating their matrimony in privacy, forming a lifelong monogamous pair. However, the lifespan of a King Ant was much shorter than that of the Ant Queen, so he would eventually be replaced.


    These breeder ants lacked both the ability to forage and to feed on their own, necessitating feeding from worker ants, and the vast majority of male ants would die within a few hours to several days.


    The female ants would become ¡®Ant Queens¡¯ in waiting; they needed to find a suitable place quickly to build a rudimentary nest that could shield them from the elements and hide them from predators, then begin laying eggs, raising their offspring, and building their Termite Kingdom.


    This process was exceedingly dangerous; out of ten thousand wannabe ¡®Ant Queens,¡¯ perhaps only one or two would successfully create a kingdom.


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze settled on a robust female, her belly round and full.


    Her substantial size made her stand out from the other females, and not just a little bit.


    This one was quickly abandoned by him.


    During the mate selection process, she performed a fancy roll in the air.


    Squandering her strength recklessly showed a profound foolishness. It indicated that the female had no vision and had not considered the long-term survival of her Kingdom.


    The first time he had chosen a female, he chose one of these ¡®brainless¡¯ ones.


    As a result, the queen had died of starvation even before the first batch of worker larvae could mature.


    He was looking for a female with foresight, one who knew how to be thrifty.


    However, such a wise female was extremely hard to find.


    After swiftly giving up on the largest female, Qin Niu quickly sought a new target.


    Time continued to slip away.


    He abandoned one female after another when they showed any less-than-perfect traits.


    The sky gradually grew dark.


    Anxiety started to stir within him as his vision would soon deteriorate, making it impossible to see clearly at longer distances.


    If he missed this chance, he might have to wait until next year.


    In the night, he spotted a diminutive white termite perched on the back of a larger one.


    Could such a small male find a mating partner?


    In nature, weak males had no right to reproduce. The strong could have multiple mates, while the weak might die alone.


    This was the brutal law of survival of the fittest.


    He peered closer, no, the tiny one on top was not male, but female.


    A female termite so small? Far too weak.


    After mating, the petite female exerted herself to break off her wings with her front legs. This was to conserve unnecessary energy expenditure and also to reduce the chance of being spotted by predators.


    Because from the moment she left on her mating flight, leaving her original colony behind, there would be no worker ants to feed her.


    She would have to starve until she laid eggs and nurtured the first batch of workers.


    Only when the first generation of workers matured and was sent out to forage, returning to feed her, would she have a chance to eat again.


    If she didn¡¯t last that long, she would starve to death.


    Thus, it was essential to conserve every bit of energy.


    Surprisingly, she quickly found her next mate, with no foreplay, mating directly.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Fickle creature!¡±


    Qin Niu secretly despised the creature, paying even closer attention to this female ant.


    Finding multiple mates could help acquire more outstanding genes.


    The offspring that were born would also be more excellent.


    In a short time, she had found four husbands and had completed mating with all of them.


    The efficiency was astonishing.


    Compared to the other female ants, who enjoyed the romantic and ceremonial pre-mating chase and play, she was simple and direct, everything was for the reproduction of outstanding offspring.


    Just then, several returning birds spotted the delicacy and swooped down, quickly pecking away at the termites that had just mated.


    Each of the physically frail termites was like a lamb waiting for slaughter.


    Seeing that she was about to be devoured by a bird, the petite female termite flipped over and lay on the ground, covered in weeds, pulling in her six legs and remaining motionless.


    Was this playing dead?


    Within the order Coleoptera, Seven-spot Ladybirds and fireflies are masters of death feigning.


    But I¡¯d never heard of termites having this skill!


    Qin Niu just watched quietly, not interfering.


    The threat of the birds was just the first challenge in his creation of the Termite Kingdom.


    After dodging the first wave of danger, the petite female termite seemed to feel that lying still was not safe enough. She quietly flipped over and began to move, at an extremely slow pace, inching towards the base of the nearest clump of weeds.


    This speed of movement was barely noticeable to the naked eye.


    The last male termite to mate with her had already been eaten by a bird. Due to its larger size, it tried to escape by crawling rapidly on the ground upon seeing the bird.


    Unaware that such quick movement also made it a moving target.


    Any termite that caught the eye of even one bird was bound to die.


    The petite yet cunning female ant had successfully made it to the base of the weeds. She lay there quietly, pressed tightly against the roots of the weeds, motionless.


    After the birds had their fill, they quickly left.


    Many termites survived and were frantically scattering to escape.


    Here and there, frogs lurking in the shadows leapt up, their forked tongues harvesting the lives of termites.


    Nearby spiders also joined the feast, slaughtering the defenseless termites. Just as the birds flew away, a group of larger crows arrived.


    Without any preamble, they began to feast.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to eat those termites that hid underground or in tree nests on normal days.


    After the disaster, the vast swarm of termites had been decimated.


    The ground was strewn with the corpses of male termites.


    Humping Ants, drawn by the smell of food, came out of their underground nests in lines to collect the corpses.


    For these Humping Ants, the bodies of the termites were a delicacy.


    Dragged back to their nests, they could feed many young ants.


    The tiny female termite observed the departure of the bird flock, and the frogs and spiders, having eaten their fill, had all rested.


    Only groups of Humping Ants had begun to scavenge everywhere.


    She had to flee this area quickly; it was the territory of the Humping Ants.


    Cautiously, she advanced step by step, each time precisely avoiding the Humping Ant sentries searching for prey.


    Qin Niu began to admire an insect for the first time.


    He followed it until it chose a relatively smooth slope to climb. The area was wider at the top and narrow at the bottom, like an eave blocking wind and rain, and it was also on the leeward side.


    This was a very suitable place to build a nest.


    He had to admire its choice of location.


    Struggling up the incline, due to the steep slope, it accidentally rolled down to the bottom of the hill.


    Undeterred, it climbed up the slope again.


    Building a nest close to the bottom of the slope would be too damp, risk flooding on rainy days, and was susceptible to invasion by predators.


    Building a nest halfway up the slope posed much greater difficulty, but the safety factor increased significantly.


    After five attempts, it finally made it up.


    Once it selected the nest entrance, it didn¡¯t pause for a moment, using its front legs and strong mandibles to start digging through the relatively soft soil.


    This process was very strenuous for it.


    It needed to quickly dig out a safe initial nest, then lay eggs inside and raise the first batch of Worker Ants to maturity before venturing out for food to feed it.


    During this period, it couldn¡¯t source food and had to continually deplete its stored energy to sustain life.


    Qin Niu coldly observed its laborious digging without any thought of helping.


    Finally, it managed to excavate a primary nest just 1.2cm deep. Larger female termites usually dug their initial nests four to five centimeters deep.


    It seemed to know its limits and didn¡¯t intend to dig any deeper.


    Instead, it began to fortify the nest entrance.


    ¡°It¡¯s all up to you, now. I hope not to waste another precious Contractual Talisman,¡±


    A Low-grade Contract Charm sold for One Tael of Silver, and he had to sell his possessions and scrimp for a year to afford this Contractual Talisman.


    The stronger the pet, the higher the grade of the Contractual Talisman needed, and in greater quantities.


    This termite was just an ordinary insect for now, so a Low-grade Contractual Talisman would be sufficient.


    He had already tried twice before, but none of the termites he chose managed to live until the first batch of Worker Ants matured.

 Chapter 2 - 2 Chapter 2: Poverty Has Not Afflicted My Ambition_1

    2 Chapter 2: Poverty Has Not Afflicted My Ambition_1


    Translator: 549690339


    He chose termites as pets for the Ant Queen¡¯s exceptionally long lifespan.


    A mediocre Ant Queen could live for more than twenty years, while a superior one might exceed thirty years.


    Many people think termites are ants, but in fact, they predate ants by over a hundred million years and belong to the same species as cockroaches, which are known for their resilience. The only difference is that cockroaches are solitary, whereas termites are social creatures.


    Ants are Hymenoptera, whereas termites are Isoptera.


    Qin Niu chose what seemed like the weakest species as pets, for he had his far-reaching considerations.


    The top three most coveted professions in this world were Planters, Insect Masters, and Beast Tamers.


    Insect Masters raise insects as pets, continually training them to evolve.


    A powerful insect could have significant utility and combat prowess.


    The cost of raising beast pets was something he, as a poor man, simply could not afford. The beasts with the most potential were carnivores requiring meat at every meal. Qin Niu himself could not afford to eat meat even once in a year; how could he possibly provide meat for a pet?


    Choosing an insect as a pet was the choice of most poor people.


    These were omnivorous, ate little, and were easy to keep alive ¡ª low-maintenance and low-cost.


    The diet of termites was incredibly diverse, including grassroots, tree bark, paper fabric, and even minerals and silver money¡ªthey were not fussy eaters.


    History records a case of silver theft from the government treasury that went unsolved, unable to catch the thief.


    After several innocent officials were executed, it was finally discovered that termites were to blame.


    Qin Niu bit the tip of his finger, squeezing out a droplet of blood onto the activation zone of the talisman. It absorbed the blood and instantly erupted with dazzling golden light. Ultimately, it ignited in the breeze, transforming into a stream of golden light that wrapped around a termite busy sealing the entrance of its nest.


    Before choosing a termite as a pet, he certainly did his homework.


    To make a contract with an Ant Queen, one must choose to do so before they lay eggs; otherwise, it would result in failure.


    The best opportunity to make a contract was after it successfully built its nest and before laying eggs, which could greatly reduce the risk of the pet¡¯s death.


    After wrapping around its body for a moment, the golden light slowly seeped into it. A short while later, a thin stream of golden light shot out and entered Qin Niu¡¯s forehead. He closed his eyes, experienced a brief pain in his brain, and then everything returned to normal.


    The low-grade contract talisman had bought for one tael of silver was fairly decent and did not have any quality issues.


    After the contract was successfully made, he was now able to check the pet¡¯s attributes.


    This was like opening a blind box; before making the contract, an ordinary person like him could not know the attributes of the insect.


    Its lifespan, special abilities, and so on were all impossible to discern.


    Female Milky White Ant (Breeder Ant)


    Grade: Grade One Isoptera, Experience 75/100


    Lifespan: 4.2 years


    Energy: 171


    Skills: Breeding First-Grade 0/10, Feign Death First-Grade 1/10


    Talent: Medium Intelligence


    Most insects have low intelligence, so it was surprising that this small female ant had medium intelligence, which explained why it performed so well in various aspects. He had struck gold this time.


    It was the high intelligence that enabled humans to dominate this world.


    An intelligent insect was invaluable.


    The only downside was its lifespan, which was only 4.2 years, far less than the average lifespan of an Ant Queen.


    Further, due to its small size, it could only store 171 points of energy. From laying eggs to the growth of the first batch of Worker Ants, it would need about 21 days. Plus, considering a seven-day preparation period for egg-laying, this meant it would go for up to 28 days without any food intake.


    This made Qin Niu extremely worried about whether it could hold on until the final moment.


    At this moment, having successfully formed a contract with it, Qin Niu became its master. He could take this termite home and raise it safely in a clay jar.


    But he did not do so.


    Raising insects as pets and maintaining their wildness was the best way to nurture them.


    Keeping them in clay jars was only good for observation and made it difficult for them to become stronger.


    Even a mighty tiger, the king of hundreds of animals, would become docile as a cat if kept in a cage for a long time and fed every day. It might lose to a wild wolf.


    ¡°The mountains are extremely dangerous at night, I must go back now, good luck to you!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the mountain ridges as night fell, like a terrifying beast choosing its prey. His current strength was still very weak, merely that of an ordinary mortal, and spending a night here could mean not a trace of him would be left.


    Luckily, he had accomplished his task, and he stood up and quickly ran along the path back toward the village outside the mountains.


    When he became powerful one day, this mountain range, and even the entire mountainous region, would become his territory.


    That tiny termite was the help he used to become stronger.


    ¡°Awooo!¡±


    From behind him came the howling of a wild wolf, the signal that they were preparing to come out in search for food.


    Wild beasts mostly prefer to stay hidden during the day and emerge at night.


    As night descends, they all come out to hunt for food. The deep mountains at night become a place of chaos and danger.


    Qin Niu¡¯s lean body exploded with astonishing stamina, and he escaped the dangerous mountains by running along the muddy mountain path.


    There were dozens of families in the village, and many already had lights shining through.


    Poorer families, in an effort to save a bit of lamp oil money, often hesitated to light their lamps.


    Neighbor Wang Furen¡¯s house was a three-room five-bay brick and tile house, quite impressive.


    Every evening, it would be brightly lit, and one could faintly see the silhouettes of servants bustling about.


    By rule, the residences of commoners were not allowed to exceed the scale of three rooms and five bays. Only officials were allowed to have more than five bays.


    Bay referred to a rafter frame, and the number of bays referred to the number of purlins on the rafter frame, usually an odd number.


    If someone¡¯s house had more than five bays, they were undoubtedly the local power figures and not to be trifled with.


    Even just a one-room seven-bay house was a symbol of authority.


    It meant that someone in the family was an official, naturally commanding awe and respect from everyone.


    Wang Furen had made some money in his earlier years in business, then returned to his hometown to buy over a dozen acres of good land, married a beautiful wife, employed servants, and lived a very comfortable life. He was one of the richest households in the village.


    The only imperfection was that he only had a daughter and no son.


    Wang Wanyan grew up to be slender and graceful, her appearance delicate and charming.


    When Qin Niu ran past Wang Furen¡¯s house, the second-floor window opened, and a lovely, teasing face peeked out.


    Her bright eyes were as clear as autumn water, her skin as smooth as lustrous white jade.


    What was more precious was the air of purity that emanated from her face, the scholarly aura nurtured by years of reading poetry and literature.


    The daughters of wealthy families didn¡¯t have to do rough work and were taught needlework, embroidery, and the arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.


    ¡°Ah Niu, have you had dinner yet?¡±


    She called out to Qin Niu in a hushed voice as he ran past.


    Clearly afraid of being overheard by her father downstairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten already!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t even lift his head as he headed towards his own home.


    That irritated her, causing her to wrinkle her delicate nose.


    She had tied the food box she was holding with a string, now she had to untie it.


    The neighbor¡¯s Ah Niu had been parentless since he was young, said to have been picked up from the mountains by the elderly bachelor, Uncle Liu. Last year, when Uncle Liu passed away from illness, Ah Niu didn¡¯t cry or make a fuss, but sat silently beside the coffin for three days and nights.


    He would kowtow to anyone who came in.


    Seeing how pitiable the child was, everyone worked together to carry Uncle Liu to the mountains for burial.


    After Uncle Liu¡¯s death, nobody took care of Ah Niu.


    At first, Ah Niu still diligently farmed their thin plot of land.


    Later, due to his lack of farming experience, the harvest was very poor.


    After paying the grain tax, he hardly had anything left, not even enough to feed himself.


    After that, he started to squander.


    All the slightly valuable things in his house were sold by him, and nobody knew what he spent the money on.


    The village¡¯s old drunkard, Zhang Banzui, claimed Ah Niu took the money to the city to drink away his fortunes, squandering it all.


    He spoke with such certainty, as if he had seen it all.


    Later, people from the neighboring villages also said they saw Ah Niu enter the city themselves.


    So, the rumors gradually spread, and many people talked behind his back, criticizing Ah Niu for being lazy and indulging in prostitution and gambling.


    Only Wang Wanyan didn¡¯t believe Ah Niu was that kind of person.


    Because she occasionally saw Ah Niu buying books at the bookstore when she went there to purchase books herself. However, Ah Niu probably had no money and only bought used books from others.


    Additionally, she saw Ah Niu in a pitiable state and once tried to give him some money for food.


    He firmly refused it.


    Ah Niu, though poor, was not poor in spirit; he was very prideful at heart.


    She took out the food, wrapped it in oil paper, and hid it in the wide sleeves of her robe.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t take it to him, he¡¯s most likely going to end up nibbling on those bitter and astringent wild herbs that are hard to swallow tonight.¡±


    Wang Wanyan muttered to herself as she descended the stairs.


    Once when she went to deliver food to Ah Niu, she had personally seen him eating tree bark and wild grass to stave off hunger.


    Ah Niu returned to his extremely impoverished home, lifted the lid of the rice jar, and looked at the scant amount of unrefined rice left, silently calculating that with such a small quantity, it would barely last a month.


    Their thin plot of land was infertile, also referred to as ¡®poor backbone¡¯ land.


    Apart from the rampant growth of weeds, the crops he planted hardly grew at all. The corn he planted with difficulty last year was like a malnourished patient, weak and frail.


    This type of infertile land could not retain fertilizer or water, the soil was prone to compacting, and there were many rocks underneath.


    Moreover, they were chunks of stubborn rock that were impossible to clear away.


    The spring had started awhile ago this year, and he had been contemplating which crops might yield a slightly better harvest?


    The corn and wheat he had planted last year had very poor yields.


    Fortunately, the grain tax for infertile land was much less than that for fertile land.


    Otherwise, he would have had to pay the government instead of the other way around.


    Outside the leaky wall, Wang Furen¡¯s voice could be heard, ¡°You child, are you sneaking off again to give that poor boy food?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I just want to help him out! Don¡¯t you always say that doing good deeds brings blessings?¡±


    It was Wang Wanyan¡¯s crisp voice.


    Very soft.


    She wanted to secretly bring food to Ah Niu and had been caught by her father; she must be bowing her head now, with an attitude of admitting her mistake.


    ¡°You¡¯re fifteen already, a girl running to his house every day, aren¡¯t you afraid of people gossiping? You need to be aware of your reputation, don¡¯t get too close to him. Your mother hopes that you can ascend to greater heights and become a phoenix. With your talents and beauty, you will surely marry a wealthy and influential gentleman one day, understand?¡±


    Wang Furen earnestly advised his daughter.


    All parents hope their children will become outstanding and lead a good life.


    He would never allow such a beautiful daughter to marry a poor boy.


    ¡°I know, I know!¡±


    Wang Wanyan didn¡¯t dare to contradict her father and verbally agreed.


    What she really thought, only she knew.


    Unlike other girls who were clueless and obedient to their parents, she had her own opinions because she was well-read.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back right after I¡¯ve delivered the food; otherwise, it will all spoil overnight.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Wang Furen called out to his daughter.


    ¡°Or you can bring it to him instead!¡± Wang Wanyan thought her father didn¡¯t want her to go.


    ¡°Go to the kitchen and get a small bag of corn and two pounds of meat to take to him. That boy¡¯s harvest from his thin land was extremely poor last year, and he¡¯s probably been going hungry. The day after tomorrow is my fiftieth birthday, and we have neighbors coming over. Consider it a reward for him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Dad!¡±


    Wang Wanyan was extremely delighted.


    ¡°We have so many mouths to feed at home, don¡¯t take too much.¡±


    Wang Furen was worried his daughter didn¡¯t realize how costly provisions were and would take too much, which would make him feel the pinch.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it under control!¡±


    After a while, Wang Furen¡¯s voice was heard again from outside.


    ¡°You girl, taking so much corn and such a big piece of meat, you really don¡¯t know how expensive food is until you run a household! Oh well, the boy is starving down to his skin; I can¡¯t bear to see the suffering in this world. Go on then!¡±


    Despite being concerned, in the end, he didn¡¯t stop her.


    Qin Niu was starting a fire to cook, with only a few grains of unrefined rice in the pot and the rest filled with grass and tender tree bark.


    As the fire grew, a distinctive aroma of green grass mixed with the scent of rice began to emanate.


    That was the smell that came from the rich folks¡¯ pig food.


    Thump, thump, thump!


    Someone was knocking at the door.


    ¡°Ah Niu, open the door!¡±


    The crisp call pierced through the mottled wooden door.

 Chapter 3 - 3 Chapter 3 Planting Skills Upgrade Part 1

    3 Chapter 3 Planting Skills Upgrade Part 1


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu went to open the door and saw a pretty girl standing outside, dressed in a pale green cloud-patterned robe. She was carrying a heavy bag of corn in one hand, and a large piece of pork in the other.


    Young ladies generally have the strength of a chicken, and she seemed to be struggling, already panting slightly.


    ¡°My dad¡¯s fiftieth birthday is coming up soon, and he asked me to bring you some food. This meat has been salted, so it can be kept for a few days, but don¡¯t keep it too long or it will be a pity if it goes bad.¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s nostrils flared slightly, as she caught the special ¡®aroma¡¯ emanating from the pot.


    She glanced discreetly at the pot that was steaming hot.


    She did not ask any further questions.


    ¡°Take it!¡±


    She stuffed the items into Ah Niu¡¯s hands.


    Every time she saw this neighbor, she felt he was different from other boys. There was a light in Ah Niu¡¯s eyes, determination, persistence, confidence, and perhaps a hint of pride.


    She couldn¡¯t quite put it into words.


    ¡°Consider it a loan from your family, and when I have money, I will pay you back,¡± Qin Niu finally spoke.


    He also took the bag of corn and the piece of meat.


    ¡°No need to pay it back, we are neighbors, it would make things awkward to be so calculative. By the way, here is a meat pie and a pickled vegetable pie that I specially kept for you, they are really delicious.¡±


    She then pulled out a package of food from within her cloud-patterned sleeves.


    The aroma was overwhelming.


    It carried her faint scent mixed with the unique aroma of the meat pies.


    Ah Niu involuntarily had a reaction in his throat, swallowing saliva.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back now, or my dad will scold me again! Don¡¯t go into the mountains when it gets dark, okay? It¡¯s very dangerous, you know?¡±


    Her pair of clear, watery black eyes showed concern.


    Since Old Man Liu died, no one had looked at him with such eyes.


    At this moment, her image was deeply etched in Qin Niu¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Mm!¡±


    After taking the items, he murmured a soft agreement.


    He didn¡¯t say a word of thanks the whole time.


    True gratitude never needs to be expressed in words; kept in the heart, and if a time comes when her family needs help, and he is capable, he will repay the kindness a hundredfold.


    ¡°I¡¯m going now, take care of yourself, and if you run into any trouble, just tell me,¡± she said, making sure he understood before leaving.


    As her figure disappeared from sight, Qin Niu reluctantly retracted his gaze.


    He firmly suppressed that inappropriate flicker of thought in his heart.


    The difference in their statuses was too great for there to ever be a chance of anything happening.


    He was even more afraid that any action of his might cause her to look down on him, or worse, to stop interacting with him altogether.


    After closing the door and looking at the food Wang Wanyan had brought, Qin Niu¡¯s heart was filled with gratitude and joy. With so much food, if he was careful, it should be enough to last about three months.


    As for what to do after that, he could only take it one step at a time.


    Right now, his greatest hope was for the Termite Queen to survive, as this was his ace in the hole for turning his fortunes around.


    He cut a small piece of meat, chopped it up, and added it to the pot with the ¡®hulls¡¯ to cook.


    He believed that with the addition of meat, it would certainly become much tastier.


    He placed the remaining meat into a jar, then hung it with a rope in the well at the back of the house.


    This well was only five or six meters deep and had been dug by Old Man Liu and himself together when the old man was still alive.


    The water in the well was a spring that came from underground, warm in winter and cool in summer, which would extend the shelf life of important food stored in this environment significantly.


    By this time, the pot had begun to emit a meaty aroma, and he gulped down the saliva forming in his mouth.


    He didn¡¯t rush to eat, but instead, under the faint moonlight and the light from the fire in the stove, he carefully chose the fullest and healthiest kernels of corn from the bag.


    These were selected to be seeds.


    The yield of that thin plot of land wasn¡¯t great, but he still needed to plant it!


    Having some yield was better than not planting anything at all.


    Each time he picked a corn kernel to be a seed, the words ¡°Labor Point +0.01¡± appeared in glowing text.


    He was taken aback.


    What the heck were Labor Points?


    He had picked out 2100 kernels of corn from the bag.


    Based on past planting experience, about 4000 stalks of corn could be planted per acre.


    That was double planting, which meant two stalks per hole.


    This year, he planned to improve his planting techniques and try single stalk planting.


    The extra 100 kernels of corn were in case some didn¡¯t germinate or were damaged by insects or rats, so he could use them to replant.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the two thousand-plus grains of corn; they only weigh about one jin.


    The planting plan for this year is to plant corn in the spring and wheat in the autumn because the plentiful rainfall during the spring and summer seasons ensures a higher yield of corn. Come autumn and winter, there will be much less rain, making the wheat harvest more considerable.


    That thin acre of his land can¡¯t retain nutrients well, and planting corn there in autumn could easily result in a total crop failure.


    Once he had selected the good seeds and stored them properly, the rest were to be kept in the grain jar.


    With the corn and meat Wang Wanyan gave him, he should have no worries for the next three months.


    He often had visits from rats at home and needed to guard against them.


    ¡°Time to eat!¡±


    He was already starving, but he firmly believed in the principle of ¡°bitter first, sweet after.¡±


    He preferred to take care of important matters first before indulging, instead of seeking immediate pleasures while neglecting long-term benefits.


    These principles of life were all learned from books.


    Books say that to achieve great things, one must be able to endure loneliness, have a long-term vision, not be blinded by the immediate benefits, stay calm in the face of problems, be organized in one¡¯s work, keep a low profile, and know how to conceal one¡¯s capabilities¡­


    Therefore, to become stronger, he was willing to eat poor food and save money, even if it meant purchasing low-tier contract charms that cost one tael of silver each.


    The villagers rumored that he squandered his money living lavishly in the city; he never bothered to explain himself.


    Lifting the lid off the pot, the aroma of meat wafted through the air.


    He filled his bowl and started gobbling down, although the wild grass was coarse and somewhat stuck in his throat; he had to exert effort to swallow it down.


    While eating, he pondered over the appearance of the labor point +0.01.


    After some consideration, an attribute panel appeared in his mind.


    Qin Niu


    Cultivation: Mortal Onefold 17/100, Low-tier Farmer 51/100, Low-tier Insect Master 3/100


    Lifespan: 51 years


    Cultivation Technique: None


    Skills: Planting category, Sowing Novice 0/10, Soil Loosening Novice 0/10, Fertilizing Novice 0/10, Watering Novice 0/10, Weeding Novice 0/10


    Talent: None


    Divine Skills: None


    Labor Points: 21


    Currently, the only skills he possessed were the five most basic planting techniques.


    What are labor points for?


    He tried to understand.


    Labor points can be used directly to improve the proficiency of planting skills.


    So that¡¯s what they¡¯re for.


    Qin Niu tried adding one labor point to the sowing skill.


    Sowing Novice 1/10.


    Unexpectedly, it really worked, and he felt his sowing technique had slightly improved.


    What would happen if he increased it to 10?


    He added another nine points in one go.


    Sowing Proficient 10/100.


    Incredibly, his sowing skill level had instantly improved.


    Now, his understanding of some key points, techniques, tips, and experience in sowing had qualitatively improved.


    Looking again at the selected corn seeds, some appeared full and healthy, but there were secret flaws, such as sunken germ eyes or tiny insect holes.


    Such seeds would hardly germinate.


    After the increase in sowing skill, it was so powerful.


    Qin Niu quickly poured out the selected corn seeds and picked them again.


    He ended up finding over four hundred problematic seeds.


    For every problematic seed he picked out, the labor point would +0.01.


    In a short time, his labor points had increased by 4.31 points.


    So magical.


    He then took 431 good seeds from his food supply and added them back in.


    Labor points went up by another 4.31.


    It seemed that if he wanted to earn labor points in the future, it would be good to repeatedly handle the corn when he had nothing else to do.


    Initially having 21 labor points, he spent 10 and then earned 8.62, leaving him with 19.62. He didn¡¯t rush to spend them but decided to wait until there was a need.


    The time for spring planting had already passed by nearly seven or eight days; tomorrow would be a good day to go to the field to plant corn.


    Being able to rapidly improve his planting skills with labor points filled him with great joy.


    Life seemed to hold more promise now.

 Chapter 4 - 4 Chapter 4 Efficiency Tripled_1

    4 Chapter 4 Efficiency Tripled_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    Cultivators ruled this world, but there were many paths open to ordinary people as well.


    For example, one could pass exams to become an official, gaining access to the government¡¯s basic cultivation techniques and resources, along with a decent monthly salary.


    Alternatively, one could train insects or wild beasts, improving taming skills and strengthening pets.


    Even if the pet evolved only a slight special ability, it could greatly increase its owner¡¯s worth.


    There were countless success stories of individuals living in luxury because of a single pet.


    Hu the limper from our village raised a rat that not only often dug up buried treasures for him but also had an extremely sensitive nose. If someone¡¯s belongings or child went missing, all it took was for the rat to sniff out the lingering scent, and it could track down the lost item.


    Thanks to this little rat, Hu the limper not only had no worries about food and clothing but also became an apprentice member in the Beast Tamer Association.


    Everyone respected him by addressing him as Master Hu, and no one dared to call him a limper anymore.


    Even the local influential figures would give him respect.


    Now, Hu the limper had become a success story everyone in the village envied, and it was said he was considering taking that rat to the city to seek his fortune.


    There was also a farmer from the neighboring village who, after improving his planting skills, became a high-level farmer. A landlord offered him an annual salary of thirty taels of silver to manage his estate, directing the ordinary farmers at work and only personally tending to the important technical tasks.


    You know, ordinary farmers work themselves to death for an entire year for just two or three taels of silver.


    With bonuses and allowance for heating, it wouldn¡¯t exceed four taels.


    His income was ten times that of an ordinary farmer.


    Indeed, every trade has its master.


    Qin Niu now had two paths before him. The first was to improve his farming skills to become a high-level farmer, in which case, even if he just worked for a landlord, he could still earn more than thirty taels of silver a year.


    To an ordinary person, this was definitely the mark of a successful person.


    Relying on labor points to improve his farming skills, he believed it wouldn¡¯t take more than two or three years to achieve this goal.


    The other path was the female termite he was raising.


    As long as it lived long enough to successfully establish the Termite Kingdom, it would surely bring tremendous surprises for Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu would also try his best to help it evolve and advance continuously.


    If it could develop even a little special ability, he could entirely rely on a single termite to embark on the path of cultivation.


    He checked the status of the female termite; its energy had decreased by 3 points, leaving only 168 points.


    Everything else was normal.


    It was probably still hard at work building its nest.


    He hoped there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    If this attempt failed, and he had to gather another tael of silver to buy a Contractual Talisman, he might only be able to work as a long-term laborer for a landlord.


    That was not the life he wanted.


    The next day, at the break of dawn, he got up, took a meat bun Wang Wanyan had given him, and rushed into the mountains.


    This time, he was holding a sickle and a small hoe in his hands.


    The female termite had already chosen a location for its nest. Although letting it grow in the wild was meant to enhance its ability to survive in nature, he still had to deal with the overly dangerous threats near the nest.


    After all, it was still in a pre-labor state, without even a single worker ant at its disposal, let alone soldier ants.


    In the face of enemies, it had no means of fighting back whatsoever.


    Arriving at the slope where the female termite was constructing its nest, from the outside, it appeared to have almost completely sealed the entrance to its burrow.


    Doing so significantly reduced the chances of being discovered by predators.


    Without disturbing it, Qin Niu crouched down and carefully observed for any signs or tracks around the Termite Nest, checking for potential threats.


    He could see a relatively noticeable trail on the slanting surface to the right above the nest.


    ¡°`


    The grass along the path had all fallen to the sides.


    Dense rows of pinhole-shaped footprints were visible.


    Based on the width of the path, it must have been caused by multi-legged insects like centipedes, sowbugs, or millipedes.


    He lay down, propped himself up with his hands, and brought his nose close to the ground to smell.


    There was a faintly sour and stinky scent.


    Looking closely at the pinhole-shaped footprints, they looked like hooks that slightly pulled up the top layer of the soil.


    These must be the tracks of a centipede.


    [You have learned Insect Trace Identification. You can now identify common insects¡¯ tracks through obvious signs.]


    As the prompt text appeared, he checked his personal attributes and indeed, a new skill had been added.


    Skills:


    Planting class, Sowing Proficiency 10/100, Soil Loosening Novice 0/10, Fertilizing Novice 0/10, Watering Novice 0/10, Weeding Novice 0/10


    Insect Commanding class, Insect Trace Identification Novice 0/10.


    This was also the first Insect Commanding skill he had learned.


    Currently just a novice, he could only identify the tracks of common insects with clear signs.


    Still, he felt very happy.


    Learning the skill of Insect Trace Identification would be a huge help in capturing some expensive and scarce insects.


    For example, the price of the tiger-striped cricket had already been driven up to five taels of silver each in the Insect Market.


    It wasn¡¯t large, but its combat ability was strong and agile, and it was very fierce in battle. Among the fighting crickets, the ¡®General¡¯ would either die or be severely injured when facing it.


    However, to catch such a precious and scarce insect, he¡¯d probably need to improve his Insect Trace Identification skill further.


    Qin Niu followed the centipede¡¯s tracks all the way to its nest.


    It was hiding under a rock.


    When deciding whether to remove this centipede, he hesitated.


    The centipede¡¯s diet was varied and ferocious; covered in a tough shell with a deadly poison, it could defend this area by killing as many invading insects as came its way.


    It was both a huge threat to the female termite and a guardian deity.


    Leaving it here seemed to be more beneficial than harmful for the time being.


    Not far to the left of the female termite¡¯s nest, there was a low tea-oil tree with a wasp-nest-looking gray-brown nest on it.


    Black stink ants could be seen busily entering and exiting the nest.


    These were the rather ferocious Black-Bellied Stink Ants, of a medium size.


    Just any one of them could kill Qin Niu¡¯s female termite.


    They only moved around in the area to the left, foraging for food, not daring to cross even a fraction of an inch to the right.


    Insects too are sentient; they must know the right side is the centipede¡¯s territory. To go there meant death.


    It was precisely because of this nest of Black-Bellied Stink Ants that other small ants dared not settle in this area.


    After observing the lay of the land, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but admire the female termite¡¯s intelligence even more.


    Finding a place to live wedged between two major powers seemed dangerous, but was actually safer than many other places.


    The most dangerous place might actually be the safest.


    Qin Niu was secretly relieved that he hadn¡¯t acted rashly.


    This area had already formed a delicate ecological chain balance, and breaking it could bring disaster for the female termite.


    Given its excellent performance, from now on, visiting it once or twice a day should suffice.


    Being a hands-off shopkeeper is actually better.


    What I¡¯m most looking forward to now is waiting for it to lay eggs and hatch the first batch of worker ants, at which point its food supply will be secured.


    The ant queen is unable to forage on her own and can only rely on the worker ants to feed her.


    When descending the mountain, Qin Niu noticed an area where straw was collapsed and in disarray, upon closer inspection, he discovered that there were patches of blood that had coagulated and turned black.


    It seems that a fight took place here last night, and a medium-sized wild beast was killed.


    Before gaining strength, it¡¯s wiser to spend less time in the mountains after dark.


    Back in the village, he carried his hoe to his own thin stretch of land, ready for a hard day¡¯s labor.


    Compared to families with no land, he considered himself fortunate.


    Landless poor either rent land to farm as tenants or work as servants in wealthier households.


    This acreage consisted of bad land; it was all stones underneath, impossible to clear away.


    Because the soil layer is so thin it doesn¡¯t retain nutrients or moisture well and is prone to compacting, such bad land is commonly referred to as thin land.


    Planting maize, a good plot of land can yield over two thousand pounds.


    This poor land can yield at most five or six hundred pounds, and it requires much more labor.


    The poorer the land, the more work there is.


    Fertilizing and watering must be frequent, and as the crops hardly grow, weeds begin to thrive. Just weeding becomes a very troublesome issue.


    Then, every now and then the soil must be loosened because it is prone to forming hard clods.


    Looking at the fields covered with weeds, he felt a headache coming on.


    Weeding and soil-turning would be particularly arduous tasks.


    Without a cow at home, things would be much easier if he had one.


    Ordinary poor families simply cannot afford to have cows; only landlords do. They are considered costly livestock. Even the cheapest ones cost upward of five taels of silver, and a better, adult water buffalo costs seven to eight taels of silver each.


    He swung his arms and dug forcefully with the hoe.


    Labor Point +0.01, Weeding Proficiency +0.01, Soil Loosening Proficiency +0.01.


    This single hoeing unexpectedly earned him three kinds of attribute points.


    Full-turn loosening of the soil is a task that requires a lot of physical strength, rarely completed by manual labor.


    It¡¯s typically done using cattle.


    At the rate he was going, it would take at least a month to finish turning this acre of land and shape it into ridges.


    This would certainly delay the planting of the maize.


    Considering that labor points could rapidly enhance his planting skills, he tried adding 9.99 labor points to his weeding skill.


    Weeding Proficiency 10/100.


    Now looking at the weeds covering the field, he could see they had become much more manageable.


    This is Bermuda grass, with deep roots but no branches, tenacious vitality, and drought resistance. This is foxtail grass, which grows quickly and will mature and spread throughout the field soon after setting seed, making it impossible to eradicate¡­


    The improvement in weeding skills only enhances the efficiency of weeding but is of no help to soil turning.


    He wanted to try and raise his soil loosening skill to proficient as well.


    However, he didn¡¯t have enough labor points.


    Only 9.64 left.


    Luckily, he wasn¡¯t far off, so he started working vigorously, sweating profusely.


    Soon after, a small patch of soil was turned over.


    Labor points, as well as proficiency in both weeding and soil loosening skills, had increased significantly.


    He tried to bring his soil loosening skill to proficient.


    This time, he succeeded.


    Soil Loosening Proficiency 10/100.


    After the successful upgrade, he discovered with surprise that the improvement in his soil loosening skills not only made him adept at many labor-saving digging techniques but also significantly aided in loosening the soil around crops, reducing the damage to their root systems and allowing for a more precise understanding of the required depth.


    This would greatly benefit the growth of the crops.


    Trying to turn the soil again, he found it was much easier than before.


    Still, the task of completely turning this acre of land remained incredibly daunting.


    ¡­


    Having worked tirelessly until evening, he had managed to dig out three ridges of land.


    Because his soil loosening skill had been upgraded to proficient, the efficiency had significantly increased.


    In the past, a full day¡¯s work would at most turn over one ridge, but now he had done three times that amount. And it seemed that he had expended less energy, as he still felt some strength left.


    If it had been earlier, he would have already been exhausted.


    This also meant that after tripling the efficiency of his digging, a task that would have taken a month could now be completed in just ten days.


    He instinctively checked his attributes.


    Qin Niu


    Cultivation: Mortal Onefold 17/100, Low-rank Farmer 51/100, Low-rank Insect Master 3/100


    Lifespan: 51 years


    Cultivation Technique: None


    Skills: Planting class, Planting Proficiency 10/100, Soil Loosening Proficiency 36.2/100, Fertilizing Novice 0/10, Watering Novice 0/10, Weeding Proficiency 36.2/100


    Insect control class, Insect Trace Identification Novice 0/10.


    Talents: None


    Divine Skills: None


    Labor Points: 26.2


    The proficiencies for soil loosening and weeding had increased to 36.2.


    He had accumulated another twenty or so labor points.


    The harvest was quite good.


    The farmer¡¯s level experience value hadn¡¯t changed at all, which suggests that turning the soil does not increase the farmer¡¯s level experience.


    Glancing at the sky, he decided to start sowing the first batch of seeds.


    Planting in batches reduces the intensity of labor.


    Otherwise, sowing and harvesting an acre of land all in one day would be impossible for one person.


    Spacing the seeds properly, he planted each kernel of maize into the freshly turned soil.


    Planting Proficiency +0.01, Planting Experience +0.01.


    It turns out that the farmer¡¯s level experience requires the actual planting of crops to increase.


    A proficient level of planting technique is quite commendable, the placement of the maize and the depth at which they are buried in the soil layer all have their significance.

 Chapter 5 - 5 Chapter 5 Spawning_1

    5 Chapter 5 Spawning_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Soon, Qin Niu had planted over two hundred ears of corn in the freshly-dug earth.


    The sky had gradually darkened, and he couldn¡¯t return home to rest yet; instead, he carried a yoke of water and began to water each one.


    In the beginning, because his watering skill was only at the beginner level, the efficiency was low.


    He simply spent 9.9 labor points to upgrade his watering skill from beginner to proficient.


    When he tried watering the planted corn again, the efficiency was obviously more than doubled. Moreover, because he could control the amount of water more precisely, he saved a lot of water, sparing himself the trouble of repeatedly fetching water back and forth.


    After watering 210 planted ears of corn, the moon had already climbed into the sky.


    He was filled with anticipation, waiting for the corns to sprout and grow strong.


    The harvest period for corn is roughly three to five months, depending on the variety and level of cultivation.


    If the water and fertilizer management is appropriate, the seedlings grow quickly, and the harvest period can be significantly shortened.


    On the other hand, if the planting technique is poor and the seedlings are half-dead after they emerge, a total crop failure is also possible.


    Now that he could use labor points to quickly improve his planting skills and greatly enhance his water and fertilizer management level, it would be terrific if the harvest period could be shortened to three months.


    By that time, the family¡¯s stored food would have just run out, and the new crops would be ready for harvest.


    This way, they wouldn¡¯t have to go hungry.


    ¡­


    Days went by just like this, one after another.


    He visited the mountains every day to check on the Female Milky White Ant.


    After constructing her nest, she lay dormant inside the cave, motionless; she was preparing to lay eggs.


    Her energy would decrease by about two points every day.


    Perhaps because she chose a special location to build her nest, she remained untroubled.


    In the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.


    Qin Niu toiled diligently in the field every day, averaging about three patches of land dug up and around two hundred ears of corn planted daily.


    His labor points were steadily increasing as well.


    After a busy day, he could earn around 30 labor points.


    He saved all of it, not squandering any.


    Planting, watering, loosening the soil, weeding¡ªhis proficiency in these four planting skills was also continually growing.


    By the fourth day, both his loosening soil and weeding skill proficiency levels had almost simultaneously upgraded.


    He went from proficient to having some modest accomplishments.


    This further significantly improved his soil-turning efficiency.


    He could now manage to turn soil on five patches of land within a day, and the turned soil was more scientifically arranged and staggered, maximally maintaining the soil¡¯s looseness and aeration.


    While his work efficiency improved, he also gained more insight into conserving energy.


    By the seventh day, he had turned and planted corn in the entire acre of land.


    In the morning, after getting up, he habitually checked the Female Milky White Ant¡¯s attributes.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Two winged insect, upgrade experience 100/1000


    Lifespan: 4.2 years


    Energy: 131


    Skills: Breeder Ant Onefold 0.05/10, Feign Death Onefold 1/10


    Talent: Medium intelligence


    After reading, Qin Niu was startled.


    Why had so much energy suddenly disappeared?


    Its normal energy consumption was 2 points per day, and the morning after it finished constructing the nest, he remembered it still had 168 points left.


    Six days had passed, and the normal energy consumption should be around 12 points.


    It should have 156 points remaining.


    How could it have suddenly lost an additional 25 precious energy points overnight, could something have happened?


    Moreover, how did it change from a Breeder Ant to an Ant Queen overnight?


    And its level had also risen from a Grade One winged insect to a Grade Two, with the experience for leveling up surging by 25 points.


    What on earth was going on?


    Having raised two termites before, he had some experience; after a bit of thought, he came up with a possibility: the Female Milky White Ant had laid eggs.


    Yet, he remembered that the previous two termites had consumed much more energy when laying eggs!


    This one had used only 25 points of energy in total, 5 points per egg, which meant it had laid only five eggs?


    Anxious, Qin Niu decided to go to the mountains immediately to check.


    He took a small hoe and a firewood knife and headed straight into the mountains.


    Since it was early morning, there could be some wild beasts still wandering around without having returned to their nests.


    Usually, these were weak small-sized carnivorous beasts, like lone wolves, wild cats, and so on.


    Because their hunting abilities were far less formidable than stronger beasts, their success rate in hunting was much lower, and they didn¡¯t dare to compete for prey with other fierce beasts. Therefore, the probability of them being hungry was quite high.


    Driven by hunger, even though it was already daylight, they would still roam around the peripheral areas of the mountain forest, hoping for good luck and the chance to encounter prey.


    Qin Niu¡¯s journey into the mountain was smooth, after all, he took a familiar path and did not encounter any fierce beasts.


    Arriving in front of the termite¡¯s nest, its cave was not damaged, and he breathed a sigh of relief.


    He peered inside through the small holes outside the cave.


    Sensing the presence of its master, the two antennae waved vigorously.


    Termites have eyes, located just behind the antennae, but because they live in the dark for extended periods, their vision is extremely poor.


    Many worker ants do not even have eyes or the ability to see.


    Qin Niu saw five white ant eggs in the shallow cave.


    The newly promoted Ant Queen cradled an ant egg with her forelegs and spat out a clear saliva that she evenly covered over the surface of the egg.


    She was incubating the ant eggs.


    This saliva could protect the eggs from bacteria and viruses from the outside world and also provide moisture, nutrient enrichment, and warmth.


    ¡°The first batch produced only five eggs, that¡¯s way too few!¡±


    No one is perfect; the same goes for Ant Queens.


    Larger queens lay more eggs in their first batch, but they are mindless and often die due to various foolish behaviors.


    This small-sized termite possessed rare moderate intelligence, being not only cautious and careful in its actions but also frugal with its energy.


    But the number of eggs it laid was pitifully small.


    You must know, worker ants that hatch and go out to forage are very likely to die.


    The more, the better for sure.


    Even if ninety percent die, there will still be ten percent of the worker ants to bring food back to feed the Ant Queen.


    Only having five in total meant they could easily be wiped out.


    Qin Niu was filled with worry about its future.


    After all, he was now the master of this Ant Queen; if it failed, it would mean that Qin Niu¡¯s investment of one tael of silver and all his efforts were lost.


    The beginning of an Insect Master¡¯s journey is extraordinarily difficult.


    The path he chose was harder and more prone to failure than that of the average Insect Master.


    However, everything has two sides. A high barrier to entry also means high value and strong competitiveness.


    No matter what, seeing it successfully lay the eggs still made Qin Niu very happy.


    They say dragons beget dragons and phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the son of a mouse will dig holes.


    This Ant Queen was outstanding in every aspect except for its small size; he believed its offspring wouldn¡¯t be far behind.


    Although there are only five worker ants in the first batch, aren¡¯t each of them elite soldiers?


    Elite soldiers can completely be worth ten ordinary ones.


    Five elite worker ants are equal to fifty ordinary worker ants laid by other queens.


    So this situation is still worth looking forward to, no need to be too pessimistic.


    He now finally understood that the best time to subdue an Ant Queen was after its nuptial flight and before it laid eggs.


    Once a female milky white ant lays its first egg after the nuptial flight, it will immediately be promoted to a Grade Two insect.


    The difficulty of subduing a Grade Two insect is much higher by several magnitudes.


    A low-grade Contract Charm would definitely not be enough.


    Using only a low-grade Contractual Talisman to subdue a Grade Two insect, Qin Niu had made a great deal.


    Many Insect Masters might need to spend countless effort, wealth, and time to advance a Grade One insect to Grade Two, and even then, success isn¡¯t guaranteed.


    However, a Breeder Ant can automatically upgrade, illustrating the tremendous potential for termites to level up.


    Termites have a history over a hundred million years longer than that of ants; they are no doubt far superior to ants.


    This is why Qin Niu chose termites instead of ants as pets.


    After checking on the Ant Queen, he made his way down the mountain following the same path.


    He hadn¡¯t gone far when he felt a prickling sensation on his back, as if something had set its sights on him.


    ¡°Damn, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve attracted the attention of a predator in the mountain. If it¡¯s the king of beasts, the tiger, then today might be more bad luck than good.¡±


    His cultivation was now at the Onefold realm, 18/100.


    After toiling in the field day and night for seven days, and eating the meat and corn sent by Wang Wanyan, his cultivation had only increased by 1 point.


    Cultivation is an activity even more costly than controlling beasts.


    Historically, there has always been the saying of ¡°the poor engage in literature while the rich practice martial arts.¡±


    Even the most basic practice of cultivation requires eating meat at every meal.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation level was very poor now; the cultivation of an average healthy adult man is generally around the Onefold realm, 30/100. If they have no method of cultivation, their level will continue to decline with age.


    He was still young, and coupled with malnourishment, his fighting ability was significantly below that of an average adult man.


    Even the most ordinary wild wolf could take his life.


    The feeling of a threat behind him intensified, and he couldn¡¯t stop his eyelids from twitching uncontrollably.


    From behind him, there came a faint rustling noise from the firewood, slight yet sounding like the ominous tolling of a death knell.

 Chapter 6 - Not enough ratings

    Not enough ratings


    135 Chs


    ADD


    6 Chapter 6 The First Martial Skill_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°God, I hope it¡¯s not a pack of wolves or a fierce tiger!¡±


    He knew he had been targeted by a fierce beast lurking in the shadows, and a fatal strike was about to descend.


    Looking around, there were no tall trees in the vicinity, only low arbors and tea-oil trees, with the shrubbery predominating.


    Running away recklessly was tantamount to courting death.


    Facing danger, he was not panicked but responded with a composed and cool head.


    He tucked the medicinal hoe into his waistband, gripped the firewood knife tightly in both hands, and gradually began to retreat backward, leaning against a relatively thick tea-oil tree.


    The wood of the tea tree was hard and grew slowly, with a low stature.


    The crown of the tree was no more than three to four meters tall.


    ¡°Oooh¡ª¡ª¡±


    A low growl sounded, and a lame old wolf slowly emerged from the thicket.


    Its wolf fur was disheveled and dull, and its body was so emaciated that its ribs and spine could be seen.


    The belly was so sunken it was nearly a line.


    This indicated it was extremely hungry, having likely gone a long time without food.


    Its eyes emitted a cold and ferocious light, staring fixedly at Qin Niu, full of greed and bloodlust.


    The cold-blooded ruthlessness was fully embodied in it.


    If Qin Niu panicked and fled, he would fall right into its trap.


    Don¡¯t think its limp deceives; two legs fundamentally can¡¯t outrun four.


    Especially in the dense underbrush of the mountains, it goes without saying.


    It relished seeing its prey panic and frantically run, waiting until the prey¡¯s stamina was nearly spent, before it would suddenly unleash its strongest combat power, biting from the side or from behind.


    Wolves have many killer moves, with their favorite two attack methods being a throat lock and snapping the prey¡¯s cervical vertebrae.


    Its claws were also extremely sharp, easily able to carve wounds three to four centimeters deep into the fragile skin of a human, just like a dagger.


    If you were hit by one swipe of its claw, you¡¯d be lucky to survive, let alone escape with half a life.


    Its bite force was equally astonishing; despite the old wolf being lean and weak, it could easily snap both the tibia and fibula of Qin Niu¡¯s lower leg.


    Facing such a powerful and ferocious beast, he dared not underestimate it.


    He rapidly contemplated ways to escape.


    As the wolf advanced step by step, the fear-inducing ferocity grew stronger, pressing heavily on Qin Niu¡¯s spirit.


    To subdue the opponent without fighting was the best strategy.


    This old wolf was battle-scarred, with a wealth of hunting experience, using the tactic of intimidation to perfection.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Qin Niu swung the firewood knife at the approaching malicious wolf.


    It deftly dodged.


    Without any intention of backing down, the wolf bared its fangs, with drool dripping down.


    It was very hungry, and such a large ¡®prey¡¯ would be enough for several meals if taken down.


    Seeing that the evil wolf had no intention of backing down, Qin Niu¡¯s heart sank to the bottom; a bloody battle today was inevitable. Either he would die, or the old wolf would.


    He rapidly prepared for the upcoming bloody fight.


    The greatest strength of humans is their intelligence.


    He naturally intended to make full use of that.


    The firewood knife in his hand was heavy, with a total length including the handle of only about forty centimeters.


    The advantage was its strong chopping force and great destructive power.


    The disadvantage was that it consumed a lot of physical strength with each swing.


    In terms of agility and quickness, he was definitely no match for the old wolf.


    Even ferocious beasts, when old, cannot be compared to ordinary humans.


    The camellia tree he was leaning against had three main branches, and all of them split from the root.


    It was like a trident pointing to the sky.


    This might be utilized.


    When the old wolf lunged to bite, if its body got stuck in the crotch of the tree, even for just a second or two, it would be enough for Qin Niu to seriously injure it.


    With its agile movements, it was impossible to hit its vital parts now.


    He couldn¡¯t even nick its fur.


    He gripped the firewood knife tightly in both hands, confronting the old wolf.


    As it was daytime, this was to Qin Niu¡¯s advantage. As long as someone entered the mountain to chop wood, they could immediately become his reinforcement.


    The old wolf, rich in survival experience, seemed to realize this as well.


    It grew increasingly anxious.


    Roar!


    It growled and charged straight at Qin Niu.


    When Qin Niu vigorously swung his knife at its head, the wolf twisted its body and dodged to the side.


    It was merely a feint.


    This was its first probe after losing patience.


    Through this exchange, it seemed to have discovered Qin Niu¡¯s weakness.


    It began to lower its body and darted left and right, quickly closing the distance with Qin Niu.


    The second attack came swiftly.


    This time, it aimed to bite Qin Niu¡¯s calf.


    Due to the limited length of the firewood knife, Qin Niu had to crouch down to confront it.


    It was while he was slightly crouched that the old wolf suddenly leaped, fiercely aiming for his neck. The cunning beast employed a feint to perfection.


    Luckily, Qin Niu¡¯s quick reaction saved him. While dodging by tilting his head, he swung his knife with all his might.


    The wolf agilely twisted its body to avoid the blow.


    Qin Niu¡¯s back was soaked with sweat, but even more so with relief from the narrow escape.


    Just now, he had almost been throttled by the beast.


    It definitely had the capability to bite through Qin Niu¡¯s neck in one go.


    ¡°You think you can outsmart me?¡±


    He was a human, the most intelligent of all creatures, and he was angered by being outwitted by a wild wolf.


    Without waiting for the old wolf to launch a third wave of attacks, he quickly made a move, tucked the firewood knife at his waist, and switched to holding the medicine hoe in his hand.


    They were both weapons, which made no difference in the eyes of the old wolf.


    But Qin Niu was very clear that the medicine hoe was weak in the offense and could at most cause it minor injuries.


    The firewood knife, however, could claim its life.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    He roared at the old wolf.


    The old wolf, as he wished, lunged to bite again.


    It still used the same old trick of darting left and right, a move that was very effective against this slightly clumsy human.


    This time, it genuinely went for Qin Niu¡¯s calf.


    In warfare, deceit is never too much, and the wolf was extremely cunning with its feints and actual moves.


    Frightened, Qin Niu quickly dodged to the side and simultaneously swung the medicine hoe fiercely in retaliation.


    Somehow, the medicine hoe ¡®slipped¡¯ from his grasp and flew out.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Qin Niu, weaponless and panicked, was full of openings.


    The old wolf, with its extensive hunting experience, was certainly not going to miss such an opportunity. Without his weapon, the man was like meat on a chopping board, ready to be cut as it pleased.


    Without any hesitation, it lunged at Qin Niu, aiming for his throat.


    Qin Niu¡¯s body rolled backwards, flipping over through the fork of the tree, narrowly avoiding a fatal bite to the throat.


    The wolf¡¯s claws mercilessly raked across his body.


    His thin clothes were as fragile as paper under the sharp wolf claws.


    Four deep gashes appeared on his waist.


    Luckily, he dodged quickly and wasn¡¯t ¡°chomped at the waist.¡±


    It was precisely by using his body as bait that he successfully trapped half of the old wolf¡¯s body in the tree fork.


    Qin Niu paid such a heavy price and had already pulled out the kindling knife tucked at his waist, chopping fiercely into the old wolf¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Ow¡ª¡ª¡±


    It let out a scream of agony. Its spine, housing vital nerves, was severed, causing its hind legs to instantly paralyze.


    Qin Niu pulled out the knife with force, targeting its neck this time.


    It turned its head, mouth opening to bite, but the paralysis of its hind body robbed it of its usual agility.


    Thud!


    The knife chopped fiercely into its cervical spine, accompanied by the sound of bones being cleaved.


    Blood was already gushing out.


    But it wasn¡¯t dead yet; it let out a weakened howl and struggled to move its body, trying to escape.


    That¡¯s right, it was seriously injured and knew it couldn¡¯t beat the human in front of it, so it decided to flee to save its life.


    ¡°If you had retreated right from the start, perhaps you could have gotten away unscathed. Now that we¡¯ve come this far, do you think I can let you go?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes showed a decisiveness that belied his age.


    He swung the kindling knife in his hand fiercely, chopping again at the old wolf¡¯s neck.


    The strike hit precisely the previously wounded spot.


    Crack!


    The neck, having been hit in the same place twice, had its cervical spine completely severed, and its head drooped powerlessly.


    It was still not dead, however.


    Blood continued to gush from the wound.


    It was now unable to make any sound.


    Seeing the blood flow, Qin Niu felt it was a pity.


    This was top-notch food for cultivation!


    Confirming that this old wolf no longer posed a threat, he grabbed one of the wolf¡¯s ears to prevent bites, not that it was likely, still being very cautious.


    Then he bowed down and drank blood from the wolf¡¯s neck wound.


    The taste was somewhat fishy and salty with a hint of sweetness.


    He drank heartily.


    As the Wolf Blood entered his stomach, he felt a warm flow slowly spreading within his body, reaching every part.


    The physical energy spent in the fierce battle with the wolf was rapidly recovering.


    After about ten minutes, the wolf¡¯s blood had run dry, and he had drunk his fill, his abdomen even slightly swollen.


    This old wolf had lived for many years, and the Wolf Blood within its body was the essence of essences.


    Much more nourishing than the blood of ordinary wolves.


    He felt the wound on his waist still stinging painfully, and his clothes were torn as well. Fortunately, the wound was not deep, and the bleeding was minimal and had already stopped.


    Being so thin, he probably didn¡¯t have much blood to begin with.


    ¡°Even though it¡¯s daytime, the mountains are still dangerous. I must hurry back, especially since the smell of blood can easily attract other beasts.¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the corpse of the old wolf; it was high-quality meat and a great nourishment for the body. He had to drag it back home.


    He picked up his fallen hoe and tucked it along with the kindling knife at his waist.


    Then he bent down and exerted strength to pull the lifeless body of the old wolf out from the tree fork.


    ¡°Huh! My strength seems to have increased quite a bit!¡±


    After a bit of thought, he understood what had happened.


    It must have been the consumption of Wolf Blood, which allowed him to absorb some of its energy, leading to a noticeable increase in physical strength.


    He dragged the wolf¡¯s body down the mountain.


    This was a subspecies of Grey Wolf, weighing close to eighty pounds or more.


    If it were in its prime, the weight might have even reached over one hundred twenty pounds.


    On the way, he thought he¡¯d have to rest many times.


    Unexpectedly, his strength seemed inexhaustible, which would have been unimaginable on an ordinary day.


    Wolf Blood truly was a great tonic.


    The benefits it brought to the body were beyond imagination.


    When the villagers saw Qin Niu dragging back the corpse of a wild wolf, they all looked on with envy.


    One of the gossipy village women called out to him, ¡°Ah Niu, where did you get a dead wolf?¡±


    ¡°I stumbled upon good luck and found it in the mountains!¡±


    Qin Niu responded without lifting his head.


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s some good fortune, I wish I could come across such luck just once!¡±


    The village woman said with even more envy.


    Qin Niu dragged the wolf¡¯s corpse back home, shut the door, and planned to rest a bit before dealing with it.


    Subconsciously, he checked his personal attributes.


    Qin Niu


    Cultivation: Mortal Onefold 20.1/100, Low-Level Farmer 72/100, Low-Level Insect Master 3/100


    Lifespan: 51 years


    Cultivation Technique: None


    Skills:


    Planting Skills: Seeding Proficient 22.1/100, Soil Loosening Somewhat Accomplished 126.5/1000, Fertilizing Beginner 0/10, Watering Proficient 21/100, Weeding Somewhat Accomplished 126.5/1000


    Insect Control: Insect Trace Identification Beginner 0/10.


    Martial Arts: Chopping Beginner 0.1/10.


    Talent: None


    Divine Skills: None


    Labor Points: 269.7


    Initially earning 30 Labor Points per day, his increase in proficiency in Soil Loosening and Weeding to Somewhat Accomplished boosted his planting efficiency, allowing him to now earn 50 points per day.


    So far, he had accumulated 269.7.


    What surprised him was the addition of a Martial Skill ¡ª Chopping ¡ª among his skills.


    It was the first basic martial skill he had come to understand on his own.


    Then there was his cultivation level, Mortal Onefold 20.1/100, which had risen by 2.1 points in a short amount of time.


    He knew this was due to drinking the Wolf Blood.


    No wonder he felt much stronger.


    If he ate the entire wolf carcass, to what heights could his cultivation reach?

 Chapter 7 - 7 Chapter 7 Seizure_1

    7 Chapter 7 Seizure_1


    Translator: 549690339


    This enormous wolf carcass couldn¡¯t possibly be consumed in a short period, so it was necessary to think of a way to preserve some of it for a gradual consumption.


    In the ancient world, there were no refrigerators, although it was possible to artificially create ice with saltpeter, it was not something common folks could even dream of.


    Applying an even coating of salt to the meat also served as an excellent preservative.


    However, the price of salt was exorbitant.


    Even the official salt nearly cost eight wen money per catty. The private salt, being half the price, cost only four wen money per catty.


    But getting caught buying illicit salt would lead to extreme punishment.


    The authorities enforced this very strictly.


    After all, the salt tax was the second-largest source of tax revenue, second only to the land tax.


    It clearly wasn¡¯t a wise choice to use salting as the method to preserve such a large wolf carcass. He simply didn¡¯t have that much salt.


    Among the many preservation options, such as salting, immersing in oil, curing, air drying, sun drying, and smoking, curing was the preferred method for dealing with this wolf carcass.


    He first suspended it by a rope from the ceiling beam, then hung it by the wolf¡¯s neck, carefully skinning the entire wolf skin with a knife.


    This process wasn¡¯t easy.


    A good wolf skin could be sold for more than five pieces of silver money, which was quite valuable. This wolf skin suffered minor damage, and the fur quality was poor, but selling it for 1.5 pieces of silver money was totally feasible.


    If he encountered a generous buyer, he might even sell it for two pieces of silver money.


    For the destitute Qin Niu, this was an enormous sum.


    After securing the wolf skin, he chopped off one of the best hind legs, hoisted it up, and walked out the door.


    He went straight to the residence of Wang Furen and forcefully knocked on the red-painted door with the brass ring.


    According to etiquette, when paying a visit one normally knocked three times.


    If there was no response, one would wait for a while and then knock another three times.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    The door opened, and it was a stout woman with rough hands and feet who answered.


    This was a servant from the Wang Family, Mother Wu.


    ¡°For Wang Furen!¡±


    Qin Niu handed the wolf leg to Mother Wu, uttered just one sentence, then turned and left.


    ¡°Master, master, Ah Niu from next door has brought over a wolf leg for you!¡± Mother Wu reported to Wang Furen.


    ¡°Oh! The kid is quite thoughtful!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Wang Furen emerged from the main room on the east side and smiled at the sight of such a large wolf leg.


    ¡°Take it to the kitchen, carve one or two catties off for cooking; it¡¯s a rare tonic, just what Wan Yan needs to nourish her health.¡±


    After delivering the wolf leg, Qin Niu began processing the remaining meat by cutting it into pieces and deboning it.


    The innards were temporarily set aside, unprocessed.


    At noon, he had the rare luxury of a meal with meat.


    Because it was from an old wolf, the meat was a bit tough, hardly chewable.


    But the broth it produced was pleasingly sticky, certainly very nutritious.


    Checking his personal attributes, he noticed his cultivation had risen again.


    It had increased to Onefold 21.2/100 of the commoner level.


    This rate of progress was truly astonishing.


    He was busy until evening, but at last, all of the wolf meat and innards were fully processed.


    He was considering making a trip into the city tomorrow, to sell the wolf skin and then to buy a commonly found Basic Cultivation Technique to bring back.


    Raising insects, training beasts, cultivation; these were all external matters, pursued to earn money, to assist in cultivating.


    Only the improvement of one¡¯s own cultivation level was fundamental.


    To emphasize external matters while neglecting oneself was to confuse the means with the end.


    He had a lifespan of only 51 years, and no matter how high he lived or how much money he earned, after 51 years he would be just a handful of yellow earth.


    Only through cultivation could he achieve longevity.


    Previously, when he was poor, he had no money to buy Cultivation Techniques. Even if he had, it would have been pointless without enough food to eat; how could he cultivate?


    Now, with his cultivation skills able to improve quickly, he felt a great deal more confident.


    He could buy a Cultivation Technique and start practicing.


    As for finding a famous master, let alone joining a Cultivation Sect to learn superior Cultivation Techniques, he did not even consider it.


    How many wealthy noble offspring, with resources piled high and guided by famous teachers, found it difficult to join a Cultivation Sect?


    He was just a commoner, poor and possessing nothing. It wasn¡¯t just about joining a Sect; even joining a martial arts school affiliated with a Sect was extremely difficult.


    Bang bang bang!


    A rude banging sound came from outside the door.


    It was the thud of a palm striking the wooden door.


    The person outside had a strong force behind their knocks, and they lacked manners; their arrival boded ill.


    In his mind, Qin Niu rapidly considered his options.


    There was nothing in his home to incite greed, except perhaps the wolf carcass.


    It appeared he had underestimated the greed of human nature.


    Qin hurriedly threw the best pieces of wolf meat into the stove, covering them with ashes.


    This wasn¡¯t all; he had also mixed some ashes and dirt into the big wooden tub filled with marinating meat.


    This trick was somewhat similar to when, during a meal, someone would spit into a bowl of food.


    By spitting into it, others would find it disgusting and no longer compete for that bowl.


    ¡°Open the door!¡±


    The sound of beating on the wooden door grew fiercer; it wasn¡¯t a knock but an attempt to break the door down.


    ¡°Coming, coming!¡±


    Qin Niu concealed a dagger-like knife in his sleeve and, holding the firewood cutter that had slain the old wolf in his hand, he then went to open the door.


    ¡°Damn it, you open the door so slowly, what the hell are you dawdling for, kid?¡±


    The visitor cursed and barged in, burly and broad-waisted.


    His face was adorned with a thick beard.


    A pair of yellowing eyes emitted nothing but ferocity, and his whole demeanor was extremely violent.


    This person was the notorious village bully, Wang Haikun.


    Arrogant, vicious, and exceedingly brutal, he would resort to fists and kicks at the slightest disagreement. As a tax collector, he was always the one called upon by the grain officers to do their bidding.


    Those who dared not pay would suffer his rage and violence.


    The villagers all feared him.


    It was said that he had a brother working for the Black Tiger Gang, which was likely not unfounded.


    Because Wang Haikun knew a set of boxing skills, though not very impressive, it was more than enough to intimidate the ordinary villagers in the town.


    ¡°Qin Niu, I heard you picked up a wolf carcass in the mountains, where is it?¡±


    Without any simple courtesy, he went straight to the point.


    This was outright plunder.


    Whomever had the stronger fist had the power to bully others.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a huge wolf skin!¡±


    Wang Haikun immediately spotted the pinned up wolf skin.


    After skinning, the raw hide needed to be nailed onto a wooden board and stretched out as much as possible. Otherwise, if the hide was not properly handled, its price would be greatly reduced.


    ¡°You lucky brat, your luck isn¡¯t bad! Recently, Kun Ye¡¯s been craving wild game and hasn¡¯t caught any. I¡¯ve heard wolf meat is very nourishing; just hand it all over to me! If anything happens in the future, Kun Ye will cover for you, making sure no one in the village dares to pick on you.¡±


    Wang Haikun unceremoniously took down the wolf skin and held it in his hand.


    ¡°Kun Ye, I offer this wolf skin as a token of my respect. The wolf meat is a bit spoiled though, and I made it somewhat dirty. If I find any fresh game later on, I will bring it to you.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s right hand gripped the firewood cutter tightly as he calculated the odds of winning if he fought.


    Unfortunately, his mastery of the Slash Martial Skill was only just beginning. If he could reach a higher realm, his chances of winning would be much greater.


    However, Wang Haikun¡¯s brother held a position in the Black Tiger Gang. Killing Wang Haikun could bring endless trouble.


    Although he was reluctant to give up the wolf skin, if it could quell this disaster, he could accept it.


    With his farming skills and the Ant Queen, Qin Niu would turn the tables sooner or later.


    He planned to get back what he gave, with interest.


    At the moment, patience was key.


    ¡°Damn it, such a waste of all this wolf meat, ruined by your stupidity. Oh well, let it be, consider the wolf meat a gift for you to enjoy from Kun Ye. Remember, the next time you find any game, you bring it straight to my house, got it?¡±


    Wang Haikun, seeing the wolf meat soaking in a basin of dirty water, immediately lost interest in seizing the meat.


    Furthermore, he noticed that Qin Niu always had a grip on his firewood cutter, apparently submissive on the surface, but if pushed too far, he was certainly capable of fighting back fiercely.


    For a basin of wolf meat that turned one¡¯s stomach, it was not worth it.


    The most valuable part of the wolf was its skin.


    ¡°It¡¯s etched in my heart! Have a safe trip, Kun Ye!¡±


    Qin Niu patted the region over his heart.


    He had recorded this grudge deep in his heart, just waiting for the day when he had enough strength to force Wang Haikun to kneel and spit it all back out.


    Weak as he was now, he could only feign obedience on the surface.


    ¡°Heh heh, you¡¯re quite sensible, kid. Damn, it¡¯s just such a shame to see that wolf meat ruined like that; I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of eating it in a long time.¡±


    Wang Haikun left, cursing and mumbling as he carried away the wolf skin.


    There were too many in the village whom he had bullied. Rumor had it that he fancied the wife of a pushover who was somewhat attractive. He took her right in front of her husband, pushing her down inside their house and having his way with her.


    The local authorities were in cahoots with the Black Tiger Gang, so complaining was useless.


    Because Wang Haikun¡¯s brother worked for the Black Tiger Gang.


    However, Wang Haikun wasn¡¯t entirely senseless in his actions. He wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke people like Wang Furen, who had a certain reputation and connections.


    When Wang Furen encountered Wang Haikun, he would usually be quite polite, occasionally offering some ¡®tips¡¯ to maintain their ¡®friendship.¡¯


    After sending away this calamity, Qin Niu closed the door, his eyes brimming with ice-cold killing intent.


    Preserving the wolf meat was of utmost importance to him.


    Because it could help him quickly improve his Cultivation Technique.


    Ordinary meat had no such effect.


    To keep the wolf skin, too, there were only two possible outcomes in the end: either he would be injured by Wang Haikun while having the skin stolen, or he would kill Wang Haikun and then be wanted by the authorities.


    Both outcomes were unacceptable to him.


    Offering up the wolf skin willingly proved to be the wise choice.


    Moreover, with the ¡®favor¡¯ of the wolf skin, perhaps Wang Haikun might show some leniency the next time he collected taxes and grain.

 Chapter 8 - 8 Chapter 8 Intermediate Farmer Level Fertilization_1

    8 Chapter 8 Intermediate Farmer Level Fertilization_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The next day, when he got up in the morning, he checked his cultivation level, ¡°Mortal Onefold 22/100.¡±


    It rose by 0.8, so exhilarating indeed.


    It felt as though he had absorbed all the nutritional essence the old wolf had accumulated over decades.


    With this trend, he should be able to reach the strength of an adult male with the help of the wolf¡¯s carcass without much problem.


    After checking his own cultivation, he looked into the Ant Queen¡¯s condition.


    The energy dropped from 131 to 126.5.


    This rate was rather frightening.


    He really worried whether it could last until the final moment.


    Based on experience, it took about twenty-one days for ant eggs to hatch and become Worker Ants capable of foraging.


    It was a very lengthy process.


    Its own energy consumption was 2 points per day, and for spitting saliva to expedite the hatching of the ant eggs, each egg consumed 0.5 points of its energy daily.


    In total, that came to 4.5 energy points per day.


    As the ant larvae were born, the energy consumption would further increase.


    If it couldn¡¯t last until the Worker Ants matured, it would exhaust its energy and starve to death.


    Qin Niu¡¯s dream of becoming an Insect Master was all entrusted to it, and he truly hoped it would not fail.


    Yesterday, dealing with the wolf carcass took a whole day, and he just couldn¡¯t get around to working the land.


    He went to check on the corn sprouts in the field.


    ¡°Wow, the green sprouts finally broke through the soil!¡±


    The first batch of corn seeds had sprouted, and although there was only one cotyledon, they still filled Qin Niu with immense joy as they dotted the soil.


    After checking, he had planted a total of 210 corn seeds across three plots, with a 100% germination rate.


    This high germination rate astonished Qin Niu.


    Based on past planting experience, the germination rate for corn was only around eighty percent.


    The rate of maturing into seedlings was less than seventy percent.


    After his sowing and watering skills reached proficiency, the germination rate increased to 100%, indicating that his plant cultivation techniques were no worse than those of experienced farmers.


    Germination was just the first hurdle; next was to see the rate at which they matured into seedlings.


    Some seeds might germinate but then produce weak, defective, or deformed seedlings.


    These had to be cleared away.


    Such problematic seedlings were of no use, no matter how well they were nurtured; they couldn¡¯t produce corn or would produce very small corn cobs. Basically, it was a waste of fertilizer, labor, and land.


    As the corn seedlings had grown, so had the weeds¡¯ seedlings.


    Lots of them, which was just a headache to see.


    His weeding skill was slightly accomplished and could clean them up neatly, but it was extremely time-consuming.


    Now that the corn seedlings had grown, it was time to fertilize.


    This world had no chemical fertilizers.


    The fertilizers for crops came from three sources.


    The first type was human feces and urine, known as domestic fertilizer.


    The second type was livestock manure, especially cow dung and pig manure, which were considered top-quality fertilizers.


    Only landlords and wealthy people could afford to keep livestock; an ordinary family could at most raise one or two fat pigs. Any more would be unaffordable since pigs consumed more food daily than people.


    Manure from poultry like chickens and ducks was also very good fertilizer, and most families would raise them.


    The third type was wood ash and humus.


    This could be obtained from the forest on the mountain or by piling up tree leaves and crop roots to decompose and ferment.


    It, too, was very good fertilizer.


    Qin Niu was on his own and had accumulated some domestic fertilizer, but not much.


    It was nowhere near enough for one mu of crops.


    He occasionally collected cow dung and dog excrement from the road to use as fertilizer. However, the amount he could collect was similarly small.


    Many shepherds from landlord families would carry a basket when herding cattle and would immediately shovel it in upon seeing the cows defecate. It could be sold for money¡ªreturning it to the landlord would earn extra rewards.


    Both domestic fertilizer and livestock manure were not easy for Qin Niu to obtain, so he could only opt for the third type, humus.


    If all goes well, the other corn seeds he planted would also germinate and grow in succession.


    He needed to prepare early and accumulate enough fertilizer for them.


    He wore a large bamboo basket on his back and hurried to the mountains, planning to collect some humus.


    It was also a good opportunity to check on the Ant Queen.


    As he passed by the front of Wang Furen¡¯s house, Wang Wanyan¡¯s delicate face emerged from the window on the second floor.


    Her smile was radiant.


    ¡°Ah Niu, thank you for the wolf meat you brought to my house yesterday, it tasted great!¡±


    ¡°Then eat more of it!¡±


    Qin Niu looked up at her and earnestly said.


    ¡°Hmm, I felt a lot stronger after eating, and it kept me from getting sleepy while reading. Today, I asked the kitchen to make braised meat for me. Are you heading into the mountains again?¡±


    Before Qin Niu could answer, Wang Furen¡¯s voice was heard.


    ¡°You girl, just focus on your studies. Are you not afraid people will gossip if you shout out like this? If you dare do it again, I¡¯ll have someone nail this window shut!¡±


    Wang Furen would not allow his daughter to have too much contact with Ah Niu.


    His daughter was destined to rise high and become a Phoenix, not to marry a poor boy.


    Wang Wanyan stuck her tongue out at Qin Niu, winked, and then withdrew her head back in.


    Qin Niu lowered his head and continued on his way, heading straight into the mountain.


    He might be poor now, but that didn¡¯t mean he would be poor forever.


    Life and fate were changing little by little with his efforts; he believed that one day he would stand out and look down upon his peers with pride.


    It didn¡¯t matter if Wang Furen looked down on him now.


    Given the current rate of skill improvement, it might just be a matter of a couple of years before it was Wang Furen¡¯s turn to look up to him.


    After a short while, he arrived at the Ant Queen¡¯s nest; everything was as usual.


    He didn¡¯t disturb the Ant Queen, who was focused on incubating the eggs, and started looking for suitable humus to collect.


    Having been attacked by the wild wolf yesterday made him proceed with extra caution today.


    His increased cultivation allowed him to do this physical labor much faster than before.


    ¡°Fertilizing +0.01! Labor Point +0.01!¡±


    He had just collected a small pile of humus and reaped two types of attribute points.


    ¡°The improvements in the skills of sowing, watering, weeding, and loosening the soil have brought tremendous benefits. If I enhance my fertilizing skill, could I collect fertilizers more efficiently?¡±


    His eyes brightened involuntarily, as he had now accumulated quite a few labor points.


    He tried adding 9.9 labor points to his fertilizing skill, and it advanced from beginner to proficient.


    With this skill upgrade, he was delighted to find a significant improvement in his understanding of how to fertilize crops, which fertilizers were more enduring and suitable for corn, and when to apply them, along with many other techniques and experiences.


    The humus he collected seemed loose and dark, appearing to be very fertile, but as his fertilizing skill improved, he realized their fertility was actually quite limited.


    Most of it had already been washed away by rain.


    If he went through the trouble of carrying it back to the field, it would only provide limited help to the crops¡¯ growth.


    ¡°Thank goodness I upgraded my fertilizing skill; otherwise, I would have worked hard for over ten days, only to have a poor fertilizing effect.¡±


    Qin Niu, seeing the importance of the fertilizing skill, gritted his teeth and spent another 90 labor points to upgrade it a level.


    Fertilizing Slightly Proficiency 100/1000.


    To reach the next proficiency level, he would need 900 labor points.


    He now had only 170 labor points left, not enough to level up again.


    But for just planting corn, having such a high fertilizing skill was completely sufficient.


    According to his understanding, the proficiency level of fertilizing skill was equivalent to the top level of a low-tier farmer.


    Slightly Proficiency should have already reached the level of a mid-tier farmer.


    A mid-tier farmer already had the ability to cultivate some delicate cash crops, not just ordinary grains and vegetables.


    A strong mid-tier farmer could even help wealthy families manage those flowers and plants grown in their courtyards.


    Most of these flowers and plants are usually very delicate, and to make them blossom beautifully requires a very high cultivation level.


    The wealthy families have high demands too; their aesthetic levels, the shaping and layout of the flowers and trees, etc., are all specific.


    Not just anyone is qualified for this kind of job.


    Of course, if done well, the income is certainly not low, and the rewards from the employer are generous.


    And it¡¯s much less strenuous than farming.


    So, don¡¯t look down on farming as a lowly profession; as long as you master the skills, you can enjoy the nice things in life and live comfortably.


    After Qin Niu¡¯s fertilizing skill reached Slightly Proficiency, he looked at the small pile of humus he had collected before, and it felt completely like a pile of ¡®garbage¡¯.


    Such fertilizer was simply not worth the effort of carrying down the mountain to spread in the field.


    Additionally, there were many weed seeds in the humus, which needed to be deactivated before use.


    Otherwise, once spread on the field, the seeds of the weeds would soon sprout; before long, the field would be overrun with weeds competing with the crops for nutrients and water.


    Rather than aiding the growth of the crops, it would introduce several ¡®powerful opponents¡¯ competing for nutrition, which would harm them.


    Concerning how to deactivate these weed seeds, Qin Niu had a powerful weeding skill that could be put to use.


    He had at least three methods to deactivate them.


    He decisively abandoned the small pile of humus he had previously collected and started looking around in the mountains, quickly making new discoveries.


    Furthermore, as he traveled, he found that some soils were naturally superior fertilizers.


    Bringing them back, even if just mixing a little at the base of the crops, would preserve moisture and nutrients and also have a natural degrading effect.


    The fertilizing technique of a mid-tier farmer is truly outstanding, nothing that a low-tier farmer could compare with.


    Qin Niu began to gather the fertilizer that caught his eye.


    ¡°Sorghum is currently in the seedling stage, and it requires two types of fertilizer. One is for leaf growth, which needs humus rich in nitrogen. Another is for helping the root system to grow rapidly, which is phosphate fertilizer,¡± he said.


    The humus formed from the rotting leaves and fruits of these dwarf pines perfectly met these two requirements.


    Then, considering that the sorghum seedlings needed to grow strong in order to produce larger sorghum heads and increase yield, improving their lodging resistance,


    he also chose some humus rich in potassium fertilizer to mix in.


    This was already akin to creating his own ¡®ancient version of chemical fertilizer¡¯.


    He believed that as long as it was applied to the field, those sorghum seedlings would surely grow vigorously.


    Potassium fertilizer can promote photosynthesis in plants, help them to form more chlorophyll and make their leaves and branches stronger. It also improves the plants¡¯ resistance to cold and disease.


    Qin Niu quickly collected a large pile of humus and carried it down the mountain on his back.


    Because he drank wolf blood yesterday, and the meals since then had all been wolf meat, his strength was inexhaustible.


    With this high-intensity exercise, the body¡¯s absorption of the nutrients from the wolf meat and wolf blood he had consumed accelerated significantly. Many cells that had been in a semi-dormant state were activated, voraciously absorbing the energy supplied by the stomach and intestines.


    His cultivation level seemed to be growing rapidly.


    Even he could feel it.


    This feeling of getting stronger was just too great.


    A basket of humus weighed seventy to eighty catties, which would require a strong, grown man to rest seven or eight times while carrying it down the mountain.


    Yet, Qin Niu carried it directly to the field without stopping to rest even once.


    He didn¡¯t rush to fertilize, but first carried out a sterilization process.


    For this, he needed to use his weeding skill.


    He found that each of the five basic planting skills had its own purpose, and they were interconnected with each other.


    When a skill reached a minor level of achievement, this interconnection became even more apparent.


    Days passed by, one after another.


    Wang Haikun had forcibly taken the wolf skin and had not disturbed him since.


    This kind of person only gets up early for profit.


    Without any benefit that could pique his interest, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to visit Qin Niu¡¯s shabby house.


    The sorghum planted in the field grew at an astonishing rate after being fertilized.


    Indeed, it was different every day.


    The high-level fertilizing skill was genuinely impressive.


    Based on the current growth trend of the sorghum, this year¡¯s mid-year harvest would not be inferior to others¡¯ fertile fields.


    In the blink of an eye, twenty days had passed.


    Qin Niu had finished eating the entire old wolf. He didn¡¯t waste the internal organs and ate them too.


    Even the wolf bones were made into bone soup to drink for strengthening sinews and bones.


    His cultivation level increased as if it had wings.


    From a frail body, he now had a bit of muscle, and his six-pack abs were particularly prominent.

 Chapter 9 - 9 Chapter 9 Advanced Combat Skills, Playing Dead to Preserve Life_1

    9 Chapter 9 Advanced Combat Skills, Playing Dead to Preserve Life_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Besides that, he had been continuously practicing the martial skill, Slash.


    Chopping trees and splitting firewood could both increase his proficiency with this technique.


    Although each effective slash only increased the proficiency by 0.01 points, it still rose rapidly.


    He adeptly brought up his personal attributes to check.


    Qin Niu


    Cultivation: Mortal Onefold 37.1/100, Low-grade Farmer 75.4/100, Low-grade Insect Master 3/100


    Lifespan: 51 years


    Cultivation Technique: None


    Skills: Planting category, Sowing proficient 34.4/100, Loosening soil modest progress 357/1000, Fertilizing modest progress 124.4/1000, Watering modest progress 276/1000, Weed removal modest progress 369.7/1000


    Insect control category, Insect Trace Identification beginner 0/10.


    Martial Skill: Slash proficient 67.3/100.


    Talent: None


    Divine Skills: None


    Labor Points: 879


    His cultivation had reached Mortal Onefold 37.1/100; this strength had already far surpassed that of an average adult male.


    A typical adult male¡¯s cultivation was generally around Mortal Onefold 30.


    Some who were frail and short might even be around Mortal Onefold 20.


    Only those with exceptional talents could reach above 40.


    For example, the village bully Wang Haikun, who was naturally tall and strong, even without much training, still had a cultivation level above Mortal Onefold 35.


    That was completely enough to bully ordinary people.


    More than twenty days ago, Qin Niu definitely wouldn¡¯t have been a match for Wang Haikun.


    Now, the odds of winning were at least even.


    If he were to launch a surprise attack, his chances of victory would be at least 80 percent, and could even reach 90 percent.


    Because his mastery of the martial skill¡ªSlash, after over twenty days of arduous training, had leveled up.


    It was currently at a proficiency of 67.3/100.


    The hit rate of Slash had far exceeded the beginner level, and his understanding of the inertia in Slash had significantly improved.


    This also meant that the destructive power of a successful hit had at least doubled compared to before.


    Previously, to split a piece of wood as thick as a calf, he would need two to four cuts.


    Now, he could almost always do it with one slash.


    When felling trees, he could clearly feel the help that the upgraded Slash brought him.


    For trees as thick as his arm, they could generally be felled with one cut.


    According to his current rate of progress, he estimated that it would take at most another ten days or so to elevate his Slash martial skill to the next level.


    By then, it would surely be even more formidable.


    Of his five planting skills, only sowing had not yet reached modest progress, while the other four had already attained this level.


    In terms of planting skill, he already had the initial strength of a mid-grade farmer.


    As for the experience level advancement of a farmer, he didn¡¯t care too much about it.


    Of the things he had experimented with so far, only sowing could increase farmer experience. Watering, fertilizing, and such activities did not add any farmer experience.


    Looking at the lush greenery in the field, his heart was filled with joy.


    In about two more months, he should be able to harvest.


    That would solve the problem of food supplies.


    After the wolf meat had run out, his cultivation growth had started to slow down tremendously.


    This made him somewhat look forward to encountering another lone old wolf.


    With his current strength, slaying an old wolf should be much easier than the first time.


    However, if he were to encounter a pack of wolves, he would still be more likely to suffer misfortune than fortune.


    Counting the days, the young ants hatched by the Ant Queen should be almost matured.


    Its energy was now at rock bottom, reaching the most difficult and dangerous moment.


    This made Qin Niu very worried.


    He carried a basket on his back into the mountains and went straight to the front of the Ant Nest.


    The entrance was still sealed as it had been by the Ant Queen, indicating the young ants were not yet capable of leaving the nest to forage.


    Trying to peer into the nest, he saw that the Ant Queen¡¯s body had withered significantly, becoming extremely weak. Five immature young ants were gathered around her.


    Even in such weakness, she was still struggling to produce saliva to feed the young ants.


    Assisting their rapid transformation into termites with the ability to move.


    The growth of termites consisted of three stages: ant egg, nymph, and adult.


    After the ant eggs were laid, they would generally hatch with the help of the Ant Queen in about seven days and then enter the nymph stage.


    At this time, the termites lacked eyes and limbs, and their bodies were curved.


    The Ant Queen had to continuously produce termite milk rich in various nutrients to feed them.


    After consuming termite milk, they would grow and develop rapidly.


    Once they¡¯d grown to a certain extent, they would molt once.


    If the young ants were malnourished or there was insufficient food, they might starve to death or suffer from poor development.


    With the larvae undergoing their final molt and metamorphosis, their bodies gradually matured and developed.


    At this point, they become adult ants.


    They already possessed the ability to forage or defend the Ant Queen and the nest.


    Currently, all five larvae had molted multiple times and reached the final stage, indicating that the Ant Queen had taken very good care of her five children.


    After watching for a while, Qin Niu began to collect humus from around.


    The entire mountain range was like an inexhaustible treasury filled with extremely rich resources.


    However, to obtain these resources, one must have sufficient professional skills.


    For instance, collecting humus for fertilizer.


    If the fertilization skills are weak and one haphazardly collects the top layer of humus, the fertility effect will be very poor.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s intermediate-level farmer fertilization skills, understanding how to select the right kind of fertilizer needed for the next growth period of the corn, he could achieve a very good effect.


    At least, judging from the growth of the corn seedlings in his acre of land, his water and fertilizer management was excellent.


    After collecting a basketful of humus, he prepared to carry it back to the field first.


    Later, he would come back to chop a few loads of firewood.


    It was a good opportunity to practice the Slash Martial Skill while chopping wood.


    In this dog-eat-dog world, having a powerful martial skill was akin to having a gun in the modern civilized world.


    Meeting unreasonable bullies and robbers, one could use martial skills to teach them a lesson at any time.


    Before leaving, he felt somewhat uneasy about the Ant Queen and decided to check on her again.


    Now, at this crucial final moment, there was nothing he could do to help. Only when the five larvae metamorphosed into adult ants could they go out to find food to feed the Ant Queen.


    Approaching the nest, he peered inside from the small hole.


    Qin Niu immediately panicked.


    The Ant Queen lay motionless on the ground, her six legs slightly gathered, her body slightly contracted.


    This was clearly a posture of death.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over, I didn¡¯t expect it to still not make it to the last moment!¡±


    Qin Niu slumped to the ground, feeling powerless.


    All the efforts and hopes of nearly a month dissipated in this moment.


    He was unwilling to accept it, yet he had to face this reality.


    Why was it so difficult for a female Breeder Ant to become an Ant Queen and successfully establish a Termite Kingdom?


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right, if a contracted pet dies, I would feel a stabbing pain in my head, but I didn¡¯t feel it this time.¡±


    Qin Niu had a sudden realization, suddenly aware that the Ant Queen might not be dead.


    This Ant Queen was different from others; it had a fake death skill.


    Could it be feigning death right now?


    He immediately checked the properties and status of the Ant Queen.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Two Isoptera Insect, Upgrade Experience 100/1000


    Lifespan: 4.2 years


    Energy: 0


    Skills: Breeding Onefold 0.05/10, Fake Death Onefold 2/10


    Talent: Medium Intelligence


    Its fake death skill proficiency had risen from 1 to 2, it must be feigning death.


    Why would it feign death?


    Usually, it would only resort to this tactic when facing an enemy too strong to defeat, using a feigned death to escape a crisis.


    But there were no enemies invading its nest now!


    After thinking for a moment, a glint of understanding appeared in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    The Ant Queen¡¯s feigned death was likely to reduce bodily energy consumption to the lowest level.


    Because its energy had dropped to 0.


    Yes, that must be it.


    Frogs and snakes hibernate to lower their energy consumption, hiding in warm underground caves to survive the cold winter.


    Termites did not have the hibernation skill, but their fake death skill must have a similar principle behind it.


    Only the limit of the fake death duration was much shorter than hibernation.


    Qin Niu lay down outside the nest to observe the Ant Queen in the hole once more.


    It still looked the same, in a state resembling death.


    At this moment, the larva with the darkest color began to move.


    This excited Qin Niu.


    ¡°Hurry up, your mother is about to starve to death!¡±


    He was genuinely anxious.


    Unfortunately, the larvae¡¯s final molt was not as easy as imagined, but a very lengthy process.


    The larva moved a couple of times, then stopped again.


    It remained curled up in a slumber.


    Watching this, Qin Niu felt frustrated, as though he could be worried to death.

 Chapter 10 - 10 Chapter 10 Selling Land at Sky-high Prices, Having Ant Group_1

    10 Chapter 10 Selling Land at Sky-high Prices, Having Ant Group_1


    Translator: 549690339


    He watched for a while, then decided to get to work first.


    He carried the basket of humus back to the field and then piled it up there.


    These corn seedlings had all been fertilized at least once, and around the middle of next month, he would apply one more round of strong seedling fertilizer to promote the budding of flowers and boost the yield.


    ¡°Ah Niu, your farming¡¯s not bad at all!¡±


    Wang Furen came over, rarely initiating conversation with Qin Niu.


    Normally, Wang Furen hardly paid him any mind.


    Especially when he saw Qin Niu talking with his daughter, he would immediately put on a stern face and quickly call his daughter inside.


    He was afraid that Qin Niu would spirit away his beautiful daughter.


    ¡°Wang Uncle flatters me!¡±


    Qin Niu responded indifferently.


    ¡°Do you have any surplus grain at home? If not, you can come work in my field, and I¡¯ll give you food.¡±


    Wang Furen wouldn¡¯t usually show this level of concern for him.


    It must be that he saw the good growth of the corn Qin Niu was farming and thus had the idea to recruit him.


    Any family with a bit of good land, unless they had many sons, would certainly need to hire help for farming.


    Moreover, since farming was so arduous, wealthy people seldom farmed themselves; they hired others to work for them.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Uncle Wang, but my family still has grain.¡±


    How could Qin Niu possibly work for someone else?


    Even if he were to work, it would definitely be as a skilled laborer. For instance, like that senior farmer who earned an annual salary of thirty taels of silver, he¡¯d be a manager.


    ¡°That fertilizer you carried back from the mountains looks good, are you selling it?¡±


    Wang Furen, true to being a businessman, was very shrewd.


    He must have been observing Qin Niu farming in secret for some time now.


    Now that he saw the corn Qin Niu was farming grew so well, he had guessed it was because of the quality of the fertilizer.


    ¡°How much are you willing to pay per basket, Uncle Wang?¡±


    Earning some money to buy an ordinary cultivation technique to practice wouldn¡¯t be bad.


    The humus was plentiful in the mountains, and Qin Niu had plenty of strength.


    As long as the price was satisfactory, he would be happy to sell some to Wang Furen.


    ¡°How about five wen money per basket?¡±


    Wang Furen was really a shrewd merchant, offering only five wen money per basket of fertilizer; he really thought Qin Niu was a naive fool.


    Even the most ordinary cow dung could sell for about ten wen money per basket.


    Qin Niu¡¯s fertilizer was a high-grade mixture he had formulated himself, equivalent to modern-day chemical fertilizers.


    The price definitely needed to be higher.


    ¡°Not selling.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even think about it, rejecting outright.


    ¡°Then how much do you want per basket?¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, he even walked into the field, bent down to grab a bit of the humus Qin Niu just carried back, examined it closely, then brought it to his nose to smell.


    ¡°Considering you¡¯re a neighbor, fifty wen a basket. If I sell to someone else, I would ask for at least sixty wen.¡±


    Qin Niu set a price.


    It was five times that of ordinary cow dung.


    ¡°You, have you gone crazy thinking about money? Fifty wen for a basket of fertilizer, who would buy that? Besides, this stuff is all over the mountain, you just have to spend some effort to carry it down.¡±


    Wang Furen was shocked by the price.


    But Qin Niu was full of confidence.


    ¡°If Uncle Wang thinks it¡¯s expensive, he can choose not to buy.¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s eyes rolled around, but he didn¡¯t reply.


    Qin Niu¡¯s plots were inferior, yet the corn he grew was even better than that from good land. Look at the growth, so green and lush, and every plant was thick and flourishing, pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°I heard from my daughter that you often go to the book market to buy books to read?¡±


    Wang Furen started prying for information.


    ¡°Occasionally!¡±


    Qin Niu had already picked up the empty basket and was ready to head home.


    The Ant Queen was at a critical moment, and he must go to the mountains to keep an eye on it.


    It was also a good opportunity to gather some firewood to take home.


    ¡°The corn and wheat you farmed last year were nothing special, but this year¡¯s crop is looking so good. You learned it from those books, right?¡±


    Wang Furen was persistent in his inquiries.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, is there anything else?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste more words.


    Unless Wang Furen agreed to marry his beautiful daughter to him, the situation would certainly be different.


    But was that possible?


    ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll give you one tael of silver for your fertilizer formula.¡±


    Wang Furen, gritting his teeth, decided to buy the knowledge.


    A basket of fertilizer would quickly be used up. One must use at least five baskets per mu of land to barely meet the requirement.


    If he acquired the technique, he could directly hire people to collect it from the mountain, inexhaustible and endlessly available.


    His calculation was sound.


    Unfortunately, Qin Niu was not foolish.


    ¡°Not selling.¡±


    Just two words.


    Wang Furen was momentarily choked up, standing in place for a long time before regaining his composure. Looking at Qin Niu¡¯s retreating back, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    This Ah Niu seemed not to be the simpleton he had appeared to be!


    ¡°Fifty wen a basket, that¡¯s too expensive! My daughter is close to this youngster; let her help to haggle the price, she should be able to get it much cheaper¡­¡± Wang Furen¡¯s eyes flickered as he thought up a plan.


    After a moment, he shook his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s forget it, it¡¯s not worth involving my daughter to get a cheaper price on fertilizer. This Ah Niu is much sharper than he appears.¡±


    Wang Furen took a handful of fertilizer back to his home to study.


    It was mixed with some leaves that had not yet completely decomposed, and he could vaguely make out what kind of leaves they were.


    ¡°These are dwarf pine leaves, these are magnolia leaves¡­¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s earnest study of the compost¡¯s contents goes without saying.


    Qin Niu going home to take his woodcutter¡¯s axe, carrying pole, and rope to gather firewood in the mountains also goes without saying.


    After chopping enough wood for one load, his proficiency with the Slash Martial Skill had improved a bit.


    Every successful slash could add 0.01 proficiency.


    Not too fast, but also not too slow.


    Three hundred slashes a day would be 3 points of proficiency.


    After chopping wood for two loads, he went back to check on the young ants in the Ant Nest.


    ¡°Wow, the first young ant has turned into an insect!¡±


    Qin Niu found that the deepest-colored young ant had already turned over onto its back, lying on the ground. Its two antennae were moving nonstop, but its body remained motionless.

 Chapter 11 - 11 Chapter 10 Selling Land at Sky-high Prices, Having Ant Group_2

    11 Chapter 10 Selling Land at Sky-high Prices, Having Ant Group_2


    Translator: 549690339


    After the young ant metamorphosed into an adult, its body was still very soft and needed to fully contact the air, and then it slowly hardened.


    Once its six legs and body had hardened, it could start to move.


    ¡°Awesome, finally there¡¯s a mature little white ant. Hurry up and go out to find food to feed your mother! She¡¯s about to starve to death.¡±


    Qin Niu was anxious.


    The success or failure of the ant hill hinged on this moment, as the Ant Queen currently reduced her energy consumption by feigning death, clinging to life.


    She was desperately holding on to the last thread of life.


    Perhaps spurred by his urging, about an hour later, the young Worker Ant finally started to move.


    It first touched the Ant Queen¡¯s body with its antennae, then, likely having received the pheromones signaling the Ant Queen¡¯s extreme hunger, it ¡®quickly¡¯ crawled toward the entrance. Because it had just begun to learn to crawl, it resembled a baby learning to walk.


    Its movements were clumsy, its path wobbly.


    Upon reaching the entrance, it tumbled down due to a misstep.


    Then it got up again and headed towards the entrance.


    At this time, the other two young ants also showed signs of activity. Their antennae slowly unfolded, a signal that metamorphosis was nearly complete.


    Seeing this, Qin Niu felt invigorated.


    Having three young ants metamorphose into adults, if only the Ant Queen could hold on a little longer, success was in sight.


    The first Worker Ant reached the entrance and began to work hard to dismantle the defensive barrier.


    Sealing the entrance had successfully repelled the enemy¡¯s invasion, but now, for this newly matured young ant, it was a huge obstacle.


    It wanted to leave the nest to forage for food, and it needed to dig a hole big enough to squeeze through.


    The body of the ant, having just metamorphosed into an adult, was thin and soft, so tearing away the mud sealing the entrance was a significant challenge.


    Qin Niu broke off a small stick and brought it over, but he did not immediately step in to help.


    The young ants needed to face many challenges; this was only the first.


    Just like a baby naturally born through the birth canal, the process is very risky but can train the baby in all aspects of their abilities.


    Directly delivering by C-section, the baby is somewhat weaker in the early stages.


    Time slipped away bit by bit. Qin Niu placed a very tender leaf not far from the entrance.


    That way, once the young ant came out, it could easily find food.


    About half an hour later, the other two young ants also successfully metamorphosed into adult Worker Ants.


    Of the last two young ants, one started to move, while the other showed almost no sign of stirring.


    The two newly metamorphosed Worker Ants also touched the Ant Queen with their antennae, then quickly crawled toward the entrance.


    They briefly communicated with the first young ant through antennae contact and then worked together to dig outsides.


    Many hands make light work.


    It is the same with termites.


    With two helpers joining in, the speed at which they dismantled the defensive barrier increased significantly.


    At last, a small part of the ¡®lid¡¯ covering the entrance collapsed. After continuing to widen the breach, they successfully squeezed out of that hole.


    Their antennae waving nonstop, they immediately began searching for food everywhere.


    They completely ignored the tender leaf Qin Niu had thrown near the entrance.


    This left Qin Niu quite frustrated.


    He meant to help them, yet they didn¡¯t appreciate it.


    The three Worker Ants began to act independently.


    One of them headed in the direction of the centipede, making Qin Niu sweat profusely, wishing he could quickly retrieve it.


    Wasn¡¯t this seeking death?


    The other two initially crawled towards the direction of the stink ant nest, but they quickly changed their course.


    They seemed to sniff out the scent of the stink ants, sensing the danger in that area.


    The Termite approaching the centipede¡¯s location, when it was about to reach the rock, seemed to sense something and turned tail to flee for its life.


    Qin Niu watched with a chuckle.


    Very much in the style of a fine Ant Queen.


    The three Worker Ants were working hard to adapt to the environment around their nest and to everything outside.


    For them, everything was new, but the three young ants were not distracted by play; they had a clear goal to find food.


    One of the young ants seemed to have found something ¡°delicious¡±.


    It was a small sapling that had just grown two to three centimeters tall.


    It looked a bit like a young camphor tree.


    The young ant crawled its way all up from the base of the tree. The sapling had tiny spines that pierced into its soft body. It must have been quite painful.


    But it didn¡¯t care.


    After climbing past the first leaf, it started gnawing directly at the stem of the tree.


    In just a moment, it had bitten off the outer tender bark, exposing the inner layer of the stem. Liquid seeped out. This was the tree¡¯s way of healing itself.


    Just like when humans are injured, blood and lymph fluids seep out of the wound to quickly form a scab.


    Trees have the same ability to heal themselves, and they are much better at it than humans.


    The young ant kept sucking up the leaking fluids, its belly gradually swelling and slowly bulging.


    It didn¡¯t eat too much, though.


    After nearly enough, it quickly returned the way it had come.


    The other two young ants seemed to have received its signal and hurried over as well.


    They, too, climbed onto the unfortunate little sapling and began sucking its sap.


    The first young ant was already rapidly heading back in the direction of the nest.


    Every distance it covered, it lifted its head and waved its two antennae to recognize the direction, probably afraid of getting lost.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t far from the nest, so it didn¡¯t get lost and managed to find the entrance to the nest without trouble.


    Then it burrowed in.


    Once inside the nest, it headed straight toward the Ant Queen. Its speed was very fast.


    Qin Niu let out a sigh of relief when he saw this.


    The Ant Queen had seemingly survived the hardest challenge.


    The young ant crawled to the Ant Queen¡¯s side, found the Ant Queen¡¯s mouth, and then began to regurgitate diligently, vomiting the food from its stomach.


    The glistening liquid dripped into the Ant Queen¡¯s mouth.


    As she consumed it bit by bit, her two antennae gradually started to slow in their waving, losing strength.


    Qin Niu hurriedly checked the Ant Queen¡¯s attributes.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Two order of insects, upgrade experience 100.01/1000


    Lifespan: 4.2 years


    Energy: 0.1


    Skills: Reproduction first-stage 0.05/10, Feign Death first-stage 2/10


    Talent: Medium intelligence


    Colony: 4 Worker Ants, lifespan 3 months


    At this point, Qin Niu felt extremely exhilarated. After longing and enduring such a hard time, he finally saw some payoff.


    He finally got his first pet.


    Even though it was just a weak Termite Queen, he was still very happy.


    As his planting skills improved, he would be able to grow high-grade plants to feed the Ant Queen and help her become stronger.


    Everything is difficult at the beginning, but he had managed to make it through the toughest initial hurdle.


    A total of five ant eggs hatched, and while he didn¡¯t expect one to die during the molting process, there were now only four Worker Ants left.


    He hoped that these four Worker Ants wouldn¡¯t encounter any more accidents.


    The other two Worker Ants had also returned after having their fill.


    They too crawled to the Ant Queen¡¯s side, selflessly regurgitating their saliva to nurture the Ant Queen.


    Termites, like all ants, are social creatures; they each have their own duties and there is no bullying or selfish behaviors. When an enemy invades, Soldier Ants and Worker Ants are the first to rush up and defend.


    Even if they die in battle, it¡¯s without hesitation, and they won¡¯t retreat a single step.

 Chapter 12 - 12 Chapter 11: The Extraordinary Number 4_1

    12 Chapter 11: The Extraordinary Number 4_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    The last juvenile Milky White Ant to undergo metamorphosis had also left the nest to forage.


    Worker ants are incredibly industrious, venturing out to forage and feed the Ant Queen and young ants, as well as to expand and excavate the nest, store food, and clean up waste, among other things.


    After being fed by three young worker ants, the Ant Queen¡¯s energy recovered to 0.3.


    There was no longer an immediate danger to her life.


    However, danger was still lurking everywhere. These four young worker ants were all very small and lacked outdoor survival experience, making it easy for them to meet their demise.


    Moreover, their lifespan was much shorter than that of ordinary termites.


    The first batch of worker ants produced by the Ant Queen all had such defects.


    For example, they were small in size and short-lived.


    Because the Ant Queen needed them to hatch and metamorphose into adults quickly, and then go out to find food to nourish her, she had cut corners during the egg-laying preparation stage to reduce this time.


    Qin Niu had been guarding the nest entrance all along, ready to come to their aid and eliminate any danger immediately.


    The termite that had metamorphosed last, let¡¯s just call it Fourth.


    It was seen dragging a tender leaf back to the nest that was twenty to thirty times larger than itself.


    Research shows that ants can lift food over 400 times their body weight and drag items more than 1700 times their weight.


    Although termites are not ants, the strength exhibited in their object transport is still astonishing.


    They are in no way inferior to ants, which are known as ¡®strongmen¡¯.


    It¡¯s no wonder they are a species that predates ants by over a hundred million years.


    Dragging the ¡®huge¡¯ tender leaf, Fourth appeared as robust as an ox, moving swiftly and powerfully.


    Its mandibles clamped firmly onto the leaf, as potent as a tiger¡¯s clamps.


    While the other three worker ants hastily returned to the nest after sucking a bit of juice, it managed to bring such a large leaf back to the nest.


    Qin Niu subtly felt that this last-metamorphosed worker ant seemed smarter than the other three.


    Of course, it could also be greedier by nature.


    The other three worker ants, having fed the Ant Queen, quickly went out to forage again.


    Since they had recently metamorphosed into adults, they were very small and could carry back only a small amount of food at a time. They could only add 0.1 energy to the Ant Queen.


    When these three worker ants noticed Fourth moving ¡®food¡¯ into the nest, they rushed forward to help.


    The four brothers, working together in harmony, were noticeably more efficient.


    The leaf was quickly transported into the nest.


    Fourth touched antennae with them, presumably communicating in ¡®ant language¡¯.


    Two worker ants remained inside the nest to nibble on the tender leaf and then feed the Ant Queen. Fourth then went out to forage again with another worker ant.


    Indeed, although it was the ¡®youngest,¡¯ it had now become the ¡®leader¡¯ among the four brothers.


    It quickly found another piece of tender leaf on the ground, this one even larger than the previous one.


    The two brothers worked together to drag it swiftly.


    After some effort, they finally managed to bring it to the entrance of the nest. However, they couldn¡¯t drag it inside as the leaf was too large to fit through the opening.


    Qin Niu was curious to see how they would handle this situation?


    Fourth climbed around the leaf, then directed the other worker ant to start nibbling on it. Working from both ends towards the middle, the two brothers gnawed at it.


    At this point, it was clear that Fourth had superior nibbling capabilities and a faster cutting speed.


    Qin Niu took an interest; Fourth appeared to be significantly stronger than the other three brothers!


    It was not only intelligent and brainy, but also so strong.


    It seemed to be a combination of a worker ant and a soldier ant.


    It was a pity that its lifespan was only three months.


    If only it could live a bit longer like the Ant Queen.


    In fact, the lifespan of this Ant Queen was not long either, just 4.2 years. According to Qin Niu¡¯s view, it should have a lifespan of at least twenty years.


    However, he still felt satisfied seeing the Ant Queen successfully establishing an ant colony.


    You can¡¯t have your cake and eat it too.


    Perfection is unattainable.


    Assisting it in advancing might help increase its lifespan in the future.


    It¡¯s said that human cultivators can live for over a thousand years, though they are very rare.


    Insects and beasts are the same; they too can continually practice cultivation, evolve, and extend their lifespan.


    The two young worker ants cut the leaf much faster than expected.


    Termites are known as the number one pest of buildings and trees; they handle plants as if playing with a ball. With powerful mandibles that go ¡®click clack,¡¯ they dealt with the tender leaf as easily as chopping vegetables.


    In reality, although termites¡¯ bodies appear soft, they are agile, and their speed is no less than that of fierce ants.


    Moreover, they are very bellicose.


    Three fierce ants of the same size may not necessarily defeat one termite.


    So never assume that termites are weak; they may appear frail, but in fact, they hold a top-tier existence among ant species.


    Even the so-called strongest fierce ants, army ants, killer ants, bullet ants, and big-jawed fierce ants, are no match for termites.


    It¡¯s much like how felines are invincible among predators of the same size.


    The two young worker ants, after cutting the leaf, dragged it into the nest.


    In this mere quarter of an hour, Qin Niu noticed that the Ant Queen¡¯s energy had actually recovered to 1.2.


    With Fourth in command, their foraging efficiency seemed to have increased by at least three times.


    This speaks to the importance of having a wise leader in a group.


    After dragging the second leaf into the nest, Fourth went out again with the other worker ant.


    This time they brought back two pieces of rotten wood chips to the nest.


    The termites¡¯ diet is diverse, and since they harbor flagellates in their bodies, eating wood can be converted into the nutrients needed for their bodies.


    Wood is equivalent to roughage, while tender leaves and tree sap are like ¡®soup.¡¯


    They can obtain a large amount of water and some essential nutrients from these sources.


    It¡¯s akin to humans eating a balanced diet of meat and vegetables.


    ¡°`


    Additionally, termites will also consume the corpses of other insects when starved, even including the bodies of their own kind, ant eggs, and so forth. Such a situation only occurs in extreme hunger and scarcity of food.


    At this moment, Qin Niu heard the sound of human conversation not far away.


    He immediately picked up the chopped firewood and left the area.


    Within the ant colony, there was the clever and capable ¡®Fourth,¡¯ so as long there was no enemy invasion, there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems.


    As the Ant Queen¡¯s energy recovered, she would soon enter ¡®breeding machine¡¯ mode.


    She would lay a large number of ant eggs every day, and then hatch them.


    As long as there were Soldier Ants in the nest, their defensive ability would be greatly enhanced.


    However, it was probably not feasible to develop Soldier Ants now; the primary task was to expand the Worker Ant group. Within the entire colony, the Ant Queen, young ants, Breeder Ants, and Soldier Ants all lacked the ability to find food.


    They must rely on the Worker Ants to forage and feed them in order to survive.


    Therefore, Worker Ants are very important to the whole ant colony.


    In the early stages of the colony¡¯s development, without Soldier Ants, Worker Ants would take on both roles: acting as Worker Ants and also as Soldier Ants.


    Qin Niu shouldered a load of firewood weighing about one hundred fifty to sixty catties as he walked towards the mountain¡¯s exterior.


    After crossing over the hill, he saw Wang Furen leading five or six hired farmers collecting humus.


    Wang Furen pointed to the humus under the dwarf pine, saying, ¡°This is the one, get me a basket of it back home, I want to mix the fertilizer personally.¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and smile.


    This Wang Furen, cunning as a ghost, must have secretly observed the leaves in his humus, recognized them, and then believed he had found the formula.


    Just wait, Wang Furen would come to him again.


    However, this also served as a reminder to Qin Niu that if he wanted to make his first fortune by selling soil, he had to be more cautious in the future. Not to give others the chance to peep and steal the technique.


    Or perhaps deliberately create some ¡®mist,¡¯ letting those trying to imitate suffer a bit.


    For instance, use a humus high in nitrogen during the corn¡¯s flowering stage, consequently resulting in stunted growth and poor yield.


    Or perhaps make some nutritional adjustments to the fertilizer used during the seedling stage, slowing down their growth or even causing the leaves to turn yellow, achieving the opposite effect like fertilizer damage.


    Once these people suffered from these mistakes a few times, they would naturally understand that imitation is futile.


    Then they would obediently come to buy fertilizer from Qin Niu.


    However, pricing it at fifty Wen Money per basket, the price is indeed not cheap.


    Cow dung is considered a top-quality fertilizer, yet it only sells for ten Wen Money per basket.


    He now had nearly nine hundred labor points saved up and was secretly considering whether he should upgrade his fertilizing skills to the next level?


    If he wanted to do this business, he would definitely need to constantly improve his techniques.


    Upon seeing Qin Niu carrying a full load of firewood, Wang Furen said with a bit of pride, ¡°Ah Niu, you refuse to sell for five Wen Money a basket, see this? I hire people to come up and carry it, and it doesn¡¯t even cost two Wen Money per basket.¡±


    ¡°Then you should buy this two Wen Money a basket.¡±


    Qin Niu smiled indifferently.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a formula, not something very complicated. As long as you have eyes and a brain, you can figure it out. Young man, you must not be too greedy,¡± Wang Furen criticized him with the stance of an elder.


    He felt proud of himself for being able to fathom out the formula from Qin Niu¡¯s fertilizers.


    Qin Niu just smiled and walked away without saying a word.


    ¡­


    As days passed, Qin Niu became even busier each day.


    In addition to taking care of the crops in the fields, chopping wood in the mountains, along with practicing his Chop Technique, he would also spend a lot of time in front of the Termite Nest.


    He was observing the habits of termites and understanding them.


    Six days passed, and the energy of the Ant Queen kept increasing every day.


    On the first day, it rose to 21 points, on the second day to 54 points, by the third day it broke a hundred, reaching 102 points¡­


    By the sixth day, even though only four Worker Ants were feeding her, the energy inside her body had already reached 279 points.


    Since the Ant Queen¡¯s energy was rising so fast, Fourth¡¯s effort accounted for at least half of it.


    Without its command, the foraging efficiency of the other three Worker Ants would at least be halved.


    The growth speed of the four Worker Ants was equally rapid; they had grown larger than when they first molted into adult ants.


    The increase in size also led to an increase in their foraging capacity.


    They could bring back more food at a time.


    This morning, as Qin Niu got up, he discovered that the properties of the Ant Queen had changed again.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Grade: Grade Two winged insect, upgrade experience 102.79/1000


    Lifespan: 4.2 years


    Energy: 229


    Skills: Breeding Skill Grade One 0.15/10, Feign Death Grade One 2/10


    Talent: Medium intelligence


    Ant Colony: Worker Ants 4, lifespan 3 months


    The energy had decreased by 50 points, and the proficiency of the Breeding Skill had increased by 0.1 ¨C had it laid another batch of ant eggs?


    Qin Niu was extremely delighted and went into the mountain with his cleaver, carrying pole, and rope.


    The ant colony only needed to complete the initial accumulation and then start to expand; from there on, it would be like a snowball rolling down a hill, becoming more and more formidable.


    He arrived at the Ant Nest and peered inside.


    Goodness, the Ant Nest had been expanded deeper by the Worker Ants.


    They had even established the first ¡®birthing room,¡¯ where ten snow-white transparent ant eggs lay silently.


    The body of the Ant Queen was already showing signs of slight plumpness; her abdomen had visibly grown much fatter.


    The food reserves within the nest were still considered abundant.


    Everything seemed well-organized.


    Fourth was leading another Worker Ant in digging another side tunnel.


    Wonder what they¡¯re preparing for?


    I¡¯m really looking forward to it; once these ten ant eggs hatch, the colony will further expand. With fourteen Worker Ants working, the energy the Ant Queen can obtain each day will be even more ample.

 Chapter 13 - 13 Chapter 12: Critical Chop_1

    13 Chapter 12: Critical Chop_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The pet he was raising was eagerly evolving, and naturally, as its owner, he wouldn¡¯t idle away his time.


    He began to swing his arms and chop wood.


    After so many days of practice, his proficiency in the Blade Technique was about to advance to the next grade.


    He now consciously challenged himself by cutting down medium-sized trees.


    The forests near the village all had owners, mostly landlords and officials. As for the deep mountains, the land under heaven belonged to the emperor, but by default, the government equally presumed ownership.


    However, no one came to manage them.


    At most, when the government needed to undertake major construction, such as building official residences, they would send people into the deep mountains to cut timber.


    Therefore, it was common for ordinary people to chop wood in the deep mountains.


    It essentially fell under the category of if the people do not raise the issue, the officials do not investigate.


    That¡¯s how everybody did it.


    Though the trees in the deep mountains could be cut down for free, the mountains were full of fierce beasts, poisonous snakes, and insects, making them extremely dangerous.


    The deeper one went, the more dangerous it became.


    Landowners marked their territories with the default effective range being one mountain or a depth of one kilometer.


    Take, for example, the local landlord Yan Ruohai from the neighboring village, who had nearly one hundred plots of fertile farmland and almost one hundred mountains. In the nearly ten miles around here, most of the fields and mountains were his private land.


    Even the mountains behind Qin Niu¡¯s village all belonged to the Yan Family¡¯s forests.


    One plot is approximately equal to 15 acres.


    What does it mean to have one hundred plots of fertile land? It¡¯s equivalent to owning one thousand five hundred acres of good farmland.


    The number of such large landlords wasn¡¯t great; several villages, or even more than a dozen villages might have just one.


    The Yan Family employed over a hundred slaves.


    They had their own Protector team.


    Last year, it was said that when the Yan Family recruited Protectors, the minimum requirement was to lift a two-hundred-pound Bronze Cauldron and they demanded that applicants be under forty-five years of age.


    There¡¯s a rough formula for estimating the cultivation level within the Mortal Realm.


    The weight one can lift divided by 2 equals the approximate level of cultivation.


    For instance, Qin Niu is now at Onefold 37.6/100 in the Mortal Realm; his strength is quite strong among adult men. He can lift an object of around 75 pounds with both hands.


    It must be clarified that lifting means raising the object above the head, which is far more difficult than simply picking it up.


    Being able to lift a hundred-pound object basically implies lifting a hundred-and-fifty-pound object is not a problem.


    Qin Niu can currently lift objects weighing around a hundred and twenty pounds.


    The Protectors recruited by the Yan Family could all lift a two-hundred-pound Bronze Cauldron with both hands, meaning those people had to be at least at the Twofold level in the Mortal Realm.


    This was simply terrifying.


    A person at Twofold in the Mortal Realm can defeat ten people at Onefold.


    Who among the ordinary people would dare to provoke a massive entity like the Yan Family, rich and powerful with many underlings?


    Even though Wang Furen is considered one of the wealthiest in the village, he¡¯s nothing in front of the Yan Family.


    Of course, Wang Furen knew how to get along with people; during the Yan Family matriarch¡¯s birthday celebrations, weddings, and funerals, he would always personally go to congratulate or mourn and present a gift of money.


    Having mutual personal connections, the Yan Family would also take care of him to some extent out of consideration for these social ties.


    As for Wang Haikun, the local bully that not even Wang Furen dared to offend, let alone provoke the Yan Family.


    Should he dare to run riot on the Yan Family¡¯s land, they would guarantee a beating that would make him unrecognizable even to his own parents.


    If he angered the old master Yan, it was even possible to be directly chopped up and fed to the fierce beasts kept by the Yan Family.


    It was no joke.


    Within these ten miles, apart from the government, the Yan Family was akin to a Local Emperor.


    Moreover, to have reached such status, there must have been someone from the family serving in an official position. The Yan Family would also present gifts to influential figures in the government and pay tributes annually based on a certain ratio.


    Thus, the Yan Family was practically considered the secondary government on a local level.


    Qin Niu would naturally not encroach on the Yan Family¡¯s forests.


    At the moment, he was located on the outskirts of the deep mountains, at least three to four hundred meters away from the Yan Family¡¯s forests.


    This also meant that after felling the trees, he would need to carry the wood an extra few hundred meters.


    Whether it was him or the other villagers cutting down trees, they would always leave a distance of at least three hundred meters as a form of reverence towards the Yan Family.


    If one were adamant about felling trees next to the Yan Family¡¯s land, there would be no issue if the Yan Family didn¡¯t care. However, should they feel that their dignity was being disrespected and decide to kill a chicken to warn the monkeys, then that person could be in big trouble.


    Out of profit-seeking and danger-avoidance, people would rather walk the extra few hundred meters to avoid trouble.


    A Chinese red pine with a trunk as thick as an adult¡¯s thigh was chosen by him.


    He swung his saber to find the right spot and chopped down hard.


    Slash skill proficiency +0.01.


    One chop, two chops, three chops¡­


    Each chop accurately struck the intended spot.


    On the eleventh chop, the Chinese red pine thunderously fell to the ground.


    ¡°My blade technique still needs improvement!¡±


    Qin Niu was not very satisfied with the efficiency.


    If it were an ordinary woodcutter, chopping down such a thick pine would require no less than a hundred swings without fail.


    He only needed eleven, which was already quite astounding.


    The pine¡¯s wood is hard and rich in resin.


    It makes for excellent firewood.


    The only drawback is that it¡¯s hard to chop, comparable to tough woods like camellia or hornbeam trees.


    Bringing it down was only the first step.


    Next, he had to chop it into sections and then carry it back home.


    Qin Niu started by trimming the branches, and then he began to chop it into two-meter-long logs before carrying them back home.


    Thump, thump, thump¡­


    The sound of his diligent wood-chopping echoed through the silent mountains.


    He didn¡¯t count how many swings it took.


    After felling the fifth pine and when he was cutting it into logs, one swing seemed to bring about a significant change.


    It was hard to describe, but that swing felt more effortless and effective.


    It also had greater power.


    It seemed he had a deeper understanding of how to leverage strength.


    He swung his blade for another chop.


    Thwack!


    The trunk, as thick as an adult¡¯s thigh, was penetrated by half with a single swing.


    The blade was embedded in the tree, and it took a great effort to pull it out.


    ¡°This¡­ is too fierce! That swing I just made had a different sensation, and the power increased several-fold.¡±


    Qin Niu realized that his Slash Martial Skill proficiency must have leveled up.


    He checked his attributes.


    Martial Skill: Slash Technique, slightly accomplished at 100.02/1000 (10% chance of Critical Chop).


    So that strike was called a Critical Chop.


    The power was truly terrifying.


    If it struck a person, even a burly man like Wang Haikun, it would probably only take one swing.


    To kill an enemy with one blow, what¡¯s that called?


    It seems like it¡¯s called an instant kill.


    Everything else was good; it¡¯s just that the chance of Critical Chop was a bit too low.


    One in ten swings might execute a Critical Chop.


    After leveling up his Slash Martial Skill, Qin Niu felt even more motivated.


    Before, he needed eleven or twelve swings to chop down such a thick tree. Now, if a Critical Chop occurs, it would only take about three swings. Even without a Critical Chop, a consistent performance would take only about six to seven swings to chop it down.


    The increase in strength was visible.


    ¡°I should be capable of hunting wolves now, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    Qin Niu licked his lips.


    It had been a while since he last tasted wolf meat. More than missing the taste of meat, he preferred the sensation of his cultivation rapidly improving after consuming wolf meat.


    During these six days, without wolf meat, his cultivation only increased by a tiny bit each day.


    That¡¯s the downside of not practicing a cultivation technique.


    Natural growth in cultivation is extremely slow, even halting completely after reaching adulthood.


    After bundling the chopped wood, he could carry two logs at a time.


    Any more weight and he wouldn¡¯t be able to move.


    A log of fresh wood weighed around one hundred pounds, so two logs were two hundred pounds. With the load on his back, he couldn¡¯t even lift his head.


    Finally getting the two logs home, he cooked some corn mixed with wild vegetables, then took the piece of pork Wang Wanyan had given him from the well and cut off a bit to boil in the pot.


    He couldn¡¯t help it; the work he did now was more than before, and with the growth in his cultivation, his appetite had substantially increased.


    With only so much grain at home, he had to mix in a lot of the unpalatable wild vegetables to stave off hunger.


    Luckily, these hard days of suffering should end in no more than two more months.


    The corn in the fields should be ready to harvest in less than two months.


    Given this year¡¯s yield, there would be no problem for him to eat his fill all by himself.


    ¡°Now that my Slash Martial Skill has reached slight accomplishment, and my cultivation level has reached Mortal Realm Onefold 37.6, I should be able to afford some game,¡± he thought to himself.


    While eating his meager meal, he contemplated quietly.

 Chapter 14 - 14 Chapter 13: Disaster_1

    14 Chapter 13: Disaster_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    Eating regular food could only stave off hunger, but eating meat was the way to quickly increase one¡¯s cultivation level.


    He had found that the nutritional value of wild beasts¡¯ meat was far superior to that of pork.


    Especially wolf meat, though a bit tough to the taste, had an extraordinarily appealing beneficial effect.


    After finishing his meal and resting briefly, he again took up his knife and rope and entered the mountains.


    The three large Korean pine trees he had cut in the mountains had not yet been hauled back.


    Every day he needed to start a fire for cooking, which meant a steady consumption of firewood.


    Moreover, he had to consider the amount needed for rainy days and the long winter, so it was imperative to take advantage of the current season and stockpile more.


    Upon reaching the mountains, he checked on the condition of the Ant Nest.


    Fourth led three Worker Ants in digging out a new side chamber, apparently in preparation for food storage. The four Worker Ants were continually expanding the side chamber to store more food.


    ¡°Success depends on forethought; without it, one will fail.¡±


    With an ample food supply, they would have no worries, whether in the lengthy winter or during the harsh rainy days.


    Qin Niu watched for a while, then went about his own business.


    He made multiple trips transporting firewood home, deliberately staying busy until dark before descending the mountain, hoping to encounter a wild beast that would attack him.


    Unfortunately, he never encountered such ¡®good luck¡¯.


    The sounds of wolves howling and beasts roaring constantly came from the depths of the mountains, but none appeared to seek him out for a fight.


    ¡°Alas! How interesting life is. When you¡¯re powerless, you fear meeting formidable beasts, but now that I have some strength, I yearn for such an encounter, and yet it eludes me.¡±


    Qin Niu lacked the Hunter¡¯s hunting skills and couldn¡¯t track down wild beasts.


    All he could do was ¡®fish for the law¡¯.


    Using himself as bait and waiting for some fierce beast to take an interest in him, then his opportunity would arrive.


    The next day, he entered the mountains early in the morning.


    This was because his previous encounter with the old wolf occurred just after dawn.


    As usual, he went to check the Ant Nest.


    Inside the egg-laying chamber, the number of ant eggs had increased from ten yesterday to twenty today.


    The Ant Queen had laid another ten ant eggs the previous night.


    Its reproductive capacity was truly formidable.


    Only Queens of Ants and Bees are capable of such prolific daily egg-laying.


    But the Bee Queen¡¯s daily output is far less than that of the Ant Queen.


    In terms of reproductive ability, the Ant Queen is undoubtedly the most frenetic of all creatures.


    At this rate, by next month, the ant colony will likely undergo explosive growth.


    From laying to hatching and morphing into adult insects, the cycle only takes about twenty days.


    Theoretically, in just about twenty more days, the number of Worker Ants in this colony will rise from four to fourteen, and then increase by ten every day.


    By then, the growth of this ant colony will be unstoppable.


    Qin Niu had been studying Insect Master knowledge recently and was considering strengthening this termite colony.


    The most important thing was to upgrade the Ant Queen.


    If the Ant Queen grew stronger, so would its offspring.


    ¡­


    Life passed day by day, uneventful yet fulfilling.


    He never encountered another wild beast.


    It was unclear whether it was because his own strength had increased and the wild beasts could sense the danger and dared not approach, or simply because he was unlucky.


    He thought that maybe venturing deeper into the mountains might result in encounters with fierce beasts.


    With his current strength, he could barely handle one or two wolves.


    If he were to come across a tiger or leopard, he figured he wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to run for his life.


    Being always cautious, he certainly wouldn¡¯t take such a risk.


    The number of eggs laid by the Ant Queen remained consistent at ten per day, neither more nor less. By the eighth day, it had laid a total of eighty ant eggs.


    Possibly taking into account that there were only four Worker Ants and the limited amount of food they could bring back, the Ant Queen stopped laying eggs after producing eighty.


    Qin Niu had been learning Insect Master knowledge every day, working hard to become a Preparatory Bug Master.


    No one in the village knew he was raising a termite colony.


    Being someone who preferred to keep a low profile, he certainly wouldn¡¯t reveal his hand to outsiders.


    After more than ten days, the first batch of ant eggs successfully hatched, and after several molts, they evolved into mature insects.


    They appeared larger than the first batch of Worker Ants and their bodies seemed stronger.


    Fourth and the other three Worker Ants had been extremely busy during this period.


    Digging and expanding the nest, storing food, feeding the Ant Queen and the larvae, they were swamped with work.


    ¡°`


    Thank goodness, the hardest days have finally passed.


    All ten termite eggs from the second batch hatched successfully, and they metamorphosed into adult insects, instantly giving us ten new forces.


    With ten additional worker ants, the productivity and support capabilities of this ant colony would increase by more than threefold.


    Qin Niu stood in front of the ant nest, grinning foolishly by himself.


    It really hadn¡¯t been easy.


    After nearly two months of perseverance, the ant colony was slowly growing stronger, and its ability to survive was substantially improving.


    His dream of becoming an Insect Master was gradually coming true.


    Although termites couldn¡¯t be used like crickets in fighting matches to win their owner a fortune, nor could they, like the cripple¡¯s rat, help people find lost objects, termites had their unique abilities.


    Qin Niu initially raised them to assist with farming.


    As his knowledge on being an Insect Master kept growing, he discovered the role of termites was far more significant than that.


    As long as he raised them well, they would have great potential in the future.


    They could even help their owner in combat.


    Guided by Fourth, the ten newly born worker ants quickly learned foraging skills and wilderness survival experience alongside their nestmates.


    Watching all this, Qin Niu felt sweeter than honey in his heart.


    Tomorrow, the third batch of termite eggs should also metamorphose into adult insects, and this termite colony will enter a rapid expansion period.


    The Ant Queen had been continuously accumulating energy these days.


    Its body had grown two or three times larger than before.


    Chubby and white, it lay lazily in the nest, hardly moving at all.


    Its only job was one¡ªto lay eggs.


    When Qin Niu returned home, he saw the corn saplings in the field had begun to yield ears of corn.


    The saplings grew taller than a person.


    Lush and green, he estimated harvesting over a thousand pounds of corn shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    As long as he waited until next month, he could eat his fill every meal and indulge in fine grains without having to endure those hard-to-swallow wild vegetables and tree barks anymore.


    In the middle of the night, while Qin Niu was sleeping soundly, a sudden sense of unease pulsed through his heart.


    He felt very uneasy.


    And was immediately jolted awake.


    ¡°Not good, the ant colony has encountered great danger.¡±


    Qin Niu was the Ant Queen¡¯s owner, and the entire ant colony were his pets.


    Forming a contract with an Ant Queen or Bee Queen came with its advantages.


    Their direct descendants were more like ¡®clones¡¯, equally controlled by the owner.


    At that moment, the ant colony seemed to be facing a major disaster.


    Worker ants had already fallen in battle.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Grade: Grade Two equality-winged insect, upgrade experience 117/1000


    Lifespan: 4.2 years


    Energy: 2861


    Skills: Reproduction level one 0.85/10, Feigning death level one 2/10


    Talent: Medium intelligence


    Ant Colony: Subordinate Worker Ants 4, lifespan 3 months. Ordinary Worker Ants 9, lifespan 3 years.


    One of the newly metamorphosed worker ants had already died.


    Qin Niu, burning with anxiety, disregarding the danger, immediately grabbed a firewood knife and a medicine hoe and raced into the mountains in the dark.


    This termite colony was the result of nearly two years of his efforts, depleting his family¡¯s wealth on just three low-grade Contract Charms.


    It had been a struggle to succeed once, but now, as the ant colony was on the cusp of a snowball-like expansion, it had met with a significant crisis.


    It was already worth risking his life to save them.


    The most important one was the Ant Queen.


    Then came ¡®Fourth¡¯.


    As long as these two termites were safe, even if all the other worker ants and eggs were lost, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    They could quickly rebuild.


    Fortunately, there was a crescent moon in the sky to light the path ahead.


    The bright moonlight fell evenly across the earth, casting a mysterious veil over the landscape and making the mountains at night even more eerie and cold.


    When Qin Niu arrived at the scene, the entire nest was in disarray.

 Chapter 15 - 15 Chapter 14 Section 2 Insect Control Skill_1

    15 Chapter 14 Section 2 Insect Control Skill_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The battle seemed to have ended.


    The ant colony had suffered heavy casualties.


    Fortunately, the Ant Queen had not died amidst the misfortune.


    Sensing the presence of her master, the Ant Queen slowly crawled out from the depths of the nest. Along with her came Fourth and five young ants born just yesterday.


    It was apparent that Fourth was injured.


    One of his antennae was broken, but the Ant Queen was safe and sound.


    Qin Niu had seen the Ant Queen emerge from a sealed side chamber, thanks to Fourth¡¯s early foresight in digging this refuge.


    Qin Niu lay on the ground, carefully examining the ground. It was a mess of dense, puncture-like footprints.


    That was the work of the centipede.


    Centipedes enjoy hunting at night, and the magnified ant colony likely caught its attention.


    Or maybe the ten newly born young ants didn¡¯t know how to hide their scent and were discovered by the centipede.


    This nest definitely couldn¡¯t be inhabited anymore.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Control level was still very low; he couldn¡¯t even communicate with his own ant colony.


    He could only try to stare intently at the Ant Queen and then concentrate his mind, striving to use that hint of the mysterious power of the contract to communicate with her.


    The Ant Queen, having survived the calamity, must have been terrified.


    He could feel her soul trembling.


    ¡°You must find a new nest!¡±


    Qin Niu conveyed this command to her.


    Once, twice¡­ he repeatedly sent the order to the Ant Queen through the thin power of the contract.


    It was a kind of silent spiritual communication.


    He had learned it from the Insect Control Books as well. Novices could stare at their pets and then focus their thoughts, frequently sending simple commands.


    Theoretically, the simpler the commands sent during the first communication, the better.


    After gaining experience in successful communication, one can slowly try slightly more complex commands.


    Step by step.


    Nighttime is when insects are most active, for instance, this Ant Queen prefers to lay eggs at night.


    It¡¯s said that a mature Ant Queen, regardless of day or night, can lay eggs like a super egg-laying machine, producing one every two or three seconds.


    Her current Breeding Skill was still elementary, allowing her only to lay eggs at night.


    Moreover, she could lay only ten eggs per day.


    The Ant Queen seemed to understand that her master was communicating with her. She waved her antennae and tilted her head slightly up, silently looking at Qin Niu.


    Her vision was actually very poor; she could only see objects a dozen centimeters away.


    She mainly relied on her antennae to receive information.


    ¡°Master¡­ received!¡±


    Finally, she responded.


    Qin Niu¡¯s mind echoed with the Ant Queen¡¯s vague response.


    She was like a baby learning to speak.


    [You have successfully grasped Ant Talk and learned the skill to communicate with insect-type pets.]


    With the appearance of the prompt,


    Qin Niu checked his personal attributes.


    Sure enough, a new skill had appeared in his ability column.


    Insect Control category: Insect Trace Identification Beginner 0.02/10, Ant Talk Beginner 0.01/10.


    Unbeknownst to him, he had already acquired two Insect Control skills.


    This greatly advanced his step towards becoming an Insect Master.


    Ant Talk was an essential skill for communicating with insect species.


    Without a common language, one could not even command their own pets.


    Now it was good, with the skill of Ant Talk, he could already communicate normally with the ant colony.


    Reading more books did have benefits.


    Too bad books were generally expensive, and there were very few professional books on Insect Control.


    ¡°Fourth!¡±


    After grasping Ant Talk, Qin Niu tried to communicate with the injured Fourth.


    Ant Talk proficiency +0.01.


    ¡°I¡¯m here! Master!¡±


    Fourth replied clearly.


    It seemed his spiritual power was even stronger than the Ant Queen¡¯s.


    Fourth had always been quite exceptional.


    ¡°Is your injury serious?¡±


    Fourth waved his remaining antennae, the broken one reduced to a small stump, incapable of movement.


    Or perhaps, even if it moved, it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable.


    ¡°Fourth doesn¡¯t know!¡±


    He sent back the message.


    ¡°Are you seriously hurt?¡±


    Qin Niu phrased the question differently.


    This time Fourth understood his master¡¯s meaning.


    ¡°Not serious!¡±


    ¡°Just my sense of smell has worsened!¡±


    He responded in two parts.


    Probably still unaccustomed to communicating mentally with his master, so he could only answer in two parts.


    ¡°What food can help you heal?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know!¡±


    He was still unable to engage in such a complex conversation with Qin Niu.


    Every time Qin Niu communicated with him, the proficiency in Ant Talk increased by 0.01.


    This was quite good.


    Just a thousand more conversations, and he could upgrade to the next level.


    By then, he should be able to engage in more complex conversations.


    This would also provide him with substantial help in raising other insect-type pets in the future.


    ¡°Consult with your mother and pick a new nest location.¡±


    He still didn¡¯t understand.


    Qin Niu could only break down the message and send it several times.


    Moving, choosing a nesting location, safety was most important.


    This time he understood.


    ¡°A new home has already been chosen!¡±


    Fourth led the way ahead, guiding the Ant Queen and the other five young worker ants to relocate.


    The five young worker ants each carried an immature young ant out of the nest.


    Termites have a characteristic behavior during relocation, first moving newly laid eggs and finally the hatched young ants and nymphs.


    This was part of their survival wisdom, difficult for humans to comprehend.


    Because of her swollen body, the Ant Queen moved quite clumsily. It¡¯s still manageable now, but Ant Queens that have grown for over a decade tend to be round and large, basically immobile.


    Qin Niu watched as Fourth expertly led the way, leaving scent trails for the Ant Queen and young worker ants to follow.


    They arrived under a relatively large camphor tree.


    The old nest was some distance away, not too far, just over fifty meters.


    For Qin Niu, it was only a matter of a few steps.


    An adult termite could crawl about six meters in a minute.


    For over fifty meters, they would need more than ten minutes.


    Fourth climbed to the base of the camphor tree and immediately started ascending.


    About two meters up the trunk, there was a scar left by a broken-off branch.


    Every winter, when heavy snow falls, some branches would break off because they couldn¡¯t bear the weight.


    Camphor trees are brittle, and this broken branch was quite large.


    It must have been two or three years.


    You could see a big scar where the surrounding bark had naturally healed over, forming a thick layer of bark.


    But the center was hollow.


    Fourth climbed to a spot and then scraped a few times to reveal a small hole.


    Judging by how familiar it was with the process, it had obviously discovered this cave a long time ago.


    And it had made some simple coverings at the entrance to prevent other insects from taking over first.


    ¡°Did you dig this?¡±


    Qin Niu communicated with it.


    ¡°There was originally a bug hole!¡±


    ¡°Then I dug it out some more.¡±


    What a sly creature, having multiple bolt-holes! It seems I don¡¯t need to worry about their new nest, with this new residence, they will be able to settle down quickly.


    First, Fourth made sure the Ant Queen was well settled.


    Then it organized five young worker ants to relocate the eggs from the old nest.


    Qin Niu felt that there was no need to keep that centipede around any longer. It had caused a great disaster this time and almost wiped out Qin Niu¡¯s entire termite colony, so naturally, it could not be let off lightly.


    Following the trail it left behind, he searched for it.


    He quickly arrived at the rock.


    You could still see the termite bodies it had bitten to pieces.


    The bastard, it wouldn¡¯t be fair not to kill it considering the heinous acts it has committed.


    Insect Trace Identification skill proficiency +0.01.


    Qin Niu¡¯s proficiency in this Insect Control skill had improved a little bit more.


    Using the medicinal hoe in his hand, he pried open a three-to-four-hand-sized irregular rock. It was that kind of very brittle shale.


    Centipedes almost never dig burrows.


    They prefer hiding in such dark and damp places, especially under rocks.


    As soon as the rock was lifted, he saw a deep red centipede half a foot long. Its head was red, and its body was covered with a thick, dark red carapace.


    Startled, it immediately tried to escape.


    All wild animals have their own set of survival skills. They judge whether the enemy is much stronger than them.


    If they are outmatched, or if it is likely to result in mutual destruction, they often choose to flee.


    A centipede is ferocious in nature.


    But it¡¯s not stupid.


    ¡°You think you can run?¡±


    A fierce killing intent flashed in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes as the medicinal hoe pressed down on its body.


    It immediately turned to bite.


    Unfortunately, biting the hard medicinal hoe was utterly futile.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    He killed the centipede on the spot.


    Qin Niu checked and found two newly born centipedes hidden under the soil.


    Their length was less than an inch.


    They were agile and equally ferocious.


    Without mercy, he must eradicate the roots along with the grass. He directly killed both centipedes.


    Otherwise, once they grew a bit more and separated from the larger centipede, they would pose a huge threat to all insects and ants nearby.


    ¡°The books say that feeding bugs with exotic flowers, fruits, and Spirit Herbs can help strengthen them. Especially for Insect Masters who cultivate poisonous creatures; they prefer to feed their bugs various poisonous insects or toxic plants to enhance their toxicity.¡±


    He wondered if termites could eat these three centipede corpses?


    If he hadn¡¯t understood the insect language before, even if Qin Niu had shoved the centipede corpses into the Ant Nest, the ants wouldn¡¯t have eaten them.


    But now it was different.


    He could communicate with them, ordering them to consume the centipede corpses to achieve evolution.


    At this moment, Fourth was still leading five Young Worker Ants, toiling away with moving their home.


    For them, moving was not an easy task.


    It was a massive project.


    Given their current weak state, choosing to dig a nest on the trunk of that large camphor tree was a very wise decision.


    The height alone was enough to keep them safe from many predators.


    ¡°Fourth, I¡¯ve already killed them!¡±


    Qin Niu saw it as the foreman, assigning it any tasks that needed doing.


    The Ant Queen is not the queen or ruler as humans understand it, but rather the core of an ant colony. When she¡¯s hungry, she emits hunger pheromones, and the Worker Ants will consciously feed her. Should danger arise, the entire colony will protect the Ant Queen and the Breeder Ants.


    Because as long as they survive, the species has hope for continuity.


    In reality, the Ant Queen is just an egg-laying machine.


    There¡¯s no single ruler in an ant colony; it is a highly conscious community with clearly defined roles.


    Even the King Ant is not a ruler either.


    His sole responsibility is to mate with the Ant Queen, and the lifespan of a King Ant is often very short.


    As for Worker Ants and Soldier Ants, they each have their own roles too.


    Whether the Ant Nest needs to be expanded, the food reserves are insufficient, the young ants are hungry, the Ant Queen is hungry¡­ as soon as any Worker Ant discovers these issues, they will consciously address them.


    Soldier Ants, likewise, will naturally guard the nest.


    Upon encountering invaders, they bravely engage the enemy until they repel or kill them.


    If you had to pick a leader for this ant group, it would be the Ant Queen and Fourth.


    At least that¡¯s what Qin Niu believed.


    They both possessed high intelligence, and having them issue commands was most beneficial to the entire colony.


    The wisdom of the Ant Queen, at present, focused mainly on which Ant Queens to breed, and managing the numbers accordingly.


    Fourth, on the other hand, was responsible for nest building, expanding, foraging, enemy defense, and caring for the newly hatched ants, among other tasks.


    When Qin Niu threw the centipede corpses into the tree hole, Fourth touched the centipede corpses with its remaining antennae.


    ¡°Happy!¡±


    ¡°Pleasure!¡±


    Fourth sent signals to Qin Niu.


    It felt extremely vindicated that their great enemy had been killed by their master.


    ¡°Drag them into the hole, eat them,¡± Qin Niu ordered it.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Need time!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very hard!¡±


    Fourth obeyed Qin Niu¡¯s command but also had its own thoughts.

 Chapter 16 - 16 Chapter 15 The Meat Delivery Has Arrived_1

    16 Chapter 15 The Meat Delivery Has Arrived_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    Qin Niu did not leave, but stood guard over a few worker ants as they relocated, to prevent any accidents from happening again.


    His insect communication skill proficiency was still very low, and it seemed that he could only communicate with Fourth and the Ant Queen for now.


    For some reason, the other five young worker ants seemed to be completely unable to communicate with Qin Niu normally.


    How to put it, it was like playing the lute to a cow.


    It was possible that their intelligence was relatively low, or maybe they were not yet mature, possessing weak spiritual power.


    This was the conclusion Qin Niu ultimately reached.


    Perhaps once his insect communication skill as the master improved, he would be able to communicate with them normally.


    While he leaned against the huge camphor tree, absorbed in watching the ants move, he suddenly felt his scalp tighten and a chill spread all over his body.


    He had experienced this sensation once before.


    That morning when he was targeted by an old wolf was exactly like this.


    But this time, it was even more intense, enough to make his heart palpitate.


    It meant that the predator targeting him was much more powerful than the old wolf.


    ¡°Is it a tiger?¡±


    Generally, tigers preferred to hunt for food at dusk. However, when they hadn¡¯t had their fill, or when they had young tigers to feed, they would often hunt until dawn.


    They might even come out to hunt during the day.


    Qin Niu felt both nervous and an uncontrollable excitement.


    Eating coarse grains and vegetables was nothing new; he had long wished to catch some meat to improve his life.


    The nearly stagnant state of his cultivation had made him somewhat restless.


    People are like this, having experienced surges in cultivation, improving three or four points in a day, and now not even able to increase by 0.1 in a day, he naturally felt dissatisfied.


    Now, he was still far from even reaching the peak of the ordinary mortal Onefold realm, let alone seeking immortality through cultivation.


    In the city, people said that one needed to be at least at the pinnacle of the mortal Tenfold realm to be eligible to step into the true threshold of cultivation.


    In such a rural place, the strongest person Qin Niu knew of was the protector of the landlord Yan Ruohai¡¯s family.


    Any of them could beat a group of grown men until they were searching for their teeth on the ground.


    But the protectors of Yan Ruohai¡¯s family generally had cultivations ranging from peak of the mortal Onefold realm to the early entry into the Twofold realm.


    He still hadn¡¯t moved, his back leaning against the camphor tree.


    Because he worried that any large movement would scare off the ferocious beast lurking in the shadows.


    A rare opportunity to eat meat had come, and he had to seize it.


    He hoped that when he used his firewood knife for the Critical Chop, it wouldn¡¯t fail him, and if he could execute Critical Chop with his first strike, that would be fantastic.


    It would directly maim the beast, preventing it from fleeing and reducing the risk of Qin Niu being counter-killed.


    When he had enough money, he could consider buying a thick-backed Horse-Cleaving Saber made of fine steel.


    After all, a firewood knife was just forged from ordinary iron and was a common agricultural tool, completely incomparable to true weapons designed for combat.


    But even the cheapest weapon made of fine steel would cost at least Two Silver Money and up.


    Something he definitely couldn¡¯t afford right now.


    But with a little time, let alone a weapon forged from fine steel, even one made from Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel would be within his reach.


    Now that he had learned the skills of Insect Trace Identification and insect communication, as long as he improved their proficiency, he would be capable of capturing valuable rare insects to sell.


    Some insects could be sold for more than Hundred Taels of Silver Money, belonging to the category of priceless goods.


    However, if he really captured extremely rare insects, he figured he would try to breed them himself.


    After all, selling them would be a one-time deal, unable to generate revenue in the future.


    If he bred them himself, they would continuously create income for the master.


    His farming skills were also constantly improving, which could equally help him make a lot of money.


    The true purpose of farming was never just about planting ordinary crops; with a higher level, one could even grow such things as Zhu fruits or Spiritual Medicines. Consuming them would lead to a surge in cultivation or break through bottlenecks, typically being worth a fortune.


    Just growing one plant could make a person rich in the area.


    Fourth seemed to also sense its master¡¯s danger, as it abruptly dropped the young ant it was carrying, waving its only remaining antenna, with its mandibles slightly open, ready to attack at any moment.


    It seemed never to know what fear was.


    ¡°Fourth, immediately move the young ants back into the tree hollow, and let the other five young worker ants go in as well, and don¡¯t come out!¡±


    Qin Niu sent the command to Fourth using his spiritual power.


    This iron-headed guy, though loyal enough, was a bit too self-assertive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t understand!¡±


    Fourth¡¯s response almost made him crumble.


    ¡°Return to the tree hollow!¡±


    ¡°Get all the worker ants back to the tree hollow!¡±


    ¡°Stay in the nest and don¡¯t come out.¡±


    ¡°`


    Qin Niu could only send commands to it three times.


    ¡°Received!¡±


    ¡°Master, danger!¡±


    ¡°There is a very terrifying enemy!¡±


    It warned Qin Niu.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! I can defeat it!¡±


    Qin Niu tried to use simple language that was easy for it to understand.


    Fourth led five Worker Ants back to the nest in the tree hollow; their move was also nearing completion, with maybe two or three more trips before it would be finished.


    Once they settled into the tree hollow, they would almost never run out of food for a lifetime.


    They would just need to nibble on this large camphor tree for sustenance.


    However, the smartest move was to not nibble too voraciously. Otherwise, this large camphor tree might collapse or die.


    If that happened, their nest would be destroyed.


    When Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Trace Identification skill is upgraded, he could then admonish these Worker Ants.


    Right now, he could only conduct simple communication; they couldn¡¯t understand anything too complicated.


    Fourth¡¯s lifespan was too short; it was currently equivalent to the entire ant colony¡¯s Marshal, which was extremely important to the ant colony.


    He needed to figure out a way to extend its lifespan.


    So far, it had lived for close to two months. In other words, it had a little over a month left to live.


    The time left for Qin Niu was very short.


    Mainly because he, as the master, was also very weak. Both his strength and his knowledge in controlling insects were mediocre at best, and his capabilities were quite limited.


    ¡°Woo!¡±


    A soul-shaking deep roar sounded, the vegetation rustled loudly, and many of the smaller trees were directly snapped.


    From the nearby thicket, a round Black Bear emerged.


    Its pair of small eyes emitted a faint green glow in the darkness of the night.


    In the mountains, there are three strongest common ferocious beasts: tigers, bears, and wild boars.


    As for the degree of danger, tigers were the most fearsome, the undisputed king of all beasts and lord of the mountains.


    Any beast or large herbivore that caught its attention would not escape its clutches.


    Wild boars and bears were both preys on the tiger¡¯s menu.


    Upon seeing the Black Bear, Qin Niu¡¯s heart sank a little, he leaned his back against the trunk and quickly thought of a strategy to kill it.


    Last time he killed that old wolf, his waist was injured by the wolf¡¯s claws.


    The bear¡¯s claws were much more formidable than the wolf¡¯s.


    One swipe could directly scoop out Qin Niu¡¯s heart or intestines.


    Its biting strength was equally terrifying.


    And its tongue was covered with barbs; a single lick could scrape the flesh off one¡¯s face clean, revealing white bone.


    The market value of a Wolf Skin was about 1-5 Silver Money.


    A superior Wolf Skin could sell for five taels, such as a Snow Wolf Skin or wolf king¡¯s skin.


    For an inferior one, it might only sell for several dozen wen.


    However, a normal Wolf Skin typically had a market price of around two to three Silver Money.


    Bear skin was even more valuable than wolf skin.


    A single Tiger Skin could fetch a market price of up to a Hundred Taels of Silver Money, as it was not only rare but also a symbol of status.


    Wealthy families, eager to save face, were more than willing to spend a Hundred Taels of Silver Money on a tiger skin to lay on their chair.


    Sitting upon the skin of the king of all beasts was a sign of extreme nobility.


    The market price of bear skins was generally over ten taels, and a good one could sell for up to thirty taels.


    This Black Bear was round and plump, with a body length close to two meters.


    It was estimated to weigh at least 270 to 280 pounds.


    It might even weigh up to 300 pounds.


    If he killed it, Qin Niu could have bear meat to eat for a month or two.


    Selling such a large bear skin for twenty Silver Money wouldn¡¯t be a problem, and for him, it was like a huge fortune.


    Of course, if it was too damaged, the value would definitely be greatly diminished.


    If Hunters were present, they would probably use bows and arrows against it.


    This way, the skin would suffer minimal damage, and the value of the bear skin would be high.


    Right now, Qin Niu needed to consider not how intact the bear skin would remain but how to kill it with the smallest possible cost.

 Chapter 17 - 17 Chapter 16 Desperate Bear_1

    17 Chapter 16 Desperate Bear_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Black bears are generally more timid and act with far more caution than wild boars and tigers.


    Despite having locked onto Qin Niu, it didn¡¯t immediately launch an attack.


    Instead, it advanced step by step, mainly testing.


    As it kept closing in, Qin Niu¡¯s soul trembled, his scalp numbed, and his heart fluttered. Fear was spreading rapidly deep in his heart.


    Only when facing it could one truly sense its terrifying ferocity.


    Considering the situation, it was very likely it wouldn¡¯t test an attack but rather strike Qin Niu with a deadly blow directly.


    Qin Niu had already quietly gripped the firewood knife.


    If he could avoid injury, even if he slashed the bear¡¯s skin until it was worthless, he would still be happy to do so.


    With every step it took, the fur on its body and the thick layer of fat beneath it trembled.


    Looking at its thick skin and flesh, it was genuinely hard to know where to make a cut.


    The main issue was that the firewood knife wasn¡¯t designed for combat; it had no tip. Other than hacking, it was impossible to use for stabbing.


    To deal with such a tough beast, the easiest lethal attack would be a stab, not a slash.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    It rose on its hind legs, landing firmly on the ground, and instantly reached a height of around two meters and sixty centimeters. This was far above Qin Niu¡¯s height.


    That kind of overwhelming terrifying presence could easily frighten someone out of their wits.


    A large white triangular patch appeared between its front paws.


    Whew!


    Without any fancy moves, it directly raked its right forepaw, which had five evenly spaced claws as sharp as steel knives, towards Qin Niu¡¯s head.


    When strength is powerful enough to crush an opponent, no tricks are needed.


    Its body seemed bulky, but its attack was surprisingly fast.


    Fortunately, Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation had improved quite a bit recently, and daily farm work and chopping firewood had conditioned his body well.


    He ducked down and dodged to the side.


    Shhh!


    Bark was torn off in large pieces and fell to the ground. Even the hard trunk of the tree revealed five deep gouges, two to three centimeters deep.


    If it had been a scrape on his body, it would have easily torn the ribs apart.


    Just one strike could leave Qin Niu severely injured or dead.


    This was the real strength of a black bear.


    All wild beasts are fierce, nimble and agile, and possess a wealth of combat experience.


    The more formidable ones even have some killing moves.


    For example, a tiger whipping its tail at its prey can easily break bones with one hit. A tiger¡¯s paw strike is even more fearsome, casually delivering close to a ton of force.


    Imagine that a ton of attack power focused on such a small area; if it hit a person, even the hardest skull would be shattered on impact.


    This is also one of the tigers¡¯ great killing moves that allow them to dominate the forest.


    After dodging, Qin Niu decided to outwit rather than confront head-on.


    Because the black bear¡¯s strength far surpassed his expectations.


    As he retreated, he pressed several reasonably strong bushes down. The black bear, having missed its first attack, naturally followed closely behind.


    Whew!


    This time, it chose to pounce and bite, instead of standing on its hind legs and using its front paws to attack.


    ¡°Good opportunity!¡±


    This was the moment Qin Niu was waiting for; he released the bushes he had deliberately bent down. Due to inertia, they snapped back, viciously striking the black bear¡¯s face.


    This kind of attack couldn¡¯t harm the black bear in the slightest, but it could disrupt its vision.


    Indeed, faced with the sudden rebounding strike from the bushes, it chose to close its eyes to protect its vulnerable eyes from harm. Its figure, however, continued to charge forward.


    Slash!


    Qin Niu had been ready, dodging to the side, he advanced fiercely and swung his knife in a slashing attack.


    At this moment, life and death hung by a thread.


    He naturally exerted all his strength, striking as fast as the wind, fierce as a tiger.


    Decade of practice beneath the stage, a minute of performance upon it.


    The Slash Martial Skill he had painstakingly practiced while chopping wood didn¡¯t fail him at this critical juncture of life and death combat.


    Bang!


    He viciously slashed at the Black Bear¡¯s right foreleg.


    He didn¡¯t aim for the Black Bear¡¯s neck for two reasons, the first being that the chance of success was not high. This beast had extremely rich combat experience, and it protected its vital neck with its two front legs, even when running and lunging to bite.


    It was difficult to strike at its neck.


    The second reason was that aiming for its neck was extremely risky.


    Even if he managed to land a successful chop, its front paws would likely rake across Qin Niu¡¯s head or chest.


    By that time, the bear might be severely injured, but Qin Niu would likely be dead.


    The risk was too great, so he naturally chose a more secure way of fighting.


    Disabling one of its front legs would significantly reduce its mobility and fighting capability.


    Its most formidable weapons were its teeth and front legs.


    ¡°Roar~!¡±


    It let out a piercing and low roar of fury.


    The previous blow hadn¡¯t produced the effect of a Critical Chop, but it was still successful in severing its right front leg. It now hung by a layer of skin at its chest, like a gourd dangling.


    The stark white bone from the severance was visible, and so was the bloody flesh.


    Blood was continuously gushing out.


    Qin Niu thought if it didn¡¯t flee, maybe he could use this wound to directly wear it down to death.


    Having lost an important front leg was akin to losing an arm.


    Its vital neck area was now exposed.


    However, it surprisingly wasn¡¯t much affected by using three legs for movement; it was still agile and swift, which caught Qin Niu off guard.


    Wild beasts, grown in the harsh wilderness, possessed a surprisingly strong will to survive.


    ¡°Woo~!¡±


    The Black Bear had suffered a major loss and didn¡¯t flee, but the green light in its small eyes became even colder.


    One could feel its hatred and anger, as well as its frenzied intent to kill.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    Qin Niu was extremely calm; having struck a successful blow, the Black Bear¡¯s combat strength was greatly damaged, and he hadn¡¯t been injured. The tide had turned, and their strength was now roughly equal.


    He was now considering whether to attack its exposed weak spot, going straight for the critical point, or to disable its other front leg?


    In the end, Qin Niu decided to go for the latter.


    Having some experience severing its front leg already, the success rate was higher.


    After both of its front legs were disabled, its capability to escape, move, and attack would further substantially decrease.


    Then, delivering a fatal strike would increase his odds of victory.


    His eyes were fixed on the Black Bear, determined to fight to the death, yet his right leg was scraping at the ground, brushing away the top layer of decayed leaves and small twigs.


    Then he crouched and quickly grabbed a handful of mountain mud, mixed with some pebbles.


    Trying to use rebounding bushes to attack its eyes again was unlikely to work; the intelligence of a wild beast was not to be underestimated. Having been fooled once, it certainly wouldn¡¯t fall for the same trick a second time.


    This time, Qin Niu had a new trick up his sleeve¡ªhe would greet the beast¡¯s eyes with mountain mud and pebbles.


    He wanted this creature to know that humans weren¡¯t to be trifled with before its death.


    It roared and charged once more, its gaping maw wide open, intent on tearing the human who dared to injure it into pieces.


    ¡°Heh heh, you think you can play for keeps with that little frame?¡±


    Seeing the bear blinded by hatred and desperation, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    When it closed the distance to within two meters, he flung the handful of dirt he held in his hand ¡®over there¡¯.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    Little did the Black Bear know that this human, Old Six, was so cunning!


    It was bad enough to be ambushed with the recoil of branches, but now even worse to have a fistful of hidden weapons thrown at it. Instinctively, it closed its eyes to protect them from being injured.


    Bang!


    Another chop.


    The only remaining left front leg throbbed with piercing agony, and the Black Bear even felt like it wanted to die.


    This despicable human had ambushed it again.


    Both its front legs were now rendered useless by this human.


    If anyone later says that Black Bears are crafty, it would be at odds with them.


    Without its front legs, survival in the jungle had become very difficult. It would be unable to hunt for prey.


    In fact, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t have let it live on anyway.


    ¡°Wuu wuu~!¡±


    With a deep and mournful roar, it stood on its hind legs and charged at Qin Niu in a last-ditch effort.


    Its chest hung two severed front legs, only connected by a bit of skin and flesh.


    As it advanced, the two front legs swung like two soy sauce bottles hanging from its chest.


    The searing pain drove it, with the single thought of tearing apart the human to relieve its hatred.


    Qin Niu licked his lips; the fight with the Black Bear made him feel a significant enhancement in his strength.


    He used to struggle to kill an old wolf, but now, taking down a Black Bear that was much stronger than a wolf was¡­ surprisingly easy.


    The Black Bear, having stood on its hind legs, had no other way to attack except with its gaping mouth after losing its front legs.


    ¡°Little guy!¡±


    Qin Niu crouched and grabbed another handful of dirt.


    The Black Bear, seeing this, felt both hate and fear.


    This despicable human¡¯s trick of using dirt as a hidden weapon was just too dirty.


    It had no choice but to twist its head and close its eyes, unable to defend itself in any other way.


    The Black Bear was truly frightened of the human¡¯s cunning, to the point it turned and ran.


    If it couldn¡¯t win, fleeing was the best option.


    It crashed through the underbrush, breaking even trees as thick as a forearm, leaving them to fall to the sides.


    Like a bulldozer, it forced its way through and carved a path.


    Not seeking revenge anymore?


    Qin Niu was somewhat taken aback.


    Just when he was about to win decisively, how could he let it escape?


    Without any hesitation, he immediately gave chase.


    Although it was down to two legs, its fleeing speed was still astonishingly fast.


    Seeing which direction the beast was headed, it was clear it wanted to flee back to the deep mountains.


    He couldn¡¯t let it have its way.


    The deep mountains were extremely dangerous; Qin Niu would have to give up pursuit when the time came. Moreover, with the bear now wounded, the smell of blood could attract other ferocious beasts.


    He had to make a decision right away.


    He accelerated, catching up to the Black Bear from behind, and aimed a chop at its hind leg.


    The Black Bear, sensing danger, immediately turned to defend and counterattack.


    Qin Niu noticed its two front legs still gushing fresh blood.


    What a pity, it was a top-tier tonic.


    The strength of a bear was especially great.


    Its blood should far surpass Wolf Blood in enhancing someone at the Mortal Realm.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    It lunged at Qin Niu with a fierce bite.


    A cornered rabbit will even bite; not to mention a blinded bear, that in its desperation, even a tiger would choose to steer clear.


    Bang!


    The Black Bear¡¯s massive body, lacking the support of its front legs, collapsed to the ground after its lunge at Qin Niu fell short.


    Scrambling with its sharp bear snout to prop up its body,


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t wait for it to get up; he moved to its side and aimed another chop at one of its hind legs.


    Its reaction was lightning-fast.


    It immediately turned to bite at him, but Qin Niu dodged.


    Still grasping a handful of dirt, he threw it once again at the bear¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Wuu~!¡±


    The bear¡¯s mournful and rage-filled low growl echoed through the mountains.


    What met it was a merciless chop from the human Old Six.


    Bang!


    One of its powerful hind legs was severed.


    With only one leg left, it had completely lost its ability to run away, let alone stand upright.


    Qin Niu was in no hurry to end its life.


    Now that the bear was like meat on a chopping board, he could cut it as he pleased; there was no need to be overly eager. He had to prevent any last desperate strike from it.


    After toying with it like a cat with a mouse for a while and feeling that the time was ripe, he found the right moment to swing his blade fiercely towards its neck.


    He aimed for a killing blow.


    Phew!


    This chop surprisingly produced the effect of a Critical Chop.


    It couldn¡¯t even let out a cry of agony before its enormous bear head was completely severed.


    This was the power of a Slash Martial Skill when it produced a Critical Chop.


    It was truly terrifying.


    With just one chop, he killed a Black Bear so immense that killing an enemy must be as simple as chopping a turnip.


    Qin Niu, seeing a large flow of Bear Blood, did not stand on ceremony; he crouched down quickly, greedily gulping down the spouting blood.


    His belly quickly swelled with fullness.


    There was simply too much Bear Blood.


    Unable to drink any more, he could only watch as it spilled onto the ground, a regretful waste.


    Seeing all that blood go to waste made Qin Niu feel heartache; it was such a shame.


    As the Bear Blood flowed down his throat, he felt as if there were a ball of Rupture flame burning vigorously within his upper abdomen.


    The effect of Bear Blood was far stronger than that of Wolf Blood.

 Chapter 18 - 18 Chapter 17: Drawing a Tiger but Ending Up with a Cat, The Bully Returns_1

    18 Chapter 17: Drawing a Tiger but Ending Up with a Cat, The Bully Returns_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Folklore has always maintained that bear blood strengthens the body, while fox blood nourishes the spirit.


    As his body began to absorb the energy from the bear blood, his blood seemed to boil. Strength surged incessantly throughout his limbs and bones. The physical exertion from the recent fight with the black bear was quickly replenishing, and his cultivation level appeared to be rising at an astonishing rate.


    He had a sudden idea, what would happen if he fed the termite this bear blood?


    Termites are omnivores that can eat almost anything.


    Fourth had been injured, and the other five worker ants had just molted into adults not long ago, still small worker ants, perfect for nourishing with bear blood.


    Qin Niu used a leaf to collect some bear blood and went under the big camphor tree.


    ¡°Fourth, call them out to eat,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu had now learned the language of insects, which allowed him to communicate with the ant colony, a lot more convenient than before.


    There were many skills in insect control, but so far, he had only learned two of the most basic ones.


    This was already very impressive.


    Because all he did was follow the brief descriptions in the Insect Control Books and then comprehend on his own.


    Fourth led the five worker ants out from the depths of the tree hole.


    Seeing them covered in wood chips, they must have been expanding the ant nest.


    Having survived a major disaster was a good thing for them as well; it was a great test. The wild was cruel, with all creatures competing, and only the fittest survived.


    After they emerged, they sniffed the bear blood on the leaves before Fourth started sucking.


    Qin Niu left them to it and turned his attention elsewhere.


    The bear carcass had to be dealt with as soon as possible.


    Learning from his last experience, he planned to sneak it back home this time.


    He understood the principle of concealing his wrongdoing.


    The bear carcass could sell for at least twenty-five or twenty-six silver money.


    The bear¡¯s hide alone could fetch more than twenty silver money, which was a significant sum.


    Qin Niu could use it to buy weapons, cultivation techniques, Insect Control Books, low-grade Contract Charms, and other items.


    And with careful use of that money, he could acquire all these things at once.


    By then, his strength would skyrocket.


    With a cultivation technique, even a common low-grade one, he could reach the peak of the onefold Mortal Realm within ten years.


    Those Protectors hired by the Yan Family weren¡¯t born able to lift a two-hundred-pound bronze cauldron.


    Many of them had some foundational cultivation in their family and started practicing cultivation techniques from a young age.


    Others earned some money through their efforts and bought cultivation techniques to practice on their own, but self-study was usually difficult because the practices were complex.


    Most would spend money to take a master.


    This greatly increased the chances of success.


    Qin Niu looked at the huge bear carcass before him, silently considering how to deal with it.


    It was not yet daybreak, the best time to handle the situation.


    Carrying such a huge bear carcass back home without being noticed was best done by dismembering it.


    After a brief moment of contemplation, he decisively hoisted the bear carcass on his back and headed down the mountain.


    The bear¡¯s head was strapped to his waist with a belt, dangling at his side.


    Quite heavy, at least twenty pounds.


    Once he got home and skinned it, there would be many meals to come.


    The bear¡¯s head was full of bones, and making soup out of it would surely have strengthening effects on the sinews and bones.


    He was clever, choosing to bring the bear carcass to a forest closer to the village. It not only reduced the chances of other wild animals finding a steal but also saved time going back and forth.


    Because few fierce animals moved around on the outermost ridges of the mountain.


    Since he planned to dismember the black bear, he would have to return home many times.


    He picked a forest close to home to hide the bear carcass, then returned home with the bear¡¯s head.


    Having considered all aspects, such capability was truly frightening.


    He brought the bear¡¯s head home to fetch a knife and a basket, making his way under the starlit sky while the entire village was still silent.


    The people were immersed in their dreams.


    But Qin Niu was still extremely cautious, wrapping the bear¡¯s head in his clothes. He knew that it was better to be safe than sorry.


    If someone woke up for a midnight bathroom break or heard noises and glanced outside, his action of bringing the bear carcass home would be exposed at once.


    ¡­


    Busy until dawn, he finally managed to dispose of all the bear carcass and carry it home in the basket.


    The whole process went relatively smoothly.


    However, his frequent trips into the mountains with the basket on his back in the middle of the night had surely caught people¡¯s attention.


    So he came up with a clever ploy to deceive them all.


    He would first make detours into his own poor-quality field.


    He brought the bear carcass home and hid it under the pile of firewood in the backyard. To cover up the smell of blood, he made some initial salt-curing treatments.


    Luckily, drinking bear blood had given him tremendous strength, as if he had endless energy.


    After hiding the bear carcass at home, he washed the blood off his body and cleaned up any traces.


    By now, outside it was fully light.


    Despite being very tired, he still went out with the basket on his back.


    He checked the field and then went into the mountains again.


    When he came out again, he was carrying a basket of humus.


    ¡°Ah Niu, I saw you busy all night yesterday, what were you doing in the mountains?¡±


    A village woman peered into his basket.


    Qin Niu said nothing, simply lowering his head and continuing into the cornfield with the basket on his back.


    After three trips, many of the villagers had seen, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that he was carrying humus from the mountains.


    Wang Furen came over, hands clasped behind his back.


    ¡°Ah Niu, how have you considered the matter I mentioned last time about buying the fertilizer recipe?¡±


    He glanced at the humus piled up in the field like a small mound.


    It was what Qin Niu had carried back basket by basket.


    ¡°Not selling!¡± Qin Niu replied tersely.


    Wang Furen had ¡®copied¡¯ Qin Niu¡¯s homemade fertilizer recipe last time, hiring people to carry humus from the mountain and then make his own fertilizer.

 Chapter 19 - 19 Chapter 17: Drawing a Tiger but Ending Up with a Cat, The Bully Returns_2

    19 Chapter 17: Drawing a Tiger but Ending Up with a Cat, The Bully Returns_2


    Translator: 549690339


    As a result, trying to draw a tiger but ending up with a cat, not only did he fail to achieve the desired fertilizer effect, but he also caused a batch of corn seedlings to stop growing, their leaves turning yellow.


    A miss is as good as a mile.


    The mix of fertilizers should be as precise as that of traditional Chinese medicine.


    If you use too much of what should be used sparingly, and too little of what should be amply employed, the result will naturally not be effective.


    ¡°Even Xu Zhenchang from our village knows this technique. I asked him about the price, and he only charges me eight Wen Money for a basket of fertilizer. Considering that we are neighbors, I¡¯ll charge you ten Wen Money per basket,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Wang Furen, in his attempt to haggle the price, did not hesitate to bring up Xu Zhenchang as Qin Niu¡¯s competitor.


    There are definitely those who have reached the level of a middle-ranking farmer.


    It¡¯s just that everyone excels in different areas. Some are good at sowing, some excel at weeding, others are adept at loosening the soil¡­


    Someone like Qin Niu, who is proficient in all five basic planting skills, is not nonexistent but absolutely rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn.


    While fertilizer is indeed the most critical aspect of planting techniques, there aren¡¯t many who understand how to mix it well.


    Very few farmers are willing to spend time finely honing this skill, let alone buying books to study it.


    Many can¡¯t even recognize a few characters.


    Being able to write one¡¯s own name already puts one ahead of over 60% of people.


    Old Man Liu not only adopted Qin Niu but also taught him to read and write.


    This was the greatest treasure left to Qin Niu.


    Xu Zhenchang indeed has some fame when it comes to crop cultivation and is one of the top planters in the village.


    He used to be a tenant farmer for the great landlord Yan Rusong.


    A tenant farmer is someone who rents another¡¯s land to farm; besides paying taxes, they must give half of their crops to the landlord.


    This half is not based on actual yield but on the average yield from previous years. For example, if everyone harvested two thousand pounds of corn per acre last year, then this year¡¯s rent will be one thousand pounds of corn.


    Since collecting rent is easier than farming oneself, many landlords prefer to rent out their land.


    But not many farmers dare to rent land.


    Because in case of a natural disaster, if the harvest is poor, a year of hard work might still result in a loss.


    Better to work as a long-term or temporary worker for a landlord. Although it¡¯s less freedom, at least there is a stable income.


    Many people think landlords are ruthless exploiters who oppress the poor, but it¡¯s not like what people imagine.


    Everything is voluntary.


    Whether renting land from the landlord or working for them, it¡¯s a choice one makes voluntarily.


    It¡¯s not that landlords are fiendish, forcing the poor to rent their land or work for them with a knife to their necks.


    This is somewhat akin to the modern concept of renting commercial space.


    If you think you have a talent for business, you might rent a space and start a business. Otherwise, you might just have to work for someone else.


    Xu Zhenchang serves as a role model for countless tenant farmers.


    Because his agricultural skills improved over time, the land he rented from the Yan Family produced good harvests each year.


    After more than a decade of hard work, not only did he marry a beautiful wife and move into an impressive house, but he also purchased some property. A true success story.


    Currently, Xu Zhenchang not only farms over ten acres of his own land but also rents over a hundred acres from the Yan Family.


    He is one of their largest tenant farmers.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t possibly manage so much work by himself, so he hired quite a few helpers at home.


    He personally oversees the agricultural techniques.


    Wang Furen¡¯s idea to use Xu Zhenchang to get Qin Niu¡¯s self-prepared fertilizer for ten Wen Money per basket was not a bad one.


    It¡¯s just unfortunate that he still underestimated Qin Niu.


    ¡°The same words as before, Uncle Wang. If you think Xu Boss¡¯s fertilizer is cost-effective, you can buy his. As for mine, it stands at that price, but I can guarantee the effectiveness of my fertilizer,¡± Qin Niu maintained firmly.


    Qin Niu was firm about his pricing.


    If he sold it cheap this time, it would always have to be sold cheap in the future.


    Fifty Wen Money per basket was definitely a steep profit.


    But he was earning for his expertise.


    And expertise itself is priceless.


    ¡°Not one Wen Money less?¡± Wang Furen¡¯s tone had softened considerably.


    ¡°Not a single Wen can be spared,¡± Qin Niu stood firm.


    ¡°Alright, I will consider it more!¡± Wang Furen, with hands clasped behind his back, walked away. His tone had loosened up quite a lot since last time, and his intent to purchase seemed much stronger.


    Watching the corn that Qin Niu had grown change daily, thriving healthily.


    They had started to bear ears of corn, each stalk with two to three ears; he truly envied them from the bottom of his heart.


    Fifty Wen Money per basket was sincerely not cheap, and Wang Furen, a businessman by trade, wouldn¡¯t consider a transaction that resulted in a loss.


    Each basket of fertilizer would have to bring him an income of at least one hundred Wen Money for him to even think about it.


    Grain prices, affected by natural disasters and pests, are highly volatile.


    In years of severe drought, grain prices typically remain high for at least two years. Both landlords and ordinary people, upon seeing a drought, would hoard grain and sell sparingly, with prices changing daily.


    Due to drought causing a decrease in crop yields, poor harvests within the year mean that the new crop will take at least six months to come forth.


    Thus, famine is bound to occur.


    So, in every severe drought, grain prices would stay at a high level for at least two years.


    Last year, a minor drought did not greatly affect grain prices, just a slight increase.


    This year, the price of one stone (approximately 120 pounds) of corn is around 120 Wen Money.


    Which is roughly one Wen Money per pound, and that¡¯s when prices are normal.


    For an ordinary laborer in a landlord¡¯s family, the annual income is three taels of Silver Money, plus allowances for firewood and shoes, totaling at most 3.6 taels of Silver Money for the year.


    That¡¯s equivalent to a wage of ten Wen Money a day.


    This income is very low, only enough to buy ten pounds of corn. But its advantage lies in its stability, sufficient to support parents and children.


    The daily income of a grown man is only enough to buy ten pounds of grain; grain is not cheap.

 Chapter 20 - 20 Chapter 17: Drawing a Tiger but Ending Up with a Cat, The Bully Returns_3

    20 Chapter 17: Drawing a Tiger but Ending Up with a Cat, The Bully Returns_3


    Translator: 549690339


    A mu of good land producing 1,500 jin of corn is considered a very good yield.


    Converted into silver money, it¡¯s only worth about 1.5 taels of silver.


    If one mu of land needs ten baskets of fertilizer, costing fifty wen apiece, that¡¯s a total of five hundred wen!


    After subtracting the laborer¡¯s wages, the cost of seeds, there¡¯s hardly any profit left.


    Wang Furen asked about it twice but didn¡¯t make a purchase, and that was exactly the reason.


    There was nothing else, it was just too expensive.


    There¡¯s hardly any profit to be made.


    Qin Niu had now obtained a bear skin, so selling or not selling the fertilizer didn¡¯t really matter to him.


    Working in the field was merely a ruse to deceive others.


    He planned to set off with the bear skin before dawn tomorrow to sell it for a good price in the city, then return with some cultivation materials.


    He hadn¡¯t been busy for long when he heard someone calling him.


    ¡°Ah Niu, get your ass over here!¡±


    A thunderous roar erupted from not too far away.


    Qin Niu stood up straight and looked outside the corn field, only to see Wang Haikun¡¯s robust figure appearing on the road not far off.


    Seeing this person pay an unexpected visit, Qin Niu felt a slight heaviness in his heart.


    Damn it, it seemed that the village bully had heard the news and was coming to plunder again.


    Wang Haikun had gotten a big windfall by easily snatching that wolf skin last time.


    That wolf skin could be sold for at least 1.5 taels of silver, equivalent to half a year¡¯s salary for an ordinary person.


    How could Wang Haikun not be eager?


    ¡°Master Kun, what brings you here?¡±


    Qin Niu steadied his spirit and went to meet him with a hoe on his shoulder.


    He decided to start with small talk first.


    This time he had learned his lesson from the previous time, and it was impossible for others to find out.


    At most, they might suspect something because of his frequent trips into the mountain late at night. He had to keep his cool.


    ¡°Cut the crap and hand over the game right now!¡±


    Wang Haikun¡¯s face darkened, his eyes shining with a fierce light as he stared intently at him.


    Upon hearing this, Qin Niu knew it was virtually as he had surmised. Wang Haikun was asking for the game to be handed over, not the bear carcass.


    Additionally, even though Wang Haikun seemed fierce in tone and ferocious in expression, it was just the usual tactics he used to intimidate common folks.


    There was cunning hiding in the depths of his eyes.


    He was trying to trick Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu¡¯s strength had improved greatly since a month ago. His Blade Technique had reached a level of minor achievement, with a 10% chance of unleashing a Critical Chop.


    Even before drinking bear blood, his cultivation had already reached Onfold 37.6/100.


    Now he would only be stronger.


    Should he actually fight Wang Haikun, his chances of winning were at least seventy percent.


    If he could catch Wang Haikun by surprise with a sneak attack, it was almost a sure win.


    So at this moment, faced with the number one bully of the village, Qin Niu actually felt quite calm inside. This was the confidence and self-possession that came with having great strength.


    With knowledge as your inner treasure, you exude an elegant demeanor.


    Having power naturally brings fearlessness and composure.


    However, Qin Niu still put on a facade of timidness and subservience on the surface.


    ¡°Master Kun, please come to my house and see what I eat every day! Where would I get game from?¡±


    Qin Niu was well-prepared, confident he could deceive Wang Haikun.


    His response was natural, without a hint of a crack.


    ¡°Hmph, stop bullshitting me here. Someone saw you going in and out of the mountain last night, surely you¡¯ve got some game and don¡¯t want others to know. Be smart and hand it over, or don¡¯t blame my Black Tiger Fist for being merciless.¡±


    Wang Haikun glared, his eyes as big as copper bells, and clenched his fists so hard they crackled ominously.


    He positioned himself as if ready to strike.


    ¡°Oh, Kun Ye, Kun Ye, you¡¯re truly wronging me here. I saw that the corn in the fields was almost ready to tassel, and worried about the rain forecast for these few days, so I dug up some fertile mud from the mountains to use as fertilizer in the middle of the night.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s face wore an expression of panic as he explained himself repeatedly.


    Wang Haikun lifted his gaze toward the cornfield.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, those fertile mud are all carried back from the mountains by me. I¡¯ve been busy until now and haven¡¯t even taken a break!¡±


    Qin Niu pointed to the piles of humus.


    Wang Haikun, seeing the mounds of fertile mud piled up like small hills, was partly convinced.


    However, this man was always cunning and wasn¡¯t going to give up just yet.


    ¡°Take me to your house to have a look!¡±


    ¡°Please, Kun Ye!¡±


    Qin Niu appeared extremely cooperative, which again alleviated some of Wang Haikun¡¯s suspicions.


    Following Qin Niu to his home, Wang Haikun sniffed with his nose as he entered.


    Then he looked around the interior of Qin Niu¡¯s house and saw nothing suspicious.


    He walked over to the stove and lifted the lid of the pot.


    Inside, there were some wild vegetables and tree bark being cooked, with only a few grains of corn visible.


    ¡°Pah! Is this swill for pigs or for human consumption?¡±


    Wang Haikun could hardly stand the smell.


    This was no food for humans!


    ¡°You see, if I had game meat would I be eating this? Let me also take you to see the backyard, Kun Ye!¡±


    Qin Niu displayed an attitude of actively facilitating the inspection.


    The more proactive and natural his expression, the more it would dispel Wang Haikun¡¯s doubts.


    Wang Haikun followed him out to the backyard and saw nothing but a large pile of firewood that seemed suspicious.


    He strode to the front of the firewood pile and casually kicked some of the wood aside to check.


    Qin Niu followed behind, subconsciously licking his lips.


    This was the gesture he made before making a Critical Chop against the Black Bear or the old wolf.


    If Wang Haikun found the bear meat hidden in the woodpile, Qin Niu would likely take a desperate chance and leave the man behind.


    Of course, the consequences of doing so would be severe.


    ¡°Wang Haikun! You¡¯ve come yet haven¡¯t stopped by my place for a cup of tea. Are you criticizing my hospitality from last time for not being thorough enough?¡±


    The voice of Wang Furen came from outside the house.


    Was this a deliberate diversion to help Qin Niu?


    Wang Haikun had already dismissed his suspicions, and he found nothing even after kicking the firewood pile.


    Then came Wang Furen¡¯s voice calling out to him from outside the house.


    He promptly turned and walked outside.


    ¡°Damn it, that bastard Xie Laizi talked as if it was true, saying that Ah Niu from the village has brought home game meat again. If he dares to trick me, I¡¯ll have to teach him a lesson,¡± Wang Haikun cursed as he left.


    After hearing this, Qin Niu¡¯s gaze flashed with a hint of murderous intent.


    If Wang Haikun was a fierce tiger, then Xie Laizi was the haunting ghost, specifically assisting the tiger in his deeds.


    ¡°Kun Ye, calm down, Uncle Xie was also trying to earn some credit in front of you so as to lessen¡­¡±


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, was actually speaking on behalf of the despicable Xie Laizi.


    There was, of course, a profound reason for this.


    Mid-sentence, he suddenly stopped talking.


    ¡°Lessen what?¡±


    Wang Haikun turned his head to stare at Qin Niu with an unfriendly tone, demanding an answer.


    Already cunning and suspicious, the less Qin Niu was willing to talk, the more Wang Haikun wanted to know.


    Qin Niu put on an expression that looked like he had let something slip, with a hint of fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, nothing at all!¡±


    Qin Niu, normally not very talkative, managed to perform his part very well in this moment.

 Chapter 21 - 21 Chapter 18 Cunning Strategies Can Kill_1

    21 Chapter 18 Cunning Strategies Can Kill_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    Ah Niu had learned about killing someone by borrowing a knife from books, but he had never used the tactic before.


    He had always abided by the principle of not offending others unless he was offended first.


    Xie Laizi lived in the last house at the entrance to the mountain in the village, right by the foot of the mountain. Having such a person as Wang Haikun¡¯s informant was definitely not a good thing.


    Qin Niu¡¯s strength had grown powerful now; he could even take down Black Bear and would inevitably go hunting in the mountains in the future.


    He was not afraid of Wang Haikun with his current strength, but the brother behind Wang Haikun was someone he was very wary of.


    Although he did not know what position Wang Haikun¡¯s brother held in the Black Tiger Gang, being able to join the gang meant that, given two or three years, one¡¯s strength could completely transform. Whether it was cultivation techniques or martial arts, or even weapons and armor, there was an opportunity to obtain them.


    And this was only one aspect.


    What was truly terrifying was the Black Tiger Gang behind him.


    It was not only the largest official power in the region but also a giant beast with experts as numerous as the clouds, far more terrifying than the Yan Family by a thousandfold, even ten thousandfold.


    If Qin Niu provoked such an existence, the troubles would be endless.


    If things went poorly, he could be wiped out without a trace.


    His current strength was at best enough to kill Wang Haikun; he certainly had no ability to confront any member of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Therefore, his strategy was to be as forbearing as possible and avoid direct conflict with Wang Haikun.


    As long as he could gain three to five years¡¯ time, he could quietly cultivate in the mountain village. By then, both his cultivation level and Termite would be strong enough that he could act without fear.


    The smartest move right now was to use Wang Haikun to get rid of Xie Laizi.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by his age of sixteen; in terms of cunning strategies, Wang Haikun and Xie Laizi combined were no match for him.


    ¡°Not talking, huh?¡±


    Wang Haikun usually acted without any regard for laws or morals in the village, and now Qin Niu dared to hem and haw in front of him, hiding something from him.


    He could not tolerate this.


    Ah Niu¡¯s eyes glared fiercely, emitting a terrifying light.


    Bang!


    He punched a table directly.


    In an instant, the poor little wooden table shattered into seven or eight pieces, completely falling apart.


    To ordinary people, the power of this punch was frightening.


    But in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, he had roughly gauged Wang Haikun¡¯s level of cultivation.


    At most, it was within 40/100 at the Mortal Realm Onefold.


    Possibly, it was around 35 to 37.


    It is said that Black Tiger Fist is the famous core technique of the Black Tiger Gang, and at a certain level, one can clench their fists into energy and shatter giant rocks as easily as tofu pudding, as if playing.


    Wang Haikun¡¯s Black Tiger Fist must have been taught to him by his brother.


    Now that he displayed it, its power was only enough to intimidate ordinary people, which was simply a disgrace to the martial art.


    Either Wang Haikun¡¯s talent was poor, and he was lazy and hardly practiced, or his brother¡¯s status in the Black Tiger Gang was not high, and he had only learned some basics.


    ¡°Aiyo, Lord Haikun, Lord Haikun, don¡¯t get angry! I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk. I only heard about this from the village gossips, and it might not be accurate. I just overheard them saying¡­ that Xie Laizi often visits your home when you¡¯re not in!¡±


    Qin Niu was ¡®scared¡¯ to death by that punch.


    He hurriedly confessed the truth.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Wang Haikun was one of those brute force without much strategy, the muscular and fierce type of person.


    Though cunning and suspicious, his mind was far inferior to Qin Niu¡¯s.


    He obviously hadn¡¯t caught on yet.


    ¡°I dare not say it, even if you beat me to death I wouldn¡¯t dare speak!¡±


    He shook his head like a rattle drum.


    The more Qin Niu acted this way, the more Wang Haikun took the bait, believing without a doubt.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    Wang Haikun threw a fist towards Qin Niu.


    Bang!


    Qin Niu took the punch and felt as if his chest had been struck by a giant hammer. He was sent flying and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Hmph, didn¡¯t expect you to be so tough, kid!¡±


    Wang Haikun had only used fifty percent of his strength in that punch; he certainly didn¡¯t want to actually kill someone and get into trouble.


    The moment his fist hit Qin Niu¡¯s chest, he could feel the tight and solid pectorals under his clothing.


    He didn¡¯t know that Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation had already surpassed his.


    It was the kind of top-notch physique that seems skinny when clothed but muscular once undressed.


    If Qin Niu took off his clothes, his eight-pack abs would be very noticeable, and the two slabs of muscle on his chest would be particularly large.


    ¡°Please spare me, Lord Haikun! Uncle Xie specifically visits when you¡¯re not at home; I dare not say what he¡¯s after. I can only warn you to guard against fire in the backyard of your home.¡±


    ¡°`


    Qin Niu took the punch as part of a ruse to play the victim.


    In order to convince a cunning and suspicious person like Wang Haikun, it wouldn¡¯t be easy unless some real pain was involved.


    ¡°Be careful your backyard doesn¡¯t catch fire?¡±


    Wang Haikun¡¯s big, bell-like eyes rolled, and then it seemed something occurred to him.


    His expression turned extremely dark in an instant.


    ¡°You damn bastard dare to covet my wife? You must be tired of living!¡±


    Wang Haikun didn¡¯t pay any more attention to Qin Niu, who was sitting on the ground clutching his chest, his face a mix of pain and fear, and quickly left instead.


    It was bad enough that Xie Laizi provided him with false information, but to dare covet his wife, as long as Wang Haikun was 60% sure it was true, given his temper, he would stop at nothing to kill Xie Laizi.


    ¡°Haikun, what¡¯s got you so fired up? Ah Niu is an orphan and quite pitiable; don¡¯t pick on the kid. Come on, let¡¯s go to my house for a couple of drinks, top-quality brew I usually don¡¯t bring out for guests. You and I are clan, I can¡¯t be stingy with you.¡±


    Wang Furen was indeed there to get Qin Niu out of a tight spot.


    Wang Haikun half-heartedly followed him to his house, and they probably started drinking.


    Qin Niu got up as if nothing had happened.


    Yet his eyes were extremely cold.


    Another fire needed to be set!


    He left the house carrying a chopper, rope, and carrying pole, ready to make a trip up the mountain.


    He had to chop a bundle of firewood to bring back home and check on the termite nest by the way.


    With Wang Haikun at Wang Furen¡¯s house next door, he wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to fuss with bear meat at this time.


    After drinking a bellyful of bear blood in the morning, his body was brimming with strength, and he didn¡¯t feel hungry at all.


    He checked his cultivation level.


    Mortal Realm Onefold 38.5/100.


    So terrifying!


    From drinking the bear blood last night until now, his cultivation had surged by 0.9, and it was still rapidly increasing.


    The nourishing effect of the bear blood was truly frightening.


    Qin Niu saw several children playing by the road in the village.


    ¡°Brother Ah Niu, come play with us!¡±


    The kids were quite fond of Qin Niu.


    Because before Old Man Liu passed away, Qin Niu often taught them new games and would spend time playing with them when he could.


    ¡°I need to go up the mountain to chop wood! Er Dan, come here a sec.¡±


    A seven or eight-year-old kid with a pigtail sticking straight up immediately scampered over to follow Qin Niu.


    ¡°Brother Ah Niu, what¡¯s up? Are you taking me up the mountain to chop wood and pick wild fruit?¡±


    Er Dan asked excitedly.


    ¡°There are tigers and evil wolves in the mountains that eat people; I dare not take you into the mountains. If something happens, your dad would flay my skin alive.¡± Qin Niu was most impressed by Er Dan¡¯s fearless nature.


    Out of all the kids, he had the most courage.


    Er Dan was mischievous, peeking at women bathing, throwing feces into others¡¯ wells¡­ he had done it all and his father had hung him from the rafters and thrashed him with thorny branches.


    But the kid had thick skin; the day after being beaten, he stealthily peed into the teapot of a village family¡¯s house.


    That incident ended up costing his father ten wen money in compensation, naturally followed by another severe beating.


    ¡°You go to Xie Laizi¡¯s house and tell him, just say Lord Kun went to Qin Niu¡¯s house and found nothing, he¡¯s looking to settle scores with him, so he better watch out!¡±


    Qin Niu whispered into Er Dan¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Keep this to yourself, don¡¯t tell anyone. Next time I go into the city, I¡¯ll buy you some sweets.¡±


    ¡°Heehee, alright, alright! Leave it to me, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Er Dan never doubted Qin Niu¡¯s promises.


    Because Qin Niu had never broken a promise to them.


    Such good news made Er Dan beam with joy, and he dashed off toward the mountain path.


    ¡°Er Dan, where are you off to?¡±


    ¡°None of your business, I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    Er Dan ran off without looking back.


    Qin Niu just smiled. Although Er Dan was naughty and reckless, he always got the job done when entrusted with something.


    He could also keep a secret.


    As the saying goes, you can tell a person¡¯s future from their childhood.


    With such traits, Er Dan most likely wouldn¡¯t end up too badly in the future.


    Everything was within Qin Niu¡¯s calculations; even if Xie Laizi didn¡¯t die today, he was bound for misfortune soon enough.


    And with Xie Laizi¡¯s limited wisdom, it was unlikely he could discern the trap within the trap.

 Chapter 22 - 22 Chapter 19 Strong Soldier Ant_1

    22 Chapter 19 Strong Soldier Ant_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu passed by Xie Laizi¡¯s house at the foot of the mountain and happened to see Er Dan running out.


    Er Dan was smart. He winked at Qin Niu, hinting that the job was done.


    Qin Niu gave a slight nod in response.


    Xie Laizi, whose head was full of scabs, eyed Qin Niu with surprise as he carried a firewood knife and a shoulder pole up the mountain. Ah Niu seemed to have no issues at all.


    ¡°Ah Niu, I heard Lord Kun visited your place?¡±


    He greeted Qin Niu with a smile as if nothing had happened.


    Qin Niu did not speak, just lowered his head and entered the mountain.


    Usually, Ah Niu behaved almost the same way.


    He hardly ever responded when other people spoke to him.


    Xie Laizi, not getting a response, didn¡¯t care. He locked his door and quickly headed in the direction from which Qin Niu had come.


    Looking at his hurry, he surely was off to explain himself to Wang Haikun¡¯s household.


    He understood Wang Haikun¡¯s temper very well, the man could turn hostile in an instant. If things went wrong, Wang Haikun might welcome him with his cymbal-sized fists.


    Keeping company with a tiger is just like this, it has been since time immemorial.


    Qin Niu turned to look at Xie Laizi¡¯s retreating figure and smiled. All he needed to do was sit and watch the show unfold.


    After he entered the mountain, he went to check on the termite nest he was fostering.


    The bear blood had long been sucked clean by them.


    Of the three centipede carcasses, only the biggest one remained, and half of its tail had been gnawed away.


    ¡°Eh! We¡¯ve got new members here!¡±


    Qin Niu discovered a few more worker ants.


    Two of them were patrolling back and forth at the entrance, not engaging in labor.


    They clearly looked different from ordinary worker ants.


    Their mandibles were particularly large, their bodies robust, their six limbs powerful and strong. And they moved much faster than the other worker ants. Their speed was comparable to Fourth¡¯s.


    Also, their heads seemed to be longer.


    ¡°Could these be soldier ants?¡±


    Qin Niu was pleasantly surprised.


    For an ant colony, soldier ants are too important. Their combat power is far superior to worker ants.


    Normally, after the female mates and takes her nuptial flight, she lays a small number of worker ants first, so that once they metamorphose into adults they can forage and feed the Ant Queen. The second batch will include a few soldier ants.


    Because soldier ants greatly enhance the overall safety of the ant nest.


    The Ant Queen that Qin Niu had subdued was highly intelligent, and her way of doing things was different from ordinary queens.


    She laid worker ants for both her first and second batches of eggs.


    Only the third batch included soldier ants.


    Of course, this might also be related to her weak constitution.


    The hatching and feeding of soldier ants require a lot of energy. She might have feared that producing soldier ants too early would increase the burden on the entire colony and affect its development.


    Worker ants represent productivity, while soldier ants represent defensive capabilities.


    Soldier ants, like the Ant Queen and reproductives, cannot feed themselves; they are born for combat, tasked only with defense, safeguarding the safety of the colony and the nest.


    They rely on worker ants to feed and survive.


    Fourth was leading the worker ants diligently carrying out Qin Niu¡¯s orders, disassembling the centipede¡¯s carcasses and transporting them into the nest as food reserves.


    ¡°Wow, Fourth seems to have gained a lot of strength!¡±


    Qin Niu noticed Fourth¡¯s mandibles ¡°click-clacking¡± as it gnawed on the centipede¡¯s body, its strength clearly greater than before, and its work efficiency higher.


    Not only that, the other five small worker ants from the second batch that hatched also doubled in strength and became much more robust.


    Could this be the change brought about by consuming the bear blood?


    He speculated to himself.


    It was a pity that so much bear blood was wasted on the ground. If used to feed this termite nest, it would undoubtedly bring huge surprises.


    But he was not in a hurry.


    Now that he had the ability to kill a black bear by himself, there would be no doubt more opportunities to hunt them in the future.


    When the time came, he could collect the bear blood and gradually feed it to the ant colony.


    Moreover, as the ant colony continued to grow, they would be able to consume even more bear blood in one feeding.


    Currently, with only a few worker ants working, their intake capacity was very limited.


    Seeing such great change in the ant colony, Qin Niu¡¯s heart was filled with joy.


    Now with the soldier ants, and having built their nest inside this big camphor tree, the entire colony¡¯s survival capability was more than ten times stronger than before.


    He subconsciously checked the Ant Queen¡¯s attributes.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Grade: Grade Two order of insects, upgrade experience 198/1000


    Lifespan: 4.3 years


    Energy: 5861


    Skills: Reproduction Grade One 0.95/10, Feign Death Grade One 2/10


    Talents: Average Intelligence


    Ant Colony: One lesser worker ant, lifespan 4 months, special abilities (Strength, Agility, Average Intelligence). Five strong worker ants, lifespan 3.1 years. Six ordinary worker ants, lifespan 3 years. Two strong soldier ants, lifespan 7 months.


    After checking the attributes of the ant colony, Qin Niu was both happy and a little worried.


    The Ant Queen, Fourth, and the worker ants from the second batch had all gained one month of lifespan.


    The normal lifespan of soldier ants is about six months, so these two soldier ants must have also gained one month of life.


    Moreover, Fourth and the worker ants from the second batch, as well as the newly metamorphosed soldier ants, had all gained an additional ability, which was Strength.


    He could now be fairly certain this was a benefit of consuming the bear blood.


    It seemed that as long as there was blood food available, he could fee more to them.


    Feeding the food to the worker ants, who would then regurgitate it to feed the Ant Queen, soldier ants, and larvae, would enable nearly the entire colony to benefit.


    ¡°Maybe later I can get some bear meat for them to eat, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know how well it will work?¡±


    I feel that the blood must be the essence.


    The effect of the bear meat would probably be inferior.


    ¡°Strong soldier ants, strong worker ants! Interesting!¡±


    Their strength is twice that of regular worker ants and soldier ants.


    The effect of this bear blood is just too wonderful.


    ¡­


    Qin Niu chopped a load of firewood and returned home.


    Faintly, he could still hear Wang Haikun¡¯s loud voice coming from Wang Furen¡¯s household; it seems that the man had drunk quite a bit!


    He was just hoping that this plague would leave sooner.


    He still wanted to fetch some bear meat to feed that nest of termites.


    Qin Niu was splitting wood in his own backyard, able to chop through logs as thick as a person¡¯s leg with a single blow.


    After his Slash Martial Skill had reached minor achievement, its power was indeed formidable.


    Every now and then, he could even execute a Critical Chop, enhancing the effect.


    His proficiency with the chop was improving bit by bit.


    So far, all of his skills, except for the planting skill which could improve through labor, required him to train hard, step by step.


    It sounded like Wang Haikun had drunk about enough and finally Qin Niu heard the voice of Wang Furen seeing the guest out.


    ¡°Haikun, remember to come in for some tea next time! The kid next door, Ah Niu, is just a child; don¡¯t bully him anymore.¡±


    Wang Furen didn¡¯t forget to speak well of Ah Niu.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I just heard he got some game! That kid is nothing but a beggar by fate, eating wild game will only shorten his life, I was helping him! Thanks for the hospitality, see you!¡±


    Wang Haikun burped drunkenly, staggering away.


    When Qin Niu came down from the mountain, he saw that Xie Laizi¡¯s door was still locked.


    He guessed that Xie Laizi was most likely waiting at Wang Haikun¡¯s home for him to return, then explain things face to face.


    This kind of thing, Xie Laizi definitely wouldn¡¯t dare broadcast outside.


    Otherwise, if everyone knew he was Wang Haikun¡¯s lackey, they certainly wouldn¡¯t show him any kindness.


    They might even ostracize him at every turn.


    That¡¯s also why Xie Laizi always went to Wang Haikun¡¯s home sneakily, as if afraid of being seen.


    Not even half an hour had passed before villagers began shouting, ¡°Someone has been killed, someone at Wang Haikun¡¯s place has been killed!¡±


    Qin Niu felt secretly pleased in his heart; cunning really was a useful thing.


    He easily manipulated both Wang Haikun and Xie Laizi.


    Without lifting a finger, he eliminated one of Wang Haikun¡¯s informants.


    From now on, going in and out of the forest would be a lot more convenient.


    Otherwise, being constantly watched by Xie Laizi every time he entered or left the forest made Qin Niu feel very insecure.


    Looking at the situation, it was unlikely that Wang Haikun would have the chance to come back to Qin Niu¡¯s home for a retaliatory strike today.


    Nevertheless, Qin Niu remained extremely cautious.


    He took a small amount of bear meat, put it in a little jar, then placed it at the bottom of his basket, and took it with him into the mountains.


    To feed it to the termites.


    The corpse of the giant centipede had been mostly disassembled already.


    With the increased number of worker ants, their efficiency had also greatly improved.


    It was mainly Fourth and those five strong worker ants that, after having consumed bear blood, had doubled their strength and worked more than twice as fast.


    After feeding the bear meat and seeing that there were no problems for a while, Qin Niu then departed.


    By the time he carried a basket of humus down the mountain and passed by Xie Laizi¡¯s house, he saw it was surrounded by many villagers.


    Xie Laizi was covered in blood all over his head and face, brutally beaten beyond recognition.


    Still alive, clinging to his last breath.


    ¡°Boss Kun, I¡¯m innocent, I really didn¡¯t deceive you¡­¡±


    Xie Laizi kept repeating this sentence in an extremely weak voice.


    ¡°Xie Laizi, you had it coming! Ah Niu is honestly tilling the land, alone and destitute. What has he ever done to bother you? He carried baskets of mountain soil to fertilize his land, and you just had to run and tip off Wang Haikun, saying he got hold of game again.¡±


    ¡°I bagged a deer the last time, and just as I had gotten home, Wang Haikun showed up right after. It must¡¯ve also been that bastard Xie Laizi who snitched.¡±


    ¡°I dug up a ginseng in the mountains, and the very next day Boss Kun came to my door to take it away. It¡¯s likely Xie Laizi who sold me out. Now getting beaten like this, he truly had it coming!¡±


    The villagers took turns criticizing the grievously injured Xie Laizi, who was on the brink of death.


    What does it mean when everyone pushes a falling wall?


    This is it.


    Xie Laizi¡¯s backer¡ªWang Haikun¡ªwished he could kill him; without his backer, and then the villagers, knowing he was Wang Haikun¡¯s lackey, felt no sympathy for him.


    He truly became like Zhu Bajie looking in the mirror, not human either way.


    With a load of humus on his back, Qin Niu slowed his pace to watch for a moment, then quickly left.


    In the eyes of the villagers, he was still that silently sullen fool, Ah Niu.


    After dumping the humus on his land, he returned home, locked the door, and peeked at the commotion outside.


    No one noticed him.


    This was the outcome he wanted.


    However, he was very aware that Wang Haikun¡¯s spies definitely weren¡¯t limited to Xie Laizi alone. Therefore, he had to be careful and cautious, as one misstep could lead to irreparable consequences.


    He did not eat the bear meat but instead ate the ¡®husks¡¯ in the pot.


    In the future, he would eat this during the day, and at night, when it was deep and quiet, he would eat meat in large bites.


    To quietly improve his cultivation.


    Tomorrow, he would make a trip to the city, sell the bear hide, and should be able to procure a large amount of essential supplies for cultivation.

 Chapter 23 - 23 Chapter 20 Zhang Banzui_1

    23 Chapter 20 Zhang Banzui_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    Not long after, he heard a faint noise outside the house.


    A chill ran through his heart¡ªit seemed someone was spying on his every move!


    Wang Haikun was a cunning and suspicious man, and indeed not so easily fooled.


    But on second thought, it didn¡¯t seem right. If it were Wang Haikun outside, he would never sneak around like a thief. He would simply break in.


    That was something Wang Haikun had done many times before.


    While eating the ¡®poor man¡¯s meal¡¯, Qin Niu silently pondered the identity of the peeper outside.


    Since it wasn¡¯t Wang Haikun, then who was spying outside his house?


    The timing of this surveillance at his home was absolutely no coincidence.


    It was likely another one of Wang Haikun¡¯s ¡®informants¡¯.


    Such is the baseness of human nature.


    Even though everyone despised Wang Haikun, every ordinary villager had been bullied and exploited by him. Yet some, with a deep-seated servility, were willing to serve the devil, ingratiating themselves with Wang Haikun by acting as his ¡®informants¡¯¡ªa low-cost method to please him.


    Their goal was simply to avoid being bullied by Wang Haikun.


    Or at least not to be bullied too harshly.


    Qin Niu continued to eat the hard-to-swallow food as if oblivious to the watcher outside.


    After an hour or so, that prickling sense of being surreptitiously watched disappeared.


    He guessed that the person had probably left.


    He immediately got up, moved behind the door, and peeked through the crack to check outside.


    The man had a liquor gourd tied to his waist, a slightly hunched back, and a skinny figure. He staggered along the road, gradually moving away.


    It turned out to be the village¡¯s old drunk, Zhang Banzui.


    Unexpectedly, this man was secretly acting as an informant for Wang Haikun.


    It just goes to show that you can know someone¡¯s face, but not their heart!


    Zhang Banzui, like Xie Laizi, was a bachelor.


    The only difference was that Zhang Banzui had been married. It was said he had fled to this village from another place, where he had then settled.


    Xie Laizi wasn¡¯t skilled at anything and only worked odd jobs for the wealthy families like Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang.


    As for working for the Yan Family, he couldn¡¯t even get in.


    The Yan Family was akin to a modern corporation, and even if you wanted to work their fields, you couldn¡¯t just join as you pleased. You had to go through rigorous screenings and be the best among candidates.


    Only when you met the Yan Family¡¯s hiring standards could you enter.


    The Yan Family rarely recruited temporary workers, mostly permanent ones.


    They provided food and accommodation, bonuses during festivals, and pork during the New Year.


    Their wages were also secure, never delayed.


    So, to many peasants, landing a job as a long-term laborer for the Yan Family was considered a highly desirable position.


    Xie Laizi was ugly, and in the summer, he would get boils on his head, which would scab over in the winter, but the hair would never grow back. Thus, he became known as Laizi.


    It was the same year after year.


    No one could say exactly what strange illness Xie Laizi had.


    Whenever Xie Laizi ran out of money, he would do odd jobs for the wealthy to earn a living. In the winter, when there was less work, he would go into the mountains to chop wood to sell.


    In any case, he managed to make sure he was fed, even if no one else was.


    Zhang Banzui, on the other hand, never did such rough work, as he was addicted to alcohol. He did have a skill, though, such as telling fortunes.


    However, his predictions were not accurate, and often, you could see his face bruised and beaten.


    He never admitted to being beaten up.


    Whenever someone asked him about it, he would say he ¡°fell¡± or ¡°tripped.¡±


    Moreover, he developed the habit of only speaking in half sentences after learning Buddhist chants for fortune telling, earning him the nickname Zhang Banzui.


    Apart from telling fortunes, Zhang Banzui had a unique skill: treating diseases in livestock and poultry.


    If someone¡¯s animal fell ill, he could almost certainly cure it.


    This skill was much better than his fortune telling.


    However, the instances of sick livestock and poultry were not many, and even when cured, the payment was similarly meager.


    When Zhang Banzui needed money for his drinking, he would return to his old trade, risking being beaten to tell fortunes. Eventually, everyone knew he was inaccurate, and people from nearby villages stopped seeking his services.


    Then he introduced two new services: divination for auspicious or ominous outcomes, and selecting auspicious dates for weddings and funerals, along with a bit of feng shui consultation on the side.


    In fact, these two new services seemed to have a much lower risk of failure, and he got beaten less often.


    Qin Niu thought Zhang Banzui was a clever man, but it was truly disheartening that he had become an informant for Wang Haikun.


    He opened the door, ready to check the extent of damage to the ¡®alarm trap¡¯ outside.


    ¡°`


    He simply scattered some dry twigs on the ground at random.


    Anyone stepping on them would make a noise.


    If he heard a disturbance from inside the house, he would immediately know that someone was coming.


    A small piece of yellow paper fluttered into the house.


    It must have been wedged in the crack of the door; when the door opened, it fell and drifted directly inside.


    Qin Niu, with his sharp eyes, noticed a few small characters written on it.


    ¡°Wealth must not be flaunted!¡±


    Was this written by Zhang Banzui?


    He picked it up and was stunned for a moment.


    It couldn¡¯t be mistaken.


    There weren¡¯t many people in the village who could write, and Zhang Banzui was somewhat of an exception for his ability to write and draw.


    Zhang Banzui peeped from outside the door and left behind this note. What did this mean?


    Could it be that working for Wang Haikun as an informant was against his will?


    Qin Niu tore up the note and tossed it away. He went outside to fix the damaged ¡®alarm mechanisms,¡¯ ensuring they could continue to serve their warning purpose.


    Night gradually fell, and Qin Niu boldly took out a large chunk of bear meat, chopped it up, and cooked it in a pot.


    Time to eat.


    Even though it was game he had hunted himself, he had to sneakily eat only at night.


    He hoped this way of life would end as soon as possible.


    To solve this, the best method was to have greater strength, and preferably some social status, so that he naturally wouldn¡¯t have to fear plunder from Wang Haikun.


    While eating the bear meat, he checked his cultivation level.


    Mortal Realm Onefold 39.8/100.


    It¡¯s increasing so rapidly.


    It¡¯s almost breaking 40.


    So far, the rapid rise in cultivation level had all come from drinking a bellyful of bear blood the previous night.


    In just one day, it had increased by 3.2, which was utterly fascinating.


    Unfortunately, bears and tigers were not easy to hunt in the mountains.


    Because hundred-mile radius of mountain ranges could only sustain one tiger.


    Black Bear fared a bit better, as they are omnivorous animals, eating anything from insects to wild boar.


    They would often climb trees to steal honey, not caring even when stung all over their head.


    Qin Niu speculated in secret that the blood of an adult Black Bear should increase one¡¯s cultivation by about 5 points.


    Since he wasted some, the bear blood he drank probably helped him increase his cultivation by about 3.5, which should be the limit.


    His current level of cultivation was already far stronger than that of an ordinary adult man, and it was even likely that he had surpassed Wang Haikun.


    After finishing the bear meat, he cleaned up any traces.


    Only then did he start to sleep.


    He had to be well-rested, as he was planning to set off for the city before dawn the next day.


    The village he currently lived in was called Shuangfeng Village, which was about fifty miles away from Black Tiger City. Even if he walked eight or nine miles in one hour, it would still take six hours to arrive.


    One hour is equal to two hours, which means it would indeed take six hours.


    He would have to make a round trip to the village within one day, and just the time spent on the road would total six hours.


    Therefore, he had to leave early.


    The next day, before dawn, which he estimated to be around the Hour of the Tiger, he set off with the bear skin on his back.


    Country folk entering the city carried nothing but a woven rattan backpack and relied solely on walking.


    Qin Niu was especially careful when leaving the village, and fortunately, he was not seen by Wang Haikun.


    At this hour, Wang Haikun would definitely be lying in bed bullying his wife or sleeping soundly, and would not possibly be getting up.


    Once he left the village and was on the official road, Qin Niu was not afraid at all.


    Heading in the direction of Black Tiger City, he strode forward confidently.


    The bear meat he had eaten the night before had only been digested a little, and his cultivation level had now reached Mortal Realm Onefold 40.1/100.


    Finally breaking 40.


    This also meant that he was stronger than ninety-nine percent of men.


    Compared to the effects of bear blood, bear meat was clearly weaker, and the speed of cultivation increase had slowed down a lot.

 Chapter 24 - 24 Chapter 21 Black Tiger City_1

    24 Chapter 21 Black Tiger City_1


    Translator: 549690339


    However, after eating such a big Black Bear, Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation level was very likely to reach over 45.


    Without a Cultivation Technique, to rely solely on the nourishment from blood food and ordinary training, reaching the Twofold realm for a mortal was incredibly difficult.


    This time, if he could sell the bear hide for a good price, he should be able to buy a Cultivation Technique.


    Then, his cultivation level would change drastically day by day.


    The efficiency of absorbing blood food would also greatly increase.


    As he continued walking forward, although the sky was still somewhat dark, the number of pedestrians on the main road gradually increased.


    Some carried loads on their shoulders, some, like Qin Niu, with a large basket on their back, all heading into the city.


    Selling their home-grown cash crops, they generally didn¡¯t enter the city but set up stalls to sell outside the city walls.


    Because entering the city required a city entrance fee; regardless of gender age or youth, everyone was charged 5 Wen Money per person. This fee was quite high, and small vendors didn¡¯t earn much.


    To save on this city entrance fee, those items that weren¡¯t very valuable would be sold outside the city.


    For those who owned property in the city or had stable jobs, entering and exiting the city was free of charge.


    Therefore, people from the city would go outside the city gates to the morning markets to buy vegetables.


    The prices were cheap, and the produce was fresh.


    Not paying the city entrance fee, selling goods outside the city had one downside. If someone got robbed, the officials wouldn¡¯t get involved.


    Even if the Black Armored Soldiers were standing right at the city gate, and even if the robbery happened right under their noses, they would still not interfere.


    But if someone dared to forcefully break through the city gate, they would be apprehended immediately.


    They could even possibly be executed.


    These soldiers guarding the city gates are the weakest members of the Black Tiger Gang. Even so, whenever Qin Niu faced them, his spirit would tremble, and his knees would weaken.


    He couldn¡¯t muster even the slightest thought of resistance.


    It was just about dawn when Qin Niu had already arrived outside Black Tiger City.


    Before, it would take him at least three and a half hours, around seven hours.


    Today, he had cut down an entire hour, thanks to the substantial increase in his cultivation level.


    The area outside the city gates was bustling, with stall vendors spread everywhere, and city folks coming out to shop.


    Mainly to buy vegetables.


    Firewood and charcoal entering the city required a city entrance fee. City residents generally wouldn¡¯t buy from woodcutters but from merchants specializing in wood and charcoal business within the city.


    They had ways to greatly reduce the cost of bringing wood and charcoal into the city, after all, it was brought in bulk, and by tipping the military heads guarding the gates, they naturally received a significant discount.


    Calculated this way, the price offered by the charcoal merchants was cheaper than the total cost of buying firewood directly from woodcutters.


    This is also why woodcutters would obediently deliver the wood they chopped to merchants specialized in buying wood and charcoal rather than selling to individuals.


    There wasn¡¯t just one charcoal business merchant; competition meant that they wouldn¡¯t drive down prices too harshly.


    Overall, everyone offered more or less the same price.


    A load of a hundred jin (roughly 50 kg) of dry firewood sold for around twenty Wen Money. The merchant¡¯s purchase price was about fifteen Wen Money.


    Good quality firewood could fetch up to seventeen or eighteen Wen per load, while the poorer quality might only bring in twelve or thirteen Wen per load.


    A woodcutter chopping a load of two hundred jin (roughly 100 kg) of wet firewood and transporting it home would take about half a day.


    Only after it dried out could it become sellable firewood.


    Before selling to a charcoal merchant, the large pieces of wood had to be split into halves or quarters. The most popular length was around one chi (roughly one-third of a meter).


    One hundred jin of wet timber, once dried, would roughly weigh thirty-something jin.


    It would take three hundred jin of wet timber to dry and become one hundred jin of dry firewood.


    It might seem like a woodcutter earning fifteen Wen per load was a lot, but in reality, they didn¡¯t earn much, perhaps even less than the long-term workers in a landlord¡¯s household.


    Because even on rainy days and snowy winter days when the long-term workers didn¡¯t go out to work for the landlord, they still got paid.


    If a woodcutter didn¡¯t go up the mountain to chop wood for a day, they had no income.


    Long-term workers in a landlord¡¯s house often got food and lodging included, while woodcutters had to provide for themselves.


    This is why working as a long-term worker for a large landlord¡¯s family like the Yan Family was such a sought-after job.


    Compared with woodcutters or temporary workers, serving as a long-term worker for a landlord provided stable income and was relatively less arduous. Plus, performing well and gaining the landlord¡¯s favor could lead to promotion opportunities.


    Becoming a foreman or a manager was equivalent to becoming a high executive in a company.


    At this moment, a long line formed outside the city gate for entrance.


    Provided there was no suspicious behavior, the soldiers rarely checked personal items.


    In this world, there were no such things as prohibited items. Weapons like knives and spears could be freely carried into the city.


    Nor did anyone dare to fight or cause trouble in the city lightly.


    Not to mention murder.


    Unless they were tired of living.


    The Black Tiger Gang had numerous formidable experts, and Black Tiger City was a city they had built painstakingly. It was an important source of income, and they would never allow anyone to disrupt it.


    Top-level powerhouses were stationed in the city every hour of the day.


    Anyone causing trouble would be apprehended within minutes or directly executed.


    Outside the city, the law of the jungle prevailed, survival of the fittest. While there were codes of conduct, they were mostly superficial.


    For instance, local bullies like Wang Haikun would rob any ordinary villager they wished.


    Such events rarely occurred in the city.


    Unless the treasure owned piqued the interest of the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s upper echelon, and they felt confident in handling the situation, then there might be an underhanded move.


    Under normal circumstances, however, everyone would abide by the rules.


    The Black Bear hide in the basket on Qin Niu¡¯s back was a fortune that could make countless people in the countryside envious, but in the city, it was quite a common item, and there was almost no need to worry about it being snatched away.


    The only thing to worry about was being tricked.


    The schemes in the city were deep, really deep, traps everywhere.


    Qin Niu honestly joined the queuing crowd with his basket on his back.


    Any carriage, ox cart, or beast-pulled carts were all charged a city entrance fee of 20 wen, while common pedestrians paid 5 wen.


    Those who could afford a carriage were mostly nobility.


    They owned properties in the city, or held positions in the government, or had family members in government roles. Carriages entering the city seldom had to pay the entrance fee.


    Even when faced with the carriages of top-tier influential figures, the city guards dared not inspect them.


    The army corporals would let them pass with an extremely obsequious attitude.


    Ox carts were mostly used by common folk to transport goods, and they were almost always charged the fee upon entering the city.


    Even if one had a house in the city, as long as they were bringing goods in, they had to pay.


    Real dignitaries wouldn¡¯t be caught dead in an ox cart, as it was considered beneath them.


    Ox carts were also much slower compared to carriages.


    Then there were the beast-pulled carts, which were actually rarely seen.


    Only formidable beasts like wolves, bears, or tigers were suitable for pulling carts. Those who could tame these beasts and afford to keep them were generally Beast Tamers, the nobility of the nobles, as well as children of rich and government officials and the like.


    A common person didn¡¯t own one.


    Compared to the high profile of Beast Tamers, Insect Masters seemed much more low-key.


    If they didn¡¯t wear the long robes of an Insect Master, outsiders wouldn¡¯t even know they were one.


    In terms of actual status, Insect Masters were in fact equal to Beast Tamers.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the fierce and intimidating beasts tamed by Beast Tamers, with their explosive combat power. A truly formidable Insect Master could release just one insect to take down a fierce tiger.


    Qin Niu had already mastered two Insect Taming skills and possessed a nest of Termites, so he was definitely a prospective Insect Master.


    He wasn¡¯t much inferior to Hu Lazi, the prospective Beast Tamer from the village.


    Considering Fourth and the evolutionary abilities of the Worker Ants and Soldier Ants, his potential was far greater than Hu Lazi¡¯s.


    This actually indirectly showed that the Ant Queen was no ordinary creature.


    If it weren¡¯t exceptional, its offspring wouldn¡¯t possibly have such strong evolutionary capabilities.


    ¡°Line up properly, everyone pays five wen money to enter the city, children and adults alike,¡±


    Someone at the front, dressed in a black robe, was shouting continuously.


    These people were not soldiers but idlers hired by the army.


    Collecting the city entrance fee was a menial task, beneath the soldiers. They were only responsible for standing at the city gates to keep the city safe, fulfilling tasks such as apprehending criminals, arrests, and defense as ordered by their superiors.


    Qin Niu had prepared his five wen money and handed it directly to the idlers in charge of collecting the fees.


    The other party glanced at the bear skin in his basket without saying anything and let him into the city.


    From that look, Qin Niu could sense a tinge of greed.


    But outright hassling Qin Niu in front of everyone generally wouldn¡¯t happen.


    After paying, Qin Niu headed straight into the city.


    Passing through the towering city gate, the terrifying aura emanating from the eight city guard soldiers made his soul tremble once more. However, this time, perhaps because his cultivation had improved substantially, the desire to drop to his knees was much less overwhelming.


    How formidable exactly were these people¡¯s cultivation levels?


    They were surely much more formidable than the Yan Family¡¯s Protector.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t even dare to look up at these Black Armored Soldiers, but only dared to sneak a quick glance with the corner of his eye before quickly moving on.


    They were clad in black iron armor, with black iron helmets on their heads, and they wielded long spears that stood taller than a man. Judging by their shine, they might have been forged from Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel.


    A fearsome, chilling killing intent emanated from the tips of their spears.


    Combined with the formidable cultivation emanating from their bodies, it created an oppressive and awe-inspiring presence.


    Any one of these men, if taken out to Shuangfeng Village, could probably massacre it without a single chicken or dog left alive.


    And those stationed at the city gates were merely the weakest group within the Black Tiger Gang, how much stronger were those higher up? Nobody knew.


    Perhaps just a glance from them could petrify Qin Niu to the ground.


    Having glimpsed just the tip of the iceberg regarding Black Tiger Gang¡¯s strength, Qin Niu felt even more reverence for this colossal entity.


    He had no idea how long it would take to stand at the head of this behemoth, perhaps a lifetime would not be enough. Or maybe it could happen within three to five years.


    What he needed to do now was to accumulate strength bit by bit, like a Termite continuously ¡®molting¡¯ in order to ultimately transform.


    ¡°Young fellow, young fellow, are you selling the bear skin you¡¯re carrying in that basket?¡±


    Not long after Qin Niu had walked away, someone came chasing after him from behind.


    It wasn¡¯t the black-robed idler whose eyes flashed with greed, but a middle-aged man with slightly drooping eyebrows. He looked to be around forty years old, somewhat plump, and his clothes were rather decent.


    At least, they were much more decent compared to a poor country kid like him.


    Compared to the wealthy folks in the city, however, his attire was of poor quality.


    How did this person know he was carrying bear skin?


    Qin Niu quickly speculated that this man was likely an underling maintained by that idler.


    If he spotted suitable goods with an owner easy to manipulate, he would instruct the underling to follow and seek the opportunity for underhanded dealings.


    They definitely wouldn¡¯t resort to robbery.


    Lure Qin Niu to a place and force a low-price purchase, or even use tricks like switching the goods, pulling a fast one.


    Qin Niu glanced at the man indifferently, didn¡¯t respond, and continued walking straight ahead.


    Not willing to give up, the middle-aged man chased after him again.

 Chapter 25 - 25 Chapter 22 Striking It Rich_1

    25 Chapter 22 Striking It Rich_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Young brother, where are you planning to sell that? I know several places in the city that buy animal hides are really shady, they really drive a hard bargain. Do you want me to tell you secretly? To avoid stepping into a trap!¡±


    The middle-aged man had switched to a kind-hearted face this time.


    Qin Niu still said nothing, his head down as he hurried on his way.


    His destination was clear, the garment market.


    In his first three visits to the city, he had made a point of observing the garment market in Black Tiger City, where they sold various kinds of clothes, shoes, armors, protective gear, hats, cushions, and leather mats.


    Within the market, multiple shops selling high-end clothing and leather mats had signs in conspicuous places, offering to buy various kinds of animal skins at high prices.


    The words ¡°high prices¡± were directly ignored by Qin Niu as a routine trick.


    His idea was simple, just to find a reasonably fair shop and sell it at a fair price.


    As long as he was not being cheated, even if he sold it for a few hundred wen less, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Young brother, since we are fated to meet, let me tell you about two places that offer a particularly fair purchase price. Their prices are at least one tael of silver higher than others,¡± said the middle-aged man, obviously not ready to let his prey go so easily, lest he¡¯d have trouble explaining to his higher-ups.


    At this moment, Qin Niu made a move.


    His right hand ¡®quietly¡¯ reached to his waist and drew out a dagger, holding it reversed and hidden in his sleeve.


    This movement seemed ¡®secretive¡¯, but in fact, the middle-aged man saw it clearly. His pupils shrank, and he subconsciously kept a little more distance from Qin Niu.


    Country folk mostly did manual labor and were considered strong and sturdy.


    They inherently stuck to their guns.


    This youth seemed young but definitely wasn¡¯t simple if he could hunt a black bear.


    The middle-aged man usually engaged in swindling and deceiving, with no more strength than an average citizen. Seeing the youth silently drawing his dagger and hiding it in his sleeve, he instantly lost his nerve.


    This young man clearly wasn¡¯t easy to communicate with.


    Such people tended to act drastically, and what if he stabbed him out of the blue, wouldn¡¯t that be a terrible injustice?


    ¡°Young brother, young brother¡­¡±


    The middle-aged man called him from a distance.


    Without looking back, Qin Niu continued to walk forward, but his right hand, holding the dagger, was clearly straining, and his tricep bulged. His left hand, meanwhile, tightened its grip on the basket on his back.


    The middle-aged man who had been pestering him narrowed his eyes and didn¡¯t dare to follow any longer.


    With a weapon in hand, murderous intent arose.


    Facing someone who might kill at the slightest disagreement, he couldn¡¯t help but be afraid.


    There were always prey every day, and he wouldn¡¯t miss just one. Worried about risking his life, the middle-aged man decisively gave up.


    Noticing that the middle-aged man had stopped following him, the corners of Qin Niu¡¯s mouth lifted in a hardly perceivable smile as he silently slid the dagger back into its sheath at his waist.


    He was just putting on a show.


    After he shook off that man, no one else came to bother him.


    He quickened his pace and reached the garment market, where groups of city folk were seen ordering clothes.


    In this world, the vast majority of common people would only buy one or two sets of clothes a year, which was considered a big deal, especially when it came to winter clothes, which often coincided with the New Year.


    It was only near the end of the year that one would purchase new clothes to welcome the New Year.


    For families with poor financial conditions, it was common to buy a new set of clothes only every few years.


    A set of clothes was usually not cheap, even the coarse cloth or linen, a single most ordinary garment would cost at least four hundred wen and up.


    These days, clothes were all handmade, without the possibility of machine mass production.


    So the cost of labor wasn¡¯t cheap either.


    Some high-end tailors even charged a manual labor fee of three to seven taels of silver for one piece.


    Of course, these were exorbitant fees.


    Equivalent to ¡®expert¡¯ level tailors.


    There¡¯s a saying that a good saddle goes with a good horse, and the same goes for tailor-made clothes. Good fabrics would never be wasted on ordinary tailors.


    Gorgeous clothes are often crafted by tailors of high skill who hold a certain reputation in the trade.


    It¡¯s said that even for a single coat of the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang, the materials and labor cost would amount to thousands of taels of silver.


    That was a vast fortune many common people would not earn in a lifetime.


    The annual total income of a long-term worker in a landlord¡¯s family is less than four taels, with the official wage being around three taels, plus various benefits adding up to six tenths of a tael. That makes the actual annual income three taels and six tenths of a tael.


    Before the age of sixteen, workers are considered child labor, receiving only half the wage.


    Some landlords even deliberately exploit workers; many people who are clearly over sixteen are still only paid the wage of child labor, using excuses such as their inadequate farming skills or small stature.


    Many people have to wait until they are eighteen or nineteen before they can possibly earn an adult¡¯s wage.


    For ordinary people, living to sixty years old is considered a long life.


    Take Qin Niu, for instance, who only had a lifespan of fifty-one years.


    Considering this, an ordinary citizen would only be able to earn an adult¡¯s wage for thirty-three years. In reality, after the age of forty-five, as physical strength declines and the likelihood of illness increases, the risk of being dismissed greatly rises.


    Most people, in fact, can only work for around twenty-seven years in their lifetime.


    At a rate of 3.6 taels per year, a lifetime¡¯s total income would only amount to about 97.2 taels.


    In this world, if one cannot practice cultivation to become stronger, without a particular skill, life is truly like that of a mayfly¡ªephemeral and meaningless.


    It takes the lifetime income of almost ten ordinary citizens just to afford a single outfit for the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    This is the temptation for everyone to become a strong person.


    As a strong person, not only can life expectancy greatly increase, but one can also have control over the life and death of others and possess the most elite resources.


    For an ordinary person, marrying a slightly beautiful wife is a result that comes only if ancestors bless them.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader can switch out for ten beautiful eighteen-year-old girls in one night without any trouble.


    An ordinary person can¡¯t eat meat three times in a year, but the Black Tiger Gang Leader indulges in delicacies from the land and sea, including various spiritual medicines.


    Qin Niu has no desire for lavish clothing or grand houses; in his heart, there are only three words: seeking immortality.


    He believes that the longer one lives, the stronger one¡¯s cultivation will surely become.


    Eventually, that would naturally make one a top-level strong person.


    If one¡¯s lifespan comes to an end, no matter how glorious or powerful one is in the moment, in the end, they can only die and their path fades away.


    After visiting three purchasing points to ask for prices, he had a good idea of their rates.


    Comparing the goods at three stores was a technique he had cleverly employed to his advantage.


    After asking at two more stores, he ultimately decided to sell the bear skin to the one that offered the highest price.


    He had thought that he could at most sell it for ten taels of silver, but unexpectedly, he secured a high price of twenty-five taels.


    The owner appraised it and confirmed that it was from a mature male bear that had lived for at least fifteen years.


    Moreover, the owner informed Qin Niu that there was definitely at least one female bear nearby.


    One couldn¡¯t help but admire their professional expertise.


    Each trade has its master, and that wasn¡¯t just an empty saying.


    To be able to determine the bear¡¯s age and gender just from its hide is an impressive skill.


    The owner also told him that if he hunted another Black Bear next time, he could bring the bear gallbladder to sell to him for five hundred coins.


    Qin Niu had long heard that bear gallbladder was beneficial to the body, and he had swallowed it raw on the spot.


    He didn¡¯t feel any significant change in his body, though.


    If he had known that bear gallbladder was so valuable, he should have kept it to sell.


    Having earned twenty-five taels of silver, he was overjoyed, as this meant he had secured means for practicing cultivation techniques and could also afford to buy weapons.


    He was considering buying two to three low-grade Contract Charms to carry with him, to be prepared to subdue any insects he took a liking to in the future.


    Passing by an Armor Shop, he stopped at the door to take a look.


    The shop assistant gave him a cursory glance and then went back to dusting the armor, paying him no heed.


    Having dealt with various customers, the assistants knew which ones could afford their armors.


    A country person wrapped in clothes patched all over, barely managing to get enough to eat¡ªhow could they afford expensive armor?


    This time, the assistant really misjudged the situation.


    Qin Niu, with twenty-five taels of silver on him, could easily afford a set of ordinary leather armor.


    Qin Niu was indifferent to the shop assistant¡¯s cold attitude.


    He walked into the shop and fixed his gaze on a set of black armor.


    From the look of it, it was nearly identical to the armor worn by the soldiers at the city gates.

 Chapter 26 - 26 Chapter 23 Hundred-Tempering Black Armor_1

    26 Chapter 23 Hundred-Tempering Black Armor_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Rectangular pieces of iron, threaded by silk through small holes from within, were woven into armor.


    Each piece of iron had a dull sheen, occasionally giving off a hint of black light.


    This was known as restrained luster.


    The better the quality of the object, the more inconspicuous it appeared.


    Ordinary knives, after a little polishing, would shine brightly, but after a short period, they would become dull and lusterless. Iron-made knives could maintain a persistent and stable shine.


    As for Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel, it had a restrained luster; at first glance, it seemed nothing special, but upon closer inspection, its extraordinary nature became apparent.


    That kind of dense luster emanating from within would grow on you the more you looked at it.


    That¡¯s where the phrase ¡®unable to put it down¡¯ came from.


    ¡°How much for a full set of this armor?¡±


    Qin Niu was just inquiring about the price for now. Once he had the funds, he could consider purchasing a set.


    Wearing it could greatly enhance one¡¯s defensive capability.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something you can afford.¡±


    The shop assistant didn¡¯t even bother to mention the price.


    These country bumpkins asked all sorts of questions but never bought anything in the end, wasting his time for nothing.


    ¡°This is Hundred-Tempering Black Armor, made of 1080 pieces of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel. The inner part is threaded with bitter heavenly vine silk soaked in tung oil and then crafted by masters skilled in armor making. It ensures that each piece of armor is tightly joined without any flaws. There¡¯s also a soft and comfortable lining inside, with a certain proportion of Green Forehead Silkworm Silk, which is durable, wear-resistant, and can be passed down for generations. Its defense is incredibly strong. Whether it¡¯s arrows made of fine steel shot from a Ten-Stone Strong Bow or sharp fine steel weapons, none can penetrate its defenses.¡±


    The shopkeeper, however, came over with a smile and introduced the product to Qin Niu earnestly.


    This shopkeeper was short and plump with a pair of Hu-style whiskers and a bulbous nose, paired with small green bean eyes¡ªa spitting image of the legendary turtle Prime Minister.


    ¡°You might say that within the Mortal Realm, anyone under tenfold cultivation using ordinary weapons would have almost no hope of breaching its defenses. Of course, it depends on how the wearer uses it; nothing is absolute! As for the price of this armor, it¡¯s a bit expensive, costing five hundred taels of Silver Money for one set. If you¡¯re really interested, the shop might give you a slight discount, but there¡¯s not much room for negotiation.¡±


    When he heard that it cost five hundred taels of Silver Money per set, Qin Niu¡¯s heart nearly leapt out of his throat.


    He had guessed that it wouldn¡¯t be cheap.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so exorbitantly priced.


    ¡°Hehe, do you think it¡¯s a bit expensive? Good things come at a high price. Young brother, if you¡¯re using it for hunting in the mountains, I recommend buying leather armor instead. It¡¯s much cheaper, only thirty taels of Silver Money per set. Made of thick tri-layer cowhide, it¡¯s more than enough to ward off the claws of tigers and wolves.¡±


    True enough, you get what you pay for.


    Though the price of leather armor was affordable, its defensive ability was limited.


    There were also shields, breastplates, ordinary helmets, and other protective gear in the Armor Shop, likely all at no small cost.


    Qin Niu had originally thought that selling a bear pelt for twenty-five taels of Silver Money meant he had a little bit of cash on hand. But stepping into such a luxury store, he couldn¡¯t even afford the cheapest leather armor.


    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper. I¡¯ll come back to you when I have the money.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t look any further.


    He needed to hurry to buy Cultivation Techniques, Insect Control Books, and other cultivation materials before it got dark and he could get home.


    It was said that in the city, after nightfall, the public wasn¡¯t allowed to roam the streets at will.


    Anyone caught violating this by the patrolling soldiers would be thrown directly into jail.


    The prisons were dark places where people could be consumed without leaving bones.


    Many women, once imprisoned, would often not live past three days. Being despoiled by the jailer and the guards was inevitable, and many women, unable to endure, would ultimately choose to commit suicide.


    Those with more fiery natures often killed themselves the very night they were locked up.


    Without a house in the city, one must get out before the gates closed, or it would be quite troublesome.


    If one missed the leaving time, there was another option, which was to stay in an inn.


    But it wasn¡±t cheap, costing at least a hundred Wen Money per night.


    ¡°`


    If you include the cost of eating, you can¡¯t get by without one hundred and twenty or thirty Wen Money.


    That¡¯s also why country folks are afraid to enter the city, with its expensive cost of living and high consumption which they simply can¡¯t afford.


    ¡°Little brother, remember the name of my shop, it¡¯s called True True Armor Shop. You won¡¯t go wrong buying armor from my place. When the time comes, I¡¯ll give you the best price I can.¡±


    The owner was very good at doing business.


    Even though Qin Niu was just a poor country boy, the owner still received him warmly and personally.


    Not far from the shop, Qin Niu heard a shop assistant¡¯s voice, ¡°Uncle, that kid just now is a poor country bumpkin, he can¡¯t even afford a meal, why did you still introduce so much to him so enthusiastically?¡±


    ¡°What do you know! Don¡¯t just look at the surface when you see people. Although this young man is dressed in rags, his eyes are resolute, and he walks with extreme stability, as if he¡¯s carrying a mountain on his shoulders. People like him are likely to achieve great things in the future. Remember, when you meet someone who carries mountains, treat them well, and don¡¯t slight them.¡±


    The boss scolded the arrogant assistant.


    A smile tugged at the corners of Qin Niu¡¯s mouth once again.


    This boss is rather interesting.


    Qin Niu never thought of himself as anything extraordinary; he simply wanted to live a little longer, free from restrictions, and that was all.


    After leaving the footwear and clothing market, he headed straight for the Cultivation Market.


    Black Tiger City seemed to have very strict management of cultivation resources, with only one Cultivation Market in the entire city. The items sold there, especially Cultivation Techniques, required registration and filing for each book.


    If someone owned a particularly special Beast Pet, it also needed to be registered.


    The purpose of this was for long-term peace and order.


    To have an idea of which masters were under jurisdiction.


    Moreover, once one¡¯s cultivation broke through to the Tenth Layer of the Mortal Realm, they also needed to register proactively.


    The government would exempt these people from a certain amount of land tax and give them a monthly stipend. They would also enjoy certain privileges.


    For instance, they didn¡¯t need to kneel when seeing officials, and if they committed a crime, they would be tried by a tripartite tribunal.


    Black Tiger City was quite large, and it took him a quarter of an hour to finally arrive at the Cultivation Market.


    He could see Black Armored Soldiers standing guard at the entrance.


    He had been there three times already and was fairly familiar with the route.


    Although there were only two Black Armored Soldiers on guard, if anyone dared to cause trouble, it would be like stirring up a hornet¡¯s nest.


    If they found a formidable enemy, they would immediately call for backup.


    Unless one had the power to take on the entire Black Tiger Gang alone, nobody would dare take the risk.


    When Qin Niu passed by them, he was extremely cautious, truly not even daring to let out a heavy breath.


    That damn oppressive feeling made him feel like a termite in front of the two Black Armored Soldiers.


    Luckily, they were just standing guard, and as long as he didn¡¯t make trouble, they wouldn¡¯t bother with him at all.


    Looking at the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor they wore, Qin Niu was truly envious, as it was high-grade equipment worth five hundred taels of Silver Money.


    Some people might never have the chance to wear it in their lifetimes.


    Now that he had successfully raised a colony of termites and his planting skills were continually improving, he believed that as long as he developed steadily, in a few years, he should be able to don such high-grade equipment as well.


    Upon entering the Cultivation Market, it was much busier than the footwear and clothing market.


    It could almost be described as a sea of people.


    It seemed that the pursuit of becoming stronger through cultivation was much greater than the concern for food and clothing. After all, this was the most promising path.


    ¡°First go to buy Cultivation Techniques! If there¡¯s money left, then buy Insect Control Books.¡±


    Qin Niu would certainly not put the cart before the horse. Personal cultivation was the foundation, and beast pets were ultimately extraneous.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 27 - t enough ratings

    t enough ratings


    135 Chs


    ADD


    27 Chapter 24 The Noble Young Master and the Dragon Chant Technique_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Martial Arts Pavilion, Secret Technique Hall, Cultivation Technique Storage¡­


    Looking at the stores selling martial arts techniques and cultivation technique manuals, Qin Niu casually chose the most popular store and walked in.


    He had heard that even the most common cultivation techniques sold for no less than Two Silver Money.


    In the past, he had only dared to stand outside and enviously gaze in.


    The cultivation technique manual store he entered was called ¡°Supreme Sea,¡± and unlike other stores that usually had just one storefront, it boasted five. Its scale was five times larger than that of a regular store, surely housing a much richer collection of books.


    After entering, Qin Niu saw rows of specially made bookshelves.


    On them were locked oval crystal covers, within which sat individual manuals, with some content introductions engraved on the outside of the casings.


    At the prominent spot of each bookshelf, there was an exquisitely made wooden sign, with white background and red characters, listing the type of manuals.


    Martial Arts, Cultivation Techniques, Insect Control Techniques, Beast Taming Techniques, Planting Techniques.


    These were roughly the five categories.


    Cultivation Techniques and Insect Control Techniques each only occupied one bookshelf, making these two categories the scarcest.


    The profession of an Insect Master was already somewhat obscure, deemed a poor man¡¯s job.


    While breeding insects was cheap, the difficulty of nurturing and evolving them was high, and their combat strength relatively weak. Compared to beast taming, the chances of rising to prominence were much lower.


    For instance, to subdue a female termite within Qin Niu¡¯s termite colony, it was essential to seize the most opportune moment, forming a contract with her right after her nuptial flight but before she laid her eggs. Otherwise, the moment she started laying eggs, she would instantly upgrade to a Grade Two insect, and the cost to subdue her would increase tenfold.


    If her first batch of eggs were allowed to hatch, subduing her would become nearly impossible.


    Subduing a Grade One female termite and subduing an entire termite colony were not the same concept at all.


    After great hardship, the third female termite Qin Niu subdued finally advanced to an Ant Queen, forming a low-level ant colony. The success rate of such an event was roughly three in ten thousand.


    Even so, his ant colony was now so weak that a three-year-old child could easily crush them.


    If what you subdued was a wolf, it could immediately guard the home and protect the yard, and dealing with one or two grown men would be no trouble at all.


    Subduing insects, with their low success and return rates and short lifespans, were reasons why the profession of an Insect Master was lesser-known.


    Those who become Insect Masters or Beast Tamers do so with the intention of earning money or battling with the help of their pets.


    No poor person would be foolish enough to spend a few Silver Money on raising insects for fun.


    That being said, although raising insects was hard to succeed in, there were countless examples of insects that, once cultivated well, increased their master¡¯s worth by a thousand or ten thousand times.


    Qin Niu approached the cultivation technique bookshelf, where many people were already gathered to choose and buy cultivation techniques.


    A boy around ten years old stood nearby, with a broad forehead and a square face, wearing a white long shirt made from satin. His eyes casually swept over the crystal casings.


    When Qin Niu stood beside this boy, he actually felt a terrifying aura that made him shiver.


    It was even more dreadful than the pressure brought on by the soldiers at the city gates.


    He couldn¡¯t help but take a astonished look at the boy.


    Despite the boy¡¯s serene composure, his expression exuded confidence that seemed to come naturally from the heart.


    This was a display of confidence built on great strength and solid backing.


    He wondered whose noble son this was, to have such formidable cultivation at such a young age.


    It was said that the children of the wealthy began cultivating while still in the womb.


    Not only would the pregnant women consume various tonic goods and Spiritual Medicines, but they would also employ experts to expend their cultivation energy to clear the meridians in the fetus and nurture its sinews, bones, and internal organs. Such a child would be born with extraordinary talent.


    Once they were weaned after birth, they would be supplied with all sorts of blood food and Spiritual Medicines, and have personal tutors to teach them breathing exercises and cultivation methods.


    Children of poor families might still be naive and ignorant at ten years old, helping their parents with farm work every day or working for landlords as Attendant Students.


    But children from wealthy families at that age would have already completed the initial transformation of cultivation and could even be stepping into the threshold of cultivation.


    Sometimes, it has to be said, choice outweighs effort.


    As long as you¡¯re born into a good life, you can save yourself at least fifty years of struggle compared to others.


    ¡°Attendant Student, would you kindly fetch that Cultivation Technique for me.¡±


    The young man appeared to have made his choice.


    An Attendant Student quickly walked over and retrieved the Cultivation Technique the young man had pointed out.


    ¡°Young Master, you truly have a keen eye. This Dragon Chant Technique is a superior cultivation method, which, once mastered, grants you the mighty power of a dragon and an extended breath of life, adding a hundred years to your lifespan without question.¡±


    Rather than handing over the Cultivation Technique to the young man, the Attendant Student held it and proceeded to the counter.


    ¡°Please come to the cashier, Young Master, to complete the purchase. This Dragon Chant Technique will then belong to you. The selling price is five thousand Silver Money.¡±


    Qin Niu was so startled by the price of this Cultivation Technique, he nearly wet himself.


    Five thousand taels!


    He had thought that an item worth five hundred Silver Money, like the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor, was already astonishing.


    Now he realized he was still too naive.


    The selling price of a single Cultivation Technique was ten times that of the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor.


    Such an expensive technique could probably not even be afforded by a big landlord like Yan Ruohai! The Yan Family might have to sell off their properties just to buy it.


    However, if one managed to master the Dragon Chant, possessing the mighty power of a dragon, they might be able to walk sideways in Black Tiger City.


    Cultivating this technique and extending one¡¯s life by a hundred years was also incredibly tempting.


    That would be twice Qin Niu¡¯s current lifespan.


    ¡°I need to make money, I need to buy superior cultivation methods!¡±


    He shouted in his heart, the thought of making money more intense than ever.


    Looking at this ten-year-old boy, he was truly green with envy.


    Many of the Cultivation Techniques on the shelves were actually one-of-a-kind, secrets, once sold, no more would be available.


    Copies of Cultivation Techniques were known as Fake Cultivation Techniques, commonly found at black markets and street stalls.


    It must be noted, when buying Cultivation Techniques, one must purchase the original. Even a slight deviation in a copied Fake Cultivation Technique could lead to a huge mistake. At best, practicing Fake Cultivation Techniques results in slow progress in cultivation, and at worst, it could cause one to suffer demonic deviation.


    Take this Dragon Chant Technique, for instance, the cost of paper and ink isn¡¯t expensive, but the person capable of writing this Cultivation Technique must surely be a powerful individual who has mastered the Dragon Chant.


    Such individuals hold prestigious statuses.


    The techniques they create with such dedication naturally won¡¯t come cheap.


    After the Cultivation Technique shop purchases them at a cost, they definitely will resell at a higher price!


    Buying at three thousand taels and selling at five thousand is quite a normal profit margin.


    Another point worth mentioning is that, for instance, if ten powerful practitioners all cultivated the Dragon Chant and succeeded, their writings would result in ten different versions of the technique.


    Theoretically, the stronger the master who writes the technique, the better the Cultivation Technique.


    But for cultivators, choosing the most compatible Cultivation Technique is the right decision.


    If the version of Dragon Chant you purchase does not align well with you, it will significantly increase the difficulty of cultivation. The higher the compatibility, the easier it is to succeed in cultivating it.


    Qin Niu dared not even look at the Cultivation Techniques on the second level of the bookshelf.


    As for the top layer, there¡¯s no need to mention it. The gentleman earlier bought one and it was not expensive, only five thousand taels. Even by selling himself, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t make up the amount.


    The price of the Cultivation Techniques on the second shelf is generally more than a hundred Silver Money each.


    Qin Niu subconsciously touched the Silver Money in his bosom, lamenting that you only realize you don¡¯t have enough when you need it!


    Then he might as well pick a technique from the first layer. The cheapest goes for two Silver Money per book, with the most expensive around forty or fifty.


    Here, Silver Money doesn¡¯t equate to money, it¡¯s like soil.

 Chapter 28 - 28 Chapter 25: Fragment of a Cultivation Technique_1

    28 Chapter 25: Fragment of a Cultivation Technique_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    He appeared extremely patient, carefully reviewing each introduction.


    Lacking sufficient silver money, he certainly needed to put in more effort to select, striving to get the job done with the least amount of silver money.


    Barbarian Bull Technique: After cultivation, one could possess immense strength, having the force of a thousand catties.


    A thousand catties of force was actually only equivalent to the Fivefold Mortal Realm.


    No wonder this cultivation technique was only selling for two silver money.


    However, for ordinary peasants, cultivating this technique could have certain benefits. When farming, one could directly use oneself as a beast of burden.


    Iron Cloth Technique: A horizontal cultivation technique, after practice, one¡¯s defensive ability greatly increases, equivalent to wearing a suit of iron armor.


    ¡­


    He looked them over one by one, but had not yet found a cultivation technique that met his expectations.


    Indeed, you get what you pay for; it¡¯s impossible to get good quality for a cheap price.


    When he reached the end of the bookshelf, an ancient scroll made of beast skin lay quietly under a glass dome.


    His eyes instantly brightened.


    The cultivation techniques on the bottom shelf were basically made of paper, with the occasional bamboo scroll being a rarity.


    This beast skin scroll at first glance was clearly an antique.


    He unconsciously looked at the price, only five silver money.


    Cheap goods aren¡¯t good quality; that¡¯s the basic rule of the market.


    This beast skin scroll appeared exceptional in quality, full of historical charm, but with such a low price tag, there must be a catch.


    Qin Niu still decided to examine it closely.


    Everlasting Spring Technique: A life-nurturing technique, after practice, it can nourish the vital energy, warm the spirit, and prolong one¡¯s life. This technique is not suitable for combat, incomplete scroll.


    Damn!


    No wonder it was so cheap.


    Who doesn¡¯t practice with the goal of becoming a powerhouse, fighting against the heavens and earth, dominating in all directions? What use is a technique that doesn¡¯t allow you to fight or beat others?


    While others practiced to strive for power and plunder, Qin Niu aimed only for longevity.


    He didn¡¯t like fighting and killing.


    He preferred a leisurely pastoral life more.


    Farming, raising pets, cultivating¡ªthis was the life he aspired to.


    This Everlasting Spring Technique was very much to his liking, and the price was quite suitable as well.


    The only flaw was that it was only an incomplete scroll.


    ¡°Attendant Student, could you come over for a moment!¡±


    Qin Niu was mimicking that young noble he had heard speak.


    Being polite and courteous outside was quite necessary.


    At least one wouldn¡¯t get beaten for saying the wrong thing.


    ¡°Are you looking to buy this Everlasting Spring Technique?¡±


    The Attendant Student might just be a worker in the cultivation technique shop, but he wore a gray long gown and bore the emblem of Yan Ruohai on his chest; it was a prestigious job.


    Much better than being a farming peasant.


    The work was easy, nine to five, with an income probably around five silver money per year.


    And there was some room for advancement.


    Every time new stock came into the cultivation technique shop, the internal staff had the opportunity to get the best deals. Those cheap quality techniques were definitely scooped up by them first.


    ¡°This is just an incomplete scroll, can it be a little less?¡±


    Qin Niu wanted to bargain a bit.


    ¡°Sorry, all of Yan Ruohai¡¯s cultivation techniques are fixed price. Just now, a young master bought an upper-grade technique for five thousand silver money, and not a penny less.¡±


    The Attendant Student¡¯s demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant.


    ¡°Could you take it out so I can look at the contents? Just a brief look at one or two pages would be fine.¡±


    Qin Niu feared buying a worthless cultivation technique, as five silver money was a huge sum for him.


    The Attendant Student¡¯s face twitched for a moment.


    ¡°Sorry, all cultivation techniques and scrolls in our shop do not support opening and examining before purchase. Once you¡¯ve paid, you can look at it however you want. Moreover, our Yan Ruohai¡¯s business has been a distinguished establishment in Black Tiger City¡¯s Cultivation Market for five hundred years, operating with integrity. The introduction states precisely what the technique is like.¡±


    After the Attendant Student finished explaining, he didn¡¯t hurry Qin Niu but waited patiently nearby for him to make a decision.


    Yan Ruohai¡¯s business thrived so well that, apart from other strengths, just the customer service alone was commendable.


    Even if a customer bought only the worst cultivation technique, they were still treated with great respect.


    It had to be so.


    Because no one knew to what heights a customer buying cultivation techniques or martial skills might grow.


    There were not a few examples of people who started with the worst cultivation techniques and reached great success step by step.


    It¡¯s said that the Black Tiger Gang had a vice Gang Leader called Bai Xuezhu, who started his practice with the lowest-grade Iron Cloth Technique and has now become the strongest expert in the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s horizontal cultivation techniques.


    He made countless great achievements in expanding the territory for the Black Tiger Gang. Offending such a person would cost more than ten cultivation technique shops could cover.


    After hesitating for a moment, Qin Niu decided to buy the scroll.


    He didn¡¯t have high expectations to start with, prepared to buy some garbage cultivation technique suitable for himself to practice with.


    Now, this Everlasting Spring Technique looked to be of a quality that deserved to be placed on the second tier of the shelf at the very least.


    Its value was greatly reduced mainly because it was an incomplete scroll.


    Then, coupled with the fact that it was a technique unsuitable for cultivation, its market appeal dropped even further.


    ¡°This one, take it out please!¡±


    Qin Niu turned and headed straight to the counter.


    ¡°`


    Many people were buying cultivation technique manuals and queuing to check out.


    The territory controlled by the Black Tiger Gang was at least over 5,000 square kilometers, with a population exceeding one million. The actual number could well be over one and a half million.


    There were too many wealthy and powerful people in this region.


    There were also many young people like Qin Niu, who wanted to advance, worked to save some money, and came to buy cultivation technique manuals in hopes of becoming stronger.


    Martial skills, beast taming, insect control, and planting techniques did not require registration, only cultivation techniques did.


    Qin Niu was directed to counter number two to pay the fee.


    ¡°Please have your waist token ready.¡±


    The attendant student reminded him.


    The waist token was akin to a modern-day identity card, made from a piece of bamboo and engraved with Qin Niu¡¯s household registration information. Citizens under the jurisdiction of the Black Tiger Gang would all have the image of a lifelike Black Tiger on the back of their waist tokens.


    Don¡¯t think that it was just a Black Tiger design, but it was very hard to forge.


    Moreover, those who were caught using a forged waist token faced at least being thrown into the dungeons of the Black Jail for trial. In serious cases, they could even be executed on the spot by the officials.


    Ordinary citizens wore waist tokens. Even if someone like Yan Ruohai who owned vast tracts of land did not have another identity, he would also only receive a waist token made from a piece of bamboo.


    But the tokens worn by officials were made from metal Fish Talismans.


    Since iron was prone to rusting, they were mostly made of brass.


    Higher-grade Fish Talismans were made from silver or gold. The lowest grade of Fish Talisman was made from a type of ironwood.


    It looked like black iron, heavy and hard, but was actually made of wood, not iron.


    People like prospective beast tamers, prospective insect masters, high-level farmers, and those who passed junior official exams had waist tokens that were made from ironwood Fish Talismans.


    In this world, the status of merchants was very low.


    Even if they made a fortune, they remained mere civilians.


    Qin Niu took out his waist token with five taels of silver money and patiently queued.


    Shortly after, it was his turn.


    A specialized scribe took his waist token, verified its authenticity, and then began the registration. The time and the cultivation technique he bought were recorded clearly.


    Only the price was not recorded.


    This should be to avoid taxes.


    Since the registry was to be submitted to the government for record-keeping, the cultivation technique store was undoubtedly afraid of being audited!


    In the registration they played a little trick, not recording the sale prices of the cultivation techniques.


    After Qin Niu paid, the Everlasting Spring Technique manual belonged to him.


    ¡°You can practice the cultivation technique on your own or loan it to others, but you must not copy it for sale. Otherwise, according to Black Tiger Gang¡¯s law, you will be subjected to severe punishment,¡±


    the attendant student reminded him.


    Copying it for personal use was not a problem. But selling it to others was against the law.


    In fact, for safety reasons, no one was willing to lend their cultivation techniques to others.


    Except in the case of father to son.


    By sharing a cultivation technique with another, one might also inadvertently reveal its weaknesses to an enemy, which was an extremely foolish thing to do.


    A father¡¯s love for his son is often selfless and great.


    Rebellious children who would turn against their fathers were very rare, so it was quite common for fathers to pass techniques to sons.


    Many families¡¯ cultivation techniques were passed down from generation to generation.


    To prevent leakage of cultivation techniques, it was usual to pass them only to sons and not to daughters.


    Because a daughter would marry and could eventually pass the technique to her husband or sons, resulting in the technique being leaked.


    After buying the Everlasting Spring Technique, Qin Niu did not check it on the spot.


    Instead, he put it away securely on his person.


    With the cultivation technique matter settled, he now needed to focus on three things: insect control technique, weapons, and low-grade Contract Charms.


    He wanted to buy a chopping knife made from Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel, which could be used both for battling enemies and hunting, as well as for chopping wood. The price of a piece of Hundred-Tempering Black Armor was as high as five hundred taels of silver money, so he guessed that a Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel weapon would require at least a hundred taels.


    With only twenty taels left on him, buying a Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel weapon seemed difficult.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Qin Niu decided to buy what was most urgently needed and crucial first.


    The Insect Control Technique was a must-buy.


    Having obtained a nest of termites, he was still almost clueless about how to cultivate them.


    For instance, after feeding them bear blood yesterday, some of the termites that consumed the bear blood evolved into powerful Worker Ants and Soldier Ants, indicating that bear blood could induce their evolution.


    If he could learn systematically and master the knowledge of breeding insects, he would be able to evolve the termites faster and better.


    Arriving at the bookshelf with Insect Control Books, Qin Niu began searching for the content he needed.


    He searched everywhere but couldn¡¯t find any books on termite breeding.


    Most popular were the breeding and taming techniques for Coleoptera, spiders, scorpions, and centipedes.


    Raising a poisonous insect was intended mainly for combat.


    By releasing a venomous insect to bite an enemy, it could instantly incapacitate the enemy or even kill them outright.


    Qin Niu had limited funds, and though he wanted the Insect Control Books, he had to buy what was immediately necessary.


    ¡°It seems like only this ¡®Green Demon Bee Raising¡¯ manual fits the bill,¡±


    he paused in front of a scroll of Insect Control Technique.


    Bees and ants have certain commonalities. If he learned it well, he could consider raising a nest of bees later on.


    That way, he would have creatures crawling on the ground and flying in the sky.


    It would greatly enhance his combat capabilities.


    Is Green Demon someone¡¯s nickname?


    Qin Niu felt that this Bee Raising manual had a somewhat sinister air about it.

 Chapter 29 - 29 Chapter 26: Taking on a Sect Alone by Oneself_1

    29 Chapter 26: Taking on a Sect Alone by Oneself_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Attendant Student, could you come here for a moment!¡±


    Qin Niu called over the bookstore¡¯s assistant.


    Here, one-on-one service was provided, so any customer interested in purchasing any Cultivation Technique secret manual could call over an Attendant Student at any time to inquire.


    ¡°Esteemed guest, would you like to purchase this Insect Control Technique?¡±


    The one who came over was still the same Attendant Student who had served him last time.


    His attitude toward Qin Niu was noticeably more respectful. You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover; this young man just bought a Cultivation Technique worth five Silver Money.


    For a rich young master, five Silver Money is merely a month¡¯s pocket money.


    But for a poor country person, five Silver Money might take five or six years to save, or even longer.


    The young man didn¡¯t even blink when paying, leaving a deep impression on the Attendant Student.


    ¡°Is Green Demon someone¡¯s nickname?¡±


    ¡°Please wait a moment, I will ask the Appraiser.¡±


    The Attendant Student, with limited knowledge, obviously didn¡¯t know either.


    Larger bookstores all have their own Appraisers; often the owner would act as one. If any Cultivation Technique acquired turned out to be a Fake Cultivation Technique, the consequences would be very serious.


    The scale of the Supreme Ocean was so large, there should be more than one Appraiser.


    After all, there are multiple fields in Cultivation Technique secret manuals, and many Appraisers only specialize in one field.


    For example, an Appraiser responsible for evaluating Cultivation Techniques might not be very good at plant cultivation techniques.


    The Attendant Student quickly returned, accompanied by a thin, long-bearded elder. He wore a green robe adorned with the embroidered badge of the Supreme Ocean and the Appraiser¡¯s badge on his chest.


    He obviously seemed much senior to the Attendant Student.


    ¡°Esteemed guest, this is Master Liu, our Supreme Ocean¡¯s Appraiser specializing in Insect Control and plant cultivation techniques. You may directly consult with Master Liu about any questions you have.¡±


    The Attendant Student introduced the identity of the thin elder.


    ¡°Master, good to see you. May I ask if you know the origin of the Green Demon¡¯s bee breeding scripture?¡±


    Master Liu stroked his beard and spoke in a clear voice, ¡°Of course. All cultivation and insect control techniques pass through my evaluation to ensure there are no issues before they are put up for sale. Green Demon is an infamous Insect Master. In his early years, his parents died, leaving only him and his three-year-old sister. The brother and sister, young and without support, suffered under the bullying of the local villagers. His own uncle, in an attempt to seize the family¡¯s property, bullied him the most.


    Green Demon was often locked in the backyard by his aunt, who wouldn¡¯t give him food until he had chopped three loads of firewood.


    His sister was required to wash clothes and learn embroidery, earning money for her aunt¡¯s household.


    Whenever Green Demon was tired from chopping wood, his greatest pleasure was to observe the insects in dark corners and the wasps flying into the backyard to build their nests.


    One time, his aunt¡¯s family lost a silver bracelet, and Green Demon also disappeared for five days. Perhaps because his sister was still in his aunt¡¯s hands, Green Demon came back on the sixth day.


    His uncle and aunt hung him from a beam and tortured him to find out where the silver bracelet had gone, but he just clenched his teeth and kept silent.


    Later on, it was said that Green Demon often talked to the wasps, and his aunt¡¯s family thought the child had gone mad.


    Green Demon soon turned fifteen, and his sister was thirteen, growing up quite pretty.


    People began to come forward with marriage proposals.


    Since their parents had died, the brother and sister were tightly controlled by their uncle and aunt¡¯s family.


    For fifty Silver Money, his aunt actually sold Green Demon¡¯s sister to a family for a ghost marriage¡ªa most vicious type of marriage, where a living person is wedded to a deceased, followed by a burial alive.


    As it was a ghost marriage, the wedding took place at Midnight.


    However, when the groom¡¯s side came to pick up the bride, they discovered that Green Demon¡¯s uncle¡¯s family of five had all died violently. Their bodies covered with large swollen bumps oozing pus from the wounds, it was terribly gruesome.


    Only Green Demon and his sister were missing.


    That was just the beginning. Gradually, more and more villagers started to die violently, their deaths eerily similar to that of Green Demon¡¯s uncle¡¯s family.


    The villagers then realized that the Green Demon had come to seek revenge on them.


    Later, someone reported to the authorities, and the Green Demon¡¯s sister died when she fell from the mountains while fleeing from the soldiers. It was said that the Green Demon also fell off a cliff, his whereabouts unknown.


    It was seven years later, on the anniversary of the Green Demon¡¯s sister¡¯s death, that the villagers witnessed a truly horrifying scene. Swarms of bees appeared in the village, stinging everyone they encountered, regardless of age, and even the livestock could not escape.


    After being stung, a person would not die immediately but instead green pus would ooze from their wounds, and their body would slowly turn into pus until they died, seven days later.


    This method of death was even more terrifying than being slowly sliced to death.


    People from the neighboring villages discovered something was wrong and entered to investigate, only to find in horror that the entire village of over two hundred people, including the chickens and dogs, had all turned into green pus.


    The government sent people to investigate and suffered attacks from an unidentified swarm of bees, presenting the same symptoms as the dead villagers, with green pus oozing all over their bodies. Moreover, treatments from doctors were completely ineffective.


    Among the officials, there were skilled individuals who, after inspection, believed that there must be an Insect Master controlling the situation from behind the scenes, seeking revenge on both the villagers and the authorities.


    The government dispatched a large number of troops and experts into the mountains to search for the perpetrator.


    They encountered endless swarms of bees, suffering heavy casualties. The leader of the local Seven-Star Sect, enraged, personally led experts from the sect into the mountain to hunt down the Green Demon lurking in the shadows. Unexpectedly, hundreds of dark green, strange bees that were immune to swords and spears, and possessed extremely strong capabilities to break defenses, flew out from beneath the cliff. The Seven Stars Sect Leader was stung by one of these strange bees, howled for seven days, and then died in violent convulsions.


    This matter alarmed the higher sects, which sent out top fighters to deal with the situation, and they ultimately slew the Green Demon in a cave below the cliff.


    It was said that an astonishing number of bee swarms were found beneath that cliff, endless in number.


    After killing the Green Demon, the top expert from the sect left with his head as a trophy.


    That cliff became forbidden territory, with woodcutters, hunters, and herb pickers daring not to come within ten miles of it, or else they would be attacked by the swarms of bees.


    Master Liu, in order to appraise an Insect Control Technique, actually found out so much about the book¡¯s author¡¯s past experiences, which showed the rigorousness of the Supreme Sea¡¯s book collection.


    ¡°This volume of the Green Demon¡¯s Bee Rearing is his Insect Control Technique and breeding insights he left behind. Many people avoid his techniques like the plague because he was deemed a demonic cultivator. I personally think there¡¯s no need for this. Whether it¡¯s a cultivation technique or skill, neither possesses intrinsic good or evil¡ªit depends on how one uses it after learning.¡±


    After speaking, Master Liu nodded towards Qin Niu and left on his own.


    ¡°Ten pieces of silver money are indeed a bit expensive, but let¡¯s buy it!¡±


    Qin Niu had only spent five pieces of silver money on a cultivation technique, but to his surprise, acquiring an Insect Control Technique cost him ten pieces of silver money.


    The price was truly not cheap.


    However, the poisonous bees bred by the Green Demon were formidable enough to leave the local government helpless and even kill the leader of the Seven Star Sect, which showed that his bee-rearing techniques must be exceptional.


    If he studied it carefully at home, he should be able to gain something from it.


    As for challenging the entire Black Tiger Gang alone after mastering it, he, being a conscientious person, dared not entertain such thoughts.


    After paying, Qin Niu left the Supreme Sea, satisfied with the two volumes of techniques he had acquired.


    He still had ten pieces of silver money left and decided to buy weapons first.


    If he had any money left, he would then buy a low-grade Contract Charm.


    The weapon shop was located at the very back of the market square.


    Nearly seventeen or eighteen weapon shops were set up here, and from a distance of more than ten meters away, one could hear the clanging sounds.


    Most weapon shops had been passed down through generations.


    There were also some apprentices who, after studying for ten or twenty years and mastering their skills, set up their own businesses.


    Qin Niu looked at each one in turn.


    Chopping knives, short swords, longswords, bows, arrows, axes, spears¡­ all eighteen types of weapons could be found here.


    There were also many exotic and rare weapons.


    For example, steel hooks that could be worn on the hands, and hidden blades that could be worn on the feet, and so on.


    These hidden blades were typically concealed within the soles of shoes and had a mechanism inside. During a fight, stomping forcefully would extend a hidden blade from the tip of the shoe, allowing one to kill an enemy with an unexpected strike from the foot.

 Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 27 The Living Treasured Sword i

    Chapter 30: Chapter 27 The Living Treasured Sword i


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu wanted to buy a blade, one that could chop wood, hunt, and kill enemies¡ªall in one.


    He entered a shop with the most extensive selection of blade weapons.


    The shop assistant, with bare and robust upper arms, was muscular all over, especially his pectorals, which were particularly strong.


    ¡°Looking to buy a weapon?¡±


    ¡°Do you have blades of this style forged from Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel?¡±


    Qin Niu pointed at a Thick-Backed Chopping Knife.


    The blade was of medium length, appropriately wide and narrow, with a slight curve to the belly of the knife, suited for both chopping and slicing ¡ª exactly the type of weapon he wanted.


    ¡°Are you sure you want the Thick-Backed Chopping Knife made from Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel? It won¡¯t be cheap. The price of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel is almost three times that of silver now; a knife this size will cost at least a hundred taels of silver.¡±


    The assistant sized up Qin Niu twice, suspecting that this country boy had no idea how expensive Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel was.


    ¡°That is indeed too expensive for me to afford. The books say that good steel should be used on the blade. What if 1 ask for an iron blade with a layer of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel sandwiched in the middle for the cutting edge?¡±


    Qin Niu liked to read in his spare time, and his intellect and wisdom truly were exceptional.


    In the face of insufficient funds, he proposed a scientifically rational cost-saving plan.


    m


    This¡­ I am merely an apprentice, please wait a moment.¡±


    The assistant turned to look towards the inner forging room.


    In the dim light, one could see the forge glowing red hot as a man around fifty tirelessly hammered at a weapon.


    ¡°Master, this customer wants to buy a special kind of blade.¡±


    After a while, the old man emerged from inside.


    The old man was not particularly tall, but he appeared exceedingly sturdy and muscular.


    His completely bare upper body showcased muscles as hard as ironstone.


    ¡°Young brother, what kind of blade would you like to buy?¡±


    The old man¡¯s voice was somewhat hoarse, like a broken gong.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to buy a Thick-Backed Chopping Knife of this style, but since I don¡¯t have enough silver money, 1 would like to ask you to forge it with fine iron and sandwich a layer of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel in the middle to enhance the knife¡¯s sharpness and durability.¡±


    Qin Niu seemed quite professional.


    ¡°No problem. The knife will weigh about three jins, with about three liang of laminated steel. The price of fine iron is one tael per jin, which comes to three liang of silver for three jins. Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel costs three times that of silver, making three liang equal to nine taels. My labor charge is five fen of silver.¡±


    The old man provided a rough estimate of the cost.


    A labor charge of five fen was not cheap, but most skilled blacksmiths demanded this rate.


    Top blacksmith masters could command even more astronomical fees.


    Moreover, don¡¯t think that the weapon store made only five fen of hard-earned money. They could refine fine iron and Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel themselves, and the profit margin on those was usually where the real money was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough silver! Do you think the price could be reduced any further?¡±


    Qin Niu had not expected buying a weapon to be so costly.


    It was only because he had sold the bear skin for a good price that he even dared to consider purchasing a Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel weapon. Otherwise, a fine iron weapon would have been a very good weapon for him already.


    According to the old man¡¯s calculation, it would cost at least twelve taels and five fen of silver.


    He was short by two taels and five fen.


    And he wanted to save one tael of silver to buy a low-grade Contract Charm.


    ¡°What¡¯s the most you can offer?¡±


    The old man asked him.


    ¡°Eight taels.¡±


    Qin Niu stated a price that made the old man nearly jump.


    ii


    No, no, that¡¯s too low, it doesn¡¯t even cover the cost,¡± the old man shook his head repeatedly.


    These ironworkers were stubborn by nature, not particularly adept at haggling.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, never mind.¡±


    Qin Niu turned and walked towards the exit of the store.


    ¡°Come back!¡±


    The old man called out to him again.


    ¡°If you can only offer eight taels of silver, then we¡¯ll use one liang less of the laminated steel. I¡¯ll take a loss on the labor charge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll add one more tael, to make it nine taels, without skimping on material. In the future, if I need any weapon that you can forge, I¡¯ll come to you.¡±


    Qin Niu bargained with surprising adeptness, quite unlike his silent and foolish demeanor back in the village.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ too little, add a bit more. My apprentice and 1 won¡¯t even make enough for our meals,¡± the old man¡¯s eyes already showed compromise, but he was making a last effort to earn a bit more.


    ¡°Take it as looking after me this once! Next time, 1 won¡¯t haggle and let you earn more. Once 1 have money, I¡¯ll definitely want to switch to a better weapon.¡±


    Qin Niu tempted the old man with future prospects.


    After a battle within himself, the old man might have figured out that, after costs, he could still make a tiny profit.


    With a pained expression, he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± The old man fetched a basin of wet clay from under the shelf.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know what he was up to.


    The old man twisted a stick of mud about as thick as a forearm and then said to


    Qin Niu, ¡°Hold it with both hands and apply a slight force.¡±


    ¡°You guys are pretty professional here!¡±


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t expected that forging a weapon would actually involve taking a mold of his hand.


    ¡°My master is a descendant of the Ou Family, and every weapon he forges is imbued with his painstaking effort. Everyone who has used them speaks highly of them.¡±


    The apprentice awkwardly boasted on the side.


    Ou Yezi was indeed among the top master smiths in weapon forging.


    This elder must be a descendant of the Ou Family, so he surely couldn¡¯t be too inferior.


    Actually, any weapon shop that can operate in the Cultivation Market for three years without closing must have decent craftsmanship. This weapon shop looked like it had been around for many years.


    After measuring the hand mold, Master Ou also measured Qin Niu¡¯s arm length, height, and his customary motions when swinging a weapon while bending over, among others.


    Seeing how professional their service was, Qin Niu felt a bit embarrassed.


    After all, he had bargained quite fiercely, slashing the price by two taels and five silver money.


    After taking the measurements, Master Ou drew up a design on the spot, allowing Qin Niu to confirm the style and shape of the weapon and wrote down all the data just measured.


    ¡°According to your blade swinging habits, the tip of the knife is slightly up tilted at a 45-degree angle. The blade will be thickened at this section to increase the weight, which can enhance the explosive power of your slashes. The length of the blade is one foot and four inches, which will harmonize very well with your height and arm length. The handle will be thickened too, as your hands are quite large and you seem to prefer a tight grip on the handle when swinging the blade¡­¡±


    Master Ou gave him a detailed explanation.


    ¡°For sandwiching steel, plan to use more of the front edge of the blade and less as you approach the handle, because the main action when chopping usually involves the front edge and the middle section.¡±


    His professionalism was evident in every aspect of the design, showing extensive forging experience.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s presence, they weighed three jin of fine iron and three taels of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel, and then the master and apprentice went inside to forge the weapon together.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush to leave; caution was necessary.


    He was somewhat worried about receiving an inferior substitute or having the material reduced.


    Most people would stay and supervise when ordering such an expensive custom weapon.


    It took nearly six hours before his weapon was finally forged.


    Earning this money was indeed very hard work.


    The trousers of both master and apprentice were soaked through, leaving a wet print on the ground with each step.


    ¡°Come, try and see if your custom Thick-Backed Cleaver suits you!¡±


    Master Ou excitedly handed over the just-finished work to him, his expression tinged with a bit of nervousness.


    He was clearly concerned that the customer might not be satisfied.


    Qin Niu took the knife, and as soon as he gripped it, his eyes lit up, and his face revealed a thick look of surprise.


    ¡°This sword¡­ It¡¯s as if it has a life of its own, as though it can recognize its master.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s words actually made the master and the apprentice burst into laughter.


    ¡°This knife was custom-made for you. If it doesn¡¯t fit your hand, then my master wouldn¡¯t be able to make a living,¡± said the apprentice with pride and arrogance in his voice.


    Qin Niu swung the knife, finding the balance perfect and the explosive power excellent; his Blade Technique seemed to have grown much stronger as well. It just didn¡¯t feel satisfying without testing it on something.


    ¡°Just chop this iron stump here,¡± said Master Ou, pointing to an iron stump covered in knife marks.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit worried about the edge curling,¡± Qin Niu said, not willing to chop recklessly with it, as it was a high-quality weapon crafted with no less than nine taels of silver money.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if you really curl the edge with a chop, I¡¯ll give it to you for free,¡± Master Ou said with full confidence.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t appear to be joking, Qin Niu tightened his grip on the treasured sword in his hand and fiercely chopped it towards the iron stump.


    Thump!


    The edge sank more than two centimeters into the iron stump on the first chop, unexpectedly producing an Explosive Slash Effect.


    This was an iron stump, after all. A chop that deep suggested that ordinary iron armor would be as fragile as paper before Qin Niu¡¯s Treasured Sword.


    Ordinary iron armor was thick if it measured three millimeters.


    If it were any thicker, the weight would be astonishing, and ordinary people simply could not bear it.


    ¡°Young man, your Blade Technique is quite refined! Take a look, is the blade damaged?¡±


    Master Ou saw the power of his single chop and could not help but reveal a hint of admiration.


    It¡¯s not common to see a country lad with such strong blade skills.


    But he didn¡¯t know that Qin Niu had just happened to produce the Explosive Slash Effect.


    Qin Niu inspected the blade carefully and found it undamaged, not even a hairline notch to be seen.


    This Treasured Sword truly had the power to slice gold and break jade, extraordinary in its might.


    The nine taels of silver money were well spent.


    With it, whether hunting in the mountains or fighting with bullies in the village, he would be invincible.


    Using a chopping knife, he could succeed in a sneak attack on Wang Haikun.


    If he used this Treasured Sword, it would probably be no different from slaying a chicken or duck.


    Even if the man was wearing leather armor, it would be useless; a direct chop would easily slice him in two..

 Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 28: The Method of Fostering Weaponsi

    Chapter 31: Chapter 28: The Method of Fostering Weaponsi


    Translator: 549690339


    This Treasured Sword, when grasped in the hand, was extremely fitting, even seemingly merging with the arm to become one, and when slashing, it truly moved as if it were an extension of the body.


    ¡°Master Ou¡¯s forging skills are top-notch, and I really like this blade. Here are nine Silver Money, thank you for the discount. If there¡¯s anything you need in the future, I¡¯ll definitely patronize your store.¡±


    Qin Niu had acquired a handy Treasured Sword that could slice through iron as if it were mud, and naturally, he was overjoyed.


    He was filled with gratitude towards Master Ou and his disciple.


    ¡°Haha, young brother, as long as you like it! All good swords need nurturing. My forging it was merely giving it life. If you can nurture it well, it will certainly help it rise to another level and may even develop a spirit.¡±


    Master Ou, in his happiness, offered an important piece of advice.


    ¡°This is the crystallization of your and your disciple¡¯s hard work; naturally, 1 will take extra good care of it. But I do not know the methods of nurturing a blade, so please enlighten me.¡±


    Qin Niu had also seen the occasional mention of nurturing swords and blades in books.


    It was said that if a weapon developed a spirit, its might could be enhanced tenfold.


    Some had even nurtured their treasured swords into sword pills, capable of slashing foes from thousands of miles away.


    He dared not even contemplate such a level of cultivator¡¯s realm at the moment.


    As long as he could use this blade to kill a few wolves and bears, ensuring meat for every meal, he would be more than content.


    ¡°There are countless methods of nurturing weapons and no fixed way. Some place their weapons in cold and gloomy places night after night, eventually nurturing a Frost Sword. A swing of the sword would cover a three-meter radius with frost, and the stronger the cultivator¡¯s cultivation, the larger the area the frost could cover when wielding it. Some soak their Treasured Swords in fresh blood daily and eventually nurtured a Blood-Draining Demon Blade, capable of draining an enemy¡¯s blood directly upon contact, due to the blade¡¯s bloodthirsty nature¡­¡±


    Master Ou gave two examples that left Qin Niu¡¯s imagination running wild.


    Nurturing weapons to give them special abilities was truly enticing.


    This reminded him of the nest of Termites he was raising.


    After feeding them bear blood, he had nurtured Worker Ants and Soldier Ants with great strength. It seemed there was some commonality in the principles of the world.


    ¡°The first two examples are of weapons that were particularly successfully nurtured, a rarity among tens of thousands of weapons, so don¡¯t get your hopes up too high. But as long as you nurture your weapon well, when it can understand your intentions, it could significantly amplify your combat power. In essence, you can slowly learn to understand it through using this blade. Once you know its characteristics, nurturing it will no longer be difficult. Just go with its nature.¡±


    The advice Master Ou gave on nurturing blades was invaluable.


    Qin Niu committed it to memory, thanked him, and left the weaponry store.


    Even as he entered the Talisman shop, he was still excited at heart, determined to understand the attributes of his Treasured Sword and strive to nurture it well upon his return.


    A weapon is akin to a tiger¡¯s teeth; it is a lethal tool in battle, and its importance is self-evident.


    Talisman shops were scarce; the entire Cultivation Market had only six or seven.


    The one Qin Niu frequented was run by a pair of grandparents and their grandchild.


    Bei Bing has Talismans.


    That was the name of the store, strange yet intriguing.


    ¡°Please hand me a Low-grade Contract Charm!¡±


    The quality of the Talismans produced by this shop was very good. He had used three already, each time they worked successfully and without any mishaps.


    Inferior Contract Talismans often risked harming the user or the pet they aimed to subdue during use.


    Because they established a soul contract and affected the bearer¡¯s spirit.


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    A young girl with an ordinary appearance, but an extraordinary aura, walked out from inside.


    She looked about eighteen or nineteen years old, very young.


    Dressed in a loose brown linen robe, she wrapped her slender body inside, making the dress appear hollow.


    The only area that looked somewhat substantial was the chest.


    She was a mute girl.


    Her long hair simply cascaded freely down her back.


    Those in the Talisman industry seemed to revere nature, disliking the numerous complex conventions of the world.


    She was barefoot, so there was hardly any sound as she moved.


    ¡°Are you the only one tending the shop today? Please hand me a Low-grade Contract Charm.¡±


    Qin Niu was considered a regular customer.


    The mute girl smiled in greeting, using hand gestures, and then pointed to the Low-grade Contract Charms inside the counter.


    Taking out one, she placed it in a wooden box and handed it to Qin Niu.


    ¡°I hope there¡¯s no mistake here, right? If you gave me a mid-grade Contractual Talisman by accident, don¡¯t blame me when your grandfather scolds you!¡±


    After paying the Silver Money, Qin Niu took it and examined it closely.


    Every stroke was meticulously detailed, even neater than if it had been stamped from a mold.


    A faint glow circulated on its surface.


    This was a sign of a good talisman.


    A talisman without this glowing flow was defective and couldn¡¯t be activated.


    ¡°Yiyiyaya¡­¡±


    She laughed and scolded in response, her hands gesturing in sign language, but no one could understand what she was saying.


    ¡°Hehe, 1 know you¡¯re especially smart and definitely wouldn¡¯t have gotten it wrong. Just teasing you.¡±


    It was only in front of these pure-hearted people that Qin Niu felt willing to engage in warm conversation.


    He couldn¡¯t quite explain it, but he just liked it.


    Dealing with such people was like a breath of spring air, very relaxing and comfortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late; I need to hurry and leave the city, goodbye!¡±


    Qin Niu waved at her with a smile.


    Now he only had twenty-three Wen Money left on him, and he still needed to spend three to buy something for Er Dan to eat.


    Er Dan had helped him pass a message to Xie Laizi, which was a big favor.


    It was also a crucial part of his plan against Xie Laizi and Wang Haikun. He wouldn¡¯t forget what he had promised Er Dan.


    ¡°Mmm!¡±


    The mute girl waved at him and took out a low-grade Contract Charm from behind the counter to catch up with him.


    She approached Qin Niu and took the wooden box from his hands.


    Could she be exchanging it for another one?


    Qin Niu looked at her, puzzled.


    All he saw was her carefully placing the second talisman into the wooden box, then closing it and handing it back to Qin Niu.


    As she drew nearer, Qin Niu caught a very subtle floral scent.


    It was a bit like jasmine and a bit like rose, hard to describe.


    The scent was comforting.


    ¡°Are you giving me a talisman as a gift?¡±


    Qin Niu asked, looking into her eyes.


    ¡°All ah!¡±


    She nodded her head vigorously.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid your grandfather will scold you for giving away such an expensive thing?¡±


    ¡°Mmm!¡±


    She shook her head vigorously, waving her hands as if not afraid, or perhaps trying to tell Qin Niu her grandfather wouldn¡¯t scold her.


    ¡°Why would you think to give such a valuable gift to me?¡±


    Qin Niu certainly didn¡¯t flatter himself into thinking that she had taken a fancy to him.


    Her gaze was clear, friendly, with no hint of romantic interest.


    She seemed like an untainted, holy and secluded orchid.


    ¡°Yingya yingya¡­¡±


    She explained, seeming to know Qin Niu might not understand, and simply stretched out her index finger to hook it with Qin Niu¡¯s finger and gave it a shake.


    This time, Qin Niu understood.


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re saying we are friends, so you want to give me a talisman, right?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm!¡±


    She nodded vigorously, her face beaming with a pure and happy smile..

 Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 29 Everlasting Spring Technique i

    Chapter 32: Chapter 29 Everlasting Spring Technique i


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m delighted to become friends with you. My name is Qin Niu, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    Qin Niu felt particularly happy to become friends with this holy, pure girl.


    He never despised her for being mute.


    She walked to the counter, took out paper and pen, and neatly wrote down two characters.


    Bei Bing.


    ¡°So your name is Bei Bing! This shop is actually named after you; it seems your grandfather really adores you! From now on we are good friends. Once 1 get a bit stronger, if you need help with anything, you can always find me. I live in Shuangfeng Village, Jade Stream Town; it¡¯s quite easy to find. There¡¯s a very imposing house in the village, but that¡¯s the neighbor¡¯s. My house is made up of two very dilapidated mud huts.¡±


    Qin Niu told her his address.


    ¡°Mmm!¡±


    She nodded vigorously again, then waved at Qin Niu, indicating for him to hurry out of the city.


    If he was late, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the city.


    ¡°Goodbye!¡±


    Having gained a friendship, Qin Niu felt especially cheerful.


    The low-grade talisman she had given him made his heart feel warmly content.


    In this life, people need friendship, kinship, love ¡ª that¡¯s what makes a complete life.


    This trip could be considered a fulfillment of all his wishes; he had managed to buy all the cultivation materials he wanted.


    When he passed a roasted chicken shop, Qin Niu spent three wen money to buy a large roasted chicken leg, asking the shopkeeper to wrap it in greased paper. After carefully receiving it, he tucked it close to his chest and hurried out of the city.


    He left the city just in time.


    Any later, and he would have had to wait until the next morning to leave.


    That¡¯s because the soldiers guarding the city had already started to clear the caltrops placed at the city gates.


    No sooner had Qin Niu left the city than he saw the soldiers on the city walls start to pull the chains, hoisting up the drawbridge.


    The design of the city gates was very clever.


    The drawbridge pulled up over the moat was precisely like two temporary city walls, forming a double protection with the gate behind it.


    But generally, no one would dare to attack the city.


    Unless the surrounding forces wanted to swallow the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory, that would be the only possibility of a war breaking out.


    However, such situations are rare.


    For a gang of Black Tiger Gang¡¯s size, once a war commences, it inevitably results in rivers of blood and countless masters dying.


    While there would be some casualties among the common people, it was mainly the gang¡¯s masters who perished.


    Unless there was certainty of victory, no gang would risk a war where both sides would suffer heavy losses. At most, they would nibble away at each other¡¯s borders, engaging in minor skirmishes.


    The cost and risk of a full-scale war were too high; all the major powers dealt with it very cautiously.


    After leaving the city, he lengthened his stride, heading in the direction of his home.


    When he first left the city, he could still see many pedestrians on the road, but each one was in a hurry.


    After walking a few miles, the number of pedestrians on the road dwindled.


    The sky gradually darkened as well.


    He quickened his pace.


    If he had a horse, or a pet beast that could carry people, it would have been much more convenient.


    With his own two feet, he would need about two and a half hours to travel fifty li, which is equivalent to five hours.


    And that was because his cultivation had improved.


    Based on his previous stamina, it would take seven hours to reach home.


    The journey was uneventful.


    By the time he returned to Shuangfeng Village, it was deep into the night and the whole village was quiet.


    Only when he neared someone else¡¯s house could he hear the whisper of conversation or sometimes the moaning of a woman.


    In this world, without the internet, television, novels, or short videos¡­ entertainment options were extremely limited. It made sense that many villagers would have five or six children, even more.


    Because there really was nothing to do at night.


    The young couple naturally worked hard at creating children.


    If they could have several more boys, they could help with the farm work as they grew a little older.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t disturb anyone and quietly returned to his own dilapidated mud house.


    Before entering, he cautiously squatted down to check the withered branches laid out on the ground.


    These were the traps he had set.


    No one had visited.


    He unlocked the brass lock, pushed the door open, and walked into the house.


    A golden nest and a silver nest are not as good as one¡¯s own dog nest; no matter how good the outside world is, it¡¯s not as good as one¡¯s own home.


    After closing the door, he first hid the Treasured Sword under the bedding.


    With this ¡®great weapon¡¯, he could significantly improve his chances of survival, whether in the mountains or facing enemies like Wang Haikun.


    Don¡¯t look at how he always acted meekly in front of Wang Haikun¡ªtruly provoked, he¡¯d make sure the other person knew what a real tough guy was just before dying.


    Daring to kill wolves and slaughter bears, he was just as willing to kill people.


    He securely kept the wooden box containing low-level Talismans close to his body. The two Cultivation Techniques were also carried close to his person.


    Currently, his Termite was still weak, and he had no other pets to help guard the house. Cultivation Technique manuals were unsafe no matter where you hid them.


    Carrying them with him was the safest option.


    It also made it convenient for him to check and follow the manual for cultivation at any time.


    The big chicken leg he had bought for Er Dan he didn¡¯t touch, but instead stored it in a jar. After all, the roasted leg was too fragrant, and the noses of mice are very sensitive; they¡¯d surely come visiting if they smelled it.


    He went to the backyard to take a piece of bear meat weighing about a pound and started a fire to cook.


    This bear meat could also be eaten raw, but it was too tough to chew.


    Eating raw meat and drinking blood was the way of life for primitive people; he still preferred cooked food.


    Actually, this bear meat would taste even better roasted, but the scent was too strong, and he feared it would attract prying eyes. If it invited Wang Haikun, that god of plague over, it would be an unending struggle to the death.


    While cooking the meat and corn kernels, he took out the scroll of the Everlasting Spring Technique manual he had purchased and started reading and learning.


    For a country farmer like him, the ability to practice a Cultivation Technique was extremely fortunate.


    Countless farmers never get the chance to practice in their lifetimes and can only hastily finish their short lives.


    ¡°Cultivation is nothing but the three elements of Tao, Qi, and Spirit! Tao is formless, blending to become one¡¯s body, this is the Tao. The transformation from nothing to something, all arise from Qi; the division of Qi gives birth to heaven and earth¡­¡±


    When reading the Everlasting Spring Technique, Qin Niu could feel that the author¡¯s understanding of cultivation had reached an extremely high realm.


    The words spoken seemed especially profound.


    If they didn¡¯t have a deep understanding of the three elements¡ªTao, Qi, and Spirit¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be possible to speak from such a high perspective, overlooking the fundamental truths of cultivation.


    Even, he suspected that the author had comprehended a trace of the great Tao.


    At the very least, they had touched the threshold of the great Tao.


    Being able to buy such a high-level Cultivation Technique among many, made him feel very joyful.


    He also worried that without any cultivation foundation, he wouldn¡¯t understand the methods within.


    Many sects, when teaching disciples, start them on the simplest and most basic techniques.


    Only after reaching a certain level with some foundation, they slowly start to cultivate more profound techniques.


    This Everlasting Spring Technique, to Qin Niu, felt like in terms of level, it probably wasn¡¯t inferior to the Dragon Chant Technique that the young noble bought for five thousand Silver Money.


    Of course, the Appraiser of Supreme Sea wasn¡¯t a fool; placing this technique on the bottom shelf and pricing it at five Silver Money, there naturally was reason behind it.


    As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, thin gruel doesn¡¯t keep one full.


    To truly spend five Silver Money to buy a technique worth five thousand Silver Money, that¡¯s a fool¡¯s dream.


    There¡¯s no chance for him to stumble upon such a huge bargain.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique manual consisted of two realms.


    The first realm is the comprehension of the way of nature. Once mastered, qi flows like silk, blood rushes like a river, and the body is constantly nourished as if by dew, brimming with vitality, significantly increasing one¡¯s lifespan..

 Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Chapter 30 Absorbing Moonlighti

    Chapter 33: Chapter 30 Absorbing Moonlighti


    The second realm is about becoming one with nature. After achieving this realm, one can drawqi from nature; being nourished by the natural energies of the heavens and earth rejuvenates the spirit and soul, leading to immeasurable longevity. Moreover, it also enhances one¡¯s affinity with plants, allowing for a better understanding of nature.


    No wonder this Cultivation Technique has been classified as a Life-Nurturing Technique, which is entirely different in concept from those techniques that result in a body as clear as crystal or imbue one with the mighty strength of a dragon upon completion.


    Those techniques are fundamentally for combat, whereas the Everlasting Spring Technique is solely for comprehending nature and getting closer to it.


    Purely a Life-Nurturing Technique.


    It¡¯s probably more suitable for those who enjoy a pastoral life and live without competition with the world.


    It¡¯s just that there are too few in this world who don¡¯t seek fame and wealth.


    So, it¡¯s normal that it¡¯s not well-liked.


    Furthermore, since it¡¯s an incomplete manual, it¡¯s even riskier for others to invest in.


    The first realm seems to belong to the Mortal Realm, while the second realm already pertains to a true Cultivator.


    The first realm involves understanding the way of nature, allowing the body to mimic nature, nurturing the qi and blood, strengthening the physique, and completing the initial transformation of the body. Its purpose is to fortify the flesh and blood, preparing for the cultivation of the second realm.


    After understanding this technique, Qin Niu felt an unusual joy in his heart.


    The vast majority of low-level Cultivation Techniques are only capable of enhancing and strengthening the body.


    Even at their peak, they are still stuck struggling in the Mortal Realm.


    This technique allows one to step into the threshold of a Cultivator through the second realm, which is an incredible opportunity for a poor village kid like him who lacks a powerful family and other options.


    It gives him a real chance to become a Cultivator and to touch upon the threshold of immortality.


    That¡¯s hundreds, thousands of times better than the common peasants who live and die like the grass and trees in a single autumn.


    He didn¡¯t rush into cultivation but instead repeatedly studied the first realm of the technique.


    The cultivation method of the Everlasting Spring Technique is indeed a bit odd.


    Other techniques either involve consuming nourishing foods or toughening the body rapidly to gain strength, or they involve breathing in the spiritual qi of the heavens and earth, unblocking meridians, and invigorating the blood and qi.


    But the initial cultivation of rhe Everlasting Spring Technique actually requires one to comprehend nature, to feel the breath of the grass and trees, to sense their growth¡­ Isn¡¯t that nonsense?


    If that¡¯s all it rakes to succeed in cultivation, then every farmer would be a master.


    They deal with plants every day, either planting crops or weeding.


    All day long they study how to make rhe crops grow better, trying to increase yields.


    Even a low-level fanner like Qin Niu can easily know how long it takes for a seed of sorghum to germinate, when rhe cotyledons will break through the soil, and when the male flowers will grow¡­ But none of this helps with cultivation.


    He had gone over rhe first part of the cultivation method in the Everlasting Spring Technique three times and was still utterly confused.


    Spending five Silver Money on a cultivation manual he could nor practice made him feel as uncomfortable as if his heart was being scratched by a cat.


    Although the methods of immortality were right before his eyes, he couldn¡¯t grasp them.


    By that time, the sorghum and bear meat in the pot were thoroughly cooked.


    He took them out and savored the meal.


    Life was truly comfortable with meat to eat.


    That bear¡¯s carcass was enough for him to eat for two months.


    While eating, he couldn¡¯t help but mull over the cultivation method of the Everlasting Spring Technique again.


    To comprehend nature, one shouldn¡¯t sit inside a house.


    One should sit in a natural environment.


    ¡°I remember rhe book mentioned that before practicing, it¡¯s best to burn incense, take a bath, and wear loose and comfortable clothes.¡±


    An image of rhe mute girl from the Talisman shop appeared in his mind.


    She was wearing a loose hemp garment, barefoot¡­ Could it be that she did this for rhe sake of cultivation as well?


    That¡¯s indeed a possibility.


    Talisman Masters belong to a niche profession that not only requires a profound foundation in drawing skills but also a deep understanding of the way of heaven and earth.


    It¡¯s said that each Talisman is painstakingly drawn by them as a crystallization of their efforts.


    Some Talisman Masters may even faint from the excessive depletion of their essence while creating a single Talisman. Without Life-Extending Methods, the life span of a Talisman Master is usually quite short; they typically reach their limit by their forties or so.


    After finishing his meal, Qin Niu bathed and changed his clothes.


    Because he was poor, he only had two sets of coarse clothes patched all over.


    Next time he made some money, he would have to buy two sets of hemp clothes to bring back. He thought to himself quietly.


    He came to the backyard, where there was only a thatched shed for storing firewood, and the rest of the place was open to the sky.


    He found a stone slab beside the well and laid it on the ground. Then, following the posture described in the Everlasting Spring Technique, he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and carefully felt everything around him.


    Apart from the ¡°chirping and cooing¡± of insects and the cool breeze of rhe night, he could not perceive anything useful.


    Time passed by, and he tried sitting in meditation facing different directions, but still, he found nothing.


    With no foundation in any cultivation technique and no mentor to guide him, fumbling on his own was like a difficulty level of hell.


    He tossed and turned until midnight and still made no progress.


    He was pretty tired as well.


    He planned to head to the mountains early tomorrow to try meditating there.


    The environment in the mountains would surely be pure nature, which should be more conducive to cultivation.


    Opening his eyes, the moonlight shone brightly on the ground and the dirt walls of the backyard.


    His gaze fixed on a green sprout emerging from beneath a stone slab at rhe edge of the well.


    Under the moonlight, it seemed especially tender and green.


    This was a young grass just beginning to grow.


    At this moment, it was stretching out its leaves, bathing in the moonlight, joyfully growing.


    Plants needed photosynthesis to grow.


    Besides sunlight aiding their growth, moonlight could be useful for them as well.


    Sunlight was more overbearing and intense, while moonlight was softer and more nourishing.


    They were like a father and a mother, nurturing the growth of plants.


    Qin Niu stared blankly at the young grass as if he had come to an understanding, but couldn¡¯t quite grasp the crux of it.


    He calmed down and thought rationally.


    The grass, the moonlight, the growth¡­


    That¡¯s right, the grass enjoyed basking in the moonlight because it made it feel comfortable and allowed it to grow quickly.


    Qin Niu had an epiphany and closed his eyes again, letting the moonlight shine on him just like the grass.


    ¡°I am a blade of grass, 1 am that very blade of grass¡­¡±


    He told himself this.


    He made an effort to feel the changes brought by the moonlight shining upon him.


    But he couldn¡¯t discern any changes.


    After all, he was not the grass.


    However, he didn¡¯t give up. Having finally had a glimmer of understanding, he was determined to hold on to it. He tried to breathe in a rhythm, according to the breathing methods of the cultivation technique, with his eyes closed and concentrated.


    As time went on, Qin Niu seemed to feel something unusual.


    With every inhalation, it was as if a trace of cool energy entered his body from his head, face, palms, and other places exposed to the moonlight.


    It was very faint, and if he didn¡¯t focus and keep his heart calm, he wouldn¡¯t even notice they were there.


    He was secretly delighted.


    But the moment he felt happy, his calm mindset broke, and the cool energy he had just felt vanished.


    It seemed he was still not calm and composed enough, his Dao heart not firm enough.


    This was normal since this was his first day trying to practice a cultivation technique.


    He didn¡¯t get discouraged but readjusted his state, breathing rhythmically, remaining inwardly calm.


    With the experience of one successful attempt, it took him only about fifteen minutes to feel that cool energy again a filament as fine as silk, slipping into his body from each part that moonlight could reach.


    Without any formal instruction or a base in cultivation, having such a profound realization on his first attempt ar cultivation would likely make those elders from sects scramble to take him in if they knew.


    Because on the path of cultivation, while persistence and willpower are important, insight and talent are even more crucial..

 Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 31 Poisonous Ant i

    Chapter 34: Chapter 31 Poisonous Ant i


    Translator: 549690339


    The night passed by swiftly.


    Before dawn, the moon had already sunk behind the mountains, like a lazy girl.


    Qin Niu could no longer feel the cool energy entering his body, so he opened his eyes and, with a sense of reluctance, watched the moon that had already set behind the western hills. Bathing in the moonlight while cultivating had been such a marvelous experience, it made him feel like a greedy child wanting to absorb more of that cool energy.


    After a night of cultivation, he realized his body didn¡¯t seem to have changed much.


    The only difference was that his breathing had become smoother than before.


    He did not uproot the little grass that had helped him succeed in cultivating.


    This little grass was his lucky star, and from now on, he would let it grow freely by the water well in the backyard.


    He would even water it when it was drought-stricken.


    The beginning is the hardest part, but once the first step is taken, subsequent cultivation becomes much easier.


    Qin Niu looked at his personal attributes, full of anticipation.


    Qin Niu


    Cultivation: Mortal Realm Onefold 42.1/100, Low-tier Farmer 75.4/100,


    Low-tier Insect Master 3/100


    Lifespan: 51 years


    Cultivation Technique: Everlasting Spring Technique Level 11.24/100


    Skills: Planting¡ªSowing Proficient 34.4/100, Loosening Soil Slightly Accomplished 357/1000, Fertilizing Slightly Accomplished 156.1/1000, Watering Slightly Accomplished 327/1000, Weeding Slightly Accomplished 415/1000


    Insect Control: Insect Trace Identification Beginner 0.02/10, Insect Speech Beginner 0.51/10.


    Martial Techniques: Slash Strike Slightly Accomplished 107.66/1000 (10% chance of Critical Chop, using the Thick-Backed Precious Saber increases the chance to 20%)


    Talent: Cultivating Health-Preserving Techniques.


    Divine Skills: None


    Labor Points: 958


    After reviewing his personal attributes, Qin Niu felt unspeakably joyful and satisfied.


    The feeling of getting stronger, bit by bit, day by day, was wonderful.


    As he expected, he had indeed made a breakthrough in the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    He had successfully obtained his first cultivation technique in life, and he was no longer just a rough villager.


    Furthermore, his cultivation level had actually increased by 2.3 in a single night.


    Definitely, this was not an effect that bear meat alone could achieve.


    It must be related to cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    Normally, bear meat could help him increase his cultivation by 0.3 a day at best.


    Out of this increase of 2.3 in cultivation, even if some of it was the remaining energy from drinking bear blood being absorbed by his body, that would have only added at most 0.4 to 0.5. Combined with the 0.3 from eating bear meat, the increase should not exceed 0.8.


    Now that it had increased this much, he believed at least 1.5 of it came from cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    Having a cultivation technique really is a blessing; he could finally leave the arduous days of snail-paced cultivation growth behind.


    While the Everlasting Spring Technique may not be suited for combat, being able to increase cultivation this rapidly is enough for Qin Niu to stand out in the Mortal Realm.


    Just staying in this little mountain village would be more than sufficient for self-protection.


    Despite not having slept all night, he didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit tired; on the contrary, he felt as energetic as a dragon and full of vigor.


    Almost all somewhat advanced cultivation techniques have this additional effect.


    Cultivation is somewhat similar to meditation or deep sleep¡ªit can nourish the spirit, enrich the blood, and regulate the organs, thus it shares the marvel of high-quality sleep.


    Moreover, he noticed that he had developed a talent for cultivating health-preserving techniques.


    It seemed he was truly born for this kind of technique!


    There was an even greater surprise: using the Thick-Backed Precious Saber actually granted a 20% chance of performing a Critical Chop, which doubled the rate.


    This highlighted the importance of a weapon.


    ¡°Gurgle gurgle!¡±


    His stomach embarrassingly began to growl.


    He had eaten a large chunk of bear meat and a bowl of cornmeal the previous night, and hadn¡¯t done much work; how could he be hungry so soon?


    Could it be that cultivation accelerated the consumption of energy in his body?


    That must be it.


    With wealth, one can pursue martial arts; with poverty, one can pursue literature.


    Cultivation requires the consumption of a lot of nutrient-rich food, as it transforms the energy from food into the body¡¯s energy, continually strengthening the physical form.


    Qin Niu looked up at the sky; the eastern horizon was already showing the slightest hint of dawn.


    It was morning now, and cooking bear meat would risk being discovered by others.


    To stave off hunger, it seemed he would have to eat raw bear meat.


    Tonight, when cooking bear meat, he could cook two extra pieces to save for the next day¡¯s meal.


    Now that he had started cultivating a technique, the benefits were substantial, but so was the increase in food consumption.


    Before, eating a pound of meat a day was enough to sustain his body¡¯s needs for the whole day.


    Now, he probably needed at least twice that amount of meat a day.


    This also meant that the bear meat he had stored wouldn¡¯t last two months; it would most likely be finished within one month at most.


    But that was okay, now that he had a Treasured Sword and his cultivation had increased quite a bit, hunting should be much easier.


    The mountains were full of endless wild game; as long as one was capable, they were inexhaustible.


    He didn¡¯t have to worry about running out of food at all.


    The raw bear meat didn¡¯t taste as good and was hard to chew. He could only cut it into small pieces to swallow.


    It took him more than a pound to fill his stomach.


    He cut another small piece, put it in a small jar, and prepared to take it up the mountain to feed the termites.


    Since he went to town yesterday, he hadn¡¯t seen them for a day and two nights, and he wondered how the little creatures were doing.


    The Ant Queen was laying eggs at a rate of 10 per day.


    And her energy was growing rapidly every day.


    Qin Niu hid the Treasured Sword in front of his chest and, shouldering a basket, entered the mountains.


    From a distance, he saw Er Dan with a basket on his back, heading out of the village.


    ¡°Er Dan, are you going to herd the Yan Family¡¯s cattle?¡±


    There weren¡¯t many jobs that children could do, and herding cattle for the big landlord in the morning was a decent gig.


    Two wen money for a morning¡¯s work.


    The landlord¡¯s family would have someone specially register and check. When the cattle were brought back after grazing, it had to be ensured that their bellies were full.


    The supervisor would even press down on the cattle¡¯s abdomens with their hands.


    If the cattle hadn¡¯t eaten their fill, they would dock wages.


    If a child was found three or four times with cattle that had not eaten enough, they would be blacklisted and could not return to that landlord¡¯s house for herding jobs.


    ¡°Yes, indeed! I had a bit of diarrhea this morning, so I went a little late, and I don¡¯t even know if 1 can still snag a cow.¡±


    Er Dan answered as he hurried forward, not looking back as he ran.


    To earn those two wen money, many youngsters would arrive at the landlord¡¯s cowshed before dawn to queue up.


    There weren¡¯t many cows available, and if one arrived too late, other children would have taken them all.


    Very small children generally wouldn¡¯t get one because the supervisor had to consider safety issues. Losing a cow, or a cow hurting a child, would both be troublesome matters.


    Er Dan was a shrewd person and very responsible, so the supervisor preferred to give him the cattle to herd and rarely did he miss out.


    ¡°Come and find me at my house after you¡¯re done herding.¡±


    Qin Niu shouted towards his retreating figure.


    ¡°Sure thing! I knew you¡¯d have me in mind, brother Ah Niu.¡±


    Er Dan knew what it was about and grinned happily.


    But he ran off as swift as the wind, disappearing from sight.


    Qin Niu smiled and started walking towards the mountains.


    Passing by Xie Laizi¡¯s house unexpectedly, Xie Laizi was actually not dead.


    It goes to show that good people don¡¯t live long, but scourges last a millennium.


    It seemed that Wang Haikun must have been worried about causing a death, so he had held back a bit when striking.


    Faint groans could be heard coming from inside Xie Laizi¡¯s house.


    He would probably be bedridden for at least a month or two before he could get up.


    This, too, was a good thing.


    By the time this man could get out of bed, Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation of the Everlasting Spring Technique would have made greater progress, and by then his cultivation level would be fully able to crush Wang Haikun.


    And with Qin Niu¡¯s wisdom, if he could outsmart Xie Laizi once, he could do it a second time.


    If that bastard dared to continue being nefarious, Qin Niu would definitely put him in his place.


    Once he entered the mountains, he headed straight for the Ant Nest.


    Not a single Termite was visible.


    Termites prefer to live underground, and they don¡¯t like to come out and forage on the ground like ants do.


    If they need to forage, they do it at night.


    They are actually very afraid of sunlight, which is similar to the habits of cockroaches.


    They like to hide in the darkness.


    This was actually quite convenient.


    They were now feeding on this large camphor tree, which provided plenty of food.


    Moreover, they could expand and deepen their Ant Nest while gnawing on the tree, killing two birds with one stone.


    ¡°Fourth, come out!¡±


    Upon Qin Niu¡¯s arrival, two Young Soldier Ants that had just molted into adults scurried out.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got some new members!¡±


    He felt a wave of joy in his heart.


    The total of two mighty Soldier Ants naturally had to guard the Ant Queen.


    The newly molted Young Soldier Ants were assigned to stand guard at the entrance of the cave.


    Soon, Fourth, with only one antenna left, emerged from the nest, moving swiftly.


    Qin Niu now had mastered the language of ants, which made communication with them much easier.


    If it had been before he acquired this skill, even if he placed bear meat in front of the Ant Nest, the Worker Ants would ignore it.


    Unless there was a shortage of food, they were very obstinate about their food choices.


    They only ate what they selected.


    ¡°Here, this piece of bear meat I cut today is a bit too large. Rally the other Worker Ants to come and eat it up!¡±


    Qin Niu poured the bear meat from the small jar in front of the Ant Nest.


    He hoped that the bear meat could also cultivate mighty Soldier Ants and mighty Worker Ants; otherwise, he would only have to wait until the next bear slaughter and prepare a porcelain jar in advance. After slaughtering a bear, he would collect some bear blood to feed specifically to the Termites.


    Fourth waved its single horn, summoning the other Worker Ants.


    Soon, the Worker Ants began to line up and emerge.


    The five mighty Worker Ants looked especially formidable.


    The shadows of the two mighty Soldier Ants were not seen.


    Instead, nearly ten Young Worker Ants had joined.


    Last time they were attacked by centipedes, they lost about seven or eight unmolted young ants. The loss was not very severe.


    Now they were having a batch molt into adults every day.


    As Fourth gnawed on the bear meat, Qin Niu noticed the areas it bit immediately turned black.


    ¡°This¡­ could this be venom?¡±


    He watched Fourth in shock.


    Feeding it the corpses of one large and two small centipedes, could it be that Fourth evolved the ability to secrete poison?


    If that were the case, the surprise would be enormous.


    Fourth was now a mighty Worker Ant, inherently possessing some features of a Soldier Ant and also rapid in action. If it also developed venom, it was unthinkable how powerful it might become.


    It could probably singlehandedly take on ten ants larger than itself without an issue.


    Qin Niu closely observed the other Worker Ants and for the moment only discovered that the bear meat bitten by Fourth would turn black.


    It seemed the other Worker Ants had not yet evolved this ability..

 Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Chapter 32 The King of Banyan Trees in the Deep Mountainsi

    Chapter 35: Chapter 32 The King of Banyan Trees in the Deep Mountainsi


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu watched for a while, then decided to continue wandering deeper into the mountain.


    Now that he had the Treasured Sword, and the probability of the Critical Chop skill had increased to 20%, his courage had greatly swelled.


    The deeper he ventured into the mountain, the rarer the signs of human activity became.


    The probability of discovering various natural treasures also increased significantly.


    Of course, the chance of encountering ferocious beasts and poisonous snakes rose dramatically as well. The elders in the village always cautioned the young ones never to venture deep into the mountains, saying that beasts there devoured people.


    The most widely told story was about Xu Zhenchang, who at thirty-one had made quite a sum by farming, purchased land, built an impressive brick and tile house, and had a matchmaker propose a marriage to a girl from another village. After providing the bride price, they set the date.


    As the wedding day drew near, there had been nothing but continuous rain for days on end.


    But finally, on the afternoon before the wedding, the rain stopped, and the skies cleared.


    Xu Zhenchang had prepared everything else, with only a bundle of high-quality firewood still unsettled.


    Thus, he publicly offered fifty Wen Money as a high price for a bundle of firewood for the wedding.


    They generally used the wood of the phoenix tree.


    Because this tree was considered to be the favored perch of phoenixes, representing festivity and nobility, auspiciousness.


    But whenever villagers had a celebration, they would go up the mountain to chop down phoenix trees.


    Naturally, they picked the ones closest to the village to cut.


    Gradually, the phoenix trees near the village had all been chopped down, and no one dared to chop on the mountain belonging to the Yan Family, the landlords.


    So they had to keep looking deeper into the mountains.


    As a result, phoenix trees became harder and harder to find.


    Some families were even driven to plant one or two phoenix trees in their courtyard the day their son was born. By the time the son reached sixteen, the age to take a wife, the trees were ready to be of use.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s family had been particularly poor in the past, naturally having made no such preparations.


    Therefore, he offered the high price of fifty Wen Money to purchase a bundle of firewood made from the wood of the phoenix tree.


    No one took up the job.


    Because regular firewood could sell for seven Wen per bundle. Out of desperation to marry his wife, Xu Zhenchang gritted his teeth and raised the purchase price to 100 Wen.


    It is said that substantial rewards would always find a brave taker.


    100 Wen was about ten days¡¯ income for an ordinary farmer.


    Liu Dazhuang, the woodcutter from their village, took up the job.


    Full of confidence, he headed into the mountain carrying his ax and carrying pole.


    Seeing his assured manner, the villagers secretly guessed that Liu Dazhuang, who often went to the mountain to chop wood, must have already spotted some phoenix trees to cut.


    Someone experienced like the woodcutter had accepted the job, and Xu Zhenchang felt as if a stone had finally dropped from his heart.


    Tomorrow, carrying a bundle of phoenix tree wood to fetch his bride would surely go smoothly.


    Because phoenix wood represented good fortune and celebration.


    Until the sun set, they still had not seen woodcutter Liu Dazhuang return. Liu Dazhuang¡¯s wife and son began to worry.


    This had never happened before!


    The Liu Family was numerous and influential within the village. Fearing that Liu Dazhuang was in danger, his wife asked the Liu Family in the village, as well as several close neighbors, to search for him in the mountains.


    The search party ventured deep into the mountains and came upon traces of blood.


    A sinking feeling in their hearts, they acknowledged that Liu Dazhuang might have met with calamity.


    Following the bloodstains, they found a large pool of blood and excrement among some fallen brushwood, as well as two feet still wearing straw sandals.


    Upon seeing those sandals, Liu Dazhuang¡¯s wife immediately collapsed to the ground crying, ¡°These are my man¡¯s shoes, his feet¡­ Woohoo, how tragically you died!¡± After several cries of sorrow, she held her breath and fainted away.


    The villagers promptly carried Liu Dazhuang¡¯s pair of feet and his wife out of the mountains.


    Later, experienced hunters from the village examined the bite marks on the feet and confirmed that they were the work of a hanging-eyes tiger.


    A hanging-eyes tiger is a euphemism for a tiger.


    Its eyes in the night resemble two hanging green lanterns, with ¡°big cat¡± meaning tiger.


    Common people, out of fear of the tiger, would even avoid saying its name.


    Fearing that if they did, they might actually encounter a tiger while chopping wood in the mountains.


    As for how Xu Zhenchang went on to get married, no one knows, but even now the Liu Family won¡¯t speak to him. If they come across each other on the road, Liu Family members turn their heads and walk past with cold faces.


    Qin Niu ventured deeper into the mountains, and his main goal this time wasn¡¯t actually hunting.


    He wanted to find a quiet place to cultivate, preferably to build a cultivation spot high up in a tree.


    Practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique required attuning with nature, and he believed that merging with nature would certainly yield twice the results with half the effort.


    Furthermore, the weapon-nourishing method mentioned by Master Ou also piqued his interest.


    If he could find a suitable place to nurture his blade, that would be perfect.


    As he continued deeper, signs of human presence became increasingly rare.


    Giant trees with trunks more than half a meter in diameter became more common. Without human felling, many trees could live for over five hundred years, some even for five thousand without trouble.


    Apart from these ancient trees stretching to the clouds, ferns, low shrubs, tall trees, various weeds, and climbing plants were also essential components of the forest.


    Like a harmonious family, they lived joyously in these mountains.


    The deeper he went, the more lush the vegetation became. There was barely any path; thorns grew wildly, making his progress increasingly difficult.


    Moreover, the deeper he went into the mountains, the stronger his feeling of unease became.


    He was still very weak, and there were too many creatures in the deep mountains that could claim his life.


    Looking around, his line of sight was limited, with the abundant brushwood and trees obstructing his view. Among them, he truly felt as insignificant as a speck of dust..

 Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Chapter 32 The King of Banyan Trees in the Deep Mountains !

    Chapter 36: Chapter 32 The King of Banyan Trees in the Deep Mountains !


    Translator: 549690339


    He wasn¡¯t content with not finding an appropriate place to practice meditation and cultivate his sword.


    He decided to walk further inside.


    After walking about two li, he found an Ancient Banyan Tree with a trunk diameter of over two meters.


    Long-lived trees that are relatively common include apricot trees, banyan trees, parasol trees, and cypresses.


    The ancient camphor trees are more commonly seen in human habitats, but in deep forests, they can¡¯t compete with other trees and are therefore rare. Moreover, because camphor trees grow quickly and their wood is brittle, they are prone to breaking large branches during heavy snow and strong winds.


    Once there¡¯s a wound, it easily invites insects and ants.


    Insect damage can be fatal for many trees.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree, with its trunks woven together like ropes, stood towering into the clouds. Its branches and leaves spread out in all directions, like a magnificent umbrella, covering an area several hundred meters in radius.


    The vegetation under the canopy was pressed down and appeared dull and dim. No other larger trees were visible at all.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart pounded at first sight of it.


    Choosing it as a practice stronghold in the deep mountains, its sheer size alone could shield him from many attacks by snakes, insects, ants, and beasts.


    Not to mention, the mosquito bites alone in the deep mountains could be enough to make one¡¯s life miserable.


    He was very fond of this Ancient Banyan Tree.


    As he approached, that pounding feeling in his heart grew even stronger.


    It was a very peculiar and unusual sensation.


    In the vast mountains, only this tree had given him such a stirring feeling.


    Choosing a flat branch high up on the tree to construct a high-altitude platform for meditation seemed like it would provide a wonderful experience.


    He might even breathe in unison with the trees of the entire mountain.


    He took off his basket and quickly climbed up like an agile monkey.


    At a height of about eight or nine meters above the ground, he chose a flat spot where the branches split. This height was just right, providing a good vantage point to observe every move within several hundred meters.


    He also didn¡¯t have to worry about falling off if the tree swayed too much in the wind while he meditated.


    After a short rest, he took out his Treasured Sword to chop off the most central main branch.


    He had to remove the thickest branch to create a spacious platform for meditation.


    With auxiliary branches surrounding it, it would be very safe for him to meditate inside.


    Bang!


    He chopped down with one blow, immediately achieving an Explosive Slash Effect.


    Using this Treasured Sword, custom-made for him, was truly a pleasure. The performance of his Slash Martial Skill was notably more stable, and its power had greatly increased.


    The chance of an Explosive Slash occurring had even doubled.


    ¡°Eh, why is the tree bleeding?¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the wounded spot in astonishment.


    A pale green liquid was seeping out.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree must be the largest and oldest one nearby.


    He had encountered many ancient trees along the way, but only this one had caught his eye at a glance.


    Initially, he had thought it was because of the tree¡¯s immense height, towering above all others, that it looked appealing to him and caused his heart to pound. Now, it seemed it wasn¡¯t that simple.


    It was strange enough for a tree to invoke such a sensation in him.


    Now, after one chop, the tree¡¯s green ¡®blood¡¯ was leaking out, which made him realize that this tree might be quite extraordinary,


    It had its own life.


    ¡°Was I attracted to it because I¡¯ve practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique?¡±


    Qin Niu considered the possibility.


    This kind of thing had never happened to him before.


    His practice of the Everlasting Spring Technique was still brief, and his power was very weak.


    Perhaps only when encountering such a particularly large and special tree could he feel a faint sense of resonance.


    ¡°Could this tree have become sentient? Is that why I feel this resonance?¡±


    He had read stories about plants becoming sentient in books.


    The tree¡¯s age must exceed a thousand years, daily absorbing the essence of heaven and earth in these mountains and basking in the favor of the sun and moon; it might really have cultivated sentience.


    Despite being chopped, it didn¡¯t react at all.


    Qin Niu felt somewhat apprehensive inside, but driven by curiosity about the mysterious, he wanted to explore further.


    His current position was at the waist of the tree.


    Its total height had to be over fifteen meters.


    What lurked within that dense canopy, was utterly unclear.


    Generally, trees like this one were a paradise for birds.


    However, strangely, whether because the birds had all gone to forage or for some other reason, not a single bird was in sight.


    This cast a foreboding layer of eeriness over his heart. When he looked at the tree again, it seemed all the more sinister.


    Instinctively preferring safety over risk, he felt it best to leave quickly.


    Any place would do for practice; there was no need to insist on meditating in this ominous Ancient Banyan Tree.


    With that thought, he hastily climbed down the trunk.


    It¡¯s easier to go up the big tree than to come down, which is far more difficult.


    Fortunately, his climbing skills were not weak and after some effort he finally descended from the tree, safe and sound.


    He reached the ground without any danger, which emboldened him slightly.


    Looking up once more at the Ancient Banyan Tree, radiating a mysterious aura, it still stirred his heart just like when he first saw it, although nothing out of the ordinary seemed to happen while watching it.


    ¡°I should hurry on, instead of ending up like the woodsman Liu Dazhuang from the village, eaten by a monster with only his feet left.¡±


    He shouldered his basket and started back along the path he had come.


    He walked out at least one li plus, that¡¯s more than five hundred meters!


    He thought to himself that he should be safe now..

 Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: Chapter 32 The King of Banyan Trees in the Deep Mountains_3

    Chapter 37: Chapter 32 The King of Banyan Trees in the Deep Mountains_3


    Translator: 549690339


    But as soon as he looked up, he was scared out of his wits.


    It was all over; he feared he had encountered the legendary ¡°ghost hitting the wall.¡±


    Despite having walked so far, he was still under the banyan tree.


    In the forest, this was the most feared occurrence. Many people said it was due to inhaling poisonous miasma, which caused hallucinations, making them walk in circles.


    He pinched himself, and it hurt.


    He counted on his fingers, one plus one equals two, two plus one equals three.


    His mind was clear, with absolutely no issues.


    He then plucked a leaf and observed it closely; the leaf¡¯s veins were clearly visible, and so were the thorns on the back. His vision also had no issues.


    So what in the world was going on?


    He was already regretting venturing deep into the mountains.


    !!..


    Previously, his life¡¯s principle had been to disregard the elder¡¯s nonsense and live happily for years.


    But now, because he had not heeded the old man¡¯s words, the consequences were right before his eyes.


    After much struggle in agriculture, insect control, and cultivation, his strength had progressively increased. Now trapped deep in the mountains, a slight mishap could lead to death.


    Old Man Liu had taken Qin Niu into the mountains before, telling him that if he ever got lost, he could determine his location by looking at the sun or the moon in the sky. Then, just pick a direction and keep walking straight to find a way out.


    It was supposed to be morning now, and many areas still had dew that hadn¡¯t dried.


    When he had entered the mountains, he remembered the sun had already started to rise.


    But looking up at the sky now, he could see nothing but the lush leaves of the banyan tree.


    It was like an umbrella, covering the entire patch of sky above.


    It very much resembled the legendary ¡°one hand covering the sky.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart was uneasy, but he did not panic.


    The more one encountered such evil phenomena, the more one needed to stay calm.


    Although he was only sixteen, he possessed a composure and calmness that other children did not.


    As for bravery, he considered himself quite timid.


    But to say he was timid, when facing Wang Haikun he might appear fearful on the surface, yet inside he was calculating the odds of successfully killing Wang Haikun with one slash and considering the consequences thereafter.


    Besides that, he had dared to slaughter wolves and Black Bear alone at such a young age.


    Not just in his village, but even within a hundred miles, it would be hard to find another youth so brave.


    If one really had to describe him, the words ¡°cautious valor¡± would be more fitting.


    Cautious and brave, not someone senseless and impulsive.


    ¡°Old Man Liu told me that if I can¡¯t see the moon or the sun, don¡¯t be afraid.


    Tear strips from my clothes and tie a piece to a tree branch every so often,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Without hesitation, Qin Niu decisively took up the Treasured Sword to cut off the hem of his garment to tear into strips.


    ¡°Eh? I remember getting a lot of banyan tree blood on this blade, how come it¡¯s completely clean now?¡±


    Today was indeed a day of weird happening.


    One bizarre event followed another.


    Qin Niu thought the green banyan tree blood on the blade had been cleaned off by his clothes.


    But after inspecting his clothes, there was not a single trace to be found.


    ¡°Forget about this for now, finding a way out of here is the priority,¡± he thought.


    After this strange occurrence, his reverence for the mountain had increased a hundredfold.


    Determined, he used the Treasured Sword to cut off his hem.


    Hisss!


    Still as sharp as ever, the blade easily sliced through the garment.


    But as he was cutting, he noticed something unusual about the Treasured Sword in his hand.


    It felt¡­ tremendously excited.


    He waved the blade, trying to cut through some of the grass and shrubs in front of him.


    Pfft!


    With almost no effort at all, a swath of low-lying vegetation was cut down.


    The severed parts of these plants actually began to ooze a very light green sap. Moreover, their wounds seemed to be healing at a pace visible to the naked eye.


    Today, he feared he had trespassed into a ¡°Great Immortal¡¯s¡± cultivation ground, and survival was unlikely.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart had sunk to the bottom.


    Some light green sap had gotten onto the Treasured Sword again, but the sap from these plants was noticeably lighter than that of the banyan tree.


    The sap from the Ancient Banyan Tree was dark green, whereas the sap from the plants beneath was almost transparent.


    One could barely see a hint of light green.


    Once again, Qin Niu could feel the Treasured Sword getting excited, though nowhere near as intense as before.


    Just a slight thrill.


    He closely watched the light green sap on the Treasured Sword.


    It gradually began to diminish, and in less than a moment, had completely disappeared.


    Was it absorbed by the blade?


    Qin Niu could only think of this possibility.


    Of course, it could also have dried up due to the wind, but it didn¡¯t look like it because if it were the wind, there would certainly be some residue on the blade.


    Yet there was no trace of anything on the blade.


    How strange.


    He didn¡¯t dwell on this matter any further but continued to cut the torn hem into strips of cloth. He then tied a piece to a branch of an unknown tree next to him.


    Walking forward, after about ten meters or so, he found a conspicuous tree and tied another strip to it.


    By tying a strip every ten meters, he moved cautiously, working his way outward.


    The canopy of the Ancient Banyan Tree covered a radius of about 300 meters at most. Following the method taught by Old Man Liu, tying thirty pieces of cloth should be enough to escape this maze..

 Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Chapter 33 Request for Reinforcements i

    Chapter 38: Chapter 33 Request for Reinforcements i


    Translator: 549690339


    He had prepared a total of 41 strips of cloth, which should have been more than enough.


    When he used them all up, he instinctively looked up at the sky but could still only see the dense canopy of the Ancient Banyan Tree. Turning back, he checked the cloth markers he had left; there were no issues.


    He could clearly see and find every single marker.


    Qin Niu now felt completely hopeless.


    He had never imagined there could be such an evil tree in the world. He had only heard of willow and locust trees harboring heavy Yin energy and being prone to strange occurrences.


    In Taoist texts, there were often mentions of locust trees gathering spirits and willow branches fending off ghosts.


    Some Taoists who kept minor ghosts would whip them with willow branches to force them to obey.


    But he had never heard of an Ancient Banyan Tree being evil!


    He certainly wasn¡¯t going to just sit around and wait for death; he took down the strips of cloth one by one and then chose a different direction, this time walking backwards.


    Every time he walked a certain distance, he tied on a strip of cloth.


    !!..


    The result was that he again despaired to find that getting out from under the Ancient Banyan Tree seemed nearly impossible.


    It was as if the palm of the Buddha had shrunken a piece of the world into the ¡®palm¡¯ of this Banyan Tree, completely overshadowing everything.


    ¡°Since you won¡¯t let me leave, then you can¡¯t blame me for cutting you down!¡±


    After trying various methods to escape to no avail, Qin Niu began to grow anxious.


    With determination in his heart, he carried his Treasured Sword directly toward the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Although the tree¡¯s trunk had a diameter of over two meters, making it very difficult to fell, Qin Niu had no other choice now. Even if he did nothing else all day, he had to chop it down.


    It felt bizarre; trying to walk out seemed endless.


    Yet returning to the base of its trunk seemed so easy.


    When he arrived at the trunk of the tree and truly prepared to chop it, he could deeply feel its girth.


    The diameter of the trunk being about two meters meant that the circumference was over six meters and twenty centimeters.


    An adult¡¯s arm span is roughly one meter seventy to one meter eighty. Three adults embracing the Ancient Banyan Tree together couldn¡¯t wrap their arms around it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll erase you and then we¡¯ll talk!¡±


    Qin Niu, always a man of few words but decisive action, put aside his basket, rolled up his sleeves, and began to hack at the Banyan Tree.


    Bang!


    One slash struck the tree, increasing his proficiency in the Slash Martial Skill by +0.01, with the blade penetrating over two inches deep.


    One inch is approximately 3.3cm, so two inches would be 6.6cm.


    This was a terrifying depth.


    The diameter of an adult¡¯s thigh near the knee is roughly ten centimeters, and around fifteen or sixteen centimeters at the base of the thigh.


    With one chop like that, a tree as thick as a thigh would only need two hits to be felled.


    If the Explosive Slash Effect occurred, it would fall with a single strike.


    After withdrawing the sword, green sap began to flow out once more.


    With much of it sticking to the blade, Qin Niu felt the Treasured Sword in his hand become even more excited.


    ¡°It seems this Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s ¡®blood¡¯ is to the Treasured Sword¡¯s liking!¡±


    Qin Niu thought of Master Ou¡¯s words, that nurturing a sword meant following the sword¡¯s preferences.


    A Treasured Sword might have one method of nurturing, but different methods could result in different characteristics and abilities in the sword that emerges.


    It¡¯s like a child; born a blank slate, the guidance of the parents greatly influences their future personality, methods of dealing with matters, and their achievements will vary accordingly.


    Qin Niu was pleased to discover that the blood of the Ancient Banyan Tree was good for nurturing the sword.


    But being trapped under the tree and unable to leave filled him with fear.


    He had to get rid of it.


    He swung his sword and struck the trunk fiercely once more.


    Bang!


    He hit precisely on the original wound.


    Having achieved a minor proficiency in the Slash Martial Skill, he could strike accurately, fiercely, and quickly.


    With each chop to the trunk, more green fluid flowed down the body of the tree.


    Qin Niu¡¯s mind stirred, thinking the blood of the Ancient Banyan Tree might be valuable.


    The small pot in the basket used for feeding the Termite meat was at hand; he might as well fill a pot with it to keep for nurturing his sword later.


    With that thought, he immediately took out a jar to catch the flowing sap.


    To better collect the sap, he struck the tree with his blade, not hastening to pull it out, allowing the green blood to drip down along the sword¡¯s blade.


    The small jar caught it just right.


    In about half an hour, it was full.


    He sealed the jar with a wooden stopper, placed it back into his basket, and continued chopping the tree.


    ¡°Eh!¡±


    When he tried to pull out his sword, he found it stuck as if embedded in the tree.


    It was immovable.


    It took a great deal of effort before he could pull the sword from the tree.


    Luckily it wasn¡¯t embedded deeply, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull out the sword at all.


    He didn¡¯t waste any more time and swung his sword to continue chopping the tree.


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s not right, its wound seems to have healed a lot!¡±


    At this moment, Qin Niu discovered something even more bizarre.


    The cuts he made before were at least four or five inches deep, but after the slash he just made, he realized the wound had become much shallower, merely two inches deep.


    This suggested the tree had a strong healing ability.


    His heart sank to the bottom, fearing that if this was true, he would never be able to fell the tree.


    Legend spoke of a man named Wu Gang in the Moon Palace, who, for pursuing the Chang¡¯e Fairy, was punished by the Jade Emperor. Stubborn Wu Gang¡¯s love for Chang¡¯e was unyielding, and to make an example, the Jade Emperor ordered him to cut down an osmanthus tree in front of the Moon Palace, promising that once he did, Wu Gang could pursue the fairy.


    The osmanthus tree would heal as soon as it was chopped, making it impossible to fell.


    Thus, Wu Gang spent his entire life continuously chopping the tree.


    Although just a myth, it served as proof that some trees indeed had incredible healing abilities.


    The healing ability of the Ancient Banyan Tree wasn¡¯t as horrifying as the one in the Moon Palace, but for the weak Qin Niu, this already posed a huge obstacle in cutting down the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He tried chopping some more, but the wounds on the tree always remained about five or six inches deep.


    He also found that the deeper he chopped, the stronger the healing ability of the tree.


    Despair had completely overtaken him.


    Felling this tree had become a vain hope.


    To say nothing of bringing it down by nightfall, he couldn¡¯t even do it in a lifetime.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just wait here to die, I need to quickly figure out a way to save myself while there¡¯s still light.¡±


    Qin Niu estimated the time; it should be noon now.


    There were six hours left until sunset.


    If he couldn¡¯t escape within those six hours, he feared he would be buried in the mountains forever.


    Sitting under the tree, Qin Niu forced himself to remain calm, thinking over ways to escape his predicament.


    Rash actions were certainly a dead end.


    Chopping the tree was futile, marking with cloth strips useless, using the sun as a point of reference also failed¡­ Every method he could think of had been tried and all had failed.


    What other way could there be to escape?


    Qin Niu racked his brains.


    ¡°Right, how could I forget about the termites! Termites have their own unique way of discerning direction; they don¡¯t need any point of reference. If I can get them in here to help guide me, perhaps they can assist me out of this dilemma.¡±


    But the distance from here to the Ant Nest was a bit far, at least over five li away.


    Their crawling speed was slow, and under normal circumstances, the worker ants couldn¡¯t stray far from the group or they would die quickly.


    ¡°First, let me give it a try; it¡¯s better than just sitting here waiting for death.¡±


    Qin Niu tried to contact the Ant Queen.


    Possibly due to the distance, and the presence of the ancient tree¡¯s mysterious powers making the area under it akin to being within a shielded bubble, reaching out to the ant colony was even more difficult.


    But Qin Niu wasn¡¯t disheartened, instead he closed his eyes, using the method he practiced last night with the Everlasting Spring Technique to keep his mind in an extremely calm state.


    As he closed his eyes, the Everlasting Spring Technique also began operating on its own.


    His mind went from restless and anxious to gradually calm.


    Strands of refreshing energy started flowing into his body from all directions, at a rate more than ten times faster than bathing in the moonlight the previous night..

 Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: Chapter 34 Mobilize All Forces to Save the Master 1

    Chapter 39: Chapter 34 Mobilize All Forces to Save the Master 1


    Translator: 549690339


    min


    His cultivation progressed at a startlingly rapid pace.


    Much faster than when he drank wolf blood or bear blood.


    This marvelous feeling of rapid cultivation improvement engrossed and fascinated him.


    Luckily, he didn¡¯t forget his main task.


    After maintaining a calm and undisturbed mindset, he tried to contact the Ant Queen again.


    ¡°Success!¡±


    He established a faint connection with the Ant Queen.


    ¡°Save me!¡±


    Qin Niu transmitted just two words; given the long distance and the weak connection, the simpler the message the better.


    !!..


    After trying hard to send a distress signal, Qin Niu felt dizzy.


    He knew this was because his spiritual power was still weak.


    Communicating with the Ant Queen miles away consumed a massive amount of spiritual power.


    Once the dizziness passed, his tenuous connection with the Ant Queen was severed.


    Qin Niu felt sleepiness coming over him.


    In such a situation, how could he dare to sleep?


    Fortunately, he had grasped the cultivation method of the Everlasting Spring Technique the day before, and he could now use cultivation to recover the spent spiritual power in place of sleep.


    For ordinary people, the best way to recover from excessive energy expenditure is sleep.


    But after cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique, he had an alternative option.


    This also indirectly indicated that the Everlasting Spring Technique was more advanced than he had imagined.


    Because ordinary cultivation techniques can¡¯t nourish the soul during practice.


    On the contrary, many people expend spiritual power when practicing ordinary techniques, and must stop to rest after one or two hours.


    In this respect, Qin Niu¡¯s practice of the Everlasting Spring Technique gave him a great advantage in terms of effective time utilization.


    Because he could directly use his sleep time for cultivation.


    If an adult¡¯s daily sleep time is considered to be eight hours, he would have at least a third more time for cultivation than others.


    He sat under the tree, with the Treasured Sword resting on his lap, with closed eyes cultivating.


    A rich and cool energy rushed in through the pores of his skin and was absorbed by his body ¨C either into the internal organs, into the blood, or into the sinews and bones. His physical body, nourished this way, was becoming stronger at an impressive rate.


    His cultivation level was ascending rapidly.


    As time trickled by, his rate of absorbing the cooling energy became faster and faster.


    Although eerie, the area under the Ancient Banyan Tree was a treasure ground for cultivation.


    How great it would be if he could cultivate here every day.


    Qin Niu was desperately improving his cultivation in order to gain a bit more strength before danger arrived.


    Having been here for such a long time, it was extremely strange that not a single bird could be seen on the whole tree.


    He sensed that darkness seemed to be descending quickly and instinctively opened his eyes.


    The area under the tree, which had been as bright as day, had now grown dim.


    Outside, it must almost be dark.


    The ¡®reinforcements¡¯ Qin Niu was waiting for still hadn¡¯t arrived.


    He wondered if the Ant Queen had understood his distress signal?


    Even if it did, to them, it was ultimately still too weak. To hurry over to help, across a nearly five-mile distance, was an immensely distant journey.


    Not to mention the difficult and dangerous obstacles along the way.


    Any random mountain frog, spider, or centipede could end their lives.


    Whether or not they could pinpoint Qin Niu¡¯s location was also a question mark.


    The nurturing of pets requires gradual accumulation and sedimentation; it¡¯s not something that can be accomplished overnight. The termite colony had only been tamed for just over a month.


    Being able to develop into an ant colony with Worker Ants, Soldier Ants, and even evolving into large strength Worker and Soldier Ants, was already a ridiculously rapid rate of progress.


    He should have been cultivating under the tree for nearly six hours.


    His spiritual power had returned to its original state, and had even strengthened a bit.


    Feeling the surging energy inside his body, his cultivation level had definitely increased significantly.


    He checked his personal attributes.


    Cultivation: Mortal Realm Onefold 72.3/100.


    He was almost startled by the result.


    He remembered checking his cultivation level before he was trapped, and it was only at Mortal Realm Onefold 42.1/100 back then.


    Just three hours of cultivation had brought an entire increase of 30.2.


    He was astounded.


    Drinking the blood of the aged wolf, gaining nearly 8 cultivation points in just a few days, he had found it terrifying enough.


    Cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique all of last night, his cultivation increased by 2.3. Subtracting the increase brought by the bear meat and bear blood, the technique alone had boosted his cultivation by 1.5, which had surprised him for quite some time.


    But compared to the gains of these six hours of cultivation, it was like comparing a sorcerer¡¯s tricks to the great witchcraft.


    mm


    Under this Ancient Banyan Tree, the speed of cultivation was more than twenty times faster than outside.


    At this rate, as long as he cultivated under the banyan for another six hours, his cultivation would directly break through the Mortal Realm onefold.


    This was something he dared not even dream of.


    Many people never reach such heights of cultivation in their lifetimes, and now it seemed within arm¡¯s reach.


    He looked up at the canopy overhead, and where the treetop had been at least seven or eight meters above ground before, it was now less than three meters above his head.


    That oppressive feeling made him sense that a great danger was imminent.


    ¡°Perhaps when the canopy completely presses down, something terrifying will happen.¡±


    Qin Niu had this premonition.


    He hoisted the basket onto his back, gripped the Treasured Sword in his hand, and stood up to try walking outside again.


    He no longer wasted time and energy hacking at the sinister Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Instead, he adopted a new strategy and started to cut down the smaller trees and weeds on the ground.


    To see if he could forge a bloody path and break out.


    With a swing of his sword, there was unexpectedly the sound of a sword cry.


    ¡°Is this¡­ because my cultivation has greatly improved, or because the


    Treasured Sword has absorbed the green blood of the Ancient Banyan Tree and become stronger?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but ponder.


    There had never been a sword cry when he slashed before.


    And now, with each swing of his sword, he easily cut down a large swath of brushwood and weeds in front of him, a power he had never experienced before.


    He blazed a trail forward, ruthlessly cutting down the smaller trees and weeds under the banyan.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t deal with the Ancient Banyan Tree, but it was completely within his capability to take care of its offspring.


    The small weeds and trees under the banyan, once cut down, also leaked ¡®green blood,¡¯ though much paler in color, demonstrating that they had become as malevolent as the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    However, when he had made his way almost a hundred meters forward in one breath and then looked up again,


    he saw the tree¡¯s canopy pressing down even lower.


    It was now less than two meters above his head, utterly unaffected by any of Qin Niu¡¯s actions, pressing down steadily at a uniform speed.


    ¡°This damned tree-bottom prison!¡±


    Qin Niu cursed, truly feeling on the verge of collapse.


    He had prepared to fight against the oncoming branches and leaves of the banyan as it pressed down.


    As the canopy continued to close in above his head, his scalp began to itch, his soul trembled, and even his eyelids started twitching.


    The fear and shadow of death enveloped him.


    The next day, there might be another body lying under the tree, or perhaps just another skeleton.


    Or maybe no trace would be left at all.


    Qin Niu remembered Xu Jiu from his village who had gone into the mountain to gather medicine for his sick mother and never came back. Many people rumored that Xu Jiu had been eaten by wild beasts in the mountains.


    Now it seemed very possible that Xu Jiu had been devoured by this Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Just when he was feeling afraid and desperate, he suddenly felt a faint connection.


    11


    It¡¯s Fourth, and the Ant Queen!¡±


    Qin Niu was overjoyed, like a drowning man who had just grabbed a lifeline in his desperation.


    H


    I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here!¡±


    Qin Niu quickly calmed his excited heart and focused his mind to send a signal to the Ant Queen.


    He swung his sword again, hacking at the weeds and small trees in front of him, picking up speed as he moved forward.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right; it seems I¡¯m getting farther away from them.¡±


    Qin Niu could clearly feel the presence of the Ant Queen, Fourth, and the other worker ants and soldier ants.


    They had probably all come out in full force to save their master.


    Fourth was rapidly closing in on him, but the Ant Queen was not moving.


    Qin Niu worried that his random wandering would make it harder for Fourth and the others to find him. Based on the faint connection he had felt earlier, he knew that although he was supposed to be moving forward, he was actually getting further away from the Ant Queen.


    He simply stopped and waited patiently on the spot.


    This moment was a test of his wisdom and that of the entire ant colony, as master and servants joined hands to confront this terrifying Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The wait was excruciating.


    Seeing a glimmer of hope for escape while awaiting Fourth, Qin Niu picked two relatively good small trees and dug them out, roots and all.


    Then he put them in his basket.


    If he could survive this ordeal, he planned to plant these two trees himself. Even if it took decades to grow them, they wouldn¡¯t be as formidable as the Ancient Banyan Tree, but they would still be quite powerful in their own right.


    The canopy of the Ancient Banyan Tree overhead pressed even lower, now less than half a meter from the top of Qin Niu¡¯s head.


    Chilling dark energy fell like a drizzle, bone-piercingly cold.


    He could feel his blood qi becoming somewhat sluggish, and he was growing increasingly drowsy.


    ¡°Master, Master!¡±


    At that moment, Fourth finally found him, climbing onto his foot, waving its single remaining antenna, calling out to Qin Niu in ant language..

 Chapter 40 - Chapter 40: Chapter 35 Escape from Predicament i

    Chapter 40: Chapter 35 Escape from Predicament i


    Translator: 549690339


    At this critical moment, with his life hanging by a thread, seeing Fourth arrive, Qin Niu felt a sourness in his nose and truly wanted to hug it and give it a fierce kiss.


    At this moment, he no longer regarded the termites as pets, but as comrades who shared life and death with him.


    Fourth and the Ant Queen risked their lives to come in and rescue him. How many dangers they had encountered along the way, how many difficulties they had faced, no one knew.


    To save their master, they overcame all obstacles, dodged various dangers, and rushed to Qin Niu¡¯s feet without looking back.


    This loyalty and devotion to saving their master was something that Qin Niu would remember for a lifetime.


    Fourth¡¯s life was actually very short, just four months.


    That was after drinking bear blood, which extended its life by a month.


    Otherwise, it could only live for three months.


    After escaping this time, Qin Niu was determined to find a way to extend its life.


    ¡°Go, lead the way ahead!¡±


    !!..


    Qin Niu, fighting against the drowsiness that assailed him, urged Fourth to lead the way quickly.


    As the canopy pressed lower and lower, the cold energy that fell became denser, turning from a fine drizzle into a moderate rain.


    It was also fortunate that he had practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique, and had managed to accumulate some skill, which barely allowed him to resist.


    But he definitely couldn¡¯t hold out for much longer.


    Fourth¡¯s crawling speed was astonishingly fast, this was still the first time Qin Niu had seen it display its full strength after the power boost.


    It waved its antennae constantly, and every short distance there was a worker ant waiting ahead.


    They were very intelligent.


    They were using this method to rescue their master.


    The crawling speed of the five strong worker ants was much slower than Fourth¡¯s.


    To hasten the escape, Qin Niu grabbed them directly in his hands.


    With Fourth leading the way ahead, every time he encountered a worker ant waiting ahead, Qin Niu would quickly bend down and grab it in his hands.


    After traveling some distance, possibly seventy or eighty meters, he suddenly felt as if he had passed through an invisible curtain of water. Following closely, the invisible pressure on his head and the cold energy falling like raindrops all disappeared.


    When he looked up at the sky again, he could no longer see the canopy of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Instead, it was a darkening blue sky.


    ¡°We¡¯ve made it out alive!¡±


    He exhaled a long breath of turbid air.


    Looking back, he saw that the large banyan tree was still the same as before.


    There was nothing unusual about it.


    The only abnormal thing was that it was terrifyingly quiet.


    There was no sound of birds singing, nor the calls of insects, behind him there was silence as if it were the forbidden land of life.


    ¡°Fourth, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Qin Niu had barely escaped and did not dare to study it too much.


    The sky was already darkening fast, and night would fall completely soon, so he needed to leave the mountain quickly.


    Fortunately, his cultivation level had shot up a great deal, reaching over 70, and even if he encountered two Black Bears he could take them down instantly.


    But when it came to creatures close to supernatural beings like the Ancient Banyan Tree, his level of cultivation was not even enough to be stuck in its teeth.


    Fourth led the way ahead, and not far away, the Ant Queen lay quietly.


    Around her, two strong Soldier Ants stood guard.


    The Ant Queen was the most important existence in the entire ant colony. Not only was it an egg-laying machine, maintaining the renewal and expansion of the entire ant colony, but the pheromones it released were also extremely important for the entire ant colony.


    ¡°Smart little fellow!¡±


    At first, Qin Niu did not quite understand why the Ant Queen stayed motionless outside.


    Now he understood.


    To the entire ant colony, it was like a beacon.


    As long as it stayed outside, continuously releasing pheromones, Fourth and the other worker ants could find their way home.


    This was also why the Ancient Banyan Tree couldn¡¯t trap Fourth and the others.


    Fourth¡¯s intelligence was on par with the Ant Queen¡¯s; it had inherited its mother¡¯s qualities quite well.


    It had even merged many of its father¡¯s strengths.


    For instance, its swiftness, a combination of Soldier Ant and Worker Ant, these were qualities other worker ants did not possess.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±


    Qin Niu gathered all the termites, strode out, and headed in the direction of the large camphor tree.


    After this ordeal, he had developed a psychological shadow towards large trees.


    The despair trapped beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree was something he could never forget in his lifetime.


    Leading the ant colony directly back to their Ant Nest on the camphor tree, they eagerly crawled into the nest.


    It seemed that, like humans, they all loved their home.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come see you again tomorrow!¡± he called out.


    Qin Niu looked reluctantly at the termite colony before hurriedly leaving with his basket on his back.


    After descending the mountain, he came to his family¡¯s poor field.


    The corn was thriving vigorously, and the early-planted ones had essentially blossomed with female flowers bearing fruit.


    Corn has two types of flowers, the male flowers that look like wheat spikes at the top, and the female flowers, which are the corn cobs located at the mid-section. They require cross-pollination, otherwise, the female flowers will produce fruit that are empty cobs without any corn kernels.


    He planned to plant those few seedlings he had dug up from beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree in the field.


    But when he took them out for a look, he was stunned.


    All of them had wilted and turned yellow, as if they had been dead for many days, nothing like freshly dug seedlings at all.


    Qin Niu felt a chill down his spine, it was too sinister.


    They had only been dug up a short while ago, so how could they wither so quickly upon leaving the range of the banyan tree¡¯s influence?


    The weeds and small seedlings under the Ancient Banyan Tree, could it be that they had formed a symbiotic relationship with it? It was indeed a possibility.


    He examined them closely for a moment but could discern nothing.


    Although they were already dead, he still planted them in the ground. He would come back to check on them tomorrow morning.


    By this time, the moon was bright and the stars sparse, signaling that it was night.


    Being able to escape alive from under that Ancient Banyan Tree was truly a stroke of luck.


    As Qin Niu walked past Wang Furen¡¯s house with his basket, Wang Wanyan¡¯s pretty face appeared from the window on the second floor.


    ¡°All Niu, pancakes, catch!¡±


    She called out to Qin Niu in a low voice.


    She was definitely afraid of being heard by Wang Furen.


    A bamboo basket tied with a rope was lowered from the second floor.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Qin Niu looked up and saw her sincere eyes. He ultimately took out the pancakes wrapped in paper from the basket. There were four of them, still warm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be polite now! You need to be careful when you go into the mountains, you hear?¡±


    Her concern for Qin Niu was always so genuine.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Qin Niu nodded in agreement.


    ¡°You look much better than before, now you have the¡­¡±


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    The cough of Wang Furen came from inside the house.


    Wang Furen was intent on his daughter marrying a noble son and ascending to great heights like a phoenix, keeping a tight watch over her, worried that Qin Niu would whisk her away with just a few words.


    Startled, Wang Wanyan quickly withdrew her head, sticking out her tongue at Qin Niu, then waved at him.


    Qin Niu took the pancakes she had given him and went back to his house.


    Although the pancakes were delicious, he now had bear meat, and his family was not in dire need of food.


    But the kindness she had shown was worth more than gold.


    Upon entering, Qin Niu noticed that the ¡®trap¡¯ outside his house had been triggered. But when he saw the ¡®grasshopper¡¯ stuck in the keyhole, he smiled with relief.


    Er Dan had been here.


    The ¡®grasshopper¡¯ was woven out of blades of grass.


    It was a unique secret signal from Er Dan.


    If it weren¡¯t for being trapped by the Ancient Banyan Tree, he would have been able to return home that morning. Instead, he had been stuck under the tree all day long.


    After unlocking and pushing open the door, just as he stepped inside, he heard footsteps from behind.


    ¡°Brother All Niu!¡±


    Er Dan greeted him with a beaming face and a sly grin.


    ¡°Ran into a bit of trouble in the mountains, came back late. Come in!¡±


    Qin Niu invited him inside.


    ¡°Seeing it getting dark and you hadn¡¯t come down from the mountain yet, 1 even thought about asking my dad to take some people up to look for you! But then 1 saw you return, so I was relieved,¡± Er Dan spoke with a hint of concern showing on his face.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not easy for Brother All Niu to live alone, but the mountains are too dangerous.. Better come down earlier next time!¡±

 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 36 is Danger as well as Treasure r

    Chapter 41: Chapter 36 is Danger as well as Treasure r


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°flow old are you anyway? Don¡¯t talk like you¡¯re an old man! I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Ah Niu said.


    Qin Niu took the roasted chicken leg out of a jar inside the house.


    ¡°Here!¡±


    Er Dan took it, sniffed with his nose and his face showed surprise.


    After unwrapping the greased paper, he was almost drooling.


    ¡°Can 1 borrow your kitchen knife?¡±


    ¡°Thinking of cutting it in half for me? I¡¯ve already eaten, you have this one! Don¡¯t take it outside, just eat it here and then go,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Qin Niu was always cautious.


    If Er Dan¡¯s family found out, it would be easy to give himself away.


    If Er Dan¡¯s father mistakenly thought his son had stolen money to buy food, he would beat him to death without question.


    !!..


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Er Dan agreed and, without being polite, began to bite into the roasted chicken leg with big bites.


    Qin Niu was also feeling hungry, so he took out the four pancakes that Wang Wanyan had just brought over and ate them while they were still warm.


    ¡°Those were given to you by Miss Wang, right? It seems like she has a thing for you,¡± Er Dan said enviously.


    Can¡¯t you keep your mouth shut even when you¡¯re eating?¡± Qin Niu glared at him.


    ¡°Heh, what¡¯s there to be shy about? If it weren¡¯t for her father blocking, I bet she would be willing to marry you,¡± Er Dan, energized by the food, said.


    ¡°Actually, I think Miss Wang has good taste. Brother Ah Niu is so smart, you¡¯re bound to do well in the future, can¡¯t be poor all your life. Do you know? The person 1 admire most in the village is you. Only Old Master Yan of the Yan Family can compare to you,¡± Er Dan added.


    After hearing this, Qin Niu looked at him and laughed, ¡°You¡¯ve really improved your flattery! And to compare me to Old Master Yan, no less.¡±


    H


    I¡¯m not just flattering you. Old Master Yan and you have a lot in common; both of you are careful with your words and actions, low-key in demeanor. When it¡¯s time to take action, both are ruthless and decisive, no hesitation¡­¡± Er Dan had his own observations and thoughts.


    This child was only eight years old, yet he had such a discerning eye and depth of thought; he was bound to be extraordinary in the future.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, today when I went to the Yan Family to tend the cows, 1 saw with my own eyes that a servant of the Yan Family was caught stealing a silver hairpin from one of the family¡¯s women and Old Master Yan commanded someone to chop off both of his hands right then and there,¡± Er Dan spoke, still terrified from the incident.


    Being a servant was different from being a laborer; they were purchased by their masters, without personal freedom.


    Their very lives belonged to their masters.


    Many wealthy families liked buying young girls, raising them until they were thirteen or fourteen and then either presenting them to high officials and nobles or having the master take advantage of them night after night.


    In this world, the minimum age for a woman to marry was thirteen.


    For men, it was sixteen.


    Besides buying girls, smart and clever boys were also popular. Bought to serve as slaves, if they grew up and the master found them sufficiently loyal, they would be slowly cultivated to become trusted confidants.


    Many stewards in the Yan Family were raised from childhood by the Yan Family, taught to read and write, and then, once they were older, tasked to manage some affairs of the Yan Family.


    Such as overseeing farmland or forestry, managing household procurement, and so on.


    For a servant to be disloyal to their master was a serious taboo.


    Having only their hands chopped off was considered mercy.


    ¡°Brother All Niu, I¡¯ve finished eating; I should head back now,¡± Er Dan said.


    ¡°Wash your hands and face; there¡¯s water over there. Look at you, your mouth is all greasy,¡± Qin Niu told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned another trick from Brother Ah Niu, this is called ¡®leaving no trace¡¯, right?¡± Er Dan asked with a laugh, after washing his hands and mouth.


    ¡°All you do is talk; you can¡¯t control your mouth, and it¡¯ll get you into trouble sooner or later. Trouble comes from the mouth; do you understand?¡± Qin Niu said as he opened the door to send him off.


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve learned another trick, trouble comes from the mouth, mind your own! See you tomorrow!¡±


    Er Dan, having eaten a roasted chicken leg, left contentedly.


    It was precisely because Qin Niu always kept his promises that Er Dan would spare no effort to do anything Qin Niu asked of him.


    After sending Er Dan off, Qin Niu arranged the ¡®mechanism¡¯ outside again and then closed the door.


    The bright moon was high in the sky, a perfect time for practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    After bathing, he sat on the stone slab in the backyard in just his shorts.


    Remembering the matter of nurturing the sword, he brought over the Treasured Sword and opened the small jar of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    He carefully smeared a layer of it onto the blade of the sword.


    The jar wasn¡¯t large, and he used up nearly a third of it at once.


    It was a pity that the Ancient Banyan Tree was so sinister that once you went in, you couldn¡¯t come out; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting more Banyan Tree Blood. He could collect it daily.


    For now, he could only take one step at a time.


    After applying the Banyan Tree Blood, Qin Niu could feel that the Treasured Sword was excited.


    Although it could not make any sound, he could still feel it.


    He placed the Treasured Sword on the ground in front of him, allowing it to absorb the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood on its own. As for himself, he closed his eyes, cast aside all distractions, and strived to calm his mind, beginning to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    He soon sensed trickles of cool energy entering his body, although it was much slower compared to cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Cultivating in his own backyard had the advantage of safety.


    He set a small goal for himself, to break through to the Twofold Mortal Realm as soon as possible.


    This would greatly enhance his safety in the face of unforeseen situations.


    The long night passed in the blink of an eye.


    In the mountains, time does not exist; in cultivation, there are no years or days.


    Cultivation could indeed make one stronger, but it also consumed a lot of time.


    After one night, his cultivation level had increased significantly.


    Cultivation: Mortal Onfold 74.3/100.


    He had gained 2 points in his cultivation.


    His lifespan had not changed for the time being, still at 51 years.


    Cultivation Technique: Everlasting Spring Technique, first level 33.2/100.


    The progress of the Everlasting Spring Technique was surprisingly rapid.


    He discovered that the advancement of his cultivation technique seemed to be directly proportional to the energy absorbed during cultivation.


    Thus, with such a significant improvement, it must have been due to cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree for six hours yesterday, which added 30.2.


    Cultivating in his own backyard for one night only increased it by about 1.5.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but lick his dry lips, actually missing the astonishing speed of cultivation under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The speed of cultivation there was twenty times faster than in the outside world, too enticing.


    It was just that there was a possibility he might not be able to come out after entering, which made him hesitant to take the risk.


    Termite swarms could save him once, but it did not mean they could be successful every time.


    He looked at the Treasured Sword on the ground; the green tree blood smeared on it had completely disappeared without a trace. Picking it up, it looked no different from usual, showing no signs of change.


    Gripping the Treasured Sword, he walked over to the pile of firewood.


    He chopped down on a piece of dry wood as thick as a calf¡¯s leg.


    The sound of the sword¡¯s whistling appeared once again.


    Bang!


    The Treasured Sword struck the dry wood fiercely.


    The power of the Treasured Sword seemed to have become a bit stronger, but it was also possible that it was, due to his cultivation sharply rising last night; it was hard to be sure.


    The fact that the Treasured Sword could absorb the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood showed that it must have some use.


    Qin Niu returned to the well to fetch a bucket of water to wash himself. After a night of cultivation, his body seemed to have sweated quite a bit.


    11


    Eh, this little grass seems to have grown quite quickly!¡±


    He was surprised to discover that the grass that had guided his cultivation had grown to three inches tall.


    Moreover, its leaves were thick and lush green, full of vigorous life.


    He recognized this grass; it was the common roadside foxtail grass.


    According to his planting experience, it would take at least twenty to thirty days for foxtail grass to grow from sprouting to this height, and that could only happen in the summer with ample rainfall and high temperatures.


    ¡°Why has this foxtail grass grown so quickly?¡±


    Qin Niu checked the surroundings but did not find any other weeds.


    He vaguely surmised that the rapid growth of this foxtail grass might be related to him sitting beside it and cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    To verify this guess, he just needed to change his location for tonight¡¯s cultivation.


    After drying off and dressing, he continued to hide all his possessions including the Treasured Sword and the Everlasting Spring Technique inside the front of his shirt.


    The corn in the field had already started growing. Apart from fertilizing, it basically did not require much attention.


    Once the crops grew, the grass underneath would have difficulty sprouting up again.


    Almost no weeding was necessary.


    He had bought the Green Demon Beekeeping Manual two days ago and had yet to read or study it.


    Today, as he was going to the mountains to check on the termites, he could find a place to learn the Green Demon Beekeeping Manual.


    Perhaps he could glean some methods of cultivating termites from inside it.


    If the termites he raised could be as powerful as the green bees cultivated by the Green Demon, that would be awesome.


    He also had another idea: once the termites were raised to be more formidable, he could send a few into the range covered by the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s canopy. If they could come out safely every time, Qin Niu would no longer have to worry about the issue of not being able to exit.


    The termites could lead the way for him.


    As long as he could freely enter and exit, that Ancient Banyan Tree could instead become a treasure for him. He would be able to experience the twenty-fold cultivation speed inside every day and also use its Banyan Tree Blood to nourish the sword.


    Although exploiting the Ancient Banyan Tree like this seemed somewhat unscrupulous.


    But on the path of cultivation, it is all about seizing every opportunity, willing to die for the Tao but never at the cost of impoverishing oneself.


    To seek eternal life, one must have a ruthless heart..

 Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Chapter 37 Training Soldiers _1

    Chapter 42: Chapter 37 Training Soldiers _1


    Translator: 549690339


    He had to eat a full three pounds of bear meat before his stomach finally felt full.


    As his cultivation continued to increase, so too did his body¡¯s consumption become greater.


    Fortunately, rhe bear meat reserves at home were still quite ample.


    They should sustain him for half a month without any problem.


    After finishing his meal, he would just need to find a way to hunt for more.


    Now that he had cultivated the Everlasting Spring Technique, even if he wasn¡¯t under the Ancient Banyan Tree, he could steadily increase his cultivation by more than 2 points. Ar this rate, in half a month, he was very likely to break through ro rhe Twofold realm of mortals.


    By then, his strength would be greater.


    Hunting would also become somewhat easier.


    With the basket on his back, he went to check the few small trees he had planted yesterday.


    He saw that they had turned brown, appearing as if they had been dead for many days.


    !!..


    This made Qin Niu¡¯s scalp tingle.


    He did not know what was up with that Ancient Banyan Tree, as he had never heard anyone mention it before.


    Logically, since it had grown so large, it must have existed for quite some time. Several hundred years at the very least.


    So why had no one in the village ever spoken of its evil nature?


    The only possibility Qin Niu could think of was that no one who had entered had ever come out alive.


    His escape from it yesterday might have been the only survival in hundreds of years.


    He had intended to study these small trees further when he sensed some movement from the termite colony and immediately rushed towards the mountains.


    The mountains still looked the same, but he felt a profound sense of awe.


    When he arrived in front of the Ant Nest, his eyes lit up.


    He saw Fourth leading seven or eight Soldier Ants in battle against the stink ants.


    The largest ant colony nearby was probably that of the stink ants.


    Since they were a fully developed colony, they had at least ten to twenty thousand mature Worker Ants. To sustain such a large colony¡¯s need for food, they would definitely forage far and wide.


    An encounter with Qin Niu¡¯s termite colony was only a matter of time.


    Stink ants were very powerful; they could build grey nest structures similar to beehives on branches, as well as construct Ant Nests in rhe soft ground.


    They moved extremely quickly and were very aggressive in nature.


    These dark black, foul-smelling ants were known as rhe ¡®wolves of the ant world,¡¯ possessing a strong territorial instinct. Whether it was humans or other animals that intruded into their territory, they would immediately be attacked. In comparison to them, the Milky White Ants Qin Niu was raising were obviously much smaller.


    This was mainly because the first batch of Worker Ants were lower-level, and only Fourth, a Young Worker Ant, had survived. It was a bit smaller than an ordinary adult termite.


    The several batches of Worker Ants and Soldier Ants that hatched later had shed their skins and turned into adults only a few days ago; they were still ¡®children/ after all.


    T herefore, their size was naturally not very large.


    When compared to the black stink ant they had surrounded, they looked like a pack of wild dogs encircling a lion.


    Two powerful Soldier Ants guarded the entrance to the nest, preventing the stink ants from killing their way inside.


    About seven or eight Worker Ants and Soldier Ants were attacking the black stink ant.


    Fourth stood in its path of escape, cutting off its retreat.


    Qin Niu greatly admired their clever formation when he saw it.


    With Fourth there, the whole ant colony was equivalent to having a commander with average intelligence.


    Although the Ant Queen also had average intelligence, her task was breeding. She had the chance to continue producing offspring as intelligent as Fourth. After the Ant Queen hatched the first batch of Worker Ants, she basically did not interfere with the affairs of the colony. Now, she would only summon a Worker Ant to feed her when she was hungry, and she ignored everything else. This was actually quite good.


    The entire ant colony had its own responsibilities, with clear divisions of labor. Despite the stink ant¡¯s large size, quick movements, and fierce appearance, rhe attacking termite colony performed even better than it.


    All five powerful Soldier Ants participated in the battle.


    The rest were three Soldier Ants.


    These eight were more like child soldiers, nimbly surrounding and attacking the stink ant. Each strike was precise, ruthless, and swift.


    The stink ant contracted its abdomen as it scanned for an opening to break out and call for reinforcements.


    But Fourth stubbornly cut off its retreat.


    It was clear that Fourth¡¯s strength was significantly superior to the other five strong worker ants. In front of it lay a severed antenna and a forelimb from the black stink ant.


    This was the price for attempting to flee from before Fourth.


    Qin Niu also noticed there was something definitely wrong with the wounds where the black stink ant¡¯s antenna and forelimb had been severed.


    The remaining part of the limb was trembling non-stop.


    ¡°Fourth has evolved venom, so being bitten by Fourth means being poisoned,¡± Qin Niu thought.


    Given the reasonably agile movements of the black stink ant, it seemed that Fourth¡¯s venom hadn¡¯t caused too much damage to it.


    Perhaps the bite hadn¡¯t reached the trunk, so the venom had nor yet spread into its major blood vessels.


    The circulatory system of ants is quite special; their heart is an enlarged tube located on the back, attached above the main artery. Nearly all insects have this kind of open circulatory system.


    Moreover, their body fluid is indistinguishable from their blood.


    If venom is injected into almost any part of their main trunk, they will quickly succumb to the poison.


    Qin Niu stood quietly on rhe side, watching.


    This black stink ant certainly could not be allowed to return. Otherwise, the entire termite swarm would face a catastrophic disaster.


    Assailed by five strong worker ants, three soldier ants, and also injured, rhe black stink ant was obviously beginning to struggle.


    it attempted to flee again in the direction guarded by Fourth.


    There was hope of survival only if it could escape back along its original path.


    Fourth turned into a blur as it pounced on the black stink ant.


    Both parties made brief contact before retreating from each other.


    The black stink ant¡¯s other antenna was also bitten off by Fourth and fell to the ground, trembling incessantly.


    Fourth, on the other hand, appeared very calm. Although it clearly held overwhelming combat strength, it did not pursue its opponent. Instead, it left the task of dealing with the invading enemy to the other eight worker and soldier ants.


    ¡°Is Fourth training the troops?¡± Qin Niu immediately grasped the deeper intent behind Fourth¡¯s actions.


    Fourth and the five strong worker ants had all combat experience from fighting with the giant centipede.


    However, at that time, these five strong worker ants were not yet strong worker ants but had just recently emerged as young worker ants. When the giant centipede invaded, they could only follow the earliest hatched Fourth and three other secondary worker ants to charge or defend.


    To put it simply, back then they were like green recruits.


    This time, facing the invading black stink ant, they became the main generals, charging at the forefront, while the other three young soldier ants were the green recruits.


    As for Fourth, with its abundant combat experience and effortless poise, it had clearly already become a veteran of the battlefield.


    Seeing that the termite swarm already had control of the battle situation, and victory was only a matter of time, Qin Niu took the opportunity to check the colony¡¯s attributes.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Two isopteran insect, leveling experience 498/1000


    Lifespan: 4.5 years


    Energy: 7968


    Skills: Breeding Rank One 1.25/10, Playing Dead Rank One 2/10


    Talent: Medium Intelligence, Breeding Strong Termite Offspring (1%), Breeding Poisonous Termite Offspring (3%)


    Ant Colony: One secondary worker ant, lifespan 5 months, special abilities (strength, swiftness, venom, medium intelligence).


    Five strong worker ants, lifespan 3.2 years.


    rlventy-six regular worker ants, lifespan 3 years.


    Two strong soldier ants, lifespan 8 months.


    Nine regular soldier ants, lifespan 6 months.


    With constant development, the ant colony was growing rapidly.


    T he energy stored inside the Ant Queen was about to break through eight thousand. Moreover, it had evolved the special talents of breeding strong white ants and poisonous white ants.


    The only frustrating part was that its Breeding Skill could only improve by 0.1 each day.


    That also meant its laying capacity was limited to 10 eggs per day.


    T his rate was far behind that of a normal Termite Queen.


    And Qin Niu didn¡¯t know how to help improve its breeding ability..

 Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Chapter 38 Green Demon Bee t

    Chapter 43: Chapter 38 Green Demon Bee t


    Translator: 549690339


    Overall, Qin Niu was quite satisfied with the evolution of the entire ant colony.


    In the future, he could get them more special foods to eat.


    Such as bear blood, centipede bodies, and even scorpion and spider corpses, and so on.


    He currently had a relatively clear strategy for cultivating the ant colony.


    Trying to enhance the Ant Queen¡¯s unique talents and Breeding Skills was core, then finding a way to make Fourth increasingly strong, and training Fourth as the commander of the ant colony.


    The cultivation of the Soldier Ants also needed to keep up because they were the guards of the entire ant colony.


    Only when the Soldier Ants became stronger could the security of the ant colony be worry-free.


    After checking the properties of the ant colony and setting the tone for development, he simply found a spot to sit down under the camphor tree.


    Then, he took out the Green Demon Bee Raising Sutra to read.


    This termite nest gave him a very different feeling.


    !!..


    Because of the ants¡¯ superb evolutionary abilities, after eating a meal of bear blood and two of bear meat, they directly evolved into Strong Termites.


    After eating three centipede bodies, they evolved into Poisonous Ants.


    Although it was only a weak toxin, it was enough to surprise Qin Niu enormously.


    He believed that the most special existence in the entire ant colony was not the Ant Queen, but very likely Fourth.


    Because the Worker Ants and Soldier Ants hatched later did not have a special existence like Fourth.


    Their intelligence was clearly not as outstanding as Fourth¡¯s, and there was not even a single collective of Soldier Ants and Worker Ants.


    Furthermore, Fourth was not the only Worker Ant that ate the centipede bodies, other Worker Ants ate them too, but they did not evolve the ability to produce poison.


    Another important point was that the Ant Queen¡¯s ability to evolve into breeding Strong Ants and Poisonous Ants relied on the Worker Ants feeding her.


    This required a food conversion process.


    It felt very possible that Fourth had a special food conversion ability.


    Of course, these were all speculations.


    Whether it was really like this still required observation and study in the future.


    Insect Masters naturally grow alongside the pets they cultivate.


    Those who raise centipedes may have no idea how to cultivate termites and vice versa, Qin Niu was clueless about how to raise centipedes.


    Each Insect Master has their own area of expertise.


    Methods to extend the lifespans of different insects might also vary greatly.


    As for the direction of cultivation, that is even more varied.


    For example, the Seven-spot Ladybird of the Coleoptera might focus more on cultivating its feign death ability and carapace defense.


    If it were a centipede, more emphasis would be placed on its venom ability.


    In cultivating this termite colony, Qin Niu was currently feeling his way across the river by feeling the stones, and many areas required him to explore bit by bit, then accumulate experience.


    Upon opening the Green Demon Bee Raising Sutra, one could see that the script was not written in ink, but with a yellowish-brown liquid.


    Perhaps due to the passage of years, the script had become very faint.


    Carvings in bamboo slips and ink-written illustrations could be preserved for a thousand years without loss of clarity.


    But this Bee Raising Sutra left by the Green Demon had initial problems with the material used.


    It felt like it should be made from the skin of a small animal like a hare.


    Although the edges had been trimmed, the hide still seemed extremely rough.


    One could understand the circumstances of the Green Demon at that time, burdened with deep-seated hatred, compelled to hide in the mountains and scrape by for survival. After slaughtering an entire village¡¯s worth of people, he faced pursuit by the officials and had no chance to acquire anything of better quality.


    In such a harsh environment, it was quite impressive that he was able to leave behind this scroll of the Green Demon Bee Raising Sutra.


    -Kill, kill, kill!¡±


    These were the three shocking, dark brown words on the first page. Although the handwriting was sloppy, the bone-deep hatred and the overwhelming killing intent emanating from the characters made one shudder.


    From a young age, the Green Demon and his little sister were bullied by their aunt and uncle¡¯s family, being extremely exploited and abused; one could only imagine how deep the hatred planted in his heart was.


    ¡°There is no justice in the human world, only strength is supreme.¡±


    This is the second message left by Green Demon.


    It is also a true portrayal of his life.


    ¡°The Green Demon Bees I bred are almost impossible for a second person to succeed, but some of the beekeeping experiences can be referenced¡­¡±


    Upon seeing the third sentence, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly.


    The Supreme Sea is a big liar, no wonder this scroll of Green Demon beekeeping secrets was sold for only ten pieces of Silver Money.


    You should know that Green Demon, relying solely on his own strength, directly challenged the local officials and even killed the Seven Stars Sect Leader.


    Following his breeding method, raising a few Green Demon Bees could almost make one respected in the region.


    Even though the Insect Control Technique is obscure, it could at least sell for several thousand, or even tens of thousands of Silver Money.


    Qin Niu spent ten pieces of Silver Money on this scroll of the Insect Control Technique, and even if it were rubbish, he couldn¡¯t possibly just throw it away.


    Qin Niu could only suppress the anger and disappointment in his heart and continue reading.


    ¡°Ten dogs make one mastiff! The hunters in the village, in order to breed the best hunting dogs, wean them forcibly about ten days after birth and lock them up together. After starving them for three days, they pour animal blood on them to induce them to kill each other. In the end, only one survives, and the nine become the food of the survivor. The hunting dogs bred in this way are fierce and tenacious, fearless even when facing tigers or bears.¡±


    Humans really are cruel.


    To get a good hunting dog, they really go to great lengths.


    ¡°I used this method to breed Poisonous Ants, and after nearly seven years, I finally obtained a Poisonous Ant with extraordinary combat power. I paired it with a queen ant and after more than seven thousand failures, finally obtained a mutated Ant Queen.¡±


    Although Green Demon did not write the specific breeding process, one can imagine the immense effort he put into breeding a powerful Poisonous Ant.


    ¡°Thereafter, with the help of that Ant Queen, I bred and developed multiple different capability bee swarms. Later, by a stroke of luck, I tamed a Green Python with a black crown, and with its assistance, it took thirteen years to finally breed the first generation of Green Demon Bees. These bees are as large as a pestle, with four steel wings and bodies as hard as refined iron, impervious to ordinary weapons. Those who are stung by it will necrotize into pus and blood within seven days, with no cure.¡±


    ¡°However, the heavens are unfair, the Falling Star Sect sent an Immortal Sect expert to slaughter me, as a mortal unable to match an immortal, knowing I must die, thus I leave this scroll of beekeeping secrets for someone fated. If heaven would grant me another fifty years, I would be able to breed the second and even the third generation of Green Demon Bees, bold enough to defy the immortals to their graves.¡±


    Qin Niu could feel the helplessness of a mortal in face of the Immortal Sect from the words left by Green Demon.


    The two sides are simply not on the same level.


    The final boast is indeed very domineering.


    Unfortunately, heaven envies talents, and did not grant him another fifty years of life; he was directly eradicated by the Immortal Sect of the Falling Star Sect.


    Otherwise, it might have indeed been possible for one person to destroy the Falling Star Sect.


    Qin Niu, just an ordinary villager from the countryside, had read a few books, but he knew nothing of the Seven-Star Sect or the Falling Star Sect.


    He only vaguely knew that there were larger sects above the local government, which might be the Immortal Sects.


    Or they might not be.


    In this world, many ordinary people¡¯s lifelong range of activity does not exceed ten kilometers. For example, for the people of Shuangfeng Village, having the chance to visit Black Tiger City would mean they have seen the world.


    With inconvenient transportation and the poor peasantry being born to toil in the fields, without the opportunity for education, having enough food to survive is considered very good.


    Thinking of going to the city every day? Firstly, the silver in one¡¯s pocket cannot support this idea, and also, one wouldn¡¯t dare to run around carelessly.


    In these chaotic times, human life is as cheap as grass.


    Qin Niu secretly lamented the loss, thinking how great it would have been if he could have obtained the first generation Green Demon Bee bred by Green Demon!


    Even if he got only one, he could immediately increase his strength by a hundredfold, a thousandfold.


    But since Green Demon Bees could even kill the Seven Stars Sect Leader, Qin Niu, even if he really encountered one, would not possibly be able to tame it. Escaping with his life would be considered fortunate.


    He continued reading further, and thankfully, Green Demon did have some conscience, leaving behind a vast amount of beekeeping experience and insights. Many of the methods mentioned were eye-opening. He also mentioned the Bee Language.


    Unlike the silent communication methods of ants and termites, bees rely on vibrating their wings to make sounds, using this to transmit signals.


    Qin Niu currently had a mastery mainly in the Ant Language, but it was displayed as the Insect Language.


    Now, having read Green Demon¡¯s experiences communicating with various wild bees, he should be able to try learning the Bee Language.


    He flipped through the pages one by one, carefully reading on¡ªthere wasn¡¯t much, only five pages in total.


    The true teaching comes in one sentence, the false teachings fill thousands of books.


    Secret manuals are usually thin, with every word precious and meaningful.


    ¡°Eh, the fourth page of this Green Demon Beekeeping Secret seems a bit different!¡±


    He made an unexpected discovery as he flipped through it..

 Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Chapter 39 Green Demon’s Backup Plan t

    Chapter 44: Chapter 39 Green Demon¡¯s Backup Plan t


    Translator: 549690339


    This Green Demon Beekeeping Manual is five pages long, with a cover, making seven pages in total.


    The cover has almost no graphics or text, just the words ¡°Green Demon Beekeeping Manual.¡± Its purpose is to protect the content of the five pages inside.


    Moreover, this Insect Control Technique was not bound.


    But they were pasted onto the book cover, similar to a modern glue binding.


    Qin Niu, being a meticulous person, noticed no significant difference in the thickness when he touched the fourth page. The animal skins were already so coarsely made¡ªsome thick, some thin, with an uneven surface.


    When turning the fourth page, he could feel a slight difference in the texture, feeling it was slightly heavier than the other four pages.


    Such a detail would normally go unnoticed by anyone.


    Even if someone noticed, they wouldn¡¯t think much of it.


    Because Qin Niu had heard stories of the Green Demon, he suspected that the Green Demon might have hidden something more.


    The three characters for ¡°kill¡± on the first page, with their bone-chilling hatred and overwhelming killing intent, also supported the Green Demon¡¯s intense resentment.


    !!..


    It¡¯s very frustrating for ordinary people to have no ability to fight back against the methods of immortals.


    Carrying a deep-seated vendetta, he felt it was only just to kill those villagers who had bullied him and his sister, and the soldiers who had killed his sister.


    With his great revenge unavenged, facing eradication by the immortals of the Falling Star Sect, no one would be content.


    It was only natural for him to leave behind some sort of fallback.


    The Green Demon Beekeeping Manual was his labor of love, with his lifetime of beekeeping experience all written within. However, after reading it through, Qin Niu, although greatly enlightened, found only some rather common knowledge and techniques on bee control.


    When he purchased this volume of the Insect Control Technique, he had hoped to cultivate bees at the level of the Green Demon Bee through learning from it.


    Yet, at the beginning, there was a sentence stating that the successful cultivation of the Green Demon Bee would not be repeated by a second person.


    There was no detailed record in the book about the specific process of cultivating the Green Demon Bee.


    Qin Niu had long heard that some real cultivation manuals contained secrets within hidden layers.


    He vaguely felt that there might be more to the fourth page.


    After studying it for a while, it seemed not to be a hidden layer.


    Just a complete piece of animal skin.


    Nevertheless, Qin Niu did not give up.


    ¡°Could there be an issue with the glue at this end?¡±


    With that thought, he began his wasteful endeavor.


    The Green Demon Beekeeping Manual, bought for ten taels of silver money, he directly dismantled page by page.


    The adhesive, whose material was unknown, resembled raw lacquer but not quite. Since the Green Demon liked beekeeping, it might be possible that he made his own ¡®glue¡¯ by mixing honey with other substances.


    Whatever it was, it adhered quite firmly, and it took Qin Niu considerable effort to pry them apart.


    His main concern was not to tear it.


    After all five pages were dismantled, Qin Niu became even more convinced there was a secret to the fourth page through comparison.


    He tried to scrape it with his fingernail.


    With relentless effort, he indeed pried it open from the middle.


    Carefully tearing it apart, a piece of animal skin, thin as a cicada¡¯s wing, fell out. This made Qin Niu excited. Just as he had suspected, there was a hidden secret within.


    The thinning of this animal skin had not been easy, leaving only the top layer, which was only the size of a palm.


    Thicker in the middle, the edges were ground extremely thin.


    Such craftsmanship concealed it well from discovery.


    No wonder it felt slightly heavier than the other four pages.


    ¡°Hundred Leaf Town, Black Stone Village!¡±


    There were just a few small characters, followed by a map with mountains and roads outlined.


    It looked like a map.


    Qin Niu mulled it over in secret, wondering what the Green Demon intended by leaving this map. Was the real secret to cultivating Green Demon Bees hidden at the location marked on the map?


    One thing was certain, the hidden cliff where Green Demon had once resided had definitely been scoured by others.


    Though there were swarms of poison bees, for many experts this was hardly an obstacle.


    Not to mention powerful Insect Masters.


    For example, Qin Niu¡¯s termites, if cultivated to be even stronger, could deal with ground insects almost effortlessly.


    ¡°Where is Hundred Leaf Town¡¯s Black Stone Village? 1 need to ask around for information.¡±


    One thing was certain, the final location on this map must contain something the Green Demon wanted to leave behind. It could be the real Insect Control Technique, or perhaps some other treasure.


    He put the map back into the fourth-page interlayer and kept it close to his body.


    His gaze turned to the black stink ant, which had already been killed by the termites, its body being dismembered and only a small part of the carcass remained.


    Qin Niu fed them the bear meat he had brought.


    He felt that eating bear meat should be somewhat beneficial for them. Although new powerful termites had not yet evolved, the Ant Queen had already developed the talent to breed offspring with strength attributes.


    However, the probability was somewhat low, only 1%.


    It might take one hundred eggs to possibly produce a termite with strength attributes.


    On the other hand, the probability of producing poisonous ants was much higher, at 3%.


    But he felt their venom was still very weak, providing little help in combat.


    Powerful venom should be potent enough to seal the throat upon contact with blood, or rapidly paralyze an enemy upon injection, rendering them unable to fight and easy to slaughter.


    Many insects have this ability, like spiders.


    Their venom can paralyze prey.


    A victim bitten by a spider won¡¯t die immediately, but will experience such weakness that it can hardly move. Additionally, spider venom has a special effect of ¡®preserving freshness.¡¯


    Spiders like to suck the fluids from their prey¡¯s body, and they generally don¡¯t consume the prey¡¯s shell.


    This requires that the prey, once trapped in the web, remains alive.


    If it dies, the blood coagulates, making it difficult for spiders to suck fluids from the body. Furthermore, they prefer not to eat dead prey.


    So, after being injected with spider venom, the prey may seem dead, but in reality, is just powerless and immobile.


    If the prey is large and the spider can¡¯t consume it in one meal, then the prey really suffers.


    It¡¯s as cruel as humans eating monkey brains or slicing flesh from a living donkey.


    After being preyed upon once, a ¡®preservative film¡¯ forms over the wound from the spider¡¯s saliva, sealing the wound.


    The prey remains in a semi-dead state.


    Waiting for the spider to suck on it the next ton.


    Until it has drained all the fluids from its body.


    According to Insect Masters who specialize in this area, spiders¡¯ venom ¡öpreservative¡¯ effect lasts about seven days for common wild spiders that haven¡¯t been cultivated.


    If it¡¯s a spider that has been cultivated and evolved, the ¡®preservation¡¯ time might last even longer.


    Qin Niu felt it was necessary to enhance the toxicity of the termite¡¯s venom.


    After all, there was a huge nest of stink ants nearby, and today¡¯s battle was just the beginning.


    With the Ant Queen¡¯s egg-laying skills being rather weak, striving to improve their combat abilities was the right way to go.


    The Green Demon mentioned in the bee-rearing manual that the juices of many plants could also enhance a bee colony¡¯s defense, venom potency, and flight speed.


    He listed several plants¡¯ juices, such as the juice of a lacquer tree that could strengthen the bees¡¯ venom and the robustness of their wings. But the amount fed had to be controlled; too much would lead to the death of the colony.


    There was also a colorful mushroom mentioned repeatedly by Green Demon, saying that crushed and mixed with honey to feed the bees, it led to their evolution of various special abilities.


    An audacious thought emerged in Qin Niu¡¯s mind, what would happen if he used the blood of the Ancient Banyan Tree to feed the termites?


    Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much left, as he had used a third of the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood to nourish his blade yesterday.


    Whether it was nourishing the blade or cultivating termites, both were long-term processes.


    Wanting to see significant results after just one or two feedings was almost impossible..

 Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 40: The Cultivation of Tree Sap and Termites_i

    Chapter 45: Chapter 40: The Cultivation of Tree Sap and Termites_i


    Translator: 549690339


    He carried a basket of humus down the mountain, planning to get some Ancient Banyan Tree Blood from home to feed the Termites on the mountain.


    At the very least, he could try it out and see the effect.


    After all, the Green Demon mentioned that the juices of many plants could help a beehive evolve, which greatly excited him.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree Blood must be a very high-grade substance.


    After Qin Niu brought the humus to his poor field, he dumped it in the central area where the compost was piled.


    In fact, there was already quite a lot of compost there.


    With his current level of cultivation, carrying a basket of one hundred twenty or thirty catties of humus was like child¡¯s play, absolutely effortless.


    ¡°Ah Niu, the corn you planted this year isn¡¯t bad!¡± Wang Haikun, the plague, had somehow come around again.


    He stood there with his burly arms crossed, eying the corn in Qin Niu¡¯s field greedily.


    ¡°Thank you for the compliments, Kun Ye. 1 didn¡¯t plant well last year and went hungry for a year, so naturally, I had to work hard to plant them well this time.¡±


    Qin Niu deliberately put on a miserable face.


    ¡°Starting today, you will work in my three mu of fields, and 1¡¯11 provide your meals.¡±


    Originally, Wang Haikun had no land, but in recent years, he¡¯d accumulated some wealth by deceit and robbing ordinary villagers. He then annexed an acre of good farmland from his clan relative, Wang Lishu, through forced low-price buying, and purchased two more acres from the Yan Family, finally putting together three acres of land.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Wang Haikun looked down on Qin Niu¡¯s poor field, he probably would have grabbed it a long time ago.


    There weren¡¯t many people in the village he could bully who also owned land.


    Wang Furen, Xu Zhenchang, and the almost Beast Tamer Hu Lazi, these people all had backing or strength, and were not someone he could suppress.


    He only dared to bully honest villagers like Qin Niu, who didn¡¯t have much strength.


    ¡°Kun Ye, I¡¯m really sorry about this, but I¡¯ve been feeling unwell lately with constant stomach pains. Moreover, 1 can¡¯t even manage my own poor field, let alone go work for you.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t stupid.


    How could he agree to such a thing?


    Never mind that Wang Haikun only provided one meal a day without paying any wages, even if he did offer wages, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t go.


    He never thought about taking on a job unless one day he truly couldn¡¯t survive.


    ¡°Quit the nonsense. I¡¯ve been nice to discuss this with you, haven¡¯t 1? Hurry up and go work in my field, or else, if you make me unhappy, you¡¯ll even have to fend for your own meals.¡±


    Wang Haikun glared fiercely with his bulging eyes, emanating a fully intimidating aura.


    ¡°Kun Ye, it¡¯s really impossible.¡±


    What was Qin Niu¡¯s current cultivation level?


    As a mortal, he was Onefold 74.3/100. To put it boastfully, he could crush Wang Haikun with one hand.


    Was he afraid of Wang Haikun throwing his weight around in front of him?


    He had dared to make a move when he was weaker than Wang Haikun, and now that his strength was so much greater, if Wang Haikun really sought death, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t mind ridding the villagers of this menace.


    Of course, he would certainly use some schemes and tactics.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s do it this way. I see your manure is quite good; carry a few dozen baskets to my place.¡±


    Wang Haikun knew that coercion wouldn¡¯t work.


    Not just him, even a big landlord like Yan Ruohai hired people with money to work his land and never even thought of forcing someone to work for free.


    ¡°Kun Ye, when I have some free time, 1¡¯11 carry a couple of baskets to your field and give it a try. But let me say the ugly part up front: this manure only works in my poor field. In good land, it might actually cause fertilizer damage. If it hurts your crops, you can¡¯t blame me.¡±


    Qin Niu responded.


    ¡°Less blabber. You better bring me at least two baskets before dark today, or don¡¯t blame this Kun Ye for his fists not recognizing anyone.¡±


    Wang Haikun spoke arrogantly.


    ¡°If it works well, Kun Ye won¡¯t skimp on rewarding you. Don¡¯t try to play any tricks on me, got it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just carrying some mountain soil, what tricks can I play? Besides, would 1 dare to play tricks in front of Kun Ye?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s words sounded aggrieved, but inwardly he sneered.


    Giving two baskets to Wang Haikun this time would ensure he¡¯d never dare to ask for manure again.


    ¡°You better not dare!¡±


    Wang Haikun snorted and walked away, arms still crossed.


    This plague roamed around the village all day without farming, eyeing any wife or daughter he deemed pretty, desiring to steal anything he saw as valuable.


    But the number of villagers he could suppress wasn¡¯t many.


    Families like the Liu Family with many men were not afraid of him¡ªif there were any trouble, the men of the Liu Family would line up, most likely giving Wang Haikun a disadvantage. Moreover, generations of the Liu Family were lumberjacks who, having chopped wood for years, would have certainly realized some Blade Technique.


    Usually used for chopping wood, it¡¯s just as effective when it¡¯s time to chop a person.


    Then there are some families in the village whose daughters had married well, with either a prosperous large clan or connections to the Yan Family or other powerful figures. Wang Haikun couldn¡¯t bully them either.


    So, all told, there were about a dozen households in the whole village that Wang Haikun could manipulate.


    Most of them were bachelors like Qin Niu, Xie Laizi, and the old drunk Zhang Banzui.


    As for households with just a woman left, the situation was somewhat better if she was older, but if she was young it was quite tragic.


    This was also why this world valued boys over girls.


    After Wang Haikun left, Qin Niu first used the manure that had been fermenting in the field until only four or five baskets were left. He estimated that the amount he had just applied would be enough to last until the harvest of millet.


    As for the remaining baskets, he tampered with them a bit.


    Whoever used it would face misfortune.


    Wang Haikun wanted to get his fertilizer for free, but Qin Niu would let him understand a lesson, freebies are the most expensive.


    After fetching some Ancient Banyan Tree Blood from his home, Qin Niu carried the baskets back into the mountains.


    By this time, it was already the afternoon, with the sun slanting towards the west.


    Arriving at the Ant Nest, Qin Niu knew the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was very peculiar, so he dared not use Fourth as the first test subject.


    Instead, he allowed a Young Worker Ant to consume it.


    The Young Worker Ant ate a bit of the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and in less than ten seconds, its abdomen started to inflate rapidly, like it was being pumped full of air.


    And it showed no signs of stopping.


    Qin Niu inwardly exclaimed that this was bad.


    Bang!


    The back of its abdomen burst open, and it died on the spot.


    He felt a bit of a pity for the loss of a Young Worker Ant that had just molted today.


    Fortunately, the ant colony was quite stable now, birthing at least ten Worker Ants or Soldier Ants every day.


    As for the Breeder Ants, the Ant Queen might have her own considerations, as Qin Niu hadn¡¯t seen any yet.


    The road to cultivation was definitely full of risks.


    Sacrifices were inevitable.


    ¡°Is it because the concentration of the Banyan Tree Blood was too high and the energy contained too terrifying, causing its body to explode, or is it because the Banyan Tree Blood is inedible?¡±


    He decided to try another Young Worker Ant.


    If it failed again, he would have to wait until tomorrow.


    Given the Ant Queen¡¯s current egg-laying speed, he could only afford to test on two Young Worker Ants per day.


    Too many losses would affect the subsequent development of the ant colony.


    He took out a gourd with water, poured a little out, and diluted the small drop of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood that he had taken out earlier.


    It was diluted by about a hundred times.


    He then ordered another Young Worker Ant to eat it.


    The Worker Ants wouldn¡¯t defy their master¡¯s orders.


    After the Young Worker Ant had sipped a little, Qin Niu immediately stopped it and waited quietly.


    Its abdomen began to swell again.


    However, the swelling was much slower this time.


    Qin Niu watched intently, his heart pounding fiercely, worried that it might explode again.


    Time passed slowly.


    The Young Worker Ant did not die, and its abdomen did not explode.


    But it laid motionless, seemingly in great discomfort.


    After observing for a while, Qin Niu returned it to the nest and instructed Fourth to watch over the Young Worker Ant, not letting it feed the Ant Queen or any other Young Ants or Soldier Ants.


    In fact, this Young Worker Ant was not in a position to feed other Termites at the moment.


    It remained motionless, its antennae only slightly trembling.


    He decided to check on it again tomorrow.


    Now he needed to deliver a basket of humus to Wang Haikun¡¯s field.


    While collecting humus, Qin Niu caught a centipede, killed it, and then fed it to the Termite colony.


    He believed that feeding them a bit of toxic insects like centipedes every day should enhance the poison in the Termites..

 Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Chapter 41 Changes of the Treasured Sword i

    Chapter 46: Chapter 41 Changes of the Treasured Sword i


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu came to Wang Haikun¡¯s fields with a basket of humus on his back, noticing that the sorghum and wheat were not growing well.


    Even though it was a B-grade fertile field, the sorghum seedlings had yellowing leaves and thin stalks.


    In some places, there were just bare patches, where only weeds could be seen.


    This man was lazy and gluttonous, never putting much effort into farming or fertilizing, so it was no wonder the crops were poor.


    Last year, Qin Niu didn¡¯t farm well either, and a lack of fertilization was a big part of the reason.


    At five coins a basket, the cow dung wasn¡¯t expensive, but back then he was intent on becoming an Insect Master to change his fate, spending all his money on low-grade Contract Charms.


    He simply had no money for fertilizer.


    There was an old man working in the fields, but just by looking at his lazy manner of resting twice as long after working for just fifteen minutes, one could tell he was even more ¡®outstanding¡¯ than Wang Haikun.


    This old man was Wang Yuzhu, a farmer from the village. It was said that when he was born, the rain had just stopped, so his illiterate father named him


    Yuzhu.


    Because of a lack of education, the character for ¡¯stop,¡¯ as in stopping rain, was mistaken for ¡®pillar.¡¯


    When someone later tried to correct him, Wang Yuzhu¡¯s father, concerned about saving face, insisted it was indeed ¡®pillar.¡¯


    And so, Wang Yuzhu lived his whole life with the wrong character in his name.


    Speaking of Wang Yuzhu, he was not a bachelor; he was related to Wang Haikun within three generations.


    Wang Haikun called him uncle.


    Wang Yuzhu wasn¡¯t always lazy¡ªquite the contrary, he was known in the village as a skilled planter. It was said he even passed the intermediate farmer¡¯s assessment and evaluation at the official residence in Black Tiger City. But whenever someone asked why his plaque wasn¡¯t updated, he would fall silent.


    Many thought he was just bragging, but no one ever exposed him to his face.


    That said, Wang Yuzhu did indeed lease land from the Yan Family and had bumper harvests year after year. Back then, Xu Zhenchang was still young, and the most famous tenant in the village was Wang Yuzhu.


    He later married a rather attractive wife, first having a daughter, and two years later, a son.


    By all accounts, this should have been a very happy and fulfilling family.


    However, Wang Yuzhu had a strong preference for sons over daughters, giving all the good food to his boy. When his son grew a bit older and argued with his sister, he would, without any questions, mercilessly beat his daughter.


    As the children grew up, people heard that Wang Yuzhu married off his daughter when she was only thirteen to quickly secure a dowry for his son.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate in collecting the bride price from the groom¡¯s family.


    Plainly put, it was almost like selling his daughter.


    Perhaps it¡¯s true that as one sows, so shall one reap; not two years after marrying off his daughter, Wang Yuzhu¡¯s son reportedly contracted a sexually transmitted disease.


    This kind of disgraceful matter, Wang Yuzhu certainly tried to cover up.


    But not long after, his son died.


    Less than six months after the death of his son, his wife passed away in sorrow. After enduring the pain of losing his son and wife, Wang Yuzhu¡¯s whole attitude changed.


    Approaching fifty, he began to think of his daughter.


    Because he needed someone to take care of him in his old age, right!


    It was said that when he went to see his daughter, he wasn¡¯t even allowed past the door.


    In fact, after his wife died, his daughter never had any contact with him again.


    Nowadays, he lived even more miserably than a bachelor.


    Wang Haikun probably couldn¡¯t find anyone else to work, so he hired this uncle. It wasn¡¯t clear how much he paid him, but he did provide meals.


    When it came to planting skills, Wang Yuzhu should have been competent.


    After multiple setbacks and being in his late forties, with the only daughter he was still alive to him having cut off contact, he probably felt he had no purpose left in life. He had adopted a defeatist attitude, living each day as it came, working lazily as now, working for a second, resting for three.


    ¡°Uncle Yuzhu, this is the fertilizer Mr. Kun wanted; I¡¯ve dumped it here!¡±


    Qin Niu emptied a basket of humus from the mountains onto an empty spot in the field.


    ¡°Why dump it there? Just apply it directly under the crops!¡±


    Wang Yuzhu grumbled.


    He wanted Qin Niu to apply the fertilizer, then he could slack off.


    Qin Niu pretended not to hear and turned around with the basket on his back to leave.


    That is, he temporarily did not want to tear his face with Wang Haikun, waiting for his Termite to advance to Grade Three, then he would have the ability to go to the officials for Insect Master certification.


    By then, not to mention Wang Haikun, even Wang Haikun¡¯s brother would probably have to stand aside.


    ¡°Hey, think I¡¯m finished and don¡¯t take me seriously? I¡¯ll make sure Haikun deals with you.¡±


    Wang Yuzhu had become particularly sensitive, even a bit neurotic.


    Qin Niu ignored him, which immediately made him feel greatly discriminated against.


    To such people, Qin Niu¡¯s attitude was to be too lazy to bother with them.


    He went back home by himself.


    In the evening, when it was deep and quiet, he ate two pounds of bear meat before he started cultivating in the backyard.


    The clump of foxtail grass by the well looked even more lush and robust.


    He, wanting to verify whether the Everlasting Spring Technique could help plants grow rapidly, specifically chose a spot where there were many weeds. As usual, he first applied the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood to the Treasured Sword.


    After he was done, he laid the sword in front of him, then closed his eyes to adjust his attitude, and began to cultivate.


    Not until dawn, when the jade rabbit sank in the west, did Qin Niu open his bright, star-like eyes.


    After a night of cultivation, his cultivation level had improved quite a bit.


    Now, he was making steady progress of about 2 points each day.


    He felt that the effect of Black Bear blood and bear meat on the increase of cultivation was not as good as that of the old wolf.


    After he drank the Wolf Blood and finished the entire wolf, his cultivation rose by nearly twenty points. At that time, he had not yet practiced any Cultivation Technique, and he even gave a large hind leg to Wang Wanyan.


    But consuming this Black Bear, the growth in cultivation was significantly slower.


    He wondered if the higher your cultivation, the weaker the effect of ordinary blood food?


    Stuck in a secluded valley with no teacher to guide him, he had to grope for many cultivation secrets by himself.


    The first thing he did was check the weeds around him.


    ¡°Wow, it really is almost as I had guessed, cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique is beneficial to the growth of plants.¡±


    Qin Niu found that with the spot where he sat as the center, the weeds around him had noticeably grown overnight. The closer the weeds were to him, the greater the benefits they received.


    One meter away, there was basically no change.


    Armed with this discovery, his mind suddenly became much more active.


    Later on, he should be able to use the cultivation of Everlasting Spring Technique to help important plants grow.


    This additional effect must have great potential for exploration and improvement.


    Its value could be huge beyond imagination.


    Spending five silver money on the Everlasting Spring Technique was like picking up a treasure.


    As for being only an incomplete copy, not suitable for combat, these were all unimportant. He wasn¡¯t fond of fighting and killing in the first place.


    The Green Demon Bee Raising Manual was also like finding a huge bargain.


    Once he got the location of Hundred Leaf Town¡¯s Black Stone Village, he could find the treasure according to the map left by the Green Demon.


    Whether it¡¯s the Secret Technique for cultivating Green Demon Bees left by the Green Demon or some other treasure, he couldn¡¯t know for now.


    Qin Niu picked up the Treasured Sword that lay on the ground.


    ¡°My God¡­ Why did all the grass under this sword wither?¡±


    The weeds within a meter and a half radius around him had all grown a lot overnight, but the few weeds underneath the Treasured Sword had all withered.


    Was this the influence of the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, or had the Treasured Sword developed a special ability after being nourished for a few days?


    He felt that the Treasured Sword probably had not developed a special ability so quickly.


    Because according to his understanding, it would take at least three to five years to possibly let the Treasured Sword undergo some changes..

 Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Chapter 42: The Plan for Pest Control i

    Chapter 47: Chapter 42: The Plan for Pest Control i


    Translator: 549690339


    He held the Treasured Sword in his hands, studying it closely.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was an illusion, but he actually saw tiny green threads on the blade.


    He wiped it with his clothes, but those green lines, finer than hair, still remained.


    They were only faintly visible, hard to see clearly.


    Moreover, they were not on the surface, but seemed to be hidden inside the blade.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a weapon forged from fine iron having green patterns. There were no such strange signs when I bought it. It looks like the Banyan Tree Blood must have caused some changes to it.¡±


    Qin Niu cradled the Treasured Sword, looking it over and over, unable to put it down.


    A good weapon is extremely important for defense, self-protection, and combat.


    If he really could cultivate a special weapon and awaken its spirit, he would benefit from it for life.


    Such a weapon might even make the lord of Black Tiger City envious.


    ¡°Although that Ancient Banyan Tree is somewhat sinister, its blood is truly a good thing.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes shimmered, and glancing at the small amount of Banyan Tree Blood left in the jar, a bold idea popped into his head that he couldn¡¯t suppress.


    In the end, people can¡¯t control their own desires!


    In the coming days, I¡¯ll focus on cultivating the termites to make them a bit fiercer and expand the colony. Then I can send a few into the Ancient Banyan Tree as cannon fodder to test it out. As long as the termites can come out, so can I.¡±


    The last time he accidentally entered the range of the Banyan Tree, although he almost couldn¡¯t get out, it did grant him many valuable experiences.


    It wasn¡¯t dangerous under the tree during the day; it was only after nightfall that the tree became deadly.


    This was a big loophole, and if he utilized it well, he should be able to ensure his safety.


    As for whether other dangers would arise, that was uncertain.


    The road to eternal life is naturally defying the heavens, and to describe it as fraught with peril at every step is no exaggeration.


    Every living creature under heaven wishes to live forever, yet very few can truly achieve this feat. Only a few legends remain for the world to speculate upon.


    The Banyan Tree Blood could help him cultivate his sword and possibly even help him cultivate special types of termites, not to mention the cultivation speed under the tree was twenty times faster than the outside world. All these made Qin Niu extremely tempted.


    To gain these benefits, taking some risks is very worthwhile.


    Packing away the Treasured Sword, Qin Niu, to test whether the Banyan Tree Blood was harmful to plants, used a bit of it and smeared it onto the leaves of a tender green grass.


    There was no reaction.


    He planned to wait and see it when he returned home that night.


    After practicing all night, he was ravenous.


    Three pounds of bear meat later, his hunger was sated.


    With his basket on his back, he locked the door behind him and headed for the mountains.


    There wasn¡¯t much farm work to do for now; he just had to wait for the corn to ripen.


    He found that the worse the crops were grown, the more farming work there was to do, with weeding alone keeping him busy, not to mention sporadic loosening of the soil, watering, pest control, and so on.


    If the crops grew well, the weeds below wouldn¡¯t sprout.


    Checking his crops, he was pleased with the growth of the corn, but he noticed the tips of the leaves on two corn seedlings were rolled up.


    They were Core-Boring Worms.


    One of the biggest pests of corn.


    Qin Niu was still only a Low-grade Farmer, mastering just the five most basic planting skills.


    He knew a bit about pest control, but only superficially.


    At least a Mid-grade Farmer or higher could handle pest control techniques.


    The Core-Boring Worms were particularly troublesome. Though only two corn seedlings were affected now, if left unchecked, they could soon cause widespread damage, resulting in significant losses.


    Even though he now had the strength to hunt fierce beasts, having some grain in storage still gave him peace of mind.


    He couldn¡¯t let the insects ruin the corn he had worked hard to plant.


    With harvest just over a month away, he couldn¡¯t afford any mishaps at this critical juncture.


    It took considerable effort to deal with those two corn seedlings whose tips curled. He found three Core-Boring Worms curled within the leaves, and they were quite plump.


    They must have been hiding and feeding on the corn leaves for a long time.


    It was just Qin Niu¡¯s insect control skills that were poor, not noticing them sooner.


    According to his planting experience, discovering one Core-Boring Worm meant there were at least a few hundred in the cornfield already.


    He couldn¡¯t wait for them to ruin the corn before taking action.


    Not only would the losses be great, but he would never catch them all.


    Because their breeding speed was unimaginably fast.


    Once they metamorphosed into moths, they could easily lay a large number of eggs under hidden leaves or within the weeds.


    In no time, they would hatch into batches of Core-Boring Worm larvae.


    Then, not only would he be unable to cope alone, even with two extra helpers, they would never catch them all.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been raising that nest of termites for quite some time now. Although their food mainly consists of wood and tender leaves, using them as ants for pest control is also doable. I¡¯ll bring a batch of Worker Ants down later to help me with pest control.¡±


    Qin Niu silently calculated in his heart.


    Termites prefer to be active at night, so later this evening when I head down the mountain, I¡¯ll bring a batch of Worker Ants and then return them tomorrow morning.


    The most frustrating thing is that the Ant Queen¡¯s breeding skill hasn¡¯t been upgraded yet, capable of producing only ten eggs a day, which is incredibly rubbish.


    1 must find a way to help the Ant Queen rapidly improve her breeding skill.


    Anyway, as they¡¯ve already settled in that large camphor tree, they¡¯re not short of food at all.


    1 have considered using the two low-grade Contract Charms in my possession to tame two other ant queens, like the Bull Head Ant, Tiger Patterned Ant, and Army Ant which are all particularly good species.


    One issue is that suitable Breeder Ants are hard to find, and secondly, the success rate is really quite low.


    Thirdly, it¡¯s very time-consuming.


    By the time the new tamed Ant Queen lays her first batch of eggs, and those eggs develop into pupae, transform into adult ants, the corn in the field would almost be ready for harvest.


    There simply isn¡¯t enough time.


    Moreover, each low-grade Contract Charm is extremely precious to me.


    Unless I encounter a suitable and excellent creature, I¡¯d rather save them.


    For now, the only hope is that termite nest.


    They dispatch black stink ants as if it were child¡¯s play, let alone dealing with the defenseless Core-Boring Worms, which would be as easy as slicing vegetables.


    Moreover, they have an exceptionally keen sense of smell, are small and agile, making the entire cornfield their potential hunting ground.


    That being said, the frogs, spiders, and other insects in the cornfield could all potentially pose a threat to the termites¡¯ lives.


    Therefore, Qin Niu is still deliberating on using termites for pest control.


    Tonight I can only experiment with a small number of Worker Ants, and if the losses are great, I must immediately cease.


    I¡¯d rather lose the entire crop of corn than see that termite nest destroyed.


    Even more so, 1 cannot afford to risk the greater loss for the smaller gain and sacrifice a large number of Worker Ants for pest control, which would affect the overall development speed of the ant colony.


    Just yesterday, experimenting with Banyan Tree Blood already cost the loss of a Young Worker Ant.


    The outcome for another is still unknown.


    He walked into the mountain with a frown, head lowered.


    The three Core-Boring Worms were brought along; I intended to feed them to the termite colony and have the termites memorize their scent.


    After entering the mountain, I headed straight for the Ant Nest.


    On clear days like this, many villagers go into the mountains to gather firewood.


    In this world with relatively backward technology, where civilization is primarily focused on cultivation, everyone aspires for longevity and to be revered by heaven and earth. Thus, there is no mining or use of energy sources like coal or natural gas.


    Both the common folk and officials alike rely on firewood and charcoal for warmth, cooking their food, and firing the bricks used for building houses.


    Since firewood is expensive, green bricks and tiles are beyond the means of ordinary families.


    Only the well-off, like Wang Furen¡¯s household, can afford to build houses of green brick and tiles.


    Essentially, every household stores up dry wood.


    Not surprisingly, there are many people who go to the mountains to chop wood.


    In fact, the entire village only has two successful individuals like Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang who have built houses of green brick and tile. The clubfoot who tamed a Treasure-Seeking Mouse has only recently risen in the past two years and currently holds the provisional status of a Beast Tamer in the Beast Tamer Association; his financial strength is probably not very robust.


    Hence, the house he lives in temporarily can hardly be called luxurious.


    Mainly because there aren¡¯t many opportunities to make money in the countryside.


    That¡¯s why the clubfoot is considering developing in Black Tiger City.


    Even so, in the eyes of the public, the clubfoot is still seen as a winner in life. If he can improve his Beast Taming Skill or if the Treasure-Seeking Mouse can be upgraded by one grade, the clubfoot¡¯s future achievements could far exceed those of Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang.


    Qin Niu is now a provisional Insect Master, his status not much different from that of the clubfoot.


    His Ant Nest¡¯s location is on the outer edge of the deep mountains, and under normal circumstances, no ordinary villagers dare to chop firewood here.


    Many villagers form small groups of three to five to enter the mountains together.


    They then chop wood on the periphery of the forest.


    However, everyone subconsciously keeps a certain distance from the Yan Family¡¯s mountainous land.


    While the tigers and wolves in the mountains are frightening, the Yan Family is even more terrifying, and no one dares to offend them.


    Upon arriving at the Ant Nest, everything is still quiet, with only two Soldier Ants stationed at the entrance of the nest keeping watch.


    The ant colony is still very weak and adopting a defensive posture.


    They¡¯re secretly developing within this large camphor tree.


    This is a very sound development strategy.


    ¡°Fourth, bring out the Young Worker Ant from yesterday,¡± Qin Niu communicated with Fourth in ant language.


    I¡¯ve been consciously trying to improve my proficiency in the ant language, and I converse with them whenever 1 come to see the termites.


    But because communicating drains spiritual power, I¡¯m unable to chat with them incessantly like ¡®talking on the phone.¡¯


    Currently, only Fourth and the Ant Queen can communicate with me properly.


    The other termites can receive my simple commands for now, but we are not able to converse..

 Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Chapter 43 Bee Swarm i

    Chapter 48: Chapter 43 Bee Swarm i


    Translator: 549690339


    The young worker ant was dragged out by Fourth.


    It still lay there, barely moving, but its antennae were more agile than the day before after consuming the banyan tree blood, capable of waving freely now.


    Its abdomen had acquired a layer of light green color, and it was spreading to its hind legs and waist.


    No other noticeable changes could be seen for the time being.


    As long as it¡¯s not dead, al! is well.


    ¡°Alright, Fourth, drag it back!1¡®


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t experiment with other termites but instead rewarded them with a piece of bear meat.


    He felt like he was disrupting the dietary habits of this group of termites, who would normally prefer tree trunks, tender leaves, and plant roots. Now, they were either eating bear meat or centipedes.


    So far, Qin Niu had only found that feeding them bear blood and bear meat could produce strong termites.


    Feeding them centipedes would result in poisonous ants.


    After feeding them the bear meat and communicating with the termites for a while, his proficiency in the insect language had increased slightly.


    Although the progression was slow, he didn¡¯t mind.


    As he practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique, he could feel that his spiritual power seemed to have slightly increased. Before, he would feel his head grow heavy and his spiritual power depleted after close communication with the termites about thirty to forty times.


    Now, he could communicate with them around forty to fifty times.


    However, the distance couldn¡¯t be too great; it was best to be able to see them while communicating. That¡¯s because if the distance was too far, the consumption of spiritual power with each communication would greatly increase.


    When he felt it was about right, Qin Niu shouldered his basket and started wandering around the mountains.


    He had two low-grade contract charms on his person and had learned the Green Demon¡¯s beekeeping scripture, acquiring many extremely practical bee-taming skills. He wanted to see if he could find a suitable wild bee to subdue.


    Based on his experience with taming termites, basically all Grade One insects were easy to tame.


    As soon as they advanced to Grade Two, the difficulty of taming them would increase by more than tenfold.


    To tame a wild bee, he definitely needed to find a female bee that hadn¡¯t laid eggs.


    As for whether to choose honeybees, hornets, bear bees, or wood bees, he hadn¡¯t yet decided.


    He planned to first observe and understand their habits and characteristics before making a decision.


    As he continued to explore deeper into the mountains, the ancient banyan tree came into his sight again, looking from a distance like a dense forest.


    The expression one tree makes a forest¡± referred to such ancient trees that had lived for hundreds or even a thousand years.


    They had experienced at least a few hundred years of growth and expansion, completely crushing the plants around them and dominating that area.


    In their shade, the plants beneath either slowly withered or lived in dependence, barely surviving.


    The human world is much the same as the plant world.


    For example, the villagers of Shuangfeng Village and those from the surrounding villages were all living uneasily under the shadow of the Yan Family.


    Yan Family was the largest tree¡¯ among the nearby villages.


    Now it was broad daylight, bright and sunny, so Qin Niu wasn¡¯t afraid of that ancient banyan tree.


    Instead, he observed it from a distance.


    From afar, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.


    But as he moved closer, he realized how clever the ancient banyan tree really was. The plants neighboring it were not affected at all.


    This camouflage was too clever.


    It did not let one notice any danger, and by the time one did, they were already within the canopy of the tree.


    Having been tricked once before, Qin Niu stopped walking when he was about forty to fifty meters away.


    From a distance, he could see some weeds and small bushes growing under the banyan tree.


    As for anything else, it was completely invisible.


    One had to enter to actually see its sturdy trunk.


    ¡°Buzz-!¡±


    Qin Niu heard the sound of an insect fluttering its wings in his ears, resembling that of a bee.


    Looking towards the sound, indeed, there was a bee.


    It was gathering pollen on an unknown small plant.


    The plant was blooming with tiny white flowers no bigger than grains of rice; besides bees, even humans passing by would probably not notice it.


    Nature is so magical that, no matter how small, as long as something exists, it will be noticed by other creatures.


    The stem of that plant was too thin.


    When a bee landed on its flower to collect pollen, it couldn¡¯t bear the weight of the bee, and the branch immediately bent. The bee had to vigorously flap its wings to stabilize itself.


    Its pollen collection technique was quite skillful, and it swiftly completed this challenging task.


    You could see that its hind legs were already laden with quite a bit of pollen.


    After collecting the pollen from one small white flower, it didn¡¯t fly away but continued to the next one.


    Because it needed to stabilize itself by constantly flapping its wings, the buzzing was exceptionally clear.


    Qin Niu quietly approached it, carefully observing the bee collect pollen.


    It landed on the blossom and worked hard with its three pairs of legs to sweep up pollen from the flower. It was very dexterous in its movements, first using its mandibles and forelegs together to scrape off the pollen.


    Then it caught it with its midlegs.


    Next, the midlegs brushed off rhe pollen that was stuck on the hairs of its chest and abdomen and passed it to its hind legs.


    Then its two hind legs kept alternating their tasks.


    The hind legs were very broad, and according to the Green Demon Bee Culture Techniques, on the hind legs there were pollen combs, pollen presses, and pollen baskets.


    The hind legs first caught the pollen passed on by the midlegs with the pollen combs, then used the pollen presses to squeeze the pollen on the combs, compressing the previously sandy pollen into clumps, and finally pushed them into the pollen baskets on the hind legs.


    The entire process of collecting pollen was quite ingenious, and the technique was excellent.


    Qin Niu watched with relish.


    You could see that its hind legs were now filled with pale yellow pollen balls, looking like two large clumps of pollen stuck to its hind legs.


    Buzz buzz buzz!


    It vibrated its wings and took off.


    ¡°Is it heading back to the hive?¡±


    Qin Niu quickly followed it.


    However, after following for less than twenty meters, Qin Niu immediately stopped in his tracks.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree was up ahead; if he were to barge in carelessly, he would instantly get trapped inside.


    Could this bee be a lure sent out by the Ancient Banyan Tree?


    Qin Niu quickly realized he was overthinking it. Almost next to the Ancient Banyan Tree stood a rather tail pine tree, upon which hung a huge beehive.


    By the looks of it, there must have been thousands of bees living inside.


    You could see bees flying in and our, a busy scene.


    Bees and ants are both very industrious small insects.


    They are united, hardworking, and both are social creatures.


    ¡°If I knocked down their nest, rd surely get a lot of honey.¡±


    Qin Niu licked his lips.


    There were people in the village who kept bees, and they could harvest honey two or three times a year. The price was quite expensive, almost costing three Wen Money per jin. You know, a hive of bees can yield over a hundred jins of mature honey in a year.


    Keeping a box of bees could increase one¡¯s income by more than three hundred Wen Money a year.


    However, not many people bought honey, and only villagers who were slightly better off would buy a couple of jins a year. They would only be willing to use it during the holidays and festivals.


    Families like Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang, who were mildly wealthy, were the main consumers.


    They would eat as much as they wanted, without worrying about this small expense.


    As for the Yan Family, they wouldn¡¯t buy any because they had their own beekeepers who were responsible for beekeeping and honey harvesting.


    The Yan Family also had some gifting needs, but regular honey certainly wouldn¡¯t cut it.


    They would have their hired beekeepers collect Royal Jelly, which they would then keep to give to powerful figures in the city.


    Yan Ruohai and his direct relatives and wife probably ate Royal Jelly, not ordinary honey.


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes were fixed on the beehive in the tree as he carefully recalled some bee-rearing techniques from the Green Demon Bee Culture Techniques in his mind.


    If he were to take control, he definitely could only subdue a new Queen Bee..

 Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Chapter 44 Comprehending Bee Language i

    Chapter 49: Chapter 44 Comprehending Bee Language i


    Translator: 549690339


    Unlike the nuptial flight of ants and termites, there are three ways for honey bees to produce a new queen bee.


    One way is when the queen bee feels she is getting old and needs a successor, she will lay fully developed female eggs, which are fed royal jelly from a young age. Another way is when the bee colony grows so large that it needs to split, the queen bee will also reproduce a new queen.


    The last method is quite special.


    The queen bee doesn¡¯t get the chance to reproduce a new queen and dies either naturally or from an enemy attack.


    At this time, if the bee colony unexpectedly loses its queen and the conditions are right, it can use appropriately aged worker bee larvae to urgently construct a royal cell to rear a new queen.


    What if the emergency construction of a royal cell fails?


    It¡¯s a bit tragic then.


    Incompletely developed worker bees can also lay eggs, but they can only produce male bees, and the entire bee colony will perish.


    There is a certain limit to the number of insects an Insect Master can tame.


    This is related to the strength of the Insect Master¡¯s spiritual power. However, compared to a Beast Tamer, an Insect Master has a clear advantage in the number of pets they can tame.


    Most Beast Tamers can only tame one beast pet due to inadequate spiritual power.


    The more powerful the beast pet, the higher the demand for the spiritual power of the Beast Tamer during taming.


    With weak spiritual power, the success rate of taming powerful beasts like wolves, tigers, and bears will be terrifyingly low. And even those Beast Tamers with slightly stronger spiritual power can often only tame one powerful beast pet.


    If they try for more, the failure rate of taming increases significantly, and they also can¡¯t afford it.


    Keeping a wolf might look prestigious, but the amount of meat it requires every day could bankrupt a modestly wealthy family like Wang Furen¡¯s.


    Qin Niu¡¯s practice of the Everlasting Spring Technique enhances spiritual power, which is a significant advantage.


    Now, still in the first realm, the main focus is on nourishing qi and blood and strengthening the physical body. Even so, he could still feel his spiritual power growing.


    If he were to reach the second realm, the increase in spiritual power would be extremely terrifying.


    Therefore, he hardly ever has to worry about not having enough spiritual power due to taming too many insects.


    Also, the cost of raising insects is extremely low.


    Raising that nest of termites is almost zero cost to keep.


    Raising another hive of bees, if he continues to practice free-range apiculture, will also have nearly no cost to keep.


    His purpose in beekeeping differs from that of Green Demon.


    Green Demon kept bees as a means for revenge, while his primary reason for beekeeping is the quest for longevity.


    Bees are an important medium for plant pollination.


    If he could cultivate a special breed of bee colony, it might help him improve his planting skills. He could even direct the bee colony to collect some special pollen to make honey, which would be a hundred or even a thousand times more precious than royal jelly.


    He read in a book that an Insect Master had built his fortune this way and had even managed to enter a sect.


    Besides, because of their excellent flying ability, the bee colony can do many things for him.


    Such as guarding, delivering messages, and aerial attacks.


    Qin Niu was observing the beehive from a distance of several meters.


    One particularly magical phenomenon was that despite the myriad bees coming and going, not one flew into the coverage area of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    It truly seemed that all things under heaven and earth have a spirit.


    They were right at the edge of the Ancient Banyan Tree yet treated the area it covered as forbidden territory.


    The termites went under the banyan tree and successfully rescued Qin Niu.


    But would the bees be able to come out if they went in?


    After observing for a while, he took out Green Demon¡¯s beekeeping manual to study again.


    Upon reading the book a hundred times, its meaning will naturally reveal itself.


    The beekeeping manual left by Green Demon before his death is full of ingenious ideas, all of which have been verified by experiment.


    This invaluable beekeeping experience could save Qin Niu from taking many detours.


    It could even inspire him to apply the principles to the cultivation of other insects.


    Staying in the mountains, nearly a whole day had passed.


    He had been quietly observing the bees but had not approached them. If he got too close now, the bees would immediately come out and sting him into a pigheaded mess.


    Having spent the whole day there, in addition to learning a lot from the beekeeping manual, he had also learned to distinguish the sounds made by the bees.


    He was learning the Bee Language.


    He didn¡¯t expect to master it in one day and planned to come back here tomorrow.


    With his reasonably good strength, ordinary wolves, bears, and wild boars in the mountains shouldn¡¯t threaten his safety. If they dared to come, they would likely end up as an extra meal for Qin Niu.


    As for a tiger, it¡¯s uncertain whether he could win a fight against one. He had never tried.


    With the Treasured Sword in hand and his cultivation nearing the human Onefold level 80, he was bold enough to fight a fierce tiger.


    Seeing that evening was approaching and the Ancient Banyan Tree looked even more sinister and frightening, he stopped lingering and began to collect humus soil, preparing to carry a basket down the mountain to continue tormenting Wang Haikun.


    He wanted to make it so that whenever Mr. Wang saw his humus soil, he would be scared.


    If you want to buy fertilizer without spending money, this special fertilizer is the only option. Guaranteed to make your crops yellow and fail to produce.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a huge spider.¡±


    While collecting humus soil, Qin Niu spotted a brightly colored spider. It had green and white patterns interwoven and was the size of an adult¡¯s thumb.


    Perhaps at dusk, they began to come out to guard their webs and search for food.


    He could see the white spider silk it spat out was thick and sturdy.


    Ordinary flying insects that landed on the web were likely doomed.


    This spider was about as thick as an adult¡¯s thumb, not counting its eight long legs.


    The spiders in the mountains were generally poisonous.


    Some poisons were so potent that a single bite could cause instant death.


    As he was observing the spider, a bee gathering pollen hurriedly flew by.


    The bee¡¯s pollen-gathering technique might not have been mastered yet, as there was only a small amount of pollen in the baskets on its hind legs.


    Even as dusk approached, it was still buzzing its antennae around in search of flowers.


    They had a natural talent for detecting the scent of flowers.


    They could sense the faintest fragrance from miles away.


    Bang!


    It was unlucky and did not notice the spider¡¯s ¡®Bagua formation¡¯ web. It crashed right into it.


    Qin Niu thought to himself, this was bad, as the bee seemed to be lightly colored, clearly an inexperienced and tender newcomer worker bee.


    Not only was its pollen-gathering skill terrible, but it also lacked any experience in outdoor adventure.


    The large spider perched on the web was completely unnoticed by it.


    Now, it was caught and hanging on the web.


    The large spider, just starting its work, caught a big catch, much to its delight.


    It immediately began to crawl over to wrap the prey in a deathly cocoon or deliver a spider¡¯s kiss.


    Spiders hunted very cautiously; they would judge the strength of their prey by the force of its impact on the web and the vigor of its struggles.


    If they encountered a strong prey in the web, they would patiently wait.


    Moreover, as long as the spider had enough energy in its silk glands, the webs they spun were at least double-threaded.


    Some formidable large spiders would pull not just one, but over seven threads from their tails. You should know that scientists have proved the strength of spider silk surpasses that of special-grade steel wire.


    And in terms of corrosion resistance and elasticity, it is even more powerful than special-grade steel wire.


    Pulling out seven threads at a time, and combining them into one, it¡¯s unimaginable how terrifying the strength of the spider silk was.


    It wasn¡¯t clear how many threads this spider could pull out at once, but generally, the minimum was two, one of which could also be called their safety rope.


    After all, they worked at great heights, and there were always times they would slip and fall.


    If they had a ¡®safety rope¡¯ tied around them, they could avoid accidents at critical moments.


    This was also why they could immediately climb back up along the silk after falling.


    They always had a safety rope tied to them.


    The poor newbie bee was about to be devoured by the giant spider¡¯s venomous kiss.


    Just one bite, and after the venom was injected into its body, the bee was pretty much beyond saving.


    Qin Niu took action, having already planned to kill the spider to feed to the termites, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let it do any more harm before its death.


    With a light flick of a small stick, he knocked it to the ground.


    Before it could escape, he pressed its head flat with a medicinal hoe.


    Its eight long legs struggled for a moment, then slowly gathered and stopped moving.


    After confirming it was dead, Qin Niu collected it into a small jar. He would take it over to feed the termites later.


    Having fed them four centipedes, it was time for a change of taste, to see if feeding them a poisonous spider could enhance their toxicity.


    The bee didn¡¯t realize it had encountered a savior and was saved.


    It was still frantically struggling in terror.


    But the spider web was very sticky, and the more it struggled, the tighter it wrapped itself.


    Qin Niu did not rush to rescue it, but instead listened intently to the buzzing sound it made.


    It was a very urgent and low-frequency sound of vibrating wings.


    At this moment, it must have been panicking, with its two antennae waving wildly and its six legs struggling desperately. Sadly, it had no chance of breaking the silk with its strength.


    ¡°Is this a distress signal to the swarm?¡±


    Qin Niu carefully compared it with other buzzing sounds he had heard from bees before.


    After struggling for a while, it stopped.


    Had it given up?


    After a while, it started to struggle again, emitting that urgent, low-pitched sound even more frantically than before.


    It is said that low-frequency sounds can travel farther.


    It seemed desperate to call its companions for rescue.


    [You have gained insight into Bee Language, your proficiency in Insect Language has increased by +10.]


    He was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with a happy and surprised smile.


    He had planned to come back tomorrow to continue listening to the buzzing of the hive, but a small accident had allowed him to grasp the basics of Bee Language..

 Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Chapter 45 A Scheme, a Honeybee i

    Chapter 50: Chapter 45 A Scheme, a Honeybee i


    Translator: 549690339


    Although he had only just begun to understand Bee Language, any skill, once initiated and the method grasped, could be practiced repeatedly and become more and more proficient.


    Learning Bee Language immediately added 10 points to his fluency in the language of insects, indicating a certain degree of intercommunication among the languages used by insects.


    It¡¯s like human languages where a country might have many different regional dialects, but the written language is universal.


    The ways insects communicate are also limited to a few: either by releasing chemical signals, by body movements, or by creating sounds through wing vibrations or friction of their tegmina.


    At this point, Qin Niu¡¯s proficiency in the insect language had advanced from beginner to skilled.


    Insect Language Fluency 13.51/100.


    To advance to the next level, he needed to reach 100 fluency points, and an effective communication with an insect could only increase the fluency by 0.01 points. He would need to communicate with them more than eight thousand six hundred times to level up.


    Of course, that was the conventional method of leveling up.


    There must be some shortcuts for a quick enhancement, such as the 10-point direct increase he just earned from comprehending Bee Language.


    Based on this experience, learning several more insect languages should allow for rapid advancement in insect language skills.


    Or, once his spiritual power became stronger, if he could communicate with insects thousands of times a day, the pace of progress would be equally terrifying.


    Now he could communicate with termites roughly forty to fifty times a day, increasing his fluency by about 0.4 to 0.5 daily.


    In fact, that wasn¡¯t too slow.


    At least much faster than the average Insect Master¡¯s progress.


    Many Insect Masters might take three years, five years, or even longer to advance from beginner to skilled in the insect language.


    Those with talent progress quickly.


    Qin Niu was different, his fluency increased by a stable 0.01 each time.


    It seemed slow, but in fact, as long as he practiced diligently, he could make steady progress.


    At this moment, the honeybee trapped in the spider web was still struggling nonstop, emitting bursts of calls for help.


    ¡°Save me¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trapped!¡±


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡±


    Whether its calls for help could be heard by its companions was unknown.


    However, the human in front of it could hear them loud and clear and had successfully translated quite a bit of it.


    ¡°Little guy, don¡¯t be afraid!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the newbie honeybee and communicated with it using his spiritual power.


    Though a day had passed, his spiritual power had only recovered by about half. It seemed that only through sleep or practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique could his spiritual power be recovered more quickly.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The honeybee was vigilantly rotating its head, both its compound eyes and three ocelli serving their purpose.


    Its eyes were quite peculiar, quite different from human eyes in terms of forming an image.


    Its compound eye was made up of more than five thousand hexagonally arranged ommatidia, giving it a wide viewing range and the ability to see distant objects.


    This helped them locate flowers or detect enemies in advance.


    If they only had compound eyes, they would be distinctly farsighted.


    Theoretically speaking, the more ommatidia in the compound eyes, the clearer the vision. That¡¯s because each ommatidium can see only a pinpoint, and then the five thousand points viewed by the ommatidia, like a scanner, form the image of objects.


    Furthermore, the images formed by the honeybee¡¯s eyes are upright, while human images are inverted.


    Its simple eyes could sense light and see objects up close, though the images were quite rough.


    Probably just a bit better than pixelated.


    ¡°I can save you!¡±


    After a day, Qin Niu¡¯s spiritual power had recovered by about half. Based on usual experience, he could communicate about 20 sentences with the honeybee, definitely no more than 25.


    In fact, unless there were special circumstances, he would definitely reserve some spiritual power.


    Becoming severely overdrawn would lead to him falling asleep in the mountains.


    And that was a terrifying prospect.


    Especially now that dusk was setting in, with nightfall soon upon them.


    If his spiritual power was exhausted to the point of passing out in these mountains, by tomorrow there might not even be a skeleton left of him.


    The wild animals and insects in the mountains would dispose of his body completely.


    However, after communicating with the bee for a couple of sentences, Qin Niu was surprised to discover that the consumption of his spiritual power seemed to have decreased a lot. This must be a benefit of his increased proficiency in Bee Language.


    Because now his Bee Language had reached proficiency, communication with them was more accurate and much more effortless.


    The loss of spiritual power naturally decreased accordingly.


    This is just like conversing with foreign friends in a foreign language, which at the beginning can feel especially taxing. You might even end up talking at cross purposes. But once you¡¯re proficient, communication becomes smooth.


    At this moment, communicating with this bee, the consumption of spiritual power had roughly halved.


    This meant that he could communicate with it 50 times now, as opposed to only 25 times before.


    ¡°You are very big!¡±


    ¡°Save me!¡±


    It was pleading for Qin Niu¡¯s help, but there were no pleasantries in its language.


    In the world of insects, perhaps directness is preferred over complex formalities.


    ¡°Does your colony have a new Queen Bee?¡±


    Qin Niu started to probe the situation of that beehive.


    ¡°Cannot say.¡±


    It refused to answer.


    Information about the Queen Bee is the highest level of secret within a bee colony, a core matter concerning the life and death of the colony. Therefore, each bee instinctively protects this secret.


    Qin Niu guessed that even if he killed it, it wouldn¡¯t reveal anything.


    ¡°Is your colony planning to swarm soon?¡±


    Qin Niu changed his line of questioning.


    The intelligence of bees is limited; with a little trickery, one could find out what they know.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    It was indeed tricked by this cunning human into revealing the situation of the bee colony.


    If a bee colony wants to swarm, it definitely needs to breed a new Queen Bee.


    The number of bees in that colony was staggering. Qin Niu had in fact guessed some of it, and with this confirmation, he could further plan his arrangements. ¡°How long until the swarm?¡±


    ¡°Soon, after the yellow ball in the sky falls down three or four times.¡±


    It must have been referring to the sun.


    Bee eyes cannot see red; to us humans, the sun sometimes appears red, like a giant burning fireball.


    But to bee eyes, red is just a dark shadow, equivalent to a blind spot in their vision.


    Their favorite flowers for nectar gathering are yellow or white.


    In fact, yellow or white flowers often have the greatest nectar storage capacity, allowing them to reap plentifully.


    Through countless years of evolution, their vision also underwent significant changes, all for finding more nectar sources, all for survival.


    In fact, yellow, orange, green, in the eyes of bees, are all the same color.


    When collecting nectar, they do not confuse flowers with leaves because they can distinguish them by the fragrance of the flowers for a second time.


    When it mentioned the sun falling three or four times, it likely meant three or four days.


    Qin Niu was curious, if there was no sun on rainy days, how did they calculate time?


    Maybe for these short-lived insects, there was no need to make it so complicated.


    From the moment of maturity, each bee starts working hard, learning the basic skills for survival.


    Each bee lives solely so that their species may continue.


    ¡°Next time, be careful of this kind of web; they are spun in open areas close to the ground.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t attempt to pry any more information from it but simply let it go.


    After it was freed, it quickly fled into the distance.


    Watching it fly awkwardly, much like a human staggering along, it seemed to have been badly frightened.


    Being timid was its correct way to survive.


    With a load of humus on his back, Qin Niu quickly headed toward the Ant Nest, but his mind was already considering a plan to deal with the pests in the cornfield. As for whether to tame a bee Queen Bee, he still needed to give it some thought..

 Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 46 Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant 1

    Chapter 51: Chapter 46 Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant 1


    Translator: 549690339


    Taming an insect may seem easy, but nurturing it after the fact requires a great deal of effort and time, and one must consider the long-term.


    The lifespan of a Queen Bee is generally around three to five years, with the long-lived ones possibly reaching over nine years.


    Compared with the Termite Ant Queen, their lifespan is clearly much shorter.


    In the Green Demon¡¯s beekeeping manual, there¡¯s hardly any mention of how to extend the life of bees.


    He only mentions that Royal Jelly can prolong the lifespan of bees.


    The Ant Queen that Qin Niu tamed actually doesn¡¯t have a long life either.


    Initially, it even had only a 4.2-year lifespan, which, after being fed bear blood, bear meat, and centipedes, grew to 4.5 years.


    Thus, extending its lifespan by 0.3 years.


    Its lifespan has increased so much probably because it was initially malnourished and then received dietary supplements.


    The lifespan of Fourth actually also increased by three months.


    He was considering destroying this beehive and then feeding the Royal Jelly inside it to Fourth and the Ant Queen of the termite swarm.


    To see if it could help them extend their lives.


    Now that the ant colony is increasing by about 10 new members each day, Qin Niu could no longer treat them equally and had definitely prioritized fostering the outstanding termites in the colony.


    If one had to prioritize, the order would be Ant Queen, Fourth, Strong Worker Ants and Strong Soldier Ants, Poisonous Ants, Ordinary Worker Ants, Ordinary Soldier Ants, Young Ants.


    That was roughly how it went.


    He soon arrived in front of the Ant Nest and sensed that the ant colony seemed to be somewhat agitated.


    After checking, no intruders were found.


    ¡°Fourth, come out to eat!¡±


    Qin Niu always called for Fourth first whenever there was something good, unless it was something extremely dangerous like Banyan Tree Blood, then he wouldn¡¯t dare let it try it first.


    Fourth climbed out nimbly.


    Among those that came out with it was a small Worker Ant with a faint green hue to its body.


    Moreover, the speed at which this small Worker Ant moved was much faster than Fourth¡¯s.


    You should know, Fourth is a composite of Soldier Ant and Worker Ant, its crawling and attack speeds were higher than ordinary Worker Ants.


    Its attack speed was even a bit faster than that of a Soldier Ant.


    Not to mention its biting force.


    Killing that large black stink ant, which was much bigger than itself, was as easy as slicing through vegetables.


    But now, there was a Worker Ant that crawled much faster than it.


    And it was a very small Young Worker Ant at that.


    It was just about two or three days since it had molted into an adult ant.


    Fourth was now almost two months old and could be considered a rather mature Worker Ant.


    If it wasn¡¯t a secondary Worker Ant, its size would be closer to that of an adult Termite.


    Compared to this Young Worker Ant, Fourth was like the difference between a young man and a two or three-year-old toddler.


    A toddler running faster than a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth was quite astonishing.


    11


    Is this the Young Worker Ant that drank the Banyan Tree Blood?¡±


    Qin Niu was excited.


    This morning when he came to check on it, it could only move its antennae nimbly, and Fourth had to drag it in and out.


    Unexpectedly, it had now digested the Banyan Tree Blood it had consumed and completed a second evolution of its body.


    He quickly checked the ant colony¡¯s attributes.


    One Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant, lifespan 13 years, special abilities (agility, ultra-strong biting, ant acid secretion assists plant wound healing).


    Qin Niu could hardly believe it.


    A little bit of Banyan Tree Blood directly nourished a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant.


    And it had three special abilities.


    It was simply terrifying.


    Moreover, its lifespan had increased by a full ten years.


    What would happen if Fourth also ate the Banyan Tree Blood?


    Probably even stronger than this Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant.


    But Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush to act; instead, he prepared to experiment on a few more Worker Ants first to confirm it was safe before letting Fourth consume the Banyan Tree Blood.


    After all, for him, while a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant was indeed precious, Fourth was more important in his heart.


    And had even greater potential.


    So far, no other Termite in the entire ant colony could shake Fourth¡¯s position as ¡®Marshal.¡¯


    ¡°Just right, tonight you¡¯ll go down the mountain with two Ordinary Soldier Ants and two Ordinary Worker Ants, and we will test your pest control abilities.¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t contain his joy at the sight of how fierce this Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant was.


    The more ¡®experts¡¯ the ant colony had, the safer it would become.


    Since it was his first time using termites to help with pest control on the crops, he didn¡¯t know whether the Worker Ants or the Soldier Ants were more formidable, so it needed to be tested to be clear.


    If it came to fighting, the Soldier Ants would definitely be fiercer.


    The Core-Boring Worms they were going to face this time would be easier to handle if they were larvae, but if they were the kind of sturdy, mature bugs that Qin Niu had caught this morning, the termites would probably need to exert some effort to kill them.


    Too bad for now, only Fourth had evolved to produce venom; otherwise, with venom to assist, their pest-killing efficiency would be higher.


    However, their venom should probably not be inexhaustible.


    A single battle could potentially exhaust all the venom.


    To replenish the venom reserve might take a day or even longer.


    All of these needed to be slowly explored and observed by Qin Niu.


    Moreover, its venom was only slightly toxic, so the killing effect was probably not very strong.


    Qin Niu planned to bring some Banyan Tree Blood up the mountain tomorrow, and try it on two young worker ants again.


    Although the first experiment resulted in the death of one young worker ant, gaining a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant made the rewards far exceed the cost by a thousand times.


    It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the value of ten thousand ordinary worker ants did not compare to a single Grade Two worker ant.


    The Insect Master Association¡¯s standard for recognition was that the tamed insect must be Grade Two, and the owner must be able to interact normally with the insect to be considered a qualified Insect Master.


    Qin Niu simply looked down upon the status of a qualified Insect Master.


    He harbored much greater ambition, aiming to become an Insect Master in one step.


    By then, he would gain many privileges, no longer fearing the oppression from Wang Haikun, even the Yan Family would take the initiative to curry favor with him.


    ¡°Fourth, call all the worker ants to eat this poisonous spider!¡±


    His knowledge of insect control was limited and did not know the name of this type of spider.


    He only knew that it had white and light green patterns on its body, somewhat resembling a human-face spider, but not quite.


    With his jungle survival experience, he was certain that this kind of spider was definitely poisonous, and its toxicity was extremely severe.


    Old Man Liu and the other elders in the village had mentioned that in the mountains, one should never touch spiders, snakes, or mushrooms with bright colors. They were all highly poisonous.


    Qin Niu had etched this in his memory.


    Looking at this spider¡¯s two long, sharp venom fangs, if bitten by it, the consequences could be dire.


    ¡°Lightning Ant, can you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    It answered crisply.


    A Grade Two insect was much more powerful than Grade One.


    It seemed that after evolving from an ordinary Grade One worker ant to a Grade Two lightning worker ant, its spiritual power had increased substantially.


    Furthermore, as Qin Niu¡¯s insect language became proficient, his communication with termite would also become more accurate.


    Both favorable conditions together naturally allowed Qin Niu to communicate with it unimpeded.


    H


    Let¡¯s give you a name, shall we call you Fifth?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±


    It appeared quite happy.


    Ordinary termites had no right to be named by Qin Niu personally, only special termites like Fourth and Fifth were entitled to this honor.


    This was a form of glory.


    ¡°You also eat more of the poisonous spider¡¯s body, and see if you can evolve any venom!¡±


    Qin Niu commanded it.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    It could actually understand such a complex command directly.


    That made Qin Niu happy again, for as his proficiency in insect language increased, he would no longer have to break a sentence into several parts to communicate with the insects.


    One must know that his spiritual power was weak, and the number of times he could talk to the insects within a day was limited.


    Fifth had already begun quickly gnawing on the body of the poisonous spider.


    It was unexpectedly a go-getter.


    One could tell its biting force was extremely surprising, and its gnawing speed was much faster than that of a typical worker ant.


    When gnawing on the spider¡¯s poisonous fangs and legs, other worker ants had some trouble chewing them.


    Only Fourth and it could gnaw them.


    Moreover, its gnawing ability was evidently much stronger than Fourth¡¯s.


    Qin Niu noticed that it secreted a liquid while it gnawed, which seemed to have a very strong corrosive effect.


    This should be formic acid.


    Such strong biting strength was indeed not an empty claim.


    After the Lightning Ant had eaten most of it, Qin Niu then led it and two ordinary worker ants, along with two ordinary soldier ants, down the mountain.


    To avoid attracting attention and to prevent dropping them on the way, he specially carried them in the small jar that had been used to contain the spider.


    Once he had his Insect Master status certified, he would then be able to make his own bamboo containers for keeping insects to hang at his waist.


    This type of jar was not suitable, as it did not have air holes on top and could easily suffocate them.


    And being confined inside, they would feel very uncomfortable.


    Made of pure natural material, bamboo had a natural scent, and bamboo tubes made from it would be pleasing to them.


    Arriving at his family¡¯s millet field, he was taken aback.


    Where had the several baskets of manure stacked in the middle of the field gone?


    The value of humus soil was not high in itself; who would be so foolish? To risk stealing it under the name of theft?


    It was broad daylight; someone surely must have seen it.


    Wang Furen probably wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.


    Nevertheless, a figure in the village, he wouldn¡¯t degrade himself over a few baskets of fertilizer.


    Qin Niu decided to ask around..

 Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Chapter 47 Hard to Persuade a Dead Ghost l

    Chapter 52: Chapter 47 Hard to Persuade a Dead Ghost l


    Translator: 549690339


    Just then, Wang Haikun walked over, with Wang Yuzhu following behind him.


    Seeing the shovel in Wang Yuzhu¡¯s hand and the basket on his back, Qin Niu understood everything.


    ¡°Ah Niu, I told you to send a few baskets of fertile soil from the mountains. Why is it so troublesome? My uncle said that yesterday you dawdled until evening before you delivered it to my field, and you had an unwilling look on your face the whole time. Do you think 1 can¡¯t afford to pay you or what?¡±


    Wang Haikun cursed and swore, glaring with a pair of bull¡¯s eyes.


    He probably also feared being called a thief behind his back by the villagers, so he shouted especially loud.


    Pay me?


    Didn¡¯t see a single copper coin.


    Moreover, Qin Niu¡¯s humus was selling for fifty wen a basket. Even Wang Furen was reluctant to spend that money, let alone someone like Wang Haikun who was tightfisted to the extreme.


    ¡°Master Kun, 1 only picked the best mountain soil for you because it was for you. But, the high-quality soil is simply too scarce. There¡¯s just a thin layer. To collect such a big basket, it takes a whole day. Haven¡¯t I been in the mountains these past two days? I haven¡¯t even been able to take care of chopping wood or the crops in the field. I¡¯ve just been collecting fertile soil from the mountains for you.¡±


    Qin Niu was talking nonsense with his mouth full of lies, naturally speaking the language of ghosts when meeting one.


    Hearing the furious tone of Wang Haikun, it was certain that Wang Yuzhu had whispered some detrimental words about Qin Niu to him.


    But it didn¡¯t matter.


    Petty people are everywhere, and now that Qin Niu¡¯s strength had increased, he naturally didn¡¯t need to listen to Wang Yuzhu¡¯s slander.


    Given a little more time, he could even face the brother behind Wang Haikun without any fear.


    This time should come very soon.


    Because he had already figured out how to directly cultivate termites with the blood of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    In just two days, he had evolved an ordinary Young Worker Ant into a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant. After experimenting a few more times, he should be able to use it on Fourth and the Ant Queen.


    With a Grade Three insect, he would be able to go to the city and certify as an Insect Master.


    Naturally, he would no longer fear Wang Haikun¡¯s brother.


    As for Wang Haikun, Qin Niu really didn¡¯t take him seriously.


    If pushed too far, Qin Niu now had the power to kill him outright.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s current strength, killing him would probably be easier than killing a Black Bear.


    But to ruin his future over such a despicable person and attract the pursuit of the authorities¡ªdefinitely not worth it.


    After hearing Qin Niu¡¯s explanation, Wang Haikun¡¯s expression had already become much more pleasant.


    He eyed the basket of humus on Qin Niu¡¯s back, and said arrogantly, ¡°Good that you know your place, kid. Hurry up and bring it to my field. Besides, I¡¯m buying all the mountain soil left in your field.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but that¡¯s the little bit of manure I¡¯ve painstakingly stored! It¡¯s meant for top-dressing the sorghum. Now that you¡¯ve bought it all, what am 1 supposed to do with my sorghum?¡±


    Qin Niu played the pity card with a sad face.


    ¡°Cut the crap. The seedlings of your sorghum are already so tall; my sorghum is still yellow-leaved and thin-stemmed. It¡¯s your honor that I¡¯m buying your lousy manure.¡±


    ¡°Master Kun¡­ this manure can only be used on the poorest fields; it can¡¯t be used on your poor fields! I¡¯m afraid it might cause manure injury!¡±


    ¡°Humph, you think I¡¯m a fool? This manure can be used on your field, and it can be used on my field, and the effect will only be better. Look at you, pinching and scraping. It¡¯s just a few baskets of manure, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m not refusing to pay. Go on, hurry up and carry this basket on your back to my place.¡±


    ¡°Alright then!¡±


    With a look of ¡®helplessness¡¯, Qin Niu walked away with the mountain soil on his back.


    Not far away, some villagers were secretly watching the commotion, but given Wang Haikun¡¯s fierce reputation, no one dared to come closer.


    Everyone saw that the sorghum growing in Qin Niu¡¯s poor field was thriving and genuinely started to see him in a new light.


    Ah Niu¡¯s planting skills have greatly improved!


    Indeed!


    He might even become the second Xu Zhenchang of our Shuangfeng Village.


    The villagers whispered among themselves.


    If one has outstanding planting skills, they could rent the Yan Family¡¯s land to farm, strive for over a decade, accumulate wealth, and buy good fields to become wealthy.


    Xu Zhenchang was a model tenant in the eyes of the villagers.


    Qin Niu, carrying the humus, arrived at Wang Haikun¡¯s field.


    He saw that the base of the sorghum seedlings had all been covered with the ¡öpurchased¡¯ humus from his own field.


    A cold smile appeared on Qin Niu¡¯s face.


    Good advice is no match for the one destined to die.


    He had warned Wang Haikun in front of everyone not to use his manure. If something went wrong, it would be Wang Haikun¡¯s own fault.


    XXX


    But preparations had to be made early.


    Wang Haikun never went easy on those he could bully, always squeezing them to the brink of death.


    When he saw that Qin Niu¡¯s maize harvest was good, and he himself had nothing, it was hard to guarantee he wouldn¡¯t come knocking to seize it by force.


    Only by obtaining the Insect Master title as quickly as possible could he be worry-free.


    After dumping the humus soil, Qin Niu didn¡¯t bother with it anymore and went straight home with the basket on his back.


    After a rest, he carried a hoe to the fields.


    Wang Haikun saw this and thought that Qin Niu spent the day collecting humus for him and had neglected his own fieldwork. That¡¯s why he went out to the fields so late, with the sky almost dark.


    The other villagers also witnessed this and felt sympathy for Qin Niu¡¯s plight.


    But no one dared to speak out for justice.


    Including his neighbor Wang Furen, who wouldn¡¯t offend Wang Haikun over such a matter either.


    After arriving in the field, Qin Niu first carefully inspected the maize seedlings and noticed that some leaves had holes or spots from insects.


    But he couldn¡¯t see any Core-Boring Worms.


    He released five termites.


    ¡°Fourth, look around, see if there are any of these worms!¡±


    Qin Niu gave the order to the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant.


    It led two worker ants and two soldier ants, climbing up from the base of the maize seedling. Their two antennae waved incessantly.


    Fourth¡¯s speed was astonishing, reaching the top in the blink of an eye.


    It soon made a discovery, dashing into the tip of the maize seedling¡¯s core, and before long, it dragged out a white worm several times larger than its size.


    Labor point +0.01.


    How come simply by letting it help catch a worm, his labor points as an owner increased by o.oi?


    Could it be that a pet¡¯s work also counts as the owner¡¯s achievement?


    That must be the case.


    He examined the white worm, which indeed was the Core-Boring Worm.


    Given its plump body, it must have been feasting on the tender leaves of the maize seedlings for days.


    No wonder the young leaves of this maize seedling were growing slowly and had multiple holes. When the Core-Boring Worm was about to pupate, it would wrap itself in a tender leaf, using it like a blanket.


    This would prevent the tassel of the maize from emerging, leading to deformity in the maize seedling or a severe decrease in maize yield.


    Once it hatched, it would transform into a corn borer, then seek out mates, laying a large number of eggs.


    At that point, it would be even more difficult to deal with.


    Qin Niu brought the other four worker and soldier ants together to teach them to recognize pests again.


    ¡°Remember its scent, and as soon as you find one, bite it to death for me,¡± Qin Niu ordered the five termites.


    To prevent the five termites from being eaten by frogs or wolf spiders in the field, his current method was to take them from plant to plant for inspection.


    He didn¡¯t let them fall to the ground.


    Instead, he placed them directly onto each maize seedling.


    There were fewer wolf spiders, which generally preferred to hunt on the ground and never spun webs.


    They only made an egg sac when laying eggs, depositing the eggs inside the sac and then carrying it on their backs. Some would secure the egg sac beneath their abdomen, always keeping a close watch.


    After all, it was their offspring inside.


    As the five termites became more skilled in catching insects, their efficiency also continually increased.


    At this time, Fourth made a new discovery, catching a green caterpillar hidden on the underside of a leaf.


    Qin Niu scrutinized it closely, recalling the limited knowledge about pest control he had learned from books.


    This insect should be the beet armyworm.


    It belongs to the moth family, Noctuidae.


    ¡°You have begun to learn insect identification, able to distinguish some common insects through their appearance, color, and habits.¡±


    ¡°You have learned basic pest control techniques, allowing you to eliminate obvious pests during planting, increasing crop yield..¡±

 Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Chapter 48: Reaping Dual Techniques i

    Chapter 53: Chapter 48: Reaping Dual Techniques i


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu watched the prompt that suddenly appeared, his heart filled with wild joy.


    He was over the moon for having acquired two skills at once.


    Utilizing termites to clear the crops of pests was a step in the right direction.


    At the very least, it proved this path was entirely feasible.


    He checked his personal attributes.


    Agricultural: Sowing Proficiency 34.4/100, Soil Loosening Slightly Accomplished 516/1000, Fertilizing Slightly Accomplished 656/1000, Watering Slightly Accomplished 429/1000, Weeding Slightly Accomplished 520/1000, Pest Removal Beginner 0.01/10.


    Insect Control: Insect Trace Identification Beginner 0.02/10, Insect Communication Proficient 13.51/100, Insect Identification Beginner 0.01/10.


    An additional Pest Removal appeared in agricultural skills.


    Another Insect Identification emerged in the Insect Control skills.


    Both were very good skills.


    The improvement of agricultural skills could be achieved by adding labor points, and Qin Niu was not at all worried about their upgrading.


    He tried adding labor points to the Pest Removal skill.


    Up to now, he had accumulated a total of 1246 labor points.


    Later, since there was no need, he didn¡¯t use them but kept saving them instead.


    Now, they came in handy in a big way.


    The corn in this acre urgently needed advanced pest removal skills to kill the pests.


    He added 100 points in one go.


    Pest Removal went straight from beginner to slightly accomplished.


    It rose by two grades.


    He found that both his pest extermination knowledge and skills had greatly improved.


    Now when he looked at the cornstalk in front of him, he could, like an experienced farmer, detect the presence of pests by observing the color and shape of their leaves, and whether the stem had insect holes or some other traces.


    Moreover, his skill in catching various pests had improved by more than tenfold.


    He knew how to eliminate them without leaving any problems behind.


    For instance, a cotyledon of this stalk of corn was withering due to aging, and on the back of the leaf, he spotted a cluster of brown insect eggs.


    He directly tore off the entire leaf and then put it into a basket.


    Taking it home to burn it would prevent the hatching of a large number of sugarbeet armyworm larvae.


    During this process, his skills improved: Insect Trace Identification Proficiency + 0.01, Insect Identification Proficiency +0.01, Pest Removal Proficiency +0.01, Labor Points +0.21.


    It seemed that the Agricultural Pest Removal skill was interconnected with the Insect Master skills.


    Therefore, his Insect Master skills improved as well.


    The increase in labor points by 0.21 surprised him.


    Could it be that labor points were calculated based on the number of insect eggs?


    He counted them, and sure enough, there were exactly 21 eggs.


    This seemed like a huge BUG!


    Labor points that could swiftly upgrade agricultural skills were naturally always welcome.


    Qin Niu was privately elated for reaping benefits from a single effort, and the sensation of harvest satisfaction was quite fulfilling.


    He continued to search for targets. Due to the improvement of his pest removal skills, as soon as he saw bite marks or crawling marks on leaves, he could immediately determine what kind of pest it was by the bite marks, and he could even judge whether they were nearby based on the freshness of the bite and crawling marks.


    Like on this stalk of corn, there was a white mark on the stem at waist height.


    It seemed to be left by a snail.


    It was dry and noticeably faded.


    This indicated that a snail had crawled over this spot a long time ago.


    How many days ago, he couldn¡¯t determine with his weak Pest Removal and Insect Trace Identification skills.


    ¡°What would happen if I upgraded my Pest Removal skill by one more level?¡±


    Qin Niu found that breeding insects to help him with pest removal could also increase the labor points of the master, so he wasn¡¯t worried about running out of labor points at all.


    The ant colony was still small in number, but once the Ant Queen¡¯s Breeding Skill was upgraded, producing 20,000 eggs a day, how terrifying would that be?


    One termite could earn him 0.01 labor points, so 20,000 of them could earn him 200 labor points at once.


    In fact, the number of termites in a colony could reach several million or even more.


    When that time actually came, Qin Niu estimated he could simply lie back and let the insects do the work for him.


    He gritted his teeth and directly added 900 labor points to his Pest Control skill.


    ¡°[Adding points failed. Skill level cannot exceed Grade Two of occupational level or above.]¡±


    He hadn¡¯t expected this regulation.


    He was currently a low-level farmer. His cultivation skill proficiency had reached a moderate level of achievement, which only a mid-level farmer would possess.


    His level was limiting his development!


    Farmer low level 75.4/100.


    Ever since he had finished sowing, his farmer level experience hadn¡¯t increased at all.


    Weeding, fertilizing, watering, loosening the soil, pest control, none could increase the farmer level experience.


    Qin Niu guessed that only seeding and harvesting could increase a farmer¡¯s level experience.


    This thing seemed only to care about results, not the process.


    Alright then, in just over a month, the harvest would be ready.


    He¡¯d reassess the situation then.


    As he thought about it, going to work on the Yan Family¡¯s farm specifically to sow seeds might be a good idea.


    Unfortunately, the Yan Family had very strict hiring practices and only hired permanent hands, not temporary workers.


    After some consideration, he temporarily dismissed the idea.


    The most important thing right now was to help the Ant Nest develop quickly, creating a group of termite experts that could grow more safely and swiftly in the jungle.


    If possible, he¡¯d also tame a Queen Bee and breed a colony of honeybees.


    These two matters were urgent priorities.


    It would not be too late to think of ways to increase his farmer level once he had a stable insect population.


    Otherwise, he would lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains.


    He certainly wouldn¡¯t engage in such shortsighted and eager-for-quick-success behavior.


    Having Pest Control skill at a moderate level of proficiency was barely adequate for now.


    At least it should be enough to handle the pests in the cornfields,


    Accompanied by five termites, Qin Niu began to clear the pests lurking on the corn seedlings one by one.


    It was shocking to see how many there were only when you started catching them.


    Apart from Core-Boring Worms and beet armyworms, he found several types of pests including snails and aphids.


    He even caught two locusts mating.


    Without any mercy, he exterminated them on the spot.


    He would save the bodies to take up the mountain later to feed the termites. He was even thinking that it might be a waste to burn the collected insect eggs; saving them to feed the termites might lead to some new discoveries.


    Qin Niu kept busy until the moon came out that evening before bringing the five termites back home.


    The basket now held many leaves with insect eggs.


    The jar used to house the termites was currently filled with the bodies of various insects.


    There were so many that it would be enough for the termite colony to eat for many days.


    He had only cleared pests from four plots in the cornfield. This pace was considered very fast.


    He estimated that seven more evenings of hard work would enable him to completely eliminate the pests from the cornfield.


    Not to say that he would eradicate them perfectly, but at least he could ensure that the cornfield¡¯s yield wouldn¡¯t be affected too much.


    That was good enough.


    Truly purging the cornfield of pests would only be feasible once the number of his termite colony reached over ten thousand.


    Upon returning home and securing the door, he still worried a bit that Old Five and the other four termites might fall prey to enemies like rats or centipedes.


    Thus, he found a large jar to keep them inside.


    The lid wasn¡¯t sealed to allow air in.


    There was no helping it; under the current basic conditions, many things had to be tackled one step at a time.


    First, he ate three pounds of bear meat, then he bathed, and afterward, wearing only a pair of shorts, he went to the backyard to cultivate.


    The growth of the foxtail grass beside the well had visibly slowed. Around the spot where he had cultivated the previous night, the weeds were growing wildly..

 Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Chapter 49: The Impact of Cutting Off ‘Supply1—1

    Chapter 54: Chapter 49: The Impact of Cutting Off ¡®Supply1¡ª1


    Translator: 549690339


    This made him even more certain that cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique was beneficial to the growth of plants.


    The wild grass where he had tested the Treasured Sword the day before was now completely withered and as dead as they come. Qin Niu examined the small grass smeared with a tiny amount of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, which appeared sickly and wilted, with lifeless leaves drooping.


    It felt like a person who had contracted a serious illness.


    He planned to continue observing for a few days to see if the small grass could survive.


    Since smearing the Banyan Tree Blood directly onto the leaves of the grass did not immediately kill it, it indicated that the Treasured Sword might indeed have developed some special abilities.


    It had only been nourished for two nights, yet the Treasured Sword already possessed special abilities. The Banyan Tree Blood was definitely a treasure.


    Qin Niu took out the remaining half jar of Banyan Tree Blood, feeling hesitant; using it on the sword had already consumed about two-thirds of it.


    There was enough left for one more application on the sword.


    But once it was used up, that would be it.


    If he could no longer obtain Banyan Tree Blood, he worried about using it to help the Termites evolve, or for other insects he might tame in the future, as he would face having no blood to use.


    Although he was quite sure that the Treasured Sword might now have developed some special abilities, nurturing its spirituality was a very lengthy process. Not to mention nurturing it three times, even three thousand times might not stimulate the emergence of spirituality.


    After some thought, he decided to save the Banyan Tree Blood for now.


    Only by helping the Termites become stronger was there a possibility of freely entering the area covered by the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    As long as he could come and go freely, why worry about not being able to get more Banyan Tree Blood?


    It was a good opportunity to test tonight whether the Treasured Sword would cause plants to wither without the Banyan Tree Blood smeared on it.


    He placed the Treasured Sword where there were weeds growing and then went to the well to start cultivating. The fortunate foxtail grass by the well, which had led him to successfully comprehend the cultivation method of the Everlasting Spring Technique, would always be taken care of by him.


    A night of cultivation quickly passed, and his cultivation had increased by approximately 2 points.


    It was now particularly stable.


    He needed to eat about six jin of bear meat every day for his cultivation to stably increase by 2 points. If he did not cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique, even eating six jin of bear meat could at most only increase his cultivation by 0.5 points.


    He even suspected that solely relying on eating bear meat to improve cultivation was becoming increasingly ineffective.


    If he weren¡¯t cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique, he might not even gain 0.5 points in a single day.


    Simply by consuming ordinary nourishment to enhance cultivation, forty points in the first grade was the limit for normal people.


    To climb higher, one had to practice cultivation techniques.


    But even if ordinary people could buy a cultivation technique, not everyone would be able to learn it.


    A commonplace cultivation technique could generally be bought for about Two Silver Money, but there were few who truly succeeded in cultivating it.


    Without a teacher to impart knowledge and instruct in person, relying solely on self-study and realization, one would have to have an exceptional talent, or else they would just be floundering for life.


    For instance, by cultivating the Barbarian Bull Technique one could possess immense strength, but a farmer who scrimped and saved for two years might just barely manage to save Two Silver Money to buy a scroll. Following it to cultivate, if they managed to increase their strength from a hundred jin to two hundred, it would be as if their ancestral graves had sprouted green smoke.


    In reality, most farmers were illiterate, and even if they recognized a few characters, they could not comprehend the entire text.


    The profound descriptions within the cultivation technique were utterly incomprehensible to them.


    Moreover, even if they did grasp part of the technique, cultivating a cultivation technique would lead to a substantial increase in appetite. Qin Niu needed to eat six jin of bear meat a day to feel full. Eating cereals such as maize, he would need at least ten jin or even more.


    Can one cultivate if they don¡¯t eat enough?


    They can.


    But it would severely affect the speed of cultivation, making the increase in cultivation painfully slow.


    Therefore, for the poor, cultivation was truly an extravagance.


    However, to turn the conversation back, for someone like Qin Niu, who meticulously planned and utilized extremely limited resources through insect-farming, hunting, and planting to advance step by step, once the situation opened up, his fate could change.


    There were not a few examples like him who had successfully turned their lives around through wisdom and hard work.


    For example, the deputy gang leader of the Black Tiger Gang with the strongest defense once cultivated the Iron Cloth Technique bit by bit to grow stronger, achieving his initial accumulation.


    Qin Niu had now just begun to open up the situation, and as long as he developed steadily, he would become stronger and stronger.


    ¡°Hurry up and wash up before heading to the mountain.¡±


    He stood up, looking at the moon sinking in the western sky, while the eastern horizon was already showing a hint of dawn.


    It would be fully light soon.


    He looked down at the dog¡¯s tail grass by the well. It was growing enthusiastically, though its height hadn¡¯t increased much. However, the leaves had become darker green, and the plant itself had grown thicker and stronger.


    The leaves and roots of dog¡¯s tail grass are typically thin and weak by nature.


    Yet this patch of dog¡¯s tail grass, nourished by the minute leakage of life energy from Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation of the Everlasting Spring Technique, was growing even more robust than the tough grass.


    He walked over to where he had placed the Treasured Sword and picked it up.


    The weeds beneath the sword had yellowing leaves, though they hadn¡¯t withered as severely as the day before; still, it was evident that their vitality had been severed.


    This sword had indeed developed a hint of special ability.


    It could cause plants to wither.


    Qin Niu held the sword and examined it closely, noting the green patterns within the blade seemed to have faded significantly.


    ¡°Just as it developed a hint of special ability, it got ¡®cut off¡¯ last night. It looks like that had a big impact on the sword.¡±


    According to his understanding, the Treasured Sword had just developed a thread of special ability, much like an infant being conceived in its mother¡¯s womb. Cutting off the ¡®supply¡¯ at such a time could easily lead to its demise.


    ¡°I need to find a way to get the Banyan Tree Blood as soon as possible.¡±


    His eyes became resolute.


    A Treasured Sword with special abilities could bring him incredible benefits that would last a lifetime.


    It would be such a pity to lose this accidental yet momentous opportunity simply because he failed to seize it.


    After eating bear meat, he took five Termites along with the insect eggs and carcasses into the mountains.


    Arriving at the Ant Nest, everything was as usual.


    As the Soldier Ants continued to grow, they became more majestic. Two Soldier Ants guarded the entrance to the nest, and upon sensing their master¡¯s presence, they happily waved their antennae.


    Each animal has its own way of expression.


    For example, dogs typically wag their tails to show enthusiasm for their owners. If they haven¡¯t seen their owner for a day, they may even excitedly wiggle their bodies or hop around in joy.


    Termites, on the other hand, will slightly raise their abdomens and move their antennae rhythmically and rapidly.


    ¡°Fourth, come out for food!¡±


    Qin Niu would always call out to Fourth whenever he visited.


    The five Termites he brought down from the mountain the previous night were also placed at the entrance of the nest.


    The two guarding Termites blocked the entrance, touched the newcomers with their antennae, and only then permitted them to enter the nest.


    When Fifth went in, these two Soldier Ants lay flat, motionless.


    It seemed they were showing respect.


    Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants naturally suppress Grade One Termites in strength.


    This was likely the main reason for the Soldier Ants¡¯ submission.


    First, Qin Niu fed them the insect eggs.


    He felt the eggs were more nutritious.


    A swarm of Worker Ants came out to feed, which delighted Qin Niu.


    He checked the attributes of the ant colony.


    There were 5 Strong Worker Ants, and the number of Regular Worker Ants had increased to 45. There were 2 Strong Soldier Ants and 19 Regular Soldier Ants.


    Fourth and Fifth, being special ants, were not included in the count.


    This rate of growth was quite good.


    The total number of the ant colony should soon break through one hundred.


    What¡¯s most important now is to find a way to enhance the Ant Queen¡¯s breeding abilities.


    Ten eggs a day is a little too few.


    Qin Niu specifically brought a bit of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, diluted it with water just like last time, and then allowed two Young Worker Ants to feed on it.


    Seeing that the total number of Soldier Ants had reached 21, Qin Niu decided to pick two Young Soldier Ants to experiment with.

 Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Chapter 50 Capturing the Queen Bee t

    Chapter 55: Chapter 50 Capturing the Queen Bee t


    Translator: 549690339


    After feeding two young worker ants with the banyan tree blood, he didn¡¯t wait for them to regurgitate but immediately used it to feed the two soldier ants.


    It had to be done this way.


    Because after the young worker ants consumed the banyan tree blood, they would soon be unable to move.


    Using four termites for the experiment was a bit like squandering resources.


    This was equivalent to half a day¡¯s egg-laying capacity of the Ant Queen.


    He had been forced into this situation, as the banyan tree blood was about to run out, the Treasured Sword needed nurturing, the ant colony needed to evolve, and he himself was desperate to experience twenty times the cultivation speed every day.


    So it was normal for him to take bigger steps.


    If all four ants used for the experiment were lost, he could bear the outcome.


    Just like the last time, after the two young worker ants and two young soldier ants ate the banyan tree blood, they all lay motionless. Their abdomens gradually inflated like balloons, swelling up.


    They appeared to be in great pain.


    To become stronger, enduring such pain was really nothing at all.


    He didn¡¯t dare to let Fourth drink the banyan tree blood again; it was not easy to evolve a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant, and he naturally cherished it like a treasure.


    Only after groping for a safe use of the banyan tree blood would he let Fourth, Fifth, and even the Ant Queen consume the banyan tree blood.


    Boom!


    The abdomen of one of the young worker ants exploded, and it died tragically on the spot.


    He had been very careful, yet an accident had still happened.


    Qin Niu¡¯s expression was serious as he carefully analyzed the reasons for this young worker ant¡¯s failure. It had consumed the same amount as the other worker ant.


    This dosage was also the safety dosage tested using Fifth.


    One young worker ant did not burst, but the other did.


    It showed that each young worker ant had a different limit to what they could endure.


    Just like humans, some are strong and more resistant, while others are frail and cannot withstand even the slightest hardship.


    After a thorough summary, Qin Niu came up with some new grooming ideas.


    He decided to conduct an experiment with another young worker ant, this time feeding it only about a tenth of the safe dosage.


    Their intelligence was extremely low; they couldn¡¯t possibly understand how much a tenth of a dose was.


    Qin Niu cut off one of his hairs, then dipped the hair in a little diluted banyan tree blood to feed it. This amount was roughly about one tenth.


    Their appetite was actually very small.


    However, their digestion speed was very fast.


    After eating, this young worker ant swayed unsteadily, spinning around on the spot like it was drunk.


    This was clearly different from the other worker ants and soldier ants that lay motionless after eating.


    It seemed the smaller the dosage, the safer it was.


    After a while, its abdomen also swelled somewhat, but it was not significant.


    It too began to lay motionless.


    ¡°Fourth, drag them in.¡± Qin Niu ordered, ¡°Watch them closely, and don¡¯t let them feed other termites.¡±


    After becoming proficient in Insect Speech, his communication with the termites became much smoother.


    Especially since Fourth and the Ant Queen possessed medium intelligence.


    They could understand more complex commands.


    When communicating with Fifth, he noticed that after Fifth advanced to a higher grade, its intelligence seemed to have grown as well.


    This was another method to enhance the intelligence of insect pets.


    That is, to help them continually advance in grade.


    After dealing with the termites, he slung the basket over his shoulder and walked towards the direction of the beehive.


    He brought special tools with him and after further observation, he prepared to directly poke the beehive.


    However, when the beehive fell, the bee swarm would become chaotic and the hive would be greatly damaged and squashed together, making it difficult for him to find the backup Queen Bee.


    Under normal circumstances, as long as he found the royal cell he would be able to capture the reserve Queen Bee.


    Such a large beehive might have multiple royal cells.


    Arriving at the spot where he observed the beehive yesterday, he sat down and began to carefully observe the bee colony.


    A large number of worker bees were busy at work.


    Occasionally, a few darker-colored honeybees would fly out, which were the drones.


    Their job was to mate with a new Queen Bee.


    Typically, after mating with a new Queen Bee, the drones would soon die off.


    Qin Niu, based on the knowledge from the Green Demon Beekeeping Manual, carefully distinguished the bees in the colony.


    For every bee he identified, his insect identification proficiency increased by


    + 0.01.


    This was very good.


    As an Insect Master, he must not only understand Insect Speech but also learn to identify insects.


    For example, an Insect Master specializing in beekeeping could identify various bees like the back of their hand, knowing their habits, characteristics, reproduction methods, flight distance, and speed, among other things.


    Qin Niu had bought the Green Demon Beekeeping Manual and was definitely seeking to follow this development path.


    Learning to distinguish the types of honeybees now was necessary.


    At this moment, a black drone bee tumbled down from the sky.


    After falling to the ground, it didn¡¯t die immediately.


    Qin Niu ran over to check and found that its tail seemed ¡°prolapsed.¡±


    Its intestines were exposed.


    The male bee is a very interesting bee species in the bee colony; it¡¯s the standard pretty boy, a pampered pet, a king of living off others.


    First of all, both the queen bee and worker bees have stingers, which can hurt people.


    However, when a worker bee¡¯s stinger pierces the enemy¡¯s skin, it can¡¯t be pulled out because of the barbs on it. Eventually, the venom sac connected to the tip of the abdomen is also torn off and left in the enemy¡¯s body.


    This is the result of their millions of years of evolution.


    This kind of attack, killing 800 enemies at the cost of 1,000 to themselves, is meant to deter anyone from messing with the bee nest.


    The honey in the bee nest can attract many animals to prey on it.


    Such as bears, humans, ants, and so on.


    The weak bees, in order to drive away these powerful enemies, had to evolve spikes and venom sacs.


    After stinging the enemy, to ensure that all the venom is injected into the enemy¡¯s skin for maximum lethality, the bee will harm itself in this way. After a worker bee stings a person, it won¡¯t survive either and will die soon.


    The male bee is much larger than the worker bee; it is born a foodie and consumes more than three times the amount of a worker bee from its youth.


    That is to say, the food consumed to raise one male bee is enough to raise three worker bees.


    And the male bee never works; it doesn¡¯t have the organs to collect pollen and naturally cannot gather pollen and honey.


    The male bee also has no stinger and no capacity to attack.


    It has a large body, a big appetite, does no work, and also has a long lifespan, about twice as long as that of worker bees.


    If it is the blooming season, especially in the summer, the lifespan of worker bees is often only around sixty days or even shorter.


    Because they work hard every day to collect pollen to ¡°feed the family.¡± They have to provide for the queen bee, the young bees, and the male bees. They are really too hardworking.


    In the end, they die prematurely due to overwork.


    Because male bees are lazy and gluttonous, they naturally live longer.


    Their sole purpose is to mate with the new queen bee.


    So it¡¯s fair to say that male bees are the epitome of living off others. They have a very comfortable life.


    However, since male bees have no stinger, they are not as combat-capable as worker bees. When a hive has an excess of male bees, the worker bees will drive them out.


    They are kicked out of the home.


    As you can imagine, after being driven out, they can only starve to death.


    In addition, worker bees can limit the number of male bees. If there are enough male bees in the hive, the worker bees will stop feeding the young male bees, letting them stop developing or even starve to death.


    Qin Niu picked up the male bee and examined it closely.


    It¡¯s really big, the size of two worker bees.


    Its six legs are strong and powerful, and its wings are extremely robust. At this moment, it is at death¡¯s door, without even the strength to struggle.


    After mating with the new queen bee, it ended up in this ghostly state.


    Its strength was exhausted, and the essence stored in its body was all given to the new queen bee; it was waiting for death to come.


    ¡°It seems the information I got from that newbie worker bee yesterday is accurate; after mating, the new queen bee will soon lead a part of the worker bees out of the nest to establish a new kingdom.¡±


    Qin Niu subconsciously touched the wooden box in his bosom containing two low-grade Contract Charms.


    I need to make a move quickly, or once it flies out of the hive, it¡¯ll all be over.


    But with such a huge bee nest, where could the new queen bee be?


    He immediately flipped to the third page of the Green Demon Bee manual and read through the content carefully again.


    The royal platform is a temporary nest chamber constructed by the bee colony to raise a new queen bee, often liking to build it on the lower edge or sides of the comb.


    Occasionally, in special circumstances, it would be built in the center of the comb.


    Isn¡¯t that the same as saying nothing?


    It means that the royal platform could be built anywhere in the bee nest.


    When the worker bees construct the royal platform, they first build a circular cup-shaped base with the opening facing downward. Only when the queen bee lays fertilized eggs inside the base and starts raising a new queen is it the real royal platform.


    Some royal platforms are pseudo royal platforms because they have not yet been used, or have been put aside¡­


    The beekeeping manual that cost ten Silver Money has been somewhat useful.


    After repeated study, Qin Niu applied his knowledge, starting to look for the existence of a royal platform on the bee nest.


    Because of the distance, it was not very clear.


    He put on his makeshift armor made from old account books and then approached the pine tree for a closer look.


    This time he made a discovery.


    At the bottom of the comb, he saw two royal platforms.


    One of which was surrounded by numerous black male bees, all waiting to mate with the new queen bee.


    The other was much quieter.


    Only a few worker bees were moving around, which meant the new queen bee inside that royal platform was probably still in the larval stage.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! The new queen bee must be inside.¡±


    Qin Niu was already contemplating how to capture the new queen bee.


    He needed to catch her without causing any harm.


    The difficulty was extremely high..

 Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Chapter 51: Tough Bonei

    Chapter 56: Chapter 51: Tough Bonei


    Translator: 549690339


    Because the process of forming a contract did not require physical contact, theoretically, as long as the bee queen remained quiet, it could be tamed without capture.


    Qin Niu continued to closely observe the queen platform surrounded by the male bees.


    He had two potential plans for subjugation in mind.


    The most foolish method was to capture the new queen bee and then take her home to be tamed.


    That approach, even after subduing the queen bee, would pose many problems.


    The clever and time-saving method required seizing the fleeting opportunity when she climbed out of the queen platform to subdue her.


    Bees and ants, as sociable creatures, die quickly when separated from their colony.


    A lone new queen bee simply couldn¡¯t survive in the fiercely competitive natural world.


    Therefore, subduing the new queen bee without destroying the hive was the best choice.


    If it were about subduing hornets or bear bees, the situation would be different. Hornets possess strong survival capabilities; a queen can build a nest alone, lay eggs, and rear young bees. She then continuously expands the population and ultimately forms a swarm.


    Bear bees are similar; alone, the queen bee hibernates in a cave, and after consuming nectar the following year, she begins to lay eggs and establish a colony.


    The decision to domesticate a honeybee queen bee as a pet involved multiple considerations.


    As he was clandestinely observing, there seemed to be a subtle commotion within the bee swarm.


    Worker bees flew out of the nest, buzzing chaotically around the pine tree. ¡°Could they have discovered me, an uninvited guest, planning to attack me?¡± He instinctively checked his homemade simple ¡®helmet¡¯, which would be more appropriately described as a headguard.


    A hat-shaped straw hat woven from vines, the edges were crudely stitched with old-patterned fabric to protect the neck and face.


    Soon, he realized he was overthinking it.


    From the depths of the honeycomb, a bee with a darker complexion and a slim body flew out.


    After leaving the nest, it circled around the beehive.


    ¡°Damn! It¡¯s the queen bee!¡±


    Insect Identification proficiency+o.oi.


    Qin Niu wished he could slap his thigh in frustration for his miscalculation.


    He had not expected that there was another new queen bee inside, and now that she had flown out of the hive, it was impossible to subdue her.


    After a few laps, she swiftly flew towards the distance.


    Then, a large number of worker bees followed.


    ¡°Misjudged, misjudged, 1 didn¡¯t expect them to pull off a sneaky switcheroo.¡±


    Qin Niu watched as the swarm of bees flew into the distance, wanting to chase them but incapable of catching up.


    Having lost one opportunity to subdue a new queen bee, he did not want to miss another.


    He was certain that there was another new queen bee about to fly away from the queen platform at the bottom of the comb.


    One had already escaped; he had to keep a close watch on this one.


    He couldn¡¯t afford any more mistakes.


    Time slowly ticked by as he patiently waited.


    To get closer to the beehive¡¯s queen platform, he even climbed up the pine tree.


    Because his spiritual power was still very weak, the closer he was when subduing insects, the better.


    Theoretically, the ideal distance was close to the glabella.


    Clearly, expecting the new queen bee to stick to his forehead and wait to be tamed was an impractical idea.


    All he could do was to bring himself closer to her as much as possible.


    When he first climbed to the middle of the tree, the guard bees in the swarm had already noticed him.


    Signs of an imminent attack began to show.


    Qin Niu was very sly, staying still as he climbed the tree.


    As soon as the guard bees let down their guard, he slowly moved upward.


    In this way, he gradually got closer to the beehive.


    The distance was now less than two meters, which was the limit.


    Getting any closer, and he estimated the bee colony would likely go berserk.


    He chose his position well; he had a foothold for both feet, which conserved his energy.


    To prepare for the upcoming subjugation task, he tied himself to the tree with his belt. Time was drawing near to midday, and the queen platform ¡ª which he had been eyeing ¡ª finally showed signs of activity.


    The worker bees chased away the male bees.


    Sometime after, a darkly colored bee poked her head out.


    She slowly climbed out from behind the queen platform.


    Qin Niu almost immediately identified it as the Queen Bee.


    Insect Identification+o.oi.


    The opportunity of a millennium was at this moment.


    An opportunity missed is an opportunity lost forever.


    He decisively bit his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of fresh blood onto the activation area of the low-grade Contract Charm. As it was successfully activated, it self-ignited in the wind, transforming into a golden light that enveloped the Queen Bee that was preparing to leave the nest.


    After a slight shiver, it struggled fiercely, seemingly unwilling to be subdued by the power of the contract.


    Qin Niu watched it anxiously.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the willpower of this new Queen Bee to be so strong.


    Of course, this was a good thing.


    He would even be somewhat disdainful of a too weak Queen Bee.


    The body of the new Queen Bee trembled incessantly, like a newly molted bee vibrating its body to harden its shell more quickly.


    It was struggling desperately to break free from the golden light¡¯s restraint.


    One could see the golden light wrapped around its body was about to dissipate.


    ¡°Such an impressive Queen Bee.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes shone brightly; the stronger it was, the more he liked it.


    Reluctantly, he quickly took out the only remaining low-grade talisman from the wooden box and activated it without any hesitation.


    A second golden light wrapped around the Queen Bee.


    This time, the golden light was clearly much stronger.


    It also appeared more substantial.


    Subduing a termite only required one low-grade talisman, but there have been cases where someone encountered a tough one and ended up failing despite using seven or eight low-grade talismans.


    It¡¯s a bit easier with Grade One insects, but for those Heavenly Earth Strange Insects that have evolved special abilities, the difficulty of subjugation is absolutely hellish.


    Not to mention a mere mortal like him, even cultivators would find it difficult to subdue them successfully.


    Some cultivators not only fail to subdue the insects but are even killed by them.


    Overall, the difficulty of subjugating ordinary insects is far lower than that of beasts.


    Wild beasts, especially ferocious ones, are the hardest to subdue.


    Qin Niu held his breath and concentrated, silently waiting.


    Having used up the only two talismans he had, if it still resisted fiercely and refused to submit, then this subjugation attempt would fail.


    He needed to find a way to break its will.


    ¡°Submit to me, and you can become stronger!¡±


    Qin Niu had learned Bee Language and was trying to communicate with it using his spiritual power.


    It was still struggling desperately.


    Clearly, it did not wish to submit to any being; it desired freedom and dignity.


    ¡°I can extend your lifespan!¡±


    Its resistance weakened slightly.


    ¡°Submit, and you will live longer than any other Queen Bee.¡±


    The allure of longevity seemed to have a greater effect on it.


    It was unclear whether the combined power of the two talismans was too strong or if Qin Niu¡¯s persuasion had weakened its will to resist, but one could see that its trembling was gradually lessening.


    But the standoff continued.


    Qin Niu did not dare to expend too much spiritual power in communicating with it, as forming the contract would consume a significant amount of spiritual power.


    If he expended too much now, even if it was willing to submit later, the contract might still fail due to insufficient spiritual power.


    Many worker bees were flying outside the hive, waiting for the new Queen Bee to lead them to establish a new hive.


    But there was a problem with the new Queen Bee, lying there motionless, which made the worker bees anxious to branch out and become restless.


    Time was ticking away.


    The golden light on the new Queen Bee¡¯s body began to fade again.


    Qin Niu was extremely frustrated.


    It was hard to come by such a superb bee; it would be a pity not to subdue it.


    It was just a lack of Silver Money; he definitely would have bought a few more low-grade talismans to have on hand.


    Wang Furen had been dragging his feet on the purchase of fat, otherwise, it would have been an excellent way to make money.


    Moreover, if Wang Furen bought it and the effect was good, Xu Zhenchang might also come to him for purchase. Then he would have the money to buy talismans.


    ¡°Submit! I promise to treat you with sincerity!¡±


    Qin Niu had no choice but to make one last effort..

 Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Chapter 52: Adopted a Tyrant i

    Chapter 57: Chapter 52: Adopted a Tyrant i


    Translator: 549690339


    The new Queen Bee gradually stopped struggling, and the golden light slowly seeped into its body before flying out and entering Qin Niu¡¯s forehead.


    He quickly focused and prepared himself.


    It had been hard-earned; he couldn¡¯t afford to falter at the critical moment.


    He closed his eyes, and after a severe stabbing pain in his head, it gradually returned to normal.


    He had finally managed to secure it.


    The situation had been extremely dangerous; if he, as the master, couldn¡¯t withstand the energy of the contract, had fainted, or gone mad, the contract would have failed.


    ¡°You stubborn thing, why do you have to be so obstinate?¡±


    Qin Niu glared at the new Queen Bee and scolded it.


    He had nearly failed to subdue it, even after expending two Low-grade Contract Charms.


    This Queen Bee was definitely a tough nut to crack.


    Despite scolding, his heart was filled with extreme joy and a sense of accomplishment.


    Not to mention anything else, just the tenacious will it had shown, that stubborn defiance to never bow down, filled it with unlimited potential.


    With proper nurturing, its growth potential in the future could be astonishing.


    Eagerly, he checked its attributes.


    Honey Bee Queen Bee


    Grade: Grade One Hymenoptera insect, leveling experience 57/100


    Lifespan: 3 years


    Energy: 178


    Skills: Reproduction Level One 0/10


    Talent: Iron Will


    Bee Colony: Worker Bees 31,789, Drones 472, Juvenile Queen Bees 4.


    Qin Niu was stunned.


    At that moment, a bee that was obviously much larger than the other Worker Bees and darker in color flew out from the depths of the hive.


    As it emerged, a large number of Worker Bees and Drones flew out with it, accompanying it.


    ¡°This, this is the old Queen Bee!¡±


    Qin Niu knew that when a bee colony divided, it was usually the old Queen Bee that led part of the colony away to find a new nest.


    Today was an eye-opener.


    In one day, this hive of honey bees had split twice.


    The entire bee colony became restless, and a large number of Worker Bees and Drones flew out, following the old Queen Bee into the distance.


    In just a moment, the number of bees left in the hive had already dropped below half of the original.


    He checked the number of the bee colony; it was still that many.


    There were still over thirty thousand Worker Bees.


    This didn¡¯t even include the bee eggs, larvae, and pupae left in the nest.


    A vast bee colony was truly terrifying.


    After the old Queen Bee led part of the colony away, this hive became the domain of the new Queen Bee.


    The first thing it did was not crawl into the depths of the hive but towards one of the royal platforms. After entering, it directly dragged out an unmatured royal larva from within and threw it to the ground below the tree.


    Since the larvae lack the ability to move, and their bodies have not yet formed wings and are still soft,


    the fall from such a height smashed the poor royal larva into a pulp.


    What was it doing?


    Was it slaughtering its future competitors?


    One would have thought such actions only occurred in human kingdoms, yet these diligent, kind honey bees had such a cruel and selfish side as well.


    Qin Niu did not intervene, instead observing quietly.


    Soon, another Juvenile Queen Bee was dragged out and killed by it.


    When it attempted to kill the third Juvenile Queen Bee, some Worker Bees began to stop it.


    But this new Queen Bee had an iron will, and no bee could prevent it from doing what it wanted to do.


    The third Juvenile Queen Bee was killed.


    As it proceeded to kill the fourth Juvenile Queen Bee, more Worker Bees came forward to stop it. Still to no avail, it killed whoever it wanted to kill.


    The fourth Juvenile Queen Bee also met a tragic end on the spot.


    It was too cruel.


    Upon ascending to its new position, the new Queen Bee engaged in fratricide, slaying its four sisters outright.


    Luckily, the first new Queen Bee had matured and left the nest earlier; otherwise, a great battle might have ensued.


    It had completely taken over the hive, becoming the sole queen of the entire bee colony.


    One could see that, not long after it had slaughtered the four Juvenile Queen Bees, the entire bee colony gradually became well-ordered.


    It also slowly crawled into the depths of the hive.


    A swarm of Drones followed it like whipped dogs.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but touch his forehead¡ªthis Queen Bee, subdued with two Low-grade Contract Charms, surely wasn¡¯t a ¡®tyrant¡¯, was it?


    However, 1 could understand why it had to be so ruthless.


    ¡°Without ruthlessness, one cannot stand firm.¡±


    The Queen Bee needed to dominate the whole hive, and for that, it had to establish its uniqueness and supreme status.


    At present, the survival of the entire hive hinged upon it.


    Only then could its status ascend to a higher level.


    Qin Niu untied the straps and tried to approach the hive; the Guard Bees among the Worker Bees ignored him.


    They did not attack him.


    However, they were not as submissive and obedient to him as the Termites were.


    It was possible that only after an entire generation of the hive had changed, consisting solely of the eggs laid by the new Queen Bee and hatched into bees, would they heed the commands of their master.


    Qin Niu reached out and plucked a honeycomb cell filled with honey, unceremoniously starting to eat.


    The taste was amazing.


    This was high-grade food indeed.


    Having spent two Low-grade Contract Charms, equivalent to Two Silver Money, he had to eat some honey to get his money¡¯s worth.


    It was just unfortunate for the bees that they now had to sustain a super glutton.


    Qin Niu, their master, would consume nearly a month¡¯s worth of their provisions in one meal.


    ¡°Once 1 can command the whole hive, 1 can have the Worker Bees produce Royal Jelly just for me,¡±


    he contemplated.


    Nurturing the hive would take time; he had to wait for it to lay eggs and for the first batch of Worker Bees to turn into pupae and then hatch into adult bees.


    Because the current Worker Bees didn¡¯t listen to him.


    These Worker Bees were born of the old Queen Bee, making them siblings of sorts to the new Queen Bee.


    Qin Niu could not afford to expend crucial resources and time to nurture them.


    ¡°Produce more honey; 1¡¯11 come to eat every other day from now on,¡±


    he said after eating.


    He did not leave immediately but carefully opened a royal cell, and indeed, he saw a lot of milky-white honey inside.


    It was clearly different from the translucent honey he had just consumed.


    The honey in the royal cells was more like solidified lard.


    This was the precious Royal Jelly.


    The beekeeping manual by Green Demon mentioned that to collect Royal Jelly, one could also build several more royal cells inside the hive.


    For now, Qin Niu did not plan to bring them home but to farm them in the mountains, like he did the termites.


    He carefully collected some Royal Jelly and then took it to feed the termites.


    He wanted to test if Royal Jelly could prolong the termites¡¯ lifespan.


    Upon arriving at the Ant Nest, he called out Fourth and five strong Worker Ants.


    ¡°Eat this Royal Jelly and use it to feed the Ant Queen and two strong Soldier Ants,¡±


    Qin Niu gave the order.


    Fortunately, Fourth had medium intelligence and quickly grasped the meaning of his command.


    His spiritual power was severely depleted today from subduing the Queen Bee, and he was already feeling rather weary.


    He planned to go home for a good rest first.


    If all went well, in about twenty days or so, he would have his first batch of Worker Bees who genuinely belonged to him.


    After the new Queen Bee laid her first batch of eggs, it took about twenty days for the cycle of hatching, larval stage, pupation, and emergence as adult bees. Only after having his first batch of Worker Bees who truly followed his commands would he have his own hive.


    At that time, he could use some of the methods from Green Demon¡¯s beekeeping manual to nurture them.


    He could even feed them Banyan Tree Blood.


    With his bee swarm ready, moving around in the mountains should be smoother.


    With an Ant Nest on the ground and a Bee Swarm in the sky, it would be perfect.


    If he could cultivate both the bee swarm and the ant colony to a certain level, he would truly have the power to control this part of the forest with just two groups of insects.


    He called out Fifth, and just like the day before, he took five termites downhill to help him with pest control.


    After descending the mountain with a basket on his back, Qin Niu didn¡¯t head for the fields but went straight home.


    Since it was still early, he planned to sleep for about two hours first, and then go to the fields to remove pests from the corn in the evening.


    Termites were not comfortable in the strong daylight.


    When he passed by Wang Furen¡¯s home, he saw a carriage parked outside.


    Ordinary households couldn¡¯t even afford oxen, let alone carriages.


    And carriages were not something that money could necessarily buy.


    People like Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang, who had some money but ordinary status, had to apply with the authorities to buy a carriage.


    In reality, this application was basically always in a state of limbo, and it might never get approved until one¡¯s death.


    A distinguished guest must have arrived at the Wangs¡¯!


    Qin Niu took a glance; although the carriage was not luxurious, it was definitely a rare and luxurious item in the countryside..

 Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Chapter 53 Yan Qi, the Butler i

    Chapter 58: Chapter 53 Yan Qi, the Butler i


    Translator: 549690339


    Wu Ma stood at the doorway, feeding the horse with some tender green grass she somehow found, carefully.


    The horse was a uniform tawny color, with a vertical white stripe that ran from its forehead straight down to its nose.


    It had been washed clean, its coat glistening and glossy, robust in stature, with even the mane on its shoulders and the long hairs on its tail combed neatly.


    It was clearly tended to meticulously by its owner on a regular basis.


    This was the most common type of palomino.


    Named for its tawny mane.


    Horses can¡¯t match oxen in terms of pulling power or endurance, so few households use them for farm work. They are natural-born runners, and even the most common palomino can outrun cattle and donkeys.


    Moreover, their back strength is somewhat better than that of an ox, allowing them to carry people or goods.


    Their main function is as a ¡¯means of transportation*.


    It is a relatively luxurious means of transportation, unaffordable and unsustainable for most families.


    Qin Niu might not know how to judge a horse, but he could tell this was a fine one. It had broad, strong shoulders and well-developed muscles in its hind legs, indicating a robust physique. It was likely one of the best among the palominos.


    In this world, a person¡¯s status could easily be deduced from their means of transport and attire.


    Not to mention anything else, just this horse alone revealed a certain status of the carriage¡¯s owner, but it was limited to that of a local notable.


    Using a palomino to pull a carriage and act prestigious in the city? That would be laughable.


    Looking at the carriage, its craftsmanship was also decent, but at best it could only be described as sturdy, far from being called exquisite, let alone luxurious.


    Just the two shafts alone significantly reduced its value.


    You could tell at a glance that they were made from ordinary willow wood, valued primarily for solidity and durability to ensure the carriage wouldn¡¯t fall apart or have a shaft break while speeding along.


    Then there was the carriage¡¯s width, three feet wide, about one meter.


    This width was suitable for a single-horse carriage.


    And it had no coach box, just a tarpaulin canopy, somewhat reminiscent of an ancient boat shed.


    The top was arched to facilitate the runoff of rainwater from both sides on rainy days.


    Even the canopy top seemed somewhat shabby, just planks fitted together and coated with tung oil. A slightly more upscale carriage would have a brass cap on top, durable and leak-proof.


    Luxury carriages were a whole different matter, extravagantly built beyond ordinary people¡¯s wildest dreams.


    After quietly scrutinizing the carriage for a moment, Qin Niu concluded that the visitor to Wang Furen¡¯s home must be one of the local lower-tier elites.


    His status was above that of Wang Furen, Xu Zhenchang, and Wang Haikun, but nowhere near comparable to Yan Ruohai.


    He wondered to himself, could it be that someone was here to propose to Miss Wang?


    During Wang Furen¡¯s fiftieth birthday celebration, it was said that he publicly announced his daughter would soon reach the age of marriage and hoped to find her a wealthy gentleman.


    Age wasn¡¯t an issue as long as she wouldn¡¯t become a concubine.


    ¡®Becoming a concubine¡¯ meant becoming someone¡¯s secondary wife.


    Miss Wang was now at the tender age of cardamom years, which in ancient times was considered the purest and most beautiful time for a girl.


    The term ¡®cardamom years¡¯ also implied virginity, like a flower bud yet to bloom, untouched by men.


    Generally, girls of this age were sought after for marriage.


    Many would first send the betrothal gifts, settle the marriage contract, and then wait for the girl to reach the appropriate age before welcoming her into their family.


    The appropriate age was fifteen.


    In this world, girls were expected to marry when they reached the flowering age of fifteen.


    Otherwise, they would be subjected to gossip, as if there were an issue, rendering them unmarriageable.


    Boys would usually marry at sixteen, but for very poor families, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to remain unmarried even at sixty-six.


    ¡°All Niu, hurry back and wash up, then come over, Steward Yan Qi is looking for you!¡±


    Wu Ma saw Qin Niu coming back from the mountain with a basket on his back and quickly called out to him.


    ¡°Looking for me?¡±


    Qin Niu was extremely surprised.


    ¡°Yes, he came specifically to see you; he¡¯s been waiting for a good while now. Quickly go wash and change your clothes before coming over!¡±


    Wu Mama nodded in confirmation.


    It seemed that Wang Furen had instructed her to specifically guard the entrance to tend to the guests¡¯ horses, while also waiting for Qin Niu¡¯s return.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know why Steward Yan Qi suddenly wanted to see him.


    For such a summons from a personage of high stature, he currently had no power to refuse.


    Of course, he could refuse, but the consequences would surely be grim.


    Anyone with a normal intelligence would certainly wash up, change into clean clothes, and hurry over.


    Ordinary villagers could not necessarily meet Steward Yan even if they wished to.


    He had thought someone had come to propose marriage to Wang Wanyan, but it turned out to be a servant from the Yan Family who had come.


    Steward Yan Qi was bought by the Yan Family as a young child and then trained and raised bit by bit.


    Nobody knew his original surname; servants generally took on a servile surname.


    He was considered a standout and a success story among servants, earning the admiration and trust of Yan Ruohai through hard work, and eventually not only became the steward of the Yan Family but was also granted the Yan surname.


    This signified that his status in the Yan Family was equivalent to that of tangential blood relations.


    The Yan Family had many stewards, and the most formidable was the chief steward, who was the leader of all stewards.


    Qin Niu, being just an ordinary farmer, was already greatly honored to meet one of the Yan Family¡¯s stewards; to be sought personally by the Yan Family¡¯s chief steward? That was indeed wishful thinking.


    Without strength and status, one simply was not qualified to meet a person of the chief steward¡¯s ranking in the Yan Family.


    He went home, took a bath, changed into clean clothes, and arrived at Wang Furen¡¯s residence.


    The opulently decorated main hall contained an exquisitely carved set of rosewood furniture, including a desk, four tall tea tables, four folding chairs, four armchairs, screens, and other items.


    Two pots of quiet orchids were grown against the wall of the hall.


    From one of them sprouted a light green flower bud, with its faint fragrance drifting gently to the nose.


    Mounted on the wall were framed paintings, primarily of flowers and birds.


    In the center hung a ¡®Hall of Illumination* picture flanked by two long, paired couplets.


    The picture of the ¡®Hall of Illumination* was not of immortals nor did it depict auspicious symbols for longevity such as gourds or the rising sun. Instead, it depicted an ox pulling a plow.


    The top scroll: Heaven rewards the diligent, with this body emulating the hardworking ox.


    The bottom scroll: If one fears hardship, in this life how can they leap through the dragon gate?


    Quite interesting, isn¡¯t it just about Wang Furen himself?


    From humble beginnings, with hard work in commerce, he finally amassed a great fortune, leading a life of affluence many people dream of.


    In the main hall¡¯s seat of honor sat Wang Furen and a young man who appeared to be only in his thirties.


    A length of beard grew beneath his chin, lending him an air of refinement and gravity.


    He was clothed in a blue garment with an insignia the size of a teacup embroidered in black with the character for Yan.


    Although the young man¡¯s countenance couldn¡¯t be considered handsome, his eyes were bright and clear, his features well-proportioned, exuding an optimistic and forward-looking air of integrity. A hint of shrewdness lurked in his gaze.


    No wonder he could distinguish himself from the multitude of Yan servants at such a young age and achieve such a distinguished status.


    With such a temperament, he could never be a mediocre person.


    Heaven rewards the diligent; those who strive will naturally not fall too low in life.


    If they also possess some wisdom and learning, then they¡¯re even more extraordinary, standing out easily among others.


    In conversation with Wang Furen, the young man¡¯s presence seemed to subtly outclass Wang Furen himself. Keep in mind, Wang Furen is over fifty, and this man is only thirty!


    Lacking twenty years of life experiences yet managing to surpass Wang Furen in bearing, it¡¯s due to his diligent learning and continual self-improvement.


    ¡°Ah Niu, why did you come back so late? This is Steward Yan Qi from the Yan residence, in charge of farming and tea cultivation matters. He came right after noon, specifically to find you and has been waiting for more than an hour.¡±


    Although Wang Furen usually did not pay much attention to Qin Niu, he did look out for him in certain matters to some extent.


    ¡°Hurry and apologize to Steward Yan Qi! You just stand there, slack-jawed; no wonder the villagers all call you a fool!¡±


    This was Wang Furen¡¯s way of excusing Qin Niu..

 Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Chapter 54 This Young Man is not Simple r

    Chapter 59: Chapter 54 This Young Man is not Simple r


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Haha, no worries, no worries! When 1 was his age, I was even more timid than he is!¡±


    Steward Yan Qi said with a laugh, waving his hand.


    ¡°Sit, don¡¯t stand there!¡±


    Although this was taking place in Wang Furen¡¯s mansion, it was apparent that Steward Yan Qi naturally assumed the role of the host.


    Wang Furen showed not the slightest displeasure on his face; on the contrary, he actively implemented Steward Yan Qi¡¯s wishes.


    ¡°All Niu, quickly thank Steward Yan Qi for granting you a seat!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Steward Yan Qi!¡±


    Qin Niu bowed his hands in thanks.


    ¡°No need for excessive courtesy, sit down and let¡¯s talk!¡±


    Steward Yan Qi gestured again for Qin Niu to sit, his tone exceedingly gentle, his face always wearing a faint smile.


    Many people don¡¯t know that ancient domestic slaves could be arrogant, but you can see a bit of that from Steward Yan Qi.


    He was still one of the more cultured among the haughty slaves.


    Moreover, the Yan Family could only be considered powerful locally and were far from comparable to the true grand households. Despite the Yan Family¡¯s size, numerous members, and the vast resources they controlled,


    they did not even qualify to carry the shoes of a real grand household.


    It was not meant to demean.


    A random middle-rank member from the Black Tiger Gang could treat the Yan Family like dogs, trampling them underfoot.


    Not to mention the high-ranking figures such as the Gang Leader and deputy of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Such terrifying entities could determine the life and death of the Yan Family with a mere word.


    ¡°Yao Xue, serve tea to Ah Niu!


    Wang Furen called out to someone inside the house.


    Soon, a young girl dressed in light pink maid attire came over with a tray.


    On it was a blue and white covered cup.


    Also known as the Three-Talents covered cup, it consists of a saucer, a cup, and a lid, symbolizing heaven, earth, and humanity.


    The girl looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, well-proportioned, delicate, and very pleasing to the eye. Her complexion was much fairer than that of a typical peasant woman¡¯s.


    Don¡¯t think that, because Wang Furen¡¯s wife had passed away, he lived the hard life of a bachelor.


    With money, he could afford to buy a couple of maids to serve him, pouring tea and carrying water during the day, kneading his shoulders and fanning him, and warming his bed at night. He lived a life of bliss.


    ¡°Please enjoy the tea!¡±


    The girl placed the tea on the side table next to Qin Niu, curtseyed, then left with the tray.


    The strong scent of powder invaded Qin Niu¡¯s nostrils.


    It emanated from the girl who had just been there.


    Needless to say, those perfumes and face powders were definitely provided by Wang Furen.


    If hired as a servant, she¡¯d need a salary, and her body would be off-limits; touching her could lead to heavy punishment if reported to the authorities.


    But a bought servant belonged to private property, and their owner had complete disposal rights.


    Even their life belonged to the owner, let alone their body.


    Someone as thrifty and shrewd as Wang Furen would surely not want to spend money hiring someone else¡¯s daughter as a maid, preferring to buy one outright. He could afford to buy more than a dozen acres of good farmland, so the money for a maid was nothing to him.


    ¡°Qin Niu, I¡¯ve heard that the fertilizer you mix from the mountain soil is quite good!¡±


    Steward Yan Qi brought up the topic, going straight to the point.


    But he communicated with Qin Niu in the manner and tone of casual conversation at home.


    Those who came on strong with coercion or outright theft, like Wang Haikun and the like, were more often than not thoughtless brutes. They might be overbearing, but their lives were usually short-lived.


    Running afoul of a tough nut would mean the end of them.


    Take Wang Haikun¡¯s target, Qin Niu, for example. He might appear to be a youth easily bullied by others, but in reality, he was already a soon-to-be Insect Master, and his cultivation was quickly approaching the twofold strength of an ordinary person.


    If not for considerations regarding Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother, that guy would have been long gone eight hundred times over.


    Even so, once Qin Niu grew in strength, he was bound to extinguish this vermin.


    Therefore, the best way to ensure enduring prosperity was to follow the example of the Yan Family, who did everything by the book, winning people over with virtue.


    Robbery, theft, and intimidation were ultimately lowly tactics.


    They very easily sparked resistance from those oppressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s just alright, usable! Uncle Wang knows my family¡¯s situation. We are so poor that we can¡¯t even have our fill of food, and 1 simply don¡¯t have the money to buy domestic fertilizer.¡±


    Qin Niu sat properly, appearing like a country lad in awe of an important person.


    In front of Wang Furen, he claimed that the effectiveness of the fertilizer was guaranteed.


    But in front of Steward Yan Qi, he said it would suffice.


    This was because he feared that the Yan Family would exploit him like Wang


    Haikun did, without spending any silver money to buy his fertilizer.


    They might even force him to divulge the secret formula for the fertilizer.


    He could disregard Wang Haikun, but when faced with the behemoth like the Yan Family, he currently had no strength to contend with them.


    Even with the identity of an Insect Master, he still couldn¡¯t compete with the Yan Family.


    Unless he advanced to a Middle-rank Insect Master or above.


    In fact, even if he became a Middle-rank Insect Master, it would only mean that he had the qualifications not to fear the Yan Family. What determined an Insect Master¡¯s status and power were the strength and weakness of the insects they cultivated.


    If the termites or bees he cultivated could even kill the lord of Black Tiger City, then even as a beginner Insect Master, he could still effortlessly play the Yan Family to death.


    Therefore, strength was the ultimate determiner of status.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to your fields, and to grow corn so well in poor soil, you must have real skills. By the way, I have to remind you that pest infestation is forming in your corn fields, you need to find a solution as soon as possible.¡±


    With just one sentence from Steward Yan Qi, Qin Niu¡¯s farming skills could no longer be concealed.


    From these words, it was evident that Steward Yan Qi also had considerable expertise in cultivation.


    Otherwise, he could not have detected the pest infestation in Qin Niu¡¯s fields.


    Normally, common farmers often failed to detect the onset of a pest infestation. They would only notice it once an outbreak had commenced.


    By then, it was usually too late.


    Because the crops would have already been severely damaged by the pests.


    Like curing a disease, the best doctors treat the illness before it arises, the mediocre doctors treat the impending illness, and the poor doctors treat the established illness.


    A truly skilled farmer could detect the beginnings of a pest infestation and deal with it promptly, nipping it in the bud before an outbreak.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind reminder, 1¡¯11 go and catch the pests in the fields later.¡±


    Seeing that the other party was a cultivation expert and had seen through his true ability, Qin Niu no longer tried to argue.


    Otherwise, it would only lead to contempt.


    ¡°Corn pest infestations are quite difficult to deal with, especially this year with the humidity and frequent rain, locusts, Core-Boring Worms, and various noctuid moths have become a disaster. If you have trouble, you can always come to the Yan Family to find me.¡±


    With such a high status, Steward Yan Qi had been all smiles since Qin Niu arrived, constantly showing goodwill.


    Quite the grand scheme!


    ¡°Alright, thank you!¡±


    Qin Niu certainly wouldn¡¯t go to him for help; otherwise, he might owe a debt of gratitude, making it difficult to refuse any requests later on.


    The most expensive thing in the world is a debt of gratitude.


    Fortunately, he had already mastered pest control skills the day before, and his proficiency had reached the stage of ¡®making some progress,¡¯ equivalent to a Middle-rank farmer¡¯s pest control ability.


    Plus, with the termites at his disposal, he had the capability to completely eliminate the pests from the corn fields.


    ¡°Have you ever thought about selling the formula for your fertilizer in exchange for a good sum of silver money? You appear to be sixteen or seventeen, right? With money, you could repair your house and marry a pretty wife.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi was indeed clever.


    He always discussed matters with Qin Niu from a friend¡¯s perspective, avoiding any feelings of repulsion.


    Instead, Qin Niu felt as if the steward had his best interests at heart.


    This negotiating tactic, if applied to an ordinary rural youth, would have made them overflow with gratitude towards Steward Yan Qi, ready to repay his kindness with interest.


    Unfortunately for him, Qin Niu was an exception.


    He possessed wisdom far beyond his peers, and his determination had been forged stronger and stronger.


    Qin Niu remained unmoved by the lucrative offer posed by Steward Yan Qi.


    ¡°I would like to sell it, but I¡¯m afraid there isn¡¯t any formula. I just collect suitable manure from the mountainside into a basket and then use it as fertilizer for the corn.¡±


    Qin Niu lied without so much as blinking an eye.


    As for a formula, there indeed wasn¡¯t one.


    As long as one understood the nutrient combinations, one could freely select various types of humus to make fertilizer.


    ¡°Haha, 1 see! So, buying the formula is out of the question! The master of my house was actually ready to trade three mu of good land for your fertilizer formula. It seems we can only disappoint him.¡±


    When Yan Qi mentioned trading three mu of good land for the formula, he watched Qin Niu¡¯s eyes closely.


    He tried to gauge from Qin Niu¡¯s subtle expressions whether the lack of a formula was the truth.


    But what he found was that this young man was not simple; he was like still water in a well, without a ripple, not to mention any giveaway signs.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t buy your formula, then 1¡¯11 buy a basket of your fertilizer to test its effects first! Here is fifty wen money, for your trouble in collecting a basket of mountain manure these past few days and delivering it to the Yan Family¡¯s tea garden.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi promptly took out fifty wen money and stood up to hand it to Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu hurriedly stood up and received it with both hands in a fluster.

 Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Chapter 55 Yan Ruohai i

    Chapter 60: Chapter 55 Yan Ruohai i


    Translator: 549690339


    It seems that even the price is so well known, it must have been Wang Furen who let it slip out.


    ¡°Thank you, Steward Yan Qi, for looking out for me.¡±


    Qin Niu sincerely expressed his gratitude.


    The business of selling fertilizer had finally gotten off the ground.


    ¡°Hey, that sentence was the most heartfelt!¡± Steward Yan Qi said with a double meaning, almost subtly telling Qin Niu that nothing he had said before was true.


    Qin Niu broke out in a cold sweat of worry.


    Dealing with such important figures, it felt as if all secrets were laid bare before them.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going back now.¡±


    Qin Niu had received fifty Wen Money and was calculating that he would need to gather a basket of fertilizer to take to the Yan Family tomorrow.


    In business, one must certainly maintain a gold-lettered reputation.


    Clients like the Yan Family didn¡¯t come around often.


    In the rear garden of the Yan Family mansion, which was planted with all kinds of exotic flowers and precious trees and laid out elegantly, a portly elderly man was reading a book in the pavilion.


    Two beautiful maidservants, around sixteen or seventeen years old, stood behind the elderly man, gently fanning him.


    There was tea brewing on the table, the fragrance wafting through the air.


    If one observed closely, one would find a pure copper incense burner placed under the table. The sunlight from the sky slanted onto the body of the burner, and wisps of purple smoke rose from it, then gradually dissipated, filling every inch of the pavilion.


    It was truly a scene straight out of a fairyland, with the sunlight on the incense burner producing purple smoke.


    Incense was an essential item for wealthy households.


    Reading, resting, tea-tasting, and playing chess¡­ all made use of incense.


    Incense burners were most commonly made of two types of material: copper and silver.


    Silver conducted heat better than copper and was more likely to cause burns, and considering the principle that wealth should not be flaunted, it was used less frequently.


    Copper incense burners were more popular.


    The smallest incense burners were only the size of a palm, and slightly larger ones were only as big as the rim of a sea bowl. As for even larger incense burners, they were generally not used for burning incense but for worshiping deities and ancestors.


    Items used for sacrificial offerings were not called burners but rather tripods.


    These were much larger than burners.


    For a wealthy household like the Yan Family, when offering sacrifices to ancestors or heaven and earth, it was common to slaughter the ¡°three sacrifices¡± to increase the sense of ceremony and devotion.


    These usually referred to cattle, sheep, and pigs, collectively known as the ¡°great three sacrifices¡±.


    Less affluent wealthy families, on the other hand, used the ¡°lesser three sacrifices¡±.


    This looked much more modest, consisting of pigs, chickens, and fish.


    However, compared to wealthy people, ordinary folks appeared even more modest. When offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and the gods during New Year, the offerings consisted of a piece of pork, a bowl of fish, and a whole chicken.


    If there was no chicken available at home, fruit would be used as a substitute.


    The incense used in the burner also came with its own level of sophistication; small, wealthy families burned incense that produced white smoke, and even lower quality incense could produce grey smoke.


    For a household like the Yan Family, the incense used was of superior quality, emitting a light purple smoke.


    If you were a mid-level member of the Black Tiger Gang, the incense you used produced purple smoke.


    The Gang Leader and Deputy Gang Leader, those high up in the hierarchy, used even higher quality incense, which emitted a thick purple smoke.


    But the highest quality of incense was colorless.


    The fragrance was appropriately subtle and persistent, colorless, and enduring. A single breath of it could refresh the mind and invigorate the spirit¡ªthis was the top-grade incense. It was estimated that even the Black Tiger Gang Leader couldn¡¯t afford to use it.


    The Yan Family could afford only the type that produced light purple smoke.


    The price was not cheap; it was said that a small plate cost One Tael of Silver.


    One plate could last about six Hours or so.


    If used for an entire day, that would be Two Silver Money a day.


    Considering that a common farmer¡¯s annual income was only three taels of silver, one can imagine how luxurious the life of a rich person was.


    ¡°Master, Yan Qi requests an audience!¡±


    A personal servant walked to the outside of the pavilion and reported with a bow.


    The pavilion inside was where the master of the Yan Family stayed, and without permission, servants did not dare to take a single step inside.


    This was a form of reverence for the master.


    If any newcomer didn¡¯t understand the rules and dared to enter the pavilion rashly to report, at the very least, they would be scolded, or at the worst, have their legs broken.


    The larger the household, the stricter the rules.


    For example, during meals, servants and female family members cannot join the table. The women typically have servants deliver their meals to their rooms to eat, keeping out of sight.


    It goes without saying for the servants; they have no status whatsoever.


    The masters feast on exotic delicacies while the servants are left to eat the poorest quality food. Having fine grains to eat every day is considered a very good treatment for them.


    ¡°Let him in!¡±


    The elder spoke indifferently.


    His voice was extremely steady, naturally exuding depth and authority.


    Being in a position of power doesn¡¯t mean you have to keep a stern face and glare to be authoritative, but rather it¡¯s the confidence and solidity in every move that makes one as immovable as a mountain, causing those before him to feel insignificant and awe-inspired.


    Those who always wear a fierce expression can only turn out like Wang Haikun; that¡¯s the look of evil spirits, a manifestation of insecurity.


    Inner brutality, acting without the wisdom and steadiness expected of someone in power.


    And even less likely to earn the respect of others.


    In Shuangfeng Village, nine out of ten villagers hate Wang Haikun to the point of gritting their teeth, but it is just that they dare not speak their anger.


    Where could such a person find any dignity?


    If something were to happen to the brother behind him, you can be sure he¡¯ll be pushed over by the crowd.


    Steward Yan Qi quickly walked through the arch of the back garden.


    The back garden, a private space for the master to stroll and sit quietly, is not a place servants can enter at will.


    ¡°Master, please forgive Yan Qi¡¯s incompetence; I did not get the fertilizer formula!¡±


    ¡°Come in and talk!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±


    Yan Qi slightly drooped his shoulders as he entered the pavilion, his hands hanging limply, showing extreme respect.


    ¡°You may go now!¡±


    The elder waved his hand, and two maids obeyed and left swiftly.


    When the master discusses important matters, to prevent leakage of information, it¡¯s usual for others to be asked to leave.


    This matter, although minor for the Yan Family, still caused the elder to dismiss the two maids attending him in person, showing how cautious and careful he was in his affairs.


    The elder, in control of the vast Yan Family assets, held a distinguished status with immense wealth. To him, women were but commodities for enjoyment.


    Indulging in female company is what a profligate scion does.


    At his level, women and the tea in his cup might as well be no different.


    ¡°Sit!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master, for allowing me to sit!¡±


    Yan Qi sat down on the edge of the chair.


    ¡°Among the many stewards, you are the one I am most optimistic about. Bear in mind that you could very well become the chief steward of the Yan Family.¡±


    The elder¡¯s promise-making matched his snow-white beard.


    He gave Yan Qi hope, without committing his word.


    He didn¡¯t say Yan Qi would succeed as chief steward, but left it vague, mentioning only a high probability.


    If Yan Qi wouldn¡¯t become the chief steward, he wouldn¡¯t harbor any resentment but blame his lack of capability.


    ¡°Explain the matter of the fertilizer in detail!¡±


    After dangling the carrot, the elder instructed Yan Qi to get to the main point.


    ¡°I have visited Qin Niu¡¯s field, and the corn seedlings grown on that poor acre are doing better by a third than those on good land. Moreover, there are no empty stalks, dead seedlings, or weaklings; each plant is strong and thriving, which is incredibly unbelievable. It shows that Qin Niu¡¯s farming techniques must be extremely advanced.¡±


    ¡°My Yan Family supports a number of competent farmers as well. Are you telling me they¡¯re not as good as a sixteen-year-old boy?¡±


    The elder retorted.


    A landlord relies on the land; a bountiful harvest of grains and economic crops is needed to guarantee the family¡¯s income.


    ¡°Forgive my frankness, but if we combine all the top farmers of my Yan Family, using quality manure and planting on first-rate fields, we might just barely meet the growth of that acre of corn.¡±


    Yan Qi answered after a moment of thought.


    ¡°Ridiculous, the Yan Family has more than a dozen long-term workers rated as excellent farmers, earning a generous salary of over ten silver taels a year. Are you saying all of these people together can¡¯t match a youth from Shuangfeng Village?¡±


    The elder¡¯s tone grew a bit heavier, his anger barely veiling.


    Yan Qi panicked and immediately stood up and knelt on the ground.


    As if a heavier tone from the elder was the fury of thunder..

 Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Chapter 56: The 4th Insect Master Technique!

    Chapter 61: Chapter 56: The 4th Insect Master Technique!


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Your Majesty, calm your anger! Yan Qi dares not utter a single deceiving word, everything spoken is the truth. Although our Yan Family employs twelve superior farmers, each of them excels in only one or two planting projects. Some are good at weeding, some at loosening the soil, two are skilled at sowing seeds, and others specialize in planting just one of these: wheat, maize, or tea. None is expert in all aspects.¡±


    Yan Qi knelt on the ground without daring to raise his head.


    Still, he stated his true opinions, never daring to deceive his master.


    ¡°Stand up! Sit and talk.¡±


    The elder¡¯s tone became much more gentle, which allowed Yan Qi to breathe a sigh of relief.


    To serve the king is to walk with a tiger.


    As an underling or a servant, one¡¯s fate is actually not in one¡¯s own hands.


    All status, wealth, and power are bestowed by the master.


    A single word could uproot one¡¯s very foundation.


    Despite that, countless people still wish to cling to the powerful, willingly becoming servants or slaves.


    Because once favored by the strong, one could rapidly rise in position.


    ¡°According to what you¡¯ve said, does Qin Niu from Shuangfeng Village possess expertise in all areas such as sowing, soil loosening, weeding, and fertilizing?¡±


    ¡°It should be so! If there¡¯s anything of the highest value, it is the mountain mud fertilizer he formulated. I¡¯ve used mountain mud when planting tea trees, but the effect was short-lived and the fertilizer weak; using it in the fields for crops is even more out of the question. Our exploration of mountain mud fertilizer is still only at the breeding stage. Using mountain mud for breeding allows the seedlings to grow strong and without fear of fertilizer damage; the root system also becomes more developed.¡±


    Yan Qi had become one of the stewards of the Yan household, in charge of farming and tea cultivation, naturally possessing real skill.


    In his conversation, he revealed a wealth of planting experience and knowledge.


    ¡°He refuses to sell the formula for the fertilizer?¡±


    ¡°Before I even named a price, he outright refused. He said the mountain mud was complex with no fixed formula, and by the sound of it, it requires flexible combinations based on experience. Later, 1 probed with a high offer of three acres of fine land in exchange for the fertilizer formula, but he remained unmoved.¡±


    Yan Qi finished speaking with an expression of wanting to say more but hesitating.


    ¡°If you have anything to say, speak frankly, I¡¯ve never considered you an outsider. If you can achieve outstanding results in cultivation, 1 will consider adopting you as my godson.¡±


    The elder threw out an even bigger lure.


    Being able to mention adopting Yan Qi as his godson, even if merely a promise, showed his high regard for Yan Qi¡¯s capabilities and potential.


    ¡°Qin Niu might have been frightened by Wang Haikun of Shuangfeng Village, worried that my Yan family would falsely promise much like a white wolf in disguise, that¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t entertained this notion. I¡¯ve heard that not only did Wang Haikun take a wolf skin from him, but this time he forcefully took several baskets of the mountain mud as well. 1 observe that Qin Niu is calm and collected, deliberate in speech and actions, and highly adaptable; I don¡¯t understand why Wang Haikun insists on bullying someone like him. If this continues, 1 fear it will end badly.¡±


    Yan Qi had done his homework thoroughly.


    He had investigated everything related to Qin Niu, no matter how big or small, and understood it all clearly.


    n


    If Wang Haikun didn¡¯t have an older brother, he would likely have died many times over by now. His reckless behavior will surely get him killed sooner or later. That Qin Niu regards my Yan family in the same light as Wang Haikun is to underestimate us. Since the establishment of my Yan Family over a hundred years ago, the first of our ancestral teachings was to never exploit the common people. By my generation, the fourth, we have never once seized the common people¡¯s wealth or fields.¡±


    The elder held disdain for Wang Haikun.


    ¡°Since Qin Niu is as you say, he must be a wise man; after a few more interactions with our Yan family, he will naturally be able to discern good from evil. In future dealings with him, you may offer him more benefits to try to win him over to our Yan family. The locust plague this year is truly worrying, and sadly my Yan family lacks deep roots, without a truly excellent farmer leading us; the yield for these hundred acres of fields is uncertain!¡±


    The elder¡¯s tone was filled with concern.


    The Yan family was a sizable operation with land cultivation as its main income.


    If the harvest were poor, the family would fall into jeopardy.


    The collapse of a high-rise building can happen in an instant.


    As the head of the Yan family, he had to consider the future and destiny of the Yan family, ensuring its everlasting prosperity, and prevent decline.


    n


    I will do my best to win over this person. If we can truly recruit him into the Yan family, he will surely become a leading figure in the Yan family¡¯s cultivation endeavors.¡±


    Yan Qi got the message and immediately showed his commitment.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that he will take your position once he comes?¡±


    The elder looked at Yan Qi and asked softly.


    ¡°Not worried at all. I have my value, and he has his future. Only by making the Yan family stronger can I live better myself. Furthermore, 1 have an intuition that although this young man is young, he is ambitiously unwilling to be inferior to others. He might agree to befriend the Yan family, but it will be difficult for him to consent to living under its roof.¡±


    Yan Qi¡¯s expression was calm, his gaze clear.


    ¡°Ha ha, you have improved greatly. Reading is beneficial, studying has made you understand many principles; from now on you may freely enter the Yan family¡¯s library to read.¡±


    n


    Thank you, Your Majesty!¡±


    Yan Qi showed an expression of great joy and turned to kneel in gratitude.


    ¡°From now on, spare such formalities if you can. Go attend to your tasks! At the summer harvest, I hope to see your achievements, and 1 will consider an exceptional promotion for you to become one of the three great cultivation stewards of the Yan family, which many will not accept. You need to produce results that will silence them.¡±


    The elder spoke while stroking his beard.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Yan Qi excused himself and headed straight for the fields.


    As one of the plantation stewards, he managed at least hundreds of acres of land, and he also had to take care of tea cultivation and tea picking, which is one of the Yan Family¡¯s key industries.


    There was just too much to worry about.


    At the moment, Qin Niu had no idea that he was being discussed by the biggest BOSS in the area.


    He had exhausted a huge amount of spiritual power taming the Queen Bee, and now, with no moonlight available for cultivation, and being too afraid to enter beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree, he could only recover his depleted spiritual power through sleep.


    After a deep sleep, he felt refreshed and clear-headed.


    Looking out the window, the sun was setting, and night was about to fall.


    It was the perfect time to clear out the pests from the fields.


    He went to the fields with five Worker Ants and began his labor.


    With the increasing pest extermination experience of the five Worker Ants, their efficiency in catching pests had significantly improved, especially for the fifth one, whose performance was particularly outstanding.


    It now took only a matter of seconds for it to take down pests that were five or six times its size.


    Locusts, being much larger and adept at jumping and flying, were beyond its capability.


    Once, it grabbed onto a large locust and refused to let go, only to be taken up into the sky, prompting Qin Niu to quickly come to its rescue. It was a close call.


    Since the fifth one was his only Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant, he treasured it greatly.


    He truly feared it might meet with an accident.


    A regular Worker Ant can produce at least ten offspring a day, so losing a few was not a big deal.


    Catching that locust earlier had taken a lot of effort and thought.


    He seemed to have received a prompt about acquiring a new skill, but he was too focused on rescuing the fifth one to take a close look at the time.


    Now that things had calmed down, he checked his personal attributes.


    Sure enough, there was a new catching technique skill added to his Insect Mastery.


    Insect Mastery Skills: Insect Trace Identification 9.92/10 novice, Insect Communication 13.51/100 proficient, Insect Identification 8.97/10 novice, Catching Technique 0.01/10 novice.


    The Catching Technique allows for the capture of a variety of insect creatures through certain tricks or methods, enhancing the success rate of capture, and even allowing for the insects to be caught without harm.


    After grasping the catching technique, Qin Niu¡¯s success rate in catching insects increased significantly.


    He even came up with the idea of crafting tools to make catching them easier.


    Back home, he made a small net similar to a fishing net, specifically designed for capturing locusts, moths, and other winged insects.


    He kept busy until the moon rose, but he didn¡¯t rush to finish the work.


    Instead, he worked overtime to eradicate the pests.


    He discovered that the breeding speed of the pests was extremely fast and their numbers vast. The four plots of corn seedlings he had cleaned out the day before now housed new pests, having migrated from the neighboring plot that was not yet cleared of pests.


    The pests were alive and would not stay still indefinitely.


    At night, they became highly active, throwing a feast among the corn fields and voraciously gnawing at the seedlings.


    He had to change strategy; otherwise, no matter how hard he worked, he wouldn¡¯t be able to clear out the pests completely.


    This kept him busy the whole night.


    Thanks to his efforts and those of the five Worker Ants, they managed to clean out a good half-acre of the corn field from pests.


    The insect eggs filled nearly half a basket, and the insect corpses were even more exaggerated¡ªtwo large pots were filled.


    It was hard to imagine where all these pests came from.


    ¡°It would be great if the Worker Ants could get even stronger,¡± he thought.


    With the insect corpses and the five Worker Ants, he finished up and went home.


    The way he was removing pests now was like using the Worker Ants as hunting dogs, requiring his own effort as their master.


    That was a bit backward!


    Once the Worker Ants became stronger and more numerous, he as the master would truly be at ease.


    He could just throw them into the field and not have to worry about them.


    According to the current efficiency, if he captured pests for another night, he should be able to take care of the situation completely.


    Having worked all night, the returns were quite substantial.


    Insect Trace Identification, Insect Identification, Catching Technique, Pest Extermination¡ªall four skills had gained substantial proficiency improvements.

 Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Chapter 57: A New Variety Has Evolved i

    Chapter 62: Chapter 57: A New Variety Has Evolved i


    Translator: 549690339


    Insect Master Skills: Insect Trace Identification Proficiency 27.6/100, Insect Speak Proficiency 14.7/100, Insect Identification Proficiency 26.4/100, Insect Catching Proficiency 58.1/100.


    Insect Trace Identification allowed him to find the traces of insects from various clues and then follow these traces to capture them.


    An entire night of effort had elevated it from beginner to proficient.


    His ability in this area had also increased dramatically; previously, he could only track insects from some obvious traces, but now he had the ability to discover them from more concealed traces and follow those tracks.


    For instance, the marks or wormholes left by insects after eating plant leaves, or the trails and slime left behind by snails and other insects, and even the excrement and shed skins could all become clues for him to track insects.


    With a proficient level of Insect Trace Identification, combined with his proficient insect-catching skills, he should be capable of catching some pricey insects to sell and earn some extra money.


    Insect Identification too had broken through to a proficient level.


    This skill was very important as well.


    He could now identify an insect¡¯s gender, species, abilities, age, and health.


    The number of insect species he could identify had noticeably increased.


    Plus, he had gained two new identification abilities.


    One was the ability to gauge an insect¡¯s strength; he could already discern this quite accurately. With just one glance, he could tell if an insect was capable of fighting, suited for burrowing, chewing on wood, or what its flying ability was like.


    He could identify all these traits.


    The other was the ability to assess the health of an insect, which he could also now identify.


    Many people fear buying insects only to find they are diseased.


    If the insects died after just a few days, their invested silver money would be wasted, which would be distressing for anyone, wouldn¡¯t it?


    With this skill, he could now avoid such pitfalls when buying insects in the future.


    As an Insect Master who dealt with insects all his life, sometimes he would be willing to spend a lot of silver money on an insect he liked, which could easily lead to a trap.


    After all, insects that were put up for sale were often rare finds.


    Today, his newly comprehended insect-catching skill had also advanced from beginner to proficient; the most significant change was the increased efficiency in catching insects. He could now craft specific catching tools based on the different escape tactics exhibited by various insects.


    Never underestimate this ability; many Insect Masters spent their entire lives researching and creating insect-catching tools, all to catch a single insect they fancied.


    By now, he should have the ability to capture flying insects, burrowing insects, those good at hiding, and jumping insects.


    For example, crickets, which fetched a high price on the market due to their ability to jump.


    Now, Qin Niu was fully confident in his ability to catch them.


    After returning home, he ate a meal of bear meat, took a bath, and then fell asleep.


    The night-day reversal made him feel quite uncomfortable.


    He didn¡¯t wake up until noon.


    Reaching under his mat, he grabbed his Treasured Sword, preparing to take it with him into the mountains.


    As soon as he touched it, he felt something unusual.


    The sword seemed to be ¡®sick,¡¯ as if it was quietly wailing.


    Qin Niu was greatly alarmed and looked closely, only to see that the green patterns originally present within the blade had now become extremely dim and were almost gone.


    He took the Treasured Sword to the backyard and struck it against a log with all his might.


    Bang!


    The power was still acceptable; after all, this was the Fine Iron Precious Saber he had purchased with nine silver coins.


    But with this strike, he could clearly feel its power had decreased. It was completely incomparable to the peak state of the day before yesterday.


    Qin Niu¡¯s face suddenly turned grave.


    The Treasured Sword was crying out to him in this silent way for help.


    It had not been easy to evolve it with a hint of a special ability by applying the Banyan Tree Blood, but that ability had just begun to emerge and was not yet stable. Its sudden deprivation of ¡®nourishment¡¯ threatened to reduce it to an ordinary weapon once again.


    He had to resume supplying it with nourishment.


    Realizing the seriousness of the issue, Qin Niu went up the mountain with the remaining Banyan Tree Blood.


    That blood could still be used to anoint the Treasured Sword one more time.


    First and foremost, he had to preserve the sword¡¯s special abilities.


    Carrying a basket on his back and armed with a hoe and those five termites, he set off towards the mountain.


    Passing by the small stream where clothes were washed, a few village women saw him and immediately had a topic of conversation.


    ¡°All Niu, only coming out to work now? It¡¯s already midday, you know!¡±


    ¡°You need to be more diligent and not indulge in sleeping in. Otherwise, getting married will become difficult for you!¡±


    ¡°Auntie Yang, didn¡¯t you know? All Niu is quite impressive these days. I heard that he could sell a basket of mountain mud for fifty wen! That¡¯s five days¡¯ worth of wages for my man.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that true?¡±


    The eyes of the women immediately lit up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. I only heard it from Wu Ma at Wang Furen¡¯s household. She said a steward from the Yan Family personally came to talk to Ah Niu and paid him fifty wen in cash on the spot. You tell me, how could a basket of mountain mud be worth so much money? It¡¯s just everywhere on the mountains!¡±


    ¡°Who knows! The Yan Family has money to burn. Perhaps they were just finding a way to give Ah Niu some charity, so he wouldn¡¯t starve to death!¡±


    ¡°If Ah Niu¡¯s basket of mountain mud really does sell for fifty wen, I¡¯ll marry off my daughter Xiuchun to him tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Look at how much you love money! Who knows if Ah Niu will even accept her!¡±


    Qin Niu paid no mind to the village women¡¯s gossip.


    He quickly walked past the stream.


    This stream was only a little more than a meter wide, formed from spring water flowing down from the mountain, so clear that you could see the bottom.


    Normally, the villagers would wash clothes in the stream, fetch water for their fields, and occasionally, when extremely thirsty, they would even drink a few mouthfuls. Qin Niu used to catch fish, shrimp, and crabs in the stream with other children when he was younger.


    After ascending the mountain, he went straight to the ant nest and could see that it was still the same as before.


    Termites prefer to hide underground or in tree hollows, rarely venturing out.


    They even seal off the entrance to their nests directly.


    But they are also highly territorial.


    Within their territory, they do not allow any other creature to invade.


    This is a bit like how humans defend their own country, not relinquishing a single inch of land.


    ¡°Fourth, bring out those five termites that drank the banyan tree blood!¡±


    The insect carcasses and eggs Qin Niu had fed them yesterday were already cleaned out.


    Considering their small appetite and the small number of the colony, he only fed them a small portion.


    He returned the five termites he had taken down the mountain to catch insects back to the nest.


    Including Number Five, they all seemed very excited.


    It seemed they still liked being in their own home best.


    Fourth quickly crawled out.


    In its mouth, it held a soldier ant whose tail had turned a light green.


    Along with it came a young worker ant with a new green stripe on its body.


    A light green vertical stripe ran down the center of its body, from head to tail.


    It too was carrying a soldier ant in its mouth.


    This young worker ant with the green stripe, whether in terms of crawling speed or the strength it exhibited, was by no means inferior to Fourth.


    Qin Niu immediately recognized it as the one that had consumed only one-tenth of the safe dosage of banyan tree blood.


    The little fellow had succeeded in its transformation in just a little over a day.


    It seemed the less banyan tree blood they consumed, the shorter the time it took for their transformation.


    ¡°Not bad!¡±


    Qin Niu examined it closely.


    The two soldier ants that were brought out still only had their abdomens tinged with green, slowly spreading towards their waists and heads.


    By the looks of it, they needed at least another day to complete their evolution.


    As long as death didn¡¯t occur, waiting a few more days didn¡¯t matter.


    Theoretically speaking, the longer the transformation time, the stronger their abilities would be..

 Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Chapter 58 Upgrade Breeding Skill i

    Chapter 63: Chapter 58 Upgrade Breeding Skill i


    Translator: 549690339


    Fourth and the young worker ant emerged after a while, followed by two light green worker ants crawling out slowly.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Based on experience, Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants should have evolved. Their current crawling speed was slower than a snail¡¯s, which puzzled Qin Niu greatly.


    He quickly checked the ant colony¡¯s attributes.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Two Isopteran, experience 517/1000


    Lifespan: 4.6 years


    Energy: 10896


    Skills: Breeding Grade One 335/10, Feign Death Grade One 2/10


    Talent: Medium Intelligence, Offspring with Enhanced Strength (2%), Offspring with Mild Poison (5%)


    Ant Colony: One subpar worker ant, lifespan 6 months, special abilities (Strength, Agility, Venom, Medium Intelligence).


    Three Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, lifespan 13 years, special abilities (Agility, Strong Mandibles, Acid Spit that aids in plant wound healing).


    One Swift Worker Ant, lifespan 5 years, special abilities (Fast crawling or attacking, Acid Spit that mildly aids in plant wound healing).


    Five Sturdy Worker Ants, lifespan 3.3 years.


    Fifty-two regular worker ants, lifespan 3 years.


    Two Sturdy Soldier Ants, lifespan 8 months.


    Nineteen regular soldier ants, lifespan 6 months.


    After checking the ant colony¡¯s attributes, he was surprised and pleased to find that there were two more Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants.


    It seemed that these two slow-crawling worker ants had just completed their transformation and needed a bit more time to stabilize their new level and adapt to the changes in their bodies.


    All three Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants had a lifespan of 13 years and shared the same special abilities.


    This indicated that Banyan Tree Blood could be used to mass-produce Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants.


    He was extremely exhilarated by this discovery.


    The abilities and combat power of Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants were far beyond those of regular worker ants.


    He also found that feeding one-tenth of the safe dosage of Banyan Tree Blood could create Grade One Swift Worker Ants, though their abilities were much weaker than those of the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants.


    The advantage was safety.


    There was no need to worry about them exploding and dying, and the transformation time was halved.


    Creating one Grade Two Lightning Ant took two days, while creating a Grade One Swift Worker Ant took only one day.


    He also discovered that the lifespan of the Ant Queen, Fourth, and five Sturdy Worker Ants had all increased by 0.1 year, which was equivalent to an extra 1.2 months of life.


    This benefit likely came from consuming Royal Jelly.


    According to the Green Demon¡¯s Bee Breeding Texts, Royal Jelly could extend life and slow aging in both humans and other animals, but there was a limit. For instance, even if a human consumed Royal Jelly every day, once the extended lifespan reached one year and hit the ceiling, eating more would be of no use.


    Qin Niu felt this deeply.


    The first time he consumed wolf blood and wolf meat, his cultivation surged by nearly 20 points. Afterward, when he drank bear blood and ate bear meat, the increase in his cultivation was significantly less and also slower.


    Nutritional supplements had their limits.


    Anyway, the fact that Royal Jelly could extend the lifespan of termites pleased Qin Niu immensely.


    Even if it only helped the Ant Queen and Fourth extend their lives by one year, it would give him more time to find other Life-Extending Methods.


    He estimated that his strength would greatly improve within a year compared to now.


    When his abilities in all aspects grew stronger, he would naturally be able to provide the termites with more food or methods to extend their life.


    He also noticed that the Ant Queen¡¯s Breeding Skill proficiency had skyrocketed by 2.2 points over the past two days.


    Normally, the Ant Queen would lay ten eggs a day, which would result in a 0.1 increase in its Breeding Skill proficiency.


    If it suddenly went up by 2.2 in two days, could it lay 110 eggs a day?


    Clearly, that was unlikely.


    There was only one explanation: it must have found another way to increase its Breeding Skill proficiency.


    Raising its Breeding Skill was now his most urgent task.


    Discovering a way to increase the Breeding Skill proficiency by at least one additional point per day, Qin Niu was thrilled beyond measure.


    He was determined to unravel the mystery.


    To solve a problem, one must find the cause.


    He tried to communicate with the Ant Queen, ¡°Ant Queen, come out.¡±


    Soon, she emerged slowly from deep within the nest.


    Her body had become severely swollen, with a visibly fattened abdomen bulging in several places, plump and white. She was a professional ¡®breeding machine,¡¯ capable of laying over five hundred million eggs in her lifetime.


    Currently, the Ant Queen only laid ten eggs a day, just an infant in swaddling clothes, with her explosive breeding potential yet to be realised.


    ¡°Your breeding ability has improved.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am very happy.¡±


    ¡°How did it improve?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be related to them eating insect eggs and then feeding me.¡±


    The Ant Queen may appear plump, but her intelligence was exceedingly high.


    When Qin Niu initially chose her, he valued her intelligence and caution.


    ¡°I see. I had guessed as much. Just let them feed you insect eggs today.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­ It also helps to feed them a variety of other foods, which can allow me to produce stronger offspring.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Qin Niu chuckled.


    He had just checked the Ant Queen¡¯s attributes and discovered that the probability of it producing offspring with strong attributes increased by 1%, and the probability of producing offspring with slight toxin attributes went up by 2%. This was a very good performance.


    ¡°Go inside¡ªyou should keep a low profile unless it¡¯s necessary, as you¡¯re the most important part of the entire ant colony.¡±


    In Qin Niu¡¯s mind, the Ant Queen was the core of the core.


    As long as the Ant Queen was alive, even if the rest of the ant colony perished, it could quickly create another batch.


    Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    She felt a hint of pride in its response.


    And rightfully so, as Termite Ant Queens were best at hiding deep within their nests.


    The ant colony now had several dozen Worker Ants and 21 Soldier Ants whether in terms of defense capabilities or nest excavation abilities, they were already quite strong.


    Relying on Fourth¡¯s intelligence and cunning, he would surely dig a very concealed royal chamber for the Ant Queen.


    Seeing such great progress in the ant colony, Qin Niu was filled with a sense of achievement and joy.


    If they continued to develop at this rate, it wouldn¡¯t take long for the ant colony to become the overlord of this region. At least on the ground, his ant colony would call the shots.


    He used to think that the stinky ant colony not far away was very powerful.


    Now he was somewhat worried about their situation.


    When Qin Niu¡¯s ant colony became stronger, given the termites¡¯ nature to occupy territory, they would likely be the first to eliminate that stinky ant colony.


    As for such matters, Qin Niu would not intervene.


    It was better to let them develop freely.


    This type of low-risk trial and error opportunity was very rare and could help them greatly improve their survival abilities in the wild.


    Knowing that the larvae could help the Ant Queen quickly enhance its breeding capability, he naturally fed the ant colony another batch of larvae.


    Then he selected five young Worker Ants that had just molted into adults yesterday and fed them a safe dose of Banyan Tree Blood, and five regular Worker Ants were fed one-tenth of the safe dose of Banyan Tree Blood.


    Using Banyan Tree Blood to cultivate ten Worker Ants at once was quite a significant step.


    This was because, after several experiments, he had come up with a set of methods to cultivate them.


    The Swift Worker Ants were weaker, but their efficiency was much higher than that of ordinary Worker Ants. One could replace four or five regular Worker Ants.


    Cultivating a group of Swift Worker Ants could greatly increase the work efficiency of the ant colony.


    The two Soldier Ants were not yet done molting, so he could only wait patiently. Once there were results, he would make the next cultivation plan.


    After he finished, Qin Niu quickly headed towards the location of the beehive.


    To him, this route was already very familiar, and he easily arrived under that pine tree.


    The bee colony showed no signs of disturbance.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    The Queen Bee, sensing his arrival, transmitted a signal to him from within the beehive.


    It did not leave the nest.


    Just like the ancient emperors had to stay in the Emperor Palace of the imperial capital, they could not leave at will.


    Otherwise, it could easily lead to unrest.


    If the Queen Bee left the nest, the entire bee colony would feel uneasy and become restless. This would severely affect the stability of the bee colony.


    ¡°Keep control of the bee colony, and once you produce your first batch of offspring, 1¡¯11 have a way to help you extend your life and become stronger.¡±


    Qin Niu reassured her, and then sat down under the tree to take out the Treasured Sword, applying all the remaining Banyan Tree Blood onto the blade.


    The amount of Banyan Tree Blood fed to the termites was very small, almost negligible.


    The main consumer was still the Treasured Sword¡¯s appetite.


    It needed to consume a lot of Banyan Tree Blood at once.


    After applying it to the sword, the jar was empty.


    Only a little bit of Banyan Tree Blood left clinging to the inner wall of the jar. Qin Niu treasured the remaining bit, not much though it was, it could cultivate a large number of powerful termites.


    After the Treasured Sword was smeared with Banyan Tree Blood, it became excited again.


    One could see the Banyan Tree Blood being greedily absorbed by the blade.


    Qin Niu placed it between two stones and left it be, instead turning his gaze to the Ancient Banyan Tree next to the pine tree.


    Tomorrow, once the two Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants¡¯ realm stabilized and their movements became as swift as Fifth¡¯s, he could consider bringing them over to give it a try.


    Then, he would prepare two larger jars because if he entered, Qin Niu would definitely want to bring out several jars of Banyan Tree Blood.


    ¡°Queen Bee, that Banyan Tree next to us, can your bees fly out if they enter it?¡±


    Qin Niu communicated with the Queen Bee inside the beehive.


    ¡°There is something there that we fear; we mustn¡¯t go!¡±


    The Queen Bee exhibited deep fear towards the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    All things in the world have a spirit.


    The bees¡¯ way of perceiving the outside world was different from humans; they used vision and smell to investigate objects.


    They could also sense the strength of magnetic fields.


    Probably having suffered a loss from that Ancient Banyan Tree, they feared it.


    ¡°Have any bees gone in?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Our genetic information marks the range around that Banyan Tree as extremely dangerous.¡±


    The Queen Bee¡¯s response made Qin Niu even more certain that bees had entered before but couldn¡¯t come out.


    That¡¯s why the bee colony would pass on this piece of information to the next generation.


    For example, they feared birds, spiders, and so on. After being preyed upon by birds a few times, they would naturally form genetic information that marked birds as extremely dangerous enemies.


    They would quickly hide or fly away to save their lives upon encountering one..

 Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Chapter 59: The Steward’s Dispute i

    Chapter 64: Chapter 59: The Steward¡¯s Dispute i


    Translator: 549690339


    Almost all animals and even plants possess this genetic ability.


    It is also an essential skill for them to ensure the normal continuation of their offspring.


    ¡°Can you make a worker bee fly within the range of the banyan tree?¡±


    Qin Niu wanted to test with a honeybee.


    But in the whole swarm, only the Queen Bee obeyed his orders; he couldn¡¯t command the other bees.


    He even suspected they might have considered Qin Mu a member of their swarm.


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    The Queen Bee answered very definitively.


    Just like the Ant Queen, the Queen Bee was only a breeding machine for rhe hive. She could control the order of the hive through queen bee pheromones and make sure everyone had their role to avoid chaos, but she couldn¡¯t order them to venture to a specific place.


    It could be understood that both bee and ant colonies acted as one, with the Queen Bee and Ant Queen being just members of the whole.


    Completely different from the life and death authority of a human empire¡¯s monarch.


    In human society, if a monarch commands a subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die.


    In the world of bees, it¡¯s all about fulfilling roles, and if the worker bees feel the Queen Bee is too old, they might even dispose of her.


    Qin Niu had to abandon the idea of sending honeybees in to scout.


    It seemed he would have to rely on the termites after all.


    At that time, he would have the whole termite colony mobilize, which was a major move that definitely required careful planning to minimize, or even eliminate, termite losses.


    For this task, he thought it best to wait until the day after tomorrow, when rhe special termites bred from the Banyan Tree Blood would be more numerous, to better secure success.


    Several termites have successfully made their way in and out.


    But the real leader was only Fourth.


    When he himself would go in, he definitely needed to take Fourth along.


    Because Fourth had the most experience.


    After observing for a while, and once the Treasured Sword finished absorbing all the Banyan Tree Blood, he began to collect humus.


    It was everywhere in the hills; just mixing the right combination would yield a basket of top-quality fertilizer.


    The price was as high as fifty wen per basket.


    Close to noon, he carried a basket of soil down rhe mountain.


    The Yan Family had at least two tea gardens.


    He was too focused on collecting money earlier to ask which tea garden to deliver to.


    Fortunately, the two tea gardens were very close to each other, at the foot of a tea mountain in the neighboring village.


    The neighboring village was also known as Tea Flower Village.


    The hills near the village had acidic loess suitable for tea tree growth, which the Yan Family had cultivated entirely for tea planting.


    Every spring, around late October, the hills would be covered in blooming white tea flowers.


    This village was thus named for this reason.


    The tea trees planted on the mountain belonged to rhe tea oil tree variety, specifically for bearing seeds to press for tea oil.


    Generally, the fruit would not be mature until the following autumn.


    Each year, the Yan Family would press tea oil and take a large part to sell in the city, fetching about twelve to fifteen wen per jin.


    It was one of the Yan Family¡¯s economic sidelines, bringing in quite a profit each year.


    Perhaps thinking the yield of tea oil was low and the profit not substantial, the Yan Family in recent years began to develop tea leaves.


    They had cleared several slopes below the tea mountain and planted tea trees suitable for leaf-harvesting.


    They might still be in the experimental phase, currently operating on a small scale.


    Of course, that¡¯s relative to the size of the Yan Family¡¯s holdings.


    A single tea garden covered at least seven or eight acres, which was not a small scale by any measure.


    Qin Niu first arrived at the largest tea garden.


    Looking around, there were tea trees all half the height of a person.


    Lush and green, they seemed to be thriving, clearly a lot of care had been taken in their management.


    While he was looking around, he saw a tea farmer in his forties loosening soil and weeding around the tea trees.


    ¡°Uncle, may I ask if Steward Yan Qi is around?¡±


    ¡°What do you need from Steward Yan Qi for?¡±


    The uncle stopped his work and looked up.


    ¡°He asked me to deliver a basket of fertilizer to the tea plantation!¡¯1


    ¡°Oh, then you¡¯ve gone to the wrong place! It¡¯s the hillside over there, this tea plantation is managed by the Second Steward.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you, uncle!¡±


    Qin Niu carried the fertilizer on his back and headed towards another hillside.


    The Yan Family¡¯s territory was truly vast, all made up of their own mountains and land.


    A middle-aged man in a green robe, about forty-seven or forty-eight years old, of medium height, slightly overweight, with a pair of mustache whiskers, and somewhat prominent eyes, was walking towards him. He swaggered with a strut like a ¡®king fisher¡¯ with his authoritative aura showing


    A tall and thin farmer, about thirty years old, followed behind him.


    ¡°Young man, did I just hear you say you were looking for Steward Yan Qi?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±¡®


    Qin Niu knew that this middle-aged man must be one of the Yan Family¡¯s mid- to high-level members.


    Who else would wear a green robe?


    Only the management level, who didn¡¯t do the physical work and directed the farmers instead, could wear such robes.


    Farmers usually wore loose-fitting coarse cloth clothes, long trousers paired with a jacket.


    Is this the fertilizer Steward Yan Qi bought from you?¡±


    ¡°Yes!1¡±


    Qin Niu was slightly displeased with rhe man¡¯s tone.


    ¡°How much did it cost per basket?¡±


    The man continued to inquire.


    ¡°For that, you¡¯d better ask Steward Yan Qi.¡±


    Qin Niu cautiously responded.


    ¡°Answer me honestly when you¡¯re asked, this man is the Yan Family¡¯s Second Steward. You should consider it a privilege passed down from your ancestors¡¯ good karma to even speak with him.¡±


    The tall and thin farmer glared and sternly rebuked him.


    Qin Niu gave the farmer a nonchalant glance, such people, with his current strength, he could take on eight single-handedly without even breaking a sweat.


    ¡°Please forgive me, Second Steward Yan!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at Second Steward Yan.


    Second Steward Yan picked up a handful of the manure, examined it, and sniffed it beneath his nose.


    ¡°This is fertilizer from the deep mountains, you may go!¡±


    He didn¡¯t make things difficult for Qin Niu.


    The Yan Family had a family motto that prohibited misconduct: if someone from the Yan Family transgressed, they would be punished according to family rules. If a slave, servant, or long-term laborer did the same, they would be dealt with severely and strictly.


    It was precisely because of this family motto that the Yan Family had a good image among the local people.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t go far when he heard Second Steward Yan and rhe farmer discussing.


    ¡°Steward Yan Qi buying mountain manure from a young man, I think, is just a waste of money.¡±


    ¡°Heh, rhe lord promoted him to the seventh steward out of turn, and many are discontent. According to seniority, he isn¡¯t even qualified to manage. Now that the third batch of tea leaves is about to be harvested, his plantation produced poor quality in the first two batches, and it seems now he¡¯s desperately resorting to rash solutions,¡± the farmer said with a sneer.


    The Second Steward let out a scornful laugh.


    The competition between stewards was just as fierce.


    The Yan Family¡¯s tea plantation management had only Steward Yan Qi and Steward Yan Qi.


    Seeing Yan Qi buying mountain fertilizer from a youth, Second Steward Yan was secretly delighted.


    ¡°Of course, Steward Yan Qi can¡¯t compare with you. He was outperformed by you the last two times; obviously, he¡¯s harboring ambitions to advance. But growing tea isn¡¯t as simple as he thinks: fertilizer, water, harvesting, varieties, pest control¡ªall must be in place. Otherwise, it¡¯s all in vain.¡±


    The tall and thin farmer followed up with flattery for Second Steward Yan.


    He didn¡¯t dare speak too ill of Steward Yan Qi, though.


    Fearing it would reach Yan Qi s ears and he would be dealt with later.


    ¡°Ha, by what right does he compare with me? I have you, an expert who has studied tea plantation for years. It¡¯s easy to find top-notch farmers for growing corn or wheat, but not those skilled in tea cultivation!¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, any little ability I have now, it¡¯s all thanks to you. Without your nurturing, would 1 have had the chance to fulfill my ambitions?¡±


    The tall and thin farmer was vigorously trying to win Second Steward Van¡¯s favor..

 Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Chapter 60 Calling Qin Niu Brother with Every Wordi

    Chapter 65: Chapter 60 Calling Qin Niu Brother with Every Wordi


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°The two of us, we complement each other. You provide the technology, helping me grow top-quality tea leaves, and you¡¯ve been honored as the Yan Family¡¯s superior farmer, with an annual salary exceeding ten pieces of silver money. As for me, I¡¯ve gained the lord¡¯s appreciation, leaving Steward Yan Qi far behind, and my position has become even more secure. Master Hu, the yield and quality of the third batch of tea leaves entirely depend on you. You must put in all your effort to keep it stable. Naturally, it would be even better if we could take it to the next level,¡±


    Steward Yan Er said with a smile.


    ¡°Rest assured, I will definitely do my best to repay your kindness in recognizing my talents. After being recognized as a superior farmer, my family has finally started to live comfortably; when I visit my father-in-law, I¡¯m now greeted as a good son-in-law, which wasn¡¯t the case before,¡±


    Master Hu was very satisfied with his current life.


    Free from past poverty, what he ate, wore, and used were all of quality. His wife no longer scorned him for being incompetent; instead, she worried he might divorce her to marry a younger woman.


    Now, she attended to him in every way, greeted him with smiles, making him feel a glory and comfort he¡¯d never experienced before as a man.


    An ordinary farmer would earn just three pieces of silver money a year, and with all the benefits, they¡¯d net three pieces and six coins. But a superior farmer could earn a high annual salary of ten pieces of silver money, earning more than double that of an ordinary farmer.


    With several years of saving, one could even buy a house in the city.


    Qin Niu, carrying fertilizer, arrived at the Yan Family¡¯s second tea garden.


    It was still a large slope that had been cleared and planted with tea trees.


    It seemed to cover a smaller area than the first tea garden, and many of the tea tree leaves were yellowing, with the tips of their branches tangled and weak, like people who were poorly nourished.


    In the distance among the tea trees, a farmer could be seen bending over tilling the soil and weeding.


    ¡°Big brother! May I ask where Steward Yan Qi is?¡±


    Qin Niu shouted at the top of his lungs.


    The farmer, hearing the voice, stood up straight and lifted the straw hat on his head a bit to look in the direction of the sound.


    ¡°It¡¯s Qin Niu!¡±


    When the farmer saw him, he immediately walked over to him.


    At first, Qin Niu only felt the man looked somewhat familiar. The other party was wearing a bamboo hat, and his full face was not visible.


    Upon hearing the other man¡¯s voice, he recognized him at once.


    ¡°Yan, Steward Yan Qi, I never expected to see you personally laboring in the fields!¡±


    Qin Niu was indeed exceedingly shocked.


    ¡°Haha, why can¡¯t 1 work the fields? 1 started following the others to mow pig grass at the age of six, learned to herd cattle at seven, and by eight, 1 was learning tilling and weeding among other planting skills. By the age of ten, I could already independently grow millet or wheat. Although I was only entrusted with one acre of inferior land for practice, 1 still harvested over three hundred pounds of millet and more than two hundred pounds of wheat that year,¡±


    Steward Yan Qi came over laughing.


    And he introduced his childhood growth with great pride.


    The Yan Family certainly wouldn¡¯t raise servants for nothing; from a young age, they were taught various agricultural tasks.


    Those with talents would also learn writing and arithmetic, and later handle the Yan Family¡¯s business matters. For example, working as a clerk in the Yan Family¡¯s city shops or staying with the family to oversee the labor of the workers.


    ¡°No wonder you understand so much about cultivation!¡±


    Qin Niu felt this Steward Yan Qi was different from the other Yan Family stewards who only knew how to lord it over people.


    Steward Yan Qi was not only amiable but also hardworking and down-to-earth, personally engaging in farm work, which was truly admirable.


    Seeing the look of admiration on Qin Niu¡¯s face, Steward Yan Qi couldn¡¯t help but show a smug smile once again.


    ¡°Can this basket of compost be used for growing tea trees?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely no problem. About a bowl¡¯s worth per plant. If you want to see quick results, it needs to be buried around the root area. It can help the tea trees grow fresh and tender new leaves, and it also has some effect on improving the yellowing of the leaves,¡±


    Before preparing the compost, Qin Niu specifically enhanced the effects of the leaf fertilizer and reduced its impact on flowering and fruiting, while appropriately strengthening the root system¡¯s growth effects.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Dump them here, and if the results are good, 1¡¯11 buy more from you next time,¡±


    Steward Yan Qi said, his face showing delight.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    Qin Niu dumped the compost into the designated fertilizer vat.


    This was a pottery vat buried in the ground, excellent for preserving fertilizers.


    After emptying the fertilizer, Qin Niu took a look around the slope.


    Noticed by Steward Yan Qi, he immediately said with a laugh.


    ¡°Qin Niu, I know your planting techniques are very clever. I¡¯m rather a layman when it comes to fertilization techniques. If you have any good suggestions, feel free to enlighten me. As long as it¡¯s truly useful, 1 will make sure to reward you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qin Niu pointed towards the ridge above the slope.


    ¡°This slope used for planting tea trees faces the sun and has a flat terrain, which is excellent. However, the ridge above is quite steep, and since the oil tea trees were planted, the workers, being diligent, have cleared all the undergrowth and ferns beneath the trees. Whenever there¡¯s a downpour, a large amount of water washes down from above, causing not only some soil erosion but also likely leading to flooding on this slope beneath.


    Tea trees prefer dry and loose soil.


    Spring is the peak season for picking tea leaves and is also the season with plenty of rain. During this time, the tea trees suffer root damage due to flooding, turning the leaves yellow and roots rot, making any amount of fertilizer useless. Moreover, the quality of the tea leaves will be greatly reduced.¡±


    Having listened to Qin Niu¡¯s advice, Steward Yan Qi¡¯s eyes shone like bright lamps.


    ¡°What profound insights! Listening to Brother Qin Niu¡¯s analysis is better than reading ten years of books. When spring comes, the soil on this slope becomes particularly moist, something I had not paid much attention to before. Now that I think about it, such conditions can indeed lead to flooding disasters. Compared to a real flood, this one drowns the roots, while a flood drowns the entire tree. Today, I¡¯ve truly learned something.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi reached into his breast pocket and drew out a piece of Silver Money.


    It must have weighed about five qian.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a little token of my appreciation, please accept it, Brother Qin Niu!¡±


    His way of addressing Qin Niu had also changed.


    Now it was Brother Qin Niu this, Brother Qin Niu that.


    Keep in mind, he was the Yan Family¡¯s steward, practically a member of the upper management.


    His status and identity were at least four levels above that of an ordinary farmer.


    Yet he took the initiative to lower his status, calling himself Qin Niu¡¯s brother, clearly showing that Qin Niu¡¯s agricultural expertise had won him over.


    ¡°I accept your kindness, Steward Yan Qi. It¡¯s just a few words, not worth much. If you use my fertilizer and it proves effective, please keep me in mind for the future.¡±


    ¡°Haha, no problem, no problem at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do in the fields, so 1 must be going now.¡±


    After giving his advice, Qin Niu took his leave.


    Not accepting that half-liang of Silver Money was precisely where his cleverness lay.


    For Qin Niu at the moment, half a liang of Silver Money was nothing. He could earn more than that from a single hunt.


    By not taking the money, he essentially had Yan Qi owing him a favor.


    In the future, Yan Qi would certainly take good care of any concerns Qin Niu might have.


    And that very evening, Qin Niu continued to remove insects from the millet field with his termites goes without saying.


    The next day, Qin Niu slept until the sun was high in the sky before getting up.


    Having spent two whole nights clearing the millet field of pests, not only did his insect control skill greatly improve, but he also harvested a bounty of insect eggs. These were precious treasures that could help the Ant Queen rapidly enhance her Breeding Skill.


    Although the benefits of such dietary supplementation couldn¡¯t continue indefinitely, as the effects would weaken over time, for Qin Niu at the moment, enhancing the Ant Queen¡¯s Breeding Skill by one level would be sufficient.


    He took out the Treasured Sword and carefully inspected it, noticing indeed that the green glow within the blade had begun to fade again.


    This sword was now temperamental.


    It demanded a drink of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood every day, or else it would fall sick¡¯.


    Just right, he planned to head up to the mountain to see if the termites had evolved. Today he intended to send a few termites into the coverage area of the Ancient Banyan Tree to test it out.


    After eating three jin of bear meat, he hurriedly packed several jars and set off for the mountain.


    Since he hadn¡¯t practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique the past two nights, his appetite had dropped by half. Eating three jin of bear meat a day was enough, but were he to practice the Everlasting Spring Technique, even six jin a day would leave him feeling hungry.


    All these jars he was carrying were for collecting Banyan Tree Blood.


    If that Ancient Banyan Tree had consciousness and could see him, it would probably die of anger.


    This human youth escaped by luck last time and, far from repenting, he returned with so many jars to draw its blood.


    Utterly detestable.


    Upon reaching the mountain, Qin Niu headed straight for the Ant Nest.


    ¡°My children, come forth!¡±


    He called out to the ant swarm like a demon lord..

 Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Chapter 61 Tiger-striped Soldier Ant i

    Chapter 66: Chapter 61 Tiger-striped Soldier Ant i


    Translator: 549690339


    As he called out, two Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, their entire bodies a pale green, were the first to crawl out.


    Their crawling speed was simply too fast.


    Ordinary termites couldn¡¯t compare.


    Even Fourth was much slower than them.


    However, if Fourth were to drink Banyan Tree Blood and successfully transform, it would probably be more formidable than any Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant because its potential was much higher than that of an ordinary worker ant.


    It was only because Qin Niu was afraid of risking its safety that he had not yet dared to let it drink Banyan Tree Blood.


    ¡°Very nice! I now have three Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants!¡±


    Qin Niu put Fifth back in the nest, and the three Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants stood at the forefront like three great generals, refusing to defer to others.


    Then, Fourth and six Swift Ants, each with a green vertical stripe on their bodies, quickly crawled out from the nest.


    Fourth was truly formidable.


    Without having drunk Banyan Tree Blood, its speed could match that of Swift Ants.


    Its combat power was estimated to be even stronger than the Swift Ants.


    Because it was a combination of a soldier ant and a worker ant.


    Qin Niu looked at the six Swift Worker Ants with silent delight in his heart.


    Now, breeding Swift Ants had become an exercise in experience, with a success rate close to one hundred percent.


    The only downside was that their level was still at Grade One, and their abilities were only stronger than ordinary termites, far from being comparable to Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants.


    The advantage was that they could be produced en masse in a short time, with a high success rate, and they only consumed one-tenth of the Banyan Tree Blood.


    The Banyan Tree Blood consumed to breed one Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant could breed ten Swift Ants.


    Following closely behind Fourth and the six Swift Ants, two soldier ants emerged, their bodies marked with pale green spots. Their speed was on par with that of Swift Ants, and they looked like barbaric giants who had been enhanced.


    Their legs and bodies were both more than double the bulk of an ordinary soldier ant.


    Their mandibles were the most exaggerated, actually shining with a hint of metallic luster, at least three times thicker than those of ordinary soldier ants.


    The serrations on them were even more chilling.


    If they were to clamp onto an enemy¡¯s body, they could probably snap off a leg instantly or tear a large wound in their flesh. It was simply terrifying.


    The snapping of their mandibles produced a ¡°clack, clack¡± sound.


    It was as if they were demonstrating their powerful strength after evolution to their master.


    Seeing these two soldier ants evolve so powerfully, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but beam with joy.


    Check the ant colony attributes.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Two order of winged insects, upgrade experience 567/1000


    Lifespan: 4.6 years


    Energy: 11575


    Skills: Breeding Skill Grade One 5.45/10, Feign Death Grade One 2/10


    Talent: Average intelligence, breeds offspring with high resilience (2%), breeds offspring with minor poison traits (5%)


    Ant colony: 1 Subordinate Worker Ant, lifespan 6 months, special abilities (strength, agility, venom, average intelligence).


    3 Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, lifespan 13 years, special abilities (speed, powerful biting, the formic acid they spit out can assist in healing plant wounds).


    6 Swift Worker Ants, lifespan 5 years, special abilities (rapid crawling or attacking, the formic acid they spit out can mildly assist in healing plant wounds).


    5 Mighty Worker Ants, lifespan 3.3 years.


    57 Ordinary Worker Ants, lifespan 3 years.


    2 Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, lifespan 10.5 years, special abilities (powerful biting, fury, with speed increased threefold in a furious state, attack strength increased fivefold, defense increased by one time).


    2 Mighty Soldier Ants, lifespan 8 months.


    19 Ordinary Soldier Ants, lifespan 6 months.


    After checking the new attributes of the ant colony, Qin Niu was filled with joy.


    The ant colony brought him surprises every day.


    There were now three types of Grade Two termites.


    The Tiger-striped Soldier Ants were the most badass, having evolved the fury skill, and combined with their powerful biting, they were invincible.


    Right at that moment, Qin Niu saw two black stink ants run over to the camphor tree in search of food.


    It was a perfect opportunity to test the Tiger-striped Soldier Ants¡¯ abilities.


    ¡°You¡¯re up!¡±


    Qin Niu picked up one of the Tiger-striped Soldier Ants and placed it in front of the two stink ants.


    ¡°Fight them!¡±


    The tiger-striped soldier ant, upon spotting the enemy, raised its two antennae straight up, emitting a hissing sound similar to a snake flicking its tongue.


    One could see its body instantly swell up considerably. Before Qin Niu could even blink, it had already charged toward one of the stink ants.


    Its speed was much faster than that of a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant.


    Crack!


    It was incredibly brutal¡ªjust one bite was enough to crush the head of a stink ant.


    A direct instant kill.


    The black stink ant, which was three times the size of the tiger-striped soldier ant, didn¡¯t even have time to react before it was killed on the spot.


    Seeing its companion slain, the remaining black stink ant immediately sounded the alarm and tried to escape.


    After going berserk, the tiger-striped soldier ant was unbearably bloodthirsty.


    It turned into a blur as it chased after the fleeing ant, and with another bite, instantly killed the black stink ant.


    Both times were instant kills, showing how vastly different their strengths were.


    It was unexpected that a soldier ant would evolve into a Grade Two tiger-striped ant and become this powerful.


    It¡¯s estimated that two of them could press down a nest of black stink ants to the ground and rub them out.


    Now that the initial breeding methods for termites have been figured out, the only things lacking are two: acquiring Banyan Tree Blood and improving the Ant Queen¡¯s Breeding Skill.


    At the very least, to help the Ant Queen improve her Breeding Skill to produce 100 eggs daily in order to truly make the ant colony the overlord of this forest.


    Seeing how strong the ordinary soldier ants became after evolving, Qin Niu secretly thought about what would happen if two brute force soldier ants were given Banyan Tree Blood to consume. To what extent could they evolve?


    Having acquired two tiger-striped soldier ants, it was completely viable to use the only two brute force soldier ants for this experiment.


    Even if they were to die unfortunately, the safety of the ant colony would still be secured.


    The lifespan of brute force soldier ants was actually quite short.


    Even if Qin Niu fed them lots of good stuff through the worker ants, their lifespans were only extended by two months.


    You have to take risks to succeed.


    If the evolution was successful, their lifespan could be extended by at least ten years, and they would be able to advance to Grade Two termites.


    Taking this risk should be entirely worth it.


    Qin Niu decided to give it a try.


    He scraped some Banyan Tree Blood from the inner wall of the small jar, diluted it, and had two worker ants feed it to them.


    Fortunately, there was an abundance of worker ants, which were the most numerous in the ant colony.


    He summoned two worker ants that had never drunk Banyan Tree Blood, let them drink it, and had them feed the brute force soldier ants without waiting to regurgitate it.


    It took some time to ensure both brute force soldier ants consumed enough Banyan Tree Blood.


    The two worker ants also took advantage of the situation, consuming plenty of Banyan Tree Blood as well.


    After eating, all four termites lay motionless.


    Their bodies shook as their abdomens rapidly began to swell¡ªan inevitable reaction after drinking Banyan Tree Blood.


    To evolve and grow stronger, one must withstand the energy shock brought by the Banyan Tree Blood after it¡¯s consumed.


    If they could endure it, they would essentially be able to transform successfully.


    If not, they would die on the spot.


    The two worker ants were alright; their abdomens swelled to a certain extent and then stopped.


    However, the two brute force soldier ants were cause for concern.


    Their abdomens kept expanding until the skin on their abdomens was stretched so thin it became transparent.


    Bang!


    One of the brute force soldier ants couldn¡¯t withstand it, and its abdomen exploded.


    This made Qin Niu¡¯s heart ache.


    It was one of the only two brute force soldier ants they had, and now it had died.


    Such a waste.


    He had also considered feeding them a safe dosage¡ªone-tenth¡ªwhich would have been much safer.


    But that would restrict the brute force soldier ants¡¯ future improvements and development.


    Every single level advancement for a termite is as difficult as reaching the heavens.


    The transformation from Grade One to Grade Two for the Ant Queen was without obstacles.


    Any female breeder ant had this ability. As long as it laid eggs, it would automatically advance to Grade Two termites.


    But for other termites to evolve from Grade One to Grade Two was tremendously difficult.

 Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Chapter 62 People Die for Wealth, Birds Perish for Foodi

    Chapter 67: Chapter 62 People Die for Wealth, Birds Perish for Foodi


    Translator: 549690339


    Not only was it more difficult for the termites to advance a grade than to ascend to the heavens, but it was the same for other insects.


    Because it was so difficult, the standard for the Insect Master Association to recognize a prospective Insect Master was possession of a Grade Two insect that could be commanded by its master.


    Qin Niu watched the last strong soldier ant, silently praying in his heart, ¡°Oh Lord, let me keep this one!¡±


    Perhaps his prayer worked. After the strong soldier ant¡¯s abdomen swelled to its limits, it did not explode but slowly stabilized.


    Qin Niu waited for a full half hour, and when it still did not explode, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    He had Fourth carefully carry it into the nest.


    ¡°Ant Queen, come out now!¡±


    Qin Niu called the Ant Queen out.


    Then he took Fourth, over twenty worker ants, six ordinary soldier ants, and six Swift Ants to the location of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Leaving behind two Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants and three Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants to guard the Ant Nest should be more than enough.


    Now, it was estimated that even a large centipede intending to attack their nest would fail.


    In fact, the centipede might be killed by the Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants and forced to flee in disarray.


    Not to mention anything else, the sheer speed of the Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants alone would secure them an invulnerable position.


    Add to that their terrifying biting ability, breaking the centipede¡¯s carapace shouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem.


    At the very least, they could sever the centipede¡¯s legs.


    Once a few legs are bitten off, no matter how ferocious the centipede is, it would have no choice but to hurry off with its tail between its legs.


    The current Ant Nest only had a fairly high level of defensive capability. Given more time, the nest would become as impregnable as a fortified city.


    It would even be capable of mounting proactive assaults to expand the safe perimeter.


    Just like a country, when not strong, it¡¯s good enough to maintain domestic safety.


    Once it gains strength, it can assert air sovereignty, naval rights, and so on.


    And when it becomes as powerful as a superpower, it can establish military bases worldwide. The homeland is almost unnecessary to defend on its own; one only needs to build a stair-step security zone around the periphery of their territory.


    Bringing part of the ant colony to the pine tree where the beehive was,


    Qin Niu prepared to use this location as a stronghold.


    ¡°Worker ants, start building a nest under this pine tree! In the future, this will serve as a temporary ¡®palace¡¯ for the Ant Queen,¡±


    He had never considered relocating the Ant Nest here.


    Because this Ancient Banyan Tree was very peculiar; any unexpected movement could lead to the annihilation of the entire termite colony.


    This consequence was more than Qin Niu could bear.


    Given his cautiousness, he would not take such a huge risk for the sake of convenience.


    The purpose of digging a temporary ant nest in this pine tree was one.


    When he entered the range of the Ancient Banyan Tree to cultivate or retrieve tree blood, the Ant Queen could hide in the temporary palace and command from there, without fear of being captured by birds, snakes, or lizards.


    Six Swift Ants and Fourth frantically gnawed at the trunk of the pine tree.


    Compared with them, the other ordinary worker ants were far less efficient.


    In less than half an hour, they had dug out a hole in the tree.


    The entrance was very small, only as thick as a chopstick.


    But the space inside should be quite large.


    The pile of wood chips they flung out was substantial.


    These wood chips were actually their favorite food, but now, following Qin Niu¡¯s commands to speed up the excavation of the temporary nest, they didn¡¯t have the chance to eat and simply bit the wood into chips before tossing them out.


    Close to an hour later, the temporary nest was already dug deep enough.


    It was completely suitable for the Ant Queen to reside temporarily.


    And in the future, it could still be deepened further.


    ¡°Alright, Ant Queen, go inside!¡±


    Qin Niu arranged for the Ant Queen to move into the temporary nest and then brought out some insect eggs for the worker ants to eat and then feed to her.


    Exploring the Ancient Banyan Tree and enhancing the Breeding Skill of the Ant Queen were both important.


    Both tasks were being carried out simultaneously.


    ¡°Go in and try it! As long as you can come out, 1 will help you become as strong as Fifth,¡±


    Qin Niu commanded a normal worker ant.


    If it truly managed to enter and then successfully escape, it would undoubtedly be Qin Niu¡¯s meritorious servant.


    At that time, it would definitely receive special treatment.


    The termites unconditionally obeyed their master¡¯s command,


    as if they had no concept of fear of death whatsoever.


    This ordinary worker ant quickly crawled forward.


    A moment later, it entered the range encompassed by the Banyan Tree.


    Qin Niu kept a close watch on this termite and noticed a very eerie phenomenon. As it was about to enter the range of the Banyan Tree, its body gradually became blurred, and eventually, it disappeared completely.


    It could be said with certainty that at this distance, Qin Niu¡¯s vision should have allowed him to see everything clearly.


    Its body, from becoming blurry to disappearing, seemed to enter another tiny world.


    That was really the feeling.


    He was just an ordinary farmer, with limited experience and knowledge.


    He had no way to explain these strange occurrences.


    Perhaps those cultivators from the sects could provide a clear explanation. It might be some kind of formation, or a hidden magnetic field, a maze array, or something similar.


    After that ordinary termite went in, Qin Niu immediately tried to contact it with his spiritual power, calling it back.


    But he couldn¡¯t feel its presence at all.


    It was as if, after entering, it was shielded by an invisible barrier.


    ¡°Ant Queen, can you sense that worker ant?¡±


    ¡°I cannot sense them, but as long as I release pheromones, they will be able to sense my existence.¡±


    ¡°Alright, release pheromones periodically, try to help it come out.¡±


    Qin Niu sat down under the pine tree and waited patiently.


    He took out the Everlasting Spring Technique and read it attentively.


    This cultivation technique was very profound, and he had only managed to grasp the rudiments of it. Even so, his fate had already changed drastically from before.


    He discovered that he could cultivate by absorbing Moonlight Power, allowing him to steadily improve his cultivation every day.


    Even without other opportunities or new insights, relying on this method to cultivate to the Tenfold of ordinary people should not be a problem.


    It was just a question of how long it would take.


    Time slowly passed, and Qin Niu still hadn¡¯t seen that termite make its way out.


    He knew that waiting any longer would probably be in vain.


    He could only revert to the plan that had succeeded last time, letting them build a bridge.


    ¡°Form a line and go in, do not venture too deep, as soon as you sense the connection with the Ant Queen weaken, immediately return the same way you came.¡±


    This time, Qin Niu directly employed twenty worker ants.


    Including four Swift Ants.


    After they went in, Qin Niu could see that some were left outside.


    About every meter or so, a worker ant stood still, waiting in place.


    Fourth was in charge of the rear command.


    There was no choice, this Ancient Banyan Tree was too uncanny; only having Fourth, a termite with medium intelligence, take charge could make it a bit more secure.


    As time ticked away, the worker ants inside still did not appear.


    The ones outside remained motionless, waiting patiently.


    They all maintained a discipline that was very strict.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart continued to sink¡ªthe terror of this Ancient Banyan Tree surpassed imagination.


    If it weren¡¯t for the multiple uses of its sap, he would definitely stay as far away from it as possible.


    It¡¯s often said that people die for wealth and birds die for food.


    This saying was not wrong at all.


    He had a sudden idea¡ªsince termites could come up with such a method of forming a line, could he also use a rope as a substitute?


    Tie the rope to this pine tree and venture inside with the rope in hand.


    When wanting to come out, pull on the rope to exit.


    This method should have some feasibility.


    He started to cut vines from all around, weaving them into a long rope.


    He estimated that a length of two hundred meters should suffice.


    It was a daunting task.


    Luckily, the area was deep in the mountains, rarely visited by humans, with plenty of wild vines.


    After a tough effort collecting, he gathered a large pile of vines and sat under the pine tree to start braiding the rope.


    He definitely needed to ensure sturdiness.


    Since he couldn¡¯t find anyone to take his place, he had to take the risk himself.


    His idea was simple: not to fear trouble and explore a little at a time inwardly. If something went wrong, he would immediately retreat.


    ¡°Fourth! What are you doing?¡±


    At that moment, Qin Niu noticed Fourth quickly rushing inward.


    He urgently called out in alarm.


    Because Fourth was too important to the entire ant colony.


    It couldn¡¯t afford any accidents..

 Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Chapter 63 Free Entry and Exit i

    Chapter 68: Chapter 63 Free Entry and Exit i


    Translator: 549690339


    Fourth possessed great wisdom, and it must have rushed in because it saw that the termites that had entered were not coming out.


    It might have even sensed their cries for help from inside.


    By the time Qin Niu called it back, it was already too late.


    Its body was becoming blurry bit by bit, and it was oblivious to Qin Niu¡¯s commands.


    Once it reached the edge of the area covered by the Ancient Banyan Tree, as its body began to blur, it seemed to be cut off from sensing the outside world.


    Watching Fourth charge in, Qin Niu¡¯s eyes also became increasingly fierce.


    Fourth had saved his life before and was extremely important to the entire ant colony; he would not just stand by and watch it die inside.


    He believed that he could make it out a second time since he had the first time.


    Back then, the ant colony was so weak and yet it managed to rescue him.


    Now being a hundred times stronger, there was no reason they couldn¡¯t escape the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s entrapment.


    He sped up making the rope.


    As time passed, the termites that had entered and Fourth, who went in last, had not come out.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart had already sunk to the bottom; he harbored no more wishful thinking.


    At that moment, he urgently created a vine rope nearly two hundred meters long.


    It was crude, but also very sturdy.


    He tied one end to a pine tree, then called out two Swift Ants from the temporary ant nest and took them with him.


    ¡°Ant Queen, I am now going to break into that terrifying area to rescue the other termites. Do not come out of the temporary nest,¡± he said.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Her reply was simple and straightforward.


    Qin Niu no longer hesitated; while it was still early, he quickly went in.


    Shouldering the basket, with Treasured Sword close at hand, he walked forward, laying out the rope as he went.


    Later, he would be able to pull himself out by the rope.


    As he approached the edge of the Ancient Banyan Tree area, he felt nothing amiss. But he knew very well that by this position, his body should have already begun to blur.


    He looked back outside, and sure enough, as expected, the pine tree was now faint and indistinct.


    ¡°Fourth!¡±


    The fear Qin Niu felt entering the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s area for the second time was much less than the first time.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree still stood quietly in front of him just like last time.


    The thick trunk supported a vast canopy that overshadowed the area like a grand umbrella.


    He forged ahead while searching for the termites that had entered.


    Soon, he found one of the termites.


    It was the one that had ventured in first.


    At this moment, it was circling around a fern.


    If Qin Niu hadn¡¯t come in, it probably would have kept circling until it died.


    Qin Niu bent down and picked it up.


    He placed it together with the two Swift Ants he had brought with him.


    ¡°Thank you, master.¡±


    It excitedly expressed its gratitude to Qin Niu.


    Having suddenly appeared in their despair to rescue them, Qin Niu had brought it immense joy.


    ¡°Do you know where the other termites are?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I can sense their presence, but somehow I can¡¯t reach their location no matter what.¡±


    Qin Niu had guessed as much.


    He began using a faint sense to search for the termites that had lost contact after entering.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree was very strange; from the outside, one could not sense anything inside.


    But once inside, the interference was much weaker.


    ¡°Master! I¡¯m here! I can hear your call,¡± came a message from Fourth.


    Qin Niu searched in that direction.


    On his way, he saved three more termites that had been trapped.


    It seemed that relying on them to guide the way inside was not very reliable.


    Why hadn¡¯t they lost their way the first time?


    When Qin Niu found Fourth, seven termites were following it.


    This indicated that Fourth had a relatively clear sense of direction inside.


    ¡°Fourth, do you get lost in here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A little! As long as I stay away from these small trees, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Fourth was pointing to a small tree with an ink-green hue all over.


    I didn¡¯t know its name, it looked a bit like the leaves of konjac, and there were strange grayish-white spots on the trunk.


    They looked like grayish-white eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t tall, only about a meter in height.


    Termites just had to run under its tree and they would become disoriented.


    Within the range shrouded by the Ancient Banyan Tree, it was basically a small world under the control of the tree itself. The trees and grass inside seemed to have a symbiotic relationship with it.


    Qin Niu cut down the small tree with a single slash of his blade.


    A pale green liquid immediately started oozing out from the cut end of the trunk.


    Qin Niu suddenly had an idea, if Banyan Tree Blood could help termites evolve, what would happen if they drank the blood of this symbiotic plant?


    This time he had come prepared.


    He immediately took out a small jar and began collecting the blood of the bizarre plant.


    After collecting it, he searched for his next target.


    As long as he saw this type of small tree, he cut it down without hesitation.


    Ordinary termites could be trapped by any grass or small tree, but only this kind of small tree with grayish-white eyeballs on its trunk could confine Fourth.


    Qin Niu soon collected nearly half a jar of blood from this type of tree.


    He managed to locate all the termites that had come inside as well.


    He glanced at the trunk of the Ancient Banyan Tree behind him, licking his lips with covetous eyes.


    Banyan Tree Blood was a treasure.


    It was a pity that the rope he had woven wasn¡¯t long enough.


    Before finding a way to freely come and go, it was better to remain cautious.


    He started to head back the way he came.


    Simply pulling the rope and moving forward.


    As he walked out, he kept gathering the rope.


    In theory, there should have been no problem, but something strange happened again very soon.


    The rope did not break but seemed to be able to extend indefinitely.


    The more he collected, the more there seemed to be, never coming to an end.


    In less than half an hour, he had a huge bunch of vine rope in his hands.


    He was certain that just the amount he held in his hands was more than two hundred meters long. There was still some tied around the pine tree outside, probably forty to fifty meters of it.


    He had woven the rope himself, so how could it possibly extend infinitely?


    ¡°Fourth, can you feel the Ant Queen¡¯s position?¡± Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°I can! But it¡¯s very weak,¡± Fourth replied.


    ¡°Lead the way!¡± Qin Niu ordered.


    Fourth walked, stopped, and kept adjusting its direction.


    Whenever they encountered a tree that could trap Fourth, Qin Niu solved it without mercy with a single slash.


    With Fourth leading the way, Qin Niu made it out of there successfully.


    Looking at the vine rope in his hand, it was incredible.


    It was like wood that had dried out for years; it fell apart with just a touch.


    Once out, Qin Niu felt secretly elated.


    It appeared that as long as Fourth and the Ant Queen stayed out of trouble, even if he went in, his safety was assured.


    Had he known how powerful Fourth was, he wouldn¡¯t have worried about collecting Banyan Tree Blood.


    But given another chance, he guessed he would still be as cautious as before.


    He didn¡¯t dare to recklessly risk Fourth¡¯s well-being.


    He simply discarded the vine rope in his hand.


    It wasn¡¯t that the entire rope was rotten. The rope outside was fine; it was only the part that had been taken inside that had completely deteriorated.


    Nor was there an obvious boundary; it had decayed gradually.


    It was like there was a buffer zone.


    Qin Niu estimated that this buffer zone was about twelve meters long.


    ¡°Fourth, let¡¯s go in and try again,¡± he suggested.


    Having successfully exited twice, Qin Niu grew bolder.


    He took Fourth and broke in again.


    It was still early, and dusk was a long way off.


    This time, he did not skulk around but headed straight for the trunk of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Without several jars of Banyan Tree Blood, the repeated risks would have been for nothing..

 Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Chapter 64 Ant Wari

    Chapter 69: Chapter 64 Ant Wari


    Translator: 549690339


    Upon arriving at the trunk of the Ancient Banyan Tree, Qin Niu didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries, he chopped with his knife and the blade sank nearly three inches deep into the wood.


    The dark green Banyan Tree Blood immediately began to flow out.


    lie took out a large jar to collect the blood.


    To harvest three to five jars of it would leave him worry-free for at least a couple of months.


    The flow of the Banyan Tree Blood was initially fast but gradually slowed down. The tree had a strong self-healing ability, and its wounds were rapidly healing.


    Qin Niu forcefully chopped several times, enlarging the gash on the body of the tree and cleverly creating a vertical channel to ensure the tree blood flowed smoothly into the jar.


    After filling one jar, he didn¡¯t stop. He made several similar cuts in different directions, enough for five large jars to collect blood.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s heart must be on the verge of collapse.


    But it was merely a plant and seemed not to have awakened any spiritual intelligence, so it had no response to this human¡¯s greedy exploitation and extraction.


    lie estimated that filling five jars with blood would take quite some time.


    He began to sit cross-legged under the tree to cultivate.


    One truly needed a strong mental fortitude to remain as calm as he did.


    With the activation of the Everlasting Spring Technique, he once again experienced the long-lost ultra-fast cultivation speed.


    It was a whole twenty times faster than the outside world.


    Cool energy was omnipresent, entering into his body from all around through his pores and orifices.


    The most common path of cultivation was to absorb the purple qi at dawn and to swallow rosy clouds at dusk.


    In simple terms, it was ail about using a daily breathing practice or other alternative methods to absorb the energy of the universe. As long as one could integrate this energy into the body and convert it into personal strength, it could be deemed cultivation.


    There are mainly three or four methods to absorb external energy. One is through the pores. Another is direct inhalation through the nostrils, which is also the most common mainstream method of cultivation.


    Some people absorb energy through the Baihui acupoint on the top of their heads. This is often seen in the rites of empowerment and transmitting skills.


    Because it¡¯s somewhat akin to spoiling a child by boosting their growth prematurely, rapidly increasing the recipient¡¯s cultivation level at the expense of the transmitter¡¯s own power, it has always been considered an evil cultivation method.


    There is also the method of intake through eating.


    Such as consuming various Spirit Fruits, Spiritual Medicine, or other heaven-sent treasures.


    Besides, there are several non-mainstream methods, such as embryonic breathing through the umbilicus to absorb external energy.


    Medicinal baths are another method, where one soaks in a medicinal liquid to absorb the energy within the liquid through the skin.


    This principle is somewhat similar to absorbing through the pores.


    So far, Qin Niu had discovered only one method of cultivation, which was through absorbing external energy via the pores.


    Without a teacher¡¯s guidance, that he could figure out and understand this method of cultivation on his own was quite impressive.


    In the outside world, he could only absorb the energy of moonlight.


    Moreover, only the parts of his body that were exposed to the moonlight could obtain the moonlight energy.


    Under this Ancient Banyan Tree, it was as if he was soaked in the ocean of energy formed by moonlight.


    Energy could be absorbed through all the pores of his body.


    And the energy here was many times denser than the scant energy brought by moonlight.


    This was also the reason he could achieve a twentyfold increase in cultivation speed.


    At this moment, his cultivation level began to soar rapidly.


    Time passed bit by bit, and Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation gradually approached the peak of the mundane Onefold Realm.


    He was just about to gather his energy and breakthrough to the mundane Twofold Realm.


    Then, an imperceptibly cold energy descended like a fine drizzle.


    He instinctively sensed a trace of unease.


    He immediately became alert.


    Only then did he remember that he was still under the Ancient Banyan Tree, in a dangerous place.


    He opened his eyes and looked up at the canopy, and sure enough, it had pressed down a little, just as he expected.


    It seemed the sun must have set in the outside world.


    Qin Niu quickly got up, collected the five jars.


    They weren¡¯t full.


    The one with the most in it had only about half a jar.


    Put together, it should be a little more than one large jar.


    That was still acceptable.


    He slung the jars on his back and had Fourth lead the way, hurriedly heading out.


    With Fourth leading the way, there was hardly any need to worry about getting lost inside. If there was any small tree that could confuse Fourth, Qin Niu had a way to deal with it.


    As long as he saw one, he could chop it down with a single stroke.


    After coming out, he noticed that the sky had indeed darkened.


    The sun had already set.


    When cultivating, one would be so focused and immersed that one couldn¡¯t feel the passage of time.


    Before he knew it, he had been cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree for more than two hours.


    That twentyfold increase in cultivation speed was indeed too enticing.


    It really made one a bit unable to extricate themselves.


    Looking at the five jars of Banyan Tree Blood he successfully carried out and the significant increase in his own cultivation level, he felt that today¡¯s adventure had been particularly meaningful.


    Perhaps, there is an innate spirit of adventure in the bones of men.


    He checked his own cultivation level.


    Mortal Onefold 98.7/100.


    He was just a little short of advancing to Twofold.


    The minimum cultivation level for a Protector of the Yan Family was Mortal Twofold.


    It is said that the annual salary wouldn¡¯t be less than twenty Silver Money if one managed to get the job. It¡¯s twice as high as the wage for a top-class farmer.


    The main duty of a Protector is patrolling and protecting the Yan Family¡¯s assets and clan members.


    It¡¯s akin to a private mercenary force.


    Typically, the Yan Family¡¯s Protector force would be composed of two parts of personnel.


    One part would be the Yan Family¡¯s own clan members, and the other part would be hired outsiders.


    The routine patrolling duties were mainly carried out by the hired outsiders, but there would always be a Yan Family member leading the team.


    The Yan Family was so large that there certainly wouldn¡¯t be a shortage of experts among its clan members.


    They also needed martial power to protect the Yan Family¡¯s assets and the safety of its clan members. Otherwise, the Yan Family would seem like a fat piece of meat in the eyes of others, ready to be chopped up however they pleased.


    Qin Niu had already eradicated the pests in his maize field.


    Tonight was a good opportunity to devote himself to serious cultivation, striving for a breakthrough to Mortal Twofold in one go.


    Although it¡¯s just a minor realm breakthrough, it was enough to change one¡¯s destiny.


    For an ordinary farmer, obtaining the cultivation level of Mortal Twofold means they could enter service as a Protector for a local noble clan like the Yan Family. With the high annual salary earned, one could buy Cultivation Techniques, blood food, tonics, weapons, armor, and martial arts manuals, thus becoming stronger and stronger.


    The income difference between Mortal Twofold and Threefold is quite significant.


    Even more, if one¡¯s strength becomes formidable, the Yan Family might take the initiative to discuss with the Protector for a transition into a retained family retainer position.


    Qin Niu came to the pine tree and looked up at the beehive above his head.


    The Termites, after consuming the Banyan Tree Blood, could evolve into various types of Grade Two ants.


    What would happen if the queen bee¡¯s offspring were to consume it?


    What he most wanted to obtain was the Green Demon Bee from the Green


    Demon.


    Having just one would be enough to ensure that he could act with impunity in Jade Stream Town.


    He planned to raise his cultivation level a bit higher, and nurture his ant and bee colonies to become even stronger before attempting to claim the treasure left by the Green Demon.


    If there was any danger, he could then handle it with ease.


    To rush for the treasure now would be to easily give his life away.


    Carrying the Ant Queen and Fourth along with other Termites, he returned to the Ant Nest.


    As soon as he arrived, he found a layer of black, foul-smelling ant corpses piled up under the camphor tree. Each one had died in a tragic state, some even decapitated.


    Without a doubt, this was the work of the two Grade Two tiger-striped Soldier Ants.


    Without the Ant Queen and Fourth to give commands and direct the intelligent Termites, they became somewhat chaotic.


    It was very likely that some Soldier Ants had discovered the black, foul-smelling ants searching for food near the camphor tree, then startled the two tempestuous Grade Two tiger-striped Soldier Ants, who emerged from the nest and killed the scouting vanguard on the spot.


    This had caused major trouble.


    The black, foul-smelling ant colony had existed in this area for a long time, their numbers growing to tens of thousands. Would they just swallow this insult?


    It was predictable that both sides would come to blows.


    The black, foul-smelling ant corpses on the ground included many with long, thick mandibles, indicating that a large number of Soldier Ants were sent directly for revenge.


    Qin Niu first returned the Ant Queen and Fourth along with other Termites back into the Ant Nest.


    At present, the black, foul-smelling ants were still not admitting defeat, continuously sending reinforcements. They seemed to want to use a war of attrition to annihilate this colony of Termites.


    The two Grade Two tiger-striped Soldier Ants appeared indefatigable and were still fiercely aggressive.


    Qin Niu wanted to see how Fourth would handle this situation..

 Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Chapter 65: A New Experiment i

    Chapter 70: Chapter 65: A New Experiment i


    Translator: 549690339


    It was surprising that Fourth quickly made arrangements after returning to the nest.


    He left behind a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant to lead six Soldier Ants in defense at the entrance of the nest.


    He then led two Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, six Swift Ants, and eleven Soldier Ants quickly to the battlefield.


    One would have thought he would bring this powerful reinforcement troop to help the Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants attack those black stench ants.


    He did not do so.


    Instead, he maneuvered to about five or six meters away from the battleground and forcefully cut off the reinforcement path of the black stench ants. They split into two groups.


    Fourth led six Swift Ants and one Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant to intercept the incessantly arriving reinforcements of the black stench ants.


    The remaining Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant led eleven ordinary Soldier Ants to chase and kill the those black stench ants whose retreat had been cut off.


    This was a bloody battle.


    Ordinary Soldier Ants required five or six to deal with one ordinary black stench ant.


    If it were a stench ant soldier, then the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant would have to take action personally. Three ordinary Soldier Ants fought with a stench ant soldier ¡ª it was supposed to be a siege, but an opponent managed to bite off a leg with a single bite.


    If it had been a one-on-one fight, that Termite Soldier Ant would probably have already fallen.


    Qin Niu watched quietly.


    Just taking Fourth out for a day led to such an incident, which further highlighted how important it was for an ant colony to have a Worker Ant with intelligence.


    Those who seek war shall perish.


    The two Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants were indeed powerful, capable of instantly killing the soldier ants among the black stench ants.


    But they would eventually exhaust their strength.


    The number of the black stench ant colony was as high as tens of thousands, fully capable of using a war of attrition to overwhelm them.


    Fourth¡¯s handling of an accidentally invading black stench ant was excellent.


    He cut off the enemy¡¯s retreat, eradicated them, and allowed them no chance to signal for help.


    At this moment, the great war continued.


    Fourth appeared very cautious and rational. He did not charge into the frontlines, but had the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant block in front, and the six Swift Ants assist from behind.


    He dealt with some that slipped through the net.


    It was evident that his combat ability was roughly equivalent to the Swift Ants. His biting force fell short compared to the Swift Ants.


    But his upper jaws had stronger cutting capabilities.


    After all, he had integrated some traits of Soldier Ants.


    About a quarter of an hour later, the black stench ants whose retreat had been cut off and who had lost their reinforcements were virtually wiped out.


    Fourth commanded the two Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants and ordinary Soldier Ants to return to the nest.


    He himself led the six Swift Ants to retreat.


    He only left behind two Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants to continue intercepting the black stench ants.


    Soon after, the two Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants also swiftly retreated.


    Their speed was very fast, simply unattainable for the black stench ants.


    In the blink of an eye, they had retreated back into the nest.


    The two sides had disengaged from contact.


    The black stench ants, having lost their target, appeared quite agitated as they searched for the enemy everywhere.


    But the clever Fourth had already ordered a withdrawal and was not conduction a fight to the death with them.


    In the end, the black stench ants carried away the bodies of their companions piece by piece.


    Many people think ants like to eat the bodies of their kind, or that they carry the bodies of their companions back as a special ritual of corpse collection, both of which are ludicrous notions.


    Ants carry the bodies of their companions because, even in death, their bodies still emit the scent of food pheromones.


    That¡¯s why they treat the bodies of their companions as ¡®food* and bring them back to the nest.


    But after being carried back, those food-signifying pheromones fade considerably after the commotion of the journey, and the pheromones of their own kind on the bodies become more prominent.


    They will realize these are the bodies of their own kind and will not eat them.


    Instead, they are transported to a special chamber designated for storing the bodies of their kind.


    So, by a series of mishaps, they end up ¡®collecting¡¯ the corpses of their companions.


    Seeing that the battle had ended, Qin Niu called forth a regular Worker Ant and a regular Soldier Ant and fed each of them a bit of the pale-green tree blood collected from the small tree covered with countless gray-white eyes.


    He wanted to see what kind of changes this tree blood would bring to the Termites.


    Having previous experience with feeding Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, he chose a conservative safe dosage when it came to the amount.


    Him


    After consuming the blood, the two termites started circling around as if bewitched on the spot.


    Then, after a while, their heads began to swell, while their abdomens only bulged slightly.


    This scene filled Qin Niu with amazement.


    He was even more excited about the changes the ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood could bring to the termites.


    Once their heads had swelled to nearly twice their original size, they slowly stabilized.


    After observing for a while and noticing that neither had exploded or died, Qin Niu also quietly breathed a sigh of relief.


    He had Fourth drag them back into the nest.


    He would come back to check on them tomorrow.


    Having observed for a moment, he returned home, laden with the collected Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    By the time he got back, it was already getting dark.


    With an ample supply of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, he no longer had to use it sparingly.


    An idea struck him, what would happen if he soaked the Treasured Sword directly in the Banyan Tree Blood?


    After all, applying a layer to it every day was a considerable time waste.


    And it would absorb it very quickly.


    It felt as though it had not had its ¡®fill.¡¯


    If he could just submerge it in the Banyan Tree Blood, letting it absorb the energy within at its leisure, it would certainly speed up the nurturing process.


    With this idea in mind, Qin Niu began preparing for it.


    Conveniently, there was a stone trough in the backyard for feeding livestock.


    He grabbed a hoe and dug a shallow pit in a corner of the backyard, sizing it to the stone trough and placing it inside.


    Then, he found some discarded wooden planks and fashioned a lid for it.


    Once that was done, a crude and concealed ¡®Soldier Nurturing Pond¡¯ was built.


    He poured in the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood collected for the day.


    He deliberately reserved a small jar for feeding the termites.


    Perhaps because the stone trough was somewhat large, even after pouring all five jars of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood into it, it only filled the trough with a thin layer.


    He tested it, and it just covered the blade of the sword.


    A small part of the hilt remained exposed.


    After placing it in, fine bubbles could be seen rising.


    The Treasured Sword seemed to be particularly excited.


    After observing for a while and seeing no issues, he covered it with the lid, took a bath, and then sat down to cultivate beside the well in the backyard.


    As the energy of the moonlight was continuously absorbed into his body, transforming into the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique, his cultivation began to climb once again.


    However, it was much slower than when he cultivated under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Around four in the morning, he felt the cool energy inside his body become quite abundant, almost permeating his limbs and bones. At this point, if his body were a container, it was nearly filled with the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    But as his cultivation continued, new power still squeezed into his body.


    When the power inside became too crowded, some of it was absorbed by his lungs with his breath.


    As his alveoli contracted, they exhaled the body¡¯s waste gas.


    The crowded cool energy surged into his lungs. When inhaling, the alveoli expanded, and the cool energy pressed inside squeezed forcefully into the lungs. Thus, as he continued to breathe, the concentration of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power in his lungs gradually far exceeded that in other parts of his body.


    His breathing became increasingly difficult.


    It was a very stifling feeling.


    When this feeling of suffocation reached its limit, the cool energy inside his lungs also reached its threshold.


    Boom!


    When he forcibly inhaled once more, his chest shuddered slightly.


    It wasn¡¯t very strong.


    However, he felt as if after the potential of his lungs had been squeezed to the limit, they underwent an unimown transformation.


    Their capacity expanded by more than tenfold in an instant.


    A vast amount of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power was greedily absorbed by them.


    They were becoming increasingly powerful.


    The stifling sensation disappeared without a trace, replaced by an intense feeling of refreshment. As he inhaled, it was like a whale swallowing the sea; as he exhaled, the energy flowed long and steady..

 Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Chapter 66 Blade Qj_1

    Chapter 71: Chapter 66 Blade Qj_1


    Translator: 549690339


    He felt a secret joy in his heart, suspecting that his cultivation level had broken through the first stratum of commoners.


    He had read some warnings in books, advising that one should neither become excited and relax nor become arrogant right after breaking through to a new realm, because the new level of cultivation was still very unstable.


    There was a high risk of falling back to the previous state or even suffering from cultivation deviation.


    That would indeed turn joy into sorrow.


    Just like when a Termite evolved into a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant, its movements were slow.


    Only after adapting slowly and waiting for a while could it move swiftly.


    Qin Niu dared not relax, having long yearned to advance to the second stratum of commoners. Now that he had succeeded, he must ensure stability and consolidate this new realm.


    As he continued his cultivation, the strengthening of his lungs proceeded as well.


    He quickly discovered that the speed at which he absorbed the cool energy from the outside world had almost doubled.


    The fortification of his lungs was also accelerating towards completion.


    By the time rhe moon sank in the west and disappeared, his cultivation became somewhat consolidated and stable.


    He felt his breathing unusually smooth, and his meridians became much more elongated.


    His physical strength had increased significantly as well.


    Lifting an object weighing over 200 pounds should not be a problem.


    The lungs are the source of all veins; to his surprise, they were the first to be enhanced.


    Eager, Qin Niu could not wait to check his cultivation level.


    Qin Niu


    Cultivation Level: Commoner Twofold 101.2/200, Low-Level Farmer 75.4/100, Low-Level Insect Master 4/100


    Lifespan: 61 years


    Cultivation Technique: Everlasting Spring Technique Second Layer 100/1000


    Skills: Planting: Sowing Proficiency 34.4/100, Loosening Soil Slight Mastery 516/1000, Fertilizing Slight Mastery 656/1000, Watering Slight Mastery 429/1000, Weeding Slight Mastery 520/1000, Pest Control Slight Mastery 370/1000.


    Insect Control: Insect Trace Identification Proficiency 77.6/100, Insect Language Proficiency 21.3/100, Insect Identification Proficiency 97.6/100, Insect Catching Proficiency 98.1/100.


    Martial Skill: Slash Slight Mastery 142.7/1000 (with a 10% chance of Critical Chop, and using Thick-Backed Precious Saber increases the chance to 20%).


    I was so busy recently that I had less rime to practice the slash martial skill, so its proficiency increased somewhat slowly.


    The cultivation level has finally advanced to Commoner Twofold as desired, and the Everlasting Spring Technique has reached the second layer.


    No wonder the speed of cultivation has doubled.


    What surprised him most was his lifespan, which had increased by a full ten years.


    That was something he couldn¡¯t have even dared dream of before.


    Spiritual medicines or food ingredients that could extend one¡¯s life by three months would cost at least a thousand taels of Silver Money on the market.


    To extend life by ten years all at once, the allure of the Everlasting Spring Technique was truly irresistible.


    This was just from ascending a minor realm; if he were to advance to Commoner Threefold, wouldn¡¯t his lifespan increase by another ten years?


    By that logic, when he cultivated to Commoner Tenfold, wouldn¡¯t his life be extended by a hundred years?


    Qin Niu pondered excitedly.


    If the Everlasting Spring Technique could indeed achieve this effect, it would absolutely qualify as a top-tier Life-Nurturing Technique.


    For commoners to extend their lives by a century is an extremely difficult task.


    One only needs to look at the Yan Family to understand this.


    Locally, the Yan Family owned a hundred acres of fertile land and hundreds of hills, with several hundred slaves and laborers. The cultivation resources they could obtain far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people.


    Yet, nobody had heard of any of the Yan Family patriarchs living past a hundred years.


    Qin Niu did not know how old the last two Yan Family patriarchs were.


    But Yan Ruohai¡¯s father, he knew about.


    It was said he lived to be 89 years old, just one year shy of 90.


    Even so, everyone praised the former Yan Family patriarch for his longevity.


    Some people said it was because the Yan Family did good deeds and accumulated virtue, which was why rhe former patriarch lived so long.


    Ordinary people mostly died in their forties or fifties.


    Those who lived a bit longer barely reached their sixties.


    To live to seventy was exceedingly rare, a rarity from ancient times.


    Qin Niu could now live to 61 years old, which placed him among those who enjoyed a greater longevity.


    After checking his cultivation level, he set himself a goal to break through to the third level of mortal cultivation as soon as possible.


    Breaking through to the second level of mortal cultivation, he had surpassed over 99% of ordinary mortals and could be considered a master among them.


    However, there were still quite a few people who had reached this realm.


    For example, in Jade Stream Town, it would be just feasible to gather a hundred second-level mortal experts.


    Most of them had poured into the cities, with only a small portion being recruited by the Yan Family.


    Others might possibly obtain their income through hunting and other methods, leading a free and easy lifestyle.


    If Qin Niu were willing to work as a Protector for the Yan Family right now, he could immediately have an annual salary of twenty taels of silver money.


    This income far exceeded that of ordinary farmers and superior farmers.


    In fact, the so-called superior farmers were just middle-tier farmers.


    They might have reached the standard of a middle-tier farmer in just one area.


    ¡°I should be able to cultivate under the Ancient Banyan Tree for a few hours today,11 he thought.


    Having experienced the substantial strength that came with increased cultivation and significantly extended lifespan, he was becoming somewhat addicted.


    He stood up, preparing to check the condition of the treasured sword.


    Instinctively, he glanced at the crabgrass that grew by rhe well.


    To his surprise, it seemed to have changed a bit.


    A faint purple pattern was now visible on its blades.


    Could it be that this clump of grass was also transforming?


    Was this a case of ¡°when one person attains enlightenment, even his pets ascend to heaven¡±?


    After examining it for a while, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but laugh wryly.


    This clump of crabgrass was his lucky grass, and as long as it didn¡¯t die on its own, he planned to keep it forever.


    Moreover, every time he sat by the well to cultivate, the overflowing power of the Everlasting Spring Technique would nourish it.


    After observing for a while and detecting no other abnormalities, he decided not to fuss over it.


    Qin Niu arrived at the ¡®Soldier Nurturing Pond,1 and when he lifted the cover, he keenly noticed that it felt lighter in his hands. At first, he thought it was because his strength had increased a lot after rhe cultivation improvement, which made rhe cover seem lighter.


    Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the wooden cover had turned into rotten wood overnight.


    Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was simply poison to plants.


    Even this wooden cover, which hadn¡¯t touched it, had been corroded.


    Qin Niu considered finding some stone slabs to use as a cover.


    Such bluestone slabs were not hard to find.


    They were everywhere.


    Many poor people liked to use bluestone to erect tombstones for their deceased elders.


    Over time, neglected tombstones were often picked up by villagers to pave roads, so they could be found everywhere.


    Inside the stone trough, the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood had not dried up but had become much lighter in color.


    He rook our the treasured sword.


    As it absorbed the green Banyan Tree Blood from the blade by itself, one could clearly see the green patterns within the sword body.


    They seemed somewhat chaotic, like tree roots, crisscrossing irregularly.


    The treasured sword felt like it was very satisfied when held in his hand, as if it was a misperception.


    It was as comfortable as a person who was well-fed and content.


    Trying a chop, he unexpectedly unleashed a trace of blade qi so subtle it was almost imperceptible.


    He could hardly believe his eyes.


    Chopping through the air a few more times, each swing was rhe same.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± he exclaimed, his face beaming with joy.


    Having only been nurtured for such a short period, the treasured sword could already produce blade qi.


    Though still faint, he believed that as long as he persisted, it would inevitably become stronger.


    He had heard that the divine weapons of the powerful could cleave mountains or sever rivers with a single chop, possessing incredibly terrifying might.


    He did not expect this treasured sword to become such a divine weapon, but if the blade qi could be strengthened just a bit more, cutting through an enemy¡¯s armor would probably be no different than slicing vegetables.


    Even rhe top-grade Hundred-Tempering Black Armor would be as vulnerable as tofu skin in front of his treasured sword..

 Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Chapter 67: The Onset of the Insect Calamity_i

    Chapter 72: Chapter 67: The Onset of the Insect Calamity_i


    Translator: 549690339


    You should know that Blade Qi is dubbed the ¡®King of Armor Breaking¡¯; it¡¯s nearly the bane of all shields, armors, and helmets.


    Although Sword Qi is powerful too, it isn¡¯t as domineering as Blade Qi.


    The sword is known as the sovereign of weapons, renowned for its heft and ferocity, extremely domineering.


    The Blade Qi nurtured similarly possesses some of the sword¡¯s characteristics.


    As for the spear, it is called the ¡®thief of weaponry,¡¯ with attributes similar to that of the staff. It really isn¡¯t comparable to the sword and blade at all.


    Ordinary martial warriors and fighters often use spears, but among cultivators of their level, spear wielders are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.


    The only two weapons that truly have outstanding potential and can be cultivated over the long term are the sword and the blade.


    They are the mainstream weapons of ordinary cultivators.


    The most widely known abilities include Sword Flight, wielding the sword to decapitate an enemy chieftain from thousands of miles away, and splitting Mount Hua with a single blow, and so on.


    Qin Niu stowed the Treasured Sword carefully, taking a little Thousand Eyes Tree Blood and some Ancient Banyan Tree Blood with him, along with several large jars, ready to head into the mountains for cultivation.


    On the way, he encountered the drunken Zhang Banzui, leaning against a poplar tree by the roadside, squinting his eyes, still clutching his beloved flask of liquor.


    ¡°The insect disaster is coming, the insect disaster is coming¡­¡±


    He saw Qin Niu passing by and kept muttering these words.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, what insect disaster is coming? Please be clearer.¡±


    ¡°Insects bring harm, disaster signifies difficulty, an insect disaster is an approaching calamity¡­¡± Zhang Banzui shook his head and swayed, sounding like a bookworm who had gone foolish from reading too much, speaking in a mix of arcane sayings.


    Qin Niu knew that Zhang Banzui always spoke like this, telling half while leaving the other half unsaid.


    This year saw abundant rainfall, while last year¡¯s cold winter came without snow, all of which provided favorable conditions for the breeding of insects.


    His corn field didn¡¯t have nearly this many bugs last year.


    The number of mature insects and eggs cleared this year was frightening.


    This was all before the pest outbreak had taken form; otherwise, the number of insects would have been at least tenfold.


    Where did Zhang Banzui even hear such news?


    Now that Qin Niu had a termite colony and had subdued a Queen Bee, he wasn¡¯t very afraid of the insect disaster.


    At worst, he figured it would just take two more nights of effort to clear them out again.


    What Qin Niu was most worried about was the possibility of a famine following the insect disaster, or even greater secondary calamities.


    This also made him determined to accelerate the cultivation of the ant colony.


    To assist them in evolving quickly.


    After entering the mountains, he went straight to the front of the Ant Nest.


    Almost unfailingly, the number of ants in the colony had increased by ten.


    Eight Worker Ants, two Soldier Ants.


    Which type of termite to breed is decided by the Ant Queen.


    It possesses moderate intelligence and can flexibly adjust according to the current state of the colony. If there are too few Worker Ants, it will breed a large number of them. If it feels old or wants to expand the colony, it will produce Breeder Ants.


    He called out the ant colony.


    One by one, they lined up and crawled out.


    The number of Swift Ants had increased to 11, the number of Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants had risen to 8, and the number of Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants had grown to 7.


    These were the substantial results of Qin Niu¡¯s mass cultivation efforts.


    Currently, there are still five termites undergoing evolution.


    They are two ordinary Worker Ants that were fed Ancient Banyan Tree Blood yesterday, one Strong Soldier Ant, and one Worker Ant and one Soldier Ant that were fed Thousand Eyes Tree Blood.


    Their evolution requires time.


    He could only wait patiently.


    Based on Qin Niu¡¯s insect breeding experience, the two termites fed with Thousand Eyes Tree Blood should have completed their evolution in just one day.


    But they still hadn¡¯t succeeded, which puzzled him greatly.


    At the same time, it added to his anticipation.


    Because the longer the evolution takes, theoretically, the stronger the new abilities they acquire will be.


    Now that he had 11 Swift Ants, he planned to mass-cultivate another 19 to reach a total of 30 ants.


    The work efficiency of Swift Ants was quite good, with one equating to several ordinary Worker Ants.


    With the current insufficient number of Worker Ants, having a large number of Swift Ants would allow Qin Niu to take more Worker Ants to cultivate into Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants.


    This way, he could quickly mass-produce Grade Two termites.


    The value and abilities of Grade Two termites as well as their potential for growth far surpass those of Swift Ants.


    Now, he had quite mature experience with breeding these termite varieties. He easily finished breeding 19 Swift Ants, 30 Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, and 10 Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants.


    The Tiger-striped Soldier Ants were indeed powerful, but they seemed to have become especially temperamental and aggressive after evolving.


    It was necessary to have Fourth manage them.


    ¡°Ant Queen, Fourth, we¡¯re going to spend another day at the temporary ant nest today.¡±


    With yesterday¡¯s experience, Qin Niu only brought four Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, ten Swift Worker Ants, and two Lightning Worker Ants to the location of the Ancient Banyan Tree today.


    Regular worker ants were not of much use there; it was better not to bring them at all.


    Knowing the way, he arrived under the pine tree, settled the Ant Queen down, and looked up at the beehive above.


    ¡°Master, I have laid eggs!¡±


    The Queen Bee reported to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    Qin Niu was excited to hear the news.


    He had been busy all day recently, and after subduing the Queen Bee, he had barely managed it.


    Counting the time, it had been three days.


    It was about time for her to lay eggs.


    He checked the Queen Bee¡¯s attributes, Breeding Skill Grade One 0.01/10.


    She had laid¡­ one bee egg.


    This Queen Bee was truly a talent.


    Qin Niu had thought she would lay at least ten eggs, but she had only laid one.


    It was better than nothing!


    He could only comfort himself this way.


    If her breeding skill continued to be this weak, she would probably be eliminated by the bee colony.


    He didn¡¯t pay further attention to the Queen Bee, instead walking straight toward the interior of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    In the blink of an eye, he had penetrated into the area enveloped by the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Now, with many successful trips in and out and a clear understanding of the habits of the Ancient Banyan Tree, he was exceedingly bold.


    It was like coming back to his own home.


    He approached the trunk and chopped down with his sword.


    The blade went more than five inches deep into the wood, startling him greatly.


    Chopping again, he produced the Explosive Slash Effect, delivering a wound eight or nine inches deep. It was terrifying.


    The formidable power of his chop was due to three factors: first, his cultivation had advanced to Twofold Mortal Realm; second, the special effect of his martial technique, Critical Chop; and third, his Treasured Sword had nurtured a thread of Blade Qi.


    These multiple factors combined enabled him to inflict a nine-inch deep wound with a single chop.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree was incredibly powerful.


    Even with such a deep wound, it remained utterly still.


    Only droplets of green Banyan Tree Blood continued to ooze out.


    This was a treasure; Qin Niu quickly took out a jar to catch it.


    Just like yesterday, he filled five large jars with its blood, creating five wounds.


    He was ruthlessly exploiting the value of the Ancient Banyan Tree, collecting its blood while sitting cross-legged and cultivating beneath it.


    As soon as he began practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique, he felt a surge of cool energy pouring into his body.


    The speed was twice that of his cultivation under the tree yesterday.


    ¡°It seems that my Everlasting Spring Technique has advanced to the second level, and my cultivation speed has indeed doubled.¡±


    In the past, cultivating under the tree for one hour would increase his power by 10 points, equivalent to the gains from five nights of cultivation elsewhere.


    Now it was more terrifying: at this rate, he could gain 20 points of power in one hour.


    Reaching the Threefold Mortal Realm could be achieved in just one day.


    Since he had entered very early today and there were at least five or six hours left until dark,


    Qin Niu was, of course, cultivating with all his might, not to be mentioned elsewhere.


    In the past, even reaching Twofold Mortal Realm had seemed unthinkable; now, reaching Threefold, even Fourfold¡­ was as easy as playing.


    Cultivation was indeed fascinating.


    It was like rolling a snowball; the stronger the cultivation, the more energy could be obtained, increasing exponentially..

 Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Chapter 68 Puppet Worker Ant i

    Chapter 73: Chapter 68 Puppet Worker Ant i


    Translator: 549690339


    When the sun was about to set, Qin Niu opened his eyes.


    He had been cultivating for more than five hours.


    His cultivation level had broken through from the Twofold Mortal Realm directly to the Threefold Mortal Realm.


    At the Twofold level, what was strengthened were the lungs, since the lungs are the source of all veins and are also called the chief of the lungs.


    At the Threefold level, it was his kidneys that were enhanced.


    The kidneys, known as the gathering place for essence, had become stronger, and Qin Niu felt an exceptional surge of energy. It seemed like he had endless strength and inexhaustible vitality.


    His eyes also became brighter, and his vision seemed to have improved along with it.


    Even more astonishing was that he felt his spiritual power was constantly growing. Although it was slow, it was certainly increasing bit by bit.


    He remembered something important and quickly checked his lifespan.


    Lifespan: 66 years.


    Only five years had been added to his life, half of what it was the first time.


    Thinking about it, it made sense. The leap from Twofold to Threefold Mortal Realm was too easy.


    If one could extend their life by ten years with each slight progression in cultivation, wouldn¡¯t that be too heaven-defying? Would not all the experts at the Tenfold Mortal Realm be able to live past 150 or 160 years?


    The life-extending effect of the Everlasting Spring Technique was already much stronger than ordinary cultivation techniques.


    He felt the powerful strength within his body and was very satisfied.


    He would come here to cultivate under the ancient banyan tree every day.


    Seeing that the canopy of the banyan tree was pressing down, Qin Niu hurriedly collected the jars.


    The cut he made today was clearly much deeper, but the banyan tree had a strong self-healing ability. Therefore, the banyan tree blood he collected was only slightly more than the day before.


    A constant trickle, coming every day to collect so much banyan tree blood, was not bad at all.


    If he were to overharvest and kill it, Qin Niu would find it hard to find another such good place for cultivation.


    After coming out with his basket on his back, he hurried back with the termites.


    It looked like it was going to rain, as the sky was particularly dark today.


    Arriving at the ant nest, it was very quiet, only two ordinary soldier ants were guarding the entrance of the nest.


    When he left in the morning, he had ordered the Grade Two tiger-striped soldier ant not to attack enemies, but just to defend the nest.


    The result seemed quite good.


    They were very obedient to Qin Niu, their master.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in quickly!¡±


    Qin Niu released the Ant Queen and Fourth, along with other termites, back into the nest.


    Just then, a big-headed termite emerged, its body a pale green color.


    When Qin Niu saw it, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but brighten a little.


    Wasn¡¯t this the puppet worker ant that he had fed the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood? Now that it was able to crawl out by itself, it seemed to have completed its evolution.


    Upon closer inspection, not only had its head grown bigger, but its antennae had also become much longer.


    He immediately checked its attributes on the spot.


    Puppet Worker Ant: Lifespan 5 years, Special Ability (has a certain probability of controlling other insect species; the lower the level of the controlled, the more likely to succeed).


    Judging by the description, it meant it could control insects of a lower level than itself. If it wanted to control insects of a higher level, the stronger the opponent, the higher the failure rate.


    This was another special ant species!


    And what exactly was that Thousand Eyes Tree called?


    Its tree blood actually had such powerful effects; he would have to collect more of its blood next time he had the chance.


    Qin Niu even felt a bit of regret for having cut down so many of them.


    Because he had never seen this kind of Thousand Eyes Tree anywhere else. They were only found under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    It was possibly a rare species.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late today; 1¡¯11 come tomorrow to see your ability,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu found that the soldier ant that also drank Thousand Eyes Tree Blood had not yet completed its evolution.


    It seemed that the evolution of the soldier ants was a bit slower.


    Just as he exited the mountains, the rain in the sky began to fall.


    He quickened his pace to get home.


    Miss Wang¡¯s attic window was tightly closed, whereas usually, when Qin Niu walked by underneath, she would stick her head out and greet him with a smile.


    Even after being scolded many times by Wang Furen, she remained unrepentantly the same.


    As Qin Niu approached his own house¡¯s eaves, he noticed that someone had triggered the mechanism.


    When he opened the gate, he saw pancakes wrapped in oil paper placed in a hidden corner.


    Just by looking at the delicate wrapping technique, he knew it was the handiwork of his neighbor Wang Wanyan.


    He bent down carefully to pick it up, and a piece of paper fluttered down.


    A few graceful characters caught his eye.


    ¡°Heard you can make money by selling fertilizer, very happy for you. Keep it up!¡±


    There was no signature.


    She was a clever girl and knew that Qin Niu was equally clever.


    Just one look, and he would know the note was from her.


    ¡°Miss Wang really does treat me very well; if she ever encounters any trouble in the future, 1 must take care of her.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s strength had grown increasingly stronger, and his confidence was much greater than before.


    The only regret he had at the moment was that he still hadn¡¯t managed to breed a Grade Three insect pet.


    He hoped to obtain the Insect Master title before the corn harvest was in.


    Not only did an Insect Master receive a monthly stipend from the government, but they could also enjoy exemptions on a certain amount of land tax. Labor services were completely waived as well.


    Upon locking himself inside his house, he did not restrain himself. Instead, he directly washed his hands and started munching on the pancakes sent by Wang Wanyan.


    They tasted quite good.


    Though, if one were to speak of nutritional value, bear meat and wolf meat were surely much higher.


    This rain had been pouring for three days straight.


    And it was the kind of torrential downpour.


    This year¡¯s rainfall was a bit too abundant. With three days of heavy rain drenching the earth, it was feared that floods might be triggered, submerging some low-lying areas.


    Qin Niu lived in Shuangfeng Village, which, as the name suggested, was situated on high ground.


    If Shuangfeng Village were submerged, it would mean that the entirety of Black Tiger City and Jade Stream Town, for the most part, would become an immense ocean.


    These days, with the torrential rain and thunder and lightning, Qin Niu was confined to his home, unable to go anywhere.


    He was also unable to practice the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    He was able to endure loneliness, closing his door and sitting in his home, repeatedly studying the Green Demon Beekeeping Scripture and the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    Simply having realized a method to cultivate under the moonlight was certainly not enough!


    On rainy days without moonlight, he couldn¡¯t cultivate.


    On the fourth day, the heavy rain started to lessen, showing signs of stopping.


    Who would have known that come evening, it began to thunder and rain heavily again.


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s life experience, a continuous downpour for over five days would unavoidably lead to floods.


    If the rain continued for more than ten days in a row, it would undoubtedly spell disaster for mankind.


    And sure enough, it came to pass.


    It was as if humanity had enraged the Dragon Kings of the oceans, for the rain just didn¡¯t cease.


    By the fifth day, it still hadn¡¯t stopped.


    Needless to say, a flood was inevitable.


    The villagers all huddled in their homes, not willing to venture out.


    Occasionally a farmer would go to the fields to check on the water situation and needed to clear the blocked ditches.


    Even then, they would leave the house wearing straw raincoats and bamboo hats.


    As Qin Niu repeatedly delved into the Everlasting Spring Technique, he unexpectedly had another epiphany.


    He was clumsily trying to cultivate based on that newfound understanding, just like the first time he cultivated under the moonlight¡ªit was completely like groping for stones to cross the river.


    He sat cross-legged inside his house, eyes on the nose, nose on the heart, focusing his mind on the dantian. Following a thread of cultivation method gleaned from the Everlasting Spring Technique, he slowly breathed in and out.


    At first, there was no reward; the air he inhaled was just ordinary, and then he breathed out the waste air from his body.


    Gradually, he seemed to feel something..

 Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Chapter 69 Finally Completed Evolution i

    Chapter 74: Chapter 69 Finally Completed Evolution i


    Translator: 549690339


    The house was in the midst of a torrential downpour, and he actually sensed a trace of cool energy within the rainwater.


    It poured down with the rain onto the earth.


    The plants joyfully bathed in the rain, their roots, stems, and leaves all eagerly absorbing the moisture from the rainwater and then robustly growing.


    Qin Niu likewise learned to absorb the cool energy from the rainwater like the plants.


    Due to the recently comprehended method of cultivation, his attempts appeared extremely clumsy. He could clearly sense the fleeting, faint cool energy as it fell with the rain onto the roof, but he just couldn¡¯t guide it into his body.


    It was like being able to ¡®see¡¯ but not grasp.


    After many fruitless attempts, he made a bold decision based on his experience of absorbing moonlight energy.


    He actually stripped off his clothes and, wearing only his underpants, went into the backyard.


    He sat beside the well, letting the downpour drench him.


    The rainwater washed over his body to the ground, then gathered into streams that flowed along the grooves in the earth.


    Qin Niu closed his eyes, ignoring everything around him, casting aside all distractions and stray thoughts, and focused on guiding that hint of cool energy from the rainwater into his body.


    Persistent efforts pay off.


    This method might have been a bit ¡®simple-minded,¡¯ but it worked.


    He successfully guided the first strand of cool energy from the rainwater into his body.


    It entered through the Baihui acupoint on the top of his head, then flowed straight down, traveling along his meridians and converging with the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power within him.


    He found that the cool energy contained in the rainwater seemed to inherently possess a purifying effect.


    It could cleanse the soul and the impurities of the body.


    The beginning is always the hardest.


    After successfully absorbing the first strand of rainwater energy, his cultivation efficiency started to increase rapidly.


    The Dogtail Grass beside him also joyously swayed its blades.


    The purple vein in the center of its leaves became clearer, and it began to spread to the adjoining leaf veins, causing them to take on a faint purple hue as well.


    He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when Qin Niu noticed the rain pouring from the sky had greatly reduced in size, and the cool energy he could absorb was also diminishing quickly.


    He opened his eyes and wiped the rain off his face.


    Looking up at the sky.


    It was already quite dark.


    He didn¡¯t know when the torrential rain had stopped.


    There were still a few scattered raindrops falling to earth.


    He stood up and stretched his legs and feet.


    Then he went inside the house, dried off, and changed into clean clothes.


    He checked his personal attributes.


    His cultivation had increased by 7.1 points.


    His Everlasting Spring Technique was now at the second level, and his cultivation speed was twice as fast as before. Cultivating outside for an hour would increase his cultivation by about 1 point.


    Based on the total increase in cultivation, he must have cultivated for a little over seven hours.


    It was the longest time he had cultivated for at one stretch.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ve found three ways to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique: moonlight bathing, cultivating in the rain, and cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree.¡±


    This also gave him greater adaptability.


    ¡°Gurgle, gurgle!¡±


    His stomach sent out signals of hunger.


    He ate a full five pounds of bear meat in one go before finally feeling full.


    His appetite had grown since before.


    Looking at the scarce remains of the bear meat, he planned to go up into the mountains tomorrow after the rain stopped, to try his luck at hunting.


    He hoped to catch some game to bring back.


    The next morning, as soon as it was light, Qin Niu saw that the rain that had been pouring for six days had finally stopped, and he couldn¡¯t wait to pack his basket and large jar ready to head into the mountains.


    The blood of the Banyan Tree in the stone trough that was used for nurturing the Treasured Sword had almost turned to clear water.


    If he didn¡¯t get more Banyan Tree blood soon, the Treasured Sword would likely ¡®fall sick¡¯ again.


    After finally nurturing a wisp of Blade Qi, Qin Niu cherished it deeply, now revering it like an ¡®ancestor¡¯.


    In the early morning of the mountain village, the air was exceptionally fresh, and the leaves of the roadside weeds were still covered in sparkling droplets.


    The entire earth had been washed by the rain.


    The ground was furrowed and gullied.


    The water in the stream gurgled noisily, rushing and a bit murky.


    Qin Niu strode towards the mountain.


    By now, his ant colony had evolved into a formidable fighting force, more than capable of handling ordinary insects.


    After so many days, those Termites that had been fed Thousand Eyes Tree Blood and Banyan Tree Blood should have completed their evolution.


    When he arrived at the large camphor tree, Qin Niu unexpectedly discovered that the entrance to the ant nest seemed to have shrunk considerably.


    There were signs of fresh gnawing by the Termites.


    The gnawed areas had sprouted healing growth from the tree trunk.


    ¡°They¡¯ve enhanced the nest¡¯s defense!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes brightened.


    The Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants and the Swift Wind Worker Ants had a special ability: their formic acid could heal plant wounds.


    This scar on the tree was left by a very thick horizontal branch that had been broken under great strain, leaving a wound as big as a human head.


    Fourth discovered this place was suitable for constructing a nest and started to dig deep inside, eventually hollowing out an ant tunnel.


    Now they had gnawed away all the rotting wood at the tunnel entrance until reaching the fresh, live wood and then used the special ability of the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants to help the tree heal quickly.


    Eventually, they were able to construct a solid defense at the entrance of the nest by leveraging the healing tissue of the camphor tree.


    Large creatures like snakes simply couldn¡¯t get in.


    Even larger centipedes couldn¡¯t enter.


    If small centipedes, stink ants, and other such insects came, just any two Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants could easily exterminate them.


    With Fourth, a commander of moderate intelligence, the ant colony was truly remarkable.


    Many things had been planned exceptionally well.


    ¡°Come out and let me take a look at you all!¡±


    Qin Niu called out to his ant colony.


    As their master, watching them grow stronger day by day gave him an immense sense of accomplishment and filled him with joy.


    The two large Termites were the highlight of his observation today.


    To his surprise, the first to climb out was a robust Soldier Ant with a large body and dark green patterns.


    Its body was exceptionally stout, and its exterior shimmered with a metallic luster.


    Especially its two mandibles, which were frightening to behold.


    They were like a pair of steel shears with serrated edges.


    There was no doubt about its destructive power.


    Even compared to a dozen Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, it appeared significantly stronger.


    ¡°Is this the evolved form of that strong Soldier Ant?¡±


    It was also the sole surviving strong Soldier Ant.


    The other one, after drinking the Banyan Tree Blood, had not survived and had exploded and perished.


    Following it were seventeen Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants.


    Originally there were only seven, but Qin Niu, thinking this was too few, later created ten more.


    Altogether there were seventeen orderly Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants lined up behind it.


    They were like a powerful army, all clad in tiger stripes.


    Behind the seventeen Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, there were also two large-headed Termites.


    One of them Qin Niu had already seen; it was a Puppet Worker Ant.


    But the two antennae of the other large-headed Termite had twisted together on their own, resembling a twist of rope, with the two antennae intertwined.


    The bases of the antennae had thickened and grown together.


    It was as if they had become a pedestal.


    It made it look as if it had a horn growing on its head.


    This was the transformation of an ordinary Soldier Ant after drinking Thousand Eyes Tree Blood.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know what special ability it had evolved, but he felt that given the long duration of its evolution, it shouldn¡¯t be weak.


    He subconsciously checked the properties of the ant colony..

 Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Chapter 70: Grade Two Striped Ironclad Ant and Ghost Ant_i

    Chapter 75: Chapter 70: Grade Two Striped Ironclad Ant and Ghost Ant_i


    Translator: 549690339


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Two Isoptera Insect, Upgrade Experience 724/1000


    Lifespan: 4.6 years


    Energy: 18202


    Skills: Breeding Second Phase 23.05/100 (produces 100 eggs per day), Feigning Death First Phase 2/10


    Talent: Medium Intelligence, Breeding Offspring with Great Strength Attribute (2%), Breeding Offspring with Slight Poison Attribute (5%)


    Ant Colony: One lower-grade Worker Ant, Lifespan 6 months, Special Abilities (Strength, Agility, Venom, Medium Intelligence).


    Twenty-eight Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, Lifespan 13 years, Special Abilities (Swiftness, Ultra-strong Mandibles, Ant Acid Spit that can help heal plant wounds).


    Thirty Swift Worker Ants, Lifespan 5 years, Special Abilities (Rapid Crawling or Attacking, Ant Acid Spit that can mildly assist in healing plant wounds).


    One Puppet Worker Ant: Lifespan 5 years, Special Ability (A certain probability of controlling other insect species, the lower the level of the controlled, the higher the chance of success).


    Five Strengthened Worker Ants, Lifespan 3.3 years.


    Eighty-one Common Worker Ants, Lifespan 3 years.


    Seventeen Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, Lifespan 10.5 years, Special Abilities (Ultra-strong Mandibles, Berserk, Speed increased threefold in Berserk status, Attack Power increased fivefold, Defense Power increased onefold).


    One Ghost Soldier Ant, Lifespan 3 years, Special Ability (Able to emit a special wave attack similar to a Mental Attack against other insects, with a certain probability of severely injuring the enemy, causing madness or loss of mobility).


    One Grade Two Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant, Lifespan 10.8 years, Special Abilities (Armor-piercing, Possessing a Primary Carapace, Berserk, Speed increased threefold in Berserk status, Attack Power increased tenfold, Defense Power increased onefold).


    One Poison Soldier Ant, Lifespan 6 months, Special Ability (Venom Attack, Evolution of a poison sting and sack in the abdomen, Venom can slow down enemies and weaken their strength).


    Sixteen Common Soldier Ants, Lifespan 6 months.


    After reviewing the ant colony¡¯s attributes, Qin Niu¡¯s heart was filled with endless surprise.


    Staying at home to avoid the rain for six days, the termite colony¡¯s evolution brought him one surprise after another.


    The first surprise, the Ant Queen¡¯s breeding skill finally evolved to the second phase, now able to produce 100 eggs per day.


    It was ten times more than before.


    He no longer had to worry about not having enough common Worker Ants and Soldier Ants for experiments.


    The second surprise, the common Soldier Ants that drank the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood evolved into Ghost Soldier Ants, and they can actually emit attacks similar to a Mental Attack.


    This ability is simply explosively awesome.


    They can drive enemies mad or make them lose the ability to move without needing physical contact.


    Like the Puppet Worker Ant, they both possess remote attack capabilities.


    They are like the termite colony¡¯s primary magic force.


    The third surprise, the powerful Soldier Ants that drank the Banyan Tree Blood evolved into Grade Two Tiger-striped Ironclad Ants, which now have the ability to pierce armor. It can be understood that centipedes and various other hard-shelled coleoptera insects are like having no effective armor protection against it.


    This was simply unimaginable.


    One bite to crack open the shell of a hard-shelled insect, and that insect would likely collapse on the spot.


    How would they even fight against that?


    In addition, its defense power has significantly increased, having a primary carapace not present in other termites.


    Furthermore, when it enters a berserk state, its attack power increases tenfold.


    Ordinary Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants can only increase by fivefold.


    No wonder they all obediently follow behind the Grade Two Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant.


    The animal world is about the survival of the fittest, with strength respected above all.


    The fourth surprise, the ant colony hatched its first Poison Soldier Ant.


    The Ant Queen being able to produce offspring with strong and slight poison attributes was something Qin Niu had long anticipated.


    Now that the first Poison Soldier Ant had successfully hatched, it indicated there would continuously be an endless stream of Strong Termites and Poison Termites in the future.


    Qin Niu realized that the ant colony was finally on the right track and would rapidly grow like a snowball.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Fourth crawled to the front, waving its two antennae, looking up at Qin Niu.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°I want to be strong too! Just like them.¡±


    Originally, Fourth was the strongest being in the ant colony; although innately lacking, it always acted as the main commander of the ant colony.


    Now, it found that the other members of the ant colony had become so powerful one by one. It must have felt a great deal of pressure when it commanded them.


    A commander¡¯s strength being less than its soldiers¡¯, the other termites, though still obedient to Fourth¡¯s commands now, will certainly respect it less over time.


    The social structure of an ant colony differs from that of humans; it¡¯s more akin to a company.


    Even the Ant Queen could be ousted by them if her reproductive abilities couldn¡¯t keep up with the colony¡¯s growth needs.


    Extremely cruel.


    ¡°But becoming stronger is very dangerous, and it could lead to death.¡±


    If Qin Niu were to lose Fourth, he would no longer be able to freely enter and exit the area beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The Banyan Tree Blood, the twentyfold training speed beneath the Banyan Tree¡ªthey were high-level training resources he couldn¡¯t refuse.


    Now, while still weak, discovering such a treasure was of immense help to him.


    The entire ant colony was able to evolve so quickly largely due to the Banyan Tree Blood.


    Treasured Sword was able to cultivate Blade Qi so quickly for the same reason it relied on the Banyan Tree Blood.


    Soon, he even planned to use the Banyan Tree Blood to cultivate bees.


    Therefore, losing Fourth was not an option.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of death, but I desire even more to become strong,¡±


    ¡°Please help me, master!¡±


    Fourth requested firmly.


    Qin Niu remained silent; facing Fourth, he could not be as heartless as he was toward ordinary termites.


    Because Fourth and the Ant Queen had saved his life.


    His affection for this inferior Worker Ant was very deep.


    ¡°Alright! But not now, 1 will first collect Banyan Tree Blood today, and help you to enhance your strength tonight,¡±


    Qin Niu agreed to its request.


    He didn¡¯t plan to train during the day.


    Instead, he would collect Banyan Tree Blood with all his might, so that even if Fourth unfortunately died, he would not be without blood to use.


    Holding out for a while, perhaps he might come up with other methods.


    However, he felt it would be difficult for the entire ant colony to breed another termite as special as Fourth again.


    It had inherited the Ant Queen¡¯s wisdom and possessed some special abilities of its own.


    When he took Fourth under the Ancient Banyan Tree to collect the Banyan Tree Blood, it went without saying.


    When passing by the hive, he checked the attributes of the Queen Bee.


    It had actually laid 61 eggs.


    He thought it could only lay one egg per day, but that had been a big mistake.


    At that time, she had just started laying eggs, and it was still morning.


    She had just laid one egg.


    As a result, Qin Niu mistakenly believed she could only lay one egg per day.


    Her normal daily laying capacity should be 10 eggs.


    However, the egg-laying ability of the Queen Bee was far from comparable to that of termites.


    In terms of the ability to burst forth soldiers, termites could kill almost any animal in seconds. Their highest record was nearly 50,000 eggs laid in a single day.


    It was unimaginable.


    This was far more terrifying than a breeding machine.


    Qin Niu spent a whole day collecting five large jars of Banyan Tree Blood.


    Considering that he might not be able to enter the area in the future.


    He felt quite reluctant to leave.


    After coming out, he returned to the Ant Nest with the Ant Queen and Fourth.


    ¡°Master, I want to become stronger!¡±


    Fourth made its request once more.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a hand. But whether you can withstand it or not is entirely up to you,¡±


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s principles of conduct, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to it normally.


    Because its current value for use was too great.


    Whether for the entire ant colony or for Qin Niu himself, Fourth was indispensable.


    If it exploded and died after drinking the Banyan Tree Blood, the consequences would be severe.


    This loss was one that Qin Niu currently found difficult to bear.


    But faced with its request, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t refuse. Because it was not just a termite, it was also his life-saver.


    Moreover, if it succeeded, not only would its lifespan significantly increase, but its future help to Qin Niu would be even greater.


    In the end, he decided to let it take the risk..

 Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Chapter 71 Fourth’s Choice r

    Chapter 76: Chapter 71 Fourth¡¯s Choice r


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Fourth, there are two ways to help you increase your strength. One is relatively safe, but the gain is minimal, and I suspect that¡¯s the upper limit. Like this one.¡±


    Qin Niu pointed at a swift worker ant.


    Eating just one-tenth of a safe dose of Banyan Tree Blood poses little risk, but the upper limit is very low.


    ¡°The second way carries a high risk of death, but the increase in strength is huge. Like this!¡±


    This time, Qin Niu was pointing at a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant.


    ¡°I choose this one!¡±


    Fourth seemed to have its own independent thinking ability, hesitated for a moment, and then made a decision.


    It chose the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant.


    Almost all creatures¡¯ pursuit of strength can be described as ¡®fearlessly valiant¡¯.


    Including Qin Niu himself, in his pursuit of greater strength, he repeatedly took risks.


    Since Fourth had made its choice, Qin Niu did not oppose it but respected its decision.


    He fed it a safe dose of Banyan Tree Blood right there and then, watching nervously.


    The process seemed excessively long.


    Every second was like a pounding heartbeat.


    Care leads to chaos.


    It was precisely because Fourth was too important to Qin Niu that he felt so nervous.


    To ease his excessive tension, Qin Niu began to mass-produce Ghost Soldier Ants and Puppet Worker Ants.


    The creation of these two ant species seemed safer, just more time-consuming.


    Moreover, they belonged to the long-range attack squad, and their power was not to be underestimated.


    The Ant Queen could now lay a hundred eggs a day, and with a small jug of Thousand Eyes Tree Blood in Qin Niu¡¯s possession, there was enough to create thousands of Ghost Soldier Ants and Puppet Worker Ants.


    He made fifty Puppet Worker Ants and ten Ghost Soldier Ants in one go.


    No choice, since there were only 16 ordinary soldier ants.


    At this moment, Fourth¡¯s abdomen was still swelling, looking terrifyingly tense.


    Because its abdominal skin had become nearly transparent¡ªit was approaching the critical point of bursting.


    Its only remaining antenna was flailing wildly.


    The strong mandibles were continuously opening and closing, and one could faintly hear a ¡°sizzling¡± noise.


    Its mandibles were far inferior to those of the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant or the Tiger-striped Soldier Ant.


    It was equivalent to the bite force of an ordinary strong soldier ant.


    Qin Niu dared not pay too much attention to it, and in an effort to distract himself, once again took out the Banyan Tree Blood to cultivate Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants and Tiger-striped Soldier Ants.


    In the process of cultivating Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, two out of four ordinary soldier ants exploded.


    Out of 30 ordinary worker ants being turned into Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, only 18 survived.


    This mortality rate was alarmingly high.


    Qin Niu had no choice, as riches are sought amidst dangers.


    If ordinary termites wanted to evolve into Grade Two termites in just a day or two, they had to endure this extremely dangerous process.


    After finishing, he checked on Fourth¡¯s condition again.


    Although its abdomen had swollen to the brink, the skin not only became transparent, but also showed a series of fine cracks, yet it did not explode. It seemed to have successfully endured the most dangerous moment.


    Qin Niu did not dare to touch it immediately.


    For he was frightened that any contact might burst its body.


    He decided to wait patiently.


    He called out the only Poison Soldier Ant.


    He had three cultivation plans in his mind, feeding a safe dose of Banyan Tree Blood, one-tenth of a safe dose, or Thousand Eyes Tree Blood.


    The last two cultivation plans were relatively safer.


    But in terms of strength enhancement, the first plan was the strongest known to date.


    ¡°Anyway, 1 can breed more Poison Soldier Ants later. If it fails, I can accept that.¡±


    Qin Niu wanted to see just how strong a Poison Soldier Ant would become after being cultivated with the strongest plan.


    The strong soldier ant had given him a huge surprise.


    Thinking this, he used the first plan to cultivate it on the spot.


    He called out a swift worker ant and had it feed the Poison Soldier Ant.


    Because there was only one ordinary Worker Ant left.


    It was a good opportunity to see what changes would take place after the speed-enhanced Worker Ant had consumed Banyan Tree Blood a second time.


    After the breeding was complete, the Poison Soldier Ant might have been in extreme pain, lying on its back on the ground, continuously kicking its six legs.


    He had never seen this method of evolution before.


    He could see its sting at the end of its abdomen constantly extending and retracting.


    A drop of glistening poison was squeezed out.


    The Poison Soldier Ant really was terrifying, during a frenzy, it would probably sting anything it encountered.


    As the sky progressively darkened, Fourth was also reaching a relatively stable state.


    Qin Niu called out Fifth and had it carefully carry Fourth into the Ant Nest.


    The Poison Soldier Ant was also carried back to the nest by another Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant.


    What followed was a period of patient waiting.


    There was no explosion from Fourth or the Poison Soldier Ant, which allowed Qin Niu¡¯s suspended heart to settle somewhat.


    This was already the best outcome possible.


    Especially for Fourth, it felt like it had reached the very limit of its limits. If it were an ordinary Worker Ant, it would have exploded before its skin even cracked.


    Yet it survived.


    This further highlighted its uniqueness.


    Qin Niu was looking forward to its appearance after evolution. He felt it wouldn¡¯t be inferior to the mighty Soldier Ants.


    As for those five strong Worker Ants, Qin Niu had not taken any action with them yet.


    Because the risks of evolution were too great, he wanted to wait a bit longer to see if he could discover a safer breeding method.


    Mainly because there were still too few Termites.


    When their numbers increased, he would be able to conduct even more detailed experiments.


    For instance, on the basis of a safe dose, would reducing it by one-tenth help the Termites evolve to Grade Two?


    Or, according to the different constitutions and strength levels of the Termites, adjust the safe dose accordingly.


    This way, he could breed each Termite more flexibly.


    He was certain that the majority of those Termites that died from explosion could have survived.


    Breeding insects couldn¡¯t be formulaic.


    The same dose might be suitable for one Termite but fatal for another, leading it to explode and die.


    If one day he could reach a point where each ant had its own dosage¡­


    The success rate of breeding Grade Two Termites would be astonishingly high.


    With five large jars of Banyan Tree Blood, he rushed home in a hurry.


    The village was different from its usual tranquility, as many villagers were not resting at home but gathering in groups, discussing something.


    As he got closer, their conversation reached Qin Niu¡¯s ears.


    ¡°With floods happening everywhere, we¡¯re lucky to live comfortably in Shuangfeng Village!¡±


    ¡°Food prices are likely to soar again this year, sigh!¡±


    The one sighing was Big Sister Ma, who had no land of her own.


    Her man worked as a permanent laborer for the Yan Family, a job that many envied for its stability.


    Guaranteed income rain or shine, at least three or four Silver Money each year.


    ¡°Let the food prices rise. Your man earns more than five Silver Money a year; your family lives the most comfortably in the whole village.¡±


    ¡°My family relies on buying food to survive. If the food prices go up, Silver Money isn¡¯t really money anymore, it¡¯s like stones. How can 1 not be anxious?¡±


    Big Sister Ma, with her children, tended to her in-laws at home, free from worries about clothing and food.


    She was among the few village women with a somewhat exceptional demeanor.


    Just like she said, with soaring grain prices, Silver Money would no longer be Silver Money.


    Even a top-class farmer earning ten Silver Money a year would struggle to get by.


    ¡°The government officials arrived today; I heard they¡¯ve already visited the Yan Family and will inspect each village tomorrow. What are you anxious about? Would the government just ignore us common folk starving to death?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the food Big Sister Ma is worried about¡ªI reckon she just misses her man!¡±


    ¡°Ptooey! You shameless thing, how can you say such things? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?!¡±


    Big Sister Ma wasn¡¯t one to be bullied.


    She immediately retorted at the man who made a risque joke about her.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t listen any further; he simply lowered his head and headed home with the basket on his back..

 Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Chapter 72 Fishingi

    Chapter 77: Chapter 72 Fishingi


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Could it be that All Niu, going up the mountain every day, is indeed bewitched?¡±


    Someone saw Ah Niu carrying a basket passing by and couldn¡¯t help but ask with concern.


    ¡°What do you know? Don¡¯t look at how young Ah Niu is, he¡¯s sharp! The mountain soil he came up with sells for fifty Wen Money a basket, worth several days of your wages.¡±


    ¡°Really? For real?¡±


    ¡°Could this be fake? The Yan Family¡¯s Seventh Steward himself came in a horse-drawn carriage to buy a basketful. 1 heard he paid in cash.¡±


    ¡°That mountain soil is everywhere in the hills, how can it be worth so much? Quickly, tell us.¡±


    ¡°If 1 knew, wouldn¡¯t I be rich by now? You should go ask Ah Niu about that.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, 1 must ask him. If there¡¯s such a great way to get rich, let¡¯s all get rich together!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it, the corn Ah Niu planted this year is indeed growing very well.¡±


    These villagers, having had their dinner, didn¡¯t have much to entertain themselves and gathered together, most keen on discussing the long and short of other people¡¯s affairs.


    The entire village basically knew about Qin Niu¡¯s sale of a basket of mountain soil for fifty Wen Money.


    So what?


    Even someone like the village bully Wang Haikun had no recourse¡ª at most, he could forcibly demand a few baskets of the mountain soil.


    To ask Qin Niu for the formula of the mountain soil is wishful thinking.


    Back home, he closed his door.


    Qin Niu left a portion of the Banyan Tree Blood for cultivating the Termites and the soon-to-hatch Worker Bees.


    He would still need to wait at least ten days for the first batch of eggs laid by the Queen Bee to successfully hatch into adult Worker Bees.


    He went to the backyard and cleaned out the clear liquid in the stone trough.


    It probably was of no use anymore.


    The energy inside had long been completely absorbed by the Treasured Sword.


    He poured a jar of Banyan Tree Blood into it, while the other jars were tucked away in a concealed corner of the backyard, kept for future use.


    The Treasured Sword soaked in the stone trough became excited once again.


    It even trembled slightly.


    The nurturing of a divine weapon involves several steps; a good divine weapon from the moment it is forged has its own life, filled with spirituality.


    Even some weapons need a blood sacrifice after being made.


    Typically, this requires killing a person to fulfill the sacrificial rites.


    Such weapons become even more ferocious.


    So, nurturing a weapon to bestow it with special abilities is only the first step.


    The real success is when it gains a hint of spirituality.


    Not just a lifeless object anymore.


    What Qin Niu bought was just a common thick-backed Chopping Knife cast from fine iron, with a layer of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel folded within.


    In the eyes of a true expert, such a knife would hardly be noteworthy.


    Yet, he used the Banyan Tree Blood to nourish it until it emitted a wisp of Blade Qi.


    Now, as it soaked in the Banyan Tree Blood, it trembled slightly in extreme excitement, indicating that it had already conceived a hint of spirituality.


    When this trace of spirituality stabilizes, it would become a true divine weapon.


    Banyan Tree Blood is really something!


    I wonder what it would be classified as right now? Tree Demon? Spirit? Or is it simply ancient, having absorbed the essence of the sun and the moon, evolved to possess some special abilities?


    Unraveling this mystery would have to wait until Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation becomes stronger.


    Even now, with his current Threefold cultivation of ordinary humans, he¡¯s still as insignificant as a speck of dust in front of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    This indicates it is even more powerful than imagined.


    At first, when he was trapped by it, Qin Niu thought about cutting it down, but now the thought seems naively adorable.


    It¡¯s estimated even a Tenfold expert among ordinary humans would find it difficult to cut it down.


    The night¡¯s cultivation goes without saying.


    Next day, he did not rush into the mountains.


    Because Fourth was still evolving, without it, Qin Niu would enter the Ancient Banyan Tree but wouldn¡¯t be able to leave. Going up the mountain without being able to cultivate would be a waste of time, right?


    He planned to look after the corn in the fields today.


    This season, flooding has devastated the fields; for the most part, half a year¡¯s harvest has been lost to the waters.


    By planting this acre of corn, at least he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about going hungry.


    Hunting depends on luck.


    Farming is the true path; as long as one doesn¡¯t encounter a natural disaster, there will be a certain harvest.


    Carrying a hoe, he went to the cornfield to check, and there were some weeds, but the corn seedlings had already grown taller than a person. The weeds posed no threat to them.


    Qin Niu had never found farming as relaxing as it was now.


    Carrying the hoe to the fields, he found there was hardly any work to be done.


    ¡°All Niu, I heard that Daoyuan Village got flooded and lots of people are fishing. Are you going?¡±


    The one calling him was the villager Liu Shengli.


    In his late twenties, he made a living by farming. His family owned two mu of infertile land and rented four mu from Wang Furen¡¯s family.


    If the harvest was good, they could live a decent life.


    The Liu family was populous and one of the major clans in the village.


    Liu Shengli usually ignored Qin Niu, but now he was surprisingly enthusiastic towards him.


    As the saying goes, ¡°Unwarranted kindness is either scheming or thievery.¡±


    Most likely, he had heard that Qin Niu could sell a basket of mountain fertilizer for fifty wen money and wanted to curry favor to get the fertilizer formula.


    People like that, Qin Niu naturally kept at a respectful distance.


    ¡°I still have work to do!¡±


    Qin Niu declined politely.


    His disliking for interactions didn¡¯t mean he would offend others without reason.


    Liu Shengli meant well by inviting him to fish together, even if he had some ulterior motives, Qin Niu could refuse in a friendly manner.


    ¡°Your corn seedlings are growing so well, they don¡¯t need tending. By catching some fish, you could improve your life a bit. Come with me!¡±


    Qin Niu was about to refuse.


    Er Dan arrived, carrying a fishnet and holding a small bucket. It seemed he too was going fishing.


    ¡°Brother All Niu, Daoyuan Village is flooded; they say the water is receding. Let¡¯s go fish together!¡±


    Several little ¡°child soldiers¡± followed behind Er Dan.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by their young age of five or six; each of them was an excellent swimmer.


    They would dart into the river like loaches.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of your dad beating you?¡±


    Qin Niu asked Er Dan with a smile.


    ¡°My dad approved today, and he said if I catch a big fish, he¡¯ll reward me with two copper coins.¡±


    ¡°Haha, alright! 1¡¯11 go with you guys!¡±


    Qin Niu was only this casual when talking to Er Dan.


    Liu Shengli watched this scene and thought to himself that Ah Niu was still just a kid at heart, enjoying playing with Er Dan and the other ¡°child soldiers.¡±


    With some effort, getting the mountain fertilizer formula from him shouldn¡¯t be hard.


    The Liu family had been woodcutters for generations, relying on the mountain to make a living.


    Liu Shengli might be young, but he was very shrewd. It was said that his current wife was originally introduced by a matchmaker for his cousin, but because he found her beautiful and capable of managing a household, he charmed her into marrying him instead.


    In theory, his cousin should have been very angry.


    Yet Liu Shengli managed to find another match for his cousin, a flashy girl. His cousin, of course, was delighted and didn¡¯t hold a grudge about Liu Shengli stealing his bride.


    However, it was said that the wife his cousin married, while beautiful, was a lazy woman who loved to eat and dress well. As long as her own husband couldn¡¯t satisfy her, she would threaten to go to the city to find a rich man to live with.


    Now, Liu Shengli¡¯s cousin was firmly under her thumb.


    The family¡¯s financial situation wasn¡¯t great either.


    He worked hard every day to earn money to provide for his beautiful wife.


    Just last year, it was said that they had a child, but the child didn¡¯t resemble his cousin at all.


    The villagers didn¡¯t dare to gossip about it.


    ¡°All Niu, you don¡¯t have a fishing net, do you? I can lend you one,¡±


    Liu Shengli offered to Qin Niu with goodwill.


    ¡°No need, no need. I¡¯ll just bring a bucket and feel for fish with Er Dan and the others. You go ahead, or else if you¡¯re late, all the big fish will be caught by others.¡±


    Hearing Qin Niu say this, Liu Shengli also worried that the big fish would be taken by others, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, he hurried off.


    In terms of wisdom, Liu Shengli had at best some small cunning and petty schemes.


    He was far inferior to someone like Qin Niu, who had resolve and true wisdom..

 Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Chapter 73 Ah Niu Saves the Cow l

    Chapter 78: Chapter 73 Ah Niu Saves the Cow l


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu went home, picked up a wooden bucket and a fish spear, and set off with Er Dan and the others.


    Daoyuan Village was not far, bordering Shuangfeng Village.


    It just bordered with Shuangfeng Village in a very small area.


    The shape of Shuangfeng Village resembled two long and narrow spurs.


    From afar, it looked like two slope-like peaks standing side by side, but the actual terrain was much more complex.


    The stone forest at the border with Daoyuan Village was at the tail of one of these peaks.


    The two villages had long been arguing over the ownership of this stone forest.


    It hadn¡¯t been resolved for hundreds of years.


    There were even fights in the past, and the villagers of the two villages were hostile to each other. Now, the relationship had eased with intermarriage between the villages.


    Shuangfeng Village was located on high ground, while Daoyuan Village lay on a flat, low-lying land.


    It was one of the two lowest-lying villages among the several dozen villages in Jade Stream Town.


    Whenever there was a flood, Daoyuan Village would surely be inundated.


    But it was undeniable that after the flood receded, Daoyuan Village had many fertile fields, and irrigation was very convenient. So Daoyuan Village had always been more prosperous than Shuangfeng Village.


    The two richest men in Shuangfeng Village were Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang.


    Yet in Daoyuan Village, there were no fewer than ten such wealthy people.


    They say great mountains and rivers give rise to beautiful women.


    The girls from Daoyuan Village generally seemed to be fairer and more delicate than those from Shuangfeng Village.


    Although their village didn¡¯t have a beauty of Wang Wanyan¡¯s caliber, ordinary beauties were plentiful.


    This was probably related to the wealth of their village.


    The girls from wealthy families were better off in terms of food, clothing, and education, with exposure to the arts, and it cultivated their demeanor, naturally making it easier for beauties to emerge.


    As matters stood, almost no girl from Daoyuan Village was willing to marry into Shuangfeng Village; they all married off to other prosperous villages or into the city.


    On the other hand, as long as a girl from Shuangfeng Village was slightly prettier, she could easily marry into Daoyuan Village.


    When Qin Niu arrived at Daoyuan Village, the original river course was no longer visible, only an expanse of water. The muddy floodwaters were rampant and ferocious.


    In the flood, one could see all kinds of floating objects: doors, cabinets, uprooted trees, rafters, columns, and other debris from collapsed houses.


    Facing the fierce flood, Qin Niu felt extraordinarily insignificant.


    Humans were too weak in the face of the power of nature.


    Looking around, part of Daoyuan Village¡¯s houses were submerged up to the halfway point.


    Those houses that hadn¡¯t collapsed in the floods were made of bluish bricks and stone.


    Mud houses, even straw huts, had long since fallen without a trace.


    The flood was clearly receding quite a bit by now, and where he stood, one could faintly see the marks left by its soaking and erosion.


    There was mud everywhere.


    On the bank, many villagers were busy catching fish.


    Some used casting nets, some net bags, others used dragnets, and there were those like Qin Niu, who used a spear.


    If we talk about catching fish, Qin Niu¡¯s skill should be among the best of his peers.


    He placed the bucket on the bank, hung the fish spear at his waist, and bent his back as he entered the water to start fishing.


    A plump crucian carp was pinned down by him, then he pulled it out of the water.


    It weighed at least half a pound.


    ¡°All Niu, you¡¯re so good!¡±


    Er Dan and the others looked up to him admirably, their faces full of excitement.


    They each followed into the water and began to showcase their ¡°Divine Skills¡± in fishing.


    Qin Niu quickly caught nearly half a bucket of fish, mainly consisting of crucian carp, common carp, and snakehead.


    Grass carp generally don¡¯t come near the shore.


    At that moment, Qin Niu saw a very small head emerge from the water, rising and falling with the waves.


    It was only as big as the tip of a chopstick.


    It looked like a little snake.


    ¡°Er Dan, lend me your net bag. There seems to be a little snake coming over there; it would be troublesome if it bit someone,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Some little snakes could be more venomous than larger ones.


    Especially those little snakes that have never bitten a person before, their venom is the most potent.


    Er Dan quickly threw his net bag to him.


    After catching it, Qin Niu watched the small head that was striving to swim towards the bank.


    It was getting closer.


    He approached quietly, then quickly scooped it up with the net bag.


    He easily caught it inside the net.


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s actually a little turtle,¡±


    Qin Niu felt surprised.


    It wasn¡¯t much bigger than a fingernail cap, and looking at its tiny head and legs, he estimated it had hatched only a few days ago.


    It was unfortunate, born shortly before encountering a flood.


    Luckily, it had desperately swum towards the shore and not been swept into the raging torrents; otherwise, it most likely would have drowned.


    Softshell turtles were common, but turtles were not.


    People liked to eat softshell turtles, but no one liked eating turtles.


    Most people who caught turtles would release them.


    Qin Niu glanced at the chaotic scene and realized that the little turtle had no chance of survival.


    It appeared very timid.


    After being caught, it tucked its head, legs, and tail into its shell, not daring to move.


    ¡°Encountering you is a stroke of fate, I¡¯ll keep you!¡±


    After a brief hesitation, he directly tossed the little turtle into the bucket.


    After giving the net back to Er Dan, he continued to fish.


    At that moment, someone let out a series of exclamations.


    ¡°Look, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It looks like a person!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a sheep.¡±


    In the middle of the distant floodwaters, a dark shadow struggled. But the ferocity of the flood made its efforts seem feeble.


    The onlookers watched, hearts in their throats.


    Qin Niu strained his eyes and finally saw clearly.


    It was not a person, nor a sheep, but a small black calf.


    It must have been washed down from upstream.


    In the floodwaters, corpses of various animals and humans were common. After the tide receded, villagers would spontaneously bury them on the spot.


    Otherwise, the decay of the bodies could easily trigger an epidemic.


    The little calf seemed to have exhausted its strength, not knowing how long it had drifted in the floodwaters.


    A strong will to survive made it occasionally muster the strength to lift its head and flail briefly.


    But it was quickly swept under by the flood crest again.


    Qin Niu stopped fishing and fixed his gaze on the small calf.


    At this moment, he was not the only one concerned about the calf.


    Some villagers from Daoyuan Village across the floodwaters were shouting, equally attentive to the calf¡¯s plight.


    If one could rescue it and raise it for a year or two, it would definitely become a large water buffalo.


    A valuable asset for plowing fields and pulling carts.


    ¡°Er Dan, watch the bucket for me,¡±


    ¡°You¡­ want to save that calf?¡±


    Er Dan looked terrified.


    ¡°With the calf¡¯s dumb ways, it¡¯s surely a goner if we don¡¯t save it. I¡¯m going to give it a try.¡±


    Qin Niu, with his Threefold cultivation of a mortal man, plus being a good swimmer from the start, believed it was worth an attempt.


    This was also a rare opportunity.


    ¡°None of the skilled swimmers in the village have made a move yet; maybe you shouldn¡¯t go,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right!¡±


    Qin Niu took off his clothes, revealing his muscular upper body and sturdy legs.


    He wore only a pair of briefs and quickly ran downstream, then leaped into the floodwaters.


    He chose to rescue from a buffer zone.


    The biggest concern there was the whirlpool.


    Getting caught in it would make escape difficult.


    ¡°All Niu is trying to save that calf; he¡¯s truly risking his life!¡±


    ¡°His mind has always been off.¡±


    ¡°What a sin!¡±


    The villagers were abuzz with comments.


    Some were simply jealous, not wanting Qin Niu to get the calf.


    A small calf had a market value of about three or four taels of Silver Money; picking it up was like getting an ordinary person¡¯s annual salary.


    But this money required risking one¡¯s life..

 Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Chapter 74: Settling New and Old Accounts Togetheri

    Chapter 79: Chapter 74: Settling New and Old Accounts Togetheri


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu plunged into the water and swiftly swam toward the center of the flood.


    One could see he was like a nimble fish, extremely good at swimming. His capability to swim so fast was also related to the enhancement of his cultivation.


    Swimming is a skillful task, and even more so, a test of one¡¯s stamina.


    The small water buffalo was swept down by the flood, rapidly drifting downstream.


    It wasn¡¯t clear whether it had run out of strength or what was happening, but it was barely struggling.


    ¡°Hurry, swim faster!¡±


    The shouts of the villagers from Daoyuan Village carried over from the high ground on the opposite side of the flood.


    Qin Niu increased his speed.


    Finally, just before the young buffalo was washed away, he managed to seize its neck.


    A waistband prepared earlier was looped around its neck.


    The crowds on both sides of the shore let out a cheer.


    Qin Niu began swimming towards the shore with the animal, one man and one buffalo, drifting along with the surging waves.


    Against the ferocity of the flood, one could only rely on clever strength; otherwise, even with cultivation two levels higher, one would suffocate and drown.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s clever leveraging, man and buffalo gradually neared the shore.


    ¡°All Niu, do you need help?¡±


    On the bank, Liu Shengli shouted to him.


    ¡°Thanks, no need.¡±


    Qin Niu was already approaching the shore, so how could he possibly accept others¡¯ help?


    What if they wanted to claim the small buffalo calf afterwards?


    Moreover, he had cultivated the Everlasting Spring Technique; his lungs and kidneys were strengthened, with abundant robust energy still remaining, certainly over half left.


    He simply did not need anyone¡¯s help.


    Liu Shengli was a quintessential opportunist who wouldn¡¯t lift a finger without something in it for him. He had even snatched away a potential match meant for his cousin¡ªwhy would he proffer favors to Qin Niu for no reason?


    Did he not just covet the fertilizer formula in Qin Niu¡¯s possession?


    Qin Niu was as clear about it as if he were looking into a mirror.


    With people like that, you neither offend them nor get too close to them.


    Keeping one¡¯s distance was sufficient.


    Finally, through his relentless effort, he managed to swim back to shore with the small calf in tow.


    He grabbed onto a willow tree by the shore and successfully steadied himself.


    Turning to look at the rescued young calf, it seemed it had been born only a few months ago. Particularly small, chubby and round, its belly swollen like a barrel.


    It wasn¡¯t clear if its belly was filled with water or if it was just naturally plump.


    The small calf appeared quite intelligent, gazing at him with its shiny black eyes.


    Perhaps it realized that this young man had risked his life, exerting a great deal of effort to save it.


    ¡°Haha, what a big calf, it¡¯s mine now!¡±


    Wang Haikun laughed out loud, claiming the calf Qin Niu had saved.


    He was seen carrying a bucket and wielding a fishing net, but the bucket seemed light. Probably he had caught only a few small fish and shrimp.


    This guy was good for nothing but robbing the common folk, the very best at it.


    ¡°Lord Kun, this is the life I just saved. If you want it, you can go save one yourself.¡±


    Now that Qin Niu possessed great strength and his Termite swarm was exceedingly reliable, and with the budding acquaintance with Yan Qi, the steward of the Yan Family, the tables had turned.


    When facing this village bully again, he was now full of confidence.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Wang Haikun¡¯s fierce bull eyes glared, radiating malice.


    Sorry, but this calf was saved with my life, 1 cannot give it to you.¡±


    Qin Niu omitted even the respectful titles.


    It was only because he was yet to acquire the status of Insect Master; otherwise, his attitude would have been different.


    Had he attained the Insect Master rank, he wouldn¡¯t mind grabbing Wang Haikun by the neck and rubbing him against the ground.


    Even Wang Haikun¡¯s own brother wouldn¡¯t have said anything in that case.


    ¡®Tm going to beat you to death!¡±


    Wang Haikun, full of rage, swung the rod of his fishing net towards Qin Niu.


    It was caught by Qin Niu in one move, and then he pulled hard.


    ¡°Alih¡­¡±


    Wang Haikun felt the pulling force incredibly powerful, way beyond what his strength could match.


    Caught off guard, he lunged forward.


    Splash!


    A great splash erupted.


    Everyone was stunned.


    This was the infamous Lord Kun of the village!


    And now he had been tossed into the water by All Niu, a half-grown youth.


    It seemed this bully wasn¡¯t as formidable as imagined!


    Wang Haikun fell headfirst into the flood, desperately flailing his arms and legs, thrashing about wildly.


    ¡°Save me, oh, pull me up quick!¡±


    ¡°Glub¡­ I can¡¯t swim, save me!¡±


    Despite Wang Haikun¡¯s brute strength and robust frame, he was a complete landlubber.


    It was just that he had done so much evil in the village that now absolutely no one was willing to lend him a hand.


    ¡°Kun-ye, how could you be so careless? It¡¯s one thing to hit me, but to fall into the water yourself! Too careless!¡±


    Qin Niu pulled Xiao Nui ashore and watched Wang Haikun flounder in the floodwaters, without any intention of rescuing him.


    ¡°Everyone saw it, ah, it was Kun-ye who hit me, then accidentally fell into the water. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Qin Niu said to the onlooking villagers who were there for the excitement.


    ¡°We all saw it, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Liu Shengli was not afraid of Wang Haikun, because the Liu Family was a large clan.


    They had many males.


    He was the first to join the conversation.


    ¡°He fell in by himself!¡±


    The other villagers chimed in one after another.


    Wang Haikun, floundering in the water, nearly died of rage, and with several mouthfuls of floodwater in his stomach, he frantically flailed and shouted for help again.


    The water at the shore was not deep, perhaps just a little over a meter.


    If he had even a slight knowledge of swimming, he could easily have made it to the shore.


    At this moment, Wang Haikun was desperately flailing toward the deeper parts of the floodwaters.


    As he found himself drifting further from the shore, he felt an overwhelming despair and fear.


    ¡°All Niu, save me, save me quickly!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never steal your stuff again!¡±


    Wang Haikun quickly shouted to Qin Niu on the shore.


    If he didn¡¯t struggle, his body would sink. But when he flailed, he drifted toward the deeper parts of the floodwaters.


    This must have been the most fearful and desperate moment for Wang Haikun.


    ¡°Kun-ye, sorry, but I¡¯ve used up all my strength saving this calf.¡±


    Qin Niu was more than happy to see this troublemaker drown, so why would he lift a finger to save him?


    Just then, an old man with a hunched back appeared on the shore, none other than Wang Haikun¡¯s own uncle, Wang Yuzhu.


    ¡°Haikun, catch the rope.¡±


    Wang Yuzhu didn¡¯t know where he got the rope from, it must have been hastily taken from a net.


    He threw it to Wang Haikun in the water.


    The first throw missed.


    Wang Haikun was so anxious he was nearly crying.


    ¡°Uncle, aim better! If I die, you won¡¯t even have a place to eat.¡±


    At this moment, all Wang Haikun hoped for was to grab the lifesaving rope and make it alive to the shore.


    He was Wang Yuzhu¡¯s long-term meal ticket.


    Who knows whether it was that remark or something else, but this time Wang Yuzhu threw the rope with deadly accuracy.


    It was successfully caught by Wang Haikun.


    Then little by little, he was pulled to shore.


    By the time Wang Haikun climbed onto the shore, his stomach was round like a ball, presumably having swallowed quite a bit of water.


    The villagers had dispersed long ago ¡ª at this point, nobody wanted to cross him.


    Qin Niu, leading the rescued calf, felt very happy in his heart.


    For a farmer, having a cow was extremely important.


    If raised well, there would be a strong helping hand for plowing the fields in the future.


    ¡°Hey, young man on the far bank, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    A man¡¯s shout came from the other side of the floodwaters.


    Next to the man stood a graceful young girl, but they were too far away to see clearly.


    ¡°All Niu, it¡¯s double happiness! Hurry and answer, that girl seems to have taken a liking to you.¡±


    Someone said to Qin Niu with a laugh.


    However, Qin Niu ignored them, dressed himself, picked up his bucket, and led Xiao Nui home.


    His name is Qin Niu!¡±


    An enthusiastic villager answered for Qin Niu.


    Got it!¡±


    The reply came from the other side, and there was nothing more said.


    Everyone secretly envied him, guessing that once the floodwaters receded, that girl would send someone to the village to inquire about Ah Niu¡¯s information.


    This was truly a match made in heaven!


    But Qin Niu, the fool, hadn¡¯t realized the benefits of getting a wife and actually ignored her.


    After climbing up to the shore, Wang Haikun was furiously angry.


    Having made such a fool of himself in front of everyone, and having lost all his face, how could he continue to strut around the village, bullying the common people?


    ¡°All Niu, stop right there for me!¡±


    Qin Niu slowly turned around, his gaze indifferent as he looked at the furious Wang Haikun approaching.


    ¡°Kun-ye, there¡¯s something 1 forgot to tell you. Last time you took my wolf skin, worth three taels of Silver Money, I delivered eight baskets of manure in exchange, worth four qian of Silver Money. Remember to give me the silver on time.¡±


    Being low-key and patient was to be able to show off one¡¯s strength when the time came.


    I¡¯ve been wanting to deal with Wang Haikun for a while now.


    1 was planning to wait until I got my hands on the Insect Master identity before settling the score with him, but it seems I¡¯ll have to do it a few days earlier now..

 Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Chapter 75 Establishing Authority i

    Chapter 80: Chapter 75 Establishing Authority i


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°What, what did you say?¡±


    Wang Haikun¡¯s eyes, as big as copper bells, nearly bulged out of their sockets; he glared at Qin Niu, shocked and furious.


    This fellow, who once seemed like a mere worm under his feet, capable of being squashed with just one hand, today seemed to have consumed the courage of bears and leopards.


    Then again, it might also be possible that he was possessed.


    People had long said that this kid wasn¡¯t quite right in the head.


    What normal person would wander into the mountains in the middle of the night?


    ¡°Remember to give me the two silver money and four qian on time! We¡¯re all villagers here, and if 1 have to charge you interest, it won¡¯t look good on you.¡±


    Qin Niu said earnestly.


    From beginning to end, he never took Wang Haikun as an opponent; with his caliber, he wasn¡¯t even worth it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make your face look awful right now!¡±


    Wang Haikun clenched his fist, the size of a bowl, and slammed it with a fierce force towards Qin Niu¡¯s face.


    The village tyrant¡¯s reputation was not to be challenged, much less trampled upon by a youth.


    Otherwise, who would fear him in the future?


    With a calm expression, Qin Niu reached out to grab Wang Haikun¡¯s fist and applied a slight force.


    A ¡°crack¡± sound of bones being crushed by a powerful force echoed.


    ¡°Ow¡­ it hurts, it hurts!¡±


    Wang Haikun looked at the youth before him with eyes filled with terror.


    Was this the same Ah Niu who used to nod and bow at everything?


    And moreover, how had his strength become so formidable?


    Wang Haikun considered his own strength to be not bad, more than enough at least to bully the average villagers.


    But in front of Qin Niu, he felt as weak as an infant.


    His strength was only a little better than that of an average person, while Qin Niu had already achieved a threefold strength as a commoner, exerting over three hundred catties of force.


    This three hundred catties weren¡¯t as simple as moving a three hundred catties weight.


    It meant lifting a three hundred catties weight above one¡¯s head.


    In ancient times, when selecting strong warriors, the minimum standard was to lift a five hundred catties stone weight above one¡¯s head.


    If anyone lacked the strength but still attempted the challenge, getting crushed to death on the spot was a consequence of their own doing.


    The most famous of all was Xiang Yu who could lift a thousand catties bronze cauldron.


    Lauded in poetry, ¡°With the strength to uproot mountains and the spirit to overshadow the world.¡±


    Such a master in this world would merely be a commoner with tenfold strength, which was just enough to qualify for an official salary.


    ¡°If your punches are soft, don¡¯t even think about bullying people all day long! Starting today, Qin Niu of Shuangfeng Village is no longer someone you can bully, understand?¡±


    Qin Niu increased the force in his hand by a fraction.


    His bones were being crushed out of shape, and a fracture was imminent.


    ¡°I understand, 1 understand! I won¡¯t dare do it again!¡±


    Wang Haikun agreed verbally, but his eyes flashed with violence and brutality.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your brother¡¯s face, I would¡¯ve crippled you today. You better watch yourself.¡±


    With a fling of his hand, Qin Niu sent Wang Haikun staggering back several meters, the latter looking at the cold and callous youth ahead of him with horror.


    Still wearing the same ragged clothes, still the same person, but in the eyes of Wang Haikun and the other villagers, the image of the youth had grown imposingly tall.


    ¡°This Qin Niu is formidable indeed! No wonder he dared to save the calf in the middle of the floodwaters.¡±


    ¡°When did he become so strong? To effortlessly handle Wang Haikun, he must be at least at the peak of the onefold commoner strength, right?¡±


    ¡°This is great news! Our village has another person whom Wang Haikun wouldn¡¯t dare to bully.¡±


    The villagers were abuzz with discussion.


    Qin Niu had carefully thought through his decision to reveal a bit of his strength at this moment.


    If he wanted to avoid being exploited, he had to turn against Wang Haikun.


    The calf was worth a lot, and to him, it held special significance.


    It was the one he had risked his life to save, establishing a preliminary trust and affection with the calf. Properly raised, it could become a valuable assistant for Qin Niu in his farming endeavors.


    When dealing with someone like Wang Haikun, you either don¡¯t strike at all, or you make sure it¡¯s hard and sure when you do.


    His only concern previously was Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother.


    Now that everyone had seen it, it was Wang Haikun who wanted to bully him; a proper counterattack was reasonable and justifiable.


    Holding onto justice, even if Wang Haikun¡¯s brother was displeased, he wouldn¡¯t openly trouble Qin Niu.


    Furthermore, Qin Niu had a feeling that he had now cultivated a large number of Grade Two Termites, and with one more step, he could produce Grade Three Termites.


    This time could be as long as a year or two, or as short as a couple of months.


    Therefore, he had chosen to take a stand early, to strike and establish his authority.


    It would also cut off any crooked ideas from those with ulterior motives like Liu Shengli.


    Additionally, as his trump cards continued to increase, the secrets in his house would grow in number.


    By using the village bully to establish his dominance, his home would henceforth be considered off-limits, and anyone wanting to spy or trespass would have to weigh the consequences.


    Wang Haikun¡¯s face was as pale as iron, and the pain in his right hand reminded him that he was no longer capable of beating the young man before him.


    However, the thought of obediently handing over three or four silver money to Qin Niu


    was a dream.


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t expected to make Wang Haikun pay the silver money immediately either.


    First, he¡¯d establish his power and strive for a peaceful month or two, so he could focus on attaining the status of Insect Master.


    He walked home with Xiao Niu by his side.


    In the bucket, he carried half a bucket of freshly caught fish.


    All still alive.


    They would improve the meals a bit.


    Along the way, many villagers saw him returning with a calf and were all impressed.


    When they asked where he got it from, he just bowed his head and walked on, without answering.


    The villagers had long since grown used to this.


    When he got home, Qin Niu settled the calf in the courtyard.


    He needed to go up the mountain to chop some trees and build it a little nest.


    Qin Niu put the fish he had caught into an empty water jar in the backyard.


    After emptying the bucket of fish, he discovered the little turtle.


    He had actually forgotten about this little creature.


    It was still retracted into its shell.


    Qin Niu gave it special care, allocating a broken jar specifically for it.


    Having heard that turtles shouldn¡¯t be submerged in water for too long, he deliberately placed stones in the jar for it to climb on to rest.


    Food was an easy issue to solve.


    Just giving it some bear meat would suffice.


    With two new members suddenly added to his family, Qin Niu felt delighted and also a sense of responsibility.


    This meant that he would have to feed them every day from now on.


    Termite and bee care, on the other hand, were less demanding; he could just leave them in the mountains and not worry about them.


    ¡°One day, 1¡¯11 have to go to the city and buy a couple of Low-grade Contract Charms from the mute girl!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the little turtle and then at the calf in the front yard. Now that he had taken them in, he definitely wouldn¡¯t allow them to be ordinary; he would find a way to make them stronger.


    But buying talismans required money, where would he get two silver money from?


    Hunting was the quickest way to make money that he could think of.


    Selling bugs was another option.


    Moreover, the Yan Family had bought a basket of fertilizer from him last time. He guessed it would show results in a month or two. He hoped the results would satisfy Steward Yan Qi; with such a major customer, he could make a decent amount of money just from selling fertilizer.


    After making up his mind, Qin Niu prepared to go up the mountain later to earn some silver money.


    He took out some bear meat to fill his belly and found there was only enough left for about two more meals.


    Lately, his cultivation level had improved, and along with his practice, his appetite had greatly increased.


    This was yet another issue that needed to be addressed.


    Ultimately, nothing could be separated from money.


    He needed to come up with a way to make money.


    Working a regular job to earn money was out of the question for him.


    After eating the bear meat, he cut a small piece of meat to feed the little turtle.


    It was extremely timid, filled with fear of the unfamiliar environment and the unfamiliar human before it. The moment it saw Qin Niu approach, it immediately retracted its head.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t bother with it, just threw the meat on the stone in the jar and walked away.


    ¡°Xiao Niu, let¡¯s head up the mountain!¡±


    Armed with his treasured sword and some rope, he led Xiao Niu up the mountain.


    The calf was especially intelligent, following closely behind him, looking very attached..

 Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Chapter 76 The Great Official Prestige 1

    Chapter 81: Chapter 76 The Great Official Prestige 1


    After entering the mountain, render grass gradually appeared by the roadside.


    Ah Niu still worried that it was too small io eat grass. Xiao Nui nibbled a bit here and there, closely following Qin Niu.


    In its eyes, this might just be an adventure through the mountains and streams.


    Qin Niu wanted to build it a cowshed and needed to find suitable wood for that.


    Fir was a relatively ideal material.


    But since every household used it for construction, these peripheral areas had long been cleared.


    Qin Niu had plenty of strength, along with a treasured sword and martial skills, so he fearlessly went deep into the mountain.


    He soon found a grove of fir trees; not just a few, but even cutting a hundred firs wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Xiao Nui, graze here by yourself, and don¡¯t wander off too far. Ill cut a few fir trees to build you a cowshed,¡± Qin Niu said as he patted its head.


    It didn¡¯t resist.


    Moo-!¡¯


    It answered Qin Niu with a deep moo.


    It probably couldn¡¯t understand Qin Niu¡¯s words since he had only mastered Insect Trace Identification and couldn¡¯t communicate with beasts yet.


    But it was smart and seemed to roughly understand Qin Niu¡¯s intentions.


    Seeing Xiao Nui busily looking for tender grass and leaves to nibble, Qin Niu stopped minding it and drew his treasured sword, chopping at a fir as thick as an adult¡¯s thigh.


    A tree of that thickness was just right for building a cowshed.


    With one swing, Blade Qi appeared, easily felling the large tree.


    The cut was near and tidy.


    He smiled, satisfied; he had long had this strength.


    It was just that the treasured sword had revealed its Blade Qi just now, making the chopping much easier.


    After pruning rhe branches and cutting off rhe narrower end where it was as thick as a lower leg, one fir was ready.


    For a typical lumberjack, it would take at least a quarter of an hour or more.


    With his Threefold mortal cultivation and the treasured sword that could reveal Blade Qi, he estimated he could fell six or seven trees in fifteen minutes.


    He cut down fifteen fir trees in one go, each as thick as an adult¡¯s thigh.


    Bundling five together, he found dragging them to be very easy.


    There was no need to carry them on his back.


    Raw wood was very heavy; five logs together must weigh at least five to six hundred pounds.


    ¡°Moo-1¡±


    Xiao Nui called out and then galloped towards Qin Niu.


    ¡°Quite spirited, huh! It knows I¡¯m going back and came over without being called,¡± Qin Niu said with a laugh.


    Having a companion in the mountains was a pretty good feeling.


    Termites and bees couldn¡¯t provide that feeling.


    Only having Xiao Nui alongside gave him a sense of companionship.


    Qin Niu dragged the five logs, his head bowed as he walked, but his eyes carefully observed the ground. His Insect Trace Identification skills had become proficient, allowing him to spot insects from their hidden traces.


    Ordinary insects had no value in his eyes.


    He aimed to catch rare insects.


    Whether taming them as pets or selling them for Silver Money, it would be very good.


    1 le didn¡¯t discover any on the way.


    There were countless unusual insects in the big mountains; not finding any only meant that his Insect Trace Identification skills were still weak.


    The more formidable the insects, the more cautious they were, leaving behind very few traces.


    Some powerful insects even went so far as to erase the traces they left or camouflage them as natural features.


    Dragging the five firs down the mountain, he broke out in a sweat.


    Xiao Nui ran to the back several times, using its head to push against the logs, seemingly wanting to help Qin Niu.


    This comical scene made Qin Niu smile involuntarily.


    ¡°When you¡¯re a bit bigger, you can help me with the work,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Dragging the fir wood back to the village, from a distance, Qin Niu saw many villagers gathered around the entrance of Wang Furen¡¯s residence.


    A tremendously majestic black horse was tethered outside, obviously of a much higher quality than the one Steward Yan Qi used for his carriage by several folds.


    Not only was this horse taller than an adult, its limbs were robust and powerful, and its entire coat shone like black satin, glossy and radiant. The saddle was forged from refined iron, and the handle and other parts were made of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel.


    Refined iron costs one tael of silver per jin.


    This large saddle, excluding the leather parts, weighed at least twenty or thirty jin.


    Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel was three times the price of silver; one tael of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel required three taels of silver. Although the horse¡¯s owner had only used Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel for the critical parts, at least two jin was needed.


    Two jin of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel, that¡¯s sixty taels of silver.


    The saddle s leather was also unlikely to be cheap, definitely not cowhide. It seemed more like it was made from expensive bear hide.


    Bear hide is thick, soft, and wear-resistant, and sitting on it would be more comfortable.


    The cost of this saddle alone was at least a hundred taels of silver, not including the labor fee.


    The eyes of the horse carried a hint of blue, like two gemstones.


    Seeing its appearance and domineering aura, Qin Niu was sure it wasn¡¯t an ordinary black-maned horse, but rather a Wuzhuang horse worth over a thousand taels of silver.


    This horse had a fierce nature, extremely difficult to tame.


    Yet, it was incomparably brave on the battlefield with astonishing stamina. Even if it were wounded, it could still carry its master and gallop. Moreover, it was one of the rare horses that did not fear tigers or wolves.


    Many generals dreamed of owning such a treasured horse.


    Only such a horse would be fitting for a high-class saddle worth over a hundred taels of silver.


    ¡°It must be an official visit.¡±


    Qin Niu noticed another two stout, tall, and strong bay horses tied next to the Wuzhuang horse.


    They too were excellent among horses.


    However, compared to the Wuzhuang horse, they were not in the same league.


    It was entirely the difference between a firefly and the bright moon.


    The officials from the Yan Family had arrived yesterday.


    They would surely have been treated to fine food and drink overnight before being accompanied today to inspect the surrounding villages.


    Since the visitor was not a mid-to-high-ranking official, Yan Ruohai could not possibly accompany them personally.


    Sending a middle-tier member of the Yan Family, a direct descendant, to accompany them was quite fitting.


    Local powerhouses like the Yan Family, though far less powerful than the official government, undoubtedly had members holding official positions.


    They would also lavish gifts on many high-ranking officials during the holidays and birthdays.


    Thus, an ordinary minor official would receive only the treatment of a common distinguished guest at the Yan Family.


    Qin Niu felt envious in his heart; even a mere minor official could ride a Wuzhuang horse worth a thousand taels of silver. Indeed, it¡¯s good to have protection from the powers that be!


    ¡°Ah Niu, 1 heard you beat up Wang Haikun, is that true or false?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true! 1 saw it with my own eyes when I was fishing.¡±


    ¡°Wang Haikun has been holed up at home and hasn¡¯t shown his face!¡±


    If it were any other time, Wang Haikun would have eagerly come to curry favor upon hearing of an official visit.


    But the officials all have their own dignity and wouldn¡¯t bother with someone like Wang Haikun unless they held at least some position.


    it¡¯s only the low-ranking officials who come to collect the grain taxes annually that need to leverage Wang Haikun¡¯s intimidation in the village to gather the taxes and would give him some attention.


    The villagers saw Qin Niu pulling back five fir logs as thick as an adult¡¯s thigh, each inwardly astonished.


    That would require a strength of over two hundred jin, right?


    It seemed the rumors were true.


    Qin Niu did not bother with these villagers and went into his home, dragging the fir logs behind him.


    The villagers who had been blocking the way quickly stepped aside.


    Watching the little calf following closely behind Qin Niu, they couldn¡¯t help but feel even more envious.


    They all speculated on how Qin Niu had suddenly become so powerful?


    Can strength really increase so quickly?


    They just couldn¡¯t see rhe hard work Qin Niu put in on a daily basis.


    After placing the fir logs in the front yard, Qin Niu headed out again.


    He happened to see the officials leaving Wang Furen¡¯s house.


    A hooked nose, eyes like a fox, a beak-like mouth, with a mustache. He wore a black official robe with a red mantle thrown over it, and a black cloth cap on his head.


    As he walked, his presence was like that of a moving mountain, very domineering.


    The two representatives from the Yan Family accompanied the man, walking half a step behind him..

 Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Chapter 77: Catching Jin Chan t

    Chapter 82: Chapter 77: Catching Jin Chan t


    Translator: 549690339


    Official attire was reserved only for government officials; commoners would commit a crime by wearing it, similar in nature to civilians donning police uniforms today.


    Once discovered, they would be arrested and punished by the authorities.


    Official attire typically came in two forms, one was the regular service attire, and the other was the ceremonial attire.


    The regular service attire was also known as public attire or plain attire, worn for office or other ordinary occasions.


    The ceremonial attire was reserved for festive days, such as sacrifices, ceremonies, weddings, birthdays, welcoming edicts from the Immortal Sect, and other such occasions.


    The attire that this official wore was a black, fold-collared official robe, a style ranked below the round-collared official robe.


    It bore resemblance to a long robe.


    Literate individuals who had passed the civil examinations, aspiring Insect Masters, aspiring Beast Tamers, including middle-grade farmers, were all allowed to wear long robes.


    In terms of rank, fold-collared official robes were considered lower than round-collared robes.


    Even unranked officials would wear round-collared robes instead of these fold-collared ones.


    Because it was folded once, it symbolized the law not being perfectly fulfilled, a flaw.


    Only clerks, whose status was higher than that of the commoners but lower than that of officials, would wear these ¡®mock¡¯ official robes.


    Looking at the hat this person wore, it was a black cloth cap, also known as a clerk¡¯s cap, a soft hat exclusively for clerks, with a flat top, an exposed forehead, a central fold, and wings of an official¡¯s cap on the back.


    This was the lowest-ranking official hat.


    It indicated that this man was merely a clerk, not a formal official.


    A clerk is someone who works as an assistant to an official in the government, the main workforce behind the scenes.


    All sorts of account settlements and policy implementations were completed by clerks.


    A mere clerk had no right to warrant the Yan Family sending a direct bloodline member to accompany them


    This brings us to the red robe the person wore.


    Donning a red robe was akin to an honor, signifying greater prestige than the average clerk, comparable to an outstanding figure among the clerks.


    If Qin Niu was not mistaken, this person must be a leader among the clerks.


    Ranking below Historians, yet above ordinary clerks.


    It was precisely because he was a leader among the clerks that the Yan Family would dispatch a direct bloodline member and a mid-level manager to accompany him.


    To show the importance and warmth they placed on this individual.


    Indeed, how could an ordinary clerk possess a horse worth a thousand taels of silver?


    Only a standout leader among the clerks could have such substantial wealth.


    Behind many officials lay their own families and industries, for the meager official salary alone was hardly enough to cover gifts for superiors and social exchanges during festivals.


    ¡°Listen carefully, this is Official Liu Shuban, in charge of the agricultural taxation for the government office. In light of the floods occurring in multiple areas under the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s jurisdiction, Official Liu, out of compassion for the people, has specially come to inspect the disaster,¡± called out the middle-aged man who looked like a steward from the Yan Family, introducing the official¡¯s identity.


    ¡°We greet Official Liu!¡±


    The common people, who were fearful of officials, were even more reverent upon hearing that this man was an official with real power in the government.


    ¡°You may dispense with the formalities!¡±


    Official Liu Shuban raised his right hand lightly and swept his gaze over the crowd.


    ¡°The floods did not reach Shuangfeng Village; you should feel fortunate! This year, many areas have suffered from floods and even insect plagues. If you tend to your fields well, you can peacefully get through this year of disasters.¡±


    Having said that, Official Liu Shuban untied the horse¡¯s reins and leaped onto the black steed.


    His movements were agile, revealing his impressive skills.


    ¡°Heehee-!¡±


    The black steed neighed joyfully.


    ¡°Neigh-!¡±


    Facing such a magnificent horse, Qin Niu¡¯s Xiao Nui seemed unafraid and even stretched its neck, issuing its own call.


    Official Liu Shuban glanced at Xiao Nui, his eyes showing a trace of surprise, and then looked at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Is this calf yours?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡±


    I¡¯ll give you ten taels of silver for it. Will you sell?¡±


    The price Official Liu Shuban offered was astonishing; a calf was worth at most three taels of silver at most. Offering ten taels outright was generous; just another two or three taels would be enough to buy a grown water buffalo.


    ¡°Thank you for the honor, but 1 intend to keep this calf for ploughing the fields. It¡¯s not for sale,¡± Qin Niu politely declined.


    ¡°Boy, don¡¯t be disrespectful. Official Liu fancies your calf; it¡¯s like your ancestors¡¯ graves have sprouted green smoke. Ten taels of silver could buy you three calves like this and still leave you with change,¡± the Yan Family¡¯s middle-aged steward scolded coldly.


    ¡°All Niu, it¡¯s a rare chance, you should sell!¡±


    The other villagers also felt that Qin Niu was being foolish.


    Seeing Qin Niu unmoved, Official Liu Shuban waved his hand dismissively.


    ¡°Enough. It¡¯s merely an ordinary calf; if he doesn¡¯t want to sell, let him be! Steward Pang, don¡¯t force him, or folks might think I¡¯m compelling the commoners to sell their livestock under duress,¡± he said.


    Then, Official Liu Shuban nodded toward the two from the Yan Family.


    ¡°My thanks for your hospitality; please convey my gratitude to Elder Yan.¡±


    The Elder Yan he spoke of was likely Yan Ruohai.


    Although without an official title, his status was no lower than that of an ordinary official, for he was the real overlord of Jade Stream Town.


    ¡°Wang Youquan, on the fifteenth of this month, take your daughter to Yichun Garden in Black Tiger City. Young Master Lu will be there to admire the flowers. If he takes a liking to your daughter, not only will she be provided for life, but your status too will rise to honor and glory,¡± Official Liu said.


    Wang Youquan was Wang Furen¡¯s given name.


    ¡°Thank you, Official Liu, for the tip! If my daughter is chosen by Young Master Lu, I will not forget your kindness,¡± Wang Furen expressed his excitement, bowing and offering his thanks.


    It seemed he was dead set on his daughter becoming a phoenix by ascending to the branches.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing! Until next time!¡±


    Official Liu Shuban¡¯s attitude toward Wang Furen was quite cordial.


    He probably also considered that Wang Furen had a beautiful daughter; once married to Young Master Lu, her status would soar instantly.


    Perhaps there would come a time when he might have to ask for Wang Furen¡¯s help.


    These officials were cunning, always finding opportunities to gain advantage and never waking early for nothing.


    Upon hearing this, Qin Niu felt a pang of sadness in his heart. Such a fine young lady might not necessarily find happiness married to a nobleman¡¯s son.


    If Young Master Lu loved her, that would be fine, but if he treated her as a plaything, becoming bored with her after a while and casting her aside, then her fate would be quite tragic.


    Nobleman¡¯s sons were never short of women.


    And in their eyes, swapping women was as casual as changing clothes.


    See a pretty one, a shapely one, and they¡¯d take her if they wanted.


    When they got tired of her, they¡¯d throw her to the backyard to keep, or even possibly give her away as a gift.


    Liu Shuban lightly squeezed his horse¡¯s belly with his legs, and the dark horse sprang forward, turning into a streak of black smoke and disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.


    The two from the Yan family also rode away swiftly on horseback.


    But the Yan family¡¯s pair of reddish-brown horses were more than just a notch inferior to the dark horse.


    Although they were fast when running, they were more than twice as slow as the dark horse.


    There was no comparison in terms of momentum.


    When the dark horse galloped, it was like a charge of thousands of troops, with an unstoppable momentum.


    Qin Niu took Xiao Nui to continue dragging the cut bin trees back from the mountain.


    The fact that this calf could make Liu Shuban offer ten silver money meant there must be something extraordinary about it.


    All the way, he secretly sized up Xiao Nui.


    He couldn¡¯t see anything special.


    Moreover, its fur was much sparser than other cattle, really not a sign of top quality.


    Perhaps it was its imposing manner when facing the dark horse that caught the eye!


    Because he wasn¡¯t a Beast Tamer and had no knowledge or skills in beast control, he couldn¡¯t tell what was good about Xiao Nui. Once he saved up two silver money and bought a Low-grade Contract Charm to make it his Beast Pet, he would be able to check its attributes.


    As for Liu Shuban¡¯s claim that Xiao Nui was just an ordinary calf, Qin Niu of course didn¡¯t believe it.


    Once man and calf entered the mountain, he began to search for suspicious insect traces with his head down.


    If one wanted to earn money quickly, hunting and catching insects to sell were both good paths.


    As for hunting, he could only passively wait for prey to come to him.


    He didn¡¯t know how to track beasts, nor did he know where various types of wild beasts lurked.


    Setting baits, laying traps, and snares were all things he didn¡¯t know how to do.


    To put it in a funny way, he entirely relied on the grace of the heavens for his food.


    However, he was better at catching insects.


    As he searched with his head down along the way, he stopped in front of a very tall elm tree.


    Because he found insect shells (exuviae) shed on the trunk of the tree.


    After careful identification, these were shells shed by cicadas.


    Cicadas are a very special kind of insect, known for their loud calls and for the fact that their bodies can be used as medicine.


    They are indispensable for treating measles, German measles, and other illnesses.


    Now, entering summer, it is the perfect season for them to climb trees and get ready to emerge from their nymphal casings.


    A cicada¡¯s life goes through several stages, including egg, nymph, pupa, and adult.


    During the pupal stage, they climb trees and then force their way out of the pupal case to undergo their final transformation. Once they have wings, they can fly far away, leaving only an empty shell behind.


    This is the origin of the phrase ¡®the cicada sheds its shell¡¯.


    Qin Niu was not interested in these ordinary cicadas, which wouldn¡¯t fetch much per pound.


    At most, three to fifty wen money at best.


    What he was looking for were those special cicadas that could sell for more than one tael of silver each.


    His Insect Identification skill was currently at the proficient level and was soon to advance to the next level.


    Since there were so many shells on the tree trunk, it indicated there must be cicada nymphs under the tree.


    He began to dig under the tree for cicada nymphs that had not yet emerged from the ground.


    Lucky for him, with the skill to recognize insect traces, he rarely missed when he dug.


    One after another, the cicada nymphs were unearthed, panickedly scuttling around, trying to escape.


    Qin Niu began to assess the value of each of these cicada nymphs.


    The shedding of cicada shells usually takes place at night because they are very weak after squeezing out from the nymphal case, their wings are curled up, and their bodies soft. At that moment, they are defenseless and unable to escape from predators.


    Emerging from the ground at night, they climb trees in the quiet and cool environment with a gentle night breeze the ideal conditions for their transformation.


    This large elm tree that could be embraced by one person had at least a hundred cicada shells on its trunk.


    They looked very fresh, most likely left from their shedding over the past few nights.


    Qin Niu felt that the surroundings of this elm tree were likely a nest for them.


    As he unearthed each one, he identified them by their nymphal shells, whether they were male or female, and their robustness, among other characteristics.


    ¡°This cicada nymph is very long with a sharp tail, undoubtedly a male cicada!¡±


    Insect Identification proficiency +0.01.


    ¡°This cicada nymph is short and round, with an elliptical tail, definitely a female.¡±


    Insect Identification proficiency +0.01.


    Besides identifying the gender of the cicadas, he also observed the shape and strength of their second abdominal segment.


    Female cicadas do not call; only male cicadas can produce a singing sound.


    People who pay high prices for cicadas usually select males with a unique call.


    As Qin Niu continued identifying each cicada nymph, his Insect Identification skill kept increasing.


    [Congratulations, your Insect Identification skill has progressed to a level of minor achievement! You can now identify an insect¡¯s gender, age, health status, approximate lifespan, reproductive capacity, and have a certain chance to discover their special abilities.]


    At the proficient level, you can identify the health of insects, their strengths, and weaknesses.


    After progressing to minor achievement, you can now estimate an insect¡¯s lifespan, assess their reproductive capabilities and even have the chance to discover their special abilities.


    Indeed, with every skill level advancement, there are new gains and new vistas.


    An insect¡¯s lifespan and special abilities are key factors in determining its value.


    He now had the ability to enter a shop that bought and sold insects and work as a junior appraiser.


    The annual income would be at least twelve taels of silver.


    The job was easy and the status quite high.


    It was countless times better than working as an ordinary farmer.


    ¡°How much money can an appraiser earn? My Insect Mastery skill is not the only one I have. I could completely capture insects myself to sell, enjoying more freedom and a higher income.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t the least bit interested in a twelve silver money per year Insect Identification appraiser job.


    Excited, he began to re-identify the unearthed cicada nymphs, hoping for a discovery..

 Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Chapter 78 Miss Wang’s Sobbing i

    Chapter 83: Chapter 78 Miss Wang¡¯s Sobbing i


    Translator: 549690339


    After his effortful identification, he left disappointed.


    He didn¡¯t find any cicadas with special abilities. He wondered whether his identification skill wasn¡¯t sharp enough or the cicadas with special abilities were really that rare.


    Qin Niu was perhaps used to every single termite being able to develop special abilities, which might be why he thought finding special insects wasn¡¯t difficult.


    In reality, to obtain an insect with special abilities, even an ant, was extremely difficult.


    It was precisely because of their rarity that special insects were so valuable.


    The law that rarity increases value is an eternal truth.


    Walking over a hundred meters away from the large structure, he encountered another large tree covered with many cicada shells.


    This was a poplar tree.


    It was even larger than the elm tree, and on its trunk, one could see the shells left behind after the cicada nymphs shed their skins.


    ¡°It seems this area must certainly be the cicadas¡¯ habitat.¡±


    Qin Niu silently noted this location. He could return here to capture cicadas in the future.


    Cicadas preferred tall trees such as pear trees, poplar trees, elm trees, and persimmon trees.


    Not only were these trees tall, but their rough bark was also conducive to their securing themselves during the molting stage.


    If all went as expected, once night fell, a large number of cicada nymphs would surely burrow out from underground and then climb the trees. Within a couple of hours, they would complete their molting and transformation, and then take flight.


    Almost all insects make an effort to find a suitable place for breeding, then lay eggs.


    The trees in this area generally had thick branches¡ªideal for their egg-laying.


    The presence of large elms and poplars, which are suitable for the cicadas¡¯ molting process, made these trees even more popular for them.


    The mountains at night were too dangerous, and he didn¡¯t dare to go into the mountains after dark.


    Right now, he could only dig around for cicada nymphs.


    It wasn¡¯t that they were all concentrated around this poplar tree¡ªit was just that there were more here.


    One by one, cicada nymphs hidden underground were dug out and then carefully identified by him.


    Persistence pays off.


    He actually dug up a cicada nymph that was quite large.


    When it struggled, its strength was particularly formidable.


    After identifying it, Qin Niu believed its call would be at least louder than other male cicadas.


    He immediately placed it into a small cage he had made himself.


    This was a cage he crafted after his bug-catching skill had advanced to the proficient level.


    It could imprison most insects.


    Including highly venomous creatures like centipedes, scorpions, and spiders.


    And just like small rooms, compartmentalized so that each insect was confined to one section, there was no need to worry about them fighting.


    Because it was just a temporary cage, it was quite small.


    It was also easy to carry.


    After securing the cicada, he continued to dig around the area.


    He soon found another cicada nymph of decent quality.


    However, its body was round and a bit short, with an oblong and pointed abdomen, clearly identifying it as a female cicada.


    The strength with which it struggled was also very formidable, and the pattern on its abdomen was slightly more complex than that of ordinary cicadas. On the second segment of its abdomen, there was a clearly additional curved pattern.


    This also suggested that its body structure was a bit more complex.


    ¡°Catching two special cicadas in this small area, they might very well be from the same brood.¡±


    Qin Niu contemplated to himself.


    As he understood, a female cicada could lay more than three hundred eggs, and the exceptional ones could even reach seven to eight hundred.


    But they wouldn¡¯t lay all their eggs in one place.


    So as to not put all their eggs in one basket in case of disaster.


    Typically, they would lay about thirty to fifty eggs on a branch, then fly to another branch to continue laying eggs.


    The wisdom of not keeping all one¡¯s eggs in one basket isn¡¯t known only to humans¡ªcicadas understand it as well.


    After digging for a while, he didn¡¯t find any more cicada nymphs that caught his eye.


    Seeing that the sky was getting dark, he didn¡¯t dare delay any longer.


    He hurriedly collected his two prizes, released all the other cicada nymphs he had dug up, and then rushed to the nearby Bintree Forest to drag back the remaining ten bintree logs.


    ¡°Xiao Niu, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Qin Niu called out to the playful calf frolicking in the distance.


    It was like a curious baby, always eager to lift its head and tiptoe to nibble on those tender tree leaves.


    And it wasn¡¯t eating the same kind of leaves but a variety of different ones.


    He was genuinely worried it might get poisoned from indiscriminate munching.


    Many leaves and grasses in the mountain were poisonous.


    Qin Niu knew of no fewer than thirty types: some could cause diarrhea, the scent of some flowers could make one dizzy and nauseated, while others could cause itchiness upon ingestion.


    Moo-!


    Xiao Nui ran towards him happily.


    Suddenly, it froze, then pricked up its ears to listen attentively.


    Its eyes seemed very serious.


    Seeing its expression, Qin Niu¡¯s heart stirred, could it be that a fierce beast was approaching?


    That would be a good thing.


    He now possessed the strength of a regular person at Threefold cultivation level, and with Treasured Sword in hand, he dared to fight even if it was a fierce tiger.


    Roar-!


    Xiao Nui let out a call in a certain direction, sounding somewhat defiant or as if it was emboldening itself.


    Bushes parted, and a large, pointed-headed wild boar emerged.


    It snorted repeatedly, looking ready to charge at someone.


    Looking at its body length of over two and a half meters and sturdy body like that of a door plank, it probably weighed more than five hundred kilograms.


    Normally, wild boars rarely move alone; they travel in groups and come out to feed at night.


    Dusk is also a good time for them to forage.


    This is when small insects and animals leave their nests, ripe for discovery and consumption by the boars.


    Wild boars are omnivorous and, in addition to enjoying the roots and stems of crops, they also like to eat small animals such as insects.


    Such a large wild boar, with its two tusks resembling sharp daggers, could easily intimidate anyone.


    It was covered with a thick layer of pine resin.


    As if wearing a coat of armor.


    Qin Niu licked his lips; such a big wild boar would provide meat for many days if slaughtered.


    Xiao Niu confronted it.


    It snorted and sniffed around, inching closer to Xiao Niu while bobbing its head.


    Quietly, Qin Niu drew out Treasured Sword, eyes locked on the approaching wild boar.


    However, the wild boar seemed to sense danger and turned tail to flee.


    This left Qin Niu, who had prepared himself for pork, rather dumbfounded.


    Wasn¡¯t it said that wild boars are aggressive and don¡¯t even fear tigers or wolves?


    Why did it seem as timid as a mouse?


    ¡°Xiao Nui, let¡¯s go!¡±


    He sheathed Treasured Sword and did not chase after the wild boar.


    There was no point in chasing.


    In the mountains, wild animals can flee at a speed that humans simply cannot match.


    At least with his current level of cultivation, he definitely couldn¡¯t catch up.


    ¡°Using Xiao Nui as bait to lure out the fierce beasts lurking in the dark could be a good idea.¡±


    Through this incident, Qin Niu gained some inspiration.


    Feeling his master¡¯s ill-intended gaze, Xiao Nui shuddered, shaking its tail continuously and letting out a series of low cries.


    Binding ten logs into two bundles, he attempted to drag one with each hand, making his way through the mountains with difficulty.


    By the time he returned to the village, it was already getting dark.


    As he passed by Wang Furen¡¯s front door, he faintly heard Wang Wanyan¡¯s crying coming from the second floor.


    The sound was soft but seemed very sad.


    Wang Furen was intent on marrying her off to a powerful young master, and she clearly disagreed. But she couldn¡¯t go against her parents¡¯ wishes, so all she could do was cry helplessly.


    That was someone else¡¯s family affair, and Qin Niu, as an outsider, simply couldn¡¯t intervene.


    Wang Wanyan was kind to him, and if he could help her, he would definitely do his utmost.


    ¡°This Uncle Wang is really, treating his only daughter with such care usually. Now, to curry favor with the powerful, he disregards his daughter¡¯s opposition and insists on having his way. At the age of fifty, even if he becomes Young Master Lu¡¯s father-in-law, how long could his glory last?¡±


    Qin Niu shook his head, feeling quite helpless.


    He set up a shed in the yard, lining it with straw, and Xiao Nui now had a comfortable little nest.


    Upon entering the house, he found the captured male cicada larva lying motionless in its cage.


    He shook the cage a bit, but it remained still.


    With his skill in Insect Identification, he could tell at a glance that the cicada was not dead.


    It was probably about to emerge from its chrysalis, shedding its outer shell to metamorphose into an adult Jin Chan locust.


    Qin Niu was full of anticipation.


    When he had passed by Wang Furen¡¯s house earlier and heard Wang Wanyan crying, he felt quite troubled.


    His eagerness to improve his own strength intensified even more.


    With greater power, he could help her at crucial moments.


    He might even change Wang Furen¡¯s decision..

 Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Chapter 79: The First Level 3 Termite i

    Chapter 84: Chapter 79: The First Level 3 Termite i


    Translator: 549690339


    The night was already deep.


    After bathing and changing his clothes, Qin Niu came to the backyard to maintain his treasured sword and cultivate.


    This had essentially become his daily routine.


    Unfortunately, All Niu was still evolving and it was still uncertain when he would complete his evolution. Otherwise, with him as a guide freely entering and leaving the domain of the Ancient Banyan Tree, that would be truly exhilarating.


    The twentyfold cultivation speed was simply too enchanting.


    Time flew by swiftly.


    A night of cultivation passed in the blink of an eye.


    His cultivation level increased by about 4 points, now cultivating for an hour roughly increased it by 1 point.


    If it were under the Ancient Banyan Tree, that would be a bit terrifying, with an increase of 20 points in cultivation level per hour.


    He stood up and took out his treasured sword to inspect it.


    The green lines within the sword blade had become clearer and more stable. He tried swinging the sword through the air, and a thread of blade qi was exceptionally dazzling in the faint morning light.


    ¡°The blade qi has grown a bit stronger,¡± he remarked.


    But its consumption of Banyan Tree Blood was way too fast, the blood in the stone trough had already turned transparent, like clear water.


    He hoped All Niu would complete his evolution soon, otherwise, the Banyan Tree Blood could support at most three or four more days before running out completely.


    He looked at the two Jin Chan he had caught yesterday, immediately went back to the room to fetch the cage, and checked it.


    He saw that the number of Jin Chan inside the cage had doubled from two to four.


    Two of them were empty shells.


    Both Jin Chan had successfully molted last night and completed their metamorphosis.


    Now, if he opened the cage, they would definitely take flight flapping their wings.


    Qin Niu carefully observed the male Jin Chan, reassessing it.


    At the moment, it was searching for an exit in the cage, looking to escape.


    To make it emit its chirp, Qin Niu brought over a small wooden stick and deliberately teased it.


    ¡°Chee¡­¡±


    A husky, cracked sound emerged, not at all loud and clear.


    However, Qin Niu¡¯s eyes lit up slightly.


    The chirp just issued by the male Jin Chan was piercing to the ear and uncomfortable to listen to.


    He tried to tease it again with the stick.


    ¡°Chee chee¡­¡±


    Its chirp was still hoarse; to the ears, it was nothing but irritating, making one wish to slap it dead.


    [Male Jin Chan, health status excellent, lifespan around 7 days, special ability (emit a piercing chirp, significantly increasing the probability of being discovered by predators.)]


    Insect Identification +0.1.


    Qin Niu had successfully identified this Jin Chan.


    He was pleasantly surprised to find that identifying a special insect increased the skill proficiency tenfold.


    Identifying a common insect, Insect Identification skill proficiency +0.01, but this time it increased by 0.1.


    Only the special ability of this male Jin Chan really broadened his horizons.


    It was more like a self-sabotage skill.


    Almost all wild animals go to great lengths to reduce the probability of being discovered by predators, but this male Jin Chan took the path less traveled, doing the exact opposite.


    Was it complaining that its life was not short enough?


    Capturing an insect with a special ability was truly too difficult.


    After so much pain and effort, digging at least two hundred cicada pupae, he finally managed to catch two Jin Chan that were different from the rest.


    And the result? Its special skill turned out to be self-sabotaging.


    Short-lived, with a lousy special skill, how much could it sell for?


    He had been hoping to sell it for one or two Silver Money to buy a Low-grade Contract Charm.


    As for buying other cultivation resources, he dared not even think about it now.


    He looked at the female Jin Chan.


    One could see that its abdomen had one more stripe than the male Jin Chan, vastly similar.


    The female Jin Chan doesn¡¯t chirp; it only lays eggs.


    The special ability of these two Jin Chan should be the same.


    The probability of the female Jin Chan laying offspring with a self-sabotaging skill is not small.


    Its lifespan is around 10 days.


    Its health status is very good.


    Insect Identification +0.1.


    He was thoroughly lost for words. The two Jin Chan he had high hopes for were just this sort of thing; forget about selling them for one or two Silver Money, even ten Wen Money each might not fetch a buyer.


    Seeing their anxious manner, he simply put the two Jin Chan together in a cage.


    The male Jin Chan, upon seeing the female, immediately vibrated its wings emitting a shrill, ear-piercing chirp.


    Qin Niu picked two fresh tender leaves to feed them.


    Jin Chan most enjoy sucking the juice from plant tender leaves.


    Listening to the male Jin Chan incessantly screeching, Qin Niu felt even more disgusted. After finishing the last meal of bear meat and feeding a bit to the little turtle, he put on his basket, took Xiao Niu, and headed directly into the mountains.


    More than two days had passed, and the newly cultivated White Termites had basically completed their evolution.


    Let¡¯s go take a look.


    ¡°All Niu!


    Passing by Wang Furen¡¯s house, Wang Wanyan¡¯s call came from the attic.


    He looked up, and her eyes were a bit red and swollen.


    She must have cried very sadly yesterday.


    Seeing her woeful and pitiful appearance, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but feel pity.


    ¡°Is there something you need?¡± he asked.


    He knew that Wang Wanyan may have been aware that he would be leaving in the morning, so she had opened her window early, waiting.


    If she was looking for him, it definitely was important.


    Wang Wanyan looked around, and, seeing no one else, she threw a paper ball to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Right now, you¡¯re the only one who can help me. If you agree, just nod your head. If not, pretend 1 never asked,¡± she said softly.


    Qin Niu unfolded the paper ball, quickly reading the words it contained.


    After reading, he nodded at Wang Wanyan.


    In an instant, a hint of a smile emerged on her delicate and sorrowful face.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    She thanked Qin Niu.


    ¡°This is getting awkward!¡±


    Qin Niu, with Xiao Nui, quickly left.


    Shortly after his departure, Wang Furen emerged from the house, staring at Qin Niu¡¯s retreating figure in confusion.


    ¡°What kind of riddle are these two playing at?¡±


    Clearly, Wang Furen had been keeping an eye on his daughter¡¯s conversation with Qin Niu.


    But he had no idea what agreement they had reached.


    After heading up the mountain, Qin Niu made straight for the Ant Nest.


    ¡°Come on out, everyone!¡±


    Each time he visited, he would inspect the ¡®forces,¡¯ finding solace in the ever-growing and strengthening ant colony.


    It was just a pity that the Ant Queen would only lay 100 eggs a day for a few more days; from laying to hatching, then the larva transforming into an adult, it took over twenty days. He still needed to patiently wait.


    For now, the number of ants added to the colony each day was still around ten.


    The two Ghost Soldier Ants standing guard at the entrance to the nest automatically made way for him.


    Strangely enough, half the day passed without a single Termite emerging.


    Qin Niu had checked the attributes of the ant colony before heading up the mountain and confirmed that there were no problems.


    Just as he was about to investigate, he saw a Termite covered in strange dark green patterns slowly crawl out.


    It had only one antenna.


    Its size seemed to be even larger than a Grade Two Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant, even surpassing the size of the Black Poisonous Ants.


    The patterns on its body were very different from the Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier and Ironclad Ants.


    They were significantly more complex and much darker in color.


    Especially the dark green patterns on its head, which looked like a simple and rustic Talisman.


    The entire body even shimmered with a metallic luster.


    The two Ghost Soldier Ants seemed to hold it in great awe, prostrating themselves on the ground, daring not to move.


    ¡°Fourth! Have you finally completed your evolution?¡±


    Qin Niu recognized at a glance that it was Fourth.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Communicating with him seemed a bit strenuous for Fourth.


    ¡°I understand, you just finished evolving and still need a bit of time to stabilize your newfound realm. Don¡¯t worry, just stay here and don¡¯t move.¡±


    Fourth was now clearly the king of all ants in the colony.


    No wonder the ant colony hadn¡¯t come out.


    Having just completed his evolution, Fourth moved slowly. With him not coming out, which Termite would dare to step out in front of him?


    Following Fourth were the Grade Two Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant and a new type of Soldier Ant that was shiny black all over.


    Although Termites could also be black, Qin Niu¡¯s brood was white.


    Now, the appearance of an all-over shiny black Soldier Ant was unexpected. At first glance, one might even think an enemy spy had infiltrated.


    Its abdomen was much longer than that of an ordinary Soldier Ant.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is currently the only poisonous ant in the ant colony.


    Currently, there are only two termites in the entire colony that have venomous capabilities, namely Fourth and the Poison Soldier Ant.


    Qin Niu promptly checked the ant colony¡¯s attributes again.


    Female Milky White Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Two Isoptera Insect, Upgrade Experience 796/1000


    Lifespan: 4.6 years


    Energy: 21017


    Skills: Reproduction Second Order 26.05/100 (lays 100 eggs daily), Feigned


    Death First Order 2/10


    Talent: Medium Intelligence, Offspring with Strong Reproductive Traits (2%), Offspring with Slight Poison Traits (5%)


    Ant Colony: One Grade Three Ironclad Battle Demon Ant (an extremely rare species), Lifespan 30.5 years,


    Special Abilities (Immense Strength, Swiftness, Armor Penetration, Soul Eroding Poison, Medium Intelligence+, Possesses Intermediate Carapace, Demonization, In demonized state speed increases by five times, attack power by ten times, defense power by five times).


    46 Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, Lifespan 13 years, Special Abilities (Agility, Super Strong Mandibles, Ant acid that can help heal plant wounds).


    30 Quick Worker Ants, Lifespan 5 years, Special Abilities (Fast crawling or attacking, Ant acid that can assist in minor plant wound healing).


    51 Puppet Worker Ants: Lifespan 5 years, Special Abilities (A certain probability to control other insects, the lower the level of the controlled, the more likely to be successful).


    5 Strong Worker Ants, Lifespan 3.3 years.


    20 Regular Worker Ants, Lifespan 3 years.


    19 Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, Lifespan 10.5 years, Special Abilities (Super Strong Mandibles, Frenzy, In frenzied state speed increases by three times, attack power by five times, defense power by one time).


    11 Ghost Soldier Ants, Lifespan 3 years, Special Abilities (Can emit a kind of mental attack wave similar to a mental attack toward other insects, with a certain probability of severely injuring the enemy, causing madness or loss of mobility).


    One Grade Two Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant, Lifespan 10.66 years, Special Abilities (Armor Penetration, Possesses Primary Carapace, Frenzy, In frenzied state speed increases by three times, attack power by ten times, defense power by one time).


    One Grade Two Dark Poison Ant, Lifespan 10.5 years, Special Abilities (Venom Attack, evolution of poison sting and poison sac in abdomen, venom can greatly slow down the enemy¡¯s movements, significantly weaken strength, and slightly weaken defense capability).


    Qin Niu looked at the two newly evolved termite species and felt nothing but admiration.


    Fourth gave him an enormous surprise by evolving directly from a Grade One termite into a Grade Three.


    Moreover, it belonged to an extremely rare species.


    He already knew it was extraordinary, but he never expected that after undergoing a life and death transformation, it would become so powerful.


    Before its evolution, the strongest in the entire colony was the Grade Two Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant, but now, in terms of special abilities, the Grade Two Dark Poison Ant and the Grade Two Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant were comparable.


    Fourth became the absolute king of all ants, and all these special termites added together might not even be a match for it.


    It was incredibly powerful.


    The skills that enhanced the combat power of the Grade Two Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant and the Grade Two Tiger-striped Ants were Frenzy.


    Fourth, on the other hand, went straight to Demonization.


    Furthermore, its venom evolution was also fascinating; it had transformed into Soul Eroding Poison.


    It seemed that it didn¡¯t have a poison sac or sting, but instead, it administered its venom to enemies through biting.


    I wonder just how potent this Soul Eroding Poison really is?


    Qin Niu spends all his days nestled in the mountains and valleys without competing with other Insect Masters. However, given the chance, he might find a large centipede or a big spider to test it out.


    Another interesting change was the plus sign after its Medium Intelligence.


    It probably meant that its intelligence had improved.


    Perhaps one day, it could possess high intelligence like that of humans.


    I¡¯ve heard that when monsters and spirits reach a certain level of cultivation, their intelligence is not inferior to that of humans.

 Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: Chapter 80 Second Cultivation !

    Chapter 85: Chapter 80 Second Cultivation !


    Translator: 549690339


    Additionally, Fourth¡¯s life span had skyrocketed from 6 months directly to 30.5 years, which was already longer than the life spans of many Ant Queens.


    Finally, he no longer had to worry that it would die due to insufficient longevity.


    It was as if he had resolved a significant problem.


    With a Grade Three Termite in hand, he could finally apply for Insect Master certification.


    By then, his status would become more than a hundred times more honorable than it currently was.


    Having taught Wang Haikun a lesson yesterday meant a complete fallout.


    Wang Haikun didn¡¯t leave his house at all yesterday, which was not a good sign.


    After being chastised, if Wang Haikun returned to the village to bluster, or even went to Qin Niu¡¯s house to curse, it would indicate nothing serious.


    Given Wang Haikun¡¯s violent temper, eating such a big loss, yet willing to shrink at home all day without going out,


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t believe he was at home fussing with his wife.


    It was very possible that, holding back his anger, he was thinking of ways to strike back.


    In fact, the village bully didn¡¯t have many methods to retaliate.


    He definitely couldn¡¯t win in a fight against Qin Niu, so his only option would be to seek support from his elder brother.


    Qin Niu planned to rush to the city tomorrow to snatch up the Insect Master certification early, so that afterward, he could confront any situation without fear.


    If he had more time, he would wait to cultivate other Grade Three Termites or bees before seeking the certification.


    Because of Fourth¡¯s strong abilities, he intended to keep it as a hidden trump card.


    If it could remain undetected, that would be for the best.


    The Ant Queen¡¯s experience in upgrading was continually increasing, but the idea of letting it advance to a Grade Three Termite naturally was virtually unthinkable.


    Even if successful, it would certainly be a perilous trial, one with a slim chance of survival.


    The difficulty was even higher than Fourth successfully navigating through life-and-death thresholds.


    ¡°Should the Ant Queen also consume some Banyan Tree Blood?¡±


    This idea was tempting, but the risk was too great for Qin Niu to bear.


    If the Ant Queen died, the entire ant colony would be wiped out.


    In terms of importance, the Ant Queen was even more crucial than Fourth.


    The five strong Worker Ants should now be ready to enter the experimental phase.


    Having successfully cultivated Poison Soldier Ants and strong Soldier Ants, he believed the strong Worker Ants would be equally successful.


    Out of the five strong Soldier Ants, surely one or two would succeed, right?


    Qin Niu, watching the Termite Army gradually take shape, began to conduct more experiments and explorations.


    Eleven Ghost Soldier Ants and a long-range attack force consisting of 51 Puppet Worker Ants looked quite impressive.


    A total of 46 Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants and 30 Swift Worker Ants were excellent at nest building and foraging. If necessary, they could also fight on the battlefield.


    However, with 19 Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, 1 Grade Two Tiger-striped Armored Ant, and 1 Grade Two Dark Poison Ant present, sending out Worker Ants to battle would be an insult to the Soldier Ants.


    Unless faced with an especially formidable enemy, the Worker Ants would primarily engage in logistical work in the future.


    Having made up his mind, Qin Niu commenced the experiment with the five strong Worker Ants on the spot.


    This time he fed them Banyan Tree Blood, but he made some flexible adjustments.


    Because his Insect Identification skill had reached a certain level of proficiency, he could distinctly sense the strength of an insect, allowing him to make relatively accurate judgments.


    For the strong-bodied Soldier Ants, he kept the dose safe and unchanged.


    For those with weaker constitutions, he reduced it accordingly.


    After feeding the five strong Soldier Ants, Qin Niu had no intention of experimenting with the 20 new Worker Ants.


    When it came time to apply for Insect Master certification, he would surely need to bring the Ant Queen and others with him.


    Apart from Fourth, the special Worker Ant, he would take all other ordinary Termites.


    The lower the profile, the better.


    If people knew he had cultivated so many special Termites, they would likely go crazy.


    For ordinary Insect Masters, obtaining an insect with a special ability was more difficult than ascending to heaven.


    Yet he was producing them in batches.


    Would those powerful Insect Masters rest until they had completely exposed him?


    Being envious of others could be a crime, he understood.


    His gaze turned to the two Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants and the two Swift Worker Ants.


    ¡°You four, come here and have some good stuff.¡±


    These four Worker Ants had all consumed Banyan Tree Blood and had successfully evolved.


    Now, he was feeding them Thousand Eyes Tree Blood.


    He felt that Thousand Eyes Tree Blood must be different from Banyan Tree Blood. So he wanted to try if this kind of secondary cultivation could be successful.


    Huh, they¡¯re consuming much more of the ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood than regular termites!¡±


    Qin Niu found that all four had hearty appetites, especially the two Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, which consumed three to four times the dose of ordinary termites.


    Once they were nearly full, they automatically stopped.


    The two Swift Worker Ants, as if bewitched, started spinning in place.


    Twisting their heads and bending their bodies, it seemed like they were trying to bite their own behinds.


    But they never managed to reach, so they just kept spinning in place.


    After consuming their share, the two Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants appeared much calmer. They simply circled around where they were.


    As if taking a walk.


    Bang!


    One of the strong Worker Ants fed with Banyan Tree Blood unfortunately exploded and died.


    It gave him quite a scare.


    Qin Niu felt a pang of regret.


    This particular type of termite was very precious; it was a real pity that it died.


    Based on experience, it was good if two out of five strong Soldier Ants survived.


    On the other hand, none of the four Swift Ants and Lightning Ants fed with ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood died.


    It felt like Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood was relatively safer.


    He had already used it to cultivate so many termites without encountering a single death.


    The abilities evolved after being fed with ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood were also quite interesting, all being long-range attack abilities.


    Time slowly passed, and miraculously, the remaining four strong Worker Ants survived without any more exploding incidents.


    Qin Niu was secretly pleased.


    It seemed that by using his Insect Identification skill to determine the strength and constitution of termites and then adjusting the feeding dosage flexibly, the occurrences of explosions could be effectively reduced.


    The termites that died were ail burst from the violent energy.


    In theory, each one should be able to be successfully cultivated.


    Of course, to reach that level, his Insect Identification skill would probably need to be of a higher grade. He would also need to accumulate more cultivation experience before it could be possible.


    With two batches of successful termite experiments, he turned his attention to the Ghost Soldier Ants and Puppet Worker Ants.


    ¡°Come out, four!¡±


    He called out two of each kind and, after individually identifying them, fed them a certain dose of Banyan Tree Blood.


    With the successful experience of cultivating the strong Worker Ants, he became even bolder this time.


    While feeding them Banyan Tree Blood, he even increased the dosage a bit over the safe amounts.


    After feeding, he watched them closely.


    Neither the two Ghost Soldier Ants nor the two Puppet Worker Ants died.


    Their body swelling was not as severe as imagined.


    Although they swelled somewhat, it was nowhere near the point where their abdominal skin stretched to transparency.


    ¡°Could it be that after consuming ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood, their bodies have become much stronger, so the safe dosage for regular termites no longer applies to them?¡±


    Such a question flashed through Qin Niu¡¯s mind.


    It was a good sign that none of the four died.


    He would see the results once their evolution was complete.


    Then, he would make flexible adjustments based on the outcomes.


    After cultivating these four, Qin Niu¡¯s gaze shifted to the one and only Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ant he had.


    ¡°Come here!


    After being called over, Qin Niu had a Worker Ant feed it ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood.


    There was no choice; all Soldier Ants lacked the ability to feed themselves.


    Like babies, they had to be fed by Worker Ants.


    The Worker Ant feeding it started to spin in place like it was drunk halfway through feeding the Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ant, which had no issues.


    It seemed indeed as Qin Niu had guessed, after termites had drunk Banyan Tree Blood or ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood and evolved, their bodies grew many times stronger. Hence, the dosage of tree blood they needed to be fed also increased.


    He had noticed this while feeding ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood to those four Swift Ants and Lightning Ants.


    Qin Niu decided to have a Puppet Worker Ant feed the Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ant.


    ¡°Hmm? It seems that there¡¯s another new discovery.¡±


    The Puppet Worker Ant, having evolved from eating ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood previously, showed no changes when consuming ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood this time.


    It was as if it was drinking water.


    It looked like a second feeding with ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ blood post-evolution would be ineffective..

 Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Chapter 81 Upgraded Bug Catching Skill l

    Chapter 86: Chapter 81 Upgraded Bug Catching Skill l


    Translator: 549690339


    Similarly, termites that have been fed with Ancient Banyan Tree Blood would likely become immune to the same substance if fed once more.


    Realizing this, Qin Niu felt relieved that the cultivation of Fourth, the mighty Soldier Ants, Worker Ants, and Poison Soldier Ants had not been overly conservative. If he¡¯d only fed them one-tenth of a safe dose, their evolution would have been minimal, and they would have missed out on an opportunity to advance.


    For instance, the Swift Worker Ants are essentially halfway evolved products.


    Moreover, it would not be wise to feed them Thousand Eyes Tree Blood first.


    Though the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood is quite good, it is clearly inferior to the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    None of the termites that consumed the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood advanced; they simply gained the ability to attack from a distance.


    The stronger their bodies become, the more energy they will need to further evolve after drinking the Banyan Tree Blood¡ªthe risk of body explosion greatly increases with such attempts.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the fact that those four Puppet Worker Ants and Ghost Soldier Ants fed with the Banyan Tree Blood survived; it¡¯s likely because the safe dose they consumed was far from the massive amount of energy required for advancement, relative to their robust bodies.


    This also means that what¡¯s being bred are ¡®half-evolved products.¡¯


    Qin Niu slowly sorted through these profound experiences in insect cultivation.


    Not to say in all the world, but at least within Black Tiger City, he might be the only person with the opportunity to obtain the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    As his cultivation steadily improved and the termites became increasingly powerful, his curiosity about the Ancient Banyan Tree grew.


    With its terrifying power, the tree was certainly no obscure entity.


    Yet, just like an age-old turtle, it quietly resided deep in the mountains, unknown to all.


    Every human or animal that learned of its uniqueness vanished.


    Once inside, if you couldn¡¯t escape, death was almost guaranteed.


    ¡°That Ancient Banyan Tree is truly a treasure. Once I have the ability to come and go freely, 1 can use it as a private vault,¡± Qin Niu murmured to himself.


    Once Fourth had adapted to its newfound powerful body, Qin Niu planned to take it back inside the Ancient Banyan Tree for a deeper investigation of its characteristics.


    After checking on the ant colony, he took Xiao Nui to the old pine tree next to the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The Queen Bee had been laying eggs for a few days now, and he hoped they would hatch soon.


    Then Qin Niu could use the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood to cultivate special breeds of bees.


    The Green Demon once cultivated the Green Demon Bees through tireless effort, step by step.


    Qin Niu had a far greater advantage compared to the Green Demon.


    Having the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was like standing on the shoulders of a giant.


    As for the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, it paled in comparison to the power of the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and was merely the icing on the cake, incapable of causing a qualitative breakthrough.


    Only items that can directly help insects advance are truly rare treasures.


    Xiao Nui followed behind him, wandering around aimlessly on the way.


    Truly, a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers, treating the mountain as its own backyard.


    As long as it didn¡¯t stray too far, Qin Niu simply let it be.


    People don¡¯t remain naive forever without going through hardships.


    The same is true for beast pets. Only after experiencing the harshness of the outside world and taking a beating will they learn to be cautious.


    Arriving at the base of the pine tree, he was surprised to find many dead bees littered on the ground.


    Worker Bees only live for a few months, so it was normal for some to die.


    However, the large number of corpses under the tree immediately put Qin Niu on alert.


    Although he had never raised bees, the mass deaths of the bees made it clear to him that some creature must have attacked the bee colony.


    These worker bees from the previous generation of Queen Bee, though he couldn¡¯t command them,


    were still his private property! And now some creature dared to infringe upon his bee colony. He had to root it out.


    No matter how large the bee colony was, if the issue wasn¡¯t addressed promptly, the entire colony could easily perish.


    ¡°Queen Bee, what happened?¡± Qin Niu communicated directly with the Queen Bee.


    ¡°We were attacked by three hornets, one of which got away,¡± the Queen Bee replied, sounding somewhat afraid.


    Hornets are one of the natural predators of bees. A few dozen hornets can slaughter an entire hive of bees.


    Once they penetrate the hive¡¯s defenses, they invade the hive and steal the bee pupae, eggs, and honey to feed their own colony.


    Beekeepers consider the large hornets to be bandits.


    It is nearly impossible for one or two hornets to successfully breach a beehive.


    Although bees are no match for hornets in combat, they are highly united and fearless in the face of death. A large number of worker bees will encase the intruding hornet, then vigorously vibrate their wings to raise their body temperature.


    They can raise the temperature to over 41 degrees Celsius in a very short time.


    The encapsulated hornet will ultimately be cooked alive.


    This is an evolution strategy developed by bees to ward off enemies.


    Now that one of the large hornets has escaped, it will become a serious problem.


    That hornet will have left a trail of pheromones in the beehive, which will attract a large horde of hornets. A single large hornet can kill thirty to forty bees in just one minute.


    A group of large hornets can easily wipe out an entire hive of bees in a matter of hours.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Control Technique skill was currently proficient, and he was on the verge of leveling up.


    If he could reach a minor level of skill, he would have the capacity to deal with the large hornets.


    Right now, he could catch the hornets, but he had no way to annihilate them.


    The Insect Control Technique was still weak.


    Before the hornet horde arrived, Qin Niu decided to quickly find a solution to bolster his weak points.


    Immediately, he began capturing various insects in the mountains and forests.


    Actually, capturing Jin Chans yesterday had already significantly increased his proficiency in insect-catching skills.


    Now, he was just a little bit away.


    He found an empty spider web under a tree and, after careful observation, confirmed that the owner of the web was still alive. Crouching down, he indeed noticed some relatively fresh black pinpoint-sized spider droppings.


    Judging from the thickness of the web and the size of the droppings, this was a relatively large spider.


    Since his Insect Trace Identification skill was only at a proficient level, he was unable to determine the species of the spider based on the web and droppings.


    After some searching, he quickly found a large spider hiding under a sideways branch.


    It was just an ordinary wild Smiley-Face Spider.


    Its back had black and red patterns that looked like a human smiley face.


    This Smiley-Face Spider was quite colorful, and even though it was lying on the vibrant green branches, Qin Niu spotted it right away.


    He took out a small jar and directly used a homemade long-handled wooden clamp to grab the Smiley-Face Spider and put it inside.


    Termites had now evolved to be very powerful, and it was appropriate to feed them some live prey; this not only helped to enhance various attributes for the Ant Queen but also served as training for the entire ant colony.


    Capturing this Smiley-Face Spider, Qin Niu¡¯s insect-catching skill +0.01, Insect Trace Identification +0.01, Insect Identification +0.01.


    It was quite a fruitful catch.


    As for the Insect Control Technique, he had only learned a few types by self-comprehension.


    When he had enough money, he could buy some Insect Control Techniques to learn.


    He could even take some powerful Insect Tamers as masters.


    However, the tuition fee for apprenticing was extremely scary.


    The more powerful the Insect Master, the stricter the standards for accepting disciples. It wasn¡¯t just a matter of having enough money to become part of their lineage.


    Right now, what he could do was to seize all sorts of opportunities to quickly complete the early accumulation.


    In the forest, one insect after another was caught by him.


    The proficiency of his insect-catching skill was rapidly increasing.


    When he captured the thirty-first insect, the long-awaited prompt appeared.


    [Congratulations on your insect-catching skill advancing to a small level of proficiency, capable of creating various advanced insect-catching tools to capture insects, and able to set up bait and traps to capture all kinds of insects.]


    Despite the brief text description, his insect-catching skill had undergone a qualitative improvement.


    Previously, he could also make various insect-catching tools, but they were only effective against ordinary insects. Now, able to make advanced insect-catching tools, he had the ability to capture some more powerful insects.


    This included fleas, which are extremely small and agile, for instance.


    Or some insects that are good at flying or running fast.


    Like the Tiger Beetle, which can escape very quickly, and ordinary insect-catching nets or other tools simply can¡¯t catch it.


    But with the ability to make advanced tools, there would be a way to capture it.


    Moreover, the ability to set bait and traps was even more incredible.


    He now had the capability to catch some extremely rare insects with special abilities.


    Some insects are very vigilant; if they detect humans or other large animals nearby, they will hide in tree holes, soil, or water without moving, not showing themselves at all.


    Naturally, this makes them very difficult to catch.


    Even if they are accidentally discovered, as soon as a person approaches them, they would flee immediately, possibly from as far as two or three meters away or even further.


    Catching them would be incredibly difficult.


    But even the sneakiest of insects can¡¯t outwit a clever Hunter.


    As long as one knows how to set bait and lay traps, there¡¯s a chance to catch them.


    Catching one could possibly sell for a few taels of Silver Money.


    Qin Niu was experiencing the brand-new insect-catching skills; dealing with wasps this time would no longer be a difficult task.


    He used vines, branches, and other materials on the spot to make a simple insect-catching net.


    It was still an insect-catching net, but it was much more advanced than the ones he had made before.


    Many details were improved.


    For instance, the length and thickness of the handle were adjusted to strike a balance between flexibility and sturdiness.


    The catching distance was also just right.


    The handles of the insect-catching nets he made before were either too long, which made them unwieldy, or too short, beyond his reach, leaving him no choice but to watch helplessly as insects got away.


    The handle of the current net was tailor-made for him, with the perfect length.


    It could accommodate capturing most insects.


    Wasps are adept at flying, and with too short a handle, one would only watch anxiously.


    And the part of the net for catching insects also had a lot of intricacies to consider.


    The size of the mesh holes, their sturdiness, and how to lock the exit after catching the insect to prevent its escape.


    Also, removing the insect after capturing it needed to be taken into account.


    An advanced insect-catching tool had to cover all aspects.


    After creating this insect-catching net, Qin Niu didn¡¯t sit down to rest. Instead, he took a fine string from his clothing and then looked for an appropriate yellow leaf, a very light one.


    He tied it properly.


    And patiently waited for the wasps to return.


    When the scout bees of the wasps discovered a beehive, they would try to mark it with pheromones. Because this special marker couldn¡¯t last very long, its scent would fade over time.


    Eventually, it would become very difficult to locate this marking point again.


    Therefore, Qin Niu speculated that the wasps would return soon.


    Only by wiping them out completely could the beehive be truly safe..

 Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: Chapter 82: Capturing a Special Bumblebee i

    Chapter 87: Chapter 82: Capturing a Special Bumblebee i


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu waited patiently, but the wasp never showed up.


    This left him somewhat disappointed, as he had made ample preparations.


    Wasp liquor and fried wasp larvae were both excellent nourishing ingredients.


    He planned to first feed the freshly caught insects to the termites.


    Spiders, scorpions, and centipedes all contained potent toxins that could help the Ant Queen enhance her venom attribute.


    The offspring she was currently producing were only mildly toxic, which was still somewhat weak.


    Fourth evolved the ability to produce venom after consuming poisonous centipedes and spiders, which was truly miraculous. At least so many worker ants had eaten them, yet none seemed to have evolved the venomous ability.


    On the other hand, worker ants and soldier ants that drank bear blood accidentally evolved a strong physical attribute.


    Qin Niu speculated that for adult termites, whether they consumed poisonous insects or bear blood, the chances of evolving strong physical or venomous attributes were probably slim to none.


    What might truly trigger their metamorphosis could be feeding them these foods during their larval stage, and then as they transform into adult insects, they might evolve special abilities.


    At that moment, an abnormal humming sound came from overhead.


    The sound of a bee flapping its wings is fairly uniform and pleasant to the ear. However, the buzzing sound from above was like a bomber, particularly powerful, with a hint of a sonic boom.


    ¡°Could it be the wasp has arrived?¡±


    Insect Trace Identification +0.01, Insect Identification +0.01.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    So this also increased the proficiency of his insect control skills?


    Interesting!


    Looking up into the sky, he indeed spotted an extremely ¡®massive¡¯ silhouette.


    It was much larger than a bee.


    And precisely because of its larger size and greater weight, it required much more powerful wing flapping to fly. Otherwise, it couldn¡¯t take off at all.


    That was why the buzzing sound it made was much louder than that of a bee.


    This great wasp in the sky was quite crafty; it flew around in circles high in the air but did not approach the beehive.


    ¡°Is it calling for reinforcements?¡±


    Qin Niu quietly guessed.


    That was even better; take down one if one comes, eliminate a whole group if they swarm in.


    With him, their master, present, he would not allow these great wasps to run wild.


    In fact, as long as the first batch of eggs laid by the Queen Bee hatched successfully and the larvae metamorphosed into adult insects, there would basically be no need for him, their master, to take action anymore.


    Just look at how fierce the termite colony is now.


    A few Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ants alone had the power to wipe out the entire army sent by the black stinking ants.


    Fourth was even more terrifying.


    He estimated that once it entered Demonization Mode, it could single-handedly take on an entire stink ant nest by itself.


    The combat power of ordinary bees was far inferior to that of wasps.


    But once they evolved special abilities, that changed everything.


    Qin Niu climbed up the pine tree nimbly in two or three moves, agile as a monkey.


    Freeing one hand, he held a net bag, ready to deal with the great wasp in the sky at any time.


    Under normal circumstances, whether bees or wasps, the first to be dispatched were always scout wasps.


    In the hive, their role was very similar to scouts in human armies.


    Simply put, they were pathfinders.


    After circling a few times, the great wasp dove down.


    It must have left new pheromones in the air to call the wasp legion.


    ¡°Bring it on!¡±


    Watching its readiness for a fierce battle, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but reveal a sinister smile.


    It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to bully an insect, but this ¡®bandit¡¯ was just too arrogant.


    The net bag, timed perfectly, traced a beautiful arc through the air.


    The obnoxious great wasp disappeared, and the next second, it was buzzing and scrambling inside the net bag.


    Qin Niu watched as it occasionally extended a long venomous stinger from its tail and thought to himself, the wasp¡¯s reputation as a killer was not unfounded.


    Its stinger was much longer than a bee¡¯s.


    To imagine it piercing prey, with venom rapidly injected, that must be terrifying!


    Moreover, compared to a bee, the wasp¡¯s stinger did not have barbs, which meant it could quickly pull out its stinger after stinging its enemy.


    A bee¡¯s stinger, on the other hand, would remain inside the enemy¡¯s body.


    When pulled out, it would tear away the entire venom sac.


    Incurring a loss of a thousand to kill eight hundred enemies, exchanging life for injuring the foe.


    After catching the hornet, Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush to let it go.


    Instead, he took it out and locked it in a small cage he had made.


    Then he quietly waited for the arrival of the hornet swarm. But there was no sign of them.


    Qin Niu wondered to himself, could it be that when it was flying in circles in the sky, it wasn¡¯t releasing pheromones to call for reinforcements?


    The Green Demon Beekeeping Classic had mentioned it.


    When the scout wasps discover a honey bee nest, they leave a mark near or on the nest.


    Which other hornets can ¡°smell.¡±


    And then they quickly gather.


    At that moment, the air was filled with the rumbling drone of bombers, and Qin Niu looked up to see another four or five hornets appear.


    But after circling in the air, they left swiftly.


    ¡°Did you release a danger signal to your companions?¡±


    Qin Niu glared angrily at the captured hornet.


    ¡°Free me!¡±


    It responded.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    Qin Niu sneered as he climbed down the tree, tied a thin thread to the hornet, and released it.


    Having regained its freedom, the hornet immediately took to the air with a high flight.


    But it had no idea that the cunning human had already marked it.


    Qin Niu immediately followed it with Xiao Nui in the direction it flew off.


    The leaf with a touch of red on yellow, dangling behind the hornet, was like a guidepost.


    Fortunately, Qin Niu had grown significantly stronger, which enabled him to barely keep up with the hornet.


    Watching it fly to a cliff ahead and then disappear from view.


    Indicating the nest must be on that cliff.


    Qin Niu had not brought any protective gear, but this did not deter him.


    First, he climbed up the cliff to search carefully.


    Soon enough, with the help of his Insect Trace Identification skill, he successfully located the hornet¡¯s nest.


    Unlike common wasps that usually build their nests in trees, hornets prefer the ground.


    This may be related to the queen hibernating underground.


    Mainly because they are powerful and have extremely strong survival capabilities. Many insects cannot defeat them, which is why they dare to build their nests on the ground.


    In a recess of the cliff face, there was a very large burrow.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare get close, for if he were stung, he would mostly likely perish.


    He gathered materials on the spot and began making defensive tools.


    Mainly a helmet.


    To protect his face and entire head.


    The clothes he wore were thick enough, and he wasn¡¯t too afraid of them.


    After hastily crafting a helmet from vines, Qin Niu approached the hornet¡¯s nest.


    He had intended to burn them with fire.


    But then he saw a hornet with strange patterns on its abdomen and immediately captured it with a butterfly net.


    Before he could identify this special hornet, the swarm exploded out of the nest, with a large number of hornets flying out to find the enemy who dared to intrude their territory.


    Qin Niu quickly hid and stayed still.


    Yet his eyes were fixed on each passing hornet.


    He didn¡¯t spot another with such distinctive patterns on the abdomen.


    After the swarm calmed down, he retreated along the same path and hurried home.


    He went to get a fishing net to capture the entire hornet nest.


    The special hornet he had captured was taken out and locked in a cage for identification.


    Luckily, he had read the Green Demon Beekeeping Classic multiple times.


    He had some knowledge of Insect Identification.


    Identifying whether this hornet had any special powers was not particularly difficult for him now.


    Without this knowledge, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to recognize this hornet¡¯s uniqueness at a glance.

 Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Chapter 83 Killing Pigs to Make Armor i

    Chapter 88: Chapter 83 Killing Pigs to Make Armor i


    Translator: 549690339


    This wasp was slightly lean and long, thinner than the robust and stout bodies of other wasps, but its body was longer.


    Its head was brown, and its compound eyes looked like two bulging, strange orbs, coupled with the raised top of its head, which made it look particularly fierce.


    In fact, since it had been captured, it had become extremely irritable, constantly biting around and stabbing wildly with its stinger.


    Now, if a honeybee were to be put in there, it would likely be torn apart directly.


    The small shields on its chest and the smaller plates behind were both extremely developed, its abdomen cylindrical and smooth, covered with extremely fine incisions. Its body had bands of yellow and black interlacing patterns.


    The third ring of yellow on its abdomen, near the lower end of its belly, appeared to be a tapered V-shape.


    Other common wasps did not have this feature.


    It was precisely because of this that Qin Niu noticed its uniqueness at a glance and decided to capture it.


    After careful identification, he obtained some data about this wasp.


    [Wasp, Hymenoptera Vespidae, female (fully developed), lifespan about 1 year, special abilities, extremely ferocious, strong toxicity.]


    After the identification was complete, Qin Niu grinned and showed a smile.


    The value of this wasp was much higher than he had imagined.


    The life span of a common wasp worker bee is usually only about one month.


    Short-lived worker bees can even survive only half a month.


    Qin Niu had actually caught a potential queen bee, which was definitely an unexpected surprise.


    At the time, he had thought this wasp was just a better-developed worker among its kin, not expecting it to be fully developed.


    Within a wasp nest, there may be several, or even more than a dozen queen bees, but their hierarchy is strictly enforced.


    Only one queen bee has the right to lay eggs.


    Other queens without the right to lay eggs either succeed the old queen upon her death or fly out to establish a new nest.


    The one he captured was a prospective queen, meaning its value was much higher than that of a common wasp.


    Moreover, this wasp even had two special abilities.


    Although these two special abilities weren¡¯t much compared to Qin Niu¡¯s termites, they still significantly increased its value.


    ¡°Those two special Jin Chan probably won¡¯t sell for much, this wasp should be able to sell for more than one tael of silver.¡±


    Qin Niu pondered to himself.


    With the treasure map of Green Demon in hand, he truly didn¡¯t fancy this caliber of a special queen bee.


    Moreover, having already owned a honeybee queen bee, his energy was limited, and he couldn¡¯t possibly cultivate another nest of wasps.


    Additionally, he disliked the bandit-like nature of wasps.


    He found them too brutal.


    Unless the special abilities of a wasp queen bee were strong enough to pique Qin Niu¡¯s interest, he wouldn¡¯t consider keeping it as a pet.


    Industrious honeybees were his favorites, as long as they were well-kept, they could in the future produce royal jelly for him, or even special efficacy honey. Their long-term value was much higher than that of wasps.


    Upon returning home, he spent thirty wen money to buy a small-eyed big fishing net, then fashioned it into a bee-catching net.


    He ventured into the mountains again.


    This time he made no polite gestures but directly captured the entire wasp nest with the net.


    Only a few wasps that slipped through the net managed to escape, the rest were caught by him.


    He specifically selected some worker bees and bee pupae to keep, to be sold in combination with the prospective queen bee. Because a queen bee typically does not have foraging abilities, they rely on worker bees to feed them.


    By providing a complete package service, he could also earn a few more money when selling.


    After carefully sorting through the captured nest of wasps, he caught a total of seven queen bees, including the old queen bee of the swarm.


    This bee colony has so many Queen Bees.


    I can understand that.


    The wild survival environment is harsh, and the Queen Bee could have an accident at any time.


    Having several backups can not only allow for the colony to split and expand but also serve as reserve queens, ready for unforeseen needs.


    However, all these seven Queen Bees are ordinary, and no special Queen Bee has emerged.


    There¡¯s a bit of disappointment.


    But it¡¯s also within his expectations.


    Special Queen Bees are extremely rare, and catching one is already hitting the jackpot.


    Instead of executing these seven ordinary Queen Bees, he kept them in cages. He even provided some Worker Bees and bee pupae to ensure they could survive.


    No honey was found in the beehive.


    Only some remains of eaten bees were found, including many bee pupae.


    Giant hornets are like a gang of bandits, specializing in profitless plundering.


    They never make honey, nor do they have the skills to collect pollen and make honey.


    But many Insect Masters actually prefer to raise hornets.


    Because their combat power is astonishing, just a few giant hornets can slaughter an entire box of bees.


    One can specifically cultivate them to help their master in battle.


    It was hornets that the Green Demon was breeding.


    Qin Niu directly executed ail the remaining hornets. He couldn¡¯t keep them.


    Otherwise, his bee nest could face annihilation at any moment.


    ¡°Moo~!


    H


    Just then, he heard Xiao Nui¡¯s call.


    Turning his head towards the cliff below, not far off, his eyes lit up.


    He had been worrying about what to eat for dinner.


    He saw Xiao Nui facing off against several wild boars.


    It wasn¡¯t the big wild boar they had encountered yesterday, but rather a wild boar of around two hundred pounds, leading a few wild boars of various sizes out to forage.


    Wild boars and cows should not interfere with each other by nature.


    Because neither is on the other¡¯s food chain.


    Possibly feeling that Xiao Nui¡¯s presence threatened the safety of the young wild boars, the large wild boar launched an attack on Xiao Nui.


    Lowering its head, it charged straight at Xiao Nui.


    Meanwhile, it kept making a low ¡°grrr¡± sound.


    Qin Niu quickly got ready to provide support.


    Yesterday, just brandishing his knife had sent a several-hundred-pound wild boar running.


    Today, learning from that lesson, he tried to appear weaker.


    Xiao Nui¡¯s response surprised him, it didn¡¯t run away but instead fought with the wild boar.


    Watching it, a mere calf, he hadn¡¯t expected such nimble movement and forceful counterattacks.


    It continuously used its short horns to attack the wild boar¡¯s body.


    But because of its lack of strength and horns not yet fully developed, the damage it inflicted on the wild boar was almost negligible.


    Adult wild boars usually have tough skin and thick flesh, and even fierce wolves sometimes can¡¯t break through their defenses.


    Qin Niu, seeing Xiao Niu fighting the boar with great enjoyment, didn¡¯t hurry to lend a hand.


    Instead, he slowly sneaked behind the boar.


    Without worrying about any martial virtues, he spotted a young boar that weighed about forty to fifty pounds, charged at it with a sneaky attack, and ended it with a single strike.


    Hearing the dying scream of the young boar, the big boar let out an angry cry.


    Its eyes turned red as it charged at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Heh, 1 was just hoping you would come.¡±


    Qin Niu, now much stronger, wasn¡¯t afraid of it at all.


    As it got close, it thrashed its long snout viciously upwards, trying to pierce Qin Niu¡¯s body with its sharp, long tusks, and then fling him into the air.


    A sword swung down.


    And produced a Critical Chop effect.


    About two thirds of the pig¡¯s head was chopped off, hanging by a flap of skin around its neck.


    Blood spurted out vigorously.


    He found that the Treasured Sword became excited after being soaked in pig¡¯s blood.


    What kind of sword was this, anyway?


    Why did it feel like it was becoming more and more evil?


    It seemed to thirst for blood all day long.


    The big boar didn¡¯t fall dead immediately but charged another ten meters before hitting a tree and collapsing with a thud.


    The other small boars scattered like birds and beasts, vanishing in the blink of an eye.


    Qin Niu immediately squatted down to collect some pig¡¯s blood in a small jar.


    After successfully evolving Termite with bear blood to gain tremendous strength, he wanted to test the effectiveness of pig¡¯s blood.


    The big boar was not dead yet and continued to struggle.


    But it was no longer able to make any noise.


    Qin Niu held it down, drank some of the pig¡¯s blood, and found the taste a bit salty.


    His cultivation seemed to have grown slightly.


    But it was much less effective than when he drank bear¡¯s blood.


    It seemed his guess was correct: after reaching a certain degree, the effectiveness of consuming blood for enhancement would diminish.


    The two boar carcasses, one big and one small, should keep him well-fed for many meals.


    After the big boar was completely dead, he dragged the two carcasses down the mountain.


    Pigskin didn¡¯t seem to be worth much.


    The pigskin of this big boar could be considered for making armor.


    Only, he didn¡¯t have the skill for it.


    He planned to drag it back, skin the pig, and remove the hide.


    The flesh of the young wild boar was tender and could be eaten together.


    Having caught two wild boars and a special large hornet close to becoming a Queen Bee, he became even fonder of these mountains.


    As long as one was capable, the mountains were an inexhaustible treasure trove.


    They contained countless natural treasures.


    Now he no longer needed to sneak his game home.


    He could just drag it back in the open.


    If Wang Haikun dared to come and rob him, he wouldn¡¯t mind teaching him how to behave humbly like a village tyrant again.


    After acquiring the Grade Three Termites, his status as Insect Master was secure.


    Qin Niu no longer had to fear the brother behind Wang Haikun.


    Arriving at the Ant Nest, he deliberately fed the pig¡¯s blood to them.


    What kind of changes it would bring was still unknown; he had to wait patiently for a while.


    He simply fed them some of the hornet¡¯s carcass as well.


    Only then did Qin Niu drag the wild boars down the mountain.


    Upon returning to the village, he inevitably drew a flock of gossiping women. Many villagers curiously eyed the two wild boars he had brought, envy clear in their eyes.


    After Qin Niu dragged the wild boars home openly, he boiled water to scald them, peeled the fur, eviscerated the small boar, cut it in half, and took one half to the neighboring Wang Furen¡¯s house.


    He knocked on the door.


    Mrs. Wu answered the door.


    ¡°This is for your young lady to nourish her health,¡± Qin Niu said, handing over half of the pork to Mrs. Wu before leaving.


    The yield of meat from slaughtering a pig was usually around seventy percent.


    This young wild boar¡¯s meat should be very tasty.


    Being omnivorous, it ate anything, like snakes, bugs, beasts, tree roots, fruits; therefore, its meat held much higher nutritional value than domestic pigs.


    Wang Furen stood inside the main hall watching, not showing himself.


    His expression suggested he wanted to refuse, but to not eat meat that comes to one¡¯s mouth would be foolish, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Hence, he appeared quite conflicted.


    Eventually, Qin Niu turned and left, and Wang Furen said nothing, nor did he show his face.


    ¡°Master, aren¡¯t you afraid that the young lady will become even fonder of Ah Niu if we accept the pork?¡± the purchased maid softly reminded.


    Without being accepted as a concubine by Wang Furen, she would always be just a servant of the Wang Family, such was the rule.


    Even though she was practically Wang Wanyan¡¯s stepmother, she had to address her as ¡°young lady.¡±


    ¡°Humph, he thinks he can aim for my daughter with just half a pig? That kid thinks too much! She¡¯ll soon be 15, and once Wan Yan meets Young Master Lu, she¡¯ll surely look down on Ah Niu from this poor backwater. Water flows down, and people aim high; I trust my daughter has that wisdom,¡± Wang Furen snorted.


    How could Wang Furen let go of the half side of pork that was delivered to his door!


    After letting Mrs. Wu accept it and turn it into a delicious meal for their enjoyment, that was a given.


    After delivering the pork, Qin Niu returned home and began carefully peeling the hide from the big wild boar.


    Just right; tomorrow he planned to go to the city and ask a master to make it into armor, which could provide some defense.


    The hide of the wild boar was much tougher than ordinary pigskin.


    It was even stronger than cowhide.


    After preparing the two pigs, curing them, and cooking a meal, he savored it deliciously.


    With his belly full, he took out an ordinary large hornet.


    He decided to try cultivating it..

 Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: Chapter 84 Raising a Green Giant Bumblebee 1

    Chapter 89: Chapter 84 Raising a Green Giant Bumblebee 1


    Translator: 549690339


    Under normal circumstances, whether he is cultivating insects or birds and beasts, he would tame them first before breeding them.


    Because if they¡¯re not tamed, they¡¯re uncontrollable.


    The stronger they are, the harder they are to control.


    Even Qin Niu himself could be killed by them.


    Such tragedies have occurred several times. Some bold Insect Masters or Beast Tamers, overly confident in their abilities, capture wild beasts or poisonous insects which they continuously fail to tame. So, they think of first showing goodwill to build a relationship.


    It will then be much easier to tame them later.


    But after they¡¯ve nurtured the creatures to become more powerful, the creatures break out of their enclosures and turn on their ¡®masters¡¯.


    Qin Niu conducted this experiment to see if he could pave a new way for wealth.


    Based on his experience with cultivating termites, just feeding them Banyan Tree Blood or Thousand Eyes Tree Blood could almost certainly help them evolve some special abilities.


    Even the weakest wind worker ants possess powerful special abilities.


    After capturing a worker bee from an ordinary hornet, to prevent accidents, he specially made a more robust cage and isolated it inside.


    He then fed it a bit of its favorite, honey.


    However, this small piece of honeycomb was mixed with just a little Banyan


    Tree Blood.


    According to the size of the hornet, this was about one-twentieth the safe dosage.


    At first, it didn¡¯t eat.


    Instead, it climbed and flew around frantically, trying to find an exit.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t pay it any more attention.


    After about an hour, he checked on the hornet again and found that it had eaten the honey.


    After struggling for half the day, it must have gotten hungry.


    That¡¯s one advantage of worker bees.


    They can feed themselves when they¡¯re hungry, whereas the queen bee needs to be fed by the worker bees.


    He carefully observed the hornet that had just consumed the Banyan Tree Blood; its evolution wasn¡¯t much different from that of the termites.


    Its body began to swell rapidly, especially its entire abdomen, like an inflating balloon.


    Gradually getting fatter before his eyes.


    Because the dosage was very small, its abdomen only grew fatter by two rings before it stopped.


    It lay there motionless, shivering with discomfort, trembling its two antennae and wings.


    This result was just what Qin Niu wanted.


    Without being tamed, it was definitely not possible to cultivate it into a Grade TWo hornet.


    The night passed quickly.


    In the morning, he checked again on the hornet that had been fed the Banyan Tree Blood to see if there were any changes.


    He found that its body size had increased by about a third, which would make it equivalent to a major figure among the swarm of hornets.


    A layer of pale green appeared at the tip of its abdomen, progressively lightening as it extended upward, until it vanished.


    The protective plates on its chest seemed significantly strengthened, faintly gleaming with a metallic luster.


    Its already powerful mandibles had become even more powerful.


    And they too shone with a metallic sheen.


    Additionally, its stinger¡¯s deployment speed had increased; it could extend quickly and retract just as fast, like lightning.


    Moreover, the luster of its stinger was almost equivalent to that of refined iron.


    Because it wasn¡¯t tamed, he couldn¡¯t check its attributes directly.


    Qin Niu used his Insect Identification skill on it directly.


    [Green Giant Hornet, a species from the Hymenoptera Vespidae family, female (not fully developed), with a lifespan of about 5 years, and special abilities including enhanced biting strength, strengthened stinger, and increased stamina.]


    ¡°How strong!¡±


    Qin Niu silently congratulated himself for using a clay pot to cage it.


    Otherwise, with the beast¡¯s current powerful biting force, an ordinary cage made of vines or bamboo would likely be unable to contain it.


    As he had expected, the hornet hadn¡¯t successfully advanced to Grade Two.


    But its body, mandibles, and stinger had all been enhanced.


    This result was very good.


    And surprisingly, its lifespan had increased by about five years.


    Long-lived queen bees also only live for about five years, whereas the shorter-lived ones usually only have a one-year lifespan. It would live even longer than a queen bee.


    ¡°If I could sell this for a good price in the city, that would be perfect.¡±


    To Qin Niu, creating such an impressive Green Giant Hornet so easily was just like crafting a piece of trash.


    But for other Insect Masters, it might be priceless treasure.


    He took out the Treasured Sword from the stone trough and quickly made a trip to the mountain.


    He hadn¡¯t brought back the Ant Queen with the Fourth and other termites yesterday because the entire ant nest had to be manned by them to ensure safety.


    Those hot-tempered Grade Two tiger-striped soldier ants would go on a rampage at the slightest disturbance, one after another, as if injected with rooster¡¯s blood.


    There must be a powerful and intelligent termite to restrain them.


    Warmongers will inevitably perish, this is an eternal truth.


    ¡°Fourth, come out!¡±


    Following Qin Niu¡¯s call, a blur shot out of the cave, and two Grade Two tiger-striped soldier ants guarding the entrance of the nest were directly knocked away.


    They picked themselves up; they didn¡¯t dare to feel any dissatisfaction.


    The evolved Fourth was too strong.


    The Grade Two tiger-striped ironclad ant was still evolving.


    He was looking forward to its newly evolved abilities; if they were good, they might help Fourth achieve a second evolution.


    The entire ant colony had gained eight worker ants and two soldier ants.


    No termite with great strength or a slight poison attribute had appeared.


    There was no helping it, the probability was naturally quite low.


    A 2% chance to produce offspring with the great strength attribute did not mean that out of 100 termites, there would definitely be two with that attribute.


    If lucky, there might be one among ten.


    If luck was poor, there could be two hundred regular termites, not a single one with the great strength attribute.


    Because Qin Niu was in a hurry and some termites bred yesterday were still evolving, he didn¡¯t meticulously check the attributes of the other termites.


    Instead, he rushed down the mountain with the Ant Queen, Fourth, a few regular worker ants, and two regular soldier ants.


    Before leaving, he had issued a command to the entire ant colony to stay and guard the nest quietly.


    He forbade those impulsive and aggressive tiger-striped soldier ants from going out and causing trouble.


    Though their abilities were strong now, it depended on who they were up against. A bird, or a snake, or a forest frog could wipe them out in minutes.


    So it was better to keep a low profile.


    Fourth¡¯s abilities were such that Qin Niu estimated ordinary birds or frogs would be no match for it.


    Because its speed was simply too fast.


    It could easily retreat back to the nest.


    Pius, with its Soul Devouring Poison at hand, a counterattack would likely give the enemy a very sour experience.


    Perhaps even lead to them being counter-killed.


    As for how strong Fourth¡¯s combat power really was, Qin Niu had no certain idea.


    Anyway, to deal with that nest of black stinky ants, one Fourth was more than enough.


    And it was more than enough by a long shot.


    When he descended the mountain, he passed by Xie Laizi¡¯s house.


    Qin Niu noticed Xie Laizi crawling on the ground, looking out at him as he passed.


    This scourge, not dead even after being beaten by Wang Haikun, truly had a hard life.


    ¡°Ah Niu¡­ what are you doing going up the mountain so early?¡±


    The voice that Xie Laizi emitted was very hoarse, it sounded eerie and made one¡¯s skin crawl.


    Qin Niu ignored him and quickly walked away.


    This man, if he didn¡¯t seek death, he wouldn¡¯t die.


    If Xie Laizi really insisted on courting death, no one could stop him ¨C only King Yama could take him.


    When Qin Niu passed beneath Miss Wang¡¯s attic, it seemed she could recognize his footsteps and had already opened the window, waiting for him.


    ¡°All Niu, thank you for the wild boar meat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±


    ¡°When will you be going into town?¡±


    Is there something you need?¡±


    ¡°I want you to pick up a few things for me.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Qin Niu nodded in agreement.


    She pointed to the room below the attic, winking at Qin Niu.


    She was asking whether her father, Wang Furen, was downstairs spying or not.


    Qin Niu almost didn¡¯t need to look to feel sharply that someone was secretly watching.


    Every time he spoke with Wang Wanyan, Wang Furen would definitely be hiding in the shadows, spying and eavesdropping. If there was any sign of improper conduct between the two, he would immediately come out to stop it.


    Qin Niu winked back at Wang Wanyan.


    She understood immediately.


    Following that, a small parcel was lowered from upstairs.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t speak, he just took it and left.


    After returning home, he opened the small parcel, which contained a gold bracelet and a note.


    He was curious to see what Miss Wang wanted him to buy for her..

 Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Chapter 85 Knowledge of Buying Pills and Leather Armor 1

    Chapter 90: Chapter 85 Knowledge of Buying Pills and Leather Armor 1


    Translator: 549690339


    When the price of gold was low, one tael of gold equaled eight taels of silver. Under normal circumstances, one tael of gold equaled ten taels of silver.


    This gold bracelet is quite heavy; getting ten taels of silver for it definitely won¡¯t be a problem.


    Although she was a rich young lady, her monthly spending money was probably only about five wen silver money.


    After all, Wang Furen¡¯s family was just modestly wealthy. They had no worries about food and clothing, but their annual income was very limited. After deducting the family¡¯s expenses, there wasn¡¯t much silver money left for their daughter to spend.


    This was also why Wang Furen only had one daughter and no sons.


    Otherwise, Miss Wang¡¯s financial situation would have been even tighter.


    The idea of valuing sons over daughters was deeply ingrained. Daughters were eventually going to marry off, so the amount of silver money parents would spend on them was definitely calculated.


    Ten taels of silver money was already a huge sum for Miss Wang.


    If she hadn¡¯t been pushed to the limit, she wouldn¡¯t have pawned the gold bracelet.


    Judging from its purity and style, it was likely a keepsake from her mother.


    It held great sentimental value for her.


    ¡°Please help me buy three Tempering Elixirs on your return. If there¡¯s any change left, consider it your service fee. Thank you.¡±


    Was she secretly cultivating?


    Ordinary mortals looking to raise their cultivation could only gain so much from nutritious food and tonics.


    The best method was to practice Cultivation Techniques and take Elixirs to quickly strengthen their bodies in the early stages.


    Qin Niu was among those who had been quite lucky.


    He had bought a damaged Life-Nurturing Technique scroll and had a good talent for cultivation. By chance, he comprehended a trace of the cultivation method within it, eventually allowing his cultivation to make great strides every day.


    If she saved up her pocket money, buying a Cultivation Technique common on the streets would definitely not be an issue.


    However, those common Cultivation Techniques were often crude and inefficient; they resulted in slow progress in cultivation and relied heavily on the aid of advanced cultivation resources.


    Such as Elixirs.


    Compared to ordinary nutritious foods and tonics, Elixirs were carefully crafted by Pharmacists using various heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and tonics to create superb products for cultivation.


    They were easily absorbed by the body and could help the user rapidly increase their cultivation level.


    The Tempering Elixir was one of the most commonly taken by those at low cultivation levels.


    It helped users undergo initial body tempering; if coupled with Cultivation Technique practice and food supplementation, it could definitely make the user¡¯s cultivation progress by leaps and bounds.


    The market price was not cheap, needing three taels of silver money for one.


    Buying three at once meant she was definitely aiming to break through more than just the Onefold or Twofold level of ordinary mortals, likely Fivefold or higher.


    Looking at her frail and delicate on a daily basis, I hadn¡¯t expected her to take the path of cultivation.


    No wonder she was as light as a feather.


    Miss Wang was a very thoughtful girl, completely different from those who only wanted to marry a wealthy man and depend on him.


    Her rush to cultivate with Tempering Elixirs was clearly to avoid being controlled by her father and to refuse going to Yichun Garden in Black Tiger City to meet with Young Master Lu for matchmaking.


    Qin Niu carefully stored the gold bracelet on his person.


    Then he sorted the insects into different cages.


    That included the cultivated huge green Giant Hornet and the Queen Bee with a hint of special abilities, two Jin Chans, and the termites.


    Also, he took the wild boar skin that he had skinned off.


    There were two main tasks for this trip into the city: to apply for the Insect


    Master status and to sell some insects.


    It was the perfect opportunity to understand the Insect Market dynamics, so that he could target his captures more strategically in future sales.


    Currently, he was just searching in the wilderness; whenever he saw insects with special abilities, he caught them.


    Doing so could earn him some money, but to make a big profit relied on luck.


    If he could target and capture those insects that were highly valued in the market, he could make even more money.


    Some insects could only be sold for ten or twenty wen money, while others could be sold for several taels of silver money.


    The latter was obviously better.


    Gathering his things and locking the door, he hoisted his basket and hurried to Black Tiger City.


    Xiao Niu was left at home.


    Striding along the official road, he could see traces of the flood¡¯s destruction everywhere. Many fields were ruined, with crops flattened on the ground or completely buried under mud and sand.


    A human catastrophe, wounds and scars all around.


    This year, the price of grain within Black Tiger City¡¯s jurisdiction would surely rise.


    The flood had destroyed this year¡¯s summer grains.


    Many households were already running out of food after the New Year¡¯s.


    They were hoping for a good summer harvest to tide them over.


    Now in the wake of the flood disaster, with most crops destroyed, many families would have to borrow money to survive.


    Qin Niu could sense that the purchase of slaves and maids by wealthy families was about to surge.


    In times of famine, a child could be sold for just three to five taels of silver money.


    The lowest could even be bought for two taels of silver money.


    Fourteen or fifteen-year-old boys generally wouldn¡¯t be sold as they could work and support themselves.


    Girls, however, were very likely to be married off or sold.


    With no food at home and survival at stake, selling or marrying off a daughter could bring in silver money to help the family through hard times.


    This also shows that in many people¡¯s eyes, daughters were like ¡®property¡¯ that could be liquidated at any time.


    Some sections of the official road were still flooded, with a thick layer of undried mud left behind.


    Qin Niu had to detour around as he moved forward.


    ¡°If only 1 had a mount!¡±


    The image of Official Liu¡¯s black horse flashed through his mind.


    The thought was fleeting.


    With a price tag of a thousand taels of silver money, it was far beyond his current reach. Even if he did have a thousand taels of silver money, he wouldn¡¯t spend it on a horse. Instead, he would invest in cultivation resources and rebuild his house.


    He was definitely going to get married someday.


    Living in two rundown mud houses would scare away any girl before she even stepped through the door.


    After two and a half hours of trekking, Qin Niu finally arrived at Black Tiger City.


    After advancing his cultivation to the Threefold of the Mortal Realm, Qin Niu¡¯s walking speed was noticeably faster than before, and his stamina had also improved.


    Previously, a trip to the city would take nearly four hours.


    Back then, he could cover eight or nine miles in an hour, and about twelve at a faster pace.


    Now with his increased cultivation, he found it quite easy to cover twenty miles in an hour.


    Shuangfeng Village was about fifty miles from Black Tiger City, and it took him a total of two and a half hours, which was equivalent to five hours.


    If he had a good mount, it wouldn¡¯t even take half an hour.


    Two legs simply can¡¯t compete with four!


    He thought to himself that Official Liu, who came from the government, already had a Black Steed worth a thousand Silver Money, yet he still wanted to buy his Xiao Nui.


    This proved that Xiao Nui was definitely not ordinary.


    Once he earned some money by selling insects this time, he could buy two low-level Talismans to form a pact with Xiao Nui, and then he would be able to see its attributes.


    While queuing to enter the city, he encountered again that idler in a black robe who had wanted to nab his bear skin the last time.


    This person¡¯s status was probably slightly lower than that of an official.


    Even though he wore a black robe, he didn¡¯t wear an official¡¯s headscarf.


    He glanced at Qin Niu¡¯s basket and upon seeing it was boar skin, his face immediately showed a look of disdain.


    The value of pigskin was low, so naturally, he looked down upon it.


    A skinned wild boar hide was not much different from ordinary pigskin.


    Even the hide of a wild boar wasn¡¯t worth much.


    At best, it could sell for a few dozen Wen Money.


    Qin Niu, carrying the boar hide, entered the Clothing and Footwear Market.


    Because he had a good impression of the owner of Zhenzhen Armor Shop from last time, he went straight to this shop.


    ¡°Can you make leather armor here? I have a piece of pigskin that I¡¯d like to turn into armor.¡±


    When Qin Niu took out the pigskin, the shop assistant immediately covered his nose and stepped back two paces.


    He also frowned slightly.


    ¡°The labor costs more than your material.¡±


    The assistant replied.


    ¡°1 want to make leggings and a vest. How much would the labor cost for that?¡±


    ¡°At least it must start from Two Silver Money and go up. You should think it over before coming back,¡±


    the assistant clearly wanted to send him away quickly.


    ¡°Then never mind,¡±


    Qin Niu said after hearing this, ultimately giving up the idea of having the armor made.


    He had originally thought that, with his improved ability to catch insects, he often needed to venture into the mountains. Having a pair of leggings and a vest would protect him from the thorns, and offer an extra layer of defense when fighting with wild beasts to prevent injuries.


    He still bore a scar on his waist from the time he was scratched by a wolf.


    ¡°Hold on!¡±


    The stocky shop owner came out from the back.


    He felt the pigskin in Qin Niu¡¯s hand.


    ii


    Is this from the mountains?¡±


    ¡®Mountain goods¡¯ referred to goods from the mountains, meaning wild boar skin.


    ¡°Great eye, boss!¡±


    Qin Niu complimented.


    ¡°Judging by the thickness and size of this skin, I estimate it was a wild boar of around two hundred pounds. It¡¯s insufficient for armor making, but if you could hunt a wild boar of five or six hundred pounds, or even a larger Boar King whose skin has been repeatedly rubbed against pine trees and soaked in pine resin, that would be sturdy. Armor made from that kind of pigskin would be durable and tough, difficult for ordinary swords to damage, and compared to iron armor, it is much lighter and more flexible.


    Although what the assistant said was somewhat unpleasant to hear, 1 would advise you, young man, to abandon the idea of using this pigskin for armor.


    Poor craftsmanship in an armor shop means lower prices, but such armor will crack after a short period of use.


    Plus, if it doesn¡¯t fit well, it significantly impedes mobility.


    In a century-old shop like ours with good craftsmanship, the prices are generally not cheap. Creating a set of leather armor starts at a labor cost of Two Silver Money, and with that money, you might as well buy a thin iron armor to wear,¡±


    the shop owner said sincerely.


    After listening, Qin Niu had already dismissed the idea of using the pigskin for armor.


    ¡°Thank you for your honest advice, boss. I¡¯ll come back if I need anything in the future.¡±


    Qin Niu put the pigskin back in his basket and turned to leave, preparing to sell the skin at the shop he visited last time.


    H


    It¡¯s troublesome for you to carry it back and forth. If you want to sell it, I¡¯ll take it off your hands. Most other leather goods shops would pay up to fifty Wen Money, I¡¯ll offer you sixty in hopes of your future patronage,¡±


    the shop owner said to him.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Qin Niu knew the price of pigskin wasn¡¯t high and agreed to the deal on the spot.


    Selling for sixty Wen Money, the efforts hadn¡¯t been for naught.


    The valuable part of a wild boar was its meat.


    But it wouldn¡¯t be much more expensive than ordinary pork.


    After selling the pigskin, he first visited the Pet Beast Market.


    Although it¡¯s called the Pet Beast Market, in reality, the Insect Master Association and the Beast Tamer Association were both there. Inside the market, apart from various wild beasts and mounts for sale, there were also various insects offered.


    Controlling insects was a niche profession, and Insect Masters were generally weaker on average, therefore, their status was not as high as that of Beast Tamers.


    The name of the market also did not reflect the sale of insects.


    Upon entering, Qin Niu immediately felt how upscale the place was.


    Many people here wore the robes of Insect Masters or Beast Tamers, all of whom were revered beings.


    Those in long gowns were potential Insect Masters or potential Beast Tamers, identifiable by the rust-colored badges on their chests and their waist tags.


    Under normal circumstances, it is generally not possible to check someone else¡¯s waist tag.


    This is a matter of personal privacy, only officials have the authority to inspect it.


    However, there were some who loved to show off and would deliberately expose their waist tags, wishing the whole world could see them.


    After all, even a mere potential Beast Tamer held a much more prestigious status than an ordinary person.

 Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Chapter 86: The Bug Appraiser i

    Chapter 91: Chapter 86: The Bug Appraiser i


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu was dressed in coarse clothes, marked with quite a few patches.


    Once inside, there really was no difference between his attire and that of a beggar. Those aspiring Insect Masters and Beast Tamers looked at him with disdain and contempt, and some even showed aversion.


    Because they considered their status to be exalted, mixing with a poor mountain boy was an insult to their dignity.


    As for this, Qin Niu was utterly unconcerned.


    He idly strolled within the market.


    ¡°Selling Snow Wolves here, just caught yesterday. Young Snow Wolf cubs, only fifteen Silver Money for a quick sale!¡±


    ¡°A Yellow Finch that can understand human speech, yours for just ten Silver Money!¡±


    ¡°Just weaned, red-furred milk sheep, fifty Silver Money each, first come first served.¡±


    The entrance to the marketplace had the highest flow of people, and both sides of the road were mostly lined with stalls selling various beasts and birds.


    Each species possessed some special abilities.


    Snow Wolves, also known as Ice Wolves, reportedly originated in the polar ice fields. Later, after some were captured, they interbred with local wolf packs, occasionally producing Snow Wolves.


    In fact, they were no longer pure-blooded Ice Wolves.


    But if nurtured properly, they could still retain some of the Ice Wolf¡¯s abilities.


    For instance, once evolved to a certain grade, they could exhale a cold fog, and even potentially spew ice spikes to kill enemies in their later stages.


    Even a Snow Wolf that could exhale cold fog was quite formidable.


    When it sprayed its fog, enveloping its enemies, it would instantly freeze their bodies, slowing down their movements. At this point, the master riding on the Snow Wolf¡¯s back could easily slay them with a single sword strike.


    If Snow Wolves were so powerful, why could one buy one for just fifteen Silver Money?


    First, the Snow Wolf was a relatively scarce breed among wolves, and it was quite delicate. It required meat at every meal.


    House dogs that served as Protectors could eat just about any leftovers.


    Snow Wolves, however, would rather starve than eat anything that wasn¡¯t fresh meat. Their preferred diet consisted solely of fresh meat, particularly that of wild beasts and birds.


    Moreover, their appetite was especially large.


    Once grown to adulthood, their height could reach a person¡¯s chest or even their shoulders, exceeding the weight of a large house dog by a significant margin.


    Devouring twenty or thirty pounds of meat in a meal was not out of the ordinary for them.


    This single factor already priced many people out of owning one.


    Besides, cultivating a Snow Wolf was extremely difficult; for it to level up was even harder than the owner themselves advancing a grade.


    After all, Beast Pets are just an external possession, and it¡¯s unlikely that any idiot owner would use all of their resources to nurture one. More than 99% of people would prioritize advancing their own cultivation.


    And whether nurturing insects or beasts and birds, the goal was to earn more resources for cultivation.


    Few were willing to put the cart before the horse.


    That¡¯s why, despite their appeal, Snow Wolves were essentially a bottomless pit.


    Only scions of immensely wealthy families dared to purchase and rear them.


    Qin Niu was ¡®not interested¡¯ in Beast Pets; taking care of himself was hard enough, so maintaining a Beast Pet was less appealing to him than keeping a wife!


    At least a wife could provide warmth and carry on the family line.


    He briskly walked past the beast and bird selling area and finally came upon insect vendors in an alley.


    The status of an Insect Master was truly far below that of a Beast Tamer!


    There were probably just seventy or eighty stalls selling various types of insects.


    The storefronts behind them were equally small, giving off a rather shabby impression.


    ¡°Iron Arm Mantis, a rare variety, half a Silver Money per one! This is the only one, don¡¯t miss out if you¡¯re passing by!¡±


    ¡°Blue-footed Toxic Centipedes, fiercely poisonous. One bite, and not even a deity could save you. Selling for two Silver Money, take it if you want it!¡±


    The insects for sale here were all of large size.


    Poisonous insects were seen the most.


    This also indicated that poisonous insects were popular in the market.


    Raising a poison insect for self-defense was indeed a great idea.


    If necessary, suddenly releasing a poisonous insect to bite an enemy could eliminate a formidable foe instantly.


    The cost of owning this thing is not high, and with great power, it naturally becomes very popular.


    Qin Niu planned to first try selling a Jin Chan.


    He walked straight to the end of the vendors¡¯ row, took out a cage with a male


    Jin Chan and placed it in front of him.


    ¡°Deadly male Jin Chan for sale, come and get it if you need one!¡±


    He certainly wasn¡¯t shy; after setting up, he mimicked the other vendors, calling out loudly to attract buyers.


    Making money isn¡¯t easy, and sometimes one has to set aside their pride.


    His cries elicited smiles from the surrounding vendors.


    What a rarity.


    After selling insects for so long, I¡¯ve never seen anyone sell a deadly variety.


    This country boy must have some screws loose in his head.


    Hearing the shouting, a man in a black robe approached. Embroidered on his chest were the words Market Administrator.


    He wasn¡¯t wearing an official hat.


    His status seemed similar to that of the black-robed idler at the city gate, roughly an assistant to the officials.


    A position akin to that of a modern auxiliary police officer.


    Working as a public servant, yet without an official post. Doing the most work but only they know the sourness of their income and status.


    Heartbreak that can¡¯t be spoken out loud.


    ¡°Selling insects at a stall requires a management fee of ten wen money,¡± the man in the black robe stated coldly.


    ¡°All¡­ you need to pay a fee even for setting up a stall on the roadside?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, how else would you be allowed to sell in the marketplace? You can go sell on the streets. But if the patrolling city guards catch you, they¡¯ll not only seize your insects, but also fine you.¡±


    Although his words were intimidating, most of what he said was likely true.


    ¡°Then forget it, 1 won¡¯t sell. It¡¯s not even certain whether this insect can sell for ten wen money.¡±


    Qin Niu put away the insect.


    ¡°It¡¯s best not to think about setting up a stall here secretly. If 1 catch you, it won¡¯t just be a matter of ten wen money to settle.¡±


    Seeing Qin Niu¡¯s shabby clothes, the man in the black robe wasn¡¯t sure if he even had ten wen money but did not make things more difficult for him.


    After a warning, he walked over to a recliner set up in front of a shop and comfortably lay down.


    He chatted with the shop¡¯s charming proprietress from time to time.


    Working as a public servant sure is comfortable!


    It¡¯s essentially making money by lying down.


    Qin Niu decided to first get his Insect Master certification sorted out.


    ¡°Young man, if you want to set up a stall selling insects here, 1 advise you to pay the management fee of ten wen money. But 1 suggest you catch some better insects next time, like spiders, centipedes; they¡¯re stronger than your Jin Chan,¡± advised a nearby stall owner kindly.


    ¡°Okay, thank you, uncle! Can¡¯t I set up a stall for free?¡±


    ¡°To set up a stall for free, you either need to be an Insect Master or a Beast


    Tamer, otherwise don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, thanks!¡±


    After hearing the advice, Qin Niu¡¯s eyes lit up.


    An Insect Master certification? That¡¯s easy! Just go get certified.


    ¡°Also, when selling insects, it¡¯s best to get an Appraiser to identify them and provide a certificate, like this one I have. It¡¯s more authoritative, and buyers will feel more confident.¡±


    The vendor showed Qin Niu an appraisal certificate.


    It listed the insect¡¯s name, its classification, special abilities, lifespan, and other information.


    It also bore the individual stamp of the Appraiser.


    Indeed, it looked quite authoritative.


    ¡°How much does an appraisal cost?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°That depends on what kind of insect you¡¯re appraising. A Grade One insect costs twenty wen money per appraisal. Grade Two insects are more expensive; you need at least a hundred wen money for the fee. Grade Three insects are impossible to catch, so no need to mention them..¡±

 Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Chapter 87: Master Hu Becomes Enthralled i

    Chapter 92: Chapter 87: Master Hu Becomes Enthralled i


    Translator: 549690339


    Being an Appraiser really does make money, identifying just one insect could earn a minimum of twenty wen.


    Qin Niu mulled over this secretly in his heart.


    Currently, his Insect Identification skill had achieved some minor success could he possibly apply to become an Insect Identification Master?


    If that were the case, he could earn this money himself whenever he sold insects in the future.


    Plus, it would save a lot of trouble.


    After thanking the kind-hearted uncle, Qin Niu headed straight for the Insect Master Association.


    ¡°Hey, your Jin Chan probably can¡¯t even cover the appraisal fee if you sell it, better let it go!¡±


    The uncle thought he was going to look for an Appraiser inside.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t pay him any mind and went directly to the front of the Insect Master Association¡¯s hall.


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t far, just at the end of this alley.


    No wonder all the insect vendors concentrated their stalls on this auxiliary road.


    Those who enter the Insect Master Association are either Insect Masters, aspiring Insect Masters, or sellers looking for Insect Identification Masters to appraise their insects.


    Like most governmental organizations, the hall of the Insect Master Association featured high steps and was tall and imposing in architecture.


    It made one feel rather insignificant standing at its entrance.


    Without grandeur, there is no weight to one¡¯s authority.


    The founders of the Insect Master Association understood this well.


    The two stone sculptures placed at the entrance were not auspicious beasts like lions or Kylins, but two lifelike worker ants.


    This surprised Qin Niu.


    It was understandable for the Insect Master Association to use insect statues, but ants were often deemed as the most lowly creatures, associated much more with humility than with dominance or martial prowess.


    Even sculpting a pair of mantises or stag beetles would be a hundred times better!


    One could see Insect Masters and aspiring Insect Masters in long gowns or robes coming and going.


    All Insect Masters and aspiring Insect Masters within the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory, who needed to process certifications or other matters, did so here.


    Consequently, there were naturally many people around.


    Dressed in tattered clothes and carrying a basket on his back, Qin Niu looked particularly out of place in this locale, like a hillbilly venturing into the city for the first time.


    There were two soldiers clad in Hundred-Tempering Black Armor standing guard at the entrance of the hall.


    This, at least, added a bit more prestige to the Insect Master Association.


    The main entrance led to the service hall, while the smaller door to the right led to the Insect Identification Hall.


    A small door on the left seemed to lead to the second floor.


    It was unclear what it was used for.


    It might be where the leaders of the Insect Master Association had their offices.


    Upon entering the service hall, one could see various service windows and tables for Insect Masters and aspiring Insect Masters to fill out paperwork.


    The two black-armored guards didn¡¯t stop him.


    ¡°Excuse me, could you tell me how to apply for Insect Master certification?¡±


    Qin Niu asked a woman clad in a black robe who worked there.


    She wasn¡¯t wearing a hat, indicating that she wasn¡¯t a regular staffer.


    The slightly puffed chest of her uniform bore the four characters for the Insect Master Association.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re applying for Insect Master certification?¡±


    The female helper was quite young, probably in her early twenties, slender and pretty.


    It¡¯s understandable. Being able to work at the Insect Master Association was a coveted and stable job that many envied.


    The staff they hired certainly had high requirements for appearance, cultural level, and professional knowledge.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Qin Niu remained composed.


    ¡°To certify as an Insect Master, you need to have a Grade Three insect and be able to command it.¡±


    ¡°Any other requirements?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Then 1 believe I meet the qualifications.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s tone remained calm, but the people around him became anything but.


    ¡°Very well, please first fill out this Insect Master certification application form, and then go to window number one to pay the fee and complete the certification.¡±


    The female helper¡¯s manner of addressing him had quietly changed.


    Because if this man did indeed have a Grade Three insect that he could command, he would instantly be elevated to the esteemed rank of Insect Master.


    After filling out the form, Qin Niu went to the window to pay the fee, which was not expensive¡ªjust two wen money.


    It was probably just a nominal charge.


    ¡°Chairman Li, there¡¯s an application for Insect Master certification.¡±


    ¡°Bring him in!¡±


    A robust male voice came from the inner room, most likely belonging to someone no younger than forty years old.


    The staff member opened the door from the inside, and Qin Niu was invited in.


    The office inside wasn¡¯t large, about twenty square meters or so.


    It contained filing cabinets, a desk, and a peculiar platform.


    It was four feet square, made entirely out of carved jade.


    It featured various ¡®bridge holes¡¯ and ¡®roadblocks?


    Looking at it, it seemed almost like a modern driving practice course.


    ¡°Yo, quite a young lad, eh! Please, take a seat!¡±


    Chairman Li was very courteous to Qin Niu.


    He was a middle-aged man in his forties with graying temples. Whether from excessive indulgence or work pressure, he appeared quite old for his age.


    The vigor is indeed remarkable.


    ¡°Take out your Grade Three insect and let me have a look,¡±


    Qin Niu took out the pottery jar containing the termites.


    ¡°Fourth, come out!¡±


    With Qin Niu¡¯s command, a green figure rapidly crawled out from the jar.


    Chairman Li¡¯s expression, initially indifferent, became serious in an instant, and his gaze turned focused.


    He watched Fourth as it crawled out.


    After staring for a while, his face showed a mix of envy and surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a termite, and an extremely rare breed at that, with an exceedingly long lifespan. May I ask how you came by it?¡±


    ¡°It was after a heavy rain. 1 subdued a female ant, and then it laid a batch of worker ants. After that, I left them in the mountains and didn¡¯t care for them. As a result, the first batch of worker ants suffered an accident, leaving only this one alive. As for what happened, I¡¯m not very clear. I feel something big must have happened on the night of the accident.¡±


    Qin Niu had thought through his story well in advance.


    Half-truths and half-lies.


    He would certainly not reveal the Ancient Banyan Tree as a major treasure.


    After listening, Chairman Li¡¯s expression of envy became even thicker.


    ¡°Xiao Cui, please call Master Hu over.¡±


    He instructed the female employee outside.


    Not long after, a gaunt old man with a goat beard walked in quickly. This old man was very short, less than 1.3 meters, likely a dwarf.


    The long goat beard floated in front of his chest, but he was wearing the black robe only an Insect Master could wear, with gold trims at the cuffs and collar.


    Embroidered on his chest was ¡°Chief Identification Master of the Insect Master


    Association.¡±


    Appearances can be deceiving indeed.


    Who would have thought that such a small-statured man would turn out to be the Chief Identification Master of the Insect Master Association?


    ¡°Master Hu, this termite is unlike any I have ever seen in my life. My identification skills are limited, so please take a look and see what breed it is!¡±


    Chairman Li spoke very politely to Master Hu.


    Master Hu¡¯s gaze had already fixed on the termite on the table, deaf to Chairman Li¡¯s words.


    He was like an artist, utterly fascinated by an indescribably exquisite piece of art.


    ¡°Tsst, tsst, this pattern, this skin color, and that metallic sheen on the mandibles, what a rarity in this world! No¡­ this is an extreme rarity, not just a rare breed. It¡¯s a pity one of its antennae is broken; it must be very aggressive by nature,¡±


    Master Hu muttered to himself.


    The more he looked at the termite, the more spellbound he became.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ Master Hu, I know you get engrossed whenever you see a rare or unusual insect, but could you start by identifying its breed?¡±


    Seeing that Master Hu was not yet finished, Chairman Li had no choice but to awaken the engrossed old man.


    Otherwise, given Hu¡¯s disposition, he might have studied for three days and nights without finishing.


    ¡°The pattern on its body is quite peculiar, somewhat resembling that of a Tiger Stripe Ant, but I feel its pattern is more intricate and the color is deeper, likely stronger than the Tiger Stripe Ant. It has the powerful mandibles of a soldier ant, as well as the mouthparts of worker ants. Its body and six legs have integrated some of the advantages of both worker and soldier ants, which is incredibly rare. Also, I suspect it could be poisonous, as 1 won¡¯t mistake that unique scent; moreover, the poison is highly potent.


    To ascertain the exact type of venom, one would need to have it bite another insect.


    The skin on its body shines with a metallic luster, as if it¡¯s clad in iron armor, much like the predacious Ironclad Tiger Stripe Ant.


    Even with one antenna broken, it¡¯s still apparent.


    Based on my expertise in appraisal, the Ironclad Tiger Stripe Ant often possesses a unique ability in battle, which is berserk. Once it enters a berserk state, its combat capabilities will be greatly enhanced, including speed, biting force, and defensive abilities, at least doubling.


    This termite is much larger than the highly unusual Tiger Stripe Ironclad Soldier Ant, several times stronger, and with a more intricate pattern, and the aura it emits is extremely powerful, indicating it is more formidable than the Tiger Stripe Ironclad Ant.


    It can be determined without a doubt that it is a Grade Three termite, but as for the specific breed, I¡¯m afraid my level of appraisal is limited, and I¡¯m unable to identify it for the time being,¡±


    Master Hu analyzed the abilities of this termite in detail, like reciting precious knowledge.


    Displaying high appraisal skills, he certainly lived up to the title of Chief Identification Master.


    It¡¯s just that the Ironclad Battle Demon Ant is so rare that even he couldn¡¯t determine its exact breed.


    Many insects can be appraised only to family, which is quite good already.


    Some can be identified only to order.


    To identify the species, even master appraisers specializing in ants might not have that capability.


    ¡°You¡¯re so enviable! Your luck is truly extraordinary, young man.¡±


    Chairman Li was quite satisfied with the appraisal result.


    ¡°All right then, congratulations on passing the Insect Master certification, I¡¯ll go ahead and process the relevant procedures for you now. Please give me your waist badge, and 1 will replace it with an Insect Master¡¯s badge.¡±


    The certification process for an Insect Master turned out to be much simpler than expected.


    ¡°Qin Niu!¡±


    Master Hu looked at Qin Niu¡¯s waist badge and read his name.


    ¡°May I see your Ant Queen? Such a powerful termite must have come from her, so I believe she must possess excellent genetics.¡±


    Because for Insect Master certification, it¡¯s only necessary to have one Grade Three insect that can follow commands.


    Therefore, Master Hu wanted to see his Ant Queen and had to get Qin Niu¡¯s permission.


    ii


    No problem.¡±


    All of Qin Niu¡¯s special termites were kept inside the Ant Nest.


    The termites he brought were not afraid to be seen by others.


    ¡°Ant Queen, come out.¡±


    Following Qin Niu¡¯s command, the Ant Queen slowly crawled out of the jar.


    Her size had become seriously bloated, appearing rather corpulent.


    Now laying a hundred eggs a day, her accumulation of energy seemed to be accelerating.


    ¡°What an exquisite Ant Queen!¡±


    Master Hu¡¯s eyes lit up again as he observed the Ant Queen with keen interest.


    ¡öI


    Her abdomen is quite large, her butt is flat and round, indicating she is prolific. Her antennae are agile, and the rhythm of their movement is complicated yet not chaotic, which means her intelligence far surpasses that of the average termite. May I take a look at her abdomen?¡±


    Master Hu sought Qin Niu¡¯s consent..

 Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Chapter 88: One-Star Appraiser Certification!

    Chapter 93: Chapter 88: One-Star Appraiser Certification!


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Ant Queen, roll over!¡±


    Qin Niu issued the command directly. It clumsily crawled and turned over, ending up spread-eagled on its back.


    This time, Master Hu did not rush to observe the Ant Queen, but instead, he looked at Qin Niu with some surprise.


    ¡°Your insect communication skill seems to be of a very high level!¡±


    ¡°I am ashamed to say, it¡¯s only smooth when I am communicating with it!¡± Qin Niu said modestly.


    The proficiency of the insect language skill improved slowly, and he was currently only at the proficient level. There was still a distant way to go to advance to the level of reaching a minor achievement.


    However, because he could level up as soon as he reached the required proficiency, his progression seemed slow but was actually advantageous compared to other Insect Masters.


    In his case, there simply wasn¡¯t such a thing as a bottleneck.


    ¡°Its abdomen has black, trailing dot shapes. It should have the chance to produce offspring with poison sacs and poison stingers. Termites with poison sacs and stingers are just too incredible. I¡¯m still too young; my little bit of appraising experience is nothing before these two termites.¡±


    Termites with a poison stinger are probably unique.


    Usually, only fierce ants possess poison stingers, able to sting enemies like honeybees.


    Yet, Qin Niu secretly admired Master Hu¡¯s appraisal abilities.


    He had learned a trick from Master Hu. In the future, to see if a termite could produce offspring with a poison stinger, all he needed to do was check for trailing dot shapes on its abdomen.


    This technique could also be referenced when appraising other insects.


    ¡°Its waist is thick, and its six legs are strong and powerful, which means its offspring should also be strong and powerful. No wonder it can produce such an exceptional Black Tiger-armored ant.¡±


    The fact that the Ant Queen could produce offspring with strong attributes was not discerned by Master Hu.


    It could also be because the probability of producing offspring with the strength attribute was too low currently, which made the features less obvious. This indirectly indicated that Master Hu¡¯s appraisal level was not as strong as imagined.


    Master Hu is brilliant! Nothing escapes your expert eye.¡±


    Qin Niu offered him a compliment.


    ¡°Ho ho, just average!¡±


    Master Hu chuckled stroking his beard.


    ¡°May I ask you a question?¡±


    Qin Niu naturally would not flatter someone for no reason.


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    Master Hu looked at Qin Niu with a very kind expression.


    How easy is it to apply to become an insect appraiser?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult if you say it¡¯s difficult, easy if you say it¡¯s easy. There are seven stars for insect appraisers. To become a one-star insect appraiser, you only need to have preliminary appraisal abilities for a single species; that¡¯s not hard. It gets harder the further you go. I¡¯ve barely reached the three-star level, and I¡¯m considered one of the top in Black Tiger City.¡±


    Master Hu explained with a smile.


    ¡°Impressive!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at him admiringly.


    ¡°What, does Brother Qin Niu also want to apply to become an insect appraiser?¡±


    ¡°I want to give it a try! Right now I¡¯m short on funds, and when I catch insects I want to sell, I need someone to appraise them. If I were an insect appraiser myself, I could save on that expense.¡±


    Qin Niu was very candid.


    ¡°Haha, I understand completely. Back in my day, I was just like you, a poor young man. Due to my small stature, no one would hire me for work, but later, after learning about insect appraisal, I couldn¡¯t stop. Finally, after much effort, I have achieved a little of what I have today.¡±


    Master Hu laughed heartily.


    He seemed to like Qin Niu¡¯s honesty even more.


    ¡°You can go right now to window number 3 in the outside hall to get an application form, and at the appointed time, we will conduct an assessment of your insect appraisal ability. If you pass the assessment, you will be given an insect appraiser certification according to your appraisal level.¡±


    After hearing Master Hu¡¯s advice, Qin Niu thanked him, collected the termites, and immediately went to the outside hall.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that there would be so many people applying to become insect appraisers, forming a long queue.


    This skill certification did not require one to be an Insect Master.


    Those who liked playing with insects had some appraisal experience, thinking that once they were certified, they would have an additional skill to make a living.


    They could purchase insects themselves, appraise them, then resell them to make a profit.


    A regular farmer toiled all day long to earn just ten wen money.


    An insect appraiser could earn twenty wen just by appraising a slightly valuable insect. It was much easier than being a farmer.


    Qin Niu honestly stood in line at the back.


    Master Hu stood right behind the female staff member at window number 3.


    He was only slightly shorter than the seated female staff member.


    ¡°Qin Niu, come this way.¡±


    Master Hu called Qin Niu over with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°Give him an insect appraiser¡¯s certification form.¡±


    With Master Hu personally greeting him, the female staff member didn¡¯t say a word; she just smiled and handed over a form to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Hey, how can you cut in line like that?¡±


    ¡°He knows someone, duh!¡±


    ¡°Fellow, I¡¯d advise you not to make a scene, otherwise if you annoy the people inside, be careful your appraiser¡¯s certification might not pass.¡±


    The man, with an angry face, ultimately chose to back down.


    He pinched his nose and accepted this unwritten rule.


    Social connections are everywhere in society.


    If Qin Niu had waited in line like everyone else, he probably would have had to wait at least half an hour.


    The female staff member patiently taught him how to fill out the form.


    Because Master Hu personally greeted him, Qin Niu received VIP treatment.


    This kind of priority treatment was great.


    However, it also provoked many people in line to glare at him with anger.


    They were merely furious but dared not speak out.


    Qm Niu naturally didn¡¯t care what they thought; he filled out the form and handed it to the female staff member.


    ¡°Just go directly to the two-star appraiser certification room, you don¡¯t need to wait in line, you can go straight in.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±


    The female staff member was very enthusiastic towards him, all because of Master Hu¡¯s influence.


    The reason Master Hu took such good care of Qin Niu was naturally because Qin Niu had a very special grade three termite.


    For Master Hu to improve his skills, he needed to appraise some special insects.


    It¡¯s like playing chess; playing every day with a poor player, one would always remain at a poor level.


    Only by playing against those who are stronger can one improve rapidly.


    Master Hu hadn¡¯t been able to appraise Qin Niu¡¯s grade three termite and was itching for another chance. He definitely wanted to build a good relationship, so he could ask to see Qin Niu¡¯s grade three termite again.


    ¡°Why can a novice go to the two-star appraiser certification room?¡±


    Someone questioned the female staff member.


    It was met with her direct indifference.


    She smiled warmly at Qin Niu, but her expression was cold toward the others.


    This is reality.


    Qm Niu now had an Insect Master¡¯s status, and Chairman Li was already personally handling it for him.


    This wasn¡¯t any special treatment.


    It¡¯s expected that every Insect Master could enjoy this treatment.


    After all, upon being promoted to an Insect Master, one¡¯s status and prestige were immediately elevated.


    Moreover, the Insect Master Association also needed more Insect Masters to grow and develop.


    Now overshadowed by the Beast Tamer Association, the chairman of the Insect Master Association naturally had to try every means to attract each talent.


    Qin Niu¡¯s grade three termite was so unique with huge growth potential; in Chairman Li¡¯s eyes, he was a core talent.


    He would receive different treatment accordingly.


    Qin Niu entered the two-star appraiser certification room and was stunned when he saw the examiner inside.


    ¡°Hu¡­ Master Hu, you¡¯re the examiner?¡±


    He stammered.


    ¡°What else did you think? In the entire Black Tiger City, only I am a three-star Insect Master Appraiser, so I suppose I¡¯m the only one qualified to be an examiner for the two-star Insect Master Appraisers,¡± Master Hu said, grinning and showing a hint of pride.


    From the sound of it, in Black Tiger City¡¯s Insect Master Association, the highest level of appraiser they could certify was two stars.


    If one wanted to attain a higher star level, they likely had to go to other larger cities..

 Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Chapter 89 This is the Level i

    Chapter 94: Chapter 89 This is the Level i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Qin Niu¡¯s insect identification skills are now well beyond a one-star level, capable of identifying a considerable variety of species.


    ¡°Able to identify so many kinds? A one-star appraiser only needs to identify one kind. Just choose the one you¡¯re best at!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Master Hu was somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Is it possible to directly certify as a two-star appraiser?¡±


    But Qin Niu wanted to bite off more than he could chew, aiming high in one go. ¡°Even though I am on good terms with you, skill certification is a serious matter that must follow due process. First, the certification for a one-star appraiser must be completed, then proceed to the two-star certification.¡± Master Hu could provide special consideration regarding the queue, but the examination would not be watered down.


    Public is public, private is private.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll choose bee!¡±


    The only knowledge Qin Niu had systematically studied was bee cultivation, including bee identification.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    Master Hu stood up, walked to the large cabinet behind him, climbed the ladder, and opened one of the higher drawers.


    On this drawer was written the character for bee.


    It felt a bit like the medicine drawers in a traditional Chinese medicine shop, with each drawer labeled with a category of insect.


    What he took out was a thick booklet.


    If one were tall enough, there would be no need for a ladder.


    Upon opening the booklet, Master Hu revealed that the first page contained specimens of various bees, cleverly designed.


    The bee specimens were flattened and made into samples, then treated with something akin to a wax seal.


    ¡°Write down its taxonomic information, the more detailed the better.¡±


    It was as though Master Hu was setting the questions and Qin Niu was to answer.


    But this method of questioning was quite special.


    To Qin Niu, becoming an Insect Master seemed incredibly simple, yet he hadn¡¯t expected the appraiser certification to be much more complicated.


    In fact, the certification of an Insect Master was originally quite difficult.


    Normally, it was necessary to command insects to perform a sequence of actions on the special white jade platform in Chairman Li¡¯s office, including hole traversal, obstacle crossing, etc.


    Many Insect Masters couldn¡¯t level up their insect commanding skills to Qin Niu¡¯s standard, needing repetitive training to make the insects understand their master¡¯s intent and perform the corresponding actions.


    Afterward, food rewards were generally given.


    Not every Insect Master had the insect speech ability.


    Even if they did, their level of insect speech was often low; it was not easy to communicate with insect pets as smoothly as Qin Niu could.


    For most Insect Masters, being able to get insects to accept a few simple commands and actions was already quite impressive.


    Like when Qin Niu¡¯s insect speech skills were just at a beginning level, he could only communicate simply with other termites, but they might not necessarily understand.


    Even if the insects understood their master¡¯s meaning, they had no way to respond.


    Chairman Li must have been of an exceedingly high level as an Insect Master, and with abundant examination experience, having seen countless individuals. Qin Niu made Fourth crawl out from the pot, and the whole process was incredibly smooth.


    Out of so many termites, only Fourth emerged.


    This demonstrated that Qin Niu had reached a high level of proficiency in interacting with insects. Thus, the sequence of commands on the white jade platform that followed was simply waived.


    Qin Niu picked up the bee specimen and observed it closely.


    He noted that its surface wasn¡¯t sealed with wax but with a kind of transparent resin.


    This allowed him to better observe some of the details of the bee.


    Because the transparency of wax is less than that of resin.


    This bee had a black head and abdomen, with a notably large thorax. The center of its thorax was yellow, and its body was covered in fluffy hair.


    And its downy hair appeared long and soft.


    Though he didn¡¯t know how long it had been dead, its colors were still vibrant.


    The mouthparts were highly developed, indicating it must¡¯ve had a strong bite. The fur on the chest was dense and orderly.


    The hindleg tibiae were broad and smooth, with long downy hair on the ends, constituting the pollen baskets.


    The base of the hind foot was wide and flat, with neatly arranged bristles on the inner surface.


    No external genitalia were seen.


    This indicated it was a female bear bee.


    Before it was made into a specimen, the bee must have been rather old, as evidenced by clear signs of aging on its wings, a slightly contracted body, antennae gently straightened out, and legs slightly drawn in.


    This was somewhat akin to a natural death in humans.


    The pose exuded a more natural demeanor.


    After completing his assessment of the bee, Qin Niu wrote it down directly.


    Hymenoptera Apidae Genus Bombus, a female Heavy Yellow Bumblebee with a lifespan of about 7 months, died of natural causes. No special abilities, but its antennae were longer than average, with finer tips, endowing it with a stronger sense of smell for floral scents compared to a typical bear bee.


    With a flat abdomen and a smaller tail end, its reproductive capacity was rather poor.


    Its mouthparts were exceptionally well developed, indicating strong nest-building abilities.


    Qin Niu wrote down its basic characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses in detail.


    ¡°Good lad, no wonder you were bold enough to claim direct certification as a two-star appraiser. Your appraisal skills are indeed high.¡±


    After looking through his answers, a look of pleasant surprise spread across Master Hu¡¯s face.


    This was the joy he showed upon seeing a highly talented individual.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to test you any further. The questions for a one-star appraiser are all very simple, and testing you further would be a waste of time. Congratulations, you have successfully passed the certification for a one-star insect appraiser.¡±


    Having said that, Master Hu called in a female staff member.


    It must be said that all the female staff members of the Insect Master Association were tall and beautiful, with outstanding temperament and appearance.


    ¡°Yu Xue, please assist Qin Niu with the filing work for the one-star insect appraiser certification. Here is his answer sheet. And then, bring in an application form for a two-star appraiser.¡±


    Master Hu, despite not being tall, held a high position within the Insect Master Association.


    She instructed the female workers in an indifferent tone.


    They all bowed their heads subserviently.


    ¡°Wow, he only answered one question and passed!¡±


    After looking over the answer sheet, her face was filled with shock.


    ¡°The value of answering is in precision, not in quantity. Just based on the answer to this one question, he has surpassed many who answered ten or even twenty questions,¡±


    Master Hu stated indifferently.


    The poorer the level, the more questions need answering.


    Because it¡¯s not possible for the examiner to determine if the candidate¡¯s appraisal level meets the standard with just one or two questions.


    ¡°There are many one-star appraisers, but far fewer two-star appraisers. If Young Master Qin really manages to pass the appraisal, he may become the youngest two-star appraiser in our Insect Master Association!¡±


    Yu Xue¡¯s beautiful eyes looked at Qin Niu, her face bearing a smile.


    In her eyes, Qin Niu¡¯s poor attire was not at all important.


    The youngest two-star insect identifier, if he moved up one more level, he could become an esteemed figure like Master Hu. If he then joined the Insect Master Association, he would definitely become an executive.


    She began to ponder in her heart.


    To marry a man with such potential would be far better than marrying an ordinary wealthy young master from the city.


    ¡°Miss Yu Xue, you flatter me too much!¡±


    Qin Niu was a bit embarrassed by the pretty female worker¡¯s gaze.


    These city girls are so bold, what young lady stares at a man like that?


    ¡°I never flatter people carelessly. I really admire you! If you ever need to handle anything at the Insect Master Association, you can look for me. I handle most of the archival affairs.¡±


    Yu Xue smiled, greeted him, and left with Qin Niu¡¯s information.


    Before long, she was back.


    She now had a two-star appraiser application form in hand.


    ¡°Here, just fill it out according to the form. If you have any questions, you can ask me over there in the archives room.¡±


    She placed the form in front of Qin Niu and, intentionally or unintentionally, leaned down slightly, pointing at the items on the form that needed to be filled out.


    The faint feminine fragrance wafted into Qin Niu¡¯s nose.


    Her hair hung down and touched Qin Niu¡¯s face, tickling and fragrant.


    Master Hu watched everything and didn¡¯t say much.


    Although his status was higher than that of the female worker, their relationship was not one of servant and master, but rather that of superior and subordinate colleagues.


    As a leader, he naturally wouldn¡¯t obstruct his female subordinate¡¯s pursuit of personal happiness.


    Yu Xue had her sights set on Qin Niu, which, in Master Hu¡¯s view, was actually a good thing.


    If the two really became a couple, it would make dealing with Qin Niu much easier in the future.


    Such an outstanding young appraiser, if he could be attracted to the Insect Master Association and personally guided by him, with careful cultivation, he could become one of Black Tiger City¡¯s top insect identification masters in just a few years.


    It¡¯s even likely that he could exceed his teacher and surpass him as a three-star appraiser.


    Then, Black Tiger City would welcome its first four-star appraiser.


    The thought was exciting.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t seem very moved by Yu Xue.


    If they knew that Qin Niu¡¯s neighbor had a super beautiful young girl, they would understand why Qin Niu, when faced with the pursuit of a beautiful woman, can remain so calm.


    ¡°Young Master Qin, don¡¯t be so polite with me! I¡¯ll go process your one-star appraiser¡¯s filing now.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t gone long when she returned.


    She looked at Qin Niu and saw he was filling out the application form with his head down.


    ¡°Master Hu, this needs your seal!¡±


    After receiving it, Master Hu took out his seal and stamped the document.


    She took it and left.


    The certification process for a one-star insect identifier might seem simple, but it¡¯s actually extremely strict.


    It requires the seal of an examiner and the chairman.


    And an archive entry clerk must sign and verify it.


    That way, there is a trail to follow.


    After Qin Niu filled out the form, Master Hu asked him to hand it directly to the female worker at window three, and then come back for the exam.


    Outside, people were still queuing in a long line.


    Seeing Qin Niu coming out so quickly, some of them showed expressions of schadenfreude.


    Anybody could guess that, with the one-star appraiser exam being so difficult, Qin Niu coming out so quickly must mean he failed.


    ¡°Please help me process the two-star appraiser certification procedures!¡±


    Qin Niu did not queue up.


    He just handed the form to the female worker inside the window.


    ¡°Ah¡­ You completed the one-star appraiser certification so quickly?¡±


    The female worker¡¯s face changed with surprise as she looked at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Luckily, I passed,¡±


    Qin Niu replied casually.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll process it for you right away. Please wait a moment, Master Qin,¡±


    The female worker¡¯s addressing of him switched to Master Qin.


    If he could pass the two-star insect identifier, he really deserved to be called a master.


    But that master title might be a bit premature.


    At three stars and above, that¡¯s when one truly becomes a recognized master appraiser.


    ¡°He actually passed the one-star exam? Cheating, he must have cheated!¡±


    Some envious people wildly speculated..

 Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Chapter 90 The First Generation Demon Bee t

    Chapter 95: Chapter 90 The First Generation Demon Bee t


    Translator: 549690339


    As for the speculations and doubts of these people, Qin Niu simply ignored them.


    ¡°Who would dare talk about cheating in front of Master Hu? Afraid they¡¯d be slapped across the face by Master Hu himself,¡± he thought.


    Not long after, the female staff member nodded at Qin Niu with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re all set now. Take this form to Master Hu. I wish you success in passing the two-star appraiser¡¯s exam,¡± she said, and then ventured boldly, ¡°May I ask if Master Qin is currently single? I have a younger sister who just reached marriageable age this year. She¡¯s pretty and sweet-tempered, still waiting in her boudoir!¡±


    Although the staff member didn¡¯t put it bluntly, her intentions were quite clear.


    She wanted to match her sister with Qin Niu as a good couple.


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± he replied.


    Qin Niu grabbed the form and fled in a panic.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of wild wolves or beasts like Black Bears in the mountains, nor did he fear bullies like Wang Haikun.


    But he still felt very shy when it came to the subject of marriage and courting.


    He certainly wanted to marry a beautiful wife in his heart, but mentally, he wasn¡¯t prepared for it at all.


    City girls are truly bold, like bees spotting nectar when they find a boy with good prospects.


    In the past, Qin Niu was worried about his family¡¯s poverty and that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find a wife.


    Now it seems that as long as one has talent, there are plenty of beautiful girls in the city chasing after him.


    And each one is a beautiful girl with a job and ambition.


    Girls in the countryside tend to stay in attics or boudoirs.


    Many city girls, on the other hand, take the initiative to find a decent job.


    Although this world has strong sexist notions, women can still change their fate through hard work.


    Not only can they engage in various jobs they¡¯re competent in, but they can also practice martial arts just like men.


    There are not a few talented girls who became strong practitioners through their training.


    The Black Tiger Gang has many skilled female fighters.


    Compared to the pervasive workplace harassment and unspoken rules of the modern world, female employees in this world feel safer.


    Seeing Qin Niu actually scared away, everyone shook their heads and cursed him for being a fool.


    It was obvious to everyone that he was just a poor country boy.


    Now this female staff member of the Insect Master Association was willing to match him with her sister ¨C that would be like a huge pie falling from the sky for any man.


    A truly great stroke of luck.


    And Qin Niu ran away from it; if that¡¯s not foolish, what is?


    Sparrows do not understand the ambitions of a swan.


    In their eyes, it was a step down for the woman, practically giving herself away, but Qin Niu had his own dreams and aspirations ¨C he would only consider marrying a top beauty like his neighbor Wang Wanyan.


    Well-read and firm in her own views, with a kind heart.


    He returned to the examination room and began to complete the certification for a two-star appraiser.


    Master Hu flipped through a thick album of bee specimens until he reached the end, and then handed a long bee to Qin Niu for appraisal.


    This bee had a long wasp waist and a tail abdomen as slender as a wolf¡¯s.


    Its smooth body surface had little hair, with a faint metallic sheen.


    The whole body was tinged with a light green color.


    The protruding stinger was strong and robust, like fine iron, reflecting a very strong metallic luster.


    It was clearly capable of terrifying penetration.


    If it stung someone¡¯s body, it could easily penetrate clothing.


    Even regular leather armor might struggle to withstand its attack.


    Its body was black, yellow, and brown in color, but also covered in a layer of light green, which looked particularly strange.


    Its thoracic hairs were short and tough; it had long legs that were also very developed.


    Its limbs were as hard as iron feathers, and the muscles connecting to its wings were visibly strong and powerful.


    Indicating its flight was incredibly swift.


    Its oral apparatus was well-developed, with particularly thick mandibles, seemingly not weaker in biting force compared to the current Fourth.


    It should have a body length of over two and a half inches.


    Such length exceeds eight centimeters, a horrifying thought.


    Held in hand, the specimen felt especially heavy and substantial.


    Upon close observation, its body was etched with faint, fine, and clear lines.


    These were naturally formed, not man-made engravings.


    Qin Niu completed his appraisal of it and began to write.


    Hymenoptera Vespidae, Green Demon Wasp, female, not fully developed, of the Worker Bee caste. The first batch of bee species cultivated by the Green Demon, with a lifespan of over 5 years. This wasp had an estimated lifespan of around 4 years and was killed in its prime by human hands. Possessing iron wings, its flight speed was extremely fast, able to outpace birds over short distances.


    Its stinger was as hard as fine steel, easily penetrating ordinary leather armor, and devoid of barbs, with double poison sacs, indicating a severe toxicity.


    Capable of repeatedly stinging its enemies.


    Its developed oral apparatus likely had some armor-piercing effect.


    All over its body were fine, regular etchings, forming a rune which latent conveyed the fundamental principles of nature and earth, though it was not yet perfected. The dark lines matched with the patterns on its iron wings, resembling hammers and drums, implying its special ability might involve disturbing its enemies with a demonic sound by flapping its wings.


    The wasp¡¯s weakness was its relatively fragile head, unable to withstand heavy blows.


    Many bees have hard heads, but this wasp had a tougher abdomen and waist instead.


    Like the Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant, it was likely to evolve an early-stage exoskeleton effect.


    However, its evolution was incomplete, stopping at the waist region.


    The breeding of every formidable insect species involved repetitive evolution and refinement, becoming stronger with each iteration.


    Qin Niu had only read about this type of Green Demon Wasp in the Green Demon¡¯s Bee Cultivation Records.


    This moment was his first encounter with the real thing.


    Somewhat weaker than he had imagined.


    But looking at it from another angle, if the very first demonic bees bred by the Green Demon were already this strong, it would be quite normal for later special breeds to kill a city lord.


    Just as with Qin Niu¡¯s Termites, the first-generation Mighty Soldier Ants had evolved and transformed directly into Tiger-striped Ironclad Ants.


    The enhancement in strength was truly terrifying.


    A single Tiger-striped Ironclad Ant could easily slaughter hundreds of Mighty Soldier Ants.


    Having seen the Green Demon¡¯s first-generation demonic bee, Qin Niu¡¯s anticipation for the Green Demon¡¯s treasures grew even stronger.


    Once his abilities were a bit more robust, he should be capable of retrieving them.


    If he went now, he feared a single first-generation demonic bee could claim his life.


    If only used for combat, bees were a very popular type of insect pet, stronger than centipedes, scorpions, or spiders.


    Because they could merely crawl on the ground, whereas bees could fly outright.


    In attacking the enemy, flying insects were the most terrifying.


    Their mobility simply could not be matched by crawling insects.


    ¡°You actually know this is the first-generation demonic bee cultivated by the Green Demon. It seems your knowledge is many times more profound than 1 had imagined,¡± said Master Hu, who was particularly surprised after reviewing his answer.


    He stored the bee volume carefully and then took out two more books.


    These were of spiders and locusts.


    Not choosing the Termite, Qin Niu¡¯s specialty, was deliberately making things difficult for Qin Niu, wanting to see just how strong his insect appraisal skills really were.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you two more questions. If you answer as well as you did the previous one, you¡¯ll pass the two-star certification,¡± he declared, then opened the spider volume and went directly to the later pages, picking a spider specimen..

 Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Chapter 91: Promotion to a Two-Star Appraiser_i

    Chapter 96: Chapter 91: Promotion to a Two-Star Appraiser_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    The spider looked vibrant, adorned with lustrous stripes on both its back and abdomen, exceedingly beautiful.


    On its head, there were four false eyes, shiny black round spots, in declining


    sizes arranged in a row.


    It wasn¡¯t large in size, appearing to be about three centimeters in body length. Spiders are infamous for their eight legs, which are generally quite long and arranged on the sides, causing their total body width to exceed their body length.


    Qin Niu flipped it over to check, and its abdomen¡¯s coloration was even more


    dazzling and lovely.


    The thickness of its eight legs was moderate, but they were quite long.


    Even when bent, they still towered significantly above the body¡¯s plane.


    The fangs, after so many years, were still lustrously black, as sharp and fine as


    a snake¡¯s.


    Its mouthparts weren¡¯t well developed, or one could even say they were rather inferior.


    Luckily, his Insect Identification skill had reached a level of minor achievement; otherwise, his identification of this spider would have been very superficial.


    After completing its identification, Qin Niu began to write.


    Arachnid class, Salticidae family, Peacock Spider genus, female, lifespan approximately 40 years, at the time of death about 27 years old. Remarkable jumping ability, highly agile, moderate endurance, intense toxicity, with fangs capable of piercing ordinary thin armor.


    Its spider silk¡¯s adhesive strength was relatively weak, as was its tensile strength.


    The body¡¯s defense was feeble, yet the head was hard, possessing the defense capabilities of an ordinary beetle.


    Its special ability was an illusion-inducing skill, which leveraged the body¡¯s colors to dazzle and enchant enemies upon sight, achieving a mesmerizing effect.


    After writing, Qin Niu still felt somewhat unsatisfied.


    Holding the specimen of the spider, he took another careful look, and this time


    made a new discovery.


    At the position near its spinnerets, close to the silk-producing holes, there was


    a gland opening.


    Definitely, the excretion hole would not be there.


    What was this gland opening for?


    After careful examination, he made an even greater discovery.


    He saw a series of fines curved engravings, forming an umbrella shape wrapping around its center. It seemed to use the spider as a core, from which multiple curved engravings radiated.


    Any insect that bore such engravings would possess a somewhat powerful special ability.


    Illusion was its inherent special talent.


    Male spiders could even display their hindquarters like a peacocks tail feathers.


    Staring at the dark engravings around its gland opening for a while, Qin Niu felt as if he could be sucked in. It resembled an invisible vortex.


    Generally, gland openings excrete special substances.


    For instance, wax glands in insects secrete wax.


    Scent glands emit an unpleasant chemical odor.


    If this opening was neither for wax nor scent, what could it be?


    Could it be the ¡®Demon Eye¡¯?


    The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to be the case.


    When encountering powerful enemies, it might deliberately display its lower abdomen, or lift it up, targeting the enemy. When this gland constricted, it formed a kind of special magical power.


    It was somewhat similar to the Mental Attack abilities of Puppet Ants and


    Ghost Ants.


    Simply by looking at the varying lengths of those dark engravings, none longer than roughly a centimeter, it indicated that their evolution was not yet fully successful.


    Qin Niu added another note to its special abilities: a gland opening near the base of the lower abdomen, capable of producing a kind of mental attack, causing an illusion to the enemy, which, stacked with its innate illusion skill, created a stronger mesmerizing effect.


    However, this ability was still evolving and incomplete. As such, the gland¡¯s illusion power was weaker, with a shorter effective range and less potent effect.


    He also added a note next to the species name, suggesting it could be Magic


    Peacock Spider.


    Due to his limited knowledge of spiders, he could only identify it down to genus, not species.


    This phenomenon was extremely common in insect identification.


    Even just within Peacock Spiders, there were at least two hundred varieties.


    Insect Masters breed new varieties each year, and the number keeps increasing.


    No insect Master could identify every single variety of Peacock Spider with clarity. A lesser skilled appraiser who could identify it down to the family was considered alright, while a more skilled one could discern the genus.


    Qin Niu identified it down to species.


    This showcased an exceptionally high level of expertise.


    ¡°Very good! Your knowledge on spider identification is evidently weak, but in the end you are able to identify with such detail, which indicates that you already possess the ability of a two-star Appraiser. Furthermore, your talent in this area is exceptional, and I recommend that you develop in this direction, to become a great insect identification expert. I dare say, in less than five years, your level could very well surpass mine.


    Master Hu¡¯s gaze softened tremendously as he looked at Qin Niu, filled with affection.


    This was the affection of discovering a top-tier insect identification talent.


    ¡°Thank you for your praise. When I have time, I will strengthen my studies in this area and strive to improve my insect identification skills.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t truly feel that he had a particularly strong talent.


    He was at most more interested in this field of knowledge, coupled with continuous observation and accumulation over time.


    While reading, he had consciously absorbed a fair amount of insect-related knowledge.


    Likewise, information about insects gathered from others in daily life had similarly accumulated to some extent.


    All these factors combined naturally elevated his proficiency in this area.


    In the past, he was really poor.


    Purchasing a low-grade Contract Charm only happened after Old Zhang passed away, and even then, it was acquired by squandering all his family¡¯s wealth for just three charms.


    There was simply no extra money to buy books on insect techniques to read.


    Anything related to the professions of planting, Insect Masters, and Beast Tamers was prohibitively expensive.


    Because these three professions were the most in-demand.


    Even mastering a little would immediately change one¡¯s destiny and greatly increase one¡¯s income.


    Take Qin Niu, for example, if he faithfully worked the land, being able to scrape by with enough food and clothing for the year would be quite an achievement.


    For a sixteen-year-old boy like him, facing a stingy landlord, he would definitely only get the price of child labor. That is, half of what an adult would make, around twelve taels and eight coins of Silver Money a year.


    Now that he had become a two-star Insect Identification Appraiser, his worth had doubled, and his annual income would definitely be much higher than that from farming.


    And it would be more relaxed than farming.


    His social status as compared to an ordinary farmer was unknowably many times higher.


    Master Hu couldn¡¯t help but show a pleased expression when he heard Qin Niu was willing to continue his studies in the field of insect identification.


    ¡°Would you be willing to work for our Insect Master Association? The annual salary for a two-star appraiser will not be less than 20 taels, and with all the benefits received, it could reach more than 25 taels of Silver Money. Whenever I have time, I will personally teach you the knowledge of identifying various insects to quickly improve your skills.¡±


    For a talented seedling like this, Master Hu would definitely want to teach him personally.


    There were countless people in Black Tiger City who wanted to become Master


    Hu¡¯s disciples.


    And yet he seldom took any disciples.


    Now, Master Hu was actively willing to take on Qin Niu as a disciple, enough to make countless people envious.


    ¡°Thankyou for your kindness, but 1 prefer a carefree, idle life, and it¡¯s more comfortable to continue farming in the countryside. However, if you agree, when 1 come to the city later, 1 could visit you and learn from you about insect identification knowledge.¡±


    Qin Niu thought it would be quite nice to have the opportunity to learn from such a master.


    ¡°Haha, very good, very good, you are welcome to visit me anytime.¡±


    Master Hu readily agreed.


    -Yu Xue, come in and process the filing for Brother Qin Niu as a two-star


    appraiser.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there still a grasshopper left to identify?¡± Qin Niu asked, puzzled.


    ¡°With your level of skill, what¡¯s there to test? I don¡¯t like wasting time,¡± Master Hu said.


    Master Hu, as the chief examiner of the Insect Master Association, held enormous power.


    He had the authority to decide whether a candidate passed the assessment or


    not.


    Although Chairman Li needed to review and oversee the process, if one could pass here at Master Hu¡¯s, it was likely to pass at Chairman Li¡¯s as well.


    Yu Xue walked in quickly.


    Her gaze towards Qin Niu was even gentler this time, her smile even more enchanting.


    ¡°Young Master Qin is really impressive, to gain two stars in one day and directly become a two-star appraiser, it¡¯s my first time seeing such a case! I see that your residence is listed as Jade Stream Town, Shuangfeng Village. I have an aunt who married there, though it¡¯s in a neighboring village called Daoyuan


    Village.¡±


    To forge a closer relationship, Yu Xue even brought up her relatives.


    ¡°Daoyuan Village is very wealthy; it¡¯s nice that she married there,¡± Qin Niu commented, not very familiar with Daoyuan Village.


    in the village, the majority of the youths were just like him, only familiar with their own village.


    They generally didn¡¯t dare to wander off to other villages, fearing being bullied by kids from other places.


    ¡°My aunt is quite happy, and I¡¯m planning to visit her in a few days. Would you welcome me if I come by Shuangfeng Village?¡±


    ¡°Welcome, definitely welcome! It¡¯s just that my family is exceptionally poor, I¡¯m afraid I might disappoint Miss Yu Xue when the time comes,¡± said Qin Niu, speaking to her honestly.


    He wasn¡¯t foolish; when a young and beautiful girl with a good job takes the initiative to visit his house, its underlying meaning is something everyone understands.


    ¡°What does being poor matter! 1 actually think it¡¯s amazing that a poor family like yours was able to raise such an outstanding boy. Let¡¯s make it a plan then, I¡¯ll come to find you!¡± She left, talcing the documents with her, her steps light and cheerful.


    Master Hu showed a sly grin.


    ¡°Hehe, Brother Qin Niu, you seem to have good fortune with the ladies! Miss Yu Xue is a diligent, smart, and particularly ambitious girl. She¡¯s serious and responsible at work, and everyone is satisfied with her. She doesn¡¯t scorn your poor family background, girls like that are not many!


    As someone who had been through life¡¯s experiences, Master Hu naturally knew what type of woman was suitable for settling down with.


    ¡°By the way, while there¡¯s still some time, may I borrow that Termite of yours to take another look? Hehe, to tell you the truth, I¡¯ve been an appraiser all my life, yet I¡¯ve never seen such a special insect. Even the Green Demon s first-generation Demon Bee is far inferior to it.


    At first, when Qin Niu had not yet revealed his talent for identifying insects, Master Hu had shown goodwill towards him because of that Termite.


    Now, their relationship had just gotten a step closer.


    Their conversation had also become much more casual.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Qin Niu did not refuse.


    Even though Fourth was his trump card, its potential for growth was huge, and he believed there would definitely be new changes in the future.


    Lending it to Master Hu for appreciation posed almost no threat to Qin Niu. Such insects bound by a Contractual Talisman couldn¡¯t be stolen by others. And they wouldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°Speaking of the Green Demon, do you know where he lives?¡± Qin Niu inquired. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re underestimating? If I don¡¯t know where the Green Demon lives, would I still qualify as the chief Insect Identification appraiser of Black Tiger City? The Green Demon used to live in an area governed by the Seven-Star Sect, but now it¡¯s under the territory of the Nine Insect Gang. Although the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t that great- known for being fierce, ruthless, and cruel-their Nine-Headed City is regarded as a holy land that we, the insect appraisers and Insect Masters, aspire to. Ever since the Nine Insect Gang took over the Seven-Star Sect¡¯s territory, their status in the field of insect control has become even more unshakeable..¡±

 Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Chapter 92 Ascending to Insect Master 1

    Chapter 97: Chapter 92 Ascending to Insect Master 1


    Translator: 549690339                    ¡ª


    ¡°Is it because the territory of the Seven-Star Sect swallowed up by the Nine Insect Gang is where the Green Demon used to live, right?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Yes! The reputation of the Green Demon is equally infamous, labeled as a devil, but the Green Demon Bees he bred have left behind innumerable legends, still relished by later generations. The rank of the Green Demon Bee amongst insect pets has always remained high, countless later Insect Tamers striving to find various breeds of Green Demon Bees, then nurturing them to help them continuously evolve.


    The Hundred Leaf Town¡¯s Black Stone Village, where the Green Demon used to reside, has now become the dream destination for Insect Masters.¡±


    Many Insect Masters fantasize about acquiring a Green Demon Bee and becoming famous overnight. But when they go into the mountains in search of the Green Demon Bee, many of them are stung, ultimately dying from bleeding through all seven orifices.¡±


    Master Hu talked nonstop about matters related to the Green Demon.


    The esteemed name of the Green Demon is unimaginably high in the hearts of Insect Masters.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Green Demon produce a large number of special bee breeds in the process of cultivating the Green Demon Bees? Can¡¯t these special breeds be used to breed the Green Demon Bees?¡±


    Qin Niu asked curiously.


    Just like he raised Termites, similarly resulting in a large number of mixed breeds.


    For the time being, due to his shallow experience in breeding insects, he hadn¡¯t yet tried breeding special Breeder Ants. Eventually, he would surely breed all kinds of Breeder Ants, letting them mate with other special Termites, to produce even more formidable Termites.


    Perhaps there will come a day when Shuangfeng Village will become the second sacred destination for Insect Masters in pursuit of their dreams.


    ¡°The initial Green Demon Bee that you just appraised, was actually not a true Green Demon Bee. The Green Demon merely used it to cultivate the Green Demon Bees. Indeed, inside the Great Mountain of Black Stone Village, there are countless special bee breeds bred by the Green Demon. They are all experimental breeds created during the process of cultivating the Green Demon Bees, with many having powerful capabilities. But to this day, no one has seen a true first-generation Green Demon Bee.


    With the fall of the Green Demon, the Green Demon Bee has become an eternal legend.


    The later Insect Masters, despite trying everything possible, still can¡¯t breed the Green Demon Bee.


    Based on my speculation, the Green Demon¡¯s Green Demon Bees must be like your Termite here, unreplicable.


    They are extremely rare and scarce species in the world.¡±


    Master Hu spoke of the Green Demon Bee with endless regret.


    Any Insect Master would cherish such exceedingly rare insects.


    Just as a collector would when encountering a treasure, wanting to collect and cherish it.


    The more unreplicable it is, the more it is coveted by Insect Masters.


    Because if you possess one, nobody else can breed it, essentially making it a unique species in the world.


    What glory would it be to own such an insect?


    ¡°So the Black Stone Village in Hundred Leaf Town still hasn¡¯t changed its name, right?¡±


    Correct! It hasn¡¯t changed its name and is very close to the territory of our Black Tiger Gang. Are you also thinking of trying your luck?¡±


    Master Hu, old and sly, knew that Qin Niu¡¯s detailed inquiry about the address where the Green Demon had lived meant he was definitely considering going there.


    When my strength is greater, I really do want to go see it. Ever since I heard the story of the Green Demon, I¡¯ve regarded him as a hero in my heart. If I could one day acquire one of his Green Demon Bees, I would live my life without regrets,¡±


    Qin Niu spoke sincerely.


    Compared to other ¡®bee treasure hunters¡¯, he possessed a significant advantage in having a treasure map.


    Half an hour later, Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Master certification was all squared away.


    Chairman Li personally came in with the items.


    ¡°Qin Niu, my young friend, you¡¯re quite something, not only becoming an Insect Master but also a two-star Appraiser. You really keep your light under a bushel!¡±


    As the appraisal of insects required Chairman Li¡¯s stamp, he naturally knew that Qin Niu had passed the appraisal for a two-star Appraiser here.


    ¡°Heh heh, I just like to study insects,¡±


    Qin Niu responded with a smile.


    Every Insect Master starts with a love for studying insects. If you¡¯re not interested in insects, it¡¯s impossible to become an Insect Master. Congratulations, you are now officially a certified Insect Master of the Insect Master Association. This is your new badge, these are official documents from the government, and here are four sets of Insect Master attire for summer and winter. You can wear them or not in your daily routine, and you can come to the Insect Master Association to collect four new sets annually.¡±


    Chairman Li handed him all the items.


    ¡°How, how much do these clothes cost?¡±


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t sold a single one of the insects he had brought with him. Looking at the material, it was all high-quality fabric, most certainly not cheap. Especially the two summer sets, which were actually made of silk.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by its lightweight appearance; it is made of silk and is particularly comfortable to wear, with excellent breathability, warmth retention, skin-friendliness, and aesthetics.


    The only downside is the hefty price tag.


    Not to mention ordinary farmers, even relatively affluent families like Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang only bring it out to wear on festive occasions.


    ¡°Haha, this is a benefit distributed by the Insect Master Association, why would you need to pay? However, there is one thing to remember, each set of clothes is exclusive to you and must not be resold or lent to others; otherwise, you will face severe punishment. In serious cases, your Insect Master certification can be revoked, and you can be demoted to a commoner.¡±


    Chairman Li even pointed out the collar area of the clothing, where ¡°Qin Niu¡± was embroidered.


    There was a serial number above.


    It¡¯s estimated that both the Insect Master Association and the government have records, making it easy to verify the authenticity based on the serial number.


    ¡°You are now an official low-ranking Insect Master, with the bronze Fish Talisman as your badge, which entitles you to collect the government¡¯s annual allowance here. If you commit a minor offense locally, it can be exempted, but for serious crimes, you will be apprehended by the government. However, to prosecute you, not only does the Three Departments Court need to be convened, but the Insect Master Association must also be notified. If there is any injustice, the Association will stand up for your defense.¡±


    This was equivalent to having an organization, having support.


    He was now a member of the Insect Master Association.


    No wonder so many people wanted to become Insect Masters; there were so many benefits that their hands were full, and their status was unimaginably prestigious.


    If Qin Niu met that official, Liu Qing, again, who would have a higher status?


    At least there was no longer any need to perform grand courtesies.


    ¡°Oh, if you acquire property, up to ten acres of land will be exempt from property tax. If the government allocates corvee labor, you are automatically exempted.¡±


    This benefit was what Qin Niu had been longing for.


    With this privilege, he would no longer have to pay taxes on his harvested crops.


    It didn¡¯t matter whether it was Wang Haikun or any other tax officer from the government; none could extort even a penny from him again.


    ¡°Lastly, I must warn you, although we Insect Masters hold prestigious positions and enjoy many privileges, we must not engage in illegal or disorderly conduct. We especially must not harm the people or bully men and women. I hope you will use your talents as an Insect Master for good purposes, such as eliminating pests from crops, defending the Black Tiger Gang from invading enemies, or removing dangerous insects from the mountains, fields, and other pathways necessary for the villagers, and so on.¡±


    Chairman Li earnestly instructed him.


    ¡°Yes, I will cherish this Insect Master identity and not bring disgrace to the Insect Master Association or to you,¡±


    Qin Niu nodded seriously, his expression grave.


    ¡°You can also focus on nurturing your Termites; I feel they can be of great significance m the future. Our Insect Master Association is overshadowed by the Beast Tamer Association and urgently needs contributions from outstanding young Insect Masters like you to bring glory to our Association.¡± After encouraging Qin Niu a few words, Chairman Li hurried back to his office.


    It was apparent that he was very busy.


    ¡°Master Qin Niu, this is your two-star Insect Appraiser certification and the official seal. If you need it, you can purchase the specific appraisal documents from our Association. When you do, you just need to fill out the appraisal opinion according to the format and stamp it. But you can¡¯t use the seal recklessly, oh. Once your reputation is ruined, your identity as an Appraiser will no longer be trusted.¡±


    Yu Xue also delivered the certificates and the bronze seal to him.


    ¡°Doi have to pay for this?¡±


    Hehe, no need to pay. But buying blank appraisal documents does cost money.


    They are not expensive; one Wen Money can buy ten sheets.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you!¡±


    Having received two new identities, Qin Niu¡¯s heart was filled with boundless joy-


    Now he could finally set up a stall freely outside.


    He could even appraise insects on his own.


    ¡°Master Hu, may I ask if I can appraise Grade Three insects and issue certificates for them?¡±


    Qin Niu suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°Of course, you can. Although you¡¯re only a two-star Appraiser, you can appraise any insect. However, whether buyers believe you is another matter. What Miss Yu Xue said is very true; an Appraiser must cherish their reputation and ensure that every certificate issued is genuine. You must not falsify information, and if the Insect Master Association discovers you engaging in obvious fraud for personal gain, they will directly revoke your Appraiser qualifications and blacklist you,¡±


    Master Hu said gravely.


    They were all looking out for Qin Niu¡¯s best interests, lest he go astray and ruin his future.


    ¡°Understood! I will always keep this in mind!¡±


    Qin Niu nodded resolutely.


    He organized all the items and placed them in his basket.


    Then he changed into the Insect Master¡¯s robe; as soon as he put it on, he immediately looked more distinguished. He carried an air of nobility.

 Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Chapter 93 The Overbearing Female Insect Masteri

    Chapter 98: Chapter 93 The Overbearing Female Insect Masteri


    Translator: 549690339


    It¡¯s often said that a man is judged by his clothing and a Buddha by his gold attire; this saying couldn¡¯t be more true.


    Having donned the Insect Master robe and hung the Bronze Fish Talisman at his waist, he had transformed, becoming a noble Insect Master whom commoners had to look up to.


    With this identity, his status in Shuangfeng Village was now unparalleled.


    What¡¯s more, with the added prestige of being a Grade Two insect identifier, his status was even higher than that of an ordinary Insect Master.


    He went out and spent a single Wen Money to buy ten identification papers for insects.


    In fact, these were pre-copied templates, with the words ¡°Appraiser from the Insect Master Association of Black Tiger City¡± written on them.


    Though they were just blank identification papers of little value, the management was quite strict. Not only did you have to show your Fish Talisman and verify your identity at the time of purchase, but you also had to be registered. Qin Niu was required to fill in his name on the spot in the section for the user of each document.


    This was to prevent them from being resold for others¡¯ use.


    After purchasing the papers, Qin Niu borrowed an ink brush and wrote out three identification papers on the spot.


    This act dumbfounded the staff members.


    ¡°Master Qin¡­ forgive me for being presumptuous, but these identification papers are quite authoritative, representing the reputation of both the Insect Master Association and your person. They must not be issued rashly.


    Otherwise, you could be punished by the Insect Master Association.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not issuing them carelessly; I¡¯ve brought the insects with me. I¡¯ve examined each one and can be responsible for the identification papers issued.¡±


    Saying this, Qin Niu took out a Jin Chan to show the staff member.


    ¡°I apologize, 1 spoke out of turn!¡±


    The staff member smiled apologetically.


    This was the most impressive country boy she had ever seen stage a comeback.


    In just one day, he had gone from a mere commoner to an Insect Master and a Grade ¡®Two insect identifier; truly enviable.


    It¡¯s good to be capable.


    Qin Niu left the Insect Master Association¡¯s guildhouse and arrived at the same spot where he had set up his street stall last time.


    Not far away, the Market Administrator, who was comfortably flirting with the shopkeeper while lounging in a chair, saw an Insect Master setting up a stall and hurriedly got up to curry favor.


    ¡°Respected Insect Master, hello. Are you planning to set up a stall?¡±


    He nodded and bowed, with a smile plastered all over his face.


    He even dared not raise his head to take a good look at Qin Niti¡¯s face, lest it be misconstrued as disrespect to an Insect Master.


    ¡°What, you want to collect a management fee?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s brows rose slightly.


    ¡°Alt¡­ how, how could it be you?¡±


    The administrator recognized the familiar voice and Qin Niu, who was carrying a basket, appearing familiar so he took a chance and rounded to the front. Raising his head to see Qin Niu¡¯s face, the administrator was as if he¡¯d seen a ghost in broad daylight.


    This respected Insect Master was none other than the country boy he had previously chased away.


    Only now, this boy had transformed into someone he had to look up to.


    ¡°Previously I was ignorant and offended you. 1 apologize! In my job, I can only work by the rules, please don¡¯t take it to heart!¡±


    The Market Administrator was merely an idler; his status was far lower than Qin Niu¡¯s current one.


    If Qin Niu really wanted to deal with him, it would be a very simple matter.


    His cushy job could be gone in an instant.


    ¡°I¡¯m setting up my stall now, make some space!¡±


    Qin Niu saw the man standing in front, causing his brow to furrow.


    His tone also grew a bit discourteous.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡±


    The administrator quickly sidestepped, still wearing a smile on his face, like a fawning dog.


    ¡°My name is Bu Lei, one of the five administrators of the market. If you want to set up a stall to sell insects, 1 can help you find a good spot. The foot traffic is too sparse here,¡± said the administrator, eagerly offering his services.


    ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    Qin Niu had many other matters to attend to.


    Though he now had the identity of an Insect Master, and was no longer afraid of being caught by the patrolling soldiers after dark before leaving the city, he still wanted to finish his business early and return home.


    The Ant Queen and Fourth had been brought out with him, and he worried that a prolonged absence might cause issues.


    It had not been easy to develop a semblance of scale and appearance for the ant colony, and he could not afford any mishaps because of applying for an Insect Master certification.


    Any loss to the ant colony was something he didn¡¯t want to see.


    Bu Lei was tall with a somewhat fierce appearance, and as a middle-aged man, he gave off a greasy, sleazy, and cunning vibe. He led the way with his head down, not caring in the least about the vendors¡¯ opinions of him.


    The kind stall-owner who had previously given Qin Niu a friendly warning, now looked on in shock as Qin Niu transformed into an Insect Master.


    When Qin Niu walked past his stall, the uncle bowed slightly towards Qin Niu, nodding and squeezing out a servile smile.


    He now needed to ingratiate himself with Qin Niu as much as he could.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to initiate communication.


    ¡°Bu Lei, take good care of this uncle in the future. He is my friend,¡± Qin Niu said to Bu Lei leading the way.


    The stall-owner, a man in his forties, beamed at Qin Niu¡¯s words, his voice choking up with gratitude as he bowed deeply to Qin Niu and said, ¡°Thank you, thank you, Insect Master!¡±


    He didn¡¯t know Qin Niu¡¯s name, so he could only address him this way.


    ¡°No problem, if you¡¯ve instructed it, I will definitely provide him with some help within my power in the future,¡± Bu Lei said after looking at the stall-owner.


    He was shrewd and could tell the stall-owner had only just met Qin Niu and couldn¡¯t even name him, clearly indicating a casual acquaintance rather than a close friend.


    Bu Lei inwardly envied the vendor¡¯s good fortune.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how the vendor had managed to ingratiate himself with the Insect Master so quickly.


    Bu Lei led Qin Niu directly to the place where this side street intersected with the main road.


    ¡°Move over there!¡±


    Bu Lei¡¯s manner of speaking to the vendors was very assertive, his tone cold and even somewhat aggressive.


    This person was naturally inclined to be obsequious to the higher-ups and bully to the lower-downs.


    If he were in the Emperor Palace, he would likely be a eunuch.


    Very quickly, a stall space about one meter wide was cleared.


    ¡°Insect Master, do you think this width is sufficient?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s totally sufficient! Thanks for the effort!¡±


    Qin Niu did not stand on ceremony and began to set up his stall directly in the vacant spot.


    ¡°It is my honor to serve you. Should you need anything, just call me¡ªI¡¯ll be right over there,¡±


    Bu Lei seemed very pleased to have successfully helped Qin Niu with one thing.


    After he left, the other vendors all looked at Qin Niu with admiration or awe.


    Status has nothing to do with age.


    Even a six or seven-year-old child, if blessed with a powerful father, could boss around a crowd of people like servants.


    Although Qin Niu was only a youth, once he donned the Insect Master robe, no one dared to look down on him.


    Choosing to wear the conspicuous Insect Master robe to sell insects was meant to dispel any concerns buyers might have.


    And hasten the sale of the insects.


    ¡°Insects for sale, insects for sale, every one a special insect, take your pick!¡±


    Owing to Qin Niu¡¯s special identity and premium location at the gold dock, many people quickly gathered around to see what he had.


    The quantity was not large, only three in total.


    Each one came with an appraisal from a Grade Two appraiser.


    ¡°How much for this Green Demon giant hornet?¡±


    A woman in a black robe approached.


    She was also an Insect Master.


    But she wore a veil hat, and the white gauze that hung down concealed her entire head.


    Her specific age and appearance were indiscernible.


    From her voice, which was a bit husky, she seemed young¡ªprobably in her twenties or thirties.


    The bronze Fish Talisman at her waist indicated she was also a low-grade Insect Master.


    ¡°How much are you willing to offer?¡±


    Qin Niu had never sold insects before, and after looking around the market, he found it impossible to apply other people¡¯s pricing to this unique Green Demon giant hornet.


    Because it was not an Ant Queen, he thought the price wouldn¡¯t be too high.


    ¡°Ten silver money!¡±


    ¡°Not selling!¡±


    Qin Niu had now become a shrewd merchant himself.


    When he heard her somewhat tentative offer, he flatly refused it.


    Truth be told, getting ten silver money for the giant hornet was already beyond his expectations.


    Because if he wanted to, he could simply breed another thousand, or even ten thousand of them¡ªwouldn¡¯t that make him rich?


    However, he didn¡¯t plan to do so.


    He only intended to breed a few and make a big profit.


    Rarity commands a premium¡ªand since such bees were not seen in the market, that¡¯s why they fetched a high price.


    If he were to flood the market with Green Demon giant hornets, the price would undoubtedly plummet dramatically.


    ¡°This is a female hornet that has not fully developed. Although it has some special qualities, its value is limited. Ten silver is already not low,¡±


    The female Insect Master tried to bargain aggressively, showing a strong desire to buy.


    ¡°While it¡¯s true that this female hornet is not fully developed, it is capable of laying eggs, which could then be hatched into male hornets for mating with an Ant Queen, and certainly breed a noteworthy special bee species,¡±


    an older man nearby said lightly.


    This old man, dressed in a gray robe with white hair and a beard, appeared no different from the average commoner.


    But he seemed quite knowledgeable about bee breeding.


    He might be a prospective Insect Master.


    Not everyone is fortunate enough to become an Insect Master.


    Breeding a Grade Three insect is not easy; luck, opportunity, one¡¯s own insect breeding experience, and knowledge are all very important.


    ¡°Mind your own business!¡±


    The female Insect Master turned angrily and glared at the old man.


    Even with her face covered by the gauze, one could still feel the murderous aura emanating from her.


    ¡°We are supposed to engage in fair trade within the market, and whoever offers the highest price will get it. How am 1 interfering?¡±


    ¡°This young man is also an Insect Master. Without my reminder, he would know the value of this female hornet as well. 1¡¯11 pay fifty silver money,¡± the elderly man stated, raising the bid fivefold and ignoring the woman¡¯s intimidation.


    ¡°Are you deliberately trying to go against me?¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice contained a lethal intent, and it was chilling to the bone.


    But the huskiness was gone; she sounded to be around twenty years old.


    It seemed that the hoarseness of her voice before had been a disguise. Many people liked to hide their identities when buying cultivation materials, to avoid attracting the attention of those with ulterior motives.


    ¡°You fancy this bee, and so do 1. How could it be considered going against you?¡±


    The old man remained calm and composed.


    If the woman had slightly more experience in the ways of the world, she would surely have reassessed the identity of the old man.


    Because he was indifferent to the threat of an Insect Master.


    Either he was foolishly ignorant of the dangers of the world, or he possessed even greater power.


    If he belonged to the former category, he wouldn¡¯t have lived to his current age.


    He might have met an untimely death centuries ago.


    Thus, the latter was more likely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t force me to release my insects to bite you to death!¡±


    In a fit of rage, the female Insect Master took off her insect pouch and opened the lid.


    It frightened the surrounding people into retreating.


    Insect Masters held high status precisely because the insects they kept could easily kill a mortal master of tenfold strength.


    Even more formidable warriors could be killed.


    For instance, the Green Demon had killed the Seven Star Sect Master.


    Therefore, everyone equated Insect Masters with venomous snakes and murderous insects..

 Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Chapter 94: The Oriole Catches the Cicada i

    Chapter 99: Chapter 94: The Oriole Catches the Cicada i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    This female Insect Master is too green.


    So impulsive, she doesn¡¯t even have basic emotional control abilities. She¡¯s likely some rich girl who hasn¡¯t suffered much frustration.


    Who would start a fight in the market?


    Not to mention killing someone.


    Does she really think the officials are vegetarians?


    This is simply stepping on the officials¡¯ faces and being arrogant.


    The outcome can only be one, and that¡¯s being erased by the officials.


    At the very least, she¡¯ll be severely dealt with.


    ¡°Young lady, bugs aren¡¯t to be played with like this! You¡¯re raising a


    Green-footed Golden Armored Centipede, right? Its toxicity is passable, and its combat strength¡­ well, it¡¯s just so-so.¡±


    The old man actually just sniffed the air and knew what was in the female Insect Master¡¯s bug pouch.


    This old man is awesome.


    Qin Niu was full of admiration. There really are masters among ordinary folks!


    To casually encounter a neighborly elder in the market and he turns out to be an extremely formidable Insect Master.


    Being humble is indeed essential.


    Because one never knows if the person they meet will be a master or just an ordinary person.


    ¡°Golden Armored, come out!¡±


    The female Insect Master should be feeling quite embarrassed by now.


    Because after pulling the stopper out of the bug pouch, there was no movement for a long while.


    That provoked quite a bit of pointing and whispering amongst the crowd.


    Facing the mocking gazes of the people around, with her impulsive nature, how could she stand it?


    ¡°Same advice as before, pack it up! Even if you want it to come out now, it won¡¯t dare. It¡¯s much smarter than you, its master.¡±


    The old man gently advised.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve encountered a master here; don¡¯t provoke him anymore. Your centipede is afraid to come out because it must feel something on the old man that terrifies it. If you keep making a fuss, watch out, you might suffer a big loss!¡±


    A novice Insect Master kindly reminded her.


    By now, anyone who wasn¡¯t a fool could basically tell that the female Insect Master was quite young.


    ¡°Useless thing! I¡¯ll see how I deal with you when we get back!¡±


    The female Insect Master cursed bitterly at the Green-footed Golden Armored Centipede hiding in the bug pouch.


    ¡°He bids fifty taels, the lady here bids a hundred taels.¡±


    Having said that, she directly took out a silver note and threw it on the stall, reaching for the cage with the green giant hornet inside.


    ¡°Why get so angry! This green giant hornet is only worth about fifty taels. You don¡¯t have to push the price so high. I bid one hundred and ten taels.¡±


    The old man, having met such a spoiled female Insect Master, was also quite helpless.


    Qin Niu was making a fortune in silence.


    The higher they bid, the better for him.


    ¡°One hundred and fifty taels.¡±


    The female Insect Master took out another silver note of fifty taels and threw it on the stall.


    This woman was too rich.


    Silver Money over ten taels was already quite heavy.


    Normally, carrying fifty taels would be very inconvenient.


    At this point, exchanging silver for silver notes at a reputable money bank was the choice of many rich people.


    Money banks couldn¡¯t just be opened by anyone, they required official approval, and one had to demonstrate possessing sufficient assets to open a money bank.


    Relatively speaking, it was quite safe to exchange silver for a money bank¡¯s silver notes.


    And it was convenient to use.


    Especially silver notes from some well-established banks with golden credibility were deeply trusted by the rich.


    ¡°Forget it, 1¡¯11 let you have it!¡±


    The old man didn¡¯t want to keep arguing with the female Insect Master.


    Watching her throw tantrums, it was clear she was spending her parents¡¯ money.


    It doesn¡¯t hurt children to spend their parents¡¯ money.


    Never mind one hundred and fifty taels; if the old man dared to bid higher, even if it was five hundred taels, the female Insect Master would compete with him to the end.


    ¡°Hmph, if it weren¡¯t for your meddling, I wouldn¡¯t have had to spend so much money.¡±


    She took the cage with the green giant hornet into her hands. Though still annoyed in her voice, the fact she successfully bought it showed a hint of pride. She never asked for Qin Niu, the stall owner¡¯s, opinion throughout the whole process.


    Having money really does allow one to be capricious.


    And lacking in manners, too.


    Qin Niu, for the sake of the money, did not quarrel with her.


    After verifying the silver note was genuine, he said to the female Insect Master, ¡°We¡¯re square. Please inspect the goods thoroughly; 1 am not responsible for any issues afterward.¡±


    ¡°Nagging!¡±


    The female Insect Master retorted sharply and walked away happily with the green giant hornet.


    Spending a bit more silver money didn¡¯t matter to her at all.


    Qin Niu thought to himself that in the eyes of these second-generation rich and powerful, silver money was not silver money, it was just paper.


    ¡°Young man, if your family still has such special bees, I¡¯m willing to pay 150 two silver money for one.¡±


    The old man had not managed to snatch that special bee and felt somewhat unwilling to leave.


    He just couldn¡¯t bear to leave.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Qin Niu hesitated.


    ¡°That bee has not evolved for long, and it¡¯s quite immature in all aspects, I think you must still have others. Don¡¯t worry, selling one to me won¡¯t cause any trouble. This is my address, you can deliver it to me anytime if you¡¯re willing.¡± The old man took out a charcoal pencil, wrote down an address, and handed it to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Alright! Take care!¡±


    Qin Niu used a respectful title for the old man and accepted the address with both hands.


    He was certain that the old man was definitely a very powerful expert.


    ¡°How much for this queen bee?¡±


    ¡°Five two silver money.¡±


    ¡°It is a bit expensive. Is this queen bee the same species as that giant green bee just now?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already figured that out?¡±


    Qin Niu was sweating bullets from his forehead.


    Too many experts around.


    These people had a keen and ruthless eye. It was one thing for the old man to realize that the giant green bee was a newly bred bee species, given his inscrutable strength.


    But now this aspiring Insect Master could tell at a glance that this queen bee and the giant green bee were of the same origin, which truly startled Qin Niu.


    He¡¯d have to be even more careful when selling insects in the future.


    Otherwise, it was too easy for someone with intentions to discover many secrets.


    ¡°Here, this is five two silver money.¡±


    The aspiring Insect Master bought the queen bee that had two special abilities.


    The money was spent somewhat grudgingly.


    Without the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, it was impossible for him to breed a giant green bee.


    The normal market price for this queen bee was around two two silver money. Qin Niu didn¡¯t have any qualms about earning this kind of legitimate money.


    There¡¯s no business without shrewdness¡ªif someone hands you silver money, there¡¯s no reason not to take it, right?


    Only the last male Jin Chan was left.


    ¡°Come get this doom-bringing male Jin Chan! Whoever needs it, come buy now!¡±


    There were many onlookers, but none were buying.


    After all, nobody¡¯s money comes from being blown in by the viand.


    This male Jin Chan had a short lifespan, and its special ability was simply exasperating¡ª nobody wanted it even for ten Wen Money.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡±


    A middle-aged man in a black robe with the words Beast Tamer embroidered on his chest came over.


    Despite both Insect Masters and Beast Tamers wearing black robes, the status of a Beast Tamer was much higher.


    ¡°How much for this Jin Chan?¡±


    ¡°You name a price! If it¡¯s right, 1¡¯11 sell.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t set a price this time, mainly because he was unsure.


    Set the price too low, and he¡¯d lose out.


    Ask for too much, and he might scare the customer away.


    ¡°Eight two silver money, how about that?¡±


    The Beast Tamer quoted a surprisingly high price.


    The bystanders couldn¡¯t help but let out gasps of amazement.


    ¡°Why spend so much money on a Jin Chan with such an annoying call? Aren¡¯t you afraid its cry will drive you crazy when you take it home?¡±


    ¡°It has its uses.¡±


    The Beast Tamer¡¯s tone was detached.


    He was carrying a birdcage with a very beautiful canary inside.


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare to raise the price, in case it scared off the buyer -that would be too disappointing.


    Selling it for eight two silver money was already way beyond his expectations.


    ¡°Here you go!¡±


    The man handed over the eight two silver money to Qin Niu, then set the birdcage on the ground, picked up the cage with the Jin Chan, and deliberately teased it.


    The Jin Chan inside immediately let out a noise that was irritating to the nerves.


    The canary in the cage became extremely active, staring deathly at the Jin Chan and continuously charging outwards. It wanted to fly out and eat the Jin Chan.


    After watching this, the Beast Tamer¡¯s face showed a very satisfied smile, looking as if he had found a treasure.

 Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: Chapter 95 Rootless Aquatic Plants i

    Chapter 100: Chapter 95 Rootless Aquatic Plants i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    He quickly left with the birdcage in hand.


    Only then did Qin Niu realize what use that doomed Jin Chan had.


    It could serve as a beacon to attract predators, acting as bait.


    This male Beast Tamer likely specialized in the domain of birds.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly blazing a new trail.


    Beast Tamers and Insect Masters were much the same, each having their field of expertise. Some were adept at capturing and taming fierce beasts like lions and tigers, others specialized in taming birds, while some focused on raising horses.


    This male Beast Tamer, who paid a high price for the unwanted doomed Jin Chan, probably intended to use it to set traps for capturing orioles.


    The praying mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.


    But Qin Niu was thinking, didn¡¯t he still have a female cicada left?


    It had already mated with that male cicada and should soon lay eggs.


    When the time came for the cicada larvae to hatch and mature, perhaps they could be used to trap praying mantises.


    Ordinary praying mantises weren¡¯t worth much, but those with special abilities were quite valuable.


    Not to mention those rare species.


    Catching just one could be enough for Qin Niu to buy land, build a mansion, purchase servants, and then live like a landlord lord.


    The only trouble was that cicada eggs, from hatching to becoming adults, needed at least two to seven years.


    For some special species, taking seventeen years to become an adult was also normal.


    The cycle was too long.


    Now, with ample Silver Money, Qin Niu could buy many Low-grade Contract Charms.


    He sold three insects for a total of 163 taels of silver.


    He certainly intended to make good use of this substantial amount of money.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the wasps cultivated with Banyan Tree Blood to be so valuable.


    This was with just one-twentieth of the diluted dose, and already it was so valuable.


    How much could he sell a Grade Two wasp for?


    Probably at least four or five hundred taels.


    The idea was tempting, but he wouldn¡¯t do it for now.


    If that Ancient Banyan Tree were one of a kind in the world, he would choose to monopolize it.


    What does that mean?


    It means maintaining ownership of any insects cultivated from Banyan Tree Blood that were Grade Two and above.


    If he were to sell, it would only be those inferior insects he deemed unworthy.


    Such as Swift Ants among the termites.


    Compared to the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant, it was like an incomplete product of evolution.


    He would only sell such incomplete products.


    As for high-level species like Grade Two Ironclad Battle Demon Ants or Grade Three Ironclad War Demon Ants, don¡¯t even think about it.


    What if a powerful Insect Master bought them and then bred even more formidable species? Wouldn¡¯t they be able to pose a threat to Qin Niu?


    Once he packed up, he headed straight for the Cultivation Market.


    Now, donning the robe of an Insect Master, even with a basket on his back, no one dared to look down on him as he walked the city streets.


    Moreover, he no longer had to pay a fee to enter the city.


    The feeling of belonging to the privileged class was indeed nice.


    Before long, he arrived at the Cultivation Market.


    The first order of business was to purchase Tempering Elixirs for his neighbor Wang Wanyan.


    The Cultivation Market was divided into several sections, some selling weapons, some selling Talismans, and others dedicated to selling Elixirs.


    The layout wasn¡¯t too different from the Beast Pet Market.


    In the Cultivation Market, Elixirs were the most popular, firmly occupying the top spot.


    Having been to this market multiple times, Qin Niu was quite familiar with it.


    He headed straight for the street where elixirs were sold.


    Any cultivation market had two forms of sales; one was to rent a proper shop for business, the other was to set up a street stall.


    When it came to trust and reputation, shops certainly had much more to offer.


    On both sides of the street, many vendors could be seen hawking various medicinal herbs and special fruits harvested from the mountains.


    As for those spirit fruits and spiritual medicines that could greatly enhance one¡¯s cultivation, they were exceedingly rare.


    On the other hand, slightly more common special herbs and fruits were abundant.


    The mountains were a treasure trove with countless precious materials and rarities.


    Inexhaustible and endless in supply.


    Some herb pickers, hunters, and woodcutters occasionally stumbled upon strange fruits or medicinal plants in the mountains and brought them back to sell.


    Hunters and woodcutters typically had limited discernment and couldn¡¯t identify too many herbs and special fruits.


    They only possessed basic knowledge of identifying medicinal plants.


    However, the herb pickers were professionals, capable of evaluating various drugs and fruits. While they might not identify everything in detail, they could generally tell at a glance whether a plant was valuable and what effects it might have, being quite accurate in their guesses.


    ¡°Ten-year-old ginseng, only one qian of silver money! Available in ample supply, choose as you please.¡±


    ¡°Blood Longevity Peach, that bears fruit only once every three years, five qian of silver money per catty, eating it can prolong life!¡±


    ¡°Water plant with no roots from the deep ravine, ten wen each.¡±


    The vendors were making every effort to sell their products.


    Most of them were medicinal herbs and fruits with some special effects.


    The price of Blood Longevity Peach was astronomical. Its appearance was like a yellow persimmon, but the flesh inside was blood red.


    It was said to nourish blood and vitality, but whether it could actually extend life had no academic basis.


    Exaggerating the effects of their goods was a common practice among these traders, aiming to sell their products.


    Everyone wanted to solidify and extend their lifespan, and the vendors were capitalizing on this mentality.


    Qin Niu, with his Everlasting Spring Technique, had raised his cultivation by two minor realms and had already extended his life by fifteen years.


    It was many times more effective than the Blood Longevity Peach.


    Therefore, he had no interest in such gimmicky products.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of these rootless water plants?¡± Qin Niu asked the vendor out of curiosity.


    By his age, which was around forty, he was robust and unkempt. His eyes were sharp and keen, and a faint murderous aura emanated from him.


    He looked somewhat like a hunter who had spent a long time hunting in the mountains.


    Killing too much would naturally form a murderous aura.


    For example, a butcher would trigger incessant barking by domestic dogs wherever he went. The aura of death emanating from a butcher made the dogs, which were kept as protectors, feel uneasy, sensing danger, and compelled them to bark non-stop as a warning to their owners.


    It was also a way for the dogs to embolden themselves.


    ¡°It can purify dirty water. If you have a fish tank or pond at home, planting a few of these can make the water crystal clear and help fish and shrimp grow better,¡± the man explained patiently to Qin Niu, seeing that he was a distinguished Insect Master.


    ¡°Can it grow new shoots after planting?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re a high-level farmer, perhaps you could find a way to propagate it. Otherwise, you¡¯ll only maintain the number of plants you have. If you¡¯re worried it won¡¯t be sufficient, you can buy a few more. I can only harvest this water plant once a year, and there aren¡¯t many to begin with. If you miss this chance, you¡¯ll have to wait until next year,¡± the man explained, despite the obvious attempt to make a sale, but he seemed to be telling the truth.


    Such special water plants were either guarded by fierce beasts or grew slowly, only yielding a few each year.


    For example, an orchid could only grow a single bulb in a year.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take two plants,¡± Qin Niu decided.


    Although Qin Niu now had money, he certainly wouldn¡¯t spend it recklessly.


    He planned to grow the two plants in that broken pot to improve the living environment for the little turtle.


    He also had another idea.


    He wanted to test whether the Everlasting Spring Technique could aid in the growth of these rootless water plants..

 Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Chapter 96 Miaodan Pavilion_i

    Chapter 101: Chapter 96 Miaodan Pavilion_i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    He spent twenty wen money and bought two water plants.


    The man¡¯s service was decent; he included a small clay pot, filled it with a bit of water, and placed the water plants inside.


    This was to prevent the water plants from dehydrating and dying if too much time passed.


    The clay pot wasn¡¯t valuable, those small ones could be bought for one wen money for four or five each.


    Having money is truly great.


    If it had been before, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t have spared these things a single glance.


    Struggling to even fill his belly with food, where would he find the spare money to buy water plants for his turtles?


    ¡°Herbal medicines for sale, herbal medicines for sale, freshly dug Black Leaf Sunflowers, excellent for treating bruises and injuries. There¡¯s also Seven-leaf Grass for treating snake and insect bites¡­¡±


    A little girl¡¯s immature voice caught Qin Niu¡¯s attention.


    At this moment, quite a few passersby noticed the little girl as well, but few bought her herbal medications.


    Each one was wrinkled and severely withered.


    They must have been dug up some time ago.


    ¡°How much for this Black Leaf Sunflower?¡±


    Qin Niu stopped in front of the stall.


    Because, by virtue of his keen intuition, the wilted Black Leaf Sunflower gave him a very special feeling.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was because he had been practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    His perception of plants had become much stronger than before, many times over.


    Although his ability to identify herbs wasn¡¯t strong, he believed that a herb that could give him a special feeling was certainly not ordinary.


    If the price is right, he could consider buying it.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique had a very strong nourishing effect on plant growth. Despite the Black Leaf Sunflower looking like it wouldn¡¯t survive, he believed that as long as he planted it, and cultivated the Everlasting Spring Technique next to it for a few nights, he could help it come back to life.


    ¡°One, one tael of silver money, perhaps?¡±


    The little girl looked to be only seven or eight years old, her face covered with dirt and her hair in a wild disarray. Her clothes were tattered, with some parts even torn.


    But her eyes were particularly bright.


    Sparkling and crystal clear, like two black gems.


    At the moment, she looked at Qin Niu with a gaze that was both timid and full of hope.


    ¡°This kind of medicinal herb, let alone being sold for one tael of silver, even if it¡¯s sold for one wen money per plant, might not find a buyer. Where are your parents?¡±


    The asking price was too high, so Qin Niu prepared to negotiate with an adult to lower the price.


    This Black Leaf Sunflower, as long as the price wasn¡¯t outrageously high, he planned to buy it.


    But he definitely needed to haggle, using every single wen money in his hand wisely.


    He wouldn¡¯t compassionately spend extra silver money on someone¡¯s item just because the vendor was a child in tattered clothes.


    This world is truly one where the strong feast upon the weak, and only the fittest survive.


    Not a single strong person would offer their cultivation resources to pitiable poor people.


    There are too many people in this world who need help.


    Qin Niu never thought about becoming a savior, nor would he let his kindness overflow.


    ¡°I¡­ my grandfather is sick. I heard that a Tempering Elixir worth three taels of silver money each can cure his illness. So I dug up some medicinal herbs to sell. Big brother, could you please buy one?¡±


    The little girl pleaded with Qin Niu.


    ¡°Buying one is okay, but the price has to be cheaper. I¡¯ll give you one wen money for one plant, take it or leave it.¡±


    Qin Niu was unmoved.


    He showed a heart of stone.


    The little girl must have seen him wearing an Insect Master Robe and thought he was rich, hence the high price she quoted.


    ¡°Can you add a little more?¡±


    She seemed young yet cunning.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give you another wen money! Consider it a good deed.¡±


    Qin Niu was eager to acquire the Black Leaf Sunflower, taking advantage of it not yet being discovered by those who knew its true value. Otherwise, if the price was driven up by competition, it might not go for less than one tael of silver.


    ¡°Alright! Thank you, Big Brother! The clothes you¡¯re wearing look so mighty!¡±


    The little girl agreed.


    And she even complimented Qin Niu.


    ¡°Here!¡±


    Qin Niu had no intention of making idle chat. When she reached out to take the money, her hands full of scars and yellow dirt under the scabs on her nails still made Qin Niu¡¯s heart of stone throb with a twinge of pain.


    The little girl wasn¡¯t lying, she must have gone up the mountain by herself and harvested these herbs.


    Perhaps because the child had little strength and was worried about damaging the roots with a hoe, she chose to dig with her hands, which led to the injuries on her nails.


    It was quite distressing to see.


    After purchasing the Black Leaf Sunflowers, Qin Niu didn¡¯t linger and went straight into the largest Elixir Pharmacy in the market street¡ªMiaodan Pavilion.


    Inside, various elixirs were sold¡ªdazzlingly arrayed.


    It was said that Miaodan Pavilion not only retained a group of their own Pharmacists and Alchemists but also specifically bought land in certain locations to cultivate medicinal materials and had special channels for purchasing herbs, beast blood, and other alchemy materials.


    Managing an elixir business to this scale, from growing herbs to alchemy and selling elixirs, creating a full industrial chain, was no easy feat.


    ¡°Honorable Insect Master, may I inquire what you need?¡±


    A young pharmacy assistant ran over to greet him.


    There were several types of people going into the pharmacy to buy elixirs: some purchased them for cultivating, others to seek medicine for illnesses or injuries; the rest either bought elixirs as gifts or aimed to learn about elixir knowledge at this place.


    Some were also seeking employment or apprenticeship.


    All sorts of people came here for all sorts of reasons.


    The customer traffic inside Miaodan Pavilion was bustling and business was booming.


    ¡°Give me four Tempering Elixirs!¡±


    Qin Niu, who was flush with cash, directly asked for four Tempering Elixirs.


    Wang Wanyan only asked him to buy three, but he bought one extra.


    ¡°Alright! Please take a seat, I¡¯ll get them for you immediately! Would you like them packaged separately or together?¡±


    The assistant couldn¡¯t close his grinning mouth when he heard that Qin Niu wanted to buy four Tempering Elixirs, becoming even more attentive.


    ¡°Three in one bottle, the other one packaged separately.¡±


    ¡°Very well, please wait a moment!¡±


    The assistant dashed off to fetch the elixirs.


    Meanwhile, Qin Niu casually surveyed the arrangements inside the Elixir Pharmacy and the elixirs within the counter.


    Almost all of the elixirs were sealed with wax to preserve them.


    Some special elixirs might employ even more complicated preservation methods.


    Qin Niu had no immediate thoughts of buying elixirs to break through his cultivation.


    Living in the countryside, with his current level of cultivation, he could handle the vast majority of dangers.


    He planned to use his Silver Money to buy weapon techniques first.


    As for cultivation techniques, for the time being, cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique was completely sufficient.


    Later on, there would be opportunities to collect the missing scrolls, or to switch to cultivating other more profound techniques.


    However, every slightly advanced technique had a frightfully high price. For example, the Dragon Chant technique purchased by that noble young master was not expensive, just five thousand taels.


    Selling himself wouldn¡¯t even make up for the difference.


    ¡°Honored customer, here are your Tempering Elixirs, along with the elixir certification from Miaodan Pavilion. Should there be any quality issue, you may contact us anytime. They are three taels of silver each, totaling twelve taels of silver.¡±


    The assistant was very efficient, having already brought over the elixirs.


    ¡°Where do I pay?¡±


    ¡°Right this way, please!¡±


    The assistant led Qin Niu to a green channel.


    Those who were entitled to check out at this counter were either esteemed clients like Insect Masters and Beast Tamers, or powerful experts and high-ranking officials.


    All of them were considered prestigious guests by Miaodan Pavilion.


    As he was paying, Qin Niu¡¯s gaze fell upon a prominent store notice that offered high prices for the purchase of all sorts of herbs and alchemy materials.


    Each kind of herb was listed with an accompanying image illustrating it.


    ¡°Glow Grass, twenty-three taels of silver for one plant. Baby Ginseng, five hundred taels of silver for one root aged a hundred years. Three thousand taels for one root aged over a thousand years¡­¡±


    Seeing this made Qin Niu click his tongue in wonder.


    Elixirs were expensive, and naturally, there were good reasons for that.


    The raw materials were seriously not cheap.


    However, herbs more than a thousand years old, especially something as extremely rare as Baby Ginseng, were practically impossible to find.


    ¡°Assistant, what does this Glow Grass look like? Do you have a real sample?¡±


    Looking at its shape, why did it seem somewhat similar to that Dogtail Grass next to the well in his backyard?

 Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Chapter 97: Buying a Charm_i

    Chapter 102: Chapter 97: Buying a Charm_i


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Do you have this kind of herb for sale? There seem to be many types of Moonlight Grass, I will have an apprentice pharmacist explain in detail to you,¡±


    The attendant¡¯s job was simply to greet and send off customers, and he basically had no knowledge of herb identification.


    He used the word please¡¯ when addressing the apprentice pharmacist.


    It seemed that the status of pharmacists at Elixir Pavilion was far higher than that of ordinary attendants.


    Pharmacists and apprentice pharmacists belonged to the technical worker category, while Elixir Pavilion¡¯s attendants were in the sales category and also did odd jobs.


    After Qin Niu settled the bill, a young man in a grey long gown came over.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you the one who wanted to know about Moonlight Grass?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Please follow me!¡±


    The apprentice was young, probably around fifteen or sixteen years old, about the same age as Qin Niu.


    He took Qin Niu directly outside of the storage room for herbs.


    ¡°Please wait a moment, 1¡¯11 go get the Moonlight Grass for you!¡±


    After the apprentice went inside and notified the manager, the old manager took a look at Qin Niu outside the door. Seeing he was an Insect Master, he agreed as well.


    Before long, the apprentice came out with a wooden tray.


    ¡°Here are six varieties, each one is Moonlight Grass. They share a common characteristic, they emit a glow of varying brightness at night.¡±


    Among the Moonlight Grasses brought out by the apprentice, there was one that closely resembled Dogtail Grass.


    But not quite.


    The other five types of Moonlight Grass looked somewhat familiar to Qin Niu, they were some of the most common weeds or herbs on the roadside and wilderness.


    It seemed that they had undergone some unknown mutations, and upon closer examination, one could find they were different from ordinary wild grasses.


    ¡°Are their effects almost the same?¡±


    ¡°There are differences. Different Moonlight Grasses have varying medicinal properties. Some are cool and even poisonous, some have mild properties, others are hot. For one stalk of Moonlight Grass, our Miaodan Pavilion¡¯s current lowest purchase price is twenty-three Silver Money. For this one here, whose properties tend towards heat, creating a wonderful compatibility with Moonlight Grass¡¯s inherent coolness, its price is higher. We can offer more than sixty Silver Money.¡±


    The apprentice patiently introduced the differences and market prices of Moonlight Grass to him.


    The expensive ones could actually sell for sixty Taels per plant, which was quite exaggerated.


    ¡°How should someone like me, who doesn¡¯t know how to identify herbs, recognize them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, Moonlight Grass will emit a faint glow at night, and you can recognize it at a glance. Although not all glowing grasses are Moonlight Grass, you¡¯re unlikely to make a mistake. When harvesting, you need to ensure that the roots, stems, and leaves are intact; damaged herbs will result in loss of medicinal effects and discounted prices.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you for your detailed explanation; 1¡¯11 bring over some Moonlight Grass when 1 dig some up,¡±


    Qin Niu felt reassured.


    ¡°No problem, we always offer high prices for all kinds of rare herbs. If you do harvest any, you can bring them here first for pricing. We can provide free identification, and our prices are the highest in the industry.¡±


    The apprentice was young, but very cordial in his dealings with customers.


    His level of professionalism was also very high.


    From the details, one could discern the character, and Miaodan Pavilion made a good impression on Qin Niu.


    ¡°One more question, do you have elixirs for pets to eat here?¡±


    ¡°We actually don¡¯t have that. However, I¡¯ve heard that in Elixir City, there are pharmacists and elixir masters who specialize in this research, and they might have such elixirs for sale.¡±


    ¡°Alright, see you around!¡±


    Qin Niu nodded.


    ¡°Take care!¡±


    The apprentice politely saw him off.


    After purchasing elixirs, Qin Niu went straight to the shop specializing in Talismans in Bei Bing.


    ¡°Miss Bei Bing, here 1 am again to buy some talismans!¡±


    Now that Qin Niu had asked for the mute girl¡¯s name, this time he had a decent way to address her.


    ¡°Mmm-mmm!¡±


    She still wore her loose hemp clothes, barefoot, with her long hair casually draped behind her head.


    This time, her grandfather was inside.


    The old man was holding a brush, intently drawing talismans.


    Under normal circumstances, the mute girl tended to the customers, as her grandfather seemed to have some quirks and didn¡¯t deal much with people.


    Bei Bing seemed very pleased to see Qin Niu.


    She flashed a joyful smile.


    It was like the warm enthusiasm of old friends meeting.


    Seeing Qin Niu in an Insect Master Robe, she gestured at him with a thumbs-up.


    The gesture meant she was praising his progress, congratulating him.


    ¡°Heh, I have you to thank for that, if it weren¡¯t for your Contractual Talisman, I couldn¡¯t have become an Insect Master,¡± Qin Niu said with a smile, thanking her. ¡°How much is a mid-grade Contractual Talisman per piece?¡±


    ¡°Ten Silver Money a piece!¡±


    She was well-prepared, taking out a price list.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take four mid-grade Talismans and ten low-grade Talismans!¡± said Qin Niu nonchalantly.


    Water flows downward, people strive upward.


    Now that his strength had increased, with an ant colony and a Queen Bee, he would certainly aim for higher-grade Beast Pets in the future.


    Her sudden large order startled the mute girl.


    ¡°Yah-yah!¡±


    She gestured to ask Qin Niu if he really wanted to buy so many at once.


    ¡°Here, this is fifty Silver Money.¡±


    Qin Niu handed her a silver note directly.


    Selling captured insects had given him a taste of profit, and he would definitely continue to develop in this direction.


    Only by earning enough Silver Money could he ensure he had ample resources for cultivation.


    Bei Bing gestured to him to sit and wait for a while.


    Then she ran quickly into the back room, gesturing some signs to her grandfather.


    Soon, she came out with four exquisite rectangular wooden boxes in her hands. The sandalwood boxes looked substantial; the surface was smoothly polished, engraved with some primitive patterns, and ¡°Bei Bing¡¯s Talisman¡± was inscribed in the middle.


    ¡°Can¡¯t they all be put in one box?¡±


    Qin Niu found carrying so many boxes inconvenient.


    He was a down-to-earth person who didn¡¯t care for glamorous appearances.


    Upon hearing this, Bei Bing crouched down and took out another box from beneath the counter, which was a very plain box.


    ¡°Yiya?¡±


    She asked Qin Niu if it was okay to use this box for the item.


    ¡°Very good!¡±


    Qin Niu, used to keeping a low profile, thought it was fine to place the expensive mid-grade Contractual Talisman in a plain wooden box. As long as it didn¡¯t affect its use.


    She carefully took out the sealed Talisman and then placed them one by one into this plain wooden box.


    The ten low-grade Talismans were also packed in the same box.


    Together, the mid-grade Contractual Talisman looked significantly bigger and much thicker.


    The materials of the two were entirely different.


    The low-grade Contract Charm was made of ordinary yellow paper, while the mid-grade Talisman appeared to be made of beast skin. However, it was not clear what kind of beast skin it was. It looked thin, yet it was covered with scaly patterns.


    Qin Niu even wondered if it could be snakeskin.


    Creating Talismans was their trade secret, and naturally, he wouldn¡¯t ask indiscriminately.


    Even if he did, they wouldn¡¯t tell him.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡±


    Bei Bing then took out two more low-grade Talismans and presented them to Qin Niu.


    Unlike the secretive gifting before, this time it was done openly. Although he didn¡¯t understand her gestures, he could still guess some of the intentions.


    She meant that he was a major customer, so there would be some gifts.


    Qin Niu naturally expressed his gratitude joyfully.


    ¡°Does this Puppet Talisman work on both humans and all animals?¡±


    After purchasing the Contract Talismans, his eyes shifted to the list price of Puppet Talismans.


    The price was quite expensive, twelve Silver Money per piece.


    She shook her head, then took out an instruction manual for Qin Niu to see.


    Puppet Talismans, once activated, can exert a certain level of mental control over insects, beasts, birds, and other wild animals or pets tamed by people, making them obey the user¡¯s commands for a short time.


    The more powerful the controlled animal, the shorter the duration and the weaker the effect.


    It¡¯s ineffective on humans.


    This Talisman can be used to capture strong beasts, birds, and strange insects, and also in battles against Insect Masters and Beast Tamers, to control the opponent¡¯s pets and secure victory.


    Its uses are quite powerful.


    After reading the manual, Qin Niu thought of his own Puppet Worker Ants.


    They could exercise mental control over enemies.


    The ability of a single Puppet Worker Ant might be limited, but if there were a hundred or a thousand combined, their power could be terrifying.


    Additionally, he had already started to research more advanced second cultivation methods.


    If he could endow the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants with the abilities of the Puppet Worker Ants, they might become even stronger.


    After bidding farewell to Bei Bing, Qin Niu made another trip to the book market.


    He had initially wanted to buy a book on Blade Techniques.


    However, higher-level Blade Techniques were frighteningly expensive.


    A thin volume of the Demon Slaying Sword Technique needed five hundred Silver Money, and there was no guarantee one could learn it.


    The Attendant Student explained that higher-level martial arts required a solid foundation in similar techniques to comprehend.


    Qin Niu felt that having a hundred and one Silver Money made him somewhat wealthy.


    But once he entered the supreme sea, he realized how poor he actually was.


    All high-level cultivation resources in this world were expensive, whether they be Cultivation Techniques, martial arts, Beast Pets, Elixirs, weapons, or armor¡­ none were cheap.


    It was truly a case of getting what you pay for.


    In the end, he bought a basic Blade Technique, which was affordable at five Wen Money.


    Poor people must stay grounded and start with the basics!


    So far, he had only grasped the basic Blade Technique called ¡°Slash.¡±


    With practice following the book, he might be able to comprehend some new Blade Techniques.


    After buying martial arts, he purchased several books on insects and cultivation.


    He even bought a common encyclopedia on the basic knowledge of Beast Pets.


    It seemed comprehensive but was actually just basic knowledge.


    It was somewhat like a primary school textbook.


    Having procured these items, he didn¡¯t spend the remaining Silver Money frivolously but saved it instead.


    Having a significant amount of Silver Money on hand meant he no longer had to worry about going hungry.


    With his house in ruins, it was definitely time to build a new one now that he had money.


    A tall wall and large courtyard would keep out most prying eyes.


    His secrets were increasing by the day, and in the future, there would only be more. Ensuring his privacy was crucial.


    If possible, it would be best to hire two maids as well.


    This way, he would no longer need to worry about daily necessities.


    He could devote more time and energy to other matters.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t hurry to leave the Cultivation Market; instead, he returned to the street vendor where he previously bought Black Leaf Sunflowers.


    The little girl was still energetically promoting her wares, her eyes filled with hope.


    However, the number of people stopping to buy her herbs was very few.


    Many just glanced and walked away.


    Spending a wen or two out of charity might appeal to some.


    But spending a whole Silver Money on a plant with little use, how could that be possible?


    They had their own families to take care of.


    ¡°Little girl, pack up your stall,¡± Qin Niu said to the girl.


    The girl¡¯s complexion instantly turned pale, and she looked at Qin Niu with fear, thinking he had come to cause trouble..

 Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Chapter 98: The Bottleneck of a Special Cultivation Technique^

    Chapter 103: Chapter 98: The Bottleneck of a Special Cultivation Technique^


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Uncle, if you are not satisfied with the Black Leaf Sunflower you bought from


    me, I can return your money. Please don¡¯t kick me out, okay?


    She pleaded in a mournful voice.


    ¡°What are you talking about! Take me to see your grandfather, maybe I can


    help him.¡±


    Qin Niu said with a smile.


    ¡°Ah¡­ really?¡± The little girl was skeptical.


    Having wandered through society at such a young age, she must have seen all sorts of dark human hearts. She was very cautious.


    ¡°This is a Tempering Elixir; if I see that your grandfather is truly sick, and he needs this elixir to save his life, I will give it to him. But if you dare to deceive


    me, I¡¯ll spank your butt.¡±


    Qin Niu intimidated her towards the end, sounding very fierce.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you¡­¡± She covered her bottom and quickly stepped back a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there right now.¡±


    After speaking, she turned and left, carelessly leaving her stall behind.


    ¡°You child, tidy up your stall first!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t need these herbs even if I take them, and I can¡¯t sell them, so I won¡¯t


    bother collecting them!¡±


    Seeing that Qin Niu actually brought a Tempering Elixir, she was willing to


    leave her stall behind.


    After all, a child is still just a child.


    Qin Niu sighed and helped her pack up the stall.


    Although the herbs were not valuable, they were the result of her hard work digging them up from the mountains. If she truly didn¡¯t want them, Qin Niu would take them home to plant, as they could be used for many experiments.


    The prices Miaodan Pavilion paid for buying herbs were so high, they were very tempting to him.


    With enough money, according to his plan, he could eventually buy up that


    entire mountain range.


    Once it became his legally owned private territory, he could act much more freely.


    Following the little girl, they left the Cultivation Market, turned left and right, and passed through three or four alleys, still not reaching their destination.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Qin Niu now being an Insect Master, he would have really been nervous, wondering if he was being led into a trap by a child.


    Some bandits specifically use children to gain people¡¯s compassion, lure them to deserted places or inside houses, and then brutally strike.


    If the victim is a woman who looks decent, there¡¯s a possibility she could be kidnapped and sold into a brothel.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡±


    This was a very dilapidated low house, built with green bricks, and covered with swallowtail tiles.


    The house looked dirty and old, and the door was broken.


    ¡°Is this your home?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the house my grandfather rents. We don¡¯t have a house,¡±


    said the little girl.


    Qin Niu took a moment to observe the inside of the house before entering.


    Careful sailing lasts a million years; one must always be cautious and careful when outside.


    After entering the house, a foul smell hit him.


    It was the scent of human feces and urine mixed together.


    On the low wooden bed lay a withered old man, covered with a thin blanket


    stained with filth.


    This home could be described with the phrase ¡®utter poverty.¡¯


    ¡°Grandfather, this kind-hearted big brother says he is willing to save you with


    a Tempering Elixir.¡±


    Not long ago, she had called Qin Niu ¡®uncle,¡¯ and now she switched to ¡®big


    brother.¡¯


    The old man on the bed slowly opened his cloudy eyes.


    ¡°You are an Insect Master!¡±


    The old man exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Elder, where does your body feel unwell? Tempering Elixirs are usually used for cultivation; I haven¡¯t heard that they can cure diseases!¡±


    Qin Niu took out a Tempering Elixir but didn¡¯t hurry to give it to the other


    person.


    This was worth threefold Silver Money, and he definitely wanted to make sure that after taking it, it would save the old man¡¯s life before he gave it away.


    ¡°It¡¯s an old illness! I¡¯m getting on in years and wanted to use a Tempering Elixir to try and break through to a higher cultivation level. I¡¯ve heard that with every increase of a cultivation level, one can extend one¡¯s life by at least half a year. I am currently at the Onefold peak of Mortal cultivation, and I¡¯ve been stuck here for many years.¡±


    Such a skilled individual, yet fallen to such a state of destitution.


    Hearing this truly felt unbelievable.


    They say the city is filled with experts, and now a chance encounter with an old man on the verge of death revealed he had the cultivation of a mortal at


    Fourfold.


    This instilled in Qin Niu an even greater sense of reverence for this world.


    ¡°Then let me help you up!¡±


    Qin Niu said to the elderly man.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The old man sat up with his assistance.


    Though emaciated beyond recognition, his skeletal frame was solid, his veins


    full and pulsating.


    A person with a certain level of cultivation, even in such a withered state, is still beyond comparison with ordinary people.


    The saying ¡®a dilapidated ship still has three pounds of nails¡¯ refers exactly to this.


    ¡°Young lady, go fetch a cup of water for me.¡±


    Qin Niu carefully peeled away the sealing wax from the surface of the Tempering Elixir.


    In the eyes of the common folk, it was a treasure that could rapidly enhance one¡¯s cultivation. As for Qin Niu, who cultivated the Everlasting Spring Technique and could train under the Ancient Banyan Tree at a speed twenty times faster than normal, he held little regard for such low-grade elixirs.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Tempering Elixir, truly the Tempering Elixir! If only I could extend my life by half a year, I¡¯d be able to make plans for my granddaughter. After I pass away, she at least won¡¯t lack clothing or food.¡±


    The elderly man¡¯s excitement grew as he smelled the fragrance of the elixir.


    ¡°Rest assured, I never accept favors for nothing. Once I recover from my illness, I will surely repay you twofold.¡±


    These words fell on Qin Niu¡¯s ears, but he didn¡¯t take them to heart.


    It was enough just to listen.


    If this old man really could earn a fortune, would he need to squeeze into this tiny dilapidated room with his granddaughter?


    He would have long bought a property in the city and employed several servants to take care of them.


    ¡°Young brother must not believe me, thinking I¡¯m just boasting. I¡¯ve earned no small amount of Silver Money over the years, most of which I spent on Xiao Qing. The rest I used to buy elixirs to push for higher levels of cultivation. I was overly confident, using up all the remaining money in the house to buy elixirs for my cultivation, never anticipating a failure.¡±


    The old man shared his past.


    ¡°A shabby house and poor-quality clothes are insignificant. These things are merely external; it is cultivation and lifespan that are the most precious commodities.¡±


    These words did make Qin Niu look slightly less down on the old man.


    ¡°I have a feeling that being stuck at the peak of mortal Fourfold for so many years means that my accumulation is sufficient. I¡¯m just a little short of advancing to mortal Fivefold. With the Tempering Elixir you¡¯ve gifted me, I¡¯m bound to succeed.¡±


    At that moment, the old man resembled a gambler.


    And one whose eyes were red with anticipation.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there no bottlenecks below mortal Tenfold? How come you¡¯ve been stuck at mortal Fourfold for so many years?¡±


    Qin Niu found it somewhat incredible.


    ¡°This¡­ is related to the Cultivation Technique I practice. Please forgive me for not disclosing further details.¡±


    What exactly was the Cultivation Technique the old man practiced?


    Qin Niu felt puzzled.


    Would his cultivation of the Everlasting Spring Technique also encounter bottlenecks?


    So far, he had risen from mortal Onefold to Threefold without any obstacles; it was as simple as eating and drinking.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the water!¡±


    The little girl brought over a cup of water, neither cold nor hot, just lukewarm.


    It was evident that she was very attentive in caring for her grandfather.


    ¡°Let me feed it to you.¡±


    Qin Niu placed the elixir into the old man¡¯s mouth, then took the water and helped him swallow it.


    After taking the Tempering Elixir, the old man sat erect with his eyes closed, beginning his cultivation.


    As the Cultivation Technique operated, Qin Niu felt a very special energy within the old man¡¯s body.


    Each Cultivation Technique could yield a different kind of power upon practicing.


    But what was the technique the old man cultivated?


    As the elderly man continued to cultivate, leveraging the Tempering Elixir to break through his bottleneck, a faint white mist began to appear over his face.

 Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Chapter 100 Keeping a Thought i

    Chapter 105: Chapter 100 Keeping a Thought i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°Sure, no problem. Please tell me the name of the deceased and the names of the descendants. It¡¯s already late today and we don¡¯t have enough time. After I have someone make it tomorrow, I¡¯ll bring it over and bury it,¡±


    To set up a tombstone at the head of a grave, it must be partially buried in the ground.


    The owner was very professional; as long as there was silver money, he made sure everything was taken care of properly.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, what was your grandfather¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°His name was Tang Qian.¡±


    Qin Niu turned his head to look at the funeral service owner.


    ¡°Her name is Yao Xiaoqing, the granddaughter of the deceased, whose name was Tang Qian,¡±


    The owner recorded it one by one.


    ¡°I¡¯m entrusting this matter to you then. Will it be ready by tomorrow?¡±


    Qin Niu might have been just sixteen years old, but he was careful and shrewd in his actions.


    Worried that the owner might take the silver money and not complete the task, he definitely needed to remind him.


    ¡°Yes, it will definitely be ready by tomorrow,¡±


    The owner¡¯s answer was very definitive.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come by to check in a couple of days. You know what I do for a living, and if you take the money but don¡¯t get the job done, don¡¯t blame me for turning a cold shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Of course not! In our line of work, competition is fierce. If we had no integrity, we wouldn¡¯t last long. Besides, how dare I offend someone like you, Insect Master? Even with three times the courage, I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    The owner, around forty-five or fifty-six years old, was visibly sweating from his forehead with just a slight threat from Qin Niu.


    In this world, the powerful were always respected.


    You see, Insect Masters belonged to the privileged class. Dealing with a commoner like him was far too easy.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, let¡¯s go! Next time, I¡¯ll bring you back to pay respects to your grandfather,¡±


    Qin Niu had no attachment to the old man.


    It was entirely for Xiao Qing¡¯s sake that he had helped with the funeral arrangements.


    He had ended up spending a total of seven pieces and five maces of silver money on this old man¡ªtruly as if he owed him from a past life.


    And after all that, he still had to bring home an extra mouth to feed.


    Since the child was still young, and the Cultivation Technique, jade token, and the piece of cloth with blood-written characters were all entrusted to Qin Niu for safekeeping.


    Wearing the garb of an Insect Master was too conspicuous, so he simply took it off.


    It felt more comfortable to wear his patched coarse cloth clothes.


    Xiao Qing was very well-behaved, following right behind him, matching his pace step for step.


    ¡°Hungry?¡±


    Qin Niu turned to look at her.


    ¡°Not hungry!¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Come, let me hold your hand. The journey is rather long. If you get tired, just tell me and we¡¯ll sit down and rest our legs before we continue,¡±


    Qin Niu looked up at the darkening sky.


    Getting home would surely mean arriving late at night.


    If only he had a mount.


    This time, having acquired both low-level and mid-level Contractual Talismans, the issue of getting a mount should soon be resolved.


    He planned to prioritize training that calf.


    Although oxen can¡¯t match the sprinting speed or back strength of horses, their endurance and pulling strength are extraordinary.


    On the road, it was common to see ox carts laden with cargo, a single ox pulling a full load with ease.


    It was just that they were much slower than horse-drawn carts.


    Holding her little hand, he could feel the roughness and the thick calluses.


    This child must have had her fair share of hardships living with her grandfather.


    To Qin Niu, enduring hardships was beneficial.


    Only children who have suffered can truly mature and learn to cherish a hard- earned life.


    The two of them walked along the official road, covered in dust. At first, Qin Niu deliberately slowed his pace to accommodate Xiao Qing.


    After all, she was just a child.


    Unexpectedly, she walked with vigorous steps, not at all slower than him.


    ¡°Can you keep up at this pace?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m used to walking in the mountains with my grandfather.¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to find it very difficult.


    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s good,¡±


    Qin Niu tried to quicken his pace, and indeed, she kept up with him.


    ¡°Are you also practicing the Medicine King Sutra?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your level of cultivation now?¡±


    ¡°Around the peak of the second realm of mortals!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t expected such a young child to have achieved a strong level of cultivation.


    ¡°How long have you been at this stage?¡±


    ¡°It seems to have been over a year now, but I¡¯ve always been unable to break through. My grandfather has bought me no less than ten Elixirs.¡±


    Xiao Qing¡¯s tone always carried a hint of sorrow when she mentioned her grandfather.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry for now. Once I¡¯m back, when I get the chance, I¡¯ll properly research the Medicine King Sutra. If there¡¯s really a problem with this Cultivation Technique, I¡¯ll teach you another one to practice,¡±


    Qin Niu said to her.


    By the time the two returned to the village, it was deep into the night, probably around ten in the evening.


    This was only because Xiao Qing could keep up with Qin Niu¡¯s pace that they managed to return so quickly.


    ¡°My house is a bit shabby, I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll be able to get used to it.¡±


    Qin Niu opened the gate to the courtyard, and she followed him in.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where I live, as long as I¡¯m with you, I feel good about it. Before, when my grandfather was alive, wherever grandfather was felt like home to me. Now that he¡¯s entrusted me to you, wherever you are is where I consider home. A broken temple, under a tree, in a cave¡­ I don¡¯t mind any of those,¡±


    She said sincerely.


    You could sense that she genuinely considered Qin Niu a family member.


    She had developed a bond with him.


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re just a little child, yet your words¡­ why do they move me so much?¡±


    Qin Niu patted her head.


    Having an extra person in the house was a good thing.


    It was just one more mouth to feed, wasn¡¯t it?


    With his various abilities to make money, supporting her was entirely within his means.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    The calf, noticing its owner return, excitedly stretched its neck and bellowed.


    With a livestock animal in the dilapidated courtyard, it felt a little less desolate.


    ¡°Oh, Master, you¡¯ve also got a calf! It¡¯s so cute!¡±


    The little girl seemed especially delighted upon seeing the calf.


    Children seem to have a natural affinity for animals.


    ¡°From now on, you should just call me brother!¡±


    Qin Niu always felt there was something slightly odd about the title ¡®master¡¯.


    ¡°My grandfather, on his deathbed, told me to serve as your maid or servant girl. Aren¡¯t you my master then?¡±


    She asked, puzzled.


    ¡°You could be my sister instead!¡±


    ¡°That would be inappropriate. You are a noble Insect Master, it¡¯s already quite good that you¡¯re willing to shelter me. I am willing to serve as your maid, wash clothes, cook ¨C I can do any work.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to be sisters?¡±


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s better to serve as your maid; it makes me feel secure. Otherwise, I worry that one day you might not want me.¡±


    She insisted on being Qin Niu¡¯s maid.


    The little girl was very sensitive, probably having seen too much of the cruel and dark side of society.


    She always felt that she needed to create some value for Qin Niu in order to stay by his side without being cast away.


    ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you like, we¡¯ll have it your way!¡±


    Qin Niu no longer objected.


    Perhaps getting along in a master-servant relationship would be more harmonious.


    Xiao Qing, though young, was very clever and had her own concerns and thoughts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside! You can start getting used to it. Over there is the toilet and that way is the backyard, there¡¯s a well. Oh, and the Dogtail Grass next to the well is one I am tending, don¡¯t pull it out. Over here is the bedroom; men and women sleep separately, you¡¯ll sleep in that bed. Tidy up a bit later. Tonight, is wild boar meat okay with you?¡±


    Qin Niu had hunted two wild boars, enough to feed both master and servant for a while.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She felt curious and excited at the prospect of having pork to eat.


    Normally, she probably didn¡¯t eat very well.


    Qin Niu cut off five or six jin of meat and handed it to her.


    ¡°You get the fire going and cook. I need to step out. Take this for self-defense.¡±


    Qin Niu handed her a short blade he used to carry.


    Now that he had the Treasured Sword, the short blade was unlikely to see much use anymore.


    Once the door was properly shut, he left the house.


    Likely due to a shift in his mindset, the Wang family¡¯s house didn¡¯t seem so unattainable anymore as he passed by it.


    Now with the status of an Insect Master, his earning ability had improved as well.


    Before long, he would be living in a more splendid abode.


    ¡°Miss Wang!¡±


    Qin Niu called out as he looked up.


    The light on the second floor swiftly came on, and the window opened to reveal Wang Wanyan¡¯s head.


    ¡°It¡¯s all taken care of,¡±


    Qin Niu said to her.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Her pretty face immediately beamed with a joyous smile upon hearing this.


    A basket quickly descended; she often used this method to covertly send Qin Niu some food.


    Qin Niu placed the items in the basket, and she promptly pulled it back up.


    ¡°This¡­ how come you didn¡¯t sell¡­¡±


    She appeared extremely surprised.


    The price of three Tempering Elixirs wasn¡¯t cheap, and in the package Qin Niu gave her, besides the elixirs, there was also her gold bracelet.


    ¡°Presumably, this item holds significant sentimental value for you, so I took the liberty of keeping it for you. When you have money in the future, you can pay me back then.¡±


    He said with a smile.


    In the past, when his status was low, he always felt somewhat inferior when speaking to Wang Wanyan.


    Now, perhaps even he hadn¡¯t realized, he was becoming confident and carefree.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    She must have been deeply touched, her voice slightly trembling.


    Qin Niu waved his hand and strode away, guided by the moonlight.


    ¡°Are you going into the mountains so late?¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    ¡°Be safe.¡±


    Her voice followed, filled with concern.


    Although she didn¡¯t know why Qin Niu was heading into the mountains so late, she knew he must have had important reasons.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Qin Niu walked away without looking back.


    Now possessing considerable strength, venturing into the mountains had become relatively safe.


    As long as he didn¡¯t court death by venturing too deep into the mountains, he would be fine.


    The ordinary fierce beasts he encountered were just additional meals for him now.


    With one more person to feed at home, he didn¡¯t mind hunting a few more wild beasts.


    Cured meat could last over a year, although its taste was slightly inferior to fresh meat.


    Once he had a swarm of bees, the entire mountain would gradually become his hunting ground.


    A group of special bees that could track wild beasts would significantly increase his hunting efficiency.


    The current task was to wait patiently.


    In another ten days or so, the first group of Worker Bees would hatch.


    In the deep silence of the night, the mountain tranquility was broken only by the intermittent chirping of insects.


    For someone like him who regularly traversed the mountains, the only dangers to be mindful of were two: poisonous snakes and fierce beasts.


    Now, ordinary fierce beasts could hardly threaten him anymore.


    There should be no demons in the outer areas of the mountains; they usually lurk deep within their dens, cultivating. They rarely expose themselves to humans.


    Otherwise, attracting the notice of human Cultivators, they would be quickly subdued or killed.


    Either they¡¯d become beast pets for humans, end up on the dining table, or be processed into elixirs.


    Hence, demons acted far more cautiously than one might expect.


    Everything was fine at the Ant Nest, and Qin Niu let out a sigh of relief. He returned the termites, like Fourth and the Ant Queen, who had performed well, back to their nest.


    Some termites were still evolving, and the process would likely be complete by tomorrow.


    He would come back then to check.


    As the ant colony grew stronger, he could start exploring their new abilities, such as capturing unusual insects or even attempting bolder experiments.


    For example, the Puppet Talisman he had seen at the Bei Bing talisman shop had given him a lot of inspiration.


    Would a hundred Puppet Ants be able to easily control a single insect, then capture it? Could this extend to small wild beasts?


    Like squirrels, snakes, and so on, which were usually difficult to catch?

 Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Chapter 101 This is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_i

    Chapter 106: Chapter 101 This is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_i


    Translator: 549690339


    Tomorrow, I should be able to direct them to undergo some practical combat tests.


    At the very least, dealing with ordinary little bugs shouldn¡¯t be a problem. As for snakes and frogs, I¡¯m not quite sure.


    When I returned home, Xiao Qing had already prepared the wild boar meat, filling the house with its aroma.


    1 didn¡¯t expect her to be so capable at just eight years old.


    ¡°Master, the meat is ready. I don¡¯t know if it suits your taste,¡± she said.


    She seemed very happy to see Qin Niu enter the house.


    ¡°Just smelling it is making my mouth water. 1 didn¡¯t know your cooking skills were this good,¡± Qin Niu said as he walked over, not being polite and reaching for a piece to try.


    She quickly stopped him, warning ¡°Careful, it¡¯s hot!¡± and handed him a pair of chopsticks in the midst of speaking.


    It also served as a reminder for him to be mindful of hygiene.


    Qin Niu, who usually lived alone, had never been that particular.


    Taking the chopsticks, he picked up a piece and tasted it.


    ¡°Delicious!¡±


    It was more than a hundred times better than the food he haphazardly prepared himself.


    The saltiness was just right, with the meaty fragrance wafting through the air, and perfectly cooked.


    ¡°You eat too, from now on, just eat once the food is ready, no need to wait for me,¡± Qin Niu said, concerned she might be hungry and telling her to go ahead and eat next time.


    The meat was clearly ready, yet she hadn¡¯t touched it, waiting for Qin Niu to try it first.


    He never treated her like a servant, but rather as a younger sister.


    In this world, the hierarchy was strict and there were many rules.


    A maid¡¯s existence wholly depended on her master, with no status to speak of.


    Seeing her clearly already swallowing her saliva, yet not daring to eat, Qin Niu got annoyed and filled a big bowl for her on the spot.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have so many rules in our house, eat quickly.¡±


    Only then did she start eating from her bowl.


    Looking at her craving, she must have been really hungry.


    Before long, she had finished the entire bowl of meat.


    ¡°There¡¯s more in the pot, go ahead and serve yourself more! If that¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll go get some more meat,¡± he offered.


    After two big bowls, she was finally full.


    Looking at her stature, only reaching up to Qin Niu¡¯s chest, I didn¡¯t expect her to have such a big appetite.


    People who cultivate generally eat a lot.


    And they need to eat meat.


    With a full stomach, Qin Niu had other matters to attend to.


    He prepared a small patch of land in the backyard and planted all the medicinal herbs she had dug up.


    By this time, the moonlight was already hanging high in the sky, with silver moonbeams sprinkling down to earth.


    It was the perfect moment to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    Sitting in the backyard, Qin Niu began his meditation and cultivation.


    Overnight, his cultivation had grown considerably.


    When he opened his eyes, the first thing he did was check to see if the herbs had survived.


    ¡°Wow, the Everlasting Spring Technique is truly wonderful, all of these medicinal plants have come back to life,¡± he exclaimed.


    The Black Leaf Sunflower was the most important plant among them, closest to him.


    When he planted it yesterday, it was wilted, looking as if it would die at any moment.


    Nourished by the overflowing energy from cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique, over one night¡¯s time, they had all revived, unfurling their leaves and brimming with vitality.


    It seems with this ability, any plant that hasn¡¯t completely died could potentially be revived.


    Qin Niu¡¯s understanding of the magic of the Everlasting Spring Technique deepened yet again.


    This ability had great potential to be further exploited¡ªif used well, it might even be more profitable than selling bugs.


    Looking at the Black Leaf Sunflower, the leaves were dark green, and the plant itself wasn¡¯t very large.


    Temporarily, there was nothing special to be seen.


    But the way it made Qin Niu feel was indeed exceptional, although he couldn¡¯t quite put it into words.


    After growing it for some time, once it gets bigger, its unique traits might reveal themselves.


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze shifted to the Dogtail Grass.


    Last night, he had observed carefully that after midnight, its leaves emitted a faint luminescence.


    However, the duration seemed quite short.


    At this moment, checking the plant revealed no signs of the delicate luminescence that had traversed the surface of its leaves.


    ¡°Master, did you spend the entire night out here cultivating?¡± Xiao Qing asked, rising early.


    Carrying a bucket, it seemed she was ready to fetch water for washing her face and rinsing her mouth.


    In this world, there was neither toothpaste nor toothbrush, and most people used clean cloth dipped in salt to clean their teeth, which also worked quite well.


    ¡°Yes! Cultivation must be persistent. You should keep up with your daily cultivation as well,¡± Qin Niu advised her.


    ¡°I do cultivate, it¡¯s just that the results aren¡¯t very good. Oh, you¡¯ve brought all these medicinal herbs back to life!¡± Xiao Qing, surprised, noticed the herbs planted in the backyard.


    She had painstakingly dug each one from the mountain.


    Seeing that Qin Niu had revived all of them made her very happy.


    ¡°When you dug up these medicinal herbs, did you do it because you recognized them?¡± Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Not really, I don¡¯t recognize all of them. 1 know the effects of most of them, that¡¯s all. My cultivation of the Medicine King Sutra seems to give me a special ability to sense these herbs. As long as I pass by them, I can tell if they¡¯re worth digging up,¡± she explained as she came over, pointing to a small ginseng plant.


    It was probably a seedling of about half a year or so.


    ¡°For example, this ginseng, I can feel a gentle energy within it. And for this unknown medicinal herb, I can sense a cool energy at its root,¡± she described.


    I hadn¡¯t expected Xiao Qing¡¯s cultivation of the Medicine King Sutra to have such a special ability.


    Just by the name, one could guess that the Medicine King Sutra, like the Everlasting Spring Technique, belongs to the non-combat category of cultivation techniques.


    I should find the time to study the Medicine King Sutra thoroughly, perhaps there will be greater discoveries to be made.


    The known drawback of this cultivation technique is that advancing in level is difficult.


    Every small realm is a bottleneck.


    Other cultivation techniques rarely have this problem.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation of the Everlasting Spring Technique is as easy as eating and drinking when it comes to leveling up.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, why don¡¯t you feel this Dogtail Grass and see if there is anything special about it?¡±


    As told, she walked over to the Dogtail Grass and felt it closely.


    ¡°Inside it contains a cool type of energy, quite substantial. It has much more energy than the herbs I¡¯ve gathered.¡±


    ¡°It seems your cultivation of the Medicine King Sutra isn¡¯t bad at all. By the way, I¡¯m planning to have the craftsmen come over to rebuild the house in the next few days, do you have any requests?¡± Qin Niu still had more than ninety pieces of silver money, which was more than enough to build a blue-brick and tile house.


    Building a common blue-brick and tile house would cost around fifty to sixty pieces of silver money.


    If it was the kind of mud house that Qin Niu currently lived in, it could be built for about seven to eight pieces of silver money. A simpler mud house could be built for just two or three pieces of silver money, but then one would have to cut corners everywhere. Wood and similar materials would have to be chopped down from the mountain oneself.


    As Qin Niu continued to grow stronger, and now with an added maid, the urgency to upgrade the living quarters suddenly became pressing.


    It was mainly because he had money in hand that he dared to have such a thought.


    ¡°Whatever Master decides is best is fine by me.¡±


    Xiao Qing either didn¡¯t have any ideas, or she didn¡¯t dare to make any requests.


    ¡°Alright then! You¡¯ll have to take on the extra burden during these days of construction.¡± Qin Niu needed to cultivate bugs, practice cultivation, and plant crops¡ª he was incredibly busy. After hiring workers for the house, he would definitely need someone trustworthy to supervise the construction.


    Xiao Qing might be young, but as Qin Niu was her master and an Insect Master, those craftsmen would not dare play any tricks.


    After washing up and getting dressed, he did not rush out the door.


    Instead, he took a jar containing two Deepspring Herbs to where he kept his turtle.


    The small turtle, sensing someone approaching, hurriedly escaped into the water and hid under the rock.


    Qin Niu took out the two Deepspring Herbs and planted them in the broken jar.


    Whether they could purify the water quality remained to be observed.


    ¡°Little guy, come on out!¡±


    Qin Niu, looking through the slightly murky water, could see half of its body.


    The little turtle did not move, hiding under the water.


    ¡°You mule-headed creature, I¡¯m offering you a great opportunity, and here you are playing hard to get?¡±


    He grabbed it out of the water in one swift motion.


    Its head, limbs, and tail were all tucked inside its shell, motionless.


    Looking at this scaredy-cat appearance, it was just uninteresting.


    Qin Niu wondered whether deciding to tame it was the right choice.


    He took out a Low-grade Contract Charm.


    After biting his fingertip and activating the Talisman with his blood, he started to fully tame the little turtle.


    Now that he had plenty of Silver Money and Talismans, taming a beast pet no longer posed the issue of running out of Talismans. The only consideration was whether the beast pet being tamed had enough potential for cultivation.


    And what was the limit on the number of beast pets he could tame.


    So far, he had only tamed an Ant Queen and a Queen Bee, far from reaching his limit.


    This Ink Turtle was also fated to be with him.


    It was encountered in the floodwaters by Qin Niu and captured and brought back.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even give a second glance at such a common little turtle.


    Let alone waste a precious beast pet slot on it.


    As a faint golden light entered the little turtle¡¯s body, it began to struggle.


    No creature wishes to be enslaved by humans.


    This is why many people, when encountering beasts they cannot tame, will go to great lengths to gain their favor and build a relationship. The reason is to weaken their resistance when the time comes to sign a contract with them.


    Fortunately, the little turtle was still very young, and its will to resist wasn¡¯t that strong.


    After some effort, Qin Niu finally successfully tamed it.


    After being tamed, it became much more docile.


    It lay obediently in Qin Niu¡¯s palm, sticking out its little head pitifully looking at its fierce young master.


    It was so young, and it was already enslaved.


    The act was devoid of martial virtue.


    Even after being tamed, it still acted like a scaredy-cat turtle, a little too timid.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at your attributes first.¡±


    Qin Niu wanted to see if it had any special powers.


    Male Ink Turtle


    Grade: Grade One Testudines, experience needed to level up 1.3/100


    Lifespan: 57 years.


    Energy: 11


    Skills: Swimming Level Two 31.4/100, Hibernation Level One 0/10


    Talent: Cowardly


    After checking the little turtle¡¯s attributes, Qin Niu had indeed broadened his horizons.


    No wonder this little turtle was so timid.


    The two insects he had tamed were much stronger than it.


    The Ant Queen possessed medium intelligence and was both brave and strategic. The Queen Bee, on the other hand, had an iron will, merciless and ruthless.


    As soon as it emerged from the royal platform, the first thing it did was to eliminate the other potential queen bees.


    Keep in mind, those were its sisters.


    Then there was this little turtle¡ªnaturally cut out to be a pushover, completely at the mercy of others, without the slightest temper.


    All it knew was to tuck its head into its shell.


    Shaking his head, Qin Niu put it back in the jar.


    Once free, the little turtle quickly dove to the bottom of the water, hiding and refusing to come out again.


    Too cowardly.


    Qin Niu took some Banyan Tree Blood over. Since he had never used Banyan Tree Blood to cultivate turtles or other beast pets before, he could only rely on his experience with cultivating termites to calculate the feeding amount based on the turtle¡¯s weight.


    He deliberately prepared some minced meat, mixed with the Banyan Tree Blood, and then called it out to eat..

 Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Chapter 102: Awakening of Talent i

    Chapter 107: Chapter 102: Awakening of Talent i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    It started by crouching down, lurking motionless at the bottom of the water.


    But Qin Niu had grasped the language of insects and reached proficient level in his skill, using his spiritual power to lock on to it, then continuously sending the same command to it.


    It eventually seemed to have received and understood the meaning of the order.


    Climbing out of the water,


    it looked around warily, and when it saw Qin Niu, its master, it still felt fearful.


    Only after seeing it climb onto the rocks to eat the minced meat mixed with Banyan Tree Blood did Qin Niu leave.


    Now it was time to subdue Xiao Niu.


    Subduing this little turtle was just an added bonus. There was also the intention to use it as an experiment.


    He was worried that after eating the Banyan Tree Blood, the little turtle might become terrifyingly powerful and he would lose control over it. That¡¯s why he had chosen to subdue it first.


    For the little turtle, this was a test of life and death.


    Arriving at the cattle shed in the front yard, he saw Xiao Qing diligently cleaning.


    She had swept away all the ¡®traps¡¯ he had set outside the house.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t say much.


    Still weak and young, he could only use these little tricks to ensure his safety.


    He no longer needed these messy branches laid out on the ground as ¡®sentries¡¯.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    Xiao Niu looked especially affectionate when it saw Qin Niu appear.


    On the contrary, it was full of wariness towards Xiao Qing, with a deep guard against her.


    Qin Niu had risked his life that day to rescue it from the raging waters, and the man and calf had since developed a deep emotional bond.


    In their subsequent time together, with Xiao Niu following him up the mountain, it had experienced unprecedented joy.


    ¡°Xiao Niu, I want to make a contract with you. From now on, you will be my Beast Pet. Don¡¯t resist,¡± he said.


    He stroked Xiao Niu¡¯s head.


    It appeared to somewhat understand, simply raising its head to look at Qin Niu.


    Establishing a master-servant contract would enable Qin Niu to control it and stay informed about its condition.


    As a Low-grade Contract Charm was used, a beam of golden light shot towards Xiao Niu¡¯s body.


    A shocking scene unfolded.


    That faint golden light was like a drop of water hitting a smooth cliff face, simply being repelled. It scattered and then disappeared entirely.


    Qin Niu had never encountered such a situation before.


    The most serious case he had encountered was when he subdued the Queen Bee. Its will power was extremely strong, and it had taken two Low-grade Contract Charms to nearly fail in subduing it.


    The golden light had not penetrated into Xiao Niu, nor had it shown any resistance.


    Its eyes even looked somewhat confused.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that subduing a Beast Pet requires a higher-grade Contractual Talisman! What on earth is going on?¡± he wondered.


    Qin Niu faintly realized that this Xiao Niu might be no ordinary calf.


    Its horns were actually a bit different from ordinary water buffaloes.


    Moreover, it was bold enough to ¡®compete for dominance¡¯ with Official Liu¡¯s black steed.


    Everything indicated that this Xiao Niu might not be an ordinary calf.


    It was washed down by the flood, and although it didn¡¯t have a nose peg, that didn¡¯t mean it was unclaimed.


    Because for calves under one year old, owners often do not put nose pegs on them.


    Only those intended to be used for plowing the fields are pegged, with a rope tied to them, to facilitate control.


    Why can a child of a few years lead a water buffalo weighing several hundred pounds? It¡¯s because they are pegged. If you pull even slightly, it feels pain.


    And it has no choice but to be obedient.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to try with a Grade One Contractual Talisman again,¡± he sighed.


    Qin Niu felt frustrated.


    One Low-grade Contract Charm cost One Tael of Silver, and without even a bubble, it was gone.


    If he had known, he would have started with a Grade One Contractual Talisman.


    He carefully took out a Grade One Contractual Talisman and removed the seal from it.


    Then he activated it in the same way.


    To activate a Grade One Contractual Talisman required more blood.


    He squeezed out seven or eight drops of fresh blood to successfully activate it.


    For a Low-grade Contract Charm, one drop of fresh blood would suffice.


    As the Grade One Contractual Talisman spontaneously ignited in the wind, a very solid beam of golden light shot towards Xiao Niu.


    It was dozens of times stronger than the faint golden glow of the low-grade Contract Charm.


    And the pillar of light was much thicker.


    Boom!


    The golden light struck Xiao Nui¡¯s head fiercely.


    Still, a large amount of golden light scattered.


    Its body surface seemed to have a natural defensive barrier that could fend off the golden light of the Contract Talisman.


    Luckily, Qin Niu shared a certain affection with it.


    Otherwise, if one wanted to tame it in the wild, it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    It raised its head and let out a slightly pained moo.


    The glossy black eyes just stared at Qin Niu. It did not resist at all.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart, which had been suspended, was somewhat relieved.


    Xiao Nui had refrained from any struggle or resistance after being soothed by the look in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    Even so, the golden light continued to weaken.


    Fortunately, after persisting for about half an hour, a faint golden light flew out from inside the bull¡¯s head and entered the space between Qin Niu¡¯s eyebrows.


    His body trembled slightly, and he quickly closed his eyes and sat still.


    After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    Xiao Nui called out to him affectionately, further deepening their bond.


    Once beast pets are subdued, they establish a subordinate relationship with their master, unconditionally obeying their master¡¯s commands.


    Their fates are henceforth closely connected to their master.


    If the master wishes to kill them, it¡¯s said that a single thought is all it takes.


    Some unfeeling masters, before dying, in order to prevent their pets from falling into the hands of others, will cruelly kill all their pets.


    It¡¯s akin to ancient emperors and nobles, having their consorts and servants buried with them after death.


    ¡°From now on, I will cultivate you well, to make you a strong bull,¡±


    Qin Niu patted Xiao Nui¡¯s forehead.


    He was delighted to have successfully tamed a very special beast pet.


    He was certain that this Little Niu was no ordinary water buffalo.


    Because even a medium-grade Contract Talisman almost failed to subdue it, despite it not resisting at all.


    It was too strong.


    He had been longing for a mount, and finally, he had one.


    Eagerly, he checked Xiao Nui¡¯s attributes.


    Plated-Horn Robust Water Buffalo


    Grade: Grade One even-toed ungulate mammal, upgrade experience 17/100


    Lifespan: 99 years


    Energy: 37097


    Skills: Fertilize rank one 5.11/10, Brute Force rank one 0.1/10


    Talents: Awakening, Laziness


    After seeing Xiao Nui¡¯s attributes, Qin Niu felt somewhat disappointed.


    He had thought it would have very strong special skills, but its talents were only two: Awakening and Laziness.


    The two beast pets he tamed today were indeed stranger than the other.


    The little turtle¡¯s talent was Timidity, and this Little Niu¡¯s talent was Laziness.


    He had taken in a lazy bull.


    Yet, Xiao Niu¡¯s other talent seemed rather high-level.


    Ordinary creatures grow stronger, which is called evolution.


    But Xiao Niu¡¯s talent was Awakening. Could this mean it was inherently very powerful?


    Simply lying down and continually awakening would make it stronger?


    Human children all envy those with a good father, wishing to be born into a good family.


    For beast kind, having strong parents is even more important.


    Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a mouse¡¯s son will only know how to dig holes.


    If a dragon¡¯s offspring, no matter how weak, could not be too weak.


    And without even trying, they could easily be more powerful than the vast majority of creatures..

 Chapter 108 - Chapter 108:103 Chapter Matchmakingi

    Chapter 108:103 Chapter Matchmakingi


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Xiao Nui had two main skills, one was brute strength, which goes without saying, every bull should have this skill.


    It¡¯s just that it was lazy, so the proficiency level of this skill was almost zero.


    No wonder during the flood, it drifted with the waves, hardly struggling at all.


    The other skill was fertilizer production.


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s understanding, it should be the cow dung and urine it excreted after eating. This skill did not require practice, as there would always be a few piles every day. It was a skill that naturally improved proficiency.


    Qin Niu looked at the few piles of cow dung in the cowshed and decided to collect them and use them to fertilize the more than twenty medicinal herbs in the backyard.


    Before, he hadn¡¯t been able to prepare humus, so cow dung was considered one of the best kinds of household fertilizer.


    To buy a basket of cow dung would cost around ten Wen Money.


    This price really wasn¡¯t cheap; it was equivalent to the daily wages of an ordinary adult farmer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take you to graze on the mountain in a bit.¡±


    After shoveling out a few lumps of cow dung, Qin Niu applied it to the roots of the medicinal herbs in the backyard.


    His proficiency level in fertilizing and labor points both rose a bit as a result.


    Looking at the cow dung in the soil, he didn¡¯t have much expectation. It was just the effect of ordinary household fertilizer, probably not as good as the humus he made himself.


    ¡°Alt Niu, are you at home?¡±


    A middle-aged woman¡¯s voice came from outside the house, sounding very familiar.


    It was somewhat like the village¡¯s Flower Auntie.


    ¡°Yes, I am!¡±


    Qin Niu quickly went out to see.


    lie saw Flower Auntie bringing a middle-aged woman with thin lips, eyebrows penciled in and features painted, dressed to attract attention.


    This middle-aged woman, Qin Niu did not recognize, somewhat like she was from Daoyuan Village.


    Iler eyes fastened on Qin Niu and sized him up.


    ¡°Flower Auntie, what brings you here?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t quite grasp the other party¡¯s intention.


    Flower Auntie was eloquent and was a well-known matchmaker in the village. When the village¡¯s young men reached the age to marry, they would ask Flower Auntie to help mediate.


    If there was a suitable girl, it would be left to Flower Auntie to go directly to the family to ask for her hand.


    Of course, since Shuangfeng Village was famously poor, the success rate of matchmaking wasn¡¯t high.


    This wasn¡¯t because Flower Auntie lacked matchmaker skills, but because most of the young men in the village lacked competitive edge.


    Many of them didn¡¯t have any special skills and could only do ordinary farm work or manual labor.


    Add to that their laziness and poverty at home, and naturally no girl would wish to marry into the family.


    ¡°Alt Niu, today your ancestral grave must be smoking with fortune! This is Sister He, the matchmaker from Daoyuan Village, who said there is a girl from their village who has taken a liking to you and has asked her to come over to inquire.¡±


    Flower Auntie introduced the situation with a face full of joy.


    Seeing the village¡¯s youth getting married made her, as a matchmaker, particularly happy.


    It also meant she could earn a fortune in celebration money.


    ¡°Which girl is it?¡±


    Qin Niu was somewhat surprised; his own prospects weren¡¯t good, and the girls in his own village looked down on him, not to mention the girls from a prosperous village like Daoyuan Village.


    ¡°It¡¯s the youngest daughter of the Tang Wenhan family from our Daoyuan Village. His son is already married, and now that the youngest daughter has reached marriageable age, she is also willing to look for a husband. Their family conditions are not bad at all.¡±


    Sister He said, heading inside on her own.


    ¡°Alt Niu, quickly move a chair for Sister He to sit!¡±


    Flower Auntie prompted Qin Niu with a meaningful look.


    In her view, this was a godsent matrimonial match, a great opportunity knocking at his door.


    ¡°Auntie, please have a seat!¡±


    Xiao Qing moved a chair for the two matchmakers to sit.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    Flower Auntie had already been curious, as she hadn¡¯t heard about Qin Niu having a sister!


    ¡°Oh, this is my maid, named Xiao Qing.¡±


    Qin Niu introduced the two.


    After hearing this, Sister He looked at Xiao Qing and her expression became slightly troubled.


    ¡°Flower Sister, 1 hadn¡¯t heard that Qin Niu had taken a maid!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a recent thing! Having a maid is good, as she can help with washing clothes, cooking, and taking care of the household. Look at how clean the floor inside the house is!¡±


    Flower Auntie pushed for the match as much as possible.


    Hiring a maid wasn¡¯t a big deal, but supporting a maid meant one more mouth to feed.


    Every year she would need new clothes, shoes, and so on, which added up to a significant expense.


    ¡°I¡¯ll mention this to the Tang Family later; they had inquired knowing Qin Niu lived alone.¡± Sister He¡¯s gaze flickered; she wouldn¡¯t dare make this decision on behalf of the girl.


    ¡°Qin Young Brother, let me first tell you about the girl¡¯s family. Tang Wenhan¡¯s family owns over twenty mu of good land and they only have a son and a daughter. The older son got married last year, and his wife is very virtuous, hardworking, and diligent. The younger daughter, Tang Caixian, just turned of age in February. She has fair and delicate skin, a very good figure, and even if she¡¯s not one in ten thousand, she¡¯s definitely one in a hundred kind of beauty.


    She has been literate since she was young. She¡¯s a bit skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and in singing and playing instruments too.


    I went to her house once and saw her dance; her waist was so flexible, it seemed as though it was boneless.


    She also took a liking to you a couple of days ago after seeing you dive into the flood to save a young bull. She thought you had a heroic air about you and felt admiration for you. If you¡¯re willing, Tang Wenhan is willing to build a new brick and tile house for his daughter in Daoyuan Village and give you five mu of good land as well. If you¡¯re unwilling to move in, both sides can discuss further.


    After mediating so many matches, I¡¯ve really never seen such generous conditions offered by the girl¡¯s side before.¡±


    ¡°Alt Niu is indeed a lucky man!¡±


    He Jie repeated the conditions offered by the woman¡¯s side.


    When a man visits their house, it signifies an intention to take a son-in-law.


    The children born would take the mother¡¯s surname.


    In many men¡¯s view, this is a matter of shame.


    Normally, it is the man who marries a wife into his family. A man being married into the woman¡¯s family is referred to as ¡°marrying upwards,¡± and it¡¯s easy to become the butt of jokes.


    ¡°Please convey to Miss Tang, thank you for her kindness, but I have no plans to marry for the time being,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu declined the marriage proposal.


    In his heart was Wang Wanyan from next door.


    The conditions offered by the Tang Family for a reverse marriage were indeed attractive but only to the ordinary person.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, those conditions held no appeal whatsoever.


    He was now capable of building a grand brick house.


    Acquiring good farmland should also not be difficult.


    An acre of ordinary good farmland is about seven or eight Silver Money, and the more expensive ones are only around ten to eleven.


    Mainly it depends on the market situation.


    During years of chaos and major disasters, the price of land is generally low; during stable and prosperous times, the price of fields goes up.


    Yesterday, Qin Niu sold insects, and that terrifyingly powerful old man had said that as long as Qin Niu still had those green giant hornets, he was willing to buy one for 150 Silver Money.


    Just by selling one insect, he could become one of the richest men in the village.


    The net worth of the two wealthy men in the village, Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang, was estimated to be around two hundred taels of Silver Money.


    Wang Furen should be a bit wealthier, but Xu Zhenchang¡¯s earning power was stronger and more sustainable, with great potential. In a few years, it was quite possible for him to surpass Wang Furen.


    After all, in terms of annual income, Wang Furen, who loitered at home, could no longer compare to Xu Zhenchang, the super tenant farmer.


    ¡°All Niu, don¡¯t be foolish; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 1 have seen Tang Wenhan¡¯s daughter; she can sing and dance, and she is intelligent and beautiful, with excellent conditions in every aspect. There have been several young masters who sent matchmakers to propose marriage, and the lines of suitors from slightly wealthy families are even longer. He Jie also said that if you don¡¯t want to be a son-in-law who marries into a family, you can discuss it further,¡± said Auntie Hua fervently seeing such a good match going unappreciated by Qin Niu.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, if you disagree with the matrimonial residence, it can still be discussed. The young lady has taken a fancy to you, and as long as you give the nod, it¡¯s highly likely to happen. It¡¯s even easier for you than those young masters who come with hefty gifts to propose,¡± Fie Jie also persuaded on the side.


    In her heart, she was muttering, could this boy be a little foolish?


    So many men dream of such a girl, yet he declined without even seeing her face.


    And he doesn¡¯t even consider his own circumstances, with two dilapidated rooms full of leaks, where it leaks even when it rains. The Tang Family¡¯s young lady doesn¡¯t mind, that¡¯s such a stroke of fortune!


    But now the man is putting on airs.


    He truly doesn¡¯t know when he¡¯s well off.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Aunties, but I really have no thoughts of marriage for now. I want to establish my business first, and once 1 have an economic foundation, I¡¯ll get married and have children. Otherwise, my wife and children shall suffer with me,¡± Qin Niu excused himself, an excuse many a young man pressured into marriage had made.


    It wasn¡¯t wrong in itself, for the happiness of a marriage should indeed be based on a certain economic foundation.


    Poverty brings a thousand woes to a marriage.


    Living a life in poverty is manageable for a year or two, but truly being perpetually poor¡ªnot to mention happiness¡ªmakes even the basics of food and shelter a problem.


    ¡°Alt Niu, don¡¯t rush to refuse this offer. I¡¯ll go talk to the Tang Family again and come back next time,¡± He Jie, who made a living as a matchmaker, naturally wasn¡¯t willing to give up easily.


    Based on her years of experience as a matchmaker, the probability of this marriage taking place was very high.


    If she managed to make it happen, how could the Tang Family shortchange her?


    Having sent Auntie Hua and He Jie away, Qin Niu shook his head with a wry smile, saying that the harder you work, the luckier you get; his luck seemed to truly be improving bit by bit.


    Now, even marriage was coming to his door.


    Getting a smart and beautiful woman who can sing and dance as a wife is the desire of many men!


    But his ambition was not to indulge in the pleasures of love but to seek immortality.


    Now that Fourth had successfully evolved, he could once again freely enter and exit beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree. He definitely needed to seize the time to cultivate and raise his cultivation level.


    After breakfast, Qin Niu prepared to go out and handle serious matters.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, I need to go out and find a tile worker to build the house. The house doesn¡¯t really need much tidying; it¡¯s going to be demolished anyways. You sit and rest awhile!¡± Qin Niu said, watching her small figure busily moving about, feeling a sense of tenderness for her.


    ¡°No problem, 1 need to clean up the front yard anyhow; otherwise, the sister who visits might be scared away right at the doorstep,¡± she replied, showing surprising maturity and concern for her age.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t say anything more.


    He left the house.


    There are two tile workers in the village, but they only knew how to build earthen houses. To construct a grand brick house, he needed to invite craftsmen from Daoyuan Village.


    He was now bracing himself for a visit to Daoyuan Village.


    Because Miss Tang Caixian had just sent a matchmaker to propose marriage, and if he went there now, it would be too awkward if they met.


    The village of Daoyuan Village was much bigger than that of Shuangfeng Village.


    Since there were many wealthy families here, almost every household had a brick and tile house, so the craftsmanship was a cut above Shuangfeng Village¡¯s.


    An old man carrying a load came towards him, and Qin Niu promptly went up to greet him and inquire..

 Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Chapter 104 Tang Tile Craftsman i

    Chapter 109: Chapter 104 Tang Tile Craftsman i


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Old man, may I inquire about something?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    The old man was carrying a load of tender grass, panting heavily.


    ¡°Here, let me carry that for you!¡±


    Qin Niu was strong and took the burden willingly. The load, over a hundred pounds, seemed extremely light on his shoulders.


    After all, with the strength of a normal man made threefold, carrying such a load of green grass was hardly difficult for him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hire some experienced masons to build a house. Do you know any in the village whose skills are solid?¡±


    ¡°All, that¡¯s all you want! Then you¡¯ve found the right person. I¡¯ll volunteer myself. My three sons, except for the youngest who works for the government in the city, the other two are masons. The three houses of our family were all built by them leading teams. You can go over and take a look first, and if you¡¯re satisfied, then do consider my sons for the job.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the old man grinned broadly.


    He had only a few teeth left.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go take a look at your house then.¡±


    Qin Niu did not rush to agree.


    Building a house is a major matter; it must be solid, beautiful, and comfortable.


    And it¡¯s not for just a day or two.


    You definitely need skilled masons for the job.


    Soon, he arrived at the old man¡¯s home. There stood three impressive brick-and-tile houses side by side.


    ¡°This is my youngest son¡¯s house. He lives in the city with his wife and children and seldom comes back, so I look after the house for him. When I¡¯m free, I raise some fish and a few sheep. There was a flood a few days ago, but fortunately, I was well prepared and moved the fish into the house. That¡¯s how we avoided any loss.¡±


    The old man spoke of this with not only relief but also a hint of pride.


    Before a flood, experienced villagers usually make some preparations.


    ¡°No wonder all three of your sons have grown their family enterprises so well, with you being so strategic in handling things, your three sons can only be more outstanding.¡±


    Qin Niu gave the man a compliment.


    It delighted the old man, who grinned once more.


    ¡°Young man, please have a seat. I¡¯ll go make some tea for you!¡±


    ¡°Old man, no need for tea. I¡¯ll just look at your sons¡¯ houses, and if I¡¯m satisfied, we can settle the matter right away.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t have the time to sit around drinking tea.


    ¡°You are one to value your time like gold! Feel free to look around!¡±


    The old man led Qin Niu on a tour of his youngest son¡¯s house.


    The house was three bays and seven spans wide, indicating that the old man¡¯s youngest son held a considerable official position. Ordinary clerks could not be called officials.


    At the very least, one must be on the level of a Historian to be considered an official.


    The old man¡¯s youngest son must be slightly higher in rank than Official Liu, who visited last time.


    ¡°The layout of this house is quite good, and the walls have been built strong. The courtyard looks simple, but it feels very comfortable. There¡¯s even a spot for parking horse-drawn carriages, which is quite nice.¡±


    After looking it over, Qin Niu was very satisfied with the house.


    Officials really know how to enjoy their lives.


    Ordinary households would not consider a place to park carriages, but the homes of those with real power and money are very thoughtfully arranged in all aspects.


    They¡¯ve considered defense as well.


    The gate, courtyard walls, and main house had onefold layers of defense.


    In daylight, it seems normal, but once the doors are closed at night, thieves and robbers would have to exert immense effort to break in.


    The master inside would be awake by then, with ample time to respond.


    ¡°This house was built only last year. My youngest son has been blessed by our ancestors these past two years, enjoying a smooth career; he thought of having a place to settle down in his hometown, and so he built this house.¡±


    The old man spoke of his youngest son with considerable pride.


    Any parent would be proud to see their children successful.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you to see the homes of my eldest and second sons. The second one might be out, but the eldest should be home.¡±


    The old man took Qin Niu to the next house, which belonged to his second son.


    While also impressive, it had only three bays and five spans. The second son¡¯s wife was very kind and hospitably made tea as she asked Qin Niu to sit.


    He politely sat for a moment before getting up to visit the old man¡¯s eldest son.


    Similarly, it had three bays and five spans but looked much older, suggesting it was built at least a decade ago.


    ¡°Eldest boy, this young man wants to hire some competent masons to build a house. Have a good talk with him.¡±


    The old man told his eldest son.


    ¡°I know you!¡±


    The eldest son was just over forty, of average height but quite sturdy.


    Upon seeing Qin Niu, he recognized him at a glance.


    ¡°You¡¯re the son of Old Man Liu from Shuangfeng Village, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, my name is Qin Niu. Uncle, have you been to our village?¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t recognize the person.


    ¡°They all call you Ah Niu, right? Please, have a seat!¡±


    The old man¡¯s eldest son invited Qin Niu to sit down and moved a chair for his father as well.


    This small gesture showed the family¡¯s values of respect and filial piety.


    The old man¡¯s three sons had all managed to develop the family business so successfully for a reason.


    The eldest son¡¯s wife came out with brewed tea.


    She first offered tea to Qin Niu, the guest, then to her father-in-law, and lastly to her husband.


    The old man¡¯s son and daughter-in-law were decent people.


    They didn¡¯t look down on Qin Niu for his ragged clothes.


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s what people in the village call me. May I ask for your esteemed name, uncle?¡±


    ¡°My name is Tang Fang, known as Tang the Tiler. Are you looking to renovate your house, or to rebuild it entirely?¡±


    Upon hearing the surname Tang, Qin Niu¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    In the village, those sharing the same surname were usually relatives.


    The kind with blood ties.


    Qin Niu wondered what relation this Tang Fang might have with Tang Wenhan?


    Tang Fang asked such a question, clearly aware of Qin Niu¡¯s family circumstances. Renovating a house wasn¡¯t cheap, but it was much less expensive than building a new one.


    ¡°I want to build a new house.¡±


    Qin Niu answered.


    ¡°If you¡¯re building a mud house, you could directly hire the two tilers from Shuangfeng Village! Asking for my help means you think highly of me. However, among us tilers, there¡¯s an unwritten rule to not take work away from others.¡±


    Tang Fang explained to Qin Niu.


    ¡°No, I want to build a brick-and-tile house, just like the one your youngest brother has if possible.¡±


    Qin Niu was now an Insect Master, a privileged class.


    Building a house could be done with the privileges of an official; constructing a threefold-sevenfold structure would be no problem.


    ¡°You want to build a brick-and-tile house? And you want one like my youngest brother¡¯s house?¡±


    Tang Fang looked at Qin Niu with a peculiar gaze, probably thinking the rumors of Qin Niu from Shuangfeng Village being a bit simple-minded might be true, wondering if something was off with his brain.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Qin Niu nodded earnestly.


    ¡°Cough¡­ Brother Qin Niu, the cost of building a brick-and-tile house isn¡¯t small, you know. My youngest brother¡¯s house cost nearly eighty taels of Silver Money to complete. Moreover, my youngest brother is an official with rank, which is why he can build a threefold-sevenfold house. An ordinary person can¡¯t build that type of house.¡±


    Tang Fang patiently explained to him.


    ¡°I just like that kind of house. Money is not an issue, and neither is status.¡±


    Qin Niu said indifferently.


    He had seen the houses of all three brothers, and the one that suited his heart the most was the youngest brother¡¯s.


    It was simple, comfortable, sturdy, and beautiful, and he was very satisfied in all aspects.


    ¡°Uh¡­ well, as long as you have the Silver Money and the position, I would definitely be very glad to take on the job.¡±


    Tang Fang¡¯s expression became somewhat stiff.


    It was his practice to avoid offending anyone as he lived off the hospitality of many, which is why he refrained from saying anything that might displease Qin Niu.


    Just then, the sound of a horse-drawn carriage came from outside.


    The few turned to look towards the courtyard, only to see Steward Yan Qi from the official¡¯s residence get off the carriage.


    The reason a carriage was considered a luxury was not only because of its high cost, but also because it required a driver.


    Moreover, the paperwork for it had to be facilitated through connections.


    Without some status, it was very difficult to get approval.


    Seeing Steward Yan Qi, Tang Fang quickly got up to greet him.


    ¡°All, Steward Yan Qi, what brings you here today? Please, come sit inside!¡±


    ¡°Last time I hired you for a job, I hadn¡¯t settled the payment, right? I had our chief steward settle your wages first, and as soon as I received the money, I immediately brought it over to you.¡±


    Yan Qi was still as talkative and as humble as ever.


    ¡°Haha, thank you, thank you! I feel secure working for Steward Yan Qi.¡±


    Tang Fang showed a joyous smile upon hearing that the wages had been paid.


    The greatest fear when working for wealthy families was not settling the payment..

 Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: Chapter 105: Tang Family’s Little Secrets i

    Chapter 110: Chapter 105: Tang Family¡¯s Little Secrets i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t that Brother Qin Niu? What brings you to look for Master Tang?¡±


    After greeting Tang Fang, Steward Yan Qi lifted his gaze to survey the others, and to his surprise, he found Qin Niu right there among them.


    A fervent smile immediately spread across his face.


    ¡°I have seen Steward Yan Qi! I want to ask Master Tang to help me build a house.¡±


    Qin Niu responded politely.


    ¡°Then you have come to the right person. The skills of the two Tang brothers are very good, and they always consider the homeowner¡¯s interests when working. Every time I need masonry work done, I seek the two of them.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi heaped praise upon the Tang brothers.


    It was unclear if he was speaking so highly of them because the youngest of the Tang family was an official.


    ¡°Wow, Brother Qin Niu, that¡¯s impressive!¡± Yan Qi was extremely shocked; he knew Qin Niu¡¯s background¡ªhis family lived in abject poverty.


    It had only been a little over ten days since he last saw him, and now Qin Niu wanted to build a house, which was indeed surprising.


    However, thinking of Qin Niu¡¯s shoddy house, and considering Qin Niu had reached the age to marry and needed to build a new house urgently, it was understandable.


    ¡°Building a house is a big deal; if Brother Qin Niu¡¯s budget is not enough, come to me anytime. I can¡¯t promise much, but five or six taels of silver should be no problem. I was planning to come to you in a couple of days to have you send me more of that mountain fertilizer. The last basket I bought from you worked quite well, and this time, I plan to buy ten baskets.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi had only recently been promoted to the position within the Yan Family, and his savings were limited. The fact that he was willing to lend five or six taels of silver to Qin Niu for his house was a tremendous show of trust and kindness.


    It was also with the intention of maintaining a good relationship with Qin Niu that he made such an offer.


    Otherwise, who would lend so much silver to someone else?


    ¡°Thank you, Steward Yan Qi, for giving me a safety net. Now if I run short of money when building the house, I won¡¯t panic.¡±


    These words brought smiles to everyone¡¯s faces.


    He continued.


    ¡°I will deliver the fertilizer to you in a couple of days.¡±


    He happily accepted this big order.


    Ten baskets of fertilizer cost five wen of silver, a substantial income for the average person.


    The key was that the mountain fertilizer had virtually no cost; as long as one had enough strength, the mountains had plenty of it.


    Even though Qin Niu no longer needed to earn money by selling fertilizer, getting into this market could lead to a steady income in the future.


    The Yan Family was a major client, and as long as the fertilizer worked well, they would surely increase their orders in the future.


    Tang Fang and his family listened to the warm conversation between Steward Yan Qi and Qin Niu, amazed that Steward Yan Qi, a man of such high status, was making friendly overtures to this young man.


    They had thought this young man was a bit mad and a bit foolish, but it seemed now that appearances could be deceptive!


    Steward Yan Qi would not engage in such enthusiastic conversation with a mad and foolish youth.


    Let alone buying fertilizer and offering to lend several taels of silver voluntarily.


    This revealed that they really didn¡¯t know the full story of this young man.


    ¡°Brother Qin, come to me anytime you need silver. As long as I have it to give, I will not be stingy.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi readily agreed.


    After speaking, he turned to look at Tang Fang.


    ¡°Master Tang, this is the payment for you and your brother¡¯s work, a total of three hundred and seventy wen. Count it.¡±


    The daily wage for a bricklayer is about fifteen wen a day, plus an additional two wen for tea money.


    That would be seventeen wen a day.


    Altogether, it¡¯s less than four hundred wen for the work they were hired to do, which probably took just a few days.


    ¡°Thank you, Steward Yan Qi! Tang is indeed grateful!¡±


    Tang Fang took the money and didn¡¯t count it, instead quietly taking out twenty wen and surreptitiously handing it to Steward Yan Qi.


    ¡°It was hard work for you to come and deliver this personally to me. Please take this as a token of my gratitude for a drink. In the future, we hope for your continued patronage.¡±


    This Tang Fang knew how to conduct himself.


    Giving Steward Yan Qi a small kickback now would ensure that future work would come their way first.


    ¡°Master Tang, you¡¯re too polite! There might be a big job coming up soon, and I will recommend you and your brother for it to Master Yan. However, there are many others with a say in this, so I can¡¯t guarantee anything. Once I have confirmation, I¡¯ll come find you.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi¡¯s movements in taking the money were extremely smooth.


    In those days, anyone with a little power would take their cut. How else could they afford to live in imposing brick and tile houses and ride in carriages?


    ¡°I have other matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll take my leave now! Brother Qin Niu, remember to send me the fertilizer, same tea garden as last time!¡±


    ¡°Of course! Thank you for your care, Steward Yan Qi.¡±


    Qin Niu smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Why be so formal between us? See you later.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi waved his hand and boarded the carriage and left.


    This was the first time Qin Niu had seen this carriage, and it seemed extremely luxurious to him.


    Now, upon seeing it again, it appeared quite ordinary.


    After his status and income had increased greatly, his mentality and perspective had also changed.


    It was a subtle shift in attitude.


    Perhaps this was the reason everyone strived to progress!


    ¡°Master Tang, I¡¯ll pay five taels as a deposit now. If it¡¯s convenient for you, I would appreciate it if you could bring people to start the work today. I¡¯ll procure whatever materials are needed.¡±


    Qin Niu did not dare to have the contractor supply all the materials.


    Selecting the materials himself could save some silver and prevent the contractor from using inferior materials to cut corners.


    ¡°Well, building a house is no problem at all. But to build three rooms with seven beams, one needs at least the rank of a ninth-grade official, or else it¡¯s illegal, and I¡¯m worried that you might be caught by the authorities and be punished for it!¡±


    Tang Fang took the heavy Silver Money with joy in his heart.


    It was a sizable payment for construction work.


    He now believed that the young man before him truly had the financial capability to build a grand mansion.


    However, he was very worried that Qin Niu, being young and impulsive, with a reverence for officials, would insist on copying the construction of an official residence with three rooms across and seven bay areas. This would surely bring trouble upon himself.


    His third brother held an official position, and it wasn¡¯t a lowly one, so he personally had no fear.


    But he couldn¡¯t bear to see the young man pay a painful price for his ignorance.


    ¡°Hehe, Master Tang is truly reliable! With this, will the officials still charge me with any crime?¡±


    Qin Niu chuckled as he took out the Fish Talisman plaque.


    ¡°My heavens¡­ it¡¯s actually a Bronze Fish Talisman! I am but a lowly fool who failed to recognize a great man, unaware that you are the distinguished Insect Master. Please forgive my offense.¡±


    Upon seeing Qin Niu¡¯s plaque, Tang Fang was nearly scared witless.


    Old man Tang was equally terrified.


    He quickly bowed to the ground before Qin Niu with his hands clasped, volunteering an apology.


    ¡°This old fool is overcome with fear. Had I known you were Insect Master, I would never have dared to let you help carry the load!¡±


    ¡°Haha, get up, get up! It¡¯s not a crime if one is unaware. Master Tang, I¡¯m entrusting you with the construction of the mansion. You won¡¯t be shortchanged for the work, and there¡¯s additional reward money for a job well done.¡±


    Qin Niu helped the two men up, gave a couple of instructions, and then left casually.


    In terms of status, he was already far above Steward Yan Qi.


    That¡¯s why the Tang father and son were so terrified.


    As they sent off Qin Niu, the Tangs exchanged glances and nearly in unison, they wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.


    Despite having a relative in a high official position, they knew well the consequences of offending an Insect Master.


    It could easily bring great disaster to their family.


    The better their days were, the more cautious and careful they were in their actions.


    ¡°I never imagined that Shuangfeng Village would produce an Insect Master! It seems the western district¡¯s dynamics of Jade Stream Town are about to change!¡±


    Old man Tang murmured to himself, as if discussing the matter with his eldest son.


    ¡°Father, I don¡¯t see this as a bad thing. Our village neighbors Shuangfeng Village. Since I¡¯ve been chosen to construct the house for Master Qin this time, I¡¯ll put in extra effort. If I can establish a good relationship with him, perhaps it can benefit our third brother who is an official in the city. His foundation is not stable yet, and although the Yan Family supports him outwardly, they do not put forth true effort. If our third brother can gain Master Qin¡¯s support, that would be far more secure.¡±


    Tang Fang¡¯s gaze flickered with a glint of wisdom.


    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking like that, it shows you¡¯ve made progress over the years from taking on various jobs. Make sure to tell our second brother to be thoughtful in every aspect of constructing Master Qin¡¯s house. Then Master Qin will be able to feel our good will.¡±


    Old man Tang¡¯s ability to raise three such outstanding sons was no less remarkable.


    Normally, the older one gets, the wiser they become.


    Because with age comes increased knowledge, life experience, and worldly insight, leading to a more comprehensive approach to problem-solving.


    Qin Niu had just returned to his front door when he heard voices conversing inside.


    The front yard had been cleaned up substantially, looking much tidier now.


    Brooms, trash bins, and shovels were left by the fence.


    It seemed Xiao Qing had been cleaning the yard and had stopped halfway because of visitors.


    Upon entering, Qin Niu¡¯s eyes brightened slightly.


    In addition to Aunt Hua and Sister He, there was a beautiful young girl around fifteen years old, and sitting next to her was a young man around seventeen or eighteen with light stubble, who must have been married.


    Men start to grow beards after they get married.


    It¡¯s also an important sign of a man becoming mature.


    This young man had an impressive appearance and clear eyes, clearly an enterprising, honest young man devoted to his career and family.


    The around fifteen-year-old girl had a graceful figure, fair and radiant skin, and was as lovely as any daughter of the nobility from within the city.


    With light makeup, almond eyes and rosy cheeks, a delicate nose and white teeth, and matched with her lively and enchanting bright eyes, she was undoubtedly a rare beauty in the making.


    She sat there with her knees together, her posture elegant.


    It was evident she was the educated daughter of a major family.


    The pink pleated skirt she wore added even more charm and grandeur to her appearance.


    ¡°Ah Niu, this is the eldest young master of the Tang Family, Tang Bin. And this young lady is Tang Bin¡¯s sister, Tang Caixian.¡±


    Aunt Hua hastened to stand up and introduce them when she saw Qin Niu¡¯s arrival.


    Who would have thought that Miss Tang would come to visit in person?


    In her pursuit of love, she truly was bold.


    It¡¯s commonly believed in this world that women should be shy and restrained. Eligible girls as well as married women should always show a blushing demeanor in presence of guests or men, half-covering their faces with a handkerchief, which is considered demure and attractive.


    For Tang Caixian to come over personally despite a clear refusal from a man, it¡¯s truly unusually bold.


    It requires immense courage.


    And the support of her family as well.


    At the same time, she would have to endure the judgment and gossip from neighbors and villagers.


    If matters turned out well, it would certainly be regarded as a wonderful story.


    But if the marriage failed to materialize, who knows how others might speculate and gossip.


    ¡°Greetings, Young Master Tang, and greetings, Miss Tang!¡±


    As Qin Niu noticed both of them standing up, he felt that the Tang siblings had particularly good upbringing and manners.


    He was impressed with the first impression.


    ¡°Qin Niu, we have taken the liberty to visit you this time to discuss my sister¡¯s marriage. If there is any intrusion, please forgive us.¡±


    Tang Bin said to Qin Niu..

 Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: Chapter 106: Jade_i

    Chapter 111: Chapter 106: Jade_i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Young Master Tang, you are too kind. I am deeply moved by your sister¡¯s willingness to overlook my poverty and take the risk of facing criticism to talk about marriage at my home,¡± Qin Niu said, nodded at Tang Cai Xian with a smile.


    ¡°Please, take a seat! My home is very modest, I hope you¡¯ll excuse its simplicity.¡±


    The poverty of Qin Niu¡¯s family could truly be described as destitute.


    There used to be some possessions, but after Old Man Liu died, Qin Niu had sold everything for silver money.


    He exchanged it for a Low-grade Contract Charm.


    Looking back, that was the most correct decision of his life.


    ¡°The day the flood began to recede, I saw you leap into the waters across the bank, selflessly rescuing the calf. I had a very good impression of you. At night, as soon as I close my eyes, 1 can see your heroic figure. 1 don¡¯t care that you¡¯re poor; when my grandfather married my grandmother, they were also very poor, but through their own efforts, bit by bit, they built up some family business.


    By my father¡¯s generation, the family business had expanded and we lived quite comfortably.


    1 trust my own eyes and judgment. You are a person who is brave and bold, and I believe that no matter what, our future together will not be that bad. And even if by some chance we are down on our luck and live a hard life, it will still be the path I chose myself, and I will have no regrets.¡±


    She seemed even more daring than the girls in the city.


    She must be doted on by her parents and elders at home.


    The generous dowry proposed by the Tang Family also showed they did not belittle their daughter.


    ¡°Miss Tang, thank you for your deep affection, but I am currently not considering marriage,¡± Qin Niu, once again, gently rejected her.


    Qin Niu, my sister and 1 have come to you with thick faces, it¡¯s truly because she fell for you at first sight. ¡®An elder brother is like a father,¡¯ so I will just speak frankly. It¡¯s a good thought for a man to want to establish his career before getting married. In fact, the tradition since ancient times is to marry first, then set up a career. Once married, with a wife to take care of household affairs, you will have more time and energy to strive for your career. Plus, there¡¯s someone to look after your daily needs,¡± Tang Bin said, attempting to persuade Qin Niu with all his might.


    ¡°Furthermore, if you don¡¯t wish to marry into the wife¡¯s family, my sister can come live with you. Then she could bring a dowry to help lay the foundation for your business.¡±


    Judging by his tone, the dowry promised would certainly be substantial.


    Some brothers sought every possible way to extract money from their sisters or other siblings. Tang Bin, who was willing to offer part of the family wealth as his sister¡¯s dowry, was relatively rare.


    This also indicated that the siblings had a good relationship; they were not the type of selfish people who would ignore familial affection for the sake of money.


    ¡°If you really don¡¯t want to get married so soon, just give me one word, and I am willing to wait for you,¡± Tang Cai Xian said with courage, biting her vibrant red lips.


    This girl was love-struck, truly going to great lengths for affection.


    ¡°Miss Tang, I¡¯m truly sorry, but I really have no intention of being in a relationship right now,¡± Qin Niu said, trying not to hurt her pride.


    Looking at such a beautiful girl, to say he was not moved would be a lie.


    But he was very clear that marriage would undoubtedly bring numerous encumbrances.


    And if they had children later, it would only become even more complicated. ¡°Little sister, since Qin Niu doesn¡¯t have this in mind for now, let¡¯s go home first,¡± Tang Bin said, who had shamelessly accompanied his sister on this visit, which was already embarrassing enough.


    Now that Qin Niu had rejected them, he naturally couldn¡¯t sit there any longer. ¡°It might be good to give Ah Niu some time. He probably didn¡¯t expect such an incredible stroke of luck to come his way and hasn¡¯t come to his senses yet. When he calms down and thinks of Miss Tang¡¯s virtues, who knows, he might be moved. He might even press me to take the initiative to come to propose.¡± Auntie Hua quickly spoke to ease the situation, to spare the Tang siblings any embarrassment.


    ¡°Young Master Qin, can we chat alone for a moment?¡±


    But Tang Cai Xian had her own judgment.


    She was not prepared to give up easily. Missing out on destiny might mean missing out for a lifetime.


    ¡°Certainly!¡±


    When Qin Niu faced her gaze, he found it impossible to refuse.


    He really didn¡¯t know what such a blossom-like beauty saw in him.


    ¡°Come to the backyard with me for a chat!¡±


    Qin Niu stood up and led Tang Caixian toward the backyard.


    As she drew near, a faint fragrance also wafted to Qin Niu¡¯s nose.


    It smelled good and quite unique.


    It was a bit like the fragrance of jasmine, with a touch of the fresh scent of roses.


    The two arrived at the backyard, and she glanced at some of the herbs planted there, showing a slight surprise.


    ¡°These herbs look like they¡¯ve been recently planted. Are you planning to create a Hundred Herbs Garden?¡±


    She seemed poised and graceful.


    Hehe, not really. I planted them in order to sell them for Silver Money.¡± Standing in front of this small patch of cultivated herbs with her, looking at these plants, Qin Niu felt somewhat less awkward.


    ¡°Do you like me?¡±


    She boldly met Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re so beautiful, and well-mannered, and your behavior exudes great upbringing, to say I don¡¯t like you would be a lie. But marriage is a lifelong commitment, and I really don¡¯t have any plans to marry right now.¡±


    Qin Niu answered honestly.


    ¡°Mutual affection starts with liking each other, and it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to marry now- we can get to know each other slowly. Besides, I¡¯m still young, and my family has always cherished me and respected my wishes, so they probably won¡¯t oppose it.¡±


    Upon hearing this, a subtly joyous expression appeared on her face.


    ¡°By the way, this is for you. It¡¯s called the Peaceful Jade, and wearing it will keep you safe. Regardless of whether we end up married or not, I hope you can live a peaceful life. Life is actually incredibly short, and my belief is that we should hurry to do the things we like.¡±


    The jade pendant that Tang Caixian passed over resembled a crescent moon.


    This shape of jade pendant was quite common.


    Seeing that Qin Niu was dumbfounded and didn¡¯t respond, she giggled, grabbed Qin Niu¡¯s hand, and placed the jade pendant in it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here brazenly to propose marriage because I devalue myself or lack modesty, but because you are the only man I¡¯ve met who has truly moved my heart. I¡¯m afraid if I¡¯m not brave this time, I¡¯ll never have the chance again. Farewell!¡±


    After delivering the jade, she drifted towards the outside.


    Only then did Qin Niu snap back to reality.


    ¡°Miss Tang, please give me some time to seriously consider it.¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡±


    She nodded her head with a smile.


    Qin Niu looked at the jade pendant in his hand, feeling a slight coolness emanating from it and seeping into his skin as he held it. His spiritual power seemed to be slowly growing.


    This jade pendant was anything but ordinary.


    It certainly wasn¡¯t simply a piece of jasper.


    To receive such a precious gift at their first meeting, Qin Niu would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t feel anything.


    This marriage proposal came as if a surprise gift bestowed by heaven.


    He truly had no inkling of preparation for it, and whether to accept it required calm deliberation.


    It was a matter of being responsible both to himself and to the lady.


    Watching her light, graceful steps-a girl who had learned to dance has a different way of walking, exceptionally beautiful..

 Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Chapter 107: You Won’t Die If You Don’t Seek Death 1

    Chapter 112: Chapter 107: You Won¡¯t Die If You Don¡¯t Seek Death 1


    Translator: 549690339


    The jade pendant in his hand was crescent-shaped, and as Qin Niu stared intently at it, he felt as if there were specks of green luminescence twinkling and moving inside. Just like the stars in the sky, they would appear and disappear intermittently.


    This Miss Tang, driven by love, was truly frightening.


    To give away such a valuable item just like that.


    And she had forcefully thrust it into Qin Niu¡¯s hands.


    Emerging from the back courtyard, he prepared to see off the Tang siblings. After all, both deserved respect and courtesy.


    ¡°Qin Niu, get the hell out here!¡±


    Rude cursing came from outside the house.


    Qin Niu was slightly startled. Wang Haikun, that scoundrel, had been taught a lesson by him last time and had been quiet for just a couple of days. How had he become so bold again so soon?


    Given the confidence in that voice, it seemed he had brought back his brother from the city.


    Or perhaps he had already been to the city and talked with his brother, having someone backing him up to dare to act so brazenly now.


    A cold smile formed in Qin Niu¡¯s heart, thinking this man had committed so many evil deeds that it was likely heaven was about to claim him.


    No one could stop it.


    Right after he had been certified as an Insect Master, Wang Haikun came to his doorstep like a lamb to the slaughter.


    It was only right to oblige such a vile creature.


    He walked out from the back courtyard calmly, and upon reaching the front hall, he saw a towering figure blocking the entrance.


    Auntie Hua and Sister He were trembling with fear, huddled together.


    Tang Bin was protecting his delicate and pure sister behind him.


    ¡°Who is this young lady from each place? Quite the beauty, isn¡¯t she!¡±


    Wang Haikun eyed the charming Tang Caixian with evident lechery.


    A degenerate like him couldn¡¯t even dream of marrying such a pretty girl.


    In Shuangfeng Village, aside from Wang Wanyan, there was no second girl as beautiful and lovely as Tang Caixian.


    The making of a beauty wasn¡¯t just about being born with a good look.


    One needed to be nurtured with music, chess, calligraphy, and painting from a young age, raised in good living conditions, and to have proper family instruction and a great teacher for guidance. With the right guidance, girls like her could become even smarter, more decisive, more educated, fair-skinned and beautiful, with outstanding form and temperament.


    The daughters of poor families couldn¡¯t compare unless they were born incredibly beautiful.


    Similarly attractive, a rich family¡¯s daughter would grow up to be much more beautiful than the daughter of a poor family.


    Consider that the daughters of the wealthy are fair-skinned and beautiful, learned and polite, with a superior temperament.


    Whereas the daughters of the poor are gaunt with hunger, help out with farm work every day, resulting in sun-darkened skin, plus they don¡¯t receive an education or proper guidance from a good teacher. They lack the presence and temperament and often have major character flaws.


    For instance, being particularly stubborn, bitter and sarcastic in speech, lacking in proper behavior, and lacking the necessary wisdom, and so on.


    This is why most beautiful girls from poor families end up serving as maids in affluent households.


    The very few who manage to become concubines are considered extremely lucky.


    Moreover, when real wealthy families seek wives, they consider matching social standings essential.


    Even when taking a concubine, there are strict requirements for the woman¡¯s qualities.


    So, a beautiful girl like Tang Caixian, skilled in singing and dancing, learned and polite, is someone Wang Haikun couldn¡¯t even dream of.


    At this moment, Wang Haikun¡¯s eyes, fixed on Tang Caixian hiding behind her brother, resembled a grotesque Wart Toad¡¯s.


    ¡°I am Tang Wenhan of Daoyuan Village¡¯s eldest son, and this is my sister. It¡¯s best if you behave yourself,¡± Tang Bin said to the approaching Wang Haikun, feeling a bit intimidated.


    After all, he was also just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth.


    Having married less than two years ago.


    Facing a violent villain like Wang Haikun, it was natural for him to be afraid.


    ¡°Haha, 1 thought you were some big shot. Turns out you¡¯re just the kids of that old man Tang Wenhan. Even your old man should respectfully address me as ¡®Lord Kun¡¯ when he sees me, and what are you?¡±


    Wang Haikun was adept at bullying the weak.


    With a fierce glare in his eyes, his intimidating presence was overwhelming.


    He extended his burly right hand and swatted, tossing Tang Bin aside with a single motion.


    In brute strength, this evildoer was truly gifted.


    What a pity he hadn¡¯t chosen the right path and hadn¡¯t devoted himself to cultivating any Cultivation Techniques. Otherwise, he surely would have achieved more than this.


    He reached out to grab the frightened Tang Caixian.


    Despite her young age, Tang Caixian showed remarkable bravery when confronted by such a villain.


    ¡°Dare to touch me and see!¡±


    She exuded a spirit that seemed inviolable and unafraid of evil at this moment.


    ¡°Haha, 1¡¯11 touch if I want to, so what?¡±


    Wang Haikun was exceptionally brazen today, reaching out to her cheek.


    But in a flash, a piercing blade light swept across, laced with a faint Blade Qi.


    With just one stroke, Wang Haikun¡¯s right arm had already fallen to the ground, and blood gushed from the severed limb.


    ¡°Try touching again!¡±


    Qin Niu appeared beside Tang Caixian, protecting her behind him.


    The Treasured Sword in his hand was stained with Wang Haikun¡¯s blood.


    The severed arm on the ground was still twitching.


    Wang Haikun didn¡¯t feel much pain, for the speed was too fast and the blade exceedingly sharp.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    A few breaths later, he finally realized what had happened and clutched his severed arm, screeching in pain.


    ¡°Qin Niu, you, you dare to use a blade against me? Just you wait!¡±


    Wang Haikun looked at Qin Niu with eyes filled with fear; he had not expected Qin Niu to be ten times, no, a hundred times stronger than he had imagined.


    And also hiding such a sharp sword.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s voice was not loud, but it carried a terror and authority that made Wang Haikun¡¯s heart tremble.


    ¡°Did I say you could leave?¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Qin Niu still being a low-level Insect Master, he would have cut Wang Haikun down directly.


    Wang Haikun¡¯s body seemed cursed, truly fixed in place, daring not to move an inch. Blood still dripped continuously from his tightly clutched, severed arm.


    ¡°What more do you want?¡±


    Wang Haikun, realizing his miscalculation, was filled with deep resentment, yet he dared not confront Qin Niu directly again.


    He was very clear that if Qin Niu dared to sever his right arm, then he could also sever his left arm or even his head.


    Faced with the fear of death, he couldn¡¯t help but be afraid.


    ¡°You barged into my home, offended my guests, and disrespected me; these are all crimes. Now, go kneel outside in the courtyard. If I don¡¯t tell you to get up, then kneel until death. If you dare disobey, you¡¯ll definitely lose your legs.¡±


    Last time, Qin Niu used Wang Haikun to establish his authority, but it didn¡¯t seem to be very effective.


    That was then, this is now.


    Now that he had the status of an Insect Master, he could act with a bit more audacity.


    For a mere commoner to be jumping around and showing off in the home of an Insect Master, how could Qin Niu let him off without punishment? Would that not disgrace the Insect Master Association?


    With the backing of the Insect Master Association behind him, he now was fearless of Wang Haikun¡¯s brother, who worked in the government offices.


    ¡°My brother has already returned. If you dare do this to me, you¡¯ll face consequences you cannot bear.¡±


    Wang Haikun, knowing he was no match for Qin Niu in combat, could only threaten him with his brother¡¯s authority.


    However, he did not know that Qin Niu, though young, conducted himself with strategies as deep as an old fox¡¯s.


    If he wasn¡¯t confident he could handle his brother, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to strike with his sword.


    ¡°Are you done talking? Once you are, go kneel outside immediately, or 1¡¯11 make sure you can never stand again.¡±


    Qin Niu, holding the sharp weapon, was filled with killing intent.


    Wang Haikun was so frightened that he shuddered inwardly, quickly enduring the pain and fleeing outside to the courtyard.


    But to actually kneel down was somewhat too much for his pride to bear.


    ¡°Not kneeling?¡±


    A lift of Qin Niu¡¯s eyebrow sent a shiver down Wang Haikun¡¯s soul, and he immediately knelt down on the spot.


    This man was very afraid of dying. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t escape for now, he undid his belt with one hand, clenched his teeth, and used both teeth and hand to firmly wrap up his severed arm.


    Otherwise, with so much blood loss, he was likely to die.


    The moment he knelt, the frightening aura established was also declared over.


    ¡°Young Master Tang, Miss Tang, Sister He, Aunt Hua, I¡¯m really sorry for what just happened. I failed to protect all of you, causing you to be frightened,¡± Qin Niu apologized to the four.


    They looked at Qin Niu, who seemed unaffected by severing Wang Haikun¡¯s arm, as if they were seeing him for the first time.


    ¡°I never expected Young Master Qin to have such strong martial skills,¡± Tang Caixian said, looking at him with even more admiration in her eyes.


    That¡¯s it, her infatuation probably just intensified.


    ¡°Ah Niu, hurry up and pack your clothes to flee to the mountains! Do you realize the trouble you¡¯re in? Wang Haikun¡¯s brother works for the government and has returned to the village today. If he finds out what you did to his brother, he will surely not let you off,¡± Aunt Hua warned.


    Being from the village herself, Aunt Hua knew the gravity of the situation.


    After speaking, she left in a hurry.


    Sister He was also quick-witted; hearing this, she immediately made a run for it.


    Before leaving, she did not forget to call out to the Tang siblings brought over by her.


    ¡°Tang Bin, take your sister and hurry back to the village,¡± she said.


    Since she brought them here, if something happened, Tang Wenhan would surely hold her accountable.


    ¡°Brother, our family and Tang Fang¡¯s brother are cousins. Now that Qin Niu is in trouble, we can¡¯t just ignore it. He was only trying to save me when he injured that tyrant. Maybe we should hurry and find him for help,¡± Tang Caixian suggested.


    Her eyes and heart full of Qin Niu, she was only thinking about how to help him get out of this predicament.


    She definitely did not want to see her beloved harmed.


    ¡°Tang Yan¡¯s position as an official is not insignificant, but it¡¯s uncertain whether he can handle this matter,¡± Tang Bin said, frowning deeply. Being two years older than his sister, he was more aware of the hardships and dangers of the world.


    Which official wasn¡¯t cunning?


    Even if Tang Bin himself were in trouble, it wasn¡¯t certain they would help.


    Now asking Tang Yan to offend another government official to save an unrelated person was mostly improbable.


    ¡°Qin Niu, no matter what, you were trying to help my sister when you injured that tyrant. We will definitely try our best to think of a solution, but you should still go hide in the mountains for now, and come out once this has blown over,¡± Tang Bin said, his speech much smoother than his sister¡¯s.


    He did not promise to definitely get Qin Niu out of this, using the word ¡°try¡± instead.


    At the same time, he did not want Qin Niu to be taken away by the government, so he advised him to hide in the mountains.


    Because Tang Bin knew his sister¡¯s character very well; if Qin Niu were caught by the government, with her personality, she would most likely spend all their family¡¯s wealth to save him. That would be very troublesome.


    ¡°Hmm, thank you for your kindness. You should hurry along now!¡± Qin Niu nodded.


    ¡°Miss Tang, 1 should return this item to you¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you take me for? Please do not underestimate Cai Xian,¡± Tang Caixian quickly cut him off, refusing without waiting for him to finish.


    ¡°Little sister, let¡¯s go,¡± Tang Bin urged.


    Not knowing what item his sister had given to Qin Niu, he simply wanted to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible..

 Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Chapter 108: Wang Yue Requests an Audience with Master Qin i

    Chapter 113: Chapter 108: Wang Yue Requests an Audience with Master Qin i


    Translator: 549690339


    Who could have imagined that a marriage proposal would give rise to such a disaster?


    It was truly a calamity from the heavens.


    In his heart, he held some resentment towards Qin Niu, whose actions were too impulsive and inconsiderate of the consequences.


    With his strength, there was no need to sever someone¡¯s arm!


    Even just injuring the person would have been easier to deal with.


    He even felt that Qin Niu, in order to show off in front of his sister, deliberately acted so high-profiledly.


    Tang Caixian was dragged away forcefully by her brother.


    ¡°Young Master Qin, take care! We will surely find a way to help you,¡± she promised Qin Niu before leaving.


    The so-called finding a way meant seeking help from Tang Yan, a high-ranking official from the Tang Family.


    However, they did not know that Tang Yan¡¯s status was not much different from Qin Niu¡¯s.


    Wang Haikun knelt at the entrance of the courtyard, head down, teeth clenched. The pain from his arm was tormenting him continuously.


    His fearsome, ugly face occasionally twisted in agony.


    As the news spread, villagers ran over to watch the spectacle. Nobody dared to approach; they just watched from a distance.


    Wang Furen was the slickest, keeping his door tightly closed, pretending to know nothing.


    Getting involved in this matter could only bring bad luck.


    Avoiding it was the wise choice.


    Wang Wanyan, since receiving the Tempering Elixir bought for her by Qin Niu, had been cultivating in her boudoir.


    With the fifteenth quickly approaching, she wanted to seize the time to break through her cultivation.


    The villagers, upon seeing the local bully Wang Haikun¡¯s arm severed by Qin Niu, all secretly applauded.


    At the same time, they were also worried about Qin Niu¡¯s situation.


    Because everyone had heard that Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother was returning today.


    At this time, Qin Niu would ordinarily go to the mountains to cultivate Termites, and then practice under the Ancient Banyan Tree. Worried about leaving Xiao Qing alone at home and her safety, he could only wait.


    If Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother wasn¡¯t a coward, surely there would be some action upon hearing the news.


    Time passed by slowly, and still, there was no sign of Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother.


    This caused Qin Niu to grow somewhat restless.


    Could it be that Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother truly did not care about his brother¡¯s life and death?


    Almost two hours passed, and then there came the sound of a furiously galloping horse pounding the ground outside the house.


    The sound of horseshoes stopped outside the courtyard.


    The horse¡¯s heavy breathing could be faintly heard.


    It seemed that it had been running for quite some distance.


    From Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother¡¯s house to here was only about two hundred meters; the horse shouldn¡¯t have been so exhausted.


    Could it be that, after receiving the news, Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother went to gather reinforcements?


    It seems that this brother had far more strategies than his brother.


    Seeing Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother arriving with overwhelming momentum, the villagers were so frightened they retreated even further.


    This time, Qin Niu seemed to have no escape from fate, surely doomed.


    ¡°Brother, save me, save me! Wah¡­ My arm was chopped off by Qin Niu, and he made me kneel outside. He clearly doesn¡¯t regard you at all¡­¡±


    Wang Haikun¡¯s wailing immediately followed.


    ¡°Shut up, and kneel there!¡±


    A powerful voice roared, and sure enough, Wang Haikun fell silent.


    He seemed very afraid of his elder brother.


    Soon after, a voice as resounding as a large bell rang out from outside the courtyard.


    ¡°Wang Yue, a candidate for the Black Armored Army, has come to visit Master Qin. I wonder if the master is available to see me now?¡±


    Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother was indeed Wang Yue.


    The speed of this news was quite swift, as he apparently knew about Qin Niu becoming an Insect Master.


    Recalling Wang Yue¡¯s horse panting heavily upon stopping, Qin Niu silently speculated that upon hearing of his brother¡¯s injury, Wang Yue might have gone back to the city first.


    Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t possibly have learned of Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Master identity so quickly.


    The villagers watching the scene instantly exploded in confusion.


    What on earth was going on?


    Wang Yue was a candidate for the Black Armored Army, a terrifying presence. His brother had his arm chopped off by Qin Niu, yet here he was outside, respectfully addressing Qin Niu as Master Qin.


    Everyone was collectively stupefied.


    How could this be?


    Could it be that Qin Niu had quietly obtained a status even more formidable than Wang Yue¡¯s?


    All of them secretly speculated, watching the developments ahead.


    ¡°My master is currently indisposed, please wait a moment!¡±


    Xiao Qing came out to answer.


    After the crowd heard this, they almost burst out laughing.


    Wang Yue, in a low voice, humbly requesting an audience, had already shocked everyone.


    But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Ah Niu said he had to defecate and told Wang Yue to wait outside.


    Not even inviting him inside, this was clearly a deliberate show of power against Wang Yue!


    Yet Wang Yue had no temper at all, dutifully waiting outside the house.


    Wang Haikun by now, no matter how foolish, knew something was amiss.


    He shivered with pain, his complexion turning ashen.


    Had his own brother lost his mind? Why was he being so polite to Qin Niu?


    Being a reserve soldier in the Black Armored Army wasn¡¯t something just anyone could achieve.


    That status was already quite high.


    As time trickled by, Wang Haikun, enduring unbearable pain, pleaded with his brother who was standing outside the courtyard gate.


    ¡°Brother, why are you afraid of him? Just get rid of him and that¡¯s that¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! If you want to live, close your damn mouth, tuck in your tail, and keep your head down.¡±


    Wang Yue¡¯s face was iron blue.


    This morning he had rushed home, only to be told by his younger brother that he¡¯d been bullied by a youngster in the village and couldn¡¯t show his face around the village anymore.


    He took it for the truth and sent Wang Haikun to convey a message, to call that young man over.


    Little did he expect that Wang Haikun, always stirring up trouble, was inadequate in everything but causing failures.


    Seeing Tang Caixian blossom into a charming beauty, he was moved by lust, and then had his hand amputated by Qin Niu.


    There might have still been room for maneuvering before, but now that the situation had escalated, one side had to bow down.


    After learning about Qin Niu¡¯s identity, Wang Yue broke out in a cold sweat.


    He knew his brother had offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have.


    After a full half hour, Xiao Qing came out of the house again.


    ¡°My master invites Mr. Wang inside!¡±


    She opened the courtyard door.


    Though it was just a simple wicker gate, Wang Yue didn¡¯t dare overstep the slightest bit because Qin Niu now held the title of Insect Master.


    The home of an Insect Master¡ªwho would dare to enter without permission?


    Break in?


    Wang Haikun served as a bloody lesson.


    Wang Yue walked into the courtyard with the gifts in hand, thinking to himself how incredibly poor it was inside, utterly dilapidated.


    Yet he dared not act with any audacity.


    In the rundown main hall, Qin Niu sat there, his face indifferent.


    He did not show the slightest intention of rising to greet him.


    This was a stance.


    To let Wang Yue realize who was superior and who was inferior.


    ¡°Wang Yue pays respect to A/laster Qin! Congratulations to Master Qin on becoming the second Insect Master to emerge from Shuangfeng Village.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Wang Yue is too courteous! Please sit!¡±


    Qin Niu, seeing the other party soften, also called him Uncle Wang Yue.


    As a child, Wang Yue had extraordinary martial cultivation talent and had achieved the Twofold level as a common person rather early.


    But his ambitions were great; he was unwilling to be employed as a Protector by the Yan Family and instead went to the city to strive for success.


    After so many years of effort, he had become a substitute soldier in the Black Armored Army, which was no small feat.


    As far as Qin Niu knew, to be part of the Black Armored Army, one must possess at least a Tenfold cultivation level as a common person. To be a substitute, one needed at least an Eightfold level, and even then, some connections or background were required.


    For someone like Wang Yue with no connections or background, and without the support of a powerful family, it was estimated that a Ninefold common person level was necessary to squeeze in.


    Wang Yue didn¡¯t immediately take a seat, instead presenting the hefty gift he was carrying.


    ¡°I have been serving in the army for these past years, and nearly all the silver coins I earned went into my personal cultivation and bribing my superiors, leaving little to spare. This is a piece of soft armor 1 acquired on the battlefield. While it is not top-grade, it does represent my sincere regard for Master Qin. My younger brother Haikun is ignorant and has offended Master Qin greatly; 1 stand in for him to offer an apology. 1 beseech Master Qin to be magnanimous and forgive him this once.


    In the future, I will surely strictly discipline him and ensure he doesn¡¯t cause any more mischief in the village.¡±


    Wang Yue bowed, extending a flat package wrapped in red cloth with both hands.


    Qin Niu did not rush to accept the gift.


    Instead, he spoke indifferently, ¡°I severed your brother¡¯s right arm, creating a deep-seated grudge. Haven¡¯t you and your brother thought of taking revenge on me?¡±


    His gaze was fixed firmly on Wang Yue.


    At this moment, if Wang Yue responded incorrectly, Qin Niu would certainly eliminate the root of the problem in the future.


    Cold sweat beaded on Wang Yue¡¯s forehead.


    Under the gaze of a young man, he felt a pressure as formidable as a mountain.


    ¡°Everything is due to my brother¡¯s own fault; we wouldn¡¯t dare to harbor the slightest resentment against Master Qin. If in the future any members of the Wang Family attempt any act of revenge, may the heavens strike us with lightning, and may we die a horrible death.¡±


    Wang Yue was a ruthless man himself, swearing an oath whilst pointing to the heavens, to show his sincerity..

 Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Chapter 109 The Power of Virtue i

    Chapter 114: Chapter 109 The Power of Virtue i


    Translator: 549690339


    He had wandered the outside world for many years and knew full well the dangers it presented.


    Even though his current level of cultivation was higher than Qin Niu¡¯s, he would never dare to confront an Insect Master head-on.


    Not to mention whether Qin Niu had any formidable insects to deal with him, even if he could defeat him, killing or injuring Qin Niu would invoke the wrath of the Insect Master Association, an entity Wang Yue could not afford to provoke.


    In the past, it was Qin Niu who had to be wary of Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother, but now it was Wang Yue¡¯s turn to be cautious of the Insect Master Association behind Qin Niu.


    This truly was a case of what goes around comes around.


    There was another reason why Wang Yue was so fearful.


    Qin Niu first severed his brother¡¯s arm, and then, when he brought a generous gift to apologize, Qin Niu left him waiting outside for nearly half an hour. And upon meeting, Qin Niu appeared extremely composed.


    All of these convinced Wang Yue that Qin Niu must be absolutely confident in dealing with the two of them.


    It made him even more fearful of Qin Niu.


    The two sides were engaged in a psychological battle; Qin Niu sat calmly on his seat, while Wang Yue was completely unarmed and scared by his own imagination.


    But speaking of which, if Wang Yue didn¡¯t know to act wisely, it was indeed possible that he and his brother would be exterminated together.


    ¡°Bring your brother in!¡±


    Qin Niu accepted the soft armor that Wang Yue presented with both hands.


    It allowed Wang Yue to breathe a huge sigh of relief.


    Qin Niu¡¯s willingness to accept his gift indicated a turning point in the situation. It meant that the lives of the two brothers were spared.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Qin, for your forgiveness!¡±


    After bowing deeply to the ground, Wang Yue straightened up and went outside. He grabbed Wang Haikun¡¯s clothes and carried him in like carrying a little chicken.


    To become a reserve soldier of the Black Armored Army, one¡¯s cultivation was certainly not weak.


    Lifting a nearly 200-pound strong man seemed effortless.


    ¡°Kneel down and wait for Master Qin¡¯s judgement!¡±


    Wang Yue shouted sternly at his brother.


    Wang Haikun surreptitiously raised his eyes to gauge his elder brother, only to see Wang Yue standing with his hands hanging by his sides, his shoulders slightly sagging, facing Qin Niu.


    And the Ah Niu, whom he used to manipulate at will, now sat on the main seat with an indifferent face, a hint of authority emanating from that still youthful face.


    His own brother, after all, was a soldier of the Black Armored Army¡¯s reserves, yet he respectfully addressed Qin Niu as ¡°Master Qin,¡± with every word filled with deference.


    What exactly was Qin Niu¡¯s status?


    How did he suddenly become such a high-ranking and important figure?


    Seeing that even his brother was afraid of Qin Niu, Wang Haikun dared not cause further trouble and got up to kneel before Qin Niu.


    ¡°Please, Master Qin, decide my fate!¡±


    He lowered his head, propped himself up with his one arm, and did not dare to move.


    ii


    If it weren¡¯t for your brother¡¯s sake, given the crimes you¡¯ve committed in the village, you would have been slaughtered a hundred times over. Today, your brother has pleaded on your behalf to spare your life, so I¡¯ll only say three things. First, you stole my wolf skin and hill fertilizers, which together with interest amounts to four taels of silver¡ªwill you repay it or not?¡±


    Qin Niu had initially asked him to repay three taels and four coins of silver.


    He had failed to repay it.


    Now, the amount had risen to four taels.


    It wasn¡¯t really about the money, but it was a matter of principle.


    h


    You beast, to actually dare steal Master Qin¡¯s things¡ªyou must be tired of living! Will you not quickly thank Master Qin for his great leniency?¡±


    Wang Yue, standing beside him, was so angry he wanted to hit his brother.


    Of course, that was likely just for show.


    He had to have been aware of his brother¡¯s usual behavior.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send the silver over to Master Qin later! Thank you, Master Qin, for your great magnanimity.¡±


    Wang Haikun¡¯s heart was bleeding.


    The last time he stole the wolf skin, he had sold it for only one tael and two coins of silver.


    And the hill fertilizers he stole, when applied to the fields, not only did the crops fail to grow, but they began to turn yellow and wilt.


    Now, he had to give Qin Niu four taels of silver, leaving him in tears.


    He was indeed the epitome of suffering a big loss for the sake of a small gain.


    ¡°Second, severing your arm was a light punishment. If you feel resentful and think of revenge, know that next time, the treatment will not be the same.¡±


    ¡°I dare not, 1 would absolutely not entertain any thoughts of revenge!¡±


    After being kicked by his own brother, Wang Haikun immediately succumbed.


    ¡°Please be assured, Master Qin. If he dares to think of revenge, there is no need for you to act¡ªI will send him to his death.¡±


    Wang Yue hastily assured on the side.


    This elder brother was truly ruthless.


    But it was necessary to dispel any thoughts Qin Niu might have had of cutting them down once and for all.


    ¡°Third, if there are any more incidents of bullying men or dominating women, or doing evil to the neighbors, I won¡¯t show mercy.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely reform and never dare to do evil again,¡± vowed Wang Haikun without hesitation, promptly stating his stance.


    ¡°You may go now!¡±


    Qin Niu said to the brothers.


    Both felt as if they had been granted amnesty, and after thanking him, they fled with their tails between their legs.


    The onlooking villagers, witnessing the once-arrogant Wang brothers exit cautiously from Qin Niu¡¯s dilapidated house, were all filled with awe. They realized that Shuangfeng Village had changed without them noticing.


    Qin Niu had now become the most esteemed person in Shuangfeng Village.


    His status was even higher than that of Wang Yue.


    ¡°How did Ah Niu suddenly become so powerful?¡±


    ¡°Did he become an official?¡±


    ¡°If he were an official, there should be an entourage from the government beating drums and praising him along the streets. It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s become an official. His crops at home are growing so well; perhaps he has been promoted to a high-ranking farmer,¡± speculated the crowd.


    There was a range of opinions as everyone guessed Qin Niu¡¯s current status.


    At the same time, everyone became even more reverent towards Qin Niu.


    Just then, Tang Fang from Daoyuan Village brought his younger brother to inspect Qin Niu¡¯s old residence.


    Tang Fang was a clever man and should have arrived earlier.


    Curiously, he chose to ¡®arrive¡¯ just after the departure of the Wang brothers, which was very astute.


    ¡°Master Tang, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°To help build a new residence for Master Qin of your village!¡±


    ¡°All¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, a murmur of astonishment spread among the onlookers.


    Qin Niu was truly on the rise, with a status and position even more formidable than Wang Yue, and now he was constructing a new house. It was truly enviable.


    ¡°Master Qin, may 1 ask if now would be a convenient time to inspect your old residence?¡±


    Tang Fang didn¡¯t bother with the others, and directly stood outside the gate and respectfully posed the question.


    ¡°Convenient, very convenient! Master Tang, please come in!¡±


    Qin Niu stepped out of his house to personally receive him.


    He was still clad in coarse cloth garments patched up in many places, but he seemed to carry a bit more authority now.


    ¡°This is my younger brother, Tang Jun, who has been working with me as a roofer since he was twelve, and later went to the city to study for two years. His skills have even surpassed mine. Moreover, some of his clever layouts and building methods are at the forefront of the latest trends.¡±


    Tang Fang introduced the middle-aged man beside him.


    About thirty years old, he looked extremely composed, his eyes and forehead gleaming with the unique wisdom of a craftsman.


    ¡°I¡¯ve met Master Qin!¡±


    Tang Jun greeted him with clasped hands and a respectful bow.


    ¡°No need for formalities! I will be relying on you and your brother for my new residence, please do take care, and rest assured that you will be treated fairly for your efforts.¡±


    With a gesture of his right hand, Qin Niu signaled to Tang Jun that further courtesy was unnecessary.


    He then took the two brothers to inspect the old house inside and out.


    When they inspected the side adjacent to Wang Furen¡¯s home, Wang Furen himself came out.


    ¡°Master Qin, are you planning to build a new house here?¡±


    Wang Furen addressed Qin Niu with respect.


    It appeared that the cunning Wang Furen had been eavesdropping from inside the house all along.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, you can just call me Ah Niu. When I was destitute, not only did you refrain from oppressing me, but you also helped me a great deal. Our relationship is, of course, special.¡±


    Qin Niu was a person who remembered past kindnesses.


    He had always been grateful to Wang Furen¡¯s family.


    ¡°Master Qin, I am truly grateful that you remember our past kindnesses, but social decorum is strict. I¡¯m a commoner, you¡¯re the nobility, 1 wouldn¡¯t dare overstep.¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s face was filled with contentment, but also a great sense of emotion.


    Who could have imagined the once underestimated Qin Niu would become so noble?


    Indeed, one should not despise the poor youth.


    The growth of children is unpredictable to everyone.


    ¡°If the land for building your house is insufficient, my family¡¯s land is at your disposal.¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s home was separated from Qin Niu¡¯s by about three meters, consisting of a piece of land in between.


    Two meters of it belonged to Wang Furen¡¯s family, and one meter to Old Man Liu.


    This was a division made by the previous generation.


    ¡°Alright, thank you, Uncle Wang! If I really need it, 1 will certainly buy it from you with money, not take it for nothing.¡±


    Back when Qin Niu was weak, Wang Furen had never bullied him or encroached on his homestead.


    Now that Qin Niu was strong, he naturally would not bully Wang Furen either.


    While they were surveying the homestead, another neighbor, Big Sister Mo, came over with a basket full of chicken eggs.


    Big Sister Mo was of medium height, with robust arms and legs, and her eyes were as cold as a wolf¡¯s. She was known in the village for being a formidable character.


    No one could withstand her barrage of curses in a quarrel.


    Her other neighboring household, Wu San, had been literally sickened by her curses on several occasions.


    It should be noted that Wu San was her husband¡¯s own brother.


    Qin Niu usually gave Big Sister Mo a wide berth, not wanting to provoke this woman.


    Wang Furen and Big Sister Mo were his next-door neighbors, but he had no interactions with Big Sister Mo¡¯s family.


    Instead, their homestead kept encroaching on his own.


    It wasn¡¯t an outright grab; rather, it was subtle encroachment, little by little.


    ¡°Ah Niu, these are chicken eggs my family had saved up. 1 had intended to sell them for money, but now I¡¯m giving them to you.¡±


    Although Big Sister Mo¡¯s face was filled with an ingratiating smile, the arrogance in her heart still made her speak to Qin Niu with a condescending attitude.


    A gift of chicken eggs was now somehow presented as an act of charity.


    Qin Niu gave her a detached look.


    That one look sent a shiver through Big Sister Mo as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.


    Without saying a word, he continued surveying the homestead with the Tang brothers.


    After inspecting Wang Furen¡¯s side, they proceeded to the left side.


    Big Sister Mo followed, her face betraying a certain amount of embarrassment.


    ¡°All Niu, I have two children, and our homestead is already small; you can¡¯t encroach on our land!¡±


    She forced a smile as she greeted him.


    Only a woman as tactless and oblivious as Big Sister Mo could be suited to being a scolding fishwife.


    ¡°Master Qin, this side seems a bit tight! If we build with three rooms and seven bays, I¡¯m afraid the entranceway in the front yard will become too narrow.¡±


    After inspecting, Tang Jun suggested with some difficulty to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Could some kind villager please fetch the village head for me? Here¡¯s five wen as a tip for the trouble.¡±


    After hearing this, Qin Niu glanced at his homestead that had been heavily encroached upon by Big Sister Mo¡¯s family.


    Yet, he did not resort to force.


    The Yan Family¡¯s way of winning people over with kindness appealed to him.


    So, he decided to follow their example.


    I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go! No need for money! It would be my honor to serve Master Qin!¡±


    It was Liu Shengli from the Liu Family.


    He had been thinking of getting his hands on Qin Niu¡¯s secret fertilizer formula, but upon seeing how formidable Qin Niu had become, he completely abandoned that idea.


    Now his sole intention was to find an opportunity to cling to Qin Niu¡¯s coattails.


    ¡°Brother Ah Niu, just leave this kind of task to me!¡±


    Er Dan reacted even faster and dashed off without a trace.


    Liu Shengli cursed behind him, ¡°You blockhead Er Dan, why do you compete with your Uncle Liu over this!¡±


    Before long, Village Head Xu Zhenchang was summoned.


    Indeed, the village head of Shuangfeng Village was Xu Zhenchang.


    Ever since the old village head passed away, the villagers had elected Xu Zhenchang as their village head.


    Naturally, this was not without the support of the Yan Family.


    The Yan Family, being one of the most dominant forces in Jade Stream Town, had already extended its influence into every corner.


    It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that when it came to the control of public opinion, the Yan Family¡¯s influence locally far exceeded that of the government..

 Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Chapter 110 Dealing with a Shrew i

    Chapter 115: Chapter 110 Dealing with a Shrew i


    Translator: 549690339


    Sister-in-law Mo saw that Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t play along with her, so she picked up her basket of eggs and went back.


    For a fierce woman like her, it wasn¡¯t possible that she would give a basket of eggs to Ah Niu for free.


    Iler idea was naive, hoping to offer a basket of eggs and then have Qin Niu eat and speak softly, yielding a few parts of the homestead land to her family. Could this happen?


    In the countryside, land, homestead land is the lifeblood of a farmer.


    Old Man Liu couldn¡¯t defeat Sister-in-law Mo¡¯s family and could only suffer in silence; that was fine.


    But now that Ah Niu had grown up and become stronger, he was fully capable of suppressing Sister-in-law Mo¡¯s entire family.


    The encroached-upon homestead land had to be reclaimed, every inch of it.


    If it were to be taken by force, then the justified would become unjustified, and it would end up with a bad reputation for oppressing the common people.


    Therefore, the matter needed to be handled through the village chief.


    The village chief didn¡¯t have much power, just organizing the villagers to meet and discuss things like water conservation and road repairs from time to time. If there were conflicts and disputes among villagers, the village chief would deal with them first.


    If it was a large village with the same surname, there would be family elders in addition to the village chief.


    Generally known as the Three Elders.


    They were the most respected and revered elders in the family.


    Their status was equivalent to that of local officials, but in reality, they were semi-official, semi-civil.


    The elders¡¯ power was great; for example, if a woman committed adultery, an elder¡¯s word could have the adulteress caught and dunked in a pig cage. Or if someone in the family made a mistake, the elders could call a family meeting and impose family rules on the wrongdoer.


    Even if someone was beaten to death, the authorities wouldn¡¯t pursue it.


    Shuangfeng Village couldn¡¯t be considered a large village with scattered surnames, so it was impossible to have family elders. For instance, the Liu Family was a large family in Shuangfeng Village, prolific and thriving, but the elders elected by the Liu Family could only govern their own people.


    Wanting to govern other surnames, naturally, they would not agree.


    Xu Zhenchang, in order to protect his power as village chief, also would not allow such a thing to happen.


    Don¡¯t think that just because Xu Zhenchang was a hard-working tenant, he¡¯d be easy to talk to.


    One isn¡¯t a man without poison.


    When he needed to be ruthless, he would definitely be beyond imagination.


    The difference between him and village tyrants like Wang I laikun was that Xu Zhenchang would act legally and reasonably, needing to draw on the power of the public to accomplish things, rather than doing whatever he wanted.


    Soon, Xu Zhenchang hurried over.


    Riding on a donkey.


    His family didn¡¯t have oxen, but they kept a donkey for grinding and carrying loads.


    Actually, with Xu Zhenchang¡¯s strength, he could have easily kept an ox.


    But every year he spent a high price to rent oxen from the Yan Family to cultivate his land.


    The most successful tenant didn¡¯t rely solely on superior farming techniques.


    For a successful individual, interpersonal skills must also be outstanding; otherwise, it¡¯s very difficult to become successful.


    ¡°Village chief!¡±


    ¡°Rich Xu!¡±


    Everyone eagerly greeted the village chief.


    ¡°Good, greetings to all my fellow villagers!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang had already dismounted from the donkey and kept nodding in response.


    He made his way to the front of Qin Niu¡¯s house.


    ¡°I, Xu Zhenchang, the village chief of Shuangfeng Village, pay my respects to Master Qin!¡±


    It was a full and respectful salute, without the slightest hesitation.


    This Xu Zhenchang knew how to deal with situations!


    ¡°No formalities! Uncle Xu, I asked you to come today because I wish to build a new house. But Wu Si¡¯s family has taken advantage of my youth and my foster father¡¯s honesty, unceasingly encroaching on our homestead land. I need you to stand up for us and make a fair judgment in front of everyone here.¡±


    Ah Niu¡¯s calling him Uncle Xu made Xu Zhenchang feel more refreshed than drinking ice water on a hot June day.


    Yet, his face showed a serious expression.


    ¡°I have a record of all the homestead land in the village. 1 will inspect it first. If Wu Si¡¯s family really is so lacking in virtue, I will surely give Master Qin justice.¡±


    He spoke with righteous indignation.


    A posture of impartiality, demonstrating a refusal to favor anyone.


    Life is like a play, all depending on acting skills.


    To hold onto the position of village head, one needed more than just a few clever moves.


    First, he took a look around, already calculating in his mind.


    He selected three elderly men from the crowd of onlookers on the spot.


    Whether intentionally or not, the three elders he chose had all been scolded by Sister Mo before, including Wu San, who had been berated numerous times.


    This man was actually Wu Si¡¯s blood brother.


    But everyone knew that the two brothers were now sworn enemies who often engaged in ¡®mad dog¡¯ fights, cursing and bickering at each other like rabid dogs.


    The reason was simple.


    Sister Mo, the ever burning lamp, wished nothing more than to quietly take over the entire Shuangfeng Village.


    In addition to encroaching on Qin Niu¡¯s homestead, she would also embezzle Wu San¡¯s land.


    As for Wu San being her husband¡¯s own brother, that counted for nothing. When compared to self-interest, even gaining an extra inch of homestead land was more desirable.


    ¡°I remember that back then, Old Man Liu¡¯s homestead boundary was marked by that large camphor tree.¡±


    ¡°Right, I remember it very clearly, it¡¯s three feet to this side of the big camphor tree.¡±


    ¡°No mistake, it should be at least three feet on this side. Wu Si really lacks moral integrity. Not only did he occupy the three feet on this side of the camphor tree, but he also encroached by more than a full ten feet. It¡¯s too much bullying.¡±


    The three elders who bore grudges against Wu Si¡¯s family were asked to act as referees. If they didn¡¯t use this opportunity to take private revenge, they would have lived in vain for decades.


    Sister Mo had already called her husband out and brought two children who were about seven or eight years old.


    Sister Mo wore a look of dominance, while Wu Si was cowering.


    He was basically dragged over by his wife.


    ¡°Village head! It¡¯s not easy for you to come over, here¡¯s a little money for wine!¡±


    Sister Mo actually stuffed money into Xu Zhenchang¡¯s hand in front of everyone.


    She was indeed generous, giving two Silver Pieces, the kind that were scrap silver.


    They must have weighed at least one qian.


    Because Silver Pieces were easier to counterfeit, their value was lower than that of solid Official Silver.


    A qian of Silver Pieces could be exchanged for about eighty copper coins.


    If it were Official Silver, one One Tael of Silver was equivalent to one thousand copper coins. When the silver rate was high, it could even be exchanged for up to eleven hundred copper coins.


    ¡°What are you doing? Are you trying to bribe me, the village head, in public? What we do is seen by the heavens; I cannot accept this dishonest money.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang threw the money on the ground angrily.


    He showed everyone an image of being fair and just.


    ¡°Wu Si, I have personally checked, and also asked three of the village elders to check. We all agree that your family has encroached on Old Man Liu¡¯s homestead. And it¡¯s not just a little bit; it¡¯s at least ten feet and three inches.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang looked sternly at Wu Si, who was shrinking back.


    ¡°What? What did you say? My family has occupied ten feet and three inches of their land?¡±


    Sister Mo asked back in a shrill voice.


    ¡°My family¡¯s fence is clearly here; how could it possibly have encroached on All Niu¡¯s homestead? You¡¯re the village head; you can¡¯t side with them just because Qin Niu has become an official now. The villagers are watching; everyone help judge fairly.¡±


    Unfortunately, Sister Mo wasn¡¯t well-liked.


    Plus, with Qin Niu now even more powerful than Wang Yue, who would dare to risk offending Qin Niu to speak up for Sister Mo¡¯s family?


    Only if their brains had been kicked by a donkey.


    ¡°Mrs. Mo, you¡¯re used to being domineering in the village, and everyone makes allowances for you. That¡¯s because they see you as a woman and don¡¯t want to be petty with you. Now, I and the three elders in the village have confirmed it, so what are you still clamoring about? It¡¯s not that the one with the shrillest voice is right.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang chastised Sister Mo solemnly and strictly for her wrongdoing.


    ¡°Wu Si, do you see that big camphor tree? Using it as the marker, then moving three feet in this direction, it all belongs to Old Man Liu¡¯s homestead. You¡¯d better tear down that broken fence quickly, and dismantle the thatched houses you¡¯ve built in the last two years, and return the land to them. It¡¯s only because Master Qin is kind-hearted; otherwise, your fate wouldn¡¯t be any better than Wang Haikun¡¯s.¡±


    The village head still had some power.


    Following the verdict, if Wu Si still refused to accept, it would be like refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.


    ¡°Building those two thatched huts with difficulty wasn¡¯t easy for me. I beg the village head and Master Qin to consider my hardship and not make me tear them down. I¡¯m willing to make some compensation.¡± Wu Si trembled with fear.


    He also knew he¡¯d done wrong and was clearly aware of his guilt..

 Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Chapter ill Gained Prestige i

    Chapter 116: Chapter ill Gained Prestige i


    Translator: 549690339


    Some things, when done in secret, may seem unnoticed. But now, with the village head personally investigating and even bringing village elders to testify, Wu Si couldn¡¯t possibly deny it.


    His idea was simple, offer some compensation, and send Qin Niu on his way.


    This was also his habitual arrogant thinking at play; he hadn¡¯t fully accepted Qin Niu¡¯s assertive rise.


    In the eyes of people like Big Sister Mo and Wu Si, even if Qin Niu had become somewhat more formidable, he was still just a slightly improved version of the old foolish All Niu.


    So now you¡¯re publicly admitting to the encroachment of Old Man Liu¡¯s house foundation land, right?¡±


    Xu Zhenchang asked.


    ¡°I did take up a bit of it.¡±


    Under pressure, Wu Si had no choice but to concede.


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken a whole yard and three feet wide of his land, and you call that a bit?¡±


    Xu Zhenchang challenged him.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to compensate; please Master Qin and the village head be generous.¡±


    Wu Si bowed and scraped repeatedly.


    ¡°Master Qin, what do you think?¡±


    Xu Zhenchang turned to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Not an inch of ground will be given up!¡±


    Qin Niu simply replied with four cold words.


    ¡°Master Qin, you intend to build a new house, which requires a considerable amount of money. If you want something slightly more magnificent, you need at least seven or eight taels of silver. I¡¯m willing to offer you five maces of silver as compensation; what do you think?¡±


    Wu Si proposed a figure as compensation.


    ii


    Does Master Qin lack your five maces of silver? Just the advance payment for my labor costs five taels,¡± Tang Fang couldn¡¯t help but speak up for Qin Niu.


    The intention to please was obvious.


    That¡¯s how people are, when you¡¯re powerful, the whole world is full of good people, supporters, and friends everywhere.


    When you¡¯re down on your luck, everyone is ready to kick you while you¡¯re down.


    Big Sister Mo was closely monitoring the situation.


    Seeing that the five maces of silver didn¡¯t solve the issue, she rushed to the spot where the two properties met, pulling her two children along. She threw herself to the ground with a wail and had her children lie down with her.


    ¡°Oh heavens¡­ Open your eyes and look! They¡¯re all bullying our family; if there¡¯s any justice, let lightning strike down those evildoers! 1 can¡¯t live anymore, wu wu¡­¡±


    This woman, when throwing a fit, let her hair down and lay on the ground crying as if her heaven and earth had fallen apart, appearing even more ¡®heartbroken¡¯ than if her parents were dead.


    The children, too young to know any better, joined their mother on the ground, weeping piteously; the scene was tragic.


    ¡°Wu Si, I¡¯ll just ask you once, are you going to return the encroached house foundation land or not?¡±


    Xu Zhenchang already intended to win favor with Qin Niu, and now that he had the upper hand, he was even less apprehensive.


    The surrounding villagers also began to accuse Wu Si¡¯s family of wrongdoing.


    ¡°Then 1 have no choice but to ask the authorities to settle this matter! Hmph, when your wife ends up in jail, at the mercy of the prison guards, don¡¯t regret it. And if you go in, you¡¯ll likely suffer physical torments as well.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Wu Si¡¯s face instantly turned ashen.


    Even Big Sister Mo on the ground stopped her antics immediately.


    She scrambled up and threw herself at Xu Zhenchang¡¯s feet, pulling her children with her.


    ¡°Village head, please have mercy on us, a mother and her children; can we please not tear down the house? Where would we live if it¡¯s demolished?¡±


    She was praying to the wrong deity.


    The real decision-maker wasn¡¯t Xu Zhenchang.


    ¡°You refused the toast only to drink the forfeit, this is all brought upon yourselves.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s face darkened, ready to report to official authorities on the spot.


    Frightened, Big Sister Mo immediately grabbed hold of him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll demolish it; we agree to demolish! A weak arm cannot twist a strong thigh. We¡¯ve all seen how Qin Niu bullies his neighbors¡­¡±


    Slap!


    Xu Zhenchang landed a heavy slap across the face of this shrew.


    The crowd felt a rush of gratification.


    ¡°The facts are clear, the evidence is conclusive; your family has occupied Master Qin¡¯s house foundation land, yet here you are, distorting the truth. Do you think with just your word, you can slander others at will? If you dare to make a scene again, don¡¯t blame me for not considering our fellow townspeople¡¯s feelings¡ªI¡¯ll send your whole family to the officials. Then, you can cry for injustice all you want in the court.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang sternly rebuked Big Sister Mo.


    That slap had thoroughly subdued her.


    Usually, when she quarreled with other villagers, this tactic worked without fail.


    But now, facing power, all her tricks that normally worked on the common folk turned into a joke.


    ¡°Wu wu¡­ 1 don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡±


    After being publicly slapped, Big Sister Mo was stunned for a moment before breaking into loud wails, threatening to jump into the river and seek death.


    Wu Si was a man who usually feared his wife.


    But he had now recognized the reality, and with no hope of escape, he ran over and grasped his wife.


    ¡°Get back home!¡±


    This was the first time he had shown authority in front of his wife.


    Big Sister Mo initially resisted, but Wu Si gave her a couple of fierce slaps on her backside.


    She immediately quieted down.


    After dragging Big Sister Mo back into the house, the whole world seemed to quiet down.


    Wu Si quickly came out again, holding a hoe and a sickle in his hands.


    The crowd assumed he was out for a fight with Qin Niu.


    ¡°Master Qin, it¡¯s our fault for taking your land; I¡¯ll demolish it right away. 1 only ask that you look past the small person¡¯s faults, and not hold it against my family.¡±


    After apologizing, Wu Si began to dismantle the fence.


    Seeing this, Xu Zhenchang showed a satisfied expression.


    People were filled with awe for Qin Niu.


    In just one day, Qin Niu¡¯s status within the village soared to the highest point.


    From the likes of local bullies like Wang Haikun, with a certain backing from officials, to shrews like Big Sister Mo who threw tantrums and rolled on the ground, he had managed to deal with all of them. Moreover, he always held the moral high ground, which made the villagers both fear and respect him.


    This was precisely the effect Qin Niu wanted to achieve.


    Having authority locally ensures that one¡¯s interests are not compromised.


    Otherwise, dealing with all sorts of people who love to take advantage of small benefits every other day would absolutely drive one to frustration, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Just look at the Yan Family¡ªsuch a vast expanse of forest they own, and not a single villager from miles around would dare to encroach upon it in the slightest.


    ¡°Thank you, village chief, for handling this matter fairly, and thank you fellow villagers for upholding justice! I, Qin Niu, am a person from Shuangfeng Village. Within my capabilities, I will certainly protect my community.¡±


    After settling the matter with the homestead, Qin Niu expressed his gratitude to the village chief and the villagers.


    ¡°Master Qin is too modest! For Shuangfeng Village to have a personage like you is truly a blessing for our village! Should Master Qin require assistance with anything in the future, Xu is always at your disposal.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang looked at the young man before him, his heart fraught with complex emotions.


    Back in the day, he was the most outstanding youth in the village, and to this day, he remains the most successful tenant.


    Yet Qin Niu was even more outstanding, and his future accomplishments were certain to far surpass his own.


    Right now, he was thinking about establishing good relations with Qin Niu.


    ¡°Master Qin, we will need your care even more in the times to come!¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t have to worry about being bullied by neighboring villages anymore!¡±


    Everyone, in turn, voiced their joy at the emergence of such an esteemed individual from Shuangfeng Village.


    Qin Niu felt a previously unknown power within him, not merely authority, but prestige.


    Still weak.


    In the future, as long as he accomplished a few significant deeds for the village, his prestige within the community would soar to unprecedented heights.


    With the support of the local populace, his actions in the future would become much more convenient.


    After accompanying the Tang brothers to measure out the homestead, he finalized the construction plans for the new house.


    All that remained was to purchase materials and demolish the old house before construction could begin.


    Inside the house, Tang Fang sincerely said to Qin Niu, ¡°Master Qin, acquiring materials is generally managed by the head of the household. If you¡¯re willing, 1 can handle it alongside you. 1 guarantee I won¡¯t make a penny in profit, and I will diligently select the very best materials for you.¡±


    Unsolicited kindness always has an ulterior motive.


    Qin Niu gazed at Tang Fang and said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t help me with this for nothing; state your true purpose.¡±


    ¡°My younger brother holds an official position in the city, and though his rank is not low, he lacks a solid foundation. Watching you handle matters earlier, I found you to be full of strategy, and your heart is kind, as you did not take severe measures against Wu Si¡¯s family. I believe you to be a person worthy of association. I would ask that you offer my brother the chance to make your acquaintance, seeing as I¡¯ve exerted myself on your behalf.¡±


    Tang Fang revealed his true intentions.


    For the sake of his brother¡¯s future, he was indeed going to great lengths.


    ¡°I admire the brotherly bond you have. When your third brother comes back, I can pay him a visit.¡±


    Qin Niu thought it would be good to extend his network of contacts.


    When the time came, he could have a chat with Tang Fang¡¯s younger brother, and should they get along, they could become acquainted.


    The union of strength would benefit both parties.


    He seemed quite humble, speaking of taking the initiative to visit, rather than waiting for the other to come seeking an audience with him.


    Let¡¯s agree on that, then!¡±


    Tang Fang, having successfully made connections for his brother, was very pleased.


    Having taken care of his family affairs, Qin Niu, along with Xiao Niu, hastily entered the mountain.


    Along the way, when they encountered villagers, all respectfully stepped aside to let him pass first.


    This change was something that Qin Niu was still getting used to.


    Nevertheless, he must adapt because his status in the future would only rise higher. From the moment he became an Insect Master, it was destined that he would no longer be an ordinary person.


    ¡°Brother Ah Niu!


    Er Dan, with a basket on his back and a sickle for cutting grass in his hand, followed behind his father.


    Upon spotting Qin Niu from afar, he immediately called out cheerfully.


    ¡°You child, you lack manners. In the future, you must call him Master Qin.¡±


    After scolding his son, Er Dan¡¯s father set down the load from his shoulders and greeted Qin Niu with a clasped fist bow.


    ¡°The child doesn¡¯t know any better, please don¡¯t take offense, Master Qin.¡±


    ¡°Take offense at what! Er Dan and I have always called each other that way; Er Dan, keep calling me Brother All Niu, and don¡¯t listen to your dad!¡±


    Hehe, alright then!¡±


    Er Dan grinned broadly.


    ¡°You blockhead, aren¡¯t you going to thank Master Qin?¡±


    His father scolded him.


    While Er Dan¡¯s father chastised him with his words, a trace of secret pleasure appeared on his face.


    Having a good relationship with his son and Qin Niu meant not being turned away when they needed favor in the future.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for so many formalities; go on with your work!¡±


    Qin Niu waved his hand and continued on his way.


    When he arrived at the Ant Nest in the mountains, he was delighted to see the termite colony.


    He had not expected to change his destiny so quickly through a colony of termites.


    ¡°Come out and let me take a look at you all!¡±


    At his command, Fourth, the strongest among them, was the first to crawl out.


    Its speed was astoundingly fast.


    Immediately following it, several new varieties emerged among the termites crawling out after him.


    His termite colony was becoming increasingly diverse.


    Four burly termites with metallic luster on their bodies instantly captured Qin Niu¡¯s attention.


    On their bodies were green circular spots.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see that these green spots were thicker than regular skin, slightly raised, like green scales.


    Their legs, mandibles, and maxillary palpi were all very sturdy.


    Their mouthparts were also highly developed.


    It seemed that their gnawing abilities might even be stronger than those of the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants.


    They would likely be able to drag heavier objects, too.


    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, these four were probably the new form of the Worker Ants after being cultivated for strength.


    Checking the ant colony¡¯s attributes, he easily found their description..

 Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Chapter 112: The Second Level 3 Termite i

    Chapter 117: Chapter 112: The Second Level 3 Termite i


    Translator: 549690339


    Four Grade Two Green-Scale Giant Worker Ants, lifespan 13.3 years, special abilities (super endurance, immense strength, powerful biting and chewing, the formic acid they spit out can assist with the healing of plant wounds. Primary green scales.)


    Compared with the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants, it lacked the swift attribute in its special abilities but gained immense strength, super endurance, and primary green scales.


    One should know that the immense strength special ability, so far, was only possessed by the evolved Fourth.


    Their size was twice as large as the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants.


    Their mandibles, maxillae, labial palpi, and six legs were all more robust, making them seem like small giants among the worker ants.


    Undoubtedly, their work efficiency would also be higher.


    Qin Niu compared them with the Grade Two Tiger-striped Iron Armor Ants and felt that the evolution directions of the worker and soldier ants were completely different.


    Worker ants were evolving towards logistic supports, while soldier ants were leaning towards combat efficiency.


    This was quite good.


    However, within the worker ants, there was also a special force evolving towards combat, which was the Puppet Ants.


    After reviewing the attributes of the evolved Green-Scale Giant Worker Ants, his gaze fell on the Grade Two Tiger-striped Iron Armor Ant next to Fourth.


    Its size had grown a bit larger.


    Its head had increased by two sizes compared to before but not as exaggerated as the Big-headed Puppet Ants and Big-headed Ghost Ants.


    Its antennae, like those of the Ghost Ants, were braided together like a twist cord, with the base merging into one large pedestal.


    Furthermore, the green patterns on its body had become a few degrees more intricate.


    The color had also deepened a bit.


    When it emerged from the nest, it was in front of the four Grade Two Green-Scale Giant Worker Ants, lagging only half a body¡¯s length behind Fourth.


    It seemed its status and identity within the ant colony were firmly established as third place.


    Qin Niu eagerly checked its attributes.


    One Grade Three Tiger-striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant, lifespan 11.66 years, special abilities (armor piercing, possesses primary carapace, frenzy; in a frenzied state, speed increases threefold, attack power tenfold, and defense power doubles. Capable of emitting mental attack waves to other insect species, with a certain probability of severely wounding the enemy, causing them to go insane or lose the ability to move.)


    My goodness, it had actually evolved directly from Grade Two to a Grade Three termite.


    Its special abilities were insanely powerful.


    Not only did it possess terrifying close-combat skills, but it also had the capability of mental wave attacks, essentially possessing long-range attack capabilities.


    1 was truly looking forward to its performance on the battlefield.


    It might well stand out on its own.


    Qin Niu also discovered an interesting fact¡ªail the soldier ants seemed to obey its commands.


    Including the Dark Poison Ant, which likewise looked up to it as the leader.


    And it in turn followed Fourth¡¯s commands.


    Conversely, Fifth, who had initially been chosen by Qin Niu to serve as the Grade Two commander, had now become ordinary, lost among the crowd.


    Primarily because the entire ant colony¡¯s evolution was too rapid.


    Qin Niu was almost helping a group of termites evolve every day.


    Therefore, the number of the strong kept increasing.


    The Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants were initially the most impressive, but now they were completely unable to compare with those fancy high-grade breeds of ants.


    Especially exceptional beings like Fourth and the Grade Three Tiger-striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant.


    Next, he went through the entire ant colony one by one, doing a roll call.


    The two Ghost Soldier Ants and Puppet Worker Ants used for experiments, after consuming the Banyan Tree Blood, failed to advance but only gained an ability to crawl or attack swiftly. They were still Grade One termites.


    This result was close to what Qin Niu had deduced.


    If the Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants wanted to evolve a second time, they needed to consume more Banyan Tree Blood.


    But now that they had consumed Banyan Tree Blood once, eating it a second time was ineffective.


    It also meant that they lost the chance to advance to Grade Two termites with the help of Banyan Tree Blood.


    Their lifespan and special abilities were no match for those fully evolved Grade Two termites.


    This was very regrettable.


    Fortunately, these ant species were easy to cultivate, and they were originally bred from ordinary termites.


    Having become sacrificial subjects for experiments, there was nothing Qin Niu could do about it.


    Looked at from another angle, they still came out ahead.


    Originally having only a few months or up to three years to live, now their lifespan had increased greatly, and their special abilities were more than ten times stronger than those of ordinary termites. They had lived a glorious life.


    One Puppet Ant, after being fed a sufficient amount of Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, successfully advanced.


    One Grade Two Lightning Puppet Worker Ant, lifespan 14 years, special abilities (swiftness, powerful biting and chewing, the formic acid they spit out can assist with the healing of plant wounds. Has a certain probability of controlling other insect species; the lower the controlled creature¡¯s grade, the more likely the control will be successful.)


    Not bad, it was tantamount to a combination of a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant and a Puppet Worker Ant.


    Its lifespan was one year longer than that of a regular Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant.


    In terms of mobility and defensive capabilities, it was much stronger than a regular Puppet Worker Ant.


    Qin Niu checked the two Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants used for experiments, after feeding them Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, they evolved into Grade Two Lightning Puppet Worker Ants just the same, the abilities were exactly identical.


    It appeared that they were converging to the same result.


    No matter if they were first fed Thousand Eyes Tree Blood or Banyan Tree Blood, their ultimate evolution was into the same ant species.


    The only difference being, if first fed a sufficient quantity of Banyan Tree Blood, allowing them to advance to Grade Two, and then fed Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, the entire evolution process seemed a bit safer and easier.


    And it consumed less Banyan Tree Blood.


    This time he brought over a good quantity of Banyan Tree Blood and Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, and the cultivation of the ant colony began anew.


    Having accumulated many successful experiences, he operated with more safety and efficiency.


    He did not rush into cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Instead, he chose to postpone it by one day, first allowing Fourth to consume Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, helping it to evolve a special long-range attack ability.


    Days went by like this. Qin Niu¡¯s old house had been demolished, and the new house was being urgently constructed.


    Wang Furen brought him some supplies but did not invite Qin Niu to stay at his home.


    He was simply afraid that with Qin Niu¡¯s now esteemed status, if he stayed at his place, he might aim for his daughter.


    He feared even more that it would be like inviting a wolf into his home.


    It¡¯s easy to invite a Buddha, but hard to send one away.


    Qin Niu did not point this out.


    Just that these past few days, Wang Wanyan had not shown her face. In the past, whenever Qin Niu passed by her building, she would always open her window to chat with him or give him some food.


    She probably hid in her room to seize the chance to cultivate after receiving the three Tempering Elixirs.


    She wanted to struggle against fate and did not wish to comply with her father to marry some influential young master from the city.


    With the status of an Insect Master, Qin Niu now had the power to help her if she needed it.


    To at least persuade Wang Furen not to force his daughter, it should not be a problem.


    Wu Si¡¯s family had obediently returned the land they¡¯d encroached on.


    It¡¯s just that ever since the village chief slapped Madam Mo, she had rarely been seen.


    She probably feared the ridicule of the other villagers.


    After Wang Haikun was harshly dealt with by Qin Niu, losing an arm, he had been healing at home, also no longer emerging to harass the neighbors.


    This made the villagers of Shuangfeng Village clap their hands in approval.


    Many villagers praised Qin Niu behind his back as the lucky star of Shuangfeng Village, allowing everyone to live peaceful lives.


    Especially the henpecked husband whose wife had been bullied by Wang Haikun, he no longer had to worry about his wife being tormented by this bully.


    Qin Niu¡¯s ant colony was growing steadily stronger, with more and more powerful special termites appearing.


    Moreover, among the newly added young ants in the colony, another Strength Worker Ant and two Poisonous Ants had emerged.


    This showed that the effort to cultivate the Ant Queen and increase its capability to produce special offspring was a very wise move.


    As his experience with cultivating termites using Banyan Tree Blood grew richer, the plan to use Banyan Tree Blood to feed the Ant Queen and help it advance was put on the agenda.


    The Ant Queen was now a Grade Two insect. If it advanced another grade, it would definitely reach Grade Three.


    At that point, its lifespan would increase by at least ten years.


    In the short term, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t have to worry about its lifespan anymore.


    Furthermore, as it became stronger, the offspring it produced would also likely be stronger.


    To this, Qin Niu was very much looking forward.


    If the Ant Queen were to produce Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants or Tiger-striped Soldier Ants directly, that would be quite terrifying.


    He estimated that it wouldn¡¯t take long for the entire mountain to become its territory.


    According to the days counted, the first batch of bee eggs laid by the Queen Bee were about to hatch. When that happened, he could begin to cultivate the bee colony, and together with the ant colony, he might not speak of being invincible or anything, but at least dealing with regular enemies should not pose any issues.


    There was another matter worth mentioning.


    The cowardly turtle had not come out since it ate the pork ¡®medicated¡¯ by Qin Niu.


    If it weren¡¯t for Qin Niu being able to check on its status, he might have thought it had died.


    Termites that fed on the Banyan Tree Blood generally took two to three days to evolve at the slower end.


    Unexpectedly, after the little turtle consumed the Banyan Tree Blood, its evolution was taking so much longer.


    He had originally planned to feed some of it to the anglehorn bull, but Qin Niu was too scared to take the risk now.


    Xiao Niu had become quite the glutton.


    Following Qin Niu up the mountain, she would come home every day with a round belly.


    Once back at the cattle shed, she would lie down comfortably.


    The next morning, there would invariably be a large pile of cow dung.


    Her manure-producing capability was truly strong.


    But this was a good thing for Qin Niu.


    Although he could prepare very effective fertilizer from the mountains, Xiao Nui¡¯s dung seemed to be particularly potent.


    The batch of medicinal herbs that had cow dung applied to them were now flourishing.


    Their roots and stems appeared particularly robust.


    Qin Niu did not know whether it was the effect of the Everlasting Spring Technique or the strength of the cow dung¡¯s fertility.


    He reckoned the effect of the cow dung should be quite good.


    He piled up the surplus cow dung in the field, and the ears of millet that grew there seemed a bit thicker and stronger than usual.


    So, he believed in the effectiveness of the cow dung.


    On this day, he went up the mountain as usual, along with Fourth, the Ant Queen, and a small group of termites, arriving under a large pine tree.


    No sooner had he settled the Ant Queen than he sensed several familiar presences in the swarm of bees overhead.


    He couldn¡¯t help but rejoice.


    ¡°Queen Bee, have the first batch of bee larvae you laid successfully hatched?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Queen Bee was diligently laying eggs.


    Its egg-laying skill was still quite weak, able to lay only ten eggs a day, and the egg-laying process was very slow.


    It was somewhat like a hen laying eggs, which was an arduous endeavor.


    ¡°Little guys! Come to me!¡±


    Qin Niu commanded the newly hatched young bees.


    However, not a single one flew over.


    Qin Niu felt slightly embarrassed.


    That wasn¡¯t right, he should be able to command them by reason.. Could it be that his Bee Language was not good enough?

 Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Chapter 113 Testing the Power of Ghost Ants_i

    Chapter 118: Chapter 113 Testing the Power of Ghost Ants_i


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Little bees, all of you, come over here!¡±


    Qin Niu issued the command to them again.


    After a moment, a delicate little bee slowly crawled out of the hive. Its wings were not yet fully feathered and were still somewhat wrinkled and damp.


    Its wings trembled nonstop.


    ¡°Seems like we¡¯ll have to wait a bit longer.¡±


    He finally understood why, after giving the order, several worker bees that had just emerged from their pupae didn¡¯t come over.


    Having recently emerged from their cocoons, their bodies were not yet fully hardened; not to mention flying, even crawling was somewhat difficult for them.


    ¡°Alright, go back in for now! I¡¯ll come check on you later!¡±


    Qin Niu, accompanied by Fourth, went directly into the area of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Besides Fourth, he also brought along two other termites: a Grade Three Tiger Striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant and a newly cultured Grade Two Green Scale Giant Ant.


    He wanted to see if these two termites could lead him out of the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Sitting under the Ancient Banyan Tree to cultivate and setting out the Banyan Tree Blood was an understatement.


    He had no choice, for his Treasured Sword was particularly fond of Banyan Tree Blood.


    It needed to be nourished with a large amount of Banyan Tree Blood every day. As he diligently cultivated, his cultivation level continued to rise steadily. Unbeknownst to him, he had reached the Fivefold mortal realm, and according to the current rate of improvement, there was no bottleneck in sight.


    The Medicine King Sutra, like crossing a moat at each stage, he had also studied when he had some free time in the past two days.


    But due to limited knowledge, he couldn¡¯t figure out what the problem was. ¡°It¡¯s said that one shouldn¡¯t bite off more than one can chew, but 1¡¯11 try practicing it anyway.¡±


    Qin Niu subconsciously took out the Medicine King Sutra from his bosom and then started to cultivate according to the methods described within.


    This Cultivation Technique, upon successful cultivation, would grant a special ability to sense the energy levels and medicinal properties within herbs. It was a very practical ability.


    While walking through the mountains, this special ability would allow him to easily find herbs that might be very precious.


    The initial cultivation of the Medicine King Sutra was not smooth.


    After multiple attempts, all ended in failure.


    He decided to go back home and ask Xiao Qing for advice before trying again next time.


    Cultivating until the afternoon but before dusk, he ended his session prematurely and took the Banyan Tree Blood he had obtained and headed outside.


    Trying to let the Grade Two Green Scale Giant Worker Ant lead the way, it kept stopping and starting and simply couldn¡¯t find a way out.


    He then tried letting the Grade Three Tiger Striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant lead the way, which did slightly better, but still got lost within the maze of this Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Even though Qin Niu now had a Fivefold mortal cultivation, when faced with the Ancient Banyan Tree, he still felt as insignificant as a grain of millet. It always seemed so unfathomable.


    Despite having taken its Banyan Tree Blood so many times, it seemed to have caused it no substantial harm.


    Its leaves remained verdant and lush.


    In the end, Fourth successfully led him out of the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Fourth was already a Grade Three termite, and after drinking the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, its evolution seemed somewhat different from other termites.


    Other termites would show signs of their heads growing larger, with two antennae twisted together like twists of dough, combining into one.


    Whether it was because Fourth¡¯s one antenna had broken off, or it was inherently special was unclear.


    The bases of its two antennae became enlarged and thickened, essentially forming two pedestals.


    The antennae became slightly thicker, with no other changes.


    Its head also grew a little bigger.


    After Qin Niu emerged, he looked up at the sky.


    He could still see a trace of the sun, which had yet to completely descend behind the mountain.


    He had deliberately left some time to nurture the bees that had successfully emerged from their cocoons.


    These days, he was always keeping an eye on the beehive, worried that hornets might come.


    In fact, in the wild, they were impossible to guard against.


    Just yesterday, he had seen a large hornet flying overhead like a bomber through the sky.


    It might not yet have discovered the beehive on the pine tree.


    For the time being, there were no signs of enemies invading the beehive.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Just as Qin Niu was about to call out the Ant Queen, along with a few worker ants to feed it and soldier ants to protect it,


    He discovered a jumping spider lying not far from the ant nest.


    Its body was roughly as thick as an adult¡¯s little finger.


    With its eight long, slender legs and venomous fangs, it looked utterly terrifying.


    Judging by its well-built body, it must be extremely agile.


    It was unclear whether it had discovered this termite nest or was merely passing by and taking a rest under the pine tree.


    Termites have many natural enemies.


    For example, the irascible red ants, which, upon discovering a termite nest, would immediately march in with their troops to attack.


    There were also ground beetles, various omnivorous insects, frogs, and so on; all of them were natural enemies of termites.


    And because they had so many predators, termites usually sealed off their nests.


    They would either hide inside large trees to gnaw on the wood or burrow into the depths of the earth to gnaw on various tree roots and grass roots.


    When lacking food, they would also cannibalize their kind.


    Including ant eggs.


    Seeing this jumping spider, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but reveal a hint of delight, taking the opportunity to test the combat strength of the special termites.


    He called out the two Striped Phantom Ants.


    ¡°Kill that jumping spider!¡± Qin Niu commanded them.


    Perhaps the jumping spider was of a higher bloodline rank; the ants¡¯ antennae detected a whiff of the spider and showed obvious unrest.


    It was as if cats were naturally superior to mice, inherently creating a bloodline level suppression.


    Under normal circumstances, termites are merely food in the presence of jumping spiders.


    In terms of slaughtering ants or termites, the jumping spiders are only average. There is a creature similar to scorpions, named the Sunset Spider, that is truly strong.


    One alone could annihilate an entire colony of ants.


    Its combat power is abnormally strong.


    Under Qin Niu¡¯s command, two Striped Phantom Ants simultaneously pointed the tips of their antennae at a jumping spider not far away.


    The jumping spider, upon discovering its prey, was equally excited.


    It was approaching the two termites stealthily, like a cat.


    Qin Niu watched without blinking.


    If these two Striped Phantom Ants couldn¡¯t win, or were even killed, the loss was within his tolerance.


    Suddenly, the jumping spider pounced toward one of the Striped Phantom Ants, its speed as fast as lightning.


    The Striped Phantom Ant, aware of its opponent¡¯s strength, directly entered a berserk state.


    It desperately raised its forelimbs and head to confront the enemy.


    Just when Qin Niu was expecting a great battle, the jumping spider suddenly fell to the ground in pain and rolled around chaotically as if it were drunk.


    The two Striped Phantom Ants took the opportunity to pounce and tear it apart with fierce bites.


    They viciously shredded the jumping spider, which was several times larger than themselves. This scene was extremely bloody, yet Qin Niu understood that the fight was unequal.


    The jumping spider likely suffered a psychic wave attack, causing it to roll about in agony, essentially becoming a fish on the chopping board for the two termites to slaughter.


    ¡°Long-range attack abilities really are perverted! They easily granted them the ability to slay enemies beyond their level,¡± Qin Niu exclaimed, yet he also felt some concern.


    Psychic wave attacks are not fail-proof and might become ineffective against powerful opponents.


    The greatest advantage of termites is certainly not solo combat but group battles.


    The Ant Queen¡¯s most terrifying ability is its rapid troop production.


    A strong ordinary Termite Ant Queen can lay five hundred million eggs in its lifetime.


    Although the one Qin Niu was raising was initially weaker, through artificial breeding, it could become stronger and stronger.


    Its ability to rapidly produce troops should also become increasingly formidable.


    Currently, the cultivation of the Worker Ants and Soldier Ants is, theoretically, about accumulating experience for the future cultivation of the Ant Queen.


    Because there is only one Ant Queen, it is the core existence of the entire ant colony.


    It¡¯s impossible to experiment with it from the start.


    Except for Fourth, who cannot be replicated, all other varieties of ants in the current colony can be replicated.


    The body of this jumping spider cannot be wasted.


    Qin Niu released Fourth and called out the Worker Ants from the temporary Ant Nest, instructing them to feed on the spider and then feed the Ant Queen.


    Currently, the probability of the Ant Queen producing offspring with the strength attribute is 2%, while the chance of producing offspring with venom attributes is 5%, and even though a significant amount of bear meat and poisonous insects were fed to her, these two capabilities of the Ant Queen seemed to have reached their limits and remained unchanged.


    In the end, Qin Niu¡¯s knowledge and experience in cultivating termites were too limited.


    Very few people keep termites as pets.


    Because termites are too weak.


    Keeping them is far less cost-effective than keeping a bumblebee, centipede, or spider.


    Raising a venomous insect can easily be converted into combat power, creating benefits for the owner.


    But what can raising termites do?


    Gnawing on wood?


    The initial idea Qin Niu had for raising them was simple; he was attracted to their ability to gnaw on wood.


    He wanted them to help clear the weeds in the field.


    Because in his acre of poor land, other than weeds thriving, crops barely grew.


    He was almost driven mad by weeding every day.


    Later, by a stroke of luck, he stumbled into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree and accidentally discovered the various uses of Banyan Tree Blood. This allowed him to rapidly make his fortune and his power increased day by day.


    The rise of every powerful individual involves all kinds of adventures and opportunities.


    This is a natural law.


    Those who cannot encounter adventures are destined to be mediocre.


    Or if supported by a strong family, one can also rise rapidly and become a powerhouse.


    For instance, the noble young master Qin Niu met for the first time at the Supreme Sea shopping for cultivation techniques, although only about ten years old, had super terrifying strength because of his powerful family.


    If it must be said, being born into a powerful family, having good parents, is also a kind of adventure or opportunity.


    He looked up at the beehive above his head.


    ¡°Little bees, come to me!¡± he called using Bee Language.


    Not a single one of the older bees from the swarm paid him any attention.


    But the first batch of young bees produced by the Queen Bee all flew over to him.


    Upon counting, there were a total of ten.


    Each one was a fresh, tender new bee.


    Since they were not yet capable of flying for long periods, they circled above Qin Niu¡¯s head a few times then affectionately landed on him to rest.


    ¡°I need to take some honey down,¡± he said.


    He climbed the tree, took some honey, then mixed in a little of the freshly extracted Banyan Tree Blood. He began to experiment with the first Worker Bee.


    ¡°Eat up!¡± he encouraged.


    Since it was his first time using Banyan Tree Blood to cultivate bees, he had no idea what to expect.


    Logically speaking, Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was a universal treasure, and almost all creatures that consumed it could evolve.


    Even, if he dared to take the risk, he could try eating some himself.


    But he had no such thoughts.


    Getting stronger was enticing, but if after eating it he turned into a monster, that would be too horrible.


    Better to use the Banyan Tree Blood to cultivate pets.


    The first Worker Bee had no idea that its master had spiked its honey, and it gleefully consumed every drop..

 Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Chapter 114 Cultivating Bees_i

    Chapter 119: Chapter 114 Cultivating Bees_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Qin Niu watched as the bee finished eating and waited patiently.


    Lacking experience, he cherished the life of every pet.


    Even though he knew that after the first batch of worker bees emerged from their pupae, there would be ten new bees becoming his pets every day.


    He still cherished each pet immensely.


    After the bee finished eating, there was no reaction at first, but then it started


    to falter.


    Its body began to swell and faint green veins appeared, looking somewhat like cracks, yet somewhat like green Banyan Tree Blood merging into its blood, spreading along its veins.


    His experience with breeding the hornet last time added a little bit to his knowledge.


    But it was incomparable to this time.


    Because breeding that hornet was purely for making Silver Money, and he cultivated it to be as weak as possible.


    Very little potion was used.


    That hornet, like the Swift Ant, was an incomplete evolution, a semi-finished product.


    But this time he was breeding bee species for himself and he definitely pursued perfection.


    He wanted it to evolve to its strongest potential.


    The dosage of Banyan Blood Potion he fed was calculated based on the safety amount for breeding termites and from his experience with the last hornet.


    Mastering this dosage was very difficult.


    Too little and it wouldn¡¯t fully evolve, resulting in a semi-finished product.


    Which could also be seen as a defective product.


    Too much and it would explode and die.


    Bang!


    This poor worker bee couldn¡¯t survive the process of becoming stronger and exploded on the spot.


    Qin Niu watched with a heavy heart.


    But the experiment had to continue.


    The path of Insect Master growth was full of hardships.


    Compared to other Insect Masters, he had a great advantage.


    Other Insect Masters might have captured just an individual insect, rather than an Ant Queen or a Queen Bee. To cultivate them would be even more arduous, requiring extreme caution at every step.


    Granted, they could experiment with other insects of the same species, but many special insects were irreplicable and unique.


    For instance, his Ant Queen and Fourth were just such beings.


    Furthermore, every material that could evolve and strengthen an insect was extremely precious and rare.


    Which Insect Master would be willing to feed them to ordinary insects?


    Qin Niu¡¯s termites and bees could be mass-produced, and Banyan Tree Blood and ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood were inexhaustible, so there was no need to worry about raw materials.


    It was with these advantages that he was able to breed so many special termites in a very short period of time.


    Now, it would be the same with breeding bees.


    He believed he could quickly breed a large batch of special bees.


    ¡°You, come here!¡±


    This time, Qin Niu chose to reduce the amount of Banyan Tree Blood and mixed it with the honey before feeding it to the worker bee.


    Then came another long wait.


    In anxious anticipation, this worker bee miraculously made it through.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t hide his smile of success.


    With only two bees used for the experiment, he had already found a preliminary safe dosage, which showed that the valuable experience he gained from breeding termites and the various beekeeping knowledge he learned were all highly effective.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad, all eight of you will be dealt with together.¡±


    Qin Niu looked up at the sky, which had started to darken.


    However, with his now considerable strength, he was not very afraid.


    Xiao Nui, having eaten until its belly was round, lay comfortably under the pine tree, squinting its eyes as it watched him.


    With Xiao Nui¡¯s company, Qin Niu felt less lonely in the deep mountains.


    For now, he had no intention of practicing cultivation with Xiao Qing.


    After all, they hadn¡¯t been in contact for long.


    Even though she was just a child and not harboring bad intentions, one couldn¡¯t see through a person¡¯s character in just a day or two.


    The journey reveals the strength of the horses, time reveals the heart of the people.


    He brought Xiao Qing back with him purely because she was an orphan. Plus, with her grandfather¡¯s dying request, he provided her with a place to stay.


    Following Qin Niu was much better than being captured and sold to a wealthy family as a maid or worse, sold into a brothel.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t see himself as a good person, with a ruthless heart, but he was certainly not a bad person either.


    With Xiao Qing following him, as long as she was loyal to him, she would definitely encounter a great opportunity.


    He fed all eight worker bees the honey mixed with Banyan Tree Blood and waited patiently.


    When feeding them, he did not use a one-size-fits-all approach.


    He made some flexible adjustments based on the physical strength of each worker bee.


    Time passed by minutely and secondly.


    Among the eight worker bees, one ultimately didn¡¯t make it and burst.


    Seven survived.


    That meant out of the ten worker bees, eight were successfully cultivated in the initial phase.


    This was a pretty good result.


    He carefully put the eight worker bees back in the bee hive. Bees needed the queen bee¡¯s pheromones to calm them, or they would easily lose control.


    The consequence of a bee colony losing its queen was very terrible.


    Without a queen, the bee colony would become listless.


    The worker bees would no longer diligently go out to collect pollen and make honey, but instead would eat the honey already in the hive every day.


    The drones had it the worst; they were the first to be expelled from the colony, eventually left to fend for themselves.


    Some of the worker bees would also lay eggs on their own.


    Since worker bees are immature females, even though they could lay eggs, all the offspring would be drones.


    It¡¯s not hard to imagine that the whole bee colony would ultimately perish. After putting the eight worker bees in place, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t stay to guard them here. As for the queen bee, although its status in the colony was high, it was seen by other worker bees merely as a breeding machine.


    The queen bee could command the other bees to work, but it couldn¡¯t order them to do things unrelated to their duties.


    This was very similar to an ant colony.


    The things the queen bee could command the worker bees to do were, for instance, if the queen bee was hungry, it would release hunger pheromones, and the worker bees would quickly rush over to feed it.


    Or, when winter was approaching, the queen bee would send out a signal to store honey, and the worker bees would become even more diligent, collecting pollen and making honey day and night.


    if an enemy invaded, there was no need for the queen bee¡¯s reminder. The guard bees would immediately signal, and a large number of worker bees would mobilize to repel the enemy and protect the hive and queen bee.


    After attending to this, Qin Niu took the termites back to the ant nest, and then hurriedly carried the collected ancient banyan tree blood down the mountain.


    Xiao Nui trotted along behind him, moving at a steady pace.


    It seemed not at all afraid of the tigers and wolves in the mountains.


    At that moment, it had already become very dark, and night had fallen.


    Qin Niu, relying on the dim twilight, moved forward with steps both long and short.


    in the darkness, he saw a light ahead, as if someone was carrying an oil lamp and moving forward.


    Who could be entering the mountains so late at night?


    Qin Niu had indeed heard many stories about ghosts devouring people, lhey say there are beautiful female ghosts, who, at night, pretend to be women in distress seeking help, to bewitch the minds of men.


    If a man¡¯s willpower was not strong enough, he would be drained of his life essence by the female ghost while he was being enticed.


    Qin Niu subconsciously drew his treasured sword and held it in his hand.


    If there really was a female ghost, one slash would finish it off.


    This treasured sword had already developed blade qi; it had abilities beyond just piercing armor, and presumably, it should be quite effective against ghosts as well.


    The light grew closer.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    Xiao Nui raised its head and made a sound.


    It even sounded a bit affectionate.


    Qin Niu focused his eyes and saw that a frail figure was carrying an oil lamp, making her way along the mountain path.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    When she heard Xiao Nui¡¯s call, she immediately shouted into the mountain ahead.


    ¡°Is that you, Xiao Qing?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart trembled slightly. This girl, hadn¡¯t he told her to stay at home? The sky was already dark, and she had run into the mountain too dangerous.


    ¡°Master! It¡¯s me!¡±


    Xiao Qing sprinted forward and soon reached Qin Niu; seeing the scratches on her body, he felt a wave of heartache.


    ¡°1 told you to stay at home and wait for me. Why did you come up the mountain in the dark?¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the scratches from thorns on her body, feeling both pained and touched, and couldn¡¯t help but scold her.


    ¡°Seeing that you hadn¡¯t returned so late, I started to get scared, so I could not help but bring the oil lamp from home to look for you. 1 carried the short knife you gave me, so I¡¯m not afraid of ordinary beasts.


    She brandished the short knife in her hand.


    ¡°You child!¡±


    Qin Niu touched her head, feeling within his heart the warmth of being cared for and cherished something he had felt only when Old Man Liu was still alive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go home!¡±


    Qin Niu had her carry the oil lamp and lead the way in front..

 Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Chapter 115 Medicine Qi_i

    Chapter 120: Chapter 115 Medicine Qi_i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    The once solitary man, Qin Niu, now not only had Xiao Nui for company but also Xiao Qing, who grew attached to him. This gave Qin Niu an unprecedented sense of happiness.


    He returned home.


    Since the new house was still under construction, he and Xiao Qing could only live in a temporary shack.


    Fortunately, now that he had become the most esteemed person in Shuangfeng Village, the villagers treated him with great reverence. No one dared to spy on them.


    When he got home, she had already prepared the meal.


    The fragrant pork and cornmeal rice were kept warm in the pot.


    As the master hadn¡¯t returned, she kept waiting.


    The corn was a gift from Wang Furen.


    The two richest men in the village were both crafty, Wang Furen brought him a large bag of corn, and Xu Zhenchang brought a large bag of wheat.


    Both men were humble when offering their gifts, speaking in pleasing tones that made it difficult to refuse.


    Of course, Qin Niu didn¡¯t turn down their overtures.


    He had some initial prestige in the village, but to truly become a leading figure, he would need the support of Xu Zhenchang and Wang Furen.


    Wang Furen had a good reputation within the village, while Xu Zhenchang served as the village head and was also a role model for diligent prosperity. They were both on the same side as the villagers, belonging to the class of farmers.


    They were both affable and held a certain degree of public trust.


    With both men drawing closer to him, it only served to solidify his position in the village.


    Every hero needs helpers, just as every fence needs supporting stakes.


    To establish a firm foothold in the countryside, personal might could only intimidate others, making them fear you. Only by winning over the people¡¯s hearts, as the Yan Family did, could you command both prestige and authority. This was also the basic standard for rising to power.


    In Shuangfeng Village, Qin Niu had already begun to emulate the early days of the Yan Family. Given some time to settle, he would become one with the entire village and the undisputed village leader.


    After the master and servant ate, Qin Niu watched as Xiao Qing busied herself with cleaning up the dishes.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, today 1 tried to practice the Medicine King Sutra, but 1 was unsuccessful. Could you teach me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course! But my cultivation is quite shallow, and my understanding is limited. I can only teach you some simple things,¡± she replied without hesitation.


    From the moment she acknowledged Qin Niu as her master, everything she had belonged to Qin Niu. Such were the rules of this world.


    ¡°When cultivating, it is very helpful to have herbs. The ones planted in the backyard should be suitable.¡±


    She led Qin Niu to where the backyard of his old house used to be.


    Now, apart from a well and a small plot of medicinal herbs that Qin Niu had planted, the area was almost entirely cleared and levelled, with building materials like green bricks, door frames, and windows stacked around.


    Even after the new house was built, this place would still serve as the backyard. ¡°You need to first attune your heart to the medicinal aura released by the herbs. The Dogtail Grass here, and the Black Leaf Sunflower over there, both contain ample medicinal aura. You could try sitting next to them and follow the breathing methods of the Medicine King Sutra to sense them,¡± Xiao Qing guided Qin Niu in his cultivation.


    He sat cross-legged next to the Dogtail Grass, and tried to practice according to the techniques outlined in the Medicine King Sutra once again.


    He still made no progress.


    Then, a small hand rested on his back, roughly between the points for the lung and heart meridians.


    A stream of warm energy flowed into his body.


    She was using her own spiritual power to help Qin Niu expedite the process of perceiving the medicinal aura emitted by the herbs.


    With her help, Qin Niu soon felt a glimmer of sensation.


    The Dogtail Grass in front of him was like boiling water, emitting strands of ¡®warm air.¡¯ When he circulated the technique from the Medicine King Sutra again, some of this ¡®warm air¡¯ was drawn to him, and a small portion entered his body.


    It had the same quality as the warm energy Xiao Qing was transferring into him.


    Both were warm.


    So, cultivating the Medicine King Sutra involved absorbing medicinal auras to advance one¡¯s cultivation.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s grandfather must have made some mistakes in his practice.


    Instead of buying expensive Tempering Elixirs for cultivation, it would be better to cultivate some advanced herbs himself.


    Clearly, Qin Niu¡¯s speculation was too simplistic.


    What he could think of, how could Xiao Qing¡¯s grandfather not have considered?


    Although Xiao Qing¡¯s grandfather knew how to recognize many herbs, he wasn¡¯t capable of cultivating them.


    Because cultivating herbs is far more difficult than growing crops.


    They have extremely demanding requirements for their growing environment. Once harvested, even high-level farmers might not be able to keep them alive, let alone Xiao Qing¡¯s grandfather.


    Taking Tempering Elixirs directly provided a dense concentration of medicinal aura that had been refined by an Elixir Master.


    The composition of the Elixirs was also meticulously balanced by a Pharmacist.


    They could be directly absorbed by the human body, causing no harm but instead benefiting the improvement of one¡¯s cultivation.


    What Xiao Qing¡¯s grandfather sought in consuming the Tempering Elixir was the dense cluster of medicinal aura within it.


    The beneficial effects of body tempering and strengthening that came with the Elixir itself were merely a bonus.


    As Qin Niu persisted in his practice, he nearly depleted the Dogtail Grass of its medicinal aura.


    Its emission of medicinal aura markedly weakened.


    Only a little was still being released.


    He shifted his focus.


    There were more than twenty medicinal herbs planted, each releasing medicinal aura of varying strengths.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t hesitate; he started with the one that had the strongest aura.


    After about six hours of cultivation, he felt a sharp pain in his head, having almost completely absorbed the medicinal auras from these herbs.


    Since it was his first time practicing the technique, it was quite raw, and a lot of the medicinal aura had escaped.


    All wasted.


    Qin Niu opened his eyes and, after a great effort throughout most of the night, accrued a small clump of warm energy within his body.


    This was the power gained from cultivating the Medicine King Sutra.


    Compared to the cool energy gained from cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique, its nature was entirely different.


    The powers cultivated from the two techniques were clearly delineated, stored separately within his body.


    However, the Everlasting Spring Technique had already reached the Fivefold realm of mortals, its power much more profound. Its volume was at least a thousand times that of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power.


    The Medicine King Sutra really isn¡¯t easy to cultivate.


    He also discovered another issue, cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique could replace sleep, allowing both spiritual power and the body to recover. It had a very good effect on nurturing one¡¯s life.


    But the Medicine King Sutra did not.


    Cultivating the Medicine King Sutra for six hours was already his limit.


    This was because after cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique, his spiritual power had increased somewhat, far exceeding that of an ordinary mortal at the Fivefold realm. Otherwise, he could only cultivate for four hours at most before needing to stop and rest to recover his spiritual power.


    Perhaps because his Medicine King Sutra power was still weak, now he could only sense the medicinal qi emitted by the herbs when he focused and closed his eyes.


    He wasn¡¯t able to sense the medicinal properties of the herbs, let alone the strength of the energy contained within them.


    If more medicinal qi was emitted, it indicated that the herbs contained more energy, he could infer that much at least.


    Whether this was indeed the case still needed to be verified.


    His gaze shifted to the medicinal herbs in front of him.


    They looked wilted, as if they had been tortured by frost.


    This indicated that cultivating the Medicine King Sutra and absorbing their medicinal qi caused them certain harm.


    ¡°Can the Everlasting Spring Technique quickly restore them to vitality then?¡±


    He prepared to conduct another experiment.


    After taking a brief rest to adjust his state, he began to sit beside these herbs and cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    True to its reputation as a top Life-Nurturing Technique.


    As he continued to cultivate, his depleted spiritual power was recovering quickly.


    The effect was even better than that of deep sleep.


    He continued to cultivate until the moon set, and only then did he stop.


    He had cultivated for roughly six hours.


    Some power from the Everlasting Spring Technique was gained, but compared to cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree, it was far less.


    Fortunately, his main goal was not to improve his cultivation level.


    It was to help these medicinal herbs regain their vitality.


    Cultivating in his own backyard, the speed of his cultivation level¡¯s increase was slower, but the experience value for the Everlasting Spring Technique grew quite significantly.


    Currently, the Everlasting Spring Technique is still at the ¡®Twofold realm.


    If he could break through to the Threefold realm, the speed of cultivation would surely improve a lot.


    He opened his eyes and checked the condition of the herbs around him.


    The Dogtail Grass, which he had drained the most, was fully revitalized, bursting with life once again. The other herbs were even less of a concern. ¡°Master! Did you sit here and cultivate all night yesterday?¡±


    Xiao Qing was already up.


    She didn¡¯t have the habit of oversleeping; instead, she was particularly hard-working.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Qin Niu looked towards her.


    ¡°Thank you for using your energy to help me cultivate yesterday.¡±


    ¡°As your servant, isn¡¯t it my duty to help you?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t concerned at all about this.


    Her gaze swept over the medicinal herbs surrounding Qin Niu, and a faint trace of disappointment appeared on her face, hardly noticeable.


    ¡°Master, was the effect of your cultivation yesterday very poor?¡±


    ¡°That, I¡¯m not clear on. It¡¯s true that a significant amount of the medicinal qi was lost. When you cultivate, do you experience this phenomenon?¡±


    Qin Niu retorted with a question.


    ¡°I¡¯m now at the peak of the Twofold realm of mortals, and my Medicine King Sutra is roughly at the second level. Half of the medicinal qi disperses when 1 cultivate. My grandfather¡¯s Medicine King Sutra is close to the third level, and it¡¯s more potent. Fie once told me that he can absorb roughly six-tenths of the full medicinal qi.¡±


    Xiao Qing shared her cultivation experience.


    These were core secrets, not to be casually revealed to outsiders.


    As master and servant, there wasn¡¯t this concern.


    ¡°I see! Then both of you are much stronger than me. Out of the full medicinal qi, I can only absorb about two-tenths.¡±


    Qin Niu nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Eh, how come the medicinal qi of these herbs is just as abundant as last night? It even seems to have increased. That shouldn¡¯t be the case! Do you have Medicine King level power within you now?¡±


    Xiao Qing seriously doubted whether her master had just sat there doing nothing all night.


    ¡°Yes, there is, just not much. About a small clump the size of a soybean.¡±


    Qin Niu replied.


    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s quite a lot! Then you must have been very diligent in your cultivation last night. When I first started learning, it took me over a month to accumulate a clump the size of a mung bean. And that was with the help of my grandfather using his power. He even praised me back then for progressing quickly. Compared to you, I¡¯m extremely weak.¡±


    After hearing this, she was even more astonished.


    ¡°Cultivating the Medicine King Sutra and absorbing the medicinal qi from these living herbs can lead to their withering or even death. They would need at least one or two months of careful cultivation to recover. But now, they seem completely fine? This is so strange.¡±


    Xiao Qing was utterly perplexed.


    ¡°No wonder you knew that cultivating the Medicine King Sutra required absorbing medicinal qi, yet you never cultivated near the medicinal herbs in the backyard, fearing that your absorption would cause them to wither!¡±


    Qin Niu suddenly understood..

 Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Chapter 116 The Value of Special Abilities 1

    Chapter 121: Chapter 116 The Value of Special Abilities 1


    Translator: 549690339                  ¡ª


    Xiao Qing had been brought back for some days now.


    Only twice with no particular matters in hand had she taken the initiative to ask Qin Niu to accompany her into the mountains to search for herbs.


    But at home, she never cultivated.


    He had initially thought she disliked cultivating, only now did he realize that this young girl was too considerate.


    Afraid of harming his herbs.


    ¡°To cultivate the ¡®Medicine King Sutra,¡¯ one must absorb the essence of herbs, essentially taking away the essence contained within them. This can cause great harm to them. When my grandfather and I used to pick herbs and we found good ones, we¡¯d immediately cultivate in the mountains. Moreover, we deliberately left some essence so as not to hurt their vitality.¡±


    Xiao Qing explained.


    ¡°The herbs you sold last time, they were all wilted, was it because you had absorbed their essence before selling them?¡±


    Qin Niu asked her.


    ¡°Hehe¡­ It¡¯s what my grandfather taught me. However, all those herbs had their essence absorbed by my grandfather, not by me. Sadly, they were still too poor in quality, containing very little essence, and ultimately didn¡¯t help my grandfather.¡±


    Mentioning her grandfather, even though many days had passed, she still felt very sad.


    Her mood had clearly become downcast.


    Qin Niu had initially planned to scold her for being a little swindler, but seeing her like this, he didn¡¯t have the heart to joke with her anymore.


    Instead, he gently said, ¡°Xiao Qing, from now on, you can absorb the essence of these herbs for your cultivation, without worrying about harming them. As long as they don¡¯t die on the spot, I have ways to revive them.¡±


    Although Qin Niu was currently an Insect Master, his true expertise lay in cultivation.


    Whether as an Insect Master or later becoming a Beast Tamer, those were just to support his cultivation, to strengthen himself.


    His strongest expertise, ultimately, would surely be cultivation.


    Having witnessed some herbs and elixirs at Miaodan Pavilion, his plans for the future had become even clearer.


    Initially, raising termites was meant to help crops by weeding and then to obtain an Insect Master¡¯s license as far as possible.


    At that time, he never thought of becoming an Insect Master.


    But to become a provisional Insect Master was relatively easy.


    Because the Ant Queen had a characteristic: as long as it laid eggs, it would automatically promote to a Grade Two Termite.


    The standard for the Insect Master Association certifying a provisional Insect Master was having a commandable Grade Two insect. However, because termites were too weak, there could be some difficulties during the certification process.


    Now, with the Insect Master status secured, he had various methods to make money, his food and clothing issue was resolved, and the funds for purchasing general cultivation materials were largely taken care of.


    This provided him a much better foundation.


    The corn planted in the fields was about to yield a rich harvest, and by the time the second batch was sown, his farmer level should be able to rise to mid-tier. Having saved up so many labor points, all was in preparation for enhancing his planting skills in the future.


    Planting crops was to resolve food and clothing needs, but planting herbs, even Spiritual Medicine, that was the real endgame. It could directly serve to enhance one¡¯s cultivation level.


    ¡°So, the master has a special ability to revive herbs. No wonder those herbs you planted were alive the next day! Master, your ability can make a lot of money, you know?¡±


    Xiao Qing was very clever, grasping the concept immediately.


    ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s hear it, how does it make money?¡±


    Qin Niu asked with interest.


    Firstly, at the Cultivation Market, herb pickers or hunters, even lumberjacks often dig up various precious herbs. These herbs are too young and not very valuable. But if they could be revived, they¡¯d become valuable. Many wealthy people in the city, even large families, would pay to buy them back, with specialized gardeners to cultivate them. They treat them like heirlooms.


    As far as 1 know, any prominent family in the city with some heritage has several precious herbs of over a hundred years old.


    The most impressive ones even possess precious herbs that are over a thousand years old.¡±


    When the family is facing difficulties, they can use it for gift-giving. If there¡¯s a disciple with outstanding talent among the family disciples, when they hit a crucial bottleneck, if there¡¯s a suitable herb, they can dig it out and ask a Pharmacist to prepare the medicine, and then ask an Elixir Master to refine it into an elixir. If there really isn¡¯t a suitable herb available, they can also seek to exchange with other families, as these precious herbs are nearly impossible to buy with any amount of money.¡±


    Qin Niu had never heard of such things that Xiao Qing was talking about.


    Considering your young age, I didn¡¯t expect you to know so much! Truly a case of ¡®small body, big smarts¡¯!¡±


    Qin Niu complimented her with a smile.


    Qin Niu actually knew that herbs that were over a century old were very valuable.


    At times, a single plant like that could trigger a bloody battle, with experts from major forces and families vying for it.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve traveled all over the place with Grandpa, so I¡¯ve seen a lot!¡±


    She said proudly.


    It¡¯s true that she was much more mature than the average child.


    After she was brought home, she immediately started calling him master, and she was determined to serve as Qin Niu¡¯s maid. To make such a choice required rich life experience, high intelligence, and insight into human nature; otherwise, no little girl would foolishly volunteer to become someone¡¯s maid.


    Her choice was indeed very astute.


    At least, she was now getting along very well with Qin Niu.


    ¡® 1 ell me about other ways I can make money with my special ability.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s swift worker ants and Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants both had a special ability to heal the wounds of plants.


    Added to that, his own practice of the Everlasting Spring Technique enabled plants to grow rapidly and recover their vitality, which should prove to be quite advantageous if utilized correctly.


    ¡°The second way involves the fact that the medicinal herbs cultivated by those great families and powers often encounter problems. The more precious the herb and the older it is, the more delicate and prone to disease it is. Sometimes, in the competition between great families, they resort to shady tactics to harin¡¯ each other. For instance, bribing a servant from the rival family to sabotage the precious herbs they are cultivating.


    Generally, to avoid detection, they use sneaky and despicable methods to damage those herbs.


    For example, releasing an insect to nibble on them or other such means.


    You know, those herbs with over a century¡¯s worth of growth represent the rise and prosperity of a great family. If there¡¯s an issue with the herbs, they become so anxious that you can almost see them breathe fire. In such a scenario, if you can help them revive their herbs, not only can you build a relationship with that great family, but you can also earn a considerable reward.


    Beyond these two methods, there are many other ways to make money, but it depends on finding the right opportunities.¡±


    Despite her young age, she spoke about the competition among the big families with authority.


    And it wasn¡¯t a superficial discussion either.


    It was truly extraordinary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once we get through this busy period, we¡¯ll definitely go to the


    city to look for ways to make money.¡±


    Qin Niu, after hearing about the various money-making strategies she analyzed, was quite tempted.


    However, he would have to plan the use his special abilities wisely and couldn¡¯t simply reveal everything like an idiot.


    Especially when working for those great families, he needed to be extra cautious.


    Besides, he must also focus on improving his own strength as soon as possible. Only when his cultivation was strong could he ensure that others would always speak with him calmly and rationally.


    Now that he could practice daily under the Ancient Banyan Tree, it shouldn¡¯t take too long for his cultivation to reach the Tenfold level of mortal men.


    He also had to focus on cultivating termites and bees.


    With his current lack of personal strength, having a few formidable insects for defense would give him much more confidence.


    The Puppet Ant among the termites could easily use psychic waves to incapacitate a jumping spider, which was awesome. If he encountered other Insect Masters in the future, as long as they weren¡¯t too freakishly strong, Qin Niu was confident he could defeat them instantly.


    Even after killing an opponent¡¯s insects, he could feed them to the Ant Queen through the worker ants.


    To make it even stronger.

 Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Chapter 117 Locust Plague Appears, Great

    Chapter 122: Chapter 117 Locust Plague Appears, Great


    Progress in Medicine King Technique i


    Translator: 549690339


    After washing up and having breakfast, he hurried out the door with a basket on his back.


    He had cultivated eight bees yesterday, and today he needed to check on them.


    He made a special trip to his own millet field, where every millet seedling was adorned with at least two plump ears of millet.


    They looked very robust.


    His gaze swept over the millet seedlings in the east, and he sharply noticed some leaves had been nibbled on, leaving behind various-sized notches.


    Each type of pest fed differently.


    Some pests sneakily lurk on the underside of the leaves, sucking the juice from the stems and leaves. They like to bite a small hole on the veins of the leaves, sucking out the juice like vampires.


    These are mostly larvae.


    Very hidden, not easily spotted by farmers.


    Other pests prefer to bite from the fleshier parts of the leaf, creating irregular holes.


    But right now, he discovered the notches were bitten out from the edges of the leaves.


    This indicated that the pests had powerful mouthparts; they could chew from the edges of the leaves towards the center, like a cutter, chewing uniformly in rounds.


    After a careful examination, Qin Niu identified that these were traces left by locusts.


    Then, on the ground, he found grains of brownish-black insect feces of different sizes. The feces were granular and their surfaces rather coarse.


    He became even more certain that this was the work of locusts.


    Steward Yan Qi had previously warned him about signs of pest infestations in several places.


    There was also a flood recently, which would only exacerbate the pest disaster.


    Qin Niu¡¯s millet field had been rid of pests last time, and they were eradicated very cleanly at that.


    He didn¡¯t expect pests to have appeared again.


    Moreover, from the chew marks on the leaves and the insect feces scattered on the ground, it was clear that these were not merely larvae, but rather there were many adult pests present.


    Locust eggs take about half a month to hatch under the right temperatures.


    If the temperature is low, it might even need more than 20 days.


    After hatching into nymphs, they molt approximately every seven days. It takes about five molts for them to become adults.


    It¡¯s been less than a month since Qin Niu last dealt with the pests.


    Logically speaking, even if there were locusts, there should only be second or third instar nymphs, not a large number of adults.


    Where did all these adults come from?


    Did they come from the fields nearby?


    That¡¯s possible, but the lands neighboring his poor soil were typically treated for pests every half a month to a month.


    Although the growth of the crops in those fields wasn¡¯t as good as Qin Niu¡¯s, there were no obvious signs of pest damage.


    This indicates that there were no conditions for locusts to reproduce in large numbers in a short amount of time.


    Therefore, there was only one possibility: these locusts had flown in from elsewhere.


    Locusts have a certain ability to fly, and when they have consumed most of the food in one place, they will migrate en masse.


    Qin Niu had been busy with various affairs lately, and thus had not paid much attention to this plot of millet.


    After discovering traces of pest damage, he quickly set down his basket and made a meticulous inspection of the field.


    Many millet seedlings had leaves with nibble marks on them.


    It likely happened in the last few days.


    The nibble marks looked very fresh.


    Plants have the ability to self-heal, and given a little more time, the wounds would heal themselves.


    His cultivation experience wasn¡¯t extensive, but his Insect Trace Identification skills were fairly good.


    He could determine whether the pests were still nearby by the age of the bite marks on the leaves.


    As he inspected the field, startled locusts occasionally jumped up and fled to other plants.


    Some were even lying on their backs, mating.


    If these weren¡¯t dealt with, they would soon lay a large number of eggs in the field.


    A female locust can lay more than two hundred eggs at a time.


    This reproductive speed is super terrifying.


    Under conditions of good temperature, humidity, and food, two hundred female locusts could reproduce to forty thousand nymphs in just about a month.


    Imagine if those forty thousand nymphs were to reproduce again, that could be millions of locusts.


    In other words, it would take at most two months to create a super locust disaster.


    Qin Niu casually grabbed a locust.


    It was quite large, about the thickness of an adult¡¯s little finger. Green all over, this helped them hide.


    The hind legs were strong and muscular, with serrated spines at the end.


    When it pushed against Qin Niu¡¯s palm, it was so powerful that it caused him a sharp pain. Brown liquid came out of its mouth, possibly because it had eaten too much and vomited it out with the effort.


    ¡°No, these aren¡¯t ordinary locusts! Their mouthparts are not only stronger, but they also conceal two golden streaks beneath their ribs. This must be a new evolved species,¡± Qin Niu thought.


    Qin Niu took out a cage and locked up the female locust.


    Then he caught several more, all of the same species of locusts.


    Their common characteristics were strong and powerful hind legs, highly developed mouthparts, and a body size that was a bit larger than ordinary locusts.


    Moreover, their short-distance flying abilities were also very formidable.


    Generally speaking, the stronger the insect, the quicker their digestion.


    For instance, those termites Qin Niu was raising now consumed a lot more food due to their special species.


    His millet should be ready for harvest in another ten days or so.


    They couldn¡¯t be ruined by locusts at this critical juncture. Moreover, if adults laid a large number of eggs in the field, it would definitely pose a serious threat to the next crop.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time to get rid of pests again!¡±


    Last time, he only had one Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant available for pest control.


    Now, he already had a large number of special ant breeds and even two Grade Three termites.


    The efficiency of pest control this time should be very high.


    After checking the pest situation in his own fields and then the neighboring fields, the situation was equally severe.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel worried.


    If the pests in his own fields could be dealt with, but those in others¡¯ fields couldn¡¯t, then it would definitely affect him, the neighbor.


    Carrying a basket, he hurriedly headed into the mountains.


    Upon arriving at the Ant Nest, the ant colony was as steadfast as ever, with less than ten new members added each day.


    ¡°Wow, another Poisonous Ant has emerged! And nine regular Soldier Ants!¡±


    Qin Niu was thrilled.


    Currently, his ant colony had a total of three Poisonous Ants, but the white termites with great strength were too rare.


    It was mainly because of the small base number.


    If there could be an increase of ten thousand white termites a day, surely there would be a few, or even dozens with exceptional strength.


    He fed all ten Soldier Ants with Banyan Tree Blood.


    Now, whenever a new member appeared in the ant colony, he would immediately feed them Banyan Tree Blood to help them evolve.


    Due to more enriched experience in cultivation and high-level Insect Trace Identification skills, the death rate had become extremely low.


    Of the ten Soldier Ants, only one exploded and died.


    The other nine managed to survive the most dangerous phase.


    This success rate was indeed very pleasing.


    The trip of Qin Niu, Fourth, and the Ant Queen to the old pine tree where the bee nest was located goes without saying.


    Arriving below the bee nest, after settling the Ant Queen, he checked on the eight Worker Bees that had consumed Banyan Tree Blood yesterday. They were still evolving.


    Another ten new Worker Bees had broken out of their cocoons.


    However, they had not yet completed the hardening of their bodies, so they needed to wait a while longer.


    Qin Niu, of course, was not going to wait idly and chose to enter cultivation under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    After entering, he could feel an immensely terrifying energy.


    ¡°This¡­ could it be because I¡¯ve cultivated the Medicine King Sutra, which allows me to sense the energy within the Ancient Banyan Tree?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s Medicine King Sutra was still at the preliminary stage.


    He could not perceive the energy contained within ordinary herbs at all.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree was equivalent to a thousand-year-old demon, containing unimaginable energy, which he could sense.


    Moreover, he found that this Ancient Banyan Tree was particularly cunning.


    Its aura couldn¡¯t be felt from the outside at all; only within its maze could he sense the terrifying energy contained in the tree.


    If the bit of Medicine King Technique Qin Niu had cultivated in his body were compared to a drop of water, then the energy contained within the Ancient Banyan Tree would be an ocean.


    ¡°What would happen if I cultivate the Medicine King Sutra under its trunk?¡±


    Qin Niu thought of a question that excited him.


    However, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to cultivate, choosing instead to reliably extract every bit of value from it.


    First, he made several cuts in it to bleed it.


    His Treasured Sword, now better nurtured, emitted a Blade Qi that was more solid and powerful.


    And with his cultivation having reached the Fivefold Mortal level, his strength had doubled.


    With one cut, the wound he inflicted was much deeper than before.


    Still, it was impossible to cut down the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The deeper the cut, the faster it would heal.


    Qin Niu suspected that it wouldn¡¯t simply allow itself to be doomed. Once injured to a critical extent, it would likely engage in some form of self- protective counterattack.


    Nowadays, this Ancient Banyan Tree was his super treasure, and naturally, he wouldn¡¯t do something foolish like trying to cut it down.


    Far from doing that, once his power grew, he would even find ways to protect it.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree had essentially become his private property.


    After he finished collecting its blood, he sat cross-legged under the tree to cultivate the Medicine King Technique.


    As he closed his eyes and focused, he gradually sensed a vast sea of terrifying medicinal energy. It boiled up like water from within the tree, shooting up towards the sky. Yet at about two meters from the treetop, it was firmly locked in place.


    Its survival for at least a thousand years without being discovered by powerful cultivators, was likely due to this method of world-secluding blockade, lurking in the mountains.


    Even if passersby traveled nearby, they would treat it as an ordinary ancient tree.


    All things in the world have a spirit.


    Though this Ancient Banyan Tree couldn¡¯t think like humans, it had its own wisdom for survival.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t hold back.


    Compared to the medicinal energy emitted by his own Dogtail Grass, it was akin to comparing the light of a grain of rice to the bright moon in the sky.


    As he continued his closed-eyed cultivation, the medicinal energy, vast and terrifying, was attracted to him, gradually fusing into his body.


    This rate of cultivation was at least a hundred times faster than sitting in the backyard absorbing energy from those ordinary herbs.


    And this was still because he was new to the Medicine King Sutra, with eighty percent of the medicinal energy dissipating into the air, a tragic waste.


    Only about twenty percent was absorbed into his body and transformed into the Medicine King Technique¡¯s power.


    This hundredfold speed of cultivation was simply too enchanting.


    Qin Niu felt his Medicine King Technique¡¯s power growing at an astonishing rate.


    After about six hours of cultivation, he felt a surge of pain in his head.


    The torrential medicinal energy needed enormous effort to draw even a bit of it. It was due to his spiritual power being overexerted and nearing depletion.


    He promptly stopped cultivating.


    And opened his eyes.


    At this moment, his heart was incredibly excited.


    In his eyes, every part of this Ancient Banyan Tree was a treasure.


    Even the medicinal energy it emitted had become an incomparable treasure.


    Qin Niu had personally witnessed Xiao Qing¡¯s grandfather¡¯s death. The old man had consumed a large amount of Elixirs, yet he died without breaking through to the Fivefold Mortal level.


    The reason was the inability to absorb enough medicinal energy.

 Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Chapter 118: Knock It Down_i

    Chapter 123: Chapter 118: Knock It Down_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Now, the medicinal aura emanating from this ancient banyan tree was


    extremely terrifying.


    Even if he absorbed it with all his might, it was equivalent to scooping a bucket


    of water from the ocean. It didn¡¯t affect it in the slightest.


    ¡°Since cultivating the Medicine King Sutra takes away its medicinal aura, wouldn¡¯t my usual practice of the Everlasting Spring Technique under its tree be of great benefit to it?¡±


    Qin Niu thought of this and subconsciously looked up at the canopy of the


    ancient banyan tree.


    It always looked the same.


    Under its tree, Qin Niu was like an ant. It seemed that no matter what he did, it


    had as little impact as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.


    He subconsciously checked his own attributes.


    Qin Niu


    Cultivation Level: Everlasting Spring Technique Mortal Fivefold 524/600 (Medicine King Sutra Mortal Onefold 914/100), Farmer Low Rank 75-71/100, Insect Master Low Rank 6/100, Beast Tamer Low Rank 2/100


    Lifespan: 76 years


    Cultivation Technique: Everlasting Spring Technique Second Layer 319/1000,


    Medicine King Sutra First Layer 2.7/100


    Skills: Planting Class: Sowing Proficient 34.4/100, Soil Loosening Slightly Accomplished 516/1000, Fertilizing Slightly Accomplished 697/1000, Watering Slightly Accomplished 429/1000, Weeding Slightly Accomplished 520/1000, Pest Control Slightly Accomplished 382/1000.


    Insect Control Class: Insect Trace Identification Proficient 87.5/100, Insect Language Proficient 27.4/100, Insect Identification Slightly Accomplished 101.65/1000, Insect Catching Slightly Accomplished 127.6/1000.


    Martial Skills: Chop Slightly Accomplished 162.7/1000 (has a 10% chance for


    Critical Chop, using the Thick-Backed Precious Saber has a 20% chance for


    Critical Chop)


    Talent: Cultivation of life-nourishing cultivation techniques.


    Divine Skills: None


    Labor Points: 2413


    There were some new entries in the properties.


    Such as the profession of Beast Tamer.


    This might have something to do with his contracts with a turtle and a calf.


    To become an Insect Master, one simply needs to contract an insect. To become


    a Beast Tamer, one just needs to contract a beast or a bird.


    The experience value of Insect Master increased by 2 points because Fourth and the Grade Two Tiger Striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant advanced to Grade Three, resulting in increased experience.


    From this, one can determine that breeding insects must reach Grade Three in order to improve the master¡¯s insect control experience.


    There is also another method, which is to contract insects.


    Every successful contract with an insect adds 1 point to the insect control


    experience.


    But no one would probably level up this way.


    Because there¡¯s a limit to the number of insects one can contract.


    Even if someone had the crooked idea of contracting an insect, and then killing


    it, the cost would still be terrifying.


    Qin Niu had a profound experience with this.


    The two termites he had tamed before had both died.


    When they died, as their master, he was greatly affected. He would have a headache for a long time, and in the first two or three days after the pets¡¯ death, he even suffered from memory blur and cognitive problems.


    Therefore, no Insect Master or Beast Tamer wished for their insects to die.


    If it happened too often and too frequently, the master could easily become insane or imbecilic.


    In his cultivation technique column, there was the addition of the Medicine


    King Sutra.


    His cultivation level had now become two types.


    Also, he found that the increase in cultivation technique experience was not directly equivalent to the increase in cultivation level.


    Every time he practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique, the experience of the cultivation technique increased, but the amount varied.


    That time he understood the method of cultivating in the rain, however, resulted in a rapid increase in the experience of the Everlasting Spring


    Technique.


    It seems that the increase in cultivation technique experience is related to the comprehension and proficiency of the cultivation technique during practice.


    There was another small discovery.


    His farmer experience had increased a little bit, not much, just 0.31.


    This was probably related to him planting those medicinal herbs.


    It unwittingly revealed to him another method of increasing farmer experience.


    After checking his personal attributes, Qin Niu did not leave the place.


    He had only practiced for three hours, and it was still a long time before dark.


    After a brief rest, he continued to practice with his eyes closed.


    But this time, he practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    It was also a form of compensation for the ancient banyan tree.


    Having taken its blood and absorbed its medicinal aura, he couldn¡¯t always just


    take, could he?


    A sitting goose never lays golden eggs.


    Even if it was extremely powerful, if he plundered it like this every day, sooner


    or later he would wither it to death.


    After drawing the banyan tree blood, he cultivated the Everlasting Spring Technique to help it recover from the depletion of its vitality. That¡¯d be perfect. It could achieve a constant flow.


    He cultivated until it was nearly dusk.


    Qin Niu reluctantly stopped cultivating, took the tree blood on his back, and hurriedly left the place.


    Outside under the pine tree, the eight worker bees from yesterday were still evolving.


    There was nothing to be done; each species¡¯ evolution time varied.


    Even for powerful termites, it generally took two to three days to complete


    their evolution.


    Qin Niu was not in a hurry, he simply needed to wait patiently.


    Upon his call, the ten newly hatched worker bees flew over to him.


    They were again bestowed with an opportunity.


    in the sky, Qin Niu heard once more the bombing-plane-like buzzing of wings.


    Those damn hornets really are everywhere!


    Here they come again!


    He had just eradicated a nest of them last time.


    It was unexpected that the hornets would reappear so quickly.


    In these deep mountains, with abundant resources, there were many wild bees and small insects.


    Hornets are omnivorous creatures that, when persuaded, would even dare to kill mantises, known as the king of insects.


    As long as there was food suitable for them, one could always see their presence.


    This also indicated the strong survival capabilities of hornets.


    Since they did not produce honey themselves, to propagate and strengthen their hive, their favorite thing to do was to plunder others¡¯ homes.


    Bees were their preferred target.


    Because to them, bee honey, larvae, and eggs were considered high-quality nutrition. And since bees are very weak, just a few dozen hornets could annihilate a hive housing tens of thousands.


    Low risk, high reward; not just hornets, but even humans would scramble to do


    it.


    The buzzing sound above Qin Niu¡¯s head didn¡¯t disappear quickly like before but continued to persist.


    He looked up towards the sky.


    There he saw a little black shadow, much bigger than a bee, hovering at low altitude, circling constantly.


    ¡°Damn it, the beehive is exposed again!¡±


    Qin Niu sometimes really felt sorry for these hardworking littles bees.


    All they did was diligently gather nectar and never paid attention to whether there were hornets or other predators lurking in the shadows.


    This could easily bring disaster upon their entire colony.


    The hornet had definitely noticed this hive of bees.


    It was very cunning, not venturing in alone, but instead circling in the air,


    leaving behind a strong trail of pheromones.


    This was a call for reinforcements.


    Qin Niu did not bring any tools with him, and although he had admirable insect-catching skills, they were not enough to capture this ¡®scout¡¯ hornet.


    ¡°Then, today¡¯s breeding plan will have to be adjusted!


    After some thought, Qin Niu ultimately fed a small amount of banyan tree blood to five of the newly emerged worker bees, while the remaining five were cultivated normally, following the usual process.


    Termites fed with a bit of banyan tree blood would evolve into Swift Ants. He wondered what the worker bees would turn into after consuming it.


    Today¡¯s luck wasn¡¯t too bad; all ten worker bees survived after being fed the banyan tree blood.


    After Qin Niu placed them back in the hive, he didn¡¯t rush to leave.


    Instead, he quietly waited for the hornet¡¯s next move.


    Hornets generally liked to attack beehives at dusk or in the afternoon.


    There was still some time before nightfall, so he had to wait.


    ¡°Fourth, lead a few termites with Spirit Control ability to the tree for surveillance. Grade Three Tiger Striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant, you take a few Soldier Ants to the tree for surveillance as well. If the hornet gets within your attack range, knock it down for me.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t bring many termites this time, only about twenty.


    But they were all elites, extremely powerful in combat.


    They were capable of both close combat and ranged attacks.


    After circling high in the air for a while, the hornet began to fly down towards the pine tree.


    Qin Niu felt secretly delighted; he was worried it wouldn¡¯t come down. As long as it did, he could handle it.


    In his hand, he already held a wooden stick nearly two meters long.


    If the termites couldn¡¯t deal with it, and it came close to the tree, Qin Niu would seize the moment and knock it down with a swing of his stick.


    It was a pity that the old worker bees wouldn¡¯t follow Qin Niu¡¯s commands. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be a chance for this hornet to strut around; it would have been overwhelmed by a swarm of bees in the sky that would then take it down.

 Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Chapter 119 Exterminate Insects_i

    Chapter 124: Chapter 119 Exterminate Insects_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Fourth¡¯s only remaining antenna had already targeted the giant hornet.


    It felt like a sniper rifle had zeroed in on it.


    When the giant hornet was about seven or eight meters away from Fourth, its antenna began to tremble at a high frequency.


    The hornet seemed completely unaware and continued to approach the hive.


    As a result, the next second was tragic.


    The insect¡¯s body plummeted to the ground like a plane crashing, showing that Fourth¡¯s effective long-range attack was around ten meters.


    The other termites couldn¡¯t compare to Fourth, as their attack range was likely much shorter.


    For a Grade Three termite to deal with a Grade One giant hornet, it really seemed like bullying.


    The two were simply not on the same level.


    Just when Qin Niu thought the hornet was going to crash headfirst into the ground, at about two meters from the ground, it fluttered its wings and took to the air again.


    It then flew directly towards Fourth.


    The other termite¡¯s antennae all pointed at the hornet, but they seemed to have received a command signal from Fourth and didn¡¯t attack.


    As the hornet flew toward Fourth, Qin Niu was somewhat worried it might attack Fourth.


    To his surprise, it landed obediently in front of Fourth like a well-behaved grandchild.


    Fourth, without any courtesy, climbed onto its back.


    Then, the hornet took off again and flew straight toward Qin Niu.


    Carrying Fourth, it fluttered in front of Qin Niu.


    By the looks of it, it had been completely controlled by Fourth.


    ¡°Fourth is really too strong.¡±


    Qin Niu extended his right hand, and the enormous Golden Ring Bumblebee, under Fourth¡¯s guidance, steadied itself onto his palm.


    Fourth swung its single horn with a hint of pride towards Qin Niu.


    ¡°Well done!¡±


    Qin Niu was very pleased with Fourth¡¯s performance.


    Going out to hunt precious insects with the ant army in the future should become much easier.


    However, his Insect Trace Identification skill was still weak, and for the time being, he couldn¡¯t detect the traces left by those high-level insects.


    The rarer and more advanced the insect, the more concealed its whereabouts.


    A high level of tracking ability is required to locate their presence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s capture this hornet now and eradicate its nest tomorrow!¡±


    Qin Niu produced an Insect Jar and enclosed the hornet inside it.


    Worried that Xiao Qing would come looking for him on the mountain if he returned late, he took the large army of termites and descended the mountain while it was still light.


    The termite army had become incredibly formidable, and he was going to use them to help eliminate pests in the fields.


    After arriving home and having dinner, Qin Niu said to Xiao Qing, ¡°You can go to the backyard tonight to absorb the medicinal essence of those herbs for your cultivation, with no need to worry about them withering away!¡±


    ¡°All right! Thank you, Master.¡±


    Having witnessed Qin Niu¡¯s special abilities, she gladly accepted.


    No one can refuse the temptation to grow stronger.


    After making arrangements for Xiao Qing, he took the termites out the door.


    The moon that night was large and round, casting a beautiful glow.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the fifteenth, I wonder how Miss Wang¡¯s cultivation is progressing?¡±


    Even though Qin Niu was now an Insect Master, he still had no way to intervene in other people¡¯s family affairs.


    Not just him; even the lord of Black Tiger City could not interfere in the family matters of others.


    Parents¡¯ orders and the matchmaker¡¯s word could wholly decide who their daughters would marry.


    He arrived at his cornfield, only to find that the locusts were even more numerous than in the morning.


    Even at night, one could hear the constant rasping sounds of munching.


    They were voraciously gnawing on the corncob leaves.


    ¡°Fourth, I leave the unified command to you. Eliminate all the pests in the field,¡± Qin Niu commanded as he released the termites.


    There were over a hundred of them.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly take all the special termites with him; he had to leave some behind to defend the Ant Nest.


    Even though the nest entrance was now very small, the Ant Queen had her own separate chamber, there was a dedicated nursery, and the nest¡¯s defenses were very well done, but one can never be too careful when navigating the waters of uncertainty.


    Qin Niu had to always be cautious.


    Just as he released the termites, a frog appeared before him, and Qin Niu was startled.


    Frogs would eat anything they could swallow.


    Larger bullfrogs would even dare to eat mice and venomous snakes.


    This frog was a smaller Spotted Frog, which was more common in the fields.


    Before it could make a move, it suddenly flipped over onto its back, belly up, limbs outstretched and trembling.


    Qin Niu knew it must have been the work of the Ghost Ants.


    Over a hundred special termites together were like a small army, and their power was truly terrifying.


    In silence, in less than a second, they had toppled the formidable Spotted Frog.


    What a sin!


    Seeing how powerful the termite troop was, Qin Niu was now reassured. He left the task of pest elimination to them,


    while he himself started to collect insect eggs in the cornfield, accompanied by four Worker Ants.


    It wasn¡¯t for any other reason but to help the Ant Queen enhance her breeding skills.


    He had another idea: since feeding insect eggs to the Ant Queen could quickly improve her breeding skills, it should have the same effect when fed to the bee queen.


    He would know once he tried it out.


    After all, he had long since solved the problem of food and shelter and now had plenty of time to devote to training and nurturing his pets every day.


    His proficiency in catching insects was continuously increasing.


    Additionally, as the termites killed the locusts one by one, his labor points also kept growing intensely.


    For each insect they killed, as their master, he gained o.oi labor points.


    With Fourth and the Grade Three Tiger Striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant leading a group of Grade Two worker ants and Grade Two soldier ants in concerted combat, the efficiency of pest eradication was frighteningly high.


    Busy working until midnight, the pests in an acre of land were all eliminated.


    Qin Niu counted the termites¡ª117 in total, not one missing.


    In the fields, the frogs had collectively run into bad luck that night.


    As long as they entered the termites¡¯ attack range, they were either controlled by the Puppet Ants or directly attacked by the spiritual waves of the Ghost Ants, ending up belly-up on the ground, motionless.


    They weren¡¯t dead, though.


    After a while, they would recover and be back to normal.


    If the termites¡¯ spirit control and mental attacks were effective against frogs, this indicated they would be equally effective against other small animals as well.


    Next time, Qin Niu would further explore the application of their special abilities.


    The only pity was that there were too few of them.


    If he had tens of thousands of special termites, he felt he could even take down a fierce beast.


    Gathering the collected insect eggs onto his back, he called back the termites and went home.


    Passing by other people¡¯s crops, he could hear the rustling noise of locusts nibbling on the leaves. It was as dense as rainfall.


    The number of locusts exceeded imagination, and it seemed that compared to the morning, many more had migrated over.


    He unexpectedly discovered lights moving in one of the fields.


    It seemed that someone else was also dealing with pests at night.


    Qin Niu stopped to look closely, and under the bright moonlight, he could see the face of the person.


    The other party also noticed him and looked back.


    ¡°Master Qin, it¡¯s you!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang was busy working in the field.


    This piece of land was his, and though it was poor soil, under his management, the corn seedlings were growing quite well.


    At least they were far better than those of anyone else.


    But they couldn¡¯t compare to Qin Niu¡¯s acre of corn.


    Qin Niu was proficient in all farming skills: planting, fertilizing, weeding, and tilling, all of which he could perform to a high standard. Plus, he had his own unique formula for mountain fertilizer, which was as effective as modern fertilizers.


    Ordinary mid-level farmers really couldn¡¯t compare with him.


    ¡°The village chief really is our village¡¯s model of hard work! Working in the fields so late at night.¡±


    Qin Niu responded.


    ¡°Haha, you flatter me! You are a distinguished Insect Master, labouring in the fields even at night. That¡¯s truly remarkable! Are you also dealing with the pests?¡±


    Xu Zhenchang beamed with joy at being praised as the model worker of the village by Qin Niu.


    He might not feel much when praised by others, but being complimented by Qin Niu, a person of high status, was extremely gratifying to him.


    ¡°Right, I discovered that there were quite a few locusts in the fields during the day, so I came over to deal with them tonight.¡±


    Qin Niu readily admitted.


    ¡°This batch of locusts is very strange; they don¡¯t look like the local variety and have probably migrated from elsewhere. Their numbers are huge, and it appears this is just the first wave. I¡¯m afraid more will keep arriving. I¡¯m particularly worried about our crops this year.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang approached with his lamp, a worried expression on his face.


    ¡°It is quite critical; the corn is at a crucial stage of maturity. Harvesting now would result in shriveled seeds and significantly reduce the yield. But if we don¡¯t harvest and the pestilence worsens, they could easily consume it all.¡±


    Qin Niu had assessed this batch of locusts.


    He even had a few of them caged.


    All were evolved special locusts, with terrifyingly strong gnawing abilities.


    After finishing the leaves, the succulent, sweet corn would be their next target, even more delicious than the foliage.


    ¡°Master Qin, as an Insect Master, do you have any good strategies to deal with these locusts?¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment. And I only discovered these locusts today, so I¡¯m not familiar with their habits yet. If I make any significant discoveries after researching them, I will inform you and the villagers in time to help everyone deal with these locusts.¡±


    Qin Niu was indeed an Insect Master, but Insect Masters weren¡¯t omnipotent.


    Each Insect Master had their own area of expertise and wasn¡¯t equipped to handle every type of insect.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s current colony of ants, as long as the locust plague wasn¡¯t incredibly terrifying, protecting his own acre of corn wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Moreover, his corn was growing exceptionally well and should mature earlier than everyone else¡¯s.


    Those ears of corn were already full and swelling, rapidly maturing and changing.


    The estimated advance in harvest time by about eight or nine days was likely not a problem.


    ¡°On behalf of all the villagers, I thank Master Qin in advance! Alas, this batch of locusts is very formidable. I¡¯ve tried the most commonly used control method, wood ash, which had no effect. Generally, insects are attracted to light; I tried using oil lamps in the fields to lure them, but it was ineffective. I don¡¯t know how to deal with them anymore.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang looked distressed.


    Capturing so many locusts by hand was simply unthinkable.


    Moreover, they were highly vigilant. As soon as they sensed someone approaching, they would immediately hop away, flying off into the distance.


    Not everyone had the refined insect-catching skills like Qin Niu.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, village chief. There¡¯s always a way to figure it out.¡±


    Qin Niu consoled Xu Zhenchang briefly and then headed back home.


    All the way, hearing the dense sound of locusts feasting on the crops made his skin crawl..

 Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Chapter 120 Stupid Wang Furen i

    Chapter 125: Chapter 120 Stupid Wang Furen i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Xiao Qing was cultivating in the backyard, where one could see the leaves of many medicinal herbs had wilted.


    This was because most of their medicinal essence had been absorbed.


    After dealing with his own affairs, Qin Niu took advantage of the moonlight and sat down beside the herbs to cultivate.


    Unlike Xiao Qing, he practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique, which could, in fact, help the herbs recover quickly, regrowing their medicinal essence.


    At that moment, Xiao Qing had reached her limit and had to stop cultivating.


    After watching Qin Niu for a while, she did not disturb him but went back to her room to sleep and rest.


    The cultivation of most techniques consumes spiritual power.


    Many people cultivate for one or two hours, and then recover their spiritual power through rest, meditation, and other means.


    The next morning, after breakfast, Qin Niu was about to leave the house when he heard arguing and the sound of something being smashed next door at the Wang Furen¡¯s residence.


    ¡°Go if you want, I don¡¯t want to marry that Young Master Lu!¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s angry roar came from inside the house.


    ¡°Young Master Lu is none other than the son of the City Commandant of Black Tiger City, his status is incomparably noble! If you are fortunate enough to be chosen by him, not only will you enjoy a lifetime of glory and riches, but even your father will become noble through you. Even our deceased ancestors and your mother will share in the glory. This is true honoring of one¡¯s ancestors, do you understand?¡±


    Wang Furen was making every effort to persuade his daughter.


    Outside, a carriage had already stopped there.


    It must have come from the city.


    One could also see an official servant dressed in a black robe personally acting as the coachman.


    ¡°There are many ways to honor one¡¯s ancestors; it doesn¡¯t mean I have to exchange my lifetime of happiness, my dignity, and this body of mine for the glory and wealth that you desire. I don¡¯t covet those. I will strive to cultivate, strive to become a distinguished person like Alt Niu; that is what I want, do you understand?¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s voice was laced with sobbing.


    It also contained a stubbornness that seemed about to defy death itself.


    ¡°Alt Niu is a man, so he must make his own efforts to strive. As a girl, what are you competing for? Besides, with your outstanding appearance, why wouldn¡¯t you take the broad and easy road instead of insisting on the thorny path? Moreover, becoming a person above others is not that easy. Ah Niu has become a distinguished Insect Master, but that¡¯s one in ten thousand.


    If you just get chosen by Young Master Lu, your status will immediately be a thousand times, ten thousand times more noble than Ah Niu¡¯s.


    Good daughter, listening to your father won¡¯t be wrong.


    There are many women who want to marry Young Master Lu. It was only after great difficulty that I managed to secure an invitation for you. If you miss this opportunity, there will never be another chance to rise to prominence like a phoenix!¡±


    Wang Furen is a merchant, at his core he¡¯s opportunistic, always scheming to seize the greatest benefit.


    Why take a detour when there¡¯s a shortcut?


    That¡¯s his value and life philosophy.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go! If you insist on forcing me, then I will hang myself.¡±


    Wang Wanyan resisted with the threat of death.


    ¡°Wan Yan, listen to your father! Ah!¡±


    It was the voice of Wang Furen¡¯s servant girl.


    Bang!


    The sound of something being smashed again.


    ¡°Get lost, you¡¯re just a servant girl, you have no right to meddle in your master¡¯s affairs.¡±


    In her anger, Wang Wanyan¡¯s words were quite hurtful.


    ¡°You girl, how can you speak like that?¡± Wang Furen quickly spoke up for his ¡®little wife¡¯.


    But at the moment, he was relying on his daughter to go to the city to attend the lantern festival, so he did not reprimand her.


    The woman must have been angered and did not speak again.


    She didn¡¯t even have the status of a concubine, so she really had no right to interfere in her master¡¯s affairs.


    This is the sorrow of a servant girl.


    No matter how much she pleases her male master, at most her status is just a bit higher than an ordinary servant¡¯s, with no way to be compared with the young masters and mistresses.


    She can¡¯t even sit at the table for meals.


    ¡°Today, either I die, or you give up the idea of making me attend the Lantern Festival.¡±


    Wang Wanyan reiterated her determination to Wang Furen.


    ¡°Is it that you want to marry Air Niu?¡± Wang Furen asked his daughter.


    She was silent.


    ¡°Alt, my foolish daughter, how could you be so confused? Ah Niu has now become an Insect Master and has some small fortune, indeed being the most promising young man within ten miles. But can he compare to Young Master Lu? Marrying him, at most you¡¯ll just be well-fed and warmly dressed, with a little bit of status in the village. If you marry Young Master Lu, then you will be one of the most distinguished figures in Black Tiger City.


    You want to cultivate, don¡¯t you?


    Once you become Madam Lu, the top cultivation techniques, all kinds of elixirs, all sorts of precious items will be presented to you.


    These are things Ah Niu will never be able to give you.¡±


    Wang Furen was speechless, really not understanding how his daughter could be infatuated with the poor boy next door.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, please Miss Wang hurry up and get on the carriage! Your family asked Official Liu to register, and the list of names has already been submitted, now saying you won¡¯t go is definitely not acceptable. If it¡¯s traced back from above, that would be a serious crime.¡±


    The official¡¯s emissary sternly urged the father and daughter inside the house.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go! If there¡¯s a crime to be punished, then punish me already!¡±


    Wang Wanyan shouted angrily.


    ¡°How dare you speak like that?¡±


    The official¡¯s emissary typically lorded it over the common people, and although he was just a lowly runner at the bottom of the officialdom, he became as overbearing as a crab when he dealt with the villagers.


    Just like the eunuchs in the ancient Emperor Palace, who bowed and scraped inside, living like groveling dogs.


    Once they left the palace, they immediately owned private mansions and kept women, with local officials flocking to pay their respects.


    ¡°My lord, I beg your pardon, please don¡¯t take offense at my daughter¡¯s words. I¡¯ll persuade her again, and we¡¯ll be ready immediately.¡±


    Wang Furen started another round of persuasion.


    However, Wan Yan remained unyielding.


    ¡°All this prattle is just wasting my time. Just tie her up and take her away.¡±


    The official¡¯s runner grew impatient.


    He strode into the house, ready to tie up Wang Wanyan.


    ¡°No, no, that won¡¯t do!¡±


    Seeing the situation unfold, Wang Furen quickly pleaded and tried to intercede.


    He was afraid his daughter would get hurt.


    ¡°Get out of the way! You have no say in this now!¡±


    The emissary was very aggressive, and if he didn¡¯t bring someone back, how could he answer to his superiors?


    The runner¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t bad, at least twofold above that of an ordinary person. With a casual flick, Wang Furen was sent tumbling to one side, hitting his head and forming a large bump.


    The runner walked briskly towards Wang Wanyan, holding a rope in his hand.


    It seemed he was no stranger to this kind of work, quite prepared for the task.


    Bang!


    The body of the official¡¯s runner flew out of the door and slammed hard onto the steps.


    ¡°Ow, it hurts so much! You, you wench, how outrageous, I am an emissary of the officials, you dare to harm me, I shall have you thrown into the great prison!¡±


    The runner was extremely shocked and angry.


    Perhaps he never imagined that such a delicate-looking girl could possess such mighty strength.


    He was no match for her.


    Taking a beating, the runner dared not enter again, but instead prepared to drive the carriage back to the city to seek reinforcements.


    ¡°Hold on!¡±


    Qin Niu blocked the carriage¡¯s path.


    ¡°Where did this troublemaking peasant come from, get out of the way!¡±


    The runner was furious, having just been beaten by Wang Wanyan and now obstructed by a youth from the countryside. What kind of place was this Shuangfeng Village?


    A place of poor and fierce land that produced nothing but troublemakers.


    ¡°Get down from there!¡±


    Qin Niu immediately brandished the bronze Fish Talisman.


    ¡°Aiyoh¡­ it turns out to be Master Qin, I am a blind fool and deserve to be punished!¡±


    The moment the runner saw the bronze Fish Talisman, he was scared out of his wits.


    Even ordinary officials did not have such an object; it was something that only a Historian of that rank would possess.


    He was merely an emissary of the officials, practically on par with an idler, how could he dare offend Qin Niu?


    He rolled off the carriage and began slapping his own face.


    ¡°Enough, enough. Just for your raising your voice at this Insect Master, you could be charged with a crime. Do you want to rot in jail, or would you prefer to take this piece of Silver Money and go back?¡±


    Qin Niu took out One Tael of Silver.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to acceptyour Silver Money, sir!¡±


    The runner waved his hands repeatedly to refuse.


    ¡°Tell your superior that Miss Wang is very ill, gravely ill in fact. If you handle this well, this is your tip. If you fail, then you better add a little more to buy several coffins, as I¡¯ll see your whole family laid to rest.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke indifferently, his expression unwavering.


    The runner was scared witless.


    Today was truly an unlucky day, not only had he been beaten by a girl, but now he had also encountered an even more terrifying presence.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to provoke such a person.


    ¡°I will do my utmost to handle this affair!¡±


    The moment the runner heard that if the matter wasn¡¯t handled well, Qin Niu would kill all of his family, he knelt on the ground immediately.

 Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Chapter 121 Complete Resolution i

    Chapter 126: Chapter 121 Complete Resolution i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    The reputation of Insect Masters isn¡¯t favorable; in the eyes of most people, they even belong to an infamous existence.


    Why?


    Because the vast majority of Insect Masters either raise spiders, centipedes, scorpions, or other venomous insects.


    A single bite, at the least, causes several days of pain, at worst, results in writhing on the ground in agony, screaming in pain.


    Even more severe cases lead to immediate death upon falling to the ground.


    For a long period, Insect Masters even became synonymous with snakes and scorpions.


    There¡¯s also another reason the image of Insect Masters isn¡¯t very positive. Most of those who raise insects come from impoverished backgrounds and lack higher education, leading them to sometimes behave barbarically.


    Besides, the more solitary and vengeful a person is, the more likely they are to cultivate powerful insects.


    Because they have only one thing on their mind: to exhaust all means, regardless of the consequences, to strengthen their insects and then seek their revenge.


    For instance, Green Demon is a typical representative from among them.


    This also makes the general public even more fearful of Insect Masters.


    This officer, when he would go down to the countryside on ordinary days, carried himself arrogantly, as if he wanted to swagger like a crab.


    But at this moment, he was filled with fear, particularly afraid of angering this Insect Master and bringing the disaster of extermination on his entire family.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Qin Niu concluded that it was about enough, commanded the officer with a shout, granting him what felt like a royal pardon. The officer scrambled to his feet and bowed repeatedly, ¡°Thank you, Master Qin, for your mercy!¡± Then, he clambered onto the horse carriage in a fluster.


    ¡°Keep these two Silver Money, I never let people work for free! And I don¡¯t like it when people take my Silver Money and don¡¯t work!¡±


    This officer, who would have rather died than take the money, saw Qin Niu throw the Silver Money to him with a frosty look and dared not refuse.


    It was only after driving the horse carriage far away and realizing that Qin Niu wasn¡¯t chasing after him that he lashed the horse with his whip.


    ¡°Giddy up!¡±


    The horse carriage raced away, fleeing the terrifying Shuangfeng Village.


    Wang Furen emerged, supported by his family, groaning in pain.


    ¡°Thankyou, Master Qin, for your intervention!¡±


    Clamping down on his teeth and enduring the pain, he bowed in thanks.


    If it weren¡¯t for Qin Niu stepping in just now, a major disaster would have befallen his family.


    The people shall not contend with officials since ancient times.


    Despite having offended just a minor officer, if he were to go back to the city and complain, he could immediately bring great trouble upon the Wang Family.


    Officials protect one another.


    You have to look at the master before you beat the dog.


    The officer came to the door by carriage to pick people up and moreover, it was the Wang Family who volunteered to participate in the Lantern Festival. However, not only did Miss Wang refuse to go, but she also beat the officer. Wasn¡¯t this making a mockery of the official matters?


    Once the higher-ups learned of this, they would surely be incensed.


    Even reporting this to the middle ranks of the government would promptly lead to a decree to capture the Wang father and daughter in order to protect the government¡¯s authority.


    ¡°Thankyou, Master Qin!¡±


    Wang Wanyan, supporting her injured father, curtsied deeply towards Qin Niu.


    She looked even thinner, but there was added agility in her every movement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be polite, Miss Wang should still call me Air Niu! The title ¡®Master Qin¡¯ sounds quite awkward to me.¡±


    Qin Niu had always had a favorable view of her.


    But time had passed, and their statuses had undergone significant changes.


    In the past, she was a rich miss whom Qin Niu could only look up to.


    She was not quite considered a daughter of wealth.


    At least, one had to be at the level of the Yan Family¡¯s daughters to be barely called a wealthy young lady.


    Now, Qin Niu had become a respected Insect Master, while she remained a commoner.


    Nevertheless, she also had her advantages and potential. Her stunning beauty and talent could give her opportunities to attach herself to a noble son and become a concubine of a powerful family.


    As for becoming the principal wife, frankly, that was very difficult.


    Even if a noble son did take a liking to her, at best, she would be brought home as a concubine.


    The larger the family, the more they adhere to equal matches.


    Only through strong alliances can a family become safer and more potent.


    The direct children of large families carry an unshirkable mission from birth. They need to find ways to preserve and even enhance the prosperity of the family.


    Marriage is often one of the most direct and effective means.


    Not just the children of large families, but even ancient emperors had to consider whether the woman¡¯s background included a strong family that could help secure their throne.


    Thus, Wang Furen¡¯s aspirations were more akin to a Wart Toad dreaming of swan meat while lying in the mud.


    The likelihood of his daughter successfully climbing the ranks was as slim as winning the lottery jackpot.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, some matters concern your family¡¯s private affairs, which as an outsider, I shouldn¡¯t be voicing. These last few years, since the death of Old Master Liu, you and Miss Wang have been greatly supportive of me. It¡¯s precisely because of this connection that today I didn¡¯t hesitate to step in and help your family resolve this crisis.


    However, I can save your family once, but not a second time.


    Children and grandchildren have their own fortune. In the future, you should follow Miss Wang¡¯s heart!


    You wish for her to marry a powerful son, but the reality is that this is difficult to achieve.


    With your family¡¯s conditions, not to mention marrying the son of the City Commandant, it would be extremely challenging even to become the principal wife in the Yan Family. Your daughter sees this much clearer than you do.


    Since ancient times, being close to the ruler is like being close to a tiger.


    If your family possessed strength comparable to the other side, perhaps Miss Wang could have enough status and safety. Otherwise, even if she married into a large family, the internal struggle in the mansion¡¯s back courtyard would be more vicious than palace intrigue. A single defeat could spell catastrophe for your family.


    Moreover, this involves trading her lifelong happiness to become a man¡¯s appendage, which would be excessively cruel to Miss Wang.


    From what I know of Miss Wang, the love she seeks is certainly one of equality and mutual respect, not a so-called privileged life exchanged for appeasing men with her body and beauty.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s words made Wang Furen nod repeatedly.


    Miss Wang looked at him with an expression and gaze of seeing a true confidant.


    In the entire Shuangfeng Village, only this taciturn All Niu truly understood her.


    ¡°I was foolish before, deluded. From now on¡­ daughter, whoever you wish to marry, that¡¯s your decision to make.¡±


    Wang Furen had weathered the crisis and had finally come to terms with the situation.


    Upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s advice, he came to his senses.


    ¡°Thankyou, Father!¡±


    Miss Wang was overjoyed when she heard her father finally relent.


    Wang Furen, on the other hand, took out two taels of silver from his sleeve.


    ¡°Master Qin spent a significant amount dealing with the official envoy. I would like to offer twice the amount to express my gratitude,¡± he said.


    ¡°One tael is enough,¡± replied Qin Niu, accepting one tael of silver and refusing to take the rest.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was not in need of money now, but even if he was short on silver, he would not take Wang Furen¡¯s money.


    He had never forgotten the kindness that the Wang Family showed him during his most lonely and helpless days.


    Bonds of affection were far more precious than silver money.


    Watching Qin Niu walk away, Wang Furen gritted his teeth and called out loudly, ¡°Master Qin is currently constructing a new house. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, I can make two rooms available in my house for you and your servant to stay in.¡±


    Having completely given up on the idea of using his daughter to climb the social ladder, Wang Furen thought it wouldn¡¯t be too bad for his daughter to marry Qin Niu.


    At least, her standing in the village would be secure.


    Moreover, Qin Niu was a man who valued old friendships and loyalty, a man worthy of trust.


    ¡°No need, I¡¯m quite content living in the shack!¡± Qin Niu flatly declined.


    Had Wang Furen extended this offer when he was just about to start building a house, Qin Niu might have considered it.


    Now that his house was half-built and he, along with Xiao Qing, were already settled, why would he move to someone else¡¯s home?


    Moreover, with his many secrets, he certainly felt more comfortable living in his own place.


    He carried his basket on his back, with Xiao Nui puffing and panting as he followed behind.


    Unlike other people¡¯s cattle, his did not need to be tethered.


    They never idly grazed on others¡¯ crops.


    And they never got lost and couldn¡¯t be found.


    He deliberately detoured to check the fields. In the fields of others, locusts could be seen everywhere.


    In just one night, the leaves had been severely devoured.


    He even saw locusts of a golden hue.


    The few he had caught the day before were all green, as they were still in their ¡®youth¡¯.


    These golden locusts had molted three times or more and had reached adulthood.


    Like humans, they were entering middle age.


    They now had the ability to reproduce.


    Locusts generally do not lay their eggs on leaves, but rather in moist soil.


    Qin Niu had not yet figured out an effective way to eliminate these locusts.


    His termites did have the ability, but unfortunately, their numbers were too limited.


    They were only enough to protect his own acre of corn.


    And termites had one flaw: they were quite averse to sunlight.


    If there was sunlight during the day, they could not operate.


    This was why Qin Niu always carried his termites to eliminate pests at night.


    After visiting his own field, he found many more locusts had migrated over from the adjacent plots.


    There¡¯s no saving eggs under an overturned nest.


    When locusts are numerous enough, it¡¯s impossible to keep oneself unharmed.


    Nor can one create an area free of pests.


    Unless his termites could fight day and night, relentlessly eliminating any locusts that crossed the boundary.


    Fourth and the Tiger Striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant seemed to have acquired this capability. Other termites, even the Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants or the Grade Two Tiger Striped Ants, still feared the sunlight and couldn¡¯t take part in pest control during the day.


    This indicated that only those termites of Grade Three or above could adapt to harsher environments.


    However, breeding Grade Three termites was exceedingly difficult.


    After all, an ordinary person only needed control over one Grade Three creature to be certified as an Insect Master.


    If Grade Three creatures were so easy to breed, Insect Masters would be everywhere, not as rare as they are now.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s go up the mountain and see the evolutionary abilities of the bees,¡± Qin Niu decided, heading straight for the mountains.


    Passing by the front of Xie Laizi¡¯s house, where Xie Laizi, who had to crawl on the ground, saw him and struggled to muster a smile and greet, ¡°Master Qin, you¡¯re heading up the mountain so early!¡±


    Qin Niu grunted in acknowledgment and briskly walked past.


    Deep down, he despised this man.


    It was truly regrettable that Wang Haikun had not killed Xie Laizi last time but only crippled him.


    Perhaps there is a divine purpose in the workings of fate.


    To let such a scourge live and suffer more.


    Arriving at the Ant Nest, he first released over a hundred termites back into their nest. Then he fed the Worker Ants with insect eggs, allowing them to feed the Ant Queen, thereby enhancing her breeding skill.


    So far, he had only discovered two ways to enhance the Ant Queen¡¯s breeding skill.


    One was natural laying of eggs, and the other was feeding with insect eggs.


    Every time he saw the Ant Queen¡¯s increasingly plump body, and her growing difficulty in movement, Qin Niu felt the urge to feed her with Banyan Tree Blood.


    But each time, he would forcefully suppress this impulsive thought with reason.


    He wanted to wait until the success rate of breeding termites using Banyan Tree Blood reached one hundred percent before he would feed the Ant Queen.

 Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: Chapter 122 New Bee Species i

    Chapter 127: Chapter 122 New Bee Species i


    Translator: 549690339


    Up to now, termites remained his strongest method and trump card.


    With even a slight risk, he dared not use the Ant Queen for experimentation.


    ¡°Wow, finally a new worker ant with great strength attribute has emerged!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the ten new members and was surprised to find that one of them was a strong worker ant.


    Although the probability of a strong termite appearing was somewhat low, it still made him very happy.


    At least the strong termites could be produced.


    ¡°Since the probability of producing termites with the strong attribute by feeding them bear blood is so low, it should also be possible to enhance their strength attribute this way.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze flickered as he seriously summarized his breeding experience.


    After initially feeding them bear blood, five strong worker ants and two strong soldier ants had emerged.


    The probability was frighteningly high.


    Unfortunately, hunting down a bear was too difficult.


    Because their numbers were very sparse.


    He could only wait for future opportunities to conduct such experiments again.


    Many insect breeding knowledge and experiences can only be explored and accumulated by the Insect Master on his own.


    Currently, by using Banyan Tree Blood and ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood, he was able to evolve special worker ants into Grade Three termites.


    At least that strong soldier ant had been successfully cultivated into a Grade Three termite by him.


    Fourth was the same.


    Those four Grade Two Green Scaled Giant worker ants should also have hope of being cultivated into Grade Three termites.


    He hadn¡¯t fed them ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood yet.


    Because Qin Niu was still in the exploratory stage of this type of cultivation.


    With the locust disaster at hand, his need for Grade Three ants increased.


    Moreover, a new strong worker ant had emerged among the newly hatched termites, which alleviated many of his worries.


    He immediately fed a sufficient amount of ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood to the four Grade Two Green Scaled Giant worker ants and then fed a sufficient amount of Banyan Tree Blood to the newly molted strong worker ant. He carried out batch cultivation with the other nine termites as well.


    After handling that, he prepared to head to the beehive with Fourth and the Ant Queen.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Fourth conveyed to him in ant language.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°When we enter underneath that strange tree, perhaps we could try having the Ant Queen stay inside the nest. I should be able to sense the pheromones she releases.¡±


    Fourth suggested to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Qin Niu was still somewhat concerned.


    If they got trapped under the tree, it wouldn¡¯t be a joke.


    ¡°It should be possible.¡±


    It didn¡¯t dare to be too certain.


    Almost all beasts and insects had rather simple thought processes.


    Even though Fourth possessed moderate intelligence, its way of thinking was still straightforward and clear.


    This was a good thing.


    Dealing with them was like communicating with a two- or three-year-old child, simple and direct, without worrying about any scheming on their part.


    ¡°Yesterday, when you took me down the mountain to exterminate insects, I could clearly sense the Ant Queen¡¯s scent. If it¡¯s a bit farther away, I can¡¯t sense it.¡±


    It based its judgment on this experience.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try!¡±


    Qin Niu decided to give it a go.


    Because every time the Ant Queen left the nest, it indeed caused a lot of trouble.


    The main responsibilities of the Ant Queen were laying eggs and releasing pheromones, soothing the whole ant colony and having them perform their duties properly.


    For her to reside within the old nest was the safest, and it was also very beneficial for the stability of the ant colony.


    This time, he set out with only Fourth and that Grade Three Tiger Striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant.


    Arriving at the beehive, he calmly took out the bee-hunting tools from the basket, along with the Golden Ring Bumblebee he had caught yesterday.


    Today, he specifically brought tools to potentially capture the entire swarm of bumblebees in one fell swoop.


    Any beehive, once discovered by bumblebees, becomes extremely dangerous.


    As the saying goes, ¡°It¡¯s not the theft that¡¯s scary, but the thief¡¯s intent.¡±


    If a bumblebee finds a beehive, it¡¯s bound to be pillaged sooner or later.


    The best solution is to eliminate the danger in advance.


    Perhaps sensing their master¡¯s presence, several honeybees covered in green rings flew out.


    They were noticeably larger than ordinary honeybees.


    They were even bigger than the lazy, mating-prone drones.


    Each one was robust in size.


    Qin Niu counted, exactly eight in total.


    This was great, the first batch of eight honeybees had finally completed their evolution.


    ¡°Come here!¡±


    Qin Niu called out with delight, extending his right hand, and the eight honeybees obediently landed on it.


    At the same time, ten newly emmerged honeybees crawled out of the nest.


    But their wings hadn¡¯t fully hardened or opened yet.


    They couldn¡¯t fly just yet.


    This also meant that there were ten new honeybees available for him to cultivate.


    Getting on the right track felt genuinely gratifying.


    The bee colony would slowly undergo a generational change and become increasingly powerful.


    Ordinary worker bees had a lifespan of just two to three months.


    The lifespan of specially cultivated worker bees would increase significantly.


    He examined the worker bees in his hand closely.


    Their abdomen was originally striped with black and yellow rings.


    Now the pattern had changed to black rings intermixed with light green ones.


    Their legs too had changed noticeably, becoming thicker, especially the pollen baskets and brushes on the hind legs, which were more intricate and much larger.


    That meant they could collect more pollen at once.


    Their mandibles had also developed more, with a slight metallic sheen flickering on the tips.


    That meant they now had greater combat capabilities.


    The structures of their four wings were significantly thicker and sturdier, with wing membranes that seemed tougher and much thicker, indicating resilience.


    It meant their flying ability had improved.


    As for their tails¡¯ poison stingers, they were clearly longer and thicker.


    The venom sacs and muscles had also become larger and more robust.


    They were filled with a frightening burst of power.


    On the poison stingers, one could still see the barbs.


    It was these barbs that caused the entire venom sac to detach when they stabbed an enemy and attempted to pull away, leading to their rapid death.


    Bumblebees didn¡¯t have this limitation.


    They could sting enemies multiple times.


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze swept over the eight newly cultivated worker bees, his heart brimming with joy.


    He wondered if their combat strength could surpass that of the bumblebees.


    He checked their attributes on the spot.


    Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees, 8 in total, lifespan 10.2 years, special abilities (Super Gathering, can efficiently and quickly collect pollen. Skilled Flight, possessing over five times the flying speed of ordinary honeybees, with more agile turns and rolls in the air. Paralyzing Venom, inflicts a paralyzing effect on enemies when stung, with duration depending on the enemy¡¯s strength. Strong Gnawing, can tear through the bodies of enemies, with some armor-piercing effect on low-level exoskeletons.)


    After reviewing the attributes of the newly cultivated worker bees, Qin Niu was extremely delighted.


    These eight worker bees had made significant progress in both combat and honey gathering capabilities.


    If nothing unexpected happened, the speed-grown honeybees he cultivated yesterday should also complete their evolution today.


    He was certain that their abilities would definitely be weaker than the Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees.


    The fact that these eight worker bees had gained an additional 10 years of life was not surprising.


    Nearly all termites or honeybees that eat Banyan Tree Blood and undergo normal evolution could increase their lifespans by more than ten years.


    ¡°If they can defeat the bumblebees, then there¡¯s no need to worry about the safety of the beehive anymore,¡± Qin Niu thought to himself, considering having them fight the bumblebee in the cage.

 Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Chapter 123 Cultivating the Queen Bee t

    Chapter 128: Chapter 123 Cultivating the Queen Bee t


    Translator: 549690339


    The bee species are relatively uniform, and strictly speaking, can be divided into three categories.


    Worker bees, drone bees, Queen Bee.


    From this, one can see that the worker bee is almost a jack-of-all-trades bee species. They take on all the dirty work, exhausting work, and dangerous work of the entire hive.


    Gathering pollen, making honey, feeding the Queen Bee and the young, providing for the drone bees, defending the hive, the worker bee does it all.


    The eight Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees that Qin Niu bred have fairly balanced special ability evolutions.


    Both their pollen-gathering and defense capabilities have been enhanced.


    However, their gnawing ability seems to be weaker than that of termites.


    Grade Two Lightning Worker Ants and Grade Two Striped Tiger Ants all have incredibly strong gnawing or biting abilities.


    This batch of Grade Two bees has some ability to break through lower-level


    armor.


    One might say that to bite through lower-level armor depends on luck. Only if the position of the bite is right, can they possibly break the opponent¡¯s armor or skin.


    Fourth, take control of that bumblebee for now!


    Qin Niu gave an order to Fourth.


    Fourth was perched on Qin Niu¡¯s shoulder, its antennae aiming at the Golden Ring Bumblebee locked in the cage.


    As its antennae trembled at a high frequency, the bumblebee that was scurrying around inside the cage, trying to escape, suddenly became docile.


    It was controlled by Fourth.


    The Puppet Ant¡¯s ability was incredibly powerful.


    Qin Niu released the bumblebee.


    Fourth, make it attack the hive!


    Under Fourth¡¯s control, the Golden Ring Bumblebee immediately flew towards the hive like a bomber.


    The eight Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees sensed the threat to the colony and quickly took flight, confronting the invading bumblebee.


    Their flying speed was astonishingly stunning.


    In the insect world, the dragonfly is acknowledged as the king of flight, without


    peer.


    Dragonflies can hover in mid-air, fly backward, make rapid turns, dive, and other advanced flying maneuvers. Insects targeted by them in the air have a hard time escaping.


    At this moment, the flying speed of these eight Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees could probably surpass that of dragonflies.


    As for flying skills, they definitely couldn¡¯t compare.


    The structure of the dragonfly¡¯s body, especially the structure of their two pairs of wings and the muscles at the base of the wings, grants them extraordinary flying capabilities. Bees do not have such innate ¡®hardware.¡¯


    Therefore, they couldn¡¯t match dragonflies when it came to flying skills.


    But their current flying speed was so fast that it fully compensated for their lack of flying skills.


    In martial arts, nothing is invincible except speed.


    Just look at how domineering eagles and hawks are in aerial combat to understand.


    The eight Grade Two Worker Bees arrived after their departure, and as the leading one streaked past the bumblebee, one could see its powerful mandibles viciously biting into the rear leg of the bumblebee.


    Although its body size was still a bit smaller than that of the bumblebee, the difference was not that much.


    It was just not as long.


    With that bite,


    Crack!


    One of the bumblebee¡¯s rear legs was bitten off in a surprise attack.


    The bumblebee, suddenly injured, immediately turned to fight back, but the bee had already flown away.


    It was greeted by the next seven Grade Two Worker Bees.


    Each of them aimed for the bumblebee¡¯s legs, wings, or antennae, biting ferociously.


    They all employed the same tactic, not fighting to the death, but biting and then fleeing.


    It seems that after evolving to Grade Two, the bees had also increased their intelligence quite a bit.


    This kind of aerial raid tactic was something Qin Niu had never seen before.


    The majestic Golden Ring Bumblebee was somewhat tragic, as it hadn¡¯t even had a clear look at its opponents before all its six legs and an antenna were bitten off.


    One of its wings was also punctured.


    It plummeted straight from the sky.


    This Golden Ring Bumblebee became the most pitiful bumblebee to ever be savagely beaten by bees in history.


    Usually, bees were like a walk in the park in their eyes.


    A single Golden Ring Bumblebee was confident it could kill more than forty bees in under a minute.


    For a Grade Two creature to fight a Grade One creature, it was somewhat bullying.


    It was like a commoner of Twofold strength bullying a commoner of Onefold strength, simply overpowering the opponent.


    Fantastic! With these eight Grade Two Worker Bees, we no longer have to worry about the hive being targeted by bumblebees,¡± Qin Niu said after watching the battle, his expectations for Green Demon¡¯s Green Demon Bee increased even more.


    At the Insect Master Association, he had personally seen the specimen of an original Green Demon Bee.


    Far more powerful than his Grade Two Worker Bees.


    But then again, his goal in breeding bees was not for combat purposes. It was to have them produce special honey, as well as to use them as sentries and scouts.


    If one were to breed bees for formidable combat ability, the bumblebee would definitely be the top choice.


    They were called the bandits among bees, inherently aggressive and warlike.


    A frenzied bumblebee, in a one-on-one situation, could sometimes even kill a praying mantis, known as the swordsman among insects.


    Continue to breed another ten new Worker Bees!


    Impressed by the power of Grade Two Worker Bees, Qin Niu decided to expand the number of his special bee colony.


    Nearly half an hour later, ten new Worker Bees were all fed Banyan Tree Blood, and incredibly, just like yesterday, all ten survived without a single one bursting and dying.


    This gave Qin Niu an overwhelming impulse he could hardly suppress.


    Queen Bee, I once promised to make you stronger and to extend your lifespan, now is the time to fulfill that wish for you. If you are unlucky enough to burst and die, then you can only blame your own fate,¡± he said.


    He called out the Queen Bee.


    After several days of absence, the Queen Bee seemed much more modest compared to the first time they met.


    When it had just become the Queen Bee, it ruthlessly and ostentatiously slaughtered several other backup queen bees, leaving Qin Niu with a profound impression.


    This was a monarch with an iron will.


    Bloody, brutal, strong.


    As the Queen Bee flew out of the nest, the entire swarm became restless, feeling


    uneasy.


    I am willing to try!


    The Queen Bee¡¯s answer was firm and powerful; the pursuit of longevity seemed to be the instinct of all life forms.


    Qin Niu did not rush to have the Worker Bees feed it the Banyan Tree Blood; instead, he conducted an extremely careful assessment of the Queen Bee first.


    He repeatedly confirmed its constitution, physical strength, and endurance.


    Then, based on his experience with cultivating those thirty Worker Bees, he calculated a relatively safe dosage of Banyan Tree Blood for the Queen Bee to consume.


    To prevent any deviations, he only allowed one Worker Bee to feed the Queen Bee.


    Watching the Queen Bee being fed, he felt somewhat uneasy as he stood by.


    In his heart, he was prepared for the worst.


    Although cultivating the Queen Bee was a spur-of-the-moment idea, it stemmed from multiple considerations.


    As the Termite colony continued to grow stronger, the cultivation of the Ant Queen became more urgent.


    Although the Ant Queen had never actively made this request to him, Qin Niu could feel its desire to grow stronger.


    Whether it be the Queen Bee or the Ant Queen, their status within their respective colonies was very special. If a colony deems its queen to be unqualified, it will eliminate her.


    The Termite Ant Queen was a tragic example of this.


    Most Termite Ant Queens lived to about twenty-five or twenty-six years. When their breeding abilities weakened, the colony might choose a new Breeder Ant to replace the old Ant Queen.


    In the end, the old Ant Queen would starve to death.


    No Termite would feed it any longer.


    Artificially raised colonies were somewhat unique. If Qin Niu, as the master, did not order the execution of the Ant Queen, the Worker Ants had no choice but to loyally take care of her indefinitely.


    But the Ant Queen herself felt a strong sense of crisis.


    If it felt that the entire colony had become much more powerful than itself, it would fear being abandoned.


    Recently, Qin Niu had sensed that the Ant Queen was becoming increasingly ¡®silent¡¯ and naturally understood its worries.


    Additionally, he now had an ample supply of Contractual Talismans, no longer having to skimp as he did in the past.


    If this Queen Bee died, the loss would be entirely within his capacity to bear.


    Lastly, if the cultivation of the Queen Bee was successful, the next step would be cultivating the Ant Queen.


    After being fed a sufficient amount of Banyan Tree Blood, the Queen Bee lay there, trembling continuously, its body gradually swelling.


    This was the inevitable process of evolution.


    It¡¯s probably going to take a while, so why not take another Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bee for a second round of cultivation?¡±


    Qin Niu took out a small bottle of ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood he carried with him and chose a Worker Bee to feed.


    It touched the substance with its antennae but refused to eat.


    Qin Niu had no choice but to mix the ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood into some honey.


    Eat up!¡±


    This time, it finally ate a little.


    But after just a taste, it refused to eat anymore.


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s experience, feeding ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood to the Termites was very safe.


    Worker Ants would evolve into Puppet Ants, and Soldier Ants into Ghost Ants after consumption. Why then was this Worker Bee reluctant to eat it?


    Was the taste of ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood repugnant to them?


    Bees are rather picky about their food, unlike the omnivorous Termites.


    After eating a bit of the ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood, the Grade Two Worker Bee¡¯s head began to enlarge rapidly.


    It then fell to the ground, writhing in pain.


    Bang!


    Its head split into several pieces.


    Watching a Grade Two Worker Bee die in such a manner caused Qin Niu heartache.


    Such a pity.


    Still unconvinced, he grabbed a normal Worker Bee and forced a bit of the ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood into its mouth.


    It desperately tried to spit it out.


    Its stinger thrashed wildly, but it did not sting Qin Niu.


    Although these older Worker Bees were not under Qin Niu¡¯s control, they would not attack him.


    After bloating up like inflating a balloon ¨C expanding twofold ¨C the normal Worker Bee stopped swelling. Just when Qin Niu was beginning to feel hopeful, thinking that this cultivation might be successful, its head suddenly burst open.


    With no warning whatsoever.


    It died instantly on the spot.


    It seemed that ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood had a potent toxicity to bees, capable of killing them easily rather than assisting their evolution and strengthening them.


    The loss of a Grade Two Worker Bee was a bitter regret for him.


    Yet, on the road to cultivating insects or beast pets, death was unavoidable.


    Some Insect Masters nurtured bugs that had already become very powerful, but the risk of experimentation could lead to the bugs¡¯ death, or cause them to become crippled or weaker.


    For example, the local cripple¡¯s Treasure-Hunting Mouse had an exceptionally sensitive sense of smell.


    If the cripple was not content with being just a certified Beast Tamer and wanted to go further,


    and he tried to enhance that Treasure-Hunting Mouse, only to result in the loss of its keen sense of smell, then the cripple might be reduced back to his original state.


    Whether you¡¯re an Insect Master or a Beast Tamer, one must continually take risks to grow stronger.


    Qin Niu could mass-cultivate Grade Two Worker Bees. The death of one was really insignificant in the grand scheme.


    At the very least, he learned from this failure and knew that bees could not be fed ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood.


    His gaze returned to the Queen Bee, which was still swelling, albeit much more slowly now.

 Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Chapter 124 Getting Stronger Bit by Bit_i

    Chapter 129: Chapter 124 Getting Stronger Bit by Bit_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    If the Queen Bee were to unfortunately die, he would only be able to rest for a while before seeking a new honey bee queen to form a contract with.


    However, finding another Queen Bee with an iron will would be extremely difficult.


    After all, every unique insect or animal is one of a kind.


    The Queen Bee¡¯s body was already showing a series of tiny cracks, a phenomenon that also occurred during the cultivation of certain termites.


    If it could hold on, it would survive.


    If not, it would explode and die.


    At this moment, the Queen Bee spat out a somewhat turbid liquid from its mouth. It felt somewhat like Royal Jelly.


    But it might not be.


    Both Worker Bees and the Queen Bee could secrete the extremely valuable


    Royal Jelly.


    However, because the Queen Bee is usually well-nurtured and does not participate in honey-malting, only laying eggs,


    most of the Royal Jelly in the royal cell is secreted by the Worker Bees.


    After the Queen Bee spat out a large drop of Royal Jelly, its abdomen seemed to have excreted brown feces.


    Was this both vomiting and defecating, emptying its body?


    Qin Niu watched anxiously.


    Even its head was starting to crack now, and the cracks had even spread to its hard mandibles.


    ¡°You must pull through! If you can just make it, your lifespan will increase by at least ten years, and your path of evolution will be much smoother from then


    on,¡±


    Qin Niu cheered it on.


    It seemed somewhat effective.


    It was defecating even harder now.


    ¡°You¡¯re about to make it, hold on!¡±


    Qin Niu, not repulsed by it, continued to provide emotional support at its side.


    At this crucial moment, just offering some hope, with its iron will, might enable it to pull through.


    Time ticked away by the minute and the second.


    The Queen Bee was still enduring the most dangerous and difficult moment. Every second could be the one that it couldn¡¯t hold on and then explode and die.


    At that time, a buzzing noise rang out in the sky.


    Qin Niu looked up; the figures of three Golden Ring Bumblebees appeared.


    They might have sensed the pheromones left by the captured Golden Ring Bumblebee and came to investigate.


    ¡°Go, lure them over here!¡±


    Qin Niu commanded one of the Grade Two Worker Bees.


    It immediately took to the air, teasing the three Golden Ring Bumblebees like prey.


    Excited upon discovering the honey bee, the three Golden Ring Bumblebees flapped their wings, diving and encircling towards the Grade Two Worker Bee.


    However, their flying speed was far inferior to that of the Grade Two Green


    Ring Worker Bees.


    They were always just that bit too far behind the Grade Two Worker Bee.


    ¡°Fourth, help me deal with these three bumblebees.¡±


    Qin Niu, needing to protect the Queen Bee from disturbance, ordered Fourth into battle.


    At this moment, the entire bee colony became even more agitated.


    They feared losing their queen.


    It seemed that they too could feel that the Queen Bee was in a critically dangerous phase.


    As soon as the three bumblebees neared Fourth¡¯s attack range, one of them was directly controlled by Fourth.


    It unexpectedly turned and attacked its two companions.


    It grappled with one of the bumblebees, biting each other as they fell from the sky.


    The remaining bumblebee was completely bewildered by this turn of events. Fighting its own brothers, how could this have suddenly happened?


    Now, it was met with seven Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees attacking from the sky.


    With their previous battle experience, they had become even more sharp and efficient.


    In just one round of attack, the Golden Ring Bumblebee had its wings, legs, and antennae broken, plunging to the ground from the sky. In mid-air, it was utterly dominated by the seven Grade Two Worker Bees.


    Qin Niu¡¯s attention was focused on the Queen Bee, continuing to boost its morale.


    The swelling seemed to have reached its peak, finally coming to a halt.


    One could see its six legs, upper jaws, head, antennae, and even wings all swollen to the limit.


    After guarding by its side for over an hour more, Qin Niu found the Queen Bee¡¯s condition had stabilized and carefully placed it back into the hive.


    He then ordered two Grade Two Worker Bees to guard it.


    The remaining five Grade Two Worker Bees were responsible for vigilance, ready to exterminate any Scout Wasps from the bumblebees that came into view.


    Once everything was sorted out, he confidently went with Fourth under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    It was already approaching noon.


    To nurture this Queen Bee, he had spent the entire morning.


    But it was all worth it.


    The Queen Bee had successfully passed the most dangerous period, and Qin Niu had accumulated a lot of valuable experience in cultivating the Ant Queen.


    Next was the patient wait of several days to see what the Queen Bee would evolve into.


    He was sitting cross-legged underneath the Ancient Banyan Tree, cultivating the Medicine King Sutra.


    Absorbing the medicinal energy from this Ancient Banyan Tree to cultivate the Medicine King Sutra was just too exhilarating.


    It was even more terrifying than cheating.


    As he continued to absorb the medicinal energy and transform it into his cultivation power, his cultivation level was constantly improving.


    About an hour or so later, his body trembled slightly.


    The power of the Medicine King Sutra had smoothly broken through to Twofold of the common folk.


    It was much easier than he had imagined.


    ¡°The ability to perceive medicinal herbs seems to have more than doubled!¡±


    Qin Niu excitedly discovered now that when he perceived the Ancient Banyan


    Tree, he could vaguely sense the terrifying energy contained within, rather than only being able to feel its formidable medicinal aura.


    Moreover, he noticed that some of the small trees and grasses around him also contained a certain amount of energy within them.


    As for the medicinal properties of the energy, he was still unable to discern them.


    These small trees and grasses were not emitting any medicinal aura.


    They were more like puppets or attachments of the great banyan tree.


    They had no independent abilities.


    It was also possible that they were actually part of the great banyan tree itself.


    To understand their relationship with the great banyan tree, Qin Niu would probably have to wait until his Medicine King Sutra reached a higher level.


    He also specifically checked his lifespan, which he cared about most.


    Now, with each small advancement in the Everlasting Spring Technique, his lifespan could increase by five years.


    The Medicine King Sutra had now broken through to Twofold of the common folk.


    As a result, he found his lifespan had increased from 76 years to 77 years.


    Not bad, an increase of one year in his lifespan.


    It seemed all cultivation techniques had the ability to extend life to some extent, although they varied in strength.


    Life-Nurturing Techniques were probably the type that could add the most to one¡¯s life span.


    After cultivating for some time, he let Fourth lead the way.


    Because he had not brought the Ant Queen with him today, he wasn¡¯t sure if Fourth would be able to lead him out.


    After some twists and turns, Fourth finally successfully led him through the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    ¡°Fourth, well done! Next time we come here, there¡¯s no need to move the Ant Queen with us.¡±


    Qin Niu felt particularly happy.


    Previously, he had to bring the Ant Queen with him every time he came here, which was very inconvenient and could easily put the Ant Queen in danger.


    Now it was good, the Ant Queen didn¡¯t need to leave the nest, and Fourth was still able to lead him successfully through the maze.


    This also indicated that the stronger Fourth became, the greater the distance of extreme perception from the Ant Queen would be.


    After leaving, the first thing Qin Niu did was check on the Queen Bee¡¯s condition.


    Not bad, the entire beehive was calm.


    Five Grade Two Worker Bees were patrolling outside the hive, strictly following Qin Niu¡¯s orders without going out to collect pollen.


    For the task of gathering nectar, it was left to the ordinary worker bees to handle.


    The main task of these Grade Two Worker Bees was to guard the Queen Bee.


    To ensure that the Queen Bee was absolutely safe.


    The five bees sensed Qin Niu¡¯s presence and flew out from the hive, circling 111 front of him.


    ¡°Eh, could it be that the five Grade Two Rapid-Growth Worker Bees that are patrolling can split themselves?¡±


    Qin Niu was somewhat surprised.


    The five Grade Two Worker Bees were still patrolling near the hive.


    So who were these individuals that were larger than the ordinary worker bees, with light green wings?


    The only thing he could think of was the Rapid-Growth Worker Bees he had cultivated the day before.


    They were somewhat similar to the Swift Ants.


    They were like ¡®half-finished products¡¯ of incomplete evolution.


    Their flying speed was clearly much faster than that of ordinary worker bees.

 Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Chapter 125: The Whole Village Catches Bugs_i

    Chapter 130: Chapter 125: The Whole Village Catches Bugs_i


    Translator: 549690339


    Their mandibles had obviously become much thicker, but they were still much weaker than the Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees.


    The wings had turned green and became corpulent and wide.


    They flapped powerfully and vigorously.


    The six-legged pollen brushes and the pollen baskets on the hind legs had both become stronger, greatly surpassing ordinary Worker Bees.


    No other significant changes were observed for the time being.


    Upon inspecting the bee colony¡¯s attributes, he indeed discovered that there were five new types of bees.


    Grade One Giant Wing Worker Bee: five specimens, lifespan of 5 years, special abilities (can fly fast over long distances, pollen gathering efficiency +50%, moderate biting force).


    Their abilities were obviously far weaker than those of the Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees.


    Their flying speed was also fast, but slower than that of the Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees, and their maneuverability was much poorer.


    Their efficiency in pollen gathering was fifty percent stronger than that of ordinary Worker Bees.


    This meant that two Giant Wing Worker Bees could do the work of three ordinary Worker Bees.


    Then, ordinary bees had very weak biting force, but the biting force of the Giant Wing Worker Bees had been somewhat strengthened. It felt like their biting force could match that of hornets.


    Overall, not too bad.


    He had not yet bred the kind of bee he wanted.


    However, he was not disheartened; by slowly groping his way, he believed that he would succeed one day.


    Compared to breeding Termites, breeding bees was more difficult due to their less diverse species.


    Now that the Queen Bee had consumed the Banyan Tree Blood and survived the critical phase, he hoped that its evolution would bring some surprises.


    ¡°You assist the Grade Two Worker Bees in guarding the Queen Bee together.¡±


    Qin Niu gave orders to the five Giant Wing Worker Bees.


    They returned to the beehive in unison and lay on the outer area, keeping watch on the outside movements.


    With seven Grade Two Worker Bees and five Giant Wing Worker Bees for protection, the safety of the Queen Bee was basically assured.


    Tomorrow there should be another five new Grade Two Worker Bees successfully evolved, and ten new members will also emerge.


    It¡¯s just that the Queen Bee probably won¡¯t be able to lay eggs these days.


    He hoped that the bee colony would not become restless because of this.


    ¡°Xiao Nui, let¡¯s head home!¡±


    Qin Niu called out to Xiao Nui, who only did three things.


    It constantly ate, and when it was full, it either lay lazily on the ground to sleep or to chew the cud. The last thing was to defecate to create fertilizer.


    It used to defecate anywhere.


    Since receiving Qin Niu¡¯s reminder to bring its manure back home, it would wait to return to the cattle shed before defecating.


    The creature was a bona fide manure-producing machine.


    Not far from home, Qin Niu faintly sensed that a seemingly inconspicuous plant not far on the right side contained some energy.


    In fact, all plants contain energy; the only difference is the amount.


    Many plants are annuals that sprout in spring and die in winter.


    Thus, the energy contained within them is very minimal.


    There are also plants that, although long-lived, do not possess medicinal value, and the useful energy they contain is very minimal.


    He immediately walked over.


    It seemed that practicing the Medicine King Sutra was quite beneficial.


    Previously, when walking in the mountains, he had ignored these medically valuable plants.


    Now that his cultivation level of the Medicine King Sutra had reached Twofold Mortal, he was able to sense some special medicinal herbs with considerable efficacy.


    The plant that had caught his attention was about one meter tall with no branches. On its stem, there were only two layers of leaves, which spread out like an umbrella.


    Each layer consisted of five leaves.


    In the middle of the topmost layer of leaves was a pouch-shaped green fruit.


    Qin Niu sensed considerable energy from this plant.


    He closed his eyes and felt the medicinal aura it emitted, which was very special.


    Its medicinal aura was condensed and not dispersed, emitting in a straight column.


    He only recognized common medicinal herbs and did not know this one.


    He decided to dig it up and bring it back.


    He immediately took off his basket, took out a hoe, and dug it out entirely.


    The root was somewhat deep, and it took Qin Niu significant effort to dig out the entire plant.


    After his cultivation level of the Medicine King Sutra rose to Twofold Mortal and he unexpectedly discovered a special medicinal herb, he was quite excited.


    On his way to the Ant Nest, he consciously searched around.


    Unfortunately, he found nothing else.


    It seemed that even in the deep mountains, special medicinal herbs were still extremely rare.


    Upon reaching the Ant Nest, Qin Niu selected over a hundred Termites and placed them into an Insect Jar, preparing to take them down the mountain for pest control.


    His gaze fell upon the medicinal herb he had just dug up.


    Would there be any changes if he let the Termites eat a bit of this plant?


    Since the plant was so special, he thought it was worth trying.


    He sprinkled a small piece of a leaf down and chose three different Termites to feed.


    They were a regular Worker Ant, a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant, and a Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ant.


    He originally wanted to try with a regular Soldier Ant, but he didn¡¯t have any at the moment.


    So he used a Grade Two Tiger-striped Soldier Ant for the experiment.


    After eating, they didn¡¯t seem to have any reaction.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t pay them any more attention and went straight home.


    Xiao Qing had already prepared dinner and was waiting for his return.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Seeing Qin Niu return, she smiled happily to greet him.


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Qin Niu remembered the medicinal herb he had dug up and directly took it out.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, do you recognize this herb?¡±


    Xiao Qing looked at it closely, ¡°It seems to be broadleaf rhizoma paridis, but the shape of its fruit is very special, resembling a folded lotus flower. I have never seen it before. Moreover, its stem has turned a grayish-brown color, indicating that it is very old, at least fifty or sixty years old.¡±


    Despite her young age, Xiao Qing had ample experience identifying medicinal herbs.


    After examining this herb, she provided some insights.


    ¡°Do you know its efficacy?¡±


    Qin Niu asked again.


    ¡°Ordinary rhizoma paridis is cold in nature and slightly toxic; it can treat snake bites and insect stings as well as some injuries, swelling, and pain. Its effects are quite similar to those of the ¡®seven-leaf one-branch flower.¡¯ However, the one you dug up is a variant, and with the fruit resembling a lotus flower bud yet to bloom, it¡¯s hard to judge its medicinal effects.¡±


    Each profession has its own expertise.


    Qin Niu admired Xiao Qing¡¯s knowledge of herbs and her familiarity with pharmacology.


    It would be a good idea to buy her some books on medicinal herbs for her to study the next time he went to the city.


    Days passed by just like that.


    After eating the leaves of the broadleaf rhizoma paridis, the three termites showed no changes.


    Qin Niu was not discouraged, instead persisting in feeding them daily.


    He hoped they would undergo some changes.


    The Queen Bee¡¯s evolution took longer than expected; it had been six days and it was still evolving.


    But compared to the little turtle, this was nothing significant.


    Ever since the last time the little turtle ate wild boar meat mixed with Banyan Tree Blood, it hadn¡¯t emerged and seemed to be hibernating, not even blowing a bubble.


    In these six days, Shuangfeng Village had undergone significant changes.


    A plague of locusts appeared in the crops, crazily nibbling at the leaves and even the stems and fruits.


    The Yan Family was the biggest landlord locally, owning more than a thousand acres of good farmland, and were extremely anxious like ants on a hot pan. It was said that not only the family¡¯s servants were involved in exterminating insects, but even the twelve skilled farmers who were paid high wages had personally begun to catch the locusts in the fields.


    Xu Zhenchang had already tried various methods of pest control to no avail.


    For now, they could only use handmade insect nets to capture the locusts manually, but the efficiency was very low.


    Because of this, he hired over a dozen villagers to help catch the locusts in the fields.


    The wage offered was eight Wen Money a day.


    Later, still finding the efficiency too low, he wanted to hire women and children from the village to help him catch insects.


    But Wang Furen outsmarted him with quick action.


    Wang Furen employed nearly thirty children and women to catch locusts in the fields.


    The children were paid three Wen Money a day, while the women received five Wen Money a day.


    Later, perhaps feeling that some people were slacking off on the job to earn an easy wage, Wang Furen changed his strategy. Regardless of whether they were men, women, elderly, or children, everyone who caught bugs in his fields would be paid by weight.


    After the villagers caught a large number of locusts, they initially could take them home to feed poultry, and some even tried frying them as a dish. But now that Wang Furen was paying by weight, they were no longer allowed to take the locusts home.


    Qin Niu¡¯s acre of corn was nearing maturity.


    Every day, he would let the termites remove the pests from the fields, but the sheer number of locusts was overwhelming.


    The task of eliminating the pests took noticeably longer for the hundred or so termites each time.


    Fortunately, the number of his special termites was increasing daily, and he could enlist more and more ant soldiers.


    However, he couldn¡¯t deal with the pests during the day.


    A portion of the locusts from the neighboring fields would cross over into his fields, causing him much annoyance.


    This situation couldn¡¯t continue.


    He went to the field and randomly picked an ear of corn to check its maturity.


    It was almost fully ripe.


    He estimated that it would take another four or five days before it could be harvested.


    Harvesting now, because of the excessive moisture, not only would it easily rot and mold, not suitable for drying and storage, but it would also lead to a reduction in yield of more than twenty percent.


    He decided to wait a few more days.


    Since he decided to harvest the corn in a few days, he definitely needed to get the granary built ahead of time.


    In previous years, an acre of land could yield up to two or three hundred pounds of grain at most.


    After improvements in farming techniques this year, the yield could reach at least nine hundred pounds.


    That was almost twice the total annual yield from last year.


    And now, with his status as an Insect Master, he didn¡¯t need to pay grain tax this year, meaning he could store as much as he harvested.


    With so much corn, he definitely needed a granary for storage.


    Back at home, the Tang brothers had already brought their workers and were busy. However, their number had clearly reduced over the past few days.


    Affected by the insect infestation, some workers had taken leave to tend to their own crops.


    ¡°Master Tang, come take a break!¡±


    Qin Niu called out to Master Tang, who was diligently laying bricks on the wall.


    Wall construction was a skilled job; only the Tang brothers were qualified while the other laborers handled miscellaneous tasks.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Tang Fang agreed as he climbed down from the wall.


    ¡°Master Qin, I know you must have something to tell me. The insect infestation these past few days has been severe. I¡¯ve leased out all my land, so I¡¯m not too worried, but many of the workers have asked for leave to take care of their own crops. I need to hurry and finish building the main house for you, otherwise I¡¯m concerned the shortage of workers will affect the schedule.


    Seeing you and your maid living in the shed, my brother and I want to get the house done sooner so you can move in.¡±


    Tang Fang was very considerate in his work.


    He was also empathetic about the inconveniences in Qin Niu¡¯s current living situation.


    ¡°I plan to harvest the corn in the fields and bring it home in four days. Then, it will need to be dried before being stored in the granary. Do you think you could get the granary built for me first?¡±

 Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Chapter 126 Elephant Trunk Soldier Ant 1

    Chapter 131: Chapter 126 Elephant Trunk Soldier Ant 1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°No problem, the granary is integrated with the main house. By putting in some extra effort, we should be able to complete the main structure of the granary by tomorrow. The carpenter has already made the doors and windows, we just need to install them. The damp-proofing on the floor is done, there just needs to be another layer of bricks laid on top. I¡¯ve asked another one of my disciples to do that.¡±


    Tang Fang immediately agreed.


    Having sorted out the granary business, Qin Niu finally felt a lot more at ease.


    Despite his considerable income now, he still needed to store enough grain.


    That was the only way to avoid going hungry if a famine occurred.


    He had a premonition that this locust disaster was severe and came at the critical moment when the crops were maturing. If the locust plague couldn¡¯t be stopped in time, a major famine was highly likely to emerge.


    Just a while ago, the flood had destroyed many crops.


    Now, many people were planting their second round of crops, which were in the seedling stage.


    Locusts could easily devour everything overnight.


    With a grain reserve of over nine hundred jins, he and Xiao Qing would have nothing to worry about in terms of food.


    Both of them had huge appetites because they practiced Cultivation Techniques.


    That made it even more imperative to be well-prepared.


    Qin Niu left his house, pondering how to deal with the locusts.


    He had been considering this issue these past few days.


    Today, he brought Xiao Nui with him, and for the first time, he didn¡¯t rush to the mountain to cultivate or to breed insects; instead, he headed to the village entrance.


    Along the way, he saw many villagers catching locusts in the fields beside the road.


    This scene was something you might only witness once in a hundred years.


    Qin Niu carefully observed the terrain of Shuangfeng Village.


    It was shaped like a long, narrow pocket and was sloped overall.


    The locusts mainly came into the village through this opening.


    If they couldn¡¯t stop the locusts from entering the village, no matter how many people were catching them, it would be like trying to extinguish a fire with a cup of water.


    Xu Zhenchang saw Qin Niu standing at the entrance to the village, frowning as he looked around, and felt secretly delighted, thinking that Master Qin was determined to help everyone deal with the locusts.


    He immediately put down his insect-catching net and walked over.


    ¡°Master Qin, the crops in the fields are getting worse by the day. I¡¯m afraid our village is going to run out of food in the second half of the year,¡± Xu Zhenchang said with a look of deep concern.


    As the village head, he definitely had to look out for the well-being of his villagers.


    Being a major cultivator in the village, if he couldn¡¯t contain the pestilence, his losses would be greater than anyone¡¯s.


    Years of hard work could be reduced to nothing overnight, which was a real possibility.


    ¡°I think we should block off the entrance to the village first,¡± Qin Niu said.


    ¡°That makes sense in theory, but there¡¯s just no way to block it! Locusts can fly, and they can even fly over three to four-meter-high barriers. There¡¯s no stopping them!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang had thought of this method as well.


    But it was simply not feasible.


    ¡°There is a way!¡± Qin Niu¡¯s eyes were determined and full of wisdom.


    ¡°Just tell me, and I will do everything in my power to make it happen,¡± Xu Zhenchang said, his face lighting up with hope.


    If they could just stop the locusts from entering the village, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry.


    ¡°These two fields will have to be sacrificed and used as a buffer zone. We need to set up a one-meter-high dense net here first, and then another one-meter- high dense net over there, and then enclose both sides. If we also fill the area with chickens and ducks inside, we should be able to initially stop the majority of the locusts from entering the village,¡± Qin Niu said.


    He had devised a practical method based on his own pest eradication and pest-catching skills, combined with the actual situation on the ground.


    ¡°Ducks have a large appetite, and there are ancient texts on using ducks to combat locusts. Master Qin, your idea is brilliant!¡±


    After hearing the plan, Xu Zhenchang was not only excited, but also filled with anticipation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s organize the villagers to implement this method and see how it works! If there are problems, we¡¯ll figure something else out. I will personally take on the loss of these two acres of fields. As for the chickens and ducks, we can start by collecting them from within the village; after using them, we can return them. It should be easy to buy the dense nets. You and Uncle Wang will share the cost of that. What do you think?¡±


    Qin Niu, seeking to increase his prestige in the village and win over the hearts of the people, volunteered to take on the loss of those two fields.


    ¡°Absolutely no problem. I¡¯ll get right on it. These locusts have really been driving me insane.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang didn¡¯t even think before he agreed.


    Buying fishing nets wouldn¡¯t cost much, and with Wang Furen sharing the expense, it would be even less.


    It was far more cost-effective than hiring a large number of people to catch locusts every day.


    And as long as they truly could stop the locusts from entering the village, the disaster would be halted.


    After giving guidance, Qin Niu took Xiao Nui to the mountains, he would come back tomorrow to see the results.


    Once in the mountains, he returned the over two hundred termites that he had brought down from the mountain the previous night to their nests.


    Now, the mountains had become his workplace.


    ¡°All new termites, come out to me,¡±


    Qin Niu commanded the ant colony.


    Every day, nine or ten new members would emerge, and he would then cultivate them using the Banyan Tree Blood.


    Unlike before, this time a whole swarm of young ants came out all at once.


    Qin Niu was completely taken aback.


    ¡°Could it be that the first batch of one hundred eggs laid by the Ant Queen has all metamorphosed into adult ants?¡±


    He was excited.


    On inspecting the ant colony¡¯s attributes, they were indeed just as he had speculated.


    Time flies so fast!


    He had not expected that from the day the Ant Queen could lay one hundred eggs, more than twenty days had already passed.


    All of them had managed to transform into adult ants.


    ¡°Sixty-seven regular Worker Ants, one Power Worker Ant, two Poison Worker Ants. Twenty-five regular Soldier Ants, three Poison Soldier Ants, one Elephant Nose Soldier Ant, one Breeder Ant,¡±


    After inspecting the attributes of these one hundred young ants, Qin Niu was filled with endless surprise.


    In the past, he had longed for the emergence of a termite with special attributes.


    Now that the base number had increased, there was not only a Power Worker Ant but also two Poison Worker Ants and one Elephant Nose Soldier Ant, as well as a Breeder Ant¡ªthese were all very special existences.


    That Breeder Ant, once it grew up, should be able to fly off to mate.


    He wondered if it successfully established a new termite empire, would it still be considered Qin Niu¡¯s pet?


    Could he also command it?


    These questions were yet to be tested.


    The Elephant Nose Soldier Ant was a very special type of ant.


    They could release chemical substances to attack the enemy.


    They could be considered a superior version of the Poisonous Ant.


    However, it differed greatly from the Poisonous Ant.


    Theoretically, the Elephant Nose Soldier Ant could also manifest a poisonous attribute.


    But the probability of that happening was extremely low.


    Just imagine, it took a hundred young ants to produce one Elephant Nose Soldier Ant; probably five or six thousand young ants would be needed to have the chance of producing one with the poisonous attribute.


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s experience in cultivating ant colonies, the more attributes a termite had at birth, the greater its growth potential was.


    For instance, a Power Soldier Ant, if cultivated successfully, could immediately become a Grade Three Tiger Striped Iron Armor Ghost Ant.


    Whereas a regular Soldier Ant¡¯s growth peak was a Grade Two Striped Phantom Ant.


    There was also a vast difference in their combat abilities.


    Ten Striped Ants were no match for one Tiger Striped Iron Armor Ant.


    And as for a special existence like Fourth, it was even harder to come by.


    He seriously doubted it could be replicated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of them one by one to ensure that each is cultivated properly,¡±


    Qin Niu was not worried about Banyan Tree Blood at all; it was the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood that was a bit more difficult to obtain. Because their numbers were few and the plants were small, he couldn¡¯t harvest much at a time.


    Fortunately, the amount needed to cultivate one termite was very little.

 Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Chapter 127 This is the Air Legion i

    Chapter 132: Chapter 127 This is the Air Legion i


    Translator: 549690339


    Ordinary Worker Ants and Soldier Ants are cultivated in batches.


    It has to be done this way.


    That¡¯s because in the future, more than a hundred termites will need to be bred every day, and once the Ant Queen¡¯s Breeding Skill moves up another level, it could very well produce over a thousand eggs per day.


    If each one were to be cultivated individually, then he wouldn¡¯t have to do anything else but raise termites.


    The biggest issue with batch cultivation is that a small number of termites may explode and die.


    There were a total of 67 ordinary Worker Ants and 25 ordinary Soldier Ants, all of which completed their cultivation, but five exploded and died.


    This loss was still within Qin Niu¡¯s acceptable range.


    And as his cultivation techniques become more mature, he believes the death rate can be further reduced.


    This time, he focused on cultivating those few special termites.


    Especially the Snout Soldier Ants and Breeder Ants.


    The results were quite good; the success rate for the carefully cultivated ones reached 100%.


    Even the two Poison Worker Ants miraculously survived.


    This made Qin Niu even more confident in his cultivation techniques.


    Next, all he had to do was wait patiently. Under normal circumstances, it would take about two or three days for the evolution to complete.


    The three termites that had been fed Broad-Leaf Paris Polyphylla leaves were called out separately by him, continuing to feed them the leaves of the Broad- Leaf Paris Polyphylla.


    He hoped that after eating this special herb, they would undergo some changes.


    So far, no obvious drawbacks have been found, nor any benefits.


    Having finished with the termites, he moved on to the beehive.


    Six days had passed, and with his efforts, the bee colony had managed to produce five Giant Wing Worker Bees and 46 Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees.


    Without boasting about their combat power, at the very least, if a group of large hornets came along, they could easily be taken care of without leaving any remains.


    Just the successive air raids from seven or eight Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees were already terrifying.


    After one round, a large hornet could be directly incapacitated.


    With 46 Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees, it was like a small army; their air raids had already begun to produce a basic clustering effect. Much like Army Ants on the march, not to say that they would leave nothing alive in their path, but at the very least, they could slaughter all creatures along the way.


    If Army Ants can only fight on the ground, then these Grade Two Worker Bees are like sky-bound Army Ants.


    When their numbers grow to tens of thousands, their power will be extremely formidable.


    Bees are not inherently a warrior species; they are diligent ¡®farmers.¡¯ But they have an advantage that other bee species do not possess, which is unity and high discipline.


    Once they successfully establish themselves, they become an army with strict discipline and high unity.


    When they are weak, this ability may only barely allow them to protect themselves.


    For example, a hundred bees could wrap an invading large hornet inside, then vibrate their wings to raise their body temperature and cook the large hornet.


    Now, through his cultivation, Qin Niu has significantly enhanced their flight and biting abilities, as well as their venom. Once they form into a massive army, they will become an invincible force.


    The only issue he needs to help them resolve now is the problem with their poison stingers having barbs.


    That¡¯s because every single Grade Two Worker Bee is precious.


    If they launch a sting attack on the enemy, they will also die quickly.


    He needs to help them modify their stinger attacks to be reusable rather than suicidal.


    Qin Niu hasn¡¯t yet come up with any good solutions for how to modify them.


    It¡¯s not like he could simply remove the barbs from their stingers, right?


    Having barbs on the sting is an advantage in itself.


    Once they penetrate the enemy¡¯s body, the barbs on the sting make it impossible for the enemy to break free.


    This is an advantage that large hornets don¡¯t have.


    He¡¯ll have to slowly find a solution for the improvement; maybe he could consult with the Insect Master Association¡¯s Chairman Li and others later.


    After the cultivation of the ten newly emerged Worker Bees was completed, Qin Niu specifically inspected the Queen Bee.


    It was still evolving.


    However, the cracks on its body had all disappeared, and its body was no longer trembling violently, only its antennae were still vibrating. This indicated that its evolution was almost complete.


    He entered the Ancient Banyan Tree to cultivate and collect blood, needless to say.


    Concerned about not being able to enter the mountains on rainy days, he needed to store more Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    The Treasured Sword, after being nurtured for such a long time, seemed to show signs of transformation.


    That¡¯s because its demand for Banyan Tree Blood had obviously increased.


    In recent three to four days, its need for Banyan Tree Blood had been growing rapidly.


    Before, half a stone trough of Banyan Tree Blood could nourish the sword for three or four days, or even longer. Now, half a stone trough of Banyan Tree Blood, with the Treasured Sword immersed in it, would be found turned into clear water the next morning when he retrieved the sword.


    Therefore, he consciously increased the amount of Banyan Tree Blood.


    He also discovered that the green lines within the sword¡¯s body had become clearer and more active.


    They moved.


    This had never happened before.


    Although uncertain whether these changes in the Treasured Sword were good or bad, Qin Niu still tried to meet its needs. He provided it with a sufficient amount of Banyan Tree Blood for nourishment every day.


    Sitting beneath the tree, he began to seriously cultivate the Medicine King Technique.


    His current routine for cultivation was to practice the Medicine King Technique for the first three hours, and after exhausting his spiritual power, switch to practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique to recover spiritual power.


    Therefore, his progress in both techniques did not fall behind.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique had now advanced to the Sevenfold Level of Mortals, which should be second only to Wang Yue in Shuangfeng Village.


    With such high cultivation, he could even be considered influential throughout the whole of Jade Stream Town.


    However, to claim that he could walk sidewise throughout Jade Stream Town, unbeaten by anyone, would be an exaggeration.


    In such a vast area with tens of thousands of people, there must be many experts.


    Just like the Yan Family, there are more than a dozen large families similar to it.


    Both direct and collateral descendants of the Yan Family have several members serving in the Black Armored Army, with even more likely being Black Armored Army reservists like Wang Yue.


    With the Yan Family¡¯s connections, as soon as a family member reaches the Eightfold Level of Mortals, they might be able to obtain a reserve qualification in the Black Armored Army.


    This is just Yan Family¡¯s profound heritage, which is terrifying in itself. It¡¯s imaginable how many masters there must be in the entire Jade Stream Town.


    Under the Ancient Banyan Tree, as Qin Niu persisted in his hard cultivation, he absorbed and successfully transformed more and more medicine qi.


    His cultivation of the Medicine King Sutra had already reached the peak of the Threefold Mortal Realm.


    Currently, as long as he can cultivate under the banyan tree, the Medicine King Sutra is steadily increasing by onefold every three days on average.


    Boom!


    The surging power of the Medicine King Technique burst forth wildly from the filled kidneys, strengthening the next organ, his heart.


    The strength of a person¡¯s burst power is greatly influenced by the heart.


    When cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique, the heart had already been strengthened once.


    Now, cultivating the Medicine King Sutra meant it was being strengthened once


    more.


    The advantage is that a heart that has been strengthened twice is stronger than one that has been strengthened just once.


    Each contraction is as powerful as that of a fierce beast¡¯s heart.


    Under normal circumstances, if conditions allow, very few would cultivate two different types of cultivation techniques.


    Just think about it, having cultivated a technique to the Tenfold Mortal Realm, then switching to a new technique would mean starting all over again.


    Who would be so foolish?


    Qin Niu had originally started cultivating the /Medicine King Sutra with a try- and-see attitude.


    Later, he discovered that cultivating under the ancient banyan could draw in an endless supply of medicine qi, and he became unstoppable.


    The benefits obtained from cultivating the Medicine King Sutra are double.


    Strengthening the body is just a bonus.


    Its real purpose is to easily identify the strengths and attributes of herbs.


    There might be other special abilities, but just this ability alone has already brought him great benefits.


    When the Medicine King Sutra reached Onefold Mortal Realm, he was able to sense the presence of medicine qi.


    At Twofold Mortal Realm, he could sense the energy within the herbs.


    It was just a bit vague though.


    At Threefold Mortal Realm, this ability was enhanced. He could now sense the energy strength and general attributes within a herb, just like Xiao Qing.


    He had even surpassed Xiao Qing now.


    After all, Xiao Qing was still stuck at the peak of the Twofold Mortal Realm.


    Qin Niu, however, was now at the peak of the Threefold Mortal Realm, and he was even about to break through to the Fourdfold Mortal Realm.


    As the cultivated power from the transformed medicine qi rushed into his heart, his realm achieved a complete breakthrough.


    At this moment, he could sense more clearly the energy contained within the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Its energy was cold and cool in nature.


    What Qin Niu sensed was entirely a vast ocean composed of cold energy.


    Unfathomable and boundless.


    ii


    This is too terrifying!


    it


    The stronger his abilities, the more he feared the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    In its presence, he truly felt as insignificant as a speck of dust.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but recall the first time he had been trapped by it, when he had the foolish thought of chopping it down.


    He truly was ignorant of the immensity of the heaven and earth.


    ii


    This Ancient Banyan Tree is probably already at the level of a demon, and it might even be stronger.¡±


    Great concealment is in the imperial court, medium concealment is in the markets, and small concealment is in the forests.


    Who could have imagined such a powerful demonic tree has been living quietly so close to a human village?


    Qin Niu¡¯s desire to become stronger surged, and he began to cultivate even more desperately.


    He worked hard to solidify his newly broken-through realm.


    As he continued to cultivate the Medicine King Sutra, his expertise in the technique seemed to have advanced.


    Because the efficiency of absorbing medicine qi instantly increased nearly twofold.


    Previously, for every ten parts of medicine qi guided into his body, only two parts could be absorbed. But now, there had been a breakthrough, and he could absorb nearly four parts.


    This also doubled the speed of his cultivation based on the original foundation.


    Previously, it took three days to advance a minor realm, but with the current terrifying pace, it¡¯s estimated that it would take only about four and a half hours to make the same advancement.


    He persevered in his cultivation until his head ached and then stopped.


    ii


    If Xiao Qing¡¯s grandfather knew my current cultivation speed, he who was stuck his whole life unable to break through to Fivefold Mortal Realm and I now need only four and a half hours to break through, he might be so angry that he¡¯d climb out from his grave!¡±


    Qin Niu finally understood why cultivators put ¡®wealth¡¯ as the first of the four essential elements of cultivation¡ªwealth, companionship, technique, and location.


    If Xiao Qing¡¯s grandfather had the chance to absorb medicine qi endlessly and wildly like him for cultivation, he would likely have become an unrivaled expert long ago.


    He began to close his eyes and cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    Plundering a great amount of medicine qi from the Ancient Banyan Tree was also a form of compensation to it.


    At least that¡¯s what Qin Niu thought.


    As dusk approached, he opened his eyes.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique had already reached the peak of the Sevenfold Mortal Realm. With an extra push tomorrow, he should be able to break through to the Eightfold Mortal Realm.


    This feeling of rapidly increasing cultivation was truly satisfying.


    He carried the collected Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, accompanied by Fourth, and broke out of the labyrinth.


    They were still some distance from the beehive when they heard a continuous buzzing sound. The bee colony was in uproar as if the pot had been stirred.


    A swarm of bees flew out of the beehive, circling around it.


    Could it be that the Queen Bee has completed evolving?

 Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Chapter 128: Queen Bee Promotion_i

    Chapter 133: Chapter 128: Queen Bee Promotion_i


    Translator: 549690339


    The only two situations that could cause such a huge commotion in a bee swarm are these:


    either someone poked the entire beehive or the Queen Bee went through major changes.


    The Queen Bee is the core of the entire bee swarm.


    If it undergoes a big change, the entire swarm will become extremely agitated.


    Qin Niu walked quickly towards the beehive, but he had barely gone far when he saw the dense bee swarm suddenly part to create a path.


    Following that, a strange bee covered in dark green patterns flew over.


    It was even larger than a Bear Bee.


    When its wings beat, it was like four steel wings vibrating at a high frequency. The spikes on its six feet flashed with a chilling gleam. Its abdomen had become longer and wider.


    The head, on the other hand, had become even more delicate and pretty.


    It¡¯s just that its jaws were like two sturdy, curved scythes, shining with the dark gloss of fine steel.


    If it clamped down on something, even a large centipede would likely be split in two on the spot.


    Following closely behind it were 46 Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees.


    Further back were five Grade One Giant Wing Worker Bees flying in formation.


    The rest were the older members of the bee swarm, countless Worker Bees and male bees flying together.


    This momentum, this grandeur, was truly like an emperor on an inspection tour!


    Qin Niu felt his blood boil as he watched.


    At this moment, he actually envied the majesty of a honeybee.


    Perhaps, every man harbors the dream of being an emperor in his heart!


    ¡°Master!¡±


    The Queen Bee flew in front of Qin Niu, slowly descended, and then hovered in front of him.


    The humming from its powerful wings was much stronger than that of a bumblebee.


    ¡°Good, you have finally evolved! Those who survive a great disaster are destined for good fortune afterward; I believe you will have a smooth journey from now on. I will continue to cultivate you to become stronger and stronger. It¡¯s just¡­ as a Queen Bee, why do you need such strong combat power? You should focus on enhancing your Breeding Skills!¡±


    Qin Niu reached out with his right hand, and it gently landed in his palm, then lay still.


    Just like that, looking up at Qin Niu.


    The Queen Bee¡¯s submission also made the entire bee swarm submit with it.


    They were all worshipping their human master.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, your skin layer has become so thick and even developed a metallic sheen¡ªit seems you¡¯ve successfully evolved a primary carapace!¡±


    The evolutionary direction of this Queen Bee seemed to be mistaken, didn¡¯t it?


    He always felt there was something strange about it.


    Whether it¡¯s a Queen Bee or an Ant Queen, they never need to adventure or lead a charge in battle.


    All they need to do is hide in a dark, deep nest that no one can find and then lay eggs like crazy, allowing countless descendants to fight the world for them.


    This Queen Bee had seemed a bit odd from the moment he had subdued it.


    It had an iron will, methods both cruel and fierce¡ªit truly could be a king as well as a general on the battlefield.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to review its properties.


    War Bee Queen Bee


    Level: Grade Three Hymenoptera insect, experience 1000/10000


    Lifespan: 53 years


    Energy: 12478


    Skills: Breeding Second Stage 10.9/100 (100 eggs per day), Special Abilities (Advanced Flight, capable of flying at high speeds, surpassing birds. Can quickly turn and roll in the air, nimbly dodging. Paralyzing Venom, injecting venom with a strong paralyzing effect into enemies when stinging them. Armor-Piercing, capable of tearing through ordinary armor when biting enemies.)


    Talent: Iron Will, produces War Bees (probability 0.1%), produces special bee species that make honey (probability 1%)


    Bee Swarm: 31,789 Worker Bees, 472 male bees, 4 young Queen Bees.


    46 Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees, lifespan 10.2 years, Special Abilities (Super-strong collection, able to efficiently and quickly collect pollen. Good Flyers, possessing over five times the flight speed of regular honeybees and more nimble when turning and rolling in the air. Paralyzing Venom, injecting enemy with venom that paralyzes based on enemy¡¯s strength. Stronger Biting, capable of tearing through enemy flesh and has a certain degree of armor- piercing effect on primary carapaces.)


    5 Grade One Giant Wing Worker Bees, lifespan 5 years, Special Abilities (can fly over long distances quickly, pollen collection efficiency +50%, moderate bite strength.)


    After reviewing its properties, Qin Niu felt a mix of surprise and complex emotions.


    Initially, he had taken this Queen Bee hoping to consume Royal Jelly and even special high-quality honey.


    Now it had directly evolved from a regular Queen Bee into a War Bee Queen Bee. I wonder if they have mutated?


    Why are bees so belligerent?


    He was thinking that once his strength was a bit stronger, he would take the Green Demon¡¯s treasure.


    Maybe he could even get a Green Demon Bee by chance.


    Now, he probably didn¡¯t need the Green Demon Bee to ensure his bees had considerable fighting power.


    The lifespan of the Queen Bee had increased by 50 years, which was great.


    For any insect, the greatest concern for Insect Masters was their lifespan.


    There are hardly any insects with a long lifespan.


    Another point that made Qin Niu particularly delighted was that the Queen Bee¡¯s breeding skill had originally been Grade One, but it had now broken through to Grade Two, with the daily egg production increasing from ten to one hundred.


    It meant he no longer had to worry about not enough bees.


    Just after one year, the number of special worker bees he cultivated would exceed thirty thousand.


    By then, there would definitely be enough ordinary honey.


    He should also be able to enjoy one or two cups of royal jelly daily.


    Anyway, the wish to raise bees for their honey was fulfilled.


    What he needed to do next was to train these Grade Two worker bees to act as his scouts.


    Unfortunately, there was not yet a bee like Fourth to serve as the chief commander among the swarm.


    It¡¯s easy to find troops, but hard to find a general!


    An insect with both unique traits and average intelligence like Fourth was really rare.


    ¡°Return to the nest!¡±


    Qin Niu temporarily had no other means to further cultivate the Queen Bee.


    Thousand Eyes Tree Blood was good for termites, but it was a deadly poison for bees.


    A little bit would kill.


    The Queen Bee flapped its wings and took off, circling Qin Niu three times before returning to the nest.


    ¡°This little thing really values ritual!¡±


    The entire bee swarm also returned to the nest with him.


    It was obvious that as its grade and strength increased, its leadership within the bee swarm had also skyrocketed.


    This feeling was perhaps exactly what the Queen Bee desired.


    ¡°Xiao Nui, let¡¯s go home!¡±


    Qin Niu called Xiao Nui to go home.


    When he descended the mountain, he naturally brought back a batch of special termites.


    Just one more day, and the number of his special termites would increase by nearly one hundred daily.


    He was equally full of anticipation for what kind of evolution these new special termites could undergo.


    By the time he and Xiao Nui arrived back in the village, it was already getting dark.


    But it hadn¡¯t yet turned to night.


    ¡°Master Qin! You¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Thankyou, Master Qin, for helping us defend against the locusts!¡±


    ¡°You are the guardian deity of our village!¡±


    All along the way, villagers voluntarily stepped aside and greeted him with respect, expressing their gratitude.


    It hadn¡¯t been like this before.


    When they saw Qin Niu, they would hurriedly make way or avoid him from a distance.


    This time, Qin Niu¡¯s actions in helping the villagers fight against the locusts had initially won their hearts. People were willing to get closer to him, replacing mere reverence with a bit more familiarity.


    This was also the human touch and warmth that should exist in the world.


    Just as Qin Niu got home, Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang came to visit together.


    Although his house was not yet built, they only dared to ask to meet him from outside.


    They didn¡¯t dare to be presumptuous.


    This was the majesty of an Insect Master.

 Chapter 134 - Chapter 134:129 Chapter Private Chat_i

    Chapter 134:129 Chapter Private Chat_i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Qin Niu emerged from the house upon hearing the two seeking an audience.


    ¡°Greetings, Master Qin!¡±


    The pair bowed in unison, performing the proper courtesy.


    In this world, social hierarchy was strictly observed, with commoners required to show reverence to the privileged class through formal greetings. If they encountered someone of high status and power, they would even need to kneel and pay homage with a grand salute.


    ¡°Master Qin, following your guidance, we established a buffer zone and raised a large number of chickens and ducks in it, and we have initially achieved results. A large portion of the locusts entering the village has been intercepted and become food for the chickens and ducks.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang reported on the progress.


    ¡°At least nine-tenths must be stopped for it to be considered a success. Can only some be stopped? Take me to see.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t very satisfied with the outcome after hearing this.


    The three of them arrived at the entrance of the village and saw two fields fenced off according to Qin Niu¡¯s instructions, with nets set up at both ends. Locusts migrated in batches from the outside.


    They surged forward in relentless waves, seemingly endless.


    There were about two to three hundred chickens and ducks kept within the buffer zone.


    Having clearly satiated themselves, they only casually chased after the incoming locusts, driven by predatory instinct.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough ducks!¡±


    Qin Niu immediately identified the crux of the problem.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to purchase ducks. It shouldn¡¯t take long to bring back over a thousand.¡±


    Wang Furen said from the side.


    This shrewd Wang Furen must have spotted a new business opportunity, hence his haste to make arrangements.


    ¡°Given the current number of locusts, a thousand might not even be enough. Wang Uncle, having been in commerce for many years, must be familiar with various places. What is the going rate for a duck now?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s expenses were considerable. Faced with this wave of insect calamity, he too wished to turn a profit.


    Ducks consumed more and digested faster.


    Their egg-laying rate was higher than chickens.


    They were also flexible hunters, on both water and land.


    Using them against the locusts was a major asset.


    Seizing this opportunity to purchase a large number of ducks, he could make a substantial profit when reselling them later.


    ¡°A fully grown duck locally costs 17 wen each, while a year-old hen goes for about 30 wen each.¡±


    ¡°What about half-grown ducks?¡±


    ¡°They are not easy to purchase locally. If you need a large quantity, you can go to Pingshui for lake ducks. It¡¯s estimated that you could find them for about seven or eight wen each.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I commission Wang Uncle to purchase three thousand half- grown ducks for me, just enough to help our Shuangfeng Village stop the locust disaster. You won¡¯t be running about for nothing; I¡¯ll settle the labor and travel expenses later.¡±


    Qin Niu still had some silver money.


    The locust disaster was formidable. Merely buying a thousand ducks would likely be insufficient.


    Half-grown ducks ate more than mature ones and had plenty of vitality, making them more effective at catching locusts.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor for Wang to contribute to Shuangfeng Village. I¡¯ll set off first thing tomorrow morning. Pingshui isn¡¯t too far from here. If I take a shortcut, I should be able to return in at most three days. However, I¡¯ll definitely need to take the main road back, which is nearly two hundred li away, so I estimate that we¡¯ll need to rent four or five horse carts to transport the ducks back. This expense is expected to be five or six coins of silver money.¡±


    Horse carts were considered a luxurious mode of transport, favored for their speed but quite expensive.


    ¡°Then calculate, approximately how much money will suffice for all the expenses?¡±


    Wang Furen did some quick calculations.


    ¡°Twenty-five taels of silver should be more than enough. If there¡¯s no price hike for ducks, the total cost might even be lower.¡±


    ¡°Here are twenty-six taels of silver. Take it, Wang Uncle, and handle this task tomorrow. This matter affects the whole village¡¯s grain supply. You can select a few able-bodied men from the village to accompany you. I¡¯ll settle their wages afterwards.¡±


    Qin Niu was generous, handing over twenty-six taels of silver to Wang Furen on the spot.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about Wang Furen taking the money and absconding.


    If he dared to flee, Wang Wanyan¡ªWang Furen¡¯s property¡ªwould all belong to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Village chief, wouldn¡¯t you like to buy some ducks too? You might be able to make a tidy sum!¡±


    Wang Furen turned to Xu Zhenchang.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be buying any. With the locust disaster still unresolved and huge household expenses, if this year¡¯s harvest is poor, I need to save more money to pay the Yan Family land rent.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang dare not take that risk.


    He had leased a lot of land, and the annual rent was substantial.


    When it came to amassing wealth, this young upstart certainly couldn¡¯t compete with Wang Furen.


    ¡°The village chief is a prudent man, valuing credibility¡ªvery good!¡±


    Wang Furen praised Xu Zhenchang before going back to arrange for manpower to accompany him in buying ducks, something he did not mention further.


    Two days passed in a blink of an eye.


    After Wang Furen departed, Wang Wanyan also had a rare couple of days without anyone to oversee her.


    She had the servants make some meat pies and sent some over to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Master Qin, I don¡¯t know if these meat pies are to your taste!¡± This time, Wang Wanyan brought over half a basket of meat pies. If Wang Furen saw this, he would probably feel the pinch again.


    ¡°Just call me Air Niu! The house isn¡¯t finished yet, and there¡¯s nowhere clean to ask you to sit!¡± Qin Niu always had a special feeling for Miss Wang.


    ¡°Standing to chat is quite alright! I think the layout of your estate is wonderful. Once it¡¯s built, it will surely be extraordinarily comfortable to live in.¡± She stood in the front courtyard, surveying Qin Niu¡¯s new residence.


    Upon seeing Xiao Qing, she immediately waved and said, ¡°Xiao Qing, come eat some meat pies! I had Aunt Wu make them just now, and they¡¯re still warm!¡± Xiao Qing, having had some exposure to the world, wasn¡¯t timid at all.


    Walking over, he smelled the scent wafting from the meat pies in the basket and swallowed his saliva in secret.


    She looked at Qin Niu.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, go ahead and eat! Store the rest properly and return the basket to Miss Wang.¡±


    Qin Niu, now different in strength and wealth from before, calmly accepted the small gift from Wang Wanyan.


    Because he indeed had the ability to reciprocate the favor.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Wang! You¡¯re really beautiful!¡±


    With permission granted, Xiao Qing unceremoniously grabbed a meat pie and started munching on it.


    And didn¡¯t forget to compliment Wang Wanyan on her beauty.


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re quite the sweet talker! If you like them, I¡¯ll have Mother Wu make some more and send them over tomorrow.¡±


    Wang Wanyan was quite fond of Xiao Qing.


    Xiao Qing, carrying the basket, walked away.


    Only Qin Niu and Wang Wanyan were left standing in the front yard, watching the craftsmen build the house.


    ¡°Air Niu, do you think we¡¯ll be able to stop this year¡¯s locust disaster?¡±


    She asked with some concern.


    And she had reverted to her previous way of addressing Qin Niu.


    This made Qin Niu very happy.


    ¡°Hard to say. I feel there¡¯s something eerie about these locusts, they¡¯re not ordinary locusts, and the timing of their appearance is too precise. It¡¯s as if an invisible hand is behind the scenes, trying to cut off everyone¡¯s food supply. For now, the extent of the locust disaster is unknown. If it¡¯s widespread, then the entire territory of the Black Tiger Gang will be thrown into chaos.¡±


    Qin Niu had a foresight and insight far beyond his peers.


    Since the beginning of the locust disaster, he had keenly sensed a major crisis.


    ¡°Sigh! I¡¯m just an ordinary villager, powerless to do anything in the face of such a disaster. I really admire you¡ªquietly becoming an Insect Master and finding a way to stop the locust disaster at a critical moment.¡±


    She looked at Qin Niu with admiration in her eyes.


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s nothing! I grew up here and have deep feelings for Shuangfeng Village. Now that the villagers are in crisis, isn¡¯t it only right that I help solve it? It¡¯s just a shame that my level as an Insect Master is still low, and I can¡¯t contribute much.¡±


    Qin Niu sighed.


    If only he had a group of exceptionally powerful insects, then even the worst locust disaster could be stopped.


    ¡°You¡¯re already impressive! Otherwise, Cai Xian from Daoyuan Village wouldn¡¯t have taken a fancy to you at first glance and even proactively come over with a marriage proposal.¡±


    She took the opportunity to bring up the matter of Tang Caixian¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve never taken that seriously. Miss Tang probably doesn¡¯t go out much and acts entirely according to her preferences, with a touch of capriciousness. Give it some time, and when she meets a truly outstanding man, she¡¯ll forget all about me.¡±


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t taken the matter too seriously.


    Many daughters of wealthy families, used to a life of luxury from a young age, lack experience and real societal exposure.


    Just like children who haven¡¯t grown up yet, their ideas are naive and childish.


    ¡°That may not necessarily be the case! Miss Tang is quite talented, having gone to the city from a young age to learn singing and dancing from famous performers. Even now, she frequently goes into the city, and she¡¯s not one of those inexperienced little girls.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Wang Wanyan knew her so well.


    ¡°Furthermore, her cousin Tang Yan holds a high official position in Black Tiger City. He occasionally invites her to attend some high-level banquets. While performing dances for the guests, she gets plenty of opportunities to meet various dignitaries. In terms of experience and exposure, I admit that I¡¯m far behind her. The fact that she would humble herself to the point of actively proposing to you shows that you must possess some extraordinary charm.¡± Wang Wanyan had her own opinion; she didn¡¯t think Tang Caixian was simply playing house.


    ¡°I was ignorant of all these things. I underestimated her. But to say that I have an extraordinary charm that has attracted her, I don¡¯t believe it. Give it some time, and once her enthusiasm fades, the truth will reveal itself.¡±


    Qin Niu still had some unspoken thoughts.


    His standards for choosing a spouse were high; it wasn¡¯t just any beautiful girl pursuing him that would get his agreement.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t realize your own worth! A long time ago, I noticed you were different from other young men. You love to learn, you¡¯re cautious and meticulous, stable and reserved. Back then, though you were poor, you still had great spirit and ambition. These are your unique charms. Hehe¡­ and now, it seems your charm has increased quite a bit.¡±


    She chuckled with her hand covering her mouth, sneakily glancing at Qin Niu.


    ¡°You¡¯re just flattering me with sweet words! On the contrary, you¡¯re intelligent, kindhearted, and decisive¡ªtruly admirable!¡±


    Qin Niu met her bright and shiny eyes, boldly voicing some of the feelings he had suppressed for many years.


    ¡°Miss, the second lady is urging you to go back!¡±


    At this moment, Mother Wu called from outside.


    This was out of concern that Wang Wanyan would stay too long at Qin Niu¡¯s house and become the subject of gossip.


    And she feared for her loss of chastity even more.


    After all, both were at the age of blooming youth, when hormones were at their peak.


    ¡°All Niu, I¡¯ll come see you next time! If I get the chance, I would also like to learn insect control with you.¡±


    She waved her hand and said goodbye to Qin Niu.


    ¡°No problem, as long as you¡¯re not afraid of them.¡±


    Qin Niu agreed readily.


    Many girls screamed at the sight of a single cockroach.


    Though there were some female Insect Masters, most were still male.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, bring the basket back to Miss Wang.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty!¡±


    Xiao Qing had actually emptied the basket a while ago but hadn¡¯t come over, afraid to disturb his master¡¯s conversation with Miss Wang.


    ¡°All Niu, you can call me Wan Yan from now on! Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to properly address you as Master Qin!¡±


    Wang Wanyan received the basket, her beautiful eyes fixed on Qin Niu.


    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll be so bold!¡± Qin Niu nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: Chapter 130: Two New Types of Troops Added_i

    Chapter 135: Chapter 130: Two New Types of Troops Added_i


    Translator: 549690339


    Their private meeting this time seemed to have brought their friendship closer. ¡°Wan Yan, thank you for the meat pies! Don¡¯t send them next time, I¡¯m afraid your dad will scold you again when he comes back,¡± Qin Niu said cautiously.


    Hearing Qin Niu call her Wan Yan,


    Ms. Wang¡¯s eyebrows soared with joy.


    ¡°My dad wouldn¡¯t say a word right now! Till next time!¡± Realizing she might have spoken out of turn, she quickly clamped her mouth shut.


    Wang Furen previously refused to marry his daughter to Qin Niu.


    Now, hearing the deeper meaning in Wang Wanyan¡¯s words, he seemed to be willing to marry her to Qin Niu.


    He could not wait for them to become closer.


    Watching Wang Wanyan leave with Mother Wu, a sweet smile bloomed on Qin


    Niu¡¯s face.


    Getting closer to Ms. Wang made him very happy.


    At that moment, he overheard Wang Wanyan talking to Mother Wu.


    ¡°She is not our Wang Family¡¯s ¡®second wife.¡¯ In the future, don¡¯t speak nonsense outside, got it!¡±


    Such is the upbringing of a rich family¡¯s daughter! In front of outsiders, even when annoyed, one does not discuss family matters.


    The saying goes, ¡°Family shame should not be spread abroad.¡±


    Some gossipy women, when slighted, go around seeking sympathy and comfort from others. Little do they know that doing so is actually very foolish.


    That maid of Wang Furen¡¯s indeed had no official status and was not entitled to be called ¡®second wife.1


    At a minimum, she had to be married into Wang Furen¡¯s house with the status of a concubine before she could be given the title of ¡®second wife¡¯ or ¡®second mistress.¡¯


    But seeing Wang Wanyan¡¯s attitude towards that woman, she definitely would


    not agree.


    Wang Furen also did not want a chaotic household, let alone worry about his properties being usurped by a ¡®second mistress¡¯ after his death.


    That maid would probably have to continue being a nameless and status-less


    bed companion for Wang Furen.


    That said, as long as Wang Furen lived, and as long as the maid remained favored, her actual position in the household was surely far above that of a mere maid.


    After sending off Wang Wanyan, Qin Niu quickly set out with his basket as well.


    The locusts in his own fields needed to be cleared daily.


    Fortunately, with the termites numerous and powerful, their master Qin Niu didn¡¯t need to worry much.


    But even though his sorghum was being cleared of locusts daily, many leaves


    were still left with numerous scars.


    His sorghum was considered fortunate.


    Some others¡¯ had been gnawed down to only a few stems.


    Arriving at the ant nest in the mountains, he saw the special termites he had cultured a few days ago had all completed their evolution.


    Only that breeder ant¡¯s evolution was excruciatingly slow and still ongoing.


    The sturdy worker ant and the poisonous soldier ant evolved without saying into Grade Two Green Scale Giant Worker Ant and Grade Two Dark Poison Ant respectively.


    The evolution of the two poison worker ants was something he was looking forward to.


    Grade Two Lightning Poison Bomb Worker Ants, 2 in number, with a lifespan of 13 years. Special abilities include (Swift, Super Strong Bite, Acid spewed by them helps heal plant wounds, poison bomb attack, and can shoot poison from their tail spines at enemies within half a meter, carrying corrosive and neurotoxic properties.)


    These creatures were essentially a combination of worker ants and poisonous ants.


    However, he had not expected their special abilities to evolve to include a shooting capability.


    It was like condensing the poison into a bullet and shooting it at high speed, striking the enemies like a projectile.


    This is a mode of attack similar to that of cobras and frogs.


    Sometimes, a cobra will shoot poison at an enemy¡¯s eyes from a meter away.


    This was a truly terrifying ability.


    With its potent venom, just a touch to a human¡¯s eye could blind them


    instantly.


    Moreover, the venom could seep into the bloodstream, then cause full-body poisoning.


    As for frogs, needless to say, when encountering an enemy, they would suddenly aim their buttocks at the enemy and spray out urine with a certain toxicity while leaping forward, attacking the enemy.


    Qin Niu was certain that if he fed the Grade Two Lightning Poison Bomb Worker Ants with the blood of the Thousand Eyes Tree, they could quickly evolve into Grade Three Termites.


    His gaze turned to another new ant species.


    The Elephant Trunk Soldier Ant.


    Termites have always had two types of soldier ants.


    One type is the soldier ants with huge mandibles that viciously bite the enemy to protect the nest.


    The other type is the Elephant Trunk Soldier Ant, which are much rarer in number.


    Their mandibles have evolved into a long fork, somewhat resembling a long elephant trunk.


    Their method of attack is to release chemical substances from the fork.


    Take the dragon louse, for example, it can secrete ketone substances, which even the seemingly invulnerable Wart Toad-that claims nothing is poisonous to it¡ªdares not to eat.


    Wart Toads that don¡¯t believe it and try to catch dragon lice with their tongues soon become poisoned, causing their tongues to swell and hurt. If they still don¡¯t believe and swallow the dragon lice, the result is a life worse than death, and they hastily exert all their strength to vomit it out.


    The dragon lice, with their hard shells, remain unscathed.


    Leaving the Wart Toad there to doubt life itself, writhing in pain.


    The evolved Elephant Trunk Soldier Ants became much larger, quite like the kings within the ant colony.


    Even comparable in size to Fourth.


    They have a long fork, strong and powerful.


    At their tips were inconspicuous gland pores, from where the chemical substances were presumably released.


    Qin Niu checked its attributes.


    One Grade Two Poison Pincer Soldier Ant, lifespan 10.5 years, special abilities (releasing strong odoriferous substances, causing dizziness in the majority of insects. Mimicking the scent of creatures like centipedes and frogs, continuously releasing it to scare off enemies.)


    Why does its special ability feel somewhat like the stink bomb of a Yellow Weasel?


    Its actual combat strength could only be known when it fought other insects. Currently, the entire ant colony lived on the outskirts of the mountains. Although there were a variety of insects and predators living here as well, they posed little threat to the ant colony now.


    With the current strength of the Termite colony, not to mention a large centipede or a nest of black stink ants, even if a venomous snake came by, it would likely be killed instantly.


    They couldn¡¯t even get close to them.


    The Ghost Corps, Puppet Corps, they were just too powerful.


    Grade Two special termites, many with super biting abilities, but never had the chance to use them.


    Because before making contact, a wave of Mental Attacks would have already taken down the enemy.


    As for the Dark Poison Ants, their venom was supposed to be quite formidable. Only, they hadn¡¯t been tested in actual combat yet.


    After checking the evolutionary results of the two new ant species, Qin Niu felt quite satisfied.


    The variety within the ant colony had become richer, and their methods of combat more diverse.


    This was all good news.


    He believed that only a bloom of diverse skills could counter various powerful enemies.


    The creatures that Insect Masters carefully cultivated were often exceptionally strong.


    Right now, he was just holed up here in this mountain ravine, silently growing. Once he slowly emerged onto the stage, he would meet nothing but powerhouses.


    Therefore, the richer the development of the ant colony now, the better. ¡°The ant colony added another 99 new members today, not bad!¡± Looking at the 99 newly molted mature termites, Qin Niu felt extremely content.

 Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Chapter 131 Mid-Level Farmer_i

    Chapter 136: Chapter 131 Mid-Level Farmer_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    One powerful Worker Ant, one powerful Soldier Ant, two Poisonous Ants, one Breeder Ant, the rest are all regular Worker Ants and Soldier Ants.


    The Ant Queen now produces a hundred eggs a day, and with the base number up, almost every day there are special ant species emerging.


    Keep in mind, these special ants can all be promoted to Grade Three after a secondary cultivation.


    However, special ant species like Fourth have not appeared again.


    But from a probability standpoint, there should be special ants like Fourth emerging in the future, just in even smaller numbers than elephant-nosed Soldier Ants.


    After cultivating the termites, he came to the beehive, looking at the Queen Bee that had become a Grade Three War Bee, along with a group of Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees, he felt equally satisfied.


    Now, the Queen Bee produces a hundred eggs a day; just wait for a dozen or so days, and he could cultivate a hundred special bees each day.


    By then, he should be able to achieve great things.


    There might even be special types of bees to appear.


    After the ten newly eclosed bees came out today, he discovered one of them had a notably large size and a deeper color.


    After careful identification, a wave of disappointment.


    It was a male bee.


    The Queen Bee would mate with the male bees numerous times, but she wouldn¡¯t mate with those male bees that were related to her by blood.


    This was particularly miraculous.


    When she released pheromones to attract other male bees, the ones related to her by blood seemed not to feel it at all.


    Only those non-blood-related male bees would be attracted.


    Qin Niu did not cultivate this male bee, letting it fend for itself.


    His time, energy, and resources were limited.


    It was impossible to cultivate two bee colonies.


    There was no need for that either.


    So, cultivating this male bee would essentially be meaningless.


    Having completed cultivating the insects, he naturally went under the banyan tree to cultivate without mention.


    When he emerged from under the banyan tree once more, his Everlasting Spring Technique had broken through to the mortal¡¯s Eightfold level, and it seemed there would be no issue for the Medicine King Sutra to break through to the Fivefold level tomorrow.


    This frightening speed of cultivation made his strength rise very quickly.


    When he returned to the village with a large group of special termites, he found that Wang Furen had already bought the ducks back.


    ¡°Master Qin, a full three thousand ducks, please count them! We arrived just in time, as a locust plague hasn¡¯t occurred there yet, so the ducks didn¡¯t go up in price. After haggling with the owner, I bought them each for six Wen Money,¡± said Wang Furen, looking travel-worn, as did the other villagers who went with him.


    He managed to buy the ducks for only six Wen Money each, Wang Furen was truly a businessman, even after over a decade of not working, he still had an amazing business acumen.


    ¡°It would be great if these ducks could really prevent the locust plague! I rented nearly twenty acres of land this year, eighteen acres of which are in our village, and my whole family is depending on the yield from these eighteen acres,¡± said Liu Shengli, another villager who went along.


    The locust plague was so severe that despite many measures taken on his family¡¯s land, none were effective.


    Few villagers had their own land, and many were tenant farmers.


    Those who rented less had only three to five acres, while those who rented more had twenty to thirty acres.


    Xu Zhenchang must be the biggest tenant farmer, renting at least a hundred acres. If the crops are really eaten up by the locusts, many might consider hanging themselves with a rope.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the locust plague occurred over in Ping Shui yet?¡± Qin Niu was more interested in this piece of information.


    ¡°It seems the locust plague is sweeping in from the north. Once we left our village¡¯s boundary, we saw locusts ravaging everywhere, but Ping Shui was still calm for the time being. So, I surmise the locust plague must have originated from the north,¡± Wang Furen provided an important piece of information.


    ¡°Thank you all for your hard work! Just put all these ducks into the buffer zone!¡± Qin Niu said, looking at the semi-grown ducks brought back in layer upon layer of bamboo cages. Each cage should hold about a hundred.


    They had bought back more than fifty cages in total.


    ¡°Master Qin, I bought two thousand ducks myself, and the villagers who went with me bought dozens or hundreds. In total, the number of ducks bought back is five thousand four hundred and sixty. We rented five ox-carts, which cost five Wen of Silver Money. We ate our own dry food when we were hungry on the road, and drank from natural water sources when we were thirsty. So, there were no other expenses. You had three thousand ducks, and if we calculate the ox-carts as three, that would be a transport cost of three Wen of Silver Money.


    The ducks were six Wen Money each, three thousand ducks in total cost eighteen taels of Silver Money.


    Adding the transport fee, the total comes to eighteen taels and three Wen. You gave me twenty-six taels, and this is the remaining Silver Money. Please count it,¡± Wang Furen calculated the account very clearly.


    The aim is to save as much as possible.


    This is also a good tradition of country folk.


    You have to be thrifty; earning money is too hard, and it hurts to spend it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard! You are the lead leader, so I am giving you a hundred Wen Money a day as wages, and for three days that totals three hundred Wen,¡± Qin Niu said, taking the returned excess silver and immediately handing three Wen to Wang Furen.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t take it, I can¡¯t take it. I bought two thousand ducks myself. Besides, this is for the good of the whole village; I can¡¯t accept this money,¡± Wang Furen hurriedly refused.


    ¡°Take it if I tell you to take it, why so much nonsense!¡± Qin Niu said, his face darkening slightly, which frightened Wang Furen from refusing any longer, and he honestly accepted the silver, showing an expression of covert joy on his face.


    A hundred Wen Money a day as wages, such high-paying work is hard to find anywhere.


    ¡°There were seven of you in total. Each person will be paid twenty Wen Money as wages. Sixty Wen each,¡± Qin Niu said without hesitation.


    Don¡¯t even mention him; even the Yan Family has to pay wages if they want someone to work for them.


    That¡¯s the rule, and it¡¯s the most basic social norm.


    If you try to use your status to push people around and expect them to run errands for free, the next time something comes up, everyone will avoid you like the plague. Either they¡¯ll pretend to be sick or hide and not show up. What can you do about it?


    The seven people took the wages from Qin Niu with an outward appearance of trepidation, but inwardly they were just as overjoyed as Wang Furen.


    Everyone is naturally happy to reap benefits.


    ¡°The contributions you eight have made to Shuangfeng Village will not be forgotten by everyone. Once the locust plague in our village subsides, I¡¯ll ask the village chief to erect a merit stele and engrave your deeds upon it. Now, let¡¯s put these ducks into the buffer zone.¡±


    After Qin Niu finished speaking, he turned to look at Wang Furen.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, please make a clear record of how many chickens and ducks each household has put in there, so it will be easy to account for them when they are taken back.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I can handle this task and make sure everything is recorded clearly.¡±


    Wang Furen, having received three hundred Wen Money for his work, was now truly obedient to Qin Niu.


    So many half-grown ducks with hearty appetites were being released into the area.


    Upon seeing the delicious locusts, the ducks, their feathers not yet fully grown, flapped their wings madly and feasted on the pests.


    Everybody watching the ducks gobble up the locusts was immensely pleased.


    These harmful insects finally met their nemesis.


    The surrounding villagers were all showing expressions of hope and joy, chatting and discussing among themselves.


    Qin Niu had already quietly left the scene.


    Two days had passed, and very few locusts were entering the village anymore. The vast majority had died in the buffer zone, consumed entirely by the ducks.


    Qin Niu, along with Xiao Qing, was harvesting millet in his own field.


    With each stalk of millet harvested, his Farmer Experience Points would increase by o.oi.


    At the same time, he acquired a new farming skill.


    Gathering, a skill for picking fruits and harvesting various crops and herbs.


    Every time he broke a cob of corn from the stalk, his Gathering skill proficiency and his labor points both increased by o.oi.


    So far, he had accumulated over three thousand labor points.


    That¡¯s because every time the Termites went into the field to catch insects, and each time they successfully killed one, he would also gain o.oi labor points.


    Without a second thought, he directly spent 100 labor points to raise his Gathering skill from beginner to somewhat skilled.


    As a result, he found that not only did his harvesting efficiency improve,


    but now while picking the millet, he could gauge their internal conditions based on their weight and size through touch.


    It seemed that as the Gathering skill continued to improve, it would bring even more abilities in the future.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, take these harvested millet back home to dry! I¡¯ll let Xiao Niu carry them back.¡±


    Qin Niu said to Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Xiao Niu, come here!¡±


    There were now two more helpers for work at home.


    Qin Niu hung a basket on the ox¡¯s back. Then he filled the basket with millet cobs and had it carry them home.


    At first, it seemed eager due to the novelty, working quite hard.


    But after several trips, the lazy ox started to slack off. It lay down in the field and simply refused to get up.


    Seeing that it was still young, Qin Niu didn¡¯t have the heart to whip it and just let it be.


    By the time he finished harvesting all the millet,


    his Farmer level experience had increased by a total of 39.75, and his level had successfully advanced from Low Tier to Mid Tier as he had hoped.


    This meant that he was officially a Mid Tier Farmer now.


    In terms of farming techniques, he had actually reached this level long ago.


    However, after his level went up, he found that his knowledge and experience in planting had greatly improved. Faced with different planting problems, his approaches to solving them became more diverse.


    This was unexpected.


    It made sense, though, since the salary of a Mid Tier Farmer was more than three times that of a Low Tier Farmer.


    If there wasn¡¯t some real skill involved, the landlord would not be willing to fork over such a hefty sum.


    Qin Niu thought to himself that many people spent their entire lives stuck at the Low Tier Farmer level, but he had managed to raise his Farmer level by one tier just by planting one mu of millet this year.


    This was a ¡®shortcut¡¯ for steady progress.


    As long as you work hard, you can improve.


    So far, he had deduced three ways to increase the Farmer level experience: sowing, transplanting, and harvesting.


    Even though sowing a single plant only added 0.01 Farmer experience, the effort would accumulate over time. As long as he kept planting continuously, he could keep improving his Farmer level.


    This was an advantage that no one else had.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s great, my Farmer level has reached Mid Tier, and I can upgrade various planting skills as well.¡±


    Previously, due to too low a level, his planting skills were stuck at somewhat skilled and couldn¡¯t advance any further.


    No need to worry about that now.


    In his opinion, planting skills were just as important as the Farmer level.


    Because no matter how high the Farmer level, it¡¯s just a strong foundation.


    But to actually improve crop yields, you have to rely on planting skills.


    For example, even if you have reached High Tier Farmer, but your sowing technique is poor. If few plants germinate after sowing, and among those seedlings, there are diseased and weak ones, can the yield be good?

 Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Chapter 132: Make Some Extra Money_i

    Chapter 137: Chapter 132: Make Some Extra Money_i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Of course, the actual situation was definitely not as it seemed.


    Generally, if a farmer¡¯s rank could reach intermediate, all of his planting skills should also improve.


    Even with poor skills, one could reach the proficiency level.


    He was certain that among the Yan Family¡¯s twelve superior farmers, it was very likely that some had not truly reached the level of an intermediate farmer.


    It was probably that only one of their planting skills had reached the level expected of an intermediate farmer.


    Otherwise, the Yan Family wouldn¡¯t have paid a high price for his fertilizer.


    After all, his current level of mixing fertilizer was merely at the standard of a high-level farmer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s upgrade the pest control skill by one grade first,¡± he said.


    With the rank of an intermediate farmer, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t wait to upgrade his pest control skill.


    At the moment, locusts were rampant, posing a serious threat to the local crops.


    If he could find an effective method of pest control, he would not only make a tidy sum of Silver Money, but he could also become a distinguished contributor to the Black Tiger Gang.


    He would also bring honor to the Insect Master Association.


    It was a win-win situation.


    Now, with plenty of laboring points at his disposal, he was not stingy with them.


    Using termites for pest control, weeding, and loosening the soil all added laboring points for him¡ªit was like they cost nothing at all.


    Essentially, this meant that as long as his farmer rank could rise, he could easily enhance his various planting skills.


    He already possessed seven planting skills.


    Pest control and harvesting were both added later.


    After spending 172 laboring points on the spot, his pest control skill was successfully advanced to the small achievement level.


    Various pest control techniques, as if applied a thousand times, became incredibly familiar and appeared in his mind.


    The feeling was truly fantastic.


    His approach to dealing with locusts also saw significant improvement.


    The initial strategies he could think of were limited, mainly to light luring for killing locusts or raising a flock of ducks to create a buffer zone to stop them from entering the village.


    These methods of pest control were not only greatly limited but were also of a passive defensive nature.


    After Qin Niu¡¯s pest control skill improved to the small achievement level, his thought process became wider and bolder, and his technical means became more abundant.


    ¡°We need to find their source and eradicate them completely¡ªthat¡¯s the best solution,¡± he thought.


    He pondered the methods to exterminate the locusts in his mind.


    Unfortunately, his Termite Army was not yet sizable enough; otherwise, dealing with these locusts would be like a game.


    Once the locusts matured, they would soon lay a large number of eggs in the ground.


    Just half a month to twenty days later, they would hatch into nymphs and then start eating plants¡¯ tender leaves along with the adults, rapidly growing bigger.


    Therefore, to eradicate them, one had to find a way to destroy the eggs and pupae.


    That was the real solution.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take some time tomorrow to look for the source, there might be more methods,¡± he thought.


    Qin Niu packed the harvested corn into baskets, then glanced at Xiao Nui, who still lay on the ground refusing to get up.


    ¡°You lazy thing, all you do is eat without working. Wait until I fatten you up, I¡¯ll slaughter you for meat!¡± he scolded.


    Spurred by Qin Niu¡¯s scolding, Xiao Nui quickly rolled over and stood up, obediently walking over to his side.


    ¡°Carry these two baskets back!¡± he commanded.


    With the two baskets on the ox¡¯s back, he also lifted a load on his own.


    This year promised a great harvest, and he estimated that just the output from the first half of the year would not be less than nine hundred pounds.


    Especially the small area where he had piled cow dung, the corn cobs were notably heavy in hand.


    Each one was full of plump kernels.


    This indicated that the effect of cow dung was even better than his self-made mountain fertilizer.


    Qin Niu thus reevaluated the value of Xiao Niu.


    Despite being lazy and eating excessively, the manure it produced daily was equally significant.


    He had also used ordinary cow dung before.


    Before we knew how to use bonemeal as fertilizer, we often followed Old Man Liu to collect dog feces and cow dung from the roads to use as fertilizer.


    But their effects were nowhere near as good.


    ¡°When I have time, I should really study Xiao Nui¡¯s dung; it seems incomparable to ordinary cow dung.¡±


    Qin Niu used the cow dung to fertilize the medicinal herbs in his backyard, and they too thrived.


    At first, he thought it was the result of the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    But now he had his doubts; it was very likely that both the nourishment from the Everlasting Spring Technique and the contribution of the cow dung played a part.


    Having transported all the corn back home, Xiao Qing was incredibly busy laying them out to dry.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, you must be tired! Take a break. The corn doesn¡¯t need to be dried in one day; it¡¯s okay to do it over several days,¡±


    Qin Niu said to her.


    Now they not only had a brand-new granary but also a special drying yard for the corn.


    His new house was expected to be basically completed in about half a month.


    The main part was gradually getting finished, and they had started building the walls and laying tiles.


    In any world, having money meant living comfortably.


    Qin Niu spent a great deal of Silver Money, and his shabby mud house was transformed into a stylish brick-and-tile house.


    Spacious and bright, it would be very comfortable to live in later on.


    Privacy, security, and resistance to harsh weather like rain, snow, and gales were greatly improved.


    Following him, Xiao Qing wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the cold this winter.


    ¡°Master Qin, may I see you now if it¡¯s convenient?¡±


    Xu Zhenchang had come to visit.


    ¡°Please come in, Village Chief!¡±


    Qin Niu, busy drying corn in the shed, didn¡¯t really have much time.


    ¡°After you bought more than five thousand ducks from outside the region, you successfully stopped the locust plague from ravaging our village. The locusts in my fields are fewer with each one caught. However, as you know, I have rented over a hundred acres of land from the Yan Family and simply can¡¯t manage all of it. Could I ask for your help to exterminate the pests? Name your price.¡±


    In the past few days, Xu Zhenchang had visibly lost a lot of weight.


    Dark circles ringed his eyes, and his face was gaunt.


    His hair appeared slightly disheveled.


    And his clothes were covered in dirt.


    These days, he had been continuously fighting against the locusts and was probably exhausted.


    ¡°How many acres of land do you have sown in the village?¡±


    ¡°I have eleven acres of my own, and I have leased seventy-nine acres from the Yan Family. I also have over twenty acres in Daoyuan Village, but I can¡¯t keep up with that. Right now, I only hope to save the crops on these acres here in the village.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang, a man in his forties, was choked with emotion as he spoke.


    If the crops on all hundred acres were destroyed by locusts, he would definitely be reduced back to his former state, to the days before liberation.


    Then, he would not only have to pay the Yan Family¡¯s land rent but also the wages for the workers, as well as the costs of fertilizer, seeds, plowing, and irrigation fees, which added up to a hefty sum.


    ¡°How many acres in the village still need to be rid of locusts?¡±


    ¡°About eighty-five acres or so. These despicable creatures are too numerous; it¡¯s impossible to catch them all by human power alone. I¡¯ve hired quite a few people to help me catch and kill the locusts in the fields, but it¡¯s not very effective. Fortunately, in the last two days, we have managed to cut off the source of the locusts entering the village, and that has finally offered a glimmer of hope.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s legs had gotten thinner from the fatigue.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you exterminate the pests; how much can you pay per acre? Just give me a reasonable price.¡±


    Qin Niu had bought three thousand ducks, spending a large sum of money.


    He would need to wait a while longer to cash in on that investment.


    With the considerable expense of building the house, earning some extra cash would be quite nice.


    ¡°Seventy wen per acre, is that okay?¡±


    Xu Zhenchang clenched his teeth and quoted a price.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit low, but considering we¡¯re all villagers here, I¡¯ll take the job. Let me be clear upfront, my ability to exterminate pests is limited; I can only do as much as possible, one acre at a time. Once I¡¯ve cleaned up an acre, I¡¯ll call you to inspect it.¡±


    Because the locusts kept moving.


    After clearing them, new ones would soon cross the border.


    Fortunately, his special Termite Army was growing by nearly a hundred termites a day, so the efficiency of pest control should get higher and higher..

 Chapter 138 - 138 Chapter 133: Competing Visitors_i

    138 Chapter 133: Competing Visitors_i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Charging seventy wen money to exterminate pests from an acre of land once, this business was actually quite good.


    Moreover, Qin Niu provided top-quality service.


    He could eradicate eggs, pupae, adult insects, and larvae all at once.


    He dealt with not only locusts but also other pests.


    Xu Zhenchang hired adult men to catch insects for him, paying eight wen money per person per day. Hiring twelve men to work for a day didn¡¯t actually clear all the locusts from an acre of land.


    It may look like child¡¯s play for Qin Niu to catch bugs and locate their eggs, but that¡¯s because his pest extermination skills, bug catching skills, and insect trace identification skills had all reached a considerably high level.


    For others, being proficient in one of these skills would be awesome.


    He had three, and one could imagine how formidable he was.


    By dusk, he had brought back more than six hundred termites from the mountain, the weakest of which were above grade two.


    There were also quite a few grade three termites among them.


    He deliberately started exterminating pests from a field that backed onto a mountain.


    Releasing all six hundred or so termites, Fourth acted as the marshal, with several grade three tiger-striped iron armor ghost ants serving as generals. They divided into groups and began their efficient operation.


    In just over an hour, all the pests in that acre were completely eliminated.


    This efficiency was very high indeed.


    Qin Niu also harvested quite a few insect eggs.


    He was looking forward to the day when the Ant Queen¡¯s breeding skill would level up again, reaching over a thousand eggs laid per day; that would be wonderful.


    However, being able to add a hundred termites a day was already quite good, enough to get some work done at least.


    Xu Zhenchang was called over for inspection.


    Carrying an oil lamp, he went down to the field for a careful examination and saw the ground littered with insect corpses and pupae that had been bitten to death.


    Even the eggs had been crushed.


    And they didn¡¯t just exterminate locusts, but also leaf rollers, various noctuids, and other pests.


    This carpet-style pest extermination was what he had always dreamed of but never achieved.


    ¡°Village chief, are you satisfied with the pest extermination effect?¡± Qin Niu asked as he saw him coming over.


    ¡°Extremely satisfied! It¡¯s hundreds to thousands of times better than hiring someone to do the job. The efficiency is both fast and good.¡±


    The worry that had been plaguing Xu Zhenchang for days was considerably alleviated.


    The locusts were kept out of the village, nipping the problem in the bud. Now with Qin Niu¡¯s thorough pest extermination, it also meant that his crops had a chance of being saved.


    After that, Qin Niu stayed busy all night long.


    In total, he exterminated pests from eight acres of land.


    Each acre underwent carpet-style extermination, from flying adults to eggs, sweeping them all clean.


    The six hundred or more termites became braver as the battle went on, seemingly tireless.


    The endurance of insects was much stronger than that of humans.


    Termites, being omnivorous creatures, also took the opportunity to replenish their energy during the extermination process; thus, they didn¡¯t feel any fatigue at all.


    This was only the first day. Qin Niu was somewhat worried. Moreover, many of the termites were working across fields for the first time, so he watched over them.


    Tomorrow, they could carry out the work on their own.


    Qin Niu just needed to show Fourth the fields once, and it could then lead the termite army to exterminate pests.


    For eight acres of land, at seventy wen per acre, that was a total of five hundred and sixty wen money.


    Nearly six pieces of silver money in income.


    This was equivalent to a common farmer¡¯s salary for two months.


    Earning money through expertise was much easier than through hard labor.


    For six consecutive days, Qin Niu helped Xu Zhenchang exterminate pests in the fields.


    Over the course of six days, the number of his special termites increased from over seven hundred to more than thirteen hundred.


    The number of grade three termites grew to thirty-four.


    This explosive growth in strength made the entire termite army even more formidable.


    Their pest extermination efficiency also greatly increased.


    Initially, more than six hundred termites took over an hour to eliminate all the pests from an acre of land. Now, he could deploy over a thousand grade two and grade three termites to clear an acre in less than half an hour.


    As they continued to engage in actual combat, their teamwork became more tacit, their experience richer, and their efficiency continually improved.


    Each time he brought the termites down the mountain to exterminate pests, he would leave at least seventy or eighty special termites behind to maintain the operation and security of the entire Ant Nest.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to be preoccupied with sideline gains while other insects took advantage of the situation and destroyed his Ant Nest.


    In the area around that large camphor tree, seventy or eighty special termites were fully capable of securing the Ant Nest. If enemies like centipedes or scorpions dared to invade, they would be reduced to food within minutes.


    Especially those ferocious tiger-striped soldier ants, which were like bloodthirsty demons in existence.


    Termites were defensive insects, but that didn¡¯t mean they were docile or easy to bully.


    They belonged to that typical type who didn¡¯t start trouble but weren¡¯t afraid of it either.


    Occasionally, army ants discovered their nests and launched attacks. Still, the ferocious army ants usually came off worse in confrontations. Sometimes, even the Army Ant Queen might be counter-killed by the termites.


    That morning, as Qin Niu was having breakfast, Xu Zhenchang came to seek an audience outside.


    ¡°Master Qin, this is your payment for helping with the pest extermination. A total of eighty-six acres were handled, amounting to 6020 wen money, which translates to six silver money and an additional twenty wen. I¡¯m truly grateful. You have saved the livelihood of my entire family,¡± Xu Zhenchang said, his forehead creased much deeper than before.


    This is all due to urgency.


    ¡°Twenty Wen Money will do, this year hasn¡¯t been easy for you either.¡±


    Qin Niu had collected six taels of Silver Money, and had cut off the tail end.


    He gave Xu Zhenchang a bit of a discount as well.


    In a total of seven days, he had earned six taels of Silver Money, which was the benefit the termites had created for him with their increased strength.


    Their usefulness was far greater than just that.


    This time, by taking the opportunity of pest control, not only had they received very good practical training, but they had also truly solved a difficulty for the villagers.


    The largest grower in the village was Xu Zhenchang.


    By cleaning up the pests in Xu Zhenchang¡¯s fields, it was as if they had eliminated the Locust Army within the village on a large scale. The other fields benefited as well.


    Otherwise, the locusts in those more than eighty acres would breed like crazy and migrate everywhere, which the villagers were incapable of dealing with.


    ¡°Thankyou, Master Qin!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang, who must have been a bit strapped for cash recently, did not refuse and took the twenty Wen Money.


    During hard times, even a single Wen Money can be difficult for a hero to come by.


    Most of his fields in other villages were likely not saved, which was a considerable loss. On top of that, a large amount of extra expenses for pest control and the resulting reduced harvest meant he had to tighten his belt for the year.


    ¡°Right, there are two more things I¡¯d like to discuss with you. The three neighboring villages all want to borrow our ducks, but I didn¡¯t dare agree and told them to discuss it with you and Brother Wang. Additionally, the Yan Family has also requested your help with pest control. These past few days, seeing that our village¡¯s pest troubles haven¡¯t settled, the Yan Family didn¡¯t send anyone over. If you agree, I¡¯ll reply to the Yan Family and they will send someone to negotiate with you.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang had a rather close relationship with the Yan Family.


    Qin Niu¡¯s pest control efforts for Xu Zhenchang had been effective.


    Xu Zhenchang, in order to please the Yan Family, would definitely reveal this to them.


    But the Yan Family had some decorum in their actions.


    Clearly as anxious as ants on a hot pan, they did not come over to grab the benefits of the ordinary villagers of Shuangfeng Village.


    The decisionmakers of the Yan Family possessed great wisdom.


    Perhaps in the eyes of the Yan Family, Qin Niu could at most treat ten or so acres a day, and even if they snatched him away, it wouldn¡¯t solve much of the problem. Becoming enemies with the entire village over such small benefits wasn¡¯t worth it.


    Besides, Qin Niu might not agree.


    Every villager from any village has a sense of village protectionism.


    Any good opportunity usually prioritizes the local village first.


    ¡°Master Qin, is it convenient to see you now?¡±


    The voice of Wang Furen came from outside.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, please come in!¡±


    Qin Niu found Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang quite interesting, as they often acted in concert with a certain tacit understanding, moving together.


    ¡°Oh, the village chief is here too!¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s words were somewhat insincere, as he must have known Xu Zhenchang was there.


    Everyone typically said these pleasantries.


    ¡°These last few days, I asked Master Qin to help me with pest control, and now everything¡¯s been taken care of. I¡¯ve brought his wages to him.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang said with a smile.


    ¡°Speaking of this, I just want to slap myself on the cheeks. You younger folks really have agile minds. I live right next to Master Qin, how did I not think of this method? Village chief, I¡¯m always half a step behind you in everything. You must give me more pointers in the future.¡±


    Wang Furen expressed his frustration.


    ¡°Haha, Brother Wang, you¡¯re too modest! I should be learning from you.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang would not dare to accept such high praise.


    ¡°Master Qin, now that you¡¯ve finished helping the village chief with the pests, could you please help me? The reward will follow the rate you set. Seeing those incessant locusts in my fields, I¡¯m just so anxious! I dream about catching pests at night.¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s fields were not extensive, covering just over ten acres.


    However, they were good lands, and during normal years with sufficient rainfall, the yield was extremely high.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, didn¡¯t you buy a bunch of ducks to release into your fields for pest control? Was the effect not good?¡±


    Qin Niu asked curiously.


    ¡°All, let¡¯s not talk about it. Those ducks indeed help get rid of some pests, but locusts perching on high stalks that can fly are out of the ducks¡¯ reach! Only those locusts that fall to the ground can be preyed upon by them. It¡¯s better than nothing, I suppose!¡±


    Wang Furen sighed.


    The ducks couldn¡¯t deal with locusts on the stalks, so they could only watch helplessly as the locusts nibbled on the leaves of crops like corn and wheat.


    ¡°I see! We¡¯re all friendly neighbors, Uncle Wang, if you have this need, I should certainly lend a hand. Clear the ducks away, I¡¯ll take care of the pests for you tonight. Just show me the areas that need pest control, and that will do.¡±


    Qin Niu readily took on the job.


    There was money to be made, so of course, he would take it!


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Wan Yan take you there! I¡¯m getting on in years, not as spry as I used to be, really old!¡±


    Wang Furen once would not let his daughter meet Qin Niu.


    Now, on the contrary, he was actively pushing his daughter towards Qin Niu.


    A businessman is a businessman.


    Pursuit of profit is always their nature.


    Qin Niu certainly had no objections and happily agreed.


    Wang Wanyan accompanied him around the fields for a tour, and with a beautiful companion, there was a different kind of scenery.


    It was clear to see, she seemed very happy walking in the fields with Qin Niu, occasionally laughing like silver bells, both engaged in delightful conversation.

 Chapter 139 - 139 Chapter 134 Miss Wang Wants to be a Beast Tamer i

    139 Chapter 134 Miss Wang Wants to be a Beast Tamer i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Between people, there still needs to be some emotional foundation.


    When Qin Niu was destitute, she occasionally looked after him, providing food and even attempting to give him silver money to spend. She clearly noticed Qin Niu eating chaff and swallowing grass, yet she never exposed him, preserving his dignity and face.


    Those little moments from the past built a solid foundation for their relationship.


    Without Wang Furen¡¯s interference, they might even have become childhood sweethearts.


    ¡°By the way, the silver money you used to help me buy the three Tempering Elixirs, I¡¯m afraid it will take some time before I can repay you,¡±


    Wang Wanyan took the initiative to speak up.


    ¡°Why bother repaying me? When I was down and out, you often helped me out, showing kindness that¡¯s worth much more than three Tempering Elixirs. If you really consider me a friend, then stop bringing this up.¡±


    Now, with a strong earning ability, he didn¡¯t really care about those nine taels of silver.


    The elixirs were something he willingly gave her.


    ¡°Then consider it a debt I owe you, and when you¡¯re in need and I¡¯m capable, I will repay you.¡± She looked at Qin Niu with a somber gaze, carrying her own pride and self-respect.


    She was not willing to easily accept Qin Niu¡¯s gifts.


    Her pursuit of love, unlike Tang Caixian¡¯s bold approach, was much more reserved, though she was brave too.


    Between her and Qin Niu, their love was hazy.


    They were both very green.


    ¡°Why speak so formally, as if we are strangers to each other! By the way, what level has your cultivation reached now? Tell me if you need anything. As long as it¡¯s within my abilities, I am willing to help you with all my might.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke very sincerely.


    ¡°I have reached the fivefold level of a mortal. Of course, there are needs, but I want to acquire those cultivation resources through my own efforts.¡± She was not the kind of woman who thought about relying on powerful men every day.


    She had her own pride and integrity.


    ¡°Being independent and strong, that¡¯s good. Have you thought about how you plan to earn money?¡±


    ¡°For now, the only thing I can think of is to find a bodyguard job. However, with my little cultivation, I can only work as a nurse for big families like the Yan Family in the countryside, but my father would definitely not agree. I plan to go to the city and see what I can find after I come of age. Actually, I envy people like you the most, who can make a lot of money while living in the countryside.¡±


    She turned her head to look at Qin Niu again.


    Her bright eyes sparkled with glimmers of light.


    Filled with admiration, envy, and longing.


    ¡°Become an Insect Master like me?¡±


    Qin Niu should have the ability to help her achieve this wish.


    With his current experience in raising insects and the superb resources he had in hand, it would be no difficult task to cultivate a Grade Three insect.


    One could say that he could help her achieve this with ease.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I actually prefer becoming a Planting Master. I have some flowers and plants in my attic. Whenever I¡¯m feeling upset, I always feel much happier when I see them.¡±


    She, like most girls, did not enjoy raising insects but loved nurturing flowers and plants.


    Girls are naturally fond of romance and colorful beauty.


    ¡°Actually, my favorite is also planting. However, my family was penniless, so I thought I¡¯d first become an Insect Master to ensure a full belly, and then study planting techniques. If you don¡¯t want to rely too much on your family, you could also consider a similar path. Once you have the identity of an Insect Master, not only will you exempt your household from ten acres of field taxes, but you¡¯ll also have a stable income.¡±


    Qin Niu offered her advice.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just a bit scared of little bugs, afraid they¡¯ll bite me. Even an ant crawling on me makes my skin crawl involuntarily. Is becoming a Beast Tamer much more difficult? I¡¯ve recently bought some books on animal taming and read that even if you just raise a common livestock or poultry well, you could still become a formidable Beast Tamer.¡±


    She was a smart and decisive girl.


    Young as she was, once she had an idea, she was able to implement it diligently.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too familiar with being a Beast Tamer, but I believe that with your intelligence and perseverance, as long as it¡¯s something you want to do, you¡¯ll definitely succeed. Have you decided on what kind of pet you want to tame?¡±


    ¡°I want to start with raising a cat. It¡¯s the only animal I can afford right now.¡±


    ¡°How about I go to the mountains and catch a wolf cub for you? I¡¯m worried that a house cat¡¯s growth potential might be a bit limited.¡±


    Qin Niu said enthusiastically.


    ¡°Thank you, Alt Niu! A wolf needs to eat meat every day, and I¡¯m a bit worried I won¡¯t be able to afford it! Besides, catching a wolf cub is very dangerous, and I wouldn¡¯t want you to take that risk.¡±


    She declined.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine too! You can start with a cat then. Do you know how to use a Contractual Talisman?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never used or bought one before. I read in a book that you just need to prick your fingertip, drop the blood on the activation zone, and that should trigger the talisman. I¡¯m planning to go to the city tomorrow to buy a Contractual Talisman; do you know which store has good talismans?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one! This is a Low-grade Contract Charm, used for subduing pets with weak resistance. Otherwise, the contract might fail. If you¡¯re raising a cat, you can feed it for a while, and when it¡¯s familiar with you, then you can use the Contract Charm to establish a servant-master relationship with it.¡±


    Qin Niu had a bunch of Low-grade Contract Charms.


    Offering one to a beautiful lady didn¡¯t even make him blink.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you give away something so valuable for free. Isn¡¯t it one tael of silver per charm?¡±


    She reached for the silver money on her waist.


    Knowing the price so well, she must have looked into it beforehand.


    ¡°Just take it! If you really want to give something, wait until you¡¯ve become a Beast Tamer and can earn money, then you can pay me back.¡±


    Qin Niu placed the talisman in her hands.


    Her touch was soft and gentle, and they both felt a bit unusual.


    ¡°Thanks! Ah, I owe you so much now; I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll be able to pay it all back!¡±


    ¡°I hope you never pay it back in a lifetime!¡±


    Qin Niu joked with a grin.


    That was the boldest thing he¡¯d ever said.


    She was quick-witted and immediately understood the implication, her pretty face involuntarily blushing.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to head back now! I¡¯ll try to see if I can contract my house cat. Seeing you improve by leaps and bounds every day, I should work hard too.¡±


    She waved her hand and said goodbye to Qin Niu.


    As for Qin Niu¡¯s implicit offer of himself, she neither refused nor agreed.


    Girls are generally shy, and being well-read from a young age, she knew the importance of propriety and decency. It wasn¡¯t something she could easily agree to¡ªusually, it would involve Qin Niu formally proposing, followed by her coyly accepting.


    Moreover, with Tang Caixian from the neighboring village actively pursuing Qin Niu and having already sent a matchmaker to propose, it was even less likely for her to agree readily.


    The next day, as soon as Qin Niu got up early in the morning, he sensed some activity in the broken water jar.


    By now, the main structure of his house was basically complete, and the construction of walls, flowerbeds, and fish ponds was underway. It was estimated that it would all be finished in about ten more days.


    The little turtle had been motionless all this while, but now that there was a strange noise, it was likely that its evolution was complete.


    He was very much looking forward to this.


    If insects could evolve special abilities after consuming Banyan Tree Blood, the little turtle¡¯s prolonged evolution should make it even stronger.


    Once the fish pond was ready, keeping it there would be perfect.

 Chapter 140 - Chapter 140 Chapter 135 Diamond InkTurtle_i

    Chapter 140 Chapter 135 Diamond InkTurtle_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Qin Niu came to the broken water tank, only to see that the small turtle, which was originally only the size of a chicken egg, had now grown to the size of a fist. Its shell looked three times thicker than before, if not more.


    Each segment of its shell gleamed with a dark yellow light.


    It seemed that its tail had become much shorter.


    Still the same timid and fearful creature, shrinking back into itself.


    ¡°Come out!¡±


    Qin Niu commanded it.


    It slowly crawled out of the water, neck retracted, its small green bean-like eyes fixed on its master.


    ¡°You¡¯ve evolved for over a month, and this is all the ability you¡¯ve developed?¡± Seeing its slow movements and the way it cowered, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but get angry.


    Feeling the displeasure in its master¡¯s tone, the turtle got so scared that it immediately retracted its head into its shell. At the same time, a faint, invisible ripple appeared around its body, encasing it like a transparent cover.


    Upon seeing this, a surprised look flashed across Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    He tried to touch the cover.


    As soon as he made contact, he felt an invisible resistance.


    About an inch away from the turtle¡¯s shell.


    Pressing down a bit harder, he found that this transparent energy cover had a certain elasticity. Quite magical.


    ¡°Not bad!¡±


    Qin Niu praised it, then checked its attributes.


    Male Diamond Ink Turtle


    Grade: Grade Three turtle of longevity from the order of Testudines. Level-up experience 1000/10000


    Lifespan: 657 years.


    Energy: 7000


    Skills: Swimming Grade Two 31.4/100, Hibernation Grade One 0/10, Qi Wave


    Defense Grade One 0.01/10.


    Talent: Timidity, Defense


    After checking its attributes, Qin Niu felt almost envious to tears.


    Its lifespan had increased by a whole six hundred years; the phrase ¡°turtle longevity¡± was indeed not an empty boast.


    In many people¡¯s minds, the longest-lived creatures are turtles.


    The actual lifespan of a normal turtle is just thirty to fifty years, not as exaggerated as the legendary thousand years.


    Turtles that live two to three hundred years are extremely rare.


    Those over a hundred years can be called long-lived turtles.


    The ones that truly live for a thousand years are divine turtles.


    After Qin Niu fed it the Banyan Tree Blood, its lifespan increased by an entire six hundred years, which made Qin Niu himself want to drink some.


    But he didn¡¯t have the courage to do so yet.


    Unless one day he drank three kilograms of fake wine or ate a few bear hearts and leopard gallbladders, that might lead him to do something crazy.


    The little turtle had also evolved a new skill, Qi Wave Defense.


    That must be the thin layer of aura around its body.


    Its talent also had new changes; apart from the embarrassing timidity, it had developed a defense talent as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a chunk of meat,¡± Qin Niu said.


    He cut a piece of wild boar meat to feed it.


    The silly thing actually stuck out its head and sniffed at the meat with its sharp nose, then looked at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Damn it, eat if you want, forget it if you don¡¯t. Can I possibly harm you?¡± Qin Niu exclaimed.


    Qin Niu found that the thinking of beast pets was much more complex.


    Last time, after feeding it Banyan Tree Blood, the turtle suffered a lot and even nearly died. Worried that Qin Niu was feeding it ¡®special food¡¯ again, the turtle hesitated to eat despite being very hungry.


    But Termite would not hesitate.


    When Qin Niu raised the Termite, they also went through life-and-death struggles and suffered greatly.


    But when fed again, they would quickly eat without any hesitation.


    It seemed that this little turtle had the most cunning mind.


    After being scolded by Qin Niu, the little turtle, whether out of fear or because it found no issues with the wild boar meat, began to eat quickly.


    When it ate, it was not only quick but also exceptionally ferocious, completely different from its usual timid behavior.


    Qin Niu had glimpsed a side of it unknown to others.


    ¡°Once the fish pond is ready, and we move it there, perhaps it¡¯s worth considering feeding it some live prey to maintain its wild nature.¡±


    Qin Niu was well aware that maintaining wildness would keep them always alert and striving to improve their survival abilities. Such beast pets would be more competitive.


    Seeing the great benefits the little turtle received from evolving, he couldn¡¯t help but think about Xiao Nui¡¯s potential.


    The blood of the Ancient Banyan Tree must contain extremely powerful energy, its effects possibly exceeding ordinary elixirs.


    If Xiao Nui ate it, as long as it survived the life-and-death challenge, it would at least advance one grade.


    The little turtle had jumped directly from Grade One to Grade Three, which was a huge leap.


    Any beast pet¡¯s advancement in grade is extremely difficult.


    For a Beast Tamer to raise a Grade One pet to Grade Two involves tremendous amounts of time, effort, and money. Even with such investments, success is not guaranteed.


    Qin Niu had managed to advance the little turtle two grades with just a bit of Banyan Tree Blood, which was quite terrifying.


    If he were willing to sell the Banyan Tree Blood, it would undoubtedly lead to a bloody storm, as countless powerhouses would fight over it.


    Approaching the shed, Xiao Nui was still lazily lying there, chewing on corn leaves.


    As expected, there was a large pile of cow dung in the corner.


    Its fertilizer-making skill was improving every day, whereas its brute strength skill had hardly increased at all.


    The main reason was that it was just too lazy.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    Seeing Qin Niu come over, Xiao Nui affectionately stretched out its neck and bellowed.


    ¡°Xiao Nui, I am prepared to offer you a great opportunity. But if you can¡¯t handle it, you might die. Do you want to try?¡±


    The bond between Qin Niu and Xiao Nui was quite deep.


    He was actually somewhat conflicted about letting it take this risk.


    Deep down, he knew that it would have to take the risk sooner or later.


    Unless it was content with mediocrity for life.


    In reality, that was impossible. Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation was improving by leaps and bounds, and his power in all aspects was steadily increasing. If his pets couldn¡¯t grow stronger alongside him, they would eventually be eliminated. ¡°Moo~!¡±


    It actually nodded its head, which took Qin Niu by surprise.


    The cow¡¯s intelligence should be a bit higher than that of the little turtle, and it was well aware of what death meant.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡±


    Qin Niu asked it.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    Since he had not yet grasped beast language, communicating with Xiao Nui was relatively difficult.


    Qin Niu could issue commands to it or convey his thoughts using voice and spiritual power. Xiao Nui could understand but was unable to communicate with Qin Niu using human language or spiritual power.


    Their current status was essentially a one-way command system.


    Most Insect Masters and Beast Tamers operated in this state.


    Those with the skills of insect language or beast language were few.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve made your choice, I will naturally help you.¡±


    Qin Niu himself faced various risks while training to become stronger.


    Whether master or beast pet, one must walk their own path and face the challenges themselves.


    He made repeated calculations of Xiao Nui¡¯s weight and physique, then carefully prepared a safe dose of Banyan Tree Blood for it.


    This ¡®safe¡¯ wasn¡¯t absolutely safe.


    It was only somewhat safe.


    ¡°Drink all this green liquid at once, and you can become stronger. But there¡¯s also a chance you won¡¯t survive and will die from your body exploding.¡±


    After hearing this, Xiao Nui didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately lowered its head to drink all the water in the trough.


    There was no reaction right after it drank.


    Qin Niu watched beside it, feeling anxious.


    Of all his pets, he had the deepest affection for the Termite and Xiao Nui.


    He certainly hoped that Xiao Nui would safely make it through.


    Time passed steadily, and half an hour went by with Xiao Nui still showing no reaction; it appeared completely leisurely and content.

 Chapter 141 - Chapter 141 Chapter 136 Insect Master Hard to Find_i

    Chapter 141 Chapter 136 Insect Master Hard to Find_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Qin Niu was secretly puzzled in his heart. It didn¡¯t make sense!


    Even if the dosage wasn¡¯t enough for a complete transformation, there should have been some reaction at least.


    Whether it was termites or bees, after consuming Banyan Tree Blood, even just a little, there would still be a very painful transformation process.


    Xiao Niu had a substantial dosage, so why was there no reaction whatsoever?


    Where was the problem?


    The feeding of Termite with Thousand Eyes Tree Blood was very safe, but feeding it to bees meant certain death. He did not dare to casually feed Thousand Eyes Tree Blood to the small turtle and Xiao Niu.


    Banyan Tree Blood had already been experimented with on various insects and the small turtle, and was proven effective.


    Why then was there not even the slightest effect on Xiao Niu?


    Qin Niu was utterly baffled.


    ¡°Master Qin, may I ask if you¡¯re at home?¡±


    A somewhat familiar young man¡¯s voice came from outside the house.


    Qin Niu went out to check and found Tang Bin and Tang Caixian, the siblings, along with an authoritative-looking old man he did not recognize.


    Ever since their last visit to propose marriage, the siblings hadn¡¯t come again.


    This made Qin Niu think that Tang Caixian had slowly forgotten about the matter.


    The piece of Ink Jade she had given him he always carried with him because wearing it constantly increased his spiritual power.


    Extremely magical.


    Moreover, when he was practicing the Medicine King Sutra or communicating with insects and his spiritual power was exhausted, the Ink Jade helped him recover quickly.


    This jade was definitely a treasure.


    Not to mention for ordinary citizens, even for an existence like the Yan Family, it was a rare and precious treasure.


    Tang Caixian gave him such a valuable item, and she would not accept it back.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s view, she was like a deer caught in the headlights of love.


    He thought that after she had calmed down for a while, he would either return the Ink Jade to her or provide appropriate compensation.


    ¡°It¡¯s Tang Bin and Cai Xian, please come in!¡±


    Qin Niu had a good impression of the siblings, and given the relationship between himself and Cai Xian, he was naturally very enthusiastic and did not put on any airs of the Insect Master.


    ¡°Master Qin, this is our Tang Family Patriarch, and also the village chief of Daoyuan Village. This time we¡¯ve suffered a locust disaster, and hearing that Master Qin is quite effective in disaster management, he specially came to seek advice,¡± Tang Bin introduced the identity of the authoritative old man.


    The man was over sixty years old, with white hair and beard, dressed in a dark red robe with black dots. Such a robe could also be referred to as brocade.


    However, there was a significant gap compared to the brocade worn by real figures of great power.


    ¡°I am Tang Jingyuan, and I¡¯ve had the honor to meet Master Qin! I apologize for the intrusion and hope for your understanding,¡± said the old man as he bowed with his hands folded in front of him.


    He did not kneel.


    This indicated that the old man had a certain status.


    The Tang surname in Daoyuan Village was a prominent one. Now brimming with descendants, having produced officials with considerable status like Tang Yan, the Tang Family¡¯s status in the village had become even more solidified.


    When Qin Niu was very young, he had heard people say that nine out of ten people in Daoyuan Village had the surname Tang.


    It might be an exaggeration, but it was enough to prove how prosperous the Tang Family was.


    Tang Jingyuan was wearing brocade, and because it was also a long robe, his status was at least that of a Grade One Insect Master or a mid-level farmer.


    Above commoners, but half a grade lower than Qin Niu.


    His greeting with a bow was proper in etiquette.


    ¡°Chief Tang, you¡¯re too polite, please come inside and have a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s main residence was now completed, though the decoration was not yet finished. At least there was a place to sit when welcoming guests.


    This kind of green brick and tile house generally doesn¡¯t require much decoration.


    Because exposing the green bricks themselves is a display of luxury.


    At most, hang some famous calligraphy and paintings on the wall, and plant a few pots of elegant flowers and plants in the room. Then, the furniture is the main event, especially the exquisite furniture made of redwood, which is the pursuit of wealthy families.


    For example, Wang Furen¡¯s neighboring house is furnished with redwood furniture.


    Beautiful and generous, durable.


    It is also a display of wealth.


    ¡°We have not yet added new furniture to the home, I ask Chief Tang to make do! Brother Tang Bin, Cai Xian, please have a seat, how come you¡¯ve become estranged after not seeing each other for a while?¡±


    Qin Niu greeted the three to sit down with a smile.


    Xiao Qing, being sensible, served tea to the three guests.


    Qin Niu had not yet invested in those costly and exquisite Sancai lid cups.


    The accumulation of a wealthy family often requires more than three generations to be considered to have some heritage.


    Nouveaux riches, to put it unpleasantly, might not even understand the intricacies of eating and dressing.


    Empty of silver money, their daily life and behavior still resemble that of poor people.


    It takes at least three generations to cultivate a true noble.


    ¡°Last time we came over to propose marriage, we didn¡¯t know Master Qin had become an Insect Master; we were indeed too rash, please don¡¯t take offense, Master Qin.¡±


    Tang Bin stood up and gave a deep bow, apologizing to Qin Niu.


    Tang Caixian also followed her brother in apologizing with a bow.


    However, Qin Niu calling Cai Xian intimately by her name brought her much joy.


    ¡°Not knowing only made your intentions appear all the more sincere! Do not be so formal anymore; I like things simple and to act freely. In the future, you and your sister are welcome to visit me here in Shuangfeng Village anytime. Once the manor is restored, it should be much more elegant. However, when it comes to layout and such, I know nothing and might still end up turning it into a simple dwelling fit for a rough man.¡±


    Qin Niu said self-deprecatingly.


    ¡°When it comes to decoration, I know a little and can come over to help you out when the time comes,¡± Tang Caixian said with a smile.


    ¡°Little sister, don¡¯t be presumptuous; Master Qin is just being modest, how could he truly not know?¡±


    Being two years older, Tang Bin was after all a bit more mature.


    ¡°With you two siblings, I truly speak my mind without deceit. Cai Xian, thank you for your kind intentions.¡±


    Actually, Qin Niu wanted to marry Wang Wanyan from next door.


    As for Cai Xian, if judged solely from a man¡¯s pleasure, bringing her home would undoubtedly be blissful.


    Moreover, she wasn¡¯t just a pretty face; she was talented, beautiful, and skilled in song and dance, the type of woman countless powerful men dreamed of.


    ¡°By the way, is the locust disaster in your village very severe?¡±


    He proactively brought up the important issue.


    The Tang Family Patriarch personally seeking an audience must be for something crucial concerning foodstuff, to come in such a way.


    ¡°We had just suffered a flood not long ago, and after replanting the second season¡¯s crop, the seedlings had just started growing when the locust disaster struck us again. Disasters have been unending this year; it has been very hard on everyone.¡±


    Tang Jingyuan spoke of Daoyuan Village¡¯s misfortune, his head shaking continuously in despair.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you thought of asking an Insect Master from the city to help exterminate the pests?¡±


    Qin Niu felt that with a high-ranking official in the Tang family, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to enlist the help of an Insect Master.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it, the disaster has not only befallen us. More than half of the territories governed by the Black Tiger Gang have been struck by the locust plague, and their numbers are still growing. Even the government offices are at a loss. Each village and town, anyone with connections, has been spending a fortune to hire Insect Masters to help eliminate or drive away the pests. When our Daoyuan Village sought to hire an Insect Master, only some with ordinary abilities were left.


    Some of these apprentice Insect Masters, although they have read a few books, their pest control skills are not even comparable to our experienced old farmers in the clan.


    Even if we hired them, it would be useless, yet we¡¯d end up wasting silver money.¡±


    The Chief Tang nearly shook his head off talking about this matter.


    Daoyuan Village encountered the locust disaster later, and by then it was impossible to hire any powerful Insect Master.

 Chapter 142 - 142Chapter 137: Forming a Good Connection (Part 1)

    142Chapter 137: Forming a Good Connection (Part 1)


    Translator: 549690339              ¡®


    ¡°Master Qin came up with the idea of using ducks to combat the locusts, which is excellent. However, the chickens and ducks raised in our village are limited; even when combined, there are only a few hundred, which is utterly insufficient against the massive swarms of locusts. If possible, we would like to rent or purchase Master Qin¡¯s flock of ducks. As long as our Daoyuan Village stops this locust plague, it would essentially cut off the locusts¡¯ path into Shuangfeng Village, and your village would no longer need the ducks.¡±


    Tang Jingyuan had clearly done his homework before coming.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t ducks available for purchase everywhere? Chief Tang doesn¡¯t need to buy mine, right?¡±


    This was Qin Niu deliberately probing.


    Because they had started purchasing ducks early, the supply was plentiful and the price was very low at the time.


    The three thousand ducks they had acquired fed well these past few days on the nutritious locusts, growing rapidly day by day.


    Now that Shuangfeng Village¡¯s locust problem was almost under control, it was time to move the flock of ducks elsewhere to find food.


    However, since they were still only half-grown, it would be difficult to sell them at a high price.


    Qin Niu was in no hurry to sell.


    Renting them out to earn provisions and silver money was quite suitable.


    ¡°Alt, don¡¯t even mention it! Our village lacks a wise person like Master Qin. Only after seeing you bring back so many ducks did we reluctantly gather the village¡¯s chickens and ducks to combat the locusts, to little effect. As a result, no one is willing to spend a large amount of silver money to buy ducks.


    A few days later, upon witnessing your success in using a large number of ducks to stop the locusts and effectively putting an end to the plague, we belatedly thought of following suit. But by then, it was too late to act.¡±


    Pingshui is well-known for its ducks.


    Located in a lake region with flat terrain and abundant water sources, many locals raise hundreds or even thousands of ducks.


    Yet, when we sent someone yesterday at full speed, not a single duck or even a goose was available for purchase.


    They had all been bought out.


    After asking several large breeders, they all said it would be at least over a month before ducklings were available for sale. As for half-grown ducks, it would be at least three months later.¡±


    Chief Tang felt that, due to outdated concepts and insufficient wisdom, he was lagging behind others in this matter.


    This was a great loss.


    And very frustrating.


    ¡°I deeply sympathize with Daoyuan Village¡¯s plight and understand your current difficulty. I hadn¡¯t planned to sell this batch of ducks; they were originally purchased to help Shuangfeng Village eliminate the locust disaster My connection with Tang Family from Daoyuan Village is quite significant, as the Tang brothers built this house for me, and I am well acquainted with the Tang Bin siblings. Since you¡¯ve come to me for help, it¡¯s only right that I lend a hand.


    I m willing to rent these three thousand ducks to Daoyuan Village.


    Qin Niu was indeed happy to help Daoyuan Village.


    If Daoyuan Village¡¯s locust plague didn¡¯t stop, Shuangfeng Village would never have peace.


    A fire at the city gates indeed spells disaster for the fish in the moat.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you! I really appreciate it, Master Qin! How exactly will the ducks be rented?¡±


    Chief Tang was very pleased to hear Qin Niu was willing to rent the ducks to Daoyuan Village.


    With such a large duck army, they would undoubtedly be a formidable weapon against the locusts.


    ¡°Well¡­ this¡­¡±


    Qin Niu hesitated, slightly struggling to make an excessive demand given the situation.


    ¡°Master Qin is kind to rent the ducks to Daoyuan Village, so whatever the charge should be, just name it without any reservations,¡± Tang Jingyuan said. ¡°Ten ducks rented out for one day at the cost of one Wen Money, does that seem fair to you, Chief Tang?¡±


    Qin Niu gave his price.


    This was also considering the relationships with Tang Caixian and the Tang brothers.


    After all, one inevitably cannot escape the nuances of personal relationships. That¡¯s totally acceptable. Thank you for your consideration, Master Qin.¡±


    Tang Jingyuan was also worried about Qin Niu demanding a high price.


    The price Qin Niu quoted was not high at all.


    The daily rental for three thousand ducks came to three hundred Wen Money. In normal times, surely no one would rent them, but in this crisis, even if the rental were one tael of silver money per day, people would still rent them.


    ¡°Since Chief Tang agrees, I will clarify some matters in advance to protect both our interests.¡±


    ¡°Please speak, Master Qin!¡±


    The ducks are being rented to you, but I reserve the right to take them back at any time. Of course, before doing so, I will certainly notify you in advance to discuss it properly. However, I must make it clear that I have the right to reclaim them whenever I wish. Similarly, you also have the right to return them at anytime.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Tang Jingyuan nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Second, if you¡¯re renting the ducks, you must take good care of them. If they die or get lost, compensation will be required at their current market rate, which changes daily and can only be calculated based on the prices of that day.¡± ¡°Completely reasonable.¡±


    ¡°Those are my only two conditions; nothing more. You can send someone to take the ducks away right now.¡±


    Qin Niu had only laid out the most basic terms.


    ¡°Tang Bin, go back to the village immediately and bring some people with cages to fetch the ducks.¡± Tang Jingyuan, an old fox, didn¡¯t ask Tang Caixian to leave.


    He knew very well that the smooth progress of their negotiation with Qin Niu owed a great deal to Tang Caixian¡¯s presence.


    She didn¡¯t need to say anything; her mere presence beside him naturally earned a few favors from him.


    ¡°Master Qin, here¡¯s a modest gift from me; I would like to ask for your guidance on how best to utilize these three thousand ducks.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for money; consider it a good deed between our villages. I¡¯ve observed the terrain of your village; the locusts are sweeping in from the north, and Daoyuan Village is shaped like a long pocket. There¡¯s a mountain pass where it borders Shanghe Village, with a river to the right, following the mountain, and farmland and a road to the left. Locusts are afraid of water, so they won¡¯t cross the river.


    Creating a buffer zone similar to what we have in Shuangfeng Village at that location should be very effective.


    Additionally, you have a great advantage as you can divert river water to flood the fields at the entrance of the village, turning them into a vast expanse of water. However, you¡¯ll need to leave a patch of land in the middle for the locusts to land on.


    Ducks are agile in the water and will be more efficient at catching locusts.


    Flooding some low-lying areas to divert water will also help to effectively reduce the width of the ducks¡¯ defense line.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke at length, and his strategy earned great admiration from Chief Tang.


    This young man was extraordinary.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Qin, for your advice! If our Daoyuan Village manages to halt the locust plague, we surely won¡¯t forget your kindness.¡±


    Chief Tang expressed his gratitude with a bow.


    You¡¯re too kind,¡± Qin Niu said, waving his hand indifferently.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb you any longer, Master Qin. I take my leave!¡±


    Having achieved his mission, Tang Jingyuan rose to say goodbye.


    However, Tang Caixian remained seated.


    ¡°Cai Xian, it¡¯s rare for you to visit; it¡¯s good for you to talk more with Master Qin. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± The seasoned chief, noticing she didn¡¯t rise to leave with him, understood her intentions perfectly.


    He would, in fact, be very pleased if Tang Caixian and Qin Niu could start a romantic story of their own.


    ¡± I¡¯H g¡ã back t0 the villa¡êe with mY brother later; you go ahead with your tasks Chief!¡±


    After sending off Chief Tang, her sparkling eyes turned to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Master Qin, I¡¯ve missed you in the days we haven¡¯t seen each other. But knowing that your status has changed from before, I didn¡¯t dare to come and disturb you.¡±


    ¡°In the eyes of others, my status might have changed, but Miss Cai Xian is no ordinary person. Why care about such empty titles? You¡¯re welcome to visit often if you¡¯d like. I¡¯m usually quite busy and rarely at home, but Xiao Qing is always here.¡±


    Qin Niu replied to her with a friendly demeanor.


    Heh, you¡¯re still the same young man I set my sights on back then. When your new residence is ready, I¡¯ll bring some flowers and plants over to help add to its charm!¡±


    She turned her gaze towards Xiao Qing, who was busy outside.


    But she said nothing more.


    By the way, what do you think about the matter I mentioned last time?¡±


    She was referring to the matter of her proposal.


    ¡°I won¡¯t consider entering into a marriage!¡±


    When Qin Niu had said this before, the Tang Family might have thought it was just his impoverished arrogance.


    But saying it now was entirely different.


    It was an assertion of absolute strength.


    ¡°I could marry into your family instead!¡±


    Her face blushed, and she said with her head lowered.


    ¡°Miss Cai Xian, if I speak harshly, please don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Qin Niu said, looking at her solemnly.


    Her lovely face turned somewhat pale, anticipating Qin Niu¡¯s possible rejection.


    At that moment, she felt humiliated and crestfallen.

 Chapter 143 - 143Chapter 138 Three Wives and Four Concubines i

    143Chapter 138 Three Wives and Four Concubines i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°This is the second time I have met you. When I saw you standing outside the yuemen just now, my heart was pleased, which shows that I don¡¯t dislike you. Moreover, you are a particularly brave girl, especially brave for love, something that ordinary girls cannot achieve, and that has made me look at you differently. However, you have not yet understood me. Marriage is a lifetime shared by two people, the more understanding beforehand, the less you will regret it in the future.¡±


    Qin Niu decided to have an honest talk with her.


    He couldn¡¯t lead her on, otherwise he would be wronging her and making her miss the best years to get married, a sin too grave to bear.


    Her face regained its rosy glow upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s words.


    Her expression also became more normal.


    She lifted her head to meet Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Then do you like me?¡±


    ¡°I like both your appearance and your personality, and I feel very comfortable with you. However, I believe there is a difference between liking someone and being in love.¡±


    ¡°What kind of life does Master Qin wish to lead? Could you share it with Cai Xian?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Qin Niu nodded. ¡°I aspire to pursue this idle and free pastoral life, to marry, have children, farm the land, keep pets, and live with my family forever. There is just one point where you don¡¯t meet my criteria for a spouse.¡±


    Ever since he was young, Qin Niu had yearned for a tranquil and peaceful rural life.


    Unconstrained.


    No need to engage in scheming or fighting with others.


    To live peacefully in a quiet corner of the world, cultivating and farming with a loved one, and raising pets.


    He could also have a few cute children.


    ¡°Which point don¡¯t I meet?¡±


    She asked with a forced smile.


    ¡°Life is short, as ephemeral as autumn grass. Our lifespans are truly fleeting. I want to extend my life through cultivation, in hopes of one day sharing eternity with my loved one, always together. If you only want to be an ordinary person, your lifespan will be at most sixty or seventy years. I¡¯m afraid I would feel immense pain to fall in love with you, only to watch you gradually grow old and leave. Having experienced the pain of a loved one¡¯s departure once, I don¡¯t wish to go through it a second time in my life.¡±


    He was referring to Old Man Liu¡¯s death.


    That time, he had felt pain as if his heart was being sliced with knives.


    In the end, he was so overwhelmed with grief that he became numb, and it took him a very long time to recover from the pain.


    Even now, whenever he thought of Old Man Liu, his heart would still ache.


    His memories were filled with all the moments he had spent with Old Man Liu.


    ¡°You want me to cultivate, right?¡±


    She showed a contemplative expression after listening, with a touch of tenderness.


    Because when she saw Qin Niu¡¯s pained expression, she really wanted to comfort him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I want you to cultivate, but rather I hope the partner I choose can live longer than ordinary people,¡± Qin Niu corrected her.


    ¡°Then how far must I cultivate before I¡¯m worthy to join hands with you for life?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a fixed amount. At least beyond the tenfold of ordinary people,¡± Qin Niu thought for a moment and said earnestly.


    ¡°Understood. The next time I come to see you, I hope to reach the level you mentioned,¡± Tang Caixian said, showing no sign of giving up.


    On the contrary, determination and resolve were visible in her eyes.


    This girl, so infatuated with love, truly incomprehensible which aspect of Qin Niu appealed so much to her to the point of ¡®marrying none but him¡¯.


    ¡°Wait, there is something more I want to clarify. I shouldn¡¯t wait until you have made an effort to tell you,¡± Qin Niu called out to her.


    ¡°Speak,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡­ in fact, before getting to knowyou, I had a certain affection with my neighbor, Wang Wanyan. She took good care of me when I was down and out. I still don¡¯t know how she feels now. If she is willing to marry me, I think I would not refuse her. There can only be one true wife, and if you insist on marrying me, you must be prepared to share a husband with another woman and be the junior wife.


    ¡°With your merits, marrying a young master in much better standing than myself would not be an issue at all, you¡­¡±


    Before Qin Niu could finish, she interrupted him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve long been aware of your relationship with Miss Wang, and I don¡¯t mind it at all. I have also admired her for a long time, and if I have the chance to become sisters with her and attend to you together, I am perfectly fine with that. The fact that you¡¯re willing to tell me these things shows that you are extremely honest with me,¡± she said.


    Perhaps having been brought up among the singing and dancing courtesans of the city since childhood, she did not object to the idea of a man having multiple wives and concubines.


    But she could accept it quite naturally.


    This left Qin Niu, who had intended to persuade her to back out, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Miss Cai Xian, this matter concerns your lifelong happiness. You must think it through carefully!¡±


    ¡°Mhm, I am very clear-headed!¡±


    She turned her head and flashed Qin Niu a smile.


    Qin Niu watched her slender figure leave, his face a picture of helplessness.


    ¡°Master, Xiao Nui seems a bit uncomfortable.¡±


    Xiao Qing came over to remind Qin Niu at this time.


    She hadn¡¯t dared to interrupt because there were guests earlier.


    ¡°Let me have a look.¡±


    A thought crossed Qin Niu¡¯s mind; Xiao Nui had eaten Banyan Tree Blood and hadn¡¯t shown any reaction so far.


    Now, nearly an hour later, was there finally a response?


    Approaching the cattle shed, he saw Xiao Nui¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, which was quite frightening.


    Its body was noticeably plumper than just a short while ago.


    At the moment, it was busily butting the wooden fence with its horns.


    ¡°Xiao Nui, do you want to come out?¡±


    Qin Niu immediately opened the door of the cattle shed, letting Xiao Nui out.


    ¡°Moo-!¡±


    It bellowed wildly and galloped outside.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, keep an eye on the house. If I¡¯m not back by evening, don¡¯t come looking for me.¡±


    After giving these instructions and without waiting for Xiao Qing to respond, Qin Niu hastily chased after Xiao Nui.


    It ran along the village path towards the mountains.


    It felt as if it were a crazed bull that had lost all sense, drunk on alcohol.


    Along the way, it charged at any pedestrians it encountered.


    This caused villagers to hastily dodge out of the way.


    ¡°My apologies!¡±


    Qin Niu could only apologize to the frightened villagers in Xiao Nui¡¯s wake.


    The villagers were all curious about what could be wrong with the young ox raised by Master Qin.


    Qin Niu followed it into the depths of the mountains.


    At this moment, it was running blindly on instinct, hoping to alleviate the pain in its body.


    Banyan Tree Blood must contain terrifyingly potent energy.


    Before long, the man and the ox ventured deep into the mountains.


    Xiao Nui, in its state of confusion, caused a commotion near the familiar Ant Nest, and then headed towards the area where the beehive was located.


    Seeing this, Qin Niu, worried Xiao Nui might run into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, hurriedly took Fourth to follow.


    ¡°Xiao Nui, come back!¡±


    The usually obedient Xiao Nui, now completely ignored his master¡¯s commands.


    In its frenzy, it indeed charged straight into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    Almost every creature that enters this area is easily trapped.


    Luckily, Qin Niu now had the ability to come and go freely within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, so he wasn¡¯t too alarmed.


    He followed it in.


    Perhaps it was good for Xiao Nui to expend the savage energy inside of it within the maze.


    Letting it run wild in the mountains also posed the risk that it might continue deeper into the forest, potentially arousing some dreadful entities, which would be troublesome.


    Although Qin Niu¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t weak by ordinary human standards,


    should he encounter any formidable beings in the mountains, he could be instantly killed.

 Chapter 144 - 144 Chapter 139 Demon Ant 1

    144 Chapter 139 Demon Ant 1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Upon entering the range of the great banyan tree, Xiao Niu continued to dash around uncontrollably.


    But it couldn¡¯t get out anymore.


    It could only run amok inside, like hitting a ghost wall, always returning to the same spot.


    Qin Niu sat under the banyan tree watching, and didn¡¯t intervene.


    At this moment, Xiao Niu needed to vent frantically. Once it exhausted the energy within its body, it would be able to return to normal.


    After termite, bees, and little turtles consumed the Banyan Tree Blood, they all lay motionless, yet Xiao Niu could still run wildly, which showed its exceptional nature.


    After watching for a while and seeing that it wasn¡¯t in any danger, Qin Niu closed his eyes to cultivate.


    His cultivation was shallow, and to pursue immortality, he had to seize every opportunity to enhance his cultivation level.


    Compared to those with gifted fortunes and talents, he could only narrow the gap between them with diligence and wisdom.


    Time slowly passed, and Xiao Niu kept roaring, tireless in its running beneath the banyan tree.


    It seemed frightening, but in fact, it was safe.


    The violent energy could be vented, and with something to consume, it could avoid the fate of exploding and dying.


    It wasn¡¯t until near dusk that Qin Niu opened his eyes from cultivation.


    His Medicine King Sutra cultivation had risen by one level, reaching the Sixfold level of a mortal.


    Meanwhile, his Everlasting Spring Technique had broken through to the Ninefold level of a mortal.


    Even without any background connections, he could join the Black Armored Army on merit alone, becoming a candidate soldier.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t have any immediate intention of joining the Black Armored Army.


    Accustomed to idleness, he really didn¡¯t want to be restrained by others.


    For someone as proud to the core as him, he wasn¡¯t born to be a slave or servant. To bend the knee and fawn over others was simply beyond him.


    There were many benefits to joining the Black Armored Army, but they could be summarized into three main points.


    First, having a soldier¡¯s identity was akin to holding an official rank, entering into the privileged class. Upon retirement, one could enjoy certain benefits, such as exemption from a certain amount of taxes, minor transgressions being pardoned, and exemption from kneeling before officials, and so on.


    Second, one could exchange military achievements for cultivation techniques and martial skills, and there was also a chance to obtain elixirs as rewards.


    Third, there were opportunities for advancement within the army. One could even reach the upper echelons of the Black Tiger Gang.


    For example, the deputy gang leader Bai, who joined the army with the lowest grade Barbarian Bull Technique, was a typical representative of this.


    Qin Niu already had the status of a noble.


    An Insect Master¡¯s position was not low.


    Moreover, as long as he could improve his strength, he could also advance higher up.


    As for cultivation techniques and martial skills, he could earn money to buy them himself.


    Therefore, joining the Black Armored Army held no attraction for him.


    In case of war, there was even a chance of becoming cannon fodder.


    No joke. Someone like Wang Yue, a reserve soldier for the Black Armored Army, might appear imposing in the village, but in the army, his status was quite low. In the event of conflict, he was likely to be sent to charge into battle.


    With his low cultivation level, clashing with the enemy¡¯s experts, the chances of survival were slim.


    Now that Qin Niu¡¯s Medicine King Sutra cultivation had reached the Sixfold level of a mortal, he had a clearer sense of the medicinal energy, the energy contained within plants, and the nature of that energy.


    He could even sense the circulation of energy within the plants.


    This was greatly beneficial for his understanding of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s cultivation methods.


    Because the primary cultivation methods of the Everlasting Spring Technique involved imitating plant cultivation.


    Currently, he had only grasped two kinds: one was imitating plants absorbing the Moonlight Power. The other was imitating plants absorbing the moisture in the rainwater.


    In the future, he was sure to comprehend even more cultivation methods.


    He stood up, looking around for Xiao Niu.


    After some effort, he finally found it.


    The creature¡¯s strength was depleted, and it lay powerless on the ground. The plants around it were in disarray, a large swathe had collapsed.


    It must have been rolling on the ground.


    The ground was a mess.


    ¡°Can you get up and walk?¡± Qin Niu asked, patting it.


    Xiao Niu opened its eyes feebly, its body lax like it had come apart, unmoving.


    From the looks of it, clearly, it couldn¡¯t walk.


    Fortunately, Qin Niu now possessed the Ninefold strength of a mortal, over nine hundred jin. He grabbed Xiao Niu by its two front legs, hoisted it onto his back, and then carried it out.


    It was completely out of strength, allowing Qin Niu to carry it. Its hind legs dangled helplessly, dragging along the ground as they moved.


    As they passed the Ant Nest, he put down Xiao Niu and returned Fourth to the nest.


    ¡°While it¡¯s still not dark, I¡¯ve got to cultivate the one hundred new termite that emerged today.¡±


    Previously, he was too busy chasing Xiao Niu to care about this.


    He summoned today¡¯s newly emerged termites and those that required secondary cultivation.


    He took out two small jars hidden under the tree.


    One contained Banyan Tree Blood, and the other had ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood.


    ¡°Eh, this winged fellow looks like a Breeder Ant, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Qin Niu observed closely and found among the ant colony a relatively small, pale green termite with wings.


    It looked unremarkable.


    But upon closer inspection, he realized this termite was the breeder ant he had cultivated a few days ago.


    It had finally completed its evolution.


    It seemed that the evolution time of the breeder ant far exceeded that of a regular termite.


    Female Mutated Milky Termite (Breeder Ant)


    Level: Grade Two Isoptera, leveling experience 4/1000


    Lifespan: 70 years


    Energy: 171


    Skill: Breeding First Order 0/10


    Talent: Can breed Grade Two strong termites and Grade Two poisonous ants, with a very low probability of breeding Grade Two demon ants.


    Looking at this newly evolved breeder ant, Qin Niu felt joy, but more than that, he was deep in thought.


    Without a doubt, this breeder ant had inherited some of the Ant Queen¡¯s special abilities.


    It could produce special strong termites and poisonous ants that were Grade Two right from birth.


    This was related to its own level.


    If nothing unexpected happened, after it mated and laid eggs, it would automatically advance to a Grade Three termite.


    What excited Qin Niu most was its very low probability to breed Grade Two demon ants.


    He felt this was definitely a very special and badass ant species.


    The Fourth, born from the Ant Queen, was now a Grade Three War Demon Ant.


    He wondered if the demon ants bred by this breeder ant would be of the same species as the Fourth.


    If they were the same species, then it meant that the Ant Queen also had the ability to breed demon ants.


    He had not yet made up his mind to use the Banyan Tree Blood to cultivate the Ant Queen.


    But now, he was eager to help the Ant Queen level up.


    Because if the Ant Queen could advance to Grade Three, the weakest termites it produced would be Grade Two.


    There were still many aspects worth exploring.


    This breeder ant could be commanded by Qin Niu, but could its offspring also be under his control?


    The Green Demon Bee Rearing Technique mentioned that kinship doesn¡¯t extend beyond three generations.


    Although it wasn¡¯t explained in detail, one could infer that this contract power might be somewhat similar to blood relations.


    Within three generations, one is within direct lineage, and by the time it reaches grandchildren, the connection is typically not as close.


    As for great-grandchildren or even further removed relations, the bond becomes even more tenuous.


    Many things can only be known after one has personally experienced them. After Qin Niu finished cultivating all the termites, he summoned the Ant Queen. Its body had become even more bloated, resembling a wriggling white grub, especially around the abdomen, which had grown long and wide.


    ¡°Master, are you ready to make me as strong as them? I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a long time.¡±


    The Ant Queen actually took the initiative to speak to Qin Niu.


    Its intelligence seemed to have improved!


    And its determination was very strong.


    The Fourth, seeing other termites become incredibly strong one after another, eventually couldn¡¯t resist pleading with Qin Niu to make it stronger.


    But the Ant Queen had been quietly waiting.


    It wanted to become strong, yet it also had a deep understanding of its master.


    It knew the master would definitely not forget it.


    ¡°Although you¡¯re just an insect, you understand me well. Now that you¡¯re prepared, let¡¯s start!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t waste words.


    He even felt too lazy to mention the risks.


    The Ant Queen was linked to his soul; if it died, Qin Niu would suffer great harm.


    ¡°Fourth, you will feed the Ant Queen.¡±


    Qin Niu summoned his most capable subordinate.


    After many appraisals and assessments of the Ant Queen, he finally concocted the appropriate dosage of Banyan Tree Blood for the Fourth to feed to the Ant Queen.


    The Fourth had eaten Banyan Tree Blood once before, but now, eating it again, it showed no reaction at all.


    This stuff seemed to be effective only the first time it was consumed.


    Soon, the feeding of the Ant Queen was completed.


    Qin Niu patiently waited. A force of powerful soldier ants stood guard around the Ant Queen.


    At this moment, if that nest of black smelly ants dared to come half a step closer, they would be instantly eradicated without a trace left.


    Currently, with over thirty Grade Three termites and thousands of Grade Two termites, the ant colony already possessed non-negligible strength in the outskirts of the forest.


    Let alone ants, even insects known as killers like the Golden Ringed Wasp and the praying mantis, or even snakes and rodents that were powerful enemies, the ant colony could easily slaughter them.


    There were two new breeder ants today, and Qin Niu had already cultivated them.


    Both successfully endured the life-or-death challenge.


    This also indicated that his proficiency in using Banyan Tree Blood to cultivate termites had become extremely high.


    The current survival rate had reached over 99%.


    Mass cultivating regular worker and soldier ants was about quantity; a slightly higher mortality rate was normal for such non-detailed cultivation.

 Chapter 145 - 145Chapter 140 Pig King_i

    145Chapter 140 Pig King_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    After consuming the Banyan Tree Blood, Qin Niu felt an unprecedented level of nervousness.


    This was the first pet he had successfully nurtured, and also the one that helped him change his fate.


    Without this nest of termites, he could never become an Insect Master, let alone enter the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He would not have survived.


    Trapped beneath the banyan tree in the beginning, he had tried every possible method but had failed to break out.


    In the end, it was the spiritual connection he established with the Ant Queen that allowed him to beg for its help.


    It led the ant swarm through numerous obstacles and finally managed to rescue Qin Niu.


    In terms of affection, he held deep feelings for this nest of termites.


    Especially Fourth and the Ant Queen, whom he regarded as dear as his own heart.


    The Banyan Tree Blood that the Ant Queen consumed was slowly taking effect, and its body was undergoing changes.


    Its plump, white body gradually took on a faint green color.


    The body continued to swell and grow larger.


    Based on experience, as long as the body stopped swelling and stabilized, it would have survived the life-and-death threshold.


    As time went by, the sky began to darken.


    In the sky, the moon shone brightly with sparse stars.


    Xiao Niu lay on the ground, ¡®drunk as a lord1.


    Qin Niu was now fearless due to his prowess, and he was not afraid in the shallow areas of the mountains.


    On the contrary, he was looking forward to predators coming to seek their doom.


    With the Treasured Sword and his increasingly powerful Slash Martial Skill, his favorite thing to do now was ¡°fishing law enforcement.¡±


    He used himself as bait to lure those powerful carnivorous animals to hunt him. The Ant Queen¡¯s body swelled to a certain extent and then began to lay eggs. It was truly a bit of a laughable situation.


    The Queen Bee last time had even defecated due to the swelling; the Ant Queen was even more peculiar, directly expelling the offspring from its belly.


    Every time it laid an egg, a worker ant would transport the egg back to the nest. They were certainly moving them into the nursery room.


    The Ant Nest today might have been dug even more complexly than a maze.


    After all, both the Ant Queen and Fourth possessed considerable intelligence.


    Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows; they surely would have made the Ant Nest complicated and concealed.


    At crucial moments, it could save lives.


    Qin Niu stood by the Ant Nest, waiting patiently.


    The Ant Queen enjoyed much better treatment than Xiao Niu. Fortunately, Xiao Niu was out of it now, or it might have been envious of the Ant Queen.


    At that moment, Qin Niu heard the sounds of panting getting closer. Approaching this location.


    With some hunting experience, he immediately recognized that it might be wild boars coming.


    He remained silent immediately, waiting for the wild boars to appear. Listening to the sound, there was definitely more than one wild boar.


    Recently, with the hot weather, lush vegetation, wild boars wouldn¡¯t come out much during the day but began to move around in the forests at dusk.


    At this moment, they roamed the mountains like patrolling emissaries, searching everywhere for delicious food.


    Rotten meat and the roots and tubers of plants were their favorites.


    If there really wasn¡¯t much to eat, they would even dare to eat mice and poisonous snakes.


    ¡°One, two, three¡­¡±


    Qin Niu silently counted the wild boars entering his field of vision, illuminated by the moonlight.


    There were already more than thirty, of various sizes.


    The smallest wild boar was only the size of a rabbit, following behind the larger boars, learning the skills of foraging and survival.


    Just as his domestic supply of wild boar was running low, Qin Niu¡¯s heart surged with excitement; today was a day for profit.


    By killing one or two large wild boars, he and Xiao Qing would not have to worry about meat for the next month.


    For primary cultivators like them, they must supplement their diet with blood- rich food.


    The energy and nutrients contained in wild game were richer, making them one of the ideal food sources for cultivators.


    ¡°What a large troop of wild boars, there must be more than a hundred of them.¡±


    Qin Niu, watching the continuously appearing wild boars, truly understood the abundance of resources in the mountains.


    ¡°My God, what is that? The Pig King?¡±


    He saw an exceptionally huge wild boar among them, surrounded by five or six equally fierce-looking large wild boars.


    They were like loyal guards, firmly protecting the Pig King by its side.


    This formation, this aura, was like an emperor on an inspection tour, undoubtedly the Pig King.


    Qin Niu carefully observed the Pig King and saw that its tusks were particularly sharp and long, like two fearsome curved swords. Even if it encountered lions or tigers, it would have the strength to fight.


    Its coat was a deep brown color, faintly exuding a dark, bronze sheen.


    Qin Niu remembered the owner of the Armor Shop telling him that Pig King hide was premium material for making armor. Firm, lightweight, and somewhat flexible. They would constantly rub against pine trees, allowing the resin to seep into their skin as if they were wearing a special suit of armor.


    ¡°Today, I will slaughter this Wild Boar King.¡±


    He believed that the meat and blood of the Wild Boar King should be even more nourishing than that of ordinary wild boars.


    Without any superfluous words, when the Wild Boar King passed by nearby, Qin Niu shot forth like an arrow released from its bow, charging directly at it.


    He didn¡¯t rush to show his weapon because he worried it would scare the Wild Boar King away.


    Sensing the abnormality, the Wild Boar King looked over warily with its muscles tensed, ready to flee for its life at any moment.


    A few Pig Guards that were protecting the Wild Boar King were ferociously confronting Qin Niu.


    Wanting to kill the Wild Boar King really wasn¡¯t an easy task.


    The two Cultivation Techniques he practiced were not suitable for combat, which made his actual fighting strength far lower than that of a Ninefold ¡¯ commoner.


    Facing these powerful wild boars, he dared not be careless.


    A moment of inattention, and it might be him eaten by the boars, instead of him eating pork.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    He targeted a big pig, and directly slashed at its neck with his sword.


    Although last time he had bought books on basic Blade Techniques, with such a short time to practice, it was not easy to achieve any significant results.


    Basic Blade Technique consisted of eleven forms.


    Flutter, chop, slash, sweep, and so on.


    Currently, the only Blade Technique he had mastered was the Slash Martial Skill.


    Pff!


    A slash to the wild boar¡¯s neck, it¡¯s half neck was cut open, with blood splattering everywhere.


    The Treasured Sword, having tasted blood, seemed extremely excited.


    A soft humming sound could faintly be heard from it.


    This wild boar must have weighed over four hundred pounds, a veritable giant Pig-


    With Qin Niu¡¯s current cultivation, plus the Slash Martial Skill and the Treasured Sword, the fact that he didn¡¯t manage to sever its neck in one strike, cutting only a large part of it, showed that the boar¡¯s hide was incredibly tough.


    Its muscles were also very solid.


    Under pain, the boar would instinctively contract its muscles, which increased the resistance against the sword¡¯s slash.


    ¡°Augh¡­¡±


    The wild boar let out a piercing squeal, like that of a pig being butchered.


    After landing a hit, Qin Niu paid it no heed. He swiftly pulled out his sword and charged through the breach in the defense to his actual target.


    His target was clear, going straight for the Wild Boar King.


    Seeing the human killing his way towards it, the Wild Boar King appeared neither panicked nor fearful.


    Like a sovereign used to the tumult of the storm, it remained incredibly composed, its presence extremely powerful.


    ¡°Ho ho!¡±


    It made a series of short, strange calls.


    Seemingly directing the other wild boars to work together against the enemy. The several Pig Guards guarding it quickly turned their heads and then charged towards Qin Niu.


    Cold gleams shot from the Wild Boar King¡¯s eyes as it observed Qin Niu¡¯s reactions, and unlike the other wild boars, it didn¡¯t lower its head to charge at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Look how capable you are!¡±


    Qin Niu, to his irritation, found himself ¡®sized up¡¯ by a pig; naturally, he wouldn¡¯t show any mercy.


    Ignoring the several big wild boars charging from behind, he proceeded, unstoppable in his assault on the Wild Boar King.


    When he was only about four or five meters away from the Wild Boar King, a vicious glint flashed in its eyes.


    Finally, it lowered its head and initiated a charge towards Qin Niu.


    This was to mount a joint attack with the several Pig Guards, planning to crush him to death.


    The Wild Boar King, weighing at the very least seven to eight hundred pounds, had two sharp and long tusks protruding from its long snout, which would be enough to pierce Qin Niu¡¯s body through and send him flying to the sky if it managed to gore him with just one thrust.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Without any fancy moves, it was another slash.


    Brilliant Blade Qi burst forth from the blade, its ear-piercing howl echoing like the wails of ghosts in the dead of night.


    Bang!


    A slash landed on the Wild Boar King¡¯s head.


    Its tusks blocked the blow.


    Bang!


    Hitting its tusks, Qin Niu¡¯s hand protested with pain.


    The rebound force was substantial.


    A crack could be seen where the boar¡¯s tusk was struck by the blade.


    In pain, the Wild Boar King grunted and squealed.


    As the malevolent wind of the charging Pig Guards reached him from behind, swerving to the left or right would surely result in him being catapulted into flie sky. The Pig Guards might not be as strong as the Wild Boar King, but they were more than capable of severely wounding, or even killing, Qin Niu.


    In the face of danger, he was well-prepared.

 Chapter 146 - 146Chapter 141 Second Martial Skill i

    146Chapter 141 Second Martial Skill i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    He vaulted onto the back of the Pig King with a leap.


    Since he was charging head-on at the Pig King, he ended up riding backwards on its back.


    The Pig King stood only as tall as his chest, but its body length was close to ten feet, at least eight or nine feet long. Broad as a door.


    Once he mounted its back, the beast immediately tried to bite him, but with such a short neck and limited mobility, it couldn¡¯t reach him at all.


    So, it began to twist its body frantically, trying to throw him off.


    Qin Niu watched as five or six Pig Guards rushed past him. He didn¡¯t hurry to deal with the Pig King. Instead, he clamped his legs tight on the Pig King¡¯s waist and swung his sword at the Pig Guards brushing past the beast.


    [You have comprehended the Sweeping Strike martial skill! This is a Group Killing Martial Skill that can attack enemies in a straight line.]


    Three Pig Guards were struck by his Treasured Sword on their buttocks or waists and ran off screaming in pain. However, after charging some distance away, they quickly turned around to prepare for a second collective charge at the powerful human.


    The injured wild boars became even more ferocious.


    By this time, Qin Niu was free to strike at the Pig King.


    He mercilessly chopped at the left hind leg of the Pig King.


    Puh!


    With one strike, he achieved an Explosive Slash Effect.


    The pig¡¯s leg was almost completely severed, hanging by just a layer of skin.


    Qin Niu dealt with the Black Bear in the same way.


    Facing creatures with four legs, he aimed to render them legless, and they would become subdued.


    During the chop, he distinctly felt the pig¡¯s skin was extremely tough and elastic, like sturdy leather. A portion of the attack rebounded off the blade.


    That made his heart leap with joy.


    The pig¡¯s teeth were hard, and its skin was unexpectedly firm.


    After slaughtering this Pig King, at least a full set of superior leather armor could be crafted. Given its enormous size, the excess hide could even be used to make a set for Xiao Qing as well.


    When one of the Pig King¡¯s legs was cut-off, half of its body immediately collapsed.


    It let out a painful pig scream.


    Taking advantage of its agony and inability to thrash or jump around, Qin Niu quickly shifted his position.


    Now, he was properly seated atop the Pig King.


    The beast¡¯s head, neck, front limbs, and heart were all within his striking range.


    Faced with such an opportunity, he showed no mercy.


    He thrust his sword directly and fiercely towards the Pig King¡¯s heart.


    To his surprise, it barely pierced about half an inch.


    He encountered strong resistance.


    Even though it was a difficult spot to strike, with his level of skill, combined with the power of the Treasured Sword, he should have been able to impale it through.


    ¡°Such tough skin, an absolute treasure!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s unsuccessful strike actually made him even happier.


    However, the last strike pained the wild pig so much that it cried out like it was being slaughtered. It turned its head trying to bite at him.


    Maimed on its left hind leg and unable to support its weight, it sat down on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sever another one of your limbs!¡±


    As the words fell, so did the sword.


    A flash of cold light streaked through the air as the Treasured Sword, trailed by dazzling Blade Qi, struck the Pig King¡¯s right front leg.


    No other reason than that it just felt more natural to do so.


    Almost everyone¡¯s right hand is stronger and more agile than their left.


    Puh!


    ¡°Ao¡­¡±


    The Pig King let out another pitiful cry.


    Its right front limb was severed, causing it to completely lose its balance and collapse to the ground.


    At that point, it sensed death and overwhelming fear.


    It struggled to push off the ground with its long snout in an attempt to stand up.


    But Qin Niu did not give it any chance to live.


    Another ruthless chop targeted its neck.


    The pig¡¯s skin was so tough that the sword only cut an inch or so deep.


    It might have been an illusion, but there seemed to be a faint dark yellow glow emanating from the place where the blade struck its neck.


    Qin Niu had long anticipated that it would not be killed with a single blow.


    He withdrew the sword quickly, shifting his stance, then savagely struck again. The entire slaughter of the Pig King was as swift as lightning, as fierce as a tiger.


    The second strike landed precisely where the first had hit.


    And it triggered the Explosive Slash Effect again.


    With the Treasured Sword growing stronger, the chance for Explosive Slash seemed to have increased slightly.


    Crack!


    The neck was cleanly severed, including the entire spine, snapped in two.


    Blood spurted, the beast could no longer make a sound.


    It might have been because the nerves had been severed.


    Qin Niu was like a killing god, his gaze fixed on the Pig Guards charging towards him.


    All these were indeed silver money, and he did not mind slaughtering a few more.


    To his surprise, as soon as the Pig King fell, they immediately turned tail and scattered. It was truly a case of ¡°when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.¡±


    It was good that they ran.


    He lay on the ground, drinking the Pig King¡¯s blood in large gulps. It was somewhat sweet and fishy, with a hint of saltiness.


    It was chiefly because drinking the blood of that old wolf for the first time had brought him tremendous benefits.


    That had made him particularly fond of beast blood.


    After he had his fill, he quickly ran back to the camphor tree where the Ant Nest was, dug out an empty jar, and collected some pig blood.


    This was from a Pig King, after all; its beast blood couldn¡¯t be too bad.


    He planned to use it to nurture the bees and termites.


    He felt that nurturing the Queen Bee was much more difficult.


    Termites were not picky eaters, they could eat almost anything, and their conversion effect was also very good.


    Feeding them bear blood in the beginning and nurturing the powerful Worker and Soldier Ants, to this day, still amazed Qin Niu.


    The fresh blood of the Pig King had almost stopped flowing.


    Qin Niu, holding the jar, returned to the entrance of the Ant Nest, only to find the Ant Queen had already survived the most difficult hurdle.


    She must have laid quite a few eggs, which saved her from bursting and dying.


    Her survival also allowed Qin Niu, her master, to heave a sigh of relief.


    Although he had great confidence when nurturing the Ant Queen, he still feared something might go wrong.


    Fortunately, the most difficult hurdle was finally overcome.


    ¡± Fourth, summon all the Worker Ants.¡±


    He called out Fourth and the other Worker Ants and fed them some of the Pig King¡¯s blood.


    He did not expect these mature Worker Ants to evolve, but after eating it, they would definitely feed the young ants.


    This could potentially cause the young ants to mutate or evolve.


    Unfortunately, the Ant Queen could not be fed for the time being.


    In his eyes, the ultimate goal of nurturing all the termites was to strengthen the Ant Queen.


    By nurturing other termites, he could gain experience in cultivation.


    And he could afford a lower cost of trial and error.


    Like with nurturing the Ant Queen this time, he first experimented with various termites to ensure safety, yet he was still worried.


    Only after experimenting with the Queen Bee and then with a Breeder Ant, and succeeding with both, did he decide to nurture the Ant Queen.


    It seemed casual, but he was actually extremely cautious and careful at every step.


    Qin Niu instructed Fourth and the rest of the Worker Ants to carefully transport the Ant Queen back to the depths of the nest. He also reminded Fourth to strengthen the defense in the next few days, until the Ant Queen completed her evolution.


    After taking care of the termite matters, Qin Niu looked at Xiao Nui, who was still sound asleep, and the two wild pigs that had been slaughtered.


    The Pig King probably weighed over eight hundred jin, while the large wild pig weighed more than four hundred jin.


    Transporting these two huge fattened pigs and a small water buffalo back home in one trip was nearly impossible.


    Qin Niu made a decision.


    He would drag them in turns.


    First, he carried the immobile Xiao Nui, and then he dragged the four- hundred-jin wild pig forward.


    After covering some distance, he¡¯d set them down and go back for the Pig King.


    So, step by step, he made his way out of the mountains.


    Because he had specifically told Xiao Qing not to enter the mountain to look for him before leaving, he did not see her looking for her master this time.


    Qin Niu was somewhat relieved.


    Children act on impulse without considering the consequences, which could easily lead to danger.


    Although she now had the cultivation of a mortal at the Twofold peak and was about to break through to Threefold, her strength was still weak.


    In the sky, the moon was bright amidst sparse stars.


    The village was tranquil.


    Qin Niu could see a light flickering in front of Xie Laizi¡¯s house from afar.


    As he got closer, the light beamed towards him.


    ¡°Is that the master?¡±


    Xiao Qing¡¯s youthful voice carried a tinge of nervousness and anticipation.


    ¡°It¡¯s me! Xiao Qing!¡±


    Qin Niu felt a warm glow in his heart, the feeling of being cared for and being missed was truly wonderful.


    On the surface, he seemed to be basking in endless glory, having become the person with the highest status in Shuangfeng Village.


    But he too needed kinship, friendship, and love; he did not relish loneliness and coldness.


    ¡°Master, it really is you! That¡¯s great!¡±


    Hearing that it was indeed his voice, Xiao Qing was overjoyed.


    She dashed towards Qin Niu at full speed.

 Chapter 147 - 147Chapter 142 Beast Core l

    147Chapter 142 Beast Core l


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to come looking for me?¡±


    Qin Niu, however, couldn¡¯t bear to reprimand her.


    ¡°I was worried I¡¯d make you angry, so I didn¡¯t go up the mountain this time. But when it got so late and you still hadn¡¯t returned home, I just couldn¡¯t help but worry. I couldn¡¯t sit still at home, so I brought an oil lamp and waited for you at the foot of the mountain.¡±


    Her response struck a particularly tender spot in the depths of Qin Niu¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Can you carry this little calf on your back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try!¡±


    Xiao Qing¡¯s small frame possessed more strength than that of a full-grown, sturdy man.


    With Cultivation Technique that could reach the peak of the human Twofold realm, even as a child, she could take on ten strong men as if she were playing.


    She could easily lift a person and throw them flying.


    At the human Twofold realm one could lift up to two hundred kilograms with bare hands.


    An adult, strong man, particularly tall and robust, might weigh around one hundred and seventy to eighty kilograms.


    Xiao Qing carried the little water buffalo on her back, not seeming particularly strained.


    Qin Niu dragged two large wild boars back home, and along the way, the villagers looked on with envy.


    Since the pigskin from last time wasn¡¯t worth much, Qin Niu this time only planned to skin the skin of the boar king. The other large wild boar would be scalded to remove its hair, and then its meat would be consumed.


    In the courtyard, he skillfully scalded off the boar¡¯s hair, then opened the carcass.


    Xiao Qing was overjoyed seeing the two big wild boars her master had brought back.


    The little water buffalo had been tossed into the cowshed, where it slept soundly, not moving an inch.


    The little turtle took more than a month to evolve.


    It¡¯s unimown how long it would take for the water buffalo to evolve.


    Anyway, there was no rush.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t expect this lazy creature to do any work anyway.


    ¡°Master, with so much pork, we can eat for a month or two,¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that great? You¡¯re at the age where you need to grow, so you should eat more.¡±


    While carefully skinning the boar king, Qin Niu laughed without looking up and said to Xiao Qing.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly a blessing to be with master! Every day I have meat to eat and a new house to live in.¡±


    ¡°Haha, think this is bliss? The good days are still to come!¡±


    He skilfully peeled the boar king¡¯s skin little by little.


    It felt much thicker than that of a regular wild boar, and the texture was different as well.


    It felt somewhat heavy in hand.


    It looked extraordinarily dense and sturdy.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, spread out this pigskin, smooth it out, and nail it onto those two door planks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so big! It could make a large quilt.¡±


    She took it and ccommented in amazement at the size of the boar king¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Making it into a quilt would be a waste, I¡¯ll give you a little surprise in a couple of days.¡±


    Qin Niu planned to go to the city in a few days, sell some bugs, get some money, and then turn the skin of the boar king into armor.


    Leather armor not only keeps one warm but can also save a life at critical moments.


    This boar king¡¯s skin had a defensive strength even stronger than ordinary iron armor, making it a rare and invaluable treasure.


    After skinning the boar, he proceeded to open up the carcass.


    Upon cutting open the boar king¡¯s belly, something at the heart¡¯s location emitted a faint, dark yellow glow.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but recall the moment he had slain the boar king, when a dark yellow glow had also shone around its neck.


    Back then, he had thought it was either an illusion or a reflection of the light from his treasured sword.


    He hadn¡¯t had the time to think too much about it.


    Now that he witnessed this strange phenomenon, he immediately understood he might have hit the jackpot and come across a treasure.


    Carefully opening up its heart, he found a small bead near the back of the heart, which was only slightly larger than a soybean.


    It was quite heavy for its size, and it felt incredibly peculiar to the touch.


    When he pinched it, it was as though he was holding a highly compressed ball of gas.


    After washing away the blood on its surface, the dark yellow glow it emitted became even brighter.


    ¡°But wild boars aren¡¯t known to have Luminous Pearls inside them!¡±


    Holding it in his hand, Qin Niu examined the strange bead.


    ¡°It must be a Beast Core. I¡¯ve heard from Grandfather that some wild beasts in the mountains can cultivate just like humans. It¡¯s just that their intelligence is limited and they don¡¯t understand cultivation techniques, so very few beasts can successfully cultivate.


    Only those who have lived for many years, drawing on the essence of the sun and the moon, might stumble upon some methods of cultivation.


    Or perhaps, if they¡¯re lucky enough to discover spiritual fruits or herbs in the mountains and consume them, they can undergo a transformation.


    There are also fierce and ferocious beasts that evolve by preying on other cultivated beasts and birds.¡±


    All in all, the cultivation of wild beasts is a hundred times harder than that of humans.


    But once they achieve some success in their cultivation, the energy within their bodies slowly compresses and ultimately condenses into a Beast Core. This is the foundation of their cultivation, as well as the first step towards becoming demons. If they transform into demons in the future, their Beast Core will turn into a Demon Core, also known as a Demon Pearl. It is the source of their magical powers and cultivation.¡±


    Xiao Qing knew much more about these matters of cultivation than her master Qin Niu.


    She had access to much more information living in the city.


    Qin Niu, living a secluded rural life, enjoyed a peaceful existence but lacked opportunities to interact with the outside world.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a Beast Core; is it valuable?¡±


    Qin Niu had gained some knowledge.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s valuable! Even the worst Beast Cores, the size of a sesame seed, can sell for a good amount of money. This Beast Core is as large as a soybean, which indicates that the boar king had attained some level of Dao. Theoretically, with your current cultivation level, you shouldn¡¯t have been able to harm it. You managed to kill it, perhaps because it was already injured and in a weakened state, or maybe there was some other reason.¡±


    Xiao Qing had her suspicions that Qin Niu possessed some sort of divine weapon, but she didn¡¯t say it outright.


    Despite her young age, having adventured through the Jianghu with her grandfather, she knew well how treacherous the human heart could be.


    For a servant to pry into the secrets of their master was a serious taboo.


    ¡°Wild boars have a very diverse diet; they like to eat snakes, insects, rodents, and ants, and also enjoy searching for various plant roots to chew on in the mountains. Some powerful wild boars specialize in digging up wild ginseng to eat. Grandfather and I once encountered such a situation where, within nearly a hundred miles of that forest, not a single ginseng plant could be found. They¡¯d all been eaten up. It¡¯s highly probable that this boar king consumed some kind of spiritual medicine from nature, which allowed it to have such a large Beast Core.¡±


    Xiao Qing analyzed the possible reasons for the formation of the Beast Core within the boar king.


    ¡°Wiry don¡¯t you think it¡¯s possible that it lived many years and cultivated to form the Beast Core?¡± Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°That possibility is very small. Because the lifespan of wild boars isn¡¯t particularly long, it¡¯s about the same as humans. It¡¯s very rare to hear about a wild boar that has cultivated to form a Beast Core. They mostly get lucky by consuming treasures of heaven and earth, which eventually allows them to condense a Beast Core and set foot on the path to becoming a demon.


    Furthermore, if this boar king really cultivated such a large Beast Core through its own efforts, even the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang might not be its match.¡±


    Xiao Qing didn¡¯t directly say so, but she implied to Qin Niu that,


    With Qin Niu¡¯s current level of cultivation, it would be impossible for him to defeat a boar king that had cultivated a Beast Core.


    Like humans, beasts also have twofolds of cultivation.


    One type increases their cultivation through arduous practice ¡ª these are capable of fighting well.


    The other is like hitting the jackpot, consuming heavenly materials and earthly treasures, or by chance eating the corpse of another demon beast, and condensing a Beast Core. This is similar to humans who enhance their cultivation by consuming elixirs; it¡¯s considered ¡®faux fat.¡¯


    Their strength is much weaker.


    ¡°If the Beast Core is the source of a wild beast¡¯s cultivation, then if I eat it, I should be able to obtain its cultivation, right?¡±


    Qin Niu asked with great interest.

 Chapter 148 - 148 Chapter 143 Acquired Realm_i

    148 Chapter 143 Acquired Realm_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Like all cultivators, he was particularly obsessed with the improvement of his


    cultivation.


    Cultivation is the foundation of all strength and also the key to prolonging life.


    Becoming a powerful Beast Tamer requires a strong cultivation as support. To become a powerful Insect Master, even more formidable cultivation is needed. To command formidable weapons and armor, cultivation is equally necessary.


    It can be said that if one wishes to become a strong person, without


    cultivation, it is all an illusion.


    Take Insect Masters for instance, Qin Niu is currently at the Ninefold mortal level and can control second or third-grade insects without a problem. But if he wants to control those more powerful insects, it is basically a fool¡¯s dream.


    If a pet¡¯s level is too much higher than its master¡¯s, it will surely turn on its


    master.


    Not to mention making them obedient.


    ¡°Master must never eat this, it¡¯s extremely dangerous! The bodies of beasts are naturally stronger than humans, and their methods of cultivation are very crude. The various energies they absorb might be bearable for their bodies, but our human bodies cannot withstand it. Eating it can easily lead to ruptured meridians, shattered organs, and in the worst case, direct explosion and death.¡±


    Xiao Qing hurriedly advised.


    Qin Niu was actually just speaking hypothetically; how could he really recklessly consume the Beast Core?


    ¡°If the Beast Core is not for human consumption, can it only be used to nurture


    beast pets?¡±


    Qin Niu currently had two beast pets, one was Xiao Niu, and the other was a


    little turtle.


    To be exact, the little turtle was no longer a little one, but a Grade Three


    Diamond Ink Turtle.


    To use the Beast Core to nurture them was something Qin Niu truly hesitated


    to do.


    The ultimate goal of taming pets is to help their master become stronger.


    Having cultivation resources, one must prioritize their master.


    ¡°Directly nurturing beast pets is one use. If we humans want to consume it, we can find an alchemist to refine the Beast Core, adding some herbs as supplementary ingredients to make the energy within the Beast Core milder. That way, it will be much safer to consume.¡±


    ¡°When I get to the city, 1 will ask at Miaodan Pavilion.


    Qin Niu nodded after hearing this.


    He found a box and carefully stored the Beast Core in it.


    He continued to deal with the pork.


    Gradually, he began to feel his body getting hotter, as if he had drunk over a dozen jugs of liquor.


    ¡°Master, why is your face red?¡±


    Xiao Qing noticed the abnormality in her master.


    ¡°It might be because I drank the blood of this Pig King.¡± He felt his body filled with endless strength.


    ¡°Oh no, beast blood that could morph into demons should not be recklessly consumed. I¡¯ve heard my grandfather say once that the blood of demonic beasts contains powerful demonic energy, and drinking it often can lead to mental instability, making one bloodthirsty and violent. You mustn¡¯t drink it again next time.¡±


    Xiao Qing stomped her feet in anxiety after hearing this.


    It¡¯s okay to drink a bit of regular beast blood, but too much demonic beast blood can cause serious problems.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    Qin Niu regretted his ignorance.


    Now that he could earn money, once he entered the city, he must buy more


    books related to cultivation to read.


    The scariest thing for a person is ignorance.


    The first time he drank the blood of an old wolf, he benefitted greatly and thought that drinking the Pig King¡¯s blood would be even better.


    He didn¡¯t realize that demonic beast blood should not be consumed.


    ¡°Try to practice your technique; you should be able to neutralize and absorb the demonic energy inside your body. If it really doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯m afraid we will have to seek medical help in the city.¡±


    Xiao Qing said, filled with worry.


    Realizing the severity of the issue, Qin Niu went to the backyard and sat down cross-legged.


    Fortunately, there was soft moonlight tonight.


    Allowing him to practice the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    Trying to rotate the Everlasting Spring Technique, he discovered that the cool energy absorbed into his body was continuously neutralizing the savage and furious demonic energy, eventually being absorbed by his body.


    Through his relentless efforts, the violent demonic energy in his body was


    decreasing.


    His body also didn¡¯t feel as uncomfortable.


    By the next morning when the moonlight had faded, Qin Niu had successfully resolved some of the demonic energy. His cultivation had also grown tremendously, skyrocketing directly from the Ninefold mortal level to the Tenfold mortal level.


    At this point, all the organs of his entire body were reinforced and nourished


    by the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    He now possessed a prolonged breath, a strong and powerful heartbeat, astonishing digestive and absorption capabilities¡­ The Tenfold mortal level also didn¡¯t seem as amazing as he had imagined!


    At most, he could lift a thousand pounds, his stamina while running could match that of a galloping horse, his eyes were sharp, his hearing keen, and his movements agile and swift.


    Compared to ordinary people, these abilities were more than ten times


    stronger.


    But they were nowhere near the prowess of the exceptional warriors he had imagined.


    Perhaps, the Tenfold mortal level is just the first step in the eyes of a true master.


    According to his understanding, surpassing the tenfold of mortal strength would let a person undergo a complete transformation, as if reborn.


    He was unclear about the specifics.


    At this moment, the demonic power inside him was still rampaging, and a trace of irritability and ferocity rose in his heart.


    This was unprecedented.


    Pig King and the corpse of the giant wild pig had been taken care of by Xiao


    Qing.


    She must have been busy for most of the night; usually up early to clean and train, today she was still asleep.


    Qin Niu did not wake her up.


    Upon entering his own room, he lifted two floor tiles under the bed to reveal a


    stone trough.


    This was a pool he specifically used for nourishing his sword.


    As expected, the Banyan Tree Blood in the stone trough had turned back into clear water.


    The Treasured Sword¡¯s absorption rate of the Banyan Tree Blood had become even more terrifying.


    It must have reached the critical moment of transformation.


    When he took it out, the sword¡¯s body trembled and emitted a humming sound. The green patterns within the sword¡¯s body were slowly converging, as if trying to form an ancient rune.


    Qin Niu was able to slay the Pig King yesterday, all thanks to this sword. Otherwise, according to Xiao Qing, Qin Niu would not have been able to breach the Pig King¡¯s defenses.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you to the mountain to get blood!¡±


    He took the Treasured Sword and a basket on his back and left the house.


    Once in the mountains, the violent emotion in his mind grew a bit stronger.


    Monster blood really shouldn¡¯t be consumed recklessly.


    It could easily turn a person into a killing maniac.


    He needed to quickly find a way to eliminate all the demonic power within his body.


    Ignoring the newly born Termites, he took Fourth and went directly to the Ancient Banyan Tree. After collecting the tree blood, he started to cultivate according to the old rules, sitting under the tree.


    The speed of cultivation here was twenty times faster than outside, and the demonic power in his body was rapidly being neutralized, ultimately transforming into his cultivation strength.


    As time trickled by, his cultivation became stronger and stronger, slowly reaching the peak of the tenfold mortal strength.


    When the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique inside him reached its limit.


    Boom!


    He felt as if his body had exploded.


    It hadn¡¯t, in fact, but the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power that was originally confined within his organs was now like a flood breaking a dam, furiously surging into every part of his body that it could reach.


    His muscles, bones, and skin were endowed with a much greater capacity.


    Originally, the cultivation of the Everlasting Spring Technique progressed from the inside out.


    First to strengthen the organs, and then break the confinement of the organs to fortify the body¡¯s trunk and limbs.


    The cultivation principle of the Medicine King Sutra was somewhat similar.


    It is said that mainstream cultivation techniques can be divided into two major categories. One is External Cultivation, which first tempers muscles, bones, and skin, and then nurtures the organs. Like Iron Cloth Technique and Barbarian Bull Technique, these should all fall under this category.


    Basically, all External Cultivation techniques are very powerful.


    Especially in the early stages of training, the combat power is overwhelming. The other category is Inner Strength, progressing from the inside out. First to enhance the organs, and then to toughen the muscles, bones, and skin. The downside of this kind of technique is slow improvement, with early stages being weak. The advantage is that it can greatly extend life expectancy from an early stage.


    And it can delay aging.


    Inner Strength techniques are the choice of most people.


    Because the lifespan of ordinary people is limited, sixty years old is already considered a long life.


    Practicing External Cultivation might bring about some minor accomplishments, but by then one¡¯s life may have come to an end. In the end, all glory and effort turn to dust.


    At this moment, Qin Niu felt like a valve in his body had opened, allowing him to freely absorb the energy from outside into his body.


    He could clearly feel his skin, muscles, and bones being strengthened.


    The growth in strength was incomparable to before.


    It seems that even with Life-Nurturing Techniques, as long as one¡¯s cultivation is high enough, one could still fight.


    Worried that his realm was not stable, he did not practice the Medicine King Sutra today.


    Instead, he continued cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique, and the demonic power within him was completely neutralized bit by bit.


    Its impact on his mind was noticeably weakening.


    The ferocity in his heart was fading away bit by bit.


    Next time, he would never dare to drink monster blood recklessly again..

 Chapter 149 - 149 Chapter 144: Rain and Dew are Shared Equally i

    149 Chapter 144: Rain and Dew are Shared Equally i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    He cultivated until dusk and then finally stopped his practice.


    Upon standing up, he was startled to find a metallic clinking coming from his skin and a crackling sound from his muscles and bones.


    Upon closer inspection, he discovered a layer of stinky black grime on the surface of his arm¡¯s skin. His body felt sticky, and when he touched it, the black odoriferous grime was present all over.


    It seemed that the impurities within his body had been expelled.


    Feeling an itch in his throat, he actually coughed up a clot of bloody phlegm.


    He truly understood what it meant to undergo a rebirth, to be rejuvenated.


    Every movement felt lighter and more agile.


    In the past, lifting his arms would feel constrained.


    But now, it became exceptionally easy, with the sensation of being pulled and tugged by his skin, muscles, and tendons greatly diminished.


    These were the benefits brought about by the enhancement of his skin, muscles, and tendons.


    Also, when breathing, not only did the breaths become deeper and longer, but the muscles throughout his body, even every single cell, seemed to contract and relax in rhythm. It was as if his entire body could breathe.


    In fact, this was due to his body and lungs becoming more coordinated and attuned.


    This was beneficial in enhancing his explosive power and endurance.


    He checked his current cultivation level.


    Qin Niu


    Cultivation: Everlasting Spring Technique Acquired Realm level 124/1000 (Medicine King Sutra Mortal Realm Sixfold 591/600), Intermediate Farmer 117.1/1000, Insect Master Low Rank 48/100, Beast Tamer Low Rank 3/100


    Lifespan: 108 years


    Cultivation Techniques: Everlasting Spring Technique level 2 541/1000, Medicine King Sutra level 2 222/1000


    After checking his cultivation, he felt satisfied.


    He was already an intermediate farmer; although still weak, compared to before, it was a tremendous improvement.


    His cultivation had even made a breakthrough to the Acquired Realm.


    Based on his feelings, the soldiers of the Black Armored Army standing guard at the gates of Black Tiger City were probably at this realm.


    When he was Mortal Realm Sevenfold or Eightfold, he thought he was pretty strong.


    Now he understood that someone in the Mortal Realm was just an ordinary person, not even a martial artist.


    Only by stepping into the Acquired Realm could one understand what it truly meant to be a martial artist.


    Their combat power was simply incomparable to those in the Mortal Realm.


    Now, even though he was only a newcomer who had just entered the first level of the Acquired Realm and practiced a Life-Nurturing Technique not specialized in combat, he was still confident he could defeat five Tenfold Mortal Realm individuals single-handedly.


    And he could win decisively.


    Of course, that was provided everyone¡¯s martial skills and weapons were of a similar level.


    Otherwise, there were too many factors that could affect combat power.


    Mental strength, martial skills, weapons, armor, combat experience, etc., any of these could affect the outcome of a battle.


    Cultivation was just the most important foundation among them.


    ¡°Back home!¡±


    He collected the Banyan Tree Blood, shouldered his basket, and left the maze formed by the banyan tree.


    He felt the air was exceptionally fresh.


    The only thing that bothered him was the sticky black grime on his body, which was very uncomfortable.


    Despite his eagerness to return home, he certainly wouldn¡¯t neglect his beekeeping and termite rearing activities.


    With the current insect calamities ravaging the land, the more formidable insects he had in his possession, the more effective they could be at crucial moments.


    The Ant Queen was still evolving, and it was uncertain when the evolution would be complete.


    Having passed the most dangerous phase, it was now merely a matter of time.


    He fished out a crumpled leaf from his pocket, which belonged to the broad- leafed herb. He had dug it up and brought it home to grow in the backyard, and he would practice his Everlasting Spring Technique daily to aid its growth.


    He also used the manure from Xiao Nui to fertilize it.


    Every time he went to the mountain, he made sure to tear off a small piece of the herb¡¯s leaf to feed the three termites.


    However, these three termites had yet to show any changes.


    After eating it, the Worker Ant would feed the young ants through trophallaxis.


    Qin Niu wanted to see if the broad-leafed herb, which he felt was special, could enable the termites to undergo a new evolution.


    Coming down from the mountain, he was returning home earlier today; it was not yet dark.


    Along the way, the villagers, seeing his darkened skin, gossiped about him behind his back.


    Qin Niu ignored these criticisms, turning a deaf ear.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re back! Quite early today, aren¡¯t you!¡±


    Xiao Qing saw Qin Niu return and, delighted, dropped the broom in her hands and ran to the entrance to greet him.


    ¡°Hehe, you came home early to save me the trouble of carrying a lantern down to the foot of the mountain to meet you.¡±


    Qin Niu patted her head.


    ¡°Oh, Master Tang, you all haven¡¯t finished work for the day yet!¡±


    He saw inside the courtyard, the Tang Fang brothers and their workers were working overtime, busy with tasks like building walls and laying floor tiles.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you lend us your ducks? And you also gave our Tang Family¡¯s patriarch some advice which, after setting up the buffer zone, really succeeded in stopping most of the locusts from entering the village. Everyone is especially grateful to you, so we wanted to help finish your new house as soon as possible. It¡¯s estimated that it can be completely finished the day after tomorrow!¡±


    Tang Fang turned his head and smiled as he explained.


    ¡°Thank you so much! Later, each person can take home a piece of wild boar meat!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t wait for their consent and, taking Xiao Qing with him, entered the house.


    The four hundred pound wild boar yielded nearly three hundred pounds of meat.


    Qin Niu had Xiao Qing distribute five pounds of meat to each worker.


    The Tang Fang brothers were the foremen and had put in the most effort, so they received ten pounds of meat each.


    This made the workers beam with joy, and they repeatedly thanked Qin Niu.


    Even if a pound of wild boar meat sold for only three Wen Money, five pounds were fifteen Wen Money.


    It wasn¡¯t much money, but Qin Niu¡¯s gesture made the workers very comfortable and filled them with gratitude.


    Qin Niu personally cut a piece of meat from the boar king, about ten pounds in weight.


    ¡°Master Tang, please give this piece of meat to Tang Caixian and ask her to eat more of it.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t openly say that eating this meat would aid in cultivation.


    One must always guard against others.


    After all, Tang Fang might secretly switch it out.


    The difference between the boar king¡¯s meat and regular wild boar meat was too great.


    To know, that boar king had cultivated a Beast Core and was considered a magical beast.


    Tang Caixian was a good girl and had also given Qin Niu an extremely valuable jade pendant. Naturally, if capable, he would take care of her in every possible way.


    After sending the workers off and looking at the newly taking shape house, Qin Niu was quite satisfied.


    He cut another piece of the boar king¡¯s meat, also around ten pounds.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, go give it to Miss Wang next door. Remind Miss Wang that she can eat more of it.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I knew the master wouldn¡¯t forget Sister Wanyan.¡±


    Xiao Qing seemed young, but she was quite the little devil.


    Having tasted the meat buns that Miss Wang had given, her fondness for Miss Wang was quite obvious.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little imp, now hurry and go!¡±


    Qin Niu scolded her with a laugh, gave her the meat, and then went into the house to take a bath and changed into clean clothes.


    Xiao Qing had already returned after delivering the meat.


    ¡°Sister Wanyan says thank you and asks that you visit her for tea when you have time. Actually, she came to look for you twice in the past two days, but since you were not home, she left.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy every day recently; I really haven¡¯t had much time. Next time she comes, tell her to come find me in the evening.¡±


    Qin Niu had intended to say, let her come find him at night.


    But then he thought that might be inappropriate.


    After all, how would it look for a young unmarried woman to go to a man¡¯s house at night?


    Unless one day he married her or they were engaged, that would be a different matter.


    ¡°Oh right, Steward Yan Qi from the Yan Family also came looking for you. Learning that you had gone into the mountains, he sat at Wang Furen¡¯s place for a while and then left.¡±


    ¡°Did he mention what for?¡±


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t say. He just bought the two thousand ducks from Wang Furen.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much he paid for each one?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know that.¡±


    Xiao Qing had limited information she could inquire about, and people wouldn¡¯t tell an outsider like her the price of the transaction.


    Qin Niu decided to ask Wang Furen about it the next time he saw him.


    He felt like selling the ducks now was a bit premature.


    The scale of the insect disaster was so large, it definitely wouldn¡¯t stop within a day or two.


    With over seven months left until winter, if the locust plague was not dealt with by human effort, it would at least continue to ravage for over six months.


    Moreover, their breeding speed would get faster and faster, and it would only get more terrifying over time.

 Chapter 150 - Chapter 145 Steady Fishing Platform i

    Chapter 145 Steady Fishing Platform i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    The scorching summer, abundant rainfall, and rising temperatures facilitated the rapid hatching of insect eggs.


    Under cooler temperatures, it took over twenty days for eggs to hatch into nymphs. Now, with the high heat, the process could be shortened to twelve or thirteen days. This also meant their reproduction cycle was reduced by a whole seven or eight days.


    It was bound to make the locusts plague even more ferocious.


    It was known that for each day the breeding cycle was shortened, their numbers would increase exponentially.


    The three thousand ducks Qin Niu held could definitely fetch more profit if sold later.


    Currently, just by renting them out, he could net three hundred Wen Money a day.


    This was still considering the connection he had with the Tang Family.


    Otherwise, the price would surely be higher.


    ¡°Master Qin, may I ask if it¡¯s convenient to disturb you now?¡±


    ¡°Is that you, Uncle Wang? Please come in!¡±


    Qin Niu had just delivered the pork when Wang Furen arrived.


    He hadn¡¯t mentioned that it was the meat of a magical beast!


    Ten pounds of wild boar meat was only worth about thirty Wen, hardly a reason for Wang Furen to rush over to express thanks.


    ¡°Oh, Master Qin, your residence is coming along nicely! Who would have thought, in just a few months¡¯ time, you would develop your family business to this extent. If Old Man Liu knew about this from beyond, he would be smiling in his grave.¡±


    Wang Furen admired Qin Niu¡¯s new residence with envy.


    This was a government official¡¯s house with three rooms and seven bays, not an ordinary civilian dwelling. It looked particularly majestic.


    That imposing aura was also overwhelming.


    Without grandeur, there can be no profound authority.


    Although seven bays were only two more than five, the impression it left was completely different.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that old Father Liu passed away early; otherwise, he could have enjoyed some peace and comfort too.¡±


    Qin Niu also felt endless regret.


    If Old Man Liu were still alive, he would surely let him experience unprecedented glory.


    ¡°The dead cannot be brought back to life, but your filial piety is seen by everyone. Old Man Liu did not foster a son in vain.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Wang must have something important to discuss, so let¡¯s speak inside the house!¡±


    Qin Niu invited Wang Furen into the house.


    The house was now in possession, and it was indeed a large and imposing mansion with green tiles and grey bricks, epitomizing luxury.


    Only, the furniture inside the house was still the old and crude pieces from before, clashing with the new home.


    Normally, high-grade furniture would serve as the perfect finishing touch, further elevating the house¡¯s class and showcasing the owner¡¯s status and wealth.


    Now it had become a significant flaw.


    It made it obvious at a glance that the house¡¯s owner put up a facade.


    Wang Furen glanced over the simple furniture and said nothing further.


    ¡°Master Qin, Steward Yan Qi from the Yan Family came to see you today, but you weren¡¯t home. The Yan Family owns nearly seven hundred acres of farmland and this time encountered an unprecedented locust disaster. Although many methods have been tried, they were simply unable to hold off the invasion. The two Insect Masters they invited from the city could only protect a little over a hundred acres of farmland, and nearly six hundred acres are currently being ravaged by locusts.


    The entire Yan Family is so distressed by this that they can neither eat nor sleep in peace.


    I have already sold my two thousand ducks to the Yan Family. Steward Yan Qi would like to ask through me if your three thousand ducks could also be sold to the Yan Family?¡±


    The Yan Family was the largest landlord, owning over a thousand acres of farmland.


    They leased out four or five hundred acres, with seven hundred remaining for their use.


    The current locust disaster had a significant impact on ordinary people, but because they cultivated less land, even a complete crop failure resulted in limited losses.


    The Yan Family was different; like Xu Zhenchang, they had bet too much on their land.


    If several hundred acres yielded no crops and were devoured by locusts, it would be a massive and crippling loss.


    Great assets bring great expenses.


    While the loss of a few hundred acres this year wouldn¡¯t bankrupt the Yan Family, it would certainly hurt their vitality and might even cause turmoil.


    ¡°I have no intention of selling at the moment,¡± Qin Niu replied curtly.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you ask what price the Yan Family is willing to pay?¡±


    ¡°If Uncle Wang is willing to speak, he will tell me even if I don¡¯t ask at all.¡±


    ¡°Haha, it seems Mr. Wang is completely transparent to Master Qin! Although my ducks are still only half-grown, the Yan Family offered as high as twenty- five Wen per duck. I bought them for six Wen each, and these days, with plenty of locusts for them to feed on, there was no need to provide food. Now, after deducting the cost of transport, the profit is at least eighteen Wen per duck.


    This is the easiest and most substantial profit I¡¯ve ever made in my life.¡±


    No wonder Wang Furen had a beaming face.


    He had made such a large sum of Silver Money.


    At least a profit of more than thirty-six silver ingots, a sum others might struggle for ten or eleven years in the fields to earn.


    ¡°Had I known I could make so much, I should have bought more at the start.¡±


    Wang Furen regretted not buying more.


    ¡± What about now, Master Qin? Are you willing to sell now?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see! I¡¯m not in a hurry to sell my batch of ducks just yet.¡±


    Qin Niu had his plans.


    Wang Furen¡¯s expression tensed slightly, ¡°Does Master Qin think the price of the ducks will rise further?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say. Uncle Wang has sold them and the Silver Money is secured, which is good enough, so there¡¯s no need for regrets now.¡±


    ¡°It does make sense. I¡¯ve made a good sum by selling those ducks, and I¡¯m content. Master Qin is farsighted, possessing a vision and insight not found in ordinary people. If there are more opportunities to make a fortune in the future, I hope you can lend a hand to Wang. I¡¯ve already reached the age of knowing my fate and I don¡¯t know how many years I have left. When the time comes, all my possessions will go to Wan Yan. By the way, if Master Qin is free, please come to my house for tea, Wan Yan has many things she¡¯d like to ask you.¡±


    Wang Furen was cunning and shrewd.


    He deliberately mentioned making money and that everything would go to his daughter after a hundred years.


    Then he took the initiative to invite Qin Niu to his home for tea, even a fool could understand what that meant.


    However, now that Wang Furen was keen on pushing for the marriage between the two, and Qin Niu and Wang Wanyan themselves had feelings for each other, there was a good chance this could happen.


    Now it mainly depended on the wishes of the two young people.


    ¡°Sure, I will visit when I have time.¡±


    Qin Niu readily agreed.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t bother Master Qin any longer. Thank you for bringing my family the wild boar meat. I have already instructed Wu Ma to cook it all for Yan¡¯er. She has been diligently cultivating recently, it truly tugs at the heartstrings to watch her.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t all this a result of your own doing, Wang Furen?


    Although Wang Wanyan had also been secretly cultivating before, she was never as diligent and hardworking as now.


    Sometimes a little bit of hardship is good for people, putting them under pressure can force them to progress.


    After sending off Wang Furen, Qin Niu turned his attention to Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, have you not yet broken through to the Third Realm of mortals?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little short.¡±


    ¡°Is it because we have too few medicinal herbs in the backyard?¡±


    Qin Niu had no plans to take her to cultivate under the banyan tree for the time being.


    The two had already established a fairly deep master-servant relationship, but he did not know enough about Xiao Qing yet. He would never casually reveal such vital resources related to his life and property to anyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s not so much that the number of herbs is too small, but that their medicinal qi is too scant. I can deplete their medicinal qi in about an hour of cultivation. Only the Broadleaf Gentian you dug up has a bit richer medicinal qi.¡±


    In the end, it all came down to the scarcity of high-grade medicinal herbs.


    There were countless medicinal herbs in the mountains, but the high-grade ones with age on them had long been dug up by people.


    Aside from human harvesting, the beasts, birds, and insects of the mountain knew their goods as well.


    Many spiritual grasses and exotic fruits were guarded by powerful beasts.


    Like the Boar King that Qin Niu had slain, it led hundreds of wild boars patrolling the mountains daily. As soon as it found any herbs of considerable age, it would immediately root them out and eat them.


    It was estimated that only deep within the mountains might there be some chance of finding high-grade medicinal herbs with age.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go into the mountains tomorrow to see if I can dig up a few more plants,¡± Qin Niu told her.


    That night, the two of them prepared a few pounds of Boar King meat for consumption.


    Xiao Qing ate more than two pounds, her appetite was quite substantial.


    Qin Niu was even more exaggerated, his digestive capacity had been strengthened, allowing him to eat five pounds of meat in one go.


    After the master and servant had finished eating, it wasn¡¯t long before they felt something unusual.


    ¡°Master, this Boar King meat is powerful. I feel a warm current rising in my belly, flowing through my entire body.¡±


    ¡°Of course, this is the meat of a demon boar,¡± Qin Niu replied with a smile.


    Compared to the violent demonic energy contained in the boar¡¯s blood, the energy in the Boar King¡¯s meat was milder and within the tolerance range of the human body.


    Its nourishing effect on the body was gradual and silent, strengthening the consumer¡¯s body without them noticing.


    In terms of effects, even if it¡¯s slightly less than a Tempering Elixir, it wouldn¡¯t be by much.


    Such a treasure was not something easily encountered.


    The Boar King weighed over eight hundred pounds, yielding roughly six hundred pounds of meat. This was enough for the master and servant to enjoy for quite some time.


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.


    Three high-grade medicinal herbs had been added to his backyard, and Xiao Qing¡¯s cultivation had successfully broken through to the Third Realm.


    Qin Niu¡¯s new residence was finally completed thanks to the efforts of the Tang Fang brothers and numerous workers.


    According to tradition, the completion of a new home required a celebration with friends and neighbors.


    Qin Niu, who preferred to keep a low profile and make a fortune quietly, had no intention of doing so.


    Over the past two days, he had been cultivating Golden Ring Bumblebees.


    Tomorrow, he planned to enter the city and deliver a Green Giant Bumblebee using the address provided by that old man last time. After selling it for silver money, he intended to purchase a batch of furniture.


    The house at least had to look presentable.


    Otherwise, he would be looked down upon, and his local prestige would suffer.


    The Boar King¡¯s skin had been removed three or four days ago, so he planned to take it into the city and have two suits of leather armor made.


    One for himself and one for Xiao Qing.


    Such a large piece of pigskin was more than enough to make a suit of leather armor for each of them.


    Qin Niu entered his bedroom and retrieved the Treasured Sword from the knife-sanctifying pool.


    Clang, clang!


    It actually emitted a series of clear ringing sounds.


    On the blade, there were faint streaks of dark green sparks flashing.

 Chapter 151 - Chapter 146 Ink Blade, Eldest Young Master of the Yan Family Arrives to Congratulate

    Chapter 146 Ink Blade, Eldest Young Master of the Yan Family Arrives to Congratulate


    Translator: 549690339


    Seeing this scene, his heart surged with great joy.


    If he hadn¡¯t guessed wrong, the Treasured Sword had already begun its initial nurturing.


    It chose quite a day to do so, coinciding exactly with the completion of Qin Niu¡¯s new residence.


    Had it gained sentience and deliberately chosen this day to present Qin Niu with a congratulatory gift?


    Holding the Treasured Sword in hand, there was a new and different kind of feeling compared to before.


    In the past, when he held it, it felt extremely comfortable and handy, as if it had been tailor-made for him. Now, holding it felt like holding a ¡®living¡¯ creature. It seemed as if it had life and had come alive.


    He tried gripping it tightly and raising it.


    Shick!


    Brilliant, cohesive Blade Qi burst forth from the blade. It seemed to sense its master¡¯s intentions, resonating with his mind.


    ¡°Have you evolved sentience?¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the Treasured Sword and asked.


    Zing zing~!


    It trembled, issuing its sword hum once more.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Since you¡¯ve gained sentience, I¡¯ll grant you a name. When I drew you just now, you sparked with dark green electric light, so I¡¯ll name you Ink Blade. The name isn¡¯t overbearing, but it suits you well. With sharpness concealed and an unremarkable exterior, you actually possess the might to annihilate formidable foes. With time, I believe you¡¯ll become powerful enough to split the heavens and cleave the earth.¡±


    Qin Niu gently caressed the blade, and his touch unexpectedly felt a faint trace of desolate death.


    Cold, dark, and full of demonic nature.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see that a dark green rune within the blade was already formed. It seemed alive, constantly shifting.


    ¡°They say that to claim ownership of a Treasured Sword after nurturing, one must drip fresh blood on it. Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    Qin Niu tried cutting his fingertip with the Treasured Sword and dripped fresh blood onto the blade.


    As the blood gradually got absorbed by the blade, he could clearly see strands of blood flowing into that dark green rune.


    His connection with the Treasured Sword grew increasingly intimate.


    He could even sense some of Ink Blade¡¯s thoughts.


    It wanted to drink Banyan Tree Blood, a lot of it.


    That was the idea it conveyed to its master.


    ¡°There¡¯s only so much Banyan Tree Blood we can take each day, with your appetite, I¡¯m afraid we simply couldn¡¯t keep up!¡±


    Qin Niu said helplessly.


    The cultivation of the Treasured Sword filled him with joy.


    But it was like a greedy child, constantly needing to consume Banyan Tree Blood, which was quite troublesome.


    The power of that Ancient Banyan Tree was unfathomably deep.


    Qin Niu, taking just a bit of its blood each day, or sitting underneath it to absorb its medicinal essence for cultivation, might still be acceptable to the tree.


    But if he truly threatened its safety, he believed it would definitely retaliate.


    Even though Qin Niu was now an expert of the Acquired Realm¡¯s first level, he probably wouldn¡¯t have any chance of fighting back against the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Because through energy comparison, the Ancient Banyan Tree was like a vast ocean, while the strength he had cultivated was merely a drop or two of water.


    There was no basis for comparison between the two.


    Thus, he dared not recklessly take actions that might enrage the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The tree was simply ignoring him for now.


    If he truly angered the Ancient Banyan Tree and forced it to eradicate him like a pest, that would truly be courting death.


    He had conducted an experiment once.


    He tied a chicken under the Ancient Banyan Tree, and when he went back the next day, the cloth band used to bind the chicken was still there, but not a trace of the chicken could be seen.


    It was as if it had never existed.


    This made him shiver with dread.


    If he angered the Ancient Banyan Tree, his death might be even more miserable than that of the chicken.


    ¡°I need to take Xiao Qing with me to the city today, so it¡¯s perfect for self-protection.¡±


    Qin Niu tucked the Treasured Sword into his bosom.


    He secretly speculated that the Treasured Sword might not only have evolved a spirit, with its Blade Qi becoming more condensed. It was very likely it already possessed special abilities.


    To know what special abilities it had, one had to try it out in battle.


    Now that he had this Treasured Sword, even if he encountered a member of the City Defense Army clad in Hundred-Tempering Black Armor, he could kill them with one chop. It was even possible to cleave both armor and man in two.


    He had now comprehended two martial skills, Critical Chop, which possessed incredible explosive power in one-on-one combat.


    He frequently unleashed the Explosive Slash Effect, enough to strike terror into the hearts of his enemies just by the rumor of it.


    Sweeping Strike, this was a Group Killing Martial Skill.


    Currently, he had only just grasped the skill, but with time and practice, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to take on a hundred foes alone.


    With one Sweeping Strike, he could easily harvest multiple lives.


    For martial skills, he believed it was not about quantity, but about mastery.


    Now that he had both a dueling skill and a group combat skill, what remained was diligent practice to increase their proficiency.


    In time, he could become unmatched, the envy of all.


    ¡°Master, someone outside has brought a congratulatory gift for you!¡±


    Xiao Qing reported from outside the room.


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s have a look!¡±


    Qin Niu was quite surprised.


    As his status rose, the number of people coming to curry favor with gifts had increased.


    Stepping outside, he saw an unfamiliar middle-aged man, square-headed and big-eared, with fair skin and rather handsome features. The man was dressed in brocade, clearly no ordinary individual.


    By his side, Steward Yan Qi stood respectfully.


    Behind them were more than a dozen servants carrying furniture.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know we had distinguished guests. Please forgive me for not welcoming you from afar,¡± Qin Niu said as he quickly stepped forward and clasped his hands in a formal greeting.


    The person who could make Steward Yan Qi stand by his side like this must be a high-ranking member of the Yan Family.


    The Yan Family taking the initiative to send a congratulatory gift was slightly beyond Qin Niu¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Master Qin, this is the Young Master of our Yan Family,¡± Steward Yan Qi introduced to Qin Niu.


    ¡°So it is Young Master Yan! Please come inside and have a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu was quietly astounded. The Yan Family surely didn¡¯t skimp.


    They had sent the Young Master himself to personally deliver the gift, a grand gesture indeed!


    A common Insect Master, while greatly valued, was certainly not feared by a local heavyweight like the Yan Family.


    When he first became an Insect Master, the Yan Family had made no overtures.


    This was because the Family needed to maintain its dignity and pride.


    Now, using the completion of his new residence as an occasion, with the Young Master personally delivering a generous gift, that was quite a different matter.


    It preserved the dignity of the Yan Family while giving great face to Qin Niu.


    The actions of a major family were indeed clever.


    ¡°I heard about the completion of Master Qin¡¯s new residence, and my father specifically ordered me to bring a set of furniture as a gift to Master Qin. Please do not look down upon it. While the items are not particularly exceptional, they are made from redwood that is over a hundred years old and crafted by artisans from the City Jade Workshop, including four beds and a full set of living room furniture. We hope it can add splendor to the Qin Residence and wish Master Qin great luck and prosperity, both personally and financially,¡± the Young Master of the Yan Family said with refined and affable manners.


    He bore no airs typical of the Young Master of Yan Family.


    It was said that the Yan Family was preparing him to take over the position of head from Yan Ruohai, but with many contenders within the Family, the struggle for power was fierce.


    So the matter had yet to be decided.


    Any carelessness might provoke internal conflict.


    It was like when a nation crowns a new emperor, and other princes dissent, potentially leading to rebellion.


    This was something Yan Ruohai would never wish to see.


    ¡°Receiving such a generous gift from the Yan Family, I am honored and overwhelmed. My thanks to Young Master Yan, and please convey my gratitude to your father as well. I shall pay a visit another day to thank him in person,¡± Qin Niu said.


    He had long admired the great renown of Yan Ruohai.


    This was a figure worthy of respect.

 Chapter 152 - Chapter 147: Many Congratulate – Part 1

    Chapter 147: Many Congratulate ¨C Part 1


    Translator: 549690339


    Before, he was just a nobody, and even if he wanted to see Yan Ruohai, he wouldn¡¯t have had the chance.


    Moreover, he wasn¡¯t the type to fawn over the rich and powerful, wagging his tail for pity.


    Now that the Yan Family had taken the initiative to extend an olive branch by sending a gift, it would be somewhat rude for him not to pay a visit in return. It would appear conceited and make others think he was arrogant and difficult to deal with.


    It was like when an elder visited one¡¯s home, and as their junior, sitting idly by would be quite impolite.


    After welcoming Yan Family¡¯s eldest son and others into the house and seating them according to rank, he served them tea.


    Xiao Qing, though young, was very sensible and served tea to the guests.


    The cups were very clean, but when Yan Family¡¯s eldest son picked up his cup to drink, his brows furrowed slightly.


    The tea cup was old and the quality was poor.


    It couldn¡¯t even be described as smooth-glazed, as even ordinary poor people used unglazed pottery cups like these.


    These were relatively cheap.


    For the poor, it was already good enough to have a cup to use.


    Even poorer families would just use a ladle or bamboo tube to scoop water to drink.


    Qin Niu had just come into wealth recently and still lacked the time to accumulate belongings; he was far from comparing to a prominent family.


    It was already quite an achievement to have built this residence.


    As for furniture, tea cups, and the like, he could only gradually acquire and replace them with higher-end items.


    In truth, he had little attachment to material comforts.


    Of course, if he could live a better life, he would be willing.


    No one wished for a worse life.


    Yan Family¡¯s eldest son probably drank the tea while holding his nose. Whether it was the cup or the tea, both were far from what he enjoyed on a regular basis.


    Not to drink would be impolite.


    It would make Qin Niu feel regarded with disdain.


    Sipping lightly, Yan Family¡¯s eldest son set the tea cup back on the table.


    He chatted with Qin Niu about household matters for a while.


    Then he got to the point.


    Master Qin Niu, recently, locusts have been causing havoc and ravaging the land. I¡¯ve heard you have quite the knack for exterminating locusts. I wonder if you have the time to help our Yan Family combat this locust plague? The matter of payment is negotiable.¡±


    Yan Family¡¯s eldest son seemed to know Qin Niu was not easily persuaded and did not dare to name a price lightly.


    In the face of disaster, we humans need to unite to fight against the insect plague. I empathize with the losses your Yan Family is currently suffering. I am more than willing to help protect your family¡¯s crops from being harmed. However, my method of pest control is quite unique and my abilities are limited. I need to stop the locusts from migrating in first, then eliminate them in order to achieve a good extermination result.


    Otherwise, if I get rid of them today and a new swarm comes tomorrow, there will be no end to it.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s fee was not low, seventy copper coins per mu.


    Exterminating pests once a day, unless the Yan Family¡¯s fields were growing crops that bore gold, they simply couldn¡¯t afford such heavy expenses.


    What Master Qin says is very true. My Yan Family has already invited two Insect Masters from the city to help fend off the insect disaster. They have found ways to block the locusts¡¯ migratory paths. While it may not completely stop new locusts from coming in, at least ninety percent are being kept out. Right now, what¡¯s most critical for my Yan Family is the tea plantations, mulberry fields, cotton and sesame fields, and over four hundred mu of sorghum and wheat that are approaching the critical time for harvest.¡±


    As far as I know, Master Qin is very thorough in eliminating pests.


    You can remove the pests, their eggs, and their larvae all in one go.


    If Master Qin has the time, I would like to ask you to help our Yan Family clear the locusts from our fields. With this century¡¯s rare locust disaster upon us, we can only aim to save as much as we can.¡±


    The Yan Family had vast fields and planted a great variety of crops.


    Apart from grain, they also planted many economic crops.


    Tea leaves need no mention; the profits are astonishingly high.


    Mulberry leaves are mainly used for silkworm breeding.


    The brocades and silks worn by the powerful are all woven from silk.


    Lustrous silk, gauze, and damask are all high-end fabrics that are quite expensive.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Master Robe was made of damask, but it was one of the poorer kinds within that category. The truly top-grade materials were enjoyed by the high ranks of the Black Tiger Gang and even higher-class nobles.


    I need to go into town to take care of some business today. I will come over to help with pest control at your residence tomorrow. Is that okay?¡±


    Haha, that¡¯s perfectly fine. I was worried when I came here that Master Qin would be too busy to agree! Now that¡¯s great, having persuaded Master Qin, I can go back and report to my father. Since Master Qin needs to go into the city, I won¡¯t impose any further and will take my leave. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have Steward Qi come to pick you up.¡±


    Having achieved his objective, Yan Family¡¯s eldest son stood up to say goodbye.


    Qin Niu stood to see him off.


    When sending off a guest, one usually only went as far as the living room door, but in the case of Yan Family¡¯s eldest son, Qin Niu escorted him all the way outside the gate.


    With his social status, he certainly deserved such treatment.


    No sooner had he sent Yan Family¡¯s eldest son away than Qin Niu, looking at the many high-end pieces of furniture that the Yan Family had sent, was very clear that accepting these gifts meant he now had a personal relationship with the Yan Family.


    These many pieces of hardwood furniture were worth at least sixty or seventy taels of Silver Money, which was almost equal to the value of his whole house.


    The Yan Family really did things in a grand way.


    If they merely wanted to hire Qin Niu for pest control, there would have been no need to send such a generous gift.


    The Yan Family, with their deep schemes and foresight as the local hegemon, had a solid foundation with their family business prospering for over a hundred years. Such a grand gift must have a profound significance.


    Qin Niu could not fathom their intentions at the moment.


    No matter, he would find out in due course.


    Master Qin, congratulations!


    Wang Furen also arrived with people to deliver gifts.


    Looking at the hardwood furniture that the Yan Family had given, Wang Furen was not only envious but also shocked.


    This Qin Niu was far more formidable than he had imagined!


    Even though Xu Zhenchang had a very close relationship with the Yan Family, when Xu Zhenchang¡¯s new house was completed, the Yan Family had merely sent a junior steward to convey their congratulations. The gift they presented was a hardwood bed.


    It was said that Xu Zhenchang treasured it like a precious pearl, placing it as the bed of honor in the master bedroom.


    And he bragged about it to everyone.


    Now, looking at the furniture sent to Qin Niu, not only was it made of hardwood, but it also used solid wood throughout.


    Redwood is extremely difficult to mature.


    The materials used are whole woods, implying that each piece of redwood is at least a hundred years old.


    Then there¡¯s the craftsmanship, even though the outside is wrapped in palm bark, the sturdy and clever mortise and tenon technique, as well as the exquisite carvings, can¡¯t be concealed. With Wang Furen¡¯s experience, he could tell at a glance that these were of a much higher quality than those marriage beds made by Xu Zhenchang.


    The Yan Family really went all out this time.


    Their willingness to spend so much proves Qin Niu¡¯s worth.


    Otherwise, the Yan Family would never have gone through so much trouble.


    The crafting of these pieces of furniture couldn¡¯t have been done in a day or two; they had to be preordered in advance.


    This indicates that the Yan Family might have begun ordering these redwood pieces of furniture when Qin Niu was just laying the foundation of his house.


    To win over Qin Niu, the Yan Family was truly painstaking in their efforts!


    This is a rosewood folding screen that I had made, along with several brocade quilts. It¡¯s a humble gift, not much of a token, but I hope Master Qin will accept them with a smile!¡±


    Wang Furen was quite generous as well.


    He couldn¡¯t present gifts like the Yan Family, whose set furniture was worth sixty to seventy taels of Silver Money.


    Screens are indispensable and elegant items in a living room.


    They involve the privacy of the host and also have implications in geomancy.


    The modern foyer is actually an extension of the screen.


    Chairs, beds, tables, and other pieces of furniture are expected to be sturdy and durable; heavy and appealing redwood is the preferred material.


    But screens often need to be moved around.


    What¡¯s sought after is not heaviness, but rather ingenuity, elegance, and beauty.


    Many encounters between young ladies and gentlemen are particularly interesting, as the ladies don¡¯t come out to meet the men directly. Instead, they hide behind screens to sneak peeks at the men.


    This also fits in with the modest beauty of women.


    Wang Uncle, you¡¯re too generous! Please come inside for some tea!


    Qin Niu also accepted the congratulatory gifts.


    These items were custom-made with a lot of thought, and it would be inappropriate to refuse.


    Social interactions are about give and take.


    In future celebrations at the Yan Family or Wang Furen¡¯s, Qin Niu would naturally offer substantial gifts in return.


    Wang Brother, my dear elder brother, you are always one step ahead of me! Last time when buying ducks, I regretted not buying with you and missed out on a great opportunity to make money. Your eye for opportunities impresses me, as well as Master Qin.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang also arrived with his entourage, carrying gifts.


    Master Qin, congratulations on the completion of your new residence, may you be blessed with endless prosperity. These are a few sets of tableware I had fired, as well as two sets of tea sets, please don¡¯t look down upon them, Master Qin!¡±


    Giving gifts is a technical matter.


    Otherwise, you might spend money and still fail to win the homeowner¡¯s gratitude.


    Xu Zhenchang and Wang Furen, these people, each one a sly fox, knew exactly what Qin Niu needed most.


    Because they too came up from poor folks, one step at a time.


    Fine quilts, good tableware, and tea sets are precisely what Qin Niu lacks.


    As for those high-end redwood pieces of furniture, families of their modest wealth truly couldn¡¯t afford to give those as gifts.


    Thank you, thank you! Mayor, you shouldn¡¯t have spent so much! Please come in for some tea!¡±


    Qin Niu ushered the two men inside.


    Xu Zhenchang looked at the redwood furniture sent by the Yan Family and felt a pang of sourness in his heart.


    Simply having good relations with the Yan Family wasn¡¯t enough, one also needed real strength.


    Otherwise, knowing people wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Look at Master Qin, who normally didn¡¯t interact much with the Yan Family, yet the magnitude of the Yan Family¡¯s congratulatory gifts was truly shocking.


    While he was entertaining the two guests, more people came with congratulatory gifts.


    Tang Caixian and her brother Tang Bin came together.


    She was dressed particularly brightly and charmingly today.


    Master Qin, congratulations on your joyous housewarming. These are a few pots of flowers and plants that my sister has carefully tended, and also two sets of calligraphy and paintings, please accept them with kindness!¡±


    Thank you! Cai Xian, you¡¯ve gone to so much trouble!


    After thanking Tang Bin, Qin Niu then turned to Tang Caixian with a smile to express his gratitude.


    I was always worried you wouldn¡¯t like them. I didn¡¯t know what to pick!


    Tang Caixian lightly brushed the hair from her forehead, revealing a clean and radiant forehead, as she responded.


    As long as it¡¯s your choice, I¡¯ll like it!


    Qin Niu said and then felt that he might have been a bit too forward.


    To his surprise, Tang Caixian responded with a pleased and bashful smile.


    Hehe, you always know how to say flattering things! This ¡®Seeking the Way Painting,¡¯ I especially requested a master in the city to paint. This ¡®Bright Hall of Eternal Spring Painting,¡¯ signifies the hope that your future will be as splendid and bright as springtime, with prospects as colorful as a road of blooming flowers.¡±


    The two paintings she chose were the result of a lot of thought and effort.


    The ¡®Seeking the Way Painting¡¯ depicts an elder sitting under a pine tree on a cliff, accompanied by a waterfall, with the hidden presence of cranes dancing in the valley, full of an immortal-like atmosphere.


    You have such a way with words! An educated girl speaks differently, just a few sentences and you¡¯ve charmed someone senseless!¡± Qin Niu¡¯s remark made both siblings laugh. ¡°Please come in and have some tea.¡±


    Just as the Tang siblings entered, more guests arrived outside.


    It was the Tang Fang brothers.


    Beyond that, a horse-drawn carriage was slowly approaching.


    After stopping outside the door, a man in his late twenties, quite young, descended from the carriage. Dressed in official attire, his chest sported a red patch, his head was adorned with a black hat, and he wore black court shoes.


    This was a real official, at least much senior to any Official Liu or Wang Yue whom Qin Niu had encountered.

 Chapter 153 - Chapter 148 Official Tang Yan i

    Chapter 148 Official Tang Yan i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Officials were divided into three types.


    One type was the workers who handled various tasks for the government offices; these were known as menial workers and belonged to the lowest stratum. They could also be called helpers.


    Some officials with slightly more power oversaw more matters and might employ twenty or thirty helpers and menial workers. These people did not receive a salary and relied on assisting with government affairs to scrape together some extra benefits.


    A popular ancient saying was, ¡°When the government office opens its doors, come in if you have rice but not if you have no money.¡¯1


    Ordinary people, without strong backgrounds, were essentially left to be exploited.


    Those officials all had salaries.


    The salaries of the officials were partly disbursed by the higher authorities in the form of silver money and partly borne by the branches of the government offices themselves.


    For instance, under normal circumstances, a Historian was only allotted four official positions.


    These four officials were on the payroll, with wages provided by the government office, and the rest had to be taken care of by the Historian himself.


    In reality, to conduct work normally, a Historian would find four subordinates insufficient; not to mention ten might still not be enough.


    In those days, without advanced technology, there were only two types of transportation: either ride horses or walk.


    Most of the time, these officials and menial workers had to walk to fulfill their duties.


    Then, all sorts of data required manual compilation, necessitating face-to-face communication with the common folk, you can imagine how low the efficiency was.


    It had become a common phenomenon for officials to support a large number of subordinates, who in turn supported an even larger number of helpers.


    The second type were clerks, divided into those with positions on the official staff and those without. They were of higher status than the errand runners.


    The number of clerks under an official would not be particularly large.


    For example, if the higher-ups allotted four positions and they recruited seven or eight additional people, the total would only be around twelve at most.


    Therefore, the status of a clerk wasn¡¯t low, as they were considered to have one foot in the officialdom.


    The third type were the officials, ranging from Grade Nine to Grade One high- rank officers.


    Even the lowest rank official at Grade Nine, dismissed as a nonentity on the official scene, was counted as a person of significance locally.


    The young man who alighted from the carriage wore an official robe with an empty red patch on the chest area, devoid of any design.


    This had a particular significance.


    It was referred to as waitlisted.


    This meant he had entered the waitlist of formal officials, and when the time came for a promotion or a formal appointment, the patch on his chest would be adorned with a corresponding pattern.


    ¡°Master Qin, we brothers don¡¯t have any valuable gifts, so please don¡¯t disdain these two large jars,¡±


    The money earned by the Tang brothers was hard-earned.


    They were somewhat less affluent compared to Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang.


    The two large water jars they carried were high-temperature fired and glaze-colored. They certainly weren¡¯t cheap in the market, worth at least three or four silver coins.


    For the Tang brothers, this was already a most generous gift.


    The extent of their relationship with Qin Niu was the construction of this house.


    They had only made some wage earnings from it.


    With regards to purchasing materials, they had put in great effort and diligently ensured the quality, without making a single copper coin in profit.


    Presumably, they noticed that the water jar Qin Niu had been using to raise his turtles was broken and thus decided to gift him two superior quality water jars.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you! It was hard work for you brothers to build my house, and now you¡¯ve brought me such a heavy gift, really, how can I accept this with good grace!¡±


    After Qin Niu finished speaking, he invited the brothers inside for tea.


    However, they did not rush in.


    ¡°This is our youngest brother, Tang Yan, who hurried back home especially to congratulate Master Qin on the completion of his residence,¡±


    Tang Fang introduced his brother¡¯s identity.


    It was clear that the three brothers were very united.


    In this world, it is only through unity that one can become stronger and live better.


    ¡°I have long admired the great reputation of Master Qin Niu; hearing it a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once, and finally today, I have met the true genius!¡±


    Tang Yan had a way with words.


    Officials generally possess excellent eloquence and high emotional intelligence.


    Otherwise, they would hardly be able to climb to high positions.


    ¡°Master Tang, too much praise! Your distinguished visit truly honors and overwhelms me, and it brings brilliance to my humble abode. Please, come inside and have a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu did not know Tang Yan¡¯s true identity.


    He felt it should be at the Historian¡¯s level.


    However, the patch on his chest was still empty, which puzzled him further.


    The Black Tiger Gang¡¯s officials are divided into two types: Civil Officials and Military Officials.


    Civil Officials manage affairs, while Military Officials command troops, responsible for patrolling and defense.


    Tang Yan appeared to belong to the Civil Officials.


    It was not that Civil Officials were necessarily weak.


    Some Civil Officials¡¯ cultivation was extremely high, with formidable strength.


    No matter Civil or Military Officials, they all could gain access to the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s advanced cultivation resources.


    They could even rise to the upper echelons of the Black Tiger Gang.


    ¡°I have heard that Master Qin is fond of controlling insects, so I have specially selected some Insect Control Books as a gift. Many of them are ancient texts that are difficult to find on the market. I hope they can help Master Qin reach a new height, and promote to a Middle-rank Insect Master, or even a high-rank Insect Master sooner rather than later.¡±


    Different people give different gifts.


    The congratulatory gift from Tang Yan was rather unconventional.


    It was actually a box of Insect Control Books.


    ¡°Thank you, I really couldn¡¯t be more grateful! With these Insect Control Books from Master Tang, I¡¯d be loath not to put in the effort!¡±


    ¡°Haha, the sea of study is endless and arduous as a boat, the mountain of books has a path made diligent as a way indeed! Master Qin is one of the rare Insect Masters in Jade Stream Town, with heavy responsibilities resting on your shoulders. If you can rise, the local people will all benefit from it. Take the current pestilence, for instance, I¡¯ve heard praise from our hometown elders about you! They say you¡¯ve already successfully helped Shuangfeng Village stop the locust disaster and now you¡¯ve helped stabilize the situation in Daoyuan Village, which is situated in our area. This is an act of great merit for the state and a monumental endeavor concerned with people¡¯s well-being.¡±


    Tang Yan was extraordinarily skilled in delivering such formalities.


    An official¡¯s heart lies with the people.


    His words never strayed from the welfare and governance of the state.


    He invited these people in to sit down and have tea.


    One after another, more people came to deliver congratulatory gifts.


    They were mostly villagers from the same village.


    Compared to the wealthy and the nobles, the ordinary villagers¡¯ gifts were much humbler.


    Even Qin Niu¡¯s next-door neighbor, Sister Mo, whom he had dealt with before, brought over a basket of eggs.


    In this period of locust plagues, the chickens and ducks ate their fill daily, enjoying an excellent diet.


    Their eggs, both chicken and duck, were laid frequently.


    People offered congratulatory gifts voluntarily, and Qin Niu naturally responded with polite courtesies.


    It is better to reconcile with an adversary than to persist in conflict.


    The dispute with Sister Mo¡¯ s family was merely over them stealthily encroaching on some of his homestead land. Now that he had reclaimed the land and vented his anger, Qin Niu had no desire to hold a grudge against such a petty individual.


    Nevertheless, there were those who did not bring Qin Niu any gifts.


    For instance, Wang Haikun and Xie Laizi.


    Xie Laizi was now living worse than a dog, moving around crawling all day, naturally without the means to give Qin Niu a gift.


    As for Wang Haikun, he probably harbored hatred for Qin Niu in his heart.


    It was only because his brother pressed him down and he was less capable than Qin Niu that he swallowed the grudge of his severed arm.


    That is how it is with people; if you offend someone untouchable, you either endure it or die.


    If Wang Yue hadn¡¯t been sensible, Wang Haikun would probably be dead by now.


    After seeing all the guests off, Qin Niu locked the main gate and hurried into the city with Xiao Qing.


    They had already been delayed quite a bit, and whether they could return overnight was uncertain.

 Chapter 154 - Chapter 149 Unveiling the Notice 1

    Chapter 149 Unveiling the Notice 1


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Fortunately, both master and servant had a certain level of cultivation, which allowed them to travel much faster than the average person.


    Especially Qin Niu, who had already reached the first layer of the Acquired Realm, trod as lightly as if he were flying. If he were to run at full speed, he reckoned he wouldn¡¯t be much slower than an ordinary horse.


    This time entering the city, he was only planning on selling one insect, namely the Green Demon giant bee he had cultivated.


    Given his current limited strength, revealing too many special insects at once could easily draw unwanted attention.


    He had learned multiple ways to make money from Xiao Qing last time.


    For instance, helping others heal their sickly herbs.


    If the opportunity arose, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t mind taking on a job to earn some extra money.


    With that Ancient Banyan Tree, he could enjoy a cultivation speed more than twenty times faster than normal and had virtually no need for elixirs at present. As for weapons, the Treasured Sword had been preliminarily nurtured by him and was sufficient to handle most dangers.


    In terms of armor, the King Pig Leather he brought with him would be made into two sets of armor which would be adequate for his use.


    At least, with his current strength, hiding in a place like Shuangfeng Village, nestled in the mountains, one set of King Pig Leather Armor was completely sufficient.


    The Yan Family was the largest in Jade Stream Town.


    For now, his relationship with the Yan Family was quite good. As long as he continued to keep a low profile, they probably wouldn¡¯t make a move against him.


    About having offended the brothers Wang Yue and Wang Haikun, he had no fear whatsoever.


    With his current level of cultivation, he could crush Wang Yue with one hand.


    So, he had almost no demands concerning cultivation resources for now.


    The only thing he wanted to buy for the time being was books related to cultivation. During his conversation with Xiao Qing, he had clearly felt that his knowledge of cultivation was shallow, almost equivalent to that of an unlearned man.


    That certainly wouldn¡¯t do.


    He must read more books and enrich himself.


    He also planned to make some purchases in the aspects of insect control, beast taming, and planting.


    Tang Yan had given him a box of Insect Control Books, so he could save money in that area.


    The rest would be books on beast taming and planting.


    If there were suitable ones, he would buy some to take back.


    For beast taming, he only planned to get some books on basic knowledge. Such books weren¡¯t expensive.


    If he found any specific books on taming turtles and water buffalos that were reasonably priced, he might consider acquiring them as well.


    Books on specific types of beast taming were usually expensive, but they were filled with useful practical knowledge.


    Like the book on Green Demon beekeeping he had bought which contained a lot of valuable insights.


    When the master and servant were about to arrive at Black Tiger City, Xiao Qing frequently glanced in one direction. There lay her grandfather¡¯s grave.


    However, seeing Qin Niu not slowing down, she kept silent and followed behind him.


    All along the way, locusts could be seen in swarms.


    They were crazily gnawing at anything that could fill their bellies.


    The market outside Black Tiger City was noticeably quieter than usual.


    Qin Niu noticed that many of the vegetables sold by the farmers bore wormholes.


    ¡°Auntie, how much for this cabbage?¡±


    ¡°Wen Money for two catties.¡±


    ¡°To sell it so expensively after it¡¯s been bitten by insects?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but internally comment on the price the farmer had quoted.


    It had increased at least five-fold.


    In the past, Wen Money could get you ten catties.


    The least valuable were cabbages and radishes because they had high yields, short growth periods, and required minimal planting techniques¡ªalmost every household could grow them.


    ¡°Young man, this one is relatively good! Look at what the others¡¯ cabbages look like after being nibbled! If you like eating it, best to buy some more now to take back home because in a few days, the price will rise even further. Those damn locusts are swarming everywhere, unending like a dark cloud, and we just can¡¯t drive them away. We can¡¯t even plant crops anymore. If it keeps on like this, let alone Wen Money for two catties, even a tael of silver won¡¯t buy you any.¡±


    The auntie cursed the despicable locusts.


    ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, we¡¯re in for a worry. I can live without cabbage but not without grains. In two or three days we¡¯d starve. I¡¯ll look elsewhere, your price is too expensive.¡±


    Qin Niu continued walking with Xiao Qing.


    On both sides of the official road, various peddlers were hawking their wares. There were vendors selling firewood, vegetables, fish¡ªalmost anything one could think of.


    ¡°Fishing nets, fine mesh fishing nets! Half a meter for Wen Money, just Wen Money for half a meter¡ª a magic tool against locusts, a helpful aid to protect your crops, come and buy them!¡±


    A middle-aged man with tanned skin was energetically selling woven fishing nets.


    Half a meter for Wen Money was practically daylight robbery.


    But indeed, such a thing could effectively fend off locusts, so it was no surprise to see their prices skyrocket.


    ¡°Medicinal wine, distilled from a secret family recipe¡ªparticularly effective against locusts. Just a sprinkle can ward off locusts for over twelve hours. Selling for just three Wen Money per catty, and if it doesn¡¯t work, you don¡¯t have to pay.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s even more expensive.


    At three Wen Money per catty for insect-repellent medicinal wine, ordinary families probably couldn¡¯t afford it.


    Landlords would do their calculations carefully and were unlikely to purchase it in bulk.


    At most, they¡¯d buy some to protect their important crops, flowers, and herbs.


    The problem was, many valuable plants and herbs were particularly delicate. If sprayed with insect-repellent medicinal wine, the insects might be deterred, but the plants would likely wither swiftly.


    As they walked, Qin Niu quietly observed that the prices of goods had generally increased.


    Especially vegetables, fishing nets, insect-repellent medicinal wine, and flails, for which the prices had risen sharply.


    The higher-ups of the Black Tiger Gang must be under tremendous pressure now.


    If the locust plague can¡¯t be stopped and the common people are ruined, the Black Tiger Gang, who would have lost their foundation, would be doomed as well.


    People are like water, and officials are like boats.


    Without the water, the Black Tiger Gang would be like having the firewood pulled out from under their cauldron, and it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to fall apart.


    Where did the salaries for officials and soldiers come from?


    They all came from the tributes of the people under the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s control.


    Without the people, where would they levy taxes?


    The Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang would probably have to farm the land himself to have something to eat.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t in a hurry to enter the city.


    This time coming to Black Tiger City, whether it was status or strength, both were significantly different from before. He had also become much more composed and calm.


    The change in a person¡¯s mindset is truly wondrous.


    The city was still the same, and the people were the same, but he no longer felt the nervousness and timidity he had the first time he entered the city.


    A cultivation at the first level of the Acquired Realm was not considered very high, but it was enough for him to face the mighty Black Armored Soldiers with a calm and undisturbed heart.


    Because, should a fight truly break out, one-on-one, he now possessed the strength to slaughter ordinary Black Armored Soldiers.


    The Hundred-Tempering Black Armor on the bodies of the Black Armored Soldiers was as vulnerable as paper in front of his Ink Blade.


    He looked toward the thick city walls behind the Black Armored Army, where many notices were posted.


    Those with a red official seal belonged to official announcements.


    They were mostly reward notices for capturing wanted criminals.


    Within the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, there was a population of over a million, and incidents of murder or lethal brawls occurred from time to time.


    There were also some formidable thieves who, for silver money, might steal from money exchanges or official treasury silver.


    These people, if not caught on the spot, could potentially flee far and wide, or go into hiding in the countryside and such places.


    Capturing them was no easy task.


    Hence, the number of official notices on the city walls had increased over time.


    Besides the government notices, there were also private notices posted.


    They were densely packed and very numerous.


    Those who had the status to post their private notices in the same area as the official announcements were either wealthy or noble.


    Otherwise, tearing your notice was the least of your worries; you could be directly accused of the crime of lese-majeste, arrested, and imprisoned. That was also a possibility.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, see if there is any notice offering a reward for reviving a precious herb!¡±


    Qin Niu called out to Xiao Qing to help him search.


    Unexpectedly, there really was one.


    After some effort, he found one.


    ¡°I have a herb that is over a hundred years old which recently contracted a mysterious illness, causing its leaves to wilt and black spots to appear on its stem. Having tried numerous methods to no avail, I am seeking a folk expert to save my precious herb. If it can be revived, a hefty reward of at least ten gold will be given. Address: 17 Longwang Alley, Western part of the city, respectfully posted by Wang Sheng.¡±


    At first glance, the content of this notice was exhilarating.


    The reward was at least ten gold pieces.


    One gold piece was equivalent to ten taels of silver, so ten gold meant a hundred taels of silver money.


    This was no small sum.


    However, after reading it, Qin Niu appeared somewhat hesitant.


    ¡°Master, isn¡¯t this notice quite good? Why not take it down?¡±


    Xiao Qing asked, puzzled.


    ¡°There are some illogical points in it, and I¡¯m worried about falling into a trap.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s Everlasting Spring Technique was extremely powerful, and curing a common herb was no problem at all.


    Moreover, he had now cultivated to the first level of the Acquired Realm, with quite profound power; curing a herb should be a piece of cake for him.


    The key was whether the reward could be collected after reviving the herb.


    ¡°A hundred-year-old herb, if valuable, could be worth about ten taels of silver, and that¡¯s if it¡¯s a high-grade herb like ginseng or Lingzhi. Think about it, after curing a hundred-year-old herb, the minimum reward is a hundred taels of silver money. Are there such herbs in this world?¡±


    Qin Niu was analyzing the irrational parts of the notice for her.


    He certainly wasn¡¯t a fish.


    Fish see the bait but not the hook, yet he was cautious and careful with every step, never losing his wits over substantial benefits.


    ¡°That does seem to make some sense. However, if the herb is extremely rare, it really could be worth more than a hundred taels of silver. Ginseng and Lingzhi can only be considered ordinary high-grade herbs. There are some that can significantly enhance cultivation, or help a beast pet advance or even herbs that can continuously produce special fruits or leaves, all of which could be worth far more than a hundred taels of silver.¡±


    Xiao Qing thought for a moment and presented her view.


    ¡°Then look at this address: The western part of the city is home to the poor. Although I¡¯m not familiar with Longwang Alley, it¡¯s unlikely that any extremely wealthy or noble person lives there. Anyone who could afford to pay a hundred taels of silver as a reward would have moved to the wealthy circles in the eastern part of the city long ago.¡±


    Qin Niu raised a second point of suspicion.


    The east has always been a symbol of nobility, and since ancient times there has been the saying ¡°auspicious qi comes from the east.¡±


    Even with ordinary residences, the owner lives on the eastern side, and guests or servants occupy the western rooms.


    This was nearly the same in Black Tiger City.


    Those with any power or status in the city, or the very wealthy merchants, would find ways to buy houses in the east, crowding into the circles of the privileged.


    ¡°How about I go and make some inquiries later? If there¡¯s a problem, we¡¯ll look for other work then.¡±


    Xiao Qing had lived in the city for many years; despite her young age, she possessed strong survival skills.


    She was familiar with the situation inside Black Tiger City.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    Qin Niu searched around and found over a dozen notices seeking aid to cure herbs and flowers; it was this notice that offered the highest reward.


    The others were only offering a few coins or one to two taels of silver.


    He found them too insignificant and unappealing.


    He wouldn¡¯t be bothered unless he could earn at least ten taels from one endeavor.


    After all, the fewer people who knew about this special ability, the better.


    It wasn¡¯t that there was great danger if people knew about his special ability; he just didn¡¯t want the trouble. Today one person would find him to treat a herb, tomorrow another would come knocking.


    It would become unbearably annoying over time.


    To refuse would easily offend people.


    If he agreed, it would interfere with his cultivation.


    And if he encountered someone unreasonable, they might even force him to stay at their residence.


    So, it was better for as few people as possible to know about this special ability.


    He took down the illogical notice and headed into the city with Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Stop, queue up to pay the entrance fee. This road is not for you to use freely,¡±


    A gang loafer blocked their way, berating them with a cold voice.


    Qin Niu did not waste words and simply flashed his waist badge.

 Chapter 155 - Chapter 150 The Boss Has Gone Mad_1

    Chapter 150 The Boss Has Gone Mad_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°It turns out to be the Insect Master. My apologies for any offense. Please, do come in.¡±


    Seeing the Bronze Fish Talisman in the idler¡¯s hands, after scrutinizing it carefully and confirming it was genuine, he immediately pulled a one hundred and eighty-degree about-face.


    The status of an idler was even lower than a petty official¡¯s.


    Even Tang Yan, who was half a step into the official hierarchy, sought to curry favor with Qin Niu, so how could an idler dare to act boldly in front of him?


    To truly anger Qin Niu and pull in the Insect Master Association behind him, let¡¯s not even talk about the idler, even the small officials above him would be dealt with. Attract trouble for the higher-ups? Don¡¯t even joke about it.


    If he didn¡¯t even have that much sense of survival, he would have been dismissed by his superiors long ago.


    Qin Niu, followed by Xiao Qing, swaggered into Black Tiger City.


    No need to queue, no need to pay the entrance fee.


    It¡¯s really nice to be a person of privilege.


    Even Xiao Qing, the servant, had her moment of flaunting authority, with no one daring to ask her for the city entrance fee.


    Those Black Armored Soldiers stood ramrod straight, looking neither left nor right.


    They wouldn¡¯t possibly get into a squabble with Qin Niu over such a trivial matter.


    The entrance fees they collected didn¡¯t end up in their pockets anyway.


    That¡¯s pretty much the gist of working for the state.


    As long as it doesn¡¯t affect their own interests, turn a blind eye.


    ¡°I was almost scared to death just now, those Black Armored Soldiers are so cool!¡± Xiao Qing said, pounding her chest with fear.


    ¡°Ha ha, they are also human, and they have cultivated step by step from ordinary people. It won¡¯t take you two years, and your cultivation will definitely surpass theirs,¡± Qin Niu said with a laugh.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She shook her head like a rattle-drum. ¡°Master, you have too high expectations of me! My grandfather never broke through to the Fivefold ordinary realm in his life, and it would be a great achievement for me to reach my grandfather¡¯s level.¡±


    The thought of being more formidable than the Black Armored Soldiers was simply inconceivable to her.


    ¡°You are different from your grandfather. Have you heard the saying, ¡®When one person attains the Dao, his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven¡¯? Since you¡¯re with me, I¡¯ll naturally help you elevate your cultivation,¡± Qin Niu said confidently with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Master treats me very well. However, the Medicine King Sutra I¡¯m cultivating is very difficult to advance in, so it would be better if Master doesn¡¯t waste too many resources on me. Otherwise, I would feel guilty. I¡¯m even more afraid of disappointing you if my cultivation hits a snag and doesn¡¯t progress,¡± she said seriously, expressing her thoughts.


    To this, Qin Niu just smiled and didn¡¯t dwell on the topic any longer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the True True Armor Shop at the shoe and garment market first!¡±


    He took Xiao Qing with him to the Armor Shop.


    Upon entering, they were greeted by the same shop assistant who liked to look down on people.


    He glanced at Qin Niu and Xiao Qing without much of a smile on his face.


    ¡°I would like to see your shopkeeper,¡± said Qin Niu, who now spoke with a very different tone due to his changed status.


    At these words, the shop assistant bristled.


    This country bumpkin, bringing his sister over today, dared to speak to him with such tone, who did he think he was?


    Just as the assistant was about to get angry, the shopkeeper came out from the back.


    ¡°Oh, young man, it¡¯s you! Are you in town buying things again today?¡± the owner greeted with a smile, exuding warmth. ¡°And what a pretty girl!¡± he added, complimenting Xiao Qing standing behind Qin Niu.


    ¡°Boss, could you take a look and see if this pigskin can be made into armor?¡± Qin Niu took out the pig king¡¯s skin.


    Seeing the sizable and seemingly sturdy pigskin, the shopkeeper looked somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Hmm, this pigskin is much larger than the one you sold me last time, and it looks even thicker,¡± the owner commented as he took it, preparing to lay it out on the ground to check it.


    As soon as he held it in his hands, his expression turned odd.


    Looking closely at the pigskin in his hands, the shopkeeper¡¯s surprise kept increasing.


    He hurried to the assistant at the back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, move that table over here.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be just fine to place the pigskin on the ground?¡±


    The assistant somewhat reluctantly moved the table over.


    The shopkeeper placed the pigskin on the table and spread it out.


    Since the table wasn¡¯t wide enough, the pigskin hung down on both sides.


    The length of the table was just barely sufficient, though.


    The shopkeeper excitedly stretched out his hand and caressed the pigskin, even closing his eyes to finely feel the sensation at his fingertips and palm.


    His hands were trembling nonstop.


    ¡°What fine hide! This, this is not only a king¡¯s hide but also imbued with demonic energy throughout. Incredible, truly incredible.¡±


    The shopkeeper muttered to himself.


    Even having seen many high-grade beast hides before, he was still extraordinarily excited at this moment.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, can you make armor out of this hide for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! I will personally tailor and craft it for you. This fine King Hide, I only saw it once when I was very young, learning to identify beast hides with my grandfather. Over forty years have blinked by since then, and I never thought I¡¯d see it once more in my lifetime. It truly must be fate! With that beast hide back then, my grandfather crafted a set of armor for a customer, which earned him the honorific title of a true master.


    My father never got to see such an opportunity until his dying day.


    I thought that I would be just like my father, but to think, young brother, that you¡¯ve bestowed upon me this grand opportunity. I¡¯m truly too excited.¡±


    The shopkeeper was ecstatic.


    Qin Niu, not being from this line of work, didn¡¯t understand how tough it was for an armorsmith to advance.


    Without good materials, even the most skilled artisan couldn¡¯t craft fine armor.


    Magical beasts were already rare, and hunting them was exceedingly difficult.


    And it wasn¡¯t the only Armor Shop, there were many.


    If someone else hunted a magical beast, either the skin was too small, unsuitable for making armor, or even if the skin was large enough, they might not choose him to do the job.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, could the armor made from this pigskin possess half the defense of the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor?¡±


    Qin Niu felt that the defense of the beast hide would surely not match that of metal.


    Hence his question.


    ¡°Oh boy, asking like that, you¡¯re completely insulting this King Hide! Truly fine armor isn¡¯t forged from metal. This is what my grandfather taught me. He told me that no matter how exceptional an artisan¡¯s skills are, metal-made armors lack spirit and are merely cobbled together. The most ideal armor is made from materials like beast hides, entire beast bones, and special insect silk.


    ¡°Wearing it not only provides flexibility and lightness, but also an essence that metal armor doesn¡¯t have.


    Many people only know that weapons can choose their owners, yet don¡¯t realize that a fine piece of armor can do the same.


    I will pour all my lifelong learning into making this armor for you, young man.


    I dare not say it will surely satisfy you, but at least it will be the masterpiece of my career.¡±


    The shopkeeper spoke with a dedicated and confident tone.


    ¡°Then how much would the crafting fee be?¡±


    ¡°Free! As long as you¡¯re willing to entrust its making to me, I won¡¯t ask for a single copper coin in payment, and I will be grateful to you for a lifetime. If you come to my shop to buy armor or protective gear in the future, I will sell it to you at cost.¡±


    The shopkeeper was beyond excited.


    Not only was he offering to make it for free, but he also promised to sell other armors to Qin Niu at cost price in the future.


    The assistant was completely dumbfounded.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, this pigskin is quite large; besides wanting to make a suit of armor for myself, I¡¯d like to use the leftover material to also make one for my maidservant.¡±


    Qin Niu made his request to the shopkeeper.


    Xiao Qing bit her lip when she heard this on the side without saying a word.


    Her master treated her like his own younger sister, and she could feel this kindness.


    ¡°Alih¡­ that would be possible. Only thing is, I want to craft the most perfect armor, and that would require using the best parts of the pigskin. The remaining material used to make the maidservant¡¯s armor might be slightly inferior. Also, seeing that she¡¯s still young now, I will try to accommodate future growth, so she can wear it as a vest later.¡±


    The shopkeeper put forth his idea.


    And he explained in advance that there might be some differences between the two sets of armor.

 Chapter 156 - Chapter 151: The Grand Mansion_1

    Chapter 151: The Grand Mansion_1


    Translator: 549690339 I


    ¡°I wonder how long will it take to make?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°The fastest could be half a month, and if it¡¯s slow, it might take about a month. If the young brother finds it inconvenient to come to the city to pick it up, I could also deliver it to your residence after it¡¯s made,¡±


    the owner said, fearing that Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t entrust him with the task, and he strived to provide Qin Niu with the best service possible.


    It was extremely difficult to hunt down a Pig King, but what Qin Niu cared about more was whether this chubby shop owner had excellent armor-crafting skills.


    He subconsciously looked up at the armor displayed on the wall.


    ¡°Those are armors I crafted by hand, and even this rhomboid shield was made by me. Young brother, you can take a look at the craftsmanship,¡±


    the owner said. He greeted and saw off customers every day and could tell from Qin Niu¡¯s glance what he was worried about.


    He immediately took out what he considered his best work to show Qin Niu.


    ¡°Was this leather armor also made by you?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    the owner nodded.


    ¡°May I try it on?¡±


    ¡°Of course! But this leather armor was custom-made for a client, tailored to their height and body shape, so it might not fit you perfectly when you put it on.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just try it on.¡±


    With the owner¡¯s help, Qin Niu tried on the leather armor right there and then, moving his body around, his limbs were flexible, and not too greatly hindered.


    ¡°May I also try on that set of Hundred-Tempering Black Armor?¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    The owner took down the valuable Hundred -Tempering Black Armor and helped Qin Niu put it on.


    Putting on the armor was far more complicated than one might think.


    The dressing of an Insect Master Robe was complicated enough for him, but compared to the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor, it was like a small witch standing before a great sorcerer.


    This set of Hundred-Tempering Black Armor could be disassembled into multiple parts.


    The head portion had a helmet, phoenix wing brow protectors, a faceplate, a neck guard, and a red tassel on top. The torso part for the chest and abdomen was even more complex.


    It included parts like the chestplate fasteners, shoulder shields, arm guards, breastplate, pelvis armor, coat armor, abdominal guards, thigh guards, skirt armor, and more.


    The legs had shin guards.


    Just putting it on took nearly a quarter of an hour.


    Once on, it was quite heavy.


    But the silent majesty that naturally emanated was undeniable.


    Clothes make the man, and gold makes the Buddha.


    Once he donned this set of Hundred-Tempering Black Armor, he was immediately transformed into a formidable and majestic soldier.


    ¡°Master, you look even more imposing than the soldiers at the city gate when you wear this armor!¡±


    Xiao Qing¡¯s eyes shone as she watched from the side.


    Usually, being around Qin Niu all day and night, she didn¡¯t notice anything particular, but now that he was wearing the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor, she realized for the first time that the aura her master exuded was even stronger than that of the real Black Armored Soldiers.


    She was unaware that Qin Niu had already reached the first layer of the Acquired Realm.


    Since his skin, membranes, and bones had been tempered, naturally, he was incomparable to a common Black Armored Soldier.


    If one had some connections or background, even a person of mere Eightfold cultivation could become a candidate for the Black Armored Army.


    What¡¯s a candidate?


    That is someone who fills a vacancy when a position opens, and then becomes official.


    Therefore, among the Black Armored Soldiers, those with weaker abilities were only at the level of Eightfold or Ninefold cultivation.


    Their cultivation was not just a little inferior to Qin Niu¡¯s.


    It was an entire realm behind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel that I am so imposing; I just sense the smell of Silver Money. This is armor worth five hundred taels of silver a set! It¡¯s too luxurious,¡±


    Qin Niu said after trying it on, his heart favoring the leather armor even more.


    The black iron armor, despite being imposing and offering strong defense, felt exceptionally cold.


    That leather armor, however, felt light and agile on the body, like wearing an extra cotton-padded jacket, making one feel comfortable and natural.


    ¡°The owner¡¯s craftsmanship is really amazing! The wearing experience of both sets of armors is good, so I will entrust my pigskin to the owner,¡±


    Qin Niu expressed, and a brilliant smile appeared on the shop owner¡¯s round, chubby face immediately.


    ¡°Ha ha, young brother, you are too kind. Rest assured, I will do my best to craft leather armors for you both. Since it¡¯s settled, let me take your measurements, such as height, shoulder width, and waist circumference,¡±


    he knew he had secured the big job.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Qin Niu cooperatively spread his arms, allowing the owner to take his body measurements.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t see that coming; turns out you¡¯re an Insect Master! My apologies for the oversight!¡±


    The owner exclaimed after spotting the bronze Fish Talisman peeking from Qin Niu¡¯s waist, taken aback slightly.


    Yet his expression became much more respectful.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an empty title, pay it no heed,¡±


    Qin Niu said indifferently.


    The shop clerk beside them was breaking out in a cold sweat.


    He had never imagined that this poor country boy could actually be a revered Insect Master. Thinking back on how he received Qin Niu every time with arrogance and rudeness sent chills down his spine.


    It was only because the Insect Master was forgiving and didn¡¯t take offense.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even know how he would have died.


    After measuring Qin Niu and Xiao Qing¡¯s sizes, the shop owner issued a receipt, and Qin Niu left with Xiao Qing.


    To craft two sets of leather armor, Qin Niu originally thought it would cost at least three or four taels of silver.


    But after the owner saw they were using demon beast skin, he waived the labor cost outright.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, since we¡¯re at the Shoe and Clothing Market, let me buy you a couple of pairs of shoes and clothes,¡±


    Qin Niu had noticed long ago that she had very few clothes, just two outfits, and was still wearing her worn shoes.


    ¡°Sister Cai Xian said she had ordered two outfits for me; they should be delivered in a few days,¡± Xiao Qing said softly.


    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing? How come I didn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    Qin Niu was very surprised.


    ¡°Sister Cai Xian told me not to tell you.¡±


    She hung her head, picking at her fingers.


    She had kept this matter from Qin Niu because she feared he would disagree if he found out.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you use to like Sister Wanyan more? Now you¡¯re calling Cai Xian ¡®Sister¡¯ so affectionately!¡±


    Qin Niu teased her with a playful gaze.


    He wasn¡¯t angry about her concealing the gift of the clothes from Tang Caixian.


    Which girl didn¡¯t like beautiful clothes?


    Xiao Qing¡¯s clothes were already quite worn-out, and Tang Caixian giving her two sets of clothes made it impossible for her to refuse.


    ¡°Master¡­ don¡¯t be angry. I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you. I thought, since you¡¯ll be marrying Cai Xian into our family later, I just agreed,¡± she said.


    ¡°You little devil, arranging your master¡¯s marriage like that! If you dare make such decisions again, I¡¯ll sell you off,¡± Qin Niu said, glaring at her.


    Xiao Qing, frightened, shrank her neck in fear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I was planning to buy you two sets of clothes. Since Cai Xian has already ordered two for you, I¡¯ll just buy you one,¡± he said.


    Now that Qin Niu¡¯s status had risen and he had the ability to earn money, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let her wear poor clothes.


    He took Xiao Qing to a clothing store and bought her a new set of clothes and two pairs of shoes.


    Meanwhile, he bought himself two sets of coarse cloth clothes and two pairs of shoes.


    After leaving the clothing market, Qin Niu headed straight for the address left by the mysterious old man.


    With Xiao Qing leading the way, they found it without much trouble.


    From the outside, it looked like a large mansion surrounded by high walls.


    The doors were tightly closed.


    Buying such a large house in the city would definitely not come cheap.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, I¡¯m going in, you stay outside, and it¡¯s best if you hide further away. If I don¡¯t come out after two hours, go find Chairman Li at the Insect Master Association,¡± Qin Niu instructed her.


    Before arriving, Qin Niu had already considered the many risks he might face.


    A green giant hornet that could sell for one hundred and fifty taels of silver did excite him.


    He also needed a large sum of silver at the moment.


    Whether living in the countryside or in the city, life without money was worse than that of a dog.


    He needed money for books, various household items, and everyday expenses.


    Having money in hand made him less anxious when facing issues.


    ¡°Be careful, master,¡± Xiao Qing said as she cleverly hid herself far away.


    Qin Niu knocked on the beast-shaped knocker.


    Such wealthy families truly lived in luxury. Even the door knocker was an extremely heavy bronze ring.


    One that could weigh about a jin and seven or eight taels.


    Although the price of bronze wasn¡¯t as high as silver, it was much more expensive than iron. In moderately wealthy families, like Wang Furen¡¯s, they would skimp on the material for door nails and rings as much as possible.


    The bronze ring passed through the mouth of a beast-shaped adornment.


    It looked very imposing and awe-inspiring.


    After knocking three times, there was no response.


    Qin Niu wondered, as the address was correct!


    Just as he grabbed the ring intending to knock a few more times, a side door opened a crack, and a middle-aged man about forty peeked out to see who it was.


    ¡°Hello, uncle, may I ask if this is Old Master Huang¡¯s residence?¡± Qin Niu inquired.


    The old man hadn¡¯t given his full name.


    He only provided an address and a surname, Huang.


    ¡°Who are you? What do you want with Old Master Huang?¡± the middle-aged man sized up Qin Niu.


    ¡°My name is Qin Niu. Old Master Huang wants to buy a hornet from me. Please inform him,¡± Qin Niu presented his waist tag for the man to see.


    When the middle-aged man saw the bronze fish talisman, his expression unchanged, he still looked indifferent.


    This was enough to indicate that Old Master Huang was no ordinary person.


    A servant guarding the gate wouldn¡¯t possess such composure otherwise.


    ¡°Wait here!¡± said the man before closing the small door again.


    Many large mansions were like this, strangers could not enter at all. They wouldn¡¯t even let you glimpse inside the courtyard.


    That¡¯s because there are often valuable or private items within the mansions of wealthy families that could catch the eye of thieves, which would be disastrous. Moreover, thieves who don¡¯t know the specifics inside would naturally not dare to climb over the wall and break in.


    They would instead make up excuses to probe the layout and situation inside the courtyard before looking for opportunities to commit their crimes.


    Many women say that marrying into a mansion means they might never come out again, and this isn¡¯t an exaggeration.


    Qin Niu patiently waited outside for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then heard footsteps from inside, followed by the large door being opened.


    ¡°The young brother really trusts easily! Please come in!¡± said the mysterious old man, looking the same as the last time Qin Niu saw him, though now he was dressed in a white practice outfit.


    Opening the gate to welcome him was the kind of reception reserved for honored guests.


    It was clear that the old man placed great importance on Qin Niu.


    ¡°I greet Old Master Huang!¡± Qin Niu bowed his hands in salutation.


    This man was definitely his senior, with inscrutable insect-controlling skills.


    ¡°Haha, let¡¯s save those complex formalities, my place doesn¡¯t stand on such ceremony. Please follow closely, there are some insects that I¡¯ve raised in the courtyard. Should they be startled, I¡¯m worried they might hurt you,¡± Old Master Huang led the way.


    Qin Niu took the opportunity to survey the entire courtyard.


    A luxurious carriage was parked in the carriage shed, and not far from it, in the stable, stood a jet-black horse with a coat glossy as satin.


    It somewhat resembled a black steed, yet it had some differences.

 Chapter 157 - Chapter 152: Corpse Bee t

    Chapter 152: Corpse Bee t


    Translator: 549690339 I


    The courtyard was planted with various flowers and plants, as well as several lush trees.


    Many wealthy households typically only planted low-lying flowers and grass in their front courtyards and fruit trees in their backyards, as well as ornamental trees, and would construct fish ponds, cool pavilions, and the like.


    But this Old Master Huang did the opposite.


    Qin Niu also noticed that only the path he walked on was paved with floor tiles, while other places were either lawns or bare earth.


    Close to the entrance corridor of the house, there was a lotus pond that was ten feet square.


    Inside, one could see the black mud and the lotus flowers that were in full bloom.


    However, Qin Niu discovered that the lotus flowers in the pond contained an astonishing amount of energy and emitted a strong medicinal fragrance.


    His Medicine King Sutra skills were already quite strong, so even if there was only a slight amount of energy in a medicinal herb, he could sense it. The energy contained in the lotus flowers in the pond far exceeded his expectations.


    Moreover, he found that although there seemed to be many lotuses in the entire pond, the medicinal fragrance that rose up was only from one source.


    This meant that the entire lotus pond was actually one single organism.


    ¡°Old Huang, your lotus pond is really elegant. It¡¯s such a refreshing sight.¡±


    Qin Niu complimented with a smile.


    ¡°Hehe, take it as something for everyone to appreciate. I¡¯m not one for all those rules and regulations. In my own courtyard, I plant whatever I want. But you mustn¡¯t get close to the lotus pond; it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    A sycophantic compliment is rarely unappreciated.


    Clearly, Qin Niu¡¯s praise made Old Master Huang very happy.


    Qin Niu detected the implication in the words¡ªthere were likely poisonous insects living in the lotus pond. Should a thief sneak into the house and unknowingly pass by here, they might well be bitten to death.


    This house was truly full of hidden dangers.


    Old Master Huang used insect-rearing as a means to construct defenses for his house, a method that Qin Niu found quite interesting.


    In the future, he too could set up some defensive mechanisms in his own house.


    As he entered the passageway leading to the house, he faintly heard a buzzing sound overhead.


    Looking up, he saw an enormous beehive hanging right above his head and several large yellow bees, as thick as knife handles, busily moving about outside the hive.


    ¡°No wonder you wanted to buy a Green Giant bee last time; turns out you¡¯re also a beekeeping enthusiast!¡±


    Qin Niu had a strong ability to identify insects.


    He quietly appraised the large yellow bees hanging above him.


    These yellow bees were quite large, more than ten times the size of ordinary yellow bees.


    Their mouthparts were highly developed, their jaws looking rather terrifying.


    Additionally, there was a faint foul smell emanating from them, somewhat like the smell of dead fish.


    The bands on their bodies were not yellow, but brown.


    To be more precise, it was an ashen color.


    Normally, the color of the bands on a yellow bee¡¯s body is hard to change.


    Because a change in color implies a change in bee species.


    ¡°I¡¯m just an amateur. The hive of bees I¡¯m raising isn¡¯t anything exceptional. Last time, when I saw the Green Giant bee you were selling, which seemed to contain a trace of Green Demon Bee bloodline, I wanted to buy one to crossbreed with mine, to see if a stronger bee species could be cultivated. Alas, the Green Demon, a genius of his generation, died young, leaving behind countless legends for us bee enthusiasts.¡±


    When Old Master Huang mentioned the Green Demon, there was a look of admiration on his face.


    Qin Niu realized that every powerful Insect Master he had met seemed to hold the Green Demon in high regard.


    No one cared about the evil deeds the Green Demon had committed.


    Perhaps in the eyes of Insect Masters, indulging in personal vendettas is the true nature of a man. The Green Demon had killed many people, but there were reasons for each incident.


    If they hadn¡¯t oppressed the Green Demon to the utmost and humiliated him in every possible way, how could they have brought upon themselves such a deadly retribution?


    Even the Seven Star Sect Master¡¯s death was not unjust.


    Because he failed to handle things properly from the beginning.


    The government launched a blitz attack on the Green Demon without seeking the truth, which indirectly led to the death of the Green Demon¡¯s sister. This was akin to touching the Green Demon¡¯s raw nerve.


    Both of them entered the main hall and, after seating themselves according to guest and host, two exquisitely dressed young maids presented fragrant tea and fruit.


    The rich really know how to enjoy life.


    These two maids, whether in terms of figure or looks, were far superior to Wang Furen¡¯s maid.


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze, however, didn¡¯t linger on them. Instead, he was silently pondering over the nest of wasps Old Master Huang had raised.


    The gray-brown rings on the wasps, varying in depth, and the spotty patterns on their wings caught his attention.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel a violent tremor.


    Those wasps were most likely Corpse Bees.


    In times of food scarcity, the large yellow wasps often fed on the decaying corpses of animals.


    They did not harvest honey, were not sensitive to the scent of pollen, but were extremely sensitive to the smell of flesh.


    The dead insects as well as carcasses of wild beasts and birds were their food.


    More often, they directly attacked the nests of other bees or insects, initiating plunder and slaughter.


    ¡°Correct, they must be Corpse Bees. If they only fed on the corpses of ordinary animals, it would be difficult for their wings to develop spots. Moreover, the gray-brown rings on their bodies couldn¡¯t possibly be that color. It¡¯s very likely they have been feeding on human corpses.¡±


    At this thought, Qin Niu became highly vigilant.


    He had no wish to be killed and then fed to those Corpse Bees.


    ¡°Old Master Huang, I have an engagement with Chairman Li and should not impose any longer. This is a Green Demon Bee I¡¯ve meticulously bred; please examine it to see if it meets your standards,¡± he said.


    Having sensed danger, Qin Niu naturally dared not drink the tea offered by the beautiful maids.


    Nor did he dare to eat the exquisite pastries.


    For this reason, he didn¡¯t hesitate to tell a lie, claiming to have an arrangement with Chairman Li.


    It would allow him to leave early under a legitimate pretense and might also deter the other party from harboring thoughts of murder and plunder.


    Although until now, he hadn¡¯t felt the slightest hint of murderous intent, or even hostility, from Old Master Huang.


    But he still didn¡¯t dare to be careless.


    ¡°Indeed, this is the Green Demon Bee I¡¯ve been looking for. Mu Kuai, fetch one hundred and fifty taels of silver for the young brother,¡± said Old Master Huang with glee after inspecting the goods.


    Clutching the cage with the Green Demon Bee, he couldn¡¯t stop inspecting it, appearing utterly enchanted.


    The middle-aged man who had opened the door for Qin Niu came over with a silver note.


    The exact amount, no more, no less: one hundred and fifty taels.


    When the man handed the silver note to Qin Niu, his face remained expressionless.


    Moreover, when Qin Niu got close to him, he faintly detected a strange odor.


    It was somewhat like the scent given off by Corpse Bees, yet not quite the same.


    After taking the silver note, he immediately stood up to take his leave.


    ¡°Old Master Huang, I shall not disturb you any further. I wish you the best in breeding stronger new bee species and in reviving the former glory of the Green Demon. Farewell.¡±


    Qin Niu showed great respect to Old Master Huang.


    He bowed with his hands folded in front of him.


    ¡°Young brother, if you come across better bee species in the future, feel free to look for me. As long as I¡¯m satisfied, I promise to buy them at a high price. Mu Kuai, see the young brother out,¡± Huang said.


    ¡°Please!¡±


    Mu Kuai mechanically extended his hand in a gesturing motion.


    Qin Niu retraced his steps all the way out and didn¡¯t let out a sigh of relief until he had walked a good distance from the large residence.


    What he had been most worried about was Old Master Huang revealing his fangs.


    He had already decided that if it came down to it, he would abandon the one hundred and fifty taels of silver.


    If the other party continued to be aggressive, he would be left with no choice but to fight to the death in a desperate struggle.

 Chapter 158 - Chapter 153 Is this a case of a foolish person with too much money?_1

    Chapter 153 Is this a case of a foolish person with too much money?_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The first layer of the Acquired Realm coupled with a Treasured Sword and a moderately successful Slash Martial Skill, he was not entirely without fighting strength.


    When wild animals hunt their prey, there is a law of injury prevention: the higher the intelligence of the wild animal, the more cautious its hunting.


    Human intelligence far surpasses that of wild animals, and their actions are naturally even more cautious.


    For a mere one hundred and fifty Silver Money, Old Master Huang¡¯s family had a significant enterprise and would not resort to desperate measures.


    But if someone believed that he had cultivated a Queen Bee stronger than the giant green hornet, then it would be difficult to say.


    In any case, Old Master Huang¡¯s mansion exuded a bone-chilling eeriness everywhere, and he definitely would not come back again.


    The middle-aged man at the gate also made Qin Niu feel somewhat out of the ordinary.


    His movements felt a bit stiff, his face was always without expression, and his eyes were even more bizarre. Also, when he handed over the silver note, the putrid smell emanating from his body was remarkably similar to that of a Corpse Bee.


    All these details made Qin Niu¡¯s hair stand on end.


    He thought about the silver note, took it out and sniffed it at his nose, detecting the faint smell of decay once again.


    ¡°Master, was the transaction smooth?¡±


    Xiao Qing crawled out from a hidden spot.


    ¡°It went reasonably well. That household is very strange; you must never go there. Let¡¯s hurry on our way!¡±


    Qin Niu briskly left with Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Are we still going to that family in the west of the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course we are. There¡¯s money to be made, why not earn it?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already earned quite a bit of Silver Money? The large silver notes are a hundred Taels each, and the smaller ones are fifty Taels. You¡¯ve earned one hundred and fifty Taels, why take the risk?¡±


    She asked somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°You little imp, you have quite the eagle eyes! I just sniffed the silver note, and you already know how much it is.¡±


    Qin Niu said, praising her with a laugh.


    ¡°Oh, I get it! You definitely want to earn more money to marry those two beautiful sisters back home.¡±


    She exclaimed as if she had an epiphany.


    ¡± What are you thinking about? Wan Yan and Cai Xian and I haven¡¯t even started. I want to earn more money to buy mountains, buy land, get you new clothes, and to purchase Elixirs and cultivation techniques. There are too many uses.¡±


    No one would think they have too much Silver Money.


    Even for a Cultivator, with riches, companions, and fertile lands, money still comes first.


    The master and servant arrived at Longwang Alley in the west of the city and found the house according to the address.


    ¡°This should be it! The same as usual: you wait outside for me. If something happens, go to the Insect Master Association and ask Chairman Li for help.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know any other influential figures now.


    The only person he could think of was Chairman Li.


    As for Master Hu, although he treated him nicely, the status of an Insect Identification Appraiser was still somewhat low.


    If he encountered a formidable opponent, Master Hu coming to rescue him might end up costing both of them dearly.


    ¡°Master, please be careful!¡±


    Every time she saw Qin Niu risk his life for Silver Money, a particularly worried expression would appear on her face.


    Because Qin Niu was her only support now.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Once Qin Niu saw her hide her figure well in the distance, he knocked on the door.


    Compared to Old Master Huang¡¯s tall walls and spacious courtyard, this house looked much more shabby. The house was very old, the knocker was made of iron and had long been corroded. The low courtyard wall was covered in moss, and many places on the surface were patchy and peeling.


    This family did not look like wealthy people who could afford a reward of a hundred Taels of Silver Money.


    The door opened quickly, and an old man in grey clothes peeked out half his body.


    ¡°Old gentleman, is it your family that posted this notice?¡±


    Qin Niu showed the notice to the man for inspection.


    ¡°Yes! I wonder what the young man¡¯s skill in treating plants is like?¡±


    Seeing his youth, the old man doubted his ability.


    ¡°I have some understanding.¡±


    Qin Niu appeared very calm.


    Given the miraculous nature of the Everlasting Spring Technique he cultivated, he was fully capable of healing most plants, allowing them to regain vitality.


    The question was whether the other party could offer enough Silver Money.


    ¡°Here, it¡¯s that potted plant. It¡¯s badly withered now; do you think you can revive it?¡±


    The old man turned and pointed at a potted plant under the eaves.


    It looked severely wilted.


    Its top leaves had completely dried up and turned black, only the leaves near the roots still had a bit of bright yellow, indicating it was not yet completely dead.


    ¡°People grey first at the head when old, trees wither starting from the roots when dying; it seems very likely that the roots of this plant are seriously dead.¡±


    Qin Niu, now a mid-level farmer, was not lacking in planting skills.


    After inspecting it, he gained some understanding of the plant¡¯s current state.


    ¡°Old gentleman, you¡¯re not being sincere!¡±


    Qin Niu said and turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait, young man, why do you say that?¡±


    The old man called out to him from behind.


    ¡°For just this potted plant, to bring it back to life, you would give me a reward of a hundred Taels of Silver Money? Buying a new one wouldn¡¯t cost much at all, right? The problem with this plant lies in the roots, making revival extremely difficult. If it were valuable, perhaps I could give it a try. As it is, I advise you to give up.¡±


    After saying that, Qin Niu walked out of the courtyard without looking back.


    This family didn¡¯t even qualify as slightly wealthy; they only owned this old and decrepit house in the city.


    Selling the house wouldn¡¯t even collect a hundred Taels of Silver Money.


    It was a complete mockery.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, young man; the reward on this notice is real, and my request for help in curing the plant is also genuine. If I can afford a hundred Taels of Silver Money, can you revive this plant for me?¡±


    The elder said, and indeed took out a silver note of a hundred Taels from his bosom.


    ¡°This¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re not joking? A plant like this is not worth the effort of treatment!¡±


    Qin Niu said in surprise.


    ¡°Just tell me, can you save it or not?¡±


    ¡°I can try. However, you can¡¯t go back on this. I need to be paid first, then write a pledge, and only then will I try to heal it. If I save it, the hundred taels of Silver Money are mine as a fee. If I can¡¯t save it, I will not take a penny.¡±


    Seeing that the old man didn¡¯t seem to be lying, Qin Niu decided to give it a try.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s absolutely fine.¡±


    The old man wrote a pledge on the spot and gave him a silver note for one hundred taels.


    ¡°This silver note is real, right?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help thinking this money was too easy to earn.


    It made him feel very uneasy.


    ¡°The bank hasn¡¯t closed yet. If the young man suspects there¡¯s a problem with the silver note, I can accompany you to exchange it right now.¡±


    ¡°I was just asking casually, I trust the Old Master.¡±


    After careful examination, Qin Niu found no issues with the silver note.


    Moreover, since the other party had written a pledge, it should be genuine.


    This old man probably belonged to the type rich and foolish.


    A hundred taels of Silver Money was more than many people could earn in a lifetime, yet the old man was simply handing it over.


    Qin Niu put away the silver note.


    It seemed he would be staying overnight in the city.


    He calculated and had Xiao Qing find an inn to stay for the night.


    ¡°Old Master, I will come by a bit later tonight. Keep this silver note for now, and give it to me when I arrive later, is that okay?¡±


    It was not easy to make a trip to the city, and it was good to take care of everything he had to do.


    If there was moonlight tonight, he would be able to earn this sum of Silver Money.


    He planned to rush back to the countryside early tomorrow morning.


    It would be even better if he had a mount.


    That calf, Xiao Nui, was still evolving and likely wouldn¡¯t be able to complete the process in the short term.


    Raise another horse?


    He had no such plans at the moment.


    ¡°Keep the silver note. You are free to go wherever you want in the city, but if you want to leave the city, make sure to come back and let me know first.¡±


    The old man was extremely calm when he said this.


    It showed he was not afraid of Qin Niu taking the money and running away.


    Appearances can be deceiving, as can the depths of the sea.


    What kind of background did this old man have?


    A person who could casually bring out a hundred taels of Silver Money was definitely not ordinary.


    By the sound of it, he likely wielded considerable power within the city.


    ¡°That works!¡±


    Qin Niu thought it would be good to find a shop to verify the authenticity of the silver note.


    After leaving the dilapidated house, Qin Niu met up with Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, let¡¯s go to the Cultivation Market first. I will come back to this household to treat the plant tonight. You find an inn and settle in. Tomorrow morning, once I have saved that plant, I will take you back to the countryside.¡±


    Qin Niu shared the general plan with her.


    ¡°That household is really willing to pay you a hundred taels of Silver Money to save a plant?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. This is the silver note the old man gave me.¡±


    Qin Niu took out the silver note and showed it to her.


    ¡°Is the silver note real?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it should be genuine. This is a silver note from the Heaven and Earth Bank. Not to mention ordinary people, even the Black Tiger Gang Leader wouldn¡¯t dare to counterfeit it.¡± After examining it, Xiao Qing confirmed that the silver note was authentic.


    ¡°Is the Heaven and Earth Bank very powerful?¡±


    When it came to these high-end institutions, Qin Niu was completely ¡®illiterate¡¯.


    A country person, many have never seen silver notes in their lifetime.


    They hardly ever see silver ingots. What they use most is copper coins, Silver Pieces.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s powerful. The branches of Heaven and Earth Bank are spread all over the world, and no one knows exactly how many there are. It is known that almost every city has a branch of Heaven and Earth Bank, and they have a solid gold credit. With their silver note, you can withdraw money at any of their branches.¡±


    This was indeed incredibly cool.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard that Heaven and Earth Bank not only deals with mortals, but even cultivators keep their money with them.¡±


    ¡°Alt¡­ so cool, no wonder you said even the Black Tiger Gang Leader wouldn¡¯t dare to fake it!¡±


    Qin Niu gained a deeper understanding of the Heaven and Earth Bank.


    This type of existence even had the power to obliterate the Black Tiger Gang.


    It could only be described as terrifying.


    The master and servant entered the Cultivation Market and went straight to Miaodan Pavilion.


    Qin Niu wanted to understand the use of Beast Cores.


    He wanted to see if Miaodan Pavilion could help refine them into Elixirs that could be taken.


    With the power of the Acquired Realm¡¯s first level, he was eager to gain even stronger cultivation.


    Miaodan Pavilion was just as busy as the last time he visited, with a never- ending stream of customers coming to buy Elixirs.


    This time, Qin Niu directly put on an Insect Master¡¯s robe.


    As soon as he entered, he was warmly greeted by someone immediately.


    ¡°Respected Insect Master, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know, if I have a Beast Core, can you refine it into an Elixir for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we can! Miaodan Pavilion employs over a hundred Pharmacists and Elixir Masters. We are the largest Elixir shop in Black Tiger City, integrating the planting of medicinal herbs, alchemy, Elixir sales, herbal cultivation, and healing. Whatever the customer needs, we provide the highest quality service.¡±


    The attendant proudly introduced the strength of Miaodan Pavilion.


    Being able to sustain over a hundred Pharmacists and Elixir Masters, the scale was indeed astonishing.

 Chapter 159 - Chapter 154 Alchemist Price List 1

    Chapter 154 Alchemist Price List 1


    Translator: 549690339


    Even when including apprentice pharmacists and Dan Tong, being able to reach a scale of a hundred people still proves to be quite strong.


    ¡°How do you charge for your services? And what kind of elixirs can you refine for me?¡±


    Qin Niu certainly needed to understand the details before deciding whether to hire someone to refine elixirs.


    ¡°The fee is based on the type of elixir you need refined, as well as the size and grade of the beast core. Some beast cores have a lot of impurities and require the addition of various materials to purge the contaminants, which can make the service more expensive. Even just the purifying process for ordinary beast cores isn¡¯t cheap. If you are interested, I can ask a Dan Tong to come and discuss the details with you.¡±


    The clerk¡¯s job was to handle reception, and he might have a smattering of knowledge about herbs and elixirs.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Qin Niu said to the clerk.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the clerk fetched a Dan Tong, who was dressed in a white robe.


    Pharmacists and alchemists, in fact, focus on different things.


    Pharmacists specialize in the cultivation, collection, identification, and processing of herbs, and they excel at how to combine herbs effectively. Alchemists are adept at blending medicinal materials with additives and refining them into elixir pills.


    It can be understood that pharmacists do basic work, while alchemists perform higher-level technical tasks.


    Many impressive alchemists are also pharmacists.


    This is the origin of the title ¡®Elixir Master¡¯.


    If one only excels in either alchemy or pharmaceuticals, they aren¡¯t qualified to be called an Elixir Master.


    Rather, they can only be referred to as a pharmacist or alchemist.


    Furthermore, the status of an alchemist is higher than that of a pharmacist, and the income is likewise higher.


    Alchemists can enhance the effects of a single herb through the addition of auxiliary ingredients and purifying techniques. Mastery of the flame during the refining process is one of the core skills of an alchemist.


    Pharmacists, however, are devoted to understanding the properties of herbs and don¡¯t have the capability of enhancing the efficacy of the herbs.


    For example, consuming a certain herb could allow a person¡¯s cultivation to advance from the onefold of the Acquired Realm to the twofold. Moreover, due to certain toxicity, the herb might cause extreme pain during ingestion.


    But through an alchemist¡¯s refining and the addition of ingredients, that same herb can become non-toxic and even enable a person to advance from the onefold of the Acquired Realm to the threefold, or even higher.


    That is the capability of an alchemist.


    1 he apprentice that had served Qin Niu last time wore a grey robe. But this Dan Tong was dressed in a white robe, with a noticeable gold cauldron pattern embroidered on his chest.


    Their attire alone placed him a level above the apprentice in status.


    He carried himself with a touch of arrogance.


    One would almost think this kid was serving as an alchemy novice to the Supreme Elder Lord.


    ¡°Are you the one who wants to purify a beast core?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°The starting fee is ten taels of silver, and there¡¯s a chance of failure in purifying. Are you sure you want to proceed?¡±


    The Dan Tong spoke with a hint of coldness.


    The mere starting price for purifying a single beast core was ten taels of silver, which was truly not cheap. Buying a single Tempering Elixir would only cost three taels of silver.


    Why is the price of purifying a beast core much more expensive than buying an elixir?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.


    He wasn¡¯t keen on the Dan Tong¡¯s inherent arrogance.


    The words spoken were quite cold, delivered with an air of just going through the motions.


    ¡°Our cheapest elixir is the Detoxification Pill, one tael of silver each. The most affordable of the cultivation-related elixirs is the Tempering Elixir, three taels of silver each. But these two types of elixirs have no comparison to the elixirs refined from purified beast cores. Let me put it this way, even the poorest beast core, if successfully purified, will produce an elixir worth at least a hundred taels of silver.¡±


    The Dan Tong appeared to discern that Qin Niu was an outsider to the field and provided additional explanations.


    ¡°Is there such a huge difference?¡±


    Qin Niu inwardly clicked his tongue in wonder.


    You get what you pay for; the best goods are always expensive.


    No wonder their starting rate for purifying beast cores was ten taels of silver.


    ¡°No matter how many Tempering Elixirs one takes, they can at most be promoted to Tenfold of the common realm. However, taking an elixir refined from a Beast Core can break through a major realm in one go, directly advancing to the Acquired Realm.¡±


    The apprentice alchemists must frequently deal with bumpkins like Qin Niu.


    So he gave him the simplest example.


    Leaning against the Ancient Banyan Tree, Qin Niu followed a regimen that included drinking Wolf Blood, snake blood, King Pig¡¯s Blood, along with the meat of various wild beasts, and he cultivated diligently every day, finally achieving a breakthrough to the first level of the Acquired Realm.


    He had not anticipated that such a difficult feat could be achieved with a single elixir refined from a Beast Core.


    He finally understood why cultivators considered wealth to be of utmost importance.


    With money, talent and diligence can be entirely disregarded.


    A single elixir can lead to overtaking others on a corner.


    ¡°How high is the failure rate for refining Beast Cores?¡±


    Qin Niu was already quite tempted.


    He was currently at the first level of the Acquired Realm. To advance to the next minor realm, he would need at least 1000 points of energy.


    That means the difficulty of cultivation had increased more than tenfold.


    Cultivation is a process of accumulation to begin with.


    Amassing quietly to unleash suddenly.


    The King Pig Core he possessed was the size of a soybean. If it were refined into an elixir and consumed, his cultivation would undoubtedly take a huge leap forward.


    Cultivators are fundamentally contending with fate itself.


    They fight for opportunities and for every inch of time.


    Advancing greatly at once could save years, or even decades of arduous cultivation, which also means he would have several decades more than other cultivators to strive for higher realms.


    No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s worth the attempt.


    The success rate varies. Here at our establishment, the prices for alchemists are clearly marked. If you entrust it to me for refining, I can do it for just One Tael of Silver,¡± said the apprentice alchemist, his tone finally taking on a more human quality.


    But is that possible?


    Would Qin Niu really give that precious King Pig Core to a novice for refining,


    just to save Nine Taels of Silver on the refining fee?


    If it were ruined in the process, wouldn¡¯t he be devastated?


    Let me take a look at your alchemists¡¯ price list first!¡±


    Qin Niu decided to get an understanding of the pricing first.


    ¡°Sure, the price list is right up there! The closer to the front the alchemist is, the more expensive the price, and you¡¯re also required to wait in line. If you ¡® hand it to me for refining, I can start the alchemy process for you today.¡±


    I his guy could tell that Qin Niu was a bumpkin and was desperately trying to score the opportunity to refine a Beast Core from him.


    Because refining a Beast Core could significantly improve any alchemist apprentice¡¯s skills.


    Qin Niu lifted his eyes to scan the price list.


    lhe fee for the Chief Alchemist was the most expensive, starting at Fifty Taels of Silver. The success rate for ordinary elixirs was above 95%, whereas the refining success rate for Beast Cores was 30%.


    That success rate wasn¡¯t ordinarily low!


    Qin Niu continued to read on.


    The three Gold Medal Alchemists had Beast Core refining success rates of 25%, 23%, and 21% respectively.


    The seven Silver Medal Alchemists had even lower Beast Core refining success rates, the strongest was 20%, and the weakest was only 11%.


    As for ordinary alchemists, the success rates were below ten percent.


    Apprentice alchemists? Probably less than 1% success rate.


    ¡°I would like your Chief Alchemist to refine for me, please ask him to come out and have a chat!¡±


    Qin Niu decided to have a discussion first.


    For a matter this important, the more details the better.


    lhe Chief Alchemist, due to an overflow of orders, is no longer taking orders


    for ordinary Beast Cores. May I take a look at your Beast Core first?¡±


    The apprentice alchemist, having failed to snag the job, was quite disappointed..

 Chapter 160 - Chapter 155: Direct Breakthrough 1

    Chapter 155: Direct Breakthrough 1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Qin Niu stared at the apprentice alchemist, instantly subjecting the other to tremendous pressure.


    ¡°A success rate below 1%, and you still dare to think about refining this Beast Core for me? To put it bluntly, take a piss and look at yourself.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, I want to check the size and quality of the Beast Core so as to invite the Chief Alchemist. Otherwise, he would definitely scold me.¡±


    The apprentice hurriedly explained.


    His status in Miaodan Pavilion might be acceptable, but before the Chief Alchemist, he could only behave like a grandson.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot let you examine it here.¡±


    Qin Niu swept his gaze around, surrounded by people.


    Where there are many people, there will be mixed theories, and he did not want to invite any trouble. Wealth should not be flaunted; such a large Beast Core could easily attract unwanted attention.


    ¡°Please follow me!¡±


    Understanding Qin Niu¡¯s concerns, the apprentice immediately led him into a private reception room.


    Xiao Qing took the initiative to close the doors and stand guard outside.


    ¡°Is this Beast Core capable of enticing your Chief Alchemist?¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t beat around the bush and directly revealed the King Pig Beast Core.


    Upon seeing the Beast Core, the apprentice couldn¡¯t help but shudder, and then, his eyes gradually bulged in disbelief.


    Gulp!


    He swallowed hard.


    ¡°I will go and invite the Chief Alchemist right away, please wait a moment!¡±


    This once arrogant apprentice couldn¡¯t help but use a respectful title when addressing Qin Niu.


    After he left, it wasn¡¯t long before a disheveled, stubbly middle-aged man hurried in. The man, unkempt and with dirt on his face, looked like a beggar who had been on the streets for years.


    The purple robe he wore, embroidered with an alchemical cauldron on the chest, signified that he was a bona fide alchemist.


    But the purple robe was stained and grimy, his hair clumped and tangled, as if he hadn¡¯t washed it for a long time.


    This alchemist really didn¡¯t seem to care for his appearance.


    ¡°Are you the one who wants to refine a Beast Core?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Qin Niu did not rush to take out the Beast Core, as his first impression of the man was poor.


    ¡°I heard that your Beast Core is the size of a soybean? Show it to me.¡±


    ¡°The person I am looking to find is Master Zi Zhou, the Chief Alchemist!¡±


    He definitely wanted the alchemist with the highest success rate to refine his Elixir.


    ¡°I am Zi Zhou.¡±


    The middle-aged man stated and then revealed his identity badge.


    It was a Silver Fish Medallion.


    Within the entire territory of the Black Tiger Gang, there were likely no more than two hundred people who possessed a silver badge.


    Such individuals already belonged to the upper echelons of the Black Tiger Gang.


    It was hard to imagine such a dignified figure, also the Chief Alchemist of Miaodan Pavilion, dressing so shabbily. If he were to take off his purple alchemist robe and be thrown onto the street, everyone would definitely believe he was a bona fide beggar.


    ¡°So, you are Master Zi Zhou, I¡¯ve been disrespectful!¡±


    Qin Niu chuckled to himself.


    It seemed that truly powerful individuals did not care much for appearances.


    He took out the Beast Core and placed it on the table.


    ¡°What a large Beast Core. Its dark yellow color, subdued brilliance, I haven¡¯t seen a Beast Core of this caliber in two or three years.¡±


    As he spoke, Master Zi Zhou bent down, propped himself on the table with both hands, then brought his nose close to the Beast Core, sniffing at its scent.


    He even focused and closed his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a King Pig¡¯s Beast Core, containing immense energy, fairly pure, the quality is quite good. However, this Beast Core from the King Pig was not formed through bitter cultivation, but likely from consuming some heaven- and-earth treasures, which led to such a large core with a lower purity than high-quality cores, and its internal energy is not very condensed. The drawback is that the Elixir refined from it will have weaker effects.


    The advantage is a much higher chance of successfully creating the Elixir.¡±


    Everything in the world has two sides.


    Where there are advantages, there will be disadvantages; the perfect being or object does not exist.


    ¡°This Beast Core can be refined into a defensive type Elixir, which is for one-time use and cannot enhance one¡¯s cultivation rank. But after taking it, one would gain a very strong defensive barrier. Within the Acquired Realm, it would be practically unbreakable for six hours.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qin Niu immediately shook his head.


    This was not what he wanted.


    He had no desire to become like that timid little turtle, hiding in its shell.


    The best defense is a good offense.


    Passively taking hits was not his style.


    ¡°Then refine an Elixir that enhances cultivation rank. Even though this large Beast Core does not have very condensed internal energy, it should still be enough to propel your cultivation from the first level to above the ninth level of the Acquired Realm. It might even directly help you break through the next stage.¡±


    Master Zi Zhou could easily see through Qin Niu¡¯s current cultivation rank.


    This made Qin Niu respect and become even more curious about the Chief Alchemist.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s face showed a shocked expression.


    She had not expected her master to be so powerful, already a high-level expert in the Acquired Realm.


    Those above the fifth level of the Mortal Realm could also be called experts.


    But that needed to be put in quotation marks.


    Because they could only bully ordinary people; facing those in the Acquired Realm, they would be out of their depth in minutes.


    ¡°May I ask how much the cost is?¡±


    Qin Niu licked his lips.


    If a Beast Core could directly help him break through to the Acquired Realm, that would be too tempting.


    ¡°For refining a Beast Core of this level, the fee is 180 taels of silver. Alchemy involves risks, and whether the refinement is successful or not, the fee is non- refundable. If you bring more Beast Cores for refinement in the future, I can give you a VIP card from Miaodan Pavilion, allowing you an eight percent discount on both alchemy and purchasing elixirs.¡±


    Upon hearing the price quoted by the other party, Qin Niu instinctively clutched his purse tighter.


    He thought that after selling a Green Giant Hornet and accepting a business commission of a hundred taels of silver, he was wealthy.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected it was only enough to cover the cost of refining a single Beast Core.


    That¡¯s expensive.


    ¡°Could the price be a little more favorable? It really is a bit too expensive.¡±


    Qin Niu inquired.


    Even with a twenty percent discount, it would still be 144 taels of silver.


    That amount could buy dozens of Tempering Elixirs.


    ¡°Expensive? Do you know how much a successfully refined elixir can sell for?¡±


    Master Zi Zhou was so irritated he blew on his beard.


    He kept grabbing at his own hair.


    Perhaps, someone like him who was engrossed in alchemy was not good at haggling with people.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Qin Niu shook his head honestly.


    ¡°At the very least, it would be worth over two thousand taels of silver. Right now, if you were to sell the Beast Core, at most you could get around eight hundred taels of silver. Successful refinement could double its value.¡±


    Qin Niu was astonished to learn that the Beast Core could sell for as much as eight hundred taels of silver.


    Making money in the big mountains was too easy.


    But he didn¡¯t consider that without the Ink Blade, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to breach the King Pig¡¯s defenses.


    Ordinary people, even if the entire population of Shuangfeng Village¡¯s able- bodied men were mobilized to besiege the King Pig, would not be able to harm it in the slightest.


    To an ordinary person, eight hundred taels of silver were a huge sum of money.


    But for someone capable of slaying the King Pig, it was just a standard income.


    ¡°Still, you make a killing with your technique! Just tossing it into the furnace for refinement, and you charge such a hefty fee. Can it be discounted further, please?¡±


    Qin Niu thought at most fifty taels of silver would be the limit.


    ¡°You, how should I explain this to you! Refining elixirs is not as simple as you think. The value of the auxiliary materials alone exceeds one hundred taels of silver, and we also invest a great deal of manpower and resources. Giving you an eight percent discount, the actual profit from refining this Beast Core for you wouldn¡¯t exceed twenty taels of silver. Do you know how much it costs to train an apprentice to my level? It requires refining four to five thousand batches of elixirs.


    In the early stages, due to imprecise control over the amount of auxiliary materials, the heat, and the timing of collecting the elixir, being able to successfully refine one batch out of ten was considered extremely fortunate.


    Moreover, to refine your Beast Core, a Purple Gold alchemy furnace is necessary, and each use incurs significant wear and tear.


    The fuel is also not a small expense. To temper such a large Beast Core, the furnace heat must reach white-hot levels, which requires the use of high- quality charcoal and beast fat to ensure the temperature can reach that intensity. Additionally, regular additions of beast fat are needed to stabilize the flames, or else the furnace could explode¡­¡±


    Master Zi Zhou detailed every aspect of the costs to him.


    To train an apprentice to his level would probably cost more than a mountain of silver.


    Auxiliary materials, fuel for alchemy, and wear and tear on the furnace were all additional costs Qin Niu hadn¡¯t considered.


    At such extreme temperatures, a regular furnace would not be able to withstand it and would simply explode.


    The specially made Purple Gold furnace was incredibly expensive.


    That sum of silver stored in a bank to accumulate interest would be quite considerable, too.


    ¡°Alright, alright, 180 taels with a twenty percent discount makes it 144 taels. I agree. Please take special care, Master Zi Zhou. If our initial collaboration goes well, I¡¯ll definitely seek you out in the future.¡±


    Qin Niu sighed inwardly as his silver from selling the hornet had barely warmed up before it was to be spent again.


    ¡°Rest assured, alchemy is my entire life. Such a high-grade Beast Core, I might only encounter once every two or three years, so I will value it even more. I¡¯ll have someone come over right away to handle the paperwork for you. I currently have five batches of elixirs that need to be refined, so it will probably be half a month before I can start on yours. Leave your address and I will send someone to find you then. Let¡¯s be clear upfront, once the deposit is paid, you can¡¯t easily back out.


    If during this period your elixir is lost, sold to someone else, or refined by another alchemist, it all constitutes a breach of contract.


    The deposit is non-refundable, and Miaodan Pavilion will no longer accept your orders in the future.¡±


    Master Zi Zhou clarified some details regarding the agreement.


    Integrity is the foundation of a person.


    As the Chief Alchemist of Miaodan Pavilion, accepting this order meant that he had to postpone other clients¡¯ orders.


    He might even have to actively forego some orders.


    If Qin Niu were to go back on his word, it would cause significant losses for Miaodan Pavilion.


    After Master Zi Zhou hurriedly left, Miaodan Pavilion¡¯s staff quickly arrived to assist him with the relevant procedures.


    In essence, it was about signing a commission agreement.


    Qin Niu needed to pay in advance the alchemy fee, considered a deposit.


    It was also a gesture of his sincerity.


    Once everything was handled, Qin Niu left Miaodan Pavilion with Xiao Qing.


    Since it was their first transaction, he did not dare to leave the Beast Core there.


    Money moves the heart, and no one could guarantee that Miaodan Pavilion wouldn¡¯t be tempted.


    About half a month later, someone would come to Shuangfeng Village to find him. Then, it would be enough to hand over the Beast Core.


    As the owner of the Beast Core, he had the right to supervise Master Zi Zhou¡¯s refinement process. During this period, Miaodan Pavilion would cover his board and lodging.


    The ability to conduct business on such a large scale spoke volumes about their service.¡±

 Chapter 161 - Chapter 156: The True God Appears 1

    Chapter 156: The True God Appears 1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    The master and servant duo had just stepped out of Miaodan Pavilion¡¯s main gate when they saw pedestrians hurrying along the street.


    The sky was dark, with several black clouds floating overhead, pressing down upon the entirety of Black Tiger City.


    ¡°Master, it looks like it¡¯s going to rain!¡±


    Xiao Qing looked up at the sky with some concern.


    ¡°Rain is a good thing. I¡¯ll arrange for your accommodation at the inn first, then come over to get you tomorrow.¡±


    Qin Niu took her to an inn, booked a room, and bought her some food.


    ¡°Keep these two taels of silver on you¡ªif you get hungry and want to buy some food, then buy it. Lock the doors and windows at night, and be safe.¡±


    Giving her one tael of silver for pocket money at a time was enough to show Qin Niu¡¯s affection for her.


    Xiao Qing took the silver, silently watching Qin Niu leave.


    Her eyes were full of reluctance.


    And even a bit of fear that Qin Niu might not want her anymore.


    ¡°Master! Be safe! Xiao Qing will always wait here for you!¡±


    In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but shout at his retreating figure.


    ¡°All right!¡±


    Qin Niu stopped in his tracks, waved at her, and signaled for her to go into her room.


    Without lingering, he left the inn and quickened his steps towards Longwang Alley in the west of the city.


    There were already flashes of lightning striking down from the sky, with thunder roaring.


    It seemed like it was about to rain heavily soon.


    Knocking on the courtyard gate, it was still the old man who answered.


    Seeing Qin Niu return, the old man seemed not at all surprised.


    At this moment, Qin Niu was already wearing the Insect Master¡¯s robe, which similarly didn¡¯t surprise the elder.


    ¡°When I treat this plant, I must not be disturbed, and I need to sit in an open area. May I do it in the front yard of the elder¡¯s home?¡±


    ¡°If you cannot be disturbed, then go to the backyard! It¡¯s quieter there. I often have people coming in and out of this front yard, which might distract you.¡±


    The old man led him all the way to the backyard.


    The place was overgrown with weeds and looked quite unkempt.


    Probably, this old man was a lazy person, not bothering to clean his yard much.


    ¡°The rain is about to start, and the young man will get wet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Qin Niu smiled.


    He felt the kindly intentions emanating from the old man.


    He practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique, which could only be cultivated under two conditions: either it was raining or there was a moon.


    He had yet to grasp a third method of cultivation.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb the young man any further. If you need anything, feel free to call for me inside the house.¡±


    After saying that, the elder left him in the backyard and walked away.


    Qin Niu found a suitable spot, cleared out a space, and then placed the plant, which had almost completely withered, in front of him.


    The plant¡¯s energy was extremely weak, emitting no medicinal aura.


    It was an utterly ordinary plant; it was unclear why the old man spent so much money to save it.


    The hundred taels of silver were very important to him, so he decided to earn them first.


    The sky had already started to sprinkle intermittent drops of rain. He closed his eyes and began to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    It was just that his realm was still shallow, and he wasn¡¯t proficient in using the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique. Otherwise, he should have been able to directly harness the technique¡¯s power to treat the plant, without all this hassle.


    As he continued his cultivation, wisps of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power began to drift away.


    They silently nourished the withered plant.


    In the sky, the rain grew heavier.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation efficiency of the Everlasting Spring Technique actually increased, absorbing a massive amount of the water essence and transforming it into the power of the technique.


    Time ticked away.


    About two hours later, he opened his eyes.


    The plant, which had originally withered, had now regained its vitality.


    The parts that had completely blackened could not be saved, but the other parts had turned green, and it was evident that new shoots were sprouting from the base of the leaves.


    By now, the rain in the sky had started to weaken.


    Qin Niu was drenched to the bone.


    Carrying the pot with the plant, he went directly to find that old man.


    ¡°Elder, I have revived this plant for you. With proper care, it should quickly return to being lush and leafy.¡±


    Qin Niu, holding that pot of flowers and plants, entered the room, and the old man leaned in closely for a careful look, then he also clicked his tongue in amazement.


    ¡°Young man, you have a remarkable ability, indeed possessing the power to revive the dead. Over there the fire has been lit, and I¡¯ve prepared some braised meat, meat pies, and tea for your consumption. Feel free to help yourself. Now that it¡¯s getting dark, you can stay in my house tonight and leave tomorrow. I need to step out for a while to deliver this pot of flowers to the master¡¯s house, please excuse me.¡±


    After speaking, the old man packed the pot of flowers and plants into a basket and carried it out of the door.


    Suddenly, only Qin Niu was left alone in the room.


    The old man didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of thievery at all.


    At first, Qin Niu thought the old man was just a fool with too much money, quite ordinary.


    Now he realized that the man was not so simple.


    From the old man¡¯s words, he should just be a servant or something of the sort.


    The pot of flowers and plants was not the old man¡¯s, but belonged to someone else.


    He took off his clothes, wrung them out, and then began to dry them by the fire.


    The food prepared on the table seemed to have been hastily bought from a diner.


    Under normal circumstances, an average person¡¯s home is unlikely to make braised meat. Because the process is complicated and the technique involved is also quite high.


    Ordinary farmwives simply can¡¯t cook this dish well.


    It seems that the old man had bought it for him on the spot.


    ¡°Such a thoughtful person!¡±


    The meat pies still retained some warmth.


    He was indeed a bit hungry, picked up a piece, and smelled the fragrant aroma.


    He swallowed his saliva.


    He didn¡¯t immediately start eating but, like a magician, pulled out a bamboo tube and summoned a termite from within, feeding it a small piece of the meat pie.


    Nothing unusual happened.


    Then he felt confident enough to eat and drink liberally.


    After he had eaten his fill and had enough to drink, a noise came from outside.


    The courtyard door opened, and a carriage drove in.


    It was just a very ordinary carriage, drawn by a yellow-maned horse.


    Qin Niu closely watched the movement outside the house.


    By then, the clouds had dispersed, and a few stars and a crescent moon appeared in the sky.


    The weather in the sixth and seventh months can indeed change quickly.


    Two people got out of the carriage.


    One was the old man, acting as the coachman.


    The other was a man in his thirties who emerged from the back of the carriage. He was clad in brocade, with an imposing appearance, a straight nose, and broad ears, clearly not an ordinary person.


    These were the only two who came down from the carriage, with no one else.


    ¡°Where is the person?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s inside the house, warming himself by the fire.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t neglected the guest, have you?¡±


    The middle-aged man continued to ask.


    ¡°I went out and bought braised meat and meat pies, and prepared tea for his consumption.¡±


    The old man replied respectfully.


    The two of them walked straight into the house.


    ¡°Young man, this is my master, and he is the true owner of that pot of flowers and plants.¡±


    The old man, upon entering, introduced Qin Niu.


    ¡°Thank you for reviving my flowers and plants. I came here especially to express my gratitude,¡± the gentleman said, bowing to Qin Niu.


    ¡°You are too kind! To revive an ordinary plant and receive a reward of a hundred taels of silver made me especially curious. Does that plant hold any special significance for you?¡± Qin Niu pondered and could only think of this reason.


    It might have been a gift from a friend, or perhaps a treasured object of his parents, and so on.


    Otherwise, no one would be willing to spend such an unjust amount of money.


    ¡°That plant is actually of no particular significance to me, I purposely let it wither to find a true master of cultivation who can revive my other significant medicinal herb.¡±


    This revelation from the man made Qin Niu¡¯s eyes widen in surprise.


    For just a medicinal herb, was it necessary to make things so complicated?


    The people in the city were too roundabout.


    ¡°Master, you possess the ability to revive the dead. If you are willing to make a move and treat that medicinal herb for me, I am willing to reward you handsomely! Even if you can¡¯t heal it, I will give you ten taels of silver for your troubles. If you can cure it, I am willing to pay a hundred gold.¡±


    The man announced a shockingly generous reward.

 Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Chapter 157 Fang Family Crisis_1

    Chapter 162: Chapter 157 Fang Family Crisis_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°Medicinal herbs worth over a thousand taels of patterned silver are probably not that common, right?¡±


    Upon hearing the other party¡¯s offer, Qin Niu felt not the slightest bit of temptation.


    Instead, he keenly sensed that there lurked immense danger.


    This young noble was willing to spend a hundred taels of silver to save a common plant, solely to verify whether the person taking up the task really had the ability.


    If it was just to test the ability of the person taking up the task, other low-cost methods could have been used completely.


    The willingness to spend this ¡®unjustified money¡¯ indicated two points.


    First, he didn¡¯t care about a hundred taels of silver at all. Perhaps in his eyes, these hundred taels of silver were nothing more than a wen money to ordinary people.


    With such financial strength, in Black Tiger City, he would definitely not be a nobody.


    Second, this person was extremely cautious. He would rather spend such a sum to test whether the other party really had the healing ability, revealing himself as the true master only after confirmation.


    It can also indirectly show that he did not want the sickness of his medicinal plant to be known by outsiders.


    If Qin Niu took up the task, wouldn¡¯t they have to kill him to silence him after he healed the plant?


    ¡°There are actually quite a few medicinal herbs worth a hundred gold. Sir need not worry too much, I have come sincerely to request Sir¡¯s assistance. If Sir agrees, I can present the thousand taels silver note in advance.¡±


    The man¡¯s speech was quite slow.


    Each word and action exuded the authority of someone who held great power and could easily decide the fate and life or death of others.


    While he verbally expressed his sincere request for Qin Niu¡¯s help, he never took the initiative to reveal his own name.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t take this job. The hundred taels of silver note I previously received will also be returned in full, thank you for your hospitality, farewell.¡±


    Qin Niu did not wish to be caught in a hazardous situation.


    He needed money, but he would only earn money that he could earn.


    With the thousand taels of silver, he could immediately become a new landlord in Jade Stream Town, buy fields, buy land, keep servants, and live a life without concerns for food and clothing.


    However, what¡¯s the use of earning it if one has no life to spend? He could earn more but it would be futile.


    ¡°Master Qin, please wait!¡±


    The middle-aged man saw Qin Niu put the hundred taels silver note on the table and walk towards the outside, then immediately called out to stop him.


    Just now it was ¡®Sir¡¯ this and ¡®Sir¡¯ that, but now he directly called out Qin Niu¡¯s surname.


    This showed that he had long figured out everything about Qin Niu.


    This made Qin Niu even more cautious.


    It showed that the person was quite deceitful.


    ¡°Is there something else?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s brows lifted slightly, already prepared to fight for his life.


    Unfortunately, his training in the Slash Martial Skill was still short, otherwise, he would have a stronger ability to protect himself against such a strong opponent.


    Fortune comes with danger.


    This was a lesson written in blood by the ancients.


    When he first took up the notice, he felt that there were numerous abnormalities in it. He originally thought that relying on his status as an Insect Master and the first layer of his Acquired Realm cultivation, he could cope with most risks.


    Now it seemed that he had overestimated himself.


    Before he knew it, he had fallen into a trap set by others.


    ¡°Master Qin, Young Master Fang might have caused some misunderstandings. There are many things, where Young Master Fang has kept you in the dark, for which I apologize to you here.¡±


    While speaking, the middle-aged man actually bowed with cupped hands to Qin Niu with respect.


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    The old man at the side exclaimed with surprise, wanting to stop him but not daring to do so.


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°Young Master Fang is making too much of it. You and I are but strangers who met by chance, it¡¯s only natural to conceal some things. Farewell.¡±


    All he wanted now was to quickly leave this troubled place, far away from troubled people.


    ¡°Master Qin, Young Master Fang swears to heaven that he harbors no intentions of harming you.¡± Young Master Fang¡¯s figure flashed, suddenly appearing in front of Qin Niu.


    His speed was so fast, like a ghost.


    This indicated that his cultivation was much higher than Qin Niu¡¯s.


    He probably had also practiced Step-Method Martial Skill. Otherwise, to achieve this speed with cultivation alone, how strong would that have to be?


    He might at least have one foot in the door of becoming an Immortal Master.


    Qin Niu had already reached into his clothes, gripping the handle of his blade.


    As he hadn¡¯t felt any malice or intent to kill from the other party, he was not in a hurry to draw his Ink Blade.


    Crossing swords would surely harm the harmony.


    If the matter could be resolved peacefully, that would be the best.


    ¡°My young master deliberately concealed that information to protect you! You this young man, really do not know what¡¯s good for you,¡± said the old man by the side, berating him. ¡°Do you know the identity of my young master? To have my young master humble himself to apologize to you, this is already utmost sincerity and kindness.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Fang, Old Master Huang, since you have brought the matter to this point, then let¡¯s speak plainly. With you being so cautious in your actions, if I knew about your medicinal herb, would there be any chance for me to live afterward?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s face was cold and impassive, completely unmoved.


    Neither of them was a three-year-old child. In the face of absolute interests, even fathers and sons could slaughter each other, and siblings could turn on one another directly.


    Why should he believe that these two would not silence him by murder?


    Only the dead can be relied upon.


    ¡°As long as Master Qin can revive my family¡¯s medicinal plant, not only will Master Qin face no danger, but he will also receive a reward of a thousand taels of silver, and he can turn to Young Master Fang for help with any future matters,¡± Young Master Fang said earnestly.


    ¡± What if I can¡¯t save that medicinal herb? Wouldn¡¯t you just kill me to keep your secret forever?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s words were laced with irony.


    While others consider the best-case scenario, he always planned for the worst before counting on success.


    Always prepare for the worst outcome.


    ¡°If it cannot be saved, I still won¡¯t harm Master Qin. However, I will require Master Qin to take a poisonous oath to keep this matter confidential. Originally, if Master Qin had not pressed Mr. Fang to reveal his surname, none of this would have been necessary,¡±


    Young Master Fang¡¯s eyes were clear, his tone sincere.


    Qin Niu was already somewhat convinced.


    The eyes are the windows to the soul; a person can lie, but the eyes, not so easily.


    Just moments ago, he found this Young Master Fang to be dishonest about everything, even unwilling to reveal his surname, only to realize he may have misunderstood his good intentions.


    ¡°Is that herb very important to Young Master Fang?¡±


    ¡°Yes, extremely. It¡¯s connected to the Fang Family¡¯s fortunes. If our rivals found out about this, it would bring great trouble,¡±


    Young Master Fang nodded with honesty.


    Hearing this, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but recall what Xiao Qing had told him.


    Black Tiger City houses many great clans that cultivate centuries-old medicinal herbs as strategic reserves, treasures that are not to be underestimated.


    These herbs, once refined into pills, have the power to help outstanding clan members break through significant cultivation bottlenecks.


    When the clan¡¯s strongest members face challenges, it helps prevent a period of weakness where there is no successor.


    Even at critical moments, it could help the clan¡¯s strongest member reach new heights, breaking through the current bottleneck and thus overpowering rival families.


    The problematic herb of the Fang Family must certainly be part of their crucial strategic reserve.


    And it is an especially critical one.


    Now that it is on the verge of death, the Fang Family is, naturally, in an anxious state.


    ¡°Is the herb easy to move?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s quite difficult. First off, it has very high requirements for the soil and environment. We had a master in our family simulate its wild growth conditions to successfully cultivate it. Given its current condition, there¡¯s a saying: ¡®As people move, they live; as trees move, they die.¡¯ We daren¡¯t touch it. I certainly can¡¯t make this decision on my own. The best course would be local treatment.¡±


    ¡°Second, it¡¯s planted in a secret place of our Fang Family, guarded by the family¡¯s masters. Those family masters are of a higher generation than I, and they only follow the commands of my father. If I were to take the herb out, they would never consent.¡±


    ¡°Third, there are many eyes on our Fang Family, including spies from powerful rival families. Inviting you quietly into the family¡¯s secret place might go unnoticed by them. However, to move the herb elsewhere would require mobilizing forces, with family elites providing an escort. We could never hide that from their watchful eyes.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, I earnestly request Master Qin to be a guest at our Fang Family and to treat the herb in the secret place.¡±


    ¡°I can guarantee with my honor and integrity that, whether it succeeds or fails, I will absolutely ensure Master Qin¡¯s safety,¡±


    Young Master Fang spoke with urgency, his attitude extremely genuine.


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze flickered as he pondered the risks involved.


    The reward of a thousand taels of silver was indeed very tempting.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by how he can sell one Giant Green Hornet for a hundred and fifty taels of silver; it¡¯s all because rarity creates value.


    Selling one or two might work, but selling many would lead to plummeting prices and could even bring fatal trouble.


    That old man surnamed Huang was unfathomable and far from benign.


    Although he had not shown malice to Qin Niu, out of caution, Qin Niu definitely wanted to keep his distance from Old Master Huang.


    With his current abilities, earning a thousand taels of silver was certainly not easy.


    This was a significant opportunity.


    He was already in the pit Young Master Fang had dug and pulling out was not going to be easy.


    Despite Young Master Fang¡¯s current amicable attitude, there was no guarantee that stubborn defiance wouldn¡¯t anger him.


    There¡¯s a saying, ¡°Rebuff the toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.¡±


    If Master Qin remains obstinate against polite persuasion, Young Master Fang might well resort to force.


    Sons of major families like him are not known for their soft-heartedness.


    They can turn on you faster than flipping a page.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you to have a look,¡±


    At this moment, Qin Niu felt one thing profoundly: his own strength was too weak.


    Whether the insects he raised or his own cultivation, it was just enough to dominate Shuangfeng Village.


    In Black Tiger City, where dragons and tigers lay hidden and great clans stood tall, he was no more significant than a Termite.


    ¡°Master Qin, please get in the carriage. Your Insect Master Robe is a bit conspicuous, you might need to change into something else later,¡±


    Young Master Fang invited him onto the carriage.


    ¡°Uncle Heizi, drive us back to the Fang residence,¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    The old man agreed, sat on the coach box, turned the horse around, and after leaving the courtyard and carefully closing the gate, he drove forward.


    It was against the rules to move around the city at night, as it could lead to being captured by patrolling soldiers and thrown into jail.


    But such rules were meaningless in the presence of Young Master Fang, posing no restriction whatsoever.


    The carriage rolled on at a steady pace.


    Young Master Fang and Qin Niu sat inside, the former with closed eyes, whether resting or contemplating something unknown.


    The interior of the carriage was very quiet.


    Qin Niu could even hear his own breathing, alongside the rolling sound of the carriage¡¯s wheels.

 Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: Chapter 158: Forbidden Land Small World 1

    Chapter 163: Chapter 158: Forbidden Land Small World 1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    He dared not carelessly lift the curtain to look outside.


    Because it was very easy to cause a misunderstanding.


    The fact that the other party hadn¡¯t requested that his eyes be covered was already polite.


    The carriage rode through the city for about the time it would take to have a meal before it finally stopped.


    ¡°Go fetch a set of servant clothes for Master Qin to change into!¡±


    Young Master Fang instructed Uncle Heizi outside.


    ¡°Master Qin, to avoid drawing attention, we have to impose upon you. Please forgive us for any inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t mind what clothes he wore; what he cared most about was whether he could safely leave the Fang Family when the time came.


    Even if he gave up the thousand taels of Silver Money for the sake of his safety, he¡¯d be willing.


    It had to be said, the Fang Family¡¯s servant clothing wasn¡¯t bad, made of coarse cloth, but it was very thick and unexpectedly soft and comfortable. It was much better than the crude cloth clothes he usually wore.


    After he changed into the gray servant attire, Young Master Fang looked him over for a moment.


    ¡°Shoes have to be changed too, and the hair needs to be done.¡±


    He personally helped Qin Niu change his hairstyle.


    Uncle Heizi brought a pair of servant¡¯s shoes for him to change into.


    ¡°Hmm, this should prevent anyone from suspecting you now.¡±


    Young Master Fang nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°You just need to follow behind me, no need to speak. If any questions need to be answered, I will take care of them.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    After getting off the carriage, Qin Niu followed behind Young Master Fang, making their way inside.


    At this moment, the carriage stopped within the Fang Family mansion.


    They got off the carriage and went straight up a corridor.


    Even though it was night, the faint starlight and moonlight allowed one to see that the surrounding buildings were very imposing, with dragons and phoenixes carved everywhere, and the roof tiles were all high-quality glazed tiles.


    Such architecture would not collapse for hundreds of years unless there was a fire.


    With regular maintenance and care, even a thousand years would pose no significant issues.


    Qin Niu secretly marveled at the immense wealth of this top-tier family. His new house in the village, already the most imposing in his village, paled in comparison to the Fang Family¡¯s architecture.


    Everywhere inside were houses, carefully designed and made with extremely high-quality materials, and located in the precious inner city land.


    One dare not even imagine how much money all this cost?


    Having seen Old Master Huang¡¯s mansion, he thought it was already quite extravagant.


    But now that he was seeing the buildings of the Fang Family, he understood what a true top-tier family was like. It was simply inhumanly extravagant. Inside there was room enough to house thousands of people without issue. Should any enemies invade, with the Fang Family members everywhere, those invaders could easily be captured.


    Beyond that, Qin Niu also noticed the hidden guards.


    From the moment he got off the carriage, he felt as if someone were watching him.


    A large family that remained standing for a hundred, even a thousand years, naturally had its extraordinary aspects.


    As for where those hidden guards were placed, one simply had no idea.


    Leading Qin Niu further into the backyard garden,


    once again broadened his horizons.


    Gorgeous exotic flowers and plants were grown here, a variety of scenic trees as well, and also a large number of unidentified medicinal herbs.


    Some of the medicinal herbs emitted an extremely rich medicinal fragrance.


    The energy contained within them was also quite astonishing.


    Among the medicinal herbs Qin Niu was currently growing, the one with the Broadleaf Paris plant had the strongest energy.


    However, compared to the medicinal herbs planted in the Fang Family¡¯s rear garden, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t even qualify to carry their shoes.


    The key is that these enviable herbs are not one or two in number, but as many as several thousand plants. This is the foundation of a top-tier clan!


    Their abundant accumulation made him feel as if he had lived the past sixteen years in vain.


    Today, he truly broadened his horizons and gained a great deal of knowledge. Young Master Fang led Qin Niu to a hidden spot in the rear garden and blew a short, delicate jade flute.


    The sound was three long notes followed by a short one, somewhat reminiscent of the call of a cuckoo.


    The faux mountain in front rumbled and actually opened a door.


    ¡°Follow me!¡±


    Young Master Fang took the lead and walked ahead, with Qin Niu following closely behind.


    The design of the stone door on the faux mountain was very clever. When it was closed, it blended perfectly with the faux mountain.


    Once inside, it was as if they had entered another world.


    The faux mountain outside acted like a wall, and inside, dozens of medicinal herbs and trees were planted, forming a small world of their own.


    As soon as Qin Niu entered, several powerful gazes locked onto him, making him feel as if he were carrying several great mountains on his shoulders, so heavy that he could barely breathe.


    ¡°This is the master gardener I¡¯ve invited. I beseech you, uncles and grandfather, not to scare our guest.¡±


    Young Master Fang quickly gave a respectful greeting to the front left.


    Qin Niu looked up and saw that there were five small pavilions there.


    Within each pavilion was a stone platform perfectly sized for one person to sit cross-legged and cultivate.


    Five elders sat inside the pavilions, seemingly immersed in meditation.


    The oppressive feeling he had experienced was caused by the stares of these five individuals.


    Under their gaze, he found it strenuous to even move a finger. However, his Ink Blade, fearless of heaven and earth, trembled slightly, exuding an excitement as if it wanted to drink the blood of men.


    If there hadn¡¯t been an outsider present, Qin Niu would definitely scold the Ink Blade.


    Those five elders of the Fang Family were all dreadfully terrifying. The Ink Blade actually wanted to drink their blood.


    It might not fear death, but Qin Niu did.


    After Young Master Fang had explained the situation to the five, they all closed their eyes, like old monks falling into deep meditation, and paid no more attention to the outside world.


    This also made Qin Niu feel more relaxed, as that damned oppressive feeling disappeared.


    He also discovered that the refreshing energy here was much denser than the outside world, at least twice as concentrated.


    His eyes were drawn to a small tree over two meters tall, bursting with lush foliage, though he didn¡¯t know its name.


    Qin Niu had cultivated the Medicine King Sutra, and his skill was fairly deep. Thus, he could clearly sense that this small tree was special.


    The energy it contained was extremely formidable. If the Ancient Banyan Tree he had found was a vast ocean of energy, then this small tree¡¯s energy was like a pond in springtime.


    Furthermore, there was something magically unique about it. Refreshing energy continuously radiated from the leaves of the small tree, filling this small world.


    It was precisely because of this that the refreshing energy in this small world was more than twice as concentrated as the outside world.


    Qin Niu, under the Ancient Banyan Tree, often experienced a twentyfold increase in cultivation speed.


    As such, he was quite familiar with this kind of refreshing energy and knew its uses.


    The five ancestors of the Fang Family cultivated here at a speed more than twice that of the outside world.


    They were like five large whales, continually siphoning the refreshing energy within this small world. Strangely enough, somehow the small tree managed to just barely maintain a balance in supply.


    That is to say, the speed at which the five of them absorbed the energy was matched by the speed at which the small tree emitted it.


    This small tree was definitely not ordinary.


    However, compared to Qin Niu¡¯s Ancient Banyan Tree, it seemed quite insignificant.


    It only doubled the cultivation speed, whereas his Ancient Banyan Tree could increase it twentyfold.


    The two were simply not on the same level.


    ¡°Master Qin, this is the troubled herb!¡±


    Young Master Fang led him to a small medicinal garden, barely five or six square meters in size, and pointed to an herb over a foot tall that was withering, its branches dry and leaves yellow, clearly beginning to wilt.

 Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Chapter 159 The Problem Has Been Found 1

    Chapter 164: Chapter 159 The Problem Has Been Found 1


    Translator: 549690339                         ¡ª


    It was quite similar to the ordinary medicinal herb he had saved before, its top leaves had withered and blackened, while only the leaves and stems near the root still appeared to hold a trace of vitality.


    The soil in which it was planted was black.


    Qin Niu pinched some of the soil to smell it, then brought it close to his eyes for a careful examination.


    This type of soil belonged to the clay variety, containing acidic humus.


    Based on the scent, it wasn¡¯t just the decay of plant leaves and dead branches that could produce such fertilizer. It¡¯s likely that animal carcasses had been buried in the soil and, as they decomposed naturally, they enhanced its fertility. Moreover, this process must be quite slow, otherwise the soil¡¯s fertility wouldn¡¯t be so even.


    The deeper the fertility seeped into the soil, the milder its nature became. Otherwise, if the composting was done too hastily, it would damage the roots. Clay soil generally has poor aeration, but after Fang Family¡¯s special preparation, it became not only loose and fertile, with a gentle nature, but also had excellent permeability. What¡¯s more remarkable was its water retention, which was also outstanding.


    This allowed it to maintain an ideally optimal level of moisture.


    Just from this small handful of soil, one could deduce that the Fang Family kept a top cultivation master.


    Also, there was a water storage tank behind this medicinal herb, each about two meters in height, formed from carved black rock.


    There was a slight leakage of water.


    In the water, there was a plant that Qin Niu was familiar with, the very same rootless aquatic grass.


    He had especially bought two plants of the rootless aquatic grass for the little crow, to ensure it had a good water environment. While practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique, he had often moved the broken water vat aside, so that the two rootless aquatic grasses could also benefit from the nourishment.


    They were currently growing very well, with a very strong effect on water purification.


    At this moment, planted in this black rock carved water storage tank was a rootless aquatic grass.


    However, it looked much stronger than the one Qin Niu was cultivating; it spread its branches and leaves in the water, not only looking very robust but also dispersing its branches throughout the entire water tank. It was continuously purifying the water inside.


    He had thought that setting up this water tank was meant for slow drip irrigation for this nearly dead medicinal herb.


    But it turned out that two methods of watering were being employed. One waterway was for drip irrigation, while another waterway had a clever pipeline, with the outlet sealed and pricked with some fine holes to create a mist.


    When turned on, this mist could cover the entire medicinal herb.


    The Fang Family really went to great lengths to take good care of this herb.


    Qin Niu closed his eyes and felt carefully; he discovered that although this medicinal herb was about to die, the energy contained within was extremely considerable.


    It was like a bundle of hot, raging fires burning intensely.


    The energy contained in medicinal herbs could be classified into four types: cold, cool, warm, and hot.


    This medicinal herb belonged to the hot type and was close to scorching hot. His Medicine King Sutra currently could only sense this much, and to further sense other characteristics of the plant, he probably had to wait at least until the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power reached the Acquired Realm.


    Beyond that, he also discovered that the rootless aquatic grass in the water tank contained a considerable amount of cool energy.


    It was mixed with a hint of cold aura.


    ¡°It seems to be a bit different from the energy contained in my rootless aquatic grass!¡± Qin Niu exclaimed with surprise.


    Cold pertains to ice, hot to fire, continuously watering the herb with energy that carries cold air, isn¡¯t that like having both ice and fire?


    In fact, he had already felt that the blazing energy of the medicinal herb was gradually being suppressed by the watering with cold water.


    It was as if a great flame was being slowly extinguished.


    He wondered whether the cultivation of this medicinal herb was originally supposed to be like this, or if there was a problem with the rootless aquatic grass?


    Qin Niu¡¯s Everlasting Spring Technique could help the medicinal herb to recover its vitality, but if the root cause was not identified, it would fall into trouble again.


    The Fang Family¡¯s reward of a thousand taels was not easily claimed.


    Accepting someone¡¯s money binds one to do their bidding faithfully.


    He would never dare to take the money without doing the work or to deceive the Fang Family. That would be like courting death.


    The five ancestors of the Fang Family were all terrifyingly formidable, able to kill him with just a flick of their finger.


    Below them, there were many family experts and employed guards, not to be offended by the current Qin Niu.


    Young Master Fang, may I ask how long this medicinal herb has had problems?¡± Qin Niu inquired.


    ¡°About forty days or so. At first, it was just some spotting on the top tender leaves. As time went on, it gradually worsened, and the spots kept spreading downwards. We thought of many ways to treat it, but none were effective. We could only watch helplessly as it withered away, inch by inch,¡± Young Master Fang replied, his tone filled with helplessness.


    As Young Master Fang talked about the medicinal herb, he seemed very helpless.


    Before the herb had issues, did its surrounding environment change in any way?¡± Qin Niu continued.


    ¡°No! Nothing in its facility has changed. Lighting, air, irrigation, soil, even the stones used to build the garden have remained the same. Normally, the soil should be changed every three years, but there¡¯s still over a year left, so it hasn¡¯t been touched,¡± Young Master Fang explained.


    Hearing Young Master Fang¡¯s description, Qin Niu¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly. ¡°Has Master Qin found any anomalies?¡± Young Master Fang, perceptive to nuances, sensed something was amiss.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the previous growth environment of this herb was like. When I inspected it just now, I indeed found something that defied common sense, which is why I asked whether the herb¡¯s environment had changed. How long has this rootless aquatic grass been planted here?¡± Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°For at least two or three hundred years. Has it caused problems?¡± Young Master Fang asked tentatively.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure,¡± Qin Niu replied cautiously, not daring to make a hasty conclusion.


    ¡°Can we find water grass of a similar age?¡±


    ¡°We can find ones that are over a hundred years old, but it¡¯s hard to find older ones in a short time. However, just give the Fang Family a few days, and we will certainly be able to get them.¡±


    Young Master Fang appeared extremely confident.


    This is the power of a great family. They have their own network of connections in every aspect and countless people working for the clan.


    With just one command, if the whole family¡¯s resources are leveraged, there¡¯s hardly any herb they couldn¡¯t find.


    ¡°First, bring a hundred-year-old specimen for me to see. I¡¯ll compare it, and if this old water grass really has a problem, we¡¯ll replace it. By the way, how is the water supplied? Could there be a problem?¡±


    Qin Niu believed that the water grass constantly releasing cold energy was definitely not normal.


    ¡°The water supply is locally sourced, and direct descendants of our Fang Family are in control, so the likelihood of a problem is infinitesimal. Nonetheless, since Master Qin mentioned it, I will immediately dispatch someone to secretly investigate.¡±


    Young Master Fang was not letting any clue go unnoticed.


    ¡°If possible, try not to let too many people know. I¡¯m not certain yet whether there¡¯s an issue with this water grass. If there is indeed a problem with it, then there are only two possibilities. Either the water grass has mutated over time, or someone has deliberately tampered with it.¡±


    No sooner had Qin Niu finished speaking than he felt the surrounding air turn freezing cold; his body tensed up, and his soul trembled.


    All five of the Fang Family¡¯s elders opened their eyes simultaneously.


    These five were actually eavesdropping on Qin Niu¡¯s conversation with Young Master Fang while pretending to meditate.


    ¡°Fang Lian, if you find out that someone has tampered with this herb, remember to keep them alive. I want to see who dares to meddle with the foundations of the Fang Family,¡± a white-haired, shorter elder spoke indifferently to Young Master Fang.


    Despite his unimpressive appearance, like a local earth deity, his status among the five Fang Family elders was likely the highest.


    Because once he spoke, none of the others said anything further.


    ¡°Understood! They dare to attack the Fang Family during my father¡¯s seclusion, thinking that I, Fang Lian, am too young to be a threat. If I find out who it is, I will exterminate their entire clan to deter others from coveting what belongs to the Fang Family.¡±


    Young Master Fang, who looked to be just over thirty, spoke with a chillingly grandiose demeanor.


    Wiping out an entire family seemed to him to be as trifling a matter as any. And from his tone, it seemed that he didn¡¯t care which major family within Black Tiger City it was; he would dare to annihilate them just the same.


    Qin Niu was getting a glimpse into the tip of the iceberg of Black Tiger City¡¯s hidden strength.


    Powerful families entrenched within the city were locked in fierce competition. Without substantial power, one¡¯s life in the city was as insecure as that of an ant.


    And this was just the Fang Family, already so powerful. What about the Lu Family, into which Wang Furen dreamed of marrying her daughter? How strong might they be?


    Qin Niu had no idea.


    He was just a minor character at the moment, not daring to get too involved with those top-tier families that were like huge immovable objects.


    Young Master Fang activated the mechanism for the forbidden area, and the stone door opened again.


    ¡°Guard number one!¡±


    ¡°Present!¡±


    A figure gradually emerged from the darkness.


    ¡°Bring over a water grass that¡¯s over a hundred years old. Secretly investigate the water supply entering the forbidden area. Keep a close watch on Master Pang¡¯s every move, but for now, don¡¯t alert him¡­¡±


    Young Master Fang issued a series of orders.


    The guard¡¯s figure disappeared.


    Before long, a water grass, stored in a bucket, was brought over.


    But the guard didn¡¯t dare set foot in the forbidden area, only placing the item at the entrance.


    Young Master Fang personally brought it in


    And he carefully checked it before bringing it inside.


    He made sure there was nothing abnormal before he brought it in.


    The herbs and trees cultivated in the forbidden land were the core high-level strategic resources of the Fang Family.


    They could not afford any mishaps.


    Having an outsider like Qin Niu brought into the forbidden land made him extremely uneasy.


    In his mind, he had already quickly thought through several life-saving plans. As long as he could escape back to Shuangf eng Village after leaving Black Tiger City, he would have the means to protect himself. The Ancient Banyan Tree was a natural maze, providing considerable protection.


    The only downside was that he couldn¡¯t hide inside it at night.


    Because at night, all the living creatures inside would be indiscriminately killed by the tree.


    ¡°Master Qin, please check if this water grass is normal!¡±


    Young Master Fang handed him the bucket.


    Qin Niu closed his eyes again, feeling carefully.


    The energy contained within this water grass was clearly less, which also indirectly indicated that it was much younger. But the energy was normal, belonging to cool energy, with no trace of cold energy.


    ¡°This one is normal,¡± Qin Niu said, with only four words.


    ¡°Could someone really have attacked the most crucial asset of the Fang Family? Despicable.¡±


    Young Master Fang¡¯s fists clenched tightly, cracking with tension.


    ¡°I suggest we replace all the water in this pool and store the replaced water in tanks. Then cultivate the normal water grass in there. This way, we can find out if there¡¯s a problem with the pool water.¡±


    Qin Niu himself couldn¡¯t be sure where the problem lay.

 Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Chapter 160 Became a Distinguished Guest of the Fang Family_1

    Chapter 165: Chapter 160 Became a Distinguished Guest of the Fang Family_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°This matter is easily settled!¡±


    Fang Lian promised, taking action personally.


    He replaced all the water in the pond and cleaned the water pool once more.


    The water that was taken out had been secretly stored by his orders and was


    planted with normal rootless water grass.


    After everything was set, Qin Niu tested the rootless water grass in the pond again, and everything returned to normal.


    The drip irrigation and the spray no longer carried that kind of cold energy.


    He found that the herb which was on the verge of dying began to slowly show


    signs of recovery.


    It was worthy of the Fang Family¡¯s high-grade herb that had been carefully nurtured for hundreds of years; its vitality was stronger than imagined.


    Qin Niu looked up at the moonlight spilling from the sky and sat down cross- legged next to the herb, beginning to cultivate the Everlasting Spring


    Technique.


    As time passed bit by bit, miraculous changes were happening to the herb in


    front of him.


    Its vitality was rapidly restoring.


    By the time the moonlight faded, Qin Niu was still cultivating with his eyes closed.


    Because he found that the mist sprayed out could also achieve the effect of rainwater. It could also allow him to absorb the power of water essence within, and convert it into the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    This was a great revelation for him.


    After a while, he slowly opened his eyes.


    The herb in front of him had already regained some vitality; the leaves below its waist had become smooth and full again, and they were starting to turn green.


    At the tips of the leaves, new buds could be seen sprouting.


    ¡°Master Qin, you¡¯re awake! This herb has regained its vitality under your care, and it¡¯s truly heartening to see. Thankyou for your help to our Fang Family.¡±


    Young Master Fang addressed him with a ¡®you¡¯.


    Only extreme respect and gratitude would invoke such an honorific.


    Qin Niu revived the herb, which was equivalent to saving the Fang Family, helping them resolve a significant crisis.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it will have to be treated several more times before it¡¯s fully healed.


    For now, it has only begun to regain vitality.¡±


    At this moment, Qin Niu wasn¡¯t thinking about the thousand taels of Silver Money as a reward, nor about any credit; instead, he was thinking about how to save his own life.


    Because he, a foreigner, had entered the Fang Family¡¯s forbidden area and seen


    all their secrets.


    No one could guarantee that the Fang Family wouldn¡¯t kill him to silence him.


    ¡°Might I ask Master Qin to stay a few more days with our Fang Family? Many master planters have tried to save this herb, all to no avail, only you identified the problem and managed to bring it back to life over a single night. You are the true master.¡±


    Young Master Fang kept calling him ¡®you¡¯.


    His attitude was also extremely respectful.


    The five old ancestors of the Fang Family were cultivating with closed eyes, seemingly deaf to the affairs of the outside world.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t buy their act; those five old fellows were probably listening with keen interest.


    ¡°I dare not claim to be a master. I have many matters to attend to at home, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to stay at the Fang Family. This herb has already regained some of its vitality. Treating it periodically will be sufficient; it doesn¡¯t require daily treatment.¡±


    He would never agree to reside in the Fang Family residence.


    How foolish it would be to fully heal the herb, only to become disposable once


    the Fang Family no longer needed him.


    He couldn¡¯t say for certain that the Fang Family would do this.


    But one must always guard against others.


    He would rather hold the heart of caution at all times than naively play the


    gentleman.


    Escaping the Fang Family was the best strategy.


    ¡°That will do, I will send someone to fetch the master when the time comes.


    Fang Lian didn¡¯t insist on keeping him.


    After all, they were still counting on Qin Niu to save the Fang Family¡¯s most important herb.


    He naturally didn¡¯t dare to upset Qin Niu.


    ¡°I have prepared breakfast for Master Qin, please have a meal outside. Later, I will have someone take you away from the Fang Family by carriage.¡±


    Fang Lian made a gesture of invitation.


    Qin Niu followed out of the Fang Family¡¯s secret grounds, and it was still early morning, just as the day was beginning to dawn.


    One could see many of the Fang Family¡¯s servants busily going about their tasks.


    Qin Niu was led by Young Master Fang into a room with an elegant environment, furnished with a bed for resting, a dining table, and chairs.


    All were high-grade mahogany furniture, the materials so exquisite and the craftsmanship so fine, that they were even superior to the mahogany furniture the Yan Family had given to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Master Qin has been busy all night, you may first take a bath and change clothes, then have breakfast. After you have rested, I will arrange for someone to send you off. This is the reward I promised Master Qin, and I¡¯ve added an extra five hundred taels as thanks for helping the Fang Family identify the issue with the medicinal herbs.¡±


    The sheer amount of fifteen hundred taels of Silver Money made Qin Niu question his life choices.


    ¡°I merely did a trifling matter, and I simply cannot accept this generous additional gift from Young Master Fang.¡±


    Qin Niu returned the silver note for the five hundred taels of Silver Money.


    It was hard to let go, but he decisively returned it.


    ¡°Does the master find it too little? For solving such a big problem for the Fang Family, five hundred taels is indeed not much. I will add another thousand taels for Master Qin then,¡± said Fang Lian, actually pulling out a gold note with a denomination of a hundred taels.


    ¡°Young Master Fang is truly generous; it seems that I have no choice but to accept this extra generous gift of five hundred taels. I will greedily accept it then, thank you Young Master Fang for the generous reward.¡±


    How could Qin Niu dare accept another thousand taels?


    Having too much Silver Money would certainly burn his hands.


    Accepting these fifteen hundred taels already meant he had made a fortune.


    After Young Master Fang left, two young and beautiful maidservants quickly entered. One carried hot water, and the other brought new clothes.


    ¡°The Young Head of the Family has instructed us to serve the gentleman with his bath and attire. May we assist you in disrobing now?¡± asked the leading maid in a very gentle voice.


    ¡°No, no, no, I can manage on my own.¡±


    Qin Niu steeled his heart and sent the two beautiful maids away.


    Decadence starts with either a single lapse or countless ones.


    If he were to accept the services of the two beautiful maids today, get lost in their gentle care and enjoyment, then there would definitely be a second time, a third time.


    He dared not indulge himself.


    A belief was tightly held in his heart, and that was to seek everlasting life.


    If he were to lavish himself in women¡¯s company and enjoyments with just a bit of cultivation, his spiritual focus would almost certainly be destroyed.


    After his bath and changing into clean clothes, he allowed the two beautiful maidservants to enter upon his permission, to take out the dirty clothing, and pour away the used bath water.


    They attended to his washing up, then to his breakfast.


    One fed him ginseng soup, the other treats, and they wouldn¡¯t be refused. Tears would fall in quick succession.


    They said they had not served Qin Niu well and would be punished later on.


    It seemed the servants from every household were much the same, without any status to speak of.


    Their masters¡¯ commands were what they had to obey.


    After breakfast, Qin Niu thought of Xiao Qing, who might not have had her meal, and he packed some food in his chest.


    The Fang Family had treated him as a distinguished guest, providing him with exceptionally high-quality breakfast.


    ¡°I am leaving now. Please pass on my farewell to your Young Head of the Family.¡±


    ¡°The carriage for the master is already prepared, please follow me.¡± Uncle Heizi¡¯s voice came from outside the door.


    Qin Niu reflected that if he had lacked restraint before, and dallied with the two beautiful maids, he likely would have been spied upon.


    In this Fang Family, eyes were everywhere, and he had to be cautious at all times.


    Fortunately, he had developed the habit of being careful and prudent since a young age.


    This trip to the city had brought him gains beyond his imagination.


    He earned an extra sixteen hundred taels of Silver Money.


    The Fang Family was indeed very wealthy, and their actions exceedingly generous.

 Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Chapter 161: Homeward Heart i

    Chapter 166: Chapter 161: Homeward Heart i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    With sixteen hundred taels of silver money, if one were to return to the countryside to buy land and live a comfortable life, they could immediately become a true small landlord.


    Even if an acre of good farmland cost twelve or thirteen taels of silver money, sixteen hundred taels would be enough to buy more than a hundred acres.


    Owning more than one hundred acres of land is the minimum standard for becoming a landlord.


    So one could only be considered a small landlord.


    As for people like Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang, who only have a dozen or so acres of land and assets of two or three hundred taels of silver money, they are far from being landlords. At most, they can be called wealthy peasants.


    Even so, they surpass more than 99% of the population.


    As long as they manage their affairs steadily and safely, they will have no worries about food and clothing for a lifetime.


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t yet decided how to use the sixteen hundred taels of silver money. After returning, he would definitely need to make a good plan, as squandering it all on gluttony and luxury was certainly not an option.


    The insect calamity is currently wreaking havoc, and it could easily lead to famine, affecting the value of the land greatly.


    If the insect calamity can be stopped in the short term, it would be good.


    If it can¡¯t be stopped for a long time, the price of land will drop to an infuriatingly low level.


    Qin Niu planned to save more money; if the opportunity arose, he wouldn¡¯t mind becoming the local landlord. Even if he couldn¡¯t reach the level of the Yan Family, at least he could own over a hundred acres of good farmland.


    The carriage traveled at an unhurried pace on the road.


    After more than a quarter of an hour, the carriage came to a stop.


    ¡°Master Qin, please alight here! This is a token that the young head of the family asked me to give you. If you encounter grave danger within the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, you can show this token. Unless the other party ignores our Fang Family, it will surely keep you safe. Also, the next time you enter or leave the Fang mansion, you can use this token for free access and won¡¯t be subjected to any inspection,¡±


    Uncle Heizi handed over a rather hefty silver token to him.


    The front bore the words ¡°Guest Retainer of the Fang Family.¡±


    On the back, Qin Niu¡¯s name was engraved.


    In addition, the token was adorned with many strange patterns. These could be similar to anti-counterfeiting marks.


    The token felt like it was made of silver money.


    It was possible that other metals were mixed in as well.


    Without a word, Young Master Fang had made Qin Niu a guest retainer of the Fang Family, without any discussion.


    ¡°Please thank Young Master Fang for his generous favor on my behalf!¡±


    What else could Qin Niu say?


    After receiving it, he carefully stowed the token close to his body.


    ¡°Take care! Don¡¯t mention your visit to the Fang Family to anyone! Just head out in this direction.¡±


    Uncle Heizi said his farewell and quickly drove the carriage away.


    The old man might seem ordinary, but being so trusted and relied upon by the young master of the Fang Family, he must be far from simple.


    With the guest retainer token from the Fang Family, Qin Niu was essentially under their protection.


    Afterward, his safety quotient in Black Tiger City would significantly increase.


    As for the countryside, even the Yan Family would definitely not dare to touch him at this point.


    Compared to a behemoth like the Fang Family, the Yan Family was likely negligible.


    He surveyed his surroundings, finding himself in a somewhat narrow alley, flanked by high walls.


    There are many residences of wealthy families in the city, with large houses and courtyards.


    For the sake of privacy and safety, they usually build very tall walls to separate themselves from the outside world.


    ¡°Not sure what part of the city this is? First, I need to find Xiao Qing, then buy some books before hurrying back to Shuangfeng Village!¡±


    Qin Niu followed the direction Uncle Heizi had pointed out and continued to walk forward.


    The alley wasn¡¯t very long, and upon exiting, he could see the main street.


    ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t this the inn where Xiao Qing stays?¡±


    Qin Niu was startled, realizing that in Black Tiger City, the Fang Family had eyes and ears everywhere; his every move had long been under their surveillance.


    Luckily, the Fang Family bore no ill will; otherwise, his slight cunning would have been of no use at all.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Xiao Qing had been anxiously waiting.


    Fearing that Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t want her and would abandon her in the city, she sat at the doorway waiting. Seeing him appear, she rushed over joyfully and clung to Qin Niu¡¯s waist, acting coquettishly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished what I needed to do, take our luggage down, I¡¯ll go pay the bill. We¡¯re going home.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I¡¯ll go get it right away!¡±


    She scampered off like a bullet towards their room on the second floor.


    After settling the account, Qin Niu took the basket from Xiao Qing¡¯s hands. Suddenly remembering something, he pulled out a few pastries he had taken from the Fang Family.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had breakfast yet, have you? I saved a few for you.¡±


    Xiao Qing took them and after sniffing them, she immediately drooled with desire.


    She examined one of the pastries.


    ¡°These pastries must be expensive, right? They look so exquisite I¡¯ve seen others selling them in shops for fifty or sixty wen a catty.¡±


    ¡°Someone else treated me to them, so I actually don¡¯t know the price,¡±


    Qin Niu had been preoccupied with eating while served attentively by two beautiful maids, and he really hadn¡¯t thought about how much the pastries cost.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ it¡¯s so delicious, soft and tasty. The food of these big households is truly different. Thank you, master.¡±


    She ate happily.


    Walking beside Qin Niu, her little eyes were surveying the entire street.


    Qin Niu took her to the book market and bought some books, filling half a basket, and carried it home on his back.


    Although all these books were handwritten, they consisted of only general knowledge, the kind that was common in the streets, so they weren¡¯t expensive.


    Even though he now had more than sixteen hundred taels of silver money, he adhered to the principle of saving where possible when purchasing books.


    If there were old books, he wouldn¡¯t buy new ones.


    After leaving the city, Qin Niu and Xiao Qing hastened their pace forward.


    Xiao Qing lowered her head and bit her lip as she followed behind.


    ¡°Master¡­ may I visit my grandfather¡¯s grave? I¡¯ll just kowtow three times and then leave; I won¡¯t take up too much of your time,¡± she said.


    She couldn¡¯t help but make this request, after all.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we heading that way already?¡±


    Qin Niu knew the route well.


    ¡°Oh, it does seem like it, thank you, master.¡±


    She looked around, and then a smile spread across her face.


    The master and servant pair reached the grave, where the tombstone had already been erected.


    ¡°This is the incense, candles, and paper money I specially bought in the city for you to burn!¡±


    Qin Niu took out the items he had purchased for the offering.


    ¡°Wuwu¡­ You are so good to me!¡±


    As Xiao Qing took the incense and paper money, she could no longer hold back her tears and was visibly moved.


    ¡°Now that I have become your only support in this world, naturally, I should treat you well. Besides, your grandfather entrusted you to me in his final moments; it¡¯s only right to take good care of you,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu patted her on the head.


    ¡°Come on, the red candles have been lit; all you need to do is burn the paper money,¡± he instructed.


    He lit the incense and candles, placing them on the altar before the grave.


    Xiao Qing knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times, also quietly offering prayers to her deceased grandfather, the content of which was unknown.


    ¡°All right!¡±


    After completing the offering, she took one more longing look at the grave before following Qin Niu to leave.


    One could feel that her attachment to Qin Niu had grown stronger, becoming more intimate.


    People are not emotionless like grass and trees; she too was a person with flesh and blood.


    Although she was young, she could naturally sense who truly cared for her.


    Upon their return to Shuangfeng Village, everything was as it always was.


    The only difference was the day-and-night changes to Qin Niu¡¯s house. The two old mud huts were gone, replaced by a grand and majestic mansion.


    Green tiles on top of blue bricks, it looked very exquisite and beautiful.


    Everything at home remained unchanged.


    Even though he did not come home last night, still, no one dared to step half a foot into his house.


    Xiao Nui was still the same, snoring asleep.


    In contrast, the newly acquired little turtle in the fish pond had already adapted to the new environment, swimming and crawling around everywhere. Despite being a Grade Three Diamond Ink Turtle, it was still so timid.


    Startled by the noise, it instantly hid at the bottom of the pond, motionless.


    Qin Niu shook his head with a smile.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, go and cut some wild boar meat to throw into the fish pond,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She agreed and went inside to cut some meat to feed the Diamond Ink Turtle.


    Meanwhile, Qin Niu shouldered the basket and hurried into the mountains.


    Arriving in front of the Termite Nest, the Ant Queen was still in the midst of evolution.


    Fourth, sensing his presence, crawled out of the nest right away.


    Suddenly, a number of Grade Three termites came out of the nest.


    All were there to welcome their owner.


    Qin Niu returned the few termites he carried with him back to the nest.


    ¡°Master, it seems like you have some bugs on you,¡± Fourth warned.


    ¡°Bugs?¡±


    Qin Niu instinctively checked his body.


    Had some bugs crawled onto him when he entered the mountains?


    It was possible.


    Bugs were everywhere in the mountains, after all.


    But he searched his coat and found nothing.


    ¡°Fourth, where is the bug?¡± Qin Niu asked Fourth.

 Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Chapter 162: Counterkill_1

    Chapter 167: Chapter 162: Counterkill_1


    Translator: 549690339 I


    ¡°It¡¯s in your hair.¡±


    As the words were spoken, Fourth leapt onto Qin Niu¡¯s body.


    ¡°What kind of insect is it?¡±


    Qin Niu patted his hair, but to no avail.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it feels like it harbors ill will towards you, I¡¯ll go bite it to death.¡±


    Fourth quickly crawled towards Qin Niu¡¯s head.


    Qin Niu realized something was amiss.


    ¡°Hold on, I want it alive.¡±


    Being an Insect Master himself, once Fourth reminded him that there was an insect lurking on his body, and one with malice no less, Qin Niu could almost be certain that this was no simple matter.


    It was very likely someone had sabotaged him.


    Having come into contact with quite a few people in the city, the ones most likely to have tampered with him were the Fang Family and that unfathomable Old Master Huang.


    He had to find out who wanted to hurt him.


    If it was the Fang Family, he would not go there next time they invited him to treat their medicinal herbs.


    Even if he did go, he would be more cautious and prepare for extra contingencies.


    Hearing that Qin Niu wanted to catch it alive, Fourth jumped back onto the camphor tree.


    Its antennae were pointed at Qin Niu.


    This was it using its puppet control ability.


    ¡°This insect is very strong!¡±


    Fourth¡¯s antennae vibrated rapidly, clearly struggling.


    Seeing this, Qin Niu was about to call out the Termite Army to help when Fourth suddenly underwent demonization.


    Its body instantly became much thicker, and faint black qi enshrouded it.


    A daunting and ferocious aura emanated from its tiny body.


    At that moment, Fourth was the very incarnation of a battle-crazed demon.


    It gave off an exceptionally vicious vibe.


    Moreover, it moved so fast that it was hard for the naked eye to capture, leaving only afterimages.


    Too fast.


    So this was Fourth¡¯s true strength after demonization.


    Qin Niu carefully observed it.


    If only he could have a few more white ants as powerful as this.


    At this time, Qin Niu felt a sharp pain in his head, as if someone had yanked out a hair.


    Fourth wouldn¡¯t attack him.


    Could it be that Fourth, having undergone demonization, no longer recognized its kin?


    It was indeed a possibility.


    Soon, he realized he had misunderstood Fourth.


    Although it had entered a state of demonization, it did not fail to recognize its kin.


    ¡°Master, the insect has come down.¡±


    Following the message from Fourth, a lock of hair about three to four inches long, moving eerily, arrived in Qin Niu¡¯s hand.


    One could see that it had a sucker on its head, still bearing traces of blood.


    The sharp pain in his head just now, as if a strand of hair had been plucked out, was most likely caused by this insect.


    It might have been clinging to Qin Niu¡¯s scalp, sucking his blood voraciously.


    In such a situation, locating it would have been almost impossible.


    Luckily, Fourth was formidable and had detected it immediately.


    ¡± Who exactly wants to harm me in secret?¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the odd insect indistinguishable from a strand of hair and felt a chill.


    It was truly impossible to guard against.


    He had no clear idea when someone had sabotaged him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s identify this insect first to see what kind it is.¡±


    After trying, he failed to identify it.


    Currently, he was only a two-star Insect Identification Master, limited in skill and experience, utterly unable to identify the insect.


    There was another approach, which was to subdue it.


    But there was one prerequisite: he must ensure that this strange insect had no master.


    Someone had gone through great trouble to plant such an insect in his body; they certainly wouldn¡¯t leave one without an owner.


    The path of subduing it seemed closed as well.


    Qin Niu stared at the insect, pondering strategies to resolve the situation.


    He had to find the person working against him in the shadows, or there would be a next time.


    The only person proficient in insect control who had dealt with Qin Niu was apparently that Mr. Huang with the surname Huang.


    The Fang Family was powerful, and if they wanted to move against Qin Niu, they seemingly had no need for such despicable tactics.


    If it really was Old Master Huang who had struck against him, then it meant Qin Niu was marked.


    His current predicament was very dangerous.


    Selling that Green Giant Corpse Bee for one hundred and fifty pieces of Silver Money, he didn¡¯t expect the money to burn so hot in his hands.


    In the future, when selling insects, he must be exceedingly cautious.


    ¡°Since Fourth can control this insect, why not turn their scheme against them?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes twinkled as he slowly formulated a plan to eliminate the enemy.


    His life principle was to not cause trouble and to keep as low a profile as possible.


    But if someone targeted him, then there was no need for courtesy; kill when necessary.


    ¡°Fourth, how long can you control this insect?¡±


    Qin Niu inquired of Fourth.


    ¡°At least three days or more. If Master needs it, I can command the ant colony to control it for as long as you want.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡±


    Knowing that Fourth could control it for at least three days gave Qin Niu quite a bit of reassurance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back and make some preparations first, you keep it under control. If anything unexpected happens, and you truly can¡¯t control it anymore, then kill it.¡±


    With the powerful Termite Army on standby, there should be no accidents.


    After returning to the village, Qin Niu bought a rooster, then tied it up and prepared some other items before going up the mountain.


    ¡°Fourth, let¡¯s try having it latch onto this rooster.¡±


    Following Qin Niu¡¯s command, Fourth manipulated the insect to attach itself to the rooster.


    The creature¡¯s sucker burrowed into the feathers of the rooster and then began to gorge on its fresh blood like a leech.


    Qin Niu took Fourth and some of the Puppet Ants and headed straight for the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He planned to lure the enemy into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree and eliminate them effortlessly.


    To bait the enemy, he specifically tied up the rooster, dug a hole in the ground, and then placed the rooster in it.


    Next to the Ancient Banyan Tree, insects and wild beasts in the mountains would automatically avoid the area.


    There was no need to worry about any wild animals coming to eat the rooster.


    After preparations were made, Qin Niu, concerned the enemy might be too powerful, had the bee swarm and ant colony ready to fight at any moment.


    He was certain the enemy would definitely come looking.


    As for when they would come, that was hard to say.


    The likelihood was highest at night.


    Even though he had taken down that strange insect, the thought of being targeted by the enemy still left Qin Niu uneasy.


    He feared the enemy might harm Xiao Qing at home.


    He had to take precautions against this possibility.


    Xiao Qing couldn¡¯t sleep at home tonight.


    Qin Niu decided to go back to the village and make some arrangements at home.


    Upon arriving outside Wang Furen¡¯s home, he looked up at the window of Wang Wanyan¡¯s boudoir.


    ¡°Miss Wang, are you home?¡±


    ¡°I am home! I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you about animal taming for some time now, come have tea at my place!¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s call, Wang Wanyan immediately opened her window and leaned out.


    She was dressed in a white training suit, which was quite thin.


    She looked exceptionally beautiful and pure, and her appearance was particularly innocent.


    This showed that upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s call, she hadn¡¯t hesitated, rushing to the window to respond immediately.


    This brought a hidden smile to Qin Niu¡¯s heart.


    Miss Wang cared so much about him, it seemed likely that she would agree if he were to propose to her.


    Now that her father was no longer opposed and she cared so much for Qin Niu, all he needed was to find an appropriate opportunity to send a matchmaker to propose marriage.


    But he was in no rush for now.


    He planned to grow stronger before considering the matter of marriage.


    ¡°Could you come over to my place for a bit, I need your help with something.¡±


    Qin Niu was worried about too many prying eyes and the potential leakage of information.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll change my clothes and be right over. Wait for me, okay?¡±


    She agreed readily.


    This also indicated that she had deep affection for Qin Niu and trusted him immensely.


    Otherwise, how could an unmarried girl casually visit a man¡¯s home?


    Qin Niu saw Xiao Qing arranging furniture and cleaning up.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, those old pieces of furniture can just be thrown in the backyard to be used as firewood! There¡¯s no need to keep them anymore.¡±


    They were all old pieces of furniture, roughly made, and wobbly.


    Some of the chair armrests had long been broken.


    Now that he had risen in status and had money, he naturally wanted to dispose of the old.


    ¡°Later tonight, you¡¯ll stay at Miss Wang¡¯s place. Remember, it¡¯s best if people don¡¯t find out when you go over.¡±


    Qin Niu told her.


    Although puzzled, she nodded in agreement.


    She trusted that Qin Niu had his reasons for such arrangements.


    ¡°All Niu! I¡¯m here!¡±


    Wang Wanyan appeared wearing a beautiful dress, clearly wanting to present her best self to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Wan Yan, I need a favor. I¡¯d like Xiao Qing to stay at your place for the next few nights, if that¡¯s okay?¡±


    Wang Wanyan was taken aback.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    She looked at Qin Niu, a shy expression on her face.


    She thought this might be a prelude to Qin Niu proposing marriage, sending his maid over to get familiar with her, so that when he married her, the two could get along harmoniously.


    ¡°There might be danger at my house tonight. Remember, no matter what noises you hear, do not come out to check. I won¡¯t be staying at home either tonight.¡±


    Qin Niu feared she might hear something, come out of concern, and end up falling victim to the culprit.


    It was crucial to give her a heads up well in advance.


    ¡°Okay! Just leave Xiao Qing to me, you just focus on staying safe.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why Qin Niu said there would be danger at home, but she had a feeling that he might be hiding from someone.


    After arranging everything for Xiao Qing and briefing Wang Wanyan, Qin Niu could rest assured about his household.


    The little calf wouldn¡¯t be in any danger.


    It was in the midst of evolving, simply lying in the shed and sleeping soundly.


    He also visited the Yan Family to tell them that he might not be able to make it due to some urgent matters.


    A man¡¯s worth is in his credibility.


    Since he had promised to help the Yan Family with their infestation today, he had to give notice now that a change of plans had occurred.


    With everything settled, Qin Niu now had no more worries and could concentrate on dealing with this unknown enemy.


    Back in the mountains, he made a few more arrangements.


    He found several hidden spots for concealment and rest.


    As dusk fell, the strange insect that had been sucking blood from the rooster began to react.


    It extended its tail and started to wave it in the air.


    A faint stench wafted through the air, barely noticeable.


    Yet, to Qin Niu, the smell was oddly familiar, very similar to the odor of the Corpse Bees in Old Master Huang¡¯s home.


    This suggested that the person targeting him was very likely Old Master Huang.


    The human heart is deceitful.


    Who would have thought that Old Master Huang, who appeared so amiable, could be so malevolent?


    If he had wanted to kill Qin Niu, there was a chance to do so during their transaction at the house, but Old Master Huang had not made such a move.


    Instead, he was biding his time for a bigger catch.

 Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Chapter 163: Fight in the Dark l

    Chapter 168: Chapter 163: Fight in the Dark l


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Not striking face to face, but secretly using a mysterious insect to track and locate Qin Niu, anyone could guess the purpose.


    The sole intent was to wipe out Qin Niu¡¯s insects in one fell swoop and seize them all.


    ¡°Master, this insect seems to be responding to the call of the queen, I can hardly control it!¡±


    Fourth alerted Qin Niu.


    ¡°Use the power of the ant colony to restrain it.¡±


    Qin Niu issued the order.


    Nowadays, his ant colony could increase by 100 ants a day, and given the chance, he would cultivate new termites punctually every day.


    Nearly a hundred special termites could be added daily.


    The main issue was that there were too many of them, so the ordinary termites were cultivated in batches, resulting in a certain mortality rate.


    To cultivate a hundred ordinary termites into Grade Two special termites, there would always be four or five unfortunate deaths.


    This loss was within Qin Niu¡¯s acceptable range.


    At this moment, following Qin Niu¡¯s command, a hundred special worker ants capable of Spirit Control were thrown into battle. There were Swift Puppet Ants, Lightning Puppet Ants, and leading them were Grade Three Green Scale Puppet Ants.


    They were worker ants that had undergone secondary cultivation.


    In terms of strength, Grade Three termites were certainly much stronger than Grade Two ones.


    For today¡¯s battle, Qin Niu directly mobilized six hundred special worker ants and over four hundred special soldier ants, a super luxurious Termite Army ready to attack.


    For an ordinary Insect Master, having a Grade Two insect to command was already enough to feel complacent.


    Even for a true Insect Master, a Grade Two insect was also invaluable.


    Now, with over a thousand ants of Grade Two and above forming an army, there¡¯s no need to describe how terrifying that might be.


    It is estimated that even a Grade Four insect might be instantly torn apart by them.


    The previously restless strange insect, once suppressed by a hundred Puppet Ants, instantly became obedient.


    ¡°If there really is a queen, the main adversary should be showing up soon.¡±


    Qin Niu waited patiently.


    Now, all he could do was to adapt to the situation as it unfolded.


    The sky gradually darkened, the tired birds returned to the woods, and they quieted down.


    Qin Niu looked at the Ancient Banyan Tree beside him; it appeared incredibly tranquil in the night. If one didn¡¯t know its terror, it would be almost impossible to spot any abnormalities or dangers from the outside.


    As the night fell completely, the whole mountain seemed to wake up, with the roaring of various beasts rising and falling.


    Many nocturnal wild animals, insects, snakes, and rats emerged from their nests.


    They roamed about, searching for food.


    Qin Niu¡¯s chosen hiding spot was a fairly robust chestnut tree, where he hid, motionless.


    The main adversary was still nowhere to be seen.


    He wasn¡¯t in a hurry, patiently waiting. Contesting with someone as unfathomable as Old Master Huang, if one lost patience too quickly, it was easy to be wiped out by the opponent.


    A pale moon gradually ascended into the sky, and its silvery light bathed the earth, revealing the silhouettes of grass and trees in the moonlight.


    The shadows of the trees were faintly discernible on the ground, like so many ghosts.


    ¡°Master, that queen insect seems to have arrived.¡±


    Fourth alerted Qin Niu once more.


    All around was very quiet, and there were no sounds to be heard.


    After a while, Qin Niu heard a rustling in the vegetation.


    It was clearly different from the noise of the wind stirring the trees.


    He didn¡¯t focus his gaze in the direction of the sound, because the powerful were very sensitive to being watched. If he kept staring in that direction, he would immediately alert the adversary to his presence.


    It could even pinpoint Qin Niu¡¯s hiding spot.


    The noise of the vegetation being disturbed wasn¡¯t loud; a shadow more agile than a mountain marten was inching closer to the strange insect¡¯s location.


    Qin Niu knew that the crucial moment had arrived.


    He dimly saw a black insect about the thickness of a chopstick, inching forward, bending its body repeatedly.


    It must have been tracking by scent.


    There was someone following the insect, taking their time but keeping up.


    The light was too poor to see the person¡¯s face clearly.


    Qin Niu also dared not stare.


    ¡°No matter where you come from, let¡¯s lure you in first,¡± he thought.


    He commanded the waiting Termite Army, ¡°Take control of that queen and keep it moving forward.¡±


    Fourth had already aimed its antennae at the queen.


    The Puppet Army within the Termite Army immediately exerted its power in unison.


    The queen insect¡¯s body trembled violently; its head suddenly lifted and then split open, transforming into over a hundred black ¡®strands of hair¡¯. Each ¡®strand¡¯ was actually one of its heads.


    Qin Niu¡¯s scalp tingled at the sight.


    ¡°Master, its level is higher than mine, I can¡¯t control it for long.¡±


    Fourth conveyed the message to Qin Niu.


    Even with such a vast Termite Army¡¯s help, it could only barely restrain the queen, indicating that the adversary was at least a Grade Four insect.


    ¡°As long as it can enter the range covered by the banyan tree ahead, that will be enough.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t need to control the queen for long.


    Such a powerful insect would probably be very difficult to deal with; it was safer to let it become nutrition for the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Under the control of the ant colony, the queen insect continued to move forward.


    Seeing its silhouette gradually disappearing into the range of the Ancient Banyan Tree, Qin Niu breathed a sigh of relief.


    The shadow also followed it inside.


    Qin Niu felt as if his heart was about to leap out of his throat.


    Thankfully, nothing unexpected happened in the end.


    The person went directly into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    ¡°Could Old Master Huang have been taken care of so easily?¡±


    Qin Niu found everything too smooth.


    His consistent caution and suspicion kept him still, watching secretly.


    At that moment, a buzzing sound came from the sky.


    It was like the noise made by powerful wasps flapping their wings.


    At night, giant wasps generally do not come out.


    Because they cannot see.


    This meant that it was very likely some other insect.


    Qin Niu looked up at the sky and saw two insects as thick as knife handles flying above. Under the moonlight, he could barely make out that their silhouettes resembled those of hornets.


    Hornets this big?


    Qin Niu was quite familiar with this mountain region. He had never seen hornets of such size before.


    Moreover, not only were these two hornets extraordinarily large, far exceeding ordinary giant wasps, but they also possessed Night Vision. He was almost certain that these two hornets were most likely the Corpse Bees raised by Old Master Huang.


    They had undergone secretive mutations and evolution, acquiring the ability to see in the dark.


    ¡°Fourth, do you see those two giant hornets in the sky? Look for a chance to lead the ants to knock them down, regardless of life or death.¡±


    ¡°The distance is too far, we can¡¯t reach them.¡±


    The long-range attack capabilities of Fourth and the Termite Army were limited, the further the distance, the weaker the power.


    Facing such airborne enemies, they were somewhat powerless.


    ¡°If it really comes to it, we¡¯ll have to use the Bee Legion.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have many Grade Two bees cultivated at the moment.


    Since the Queen Bee hadn¡¯t been evolving for a particularly long time, it took time for the first batch of a hundred bee eggs to hatch, pupate, and mature.


    Only about ten Grade Two Worker Bees could be cultivated each day, and sometimes one or two would die from bursting their bodies, so the number of special bee swarms was still very limited.


    These two Corpse Bees were much stronger than the green giant hornets Qin Niu had been raising.


    If he were to have the bees go up against them, the casualties would definitely be extremely heavy.


    And his bees did not possess Night Vision.


    He was at a disadvantage on all fronts.


    To utilize the swarm would only be a last resort.


    The main issue was that there had not been enough time for development; the bee swarm¡¯s cultivation was far from sufficient.


    It was fine when dealing with ordinary insects.


    But faced with an Insect Master as formidable as Old Master Huang, he seemed somewhat at a loss.


    The foundation and cumulative effort of the two sides were not on the same level.


    The two giant bees, upon losing their target, began to lower their flight altitude, carefully approaching this way for reconnaissance.


    They seemed to sense that the Ancient Banyan Tree ahead was extremely dangerous, behaving very cautiously.


    When Qin Niu saw their altitude decreasing, he felt a surge of excitement.


    ¡°Fourth, quickly command the ants to climb the tree and get ready to knock them down.¡±


    The Termite Army silently and swiftly climbed onto the trees to shorten the distance between them and the two Corpse Bees.


    Finally, the distance between them was getting closer and closer.


    Almost without any warning, one of the Corpse Bees spun twice in the air and fell vertically downwards.


    The other was controlled by Fourth.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s too strong; we can¡¯t control it for long.¡±


    Fourth appeared to be struggling considerably.


    ¡°The one that fell hasn¡¯t died.¡±


    He warned Qin Niu.


    ¡°Hold on for a moment.¡±


    Qin Niu scanned the surroundings and did not find any other figures or movements.


    He took out a specially made insect-catching net and had Fourth control the Corpse Bee to approach his position.


    As it got close, he could already smell the unique stench of rotting corpses, even from two or three meters away.


    Qin Niu seized the opportunity, and without any hesitation, he netted it in one go.


    The bee¡¯s mouthparts were extremely frightening, and it easily bit through the net¡¯s threads.


    It should be noted that those threads were thickened.


    ¡°Get inhere!¡±


    Qin Niu took off a Bronze Canister from his waist, not very big, just about the size of a normal chopstick holder.


    He had specially bought some canisters in town for catching insects.


    He never expected that they would actually come in handy at this moment.


    Encased in the Bronze Canister, it still struggled fiercely, wildly biting all around.


    But its mouthparts, no matter how strong, couldn¡¯t bite through the smooth inner walls of the Bronze Canister.


    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll have to customize a few more thickened Bronze Canisters.¡±


    Seeing how fearsome this Corpse Bee was, Qin Niu was shocked to his core.


    After capturing this Corpse Bee, he let the ant army kill the other one on the ground that had suffered a heavy blow to its spirit.


    In the blink of an eye, the ants killed the Corpse Bee alive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat it; I need it.¡±


    The corpse of this Corpse Bee was very useful for cultivating the Ant Queen and the young ants.


    Perhaps it could help them evolve.


    After all, this was a ¡®premium ingredient.¡¯


    He felt that these Corpse Bees were at least Grade Three insects, and they might even have reached Grade Four.


    The captured Corpse Bee, although already owned by someone, couldn¡¯t be tamed, but could be kept for crossbreeding with other wasps to cultivate a new bee species.


    It did not stay still inside the Bronze Canister, constantly moving about.


    Making a rustling noise.


    It seemed it wanted to escape.


    The foul stench of death wafted from the air holes, making people want to vomit.


    ¡°Looking at the situation, its master must not be dead. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be in this state.¡±


    Qin Niu deduced in his mind.

 Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Chapter 164: Obtaining the Insect Egg and the Jade Slipi

    Chapter 169: Chapter 164: Obtaining the Insect Egg and the Jade Slipi


    Translator: 549690339


    Based on his experience and knowledge in controlling insects, Qin Niu knew that if the master died, the insects that had recognized him as their owner were likely to die or be seriously injured as well.


    That person had entered the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze some time ago and had never been seen escaping.


    It was feared that the chances of misfortune were much greater than those of fortune.


    Being killed by the Ancient Banyan Tree was probably just a matter of time.


    If that person was Old Master Huang, why send two Corpse Bees to follow him? The person who just went in might not be Old Master Huang.¡± After considering this possibility, Qin Niu stayed motionless in the tree where he was hiding.


    One of the Corpse Bees had just been hit by a mental attack from the Termite Army and had plummeted to the ground, but Qin Niu did not climb down the tree to help.


    Because he worried that the real Old Master Huang had not died and was instead hiding somewhere close by.


    The person who had entered the Ancient Banyan Tree just now was probably just one of Old Master Huang¡¯s subordinates.


    Watching that person resolutely follow the insect queen into the maze, looking like a fool, Qin Niu even suspected that the person might be Mu Kuai, who was guarding the gate for Old Master Huang.


    Unfortunately, there was no way to go in and check.


    He couldn¡¯t take that risk.


    What he needed to do now was to continue waiting to see if anyone else would come.


    ¡°Master, it seems there is a problem with that strange insect,¡± Fourth alerted Qin Niu.


    Due to the distance, the strange insect was as thin as a hair and completely invisible in the night.


    Only the agonized cries of a rooster could be heard.


    It seems to have died,¡± Fourth reported again after a while.


    ¡°Never mind it. Have the ant colony stay hidden and wait for the next wave of enemies to appear,¡± Qin Niu comforted the ant colony and stayed still on the tree.


    Time slipped away bit by bit.


    Until dawn, there was still no sign of any new enemies.


    Qin Niu had lurked in this Chou tree all night.


    After dawn, he carefully checked the surroundings and found nothing unusual. Still feeling uneasy, he sent out fifty Grade Two bees to patrol the mountain area. Only after finding nothing did he dare to climb down from the Chou tree. First, he used a pottery jar to collect the body of the dead Corpse Bee.


    Besides being somewhat heavy, it was also particularly foul-smelling.


    Its head had been gnawed off by the Termite Army.


    First came the mental attack, then the physical attack; even a strong Grade Four insect like the Corpse Bee could not withstand it.


    The Termite Army had managed to capture two Grade Four insects with zero casualties.


    This was the true strength of Qin Niu, the Insect Master.


    He believed that once the Ant Queen completed her evolution, his Insect Master strength would increase several times and might even leap an entire level.


    After securing the Corpse Bee¡¯s body, he went to check on the rooster.


    The rooster¡¯s neck was stretched out straight, and its body had already become stiff.


    On its back was found a small puddle of black, stinky water.


    Using a small stick to push away the black water, Qin Niu unexpectedly discovered an insect egg while examining the wounds on the rooster¡¯s body. It was very small, only about half the size of a sesame seed.


    Black.


    If his Insect Trace Identification and insect identification skills were not at a high level, he would not have noticed this egg.


    Even if seen, it might have been mistaken for a tiny clot of blood.


    The wound on the rooster¡¯s back was not large, just a little bigger than a pinhole. However, the skin around the wound, taking it as the center, was a dark purple color.


    It looked quite frightening.


    Qin Niu subconsciously touched the back of his own head.


    Yesterday, the now-dead strange insect had attached itself to the back of his head, mingling with his hair.


    This rooster could not have died for no reason.


    I wonder if that strange insect had deadly poison?


    He still felt somewhat scared when he thought about it.


    If Fourth hadn¡¯t discovered the strange insect hidden on him, would he be the one dead now?


    After checking the back of his own head, he didn¡¯t find any problems.


    Only the place where it had attached itself felt a little itchy when touched.


    He was somewhat relieved.


    When had that insect been placed on him?


    When it was attached to his head, he hadn¡¯t felt anything at all.


    It was truly impossible to guard against.


    ¡®The rooster crowed in alarm before the strange insect showed abnormal behavior, indicating that the insect might have released some toxins into the rooster¡¯s body right before it died.¡±


    Qin Niu speculated to himself.


    He carefully collected the insect egg and then searched the area thoroughly again, finding nothing.


    Why had the strange insect suddenly died when it had been fine before?


    There were only two possibilities.


    One, the female insect that had entered the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze was killed, causing the strange insect to die as well. The second, the person who entered the Ancient Banyan Tree was the master of the strange insect, and when he died, the insect he had tamed died with him.


    It was hard to determine which situation it was.


    He carried the dead rooster and walked directly towards the maze beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He deliberately chose a farther spot to avoid running into the person who had entered the day before, in case they hadn¡¯t died.


    Upon entering beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree, he could see its branches and leaves were only three meters from the ground, slowly rising.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree was particularly magical; its branches would only droop down during the night.


    During the daytime, the branches would rise on schedule.


    Qin Niu looked around wide-eyed, sweeping his gaze several times, but still didn¡¯t find anyone else.


    It seemed the person had been ¡®eaten¡¯ by the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Qin Niu was still somewhat uneasy and began to search around beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Now, the area beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree was as familiar to him as his own backyard.


    In fact, it had become Qin Niu¡¯s ¡®backyard¡¯.


    He could come and go as he pleased, practice his skills there, and continually harvest the Banyan Tree Blood and ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± Blood.


    What exactly that ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± was, he still didn¡¯t fully understand.


    It resembled the legendary bodhi with a thousand eyes, so he named this extremely special small tree the ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree.¡±


    Its tree blood was also very interesting; it could help termites evolve abilities like Spirit Control or Mental Attacks.


    This was somewhat similar to the Divine Skills of the Buddhist tradition.


    Had he known how magical these ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± were, he wouldn¡¯t have cut any down at the beginning.


    Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t cut them all down.


    Otherwise, the loss would have been too great.


    After much effort in searching, he finally made a discovery.


    There were several garments and personal belongings on the ground, but the person was gone.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s the Mu Kuai from Old Master Huang¡¯s house.¡±


    Qin Niu vaguely remembered the clothes Mu Kuai wore and recognized them at a glance.


    No wonder that dummy blindly followed the strange insect¡¯s mother right into the maze.


    Using the Ink Blade, he pried open the clothes and found a few Silver Pieces and two Silver Ingots. There was no silver note.


    He also found a small, very ancient jade slip.


    This gave Qin Niu an immense surprise and was unexpected.


    Jade slips were absolutely high-level books, used only to record extremely important information, made from expensive jade.


    Moreover, as of now, jade slips and bamboo slips had been long phased out.


    Paper was the most commonly used.


    A little higher-end might use fabric or animal skins as ¡®paper¡¯.

 Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Chapter 165 Green Silk Worm_1

    Chapter 170: Chapter 165 Green Silk Worm_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Etching words on bamboo slips is relatively easy, and the crafting process isn¡¯t too complicated.


    Jade slips are made by polishing pieces of jade, and both manufacturing them and etching words on them are much more difficult.


    Picking up the jade slip and wiping off the dust, the words etched onto it became clearly visible.


    ¡°Green Silkworm breeding secret technique!¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but be startled before becoming overjoyed.


    The Green Silkworm was likely that strange insect that could imperceptibly latch onto his head, hair-like in form and extremely difficult to detect.


    The writing on the jade slip was very small, but meticulous and without error.


    Glancing over it, it recorded the Green Silk Worm¡¯s breeding methods, uses, and its known grades and forms.


    The Green Silkworm is born as a Grade Two insect, tiny as a bedbug.


    The best time to bind it to a master is during the egg phase.


    Its breeding is extremely difficult.


    It requires using the body temperature of a human to incubate, which can take as short as a month or as long as several years. During this incubation period, if the eggs get cold, they can easily die.


    After successful hatching, it needs to be fed with the master¡¯s own blood essence.


    Moreover, it only consumes fresh human blood.


    The fresh blood from a human¡¯s head is most welcomed by it.


    The Green Silkworm is highly poisonous, and in its larval stage, it cannot control the venom within its body very well, often resulting in the release of toxins while feeding on the master¡¯s blood essence, leading to itching sores and swelling on the master.


    The venom of an adult Green Silkworm can be lethal, causing a person¡¯s blood to clot all over the body, ultimately leading to death.


    Therefore, its venom has the effect of stopping bleeding.


    No wonder the rooster died. Surely, that Green Silkworm injected its venom into the rooster before dying, causing the rooster¡¯s blood to clot and leading to its painful death.


    The Green Silkworm reproduces by parthenogenesis, and although reaching Grade Three counts as an adult, it only has the basic ability to lay eggs at that stage.


    It only lays one or two eggs before dying.


    Many insects have this breeding mechanism.


    It¡¯s as if one generation fades, only then giving birth to new life.


    It¡¯s precisely because of this mechanism that they can pass on from generation to generation, avoiding extinction.


    To become a true female insect, the Green Silkworm needs to reach Grade Four.


    At that stage, it has the normal ability to lay eggs, but its reproductive capacity is very poor, requiring a feast on the master¡¯s blood essence for one or two months to incubate a single egg.


    After laying eggs, a Grade Four Green Silkworm mother can hatch them on her own and nourish the larvae that emerge.


    The mother will continue to support them until they reach adulthood.


    The weakest Green Silk Worm mothers only track their offspring by scent. As the mother ascends each grade, she gains new abilities.


    The owner of the jade slip only bred the Green Silkworm to Grade Seven.


    At Grade Four, the mother can track her offspring by scent. Even if the offspring hide at the ends of the world, tens of thousands of miles away from the mother, she can still find them.


    This ability is super awesome, equivalent to a modern-day tracker.


    As long as it latches onto an enemy undetected, even if they flee to the ends of the earth, they can be pursued and killed.


    At Grade Five, through the offspring, it¡¯s possible to eavesdrop on the sounds surrounding the larvae.


    At Grade Six, it¡¯s possible to see the surroundings through the larvae.


    At Grade Seven, it can sense the host¡¯s emotional fluctuations and even peer into the host¡¯s thoughts.


    According to the owner of the jade slip¡¯s speculation, this is not the ultimate form of the Green Silkworm; it can still be bred and evolve further.


    After reading the description of the Green Silk Worm from Grade Two to Grade Seven on the jade slip, Qin Niu was beyond excited.


    Gosh, the abilities of the Green Silkworm are simply heaven-defying.


    Although it cannot be used for direct combat, for eavesdropping on intelligence, monitoring enemies, and pinpointing their location, it¡¯s virtually a ¡°divine tool.¡±


    Evolved to Grade Seven, it could even steal the host¡¯s emotional fluctuations and thoughts.


    It was even more terrifying than brain-eating insects.


    He subconsciously took out the egg to look at it; it wasn¡¯t lost.


    He quickly wrapped it layer by layer and then placed it in a bronze canister before feeling at ease.


    If such a powerful insect were to be lost, it would be a real pity.


    He must find a way to hatch it quickly.


    He was willing to feed it his blood essence.


    To endure the itchiness and swelling after it fed on his blood essence was a small price to pay.


    Compared to its heaven-defying abilities, what was a little suffering?


    As long as he successfully hatches it and breeds it to Grade Four, it will definitely play a major role in the future.


    As for breeding it to Grade Seven, Qin Niu dared not aim too high, not even daring to contemplate it at this time.


    Since the Green Silkworm lays eggs before dying, and there were over a hundred offspring on that female worm that the Ancient Banyan Tree had killed, then wouldn¡¯t it have laid hundreds of eggs?


    He quickly squatted down and searched carefully.


    Unfortunately, he found nothing.


    Were even the eggs killed by the Ancient Banyan Tree?


    Qin Niu did not rush back to the village.


    He could now basically conclude that Old Master Huang had not died, which posed a great threat.


    Mu Kuai and those two Corpse Bees were taken down by Qin Niu, so it was very likely that Old Master Huang himself would take action next time.


    Being targeted by such a ruthless character made it hard for him to rest.


    At this moment, he could also seek protection from the Fang Family.


    The Fang Family would definitely be eager for this.


    But he was very clear that this was a last resort. As long as he could cope, he should most definitely not rely on the Fang Family.


    A debt owed must eventually be repaid.


    The more he received from the Fang Family, the higher the likelihood of becoming subordinate to them.


    Being a servant to others, this was definitely not the life he wanted.


    Even being a king of grass in the countryside was much better than being a wealthy servant in the city.


    Under the Ancient Banyan Tree, he cultivated until the afternoon, then he came out of the maze and checked on the bee population. There were twenty more new bees. He nurtured them on the spot with Banyan Tree Blood.


    Even though these bees were still far inferior to the Corpse Bees after cultivation, he didn¡¯t feel inferior.


    He believed that Old Master Huang¡¯s Corpse Bees must have become so powerful after many rounds of cultivation.


    As long as he seriously summed up experience and learned more about controlling insects, the bees would certainly continue to be cultivated. One day they would surpass the Corpse Bees.


    Besides, he hadn¡¯t been raising this swarm of bees for combat in the first place.


    Even the termite nest he was raising wasn¡¯t for fighting.


    He preferred to engage in planting and then constantly look for ways to enhance his cultivation level and extend his life.


    Currently, he had already broken past a hundred years in age.


    This was only a primary goal; his next target was to break through to a lifespan of a thousand years.


    After cultivating the bees, he casually took some honey and put it into a basket.


    Children all like to eat sweets, so he believed Xiao Qing would be particularly happy to see so much honey.


    He arrived at the Ant Nest and there were no abnormalities.


    The Ant Queen was still evolving.


    He really hoped it would finish evolving soon.


    Currently being targeted by a powerful enemy, the stronger his ant colony became, the more power he would have to fight back when facing formidable foes.


    It also meant he would be safer.


    He hadn¡¯t been willing to feed the corpse of that Corpse Bee to the ordinary worker ants.


    Instead, he planned to wait until the Ant Queen finished evolving and then use it to feed the queen.


    After all, such good things were hard to come by.


    Grade Four insects were already extremely rare.


    Even Fourth, being such a rare species and having been cultivated with Banyan Tree Blood and ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood, such high-grade sustenance, was still only a Grade Three termite.


    It was conceivable how difficult it was to cultivate Grade Four insects.


    His calculations were precise, using such scarce resources to cultivate ordinary termites, even if successful, would only result in one special termite.


    If he used it to cultivate the Ant Queen, allowing it to acquire special abilities, then special termites could be continuously produced.


    Which would bring greater benefits, is clear at a glance.


    After cultivating the newly molted termites into adults, Qin Niu then headed home.


    He deliberately chose this time to return home because he was worried about Old Master Huang lurking in the village waiting for him.


    ¡°Master Qin, have you been hunting in the mountains again!¡±


    Wang Furen walked with his hands behind his back; he should be inspecting the crops he had planted in the field.


    ¡± I¡¯m just strolling around!¡±


    Qin Niu obviously couldn¡¯t tell the truth.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, there haven¡¯t been any strangers in our village these past two days, have there?¡±


    ¡°No, with locust plagues everywhere, who has the mood to run around!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true! Recently, I heard that some villains have set their sights on our village. Tell everyone, if a stranger enters the village, report to me immediately. And don¡¯t get near that person, they¡¯re all cold-blooded demons.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t just trying to scare him.


    Old Master Huang had a black heart and ruthless hands; he didn¡¯t need to do the dirty work himself.


    A single Corpse Bee could wipe out the entire Shuangfeng Village.


    ¡°Where did you get this information? My eyelids have been twitching lately, oh no, this won¡¯t do, I have to hurry back and warn Wan Yan and the others not to go out recently.¡±


    Wang Furen was very timid and feared death.


    Once, when someone in the village contracted an epidemic, Wang Furen shut himself in at home and didn¡¯t come out for over a month.


    He lived a comfortable life and didn¡¯t want to die.


    When Qin Niu returned home, he carefully observed the ground and other places and didn¡¯t find signs of intrusion.


    Fortunately, he had headed into the mountains soon after coming back from the city.


    If he had stayed at home all along, the Green Silkworm would have been undetected, and the Mu Kuai would have surely killed its way into his house at night.


    They say a crafty rabbit has three burrows, and Qin Niu started contemplating contingency plans for various crises.


    ¡°Move that swarm of bees to be raised at home?¡±


    They could serve as sentinels.


    If a stranger invaded, they would soon detect it and warn Qin Niu.


    The only drawback of the bees was that they did not work at night.


    Because they cannot see.


    The vision of the bees was naturally poor, and they couldn¡¯t see anything at night. They could only act as sentinels during the day.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle raised in the front yard pond was also a good sentinel.


    Perhaps he could also consider learning from Old Master Huang and keep some other insects in the courtyard.


    He was certain that Old Master Huang kept many insects in the lotus pond in the front yard, as well as in the grass and on the trees. For an Insect Master, insects could not only serve as sentinels but also as guards, attacking the invaders directly when necessary.


    ¡°Now that I have reached the first level of the Acquired Realm and the ant colony has grown to a certain size, perhaps it¡¯s time to retrieve the Green Demon¡¯s treasure.¡±


    Qin Niu cared deeply about the treasure left by the Green Demon.


    With so many formidable insect masters worshipping the Green Demon to such an extent, it indicated there must be something exceptional about him.


    ¡°Wait until Miaodan Pavilion helps me refine the Beast Core, and after taking it, I raise my cultivation level by a major realm, perhaps I will have a better chance. Both the Ant Queen and Xiao Nui are evolving, and being away from home for many days, I worry something might go wrong with them.¡±


    He thought to himself.


    Moreover, once the Ant Queen finished evolving, it might be able to produce even more formidable termites, allowing him to cultivate stronger special termites.


    It would also make venturing into the mountains where the Green Demon once lived a little safer.

 Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Chapter 166 When Mother Hen_1

    Chapter 171: Chapter 166 When Mother Hen_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    After all, that mountain is home to a large number of special bee colonies bred by the Green Demon.


    Though they are merely the discarded products from the breeding process of the Green Demon Bees, they remain incredibly powerful. Qin Niu knew that many who ventured into those woods in search of Green Demon Bees met their unfortunate end at the hands of the wild bees¡¯ Poison Stingers.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Xiao Qing ran over excitedly from Wang Furen¡¯s house.


    Wang Wanyan followed behind with a smile on her face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how worried Xiao Qing was about you. She barely slept last night. She spent most of today crouched by the window, looking outside, hoping for your return.¡±


    Wang Wanyan said to Qin Niu.


    ¡°She has always been this way.¡±


    Xiao Qing had long regarded Qin Niu as her only support. After returning from the city this time, her trust in and fondness for Qin Niu had deepened, treating him as her only family.


    She was still young and couldn¡¯t help feeling uneasy when Qin Niu had not returned home by nightfall.


    ¡°Xiao Qing didn¡¯t cause any trouble in your place yesterday, did she?¡±


    ¡°She was very good, helping me clean and organize the room. I am really envious that you have such a good servant girl. My father once thought of buying me a servant girl, but I was worried about the expenses and didn¡¯t agree. But it would be nice to buy one if I earn money in the future!¡±


    Wang Wanyan was very affectionate towards Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Sister Wanyan, if you marry my master, I¡¯ll be your servant girl! Then you won¡¯t need to buy another one.¡±


    Xiao Qing¡¯s idea was tinged with a child¡¯s innocence.


    A single careless remark suddenly made the atmosphere turn somewhat chilly.


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s pretty face blushed, and she stole glances at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Sister Wanyan, such a beautiful and outstanding girl like you would never fancy a country bumpkin like me! Child, don¡¯t talk nonsense in the future.¡±


    Qin Niu chided Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Not at all! In Sister Wanyan¡¯s room, there is a drawing of¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiao Qing, you must not tell your master about that. You promised.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I almost let it slip!¡±


    Xiao Qing quickly covered her mouth.


    ¡°Um¡­ my father seemed to have something for me just now. I¡¯m heading back. Ah Niu, when you have time, can you teach me how to tame beasts? I¡¯ve tamed our cat, but I don¡¯t know how to interact and cultivate it.¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s pretty face had turned red all the way to the base of her neck, making her look even more beautiful.


    Watching her, Qin Niu¡¯s gaze was fixed.


    It wasn¡¯t until she hurriedly walked out of the courtyard that Qin Niu came to his senses.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come to your house in a couple of days. I¡¯m afraid of causing you trouble right now.¡±


    Qin Niu called out to her retreating figure.


    ¡°Mitin!¡±


    She didn¡¯t dare to stop or to look at Qin Niu.


    All she wanted was to flee quickly, to avoid the awkward situation.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of Xiao Qing for me. May I trouble you with her again tonight?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡±


    She still didn¡¯t turn around, but her body paused momentarily.


    Inwardly, Qin Niu guessed that Xiao Qing must have seen some secret while helping her tidy up the room.


    What could she be drawing? Cowherd and the Weaving Maid, or mandarin ducks? Or perhaps a pair of lovebirds?


    A girl¡¯s mind is the most complex.


    A woman¡¯s heart is as unfathomable as the ocean¡¯s depths; nobody knows what they truly think.


    She was unlike an ordinary girl¡ªhaving read various books since childhood and possessing strong convictions, her expectations for love were surely higher.


    That evening, Qin Niu didn¡¯t go into the mountains but took Xiao Qing to Miss Wang¡¯s house before leaping onto the roof.


    He sat cross-legged atop the roof, practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    The Pork of the Pig King had worked well, being that of a demonic beast, it contained considerable energy. After consuming it, his body absorbed the energy within. When he practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique, they transformed into the technique¡¯s power.


    However, the power of the Medicine King Sutra only grew through the absorption of medicinal qi.


    No other method was effective.


    Eating copious amounts of the Corpse King¡¯s flesh did not increase the potency of his Medicine King Sutra by even a little bit.


    He felt that the Medicine King Sutra was very special, likely created solely for the purpose of refining and identifying medicines.


    There were no incidents throughout the night.


    It seemed that after taking down Mu Kuai, the Green Silkworm, and the two Corpse Bees, Old Master Huang temporarily lost his target.


    However, even so, Qin Niu still did not dare to be careless.


    He took out a low-grade Talisman, bit his fingertip, activated the Talisman, and then attempted to subdue one of the Corpse Bees.


    The golden light that emanated from the Talisman upon approaching the Corpse Bee was directly repelled.


    A faint golden light appeared on the surface of the Corpse Bee.


    This indicated that it had already been claimed by someone, owned and bound.


    Such insects or animals could not be tamed.


    Adhering to the principle of not wasting, Qin Niu¡¯s gaze turned to the egg of the Green Silk Worm.


    The golden light from the Talisman shot towards the insect egg.


    This time, it was successful.


    The golden light entered the insect egg as if into a bottomless pit, causing not even a ripple of disturbance.


    He knew what this meant.


    It meant the egg he had subdued was of a higher grade than Grade One.


    The prior consumption of a low-grade Talisman was merely a test to see if the Corpse Bee had already been claimed.


    Now that it was confirmed to be claimed, it indicated that Old Master Huang had established a direct connection with it.


    The day before yesterday, killing that Corpse Bee must have certainly caused some spirit damage to Old Master Huang.


    The other party now knew that Qin Niu was capable of handling Grade Four Corpse Bees.


    ¡°Old Master Huang didn¡¯t come to seek vengeance last night, either because he couldn¡¯t find the location, or because his soul was wounded, or maybe he realized that the Mu Kuai and Corpse Bees he sent out had been killed, so he didn¡¯t dare to make any reckless moves,¡± Qin Niu thought to himself with a touch of enlightenment.


    A mid-grade Contractual Talisman in his hand was activated, transforming into golden light that entered the insect egg, smaller than a sesame seed.


    This time, there was finally a bit of a reaction.


    After a moment, a wisp of faint golden light shot out, entering Qin Niu¡¯s forehead.


    Fortunately, this Green Silk Worm was still in the egg stage and had almost no consciousness to resist. Therefore, the entire taming process went exceptionally smoothly.


    Green Silkworm (Egg)


    Grade: Grade Two, Cephalopodic Ringworms, experience towards the next level o/iooo


    Lifespan: Infinite


    Energy: 1


    Skills: None


    Talent: Parasitism


    Currently, it is still in the egg stage, and its abilities are in a state of the unknown.


    It is only after it successfully hatches that we will know what skills it possesses.


    As for talent, it may change as the insect continuously advances in grade.


    Sometimes, when insects advance in grade, they may lose their original talent.


    But most often, insects acquire new talents upon advancing in grade.


    If an Insect Master¡¯s insect loses its talent during the process of advancement, they can only consider it bad luck.


    However, this isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.


    Because when an insect evolves, the loss of a talent may be in exchange for becoming stronger. Often, the lost talent conflicts with new capabilities, and the insect makes a choice to discard the talent in order to gain more powerful skills.


    Qin Niu, having successfully claimed this Green Silkworm, was filled with endless anticipation and joy.


    The next step was to keep it close to his body and use his body heat to incubate it.


    Being an Insect Master is truly not easy, feeling now like a mother hen that has to incubate this egg. He also had to be constantly alert to avoid letting it get cold.


    ¡°I hope it can hatch soon.¡±


    According to the scriptures on the jade slip, at best it only takes about a month to hatch, but if it¡¯s slow, then it¡¯s a bit tragic, possibly taking several years.


    The main concern is that it¡¯s so small that it¡¯s prone to getting lost.

 Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Chapter 167 Yan Family in Urgent Trouble 1

    Chapter 172: Chapter 167 Yan Family in Urgent Trouble 1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Having dealt with the Green Silkworm eggs, Qin Niu¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but turn once more to the bronze canister that imprisoned the Corpse Bee.


    It was extremely agitated inside, climbing and biting everywhere in a frenzy, with its black Poison Stinger stabbing wildly.


    Being stung by it would likely cost one half their life immediately.


    It could even result in instantaneous death.


    One must know, it emitted a foul stench like that of rotting corpses, and it was very likely that it fed on such carrion regularly. The probability that its body contained corpse poison was extremely high.


    The venom of an ordinary hornet was already formidable, and the venom of the Corpse Bee would only be more terrifying.


    Since it couldn¡¯t be tamed, the only option was to find a way to extract its other values.


    It had a Poison Stinger, indicating it was a female bee.


    More precisely, it was an undeveloped female worker bee.


    Old Master Huang certainly wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to send out the Queen Bee.


    Its utilitarian value lay in finding a way to make it lay eggs, and then hatching its progeny. The eggs produced by a worker bee were unfertilized, so only male bees could hatch from them.


    This was very similar to honey bees.


    The male bees, aside from eating, drinking, and frolicking, were nearly useless; their sole purpose was to mate.


    Under normal circumstances, even if Qin Niu caught this Corpse Bee, it wouldn¡¯t be of much use.


    Because it wouldn¡¯t obediently lay eggs at his command.


    These creatures, once bonded by contract, had extremely strong wills to resist; they would rather die than yield to manipulation or inducement.


    But Qin Niu had a special Termite unit at his disposal, which was the Puppet Ants.


    He could control this Corpse Bee using the Puppet Ants, making it lay bee eggs.


    He planned to have the termites handle this task upon heading up the mountain.


    The sky gradually brightened, and Xiao Qing returned as well.


    Like a diligent little honeybee, she began to busily cook and clean.


    Qin Niu washed up inside the house, hearing the sound of a carriage driving rapidly outside and then stopping at his doorstep.


    ¡°Darn, that Old Master Huang is probably here,¡± he feared.


    He immediately took out his Ink Blade and hid it on his person.


    Hopefully, Old Master Huang¡¯s most powerful methods revolved around insects, and his own cultivation wasn¡¯t very strong.


    ¡°Master Qin, may I ask if you are home?¡±


    The shout of Steward Yan Qi came from outside the house.


    Qin Niu breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense nerves relaxed considerably.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, go open the door for the guest,¡± he instructed.


    Soon, Steward Yan Qi entered.


    Carrying some gifts.


    Anyone slightly aware of social etiquette would bring along a small gift when visiting friends or leaders.


    ¡± What brings Steward Yan Qi to my place today? Please, have a seat!¡±


    ¡°Alt, the locust plague has been getting worse and worse, and we can¡¯t seem to stop it; our entire Yan Family is anxious. The two Insect Masters we hired are limited in their abilities and are gradually getting overwhelmed. The Young Master of the Yan Family is so distressed that he can¡¯t eat or sleep, and he sent me to see if you could come today to help our Yan Family deal with the locusts. Now, everyone especially envies the villagers of Shuangfeng Village; this place is like a pristine land, unaffected by the plague.


    Lord Yan has mentioned several times that it would be great if the Yan Family also had an Insect Master as powerful as Master Qin.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi looked at the young man before him with mixed feelings.


    He had watched Qin Niu grow up.


    Later, the young man¡¯s fortunes soared as he became a respected Insect Master.


    In the past, he considered himself an inspirational figure, a role model among the young, the pinnacle among servants.


    But compared to Qin Niu, he was nothing.


    ¡°I can understand the Yan Family¡¯s difficulties and anxiety, and I deeply empathize with your family¡¯s situation. This evening, I will be there on time to help the Yan Family with pest control. Just have someone direct me to prioritize which fields need cleaning,¡± Qin Niu promptly agreed.


    To bite the hand that feeds one is ungrateful, and to not repay one who has supported you is stingy.


    The Yan Family had just delivered several sets of valuable furniture to him, and now that they were facing a catastrophe, it would be wrong for him to stand by idly.


    Going to the Yan Family¡¯s fields to eliminate pests at night would provide a good excuse to avoid Old Master Huang, and it could also earn him some money.


    At the same time, he could repay some of the Yan Family¡¯s kindness.


    This was indeed killing several birds with one stone.


    After receiving a definite answer, Yan Qi happily went back to report.


    After breakfast, Qin Niu went up the mountain with the Corpse Bee.


    Being a Grade Four insect, Fourth would have a hard time controlling it alone for long. He could only rely on the power of the Termite Army to accomplish this task.


    ¡°Your only task is to find a way to make it lay eggs,¡± Qin Niu commanded the ant colony, and then left them to it.


    With the Corpse Bee confined in the bronze canister, there was no need to worry about it escaping.


    It had a set mechanism for entering the egg-laying phase, and it wasn¡¯t something that could happen in a day.


    Since he needed Fourth to act as the general commander, and he was also concerned that Old Master Huang might track him down through something like the scent of the Corpse Bee, he dared not just leave it unattended.


    He personally stayed nearby, chopping down trees and practicing his Blade Technique.


    He was also stocking up on some dry wood for the winter.


    The ever-present threat of being hunted down by Old Master Huang also forced him to work hard to improve his self-preservation abilities.


    The Slash Martial Skill and Sweeping Martial Technique were both very practical moves.


    If he could improve them, Qin Niu would have a better chance of facing Old Master Huang.


    He kept busy until the sun began to sink in the west.


    Qin Niu checked the time and realized it was about right, so he went to the place where he kept the Corpse Bee, which lay motionless inside the bronze canister.


    Seeing this familiar scene, Qin Niu felt a surge of quiet elation.


    This was a sign that laying eggs was imminent.


    From activating the egg-laying mechanism to laying the bee eggs, it would take about a week.


    ¡°I must guard against Old Master Huang following the trace of this Corpse Bee to my door. Placing it near the Ancient Banyan Tree might be a good idea.¡±


    No real man is untouched by poison.


    Qin Niu knew that this Corpse Bee could likely release pheromones like a common wasp, attracting other Corpse Bees.


    By then, Old Master Huang might be able to trace it here.


    Placing it near the Ancient Banyan Tree would confuse Old Master Huang if he wasn¡¯t familiar with the terrain and could easily be led astray.


    However, this man was also an Insect Master with unfathomable strength.


    Even if trapped within the banyan tree¡¯s maze, he could find his way out by letting insects lead the way, just as Qin Niu had done.


    This was a possibility Qin Niu had to consider.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree was his greatest treasure at the moment, and he definitely didn¡¯t want anyone else to get their hands on it.


    ¡°If he really does come, then let¡¯s fight. As long as I exterminate his insects, he naturally won¡¯t be able to leave.¡±


    A cold light flashed in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    This mountain region had now become his personal domain, and with a bit more time, he would be able to arrange even more insects.


    He chose a rather tall tree next to the Ancient Banyan Tree, dug a hole, and hid the bronze canister inside.


    After finishing all this, he took a large number of termites down the mountain, preparing to help the Yan Family eradicate locusts at night.


    As soon as he got home, he saw a familiar carriage stopped in front of Wang Furen¡¯s house.


    It was Steward Yan Qi¡¯s carriage.


    ¡°Master Qin, our Young Master of the Yan Family has sent me to fetch you. We¡¯ve prepared a dinner and are just waiting for you to join us.¡±


    The Yan Family was in dire straits, burning with urgency.


    Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be so ¡®enthusiastic¡¯.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll put my things away and join you immediately.¡±


    After putting his things away, Qin Niu boarded Steward Yan Qi¡¯s carriage.


    On the way, locusts could be seen rampaging everywhere, but not yet in a dense mass.


    Perhaps the two Insect Masters hired by the Yan Family had played a role, holding back most of the locust invasion.


    The disaster in Daoyuan Village was also mostly under control.


    Actually, as long as the mass migration of the Locust Army could be blocked, the infestation could be controlled.


    The three thousand ducks Qin Niu lent to Daoyuan Village were living happily, now visibly fatter and larger than a few days before.


    Their plumage was becoming lush.


    Feasting on a plentiful supply of nutritious locusts every day, how could they not grow fast?


    Seeing this trend, if he let them feast like this for about another half month, Qin Niu could consider selling them for a good price.


    The carriage gradually approached the Yan Family¡¯s territory, where from afar, a large cluster of buildings could be seen ¨C that was the Yan Family compound.


    The innermost buildings were inhabited by the direct lineage of the Yan Family, while the outer ones housed the side branches and servants. This layout had a significant advantage: if an enemy invaded, the perimeter would make contact first and immediately sound the alarm.


    The Yan Family could then organize forces to exterminate the intruders.


    Don¡¯t think this world is at peace; there are plenty of greenwood heroes who engage in banditry and robbery.


    They typically target the wealthy for their crimes.


    Wealthy individuals with a bit more power will hire Protectors.


    It¡¯s not the thieves that you fear, but their continual scheming.


    Many of these robbers would buy off lookouts in the villages to keep a close watch on every move made by the landlords. As soon as an opportunity arose, the bandits would spring into action.


    ¡°On my way here, I didn¡¯t see too many locusts, which implies the Yan Family has gotten the locust disaster under control! Why are they in such a hurry then?¡±


    Qin Niu asked inquisitively to Steward Yan Qi.


    ¡°Alt, that¡¯s just the surface. Now we can see tiny grasshoppers hatching everywhere in the fields, and I¡¯m afraid lots of eggs have been laid in the soil. Once they hatch in batches, an internal and external attack will commence, and the insect defense lines established by the two Insect Masters will collapse immediately, putting the Yan Family¡¯s crops in danger.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi spoke with a worried tone.


    As a high-ranking servant of the Yan Family, his own well-being would certainly be adversely affected if misfortune befell the family.


    Qin Niu had originally thought the Yan Family¡¯s crops had been devastated by the locusts.


    Now, after seeing the situation firsthand, he gained a new understanding of the self-preservation capabilities of such a large family.


    Despite days of disaster, the crops the Yan Family planted had suffered only minor damage.


    Thinking about it, they had twelve top-class farmers being supported. They would have surely reported the initial outbreak of the locust disaster to Yan Ruohai at the earliest opportunity. Afterward, a series of preventative measures would have been taken to ensure crop safety.


    Moreover, the Yan Family was deep-rooted and extensive, with many clan members entering various professions within the Black Tiger Gang or Black Tiger City, making them far more informed than ordinary people.


    Steward Yan Qi had warned Qin Niu early on to be wary of an insect disaster this year.


    Once the Yan Family learned of locust disasters occurring elsewhere, they would inevitably prepare immediately, stocking up on insect repellent materials, medicines, and the like.


    The carriage drove through the Yan Family compound and stopped in front of the welcoming building.


    It was a grand mansion the Yan Family had built specifically for hosting guests.


    It also helped keep guests from entering deeper into the Yan Family compound, preventing outsiders from prying into the internal layout and secrets of the family.


    ¡°Haha, we¡¯ve finally waited for Master Qin! We¡¯ve prepared a modest meal and light wine and hope Master Qin won¡¯t think too little of it.¡±


    The Young Master of the Yan Family personally came out to welcome.


    A few people were already seated at the banquet.


    Among them were two individuals dressed in the robes of Insect Masters, likely the ones the Yan Family had invited from the city.

 Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: Chapter 168 Arrogant Ignorance? _1

    Chapter 173: Chapter 168 Arrogant Ignorance? _1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    The one seated at the upper left, with darker skin and a slender figure, had distinctly prominent cheekbones. His face was clean-shaven, and he appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Quite young.


    To the right sat a middle-aged man in his forties, with three tufts of a beautiful beard fluttering across his chest, and a rather square-looking face.


    It was just that his nose was exceptionally large, and somewhat pointed¡ªit was the often-mentioned hawk nose.


    Under normal circumstances, a hawk nose tends to be on the smaller side, but this man¡¯s was quite the opposite, with very large nostrils and a thick nose.


    From the perspective of physiognomy, people with large earlobes are often considered fortunate, whereas those with large noses are thought to be hot- tempered and aggressive by nature.


    This man¡¯s eyes also spoke volumes, with a murky yellow gleam that was fierce.


    By the sides of both Insect Masters were young and beautiful maids accompanying them.


    They were unapologetically embracing the maids and constantly emitting teasing laughter.


    Seeing such a scene, Qin Niu slightly furrowed his brows.


    In the upper circles nowadays, there was a peculiar phenomenon¡ªno joy without women.


    Just like when Qin Niu visited the Fang Family, two young maids around the age of seventeen or eighteen were in attendance to serve him a pleasurable bath. From the looks of it, they were willing to do anything as long as Qin Niu was inclined.


    This was also the sadness of being a servant, with no dignity to speak of, their fates directly in the hands of their masters.


    ¡°Let me introduce you to the masters. This is Master Qin Niu.¡±


    The two Insect Masters merely glanced at Qin Niu indifferently and nodded slightly, their attitude extremely arrogant.


    ¡°This is Master Shi Doudan.¡±


    The young heir of the Yan Family made a symbolic gesture with his right hand, pointing to the hawk-nosed Insect Master.


    ¡°I have seen Master Shi.¡±


    Qin Niu, however, was exceptionally humble.


    ¡°This is Master Mo Sang! Don¡¯t be fooled by his age, not yet thirty, but he already possesses strength close to that of a Middle-rank Insect Master, and he holds considerable prestige within the Insect Master Association. Our Yan Family also relied on connections, and it was not easy to invite Master Mo Sang over.¡±


    The young heir of the Yan Family introduced the dark-skinned young Insect Master with great importance.


    The fact that the host introduced the other so ceremoniously was also a way to emphasize the Insect Master¡¯s status.


    ¡°I have seen Master Mo!¡±


    Qin Niu gave a slight bow to the other party.


    Looking at the robes of these two individuals, they were both merely low-rank Insect Masters, sharing the same status as Qin Niu.


    Seeing that Qin Niu was only a youth, they looked down upon him, which was actually very superficial.


    Qin Niu¡¯s ant colony could easily deal with Grade Four insects.


    You should know that anyone with Grade Four insects has at least one foot in the threshold of becoming a Middle-rank Insect Master.


    As long as the insects being raised are not too disappointing, and the Insect Master is not ridiculously poor in the most basic Insect Master skill of ¡®Insect Speech¡¯, they basically can pass the assessment for Middle-rank Insect Masters.


    The assessment for Insect Masters is based on two criteria: the level of the insects an Insect Master raises and whether they are strong, and the skill level of the Insect Master himself.


    The most fundamental ability in controlling insects is ¡°Insect Speech¡±.


    If an Insect Master can¡¯t even communicate with their raised insects, there¡¯s a good nine out of ten chance they¡¯re incompetent.


    As for the level of the raised insects, that also indirectly reflects the strength of the Insect Master.


    Ordinary people simply cannot command insects of Grade Three or higher.


    Strictly speaking, an insect that reaches Grade Three is more powerful than the average person.


    For an ordinary person to command such an insect is like expecting an infant to lift a heavy object, simply impossible.


    Furthermore, the higher the level of the insect, the stronger the Insect Master¡¯s breeding capabilities are.


    Therefore, the assessment for Insect Masters consists only of insect level and Insect Master skills.


    This considerably introduced Master Mo Sang, who was not yet a Middle-rank Insect Master, which meant his raised insects were at most Grade Four.


    His strength was not even comparable to Qin Niu¡¯s.


    Qin Niu gave a polite bow to the other party, a sign of his consistent humility and low profile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be polite, sit down!¡±


    Master Mo Sang, while embracing a girl and eating the fruit she fed him, said to Qin Niu with a muffled voice.


    This is a very disrespectful behavior.


    It appears extremely arrogant.


    ¡°Master Qin, please take a seat!¡±


    The eldest son of the Fang Family was very polite to Qin Niu, but he clearly relied more on the other two Insect Masters.


    ¡°Serve the dishes!¡±


    Following the removal of the fruit platter and related items, the formal meal began.


    During the feast, the two Insect Masters continued to enjoy various pleasures, jesting nonstop with the girls in their embrace.


    Fine wines, gourmet foods, and beautiful women; they welcomed it all.


    Currently dependent on them for pest control, the Yan family naturally provided high-standard hospitality.


    With two claps of his hands from the Yan family¡¯s eldest son, five or six shapely and beautiful servant girls entered, dressed similarly to those attending the Insect Masters. They were all in relatively tight pink clothes.


    Servants usually don¡¯t wear skirts, mostly this type of short shirts.


    Ordinary servant girls wore gray short shirts, but some landlords, wishing to please the eye, allowed young maids to wear white short shirts.


    ¡°Master Qin, these servant girls are high-grade servants trained by our Yan family, skilled in singing and dancing. If you see one you like, you can choose her. Tonight, after you¡¯ve worked hard for our Yan family with the pest control, you can have her accompany you for a pleasant night,¡± said the eldest son of the Yan Family with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master Yan, for your kind offer; I am grateful. Going to the fields to control pests, the night cold and morning dew are heavy, and the ground is covered with mud. I wouldn¡¯t dare to let these delicate girls suffer with me. After dinner, I will go to the fields to take care of the pests. If nothing special comes up, I will be here on time for the next few days to deal with the pests.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t lack interest in such pleasures, but he very much kept his desires in check.


    Despite how comfortable the two Insect Masters across seemed, their pursuit of pleasure could easily hinder their progress.


    When it comes down to it, whether one¡¯s resolve is firm depends entirely on oneself.


    ¡°You may leave now!¡±


    Seeing Qin Niu¡¯s firm stance, the Yan family¡¯s eldest son waved his hand to dismiss the servant girls.


    ¡°Currently, our Yan family¡¯s farmland spans over six hundred acres that need guarding. Master Mo Sang excels in defense, and he, together with Master Shi, guards a line each to prevent locusts from entering our Yan family¡¯s farmland. We¡¯ve already tried to employ chickens and ducks in the fields to help eliminate pests. However, due to the vastness of the ground and the limited number of chickens and ducks, the efficiency of pest removal is limited.


    Moreover, the results are not ideal.


    The locusts are very cunning and take advantage of the night, when the chickens and ducks cannot see, to secretly lay eggs on the ground.


    Then during the day, they fly to the high branches to gnaw on the crops, making it difficult for the chickens and ducks to do anything about them.¡±


    Chickens and ducks can deal with locusts, but their pest control is rather crude.


    Relying on them to completely eradicate the field¡¯s locusts is nearly impossible.


    ¡°As long as both Masters can hold the front line, I can handle the locusts behind them,¡± said Qin Niu.


    When Qin Niu arrived, he had already observed that the number of locusts in the fields was not particularly large.


    Now that his ant colony had increased by several hundred, dealing with pests over more than twenty acres in one night should be no problem.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Shi Doudan scoffed coldly but said nothing.


    Master Mo Sang looked at Qin Niu with a gaze that held a trace of contempt.


    ¡°Master Qin looks very young and probably lacks experience. These locusts are extraordinary and not as easy to handle as you think. It would be quite an achievement if you could clear one or two acres in a night. It¡¯s best not to speak too soon about the back being in your hands, otherwise you might make Young Master Yan and these two beauties think that we Insect Masters are all talk.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that tomorrow morning, Master Qin can still speak as boldly as you do today,¡± Master Shi added with a sneer.


    The two clearly thought they were dealing with a boastful, ignorant youngster.


    They had personally experienced how difficult the pests in the field were to handle.


    Even with their capabilities, it was a major headache.


    Otherwise, the Yan family wouldn¡¯t have needed to call upon Qin Niu. Mo Sang and Shi could have handled it on their own.


    ¡°If Master Qin encounters any difficulties with pest control, the three of you can discuss strategies together at tomorrow¡¯s dinner. Master Mo Sang, this time our Yan family needs your leadership in pest control,¡± said the Yan family¡¯s eldest son, making his stance known.

 Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Chapter 169 Master Mo’s Attitude Changed 1

    Chapter 174: Chapter 169 Master Mo¡¯s Attitude Changed_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    In the face of interest, everything else is insubstantial.


    In the eyes of the Young Master of the Yan Family, Master Mo Sang¡¯s strength surpassed both Qin Niu and Shi Doudan, so naturally, Master Mo Sang took precedence.


    After leaving the Yan Family, Steward Yan Qi personally escorted Qin Niu to the


    fields to show him the way.


    ¡°These 180 acres of mulberry fields are of utmost importance, for their leaves are sweet and tender, making them severely susceptible to locust infestations. If the locusts consume all the leaves, the silkworms we are raising will starve to death, and we will be unable to fulfill our orders. Then we will face substantial compensation fees. Please, Master Qin, prioritize pest control for these mulberry fields.¡±


    Weaving has always been one of many important industries for large landlords.


    It¡¯s much more profitable than growing food crops.


    The climate of Jade Stream Town is conducive to sericulture, and the Yan


    Family was one of the early adopters in the industry.


    It¡¯s said that the Yan Family¡¯s initial capital came from silkworm breeding and weaving, earning their first pot of gold before gradually expanding their business to the scale it is today.


    In recent years, with the rise of sericulture and weaving in many places, the profits have started to decline.


    Having noticed the market trends, the Yan Family has consciously reduced the number of mulberry fields. At their peak, at least half of their land was used for mulberry planting.


    Now, it has been reduced to 180 acres, not even half of what it used to be.


    That¡¯s why the Yan Family has started expanding their tea plantations in recent years; they want to diversify into multiple industries to make the family¡¯s economy more stable and more resilient to risks.


    Even so, the weaving industry remains the Yan Family¡¯s largest economic venture.


    If these mulberry leaves are devoured by locusts, the Yan Family¡¯s weaving industry will immediately suffer the most severe blow in history.


    The young silkworms will quickly starve to death, and the half-grown silkworms will cocoon and transform into moths rapidly due to the lack of food.


    The quality of these cocoons is very poor, and the silk they produce will be substandard goods.


    Moreover, the yield will greatly decrease.


    Normally, a high-quality cocoon weighs about 3 grams with smooth, thick, and lustrous silk.


    But the cocoons spun by the half-grown silkworms are purely for survival and reproduction. The cocoons might weigh less than 1 gram, with silk that¡¯s dull yellow and breaks easily upon pulling, which is very poor quality.


    And the impact goes far beyond that.


    The quantity of silkworm eggs produced will also significantly reduce, and the silkworm hatchlings, due to poor prenatal nutrition, will lead to a decline in the species¡¯ quality.


    That is to say, if the Yan Family fails to protect these 180 acres of mulberry trees, their weaving industry will struggle to rebound for at least two years.


    ¡°Steward Qi, you can go back and rest! I¡¯ll take care of things here. It would be best if you could prepare some gauze or fishing nets. I can¡¯t eliminate all the locusts in the mulberry fields at once; it will need to be done over several days. Set up the fishing nets at the edge of the cleared fields to prevent other locusts from migrating over.¡±


    After sending Steward Yan Qi away, Qin Niu set his termites to work.


    They moved swiftly, especially those Grade Three soldier ants and worker ants


    ¡ªthey were incredibly strong.


    As their master, he found himself with little to do.


    Once the moon rose into the sky, he simply sat down in the field to practice the


    Everlasting Spring Technique.


    By dawn the next day, Qin Niu checked the termites¡¯ overnight achievements, having eradicated the locusts in twenty-three acres of mulberry fields.


    They worked even harder than bees.


    As the Termite Army continued to grow and with more Grade Three termites, their work efficiency exponentially increased.


    For pest control in one acre of land, he received seventy wen as pay.


    For twenty-three acres, that made one tael and six coins of silver money.


    Earning half a year¡¯s income for an ordinary person after a night¡¯s work, being


    an Insect Master really wasn¡¯t bad.


    Now, if he could just find a way to deal with the threat of Old Master Huang, his


    life would be extremely comfortable.


    ¡°Master Qin, was last night¡¯s pest control successful?¡±


    The Young Master of the Yan Family personally brought people over to check.


    These mulberry trees were too vital to the Yan Family to allow any mishaps.


    ¡°It went fairly smoothly. I cleared locusts from a total of twenty-three acres.


    Please inspect them, Young Master Yan.¡±


    Qin Niu had already gathered the termites into jars, ready to head back.


    ¡°So many acres cleared in one night?¡±


    Master Mo Sang¡¯s eyes were puffy and dark-ringed, clearly not having


    abstained from overnight indulgence.


    He didn¡¯t believe Qin Niu could be that capable.


    After personally inspecting the mulberry fields, shock appeared on his face.


    ¡°I have underestimated you, Master Qin. I was rude before, please do not take it


    to heart!¡±


    Upon seeing the dead insects scattered across the ground and the emptied eggshells, Mo Sang realized he had met a true expert.


    His attitude towards Qin Niu immediately underwent a one hundred and eighty-degree change.


    He bowed and made his apologies.


    ¡°You flatter me too much, Master Mo!¡±


    He dismissed the gesture indifferently.


    Aspiring to be a large tree, he would not argue with the grass.


    From the start, he hadn¡¯t taken Master Mo seriously. As for the latter¡¯s mockery and disdain, Qin Niu took it as no more than the buzzing of a mosquito.


    ¡°Young Master Yan, I have cleared all of the locusts from these mulberry fields, whether adult, nymph, or egg, without exception. Besides locusts, I¡¯ve also cleared out other pests like cabbage moths including their larvae and eggs. As long as no new pests enter, these mulberry fields won¡¯t have to worry about insect damage for several years.¡±


    Mo Sang reported the inspection results to Young Master Yan Qi.


    ¡°Haha, excellent! Hearing this great news, my heart has finally settled. I might be able to sleep soundly tonight! Both masters are very impressive. The preservation of our Yan Family¡¯s crops depends on you. Now that you two heroes have come to respect each other, there should be wine and beauties to celebrate. I have already prepared breakfast; please join me. Only after a good meal and drink will you have the energy to work!¡±


    The Young Master of the Yan Family saw how effective Qin Niu was at pest control.


    Solving the Yan Family¡¯s most troublesome problem.


    He was delighted.


    Now, he wanted to treat Qin Niu with fine wine and beautiful women.


    ¡°I appreciate your kind offer, Young Master Yan. After working all night, I urgently need to return home and rest well to gather my energy, so I can continue pest control tonight. I beg your leave.¡±


    How could Qin Niu possibly exchange brotherly toasts with Master Mo Sang at


    a dining table?


    Truth be told, he didn¡¯t think much of either Master Mo or Master Shi.


    They were not people of his path.


    ¡°Master Qin, farewell! I shall honor you with a few drinks at the banquet this evening.¡±


    Master Mo Sang had completely lowered his stance.


    Both being experts in insect control, they naturally could recognize the strength of one another.


    Some of the dead locusts were unmarked on the outside, which terrified Master Mo Sang. He had secretly examined many of them and had no idea how these locusts were killed.


    The Mental Attack of the Ghost Ants in Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Army was extremely peculiar.


    With the addition of Grade Three Ghost Ants, it became even more terrifying. Without any physical contact, a Grade Three Termite could launch a Mental Attack and effortlessly kill a grown locust.


    Silent and swift, efficient and swift.


    Let alone him, even if Chairman Li personally came over, he might not be able


    to determine the cause of death of these locusts.


    ¡°Fair said, fair said!¡±


    Qin Niu cupped his hands together and headed back to his estate.


    ¡°Yan Qi, you send Master Qin back!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Yan Qi was also secretly shocked by Qin Niu¡¯s strength.


    At first, he thought that Qin Niu, a newly promoted Insect Master, couldn¡¯t be that impressive, but now seeing Master Mo Sang sucking up to Qin Niu, he realized that Qin Niu was much stronger than they had imagined.


    When Qin Niu returned home, he carefully inspected his house and saw no signs of intrusion.


    That Old Master Huang had suffered a big loss and would not let the matter


    rest.


    He was sure to come again.


    But he didn¡¯t know when he would show up.


    The later, the better, so Qin Niu could use this time to further strengthen himself.


    He went to the mountains and inspected the Ant Nest, the beehive, and the Corpse Bee, finding nothing out of the ordinary.


    Out of caution, he took the Corpse Bee into the banyan tree¡¯s maze.


    From now on, he would take it there during the day and place it in the dugout tree hollow at night.


    And so, eight days passed.


    Qin Niu would diligently help the Yan Family to clear pests from their fields every day.


    As the number of special termites he cultivated continued to grow, his efficiency in pest removal also increased significantly, with nearly half an acre added to the total area cleared each day.


    That Old Master Huang still made no move.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Medicine King Technique had advanced to the human Tenfold. His Everlasting Spring Technique had reached the peak of the first level of the Acquired Realm and was about to break through to the second level at any moment.


    After refining and nourishing his body, moving through the mountains had become more agile and swift.


    He was even faster than the average wild beast.


    During these eight days, Old Master Huang had not appeared.


    He hadn¡¯t even sent a Corpse Bee to scout.


    After losing two Corpse Bees, the old man probably didn¡¯t dare to take risks lightly anymore.


    After all, Grade Four insects were not so easy to cultivate.


    Each one was extremely precious.


    That day, while Qin Niu was helping the Yan Family with pest control, the Termite Army suddenly became restless and agitated.


    They then climbed to the top of the crops¡¯ branches, lining up their heads in a single direction.


    Their two antennae moved slightly.


    Fourth was behaving the same way.


    ¡°Fourth, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Qin Niu, sensing something amiss, immediately communicated with it using ant language.


    ¡°The Ant Queen is undergoing metamorphosis! Such powerful pheromones, she has already surpassed me.¡±


    Fourth¡¯s voice trembled as it communicated with Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu felt a surge of joy upon hearing this.


    After so many days of waiting, was the Ant Queen finally done evolving?


    The Queen Bee took seven days to evolve, the Ant Queen had taken twelve days. About half an hour later, the Termite Army returned to normal and resumed their work.


    They seemed to have been injected with an extra vigor, wanting to work even harder.


    Their pest removal efficiency also increased somewhat.


    After being busy until morning when the work was done, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t wait to lead the Termite Army that had been busy all night into the mountains.


    Before they even reached the Ant Nest, the Termite Army became extraordinarily active.


    They were desperate to get out.


    They wanted to be the first to have close contact with the Ant Queen.


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    Qin Niu released the Termite Army.


    The Ant Queen¡¯s size had become immense, and Qin Niu did not let her come


    out.


    From now on, she would be lurking in the depths of the nest.


    The more hidden the better.


    If Fourth said that the Ant Queen was now even stronger than it, how strong would that be?


    Before cultivation, the Ant Queen was a Grade Two Termite, now she must have reached at least Grade Three.


    More than the level, he was looking forward to her special attributes after evolution.


    She was a egg-laying machine, and the stronger her special attributes, the stronger her offspring would be.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to check the Ant Queen¡¯s new attributes.

 Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: Chapter 170: Increasing Longevity by 30,000 Years_1

    Chapter 175: Chapter 170: Increasing Longevity by 30,000 Years_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Female Four-Winged Yin Ant (Ant Queen)


    Grade: Grade Four equal-wing order insect, upgrade experience 10000/100000


    Lifespan: Thirty thousand years


    Energy: 71009


    Skills: Breeding third tier 100/1000 (lays 1000 eggs per day), Feigned Death first tier 2/10, Flight first tier 0/10, Escape first tier 0/10


    Talents: Medium Intelligence +++, Produce strong offspring (10%), Produce slightly poisonous offspring (20%), Produce Demon Ant offspring (0.1%), Produce Gold Devouring Ant offspring (0.001%).


    Too powerful.


    Having seen the Ant Queen¡¯s attributes, Qin Niu was so shocked he was at a loss for words.


    After its metamorphosis, it became so powerful it was almost ludicrous.


    Its lifespan increased from 4.6 years to thirty thousand years.


    This was truly inconceivable.


    Qin Niu had thought, if its lifespan could increase by thirty years, it would already be heaven-sent.


    Now he understood, the bolder the people, the greater the yield of the land.


    Based on experience, the evolution of this Ant Queen was definitely extraordinary.


    He had never heard of any insect that could gain so much lifespan upon evolving to Grade Four.


    Thirty thousand years¡­ that could last an eternity.


    Its Breeding Skill had been upgraded to the third tier, reaching that level was something he had anticipated.


    Finally, it could lay a thousand eggs per day.


    Insatiable after gaining much.


    He already started looking forward to the Ant Queen¡¯s Breeding Skill reaching the ability to lay ten thousand eggs per day.


    By then, just by relying on this termite colony, he could command respect on his own turf, and even become one of the notable entities in the world.


    Now, the strong Worker Ants and Poisonous Ants were not worth much.


    Because the probability of producing them had significantly increased.


    Had he known that the Queen¡¯s promotion would greatly enhance these two talents, he should have found a way to feed the Ant Queen more of other high-grade food.


    It had gained two new talents, one was to produce Demon Ant offspring, although the chance was very low at 0.1%, it was still quite remarkable.


    The other was to produce Gold Devouring Ant offspring, the probability of which was infuriatingly low.


    At a 0.001% chance, that¡¯s one in a hundred thousand.


    Based on experience, the rarer and more precious the species, the lower the probability of producing them.


    Now, it could almost certainly be concluded that Fourth was a Demon Ant.


    But he couldn¡¯t be sure yet, because it would only be known after the Ant Queen produced a second Demon Ant.


    As for the Gold Devouring Ant, Qin Niu had never even heard of it, let alone seen one.


    The chance of producing a Gold Devouring Ant was so low, it felt like it must be incredibly powerful.


    ¡°You, come here!¡±


    Qin Niu picked out a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant from the crowd.


    ¡°Eat the corpse of this Corpse Bee!¡±


    When he took out the corpse of the Corpse Bee, he was nearly knocked out by the stench.


    This thing must have been very powerful, and it could also see in the dark, but the stench was unbearable.


    Those who like raising insects really do have exceptional endurance.


    The Lightning Worker Ant immediately began to gnaw on the Corpse Bee that emitted the smell of decaying flesh. It was visibly difficult for the ant to make progress, as the Corpse Bee¡¯s shell was very hard.


    This was due to it possessing the special ability of an ultra-strong bite.


    Otherwise, it would not have been able to breach the Corpse Bee¡¯s defenses.


    After it ate a bit, Qin Niu carefully observed the Lightning Worker Ant¡¯s reaction.


    There were no adverse reactions.


    He decided to observe it again tomorrow.


    If there were no problems, he would let Fourth eat the corpse of the Corpse Bee tomorrow to feed the Ant Queen.


    Another two days went by.


    The Ant Queen started laying eggs like a super egg-laying machine, producing eggs continuously day and night.


    One thousand eggs per day.


    The entire colony¡¯s Worker Ants also became busier than before. They needed to find more food to feed the larvae, the Ant Queen, and the entire Ant Nest.


    The Lightning Worker Ant that had eaten the Corpse Bee¡¯s carcass did not show any obvious abnormalities.


    Qin Niu was reassured this time.


    ¡°Fourth, eat this Corpse Bee and then feed the Ant Queen,¡± Qin Niu instructed.


    ¡°Received.¡±


    Fourth unconditionally obeyed Qin Niu¡¯s orders.


    Their bond was also quite special. Within the entire ant colony, only it and the Ant Queen were closest to Qin Niu. As for other termites, it was impossible for Qin Niu to put in too much effort, let alone emotional attachment.


    Their relationship was that of a master and servant.


    Qin Niu cultivated them to grow stronger, and they followed orders, doing whatever he commanded.


    The Corpse Bee¡¯ s body was massive; there was no way to drag it directly into the Ant Nest.


    Fourth proceeded to dismember it on the spot.


    The clicking and chomping sounds of breaking into the Corpse Bee¡¯s body resonated as Fourth, with its armor-piercing capabilities, handled the carcass much more efficiently than a Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant could.


    After all, the two were not of the same rank.


    After more than an hour, Fourth had completely dismembered the Corpse Bee¡¯s body and transported it into the depths of the Ant Nest.


    Qin Niu went to check on the other imprisoned Corpse Bee to see if it had laid eggs.


    It was still lying motionless.


    The usual preparation period for a common Queen Bee to lay eggs was around seven days, but this Grade Four Corpse Bee was taking significantly longer than expected.


    It had been completely abstaining from food and drink for days.


    Worried that it might starve to death, Qin Niu had even cut up some Boar King meat and thrown it in.


    But it hadn¡¯t touched it at all, and the Boar King meat had gone bad.


    As the sun set in the west and the sky gradually darkened, Qin Niu prepared to return home as usual.


    He had already moved the entire bee colony back to his residence.


    Since Old Master Huang had not shown up, Qin Niu had no choice but to take certain measures to strengthen his vigilance.


    Just then, he heard a buzzing sound above his head.


    It was very loud.


    Based on his experience, he immediately determined that this was not a sound that a normal hornet could make.


    Looking up at the sky, he saw three small black dots.


    ¡°They¡¯ve finally come!¡± he exclaimed, his spirits lifting. Having waited for so many days with no sign of Old Master Huang, he had been feeling uneasy.


    Now that Old Master Huang had sent Corpse Bees again, he felt a sense of relief.


    His fear was not the enemy¡¯s absence, but their appearance, which meant he would have a way to deal with them.


    The three Corpse Bees were very cautious, circling over the tree where their companion was imprisoned but refusing to land.


    They had definitely smelled the pheromones released by their kin.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised at all that they had precisely located the imprisoned Corpse Bee; anything less would be an underestimation of a Grade Four insect.


    Qin Niu had struggled thus far, only having his first Grade Four Ant Queen a couple of days ago.


    ¡°Kids, get to work. There are three big catches this time. Bring them all down for me,¡± he ordered.


    This time, Qin Niu was not considering taking any prisoners.


    These Corpse Bees had been tamed by Old Master Huang, and their sole purpose if spared would be to lay eggs and hatch male bees for breeding.


    Having one alive was enough.


    Otherwise, even if they were confined in a bronze canister, they would continue to release pheromones, acting just like a locator device installed by Old Master Huang.


    Eliminating them was the most straightforward course of action.


    It would also add three more ¡®high-level foods¡¯ for the Ant Queen.


    Their refusal to land didn¡¯t bother Qin Niu in the slightest.


    Over two thousand Grade Two or higher termites, along with their master, quietly waited below.


    If they had to wait another twenty days or so, it would become truly terrifying.


    Qin Niu could increase his ant forces by around a thousand each day, easily breaking the ten-thousand mark for his main army.


    He even stood a chance to ¡®hit the jackpot,¡¯ producing Demon Ants or Gold Devouring Ants.


    Little did Old Master Huang know, he was fostering a tiger that would cause him trouble. The longer the delay, the more advantageous it was for Qin Niu.

 Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: Chapter 171: Bee General i

    Chapter 176: Chapter 171: Bee General i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    The three Corpse Bees in the sky were very cunning, always circling at high altitude, refusing to descend.


    ¡°You little things think you can outsmart me with that little intelligence?¡±


    Qin Niu revealed a disdainful cold sneer.


    The currently captured Corpse Bee was essentially a ¡®hostage¡¯, and their coming was definitely not just to scout out the trapped location of the Corpse Bee.


    Old Master Huang was extremely timid, having not shown himself in person for many days.


    Instead, he sent three new Corpse Bees over.


    There was only one purpose, to pinpoint this location and then figure out a way to rescue the trapped Corpse Bee.


    No matter how good their eyesight was, flying that high, it was impossible to clearly discern the ¡®hostage¡¯s condition.


    Descending was only a matter of time.


    However, Qin Niu was not prepared to wait but was ready to communicate well with the ¡®hostage1, to turn it into a qualified traitor.


    With a powerful Puppet Ant army, it was too simple for Qin Niu to make a prisoner into a traitor.


    ¡°Fourth, try to control the captured Corpse Bee and make it obey.¡±


    ¡°We can!¡±


    Fourth, with his remaining single antenna aimed at the Corpse Bee, outstretched his hand along with the other Worker Ants to assist in controlling it.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s done.¡±


    In fact, without Fourth¡¯s reminder, Qin Niu had already noticed that the imprisoned Corpse Bee had become ¡®meek¡¯.


    This was a sign of obedience.


    ¡°Can you call down the three friends who came to save you?¡±


    Qin Niu communicated with it in Bee Language, straightforward.


    ¡°I can! The distant bee captains won¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an even more formidable one in the distance?¡±


    Qin Niu was surprised.


    ¡°Yes, it is our leader.¡±


    ¡°How much longer will it take you to lay eggs?¡±


    ¡°Soon!¡±


    ¡°Call down the three friends who came to rescue you first!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s mind was racing with ways to annihilate the enemy.


    Eliminating two ordinary Corpse Bees had already scared Old Master Huang into not making a move for many days.


    If he could also take care of that bee captain, that would be quite nice.


    Qin Niu licked his lips and subconsciously reached for the Bronze Canister at his waist. The Canister could hold a Grade Four Corpse Bee with no issue, but he didn¡¯t know if it could contain a bee captain.


    If all else failed, he would have to cut it down with one strike.


    Qin Niti¡¯s Ink Blade had already begun to show promise, able to slay even a demonic beast level Pig King, so taking care of a bee captain should not be a problem.


    He knew that some formidable insects were immune to water and fire, difficult to wound with blades, but the bee captain that had not yet appeared should not be that strong.


    Also, his blade was no longer ordinary. It had developed Blade Qi and was now a high-level Treasured Sword that had begun to possess a hint of spirit.


    After receiving Qin Niu¡¯s order, the imprisoned Corpse Bee began to sway its two antennae and frequently exposed its abdomen.


    It could be releasing some special pheromones or emitting particular scents from its glands.


    The three Corpse Bees in the sky continued to circle, but they had begun to consciously lower their flying altitude.


    The bee captain hiding in the distance must be remotely commanding them.


    After a while, one of the Corpse Bees made a swift dive straight down, aiming directly for the imprisoned Corpse Bee.


    ¡°Fourth, take control of this Corpse Bee with the ant army.¡±


    The Termite Army was now far stronger than it was over ten days ago, more than doubling in number, and should be able to control even more Corpse Bees.


    In an instant, the Corpse Bee that had come down to scout was taken under control.


    ¡°Tell your comrades and the bee captain in the back that the trap holding the Corpse Bee is too strong, and request their support.¡±


    Qin Niu communicated with it in Bee Language.


    It moved its antennae and flapped its wings in circles in the air, somewhat like performing a flight dance.


    The other two Corpse Bees, receiving the signal, could never have dreamed that their comrade had turned traitor. They immediately dived down.


    ¡°Fourth, how many Corpse Bees can you control at the same time?¡±


    ¡°We should be able to manage four at a time without much problem, though not for a long duration.¡±


    ¡°Take control of all of them. Ghost Army, follow my command, do not launch an attack yet.¡±


    So far, it was only the Worker Ant troops that were in combat.


    The Soldier Ant forces lay dormant, fully prepared for battle.


    When the two Corpse Bees in the sky dived down to about ten meters above the ground, they were immediately controlled.


    It took roughly four hundred Worker Ants to control a single ordinary Grade Four Corpse Bee.


    And it required the leadership of several Grade Three Worker Ants.


    Those Corpse Bees were indeed powerful.


    ¡°Very good! Send a message to the bee captain stating that the prison trapping their comrades is too strong and asking for its help.¡±


    Qin Niu gave instructions to the three controlled Corpse Bees.


    After being controlled by the Termite Army, they became puppets, doing whatever they were told.


    Now it was a race against time.


    Because these three Corpse Bees could lose control at any moment.


    If he could successfully lure the bee captain over before exposing the ruse, it would be a victory.


    Compared to the ordinary Corpse Bees, the bee captain was clearly more intelligent.


    It had been hiding in the distance, remotely commanding and not taking risks personally. This was probably a backup plan prepared by Old Master Huang.


    If the enemy was assessed thoroughly, when necessary, the bee captain could suddenly strike and annihilate the enemy.


    It might even kill Qin Niu behind the scenes.


    If the enemy was found to be too powerful, it could also retreat in time to return and report.


    But no matter how cunning a fox was, it couldn¡¯t outwit a smart hunter.


    Soon, Qin Niu heard a very rapid wing-beating sound in his ears. Compared to normal Corpse Bees, the sound of the bee captain flying was much fainter.


    This took him by surprise.


    At this moment, the day had not yet completely darkened.


    Qin Niu could see the black dot in the sky growing larger and larger as it rapidly moved closer to this location.


    ¡°Such a quick flying speed!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s Grade Two Worker Bees also had a decent flying speed, but compared to the bee captain, it paled significantly.


    I thought it would scout around before coming down.


    But its speed was incredibly fast.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already near.


    ¡°Fire at it,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Upon achieving his goal, Qin Niu didn¡¯t hesitate and used his Treasured Sword to kill three common Corpse Bees.


    One bee per strike, he finished them off in the blink of an eye.


    Using the Ink Blade to kill the controlled bees was truly an overkill.


    As soon as the Bee General entered the Termite¡¯s attack range, it was immediately subjected to a terribly fierce attack.


    On one side was a Mental Attack, and on the other, a mental shackle.


    A faint black aura emerged from its body in an attempt to resist fiercely.


    However, Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Army was too powerful.


    Especially after the three common Corpse Bees were slain, Fourth and the numerous Worker Ants freed their hands, focusing all attacks on it.


    How terrifying was this attack?


    Just think of the effect of focusing sunlight with a magnifying glass onto a point that could ignite paper, and you would know how terrifying it was.


    The Bee General didn¡¯t last three seconds before tumbling down from the sky.


    Its body was larger than the common Corpse Bees, roughly the size of an adult¡¯s forearm.


    Such a size was much larger than that of ordinary birds.


    Qin Niu was quick to react, rushing over to capture it in a net.


    Then, he carefully took out the Bronze Canister, stuffed it in, secured the lid, and locked the buckle.


    This should be safe now.


    Unless it could bite through the Bronze Canister.


    This possibility had to be considered.


    Because he felt that this Bee General was much stronger than the common Corpse Bees.


    Particularly the black aura it emitted when attacked was terrifying. It was ominously dark, filled with the scent of death.


    If even a little bit touched him, it could devour his soul and corrode his bones.


    ¡°Finally got you,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Qin Niu had just killed three Corpse Bees in one breath, which likely dealt a heavy blow to Old Master Huang¡¯s soul.


    This Bee General, however, he did not plan to kill.


    Keeping it held many potential uses.


    One was to possibly have it lay eggs, breeding even more powerful male bees.


    On the other hand, it could also be used as bait to force Old Master Huang to show himself.


    After more than ten days, for a single common Corpse Bee held captive by Qin Niu, Old Master Huang sent three common Corpse Bees and one Bee General to attempt a rescue.


    Now that he had captured a higher-grade Bee General, hehe¡­ That old man must be frantically jumping up and down in rage, smashing several valuable pieces of porcelain by now.


    With this Bee General in hand, Qin Niu wasn¡¯t worried about the fish not taking the bait.


    For the past ten days, Qin Niu had been living on tenterhooks.


    Rather than being the target of thieves, it was better to strike first and find a way to eliminate the danger.


    He wouldn¡¯t provoke others, but if someone had designs on him, then there was no need to be merciful.


    If he could kill them, he wouldn¡¯t leave them breathing.


    He used a pottery jar to collect the corpses of the three common Corpse Bees, which were high-grade food. He planned to use them all to cultivate the Ant Queen.


    The canister containing the Bee General emitted a gnawing sound.


    He hurried to check it.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s too strong! The Bronze Canister was actually pierced by its Poison Stinger.¡±


    Qin Niu discovered several small holes on the canister.


    A black Poison Stinger kept attacking the Bronze Canister. After being trapped, the Bee General seemed to have quickly regained its strength.


    The multitude of attacks by Ghost Ants seemed to have caused little damage to it.


    It was so strong, it was likely a Grade Five Corpse Bee.


    ¡°Next time I enter the city, I¡¯ll have to find a blacksmith to custom-make a Fine Iron Canister. Otherwise, if I encounter a more powerful bug, even if I can capture it, I won¡¯t be able to contain it.¡±


    This Bronze Canister was made of thin copper.


    ¡°Fourth, you control that common Corpse Bee, I have something to ask it.¡±


    Once the ant colony had the common Corpse Bee under control, Qin Niu began to communicate with it using Bee Language.


    ¡°How many Bee Generals does your swarm have?¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything more powerful than the Bee Generals?¡±


    ¡°Queen Bee!¡±


    ¡°There are only three Bee Generals in total?¡±


    Qin Niu was somewhat incredulous.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Corpse Bee was very honest.


    Once under control, it answered whatever was asked.


    Having gotten the answers he wanted, Qin Niu felt a surge of secret joy.


    The fewer the number of Bee Generals, the more anxious Old Master Huang would be.


    ¡°Are there any other powerful insects living in your yard?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    It could only provide this kind of direct and simple answer.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, continue laying eggs,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Qin Niu no longer bothered with it but gave further orders to the ant colony.


    ¡°Fourth, lead the ants to control this Bee General, make it lay eggs.¡±


    He planned to drain every last drop of value from this Bee General.


    In theory, the offspring produced by a Bee General should be stronger.


    During the night, the cool mountain breeze blew gently, and the roar of beasts arose one after another, coming from deep in the mountains.


    Yet the area around the Ancient Banyan Tree had become a sanctuary.


    All those fierce beasts wisely avoided this place.

 Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: Chapter 172 Steady Improvement in Strength_1

    Chapter 177: Chapter 172 Steady Improvement in Strength_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu worried that the bee would escape, and he was even more worried that Old Master Huang would come and kill him with the Corpse Bees overnight, so he didn¡¯t go to the Yan Family to exterminate insects that night.


    As for his home, he was not worried at all.


    Xiao Qing was now quite familiar with Miss Wang, and she would stay over


    there every night.


    Moreover, he had deliberately not brought the Corpse Bees home, so it was very unlikely for Old Master Huang, who was unfamiliar with the area, to find his home.


    Nearly sixteen hundred Worker Ants were taking turns in battle under Fourth¡¯s command.


    The purpose of this was to continuously control the bee, inducing it to activate


    its egg-laying mechanism and lay eggs.


    The night quickly passed.


    Old Master Huang turned out to be a coward and did not track him down for


    revenge.


    He must have been thoroughly confused.


    After sending a Mu Kuai and two Corpse Bees with no news at all.


    Now he had sent three Corpse Bees and one bee in charge, and still, there was


    no news.


    He had no idea just how strong Qin Niu¡¯s abilities were.


    In such a situation, he was even less likely to act rashly.


    Looking at the tiny pinholes in the bronze canister, Qin Niu felt his scalp tingle.


    Luckily, after a night of effort from the ant colony, this unruly bee seemed to have activated its egg-laying mechanism and was lying still.


    Besides, with its capabilities, although it could pierce the bronze canister with


    its stinger, it would be difficult to escape.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll lay eggs soon. Once Old Master Huang is lured here, I can send


    you to meet Buddha.¡±


    After checking on the bee in charge, Qin Niu went to look at the ordinary Corpse


    Bee.


    A spindle-shaped bee egg was hanging on the inner wall of the bronze canister.


    Ordinary bee eggs are generally white, but the egg laid by the Corpse Bee was actually brown.


    ¡°Finally, eggs!¡±


    He was delighted.


    This Corpse Bee still had its uses, as the egg would need it for hatching and nourishment.


    After being busy with the insects, he went down the mountain and back to his


    home.


    As he passed by Xie Laizi¡¯s house, Xie Laizi was basking in the sun in the yard.


    ¡°Master Qin, good morning!¡±


    Xie Laizi greeted Qin Niu with a full smiling face.


    This man, having been crippled by Wang Haikun with both legs broken, could still only crawl on the ground.


    Moreover, with no one to care for him, his clothes were full of dirt and


    somewhat shiny.


    What Xie Laizi usually eats is anybody¡¯s guess.


    Qin Niu had no good feelings for this person and walked away after giving him a cold glance.


    Back at home, everything was as usual.


    Steward Yan Qi¡¯s carriage was parked at Wang Furen¡¯s door, and when he heard


    Qin Niu come back, he quickly came out.


    He mainly came to ask why Qin Niu had not gone to the Yan Family to exterminate insects the previous night.


    After all, the Yan Family was now very dependent on Qin Niu for exterminating insects.


    He simply said he had matters to attend to last night and couldn¡¯t leave, and he told Yan Qi to go back. If nothing special happened tonight, Qin Niu indicated he would go to the Yan Family to exterminate insects.


    The days passed by like this for another two days.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation also steadily increased, but the power of the Medicine King Sutra remained stuck at the peak of the Tenth Layer of the Mortal Realm.


    It felt like advancing through this cultivation technique was much harder than the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    Maybe he was more suited to practicing the Life-Nurturing Technique.


    Or perhaps each cultivation technique had its unique characteristics.


    Because he was now practicing the Medicine King Sutra, the amount of power he gained each day did not decrease, which indicated that advancing to the Acquired Realm required a greater accumulation of power.


    On the other hand, practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique felt as though there was no bottleneck at all.


    He had already smoothly advanced from the first layer of the Acquired Realm to the second layer.


    His cultivation was much deeper, and his body was significantly stronger than before. Furthermore, the extension of his lifespan also left him quite satisfied.


    After reaching the Acquired Realm with the Everlasting Spring Technique, advancing each minor realm could extend lifespan by about ten years.


    At present, his lifespan had reached 118 years.


    Compared to ordinary people, such a high age made him a genuine old-timer.


    Yet, it was still far from the immortality that he sought.


    He was particularly envious of the Ant Queen, whose metamorphosis and advancement had increased its lifespan by 30,000 years.


    Even though there were undoubtedly unknown reasons behind this, it still made him very envious. If the time of his demise approached and he was still unable to break through in his cultivation, he would definitely consider trying Banyan Tree Blood.


    After its advancement, the Ant Queen¡¯s species seemed to have changed as well.


    It was no longer a milky termite but had transformed into a Four-Winged Yin


    Ant.


    He always felt that this name wasn¡¯t like that of an ordinary insect but was filled with an ancient aura. Qin Niu suspected it might have awakened a trace of ancient bloodline during metamorphosis or possibly gained an ancient racial heritage.


    Many high-level insects, beasts, and birds possess the ability to pass on their heritage.


    That is, to transfer the special abilities of one generation to the next.


    But there¡¯s a prerequisite: the offspring need to be strong enough to inherit these abilities.


    That day, Qin Niu had just finished ridding the Yan Family of insects and returned home when an ordinary carriage stopped in front of his house.


    He recognized it at a glance as the Fang Family¡¯s carriage.


    Time flies so fast, he thought, it¡¯s already been half a month.


    Uncle Heizi stepped down from the carriage.


    ¡°Master Qin, we meet again.¡±


    Uncle Heizi squeezed out a few strands of a smile.


    ¡°Please come inside for tea, I¡¯ll prepare briefly and then go with you to the city!¡±


    Qin Niu thought it was a good opportunity to see if the leather armor was ready. Then Miaodan Pavilion should also be about ready to help him with refining medicines. He could also stop by the blacksmith¡¯s shop to order a few insect jars made of fine steel.


    The Corpse Bee had been very docile lately as it was laying eggs.


    Still, Qin Niu had to be extra careful when handling the bronze canister; if the bee¡¯s stinger pierced through the canister and hit his finger, it would be no joking matter.


    ¡°This is Master Qin¡¯s hometown, indeed heroes emerge from humble beginnings. Who would have thought such a small mountain village could produce a distinguished cultivation master like you, Master Qin. And if I remember correctly, you¡¯re also an exceptional Insect Master.¡±


    Uncle Heizi wasn¡¯t one to talk much, but today he took the initiative to chat with Qin Niu.


    ¡°You flatter me!¡±


    Qin Niu prepared some things inside the house, gave Xiao Qing some instructions, and then boarded the carriage to the Fang Family.


    With his current strength, he had no means to contend with super-powerhouses like the Fang Family.


    Fortunately, the two parties were getting along quite pleasantly for the moment.


    The Fang Family needed him to treat their medicinal plant, so they wouldn¡¯t likely harm him.


    After the carriage entered the city, it took Qin Niu into an alley and then switched to another carriage midway.


    The driver remained the same, still Uncle Heizi.


    It was clear that the Fang Family was extremely cautious in their dealings.


    After all, tall trees catch much wind.


    The enemies eyeing the Fang Family were also numerous.


    The essence of society is competition-whoever is stronger will possess more cultivation resources and have greater authority.


    To topple the Fang Family, smaller families needed a chance to rise.


    Otherwise, they would always be suppressed with no opportunity to emerge.


    As the carriage drove into the Fang Family residence, Qin Niu stepped out and spotted Young Master Fang, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in days.


    Compared to a few days ago, Young Master Fang¡¯s complexion had visibly improved, and the worry that used to crease his brow had vanished.


    ¡°Master Qin, I must trouble you once again.¡±


    Young Master Fang greeted him with a smile.


    Being personally welcomed by a scion of such a major family was undoubtedly a great honor.

 Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: Chapter 173 Chief Planting Master_1

    Chapter 178: Chapter 173 Chief Planting Master_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°Of course! Having taken the Fang Family¡¯s money, I must do my utmost to save that medicinal herb.¡±


    Qin Niu had received fifteen hundred taels of silver money last time, a giant sum.


    Enough to make an ordinary person wealthy for a lifetime.


    He was certainly going to help the Fang Family heal that herb.


    ¡°Haha, Master Qin is a man of integrity, and I admire that about you. However, every time I ask you to exert yourself for the Fang Family, naturally, I won¡¯t let you toil in vain. A payment of one hundred taels of silver money for each visit, you will not be shortchanged. Those medicinal herbs are delicate, each prone to this or that problem, so there will invariably be many more times when we must trouble Master Qin!¡±


    So this was the Fang Family¡¯s plan all along.


    No wonder the young master of the Fang Family had personally come to meet him.


    Long-term collaboration is a good thing.


    Currently weak in strength, what Qin Niu feared most was that the Fang Family would silence him forever.


    But now that the herb had been revived, the Fang Family no longer had to worry about the matter leaking and bringing a great crisis, there was no need to kill him at all.


    On the contrary, with Qin Niu¡¯s displayed strong cultivation prowess in planting, it would be most beneficial for the Fang Family to collaborate with him over the long term.


    Young Master Fang led Qin Niu deep into the Fang Family Forbidden Land.


    This time, upon entering, those five old ancestors of the Fang Family seemed very composed, all meditating with closed eyes, not pressuring him with their gazes as they had before.


    Qin Niu certainly did not believe these five old fellows were truly oblivious to worldly affairs.


    If he dared any subterfuge within the forbidden land, they would likely kill him on the spot without hesitation.


    Such beings must have terrifying cultivation, capable of crushing him to death with a single finger.


    He stepped forward to inspect the medicinal herb, pleased to see that its vitality had recovered quite well.


    New tender shoots had grown about half an inch.


    For such an ancient medicinal herb, growth was generally very slow.


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t planned to cure it all at once, but to treat it gradually. Currently, cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique with the mist spraying from the pool seemed just right. Based on his experience, cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique in such mist would result in slow progress.


    The special energy dissipating would accordingly diminish.


    This was ideal for achieving a steady, gradual effect.


    After cultivating for about six hours, he stopped.


    Inspecting the herb before him, its vitality was clearly much stronger and fine buds had sprouted above the waist.


    Those tiny green shoots were exceedingly comforting to behold, like the finishing touch to a dragon painting.


    ¡°Today¡¯s treatment concludes here for now. As long as its current growth environment is maintained without disturbance, it should recover quite a bit more by the time I visit again,¡± Qin Niu stood up and said to Young Master Fang.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work! Seeing its vitality slowly return brings me such joy. A luxurious banquet has been prepared outside, please, Master Qin, join us,¡± Young Master Fang, pleased with the critical medicinal herb¡¯s recovery under Qin Niu¡¯s treatment, extended the invitation.


    Young Master Fang never even considered that Qin Niu might be intentionally withholding his full ability.


    This time, he had only exerted a fraction of his skill.


    Leaving the forbidden land, Qin Niu was led to the same elegant room as before.


    Once again, two beautiful maids were attending him attentively at his sides.


    The banquet was very lavish as well.


    Unlike last time, Young Master Fang also took his seat at the banquet to dine and drink with him.


    Two other beauties whom Qin Niu had never seen before were serving Young Master Fang.


    Contrary to Qin Niu¡¯s restraint and propriety, Young Master Fang happily accepted the two maids¡¯ attentions, clearly accustomed to having his every need attended to without lifting a finger.


    However, he did not make any overstepping gestures.


    Perhaps in Young Master Fang¡¯s eyes, even the most beautiful ordinary maid was not worthy of his intimate attention.


    Compared to the Insect Masters hired by the Yan Family, who had been handsy and embarrassing with the serving maids, embracing and kissing them, Young Master Fang conducted himself with dignity and class, a cut above by several degrees.


    This was Qin Niu¡¯s first time dining with a true noble young master.


    He learned quite a lot from Young Master Fang¡¯s demeanor.


    They continued to drink and dine, enjoying the banquet at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°You may leave now,¡± Young Master Fang instructed the four maids.


    After their departure and the doors were closed, it was clear that Young Master Fang had something to discuss with him.


    ¡°Master Qin, with your help the last time, I was able to successfully uncover that the cultivating master employed by the Fang Family had been bought by our enemies, secretly sabotaging that rootless water plant, leading to its mutation. It was an issue that went unnoticed, and without your reminder, it would have been nearly impossible to discover. This cup, I toast to you, I thank you for helping us eliminate a major hidden danger for my family.¡±


    Young Master Fang raised his cup in a toast to Qin Niu.


    ¡°I just casually mentioned a few things, the ability to find the problem is entirely thanks to Young Master Fang¡¯s strategic wisdom,¡± Qin Niu raised his cup to clink with the other in reply.


    He dared not take credit for this feat.


    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it must have been that Master Pang who was bought off.


    As to how the Fang Family dealt with Master Pang, outsiders had no way of knowing.


    ¡°The Fang Family has always been trying all kinds of ways to recruit powerful cultivating masters. Our family also cultivates talent in this area, but there isn¡¯t a single one who can replace Master Pang. The territory of the Black Tiger Gang is only so large, and top-tier cultivating masters are few and far between. Whenever any family discovers talent in this area, they recruit them vigorously and never let go.


    Master Pang of my Fang Family being corrupted and covertly bought by our enemies is a huge loss for us.¡±


    One betrayal, a lifetime of disuse.


    Our Fang Family can no longer trust Master Pang and have yet to find a suitable replacement. After extensive consideration and investigation, Master Qin is currently the most fitting candidate to take over Master Pang¡¯s position.


    As the chief cultivation master for my Fang Family, not only can you become a top patron of our family, but you also have the right to mobilize the Fang Family¡¯s power to assist you in your affairs.


    Moreover, the annual salary is at least one thousand taels of silver or more.


    For the three festivals and two anniversaries, additional rewards are given.


    If you are willing to join the Fang Family, you can even be granted our Cultivation Techniques and unique skills, with a status equivalent to that of a direct descendant.¡±


    Every single one of these treatments is enticing.


    Qin Niu used to think that an annual income of thirty taels of silver for a high- level farmer was already a high salary in the industry.


    Now he realized that compared to the annual salary of a planting master, it was dozens of times less.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master Fang, for the high regard, but I am too inexperienced and not up to such an important position. Besides, as a simple villager, I am used to idleness and prefer a free and unrestrained life. Please seek another skilled individual, Young Master Fang.¡±


    Had Qin Niu wished to be a wealthy servant, he would have been recruited by the Yan Family long ago.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you reconsider, Master Qin? With your abilities, you are entirely capable of serving as the chief cultivation master for the Fang Family. As for not liking restraints, in Black Tiger City, you may live wherever you wish. As long as you complete your primary duties, you can arrange the rest of your time as you like. If you fancy beautiful women, the Fang Family can provide you with two fresh beauties every month.¡±


    Young Master Fang was making a great effort to secure his acceptance of the position.


    ¡°Sorry, I have no interest in this position, please arrange for someone else, Young Master Fang. The hour is also getting late, and as I seldom come into the city, I still have some matters to attend to, so please excuse me.¡±


    Qin Niu stood up to take his leave.


    ¡°Well, everyone has their aspirations, and I can understand Master Qin¡¯s reluctance to serve under others. Here is a silver note for a hundred taels, as a token of our gratitude for your treatment of that medicinal herb for the Fang Family. If there¡¯s ever anything you need from us, feel free to come see me or send someone with a message.¡±


    Seeing that he could not persuade him, Young Master Fang did not insist.


    ¡°The fifteen hundred taels previously given is more than enough! I cannot accept this hundred taels with a clear conscience,¡± Qin Niu declined.


    ¡°Alt, the past is the past, and this is now. When our Fang Family employs someone, we never shortchange them. We will undoubtedly need to trouble Master Qin again in the future.¡±


    The sum of a hundred taels was forcefully entrusted to him.


    ¡°Then, thank you, Young Master Fang! I¡¯ve become greedy for money!¡±


    Qin Niu accepted the silver note, thinking to himself that the Fang Family was indeed very generous.


    ¡°The medicinal herb should recover completely with one or two more treatments. If there is nothing out of the ordinary, we can arrange for the next treatment in a month¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have Uncle Heizi pick you up then.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I noticed you do not have a mount; if you don¡¯t mind, you may select one from the Fang Family¡¯s stables. It will make your travels much easier.¡±


    Young Master Fang was very eager to win him over.


    However, Qin Niu did not wish to owe any favors to the Fang Family and politely refused.


    After some time, that lazy ox should also evolve completely.


    Qin Niu was considering using it as his mount.


    After leaving the Fang Family, he was dropped off in an alley by Uncle Heizi¡¯s carriage.


    The drop-off location was different from the last time.


    By doing this, the Fang Family was also providing him protection.


    The people who had their eyes on the Fang Family were not only small families but also some powerful families comparable to the Fangs.


    If they knew how important Qin Niu was to the Fang Family, they could resort to any measure.


    Qin Niu was all too aware of this fact.


    Therefore, he was extremely cautious every time he entered or left the Fang premises.


    He first stopped by the Miaodan Pavilion and entrusted the task of elixir crafting to Master Zi Zhou.


    Master Zi Zhou told him it would take about seven to ten days, at which point Qin Niu could come to collect the elixir. However, elixir crafting carried high risks, and if it failed, Master Zi Zhou could not be held responsible.


    The Miaodan Pavilion would not assume liability.


    Master Zi Zhou¡¯s success rate of creating Beast Cores was about 30%. This was already an extremely high rate of success.


    Qin Niu was willing to take the gamble.


    For if he succeeded, he could use the elixir to break through and advance to the next realm.


    As his cultivation level rose, he could increasingly feel that the difficulty of advancing was also increasing.


    It was said that breaking through the Acquired Realm was hellish in difficulty.


    Even with the treasure of the Ancient Banyan Tree, he could not say he was fully confident.


    Spending more than a hundred and forty taels of silver and a Beast Core on this risk was still within his capacity to endure, even if it failed.


    Normally, had he the time, he would have stayed to oversee the process.


    However, given the reputation of the Miaodan Pavilion and the integrity of Master Zi Zhou, it was unlikely they would tarnish their reputation for such a small gain.


    With Old Master Huang still at large, like a sharp sword hanging overhead, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t rest easy.


    He had finally caught a prized bee, which amounted to pinching a soft spot on the other party.


    Naturally, he intended to seize this opportunity.


    This time, he planned to buy even more sturdy Insect Jars, so he would never have to worry about the bee escaping again.


    He had quite a few tasks to accomplish in the city this time.


    Looking up at the sky, he hastened his pace.

 Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Chapter 174 Master Ou, the Cunning Merchanti

    Chapter 179: Chapter 174 Master Ou, the Cunning Merchanti


    Translator: 549690339 |


    The two intermediate-grade talismans had all been used up, and he was ready to restock.


    He arrived at the familiar Bei Bing Talisman Shop.


    ¡± Bei Bing, here to buy talismans from you again!¡±


    Qin Niu greeted the mute girl with a smile.


    ¡°Mmm!¡±


    She seemed just as happy, using hand gestures and looking at Qin Niu with a smile on her face.


    She remained as pure as ever, like the fresh and natural air of a serene valley, spotless.


    Her shiny black eyes were without any impurities.


    ¡°Get me five intermediate-grade contractual talismans. Do you have any advanced contractual talismans?¡±


    Qin Niu asked her.


    The mute girl¡¯s eyes widened in surprise upon hearing that he wanted five intermediate-grade contractual talismans in one go.


    She remembered Qin Niu struggled to buy the low-grade contractual charms that cost one tael of silver each.


    Now he was spending more lavishly each time.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? If I¡¯ve made money, I can obviously afford better things. Hurry up and get them for me, I still have other things to do after the purchase. If I can¡¯t leave the city, I might just have to come here to stay overnight,¡± Qin Niu urged her.


    ¡°Mhm!¡±


    She agreed and fetched five intermediate-grade contractual talismans for him.


    Then, she took out a piece of cardboard, on which was written: Advanced contractual talismans, one hundred taels of silver each. Can be used to tame Grade Three or higher insects or beasts, success rate depends on specific circumstances.


    ¡°One hundred taels of silver each, not cheap, get me one,¡± Qin Niu decided to bite the bullet and buy one to keep on hand.


    The intermediate-grade contractual talismans were quite effective for taming Grade Two insects.


    As for the advanced contractual talismans, he had never tried them.


    The description stated that they could be used to tame Grade Three or higher insects and beasts.


    Given the steep price, Qin Niu would definitely use them cautiously.


    ¡°Can the advanced contractual talisman tame a Grade Four insect?¡± Qin Niu thought of the Corpse Bee.


    That creature was disgusting, extremely vicious and sinister, but its combat power must be substantial.


    Having night vision also greatly tempted Qin Niu.


    Taming one to breed new bee species should be very beneficial.


    The mute girl quickly scribbled on the paper with her charcoal pencil.


    ¡°In theory, advanced contractual talismans can tame insects, beasts, and birds of all grades, but the higher the grade of the insect, the more difficult the taming. The number of talismans needed will also increase, and there¡¯s still a possibility of failure,¡± she wrote.


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is, advanced contractual talismans are the highest- level talismans available, right?¡± Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    She nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Alright, hand me one,¡± Qin Niu took out a silver note worth one hundred and fifty taels.


    This was a substantial amount of money.


    However, compared to the beasts or beast pets under contract, this was only a small sum.


    Becoming a powerful insect master or beast tamer was no easy feat.


    It required not only a significant amount of silver money but also a massive amount of resources to constantly nurture pets and strengthen them. Luck and opportunity were also necessary.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even ask for two!¡±


    She playfully wrote down a sentence with a smile.


    Qin Niu smiled wryly too, seeing that the production of advanced contractual talismans was extremely difficult and that the Bei Bing Talisman Shop didn¡¯t have much in stock.


    ¡°This talisman can be kept for a long time, right?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡±


    Again she nodded.


    Reassured, he bought one advanced contractual talisman. Judging by the material, it wasn¡¯t made of animal skin, but somewhat resembled leaves or bark.


    It showed a flicker of green light, immediately indicating its extraordinary nature.


    Moreover, holding it in his hand, one felt an unsettling sensation; the invisible energy or aura it emitted seemed as though it could stir one¡¯s soul.


    ¡°When using it to tame a beast pet, try to avoid taking it out too early. It¡¯s best to trap the beast first and then use the talisman,¡±


    She wrote down the note.


    ¡°This box is custom-made, and once you cover it, it can seal off its scent.¡±


    Qin Niu glanced at the box containing it, noticing many intricate talismans carved on the surface.


    The combination of these talismans should effectively isolate the scent.


    He felt that Bei Bing¡¯s grandpa was quite impressive.


    Could such a talisman master possibly break the enchantment of the Ancient Banyan Tree?


    Qin Niu only thought about it in his mind.


    He would never be foolish enough to bring an outsider to decipher the enchantment of that Ancient Banyan Tree.


    By now, he had come to regard the Ancient Banyan Tree as his private property and it had become his most important cultivation resource.


    As he was leaving, Bei Bing gave him a few low-grade talismans as gifts.


    A total of five.


    ¡°I made them myself, thank you for looking after our business,¡±


    She wrote down a sentence.


    ¡± Heh, buying from anyone is still buying, but buying from you is reassuring and helps out a friend, so of course, I¡¯ll come to you! Goodbye!¡±


    Qin Niu waved at her.


    This time, he didn¡¯t see her grandpa. It was just her alone tending to the shop.


    Her grandpa often needed to go out to gather materials for making talismans and was rarely seen.


    But Qin Niu knew that the middle-grade and high-grade talismans were all made by her grandpa.


    For now, she could only make some low-grade talismans.


    Actually, her family¡¯s talisman store didn¡¯t have a wide variety of talismans.


    Or rather, the talisman varieties available in the few talisman shops throughout Black Tiger City were very limited.


    The Contractual Talisman was the most popular one.


    Insect Masters and Beast Tamers would come to purchase it.


    After leaving Bei Bing¡¯s place, he headed straight for Master Ou¡¯s weapon shop.


    ¡°Master Ou, I¡¯ve come to see you again!¡±


    Qin Niu greeted the old man inside.


    Master Ou didn¡¯t have a strong impression of him and couldn¡¯t remember who he was.


    ¡°Young brother, what are you looking for this time?¡±


    Master Ou¡¯s attitude was still quite warm.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to have a few fine iron canisters custom-made, similar to this one, but made with thicker material.¡±


    ¡°These are insect jars. No need for customization, I have them readily available here,¡±


    Master Ou instructed his apprentice to bring out a few samples.


    ¡°The inner wall of these canisters is made of fine iron, and the outside is aluminum. If an insect can bite through the inner wall, then even a thicker fine iron won¡¯t help. The price is one tael and five maces of silver each. There are round ones, square ones, long ones ¡ª feel free to choose any. The lid comes with an air hole and a lock. They are known for being sturdy and lightweight.¡±


    The craftsmanship of these insect jars was way better than the ones Qin Niu found on the market.


    It was of a more refined craft.


    ¡°Not bad, I¡¯ll take ten. How about a better price?¡±


    Qin Niu knew that weapon shops had high profits and always haggled every time he made a purchase.


    ¡°If you buy ten at once, I can give you a discount of two silver money.¡±


    ¡°Just this little discount is as good as none. Ten for twelve silver money, not a mace more,¡±


    Qin Niu was very clear that only powerful Insect Masters and wealthy young masters and ladies would buy these high-quality insect jars.


    At one tael and five maces of silver each, nobody¡¯s money came easy.


    ¡°You kid, you¡¯re making it so I can¡¯t even afford to eat! I¡¯d be selling at a loss to you,¡±


    Master Ou¡¯s face wore an expression of great loss.


    The last time he commissioned weapons, it was the same expression.


    In his heart, Qin Niu mused that appearances are deceiving, who would have thought that Master Ou, appearing as a rough blacksmith, had quite a few tricks up his sleeve.


    And quite the acting skill.


    He should have driven a harder bargain knowing this.

 Chapter 180 - Chapter 18o: Chapter 175: Consulting, King Pig Leather Armori

    Chapter 18o: Chapter 175: Consulting, King Pig Leather Armori


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Ultimately, he purchased ten insect jars crafted from fine iron from Master Ou for the price of twelve silver money.


    Master Ou appeared to be in agony over his loss on the surface, but inside he was probably delighted.


    As for the profit margin, Qin Niu was uncertain.


    Earning one or two silver money shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    These blacksmith shops might not look like much, but they make more money than one would expect.


    Indeed, keeping a low profile while making a fortune is truly the way to go.


    ¡°Master Ou, may I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    ¡°You told me last time that weapons need to be ¡®nourished.¡¯ Can common materials be ¡®nourished¡¯ into something special?¡±


    ¡°It depends on fate and chance. In theory, even an ordinary wooden sword can be ¡®nourished.¡¯ However, the better the materials and the forging skills, the greater the likelihood of a weapon developing special abilities.¡±


    Master Ou spoke fluently and knew a great deal about weapon cultivation.


    ¡°According to what you said, if a wooden sword develops special abilities but it¡¯s made of poor materials, won¡¯t it still be of little use?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily! When a weapon develops special abilities, it has undoubtedly transformed completely. Just like an ordinary civilian, given the right opportunities, can become an emperor or a noble. However, due to inferior materials, which is an inherent deficiency, their potential is often limited.¡±


    Qin Niu found this quite agreeable.


    His treasured sword had undergone a transformation after initial cultivation, with significant improvements in strength and sharpness.


    Not to mention its power.


    ¡°Is there a way to remedy these weapons with innate deficiencies?¡±


    ¡°There are many methods! For instance, secondary tempering with gold liquid or special materials can enhance them through a second tempering process. Moreover, utilizing the power of lightning, volcanic force, and so forth, can complete the tempering of certain weapons. Another example is synthesis; by forging a second time, new materials or other weapons can be fused into the sword. There¡¯s also nurturing, where the weapon is placed in ancient ice, fire, or a place abounding with spiritual energy, among others, to break free from the constraints of their original material.


    My mentor once mentioned a cultivator whose peach wood sword developed special abilities, and after several strokes of good fortune, he nurtured it into a super weapon that could slay gods and immortals. It could overpower all earth attribute talismans and weapons, and specialized in cutting down souls and spirits, exceptionally formidable indeed.¡±


    Besides the aforementioned methods, there are many other unique and wonderful techniques.


    ¡°For example, there¡¯s a legend I heard about, where after someone passed away, they were wrapped in linen and buried.


    After many years, that burial cloth, having absorbed the yin energy of the heavens and earth as well as the corpse Qi, turned into a terrifyingly evil treasure. Its emergence brings icy winds and grey mists, with ghosts weeping and gods wailing, transforming an entire area into a realm of death.


    To this day, it¡¯s still cherished by a Daluo Golden Immortal as a revered family treasure, employed as a sect¡¯s guardian.


    There¡¯s also a great demon who turned slaughter into nature and gathered blood into seas, known as the Sea of Blood. Deep within the Sea of Blood, two of the world¡¯s most malevolent weapons, Ah Bi and Yuan Tu, were nurtured. It is said that even the Buddhist Sect could not handle this demon. They promised a great vow, if the demon put down his slaughtering weapon, he could immediately attain Buddhahood.¡±


    Master Ou recounted ancient legends.


    Qin Niu was enthralled, imagining the powerful talismans and divine weapons. If he could nurture one of his own, not to dominate the three realms, but at least he would have nothing to fear in the mortal world.


    Putting down the killing blade to attain Buddhahood instantly¡ªnever had he imagined such an ancient tale.


    He always thought it was just a saying to encourage benevolence.


    Did that demon ultimately put down his killing blade? As long as one is intelligent, they certainly wouldn¡¯t take the Buddhist Sect¡¯s persuasion seriously.


    Putting it down equaled relinquishing the weapon, losing the ability to fight back, and inevitably being at others¡¯ mercy sooner or later.


    After leaving the weapon shop, he hurried to the clothing and footwear market.


    ¡°Master Qin, you¡¯ve arrived! Are you here to pick up your armor?¡±


    This time, the assistant¡¯s attitude towards Qin Niu was no longer the disdainful arrogance of the past but had become extremely subservient, filled with respect for him.


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Qin Niu nodded.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, Master Qin has come to pickup the armor!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Please, Master Qin, come on in!¡±


    The voice of the chubby shopkeeper came from upstairs.


    Once he reached the second floor, he found it as messy as a dog¡¯s kennel. There were armor-making materials and tools everywhere, along with tables and desks.


    The already short and plump shopkeeper had slimmed down considerably after not seeing him for over a month.


    But his spirit seemed quite good.


    There was a spark in his eyes, his face was radiant, and he was brimming with excitement.


    ¡°Master Qin, the two sets of leather armor are ready. With the leftover scraps, I am planning to make a hand shield. It will be completed soon; please try on the leather armor to see if it fits.¡±


    ¡°Our shopkeeper here has hardly eaten a single meal a day for over half a month to make your armor. Whenever he is tired, he just snoozes here for a while. Other than attending to nature¡¯s call, he hasn¡¯t stepped downstairs,¡± said the clerk.


    The shopkeeper had truly reached a state of neglecting sleep and meals.


    At this moment, Qin Niu could also see a very precious craftsman spirit in this shopkeeper.


    ¡°Stop babbling and go watch the store,¡± the shopkeeper scolded the clerk.


    Qin Niu examined the two sets of completed leather armor, especially the larger one. It was so appealing that one couldn¡¯t help but fall for it after just a glance.


    The elegant lines, the components fitting together just right, and the beautiful yet rugged design.


    Majestic without losing spirit, flexible yet sturdy.


    After taking them, Qin Niu, who had tried on armor before, did not need instruction and managed to suit up without much trouble.


    It was much lighter than the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor.


    Moving his limbs, waist, and head around, he found he was very agile, almost unaffected by the armor.


    The heel guards for the legs, which I had thought would hinder movement, turned out to be especially well-fitted at the knee and ankle joints.


    It was simply perfect.


    The heart area and neck guard were both reinforced with extra thickness.


    Its defensive capability was clearly a cut above the other parts.


    ¡°Fantastic! This armor is exactly what I¡¯ve always dreamed of,¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but praise.


    Once worn, he looked imposing and powerful, and he was filled with an unprecedented sense of safety.


    Ordinary swords and sharp arrows could not breach his defense.


    ¡°Glad you like it!¡±


    Next, try out this hand shield.


    The shopkeeper had just finished the final touches on the hand shield and taught Qin Niu how to use it.


    ¡°Hold the grip inside the shield body, and you can flexibly control this hand shield,¡±


    the shopkeeper explained.


    The hand shield wasn¡¯t very large, just slightly wider than a face, and only a little over a foot in length.


    It was just right to protect the entire forearm.


    It was composed of multiple layers of fragmented King Pig leather. Like scales, the layers covered and fitted tightly together.


    Holding it in hand, it was quite lightweight.


    ¡°When this hand shield is not in use, it can be hung on the back,¡±


    said the shopkeeper, who had already made provisions on the back of the armor for hanging the shield, making it very convenient.


    ¡°There¡¯s space on the side for storing weapons like knives or swords. Quivers are usually hung at the waist. If you use a longbow, you can only carry it slung across your back. A short bow can be directly hung on the back,¡± he added.


    ¡°Thankyou, shopkeeper, this leather armor is simply too perfect! Although we agreed no workmanship fee would be charged, I can¡¯t let you labor for nothing. Here¡¯s fifty Two Silver Money as a token of my appreciation.¡±


    After trying it on, Qin Niu fell deeply in love with the set of King Pig Armor.


    With it, his likelihood of getting injured would be significantly reduced, whether battling enemies or fighting fierce beasts.


    ¡°No need for money, no need! Master Qin¡¯s satisfaction with my work is the best affirmation for me. Having crafted a set of beast hide armor in my lifetime, I would die without regrets. Moreover, in the process of making this armor, my craftsmanship has made an unprecedented breakthrough, something that all the Silver Money can¡¯t buy. If Master Qin is satisfied, please bring any beast hides or bones to me in the future for crafting.


    I¡¯ll offer you the most favorable price then,¡±


    insisted the true Armor Shop shopkeeper firmly, refusing to take the money.


    His breakthrough in craftsmanship would enable him to take on many big orders that he couldn¡¯t handle before.


    His reputation would also rise considerably.


    The benefits would far exceed the labor fee.


    ¡°Then thank you very much! I¡¯ll come to you for all my future armor needs,¡±


    Qin Niu, a straightforward person himself, did not persist in offering the silver note.


    ¡°Haha, thank you for your patronage. If you encounter any problems with this set of King Pig Leather Armor during use, you can always report to me. The helmet¡¯s defense is relatively weak, so avoid being attacked by sharp weapons when fighting enemies,¡±


    the shopkeeper reminded Qin Niu of the weak spot of the King Pig Leather Armor.


    Every defense has its vulnerabilities, and theoretically, all can be breached.


    This set of King Pig Armor, enveloping him from head to toe, was already near perfection.


    Leaving the outfitters market, Qin Niu was extremely satisfied with his visit.


    The trip had been fruitful.


    With this set of King Pig Armor, his odds of victory in battle with Old Master Huang would be much improved.


    However, in a battle against an Insect Master, he believed the opponent¡¯s strongest methods would definitely involve insects.


    Qin Niu¡¯s strongest insect at the moment was the Termite.


    The Ant Queen had also successfully evolved, and the entire Termite colony had undergone a transformative upgrade in quality and leap in strength.


    They were already no longer ordinary insects.


    He was particularly eager for the first batch of eggs laid by the evolved Ant Queen to hatch and transform into adult insects.


    Based on experience, this process would take about twenty-one days.


    So his feelings were complex, wanting Old Master Huang to come looking for him sooner, yet also hoping to wait until the Ant colony grew larger before confronting the formidable foe. If he could have tens of thousands of Grade Two or higher specialized Termites, his chances of winning would be much greater.


    From what he had already figured out, Old Master Huang had not just one but three Grade Five bee generals.


    Nobody could be certain whether Old Master Huang had even more powerful insects.


    The invisible pressure made Qin Niu dare not confront Old Master Huang head- on carelessly.


    Even though he was now actively using the bee general to lure the enemy into showing up, his intent was to trick Old Master Huang into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree and take care of him there.


    After leaving the city, dusk had begun to settle.


    He quickened his pace.


    Along the way, he could see many farmers still in the fields, driving away locusts or capturing them.


    The insect plague had been raging for many days without abatement, and likely both the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s top brass and the Insect Master Association were under great pressure.


    However, to this point, the Insect Master Association hadn¡¯t called upon ordinary Insect Masters like Qin Niu to come together to discuss strategies to eliminate the insects, indicating that the situation was still within a controllable range.

 Chapter 181 - Chapter 181: Chapter 176 The Side of a Petty Woman_1

    Chapter 181: Chapter 176 The Side of a Petty Woman_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Recently, it¡¯s truly been a period full of troubles!


    First came the floods, closely followed by a plague of insects, and the large families within the city are likewise restless.


    Qin Niu could feel that it seemed a terrifying storm was about to arrive. Common folk merely wanted to get by with food and warmth, indifferent to these major events.


    His strength had increased, yet it was very difficult for him to remain uninvolved.


    With greater strength came more benefits, and this indirectly tied him deeper


    to the Black Tiger Gang.


    All the rich and powerful, it seemed, did not wish for anything to happen to the


    Black Tiger Gang.


    Otherwise, their good days would come to an end.


    If the Black Tiger Gang were to be destroyed, the common folk would certainly be affected, but the most severe impact would undoubtedly be on the elite class.


    In any dynasty, those who were in charge were never the common folk but the elite of society.


    Power was held only in the hands of a few.


    If the Black Tiger Gang were to fall, this region would face a reshuffling, and the situation would become even more turbulent. Many of the elites labeled with the mark of the Black Tiger Gang would probably not even have the chance to surrender.


    As for who would dare to destroy the Black Tiger Gang?


    This question was somewhat naive; apart from large families in the region like the Fang Family, there were also external forces that could annihilate the Black


    Tiger Gang.


    They were just looking for an opportunity to strike.


    When Qin Niu returned to Shuangfeng Village, he felt the village was now simply a haven of tranquility.


    The outside world was plagued with rampaging locusts, leaving people panic- stricken, whereas Shuangfeng Village, thanks to Qin Niu¡¯s presence, succeeded in eradicating the locust disaster and had set up buffer zones at the entrance of the village.


    Additionally, Daoyuan Village, with the help of Qin Niu¡¯s three thousand ducks, successfully halted the advance of the Locust Army, forcing them to change their path and seek other routes.


    Thus, this small area had become a rare place of purity.


    The Yan Family also made significant contributions.


    Masters Mo Sang and Shi Doudan, by stopping the locusts at the front, provided benefits to the ordinary people behind them as well.


    As for those locusts that were blocked from their path and chose to wreak havoc in other villages, no one would bother about it.


    Everyone was for themselves, and the frost on another¡¯s roof was not their concern.


    In the face of disaster, it was every man for himself, each relying on their own abilities to find ways to survive.


    After returning home, the sky had completely darkened.


    Xiao Qing was not at home.


    This was by Qin Niu¡¯s arrangement, as he had asked her to temporarily stay with Wang Wanyan during this time.


    She had experienced life in society and knew how to please others.


    As Wang Wanyan and Qin Niu had a very special relationship, she was naturally very fond of Xiao Qing, saying it was good to have Xiao Qing to keep her company.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s really you!¡±


    Xiao Qing hadn¡¯t slept at this hour; hearing some noise, she ran back from


    Wang Furen¡¯s house.


    ¡°Xiao Qing was worried about you and refused to sleep. She just kept watching out the window, and I couldn¡¯t do anything with her.


    Wang Wanyan, draped in a white robe, followed.


    ¡°This child is just like this, it¡¯s not just you¡ªI couldn¡¯t persuade her either.


    Qin Niu invited Wang Wanyan into his home.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, I¡¯ve retrieved that set of leather armor for you. Try it on to see if it fits.¡±


    Qin Niu gave her the small Pig King Armor.


    ¡°Wow, this is fantastic! Thank you, Master!¡±


    Xiao Qing held the Pig King Armor, elated.


    Though young, she was shrewd.


    She naturally knew this was a good thing.


    ¡°Wan Yan, I¡¯m giving you this Low-grade Contract Charm.¡±


    He rarely used Low-grade Contract Charms anymore, so he might as well assist his sweetheart from time to time.


    ¡°This¡­ You already gave me one last time, why are you giving me another one now!¡±


    She felt embarrassed to accept it.


    It used to be Qin Niu who was embarrassed to accept the food she gave him, but now the roles were reversed.


    It was just that the items Qin Niu gave her were much more advanced.


    Tempering Elixirs and Contract Talismans, those were high-grade cultivation resources.


    ¡°Someday when I¡¯m capable, even if you want the stars in the sky, I 11 pluck them down for you.¡±


    Qin Niu said with a smile.


    ¡°Hehe, since when did you learn to say such sweet nothings! Alright then, I¡¯ll accept it.¡±


    She laughed behind her hand and took the Talisman.


    She treasured it and carefully put it away close to her.


    For Qin Niu, such items were no longer precious. But in Wang Wanyan¡¯s eyes, they were expensive gifts.


    ¡°How¡¯s that cat that you tamed coming along?¡±


    Qin Niu was usually too busy to concern himself with her Beast Taming affairs.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too bad! I feel like it¡¯s become more obedient than before.¡±


    Hearing her answer, he nearly fainted.


    Others trained beasts to earn money or to enhance their fighting ability, yet she went to all this trouble just to make her cat a little more obedient.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    Seeing the expression on Qin Niu¡¯s face, she asked somewhat sheepishly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done the right thing by communicating more with it, and it would be best if you gradually master the language of feline beasts. That¡¯s a very important Beast Taming Skill. Then, you need to find a way to make it stronger. I¡¯ll send some Boar King meat to you later. Besides eating it yourself, you can feed it to the cat too; it should help the cat grow stronger rapidly.


    Compared to her, Qin Niu was no newbie.


    He had accrued some experience in insect control and beast taming.


    ¡°You need to find ways to make it stronger, preferably evolve some special abilities. You can take it to hunt some small wild animals, like mountain rats, rabbits, and so on. Its fighting ability can only grow through being tempered. If trained well, in fights with beasts of the same size, your cat should be an invincible force.¡±


    Qin Niu guided her with a general direction for nurturing.


    Her family was just moderately wealthy, with Wang Furen¡¯s assets probably totaling two to three hundred taels of Silver Money.


    At most around four hundred taels.


    Unless Wang Furen was very secretive, he might possess more wealth.


    However, with Wang Furen¡¯s character, if he really had a lot of Silver Money, it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯d only purchase a dozen acres of good land.


    After all, silver left as is will always remain as silver, but buying land can make money generate more money-


    in modern society, a large proportion of people¡¯s wealth comes from real estate. Not only can buying a house appreciate in value, but it can also generate rental income.


    In this world where everyone can cultivate, the best financial strategy for common folk is to buy land.


    They can grow grains, cash crops, or rent it out to others and collect rent, all being very good ways to profit.


    Wang Wanyan wants to become a Beast Tamer, and given her family¡¯s average financial situation, finding her own way to obtain cultivation resources is the right move. By staying at home, that cat would forever remain the same.


    ¡°I, I also thought about taking it hunting, but I¡¯m not familiar with the mountains. And I dare not go out at night even more. When you have time, can you take me hunting in the mountains?¡±


    Her cultivation wasn¡¯t weak, but at this moment, she unexpectedly showed a side of her that was softly feminine.


    ¡°Not a problem at all. Shall we go to the mountains tonight?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should wait until tomorrow daylight! I¡¯m still a bit scared.¡±


    She said with a flushed face.


    Girls naturally fear the dark and are even more afraid to venture into the mountains deep into the night.


    Their courage is significantly less than that of men.


    ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll take you into the mountains tomorrow morning. Xiao Qing can also come along to keep you company.¡±


    Qin Niu felt that her showing vulnerability made her seem more real.

 Chapter 182 - Chapter 182: Chapter 177 Healing Ant, New Bee Species 1

    Chapter 182: Chapter 177 Healing Ant, New Bee Species 1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°Master, look at this armor!¡±


    Xiao Qing came over wearing the armor. Even though it was tailor-made, it still looked somewhat oversized on her petite frame.


    As soon as she finished speaking, a faint green glow emerged on the surface of the armor.


    It enveloped her like a light cocoon.


    ¡°This¡­you can activate it with your power?¡±


    Qin Niu asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes! Your set should be able to as well.¡±


    Xiao Qing was still a child, and her playful nature shone through. She tried to activate the Pig King¡¯s armor with her power and accidentally discovered that it could produce a green glow.


    ¡°After being activated with power, its defense should be enhanced.¡±


    Qin Niu tried to activate the Pig King¡¯s armor with his power and indeed found that he could allow power to enter into the armor.


    Once the armor absorbed his power, a green glow began to appear on its surface.


    As he poured more and more power into it, the green glow grew increasingly solid.


    He picked up an ordinary firewood knife and chopped at the armor.


    When the blade was about half an inch from the armor, it was clearly met with resistance. It was blocked by the light cocoon formed by the green glow.


    ¡°The armor maker didn¡¯t tell me that the defense of the armor could be enhanced when activated with power! This Pig King¡¯s armor is really good.¡±


    Qin Niu was already very satisfied with this set of armor, and now he loved it even more.


    Light and flexible, yet its defense surpasses that of the heavy Hundred- Tempering Black Armor by a great deal.


    Killing that Pig King was really a stroke of good fortune.


    He wondered if there were any more Pig Kings in that forest.


    ¡°Alt Niu, is your cultivation now particularly terrifying?¡±


    Wang Wanyan watched enviously as both master and servant had high-level armor.


    What surprised her even more was Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation.


    When Qin Niu activated the Pig King¡¯s armor earlier, the breath he unintentionally leaked out was extremely frightening, like a mountain collapsing, like a raging wave sweeping over.


    This kind of breath was even more terrifying than the Black Armored Army at the gate of Black Tiger City.


    It was truly shocking.


    ¡± It¡¯s not bad! A bit stronger than the average person.¡± After witnessing the terrifying cultivation of the five ancestors of the Fang Family, Qin Niu only felt like an ant.


    He was still miles away from the real powerhouses.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, remember to wear this armor every day from now on. It can protect you from harm at critical moments. I need to go into the mountains again. You all should go back and rest! Wan Yan, I will take you hunting in the mountains tomorrow during the day.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She saw Qin Niu¡¯s strength, witnessed his rapid changes day by day, and her heart was filled with longing.


    And boundless admiration.


    Ah Niu, who started low and relied on no one, had fought for his own place in the world.


    He was definitely worth learning from.


    After Qin Niu went into the mountains, he found that the Ant Nest was normal, which gave him some peace of mind.


    ¡°You three, come out and eat.¡±


    He insisted on feeding those three termites leaves from the Broad-leaf Trillium every day.


    They hadn¡¯t changed much.


    After the termites metamorphosed into adults, it was difficult for them to evolve further.


    After that Worker Ant finished eating, he then fed the other two Soldier Ants.


    During this free time, Qin Niu checked the attributes of the ant colony.


    The ant colony had developed quite well by now, and the species were diverse. The number of Grade Two special ants had long surpassed two thousand, and the number of Grade Three special ants had broken through fifty.


    It was a fruitful achievement.


    Ranged attack, close combat¡ªthey all possessed formidable combat strength.


    ¡°Huh, the ant colony has a new species!¡±


    He was pleasantly surprised and taken aback.


    Healing Ant: 1, Lifespan: 3 years, Special Ability: (Heals injured termites)


    This was a special Grade One Worker Ant.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t clear on how it came about.


    The abilities of the Ant Queen didn¡¯t include the power to produce this kind of termite. Previously, no Healing Ants had been produced.


    Like Fourth, it belonged to a special rare species, or did it appear for some other reason?


    For example, Qin Niu had been consistently feeding those three termites leaves from the Broad-leaf Trillium. Could it be that after the Worker Ant ate the leaves and then fed the young ants, it caused a mutation?


    This possibility was very high.


    Although this Healing Ant¡¯s special ability wasn¡¯t combat-related, in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, it was a treasure.


    With it around, his termites could be healed by this Healing Ant after suffering injuries in battle.


    ¡°Should I further cultivate it?¡±


    Qin Niu summoned the Healing Ant, which was still a freshly metamorphosed juvenile ant, small in stature. Its mouthparts were white, no different from ordinary Worker Ants elsewhere.


    Normal termites have brown or black mouthparts.


    The mouthparts of this Healing Ant, however, were white.


    Now, except for the newly metamorphosed adult termites, the rest in the entire ant colony had either been cultivated into special termites by Qin Niu or were in the process of evolving.


    A Grade One Healing Ant appeared extremely weak within the ant colony.


    Looking at this little guy, Qin Niu hesitated.


    Although his success rate at cultivating termites was now very high, with a mortality rate of less than 1%, there was still some risk.


    If such Healing Ants would no longer appear in the future, it would be even more precious.


    But without further cultivation, the abilities of a Grade One ant were limited and its lifespan was short.


    After three years, it would still die.


    If indeed the mutation occurred because that Worker Ant ate the Broad-leaf Trillium leaves and then fed the young ants, then continuing to feed them the leaves should be able to produce more Healing Ants in the future.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a gamble! This test of life and death is a challenge that every termite wishing to become strong must go through.¡±


    Qin Niu finally decided to cultivate it immediately.


    The molted larvae, newly transformed into adult ants, were actually the easiest to cultivate.


    Although their bodies were fragile and delicate, they were highly elastic, and required less Banyan Blood Potion for feeding.


    Therefore, the risk of their bodies bursting was relatively lower.


    After calculating several times according to its size, Qin Niu directly fed it Banyan Tree Blood.


    He then proceeded to mass cultivate the adult larvae that had just emerged from their cocoons today.


    By the time he was done, he found that the Healing Ant had safely passed the critical stage, saving him undue worry.


    Now all that was left was to wait for it to complete its evolution.


    Having finished cultivating the termites, he moved on to check on the two Corpse Bees he was keeping in captivity.


    He had even taken care to hide them in two different places.


    The Grade Four Corpse Bee was incubating the eggs it had laid.


    The War Bee was obediently lying still, nurturing its bee eggs.


    Based on the egg-laying timing of the Grade Four Corpse Bee, it was estimated that it would take more than ten days for it to lay its eggs successfully.


    Qin Niu was not in a hurry.


    The later Old Master Huang made his move, the stronger the power Qin Niu would have accumulated by then.


    Days passed by, and with his help, Wang Wanyan gradually learned to take the cat she was taming into the mountains to hunt.


    Since it was an ordinary cat, its combat power was very limited.


    On the first day, it only caught a sparrow in the mountains.


    Unexpectedly, this thrilled Wang Wanyan to no end.


    As a sheltered young lady, she had spent her days reading, playing the zither, and cultivating in her loft, never experiencing such an exhilarating mountain hunt before.


    Fortunately, the cat¡¯s strength visibly increased bit by bit after eating the pig king meat that Qin Niu had given it.


    Keeping a domestic cat as a pet was actually not a good choice.


    From a rational point of view, it was somewhat willful.


    Even keeping a wild cat as a pet was better than keeping a domestic cat.


    A domestic cat¡¯s combat experience, ferocity, alertness, and wilderness survival skills were all inferior to those of a wild cat. It would need to spend a lot of time and undergo continuous training to reach a level comparable to that of a wild cat.


    With the time and energy required for this, it would be better to directly tame a wild cat instead.


    However, seeing that she seemed quite satisfied, Qin Niu silently supported her.


    For the time being, he was just giving her some pig king meat to feed the cat.


    In the future, he would consider using even stronger ¡°good stuff¡± to help her cat evolve.


    In the blink of an eye, four days had passed.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Healing Ant had finally completed its evolution.


    Its size had visibly become much larger, and its movements had become as agile as those of a Lightning Worker Ant.


    Based on Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation experience, the Healing Ant was definitely stronger than a regular Grade Two Lightning Worker Ant after evolving.


    Grade Two Medical Ant: One individual, lifespan of 13 years, special abilities (quickly heal injured termites, swiftness, super-strong biting, immune to various venom attacks.)


    These were the changes after the Healing Ant evolved.


    Although he had yet to see its healing abilities, they were clearly much more powerful than a Grade One Healing Ant, as evidenced by its attributes.


    It could quickly heal injured termites.


    At the same time, its speed had greatly increased, and it also possessed a special ability that other termites would envy: immunity to various venom attacks.


    This was an incredibly powerful attribute.


    Why are bugs scary?


    Because most of them possess venom.


    They are small, and in order to survive, developing venom attacks became a powerful survival mechanism.


    Upon returning home from the mountains, he prepared to take some jars to collect Banyan Tree Blood.


    As soon as he entered the house, he heard a buzzing sound.


    He was familiar with this sound.


    The sound of bees vibrating their wings.


    A swarm of bees flew towards him.


    He instinctively prepared to activate his power to strengthen his armor, to prevent being stung by the bees.


    ¡°No, these are my bees!¡±


    He immediately felt a connection with them.


    Since they were the offspring produced by the Queen Bee, there was no particularly close soul-bond with Qin Niu.


    But he could still feel a slight, almost imperceptible force of a contract.


    ¡°Haha, could these be the first batch of one hundred bee eggs laid by the Queen Bee that have successfully emerged from their cocoons?¡±


    Looking at the swarm of new bees that flew over to greet him, each one tender and fresh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll cultivate you right away.¡±


    Qin Niu felt that today was a good day indeed.


    The emergence of the first hundred new bees signified that from now on, every day would bring one hundred new bees successfully emerging from their cocoons.


    The number of bees under his command was set to increase dramatically.


    This was a force to be reckoned with in aerial combat.


    Check the bee swarm.


    Bee Swarm: Worker Bees 28651, Drones 272, Young Queen Bees 0.


    Grade Two War Bee: One individual, lifespan of 3 years, special abilities (agile flight, bravery, enhanced biting, strengthened stinger.)


    Grade Two Honey-Making Bee: Two individuals, lifespan of 2 years, special abilities (gathering essence of pollen, advanced honey-making.)


    Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees: 132 individuals, lifespan of 10.2 years, special abilities (superior gathering ability, can efficiently and quickly gather pollen. Good flying ability, can fly more than five times faster than ordinary bees, turning and rolling in the air agilely. Paralyzing Venom, the venom injected after stinging an enemy has a paralyzing effect, the duration varies according to the enemy¡¯s strength. Strong biting, can tear at an enemy¡¯s body, effective at breaching initial level carapaces.)


    Grade One Giant Wing Worker Bee: Five individuals, lifespan of 5 years, special abilities (can fly quickly over long distances, pollen gathering efficiency +50%, average bite force.)


    After checking the attributes of the bee swarm, he revealed a brilliant smile.


    Breeding and cultivation are much like farming, the process can be arduous and fraught with risks, but often brings various unexpected rewards.

 Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Chapter 178: Insect Armor_1

    Chapter 183: Chapter 178: Insect Armor_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    To have produced one War Bee and two honey-brewing bees really is a pleasant surprise. Once they are cultivated, they can definitely become stronger.¡±


    Qin Niu did not hesitate to carry out batch cultivation on the other 97 ordinary new Worker Bees.


    The three special Worker Bees were cultivated with precision.


    Perhaps his bee-breeding ability was already very strong, all three special Worker Bees survived.


    Actually, whether he was cultivating Termites or honeybees, if he did precise cultivation, the mortality rate was already very low.


    He was very much looking forward to the evolved form of the War Bee.


    Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees were already quite powerful, and the Wat- Bee was already so formidable even before evolution; after evolution, it was sure to be a war god among bees.


    In fact, his Queen Bee was a War Bee.


    But the Queen Bee was too precious to take any chances, and he would never easily allow the Queen Bee to fight the enemy.


    The Queen Bee¡¯s job was to become a qualified egg-laying machine.


    To improve the ability to breed special bees as much as possible.


    There was another point that surprised him.


    Out of the hundred honeybees that the Queen Bee had produced this time, all three special Worker Bees were Grade Two bees.


    This also meant that their potential for growth was higher.


    Because they had started off so high.


    With this evolution complete, they would surely be able to advance to Grade Three honeybees. In terms of rank, they were only one grade below the ordinary Corpse Bees.


    One must know, those Corpse Bees were bred by Old Master Huang after countless strenuous efforts, consuming a large amount of time and resources, following endless experiments.


    Qin Niu had not been raising this batch of honeybees for very long and had already managed to breed Grade Three honeybees.


    An absolutely proud achievement.


    He was even considering, once those Corpse Bee eggs hatched, trying crossbreeding them with the honeybees.


    As they were different species, whether crossbreeding would be successful was still hard to say.


    That night, Qin Niu was helping the Yan Family exterminate insects.


    He sensed some movement from the Termites he had placed near the two Corpse Bees. Surely, this was Old Master Huang unable to resist making a move once again.


    Qin Niu was secretly pleased.


    He immediately recalled the Termite Army used for extermination and quickly headed to the mountains.


    All along the way, he was very vigilant.


    Now that he had that batch of honeybees in his home, if a stranger entered, the honeybees would immediately sound the alarm.


    The timid Diamond Ink Turtle could also serve as a good sentinel.


    It was connected to Qin Niu¡¯s spirit.


    Upon detecting foreign invaders, despite its timidity, it had no problem sending Qin Niu timely warnings.


    No invasions at home had occurred, only the place in the mountains where the two Corpse Bees were stored was signaling something unusual; this indicated that Old Master Huang did not know the whereabouts of Qin Niu¡¯s home.


    Or that he hadn¡¯t invaded it.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Everlasting Spring Technique had now reached the Second Layer of the Acquired Realm, and when he ran at full strength, his speed was astonishingly fast.


    After entering the mountains, he slowed down his pace, constantly vigilant and scrutinizing his surroundings.


    Because no one could be certain whether Old Master Huang had come personally.


    For the moment, no enemy tracks were found.


    ¡°Fourth, you all try hard to sense the environment around us, alert me immediately if you detect anything unusual.¡±


    He had over two thousand special Termites on him, which was like wearing over two thousand radars on his body.


    According to the timeline, the first batch of a thousand ant eggs laid by the Ant Queen should be transforming into adult ants in these couple of days.


    By then, his grasp of fighting the enemy would be even greater.


    As Qin Niu gradually approached the location where the Corpse Bees were stored.


    Fourth sent out a warning.


    ¡°Master, be careful, there seem to be some formidable insects around.¡±


    Qin Niu faintly heard the whirring sound overhead like that of a bomber plane. Without looking, he knew it was the sound of Corpse Bees flapping their wings.


    It seemed Old Master Huang¡¯s criminal intent was not extinguished; he had ultimately been unable to resist sending out the Corpse Bees again.


    Having suffered two major losses in a row, Old Master Huang would definitely be more cautious and careful if he dared to make another move.


    ¡°Fourth, are the formidable insects you¡¯re referring to the Corpse Bees above us?¡±


    Qin Niu asked it.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Fourth¡¯s only remaining antenna kept swinging; it was trying hard to sense the enemy¡¯s position.


    ¡°It¡¯s somewhat like our natural enemy!¡±


    Fourth seemed to have made a discovery.


    ¡°Natural enemy?¡±


    Termites have many natural predators, with the most formidable being pangolins and anteaters.


    Their long tongues can probe deep into ant nests to capture termites or ants.


    In comparison, termites are more popular.


    Because they¡¯re more nutritious and taste better.


    ¡°Not good, they¡¯re approaching rapidly in this direction.¡±


    Following Fourth¡¯s warning, Qin Niu also heard the rustling sound.


    It was like a large swarm of insects crawling quickly on the jungle floor.


    ¡°Prepare for battle!¡±


    Qin Niu gave the command.


    Old Master Huang dared to make a comeback this time, using not just one type of insect, but having Corpse Bees find the location where Qin Niu hid the War Bee and then set up an ambush.


    He wanted to turn the tables and ambush Qin Niu instead.


    Indeed, the old are more experienced.


    At this moment, dark red ants slightly bigger than green beans appeared in his line of sight.


    Although the moonlight wasn¡¯t very bright, their appearance could still be clearly seen when they got closer.


    These were the most notoriously famous Army Ants.


    Moreover, judging by their size, they were not ordinary Army Ants but rather a hybrid of Killer Ants that had been bred over several generations.


    The number was not clear at the moment.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Army immediately arranged their formation to meet this formidable enemy.


    Fourth was the fiercest, demonizing and able to bite one to death with a single bite.


    Over five hundred special Soldier Ants, equally valiant, engaged in the first round of concentrated mental attacks, after which the front row had already begun a fierce battle with the enemy.


    It was evident that these Army Ants were probably Grade Three.


    Their combat ability was slightly weaker than that of Grade Three termites.


    But they were evidently stronger than Grade Two termites.


    The number was at least several thousand.


    Old Master Huang¡¯s resources were incredibly deep, indeed not something that a recently risen Qin Niu could compare with.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, they seem to be poisonous!¡±


    Fourth was the first to engage in close combat with the enemy and also the first to notice something was amiss.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make direct contact with them, use mental attacks.¡±


    Qin Niu immediately made a decision and ordered the Termite Army to retreat in an organized manner.


    At this moment, the unified front of the Termite Army became apparent.


    The Soldier Ants at the front held the defensive line firmly, providing valuable time for the termites behind them to retreat.


    ¡°Climb onto me. Use mental attacks against the enemy!¡±


    Qin Niu issued an order to the termites.


    ¡°Master¡­ I feel a bit numb!¡±


    Fourth was already showing signs of being poisoned.


    ¡°Fourth, were you poisoned when you bit them?¡±


    ¡°Right! Their bodies are covered in poison.¡±


    It was unknown what kind of poison these Army Ants bore on their bodies?


    Qin Niu had already taken out the Ink Blade, aiding the termites in slaying the surging Army Ants.


    However, their numbers seemed inexhaustible.


    They kept coming continuously, dense and innumerable.


    And their speed of action was extremely fast.


    Having the termites crawl on him to form an Insect Armor and using mental attacks and Spirit Control against the enemy insects was his first time doing so.

 Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: Chapter 179 The Strength of a Veteran Insect Master_i

    Chapter 184: Chapter 179 The Strength of a Veteran Insect Master_i


    Translator: 549690339


    This also made him realize a new way of combat.


    In the future, he could further develop this approach, using insects to form a true Insect Armor, and transform into a Multi-Headed Beast. He could even use the insects as hidden weapons.


    Why do Insect Masters instill such fear in people?


    It¡¯s because the insects they raise attack in a way that is almost impossible to guard against.


    While Qin Niu was slaughtering a large number of Army Ants, he heard a faint flapping sound in his ears. Immediately after, he felt the hair on his body stand on end, and an extreme sense of danger enveloped him.


    Before he had time to react, he heard a sharp smack.


    Something had struck his body at an extremely high speed.


    Almost without thinking, Qin Niu immediately used his power to bolster his leather armor¡¯s defenses, to avoid being poisoned.


    An shadow that was repelled quickly rose into the air and disappeared.


    It was a Corpse Bee General.


    Its attack speed was too fast.


    If Qin Niu hadn¡¯t been wearing his King Pig Leather Armor, he probably would have already fallen to its poison.


    The Corpse Bee General¡¯s stinger could easily pierce through a Bronze Canister.


    The clothes on his body were as good as non-existent.


    Only the robust defense of the King Pig Leather Armor could block its attack.


    ¡°Damn it, that Old Master Huang is too cunning. First, he distracts me with the large number of Army Ants on the ground, then confuses me with ordinary Corpse Bees in the sky, but the real killer move is the hidden Corpse Bee General.¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help breaking out in a cold sweat.


    When facing a formidable enemy, the more prepared one is, the higher the chance of survival.


    If he hadn¡¯t crafted the King Pig Leather Armor yet, he would have been a dead man.


    This made him think involuntarily of that dead Mu Kuai.


    If he really had been stung by the Corpse Bee General, would he become something like that Mu Kuai?


    He wasn¡¯t clear on the toxicity of the Corpse Bees.


    But there is a small wild bee, which digs holes in the ground to live, slender in shape and delicately small. They are known as Digging Bees.


    They are not good at flying, but their crawling speed on the ground is extremely fast, and they move agilely.


    Many insects larger than themselves fear them.


    Caterpillars, locusts, spiders, etc., none of the prey targeted by these bees, even ten or twenty times larger in size, manage to successfully escape.


    They possess a special ability. Whenever they are ready to lay eggs, they will search for a large insect as prey. Then they sting the prey harshly with their poison stinger, injecting a toxin that paralyzes the victim.


    At this time, the prey does not die.


    It remains paralyzed and unable to move until the Digging Bee larvae are born, which then proceed to slowly consume the prey bit by bit.


    By the time they devour the whole prey, they have reached adulthood.


    This is even crueler than eating monkey brains or carving meat from a live donkey.


    The prey can only watch as its body is eaten away bit by bit.


    There is also an insect called Ghost Tiger Armor, which possesses a special ability to capture prey. A cockroach, much larger than itself, becomes agitated and rolls around on the ground after being bitten by it and injected with venom.


    After a moment, the venom takes full effect, and the cockroach will obediently follow the Tiger Armor back to its home.


    Making a docile breeding ground for the Tiger Armor¡¯s offspring.


    It should be known that the Tiger Armor is said to be the fastest moving insect.


    With it locking on, nearly no prey can escape.


    The venom of the Corpse Bees may also have a similar effect, turning people into walking corpses.


    Qin Niu thought to himself that Old Master Huang only had three Corpse Bee Generals in total.


    If he could take down this one that had launched a sneak attack, it would be painful enough for that old geezer.


    ¡°Fourth, how do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that my body is a bit unresponsive!¡±


    It clung tightly to Qin Niu¡¯s armor.


    But its movements had clearly become stiff and sluggish. Even it had been poisoned, so the other Termites hardly need be mentioned.


    Some of the weaker Grade Two Soldier Ants and Worker Ants had already collapsed to the ground and were instantly devoured by the Army Ants.


    Luckily, the discovery was timely, allowing both parties to disengage.


    Even so, in a short amount of time, he had already lost over forty Grade Two Termites.


    It distressed Qin Niu greatly.


    He gripped the Ink Blade tightly and slashed furiously at the approaching Army Ants.


    Splendid Blade Qi instantly killed dozens of Army Ants.


    But their numbers were vast, at least over a thousand.


    If they weren¡¯t carrying terrifying toxins, Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Army of more than two thousand could crush them effortlessly and eradicate them completely.


    Now, they were like a suicidal squad.


    Fourth was one of the Termites Qin Niu valued the most, and its poisoning worried him immensely.


    For now, he did not know how terrible the poison was.


    Fortunately, his Termite Army was no pushover. After a brief period of chaos during the initial retreat, several Grade Three Termites quickly organized other Grade Two Termites to launch Mental Attacks against the enemy.


    Some Army Ants were Spirit Controlled, becoming puppets.


    They turned to attack their fellow Army Ants.


    Some Army Ants, under the Mental Attacks of Ghost Ants, rolled around chaotically on the ground or bit wildly everywhere. Some even seized their companions by the neck and bit it off.


    ¡°Once the numbers of my Termite Army increase, the advantage will become even greater.¡±


    Watching the Termites swiftly stabilizing the situation and employing long- range attacks for an effective contact-free counterattack, Qin Niu heaved a sigh of relief.


    This experience served as a wake-up call for him. In the future, when cultivating Termites, he would need to strengthen their toxin immunity.


    Moreover, he needed to find a way to increase the number of Healing Ants and expand their abilities.


    ¡°All ants heed my command, if you spot a Corpse Bee approaching, attack it with full force immediately.¡±


    Qin Niu issued the order to his Termite Army and then continued to wield the Ink Blade, relentlessly slashing at the Army Ants.


    Buzz buzz!


    That faint buzzing of wings was heard again in his ears.


    ¡°Prepare to face the enemy, the Corpse Bees are coming!¡±


    Qin Niu immediately warned the Termites.


    Two shadows approached him at high speed, one of which aimed its attack alarmingly at his face.


    The face armor was the weakest part of his defense.


    The other shadow targeted the hand with which he wielded his blade.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    Following Qin Niu¡¯s command, all the Termites abandoned their other targets and directed their antennae at the two approaching shadows.


    Even Fourth, who was already showing symptoms of poisoning, aimed his antennae at one of the shadows.


    In terms of combat capability, Fourth was definitely the strongest.


    The shadow targeting Qin Niu¡¯s face, when about a meter away from him, halted abruptly and then stopped in midair, its wings beating continuously.


    A nauseating stench of rot hit his nostrils.


    Seeing this, it was clear that the Termites had taken control of it.


    The other shadow, aiming for Qin Niu¡¯s right hand, fared worse; it gyrated like a drunken man, slamming into Qin Niu¡¯s chest armor.


    The force was very strong.


    Two Termites that couldn¡¯t dodge in time were hit, and they both fell to the ground injured in an instant.


    The shadow that hit Qin Niu¡¯s chest armor also tumbled to the ground, floundering.


    This time he finally saw clearly¡ªit was a large Bee General.


    Without any fuss, he covered it with a net, which he had been preparing for some time, and then carefully placed it into a new Insect Jar.


    This was an Insect Jar forged from fine iron; once inside, it wouldn¡¯t dream of coming out again.


    It appeared extremely agitated, its long, sharp sting attacking the inner walls of the Insect Jar violently, creating a sharp noise akin to needles stabbing into a metal plate.


    The Bee General suspended in the air surely couldn¡¯t be controlled by the Termites for too long.


    Qin Niu this time didn¡¯t even bother with the net and directly took out an Insect Jar to encase it.


    It didn¡¯t resist at all throughout the process.


    Having successfully subdued both Bee Generals, he too breathed a long sigh of relief.


    Old Master Huang had only three Bee Generals in total; unless he was willing to abandon the results of years of hard work, he would definitely come to rescue them.


    If he dared to come, Qin Niu would definitely find a way to eliminate him.


    Without the threat of the Bee Generals, these Army Ants had become insignificant.


    He could even let them die out on their own.


    But instead of doing so, he seized the opportunity to keep annihilating them.


    The buzzing sound came once again from the sky.


    One after another, the Corpse Bees, seeing the tide had turned, began to flee.


    ¡°These Army Ants might have been air-dropped using the Corpse Bees.¡±


    Seeing the number of Corpse Bees was at least over twenty, he had a moment of realization.


    Using the Corpse Bees to air-drop the Army Ants was equivalent to deploying airborne troops.


    Old Master Huang, indeed an old hand among Insect Masters, used insects in endlessly astonishing ways.


    And from this, Qin Niu learned many valuable lessons in practical combat.


    He didn¡¯t have Corpse Bees, but he had honeybees.


    In future confrontations, he too could imitate this tactic, letting honeybees carry the Termites and then air-drop them at the target location.


    An hour and more later, the battle ended.


    He had successfully captured two Bee Generals, and there was a ground covered with Army Ant carcasses.


    He initially thought their numbers were just over a thousand, but a rough tally showed at least four thousand.


    A single Army Ant nest had at least tens of thousands, and up to twenty or thirty million.


    If it were one of those super colonies with twenty or thirty million, even lions and tigers when encountered would be reduced to skeletons in a very short time.


    The batch of Army Ants sent by Old Master Huang consisted mainly of Grade Three ants.


    One couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the old man¡¯s resources.


    Qin Niu initially thought ant players were few, but he unexpectedly encountered one so easily.


    Although his Termites were not ants, they were considered part of the ant family for Insect Masters.


    ¡°The gap between these veteran Insect Masters and me is still quite large!¡±


    Qin Niu, although he had won a great victory by being weaker and fewer, also realized many of his inadequacies.


    He had even witnessed the true strength of other Insect Masters.


    Old Master Huang was only one of the top Insect Masters in Black Tiger City; if one ventured beyond the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, there would undoubtedly be even more powerful beings.


    Although the bodies of these Army Ants were poisonous, Qin Niu still found them valuable.


    He carefully collected them in a canister.


    It took him a good hour and more.


    And many other debris were also collected together.


    He had no choice; he didn¡¯t understand the type of poison on these Army Ants and didn¡¯t dare to let the Termites have any contact with them again. Collecting the bodies of the Army Ants could only be done by himself.


    If he could let the Termites do the job, it might take only a few short minutes to finish.


    ¡°Fourth, how do you feel now?¡±


    ¡°Still a bit numb, but much better.¡±


    Fourth replied.


    This somewhat eased Qin Niu¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll let the Medical Ant try to heal you.¡±


    About eighty to ninety of the poisoned Termites were left, out of which around forty were killed by the Army Ants, becoming martyrs.


    The remaining ones were in a state of poisoning.

 Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: Chapter 180: The Powerful Medical Ant_l

    Chapter 185: Chapter 180: The Powerful Medical Ant_l


    Translator 549690339 |


    Qin Niu had cultivated the Medical Ant into a Grade Two Termite, but he never


    had the chance to test its healing abilities.


    Now was the perfect time to try.


    Leading the ant colony back to the Ant Nest, Qin Niu summoned the Medical


    Ant.


    ¡°They¡¯re injured, can you heal them?¡±


    Qin Niu asked the Medical Ant.


    It crawled to the poisoned termites and examined their condition with its


    antennae.


    ¡°This is a paralytic toxin, but it¡¯s treatable!¡±


    After speaking, it began to treat Fourth. It bit into Fourth¡¯s neck, slowly


    creating a wound.


    Then it seemed to suck out the poison from Fourth¡¯s body.


    Its originally white mouthparts gradually turned black.


    Fourth¡¯s condition visibly improved at a noticeable pace.


    Moments later, Fourth had completely recovered.


    The mouthparts of the Medical Ant had turned completely black, shiny from the change.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just need a little time.¡±


    After speaking, it slightly raised its head and remained motionless.


    Then, one could see its mouthparts gradually fading in color, from shiny black to dark gray, then to light gray, and finally becoming pure white.


    The Medical Ant also soon returned to normal.


    ¡°Fantastic! I didn¡¯t expect your abilities to be so powerful.¡±


    Having witnessed the Medical Ant¡¯s healing abilities, Qin Niu was very pleased.


    The anxiety he had been holding onto was alleviated.


    He was particularly worried about Fourth encountering an accident and was somewhat concerned about the Medical Ant running into trouble.


    It seemed his worries were for naught; Fourth had fully recovered, and not only was the Medical Ant unharmed, it seemed to have grown a bit stronger.


    ¡°Have you become stronger?¡±


    ¡°Yes! The venom was of a higher quality, and after absorbing it, I transformed it into a special energy. If I accumulate enough of this energy, I should be able to evolve just like it.¡±


    The Medical Ant had limited expressive ability.


    By evolving just like it, it probably meant advancing to a Grade Three Termite.


    ¡°There is plenty of that venom, you¡¯ll have more than enough.


    Qin Niu had collected many Army Ant corpses.


    Now that it was confirmed that the toxin on the Army Ant corpses could not fatally harm the termites, Qin Niu immediately assembled a Termite Engineer Squad and took them to the recent battlefield to collect the carcasses.


    Many Army Ant bodies were scattered on the ground; he didn¡¯t have the time to pick them up one by one.


    These were all Grade Three insect carcasses; feeding them to the termites should be an excellent nutritional supplement.


    Once he collected all the Army Ant corpses and returned to the Ant Nest, the Medical Ant was still inside, treating the poisoned termites.


    ¡°These Army Ants have actually evolved toxins in their bodies; that¡¯s really quite formidable.¡±


    Qin Niu thought to himself.


    He summoned the Medical Ant, ¡°Can you check if this Army Ant corpse is poisonous? Is it lethal?¡±


    The Medical Ant circled the Army Ant carcass twice, constantly scouting with


    its antennae.


    ¡°The toxins on the body aren¡¯t produced by it but are instead smeared on.


    After checking, the Medical Ant provided Qin Niu with extremely important information.


    ¡°This toxin is not lethal. It will make those poisoned stiff and slow m their movements.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a toxin produced by the Army Ants themselves, but one that had been deliberately applied?


    The first thing that came to his mind was the method of applying poison to hidden weapons and arrowheads.


    This method could ensure that, besides being injured, the person hit by the arrow would also be poisoned.


    It¡¯s often used on the battlefield.


    Many of the generals who liked to charge into battle had died from poisoned arrows.


    These Army Ants had been dropped here by Old Master Huang using the Corpse Bees. Meaning, Old Master Huang¡¯s intention was to use them as cannon


    fodder.


    Deliberately smearing toxins on them so that Qin Niu¡¯s insects would get poisoned during the skirmish.


    Although he didn¡¯t understand why the Army Ants themselves were unaffected.


    But Old Master Huang¡¯s move was indeed insidious.


    If it weren¡¯t for Qin Niu¡¯s termites possessing long-range attack capabilities, they probably would¡¯ve been completely paralyzed by now. Then, they could only become food for the army ants.


    The tricks of an old hand are too frightening.


    Underhanded tactics, ruthless moves, strange tricks, endless and unpredictable, making them impossible to guard against.


    With such a formidable opponent alive another day, it keeps one in a constant state of trepidation.


    Qin Niu¡¯s determination to get rid of Old Master Huang strengthened even further.


    Now that the three bee generals had fallen into his hands, it was basically the same as clutching at Old Master Huang¡¯s weak spot.


    Just a squeeze, and there¡¯s no fear that Old Master Huang wouldn¡¯t come over to court death.


    ¡°To be able to easily sacrifice over four thousand Grade Three army ants means that Old Master Huang most likely has a large number of even more formidable creatures at his disposal. A head-on clash would definitely not be in his favor. We must find a way to lure the man into the banyan tree¡¯s maze. With the help of the banyan tree, we can eliminate this powerful enemy.¡±


    Qin Niu silently calculated in his mind.


    It¡¯s unlikely that Old Master Huang would send more creatures over tonight.


    Qin Niu placed the three bee generals together.


    Each was kept in a separate jar.


    Their size was considerable, and each insect jar could only accommodate one.


    He sat cross-legged on the big tree where he often took shelter.


    Having captured the opponent¡¯s three bee generals, there¡¯s no guarantee than an enraged Old Master Huang wouldn¡¯t make some rash decisions.


    He would definitely have to lie low in the shadows.


    For the next few days, he planned to patiently wait for the fish to take the bait.


    It was just a matter of when.


    The night wind was gusty, while he cultivated on his own.


    When dawn was about to break, it was also when people felt the most tired. At that time, most would linger, not wanting to leave the warmth of their beds.


    Qin Niu heard a familiar buzzing sound in his ears.


    Only Old Master Huang¡¯s corpse bees could make a noise similar to a bomber.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡±


    Qin Niu tensed up immediately, observing the nearby movements closely.


    Fourth stayed obediently on his shoulder, not moving an inch.


    The Termite Army wasn¡¯t at his side.


    After last night¡¯s battle, some termites were injured, and he had the Termite Army return to the Ant Nest to rest.


    A corpse bee circled overhead, then swooped directly down.


    ¡°Fourth, can you control it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, we would need the power of the ant swarm to control it.¡¯


    After all, Fourth was only a Grade Three termite.


    Although it was a scarce War Demon Ant, asking it to control a corpse bee that was one grade higher was a bit unrealistic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what it does first.¡±


    Qin Niu communicated directly with the Ant Queen.


    ¡°Ant Queen, have the Termite Army come over immediately. I will have Fourth release a signal.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t expected Old Master Huang to be so anxious to strike back so quickly after a very short time.


    This also indirectly showed how important those three bee generals were to Old Master Huang.


    ¡°Received.¡±


    The Ant Queen was now a Grade Four termite, immensely powerful. As they weren¡¯t far apart, Qin Niu could easily communicate with her. After all, he had a direct soul connection with the Ant Queen.


    If the Ant Queen were to die, his soul would also suffer damage.


    ¡°Fourth, send out a signal, call the ant army over. Prepare to settle the matter once and for all today and wipe out this troublesome Old Master Huang.¡±


    Qin Niu issued the order, while his mind strategized ways to eliminate the enemy.


    The corpse bee circled a few times before flying straight away.


    The real adversary would probably arrive very soon.

 Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: Chapter 181 Break the Deadlock 1

    Chapter 186: Chapter 181 Break the Deadlock 1


    Translator: 549690339 I                 ¡ª


    Since it was still nighttime, his bees remained unusable.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle was just a turtle shell; looking at its cowardly demeanor, bringing it to face the enemy wouldn¡¯t be of any help.


    Xiao Niu was still evolving.


    Others lament the lack of knowledge when the time comes to use it, but he lamented the scarcity and weakness of his pets when it was time to use them.


    The mam issue was that the enemy they encountered this time was too powerful.


    If it had been a master like Mo Sang or Shi Doudan, Qin Niu would easily defeat and win the battle.


    This Old Master Huang was just too formidable; he had at least decades of accumulation, whereas Qin Niu only had months, naturally resulting in a somewhat strapped situation.


    As they waited, a series of intense buzzing sounds came from the sky. Nearly a hundred Corpse Bees appeared above and dove straight down. However, those three Bee Generals had already been relocated by Qin Niu. Buried at the boundary of the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s scope.


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, had over two thousand Army Ants clinging to him, lying in wait in a concealed spot.


    He felt that Old Master Huang¡¯s most formidable method was likely the Corpse Bees.                                  ¡®


    Otherwise, after one ordinary Corpse Bee was captured by Qin Niu and imprisoned in the Insect Jar, with Old Master Huang¡¯s caution, he could have simply given up on it.


    There was no need to dispatch more formidable Bee Generals and three Corpse Bees for the rescue mission.


    If one of Qin Niu¡¯s Grade Three Army Ants fell into enemy hands, and the enemy¡¯s capabilities were unknown, he certainly wouldn¡¯t consider reclaiming


    Unless it was someone as important as Fourth, only then might he consider taking a risk to investigate.


    Even so, he would still be extremely cautious.


    If it was impossible, he would give up immediately.


    That Old Master Huang could dispatch over four thousand Grade Three Army Ants showed that his foundation was incredibly profound.


    Logically, losing one or two Grade Four Corpse Bees shouldn¡¯t be a big deal for him.


    But Old Master Huang, after a significant amount of time, still couldn¡¯t forget and insisted on dispatching Bee Generals for a rescue mission, indicating that each Corpse Bee was extremely difficult to cultivate.


    This time nearly a hundred Corpse Bees came, which probably meant a full mobilization.


    The Queen Bee was temporarily nowhere to be seen.


    It might also be hidden among the swarm; the dim light made it hard to distinguish.


    ¡°So many Grade Four Corpse Bees forming an army is indeed terrifying.¡± Qin Niu watched the dense aerial army with a sense of trepidation.


    Being stung by any of the Corpse Bees could potentially be fatal.


    His target was not these Corpse Bees, but the true adversary who had yet to show themselves.


    For now, just let them stir up commotion.


    The three Bee Generals were each imprisoned in an iron-cast Insect Jar and buried underground; it was nearly impossible that they would be able to save the Bee Generals.


    Old Master Huang, with his sinister and cunning nature, would more likely send them to search for Qin Niu¡¯s whereabouts and then attack en masse.


    The competition between both sides was a matter of patience.


    Time passed bit by bit, and Qin Niu was in no hurry.


    Nighttime favored the Corpse Bees, and now, as dawn was about to break, it was definitely Old Master Huang who was anxious.


    This was the importance of hiding one¡¯s strength.


    Old Master Huang had sent insects and Mu Kuai to deal with Qin Niu three times, all without return; he had no idea of Qin Niu¡¯s true strength.


    Finally, a figure like a ghost rapidly approached from the distance.


    Its speed was astonishing.


    No, this wasn¡¯t Old Master Huang.


    Though the figure¡¯s speed was extremely fast, indicating a strength of at least tenfold in the common realm, the figure was short and seemed like a woman.


    She was only about one meter thirty to one meter forty in height.


    ¡°There are actually two enemies coming; this is a bit troublesome.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly.


    It was impossible to just watch this person save the Bee Generals.


    He subconsciously gripped the Ink Blade in his hand, quickly thinking of a strategy.


    Plans can¡¯t keep up with changes.


    He had to make a quick decision.


    The best plan was to kill this pathfinder cannon fodder to prevent the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze from being exposed too early.


    The most formidable move must be saved for the most difficult enemy to deal with.


    He was certain that Old Master Huang must be watching from not too far away. Killing this cannon fodder shouldn¡¯t be too hard, but by doing so, Qin Niu¡¯s position would be exposed. Then, when nearly a hundred Corpse Bees swarmed over, his handful of Army Ants would not be able to withstand them.


    This was a very thorny issue.


    Almost like an unsolvable knot.


    Qin Niu inwardly sighed that his means were still too few.


    Watching the swarm of Corpse Bees fly chaotically at low altitude, searching for his traces, Qin Niu thought of a plan.


    Why not use the enemy¡¯s strategy against them?


    ¡°Fourth, how many Corpse Bees can you control at one time?¡±


    ¡°Four to five is the limit, and if it¡¯s those powerful Bee Generals, we can only control one at a time.¡±


    Their strongest were only Grade Three Army Ants; compared to the Grade Four Corpse Bees, they were still somewhat weaker. Against the Grade Five Bee Generals, there was even less of a contest.


    It¡¯s like a master in the Acquired Realm-just one finger could kill an ordinary person.


    ¡°Control a few Corpse Bees to attack that person.¡±


    Qin Niu issued the command.


    This move was something Old Master Huang would definitely not expect. Five Corpse Bees were soon taken over and swiftly flew toward the rapidly advancing figure.


    The Army Ants¡¯ Mental Attack and Spirit Control both had distance limitations.


    The current distance was just right.


    The figure appeared not to have detected the danger.


    The five Corpse Bees pounced on the person, their stingers ruthlessly piercing the body, injecting copious amounts of poison.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ cursed things!¡±


    It was the sharp and delicate voice of a young girl; she couldn¡¯t be very old.


    Probably around eleven or twelve.


    After being attacked, she let out a painful grunt and cursed fiercely.


    ¡°Fourth, exchange for five new Corpse Bees and continue the attack,¡± Qin Niu ordered without a shred of mercy for the enemy.


    Once the Corpse Bees on her body lost control, they quickly reverted to normal.


    Although stung, the girl did not harm them.


    It was as if the lives of the Corpse Bees were more precious than her own.


    Five more controlled Corpse Bees once again pounced towards her.


    This time, she was prepared, desperately waving a pair of short blades in her hands.


    They were two short blades, mere half a foot long, flickering with a cold light. One of the Corpse Bees was struck by her short blade, injured, and fell to the ground.


    Qin Niu watched with silent amusement.


    Dog eats dog; this move was simply splendid.


    ¡°Master, master, why are the bees out of control?¡± the girl cried out in agony. No one responded to her.


    Old Master Huang, probably hidden behind her, must have wanted to strangle the girl. Such a shout made it obvious to even a fool that Old Master Huang was lurking in the background.


    Qin Niu was all smiles at her misfortune.


    Strike the snake at its vital point; to his delight, a clever ruse had caused the enemy to shoot themselves in the foot.


    ¡°All¡­¡±


    She screamed again, having been stung once more.


    The venom of the Corpse Bee must be terrifying; while the stings had not yet seriously harmed her body, it might only be a matter of time.


    Even if bitten by a deadly king cobra, it would take a while for the venom to take effect.


    Seeing no response from her master and the Corpse Bees attacking like mad, the girl became infuriated.


    She continuously slashed and stabbed with her short blades.


    In an instant, two more Corpse Bees were injured and fell to the ground. These Corpse Bees had strong defenses but were not invincible to swords. The defenses of the Queen Bee might be stronger.


    Qin Niu had never tried to test whether swords could injure them.


    He deliberately didn¡¯t rush to kill those three Queen Bees, instead using them as a lure, baiting Old Master Huang to reveal himself.


    ¡°Fourth, control five more to attack that person,¡± Qin Niu commanded, indifferent to the outcome.


    Using the enemy¡¯s weapon against them, even if the Corpse Bees were completely wiped out, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    It would also destroy one of Old Master Huang¡¯s trump cards, eliminating a major threat.


    As five more Corpse Bees rushed towards the girl, she became even more frenzied.


    The remaining Corpse Bees, however, heeded the commands of the mastermind behind the scenes, quickly ascending before staying out of reach.


    Old Master Huang must have realized by now that Qin Niu could control his Corpse Bees.


    Now, with the confrontation imminent and secrets being exposed, the fight was alighting with intensity.


    ¡°Fool! Stop right there!¡±


    A furious shout from an elderly voice echoed from a hidden spot behind, and the remaining eighty to ninety Corpse Bees all flew in that direction.


    With that shout, Old Master Huang finally appeared.


    Undoubtedly, he believed that his painstakingly arranged trap had been foiled by Qin Niu, who had edged a slight victory, compelling him to show himself.


    ¡°All Niu, I know it¡¯s you, come on out!¡± Old Master Huang exclaimed, showing he was well-informed about Qin Niu¡¯s childhood name, indicating inquiries had been made in the village.


    Who exactly had he asked?


    A dark glint flashed in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    What he despised most were traitors and spies.


    Despite Old Master Huang shouting his name, Qin Niu stayed hidden in the shadows, unmoving.


    He was waiting for the right moment.


    The break of dawn was yet to come, and entering the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze would be certain death.


    Although Old Master Huang had lost a round earlier, his vitality was unscathed. He still had eight to ninety powerful Corpse Bees, posing a serious threat to Qin Niu.


    Patience was crucial.


    He might wait for daylight, then brazenly flee into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze with the three Queen Bees right in front of Old Master Huang.


    Of course, he would need to perform convincingly enough to avoid raising suspicion throughout the process.


    Alternatively, he could stay put, waiting for Old Master Huang to come looking


    for those three Queen Bees.


    By then, Old Master Huang was likely to step into the maze himself.


    Since Qin Niu had deliberately placed the Queen Bees on the border, Old Master Huang, no matter how cautious and unaware of the intricacies, would fall into the trap with just one misstep.


    When it came to schemes and tactics, Qin Niu was no easy adversary.


    ¡°All Niu, in reality, we have no deep-seated hatred. It was wrong of me to tamper with you, and for that, I apologize. Here, I have ten thousand silver, and as long as you return those three Queen Bees, we¡¯ll consider our debts settled,¡± Old Master Huang proposed, pulling a thick stack of silver notes from his bosom.


    No one could confirm the exact amount, but it looked considerable.


    Still, there was no answer, just silence in the mountains.


    Except for the girl who lay on the ground, groaning with pain that likely heralded the onset of the bee venom, she seemed in great agony.


    ¡°You are well aware of my capabilities; if we truly go for a life-and-death struggle, the dead man will surely be you. It¡¯s best to think it over,¡± Old Master Huang warned, his message carrying a hint of powerlessness.


    His words, once spoken, became a sign of weakness to Qin Niu.


    It signaled that Old Master Huang was running out of cards to play.


    Otherwise, there would have been no need for threats, just a thorough search of the area to rescue the trapped Queen Bees.

 Chapter 187 - Chapter 187: Chapter 182 Is This Called Despicable?_1

    Chapter 187: Chapter 182 Is This Called Despicable?_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    But Old Master Huang stopped not far in front of the woman, simply not daring to move forward recklessly.


    ¡°It seems you are determined to force me into a final confrontation. I will slaughter everyone in Shuangfeng Village, set fire to your house, and destroy your home. Then I¡¯ll find you and slowly kill you. I¡¯ll count to three, and this is your last chance. If you¡¯re willing to come out, we can shake hands and make peace, and these ten thousand silver notes will all be yours. From then on, we¡¯ll stay out of each other¡¯s way.


    Three.


    Two.


    One¡­¡±


    When Old Master Huang got to one, he drew out the tone.


    However, he clearly underestimated Qin Niu¡¯s psychological strength, as he wasn¡¯t affected by the threats and didn¡¯t show himself at all.


    Nor did he make any noise.


    ¡°I see you now, haha, go to hell!¡±


    With those words, eighty or ninety Corpse Bees swiftly pounced forward.


    The spot they attacked was about two meters away from where Qin Niu was hiding¡ªthis was already very close.


    Qin Niu thought he had been discovered, but having fought Old Master Huang so many times, he understood the man¡¯s temperament.


    So he still hid his form, held his breath, and remained motionless.


    The confidence he had came from the King Pig Leather Armor he wore.


    Even if he were found, he could only activate the armor to defend himself and then try to get close to Old Master Huang to kill him with a single slash.


    Currently, his Ink Blade could emit Blade Qi, the King Pig Leather Armor could produce a defensive Light Cocoon when powered by cultivation, and he had other cards up his sleeve¡ªhis Acquired Realm second layer cultivation, Slash Martial Skill, Sweeping Martial Technique, etc.¡ªall of which had not been exposed.


    At a critical moment, these would serve to deal with Old Master Huang.


    Normally, Insect Masters were only strong through the insects they cultivated; their own cultivation and combat power tended to be weak.


    But Qin Niu was a rare exception.


    Besides powerful insects, his own strength was always his foundation.


    A large group of Corpse Bees rushed toward the patch of bushes next to them.


    They discovered nothing.


    In turn, Qin Niu was disgusted by this.


    As he had guessed, Old Master Huang had simply tried to bluff him.


    In fact, he hadn¡¯t discovered Qin Niu¡¯s hiding place at all.


    ¡°Fourth, quickly lead the ant swarm to control five more.¡±


    Qin Niu would not let such a good opportunity slip away.


    He secretly took control of five Corpse Bees.


    ¡°Let them kill that old man.¡±


    After the bees swarmed and missed, they automatically flew back to Old Master Huang¡¯s side.


    They were like a group of loyal guards.


    Only now, five of them were under Qin Niu¡¯s mental control via the ant swarm, essentially like puppets.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The five controlled Corpse Bees suddenly pounced on Old Master Huang.


    But when they were about a foot away from Old Master Huang, they stopped advancing.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Old Master Huang noticed the abnormality and twisted his head to see five Corpse Bees lunging at him; he was momentarily stunned.


    ¡°Ah Niu, what a clever trick. I never expected you could control my Corpse Bees so stealthily. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to cultivate these Corpse Bees? You¡¯ll never know. My own insects, even if controlled by you, would never attack me.¡±


    His voice carried a hint of pride and satisfaction.


    Why did those five seemingly aggressive Corpse Bees stop when they got within a foot of Old Master Huang?


    Qin Niu was puzzled.


    It indicated that Old Master Huang must have something formidable on him to prevent the Corpse Bees from turning on him.


    Seeing that the attack on Old Master Huang was unsuccessful, Qin Niu had the ant swarm direct the five Corpse Bees to attack their peers.


    The plan now was simply to find ways to deplete the enemy¡¯s forces.


    And to drag out the time as much as possible.


    Dawn was approaching.


    As soon as daylight broke, Qin Niu would have the advantage, fearless and dominant.


    ¡°Despicable!¡±


    Old Master Huang watched as his five painstakingly cultivated Corpse Bees attacked five other Corpse Bees, engaging in a frenzy of fratricide.


    This spectacle enraged him so much it felt as if his eyes were about to split and his heart was being sliced with a knife.


    Qin Niu sneered in secret. Against a villain as sinister and ferocious as Old Master Huang, there was no need to talk about morality.


    The more underhanded the method, the better.


    ¡°Ah Niu, you forced my hand.¡±


    Old Master Huang was slowly making his way toward the location of the Bee General.


    He seemed to know where the Bee General was hiding.


    However, the old fellow was extremely cautious and cunning, not rushing to rescue immediately.


    Every step he took was full of wariness.


    When he was about five meters away from the hiding place of the Bee General, he stopped.


    Then he detached an Insect Bag from his waist.


    Whoosh!


    He poured out the insects inside it directly.


    These were centipedes.


    Also known as millipedes, they could emit a toxic smell that was very discomforting to inhale and could even cause dizziness and nausea.


    Each centipede was about the thickness of a chopstick, and there seemed to be two or three hundred of them.


    Just looking at them was enough to make one¡¯s skin crawl.


    ¡°Go! Release your poison gas as much as you like. Ah Niu, I know you must be hiding nearby, I have already sensed your presence.¡±


    Upon Old Master Huang¡¯s command, the centipedes immediately began to crawl in all directions.


    Their crawling speed was fast.


    At the same time, an unpleasant stench began to engulf the area.


    Luckily, Qin Niu had the foresight to hide in the trees instead of on the ground.


    Although the poisonous gas was nauseating, with his strong cultivation base at the second layer of the Acquired Realm, he could hold his breath for a minute or two without any problem.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique was essentially a Life-Nurturing Technique, and while it might not be suitable for combat, it certainly had no issue in making the breath last long.


    After releasing the centipedes, Old Master Huang closely monitored all activity around him.


    A short while passed with no discoveries, and he finally became impatient.


    He began to quickly approach the location of the Bee General.


    His gaze also searched all around.


    Because he simply couldn¡¯t afford to delay.


    The hidden Qin Niu was too cautious, from beginning to end not showing himself, just secretly competing with him and causing him to lose face.


    When daylight came, he would be at an even greater disadvantage.


    Hence, he took the risk to quickly seize the opportunity to rescue the trapped Bee General.


    His calculations were indeed precise.


    By releasing the poisonous centipedes, allowing them to release a large amount of toxic stench, he could ensure that a large area behind him was secure.


    With seventy to eighty Corpse Bees guarding him, his safety was well assured.


    Seeing that Qin Niu just wouldn¡¯t show himself, he guessed that Qin Niu probably didn¡¯t dare to confront him head-on.


    It was with this in mind that he only needed to find the Bee General, and he could rescue it.


    ¡°Hmph, petty tricks. Hiding my Bee General underground, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know. Playing these games with me, you¡¯re still too green.¡±


    With that, Old Master Huang actually took out a black Serpent-shaped Sword and used it to start digging at the target¡¯s location.


    Qin Niu watched anxiously as the enemy refused to step over the line even by half a step.


    If the three Bee Generals were rescued by Old Master Huang, it would be akin to giving a tiger wings.


    By then, Qin Niu would be even less of a match for him.


    Although he had prepared some measures, he wasn¡¯t sure they would work against an old hand like Old Master Huang.


    Watching Old Master Huang dig quickly and about to uncover the Insect Jar, Qin Niu bit his lip and decided to use the ambush he had prepared.

 Chapter 188 - Chapter 188: Chapter 183: Not Afraid You Won’t Take the Bait_l

    Chapter 188: Chapter 183: Not Afraid You Won¡¯t Take the Bait_l


    Translator: 549690339


    Pulling the rope, the pre-arranged trap was activated simultaneously.


    He couldn¡¯t create complex devices, just a simple hunting device.


    A large net was flung over from behind towards Old Master Huang, while a bamboo-woven cage from underground opened, releasing a swarm of yellow bees.


    Old Master Huang instinctively dodged backward, a series of rolls showcasing his impressive agility.


    In his hand, the Serpent-shaped Sword was slashing out an impenetrable screen of blades.


    Qin Niu watched in secret with a sense of trepidation.


    He had thought to overpower the other with his cultivation and martial skills, but now it appeared that not only were the insects powerful, but the mastery and martial skills of the man himself were also daunting.


    Such a formidable enemy was truly a nightmarish existence.


    The Insect Jar containing the three bee generals had been swiftly pulled from the ground by Qin Niu, quickly brought into his hands.


    Many of the large yellow bees that had flown out were slashed into fragments by Old Master Huang, while some, when they got about a meter close to him, seemed to encounter something terrifying and rapidly fled.


    Meanwhile, the large net arranged by Qin Niu had some effect.


    The net didn¡¯t catch the person, but it unexpectedly trapped forty or fifty Corpse Bees.


    But this ordinary fishing net couldn¡¯t pose any threat to them. With their powerful mandibles, they easily bit holes in the net and then wriggled out.


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    Old Master Huang saw Qin Niu appear, hiding at a position only eight or nine meters away from where the bee generals were hidden, and he secretly admired Qin Niu¡¯s guts.


    However, he didn¡¯t show any mercy, immediately commanding the Corpse Bees to attack Qin Niu.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of these three bee generals foryou!¡±


    Qin Niu ran swiftly, while also not forgetting to hit Old Master Huang¡¯s weak spot.


    Only when the enemy is panicked might they make a mistake.


    ¡°Fourth, immediately lead the Termite Army to take control of the bee generals in this jar.¡±


    He knew very well that a human couldn¡¯t outrun the flying Corpse Bees.


    He would soon be caught up to.


    Before that happened, he needed to kill a bee general.


    The bee general currently laying eggs was saved for last.


    Now, killing one first would make Old Master Huang agonize and anxious.


    The Termite Army crawling over Qin Niu¡¯s body went all out to control the bee general in the jar.


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s a bit out of control.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that the Queen Bee is nearby, making it stronger than usual.¡±


    ¡°No worries, I can kill it just as well.¡±


    Qin Niu felt a bit distressed about the Insect Jar; he had bought it for twelve pieces of Silver Money.


    But with a formidable enemy before him, he couldn¡¯t care about that anymore.


    With force, the jar was crushed in his grip.


    The bee general¡¯s ability to withstand pressure was stronger than he had imagined.


    It was still struggling furiously, its stinger stabbing wildly, and its mandibles biting randomly. It was too ferocious.


    Qin Niu gradually increased his strength until a pus-like liquid began to ooze from the creature¡¯s mouth, the stench strong enough to make someone faint.


    A Grade Five bee general, so what?


    In front of the second level of acquired cultivation, it was still to be crushed to death.


    Of course, the premise was that it had to be trapped and there was no worry about being stung by it.


    ¡°Damn you, stop! If you dare to harm my bee generals, I will grind you to dust, raise a sky lantern, excavate your entire family¡¯s ancestral graves, slaughter your whole family, obliterate your whole village¡­¡±


    Feeling that a bee general was under threat of death, Old Master Huang was like an enraged lion.


    The ordinary Corpse Bees approached Qin Niu with even greater velocity.


    ¡°Hmph, no one can stop what Qin Niu intends to do.¡±


    As he spoke, the jar was compressed to an exaggerated degree. A Grade Five bee general was just pitifully crushed to death.


    ¡°Just an insect, no matter how powerful, is still just an insect.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t discard the corpse; it was a high-grade ingredient, and he planned to save it to feed the Ant Queen.


    Old Master Huang¡¯s body, however, shook violently, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    Each Insect Master¡¯s method of controlling insects is different.


    Like Qin Niu¡¯s termites and bees, they had only established contracts with the Ant Queen and Queen Bee.


    But as Corpse Bees are difficult to raise, to strengthen his connection with them, Old Master Huang probably made contracts with each one.


    The benefit of doing so is more flexible control when commanding them, no need to worry about them being taken by others.


    Qin Niu had even tried to tame a Corpse Bee but found it was already under contract, making it impossible to tame.


    This further illustrated that Old Master Huang had entered into agreements with each Corpse Bee.


    The upside was that he could command them as if they were extensions of his own limbs, without fear of them being seized by others, and no concern of backlashes.


    The downside was that for each Corpse Bee killed by someone else, he would have to suffer damage to his soul.


    The higher the level of the Corpse Bee that died, the more severe the damage to him.


    This is also why that woman, when she swung her blade at the Corpse Bees, caused Old Master Huang to reveal himself in a furious and flustered state, calling her an idiot.


    ¡°I will surely kill you! Dismember, pour oil and set on fire, grind to dust¡­¡±


    Old Master Huang¡¯s complexion turned pale, but his eyes were filled with profound hatred and murderous intent.


    ¡°Haha, no worries, no worries. Before death, I assure you these three bee generals will accompany the burial. The second one, here we go!¡±


    Qin Niu grabbed another Insect Jar and then crushed it.


    The second bee general began vomiting a pus-like, foul-smelling liquid.


    Old Master Huang¡¯s eyes were almost bursting with rage.


    ¡°Stop, stop¡­ you damn little thief¡­¡±


    Regardless of the damage to his soul, he gritted his teeth and unleashed his strongest cultivation, revealing a rather impressive step technique.


    This was a Step-Method Martial Skill.


    Once reaching minor proficiency, one could become as light as a swallow, walk on waves, and climb walls as if flying.


    Qin Niu sought longevity with all his heart, and since he didn¡¯t have much Silver Money, he hadn¡¯t considered buying a Step-Method Martial Skill to study.


    Step-Method Martial Skills were also the most expensive category among all martial skills.


    Sword techniques, boxing techniques, blade techniques, they could kill enemies and were offensive martial skills.


    However, Step-Method Martial Skills could make a person¡¯s movements flexible, allowing one to advance or retreat with ease and secure an unbeatable position.


    If they couldn¡¯t defeat their opponent, they could simply use their Step- Method Martial Skill to escape with their lives.


    Old Master Huang demonstrated an extremely sophisticated Step-Method Martial Skill, his figure turned into a wisp of light smoke, chasing Qin Niu with a terrifying speed.


    In the blink of an eye, he was right behind him.


    Qin Niu made a feint while running away.


    His body swayed to the right side, but in reality, he did not move to the right.


    That was because he had been running along the edge of the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s maze, intending to trap Old Master Huang inside.


    At this moment, Old Master Huang was like a madman, his eyes fixed only on the Queen Bee he was about to crush to death, and in his mind, he only thought of saving the two Queen Bees with the most cutting measures. Seeing Qin Niu¡¯s figure swaying to the right, he thought Qin Niu was trying to escape into the bushes on the right.


    As a result, he made a wrong judgment.


    He stepped into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late.


    Qin Niu noticed that the formidable enemy behind him had disappeared, and a cunning smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Finally got this powerful enemy trapped.¡±


    He looked at the sky, which had yet to break dawn.


    The inside of the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s maze should still be in an extremely dangerous state; most creatures that entered were more likely to die than to survive.


    ¡°Fourth, hurry up and lead the ant troops to control five Corpse Bees, let them fight among themselves. The Soldier Ants are to assist, using Mental Attacks against the Corpse Bees that are not under control,¡± Qin Niu ordered strategically.


    With Old Master Huang gone, these Corps Bees had become utterly disorganized.


    ¡°The Queen Bee should be on Old Master Huang,¡± he concluded.


    Because before Old Master Huang was trapped in the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree, the Corpse Bees showed a high degree of cohesion, advancing and retreating in an orderly fashion.


    Normally, even without Old Master Huang, if the Queen Bee were present, they would not become as disorganized as they were.


    For bee swarms and ant colonies, what truly bound them together was not the master who contracted them, but their Queen Bee or Ant Queen.


    ¡°Perfect time to give Old Master Huang another ¡®gift¡¯,¡± Qin Niu said coldly, brandishing his blade and slashing at the attacking Corpse Bees.


    He was not afraid of these ordinary Corpse Bees since he was protected by King Pig Leather Armor.


    Under his power, a large green Light Cocoon protected him well.


    Even if the Corpse Bees managed to break through this cocoon, there was still the thick King Pig Leather Armor beneath.


    In fact, they couldn¡¯t even penetrate the Light Cocoon.


    Only those three Queen Bees constituted some threat to Qin Niu.


    Under the power he channeled, the dazzling Blade Qi became manifest.


    A Sweeping Strike hit the three Corpse Bees.


    They were instantly Ruptured by the fierce Blade Qi, cleaved into two and fell to the ground, where they struggled and died.


    Trapped in the maze, Old Master Huang must have spat blood again, sustaining another blow to his spirit.


    For Old Master Huang, who needed to fend off the attack of the Ancient Banyan Tree, this was truly adding insult to injury.


    He was likely cursing in his heart, sending regards to Qin Niu¡¯s ancestors for eighteen generations.


    ¡°The Group Killing effect is not bad!¡± Qin Niu noted.


    He had just learned the Sweeping Martial Technique not long ago and hadn¡¯t practiced it much.


    Being able to kill three Corpse Bees with one strike was already very good for him.


    Once this martial technique advanced to proficiency, or even to the point of minor achievement, its true power would start to show.


    Outside, he went on a killing spree, massacring these Corpse Bees frantically.


    In less than two quarters of an hour, he had killed all ninety-two Corpse Bees.


    He filled half a basket full.


    After getting rid of the Corpse Bees, dawn was starting to break.


    There were a few injured Corpse Bees on the ground, which he killed one by one.


    He approached the woman who lay on the ground motionless with caution; she had long since stopped breathing.


    It seemed very likely she was dead.


    Using the Ink Blade, he prodded her a bit, finding her body already beginning to stiffen.


    Dark blood was seeping out from under her mask, pooling on the ground in a small puddle.


    The woman¡¯s figure was very petite, not exceeding one meter forty at most.


    With his blade, he lifted her mask.


    ¡°Air¡­¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but cry out in surprise, the face revealed was extremely terrifying, uglier than a ghost, and even more frightening.


    Her eyes bulged, more white than black; her nose seemed as if it had collapsed, leaving just a tiny bit.


    Her skin resembled old tree bark, full of creases.


    It was brown, not the yellow that normal humans should possess.


    From the curves of her chest and the flatness of her throat, it could be deduced that this was a woman.


    ¡°She must have been poisoned to death by the Corpse Bees,¡± Qin Niu guessed.


    His understanding of the Corpse Bees¡¯ potency deepened anew.


    If stung by them, one¡¯s fate would probably not be much different from that of the dead woman.


    In front of the woman were two Corpse Bees that had been killed.


    He unapologetically collected their corpses.


    These were good things.

 Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Chapter 184: Eliminating a Major Threat

    Chapter 189: Chapter 184: Eliminating a Major Threat


    Translator: 549690339


    The female corpse was indeed too terrifying, and Qin Niu only carelessly poked her clothes open with his blade to have a look.


    He didn¡¯t find any treasures.


    If left nearby, it would definitely start to stink.


    Because the wild beasts of these mountains dared not approach the Ancient Banyan Tree, it was impossible that they would come to dispose of the body.


    Using the Ink Blade, Qin Niu lifted up the corpse and threw it into the maze within the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He decided to let this magical Ancient Banyan Tree act as a scavenger.


    Dawn was gradually breaking, but the two Bee Generals were still alive and well, showing no odd signs.


    This caused Qin Niu¡¯s heart to sink.


    From the reaction of the Bee Generals, it was certain that Old Master Huang was still alive.


    ¡°He must not be allowed to escape; I must seize the opportunity to attack him while he is vulnerable,¡± he thought.


    Qin Niu was very clear that if Old Master Huang managed to escape, the one to die would be himself.


    Grinding his teeth, he chose a more concealed location to enter the maze within the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He had been here many times before, familiar to the point of knowing it like the back of his hand.


    In fact, the Ancient Banyan Tree and the maze had long since become his private possessions.


    After entering the maze, he scanned around with his gaze but didn¡¯t spot Old Master Huang.


    This made the hairs on Qin Niu¡¯s neck stand up.


    ¡°Where on earth could he be?¡±


    He was highly alert, ready to battle at any time.


    ¡°Crush another one to provoke that old thief!¡± he decided.


    Without any courtesy, he took the crushed Insect Jar in hand, applied even more force, and then squashed the already injured Bee General to death.


    As the Bee General died, a muffled grunt came from underground not far in front.


    It turned out the old scoundrel was hiding underground.


    Qin Niu swiftly approached that location.


    ¡°Fourth, you guys handle any bugs that might suddenly strike,¡± he instructed.


    The combat power of over two thousand special Termites, when combined, was not to be underestimated.


    Even a Grade Five Bee General could be dealt with by them.


    As for insects of a higher level, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to manage.


    Approaching closer, Qin Niu saw that the soil ahead was loose.


    Old Master Huang had buried himself.


    No wonder that old thief could dodge the killing moves of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s speculation, when the dawn was about to break, the killing moves of the Ancient Banyan Tree were weakening, which allowed Old Master Huang to survive.


    Otherwise, hiding in the soil would only have led to a faster death.


    ¡°Send two to scout the exact location and depth of that old thief¡¯s hiding spot,¡± he commanded.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t act rashly.


    Instead, he spent energy to activate the King Pig Leather Armor, with its thick Light Cocoon protecting him, to prevent being assassinated.


    He flicked two Worker Ants onto the loose soil in front.


    Building nests and digging tunnels on tree bodies or underground was second nature to Termites.


    The two Grade Two Worker Ants quickly burrowed inside.


    Qin Niu had not formed a contract with them, but controlled them indirectly through the Ant Queen.


    This control was weaker, unable to directly share souls.


    However, he was proficient in Ant Language, so he could easily obtain their feedback.


    ¡°Master, the target has been found, right at this location, not too deep,¡± they reported.


    The intelligence of Grade Two Termites was limited; they couldn¡¯t provide the precise depth.


    But based on his connection with them, Qin Niu already knew the approximate depth.


    About half a meter deep.


    He gripped the Ink Blade tightly in his hand and violently stabbed down at Old Master Huang¡¯s hiding spot.


    Blade Qi burst forth from the blade.


    Thud!


    The target was hit.


    The earth exploded instantly, and Old Master Huang, terribly wounded, escaped from within it.


    He appeared completely disheveled, with a blade-pierced wound on his abdomen, blood oozing out. Old Master Huang¡¯s complexion was pale and ashen, his spirit was wilted, and his eyes were lifeless.


    A Golden Toad the size of a human head was squatting on his back.


    If that stab had hit the Golden Toad, it would definitely have been difficult to injure Old Master Huang.


    It seemed fate itself wished to eradicate this man, allowing Qin Niu¡¯s blade to wound his abdomen.


    ¡°All Niu, as long as you don¡¯t kill me, I am willing to give you all the family wealth in the city, the silver notes and treasures on me. This Golden Toad can be transferred to you as well.¡±


    Old Master Huang covered the wound on his abdomen with his left hand as he retreated explosively.


    His right hand, however, was tightly gripping the Serpent-shaped Sword.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s face lit up with joy.


    At the same time, as he looked at Old Master Huang, his eyes revealed intense wariness.


    ¡°I am willing to make a venomous oath to heaven.¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡±


    Qin Niu pressed in, step by step.


    ¡°I, Huang Mieyi, hereby swear that as long as Qin Niu does not kill me, I will give him all my wealth and the Golden Toad without any regrets. Otherwise, may I be struck down by heaven and earth.¡±


    He truly made a venomous oath.


    ¡°I can spare you, but you must become my subordinate and forever remain loyal to me.¡±


    Qin Niu was rapidly closing the distance between him and Old Master Huang.


    How could Old Master Huang, such a formidable figure, willingly submit to someone as a servant?


    But under the force of circumstances, he eventually gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I agree to your terms.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve agreed to become my subordinate, then you should have the awareness of one. Throw away the sword, kneel on the ground, and hand over all your treasures.¡±


    Qin Niu commanded Old Master Huang.


    Although the latter was reluctant, he still obediently planted the Serpent-shaped Sword into the ground and then took out his silver notes and other items.


    ¡°Throw the sword farther away; otherwise, it will only make me think you still harbor disloyalty.¡±


    Qin Niu coldly reprimanded.


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    Old Master Huang agreed, releasing the hand covering the wound on his abdomen.


    The blood from his wound had actually stopped flowing.


    What kind of method did he use?


    Impressive indeed.


    Old Master Huang still held the silver notes in his right hand extended in front of him, as his left hand drew the Silver Snake Sword, ready to throw it away.


    ¡°Catch the silver notes!¡±


    He threw a handful of silver notes at Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes turned cold as he swung his blade to strike.


    Old Master Huang, also wielding a sword, charged towards Qin Niu, leaping into the air and aiming a direct thrust at Qin Niu¡¯s heart.


    A cold light flickered at the tip of the Serpent-shaped Sword.


    This sword must be an extraordinarily made treasure sword, capable of emanating a cold light when powered by Old Master Huang¡¯s skills.


    If it could solidify even more, it would become a Blade Qi.


    But it was not comparable to Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade at all, not even on the same level of weapon.


    His Ink Blade already possessed a spirit consciousness and could gather Blade Qi.


    Boom!


    A vicious slash landed on the top of Old Master Huang¡¯s head.


    The Golden Toad attempted to leap up to protect its master, but it was a moment too late.


    Old Master Huang¡¯s Black Silver Snake Sword also pierced Qin Niu¡¯s heart.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Light Cocoon was penetrated, but the King Pig Leather Armor blocked the sword thrust.


    Old Master Huang, however, was not so lucky.


    His body was cleaved in two.


    Qin Niu¡¯s strike just then resulted in a Rupture effect.


    The Blade Qi tore Old Master Huang¡¯s body in half.


    Blood and innards spilled all over the place.


    Both men were formidable, neither truly trusting the other.


    Qin Niu used words to steady Old Master Huang, aiming to dispel his thoughts of resistance, to easily finish him off with one strike.


    Old Master Huang, on the other hand, pretended to surrender, deceiving Qin Niu, and took the opportunity to deliver a desperate strike.


    If it weren¡¯t for the King Pig Leather Armor, Qin Niu might not have been killed, but he would have been severely wounded.


    Of course, without this armor, he would not have engaged in close combat with such a strong adversary, foolishly.


    The Golden Toad was also caught in the Blade Qi but incredibly did not die.


    It tumbled onto the ground; its outer skin had not been sliced open.


    ¡°Such incredible defensive power!¡±


    Qin Niu inwardly marveled at the strength of the Golden Toad.

 Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: Chapter 185: Struck It Rich_1

    Chapter 190: Chapter 185: Struck It Rich_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    You should know, his Blade Qi was capable of slaying even the King of Pigs that had cultivated an inner core.


    Toads and frogs possessed a unique ability known as Toad Skill. They could absorb air to swell their body, which would then become full of elasticity and possessed an unimaginable level of physical defense.


    This Golden Toad was as large as a human head, which was already quite exaggerated.


    Its body was covered with granular bumps.


    The larger ones were the size of fingernails, while the finer ones were only as big as mung beans.


    It looked extremely disgusting to the observer.


    The skin on its back was predominantly golden yellow, with vertical stripes.


    When Qin Niu had attacked Old Master Huang, it had actively blocked the attack with its body to protect its master. By rights, it should have been subdued by Old Master Huang.


    Only a subdued pet would shield its master with its life at critical moments.


    But strangely, after Old Master Huang¡¯s death, the Corpse Bee Qin Niu had trapped in the Insect Jar, along with the Bee General, all died silently. Yet this Golden Toad was unscathed.


    Instead, one could see the return of its wild nature in its gaze.


    It lay on the ground, desperately opening its mouth and ceaselessly scraping its own head with its front paws, as if trying to vomit something out.


    There were two types of contracts.


    One was an equal contract, somewhat similar to a mutual defense alliance.


    In the force of the contract, the master and the pet were equals, with no master-servant relationship. The master could not fully control the pet, only coexist with it as friends.


    When encountering enemies, the pet might help or might ignore the situation entirely.


    If the pet died, it would cause minimal soul trauma to the master. Similarly, if the master died, the impact on the pet would also be very minor.


    If either party died, the force of the contract would automatically dissipate.


    A contract was more like a lock that linked the souls of two creatures together.


    If one side died, the lock would lose its function.


    The most overbearing was the master-servant contract.


    When a master died, the pet would also die. This was not only overbearing but also somewhat vicious.


    However, some masters, in consideration of their master-servant affection, would dissolve the contract actively before dying. This way, the pet could avoid the misfortune of dying along with its master.


    Even though masters might have this intention, sometimes they were killed before they could dissolve the contract.


    Therefore, when forming soul contracts with insects, beasts, or birds, they would fiercely resist.


    Apart from not wanting to lose their freedom, they were even more unwilling to willingly become servants to humans. That innate threat to their life would uncontrollably cause them to resist.


    No creature wanted to place its life in the hands of another.


    Qin Niu stared intently at the Golden Toad.


    ¡°Could it be that this Golden Toad wasn¡¯t subdued, but indirectly controlled by Old Master Huang using insects?¡±


    That was indeed a possibility.


    Because the Golden Toad was a unique creature of heaven and earth, subduing it was extremely difficult.


    At this moment, the Golden Toad was likely trying to vomit out the insects in its stomach.


    Logically, when Old Master Huang died, the insects inside the Golden Toad¡¯s stomach should have died as well.


    If that were the case, why was the Golden Toad in such a hurry to spit out the corpses of the insects?


    And judging by its appearance, it seemed very anxious.


    There was only one possibility, not spitting out the corpses of the insects would threaten its life.


    ¡°A gentleman should be open and upright, a petty person loves to take advantage of others¡¯ misfortune, and today I must play the part of the petty person!¡±


    Qin Niu eyed the human-head-sized Golden Toad, intensely desiring to make it his own.


    However, it was an opportunity granted by heaven.


    It was like a rogue anticipated to have a chance with a beautiful woman; under normal circumstances, there would be no chance. But if something happened in the beauty¡¯s home requiring borrowing a large sum of money, or if her brother was about to be arrested and needed rescue, the rogues would then see their opportunity.


    As for taking by force, that was intolerable to heaven and a breach of the law of the land.


    Qin Niu always acted calmly and decisively.


    Without a second thought, he directly took out that Advanced Contractual Talisman.


    This thing was worth a Hundred Taels of Silver Money, after all!


    When the price of land was cheap, that was enough to buy more than ten acres of fertile land. Even in a normal year, it was no problem to buy six or seven acres of fertile land.


    Without the slightest hesitation, he bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood onto the activation area of the Talisman.


    The Golden Toad saw this human before it, with a gaze filled with ill intent and even pulled out an item that it was extremely wary of. This instinctively made it feel fear and urgency, wanting to escape.


    But with the insect still inside its stomach, it couldn¡¯t run.


    This thing could cost it its life.


    It chose to speed up its vomiting, trying to expel the contents of its stomach as quickly as possible.


    Qin Niu, however, didn¡¯t give it that time.


    Once the Advanced Contractual Talisman was activated, a ray of solid golden light shot forth. It was very spirited, constantly changing in the air, and actually formed into the vague shape of a golden snake.


    Countless intricate talismans rolled across the surface and within the body of the golden snake.


    When this golden snake appeared, Qin Niu felt his soul tremble and almost couldn¡¯t maintain control.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Under his mental command, the golden snake shot straight towards the Golden Toad.


    The golden snake directly engulfed the Golden Toad in one bite.


    Then it coiled on the spot, continuing to wriggle.


    One could vaguely see the Golden Toad struggling within, faintly visible.


    ¡°Submit to me and I shall immediately grant you a great opportunity, aiding you in advancing to become stronger. Otherwise, you have no chance of survival,¡± Qin Niu was certainly not joking with it.


    If it dared to resist and couldn¡¯t be subdued, death was the only end it faced.


    The Golden Toad naturally didn¡¯t listen to him and dismissed his words as nonsense.


    It struggled even more fiercely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t speak the language of beasts, but since you possess a certain level of intelligence, you should understand human speech. I know you are unwilling to submit easily because you think I am not strong enough. This tree is merely a trinket of mine. You can try to escape, using the area covered by this tree as the boundary. If you manage to escape, I will let you go. If you cannot, then you will submit to me. How about that?¡±


    Qin Niu stared at the Golden Toad.


    Under his mental command, the golden snake temporarily ceased its assault on it.


    It was clearly contemplating.


    At this moment, fine threads of blood began to appear on the surface of its body, and it seemed to be in extreme pain.


    ¡°Your time seems to be running out. As soon as you agree, I will allow you to vomit the poison within your belly first. Although we humans are cunning, a true man stands between heaven and earth, and his word is his bond. You can trust me this once¡ªit will also be our first mutual trust.¡±


    Qin Niu looked at it sincerely.


    He really went to great lengths to subdue this Golden Toad, brazenly claiming that the Ancient Banyan Tree was his trinket.


    Others wave a tiger¡¯s banner to claim kingship, but he is even more exaggerated and shameless, treating the treasure of the world as his private property.


    With his current strength, he might not even be one ten-thousandth as powerful as the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The Golden Toad was pushed into a corner.


    If it didn¡¯t agree, the thing in its stomach would soon claim its life.


    If it agreed, at least there was a glimmer of hope for survival.


    Its toad eyes shifted slightly, probably assessing the range of the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s coverage.


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    In the end, it actually lay down and nodded its head three times, agreeing to Qin Niu¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°Just let the golden light enter your body. I can control the golden light not to attack your soul right away, until after you¡¯ve vomited the poison from inside your belly,¡± Qin Niu said to it.


    Mutual trust was mutual trust, but he couldn¡¯t let himself be played by a toad.


    As long as the golden light entered its body, even if it reneged later, it would be much easier for Qin Niu to subdue it.


    The Golden Toad stopped resisting, and the golden light rapidly entered its body.


    True to his word, Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush to subdue it.


    Just like in a relationship between a man and a woman, it all starts with establishing initial trust and then gradually deepening it, until feelings develop.


    ¡°Nowyou can exert all your strength to vomit the poison inside you,¡± Qin Niu said as he noticed the fine threads of blood on its body becoming more and more numerous.


    It probably had started to take effect.


    It couldn¡¯t wait any longer and began retching to vomit the substance from its belly.


    Qin Niu waited patiently.


    Looking at Old Master Huang¡¯s corpse, he didn¡¯t waste time and instructed the Termite Army on him, ¡°Fourth, take some termites and investigate to see if these silver notes and the surface of that corpse are poisoned.¡±


    Under Qin Niu¡¯s command, Fourth led a group of termites to quickly investigate.


    ¡°Master, there is no poison,¡± Fourth reported back to Qin Niu after completing the investigation.


    ¡°Very well, come back,¡± Qin Niu said before bending down to pick up the scattered silver notes.


    Counting them, there were a total of thirteen thousand and seventy taels.


    The smallest denomination was silver notes worth ten taels each.


    The largest were gold notes worth a hundred taels each and silver notes worth a thousand taels each.


    Although the exchange ratio between gold and silver remained stable at ten to one, there were occasional fluctuations.


    When the price of gold was low, one tael of gold could only be exchanged for nine taels of silver.


    To avoid losses, many people chose to exchange for a thousand-tael silver notes.


    All these silver monies were Old Master Huang¡¯s entire fortune.


    He really was wealthy, having over ten thousand taels in cash.


    Now, all these riches fell into Qin Niu¡¯s hands.


    In the past, when he saw that young master paying five thousand taels of silver for a scroll of Dragon Chant, he could only long for it enviously.


    Now, he could buy two scrolls and still have money left over.


    But he had no intention of buying a cultivation technique.


    The Medicine King Sutra and the Everlasting Spring Technique he was currently practicing were already enough.


    Biting off more than one can chew is never good.


    Practicing too many cultivation techniques is not advisable.


    Practicing multiple techniques simultaneously could lead to conflicts, especially if one technique cultivated water attribute energy and another fire attribute energy. The incompatible forces would clash within the body.


    At best, one might experience deviation in cultivation; at worst, it could cause the body to explode and lead to death.


    Furthermore, clashing cultivation techniques might result in stagnation of one¡¯s cultivation level or slow progression.


    Generally, practitioners stick to cultivating techniques that are similar or derived from the same source.


    Qin Niu planned to save the silver to purchase land and farms.


    Having a large amount of land resources would allow him better opportunities to research planting and breeding.


    It would also provide a continuous stream of income.


    Though thirteen thousand taels of silver might seem like a lot, if he only spent without earning, it would quickly run out.


    But by acquiring land, whether leasing it out or hiring others to cultivate, he could continuously earn silver.


    Look at the Yan Family and other such noble clans; which among them didn¡¯t possess their own industries?


    Only with a steady income could he support the considerable expenses of his cultivation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything valuable on the body!¡± Qin Niu said after he finished picking up the silver notes, approaching the corpse that had been split in two.

 Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: Chapter 186 Nine Insect Command 1

    Chapter 191: Chapter 186 Nine Insect Command 1


    Translator: 549690339


    As he approached, he used the Ink Blade to pry open the clothes on Old Master Huang¡¯s body.


    ¡°Good heavens, what is this?¡±


    He found a Corpse Bee on Old Master Huang¡¯s back that was even larger than a fist, and it had died.


    It had been split in half along with Old Master Huang¡¯s corpse.


    But this Corpse Bee was actually growing inside Old Master Huang¡¯s flesh.


    Centered around it, that large piece of flesh was all black, similar to that of the dead woman. The skin was covered with wrinkles and revealed scars resembling pustules.


    This man was truly no ordinary type of crazy, to be nurturing insects within his own body.


    How was this any different from those legendary Gu Masters?


    And judging by the state of this wound on his back, he must have endured tremendous pain every day.


    No wonder crushing a bee would drive Old Master Huang to madness, fighting for his life against him.


    The Corpse Bees he had painstakingly raised at such a great cost, each one was treated like a treasure by Old Master Huang.


    ¡®This one on Old Master Huang¡¯s back must be the Queen Bee,¡±


    Qin Niu looked at this Corpse Bee, larger even than a bee general, and secretly guessed at its identity.


    A normal Corpse Bee would not be something Old Master Huang would have kept inside his body.


    ¡°The body of the Queen Bee must be even more nutritious than that of a bee general. Digging it out to feed the Ant Queen would be excellent.¡±


    Thinking it, he did it.


    He indeed dug out the body of the Queen Bee using the Ink Blade.


    At the tail end of it, an obvious sunken wound could be seen on Old Master Huang¡¯s back.


    ¡°Could it be that the Queen Bee laid its eggs here? Then, using the rotting flesh on Old Master Huang¡¯s back as an incubator?¡±


    That was simply terrifying.


    He cut open the piece of rotten flesh and indeed found a bee egg.


    This was an unhatched bee egg.


    The ordinary Corpse Bee that Qin Niu had captured had also laid an egg. But that egg could only hatch into a male bee.


    He had originally planned to let that Corpse Bee hatch the egg.


    But it seems things were not as he had imagined.


    Now, that Corpse Bee, including the bee generals, were all dead.


    Qin Niu now only had two bee eggs in his possession.


    He carefully stored the bee eggs, and the Queen Bee¡¯s body was also separately kept.


    The Ant Queen was his key cultivation focus, he definitely wanted to use the best resources to feed the Ant Queen, nurturing it to become stronger.


    The Ant Queen now had a lifespan of thirty thousand years, and its special abilities were also stronger than before.


    He dared not imagine, if he kept nurturing it, how strong it would become in the future?


    It would definitely be far more impressive than this Queen Bee.


    He continued to search Old Master Huang¡¯s corpse, and then he found two more things.


    A dark green token.


    Nine Insect Command.


    What was this token about?


    ¡°Qin Niu felt that this token seemed very advanced. On its back, there were intricate patterns etched, along with a name and position.


    Huang Zhiqiu, Executor.


    Since Old Master Huang¡¯s surname was Huang, the name carved on the token was likely his real name.


    This indicated that Old Master Huang¡¯s identity was that of an Executor.


    Nine Insect? Qin Niu could only think of the Nine Insect Gang.


    Could it be that Old Master Huang was an Executor for the Nine Insect Gang? If that was the case, then why didn¡¯t this man reside within the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s territory, but instead live within Black Tiger City? What was he plotting? Qin Niu thought about it but decided not to take the token with him. Instead, he planned to bury it at the base of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The name written on Old Master Huang¡¯s waist tag was Huang Yusheng.


    Had he taken a false name to deceive others?


    That meant Old Master Huang¡¯s motives for hiding in Black Tiger City were even more complicated.


    The Nine Insect Gang¡¯s strength was truly terrifying.


    Just any executor was already this terrifying, let alone the protector, elders, vice gang leader, and gang leader, who were likely to be even more horrifying. ¡°Could it be that the Nine Insect Gang wants to swallow up the Black Tiger Gang?¡±


    Such a possibility could not be ruled out.


    After all, the Nine Insect Gang had already managed to absorb the Seven-Star Sect.


    Human desires are endless; consuming the territory of one faction only leads to thoughts of devouring more, slowly growing stronger, eventually becoming a super sect.


    Every Immortal Sect¡¯s rise is built on an incalculable amount of resources.


    Pouring a wealth of resources into a few geniuses, making them become more and more powerful, until they ultimately step through the Immortal Gate.


    Qin Niu realized that killing Old Master Huang might have already spoiled the good deeds of the Nine Insect Gang.


    This was already an entanglement in the gang strife.


    If discovered, he would be mercilessly erased by the experts of the Nine Insect Gang.


    There was even a possibility of being captured and subjected to severe torture for information.


    At this thought, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    This matter must not be known by a third party, otherwise, Qin Niu¡¯s situation would become exceedingly dangerous.


    Even the villagers of Shuangfeng Village would face a disaster of total annihilation.


    ¡°Old Master Huang¡¯s two subordinates, as well as he himself, are all killed.


    There should be no one else who knows about this,¡± Qin Niu pondered, while his hands did not stop moving.


    He continued to search the bodies.


    Finally, he found a notebook in a secret pocket of Old Master Huang¡¯s clothes.


    It seemed to be something Old Master Huang carried with him and made notes in from time to time.


    It contained records of Old Master Huang¡¯s experiences with cultivating insects and some personal experiences.


    Something akin to a diary.


    The most frequent entries were about the cultivation of Corpse Bees.


    Since Qin Niu had not yet subdued the Golden Toad, he did not waste time studying the notebook in detail.


    Instead, he put it away, planning to read it carefully when he had the time.


    Not finding any Cultivation Techniques or Martial Skills implied that Old Master Huang probably did not carry these things on his person.


    Sneaking into Old Master Huang¡¯s residence to look for them?


    The idea was tempting, but Qin Niu was too cautious, fearing that doing so would lead to exposure and putting himself at risk of being watched.


    Wliat he wanted most was Old Master Huang¡¯s Step-Method Martial Skill.


    It was unfortunate that the other party did not carry it with him, and now that the man was likely one of the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s executors and the body yielded no results, he had to decisively give up the idea.


    After a thorough search, finding no other items of use, his gaze shifted to the Golden Toad.


    A long, slender insect had been vomited out by it.


    Entirely dark red, it resembled a piece of intestine.


    This insect seemed to be already dead.


    It was covered with a lot of mucus.


    Even with Qin Niu¡¯s two-star Insect Identification skills, he could not determine the origin of this insect.


    Since it could control the Golden Toad, it certainly was no ordinary insect.


    The Golden Toad had already leaped towards the outskirts of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    With a single jump, it could reach two to three meters in height and seven to eight meters in distance, which was quite impressive.


    This was probably not the full extent of its abilities.


    Qin Niu simply followed nonchalantly behind it, watching it attempt to escape.


    If the Golden Toad could truly get away, then it was just his bad luck.


    He would definitely keep his promise, allowing the Golden Toad to return to nature.


    After all, he had obtained over ten thousand Silver Money from Old Master Huang¡¯s body, which was enough for him to break even.


    The price of an Advanced Contract Talisman was a hundred taels of silver.


    After a frenzy of jumping forward, the Golden Toad returned to its original spot.


    Seeing this scene, Qin Niu cracked a smile.


    The experience he had when he was first trapped here was extremely similar to what the Golden Toad was going through.


    ¡°No worries, I have plenty of time, you just keep escaping! I won¡¯t stop you,¡± said Qin Niu to the Golden Toad in a leisurely manner.

 Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Chapter 187 Collect the Golden Toad 1

    Chapter 192: Chapter 187 Collect the Golden Toad 1


    Translator: 549690339


    Now that the situation was in his grasp, the Golden Toad had no chance of escaping from his mighty clutches. Letting it struggle a bit more would make it realize Qin Niu¡¯s strength.


    That would make it easier to subdue later on.


    To tame any formidable creature or beast, one must first overpower it.


    Naturally, the Golden Toad wouldn¡¯t submit easily and continued its attempts to break free with a stubborn disbelief.


    This time, it chose a different direction.


    But before long, it had bounced back again.


    After repeating this process many times, the Golden Toad¡¯s pride and temper were mostly tamed.


    Qin Niu was waiting for just this moment.


    ¡°Submit to me, and you can become even stronger and possibly live much longer. I own an ant, which originally had a lifespan of only four years, but after becoming my pet, it now lives for thirty thousand years. I have a turtle that increased its lifespan by six hundred years after becoming my beast pet.¡± As he spoke, his gaze remained locked with the Golden Toad¡¯s.


    It was apparent that the toad was now on the brink of yielding.


    For any living being, the prospect of prolonging life is a desirable one.


    ¡°Submit! After a hundred years, if one day you regret it, I might consider granting you freedom,¡± Qin Niu asserted with great confidence.


    However, he left himself an out by adding the word ¡°consider.¡±


    It meant that in the end, whether to set it free was still up to Qin Niu to decide.


    The Golden Toad¡¯s resistance significantly waned, and under its hesitant compliance, the golden light from the Contractual Talisman seeped into the depths of its spirit. Eventually, a streak of golden light flew out and entered Qin Niu¡¯s forehead.


    His body trembled slightly as he closed his eyes and silently endured the backlash of the contractual power.


    This was akin to the strong recoil felt when firing a gun.


    The more powerful the gun, the stronger the recoil.


    The same went for taming beast pets; the stronger the pet, the more intense the backlash.


    That¡¯s why it¡¯s nearly impossible for an ordinary person to tame an overly powerful creature or beast.


    Too great a disparity in strength leads to many obstacles.


    A moment later, Qin Niu opened his eyes, his face somewhat pale.


    ¡°This Golden Toad is so strong!¡±


    He had originally thought that the Golden Toad was at most a Grade Two or Three; now, it seemed its level was frighteningly high.


    No wonder even Old Master Huang, despite his prowess, was unable to tame it.


    Moreover, such rare and extraordinary species are inherently rebellious, contending with the heavens and battling with the earth, and supremely difficult to subdue.


    Now that he had successfully tamed it, Qin Niu could finally check its attributes.


    Red-eyed Golden Toad


    Level: Grade Seven Tailless Golden Swallowing Toad, leveling experience 37440016/100000000


    Lifespan: 800 years


    Energy: 5700981


    Skills: Swimming Grade Six 780003/1000000, Qi Defense Grade Six 102176/1000000, Predation Grade Six 871020/1000000, Hibernation Grade Three 109/1000


    Innate Abilities: Swallowing, Defense, Partial Immunity to Venom


    After reviewing its attributes, Qin Niu clicked his tongue in admiration.


    Many of its skills overlapped with those of the Diamond Ink Turtle.


    But the Golden Toad¡¯s level was very high, having reached Grade Seven.


    Despite Old Master Huang¡¯s Corpse Bee being Grade Five, for insects and beasts, each step up in grade means a vast difference in capabilities and various properties.


    Not to mention anything else, just the tenfold increase in their leveling experience signifies a transformation from quantity to quality.


    No wonder its defensive capability was so strong; not only did it have defensive innate abilities, but it also possessed Qi Defense skills.


    Besides, its predation skill was equally kick-ass.


    With the Golden Toad by his side, Qin Niu could likely annihilate all insects below Grade Seven that he encountered.


    Frogs and toads are predation experts, their tongues able to extend out of their mouths like lightning, coiling around their prey and pulling it into their mouths.


    The Golden Toad had another badass ability¡ªSwallowing.


    As part of the Golden Swallowing Toad family, it should be able to consume gold and silver to continually strengthen its body.


    But of course, he couldn¡¯t possibly feed it those precious metals.


    ¡°Very well, from now on, you are officially my beast pet; I will devote myself to nurturing you and making you stronger and stronger,¡± Qin Niu expressed with satisfaction after successfully taming such a powerful pet.


    He found that his spiritual power seemed to have become somewhat insufficient.


    This was because the Golden Toad he had subdued was too powerful, occupying a large portion of his spirit space.


    He must strive to enhance his spiritual power in order to contract more beast pets.


    He was already in an overburdened state.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you out!¡±


    Qin Niu picked up Old Master Huang¡¯s Black Snake Sword, which was an extremely high-quality sword.


    Those who used serpent-shaped swords were not many to begin with.


    Black serpent-shaped swords were even rarer.


    He felt that the material of the sword was somewhat like the legendary black iron.


    Because it was not truly black, but dark red.


    Hundred-Tempering Fine Iron is usually of a pale black color, with some white sheen.


    Only the legendary black iron might exhibit a black color with a reddish hue, often called falling sky iron or red iron, among other names.


    Qin Niu absolutely could not let the killing of Old Master Huang become known.


    This Black Snake Sword was too distinctive, easily recognized by others.


    Moreover, Qin Niu already had the Ink Blade and was not in need of weapons.


    The best course of action was to have it reforged.


    He was extremely cautious about this matter.


    The waters in the city were deep; he might walk into the weapon shop with the serpent-shaped sword, and as soon as he left, someone would know.


    ¡°Golden Toad, can you eat it?¡±


    Qin Niu looked towards the Golden Toad.


    It was a Tailless Golden Swallowing Toad, so it should have the ability to devour various metals.


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat it, I need to rise at least two levels before I could possibly digest it.¡±


    ¡°Then what can you eat?¡±


    ¡°When I see something I can eat, I¡¯ll tell the master.¡±


    It replied.


    Qin Niu buried the Serpent-shaped Sword and the Nine Insect Command beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Hiding things here was safer than in other places.


    Because others who came in couldn¡¯t leave.


    He hardly needed to worry about his secrets being discovered.


    On the other hand, he needed to think of a way to exchange those silver notes.


    Now that Old Master Huang had been killed, and no one knew for the short term. As soon as the Nine Insect Gang realized they couldn¡¯t get in touch, they would definitely begin a secret investigation.


    At that time, although the silver notes weren¡¯t named, their serial numbers were registered with the banks.


    If Qin Niu spent them, he could still potentially face investigation.


    He was always cautious in his actions; any potential loophole that could cause his downfall, he would try to fix.


    The best course of action was to exchange these silver notes before the Nine Insect Gang started their investigation.


    Exchanging silver notes was too easy.


    Gold notes for silver notes, silver notes for gold notes, with a bit of a service fee, it could be easily settled.


    With Golden Toad by his side, he walked out from the labyrinth within the Ancient Banyan Tree, the mountain still looked as it always did. Old Master Huang and that cat-faced woman would remain forever within the labyrinth of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    By tomorrow, their corpses would completely disappear, becoming nutrients for the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    All the Corpse Bees had died, leaving only two bee eggs, which made Qin Niu feel somewhat regretful.


    This species of bee was one he had encountered for the first time.


    Although he didn¡¯t know much about their abilities, he felt these Corpse Bees had many advantages.


    Such as night vision, strong defensive capabilities, terrifying venom, and stingers powerful enough to penetrate copperhide¡­


    These were advantages that other bee species rarely possessed.


    Luckily, he had successfully acquired Old Master Huang¡¯s notes, so those two bee eggs should be able to hatch successfully.


    He had no plans to deal with that matter at the moment.


    Because even if they hatched, his spirit space was already in an overburdened state, and he simply had no way to contract them.

 Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Chapter 188: Bite Him to Death 1

    Chapter 193: Chapter 188: Bite Him to Death 1


    Translator: 549690339


    Such powerful Corpse Bees, without the restraint of contractual power, could potentially backfire and attack their master, which would be no joke.


    Furthermore, based on his experience with taming the Green Silkworms, it should be much easier to form a contract while they were still in their larval state.


    The Bee Generals were bona fide Grade Five insects; taming them would not be an easy feat by any means.


    And it would require the use of an Advanced Contractual Talisman.


    You should know that such a talisman is worth a Hundred Taels of Silver Money.


    ¡°Fourth, lead the ant swarm to clean up this battlefield.¡±


    Having fought in this area, it was easy to leave behind many invisible traces.


    Having the Termites clean up the battlefield seemed like a good choice.


    Qin Niu discovered that the several hundred Myriapods had also all perished.


    Could it be that Old Master Huang had signed a master-servant contract with each Myriapod?


    It seemed somewhat unrealistic to think about it.


    Old Master Huang had released the Myriapods rather casually, probably no different from those four thousand plus Grade Three Army Ants.


    They were all expendable cannon fodder.


    Since no contracts were signed, how did these Myriapods die?


    With Qin Niu¡¯s limited knowledge in insect taming, he could only secretly speculate that Old Master Huang must have done something to them.


    After all, the Nine Insect Gang was a gang that specialized in insect taming.


    There were many skilled Insect Masters within their ranks.


    Old Master Huang, being able to serve as the gang¡¯s Executor, was already part of the upper echelons of the gang. Fuhrther upward, he could be promoted to positions like protector or elder.


    Therefore, it was normal for him to possess some powerful insect taming methods.


    After cleaning up the scene of the fight, Qin Niu did not return the Termites to their nest.


    He only checked that the Ant Queen and the other Termites in the nest were normal, then he directly led the more than two thousand strong Termite Army down the mountain.


    This is because Old Master Huang had inquired about Qin Niu¡¯s residence in the village.


    There was a good chance that he tampered with his home.


    Even though Qin Niu now possessed the cultivation of the acquired second layer, he could still be killed by some powerful insects.


    The leather armor was very strong in defense but not impervious to all.


    When agitated by energy, the armor could form a Light Cocoon, completely protecting Qin Niu without any blind spots, but some insects specialized in breaking through such cocoons or energy armors.


    Insect Masters were feared for a reason.


    Even an Insect Master with only the cultivation of a common human of Twofold or Tenfold, when controlling a swarm of Grade Two or Three insects, could easily eliminate an expert of the human Tenfold realm, just as easily as cutting vegetables.


    With over two thousand Termites and a Grade Seven Golden Toad on him, Qin Niu could handle the vast majority of dangers.


    Moreover, with Old Master Huang dead, it was unlikely that he would have left any dangerous insects in Qin Niu¡¯s home.


    ¡°Who exactly sold me out?¡±


    Qin Niu furrowed his brows in thought.


    This person must be found and eliminated.


    The first person he thought of was Wang Haikun. They had a grudge since Wang Haikun had an arm sliced off by Qin Niu, a deep and bitter hatred.


    Given the chance for revenge, he certainly would not be lenient.


    When he emerged from the mountains, he found Xie Laizi, who usually crawled on the ground, living a life worse than dogs or pigs, now humming a tune.


    ¡°Uncle Xie, you seem quite happy today!¡±


    Qin Niu greeted him indifferently.


    ¡°Um¡­ I have come to accept things and realized that it¡¯s better to live happily no matter what.¡± Xie Laizi¡¯s eyes clearly showed a flash of panic when he saw Qin Niu coming down from the mountains.


    Such an obvious change in expression could not escape Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Uncle Xie, one should indeed live happily. No one came looking for you yesterday, did they?¡±


    Qin Niu asked, staring at him.


    ¡°No, nobody! Not even a dog would dare to come to my shabby house!¡±


    Xie Laizi tried to appear calm, squeezing out a smile in response.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got money now, right? You could build a couple of imposing houses!¡±


    Qin Niu said earnestly.


    ¡°I¡­ where would I get money from? Master Qin, you jest.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t that noble give you some money?¡±


    Hearing Qin Niu mention this, Xie Laizi¡¯s face changed.


    In terms of psychological endurance, he ultimately fell short.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Master Qin is talking about!¡±


    His eyes no longer dared to meet Qin Niu¡¯s gaze, instead lowering his head and darting his eyes around.


    At this point, Qin Niu had an idea of what was going on.


    ¡°Fourth, bite him, deal with him using your poison.¡±


    Following Qin Niu¡¯s command, Fourth jumped off his body onto the ground, quickly crawling towards Xie Laizi.


    Qin Niu proceeded forward without looking back.


    Soon, the sound of Xie Laizi¡¯s pained groans came from behind.


    It seemed that Fourth had managed to bite him.


    Fourth¡¯s poison was very special, capable of eroding the soul. Its poison was likely to be terrifying against ordinary people or beasts and birds.


    This was the first time Qin Niu had asked Fourth to use the Soul Eroding Poison.


    The heavens do value all life.


    Last time Qin Niu wanted to get rid of Xie Laizi, but Wang Haikun¡¯s strike was too light, only crippling the man and leaving Xie Laizi with a breath of life.


    Latter on, Qin Niu did not bother with him again.


    Unexpectedly, this scourge sold Qin Niu out again this time.


    If he doesn¡¯t kill him now, should he wait until the New Year?


    After biting his target, Fourth quickly followed and climbed back onto Qin Niu¡¯s body.


    Returning home, Qin Niu was extremely cautious.


    He even activated his armor with energy to form a Light Cocoon.


    ¡°Fourth, have you discovered any other powerful insects hiding in the house?¡±


    ¡°Not for now.¡±


    ¡°You lead the Termites to conduct a thorough search of the entire house.¡±


    Qin Niu went to the front yard¡¯s fishpond, where the Diamond Ink Turtle was still playing the role of a timid turtle, keeping its head retracted.


    It stayed motionless under the rocks at the bottom of the pond.


    If a stranger came in, even if they inspected the fish pond carefully, they might not be able to spot its existence.


    Being timid has its advantages.


    ¡°InkTurtle, come out!¡±


    Qin Niu called out.


    It slowly stretched its head out and then crawled from under the rocks, surfacing on the water.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought a new friend for you to meet; this is the Golden Toad.¡±


    Qin Niu signaled for the Golden Toad to hop out of the basket.


    But as soon as it appeared, the high-grade aura it emitted immediately frightened the Diamond Ink Turtle into forming a faint ripple of energy on its body. Its head and limbs instantly retracted into its shell, and then it quickly sank to the bottom of the water.


    ¡°Look at you being so cowardly, come out!¡±


    Qin Niu scolded it.


    This time the little turtle refused to come out, no matter what.


    ¡°You¡¯re so useless, to think you are a Diamond Ink Turtle!¡±


    As much as he scolded it, Qin Niu was always kind to his pets and didn¡¯t really do anything to it.


    ¡°Golden Toad, from now on you¡¯d better stay in the backyard. Come to the front yard¡¯s fish pond for a bath or whatever.¡±


    Qin Niu looked towards Xiao Nui inside the cattle pen.


    It was still in deep sleep.


    Strangers would think it was just a normal little water buffalo and probably couldn¡¯t be bothered to take another glance.


    After checking on Xiao Nui and finding nothing amiss, Qin Niu¡¯s hanging heart finally settled down.


    The main issue is still him not being strong enough.


    This was why powerful enemies could barge into his home at will.


    Once he has more insects and they reach higher grades, this courtyard would become a forbidden ground.


    Without his permission, no one would dare to step even half a step inside.


    ¡±Master, there¡¯s something wrong with the well.¡±


    After leading the ant colony to investigate, Fourth signaled to Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu approached the well in the backyard, remaining vigilant.


    The Ink Blade was already in his hand.


    ¡°Are there bugs in it?¡±


    Even after checking, Qin Niu found nothing amiss.


    ¡°There¡¯s the scent of poison, a bit like that of a centipede, possibly even more complex.¡±


    Fourth¡¯s most vivid memory was of a centipede.


    When the ant colony had just formed, they had encountered an attack by a centipede.


    That time, the ant colony suffered heavy losses and deaths.


    Fourth had even lost an antenna because of it.


    ¡°Someone poisoned my well?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    This Old Master Huang is really not just ordinarily despicable, to stoop so low.


    And extremely cunning; the courtyard gate remained intact, nothing in the yard had been touched.


    Even the honeybees raised on the top of the grain storage had not been attacked.


    Had it not been for Fourth, after Qin Niu had checked inside and outside the house, he would have certainly believed that Old Master Huang had never entered.


    And that was precisely where Old Master Huang¡¯s treacherousness lay.


    His method was to first make Qin Niu lower his guard, and then poison the place most likely to be overlooked.


    It would be very easy to fall prey.


    He drew half a bucket of water with a bucket; the water¡¯s color was normal ¨C transparent and clear, and the scent was also normal.


    He caught a small fish from the front yard¡¯s fish pond and threw it into the bucket.


    The small fish had just entered the water and soon began wildly swimming around in a frenzy.


    After just four or five breaths, it turned belly up and was dead beyond any doubt.


    Black blood flowed from its mouth, eyes, gills, and excretory orifice in the tail.


    The well water¡¯s toxicity was extremely frightening, close to being instantly lethal upon contact with blood.


    Qin Niu broke out in a cold sweat.


    At that moment, Xiao Qing had heard the commotion and returned from Wang Furen¡¯s place.


    Seeing the toad as big as a human head, she seemed somewhat afraid.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, did you hear any noise in our house last night?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Someone poisoned the well. Don¡¯t make a fuss about it. I will clean the well now; you go stay at Miss Wang¡¯s place for one more day. You should be able to come back home tonight,¡± Qin Niu said to her.


    ¡°I wonder which scoundrel did it! Master, let me help you clean it.¡±


    Xiao Qing was very smart and knew that Qin Niu might have stirred up powerful enemies recently.


    She had been sent to stay with Miss Wang for almost a month now.


    Listening to what her master was implying, it seemed he might have sorted out the trouble.


    ¡°This well water is extraordinarily poisoned; I can handle it myself. Other food and utensils in the house also need to be checked. You go to Miss Wang¡¯s place first. I¡¯ll call you back once I¡¯m done cleaning up.¡±


    These past few days, Qin Niu hadn¡¯t slept a single peaceful night.


    Now that the powerful enemy had been eliminated, he could finally return to the peaceful and stable life of old.


    This incident also served as a wakeup call for him.


    As his strength continually increased, he would inevitably come into contact with formidable individuals. Some calamities were simply unavoidable, no matter how much he desired to flee from them.


    Unless he lived in complete seclusion.


    But that was not realistic.


    The best method was to make himself stronger.


    He couldn¡¯t help thinking again about the recent severe locust disaster. Could this have something to do with the Nine Insect Gang? Or, was this actually a precursor to the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s move against the Black Tiger Gang?


    When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.


    With crisis looming, he had to seize the time to become stronger.


    Fortunately, the Elixir that could precipitate a breakthrough was being concocted, and this time he had also acquired over thirteen thousand silver notes. The Ant Queen had successfully advanced, and with a Grade Seven Golden Toad now in his possession, his strength in every aspect should be able to climb to a higher level.

 Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: Chapter 189 Hypocrisyi

    Chapter 194: Chapter 189 Hypocrisyi


    Translator: 549690339 |


    After he cleaned the well, he searched his home thoroughly but did not discover anything else out of the ordinary.


    The Pork King meat was hard-won by his hunt and very well hidden; Ah Niu guessed that Old Master Huang likely didn¡¯t have the leisure time to rummage through his belongings.


    This time, his residence had been invaded, but his pets proved to be of no use, serving as a wake-up call for Ah Niu.


    Scouting pets should be concealed to provide surveillance day and night undetected.


    The beehive would have been excellent sentinels, but at night, without night vision, they were essentially useless.


    In the future, he might consider taming appropriate insects to serve as guards in the yard.


    ¡°Xie Laizi is in trouble!¡±


    ¡°Xie Laizi from the end of the village is in trouble, everyone come and see!¡±


    Someone was shouting loudly outside.


    Six hours had passed since Ah Niu used insects to bite people, and only now Xie Laizi was discovered to be in trouble. Such is the bleakness of a bachelor¡¯s life.


    No wife, no children, not a single relative close by.


    Nobody to care for him if he fell ill.


    Even if he died at home, nobody would know.


    Xie Laizi, having been bitten by Fourth¡¯s beast, certainly didn¡¯t end well. It could be considered as the end to his life of misdeeds.


    Ah Niu naturally did not go to join the crowd for the spectacle.


    He was a dignified Insect Master, unable to act as idle as the common villagers.


    About half an hour later, Village Head Xu Zhenchang came to seek an audience outside his door.


    ¡°Master Qin, our villager Xie Laizi seems to have been bitten by a venomous snake and has died at home without treatment. Now that you are the highest- ranked person in the village, I¡¯ve come to ask for your instructions on how to handle this,¡±


    Xu Zhenchang asked respectfully.


    ¡°The man was alone in the world, without kin or children, indeed pitiable. I will go and see.¡±


    Though the Chief was infinitely glorious, and even the village head had to speak cautiously with him,


    it also meant he bore great responsibility.


    All major decisions in the village were made by Ah Niu.


    Accompanying Xu Zhenchang to Xie Laizi¡¯s home, many villagers followed behind.


    Ah Niu saw that Xie Laizi¡¯s orifices bled, his expression fierce and terrifying.


    The ground was covered with numerous scratches left by fingernails.


    ¡°Did anyone check Xie Laizi¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°We were afraid of the poison and didn¡¯t dare to touch him,¡±


    Xu Zhenchang replied.


    Ah Niu felt that Xie Laizi must have gotten hold of Old Master Huang¡¯s wealth, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been happily humming a tune.


    He squatted down and felt around Xie Laizi¡¯s body, directly finding a two Silver Money weight ingot.


    The villagers¡¯ eyes immediately went wide.


    All of them were staring intently at that ingot of silver.


    Ah Niu then pulled out several dozen copper coins, but nothing more.


    ¡°Village Head, how much would it cost to buy a cheap coffin for Xie Laizi¡¯s burial?¡±


    ¡± If we don¡¯t erect a tombstone, two Silver Money should just be enough to handle it.¡±


    ¡°This is what we¡¯ll do, you take charge of the arrangements, and let Xie Laizi rest in peace. If there¡¯s any money left over after using these, divide it among those who carried the coffin and buried the body. If it¡¯s not enough or just barely so, each person involved in the burial will receive fifty Wen Money from me as compensation for their hard work, and I will cover any shortfall.¡±


    Ah Niu effectively ensured the arrangements for Xie Laizi¡¯s funeral.


    Two Silver Money for a cheap coffin would leave very little leftover, and decent meals would still need to be provided for those managing the funeral rites.


    With so many mouths to feed well for two meals, a few hundred Wen Money was already very modest.


    So, two Silver Money was definitely not enough.


    Ah Niu estimated he would need to subsidize more than half a Silver Money.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Qin! You truly are our village¡¯s great benefactor!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang led the chant, bowing his thanks.


    The other villagers also praised Ah Niu as a great philanthropist.


    ¡°As villagers, we should naturally care for and help each other. As fellow countrymen, it is my duty to assist where my abilities allow. The locust plague is still wreaking havoc these days, ravaging the crops of the people; I need to help the Yan Family with pest control. The funeral matters of Xie Laizi will trouble you all.¡±


    Ah Niu clasped his hands together and turned to leave.


    With the death of Xie Laizi, the secret of Old Master Huang¡¯s visit to him would never be exposed.


    He could finally rest easy.


    Merely the Executor of the Nine Insect Gang had kept Ah Niu anxious and on edge for over a month, living every day in fear. If he were to provoke the Nine Insect Gang, being marked by them, he couldn¡¯t even dare to imagine.


    It would surely be a great calamity.


    Returning home, Ah Niu called Xiao Qing back.


    She seemed very happy.


    Wang Wanyan also followed, with her raised cat trailing behind.


    After eating the Pork King meat, the cat¡¯s physique underwent a second growth, becoming much more robust than before.


    Moreover, with her taking the cat to hunt in the mountains, allowing it to exercise, its ferocity and wildness were gradually being brought out, giving off a completely different impression.


    ¡°Wan Yan, your cat must be much stronger than before, right?¡±


    ¡°It does seem to have become considerably stronger. In the past, whenever it saw Liu Shengli¡¯s big yellow dog from the Liu Family, it would immediately climb to a tree or rooftop to hide. Now, the Liu Family¡¯s big yellow dog immediately tucks its tail and whimpers upon seeing it.¡±


    Speaking of this matter, her face was brimming with a happy smile.


    Seeing her own pet get stronger naturally made her happy.


    ¡°Hehe, it seems that the pig king meat wasn¡¯t wasted after all, it did have some use. How¡¯s your interaction with it now? Can you command it to do some things?¡±


    ¡°It can understand some of my simple commands and our relationship has gotten closer and closer. But it seems like it still can¡¯t understand complicated orders. For example, when hunting, I told it to ambush a fox from behind while I distracted the fox with bait from the front. In the end, it just lay there motionless and the fox got away. I was almost driven mad by it.¡±


    Wang Wanyan expressed her troubles during the beast taming process.


    This is an experience common to all Insect Masters or Beast Tamers.


    Qin Niu had just subdued the Ant Queen recently, and because he hadn¡¯t grasped insect language, he couldn¡¯t communicate with the termites at all. The tender leaves he threw at the entrance of their nest were completely ignored.


    Later, after mastering the insect language, things gradually improved.


    By now, he already had a spiritual power that wasn¡¯t too weak, and he had learned to communicate with his pets using spiritual power.


    Even when facing beast or avian pets, he could communicate with them.


    ¡°Take it slow, I believe it will get better and better. You can carefully observe its actions, expressions, and the sounds it makes in different situations to learn the language of the cat. Also, you can make eye contact with it and focus your thoughts to communicate, which is a more advanced way of communicating.¡±


    Qin Niu taught her some techniques to master beast language.


    ¡°Ah Niu, you know so much. I¡¯ll have to come to learn these beast taming skills from you often in the future.¡±


    She looked at Qin Niu with admiring eyes.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s help, she was gradually becoming a qualified Beast Tamer.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to come over any time. Since Xiao Qing is already quite familiar with you, even if I¡¯m not home, you can come visit Xiao Qing and chat with her.¡± Qin Niu had always had a deep fondness for her.


    If she would agree, Qin Niu would be very happy to marry her.


    Even when Tang Caixian was chasing after him, he had already reserved the position of the main wife for Wang Wanyan.


    Even the Jade Emperor had countless fairy wives, and as a mere mortal, marrying two wives was truly no big deal.


    Rich families nearly all had multiple wives and concubines.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand outside, come on in and sit down! We can¡¯t become strangers just because I built a new house.¡±


    Qin Niu invited her to sit inside.


    ¡°Your house is really beautiful and very imposing.¡±


    She praised Qin Niu¡¯s new house as she walked inside.


    It wasn¡¯t her first time visiting.


    Every time she came, she praised it. What does that imply?


    Is she hinting to Qin Niu that she really likes this house?


    ¡°If Sister Wan Yan likes my master¡¯s house, she could marry my master and become my mistress!¡± Xiao Qing was a small creature with big ideas, and it was hard to tell where she got so many notions from.


    She spent her days arranging for Qin Niu to get married.


    ¡°Children say the darndest things, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Upon seeing that Wang Wanyan¡¯s fair face had turned quite red, Qin Niu quickly spoke to ease her embarrassment.


    At that moment, her cat, as if it had encountered something terrifying, made a strange cry, tucked its tail, and turned to flee.


    ¡°Xiao Hua, come back!¡±


    Wang Wanyan called it, but to no avail.


    In the blink of an eye, it had disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what frightened it, but I need to go back and check. I¡¯ll come over again another time. Xiao Qing, if you¡¯re scared at night and alone at home, you¡¯re always welcome to stay at my place.¡±


    Clearly, Xiao Qing had already told her she could stay at her own home in the future.


    ¡°Ah Niu, I have to go back now. There¡¯s nothing scary in your yard, so why did it frighten my Xiao Hua like that?¡±


    Qin Niu was also puzzled.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle was still at a very low level, inherently timid, and spent all day hiding under the rocks at the bottom of the water. It couldn¡¯t have scared Wang Wanyan¡¯s cat like that.


    Xiao Niu was even more unlikely.


    It was just a lazy ox, which had been sleeping all the time recently.


    The only possibility that could have frightened the cat into running away was the newly acquired Golden Toad.


    It was a Grade Seven beast pet, terrifyingly powerful.


    Even Qin Niu¡¯s Ant Queen was a whole three grades lower than it.


    He went to the backyard, where the Golden Toad was sitting next to the well, looking like it wanted to enter the well as it circled around it.


    ¡°Golden Toad, hold back your aura in the future; you¡¯ve scared away the guests. As my pet, you must remember, the more low-key, the better. Pets that are too showy often don¡¯t live long.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t just scaring it.


    No matter how strong a demon beast was, as long as it flaunted itself everywhere, nine times out of ten it would be taken by a powerful human as a mount.


    Some unlucky ones got directly wiped out by humans.


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    It agreed.


    But its croaking was still loud, probably loud enough to be heard halfway across the village.


    ¡± Is this you agreeing verbally but resolutely refusing to change? In the village, do you think you¡¯re in the mountains? Don¡¯t go croaking around without reason in the future.¡±


    Qin Niu glared at it in critique.


    The Golden Toad looked back at him with its red eyes, seemingly aggrieved.


    ¡°If you like staying in cool underground places, I can dig a well for you. Of course, you can also choose a spot in this backyard and dig a hole for yourself. But let me give you a heads-up, don¡¯t touch those medicinal herbs. If you dare cause any damage, I¡¯ll skin you and feast on frog meat.¡±

 Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Chapter 190 Corpse Bee Breeding Method 1

    Chapter 195: Chapter 190 Corpse Bee Breeding Method 1


    Translator: 549690339


    After Qin Niu¡¯s warning, the Golden Toad looked at him with innocent little eyes.


    Qin Niu had no choice but to select a spot of land for it.


    In a corner of the courtyard.


    It was inconspicuous.


    The place was dark and damp, an environment toads favor for shelter.


    The toad hopped over, scraped off the tiles, and then began to dig into the earth.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t bother with it any further, instead going into his house. He took out Old Master Huang¡¯s notes and began to read them seriously.


    They contained the chronicles of Old Master Huang¡¯s life.


    He was originally the son of a wealthy family, with more than thirty mu of fertile land. He aspired to become a great Beast Tamer. As a result, he was swindled out of his family fortune and left in massive debt.


    His father died of rage.


    His mother also followed soon after, succumbing to depression.


    Facing a dead end, Old Master Huang had even considered suicide. Later, he was accidentally saved by an elder of the Nine Insect Gang and taken in as a nominal disciple.


    From then on, he began to exhibit his extraordinary talent for controlling insects, advancing by leaps and bounds.


    From nominal disciple, he became an official disciple, and later became the chosen disciple of that elder.


    He even bred a unique species of insect by feeding them with his own flesh¡ª the Corpse Bee.


    They not only possessed night vision but were also strong and fiercely toxic, with a remarkable self-healing ability. They could rejuvenate from injuries in a very short time.


    With these bees, Old Master Huang made a name for himself in the Nine Insect Gang, and with his master¡¯s assistance, he was promoted to the position of an executor.


    Afterward, through hard work, he went from being a common executor to an inner hall executor.


    And he was one of the most outstanding ones.


    This time he was infiltrating Black Tiger City to carry out an important mission for the gang.


    It might involve the core secrets of the gang. He didn¡¯t specify what the mission was, only mentioning that if he completed it, he would have made major achievements and could be promoted to protector within the gang.


    An executor was only middle management, while a protector was already halfway into the higher echelons.


    No wonder this man was so abnormally powerful; he was an inner hall executor of the Nine Insect Gang, an existence second only to a protector.


    Qin Niu was able to kill him, and much of the credit went to the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Old Master Huang first had several Corpse Bees killed, causing damage to his spirit, followed by Qin Niu crushing a bee commander right before his eyes, which dealt a severe blow to his spirit.


    But that wasn¡¯t even the worst of it.


    He was tricked into entering the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, and it was before dawn¡ªthe Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s feeding time.


    Already heavily injured in spirit, Old Master Huang fought desperately against the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s attacks, barely surviving.


    By that time, he was already in terrible shape.


    But it didn¡¯t stop there.


    Qin Niu began to aggressively kill the Corpse Bees outside, with nearly a hundred slaughtered. This was like piling snow on Old Master Huang, who was already hurt in spirit and body.


    It was like a severely injured patient being stomped on repeatedly.


    Even so, Old Master Huang still clung to life desperately.


    But who would have thought that after dawn, the first thing Qin Niu did upon entering the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze was to crush another bee commander.


    This was like another heavy punch to the already battered Old Master Huang.


    By then, Old Master Huang was barely clinging to life.


    Qin Niu, playing dirty, used his Ink Blade to deliver a vicious stab, piercing his stomach.


    Despite all this, Old Master Huang still had the will to fight on until the end.


    However, ultimately he could not escape the killing blow of the Ink Blade.


    Throughout the entire battle, Old Master Huang suffered severe disadvantages. Even before engaging in direct combat, he had already lost around eighty to ninety percent of his strength, and his life was hanging by a thread.


    If Qin Niu hadn¡¯t had these stratagems and the help of the Ancient Banyan Tree, he most certainly wouldn¡¯t have been a match for Old Master Huang.


    He also gained a clearer understanding of the strength of the Nine Insect Gang.


    The true protectors, or even the sect elders, must possess even more terrifying power.


    The notes beyond detailing Old Master Huang¡¯s life story also focused on methods of cultivating Corpse Bees.


    To hatch Corpse Bee eggs, one must select a piece of intact flesh on a living creature, bury the eggs within, and then use the creature¡¯s blood flow and body temperature to incubate the eggs.


    This process is extremely painful.


    As the eggs hatch, they continuously release corpse poison, making the originally intact skin and flesh unbearably itchy, slowly necrotizing and rotting away.


    The most ideal way of incubation is to carry it out on a living human being.


    Old Master Huang chose to incubate the bee eggs within his own body, allowing them to reside inside him continuously and enduring great pain night and day.


    Moreover, to cultivate those three Bee Generals, he went to great lengths and endured much suffering.


    During the incubation period, he used his own cultivation to nourish them, aiding their growth in strength.


    After they matured into adult bees, they needed to consume his decaying flesh every month.


    To ensure sufficient food for the Bee Generals, Old Master Huang let the three of them eat the decaying flesh on his back in turns. After one finished, he would use top-grade Flesh-Regenerating Elixirs to heal the missing flesh on his back, growing new flesh.


    Then he would wait for it to rot and be consumed by the second Bee General.


    This was the only way to barely meet the needs of the three Bee Generals.


    Nevertheless, Old Master Huang suffered unimaginable pain every day.


    No wonder when Qin Niu crushed one of his Bee Generals, he went mad like his son had been killed.


    The notes also presented an alternative method of incubation, which involved choosing animals, restraining their bodies, and placing the bee eggs within their flesh to hatch. He experimented with horses, dogs, rabbits, and monkeys.


    The most effective were the monkeys.


    He also mentioned that using live humans yielded even better results than using monkeys.


    But the bodies of ordinary people are hardly able to withstand the invasion of corpse poison, often leading to death.


    The whole method of hatching and cultivating Corpse Bees seemed to be an utterly evil cultivation technique.


    Qin Niu temporarily discarded the idea of hatching such bees.


    Utilizing animals as a substitute for incubation was barely acceptable to him, but he could never accept using living humans for the experiment.


    The notes also described some methods to help strengthen the Corpse Bees, many of which were wicked techniques.


    Yet, Old Master Huang did not seem to mind and even believed that if the Corpse Bees were continuously cultivated, their potential could surpass that of the Green Demon¡¯s Green Demon Bees.


    Additionally, the Step-Method Martial Skill that Qin Niu coveted was mentioned.


    This was a volume of martial skills from the scripture library of the Nine Insect Gang.


    Every inner sect disciple and higher-ranked position could practice it.


    Every sect had numerous cultivation techniques and martial skills secret manuals, and apart from the very top ones, the rest were generally released to the sect disciples for study.


    Qin Niu safely stored the two Corpse Bee eggs for later, deciding whether to hatch them depending on the circumstances.


    As dusk approached, the Yan Family sent someone to fetch him again.


    ¡°Master Qin, are you free tonight to help our Yan Family with extermination?¡±


    Ever since Steward Yan Qi found that Qin Niu was even more capable than Master Mo and Master Shi, his attitude towards Qin Niu became even more respectful.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get ready and then accompany you,¡±


    Qin Niu readily agreed.


    He made sure to bring along the Golden Toad.


    Once Qin Niu boarded the carriage, Yan Qi said to him, ¡°Just a short while ago, Master Mo discovered an abnormal situation. A kind of very powerful locust broke through the defenses laid by Master Mo. Those locusts are formidable, and Master Mo would like to invite you over to discuss a good strategy.¡±

 Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Chapter 191 Zhong Si_i

    Chapter 196: Chapter 191 Zhong Si_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°The locusts have evolved?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    After the accidental discovery of Old Master Huang¡¯s true identity, he had already sensed from various signs that the Nine Insect Gang might be the mastermind behind the scenes.


    If these locusts were really created by the Nine Insect Gang, he, as a low-rank Insect Master, must not be too conspicuous.


    The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.


    The heroes who jump the highest often die the earliest.


    For now, he could only act according to the situation.


    After arriving at the Yan Family, Yan Family¡¯s eldest son personally came down to greet him.


    This also reflected Qin Niu¡¯s higher status than before.


    After all, it was all about interests.


    The Yan Family now needed the help of an Insect Master to defend against the terrible locust disaster. Qin Niu, with his powerful pest control abilities that even surpassed Master Mo and Master Shi while helping the Yan Family clear pests, naturally made the Yan Family value him greatly.


    ¡°Master Qin, we have been waiting for you. Just this morning, a new species suddenly appeared among the locusts. Look, I even caught two specifically to study them.¡±


    Master Mo Sang saw Qin Niu and immediately stood up to greet him.


    There was no longer the arrogance he had before.


    Are there many of these new species of locusts?¡±


    ¡°Not many. But their abilities are very powerful, fearless against my many layers of defense lines. Under their leadership, the ordinary locusts now have the ability to breach the defense line. Although only fifty or sixty of these dark golden locusts with black spots on their heads were discovered today, they nearly broke through my defenses.¡±


    Master Mo Sang, still shaken, recounted his encounter of the day.


    ¡°Fortunately, I still had some tricks up my sleeve, otherwise the defense would have definitely been breached today.¡±


    Every Insect Master has some tricks up their sleeve.


    The fact that Master Mo Sang had to resort to his last resort is enough to show how formidable these locusts were.


    The new locust was a size larger than the ordinary locust, dark golden in color, and its two hind legs were not thick but appeared slender and elongated.


    They were somewhat like the legs of a katydid.


    In terms of combat ability, locusts are relatively inferior within the Orthoptera. Besides strong endurance and decent defense, they probably only had strong reproductive capacities.


    Katydids are mostly solitary.


    Locusts, on the other hand, like to move in swarms, whether it¡¯s desert locusts, migratory locusts, or smaller wart locusts, all enjoy moving in groups.


    When their numbers swell to a certain extent, they are like an overwhelming force, more terrifying than invaders entering a village.


    Katydids too, belong to the Orthoptera order-how strong is their combat ability?


    The ¡®swordsman¡¯ mantis is almost an invincible existence in the insect world.


    Even the formidable insects like centipedes and scorpions are within the mantis¡¯s diet range.


    When a mantis becomes ruthless, it can even kill the ¡®husband¡¯ on its back.


    Occasionally, one might find a smaller mantis lying on the back of a female, but that male mantis¡¯s head would be missing.


    This sight often sends shivers down one¡¯s spine.


    Yet even such fierce creatures sometimes fail in hunting katydids and are counter killed instead.


    Beyond that, katydids sometimes can also counter kill formidable opponents such as spiders and hornets.


    It¡¯s hard to imagine that katydids, with their delicate, slender bodies, could unleash such ferocious combat abilities.


    Some Insect Masters believe that katydids have inherited the combat talent of crickets and are much larger in size.


    This is the reason they can defeat strong opponents.


    Qin Niu picked up the cage holding the locusts and looked closely at it.


    ¡°This should be a new species bred from a cross between locusts and katydids. Their combat abilities are far superior to ordinary locusts, and their flying capabilities should also be strong. Additionally, they possess powerful stridulating skills.¡±


    After examining, Qin Niu made a preliminary identification of this new species of locust.


    ¡°Exactly, exactly! When they charge, they are like fierce warriors on the battlefield, not only taking the lead but also emitting a sharp and high-pitched stridulating sound. The other locusts, hearing this, will follow suit and charge. Each one is fearlessly valiant, and their combat abilities are much stronger than under normal circumstances.¡±


    Master Mo Sang nodded vigorously in agreement.


    ¡®The defense line I¡¯m guarding has not yet encountered this new type of locust, and if it does, I may not be able to hold it.¡±


    Master Shi¡¯s abilities were much weaker than Master Mo Sang¡¯s.


    With the emergence of this new species of locust, even Master Shi was not in the mood today to embrace the maidservants and seek pleasure.


    Instead, he was suffused with a faint worry.


    If his defense line was breached, his comfortable life in the Yan Family would come to an end.


    ¡°Master Qin, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll need you to think of a solution for this matter.¡±


    Seeing that the two Insect Masters invited from the city were somewhat at their limits, Yan Family¡¯s eldest son could only put his hope in Qin Niu.


    ¡°Difficult!¡±


    Qin Niu shook his head and sighed.


    Of course, this was just a facade.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s current strength, not to mention insects of this level, even stronger ones would be within his capabilities.


    After all, even the Corpse Bee so powerful from Old Master Huang had been captured by him.


    ¡°Master Qin only said it¡¯s difficult, and didn¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible to deal with ¨C that means there is a way. I also know that asking Master Qin to deal with such powerful insects, it wouldn¡¯t be right to calculate the labor costs by the old standards. As long as Master Qin agrees, the price is negotiable.¡±


    Yan Family¡¯s eldest son was shrewd enough to hear an opportunity to negotiate and immediately expressed his willingness to pay more Silver Money.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ These locusts possess formidable combat capabilities and can even emit piercing shrieks to attack. They¡¯re quite tricky to handle. A slight misstep and my insects might be counter-killed, resulting in significant casualties. Such a loss is almost fatal for us Insect Masters,¡±


    Qin Niu did not mention a price at all.


    He only discussed how challenging the task was.


    If the other party understood what was implied, they would certainly offer a price that could tempt Qin Niu.


    ¡°I understand the difficulty Master Qin faces! How about this: we set up another defense line in front of Master Mo¡¯s and your job is only to handle these special locusts. For every one you eradicate, the Yan Family will pay ten Wen Money.¡±


    This price was already quite high.


    Given the current situation, if a hundred special locusts appeared per day and


    Qin Niu took care of all of them, the Yan Family would have to pay one thousand Wen.


    Which is to say, One Tael of Silver.


    The Yan Family was very shrewd.


    The several hundred acres of land behind had already been cleared of pests once over with Qin Niu¡¯s efforts.


    As for the few scattered locusts that strayed onto their fields afterward, they could no longer pose a threat.


    By having Qin Niu guard the front line against the special locusts and with Masters Mo and Shi defending the second line, the safety of the fields would be absolutely assured.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Qin Niu was weighing the risks involved.


    He was mainly afraid of attracting the attention of the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s experts.


    ¡°If Master Qin still feels the amount is inadequate, I can add one more Wen. For every one eradicated, the Yan Family will pay eleven Wen Money,¡±


    The young master of the Yan Family clenched his teeth and raised the offer again.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve known the Yan Family for more than a day or two and I don¡¯t engage in kicking someone when they¡¯re down or extortionate price hiking. We¡¯ll go with the price you¡¯ve stated, Young Master Yan, ten Wen Money each. I can only try my best and if I cannot hold the line, then you¡¯ll simply have to find someone more skillful,¡±


    Qin Niu agreed to the deal.


    He thought taking advantage of this opportunity to train his troops would be beneficial.


    Calculating the time, the first batch of thousand eggs laid by the Ant Queen would become adult ants in a day or two.


    Afterward, there would be an additional one thousand termites each day.


    With such a strong force at his disposal, it would be a waste not to make some money when the opportunity arose.


    Taking on this job had a deeper meaning as well.


    If the Nine Insect Gang did set their sights on him, they¡¯d see him working for the Yan Family for a mere One Tael of Silver a day, which wouldn¡¯t make them suspect he had killed Old Master Huang.


    ¡°I knew Master Qin was a man of principle. I¡¯ll drink to that, and if Master Qin ever faces any difficulties, as long as the Yan Family can help, we won¡¯t just stand by,¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s agreement without any need for an increased price, the young master of the Yan Family joyfully raised his glass in a toast.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re putting me on the very front line, then I will be the one to set it


    I will also need the Yan Family to dispatch some strong laborers to build a new defense line according to my specifications, as quickly as possible,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem at all. After we finish dinner, I¡¯ll accompany Master Qin to the front line. Just tell me your requirements, and I¡¯ll have people work through the night to complete the defense line,¡±


    Young Master Yan readily agreed.


    After finishing the banquet, Qin Niu, accompanied by the young master of the Yan Family and Steward Yan Qi among others, headed to the front line.


    ¡°Build the defense line right in front of this pond! About ten meters or so should be enough,¡±


    Qin Niu voiced his general requirements.


    Trouble Young Master Yan to arrange for a straw hut to be built here; I can


    stay in it at night. Even if I am not here during the day, I will have my insects guarding this place. So make sure no one enters this defense line, to avoid my insects accidentally injuring them,¡±


    Locusts are afraid of water; having a pond behind them can effectively force the locusts to stop at the shore and then take off again to fly over the pond.


    Because locusts can¡¯t fly far in one go.


    They need to land after flying a dozen meters or so to rest before taking off with a leap again.


    ¡°No problem! I¡¯ll have someone build it overnight,¡±


    Right there and then, Young Master Yan instructed Steward Yan Qi to gather people to construct a new defense line.


    Qin Niu remained on-site to observe the terrain and the locust situation.


    In the short time since, even though it was dusk, he could still see locusts migrating from afar in groups of three or pairs.


    They were very clever; they either circumvented the pond completely or flew straight from the shore, crossing over the pond.


    ¡°Chirp, chirp!¡±


    The high-pitched cry of insects carried over from a distance.


    A large swarm of locusts, at least two to three hundred strong, approached from far away.


    Qin Niu saw a special locust captured by Master Mo leading the way at the front.


    It constantly vibrated its wings, emitting a piercing shrill that beckoned a massive following of locusts.


    This special locust was like a valiant general on the battlefield, leading a troop of soldiers in a charge, its momentum incredibly formidable.


    No wonder Master Mo said these locusts might be few in number but were extremely fearsome.


    ¡°Fourth, can you take care of it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The answer from Fourth was absurdly relaxed and casual.


    Only its single horn was directed at the insect, and it didn¡¯t even need to deploy the power of the ant swarm. As soon as that special locust entered its range of spiritual power attack, the insect trembled and then froze.


    In front of Fourth, it couldn¡¯t muster any resistance at all and was immediately controlled.


    ¡°Come on in!¡±


    Qin Niu took out an Insect Jar, and the special locust flew in obediently.

 Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Chapter 192: The Second Demon Ant_i

    Chapter 197: Chapter 192: The Second Demon Ant_i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    After securing the lid, he resumed his study of this particular locust.


    ¡°Fourth, make it make its call and see if it can control those common locusts,¡± he said.


    The sound it made was like a charging horn, possessing a strange magic.


    There are many ways insects can attack.


    Sonic attacks are one of them.


    For instance, the death-seeking Jin Chan that Qin Niu sold used sound waves to attack.


    Under Fourth¡¯s control, the special locust vibrated its wings once more, sending out a piercing cry.


    It was very sharp, agitating to the point of making one¡¯s blood boil with irritation.


    Upon hearing the call, many common locusts began to converge on this location.


    In the blink of an eye, two to three hundred had gathered.


    ¡°Using this method to eliminate the common locusts isn¡¯t half bad either.¡±


    Seeing this scene, Qin Niu¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    Catch a few more special locusts and use their calls to lure and trap the common ones.


    Unfortunately, only this one has been found so far.


    Qin Niu was not in a hurry.


    Instead, he walked forward to investigate from which directions the locusts were flying in.


    In the fields, in the hills, locusts could be found in small groups everywhere.


    They ceaselessly nibbled on the tender leaves of any plant they could eat.


    After feasting, they¡¯d lift their wings and fly forward in search of the next edible plant.


    Grains of insect feces were randomly excreted below.


    The locust plague had been going on for so long, why hadn¡¯t there been any reaction from the Black Tiger Gang?


    It didn¡¯t feel right!


    If the higher-ups of the Black Tiger Gang weren¡¯t brainless, they must have sensed something was amiss by now. The correct approach would be to mobilize all Insect Masters within their jurisdiction to exterminate the locusts together.


    Yet there seemed to be no significant movement from the Insect Master Association.


    The Insect Masters were largely fighting on their own, guarding whoever paid them the highest price to watch their crops.


    By midnight, the defensive line had been built to Qin Niu¡¯s specifications.


    The thatched cottage was also rather large.


    The eldest son of the Yan Family had been supervising the construction on-site, which showed how seriously they took the matter.


    After all, whether the defense line could hold determined the safety of the rear.


    ¡°Master Qin, please check if the bed inside the thatched cottage meets your satisfaction,¡± he requested.


    He invited Qin Niu to inspect the thatched cottage.


    ¡°Why did you even bother to prepare a bed for me?¡± Qin Niu asked, surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been defending our Yan Family¡¯s front line and clearing locusts, a most arduous and meritorious task. Naturally, we can¡¯t let you suffer too much discomfort.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no need for such a big bed!¡±


    ¡°With the long night ahead, Master Qin, standing watch alone at the front, having a beautiful woman to keep you company should add some joy to the night.¡±


    ¡°No need, no need. My insects only recognize me, and please don¡¯t let anyone else enter this area. If someone gets bitten, even I don¡¯t have the antidote,¡± Qin Niu warned the Yan Family¡¯s eldest son.


    His Termites were fierce, but without orders from Qin Niu, they wouldn¡¯t attack indiscriminately.


    Only if someone violated their territory would they become aggressive.


    ¡°Master Qin, could it be that you find those pretty maids no longer virgins? I can arrange for a virgin maid to serve you,¡± he offered.


    ¡°I appreciate the thought, but really, there¡¯s no need for that. The night is deep, Young Master Yan, please go back and rest. Leave this place to me.¡±


    Qin Niu promptly sent Young Master Yan on his way.


    These young masters of wealthy families were spoiled from a young age. It¡¯s said that around the age of thirteen or fourteen, they had experienced maids teach them the ways of the bedroom. Changing women for them was truly as casual as changing clothes.


    Unless it was their official wife, only then could they not be casually replaced.


    Even as a concubine with little status, some people would send them directly to those in need of bribes to obtain greater benefits.


    And the concubine could not resist.


    She could only wipe her tears and accept the man¡¯s heartlessness.


    The next morning, Qin Niu looked at the seventeen special locusts he had caught in the Insect Jar, thinking to himself, ¡°At only ten Wen Money apiece, am I earning too little?¡±


    Seventeen locusts amounted to just one hundred and seventy Wen Money.


    His wealth had already surpassed ten thousand taels. Treating the Fang Family¡¯s special medicinal herb earned him a total of one thousand seven hundred taels, and taking out Old Master Huang had netted him over thirteen thousand taels.


    Adding it up, his wealth was nearing fifteen thousand taels.


    If he were to buy land with it, he could quickly become a landlord of a size similar to the Yan Family.


    But he was not ready to buy land yet.


    As long as the locust plague continued, land prices would surely plummet.


    If the Nine Insect Gang clashed with the Black Tiger Gang, land prices would fall even further.


    The gold of turbulent times, the land of a peaceful and prosperous era.


    Although after the Nine Insect Gang took down the Black Tiger Gang, the ordinary peasants and landlords wouldn¡¯t lose their land, the chaos would make people feel troubled, and few would be willing to farm.


    Moreover, theft and robbery were rampant.


    The hard-earned crops, just when harvest time approached, could be stolen or robbed overnight by those without food.


    But then again, families like the Yan Family with their own guards were generally not afraid of being robbed or stolen from.


    Qin Niu left a contingent of Termites to guard the line of defense, then he returned home.


    After breakfast, he ascended the mountain.


    Upon reaching the Ant Nest, he saw swarms of delicate, young Termites crawling out from the nest.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the Ant Queen¡¯s first batch of a thousand ant eggs would have metamorphosed into adult ants last night.¡±


    He was delighted to see these little fellows.


    A full one thousand of them!


    And the current Ant Queen was a Grade Four Termite, producing larvae even stronger than before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, all of you line up outside. Let me take a good look,¡± he ordered.


    Qin Niu commanded the ant swarm to form well-ordered lines outside the Ant Nest.


    Grade Two large Force Worker Ants, 27 in total; Grade Two large Force Soldier Ants, 11 in total; a Grade Three Demon Ant; Grade Two Breeder Ants, 3 in total; Grade Two Elephant Nose Soldier Ant, 1 in total; Grade Two common Worker Ants, 673 in total¡­


    To his great surprise, there was a Demon Ant and later, an Elephant Nose Soldier Ant.


    Both types of Termites were rare varieties.


    And all of these one thousand Termites were at least Grade Two.


    The Demon Ant even reached Grade Three.


    It was truly astounding.


    To think, a regular Termite would need to be fed Banyan Tree Blood and go through a life-and-death challenge to metamorphose into a Grade Two Termite.


    Now, with the Ant Queen becoming stronger, they were born as Grade Two Termites.


    If cultivated further, wouldn¡¯t they immediately become Grade Three Termites?


    Qin Niu now finally understood why Old Master Huang could treat over four thousand Grade Three Army Ants as cannon fodder.


    Because with a high-grade Ant Queen, Grade Three ants simply weren¡¯t valuable.


    ¡°Locusts are nothing compared to my Termite Army,¡± he declared.


    Qin Niu beheld the thousand new Termites, and in that moment, he finally felt hopeful.


    ¡°The old rule: common Grade Two Termites can only be mass-cultivated. Special Grade Two Termites and the Grade Three Demon Ant will be cultivated with precision on a one-on-one basis,¡± he decided.


    Now, he had abundant experience in using Banyan Tree Blood to nurture Termites.


    However, each of these special Grade Two Termites was precious.


    Out of caution, he first chose a dozen common Grade Two Worker and Soldier Ants to cultivate.


    The result was that all fifteen common Grade Two ants passed the life-and- death challenge with a success rate of one hundred percent.


    This also made him boldly confident in cultivating the special Grade Two Termites.


    When it came time to cultivate the Grade Three Demon Ant, he was still incredibly cautious.

 Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: Chapter 193: Medicine King Sutra Furnace and Cauldroni

    Chapter 198: Chapter 193: Medicine King Sutra Furnace and Cauldroni


    Translator: 549690339


    The Grade Two strong Worker Ants and Soldier Ants crawl almost as fast as the Swift Ants.


    The crawling speed of the Grade Three Demon Ants has even reached the level of the Grade Two Lightning Ants.


    However, in terms of strength, the Grade Three Demon Ants are clearly much weaker than Fourth.


    Another point worth mentioning is that Grade Two strong Worker Ants and Soldier Ants do not possess any special abilities.


    The special abilities of Grade Three Demon Ants include mid-level intelligence, basic exoskeleton, basic self-healing, super strong biting, Venom Attack, and an evolved abdomen with a Poison Stinger and venom sac, whose venom has the dual toxicities of paralysis and soul erosion. Demonization increases their speed threefold, their attack power fivefold, and their defensive ability twofold when in the demonized state.


    It feels like the abilities of the Grade Three Demon Ants are on par with Grade Two tiger-striped ironclad ants.


    However, after demonization, their defensive power increases twofold, which is much stronger than that of the Grade Two tiger-striped ironclad ants.


    Also, they have the basic ability of self-healing.


    When injured, they can recover quickly.


    With this ability alone, they can exhaust many opponents of equal strength.


    Even minor injuries in battle can affect the exertion of combat power afterward.


    Currently, even Fourth does not have the ability to heal itself.


    With this ability, it¡¯s like having a doctor and medicine with you at all times.


    Furthermore, Grade Three Demon Ants are equipped with an abdominal poison stinger that can sting the enemy.


    Their venom is also incredibly effective, possessing both paralytic and soul-eroding toxicities.


    Last but not least, the lifespan of Demon Ants is 30 years.


    This is an incredibly long lifespan that other Termites would envy.


    Ordinary Termites, many of which only live for half a year to three years, have a lifespan that is more than ten times less than that of Demon Ants.


    Only after drinking the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and overcoming the trials of life and death did Fourth manage to increase its lifespan to 30.5 years.


    This is only half a year longer than that of the Grade Three Demon Ants.


    Qin Niu feels that although there are similarities between the Demon Ants and the War Demon Ants, they are not the same species.


    Fourth¡¯s demonization ability is significantly stronger than that of the Demon Ants.


    But it¡¯s too early to draw any conclusions now, as the Grade Three Demon Ants have not yet consumed the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood. Only after cultivating them will their true strength be known.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree Blood is definitely a heaven-defying treasure; even an ordinary Termite that drinks it can quickly evolve special abilities.


    After drinking the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, the Demon Ants will surely gain additional special abilities.


    But since they already possess many basic special abilities, it feels like the likelihood of evolving new special abilities is small. It¡¯s more likely that their existing abilities will become stronger.


    The evolutionary path of each insect is largely similar.


    They strive to enhance their strengths to gain stronger survival abilities in this complicated world.


    Qin Niu did a detailed calculation based on the Demon Ant¡¯s physique, weight, etc.


    Then he fed it a safe dosage of Banyan Tree Blood.


    What follows is a matter of patiently waiting.


    The Ant Queen now lays a thousand eggs a day, and her appetite has become astonishing.


    She¡¯s living the good life.


    The food she eats is all ¡®premium food¡¯¡ªthe main food at this stage is the Grade Four Corpse Bee and the Grade Five Bee General.


    So far, there hasn¡¯t been any sign of her evolving new special abilities.


    However, Qin Niu is not in a rush because she¡¯s already a Grade Four insect, and evolving new special abilities is certainly more difficult than before.


    Like the appearance of the Medical Ant, if Qin Niu hadn¡¯t persisted in feeding the leaves of Broadleaf Paris Polyphylla, it would¡¯ve been difficult for this special ant species to emerge.


    As the Ant Queen grows stronger, the difficulty of her evolution will continue to increase.


    The ease with which she used to evolve offspring with strong breeding properties after being fed bear blood or develop offspring with venom properties after being fed the corpse of a venomous insect is now almost impossible to achieve.


    Unless Qin Niu can hunt down insects or beasts of very high grade.


    Then use them to feed her.


    Watching the Demon Ant consume the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, he observed its reactions a bit nervously from the side.


    Unexpectedly, its physical resilience seemed to far exceed his expectations.


    It made it through without any issues.


    Once its condition stabilized, Qin Niu breathed a sigh of relief.


    Indeed, as a rare species, the overall abilities and performance of the Demon Ant far exceed those of other special Termites by a large margin.


    After cultivating the Termites, Qin Niu then went to collect blood from the Ancient Banyan Tree and cultivate the Medicine King Sutra within its maze.


    The cultivation speed that is twenty times faster than the outside world is too tempting for him.


    Moreover, its medicine aura is unparalleled by any plant. It can provide Qin Niu with an endless supply of medicine aura, helping him to rapidly improve his Medicine King Sutra cultivation.


    After entering beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree, he didn¡¯t rush to cultivate but instead checked the bodies of Old Master Huang and that cat-faced woman.


    They were gone without a trace, not even bones remained.


    Only their clothes were left in place.


    But the clothes of the two looked like they had been abandoned in the wild for three to four years, already beginning to rot away.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree is truly formidable.


    Qin Niu thought of the black Serpent-shaped Sword and dug it up to find it intact.


    It indicates that although the Ancient Banyan Tree is powerful, it has no attacking ability against metals.


    In the Five Elements, Metal conquers Wood.


    This attribute is likely the reason why the Ancient Banyan Tree cannot affect metals.


    Qin Niu had a sudden inspiration.


    What would happen if a metal house were placed beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree?


    Would it be safe to live inside it?


    It¡¯s at least worth a try.


    If it really is safe to have a metal house there, then he would essentially have another ¡®special fortress¡¯.


    After completing his check, he went to collect the Banyan Tree Blood and cultivate the Medicine King Sutra, which goes without saying.


    As he continually absorbed a massive amount of medicinal energy, the power of his Medicine King Sutra rapidly grew.


    He had been stuck at the Mortal Realm¡¯s tenfold for many days.


    The power of the Everlasting Spring Technique had already reached the second layer of the Acquired Realm for quite some time, and in a few more days, he estimated he could attempt to break through to the third layer.


    However, the power of the Medicine King Sutra just could not make a breakthrough.


    This inevitably made him somewhat anxious.


    As more and more medicinal energy was converted into power, he felt his body gradually inflating, swelling.


    This made him increasingly uncomfortable.


    He was even more worried about his body exploding.


    The Medicine King Sutra he acquired was a complete Cultivation Technique; the Mortal Realm¡¯s tenfold was definitely not the limit.


    Why couldn¡¯t he make a breakthrough?


    Without a master to guide him, he could only grope his way forward, and encountering such strange phenomena as his body swelling made him somewhat fearful.


    With his current conditions, he could fare quite well even without cultivating the Medicine King Sutra.


    It cannot be denied that after cultivating the Medicine King Sutra, indeed, there were considerable benefits.


    Whether a herb or plant had value, what its properties were, he could now identify at a glance. This was a benefit brought by cultivating the Medicine King Sutra.


    He believed that as his power increased, it was very likely new abilities would emerge.


    He grit his teeth and persisted, yet his heart was still wavering.


    Several times he thought about stopping the cultivation.


    But in the end, he overcame his fear and worry, continued to cultivate. Moreover, his determination gradually became firm.


    The Medicine King Sutra was left to Xiao Qing by her parents. If there really were any problems, her parents would not have passed it down to their daughter.


    Since there were no issues, it meant that cultivating the Medicine King Sutra should be safe.


    Even if Qin Niu made some mistakes in cultivating this technique, it should not lead to a body explosion and death.


    And from the first layer to the tenth layer of the Mortal Realm, everything had been normal.


    This indicated that his cultivation method should be correct.


    The situation now arising was very likely a tribulation that one must go through in the process of cultivating the technique.


    It was like the termites looking to become stronger, which, after consuming the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, had to go through a life-and-death tribulation.


    After thorough contemplation, Qin Niu¡¯s will became unwavering and fearless, pressing forward relentlessly.


    His body swelled more and more, but fortunately, after the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique reached the Acquired Realm, it had tempered and strengthened his body a second time. This allowed him to safely withstand the rapid expansion.


    Otherwise, his skin might have cracked from being overstretched.


    As his cultivation continued, when his body swelled to a peak, it seemed like there was a change in the dantian within his abdomen.


    There, a large amount of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power had condensed. They were like a vortex in a raging current, spinning at high speed.


    It generated a strong potent force, which like a rolling snowball, began to pull in more and more of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power.


    When it reached a critical point, Qin Niu distinctly perceived that within it, a cauldron was gradually forming.


    In the beginning, like a gestating fetus, it was just a tiny rudimentary form.


    Even its outline was somewhat vague and indistinct.


    As time passed, it nurtured and changed bit by bit until the outline became clear.


    The shape of a cauldron gradually took form.


    And it became increasingly substantial.


    Once the cauldron was formed, the power of the Medicine King Sutra within Qin Niu felt like it had found its place.


    They all fused into the cauldron.


    Who knows how much time had passed when Qin Niu slowly opened his eyes, his body had long since returned to normal.


    Inside him, there was now a cauldron formed from the condensation of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power.


    It rotated slowly.


    It functioned akin to a heart, ceaselessly drawing in new Medicine King Sutra power, before exhaling a portion of it.


    Qin Niu discovered that the Medicine King Sutra power it exhaled was clearly more refined.


    The function of this cauldron seemed to be the refinement of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power.


    Perhaps it had other uses as well, which he needed to explore.


    Finally, his Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power broke through the confines of the Mortal Realm, reaching the first layer of the Acquired Realm.


    However, his current state was not very stable.


    It would probably require a few more days of cultivation to solidify his realm.


    When he sensed the Ancient Banyan Tree again, he felt something different from before.


    Before, he thought its energy was like a vast ocean.


    Now, sensing its energy felt more like a large lake, or perhaps calling it an inner sea would be more appropriate. He was able to perceive its specific energy, rather than just vaguely sensing its terrifying energy as before.


    He checked the changes in his lifespan.


    128 years old.


    He gained an additional ten years of life.


    Originally, his lifespan was 118 years.


    Compared to ordinary people, his lifespan was already that of an elder amongst the long-lived.


    But compared to his pets, it really wasn¡¯t much at all.


    The extension of a human¡¯s lifespan is inherently much more difficult.


    The creator is very fair, granting humans higher intelligence while also making the human body the weakest and life the shortest.


    If an ant were to achieve the height and weight of a human, it could easily kill an adult male.


    If a rat were to grow as big as a human, if it found a human and there was no escape or hiding, it could instantly kill them.


    The truly powerful aspect of humanity, the most spiritually advanced being, is wisdom.


    Humans who live longer than two hundred years are already quite rare.

 Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Chapter 194: Ranking in Jade Stream Towni

    Chapter 199: Chapter 194: Ranking in Jade Stream Towni


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Humans who lived past four hundred years, were definitely beings like the old ancestor of the Fang Family. Even more so, Qin Niu suspected that the old ancestor of the Fang Family might not have lived for four hundred years.


    As for those who lived over a thousand years, they were absolutely beings on the level of terrestrial immortals.


    Their strength must be terrifyingly powerful.


    Qin Niu¡¯s lifespan had reached close to one hundred thirty years, which was already quite remarkable.


    He had more opportunities than other cultivators in the Acquired Realm.


    Choosing to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique back then must have been the most correct decision he made.


    Longevity and immortality, that is the real competitive edge.


    As long as one has enough lifespan, even with poor talent, time can be used to slowly accumulate strength. Ultimately breaking through again and again.


    Qin Niu looked up at the Ancient Banyan Tree and noticed its branches beginning to droop.


    It meant that it was already late in the day.


    He promptly collected the Banyan Tree Blood and hastened out of the maze.


    In the past, after coming out, he would always check on the beehive in the pine tree. Now that he had moved them to his home, he really wasn¡¯t used to it.


    Back at home, everything was safe and sound.


    Xu Zhenchang seemed to time his visit perfectly, coming to see him.


    Inviting him into the house, Qin Niu¡¯s home was already furnished with mahogany tables and chairs, high-end screens, calligraphy and painting hung on the walls, and flowers and plants were being grown inside. Even the tea set for entertaining guests was replaced with a new one.


    Slowly, he had begun to live the quality of life a wealthy person should have.


    Xu Zhenchang envied him in his heart.


    This man was on his way to wealth, and it would take just about a year or two.


    Who could have imagined that just over half a year ago, Alt Niu was a young man who struggled to make ends meet. Now he was the most prestigious person in Shuangfeng Village, living in the most imposing house, an official residence with three rooms and seven rafters.


    He already used high-end furniture and teacups.


    Qin Niu had undergone a transformation and accumulation that many people would not achieve in their lifetimes, in a very short span of time.


    ¡°Master Qin, today Xie Laizi has been buried. I have already reported to the official registry to cancel his household registration. Ah, one never knows what tomorrow may bring. Xie Laizi, he was rather despicable and had done some immoral things, being sent off by a venomous snake in his last moments is retribution. In the end, it was still the villagers who helped and buried him.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang sighed.


    He also meant to ask Qin Niu for money.


    After all, Qin Niu promised yesterday to give fifty Wen Money to every villager who helped bury Xie Laizi.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s crop this year was hit by both floods and pests, and he might even end up losing money. It was likely that he was short on cash, struggling to get by.


    Had he followed the trend and bought a thousand or two ducks last time, he could have made a profit.


    Unfortunately, he was too cautious, and with limited funds on hand, he missed the opportunity.


    ¡°Xie Laizi did not accumulate virtue, and this disaster is fate. How much labor was used to bury him?¡±


    ¡°Sixteen people worked together to bury him, and both Wang Haikun¡¯s wife and Liu Shengli¡¯s wife helped with cooking. In total, eighteen people put in effort.¡±


    ¡°How much did it cost for the coffin and the villagers¡¯ food?¡±


    ¡°Two Taels and one Wen of Silver.¡±


    This money was basically spent right along the line.


    The silver money found on Xie Laizi¡¯s body was just over two taels with several copper coins.


    ¡°Each of the eighteen people fifty Wen, and you as the leader who put in more effort, get one hundred Wen.¡±


    Qin Niu took out One Tael of Silver and gave it to Xu Zhenchang directly.


    ¡°You must ensure this money reaches the hands of those who helped, you can¡¯t skim off their share.¡±


    This statement from Qin Niu served as both a warning and a reminder.


    Xu Zhenchang was currently short on cash, and it¡¯s tough to guarantee he wouldn¡¯t get ideas about the two Taels of Silver.


    The greed of a man can be boundless.


    ¡°Understood, rest assured, I will distribute the full amount to each person and tell them that this is Master Qin¡¯s grace.¡±


    ¡°You can go now! I should also pay a visit to the Yan Family soon.¡±


    Qin Niu rose to see his guest out.


    ¡°Thankyou, Master Qin, for your gracious gift. I take my leave!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang, with the silver money in hand, naturally wore a happy face.


    Others did not dare to openly ask for the money, and even he, as the village chief, did not dare to directly ask for it.


    If Qin Niu hadn¡¯t given that one tael of silver, others would¡¯ve assumed Xu Zhenchang had embezzled it. They would surely talk behind his back, which could affect his status and prestige in the village.


    With that one tael of silver, and then distributing it, his standing in the villagers¡¯ eyes would become more stable.


    It was equivalent to having the status of a foreman under Master Qin¡¯s command.


    In the future, wouldn¡¯t he arrange any such good opportunities the same way?


    Whomever he assigned to do the task would earn those fifty wen money.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s choice of two women to cook showed considerable thought.


    By inviting Wang Haikun¡¯s wife to cook and earning fifty wen money, he naturally intended to curry favor with Wang Haikun.


    Despite Wang Haikun having an arm severed by Qin Niu and rarely leaving his house now, as long as his brother Wang Yue held a position in the military, Wang Haikun¡¯s status in the village wouldn¡¯t be too low.


    As for Liu Shengli¡¯s wife, not only was she beautiful, but she also had a sweet mouth and was adept at socializing.


    Xu Zhenchang was the village chief, and she likely hadn¡¯t spared any effort in keeping him happy.


    With good things coming, he was sure to look after her a bit.


    The sixteen men who buried Xie Laizi were probably just ordinary laborers from the village.


    After all, it was a tough job with good pay, but burying the dead brought bad luck.


    Everyone earned their money the hard way.


    Those close to Xu Zhenchang were prioritized for arrangements, which was nothing out of the ordinary.


    The usual day¡¯s wage for a laborer was about ten wen money.


    Burying someone, and with two meals included, one could earn fifty wen money, which was equivalent to five times the daily wage. In the village, indeed, people were eager for such work.


    Qin Niu¡¯s position in the village was now unshakable.


    He was quietly progressing toward becoming a local overlord like the Yan Family.


    It was just that the timing wasn¡¯t right yet, but in a few days, as soon as the land prices fell, Qin Niu leaping to become a local upstart was almost a certainty.


    Xu Zhenchang had not yet left when Yan Qi¡¯s carriage had already arrived at the doorway.


    ¡°Master Qin, I¡¯ve come to take you over. The young master has already prepared the dinner, we¡¯re just waiting for your arrival to begin.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me a moment.¡±


    Qin Niu made some preparations before getting on Yan Qi¡¯s carriage.


    Sitting in the carriage, Yan Qi looked at him with some trepidation.


    He occasionally stole glances his way.


    ¡°Is there something dirty on my face?¡± Qin Niu wiped at his face with his hand.


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just that you seem a bit different than usual today. You appear even more formidable, and the imperceptible aura you exude is quite intimidating. I assume that Master Qin¡¯s cultivation has progressed further.¡±


    Yan Qi must have certain cultivation skills himself.


    Many of the Yan Family¡¯s senior servants had practiced cultivation techniques.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising for him to feel that Qin Niu had made significant improvements in his skills.


    After all, they were sitting very close inside the carriage, and that kind of imperceptible pressure could be easily sensed by him.


    ¡°There have been some improvements, but they¡¯re nothing in front of those real masters.¡±


    ¡°Master Qin, you¡¯re being too modest. At the very least, according to my intuition, your strength has reached a notable level within the boundaries of Jade Stream Town. Within the town, I doubt any major family would dare underestimate you.¡±


    Although Yan Qi spoke cautiously, his words hinted that Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation had become significant enough to be recognized among large families like the Yan Family.

 Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Chapter 195: Want to Plant a Spy?_i

    Chapter 200: Chapter 195: Want to Plant a Spy?_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    The true strength of the Yan Family had always been a mystery to Qin Niu.


    The minimum threshold for hiring a protector in the Yan Family was a mortal with a twofold cultivation.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s current cultivation level, even a hundred protectors with a twofold cultivation would be no match for him. The Everlasting Spring Technique and the Medicine King Sutra might not be suitable for combat, but when the level of cultivation was laid bare, it couldn¡¯t be too bad.


    Not to mention, he had now cultivated both techniques to the Acquired Realm.


    Having both in the Acquired Realm was certainly stronger than just one.


    Qjn Niu speculated that the Yan Family must also possess experts in the Acquired Realm. After all, Wang Yue definitely had a ninefold mortal cultivation and was a candidate for the Black Armored Army, boasting both status and cultivation. Yet, the Yan Family had never regarded Wang Yue seriously.


    Although Wang Haikun bullied both men and women, he was as docile as a pug in front of Yan Family¡¯s house slaves.


    The adult world was very realistic.


    If it weren¡¯t for a lack of strength, how could Wang Haikun, so arrogant and domineering, suddenly turn into a pug?


    Even though Qin Niu had become an Insect Master, Wang Haikun, albeit fearful, was far from the fear he showed towards the Yan Family.


    Moreover, the Yan Family held such a large enterprise but never seemed to be extorted or bullied.


    The Yan Family was definitely a plump sheep in the local area.


    There had to be many who coveted their assets.


    Wiry did those people not dare to make a move? It was naturally because the Yan Family possessed formidable strength that instilled fear in them.


    Therefore, Qjn Niu surmised that the Yan Family must have experts in the Acquired Realm.


    He wanted to become the second prominent family in the region, so it was vital to understand the strength of these local powerhouses.


    Otherwise, if one had wealth but insufficient strength and dared to show it, they would be devoured to the point where nothing was left.


    Even the powerful Fang Family had adversaries eyeing their assets; the so- called laws and rules of this world were all established upon strength.


    Yan Qi was a loyal servant of the Yan Family, and both parties¡¯ interests were tightly interwoven. Trying to pry the family secrets from Yan Qi was a futile thought.


    This matter could not be rushed; the only option was to wait for an opportunity and discreetly investigate or observe.


    The carriage soon arrived at the Yan residence, and the Young Master of the Yan Family appeared even more attentive than the day before.


    Yesterday, he only came down the stairs upon seeing the carriage.


    Today, he was already waiting at the entrance.


    ¡°Master Qjn, I¡¯ve been anxiously awaiting your arrival. After establishing a new defense line last night, not a single high-level locust has crossed the border. Your strength is just like this,¡± the Young Master of the Yan Family raised his thumb. ¡°Both Master Mo and Master Shi have said, as long as we can maintain this state, they can firmly hold the second defense line. Whether my Yan Family¡¯s crops can be saved depends entirely on you three,¡± he said.


    ¡°I will do my utmost, please rest assured, Young Master Yan,¡± Qjn Niu responded.


    Qjn Niu had accepted exquisite furniture as a gift from them, so now that the Yan Family was in trouble, it was indeed only natural for him to reciprocate.


    This was a common human sentiment.


    ¡°Master Qjn, please come inside and see what Young Master Yan has prepared for you!¡±


    As Master Mo Sang saw Qjn Niu, he too rose up to greet him.


    He struggled to deal with those special locusts, but for Qjn Niu, it was seemingly like child¡¯s play.


    The difference in their strength was immediately evident.


    One must always hold a sense of awe towards the powerful.


    ¡°Maid Chen Xue pays respects to Master Qjn!¡±


    A beautiful girl about sixteen or seventeen years of age stood there, dressed in a pink short blouse, her delicate and lovely appearance enchanting. Upon seeing Qin Niu enter, she immediately bowed deeply in salute.


    Her graceful figure, delicate features, fair skin, and the youthful vitality radiating from her every move were enough to make one¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    ¡°Dispense with the formalities,¡± Qjn Niu said, raising his hand in a dismissing gesture.


    ¡°Master Qjn, Chen Xue here has been specially prepared for you. Having been orphaned at a young age, she was bought by my Yan Family; we had professionals teach her singing, dancing, poetry, painting, as well as how to serve men. She has, until now, never served anyone. If Master Qjn is pleased, she can be exclusively dedicated to serving you from here on out. Following Master Qjn would also be a good outcome for Chen Xue,¡± explained Young Master Yan.


    Young Master Yan could tell that Qjn Niu had extremely high standards, not at all like Masters Mo Sang and Shi who would pounce on any young girl they saw.


    To win over Qjn Niu, he had carefully selected a beautiful maid who had yet to serve anyone.


    The implication was clear: if Qjn Niu liked her, she would be given to him directly.


    However, maids like her, trained by large families from a young age and then given to powerful individuals, were still inclined towards the Yan Family in their hearts.


    They treated the Yan Family like their natal family.


    In critical moments, if the Yan Family needed them, they would influence their masters with whispered advice and speak well of the Yan Family.


    Some even reported back their master¡¯s hobbies, private information, and thoughts, all to the Yan Family in secret.


    They were more akin to beautiful female spies.


    Masters Mo Sang and Shi were lustfully eyeing Chen Xue, wishing that the Yan Family had curried favor with them instead.


    Such a top-tier maid was not something the Yan Family would easily offer up.


    Because once used, she would no longer be untouched, and her value would greatly diminish. Essentially, she was like a high-grade, one-time use strategic asset.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Young Master Yan, but I grew up accustomed to poverty and prefer living alone,¡± Qjn Niu politely declined.


    ¡°Does Master Qjn find this servant unattractive?¡± Chen Xue canvassed, running her hand through the hair at her forehead and looking as if she was about to cry.


    Her behavior made it even less likely for Qjn Niu to keep such a spy from the Yan Family by his side.


    ¡°Miss Chen Xue is overthinking it; no matter who stood here today, my response would be the same,¡± he said, deflecting any further attempts at persuasion.


    ¡°Young Master Yan, I need to eat quickly and then hurry off to the fields to check things out. In case the number of special locusts has increased, the defense line I set up could be breached, which would really cause trouble.¡± Qjn Niu reminded Young Master Yan of his foremost concern.


    Indeed, as soon as this matter came up, Young Master of the Yan Family said to Chen Xue directly, ¡°Go down first!¡±


    Having Chen Xue leave first was also to prevent Mo and Li from getting any ideas.


    Both of them had their eyes fixed on Chen Xue and hadn¡¯t looked away.


    Now that Qjn Niu was not taking this servant girl, if Master Mo opened his mouth to ask for her, Young Master of the Yan Family would actually find it hard to agree.


    To give her away would be difficult because it was not easy for the Yan Family to train a servant girl.


    Not to give her away would definitely upset Master Mo, and then he would not be so dedicated to pest control for the Yan Family.


    The best solution was to let her leave first.


    ¡°Master Qjn, there is only one servant girl of Chen Xue¡¯s caliber in my Yan Family. After hearing your inspiring story, she was deeply touched and volunteered to serve you. There is no rush for this matter now, and I will strive to reserve her for you. Whenever you need such a servant girl, just let me know, and I¡¯ll provide her to you,¡± said the Young Master of the Yan Family.


    The Young Master¡¯s words were quite skillful.


    They could put an end to the thoughts of Mo and Li, while also making Qjn Niu feel valued.


    After finishing dinner, Qjn Niu didn¡¯t dare to stay a moment longer and hurried to the fields.


    He was afraid that Young Master of the Yan Family was not giving up and would forcibly send that Miss Chen Xue into his arms.


    Upon arriving at the fields, Qjn Niu checked on the termites that were left to guard, as well as the corpses of the locusts on the ground.


    There were a total of one hundred and forty-seven of those special locust corpses.


    Good heavens, it seemed that locusts preferred to be active during the day, not at night.


    In one day, these termites had earned him nearly one tael and five coins of silver money.


    Initially, he was somewhat concerned that termites were not suited for daytime combat, so he had made arrangements for a shade canopy to be built.


    Now it seemed that only ordinary termites couldn¡¯t fight during the day. Grade Two or higher special termites were fully capable of all-weather combat.


    He had observed this point from the behavior of Fourth.


    Long ago, when he took Fourth on to fight hornets, it was during the day.


    Fourth and the other special Grade Two termites were not affected in the slightest.


    At that time, he realized that the termites were fully capable of all-weather combat.


    ¡°The Ant Queen has now evolved to Grade Four, and the range of its pheromone radiation has become wider. These termites don¡¯t necessarily have to be brought back to the nest every day now,¡± he mused.


    In the beginning, termites couldn¡¯t stay away from the nest too long.


    Otherwise, problems would arise.


    Now, as the strength of the Ant Queen and the termite colony continued to grow, it became more convenient for Qjn Niu to lead them into battle outside.


    As night fell, the sound of locusts ¡°shasha shasha¡± nibbling on plant leaves added a peculiar tranquility to the mountain fields.


    Qjn Niu, too, was sitting cross-legged under the moonlight, cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    Although the speed of his power increase was slow, the experience of the Everlasting Spring Technique was steadily growing.


    ¡°Huh, cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique seems a bit different today!¡± he noticed.


    He discovered that the speed of his power growth was much faster than usual.


    The experience of the Cultivation Technique was still twofold.


    The moonlight was no different from usual.


    What exactly was causing his power growth to accelerate?


    After careful analysis, he realized it was likely that during the process of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power breakthrough to the Acquired Realm, his will had become firmer, and he began to possess the beginnings of a Dao heart.


    This was only his personal speculation, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it was indeed the case.


    To ordinary people, the Dao heart was beyond understanding.


    But the higher the cultivation, the more important the role of the Dao heart.


    Simply put, it was the heart that aspired to the Dao.


    Every expert who had achieved some measure of success in cultivation had an indomitable and firm Dao heart.


    If Qjn Niu, when attempting the breakthrough to the Acquired Realm of the Medicine King Sutra, had feared death by body explosion and chosen to give up, he would have had a hard time acquiring a Dao heart.


    Feeling the rapid growth of his power and the experience of the Cultivation Technique, he immersed himself in it, focusing on cultivation.


    The night grew colder, but it didn¡¯t affect him in the slightest.


    Cultivation itself is an act against the heavens. Only those who can endure loneliness, who are willing to endure hardship, and who persist will have the possibility of achieving success in cultivation.


    Close to the fifth watch of the night, his ears picked up an unusual fluttering sound.


    It was akin to the sound of birds flapping their wings.


    Qjn Niu slowly ended his cultivation and opened his eyes to look.


    At this time, the dark moon was setting and the stars were dim, with still some time before dawn. This was the time of day when people were most sleepy, deeply asleep in their dreams.


    And those with wives were even more immersed in the bliss of marital warmth.


    ¡°These are not birds; these are locusts!¡±


    Qjn Niu¡¯s eyes widened in shock, gazing ahead.


    He saw a locust as big as a knife handle leading a dense swarm of locusts flying in this direction.


    They were rising and falling, moving forward continuously.


    One special locust after another followed closely behind, each emitting its own chirping sound, leading groups of ordinary locusts to fly forward together.


    They were like an enemy army launching a night attack.


    ¡°Taking advantage of people¡¯s deep sleep to make a sneak attack, these locusts really have a mastermind behind them.¡±

 Chapter 201 - Chapter 201: Chapter 196 Mr. Yan is going to feel the paint

    Chapter 201: Chapter 196 Mr. Yan is going to feel the paint


    Translator: 549690339


    Qin Niu stared at the locust army charging towards him with fierce momentum, the number of termites he had summoned was over two thousand five hundred.


    The one thousand that had newly molted into adult insects were still evolving.


    It would take at least two to three days before evolution was complete and they could join the corps.


    Once they joined, Qin Niu¡¯s termite army¡¯s combat power would increase exponentially.


    You see, the weakest of those one thousand termites before breeding were already Grade Two termites. After breeding, they were bound to advance to Grade Three termites.


    Old Master Huang could bring four thousand Grade Three army ants to confront Qin Niu.


    In the past, that would have seemed quite formidable.


    Now, Qin Niu could mass-produce over a thousand Grade Three or higher termites in just one day.


    In only four days, he could match many years of accumulation by Old Master Huang.


    The greatest charm of breeding insects lay in just this.


    As long as you raise the queen well, your strength would increase exponentially like a snowball.


    At the initial stage, just breeding one Grade Two termite would already make one happy for several days. After accruing for two to three months, one might have only over two thousand Grade Two termites. Now, one could have over a thousand Grade Three termites in a day.


    As the Ant Queen continued to level up in the future, this snowball would keep growing bigger and bigger.


    Even laying tens of thousands of ant eggs-per-day would be only a matter of time.


    If by that time the Ant Queen had grown to Grade Five or Grade Six, the weakest of the larvae it produced would probably be Grade Three.


    ¡°Fourth, can you handle that leading big locust?¡±


    Qin Niu had always favored such high-grade goods; capturing it would later become an advanced supplement for breeding an Ant Queen or Queen Bee.


    Given its size, it was not much smaller than a Grade Four Corpse Bee.


    No matter how worthless, it was probably a Grade Three bug.


    The Ant Queen might not need this kind of food any longer, but it was quite suitable for breeding the Queen Bee.


    ¡°It should be no problem, I can try!¡±


    Fourth seemed to be born without knowing the meaning of fear.


    It would dare to fight no matter how powerful the enemy it faced.


    ¡°All ants, heed my command: aim for those leading locusts only; ignore the ordinary locusts.¡±


    Qin Niu issued the combat order.


    A general has a sword, not to slay flies.


    It was completely unnecessary for them to deal with ordinary locusts. The Yan Family would only pay for special locusts.


    Qin Niu took a cursory look and saw no fewer than fifty special locusts within sight. All of that was money.


    When they entered the first line of defense set up by Qin Niu, the first one to suffer was that leading extra-large locust.


    The creature¡¯s body was thick like a bird¡¯s.


    Fourth¡¯s antennae had already targeted it.


    This extra-large locust was quite remarkable, managing to fly a good five to six meters before Fourth brought it down.


    Qin Niu had already prepared a net, capturing it and then placing it into a separate cage.


    He had to save it for detailed study.


    Other special locusts, almost as soon as they got in line, were either taken control of or directly fell to the ground from the sky, painfully hopping and rolling around.


    The termites surged forward in an instant and bit them to death.


    Let alone Fourth and the Grade Three iron-armored tiger-pattern ants breaking their armor, even the regular Grade Two termites¡¯ powerful bites were far more than they could handle.


    In the blink of an eye, all the leading locusts were subdued.


    Just as Qin Niu was preparing to carefully study that extra-large locust, another wave of even more ferocious locusts arrived.


    This time there were three extra-large locusts.


    Fourth could only handle one.


    Qin Niu himself would deal with one, leaving the remaining one for the Golden Toad to handle.


    The Golden Toad¡¯s strength was beyond doubt, but it could only handle insects on the ground. As for those flying in the air, it simply couldn¡¯t reach them.


    As they entered the first line of defense, Qin Niu had already prepared the net.


    Unexpectedly, that locust was extremely vigilant.


    Aware of a human ahead attempting to attack, it immediately increased its flying altitude.


    Qin Niu could only watch helplessly.


    On the other hand, the Golden Toad easily downed an extra-large locust, swallowing it whole in one gulp.


    ¡°You idiot, why¡¯d you eat it! I could have exchanged it for silver money with Young Master Yan.¡±


    After being scolded by Qin Niu, the Golden Toad immediately began scratching its head with its two short legs, preparing to regurgitate the locust it had swallowed.


    ¡°Forget it, if you¡¯ve eaten it, there¡¯s no need to spit it out again.¡±


    Qin Niu stopped it.


    Waiting for it to spit it out, covered in mucus, it looked disgusting.


    There was no need for that.


    ¡°Can you handle that escaped gigantic locust?¡±


    ¡°Quack!¡±


    It had already leapt into action, jumping seven or eight meters in a single bound.


    It felt even stronger than Qin Niu had imagined.


    By then, Fourth had successfully captured another gigantic locust. Qin Niu quickly netted it and locked it in a cage.


    His pets were all very impressive; it was only him, the master, who had messed up, letting that gigantic locust escape.


    Specialization is key.


    To deal with insects, you still have to let the insects take action.


    Fortunately, the Golden Toad was super impressive; it was also the nemesis of most insects.


    It soon captured the escaped gigantic locust.


    This time, it didn¡¯t eat it but held it in its mouth.


    ¡°Well done!¡±


    Qin Niu gladly accepted the trophy it brought back; the gigantic locust was not dead but had already lost half its life.


    It was powerless in front of the Golden Toad.


    Using an Advanced Contractual Talisman to subdue the Golden Toad felt worth it.


    Qin Niu estimated that even if stronger insects came, the Golden Toad would still be able to deal with them.


    Even more, Qin Niu suspected that the Golden Toad could easily kill the Corpse Bee¡¯s General.


    But that couldn¡¯t be concluded lightly; he had to try it to know.


    The venom of the Corpse Bees was extremely dreadful, and the Golden Toad might not withstand it.


    The second wave of locusts was more numerous than the first.


    More than a hundred leading special locusts were captured.


    Qin Niu¡¯s basket now contained over three hundred special locusts.


    Three gigantic locusts were also locked in a cage.


    These three gigantic locusts had special patterns on their bodies and extremely developed mouthparts. It was suspected that they even had the ability to chew through hard tree bark.


    After a preliminary appraisal, these gigantic locusts proved to be Grade Three insects.


    They looked big, but they were somewhat ¡®bloated,¡¯ and their strength and grade were only Grade Three, which was different from reaching Grade Four.


    ¡°The harvest tonight is not bad, if another batch comes, making three or four Silver Money would not be a problem.¡±


    Qin Niu waited quietly.


    His Termite Army stood ready for battle.


    He waited until dawn, and no new gigantic locusts appeared.


    Even the number of special locusts had decreased significantly, and only a few more were caught scattered here and there.


    The Yan Family eldest son came over early in the morning to inspect the front line.


    ¡°Master Qin, was it calm last night?¡±


    ¡°There were two waves of locusts in large numbers that attacked the defense line, but luckily they were ultimately held back by me. Including the special locusts captured during the day yesterday, they¡¯re all here.¡±


    Qin Niu lifted the basket up in front of Young Master Yan.


    The latter took a glance at the pile of locust bodies in the basket; his face twitched twice.


    ¡°This is too frightening! In one night, there were so many special locusts.¡±


    You could hear a bit of pain in his voice.


    A special locust body was worth ten Wen Money; such a big basket was worth at least three to four Silver Money.


    No matter how big the Yan Family¡¯s business was, it couldn¡¯t sustain such losses!


    And this was just the insect corpses from one day and night.


    Heaven knows when the locust disaster will stop; if the number of special locusts keeps increasing, the cost of pest control alone in one day might be enough to suffocate the Yan Family.


    Qin Niu noticed the expression on the face of the Yan Family eldest son.


    He didn¡¯t say anything.


    Pest control was a mutually beneficial cooperation. If the Yan Family was reluctant to spend the money, they were well within their rights to try other Insect Masters.


    But it was Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Army that had the capability.


    Otherwise, by last night, the Yan Family¡¯s defense line would have been breached.


    Ten Mo Sang Masters could not hold it.

 Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Chapter 197 The Pattern is Too Small_i

    Chapter 202: Chapter 197 The Pattern is Too Small_i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°These locusts are not the strongest; I¡¯ve caught three particularly large locusts. Their strength is greater, and they have even more terrifying rallying power. If these special locusts are merely generals among locusts, then each of these three particularly large locusts could serve as a marshal of a locust corps.¡±


    Qin Niu displayed the three particularly large locusts that he had captured in cages.


    ¡°There, there¡¯s even stronger ones!¡±


    The Young Master of the Yan Family took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and began to wipe his sweat.


    Merely special locusts had already made Masters Mo and Shi cry out in exhaustion. It was only after Qin Niu was asked to construct a new line of defense in front and specially target those special locusts that they managed to hold the line.


    Now, even more powerful locusts had appeared, and their size alone was already terrifying.


    The Young Master of the Yan Family knew, even with his toes, that any one of these locusts could probably break through Master Mo¡¯s defenses.


    If it weren¡¯t for Qin Niu¡¯s presence here, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    He grew even more appreciative of Qin Niu¡¯s insect control abilities.


    This Ah Niu, seemingly unremarkable and indifferent to women, turned out to be so powerful.


    Actually, this was just the tip of the iceberg of Qin Niu¡¯s strength.


    Even Old Master Huang¡¯s Bee General was killed by Qin Niu, which was a Grade Five insect.


    Compared to the Bee General, these three particularly large locusts were nothing.


    Qin Niu presented the three particularly large locusts, surely to ask the Young Master of the Yan Family for money.


    After completing the work, it was only natural to receive payment.


    It was now up to the Young Master of the Yan Family to respond.


    ¡°These particularly large locusts are truly enormous, fearsome at a glance. Master Qin has successfully intercepted and captured them, commendably preserving our Yan Family¡¯s crops. Would it be acceptable to price these three particularly large locusts at fifty Wen Money apiece?¡±


    The Young Master of the Yan Family¡¯s perspective was ultimately a bit narrow.


    He was only willing to pay fifty Wen Money for an enhanced Grade Three locust, which was downright insulting.


    After hearing this, Qin Niu calmly said, ¡°These three locusts were indeed exceedingly difficult to capture; consider them a token of gratitude to the Yan Family. I won¡¯t accept any money.¡±


    The furniture given to him by the Yan Family last time was in fact a significant debt of gratitude.


    The smallness of the Young Master¡¯s character provided the perfect opportunity for him to repay that debt.


    ¡°How could I accept that! Master Qin, you are too courteous. I¡¯ll have Yan Qi send over some fine wine later, as a small token of my appreciation.¡±


    The Young Master thus managed to save on that expense.


    ¡°After a night of exhaustion, it¡¯s time for me to head back and rest. I¡¯ve left insects I¡¯ve controlled to guard this place; as long as no more of these particularly large locusts come, they should be able to hold the line.¡±


    Having said this, Qin Niu left with the three particularly large locusts, floating away.


    ¡°Yan Qi, have a carriage escort Master Qin!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble Steward Qi,¡± Qin Niu declined, ¡°I have some personal matters to attend to, and walking is more convenient.¡±


    He wanted to check on Daoyuan Village.


    Having some connection with the Tang Family, and with the locusts exhibiting changes these past few days, the three thousand ducks rented by Daoyuan Village might not hold on.


    If Daoyuan Village fell, the now peaceful Shuangfeng Village might once again succumb to the plague.


    As he walked along the river leading to Daoyuan Village, he could see many locusts gnawing and wreaking havoc on any plants they could eat. The tender branches of some small trees had been chewed away completely.


    Leaves are extremely important to plants.


    They are essentially the ¡®lungs¡¯ of the plant.


    In the sweltering heat of summer, a large tree whose leaves have been completely devoured is likely to wither and die.


    When the leaves fall, the roots wither.


    The tree roots and leaves nourish and accompany each other, more like inseparable comrades in battle.


    The roots supply the tree with water and most of the nutrients, while the leaves help the tree complete the essential process of photosynthesis, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.


    When all the leaves are gone, the water absorbed by the tree roots cannot be evaporated through the leaves.


    It will slowly reduce water absorption, causing the roots to rapidly shrink.


    This is also why, when a ring of bark is stripped from a tree, it quickly perishes.


    The roots and leaves are interdependent, neither can be without the other.


    Many fields by the roadside are now completely barren, the seedlings that were replanted after the floods have been devoured by the locusts.


    The years of great disaster have arrived.


    The first half of the year had already seen crop failure, and with the inability to replant young crops for the second half, it¡¯s virtually a total loss for the whole year.


    With even the wild grass and leaves in the fields eaten by locusts, the starving populace might not even have grass to eat soon.


    As Qin Niu witnessed all this, he sighed inwardly, grateful that he had already undergone the initial phase of transformation and was no longer at the very bottom of the peasantry. Certainly, many people were going to starve to death.


    In times of great famine in history, people even resorted to swapping children for food.


    A single bag of grain could buy a beautiful virgin bride.


    Fortunately, upon entering Daoyuan Village, one could see that the defensive line made by those three thousand ducks remained intact.


    Having not seen them for a few days, these ducks had grown plump and large, their feathers replete.


    Rich in nutritional value, the locusts fed the ducks to satiety daily, promoting their swift growth.


    Moreover, their feathers seemed to differ from those of ordinary ducks.


    Shining with a lustrous sheen, they faintly displayed a splendid luster.


    Since these were no ordinary locusts, it was only natural for the ducks to experience some evolution after consuming them in large quantities over a long duration.


    Qin Niu thought to himself that if any duck managed to evolve, he could surely sell it for a pretty penny when sold separately.


    Inside Daoyuan Village, though the crops suffered some damage from the pests, compared to the barrenness outside, it was like entering a vibrant green world full of life.


    The three thousand ducks rented to Daoyuan Village, together with some more they managed to gather on their own, indeed had a good effect in pest control.


    ¡°Master Qin!¡±


    From afar, Tang Fang spotted Qin Niu and immediately quickened his pace to greet him.


    ¡°I happened to pass by and wanted to check on your village¡¯s pest situation. Is everything all right?¡±


    Qin Niu asked with concern.


    ¡°Thanks to your blessing, with the three thousand ducks you lent us and the defensive lines constructed, we have barely managed to control the pestilence. Other villages have suffered misfortunes, though, with many having their crops completely devoured by locusts. Alas, when will this plague finally end!¡±


    Tang Fang lamented.


    ¡°Master Qin, come to my house for tea! Haven¡¯t had breakfast yet, have you? I haven¡¯t either, so if you don¡¯t mind, come eat at my place!¡±


    ¡°No, no, I have things to do in a bit.¡±


    Qin Niu politely declined.


    As they were talking, someone received the news, probably to report to the village head.


    The old Tang Family Patriarch came over, leaning on a walking stick.


    Accompanying him was Tang Cai Xian, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in many days.


    She seemed to have become thinner, yet somehow grew even more charming and captivating. Observing the way she walked¡ªlighter than before¡ª


    He assumed she had been cultivating at home all these days.


    ¡°Qin Niu!¡±


    She called out crisply, her expressive eyes fixed on him.


    But there was a deep, unyielding affection and yearning in her gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight! Did you receive the pork I sent you?¡±


    Seeing her slimmer figure stirred a feeling of pity in Qin Niu.


    ¡°Mhm, thank you for the pork you sent. They were quite special and greatly beneficial to me.¡±


    She gave a slight nod, her face filled with gratitude and a hint of sweetness.


    Qin Niu had sent her several batches of prime pork.


    ¡°Master Qin rarely visits Daoyuan Village, and I see Cai Xian is really fond of you. Why not come to our house for a visit, have a chat?¡±


    The Tang Family Patriarch was quite astute.


    Noticing the young man and woman exchanging glances, he promptly tried to matchmake, giving them an opportunity to talk of love.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come by some other day! Not today, though. I see Daoyuan Village¡¯s pest control is holding up, but recently some particularly fierce locusts have appeared, so you still need to remain vigilant and be careful. You can make hand nets to manually catch them.¡±


    Qin Niu gave a suggestion, then looked toward Tang Cai Xian.


    ¡°Cai Xian, join me for a walk around Daoyuan Village.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She happily agreed.


    Tang Family Patriarch and Tang Fang, among others, all showed understanding smiles, leaving the two to their private time.


    ¡°This river was my favorite place to play as a child. I used to pick wildflowers by the riverbank, watching the boys catch fish, and wanting to join in the fun. Once, when stepping down the riverbank, I accidentally tumbled down. It was fortunate that there were adults around to quickly pull me out of the water¡­¡±


    She shared stories of her childhood, both fun and embarrassing moments.


    After listening, Qin Niu found this girl to be quite down-to-earth.


    The faint fragrance wafting from her was enough to stir his senses.


    Yet, whether the two of them would ultimately find themselves together remained an uncertainty.


    In a world where everyone could cultivate, one could choose mediocrity, to live as an ordinary person, or strive in cultivation, seeking every chance to enhance one¡¯s strength.


    Qin Niu always harbored a distant goal in his heart; he aspired for eternal life, to exist forever like the heavens and the earth.


    For he felt that the mere decades of a mortal life were no different from a single season of flora.


    Having come into this world, he wanted to live significantly, to roam freely between heaven and earth, to be a carefree traveler.


    Because his aspirations were so lofty, finding a companion who only desired a simple life would make it difficult for them to be together.


    Falling in love with someone is easy, but forgetting them is hard.


    He didn¡¯t want to bear the sorrow and pain of parting.


    ¡°When I was a kid, I was much naughtier than you. However, Old Man Liu, who took me in, never scolded me. He only prepared a thick branch of thorns and told me if I dared to misbehave again, he¡¯d whip me with it. Despite being scared, the thrill of playing often overpowered my fear. Old Man Liu raised that branch many times, but it never once touched me.¡±


    Speaking of the deceased Old Man Liu, his heart was still filled with endless sorrow.


    Regrettably, he was too weak and young back then, barely thirteen years old, and didn¡¯t even have the means to bury Old Man Liu, who died of illness. It was the villagers who helped bury him.


    Qin Niu had bowed to each of those helpful villagers.


    He always remembered their kindness.


    His reluctance to fight over land with his neighbors was for this very reason.


    The kinship with fellow villagers mattered, not a life-and-death struggle, unless someone like Xie Laizi acted foolishly, with no sense of right and wrong, in which case, he¡¯d have no choice but to send him to meet Buddha.


    ¡°How fortunate for you to have been adopted by Old Man Liu, who was so caring. Now that you¡¯ve become successful, I believe Old Man Liu would smile from the netherworld. If ever you¡¯re unhappy or wish to confide in someone, you can always come to me. I might not be good at comforting people, but I will be a good listener.¡±


    She could sense the sadness emanating from Qin Niu.


    Yet, she didn¡¯t know quite how to console him.


    After all, their relationship hadn¡¯t even begun, and in these times of strict etiquette, girls were very reserved.


    Aside from their husband, they did not engage in intimate contact with others.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Qin Niu could feel her kindness.


    ¡°By the way, how is your cultivation going?¡±

 Chapter 203 - Chapter 203: Chapter 198 The Particular War Bee Queen Beet

    Chapter 203: Chapter 198 The Particular War Bee Queen Beet


    Translator: 549690339


    He was very clear that if Tang Caixian wanted to become his woman, she must achieve something in her cultivation.


    Not to mention the Mortal Realm, even if she reached the Acquired Realm, she would still be far from the distant goal he had set.


    However, as long as she truly had the intention, Qin Niu would definitely help her.


    Gifting her the King Pig meat was just a start.


    Things are going smoothly for now! Although meditating for cultivation is somewhat dull and boring, and breaking through realms is quite painful, every time I think that as long as I can improve my cultivation, I¡¯ll be able to stay with you forever, I feel full of hope. The pork you gave me works especially well, even comparable to the Tempering Elixir. I guess it¡¯s not ordinary pork, it might be the flesh of a demonic beast.¡±


    She looked at Qin Niu, her beautiful eyes glittering with specks of light.


    ¡°From now on, use the things I give you on your own. If you talk about them, it might bring you trouble.¡±


    He cautioned.


    ¡°Got it! I¡¯m not really a boastful person, anyway. I haven¡¯t told anyone that the pork is the meat of a demon beast. Now I¡¯ve broken through to the fourth tier of the Mortal Realm, so once I reach the tenth tier, can I be with you then?¡±


    She asked, full of hope.


    Really, who knew why this love-struck girl, clearly beautiful and smart, took a fancy to Qin Niu, the poor boy?


    Originally, when she developed an interest in Qin Niu, she didn¡¯t even know he was an Insect Master.


    ¡°So you want to be with me that much, huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare look down on me after I say it!¡± she said seriously.


    ¡°I won¡¯t look down on you, go ahead!¡± Qin Niu was also curious, what exactly did she see in him?


    ¡°From the first moment I saw you, my heart was moved. I knew then that you could very likely be the husband I¡¯ve been looking for. I¡¯ve seen plenty of wealthy and talented young men, but none of them touched my heart. After talking with you, I found my intuition was especially accurate, you must be the one I¡¯ve been waiting for in my destiny.


    Others might call me lovesick, or say I¡¯ve lost my mind, but I don¡¯t care.


    In this life, I¡¯d rather be alone than settle.


    I only want to spend my life with the person I love, nothing else matters to me.¡±


    This talented and unique woman¡¯s thoughts were totally different from those of ordinary women.


    Many women who were even slightly attractive wanted to marry into a wealthy family and live the life of a rich lady, but she only wanted to marry for love.


    ¡°About what I mentioned last time, would you still accept if I took you as a concubine?¡±


    ¡°I would! But I still hope you ¡®re not too fickle. If you have too many wives and concubines, I will be neglected. I think I would be very sad then,¡±


    she said uncertainly.


    After all, she was also not of great age, and there was much she would learn through experience.


    ¡°I believe that marrying a woman like you is definitely a man¡¯s good fortune. Keep cultivating well, if you truly believe in destiny, then let me tell you, after thousands of twists and turns, even after hundreds or thousands of years, if we are truly fated, we can still come together. The tenth tier of the Mortal Realm may seem impressive to you, but I want to tell you, that¡¯s just the first step in cultivation.


    So, you need to set your goals higher.


    If you need anything, you can always come to me.


    Just like you gave me this jade pendant willingly, I am also willing to make sacrifices for you.¡±


    Qin Niu was not a cold-hearted person.


    As he interacted more with Tang Caixian, he came to appreciate this girl even more.


    Having her own personality, daring to love and hate.


    Such women, each one a remarkable woman. For a man to marry one, is surely a great fortune in life.


    This jade pendant is definitely an extremely precious item, wearing it continuously enhances spiritual power.


    She surely knew its function, yet she resolutely gave it to Qin Niu; this was her affection.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll give you two Low-grade Contract Charms. If you encounter any beasts, birds, or insects you like, you can subdue them.¡± Qin Niu treated her, Wang Wanyan, with impartiality.


    After returning home from Daoyuan Village, Qin Niu first checked the situation of the bees, then nurtured the hundred new bees that had just hatched.


    Meanwhile, he took out an extra-large locust and killed it.


    ¡°Queen Bee, can you eat it directly?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°What if I let the termites eat it first and then feed you?¡±


    ¡°The worker bees can ferment it into honey.¡±


    ¡®So that¡¯s another way to do it. You sure are picky about what you eat!¡±


    Qin Niu placed the extra-large locust¡¯s corpse next to the beehive. By now, he had amassed a large number of special bees whose defensive capabilities and honey-making quality had increased significantly.


    At the moment, the beehive was in the process of making some special honey, but it still needed more time.


    Truly good honey usually could only be harvested once a year.


    The time required to make special honey would only be longer.


    The corpses of Corpse Bees were actually not bad as material for cultivating insects. But Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare feed them to his bees.


    What if after eating them, the bees started to emit the stench of rotting corpses? That would render them useless, wouldn¡¯t it?


    The most important objective of raising this swarm of honeybees was twofold: one was for them to make honey, and the other was to serve as aerial scouts.


    When necessary, they could also be used as an air force.


    However, in terms of fighting capability, they were definitely much weaker than Corpse Bees.


    After cultivating the bee colony, Qin Niu was quite satisfied.


    He now had 5 War Bees, 27 special honey-making bees.


    The number of ordinary Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees was nearing twelve hundred.


    Every day, a hundred new bees were added to the swarm.


    The old bees were dying off continuously.


    Once cultivated, the new bees had a lifespan of more than ten years. Qin Niu believed that with a bit more time, his swarm would become very impressive.


    Unfortunately, the Queen Bee was still a bit too weak.


    Compared to the Ant Queen, it was significantly behind.


    If the chance arose, he would definitely cultivate it further to make it stronger.


    Qin Niu planned to wait until he got his hands on the Boundary-breaking Elixir and further increase his cultivation. Then, the number of ants in his colony would reach an astonishing figure, and he could go to the homeland of the Green Demon to retrieve the Green Demon¡¯s treasure.


    After leaving his home, he headed straight for the mountains.


    He made a beeline for the Ant Nest.


    As expected, there were a thousand new termites.


    Upon checking, although there were no Demon Ants, two Elephant-Nosed Soldier Ants had appeared, as well as many strong Worker Ants and Soldier Ants, and even Poisonous Ants.


    The most impressive might be the Gold Devouring Ants.


    Unfortunately, the probability of producing a Gold Devouring Ant was too low.


    If one appeared someday, Qin Niu would finally witness just how formidable this legendary species of ant really was.


    After cultivating the termites, he naturally went to the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s maze to practice cultivation, but let¡¯s not delve into that.


    If Xiao Nui completed his evolution, Qin Niu would have more company.


    It had been in deep slumber without a sign of when it would awaken.


    This mountainous area had essentially become Qin Niu¡¯s territory. In time, he planned to buy the entire mountain. At that point, everything within the mountain would belong to him.


    Moreover, as a private, legal property, he could develop and utilize it any way he wanted.

 Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: Chapter 199: Elixir Success i

    Chapter 204: Chapter 199: Elixir Success i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    After he finished cultivating, he emerged from the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze and went to check on the ant nest.


    The thousand termites he had cultivated the day before yesterday were still evolving.


    The evolution time of an ordinary Grade One termite is about two days, but these newly cultivated thousand termites were at least ordinary Grade Two. Cultivating them consumed even more Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    Their evolution time was evidently much longer.


    Since it was Qin Niu¡¯s first time cultivating these Grade Two ordinary termites, he did not have a clear idea of how long it would take.


    He remembered that the first time he cultivated a Queen Bee, it took seven days for the Grade Two War Bees to evolve, and the two Grade Two honey bees took five days.


    He estimated that cultivating Grade Two termites would take about the same amount of time.


    As for how long it would take for the Grade Three Demon Ant to complete its evolution, he could only wait patiently.


    Now that there were Grade Three giant locusts appearing among the locusts, if his ant colony could not expand and strengthen quickly, they might struggle when confronted with them.


    ¡°I really hope that you can finish evolving quickly so that I can have a large army of ants at my disposal.¡±


    The thought of adding a thousand termites in one day was exciting.


    It had taken him several months to accumulate just under three thousand termites of Grade Two and above.


    Now, being able to add a thousand termites of Grade Three and above in a single day, he could be considered a very top-notch Insect Master within Black Tiger City.


    Tonight, Qin Niu still had to help the Yan Family with pest elimination.


    Taking a batch of termites, he hurried down the mountain.


    Just as he reached the foot of the mountain, he saw Yan Qi, accompanied by the anxious Young Master Yan, waiting at the mountain¡¯s entrance.


    Young Master Yan was as anxious as ants on a hot pan, frequently glancing into the mountainside.


    When he saw Qin Niu coming down from the mountain, he immediately hurried forward as if he had seen a savior.


    ¡°Master Qin, I finally waited foryou to come out.¡±


    Young Master Yan was nearly in tears.


    ¡°Young Master Yan, what has happened?¡± Qin Niu was somewhat surprised.


    Even though he had been cultivating in the mountains, if there were any anomalies with the termites he had placed in the Yan Family¡¯s fields, he would have definitely sensed it.


    The termites showed no abnormalities, which indicated that the defensive line was holding strong.


    As a person of esteemed status and dignity in the region, what could make Yan Qi condescend to wait at the foot of the mountain?


    ¡°Last night, Master Qin helped my Yan Family eliminate three giant locusts, and I was only willing to pay fifty coins for each one. After my father learned of this, he severely scolded me. This is ten Silver Money in apology; I hope Master Qin doesn¡¯t find it too meager.¡±


    Young Master Yan took out ten Silver Money and presented it with both hands, his demeanor extremely respectful.


    ¡°I eliminated those three giant locusts for the Yan Family for free, Young Master Yan needn¡¯t pay.¡±


    Qin Niu silently noted that at least there was someone sensible in the Yan Family.


    Yan Ruohai was much more magnanimous in his actions than his son.


    ¡°No, no, no, Master Qin eliminated three formidable locusts for my Yan Family at no charge, that was your kindness. Please, you must accept this ten Silver Money, otherwise I won¡¯t be able to explain it to my father when I go back.¡± Young Master Yan was not yet in charge of the Yan Family.


    He was only being groomed as the successor, and if he did not perform adequately, for the sake of family interests, they might replace him with another son to take control of the Yan Family.


    His handling of the situation with Qin Niu today was indeed a significant demerit.


    ¡°Alright then, thank you very much.¡±


    Qin Niu happily accepted the ten Silver Money.


    The Yan Family eldest heir visibly relaxed.


    ¡°It was fortunate that Master Qin was there last night, otherwise our Yan Family¡¯s crops would have been devastated. According to reliable information, last night Jade Stream Town¡¯s Pang Family and He Family both suffered. The He Family has three Insect Masters, one of whom is even stronger than Master Mo Sang. These days, the other families¡¯ crops have mostly been destroyed by the locust plague, but the He Family remained unscathed.


    Last night, the He Family was attacked by a giant locust, their defenses immediately collapsed, and most of the locusts poured in. The He Family¡¯s tea garden was devastated, more than half destroyed overnight. It is said that one of the He Family¡¯s Insect Masters fell to the ground. Industry insiders speculate that the Insect Master¡¯s pet might have met with an accident.¡±


    The tea garden is of the utmost importance, and for assurance, major families generally adopt double protection measures.


    The He Family is also an old and influential clan in the area, established much earlier than the Yan Family.


    Their defenses for the tea garden would certainly not be weak.


    That they were still breached indicates the ferocity of the locusts.


    As for the Insect Master collapsing on the ground, it was likely due to his pet being killed, which severely impacted him as the owner.


    Typically, the longer the insects are cultivated, the closer their connection with their master¡¯s soul.


    The greater the damage to the master¡¯s soul when they die.


    Qin Niu only needed to kill one of Old Master Huang¡¯s bee generals to drive him mad, which was for this very reason.


    Are Grade Three locusts just big in size? Could their combat power be that strong?


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but be curious.


    It was not easy to kill an Insect Master¡¯s pet.


    To become an Insect Master, one must have at least one obedient Grade Three insect.


    The giant locusts were at about Grade Three, not yet reaching Grade Four.


    And yet, it could bite to death insects of the same level?


    In Qin Niu¡¯s view, the combat power of the giant locusts was very weak.


    Only needing the antennae of Fourth to twitch, and the giant locusts would immediately turn into obedient puppets. Just send a few more Grade Two termites, and they could easily annihilate them. As for the Golden Toad, there was even less need to mention, he could eat them one by one as if snacking with ease.


    ¡°The Pang Family had one of their own Insect Masters, and also hired three others, but they were still unable to hold their defenses and were breached.


    However, the situation of the Pang Family was much better; it is said they soon stabilized the situation and the losses were not significant.


    Both families only discovered one giant locust, but my Yan Family had the misfortune of facing three. Fortunately, Master Qin was there, otherwise our Yan Family¡¯s crops would have surely been in ruins.¡±


    Only after learning about the other two major families¡¯ experiences did the Yan Family eldest heir realize how difficult it was for Qin Niu to single-handedly eliminate three giant locusts last night.


    The Insect Masters of the Pang Family were evidently stronger.


    The fact that they were initially overwhelmed indicated their regular strength was no match for the extraordinarily large locusts.


    Likely resorting to their trump cards thereafter, they managed to reverse the situation.


    This also indirectly suggests that the Pang Family now has the capacity to deal with Grade Three oversized locusts.


    Qin Niu had gained a thorough understanding of the Insect Master capabilities of these two families.


    Another piece of information filled him with vigilance.


    The other two families had only encountered a single oversized locust attack, just like the Yan Family at the start.


    It was only after Qin Niu instantaneously captured that one that three more appeared.


    This could hardly be a coincidence.


    It was very likely that the puppeteer behind the scenes noticed something amiss and sent three more oversized locusts to either rescue or probe.


    If that was the case, Qin Niu¡¯s current predicament was very dangerous.


    The mastermind controlling the insects was almost certainly a member of the Nine Insect Gang.


    If they discovered that a formidable Insect Master was hiding in the small Shuangfeng Village, they would definitely begin an in-depth investigation in secret. Once they connected Old Master Huang¡¯s disappearance with him, he would be in big trouble.


    Old Master Huang¡¯s master was an elder of the Nine Insect Gang.


    If his beloved pupil was killed, that elder would surely be enraged.


    With this thought, Qin Niu¡¯s back broke out in cold sweats.


    ¡°Young Master Yan, to be honest, to deal with those oversized locusts last night, I have already laid all my cards on the table, exhausting the strength I had gathered with great difficulty. If such oversized locusts appear again today, I simply cannot cope. This is also why I reminded you this morning that you must make early preparations.¡±


    Qin Niu put on a distressed face.


    When talking about exhausting his accumulated strength, his face was especially filled with a pained and distressed expression.


    ¡°Alt¡­ what shall we do now? If even Master Qin cannot hold the line, my Yan Family¡¯s crops will definitely be ruined,¡± said Young Master Yan, turning pale with shock.


    ¡± When the time comes, we¡¯ll save whatever we can! Corn, wheat, rice¡ªharvest them quickly if possible. As for the mulberry fields and tea gardens, if you want to protect them, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll need to call in an even more powerful Insect Master.¡±


    Qin Niu was prepared to take strategic retreat.


    Having assisted the Yan Family for so many days, he felt he had done his duty.


    Now aware of the danger, Qin Niu absolutely refused to remain in the forefront.


    During the Yan Family¡¯s dinner, Masters Mo and Shi both had low spirits, even finding no joy in the beautiful servants they were holding.


    They must have also heard the news about how an Insect Master from the He Family lost all his insects.


    For an Insect Master, their insects are their lifeblood.


    If the insects die, the Insect Master is virtually left with a name but no substance, especially for lower-ranked Insect Masters who often rely on just one skilled insect and have a very weak ability to withstand risks.


    The gloomy mood not only spread among the two Insect Masters but Young Master Yan was also troubled and full of worry.


    After having dinner at the Yan Family¡¯s, Qin Niu went to inspect the defenses.


    The termites were still performing strongly, capturing a total of seventy-six special locusts.


    But no Grade Three oversized locusts were discovered.


    The number of special locusts they captured was also noticeably less than the day before.


    This made Qin Niu even more uneasy.


    He acted even more cautiously and unobtrusively.


    If Grade Three oversized locusts came again, he would definitely let them pass.


    In the blink of an eye, four more days passed.


    The defensive line Qin Niu was guarding remained stable¡ªnot to mention Grade Three giant locusts, even the number of Grade Two special locusts was dwindling.


    The locust plague seemed to be abating.


    In the past few days, the Yan Family had been on tenterhooks, with Young Master Yan running around the fields everyday, his eyes ringed with dark circles.


    Any grain that could be salvaged was being hastily gathered by family servants and workers.


    Qin Niu seized every day to practice cultivation and nurture his insects.


    He was very aware that these days of peace could very well be the calm before a storm.


    One day, while he was nurturing his newly hatched bees at home, he heard someone asking to see him outside.


    The visitor was an employee from the Miaodan Pavilion.


    He had been too busy to follow up after handing the beast core over to Master Zi Zhou.


    ¡°Master Qin Niu, this is the elixir you entrusted us at Miaodan Pavilion to refine. The pill is now ready; congratulations,¡± said the visitor, who came in a pair, handing Qin Niu a box.


    ¡°Excellent! You¡¯ve worked hard! Please convey my thanks to Master Zi Zhou.¡±


    This was truly a timely rain; he had been waiting for it.


    Accepting the box, Qin Niu opened it to take a look.


    Inside was a green pill, about the size of an egg yolk.


    Next to it were two similarly wax-sealed yellow pills.


    They looked just like two mud pills.


    They were also significantly smaller than the green pill.


    At most, they were the size of a pigeon egg.


    ¡°Are these two extra pills gifted to me?¡±


    Qin Niu asked curiously.

 Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: Chapter 200: Emergence of a Large Number of Grade Three Termites i

    Chapter 205: Chapter 200: Emergence of a Large Number of Grade Three Termites i


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Master Zi Zhou instructed that the verdant elixir is the main elixir, which humans can consume. Those two smaller beads are the subsidiary elixirs, which absorbed the violent energy humans couldn¡¯t during the tempering process. They can be consumed by earth attribute beast pets. All three elixirs can enhance the cultivator¡¯s power,¡±


    the delivery staff replied.


    Qin Niu, upon hearing this, felt very satisfied.


    A major elixir pharmacy truly is different, trustworthy as gold.


    If it were a dishonest elixir pharmacy, those two subsidiary elixirs would definitely be intercepted privately.


    Even the main elixir might be swindled away.


    Of course, those who can afford a beast core, along with one hundred forty to fifty silver money for the refinement fee, aren¡¯t easy targets.


    Trying to swindle them could easily lead to big trouble, and even throwing up what was swallowed along with the profit would be getting off lightly.


    In the worst case, they might not even get to keep their lives.


    ¡°If Master Qin has no objections, please sign and imprint your handprint, then return the receipt to us so we can complete our job,¡±


    After signing and imprinting, Qin Niu sent off the two staff members from Miaodan Pavilion, holding the three elixirs with great joy.


    Longing for stars, longing for the moon, he had finally awaited the return of the Boundary-breaking Elixir.


    His power should surge once more with the help of this main elixir.


    As for the two subsidiary elixirs, since the little turtle is an earth attribute beast pet, he could give one to it.


    Xiao Nui should also be of the earth attribute, and with giving it one, they would be distributed cleanly.


    As for the Grade Seven Golden Toad, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t figure out if it was of the earth or metal attribute. He suspected the metal attribute was more likely, given its ability to consume metal.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, I may not come home tonight, keep an eye on the house,¡±


    Qin Niu reminded Xiao Qing before he left the house with his basket on his back.


    Arriving by the pond in the front courtyard, he was not stingy at all.


    He called directly into the pond, ¡°Cowardly turtle, come out.¡±


    Because it was incredibly timid, Qin Niu simply gave it a nickname accordingly.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle emerged from the bottom of the water.


    Its little mung bean eyes still frantically scanned around, extremely vigilant.


    Having been scared into wetting itself by the Golden Toad last time, it was now exceedingly cautious every time it surfaced.


    ¡°Coward! Open your mouth!¡±


    Qin Niu took out one earth-yellow subsidiary elixir, and the rich fragrance of the medicine immediately wafted out. In his hand, the elixir felt like a keg of gunpowder, seeming to contain a wildly fierce energy.


    The little turtle seemed to know its stuff, staring at the elixir in his hand with its little eyes glowing green.


    After eating this and getting stronger, show some more courage. Being such a coward is embarrassing me,¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s own courage was actually not much bigger than that of the little turtle.


    The little turtle opened its mouth wide, and Qin Niu precisely tossed the subsidiary elixir into it, which it swallowed with an extended neck.


    ¡°Make good use of it, don¡¯t waste it.¡±


    Even though it was just a subsidiary elixir, if sold on the market, it would easily fetch a hundred taels of silver.


    Qin Niu was not clear on the exact value.


    In his eyes, no matter how much silver money there was, it was just a pile of dirt; only by converting it into strength did it become something truly substantial.


    To become his pets was certainly their fortune.


    When cultivating beast pets, he was never stingy.


    After feeding the little turtle, he left with Golden Toad in tow.


    Nowadays, when venturing outside, he almost always took Fourth, some termites, and Golden Toad with him.


    In the future, he could consider bringing along the War Bee as well.


    With insects or beast pets for water, land, and air, he could calmly face whatever unexpected situations arose.


    If he encountered some rare opportunity, he could also grasp it.


    For example, facing an extremely rare and scarce insect, his own bug-catching ability would hardly suffice.


    With Fourth and Golden Toad, it would be a different story altogether.


    He could directly collect any rare insects he encountered into his pouch.


    Since the number of war bees was still very small, he kept them to guard the beehive, to watch the house.


    After he entered the mountain, his goal was unwaveringly the ant nest.


    As soon as he reached the ant nest, he was shocked.


    One by one, termites as thick as pinky fingers crawled out of the nest.


    They emerged endlessly like a tide, then surrounded Qin Niu.


    ¡°Goodness, have they completed their evolution?¡±


    It was about time by his calculations.


    The evolved worker ants were all nimble and agile, with thick legs and strong mandibles¡ªclearly adept at their work.


    The soldier ants were terrifying.


    They bore tiger stripes on their bodies, and their upper jaws gleamed with a cold light like fine steel; one bite would likely cut most insects in half on the spot.


    Their legs were a bit longer than those of the worker ants, making them even more agile.


    Just standing there, each radiated a presence of war and battle, as though they were elite troops ready to charge and fight on the battlefield.


    The power worker ants, power soldier ants, demon ants, and elephantic ants had yet to complete their evolution.


    The main force that had evolved now were just ordinary Grade Two worker ants and Grade Two soldier ants.


    He felt their combat abilities were noticeably stronger than the existing Grade Two lightning ants and Grade Two tiger-striped soldier ants.


    This was normal.


    After all, their grade was one level higher.


    Qin Niu checked their attributes.


    Grade Three lightning worker ants, 673 in total, lifespan of 33 years, special abilities (agility, super-strong mandible bite, ant acid that assists in healing plant wounds, primary carapace).


    Grade Three tiger-striped soldier ants, 277 in total, lifespan of 30.5 years, special abilities (agility, armor penetration, primary carapace, frenzy; in a frenzied state, speed increases by three times, attack power by five times, and defense by one time).


    Their attributes and lifespan had significantly increased.


    The Grade Three tiger-striped soldier ants even gained new abilities such as agility, armor penetration, and primary carapace.


    This also meant that their combat power would increase multiple times over.


    With this batch of fresh forces, Qin Niu would definitely be much more at ease if he encountered a formidable Insect Master again.


    Last time, he encountered an ambush by Old Master Huang¡¯s four thousand army ants and was put in a very difficult position, even losing several dozen Grade Two termites.


    If, like now, he could add nearly a thousand Grade Three termites in one day,


    he would break ten thousand in just around eleven days.


    Even if he lost one or two hundred in battle, he could completely afford the loss.


    ¡°Alright, go back in! There will be time for you to shine. But usually, stay low- key for me and hide deep in the nest, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Qin Niu called out the one thousand newly-molted juvenile ants from the ant nest.


    He was ecstatic to see another demon ant had emerged.


    Both war bees and demon ants were rare species.


    Their combat abilities were far stronger than other special ants.


    Now, he had two demon ants and one war demon ant.


    Once he managed to cultivate the demon ants, he could consider making them like giant locusts, becoming generals to lead a termite army into battle.


    By then, with demon ants as generals, tiger-striped ironclad ants as lieutenants, dark poison ants, and elephantic soldier ants as special forces,


    As for the ghost ants, as long as there was ample ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree Blood,¡¯ he could mass-produce them.


    ¡°The blood of the Ancient Banyan Tree is almost inexhaustible; I can take two or three jars of it every day. But the production of Thousand Eyes Tree Blood is very limited. Now that the termites have become fierce, the ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree Blood¡¯ consumed for their secondary cultivation will increase tenfold or even more. I¡¯ve got to think of a way.¡±


    Qin Niu was decent at cultivation.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique was especially beneficial to plants, bringing them back from the brink and promoting rapid growth.


    He was considering the possibility of cultivating the ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ himself.

 Chapter 206 - Chapter 206: Chapter 201 Breakthrough i

    Chapter 206: Chapter 201 Breakthrough i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    As long as there is a sufficient supply of Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, it¡¯s possible to endlessly cultivate termites with long-range spirit control or mental attack capabilities.


    In actual combat, the ability to launch mental attacks and perform spirit control is incredibly strong.


    Not only can they kill enemies beyond their own level, but few insects can withstand such strange modes of attack.


    The enemy often falls victim without a sound or a sign.


    Moreover, as termites are social insects, they exhibit a high degree of unity, whether there are ten or ten million. As long as they belong to the same colony, they can act as one. During group combat, the stacking of mental attacks is particularly terrifying.


    Even a Grade Five Bee General could be taken down silently and swiftly.


    With such an important special ability, Qin Niu naturally wanted to find ways to preserve it.


    After contemplation, he decided to start from two approaches.


    The first approach was to feed the Ant Queen with Thousand Eyes Tree Blood.


    The risk of termites consuming Thousand Eyes Tree Blood was almost non-existent; if the Ant Queen hadn¡¯t been fed before, it was because it hadn¡¯t completed its initial cultivation.


    Comparatively, evolving through consuming Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was most crucial.


    It could transform the termites completely.


    While evolving spirit control or attack abilities by consuming Thousand Eyes Tree Blood was also important, it certainly couldn¡¯t compare to the former.


    Up to now, the Ant Queen remained Qin Niu¡¯s core insect pet, and naturally, he aimed for perfect cultivation. He did his utmost to cultivate it as strongly and perfectly as possible.


    Now, having completed its initial cultivation, he could consider the second cultivation for the Ant Queen.


    The only downside was that the egg-laying of the Ant Queen would be temporarily suspended during the second cultivation period.


    The current situation was unstable, with undercurrents swirling, and Qin Niu needed more termites to ensure he could face danger with composure.


    Therefore, he planned to postpone the second cultivation of the Ant Queen appropriately.


    Currently laying a thousand eggs a day was an extremely tempting situation.


    He truly did not wish to interrupt it.


    The second cultivation approach: planting the Thousand Eyes Tree to increase its blood production.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree was extremely mysterious; any plants taken from the maze would immediately wither and die upon transplantation. And they would die for good, not even the Everlasting Spring Technique could revive them.


    This gave him an unconventional idea, to proactively plant the Thousand Eyes Tree within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    Since he now treated the Ancient Banyan Tree as his ¡®private property,¡¯ it was entirely reasonable for him to develop the land under its cover.


    This was an idea he had been considering for a long time.


    Now, with the rapid growth of the termite colony, the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood was no longer sufficient, forcing him to find ways to increase the production of the blood.


    This plant was extremely special, and up to this point, he had only seen it under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He even suspected that it was a symbiotic plant of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    It might not be found at all in the outside world.


    After cultivating the termites, he directly entered the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    Today¡¯s tasks were quite heavy: collecting Banyan Tree Blood, taking the Boundary-breaking Elixir to enhance his cultivation level, and planting the Thousand Eyes Tree.


    First was collecting Banyan Tree Blood. As usual, he swung the Ink Blade mercilessly, striking the Ancient Banyan Tree harshly to create wounds, then collecting the blood with a jar.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree really seemed to be cursed, having to endure several cuts every day.


    Fortunately, its self-healing ability was extremely strong; it had become accustomed to the cuts. Each time, it would heal quickly and return to its original state.


    Next, Qin Niu cleared a space beside its trunk and transplanted a few seedlings of the Thousand Eyes Tree. He specifically chose small saplings.


    After planting them, he didn¡¯t notice anything unusual.


    This filled Qin Niu with silent joy; the plan seemed very likely to work.


    He sat down cross-legged beside the newly planted Thousand Eyes Trees, took out the Boundary-breaking Elixir, didn¡¯t think much of it, peeled off the wax seal, and swallowed it in one go.


    It didn¡¯t melt in his mouth as the legends suggested but instead was quite chewy.


    The taste was slightly odd, a little bitter.


    It also carried a hint of earthy scent along with a rich medicinal fragrance from a mixture of various herbs.


    After consuming it, he didn¡¯t feel anything out of the ordinary.


    It was as if what he had eaten was just ordinary food.


    Having some experience in cultivation, he immediately closed his eyes and concentrated, starting to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    His thoughts were simple: break through to the Acquired Realm first.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique seemed more suitable for his cultivation, and advancing to the next level seemed relatively easier. The experience of breaking through from the Mortal Realm to the Acquired Realm with the Medicine King Sutra had left him with a deep psychological shadow.


    The difficulty of leveling up was not to be underestimated.


    But this was also a test for his cultivation spirit, granting him a preliminary understanding of the Dao heart.


    At this moment, as he began to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique, the power within his body also grew rapidly.


    At first, he didn¡¯t feel anything special, but gradually, his internal power felt as if it was possessed by a deity, increasing at an amazing pace.


    Qin Niu clearly absorbed only a trace of power from the outside, but it was enough to double his internal power.


    And this was just the beginning.


    The growth rate of his power was like a rolling snowball.


    By now, absorbing a trace of power from the surroundings, his internal power could increase by more than tenfold.


    The shocking rate of cultivation growth even scared him.


    And it seemed to be just the beginning.


    Eleven times.


    Twelve times¡­


    It seemed to have no end.


    To think that cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique under the Ancient Banyan Tree was already twenty times faster than outside.


    Now after consuming the Boundary-breaking Elixir, the speed of cultivation continued to amplify.


    When this amplification reached tenfold, it was effectively two hundred times the normal cultivation speed in the outside world.


    Cultivating for one day was equivalent to half a year of cultivation for others in the outside world.


    The charm of elixirs was so great that it was simply irresistible.


    In the past, I thought cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree was already like having a huge advantage, but I didn¡¯t realize that was just child¡¯s play.


    Only now could it be called a truly privileged life.


    Qin Niu was keenly aware that this cultivation opportunity was extremely rare. Who knew when the next chance to obtain a Boundary-breaking Elixir would come.


    Hunting monster beasts for their Beast Cores was a matter of luck.


    If one could encounter such an opportunity once in ten years, it would be as if their ancestors¡¯ graves had billowed with blue smoke.


    Even if one did encounter it, there was no guarantee of success in the kill.


    Because every monster beast that managed to mature was an existence of extreme terror.


    The King Pig that Qin Niu had slain last time wasn¡¯t really a true monster beast in the strict sense.


    At best, it was a powerful King Pig that had encountered a stroke of luck.


    It barely qualified as a half-demon.


    In reality, it was much weaker compared to a true half-demon.


    Moreover, even if one hunted down a monster beast and obtained its Beast Core, one couldn¡¯t necessarily refine it into a Boundary-breaking Elixir.


    Because even Master Zi Zhou, with the highest success rate of elixir formation, only had a thirty percent chance.


    Therefore, this cultivation opportunity was extraordinarily precious.


    Many people, if given such a chance once in their lifetime, would be able to rise above the common herd and directly change their fate.


    Time was rapidly slipping by, and his cultivation level was overcoming barriers one after another, advancing by leaps and bounds.


    He easily broke through to the third level of the Acquired Realm, and then came the fourth level, fifth level¡­


    When his cultivation level broke through to the tenth level of the Acquired Realm, the rate at which his strength was increasing started to diminish. This indicated that most of the elixir¡¯s energy had been consumed by him.


    ¡°Taking the Boundary-breaking Elixir for the first time, I was a bit too impatient. Quality steel should be used on the blade¡¯s edge. Others probably cultivate to the peak of the tenth level of the Acquired Realm before taking the Boundary-breaking Elixir, using the power of the elixir to breakthrough.¡±


    Qin Niu had a moment of realization.


    Many pits could only be known after one had fallen into them.


    The detours one must take in life really cannot be skipped.


    Fortunately, the cultivation environment he was in was extremely special.


    The cool energy under the Ancient Banyan Tree was very concentrated, at least twenty times that of the outside world. This had become an important aid for his assault on a new realm, its effect no less potent than that of the Boundary-breaking Elixir.


    Clenching his teeth, with an unrestrained determination in his heart, he wanted to break through the Acquired Realm and experience the taste of a higher realm.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    The power of the Everlasting Spring Technique surged within him like raging waves, rushing crazily through his body, repeatedly tempering and strengthening every inch of his skin, muscles, and internal organs.


    His entire body became as solid as if it were cast from steel, extraordinarily robust.


    Now, he was like a human-shaped mech capable of crushing steel blades with his bare hands.


    Ordinary arrows shot at him probably couldn¡¯t even penetrate his defenses.


    And this was without donning the King Pig Leather Armor.


    Otherwise, his defense would be even more terrifying.


    But then again, the fundamental strength of the body is what truly matters. Armor, no matter how strong, is ultimately an external object; its role is merely to gild the lily.


    If the body itself isn¡¯t strong enough, no matter how powerful the armor, against a real master, one move would be enough to shatter the flesh beneath the armor.


    ¡°Charge, charge, charge!¡±


    Qin Niu bit down hard, his cultivation level rising rapidly.


    He wanted to break through.


    As the amping effect of his cultivation began to wane, he felt a clear insufficiency of strength when attempting to break through the major barrier.


    Yet he did not give up, harboring an unwavering determination in his heart.


    His resolve was indestructible.


    As time passed, his power had reached the peak of the Acquired Realm¡¯s tenth level, and he could even vaguely glimpse some of the rules and abilities of the new realm.


    But breaking through was still extremely difficult.


    Since the start of his cultivation of the Everlasting Spring Technique, this was the first time he had encountered an obstacle.


    Or it could also be called a bottleneck.


    After breaking through the Acquired Realm, he would no longer be an ordinary person, but would have stepped halfway into the threshold of Immortal Gate, becoming a true cultivator.


    Such an existence, even in Black Tiger City, was by no means commonplace.


    Rather, it was an exceedingly rare and transcendent being.


    Not even Old Master Huang, whom he had slain, would have reached this realm.


    Otherwise, no matter how much Qin Niu schemed, it¡¯s unlikely he could have killed him.


    At this moment, the more he glimpsed the aspects of the new realm, the more he yearned to break through.


    He also felt a twinge of regret, wishing he had not been so hasty.


    At the very least, he could have waited to advance to the tenth level of the Acquired Realm before using the Boundary-breaking Elixir to charge at the new realm. But what¡¯s done can¡¯t be undone, and regret was pointless.


    All he could do was grit his teeth and persist to the end.


    Sometimes, when facing difficult challenges, having faith is crucial.


    If one¡¯s resolve wavers at the slightest setback and contemplates giving up, then once the spirit is gone, failure is sure to follow. But if one¡¯s will is as solid as iron, and one strives with a steely resolve, one might just succeed in the end.


    At that moment, he felt a drizzle-like cold energy raining down upon him from above.


    When these energies invaded his body, they caused his blood to stagnate and his spirit to become sluggish.


    He knew this meant the sky had darkened and the Ancient Banyan Tree was beginning to cleanse its territory of all living beings.


    The energy from the Boundary-breaking Elixir was almost depleted, night had fallen, and the new realm was extremely difficult to break into; multiple difficulties weighed on his heart, shaking his conviction.

 Chapter 207 - Chapter 207: Chapter 202: Formidably Strong i

    Chapter 207: Chapter 202: Formidably Strong i


    Translator: 549690339 |


    If he waited until the branches of the Ancient Banyan Tree completely pressed down, his death was certain.


    Yet, cultivating until this critical moment, to give up was truly unbearable for him.


    He now found himself in a dilemma of difficult choices.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just give up so easily, I have to fight.¡±


    His thoughts flashed like lightning as he finally made a decision.


    Recalling the path he had taken, every step was filled with hardship and danger.


    Termite, Queen Bee, they were willing to risk their lives for the promotion to the next level, fighting desperately to the death.


    Being the most spiritually endowed beings, humans, could they really be inferior to their own pets?


    That made no sense.


    He gritted his teeth again, desperately striking at the new realm.


    The bell of life and death tolled above his head. The feeling of hanging by a thread made his heart even more serene and focused.


    While cultivating, Qin Niu suddenly felt the energy pouring into his body doubled.


    Could it be the residual power of the Boundary-breaking Elixir?


    No, this energy was flowing into his body from the outside world.


    The way the Boundary-breaking Elixir enhanced one¡¯s Cultivation Technique was very special; it added power directly from within the body. Purely consuming the energy of the elixir, transforming it into cultivation strength.


    If it wasn¡¯t the effect of the Boundary-breaking Elixir, then there was only one possibility left.


    The experience level of his Everlasting Spring Technique broke through at this dangerous moment.


    This was truly rain in a drought.


    At the moment he needed help the most, his Cultivation Technique¡¯s experience level had made a breakthrough.


    Sometimes, at such a critical moment, even a slight increase in support could significantly boost the chances of success. Directly doubling the efficiency with which he absorbed external energy, this assistance was immense.


    Qin Niu felt as though even heaven was helping him.


    Heaven rewards the diligent, indeed.


    As vast amounts of external energy transformed into cultivation strength, he sensed a slight easing of the bottleneck of his realm.


    Finally, he saw the hope of successfully breaking through the realm.


    Only the branches of the Banyan Tree above were already pressing down very low.


    The falling cold energy had also changed from a fine drizzle to a moderate rain. After falling on him, it made him feel drowsy, his body stiff and cold, and his blood circulation slowing down more and more.


    The risk of death was rapidly increasing.


    At this critical moment, the Golden Toad leaped up and lay on top of his head like a hat.


    It blocked the cold energy falling from the branches of the Ancient Banyan Tree for him.


    With this precious moment of time, Qin Niu drummed up energy to strike at the new realm once again.


    ¡°Break!¡±


    Although the bottleneck had loosened even more, he still failed.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    Qin Niu, undaunted by repeated failures, once again gathered strength to assault the new realm.


    The result was another failure.


    But with each failure, he grew stronger and his resolve more steadfast.


    ¡°With true sincerity, even metal and stone will be pierced; break for me!¡±


    Qin Niu took on the posture of someone risking his life, with only one belief in his heart: to be successful or to die with honor.


    Even if he were to die here today, he would fight to the end.


    Boom! A mighty and peerless aura surged from his body, shooting into the sky, and the Golden Toad on his head was sent flying.


    The invisible energy rising into the sky even forced the falling cold energy above to halt temporarily.


    He himself underwent a shocking transformation.


    A layer of faint green luminescence flowed endlessly on the surface of his skin.


    Though weak, it helped him barely resist the invasion of the cold energy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you out.¡±


    Qin Niu picked up the Golden Toad, shouldered the basket, not even wanting the Banyan Tree Blood any longer.


    It was extremely dangerous, and there simply wasn¡¯t time for him to collect those few jars of Banyan Tree Blood.


    The termites, under the assault of the chilling energy, had become rigid, struggling to move.


    Fourth happened to be the most favored one.


    Qin Niu had allowed it to hide on his body, and now it was protected by that layer of cyan light, faring relatively well.


    Guided by it, Qin Niu stepped out.


    He covered three to four meters in a single step, light as a swallow, with surging strength. As he moved forward, he was like a shifting mountain, or a rushing tidal wave. The invisible aura he exuded sent shivers down one¡¯s spine, and those who were weaker would simply find their knees buckling, bringing them to the ground.


    In addition, his body was like it had been cast from steel, powerful and vigorous, his movements swift.


    He escaped the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s maze in the blink of an eye.


    Because the branches had lowered considerably, Qin Niu dared not let them touch the top of his head.


    All the way, he swung his sword to strike.


    The Sweeping Martial Technique was used frequently, with each slash sending out radiant Blade Qi four to five inches long, much more substantial than before.


    Wherever the Blade Qi swept across, it was like divine powers that cut down gods and slayed Buddhas.


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    Having escaped, he let out a long, muddled breath.


    Two faint wisps of light were exhaling and inhaling before his nostrils, almost startling him.


    ¡°Finally escaped, finally made a breakthrough. It really is true that fortune favors the bold.¡±


    Qin Niu reminisced about the many obstacles he faced when breaking through his limits and the life-or-death decisions he made at critical moments, filled with emotion.


    Mortals vie for power, leaving a trail of countless bones upon one general¡¯s success.


    Cultivators defy the heavens, where a single thought could mean life or death.


    This attempt to surge into a new realm, one wrong step could have resulted in both death and the annihilation of one¡¯s path.


    Having overcome it, he earned the right to be considered above ordinary men.


    He was no longer a mere mortal.


    Instead, he now possessed the qualifications to step into the Immortal Gate and truly begin seeking the path for eternal life.


    It was like having the basic conditions for a ticket to admission.


    ¡°Wart Toad, for your merits in protecting your master today, I¡¯ll remember it. Given the chance, I will surely reward you well.¡±


    Qin Niu used to call it Golden Toad, but now he referred to it as Wart Toad.


    Although the name sounded unpleasant, it was more endearing. It also signified the added trust and affection he felt for the Golden Toad. The bond between master and servant had grown stronger as well.


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    The Golden Toad voiced its protest.


    ¡°Haha, you silly thing, aren¡¯t you pleased? It¡¯s only when I¡¯m happy that I would call you such. I¡¯ll call you Wart Toad every day from now on.¡±


    Qin Niu patted its head.


    However, having just broken through to a new realm and still unfamiliar with controlling his strength,


    he caused the Golden Toad great pain as it croaked in distress, giving him pitiful and innocent looks.


    Despite its merits, it was left out when elixirs were distributed and ended up on the receiving end of a few smacks.


    ¡°Haha, sorry, sorry, I¡¯ve just broken through to a completely new realm. I meant to be gentle, but I didn¡¯t expect it to cause you pain.¡±


    Qin Niu chuckled, this time gently stroking its head instead.


    Strands of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power seeped from his fingertips into the Golden Toad¡¯s body.


    He was using his own Cultivation Technique to help it dispel the chilling energy within its body.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree was truly formidable.


    Even if Qin Niu was now more than a hundred times stronger than before, he still had little resistance within its maze.


    At best, he might struggle a bit more, merely dying slower.


    Now that he had finally made a breakthrough, in a few days, once the number of Grade Three termites increased, he could consider going for the Green Demon treasure.


    He mused to himself.


    He was somewhat fixated on the Green Demon Bee.


    The Corpse Bee was incredibly powerful, yet its ultimate goal of evolution was simply to surpass the Green Demon Bee.


    With the resources at Qin Niu¡¯s command, if he could acquire a Green Demon Bee, the potential was unimaginable.


    The Green Demon is mentioned in the Green Demon Bee Breeding Manual, claiming that with just another fifty years to raise the next generation, even Cultivators from the Immortal Sect would dare to challenge it.

 Chapter 208 - Chapter 208: Chapter 203: Half-Step into the Primordial Realm – Part 1

    Chapter 208: Chapter 203: Half-Step into the Primordial Realm ¨C Part 1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    In the territory of the Black Tiger Gang right now, an insect calamity is wreaking havoc, and dangers lurk everywhere, he desperately needs to have enough strength to protect himself.


    Even after having broken through to a new realm, it merely gives him the confidence to sit tight in this countryside, but for those top experts in Black Tiger City, this level of strength is still not enough.


    In the short term, it¡¯s impossible for his cultivation to make any significant breakthroughs.


    This time, with the help of the elixirs, he directly advanced from the second layer of the Acquired Realm to the next major realm, which was absolutely like rocketing up in speed.


    As the saying goes, too much is as bad as not enough.


    What others might take ten or twenty years, or even a lifetime to achieve, he accomplished in just one day.


    Compared to those experts who have climbed up step by step, his foundation is definitely not as solid as theirs.


    If he doesn¡¯t calm his mind now and stabilize his realm, it could easily collapse


    like a ¡°high-rise building.¡±


    He plans to spend some time now to solidify his realm and lay a firm


    foundation.


    While at it, he could also practice the two martial skills and take them to the


    next level.


    Whether it¡¯s the Slash Martial Skill or the Sweeping Martial Technique, both can help him turn the tide in dangerous moments, so he definitely needs to master them.


    Especially with the ¡°storm¡± about to come, improving his strength in any area, even slightly, could mean the difference between life and death in a crisis.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s see how much my lifespan has increased!


    Qin Niu remembered the most important thing.


    Ultimately, there is only one purpose behind everything he does, and that is to


    prolong his life.


    Check personal attributes.


    Qin Niu


    Cultivation: Everlasting Spring Technique Innate early stage 10,000/100,000 (Medicine King Sutra Acquired first layer 1,570/2,000), Intermediate Farmer 119/1,000, intermediate Insect Master 108/1,000, Advanced Beast Tamer 10,000/100,000


    Lifespan: 188 years


    Cultivation Technique: Everlasting Spring Technique, Grade Three 1,022/10,000, Medicine King Sutra, Grade Two 572/1,000


    So after the Acquired Realm, comes the legendary Innate Realm.


    ¡°One step into the Innate, half a step into immortality,¡± means that as soon as one enters the Innate Realm, it¡¯s like taking half a step into the Immortal Gate, qualifying for the true pursuit of everlasting life.


    He has always found himself quite deficient in knowledge about cultivation, but now that he¡¯s finally accumulated some power, he can spare some time to catch up on this knowledge.


    He bought a number of books on cultivation, beast-taming, and insect mastering from the city last time, but he has never had the time to read them.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped.


    At that time, he was being targeted by Old Master Huang. He had to give his all to outwit his opponent, as the slightest carelessness could have cost him his life.


    It was impossible for him to be distracted and learn the basics of cultivation.


    Although he killed Old Master Huang later on, the appearance of Grade Three giant locusts gave him a hint of the presence of the Nine Insect Gang. Faced with masters of the Nine Insect Gang hidden in the shadows, his mere second- layer Acquired Realm cultivation would likely not even suffice to fill the gaps between their teeth.


    Without long-term considerations, there will be immediate worries.


    Always being far-sighted, he naturally did everything possible to enhance his strength before the crisis hit.


    Now that he has broken through to the Innate Realm, he finally can catch his breath.


    His lifespan has increased by a total of sixty years.


    That is, in common terms, a jiazi.


    This result is slightly lower than he expected.


    After all the hardship to break through to the Innate Realm, the total only adds


    up to 188 years of life.


    He finds it too little.


    But the lifespan of humans is indeed fleeting, and it¡¯s extremely difficult to


    extend it.


    For ordinary people, living past seventy is already very rare. Most people die in their fifties or sixties.


    After seventy, every decade is a hurdle.


    Those who live past a hundred can definitely be called centenarians.


    120 years is the limit for the Mortal Realm.


    Almost no one lives to be 120 years old.


    If you break into the Acquired Realm and take good care of your body, living past 120 with little issue should be possible. For those at this realm, 140 is the limit.


    In fact, those who can cultivate to the Acquired Realm are already rare.


    Most people are struggling in the Mortal Realm.


    The Innate Realm is a profound state of cultivation that ordinary people cannot even reach.


    Mortals are like ants; those in the Acquired Realm are merely stronger ants, but only upon reaching the Innate Realm does one ascend to a new level.


    Most Innate Realm experts can live beyond 150 years.


    For someone like Qin Niu, who practices Life-Nurturing Techniques and is only at the early stage of the Innate Realm, to live nearly 190 years is alluring.


    It¡¯s equivalent to more than three times the lifespan of an ordinary person.


    The key is that he¡¯s only sixteen years old, which is a tremendous advantage.


    Most Innate Realm experts are over a hundred years old, the kind of old men who are half-buried in the ground.


    Being young has many advantages. It doesn¡¯t just mean having a longer life to attempt breaking through to the next realm and time to accumulate strength, but it also means being more vigorous, making advancement relatively easier and the potential greater.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to head back!¡±


    Qin Niu glanced back at the Ancient Banyan Tree and the towering mountains, his heart still full of awe. However, compared to his previous trepidation, he now felt a bit more confidence and composure.


    He believed that even if he were to encounter a half-demon or even a real demon beast at this moment, he would have the strength to fight.


    With one step, he covered over three meters.


    Moreover, his movements were as light as a swallow, hardly requiring any


    effort.


    He ran through the mountains, his pace getting faster and faster.


    The armor from the Pig King allowed him to disregard all thorns and branches that stood in his way.


    It let Qin Niu run freely, without having to worry about his clothes getting torn. And for his physical body, ordinary thorns couldn¡¯t harm him in the slightest. As his speed increased, the distance of each step he took grew from over three meters to over four meters.


    ¡°It would be wonderful if I could learn a Step-Method Martial Skill at some point.¡±


    Qin Niu secretly admired the movement skills Old Master Huang had demonstrated.


    Genuine core cultivation techniques and martial skills are usually hard to find


    on the market.


    This is because all the top-level martial skills and techniques are collected by the government and noble clans.


    After buying these techniques, they only pass them on to the core disciples within their families, strictly controlling them to prevent any leaks.


    It is extremely difficult for ordinary people to learn them. Returning to the village, as he passed by the houses, he discovered he could actually hear voices coming from inside.


    Sister Liu¡¯s child was crying, Yu Le¡¯s wife was losing her temper, scolding him


    for being incompetent and useless¡­


    Having ascended to the Innate Realm, his hearing had become much more sensitive, and he could detect many subtle sounds that he was previously unable to hear.


    ¡°Master, you really came back! Hehe, it seems my sensing ability is quite accurate!¡±


    Xiao Qing stood at the door looking out, and upon seeing Qin Niu returning from the mountains, she revealed a happy smile.


    ¡± Have you had your meal?¡±


    ¡°Not yet!¡±


    ¡°Did you practice diligently?¡±


    ¡°I did practice, but I kind of wilted all the medicinal herbs you planted.¡±


    She answered, looking down.


    ¡°No problem, I will help them recover later.¡±


    Qin Niu was thinking, should he impart the Everlasting Spring Technique to


    Xiao Qing?


    After thinking over it, in the end, he gave up on the idea.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was worried she might betray him in the future; rather, he feared she might bite off more than she could chew.


    It would be better to take her to train within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze than to transmit skills to her.


    However, before doing so, he still needed to test her.


    After all, she was just a child, not yet of age, and if she couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut, it could easily result in disaster.


    Moreover, after her cultivation level rapidly increased, it might also go to her head.


    If she flaunted her power too openly without understanding the need to hide her strength, it would likewise bring trouble.


    These were all issues that needed to be considered.


    As for her loyalty, Qin Niu was not too concerned.


    The bond between master and servant was growing deeper, and the likelihood of her betraying Qin Niu in the future was almost nil.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, do you still like the leather armor I gave you?¡±


    ¡°I like it! Every gift the master gives me is especially precious.¡±


    She spoke earnestly.


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t seen you wear it much!¡±


    ¡°I usually can¡¯t bear to wear it, I only wear it when I go hunting m the mountains with Sister Wan Yan.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to bear? Wear it every day from now on, it can protect your safety.¡±


    Qin Niu felt that at her young age, she was really quite sensible.


    Hardworking and clever.


    She kept the house tidy and clean, cooking and doing laundry for Qin Niu every day.


    Perhaps because she had lived quite a hard life with her adoptive grandfather since she was young, she was usually very frugal.


    ¡°What would you do if one day your cultivation level suddenly broke through to the tenth level of the Mortal Realm?¡±


    The two chatted idly as they ate.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think I would be very happy, and I would find an opportunity to tell my grandfather the good news at his grave. Then I would continue to practice hard, striving to advance to the Acquired Realm as soon as possible. By then, I would have the ability to protect the master,¡± she said thoughtfully, expressing her genuine thoughts.


    ¡°At such a young age and with such high cultivation, is your grandfather the only person you think about telling?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Oh, no, no, I would tell the master first, and then my grandfather second.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to show off in front of Sister Wan Yan or other kids?


    ¡°I can¡¯t show off. My grandfather told me that even with the closest people, you have to learn to hide, as a form of self-protection. Cultivation levels, money, treasures ¨C these are all core secrets, not to be casually revealed to outsiders. Showing off even a little bit of strength openly can lead to a quick death. Master, you have to remember these too. When I was traveling with my grandfather, we saw people flashing their wealth and then they were targeted and killed for it.¡±


    She ended up advising Qin Niu to learn how to be low-key in turn.


    ¡°Hehe, who would have thought you are so young, yet you understand quite a lot! Come to the mountains with me early tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll take you to train. But you must remember, I am taking you there because I consider you my closest and most trusted person. You must not tell anyone about this,¡± Qin Niu was very satisfied with her answer.


    As her master, now that he had become very strong, it was natural to help his maid as well.


    Having such a loyal maid by his side meant she could help Qin Niu with many things on normal days.


    At crucial moments, she might even save his life.


    Supporting her aptly was akin to strengthening his own arms.


    In the evening, Qin Niu did not rush to the Yan family¡¯s fields after dinner.


    The number of locusts seemed to be decreasing in the last few days, with even fewer special locusts.


    The Black Tiger Gang likely had already taken action.


    He genuinely hoped the insect disaster would cease soon.


    Qin Niu had originally thought his three thousand ducks could be sold for a good price.


    Now, after eating a vast quantity of locusts, some of the ducks seemed to be evolving, which made Qin Niu temporarily give up the idea of selling the ducks. Frankly, even if they sold for fifty silver coins each, it wouldn¡¯t bring in much money.


    Just one hundred and fifty silver money.


    In the past, that amount was a fortune to him.


    Now, it was just a small sum.


    He went to the backyard, making his way toward the medicinal herbs.


    They looked wilted, as if tormented by frost.


    Now that he had attained the Innate Realm, could he use the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique directly to help them quickly recover their vitality?

 Chapter 209 - Chapter 209: Chapter 204: Becoming Friends with the Yan Family_1

    Chapter 209: Chapter 204: Becoming Friends with the Yan Family_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    He had wanted to try this method for a long time.


    However, he previously lacked the necessary cultivation levels, unable to mobilize and externalize the energy within his body.


    Now that he had reached the Innate Realm, he barely possessed this ability.


    He had tested it when he was helping the Golden Toad with its injuries, and it worked quite well.


    He extended his hand to grasp the root stem of the Dogtail Grass.


    Then he mobilized a faint trace of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s energy and released it, controlling it to penetrate into the Dogtail Grass.


    After it was absorbed, the stems and leaves slowly filled out, rapidly regaining vitality.


    This method was indeed feasible.


    Qin Niu repeated the process with the other herbs, treating each one in turn.


    In about half an hour, all of them had regained their vitality.


    ¡°Now that I have the cultivation of the Innate Realm, I should be able to explore deeper into the mountains. I can gather some more medicinal herbs to plant.¡±


    Having tasted the sweetness of the Boundary-breaking Elixir, he was completely captivated by the supreme allure of elixirs.


    The best main ingredients for refining high-grade elixirs are not beast cores,


    but Spiritual Medicines.


    It has always been so since ancient times.


    The essence of plants and trees is the best material for alchemy.


    Beast cores are instead considered unorthodox. Acquiring beast cores not only requires taking a life but also, beasts and humans are fundamentally different beings. Their cultivation methods also differ.


    Using beast cores for alchemy goes against natural principles and involves numerous risks.


    This is why the major families only regard cultivated medicinal herbs as the core resources of the family, and never as one hears a family raising a mystical beast as their core asset.


    At most, they would raise a mystical beast to guard the house and protect the family¡¯s forbidden grounds.


    After restoring vitality to these herbs, Qin Niu then hurried to the Yan Family¡¯s farmland.


    Upon arriving at the first line of defense, swarms of locusts were advancing under the cover of darkness. Ordinary locusts passing this line of defense would not be attacked.


    Only when special locusts went through would they be intercepted by Qin Niu¡¯s Termite soldiers and then mercilessly killed.


    He checked the Termite¡¯s results.


    Thirteen special locusts were hunted.


    Compared to the peak times when hundreds could be hunted in a day, this was a significant drop.


    Qin Niu had specifically brought a group of Grade Three Termites this time to test their combat strength.


    It turned out that not to mention the extra-large locusts, even the special locusts were hard to come by.


    This left him somewhat frustrated.


    He was contemplating discussing with the Yan Family the next morning about having the Yan Family find another Insect Master to guard this defensive line.


    Having helped guard the Yan Family for so many days, he felt he had done enough and had repaid his debt of gratitude.


    He had specifically brought a book to read today.


    It was about time he brushed up on the fundamental knowledge of cultivation.


    Entering the thatched hut, he lit the oil lamp and read through the night.


    The night passed peacefully.


    The next morning, Yan Qi arrived.


    ¡°Master Qin, was everything peaceful last night?¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened. Looking at the situation, the locust plague seems to be subsiding. Pass a message to Young Master of the Yan Family for me, starting today, I am officially withdrawing from this defensive line.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s relationship with the Yan Family was merely one of cooperation.


    He would work if he wanted to.


    If not, he¡¯d just say goodbye and leave.


    ¡°Is there any way in which our Yan Family has failed to be hospitable?


    The color drained from Yan Qi¡¯s face as she carefully asked.


    ¡°I stood guard last night, and there were only two special locusts. I estimate that even if a few more appear during the day, it won¡¯t cause much trouble. Master Mo Sang can handle it completely. There are many affairs to attend to at home, and I really don¡¯t have time to waste here. Of course, if the locust situation changes and the Yan Family encounters difficulties, feel free to call on me at any time.¡±


    After finishing his words, Qin Niu left with the Termite he had collected.


    ¡°Master Qin, your breakfast banquet is ready! How about having your meal before I see you off?¡±


    ¡°No need, just go and notify the Young Master of the Yan Family and Masters


    Mo and Shi, that will do.¡±


    With a wave of his hand, Qin Niu left gracefully.


    Not long after he had arrived home, the Young Master of the Yan Family came over personally in a carriage.


    ¡°Master Qin, we owe a lot to you for aiding our Yan Family in holding the line these past few days, preserving our assets. If you¡¯re leaving abruptly, could it be that the decrease in the number of special locusts has substantially reduced your income? This oversight is indeed my mistake. After consulting with my father, the Yan Family is willing to offer a guaranteed daily rate of One Tael of Silver for your pest control services.


    If the number of special locusts killed in a day exceeds a hundred, then we will calculate the cost as per our prior agreement.


    If it¡¯s less than a hundred, the Yan Family will cover the base rate of One Tael of Silver per day for you.¡±


    The Young Master of the Yan Family offered a rate that would make countless Insect Masters green with envy.


    A daily wage of One Tael of Silver is definitely a top-tier salary.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not about the money, Young Master Yan, you needn¡¯t overthink it. My defense against pests for the Yan Family wasn¡¯t wholly for the sake of making money. The Yan Family has taken great care of me, and when my new residence was completed, you presented a generous gift to celebrate, which signifies a deep bond. Seeing the Yan Family in trouble, I naturally couldn¡¯t stand by idly. Now that the pest calamity has subsided, defending that line has also caused me to neglect many matters.


    That¡¯s why I decided to step back.¡±


    Qin Niu patiently explained.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the case, we of the Yan Family have been narrow-minded. Here¡¯s the remuneration for the recent pest control services you¡¯ve performed for our Yan Family, totaling 92 Taels and 5 cents of Silver Money. Would you please check if there are any discrepancies?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve counted it, that¡¯s fine by me, I trust you.¡±


    After working for so many days, Qin Niu had earned more than ninety taels of Silver Money, which was quite good.


    And in passing, he also trained his troops, giving the Termites very good exercise.


    Their capacity for group cooperation and experience in combat against enemies had both grown substantially.


    Teamwork is the Termites¡¯ greatest strength.


    This must be diligently practiced; there are no shortcuts.


    ¡°According to my father¡¯s wishes, we¡¯ve rounded it up to a Hundred Taels of Silver Money to thank you for your help to our Yan Family. My father also said, whenever Master Qin is free, you¡¯re welcome to visit the Yan Family at any time. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to turn to us. As long as it¡¯s within our capability, the Yan Family will certainly not stand idly by.¡±


    Yan Ruohai is much more capable in dealing with matters than the Young Master of the Yan Family.


    In dealing with people, he makes one feel very comfortable.


    ¡°Please convey my thanks to your father; when I have time, I will surely pay him a visit.¡±


    Qin Niu had long looked up to this local authority.


    There were many areas in which Yan Ruohai was worthy of his study.


    After this pest calamity, he wanted to take advantage of the momentum to become a local power like the Yan Family, and there were still many things he needed to learn from them.


    From Yan Ruohai¡¯s message, it was clear he regarded Qin Niu as a friend.


    That was very good.


    Every brave man needs allies; everyone needs friends.


    After seeing off the Young Master, Qin Niu took Xiao Qing and went to the mountains for training.


    This was also the first time he brought Xiao Qing into the maze within the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, remember this place.¡±


    He led her directly in front of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    ¡°Such a huge old tree! But why do I feel there is emptiness ahead¡­ It¡¯s not right. With such a big tree, there should be a lot of energy reserves.¡±


    Xiao Qing, also practicing the Medicine King Sutra, could feel the energy within plant bodies.


    She was surprised to find she couldn¡¯t sense anything; the Ancient Banyan Tree in front of her was void.

 Chapter 210 - Chapter 210: Chapter 205: Xiao Qing’s Talent_i

    Chapter 210: Chapter 205: Xiao Qing¡¯s Talent_i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    This is because of the effect of the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, which can isolate the outside world and form a small world within.


    Standing outside, one naturally cannot sense its vast energy.


    ¡°Take three steps forward.¡±


    Qin Niu signaled to her.


    Faithfully, Xiao Qing took three steps forward, but when she turned back, she immediately panicked.


    She could no longer see her master¡¯s figure.


    In her haste to return, she quickly realized with horror that she kept circling the same spot, trapped.


    Just as she was in turmoil, Qin Niu also walked into the maze from the outside.


    ¡°Master, I seem to be trapped and can¡¯t find my way out. I couldn¡¯t find you just now.¡±


    ¡°This is a maze, once you¡¯re in, there¡¯s no getting out. Feel the medicinal qi here.¡±


    Qin Niu pointed to the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    She closed her eyes and focused intently.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, its medicinal qi is terrifying!¡±


    ¡°From now on, when I come here to cultivate, you will join me. But there¡¯s one thing you must remember, never reveal anything about this place to anyone else, or it will surely bring us lethal trouble.¡±


    Qin Niu gave her a stern warning.


    ¡°Sure, I get it!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t wait to sit down cross-legged and began to try cultivating the Medicine King Sutra with her eyes closed.


    Qin Niu quietly left the maze and went to cultivate his termites.


    Upon arriving at the ant nest, he was pleasantly surprised to find another Demon Ant had emerged, bringing the total to three ordinary Demon Ants.


    With just a bit of cultivation, these could be three great generals.


    Fourth¡¯s position as Marshal was for the time being still unchallenged by any other termite.


    ¡°Eh, the first batch of Grade Two strong Worker Ants and strong Soldier Ants has also completed their evolution.¡±


    Dozens of strikingly impressive Grade Three ants appeared before him.


    After evolving, the Grade Two strong Worker Ants¡¯ bodies surprisingly developed dense green scales, each shining with a metallic luster.


    This was no ordinary green scale armor but an exoskeleton made of green scales.


    Their scale armor was even stronger than that of the Grade Three green-scale Giant Puppet Worker Ants.


    Moreover, they were also noticeably larger in size.


    Qin Niu looked at the new species with delight.


    He turned his gaze to another new breed.


    They were evolved from Grade Two strong Soldier Ants. Their entire bodies were like cast steel, shining with a metallic glow. Moreover, they were extremely agile, and their terrifying mandibles looked chilling to the observer.


    If they clamped down on you, a chunk of flesh would be gone instantly.


    Watching them nonstop flexing their ¡®weapons¡¯, even if a beetle from the Coleoptera order came by, it would instantly have its shell torn apart and killed on the spot.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t wait to check their attributes.


    27 Grade Three Green Armor Giant Worker Ants, lifespan of 33 years, special abilities (Swiftness, Super Endurance, Immense Strength, Armor Piercing, and their formic acid can assist in the healing of plant wounds. Intermediate Green Scales.)


    11 Grade Three Tiger Stripe Iron Armor Ants, lifespan of 30.5 years, special abilities (Swiftness, Armor Piercing, possessing Intermediate Carapace, Frenzy, with speed increased by three times in a frenzied state, attack power increased by ten times, and defense increased by one time.)


    After evolution, compared to the veteran Grade Two green-scale Giant Worker Ants and Grade Two Tiger Stripe Iron Armor Ants, their lifespan had significantly increased.


    And their abilities also improved qualitatively.


    Take the veteran Grade Two Tiger Stripe Iron Armor Ant for instance, it did not have the special ability of Swiftness and its relatively slow movement was a critical vulnerability.


    Although its speed could greatly increase in a frenzied state, its sluggishness in a normal state was a substantial flaw.


    The new Grade Three Tiger Stripe Iron Armor Ants had already remedied this shortcoming.


    I believe their performance on the battlefield will be even more outstanding.


    Their combat strength is so formidable that they can almost match Fourth.


    Of course, if Fourth entered a state of demonization, they would instantly have to bow down in submission.


    And Fourth¡¯s overall combat strength is tremendously strong.


    Venom Attack, Spirit Control, Intermediate Carapace, plus possessing Medium Intelligence*, they simply cannot compare.


    As the cultivation of insects progresses, the difference in abilities shrinks.


    Sometimes, even a slight special ability advantage over an opponent is enough to secure victory.


    Therefore, up to this point, Fourth remains an unbeatable presence in the ant group.


    Qin Niu was curious whether the defense of the Grade Three Green Armor Giant Worker Ants was comparable to the Grade Three Tiger Stripe Iron Armor Ants?


    Intermediate Green Scales and Intermediate Carapace both seemed to provide medium-level defensive capabilities.


    The specifics, however, would only be known after they entered the battlefield.


    The green-scale armor, being composed of scales, provided more flexibility. The Intermediate Carapace was like a turtle shell, a singular piece without any weak points, but rather inflexible in comparison.


    Their paths of evolution were also different.


    Worker Ants primarily engaged in labor, while Soldier Ants were mainly responsible for defense and combat.


    ¡°Feeding all thirty-eight Grade Three ants with Thousand Eyes Tree Blood should be able to promote them to Grade Four.¡±


    Qin Niu had this kind of cultivation experience.


    Because Grade Two Tiger Stripe Iron Armor Ants could be promoted to Grade Three after consuming Thousand Eyes Tree Blood.


    ¡°Line up, I¡¯ll be promoting you to Grade Four right away.¡±


    He dug out a small jar of Thousand Eyes Tree Blood hidden under the tree and fed it to them.


    Soldier Ants didn¡¯t have the ability to progress on their own and had to be fed by the Grade Three Green Armor Giant Worker Ants.


    ¡°These gluttons, not even forty strong, actually consumed half a jar of Thousand Eyes Tree Blood. They eat too much,¡± Qin Niu lamented as he watched the rapidly depleting Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, a frown forming on his face.


    It was the secret formula for cultivating termites with Spirit Control or Mental Attack.


    It took him a long time to accumulate this small jar of Thousand Eyes Tree Blood.


    Based on their current consumption rate, a small jar could at most cultivate a hundred termites.


    His dream was to form a massive army of termites, at least one hundred thousand strong.


    He would have to think of a solution.


    Apart from striving to cultivate the ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± to increase blood collection, perhaps he could consider the breeding process of ordinary termites.


    The blood of the Ancient Banyan Tree was almost inexhaustible, while the output of the ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood was very limited.


    Previously, in order to reduce the mortality rate of cultivating termites, he first let them ingest Ancient Banyan Tree blood to complete evolution, then feed them ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood.


    Now that thousands of termites were produced daily, even if there was some mortality in the cultivation process, it was acceptable.


    Moreover, his experience in cultivating termites was now extremely rich; the survival rate of the termites he cultivated was above 99%.


    With these two conditions, he had already begun to consider feeding the termites ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood first.


    Only afterward would he feed them Ancient Banyan Tree blood.


    Only in this way could he ensure that a vast ant army would be assembled in a short period of time.


    Currently, among the first batch of cultivated termites, only Breeder Ants, Poisonous Ants, and Demon Ants were still evolving.


    Based on the timeline, Breeder Ants and Poisonous Ants should complete their evolution in the next two days.


    The Demon Ants, however, would probably take a little longer.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation of termites and his retreat into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze for personal cultivation goes without saying.


    Having just advanced to the Innate Realm, he needed to consolidate his realm and had to put in a great deal of hard work.


    Master and servant practiced inside the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze until evening before emerging.


    After a day of arduous cultivation, Qin Niu had not only made significant progress in the power of Medicine King Sutra but had also consolidated his level in the Everlasting Spring Technique to a certain extent. He was very satisfied with the results of his practice.


    The dozen or so ¡°Thousand Eyes Trees¡± transplanted yesterday were showing a pleasing growth trend under the nourishment of Everlasting Spring Technique.


    At least ten times faster than the normal growth rate.


    If nothing unexpected happens, the supply of ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood should not be so tight after a while.


    ¡°Master, cultivating in here is truly wonderful! Did you know? I have now broken through to the Human Fourfold!¡±


    Xiao Qing¡¯s face was filled with joy.


    Anyone experiencing the taste of rapid advancement in cultivation would feel extremely delighted.


    Growing stronger is the most instinctual pursuit of every creature.


    ¡°Not bad at all, breaking through a small realm after just one day of cultivation,¡±


    Qin Niu praised her with a smile.


    After returning home, Qin Niu first checked on the Diamond Ink Turtle.


    After consuming that elixir, it had been motionless at the bottom of the water.


    It was probably digesting and absorbing the energy of the elixir.


    Pets, unlike humans, cannot learn to cultivate techniques and, in the early stages, can only comprehend and explore on their own. Once they have opened their spiritual intelligence and achieved a certain level of cultivation, it may be possible to understand some more profound techniques with the guidance of their masters.


    Back in the days of the ¡®Teaching without Distinction¡¯ school, many little demons went to listen to the lectures of the Supreme Master of Tongtian.


    Even if they only gained a hint of insight, they later became powerful great demons.


    This little turtle could only explore on its own now; no one could help it.


    In his cultivation journey, Qin Niu was also feeling his way across the river by feeling the stones.


    Concerning the cultivation method for Everlasting Spring Technique, he had only grasped a hint, far from being profound.


    After checking on the little turtle, he went to look at the calf.


    It was still the same as usual.


    However, its horns seemed to have grown much longer.


    Unlike those of ordinary water buffalo, its horns are clearly different. The horns of other buffaloes grow outward in the shape of a crescent moon.


    Its horns, on the other hand, grow upward.


    There is no sign of bending as of yet.


    Its name is Board-Horned Male Water Buffalo. Naturally, its horns are somewhat different.


    ¡°It has already been sleeping for far more than a month, I wonder if it is alright?¡±


    Qin Niu could not do much for it.


    He could only provide it with a safe environment shielded from wind and rain.


    The next day, he took Xiao Qing with him into the mountains to cultivate. When they finished their cultivation, Xiao Qing actually told him that she had advanced another small realm.


    Her cultivation had progressed from Human Fourfold to Human Fivefold.


    This astonishing pace of cultivation immediately caught Qin Niu¡¯s attention.


    You should know that he, too, was cultivating Medicine King Sutra under the Ancient Banyan Tree and needed three days to advance a small realm.


    When Xiao Qing progressed from Threefold to Human Fourfold yesterday, he thought it was because of some prior accumulation on her part.


    Today¡¯s breakthrough into another small realm immediately made him realize that Xiao Qing¡¯s talent for cultivating Medicine King Sutra was far superior to his own.


    Considering that the Medicine King Sutra was found together with her, it is very likely that her parents also practiced Medicine King Sutra.


    Now that she is displaying such astonishing talent, her origins may not be simple.


    Based on the abilities of Medicine King Sutra, it does not belong to Life- Nurturing Techniques, but may instead be a technique created specifically for harvesting herbs.


    There may also be other abilities, for example, it could be used for compounding medicines or making elixirs.


    Only when Qin Niu becomes more powerful in the future and comes into contact with more cultivation knowledge will he be able to understand more.


    When the two of them returned to the village, they found Steward Yan Qi¡¯s carriage outside.


    ¡°Master Qin!¡±


    Yan Qi greeted with a heavy expression on his face.


    Normally, when Yan Qi came and Qin Niu wasn¡¯t home, he would go sit at Wang Furen¡¯s house.


    Today, however, he was waiting inside his carriage, which likely meant something had happened.

 Chapter 211 - Chapter 211: Chapter 206: Calamity Beginsi

    Chapter 211: Chapter 206: Calamity Beginsi


    Translator: 549690339 |


    ¡°Housekeeper Yan Qi, please come inside and have a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu unlocked the door and invited Yan Qi into the house.


    Xiao Qing was meanwhile boiling water, preparing a pickled vegetable feast to entertain the guest.


    ¡°Master Qin, I came over to warn you to be extra careful these days. Master Mo Sang suddenly died violently today, bleeding from all seven orifices. Master Shi is nowhere to be found. Our Yan Family has already reported to the authorities. ¡°However, we received information from the officials that recently a string of Insect Masters have been killed.


    ¡°You must be on your guard.


    ¡°If possible, it would be safer for you to reside within the city. Old Master Yan also said that if you don¡¯t own a property in the city, our Yan Family can provide you with a temporary residence.¡±


    The Yan Family knows how to behave.


    Upon receiving the news, they were the first to offer a warning, and were even willing to provide Qin Niu with a place to stay in the city.


    ¡°Thank you for your master¡¯s kind intention, but I can handle it for the moment. I will be extra vigilant.¡±


    Qin Niu was well aware that living in the city might seem safe, but the waters there were much deeper.


    Old Master Huang, who is an Executor of the Nine Insect Gang, had been lurking within Black Tiger City without his true identity being discovered. This alone indicated a major problem with the Black Tiger Gang.


    Living in the countryside, Qin Niu was familiar with the terrain and could use the labyrinth of the Ancient Banyan Tree to fend off enemies if overpowered. After sending Yan Qi away, he sank into deep thought.


    The sudden death of Master Mo Sang had come too unexpectedly.


    Just two days ago, as the locusts were receding, he thought that the insect plague was coming to an end.


    Now it seemed that things were far more complicated than imagined.


    The next morning, a fast horse galloped into the village.


    This was a middle-aged man dressed in a black robe, riding a dark brown horse.


    Not really a superior steed, but it was a lot better than an average horse.


    Traveling three hundred li in a day was nothing remarkable.


    ¡°Excuse me, where does Insect Master Qin Niu live?¡±


    The middle-aged man asked a villager passing by.


    ¡°Hmm hmm hmm¡­¡±


    The villager gestured with his hands and then pointed to his mouth.


    Qin Niu watched this scene from a distance, almost bursting into laughter.


    The villager being questioned was none other than his neighbor, Wu Si.


    Wu Si, who usually seemed afraid of his wife and quite timid, was surprisingly quick-witted. In this critical moment, he feigned being a mute.


    Since he didn¡¯t know the stranger¡¯s intent, he dared not openly reveal Qin Niu¡¯s address.


    ¡°Damn, why did I run into a mute!¡±


    The middle-aged man cursed and rode on, noticing that the villagers would dodge at the sight of him.


    ¡°Who is the head of your village?¡±


    The middle-aged man dismounted swiftly, grabbing another villager and demanding directly.


    This villager was Wu San, who didn¡¯t see very well, and was just about to check on his crops when the middle-aged man seized him.


    It was too late to run.


    Those brothers were really unlucky today.


    Just their luck to encounter such a thing early in the morning.


    ¡°Hmyahmya¡­¡±


    Wu San was not as sharp as his younger brother; seeing him evade questioning by pretending to be mute, he followed suit.


    ¡°Damn it, why are both of them mute? Show me the way, lead me to Qin Niu or your village head.¡±


    The middle-aged man glared, frightening Wu San into struggling to escape.


    But it was in vain; Wu San was already old, and the middle-aged man clearly possessed considerable skills, making it impossible for Wu San to get away. ¡°Do you believe I¡¯ll hit you?¡±


    The middle-aged man raised his fist, pretending to threaten Wu San.


    Wu San¡¯s eyes rolled back, his head tilted, and he fainted on the spot.


    The two brothers were well-known troublemakers in the village, often bickering. If Wu San could be so easily scared into fainting, he wouldn¡¯t have lasted to his current age.


    He was simply feigning unconsciousness.


    Both the village head and Qin Niu had already acquired considerable prestige in the village, and everyone respected them, naturally refusing to reveal information about either one to strangers.


    Qin Niu hurried over.


    ¡°Don¡¯t harm the innocent! What do you want with our village head?¡±


    The middle-aged man sized up Qin Niu, noting that although he was just a youngster, his demeanor was extraordinary and his gaze indifferent, clearly not an ordinary rural youth.


    He didn¡¯t dare to act violently again.


    After putting Wu San onto the ground, he then turned to Qin Niu.


    ¡°I am looking for the Insect Master of your village, Qin Niu. I asked two villagers, but neither would tell me where Qin Niu lives. Just now, I wasn¡¯t really going to hit him; I was just trying to scare him. I am a guard from the Insect Master Association, specially here to deliver a letter to Master Qin Niu.¡± The middle-aged man turned out to be someone sent by the Insect Master Association.


    No wonder he was so aggressive.


    ¡°May I see your waist badge?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    The middle-aged man took off his waist badge to show Qin Niu.


    ¡°Was it to deliver a written letter or a verbal message?¡±


    ¡°A written letter.¡±


    The middle-aged man took out a letter sealed with red wax.


    ¡°Just hand it to me!¡± Qin Niu reached out and said.


    ¡°This letter must be personally handed over to Master Qin Niu and cannot be passed on by anyone else.¡±


    The middle-aged man refused.


    Qin Niu showed a bronze Fish Talisman.


    ¡°Can you give it to me now?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ You are¡­ No problem. My apologies for the offense. I shall take my leave.¡±


    Only after seeing the name on the Fish Talisman did the middle-aged man realize that the person he was looking for was right in front of him.


    After handing the letter over to Qin Niu and saluting, he mounted his horse, ready to leave.


    ¡°Next time you enter Shuangfeng Village, do not be rude to the villagers again, or don¡¯t blame me for not being considerate.¡±


    ¡°I was just in a hurry to deliver the letter, it was unavoidable. I¡¯ll take care next time.¡±


    The middle-aged man then left after cupping his hands together in a gesture of farewell.


    Qin Niu looked toward Wu San, who had ¡®regained consciousness¡¯ on his own.


    ¡°Wu San, this is a reward for you. You and your brother both did well.¡± Qin Niu helped Wu San up and rewarded him with ten copper coins.


    This was equivalent to the daily wage of an ordinary person.


    ¡°I can¡¯t accept this, I can¡¯t.¡±


    Wu San repeatedly waved his hands.


    ¡°Take it and buy yourself a drink. Give these ten wen money to Wu Si and say it¡¯s a reward from me, no skimming allowed.¡±


    ¡°Thankyou, Master Qin!¡±


    Wu San happily took the money and walked in the direction where Wu Si was.


    He didn¡¯t talk to Wu Si¡¯s wife and was quite afraid of her.


    After all, he had been yelled unconscious several times by her.


    Not pretending to be unconscious like earlier, but actually being yelled unconscious.


    He could only hand the reward money directly to Wu Si.


    By doing this, Qin Niu was deliberately creating an opportunity for the brothers to reconcile.


    Some brothers, though they are siblings, act like enemies.


    They find each other disagreeable and quarrel upon meeting.


    It¡¯s truly incomprehensible.


    Regardless, both brothers¡¯ performance today satisfied Qin Niu.


    After returning to his room, he opened the letter.


    It was a warning letter sent by Chairman Li to the Association¡¯s Insect Masters. It must have been copied by the Association¡¯s staff in the name of Chairman Li. The letter mentioned that the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory had recently experienced an unprecedented locust disaster and, according to the Insect Master Association¡¯s investigation, it was confirmed that someone was covertly manipulating the situation, not a natural disaster.


    In recent days, several Insect Masters had been assassinated, including three middle-rank Insect Masters and more than a dozen lower-rank Insect Masters. Others had gone missing.


    Chairman Li reminded Insect Masters to be careful and if they encountered danger or suspicious individuals, to immediately find a way to ask for help or report to the Insect Master Association.


    Besides that, there was also a recruitment proposal, open to all Insect Masters. To join the military directly, to help the Black Tiger Gang resist the external enemy.


    The conditions offered were very generous; upon joining the military, one could immediately be promoted to an officer, with a monthly salary of at least five taels of Silver Money. Accumulated military achievements could be exchanged at the government office for cultivation techniques, martial arts, equipment, and other cultivation materials.

 Chapter 212 - Chapter 212: Chapter 207 Two Types of Poisonous Ants’ Evolutionary Directionsi

    Chapter 212: Chapter 207 Two Types of Poisonous Ants¡¯ Evolutionary Directionsi


    Translator: 549690339


    These generous terms were nothing but a fart in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    He could sell any old insect for more than this amount of money.


    Once he obtained the Green Demon¡¯s treasure and had some ability to protect himself, he could boldly take on some special jobs in Black Tiger City.


    For example, helping everyone treat problematic herbs or selling cultivated substandard insects, etc.


    As for cultivation techniques, he had already cultivated two techniques. Unless there was a higher-level technique available that could connect with the Everlasting Spring Technique or the Medicine King Sutra, he did not even consider it.


    In terms of martial skills, he was only temporarily lacking a step-method martial skill.


    He could easily obtain it through other channels.


    The biggest benefit of joining the army was being able to seize military power.


    This was very tempting.


    In any dynasty, as long as one had troops under one¡¯s command, it was akin to holding the power of life and death.


    Even if an emperor wanted to deal with a general who held troops, he would have to find a way to strip him of his military power first, or trick him into the capital city, and then capture him.


    Qin Niu had no immediate plans to join the army; striving to grow stronger in this mountain village was his best option for now.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, let¡¯s go into the mountains!¡±


    He chose to take Xiao Qing with him to cultivate in the mountains.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Xiao Qing, hearing that she could again cultivate under the Ancient Banyan Tree, was very happy.


    After the two entered the mountains, Qin Niu still needed to cultivate termites.


    So he simply told her, ¡°You go ahead and cultivate! I¡¯ll come later!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She was clever and never meddled in her master¡¯s affairs.


    Qin Niu arrived at the Ant Nest and found that a large batch of ordinary termites had successfully completed their evolution. In addition, as usual, another thousand new termites had become adults.


    This time, he decided to first use the Thousand Eyes Tree Blood to cultivate some of the ordinary termites.


    Not for any other reason but to breed as many termites as possible with limited Thousand Eyes Tree Blood that could control or attack with spiritual power.


    ¡°Is this the completed evolution of Grade Two Poisonous Ants?¡±


    He noticed seven glossy, pitch-black termites, each several times larger than the Grade Two Dark Poison Ants.


    Their bodies were as long as wolves¡¯, with a slender and sharp upper jaw like scissors, and a fearsome Poison Stinger in their abdomens that was constantly expanding and contracting. It was clear that their venom sacs and the muscles of their Poison Stingers were highly developed.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, how painful it must be to get stung by one of these!¡±


    The key was that their Poison Stingers lacked barbs, allowing them to attack their enemies repeatedly and indefinitely without sacrificing themselves, unlike bees.


    In addition to the Poisonous Ants¡¯ evolution being complete, that Grade Two Elephantic Ant had also finished evolving.


    Its elongated mouthparts had fully evolved into a trunk resembling that of an elephant.


    It was more like the nozzle of a spray bottle.


    The base of it was connected to several venom glands, and with just a bit of exertion, it could spray a pungent chemical from its lengthy trunk.


    Humans might not be greatly affected by it, but other insects could drop dead after three steps or flee in panic.


    Grade Three Dark Poison Ants, 7 in total, lifespan of 30.5 years, special abilities (Venom Attack, evolution of a venomous stinger and venom sac in the abdomen, venom has super strong paralyzing effect, stinger has initial armor-penetrating ability.)


    Grade Three Chemoreceptor Soldier Ants, 1 in total, lifespan of 30.5 years, special abilities (releases strong pungent substances, extremely effective stunning effect on the vast majority of insect species. Can mimic other formidable creatures¡¯ scents and pheromones, releasing them continuously to repel or confuse enemies.)


    It seemed that both these types of termites belonged to the chemical attack category.


    The difference was that Dark Poison Ants required contact to attack, targeting one enemy at a time.


    Their venom was intense and dominant.


    Now that they possessed initial armor-penetrating capabilities, there would be fewer and fewer insects that could withstand their venomous stings.


    Even insects and arthropods with scales or shells, such as centipedes, could be easily pierced through by their stings.


    The Chemoreceptor Soldier Ants could attack without contacting the enemy and could engage multiple enemies at once.


    The two types of soldiers each had their strengths.


    They complemented each other well, filling in for each other¡¯s shortcomings.


    Qin Niu was truly pleased after inspecting the attributes of the two new ant types.


    As the Ant Queen rose to Grade Four, the offspring she produced were significantly stronger than the previously white ants.


    After the initial cultivation, the special abilities they evolved were also more advantageous.


    This was a natural competitive process.


    Survival of the fittest.


    The more than three thousand white ants also had their advantages, as it was relatively easier for them to progress to the next grade.


    Up to now, the first batch of a thousand Grade Two and Three termites was left with only three Breeder Ants and Demon Ants yet to complete their evolution.


    Qin Niu spent nearly half an hour cultivating the new termites before he hurriedly went beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree to cultivate.


    The demand for Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was also becoming increasingly greater.


    The amount needed to cultivate a single termite was more than ten times what it used to be. And, his Ink Blade consumed more than half a jar of Banyan Tree Blood each day.


    This increased the pressure on him to harvest blood.


    The days went by neither too fast nor too slow, passing nearly five days.


    Qin Niu¡¯s three Grade Two Breeder Ants had completed their evolution.


    Mutated Milky Female Ant (Breeder Ant)


    Grade: Grade Three equal-winged insect, experience required for upgrading 1000/10000


    Lifespan: 120 years


    Energy: 23000


    Skill: Reproduction Stage One 0/10


    Talent: Ability to reproduce Grade Two strong termites and Grade Two Poisonous Ants, with an extremely low probability of reproducing Grade Two Demon Ants.


    Their talent abilities did not seem to have increased, quite equivalent to the Grade Two mutated milky female ants.


    However, their lifespan had increased by 50 years.


    This should be the biggest highlight.


    Imagine that a termite Ant Queen can live for 120 years, which is twice the lifespan of an ordinary human.


    Qin Niu has so far cultivated four Breeder Ants in total.


    The first Grade Two female mutant milky termite would take flight to mate after a period of time.


    He had been pondering a question.


    Theoretically, the Contractual Talisman can only bind insects that have directly established a contract.


    The Ant Queen and Queen Bee fall into a special category.


    That¡¯s because the Ant Queen and Queen Bee are not individual entities. Once they breed offspring and form an ant colony or bee swarm, it becomes a collective entity.


    That is also why Qin Niu was able to command the multitude of termites by only forming a contract with the Ant Queen.


    It was simply because they were an entity as a whole.


    Now the problem arises, once the Breeder Ant takes its nuptial flight, it will no longer belong to this ant colony.


    At that point, will Qin Niu be able to command it?


    Even if he can command it, will the termites it produces listen to Qin Niu¡¯s orders?


    Even among humans, kinship usually does not extend beyond three generations.


    Let alone insects.


    To contract another Breeder Ant and then establish another ant colony?


    There¡¯s simply no need for that.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t collect just any insect.


    Only those with distinctive characteristics, and insects or beasts with decent potential, were worthy of his interest.


    As his strength continued to increase, the criteria for selecting his pets became increasingly selective.


    That day, after he and Xiao Qing finished cultivating in the labyrinth of the Ancient Banyan Tree, he felt some commotion in the ant colony as soon as they emerged.


    Startled, he wondered if some calamity had occurred.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, go home on your own, I need to check on the insects I¡¯ve been raising,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiao Qing crisply agreed.


    Her cultivation was increasing at the rate of a small realm every day, and over the span of five days, her cultivation had already risen to Tenfold in the commoner¡¯s level.


    Just like Qin Niu initially, she too hit a bottleneck at this stage.


    For any Cultivation Technique, progressing to a major realm is an immensely difficult task.


    Breaking through to major realms while practicing the Medicine King Sutra seems to be much more challenging than with ordinary techniques.


    However, with her exceptional talent and the aid of the Ancient Banyan Tree, breaking through to the Acquired Realm should not be a problem.


    It was just a matter of time.


    At this moment, Qin Niu, with his full speed unleashed, sprinted through the mountains like a swift arrow.


    Soon, he arrived at the entrance of the Ant Nest.


    The ant colony was noticeably disturbed, but they did not come out; it seemed more like an internal commotion.


    ¡°Could it be that the first Demon Ant has completed its evolution?¡± he thought.


    That seemed to be the only possibility.


    At present, the ant colony¡¯s strength was so terrifying that if any other insect dared to invade the termites¡¯ lair, even a Grade Six insect might end up dead within.


    The current ant colony had several thousand Grade Three ants.


    The longstanding special ants of Grade Two numbered close to three thousand.


    These combined were already an immensely terrifying force.


    Add to that the presence of Fourth, the War Demon Ant, and it was likely that an ordinary Grade Six insect would not be a match for them.


    As for Grade Five creatures, several of the Grade Five Corpse Bee generals had been vanquished by them in the past.


    They probably would have been defeated even before reaching the nest¡¯s vicinity.


    ¡°Come out!¡± Qin Niu commanded the ant colony.


    Legions of termites swiftly surged from their nest.


    Luckily, their diet was varied, consisting mostly of plant leaves and roots.


    Otherwise, the insects and ants in the vicinity would likely have been devoured clean.


    Fourth possessed high intelligence and was now capable of slaughtering the nest of black stinking ants not far away all by itself. Yet, this nest of black stinking ants continued to thrive.


    Qin Niu secretly speculated that Fourth was intentionally protecting the surrounding ecology.


    The smaller hermit hides in the woods, while the greater hermit hides in the open.


    If the termites acted overbearingly and devoured all surrounding beings, their presence would be immediately noticeable to anyone entering the area.


    On the contrary, their current low-profile and modest behavior, preserving the surrounding original ecosystem, was a very clever strategy.


    Who would have thought that beneath this large camphor tree, a colony of super termites was hidden?


    Fourth¡¯s figure darted out of the nest with agility, followed closely by a termite that stood out significantly larger than Fourth.


    Its size was almost as thick as an adult¡¯s index finger.


    Bear in mind, even the later cultivated Grade Three termites were smaller than an adult¡¯s little finger.


    This flashy super termite was more than twice as robust as the regular Grade Three ones.


    After it emerged, it stood off against Fourth like two roosters who would not back down in a cockfight.


    ¡°Indeed, the first Demon Ant has completed its evolution,¡± he confirmed.


    Qin Niu checked the attributes of the ant colony and immediately noted the new changes.


    Grade Four Demon Ant, one specimen, life expectancy 70 years, special abilities (Swift, Medium Intelligence, Intermediate Carapace, Primary Self-Healing, Armor Penetration, Venom Attack, abdomen evolved to have a Poison Stinger and Venom Sac, the venom has strong paralysis and soul-corroding toxicity, the Poison Stinger has armor-penetrating capability. Demonization+, during demonization state, speed increases fourfold, attack power sixfold, and defense threefold.)


    No wonder it dared to challenge Fourth.


    In various aspects, its strength had indeed increased significantly.


    And its level had also reached Grade Four, the same as Fourth¡¯s.

 Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Chapter 208: Grade Four Demon Ant VS War Demon Ant_1

    Chapter 213: Chapter 208: Grade Four Demon Ant VS War Demon Ant_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    One mountain cannot contain two tigers.


    Both sides were rare species among the termites, belonging to the cream of the crop.


    Neither would easily submit to the other.


    Qin Niu watched the two Demon Ants face off against each other like an emperor observing two of his great generals in a dispute.


    If it were the art of balancing power in the eyes of an emperor, this would be a good thing.


    If there were no treacherous officials in the court, only loyal ones, the emperor¡¯s throne would no longer be secure.


    But the current situation was different!


    He was their master, and the termites had no conflicts over power or profit.


    Pets generally have a simple mind; they pursue survival and growth.


    They didn¡¯t care much for power.


    Every termite in the colony was equal.


    The weak submitted to the strong and followed the commands of the strong, such were their social rules.


    ¡°If you must fight, then fight! No need for a fight to the death, just determine the winner.¡±


    Qin Niu was very clear that if he didn¡¯t let them have this fight, they would never listen to each other in the future.


    This was not conducive to the unity of the ant colony.


    Fourth seemed to have been restraining himself all along, just waiting for Qin Niu¡¯s word.


    With his master¡¯s command, he went straight into his demonization state and then lunged at his opponent.


    The Grade Four Demon Ant, although very powerful, was not a match for Fourth in terms of combat experience or the burst of power after demonization. Moreover, it was significantly weaker in terms of momentum as well.


    As soon as the battle started, Fourth nearly had the upper hand.


    Biting its neck, he lifted it face-up. It wildly twisted its abdomen trying to attack Fourth with its poison sting, but it couldn¡¯t reach at all.


    And given Fourth¡¯s defensive power, it probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to penetrate Fourth¡¯s defenses.


    Its six legs flailed in the air, powerless.


    This was Fourth still holding back.


    Otherwise, its neck would have already been bitten off.


    After demonization, Fourth¡¯s attack power increased tenfold, absolutely terrifying to the extreme.


    ¡°Do you submit?¡±


    Qin Niu inquired of the Grade Four Demon Ant.


    Despite the similarity in name between a Demon Ant and a War Demon Ant, there was a huge difference in strength between the two.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    It had been held high by Fourth before even beginning to fight, rendering it unable to display its abilities, and it utterly refused to accept this.


    ¡°Fourth, put it down and fight again.¡±


    Fourth immediately put it down.


    The Grade Four Demon Ant was very cunning, twisting its rear and attempting to sting Fourth with its poison sting right away.


    This time, Fourth didn¡¯t show any courtesy.


    He dodged agilely and bit at the Grade Four Demon Ant¡¯s antennae.


    Crack!


    The antennae of the Grade Four Demon Ant were bitten off but not completely severed.


    This was Fourth showing mercy.


    After biting off the Grade Four Demon Ant¡¯s antennae, he bit one of its legs, just as decisively breaking it.


    That wasn¡¯t all, he mounted the Grade Four Demon Ant again, bit its neck, flipped it over his shoulder, and then raised it high above his head.


    ¡°I submit, I submit!¡±


    The Grade Four Demon Ant acknowledged its inferiority and hurriedly submitted.


    No matter how unruly it was, it already knew it was no match for Fourth.


    If Fourth had not shown mercy, it would have ended up a one-horned ant.


    And additionally with a leg broken off.


    ¡°Healing Ant, heal it.¡±


    Qin Niu ordered the Healing Ant to treat the Grade Four Demon Ant¡¯s injuries.


    The commotion in the ant colony settled down as the battle ended, and calm was restored.


    The Grade Four Demon Ant had a strong self-healing ability, and now with the Healing Ant¡¯s treatment, it recovered even faster.


    It healed back to its original state almost visibly to the naked eye.


    Sometimes, not only insects but also humans act the same way.


    When two people¡¯s cultivation levels are nearly equal, neither will concede to the other. Only through a fight can one know who is stronger and who is weaker.


    After this battle, Fourth¡¯s position as the king of the ant colony remained unshaken by any termite.


    Even the Grade Four Demon Ants were subdued by him, and other termites challenging him would essentially be delivering themselves to defeat.


    ¡°The strength of the War Demon Ant is so formidable, it would be great if the Ant Queen could produce one or two more,¡±


    Just now, Fourth hadn¡¯t used his Spirit Control ability, otherwise, the battle might have ended even quicker.


    Although the Grade Four Demon Ant¡¯s combat power was less than Fourth¡¯s, it was still very formidable.


    Qin Niu was not stingy, he took a small amount of the limited remaining Thousand Eyes Tree Blood to nurture this Demon Ant sufficiently.


    To grant it a Spirit Control ability as well.


    Merely after one day, this Demon Ant had completed its second evolution.


    Regrettably, it hadn¡¯t broken through to Grade Five.


    It feels like the higher the level of the creatures, whether humans or insects, the more difficult it becomes to advance.


    This Demon Ant seemed to have reached the pinnacle of Grade Four, and with the right opportunity, it could make a breakthrough and successfully advance to Grade Five.


    As the ant colony continued to expand, Qin Niu now faced the issue of a shortage of Thousand Eyes Tree Blood.


    Despite thinking of many solutions, it still required time to wait.


    The Thousand Eyes Trees he had planted, even with a rapid growth rate, had their limitations.


    This forced him to scale back on cultivating the group.


    Only the most excellent batch of termites could receive a second round of nurturing.


    It had been some time since he fed the bodies of Corpse Bees to the Ant Queen, and the three generals¡¯ bodies were already consumed.


    Yet, the Ant Queen still hadn¡¯t evolved any new special abilities.


    Qin Niu had begun using the Corpse Bee Queen, extracted from Old Master Huang¡¯s back, to feed the Ant Queen, hoping it would help her evolve special abilities.


    He felt it might be because the Ant Queen¡¯s current level was high, so the difficulty of evolving special abilities had also increased significantly.


    In the past few days, despite the rumors of Insect Masters being harmed persisting outside, Qin Niu, accompanied by Xiao Qing, continued their routine cultivation each day without running into any danger.


    The small mountain village of Shuangfeng Village remained peaceful and harmonious.


    After finishing his cultivation in the mountains, Qin Niu would return home as usual.


    As he passed by Xie Laizi¡¯s house, he keenly sensed something amiss.


    Xie Laizi had been dead for some time, and because his house was originally very dilapidated and located at the foot of the mountain, it was considered a very unfavorable spot.


    His house had been left vacant ever since.


    Nobody dared to move in.


    Qin Niu, now at the Innate Realm, had exceptionally acute hearing.


    He could clearly hear a strange noise coming from inside the house just now.


    It definitely wasn¡¯t a noise a rat could make.


    The front door wasn¡¯t locked, but it was closed.


    Qin Niu wondered to himself, could it be that a wild beast from the mountains had entered the house through the back window?


    After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately decided not to investigate.


    Instead, he continued forward with Xiao Qing.


    He hadn¡¯t walked far when he sensed danger. He couldn¡¯t explain it but felt extremely threatened; even the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.


    It was nearing dusk, and the sky had darkened.


    He was suddenly alarmed, wondering if a monstrous beast had infiltrated Xie Laizi¡¯s house?


    ¡°Xiao Qing, I¡¯ll hold your hand as we walk,¡±


    Concerned for Xiao Qing¡¯s safety, Qin Niu quickly took her small hand in his.


    ¡°Master, my scalp feels a bit tingly. There might be danger,¡±


    she whispered softly.


    ¡°Mm, let¡¯s just keep moving forward. If it¡¯s targeting me, it will definitely reveal itself,¡±


    Qin Niu had secretly ordered some Poisonous Ants to silently leap into the roadside bushes without making a sound.


    Just then, a black snake with a crested head suddenly sprang out from in front of them, aiming for his ankle.


    He was wearing the armor of the Pig King, which the small snake would probably have difficulty piercing through.


    However, out of caution, he acted.


    First, he pulled Xiao Qing back, and at the same time, his right hand drew the Ink Blade with lightning speed and slashed towards the black snake.

 Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: Chapter 209 A decent harvest_1

    Chapter 214: Chapter 209 A decent harvest_1


    Translator: 549690339 |


    Snakes with crowns or horns on their heads are mostly highly venomous and often belong to exotic species.


    When Qin Niu swung his blade, he executed a Slash Martial Skill.


    However, he deliberately held back and did not fully reveal his strength at the Innate Realm.


    The small snake appeared to be only as thick as a finger and half a foot long, but it was extremely agile. Faced with Qin Niu¡¯s slash, it twisted its body and deftly dodged the blow.


    Qin Niu was unconcerned about this.


    He had heard a noise from Xie Laizi¡¯s room just now, and now this odd little snake had emerged to attack him, suggesting that there was likely someone hiding in the room.


    Moreover, it was highly probable that this person was here to kill him.


    Insect Masters had been falling victim to assassinations lately, and it was very likely that Qin Niu was being targeted.


    Why would the Nine Insect Gang, which specializes in insect control, go to such lengths to kill an Insect Master from the Black Tiger Gang?


    This action was quite puzzling.


    If it was merely to render the locust plague uncontrollable, they should have targeted the Insect Masters before the plague began, not wait until now.


    Watching the black little snake that had dodged his slash now lunging to bite again, Qin Niu decided to test out the strength of the Termite.


    Since the enemy in the room had not yet shown themselves, it was best to avoid exposing his own cultivation level and strength as much as possible.


    Then, at the critical moment, he would play his trump cards one after another and kill the enemy with the force of thunder.


    A lion must use all its strength even when hunting a rabbit.


    This way, he could ensure to the greatest extent that he wouldn¡¯t capsize the boat.


    ¡°Fourth, lead the ant swarm to attack this small snake.¡±


    In recent days, Qin Niu had been maintaining a relaxed exterior while remaining vigilant on the inside.


    It seemed as if he was going about his usual business every day, but in fact, he always carried a large number of white ants on his body.


    When going out, the Golden Toad would certainly be carried in a basket.


    The grade of this small snake could not be determined.


    So, he could only let the white ants give it a try.


    As the ant swarm launched a Mental Attack, the little snake¡¯s attack speed significantly slowed down.


    It moved on the ground as if it were drunk.


    Seeing such an opportunity, Qin Niu naturally did not let it slip away. With a swift motion of his hand and drop of his blade, he slashed at the snake¡¯s body.


    Surprisingly, a metallic clang sounded.


    What formidable defensive strength.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Qin Niu utilized a trace of his strength to empower the Ink Blade, and terrifying Blade Qi instantly broke through the little snake¡¯s tough scales and severed it in two.


    Even beheaded, the creature still seemed extremely fierce.


    Its snake head sprang up trying to bite.


    It was blocked by Qin Niu¡¯s King Pig Leather Armor.


    He didn¡¯t know any defensive blade techniques and could only perform the two most basic martial skills, the Slash and the Sweeping Strike.


    Following the beheading of the little snake, a muffled groan came from Xie Laizi¡¯s room.


    Immediately afterward, a figure shot out from inside.


    A towering murderous aura solidified as if tangible.


    The person who emerged was a middle-aged man with a hooked nose and fierce, triangular eyes filled with violence and resentment, his face twisted to the point of ferocity.


    ¡°You deserve to die! Killing my Crow-Crowned Bow Snake, our grudge is irreconcilable. Even if I grind your bones to dust and scatter them, it still wouldn¡¯t quell the hatred in my heart.¡±


    The man held a slim narrow sword, and his movement technique was quite similar to that of the deceased Old Master Huang, indicating that they both practiced the same type of Step-Method Martial Skill. This man¡¯s identity was also basically confirmed as a member of the Nine Insect Gang.


    Isn¡¯t the Nine Insect Gang supposed to specialize in rearing insects?


    Why does everyone seem to like taming beasts?


    The most powerful pet of Old Master Huang turned out to be the Red-eyed Golden Toad, not the Corpse Bee Queen. Although he never managed to tame the Golden Toad, he essentially achieved the effect of having it as a pet by controlling it through insects.


    This man¡¯s pet was the little snake that had been killed.


    It was called the Crow-Crowned Bow Snake.


    Seeing the man¡¯s fierce expression, as if his parents had been killed and his wife violated, Qin Niu secretly guessed that killing that little snake had already dealt a certain blow to the man¡¯s spirit.


    Looking at his speed and momentum, it was clear that his cultivation level was not as high as Old Master Huang¡¯s.


    At most, it was around the sixth or seventh level of the Houtian stage, far from the Innate Realm.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, get out of here first.¡±


    Qin Niu signaled to Xiao Qing and then ¡®desperately¡¯ ran towards the direction of the mountains.


    ¡°With that speed, you think you can escape? Leave your life behind.¡±


    From the moment the small snake was killed, the middle-aged man had lost his sanity, his heart filled with hatred.


    His judgment and observation were not as good as usual.


    He completely failed to realize that Qin Niu was deliberately luring him to fight to the death.


    The most formidable thing about an Insect Master should not be their cultivation level or martial skills, but the insects they raise.


    At this moment, the middle-aged man made a fatal mistake, actually thinking of engaging Qin Niu in hand-to-hand combat.


    Merely three or four breaths of time passed before he caught up with Qin Niu using his superior movement technique.


    His heart swelled with even greater pride.


    The enemy was right in front of him; naturally, the best thing to do was to kill him and then rejoice.


    His hand-sword turned into specks of cold stars, enveloping several vital points of Qin Niu¡¯s body.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    At this critical moment, Qin Niu did not hesitate at all, swinging his Ink Blade directly at the middle-aged man who blocked his path.


    He no longer concealed his cultivation level.


    With full strength activated, the blade of the Ink Blade showed a solid looking Blade Qi, three to four inches long.


    This was his true power.


    Bang!


    Their swords clashed, and the opponent¡¯s narrow sword broke into several pieces.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade, undiminished in momentum, struck fiercely and quickly on the top of the middle-aged man¡¯s head.


    It split him straight to the bottom.


    Directly cleaving the man in two.


    His death was no different from Old Master Huang¡¯s.


    ¡°To think such a trashy cultivation level could attempt to kill an Innate Realm expert wearing a King Pig Leather Armor? What a joke.¡±


    Qin Niu dispatched his enemy with a single blow.


    Concerned that allies of the enemies might still be hidden inside the house, he had already sent several termites to scout it out.


    Meanwhile, he was quickly looting the spoils of battle and dealing with the bodies.


    His movements were actually quite adept.


    Do this a few times, and you naturally get used to it.


    The corpse clad in the black-crowned bow outfit was a treasure; feeding it to the Ant Queen should help her progress significantly.


    Because when he had the ants launch a mental attack on the small snake earlier, it was somewhat effective, but they were unable to control it.


    This suggested that its level might have reached Grade Six.


    Moreover, its scales were as hard as steel, and the pure force of the Ink Blade had almost failed to kill it.


    This indicated that its defense was incredibly abnormal.


    Therefore, Qin Niu estimated that its level should be Grade Six.


    Packing the snake¡¯s corpse into a jar, he began searching the bodies.


    He found a gold note of a hundred taels and about six or seven silver notes of varying denominations.


    The smallest was a silver note of fifty taels each.


    Added up, the total was precisely nine hundred and fifty taels.


    A gold note of a hundred taels could be exchanged for a thousand Silver Money.


    The wealth of this man didn¡¯t even amount to two thousand taels.


    ¡°Poor devil!¡±


    Qin Niu pocketed the man¡¯s entire possessions and still had to curse him.


    In addition, he found a Nine Insect Command.


    Inner disciple: Wu Hao.


    So he was just an inner disciple; no wonder his cultivation level wasn¡¯t as good as Old Master Huang¡¯s, and his net worth was even worse.


    This was the second member of the Nine Insect Gang that Qin Niu had killed.


    Beyond that, he found three insect pouches and a bamboo tube on the man.


    The insects inside were all dead.


    One of the pouches contained two Green-footed Centipedes, one large and one small.


    The larger one was nearly half a foot long, its shell was hard, and even though it was dead, its fangs looked frightening.


    He felt that these two centipedes might be a mother and child.


    The larger one was at least a Grade Five insect.


    The smaller one was much weaker, around a Grade Three.


    The second pouch contained a grey moth. He couldn¡¯t identify the specific species but could roughly estimate that its level was around Grade Four. He felt that the scale powder on its body was poisonous.


    The third pouch contained a scorpion.


    It had an unusual pair of eyes on the shell on its back. This was a Four-eyed Poison Scorpion, a very common species.


    It could often be found for sale in the Insect Market, where one could buy one for five pieces of silver.


    But raising it to this size was no easy feat.


    When he opened the bamboo tube, the corpse of a Black Venomous Spider rolled out.


    Its abdomen looked like a human face.


    This spider was a Human-faced Spider, a variant of the Black Widow.


    Its venom was extremely domineering; not only did it possess a venom that could paralyze an enemy, it also had another type of venom that could directly dissolve and digest an enemy¡¯s body.


    Moreover, its silk was tough, light, and colorless.


    People who bought it at a high price would use its silk to make threads sharper than a blade. By setting them up in the woods or at home, enemies who trespassed would easily be sliced into pieces.


    Aside from territories controlled by the Nine Insect Gang, many government offices had issued notices prohibiting the use of Human-faced Spider silk to make lethal weapons.


    The risk it posed was simply too great.


    People often set it up in the mountains, and whether it was wild animals, woodcutters going up the mountain, or Hunters, they could easily be decapitated.


    But with market demand, official announcements do little.


    The more it was forbidden, the more people secretly bought and raised them.


    Specifically to harvest the silk.


    A qian of silk could sell for ten taels of silver. With such profits, naturally, some people will take the risk.


    The dead Human-faced Spider was almost as big as a child¡¯s fist, its belly round, and its silk-spinning end was extremely developed. It must have been that the disciple named Wu Hao was raising it specifically to sell the silk.


    He also unexpectedly found a Sword Technique Manual on the man.


    Named the Seven-Star Sword Technique, with one strike, points of cold starlight would aim for the enemy¡¯s vitals.


    The highest realm of the Seven-Star Sword Technique was rumored to be where a single stab transformed into seven points of cold starlight, covering the enemy¡¯s vital spots with the constellation of the Big Dipper, leaving no room for evasion.


    This sword technique was also for sale in the Supreme Sea.


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t paid attention to its price at the time, just glanced over it.


    Since it was placed at the very top, it certainly wouldn¡¯t be cheap.


    It must be at least five hundred taels of silver or more.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, this Sword Technique Manual is for your cultivation. Once you¡¯ve mastered it, give it back to me.¡±


    Qin Niu had always been extremely good to the people around him.


    Xiao Qing had just witnessed her master skillfully kill a powerful enemy with one strike, her heart full of horror. She still looked like she hadn¡¯t quite recovered.


    ¡°Take it, what are you thinking about?¡±


    Qin Niu turned his head to look at her.


    ¡°Oh, oh, yes, thank you, master!¡±


    Xiao Qing took over the Seven-Star Sword Technique Manual, still looking a bit dazed.


    ¡°I need to deal with the bodies; you go home and wait for me.¡±


    After ensuring there were no other enemies nearby, Qin Niu told her to go home first.


    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t talk about what happened here to anyone.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    She naturally understood the serious implications.


    Qin Niu carried the bodies and threw them directly into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree, and after coming back, he cleaned up the scene once again.


    The Nine Insect Gang didn¡¯t know how many people they had infiltrated into the territory of the Black Tiger Gang.


    The death of the disciple called Wu Hao would definitely prompt an investigation by the Nine Insect Gang.


    Fortunately, the Nine Insect Gang, being the guilty party, couldn¡¯t investigate openly.


    As long as he was careful and cautious, he shouldn¡¯t have any major problems.

 Chapter 215 - Chapter 215: Chapter 210: The Strong Enters the Village l

    Chapter 215: Chapter 210: The Strong Enters the Village l


    Translator: 549690339 |


    This battle had yielded many insect corpses, including the body of a Grade Six Black Crowned Bow Coat, as well as a Sword Technique Manual and nearly two thousand taels of Silver Money, a bountiful harvest indeed.


    Two thousand taels of Silver Money would take him a long time to earn with his abilities.


    ¡°Unexpected wealth does not make one rich.¡±


    This kind of fortune from the deceased came without much effort.


    When Qin Niu returned home, Xiao Qing was already preparing dinner.


    There were no signs that anyone had broken into the house.


    ¡°It¡¯s also time to retrieve the treasure of the Green Demon.¡±


    Lately, crises abounded, and Qin Niu pondered inwardly.


    He urgently needed to possess an incredibly powerful insect to ensure his own safety.


    The number of Termites had surged dramatically after some time of cultivation.


    The quantity of Grade Three ants was estimated to soon exceed ten thousand.


    However, the later cultivated Termites, due to the limited supply of Thousand Eyes Tree Blood, could no longer be mass-produced with mental attack abilities like the Puppet Ants or Ghost Ants as before.


    Taking seven to eight thousand Termites with him should pose no problem.


    The number of bees was also increasing.


    This included both the War Bees and the honey-making bees whose numbers had also grown substantially.


    He planned to bring a few War Bees with him when the time came.


    As for the ordinary Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees, a small number would suffice. They had weaker combat capabilities, and against stronger bee species, bringing them would be like serving up an easy meal.


    At night, he was practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique in the backyard.


    Each herb was growing cheerfully, the veins on the leaves of the Dogtail Grass turning a deep purple.


    Yet it had not bloomed.


    Qin Niu thought to himself, even if a Dogtail Grass benefits from some fate, it¡¯s still just a Dogtail Grass.


    It couldn¡¯t possibly turn into Spiritual Medicine or an Immortal Herb, could it?


    As long as it didn¡¯t wither, Qin Niu planned to continue nurturing it.


    If there ever came a day when it underwent metamorphosis and breakthrough, that would be its own good fortune.


    Deep in the night, he heard the sound of hooves on the road outside.


    Listening carefully, it was very different from the sound of ordinary hooves.


    The noise outside was much lighter, and the speed was extremely fast.


    In the blink of an eye, it was gone.


    Even a black steed at full gallop probably couldn¡¯t match that speed. And he had heard the sound of a black steed¡¯s hooves before¡ªit was very heavy.


    When it hit the ground, it was like the beating of war drums.


    A thought flickered in Qin Niu¡¯s mind¡ªit was either a formidable wild beast that had come down from the mountains in search of food in the village, or a master had entered the village.


    Formidable wild beasts from the mountains usually had a sense of spirit and would not easily enter human villages.


    So as to avoid bringing disaster upon themselves.


    It was likely that some powerhouse had ridden a high-grade mount into the village.


    If it were an expert from the Black Tiger Gang, there would be no problem.


    But if it were a master from the Nine Insect Gang investigating the murder of Wu Hao, that could be dangerous.


    Qin Niu sat in the backyard, not daring to move.


    The wisest course of action at this moment was to lower his presence and not attract attention.


    He did not rashly run to the front yard or the roof to check.


    Instead, after the sound of the hooves had faded, he immediately went back into the house and took the Ink Blade that had been soaked in Banyan Tree Blood.


    He put on the King Pig Leather Armor and was ready to flee with Xiao Qing or confront a strong enemy at any moment.


    Though his number of Termites was not small, and they were strong in combat, they were currently only suited for fighting against other insects. They had virtually no advantage against human opponents.


    Unless used to deal with a common person like Xie Laizi.


    But such an enemy could be killed by Qin Niu with a flick of his finger. Did he need the Termites to step in?


    This was why he was so eager to obtain the treasure of the Green Demon.


    Because the war records created by the Green Demon Bee were extremely impressive.


    It had killed off the head of the Seven-Star Sect and, with its own strength, single-handedly challenged the entire sect, ultimately forcing the Seven-Star Sect to ask the Immortal Sect to intervene and slay it. This showed just how strong the Green Demon Bee was.


    Why do many Insect Masters like to raise poisonous insects?


    Centipedes, spiders, scorpions, and the like.


    Because poisonous insects are more practical, they can pose a lethal threat to enemies during combat.


    Qin Niu¡¯s termites had also evolved into two species of poisonous ants.


    However, due to the short evolution time, their toxicity and abilities were very limited.


    Moreover, termites are better at defense rather than attack.


    Normally, ordinary termites would seal off their ant nest, either inside a tree or underground.


    Only when a large number of breeder ants were ready for their nuptial flight would they dig an exit and emerge from the nest.


    After he took the Ink Blade and put on the King Pig Leather Armor, he felt a bit more at ease.


    He sat quietly in the house, waiting.


    The sound of hooves outside had already become distant, heading towards the mountains.


    It could almost certainly be concluded that the expert outside was without doubt a strong member of the Nine Insect Gang.


    It was very likely they had come to investigate upon discovering Wu Hao¡¯s unexplained absence.


    The fact that the person could head straight in the direction of the mountain indicated they knew the location Wu Hao had been in.


    If it wasn¡¯t a prearranged signal, then it was quite terrifying.


    It was very possible they had special pets or insects that could track by scent.


    Some insects¡¯ sense of smell is much stronger than that of hunting dogs.


    After returning home, Qin Niu took a bath and changed his clothes. It was unknown whether the enemy could still track him.


    He felt somewhat nervous inside.


    All he could do now was to wait patiently.


    Running away was unnecessary and would not make much difference.


    On the contrary, it could lead to a direct encounter with the enemy.


    As time passed bit by bit, Qin Niu¡¯s heart remained in suspense.


    Because he had yet to hear the sound of hooves passing by the door.


    The terrain of Shuangfeng Village was relatively enclosed, with only one road for entering and exiting the village.


    The person had been inside for a considerable time without coming out, which made Qin Niu grow increasingly restless.


    He hoped the nest of termites he kept in the mountains wouldn¡¯t be discovered by anyone.


    Otherwise, they would surely destroy his entire colony and the termites with it.


    Fortunately, the Ant Queen possessed moderate intelligence, and the termites were naturally good at hiding.


    They wouldn¡¯t easily emerge from their nest.


    Especially now that their strength had increased, they had become even more low-key.


    The chances of being discovered by that person should not be high.


    But he still needed to be cautious.


    Qin Niu had long been considering buying that mountain area and turning it into his private territory. The time was not yet ripe, and he needed to patiently wait for a suitable opportunity.


    If he suddenly spent a large sum of silver money to buy land and mountains, he would certainly attract attention.


    His plan was to wait for the situation with the Nine Insect Gang to calm down before seizing the moment to buy the land and mountains.


    The current price for buying mountain lands was also quite expensive.


    The locust plague had been going on for so long, and its negative impacts were becoming evident little by little. As grain prices rose, land prices were expected to fall.


    Moreover, the locust plague hadn¡¯t stopped yet.


    With everyone in a state of panic, whether landlord or tenant, the enthusiasm for farming was very low.


    Seeds, fertilizers, labor¡ªall required money.


    If you planted crops only for locusts to consume them, the loss would be tangible and actual.


    Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be long before there would be land being sold off.


    Once it turned into a trend, land prices would instantly plummet.


    The market has always been like this.


    When food is scarce, people hold back on selling, driving up the grain prices even further.


    With the risk of farming too high and not even being able to recover the cost, people sell off their land, and soon there is a rush as everyone fears suffering losses by selling too late.


    It¡¯s better to sell early for a decent price, hold on to the money, wait for land prices to bottom out, then buy back in and naturally make a good profit.


    It¡¯s actually quite similar to the logic of buying stocks in modern times.

 Chapter 216 - Chapter 216: Chapter 211: Water Controli

    Chapter 216: Chapter 211: Water Controli


    Translator: 549690339 I


    After killing two experts from the Nine Insect Gang, his pouch swiftly swelled up with loot.


    Old Master Huang contributed over thirteen thousand taels, and this inner disciple named Wu Hao contributed 1950 taels, adding up to fifteen thousand taels. Coupled with the seventeen hundred taels he earned from treating that medicinal herb for the Fang Family, his fortune was rapidly approaching twenty thousand taels.


    Though there were some expenses afterward, he still had over sixteen thousand five hundred taels remaining.


    He felt like every member of the Nine Insect Gang was plump with wealth.


    He didn¡¯t consider that to become an inner disciple or an Executor, one would already be superior among men; how could their wealth be meager?


    At that moment, he was eagerly waiting for the sound of hooves to emerge once more.


    Approaching the third watch of the night, sudden commotion arose from the front courtyard.


    The sound of flowing water was loud and clear.


    Startled, Qin Niu hurried out to investigate.


    It turned out to be a commotion caused by the Diamond Ink Turtle in the fishpond.


    Having consumed an elixir, it was probably at the critical moment of advancing in grade, or it might have already completed its advancement.


    This was indeed a bit alarming.


    This timid turtle, neither advancing earlier nor later, chose precisely this moment to do so.


    If it were to attract the attention of that formidable Nine Insect Gang member, that would be a big problem.


    In fact, the majority of insects and beasts tend to advance at night.


    It likely has to do with their habits.


    Qin Niu quickly made his way over, gazing toward the Diamond Ink Turtle in the pond.


    The water churned as it submerged near the bottom of the pond.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the backyard!¡±


    He directly scooped the Diamond Ink Turtle out from the bottom of the water.


    Its size had grown to that of a sea bowl, no longer a little turtle but having transformed into a large black turtle.


    He could feel the surging energy within it, violently fluctuating.


    Taking it to the backyard, Qin Niu, to avoid catching the attention of the powerful individual, directly threw the little turtle into the water well.


    Then, he covered the well with its lid,


    Leaving it to struggle on its own.


    He could still hear the well water churning, making loud noises.


    About an hour later, the noise gradually subsided. Qin Niu also heaved a sigh of relief.


    Although he now possessed the cultivation of the Innate Realm and could basically slay most experts with a single slash, he still did not dare to be careless.


    If he were to encounter a ruthless character, his end could come in a matter of minutes.


    With his prudence and caution, he would only act if he was certain he could defeat the adversary with ease.


    Otherwise, he would continue lurking, slowly increasing his strength.


    He surmised the Diamond Ink Turtle¡¯s advancement was nearly complete.


    Qin Niu checked its attributes.


    Male Diamond Ink Turtle


    Grade: Five-Level Turtle Testudines Longevity, upgrade experience 100000/1000000


    Lifespan: 857 years.


    Energy: 1100002


    Skills: Swimming Second Order 71/100, Hibernation First Order 0/10, Qi Wave Defense First Order 0.01/10, Water Control First Order 0.34/10


    Talent: Timid, Defense, Water Command


    He hadn¡¯t expected it to advance two grades.


    Beast Cores were wonderful things.


    Merely one of the two secondary cores produced during the main core refinement process was enough to propel a beast pet from Grade Three directly to Grade Five.


    Although Qin Niu already owned a Grade Seven Golden Toad, this little black turtle was something he had raised by hand from a youngling.


    He felt that a single secondary core shouldn¡¯t have had such a significant effect.


    It was likely due to the continuous feeding of the Pig King¡¯s meat to the little black turtle, which quickly boosted its strength, nearing Grade Four already.


    Then, with the aid of the elixir, it broke through Grade Four with strong momentum and ultimately managed, arduously, to advance another grade.


    A Fourth Grade Beast Pet was now considered a respectable force to reckon with.


    Theoretically, the strength of a Fifth Grade Beast Pet should be greater than that of a Fifth Grade insect pet.


    Insects inherently have a disadvantage in size.


    Thus, the universally accepted rule of thumb is that insects are considered one grade lower than beast pets.


    That is to say, a Fifth Grade insect could only match the strength of a Fourth Grade Beast Pet.


    There is a condition involved, of course¡ªthe two must not have mutual restraints.


    For example, pangolins and anteaters are the natural predators of ants and termites. Even a Fifth Grade Termite facing off against a Grade Three anteater would most likely be forced to flee in a panic.


    The same natural suppression exists between cats and mice, eagles and rabbits.


    Some believe this is a suppression caused by inherent bloodline grades.


    The strength comparison between pets is often not determined solely by grade.


    It hinges largely on their combat experience, skills, talent, and whether they happen to suppress their opponent in terms of abilities.


    Even a feeble mosquito can drive a mighty lion to an enraged impotence.


    This time, aside from having advanced two grades, the lifespan of the Diamond Ink Turtle also increased by two hundred years.


    It made him, the owner, envious to the point of tears.


    Qin Niu had struggled hard and cultivated to his current state, and even after breaking through to the Innate Realm, his lifespan still had not exceeded two hundred years.


    Turtles are seen as symbols of longevity and inherently hold an advantage in terms of lifespan.


    It had also gained an additional talent and skill.


    The new talent was Water Command.


    The skill was a new one, Water Control.


    Turtles, being amphibians, spend more time in water than on land. Qin Niu was not surprised that it had developed a Water Control skill.


    It was just a shame its size was still quite small; otherwise, in the future, carrying it with him would be like having a high-level life preserver, no longer needing to worry about drowning.


    Moreover, as it continued to evolve and its Water Control skill improved, he believed it wouldn¡¯t just be for frolicking in the water.


    Potent aquatic monsters, even if only a fish or shrimp, could be invincible beings within their watery domain.


    The beast pet had grown stronger, and Qin Niu, as its master, naturally felt elated.


    However, the absence of horse hoof sounds outside made his nerves remain taut.


    That person riding a horse into the village could not have avoided leaving eventually.


    As long as they left the village, they would inevitably pass by the road in front of the door.


    The continued silence of horse hooves indicated that person had not left the village since entering.


    Had they infiltrated to lie low in one of the villagers¡¯ homes, or had they entered the mountains to lie in wait, hoping Qjn Niu would walk into their trap?


    Or had they followed the scent of Wu Hao¡¯s corpse and accidentally wandered into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree?


    If it were the last case, Qin Niu would have cause to celebrate.


    As the night gradually faded and the sky showed a glimmer of dawn, the stranger still had not emerged from the village.


    This couldn¡¯t help but keep Qin Niu on edge.


    He made up his mind that if the person had not left soon, he would report the matter directly to Chairman Li of the Insect Master Association.


    If the enemy proved too powerful, he still had one more card to play.


    The Fang Family had promised to help in times of trouble at a moment¡¯s notice.


    And since the Fang Family needed Qin Niu to cure that high-grade herb, they wouldn¡¯t just watch him be killed. As long as he asked for help, the Fang Family would likely get involved.


    At dawn, Qin Niu watched as the sky brightened, but the mysterious person who had entered the village still hadn¡¯t left.


    He decided to investigate discreetly first.


    Even if he wanted to report to Chairman Li, he needed to get a clear grasp of the situation first.


    Last night he had only heard faint hoof sounds and couldn¡¯t even be sure what kind of animal had made them, let alone confirm that someone was riding it. How could he report that?


    Rashly heading into the mountains or running to Xie Laizi¡¯s house to snoop around would be a death wish.


    This needed to be handled without undue haste, finding a way to subtly gather information.


    After eating breakfast, he showed no intention of leaving the house.


    Xiao Qing had cultivated up to the tenth level of mortals and was urgently wishing to advance to the Acquired Realm soon.


    ¡°Master, aren¡¯t we going up the mountain to cultivate today?¡±


    ¡°No hurry. These next two days, you should meditate on the Seven-Star Sword Technique at home and cultivate in seated meditation. Don¡¯t go out,¡± Qin Niu instructed her.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    She clearly seemed reluctant but dared not defy Qin Niu¡¯s orders.


    Qin Niu shouldered a hoe and a basket and stepped out.


    The field of sorghum had been harvested and was lying fallow.


    Because of the constant pest troubles, planting anything amounted to nothing.


    The food supplies he had stored were enough to feed himself and Xiao Qing for an entire year. Moreover, he now had plenty of Silver Money and could buy more food.


    Now, pretending to be a farmer and working in the field would serve as a cover.


    It would at least not likely draw that person¡¯s attention.


    Once outside, he discretely observed the tracks on the road.


    Regrettably, until now, he had only mastered Insect Trace Identification. He had acquired very few skills in the realm of beast control.


    Despite being a high-level Beast Tamer, that was only because he had successfully subdued the Red-Eyed Golden Watcher, which allowed him to advance.


    Having a high rank was meaningless without the corresponding skills in controlling beasts.


    There were some traces left by livestock on the ground, but he couldn¡¯t discern anything from them.


    After an inconclusive secret check, Qin Niu headed straight for his own thin acre of farmland.


    In just over a month, various weeds had overgrown the field.


    He released the Termite.


    ¡°Fourth, eating plants is your innate instinct, lead the Worker Ants to help weed. The Soldier Ants will take care of defense,¡± he said.


    When he first started raising Termites, his ambitions had been quite modest.


    He had only aimed to be a low-level Insect Master.


    Given that Termites primarily fed on plants¡ªwild grass, leaves, tree trunks, roots¡ªthey were all fair game and easy to keep fed.


    Once their numbers increased, they could help him weed the crops.


    After all, the thing that grew fastest on this thin acre was the weeds, not so much the crops.


    Weeding had always been the most troublesome task for him.


    If the Termites could help eliminate those hard-to-deal-with weeds, it would give him much relief.


    Now, the Termites he raised had become very powerful.


    If they were simply tasked with weeding, it would indeed be a waste of their abilities.


    In reality, he was not that foolish.


    Accompanying the Termites in the mountains, he could easily catch some rare insects that could be sold for a couple hundred Wen Money or even fetch a high price of a few Silver Coins.


    How much could farming bring in a year?


    Land like this could count itself lucky to yield five hundred Wen Money.


    In a year of heavy taxation and poor harvest, there might even be a loss.


    The Termites no longer needed to fear predators like frogs, spiders, snakes in the fields.


    They could even easily kill these predators.


    Qin Niu released them into the field and let them be.


    He busied himself with hoeing, weeding, and turning the soil.


    Digging down, all he found were stones.


    That¡¯s the nature of thin soil¡ªbarely arable and extremely poor in quality.


    He turned over the earth, planning to plant wheat in the second half of the year.


    Previously, farming was for survival, but now he was purely enhancing his planting skills to lay the foundation for future high-grade plant cultivation.


    ¡°Master Qin, you¡¯re still farming by yourself even though you¡¯ve become an Insect Master?¡±


    Xu Zhenchang passed by carrying a pole and noticed Qin Niu working in the field, he specifically came over to greet him.

 Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Chapter 212 Disaster Arises, Insect Master Thrives_1

    Chapter 217: Chapter 212 Disaster Arises, Insect Master Thrives_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°You, village chief, workharder than anyone else! You rented eighty mu of land from the Yan Family, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh, how can I compare to you! I¡¯ve got a whole family with mouths waiting to be fed; if I don¡¯t work for a day, I start getting anxious. You¡¯re different, with your iron rice bowl, drawing a government salary every month.¡±


    Although Xu Zhenchang seemed to be playing the sympathy card somewhat intentionally, what he said was also logical.


    A farmer¡¯s economic income relies entirely on working the land; without work,


    where would the money come from?


    Insect Masters are a different story entirely.


    Even a low-ranking Insect Master gets a fixed salary every month. It¡¯s


    equivalent to being on the public grain ration.


    Even if Qin Niu didn¡¯t farm, he¡¯d still have food to eat and live much more comfortably than the vast majority of farmers.


    ¡°That may be so, but being an Insect Master isn¡¯t an easy job. With the current unstable situation, who knows when we might be conscripted by the


    government to defend the borders.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang had implemented a talent registration and management system and issued monthly salaries, naturally expecting something in return.


    There¡¯s an age-old rule of maintaining troops for thousands of days to use


    them at a critical time.


    Once you¡¯re enlisted, you enjoy all kinds of preferential treatment from the government, but when war breaks out, you can¡¯t be a deserter or hide like a scared turtle. How could there be such a good deal?


    ¡°By the way, did you notice any outsiders entering the village?¡±


    Qin Niu asked in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t noticed! But I¡¯ve been in the fields since early morning, and I haven¡¯t gone door-to-door to ask around. Does Master Qin need me to check it out?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to conduct house-to-house searches, and that would be too dangerous anyway. The Insect Master Association has issued a notice, saying that the situation is rather tense lately and that you, as village chief, should be extra cautious. If outsiders come into the village, you can report them to me immediately, and officials will come to handle it.¡±


    Qin Niu pondered silently to himself.


    Could it really have been a monster beast that entered the village last night and went directly into the mountains?


    It was not an impossibility.


    If only ordinary monster beasts were roaming around, the Black Tiger Gang could deal with them. If a dangerous fiend made an appearance, they would surely report it to the Immortal Sects and ask them to send an Immortal Master to capture the beast.


    ¡°I also heard some similar news. I heard that two Insect Masters hired by the Yan Family, one died, and the other disappeared. It¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t go, Master Qin; otherwise, it would have been really dangerous.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang nodded solemnly.


    Recent undercurrents were stirring, and anyone with a modicum of vigilance


    could detect it.


    Xu Zhenchang was closely connected to the Yan Family, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that he could get hold of such information.


    As they were talking, there was a commotion in the wheat field nearby.


    Qin Niu was on high alert.


    Could it be that the powerful individual who entered the village was hiding in


    the wheat field?


    That would surely be quite demeaning for them.


    ¡°When insects wreak havoc, Black Tigers run amok. As calamity strikes, Insect


    Masters rise¡­¡±


    Zhang Banzui, reeking of alcohol, stumbled out of the wheat field.


    It turned out to be this old drunkard who, having drunk too much the previous night, had accidentally wandered into the wheat field and lay down to sleep there.


    Zhang Banzui often took the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed.


    ¡°Ah, Zhang Banzui, why lie in my wheat field of all places? Do you know how hard it was for me to grow this little bit of wheat? I¡ª¡±


    Seeing Zhang Banzui staggering out of the wheat field, Xu Zhenchang¡¯s cheeks twitched with grief.


    With this drunkard lying in there for a night, he surely must have ruined a lot of wheat.


    ¡°Heh heh, village, village chief, hello!¡±


    Zhang Banzui¡¯s cheeks were flushed, his face sporting a foolish smile, and he was still clutching his precious gourd that he never let go of.


    It always seemed to contain an endless supply of alcohol.


    ¡°Village chief, don¡¯t scold him. Zhang Banzui¡¯s had a tough life too, living alone without children. His settling in our village was fate. We should try to treat him kindly.¡±


    Qin Niu intervened to stop Xu Zhenchang from lashing out.


    As his strength and wealth increased, he had grown more understanding of the suffering of the poor.


    They say poverty breeds cunning while wealth breeds compassion.


    That was probably the stage he was in now.


    Confronted with these lower classes, he felt a deeper sympathy.


    ¡°All Niu, heh heh, Ah Niu is the good one!¡±


    Zhang Banzui, holding his liquor gourd, glanced drunkenly at Qin Niu and then stumbled off.


    Watching him actually head toward the direction of the mountains, Qin Niu thought about how the strong visitor had entered the village and hadn¡¯t come out since, possibly still lurking in the mountains or at Xie Laizi¡¯s house. Zhang Banzui was a drunkard, and what if he stumbled upon them, wouldn¡¯t that be courting disaster?


    ¡°Zhang Banzui, you¡¯re going the wrong way! That¡¯s the path leading into the mountains, your home is at the entrance of the village, you should walk in that direction.¡±


    Qin Niu quickly ran over, steadied Zhang Banzui, and pointed him in the right direction.


    ¡°All Niu is so kind! Hehe¡­¡±


    Muttering these words, Zhang Banzui walked toward the direction of the


    village entrance.


    There was always something odd about Zhang Banzui, yet he always managed


    to predict accurately.


    Last time he said a disaster of insects would come, and sure enough, not much later, it really happened.


    Now the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory had already started to descend into chaos. What did Zhang Banzui mean by the last half of his sentence about calamity coming and the rise of Insect Masters?


    Could it be that the Insect Masters are about to flourish?


    In these years, the status of Insect Masters had always been somewhat awkward, brutally suppressed by Beast Tamers.


    Even Plant Mastery experts were doing better than Insect Masters.


    Fortune changes like the seasons; in this world, there is nothing permanent. Insect Masters had once flourished, but afterward, had gradually declined. In fact, it¡¯s similar for any profession; as long as there emerged a group of top-notch experts, they could quickly lead the trend of an era.


    Qin Niu had been busy in the fields all morning, and the efficiency of the Termites at weeding was quite remarkable.


    They gnawed and devoured the sweet, juicy soft roots, and naturally, the weeds couldn¡¯t survive.


    The Soldier Ants, now too powerful, became restless with inactivity.


    It was a rare occasion for a mole cricket or a frog to emerge in the fields, only to be immediately besieged by them, toyed with like a cat with a mouse.


    Qin Niu had not heard any news about outsiders entering the village.


    And he had not seen anything unusual.


    The sound of horse hooves he had heard last night was definitely correct, faint and swift. It was a mount even superior to a black charger.


    A person who possessed such a mount was definitely not a weakling. Moreover, the timing of this person¡¯s arrival was also very delicate. Just as Wu Hao was dealt with by Qin Niu, that very night the visitor entered the village.


    And they chose to enter the village in the dead of night.


    He really couldn¡¯t believe that the person wasn¡¯t one of the high-ranking experts from the Nine Insect Gang.


    When there are too many coincidences in one matter, then it¡¯s not a coincidence anymore; it¡¯s a deliberate action.


    After returning home, Qin Niu remained secretly vigilant of the movements within the village.


    The little mountain village was as peaceful and serene as ever.


    A day quickly passed.


    He had wasted an entire day staying at home. If he had cultivated under the Ancient Banyan Tree, his cultivation level would have certainly made considerable progress.


    And so the cultivation of the Termites was delayed as well.


    Every day, a thousand new Termites would be added, all requiring his cultivation.


    At night, the village was peaceful, and outside the house, it was quiet as a mouse.


    The people had already entered their dreamlands early.


    Qin Niu, however, sat cross-legged in his backyard, cultivating. He had already taken out the Diamond Ink Turtle from the well.


    Its size had grown quite a bit.


    It was now almost as big as the bottom of a water bucket.


    Its shell shone with a glossy black, and upon closer inspection, countless fine golden lines could be discerned. The defense of its shell seemed to have increased significantly.


    The night passed uneventfully, and the high-grade mount that had entered the village seemed to have vanished into thin air.


    Including the person on the mount, there was no trace to be found.


    Qin Niu decided to send out a swarm of bees to scout the area tomorrow.

 Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: Chapter 213: The New Talent of the Grade Five Ant Queen_1

    Chapter 218: Chapter 213: The New Talent of the Grade Five Ant Queen_1


    Translator: 549690339


    At midnight, Shuangfeng Village lay eerily silent.


    A swath of dark clouds drifted slowly across the sky, gradually swallowing up the hanging moon.


    Qin Niu, who practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique to absorb Moonlight Power, found his cultivation halted as the moonlight vanished and darkness enveloped the earth.


    A cool night breeze whistled gently, and the medicinal herbs in his backyard were thriving joyfully, nourished by the power of his Everlasting Spring Technique.


    On a whim, he leapt onto the roof of the granary to observe the bees¡¯ nocturnal activities.


    They were quite still at night.


    But still, a portion of the bees bustled about within their nests.


    After watching for a moment, he casually sat down on a horizontal beam next to the beehive, from where he could admire the view of half the village.


    However, the dim light made it difficult to see clearly at night.


    Staring into the darkness ahead, his mind wandered, recalling the struggles and joys he had experienced along the way.


    In less than a year, he had completely turned his life around, acquired a distinguished status, moved into a large, imposing residence, and amassed a considerable fortune.


    Soon, he should be able to become the second Yan Family of the locale.


    Master of hundreds of acres of fertile land and thousands of acres of mountains.


    He guessed that servants and maidservants would soon follow in abundance.


    Those lands would generate a substantial income for him continuously.


    At that moment, a figure stumbled from afar, swaying unsteadily.


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze sharpened. Even though the starlight was dim, he could instantly tell that the figure was Zhang Banzui.


    Why would Zhang Banzui be out and about at this hour, coming from the direction of the mountain, instead of staying at home?


    He was probably drunk again and had lost his way.


    Qin Niu shook his head inwardly, feeling sorry for Zhang Banzui.


    All alone, he had to tell fortunes for people everywhere just to earn some drinking money. And then, often getting beaten for inaccurate predictions. Drunk, he could fail asleep lying on the roadside or under an eave.


    Someday he might even freeze to death outdoors, and no one would care.


    Gradually, Zhang Banzui reached the door of Wang Furen¡¯s house. Bowing his head and staggering every few steps, he still clutched his liquor gourd.


    Compared to daytime, he wasn¡¯t muttering incessantly.


    He was probably afraid of disturbing others¡¯ sleep at night and getting beaten for it.


    Qin Niu silently watched as Zhang Banzui passed by the door and headed towards the village entrance. His figure grew smaller and farther away until it seemed like he had gone home.


    He really worried that Zhang Banzui might one day get drunk, lie down in the mountains at night, and feed the dhole beasts.


    The next morning, Qin Niu was still thinking about the mysterious strong man who had entered the village.


    That man hadn¡¯t come out since he entered, which was rather odd.


    The problem was, as long as this man stayed hidden, Qin Niu dared not enter the mountains.


    His Ink Blade needed a large amount of Banyan Tree Blood daily to nourish it and enhance its power.


    The termites in the mountains also required his cultivation and care.


    Without further hesitation, he promptly sent out dozens of bees to scout.


    Before long, the dispatched bees returned.


    They didn¡¯t detect anything unusual.


    Qin Niu still dared not venture into the mountains but decided to find someone to scout out the path.


    ¡°Parting ways does not mean death, dear friend.¡±


    If there were any danger, he would certainly cherish his life.


    From afar, he saw Liu Shengli¡¯s wife twisting her hips, carrying a basket of clothes, presumably preparing to wash them by the stream.


    One has to admit, Liu Shengli really had an eye for choosing the woman whom his cousin was supposed to marry.


    The woman was pretty with a voluptuous figure, not only frugal and a good housekeeper, but she was also quite adept at handling relationships. She had a good reputation in the village.


    Even Xu Zhenchang would think of her whenever something good came up.


    ¡°Mrs. Liu!


    it


    Qin Niu called out.


    ¡°All!¡± She responded crisply, looking up. Upon realizing it was Qin Niu calling her, she immediately flashed a charming smile, respectful. ¡°So it¡¯s Master Qin calling me! Is there anything 1 can help you with? Please feel free to ask.¡±


    She knew Qin Niu was like a god of wealth.


    Whenever he sought help, he never let anyone toil for nothing; he always gave a generous reward.


    Carrying the basket, she sashayed over to Qin Niu.


    ¡°We¡¯ve run out of firewood at home, and 1 would like to buy some from your husband. I don¡¯t have any special requirements, just some thick hardwood logs will do. It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re not split; just have them cut in the mountains and delivered to my house. As for the price, I¡¯ll pay twenty percent above the market rate. In these next three days, 1 will take whatever he can chop. He can also recruit two people to help him out.¡±


    Qin Niu was wealthy and generous; buying some firewood was but a drop in the bucket for him.


    Spend two to three hundred wen, and it¡¯s enough for Liu Shengli and his helpers to be busy in the mountains for several days.


    ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll go home right now and get Shengli to take people up the mountain to chop for you. Thank you for looking after our family!¡±


    She gave Qin Niu a sweet smile, her peach blossom eyes filled with gratitude.


    Dealing with such a woman, few men could likely resist her charm.


    Qin Niu, however, just nodded indifferently.


    All he had to do next was wait at home.


    Money was indeed a fine thing; it might not make ghosts grind away for him, but getting these villagers to work for him was as easy as turning over his hand.


    Before long, he saw Liu Shengli entering the mountain with his cousin and brother.


    When there was a good opportunity, people always looked out for their kin first.


    Qin Niu waited patiently at home.


    He even sent out the bees again to survey and monitor Liu Shengli and the others.


    Less than an hour passed, and Liu Shengli came back with a large bundle of freshly cut logs.


    ¡°Master Qin, I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of firewood you wanted, so 1 brought back a bundle first. If you need them cut or split, I¡¯ll do it according to your specifications.¡±


    Liu Shengli was mopping the sweat from his brow, respectfully inquiring about Qin Niu¡¯s preferences.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine just like this, I¡¯ll cut it myself. Just leave them in the front yard.¡±


    Qin Niu realized that human strength was indeed very limited.


    Liu Shengli, a strong and young man, had exerted tremendous effort to carry the firewood all the way back. With Qin Niu¡¯s current strength, lifting those logs was as effortless as holding a twig.


    ¡°You all must be careful when chopping wood in the mountains. If you encounter any dangerous beasts, flee immediately and report back to me.¡±


    If there had been any abnormalities, the bees he had sent out to scout would have already returned with news.


    Because Qin Niu was paying twenty percent above the market rate, Liu Shengli and the others were very motivated.


    In just a morning, they had chopped and brought back a large pile of wet firewood.


    No need for them to cut and split, saving labor and effort¡ªsuch good fortune is rare.


    Considering Liu Shengli¡¯s shrewdness, he naturally worked as hard as he could.


    Earning some money is better than none.


    After lunch, Qin Niu entered the mountain alone.


    He planned to scout the path himself.


    Not to draw attention, he deliberately disguised himself as a woodcutter.


    When he passed by Xie Laizi¡¯s house, he quietly released a few termites to investigate.


    He found nothing unusual.


    After entering the mountains, he continued to observe in secret and still saw nothing out of the ordinary.


    This was indeed strange.


    Could the sound of horse hooves he had heard that night have been an illusion?


    He didn¡¯t rush towards the Ant Nest; instead, he first visited the vicinity of the


    Ancient Banyan Tree to check for anything amiss. There was nothing.


    Only then did he enter the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze with peace of mind.


    Truth be told, he suspected that the man might have entered the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze while investigating Wu Hao¡¯s whereabouts.


    This was the only explanation for the man¡¯s disappearance.


    The power of the Ancient Banyan Tree was terrifying; anyone who ventured into it was more likely to meet misfortune than fortune.


    Especially at night, the danger was extreme.


    He inspected every inch of the ground inside the Banyan Tree and still found nothing. Even if someone had accidentally fallen into the maze and been killed by the Ancient Banyan Tree, they would have left something behind.


    Things like clothing, weapons, tokens, and so on.


    The lack of any clues indicated that the person hadn¡¯t come in at all.


    The days passed, and after assuring that there was no danger, Qin Niu, as usual, took Xiao Qing into the mountains every day to cultivate and breed the termites.


    He was preparing to obtain the treasure of the Green Demon.


    His cultivation level had been solidified, and mobilizing the internal power of the Everlasting Spring Technique was noticeably easier than right after his advancement.


    The Ant Queen was now laying a thousand eggs a day, with a massive consumption of resources; the Corpse Bees were nearly ail consumed by her.


    Qin Niu also fed the Ant Queen the body of the black-crowned snake.


    Since this snake was highly venomous, he was initially concerned.


    He first used an ordinary termite for testing and, upon verifying there was no issue, allowed Fourth and other specialized Worker Ants to eat the black-crowned snake before feeding it to the Ant Queen.


    This morning, he sensed something unusual about the Ant Queen.


    It appeared to have stopped laying eggs.


    This had never happened before.


    Qin Niu hurried to the mountains to check.


    The Ant Queen¡¯s massive body was hidden within the subterranean Ant Queen Palace¡¯, and now it could no longer emerge with ease as it used to.


    If it were to come out, the Worker Ants would have to dig a special tunnel.


    This could compromise the Ant Queen¡¯s safety.


    It would also disrupt the original structure of the Ant Nest.


    ¡°Ant Queen, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Qin Niu directly communicated with it.


    He had a soul contract with the Ant Queen, allowing him to easily interact with it telepathically.


    ¡°Advancing!¡±


    After the Ant Queen sent back a feeble soul vibration, it didn¡¯t respond anymore.


    It turned out the Ant Queen was advancing in level, which filled Qin Niu with joy.


    The last advancement to Grade Four hadn¡¯t been long ago, and recently he had fed it corpses of three Grade Five Bee Generals, nearly a hundred corpses of Grade Four Corpse Bees, as well as the black-crowned snake¡¯s corpse¡­


    With so much high-grade food consumed, to put it bluntly, even a pig might have taken flight.


    Moreover, the Ant Queen probably had awakened a thread of ancient insect bloodline.


    Its potential was immeasurable.


    Its lifespan of thirty thousand years was a testament to that.


    Qin Niu asked the ant colony to strengthen their defenses, while he himself went to draw blood from the Ancient Banyan Tree and cultivate.


    By evening, Qin Niu discovered that the Ant Queen had already completed its advancement.


    The progression was much faster than expected.


    He checked its attributes.


    Female Four-Winged Yin Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Five Isoptera insect, experience 100000/1000000


    Lifespan: 31,000 years


    Energy: 990083


    Skills: Reproduction level three 371/1000 (1000 eggs per day), Feign Death level one 2/10, Flight level one 0/10, Escape level one 0/10, Basic Self-Healing level one 0/10.


    Talent: Moderate Intelligence++++, reproduce descendants with great strength attribute (10%), reproduce descendants with high poison attribute (30%), reproduce Demon Ant offspring (0.2%), reproduce Gold Devouring Ant offspring (0.002%), reproduce Healing Ant offspring (0.1%), reproduce Zombie Ant offspring (2%).


    After successfully advancing to Grade Five, the Ant Queen¡¯s lifespan increased by one thousand years.


    This was undeniably the longest-lived termite in history.


    Even the Diamond Ink Turtle¡¯s lifespan only increased by 200 years upon advancing two levels.


    It was no match for the Ant Queen.


    More so, the Ant Queen evolved a basic self-healing ability.


    This capability, similar to the Demon Ants, allowed it to heal automatically when injured.


    Additionally, its intelligence gained another plus sign.


    It seemed to be evolving towards a higher level of intelligence.


    The most impressive change was the richer variety of special offspring it could now produce.


    Previously, it could only birth descendants with a mild toxic attribute, possessing stingers and poison sacs, but the venom wasn¡¯t very potent.


    Only after Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation would the venom of the Poisonous Ants become stronger.


    Now it could directly birth highly venomous descendants.


    He was truly looking forward to their emergence.


    And the probability was as high as 30%, a terrifyingly high rate. On average, thirty out of every hundred termites would possess stingers and poison sacs.

 Chapter 219 - Chapter 219: Chapter 214 Double Happinessi

    Chapter 219: Chapter 214 Double Happinessi


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Insect evolution¡¯s venom attack is indeed the best strategy.


    Due to their small size and weak bodies, the damage they can inflict with a single bite is limited.


    If they possess potent venom, even a small ant could cause enormous damage to its enemies. The sheer intimidation factor would multiply exponentially.


    Now that the Ant Queen can reproduce Toxic Ants at a 30% chance, this means the fighting power of the ant colony would significantly increase.


    Why is the Green Demon Bee so fearsome?


    Isn¡¯t it because of its deadly venom? Just one sting from it, and even someone as powerful as the Seven Star Sect Master could perish.


    Besides producing venomous Termite, the Ant Queen has gained two new innate abilities.


    She can reproduce Healing Ants.


    This is a very practical type of ant.


    In battle, it¡¯s inevitable that some Termite will get injured.


    In such cases, having a Healing Ant to tend to them could prevent death and speedy recovery.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, it must be the daily feeding of the broad-leaved Paris polyphylla leaves to the Ant Queen that enabled it to evolve the ability to reproduce Healing Ants.


    It also gained the ability to reproduce Zombie Ants.


    This is a rather bizarre name.


    It¡¯s likely related to it consuming a large number of Corpse Bees.


    What are Zombie Ants like?


    Do they move stiffly like zombies? Or do they possess zombie-like abilities?


    He certainly hopes for the latter.


    For every one hundred Termite produced, there¡¯s a chance to get two Zombie Ants.


    That¡¯s still a fairly high probability.


    Soon when the first batch of eggs hatches, he should be able to see.


    Having just leveled up, the Ant Queen once again transformed into an egg-laying machine, incessantly producing ant eggs.


    She is truly dedicated.


    The Ant Queen¡¯s advancement also made Qin Niu realize that the primary way to cultivate the Ant Queen is still to feed it high-quality food.


    Termites are omnivorous creatures and are not picky eaters.


    Poisonous or not, they¡¯ll eat it all the same.


    ¡°Since the Ant Queen has evolved at this time, let¡¯s postpone the hunt for Green Demon¡¯s treasure. Prepare a bit more, and it will be safer and more likely to win when the time comes.¡±


    He was very aware that if Green Demon¡¯s treasure were so easy to obtain, it would have been taken long ago.


    After all, the mountains where Green Demon once lived have become a sacred site coveted by many Insect Masters.


    Those who come to capture powerful bee species are also endless.


    For a common Insect Master, capturing even a bee species discarded by the Green Demon could be a life-changing achievement.


    The Ant Queen¡¯s crucial timing for leveling up almost felt predestined.


    At that moment, Qin Niu sensed a disturbance emanating from the Green Silk Worm eggs he was carrying on his person.


    Upon inspection, a radiant smile spread across his face.


    They say misfortunes never come singly, and happiness does not come in pairs.


    Today, however, is an exception, as good fortunes doubled.


    The Green Silk Worm, incubated for many days, chose this moment to successfully hatch.


    Its body was extremely tiny, finer than a strand of hair, and very short, probably about one millimeter in length.


    It was hard to see with the naked eye.


    Qin Niu had long anticipated this insect.


    As long as it¡¯s raised properly, it could be used for undetected enemy surveillance.


    ¡°Come, you may feed on my blood. From now on, you can lurk on top of my head.¡±


    Qin Niu carefully placed it on his scalp.


    After a moment, he felt an itching sensation on his scalp.


    He knew the Green Silk Worm larva had begun to feed on his essence blood.


    Green Silk Worm (Larva)


    Grade: Grade Three Annelida, experience 1000/10000


    Lifespan: Infinite


    Energy: 1


    Skills: Bloodsucking First Order 0.1/10, Venom Attack First Order 0.1/10 (paralysis, coagulation).


    Talent: Parasitic, Spirit Communication


    I feel it¡¯s still pretty badass, being Grade Three just after birth.


    You know, many insects can¡¯t ever advance to Grade Three in their entire lifetime.


    Its abilities are also quite straightforward, merely bloodsucking, venom, spirit communication, and parasitic.


    If we¡¯re talking about the most impressive ability of the Green Silkworm, it has to be spirit communication.


    By using this ability, one can stealthily monitor anyone without them noticing.


    The condition is not to be detected by the host.


    A Grade Three Green Silk Worm is still not able to lay eggs normally, only after advancing to Grade Four can it lay eggs properly.


    It is still in its larval stage now.


    Qin Niu, now being a strong person of the Innate Realm, allows it to suck his vital blood, which is enough to help it quickly advance and become stronger.


    Raising this insect is indeed not much trouble.


    The only downside is that it doesn¡¯t control its venom well when bloodsucking, which easily results in the venom entering the host¡¯s body and causing localized itching and swelling. Once it becomes an adult, this should improve.


    Days fly by, and Qin Niu spends every day cultivating and nurturing the Termite and the Ant Queen.


    What worries him the most is Xiao Nui who still hasn¡¯t woken up to this moment.


    It has also become the one among Qin Niu¡¯s many pets to have the longest evolution time.


    Shuangfeng Village has been peaceful these days.


    How that strong character left the village that night is still a mystery.


    But since then, no one from the Nine Insect Gang has come by.


    That¡¯s a good thing.


    Qin Niu thinks it is possible that the strong person left after the investigation turned up nothing.


    Of course, this is just a guess.


    About three or four days ago, the locust disaster, which had ceased for many days, suddenly became rampant again. This time, it was fiercer than ever before.


    Even those rarer, large locusts were appearing in groups of dozens.


    The Yan Family is currently unable to hire any Insect Masters.


    Because of successive killings of Insect Masters within the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory, those who survived have all hidden away.


    They¡¯re terrified of being discovered.


    How could they possibly come out to make money at the risk of their lives?


    You have to be alive to spend money after all.


    The young master of the Yan Family personally requested Qin Niu¡¯s assistance twice, only to be tactfully rejected both times.


    Unable to hire an Insect Master, the Yan Family set their sights on the three thousand ducks Qin Niu had rented out.


    The Yan Family knows about Qin Niu¡¯s special relationship with Tang Caixian of Daoyuan Village, and with the Tang Family having an official of not insignificant rank, they knew the matter could only be negotiated.


    The details of the talk are unclear.


    The Yan Family convinced Daoyuan Village to loosen up and agreed to terminate the duck rental at any moment.


    Actually, with the locust disaster becoming more severe, the ducks had limited effectiveness, after all.


    This day, Qin Niu was at home, watching the Diamond Ink Turtle in his fishpond.


    It spent its time playfully manipulating the water in the pond when there was nothing else to do, having a blast.


    Aside from making the water in the fishpond churn, it had developed a new skill. It could control a stream of water to shoot out, just like a water gun, targeting objects.


    Although the controlled water column wasn¡¯t large and its power was very limited,


    Qin Niu was very clear that once it perfected this ability, it would definitely be able to use it to attack enemies.


    ¡°May I ask if Master Qin is home?¡±


    The voice of Tang Family¡¯s old Chief came from outside the courtyard.


    ¡°Is that Chief Tang? Please come in!¡±


    Qin Niu sent Xiao Qing to open the door and welcome the guest into the house.


    He had a vague guess about Chief Tang¡¯s purpose for coming.


    Because the Yan Family had already communicated with Qin Niu.


    ¡°Master Qin, we¡¯ve been renting those three thousand ducks from you for some time now. The recent locust disaster is overly vicious, and the ducks are no longer holding back the defensive line. Fortunately, our Daoyuan Village has already harvested the crops we needed to. Whatever is left, we¡¯ll just let the locusts have their fill. Now, we¡¯re prepared to return the ducks to their rightful owner.¡±


    Chief Tang said, his voice trembling.

 Chapter 220 - Chapter 220: Chapter 215 Hundred-Tempering Child 1

    Chapter 220: Chapter 215 Hundred-Tempering Child 1


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Although the rent Qin Niu charged Daoyuan Village was not expensive, the daily rent of 300 coins was still a heavy burden for them.


    Now that the Yan Family could not hire an Insect Master, they urgently needed this batch of ducks to help fend off locusts, and the opportunity was perfect for the Tang Family to do a good deed.


    ¡°That works, you just need to drive them back to the buffer zone by our Shuangfeng Village,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu nodded in agreement.


    Chief Tang had also come prepared and gestured to the two clan members who followed him to settle the rental fee on the spot.


    The total rental period was thirty-seven days, amounting to 11,100 coins.


    That was a considerable sum of money.


    ¡°Master Qin, this is the rental fee for thirty-seven days, please count it,¡± he said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about the tail end of 100 coins, just give eleven taels,¡± Qin Niu replied.


    The total cost Qin Niu had initially spent on purchasing these ducks was just a little over eighteen taels of Silver Money, not quite nineteen.


    Now the ducks had evolved from half-grown to big, fat ducks and were all returned to him.


    That was not all; he also made an extra eleven taels in rent.


    He could make another hefty profit by reselling them later.


    In these times, the meek starve and the bold prosper.


    Xu Zhenchang must have regretted not buying them then, probably kicking himself by now.


    Although Wang Furen had also bought two thousand ducks, he resold them early and made a limited profit.


    Qin Niu held on and did not sell, becoming the biggest winner.


    After collecting the rent, Chief Tang invited him to hand over the ducks in person.


    The sight of three thousand ducks, each one fat, and some clearly having evolved with different shades of feathers, delighted his heart. They were more agile and more formidable in catching locusts than ordinary ducks.


    These ducks had been eating those mutated locusts every day, so it was not surprising that some of them, with superior potential, had evolved.


    Not long after Daoyuan Village returned the ducks, the Young Master of the Yan Family brought Yan Qi over.


    It was as if they had made an appointment.


    ¡°Master Qin, our Young Master Yan specially came to find you,¡± he said.


    Yan Qi served as Young Master Yan¡¯s coachman himself.


    He was very clever, fully aware that everything was provided by his master. Yan Ruohai was getting old and would hand over the family to his son sooner or later.


    Since ancient times, the eldest son has been the heir to the family business.


    As long as Young Master Yan did not make any serious mistakes, his taking over the Yan Family was just a matter of time.


    A new king, a new court.


    Yan Qi was now promoted to the position of ¡°Seventh Steward¡± because he was favored by Yan Ruohai. The situation might change once Young Master Yan took power.


    Getting on good terms with Young Master Yan now meant he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being replaced later.


    While they were talking, Young Master Yan emerged from the carriage.


    ¡°Did Young Master Yan come for these ducks?¡± Qin Niu asked directly.


    ¡°Ha ha, Master Qin speaks his mind, and 1 like your straightforward nature. Although most of the Yan Family¡¯s crops have been harvested, the mulberry fields, tea gardens, and other industries still need maintenance. Recently, because Insect Masters have been constantly killed, everyone is self-preserving and we can no longer hire any. The ducks we bought from the Yan Family last time had a decent effect in pest control.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that ducks are now hard to come by, and I wonder if Master Qin might be willing to part with this batch? The price is negotiable,¡± he said.


    The Yan Family desperately needed these ducks.


    ¡°Er¡­ I understand the difficulties of the Yan Family. It¡¯s just that 1 haven¡¯t considered selling them for the time being. But since Young Master Yan has personally made the request, naturally, I can¡¯t disregard the goodwill. 1¡¯11 rent them to the Yan Family at the same price I offered Daoyuan Village. How does that sound?¡± Qin Niu suggested.


    Qin Niu wanted to see just how far these ducks could evolve.


    Renting them out would ensure a steady daily income.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit of a pity not to be able to buy them, it¡¯s also good to rent them. At least it can solve the pressing needs of the Yan Family,¡± Young Master Yan admitted, hinting at some crucial information.


    This indicated that the Yan Family might also have noticed that some of the ducks were evolving.


    The evolved ducks indeed had a significantly better hunting capability than ordinary ducks.


    ¡°Young Master Yan, Steward Qi, do you see that some of the ducks in my batch are of a special kind? Look, for instance, at that one, see how skillfully it catches locusts,¡± Qin Niu pointed out, drawing their attention to a duck nearby.


    ¡°It seems so. Not only can it fly, but it also runs so fast on the waves, catching locusts with each bite,¡± they observed.


    ¡°I believe that among the two thousand ducks from your Yan Family, some have evolved as well. If we mix our two batches of ducks together, we won¡¯t be able to distinguish which ones belong to which family. Personally, I would suggest that once rented by the Yan Family, could they be kept separately?¡± He said, making his point clear, trusting that the Yan Family would not stoop to swapping ducks.


    ¡°No problem! Not only can we keep them separate, but we will also mark our Yan Family¡¯s ducks with red paint for easy identification,¡± promised Young Master Yan, showing his understanding that Qin Niu had noticed the evolution of the ducks.


    Finding a cheap advantage was almost impossible.


    With the terms agreed upon, they wrote up a rental contract, and Qin Niu rented out the three thousand ducks to the Yan Family.


    This arrangement pleased everyone involved.


    The locust crisis was flaring up, breaking out even more fiercely than before and putting tremendous pressure on every landlord and tenant farmer.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s three thousand ducks, the Yan Family could fend off some of the plague.


    There was now a greater hope of preserving their core industries.


    Facing the accelerating crisis, Qin Niu seized every opportunity daily to nurture each termite, trying to evolve their strength to the utmost.


    The cultivation of bees was not neglected either.


    The only regret was that it was difficult to obtain ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood, with the daily amount gathered only enough to cultivate sixty to seventy Grade Three termites.


    This was a matter of no alternative.


    Through experimentation, it was found that if ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood was fed insufficiently, the evolution of the termites would be incomplete, or even fail, resulting in defective products.


    He tried feeding ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood first, followed by Ancient Banyan Tree blood, but it didn¡¯t seem to work that well either.


    The mortality rate increased significantly, which was heartbreaking to see.


    After several experiments, he decisively chose to give up and continued with the successful routine he had previously figured out. He first fed them Ancient Banyan Tree blood to help them advance, then fed them ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood.


    With this method, the survival rate of the cultivated ants could basically reach over 99%.


    He also kept increasing the number of ¡°Thousand Eyes Trees¡± he planted under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He used the energy from the Everlasting Spring Technique to help them grow quickly, with quite good results.


    It still required a considerable amount of time to grow.


    It wasn¡¯t possible that the ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree,¡± after being nourished by the Everlasting Spring Technique, would grow large in one day¡ªthat was unrealistic.


    He had no choice but to accumulate slowly.


    Through comparison, the growth rate of ¡°Thousand Eyes Trees¡± nurtured by the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s energy was more than three times that of ordinary ¡°Thousand Eyes Trees.¡±


    With his continuous efforts, the amount of ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood he obtained each day was also steadily increasing.


    At the beginning, one day¡¯s worth of ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± blood was only enough to nurture forty Grade Three termites. Now, the number had increased to sixty to seventy a day, and this stable improvement made him feel more secure.


    Being greedy and rushing progress, aiming to cultivate a thousand termites with mental attacks at once, was unrealistic.


    As the days passed, the number of his termite army had long since surpassed ten thousand. It was moving towards twenty thousand and was about to break through that number.


    A rough estimate suggested that there should be about eighteen thousand termites in the entire colony.


    The number of Demon Ants had also increased from three to fourteen.


    The rare species of Elephant Trunk Soldier Ants had also reached eight in number.


    All had been cultivated by Qin Niu into Grade Three Poisonous Ants.


    When they collectively released poison, the attack range was quite large.


    It could cover an area of at least five or six square meters.


    Another ant species worth mentioning was his Grade Three Dark Poison Ants, which had, unbeknownst to him, already broken through to 216 in number.


    With their toxicity, if they attacked an enemy at the same time,


    It is estimated that even a large wild boar would be poisoned and collapse instantly.


    Although the continuous growth of the ant colony made him very happy and gave him a sense of accomplishment, there was still a tinge of regret that the Gold Devouring Ants had not yet emerged.


    Furthermore, he was very much hoping that the Ant Queen would give birth to one or two more War Demon Ants.


    Because the difference between a Demon Ant and a War Demon Ant was quite significant.


    The formidable strength of Fourth made him, the master, envious.


    That day, like usual, he was preparing to go up the mountain to cultivate with Xiao Qing.


    Her cultivation had been stuck at the tenth level of mortals for many days and had yet to break through, leaving Qin Niu quite puzzled.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s talent for cultivating the Medicine King Sutra was clearly excellent, so why couldn¡¯t she make the breakthrough?


    Qin Niu¡¯s talent was even less than hers, and it took him less than ten days to make the breakthrough.


    Then again, the major thresholds of the Medicine King Sutra were indeed difficult to break through.


    The matter of cultivation sometimes also involved opportunity and luck.


    Being anxious was useless.


    The master and servant had not yet left the house when the guard from the Insect Master Association who had delivered a message last time came again.


    ¡°Master Qin, this is a mobilization order issued by the Insect Master Association in response to the government¡¯s call. Please sign here to accept it,¡± the guard said, taking out a booklet for Qin Niu to sign and seal.


    Their Fish Talismans had a stamp feature at the bottom.


    Simply by dabbing it with cinnabar ink and pressing it against the paper, a clear personal seal would be imprinted.


    ¡°I still need to deliver messages to other places, so I must take my leave now!¡± the guard said, saluting him, then mounting his horse and riding off quickly. What is called a mobilization order?


    It is basically when war is imminent, and the government mobilizes the experts within its jurisdiction to fight against the enemy and protect the country.


    In the strictest sense, the Black Tiger Gang could not be considered a country.


    It was more like the vassal states during the Spring and Autumn period.


    There were at least a thousand forces like it, each one under the jurisdiction of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    Each Immortal Sect had different sizes of territories. The weakest Immortal Sect would command over a hundred martial factions. The strongest among them were frightening with some commanding over three thousand martial factions.


    However, there seemed to be an unwritten rule that any Immortal Sect would not command over three thousand martial factions.


    In other words, the maximum number of martial factions allowed to be established under an Immortal Sect could not exceed three thousand.


    The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was established by the Terrestrial True Immortal, the Hundred-Tempering Child.


    It is said that the Hundred-Tempering Child, like the Red Boy in the ¡°Journey to the West,¡± was extremely powerful, yet bore the appearance of a child. His personality remains unclear.


    Some also say that the Hundred-Tempering Child rejuvenates himself every hundred years..

 Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Chapter 216: Order of Mobilization by Gang Leader Bai_i

    Chapter 221: Chapter 216: Order of Mobilization by Gang Leader Bai_i


    Translator: 549690339 I


    Rumors have spread in great detail, claiming that the Hundred-Tempering Child, upon reaching a hundred years of age and deteriorating to the limit, would place himself in a coffin. Buried alive for three years, then upon breaking out of the coffin three years later, he would emerge as a child again.


    As for whether this is true or false, the common folk are entirely clueless.


    The world respectfully refers to the Hundred-Tempering Child as the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Master.


    The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect is a fairly dominant Immortal Sect that has been growing stronger over the years.


    As for the infighting and power struggles among the sects within its jurisdiction, the Immortal Sect generally doesn¡¯t interfere.


    Competition leads to becoming ever stronger.


    Some Immortal Sects even give out two or three Sect Founding Orders annually, setting certain conditions to attain them. Those powerful families or individuals who emerge victorious in the competition would be rewarded with a Sect Founding Order.


    With a Sect Founding Order, one can legally establish their own sect within the territory of an Immortal Sect.


    Some might then ask, if the Immortal Sect doesn¡¯t intervene in the clashes and slaughters between sects, what use is there in having a Sect Founding Order?


    A legally recognized sect is naturally useful.


    There is an opportunity to receive various high-level cultivation resource rewards from the Immortal Sect, such as Immortal Pills, Immortal Techniques, Cultivation Techniques, Immortal Artifacts. Obtaining any one of these treasures can allow a sect to quickly rise to a higher level in an extremely short amount of time.


    Moreover, the stronger the sect, the more Immortal Pills, Immortal Techniques, Cultivation Techniques, and Immortal Artifacts they obtain, the closer they get to becoming true Immortal Masters.


    This is a process of accumulating power to become stronger.


    Once enough is accumulated, there is a chance to undergo a transformation and step through the Immortal Gate to become a true Immortal Master.


    This is the ultimate pursuit that all mortals dream of.


    Becoming a disciple of an Immortal Sect is not what many people imagine¡ªthat one is born with a superior immortal root and then recruited by the Immortal Sect, breezing through with cheats and directly cultivating immortal techniques.


    That is a dream.


    In this world, to become an Immortal Master, even if one¡¯s parents are the leaders of an Immortal Sect, one must still cultivate step by step on their own.


    Only those who meet the recruitment conditions can be accepted into the Immortal Sect.


    It is not a matter of being born with a superior immortal root and then being able to practice cultivation directly.


    Ordinary mortals, even with good talent, simply cannot cultivate with bestowed immortal techniques if they do not have the means.


    It¡¯s like building a house¡ªwithout a solid foundation, it¡¯s doomed to be a castle in the sky, an illusory dream.


    Furthermore, competition within an Immortal Sect is even more intense.


    Each disciple of an Immortal Sect will consume vast amounts of cultivation resources, and it¡¯s impossible to waste these precious resources on a mere mortal.


    If the child of any Immortal Sect leader could directly enter the Sect for cultivation upon birth, that Immortal Sect would certainly not last long.


    It wouldn¡¯t take a thousand years for it to be annihilated by other Immortal Sects, leaving nothing behind.


    The Black Tiger Gang is, after all, a legitimate gang and Qin Niu is unclear about its ranking among the more than a thousand sects under the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    But one thing is for certain¡ªthe higher-ups of the Black Tiger Gang are definitely concerned about their reputation.


    If they weren¡¯t pushed into a comer, they would never have issued this mobilization order.


    This indicates that the enemy is overwhelmingly powerful, that the Black Tiger Gang is finding it difficult to resist, and perhaps even risking the foundation of the gang itself, leading them to lower their pride to call all relatively powerful subjects to join the army and ward off the formidable foe.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but think again of Zhang Banzui¡¯s words, ¡°When disaster arises, the Insect Masters thrive.¡±


    What is meant by disaster?


    It is the dread of war that constitutes a disaster.


    Zhang Banzui was definitely referring to the war between the Black Tiger Gang and other sects.


    The Nine Insect Gang is truly ambitious, seemingly wanting to expand and strengthen its influence!


    It had just annexed the Seven-Star Sect a few years ago.


    Now, it is targeting the Black Tiger Gang.


    The strongest aspect of the Black Tiger Gang should be Beast Taming.


    Logically speaking, the combat power of Beast Tamers is generally stronger than that of Insect Masters.


    A mighty beast pet can almost crush the insect pets of several Insect Masters.


    The fact that the Nine Insect Gang is so dominant indicates that they certainly have insect pets that are far stronger than ordinary beast pets.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Termites are actually quite powerful.


    If they transform into Army Ants, ordinary beast pets would likely face more danger than fortune upon encountering them.


    He opened the letter, and it indeed was a mobilization order issued by the Insect Master Association.


    Unlike the previous situation, this time the order was jointly issued by Chairman Li and Bai Xuezhu, the Deputy Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang. The ending of the order bore not only the great seal of the Insect Master Association but also the official seal of the government.


    ¡°Esteemed Insect Masters, take heed. The Black Tiger Gang was first troubled by an insect calamity, and thereafter, Insect Masters across multiple regions fell victim to assassination, with numerous government officials also brutally murdered. Upon thorough investigation, we have discovered that all these acts are the clandestine sabotages of the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect. The Black Tiger Gang has always been kind and sympathetic to the common people¡¯s suffering, and we have been reluctant to initiate hostilities. However, these two factions are aggressive and pressuring us relentlessly.


    Bai and the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s high-ranking members have witnessed our people and crops fall victim to locusts¡¯ devastation, feeling both enraged and deeply pained.


    Just three days ago, the Nine Insect Gang suddenly invaded our borders and directly murdered three hundred and fifty-six people in Dafeng Village by the Blackwater River. Victims included men, women, the elderly, and the young, leaving behind a tragic scene of death. Upon discovering the calamity in Dafeng Village, the warriors on our frontiers immediately launched a counterattack, intent on avenging the unjustly slain and seeking justice for the three hundred and fifty-six lost souls.


    However, the enemy was strong and well-prepared, resulting in heavy losses to our forces.


    Now that the enemy has amassed a substantial force on our borders, the situation is precariously dire. I hereby call upon the heroes and the brave within the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory to unite against our formidable foe, to defend our homeland, and to protect our wives, children, and parents. At the same time, one could achieve great deeds, earn official titles, and bring honor to one¡¯s ancestors.


    Deputy Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang, Bai Xuezhu respectfully pens this order!¡±


    After reading the mobilization order, Qin Niu felt a heavy weight on his heart.


    He had thought there was only the Nine Insect Gang to worry about, but now even the Shennong Sect had entered the fray.


    The Shennong Sect focuses on agriculture, with most of the medicinal herbs used for pill making coming from their territories.


    There¡¯s even a saying, ¡°When Shennong prospers, no place goes hungry.¡±


    What does it mean?


    It implies that as long as the Shennong Sect¡¯s granaries are bountiful, people from all sects need not fear famine.


    A sect that mainlines in farming is naturally not adept at combat.


    Just as Qin Niu practices the Life-Nurturing Technique, which is unsuited for battle.


    The Shennong Sect has remained neutral and refrained from joining the disputes of other factions.


    Its power must be strong; at least, there have been no reports of any sect attacking the Shennong Sect.


    It¡¯s unclear why they¡¯ve got involved with the Nine Insect Gang this time.


    With the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s crops ravaged by locusts, and now with the Shennong Sect siding with the Nine Insect Gang in a two-against-one strike, the Black Tiger Gang is in dire straits.


    If things go wrong, the Black Tiger Gang might be annihilated without a trace left behind.


    There will naturally be a reshuffling of power.


    The most likely outcome is the Nine Insect Gang and Shennong Sect directly dividing up the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territories.


    A mobilization order is just that¡ªa call to arms. Receiving the order doesn¡¯t mean one has to go.


    Qin Niu certainly wouldn¡¯t get heated up by an emotional mobilization order and foolishly rush to the battlefield weapons in hand to fight to the death.


    ¡°I must seize the Green Demon¡¯s treasure before the conscription order is issued. That way, even if I end up on the battlefield, I will have one more strong card to play.¡±


    His gaze flickered as he contemplated his future path.


    If this round of mobilization fails to achieve its results and the frontline can¡¯t hold, then the Black Tiger Gang Leader himself will personally issue a conscription order.


    Those who receive this order must enlist.


    Anyone who dares not to comply will be deemed a deserter, subject to on-the-spot execution.


    Generally, no one dares to refuse.


    Especially at the beginning of the conflict, if anyone dares to openly refuse, they will likely be executed as a demonstration to deter others from refusing to join the battle. This is what¡¯s colloquially known as ¡®killing the chicken to scare the monkey.¡¯


    Qin Niu definitely did not want to become that sacrificial chicken.


    The only thing to do was to increase his power before the conscription order was issued..

 Chapter 222 - Chapter 222: Chapter 217: Invisibility Talisman, Universal Map_1

    Chapter 222: Chapter 217: Invisibility Talisman, Universal Map_1


    Translator: 549690339


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s original plan, he had intended to wait until the Ant Queen advanced to Grade Five and had hatched and nurtured several batches of eggs.


    Only then would he go for the Green Demon¡¯s treasure.


    After advancing to Grade Five, the Ant Queen gained several new talents, and the ant offspring she produced would be richer and stronger.


    Especially the highly toxic Termite, which Qin Niu was particularly looking forward to.


    Now he could no longer wait.


    Facing two opponents on their own and faced with a strong alliance, the Black Tiger Gang was probably about to be on the verge of collapse.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, let¡¯s push a bit harder in our training on the mountain today. If we still can¡¯t break through today, I¡¯m afraid we might have to wait for a while,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu took her into the mountains.


    Xiao Qing also knew that today¡¯s training opportunity was extremely precious, so after entering the mountains she headed straight for the Ancient Banyan Tree. Qin Niu went to the Ant Nest to carefully nurture each Termite.


    This time, heading to the Green Demon¡¯s hometown, Black Stone Village in Hundred Leaf Town to seek treasure, it¡¯s unknown when he would be able to return.


    The journey was fraught with risks and uncertainties.


    The Termites he nurtured today could only be left in the Ant Nest. Due to the urgency of time, he planned to set off early tomorrow morning.


    After cultivating the Termites, he entered the maze within the Ancient Banyan Tree for training, and of course, taking blood was not mentioned.


    During this period, he had been practicing diligently, consolidating his realm, and enhancing his cultivation.


    The power of the Medicine King Sutra had reached the fifth layer of the Acquired Realm, and the furnace cauldron formed by the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power in his body had also become much more solid.


    The Innate Realm of the Everlasting Spring Technique also became stable under his steady and solid approach.


    After advancing to the Innate Realm, he discovered that, in addition to the body undergoing a complete transformation, his spirit had also become ten times what it was before. Additionally, the ability to project his power externally was a very important advancement.


    When using the Ink Blade, transmitting his power into the blade could immediately cause the Blade Qi to surge.


    If the Golden Toad was injured, he could also expend his power to heal it.


    Why is it said that one step into the Innate Realm is a half-step into immortality?


    That is because the operation of a magical instrument requires at least the cultivation of the Innate Realm. Otherwise, no matter how powerful the magical instrument is, if it falls into the hands of mortals, it would be like a piece of ordinary scrap metal, unable to exert even the slightest bit of its power.


    Moreover, after advancing to the Innate Realm, he found his power to be condensed and pure, qualities that the Acquired Realm did not have.


    At the stage of the Mortal Realm, there was almost no power.


    The energy introduced into the body was all absorbed by the body, used for strengthening and tempering.


    After advancing to the Acquired Realm, some power gradually remained within the body.


    However, the power of the Acquired Realm was as loose as scattered sand and smoke, difficult and slow to mobilize, and its power was far inferior to that of the Innate Realm.


    If Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation was double Acquired Realm, he would rank among the higher-ups in Jade Stream Town. Now, he was already one of the top experts in Jade Stream Town.


    In the whole town, there should be few who had reached this realm.


    Estimates suggested that only a few large clans might have such level of experts.


    Renting ducks to the Yan Family recently, he also had a noticeable change in mentality.


    In the past, he was filled with awe towards the Yan Family, and even after reaching the cultivation of the Acquired Realm, that reverence still existed.


    Now, with the cultivation of the Innate Realm, when facing the Yan Family, there was no longer that invisible pressure, only mutual respect and equal treatment. Even though his current strength was weaker than the Yan Family¡¯s, he was already on the same level.


    This fact showed that one¡¯s own cultivation is fundamental.


    No matter how strong a nurtured beast pet is, it could not give him this confidence and composure.


    Early the next morning, Qin Niu set out wearing King Pig Leather Armor and carrying a basket on his back.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad was in his basket.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle was also brought along.


    Since the Green Demon used to live at the bottom of a cliff, there could be dark rivers or pools. Bringing the Diamond Ink Turtle might be useful at a critical moment.


    It was now a Grade Five beast pet.


    Its personality, however, remained the same as before, timid and staying motionless in the basket, not even daring to stick out its head.


    It seemed to be very afraid of the Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    In addition to these two beast pets, he carried nearly twenty thousand Termites on him, the lowest Grade Two and the highest Grade Four, all carefully nurtured.


    Some were left in the Ant Nest to ensure its safety and normal operation.


    The Ant Queen now laid a thousand eggs per day, consuming a huge amount of food.


    Additionally, a large number of newly hatched larvae required nurturing and care, and their food consumption was also not small.


    He also took some War Bees and Green Ring Worker Bees with him.


    This trip was a big challenge for the War Bees and Green Ring Worker Bees.


    Leaving the Queen Bee and the bee nest, it was unknown whether they would encounter problems?


    Bringing them was also a necessity.


    Because he didn¡¯t have any other air forces available now, only bees were usable.


    If this time he could successfully acquire Green Demon Bees, his air force would be quickly strengthened, and the battle prowess of his insects might increase tenfold or even a hundredfold.


    Xiao Qing was left at home to watch the house, and he instructed her to learn the Seven-Star Sword Technique during this period.


    Seeking the Green Demon¡¯s treasure was fraught with great risks, and her presence would not only be of no help but could also become a burden. Leaving her at home was also an act of care for her.


    Qin Niu kept his head low and hurried on his way.


    He had already planned to first make a trip to Black Tiger City to purchase some necessary supplies.


    And by the way, he would ask around for directions to Black Stone Village in Hundred Leaf Town.


    Last time, he only bought one Advanced Contract Talisman, which he used when taming the Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    This time, he was prepared to buy one or two more.


    Otherwise, without an Advanced Contract Talisman, even if he encountered the Green Demon Bees left behind by the Green Demon, he would not be able to tame them, and that would really leave him at a loss.


    Not long ago, after advancing into the Innate Realm, his spiritual power had increased by more than tenfold..

 Chapter 223 - Chapter 223: Chapter 217: Invisibility Talisman, Universal Map_2

    Chapter 223: Chapter 217: Invisibility Talisman, Universal Map_2


    Translator: 549690339


    It also meant he could tame a large number of new pets.


    No longer would he have to worry about not having enough spiritual power.


    After entering the city, he made a beeline for Bei Bing¡¯s talisman shop.


    ¡°Bei Bing, get me two more advanced contract talismans and five intermediate contract talismans,¡± Qin Niu said as he pulled out 250 silver notes.


    By now, he should be considered an absolutely major customer of this talisman shop.


    Many Insect Masters or Beast Tamers may need to save money for ten, even twenty or thirty years to buy an advanced contract talisman.


    Qin Niu made quite a fortune and therefore did not lack the money.


    ¡°Mmm mmm¡­¡±


    Bei Bing gestured for him to sit and wait a moment.


    It wasn¡¯t long before she called out her grandfather.


    Of course, whether this old man was her grandfather or father, he did not know. The old man had white hair and looked very old, while Bei Bing was still very young, only about seventeen or eighteen years old.


    So Qin Niu concluded that the old man must be Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather.


    ¡°Currently, there is only one advanced contract talisman available, young man. If you need two, you¡¯ll have to place a reservation. It should take about half a month before we can deliver,¡± the grandfather said, naturally not daring to slight such a big customer.


    Crafting advanced contract talismans was exceedingly difficult.


    Getting the raw materials and the process of creating the talismans were both extremely complex.


    And it was said that there was a high failure rate in crafting talismans.


    The higher the level of the talisman, the greater the chance of failure during production.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll buy just one for now! Forget the reservation,¡± Qin Niu decided. As his trip was very high-risk, he naturally wasn¡¯t going to pay a large sum of silver for some reservation.


    After buying the talismans, Qin Niu asked, ¡°Old sir, do you know how to get to Black Stone Village in Hundred Leaf Town?¡±


    ¡°Are you aiming to find the Green Demon Bee?¡± the old man glanced at him.


    ¡°Yes, I want to try my luck,¡± Qin Niu nodded.


    ¡°Mmm mmm¡­¡±


    Bei Bing who was listening by the side, began to vigorously wave her hands and shake her head at him, trying to dissuade him from going.


    ¡°Bei Bing, thank you for your concern. In this lifetime of cultivation, one naturally goes against the heavens, struggling against destiny and competing against others. 1 have already decided to go. I will be extra careful when the time comes,¡± Qin Niu said. Once he made up his mind, not even nine oxen could pull him back.


    She stopped talking and ran inside.


    Qin Niu thought she got upset and could only shake his head and show a bitter smile. Having such a genuinely concerned friend amid the vast sea of people was truly a great fortune in life.


    ¡°Young man, I really shouldn¡¯t be meddling. Many go to Hundred Leaf Town seeking the Green Demon Bee¡ªfew return with anything, many leave their lives there. I urge you to consider this carefully. If you¡¯re not familiar with the path, you could buy a map at the nameless shop right at the main junction. They have all kinds of maps there, not expensive and with reliable routes,¡± the old man recommended a map shop to him.


    ¡°Thank you for your advice,¡± Qin Niu replied.


    Qin Niu had obtained a Green Demon treasure map with great difficulty; he naturally couldn¡¯t bear to give up on it just like that.


    Moreover, a great battle between the Black Tiger Gang, the Nine Insect Gang, and the Shennong Sect was imminent, and the call to arms was just a matter of time.


    His Termite was effective against insects but not against enemies, even he shook his head at that thought.


    Those that crawl on the ground can never match those that fly in the sky.


    The allure of the Green Demon Bee was simply too great for him.


    They say people die for wealth, as birds die for food.


    He really didn¡¯t care for ordinary wealth and certainly wouldn¡¯t risk his life for it.


    But for such an opportunity that could greatly boost one¡¯s strength and benefit them for a lifetime, it was probably hard for any Cultivator to refuse.


    You must take risks to win.


    Truly, without taking any risks and just wishing for immortality by lying down is nearly impossible.


    For this task of retrieving the Green Demon treasure, he had made a lot of preparations and believed that even with certain risks, he could cope.


    After finishing his purchase, he stepped out of the shop.


    Behind him, Bei Bing chased after him.


    ¡°Ya ya¡­¡±


    She called out from behind then handed him a small wooden box containing a talisman.


    Qin Niu did not know what the talisman was for.


    Because she was mute, she gestured frantically to explain.


    ¡°This talisman was a birthday gift for little Bei Bing, it¡¯s called an Invisibility Talisman. Once activated, it can hide your figure. It can be used both day and night.¡±


    ¡°However, during the day, its invisibility duration will be halved.¡±


    ¡°Also, if it¡¯s used at night, staying still can make you invisible for up to four hours. During the day, it can last for two hours.¡±


    ¡°If you move quickly, are attacked by enemies, or if you initiate an attack, it could all cause the effect to dissipate.¡±


    ¡°In terms of creating the Invisibility Talisman, I¡¯m only just getting the hang of it, and I was fortunate to make one successfully. Keep it with you in hopes that it will help you escape grave danger.¡±


    ¡°There are two ways to activate it. One is to prick your fingertip or tongue, and drip blood onto this activation area. The method is similar to using a contract talisman.¡±


    ¡°The other method to activate it is by using your divine power.¡±


    ¡°You must possess the cultivation of the Innate Realm or higher.¡±


    ¡°Actually, the correct way to use all talismans is by stimulating them with divine power. Our Talisman Masters create talismans that can be activated with blood essence to accommodate ordinary people. This is a non-standard activation method.¡±


    The old man explained the function and usage of the talisman in detail.


    Qin Niu had not expected such a valuable birthday gift, yet Bei Bing had given it to him.


    Looking into Bei Bing¡¯s kind and sincere eyes, Qin Niu did not reject her kindness.


    He truly needed such a precious talisman..

 Chapter 224 - Chapter 224: Chapter 217: Invisibility Talisman, Universal Map_3

    Chapter 224: Chapter 217: Invisibility Talisman, Universal Map_3


    Translator: 549690339 |


    From the old man¡¯s words, it couldn¡¯t be deduced that he had only created this one invisibility talisman.


    This high-level talisman had already ventured into the realm of Immortal Techniques; the materials and craftsmanship involved must be against the natural order.


    Being able to create just one was already a stroke of great fortune.


    It was also apparent that this old man had considerable skills.


    ¡°Bei Bing, thank you for your kindness and friendship, goodbye!


    Qin Niu nodded in gratitude and then strode away.


    Qin Niu never easily owed favors to others.


    But once he did owe a favor, he would surely repay the other party tenfold or even a hundredfold.


    When Wang Wanyan had given him some food, meat pies, and pork at a time when he was short on provisions, Qin Niu had long since repaid her a hundred times over.


    Following the old man¡¯s directions, Qin Niu really did find an unmarked small shop at the tail end of the market.


    There was no signboard, and the entrance was low.


    The shop door was open, however.


    Inside hung conical hats, straw raincoats, ropes, and other items.


    This was the Cultivation Market; who would come here to buy such sundries?


    It felt like the owner of this shop must have some issues with his head.


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t notice anyone guarding the shop.


    So he raised his voice and called out.


    ¡°Help yourself to whatever you need.¡±


    A hoarse voice, grating like a broken gong, came from behind the counter.


    Qin Niu looked closely and finally noticed there was someone lying inside. It was a dwarf old man, whose exact age was indiscernible. He had very ordinary looks.


    Even a bit ugly.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to buy a map to Black Stone Village in Hundred Leaf Town.¡±


    ¡°The distance from here to Hundred Leaf Town is not short. Do you want a detailed map or a generic, simplified map?¡±


    ¡°How much is a detailed map?¡±


    ¡°A detailed map covers every specific route and topography. You need to buy two, one for the territory of Black Tiger Gang and one for the Nine Insect Gang. The price is fifty taels of silver for each. A total of one hundred taels of silver. A generic map includes the entire domain of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect and costs one tael of silver.¡±


    The price nearly scared Qin Niu to pee his pants.


    He could afford it,


    but one hundred taels of silver for two maps was practically robbery.


    ¡°1¡¯11 take a generic map, please!¡±


    Qin Niu took out one tael of silver and laid it on the counter.


    ¡°Here you go!¡±


    A folded large map was tossed over.


    The tael of silver that had been placed on the counter, however, had disappeared without a trace at some point.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but be startled.


    This dwarf old man was formidable!


    In Black Tiger City, where strength encountered stronger strength, and it was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, numerous masters abounded.


    Although he had already reached the Innate Realm, he should still remain cautious and keep a low profile going forward.


    He unfolded the map to take a closer look; the entire territory governed by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was drawn out on it.


    Although it wasn¡¯t a detailed version, all the towns, villages, cities, and roads were clearly depicted.


    With this map, he needn¡¯t worry about getting lost when outdoors.


    This tael of silver was indeed a worthwhile investment.


    After purchasing a good map, he no longer delayed and left the city, following the route marked on the map, he went straight ahead.


    All the way, his speed was extremely fast.


    With the cultivation of the Innate Realm, traveling was too easy for him.


    If he ran at full speed, he was even faster than the average horse.


    Along the way, locusts could be seen ravaging everywhere.


    The number of special locusts turned out to be far less than expected, and as for the Grade Three giant locusts, he didn¡¯t find a single one.


    He was somewhat curious, whether these locusts were being controlled by an Insect Master from the Nine Insect Gang or by several Insect Masters at the same time?


    Launching a clan war is usually a large-scale conflict.


    It is equivalent to two countries going to war.


    On the battlefield, the power of one person is extremely insignificant.


    Often only a thousand troops can form a shape, and ten thousand troops can create a momentum.


    To have the locust plague quickly sweep over the entire territory of the Black Tiger Gang, it seems possible that multiple Insect Masters are controlling at the same time.


    So far, the most powerful he had encountered were the giant locusts, which were only Grade Three insects, and their numbers were pitifully small.


    This made him suspect that the Insect Masters controlling the locusts from behind the scenes were likely a large group of low-level Insect Masters.


    Otherwise, if they could reach the level of Old Master Huang, they would make a grand move the moment they took action and would not be so shabby.


    When Old Master Huang ambushed Qin Niu, he directly used more than four thousand Grade Three Army Ants.


    Although these locusts were numerous, in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, they still seemed a bit petty.


    Even he himself could cultivate a thousand Grade Three Termites in a day, and Grade Three insects really weren¡¯t much in his eyes.


    Everywhere he looked, he could see abandoned farmlands.


    With the continuous locust plague, it was impossible to grow crops.


    No matter how much was planted, it was all in vain.


    Instead of that, it was better to leave the land fallow to minimize the losses.


    Based on the current situation, the market price for farmlands should soon plummet to a historical low. He had long prepared a large sum of Silver Money, waiting to snatch up a good deal and become a medium-sized landlord in one fell swoop.


    With a hundred acres of good farmland, one was not considered a major landlord but only a mid-level one.


    Those real major landlords often owned tens of thousands of acres, with estates everywhere and thousands of servants.


    Only they were the true noble clans.


    Outside, the locust plague was so severe, and the Nine Insect Gang had already led their troops to invade the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, but inside Black Tiger City, there was still calm.


    He wondered whether the news was blocked, or did everyone have faith in the Black Tiger Gang?


    As it was getting dark, he was still three or four dozen miles away from Shihe Town of the Black Tiger Gang.


    According to the marks on the map, he had to first reach Shihe Town, then go through the necessary procedures to enter the territory of the Nine Insect Gang. Heading south from there, he would arrive at Hundred Leaf town.


    Once at Hundred Leaf Town, finding Black Stone Village would be easy.


    Because every year, a large number of Insect Masters from all over would rush there in search of Green Demon Bees.


    ¡°I need to hurry to Shihe Town; otherwise, I might end up like Zhang Banzui, spending the night in the wild.¡±


    Qin Niu quickened his pace.


    It would be good if he could learn a Step-Method Martial Skill, or it would be quite nice to have a mount to ride.


    That lazy ox of his was still evolving and completely unreliable.


    If he encountered a suitable ferocious beast, taming one as a mount would also be quite good.


    As the sky turned completely dark, he traveled by the light of the stars.


    He finally made it to Shihe Town.


    This small town was quite prosperous, significantly better than Jade Stream Town.


    Possibly because it was located at the junction of two gangs, the coming and going of merchants and the trade of goods drove the economy of this small town..

 Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: Chapter 218 Wash Crime River 1

    Chapter 225: Chapter 218 Wash Crime River 1


    Translator: 549690339


    Unlike the past, Qin Niu felt an unprecedented level of vigilance as soon as he entered the small town.


    At the entrance of the town, two rows of caltrops were placed.


    Even though it was late at night, soldiers were still stationed there.


    Behind the caltrops was a temporary camp with a bonfire burning. The temperature wasn¡¯t very low, being summertime, it could even be called hot.


    The bonfire must have been lit for illumination.


    One could vaguely see more than a dozen soldiers sitting around the bonfire, with only the leading three wearing Hundred-Tempering Black Armor.


    The rest were in common leather armor.


    Typically, those who wore Hundred-Tempering Black Armor were either formal soldiers or lower-ranking officers, while those in leather armor were mostly recruits or candidates for enlistment.


    Just because the soldiers at the gate of Black Tiger City were all wearing Hundred-Tempering Black Armor and holding long spears, it didn¡¯t mean that such armor was issued to every soldier. A set of Hundred-Tempering Black Armor worth five hundred taels of silver money was never intended to be distributed to each and every foot soldier.


    It was only because Black Tiger Gang was not short on money now, that they put on such a show at the entrance.


    Back in the early days of the gang¡¯s establishment, if you wanted to enlist, you had to provide your own weapons, mounts, and armor.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±


    A soldier spotted Qin Niu, who was carrying a basket and walking briskly.


    ¡°Just passing through.¡±


    Qin Niu showed his bronze Fish Talisman.


    This item was quite effective within Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory. If he encountered any inspections, he could immediately enjoy privileges and preferential treatment.


    ¡°Oh, an Insect Master! Are you preparing to leave Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory?¡±


    The soldier took a good look at Qin Niu, noticeably more respectful in his demeanor.


    ¡°Right, I plan to try my luck at Hundred Leaf Town,¡± Qin Niu said nonchalantly.


    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s an Insect Master here who wants to leave the territory!¡±


    The soldier turned and shouted to the military leader sitting by the bonfire.


    The three military leaders wearing the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor immediately stood up and came over, surrounding Qin Niu completely.


    Qin Niu remained unfazed.


    Among these three, the one with the highest cultivation was the big-bearded soldier, roughly at the first level of the Acquired Realm. The other two were at most at the peak of the Mortal Realm.


    Truth be told, even if all these soldiers combined their forces, they wouldn¡¯t be enough for him to kill with one hand.


    ¡°Now, our Black Tiger Gang is at war with the Nine Insect Gang, you couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of that, could you?¡± the big-bearded man asked, his tone somewhat icy as he scrutinized Qin Niu.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Knowing that the two armies are at war, yet you¡¯re heading towards Nine Insect Gang territory? Hand me your waist token for registration,¡± the big-bearded man commanded as the highest-ranking among the soldiers present.


    Military formations are generally composed of five soldiers as a squad, with ten forming a unit, plus an additional unit commander.


    All these people together made up exactly eleven.


    The big-bearded man must be a unit commander.


    Qin Niu had also gained an initial understanding of the military¡¯s strength.


    One at the first level of the Acquired Realm could become a unit commander, while those at the peak of the Mortal Realm with exceptional combat prowess could aspire to be squad leaders.


    As for someone like him in the Innate Realm, he would at least rank as a Centurion.


    Qin Niu had his Fish Talisman registered.


    ¡°Master Qin Niu, if I may be so bold to ask, what do you plan to do after leaving the territory? Can you tell me?¡±


    ¡°I am planning to go to Hundred Leaf Town in search of the Green Demon Bee.¡±


    After hearing his objective, the big-bearded man¡¯s expression softened slightly.


    ¡°If you really must leave our territory, we won¡¯t stop you. However, I still have to offer you some advice. Currently, with the two armies at war, your identity is very sensitive. Going into Nine Insect Gang¡¯s domain is truly unwise. You could easily be mistaken for a deserter or traitor, or even be deemed a spy sent by Nine Insect Gang to gather intelligence. Moreover, once you¡¯re discovered after crossing the border, they won¡¯t hesitate to capture you, and they might even execute you on the spot.¡±


    After completing the registration, the big-bearded man explained the risks involved.


    The timing to leave the country is indeed not very good.


    ¡°Thank you for your advice, but I still want to try,¡± Qin Niu insisted on his own idea.


    ¡°Go ahead, then! I can only wish you luck. There are also some people in the town who want to leave the country for various reasons. You can join them; your chances of success might be slightly higher,¡± the big-bearded man carried out his duties without giving him trouble.


    As long as they were of the privileged class, they would try to make things convenient for one another.


    Qin Niu walked through the passage left open between the barriers.


    After entering the town, he could see that the lanterns in front of several inns were lit. There were even shop assistants standing outside, soliciting guests who might need a place to stay.


    ¡°Sir, would you like to stay at our inn?¡±


    Seeing Qin Niu with a basket on his back, in a hurry, a middle-aged woman waved her silk handkerchief, calling out to him.


    Those who did not know better might have thought she was a pimp drumming up business.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Qin Niu indifferently refused with a single sentence, then continued walking forward.


    It was not hard to discern from the soldier¡¯s words that leaving the country wasn¡¯t difficult, but once inside the territory of the Nine Insect Gang, evading their inspection was the real issue.


    ¡°Yo, sir, it seems you want to leave the country! You can¡¯t cross right now. Our inn is hosting many guests like you who want to leave the country! If you trust me, Sister Fang, stay at my inn, and when the time comes, I¡¯ll arrange everything for you,¡± the woman bustled about, with sharper eyes than most.


    She easily guessed Qin Niu¡¯s intention.


    But Qin Niu wasn¡¯t buying her act. He didn¡¯t respond and just kept walking with his head down.


    According to the information on the map, after entering the town, he just needed to keep heading north, and he would encounter a big river.


    Once he crossed that river, he would be entering the territory of the Nine Insect Gang.


    He moved on, and the few inns along the way all had their lights on, but there was no one standing at the doors to solicit guests.


    Only the landlady of the first inn was the most dedicated to her business.


    Once out of town, the road conditions became much worse.


    The road was uneven and full of potholes, the sides overgrown with weeds. It was a dark and windy night, and traveling alone was quite eerie.


    The further forward he went, the more desolate it became.


    After walking about two miles, he could already hear the sound of rushing water ahead.


    The big river was not far ahead.


    Another two hundred or so meters, and sure enough, he saw a wide river about two hundred meters across, meandering and lying across the land.


    The distinctive smell of the water was overpowering.


    According to the map, this river should be the famous Cleanse Sin River.


    Also known as Wash Crime River.


    It was said that if one bathed in this river and repented sincerely after making a mistake, sins could be washed away.


    Still, such tales were somewhat fantastical, and not many believed them.


    Instead, there was a black fish in the river that was tender with few bones and tasted delicious, which was very popular among people. Villagers living near the river often went there to fish.


    Qin Niu looked at the relentless river and couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    Crossing this river, even with his excellent swimming ability, was not an easy task.


    The river had dangerous undercurrents and was full of whirlpools that could swallow a person whole; swimming across was perilous.


    The best way was to cross over a bridge.


    He had bought a simple version of the map which showed the river, but it did not indicate where the bridge was.


    You get what you pay for; a thin gruel provides little sustenance.


    A universal map purchased for one tael of silver would certainly not be as detailed as one costing fifty taels.


    But to spend a hundred taels of silver on a map of the Black Tiger Gang and another for the Nine Insect Gang, he was somewhat reluctant to part with his money.


    Mainly because it wasn¡¯t of much use to him..

 Chapter 226 - Chapter 226: Chapter 219 Darkness Falls – Part 1

    Chapter 226: Chapter 219 Darkness Falls ¨C Part 1


    Translator: 549690339 I


    He looked around, and because it was night, he could only see the dim starlight and couldn¡¯t see very far.


    There was no way to find the big bridge to cross the river.


    ¡°Timid Turtle, can you help me cross the river?¡±


    This time, Qin Niu had come with assistance. The Diamond Ink Turtle, having reached Grade Five, had already begun to master water manipulation skills.


    It was the perfect opportunity to test its water control abilities.


    The small turtle was taken out of the basket while the Red-eyed Golden Toad was comfortably sprawled inside, eyes closed in deep sleep.


    As soon as Qin Niu placed the Diamond Ink Turtle by the river, it desperately scrambled to climb back onto the bank.


    ¡°What are you doing? Do you think this bit of river water could actually drown you?¡±


    Every time he saw its cowardly demeanor, Qin Niu became somewhat irritated.


    The little turtle, scolded, hid by his feet, refusing to go into the river.


    Logically speaking, a turtle should be happy to see the river.


    Because the river is its home.


    ¡°Do you want me to throw you into the river?¡±


    Qin Niu bent down, grabbed the little turtle, and pretended he was about to throw it into the river.


    He really didn¡¯t understand what this coward was afraid of.


    The little turtle, scared, stretched out its limbs, tail, and neck from its shell, struggling incessantly.


    ¡°Danger, danger¡­¡±


    Qin Niu could sense the intermittent signals coming from it. It was communicating with Qin Niu through spiritual connection.


    ¡°What¡¯s the danger?¡±


    He questioned the little turtle.


    Unexpectedly, by pushing the little turtle to such an extent, it had directly learned to initiate communication with its owner.


    Although it was a simple spiritual exchange, it still pleased Qin Niu.


    He hadn¡¯t yet grasped beast speech.


    Communication with the little turtle and the small water buffalo was very challenging. Only the Red-eyed Golden Toad could barely communicate with him.


    This made him quite helpless.


    Now that the little turtle was proactively engaging in spiritual communication, it was greatly helpful for his understanding of beast speech.


    Seizing the moment, he took the opportunity to engage in deeper communication with the little turtle.


    ¡°There¡¯s danger in the river¡­¡±


    The little turtle, seeing its owner poised to throw it into the river, also did its utmost to communicate with Qin Niu.


    Dealing with such an irresponsible owner, it was truly unlucky.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking what the danger in the river is?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know¡­ just sense danger!¡±


    The little turtle was progressing very quickly.


    Under such extreme pressure, its communication with Qin Niu was becoming smoother and smoother.


    What could the danger possibly be?


    Qin Niu looked at the turbulent river surface, secretly relieved that he had yet to recklessly enter the water.


    Having managed to survive the flood shortly after birth, the little turtle actually had quite decent swimming skills.


    If it said there was danger now, it definitely wasn¡¯t afraid of drowning.


    The most likely scenario was that there was something in the river.


    ¡°Going back to the inn to find a guide might be a good idea,¡± he thought.


    Qin Niu dared not take the risk and went back to the small town.


    The landlady of the inn didn¡¯t seem surprised to see him return at all.


    ¡°Guest, stay at our inn, I guarantee you won¡¯t regret it. Just a little extra money, and someone will escort you through a safe passage across the border. It¡¯s still early to go now, and you¡¯ll be easily caught. When to leave and which route to take, we are professionals; you¡¯ll understand when the time comes,¡± she said, smiling as she welcomed him into the inn.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? We¡¯ve got hot wine and hot dishes, all available.¡±


    She was very pleased to have snagged a customer.


    ¡°Bring me five pounds of braised beef and a pot of fine wine.¡±


    Now that he had money, he naturally couldn¡¯t skimp on food.


    Cultivators had a great need for meat.


    Especially at the Mortal Realm and Acquired Realm stages.


    After advancing to the Innate Realm, the demand for food actually began to decrease.


    According to his former appetite, he would need at least ten pounds of beef at one meal.


    Now, eating only five pounds was quite refined.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    The woman quickly brought over a large plate of cooked beef with chili sauce. The wine, too, was of excellent quality, fragrant and enticing. Drinking it, he found it sweet, potent, like an unrivaled beauty, immensely satisfying.


    ¡°How much does it cost to have someone guide me across the border?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s just to cross the river, two hundred Wen will suffice. If after crossing the border you need to be taken to a safe place, then the fee is higher, starting at no less than ten Silver Coins,¡±


    The woman was likely the landlady.


    Inside the inn was a young man in his twenties serving as the waiter.


    ¡°Can 1 leave today?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Leaving around the fourth watch would be most suitable; just pay and there will be someone to take you across then,¡± she replied.


    The fourth watch was equivalent to one to three in the early morning.


    The fact that they chose this time to cross the border showed just how professional they were.


    This time period was when people were in their deepest sleep of the day. Doing so was probably to avoid inspections by the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s soldiers.


    With the two factions at war, the other side would not allow passage to members of the enemy faction.


    Sneaking into Nine Insect Gang territory under the cover of night was the best method.


    Once they got past the border checkpoints, it should be safe from there on out.


    ¡°How much for the beef and wine?¡±


    ¡°Sixty wen in total.¡±


    ¡°Here!¡±


    Qin Niu tossed out two pieces of silver money.


    That should be three qian for sure.


    When traveling outside, never reveal your wealth.


    Inside the inn, many people were still seated at this moment. Some were eating and drinking, chatting away, while others were quietly sipping tea.


    Everyone was waiting.


    Each of them was full of vigilance towards strangers, never revealing any details easily.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little over three qian of silver money, I¡¯ll give you back forty wen.¡±


    After receiving the silver money, the landlady was very pleased.


    ¡°No need for change, just give me some more beef to take on the road. The meat here tastes quite good.¡±


    Qin Niu figured that forty wen should buy him another five jin of braised beef.


    While forty wen may not seem like much, it¡¯s equivalent to four days¡¯ wages for an adult farmer.


    Beef is much more expensive than pork, and braised beef shrinks in cooking. Selling it for eight wen per jin is definitely a fair price.


    The landlady personally cut five jin of beef for him.


    Wrapped in oiled paper.


    After Qin Niu took it and weighed it, it seemed more than five jin.


    ¡°You sure gave a generous portion, landlady! Hope this won¡¯t cause you a loss?¡±


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯ve got quite a hand there! 1 added an extra jin for you, just a little token.¡± The landlady said with a smile.


    ¡°Many thanks!¡±


    ¡°Enjoy, sir. If you need anything, just call me. It¡¯s still early before the fourth watch, so you can also take a nap on the table. If you prefer something more comfortable, we have rooms available upstairs for thirty wen a night. Whether you stay until midnight or dawn, it¡¯s the same one-night charge.¡±


    The prices were clearly marked.


    Qin Niu thought to himself that if those sitting in the inn¡¯s main hall were also refugees, they would likely be reluctant to spend an extra thirty wen on a room, choosing instead to rest in the main hall.


    He discreetly watched the crowd: porters, peddlers, all sorts of people.


    Most were just ordinary folks.


    There were two or three with considerable strength, but he didn¡¯t detect any cultivators from the Innate Realm.


    Sensing someone¡¯s cultivation level is generally clearer for high-level cultivators sensing lower-level ones.


    If the other person¡¯s cultivation level is higher than one¡¯s own, it¡¯s usually hard to detect.


    One might even mistake them for an ordinary person.


    For instance, the dwarf who sold him the map had unfathomable strength.


    And as for the five ancestors of the Fang Family, there¡¯s even less need to mention.


    After having his fill of beef and wine, he felt quite comfortable.


    He didn¡¯t go upstairs to rent a room and sleep.


    It wasn¡¯t about saving those thirty wen for the room, but instead, he wanted to stay in the main hall to listen in on other people¡¯s conversations. With his Innate Realm cultivation, whether others whispered or spoke softly, he could hear everything clearly.


    After some eavesdropping, he roughly understood the basic situation at the border.


    The Nine Insect Gang¡¯s main assault wasn¡¯t here, but they had chosen to invade from Dafeng Village by the Black Water River.


    The latest news was that the frontline troops of the Black Tiger Gang had suffered heavy casualties.


    At least over a thousand were dead or injured.


    Moreover, the troops of the Nine Insect Gang were extremely cruel. Men captured by them were used as food to feed insects, and young women were turned into slaves.


    The fate of the children captured was even worse, being used directly as cauldrons for breeding insects.


    The Nine Insect Gang¡¯s soldiers were described as completely wicked, though it was unclear whether these were actual facts or if the higher-ups of the Black Tiger Gang were vilifying their opponents to spur the public¡¯s will to resist.


    Besides the invasion by the Nine Insect Gang, the usually neutral Shennong Sect had also invaded directly from the plains near the Black Water River.


    They had already taken over a vast area of fertile land from the Black Tiger Gang.


    For the Shennong Sect, land was their treasure.


    After all, they specialized in agriculture.


    With broader lands, they could grow more crops and support more people.


    Once the population base increased, the number of powerful individuals would also rise.


    Qin Niu thought to himself that those landlords who had bought land were sure to be crying now.


    Land seized by the troops of a rival gang could not be reclaimed by any landlord alone.


    This also meant a direct zeroing out of a vast amount of assets.


    Normally, just having a hundred acres of good farmland would be enough for generations to live worry-free.


    Besides these two pieces of bad news, there was another disadvantageous piece of news: it was said that the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was in its centennial period of weakness. During this time, the sect would generally not interfere with wars between the various gangs under its jurisdiction.


    The Black Tiger Gang, facing two enemies alone, was no match for either gang on its own.


    Now with these two gangs joining forces to destroy it, one can imagine the outcome.


    Two men dressed as merchants were conversing in whispers.


    ¡°Boss Wen, if we flee to the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s territory now, will we be safe?¡±


    ¡°As long as you get a legal identity, it¡¯s very safe. Haven¡¯t you already settled the legal identity issue? Just be at ease. But when we¡¯re crossing the border later, we must be careful of the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s soldiers. If they catch us, they¡¯ll strip us of all our silver money. Our lives will be very difficult then.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we just spend ten taels of silver money to hire someone to escort us to a safe location?¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid or something? Who can truly guarantee absolute safety? Besides, ten taels of silver money is not a small sum, it hurts even me to spend it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, we were lucky to have prepared early. At least we¡¯ll be able to survive after getting there. Those without a legal identity will really suffer. I heard that some landlords and wealthy merchants have already sold their properties and voluntarily started moving to the plains.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s the point? Aren¡¯t they still within the realm of the Black Tiger Gang when they move there?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t get it, do you? If they move to the plains, should the Black Tiger Gang really get wiped out, that area will become Shennong Sect territory. The Shennong Sect is much better in its conduct than the Nine Insect Gang; they won¡¯t harm ordinary citizens. Since they have money, once things settle down, they¡¯ll buy land again and live comfortably with a legal status from the Shennong Sect.¡±


    ¡°Smart, that¡¯s really smart! Had we known, we should¡¯ve gotten legal identities from the Shennong Sect. We¡¯ve really lost out this time.¡±

 Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Chapter 220 River God?_1

    Chapter 227: Chapter 220 River God?_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The commoners at the bottom live the hardest lives, with the weakest ability to withstand risks.


    At the slightest disturbance, many ordinary people lack even the ability to escape.


    Men like these two, who looked like merchants, were a cut above the rest among the commoners; at least they could play both sides. Not only did they have legal identities with the Black Tiger Gang, but they also secretly held valid identities with the Nine Insect Gang.


    In modern terms, that would be akin to having dual citizenship.


    Some who couldn¡¯t secure legal identities from other factions and had a small amount of money foresaw the changes early. They sold their assets and moved to the areas most likely to be taken over by the Shennong Sect.


    After a stable transition, they¡¯d still be able to purchase land and live a good life.


    The most tormented must be the impoverished, ordinary folks without money or connections.


    Faced with the onset of war or disaster, they could only gamble with their lives. Compared to these people, Qin Niu was one of the few who had managed to break free.


    With his strength and cultivation level, he believed that he could fare well in any faction¡¯s territory.


    Time passed bit by bit, and it was soon the fourth watch of the night.


    About thirty-seven or thirty-eight people had gathered inside the inn, some with families in tow, going to the Nine Insect Gang to seek refuge with relatives; others were alone.


    Then, another seven or eight people came down from the guest rooms on the second floor.


    ¡°Is everyone ready?¡±


    The landlady had changed into a set of black tight-fitting clothes and was holding a precious sword in a sharkskin sheath, with a large bundle strapped to her back.


    This outfit left everyone stunned.


    Was she playing multiple roles all by herself?


    ¡°We¡¯ve been ready for a while! Just waiting for the guide to come!¡±


    Let¡¯s go! Keep close to me! And remember, you must keep quiet; otherwise, we all get into trouble if hassle crops up,¡± the landlady warned everyone, then leaped out as she opened the inn¡¯s main door.


    She revealed an unexpectedly impressive physical agility.


    Qin Niu felt his horizons broadening.


    Appearances can be deceiving; who would have thought that an innkeeper, who looked like an aging woman on the surface, would possess noteworthy strength behind the scenes.


    Turns out she was quite the moneymaker.


    The fee for guiding one person was 200 wen; for ten people, that was 2000 wen, the equivalent of Two Silver Money.


    With a total of forty-six or forty-seven people here, guiding them once would mean more than nine silver ingots in income.


    And that didn¡¯t include the money spent by guests in her inn.


    Indeed, every surviving store had its own ways to earn wealth.


    The crowd followed closely behind her, moving forward in the dark.


    No one dared to make a sound.


    They were like a ghost army.


    Before long, they arrived at the great river¡¯s edge.


    Qin Niu had been here once before but hadn¡¯t found where the bridge was.


    He definitely wouldn¡¯t dare venture into the river.


    If something could scare the Diamond Ink Turtle that much, it meant the creatures in the water were extremely fearsome.


    Under her lead, everyone stopped at a point where the river was relatively narrow.


    Because the river narrower here, the current seemed much more rapid.


    ¡°Line up, I¡¯ll escort each one of you across the river. Remember, don¡¯t fall into the river, or it means certain death,¡± she announced before unwrapping the large bundle on her back, pulling out a long rope.


    This rope seemed to be specially made. Its exact material was unclear, but it felt exceptionally sturdy.


    It was also relatively lightweight.


    The color was brown with a slight hint of gold.


    Upon extracting this large bundle of rope, she nimbly climbed up a large tree and secured one end of the rope around the trunk.


    Then, from the shadows, she carried over a small boat.


    This boat was custom-made, its bottom covered in a thin layer of copper while wooden on the side. The bow was pointed, and the stern was flat.


    It looked as though a boat had been cut into two, and this was just the front half.


    The width of the small boat was barely over one meter, with a length of less than two meters¡ªcompact and agile. Judging by its size, carrying an adult of moderate weight might risk sinking it.


    She moved the boat to the riverbank, then fitted it with two oars. After placing the rope on the boat, she tied the rope¡¯s end to a metal ring at the stern. Once everything was set, she didn¡¯t immediately let the boat into the water.


    Instead, she retrieved a large bag from the bundle that seemed quite heavy.


    Qin Niu smelled blood.


    It was probably crushed meat, mixed with other substances, exuding a strange scent.


    ¡°Pipi, come out!¡±


    With her call, a small monkey emerged.


    It was less than a foot tall, wearing a little vest. Its face was covered in white fur, somewhat resembling the legendary white-faced monkey.


    But the white-faced monkey was much larger than this one.


    This little monkey radiated intelligence.


    After appearing, it glanced at Qin Niu fearfully, then shrank back into the landlady¡¯s arms.


    The landlady looked at Qin Niu with a touch of surprise but said nothing further.


    Qin Niu had a Grade Seven Golden Toad with him, and the little monkey must have sensed its aura, hence its apprehension.


    Grade Five Beast Pets were already rare.


    Grade Six Beast Pets were even scarcer.


    And those reaching Grade Seven were exceptionally few.


    A Grade Seven Beast Pet was no ordinary commodity; like a human in the Innate Realm, it represented a being of some status and strength.


    The landlady took off a hooded cloak from her back and put it on, securely guarding her head and face.


    The little monkey and the bag of bloody food were placed inside the boat.


    She started by throwing two handfuls of crushed meat into the river.


    Suddenly, the water erupted with crackling sounds, and the two areas where the meat landed roiled like boiling water.


    The water churned, continuously lifting dense ripples.


    Qin Niu focused his eyes to take a closer look, vaguely making out shadows moving under the roiling waves.


    The small ones were only the size of a finger, while the larger ones were as big as a human palm.


    They were fish, a dense mass offish.


    And they were meat eaters.


    They tore frantically at the scraps of flesh.


    Once he saw the truth, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but feel his scalp tingle.


    However, the old boss lady adeptly shouldered the boat and went straight into the water. Almost flying into the river with the boat.


    As soon as the small boat touched the water, the old boss lady immediately began to vigorously paddle, propelling the boat forward like an arrow released from its bow.


    The little monkey sitting in the boat quickly scattered handfuls of minced meat to both sides.


    The distance it threw was just right, each time the boat had not yet arrived when the meat it tossed went into the river.


    The next second, the small boat reached the empty space in the middle where the monkey had scattered the meat.


    In this way, the pair, one human and one monkey, worked together seamlessly. The small boat was able to safely navigate through the turbulent river waters.


    It all seemed easy, but Qin Niu knew very well that a slight mistake could mean the destruction of the boat and loss of life.


    Not long ago, he had thought the old boss lady¡¯s business of guiding people was extremely profitable, but now it seemed that she was indeed risking her life to earn money. Charging only Two Silver Money per person was already very generous.


    When the small boat reached the middle of the great river, a towering wave surged up.


    Everyone involuntarily held their breath.


    Just when everyone expected the worst, that the boat would flip, incredibly it did not overturn in the waves.


    A black head slowly rose from the churning waters.


    The old boss lady took an object from her package and tossed it out.


    With his Innate Realm skills, Qin Niu had better eyesight than the average person. He barely made out that the object the old boss lady threw was a pig¡¯s head.


    The black head on the water caught the pig¡¯s head in one bite and then swallowed it.


    Its large head slowly sank back into the water.


    What kind of water monster was this?


    Its head was much larger than a normal bucket, easily big enough to swallow a person whole in one gulp.


    Not long before, Qin Niu had thought of swimming across, but now, seeing the water monster reveal its head, his entire body shuddered.


    If he had truly gone into the water, by now he would most likely have become the monster¡¯s meal.


    Seeing it easily devour such a large pig¡¯s head, as if eating a snack, was terrifying.


    Swallowing a person in the river would certainly not pose much of a problem for it.


    The old boss lady¡¯s boat was now just a small, faint black dot, due to approaching the opposite riverbank.


    Too great a distance, coupled with the dark sky, made it difficult for everyone to see clearly.


    Moments later, the old boss lady¡¯s boat reached the shore.


    Qin Niu let out a sigh of relief.


    Although it was the old boss lady risking her life crossing the river, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from feeling anxious for her.


    Earning such guide money was definitely not easy.


    After all, if it were up to Qin Niu to risk his own life for such a sum, he would never agree.


    The old boss lady must have practiced countless times, her boating skills were top-notch. Moreover, from the moment the small boat hit the water to crossing the river and reaching the other bank, the entire process was executed in one go.


    After reaching the shore, she seemed to be strenuously pulling the rope taut.


    She secured the other end of the rope to the opposite side of the river.


    Then after a while, she astonishingly slid back across the river surface on the rope.


    In effect, she had temporarily created a zip line between the two banks.


    Alright, next, one by one, I will ensure each of you crosses the river safely,¡± she said.


    She started to fasten specially made rope clips to people, escorting them across the river.


    Although this section of the river was narrow, it was definitely over a hundred meters wide.


    A rope used as a zip line across such a wide expanse of river, carrying the weight of two adults without a hitch, was certainly not ordinary rope.


    The first guest, under her escort, successfully glided to the other side on the rope.


    When she returned, she brought back the small boat from the opposite riverbank.


    This was her livelihood, naturally she treasured it greatly.


    One by one, the guests were transported to the opposite bank. Soon, it was Qin Niu¡¯s turn.


    Gliding over the river on the rope, he was about ten meters above the water.


    ¡°Why is it necessary to wear a cloak to protect your head and face when sailing across the river?¡± Qin Niu asked the old boss lady while following her to the opposite bank.


    ¡®There are terrifying mosquitoes on the river surface. Being bitten by them causes itching and pain, swelling up into huge bumps that take over seven days to subside,¡± she replied.


    That explained it.


    ¡°So, aren¡¯t we afraid of being bitten while crossing now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Those bloodsucking mosquitoes can¡¯t fly very high. I set the slide rope this high, so we don¡¯t have to worry about bites,¡± she explained.


    Certainly the work of a professional.


    There were many secrets involved that outsiders simply weren¡¯t aware of.


    ¡°That black thing in the middle of the river¡­¡± Qin Niu began.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak of it, or be careful it might get angry,¡± the old boss lady said sternly.


    Qin Niu quickly shut his mouth. His curiosity about the black head, the water monster, persisted. Could there really be a River God in this world?


    He and the old boss lady safely slid to the other shore.


    ¡°Alright, just climb down this tree and you¡¯ll be fine. Remember, it¡¯s best not to go that direction. As long as you successfully leave this river bank by five miles before dawn, you will be safe,¡± she instructed after arriving.


    Having said that, she took the rope clip off him, then kicked off from the tree trunk and swiftly slid back to the opposite bank..

 Chapter 228 - Chapter 228: Chapter 221 Entering the Territory of the Nine Insect Gang 1

    Chapter 228: Chapter 221 Entering the Territory of the Nine Insect Gang 1


    Qin Niu slid down the big tree to the ground; most of the guests who had crossed the river had already departed.


    Only two people were still waiting, possibly for family members or friends who had not yet crossed the river.


    Qin Niu followed the direction taken by those before him and strode forward.


    The fact that others had traveled this path suggested it was relatively safe.


    If anything were to go wrong ahead, following from behind would allow him to detect any trouble and escape immediately.


    With his abilities, it was almost impossible for the average soldier of the Nine Insect Gang to capture him.


    He walked in the dark for about three or four miles without encountering any soldiers from the Nine Insect Gang.


    The two hundred coins paid for the guide today were well spent.


    No matter how tightly the borders were sealed, smugglers would find a way through.


    According to the mistress¡¯s words, as long as he was five miles away from the riverbank, he would be safe.


    Now, there should only be a mile or two left.


    Despite some time remaining before dawn, he was still worried that the longer the night, the more dreams, and the best plan was to hurry away from this troublesome place.


    As he ran swiftly forward, he faintly heard screams coming from ahead.


    His heart instantly tightened.


    There were definitely people in trouble up front.


    Had the soldiers of the Nine Insect Gang discovered them, these smugglers, and decided to exterminate them, or had they encountered other problems?


    The terrain had been rather flat just after crossing the river.


    But now, it had become a rugged mountain path, with lush trees and continuous hills everywhere.


    Such small hills, no more than two hundred meters high, could not be called mountains.


    They were merely hills.


    Indeed, a place had its own features. On one side of the river was a completely different world from the other.


    In the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s Shihe Town, the land was flat and fertile, perfect for cultivating crops. Who could have imagined that just a few miles beyond the river would turn out to be a mountainous area?


    There were fewer signs of habitation as well.


    No homes had yet been discovered.


    It was also night, and the route they were taking was remote, so it was normal not to encounter any households.


    Qin Niu had no intention of going to the rescue or investigating further.


    Those with too kind a heart often did not live for long.


    Even a Bodhisattva couldn¡¯t possibly save everyone.


    Just look at ¡°Journey to the West¡±; the Bodhisattva only extends a helping hand to those demons with whom there is a vested interest.


    Those who meddle in the affairs of others are often good people.


    But in these times, good people often do not live long lives.


    He quickly changed direction and sped up.


    However, he soon ran into trouble himself.


    As he descended a hill, he found the area infested with vicious mosquitoes.


    These mosquitoes had grey and white patterns on their bodies, long proboscises, and were highly agile in flight.


    Smelling Qin Niu¡¯s flesh and blood, they swiftly flew towards him, diving straight at him.


    The result was predictable; Qin Niu didn¡¯t have to lift a finger, as the twenty thousand termites he carried were not vegetarians.


    Among them, nearly four thousand possessed abilities for mental attacks or control.


    These mosquitoes were not ordinary, but they didn¡¯t even reach Grade Two.


    As soon as they got within five meters of Qin Niu, they were struck down as if by invisible bullets.


    They fell to the ground, writhing in pain.


    Some died instantly.


    Ordinary insects trying to attack Qin Niu couldn¡¯t even get close to him.


    The group of termites he had put so much effort into raising was not just for show.


    ¡°Were these poisonous mosquitoes intentionally placed here by the Nine Insect Gang to guard the border? Or because Insect Masters are commonplace within the territory of the Nine Insect Gang, all sorts of formidable wild insects can be found everywhere?¡±


    Insect Masters would inevitably discard some lesser breeds during the breeding process.


    Or the first generation insects.


    For instance, Qin Niu¡¯s termites.


    The Ant Queen¡¯s newly produced termites were obviously stronger and of a higher grade, their strength surpassing that of the thousands of termites that came before them.


    He didn¡¯t eliminate the first batch of termites because each of them had multiple special abilities.


    This was only the case for his insects.


    Other Insect Masters didn¡¯t have high-grade resources like the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood; having one insect with special abilities would be enough to make them overjoyed.


    Even the over four thousand Grade Three army ants of Old Master Huang were just ordinary.


    Therefore, when they acquired higher-grade insects, they would directly eliminate the original generation of insects.


    By the time they had fourth or fifth generation insects, they might even eliminate the third generation.


    Some of those eliminated insects might be killed directly.


    This is a rather selfish and extreme method.


    The purpose is to prevent others from breeding similar insects.


    Some Insect Masters, due to their affection for their insect pets, wouldn¡¯t kill them,


    but would dissolve the contract and release them back into nature.


    For colony-type insects, eliminating them is even less of a pressure.


    Qin Niu strode fearlessly, ignoring those poison mosquitoes.


    As he quickly moved forward, he seemed to feel something like silk threads breaking under his feet.


    Looking down, he saw spider silk.


    His Insect Identification skill had already reached a certain level, now at two stars. Upon examining the spider silk, he discovered it wasn¡¯t ordinary silk but a kind of very tough special silk.


    The spider that spun it must be at least Grade Four.


    And the silk thread he broke was still new, indicating that it hadn¡¯t been spun long ago.


    It was likely within a day or two.


    In the territory of the Nine Insect Gang, where insects were so abundant and powerful, it couldn¡¯t be possible to casually encounter such a formidable spider on a small hill, right?


    This Grade Four spider likely had an owner.


    What was the purpose of setting up the spider silk in the mountain?


    It must be serving as an alert. Similar to setting up a warning bell or a trap, an intrusion would be immediately detected.


    ¡°I must leave here quickly.¡±


    He realized that something was amiss.


    He swiftly took another direction and hurriedly escaped from the area.


    The mountains were dense with trees, and he was unfamiliar with the terrain.


    He was extremely cautious along the way, avoiding any possible traps. As he walked, he actually got lost.


    It¡¯s easy to overestimate one¡¯s ability to traverse mountains until exhaustion overtakes.


    Getting lost in the mountains was a terrifying situation.


    Mainly because this mountain range was not safe.


    However strong he was, he wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to confront the army of the Nine Insect Gang alone.


    ¡°Be careful, everyone¡ª this person broke my spider silk; they should be in this area.¡±


    That person¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but Qin Niu still heard it.


    It came from the front left.


    He certainly wouldn¡¯t stupidly wait to be surrounded by enemies.


    He immediately broke through towards the front right.


    The Ink Blade was already in his hand.


    This blade was thirsty for human blood. If any blindly searching Nine Insect Gang soldiers came his way, he might just have to embark on a slaughter.


    Today, no matter what, he had to fight his way out.


    Now that he had encountered such great trouble, the other forty or so smuggled passengers were probably in grave danger.


    Among those smuggled passengers, just sitting in the main hall, there were three with formidable strength.


    The family of four that came down from upstairs, though slightly weaker, had the male head of the household at least at the second or third layer of the Acquired Realm. Such a high-level master was actually thinking of escaping the Black Tiger Gang territory with his family.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s view, this was simply a foolish move.


    Sometimes that¡¯s how human hearts work, scaring oneself.


    The Black Tiger Gang might seem weak, but the high ranks of the Black Tiger Gang were fought for, and few high-ranking members got their positions through their parents¡¯ leftover influence.


    In terms of strength, the Black Tiger Gang was definitely not as weak as imagined..

 Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Chapter 222 Scouti

    Chapter 229: Chapter 222 Scouti


    However, between factions and noble families throughout the ages, the primary strategy of war was always to strike at the heart.


    The Nine Insect Gang may seem powerful and ferocious, but if they were to rely solely on their own strength to take down the Black Tiger Gang, the likely outcome would be a pyrrhic victory.


    They had already absorbed a Seven-Star Sect before, which meant they had accumulated a certain amount of war experience.


    This time, before launching the war to invade the Black Tiger Gang, they had already employed a variety of combination punches.


    There were locust plagues, assassinations of the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s Insect Masters, and alliances with the Shennong Sect to strike together. It was estimated that the subjects of the Black Tiger Gang who were well-informed had long been living in constant fear.


    Qin Niu¡¯s escape was exceptionally swift.


    His regular training and activities in the mountains had allowed him to adapt well to the current terrain.


    He moved through the mountains like a cunning lynx, agile and swift.


    After running non-stop for about seven or eight miles, the sound of pursuers behind him could no longer be heard.


    But he felt the danger growing more and more palpable.


    He couldn¡¯t explain it; it was purely a sharp intuition.


    Now, the sky was revealing a faint pre-dawn light, and his vision could barely make out objects fifty meters away.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    The Diamond Ink Turtle sent him a faint spiritual signal.


    Being a Grade Five Beast Pet, its spiritual power shouldn¡¯t be this weak. This was because it had just learned to communicate with Qin Niu using its mental intent, and the skill was still somewhat unrefined.


    With more practice, it would become more proficient.


    ¡°Danger ahead!¡±


    It seemed quite anxious.


    Among Qin Niu¡¯s many pets, it was the most timid.


    Using it as an early warning system in the future would not be a bad idea.


    ¡°What danger do you sense?¡±


    Both he and the Diamond Ink Turtle had sensed danger, which confirmed that his intuition was accurate.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    The Diamond Ink Turtle replied with conviction.


    Facing unclear danger ahead and pursuers behind, Qin Niu¡¯s venture to find the Green Demon¡¯s treasure was proving to be fraught with ill fortune.


    ¡°Fourth, your sensory abilities are strong. Can you sense any danger ahead?¡±


    ¡°I can only sense insects or food!¡±


    Fourth was of no help either.


    Each Beast Pet had its unique talents, and they only paid attention to things related to their own interests.


    Be it insects, beasts or birds, they were only interested in food or threats.


    All other entities would be automatically ignored by them.


    Qin Niu instinctively slowed down.


    In his ears, he could faintly hear a subtle noise that seemed to be coming from a tree ahead.


    It didn¡¯t sound like noises made by birds or animals like squirrels or monkeys. He focused his gaze on the location of that tree, but all he could see was a lush canopy; nothing else was visible.


    ¡°Little honeybee, go check around that tree.¡±


    Qin Niu released an ordinary honeybee.


    For this trip, he had brought three different types of honeybees.


    War Bees, Green Ring Worker Bees, and ordinary Worker Bees, all to cope with various situations.


    With the sky still somewhat dim and the Queen Bee not by his side, he was unsure if this ordinary honeybee was up to the task of scouting this time?


    It flapped its wings and followed Qin Niu¡¯s command, heading towards the large tree.


    Just as it approached that area, it was abruptly killed by something.


    It could possibly have been a spider or another insect adept at preying on insects. The honeybee didn¡¯t even manage to send a distress signal before it was instantly taken out.


    The Nine Insect Gang rose to power wielding insect-controlling Insect Masters, and they had a multitude of such masters.


    Indeed, masters were as common as clouds.


    The honeybee that Qin Niu had sent out, though just a Grade Two ordinary Worker Bee, was silently and effortlessly killed by some entity.


    This indicated that the enemy hiding in the tree was extremely formidable. Was it a man or a beast, a bird lurking inside that tree?


    He couldn¡¯t be certain.


    To send another honeybee would be tantamount to sending it to its death.


    If it were indeed an enemy hiding there, it would immediately be on high alert.


    This time, he decided to dispatch a Termite to scout the path.


    He specifically selected a Grade Three Soldier Ant.


    ¡°Go to that area and scout. If you encounter danger, come back immediately.¡±


    Termites lived in darkness, and their vision was generally poor; their real strength lay in their sense of smell.


    The previous honeybee was instantly killed by the enemy, partly due to the dim lighting.


    Honeybees needed good light conditions to function during the day.


    The current dim light was highly disadvantageous to them.


    The Termite quickly crawled forward while Qin Niu lay in wait.


    Before long, the Termite scurried back.


    ¡°Master, there are fierce spiders and mantises ahead.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well done.¡±


    Qin Niu praised it and put it back into his custom-made Insect Bag.


    Now that he had confirmed the presence of two dangerous insects ahead, he could almost conclude that someone was hiding in that tree.


    In the dead of night, no normal person would hide in such a place.


    What on earth was this person doing?


    Knowing there was danger ahead and that someone, likely an Insect Master, was hiding in that tree,


    Qin Niu certainly wouldn¡¯t continue charging forward like a stunned ox.


    Unlike other smugglers, he had a beast pet capable of handling most insects¡¯ attacks.


    Poisonous mosquitoes, wasps, and the like, could hardly inflict any harm on him.


    He also had a sufficient supply of food on him.


    So he was in no rush to leave this place.


    He decided to first get a clear understanding of the situation, make sure there was no danger, or find a safe route before leaving.


    Having made up his mind, he decided to play the game of ¡®the most dangerous place is the safest.¡¯


    He chose a nearby spot suitable for hiding and like a monkey, climbed a large tree silently without causing any noise, because he wasn¡¯t sure how formidable the person hidden inside the distant tree was.


    Now he was in the dark, and the other party was exposed, an advantage for him.


    As the sky gradually brightened, Qin Niu lurked motionlessly within the leaves and branches.


    His gaze was fixed on monitoring the large tree in the distance.


    At that moment, two figures came running swiftly from behind.


    They wore Vine Armor and had green and white patterns painted on their faces. Both were well-built with developed muscles, their bare arms displaying tight and dense muscles.


    They moved through the mountains with more agility than wild beasts.


    Their cultivation probably hovers around Grade Eight or Nine of the Mortal Realm.


    Such cultivation levels, not even reaching Acquired Realm, were like ants in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    The clothing of these two clearly indicated that they were soldiers of the Nine Insect Gang.


    As they approached rapidly, Qin Niu held his breath and focused, daring not to make any noise. He didn¡¯t even dare to look directly at them and instead monitored their movements with just the corners of his eyes.


    Fortunately, they didn¡¯t notice Qin Niu hidden in the tree.


    The two fast passed by.


    When they passed the tree that was suspected of hiding someone, they looked up.


    ¡°Wumu, did anyone pass by here last night?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t notice anything.¡±


    A young man¡¯s voice came from the tree.


    As Qin Niu had speculated, there really was someone hiding in the tree.


    Fortunately, he was vigilant enough to have detected the disturbance in that tree earlier, and so he wasn¡¯t discovered by the other party¡¯s secret lookout.


    ¡°Ya Zhake has laid spider webs inside the trees at the border, and someone has broken through. But we searched thoroughly and couldn¡¯t find that person. Ya Zhake believes it¡¯s very likely they escaped in this direction.¡±


    ¡°You guys go ask the other scouts! I¡¯m certain, absolutely no one passed under my tree last night.¡±


    ¡°Wumu, you didn¡¯t slack off and fall asleep last night, did you?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, I¡¯m not a scout for just one day. You can doubt my ability, but you can¡¯t doubt my character.¡±


    The young man hidden in the tree was furious.


    He was just short of swearing an oath to the heavens.


    ¡°Besides, though my spider webs are no match for Ya Zhake, if anyone passed through the line I¡¯m guarding, I would definitely have noticed.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qin Niu¡¯s heart stirred slightly.


    In the future, he must be careful of the spider webs set by the enemy, for they would know immediately upon contact.


    ¡°That person must have fled in this direction, we even thought you had captured them already! Last night, under the leadership of Ya Zhake, we hit a big score. We captured a total of forty-six smugglers, including some masters of Grade Three of the Acquired Realm.


    Hehe, Kruiwa and I earned fifty military merits each while laying down.¡±


    The soldier on the left with longer hair and a small mustache bragged about last night¡¯s capture.


    If they captured forty-six smugglers in total, wasn¡¯t that netting them all in one go?


    Those people, who thought they were clever by choosing to smuggle through Shihe Town, had actually fallen straight into the enemy¡¯s ambush.


    It was uncertain what punishments the captured smugglers would face. ¡°Anyway, I can guarantee that no one escaped through the line I¡¯m guarding. Ali, were there young women among the smugglers you captured yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. There were quite a few! One woman, in particular, was very beautiful with a slender body and skin so tender you could squeeze water out of it, appearing to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. And her strength wasn¡¯t weak either, possessing Grade One of the Acquired Realm.


    If you want a wife, you¡¯d better hurry up and accumulate military merits!


    But you can forget about the woman I just mentioned.


    Ya Zhake will definitely offer her to Song Zan.¡±


    The territory of the Nine Insect Gang, being mountainous and dense with forests, was considered a poor and backward region.


    It¡¯s said that desolate mountains and treacherous rivers breed crafty people.


    The people here were not only vicious and brutish but also lived in harsh conditions due to poverty and backwardness.


    It was only after they annexed the territory of the Seven-Star Sect that they gained some economic strength.


    The area Qin Niu was currently in used to belong to the Seven-Star Sect.


    According to the map, past this hilly area, there was a large expanse of flat land ahead suitable for farming.


    ¡°A thousand military merits just to get a wife, when will I be able to save that much! Ali, your days are comfortable, having already saved enough military merits to get a beautiful woman.¡±


    ¡°We put our lives on the line at the front to expand territory with the Gang Leader, if not for money and women? I love women, especially those from the Black Tiger Gang, pretty and charming. If I can save another thousand military merits this time, I¡¯m planning not to exchange for a Cultivation Technique, but to get another woman instead. Being attended by two women in bed would definitely be blissful,¡± Ali said with a laugh.


    ¡°Kruiwa, why don¡¯t you exchange a woman to be your wife?¡±


    ¡°I want to exchange for a powerful insect so I can become an Insect Master as formidable as Ya Zhake.¡±


    Every person¡¯s ambition is different.


    Some revel in the land of warmth and tenderness, others yearn for greater strength.


    ¡°Alright, we need to hurry and ask around elsewhere then report back to Ya Zhake, I won¡¯t chat with you anymore,¡± said one.


    The two swiftly ran off in another direction..

 Chapter 230 - Chapter 230: Chapter 223 Wolf Soldiers 1

    Chapter 230: Chapter 223 Wolf Soldiers 1


    Looking at the situation ahead, there were sentries hidden everywhere, forming a dense network like a sky net and earth trap.


    Any smuggler trying to cross this line would almost certainly be caught.


    ¡°Wu Mu, don¡¯t envy me for having a wife; you should be able to get one soon, too. Our army is probably going to move out in the next few days, and you¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities to distinguish yourself then,¡±


    Yali didn¡¯t forget to comfort the scout in the tree before leaving.


    The army is moving out in a few days?


    What does that mean?


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but feel alarmed. Could the Nine Insect Gang be feinting to the east and attacking to the west?


    Were they assembling a large force on the surface to attack from the Black Water River bank while actually planning to secretly cross the Wash Crime River and attack from the line of Shihe Town?


    If that were the case, they could directly reach Black Tiger City in just one day.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t have much feeling about which gang took power. The Black Tiger Gang had never done him any favors.


    At least his sense of belonging to the Black Tiger Gang was not as strong as one might imagine.


    What he needed to do was to protect his family and friends.


    He definitely did not want to see the Black Tiger Gang destroyed.


    By now, the sky had gradually brightened, and he was finally able to take a good look at his surroundings.


    All around him were rolling hills that seemed to have no end.


    The large tree hiding the enemy sentry in front was less than a hundred meters away from him.


    Which was very close.


    No other sentries had been discovered nearby for the time being.


    However, he still dared not act rashly.


    As long as he wasn¡¯t discovered by the enemy, there was no problem.


    But if he were discovered, it would be like stirring up a hornet¡¯s nest.


    It would be best if he could cross the enemy¡¯s alert line without anyone noticing.


    After retrieving the Green Demon¡¯s treasure, he could easily carve a bloody path out.


    At this moment, the scout in the distance made a move.


    He slid down the trunk and then, holding his stomach, entered a clump of grass.


    It seemed he was preparing to relieve himself.


    Qin Niu was confident he could easily take out this scout. But he wasn¡¯t certain if someone would come to relieve the sentry.


    So he did not dare to make a move.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the scout returned to the base of the tree, stretched, yawned, and then climbed back up.


    Does he eat, drink, and sleep all in the tree?


    If no one came to relieve him, it would definitely be good news for Qin Niu.


    He could silently take out this scout and then cross the defense line.


    After watching for about an hour, he estimated that the scout above had fallen asleep.


    Because he could faintly hear the sound of snoring.


    On night watch and sleeping during the day, without seeing any other enemy forces coming to change the guard, he was almost certain that the sentries here were all manned by a single person.


    Just as Qin Niu was preparing to act, he faintly heard a greater commotion coming from ahead.


    It didn¡¯t sound like a single person, but rather a group of people.


    At least ten or more.


    He quickly hid his figure in the tree and secretly observed the situation in front.


    On the hillside, more than a dozen people began to appear faintly.


    The man in the lead seemed to be riding a very robust Black Wolf.


    The people behind him were riding Grey Wolves, also very large.


    These were the Wolf Soldiers of the Nine Insect Gang.


    They must have crossed over from the other side of the hill.


    In the blink of an eye, they had already arrived under the tree where the scout was located.


    The scout perched in the tree was dozing off, utterly oblivious.


    ¡°Wumu!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Lord Wang Qiu! I had no idea you were here, please forgive my offense.¡±


    Wumu almost tumbled down from the tree, scrambling to his knees onto the ground and begging for forgiveness from the leading Wolf Soldier.


    Qin Niu noted that the man in the lead was around forty, fairly burly, with a face full of a beard that seemed somewhat yellowed. He was holding two spiked hammers in his hands.


    Even from a hundred meters away, one could still feel the aggressive aura emanating from this person.


    The Black Wolf he was sitting on was a size larger than the average pony, with narrow, ferocious eyes that sparked fear deep within anyone who beheld them.


    Their combat prowess was likely even stronger than that of a fierce tiger.


    What level of Beast Pet it was wasn¡¯t clear, but it was definitely no simple creature.


    ¡°If an enemy were to approach the base of the tree and you still failed to notice, you would already be dead. We allow our scout soldiers to sleep during the day, but you must keep the necessary vigilance. Have you noticed anything unusual on this side?¡±


    ¡°Nothing unusual for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Lately, people from the Black Tiger Gang have been continuously sneaking over to our side, so be very careful and on guard. The folks from the Black Tiger Gang are all crafty, and we absolutely can¡¯t let them discover Lord Song Zan¡¯s plan. It¡¯s just a few more days, hang in there.¡±


    After speaking, Lord Wang Qiu pulled something out from his bosom.


    It turned out to be a Tempering Elixir.


    Wumu, kneeling on the ground, almost drooled upon seeing the elixir, his eyes fixed on it unblinkingly.


    ¡°As long as we take down the Black Tiger Gang, we will definitely not lack high-grade cultivation resources. This Tempering Elixir is your reward, take it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Wang Qiu. I am willing to lay down my life in service to you.¡±


    After Wumu caught the Elixir with both hands, he instead stood up, placed his right hand over his chest, raised his left hand high above his head, and then bowed deeply to Lord Wang Qiu.


    The rituals of the Nine Insect Gang sure are peculiar.


    Even more extraordinary is that a Tempering Elixir, at most worth just three to two Silver Money.


    And yet, it made Wumu so grateful, willing to lay down his life for Lord Wang Qiu.


    How lacking must the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s cultivation resources be?


    ¡°Move out, we¡¯re going to survey another area.¡± With an order from Wang Qiu, he led the Wolf Soldiers toward another direction.


    That pair of soldiers dressed in Vine Armor last night, they, too, went that way.


    It seems the location of the next secret watchpost should be in that direction.


    And how far it may be from this watchpost?


    Wumu watched the Wolf Soldiers leave, then turned around and climbed back up the tree.


    Having received the reward of a Tempering Elixir, he must have been very excited. No trace of sleepiness remained.


    He was likely preparing to consume the elixir for cultivation.


    Qin Niu, meanwhile, pricked up his ears to listen for any movement from the team of Wolf Soldiers.


    The next watchpost was at least four or five hundred meters away; he could only detect faint sounds.


    Qin Niu quietly calculated the chances of successfully killing the scout and then crossing the enemy¡¯s defense line.


    Only if there was more than a ninety percent chance of success would he risk it.


    Since he had not yet been discovered and could theoretically stay safe by keeping still, he played it safe for the moment.


    Soldiers had just left when someone else arrived.


    This time, two people came, each carrying a large wooden bucket that seemed heavy, but it wasn¡¯t clear what was inside.


    ¡°Wumu, time to eat. Here is your ration for today.¡±


    Served in a basin, and from this distance, it was hard to make out exactly what food it contained.


    Currently in a time of war, the soldiers¡¯ rations were likely not too shabby.


    The two people who delivered the food left after giving it to Wumu, carrying their yoke in the same direction as before.


    These two individuals were probably responsible for delivering meals to all the scout soldiers.


    Time passed until noon, and Qin Niu, unsure if anyone else would come, resolved to hide in the tree and patiently watch. He planned to observe for an entire day, to grasp the enemy¡¯s routine, and then to devise a solid escape strategy.


    He absolutely couldn¡¯t be caught by the enemy, which was his primary concern.


    But now that he had crossed the river, going back was incredibly difficult; he had no choice but to forge ahead despite the risks..

 Chapter 231 - Chapter 231: Chapter 224: The Poisonous Mandible Soldier Ant Achieves Merit t

    Chapter 231: Chapter 224: The Poisonous Mandible Soldier Ant Achieves Merit t


    As the sun dipped westward, the patrol of Wolf Soldiers came again.


    It was still that leader named Wang Qiu, riding a Black Wolf, leading ten Wolf Cavalrymen on patrol.


    ¡°Wumu, nothing out of the ordinary?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to Lord Wang, no abnormalities detected.¡±


    ¡°Stay sharp tonight and be extra cautious. I heard from Lord Ya Zhake that there might still be some who slipped through the net. The fact that they could escape the search indicates great strength. If you spot anything unusual, immediately shoot up a flare or blow the horn, and don¡¯t even think about engaging them yourself.¡±


    It seems they may have already ascertained that someone had escaped.


    Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t yet exposed; they just suspected something based on some traces.


    Lord Wang Qiu swiftly departed with his Wolf Soldiers.


    This mountainous region was vast, and horses simply couldn¡¯t traverse the mountains. However, Wolf Cavalry were extremely agile in such terrain.


    ¡°From what Lord Wang Qiu said, it¡¯s very likely that the patrol won¡¯t come again today. Now should be a very good opportunity to make a move.¡±


    Qin Niu silently removed his leather armor and placed his basket upon a tree.


    Then, with Termite, he quietly approached the large tree where the enemy scouts were positioned.


    I had to kill in one strike, not giving the scout any chance to call for help or make a sound.


    Up in the tree, Wumu was practicing cultivation with his eyes closed.


    For any soldier, increasing one¡¯s cultivation level was absolutely a matter of great importance.


    Martial arts, insects, and beast pets were strong but secondary; only the enhancement of cultivation brought the most lasting and tangible benefits.


    If one of two soldiers advanced from the Mortal Realm to the Acquired Realm, that soldier could immediately rise to an officer rank.


    The soldier who didn¡¯t advance could only look up to his former comrade.


    That was the most direct benefit.


    Then, there were additional advantages such as increased lifespan, enhanced strength, increased spiritual power, control over more or more powerful pets, and so on.


    Wumu was completely unaware that death was descending upon him.


    When Qin Niu was about ten meters away from the large tree, he noticed nearly invisible spider webs set up ahead.


    A fist-sized spider with grey patterns crouched on Wumu¡¯s shoulder.


    Its two black eyeballs protruded, as if constantly staring wide-eyed.


    Next to it were two smaller jumping spiders.


    On a branch beside Wumu, a large green mantis lay. It was incessantly licking its two front legs with its mouth.


    The mantis¡¯ front legs were its most formidable weapons.


    Like two big sabers.


    ¡°Fourth, lead a group of Worker Ants and take control of those three spiders and the mantis.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡±


    Fourth immediately led six Worker Ants towards the large tree ahead.


    Less than five meters from the tree, the mantis and the three spiders all lay motionless.


    Qin Niu knew they had been brought under control.


    Termite really was powerful, managing to deal with Wumu¡¯s four insects with just seven ants.


    Even though Wumu was just a common soldier, he actually had four insects raised, and each one was not of low grade.


    The mantis and the two jumping spiders were probably Grade Three, and the black large spider could very well be Grade Four.


    Such formidable power, if placed within the Insect Master Association of the Black Tiger Gang, would definitely be among the best of the low-tier Insect Masters.


    Yet, Wumu was nothing extraordinary within the Nine Insect Gang.


    The strength of the Insect Masters in the Nine Insect Gang was beyond imagination.


    With Wumu¡¯s four insects controlled, Qin Niu released another Demon Ant.


    ¡°Bring a few Worker Ants to scout around and see if there are any other insects!¡±


    Although the combat power of the Demon Ant was not as high as Fourth¡¯s, it was still among the exceptionally prominent within the many Worker Ants.


    It soon made a discovery.


    ¡°Master, found a cricket.¡±


    ¡°Take control of it!¡±


    Qin Niu ordered.


    After the Demon Ant controlled the cricket, Qin Niu, holding the Demon Blade, approached the large tree silently.


    The spider webs were broken by him, but there were no alarms since the black large spider was under control.


    It was only when Qin Niu had reached the base of the tree that the cultivating Wumu felt a strong unease and slowly opened his eyes to check.


    What met him was a merciless slash of the blade.


    His neck was cleanly severed.


    Qin Niu caught the head and the still-bleeding torso. The smell of blood was a big problem. Right now, there was no good way to handle it.


    Following Wumu¡¯s death, the few insects that had been controlled all died as well.


    A small bamboo tube hung on Wumu¡¯s waist.


    Upon opening it, I found a cricket that had just died.


    A cricket could emit various chirping sounds to alert its master.


    Lucky for me, I was cautious enough to have the Demon Ant find and control the cricket.


    He quickly searched the body, obtaining a token and some Silver Pieces. He also stripped off the Vine Armor from the corpse.


    Picking up the body, he quickly tossed it into the thick undergrowth.


    He retrieved his basket, put on the King Pig Leather Armor, and covered it with the Vine Armor.


    In case of a search, I might have a chance to pass through undetected.


    This was not a place to linger. After dealing with Wumu, he quickly moved forward.


    That dangerous feeling still lingered.


    As he advanced, he was very cautious.


    Secret guards were everywhere, and it was easy to be discovered.


    Luckily, by relying on his Innate Realm cultivation, he managed to stealthily proceed, climbing over the hill ahead.


    Gazing down into the valley below,


    He saw tents pitched in clusters, with a large number of soldiers encamped.


    At this moment, he finally understood where the danger was coming from.


    It must be from the army inside this valley.


    From afar, behind another hill, came the sounds of soldiers¡¯ shouts and drills, as if the troops were practicing.


    Looking at this scene, there must be a large number of soldiers encamped in this region.


    Quite likely, many valleys have already been filled with encampments.


    Qin Niu, if discovered now, would have truly dived headfirst into the enemy¡¯s nest.


    There were patrols near the military camp, but no one came to the top of the hill for inspection.


    Even so, he still didn¡¯t dare to be careless.


    Moving quietly and using the trees for cover, he followed the path along the hilltop, continuing forward.


    He wanted to circumvent the large army in the valley below.


    All the way, his heart was in his mouth, but fortunately, he wasn¡¯t discovered.


    After passing more than a dozen valleys, each valley housed a large army either training or stationed there.


    The Nine Insect Gang had indeed assembled a formidable force near Wash Crime River.


    He wondered how such a huge army managed to cross Wash Crime River?


    The man-eating fish and water monsters in the river were not easy to deal with.


    Now, the sky was gradually darkening, and it would soon be night.


    For him, the night was a natural cover, which worked to his advantage.


    He took out a map to check, and his current position was still in the bordering region between the Nine Insect Gang and the Black Tiger Gang.


    There were several paths that led out of this mountainous area.


    Since he was heading to Hundred Leaf Town, he naturally would choose the nearest route.


    Fixing his direction, Qin Niu continued to stealthily move toward the front right.


    He estimated that by the time the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s patrolling Wolf Soldiers discovered Wu Mu had been killed, it would already be tomorrow morning.


    By then, he would have already left this mountainous area and would no longer need to worry about being pursued.


    He successfully climbed over the tallest hill in front, and in the valley below, there was only a large tent pitched.


    He guessed that it could be the enemy¡¯s central military tent or where the officers resided.


    To become an army officer, one certainly had to be extremely strong.


    In his eyes, the large tent below was even more dangerous than a large army.


    ¡°Damn it, Wolf Cavalry is coming.¡±


    Qin Niu quickly found a large tree and stealthily climbed up, remaining concealed and motionless.


    It was still that Lord Wang Qiu.


    Wolf Soldiers should be a rare troop type within the Nine Insect Gang.


    After all, cultivating a powerful wolf as a Beast Pet was not easy.


    From a distance, he saw them escorting a bound girl, quickly heading toward the central military tent below.


    The girl¡¯s face was filled with despair.


    Qin Niu, however, recognized at a glance that the unfortunate girl being captured was one of the stealthy crossers from last night.


    Her father had the cultivation of the Acquired Realm.


    A family of four.


    Now he only saw her alone, her parents and brother might have already met with foul play.


    Or they could have been detained in a temporary prison at the front lines.


    Her, due to being young and beautiful with fair and delicate skin, had been presented by Lord Ya Zhake to a higher-ranking officer.


    Beautiful women, gold, and silver money were invariably the most popular things in the army.


    Qin Niu had no intention whatsoever of rescuing her.


    He just hoped that those Wolf Soldiers would leave quickly after presenting the beautiful woman.


    As he had anticipated, the Wolf Soldiers came out soon after presenting the woman, each with a smile on their face, probably having received praise from their superiors.


    ¡°Lord Song Zan rewarded each of us with a high-grade insect egg. As long as it hatches, I¡¯ll soon be able to cultivate a Grade Four insect, and there¡¯s even a chance for it to evolve to Grade Five. I¡¯m so happy.¡±


    ¡°Lord Wang Qiu, the insect egg you received is even higher in quality; it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to cultivate a Grade Six insect. Don¡¯t forget about us old subordinates later on.¡±


    ¡°Haha, we are all brothers in arms; I won¡¯t forget.¡±


    The Wolf Soldiers chatted happily, quickly approaching in Qin Niu¡¯s direction.


    The path they were going to take was about forty or fifty meters away from where Qin Niu was hiding.


    As Wang Qiu¡¯s Black Wolf nearly reached the hilltop, it suddenly lifted its head, sniffing wildly at the air.


    It might have caught a trace of blood scent mixed in with the air.


    Qin Niu had gotten some blood on himself when he killed Wu Mu.


    Although he cleaned it off, the bloodstains on his clothes couldn¡¯t be washed away.


    The Wolf Soldiers, who were previously chatting and laughing, immediately stopped in their tracks.


    Their gazes turned toward the Black Wolf simultaneously.


    ¡°Elephant Nose Soldier Ant, release a stimulating scent immediately,¡± Qin Niu ordered the several Venomous Soldier Ants.


    To cover up a bad smell, one would usually spray perfume on it. Now, to cover up the scent of blood, the best way was to have the Elephant Nose Soldier Ants release poison.


    Instantly, several Grade Three Venomous Soldier Ants began to emit a stimulating chemical.


    Qin Niu held his breath to avoid getting overwhelmed by it.


    The Black Wolf in the distance continued to sniff around.


    Soon, it started sneezing violently and shaking its head.


    Seeing this, Qin Niu almost laughed out loud.


    You little thing, relying on your sharp nose to meddle in affairs, let¡¯s see if you don¡¯t get gassed by this.


    It was only because the Venomous Soldier Ants were still Grade Three. If they could upgrade by one or two more levels, the stimulating scent they released would be even more potent.


    The Black Wolf¡¯s sense of smell had been seriously disrupted, even temporarily damaged.


    It kept sneezing and shaking its head as it walked away.


    ¡°Lord Wang Qiu, did your mount just discover something?¡±


    ¡°It might be a stinky insect. I¡¯ve encountered this while patrolling the mountains before; let¡¯s hurry on our way.¡±


    Lord Wang Qiu obviously could not communicate with the Black Wolf using Animal Language.


    He couldn¡¯t even use spiritual thoughts for a clear soul exchange.


    Otherwise, he would have known what the Black Wolf had just smelled was the scent of blood.


    Now, however, he thought the Black Wolf had caught the stink of some insect, like a mole cricket or a stink bug, etc.


    The vast majority of insects have an unpleasant smell.


    Including scorpions; they emit a sour stench that makes people nauseated.


    Mole crickets need no mention; their smell can be detected from far away.


    If you dare to provoke one, that stench can knock a person out..

 Chapter 232 - Chapter 232: Chapter 225 The Death of the Enemy General_1

    Chapter 232: Chapter 225 The Death of the Enemy General_1


    Watching the Wolf Soldiers leave, Qin Niu also secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    As the variety of Termite Soldier Ant species became more abundant, his understanding of how to utilize Termites also became richer.


    Actually, that was quite dangerous.


    Fortunately, several evolved elephant-nosed Soldier Ants had defused the crisis.


    The decision to raise a nest of Termites was truly wise. Even he hadn¡¯t expected that as the ant species continued to expand, they would become increasingly formidable.


    They were no longer the tiny beings that anyone could trample to death.


    Rather, they were a group of brave warriors, versatile and skilled.


    Though the Wolf Soldiers had left, he still hid in the tree, not daring to move. Soldiers are never tired of deceit; should those Wolf Soldiers decide to turn back unexpectedly, his cover would be blown in an instant.


    A long time passed, and the Wolf Soldiers did not return.


    By now, the sky had grown quite dark.


    Qin Niu quietly climbed down the tree and continued to move stealthily forward.


    The midsection of the enemy camp situated in the valley indicated he had reached the edge of the enemy¡¯s base.


    If he could just get past the mountain peak ahead, he would have completely escaped the enemy¡¯s territory.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t escape!¡±


    A man¡¯s voice suddenly rose from the valley below.


    Qin Niu was greatly alarmed. Had he been discovered?


    He certainly did not want to fall at the last hurdle.


    Taking on an army of the Nine Insect Gang by himself, he did not have that confidence.


    The best thing to do now was to run desperately forward. With his cultivation, and possessing the Ink Blade and numerous pets, as long as he didn¡¯t fall into the enemy¡¯s encirclement, there was a great chance he could escape with his life.


    Just as Qin Niu was prepared to make a desperate run for it, the man¡¯s shrill voice echoed down the mountain again.


    ¡°Little beauty, even if you were twice as capable, you couldn¡¯t escape from the palm of my hand. Just give in obediently! If you anger me, don¡¯t blame me for making you suffer.¡±


    Qin Niu steadied his nerves and looked down.


    He saw a figure clad in tight white clothing, desperately fleeing up the mountain.


    It must be the woman who was sent into the central command tent not long ago.


    Her clothes had been stripped away, leaving only her tight white garments. In a critical moment, she had somehow managed to escape.


    Perhaps Lord Song Zan had been too careless, or maybe he preferred to play with her like a cat with a mouse, seeking some excitement.


    Qin Niu had had a false alarm, thinking he had been discovered.


    ¡°Little beauty, you can¡¯t escape. I have eight thousand elite soldiers under my command. With just one order, 1 can have you completely surrounded.¡±


    The man, while chasing the fleeing woman, was also dissipating her will to run.


    He wanted to make her feel desperate and ultimately give up the attempt to flee.


    Speaking of the unluckiest person, it was Qin Niu. He was about to escape the enemy¡¯s base when this unexpected situation arose.


    If he kept hiding now, once Lord Song Zan called his troops to search the mountain later, Qjin Niu would be in danger.


    Escaping with all his might was even riskier.


    Lord Song Zan, who was pursuing the woman, was still unaware of any outsiders. If he discovered another person, it would immediately raise his alertness. As a commander of an army, he certainly wouldn¡¯t take risks.


    The likelihood was that he would immediately call for people to come and capture Qin Niu.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t sit here waiting to die. The only way out is to kill this Lord Song Zan. It might not only allow me to escape but also help eliminate a strong enemy for the Black Tiger Gang.¡±


    After formulating this idea, Qin Niu instead crouched lower, using the dim light as cover, and remained completely still.


    ¡°Poisonous Ants, now is your time to perform a great service. I need you to immediately climb onto the branches and leaves along that line ahead. As soon as Lord Song Zan comes near, climb onto him and bite him to death for me.¡± The Grade Three Dark Poison Ants, having evolved, posed no fatal threat with their venom, but it had an extremely potent paralyzing quality.


    Once they successfully stung an enemy, they could immediately paralyze the entire body of that person.


    Unable to move or call for help, they would be at Qin Niu¡¯s mercy to be slaughtered.


    The woman¡¯s cultivation was not weak, and escaping for her life, she naturally used all her strength to run.


    She quickly neared the route Qin Niu had predetermined.


    She swiftly ran past, followed by the man hunting her¡ªabout fifty years old, with a lean build. His face looked somewhat pale, with deeply set eyes, extremely heavy bags under his eyes, and quite severe dark circles.


    Lately, there had been many stowaways, and the soldiers below had captured quite a few beautiful young women to present to him.


    He must have been indulging his body every night.


    This person¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t weak, but it hadn¡¯t reached the Innate Realm.


    Qin Niu estimated that it was likely around the eighth or ninth level of the Acquired Realm, possibly a bit higher.


    The fleeing woman had practiced a rather good Step-Method Martial Skill, making her as light as a swallow when she ran; her toes constantly tapping the ground, her posture elegant, her speed astonishingly fast.


    The man in pursuit had also practiced a Step-Method Martial Skill, but obviously hadn¡¯t mastered it, coming across quite awkwardly.


    This led to him, despite having a much higher cultivation than the woman, not being able to catch her after all this time.


    Shortly after the woman passed the spot where Qin Niu was lying in ambush, the man also arrived there.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Lord Song Zan seemed to sense something.


    It was then that Qin Niu made his move, sending two War Bees, one from the left and one from the right, to attack the fleeing woman.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    She cried out in alarm and immediately tried to swat them away.


    This caused her running speed to nearly come to a halt.


    Having chased for so long, Lord Song Zan was already impatient. Seeing this perfect opportunity, he momentarily set aside his suspicions, disregarding the insect trail he had found, and focused entirely on catching the woman.


    Just as he seized the woman, two Poisonous Ants fiercely stung his body.


    ¡°Ugh! Damn it.¡±


    Lord Song Zan cursed, subconsciously raising his hand to his neck and stomping his right foot.


    Because one of the Poisonous Ants was attacking his neck and the other his right leg.


    With a slap, Qin Niu felt a pang of heartache.


    The Grade Three Dark Poison Ant was flattened with a single slap and died instantly.


    The power of one¡¯s palm at above the ninth level of the Acquired Realm was quite terrifying.


    However formidable the Termites were, they were now essentially just a more powerful insect than average, completely different from the Heavenly Earth Strange Insects that are impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire.


    ¡°Die.¡±


    Qin Niu felt quite heartbroken over the loss of a Dark Poison Ant.


    Fortunately, after the Ant Queen advanced to Grade Five, the probability of producing Poisonous Ants rose to 30%, and they were extremely toxic.


    Lord Song Zan noticed that someone was suddenly attacking him with a sword. At this critical moment, he could no longer care about the woman and quickly moved to defend.


    He released a large Spotted Spider.


    It immediately raised its hindquarters and sprayed a large bundle of spider silk at Qin Niu¡¯s face.


    If its attack landed on Qin Niu, those twenty thousand Termites would indeed be worthless.


    Fourth had already led the Termite Army to launch a Mental Attack at the first opportunity.


    The Spotted Spider, being the size of an egg, definitely had a high level, but it couldn¡¯t withstand the Mental Attack from so many Termites.


    With more than four thousand Termites possessing the ability to perform a Mental Attack or Spirit Control.


    The spider convulsed in pain on the ground, completely unable to attack Qin Niu anymore.


    After being stung by the Poisonous Ants, Lord Song Zan felt his neck stiffen and knew it was poisoned.


    Facing the slash from Qin Niu¡¯s Treasured Sword, he felt both shock and rage, and an even deeper sense of fear.


    ¡°You, who are you?¡±


    The response was Qin Niu¡¯s Slash Martial Skill and the dazzling Blade Qi of the Ink Blade.


    Pff!


    Without any needless words, with the sword raised and dropped, Lord Song Zan¡¯s arm was severed, and his body was diagonally split in two.


    The Ink Blade was too strong.


    It disregarded the soft armor vest he wore.


    It was his own fault, after all, for what had befallen him.


    Wanting to take advantage of the young girl, he had already removed all his armor and coat. Plus, he¡¯d been stung by two Dark Poison Ants, and the powerful Paralyzing Venom rapidly stiffened his body and left him unable to move at will.


    On top of that, Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation was far superior to his, and it was an ambush.


    A combination of factors piled up against him, leading to his instantaneous death by Qin Niu¡¯s blade..

 Chapter 233 - Chapter 233: Chapter 226 Inventory of Gains 1

    Chapter 233: Chapter 226 Inventory of Gains 1


    The commander leading eight thousand warriors was killed, and upon learning this, the Nine Insect Gang would definitely be enraged and shocked.


    The young woman who had fled saw a youth suddenly appear and with a single stroke, killed Lord Song Zan. After her initial horror, she looked closely and recognized the youth as someone very familiar.


    ¡°It, it¡¯s you!¡±


    She had identified the youth as one of the individuals who had helped her smuggle herself out the previous night.


    She thought that all had fallen victim to the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s evil clutches, but to her surprise, this unremarkable youth had successfully escaped from the gang¡¯s encirclement and pursuit.


    ¡°Better run for your life!¡±


    Qin Niu had already swiftly knelt down to loot the body of the deceased.


    His actions were practiced.


    In the blink of an eye, he had stripped it bare.


    Even the body of the colorful spider wasn¡¯t spared.


    By the time he finished looting, the woman was still standing there in a daze.


    Her clothes were torn in several places, and her white undergarment was somewhat indecent. Especially the upper garment, which seemed to have been violently ripped, as the laces near the neckline were all destroyed.


    ¡°Do you wish to fall into their clutches again?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s tone was indifferent.


    ¡°No, not at all. Thank you for saving my life, kind sir.¡±


    Remembering the consequences of falling into enemy hands, her complexion shifted slightly.


    ¡°I estimate the enemy will soon discover their leader has been killed, so you should start running if you don¡¯t want to be caught. Remember, if you want to survive in this world, you must abandon your naive fantasies. The safest is to keep your fate in your own hands.¡±


    With that, Qin Niu took a set of coarse cloth clothes from his basket and threw them over.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, it¡¯s best to wait until you escape this place before changing into this outfit.¡±


    After speaking, he paid no further attention to the woman and headed straight in the direction of escape.


    The woman hesitated slightly before fleeing in the direction he had gone.


    She had cultivated the Step-Method Martial Skill and, although not as skilled as Qin Niu, was nonetheless fast.


    Still, the gap between the Acquired Realm and the Innate Realm was significant.


    The distance between Qin Niu and her grew increasingly wide.


    ¡°Kind sir, may I have your name?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t save you expecting repayment!¡±


    Only a cold sentence drifted back as the figure moved farther away.


    She too gritted her teeth and hurried forward in her bid to escape.


    With Lord Song Zan killed, the enemy furious, if caught by them, her fate would be unspeakably miserable.


    Qin Niu ran wildly along the way, blending with the night like a wild horse.


    Up ahead, he could see dwellings.


    The terrain gradually leveled out, revealing many fields suitable for farming.


    The crops looked thriving.


    Unlike the entire territory of the Black Tiger Gang, which suffered from a locust plague, this place was at peace without any insect disaster.


    They say ¡®When in Rome, do as the Romans do.¡¯ Having fled for a night, Qin Niu guessed he was safe.


    To avoid unnecessary trouble, he planned to change into the attire of the local people.


    He chose a brick-and-tile house that looked quite imposing and hopped over the wall to enter.


    Inside the house, he could hear the panting of the man and woman.


    Being extraordinarily powerful, Qin Niu naturally didn¡¯t consider a few ordinary individuals worthy of concern.


    After stealing two sets of the male owner¡¯s clothes and changing into one, he left the other in his basket for later use, then continued on his way.


    Although it was safe now, having killed an enemy commander, he had undoubtedly incited the rage of the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s higher echelons.


    A storm of fugitive hunting was bound to sweep across all directions.


    By dawn, he had successfully reached Hundred Leaf Town.


    The common folk here, many of whom were like him carrying large baskets, wrapped their heads with scarves and wore attire very different from that of the people in the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory. Some women directly carried their babies in the baskets on their backs.


    Others, who didn¡¯t use baskets, carried their children on their backs with cloth straps.


    Qin Niu had already put on the local clothing, including a wrapped headscarf, blending in with the crowd.


    Having grown up in a remote valley, he didn¡¯t even need to disguise himself, moving among the crowds as just another commoner.


    New to this foreign place, he took in the local customs and lifestyle.


    Hundred Leaf Town was much larger than he had imagined, at least half the size of Black Tiger City.


    That Insect Master who had passed away many years ago, even after death, still silently contributed to the land that nurtured him.


    The excellent development and economic prosperity of Hundred Leaf Town, bustling with people, owed much to the Green Demon.


    A large influx of outsiders into Hundred Leaf Town¡ªwhat was it they all sought?


    They had all come for the Green Demon Bee.


    Perhaps many would lower their goals, content with capturing just one of the Green Demon¡¯s discarded special bee species.


    Insect Masters from various regions, or those aspiring to become masters, flocked here in droves.


    Then there were the young masters and mistresses, the sect experts, all coming to travel and to witness the strength of the Green Demon Bee, which could exterminate the Seven Stars Sect Leader.


    They wanted to see for themselves the environment where the Green Demon had once lived and to understand what kind of surroundings could nurture such a formidable super Insect Master.


    The influx of these people stimulated the town¡¯s various economies.


    Initially, only the inn business boomed.


    Over time, it developed into a comprehensive market for Insect Masters.


    You could buy anything there.


    ¡°Insect Jars for sale, Insect Jars for sale, pure copper crafted Insect Jars, they won¡¯t wear out for a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°Adventurers looking to catch wild bees on the mountain, look no further! We have all kinds of protective gear available to prevent stings. These are lifesaving artifacts at crucial moments, all for a low price. Welcome to choose and purchase.¡±


    ¡°Just last night, braving the mountain dangers, I caught Green Winged Giant Bees. Take one home for just ten pieces of silver.¡±


    Qin Niu admired the dedication of the street vendors he saw on both sides of the street.


    As soon as day broke, they had already taken their places and begun peddling their wares.


    ¡°Brother, are you here to hunt for treasures? I have a scroll of the Green Demon Bee Cultivation Technique, only for thirty pieces of silver. With it, you¡¯re guaranteed to become the second Green Demon.¡±


    A sneaky-looking man squeezed up to Qin Niu¡¯s side.


    He mysteriously pulled out an antiquated book with yellowing covers from his clothes, clumsily inscribed with the words ¡®Green Demon Bee Cultivation Technique¡¯.


    Such obviously fake stuff, and yet he dared to try to fool Qin Niu.


    He just coldly glanced at the man and then continued walking without saying a word.


    Under his gaze, the man¡¯s spirit trembled as though he had fallen into an ice cellar. Watching Qin Niu¡¯s retreating figure, his face was filled with fear.


    Hundred Leaf Town¡¯s visitors seeking adventure came from all walks of life.


    Among them were not a few powerful individuals.


    The Innate Realm was indeed worthy of the title ¡®powerhouse¡¯.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush into the mountain, instead, he found an inn to stay in.


    He didn¡¯t choose a small, money-saving inn because it was too easy to end up in a bad establishment. Traveling alone, it was better to be more cautious.


    The cost of staying in a larger inn was much higher, but safety was guaranteed.


    He booked a standard room, which was indeed not cheap, costing a hundred and twenty wen per night, meals and hot water included.


    The room was fairly spacious, and the bedding was very clean.


    Through the window, one could see the street outside.


    Having traveled for two days, he was utterly exhausted and desperately needed a place to rest well. If he wasn¡¯t already at the level of the Innate Realm, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold up.


    Once he locked the room door, he could finally check the treasures he had scavenged from Sir Song Zan.


    The man hadn¡¯t been wearing his coat when he chased after that woman, so Qin Niu had assumed he wouldn¡¯t have much on him. Only after taking stock did he realize he had underestimated the caution of such an important figure.


    A total of thirteen Gold Notes were scavenged, the lowest denomination being a hundred taels. There was one worth five hundred taels.


    Add that up, and it came to one thousand seven hundred taels worth of Gold Notes.


    Converted, that¡¯s seventeen thousand taels worth of silver.


    There were also more than thirty silver notes, totaling twenty-one thousand six hundred and fifty taels.


    Just adding up the Gold Notes and silver notes, it came to a whopping thirty-eight thousand six hundred and fifty taels of silver.


    That was nearly twice the total net worth of Qin Niu.


    It seemed impossible for a military commander to carry so many silver and Gold Notes on his person.


    In this era, it wasn¡¯t common for everyone to deposit their silver or gold into banks.


    Normally, storing silver in a bank incurred a fee.


    Eor big patrons, it depended on the situation.


    Some banks lacked silver and needed large deposits, so they¡¯d offer big patrons certain interests or other benefits.


    Almost forty thousand taels of silver was by no means a small amount of money.


    Even in Black Tiger City, there weren¡¯t many families that could produce forty thousand taels worth of ready cash.


    Upon carefully reviewing the information on the silver notes, Qin Niu had an epiphany.


    It turned out that a good half of these silver and Gold Notes had actually come from banks in Black Tiger City.


    As a military commander, Sir Song Zan had snatched up young and beautiful women for his own enjoyment and also pocketed a large portion of the riches scavenged by his soldiers.


    Killing him and getting these silver notes was like avenging the smugglers of Black Tiger City.


    There had already been several days of fighting.


    Quite a few batches of smugglers must have been captured by now.


    These thirty-eight thousand taels were plundered from the possessions of several hundred smugglers.


    Those smugglers were truly pitiable, having sold their properties and intended to escape to the Nine Insect Gang to live a good life. They thought they were clever, but ended up as fattened sheep in the eyes of others.


    One comes, one gets slaughtered.


    Beyond the Gold and silver notes, Qin Niu also acquired a book on controlling insects, a scroll of a Cultivation Technique called ¡°The Mighty Divine Strength of the Five Sacred Peaks,¡¯ and a volume of a Step-Method Martial Skill called ¡®Misty Rain Traceless Step.¡¯


    He also got half a Tiger Symbol Token and a Nine Insect Command.


    The Nine Insect Command read, ¡°Song Zan, one-star protector.¡±


    He had actually killed a protector?


    Yet, this Song Zan didn¡¯t seem as powerful as Old Master Huang.


    It¡¯s worth noting that Old Master Huang was just a high-level executor.


    It seems that Song Zan must have been the weakest protector of the Nine Insect Gang.


    The Mighty Divine Strength of the Five Sacred Peaks, when cultivated, grants immense power. In its advanced stages, as long as one¡¯s feet touch the earth, one can have unending strength.


    This kind of Cultivation Technique can¡¯t be said to be the best, but it¡¯s definitely much stronger than average.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t need more Cultivation Techniques for the moment. It was a good choice to keep it for selling or for his subordinates to cultivate.


    Probably worth at least two thousand pieces of silver if put up for sale in the Supreme Sea.


    What really interested him, though, was the Step-Method Martial Skill.


    He had long wanted to acquire a skill in steps and movements, but had never had the chance.


    Obtaining one now made him very happy.


    After a brief overview, it seemed, once mastered, one could transform into a fleeting shadow¡ªwithout a trace when coming or going.


    Seemed decent enough.


    First, sleep. After a good rest, he would consider learning this martial skill..

 Chapter 234 - Chapter 234: Chapter 227: The Black Tiger Gang Leader Who Scratched His Head Open 1

    Chapter 234: Chapter 227: The Black Tiger Gang Leader Who Scratched His Head Open 1


    The assassination of Song Zan yielded great rewards, but it was regrettable that no magical creature eggs were obtained.


    The Wolf Cavalry brought a beauty to Song Zan, each receiving a high-grade egg as a reward. It felt like Lord Song Zan should have had quite a few high-grade eggs.


    He probably didn¡¯t carry them on his person.


    After all, who would carry around magical creature eggs at home for no reason!


    When Qin Niu killed Song Zan, he only thought about fleeing quickly and didn¡¯t give in to the greed of rummaging through the central military tent for other valuables.


    In his view, many people died because of their greed.


    Content people are often happy.


    In that situation, if he had to choose again, he would still not risk exploring that central military tent.


    Because being discovered almost certainly meant certain death.


    To risk his life for some valuables was not worth it.


    He examined the half of the military token he had, which was heavy and made of bronze. It might also include special materials, like gold. The material was durable, and the tactile feeling was excellent, with cleverly designed male and female clasps.


    This was a military token used by the armed forces.


    During military campaigns, it had to be matched with the other half to command the troops.


    The other half of the token was typically held by the emperor or an envoy sent by the emperor.


    In wartime, the left side of the token was held by the commanding officer, while the right side was managed by the supervising officer. To mobilize the troops, approval from the supervising officer was needed, and the two halves of the token could perfectly fit together.


    The engravings on it were complex and generally hard to counterfeit.


    This half of the token falling into Qin Niu¡¯s hands meant the other half was now useless.


    The Nine Insect Gang would probably produce a new token to replace it.


    Qin Niu found this item interesting, so he didn¡¯t throw it away.


    After tallying his gains, he lay down in bed and fell into a deep sleep.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique needed to be practiced in the rain or on moonlit nights. Otherwise, it could completely replace rest and sleep.


    He slept soundly in the comfort of the inn.


    In the central military tent of the Nine Insect Gang, the subordinates, noticing that Lord Song Zan had not returned from chasing the fleeing woman, immediately went out to search and eventually found Song Zan¡¯s slain body at the mountain top.


    He was decapitated with his death being a tragic sight.


    Moreover, all his tokens and military token were lost.


    They immediately sounded the horn, the troops, hearing the call, mobilized at once, conducting a search to find the woman who killed Lord Song Zan.


    But to no avail.


    They were about to launch a surprise attack on the Black Tiger Gang, but their commanding officer had been killed.


    In a rage, the supervisory officer immediately reported the matter.


    The upper echelons of the Nine Insect Gang were all furious.


    The atmosphere in the council hall was tense to the extreme.


    Anyone could feel the Gang Leader¡¯s towering rage.


    ¡°At all costs, the murderer must be captured. Whoever dares to kill my beloved officer shall not die a good death,¡± said the Gang Leader of the Nine Insect Gang, a woman.


    Her words were filled with vile poison, brimming with boundless hatred.


    ¡°The murderer must die; this is the dignity and face of the Nine Insect Gang. But with Song Zan being killed at this critical moment, could it be that the Black Tiger Gang has already discerned our military plans? If we launch the attack, we can only achieve the best effect by catching the enemy unprepared. If the enemy is ready for us, our eight thousand brave soldiers crossing the river will be in great danger.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, this matter is suspicious and cannot be ignored. Send orders to the three armies at Wash Crime River to hold their position and continue drills on the spot. Once a new commander is appointed, we will make a decision,¡± said the Nine Insects Gang Leader, not daring to gamble with the lives of the eight thousand soldiers rashly.


    The significance of a surprise attack lies in catching the enemy off guard.


    If the enemy is already prepared, attempting a surprise attack would basically be like serving oneself up on a platter.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know that he had inadvertently assisted the Black Tiger Gang greatly.


    Right now, the Black Tiger Gang was rushing to prepare for battle, with most of their forces gathered along the Black River riverbank. Their rear defenses were incredibly weak.


    The eight thousand soldiers of the Nine Insect Gang launching a surprise attack could likely reach the gates of Black Tiger City in one fell swoop.


    And even cause more severe consequences.


    Within the ordinary mansion of the Black Tiger Gang, a middle-aged man dressed in white garments was sitting cross-legged in the backyard, practicing his breathing exercises.


    Faintly visible were two strands of energy following his breath, endlessly circling around his nostrils.


    ¡°An intelligence report!¡±


    ¡°Bring it in.¡±


    The middle-aged man slowly ended his exercises and opened his eyes.


    This man was burly and his face bore a fierce appearance. When he opened his eyes, a tangible sharpness shot forth, evidencing the high level of his cultivation.


    Clearly, only those with extremely profound cultivation could display such phenomena.


    A personal guard took the intelligence report and handed it to the middle-aged man.


    ¡°The Nine Insects Gang has a large number of troops moving around the banks of Wash Crime River? It looks like they¡¯re searching for someone?¡±


    ¡°The Wash Crime River is a natural barrier between our two gangs. It would be extremely difficult for an army to cross. The sudden appearance of a large number of troops¡ªwhat is the Nine Insects Gang planning? Are they intending to launch an attack from this location?


    If there truly is a large force invading from this direction into our Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory, we cannot afford to be careless.


    However, the Nine Insects Gang Leader has always been cunning and ruthless. If he wanted to invade the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory from this direction, it would be more advantageous for him to do so surreptitiously. Why would they intentionally reveal the whereabouts of their large force? What are they planning?¡±


    The middle-aged man frowned and racked his brain, but he could not figure it out.


    ¡°Summon the gang¡¯s high-level members for a meeting immediately.¡±


    Learning about the sudden appearance of the Nine Insects Gang¡¯s large number of troops on the banks of Wash Crime River made the middle-aged man take it very seriously.


    No matter the reason, an immediate response was necessary.


    In Hundred Leaf Town, Qin Niu awoke from his sleep as the night fell.


    After eating his fill, he also specially bought some meat to feed his Diamond Ink Turtle and Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    As for the Termites, he couldn¡¯t feed them now.


    Although they are omnivorous creatures, their preferred diet still consists of trees, roots, and the like.


    ¡°Sir, the streets at night are even livelier. Won¡¯t you go out and have a look?¡±


    The waiter brought a pot of tea over to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Are there people looking for Green Demon Bees at night?¡±


    Qin Niu casually rewarded the waiter with half a piece of Silver Money.


    The waiter beamed with joy.


    ¡°Thank you, young master!¡± The waiter tucked the Silver Money into his clothes. ¡°There are even more people looking for Green Demon Bees at night than during the day! Many are like you, resting in the inn during the day and going into the mountains to search for traces of Green Demon Bees at night.¡± ¡°Oh, why is that?¡±


    Qin Niu was quite curious.


    The mountains at night should be more dangerous after all.


    But it was hard to see mountains as big as those near Shuangfeng Village from here, only some small hills.


    ¡°Wild bees typically go out to forage during the day, so it¡¯s not easy to find them. Also, many wild bees are not visible at night, making them easier to catch. Comparatively speaking, the risk of being attacked by them at night is also smaller.¡±


    The waiter seemed to know quite a bit.


    ¡°Thankyou for sharing!¡±


    Qin Niu, feeling generous, rewarded the waiter with another half piece of Silver Money.


    ¡°My, my, the young master is really too generous. Thank you for your generous tip.¡±


    One piece of Silver Money was equivalent to several days¡¯ income for the waiter.


    Usually, receiving one or two Wen Money as a tip was considered quite good. Qin Niu directly rewarded him with one piece of Silver Money, which was equivalent to a hundred Wen Money.


    ¡°If you go to the mountains to look for Green Demon Bees, remember one thing for sure; if you encounter blackened rocks in the mountains, do not proceed any further. There are killer bees there, and if stung, it¡¯s easy to lose one¡¯s life. It¡¯s said that there are formidable wild bees inside that can see at night, with long poison stingers that can penetrate even through cotton clothing.¡±


    Having received the tip,


    The waiter revealed even more information.


    However, upon hearing this, instead of being frightened, Qin Niu showed an extremely interested expression.


    If the wild bees weren¡¯t formidable, he wouldn¡¯t even be interested.


    So far, he had only discovered that Corpse Bees possessed night vision abilities.


    But raising Corpse Bees was harmful to the heavens, and their cultivation was extremely difficult.


    He preferred Green Demon Bees..

 Chapter 235 - Chapter 235: Chapter 228: Entering the Green Demon Forest 1

    Chapter 235: Chapter 228: Entering the Green Demon Forest 1


    Listening to the meaning of the second brother¡¯s words, even the merely formidable wild bees in the mountains possess night vision capabilities.


    The real Green Demon Bees must be even stronger.


    Even if it¡¯s just an original Green Demon Bee, it must be an extremely terrifying entity.


    Qin Niu brought 20,000 termites this time, more than 4,000 of which had the ability to control or attack the mind, and he also prepared an Advanced Contract Talisman. He was quite well-prepared and naturally would not settle for just catching any ordinary wild bee.


    Heading out from the inn with the basket on his back, the street was indeed even busier than he had anticipated.


    There were people browsing the night market everywhere.


    There were also more stalls than during the day.


    Everyone seemed to prefer the trading atmosphere shrouded in the cover of night.


    Perhaps they felt it was more secretive, making it easier to purchase some ¡®black market items¡¯ that were hard to obtain during the day.


    For example, goods obtained from murder and looting are difficult to dispose of during the day but can fetch a good price at night.


    When Qin Niu was ready to leave, he planned to deal with his silver and gold notes.


    Since he still did not know how many days he would stay, he naturally would not act rashly.


    With the basket on his back, he strode toward the direction of Black Stone Village, not far from the market town.


    Or rather, the center of the market town, after years of expansion, had already extended to Black Stone Village.


    People bustled like smoke.


    It¡¯s not just market towns; even a city¡¯s downtown can slowly shift over time.


    The prosperity of Hundred Leaf Town was almost entirely driven by Black Stone Village.


    Without these adventurers and ¡®gold diggers,¡¯ it would rapidly wither and become just an ordinary small town.


    Along the way, Qin Niu could still see sparsely scattered stallholders.


    Some were carrying oil lamps, while others fully emulated the Ghost Market, laying out their merchandise in pitch darkness. Some even simply sat there without displaying any goods.


    What were these people doing?


    To sell goods, one had to display them, right? Even writing a sign or shouting would be better!


    Like Qin Niu, there were quite a few people carrying tools into the mountains to hunt for bees.


    Some had formed small teams of two or three, or even up to five people.


    Others were lone adventurers.


    Those who were a bit slimmer and dressed head to toe in protective gear were mostly female adventurers.


    Qin Niu did not wish to deal with anyone, for he had a treasure map and had no intention of sharing it with anyone.


    Some adventurers had purchased expensive protective gear, covering their bodies with thorough protection.


    Some held bee-catching nets in their hands.


    Others were carrying large wooden barrels, apparently prepared to gather honey.


    Hornets do not produce honey; it is only honeybees that do.


    Looking at the attire of those carrying barrels, they were clearly locals. Surely the various raw honeys sold in the market town were harvested by these people from the mountains.


    This meant that besides killer bees, there were also honeybees in the mountains.


    After walking out of the market town¡¯s streets, the road slowly became rough and uneven.


    Weeds grew on both sides.


    There were many paths leading into the mountains.


    Some chose the less traveled paths, while others took the main path.


    Since Qin Niu was here for the first time, he chose the main path. No other reason, just that it was more populated, with free guides.


    Just as he was about to enter the mountains, a vast bamboo forest spread out before him.


    People were entering the forest in droves.


    Qin Niu, with hearing far superior to the average person, faintly heard the sound of wings flapping above the bamboo forest. Looking up, with the help of the dim moonlight, he could see several beehive-like structures.


    It seemed that no one was interested in these ordinary wild bees; they simply pushed forward.


    The conversation between two adventurers ahead was clearly audible to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Brother Wang, do you know why there are even more people entering the mountains to catch bees at night? If it were during the day, just trying to pass through this bamboo forest would be extremely difficult.¡±


    ¡°Is there something special about this bamboo forest?¡±


    ¡°This forest is home to at least a million poisonous bees. They can¡¯t see at night, so as long as they aren¡¯t provoked, there¡¯s no problem. During the day, however, whether it¡¯s humans or wild animals, passing through here is seen as an invasion. The bees will form swarms and launch their fiercest attacks on the intruders.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s to fear? I¡¯ve bought a full set of protective gear, I¡¯m covered head to


    toe.¡±


    H


    Heh, many who think like you end up stung into a swollen mess. Protective nets costing less than ten silver money, no matter how well-promoted or sturdy the seller claims it is, can be easily torn apart by the sheer number of wild bees here. A single wild bee may not be formidable, but in the thousands, they can secrete venom that, sprayed onto the gear, can blind a person who gets it in their eyes in an instant.


    If it gets on the skin, it can immediately cause blisters to form, more painful than boiling water burns.¡±


    Cobras and other highly venomous snakes can also spray their venom to attack enemies.


    Unexpectedly, these wild bees have the same ability.


    The bamboo forest was much larger than he had imagined.


    After traversing for over a quarter of an hour, they finally made it through.


    Beyond the bamboo forest, they had entered the mountainous region.


    Small rolling hills continued on, but according to the map¡¯s description, there were larger mountains, not just one but a chain of them.


    After passing through the bamboo forest, the adventurers began to go their separate ways.


    Some lit oil lamps, ready to use them to find the wild bees.


    Little did they know, as soon as the oil lamps were lit, the buzzing of bee wings resonated.


    Multitudes of wild bees descended upon the source of light.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ Ah¡­ Somebody help!¡±


    That adventurer was instantly in trouble, stung by the wild bees, and screamed in agony.


    Instinctively, he picked up his oil lamp and started to run back.


    Not realizing that this was a fatal mistake.


    As soon as he entered the bamboo forest, he alarmed even more bee swarms, with each one assaulting him.


    ¡°Quick, extinguish the oil lamp and lie on the ground, don¡¯t move.¡±


    A local yelled at the adventurer.


    The latter, enduring the severe pain, extinguished the oil lamp and lay on the ground.


    A moment later, the swarm of bees slowly returned to calm.


    The man staggered to his feet, humming as he ran towards the outside of the mountain. He must have been seriously injured.


    Before entering the mountain to hunt for bees, he clearly hadn¡¯t done his homework and ultimately paid a heavy price for lighting a lamp.


    Fortunately, the wild bees outside, though highly poisonous, were not lethal.


    Suffering some flesh wounds, he should be able to recover before long.


    Qin Niu was already advancing quickly ahead, his goal quite clear, unlike other adventurers who were content with finding just a slightly more formidable wild bee.


    He needed to capture the Green Demon Bee to obtain the treasure of the Green Demon.


    Armed with his Innate Realm cultivation and long-term experience traversing the mountains, he soon left the other adventurers far behind.


    In reality, adventurers were everywhere in the mountains.


    Even in some dark corner, there might be an adventurer lying in wait.


    Some would bring provisions and lie in wait for a powerful wild bee, motionless like a scout, at one spot.


    Observing carefully, one would notice that Qin Niu¡¯s steps were peculiar as he moved forward.


    Indeed, he had started to learn the Misty Rain Traceless Step.


    He was currently in the early stages of practice.


    To master a martial skill, one must first learn the methods, that is, the theory, and understand its principles. Then, put it into practice.


    After initially learning it, one must diligently practice to truly grasp the essence of the martial skill.


    There are no shortcuts; it¡¯s a matter of studying, practicing, pondering, and understanding more.


    As he ventured deeper into the mountains, fewer and fewer adventurers could be seen.


    With his keen hearing, he could still detect some adventurers lurking in trees and on the ground.


    These people had their own goals.


    After crossing the mountain ahead, a taller mountain rose imposingly before him.


    More accurately, it was a mountain range.


    ¡°The destination is getting closer.¡±


    According to the treasure map, beyond the mountain range ahead, another even larger mountain would appear.


    That mountain was Broken Head Peak, with its cliff, and the treasure was at the bottom of the cliff.


    Everything was going so well that it made him feel uneasy.


    From his life experience, things that were too easy to obtain were either of poor quality or a trap.


    He had come with great hope to take the treasure of the Green Demon.


    Hopefully, nothing untoward would happen.


    As he entered the taller mountain range ahead, the terrain became even more treacherous.


    ¡°Eh, why have these stones turned black?¡±


    Upon entering the mountain range, Qin Niu noticed that visibility had worsened, and the light seemed to have darkened considerably.


    Seeing the black stones, he couldn¡¯t help but recall the warning from the young waiter.


    However, he did not stop but continued forward, relying on his courage and mastery of his art.


    After walking less than a hundred meters, he saw a stone tablet emblazoned with flax patterns.


    ¡°Enter with caution! Dangerous!¡±


    Engraved beneath it were several images of wasps.


    Past the stone tablet, his feet crunched on thick layers of dry branches.


    He instinctively looked down to check.


    ¡°My goodness!¡±


    Even with his boldness, he was startled and retreated repeatedly after seeing clearly.


    The ground wasn¡¯t covered with dry branches but with a thick layer of bones.


    How many people must have died here?


    Qin Niu suddenly felt this area was exceptionally bleak and frightening.


    With so many people dead, how did they die?


    He could only think of one possibility.


    These people were probably stung to death by wild bees.


    While looking around, he heard the buzzing of bees¡¯ wings in his ears.


    A large wild bee with yellow patterns covering its body dived towards him like a bomber.


    Qin Niu quickly focused to face it.


    This large wild bee was even thicker than an adult¡¯s thumb.


    It flew at an incredibly fast speed.


    However, when it got to about five meters in front of Qin Niu, it suddenly stopped.


    Fourth¡¯s antennae were already aimed straight at the wild bee.


    It seemed to have been successfully controlled.


    Qin Niu scrutinized it closely; this wild bee was at most a Grade Three creature.


    It fell far short of Grade Four.


    Its wings were unusually sturdy, which is why they made a particularly deep sound when flapping.


    ¡°You¡¯re of no use to me, Golden Toad, it¡¯s yours.¡±


    Qin Niu let the Golden Toad eat it straight away.


    He moved forward cautiously, with such wild bees occasionally attacking him.


    As the discussions had indicated, these wild bees possessed Night Vision capabilities.


    This rank of wild bee posed a great threat to ordinary experts, but they couldn¡¯t get close to Qin Niu. He didn¡¯t even need to act personally; his pets would take care of the wild bees for him.


    Through careful observation, he noticed that these wild bees¡¯ nests were varied. Some were underground, some inside tree hollows, and some on branches.


    And they belonged to different species.


    Catching one and selling it in Hundred Leaf Town could fetch around a hundred copper coins.


    But since there were many sellers, it was probably not easy to sell them.


    He felt their poison must be quite potent, but their other abilities were rather common..

 Chapter 236 - Chapter 236: Chapter 229 Summoning the Bee t

    Chapter 236: Chapter 229 Summoning the Bee t


    Qin Niu cut down enemies one by one, pushing further in, having killed many wild bees already.


    The bodies of these wild bees did not go to waste.


    He used them to feed the Golden Toad and Termite.


    Crossing the towering mountain range underfoot, he finally saw the Broken Head Peak that stood between the earth and sky ahead.


    Its summit looked as though it had been chopped off by a sword.


    It might only be two or three thousand meters tall, but it felt immense.


    This was the first time Qin Niu had seen such a massive mountain.


    Scattered around his feet were the withered bones of humans and animals alike.


    Even at night, wandering through the mountains meant facing attacks from various wild bees.


    Some suddenly burst from the ground, while others dived down from the tree branches overhead, catching one off guard.


    Qin Niu had the protection of twenty thousand Termite, so he didn¡¯t need to lift a finger, for the moment.


    When he entered the area of Broken Head Peak, the emerging wild bees became noticeably more vicious. There were bees with wings like steel that were hugely built and moved as swiftly as the wind.


    Their stingers were extremely terrifying, not at all inferior to the ordinary Corpse Bee.


    If there were only one or two, he might have stood a chance at fending them off.


    But if there were hundreds or even thousands, it was unimaginable.


    Fortunately, up to this point, he had only encountered sporadic attacks from the Steel-winged Wild Bee.


    He had yet to see a large swarm attacking.


    Qin Niu decided to hasten his pace to avoid entanglement with them.


    Facing wild bee attacks, either the Puppet Ants would control them or the Ghost Ant would directly launch a Mental Attack to bring them down.


    He made his way towards the peak, encountering danger but avoiding disasters.


    The wild bees appearing became increasingly fierce.


    Qin Niu gradually approached the location of the cliff.


    At that moment, a Green-headed Bee appeared; it looked much weaker than the Steel-winged Wild Bee.


    For someone like Qin Niu, such a creature could be easily killed or captured with confidence.


    Unexpectedly, this Green-headed Bee was remarkably quick in flight and extremely agile in the air.


    It darted left and right, approaching Qin Niu constantly.


    However, this Green-headed Bee was very cunning; it didn¡¯t come within ten meters of Qin Niu, nor did it show any intent to attack him.


    This rendered the Termite utterly unable to deal with it.


    It was night now, and he couldn¡¯t mobilize his War Bees or Green Ring Worker Bees.


    This left him momentarily at a loss with the Green-headed Wild Bee.


    ¡°Buzz buzz buzz!¡±


    The dense sound of wing vibrations rose from all directions, and he sensed that something was amiss.


    Looking around, he saw Steel-winged Wild Bees flying in from all directions, and upon spotting their target, they charged at him without a word.


    Among them were even a few the size of knife handles.


    These bees were at least Grade Four and could possibly even be at Grade Five.


    He felt their strength was probably not less than that of a Corpse Bee general.


    ¡°Damn it, where did all these wild bees come from?¡±


    Qin Niu hurriedly commanded the Termite to prepare for battle.


    The number of wild bees continued to grow; there were at least three to four dozen of the knife-handle-sized Steel-winged Wild Bee, to say the least.


    As for the ordinary ones, there were far too many to count.


    Definitely hundreds.


    And their numbers were still increasing.


    Everything had been fine until the appearance of that Green-headed Bee, which led to a massive swarm of wild bees flying in from all directions.


    Could it be that the Green-headed Bee had a summoning ability?


    Or perhaps, it was a Scout Wasp, releasing large amounts of pheromones to call its companions upon spotting an enemy?


    Both were possible.


    In any case, the sudden emergence of so many wild bees, including some Bee Generals of Steel-winged Bees he had never seen before, was likely the doing of that Green-headed Bee.


    The Green-headed Wasp seemed to play a role similar to a minor demon who knocks gongs.


    Its combat strength might not be strong, but it was exceptionally agile and quick, and it also possessed the special ability to summon its companions.


    ¡°Demon Ant, I assign you a task. Lead ten Puppet Ants to take control of that Green-headed Wild Bee for me,¡± Qin Niu quickly made his decision.


    He particularly favored insects with special abilities.


    He found the Green-headed Bee particularly interesting, even valuing it more highly than a Bee General in his eyes.


    In the past, he would have sent Fourth on important tasks, but this time he assigned Demon Ant to this matter because his own safety was more important.


    He needed to keep Fourth by his side to command the Termite Army and face the hundreds of Steel-winged Wild Bees.


    The current situation was actually very dangerous.


    If Qin Niu made a single mistake in his response, he could get stung and hurt by them.


    Looking at the thick layer of dead bones on the ground, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that countless heroes had perished here.


    The Demon Ant, with ten Puppet Ants, quickly leapt from Qin Niu¡¯s body to the ground and then approached the Green-headed Wild Bee, which was still swaggering around, calling for friends and allies.


    Qin Niu¡¯s side was already having a tough time dealing with the attacks of the wild bees.


    Their combat strength was very formidable.


    Moreover, they flew swiftly through the air, twisting and turning with ease.


    There was no need to mention the Bee Generals, as they seemed to have a flying maneuver that allowed them to perform leap flights in midair.


    It looked as though one was still ten meters away, but the next second, it had suddenly pounced on Qin Niu.


    However, with the Red-eyed Golden Toad present, their attacks amounted to nothing more than acts of suicide.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad had already eaten three Bee Generals.


    But its mouth seemed to have swollen up from stings.


    Its movements had also noticeably slowed down.


    That meant these wild bees were highly venomous.


    Owing to the vast number of wild bees and the considerable strength of each individual, Qin Niu was gradually unable to hold them off.


    If it weren¡¯t for his King Pig Leather Armor, he might have been in serious trouble long ago.


    Only at this moment did he realize why even the Master of the Seven-Star Sect had been killed by a swarm of Green Demon Bees.


    Facing such a multitude of fierce, poisonous bees, ordinary people, unless they were Immortal Masters, stood no chance whatsoever.


    Each time Qin Niu swung his blade to kill, he could only manage to eliminate one or two wild bees at best.


    More often than not, he swung his blade only to miss completely.


    It wasn¡¯t that his swings were inaccurate, but rather that the Steel-winged Wild Bees rapidly evaded them.


    ¡°Master, the Green-headed Wild Bee has been controlled,¡± Demon Ant reported the good news at this moment.


    ¡°Good, let it fly over here,¡± Qin Niu had already used the newly learned Misty Rain Traceless Step, dodging and weaving through the bee¡¯s assault like a drunk, continuously changing his position.


    Now, he was eager to shake off the onslaught of the bee swarm.


    They kept coming endlessly, and their numbers were growing. If he couldn¡¯t shake them off, Qin Niu would eventually be worn down by them.


    Under such tremendous pressure, his Misty Rain Traceless Step had become increasingly proficient, improving at an extremely rapid pace.


    Improving martial skills during battle was the fastest way, bar none.


    The Green-headed Wild Bee flew over.


    Seizing the opportunity, Qin Niu swung his net and caught it, then placed it inside the Insect Jar.


    Its body wasn¡¯t strong; it was much weaker than a Bee General.


    Even an ordinary Steel-winged Wild Bee would be stronger.


    In just a short time, the number of wild bees around him had risen to over ten thousand.


    The termites were gradually overpowered, and casualties ensued.


    Yet, the number of wild bees continued to surge rapidly.


    The area cultivated by the Green Demon, known far and wide for its deadliness, indeed lived up to its reputation.


    If Qin Niu¡¯s termites had a longer period for cultivation, that mountain region would probably be even more dangerous than Broken Head Peak..

 Chapter 237 - Chapter 237: Chapter 230: The First Large-Scale Bug Battlei

    Chapter 237: Chapter 230: The First Large-Scale Bug Battlei


    Qin Niu, facing such a massive attack from wild bees, desperately sought a place to hide.


    He was painfully aware that he would not last long.


    He had thought that with over twenty thousand termites, he would be able to handle any situation. Only when he actually faced the wild bees did he realize how terrifying they were.


    If the capability of his Ant Queen to reproduce could reach a higher level, producing over ten thousand eggs per day, and he brought millions of termites with him, perhaps he could contend with the swarm of wild bees.


    For now, whether in terms of individual soldier strength or numbers, he was completely overwhelmed by the wild bees.


    Ordinary steel-winged wild bees were equivalent to Grade Four insects, while those at the Bee General level were equal to Grade Five insects.


    It was still unknown if there were even more powerful wild bees out there.


    Qin Niu¡¯s King Pig Leather Armor which he regarded as a safety net, at most could only withstand the attacks of Grade Five wild bees. If there were one or two Grade Six wild bees, his situation would become even more perilous.


    This experience greatly broadened his horizons and deepened his understanding of insect warfare.


    In the past, when dealing with formidable insects, he always used strength in numbers.


    Several hundred, several thousand termites against the enemy¡¯s one or a few insects.


    With the addition of the Mental Attack ability, he was nearly invincible.


    Now his insects, inferior in both number and individual strength to the wild bees, resulted in him tasting the powerlessness and fear when facing swarm attacks.


    They were like an army, forming a raging torrent that simply crushed everything in its path.


    At this critical juncture, his Misty Rain Traceless Step was performed to the utmost, becoming more agile, and his speed increasing.


    In life-and-death situations, human potential is constantly squeezed, virtually endless.


    But no matter how fast his steps were, they couldn¡¯t be faster than the flying steel-winged wild bees.


    Those who walked on the ground were absolutely suppressed in terms of speed by those that could fly.


    Just look at the golden eagles to understand.


    They may be smaller than wild wolves and lack sharp teeth and powerful bite force, but they completely dominate wild wolves, making escape a luxury.


    It was then that he discovered a path leading down the cliff.


    Without hesitation, he quickly fled down the cliff. If he could find a water source, perhaps he could survive this ordeal.


    The path down the mountain was not only steep but also winding and complex.


    Behind him, the terrifying swarm of wild bees was still desperately pursuing him, extremely vicious.


    One after another, they dived and attacked swiftly toward him.


    Continuously, termites were struck by the wild bees, then either grabbed and carried away or viciously stabbed by their Poison Stingers, injecting terrible venom.


    Watching his ant forces suffer losses, Qin Niu¡¯s heart bled.


    This was his hard-earned nest egg.


    The path to the cliff became somewhat slippery, with moss starting to appear everywhere.


    This suggested that there might be water at the bottom of the cliff.


    He couldn¡¯t help but accelerate his pace.


    Using hands and feet together, he fled swiftly to the bottom of the cliff.


    At that moment, he unexpectedly found a cave on the steep wall of the cliff.


    Like a drowning man grasping at a straw, he quickly flashed into the cave.


    The entrance was rather constricted, and he couldn¡¯t be concerned about whether there were any dangerous insects or snakes inside.


    After squeezing into the cave, he found that this cave on the cliff wall wasn¡¯t deep, barely two meters in length.


    The cave entrance was small, but the interior space was adequate.


    It was more than enough for one person to curl up inside.


    After escaping into the cave, Qin Niu blocked the entrance with his basket. The ferocious steel-winged wild bees thumped against the basket. Venom sprayed, and the vine-woven basket likely would not withstand for long.


    A few scattered steel-winged wild bees broke into the cave and were instantly killed by the termites.


    For the moment, he was somewhat safe.


    He took the shield made of King Pig Leather Armor off his back and placed it against the basket¡¯s inner wall that was already starting to rupture.


    No insects were discovered inside the cave, and there were no snakes either, which gave Qin Niu some peace of mind.


    He could finally catch his breath for a moment.


    The situation just then had been incredibly dangerous.


    He turned his gaze to examine the cave walls, noticing obvious signs of man-made chiseling.


    It suggested that this cave was excavated by humans.


    Judging by the marks, the cave had quite a history. Who exactly dug it was no longer verifiable.


    It might have been dug by Green Demons, or by treasure hunters that followed.


    It could also be the work of Herb Pickers or woodsmen.


    Some Herb Pickers, not finding it easy to venture into the mountain, would choose to guard near the appropriate medicinal herbs after finding them.


    Because medicinal herbs nearing maturity are easily eyed by wild animals, birds, insects, and snakes in the mountains.


    Without someone to guard them, the herbs are likely to be consumed.


    Harvesting some special herbs is extraordinarily difficult.


    Usually, one must guard the site for half a month before the fruit of the herbs matures.


    Some Herb Pickers might even need to guard for over a month to pick a Spirit Fruit, living in the mountains throughout.


    Nighttime is the most difficult and dangerous time for Herb Pickers.


    Digging a cave to hide in is a standard procedure.


    Savvy Herb Pickers often choose cliffs; they use vines to make ropes, then climb down a bit and carve out a cave.


    Being on a sheer cliff face naturally offers protection against many predators.


    Moreover, it¡¯s warm in winter and cool in summer, far more comfortable than living in the trees.


    Right now, this cave had saved Qin Niu¡¯s life.


    But even without this cave, facing the attack of the wild bees, he should have no problem preserving his life.


    The bees outside continued to relentlessly ram his basket and shield.


    But it was already very difficult to pose a threat to him.


    Qin Niu checked the numbers and in a short period of time, he lost over three hundred termite soldiers, nearly four hundred.


    Such heavy losses pained him greatly.


    Fortunately, the ones lost were Grade Three Soldier Ants without the ability to launch mental attacks.


    The over four thousand termites with mental attack and spirit control abilities, including the Elephant Nose Soldier Ants, Demon Ants, Medical Ants, and other special kinds of ants, were all his key protection targets.


    Each one was extremely precious.


    If there could be one hundred thousand, or even a million termites with mental attack abilities today, no matter how many wild bees came, they would be like sending themselves to slaughter.


    ¡°Fourth, you lead the Puppet Ants to control those formidable War Bees. Take them out one by one.¡±


    Qin Niu was already impatient and took out a large Insect Jar, ready to capture those Grade Five Bee Generals.


    He didn¡¯t care for the ordinary Steel-winged Wild Bees.


    After killing them, he would leave their bodies to feed the Termite Ant Queen and War Bee Queen Bee.


    As for those Grade Five Bee Generals, selling them or keeping a few for further cultivation and breeding were both excellent choices.


    They possessed Night Vision and were naturally equipped with steel wings, their flying abilities not weaker than ordinary birds.


    Also, their toxicity was fierce.


    All these special abilities had high value for cultivation.


    The first priority was to deal with the Bee Generals, as the strategy of ¡°capturing the leader first in catching thieves¡± goes.


    As long as he took care of all the Bee Generals, the combat power of the bee swarm would immediately be sharply reduced.


    What Qin Niu feared the most were those green-headed wild bees.


    They had an overwhelming summoning capability.


    Just one could summon ten thousand, even a hundred thousand wild bees to join the battle, which was really terrifying.


    Fourth had been brimming with anger all along.


    Just waiting for the moment to counterattack to arrive.


    He sent forth nearly two thousand seven hundred Puppet Ants and put them to work all at once.


    They could take care of four to five Bee Generals at a time.


    In just a short while, Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Jar already had seventy-one Bee Generals inside.


    One jar simply couldn¡¯t hold them all; he filled two jars to the brim, and they still seemed a bit squeezed.


    Holding them in hand, they were quite heavy.


    The Bee Generals of these Steel-winged Wild Bees were not only large in size but also exceptionally robust.


    Their weight was beyond imagination.


    With little effort, Qin Niu captured them all.


    This somewhat made up for the loss of nearly four hundred termites.


    ¡°Fourth, lead the Puppet Ants to make the wild bees slaughter each other. The over fourteen hundred Ghost Ants will launch mental attacks, taking any out they can. The rest of the common ants, deal with those bees that have fallen to the ground, ¡®finish them off.¡¯


    Qin Niu issued the combat order.


    Just now, during the battle with the wild bees, he discovered that of the original three thousand plus termites that had fought with locusts before, which Qin Niu had also taken to eradicate pests in the fields, each one of them was battle-hardened, exhibiting a combat force even stronger than ordinary Grade Three termites.


    New recruits and old soldiers who had seen battle were not even on the same level in terms of combat power.


    This was a good opportunity for training.


    It was just right for the over fifteen thousand regular Worker Ants and Soldier Ants to engage in close combat.


    The wild bees might have been struck down, but they had only suffered mental attacks or been wounded by their own kind under control and had fallen to the ground.


    They still possessed a strong combat power.


    If they were not killed promptly, with their tenacious vitality, they could recover quickly.


    Those wild bees that had fallen to the ground were the perfect opponents for the termites¡¯ combat training.


    Qin Niu just looked on indifferently.


    The scales of victory in the battle were already tipping in his favor.


    The wild bees outside were being eliminated continuously.


    He had already successfully taken control of the situation.


    Thinking back to the significant improvement when he executed the Misty Rain Traceless Step in the critical moment, he subconsciously checked his attributes.


    Martial Skill: Slash slightly proficient 412/1000 (10% chance of Critical Chop, 30% chance of Critical Chop when using the Ink Blade), Sweeping Strike beginner 7.12/10, Misty Rain Traceless Step proficient 11.3/100 (speed increased by 30%, agility enhanced by 10%)


    This Step-Method Martial Skill was quite good.


    It could significantly increase his escape speed, and his agility followed suit.


    Agility was an extremely important metric.


    Why can felines be invincible among beasts of the same weight? It¡¯s precisely because of their extremely high agility.


    If the enemy¡¯s attacks can¡¯t land, while their sharp claws can easily hit the enemy.


    If it¡¯s a tiger, the force of one swipe can reach a ton.


    Easily knocking out an opponent.


    Even directly crushing the opponent¡¯s skull.


    The Misty Rain Traceless Step was only proficient level, but already added 10% agility, and if cultivated to a higher realm, it would definitely be more powerful.


    Moreover, this Step-Method Martial Skill had the words ¡®traceless¡¯ in it.


    Indicating that, when perfected, it would have an effect of being traceless. By then, there would certainly be new special effects.


    Also, he noticed that using the Ink Blade to execute the Slash Martial Skill, the chance of an Explosive Slash had increased to 30%.


    Though it was just a 10% increase, it could geometrically multiply his combat power in actual combat.


    Imagine, every two or three strikes producing an Explosive Slash Effect, which opponent could withstand it?


    Just as one explosive chop passes, before the enemy could recover, the second strike comes slashing over.


    And again, it¡¯s an Explosive Slash.


    The enemy probably only has tears to offer..

 Chapter 238 - Chapter 238: Chapter 231 The Blind Man Who Can See_1

    Chapter 238: Chapter 231 The Blind Man Who Can See_1


    His Slash Martial Skill hadn¡¯t upgraded, yet the probability of Critical Chop increased by 10%, which was a benefit gained from the successful metamorphosis and evolution of the Ink Blade, endowing it with spirituality.


    The pile of Steel-winged Wild Bee corpses at the entrance of the cave was growing larger, and Qin Niu had already filled a large bag to the brim with them.


    The close combat ability of the Termites was pretty decent.


    The Puppet Ants and Ghost Ants executed long-range suppression, while more than fifteen thousand Grade Three Termites attacked the injured Steel-winged Wild Bees on the ground, forming a perfectly coordinated tactical system.


    They enjoyed every advantage.


    The wild bees here had one significant characteristic: they fought fearlessly


    and were extremely fierce.


    Even as their comrades fell one by one, not a single wild bee fled.


    This battle left the ground littered with bee corpses.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Termite forces had avenged their deep-seated grudge.


    All of the wild bees were eradicated one by one.


    There were some losses among the Termites during the combat training. About sixty to seventy Termites died in battle, and over four thousand were injured. Unfortunately, there were only two Medical Ants at the moment, which were simply too busy to handle everything.


    They were strenuously treating the injured Termites.


    The Demon Ants were the most badass, as they possessed a basic self-healing ability. Even when injured, they could recover quickly without the need for treatment.


    ¡°After we take the Green Demon treasure back this time, we must further develop and strengthen the logistical troops of the Termite Army,¡± he mused.


    After observing that over four thousand Termites were injured, Qin Niu felt an extreme urgency for Medical Ants.


    If there had been a thousand Medical Ants now, the injured Termites could


    have been restored to health in just moments.


    The production of Medical Ants was very low; all he could do was to accumulate them slowly.


    After collecting the wild bee corpses scattered everywhere, he heaved a long sigh of relief. They had finally overcome this ordeal.


    ¡°Well done, brave warriors, you can spread out and eat these bee corpses, he said.


    Qin Niu was not stingy, letting the Termites feast on the carcasses of the Steel-winged Wild Bees to satiate their hunger.


    The nutrition was much higher than that of wood or grassroots.


    These were the bodies of Grade Four wild bees after all; eating them would surely bring significant benefits to the Termites.


    Especially the few thousand Grade Two Termites that were cultivated early on; their potential for growth was still huge.


    Eating this high-grade food several times would greatly increase their chances of advancing to Grade Three.


    After resting in the cave for nearly an hour, Qin Niu felt it was likely that there were no more wild bees outside, and emerged from the cave.


    After the great battle, each Termite was well-fed and quenched.


    The injured soldiers¡¯ wounds healed much faster after eating high-grade food.


    He initially planned to go down to the bottom of the cliff, and now it was conveniently on the way.


    The exact depth of this cliff wasn¡¯t recorded on the map.


    The treasure map only outlined the route to the treasure.


    He had just crawled out of the cave and hadn¡¯t descended more than a few meters when he heard the familiar buzzing sound in his ears once more.


    More wild bees were coming.


    They must have discovered him.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart tightened; this was not good news.


    Having just battled a large swarm of wild bees, he had developed a profound fear of these creatures.


    They were incredibly venomous and ferocious, fighting fearlessly to the death.


    Once they identified an enemy, they would stop at nothing to eliminate the invaders.


    ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s another Steel-winged Wild Bee,¡± he cursed under his breath.


    Qin Niu quickly crouched low, hugging the cliff face.


    The wild bee dived directly towards him.


    However, just as it approached within ten meters of Qin Niu, it was controlled by Fourth.


    After battling the wild bees for so long, the Termite Army had accumulated a wealth of combat experience.


    ¡°Die!¡± Qin Niu shouted, his hatred for it bone-deep, fearing it might attract other wild bees.


    He was ready to swing his blade and kill it immediately.


    But upon second thought, keeping this wild bee might have other uses.


    ¡°Fourth, let it release its kind¡¯s pheromones on me,¡± he commanded.


    Qin Niu wanted to disguise himself as a wild bee.


    Because bees recognize their companions through pheromones, not eyesight.


    Some parasites are very good at mimicry.


    They can mimic the pheromones of hornets, then feast within the hornet s nest, consuming all the hornet¡¯s laid eggs and larvae without being discovered. ¡°Elephant-nosed Soldier Ants, mimic the pheromones released by this wild bee.¡±


    Qin Niu had a diverse array of ant species.


    The evolved Grade Three Venomous Jaw Soldier Ants could mimic the pheromones of other creatures.


    Soon, several Venomous Jaw Soldier Ants began to work hard, releasing a large amount of pheromones similar to that of the wild bees.


    The method seemed to be effective.


    As Qin Niu continued to climb down, no more wild bees attacked him.


    But he quickly encountered a new problem.


    The cliff was wet and slippery, and even though he had the prowess of the innate Realm, he was already struggling to maintain his grip.


    Falling would not be a joking matter; he could very well fall to his death. He hadn¡¯t brought a rope with him, so now he had to improvise with the materials at hand, looking for vines to climb.


    Since it was still night, even with his far-sighted gaze, he could only spot some vine-like plants on the cliff ahead to his right.


    He carefully made his way over there.


    As soon as he got close, a green-headed wild bee was disturbed and flew out.


    It circled Qin Niu, apparently able to recognize that he was disguised.


    It had already begun to summon other wild bees to deal with him, the ¡®imposter¡¯.


    Seeing this situation unfold, Qin Niu immediately felt overwhelmed.


    Fortunately, he had some experience dealing with such cases and quickly sent out a team of Demon Ants.


    Five Grade Four Demon Ants quickly scurried in that direction and, as they approached the actively ¡®dancing¡¯ green-headed wild bee, they immediately subjected it to Spirit Control.


    The agile green-headed wild bee, fearless of both heaven and earth, only feared the Termite¡¯s Spirit Control.


    It was controlled in an instant.


    ¡°Come here!¡±


    With one command from Qin Niu, the green-headed wild bee obediently flew over.


    ¡°Release a signal, telling the other wild bees not to come over.¡±


    Qin Niu commanded.


    It seemed not to possess that ability.


    With no other choice, Qin Niu could only lock it up for the time being.


    Just as he finished dealing with it, he heard the dense buzzing sound in his ears.


    This time he was smart, immediately pressing his body flat against the cliff and staying perfectly still.


    The only kind of wild bee that could identify him as a fake was the green-headed wild bee.


    These summoner bees possessed some incredible special abilities.


    They were extremely fast fliers and particularly agile.


    They also had the power to summon other wild bees, with an exceptionally strong calling ability that could even bring bee generals to their side. Moreover, they could distinguish between real and counterfeit, knowing who was in disguise.


    Qin Niu always felt that these wild bees had great potential for domestication. He had already captured two of them.


    After bringing them back, he could consider taming one for a trial.


    For now, there was definitely no possibility of taming them, as the environment didn¡¯t permit it, and neither did his Talisman.


    He only had one Advanced Contract Talisman; he had to save it for taming the Green Demon Bee.


    Indeed, a large swarm of wild bees flew in from all directions.


    This time, however, it was interesting; Qin Niu lay still without moving.


    Fourth led the Puppet Ants to control a group of wild bees, then made them desperately release pheromones of their kind onto Qin Niu¡¯s body. The Venomous Jaw Soldier Ants also mimicked adeptly.


    After the wild bees searched around over a dozen times, they just couldn¡¯t find the enemy.


    In their eyes, Qin Niu had already become one of them.


    They had essentially become true blind men with eyes open..

 Chapter 239 - Chapter 239: Chapter 232 Ice Lotus 1

    Chapter 239: Chapter 232 Ice Lotus 1


    The wild bees patrolled for a while and, finding no target to attack, flew away one after another.


    Qin Niu, however, followed the vines down to the base of the cliff.


    Even with his innate realm cultivation, the descent was so difficult that it was evident how cautious the Green Demon had been back in the day.


    To avoid his enemies¡¯ pursuit, the Green Demon chose to hide at the bottom of a cliff where even masters of the innate realm would find it hard to descend.


    Every ascent and descent of the rock face was fraught with great danger.


    The Green Demon¡¯s choice was very wise. Precisely because it was so perilous to reach the bottom of the cliff, those hunting him wouldn¡¯t think to look here.


    Following the wild vines, Qin Niu slowly made his way down to the bottom of the cliff.


    These vines were incredibly sturdy, appearing not too thick, but strong enough to hold fast to the cliff¡¯s precipitous rock face.


    Once at the base, he looked around and saw layers of mist.


    It felt like entering a dreamy world.


    His gaze was soon drawn to a particular vine.


    There was a small vine, only as thick as chopsticks and dark green throughout, with ordinary-looking leaves. However, one could see faint yellow veins and white spots on its stem.


    According to experience, such vines had extraordinary toughness and strength.


    ¡°This vine doesn¡¯t look very big, but the herbal essence is so rich!¡±


    His training in the Medicine King Sutra had progressed to the acquired realm, enabling him to clearly sense the energy contained within the plants and the medicinal essence they emitted.


    In this world, every herb and tree can be used for medicine.


    Even a newly sprouted blade of grass emits medicinal essence.


    The stronger the medicinal essence of a plant, the higher its value.


    Initially searching for the Green Demon¡¯s treasure, Qin Niu found this vine so unusual that he dug it up on the spot.


    He did not expect its roots to penetrate so deeply into the rock layer, and it took considerable effort to finally unearth it.


    Many of the vine¡¯s roots were broken off by Qin Niu¡¯s hands.


    Just as he had predicted, the vine appeared small but was tremendously resilient.


    Though it could not compare to an iron chain of the same size, it was much sturdier than a hemp rope of similar thickness.


    Brought back and planted in his own backyard, it would add a new member to the medicinal garden.


    The forbidden grounds of the Fang Family had given him a deep insight.


    A family or sect that wanted to thrive for generations must make preparations for nurturing talent.


    He was mainly cultivating himself, and the medicinal herbs he grew were primarily for his own use.


    Only under the right conditions would he consider cultivating the three women¡ªXiao Qing, Wang Wanyan, and Tang Caixian.


    For the moment, there were no wild bees at the bottom of the cliff.


    Perhaps the pheromones he had released on the surface of his body were still at work, causing other wild bees to mistake him for one of their own. So, they all lurked in the shadows, not coming out to attack him.


    According to the treasure map, after descending to the bottom of the cliff, he should continue walking along the right side of the cliff face.


    When a cold pool appears, he would have arrived.


    Along the way, Qin Niu found human skeletons on the ground, and some had even left behind swords and iron armor.


    All were forged from Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel, of extremely high quality.


    This indicated that the number of masters who had perished here was not small.


    Whether these items and bones were left by adventurers or the Seven-Star Sect masters who chased the Green Demon was no longer verifiable.


    The fame of the Green Demon Bee was so great that it attracted countless masters to seek the treasure, yet it also cost many their lives.


    He groped his way through the dense mist, barely able to see beyond five meters.


    He had no idea how far he had gone, surely more than half an hour, when the mist ahead gradually began to thin, extending his visibility from about five meters to roughly ten meters.


    Qin Niu smelled the distinctive fishy smell that one finds only by a riverbank.


    The air around him also felt exceedingly cold and damp.


    His heart leaped with anticipation; the cold pool must be close by.


    Indeed, he didn¡¯t have to go much farther before he came upon a deep pool about two hundred square meters in area. Cold air bubbled up from the surface of the pool, mingling with the mist at the base of the cliff and causing a significant chilling effect.


    This was also the reason why the mist was thinning out.


    The valley stream flowed into the pool, forming this deep expanse of water.


    Qin Niu picked up a stone and threw it into the pool, causing large ripples to spread.


    The stone quickly sank.


    ¡°Little Ink Turtle, it¡¯s time for you to show what you can do once again.¡±


    Qin Niu took the little Ink Turtle out of the basket.


    In reality, his basket was a bit broken, damaged by those steel-winged wild bees.


    After coming out, the Diamond Ink Turtle stuck out its head cautiously and crawled towards the edge of the pool.


    About a meter from the water, it suddenly accelerated and plunged into the pool.


    Seeing this, Qin Niu felt reassured.


    With the Diamond Ink Turtle¡¯s timid nature, if there were any formidable creatures lurking inside the pool, it would never dare to dive in.


    He began to examine the surroundings of the cold pool.


    He even took out the Green Demon¡¯s treasure map to compare.


    There was no mistake, the shape of the cold pool matched exactly what was shown on the map.


    According to the Green Demon¡¯s markings, the treasure should be hidden at the bottom of the pool.


    After waiting a moment, the little Ink Turtle surfaced from the bottom of the pool.


    It was still playfully frolicking about.


    Since being brought home by Qin Niu, it had been kept either in a broken tank or in the front courtyard¡¯s fishpond¡ªnot quite comparable to this natural wild habitat¡¯s comfort.


    ¡°Timid turtle, is it safe down there in the pool?¡±


    ¡°Safe!¡±


    The little Ink Turtle communicated with him using spiritual thoughts.


    Since Qin Niu¡¯s Termite couldn¡¯t enter the water, he hid his basket, removed his clothes, leaving just his underpants on, and with the Ink Blade in hand, he dived directly into the cold pool.


    The pool¡¯s icy water was bone-chillingly cold.


    Fortunately, with his innate realm cultivation, he managed to withstand it.


    Plunging toward the depths of the pool, the little turtle followed alongside him cheerfully.


    Now master of water control and complemented by its swimming skills, it moved more agilely than the average fish and swam even faster.


    Qin Niu swam with all his might toward the bottom of the pool, searching for the Green Demon¡¯s treasure.


    The cold depths seemed bottomless, and even after descending about thirty meters, he had still not touched the bottom.


    By then, the strong water pressure had already made his body somewhat uncomfortable.


    However, he could still withstand it.


    After all, he had reached the Innate Realm. His body, having gone through multiple rounds of tempering and strengthening, had become quite formidable.


    A normal person diving about ten meters under water would feel noticeably unwell.


    The intense water pressure could make a person¡¯s seven orifices bleed.


    He held his breath and dived to a depth of thirty meters, which was far beyond the limit that an ordinary person could endure. Only at this depth, the effort needed to continue diving became even greater.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle sensed its master¡¯s difficulty and immediately stepped forward to lend a hand.


    With its help, Qin Niu found diving much easier.


    The water pressure around him also seemed to be significantly reduced.


    He continued to dive deeper.


    He faintly saw a glimmer of light at the bottom of the pool and instinctively swam towards the source of the light.


    As he got closer to the light source, the water grew colder and colder.


    But the previously somewhat dark bottom of the pool now became clearer.


    A plant, crystal clear and jade-like, was growing at the bottom of the pool.


    It looked like a blooming lotus.


    The glimmer came from its petals. It seemed to have no leaves, only a blooming lotus blossom.


    ¡°What kind of plant is this? The energy it contains is terrifying.¡±


    Of all the plants Qin Niu had seen so far, the most formidable was that Ancient Banyan Tree deep in the mountains.


    The energy contained in this lotus at the bottom of the pool was second only to the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    It was even stronger than the ¡®treasure herbs¡¯ nurtured by the Fang Family.


    In places seldom visited by humans, it was indeed easier to find treasures of the earth and sky.


    Qin Niu thought about digging it up and taking it back.


    Whether for alchemy or cultivating the Medicine King Sutra, it was an excellent choice.


    It could even be used to cultivate termites and honeybees.


    ¡°So cold!¡±


    When he was just five or six meters away from the jade-like lotus, he could barely endure it, feeling as though he was about to freeze to death.


    His limbs became numb, and his movements noticeably slowed.


    He felt a pain he hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time, the pain of being frozen.


    ¡°Little turtle, if it really becomes unbearable, you¡¯ll have to use the Qi Wave Defense,¡± Qin Niu communicated telepathically with the Diamond Ink Turtle.


    As long as he could get close to that lotus, he could pluck it.


    It was about the size of a washbasin, large enough for a child to sit on with no problem.


    Qin Niu swam faster towards the lotus while gripping the Ink Blade in his hand. His idea was simple: if he couldn¡¯t pull it out, he would chop off the flower with its roots.


    Or use the blade to pry it out.


    The distance of five or six meters was covered in a blink.


    He was secretly delighted and immediately reached out to pluck the lotus.


    But as soon as his hand touched the lotus, a powerful vortex was generated, sucking him and the Diamond Ink Turtle directly into it.


    There was no time to resist; they were both pulled into a tunnel.


    After tumbling head over heels, along with the icy water flow, he and the little turtle fell into another space.


    At that moment, Qin Niu sensed intense danger.


    As his body fell with the current, he surveyed his surroundings.


    It was dark all around, and the water flow enveloping him seemed to start icing over, aiming to freeze him and the little turtle inside it.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle also sensed the looming threat and immediately manipulated the water to scatter in all directions.


    Qin Niu seized the moment to slash with his blade, cleaving through the water that was about to freeze.


    With the faint light from the slash of Blade Qi, he finally saw clearly what was below.


    There was a pool, its water appearing to be a dark red.


    The stench of blood hit his nose, making him feel nauseated.


    His first reaction was not to fall into that Blood Pool, or it would be dangerous.


    The newly learned Misty Rain Traceless Step proved useful at this critical moment. He tried to twist his body and then kicked against the ice forming around him.


    Actually, the water had already turned to ice.


    Pushing off against it, he used the recoil to successfully steer himself and the little turtle away from the Blood Pool.


    Ultimately, he narrowly escaped and landed beside the Blood Pool.


    The Misty Rain Traceless Step seemed to have undergone significant enlightenment and breakthrough.


    As soon as he landed, Qin Niu immediately distanced himself from the Blood Pool.


    There was no water around, only a slightly chilly air. However, there was no light in this space, all darkness, leaving him clueless about what might be lurking in the shadows.


    Nor did he know what kind of environment he was in.


    He only knew that the place where he had almost fallen was a Blood Pool.


    ¡°Could the Green Demon¡¯s treasure be inside this space?¡±


    Qin Niu had only brought an Ink Blade with him when he came down, and he hadn¡¯t brought anything else.


    If he had known, he would have brought down a flare.


    Just as he was about to explore the space, an extremely cold energy approached him.


    Without thinking, he instinctively swung his blade to slash.

 Chapter 240 - Chapter 240: Chapter 233 Green Demon_1

    Chapter 240: Chapter 233 Green Demon_1


    Blade Qi seeped from the edge of the Ink Blade, brutally striking the chill


    energy that was attacking.


    With just one strike, it annihilated it.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    A slightly pained grunt came from not too far away.


    Someone was there!


    Qin Niu¡¯s nerves instantly tensed.


    There was actually someone in this space who could it be?


    Could it be an adventurer like him, who came in searching for treasure and then accidentally got sucked into this space?


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    Qin Niu bent over to pick up two stones from the ground, while sternly calling


    out.


    That person had just launched a chill energy attack at him, clearly harboring ill intent.


    This time, three streams of chill energy assaulted him.


    Coming from different directions.


    They were filled with an evil presence, carrying a dense scent of death, similar to the chill energy that descended from the branches of the Ancient Banyan


    Tree.


    But compared to it, the chill energy from the Ancient Banyan Tree at night seemed more condensed, and it did not carry such an intense deathly aura.


    Qin Niu did not know what this triple stream of chill energy was and directly struck out with his blade.


    The technique he used was a mass-killing skill, the Sweeping Strike.


    The three streams of chill energy had no resistance against the slash of his Ink


    Blade and were all extinguished.


    In the shadows, that person¡¯s muffled grunt sounded once more.


    This time, Qin Niu did not hold back.


    As he closed in on the opponent, he threw the two stones in his hand towards


    the source of the sound.


    For a practitioner of the Innate Realm, even a mere stone thrown held considerable power.


    Bang Bang!


    The stones struck something hard, sparking off flints, shattering the stones


    into several pieces.


    Then they fell to the ground.


    Using the faint light from the sparks, Qin Niu finally saw the scene in front of him.


    It was a human-shaped stone sculpture.


    But this sculpture was much bulkier than an average person, its body as thick


    as a bear¡¯s.


    The height was around one and a half meters.


    It was sitting cross-legged.


    Another detail, the sculpture was black.


    The facial features were quite vague; it was unclear if it was due to the lack of detailed carving on the face or for some other reason.


    A stone sculpture should be an inanimate object, right? How could it possibly emit a grunt?


    Qin Niu felt utterly baffled.


    Feeling that all the threat was emanating from this sculpture, he quickly approached and swung his blade.


    ¡°Mercy, have mercy!¡±


    The stone sculpture let out a terrified plea for clemency.


    It sounded aged, clearly a male¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Playing tricks! Who are you?¡±


    Qin Niu coldly questioned the stone sculpture.


    ¡°He Houyi!¡±


    The stone sculpture seemed very afraid of Qin Niu.


    ¡°You¡¯re called what?¡±


    Qin Niu could hardly believe his ears.


    ¡°He Houyi.¡±


    The stone sculpture repeated.


    -You, you¡¯re the beekeeper from Black Stone Village? The one who single-handedly took on the entire Seven-Star Sect as the Green Demon?¡±


    Qin Niu knew that the Green Demon¡¯s real name was He Houyi.


    It was just that later, because the bees he raised were green killer bees, and his actions were similar to that of a demon king, who slaughtered the entire village, he was thus given the name Green Demon.


    ¡°Heh¡­ Let the world call me Green Demon if they wish! I¡¯ve raised bees, I¡¯ve killed people, but I ask myself, those I killed were the ones who had to be killed. The Seven-Star Sect, in my eyes, is no big deal.¡±


    The stone sculpture¡¯s voice carried a hint of self-ridicule.


    And a trace of melancholy.


    ¡°Hmph, everyone here deserves death? If 1 hadn¡¯t been vigilant, if 1 couldn¡¯t resist those cold and evil creatures, I¡¯m afraid I would¡¯ve been dead by now. You¡¯ve exhausted every scheme to leave behind the Green Demon Beekeeping Manual, deliberately including a treasure map inside, luring people step by step into your trap. Such actions are thoroughly demonic. Today, you cannot remain, I¡¯ll send you on your way first, to prevent future calamities for humanity and continued harm to the world.¡±


    Qin Niu raised his blade to strike the stone sculpture again.


    The two stones had just struck it, sparking on impact, indicating the surface of


    the sculpture was very hard.


    The Green Demon must have also been a figure from at least two hundred years ago, it was quite unexpected that he could live until now.


    Living within a stone sculpture, who knows what method he used? ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! Luring people here in search of treasure was a last resort. Back then, I killed the Seven Star Sect Master, angering the higher-ups of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. They sent an Immortal Master to kill me.


    In front of the Immortal Master, I had no power to resist.


    The Green Demon Bees I had painstakingly raised were easily exterminated by him.


    1 managed to use a substitution method to escape the calamity of death. But after I fled back to this cavern beneath the Cold Pond, although I didn¡¯t die, I might as well have been a living corpse. I had to survive by sucking the lifeblood of living people.¡±


    Over the years, I¡¯ve been trying every possible way to get my revenge, as long as I can avenge this great enmity, without you needing to lift a finger, I will take my own life as thanks to the world. To give an explanation to those people


    I¡¯ve killed.¡±


    The Green Demon¡¯s words were earnest.


    But Qin Niu listened expressionlessly.


    ¡°What were those cold and evil creatures that attacked me just now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret technique I cultivated, equivalent to my avatar.¡±


    ¡°When you were slain by the Immortal Master from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, your cultivation should have been strong, what realm were you in at that time?¡±


    ¡°I was already in the Innate Realm.¡±


    The Green Demon answered crisply.


    ¡°Later Stage of the Innate Realm?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As the Green Demon answered, he seemed straightforward but actually played


    a trick.


    He did not specify which stage of the Innate Realm he had reached.


    The difference between the Initial Stage and the Later Stage of the Innate Realm is immense.


    ¡°The secret technique you cultivated, you must have already been practicing it before you fought the Immortal Master from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Green Demon, facing an opponent like Qin Niu, must have felt helpless.


    Mature beyond his years, with extraordinary wisdom and strategy.


    All his schemes and tactics were ineffective in front of Qin Niu.


    ¡°How many Beekeeping Manuals have you left outside?¡±


    ¡°Over a hundred.¡±


    ¡°Does every single one contain a treasure map?


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°When I touched that crystalline lotus flower at the bottom of the pond, why did a whirlpool suddenly form, sucking me in?¡±


    ¡°That was a trap.¡±


    ¡°What is the name of that plant?¡±


    ¡°Ice Lotus!¡±


    ¡°Was it growing here in this pond originally, or did you plant it?¡±


    ¡°It was already here.¡±


    ¡°The water in the pond is bone-chillingly cold, is it related to that?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    -How do you usually deal with other adventurers? Just wait for them to be sucked in and freeze into ice blocks?¡±


    ¡°Those with weaker cultivation will be directly frozen to death. Those stronger will fall into the Blood Pool, where my avatar will deal with them.¡±


    ¡°How do you suck their lifeblood?¡±


    ¡°My avatar can suck it. Once they die, their fresh blood will merge into the Blood Pool.¡±


    ¡°How do I leave this place?¡±


    Qin Niu had asked almost everything he wanted and began to ask the most crucial question.


    ¡°There are two passages. One is where you were sucked in, you can attempt to burst out from that spot. Your cultivation is probably in the Initial Stage of the innate Realm; it might be difficult to achieve. The second passage is beneath the Blood Pool; there¡¯s a cave that leads to the outside bottom of the Cold Pond, they are connected. However, there is a segment that is extremely cold, but you should be able to withstand it.¡±


    The Green Demon taught him the two methods of leaving.


    ¡°Hmm, thank you for your answers.¡±


    Qin Niu did not inquire about the whereabouts of the Green Demon Bees, but instead coldly and ruthlessly swung his blade at the statue.


    Bang!


    The stone sculpture was shattered, revealing the flesh body inside.


    After so many years, the flesh body of the Green Demon had not been destroyed. It was an older man with a sinister appearance and gray hair..

 Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: Chapter 234: Getting the Bee Eggs 1

    Chapter 241: Chapter 234: Getting the Bee Eggs 1


    The Green Demon was not very tall, measuring less than 1.6 meters.


    This could be related to his childhood stay at his uncle¡¯s house.


    At that time, he was in his growth phase, but his aunt was very harsh on him. She only gave him a little food every day and made him do all sorts of heavy chores, which suppressed his physical development, thus his short stature.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Qin Niu showed no mercy, directly chopping the body in two.


    A large amount of blood flowed out from the corpse.


    ¡°You¡­ Why didn¡¯t you keep your word and still kill me?¡±


    The Green Demon appeared immensely furious.


    ¡°FImph, you were the one who was not honest from the beginning. If I¡¯m not wrong, even before the Immortal Master had come to kill me, you had already released those Green Demon Bee cultivations. That is to say, you set this trap not as a last resort to save your life after being injured by the Immortal Master, but with a long-standing plan. Plus, you told me that the Blood Pool was an exit, harboring malicious intentions.


    If I went in there, I would likely die immediately.


    Since you were insincere and ill-intentioned from the start, you can¡¯t blame me for killing you.¡±


    Qin Niu secretly speculated that the Green Demon must now be in some special state.


    Normally, if a person¡¯s body dies, they too would die.


    The Green Demon¡¯s body had been sealed within this stone statue, not eating or drinking for many years, yet he remained alive, which was surely no simple matter.


    From the moment Qin Niu obtained the Green Demon Bee cultivation, he had already been calculated by the Green Demon.


    After entering this space, the Green Demon¡¯s intent to kill him never diminished.


    Yet this person was even craftier than imagined, extremely good at disguising.


    It was understandable; after all, having grown up in such an environment, the Green Demon had to learn to be cruel and selfish, cunning, and sinister. Furthermore, a child grown in hatred inevitably has an extreme character and twisted humanity.


    The Green Demon¡¯s view of life, values, and world outlook, were undoubtedly very different from that of ordinary people.


    With such a treacherous and sly being, Qin Niu made sure he gathered all the information he needed and naturally would not allow him to live to see another year.


    Mercy towards enemies is cruelty to oneself.


    After the Green Demon¡¯s body was chopped open, an eye emerged from his chest, with glimpses of green lightning flickering within.


    It looked rather eerie.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t care for such things, as he held the Ink Blade in hand. It could spit out Blade Qi, which had strong lethality against demon beasts, evil spirits, ghosts, and the like.


    At least dealing with weaker demons and ghosts was not a problem in the slightest.


    With a single chop, Blade Qi viciously struck the eye.


    ¡°You destroyed my physical body, and we cannot exist under the same sky, 1 will never let you off!¡±


    The voice of the Green Demon was wretched beyond compare, echoing in the space.


    ¡°FImph, with that neither-human-nor-ghost appearance of yours? If you dare, come at me.¡±


    Qin Niu had just exterminated the Green Demon¡¯s four avatars and was not afraid of that kind of cold energy.


    Fie guessed that the cold energy might be something like a ghost.


    Since he did not know much about cultivation yet, he could only make such an irresponsible guess.


    The blood in the Blood Pool kept churning, slowly condensing into a human figure.


    In the darkness, the dim glow of blood flickered, making it extraordinarily visible. Yet its eyes were two green beams, like mo green ghost fires dancing.


    Qin Niu silently prepared himself.


    A bug larva unexpectedly appeared after the chest eye was cut open by the Green Demon¡¯s corpse.


    It was only the size of a sesame seed, and it flashed with green lightning.


    ¡°This is a bee larva!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s skill in identifying insects had reached a certain level. Fie had dealt with honey bees, Corpse Bees, bumblebees, Steel-winged Wild Bees, and could recognize at a glance that this was a bug larva.


    ¡°Forfeit your life!¡±


    Bellowing in fury, the blood figure from the Blood Pool rushed directly at Qin Niu.


    Fie thought it would leap out of the Blood Pool.


    Unexpectedly, it merely shot a water arrow towards Qin Niu.


    At this moment, a cold energy once again approached Qin Niu silently.


    But instead of attacking him, it was going for that bee larva.


    ¡°Flaha, with your misdirection tricks, you also want to snatch back the bee larva?¡±


    Qin Niu burst into laughter after seeing through the opponent¡¯s intentions.


    The more the Green Demon wanted to retrieve the bee larva, the more important it must be.


    And the less likely Qin Niu was to let him get his wish.


    Fie chopped at the cold energy with a single slash.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The Green Demon let out another painful groan.


    It was probably another one of his avatars that had been extinguished by Qin Niu in an instant.


    The incoming water arrow was completely ignored by Qin Niu.


    With the Diamond Ink Turtle by his side, if such a timid turtle couldn¡¯t handle even a simple water arrow, he was preparing to kill and boil it for turtle soup.


    The water arrow, as it neared to within three meters of Qin Niu, immediately changed direction and hit the wall of the cave a few meters away.


    Sputter!


    Splash!


    The blood turned into an arrow, not particularly powerful.


    After hitting the rock wall, it scattered on the ground. This blood gave off a sense of extremely sinister evil and danger.


    Qin Niu had already collected the bee larva into a small Insect Jar.


    Which infuriated the Green Demon into howling wildly.


    ¡°Damn it, I must destroy you!


    The Green Demon raged as the blood figure in the Blood Pool became uncontrollably erratic, shooting a barrage of blood arrows at Qin Niu.


    Unfortunately, in front of the little turtle, such attacks were just like child¡¯s play-


    Those blood arrows, once within three meters of Qin Niu, inevitably drifted away.


    All of them turned and then struck the rock walls beside him.


    After having some fun for a while, under the little turtle¡¯s control, some of the blood arrows turned and shot back towards their origin.


    It seemed that its water control skills had become stronger.


    Qin Niu checked and found that the Diamond Ink Turtle¡¯s water control ability had indeed advanced to the second order.


    ¡°I was originally planning to keep you here longer to serve as a sparring partner for my pet, but now that I¡¯ve got my hands on the Green Demon Bee¡¯s egg, 1 won¡¯t let you remain in the world of the living.¡±


    Qin Niu quickly approached the Blood Pool and fiercely chopped down at the blood figure over ten feet tall.


    Critical Chop!


    The Blade Qi instantly became several times stronger, ferociously striking the blood figure.


    Just one chop was enough to cause it to collapse.


    The Green Demon was indeed down on its luck, being perfectly countered by Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade.


    Its duplicate was useless; the blood figure it condensed couldn¡¯t leave the Blood Pool.


    With that chop, it let out a sharp and miserable scream before falling silent.


    Flowever, Qin Niu dared not let his guard down.


    The Green Demon was incredibly cunning; it wouldn¡¯t die that easily.


    What Qin Niu cared about most was the bee egg.


    If it truly was a Green Demon Bee¡¯s egg, just hatching it would give him a freakishly strong Green Demon Bee.


    Fie could even make it lay eggs and establish his own bee swarm, just like the Ant Queen had.


    An egg that the Green Demon valued so highly couldn¡¯t be an ordinary bee egg.


    The Blood Pool slowly returned to calm.


    The entire space became deathly still.


    Qin Niu was in no hurry to leave because he was certain the Green Demon was not yet dead.


    In this situation, any mistake could allow the Green Demon to strike again, seizing the chance to take his life.


    ¡°Green Demon, you¡¯ve nurtured this bee egg inside your body; it must be very important to you, huh? Tsk tsk, I¡¯ve never seen such an egg that flashes with green sparks before. Such a high-grade bee egg; if 1 were to form a contract with it, it would certainly be a beautiful thing in this world.¡±


    Qin Niu deliberately provoked the Green Demon with his words.


    Still no response.


    Fie wasn¡¯t in a rush, wielding the Ink Blade in his hand, which burst forth with a brilliant Blade Qi.


    Using the bright light emitted by the Blade Qi, he then explored the entire space.


    Just as the Green Demon had said, there were no other exits.


    The opening that had sucked him in was above his head, about twenty feet off the ground.


    There was a peculiar vortex there, exerting a strong force, preventing the water from escaping down.


    One had to marvel at nature¡¯s wonders, capable of creating such extraordinary spectacles.


    To get out, it seemed piercing through that vortex might be the way to leave.


    But it wasn¡¯t going to be easy.


    Furthermore, right below the vortex was the Blood Pool; if he fell in, he would likely be playing right into the Green Demon¡¯s hands.


    I¡¯ve got no choice but to take the risk.¡±


    After surveying the entire space, Qin Niu decided to risk escaping through the vortex.


    It was a pity he had only come in wearing a pair of shorts, carrying two Insect Jars, and nothing else.


    If he had a Contractual Talisman with him, he might¡¯ve been able to form a contract with the bee egg on the spot and further provoke the Green Demon.


    The Green Demon was obviously feigning death and hiding within the Blood Pool, unwilling to come out.


    For Qin Niu to enter the Blood Pool would be a death wish.


    The blood within the Blood Pool felt extremely dangerous, obviously not something benign.


    Under such circumstances, the only way out was to escape through the same spot where he was sucked in.


    Fie ran forward with borrowed momentum and, upon reaching the edge of the Blood Pool, leapt powerfully into the air.


    Misty Rain Traceless Step was unleashed, his figure soaring into the sky.


    Below the vortex, he swung his blade in a chop.


    Fie hoped to carve out a path, then make his escape.


    Unfortunately, he failed.


    Flis body fell downward.


    At this moment, without any reaction, he¡¯d likely drop directly into the Blood Pool.


    A thought flickered in his mind; it might be better to go along with the trick.


    ¡öStruggling desperately,¡¯ his body continued to fall toward the Blood Pool.


    Just as his body was about to touch the surface, about three feet above the Blood Pool, the blood water suddenly revealed a ghastly face, opening a gaping maw.


    ¡°Fleh heh, I knew you were playing dead, you old demon.¡±


    Qin Niu had been waiting for this moment.


    The Ink Blade in his hand chopped down mercilessly.


    The Slash Martial Skill activated with an Explosive Slash Effect.


    The Ink Blade had now evolved a spirit, with a Talisman containing universal laws engraved within the blade itself.


    Perhaps calling it a Talisman of the Great Dao was a bit of an exaggeration.


    At the very least, it was a Talisman that aligned with the universal laws, one that the Ink Blade had evolved on its own.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation had also reached the Innate Realm, and using the blade to execute Slash Martial Skills was like adding wings to a tiger.


    Not every chop would produce an Explosive Slash Effect, but at least three out of ten would.


    Bang!


    The terrifying Blade Qi struck the bloody face within the Blood Pool, easily Rupturing it in two.


    Then, continuing with an unyielding force, it Ruptured the entire Blood Pool¡¯s water.


    ¡°Aah¡­¡±


    From the Blood Pool came the Green Demon¡¯s screams of fear and pain.


    That chop had cost the Green Demon dearly.


    On the contrary, the previous chop that had dished the blood-derived humanoid monster hadn¡¯t likely hurt the Green Demon much.


    Or at least, not seriously.


    Even the cunning Green Demon hadn¡¯t anticipated the last chop.


    It was indeed a huge risk for Qin Niu.


    Using the force of the chop, he twisted his body and successfully stood on the edge of the Blood Pool.


    I¡¯ll see if you¡¯re really dead..

 Chapter 242 - Chapter 242: Chapter 235 Return Fully Loaded 1

    Chapter 242: Chapter 235 Return Fully Loaded 1


    Qin Niu managed to stabilize himself and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.


    In this duel of wits, though the Green Demon was cunning, it might not be a match for this youth.


    When Qin Niu had just split the water of the Blood Pool, he saw very clearly that there was no passage at the bottom of the pool. Instead, there were some symbols carved on the stone slab at the bottom.


    He was certain that the Blood Pool had likely been constructed by the Green Demon even before any trouble occurred.


    As for whether this space had always existed or had been created by the Green Demon, only the Green Demon knew for sure.


    There was no way it would tell Qin Niu.


    Since there was no passage beneath the Blood Pool, it meant that the second passage the Green Demon had mentioned was entirely a trap.


    It was meant to lure Qin Niu down there.


    ¡°No worries, that was just the first chop. I¡¯ve prepared even more substantial dishes for you, old man. I¡¯m just afraid you might gorge yourself.¡±


    The successful strike of Qin Niu¡¯s blade had wounded the Green Demon, meaning if the Green Demon dared to show itself, it could be severely injured or even killed on the spot.


    The power of the chop just now was immense, but the Green Demon was still not dead, proving to be much more troublesome than those clones.


    With one chop, Qin Niu could annihilate three of the Green Demon¡¯s clones.


    ¡°Come again!¡±


    Drawing on his previous failure, he started to move again, leaping and then chopping vigorously.


    This time, he successfully split open a crack in the whirlpool.


    A large amount of cold water poured down.


    The water, emitting a chill, instantly turned to ice upon entering this space.


    It was very likely the prowess of the Ice Lotus.


    Qin Niu coveted that Ice Lotus. Such a powerful herb, if he could dig it up and take it back, together with his Everlasting Spring Technique, he wouldn¡¯t worry about not being able to grow it.


    He dare not even think of the wonders within.


    This time, as he fell toward the Blood Pool, the Green Demon showed no signs of action.


    Perhaps it had been scared by Qin Niu¡¯s killing intent.


    ¡°Coward Turtle, I¡¯ll take you out. This time, you¡¯re in charge of parting the oncoming water.¡±


    Qin Niu grabbed the Diamond Ink Turtle with his left hand and held the Ink Blade in his right, growing more valiant as the battle raged on.


    That¡¯s how people are, with a first attempt, their courage grows bigger and bigger.


    And they become more confident.


    Plus, by constantly summing up their experiences, there¡¯s a chance for success.


    Gathering his strength, he ran again, leaping high with the momentum and striving with all his might to slash at the whirlpool above.


    The whirlpools were actually caused by the high-speed rotation of the cold water.


    They were in a strange semi-frozen state.


    As soon as they left the whirlpool, they would immediately freeze into chunks of ice.


    Whoosh!


    An even wider fissure was torn open.


    The effect of Qin Niu¡¯s Slash Martial Skill seemed to have made a significant breakthrough, reaching an effect that a regular Critical Chop could not achieve.


    It had not only the Critical Chop effect but also a terrifying Rupture effect.


    It was as if heaven or earth could be split open with one slash.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle knew its master was fighting with all his might to escape and exerted its water control skills to the fullest. The pouring water parted to both sides.


    Qin Niu, with the Diamond Ink Turtle, managed to break into the cold water stream.


    He was caught by the powerful force of the whirlpool and began to spin at high speed.


    The Ice Lotus was right ahead.


    From here, one could clearly see its roots.


    It seemed as though its roots had formed a strong suction force, which was what created the strange whirlpool at the bottom of the pool.


    ¡°Break!¡±


    Qin Niu made another vigorous chop, forcefully stopping the whirlpool that had been forming for who knows how many years with sheer human strength. The effect of tearing everything apart appeared again.


    The whirlpool, like a machine running at high speed, suddenly had a screw tossed into its gears.


    It hesitated for a moment.


    Qin Niu knew he couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity.


    He fiercely pushed off the water with both feet, then rushed toward the Ice Lotus.


    ¡°Timid turtle, perch on my shoulder, and make sure not to fall off again.¡±


    The Diamond Ink Turtle was placed on his shoulder, while his left hand reached for the root of the Ice Lotus.


    Upon touching the Ice Lotus, the cold was bone-chilling, as if to freeze him to death.


    Strangely enough, the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique offered no resistance against this extreme cold. However, the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power, despite being much weaker than the Everlasting Spring Technique, was able to protect Qin Niu well, guarding against the bizarre cold energy emanating from the root of the Ice Lotus.


    Each cultivation technique has its own use.


    The Medicine King Sutra was likely created by pharmacists or elixir masters for the purpose of concocting elixirs.


    It naturally counters some of the extraordinary powers of medicinal herbs.


    For example, it now successfully resisted the strange cold from the Ice Lotus.


    Otherwise, Qin Niu¡¯s entire left hand would have instantly turned into an ice pop.


    With the Ice Lotus in hand, his legs kicked frantically, and he swiftly floated towards the surface of the cold pool.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle helped its master rise by controlling the water.


    Right at the moment the Ice Lotus was plucked, the whirlpool at the bottom of the pool seemed to suddenly cease.


    Then, a vast amount of pool water gushed into the mysterious space below.


    Qin Niu felt a powerful current pulling him downward, and he knew that if he were dragged into it, the consequences would be unpredictable.


    At this life-or-death moment, he naturally exerted all his strength to swim upward.


    Fortunately, with the Diamond Ink Turtle¡¯s assistance, he expended considerable effort and slowly escaped the deep waters at the bottom of the pool.


    The higher he floated, the weaker the sucking force became.


    The strongest pulling force was at the bottom of the pool.


    He could feel that a whirlpool was forming in the center of the cold pool.


    It was like an undersea tornado.


    If he were sucked into it, it would be very difficult to break free.


    At least with his current strength, he was not yet able to contend with such a force of nature.


    After barely surfacing with all his might, he didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment and immediately kicked off the water surface, shooting upward into the sky.


    The newly learned Misty Rain Elusive Step truly proved its worth today.


    Even though he had reached the Innate Realm before, he had never been able to walk on waves like this.


    Now, having successfully leapt out of the cold pool and landed on the bank, he finally felt a bit relieved.


    Fearing that other disasters might occur after the pool water poured into that space, Qin Niu dared not linger.


    Dressed only in underwear, he quickly grabbed his clothes and basket, fleeing the area.


    Just as he had not gone far, a rumbling vibration came from the ground behind him.


    Then, large swathes of the ground began to collapse.


    If he had stayed by the poolside, the consequences would have been unimaginable.


    Even now, he didn¡¯t feel safe.


    Hurriedly, he put on his clothes and King Pig Leather Armor, then, with the basket on his back and the Ice Lotus in one hand, he fled frantically.


    The rumbling from the bottom of the cliff continued unabated, and the earth trembled.


    Qin Niu sped along the same path he had come by.


    While it took him over half an hour to get there, the escape took much less time.


    Mainly because he was unfamiliar with the route and the terrain on the way there, so he had to proceed with extreme caution.


    Now, as he ran for his life, his mindset was completely different.


    Just as he managed to climb the cliff, a wild bee spotted him.


    As soon as it came within ten meters of Qin Niu, it was subdued by the termites.


    Now, dealing with these wild bees, Qin Niu was well-versed.


    The old strategy worked just fine.


    Having the subdued bee mark him,


    makes it recognize him as one of its own.


    With rocks constantly falling from above, he climbed up quickly and meticulously without daring to stop for a moment.


    It wasn¡¯t until he successfully reached the top of the cliff that he felt as if he had escaped to the heavens.


    Still not daring to linger, as he saw the ground atop the cliff forming giant fissures.


    The entire mountain was likely going to collapse.

 Chapter 243 - Chapter 243: Chapter 236 It’s Very Likely the Only One 1

    Chapter 243: Chapter 236 It¡¯s Very Likely the Only One 1


    It was unimaginable that a single plant had been maintaining the balance of an entire mountain. After the Ice Lotus was removed, the originally stable valley at the bottom of the cliff began to collapse, triggering a chain reaction.


    This Ice Lotus was also the best herb Qin Niu had obtained from all the medicinal plants.


    Its energy might not be comparable to the Ancient Banyan Tree, but its special abilities were in no way inferior to those of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree was too big and simply couldn¡¯t be transplanted.


    At least, with Qin Niu¡¯s current abilities, he couldn¡¯t transplant it.


    The Ice Lotus, however, had no such restrictions.


    As he ran forward, birds and wild bees occasionally flew up from the mountain, also scattering in escape. Yet, wild animals were rare in these mountains, even mice were seldom seen.


    There were far too many wild bees, their presence severely threatened the safety of other animals.


    Most of the beasts within this mountain area had been wiped out by the Steel-winged Wild Bees.


    Even other insects were scarce.


    There were rumors of various kinds of wild bees in these mountains, but they seemed a bit overstated.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s view, there were only two or three species.


    The strongest were the Steel-winged Wild Bees, and the strongest among them were around Grade Five.


    The ground underfoot trembled violently, making it difficult for him to stand steady.


    In turn, he fled with even greater urgency and speed.


    Still, there were several times he almost fell over.


    But he got up and ran away immediately, not daring to pause for even a moment.


    Boom! Loud thunderous noises!


    As if the heavens had split and the earth had shattered, a large portion of the flat-top peak directly collapsed.


    He too was toppled to the ground by the massive quake.


    Looking back, what was once a flat-topped mountain peak had now collapsed by half, transforming into an inverted V-shaped pointed blade peak.


    The valley had been completely filled in.


    The cold pond, secret spaces, and Blood Pool inside were likely buried beneath the ground.


    Whether the Green Demon that lay hidden in the Blood Pool was still alive, no one knew.


    But in Qin Niu¡¯s opinion, the Green Demon wasn¡¯t as ¡®pitiable¡¯ as imagined. The Green Demon¡¯s bee-rearing manual, written by the Green Demon itself, beautified its own image to some degree.


    At least from the Green Demon¡¯s actions, it definitely deserved the title of evil demon.


    After the earth stopped shaking, Qin Niu got up and saw a faint light of dawn breaking through.


    Daylight was approaching.


    Airborne, a vast number of wild bees whirled and hovered.


    The collapse of the mountain had rendered many formidable wild bees homeless, making them extremely irritable and angry. As soon as they spotted a target to attack, they would swarm it immediately.


    Qin Niu was not afraid, but there was no need to incur their wrath unnecessarily.


    So, he simply sat down beneath this large tree.


    Then he took out an Advanced Contract Talisman.


    He hesitated. The level of the bee egg was probably not high, and perhaps using a mid-level Contractual Talisman would be enough to subdue it.


    After all, Advanced Contract Talismans were not easy to come by.


    With this thought, he took out a mid-level Contractual Talisman and activated it with his power.


    With his cultivation at the Innate Realm, using a Talisman no longer required him to bite open his tongue or fingertips.


    Once the Talisman was activated, it turned into a beam of golden light that shot towards the bee egg.


    A faint green glow appeared on the surface of the bee egg, like halo rings, resisting the invasion of the golden light.


    Seeing this, Qin Niu showed a pleased expression.


    He had always been worried that the bee egg had already been marked by the Green Demon, but now it seemed his luck was good.


    Possibly after the Green Demon¡¯s mishap, its physical body died, and it hadn¡¯t managed to claim the egg.


    Or it had other uses for this bee egg.


    Regardless, the fact that the bee egg had not been claimed was a great boon.


    It at least gave him this opportunity.


    The golden light was still contending with the green glow, and the situation looked as though the golden light had little chance of winning.


    But the resistance of the green glow was not as strong as imagined either.


    Unperturbed, Qin Niu took out a second mid-level Contractual Talisman and activated it.


    Another golden beam shot out, becoming one with the first.


    Under such a powerful offensive, the green glow began to falter, its halo rings slowly being compressed.


    Qin Niu¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile.


    He took out a third mid-level Contractual Talisman.


    Without any hesitation, he activated it once again.


    When the third golden light merged with the others, the bee egg¡¯s resistance became futile.


    The golden light tore through the green glow like pulling weeds, and penetrated into the bee egg.


    ¡°Become my servant, and 1 promise you¡¯ll grow stronger!¡± Qin Niu communicated directly with it using spiritual power.


    It remained unmoved, fiercely resisting.


    But such resistance seemed more like a final obstinate struggle, more symbolic than anything, and there was no way it could withstand Qin Niu¡¯s overwhelming assault.


    ¡°Even the Green Demon was defeated by me, what¡¯s left for you to resist? Submit!¡± Qin Niu pressed down with his formidable spiritual power.


    Its will to resist was clearly crumbling.


    To all living beings, revering the strong is an innate trait.


    Qin Niu had experience taming several pets before, even the Queen Bee with its steely will had been subdued by him.


    The consciousness of this bee egg was still weak; under his formidable onslaught, it was subdued with just three mid-level Contractual Talismans.


    And at the very moment when the contract was successfully formed between them, Qin Niu felt as though a cold wind was sweeping over from a distance.


    He immediately gripped his Ink Blade and became vigilant.


    If the Green Demon dared to come, he would not mind sending it off with a slash.


    The cold wind blew for a while, but there was no follow-up.


    Sound and fury, signifying nothing.


    The Green Demon lurked in the shadows but didn¡¯t dare to seek revenge on Qin Niu.


    Since the Green Demon could sense it as Qin Niu claimed ownership of the bee egg, it indicated a certain connection between the Green Demon and it.


    Qin Niu, having successfully claimed it, couldn¡¯t wait to check the properties of the bee egg.


    Green Demon Bee (Bee Egg)


    Grade: Grade Three Hymenoptera Insect, Upgrade Experience 1000/10000


    Lifespan: 70 years


    Energy: 10000


    Skills: None Yet


    Talent: Night Vision, grows stronger by absorbing Yin-cold energy and the blood of living beings.


    Why do its attributes seem a bit evil?


    Its talent to have Night Vision wasn¡¯t surprising.


    Its ability to grow stronger by absorbing Yin-cold energy or the blood of living beings looked like the path of evil regardless of how one saw it.


    As for its skills, Qin Niu wasn¡¯t worried at all.


    Because it was already a Grade Three insect even just as an egg.


    If it hatched and became a Queen Bee, it could at least rise to Grade One.


    That was without any special cultivation, and its grade was already higher than that of a War Bee Queen Bee.


    If it were properly nurtured, it could at least become a Grade Five insect.


    As of now, only the Ant Queen had reached that level.


    The Green Demon Bee¡¯s grade seemed to be quite close to that of the Green Silk Worm.


    But in terms of growth potential, the Green Demon Bee was clearly much stronger.


    If it could grow by consuming the blood of living beings, was the Green Demon planting it inside itself to deliberately nurture it with its own essence blood?


    It was entirely possible.


    The Green Demon and Old Master Huang both raised insects within their bodies; both were madmen among Insect Masters.


    To raise more powerful insects, they would sacrifice everything.


    Both were absolutely ruthless.


    Qin Niu tried biting his fingertip and squeezed out a drop of fresh blood to wrap around the bee egg.


    It seemed to be slowly absorbing the fresh blood.


    Now, Qin Niu was an Innate Realm powerhouse, and his fresh blood contained a significant amount of energy.


    It was greatly beneficial for the hatching of the bee egg.


    By this time, the sky was already bright.


    Qin Niu could also clearly see the scenery in the mountains.


    The mountain behind him had collapsed to a great extent, and the rolling stones and soil had formed a new slope.


    The cliff he risked his life crossing last night, including the valley at the bottom, had completely disappeared.


    It had all been filled in.


    The forces of nature were truly frightening.


    If he had escaped any slower yesterday, he might have ended up buried at the bottom of the cliff.


    It was good that the cliff was destroyed, so the Green Demon couldn¡¯t harm anyone else.


    The multitude of white bones scattered throughout the Black Stone Mountain were the end of numerous living beings.


    By destroying this place, Qin Niu had accumulated vast merit.


    Wild bees could still be seen flitting about in the mountains.


    But when they flew near Qin Niu, they seemed to revere him, restraining their ferocity and not daring to be presumptuous in his presence.


    Faced with this strange scene, Qin Niu was momentarily taken aback.


    Not long ago, these wild bees had been highly aggressive towards him, but now they had become docile upon nearing him. Could it be due to him subduing the bee egg of the Green Demon Bee?


    Just subduing a bee egg had such an effect; once it hatched, wouldn¡¯t all bees submit to it?


    In this mountainous region, even in the depths of the cliff, Qin Niu had not discovered the legendary Green Demon Bee.


    Either it had been wiped clean by the Immortal Master from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect,


    Or it had been captured by the continuously arriving adventurers.


    If the Green Demon Bee had indeed been eradicated by the Immortal Master, Qin Niu¡¯s bee egg would be the only Green Demon Bee left in the world.


    It was also the Green Demon¡¯s sole reliance for turning the tables and seeking revenge.


    He was truly looking forward to the skills of the bee egg once it hatched; they were bound to be astonishing.


    After realizing that the wild bees in the mountains no longer dared to attack him, Qin Niu dashed straight ahead. He was executing the Misty Rain Traceless Step.


    This martial skill had enabled him to survive amidst grave dangers and was proving remarkably effective.


    Having tasted the sweetness, Qin Niu naturally practiced it whenever the opportunity arose.


    Every step he took increased the skill¡¯s proficiency by at least o.oi, and he believed that with perseverance, he could master this movement skill in just a few years.


    Besides, he had made a significant breakthrough in his Slash Martial Skill during the previous night¡¯s battle.


    He checked subconsciously.


    Martial Skill: Critical Chop (Minor Achievement) 1022/10000 (30% chance of Critical Chop, 10% chance of Rupture, using the Ink Blade there is a 50% chance of Critical Chop.), Sweeping Strike (Beginner) 7.12/10, Misty Rain Traceless Step (Proficient) 23.4/100 (Speed increased by 30%, agility improved by 10%)


    Indeed, it was almost what he had speculated, the Slash Martial Skill had advanced.


    It had progressed from little achievement to minor achievement.


    The chance of a Critical Chop had increased to a terrifying 30%, and it now possessed the new Rupture effect.


    The viciousness of Rupture was something he had witnessed himself.


    The vortex of liquid ice had been difficult to break.


    Yet, when his Slash Martial Skill broke through and he grasped Rupture, he was able to tear the vortex apart with a single strike.


    If this was used on an enemy, regardless of the strength of their defense, they might be torn apart.


    As for how effective it truly was, he would have to wait until he faced an enemy with a hard shell to test it out.


    Qin Niu ran swiftly through the mountains, very pleased with his gains from this venture.


    The risks taken this time were also considerable.


    He had faced the risk of death several times, but luckily, with his calm wit and the help of his numerous pets, he had managed to overcome the crises step by step..

 Chapter 244 - Chapter 244: Chapter 237: The Ruthless Man Speaks Little_1

    Chapter 244: Chapter 237: The Ruthless Man Speaks Little_1


    As he swiftly ran through the mountains, he noticed that many adventurers had also entered the Black Stone Mountain domain.


    Strangely enough, all of the rocks in this mountain area were black.


    Yet, the rocks in the surrounding mountains were of normal color.


    Black Stone Village most likely got its name from the black stones in these mountains.


    He couldn¡¯t find out the specific reason why these stones were black, nor was he going to investigate. The fact that he had obtained such a magical Ice Lotus at the bottom of the cliff indicated that this place was definitely not simple.


    There was also another matter filled with doubt.


    The Green Demon had likely already cultivated the Secret Technique before rhe incident occurred.


    Where did the Cultivation Technique come from?


    Did he first breed the Green Demon Bees, or did he first cultivate the Secret Technique?


    If given the chance, Qin Niu would definitely clarify this point because he now possessed the Green Demon Bee.


    Whether or nor the Green Demon could again mass-produce Green Demon Bees, or had a secret method to control them, these were questions worth figuring out. Because if he planned to cultivate the Green Demon Bee as an important combat force, he had to ensure that he would not be controlled by others.


    If he spent decades, even a hundred years, finally managing to cultivate incredibly powerful Green Demon Bees, just when he was self-satisfied, relying on Green Demon Bees to dominate a territory, the Green Demon would use a Secret Technique to control his bees.


    Or there was a method to counteract the bees.


    Wouldn¡¯t all his efforts be in vain?


    At this moment, those who dared to venture into the Black Stone Mountain domain were all powerful experts with considerable strength.


    Seeing a youth, carrying a crystal clear lotus rushing out from the deep parts of the mountain area, their eyes couldn¡¯t help but light up.


    ¡°Young brother, what happened in the mountains?¡¯1


    Qin Niu ignored them and proceeded straight toward the exterior of the mountain.


    ¡°A transparent lotus¡­ I ve never seen such before. Did you get it from the mountains? What do you say to selling it to me?¡±


    He still did not respond.


    He simply kept running towards the outside of the mountains.


    ¡°Hey, this kid has quite the personality! Brothers, I think he might have gotten quite a few treasures, let¡¯s get him.¡¯1


    A sly-looking man in his thirties signaled his companions to immediately surround Qin Niu.


    The one with the strongest cultivation was in the initial stage of the Innate Realm; the weakest were at the seventh or eighth layer of the Acquired Realm.


    Each one was a one-in-ten-thousand expert.


    In total, there were five people: one of the Innate Realm, one at the peak of the Acquired Realm, and three at the seventh or eighth layer of the Acquired Realm.


    This was an extremely formidable force.


    Teaming up to rob Qin Niu, their odds of success were very high.


    The Innate Realm expert who also cultivated Step-Method Martial Skills intercepted Qin Niu directly. His Treasured Sword thrust towards Qin Niu¡¯s face.


    He attacked quite viciously.


    It might be because he saw Qin Niu wearing leather armor, and he intended to disable Qin Niu with one move.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Qin Niu merely snorted coldly as his Ink Blade swiftly slashed out.


    What he executed was a Slash Martial Skill.


    Bang!


    A slash struck down, severing the enemy along with his sword into two halves.


    The Rupture effect attached to the Slash Martial Skill was too terrifying.


    The Hundred-Tempering Black Armor that the Innate Realm expert wore was as thin as paper, providing absolutely no protection whatsoever.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Blade Qi! It¡¯s a supreme quality Treasured Sword! ¡±


    ¡°He, he¡¯s also an Innate Realm expert!¡±


    ¡°Such a horrifying slash, damn it, why won¡¯t my legs obey me!¡±


    The few masters who planned to rob Qin Niu were instantly petrified.


    Their leader stood no chance against this terrifying young man.


    For them, the Acquired Realm experts, facing Qin Niu was likely as simple as cutting vegetables.


    One person, due to weak feet during his escape, directly fell to the ground and scrambled towards the distance.


    All he wanted now was to get as far away from this merciless killer as possible.


    After killing the innate realm expert who had attempted to rob him, Qin Niu crouched down and skillfully looted the body, completely indifferent to the gazes of others.


    He found a gold note worth a thousand taels, several smaller silver notes, a small bag of seeds, and a handwritten notebook detailing planting secret techniques.


    This person was likely not a member of the Nine Insect Gang, bur rather a powerful individual from the Shennong Sect.


    There were too many adventurers who came to Black Stone Village.


    Within the territory controlled by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, there are over a thousand sects and factions.


    The Nine Insect Gang and the Black Tiger Gang are just one among them.


    Theoretically, the citizens of these thousand plus sects and factions could freely travel between them.


    Unless two sects were at war; under such circumstances, the borders might be controlled.


    Under normal conditions, one could travel to any territory governed by any sect through legal means.


    Some even went as far as sending their children to rhe gates of the Immortal Sect controlled by Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, all for the sake of gaining an advantage and the chance to enter the Immortal Gate.


    Qin Niu happily accepted these spoils of war and did nor bother with the four Acquired Realm experts who fled but instead swept off towards the outside of the mountain on his own.


    Along the way, no one dared to target him any longer.


    To kill one to warn a hundred, this was absolutely the most successful example.


    Not even innate realm experts could take more than a single move from Qin Niu, being cleaved in half along with their swords. It was the same for others who came forward; they would gain no advantage.


    In fact, they might even be killed instead.


    Under this situation, naturally no one dared to come forward seeking death.


    Even some who believed themselves to be more powerful than the one killed did not dare to take the risk.


    Because Qin Niu killed swiftly and decisively, without uttering a single useless word from start to end.


    Even the technique of looting the bodies¡¯ valuables was so adept that it sent chills down the spines of all those with ill intentions.


    One couldn¡¯t imagine how many people this killer must have slain to have honed his looting skills to such perfection.


    Nearly two hours later, Qin Niu successfully left the mountain region.


    The commotion from the collapsing mountain was huge, attracting a continuous stream of adventurers into the mountain.


    All hoping to find treasures or to capture Green Demon Bees.


    How tragic.


    If these people knew the truth, who knows what they would think.


    There were no Green Demon Bees in the mountains, just deadly traps set by the Green Demon.


    Carrying rhe Ice Lotus, Qin Niu attracted a lot of attention along the way, which was not a good thing.


    He left Hundred Leaf Town that very day.


    When he left, he purchased some cloth to wrap the Ice Lotus. That finally avoided further prying eyes.


    It¡¯s the first rule of safety while traveling abroad to not flash your wealth around.


    Originally, according to his plan, he had intended to dispose of those gold and silver notes in Hundred Leaf Town.


    This matter could only wait to be dealt with later.


    Because the amount of his silver and gold notes was enormous, he estimated that nor even the banks of two small towns could handle it.


    It would be best to take care of it in a large city.


    Apart from the local banks, most larger exchanges basically allow for redemption throughout the region.


    Even super exchanges like Heaven and Earth Bank should offer worldwide redemption.


    Since the Nine Insect Gang and the Black Tiger Gang were at war, with large numbers of troops gathered at the border, Qin Niu did not want to risk taking the original route back.


    Instead, he chose a more roundabout but safer way.


    He would first pass through the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s territory to reach the Shennong Sect, and then from there enter the territory of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Compared to the others, the Shennong Sect¡¯s way of doing things was much more upright.


    The Nine Insect Gang was simply too despicable.


    They specifically captured trespassers at the border, not only robbing them but also using the men as fodder for breeding insects. Women were treated as playthings for officers or given to ordinary soldiers as wives..

 Chapter 245 - Chapter 245: Chapter 238 Savage Rule_1

    Chapter 245: Chapter 238 Savage Rule_1


    This foray into the territory of the Nine Insect Gang also afforded Qin Niu a glimpse into just the tip of the iceberg that was the world of the Insect Masters.


    The regions he had breached belonged to the original Seven Star Sect and were not yet considered the oldest dominion of the Nine Insect Gang. Even so, the Insect Masters he encountered were immensely formidable.


    these individuals were by no means the commanding insect tamers of the Nine Insect Gang, but merely the most ordinary of Insect Masters.


    It seemed that practically every citizen of the Nine Insect Gang was an Insect Master.


    One could be almost certain that the Nine Insect Gang possessed a large number of top-tier Insect Masters.


    Because there was such a large base of Insect Masters, it was natural that there would not be a shortage of powerful ones.


    For instance, Old Master Huang was exceptionally skilled. His Corpse Bees had an evolutionary potential surpassed only by the Green Demon Bees.


    Moreover, the Corpse Bees were known for their iron-clad bodies, remarkable self-healing abilities, night vision, and intense venom.


    Their venom was not merely the common wasp poison, but also carried the properties of corpse poison.


    This was a truly unique bee venom.


    The toxicity of wasp venom was already quite complex, featuring the ability to corrode and destroy human proteins, cause hemolysis, and damage tissue cells.


    If the amount of venom injected into the body was not substantial, perhaps it might result in only localized swelling and unbearable pain.


    If one were to be stung by multiple wasps at once, or by a single Grade Two or higher wasp, it could easily be lethal.


    Qin Niu would certainly encounter some particularly powerful Insect Masters in the future.


    And it was highly likely that they would be foes rather than friends.


    Now that he had acquired the Green Demon Bee, and also possessed eggs of the Corpse Bee, he could consider cultivating both bee species simultaneously.


    He could even think about combining the two into one.


    Almost all Insect Masters, during the process of breeding their insects, would try every means to merge similar types over time. For example, owning three different types of wasps at once -one adept at flying, another excelling in reproduction, and one with particularly intense venom.


    Cultivating three simultaneously would scatter resources.


    If they could be merged into one, concentrating the three advantages onto a new breed of bee, that would be most wonderful.


    Not only would the new bee species grow significantly stronger in combat, but because all resources would be focused on nurturing a single one, it would advance more easily.


    Even Qin Niu¡¯s overarching approach to insect cultivation was of this mindset.


    Though it seemed he had numerous termites, his true focus was on cultivating only the Ant Queen and Fourth.


    While the other termites would also be nurtured, the top-tier resources were always prioritized for the Ant Queen.


    Quality over quantity.


    He kept his head down and hastened along the road, disguised indistinguishably from the local people.


    The basket on his back had been swapped for a larger one.


    According to the map, to head for the Shennong Sect territory, he had to pass through the Seven-Star City within the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s domain.


    Once, this was the most central city of the Seven Star Sect.


    But now the times had changed, and it had become the largest city of the Nine Insect Gang.


    The geography of the former Seven Star Sect was excellent, with Seven Star City nestled amidst a layout resembling seven stars cradling the moon. It had plenty of mountainous areas but was also rich in fertile lands and abundant water resources, with an excellent geographic location to boot.


    It was truly a feng shui treasure land that connected nine states.


    If the Seven Star Sect Master had not perished that year, the impoverished and vicious Nine Insect Gang from deep in the mountains would have had almost no chance of annexing the Seven Star Sect.


    Not only was the Seven Star Sect strong, but it also had excellent relations with its neighbors.


    It was said that the sister of the Seven Star Sect Master had married the Gang


    Leader of the Shennong Sect.


    With such a marital alliance, they maintained a close relationship.


    The agricultural products of the Shennong Sect, passing through the Seven Star Sect, were sold around the neighboring areas.


    Following the misfortune of the Seven Star Sect Master, it remains a mystery why the Shennong Sect did not take the opportunity to consume the Seven Star Sect.


    Instead, they allowed the Nine Insect Gang, a group that struggled within its impoverished and rugged environment, to slip in and expand its power.


    Now, with rampant ambition, the Nine Insect Gang encroached on the territories of other gangs, disrupting peace throughout the region.


    Qin Niu traveled at a brisk pace and reached Seven-Star City in less than two days.


    Along the journey, he observed that the common folk did not lead easy lives, lhe Nine Insect Gang stratified people into different classes, with those originally from the Nine Insect Gang being superior. Most of the Seven Star Sect and other non-Nine Insect Gang people were classified as second-class.


    The worst off were the lowest class, burdened with heavy taxes. Entire families were forced to serve the superior class as slaves and servants, laboring hard in the fields or at other work.


    Otherwise, they couldn¡¯t afford to eat their fill or wear warm clothing.


    Many women in their twenties and thirties wore merely tattered clothing, barely covering their bodies.


    This was not an isolated incident but a widespread phenomenon.


    Moreover, their customs and habits had undergone significant changes.


    As Qin Niu understood, the former Seven Star Sect used to be the wealthiest among all the surrounding sects. Even the Black Tiger Gang was a notch below them, and in terms of civilization, the Seven Star Sect had always been the role model that the surrounding sects strove to emulate.


    But now, the customs of the local populace were no better than those of the uneducated primitives from the mountains.


    Women bathed in the river, baring their upper bodies.


    Many people ate with their hands directly.


    Violent incidents were rampant.


    As Qin Niu hurried on his way, he encountered no fewer than ten robbery attempts.


    Even though he dispatched those people, it was evident that the land, once a beacon of civilization, had regressed into a place of backward barbarism.


    As the saying goes, ¡°When the ruler changes, so do his subordinates.¡±


    lhe Nine Insect Gang ruled over the territories of the Seven Star Sect for less than two hundred years, yet it had thoroughly extinguished civilization and enforced its barbaric policies.


    When he first entered, the conduct of those soldiers was no different from that of robbers and bandits.


    Another phenomenon that sent chills down Qin Niu¡¯s spine was the


    realization¡­


    Almost every household reared insects.


    Here, everything held Insect Masters as the most distinguished. Becoming an Insect Master was virtually the only way out.


    Just like in the Han dynasty, when it was proposed to abandon all other philosophies in favor of exclusively venerating Confucianism.


    The Nine Insect Gang now revered controlling insects above all.


    Under this policy, whether commoners or the middle class, everyone would desperately nurture their children into Insect Masters.


    It was hard to imagine how strong the Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang would become if such a policy continued to evolve.


    He couldn¡¯t help but recall what Zhang Banzui had said, ¡°With the rise of Insect Masters, chaos will reign over the world.¡±


    If the Nine Insect Gang focused solely on controlling insects, they would inevitably take the path of pillage, just like wasps.


    Wasps, unable to produce honey themselves, must kill and plunder to feed their kind and survive the winter. Near the deep autumn, it was common for whole hives of bees to be massacred by wasps.


    Once the Nine Insect Gang grew, they would be far more fearsome than wasps. The neighboring sects and powers would suffer.


    The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect seemed to have run into trouble recently; it¡¯s very likely that the centennial term of the Immortal had come. Under such circumstances, the sect needed to defend fully and ensure the safety of the Immortal.


    They simply had no energy to manage the affairs of the subordinate sects.


    Seizing this opportunity, the Nine Insect Gang would surely expand aggressively.


    It remained to see whether the Black Tiger Gang could withstand this pressure. If the Black Tiger Gang were to be absorbed, the Nine Insect Gang would become unstoppable, and the surrounding sects and forces would be served up one by one.


    Qin Niu was somewhat concerned about the future.


    Standing under Seven-Star City, which remained majestic and magnificent even after two hundred years.


    The towering ten-zhang city wall, the huge city gate forged from pure copper, and above it, the three large characters of ¡°Seven-Star City¡± etched in a dynamic dragon-like script, as well as the thirty-zhang wide moat, all reflected the grandeur and glory of Seven-Star City in its heyday.


    It was said that the three characters on the city gate were inscribed by the first city lord, who was also the most extraordinary Gang Leader of the Seven-Star Sect, wielding his sword as he leapt and carved those characters in one breath.


    Back then, when people mentioned the Seven-Star Sect, they would think of the Seven-Star Sword Technique.


    Alas, as the Seven-Star Sect was annexed, the Seven-Star Sword Technique also gradually faded into obscurity.


    The copy of the Seven-Star Sword Technique obtained by Qin Niu may well have been written by a senior expert of the Seven-Star Sect. For various reasons, it ended up in the hands of Wu Hao, an inner disciple of the Nine Insect Gang.


    In the end, Wu Hao was killed by Qin Niu, and the Seven-Star Sword Technique ultimately fell into Qin Niu¡¯s hands.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that the Seven-Star Sword Technique was once the exclusive skill of the Seven-Star Sect. There were undoubtedly more than one copy left behind. All disciples and elders who studied the Seven-Star Sword Technique could have noted down the manual for their descendants.


    Hey, hey, do you know the rules? You have to pay to enter the city. Seeing the large basket of goods you¡¯re carrying, you¡¯re here to sell, right? The entry fee is thirty wen.¡±


    A soldier of the Nine Insect Gang blocked Qin Niu¡¯s path.


    Unlike the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s queuing for entry.


    The management of entering the city here seemed quite lax.


    Eleven soldiers stood at the city gate, collecting fees; as long as the money was paid, one could enter.


    The officer-looking man sat behind on a reclining chair, with his eyes half-closed, not bothering with the situation.


    An entry fee of thirty wen was already exorbitant.


    Normally, the market rate for entry was just ten wen money.


    Qin Niu was merely passing through Seven-Star City and had no intention of inciting conflict with the soldiers over thirty wen money.


    He honestly paid the thirty wen, and the other party didn¡¯t even inspect his goods.


    Perhaps they thought him too young and dressed too ordinarily for a farmer that they couldn¡¯t be bothered to check.


    This suited Qin Niu just fine.


    If they had inspected his basket and found something amiss,


    or even tried to search him, it might have led to a bloody battle.


    He was never the honest sort.


    As long as he felt threatened, he would never be merciful.


    After entering the city, he first made sure he knew the southern gate well.


    While they charged for entry here, no one minded those exiting.


    Taking the rare opportunity to be in the city, and particularly in the once-grand Seven-Star City, he decided to deal with those silver notes and gold notes.


    He exchanged the silver notes for gold notes from Heaven and Earth Bank through various banks and the black market in the city.


    You wouldn¡¯t know until you calculated, and he was startled by the result.


    Through various acts of highway robbery and plundering from the dead, he amassed an astonishing total of over ninety-three thousand taels of silver.


    He was less than seven thousand taels away from amassing a full hundred thousand taels of silver.


    Such a huge sum would afford a comfortable life anywhere, provided it wasn¡¯t stolen.


    Now, it was exchanged for nine thousand taels in gold notes and three thousand one hundred taels in silver notes.


    Along with some scattered silver pieces and copper coins, for petty cash on the road.


    Having dealt with the silver and gold notes, Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare linger any longer. He chose to leave the city and head towards the Shennong Sect.


    There were about seven hundred more miles from Seven-Star City to the border shared with the Shennong Sect,


    and with many mountain roads, it was estimated to take at least nearly two days to reach there.


    On the second day after he left Seven-Star City, a large number of soldiers were suddenly added to the city gate, their swords drawn and crossbows loaded, as if facing a formidable enemy.


    The catchpoles from within the city led the way as the soldiers commenced a city-wide manhunt.


    Looking at the situation, it was very likely that a clue had emerged from the silver notes Qin Niu had cashed out.


    After all, the Nine Insect Gang took the murder of their commanding Commander very seriously..

 Chapter 246 - Chapter 246: Chapter 239: Women Eventually Leave Their Mothersl

    Chapter 246: Chapter 239: Women Eventually Leave Their Mothersl


    However, the criminal who killed Lord Song Zan remained at large, never captured by the Nine Insect Gang.


    This was tantamount to slapping rhe faces of all rhe high-ranking members of the Nine Insect Gang.


    Even the assassination of Song Zan put the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s surprise attack plan on the Black Tiger Gang on hold.


    Now that the silver notes Song Zan had left behind were being exchanged and used in Seven-Star City, the Nine Insect Gang was determined to dig three feet into the ground if necessary to find the person responsible.


    Regrettably, their opponent was Qin Niu, a youth who was extremely cautious.


    Having exchanged the silver notes and gold notes, he took flight the very same day, leaving Seven-Star City behind.


    Needless to say, the high-level officials of rhe Nine Insect Gang mobilized a large number of soldiers to search for the suspected assassin. They arrested hundreds of people, yet failed to find the real culprit.


    At this moment, Qin Niu had already reached the border between the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect.


    Since both sects were in rhe honeymoon phase of an alliance, crossing the border between them was extremely easy.


    There wasn¡¯t even a need to smuggle himself across; after paying seven Wen Money, he was let through.


    The border-crossing fee was cheaper than the fee to enter rhe city, which was also a result of the mutual friendly signals between the two gangs.


    Once inside the territory of the Shennong Sect, Qin Niu didn¡¯t hurry on his way.


    Instead, he found an inn to stay in.


    Then he bought two sets of local clothes to change into, also adopting the guise of an ordinary farmer from the Shennong Sect.


    Looking at himself in the copper mirror, he saw no difference from the local people and only then did he pick up his basket and continue on his way.


    ¡°Hey, young man, need a ride?¡±


    A horse-drawn cart loaded with cargo sped past; seeing Qin Niu carrying a large basket on the road, the cart slowly came to a stop.


    Qin Niu glanced at the wagon.


    It was an open-type, simple wagon.


    Very similar to the carriages of modern tricycles.


    Surrounded by wood planks to prevent the cargo from falling off.


    Inside the cart seemed to be grain, somewhat resembling millet.


    The driver, an uncle in his forties, had a forehead etched with deep wrinkles, his skin tanned dark, and his head wrapped in a turban.


    The uncle was dressed in a black short robe.


    It was one of the favorite attire of many farmers.


    He had a quite honest-looking face.


    ¡°Uncle, may 1 ask where you are headed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m off to Mai City to deliver a few bags of millet and wheat. Isn¡¯t the frontline preparing for war? Now that the government is requisitioning grain, 1 hear the price is quite good. I¡¯ll take a few bags over to check the market.¡±


    The uncle obviously mistook him for a subject of the Shennong Sect.


    It felt like the majority of Shennong Sect¡¯s common people were very simple and honest.


    Much easier to deal with than the barbarians of the Nine Insect Gang.


    ¡°Would it be convenient for me to hop on with so much grain you¡¯re pulling?¡±


    Upon hearing that the destination was Mai City, Qin Niu found it was on his way as well.


    The Shennong Sect and the Black Tiger Gang were currently in conflict, so the Black River banks would definitely be under tight surveillance.


    Taking this route from Mai City through Tian Shui, then crossing the border by boat, should be a relatively safe path.


    Throughout his journey, he took countless risks and finally managed to accumulate more than ninety thousand Silver Money. As long as he safely returned to the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory, he would instantly become a wealthy man at the top of the hierarchy.


    Seizing the opportunity of the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s wartime chaos and insect infestation, with the low cost of land, he could buy up big and never worry about the future again.


    ¡°Convenient, very convenient! If you don¡¯t mind, you can sit on top of the grain.¡±


    The uncle got busy, hopped off the cart, climbed into the back wagon, and moved the grain around to create a safe seat¡¯ for Qin Niu to sit on.


    ¡°Here, you can sit in here, and the basket can be placed next to you; there will be no problem at all.¡±


    The uncle parted the sack of grain.


    These coarse hemp sacks could hold up to a hundred fifty or sixty catties of grain at most.


    ¡°Then thank you very much, uncle!¡±


    Qin Niu climbed onto the cart and sat in the pit¡¯ the uncle had made for him.


    ¡°Hey, being on the road, catching a ride is nothing! Sit tight now! ¡±


    The uncle moved with agility.


    He easily settled back into the driver¡¯s seat and then shook the horse¡¯s reins.


    ¡°Giddy up!¡±


    The horse broke into a trot, starting down the main road.


    ¡°Young man, where are you planning to go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading to Tian Shui!¡±


    ¡°After I¡¯ve sold the grain, 1 should be able to take you another leg of the journey.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you return home after selling your grain?¡±


    Qin Niu asked curiously.


    ¡°I have a sister who married into Tian Shui over two years ago. The journey is so long, she hasn¡¯t returned home for over a year now, sigh, I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s getting along well over there. As her older brother, I¡¯m inevitably worried about her. Normally, I don¡¯t have the time to visit her. This time, after selling the grain, it would be perfect to check on her. In case she¡¯s facing hard times, as her brother, I would be able to help out a bit,¡± the uncle explained.


    The distance from Mai City to Tian Shui is about sixty to seventy li, neither far nor near.


    Qin Niu and the uncle met at a place more than forty li from Mai City.


    Which means, for the uncle¡¯s sister to visit her family, she would have to travel at least a hundred li or more.


    In an era with underdeveloped transportation, if her family¡¯s economic conditions were poor, returning home would be quite difficult.


    ¡°The uncle is a man of deep sentiment and loyalty. I truly admire that kind of affection among siblings, but it s a pity that I¡¯m the only child in my family.¡± When Qin Niu spoke of this, his tone carried a bit of melancholy.


    Not even knowing his own heritage, let alone having siblings.


    In these times of continuous warfare, natural disasters were also highly prone to occur.


    Parents fleeing with their children could easily become lost or might consciously abandon them.


    It wasn¡¯t necessarily heartless; sometimes it could be a helpless act.


    Children like Qin Niu, who were taken in and raised by others, were not few in number.


    His maid, Xiao Qing, was also abandoned by her parents.


    ¡°Not having siblings might not necessarily be a bad thing. There are some siblings who, out of self-interest, become like enemies. In my family, there are only my sister and me. Now my daughter is about to be married off, and both my sons have arranged marriage plans. The one I worry about the most is still my sister,¡± rhe uncle said, seeing these matters with clarity.


    ¡°Your sons are married, and your sister has only been married for two years; that makes your sister¡¯s age¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, my sister is almost twenty years younger than 1 am. She¡¯s a very strong-willed and ambitious person. At sixteen, when many girls of her age were getting married, she insisted on making her way in rhe world. She initially went to Shennong City, but due to fierce competition there, she later chose to develop her life in Mai City.


    The job she had was actually quite good, working in an elixir pharmacy, where she self-taught a lot of knowledge about herbs and worked hard to become an herb identifier.


    When she was 19, she would often come back to have meals with us and stay at home for a couple of days.


    She told me she wanted to work at a planting association or in an elixir pharmacy because she believed there were better prospects and higher income.


    She even said that if she became successful in the future, she would let our parents enjoy their old age with her, and buy a house for me, her brother, in the city. Wishing for the whole family to move into the city.


    Just later on, she met a man she fancied, whose conditions were not good, and he didn¡¯t leave a good impression on me or our parents.


    She was determined to marry him despite our objections, so we had to agree.


    My father was so upset by this, he fell ill and passed away less than a year later. When we held the funeral, my sister only came back in a hurry, leaving right after the seventh-day rites and never returned home again after that.


    That time she came home, I noticed she had become thinner and sunburned, wearing old clothes from before.


    I¡¯m guessing she must not have had an easy life over there.


    Sigh, my sister is good in every aspect; it¡¯s just that she¡¯s too proud. She never tells us when she suffers outside, always presenting good news and withholding the worrisome,¡± the uncle lamented as he talked about his sister, shaking his head.


    Everyone has their own thoughts, and daughters are beyond their mothers¡¯ control.


    He could only watch powerlessly as his sister married someone whom both he and their parents disapproved of.


    Males fear entering the wrong profession, females fear marrying the wrong man.


    If his sister could have married a good man, she surely wouldn¡¯t be in her


    current state..

 Chapter 247 - Chapter 247: Chapter 240 Master Mo Yang’s Herbal

    Chapter 247: Chapter 240 Master Mo Yang¡¯s Herbal


    Compendiums


    The carriage hurried along and gradually arrived at Mai City.


    Compared to the Seven-Star City Qin Niu had seen two days ago, the city before him seemed quite shabby.


    The city walls were three zhang high, with the city gates wrapped in a layer of copper. Four soldiers dressed in leather armor stood guard at the gate, holding long spears, looking quite vigilant.


    There were two idlers in black robes at the city gate responsible for collecting the entry fee.


    This system was quite similar to that of Black Tiger City.


    ¡°Two Wen, two Wen, the entry fee is uniformly two Wen! Please prepare in advance.¡±


    One of the idlers reminded the entering civilians.


    ¡°You two, that¡¯ll be four Wen Money in total!¡±


    When the uncle¡¯s carriage approached the city gate, the fee-collecting idler glanced over and immediately announced the price.


    The entry fee was calculated per head.


    Goods were not charged.


    This was a major benefit for the common people who sold goods.


    No wonder I couldn¡¯t see even one stall outside the city.


    ¡°Uncle, let me, let me!¡±


    Qin Niu hurried to pay the money.


    ¡°How could I accept that!¡±


    The uncle responded politely but didn¡¯t push too much. The four Wen Money could be considered as Qin Niu¡¯s contribution for the carriage fare.


    Once inside the city, the streets were much narrower than expected and the buildings were also quite ordinary.


    However, one thing was quite good: many places showed people building new houses. The city was populous and commerce was thriving, which revealed a considerable vitality in its development.


    ¡°Uncle, where are you going to sell grain? It¡¯s rare for me to come here and I want to look around. If I find suitable seeds, I¡¯ll buy some to take back.¡±


    Qin Niu looked around at the city¡¯s shops, which sold grains, seeds, herbs, fertilizer, farming tools, rain gear, and so forth, all well-stocked.


    Every place has its own customs and practices.


    The Shennong Sect, just like the Black Tiger Gang, was part of an agricultural civilization.


    Only, it specialized in cultivation and was somewhat one-dimensional in development.


    This was also reflected in the variety of shops in Mai City.


    The goods sold by the common people mainly revolved around cultivation and planting.


    ¡°Mm-hm, go ahead! I will wait for you at the East City gate later.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you, uncle!¡±


    Qin Niu got off the carriage and began to wander around inside the city.


    He entered a seed shop.


    ¡°What kind of seeds would you like to buy, young master?¡±


    The shopkeeper immediately greeted him warmly.


    This seed shop wasn¡¯t big and employed no shop assistants.


    ¡°I¡¯m just looking around. Do you have corn seeds?¡±


    Qin Niu inquired.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Here, these are all corn seeds. This one is the soft and sticky variety, this one is crisp and sweet, this one yields high with large cobs and full grains, but the taste is much inferior.


    There¡¯s also this corn, which is a new variety this year, resistant to lodging and diseases, very advantageous, it grows quickly and doesn¡¯t require good soil¡­¡±


    The shopkeeper introduced them one by one.


    Who knew that the Shennong Sect could develop corn seeds to such an extent.


    Each craft has its experts.


    Different sects focus on different development directions, excelling in various techniques.


    The Nine Insect Gang¡¯s best development is in insect control.


    But Shennong Sect¡¯s main direction is planting.


    In comparison, the Black Tiger Gang seems to encompass everything, versatile in many fields.


    In terms of seniority, the Black Tiger Gang is considered a very young sect. In terms of heritage, it might not compare to veteran sects like the Nine Insect Gang, Seven-Star Sect, and Shennong Sect. But it has its own strengths, having carved out a territory in a land shared with dragons and tigers.


    Its potential for development should also be one of the strongest among the neighboring sects.


    It¡¯s just that a short time has passed, so it hasn¡¯t reached a state where all flowers bloom together in splendor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take five jin of this tasty variety of corn seeds!¡±


    ¡°Alright! I guarantee you¡¯ll be very satisfied after planting them! Please show me your identification tag to register.¡±


    ¡°You need to register identification information to buy seeds?¡±


    Qin Niu asked, somewhat surprised.


    ¡°All the seeds sold in our seed shops are legitimate and legal; registering the information of the buyer makes it easier to verify and compensate if problems occur after cultivation.¡±


    ¡°I see! I¡¯m buying these for a neighborly uncle who¡¯s over there selling grain, I¡¯ll call him over later.¡±


    Qin Niu casually fabricated a lie and then left the seed shop.


    As a subject of the Black Tiger Gang, and with both sects at war, he dared not reveal his true identity.


    After leaving the seed shop, he wandered ahead and found several bookstores.


    The Cultivation Techniques and martial arts skills on sale were mostly street stall items.


    On the other hand, books about planting were quite professional.


    Qin Niu spent fifteen Wen Money and bought a thick botany atlas.


    Although it was a secondhand old book, the content was quite good. And the price was surprisingly cheap.


    The labor cost for transcribing and illustrating couldn¡¯t come down without paying two or three Hundred Taels.


    The cost for paper and ink would also not be low, at least a couple of hundred Wen.


    But because there were too many similar old books and they were everywhere, considered as common goods on the streets,


    the price was remarkably cheap.


    At fifteen Wen for such a thick book, the cost was far from sufficient.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, do you have an atlas that records some rare medicinal herbs?¡±


    Qin Niu asked the bookstore owner.


    ¡°Yes! But that¡¯s a bit more expensive.¡±


    ¡°As long as the book is good, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a bit more expensive.¡±


    Qin Niu now had a fortune of over ninety thousand taels, so this small sum of money really didn¡¯t matter to him.


    Realizing he had a wealthy customer on his hands, the boss immediately instructed his assistant, ¡°Xiao Li, go up to the attic and bring down that rare botanical compendium.¡±


    Soon, the assistant came down the ladder, holding a thick book in his arms.


    ¡°Young Master, this is a compendium left by the great Master Mo Yang of the Shennong Sect. It contains the rare herbs and trees the master collected throughout his life by various means. Most of the entries have illustrations, with only a few described in text based on what Master Mo Yang learned from others.¡±


    The assistant briefly introduced the content of the book.


    After flipping through a few pages, Qin Niu realized that this book was chock-full of substantial content.


    The first page depicted a towering tree that reached into the clouds, glittering with gold, as if it were made entirely of pure gold.


    This tree was known as the Golden Wutong, the foremost of its kind in the world.


    It was rumored to be the roosting tree for the Golden Crow.


    ¡°Fine birds choose fine trees to rest,¡± that referred specifically to this tree.


    The Golden Crow was considered the foremost divine bird in the world, even more famous than the Phoenix. They would only roost on a Golden Wutong.


    And this ¡°Wutong¡± wasn¡¯t any ordinary Wutong tree, but the Golden Wutong depicted in the illustration.


    ¡°Not bad, how much for this book?¡±


    Qin Niu deliberately glanced at the plant compendium he had just bought for fifteen Wen Money.


    This was a conscious maneuver to prevent the boss from quoting a high price.


    ¡°Er¡­ If the Young Master truly wants it, how about five hundred taels of silver? This book is the treasure of our store, and it¡¯s the only one we have.¡±


    The boss¡¯s eyes rolled around eagerly as a warm smile spread across his face.


    The epitome of a sly merchant.


    Of course, Qin Niu was not so easily fooled.


    ¡°Hehe, five hundred taels of silver indeed isn¡¯t expensive; enough to buy tens of thousands of copies of that plant compendium. But it seems you¡¯d be reluctant to part with it, so you might as well keep it and enjoy it slowly.¡±


    And with that, Qin Niu made to leave.


    ¡°Hey, wait, Young Master, please wait a moment!¡±


    The boss hurriedly called out to him as he saw Qin Niu walking away.


    The price of five hundred taels was just a probe. If by chance he encountered a rich but naive customer, selling just one book could provide enough for him to live on for more than ten years.


    ¡°As long as the Young Master truly likes the book, the price can be negotiated!¡±


    ¡°Then you quote a sincere price you¡¯re willing to sell it for.¡±


    Qin Niu was already familiar with these merchants¡¯ tricks.


    When it came to psychological warfare, he was even stronger than these cunning merchants.


    ¡°Er¡­ How about this, I can tell the Young Master is sincere in his fondness for the book. In our line of work, we sell to those fated with the book, and it seems you have a connection with this one. Why don¡¯t you name your price?¡±


    The boss was also unsure about this young man.


    Initially, seeing Qin Niu¡¯s youthful appearance and extraordinary demeanor, he had planned to fleece a fat lamb.


    Now, realizing the young man was very shrewd and not at all a pushover, the boss decided to probe Qin Niu further.


    ¡°Five taels of silver, not a penny more,¡± Qin Niu said, biting down on his back teeth, making it seem as if he had made a great resolution.


    ¡°Ah¡­ You, you¡­¡± The owner was taken aback by the offer, his eyes rolling back.


    Five taels of silver was, indeed, a bit ¡®high.¡¯


    ¡°Young Master, other people might cut off a bit of flesh when bargaining, but your cut has reduced me to minced meat! Even if I halved my price, I¡¯d be better off. You¡¯re not truly interested in buying this book, just go!¡±


    The boss dismissed Qin Niu with a wave of his hand, his face mournful.


    ¡°I¡¯ll add one more tael, six taels of silver. Not a penny more.¡±


    Qin Niu was also testing the boss¡¯s psychological threshold, as that¡¯s how business is done. Neither party knows the other¡¯s bottom line.


    ¡°Six taels of silver is definitely not possible. If you¡¯re serious about it, I¡¯ll give it to you for three hundred taels,¡± the boss slashed his own price from five hundred taels directly to three hundred.


    ¡°I¡¯ll add another five wen of silver, six taels and five wen. Buying a book for three hundred taels that neither allows for cultivation nor enhances strength, just for the sake of seeing something rare¡ªwould you agree to that if you were in my shoes?¡±


    It was true that Qin Niu had money, but he was also bound to save where he should.


    This money hadn¡¯t come easy; it was all earned by staking his life and defeating powerful enemies.


    He was planning to use it as a nest egg for the future.


    ¡°Two hundred taels of silver, that¡¯s my lowest price.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll throw in another five wen of silver, making it seven taels.¡±


    Qin Niu continued to gradually increase his offer.


    ¡°Sixty taels of silver, take it or leave it. That¡¯s even above my cost price for acquiring it.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, my boss bought this book for eighty taels of silver, and it hasn¡¯t sold for ten years. Now, letting it go for sixty taels, you¡¯re definitely picking up a bargain,¡± the assistant interjected, finding the courage to speak up for the first time.


    Just as the boss and the assistant thought Qin Niu would bargain again, they were caught off guard when he agreed with a surefire laugh.


    ¡°Done!¡±


    Qin Niu pulled out a silver note for sixty taels, one with a denomination of fifty taels and another of ten, both exchanged from the Heaven and Earth Bank.


    They were as good as hard cash.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve lost a full twenty taels here!¡±


    The boss endured the pain and, with a heavy heart, sold the book to Qin Niu.


    When it came to schemes, he realized the young man in front of him was too formidable.


    Decades of experience as a veteran merchant couldn¡¯t best a young man.


    After acquiring the book, Qin Niu left the store with great satisfaction.


    The assistant, looking like he had just accomplished a great feat, waited for the boss¡¯s commendation.


    ¡°You, Xiao Li, if you had spoken up sooner, would it have killed you?! You¡¯ve made me lose twenty taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°But I was afraid you¡¯d blame me for meddling!¡±


    The assistant was full of grievance..

 Chapter 248 - Chapter 248: Chapter 241 Political Marriage 1

    Chapter 248: Chapter 241 Political Marriage 1


    Qin Niu listened and chuckled to himself, ¡°The human heart is never content, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.¡±


    The shop owner couldn¡¯t sell it for sixty Silver Money, and if he held onto it for another ten years, he¡¯d probably be happy to get fifty Silver Money for it.


    Now that he sold it for sixty Silver Money, he felt as if he had lost twenty Silver Money instead, and it pained his heart.


    Paying sixty Silver Money for a herbal compendium, even if it was written by a master like Mo Yang, to the average person, it was just so-so.


    As Qin Niu said, it was merely a curiosity to most people.


    Sixty Silver Money could equal the wages of an average person for twenty years. Who among the common folk would be willing to spend that much?


    The value of this book also depended on who possessed it.


    In the eyes of Qin Niu, its value was worth far more than a thousand gold pieces.


    Even if it cost him a thousand Silver Money, he would be willing to buy it. But earning money was not easy, and he aimed to save as much as possible.


    After some haggling, he managed to acquire it for sixty Silver Money, effectively earning himself the four hundred and forty Silver Money he had cut from the price.


    With that money, he could purchase a large batch of cultivation materials.


    He was determined to pursue longevity, and that meant he couldn¡¯t just talk about it or fantasize in his head; he needed to take concrete actions.


    Wherever he needed to be thrifty, he must be thrifty.


    When he had time, he intended to thoroughly study the two volumes of the plant compendium. The Ancient Banyan Tree, the ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± ¡ª what kind of trees they actually were, he had long wanted to figure out.


    He believed he could find the answers this time.


    He also knew nothing about the Ice Lotus in his hand, what uses it had, or its specific characteristics.


    Moreover, the Dogtail Grass had mutated after being nourished by the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique, sprouting purple veins, which he also did not understand.


    Additionally, after feeding the Termites the Broadleaf Heavy Building plant, he had managed to cultivate Medical Ants. Understanding the mysteries of this process would be greatly beneficial to him when it came to cultivating other insects in the future.


    Worried that the uncle had been waiting too long, Qin Niu didn¡¯t continue shopping and hurried to the east gate of Mai City.


    Under normal circumstances, nearly all cities would have at least four gates.


    Designated as east, west, south, and north gates.


    If it were a large city, there might also be gates like the North Straight Gate or the Central Gate. Designing multiple city gates might increase the difficulty of defending the city, but it also facilitated entry and exit for the people, which was more conducive to the city¡¯s development and prosperity.


    The core element for any city wishing to develop is people.


    Without a significant number of citizens entering the city and without a good business environment, the city would slowly become a dead city.


    The leadership of the Nine Insect Gang, with their backward and barbaric way of thinking, obviously failed to realize this.


    They knew only to plunder rapaciously.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cost to enter Seven-Star City was as high as thirty wen, a shortsighted behavior that was akin to draining the pond to get the fish. Seven-Star City used to be the number one city in the region.


    After being ruled by the Nine Insect Gang for two hundred years, it had begun to visibly decline.


    ¡°Hey, over here! Young brother, this way!¡±


    The uncle had already arrived at the east gate and was waiting there.


    Upon seeing Qin Niu, he immediately stood up in his cart and waved energetically.


    Qin Niu smiled and walked briskly towards him.


    ¡°Uncle, thank you for waiting for me! Let me treat you to some roasted chicken and braised beef. I didn¡¯t dare get you alcohol, afraid that you might get too drunk to find your way later.¡±


    He had bought quite a lot of food, including a portion for the uncle.


    Oh, my, how much did all this cost! You¡¯re too polite, kid, just for a ride.¡±


    The uncle accepted the food, his face beaming with smiles.


    ¡°You gave me a ride, I treat you to food, it¡¯s fair! Eat it while it¡¯s still hot. The roasted chicken tastes pretty good, but I haven¡¯t tried the braised beef yet.¡± Qin Niu had bought two portions as he had a relatively large appetite.


    He needed to eat meat to maintain the nourishment his body required.


    ¡°I only indulge in such good food during the New Year. Little brother, you are quite generous. Today I¡¯ve had the good fortune to feast with you. However, it¡¯s not my place to say, but you¡¯re still young, and there¡¯ll be many occasions in the future where you¡¯ll need money, so you really should save when you can. Without money, you¡¯ll find even simple tasks become difficult!¡±


    The uncle had seen his share of life.


    Having experienced hard times, he advised Qin Niu.


    Urging him not to spend money recklessly.


    ¡°Alright, thank you for the advice, Uncle. By the way, I haven¡¯t had the chance to ask for your esteemed name!¡±


    ¡°He Zhizhou! And you?¡±


    The uncle was already wolfing down the roasted chicken, probably famished.


    For ordinary people, it¡¯s indeed a luxury to afford such expensive meat regularly.


    Many families can only afford to eat meat during the New Year.


    ¡°My name is Qin Niu! Meeting Uncle must be fate.¡±


    Qin Niu had no intention of helping this uncle change his fate or anything of the sort.


    He wasn¡¯t some kind of savior.


    He also never meddled in other people¡¯s business.


    That being said, if the uncle were in trouble, he would, without a doubt, lend a hand.


    The carriage left the city gates and sped along the road.


    If all went well, they should reach Tian Shui before nightfall.


    The speed of the carriage was much faster than walking.


    This uncle managed to keep a horse, so even if his family¡¯s finances were tight, they couldn¡¯t be that bad.


    Uncle, why would the Shennong Sect willingly start a war with the Black Tiger Gang?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Alas, these matters normally aren¡¯t for common folk like us to discuss. This military action against the Black Tiger Gang is unwise and unusual. Ever since the Gang Leader of the Nine Insect Gang married his sister to the head of our Shennong Sect, things have been a bit off.


    It is said that the woman who came over is very beautiful and has bewitched the head of our Shennong Sect.


    For hundreds of years, our Shennong Sect has maintained neutrality, allowing us to prosper and maintain friendly trade relations with the neighboring factions. The grains, herbs, tea leaves, and such that we grow never lack buyers.


    But ever since that woman arrived three years ago, things have changed.


    The silkworms that were raised before have all been phased out, replaced by a new variety of green silkworm that produces more.


    The silk made from these looks pretty, but it¡¯s nowhere near as comfortable or durable as the old silkworm silk.


    Many sericulturists realized that by raising the new silkworm, they could increase their yield by at least half, so most of them switched to green silkworms, with very few still raising white ones.


    These green silkworms are a special breed that we can¡¯t reproduce ourselves ¨C we have to buy the eggs from the Nine Insect Gang.


    This happens every year.


    There are countless such changes, and I have a bad feeling about them.


    This military excursion against the Black Tiger Gang, even though the higher- ups say it¡¯s a guaranteed victory that will expand our territory by a third, war leads to death. I¡¯m especially worried that my son might be drafted to fight.


    Moreover, after declaring war, we can¡¯t sell our goods to the Black Tiger Gang anymore, and our trade with other factions has noticeably decreased.


    I¡¯ve never had trouble selling my crops in previous years, but this time I had to haul them dozens of miles to Mai City to sell them.


    And the price isn¡¯t even as high as last year.¡±


    The uncle shook his head and sighed repeatedly at the impact of the war.


    Political marriages are common among sects and families.


    The alliance through marriage between the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect, I wonder what the Shennong Sect was thinking?


    I fear they¡¯re inviting the wolf into the house and might eventually try to negotiate with the tiger for its skin.


    It feels like the Shennong Sect might get burned, potentially falling right into the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s trap.

 Chapter 249 - Chapter 249: Chapter 242 Unpredictable Human Heart 1

    Chapter 249: Chapter 242 Unpredictable Human Heart 1


    It¡¯s a pity that this time was so hurried, I didn¡¯t get a chance to visit Shennong City.


    Qin Niu made his fortune by raising Termites, but his greatest skill was actually in cultivation.


    With the Everlasting Spring Technique and the Medicine King Sutra, he was even more formidable.


    It was only because he was still in the early stages of gathering primitive forces, and also because he had the Ancient Banyan Tree, that he didn¡¯t spend a lot of energy and time on cultivation.


    Focusing on survival first and development later was his overall strategy during the early stages of his development.


    Shennong City had been established for over a thousand years, making it an extremely ancient city. At the height of the Shennong Sect¡¯s power, the Hundred-Refined Celestial Venerable even personally traveled to Shennong City to seek medicine.


    Some said that the Hundred-Refined Celestial Venerable was not there to seek medicine, but rather because an important medicinal plant he was cultivating had encountered a problem and he had asked for a cultivation expert from the Shennong Sect to come and save it.


    Whichever the case, being able to personally attract the Hundred-Refined Celestial Venerable certainly indicated exceptional true talent.


    Qin Niu would one day go to Shennong City to broaden his horizons.


    Throughout the journey, he mostly listened to the uncle¡¯s conversation.


    The roast chicken and braised beef he gave to the uncle worked wonders in bribing him. The uncle¡¯s wariness towards him dropped to a low point, and he would talk at length about anything he knew.


    After an hour and a half, the coach finally arrived smoothly at Tianshui Town.


    This was a small trade town built along the water.


    Before the warfare with the Black Tiger Gang, it swallowed up a large volume of goods every day.


    Now, one could only see wharves along the river crowded with boats of all sizes, some workers or boat owners sitting on the docks, worrying.


    In small groups, they discussed how much longer the war would last.


    ¡°Uncle He, thank you for bringing me all this way. Goodbye!¡±


    Qin Niu hopped off the coach and waved goodbye to the uncle.


    ¡°Be careful on your way. In these chaotic times, if you can¡¯t cross the river, you can always come back and find me. Later, once I find my sister, I can also ask someone familiar to help you out.¡±


    He Zhizhou actually knew Qin Niu was planning to cross the river into the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory.


    ¡°Mm, thank you, Uncle He! If there were no war, I could have invited you to be a guest at my home.¡±


    Qin Niu, seeing that the uncle had seen through his identity, didn¡¯t offer any further explanation or excuses.


    Uncle He was kind-hearted and simple; knowing that Qin Niu was a subject of the Black Tiger Gang, he had no thoughts of reporting him. Instead, he hoped that Qin Niu would safely cross the Tianshui, back to the Black Tiger Gang.


    Arriving at the dock, Qin Niu directly approached a boatman who didn¡¯t look too sly.


    ¡°Uncle, can you take me across the Tianshui River?¡±


    Qin Niu asked directly.


    ¡°Can¡¯t do it. Both sides are at war now, and all our boats are out of commission. Once you go across, you might not be able to come back.¡±


    The boatman shook his head repeatedly.


    ¡°I can pay extra for the boat fare. Just get me to the other side.¡±


    Qin Niu pulled out a Tael of Silver.


    This boatman, being earnest and simple, although he was tempted by the Silver Money, still shook his head in refusal.


    ¡°Paying a Tael of Silver for the boat fare?¡±


    A muscular man with shifty eyes raised his head to inquire of Qin Niu. This man had been sitting not far off, chatting with several others.


    Qin Niu¡¯s inquiry about crossing the river had already attracted quite a few people¡¯s attention.


    Most people were just watching secretly.


    ¡°Yes, just take me across the river, and I¡¯ll give you a Tael of Silver!¡± Qin Niu nodded his confirmation.


    ¡°Wait until it gets a bit darker, and then come find me here.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Qin Niu felt relieved that someone had taken the job.


    Once across the Tianshui, he would be in the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory. With his status as an Insect Master, in the Blackwater Gang¡¯s territory, he wouldn¡¯t necessarily walk around with impunity, but at least he could enjoy many privileges.


    Once he crossed the river, he would be safe.


    Qin Niu decided to take a stroll around the town first to familiarize himself with the terrain, which was always a good idea.


    Uncle He had already disappeared, probably off to find his sister.


    There were not many shops in the town but rather a lot of warehouses.


    Grain stores could be seen everywhere.


    Now, the doors of these granaries were firmly locked, and the residents of the town were mostly looking gloomy.


    Qin Niu entered a tavern directly.


    Inside, there were quite a few people drinking.


    Many were burly men who, with nothing to do since the docks were shut down, gathered here to drink away their sorrows.


    ¡°Everything was going fine, and then suddenly we declared war on the Black Tiger Gang. No idea what the higher-ups were thinking?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say? Taking down the Black Tiger Gang means vast fertile land and the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s beauties all go to us. By then, everyone will have a chance to become a landlord.¡±


    ¡°You actually believe that? If there were such good things, they would be taken by the elites first; what chance would we ordinary folks have?¡±


    ¡°The beauties from the Black Tiger Gang would be up for grabs, wouldn¡¯t they? I heard that after the Nine Insect Gang conquered the Seven-Star Sect, they ranked people into three classes. Those at the top live lives more comfortable than emperors.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that the Black Tiger Gang has a large population and the women are really easy on the eyes. Their skin is so delicate that it seems you could pinch water out of it, and each one of them moves in an enchanting way, but the key is their exceptional aura. With the women of the Shennong Sect, only the daughters of big families have that kind of charm, whereas the women of the Black Tiger Gang, all of them are outstanding.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes when I was there. When they dance, they¡¯re so flexible it¡¯s like they have no bones, and when they sing, their voices are intoxicating!¡±


    A group of drunken men discussed topics that interested men.


    The things that attract men¡¯s interest are nothing other than money, power, and beauties.


    Having eaten and drunk his fill in the tavern, Qin Niu saw that it was getting dark outside and left the tavern.


    He had been inside for nearly two hours and had heard a few useful things.


    The Shennong Sect dared to wage war against the Black Tiger Gang because the high-ups were confident of victory.


    It was possible that the Nine Insect Gang had given them some assurances.


    Qin Niu¡¯s overall impression was that everyone in the Shennong Sect, from the top echelons to the commoners, was very optimistic about the war.


    They also believed the war could be ended in a very short time.


    Two words, confidence.


    After leaving the tavern, he headed straight for the docks not far away.


    Before he reached the docks, a figure flashed out of the darkness, reaching out to grab him.


    But Qin Niu, who possessed the Innate Realm cultivation, gave the person a cold look and was about to teach him a lesson for the sudden attack.


    ¡°Brother Qin, hurry and follow me!¡±


    It was the voice of He Zhizhou.


    He lowered his voice and pulled Qin Niu away.


    ¡°Uncle He, what¡¯s happened?¡±


    Qin Niu was full of suspicion.


    His first thought was that something had happened to He Zhizhou¡¯s sister, and He Zhizhou needed his help.


    However, he quickly dismissed that idea.


    ¡°The boatman you hired to take you across the river has secretly reported to the authorities, and soldiers are lying in wait inside the boat, ready to capture you the moment you board.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too despicable!¡±


    Qin Niu never expected the boatman to be so malicious.


    They had agreed on a ferry fee of one tael of silver, and if he wasn¡¯t happy with the money, he could have asked for more.


    ¡°When traveling abroad, you must always be extra cautious! My brother-in- law happened to hear about this from a friend and brought it up during dinner at home. I guessed that they were probably after you, so I rushed to guard the essential path to the docks and, sure enough, found you.¡±


    As He Zhizhou led him briskly forward, he explained softly.


    ¡°Uncle, knowing that I could belong to the Black Tiger Gang, why would you still help me?¡±


    Qin Niu did feel quite moved.


    Despite the fact that those soldiers lying in ambush were unlikely to pose a threat to him, avoiding a conflict was best.


    ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary citizen; I can¡¯t concern myself with the affairs of the martial sects. All I know is that you are a kind and friendly young man. No matter which sect you belong to, to me you are like any other ordinary citizen.¡±


    After leaving the town with Qin Niu, He Zhizhou checked behind to make sure no one was following, then led Qin Niu into a house.


    The low house was as dilapidated as Qin Niu¡¯s old home.


    Tattered and worn.


    A young woman clutched a one-year-old baby, accompanied by a lean young man.


    The young man dressed sloppily, his hat askew, his shirt open, showing his belly¡ªan absolute ruffian in appearance.


    The young woman was not particularly pretty, just average looking, but her eyes were filled with spirit and resilience, clearly a woman who had been tempered by society.


    It was hard to understand what she saw in such a rascal.


    ¡°Little sister, brother-in-law, this is Brother Qin Niu who I met on the road. Everyone comes across difficulties when they¡¯re away from home. If we can offer help, we should do our best.¡±


    Having closed the door, He Zhizhou introduced Qin Niu to the couple.


    ¡°Thankyou for the trouble!¡±


    Qin Niu saluted them.


    ¡°Since Minmin¡¯s big brother has already spoken, let¡¯s not talk about trouble. I might be an idler who has accomplished nothing to make a name for myself, but when it comes to friends, loyalty comes first. Haven¡¯t had dinner yet? Eat first. Later tonight, I¡¯ll ferry you across the river in my boat.¡±


    Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover.


    He Zhizhou¡¯s brother-in-law might look like a rascal, but he was surprisingly righteous.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already had something to eat at the tavern, thanks to Brother Lu¡¯s kind intentions.¡±


    Qin Niu glanced at the leftovers on the table.


    Two plates of leftover greens, a salted fish, and several big steamed bread buns.


    This family was indeed poor.


    They probably only managed to prepare a salted fish because of the uncle¡¯s visit, while on ordinary days, they likely ate just vegetables.


    No wonder the couple were both thin.


    ¡°Madam, we still have eggs at home¡ªboil a couple to serve Brother Qin Niu. I¡¯ll go get the boat ready; I¡¯ll come back to call Brother Qin Niu when it¡¯s good to go.¡±


    Lu Zhong spoke to his wife.


    He was used to fooling around outside, so his observation skills shouldn¡¯t be bad.


    He noticed that Qin Niu might be disapproving of their homely meal, thus hesitating to eat at their place.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, no need, I really did eat, and I¡¯m full. It¡¯s not easy for you looking after the child; please sit and rest.¡±


    Qin Niu hastily protested.


    But she didn¡¯t listen to him and went to boil the eggs.


    For this poor family, boiling a couple of eggs was probably considered high hospitality.


    The woman was insistent on going to the kitchen, and he couldn¡¯t exactly drag her back.


    Lu Zhong then opened the door and left.


    Qin Niu was still on guard against this ruffian. After all, he had just been tricked and almost fell for it.


    ¡°Brother Qin, sit and rest for a while. I¡¯ll accompany my brother-in-law to check on things.¡±


    He Zhizhou noticed Qin Niu¡¯s concern.


    He was not very familiar with his brother-in-law either and was equally worried that he might secretly inform the authorities, which would put Qin Niu in trouble.


    He followed, exiting the door, accompanying his brother-in-law to get the boat ready.


    Both men seemed to trust Qin Niu, leaving him alone with the hostess and child at home.

 Chapter 250 - Chapter 250: Chapter 243: Noble _1

    Chapter 250: Chapter 243: Noble _1


    Late at night, Qin Niu¡¯s origins were unclear, and if he were to commit an indecent act, it would disgrace the mistress of the house.


    Soon, the mistress brought out two boiled purse-shaped eggs.


    ¡°Brother Qin, our family is poor and we don¡¯t have much to offer you. These two eggs, please don¡¯t disdain them, just make do and fill your stomach. If you would like to eat this cornbread, I¡¯ll take it back to the kitchen and warm it up for you.¡±


    The cornbread was generally made from coarse grains.


    Rich families never ate this.


    It was only for the servants to eat.


    To offer it to a guest was indeed a bit shabby, but for some poor families, even cornbread was not enough to satisfy their hunger.


    The saying goes that the full man does not understand the plight of the hungry,


    and it originates from this kind of situation.


    The rich get tired of eating meat and fish every day and think of changing tastes constantly.


    The poor can¡¯t even get enough rice to eat.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, please have a seat and rest. The fact that you can offer eggs to treat me is already the greatest kindness to me. Being able to meet such kind- hearted people as you in a foreign land is my fortune.¡±


    Qin Niu saw a clean bowl on the table and picked up an egg.


    He pushed it towards the mistress of the house.


    ¡°Can the child eat solid food now?¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask if the child was still nursing, as it might seem a bit frivolous.


    ¡°Yes, he can.¡±


    ¡°Let the child have this egg. Is it a boy or a girl?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about some of your affairs from your elder brother. Do you regret moving here?¡±


    din Niu started to chat with her.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as regret in marriage. When I married the child¡¯s father, although it was a bit impulsive, I had also considered the worst possible outcome.¡±


    She took the chopsticks and began feeding the child the egg.


    Qin Niu also started eating with his chopsticks.


    One must always be on guard.


    In front of others, to check for poison with a silver needle? That would very


    likely offend them.


    If she dared to feed it to the child, it meant the eggs were definitely safe.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t actually hungry, but he accepted their kind intentions graciously.


    ¡°Your elder brother said you¡¯re a person with a lot of ideas. Do you have any plans for the future?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! My elder brother just knows how to praise me!¡± the woman said, revealing a happy smile.


    She looked quite pretty when she smiled.


    ¡°I plan to wait until the child is a bit older and then try to make a living in Mai


    City. It¡¯s got to be better than staying here.¡±


    ¡°Does the child¡¯s father have a job?¡±


    ¡°Him? He¡¯s just lazy! There¡¯s never a job he can stick with for more than three months; he¡¯s always complaining and quitting after just a few days.¡±


    When mentioning the child¡¯s father, she seemed somewhat helpless.


    ¡°Forgive me for asking a rather abrupt question, but does he treat you well?¡± Upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s question, the mistress¡¯s expression became serious, and she looked into Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, ascertaining that he had no ulterior motives before replying, ¡°He treats me and the child quite well, but he can¡¯t make enough money. We can¡¯t even get enough to eat; what¡¯s the use of just being sweet-talked? I¡¯ve thought it through. In future, I¡¯ll go out and workhard to earn money, and let him stay home to look after the child.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thought. I think most men would be very happy to have a wife like you. When I came in earlier, I saw a jujube tree by your door; is it yours?


    ¡°Yes! It started bearing fruit just last year, and it¡¯s still a young tree.


    ¡°When it bears fruit this year, you can eat a few and then sell the rest.


    Qin Niu said to her.


    ¡°Is there a problem with it?¡±


    The woman was a little confused, like a monk who couldn¡¯t make sense of it.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you used to work with identifying medicinal herbs? When the time comes, examine it carefully; you might find something unexpected!¡±


    Qin Niu said lightly.


    ¡°May I use your latrine?¡±


    ¡°Sure, go through there. Just carry the oil lamp with you. Be careful with the stepping board, as it¡¯s easy to miss your step.¡±


    The woman¡¯s home had only one oil lamp.


    The dim yellow light shone on this impoverished home.


    After Qin Niu took the lamp away, the room was plunged into darkness.


    He went to use the bathroom.


    After coming out, he chatted with the woman for a while. Some hostesses would hide in their rooms to avoid strangers.


    She had roamed the outside world and was much more gracious than ordinary


    women.


    It wasn¡¯t long before He Zhizhou returned.


    But his brother-in-law, Lu Zhong, had not.


    ¡°Brother Qin Niu, the boat is ready, I¡¯ll take you there now,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Qin Niu stood up and hoisted his basket on his back.


    The hostess, holding her child, also stood up to see him off.


    ¡°Thankyou for your generous hospitality and the assistance. I don¡¯t have much to offer in return, but here is a small gift for your child.¡± Qin Niu stuffed a neatly folded small paper packet into the child¡¯s hand.


    The child was a bit shy, just mechanically grasping it.


    After exiting the house, he walked to a jujube tree only as thick as a knife handle and touched its trunk with his hand.


    ¡°Quite a sturdy jujube tree, sister-in-law, remember to try the fruit when it¡¯s ripe before selling it.¡±


    When he touched the jujube tree just now, he had already channeled a sliver of the Everlasting Spring Technique into it.


    According to his experience, it should help the tree evolve to some extent.


    The degree of its evolution would depend on its destiny.


    He followed He Zhizhou down the path to the Tianshui River.


    ¡°Is it big brother?¡±


    A voice came from the darkness.


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡±


    After responding, Lu Zhong emerged from the bushes.


    ¡°Brother Qin Niu, hurry onto the boat!¡±


    Lu Zhong¡¯s clothes were dripping wet; fetching the boat must have been quite an effort.


    The boat was not large and crossing the river would require skilled boatmanship.


    ¡± Aren¡¯t you afraid the authorities will trouble you after you ferry me across the river?¡±


    ¡°No worries, I might not be doing well, but I have many friends. Plus, I wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to let others know,¡± said Lu Zhong before waving at He Zhizhou. ¡°Big brother, you go back first! It will be more troublesome if you get caught later.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take care!¡±


    After He Zhizhou gave his warning, he turned his gaze to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Brother Qin, don¡¯t wander around outside during this period; it¡¯s dangerous.


    ¡°Got it, thank you Uncle He!¡±


    Qin Niu felt very warm inside.


    Between people, kindness is the light that most easily warms the heart.


    His impression of the Nine Insect Gang for their attempt to get the Green Demon¡¯s treasure was bad, yet the subjects of the Shennong Sect left him with a very good impression.


    That wasn¡¯t to say that all of the Shennong Sect¡¯s people were good.


    For example, the boatman who reported him to the authorities had a very bad heart.


    He Zhizhou and his wife, Lu Zhong, treated him with kindness, which directly made him feel favorable towards the subjects of the Shennong Sect.


    In the future, when he became a person of influence, even the entire Shennong Sect¡¯s community might benefit.


    The Tianshui River was a large river that traversed lands belonging to many sects within the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    Its width was about a thousand meters or so.


    As it was summer and the flooding season, the water on the river was turbulent.


    Lu Zhong might not be good at many jobs, but his skill in steering a boat was exceptional.


    This man should have been a fisherman on the river; at least he could make a living for his family.


    It wouldn¡¯t come to his wife and child having to eat rough cornbread every day. ¡°Brother Lu, I see your boating skills are quite impressive!¡±


    ¡°Heh, I grew up by the river, it¡¯s alright! When I was ten, I could row a bamboo raft across the river,¡± he said.


    ¡°Do you have any plans for the future? I chatted with your sister-in-law for a bit and she said you treat her and the child very well. She also mentioned that she wants to go work to earn money to support the family when the child is a little older. I could tell she loves you very much.¡±

 Chapter 251 - Chapter 251: Chapter 244 Nine out of Ten Houses are Emptyi

    Chapter 251: Chapter 244 Nine out of Ten Houses are Emptyi


    ¡°She aspires to a step-by-step life, while what I yearn for is¡­ to hold sway over a place, where civil and military affairs are well handled, and thousands admire.¡±


    Lu Zhong hesitated slightly when he said this.


    In the end, he still spoke his true thoughts.


    Who would have thought that a second-rate scoundrel who mingles in society would aspire to become a king who reigns over a territory?


    Qin Niu was stunned for a moment, then seriously said, ¡°Brother Lu has the ambition of a great roc soaring to the ninth heaven, which is truly admirable. I believe that as long as one is willing to make the effort, there will come a day when one realizes his ambitions.¡±


    Lu Zhong did not expect Qin Niu to actually agree with him. He was immediately as excited as if he had found a kindred spirit. ¡°Thank you, Brother Qin Niu for your encouragement. When I talk about this with my wife, she says I¡¯m daydreaming. When my father was alive, I told him I wanted to hold sway over a place, and he told me to pole a bamboo raft, to sit in the center of the river and own a corner for fishing!¡±


    Being repeatedly discouraged by his family members, Lu Zhong was certainly extremely frustrated.


    ¡°When you make some achievements, they will believe you¡¯re not just talking in your sleep. I see that your wife is a rather insightful person; as long as you truly make the effort, she will definitely support you.¡±


    ¡°What Brother Qin says makes sense. It¡¯s a pity there¡¯s no wine on this boat, otherwise, I would definitely drink three cups with you.¡±


    As the two talked, the boat had already reached the heart of the river.


    The river waves were surging fiercely, several times nearly flipping the boat. However, Lu Zhong skillfully used the momentum to paddle the boat, passing through the center of the river, where the waves were roughest, without danger.


    Compared to that innkeeper, Lu Zhong¡¯s boating skill was about clever strength.


    Different people have different ways of overcoming difficulties.


    A mouse has its own path; a snake has its own route.


    He quickly and safely delivered Qin Niu to the opposite shore of the Tianshui River.


    ¡°Brother Qin Niu, there is a small path up here that leads straight to the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s Luoshui Town. I can only escort you this far; I wish you a smooth journey.¡±


    Lu Zhong, perhaps feeling that Qin Niu was a kindred spirit, was especially concerned about him.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Lu, for your righteous company. If you truly want to achieve great things, it is also very important to improve your cultivation. Only when you are strong can you realize those dreams. The iron needs to be hard on its own when forging.¡±


    Before parting, Qin Niu gave Lu Zhong a piece of sincere advice.


    ¡°I also want to practice cultivation, but I have read little and have no money to buy cultivation techniques. Alas, I wasted so much time in my youth.¡± ¡°These Two Silver Money are enough to buy a common cultivation technique, consider it my support for Brother Lu.¡±


    Qin Niu threw out the Two Silver Money, as payment for Lu Zhong¡¯s boat fare.


    This, this¡­ Thank you, Brother Qin Niu, for your generous gift; if there comes a day when Lu Zhong achieves something, I will never forget it.¡±


    Lu Zhong caught the silver money, visibly thrilled.


    ¡°Hurry back! Your wife and brother-in-law are probably anxiously waiting.¡±


    Qin Niu leaped onto the shore and waved towards Lu Zhong.


    Lu Zhong, watching him leap ashore so easily, knew that he had met a master today. He bowed to Qin Niu again before setting out on the return journey in his boat.


    What he did with the Two Silver Money, whether to buy cultivation techniques or to squander it on eating, drinking, and gambling, that was his own affair now.


    If one does not want to rise up, no amount of help from others is of use.


    After reaching the shore, Qin Niu felt much more settled being on his own territory.


    This was also the first time he truly felt a sense of belonging to the Black Tiger Gang.


    Only by venturing out and experiencing could one understand the importance of a ¡®nation¡¯.


    Even within the territory of the Shennong Sect, without a base, he still felt a strong sense of insecurity.


    Perhaps everyone has a home in their heart, which is the safest haven.


    After Qin Niu left, Lu Zhong¡¯s wife went back to the room to open the small paper package, curious to see what gift he had brought for the child.


    Upon opening it, she almost screamed.


    It was a ten-tael silver note.


    Though it was the smallest denomination silver note, in her eyes, it was a huge sum of money.


    With such a large sum, they could relieve the family¡¯s financial straits.


    She looked out the window with tears in her eyes, towards the direction Qin Niu had left.


    Benefactor! Young Master Qin is our family¡¯s great benefactor!¡±


    For a poor family like hers, saving up ten taels of silver might take ten years, or even longer.


    Lu Zhong had no stable job, and he hung out with a crowd of questionable friends, barely earning much over the course of a year. What he left for household expenses was even less.


    As for saving up silver, that was essentially a pipe dream.


    ¡°We must make good use of this money, not to let down the benefactor¡¯s kindness.¡±


    She decided not to tell her husband about the money.


    At least not now, otherwise, there was a chance he would squander it all away. Given the ease with which he had given away ten taels of silver, she was certain Qin Niu was no ordinary person. Remembering Qin Niu¡¯s repeated reminders about tasting the jujube fruit before selling them, and his purposeful mention of her knowledge in identifying medicinal herbs,


    Even if she were foolish, she realized that the benefactor was hinting at the extraordinary nature of that jujube tree.


    Carrying a lamp, she quickly went to the front yard to inspect the jujube tree.


    But she found nothing unusual.


    She could see the jujube tree almost every day; if there had been anything unusual, she would have noticed long ago.


    But why else would the benefactor keep reminding her?


    She planned to take another look when the jujubes ripened.


    ¡°Wife, what are you looking at?¡±


    At that moment, Lu Zhong returned, drenched.


    Seeing his wife examining the date tree with an oil lamp in the courtyard, he was extremely curious.


    ¡°Just taking a casual look. Have you ferried Young Master Qin across the river?¡± ¡°Of course, rowing boats is my forte. I watched him safely reach the shore and leave,¡±


    Lu Zhong answered with a smile.


    With the Two Silver Money given by Qin Niu, Lu Zhong felt like there was a sun shining in his heart, giving him boundless confidence.


    He also had a direction for his efforts.


    ¡°He is our family¡¯s benefactor; it¡¯s good that you got him safely across the river. Your clothes are wet, hurry inside and change!¡±


    ¡°Wife, are you predicting the future? When Brother Qin Niu left, he gave me Two Silver Money, telling me to buy a set of ordinary cultivation techniques to practice. He¡¯s right, ¡®to forge iron, one must be strong oneself,¡¯ I need to strive to be stronger, only by doing so can I protect you and our child. I¡¯m going to Mai City tomorrow; I can ride in big brother¡¯s horse carriage.¡±


    ¡°He, he gave you Two Silver Money! Young Master Qin is really too kind to our family. When you become successful, you must not forget his kindness.¡±


    She had not anticipated Qin Niu¡¯s generosity.


    ¡°I definitely won¡¯t forget! Just wait, when I become strong one day, I¡¯ll be able to repay him.¡±


    Lu Zhong always harbored the idea of owning his own territory.


    Two Silver Money was not much, but it was a great encouragement to him.


    After having a goal to strive for, his entire demeanor changed. He became full of the vitality and energy of youth, no longer the same as before, spending his days only in idleness and frivolity with friends.


    The Black Tiger Gang¡¯s Luoshui Town was just approached by Qin Niu when several soldiers with torches surrounded him.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡±


    ¡°Insect Master Qin Niu from Shuangfeng Village, Jade Stream Town, of the


    Black Tiger Gang!¡±


    Qin Niu directly presented his Fish Talisman badge and stated his identity.


    The leading captain took the Fish Talisman and carefully examined it, then shone the torch on Qin Niu¡¯s face.


    ¡°Turns out it¡¯s our own man. Brothers, all¡¯s well,¡±


    He said with obvious relief once he confirmed Qin Niu¡¯s identity.


    The other soldiers also lowered their guard.


    ¡°Did Master Qin just come over from the other side of Tian Shui?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Shennong Sect had the area heavily locked down, and I found someone to secretly get me back by smuggling.¡±


    ¡°Is Tianshui Town assembling a large army?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the captain of the soldiers became tense once more.


    ¡°There was no sign of a large army gathering, but when I hired a boat to cross the river, the boatman secretly informed the officials. A large number of soldiers tried to capture me.¡±


    It s quite good that you managed to escape safely. According to reliable information, any Black Tiger Gang member captured in Nine Insect Gang territory ends up in a sorry state. The men are used to raise insects, and the women are taken as playthings. With war upon us, it¡¯s better for Master Qin to avoid wandering around, especially staying away from the Nine Insect Gang area.¡±


    After giving Qin Niu a few words of advice, they let him pass.


    Knowing that there was no large army assembled on the other side of the river, the soldiers on guard relaxed their expressions, looking forward to a good night¡¯s sleep tonight.


    Qin Niu entered Luoshui Town and found that aside from locusts crazily gnawing on plants everywhere, the local residents were shrouded in the shadow of war.


    Many households had their doors locked tight, the inhabitants having already fled elsewhere for refuge.


    In contrast, Shennong Sect¡¯s Tianshui Town was peaceful, with people eating and drinking as usual, very optimistic about the outcome of the war.


    The locust plague had already spread to Luoshui Town, indicating that the entire territory of the Black Tiger Gang might be at risk of a locust disaster. Weary from traveling for consecutive days, although he wished to return to Shuangfeng Village as soon as possible, he still decided to find an inn in Luoshui Town and rest well for a night.


    In the town, several inns had closed doors.


    It was with difficulty that he found an inn with lanterns lighted. Despite its old appearance, he went up and knocked.


    Bang bang bang!


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    A voice of an old woman asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to stay for the night,¡±


    Qin Niu replied.


    The door opened from the inside, and a gray-haired woman in her fifties holding a lamp evaluated him.


    ¡°Are you from the Shennong Sect?¡±


    ¡°I came from there; I¡¯m from Jade Stream Town of the Black Tiger Gang.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I see, ¡®When in Rome, do as the Romans do,¡¯ so that explains your attire. All the rooms upstairs are empty, feel free to take your pick,¡±


    The old woman, experienced in receiving guests, quickly understood what Qin Niu¡¯s Shennong Sect attire implied.


    ¡°How much for one night?¡±


    ¡°Just give ten Wen Money! Hot water is at the back of the kitchen; you¡¯ll need to fetch it yourself. I¡¯m old and don¡¯t move easily, and I can no longer carry heavy things upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Here! I¡¯ll stay for one night and leave tomorrow.¡±


    Qin Niu gave the old woman ten Wen Money; the price was indeed reasonable.


    ¡°Greedy for money!¡±


    The old woman received the copper coins, her face breaking into a smile.


    ¡°I see that the other inns seem to have closed down, are they afraid of the war?¡±


    ¡°Of course they are scared. If I wasn¡¯t so old and could move better, I would have run away with them. Since the trade operations between both sides have been halted, I haven¡¯t had much patronage. If it were like past years during the peak trade season, with ships bustling on the river, my inn would have been full long ago.¡±


    The old woman shook her head repeatedly, sighing.


    A perfectly good business had been forcibly halted because of the war.

 Chapter 252 - Chapter 252: Chapter 245 Combat Chicken in the Meeh Suit_1

    Chapter 252: Chapter 245 Combat Chicken in the Meeh Suit_1


    ¡°Where did they all escape to? The inland?¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory was quite extensive.


    Everyone feared war and fled towards the hinterland. ¡°They¡¯ve gone in all directions. They¡¯re seeking refuge with relatives and friends, and if they truly have no other choice, they¡¯ll try their best to get away from the border. I heard that Dafeng Village by the Black Water River was wiped out overnight by the thugs of the Nine Insect Gang. Since Luoshui Town is adjacent to the Shennong Sect, everyone is also scared of falling victim to their cruel hands.¡±


    The Nine Insect Gang¡¯s ruthless move was extremely malicious.


    It terrified the residents of the villages and towns near the border, causing


    them to abandon their homes and flee in droves.


    After these people sought refuge in other parts of the Black Tiger Gang s territory, it would certainly trigger a new wave of war and fear.


    Qin Niu had a hot bath and changed back into his usual plain clothes.


    But the old woman cooked a steaming bowl of noodles for him.


    ¡°Young man, it¡¯s not easy being away from home, and there¡¯s not much to eat. I made you a bowl of noodles. Eat it while it¡¯s hot to fill your stomach!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, madam!¡±


    After receiving it, Qin Niu was very grateful for the old woman¡¯s kindness.


    ¡°How much for the noodles? I¡¯ll pay you.¡±


    ¡°What money! Just eat up!¡±


    The old woman waved her hand and went into her room, probably to sleep.


    Qin Niu found a fried egg hidden beneath the noodles.


    Usually, a big bowl of noodles like this would cost at least two wen money.


    The money wasn¡¯t much, but eating it warmed his heart.


    After finishing the noodles, he went upstairs and chose a guest room to sleep


    in.


    In the middle of the night, he heard someone knocking in a daze. It must have been someone knocking on the door of the inn.


    He instinctively grabbed the Ink Blade but stayed in bed without moving.


    ¡°Master Qin, Master Qin, save me! Save me¡­¡±


    Someone was calling him.


    The voice was urgent, filled with panic.


    Qin Niu hurriedly shouldered his basket and went downstairs, opening the door of the inn, only to find two of the soldiers he had encountered upon entering


    Luoshui Town.


    But their faces were pale, and they looked terrified.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Qin Niu asked the two men.


    ¡°Insects, a large swarm of poisonous insects that bite upon sight. They move fast and bite anyone they see. Three of our brothers have been bitten. The insects¡¯ venom is violent: those bitten convulse on the ground and blood seeps from all seven facial orifices. We beg Master Qin to save our captain and the other brothers.¡±


    This soldier seemed to be in his late twenties, with a cultivation at the level of


    Grade Ten Mortal.


    He was already speaking with a sob in his voice.


    To frighten a Grade Ten Mortal regular soldier to tears showed just how frightening those insects must be.


    ¡°How did the two of you manage to escape?¡±


    Qin Niu clearly wouldn¡¯t take the two at their word.


    If the insects were so fierce and others couldn¡¯t escape, it was suspicious that these two had managed to get away.


    ¡°We were on guard duty for the latter half of the night, sitting by the fire, so that¡¯s why we were unharmed.¡±


    Soldiers maintain their vigor by taking turns on night watch duty, pairing up in shifts, which is standard procedure.


    This strategy was even modeled after the defense patterns of wild animals. When zebra herds rest at night, they designate sentinels to stand guard. This allows the rest of the zebras to rest assuredly, maintaining their energy. The next night, other zebras take over so that those who stood watch the previous night can rest securely within the herd.


    With such rotations, the entire herd can always stay energetically robust.


    ¡°If those insects are afraid of fire, why aren¡¯t you using torches to rescue the people?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use, there are too many insects. We were afraid of getting trapped, and then there would be no one left to send a warning. We beseech Master Qin to take action and save our captain and the other brothers. I must immediately inform the main camp. The arrival of these insects is strange; it could very well be an enemy¡¯s attack strategy.¡±


    One of the soldiers, having said this, mounted his horse and hurried off toward


    the outside of the town.


    He was delivering a message to the local garrison.


    Small military encampments are usually not exposed recklessly.


    Especially during a period of warfare between two armies.


    Because they could easily be surrounded and taken by the enemy in one fell


    swoop.


    ¡°Madam, insects have come. It would be best if you hid in a large urn. As long as you secure the lid tightly, you should be able to escape this disaster.¡± Qin Niu, having eaten a big bowl of noodles, naturally had something to repay.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The old woman replied, already heading toward the kitchen.


    Clearly, she¡¯d taken Qin Niu¡¯s advice to heart.


    ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    Rescuing someone was as urgent as putting out a fire; having gotten clear


    directions, Qin Niu didn¡¯t dawdle.


    He directly had another soldier who stayed behind guide him.


    Soon, the two arrived at the docks of Luoshui Town.


    This was where eleven soldiers were stationed on guard.


    It was also the passageway into the market town from the Tianshui River.


    ¡°Insects, it¡¯s these insects! Master Qin, be careful!¡¯


    The soldier, holding a torch, hadn¡¯t even reached the docks when he spotted the insects attacking from the ground.


    They surged like a tide, numerous in number.


    Hurriedly crawling forward.


    The wooden hut ahead was the temporary camp for a dozen soldiers, from inside which desperate cries still emerged, indicating there were survivors.


    ¡°Just follow behind me.¡±


    Qin Niu, with the Termite Army, wasn¡¯t afraid of these crawling ground insects.


    The priority was to rescue the people first.


    Over sixteen thousand termites in the Termite Army cleared the path ahead.


    The remaining over four thousand, which had the ability to launch mental attacks, directly climbed onto Qin Niu for combat.


    Rather than engaging in close combat, it was better to let their long-range attack capabilities assist.


    The insects on the ground were a type of black armored beetle.


    Slim and elongated, they moved with extraordinary agility. Upon closer examination, Qin Niu identified them as ground beetles. They belonged to a particularly fierce category of omnivorous insects. It must be emphasized that not all insects are called insects. Termites, bees, ground beetles are all insects. But spiders, centipedes, and such are not considered insects.


    They can only be called bugs.


    Centipedes, millipedes, both belong to arthropods.


    Ground beetles are Coleoptera.


    Coleoptera, a superfamily of insects, are characterized by their hard exoskeletons.


    For example, rhinoceros beetles are the favorite of insect enthusiasts. Not only are rhinoceros beetles large, but they also possess two impressively long horns and have tremendous fighting strength. They are well-known powerhouses, and their defensive abilities needless to say.


    Even praying mantises have to detour around them. Ground beetles, however, belong to the smaller-sized insects within the Coleoptera.


    They are known for their swift movement, ferocity, and many naturally have stink glands which allow them to spray toxic gases from their tails. If sprayed on a person¡¯s hand, it immediately causes redness and pain, and the smell is very unpleasant.


    However, they differ from the stink bugs found among Hemiptera, colloquially known as stink bugs.


    The gases released by stink bugs indeed smell terrible.


    And also carry a certain toxicity.


    In a fight, ten stink bugs wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against a single ground beetle.


    They are the ¡®bantam fighters¡¯ among the ground beetles.


    The ground beetles crawling on the ground were obviously bred and enhanced by an Insect Master.


    Their mandibles had evolved extreme biting strength, and they had developed venom glands in their mouths.


    That was the most frightening part.


    Once they bit someone, they immediately injected their venom.


    ¡°My god, the weakest are Grade Two ground beetles, most are Grade Three, and their numbers are so vast.¡±


    Qin Niu felt a wave of numbness in his scalp.


    Insect warfare has two developmental directions.


    One is to win through quality, breeding insects so tough that they are impervious to weapons and resistant to elements, with great mobility and toxicity. To possess just one could allow one to snatch the enemy leader with ease, as easy as reaching into a bag.


    Even Buddha, back in the day, was once stung by Scorpion Spirit.


    This serves to illustrate how terrifying the toxicity of insects can be.


    The second direction is to win through numbers.


    On top of having a certain quality, breeding a large number of insect swarms to reach a terrifying figure.


    This approach is equally horrifying.


    Especially against ordinary humans and skilled fighters, it is almost guaranteed success.


    When it comes to explosive reproduction, the Termite Queen of Qin Niu was second to none, and likely no other insect would dare claim to be first.

 Chapter 253 - Chapter 253: Chapter 246 One-Sided Slaughter s

    Chapter 253: Chapter 246 One-Sided Slaughter s


    He needed time, and even more so, a mass of resources to cultivate the Ant Queen and assist the evolution of its Breeding Skill once again.


    A daily production of a thousand eggs was already quite impressive.


    For those bugs that produced only a few hundred or even just a few eggs in their lifetime, it was considered high yield.


    But compared to some insects with particularly strong breeding capabilities, it still couldn¡¯t form an overwhelming advantage.


    At the moment, facing an army of Labu beetles like a tide, Qin Niu walked with ease, as if entering a realm without insects.


    Wherever he passed, the Labu beetle swarm either parted to the sides or turned on one another.


    The rest were simply overwhelmed by the fierce Termite Army.


    The Termite Army at this moment was even more ferocious than the dreaded Army Ants and moved with greater speed.


    This time, the Termite Army participating in close combat was primarily composed of the newest types of soldiers.


    There were only a very few of the earlier Grade Two termites.


    Because the termites from the initial batch had basically developed abilities for mental attack or mental control.


    Qin Niu treasured them dearly and would not let them engage in close combat with the enemy unless it was absolutely necessary.


    Among the many ant species, the Grade Three Lightning Poison Bomb Worker Ants were particularly dazzling.


    Not only were they fast movers, but they could also spray venom to attack the enemy, and they possessed a super strong biting force.


    The Labu beetle¡¯s shell seemed quite fragile before them.


    Almost biting through with each attempt.


    The most formidable part was their ability to spray venom. Their venom contained both neurotoxins and corrosive toxins, a mix of poisons.


    When getting close to the enemy, they often sprayed venom at the Labu beetles¡¯ eyes and antennae.


    Even the Grade Three Labu beetles were powerless in front of this ¡®hidden weapon¡¯ and fell victim one after another.


    Besides, the Grade Three Dark Poison Ants, Grade Three Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, Grade Three Green Carapace Giant Worker Ants-each of these soldier types had its unique characteristics.


    All of them had the ability to penetrate armor.


    The Labu beetle¡¯s agility and carapace, these two advantages, were precisely countered by them.


    Moreover, the Labu beetles¡¯ biting force was nowhere near that of these specialized Grade Three termites. Once combat ensued, it was truly like destroying dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, completely one-sided.


    It turned into a one-sided massacre.


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t expected his termites to be so formidable against the strongest among the beetle types, the Labu beetles.


    At this instant, he truly witnessed the terrifying combat strength of the termites.


    In the past, when leading the Termite Army, they faced particularly powerful enemies. It was either the Corpse Bee or the Grade Four or Five Steel-winged Wild Bees. Being suppressed was only to be expected.


    Aerial forces naturally suppress infantry.


    Termites actually had aerial forces; Breeder Ants had wings and could fly. It¡¯s just that their flying capability was very ordinary.


    Also, the main task of Breeder Ants was reproduction, not combat.


    Therefore, the possibility of termites evolving an aerial force was quite slim.


    Their evolutionary direction was mainly infantry.


    The Labu beetles also had wings, but their flying capability was lousy, nowhere near comparable to wasps and honeybees.


    When they fought termites on the ground, they had no advantage at all, and countless Labu beetles were slaughtered.


    The termites themselves had already been trained on the battlefield.


    It was clear that these Labu beetles were novices freshly deployed to the battlefield. Once combat began, their inexperience showed at every turn.


    The termites, on the other hand, grew stronger as they fought, and their cooperative synergy far surpassed that of the Labu beetles.


    Though the Labu beetle army was vast in number, they fought individually, like scattered sands.


    The termites, however, were more like a well-trained army.


    In battle, the trained against the uncoordinated, the outcomes were entirely different.


    In just a moment, Qin Niu had successfully reached the wooden house.


    With one kick, he broke through the tightly shut wooden door. Inside, several soldiers holding torches were fighting against a terrible swarm of insects. The platoon leader¡¯s cultivation should have reached the first level of the Acquired Realm, but facing these tiny insects, it was his worst nightmare.


    One sword strike could kill a few insects, but more would likely take the opportunity to crawl onto him.


    Being bitten by even one insect would result in immediate poisoning.


    On the ground lay three bodies, and two others were writhing in agony, bleeding from all orifices.


    The dense swarm of insects engulfed these two as well.


    The three bodies were also overwhelmed by the swarm, with only their contours barely visible.


    Labu beetles were omnivorous insects; they also consumed flesh.


    After killing a person, they would directly gnaw on the body.


    They were veritable demons.


    As soon as Qin Niu burst in, he immediately set about exterminating the swarm inside the house. The pressure on the four surviving soldiers was immediately relieved.


    In just a short while, Qin Niu successfully rescued the four soldiers.


    ¡°Thank you for saving our lives, Master Qin! I am Luo Wanglei, and I will never forget Master Qin¡¯s grace in saving our lives,¡± the leading platoon leader thanked Qin Niu.


    ¡°We¡¯re all subjects of the Black Tiger Gang, and it¡¯s only right to help each other out. You don¡¯t have to be formal, Lord Luo. This swarm of insects is unusual and numerous; it¡¯s likely the enemy deployed them. Who knows how many civilians have been harmed along their path.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t afraid.


    But the insects left people and livestock poisoned wherever they went.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to report this to the higher-ups immediately. There¡¯s an Insect Master at the military base who should have a way to deal with these insects. Master Qin, we shall meet again later.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you have horses, help me take someone away.¡±


    Qin Niu was still concerned about the old woman who ran the inn.


    When he arrived at the inn with the soldiers, the old woman had already fallen victim to the poison.


    People hid inside the large iron pot in the kitchen, but the wooden lid failed to fend off the attack of the Army Ants.


    Her death was a tragic sight, with numerous Army Ants gnawing at her corpse.


    Witnessing this, Qin Niu clenched his fists.


    In war between armies, innocent civilians should not be harmed.


    Yet the Nine Insect Gang specialized in harming the people, acting like demons.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to a safe place.¡±


    Qin Niu led several soldiers to an area the insect swarm had not yet reached. ¡°Master Qin, come with us! With your abilities, you would surely achieve great military exploits on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°I cannot join the army just yet, you all hurry along! Those insects move very fast and will soon reach this area.¡±


    The insect swarm¡¯s advance had a certain order to it.


    Wherever there was a path, they would follow it.


    Upon detecting the scent of humans, they would immediately surround and attack.


    ¡°Take care! Until we meet again!¡±


    Luo Wanglei mounted his horse and, along with the four surviving soldiers, quickly departed.


    After seeing them off, Qin Niu turned and headed in the opposite direction of the insect horde¡¯s advance.


    He was determined to eliminate the enemy Insect Master and avenge the elderly woman.


    The swarm had come from the direction of the Tianshui River.


    Following the path of the swarm, he arrived at the riverbank only to see a large number of Army Ants floating on the river surface.


    They drifted downstream and, upon reaching the shore, crawled onto the land.


    This suggested that the enemy had released a massive number of Army Ants upstream on the opposite side of the river.


    Most insects are afraid of water, but these Army Ants were not, which meant they were even more difficult to deal with.


    Qin Niu continued along the riverbank, encountering ferocious newly-landed Army Ants all the way. They launched attacks at him upon detecting his scent.


    Unfortunately for them, Qin Niu was protected by the Termite Army and was not afraid of them at all.


    Eventually, finding the pace of progress too slow, Qin Niu had his Poison Ants mimic the scent of the Army Ants to mask his human smell.


    The trick worked wonders.


    The Army Ants no longer attacked Qin Niu, ignoring him as if he were a big living man invisible like the Steel-winged Wild Bee.


    Qin Niu executed the Misty Rain Traceless Step and ran swiftly forward.


    The swarm was even larger than he had imagined, stretching two to three kilometers along the river surface.


    How many Army Ants could there be?


    The Insect Master of the Nine Insect Gang was so formidable that he could annihilate the Black Tiger Gang with just a massive swarm of insects, without needing soldiers to take action.


    As the number of Army Ants on the river surface gradually diminished, Qin Niu knew he was nearing the end.


    He immediately slowed down, advancing stealthily under the cover of night.


    Soon, with his keen hearing, he faintly heard voices coming from the opposite side of the river.


    Looking over, shadows flickered across the river, with lights twinkling.


    There were quite a few people active on the other side.


    Now deep into the night, these people surely wouldn¡¯t be idling around for fun by the riverbank.


    Separated by the wide river, Qin Niu could do nothing about those people on the opposite side.


    He hid in the dark, quietly observing.


    The lights barely revealed a large number of boats gathering on the opposite shore.


    ¡± What are they trying to do?¡±


    He was astonished.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to encounter such significant military intelligence upon his return to the Black Tiger Gang.


    Judging by their movements, they were probably planning to cross the river and launch a night raid.


    Even without understanding military strategy, Qin Niu realized the gravity of the situation.


    The Shennong Sect was bordered by the Black Tiger Gang across the Tianshui River, and with this natural barrier, the Black Tiger Gang only needed to station a small team of soldiers for sentry duty along the riverbank.


    If the Shennong Sect launched a night raid, once they crossed the river, they would catch the Black Tiger Gang completely off guard.


    A strike from Luoshui Town, although a considerable distance from Black Tiger City, would penetrate directly into the heartland of the Black Tiger Gang.


    An expanse of fertile land would fall entirely into the hands of the Shennong Sect.


    Once the Shennong Sect¡¯s armies established their foothold here, reclaiming lost ground would be more difficult for the Black Tiger Gang than ascending to the heavens.


    This attack method of the Shennong Sect is quite despicable. They first release a large number of Army Ants to clear out the civilians and guards along the riverbank, creating an uninhabited zone, then cross the river at night for a surprise attack, naturally without worrying about being discovered. By the time the Black Tiger Gang realizes an army is launching a sneak attack, the enemy will have already taken over the entire heartland of the Black Tiger Gang. Merely with the landlords, Protectors, and family guards from each village and town, they wouldn¡¯t be able to resist the enemy¡¯s advancing army.


    I must hurry and notify the upper echelons of the Black Tiger Gang.¡±


    Without further observation, Qin Niu quickly departed.


    It would take about two days to reach Black Tiger City from Luoshui Town.


    By then, the opportunity would be long lost.


    Luo Wanglei had taken four soldiers to deliver the message, which meant there must be an army stationed locally.


    Following the direction Luo Wanglei and the others had left in, Qin Niu ran at breakneck speed.


    The proficiency level of his Misty Rain Traceless Step was also increasing rapidly.


    He grew faster, and his figure became more blurred, turning into a lingering afterimage.


    Cries of agony and screams came from up ahead.


    One could tell it was the wailing of people fleeing for their lives.


    Many, upon discovering the invasion of poisonous insects, fled their homes overnight, desperately running ahead with children, the elderly, and spouses in tow.

 Chapter 254 - Chapter 254: Chapter 247 Bai Xuezhu 1

    Chapter 254: Chapter 247 Bai Xuezhu 1


    Along the Tianshui River, the terrain is flat, and the fields are fertile.


    Many common folks live here.


    Over seventy percent of the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s food supply comes from this region.


    On such a crucial piece of territory, no matter how strained their military forces are, the Black Tiger Gang cannot afford not to station troops for defense.


    There must be a large army encamped nearby.


    Along the way, Qin Niu saw quite a few corpses of the common people.


    Some were holding children and trying to flee, likely overtaken by the Termite because they were too slow, bitten down to the ground.


    Until their dying breath, they protected the child tightly beneath them.


    But it was all in vain.


    Both adults and children were killed by the Termite, their bodies now being consumed.


    The Termite¡¯s appetite is astonishing, their nature savage; just six Termite could clean out an earthworm as thick as a pinkie finger in thirty minutes.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help these refugee commoners.


    The insect swarm was too vast, and his force of twenty thousand white ants was akin to pouring a cup of water on a cartload of burning hay.


    What he sought was the local defending army, not these fleeing commoners.


    He ran about twenty li in one go, when clamorous noise up ahead mixed with the whinnying of horses and the flickering of many torches could be faintly discerned.


    Qin Niu speculated that it was likely the army stationed along this battle line.


    He immediately rushed toward that location.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang¡¯s military discipline was strict; even in the dead of night upon learning of the insect invasion, they still appeared well-trained.


    They were on full alert.


    Qin Niu was still a kilometer away from the army camp when he was spotted by a sentry.


    ¡°Insect Master Qin Niu, with urgent military intelligence to report, please take me to see your general immediately.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Qin Niu¡¯s abilities, it would have been impossible for anyone to realize that the enemy was preparing to launch a night raid on Luoshui Town, striking deep into the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory.


    ¡°Your waist token!¡±


    A sentry stepped forward to check his waist token, then leaned in to take a closer look at his face.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Most of these soldiers were blunt men, and they spoke very directly.


    Leading Qin Niu to the camp, many men here were holding torches, lining up and preparing to set out.


    ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll go and report to the general.¡±


    The sentry entered the largest tent in the center.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he came out.


    ¡°The General invites you!¡±


    Qin Niu directly entered the main army tent, where a man in his forties dressed in white, with a scholarly look, a square face and large ears, clothed in a silver armor and wearing a cape made from tiger skin, sat at the desk.


    Inside there were also several deputy generals seated on both sides.


    Their expressions were all very grave.


    ¡°Insect Master Qin Niu pays his respects to the generals.¡±


    ¡°No need for formalities. What military intelligence does Master Qin bring?¡±


    The man in the silver armor spoke unhurriedly, his tone gentle yet emanating an extreme pressure.


    He was much more imposing than Young Master Fang.


    His gaze was piercing as if he could see right through a person at a glance.


    Qin Niu had many secrets and dared not meet the man¡¯s eyes.


    Moreover, when he sensed the man¡¯s cultivation, it was unfathomable.


    Not knowing the depths of the opponent indicated that the silver-armored general¡¯s cultivation was truly terrifying.


    Even compared to the five old ancestors of the Fang Family, he was not much inferior.


    ¡°On the banks of the Tianshui River in Luoshui Town, I discovered enemy forces gathering boats on the opposite shore, likely preparing to cross the river by night and mount a surprise attack on our Black Tiger Gang.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen clearly? How many are in the enemy army? Is it Shennong Sect¡¯s army, or are they together with the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s army?¡±


    The silver-armored General faced the news, his originally calm and composed face showing a surge of ripples.


    Not to mention the other deputy generals, many of whom changed colour.


    ¡°The number of the enemy troops is unclear, but when 1 observed, there were at least a hundred ships. Before this, the enemy released a large number of Termite warriors from the river surface. They bite on sight, move quickly, and are highly poisonous. Therefore, I speculate that there may be an Insect Master from the Nine Insect Gang assisting within the enemy forces.¡±


    Qin Niu faithfully reported his observations.


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ve done very well. This intelligence is extremely important to us. It was you who saved Luo Wanglei and others who escaped from Luoshui Town, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Qin Niu readily admitted.


    ¡°At such a young age, Master Qin Niu must possess great skills to move freely within the swarms of enemy insects. Right now, battle is imminent, and there must be a fight tonight. Facing the enemy army head-on, 1 and my soldiers are not afraid. However, when it comes to dealing with those detestable insects, our soldiers might be insufficient. 1 have a presumptuous request, asking Master Qin Niu to enter our army and assist us in repelling the enemy.


    Let¡¯s leave the enemy¡¯s insects to you Insect Masters to deal with, while 1 and my soldiers will handle the enemy forces.¡±


    The silver-armored General spoke very politely to Qin Niu.


    Even though he was temporarily conscripting Qin Niu into the army, he used the word ¡°please.¡±


    ¡°Could you possibly be Lord Bai Xuezhu?¡±


    Upon hearing this man claim his surname was Bai, the only person Qin Niu could think of was the legendary figure, Bai Xuezhu.


    This man had climbed the ranks within the army through practicing the Iron Cloth Technique, a common skill, ultimately becoming one of the Deputy Gang Leaders of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Such big shots, each held immense power.


    ¡°Haha, indeed, it is I, Bai!¡±


    ¡°I have no problem helping to repel the enemy tonight, but there are still many matters at home 1 haven¡¯t settled. I beseech Lord Bai to allow me to return home after the battle ends.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Lord Bai was a decisive person.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately nodded in agreement.


    ¡°When the country is in trouble, every man is responsible. After Master Qin takes care of his family matters, he can return to serve in the army later. There is home only because there is a country. If Black Tiger Gang were defeated, then at that time, all citizens of the Black Tiger Gang would face destruction, humiliation by the enemy, with no dignity to speak of.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Qin Niu naturally understood this principle.


    ¡°Master Qin Niu will temporarily serve as a Grade Three soldier, under the command of Master He Shan¡¯s Insect Master camp. Your rescue of Luo Xinglei and others and reporting the critical military intelligence of the enemy preparing to cross the river for a night raid will all be recorded as merit, to be rewarded after the battle.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Bai!¡±


    Qin Niu, well-versed in human relations, smartly omitted the ¡°Deputy¡± from Deputy City Lord.


    ¡°This is Master He Shan, one of the top Insect Masters of the Black Tiger Gang.¡±


    Deputy City Lord Bai then introduced Master He Shan to Qin Niu.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen Master He Shan!¡±


    ¡°Dispense with the formalities! How many Termite warriors are at the front? What are their characteristics? Tell me everything you know.¡±


    Master He Shan was an old man with white hair and beard.


    He seemed unsightly with his high cheekbones and one large brown birthmark on the left side of his face.


    He had several Insect Bags hanging around his waist, and a bamboo tube on his back that also likely contained insects.


    For an Insect Master, the most formidable weapon was their insects, not swords.


    ¡°The number of Termite warriors should far exceed a million. As for their characteristics, I¡¯ve captured a few and can give two to Master He Shan.¡±


    Qin Niu took out a metal cage, which held more than ten Termite warriors.


    They were all Grade Three Termite warriors.


    He had intended to capture them for research purposes.


    The combat capabilities of the Termite warriors were worth investigating in many aspects.


    ¡°Excellent!¡±


    Master He Shan immediately took out a jar, which appeared to be made of crystal-clear glass.


    ¡°Are they all Grade Three Termite warriors?¡±


    ¡°Not all. The weakest are Grade Two Termite warriors..¡±

 Chapter 255 - Chapter 255: Chapter 248 Spirit Trapping Formation 1

    Chapter 255: Chapter 248 Spirit Trapping Formation 1


    ¡°Can I take away three of them?¡±


    ¡°Just take them, if it¡¯s not enough, you can still catch more. There¡¯s plenty to go around.¡±


    Qin Niu was very generous.


    ¡°You just need to open the door of the cage!¡±


    Master He Shan signaled.


    Qin Niu opened a small slit in the cage door, intending to let Termite control three armored crawlers into the other party¡¯s jar. But Master He Shan had already made the first move.


    With the jar in his right hand, the five fingers of his left hand were drawing imaginary lines towards the armored crawlers in the metal cage.


    Muttering under his breath, ¡°Come, come, come!¡±


    Neither more nor less, after saying the word ¡®come¡¯ three times, three armored crawlers lined up and entered the other party¡¯s insect jar.


    The other armored crawlers in the metal cage became unusually quiet.


    You can tell an expert by his first move.


    This Master He Shan had managed to control over a dozen Grade Three armored crawlers without making a sound.


    He was definitely a master of controlling insects.


    ¡°Master He Shan has impressive skills, I¡¯m in awe!¡±


    Qin Niu complimented sincerely.


    ¡°You flatter me, Master Qin Niu.¡±


    Master He Shan did not look down on Qin Niu either. Being able to move freely among the hordes of Grade Two and Three armored crawlers, just this alone meant that Qin Niu was no ordinary Insect Master.


    After taking away three armored crawlers, Master He Shan casually grabbed one with his hand.


    Pfft!


    Pfft!


    Pfft!


    The armored crawler was not tame and immediately began to struggle with bared fangs and claws, releasing three consecutive farts from its tail end.


    Every time it farted, a puff of white smoke sprayed out from the tip of its backside.


    Ordinary armored crawlers would excrete formic acid or quinones as defensive substances from their anal glands, a natural attack ability common to all adult specimens.


    If you¡¯re not careful while catching them, you can easily fall victim to it.


    If their poison gas hits your hand, it¡¯s not just unbearable skin pain, but if it gets in your eyes, that¡¯s terrifying.


    It could end up causing blindness.


    ¡°Shell defenses are weak, speed is several times faster than ordinary armored crawlers, they can swim in water, and behind the mandibles, there are even evolved poison glands. That must be their biggest highlight.¡±


    Master He Shan casually took out a small wooden stick and brought it close to the armored crawler¡¯s mandibles.


    It immediately bit down hard.


    Crack!


    ¡°The biting force is ordinary, but it¡¯s more than enough to pierce human skin and flesh.¡±


    He pulled out the wooden stick and then brought it up to his nose to smell.


    ¡°The venom is moderate, capable of causing the victim¡¯s heart to swell and burst in a short time, leading to death with blood flowing from every orifice. What¡¯s most terrifying is that the poison glands refill quickly with venom after a bite. By sucking fresh blood and gnawing on the flesh, it only takes about a quarter of an hour to refill. This creature is specifically bred to kill, truly vicious.¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s ability to identify insects seems to be even better than that of Master Hu.


    Real experts never show themselves openly.


    Chairman Li of the Insect Master Association and Master Hu might just be the mundane persona that the authorities want people to see.


    This was something Qin Niu had begun to suspect after his encounter with Old Master Huang.


    Because no matter how weak the Black Tiger Gang was, it couldn¡¯t possibly have just that little insect mastery power.


    Otherwise, considering the brutality and greed of the Nine Insect Gang, they would have probably attacked the Black Tiger Gang long ago.


    Placing Old Master Huang in Black Tiger City as an undercover agent was probably also to find out the true insect mastery strength of the Black Tiger Gang.


    However, Old Master Huang got greedy after meeting Qin Niu.


    He probably thought Qin Niu was weak and could be easily controlled, so without hesitation, he chose to take action.


    Unexpectedly, Qin Niu looked weak, but he had an abundance of hidden strengths and ultimately, even killed Old Master Huang.


    Not long after Old Master Huang died, the Nine Insect Gang declared war on the Black Tiger Gang.


    Is there a direct relationship between the two?


    Logically, the Nine Insect Gang wouldn¡¯t declare war on another sect just because an inner hall Executor died.


    This matter could be a coincidence.


    Or perhaps the death of Old Master Huang led the Nine Insect Gang to mistakenly believe their cover was blown. In light of the Black Tiger Gang not yet being fully prepared, they chose to strike first to gain the upper hand.


    The Nine Insect Gang couldn¡¯t have dreamed that it wasn¡¯t the higher-ups of the Black Tiger Gang who killed Old Master Huang, but a mountain village youth.


    Moreover, this youth had no interest in the affairs of the martial factions and didn¡¯t even think to report Old Master Huang¡¯s death to the Black Tiger Gang.


    In the dark, everything seemed like fate.


    Time and again, due to a series of fortuitous mishaps, Qin Niu foiled the good fortunes of the Nine Insect Gang.


    If one believed in destiny, Qin Niu might well have been preordained as the bane of the Nine Insect Gang.


    ¡°This insect seems only interested in the scent of humans. To raise such creatures, one must feed them large amounts of human flesh and blood. Such methods are very much like those of Elder Jiu Yin of the Nine Insect Gang. It¡¯s very likely that Elder Jiu Yin has already arrived.¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s eyes flickered with the light of wisdom.


    Inferring so much information from just one insect, this was the sign of a true expert.


    And he seemed quite familiar with the Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang.


    ¡°Jiu Yin has come? To prompt the Nine Insect Gang to dispatch an elder, the plans for this battle must be grand indeed! Not long ago, they tried to launch a surprise attack from Wash Crime River, but their commander, Song Zan, was unexpectedly killed by a mysterious person, exposing their scheme.


    Now they¡¯ve chosen to launch a stealth attack by crossing the river at Tianshui Town, in the territory of the Shennong Sect. Their audacity knows no bounds.¡±


    Excitement tinged Bai Xuezhu¡¯s tone.


    Looking towards Master He Shan.


    ¡°Old He, we¡¯ve fought against the Nine Insect Gang at the frontlines so many times, constantly being led by the nose. This time, having discovered their sneak attack plan in advance, should we not make a big move, to raise our spirits and boost morale?¡±


    Bai Xuezhu, leading an army in battle, seemed to have always been on the losing end against the Nine Insect Gang.


    Mainly because the Nine Insect Gang was very fond of ambushes.


    Attacking from here today, striking from another direction tomorrow.


    Every assault resulted in either massacring a village or pillaging the local area.


    The number of young women taken captive was untold.


    Their fate was certainly extremely tragic.


    ¡°Lord Bai means, to eliminate the invading enemy troops?¡±


    ¡°Merely killing some ordinary soldiers does not do justice to our slain kinsfolk. If Jiu Yin has truly come, shouldn¡¯t we set our sights higher and directly take out Elder Jiu Yin? It would be akin to severing an arm of the Nine Insect Gang.¡± Bai Xuezhu indeed had the disposition for grand endeavors.


    His goals were set remarkably high.


    ¡°Elder Jiu Yin is one of the top-ranking elders of the Nine Insect Gang, not only in cultivation but also in nurturing formidable insects. He is also protected by twelve prime disciples, four of whom are at the protector level, and six have become executors of the Nine Insect Gang. Killing him will be extremely difficult,¡± Master He Shan said, showing signs of second thoughts.


    An Insect Master understands another Insect Master better.


    Elder Jiu Yin was not just a powerhouse but also a formidable Insect Master.


    With twelve prime disciples to guard him, killing him seemed too challenging.


    Worse still, Vice City Lord Bai and Master He Shan might end up being the ones who failed.


    ¡°At the very least, it¡¯s worth a try; he¡¯s a big fish after all. If I set up the Spirit Trapping Formation in advance, trapping him will be tantamount to forcing Jiu Yin onto a stage of life and death,¡± Bai Xuezhu said, undeterred.


    ¡°Lord Bai can already set up a Spirit Trapping Formation? That requires at least the ability to command spirits, right? It seems your cultivation has broken through significantly! No wonder you aim to directly slaughter Elder Jiu Yin,¡± Master He Shan said, full of shock.


    His expression also revealed deep envy.


    Be it an Insect Master, a Beast Tamer, or even a Master of Herbology¡­ no matter how revered the profession, their core power undeniably lies in their own cultivation.


    Qin Niu had just entered the Innate Realm and knew nothing of the level required to manipulate spirits.


    Bai Xuezhu was certainly at least a major realm above him.


    To cultivate to the Innate Realm, one merely sets half a foot through the Immortal Gate; whether one could enter was still a question.


    Only reaching the next major realm would count like having half one¡¯s body through the Immortal Gate.


    Bai Xuezhu, the five venerable ancestors of the Fang Family, and even Master He Shan might already be at that major realm.


    Master He Shan¡¯s cultivation was likely much weaker than Bai Xuezhu¡¯s.


    Because Qin Niu could faintly sense a whiff of Master He Shan¡¯s cultivation aura.


    He was possibly at the peak of the Innate Realm.


    Yet even so, that was very powerful.


    Qin Niu was just at the Initial Stage of the Innate Realm, far behind them.


    ¡°All, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing, since my advancement to the Spirit Qi Realm and a whole sixty years of arduous cultivation, I¡¯ve only recently made a minor breakthrough. Compared to those prodigies of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, my talents are truly dull,¡± Bai Xuezhu said, displaying genuine humility..

 Chapter 256 - Chapter 256: Chapter 249: Double-Headed Lion?_i

    Chapter 256: Chapter 249: Double-Headed Lion?_i


    Qin Niu pricked up his ears to listen, for usually, touching upon such profound cultivation knowledge was very difficult.


    It turned out that after reaching the Innate Realm, the next level was the Spirit Qi Realm.


    The books occasionally mentioned Spirit Masters who could control swords to eliminate demons, likely referring to this very realm.


    What kind of miraculous realm was that?


    ¡°After breaking through to the Spirit Qi Realm, every subsequent breakthrough is like a chasm in the heavens. You have broken through three realms in just sixty years, which is already monstrously impressive. As for the disciples of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, many of them have the lingering influence of their parents and a plethora of resources at their disposal, which is why they can meet the selection criteria of the sect before the age of sixty. We grassroots folks have to fight for everything ourselves, so naturally, we can¡¯t compare to them,¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s eyes were filled with longing as he mentioned the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    Almost every cultivator ultimately aspired to enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    But entrance to the Immortal Gate is difficult, and those lucky enough to be accepted by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect are few and far between.


    One must admit that having a good father at birth can save one thirty years, or even fifty or sixty years, of struggle.


    For those with an Immortal Master as a parent, first and foremost, they can practice the highest-quality cultivation techniques from the start, and if there¡¯s anything they don¡¯t understand, they have guidance. This alone is something that many people might not achieve even after thirty years of hard work.


    Then, when they encounter bottlenecks in their cultivation, parents will definitely find a way to obtain elixirs that can help break through these boundaries.


    Qin Niu, thanks to a single elixir, had broken through directly from the Acquired Realm to the Innate Realm.


    This was enviable good luck that made countless commoners weep.


    But to those children whose parents were already Immortal Masters, this was nothing at all.


    No exaggeration, some second-generation immortals could literally treat Boundary-breaking Elixirs like snacks and munch on a couple whenever they pleased.


    In this world, being a rich or official second-generation doesn¡¯t count as true nobility.


    But to become a second-generation immortal definitely means defeating 99.999% of people from the moment of birth.


    Beyond cultivation techniques and elixirs, there¡¯s also the cultivation environment to consider.


    The children of Immortal Masters, if not practicing in naturally spirit Qi-abundant blessed lands, would at least cultivate in man-made environments like the Fang Family Forbidden Land.


    The spirit Qi there is several times denser than in the outside world.


    Moreover, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the son of a mouse will be good at digging holes.


    Immortal Masters themselves are exceedingly exceptional beings, so their offspring are naturally gifted as well.


    It¡¯s hard to believe that any Immortal Master would randomly choose a mortal-level beauty as a companion.


    As for temporary pleasures, that¡¯s another matter entirely.


    Normally, even an emperor would consult with a eunuch before indulging in a moment of pleasure, asking whether to keep or not to keep the favored lady.


    If the emperor says not to keep, then the eunuch will take that woman to be cleansed and to take medicine.


    Her chances of bearing offspring are almost none.


    Immortal Masters needn¡¯t be mentioned; even if tempted by pleasure, they wouldn¡¯t easily impregnate a mortal woman.


    What¡¯s more, many Immortal Masters are devoted to cultivating diligently, busy concocting elixirs, cultivating medicinal herbs, searching for those herbs, taming beast pets, focusing on improving their cultivation, and practicing martial arts, with little time for indulgence.


    There are rumors that genuine cultivators in pursuit of eternal life are typically detached and serene, devoted to quiet cultivation.


    For indulgence in pleasure would ruin one¡¯s Dao heart.


    In this regard, whether orthodox cultivators or heretic ones, they are much the same.


    Assuming that all demonic cultivators indulge in pleasures of the flesh and kidnap beauties for their enjoyment is something only an idiot would think.


    Real demonic cultivators are all ruthless and detached, focused solely on becoming stronger.


    ¡°No time to delay, commanders heed my command! Qi Fei, Peng Tianlei, you two lead your soldiers and envelop the enemy from both flanks. Fang Yue, Gao Zongzheng, Sheng Fan, the three of you lead your soldiers to block the powerful enemy at the front. Master He Shan, you command the Insect Master regiment and deal with all the insects on the battlefield. The remaining commanders, join me in laying an ambush, and strive to annihilate the encroaching enemy in one fell swoop,¡±


    Bai Xuezhu issued the battle commands.


    This left Qin Niu, who hadn¡¯t had his fill of listening, feeling quite regretful.


    ¡°Yang JiangHe, Zhao Yu, Tang Fangfang, immediately gather your Insect Masters under your command and follow me into battle. Qin Niu, you shall temporarily stay close to me as a small soldier, in case of danger, I can look after you a bit.¡±


    Master He Shan was quite protective of Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu¡¯s current identity was just that of a third-rate soldier, far inferior to those three named Insect Masters.


    However, when it came to true strength, Qin Niu might not be weaker than them.


    He followed closely behind Master He Shan, and together they left the central military tent.


    ¡°The young man actually has quite good body movement techniques, and his cultivation has even reached the Innate Realm, which is somewhat surprising to me. The Nine Insect Gang has dispatched an elder this time, and the insects used on the battlefield will certainly not be limited to just the armored insects. You must not be careless. The insects of Elder Jiu Yin are extremely powerful, to say nothing of the beasts of his twelve great disciples, each of which is extraordinary.


    ¡°Stick close to me, and once you have seen their tactics for yourself, you¡¯ll be better prepared for the next time you face them.¡±


    Master He Shan was extremely protective of his new recruit.


    And think about it, a promising young talent like Qin Niu was very hard to find.


    The enemy that had come this time was unexpectedly strong, and any mishap would be a great loss for the Black Tiger Gang.


    If Qin Niu were well-trained, he would surely become a fierce general in the future, formidable enough to strike terror into the hearts of enemies.


    ¡°Understood. Thank you, Master He Shan, for your care.¡±


    Qin Niu followed closely behind Master He Shan.


    Outside, the Insect Master battalion had already formed up.


    There were about two hundred of them.


    It should not exceed three hundred.


    Insect Masters were, comparatively speaking, a rather scarce occupation.


    Just here alone there were two hundred seventy or eighty Insect Masters, so the Black Tiger Gang as a whole must have had over a thousand.


    In recent times, there had been continuous assassinations of Insect Masters.


    It seemed like a great loss on the surface, but in reality, those who died were likely just small fry.


    For example, Master Mo Sang was already considered a very formidable presence among the lower-ranking Insect Masters.


    But looking around, many of these two hundred plus Insect Masters were powerful and had cold eyes.


    Just from their aura, one could tell they were experts.


    There were at least forty or fifty practitioners in the Acquired Realm. Many had reached the peak of the Mortal Realm, with strong bodies and agile movements.


    ¡°Move out!¡±


    Master He Shan wasted no time with superfluous words and led the Insect Masters out.


    Each of them had a warhorse.


    There were also a few whose mounts were special, like fierce wild beasts such as tigers or wolves.


    Qin Niu was quite envious; his little Xiao Niu was still nowhere near complete evolution. Having a mount made travel and battle much more convenient.


    It also greatly increased the chance of escape when fleeing.


    ¡°Qin Niu, you ride this warhorse.¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s mount was a very majestic lion.


    Its neck sported a large lump of flesh that was quite unsightly.


    But Qin Niu was reminded of the legendary Double-Headed Lion.


    Every beast, once cultivated, could evolve.


    Master He Shan¡¯s lion might very well have the bloodline of the Double-Headed Lion, already starting to evolve towards it..

 Chapter 257 - Chapter 257: Chapter 250 Horsemanships

    Chapter 257: Chapter 250 Horsemanships


    Mounts, for the common folk, are dispensable.


    However, for a powerful being, a mount is an indispensable and important companion. Even when one ascends to the level of immortals, mounts are equally vital.


    In ancient times, those mighty experts with profound magical powers each had their mounts.


    Many, like Master He Shan, started to rear their mounts while their cultivation was still shallow, nurturing them over a long period.


    ¡°When one man gains Tao, even his chicken and dogs ascend to heaven.¡±


    This phrase is often used to describe how the relatives and friends of a person who climbs up the ladder benefit as well.


    The earliest source is actually referring to Liu An, who, after successfully concocting the Immortal Pill, not only became immortal himself but also fed the elixir to the chickens and dogs he raised, aiding their ascension.


    This is merely a legend.


    In the cultivation world, every Elixir is incredibly precious, making it highly unlikely to be used for feeding chickens and dogs.


    When people rear pets, they opt for exotic beasts and birds with outstanding potential.


    With the same Elixir, feeding an ordinary chicken might evolve it one or two levels. It may have been unable to beat a dog before, but following its transformation, it can.


    But if you feed a Five-Colored Brocade Chicken, it might transform directly into a Demon Bird, possibly even awakening a Phoenix bloodline.


    The ratio of investment to return can be quite impressive.


    ¡°Master He¡¯s mount is extraordinary, majestic and dominating. Did you


    directly subdue this exotic beast?¡±


    Qin Niu asked with evident envy.


    ¡°Speaking of which, it was also a matter of fate. In my younger days, as I


    wandered through the cultivation markets, I saw a small lion confined in a cage for sale. It looked pitiful, so I spent twenty Silver Money to buy it. Heh, little did I expect that after taking the little fellow home, it showed remarkable qualities, and with just a bit of nurturing, it underwent a transformation.¡±


    Master He Shan spoke of his mount with considerable pride.


    ¡°To acquire an exotic beast for just twenty Silver Money, such profound fortune is enough to make others weep with envy. I see it bears a resemblance to the Double-Headed Lion, which is a rare species in the world.¡±


    It goes without saying, everyone has their own destiny.


    The calf that Qin Niu saved was equally extraordinary.


    ¡°Haha, young man, you have a good eye indeed! To recognize at a glance that it has the bloodline of a Double-Headed Lion many have seen my mount and called it ugly. Few really know their stuff.¡±


    Master He Shan grew even more smug.


    The Double-Headed Lion is indeed a rare variety among exotic beasts, but it¡¯s certainly incomparable to the legendary Nine-Headed Lion.


    You see, the Nine-Headed Lion was the mount of the Great Taiyi Rescue Sage, directly conferred with the title of Jiuling Yuansheng. Just like the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, it is one of the saintly beasts.


    It¡¯s at the pinnacle, so to speak.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, stick close to me!¡±


    Seeing that the Insect Master¡¯s camp had finished assembling, Master He Shan commanded and leapt forward on his majestic lion.


    This beast, truly an extraordinary breed, could leap over seven meters with a casual bound, and while galloping forward, the overwhelming fierce majesty it radiated was enough to make many ordinary mounts tremble.


    This was Qin Niu¡¯s first time riding a horse.


    Imitating others, he swung himself into the saddle.


    ¡°Neigh!¡±


    The steed beneath him suddenly began behaving stubbornly, lifting its hooves and rebelling on the spot, attempting to throw him off its back.


    Lucky for Qin Niu, his cultivation at the Innate Realm saved him from making a fool of himself.


    Otherwise, if he were thrown off the horse and landed with a bruised and swollen face, it would have been a huge embarrassment.


    ¡°First time riding a horse? Squeeze with your legs, lower your body, and as long as you don¡¯t get thrown off, it will settle down after struggling for a bit,¡± said a female officer clad in leather armor and draped in a white fox fur cape.


    This female Insect Master was one of Master He Shan¡¯s three adjutants.


    She appeared to be in her thirties and was quite dashing.


    The Insect Master¡¯s camp had only three adjutants, named Yang JiangHe, Zhao Yu, and Tang Fangfang. Among the women, only Zhao Yu seemed to be a


    possible name.


    This female officer was most likely Zhao Yu.


    ¡°Thank you for the advice!¡±


    Qin Niu, following the woman¡¯s instructions, lowered his body, squeezed his legs against the horse¡¯s sides, and firmly grasped the saddle with both hands. It worked like a charm, and after the horse¡¯s brief frenzy to no avail, it had no choice but to start trotting forward.


    When it galloped, the ride on its back was extremely bumpy.


    It was clear that it had not fully submitted, but instead tried to shake Qin Niu


    off its back by running fast.


    Regrettably, it encountered a strong martial artist from the Innate Realm.


    Qin Niu sat on its back as if he had taken root.


    No matter how it struggled, he remained as steady as Mount Tai.


    After stabilizing somewhat, Qin Niu sensed that someone had been following him all along, and subconsciously turned his head to check.


    He saw a female general riding a Sweaty Precious Horse behind him.


    She seemed ready to intervene at any moment to save Qin Niu.


    ¡°As it runs, you can try to get a feel for it, moving with the rise and fall of its body, so you won¡¯t be thrown off the horseback. It will also be more comfortable,¡±


    she said to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Okay! May I ask how to address you?¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t sure if she was Zhao Yu, so it was safer to ask her name first.


    ¡°Zhao Yu, not only a centurion but also an Insect Master.¡±


    ¡°A valiant female general, a woman warrior of note, truly admirable. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Qin Niu; I hope for your guidance.¡±


    Qin Niu was not fond of socializing ordinarily.


    He was low-key in his actions, used to being alone.


    However, he was always willing to interact with those whose character he trusted.


    The goodwill shown by this female commander made a very good impression on him. After entering the military, there would certainly be much to learn, and having made her acquaintance would make it convenient to seek advice later on.


    ¡°Pleasure¡¯s all mine!¡±


    She agreed heartily.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve learned to ride, I won¡¯t follow you any longer. Just catch up with Master He Shan in front and follow him.¡±


    After speaking, she gently pulled on the reins, and the Sweaty Precious Horse she was mounted on raised its hooves and stopped.


    ¡°Hurry up, everyone! Get ready for battle.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Her Insect Masters acknowledged with a roar and rushed towards her, whips in hand.


    Qin Niu also whipped his mount, urging the warhorse beneath him to gallop forward. His high cultivation level gave him a solid foundation.


    Despite never having learned to ride before, he soon became proficient at it.


    The steed he was mounted on was a well-trained warhorse which, after being tamed by Qin Niu, gradually became docile and obedient.


    For it realized that no matter how fast it ran or how high it jumped, it could never shake off the person on its back.


    The sensation of riding a horse for the first time was novel, and it gave him an experience of freedom and gallantry he had never had before, stirring a heroic spirit in his heart.


    Master He Shan led the way, rushing at the forefront.


    Behind him, dozens of Insect Masters followed on their steeds, guarding and escorting.


    After earning a position in the military, one can generally establish one¡¯s own personal soldiers.


    These dozens of Insect Masters were likely Master He Shan¡¯s personal troops. Qin Niu followed behind them, galloping towards the direction of Luoshui Town.


    They hadn¡¯t gone far when they encountered large groups of refugees fleeing headlong towards them.


    They were all in extreme panic.


    Behind them, a great number of rabjak insects pursued and hunted them.


    No one could have imagined that a tiny insect, usually so inconspicuous, could become terrifying when their numbers reached into the thousands upon thousands.


    in front of them, humans became exceedingly vulnerable.


    In an instant, someone could lose their life..

 Chapter 258 - Chapter 258: Chapter 251 Insect Formation i

    Chapter 258: Chapter 251 Insect Formation i


    ¡°All warriors, heed my command, clear the middle of the road for the civilians to pass through. We¡¯ll exterminate these insects with all our might,¡±


    Master He Shan bellowed orders to his personal soldiers.


    Many had already taken out their Insect Bags or various pesticides.


    Some even applied the medicine on their mounts to ensure they would not be attacked by the insects.


    Master He Shan, on the other hand, took off a long strip-shaped Insect Bag from his back, ¡°whoosh,¡± and directly released the insects within.


    They were monstrous centipedes.


    Each one as thick as an adult¡¯s pinky finger, about four to five inches long, numbering probably more than a thousand.


    The centipedes¡¯ bodies were a dark red color, their shells shimmering with a metallic luster.


    They were incredibly nimble; upon hitting the ground, they immediately charged into battle against the attacking Scarabeadle swarm.


    Crack! Crack!


    One could hear the sound of them crazily slaughtering the Scarabeadles, a dense symphony of destruction.


    The Scarabeadles stood no chance against them, it was a one-sided massacre.


    These centipedes were mostly Grade Four insects.


    Breeding over a thousand Grade Four insects was no small feat.


    Many Insect Masters focus their resources on cultivating one or two insects. Ihose that cultivate several thousand insects generally have substantial wealth and possess powerful high-level insects.


    Otherwise, no one would dare such extravagance.


    After all, quantity is still no match for quality.


    If you successfully breed a thousand Grade IWo insects, you¡¯re still just a prospective Insect Master and not even considered a formal one.


    But if you breed just one Grade Three insect, no matter how weak, you¡¯re a bona fide Insect Master.


    Qin Niu had over twenty thousand Grade Three and Four termites, and that was because he had the super resource of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Otherwise, even breeding two hundred Grade Three termites would be tough. More than a thousand Grade Four monstrous centipedes, like an invincible army, pushed forward, leaving behind piles of Scarabeadle corpses in their wake.


    These centipedes had strong armor and were highly resistant to poison. The Scarabeadles¡¯ biting force was limited and couldn¡¯t breach their defenses. ¡°Master He Shan can casually bring out more than a thousand Grade Four monstrous centipedes, and these centipedes have hard-as-iron shells, at least medium-grade ones. They also have enhanced biting power, and their movements are faster than those of ordinary Grade Four monstrous centipedes. This is the foundation of a powerful Insect Master!¡±


    In terms of strength, Master He Shan should still be above Old Master Huang. Back then, to take down Qin Niu, Old Master Huang had mobilized over four thousand Grade Three army ants.


    While Old Master Huang¡¯s army ants numbered four thousand, they were not as formidable as Master He Shan¡¯s thousand-plus centipedes.


    Theoretically, ten Grade Three insects are no match for one Grade Four insect. Any of Master He Shan¡¯s Grade Four monstrous centipedes could easily eliminate more than ten Grade Three army ants.


    But then again, quantity can overwhelm quality.


    If the numerical advantage reaches a certain level, it can compensate for the lack of quality.


    A hundred Grade Three army ants swarming together may potentially kill a Grade Four monstrous centipede.


    Master He Shan led with centipedes clearing the way ahead, while other Insect Masters also used their various means to exterminate the Scarabeadles that came at them like a tide.


    Unlike ordinary civilians who were utterly helpless against the Scarabeadles, Insect Masters are experts in this field, and facing these insects, they each had their ultimate tricks.


    Powerful Insect Masters took the lead while the weaker ones followed to clean up.


    Qin Niu was probably the most relaxed of all.


    Moving amidst the insect swarm, the Scarabeadles treated him and his horse as ¡®one of their own¡¯ and simply didn¡¯t attack him.


    This also allowed Qin Niu to easily reach the front of the group.


    ¡°Qin Niu, did these Scarabeadles all come from the Tianshui River in Luoshui Town?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. They floated along the river towards us, stretching out for two kilometers,¡±


    Qin Niu said.


    ¡°So many Scarabeadles, the number must far exceed ten million. The Nine Insect Gang benefit from an advantageous geographical environment, and in cultivating insects, we truly can¡¯t compare with them,¡±


    Master He Shan spoke with a tone of envy.


    So many insects were beyond his wildest dreams.


    Qin Niu, however, was secretly thinking if his Ant Queen¡¯s Breeding Skill were to level up once more, how strong would it become? If it could produce ten thousand eggs a day, even if it¡¯s not quite at the level of the Elder Jiu Yin of the Nine Insect Gang, it ought to be not too far off, right?


    Ten million, breeding ten thousand a day, it would take less than three years to breed over ten million.


    If one day his Termite Army also had tens of millions, or even more, like these Scarabeadles, how horrifying would that be?


    They could probably consume all the plants on a mountain in a single day.


    But unlike locusts, they could gnaw on hard tree trunks and roots buried underground.


    In terms of destructive power, they would be far more terrifying than locusts. Master He Shan noticed Qin Niu¡¯s relaxed appearance by his side and couldn¡¯t help but take a surprised glance at his position.


    He saw that the Scarabeadles did not attack Qin Niu¡¯s horse.


    As for the person on the horse, they treated him as if he were merely air. ¡°Young man, you have some tricks! These Scarabeadles have no hostility towards you, which is quite remarkable.¡±


    You flatter me! I just happen to have some aptitude in this area,¡±


    Qin Niu replied modestly.


    Killing these Scarabeadles one by one is quite laborious, isn¡¯t there another way?¡±


    He thought that for Master He Shan to lead his men to clash head-on with the Scarabeadles was not the act of a wise man.


    At this rate of progress, they might not reach Luoshui Town by daybreak. By then, the enemy would have completed their sneak attack and be drinking to celebrate their victory.


    ¡°What are your bright ideas?¡±


    Master He Shan asked.


    ¡°These Rab Armor are afraid of fire and there are a lot of them. Couldn¡¯t we lure them into a confined space and then burn them all with fire?¡±


    Qin Niu never considered the morality of his actions.


    As long as it could eliminate the enemy, he would use whatever method worked best.


    If you really had to fight honorably and face-to-face on the battlefield, exterminating the countless Rab Armor one by one, you¡¯d almost have to be brain-damaged.


    An excellent plan! Let¡¯s follow your suggestion.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Master He Shan¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It was like waking someone from a dream; just before, all he had thought about was the immense threat the Rab Armor posed to the civilians.


    That¡¯s why he had been intent on exterminating them all.


    The method Qin Niu proposed was somewhat old-fashioned, but very practical. ¡°Zhao Yu, when it comes to luring insects, you are the strongest amongst us Insect Masters. Can you find a way to lure these Rab Armor to one place?¡± Master He Shan called out to Zhao Yu, who had arrived.


    ¡°We can try. However, given the sheer number of Rab Armor and their wide dispersal, setting up just one lure might not suffice. We¡¯ll need to set up several.¡±


    ¡°Then set up several lures. Qin Niu just made a great suggestion, to attract the Rab Armor to one place and use fire to exterminate them in one fell swoop. You¡¯ll be responsible for luring the insects, and Centurions Tang Fangfang and Yang JiangHe, along with their Insect Masters, will be in charge of using fire to kill the lured Rab Armor. 1 will lead the guards to scout the enemy in advance as we¡¯re likely in for a tough fight today.¡±


    Master He Shan immediately made arrangements.


    ¡°Qin Niu, lead the way! To the location where you discovered the enemy preparing to cross the river.¡±


    ¡°At your command!¡±


    Qin Niu immediately led the way.


    He had wanted to see how Zhao Yu lured the insects and had hoped to watch and learn later.


    His own insect-catching skills had reached a certain level, and he knew a bit about luring insects as well.


    After mastering this skill, he had planned to use it to capture some rare insects to sell for money. He had never imagined that being proficient in luring insects could be so useful on the battlefield.


    Qin Niu rode his steed swiftly through the Rab Armor tide.


    He quickly realized a problem.


    When the steed galloped, it was easy to step on the densely packed Rab Armor on the ground.


    The number was simply too vast, like a tide, crowded and teeming.


    A random step could squash several of them at once.


    Although they were very fast and could quickly dodge, there were always moments when they couldn¡¯t avoid in time.


    When stepped on, their instinct was to immediately attack whatever was pressing down on them.


    The venom they sprayed was quite fearsome.


    The steed¡¯s hooves were wrapped in horseshoes, so there was no worry of being bitten.


    Plus, it galloped very fast.


    It would crush the insects as soon as it stepped on them, then lift its hooves and charge forward.


    The venom sprayed by the insects at the moment of death did minimal damage to it.


    But the sheer number was overwhelming!


    Each step taken squashed insects, then sprayed their venomous mist onto its hooves.


    Gradually, the hooves began to swell.


    Their speed was affected, noticeably slowing down.


    In the face of this situation, Qin Niu didn¡¯t have a good solution.


    He was relatively alright, but Master He Shan¡¯s personal guards, despite being carefully selected and skilled Insect Masters, still fumbled when swarmed by the insects.


    No one had been bitten to death just yet.


    As they approached Luoshui Town, the number of insects on the road visibly decreased.


    This meant the enemy had already released all of their insects, naturally leading to fewer behind.


    ¡°Careful! Everyone, stop!¡±


    Master He Shan, still two to three hundred meters away from Luoshui Town, immediately gestured for everyone to halt.


    Qin Niu, the most cunning, had already sensed the danger and had slowed down.


    This action also earned him a new level of respect from Master He Shan.


    ¡°Qin Niu, have you also sensed something amiss?¡±


    Master He Shan asked.


    There s a heavy aura of killing intent up ahead, which feels extremely dangerous. The enemy might have set up an ambush waiting for us.¡± Qin Niu stared ahead, his expression grave.


    The feeling of danger meant the enemy was stronger than he imagined.


    In his mind, he thought that only Insect Masters had arrived so far, and they hadn¡¯t even seen a hint of Deputy City Lord Bai.


    If there was a Spirit Qi Realm expert among the enemy forces, these Insect Masters would probably die miserably in front of them.


    It wasn¡¯t just about being one whole realm apart.


    Even if the difference was just a smaller realm within, the disparity in combat power could be huge.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already caught the scent of Elder Jiu Yin. If I¡¯m not mistaken, there might be a formidable Insect Formation ahead set by Elder Jiu Yin himself.¡±


    Master He Shan mentioned a term that Qin Niu had never heard of before.


    He knew about formations.


    Insects can set formations?


    ¡°What is an Insect Formation?¡±


    Not understanding, Qin Niu asked.

 Chapter 259 - Chapter 259: Chapter 252 Blood Repository Mosquito and Phantom Jumping Spider_i

    Chapter 259: Chapter 252 Blood Repository Mosquito and Phantom Jumping Spider_i


    ¡°Talking about it is simple, it¡¯s about using multiple bugs to form an army formation. Just like how our human armies deploy troops and formations on the battlefield. However, utilizing insect formations is much more enigmatic and unpredictable. To give the simplest example, a combination of ground-crawling poisonous bugs and flying insects can create a basic insect formation. The ground bugs take the lead in attacking, while the flying insects are responsible for distracting the enemy¡¯s attention.¡±


    Master He Shan gave a general introduction to the insect formation.


    Qin Niu had firsthand experience in his fight with Old Master Huang, witnessing the power of combining two or more different kinds of bugs in an attack.


    So this was the insect formation.


    ¡°Master He, what do we do now?¡±


    A guard asked for instructions.


    They clustered around He Shan, each one on high alert.


    ¡°Where is the scout team?¡±


    ¡°Here at your command!¡±


    A scout team of more than ten members stepped forward.


    ¡°Reconnaissance!¡±


    Master He Shan stared ahead and uttered two chilling words.


    The thirteen members of the scout team rapidly assumed a fan formation as they moved forward, releasing their respective bugs to scout the situation ahead.


    Some released ground-crawling spiders, mole crickets, scorpions, and weevils, while others released flying moths and fireflies. Qin Niu even spotted a steel-winged wild bee.


    But now these insects had been tamed and cultivated by the insect masters.


    Since it was night, many insects were unable to see in the dark.


    Moths were one of the few flying insects that possessed night vision.


    These insect masters, chosen for the scout team, were all skilled.


    Having them conduct nighttime reconnaissance would prove very effective.


    However, after they sent out their insects, they disappeared without a trace, without any response.


    And they did not return.


    Shortly after, a member of the scout team began to shudder violently and let out a muffled groan.


    One by one, several people turned pale and frequently let out pained noises.


    This indicated that the bugs they had sent out had probably encountered misfortune.


    ¡°Master He, the situation ahead is unclear, our bugs sent to scout the enemy have all been harmed.¡±


    ¡°You all rest first.¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s face was composed, and he didn¡¯t get angry due to the failure of his subordinates¡¯ reconnaissance.


    After a while, he extended his right hand, palm facing up, at chest level.


    Qin Niu was puzzled when he saw Master He Shan take off a bamboo tube from his waist with his left hand and open the lid.


    ¡°Buddy, you¡¯ve worked hard, get inside!¡±


    He said to his palm.


    Qin Niu, squinting in the light of the torches, finally noticed several tiny black dots on the palm of Master He Shan¡¯s right hand.


    They were fleas.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that the most inconspicuous little bugs would be the key to Master He Shan discovering the enemy¡¯s situation.


    The size of fleas was even smaller than a sesame seed, hard to see in daylight, let alone at night.


    This made Qin Niu realize that every insect has its unique abilities and uses.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go around from that side.¡±


    Master He Shan had already spurred his majestic lion steed and was quickly heading towards a small path to the left.


    There were many roads to Luoshui Town.


    There¡¯s no need to stick to the main road.


    Qin Niu followed closely behind Master He Shan, experiencing his first real battle.


    An invisible sense of danger loomed over the entire battlefield at all times.


    This made him both nervous and a little excited.


    Perhaps every man is a beast, facing the test of blood and fire, what ignites is the frenzy of war.


    The real cowards who shrink back are very few.


    ¡°Be careful! There¡¯s an ambush here too!¡±


    Master He Shan alerted everyone.


    The enemy had set up an ambush to prevent the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s army from entering Luoshui Town, aiming to prevent their sneak attack from being exposed and to stop their retreat from being cut off.


    ¡°Choose to breakthrough here, fight our way into Luoshui Town.¡±


    Master He Shan appeared extremely calm.


    The main force of the Insect Master camp stayed behind to annihilate the numerous Labor Armor.


    However, Master He Shan led his personal guard directly into the strategic locations guarded by the enemy.


    The battle between both sides had officially commenced.


    The contest between Insect Masters could very well determine the outcome of today¡¯s war.


    Master He Shan, riding a lion, charged straight ahead.


    Knowing full well that there was an ambush ahead, he still recklessly charged in.


    Qin Niu frowned slightly, military orders were as heavy as mountains; he was now just a common soldier, other than following Master He Shan in the charge, he had no other options.


    They had barely charged forward two hundred meters when numerous poisonous insects crawled out from all around, attacking them.


    There was a large number of blood-sucking poisonous mosquitoes in the air.


    The ground was home to a type of very agile gray spider.


    With slender legs and bodies about half the size of a fingernail, their crawling speed was amazingly fast.


    Not only could they shoot webs to attack positions two to three meters high, but they were also skilled jumpers.


    Their fangs looked chilling to behold.


    Being bitten by them would definitely not lead to anything good.


    ¡°It seems the path we¡¯ve taken is guarded by Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s fourth disciple, Zhu Zhu. These spiders are called Phantom Jumping Spiders, the weakest are Grade Three, and the strongest can reach Grade Five and above. Their venom has a strong paralyzing effect, and if bitten, one must immediately take a Detoxification Pill.¡±


    Elder He Shan warned his personal guards.


    ¡°Qin Niu, catch! This is a Detoxification Pill, take one at a time. You can take up to three a day; keep them in case you are bitten by a poisonous creature. Because there¡¯s a limit on how many you can take, you must avoid getting bitten.¡±


    Master He Shan tossed a small green porcelain bottle to Qin Niu.


    He caught it with his hand.


    Just as Qin Niu caught the bottle, over a dozen poisonous mosquitoes swarmed toward him.


    ¡°Be careful, these poisonous mosquitoes are the notorious Blood Storage Mosquitoes. If they bite you, you won¡¯t feel pain or itchiness and won¡¯t notice anything, but you¡¯ll bleed uncontrollably.¡±


    As Elder He Shan warned him, he himself was attacked by a large swarm of Blood Storage Mosquitoes and Phantom Jumping Spiders.


    He was so busy that he had no way to help Qin Niu.


    The Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang, leveraging their unique geographical advantage, had each cultivated a large number of poisonous insects.


    They had both quantity and quality, and each one was unusually venomous.


    This was the true direction for Insect Master evolution.


    An Insect Master could contend against thousands of troops.


    The Blood Storage Mosquitoes appeared slightly larger than common house mosquitoes, with an overall black-gray color, and only their legs had a small amount of white pattern.


    In great numbers, they hummed as they attacked the Insect Masters of the Black Tiger Gang.


    With attacks from Phantom Jumping Spiders below and Blood Storage Mosquitoes above, everyone was thrown into disarray.


    Qin Niu remained very calm.


    As long as these Blood Storage Mosquitoes landed on him, they immediately became food for the Termites.


    No matter how many came, the Termites could eliminate them.


    As for the ground-based Phantom Jumping Spiders, he had commanded his Poisonous Jaw Ants to mimic their scent and become ¡®one of their own.¡¯ They did not attack Qin Niu or his steed.


    The Poisonous Jaw Soldier Ants had already become so formidable just by advancing to Grade Three.


    If they were to advance to Grade Four, or even Grade Five, their abilities could become even more heavenly.


    He was indeed looking forward to their evolution.


    Through this insect battle, Qin Niu even realized that simply cultivating Termites well might suffice for him to easily handle the vast majority of insects.


    In his future development in insect control, he would be very deliberate, preferring not to covet quantity, but to specialize in a few types.


    Green Silk Worms for monitoring enemies, Bees for making honey, Corpse Bees and Green Demon Bees merging to be used mainly for aerial combat, and Termites for ground combat and planting.


    The value of insect species lies in their quality, not their quantity.


    With these insects, he currently had more than enough.


    In the future, unless he encountered particularly exceptional species, he would not easily tame new insect pets.


    Energy, time, and resources are all limited; as long as he could cultivate these insects well, they would be stronger than anything else.

 Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: Chapter 253 Pretending to Be a Pig to Eat a

    Chapter 260: Chapter 253 Pretending to Be a Pig to Eat a


    Tigeri


    At that moment, other Insect Masters were all in disarray, only a few with strong abilities could fend off the enemy relatively composedly.


    Qin Niu remained leisurely and unrestrained as he charged straight toward the enemies ahead.


    Capture the king in order to capture the thieves.


    Capturing or killing the enemy meant the insects would naturally be nothing to worry about.


    He was already secretly probing for the enemy¡¯s hiding spot.


    So long as it wasn¡¯t Elder Jiu Yin himself, he should be capable of fighting them.


    ¡°Qin Niu, don¡¯t be reckless! Quickly come back!¡±


    Master He Shan saw Qin Niu taking the lead and charging directly toward the front, and he urgently called out from behind.


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ve heard that Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s fourth disciple, Zhu Zhu, is the most trash, just about anyone can wipe him out.¡±


    Qin Niu answered loudly, sporting a semblance of a foolhardy chap.


    Without looking back, he charged into the depths of the woods ahead.


    This narrow path, due to the lack of frequent travelers, was overgrown with weeds and trees on both sides.


    The enemy could easily hide anywhere, making them very difficult to spot.


    Qin Niu had deliberately taunted that fourth disciple, Zhu Zhu, quite loudly, the purpose being to enrage the enemy.


    Only this way could he coax the enemy into revealing themselves.


    He was posing as a rookie who had just entered the battlefield, practically offering his head on a platter.


    After galloping less than two hundred meters, he faintly heard the sound of something cutting through the air in his ears.


    It was an exceptionally vigorous Steel-winged Wild Bee, but it seemed to be somewhat different from the ordinary ones.


    Its abdomen sported ink-green, wavy patterns.


    The Green Demon once became famous in a single battle, leading many Insect Masters to covet the Green Demon Bee as their dream insect pet. Even Zhu Zhu, a disciple of Elder Jiu Yin, was no exception.


    He also kept a Steel-winged Wild Bee as a pet and had extensively cultivated it.


    This was truly an eye-opener for Qin Niu.


    The Green Demon Bee egg he had received was still incubating. Compared to these rejected products¡ªSteel-winged Wild Bees¡ªit was definitely much stronger.


    It was a pity it hadn¡¯t hatched yet; otherwise, he could have arranged a fight between the Green Demon Bee and this Steel-winged Wild Bee.


    It would be a good test of its combat power.


    This Steel-winged Wild Bee was as thick as a baby¡¯s arm.


    It had at least reached the Bee General Level.


    Ordinary Steel-winged Wild Bees are mostly Grade Four.


    To reach the Bee General Level means at least Grade Five or above.


    This Steel-winged Wild Bee was so massive and its flight speed was amazingly fast, indicating that it might be even more formidable than a regular Grade Five Bee General.


    Given time and further cultivation, it should be able to reach Grade Six.


    But now, it was actually charging at Qin Niu, which was like delivering high- class insect food to his doorstep.


    Qin Niu looked terrified on the surface, but uncooperatively took out a Metal Bug Canister in his hand.


    ¡°Come on, come into my bowl!¡±


    He chanted like a charlatan.


    Unexpectedly, the Steel-winged Wild Bee obediently flew into his Insect Jar.


    He quickly sealed the lid.


    A Grade Five Bee General effortlessly caught, exhilarating.


    However, from a large tree not far away, there came the sound of heavy panting.


    Clearly, someone was infuriated by his actions.


    The enemy had already revealed their whereabouts, and Qin Niu was about to pretend to be in a pitiful state to lure the enemy in.


    He didn¡¯t expect that the enemy had already launched their fiercest attack.


    A Phantom Jumping Spider the size of a sea-bowl leapt down from a tree and swiftly pounced towards Qin Niu.


    Its upper body rose, and its hind part bent forward, lining up its spinneret holes aimed at Qin Niu.


    A large volume of spider silk sprayed out.


    The target was Qin Niu¡¯s face, intending to blind his eyes with the silk, and plug up his nostrils and mouth.


    ¡°Wow, this jumping spider must be at least Grade Six. It hasn¡¯t reached Grade Seven, though.¡±


    Such an impressive insect just makes one envious at the sight.


    If I could slaughter it, the food for cultivating the Ant Queen and Green Demon Bee would be immediately taken care of.


    And it would be very high-end food.


    For omnivorous insects wanting to evolve, the best food is the corpses of other insects.


    Preferably those of a higher grade than themselves.


    A Grade One insect consuming the corpse of a Grade Three insect might not guarantee evolution, but it would at least greatly aid in their evolution.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Ant Queen is extremely special; it has now evolved into a Four-Winged Yin Ant, having awakened a trace of an ancient rare insect¡¯s superior bloodline. After eating high-end food, its conversion rate is higher than before.


    Previously, after consuming bear blood and meat, it immediately developed the special ability of the Termite to reproduce with great strength.


    Latterly, having consumed a poisonous insect, it developed the ability to produce toxic termite offspring.


    This Phantom Jumping Spider is a Grade Six insect, and quite large at that.


    It would definitely reap great benefits if consumed.


    Qin Niu eyed the Grade Six Phantom Jumping Spider, nearly drooling.


    The enemy hiding in the tree launched an attack almost simultaneously.


    They leaped down silently from the tree, holding a narrow sword, stabbing towards his throat and face.


    It seems the enemy knew the goods too.


    Knowing that the King Pig Leather Armor he wore was very defensively strong, they chose to attack the weakest point, the face.


    In a fight with an enemy, everyone aims for a one-hit kill.


    No one wants to tangle foolishly.


    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re still lacking with those little tricks.¡±


    A Red-eyed Golden Toad leapt out of Qin Niu¡¯s basket, targeting the Grade Six Phantom Jumping Spider.


    The Golden Toad naturally has bloodline suppression over the vast majority of insects.


    Just like cats to mice, or golden eagles to foxes.


    Born to suppress the opponent.


    The Phantom Jumping Spider never expected Qin Niu to be keeping a Grade Seven Red-eyed Golden Toad, an alien species more powerful than ordinary pet varieties.


    While the Red-eyed Golden Toad took on the Phantom Jumping Spider, Qin Niu unsheathed his sword and slashed swiftly at the attacking enemy.


    No fancy movements.


    Just a solid use of slashing martial skills.


    After advancing his Slash Martial Skill to a small level of proficiency, using his Ink Blade gave him a 50% chance of unleashing Critical Chop, which also had a terrifying Rupture effect.


    Bang!


    The clash of their swords and blades resounded, with the swordplay focusing on cunning while the blade technique was all about fierceness and dominance.


    The dreadful Blade Qi cut through the narrow sword like a rainbow, then tore through the enemy¡¯s defenses amid their shocked gaze.


    By then, Qin Niu finally got a clear look at his opponent.


    It was a woman with a graceful figure, her specific age indiscernible, but her face was fairly attractive.


    She was wearing armor.


    However, in the face of his Ink Blade, ordinary armor seemed to be no more of a barrier than a piece of paper.


    This time the Rupture effect wasn¡¯t triggered, but the Critical Chop effect was.


    Being able to produce a Critical Chop with every second strike was too powerful.


    It left opponents struggling to defend effectively.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger, plotting against me?¡±


    She was incredibly frightened, but hanging mid-air with no leverage, she could only watch helplessly as the terrifying Blade Qi cleaved through her helmet, then split her skull open, chopping her head in two in the blink of an eye.


    She wore two sets of armor, the outer was the regular armor made of Hundred- Tempering Fine Steel, which couldn¡¯t block Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade at all.


    But the Soft Armor she wore inside offered strong defense.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Blade Qi hit it and actually stopped the blade¡¯s momentum, failing to split her body in two.


    This piece of Soft Armor must be a rare treasure.

 Chapter 261 - Chapter 261: Chapter 254 Bloodsucking Locusts 1

    Chapter 261: Chapter 254 Bloodsucking Locusts 1


    This was the first time he had encountered armor that could withstand the Ink Blade¡¯s Blade Qi.


    Not far behind him, the large spider fighting the Red-eyed Golden Toad also collapsed onto its back, its eight legs folding in, and then it remained motionless after the woman¡¯s death.


    When the master died, the insects bound to them through a spirit contract perished as well.


    Their fates were closely linked to their master¡¯s.


    Originally engaged in battle with the jumping spider, the Red-eyed Golden Toad, seeing it suddenly die, opened its mouth to devour it.


    ¡°Wart Toad, show some mercy with your mouth!¡±


    Qin Niu quickly dismounted and gathered the body of the Phantom Jumping Spider into a basket.


    If the Golden Toad ate it, the benefits would be very limited since it was already a Grade Seven Beast Pet.


    It would be better to keep it to feed to the Ant Queen later.


    A Grade Five White Termite Ant Queen consuming an entire Grade Six Phantom Jumping Spider would gain considerable benefits.


    It might even advance directly to Grade Six.


    Having witnessed the collective combat prowess of these formidable Insect Masters from the Nine Insect Gang, he felt an urgent need to cultivate a super White Termite colony. Then he wouldn¡¯t fear any Insect Master he faced.


    After collecting the body of the Phantom Jumping Spider, he quickly scavenged the woman¡¯s corpse for valuables.


    He stripped off the soft armor immediately.


    The Insect Bags and Insect Jars at the waist of the woman¡¯s corpse were clearly high-quality items, and he happily took them all.


    Those Insect Bags came in a wide variety of styles and were made from superior materials, totaling eleven, suitable for housing various insects.


    Some of the Insect Bags still contained insects.


    These were insects that hadn¡¯t been released in time.


    Qin Niu could feel that they seemed to be still active, indicating they had not formed a spirit contract with the woman.


    Now was definitely not the time to open and check.


    He decided to keep them for now.


    Unexpectedly, he found two silver notes inside the woman¡¯s bodice, amounting to fifteen hundred taels.


    Truly poor.


    But at least there was an old, yellowed book.


    The Spider Technique Scroll.


    Ordinary Insect Control Books were typically named as certain scriptures, notes, or rearing manuals. It was uncommon to name them as scrolls.


    The word ¡°technique¡± was a high-level term in the cultivation world.


    Just like ¡°Taiyi¡± or ¡°Primordial,¡± such terms would never be used casually.


    The same was true for Insect Control Books.


    The Spider Technique Scroll was of medium thickness and appeared quite old. Some of its corners were worn away.


    The cover seemed to be made of animal hide, and the inside consisted of specially made satin pages.


    It appeared to be quite high-end.


    Qin Niu knew this could be something valuable; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been kept close by the female Insect Master.


    Once he finished plundering, he grabbed the corpse and carelessly tossed it into the nearby bushes.


    Before long, it would be consumed clean by wild beasts and ants.


    This woman, the fourth disciple under Elder Jiu Yin, had a pretty face and a particularly alluring figure, likely much favored by Elder Jiu Yin. Now she had been slain by Qin Niu¡¯s blade.


    Elder Jiu Yin would probably go into a rage.


    Since the fourth disciple¡¯s strongest insect was a Grade Six Phantom Jumping Spider, Elder Jiu Yin, being her mentor, would possess at least a Grade Seven insect.


    Qin Niu had no trouble dealing with the Grade Six Phantom Jumping Spider because he had a Grade Seven Red-eyed Golden Toad at his disposal. Otherwise, he might have been flustered just trying to handle one spider.


    There might even have been danger.


    However, he had over twenty thousand White Termites, with over four thousand capable of Mental Attacks and Spirit Control.


    In a desperate situation, he should have a great chance of victory.


    Mental attacks were indeed an against-the-heavens ability; it was just too bad there was so little Thousand Eyes Tree Blood.


    If he could obtain it like Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, getting two large jars a day,


    then he could breed as many Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants as he wanted.


    ¡°Qin Niu, those Phantom Jumping Spiders and Bloodsucking Locusts suddenly fell into disarray, and the four leading Grade Five Phantom Jumping Spiders died on the spot. What happened on your side?¡±


    Master He Shan came galloping over on his lion.


    His personal guards followed closely behind.


    Several of the personal guards had bleeding faces and hands, clearly bitten by the Bloodsucking Locusts.


    Those tiny mosquitoes are truly formidable.


    ¡°Just now, a female Insect Master died.¡±


    Qin Niu knew he couldn¡¯t keep this a secret.


    There was no need to hide it.


    ¡°This, this¡­ She died so quickly!¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s eyes revealed a look of horror, and when he looked at Qin Niu, there was a significant change.


    ¡°While the other disciples of Elder Jiu Yin have not yet reacted, let us hurry to Luoshui Town!¡±


    He did not ask how Qin Niu had managed to take out his opponent.


    Master He Shan led his people quickly towards Luoshui Town.


    They were not far from the town now.


    With no obstacles in their way, everyone made very good progress and arrived at the town in less than the time it takes to eat a meal.


    Now, Luoshui Town had become a town of the dead.


    Everyone had been killed.


    In the darkness of night, the entire town was eerily quiet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and burn the enemy¡¯s boats first.¡±


    Master He Shan was also a ruthless person.


    This was to cut off the enemy¡¯s retreat.


    The enemy forces had likely already crossed the Tianshui River and attacked the heartland of the Black Tiger Gang.


    It all depended on whether Deputy City Lord Bai was effective.


    ¡°Strange, why isn¡¯t there a single enemy?¡±


    ¡°Idiot, the enemy has likely gone to raid other villages and towns by now. Along this road are many major towns with large populations; if they really fall into their hands, the consequences would be unimaginable.¡±


    ¡°My wife and children are at home; they absolutely cannot fall into the hands of those devils from the Nine Insect Gang.¡±


    The Insect Masters discussed among themselves, many filled with worry.


    ¡°Qin Niu, where did the enemy cross the river?¡±


    ¡°Right ahead! If we walk along the river for two or three miles upstream, we will be able to see it.¡±


    Qin Niu led the way ahead.


    Master He Shan, concerned about his safety, followed closely beside, staying highly vigilant and ready to react to any enemy at any moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange that Elder Jiu Yin only sent disciples to guard the roads leading into Luoshui Town; this doesn¡¯t seem like that old fellow¡¯s style. You four, go downstream along the Tianshui River and look for the enemy¡¯s tracks. If you discover the enemy¡¯s moored ships, come back and report immediately.


    Remember, do not act rashly.


    Elder Jiu Yin is cunning and full of tricks; he won¡¯t let us destroy his boats across the river that easily. You are not his match, and upon discovering the enemy ships, return immediately to report quietly.¡±


    Master He Shan instructed the four guards he had sent out.


    Qin Niu led the way ahead.


    After traveling more than two miles upstream, they faintly made out large shadows on the river surface.


    They could vaguely make out the shape of a large number of boats moored on the river.


    ¡°The time has come for us to make a name for ourselves; let¡¯s burn those boats and leave the enemy with no escape.¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s spirits lifted, and he promptly led everyone forward.


    The enemy would definitely have left soldiers to guard it, but in Master He Shan¡¯s eyes, ordinary soldiers were nothing significant.


    They could be wiped out easily.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    In the darkness, row upon row of Bloodsucking Locusts were perched on trees and grass by the river.


    The moment Qin Niu and Master He Shan got close, the locusts immediately arched their bodies, leaping towards them.


    The stretching ability of these locusts was extremely strong.


    When contracted, they were only a little over an inch long, about as thick as a finger.


    But when they stretched out their bodies, they could actually reach a length of seven to eight inches.


    Keep in mind, an inch is approximately 3.3 centimeters, so seven or eight inches is equivalent to more than twenty centimeters in length.


    The three Bloodsucking Locusts leaping towards Qin Niu were still in the air when they simultaneously shuddered and fell to the ground.


    Fourth had already led the ant horde to protect their master at the earliest opportunity.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad, having missed out on the corpse of the Grade Six Phantom Jumping Spider and likely starving by now, seized the opportunity. Its long tongue shot out like lightning, pulling a Bloodsucking Locust straight into its mouth.


    Such a small Bloodsucking Locust was nothing more than a little snack for it.

 Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Chapter 255: The Indestructible Cockroach i

    Chapter 262: Chapter 255: The Indestructible Cockroach i


    Master He Shan had only just realized that Qin Niu¡¯s basket was hiding a Golden Toad.


    He couldn¡¯t help staring at it for a moment, and his appreciation and regard for the young man increased significantly.


    With his keen eyesight, he could naturally tell that the level of the Golden Toad was very high.


    Normally, unless the creatures are one¡¯s own pets, one can only roughly infer the level of insects or beast pets based on factors like size, breed, and aura.


    Unless one is an Appraiser, it¡¯s difficult to accurately determine the level of this Golden Toad at a glance.


    One can only roughly estimate.


    ¡°Insect Master Qin¡¯s methods are numerous, truly keeping a low profile. These Bloodsucking Leeches are one of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s insects. Only Elder Jiu Yin and his chief disciples have bred this type of insect in large numbers.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, Elder Jiu Yin is likely nearby, and you should be careful.


    Many of his insects possess the ability to kill with a single strike.¡±


    Master He Shan dealt with the Bloodsucking Locusts with ease.


    He didn¡¯t even seem to use any particular method, as the locusts lunging at him fell to the ground one by one, motionless.


    They were not dead.


    Instead, they curled up, maintaining a posture similar to hibernation.


    The more powerful the Insect Master, the more effortless and casual they are in dealing with their enemies.


    As someone capable of becoming the leader of the Insect Master¡¯s camp, he naturally possessed formidable strength.


    ¡°All¡­ save me, save me¡­¡±


    A sudden and heart-wrenching scream came from behind.


    One of Master He Shan¡¯s soldiers, clutching his face, fell off his horse to the ground and rolled around in agony.


    A Bloodsucking Leech had burrowed into his nostril, and he was clutching the end of the leech¡¯s body tightly with his hand.


    The leech was ferocious as it desperately tried to burrow deeper into the soldier¡¯s nostril.


    Despite the soldier¡¯s considerable strength while pulling on it, the leech¡¯s suction cup seemed terrifying, as if embedded into the soldier¡¯s flesh, impossible to extract.


    If he insisted on pulling it out forcibly, it was highly likely that a large chunk of flesh would come out with it.


    ¡°Everyone, protect your orifices and don¡¯t let these Bloodsucking Leeches crawl inside.¡±


    Master He Shan leaped down from a lion¡¯s back, and within two moves, reached the soldier, only to lightly stroke the body of the leech.


    The Bloodsucking Leech, which could not be removed no matter how much force was used, obediently loosened its grip and was then extracted from the soldier¡¯s nostril by him.


    It curled up its body, appearing to be in a hibernated state.


    It was unclear what method Master He Shan used.


    Moreover, the mobility and cultivation level Master He Shan had just displayed were extremely powerful.


    Qin Niu inwardly surmised that Master He Shan¡¯s cultivation level must be at the peak of the Innate Realm, and he had not yet reached the Spirit Qi Realm.


    The biggest advantage of serving in the military was that high-level cultivation techniques, martial arts, and elixirs were all within reach.


    As long as one had sufficient military achievements, almost anything could be exchanged.


    In fact, the Black Tiger Gang was not solely owned by the Black Tiger Gang Leader. It was collectively owned by everyone.


    Various cultivation resources and even major decisions within the gang were not solely in the hands of the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Many issues required collective discussion.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ hehe¡­¡±


    Another soldier fell silently to the ground, desperately clutching at his throat, his expression one of pain and terror.


    Who would have thought that just some Bloodsucking Locusts could be so terrifying?


    With Qin Niu¡¯s insect identification skills, he could tell that the weakest of these Bloodsucking Locusts were Grade Three, and the more powerful ones could reach around Grade Four.


    No Grade Five Bloodsucking Locusts had been found yet.


    But they killed as if it were a game.


    Even the insect experts among the Insect Masters could hardly fend off their attacks.


    If these were regular soldiers, they would probably be even less capable of opposing them.


    Qin Niu gained a deeper understanding of what Zhang Banzui said: when Insect Masters rise, the world falls into chaos.


    A single powerful Insect Master could completely equal a force of thousands of troops.


    Master He Shan was about to go and rescue the bodyguard who had fallen to the ground, as he had already been singled out for special attention by the enemy.


    Several black shadows dashed rapidly across the ground, aiming straight for Master He Shan.


    Since it was already the wee hours of the morning with only a dim light, it was impossible to see clearly.


    Only Qin Niu, with his cultivation at the Innate Realm and his superior vision, could barely make out seven or eight black shadows.


    The size of these creatures was about that of a cup, their bodies not particularly long, probably just fourteen or fifteen centimeters.


    All that could be seen was their rapid crawling on the ground.


    ¡°Lord He, be careful!¡±


    ¡°Protect Lord He!¡±


    Among the bodyguards, there were some with powerful cultivation who immediately sprang into action to protect Master He Shan after detecting the dangerous insects attacking.


    They all went all out to guard Master He Shan.


    One of the bodyguards, who also had cultivation in the Innate Realm, swung his sword at two of the shadows.


    A very faint Sword Qi could be seen.


    For warriors at the Innate Realm, even ordinary weapons could exhibit Sword Qi or Blade Qi.


    After all, their cultivation was there.


    However, using ordinary weapons obviously couldn¡¯t compare with Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade.


    Qin Niu was now wielding the Ink Blade, which could produce Blade Qi five or six inches long. Moreover, as the Ink Blade continued to evolve and level up, other special abilities would certainly appear in the future, not just Blade Qi.


    Bang!


    One of the shadows was hit by the sword light, but after splitting in two, it seemed unharmed, flipped over, and immediately attacked the bodyguard.


    Qin Niu finally got a clear look at these insects.


    Cockroaches.


    The so-called indestructible ¡®little strong¡¯, extremely tenacious in their vitality.


    No wonder they could survive being split in half by the Sword Qi.


    The cockroach that had been cut in two moved as if unaffected.


    As they scurried forward, the two halves of their bodies came together.


    ¡°It¡­ recovered just like that?¡±


    Qin Niu almost dropped his eyeballs in shock.


    Its regenerative ability had to be at least high-grade, if not stronger.


    His Demon Ants possessed the ability to heal themselves, but they couldn¡¯t compare to these cockroaches.


    He had never seen an insect that could split in half and then rejoin itself, recovering instantly.


    Cockroaches, known as the indestructible ¡®little strong,¡¯ already have a strong life force and regenerative capability.


    These few cockroaches were pets carefully cultivated by Elder Jiu Yin; their regenerative ability was probably at a terrifying level.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to get two of these back home. When the Ant Queen lays offspring with this strong regenerative ability, the thought is just unimaginable.¡±


    Qin Niu had no interest in those Bloodsucking Locusts.


    On the other hand, the Golden Toad in the basket was very interested in them, constantly flicking out its tongue to pull locusts attacking Qin Niu into its mouth.


    One by one, it ate joyfully.


    ¡°Fourth, can you handle those cockroaches?¡±


    Qin Niu had already taken out a large Metal Bug Canister.


    The cockroaches were huge, and each canister could hold at most one.


    He had to figure out a way to bring several back with him.


    Because one or two might not be enough to evolve the Ant Queen¡¯s special abilities.


    It would be best to catch all of these.


    Qin Niu was, for the first time, feeling the inconvenience of the bug canister. Because of its small size, it couldn¡¯t hold much.


    Insect Bags were more popular for this reason.

 Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: Chapter 256 Taiyin Yaoyao 1

    Chapter 263: Chapter 256 Taiyin Yaoyao 1


    The insect bag obtained from killing Zhu Zhu contained eleven insects; after returning, a thorough clean-up of the insects inside would allow for their immediate use.


    ¡°They seem very strong, I can lead the ant colony to try,¡± Qin Niu suggested.


    Fourth seldom lacked confidence like this.


    This time, facing the cockroaches, it was the first time he appeared extremely unconfident.


    Termites and cockroaches actually belong to the same species, both are Blattodea.


    They both possess an ancient heritage.


    In terms of vitality, both have their own merits. Generally speaking, cockroaches have a stronger ability to survive, but the most terrifying aspect of termites should be the Ant Queen¡¯s breeding capacity.


    It¡¯s precisely because they are of the same species that the Ant Queen, upon consuming these cockroaches, would likely gain greater benefits.


    It¡¯s similar to humans advancing their cultivation levels; because they are not the same species as demon beasts, they cannot directly absorb the volatile energy within the Demon Cores. But there are no such issues when one type of demon beast devours another of its kind.


    Because they share the same origin and species.


    At this moment, that Innate Realm soldier was still fiercely battling the cockroach.


    It was hard to imagine that an Innate Realm expert, when dealing with an insect, was so cautious and had yet to kill it.


    Even if the cockroach was cut into two or even four pieces by a sword, it could still rapidly fuse back together.


    It was as if its body could disperse and reunite, possessing an immortal body.


    Its attack speed was also incredibly fast.


    Because of their speed and ability to fly, cockroaches are referred to as ¡®Fei Lian¡¯.


    Being nocturnal insects, they thrive at night, whereas human vision is extremely poor in the dark.


    At this moment the cockroach¡¯s attack methods remain unknown.


    Even if it¡¯s formidable, its offensive capabilities couldn¡¯t be too weak.


    Merely a Grade Four Bloodsucking Leech was already difficult for ordinary soldiers to handle. These cockroaches were at least Grade Six insects and could possibly even reach Grade Seven; one could only imagine how terrifying their strength could be.


    ¡°All¡­ aiyah¡­¡±


    The Innate Realm expert suddenly let out a shriek of agony.


    Somehow, he was pounced on by the cockroach, which was now frantically gnawing at the flesh and blood of the Innate Realm expert.


    Crunch, crunch!


    Blood splattered like a small meat grinder in action.


    After all, he was an Innate Realm expert. Despite the severe pain, he managed to quickly grab the cockroach on his face and flung it violently away.


    Now, a large bloody hole was visible on his face, even exposing the skull.


    In the blink of an eye, he had already been severely wounded.


    It was still unclear whether these cockroaches were poisonous, but if they were, the consequences would be even more serious.


    After being thrown off, the cockroach instantly transformed into a shadow and pounced once more on the Innate Realm expert.


    It was determined not to stop until it had killed him.


    It was just one insect, yet who could have thought it would bring an Innate Realm expert to such a dire state?


    Green Demon had once, with a swarm of Green Demon Bees, single-handedly challenged the entire Seven-Star Sect, certainly presenting a more domineering scene than this one.


    Qin Niu subconsciously touched the Green Demon Bee egg that was incubating.


    He truly looked forward to the day when he could traverse a realm with a swarm of Green Demon Bees.


    ¡°These insects are known as Taiyin Yaoyao, the life-bound pets of Elder Jiu Yin. They nearly have immortal bodies; swords and sabers find them hard to destroy, their biting power is extremely strong, and because they feast on various corpses, they carry a potent corpse poison. If bitten and the poison isn¡¯t immediately neutralized, the body will gradually stiffen, leading to itching and pain, with blisters forming on the skin, oozing yellow pus.


    The way to deal with them involves water and fire.


    They can be drowned with water or burned to death with fire,¡± Master He Shan explained as he was struggling against seven cockroaches on his own.


    He was already fighting the cockroaches with his own insects.


    Six Golden Armored Centipedes, as thick as a child¡¯s arm, were particularly eye-catching. They moved quickly, able to spew out a black poison gas, which could barely fend off the terrifying cockroaches.


    Moreover, they were clad in golden armor, unafraid of the cockroach¡¯s biting.


    In terms of agility, the six Golden Armored Centipedes were clearly much inferior.


    Master He Shan, not only protected by armor, had also lit two torches. As soon as a cockroach attacked, he would immediately counter with fire.


    Just as he said, the cockroaches were afraid of fire.


    Most insects fear fire.


    ¡°Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao number nine in total, and we¡¯ve only seen eight so far. Be careful of the most formidable one that has yet to appear,¡± Master He Shan was already having a hard time dealing with seven of them.


    The battle was at a stalemate.


    For now, it seemed Master He Shan would be able to protect himself.


    But killing these Taiyin Yaoyao seemed almost impossible.


    If he had a powerful method, he certainly wouldn¡¯t let them rampage unchecked.


    Several bodyguards had already charged next to Master He Shan from under the attack of the bloodsucking leeches, helping him deal with the seven cockroaches.


    All of them followed suit, lighting torches.


    ¡°All¡­¡±


    Another bodyguard was attacked by a cockroach, this time bitten on the back of his hand.


    The enormous cockroach clamped onto the back of the right hand of this new soldier who was holding the torch, and then immediately began to frenziedly gnaw at the flesh.


    Crack crack!


    Flesh was sent flying in a gruesomely bloody scene, chilling to the core.


    ¡°You¡¯re no match for the Taiyin Yaoyao. Don¡¯t worry about me. Immediately make your way to the moored battle ships ahead and set those vessels ablaze. As long as we destroy those ships, we will cut off the enemy¡¯s retreat and win half the battle,¡± Master He Shan, seeing the bodyguards could only act as fodder, quickly ordered them to burn the ships.


    If the ships for crossing the river were lost, the crossing enemy army, learning their retreat was cut off, would certainly plunge into chaos.


    Don¡¯t think it¡¯s just the Tianshui River; even for those in the Acquired Realm, it¡¯s hardly easy to cross.


    Not everyone in the army can swim, and without ships, the enemy will find themselves in a very passive situation.


    Strategically, as long as we successfully burn the enemy¡¯s ships, we¡¯ll have won half the battle.


    Upon hearing Master He Shan¡¯s orders, a crowd of bodyguards rushed toward the dock where the ships were moored.


    Qin Niu had already reached the side of the Innate Realm expert with his face bitten.


    This fellow was covering his face, awkwardly fending off the continually attacking cockroaches.


    Merely one Taiyin Yaoyao had the expert from the Innate Realm almost powerless to fight back.


    ¡°Fourth, time to get to work!¡±


    Qin Niu had the protection of a Grade Seven Red-eyed Golden Toad, various methods of his own, and the King Pig Leather Armor, leaving him truly fearless in the fight against this Taiyin Yaoyao.


    Fourth¡¯s antennae targeted the elusive Taiyin Yaoyao, while the other puppet ants followed suit, launching a spirit control assault.


    Including a legion of demon ants, they all looked to Fourth as their leader.


    They simply couldn¡¯t beat Fourth.


    In nature, the strong are revered, such is the natural law.


    ¡°It¡¯s too strong!¡±


    Fourth¡¯s spirit control was hardly effective, after all, it was only Grade Four.


    The Taiyin Yaoyao they faced was likely Grade Seven.


    Fourth leading the ant army against a Grade Six insect was almost at its limit; facing a Grade Seven was still somewhat forced.


    ¡°Ghost ants, launch a mental attack.¡±


    Qin Niu decided to go for a two-pronged approach.


    This time, it seemed to take effect.


    The Taiyin Yaoyao, under mental attack, immediately charged toward Qin Niu in anger.


    ¡°Here comes the delivery!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s face was indifferent as he swung the Ink Blade swiftly in a slashing motion.


    No need for any fancy moves, just the most straightforward slash.


    Blade Qi instantly cleaved the cockroach in two.


    Even split into halves, they remained ferocious, attacking Qin Niu once more.


    ¡°Wart Toad, take action!¡±


    Qin Niu was well-prepared with several plans to deal with these Taiyin Yaoyao.

 Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: Chapter 257: Singing of the Empty Fort Strategy?_1

    Chapter 264: Chapter 257: Singing of the Empty Fort Strategy?_1


    The Termite¡¯s Spirit Control had no effect, so let the Red-eyed Golden Toad make its move.


    While the severed Taiyin Yaoyao was still unable to recombine, the Red-eyed Golden Toad swiftly flicked out its tongue, snatching back one half of the corpse.


    Toads are natural enemies of most insects and can restrain them.


    This glutton was dragging the half-body of Taiyin Yaoyao towards its mouth as if it dared to eat anything that moved.


    However, the Taiyin Yaoyao was Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s life-linked Insect, so naturally, it would not be so easily defeated.


    Its three feet firmly clung to the Golden Toad¡¯s lips.


    The other half, sensing danger, quickly pounced over, trying to merge back with its other half.


    ¡°Fourth, try to take care of this half-body.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s idea was straightforward: even if the cockroach could not be killed, after being slashed in half, its combat and spiritual power would definitely be affected.


    The simplest math was to divide by two.


    That is, the original strength of 2 would now only be 1.


    That half of the cockroach¡¯s body trembled and then fell to the ground.


    Qin Niu was overjoyed, immediately capturing it within the Insect Jar.


    Once the lid was on, how would it be able to recombine?


    The half-body of the Taiyin Yaoyao that had been put into the Metal Bug Canister was still extremely active, frantically biting at the canister¡¯s walls.


    Fortunately, its biting ability wasn¡¯t as powerful as imagined.


    It seemed, it didn¡¯t have the strength to break through the Insect Jar.


    Qin Niu looked toward the other half of the Taiyin Yaoyao, which was still desperately clinging to the Golden Toad¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Wart Toad, let me give you a hand.¡±


    He aimed the Ink Blade at one of the Taiyin Yaoyao¡¯s legs.


    Its legs were covered in sharp hooks, but in front of the Ink Blade, they were nothing.


    The Golden Toad was also very eager for such a high-class nutritional item.


    It swallowed hard in cooperation.


    One could see that the cross-section of the severed Taiyin Yaoyao did not bleed, but was shrouded in a faint mist of gray smoke.


    With the cooperation of Qin Niu and the Golden Toad, that half of the Taiyin Yaoyao¡¯s body was finally successfully swallowed by the Golden Toad.


    After it was swallowed, Qin Niu watched it nervously.


    Because even if such a strange insect was eaten, there was no guarantee it could be digested.


    The Golden Toad soon exhibited a painful expression.


    The Innate Realm expert who was saved had already taken a Detoxification Pill and was applying medicine to the wound on his face.


    Wisps of white smoke rose from it.


    The person involuntarily let out a scream of pain.


    The bitten area contained corpse poison; if not treated in time, once the corpse poison reached the heart, the entire person would turn into a walking corpse.


    Qin Niu was still observing the Golden Toad¡¯s reaction.


    If it was fine, they could consider dealing with the next Taiyin Yaoyao.


    This was Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s life-linked Insect; killing one would certainly be a heavy blow to Elder Jiu Yin.


    ¡°Thankyou, Master Qin, for the rescue!¡±


    The situation of the Innate Realm expert had slightly improved, and he immediately thanked Qin Niu.


    ¡°No need to thank me, we are all comrades in battle, we should help each other. How are you feeling now?¡±


    Qin Niu noticed there was still a hole on the man¡¯s face.


    But the wound had been treated with medicine.


    ¡°The corpse poison has been mostly neutralized for now, the rest needs to be slowly resolved when I go back. Elder Jiu Yin lives up to his reputation, the Taiyin Yaoyaos he raised are extremely fierce and difficult to deal with; my insects had no power to fight back and have been slaughtered to just one remaining.¡±


    The man looked at the insect bodies on the ground with heartache.


    It turned out to be two Flower-face Spiders.


    In the world of insects, spiders are absolute predators.


    They can even prey across species on some small animals.


    A powerful spider can capture small animals like snakes or birds.


    But these two Grade Five Giant Spiders were utterly weak in the face of a Grade Seven Taiyin Yaoyao.


    Although Qin Niu hadn¡¯t witnessed their battle, the shattered bodies told him that they were completely crushed in the fight.


    It must have been a fight without the slightest chance to resist.


    These Taiyin Yaoyaos were not only incredibly agile, moving like lightning, but also had strong self-healing abilities.


    They were not afraid of injury at all.


    With their cockroach-like resilience alone, they could overpower their enemies.


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re alright now. I¡¯ll go check on Master He Shan.¡±


    Qin Niu, carrying the Golden Toad, threw it into the basket on his back and dashed straight to Master He Shan.


    To him, these Taiyin Yaoyao were absolutely great treasures.


    It would be best if he could collect the remaining seven at once.


    Their abnormally strong self-healing abilities were truly enviable.


    ¡°Wart Toad, how do you feel now?¡±


    Qin Niu asked with concern.


    ¡°Not bad! It¡¯s not dead, still resisting. Just give me a bit of time, I should be able to digest it.¡±


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad communicated with Qin Niu through spiritual power.


    ¡°Can you catch more Taiyin Yaoyao?¡±


    ¡°Anytime, but I can¡¯t eat any more now.¡±


    It was indeed a glutton; it was astonishing to find something it feared to eat.


    It proved how formidable these Taiyin Yaoyao really were.


    Qin Niu arrived beside Master He Shan.


    Even from several meters away, he could still feel the ferocity of the six Golden Armored Centipedes.


    The poison gas they spat out shrouded the area.


    Qin Niu dared not get closer.


    Even a whiff made his head spin, and his blood seemed about to freeze. The temperature around Master He Shan, at the center, was noticeably several degrees colder than nearby.


    The closer to Master He Shan, the colder it got.


    Centipedes are of a cold and yin nature, preferring to dwell in chilly corners.


    When they ascend to a certain level, they can create this kind of cold poison.


    It can freeze an opponent¡¯s blood and body.


    The powerful ones can even freeze the opponent¡¯s spirit, making them sluggish and drowsy.


    Master He Shan¡¯s Golden Centipedes hadn¡¯t reached that level yet; they could only freeze the opponent¡¯s blood, making one feel chilled to the bone and slow in action.


    ¡°Master He Shan, I¡¯ll help you!¡±


    Seizing the opportunity, Qin Niu struck a Taiyin Yaoyao with his blade.


    Effortlessly slicing it in half.


    Following suit, he let the Golden Toad grab one half of the body while Fourth led all the Puppet Ants to attack the other half.


    Qin Niu took the opportunity to stuff it into an Insect Jar.


    This method was very effective.


    He easily dealt with two Taiyin Yaoyao.


    But now he faced a problem; there was only one Insect Jar left.


    Ordinary Insect Jars couldn¡¯t contain these powerful Taiyin Yaoyao, only those made from Hundred-Tempering Fine Iron could trap them.


    And they were smart, too.


    Even trapped in the jars, they tried to twist off the lids with their legs.


    Fortunately, these jars were specially made and couldn¡¯t be opened from the inside.


    There were originally eight Taiyin Yaoyao on the battlefield; Qin Niu had dealt with three, leaving five.


    ¡°Qin Niu, you¡¯re really something. These are Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s treasured pets. Catching them is sure to drive him mad with grief.¡±


    With two less Taiyin Yaoyao attacking, the pressure on Master He Shan greatly eased.


    It was a rare occasion that he smiled, praising Qin Niu.


    ¡°Heh, it would be great for that old Jiu Yin to go mad! But Elder Jiu Yin hasn¡¯t shown up yet, and there are only eight Taiyin Yaoyao, the strongest one still hasn¡¯t appeared. I suspect he¡¯s not here at all.¡±


    Qin Niu knew these Insect Masters all too well.


    Back in the day, in front of Old Master Huang, he was about to squash a Corpse Bee commander.


    It made Old Master Huang so anxious that he couldn¡¯t stop jumping around, doing everything to prevent it.


    Now that he had caught three of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao, and the elder still hadn¡¯t appeared, it suggested the man most likely wasn¡¯t here.


    Otherwise, he would have been hopping mad by now.


    ¡°Your analysis makes sense! Elder Jiu Yin must have had a strong reason to use eight life-bound Taiyin Yaoyao to set up an Insect Formation here, preventing us from burning their ships while he himself isn¡¯t here. Where has he gone then, and what is his purpose?¡±


    While fending off the attacking Taiyin Yaoyao, Master He Shan pondered.


    ¡°These Taiyin Yaoyao are only attacking you, indicating there must be someone commanding them in secret. You said that these Bloodsucking Leeches can only be controlled by Elder Jiu Yin and his top disciple, which suggests that guarding this place is very likely Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s top disciple.¡±


    Wisdom sparkled in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    In terms of cunning, he should be smarter than many. It seemed to be in his nature.

 Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Chapter 258: Echo Worm_1

    Chapter 265: Chapter 258: Echo Worm_1


    ¡°If it really is the Grand Disciple of Elder Jiu Yin defending this place, and Elder Jiu Yin has deliberately laid a trap, there must be a very deep intention behind it.¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s expression became solemn.


    ¡°Qin Niu, hurry up and eliminate these Taiyin Yaoyao. I¡¯m worried there might be trouble on Deputy City Lord Bai¡¯s end.¡±


    ¡°I have no more Metal Bug Canisters to contain them!¡±


    Qin Niu felt helpless; knives and swords simply couldn¡¯t kill these Taiyin Yaoyao, and the best way to deal with them was to lock them up.


    But he had no more Metal Bug Canisters to use.


    ¡°Take this Insect Bag! It has multiple locking features; once the bugs are inside, just lock the pull string on the bag, and that¡¯s it.¡±


    A large Insect Bag was tossed over.


    It was evident that Master He Shan was somewhat pained to part with it.


    Higher quality Insect Bags are expensive due to their difficult production and high material standards. Qin Niu had inquired about the price of Insect Bags in the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s Hundred Leaf Town, and even the less expensive ones were sold for more than ten taels of Silver Money.


    Such top-notch goods were simply not seen at the street stalls.


    The price could soar above a hundred taels of Silver Money.


    Even for an Insect Master of Master He Shan¡¯s caliber, earning money in a proper fashion, making a hundred taels of Silver Money was not an easy feat.


    During the locust disaster, Qin Niu had helped the Yan Family exterminate insects, and after one hard day¡¯s work, he only earned a few taels of Silver Money.


    That was when the locust disaster had struck, and he just happened to have the means to restrain the locusts, which allowed him to earn that income.


    Normally, there aren¡¯t many ways for Insect Masters to make money.


    They help people exterminate bugs, catch bugs to sell, or they take on disciples and help others appraise bugs, and so on.


    The most stable income probably comes from Planting Masters.


    Among the four basic needs¡ªfood, clothing, shelter, and transportation¡ªfood ranks first.


    The high-grade herbs grown by Planting Masters can be sold for quite a sum, easily enough to keep one well-fed and clothed for a long time.


    After receiving the Insect Bag, Qin Niu tried it out; it was quite handy.


    It felt hefty in his hands, but he wasn¡¯t sure what material it was made of. The interior usually had gold threads woven into it.


    Some are made of special materials; they have to be bite-proof and also comfortable for the insects to live in.


    With the Insect Bag in hand, Qin Niu immediately began to kill.


    The most terrifying things about these Taiyin Yaoyao were their speed that made them seem to vanish without a trace and their formidable self-healing ability.


    Seizing the opportunity, as soon as he sliced one Taiyin Yaoyao in half, he immediately had the Golden Toad and Termite work together.


    First, they captured one half of the Taiyin Yaoyao, then the other half.


    After locking them in the Insect Bag, Qin Niu was ready to take on the remaining four.


    But the Taiyin Yaoyao he had just locked in the bag managed to reunite its halves and burrow out of the bag.


    The creature was extremely ferocious; the moment it burrowed out, it rapidly crawled towards Qin Niu¡¯s hand, its mouth gaping, ready to bite.


    Luckily, Qin Niu was always cautious.


    He activated the King Pig Leather Armor, blocking its attack.


    Then with another slice, he cut it in half once more.


    The three Taiyin Yaoyao he had caught before had been successfully detained; was it an issue with the Insect Bag, or should he not have allowed them to reunite?


    ¡°Qin Niu, it seems these Taiyin Yaoyao possess strong escape abilities; you need to keep their two halves locked up separately.¡±


    Master He Shan quickly spoke up to remind him.


    His experience in insect combat was more extensive than Qin Niu¡¯s, and he understood the situation immediately.


    When the Taiyin Yaoyao were split in two, their special abilities were impaired, rendering them unable to escape.


    These bugs were truly formidable, to the point where even the Insect Bag couldn¡¯t contain them.


    Qin Niu had previously used cages to separate and detain their halves mainly because the cages were too small, and he couldn¡¯t deal with both halves at the same time. Ironically, this mistake led him to a successful method of imprisonment.


    With one Insect Bag not sufficient, he had to find another empty Insect Bag among his recent spoils of war.


    After separating and detaining the two halves of the Taiyin Yaoyao in different Insect Bags, this time they couldn¡¯t escape. However, they were still ferociously active inside the bags.


    Qin Niu then proceeded to apply the same method, successfully imprisoning the remaining four Taiyin Yaoyao.


    By now, he had caught eight Taiyin Yaoyao in total.


    All of these were Grade Seven insects; used as food for the Ant Queen, they could help her level up by at least one grade.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go; let¡¯s immediately check over there.¡±


    Having witnessed Qin Niu¡¯s methods, Master He Shan¡¯s attitude toward him had greatly changed.


    Even the tone of speaking had become much more polite.


    This somewhat flattered and astonished Qin Niu.


    After all, he was currently just a third-class soldier, whereas Master He Shan was the Chiliarch in charge of the Insect Master camp.


    In terms of both status and strength, they were not on a level playing field.


    Strength was respected everywhere.


    Qin Niu had displayed powerful strength, earning Master He Shan¡¯s respect.


    The two hurried forward quickly.


    Along the way, bloodsucking leeches occasionally attacked them, but they posed no threat to either of them.


    A true expert was entirely capable of handling these bloodsucking leeches with ease.


    After dashing forward for a bit more than three hundred meters, they sequentially came across the bodies of five bodyguards.


    One by one, they lay in tragic death, fallen on the road leading to those ships.


    Master He Shan leapt down from the back of his mighty lion to examine the corpses.


    On their bodies, no obvious wounds were found.


    But the mouths of the five corpses were wide open, the expressions terrified, and three of the bodies had their own hands dug into their throats. Dark red blood flowed out from their eyes, nostrils, and ears.


    ¡°They might have been killed by voice-imitating insects!¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s tone was serious, with a hint of solemnity.


    ¡°It feels like they were killed by insects burrowing inside their bellies. What are these voice-imitating insects?¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know much about some strange and unusual insects.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen what they actually look like myself. I only know that Nie Kun, the leading disciple under Elder Jiu Yin, and the Gang Leader of the Nine Insect Gang, both have a kind of insect called voice-imitating insect. These insects move at the sound and feed on human hearts. They are one of the notorious murderous insects.¡±


    Even Master He Shan didn¡¯t know the details of this ferocious insect.


    Qin Niu silently raised his vigilance, staying alert.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, if we encounter voice-imitating insects, as long as we don¡¯t speak, we will be fine.¡±


    Although Master He Shan said not to worry too much, he still took out a mask from his bosom and put it on.


    Qin Niu did the same, donning the face armor of the King Pig Leather Armor.


    The defensive capability of the face armor was relatively weak, but it was better than nothing.


    They could faintly hear the sounds of fighting ahead.


    But they couldn¡¯t see any figures at all.


    Qin Niu followed behind Master He Shan, rushing toward the location from which the sounds of combat came.


    Suddenly, Master He Shan disappeared before his eyes.


    What followed was a dense fog that made it impossible to see any figures.


    ¡°Not good, we might have entered the enemy¡¯s trap of an illusionary formation!¡±


    A sense of dread sank in Qin Niu¡¯s heart.


    This sudden fog seemed suspicious and unnatural, unlike a regular mist arising from the riverside.


    ¡°Qin Niu, Qin Niu, where are you?¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s calling voice came from ahead.


    Qin Niu was about to respond when he suddenly remembered the five dead bodyguards, each meeting a gruesome end at the hands of voice-imitating insects.


    In this uncertain situation, it was best to remain cautious.


    With this thought, he kept silent.


    Instead, he made his way toward the source of the sound.


    ¡°Qin Niu, come over here quickly!¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s voice came again, sounding quite anxious.


    Although Qin Niu had only interacted with Master He Shan for a short time, he knew him to be a composed person.


    Whether speaking or acting, he was very level-headed, and even when besieged by seven Taiyin Yaoyao, he hadn¡¯t sought help from anyone.


    The sudden urgency of hurrying Qin Niu now was highly abnormal.


    Yet the voice sounded so real.


    It was no different from Master He Shan¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Chapter 259: Breaking the Maze_1

    Chapter 266: Chapter 259: Breaking the Maze_1


    Faced with such a strange situation, Qin Niu decided to wait for the right opportunity to make a move.


    Sure enough, Master He Shan¡¯s voice rang out once again.


    ¡°Qin Niu, be very careful with the few Taiyin Yaoyao you have captured. They can easily escape in this kind of environment.¡±


    This time, Qin Niu didn¡¯t hold back.


    He immediately employed the Misty Rain Elusive Step and dashed toward the source of the voice, unleashing a strike with his sword.


    The dazzling Blade Qi tore through the mist ahead.


    The slash actually had a ripping effect. Although it was not possible to rupture space at present, tearing through the mist in front was quite easy.


    The thick mist that blocked the view was instantly torn open, creating a fissure about thirty to forty feet long and three to four meters wide.


    With the light of the Blade Qi, Qin Niu caught a glimpse of a white insect that vanished in a flash.


    It was very fast.


    With a bend of its body, it shot out.


    This made him think of the insects Old Master Huang used to control the Red-eyed Golden Toad. Could it be the same kind that responds to sound?


    ¡°Fourth, can you lock onto that insect just now?¡±


    Qin Niu communicated with Fourth through spiritual thoughts.


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s right behind.¡±


    Fourth¡¯s sensing ability was extremely powerful. Even before it became a War Demon Ant, it could lead Qin Niu out of the maze inside the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Now that it had evolved into a Grade Four War Demon Ant, its strength was even more formidable, and its sensing ability had also grown stronger.


    ¡°Do you have the ability to control it?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t control it.¡±


    Fourth¡¯s reply was concise.


    ¡°Is it because its level is too high?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. I tried to control it with spiritual power, but it had no effect, as if there was nothing there.¡±


    After Fourth¡¯s intelligence had increased, it could communicate normally with Qin Niu.


    The biggest benefit was that he could pose more complex questions to it.


    ¡°Wart Toad, can you deal with that white insect?¡±


    Qin Niu then asked the Grade Seven Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    Among all his pets, the Red-eyed Golden Toad had the highest level.


    ¡°If it comes near us, we should be able to catch it. Can¡¯t handle it right now.¡±


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad was not omnipotent. When faced with such special enemies, it also felt somewhat helpless.


    ¡°You can¡¯t lock onto the insect¡¯s position?¡±


    Qin Niu was somewhat persistent.


    The white insect should still be nearby, perhaps it was the storied insect that responds to calls.


    If he could just kill or capture it, it would mean breaking one of Nie Kun¡¯s methods of attack.


    ¡°Can¡¯t lock onto it.¡±


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad did not possess Fourth¡¯s special abilities.


    In terms of perception, it simply couldn¡¯t compare to the War Demon Ant. It was even less capable than an ordinary Termite.


    Each pet had its own strengths and weaknesses; none was perfect in every aspect.


    ¡°Fourth, where is that white insect now?¡±


    ¡± It¡¯s constantly moving, right now ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°Left or right?¡± Qin Niu pressed.


    ¡°Master, I don¡¯t know what left and right are.¡±


    ¡°This side is left, this side is right.¡± Qin Niu then took the patience to teach Fourth.


    ¡°It¡¯s ahead on the right. It moved again, it¡¯s now behind you, on the left.¡±


    Fourth¡¯s learning ability was decent.


    It quickly learned to distinguish left from right.


    ¡°Is it far from us?¡±


    ¡°Slightly far.¡±


    ¡°Then wait for it to come near me and pinpoint its exact location.¡±


    Qin Niu gripped the Ink Blade tightly, ready to strike at any moment.


    He chose not to stay put, but quickly moved forward.


    The enemy¡¯s goal was to defend the ships from being destroyed.


    The ships were moored on the riverbank, unable to move. As long as he got closer to the ships, the enemy would expose themselves.


    As expected, after Qin Niu had rushed forward about forty to fifty meters, Master He Shan¡¯s voice sounded in his ears once again.


    ¡°Qin Niu, hurry and set the enemy ships on fire.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯re trapped.¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s voice kept coming.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s in the front on the left, very close.¡±


    Fourth reported to Qin Niu.


    Whoosh!


    A blade slashed out swiftly.


    Compared to last time, Qin Niu had gained some experience.


    This time, he specifically sought out that white worm.


    After cleaving through the fog, a streak of white emerged, and Qin Niu switched to a sweeping strike.


    He nearly sealed off the escape route of the worm.


    He didn¡¯t understand those overly sophisticated blade techniques and had only mastered two of the simplest blade skills.


    One was a chopping strike, and the other was a sweeping strike.


    Pfft!


    ¡°Ow¡­¡±


    A cry of agony rang out, a man¡¯s voice.


    It sounded like that of a middle-aged man.


    Qin Niu¡¯s sweeping strike failed to hit the white worm but instead cut a man.


    More precisely, it severed a man¡¯s arm.


    A bloody arm lay on the ground.


    The man had gotten in the way to save the white worm and ended up being cut.


    The severed arm still trembled non-stop as it lay on the ground.


    Blood gushed from the cut wound.


    ¡°Fourth, lock onto the enemy¡¯s position and keep reporting back to me,¡±


    Qin Niu was always ruthless when dealing with enemies.


    Strike when they¡¯re down and take their lives.


    The man who just had an arm chopped off could possibly be Nie Kun, the greatest disciple of Master Jiu Yin.


    But the man¡¯s strength seemed very weak!


    How could he have had an arm so easily severed?


    ¡°I can¡¯t sense it anymore,¡±


    Fourth¡¯s perceptive range was limited; the enemy had vanished so quickly, what method could they have used?


    From that brief clash, Qin Niu was certain that the man was at best in the initial stage of the Innate Realm.


    How could someone of that level disappear in an instant?


    He likely used some special life-saving item.


    For example, the Invisibility Talisman that Bei Bing, the mute girl, had given to Qin Niu, which, when used, could make him vanish immediately.


    Now that the enemy had run away, the first step was to burn the enemy¡¯s ships.


    He hurried forward at an extremely fast pace, but due to the heavy fog, he could see no one else.


    However, he could hear the sounds of combat.


    After running forward for a while, Qin Niu noticed something was off.


    Because he saw that severed arm again.


    It indicated that he might have entered one of the enemy¡¯s mazes. He had run in a circle and ended up back at the starting point.


    He was trapped by the enemy.


    ¡°Fourth, do you have a way to discern the direction?¡±


    When it came to breaking mazes, Fourth was the most skilled.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    This time, Fourth answered with extreme confidence.


    ¡°Where is the direction we came from?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to the front on the left-hand side.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m now moving toward the back, you guide the way. I¡¯ll just watch your antennae,¡±


    Qin Niu asked Fourth to guide him.


    There was no other way as he couldn¡¯t find his way out in the fog.


    Under normal circumstances, the ships would be just two to three hundred meters ahead by the riverside. But now, these two to three hundred meters had become an insurmountable gap.


    If he couldn¡¯t break the maze, he would still be wandering in circles until dawn.


    With Fourth guiding him, Qin Niu didn¡¯t get lost again, and in a short time, he arrived at the riverbank beside the ships.


    No one attacked him again on this path.


    Only some bloodsucking leeches would occasionally jump out to meet their death.


    Qin Niu could vaguely see several ships moored at the riverbank, but the area behind them was empty.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible that there are only these few ships, it seems I¡¯ve been deceived.¡±


    But having found the enemy ships, he was certainly not going to be polite.


    He set them on fire with a toss of his torch.


    Suddenly, flames soared to the sky, and the fog gradually dissipated.


    Master He Shan and the surviving personal guards gradually appeared, each one of them looking extremely bedraggled.


    They were either fighting each other or, like Qin Niu, had been trapped there going around in circles.

 Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Chapter 260 Mirror Frog Insect_1

    Chapter 267: Chapter 260 Mirror Frog Insect_1


    Insect Masters¡¯ charm lies precisely in this: a single person can become an


    army.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Qin Niu setting fire to those few ships, causing the mist to dissipate, who would have thought that there was actually only one enemy here?


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, the enemy stationed here is Nie Kun alone.


    ¡°What a clever tactic!¡±


    Master He Shan swung his sword repeatedly, slashing at an afterimage.


    The afterimage, however, swiftly fled to a distant place.


    It wasn¡¯t large; it looked like an eye-shaped frog, adept at leaping, its speed almost on par with the fabled Grade Seven Taiyin Yaoyao.


    In the blink of an eye, the eye-shaped insect had vanished without a trace.


    What kind of monster was this?


    This time, Qin Niu truly opened his eyes.


    He had seen all sorts of strange insects.


    ¡°Damn it, to be toyed with by a Mirror Frog Insect, next time I encounter it, I must kill it,¡± raged Master He Shan, cursing the fleeing shadow.


    Qin Niu listened and chuckled to himself, wondering what loss Master He Shan had suffered, appearing so infuriated and embarrassed.


    At this moment, Master He Shan was sweating profusely, his helmet had fallen off, looking quite disheveled.


    ¡°Qin Niu, are these your boats?¡±


    Master He Shan immediately spotted Qin Niu standing by the riverbank.


    ¡°They are! But there are only a few boats here, we might have been deceived. The enemy is cunning; they may have stopped the boats somewhere else.¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the burning ships and said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go upriver and take a look.¡±


    Master He Shan quickly made a decision.


    Qin Niu followed, and the other guards looked at him with respect.


    Even the dullest understood that Qin Niu had just driven off the enemy, saving them all.


    ¡°Master He, was that Mirror Frog Insect actually an insect?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very rare type of insect, if it can even be accurately classified as such.


    They are kind of insect but not really.¡±


    ¡°Is it very powerful then?¡±


    ¡°Its greatest skill is to create some very realistic and frightening illusions. The stronger you are, the stronger the enemy it conjures. Even in broad daylight, one can easily fall for its trick. If one cannot see through the falsehood that its created enemies are mere illusions, they¡¯ll end up fighting endlessly against these phantom foes. When exhausted to the point of collapse, the Mirror Frog Insect will consume their brain juices.


    They specialize in sucking the brain juices of animals.


    Especially those of humans and simians, which possess high intelligence, are their favorites.¡±


    As Master He Shan rode the lion, he spoke of the Mirror Frog Insect¡¯s tactics.


    ¡°Do the illusions it creates have any lethality?¡±


    ¡°They have no lethality on their own. However, once you attack, that illusion gains lethality. It¡¯s like always fighting against yourself. Each attack you deliver becomes the actual attack power of the illusion.¡±


    ¡°In that case, to deal with this thing, one simply needs not to strike.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qin Niu clicked his tongue in wonder.


    There are countless creatures in the world, and strange ones continue to emerge incessantly.


    There¡¯s a saying that goes well: what exists is justified.


    The existence of these Mirror Frog Insects indicates they certainly have survival capabilities.


    ¡°Heh, you make it sound so simple. When faced with an enemy attack, it s impossible to remain indifferent. The Mirror Frog Insect precisely capitalizes on the animal¡¯s instinctual fear, which is why it has garnered such immense notoriety.¡±


    Master He Shan shook his head with a wry smile.


    Faced with a sudden enemy attack, I believe no one would just stand there


    hands tied.


    The first reaction is to strike back.


    ¡°As soon as an attack is launched, the illusionary monsters created by the Mirror Frog Insect immediately gain energy, thus obtaining real lethality.


    ¡°Then how can we break its spell?¡±


    Qin Niu, not understanding, asked.


    He was very interested in that strange insect, and given the chance, he wanted to capture it.


    But it was useless to capture one that had already recognized another as its master.


    ¡°The only way to break the spell is to find its real body and attack that directly. Apart from running fast, the Mirror Frog Insect¡¯s real body has no other abilities. Any Grade Two insect could easily kill it. For an Innate Realm powerhouse like you and me, it¡¯s even more needless to say, a single finger could poke it to death.¡±


    That was easier said than done.


    Once they were confused by the illusions it created, everyone would definitely be caught up in tense combat, with no chance to pay attention to it.


    And the Mirror Frog Insect surely wasn¡¯t stupid enough to reveal itself and let people discover it.


    They ran upstream for about a kilometer and discovered nothing.


    ¡°Damnit, we¡¯ve made the wrong judgement again!¡±


    Master He Shan, infuriated, tugged at his beard.


    Just now, the enemy had fled upstream, and almost everyone subconsciously believed that the enemy ships were upstream.


    But they had fallen into the enemy¡¯s trap again.


    Members of the Nine Insect Gang were not only ruthless but also full of cunning tricks.


    When dealing with these enemies, one must be extremely vigilant.


    Otherwise, one could easily fall for the enemy¡¯s deceit.


    The group made their way downstream along the same path they had come from.


    To transport a large army across the river, at least a hundred ships would be needed.


    If it was a surprise attack, to shorten the time crossing the river, they might even use several hundred ships.


    It was most likely that so many ships would be docked by the riverside.


    The chance they had gone back to the opposite bank was very slim.


    And dragging the ships ashore was even more unlikely.


    If the enemy ships were not upstream, it meant they were very likely downstream.


    As they proceeded downstream along the river, after less than three kilometers, they encountered a thick river fog ahead, obscuring their view.


    ¡°Not this trick again, so annoying!¡±


    Master He Shan, upon seeing the dense river fog, realized their visibility was limited to only three or four meters, and that was with the illumination from torches. Without the torches, in the pitch-black night, they would likely struggle to see even two meters ahead.


    Having had a recent bitter experience, each of them felt apprehensive when they now faced the heavy fog, showing fear on their faces.


    Becoming an Insect Master was no easy feat.


    These individuals held prestigious positions and lived without want, and now facing the threat of death, they would certainly cling to life.


    ¡°Last time it was also dense fog, and I set those boats on fire, which quickly dispersed the fog. This river fog is very likely created by the enemy on purpose,¡± said Qin Niu.


    Their enemy was playing a bluff; in reality, there was only one person.


    But with the fog as a cover, making it difficult to distinguish the true situation, it would be easy to assume there were many enemies hidden within.


    ¡°There is an insect called the Fog Concealing Insect! They live in water or deep mountains, and they love to create fog to hide themselves. These river mists were likely created by them.¡±


    Although afraid, Master He Shan, being the commander, still showed some resolve.


    He resolutely led the way into the fog.


    Their mission was to burn the enemy ships and cut off the enemy¡¯s escape routes. Then they would wait for Vice City Lord Bai to lead the grand army to eliminate the enemy.


    The Insect Masters had two tasks: one was to deal with the enemy s Insect Masters.


    The second task was to burn the ships and destroy the paths.


    Qin Niu, skilled and daring, followed right behind Master He Shan, charging ahead.


    Having learned the hard way last time, after entering the fog it was very easy to lose one¡¯s way and end up going in circles. This time, before he even entered the fog, he had Fourth identify the direction.

 Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Chapter 261: Luxurious Enemy Formation i

    Chapter 268: Chapter 261: Luxurious Enemy Formation i


    Even in the black of night, Fourth¡¯s ability to discern direction had not diminished.


    He was like a compass one carried with oneself.


    A group of people entered the river fog, proceeding along the riverbank.


    Splash!


    The river suddenly exploded as a giant snake surged out of the water.


    It lunged directly at Qin Niu and Master He Shan, striking with an overwhelming fury as water kept dripping from its body.


    The threat of death compelled everyone to instinctively draw their weapons, ready to confront the massive serpent.


    ¡°It seems fake!¡±


    Qin Niu said.


    ¡°No one attack.¡±


    Having suffered greatly from the Mirror Frog Insect¡¯s illusions before, Master He Shan immediately shouted loudly for his personal troops not to attack.


    He rode his stout lion at the forefront, shielding the others.


    A string of Golden Armored Centipedes had been released by him.


    Splash!


    The giant snake instantly dissipated.


    Indeed, it was fake, an illusion created by the Mirror Frog Insect. If Qin Niu hadn¡¯t seen through it, everyone would surely have combined their forces to attack the serpent that had ambushed them.


    The consequences of that would have been unimaginable.


    The combined attack energy of so many people would have instantly made the illusion terrifyingly powerful.


    Master He Shan released a large number of Golden Armored Centipedes, allowing them to spread out and press forward steadily.


    This tactic was quite effective.


    The Mirror Frog Insect was particularly afraid of such swarm attacks because its illusions could not simultaneously confuse all the insects.


    Thus, the likelihood of exposing its true form greatly increased.


    It was easily killed.


    It specialized in creating illusions to terrify others, but in reality, it was also afraid of death, even more cowardly than the average insect.


    As the group advanced, they could faintly make out by the light of the fires the shadows of moored boats not far off by the riverside.


    ¡°Burn those boats, and we will have won. Warriors, give it all you¡¯ve got.¡±


    Master He Shan became excited upon seeing the enemy boats.


    But behind him came strange noises as a scorpion larger than a grinding disk quickly emerged from the river fog.


    Its long scorpion tail arched high and bent forward above its back.


    One could clearly see the joints on the tail, as well as the venomous Poison Stinger at its end.


    It was closing in on two personal soldiers at the rear of the group.


    ¡°Since when are scorpions this huge? It must be another illusion by that wretched Mirror Frog Insect. Brothers, don¡¯t be fooled, watch me break it.¡±


    The last of the personal soldiers, having been frustrated for so long, was eager to have his moment of glory.


    Facing the rapidly approaching giant scorpion, he made no move to defend but instead spit at it.


    ¡°Come on, come at me, kill me!¡±


    Spurt!


    The giant scorpion reached the soldier, its tail stabbing out swiftly and viciously.


    The Poison Stinger pierced the soldier¡¯s armor, boring straight through it.


    Its stinger was actually capable of penetrating armor.


    Too strong.


    ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s real, damn it!¡±


    Fear and regret quickly spread across the face of the soldier.


    Then, his lips turned black at an alarming speed, and black blood oozed from his mouth where his heart had been pierced by the stinger.


    He convulsed and fell to the ground shortly after.


    The giant scorpion easily dispatched a Grade One Acquired Realm expert and swiftly moved to attack the other personal soldier.


    ¡°You bastard, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    The remaining soldier, enraged by his comrade¡¯s death, charged ahead.


    He swung his cleaving sword fiercely at the giant scorpion.


    This soldier¡¯s cultivation was also at the Acquired Realm, but a bit stronger, at the peak of Grade One, nearly breaking through to Grade Two.


    A blade strike sliced through the air, with a faint whistling of the blade, fierce in its momentum.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Master He Shan leapt down from the lion¡¯s back, then rapidly charged toward the guardsman.


    He was determined to save this soldier.


    At that moment, the unexpected occurred; strands of invisible spider silk shot out from the darkness.


    The target was the hurriedly rescuing Master He Shan.


    Not just that, swarms of flying poisonous bees also attacked Master He Shan like lightning. Each one as thick as a grown man¡¯s forearm, numbering over a hundred.


    These were Grade Five Bee Generals¡­ no, they were Grade Six Bee Generals.


    This was a force so formidable it made one¡¯s soul tremble.


    In addition to the bee swarm, there were unseen spiders, and moths emitting a faint green luminescence, all likewise converging on Master He Shan.


    On the ground, the earth cracked open, and elongated black armored insects burrowed out.


    They were the feared mimic ground beetles, true subterranean predators.


    These mimic ground beetles, unlike the numerous ferocious beetles before, were each about the thickness of two adult thumbs, extremely agile, and with well-developed mandibles.


    As soon as they emerged from the ground, they aimed their behinds at Master He Shan all at once.


    Clouds of poison were sprayed.


    There were around a hundred of these mimic ground beetles, each at least a Grade Five insect.


    ¡°Mimic ground beetles, Binding Fairy Spiders, Steel-winged Green-headed Bees, Grinding Disk Scorpions, Echo Bugs, Mirror Frog Insects¡­ Haha, Elder Jiu Yin, you truly hold me in high regard. To think you¡¯ve directed your disciples to besiege this old man and calculated the timing so precisely, wishing to bury me here. If I¡¯m not mistaken, there should also be Burial Beetles lying in wait for me, right?¡±


    Faced with such an onslaught, Master He Shan¡¯s shock and anger knew no bounds.


    One could hear that his voice carried arrogance, yet it bore insufficient confidence and a hint of fear of death.


    Now, his derisive laughter was nothing more than the defiant stubbornness of a dying duck, striving to retain his final dignity.


    Qin Niu, witnessing such an extravagant array, felt more excitement, along with a tinge of fear.


    This was the true strength of an Insect Master!


    Each one, each group, powerful in its own right.


    Someday, he too might command a multitude of impressive insects like these Insect Masters.


    The strength of the Nine Insect Gang was truly formidable.


    Merely the twelve disciples beneath Elder Jiu Yin were already so powerful.


    The strength of Elder Jiu Yin himself was absolutely breathtaking.


    At this moment, Qin Niu faced two choices.


    The first was to immediately flee, with Fourth guiding him, the fog could not confine him.


    But as the enemy was mighty, the likelihood of being caught was high.


    Moreover, he had killed Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s fourth disciple, Zhu Zhu, and severed the arm of the eldest disciple, Nie Kun, creating an irreconcilable feud. The opposition would never let him go.


    If the Nine Insect Gang discovered he was responsible for killing Old Master Huang, Leader Song Zan, and others, they would be even less likely to spare him.


    Also, what becomes of home when the nation falls?


    If the Black Tiger Gang truly was annihilated, Qin Niu would lose his home. Afterwards, he¡¯d face the endless pursuit of the Nine Insect Gang.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree in the deep mountains couldn¡¯t be taken with him; it was, to date, his strongest cultivation resource, as well as his most important one. Only by preserving the Black Tiger Gang, could he continue to comfortably survive within the secluded valleys.


    Only then would he have sufficient time to develop and grow stronger.


    With that in mind, he was left with only the second choice.


    That was to stand alongside Master He Shan against powerful enemies, to win this battle.


    It would be difficult.


    Since confronting just the disciples of Elder Jiu Yin was already extremely challenging.


    In due course, Elder Jiu Yin was sure to join the battle.


    Master He Shan must be protected; once the enemy eliminated him and were free to turn their attention, Qin Niu would undoubtedly be the first to be killed.


    Not to mention, capturing eight of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao surely guaranteed they wouldn¡¯t let him go.


    ¡°Lads, don¡¯t forget, there¡¯s also your Lord Qin here. With me around, it¡¯s not your turn to run wild.¡±


    Qin Niu abandoned his usual low profile.


    To help Master He Shan draw fire, he had no choice but to be high-profile this time.


    In his left hand, he gripped a horn shield; the Invisibility Talisman given by the mute Bei Bing was covertly clenched in his hand. Should he truly be overpowered, he would use it immediately.


    His right hand grasped the Ink Blade, bristling with killing intent..

 Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: Chapter 262 Kill the Binding Fairy Spider 1

    Chapter 269: Chapter 262 Kill the Binding Fairy Spider 1


    Qin Niu felt that the most dangerous creature was not the group of Steel-winged Green-headed Bees, but the Binding Fairy Spider.


    Looking at the bees¡¯ appearance, there were traces of Green Demon Bee in their design.


    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was very likely that after capturing Steel-winged Wild Bees, they were cultivated, ultimately resulting in this batch of Steel-winged Green-headed Poison Bees.


    Given the Green Demon¡¯s cunning nature, it wouldn¡¯t possibly release a second-rate product of the true Green Demon Bee into the wild.


    Because for any Insect Master, maintaining a monopoly permitted uniqueness, without the worry of being surpassed by someone else.


    The wildest bees of Black Stone Village were the Steel-winged Wild Bees.


    They had the bloodline of Green Demon Bees, but the strongest were only around Grade Five. Not even one Grade Six Steel-winged Wild Bee was spotted.


    This in itself spoke volumes.


    The difficulty of natural evolution in the wild was comparatively higher, but over so many years, such a vast group of Steel-winged Wild Bees had not produced a single Grade Six Steel-winged Wild Bee.


    This was definitely against common sense.


    It suggested that Green Demon had meddled with the Steel-winged Wild Bees it released into the wild, or perhaps deliberately eliminated any bee species that couldn¡¯t achieve a high enough level.


    Their growth ceiling was probably around Grade Five.


    For them to advance to a higher level would be incredibly difficult.


    At the moment, nearly a hundred poison bees besieging Master He Shan were basically all at Grade Six. This indicated that their master had captured Steel-winged Wild Bees and had subsequently gone through a series of cultivations. Finally, he had successfully made a breakthrough, allowing them to ascend to Grade Six.


    Among the Steel-winged Wild Bees that Qin Niu had captured, aside from the Grade Five Steel-winged Wild Bees, there was also a special summoning bee. They too had green heads, and they came and went like the wind, flying at extreme speeds.


    But the abilities of the two types of Steel-winged Green-headed Bees were completely different.


    They also looked drastically different from each other.


    Another interesting phenomenon was noticed.


    Most Insect Masters believed that any poison bees with a touch of green had the pure bloodline of Green Demon Bees. Why were the two green giant bumblebees that Qin Niu sold initially so popular?


    The main reason was that they possessed a certain special ability, and their wings were green.


    Whether it was the spoilt young girl who bought them or Old Master Huang, they must have thought they found a great deal, acquiring bumblebees with the pure bloodline of Green Demon Bees.


    In their wildest dreams, they couldn¡¯t imagine that Qin Niu had cultivated a special bee variety with just a small amount of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    One hundred and fifty Silver Money a piece, which was absolutely a huge sum of money for the once dirt-poor Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t fearful of the hundred Steel-winged Green-headed Poison Bees attacking Master He Shan because he had tamed a real Green Demon Bee. Even though the Green Demon Bee wasn¡¯t hatched yet, Qin Niu was like the Emperor Emeritus; all poison bees with the Green Demon Bee bloodline wouldn¡¯t attack him.


    Instead, they were extremely wary of him.


    This was due to the inherent suppression of bloodline hierarchy.


    Because the Green Demon Bee that Qin Niu had, was akin to their ancestor.


    Thus, when he rescued Elder He Shan, he directly ignored the attack of the swarm of poison bees. Instead, he targeted the Binding Fairy Spider hiding in the fog, spitting out webs.


    The threat posed by this spider was enormous.


    Its web was nearly transparent, and amidst the black night, compounded with the covering fog in the area, spotting its shot webs was exceedingly difficult.


    A common spider, even capable of entwining prey with web, usually traps its prey in a web first before moving forward to wrap from the back and bind the Prey.


    Yet this Binding Fairy Spider could directly spray its web to entangle enemies.


    Master He Shan¡¯s lion was already entangled around its two front paws, now angrily roaring and struggling, trying to tear apart those fine webs.


    However, the web was extremely sharp, easily cutting deep into the lion¡¯s flesh.


    Wounds had already appeared on its front legs, with blood flowing freely.


    Such a method of attack was terrifying.


    If a person were entwined in the web, who would dare to struggle?


    No one would dare to move.


    They could only submit meekly.


    It was precisely because of the spider¡¯s great danger that Qin Niu, by leveraging Fourth¡¯s sense ability and locking onto the Binding Fairy Spider¡¯s location, sped up and rushed towards it. He raised his hand and slashed down at it with all his might.


    Squeak!


    This scourge was still fierce, finding that Qin Niu attacked it, it actually spat out transparent spider silk, trying to bind Qin Niu.


    Its size was roughly as big as a bucket.


    The height of its abdomen was also about the same as a bucket, its body was gray, decorated with light white spots.


    But the color of the spots was not pure white, rather it was a grayish white.


    This also made it more advantageous for it to hide its shape in this dark environment.


    However, it seemed to have underestimated the power of Qin Niu¡¯s blade.


    By happenstance, a strike that coincidentally produced a rupture effect.


    Shik!


    Like tearing through cloth with ease, this insolent Binding Fairy Spider indeed deserved to have this calamity in its fate.


    It was cleaved into two halves by a single strike from Qin Niu.


    The spider silk it spat out was extremely sticky and also incredibly fast.


    Blocked by Qin Niu¡¯s horn shield.


    Then he returned the blade to cut it off.


    The Ink Blade proved itself as a Treasured Sword, indeed having been worth the many days it was nurtured.


    Its material was not much to speak of, really.


    However, after being nourished by the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, it had completely transformed, becoming an exceptional Treasured Sword.


    Even without Qin Niu exerting any force, he could make it display Blade Qi.


    This allowed its sharpness to far surpass that of ordinary divine weapons.


    Easily cutting through the Binding Fairy Spider¡¯s spider silk.


    ¡°Kill my beloved spider, die!¡±


    A man with disheveled hair, looking frenzied, wielded two curved blades as he attacked Qin Niu.


    A trace of fresh blood dangled from the corner of his mouth, his expression seemed somewhat wilted, obviously because his life-bound insect had been killed, which had severely damaged his spirit and caused him to cough up blood.


    Qin Niu currently had numerous insect and beast pets to his name, but he had not decided on his life-bound pet.


    There was an advantage to this: if any of them died, the impact on the master would not be particularly severe. At worst, it would just hurt his spirit.


    He had experienced such a taste before.


    When the two Termites he previously bonded with died, each time, it would leave him spiritless for a long time.


    Establishing a spiritual bond with insects or birds and beasts was equivalent to taking them as one¡¯s own.


    But that did not mean treating them as life-bound pets.


    Knowing well that the death of life-bound pets could cause significant harm to their master, why do so many Insect Masters or Beast Tamers still choose to designate certain pets as their life-bound pets?


    Firstly, it is definitely because of affection.


    Just like when we fall in love with a man or woman, willing to give selflessly to them.


    Taking the hard-earned money and spending it on the other party.


    Upon hearing that the other party is sick, one would rush to bring medicine, deliver food, and offer care and concern.


    The same goes for pets.


    When a certain pet can bring tremendous benefits to the master and is deeply favored by the master, the master will feel that they can¡¯t live without it. They are willing to use the best resources to cultivate it, to help it become stronger.


    Treating it as their life-bound insect for cultivation, the master and the insect will become more in sync with each other.


    In the future, when the insect becomes particularly strong, it can even nourish the master in return.


    It can even be refined into a secondary primordial spirit.


    Moreover, when the master is in danger, the life-bound pet will automatically protect the master.


    Finally, there¡¯s another point: the life-bound pet has a higher status among the master¡¯s many pets, and can command other pets..

 Chapter 270 - Chapter 270: Chapter 623 Achievements Fulfilled, Retire from the Scene 1

    Chapter 270: Chapter 623 Achievements Fulfilled, Retire from the Scene 1


    Other pets generally give absolute obedience to the commands of a prime pet. It¡¯s somewhat akin to having a spokesperson.


    The Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang, each had recognized a large number of insects as pets. For convenience, they might focus on cultivating one pet as their prime pet.


    The Binding Fairy Spider that was killed was incredibly formidable, and it must have been extremely important in the eyes of its master.


    Countless efforts and innumerable resources had been spent on raising it.


    Imagine, such an important pet being destroyed in an instant by someone.


    Moreover, the master was injured in the process.


    With such a serious loss, it¡¯s frightening to think how anyone could not go mad.


    That person going after Qin Niu in a frenzy was actually out of desperation. As soon as he reached Qin Niu, he was sliced in half by a swing of the knife. When facing enemies of the Innate Realm level, if the opponent doesn¡¯t have a weapon or shield that can contend with the Ink Blade, it¡¯s basically one-hit kills in front of Qin Niu.


    After slaying this person with one stroke, Qin Niu didn¡¯t forget his old trade.


    He quickly looted the corpse¡¯s belongings.


    These people were not ordinary soldiers, but rather persons with some status in the Nine Insect Gang.


    To be a disciple of an elder, at least, had to be at the level of an executor.


    One after another, the Ground Armor insects, along with the Grinding Disk Scorpion, all launched attacks at Qin Niu.


    When the scorpion, as large as a grinding disk, swiftly crawled behind Qin Niu, trying to launch a sneak attack, Qin Niu swung his knife and struck.


    Hiss!


    Again, cut into two halves.


    The Ink Blade, combined with his Slash Martial Skill, was just too powerful.


    Nearly any god you encounter, slay; any buddha, execute.


    Whether it be human or insect, all were killed instantly.


    ¡°Damnable, damnable!¡±


    A shrill howl echoed in the fog. Screaming at the top of the lungs, the person must be at the peak of grief and anger.


    However, they were too intimidated by Qin Niu¡¯s fearsome combat ability to dare to come over and face certain death.


    They could only scream from a distance.


    After looting the belongings, Qin Niu didn¡¯t forget to pack the corpses of the


    Binding Fairy Spider and Grinding Disk Scorpion into his basket.


    The basket, which was already quite full, became even more packed.


    That was after he had bought a larger backpack; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to fit so many items.


    His gains had been tremendous along the way.


    He had collected quite a number of high-level insect corpses.


    He planned to save them to feed the Ant Queen and the Green Demon Bee when he got back.


    It looked like much now, but when it came to actually raising them, this amount was not much at all.


    The Ground Armor insects on the ground posed almost no threat to Qin Niu.


    As they were just about to attack Qin Niu, they were taken down by the termites.


    At this point, Master He Shan quickly turned the tide from danger to safety.


    The enemy¡¯s lavish lineup was dismantled in a moment, no longer grandiose. ¡°These Grade Six Steel-winged Green-headed Bees are quite nice; taking them back as feed for my insects should be great.¡±


    Qin Niu looked up at those still attacking Master He Shan.


    Hearing Qin Niu¡¯s muttering, the owner hiding in the dark tightened instantly.


    When he saw Qin Niu walking toward those poison bees, without a second thought, he immediately summoned the bees to flee.


    Against a demon like Qin Niu, if you¡¯re slow to escape, you¡¯re dead.


    ¡°Qin Niu, well done. If it weren¡¯t for your help just now, this old life of mine would have been gone.¡±


    Master He Shan was now capable of handling the enemy¡¯s insects with ease.


    The Ground Armor insects on the ground were fighting with Master He Shan¡¯s Golden Armored Centipede, and they were no match for the centipede.


    Though they were both predators, the ability of the Ground Armor insects was far too inferior to that of the Golden Armored Centipede.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, I¡¯ll go burn their ships first,¡±


    Qin Niu immediately dashed rapidly toward the enemy ships moored nearby.


    A gigantic centipede appeared in front of him.


    It was over five meters long, its body thicker than a human waist, its hard shell and venomous fangs were clearly visible.


    Even the segments on its antennae were distinctly discernable.


    ¡°Hmph, such a petty trick, is it annoying?¡±


    Qin Niu did not attack the huge centipede but simply charged past it.


    Just as he had expected, the terrifying giant centipede was nothing but an illusion created by the Mirror Frog Insect.


    Along the way, no enemy dared to confront him.


    As for those insects, ordinary ones were useless against him. Any formidable insect daring to approach him would most likely be cut down with a single slash.


    Eventually, he reached the warships moored by the riverbank, and with a firebrand, he set them ablaze.


    These warships, made of wood, quickly caught fire with the help of the strong night breeze.


    The fire used the wind¡¯s power, the wind fueled the flames.


    In just a moment, a fierce fire raged by the riverbank, and the mist over the river started to gradually dissipate.


    The disciples of Elder Jiu Yin must have sensed something was amiss as they began to flee hastily.


    In the light of the fire, one could see two warships swiftly rowing towards the opposite bank.


    If these people didn¡¯t flee, they were sure to meet a dead end.


    As the river fog cleared, the sky gradually began to brighten.


    Dawn was approaching; it was almost daybreak.


    Only a ground littered with insect corpses remained.


    They told the story of the fierce battle from the night before.


    Qin Niu had already prepared his life-saving Invisibility Talisman, ready to use it.


    Now, however, he silently put it away.


    It was good to save it for the next time.


    Such life-saving trump cards should be used only when absolutely necessary. ¡°We¡¯ve successfully completed our mission, but I wonder how Deputy City Lord Bai is doing?¡±


    Master He Shan, looking at the hundreds of enemy ships that were completely destroyed, couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh of relief.


    ¡°Qin Niu, your contributions to today¡¯s battle were immense. I will make sure to report this truthfully.¡±


    ¡°Since the battle here is over, I should depart as well. As for the military recognition, you can decide on that.¡±


    Qin Niu bid farewell to Master He Shan.


    Having killed two of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s disciples and severing the arm of his senior disciple, it would be wise to leave this place as soon as possible.


    After fighting the enemy for so long, Qin Niu had come to understand just how powerful the Insect Masters were.


    If it weren¡¯t for this Ink Blade, he doubted he would have been able to leave alive.


    Not to mention single-handedly turning the tide of battle and winning the final insect war.


    After bidding farewell to Master He Shan, Qin Niu, carrying his basket on his back, used the Misty Rain Elusive Step to quickly move forward.


    He didn¡¯t take the warhorse with him.


    If he had wanted it, Master He Shan would have surely agreed.


    But such ordinary mounts held no value in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes. Taking it back would mean having to take care of it, which would be a bother.


    There was no need for that.


    With such a plentiful haul from the journey, what he wanted to do most now was to rush back to Shuangfeng Village and plant the Ice Lotus.


    If too much time was delayed, this exotic plant could easily perish.


    Even with his Everlasting Spring Technique, he might not be able to revive it. When he first uprooted the Ice Lotus, it continuously released an immense amount of cold air. But now, the cold air it released was weak, indicating that it was on the verge of dying.


    He also needed to take back the insects he had captured, along with various insect corpses, and feed them to the Ant Queen as soon as possible.


    Furthermore, having been away from home for so long, he was really starting to feel homesick.


    He missed Miss Wang from next door, the soft and delicate Tang Caixian, the maidservant Xiao Qing¡­ and he was even more worried about any mishap befalling the Ant Queen..

 Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: Chapter 624 Tiemu City and Jiuli City_1

    Chapter 271: Chapter 624 Tiemu City and Jiuli City_1


    He ran swiftly, the dawn¡¯s morning light shining on his face and illuminating the entire world ahead.


    The final outcome of this war was still unpredictable.


    Burning all of the enemy¡¯s warships was certainly an important victory in this war.


    The disciples under Elder Jiu Yin had suffered heavy casualties, having been routed by Qin Niu, which was a severe blow to the enemies and also served to heavily strike down their arrogance.


    The Black Tiger Gang, due to its short history of establishment, simply couldn¡¯t compare with an old sect like the Shennong Sect in terms of heritage. Although the territory of the Black Tiger Gang was fairly large, for the time being, they only had Black Tiger City under their control.


    The Shennong Sect, aside from their main city, Shennong City, also had secondary cities like Mai City, Tiemu City, and Jiuli City.


    Mai City primarily engaged in grain trade, and if not for this war, its developmental vitality would have been very strong. In less than two hundred years, it could have become a truly large city.


    Tiemu City was a well-established secondary city, second only to Shennong City, mainly trading in various types of lumber.


    The ironwood from Tiemu City almost dominated the market throughout the territory of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect and was much loved by many. Ironwood, being as hard as steel with strong flexibility and resistance to corrosion, and being much lighter than steel, was extremely versatile.


    It could be used to make weapons, shields, furniture, and for house renovations.


    Especially as the raw material for outdoor furniture, ironwood nearly had a complete monopoly.


    Even golden silk nanmu and sandalwood, when faced with sun and rain, would quickly deteriorate. Ironwood, having good oil content, could be coated with tung oil and then lacquered, and it would be perfectly usable outdoors for over a hundred years.


    Many high-level cultivators often liked to cultivate in natural environments.


    Because cultivating in a natural setting often made their efforts twice as effective.


    All laws naturally arise, and all cultivation methods originate from the insights into nature. Put simply, the laws and ways understood by cultivators are actually the natural laws of the entire world. Whether summoning wind and rain or overturning rivers and seas, which great divine skill doesn¡¯t involve the understanding of nature¡¯s mighty power?


    Moreover, many powerful individuals could meditate for decades at a time, and their requirements for outdoor furniture were extremely stringent.


    It needed to be durable, comfortable, and close to nature.


    The ironwood, which fears neither the sun nor the rain, was definitely the best choice.


    The Shennong Sect, with just ironwood alone, had accumulated countless wealth.


    lheir Jiuli City was a well-known source of livestock and beasts.


    Domestic poultry and livestock like chickens, ducks, cows, sheep, and pigs were just the basics. They had already realized large-scale breeding of wild animals such as wolves, deer, bears, rabbits, and snakes.


    Conversely, the Nine Insect Gang, despite its geographically advantageous environment, was very weak in terms of breeding.


    The subjects of the Nine Insect Gang at most caught a wild wolf or other ferocious beasts, then somehow domesticated it to serve as a mount.


    No one thought of breeding as a way to get rich.


    The Nine Insect Gang also had a long history. Initially, they only had one city, Jiuchong City, and now they had acquired another, Seven-Star City.


    From a development index perspective, the Shennong Sect was undoubtedly a big brother level.


    This time, being instigated by the Nine Insect Gang to wage war against the Black Tiger Gang, in Qin Niu¡¯s view, was definitely a strategic folly.


    Along the way, locusts ravaging the land could be seen everywhere.


    Their sizes varied, showing no clear trend of evolution.


    The greatest advantage of these locusts was still their overwhelming numbers. After confronting several Insect Masters from the Nine Insect Gang, Qin Niu found it easier to handle these locusts.


    I he battlefield was the best place to enhance one¡¯s strength.


    Having encountered more powerful swarms, these weak locusts seemed almost unworthy of mention.


    After a day and night of long and arduous travel, Qin Niu finally returned safely to Jade Stream Town.


    Along the way, he saw no traces of the enemy army¡¯s plundering in the major towns.


    Although the people were panicked and many were ready to flee at any moment, the enemy had not been able to penetrate deep into the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory to wreak havoc.


    This was a good thing.


    It meant the Black Tiger Gang had held the line against the enemy¡¯s assault.


    Having left his hometown for many days, as he drew closer to Shuangfeng Village, his heart surged with excitement.


    He couldn¡¯t help but quicken his pace.


    The Misty Rain Elusive Step was used whenever possible, and along the way, its proficiency level had rapidly increased.


    The Misty Rain Traceless Step had made some progress: 923.4/1000 (speed increased by 40%, agility increased by 20%).


    Although progressing from proficiency to some achievement meant an additional 10% increase in both speed and agility, he had yet to comprehend any special abilities.


    When the Slash Martial Skill reached proficiency, he directly unleashed Critical Chop.


    The Misty Rain Traceless Step should be a fine Step-Method Martial Skill, and in theory, it must be stronger and more profound than the Slash Martial Skill he had comprehended on his own.


    Once trained to a certain realm, he should be able to apprehend special abilities.


    Fortunately, he was soon to advance to the next realm, and perhaps there would be an unexpected surprise then.


    ¡°Is that you, Brother Qin Niu?¡±


    A woman stood from afar at the entrance to Daoyuan Village.


    Even though it was night, her graceful figure was still discernible.


    ¡°Cai Xian! It¡¯s me!¡±


    Qin Niu flew over quickly, gazing at the beauty before him.


    Having not seen her for many days, she seemed somewhat haggard, with messy hair at her temples, stirring a sense of compassion in anyone who saw her.


    ¡°Why are you waiting at the village entrance so late? Has something happened?¡±


    Qin Niu, having been away from home for many days, was greatly concerned about the potential invasion by enemies.


    If the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s devils came, beauties like Tang Caixian and Wang Wanyan would meet a tragic fate, one by one.


    ¡°No, nothing much happened. I went to see you a few days ago and learned that you were out. With chaos reigning outside, I couldn¡¯t settle down, fearing that some mishap might have befallen you. Maybe it was a psychic premonition, but today I was compelled to come and wait at the village entrance. Hehe, and I really did wait for you. I¡¯m so incredibly happy.¡±


    She spoke lightly, but she must have been deeply worried these past days.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at her enchanting face, and for the first time, he was willing to truly open his heart, to accept her, to engrave her in his mind.


    When a man pursues a woman, there¡¯s a mountain between them.


    When a woman pursues a man, it¡¯s only a veil away.


    A beautiful young girl, deeply in love with him, pining for him, had even moved his stony heart.


    ¡°Seeing you return safely is better than anything else. You look travel-weary; you must have suffered a lot on the road. Hurry home and take a bath, rest well. I¡¯ll come to see you tomorrow.¡±


    Tang Caixian¡¯s face broke into a genuine smile, and her eyes were so tender they seemed to drip water.


    Pining away for many days, upon seeing her beloved, she didn¡¯t selfishly wish for Qin Niu to stay with her longer to relieve the anguish of longing. Instead, she considerately urged him to hurry home to rest.


    Perhaps only a woman who loves a man to the marrow of her bones could feel this way.


    Alright, come to my place early tomorrow. I have something for you then.¡±


    Qin Niu had caught quite a few powerful insects this time, and those he couldn¡¯t use himself, he could consider giving a couple to her.


    She had previously focused on learning dance, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, never thinking about cultivation.


    Later, it was Qin Niu who suggested that she raise her cultivation to a certain level before he would consider marrying her..

 Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Chapter 265: Tussling with the Mighty Green Ox_1

    Chapter 272: Chapter 265: Tussling with the Mighty Green Ox_1


    Because her time in cultivation was still short, her strength was not even comparable to Wang Wanyan¡¯s.


    If she could rear a couple of formidable insects, she would be able to protect herself in dangerous times.


    Qin Niu watched her go home before he swiftly departed.


    Upon returning to Shuangfeng Village, tranquility reigned throughout the village.


    Since it was located in a remote area, the good news was that information arrived late, so during times of war, it was not easily affected.


    The door was bolted from the inside, indicating that Xiao Qing was staying there.


    She had been looking after the house by herself these past few days, which must have been hard on her.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    The sound of the little water buffalo calling out came from the courtyard.


    It seemed to sense that its owner was back, hence the calls.


    Qin Niu was delighted, the lazy ox had finally evolved.


    He knocked on the door knocker.


    ¡°Xiao Qing!¡±


    ¡°Coming, coming!¡±


    Upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s call, Xiao Qing replied as she rapidly ran out of the house.


    First came the sound of the door opening, then the sound of footsteps rushing towards the yard¡¯s gate.


    The courtyard door opened from the inside, with Xiao Qing dressed in her simple clothes, her shoes just simply slipped on.


    She had been woken from her sleep by Qin Niu¡¯s call.


    ¡°Master! I¡¯ve finally been waiting for you to return.¡±


    Xiao Qing hugged him tightly, visibly excited.


    ¡°Hehe, haven¡¯t been slacking off at home, have you?¡±


    Qin Niu patted her head.


    ¡°No, I cleaned the courtyard and the inside of the house every day, and I took great care of the herbs. Xiao Nui woke up, and I took it to eat some grass.¡± She quickly explained.


    ¡°What I meant by slacking off was whether you¡¯ve been cultivating or not?¡±


    ¡°I have been cultivating! It¡¯s just that the cultivation technique 1 practice is quite special. You weren¡¯t at home, and after some of the herbs absorbed the medicinal qi from me, they started wilting, so I didn¡¯t dare to cultivate any further. These days, I¡¯ve been learning the Seven-Star Sword Technique and have somewhat mastered it.¡±


    Without Qin Niu at home, she couldn¡¯t enter the mountains to cultivate under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    So, she could only learn the Seven-Star Sword Technique.


    ¡°Good, learning a sword technique is very good. The Seven-Star Sword Technique was once the Seven-Star Sect¡¯s signature skill. Master it, and it will significantly enhance your combat abilities. Tomorrow, I will teach you a step-method martial skill, and you will become even stronger.¡±


    Xiao Qing was his attendant, and he definitely intended to train her well.


    ¡°Ah Niu!¡±


    Wang Wanyan, upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s voice and knowing he had returned, also came over in the middle of the night to see him.


    ¡°Sister Wanyan has been daydreaming these days, she¡¯s been thinking about you every day!¡±


    Xiao Qing chimed in from the side.


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense.¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s pretty face instantly reddened, and she glared at Xiao Qing. She was always modest and easily embarrassed.


    Her way of expressing feelings was also very subtle.


    If she didn¡¯t care about Qin Niu, why would she get out of bed in the middle of the night to see him?


    Women are often contradictory in this way.


    ¡°Hehe, these days while wandering outside, I missed you all as well. Wanyan, have you practiced any step-method martial skills?¡±


    ¡°No! Martial skills are quite expensive, and I want to focus on improving my cultivation first.¡±


    Her family was just an average wealthy household, with very limited pocket money each month.


    It was already considered good to be able to buy a cultivation technique scroll.


    Everyone¡¯s path to cultivation is similar, only able to accumulate and strive bit by bit.


    Unless you¡¯re a true noble scion or a young lady from a distinguished family, that¡¯s when you can easily possess various cultivation resources.


    When Qin Niu first started, it was also incredibly tough.


    He would rather eat grass roots and bark, starve and endure hunger in order to become an Insect Master. Fortunately, after many efforts, he finally succeeded.


    Once he had a certain foundation, he discovered the Ancient Banyan Tree, a super treasure, and then his rapid ascent began.


    Now, with a fortune of nearly a hundred thousand Silver Money, he had a decent accumulation of insects and beast pets, as well as a substantial collection of cultivation techniques, martial skills, weapons, and armor.


    These foundations had gradually made him into a junior powerhouse.


    As long as he did not fall, he was bound to grow ever stronger.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not busy tomorrow, come to my house. I¡¯ll teach you a step-method martial skill.¡±


    Qin Niu said to her.


    ¡°Sure, 1¡¯11 come to find you tomorrow. Haven¡¯t you had dinner yet? We still have some meat pies at home, 1¡¯11 bring them over for you now.¡±


    ¡°No need, no need, I¡¯ve already eaten. You go back and rest; come over early tomorrow.¡±


    Qin Niu now possessed a considerably large estate, and he had not been skimping on his diet along the way.


    After all, it didn¡¯t cost much to eat.


    After sending Wang Wanyan away and closing the door, Qin Niu took out the Diamond Ink Turtle and tossed it into the fish pond.


    This timid turtle clearly felt a certain affection for its home.


    It cheerfully moved through the water, darting about in the fish pond.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t pay any more attention to it and instead walked towards the cattle shed.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, finally woke up, huh?¡±


    As he reached out and stroked its head, he could see that its horns had undergone a noticeable change.


    Previously, there were two horns on either side of its forehead, but now they were moving closer to the middle of its forehead.


    Could its horns actually move?


    Moreover, they were different from the horns of an ordinary water buffalo.


    Its horns were spiral.


    Additionally, its fur, which used to be blackish-green, now faintly exuded a hint of jade-like precious light.


    Its eyes emitted a strange light.


    Qin Niu could feel its power; it seemed just as strong as a Grade Seven


    Red-eyed Golden Toad¡¯s aura.


    In fact, the Red-eyed Golden Toad within the carrying basket was curled up and motionless.


    ¡°Ao~!¡±


    The young water buffalo let out a resonating chant that echoed through heaven and earth.


    Qin Niu¡¯s termites, the Red-eyed Golden Toad, all remained still. It seemed they held a deep reverence for Little Niu.


    Even the War Demon Ant Fourth, who normally feared nothing, was also curled up motionless. Only its antenna laid low, showing a reverence for the powerful.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what level you¡¯ve evolved to!¡±


    He immediately checked Little Niu¡¯s attributes.


    Twisted-Horn Majestic Green Ox


    Level: Grade Six unguulate mammal, leveling experience 1000000/10000000


    Lifespan: 9999 years


    Energy: 1000000


    Skills: Fertilizer Grade One 7.23/10, Brute Strength Grade One 2.4/10, Divine Light Grade One 0/10 (can emit divine light from the horns to capture enemies or objects), Dragon Chant Grade One 0/10 (can break through evil barriers, illusions, and demonic sounds)


    Talent: Awakening, Laziness, Super Defense (physical and magical damage reduced by 50%)


    He had not expected it to jump straight to Grade Six.


    He didn¡¯t know whether it was because it had consumed a bit too much of the


    Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, or it just had excellent natural conditions.


    The Ant Queen was currently Grade Five, as was the Diamond Ink Turtle.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle¡¯s level had advanced due to consuming an elixir later; otherwise, it would have only been Grade Three.


    That is to say, like Little Niu, it had consumed Ancient Banyan Tree Blood to evolve, but while Little Niu had ascended from Grade One to Grade Six in one go, it had only reached Grade Three, a full three grades behind.


    From this, one could see that Little Niu¡¯s talent far exceeded theirs by a great margin.


    Who could have thought that beast pets, like humans, would find leveling up easier with better talents?


    Little Niu typically did not cultivate and was lazy about working all day long.


    Yet its leveling was far stronger than anyone else¡¯s.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a Twisted-Horn Majestic Green Ox. I wonder if it¡¯s related to the Green Ox of the legendary Supreme Elder Lord?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t be sure for the moment.


    Because the Supreme Elder Lord belonged to legends, whether this world actually had a Supreme Elder Lord, no one could be certain.


    After evolving, Little Niu¡¯s abilities were truly against the heavens.


    There was no need to mention Divine Light; it was somewhat reminiscent of the legendary Kong Xuan, who could brush aside all things. Its Dragon Chant was just as formidable, capable of breaking through evil barriers, illusions, and demonic sounds. With it around, these tricks were almost nothing to fear.


    Additionally, it had awakened a super impressive talent, Super Defense.


    Physical and magical damage was directly reduced by 50%.


    A blow that would normally cause too points of damage to its body was now reduced to just 50 points after the reduction.


    And its talent could very well evolve further.


    By then, it would undoubtedly be a monstrous presence in terms of defense.

 Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: Chapter 266: Impervious to Water and Fire? 1

    Chapter 273: Chapter 266: Impervious to Water and Fire? 1


    Finally, he had a mount that looked the part.


    Qin Niu had long dreamt of this day.


    In the past, seeing others with powerful mounts, he felt particularly envious. Now that he had a special mount, and even one more powerful and with better growth potential than others, he was filled with satisfaction and joy.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad, it can be described as bullish! It¡¯s good to have strength, but


    I still hope you can learn to keep a low profile,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu made his requirements clear to it.


    After checking Xiao Nui, he returned the Red-eyed Golden Toad to the backyard. He first checked on the bees in the granary, all was normal.


    The swarm had many new members.


    Now with the Green Demon Bee, his expectations for the War Bees had significantly lessened.


    Because bringing the War Bees into battle this time, they played a very limited role in the insect war.


    That¡¯s not to say they were rubbish, on the contrary, their fighting capability was not weak.


    Not to mention their honey-gathering abilities.


    Far surpassing the ordinary bee.


    Their flying ability was also very strong, no less inferior to the Steel-winged Wild Bee. But their biggest flaw was the inability to see at night.


    For wild species, night vision is a very important special ability.


    Without the ability to see in the dark, they were virtually useless in the night or in pitch-black environments.


    Having witnessed Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao this time, along with acquiring Green Demon Bees and Corpse Bees, he decided to breed a new bee species stronger than the Green Demon Bee. He planned to combine the self-healing abilities of the Corpse Bee with those of the Green Demon Bee.


    By then, he believed that this brand-new bee species would be even stronger than Taiyin Yaoyao.


    Because although cockroaches can fly and even have the title of Fei Lian, they definitely cannot compare with the Green Demon Bee.


    Even though it was already late at night, after putting away his luggage, Qin Niu still took the termites into the mountains.


    Having been away from home for several days, he was very concerned about the Ant Nest.


    Now with his powerful cultivation and the divine weapon Ink Blade in hand, entering the mountain late at night was like strolling in his own backyard.


    When he arrived at the big camphor tree in the mountains, all was well.


    The Ant Queen was still laying eggs day and night, and new termites were continuously hatching.


    The majority of the new termite species now had Poison Stingers and poison sacks, and their venom was now highly toxic, no longer the mild poison of before.


    He believed that as long as they were well cultivated, the combat power they could display would be very formidable.


    A bug without poison is like a tiger without claws or teeth, facing huge enemies, they would be at an absolute disadvantage.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come cultivate you all tomorrow! All of you stay quietly in the nest,¡± Qin Niu instructed, sensing movement within the ant colony.


    The Ant Queen also greeted Qin Niu from deep within the nest.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    ¡°This time I¡¯ve brought back a large amount of high-level food for you; I believe that after eating them, you¡¯ll at least advance by one grade. And you might even gain some unexpected new abilities,¡± he said.


    The corpses and bugs Qin Niu brought back were many extremely powerful special insects.


    And they were as high as Grade Five or Six.


    There were even multiple Grade Seven bugs.


    These bugs were top-tier resources for cultivating the Ant Queen.


    Qin Niu had already decided, these top resources would only cater to an extremely small number of termites.


    Fourth, all the Demon Ants, Poison Jaw Ants, and Medical Ants, these were the ones he prioritized for cultivation.


    Among them, the Ant Queen was of the utmost importance.


    Upon returning home, he took out the Ice Lotus and, after pondering for a moment, decided to try planting it in the soil of the backyard first.


    The Strange Vine that he had dug up from beneath the cliff was also planted in the backyard.


    But, he chose to plant it near the backyard wall.


    Eventually, letting it grow along the backyard wall like a hedge.


    As for its use, Qin Niu had not yet decided.


    After being planted, the Ice Lotus and the Strange Vine were in poor shape. There has always been a saying: ¡°people can move and live, but trees will die if you move them¡±.


    These special plants were far more delicate than ordinary ones.


    They had very high requirements for the soil and the growing environment.


    Even to the point of being demanding.


    Moving them even once would cost them at least half their vitality.


    Being jostled around with Qin Niu on the road had further aggravated their conditions. Now that they were planted in the soil, under normal circumstances, they would have a hard time surviving.


    The Ice Lotus in particular required a very special growing environment, it was supposed to be planted underwater.


    Qin Niu¡¯s decision to plant it in soil was an experiment.


    The reason he dared to do this was because the Everlasting Spring Technique he cultivated could nourish plants. It helped them recover quickly, greatly increasing the survival rate of the transplants.


    After planting them, he separately infused some of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s energy into the core of the plants.


    He would then wait until tomorrow morning to come over and check the results.


    Having dealt with the two special plants, there were still many other gains he needed to sort through.


    The eight caught Taiyin Yaoyao were the top priority.


    These were Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s lifeblood insects; they had to be dealt with as soon as possible.


    Qin Niu¡¯s idea was simple, to kill them and then use them to feed the Ant Queen.


    To kill them, according to Master He Shan¡¯s words, water or fire would do the job.


    He decided to first experiment with one of the Taiyin Yaoyao that was locked in a Metal Bug Canister.


    The Metal Bug Canister he took out had half of a Taiyin Yaoyao inside.


    He tried fetching a bucket of water, then immersed the canister in it, filling the canister with water.


    The trapped half of the Taiyin Yaoyao seemed a bit frantic at the beginning, crawling around, trying to escape. However, it had no hope of getting out; its struggles were in vain.


    There was also something particularly interesting.


    Its other half seemed to sense the danger and began frantically crawling and wriggling, trying to escape.


    Of course, Qin Niu would not let it escape.


    After a full half hour had passed, Qin Niu thought to himself, this should have drowned by now, right? But upon closer inspection, he found water bubbles hanging from its mouth and abdomen.


    It was motionless, but not dead.


    Looking at the situation, it seemed that even soaking it for a month or two would not kill it.


    This definitely wouldn¡¯t do.


    Once Elder Jiu Yin was free to act, he would quickly come for him.


    By then, Qin Niu would be faced with a vicious cycle similar to the one with Old Master Huang. It was a scenario he was desperate to avoid.


    The best course of action was to kill the eight Taiyin Yaoyao before Elder Jiu Yin had a chance to attack.


    How to kill them?


    The method of using water was too slow; he might as well try burning them.


    If these Taiyin Yaoyao truly reached a state where they were impervious to both water and fire, then killing them would become difficult.


    Because if he tried to chop them up, whether into two halves or into eight pieces, they could rapidly reassemble and eventually recover.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, help me make a big fire in the kitchen; I need a strong blaze.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiao Qing was very efficient at these tasks, and soon managed to light a big fire in the kitchen stove.


    The iron pot on top had already been removed and set on the ground.


    Qin Niu used fire tongs to hold a metal canister over the fire to roast.


    ¡°Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle¡­¡±


    The inside half of the Taiyin Yaoyao was desperate like an ant on a hot pan, crawling all over the place. It even made strange noises.


    One wing spread out, flapping continuously.


    Flying up was simply impossible..

 Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: Chapter 267: Teammate Like a Pig Leading to Doom_1

    Chapter 274: Chapter 267: Teammate Like a Pig Leading to Doom_1


    It seems that burning them with fire is quite effective.


    Because the more anxious it gets, the more serious the damage it suffers.


    As the half of the Taiyin Yaoyao in this jar gradually got roasted, the other half of its body trapped in another metal canister was suddenly enveloped in a wisp of ash-grey mist.


    Qin Niu sensed something was amiss.


    He quickly put that canister over the fire to roast as well.


    Under the intense fire, the ash-grey mist dissipated bit by bit. This half of the


    Taiyin Yaoyao also began to desperately struggle and move around.


    Its body underwent some changes in a very short time.


    At the cut wound, there were signs of healing, and the body seemed to be


    shrinking.


    An old shell appeared on its surface.


    Was it trying to molt and transform into a new, whole life?


    Qin Niu, with some experience in identifying and cultivating insects, immediately realized that upon sensing its other half nearing death, it decisively chose to molt in order to become a new, complete life.


    Once that happened, it would no longer need its other half.


    The capabilities of these Taiyin Yaoyao were too strong.


    Qin Niu felt his knowledge expand, which would also provide a good reference for his future cultivation of Termite and Green Demon Bee.


    To kill these Taiyin Yaoyao, both halves had to be destroyed together.


    Otherwise, once the other half molted into a whole new life, it would likely be uncontrollable.


    At the very least, it had already been proven that an Insect Bag couldn¡¯t contain


    a complete Taiyin Yaoyao.


    They possessed a very strong ability to escape.


    Furthermore, after molting into a complete new life, their strength should weaken correspondingly.


    Roughly after a quarter of an hour, the Taiyin Yaoyao in both metal bug canisters stopped moving. Their legs curled up slightly, their antennae bent a little, and their wings were half-open.


    The cut surface of their bodies was no longer enveloped in the gray mist.


    Judging by this, they should be dead.


    Qin Niu was still somewhat uneasy, so he shook the canisters, but they made no more movement.


    It appeared that the method of burning them to death was efficacious.


    Once Qin Niu confirmed that both halves of this Taiyin Yaoyao were dead, he applied the same method to the second one.


    Only sixty li from Luoshui Town, in a wide open space, heavy fog had enveloped the area for close to three days and nights. Vice City Lord Bai had been waging battle here with a large army against the enemy forces, fighting ferociously.


    The battle was at a deadlock.


    Because the enemy had formidable insects aiding them and had created the fog that obstructed vision, Black Tiger City¡¯s side did not gain any advantage.


    They even began to show signs of falling into a disadvantageous position.


    Both sides suffered heavy casualties; it was a bloody conflict where it was either kill or be killed.


    Vice City Lord Bai, leading the warriors from Black Tiger City, clenched his teeth and held on stubbornly.


    He was very clear that they absolutely could not lose this battle.


    If they were defeated, the enemy would march straight through, and all the important towns in the rear would fall under the enemy¡¯s claws and bloodied maws.


    However, the enemy had formidable Insect Masters providing support, and


    Black Tiger City¡¯s Insect Masters were also giving their all but still seemed to be slightly outmatched, which was very troubling.


    The moment Qin Niu burned the first Taiyin Yaoyao to death, a scream came from within the fog, and the fog churned violently.


    ¡°This¡­ Impossible, impossible! How could anyone kill my Taiyin Yaoyao? they are impervious to swords and spears, fast as lightning; who could have killed them? There¡¯s no way the Black Tiger Gang has such a powerful Insect Master!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin was roaring, raging in anger.


    Each Taiyin Yaoyao was his painstakingly nurtured darling.


    Now that someone had killed one, it being his vital insect, his soul was severely damaged.


    Even the Insect King was greatly affected.


    ¡°Haha, heaven is truly on our side! Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao has been killed.


    It seems Master He Shan is indeed very powerful!¡±


    Vice City Lord Bai was overjoyed upon seeing the enemy¡¯s formation loosen and the fog churn violently, especially after hearing Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s roar of fury.


    At last, there appeared a glimmer of hope for victory.


    Not long after the enemy formation had returned to normal, the fog began to violently churn once again, even more intensely than before.


    There were even signs that it might dissipate.


    Suddenly, the cursing roar of Elder Jiu Yin filled the air again.


    ¡°He Shan, you old bastard, how dare you slaughter two of my Taiyin Yaoyao! I will never rest until I have skinned you alive, feasted on your flesh, drunk your blood, desecrated your ancestral grave, ground your bones to dust¡­¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin cursed Master He Shan with the most venomous words.


    If Master He Shan was here, he would surely protest his innocence.


    If only he had the power to slaughter those eight Taiyin Yaoyao.


    But he simply didn¡¯t have the ability.


    This deed was clearly done by Qin Niu, yet he bore the brunt of the blame.


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s stream of curses hadn¡¯t even stopped before another laiyin Yaoyao was burnt to death by Qin Niu.


    Poof!


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s life-bound insects were being killed off one after another, dealing him tremendous damage.


    After spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s complexion turned pale, and he could no longer stand firmly.


    His guards quickly came to his support.


    ¡°Elder, Elder¡­¡±


    ¡°Retreat! Retreat immediately!¡±


    Three of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao had already perished, leaving only five.


    He was desperate to save those last five.


    If things continued like this, his spirit was sure to collapse.


    ¡°Just one or two more days and we would have won, we can¡¯t retreat now!¡±


    The Marshal of the Shennong Sect was extremely unwilling to give up.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin did not even glance at the Marshal of the Shennong Sect. He led all the Insect Masters and guards of the Nine Insect Gang away at breakneck speed toward the rear. He needed to return to Luoshui Town as quickly as possible to save his life-bound insects.


    As they retreated, the fog enveloping the area began to lift.


    Vice City Lord Bai, having led the army in a grueling battle for several days, was already furious. Now that the enemy was suddenly retreating due to major issues, it provided him with the opportunity to lead his army in pursuit of victory.


    Defeat was like a domino effect.


    An experienced Marshal leading an army would never retreat abruptly, even in defeat.


    Even if retreating were necessary, it would be done in an orderly fashion, with the front line becoming the rear and the rear line taking the lead.


    Because retreating so suddenly could lead to utter ruin.


    Once the soldiers lose their will to fight, they become like scattered sand.


    ¡°Damn it, that old Jiu Yin has doomed us all! We must report this to the Sect Leader when we return.¡±


    The Marshal of the Shennong Sect cursed furiously, stamping his feet.


    Vice City Lord Bai was already pursuing and slaughtering the enemy with his troops. The soldiers of the Shennong Sect, who had never fought in a war since their sect had always remained neutral, found themselves at a disadvantage.


    Their army had regular training but no actual battlefield experience.


    Previously, with the assistance of Elder Jiu Yin, many powerful Insect Masters, and the cover of the fog, they had managed to suppress the forces of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Now they had become sitting ducks.


    The soldiers could only curse their parents for not giving them an extra pair of legs as they fled desperately.


    Whoever fled first would survive.


    In the face of such significant stakes, no one would bother with politeness.


    The cold and ruthless nature of humanity was fully exposed.


    The Black Tiger Gang¡¯s army slaughtered the invading enemy mercilessly. And an even greater tragedy awaited the enemy, for the warships docked at the river had all been set ablaze by Qin Niu.


    For them, crossing the river now seemed harder than reaching the heavens..

 Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Chapter 268 Great Victory_i

    Chapter 275: Chapter 268 Great Victory_i


    Vice City Lord Bai led his vast army in a sudden, rainbow-like assault, swiftly sweeping through the rear of the enemy forces.


    Rapidly devouring those of the enemy who were too slow to escape.


    All the way, the enemy fled in panic, leaving behind corpse after corpse.


    Elder Jiu Yin gradually sensed that something was amiss.


    Because those Taiyin Yaoyaos were his life-bound insects, even if someone had captured them, he could still sense their general location through the Insect King.


    He discovered that the closer he got to Luoshui Town, the further away he was from the insects.


    ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s going on here? My insects were placed by the riverside in Luoshui Town, how did they end up somewhere else? Nie Kun, this fool, what is he doing?¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin was seething with rage inside, both anxious and infuriated.


    He had already instructed that in case his disciples were conquered, they should withdraw directly with the eight Taiyin Yaoyaos.


    With the capabilities of the eight Taiyin Yaoyaos and the cover of the mist, escaping would be a breeze.


    ¡°Run in that direction!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin immediately adjusted the direction of their escape.


    ¡°Elder, that way lies the heartland of the Black Tiger Gang. Without the protection of a large army, it¡¯s very dangerous,¡± a guard hurriedly warned.


    They held the advantage in the escape, with the Shennong Sect¡¯s army behind them, delaying the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s pursuit, providing a prime opportunity for escape.


    ¡°Enough nonsense!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s expression was fierce, eyes filled with murderous intent.


    Even the Black Tiger he rode could feel his master¡¯s towering rage and killing intent, not daring to disobey.


    The Insect Masters and guards of the Nine Insect Gang, in turn, had to follow Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s change of direction, taking a detour towards the territory of the Black Tiger Gang.


    The Shennong Sect¡¯s army, however, had fallen into dire straits.


    When they fled to Luoshui Town, they were ambushed by Master He Shan¡¯s Insect Master unit; swarms of poisonous insects claimed the lives of many soldiers. After a fierce struggle, they fought their way through to the riverside, by then, more than half of their forces had been lost.


    The Marshal of the Shennong Sect cursed Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s ancestors for eighteen generations N-times over.


    Once they reached the riverside, they planned to immediately board ships and cross the river.


    By then, they would be safe.


    However, when they arrived at the riverside, they were dumbfounded.


    Where were the boats?


    There was not a single warship to be seen.


    The river surface was too clean; not a single boat had been left behind.


    ¡°Report¡­¡±


    A scout, who was blazing the trail, staggered towards the commander¡¯s flag.


    ¡°There are numerous signs of fire at the riverside, as well as the wreckage of a few burned boats.¡±


    ¡°Those soldiers who can swim, strip off your armor and start swimming across immediately. Brothers who can¡¯t swim, head straight along the river. After 1 cross, I will immediately send boats back to pick you up,¡± the Marshal of the Shennong Sect commanded, nearly vomiting blood from frustration.


    The boats had been burned, the least they could do was to report back!


    What he didn¡¯t know was that at that time, the situation was extremely perilous. Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s twelve disciples, some dead, others fled.


    Each and every one of them had their courage shattered by Qin Niu.


    The fact they had managed to successfully escape back across the river was already a blessing from their ancestors¡¯ protective spirits.


    Who would dare to risk their lives to deliver a message to the Shennong Sect¡¯s army?


    Needless to say, what followed.


    After Master He Shan led the Insect Master battalion to clean up all the insects of the enemy army, he directly stationed in Luoshui Town.


    Not even a mosquito could fly past, so how could anyone send a message?


    The Shennong Sect¡¯s army had no time to worry about much else; those who could swim immediately shed their armor, threw away their weapons and other items, and plunged into the icy river, swimming towards the opposite bank.


    Those who could swim were only a small part; the landlubbers could only flee along the river, waiting for the Marshal to send boats to meet them.


    Vice City Lord Bai led his troops to the riverbank, where they joined forces with Master He Shan and quickly made a decision after a brief understanding of the situation: to mercilessly attack the drowning dogs.


    The victory had to be expanded.


    Two hours later, the battle was completely over, and the likelihood that soldiers from the Shennong Sect made it back was less than one in ten.


    The poor landlubbers ultimately failed to wait for the Marshal to send large boats for them.


    Constructing a warship takes at least half a month, and even longer for a large ship.


    All the boats had been burnt to ashes.


    Where would their Marshal find boats now?


    Having led his troops to a resounding victory, Vice City Lord Bai was naturally elated and in high spirits.


    ¡°Master He Shan, how did Elder Jiu Yin manage to escape? If this man had been killed, it would have dealt a heavy blow to the Nine Insect Gang.¡±


    This battle yielded countless armors, shields, and weapons, and over ten thousand of the enemy troops were killed.


    The only disappointing part was that the main enemy and Elder Jiu Yin were not captured.


    ¡°We never saw that old scoundrel Jiu Yin coming! We only saw the Shennong Sect¡¯s army escaping back to Luoshui Town. We took the opportunity to command the poisonous insects to bite a large number of the enemy troops, but we never saw a trace of Elder Jiu Yin. Unless Elder Jiu Yin disguised himself as an ordinary soldier and mixed in with the troops to escape, we would have definitely spotted him.¡±


    This puzzled Master He Shan as well.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense! 1 led my forces to closely pursue and attack the enemy from the rear. Elder Jiu Yin led the Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang and his guards at the forefront of the army. They should have been the first of the enemy to reach Luoshui Town. How did we not encounter them?¡±


    Vice City Lord Bai¡¯s brow furrowed slightly.


    ¡°At that time on the battlefield, Elder Jiu Yin suddenly let out a scream and vomited blood. I guess that his life-bound insect was killed by you.¡±


    ¡°Dear me, that¡¯s not good! Qin Niu is in danger!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Master He Shan slapped his thigh.


    ¡°Qin Niu? Are you referring to that young Insect Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him. Not to embarrass myself before you, but I led the Insect Master battalion to battle against the twelve disciples of Elder Jiu Yin. Elder Jiu Yin left eight Taiyin Yaoyao to besiege me. If Qin Niu hadn¡¯t stepped in, slaughtering left and right, my Insect Master battalion and I might no longer exist. All eight of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao were taken by Qin Niu. Elder Jiu Yin must have gone after Qin Niu, following their connection.¡±


    Master He Shan seemed very anxious.


    Qin Niu had saved his life; this was a great debt of gratitude.


    Now that Elder Jiu Yin had not fled to Luoshui Town, it was very possible that he had taken his men to seek out Qin Niu instead.


    ¡°For our army to have such a formidable warrior is truly Heaven¡¯s help to the Black Tiger Gang. Without Qin Niu defeating Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s disciples, we couldn¡¯t have burned the enemy ships, and the enemy troops wouldn¡¯t have been annihilated in such numbers. Moreover, without Qin Niu killing Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s life-bound insect, Elder Jiu Yin would not have suddenly retreated to flee. Qin Niu is truly the lucky star of our Black Tiger Gang, and we cannot allow even the slightest mishap to befall him. All soldiers, heed my command: Deputy Marshal Wei Zhongyuan will lead the troops to hold Luoshui Town. I will lead the elite battalion with Master He Shan to rescue Qin Niu.¡±


    Upon learning of Qin Niu¡¯s prowess and how he alone had turned the tide of the entire battle, Vice City Lord Bai knew they had to do everything possible to protect such an exceptional talent.


    ¡°Where is Qin Niu¡¯s hometown?¡±


    ¡°Jade Stream Town, Shuangfeng Village!¡±


    ¡°We must rush to Shuangfeng Village at once and cannot let that old scoundrel Jiu Yin succeed.¡±


    Vice City Lord Bai, leading his elite troops, joined forces with Master He Shan¡¯s elite Insect Master battalion and headed to Shuangfeng Village for the rescue. On their way, they quickly discovered some traces left by Elder Jiu Yin leading his troops in their escape.


    This made Vice City Lord Bai and Master He Shan even more anxious..

 Chapter 276 - Chapter 276: Chapter 269: Leaving Behind Jiu Yin 1

    Chapter 276: Chapter 269: Leaving Behind Jiu Yin 1


    Despite his youth, Qin Niu already possessed such formidable combat strength, almost single-handedly challenging the twelve major disciples under Elder Jiu Yin and emerging victorious. This was simply defying the heavens.


    Such a prodigy, as long as he lived, was destined to become the future star of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Accompanied by his subordinates and the Insect Master from the Nine Insect Gang, Elder Jiu Yin quickly set out towards the location of Jade Stream Town, guided by the sensing abilities of the Taiyin Yaoyao¡¯s king insect.


    After less than half an hour, he violently spat out another mouthful of fresh blood, his spirit even more wilted.


    ¡°Damn He Shan, you¡¯ve killed another one of my life-bound Yaoyao. If 1 don¡¯t desecrate your ancestor¡¯s grave, I¡¯m your grandson.¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s hatred for Master He Shan was intense to the extreme.


    On his way to Jade Stream Town, Master He Shan sneezed several times, feeling a trace of unease.


    He was also somewhat baffled.


    Who on earth had cursed him out of the blue?


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t care about any of that, he was in the process of executing the captured Taiyin Yaoyao one by one.


    There were a total of eight, and it took about half an hour to execute each one.


    He treasured the corpses of these Taiyin Yaoyao, planning to feed them to the Termite Queen the next day. Now laying a thousand eggs daily, it required a vast amount of energy, consuming an enormous amount of food.


    All eight Taiyin Yaoyao would probably be eaten by it in a day.


    Four hours later, it was already dawn outside. Qin Niu had spent the whole night executing the eight Taiyin Yaoyao.


    Xiao Qing made a fire for him.


    Both master and servant were exhausted.


    ¡°Alright, Xiao Qing, go to sleep first!¡±


    Qin Niu urged Xiao Qing to rest, as he himself was also extremely tired.


    With the sky already slightly bright outside, there was no chance to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique to recover his spiritual power.


    For his cultivation of the Everlasting Spring Technique required the exposure to moonlight or the shower of rain.


    This was unavoidable, as he relied solely on his own exploration to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique. He had only discovered these two techniques so far.


    Finally, after dealing with the most urgent tasks, sorting and tidying the spoils of war could wait until he woke up.


    Immediately, he returned to his bedroom and fell into a deep sleep.


    There was nothing more comfortable and reassuring than sleeping in his own home.


    He quickly entered dreamland.


    At this moment, Elder Jiu Yin had already tracked down a location more than a hundred miles from Jade Stream Town. As the eighth Taiyin Yaoyao died, and after coughing up a few mouthfuls of fresh blood, he passed out.


    Truly, man¡¯s plans can never match up to fate.


    Even though he had rushed here with all his might to rescue the Taiyin Yaoyao, due to the long journey, he was a step too late.


    As the last Taiyin Yaoyao died, Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s king insect completely lost its connection to them. Consumed by a fury born of desperation, and his spirit subjected to eight continuous severe blows, even someone cast from iron wouldn¡¯t survive.


    He eventually passed out.


    ¡°Elder, Elder!¡±


    His guards and Insect Masters were thrown into chaos.


    After being attended to, Elder Jiu Yin slowly regained consciousness, yet seemed to have aged decades.


    ¡°I am filled with hatred! The Taiyin Yaoyao that I¡¯ve painstakingly raised for many years has been destroyed in an instant.¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin clenched his teeth, pounding his chest repeatedly.


    The death of his life-bound insects was as painful to him as gouging out his own heart.


    ¡°Elder, we can cultivate more insects, but you must take care of your health!¡±


    ¡°Currently, we are in the heartland of the Black Tiger Gang. It would be best to escape from here as soon as possible. If the enemy discovers you here, it will be difficult to leave.¡±


    A prescient Insect Master advised.


    Having battled the Black Tiger Gang multiple times, they knew all too well that although the Black Tiger Gang seemed weak, it was actually far stronger than one might imagine.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to leave, we must first dig up Master He Shan¡¯s ancestral grave! He killed my lifebound insect, and for this, our enmity will reach the skies.¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin had great confidence in his own strength; he believed that leading Insect Masters and guards deep into the territory of the Black Tiger Gang was as easy as entering a land with no one to oppose them. If he wanted to leave, he could do so at any time.


    ¡°Rest assured, the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s main forces are all assembled at the border, in a standoff with our forces from the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect. Their heartland is empty, with no capable masters stationed there. My king insect can sense that He Shan should be within a hundred miles ahead. Let¡¯s go over and check it out. If we get the chance, we can also wreak havoc in the enemy¡¯s heartland.


    Then, we¡¯ll be able to coordinate with the main forces and put the enemy in a tough spot, defeating them without a fight,¡± he said.


    Elder Jiu Yin was known to be cruel, cunning, and full of tricks.


    Having finally infiltrated the enemy¡¯s heartland, he naturally was not willing to leave so easily.


    His subordinates dared not contravene his will and felt that there was some truth to his words, so they complied.


    They continued to advance.


    Once they entered Jade Stream Town, Elder Jiu Yin immediately ordered his guards and Insect Masters to halt.


    ¡°This should be the place. Be careful, everyone. Master He Shan is likely residing in this town.¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin had the king insect scout ahead.


    This Taiyin Yaoyao appeared to be a bit larger than the other eight and had an ancient, dark red pattern on its back, resembling complex bloodlines.


    ¡°The enemy is attacking!¡±


    ¡°Run for your lives!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s army! Go report to the officials!¡±


    It was daytime, and such a large group bursting into Jade Stream Town immediately alarmed the residents.


    The people scattered and fled, screaming in terror.


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin, already severely traumatized in spirit and soul and with only one lifebound insect left, was in a very foul mood.


    Seeing these subjects of the Black Tiger Gang screaming in terror and scattering, he furrowed his brow and made his move¡ªsending a swarm of poisonous bees towards the fleeing townspeople.


    ¡°Alt, ah, ouch¡­¡±


    Screams of agony echoed one after another, as people, no matter how fast, could not outrun the bees.


    If Qin Niu were here, he would immediately recognize these bees, reeking of the stench of corpses, as Corpse Bees.


    But these seemed even more formidable than the ordinary Corpse Bees owned by Old Master Huang.


    Numbering over a hundred, each bee¡¯s strength was nearly at the level of a bee general, perhaps only slightly weaker.


    Such deadly bees posed a threat not only to ordinary people but even real Insect Masters might not be able to withstand them.


    In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people had been stung and fell to the ground in agony.


    ¡°Elder Jiu Yin, you impudent dog! Who gave you the audacity to come make trouble in our territory? Today, you shall stay here forever!¡± Vice City Lord Bai arrived just in time in this critical moment, and seeing the common townsfolk being slaughtered, he was enraged and charged directly at Elder Jiu Yin.


    Along the way, various Insect Masters spurred their insects to confront Vice City Lord Bai in an attempt to protect Elder Jiu Yin.


    However, an ephemeral layer of invisible armor seemed to exhibit on the surface of Vice City Lord Bai, with a faint fluctuation of energy¡ªit was the Iron Cloth Technique he had cultivated.


    Now it seemed that he had either advanced this technique or switched to cultivating a higher-level technique of the same type.


    Because the invisible armor was in constant flux, with occasional glimmers of light.


    It looked like a glaze of shining armor,


    encasing Vice City Lord Bai within.


    The insects, even the Grade Six Corpse Bees, were repelled the moment they touched Vice City Lord Bai¡¯s body..

 Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Chapter 270 Hundred-Eyed Golden Centipede_1

    Chapter 277: Chapter 270 Hundred-Eyed Golden Centipede_1


    Vice City Lord Bai¡¯s target was aimed directly at Elder Jiu Yin.


    This was an attempt to directly behead the enemy.


    Elder Jiu Yin was a top expert in the Nine Insect Gang, with a status almost equal to that of Vice City Lord Bai. Killing Elder Jiu Yin would definitely deal a heavy blow to the Nine Insect Gang.


    ¡°Hmph, Bai Xuezhu, you think you can kill me?¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin wore a look of disdain.


    In terms of seniority, Elder Jiu Yin was even older than the current Gang


    Leader.


    There was no need to mention his strength and prowess, both top-notch.


    Vice City Lord Bai didn¡¯t bother with idle talk, his objective was clear, his sword pointed straight at Elder Jiu Yin.


    Two Innate Realm level guards stepped forward to block, but Vice City Lord Bai slew them with a single sword strike.


    Such terrifying strength was strong enough to make one¡¯s hair stand on end.


    If Qin Niu had witnessed Vice City Lord Bai¡¯s strength, he probably would have redefined the Spirit Qi Realm. Such a realm was simply incomparable to the Innate Realm.


    Within the Innate Realm, one has only just begun to grasp a thread of the true path to immortality, able to externalize the power within one¡¯s body.


    Not only can it be used to drive weapons, displaying Blade Qi and Sword Qi, but it also allows one to directly stimulate talismans with their power, without the need to bite their fingertips and use their own blood to activate the talismans.


    Beyond that, it also allows one to externalize power to heal others, or like Qin


    Niu, to use the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique to quickly rejuvenate plants.


    One could also channel power into special armors and shields to form a Qi Armor, protecting the entire body.


    For instance, Qin Niu¡¯s King Pig Leather Armor could be powered by Qi, forming a Qi Armor.


    This is equivalent to having an additional layer of protection, greatly enhancing the armor¡¯s defensive capabilities.


    But the Spirit Qi Realm is a completely different and advanced realm.


    Those in the Innate Realm have only half-stepped through the Immortal Gate, but those in the Spirit Qi Realm are as if most of their body has entered through the gate.


    They can even touch the threshold of the methods of the immortals.


    They are no longer mortals in the true sense of the word.


    Instead, they are akin to having the identity of a half Immortal Master.


    After instantly killing two overconfident Innate Realm experts, Bai Xuezhu s target remained unchanged, pointed directly at Elder Jiu Yin.


    Elder Jiu Yin let out a cold laugh, and a shadow shot out at an astonishing speed, aiming for Bai Xuezhu. The shadow was not large, about the size of an ordinary person¡¯s palm.


    Not only was it extremely fast, but it was also fearless.


    It plunged directly into the range encased by Bai Xuezhu¡¯s sword.


    In an instant, the shadow was slashed into dozens of pieces. But they still ferociously continued their assault on Bai Xuezhu.


    ¡°Lord Bai, be careful, this is the king of the Taiyin Yaoyao, likely possessing special abilities.¡±


    Master He Shan shouted a warning while not remaining idle.


    He too released his own life-bound insect.


    It was a giant Golden Armored Centipede. Unlike the over a thousand ordinary


    Grade Four Golden Armored Centipedes he had,


    this one had an eye growing on its abdomen.


    Its body was also much larger than the Grade Four ones, at least over a foot long, with grey-black gas swirling around its body.


    Upon its arrival, it emitted a sizzling strange cry.


    It was said in legends that there were centipedes of unusual kinds which, upon cultivating to a certain level, would transform into humanoid forms with many strange eyes on their torsos capable of shooting golden light to kill their enemies.


    The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord in the ¡®Journey to the West¡¯ was a prime example.


    Although Master He Shan¡¯s centipede had only one eye on its abdomen, it was already exceptionally extraordinary.


    Its capabilities were definitely far superior to those of ordinary Golden Armored Centipedes.


    Indeed, many Insect Masters cultivated Golden Armored Centipedes, but those who could raise an exceptional variant were few and far between.


    Ordinary Golden Armored Centipedes don¡¯t amount to much in the eyes of a true master.


    For example, the spoiled female Insect Master who bought a Green Giant Hornet from Qin Niu once brandished a Golden Armored Centipede in an attempt to intimidate Old Master Huang, only to have it dismissed with complete disdain.


    Master He Shan¡¯s centipede was of a rare breed, and its abilities were unknown.


    ¡°Go, bite that old Jiu Yin to death for me,¡± he ordered.


    The fact that Master He Shan was now deploying his lifebound insect indicated that he was playing for keeps.


    Even when he was besieged by seven Taiyin Yaoyao, Master He Shan did not resort to using his lifebound Golden Centipede.


    It quickly crawled toward Elder Jiu Yin.


    There were other Insect Masters from the Nine Insect Gang present, naturally they wouldn¡¯t let the Golden Armored Centipede attack Elder Jiu Yin and began summoning their own insects to join the battle.


    A Black Venomous Spider, the size of a human head, spat out its silk to attack the Golden Armored Centipede.


    This Black Venomous Spider was slightly smaller than the Binding Fairy Spider slain by Qin Niu. But a conservative estimate would put it at Grade Five for


    sure.


    It might even have reached Grade Six.


    Such a formidable venomous spider could easily kill a master of the tenth level in the Acquired Realm.


    The Golden Armored Centipede, facing the spider¡¯s silk, simply raised its head in contempt, revealing the eye on its underside.


    A faint yellow light beamed out from that eye.


    As soon as this yellow light shone on the Black Venomous Spider, it recoiled, growing befuddled right where it stood.


    The strange eye¡¯s yellow light attack oddly mirrored the technique used by Qin Niu¡¯s Puppet Ants.


    It seemed that all laws of the world were interconnected indeed.


    ¡°He Shan, you old devil, 1 hadn¡¯t thought you managed to cultivate a Hundred-Eyed Golden Centipede. No wonder you were able to exterminate my Taiyin Yaoyao. If I don¡¯t kill you today, I¡¯ll be your grandson,¡± vowed Elder Jiu Yin.


    Although Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s spirit had suffered a severe blow and he had lost eight of his lifebound Taiyin Yaoyao, his combat power was still formidable.


    He sent his Taiyin Yaoyao king insect to attack Deputy City Lord Bai.


    In a daze, relying solely on one insect, he managed to pin the formidable and invincible Deputy City Lord Bai in place.


    After the king insect was chopped into dozens of pieces, they attacked Deputy City Lord Bai from all directions.


    Some managed to break through the sword light¡¯s blockade, firmly latching onto the surface of Deputy City Lord Bai¡¯s body.


    Even though Deputy City Lord Bai was covered by a faint layer of energy armor, he was unable to repel the fragments of the Taiyin Yaoyao king insect.


    They clung to the armor made of energy, desperately draining its power. Deputy City Lord Bai could feel their terror as his inner strength was rapidly depleting.


    No matter how formidable he was, he couldn¡¯t sustain the relentless drain from these insects.


    Deputy City Lord Bai decided to finish the battle quickly.


    Ignoring the Taiyin Yaoyao clinging to him, he recklessly charged at Elder Jiu Yin.


    ¡°Haha, Bai Xuezhu, today both you and He Shan will die. You¡¯re a strong practitioner of the Spirit Qi Realm, nearly half an Immortal Master. After your demise, 1¡¯11 use your corpse to rapidly produce new Taiyin Yaoyao, and that will make up for the losses incurred in this battle,¡± Elder Jiu Yin declared.


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s insects were not limited to the Taiyin Yaoyao. He slapped his Insect Bag at his waist.


    A large swarm of Dark Red Ants poured out.


    They resembled Fire Ants and Army Ants at the same time.


    The Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang often exchanged techniques in cultivating insects, which is why many of their cultivated insects were of similar types.


    But each person¡¯s destiny was different, some were more skilled at breeding insects than others, and the strength of the insects they raised varied accordingly.


    Elder Jiu Yin had lived for many years and could be considered an old ¡°tortoise-grade¡± figure.


    There was no need to discuss his experience in breeding insects.


    Every type of insect he cultivated was extremely powerful.


    And his tactics were inexhaustible..

 Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Chapter 271: Multi-treasure Insect Bag 1

    Chapter 278: Chapter 271: Multi-treasure Insect Bag 1


    ¡°Well, well, you actually have a multitreasure Insect Bag. Being able to use it shows you¡¯re also a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse,¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s words were laden with intense sourness.


    Envy, jealousy, and hatred.


    Because Elder Jiu Yin was simply too strong, owning cultivation skills, insects, and an Insect Bag that Master He Shan could only dream of.


    ¡°Lord Bai, Jiu Yin has already broken through to the Spirit Qi Realm, I¡¯m afraid it will be very difficult to keep him here,¡±


    Master He Shan also had his own ulterior motives.


    With this shout, he was actually hinting to Vice City Lord Bai that it might be necessary to employ the Spirit Trapping Formation at the critical moment. While calling out, Master He Shan had already commanded those Grade Four Golden Armored Centipedes to face the army of Dark Red Ants released by Elder Jiu Yin.


    Every creature has its natural enemy.


    The ants may be small, but they are almost able to overcome all other insects.


    I he reason is simple: unity and sheer numbers.


    It is true that with enough ants, even an elephant can be bitten to death.


    As soon as the swarm of Dark Red Ants made contact with the large group of Grade Four Golden Armored Centipedes, significant casualties occurred immediately. However, each centipede could only attack one Dark Red Ant at a time.


    This gave the other ants their chance.


    They were frantically gnawing at the bodies of the centipedes.


    Facing an opponent wearing rabbot armor, the Golden Armored Centipedes had every advantage ¨C the rabbot armor couldn¡¯t penetrate their defenses at all.


    The same went for the imitation earth armor.


    However, these ants could secrete powerful formic acid, which could corrode and soften the exoskeletons of the Golden Armored Centipedes.


    Ihis meant that the exoskeletons, the centipedes¡¯ pride, were practically useless against them.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the Golden Armored Centipedes discovered their exoskeletons being breached and intense pain coursing through their bodies, they began to twist their bodies, rolling around on the ground.


    I he Dark Red Ants released by Elder Jiu Yin from the Insect Bag continued to pour out in endless streams, their numbers incalculable.


    The ants¡¯ reproductive ability virtually outmatched that of any other insect.


    At this moment, they were using their swarm tactics to eliminate Master He Shan¡¯s Golden Armored Centipedes.


    Even the Hundred-Eyed Golden Centipede with eyes on its abdomen was facing the danger of being killed.


    ¡°Elder Jiu Yin, I had no idea you not only possessed Spirit Qi Realm cultivation but had also bred such powerful Fire Ants, you¡¯ve hidden your abilities well.¡± ¡°Dare to destroy my core Taiyin Yaoyao, today, let you taste the bitterness of having your core insect wiped out,¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin had always believed that it was Master He Shan who had destroyed his Taiyin Yaoyao.


    He harbored a deep-seated hatred towards him.


    At this point, even if it meant exhausting all his resources, he was determined to exterminate Master He Shan¡¯s Hundred-Eyed Golden Centipede.


    Vice City Lord Bai fought his way to Elder Jiu Yin, and Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s two personal guards struck again.


    This time, they were not comparable to the assistant nurses of the Innate Realm.


    The two personal guards, a man and a woman, both in the Spirit Qi Realm, appeared quite young.


    About forty years old or so.


    Both wielded longswords.


    The sword, known as the king of all weapons, not only brought a refined air to its user but was also suitable for both men and women. Combined with its extraordinary individual combat capabilities, it was no wonder most powerhouses preferred it.


    Many true Immortal Masters used swords as well.


    Vice City Lord Bai was extremely strong in both cultivation and combat power. But to fight on his own against three Spirit Qi Realm powerhouses was already a very arduous task.


    Moreover, he had a Taiyin Yaoyao King Insect furiously sapping his power on his body.


    This was a deadly drain.


    Having an insect that was resistant to bladed weapons in fight was as good as having a powerful ally.


    ¡°Where is Iron Guard Camp?¡±


    Vice City Lord Bai, seeing that he was outnumbered, naturally didn¡¯t intend to foolishly take on a group of enemies all by himself.


    When he came to rescue Qin Niu, he had brought the elite camp with him.


    All these soldiers were the best of the best, well-trained, and highly skilled at charging and forming battle formations.


    ¡°Banner-bearer here!¡±


    All the soldiers of Iron Guard Camp responded in unison.


    Form up and slay the enemy, leave no survivors.¡±


    Vice City Lord Bai gave the order and immediately turned around, beginning to slaughter some of the common experts among the enemy forces.


    This was somewhat dishonorable.


    But when dealing with enemies, whoever talks about honor is a fool.


    Any mercy shown to the enemy could lead to one¡¯s own destruction.


    With the addition of the Iron Guard Camp, the Insect Master Camp under Master He Shan¡¯s command also joined the battle, and the situation began to reverse.


    In the enemy ranks, the strongest was Elder Jiu Yin.


    An existence like that could match a powerful army alone.


    ¡°Bai Xuezhu, what skill is there in killing the weak! If you¡¯re capable, come at me!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin saw his insect masters and guards being killed by Vice City Lord Bai.


    He was very angry.


    But no matter how skillful in martial arts or how advanced in cultivation, Vice City Lord Bai was a bit stronger than him. Coupled with his extremely swift movement techniques, he couldn¡¯t be stopped.


    He could only watch helplessly as his insect masters and guards were killed.


    These were the elite of the Nine Insect Gang.


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s heart was bleeding. It was extremely difficult to cultivate his own power.


    If his subordinates were wiped out, his status in the Nine Insect Gang would also decline.


    The weak rely on the strong, and in turn, the strong also need the weak to help reinforce their status.


    ¡°Since you are not playing by the rules, then don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless.¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin drove nearly a hundred Corpse Bees, attacking the soldiers of the Iron Guard Camp.


    However, they were firmly blocked by the Insect Master Camp led by Master He Shan.


    Preventing him from running amok.


    What to do now?


    Seeing that things were going this way, his subordinates would be killed by Vice City Lord Bai, Elder Jiu Yin immediately led two close attendants straight to the Insect Master Camp.


    This move proved effective.


    The insect masters of the Insect Master Camp fell one by one, no match for the three Spirit Qi Realm experts.


    Their insects were practically useless in front of Elder Jiu Yin.


    Vice City Lord Bai had no choice but to give up chasing down those common experts, focusing his target on Elder Jiu Yin again.


    Ihis resulted in a stalemate between the two sides.


    The Iron Guard Camp had already assembled and charged. Although the insect masters of the Nine Insect Gang were very powerful, they were clearly no match for the well-trained charge of these soldiers.


    Qin Niu was sleeping at home when someone from the Yan Family came to tell him that Vice City Lord Bai was leading an army, fighting against the enemies of the Nine Insect Gang in town.


    Soon after, Tang Caixian also arrived.


    She too relayed the news to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Why have the experts of the Nine Insect Gang suddenly come to Jade Stream Town?¡±


    Qin Niu was very puzzled.


    Upon careful consideration, he broke out in a cold sweat.


    If he hadn¡¯t guessed wrong, the enemy must have come for him.


    More precisely, for those eight Taiyin Yaoyao.


    Fortunately, he had executed all of those Taiyin Yaoyao the night before straight after getting home.


    Although he had stayed up all night, it was very much worth it.


    ¡°It must be Elder Jiu Yin who has come knocking.¡±


    Qin Niu s first thought was that his home had become very unsafe.


    After sending Xiao Qing and Tang Caixian away, Qin Niu immediately took the corpses of the eight Taiyin Yaoyao and headed into the mountains.


    Along the way, he pondered how to deal with this crisis.


    The last time he dealt with Old Master Huang, who was only an inner hall executor, the man¡¯s strength was already monstrously powerful. Now that Elder Jiu Yin had personally come to his door, even if Qin Niu were to rely on the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s maze formation, he might not necessarily be a match for him.


    His instinct was to flee, to run away.


    But then he thought that since Vice City Lord Bai had also arrived, this might not necessarily be a bad opportunity.


    If he were brave enough, he could perhaps rid himself of future troubles once and for all.. Wouldn¡¯t that be better?

 Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: Chapter 272: Zombie Ant 1

    Chapter 279: Chapter 272: Zombie Ant 1


    He decided to first take pets such as Termite and hurried to the scene to check it out.


    If the situation looked grim, and Elder Jiu Yin was too powerful, then he would quickly run for it. If Elder Jiu Yin and Vice City Lord Bai were evenly matched, he would seize the opportunity to strike decisively and eliminate the old Jiu Yin.


    After Qin Niu made up his mind, he promptly led his pets and rushed to the battleground.


    This time, in addition to bringing a large number of Termite, War Bee, Red-eyed Golden Toad and other pets, he also brought along the successfully evolved, strong Green Ox with pincers.


    In terms of the lineup of pets, this was already very powerful.


    For others, having an insect with special abilities would be considered good enough, but his Termite all had special abilities almost without exception.


    The villagers saw him taking a small water buffalo and hurriedly running towards the outskirts of the village with a large basket on his back.


    They began to discuss furiously.


    ¡°I heard that the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s army has already attacked Jade Stream Town! Master Qin must have received the news and is rushing to escape!¡±


    We should also pack our valuables quickly and take our families to escape! It¡¯ll be too late if we wait any longer!¡±


    ¡°How about we wait and see! We common people don¡¯t fight in wars, so we should be fine, right?¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you stupid or naive? The Nine Insect Gang captures men to use as furnaces for raising insects and young women to serve as female slaves. When your wife and daughter fall into the hands of those devils, just think about how tragic their fates will be!¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ then I will hurry up and take my wife and children to run for our lives!¡± When the villagers saw even Qin Niu running away, panic quickly spread among them.


    Even Wang Furen quickly packed his valuables and told his daughter to be ready to flee at any moment.


    Wang Wanyan, however, thought that Qin Niu couldn¡¯t possibly just run away without alerting anyone else.


    But she also knew about the ferocity and terror of the Nine Insect Gang, and immediately packed important items, preparing to escape.


    Qin Niu quickly arrived at the site of the battle between the two sides, located in the town.


    Jade Stream Town was not large in terms of its communal area, and its construction was not very impressive.


    Due to its remote location and underdeveloped trade, it was mainly inhabited by local people. There were hardly ever any foreign merchants or travelers.


    At that moment, at the entrance to the town, both sides were engaged in fierce combat.


    Giant Corpse Bees could be seen flying around everywhere, looking for targets to attack.


    But in the center of the battle, there was a dense fog that made it impossible to see from the outside.


    One could only hear the ¡°boom boom boom¡± sounds of collision; the fight was extremely intense.


    Amidst the fog, one could vaguely see the Black Armored Soldiers lined up and charging into battle, with continuous shouts and orders. This was the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s army.


    Qin Niu secretly observed for a while, and it seemed that the Black Tiger Gang still had the upper hand.


    Those Corpse Bees, each at the Bee General Level, made Qin Niu envious.


    Having fought against Old Master Huang before, he guessed that these Corpse Bees were most likely pets of other Insect Masters from the Nine Insect Gang, and he immediately ordered Fourth to find an opportunity to control one of them.


    When a Corpse Bee discovered Qin Niu, it dived towards him.


    Fourth did not give it any courtesies and led the Puppet Ant army to directly take control of it. Qin Niu had already prepared a bag, and with one slash, he cut the Corpse Bee in half and then put it into the bag.


    He carried out his usual method, focusing on capturing Corpse Bees around the peripheral area.


    In just a while, he had already killed seven or eight of them.


    ¡°Where did this yellow-haired kid come from, daring to destroy my Divine Bees? I won¡¯t let you off easily.¡±


    A large group of Corpse Bees rushed towards Qin Niu.


    At the same time, there was also a swarm of Dark Red Ants on the ground.


    I he cultivation of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Corpse Bees was not easy, and having them killed one after another already drew his vigilance.


    Upon taking a moment to check, he immediately discovered Qin Niu, who was sniping from the sidelines.


    He immediately ordered the Fire Ants and Corpse Bees to attack Qin Niu together.


    ¡°Heh, finally encountered someone who plays with ants.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s termites, though not ants, were also a type of ant species.


    Up until now, he had only battled the army ants of Old Master Huang.


    Back then, Old Master Huang had coated his army ants with poison powder. After the termites fought with the army ants, they would quickly become poisoned.


    This time, Qin Niu was extra cautious.


    He sent out a few termites to test the waters first.


    He found that the enemy¡¯s dark red ants were mostly Grade Three, with the strongest being Grade Four soldier ants, but he did not find any Grade Five ants.


    Qin Niu¡¯s termites were also mostly Grade Three, which made them evenly matched in terms of level.


    However, the number of the enemy¡¯s fire ants was beyond imagination, dense like a tide of water surging forward, the sheer quantity was alarming.


    ¡°Could the person who spoke in the fog just now be Elder Jiu Yin? It must be him to have such grand resources.¡±


    While Qin Niu was secretly astonished, he immediately ordered his termite army to meet the onslaught of the dark red fire ants.


    The more they fought, the better trained they became.


    During this trip away from home for a few days, his number of termites had increased by several thousand.


    Among them were special ant species like demon ants, elephantic ants, and strong ants.


    In fact, strong ants and poisonous ants no longer counted as special species.


    On average, one in every ten termites had the strong trait.


    Three out of every ten termites had poison sacs and poison stingers, and their venom was extremely toxic.


    So, these two ant species were now capable of mass production and could only be considered regular species.


    But demon ants, elephantic ants, healing ants, and gold devouring ants were all considered rare special species.


    Especially the gold devouring ant, which none have appeared so far.


    Additionally, among the new species, there was another new type ¨C the zombie ant.


    Although he didn¡¯t know their abilities, the propagation rate for this ant species wasn¡¯t low. About two out of every hundred newly born termites were zombie ants.


    This time, Qin Niu brought nearly a hundred zombie ants with him.


    Only he hadn¡¯t trained them yet, and he didn¡¯t know their abilities.


    These zombie ants were a dead ash color all over, only the top of their head had a yellow stripe. They crawled slowly, even much slower than swift ants.


    They couldn¡¯t compare to lightning ants at all.


    Qin Niu watched them sluggishly follow at the back of the termite army off to battle and couldn¡¯t help shaking his head.


    What kind of miraculous ant species was this?


    He needed to check their attributes when he had time.


    One hundred and seven Grade Three zombie ants, life span 30 years, special abilities (basic exoskeleton, basic self-healing, super strong biting, corpse poison attack, assimilation (enemies that are bitten have a high probability of being assimilated). Night devil (this ant species¡¯ combat power doubles in the dark or in an environment with heavy Yin energy, and their self-healing ability becomes extremely strong).


    Seeing their special abilities, Qin Niu got excited, realizing he had struck gold.


    Originally, feeding the corpses of corpse bees to the Ant Queen, allowing it to eventually evolve the special ability to reproduce zombie ants, he thought these slow-moving zombie ants were surely worthless.


    He never expected their special abilities to be so bizarre.


    Even when compared to the demon ants, they are not to be underestimated.


    ¡°Since zombie ants are so powerful, it¡¯s a good opportunity to get more of these Bee General Level corpse bees to feed to the Ant Queen back home.¡±


    Qin Niu looked toward the large group of incoming corpse bees.


    He wasn¡¯t scared at all.


    The King Pig Leather Armor he was wearing was already emitting a faint glow, with a layer of air armor covering his body, securely protecting its master.

 Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Chapter 273 Jiu Yin Loses Face_1

    Chapter 280: Chapter 273 Jiu Yin Loses Face_1


    ¡°Sweeping Strike!¡±


    Qin Niu swung his Ink Blade, executing the Sweeping Martial Technique.


    However, these Corpse Bees had incredibly strong evasion capabilities and swiftly dodged with a swoosh.


    Only the Corpse Bee being controlled by Fourth and the ant swarm foolishly stayed in place and was bisected by his strike.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad in Qin Niu¡¯s basket flicked its tongue out and also successfully captured a Corpse Bee.


    It directly swallowed it into its stomach.


    Being immune to all poison, it wasn¡¯t afraid of the Corpse Bee¡¯s Poison Stinger at all.


    After eating one, the Red-eyed Golden Toad, having tasted sweetness, immediately waited for another attack from the swarm of Corpse Bees.


    There were about a hundred of them.


    A single charge would result in a loss of about two bees.


    Adding on to the seven or eight Qin Niu had killed before, nearly ten Corpse Bees had been lost.


    Elder Jiu Yin, while battling Deputy City Lord Bai, was also observing the battle outside the ring.


    Discovering that his Corpse Bees failed to bring down that young Insect Master, he too was secretly surprised.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your Black Tiger Gang to have some outstanding young Insect Masters! But even if he is powerful, he will become nothing but bones in front of my Fire Ants,¡± he thought.


    Elder Jiu Yin had absolute confidence in his insects.


    All his insect swarms put together could challenge an entire army.


    No matter how strong that young Insect Master of the Black Tiger Gang was, he couldn¡¯t resist the attack of millions, tens of millions of Fire Ants.


    Master He Shan¡¯s Golden Armored Centipede was undeniably powerful, but after battling Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Fire Ant Army, it had suffered heavy losses.


    Even the Hundred-Eyed Golden Centipede was no match for the Fire Ant Army.


    In a one-on-one fight, the Hundred-Eyed Golden Centipede could easily eliminate any Fire Ant. But even a brave man cannot withstand a multitude of wolves, capable of killing one ant but not a hundred, not a thousand.


    As they surged forward, had Master He Shan not acted quickly and promptly retracted the Hundred-Eyed Golden Centipede, it might have actually been in danger.


    In the hands of a formidable Insect Master, seemingly weak insects can perform miracles.


    Who could have thought that a swarm of Grade Three and Four Fire Ants could easily annihilate a fearsome Hundred-Eyed Golden Centipede?


    Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Army had already engaged with the Fire Ants.


    The ferocity of the Termites was enough to make the majority of fierce ants submit.


    At this moment, they fought fiercely with the Fire Ant Army like wolves and tigers, tearing into each other with fervor.


    Trained and well-coordinated, the Termites worked together seamlessly.


    Qin Niu had yet to release his Puppet Ants and Ghost Ants into the battle.


    Because he wanted to kill a few more Corpse Bees.


    These were valuable creatures.


    Although the Fire Ant Army was numerous and strong, from the battle so far, it seemed highly unlikely that they could annihilate the Termite Army an endeavor harder than reaching the heavens.


    At least their numerical advantage had yet to be displayed.


    ¡°Puppet Ants, capture the Corpse Bees. Ghost Ants, focus fire and bring down the Corpse Bees. Eliminate them as quickly as possible,¡± Qin Niu ordered his battle deployment.


    The swarm attacked once more, and this time two Corpse Bees suddenly struggled painfully and fell from the sky, while another flew in front of Qin Niu and stopped moving.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t hesitate to be hospitable.


    He swung his blade repeatedly, dealing with all three Corpse Bees.


    The gluttonous Red-eyed Golden Toad seized the opportunity to catch one as well.


    In one round, four Corpse Bees were taken down.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but smile at this efficient outcome, while Elder Jiu Yin, engaged in battle with Deputy City Lord Bai, shivered inwardly.


    The cultivation of Corpse Bees was extremely difficult; losing four in one go, what kind of monster had they encountered?


    That Qin Niu¡¯s Ghost Ants could actually bring down two Corpse Bees at once was truly impressive.


    This also indicated one thing.


    Controlling a single Corpse Bee was more difficult.


    If it was just a pure Mental Attack to bring them down, that would be much easier.


    In just a moment, a total of sixteen Corpse Bees were dismembered. Except for those eaten by the Red-eyed Golden Toad, the rest were all collected by Qin Niu into his bag.


    It was now half full.


    Hefting it in hand felt substantial, as a single Corpse Bee was large and not light in weight.


    ¡°Hehe, this rate of harvest is quite nice,¡± he chuckled.


    In the past, catching one of Old Master Huang¡¯s Corpse Bee generals would have made his day.


    Now, these bee generals seem to have lost their value.


    He could harvest four at a time.


    He estimated that within a few encounters, all of the hundred-plus Corpse Bees would be taken down by him.


    ¡°Go, bite him to death!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin, refusing to believe in curses, drove the remaining Corpse Bees, ready to sacrifice them all in one final gambit.


    Just to kill Qin Niu.


    Because his Fire Ants were blocked by the Termite Army, they currently couldn¡¯t threaten Qin Niu¡¯s safety.


    A swarm of Corpse Bees fearlessly lunged toward Qin Niu.


    They each fiercely crashed against his protective Qi shield.


    But Qin Niu had long since steadied his cultivation at the Innate Realm and easily activated his King Pig Leather Armor without expending much effort. Although the attacks of these Corpse Bees were fierce, they couldn¡¯t harm him in the least.


    On the contrary, because they were close, it was convenient for the Termites and the Red-eyed Golden Toads to attack.


    Up until now, Xiao Niu still seemed very calm.


    And no Corpse Bee dared to attack him.


    All beings between heaven and earth have their sense of spirit.


    These Corpse Bees should sense that Xiao Nui¡¯s strength is formidable. After all, even the Grade Seven Red-eyed Golden Toad is somewhat fearful of Green Ox.


    In just a moment, the large group of Corpse Bees was decimated, with less than half remaining.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run, come back for more!¡±


    Qin Niu was having a great time killing, when those Corpse Bees suddenly retreated and fled.


    They must have been recalled by Elder Jiu Yin.


    Elder Jiu Yin wasn¡¯t a fool, seeing that the situation was hopeless, naturally he wouldn¡¯t let the Corpse Bees continue to die in vain.


    ¡°Bai Xuezhu probably won¡¯t be able to hold on much longer. Let¡¯s focus our forces to take down Bai Xuezhu first, and then deal with that brat afterward.¡± With more than half of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Corpse Bees dead, he felt a deep pain in his heart.


    Seeing that his two insect groups couldn¡¯t take down Qin Niu, he simply stopped concerning himself with Qin Niu for the time being, instead concentrating his efforts on dealing with Deputy City Lord Bai.


    Boom, boom!


    Energy blasted in all directions, the fog was swept away like by a fierce wind, revealing the battle inside.


    Three high-ranking members of the Nine Insect Gang were seen besieging Deputy City Lord Bai.


    The old man in the center, with long white eyebrows and a vicious gaze, had a sinister expression. He was clearly no kind soul.


    The two guards beside him, both wearing Treasure Armor and wielding longswords, one male and one female, looked quite young. On their sword tips, there was nearly half a foot of Sword Qi bursting out.


    Qin Niu watched in secret awe.


    Such might was already comparable to him exerting his full strength with the Ink Blade.


    It seems that cultivation is the key.


    No matter how formidable the weapon, without sufficient cultivation, one simply cannot unleash its proper power.


    He was certain that his Ink Blade was definitely stronger than the swords of these two people.


    But his cultivation was much weaker than the two, so the Blade Qi he could evoke from the Ink Blade was of equal intensity to their Sword Qi.


    Moreover, these two people¡¯s swords must not be ordinary weapons; they likely were on par with the Ink Blade when it had just begun to manifest a hint of Sword Qi.


    They too belonged to nurtured spiritual weapons with achievements.


    On the ground, Qin Niu¡¯s Termites were fiercely fighting the Fire Ants.


    A few Termites were injured or killed.


    But there were more Fire Ant corpses on the ground.


    What shocked Qin Niu the most were those hundred-plus Zombie Ants.


    They too had entered the fray amongst the Fire Ant Army.


    Not a single one had died; instead, around them were hordes of Fire Ants, which seemed to have been bitten by them and had undergone assimilation.


    They fought alongside the hundred-plus Zombie Ants like puppets.


    The Fire Ants that had been bitten by them also saw some being assimilated.


    However, their assimilative abilities were obviously not as powerful as the Zombie Ants¡¯.


    Too strong!

 Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Chapter 274: Exterminate the King Insect_1

    Chapter 281: Chapter 274: Exterminate the King Insect_1


    Originally, there were only a little over a hundred zombie ants, but after constant assimilation, the number of the zombie ant troops had already exceeded three thousand.


    How long had they been fighting?


    It was believed that as the battle dragged on, the numbers of the zombie ant troops would increase geometrically.


    Using them to deal with the numerous fire ant army was simply tailor-made. The zombie ants had above average combat strength but moved slowly. However, they possessed strong self-healing abilities and their defense was quite remarkable. Additionally, any enemy wounded by them would soon be assimilated.


    Under these circumstances, the more fire ants there were, the more the zombie ants could expand their army like a snowball rolling downhill.


    These zombie ants were already so formidable without any cultivation.


    If they were nurtured with Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, it was hard to imagine.


    By then, they would definitely become even stronger.


    Qin Niu decided to seize this opportunity to refine their combat strength and enrich their combat experience.


    Apart from the outstanding performance of the zombie ants, the other members of the Termite Army were also quite exceptional.


    Now that Qin Niu no longer had to deal with the Corpse Bees, the Puppet Ants and Ghost Ants had also joined the battle.


    They clung to Qin Niu¡¯s King Pig Leather Armor, assisting the termites on the front line in their fight against the fire ants.


    The Puppet Ants controlled the fire ants to turn around and kill their own kind.


    The Ghost Ants launched mental attacks on the fire ants, causing them to fall to the ground in pain, where they were easily bitten to death by the Termite Army.


    With the addition of the Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants, the casualties of the Termite Army rapidly decreased.


    The forefront of the fire ant army had turned into a slaughterhouse.


    Fire ants rushed forward one after another as if they were on a suicide mission.


    No matter how astonishing the number of the fire ant army was, it couldn¡¯t withstand such losses.


    You should know that Qin Niu had brought out almost twenty-six thousand termites this time. Excluding the four thousand or so Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants that did not engage directly with the enemy, the rest were almost all thrown into the fight.


    This meant that nearly twenty-two thousand termites were on the front lines, slaughtering fire ants.


    The termites were extremely fierce in battle, and the speed at which they harvested fire ants was shockingly fast. A formidable termite could bite a fire ant to death with one bite.


    Their bites were quick and fierce, and before one could even see clearly, the heads of fire ants were separated from their bodies.


    The ground was already piled with the corpses of fire ants.


    Some of them were not dead immediately and were still struggling in pain.


    Some of Qin Niu¡¯s termites were injured as well.


    The total casualties should not exceed a thousand.


    Compared to the number of fire ants killed, this was negligible.


    The insect war was losing suspense, and his gaze shifted to the center of the battle where Deputy City Lord Bai and Elder Jiu Yin, among others, were engaged.


    The situation of Deputy City Lord Bai seemed a bit grim.


    A massive Taiyin Yaoyao was lying on him, frantically devouring the aura armor on his body.


    Qin Niu was very clear that the aura armor on Deputy City Lord Bai¡¯s body was made from his internal energy.


    Now that it was being continuously devoured by the Taiyin Yaoyao, it also meant that his internal energy was being rapidly drained.


    The three experts besieging the Deputy City Lord were all in the Spirit Qi Realm.


    This was easy to discern.


    Spirit Qi Realm masters not only emitted an extremely awe-inspiring aura, like a towering mountain, but they also displayed manifesting spirit Qi during offense or defense.


    This was something Innate Realm masters couldn¡¯t do.


    Furthermore, Spirit Qi Realm masters could generate Sword Qi or Qi Armor when using weapons or armor.


    This ability was also not possessed by Innate Realm masters.


    However, if one¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t enough, good equipment could make up for it.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade and King Pig Leather Armor could achieve similar effects. His Ink Blade was even stronger than the ordinary divine weapons urged by a Spirit Qi Realm master.


    At this moment, the Taiyin Yaoyao that was lying on Deputy City Lord Bai was slashed into several pieces by his sword.


    But for it, this didn¡¯t cause any substantive damage.


    It instantly rushed towards Deputy City Lord Bai again, reattaching itself to his body and continuing to devour his internal energy.


    Bai Xuezhu, let¡¯s see how much longer you can hold out! Today, this will be your grave!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin cackled evilly, intensifying his attacks even further.


    Vice City Lord Bai really is formidable, fighting alone against three Spirit Qi


    Realm powerhouses and not falling behind.


    I his man is an absolute fierce general.


    ¡°You think using just this Taiyin Yaoyao will wear me down to death? Hmph, you are too naive. This is Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory, and other masters will soon arrive upon hearing the news. Then we¡¯ll see who dies,¡±


    Vice City Lord Bai may say so, but there is a bit of a bluff in his manner.


    If other masters from the Black Tiger Gang could come, they should have arrived by now.


    The fact that they still haven¡¯t arrived likely means they are being held up by the enemy at the front line.


    The Nine Insect Gang are not fools either; knowing that a heavyweight like


    Elder Jiu Yin has led an attack into the heartland of the Black Tiger Gang, they would naturally not allow other Black Tiger Gang masters the chance to ¡¯ encircle Elder Jiu Yin.


    ¡°To think a mere Taiyin Yaoyao could fix me, watch me capture it.¡±


    Qin Niu had long been eyeing that Taiyin Yaoyao king insect with envy.


    This is good stuff.


    He has considerable experience in capturing such insects.


    ¡°Lord Bai, reward me with that Taiyin Yaoyao!¡±


    Qin Niu called out.


    Upon hearing this, Vice City Lord Bai¡¯s heart stirred.


    He repelled the three strong enemies surrounding him with one sword stroke, then used the flat of his blade to smack the Taiyin Yaoyao, instantly knocking it flying towards where Qin Niu was.


    ¡°Qin Niu, be careful, this is a king insect raised by old Jiu Yin himself; it¡¯s more formidable than an ordinary Taiyin Yaoyao,¡±


    Vice City Lord Bai did not forget to remind Qin Niu.


    Even while fighting against three strong enemies, he took the chance to assess


    Qin Niu¡¯s combat abilities.


    Neither Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Corpse Bees nor the Fire Ants could take down Qin Niu.


    In fact, Qin Niu even managed to kill dozens of the Corpse Bees in return.


    Such formidable combat prowess indeed surprised Vice City Lord Bai.


    If Qin Niu could really help him take down this extremely troublesome Taiyin Yaoyao king insect, it would be like cutting off one of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s arms. The situation on the battlefield would immediately reverse.


    To this, Vice City Lord Bai was full of anticipation.


    At the same time, he had his concerns.


    He feared that Qin Niu would not be able to deal with that insect and might instead be killed by the Taiyin Yaoyao king.


    Qin Niu had already ordered the Termite Army and the Red-eyed Golden Toad to be ready for battle.


    Watching the Taiyin Yaoyao being knocked over,


    Without a word, Qin Niu slashed out with his blade.


    Unexpectedly, the king insect possessed remarkable evasive abilities.


    It actually dodged the attack.


    But no matter, the Red-eyed Golden Toad was very effective, rolling its tongue and snatching it up.


    Qin Niu seized the opportunity and slashed again.


    This time, he successfully split its body in two.


    ¡°You little beast, you¡¯re courting death.¡±


    Seeing the Taiyin Yaoyao king insect getting bitten by a very large Golden Toad and then immediately split in two by Qin Niu, Elder Jiu Yin suddenly felt a bad premonition.


    Without hesitation, he charged at Qin Niu, desperate to free the king insect from its predicament.


    ¡°Jiu Yin, your opponent is me, Lord Bai. It¡¯s not good to bully the weak,¡± Vice City Lord Bai firmly stood between Elder Jiu Yin and the other two guards, his treasured sword turning into a curtain of Sword Qi that tightly sealed the three of them off.


    In doing so, if Elder Jiu Yin insisted on forcing through, the cost would undoubtedly be grievous.


    At the very least, he would be gravely injured.


    Qin Niu had already ordered Fourth to lead all the Puppet Ants to attack the fallen half of the Taiyin Yaoyao king insect s body while all the Ghost Ants concentrated their firepower on the other half of its body.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s too strong, act quickly!¡±


    Fourth appeared extremely strained.


    Qm Niu was prepared and immediately used the Metal Bug Canister to cover


    half of the body, then placed it inside the canister.


    After sealing it, he was still somewhat worried it might escape.


    He watched closely..

 Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Chapter 275: Jiu Yin in Distress_1

    Chapter 282: Chapter 275: Jiu Yin in Distress_1


    Fortunately, although it appeared extremely furious within the Insect Jar, its weakness was also very obvious. Its biting ability had not yet reached the level of being able to bite through metal.


    One could even say that it was far from being able to bite through metal.


    Qin Niu was relieved this time.


    He took out another Metal Bug Canister and captured the other half of the Red-eyed Golden Toad¡¯s body.


    The Golden Toad still seemed somewhat reluctant to let go of its tongue.


    This glutton must have also sensed the scent, knowing that the body of the mystical creature was an exceptional tonic.


    ¡°You little beast, so it was you who snatched away my Taiyin Yaoyao. Today, I shall grind you to dust and scatter your ashes,¡± Insect Master roared like a madman, desperately attacking Vice City Lord Bai, trying to shake off the latter¡¯s grip so he could kill Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu faced Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s frenzied cursing with a look of disdain.


    ¡°Lord Bai, 1 leave the enemy to you. I¡¯ll find a way to kill this mystical creature immediately,¡± Qin Niu said, intentionally provoking Elder Jiu Yin.


    He wanted to make him crazy before he made him die.


    Once Elder Jiu Yin went mad, his mind would not be as calm as usual, and he was prone to exposing flaws.


    At that point, it would give Vice City Lord Bai the chance to take advantage and kill him.


    ¡®Haha, no problem, just kill the precious mystical creature of that old Jiu Yin for me,¡± Deputy City Lord responded with a hearty laugh.


    ¡°Left and right guards, join me in breaking out immediately. We must kill that httle beast and take back the mystical creature,¡± Elder Jiu Yin demanded, not expecting his prized Taiyin Yaoyao to be so easily captured by Qin Niu.


    Logically, not even a powerful individual of the Innate Realm, let alone Vice City Lord Bai, should have been capable of capturing the Taiyin Yaoyao. This made Elder Jiu Yin realize that Qin Niu might possess some special method.


    ¡°Haha, Elder Jiu Yin, you might as well stay here and keep Deputy City Lord Bai company!¡± Deputy City Lord Bai laughed heartily, formed a seal with his hands, and shouted, ¡°Trap!¡±


    Suddenly, beams of light rose from all around, rotating continuously, sealing off the entire area.


    Deputy City Lord Bai and Elder Jiu Yin were trapped inside.


    ¡°What, is this the Spirit Trapping Formation? Bai Xuezhu, you sly old fox, playing this trick. You¡¯ve hidden your cards well!¡± Elder Jiu Yin was shocked, angry, and even a bit afraid.


    Things were increasingly slipping out of his control.


    The composure and confidence he once had were no longer very certain.


    His tricks, which he regarded as powerful, were one by one being negated by his enemy.


    ¡°To keep you here requires concealing my methods deep. This Spirit Trapping Formation is a special gift prepared by Deputy City Lord Bai for you, Elder Jiu Yin. Now you can accept it,¡± Deputy City Lord Bai once again engaged in fierce battle with Elder Jiu Yin inside the formation.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t gained much of an advantage, with the Taiyin Yaoyao no longer entangling and gnawing at him, Deputy City Lord Bai had already gained the upper hand.


    Moreover, Qin Niu held Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s lifebound mystical creature, ready to deliver a heavy blow to Elder Jiu Yin at any time.


    That moment would also mark Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s end.


    Elder Jiu Yin was clearly aware of the danger he was in. He fired a signal flare straight into the sky.


    Even in daylight, the green light it emitted was still dazzling.


    Qin Niu, speeding away into the distance, saw the signal flare rising from the Spirit Trapping Formation and immediately realized that Elder Jiu Yin was calling for help from the outside world.


    Surviving for many years in this merciless world and cultivating to the Spirit Qi Realm naturally meant he had a few last-ditch life-saving methods.


    Elder Jiu Yin was at least considered a number three, if not a number two figure in the Nine Insect Gang.


    Qin Niu burst into a household in the town.


    ¡°Who are you? What do you want to do?¡±


    This family, including both old and young, with two young women hiding behind them, had their bags packed and looked ready to flee at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°I am Insect Master Qin Niu; there¡¯s no need for alarm. I merely wish to borrow your stove. You two, come help me light a fire.¡±


    Qin Niu brandished the Fish Talisman and pressed into service those two young women to help him make fire on the spot.


    He had summoned those two women to help, not because he harboured any improper thoughts.


    According to his understanding, countrywomen were often adept at kitchen tasks. These two young women would be nimble and able to quickly start a roaring fire for him.


    Moreover, women were more timid and thus easier to control.


    ¡°Master Qin, Master Qin, this one is my daughter, and this is my concubine, please show mercy and spare them! If it¡¯s silver money you want, I can give it to you,¡± pleaded the owner of the house, a wealthy man in his fifties.


    He was of similar status to Wang Furen, considered as someone with modest wealth.


    The daughter and the concubine were not far apart in age and evidently knew how to enjoy life.


    In any era, as long as one had money, life could be quite comfortable.


    Qin Niu had no time to explain further to the old man.


    ¡°Cut the chatter, just have them help with the fire. I don¡¯t intend to mistreat them. If you prattle on, don¡¯t blame me for slaughtering you,¡± he said sternly.


    Qin Niu flashed his Ink Blade, a menacing look on his face.


    The two women and children screamed in fright, shaking all over.


    Ordinary civilians hardly had any rights before the powerful and were subject to arbitrary manipulation.


    ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    With another intimidating shout from Qin Niu, the two women, weeping and wailing, led the way to the kitchen at the back.


    The male owner gritted his teeth and then relented; he wanted to fight, but he was also somewhat afraid of dying.


    He could only watch helplessly as Qin Niu entered the kitchen and didn¡¯t dare to follow.


    Fortunately, Qin Niu was not a villain like Wang Haikun. Otherwise, this entire family would have been in serious trouble today.


    Under his order, the two women quickly lit a fierce fire.


    I hey were terrified, unsure if Qin Niu would commit violence against them.


    Thankfully, Qin Niu focused on taking out two Metal Bug Canisters and heating them over the fire.


    ¡°Keep the fire burning strongly, or don¡¯t blame me for being impolite,¡± he warned.


    The two women repeatedly agreed, their fear palpable.


    Meanwhile, the male owner, having seen Qin Niu forcing his concubine and daughter into the kitchen without returning, felt like he wanted to die.


    Gathering his courage, he peeked into the kitchen at the back.


    He could see his concubine and daughter tending the fire and that they had not been harmed, which allowed him to breathe a slight sigh of relief.


    About half an hour later, Qin Niu realized that the king insects in the bug canisters were resistant to the fire and had not died completely.


    He had no choice but to continue roasting them.


    He didn¡¯t dare to open the bug canisters, as the insects would immediately escape.


    Thus, after another half an hour or so, the king insects¡¯ bodies finally stopped moving.


    Yet, he didn¡¯t allow himself to relax and kept roasting them.


    Within the Spirit Trapping Formation, Elder Jiu Yin suddenly let out a cry of pain and left a wide opening in his defense.


    Vice City Lord Bai seized the moment and did not hesitate.


    He unsheathed his sword and slashed at him.


    But two bodyguards blocked the attack.


    Elder Jiu Yin wailed, ¡°Woe is me! My king insects have been killed by that brat¡­ Oh, the hatred!¡±


    One could imagine the blow it was to Elder Jiu Yin to have his king insects, which he had painstakingly raised for years, killed.


    More urgent crises awaited him now.


    His spirit greatly damaged again, Elder Jiu Yin could barely stand up. Staggering, he was unable to continue fighting. His two bodyguards were strong, but they were certainly no match for Vice City Lord Bai.


    If reinforcements didn¡¯t arrive in time, Elder Jiu Yin would not escape his fate today..

 Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Chapter 276 Nine Insects Gang Leader 1

    Chapter 283: Chapter 276 Nine Insects Gang Leader 1


    The battle within the Spirit Trapping Formation continued, as Vice City Lord Bai wouldn¡¯t easily let Elder Jiu Yin escape after going to the trouble of using the formation.


    At the border of the Nine Insect Gang, which adjoined the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory, the stationed troops were restless and eager to move.


    They were waiting for the right moment to strike and invade the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s domain in one fell swoop.


    The high-ranking officials suddenly saw a green light flare up in the sky, which made their expressions turn very grave at once.


    ¡°It¡¯s daytime now, and the green light is coming from the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s heartland, it must be Elder Jiu Yin in grave danger, calling for our aid.¡±


    ¡°Gang Leader, please send troops immediately to invade Black Tiger Gang and rescue Elder Jiu Yin.¡±


    ¡°Gang Leader, dispatch the troops at once!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin had deep roots within the Nine Insect Gang and had cultivated many friends and disciples over the years.


    Now in trouble, there were many speaking on his behalf right away.


    ¡°Elder Jiu Yin is one of the Seven Great Elders of the Nine Insect Gang, with a high position and considerable power, and holds a prestigious status. For our Nine Insect Gang, he is like the upper arm or the main beam of a house. This time, we dispatched him to sneak into enemy territory from Tian Shui, with the intention of using the Shennong Sect¡¯s army in combination with Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s power to penetrate into the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s heartland. The goal was to destabilize the entire Black Tiger Gang, causing utter chaos within their ranks. Then, we would strike from Wash Crime River like lightning, in collaboration with the Shennong Sect, to launch a pincer attack on Black Tiger City.


    Thus, we hoped to decide the fate of the battle in one move.


    An intelligence report from our secret lines indicates that the Black Tiger Gang Leader and at least three Deputy City Lords are leading heavy troops along the Wash Crime River, and they are certainly aware that our army is assembled here.


    This raises baffling questions. With the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s main military force and numerous experts gathered on the opposite shore, why have Elder Jiu Yin and the Shennong Sect achieved nothing? Why are they now sending out flares to call for help?¡±


    Naturally, anyone who can become a Gang Leader is no ordinary person.


    Now that Elder Jiu Yin is in danger, if she outright refuses to help, it will surely lead to the gang members feeling dismayed and disheartened.


    Using the main force to launch an offensive would amount to a brute force attack.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader is old and cunning, and it won¡¯t be easy to take him down.


    If not careful, the Nine Insect Gang might end up badly beaten.


    ¡°Report!¡±


    A soldier rushed into the central tent with an urgent missive.


    ¡°A flying crane message has arrived from the Shennong Sect, bringing the latest intelligence!¡±


    ¡°Bring it here!¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s face was covered with a black veil, making it impossible to discern her features or expressions.


    Known as the Black Widow, she had managed to seize the throne of the Gang Leader in the chaotic and unordered Nine Insects Gang by virtue of her femininity, and she had led her followers to expand the territory and grow the gang¡¯s strength, which was proof of her strong capabilities and methods.


    The flying crane message is a relatively advanced method for sending urgent intelligence.


    As cranes fly at higher altitudes than pigeons,


    their stamina is also greater, and their intelligence is similarly higher, making it hard for enemies to intercept their messages.


    There is another important reason.


    Although pigeons are easy to train and have decent flight capabilities, they are not as easy to cultivate for advancement.


    But crane species are naturally gifted and precious birds.


    The most famous is the Immortal Crane, even considered an auspicious creature by immortals and nurtured as pets, indicating the crane¡¯s potential for growth far exceeds that of pigeons.


    The secret letter was contained in a bamboo tube, which had waterproof and scratch-resistant features.


    This was to prevent the flying crane from damaging the missive en route.


    There¡¯s also another purpose: the bamboo tube was cleverly designed with a mechanism, and the opening was sealed with lacquer. If it fell into enemy hands and they tried to force it open, it would trigger the mechanism and the secret letter inside would be destroyed.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader took the bamboo tube, checked that it had not been opened, and then skillfully disabled the mechanism on the tube.


    She pulled out the secret letter.


    He had only read two lines before he slammed his palm heavily onto the desk.


    ¡°This is outrageous!¡±


    The crowd felt the Gang Leader¡¯s anger and dared not make a sound.


    Everyone held this woman in awe.


    ¡°Mu Sect Leader of Shennong Sect sent a letter, saying that Elder Jiu Yin and the Shennong Sect¡¯s army had successfully invaded the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, and the situation was initially very favorable, having the upper hand. But suddenly, Elder Jiu Yin led the Insect Master to retreat, resulting in a disastrous defeat for the Shennong Sect¡¯s forces.


    Out of twelve thousand troops deployed, less than five hundred escaped, nearly a total annihilation.


    Now, Mu Sect Leader of Shennong Sect is demanding an explanation from us.¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s tone was filled with anger and murderous intent.


    A war that was a matter of life and death for tens of thousands of soldiers, also determined the future and fate of the two sects.


    Such a crucial battle and Elder Jiu Yin, for his personal reasons, suddenly led the Insect Masters to retreat. This was a taboo in military affairs.


    ¡°Gang Leader, calm your anger. The true circumstances of this matter have not yet been determined, and we cannot just blindly believe the words of Shennong Sect.¡±


    ¡°The fighting capabilities of Shennong Sect are as weak as chickens. It¡¯s very likely they were the ones who lost the battle and are now pushing the blame onto Elder Jiu Yin. Gang Leader, don¡¯t be deceived by their malice.¡±


    ¡°And look at Shennong Sect, having the nerve to play the victim and accuse us first, when they are the ones who allowed hundreds to escape. Meanwhile, not a single one of our Nine Insect Gang¡¯s men made it back, and now Elder Jiu Yin is trapped by the enemy deep within Black Tiger Gang territory. It¡¯s clear who retreated first, even a fool could see.¡±


    ¡°From my perspective, if we can¡¯t swallow the Black Tiger Gang whole, we might as well devour Shennong Sect first.¡±


    Each one of these men was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.


    Allying with Shennong Sect was akin to seeking skin from a tiger.


    If Mu Sect Leader of Shennong Sect were here, he would probably be furious enough to drop dead.


    ¡°Gang Leader, please dispatch troops to rescue Elder Jiu Yin immediately, or it will dampen everyone¡¯s spirit!¡±


    ¡°Gang Leader, send the troops now, and I¡¯m willing to lead the vanguard!¡±


    ¡°Gang Leader, please dispatch the troops! Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s safety is crucial!¡±


    Most of the mid- and high-ranking members below supported sending troops to rescue Elder Jiu Yin.


    These were all men who favored battle.


    Now with such a legitimate reason, they were all eager and rubbing their hands together in anticipation.


    ¡°We can¡¯t rush into this. If we throw ourselves into disarray, we will spoil the Gang Leader¡¯s grand plan. Over the years, the Gang Leader has led our Nine Insect Gang to grow and strengthen, which is apparent to all. Please follow the Gang Leader¡¯s orders.¡±


    Someone stood up to speak on behalf of the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    ¡°Right, if we rush headlong into Black Tiger Gang territory to save our people, we may just fall into the enemy¡¯s trap. Across the river, the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s camp is deathly silent and supremely composed, just waiting for us to cross the river!¡±


    ¡°Listen to the Gang Leader, we must not hurry!¡±


    The mid- and high-ranking members of the Nine Insect Gang were divided into two factions.


    Those who were anxious to send troops to rescue people were closely related to Elder Jiu Yin. There were direct interests involved.


    Though the Nine Insect Gang had seven Great Elders, there were truly only two with significant influence.


    If Elder Jiu Yin died, the status of those close to him would definitely be reduced, and their interests affected.


    Therefore, they did not want anything to happen to Elder Jiu Yin and were eager to rescue him.


    ¡°Enough squabbling! Whether Elder Jiu Yin is right or wrong, the person must be saved. As the Gang Leader, I will not abandon any of our members. Outside, the Nine Insect Gang is your most reliable support. However, rashly sending troops on a rescue mission is unwise. If we fail to save our people and, as a result, sacrifice even more lives, our gang¡¯s strength will suffer greatly, and the disaster of our destruction will be upon us.


    I will immediately compose a letter requesting the Shennong Sect to send troops at once to attack the Black Tiger Gang.


    We will also lead a large army from Wash Crime River, attacking from both sides to hold the enemy¡¯s experts at bay. Then, we will send a small group of elite troops to stealthily proceed to the location where Elder Jiu Yin is requesting assistance and rescue him.¡±


    Though the Nine Insects Gang Leader was a woman, she revealed her immense wisdom..

 Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: Chapter 277 One Person Changed the Entire Battlefield_1

    Chapter 284: Chapter 277 One Person Changed the Entire Battlefield_1


    Her tactics were also top-notch.


    Although the situation arose suddenly, she was not led by the nose by the enemy.


    ¡°Judging from the direction of the signal flare, we can roughly deduce that Elder Jiu Yin is trapped in the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s Jade Stream Town. Elder Mei, I need you to lead an elite crew to go and rescue him.¡±


    Elder Mei was exactly the one who had just been most anxious to go on a rescue mission.


    Sending him to the heart of the Black Tiger Gang to rescue someone, if the mission was successful, that would be best. If it failed, the Nine Insects Gang Leader would have effectively weakened the opposition¡¯s forces, making her position as Gang Leader even more secure.


    ¡°Yes, my command!¡±


    Elder Mei didn¡¯t have a second word and directly went to select people for the mission.


    After the Nine Insects Gang Leader wrote a letter, she still had Fei He take the encrypted message back.


    She had been confronting the Black Tiger Gang for many days, testing them numerous times, but the Black Tiger Gang had always been deeply hidden. She couldn¡¯t fathom their depth or shallowness.


    This time, with Elder Jiu Yin trapped, the call within her gang to rescue him was extremely high.


    She could only act opportunistically, deciding to have a direct, forceful confrontation with the Black Tiger Gang.


    Across Wash Crime River, the Black Tiger Gang Leader led his top experts and a sizable army to garrison, always on guard against the Nine Insects Gang¡¯s army crossing the river.


    ¡°Gang Leader, this is the latest battle report from Deputy City Lord Bai.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader, dressed in commoner¡¯s clothes and looking like an ordinary person, took the battle report to examine.


    ¡°Ha ha, truly heaven helps our gang! The Shennong Sect and Nine Insects Gang attempted a surprise attack across the Tianshui River, only to be discovered by a young Insect Master of our gang. Deputy City Lord Bai led troops to meet them in battle and, after two days of hard fighting, drove the enemy army to a crushing defeat, annihilating more than ten thousand of them.


    Now, they¡¯ve even trapped Elder Jiu Yin of the Nine Insects Gang in Jade Stream Town.


    Elder Jiu Yin is one of the most powerful elders in the Nine Insects Gang, second only to the Nine Insects Gang Leader, with immense influence. If this man were to die on our Black Tiger Gang turf, it would deal a heavy blow to the Nine Insects Gang.


    It could possibly discourage the Nine Insects Gang from ever invading us again.¡±


    In his words, the Black Tiger Gang Leader was quite wary of the Nine Insects Gang.


    Following the principle that harmony is most precious, he would avoid fighting with the Nine Insects Gang whenever possible.


    ¡°This is great! Such significant good news is truly exhilarating for our Black Tiger Gang.¡±


    ¡°Gang Leader, should we immediately send our top experts to Jade Stream Town to join forces with Deputy City Lord Bai to kill Elder Jiu Yin?¡±


    The high-ranking members of the Black Tiger Gang, upon hearing this good news, were extremely thrilled.


    ¡°That young Insect Master who discovered such important enemy information has made a great contribution. To boost troop morale, I suggest the Gang Leader immediately bestow a reward upon him.¡±


    Some, amidst their joy, suggested a generous reward for the young Insect Master who had detected the enemy¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Hmm, it is indeed necessary to heavily reward this Insect Master named Qin Niu. However, it¡¯s better to wait until the battle at Deputy City Lord Bai¡¯s side is over before giving out rewards together. The great service that Qin Niu has rendered may not be limited to this alone. Do you all remember the incident from more than ten days ago, when the Nine Insects Gang¡¯s army was searching along the borders of Wash Crime River? That was because the enemy¡¯s commander, Song Zan, was killed.


    According to the information passed by our planted spy, Song Zan¡¯s demise might be related to two traveling stowaways, a man and a woman.


    Latter investigations by the Nine Insects Gang at the site of Song Zan¡¯s death concluded that Song Zan was killed by an Innate Realm expert, likely to be an Insect Master.


    Though the whereabouts of the young female stowaway remain unknown, she is not an Insect Master, and her cultivation has not reached the Innate Realm.


    Therefore, the person who killed Song Zan is very likely that young Insect Master.


    Although we can¡¯t confirm that the young Insect Master is Qin Niu, judging from various clues, it is very likely to be him.


    It¡¯s indeed fortunate for our Black Tiger Gang to have such a talent!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s intelligence was much stronger than imagined.


    He had even planted spies within the Nine Insects Gang, clearly learning all of the enemy¡¯s information.


    Perhaps this was the earliest prototype of a spy!


    ¡°Elder Jiu Yin daring to break into the heartland of our Black Tiger Gang is like treating us as if we are nobody! Fang Lian, when it comes to the number of top experts, the Fang Family has the most! I want you to go to Jade Stream Town immediately, fully assist Deputy City Lord Bai in killing Elder Jiu Yin, and make no mistakes.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s gaze turned to Fang Lian.


    He was indeed a young master from the Fang Family.


    Because his father was in seclusion for cultivation, he had already started to take on the heavy responsibilities of the Fang Family¡¯s clan leadership.


    The outbreak of the faction war caused these top-tier families to dispatch their experts to participate in the battle.


    It was not only a great opportunity to earn military merit, but also to train their clan¡¯s younger generation.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Fang Lian was quite surprised when he heard Qin Niu¡¯s name.


    He had had several encounters with Qin Niu.


    It was unexpected that in such a short time, Qin Niu had already advanced to become an Innate Realm powerhouse, a high-level expert just like him.


    Back then, Qin Niu, in his eyes, was just a few-level expert that he could easily crush to death.


    The rapidity of Qin Niu¡¯s growth far exceeded his imagination.


    Slain Elder Jiu Yin, that was unquestionably a colossal act of military merit.


    Fang Lian was in dire need of such a great military exploit to solidify his position.


    He led the Fang Family¡¯s experts and quickly headed to Jade Stream Town.


    Not long after Fang Lian left, a scout returned with news from the front.


    ¡°Gang Leader, the enemy force across Wash Crime River is setting up flying ropes to cross it.¡±


    ¡°Engage!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader didn¡¯t waste any words and simply said two.


    ¡°The Nine Insects Gang can¡¯t hold back, launching a sudden attack¡ªit seems they¡¯ve learned that Elder Jiu Yin is trapped and want to dispatch troops for a rescue.¡±


    ¡°Haha, this is even better. Using Elder Jiu Yin as bait, we can severely damage the main force of the Nine Insects Gang in one fell swoop, securing at least a century of peaceful development.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader laughed heartily, but did not mention leading the army into the battle.


    On the Shennong Sect¡¯s side, although they lost over ten thousand soldiers due to the sudden retreat of their incompetent allies, the alliance of the two factions was already bound together.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader commanded them to join forces in attacking the enemy, and the Shennong Sect, whether they liked it or not, had to comply.


    Otherwise, if the Nine Insects Gang acted alone and ended up defeated, the Shennong Sect would certainly not fare well.


    Firstly, the Nine Insects Gang would regard the Shennong Sect as traitors, as enemies.


    They would definitely devise ways to deal with the Shennong Sect.


    Secondly, if the Black Tiger Gang won the battle, they too would seek to settle accounts with the Shennong Sect.


    The Shennong Sect was also like an arrow drawn on a bow; they had no choice but to release it.


    Qin Niu was completely unaware that he, seemingly an insignificant figure, had triggered a massive change in the war among the three gangs.


    At the moment, he had just killed the king insect and was contemplating when to feed it to the Ant Queen.


    The two women who had helped him kindle the fire huddled in fear.


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s fifty Wen Money to reward you.¡±


    Qin Niu casually threw a piece of Silver Piece and walked outside.


    The male head of this family and the older female head watched Qin Niu with a mix of fear and hatred in their eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t do anything to them, I just had them help me keep the fire going for over an hour.¡±


    After giving an explanation, Qin Niu left the household.


    He was considering whether to flee directly back to Shuangfeng Village or to take a look at the battlefield.


    In the end, he decided to go and have a look.


    With an Invisibility Talisman on his body, that was his greatest confidence..

 Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: Chapter 278: Resurgence of Gu Techniques? 1

    Chapter 285: Chapter 278: Resurgence of Gu Techniques? 1


    He believed that the death of the leader worm would undoubtedly deal another heavy blow to Elder Jiu Yin. If Vice City Lord Bai could seize the opportunity, he had every capability to deliver a fatal strike and directly kill Elder Jiu Yin.


    By then, Qin Niu would be able to rest easy.


    He had just run less than a hundred meters forward when suddenly a tremendous explosion was heard from ahead, shaking the earth and rocking the mountains, shaking the tiles off the roofs of nearby residences.


    The window lattices creaked.


    Such a terrifying force of explosion could not possibly be caused by an expert of the Innate Realm.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart sank slightly, guessing that Elder Jiu Yin might have used some life-saving measures.


    This was not good news.


    If this person escaped and recovered his strength, Qin Niu would undoubtedly be the first he slaughtered.


    Killing so many of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s life-linked insects, this enmity was even deeper than that of killing one¡¯s father.


    ¡°Bai Xuezhu, I will surely slaughter your entire family, defile your wife and daughters, and dig out your ancestral grave.¡±


    The voice of Elder Jiu Yin, filled with endless resentment, rose up.


    Qin Niu sensed trouble.


    Indeed, at the level of Elder Jiu Yin, there were many life-saving methods; he was not that easy to kill.


    Even though Vice City Lord Bai had resorted to using the Spirit Trapping Formation, his ultimate measure, he still failed to capture Elder Jiu Yin.


    By the time Qin Niu arrived at the battlefield, he saw a huge crater on the ground, the deepest part surpassing two meters in depth.


    One could imagine just how terrifying the explosion had been.


    Vice City Lord Bai¡¯s armor was shattered, his body covered in blood, with blood still dribbling from the corner of his mouth.


    Around him, numerous soldiers lay in pools of blood.


    Master He Shan¡¯s Double-Headed Lion was also severely injured.


    It lay there, breathing heavily.


    Master He Shan himself had his eyes tightly closed, blood around his mouth, his entire body nearly in a state of unconsciousness.


    ¡°Master He Shan, Master He Shan!¡±


    Qin Niu stepped forward to check and provide assistance.


    Manipulating the acupoint was of no use.


    He placed his hand on Master He Shan¡¯s back and transferred a thread of his powerful energy. Master He Shan coughed up two mouthfuls of black blood and then slowly came to.


    ¡°Qin Niu, thank you.¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s voice was weak


    ¡°Just now, two of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Spirit Qi Realm attendants self-destructed, breaking Lord Bai¡¯s Spirit Trapping Formation. Because I was close by, I was also injured in the explosion. Spirit Qi Realm experts, such an enviable state, terrifying as such.¡±


    Although he was quite seriously injured, he could still speak and his energy was continuous, indicating he would not die.


    No wonder the sound earlier was so loud; it turned out that two Spirit Qi Realm experts had self-destructed simultaneously.


    Being able to cultivate to the Spirit Qi Realm, one in a hundred thousand could achieve it.


    It was extremely difficult.


    Yet those two attendants were willing to sacrifice their own lives to help Elder


    Jiu Yin escape, showing their extreme loyalty to him.


    Qin Niu was quite envious; he also wanted such loyal attendants.


    At present, he only had Xiao Qing as a maidservant.


    The relationship between master and servant was deep, but Xiao Qing¡¯s cultivation level was subpar.


    ¡°Those two attendants possessed such cultivation and were willing to self-destruct; their loyalty and bravery are indeed admirable.¡±


    Qin Niu remarked with emotion.


    ¡°Hmph, do you think those two attendants did it willingly? Before they self-destructed, their eyes were blood-red and they showed painful expressions on their faces. It¡¯s very likely they were being controlled by that old bastard Jiu Yin.¡±


    Vice City Lord Bai had presumably finished healing, he turned his head to look over.


    Qin Niu¡¯s praise of the two attendants¡¯ bravery clearly annoyed him.


    ¡°How¡­ how do you control it?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but recall the Red-eyed Golden Toad, which had also been controlled by Old Master Huang using a worm.


    ¡°The Nine Insect Gang has some secret techniques that can implant worms into another person¡¯s body and then control the person through the worms. It¡¯s quite similar to the Gu technique.¡±


    Master He Shan explained weakly, clutching his chest.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. This Insect Commanding Technique is indeed evil, even capable of controlling humans.¡±


    Qin Niu nodded, feeling as though he had gained more insight.


    The Gu technique was a peculiar magic of the southern border, which had been lost for many years.


    This method of controlling others by implanting worms inside their bodies was highly similar to the Gu technique.


    Whether it was a revival of Gu technique, that remained unknown.


    Back then, the masters of Gu technique from the southern border took part in the Immortal Sects war, only to be eradicated by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    It was that very battle that allowed the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect to successfully establish itself.


    It has been over a thousand years since then.


    Many have even forgotten the once-glorious Gu technique and its numerous legendary stories, now occasionally glimpsed only in fragments within some books.


    They say for one general¡¯s success, thousands of bones are laid to rest.


    The founding of an Immortal Sect is far more brutal than one can imagine.


    In wars between Immortal Sects, even strong practitioners of the Innate Realm are like ants.


    Wars of that magnitude spare none, from Immortal Masters to mortals.


    They are absolute catastrophes for the human world.


    ¡°Qin Niu, you have achieved remarkable feats in this war and shall be appropriately rewarded. Elder Jiu Yin has fled with serious injuries and is a significant hidden danger. I must lead my men to pursue and eliminate him immediately. There will be other experts from the gang to intercept him ahead; he must not be allowed to escape back This man is cunning and deceitful, and he will surely hold a grudge against you for destroying his king insect, so you must be extra cautious.¡±


    After speaking, Deputy City Lord Bai swallowed a Fresh Red Elixir and quickly left with a few guards.


    Though Deputy City Lord Bai¡¯s horizontal training was unparalleled in the Black Tiger Gang,


    the self-destruction of two Spirit Qi Realm experts has nonetheless left him quite injured.


    Qin Niu, observing the fallen Innate Realm experts and Insect Masters on the scene, felt life was incredibly cheap. Every step of cultivation from the Mortal Realm to the Innate Realm was fraught with difficulty,


    yet in war, they died so easily.


    This also served as a stark warning to Qin Niu.


    Regardless of how high one¡¯s cultivation or how strong one¡¯s power, it is best not to engage in conflicts lightly. One mistake can lead to death and the end of one¡¯s path.


    Qin Niu returned to his home in Shuangfeng Village and began to inventory the spoils of war gathered over many days.


    He needed to quickly convert his spoils into strength.


    This time, he had obtained several Corpse Bee Bee Generals¡¯ bodies, the king worm of a Taiyin Yaoyao, and even high-level insect corpses like that of the Binding Fairy Spider. He believed the Ant Queen would certainly undergo significant evolution.


    In his room, he carefully checked and sorted each of the spoils.


    Martial arts practice scrolls like the Misty Rain Elusive Step, ancient Insect Commanding tomes like the Spider Technique Scroll, and several Insect Master¡¯s notes, plus a The Plant Atlas and a compilation of rare plants and trees left by Master Mo Yang.


    Then there were more than ten Insect Bags and numerous Insect Jars.


    He had also captured a fair number of live insects.


    There were quite a few bodies of Steel-winged Wild Bees, as well as several live ones.


    And they were all of the Bee General Level.


    The two green-headed wild bees were what Qin Niu valued the most. These bees were summoning bees, acting like bell-ringing imps, capable of calling upon swarms of wild bees to attack their enemies.


    These were special bee species, hence Qin Niu¡¯s particular interest in them.


    As he went through the Insect Bags, some of the insects inside were still alive.


    These were the ones not tamed by the Insect Master Zhu Zhu.


    They were basically various sorts of spiders, and Qin Niu didn¡¯t care for them at all.


    However, instead of killing them, he took them to the mountains to release them.


    Now possessing nearly a hundred thousand silver notes, he awaited the war¡¯s end when he could buy land and mountains, becoming a grand landlord in Shuangfeng Village. By then, he would manage the entire mountain as his stronghold..

 Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: Chapter 279 Lovebirds 1

    Chapter 286: Chapter 279 Lovebirds 1


    He planned to release some of the poison insects and mysterious creatures he had caught that he had no use for into the forest.


    In a few decades, that mountain would teem with all sorts of bizarre and venomous creatures and would become a dragon¡¯s lair and a tiger¡¯s den, where ordinary people dare not set foot.


    As a result, he now had a relatively secluded private training ground.


    The ancient banyan tree had already become his private property.


    And now he had an Ice Lotus as well.


    Having seen the Fang Family¡¯s depth of resources, Qin Niu followed suit, constantly accumulating his strength to grow into a towering ¡®great tree¡¯.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, we haven¡¯t been up the mountain for training in many days. Today, I¡¯ll take you up the mountain to train,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Looking at the sky, it wasn¡¯t even noon yet.


    He could still train under the ancient banyan tree for two or three hours.


    Originally, he had planned to rest at home today and had arranged for Wang Wanyan and Tang Caixian to come over to learn the martial technique ¡®Misty Rain Elusive Step¡¯ and provide them with some cultivation resources.


    But that would have to be postponed until tomorrow.


    Because he was eager to go into the mountains to cultivate termites.


    Also, he hadn¡¯t collected banyan tree blood to nourish his sword in days, so he needed to get some Ancient Banyan Tree Blood for his Ink Blade today.


    ¡°Oh, yes, yes!¡±


    Xiao Qing clapped her hands excitedly upon hearing this.


    With Qin Niu away from home, she had been cooped up in the house all day and was feeling unbearably stifled.


    Training under the ancient banyan tree, where the cultivation speed was dozens of times faster than in the outside world, was enough to enchant anyone.


    The master and servant left the house, with Qin Niu carrying a large basket on his back.


    He had brought all nine corpses of the Taiyin Yaoyao.


    He planned to feed them all to the Ant Queen.


    Passing by Wang Furen¡¯s house, a pudgy head stuck out from the gate¡ªit was Wang Furen himself.


    ¡°Master Qin, Master Qin, are you heading into the mountains?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle Wang. Are you packing up to flee with all these bags and parcels?¡± Qin Niu asked, noticing several bundles and boxes on the ground behind Wang Furen.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s army advanced on Jade Stream Town? As you know, those demons do all kinds of evil and kill anyone they see. My daughter Wan Yan is quite beautiful. The idea of her falling into the hands of those devils is unthinkable. In my younger days, I traveled extensively on business and am quite familiar with many places, so I¡¯m planning to take my family to hide somewhere else,¡± Wang Furen explained.


    Wang Furen was somewhat conscientious.


    Though prepared to flee for his life, he didn¡¯t abandon the maidservants who had served him for many years.


    He couldn¡¯t give her a formal status, but he had already treated her as a concubine.


    She had changed into coarse clothing and wrapped a headscarf around her head, appearing like an ordinary village woman.


    In the end, she hadn¡¯t done any laborious work for years, nor worked the fields, so her skin still appeared fair and tender. She followed closely behind Wang Furen.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, your foresight is admirable. However, from what I understand, there is no need for you to flee too far. Our Shuangfeng Village is far safer than places abroad. I¡¯ve seen some wealthy people who have sold their property and smuggled their families into the Nine Insect Gang. They are some capable people who have obtained legitimate identities within the Nine Insect Gang.


    Guess what happened to them in the end?


    Every man, woman, and child was captured by the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s troops.


    The men were bound and used for breeding insects.


    The elderly were killed on the spot, fed to the insects. The children were also used for breeding insects, while the women suffered all kinds of humiliation. Any slightly good-looking ones were sent first to be enjoyed by the higher ranks. All the valuables they carried were plundered.


    If they hadn¡¯t fled to the Nine Insect Gang, maybe they wouldn¡¯t have met with such a catastrophe.


    I¡¯m telling you this because you¡¯re my neighbor, and because you¡¯ve taken great care of me over the years.¡±


    Qin Niu knew that Wang Furen was a shrewd businessman.


    Sometimes, being too savvy wasn¡¯t a good thing.


    Those who were too clever by half often died miserably.


    ¡°So¡­ are you saying it¡¯s safer to stay in Shuangfeng Village?¡±


    Wang Furen wiped the sweat from his forehead repeatedly with his hand.


    It seemed he had considered the idea of smuggling his family out of the country.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to where the Nine Insect Gang resides, where the folk are fierce, and the weak have no standing whatsoever. Bringing Wan Yan and the others there would only harm them. The Shennong Sect might seem safe, but could actually be the most dangerous place. Shuangfeng Village might appear dangerous, but in reality, it might be a refuge from warfare.¡±


    Qin Niu offered his own perspective.


    Wang Furen wouldn¡¯t listen, and there was nothing he could do.


    ¡°Dad, we definitely won¡¯t go wrong listening to Ah Niu.¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s voice rang out as the door opened.


    She too had changed into a set of coarse clothes.


    Yet, it still could not conceal her breathtaking beauty, her graceful figure, standing tall and slender. Her features were like a master painting, with a delicate nose and rosy lips, looking beautiful in whatever she wore.


    Solely in terms of beauty, Tang Caixian was somewhat inferior to her.


    However, both women had their respective charms.


    Wang Wanyan was pure as snow, proud and cold, yet she also possessed the poise and intelligence of a lady from a prestigious family.


    Tang Caixian, on the other hand, was bold and forthright, passionate and fierce as fire. She exhibited a charm and softness, without losing her inner pride and wisdom.


    Qin Niu liked and respected both girls.


    ¡°The villagers were spreading rumors, saying that you abandoned Xiao Qing to escape the disaster alone. I never believed it. But my father insists that our family prepare to flee.¡±


    Wang Wanyan explained to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Uncle Wang¡¯s concerns are not without reason. Now that I am back, the rumors will naturally be dispelled. Uncle Wang, there¡¯s no need to flee. If enemies really do come, 1 will surely notify you before I flee for safety.¡±


    How could Qin Niu abandon Xiao Qing, Wang Wanyan, and Tang Caixian to flee for his life?


    Though he might seem cold and ruthless, he valued loyalty deeply.


    But in such precarious times, it was true that he didn¡¯t meddle in affairs that weren¡¯t his own.


    This was also a form of self-preservation.


    ¡°It seems it was a false alarm, Ah Niu. I see that you and Wan Yan have feelings for each other. In these turbulent times, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like you to take Wan Yan as your bride. I¡¯m old and truly cannot protect her.¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s mentality had undergone a significant change.


    In the past, he feared his precious daughter being led astray by Qin Niu, but now he was hoping Qin Niu would marry her sooner rather than later.


    Because he felt that entrusting his daughter to Qin Niu was safer.


    ¡°I am more than willing, but 1 come from humble beginnings and fear that it would be unfair to Wan Yan.¡±


    Qin Niu looked toward Wang Wanyan.


    She blushed, her face turning red, and she glanced down bashfully, sneaking looks at Qin Niu.


    Smiling upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s agreement to marry her, a smile blossomed on her face that could overturn kingdoms.


    ¡°I leave everything to my father¡¯s decision.¡±


    Being a girl, naturally she was too shy to directly admit her liking for Qin Niu.


    She expressed herself in a rather demure manner.


    ¡°Ha ha, since both you young people agree, Master Qin can hire a matchmaker and set an early date to bring forth the engagement and complete the marriage.¡±


    Wang Furen laughed heartily upon hearing this.


    How times had changed.


    The current Qin Niu had a startling potential for growth. The local powerhouse, the Yan Family, treated him with great respect.


    Tang Yan of the Tang Family had also personally paid a visit to Qin Niu.


    Additionally, Tang Caixian from the Tang Family was a well-known beauty far and wide, her family background was not a bit inferior to that of Wang Furen¡¯s. She had taken the initiative to send a matchmaker to discuss marriage with Qin Niu.


    Wang Furen also had his own calculations.


    He feared that if he acted too slowly, Qin Niu would marry Tang Caixian first, and then his daughter would have to become a concubine, or marry someone else.


    In these chaotic times, he did not trust anyone else.


    On the contrary, he felt that marrying Qin Niu was the best option. Not only could he see his daughter every day, providing someone to look out for her, but also because he knew Qin Niu well and deemed him trustworthy.


    ¡°Then tomorrow 1 will find a matchmaker to propose officially. It¡¯s just that my achievements are limited at the moment, and 1 would be putting Wan Yan at a disadvantage.¡±


    Seeing how anxious the girl¡¯s father was, Qin Niu naturally would not decline.


    He wouldn¡¯t put Wang Furen in an awkward position..

 Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: Chapter 280 The Three Matchmakers and Six Proposals_1

    Chapter 287: Chapter 280 The Three Matchmakers and Six Proposals_1


    With his current wealth and strength, marrying a wife posed no real pressure


    on him.


    However, as he wholeheartedly pursued immortality, taking a wife now could potentially introduce some distractions to his cultivation.


    After all, he was a man of flesh and blood, and marrying a beautiful wife was bound to lead to a harmonious marital relationship.


    Many books mention that the allure of women can easily corrupt one¡¯s dao


    heart.


    If his wife were to get pregnant and bear one or two children, that would be even more troublesome.


    He could understand Wang Furen¡¯s concerns. In these turbulent times, with his daughter Wang Wanyan being so beautiful, it would be more secure for her to marry earlier.


    However, if Qin Niu wasn¡¯t powerful enough, even marrying him might not ensure her safety.


    If a strong man coveted her beauty, he would have the power to take her by force.


    Such incidents were too numerous throughout history.


    Powerful figures lusting after some beautiful married woman, and then using their influence and power to coerce, intimidate, or seduce her, leading to her family¡¯s ruin, were plentiful.


    Beautiful women, money, and power were generally considered the three resources fought over most fiercely.


    These three resources were also something men couldn¡¯t resist.


    Even if Qin Niu were to marry Wang Wanyan, if he wasn¡¯t powerful enough, it was very likely he would be framing himself for disaster.


    But he and Wang Wanyan were childhood sweethearts and their affection for each other was mutual, so he wouldn¡¯t have too many worries.


    If he couldn¡¯t even protect the one he cared about, what was the point of cultivation and seeking immortality?


    After reaching a verbal agreement with Wang Furen, Qin Niu made a detour to Auntie Hua¡¯s house.


    The door was closed tightly, but movements could be heard inside.


    Upon hearing that the army of the Nine Insect Gang was coming and seeing Qin Niu flee, the villagers were prepared to escape. They all closed their doors tightly, watching and waiting.


    Qin Niu stepped forward and knocked on the door.


    Immediately, the house fell silent.


    Auntie Hua¡¯s family was probably scared out of their wits.


    ¡°Auntie Hua, it¡¯s me, Qin Niu!¡±


    Qin Niu shouted, raising his voice.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Master Qin! You¡¯ve scared us to death! Master Qin, please come in and have a seat!¡±


    Upon hearing it was Qin Niu, Auntie Hua hurriedly opened the door.


    ¡°No need to sit, I just came to tell you some good news. The forces of the Nine Insect Gang have been defeated by Deputy City Lord Bai; the dead have died, and the rest have fled. You don¡¯t have to worry about the army of the Nine Insect Gang invading the village anymore.¡±


    Qin Niu glanced at Auntie Hua¡¯s family.


    Packed up in big and small bags, ready to flee at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s such great news! Thank heavens!¡± Auntie Hua said, patting her still plump chest and smiling joyfully. ¡°Thank you for coming to tell us this good news, Master Qin. Come in for some tea! Xiao Qing, you come too.¡±


    She enthusiastically invited them both.


    ¡°I¡¯ll visit another time! I have another matter I¡¯d like to ask you. I¡¯d like you to go to Wang Furen¡¯s house to propose a match. I want to marry Wang Wanyan as my principal wife. You decide on what bridal gifts are required; you can handle all the preparations. I won¡¯t let your hard work go unpaid.¡±


    Qin Niu, busy with cultivation and rearing insects, naturally needed to delegate such trivial matters to someone else.


    ¡°Oh, hahaha, done, done, done! This is a momentous occasion. Rest assured, Master Qin, I¡¯ve got this. 1¡¯11 make sure everything is done beautifully,¡± Auntie Hua responded, all smiles upon hearing business was coming her way.


    Matchmaking was her specialty after all, and having the chance to do such a big favor for Qin Niu was something she wholeheartedly welcomed.


    Not to mention, just by virtue of being Qin Niu¡¯s matchmaker, she could reap huge benefits in the village in the future.


    Moreover, it¡¯s a long-term benefit.


    For bullies like Wang Haikun, if they want to bully her, they must consider her significant status.


    Also, if anything good happens in the village, the village chief Xu Zhenchang certainly can¡¯t forget her.


    ¡°How much silver money do you think is needed to handle the betrothal gifts?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ let¡¯s follow the tradition of ¡®the three matchmaker¡¯s gifts and the six betrothal gifts¡¯! We should first arrange for a matchmaker, and then wait until both parties¡¯ elders have agreed before presenting the betrothal gifts.¡± Auntie Hua seemed very professional and was also crystal clear about the wedding procedures.


    To present the betrothal gifts without arranging for a matchmaker first is very reckless.


    If the bride¡¯s family feels disrespected, the marriage proposal would likely fall through.


    ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ve just come from Wang Furen¡¯s home, and Uncle Wang has agreed. Of course, to honor tradition, you can still visit first on my behalf to formally ask for her hand in marriage. As for the betrothal gifts, handle it generously, I¡¯m not afraid to spend silver money.¡±


    Qin Niu was not stingy at all when it came to marrying a wife, which was a lifetime matter.


    Moreover, for him, even spending a few hundred taels of silver money was still but a drop in the bucket.


    Lately, he had killed quite a few experts from the Nine Insect Gang and accumulated quite a fortune from the assets of the deceased.


    Marriage and acquiring land were all things he could achieve with ease.


    ¡°Haha, very good, very good, it¡¯s easy since Wang Furen has agreed! Master Qin is deeply in love with Miss Wang and is willing to spend money; I believe this will make both Wang Furen and Miss Wang very happy. You are like a child 1 watched grow up, and Old Man Liu didn¡¯t leave you much inheritance. You¡¯ve built such an impressive house, which must have cost a lot of money, and if you handle the betrothal gifts generously, I¡¯m afraid it could cost forty or fifty taels of silver money.


    If you go for a mid to high standard, twelve or thirteen taels of silver money can also make a grand ceremony.


    I believe the Wang Furen¡¯s family won¡¯t have any objections to that either.¡± Auntie Hua was not only eloquent but also kind-hearted.


    She was worried that Qin Niu had just built a house and might not have enough silver money at hand.


    After building a new house, many families need to tighten their belts for several years.


    Because building a house requires a lot of money, people usually borrow some from relatives and friends. After the house is built, they need to make money to repay the loans.


    Qin Niu¡¯s house was even more imposing than those of Xu Zhenchang and Wang Furen and was Shuangfeng Village¡¯s most luxurious mansion; naturally, it cost quite a bit of money.


    In Auntie Hua¡¯s opinion, Qin Niu might also have some debts.


    In such a case, naturally, one would save where possible when arranging a marriage.


    ¡°Auntie Hua, you don¡¯t need to worry about the money. 1 have only one request: to marry Miss Wang with dignity and not to slight her in any way. Here, take fifty taels as silver notes to start with; if it is not enough, you can always come to me later.¡±


    Qin Niu directly and boldly took out a silver note worth fifty taels.


    This was an absolute fortune.


    He hadn¡¯t given a silver note of a hundred taels, and he had his own reasons for that.


    To prepare the betrothal gifts, actually, a few taels of silver money would be enough. Moreover, it could be made quite generous.


    The rest of the silver money was mostly given in cash to the bride¡¯s side.


    The betrothal gifts typically included a pair of roosters and hens, one pig, one sheep, a pair of carp, and the rest would be cloth and the like.


    ¡°Oh my, Master Qin is simply like the God of Wealth! Auntie Hua has been a matchmaker all her life and this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a silver note!¡±


    Auntie Hua took the silver note, examining it as if it were a rare treasure.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave this matter in your hands, Auntie Hua. When picking the cloth and other items, be sure to choose the best satin available, don¡¯t worry about the cost.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, I will definitely choose the best. But where 1 can save you money, I still will,¡± Auntie Hua said as she took the silver note, nodding her head repeatedly in agreement.


    ¡°Be careful when you go to town and consider bringing a couple more people with you,¡± Qin Niu admonished, before he went up the mountain with Xiao Qing and the strong Green Ox..

 Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: Chapter 281 Cultivating Zombie Ants 1

    Chapter 288: Chapter 281 Cultivating Zombie Ants 1


    With Qin Niu¡¯s current strength, he still doesn¡¯t rank among the powers in Black Tiger Gang territory.


    At most, he could make a name for himself in Jade Stream Town.


    Auntie Hua, carrying such a large amount of silver money, would find it exceedingly difficult to recover it if it was really stolen.


    The principle that wealth shouldn¡¯t be flaunted is understood even by slightly smarter children, let alone Auntie Hua, a grown adult. Qin Niu¡¯s well-intentioned reminder was just a precaution.


    Having fifty silver notes stolen is a minor issue, but it¡¯s a bad omen.


    Moreover, if the other party had malicious intent to steal the silver notes, they might very well resort to violence and killing to silence any witnesses and eliminate future troubles.


    That would be even more inauspicious.


    Arriving at the mountain, Qin Niu first led Xiao Qing into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    Having not visited for several days, the Ancient Banyan Tree was still lush and thriving.


    Banyan trees are known for their longevity; it¡¯s very common to see them live over a thousand years. This Ancient Banyan Tree was already akin to a creature of spirit-monster level.


    Ordinary mortals truly felt like mere passersby in front of such ancient trees. A regular person has a lifespan of just fifty or sixty years, not even a tenth of its age.


    ¡°Once I¡¯ve handled my affairs and have some spare time, I might be able to find out what kind of being this Ancient Banyan Tree is from those two botanical texts.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with it; he wielded his knife and carved a few wounds on the tree¡¯s trunk, then placed jars to collect the blood.


    Xiao Qing, who had been eagerly waiting, immediately sat down at the base of the tree to cultivate.


    This place was a cultivation secret ground for the two of them, master and servant.


    After that, Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush to cultivate but went to nurture the newly hatched termites.


    The ant colony not only gained a large number of poisonous ants with potent venom, but there were also six new demon ants.


    The number of healing ants increased to eleven too.


    The total number of zombie ants rose to one hundred and thirty-eight.


    Three more elephantic ants were added as well.


    All of these belonged to relatively scarce ant species and possessed strong special abilities.


    The combat power of the demon ants goes without saying, extremely formidable, and with their primary self-healing ability, they fear no injury.


    Qin Niu even felt that, once the demon ants were cultivated to a certain level, they¡¯d definitely be like the Taiyin Yaoyao, able to rapidly reassemble even if chopped into several pieces.


    By that time, the demon ants might be even stronger than the Taiyin Yaoyao. For they possess venom and stingers, as well as the special ability to demonize. ¡°Fourth, you and the demon ants feed the corpse of this Taiyin Yaoyao to the Ant Queen,¡± said Qin Niu as he directly took out a corpse of the Taiyin Yaoyao. For feeding the Ant Queen.


    Such high-level strategic resources, he wouldn¡¯t possibly feed to ordinary termites.


    Only Fourth and the demon ants had such privilege.


    In the process of feeding the Ant Queen, they would eat a portion as well, thus obtaining benefits.


    The huge corpse of the Taiyin Yaoyao was cut into pieces in the blink of an eye and dragged into the depths of the nest.


    As it was the first time feeding a Taiyin Yaoyao corpse, and not knowing what the outcome would be, he didn¡¯t rashly feed all nine Taiyin Yaoyao corpses at once but planned to feed them in batches.


    The most powerful ability of the Taiyin Yaoyao was their strong self-healing capacity.


    Qin Niu very much hoped that after the Ant Queen ate their corpses, the offspring produced would also possess this special ability.


    Next, he began to nurture the newly hatched termites that had yet to be cultivated.


    Including over a hundred zombie ants.


    This ant species was already terrifying without being nurtured; after they consumed the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, they were bound to be even more formidable.


    Thousands of termites needed to be cultivated; the workload was quite heavy. Luckily, the supply of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was abundant, nearly ensuring each termite got a chance to be nurtured.


    After spending just over an hour, he finally finished cultivating the several thousand termites.


    Using up most of a jar of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    What was now most lacking was the blood of the Thousand Eyes Tree.


    Qin Niu was also in the process of cultivating the over four thousand puppet ants and ghost ants. A large quantity of ordinary insect corpses were used to feed them.


    Normally, acquiring so many Grade Four insect corpses was not an easy task.


    It was the recent battle with Elder Jiu Yin of the Nine Insect Gang and his twelve major disciples that yielded a large number of these Grade Three and Four insect corpses.


    ¡°Alright, you guys eat up! 1 need to go over there to cultivate,¡± said Qin Niu as he summoned Fourth and together they entered the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    Helpless, to this point, Fourth was the only one who could lead him out from the maze.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, why don¡¯t you join me inside?¡±


    Qin Niu called out to Xiao Niu, who was nearby nibbling on fresh grass and leaves.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    The calf immediately raised its neck and let out a cheerful sound as it galloped over.


    It followed its master Qin Niu into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Before it entered, it looked up at the Ancient Banyan Tree with a gaze full of awe, indicating that it could now sense the tree¡¯s terror.


    Inside the maze, Xiao Qing was painstakingly cultivating.


    She had been stuck at the peak of the Mortal Realm for some time now.


    The Medicine King Sutra was good in every respect, except for the difficulty of advancing to the next level.


    Xiao Qing still hadn¡¯t broken through to the Acquired Realm.


    This was something only she could do for herself.


    As time slowly passed, Qin Niu sensed that the branches of the Ancient Banyan Tree had begun to droop, so he opened his eyes.


    He quickly packed up the jars used for collecting the Banyan Tree Blood.


    Xiao Niu lay not far away, its gaze fixed on the distance, seemingly lost in thought.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, we¡¯ll come back for training tomorrow, let¡¯s go home now,¡± Qin Niu said, noticing that Xiao Qing was still immersed in her cultivation, and he had to wake her.


    At night, the Ancient Banyan Tree would become extremely terrifying, and any living beings within its reach would turn into its nourishment.


    ¡°Alas, I still couldn¡¯t make a breakthrough, I¡¯m really dumb,¡± she said with reluctance after wrapping up her practice.


    ¡°Haha, in the path of cultivation, one must not be eager for quick success.


    There is a saying, ¡®Haste makes waste.¡¯ Just keep accumulating your efforts day by day, and there will eventually come a time when persistence pays off,¡± Qin Niu said with a laugh, patting her head to comfort her.


    He took Xiao Qing and Green Ox out of the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, and by then, the sky had already turned somewhat dim outside.


    Nowadays, this mountain, in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, no longer posed a danger.


    Unless he foolishly ventured deep into the mountain, it was unlikely that any wild beast could harm him.


    Qin Niu had only taken a few steps when he vaguely sensed a disquiet in his mind.


    It was hard to describe.


    It was as if something significant was about to happen.


    This feeling was like having a stone weighing on his heart.


    What could it be?


    He checked the Termite swarm and found nothing abnormal.


    Both the Ant Queen and the Demon Ants were acting normally.


    Out of caution, he brought a large number of Termites down the mountain.


    The Zombie Ants and the newly cultivated Termites were still evolving and had to be left in the Ant Nest for the time being.


    By now, the area within a one- to two-mile radius had probably become the Termites¡¯ domain.


    No other insect dared to contend with them.


    Even poisonous snakes couldn¡¯t pose any threat to them.


    Should anything dare to invade their nest, be it centipedes or poisonous snakes, they would be directly killed by the Termites without any suspense.


    Qin Niu returned home with Xiao Qing.


    The unsettling feeling inside him intensified even more.


    ¡°All Niu, help me open the door!¡±


    Wang Wanyan stood outside calling, holding a food container in her hands.


    Upon opening the courtyard door, she glanced at Qin Niu with a slightly embarrassed expression.


    ¡°These are pancakes I made following Mother Wu¡¯s instructions. You haven¡¯t had dinner yet, so I brought some over for you to try.¡±


    She usually wouldn¡¯t even dip her fingers in plain water.


    Why would she suddenly want to learn how to cook and follow Mother Wu?


    Qin Niu caught a glimpse of her blushing face and understood a bit.


    Before getting married, girls would learn some skills to take care of men, as well as cooking and doing laundry.


    She was preparing for her marriage.


    It looked like she too wished to marry Qin Niu soon and become his wife.


    But being a girl with a thin skin, there were many things she wouldn¡¯t openly say.


    ¡°Wan Yan, thank you! But you really don¡¯t need to learn these things. When you marry me later, we can just hire a maid,¡± Qin Niu said, looking at her affectionately..

 Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Chapter 282: Night-time Visitor_1

    Chapter 289: Chapter 282: Night-time Visitor_1


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll be going back first!¡±


    Her face turned beet red, and she almost fled in disarray.


    On regular days, she liked to stay at home alone, reading, playing the zither, and tending to her flowers; she must have also practiced cultivation, a typical well-bred lady. Apart from buying books, she seldom went out.


    This kind of homebody girl was particularly thin-skinned.


    Her self-esteem was also extremely strong.


    Even though she secretly yearned to marry Qin Niu, she still appeared very bashful when the matter of marriage was brought up to her face.


    In this world, many people saw shyness as a form of beauty.


    When girls were shy, they indeed looked very cute.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to finalize the marriage tomorrow; why are you still so shy!¡±


    Qin Niu watched her graceful figure disappear and couldn¡¯t help but smile widely.


    Picking up a pancake she had made and biting into it, he savored the fragrant, oily taste¡ªquite excellent, though it was a bit tough to chew.


    After finishing the pancake, Qin Niu took the freshly harvested Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and went upstairs to the granary.


    He began cultivating the bees that had hatched these past few days.


    Moving them back home for rearing made it much more convenient now.


    Deep inside the hive, more than twenty honey-producing bees were busily at work.


    You could see them making honey.


    The piece of honeycomb was only the size of a palm, and the honey inside was milky white in color, not yet sealed with wax. They constantly spat out liquid from their mouths, and the queen glands on either side of their bodies also kept secreting glandular substances.


    Then, combined with saliva, it was stored little by little within the well-constructed honeycomb.


    The honey-producing bee was a special breed, rare in number.


    The amount of honey produced by an ordinary honey-producing bee was more than five to six times that of other worker bees.


    These twenty-plus honey-producing bees, having been cultivated by Qin Niu, were of a higher grade than ordinary ones. However, after their advancement, the speed of making honey had actually slowed down a lot.


    But what they were making was Royal Jelly.


    The nutritional value was far higher than ordinary honey.


    Qin Niu now wished he could have more honey-producing bees to obtain more Royal Jelly.


    He spent almost an hour cultivating all the new bees.


    Looking at those robust War Bees, he subconsciously took out the Green Demon Bee eggs to check.


    Hmm, there seems to be a change!


    Qin Niu was excited to find that fine lines had appeared on the surface of the bee eggs.


    He had been feeding them with essence blood every day, and it seemed to have had some effect.


    Out of joy, he bit his fingertip again and dropped a drop of fresh blood on the bee egg.


    The bee egg slowly absorbed the essence blood.


    The process was very slow, and it required careful observation to notice that the blood was diminishing little by little.


    Qin Niu was particularly looking forward to its early hatching.


    Unfortunately, although he had obtained Green Demon Bee eggs, he hadn¡¯t acquired the true bee-rearing secret technique of the Green Demon Bee.


    Now he could only grope his way forward.


    Fortunately, he had killed several formidable Insect Masters from the Nine Insect Gang and had searched some notebooks recording their bug-rearing experiences from their corpses.


    Many Insect Masters would write down their experiences in nurturing bugs during their growth.


    For revisiting and verifying later.


    Qin Niu also had this habit. When he cultivated termites, bees, and other creatures, he would record their rearing methods, evolution timings, and the new abilities they acquired after each evolution, and so on.


    It¡¯s said that the palest ink is better than the best memory.


    Only by recording their growth process could he avoid mistakes the next time he checked. He could also continuously summarize and improve based on the results of cultivation.


    This Green Demon Bee egg would likely hatch soon, but as for how it should be reared next, he had no idea.


    It couldn¡¯t be that he was going to rely on the honey bees to feed it, right?


    He went back to his room, took out several notebooks he had searched from the Insect Masters, and read them carefully to learn from their bug-rearing experiences.


    That uneasy feeling lingered in his heart.


    Out of caution, he decided to make some preparatory measures.


    ¡°Xiao Qing!¡±


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m here!¡±


    Xiao Qing hadn¡¯t been sleeping, but studying the Seven-Star Sword Technique in the adjacent room.


    At the sound, he immediately came over.


    ¡°You¡¯ll sleep inside the earth cellar tonight, and don¡¯t come out if you hear anything.¡±


    The earth cellar was originally used to store sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and other foodstuffs.


    Qin Niu had built it but had never used it.


    Inside, it was dark, damp, and the air was poor, making it an unsuitable place for people to live.


    Given the current situation, for safety¡¯s sake, he decided to have Xiao Qing hide in the earth cellar.


    In case there really was any danger, he wouldn¡¯t have any reservations.


    After arranging for Xiao Qing¡¯s hiding place, he turned to the termites he carried with him.


    ¡°Old Five, lead a hundred soldier ants to guard every part of the house. If anyone invades, immediately alert me.¡±


    The pets Qin Niu trusted the most were still his termites.


    They were small in size and had sensitive smell and perception, which made them ideal for positioning in every corner of the house to serve as hidden sentries.


    As night fell and the crescent moon gradually rose into the sky.


    After his bath, Qin Niu, clothed, came to the backyard to practice cultivation.


    He usually only wore shorts for his cultivation practice, but today he had donned the King Pig Leather Armor.


    The Ice Lotus and the Strange Vine had both taken root and were alive.


    This once again proved the marvels of the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    As long as a plant had a breath left, it could almost certainly be revived.


    Such an outstanding cultivation technique, yet no one had bought it, which could only mean that the mainstream direction of cultivation was still geared towards combat.


    Non-combat cultivation techniques had almost no market.


    Moreover, since it was an incomplete scroll, even fewer people were willing to buy it.


    For the same price, one could buy an entire scroll of a common cultivation technique. Iron Cloth Technique and Barbarian Bull Technique were both good choices.


    Qin Niu disliked fighting and killing, preferring to nestle in the countryside, cultivate the land, breed insects, and live a carefree and comfortable life.


    If possible, he wished to be at peace with the world.


    He was very indifferent towards fame, fortune, and power.


    With his current conditions, if he joined the army, he could definitely become an officer, but he had no intention of enlisting.


    He carefully inspected the Ice Lotus.


    Though it had taken root and was alive, its condition wasn¡¯t good.


    Its petals were somewhat wilted, and it lacked the stunning beauty it had the first time he saw it. Only a slight trace of cold air emanated from the plant.


    The herbs planted around it were affected by the cold air and some had already suffered from frost damage.


    This indicated that it wasn¡¯t suitable to be planted in soil, but needed to be planted in water.


    Qin Niu contemplated hiring someone to dig a lotus pond in the backyard specifically for the Ice Lotus.


    In any place, as long as one had the money, almost anything could be accomplished.


    He sat beside the herb garden, began to close his eyes, and entered into cultivation.


    The Ink Blade lay on his lap, ready for battle at any moment.


    As the crescent moon began to sink in the west, the night deepened further.


    Gusts of night wind brushed the earth, and the herbs around Qin Niu swayed in the breeze like dancing spirits in the darkness.


    ¡°Master, something¡¯s happening!¡±


    The termite sentries positioned within the house for vigilance sent him a signal.


    The enemy hadn¡¯t invaded from the front yard but from the backyard.


    This showed that the person acted with extreme cunning.


    Qin Niu, appearing relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside, immediately stopped cultivating and readied himself to confront the invader.


    A shadowy figure easily scaled the wall and entered, eyes brimming with boundless killing intent, heading straight for Qin Niu.


    One could see that the figure stumbled slightly, disheveled, indicating he was quite injured.


    ¡°You little beast, die!¡±


    The hoarse and aged growl was fraught with overwhelming hatred.

 Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Chapter 283 Green Ox Shows Its Might_1

    Chapter 290: Chapter 283 Green Ox Shows Its Might_1


    ¡°`


    Qin Niu subconsciously licked his lips, indeed it was just as he had anticipated.


    Elder Jiu Yin did not rush to flee the Black Tiger Gang, instead, he quietly turned back and ran towards Shuangfeng Village to kill Qin Niu.


    ¡°Daring to show aggression at the end of your tether?¡±


    Facing an opponent in the Spirit Qi Realm, Qin Niu openly scorned the enemy, but in reality, he was fully engaged in battle.


    The Qingfeng Sword was in Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s hand.


    Under the moonlight, the edge of the sword flickered with a green light, with tiny sparks of electricity glinting faintly.


    The sword¡¯s thrust was simple and direct, stabbing straight at Qin Niu.


    It was both fast and fierce, with the Sword Qi shining through the tip of the sword, about an inch long.


    If he remembered correctly, Qin Niu recalled that Elder Jiu Yin had been able to unleash five to six inches of Sword Qi with this sword during his battle with Vice City Lord Bai. Now, filled with resentment, Elder Jiu Yin aimed for a one-hit kill.


    But the Sword Qi was only about an inch long, signifying Elder Jiu Yin had suffered heavy injuries and had only a tenth of his power left.


    Qin Niu firmly gripped the Ink Blade with both hands and made a swift slash.


    Bang!


    When their blades clashed, Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s treasured sword didn¡¯t break.


    This surprised Qin Niu.


    It meant that this treasured sword was no ordinary weapon.


    With his current level of cultivation, and the power of the Ink Blade, he could easily cut through a weapon made of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel.


    The powerful energy from the collision transferred from the blade to the palms of his hands.


    It caused a faint pain in the base of his thumbs.


    The Ink Blade almost flew out of his hand.


    An emaciated camel is still bigger than a horse.


    Even gravely injured and constantly pursued by Vice City Lord Bai, leaving no time for recovery, a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse remained formidable.


    If Elder Jiu Yin hadn¡¯t been injured, he probably could have easily slain Qin Niu with a single thrust.


    The gap between the Innate Realm and the Spirit Qi Realm was indeed not a small one.


    If Elder Jiu Yin was this strong, how terrifying must Vice City Lord Bai be, who was able to hold his own in a bloody battle against three Spirit Qi Realm powerhouses without falling behind?


    Qin Niu now had a firsthand experience of just how powerful a Spirit Qi Realm master could be.


    With the Ancient Banyan Tree, coupled with his planting skills, and those hundred thousand silver notes, given some time to grow, he might not even need ten years to successfully advance to the Spirit Qi Realm.


    ¡°This blade is quite good! It can somewhat make up for this old man¡¯s losses.¡±


    After exchanging blows with Qin Niu, Elder Jiu Yin gauged the strength and weakness of both parties.


    He realized that the cultivation technique practiced by Qin Niu was not suited for combat.


    Therefore, he believed that the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt, and he could quickly eliminate Qin Niu. After that, the Ink Blade would naturally belong to him.


    ¡°Elder Jiu Yin, what do you think will happen if Lord Bai happens to be around here?¡±


    Qin Niu used his words to unsettle the adversary¡¯s resolve.


    His aim was to make Elder Jiu Yin feel the pressure, making it easier for him to expose flaws.


    Then, Qin Niu would naturally seize the opportunity to eliminate the enemy.


    ¡°Humph, save your tricks. I¡¯ve crossed more bridges than you¡¯ve walked roads, who are you trying to fool? Die!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin spoke toughly, but his eagerness to attack again already revealed a flicker of panic in his heart. He was very afraid that Vice City Lord Bai would arrive.


    ¡°Go! Immediately inform Lord Bai, tell him Elder Jiu Yin has turned back towards Shuangfeng Village in Jade Stream Town.¡±


    Qin Niu shouted towards the distance.


    And then, he started running.


    This made Elder Jiu Yin frantic.


    Who knew if Qin Niu had really arranged his men in the vicinity?


    If Vice City Lord Bai were called over, Elder Jiu Yin wouldn¡¯t be able to survive even with two more lives.


    ¡°You little beast, don¡¯t think you can escape!¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin spat out a puff of black air from his mouth, within which was a black centipede exuding an aura of death. With four wings flapping, it flew towards Qin Niu.


    It moved incredibly fast.


    This insect was only about two inches long, as thick as a chopstick.


    Elder Jiu Yin had actually been rearing it inside his body, which truly broadened Qin Niu¡¯s horizons.


    The black centipede¡¯s wings flapped, and its body vanished in a whoosh; in the next second, it appeared right behind Qin Niu.


    Its speed was too fast.


    And while flying, it seemed to be capable of teleporting.


    Moreover, this centipede gave Qin Niu a strong sense of lethal threat.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Fourth, attack it immediately with the ant swarm!¡±


    At this moment, Qin Niu knew he must have Fourth lead the Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants to deal with the black centipede.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s too strong. Our Spirit Control and Mental Attacks are having little effect on it.¡±


    Fourth relayed the outcome of the attack to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Wart Toad, help out!¡±


    Qin Niu called for the Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    Unfortunately, the speed of the Red-eyed Golden Toad was much slower than that of the black centipede.


    Moreover, since the opponent was flying in the air, it was difficult for the Golden Toad to reach.


    Qin Niu had already pushed his Misty Rain Elusive Step to the extreme.


    The timid turtle, though scared, felt that its master was in danger and had already crawled out of the fish pond in the front yard on its own initiative.


    It was now rapidly approaching Qin Niu.


    The robust Green Ox, which had been sleeping in the cattle shed, had also opened the door of the shed by itself and run out.


    ¡°Hmph, do you think you, an Innate Realm individual, can escape the pursuit of my Four-Winged Demon Centipede?¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin pursued persistently from behind as the black centipede launched an attack on Qin Niu.


    Instantly, it flew in front of Qin Niu and took a bite at his face.


    Scared out of his wits, Qin Niu swung his blade with all his might, but hit nothing.


    It was too fast, he couldn¡¯t hit it at all.


    Left with no choice, Qin Niu could only fully activate his King Pig Leather Armor, a faint layer of protective Qi appearing around him.


    ¡°Demon Armor! This treasure, Elder wants it too.¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin, seeing the protective Qi manifest on the surface of the King Pig Leather Armor, couldn¡¯t help but feel elated again.


    ¡°I never expected that a minor Innate Realm Insect Master like you would have so many treasures. Could you possibly be the illegitimate son of the Black Tiger Gang Leader?¡±


    Bang!


    The Four-Winged Demon Centipede viciously bit down on Qin Niu¡¯s faceguard.


    The protective Qi actually shattered upon its bite.


    This Four-Winged Demon Centipede must be at least a Grade Seven creature, and very possibly at the peak of Grade Seven, or even stronger.


    In a panic, Qin Niu hastily took out an Invisibility Talisman.


    At this critical moment, Green Ox¡¯s horns shot out a beam of golden light, striking the Four-Winged Demon Centipede that was trying to bite Qin Niu to death.


    The body of the Four-Winged Demon Centipede instantly became stiff, and it twisted in terror.


    With such a golden opportunity, Qin Niu swung his blade with full force.


    Bang!


    This time he struck the Four-Winged Demon Centipede dead on.


    It was like hitting metal, sparks flying off its carapace as the creature was sent flying away.


    But the Blade Qi on the edge of the Ink Blade failed to cut it in two.


    It had only sustained some minor injuries.


    ¡°This ox is actually a demon ox! And an exotic one at that! Who exactly are you?¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin, seeing his strongest trump card sent flying, looked at the small water buffalo in surprise.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, take care of him!¡±


    Qin Niu commanded Green Ox.


    Immediately, he resolutely activated the Invisibility Talisman, and a strange energy enveloped him.


    His body disappeared into the night.


    ¡°What kind of technique is this?¡±


    Only now did Elder Jiu Yin realize that this seemingly easy-to-kill Innate Realm youth not only had numerous treasures and powerful pets but also had even more formidable techniques.


    Qin Niu now had two choices: to run away using the Invisibility Talisman.


    Or he could go for a sneak attack and take down Elder Jiu Yin.


    He chose the latter.


    Because Elder Jiu Yin was currently seriously injured, his vital energy greatly damaged, and his power yet to recover.


    The Four-Winged Demon Centipede was probably the last trump card Elder Jiu Yin could play.


    If he couldn¡¯t seize such a heaven-sent opportunity, killing Elder Jiu Yin after he had recovered would be almost impossible.


    Qin Niu always liked to nip dangers in the bud.


    Having discovered that Qin Niu had vanished, Elder Jiu Yin also immediately heightened his alertness. But Xiao Nui didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries.


    Oxen are stubborn by nature, and that¡¯s all there is to it.

 Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: Chapter 284 Hundred Treasures Insect Bag_1

    Chapter 291: Chapter 284 Hundred Treasures Insect Bag_1


    ¡°`


    An enraged bull won¡¯t rest until it has rammed its enemy to death.


    Xiao Niu¡¯s horns could emit a golden light to attack enemies, and even capture them or their treasures directly. During the Period of Gods, Kong Xuan was able to use a five-colored divine light, wiping away all obstacles.


    Zhun Ti also had a seven-treasures wonderful tree that could shoot out divine light, leaving nothing untouched.


    These two giants from the immortal and Buddhist realms were indeed formidable in the battle to seal the gods.


    At this moment, Xiao Niu¡¯s horns targeted Elder Jiu Yin, who had taken a defensive stance to guard against Qin Niu¡¯s sneak attack.


    It didn¡¯t care for any so-called martial virtue.


    Without even a warning, a beam of golden light shot out abruptly from the tip of the horn, hitting Elder Jiu Yin squarely in the face.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin grunted, feeling a wave of dizziness washing over his mind.


    There was also a strong suction pulling at him, as if it wanted to suck his body in.


    Frightened, he sank his waist and rooted himself to the ground with his sword.


    Yet inside he cursed, this Xiao Niu looked unimpressive, its fur not even fully grown, but the golden light it emitted was incredibly powerful.


    He had thought it was fierce enough to deal with just a Four-Winged Demon Centipede.


    But it turned out that Xiao Niu could even handle humans.


    Just then, Elder Jiu Yin felt his soul shake and his eyelids twitch uncontrollably.


    A feeling of extreme danger enveloped him completely.


    His ample combat experience screamed bad news.


    He quickly did a lazy donkey roll on the spot, hoping to escape the calamity.


    Much to his dismay, the moment he hit the ground, nearly a hundred Poisonous Ants with deadly venom swiftly climbed onto him, burrowing into his neck, sleeves, and other places.


    ¡°Ah, yow! Aiyoo¡­¡±


    He screamed in agony, but his face showed an extremely fierce and ruthless expression.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    A wave of energy manifested all over his body, shaking violently.


    The Termite were instantly shaken to death, turning into dust.


    A Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse fighting for his life can instantaneously kill even Grade Six insects. These Grade Three Poisonous Ants, with rather weak defenses, simply couldn¡¯t withstand the Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse¡¯s energy devastation.


    Just as Elder Jiu Yin breathed a sigh of relief after dealing with the Termite that ambushed him and was about to take out a Detoxification Pill to consume, a flash of blade light as swift as lightning descended upon him.


    Silent and breathless.


    It landed on his neck in an instant.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Elder Jiu Yin let out a final roar before death, filled with unwillingness, anger, and despair.


    He had lived for so many years, cultivated so many formidable insects, and even possessed the powerful cultivation of the Spirit Qi Realm. He had hoped that by annihilating the Black Tiger Gang this time, he would gain some cultivation resources and then sprint towards the Immortal Gate.


    He never expected to fall at the hands of an unknown country youth.


    In his heart, along with unwillingness, was a trace of regret.


    Reaching this point today was all due to two words: greed and rage.


    If he had not been greedy, if he had cut his losses in time after defeat and fled back to the Nine Insect Gang, he might not have died. If he had not thought about taking revenge on Qin Niu afterward, but had truly given up, he might have successfully escaped.


    Now, all his life¡¯s efforts and accumulations were reduced to nothing as Blade Qi cut through his neck in a flash.


    If he could do it all over again, he would definitely not confront this young Insect Master head-on but choose to yield.


    The terrifying Blade Qi, the merciless Ink Blade, flashed by, severing his neck directly.


    His head separated from his body, and blood spurted out from the severed neck.


    Qin Niu¡¯s figure also slowly became visible in the darkness.


    This extremely precious Invisibility Talisman had been consumed.


    But it was well worth it.


    In his eyes, as long as he could preserve his life, even exhausting everything was worth it.


    Pets, equipment, those were all external things.


    Even if they were gone, new ones could be acquired again.


    But if life was lost, then everything was over.


    Death of the body means the end of the path.


    ¡°`


    As Elder Jiu Yin died, that exceedingly fearsome Four-Winged Demon Centipede also instantly perished in the air.


    It fell to the ground vertically, its body twisting non-stop.


    Even a hundred-legged bug dies without stiffening.


    Its current writhing was merely the body¡¯s instinctive reaction.


    Seeing such a powerful strange insect die like this, Qin Niu felt it was somewhat a pity.


    Fortunately, its corpse could be used to feed the Ant Queen or other insects.


    This Four-Winged Demon Centipede was at least a Grade Seven at its peak, and might even be slightly higher level than the king of those Taiyin Yaoyaos.


    Elder Jiu Yin, after years of arduous cultivation, had also accumulated over the years, and his foundation was indeed profound.


    To the outside world, he showed off nine Taiyin Yaoyaos.


    But secretly, he was also raising an even more formidable Four-Winged Demon Centipede. He would never reveal this Four-Winged Demon Centipede until the moment of desperation.


    This was a point well worth learning for Qin Niu.


    Some powerful moves must be hidden and not revealed.


    Only in this way, when facing life and death calamities, might there be a possibility to turn the tides.


    Blood was still spouting from where Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s neck was severed.


    That was the blood of a Spirit Qi Realm expert, a good stuff indeed.


    Qin Niu hurriedly brought over a wooden bucket to catch it.


    He even directly threw in the egg of the Green Demon Bee.


    Using someone else¡¯s resources to hatch one¡¯s own egg, he was not letting Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s lifelong cultivation go to waste.


    The bee egg began to desperately absorb the energy from the fresh blood.


    Its surface pattern was also growing at a rate visible to the naked eye.


    Qin Niu did not bother with it any longer, and after finishing collecting the blood, he did not plan to waste the corpse either.


    The physical body of a Spirit Qi Realm expert was ¡®premium resource¡¯ for raising insects.


    It could rapidly help the insects level up, and even evolve some formidable special abilities.


    Qin Niu was even considering whether to use this opportunity to hatch the egg of the Corpse Bee.


    ¡°Green Silk Worm, this is a great opportunity for your growth, don¡¯t be polite, just indulge in drinking the blood!¡±


    Qin Niu let the Green Silk Worm on his head drink Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s blood.


    However, the Green Silk Worm did not drink the blood from the bucket, but instead jumped onto Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s severed head to suck blood.


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s head lay on the ground, eyes wide open, dying without closing them.


    To this, Qin Niu simply ignored it.


    The enemies he had killed were not just one or two, he really didn¡¯t have any psychological burden.


    In this cruel world, if he didn¡¯t kill the enemies, then the one who would die would be himself.


    Whoever had stronger methods would survive till the end.


    He began to quickly loot the treasures on Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s body.


    ¡°This bag is quite special! It looks a bit like an Insect Bag, but why can¡¯t I open it? The material also seems very special.¡±


    This Insect Bag Qin Niu found was also the only Insect Bag on Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s body.


    All those insects of Elder Jiu Yin fitted into such a small bag?


    He studied the Insect Bag repeatedly.


    There were some simple talismanic symbols on it, similar to the symbols on the Invisibility Talisman.


    But the symbols on this Insect Bag were much more complicated.


    They looked more intricate and profound.


    ¡°This bag could very possibly be a treasure.¡±


    After studying for a while, Qin Niu had preliminary knowledge of this Insect Bag.


    He had seen a few of the symbols that contained the mysteries of heaven and earth, and the laws of the great Dao.


    For instance, after the Ink Blade evolved, a very special symbol appeared inside the blade.


    It allowed the Ink Blade to emit Blade Qi and also developed a hint of its own consciousness.


    The symbols on the Invisibility Talisman were even more profound, which upon activation, could make Qin Niu invisible.

 Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: Chapter 285: Killing People is Sure to Bring Wealth_1

    Chapter 292: Chapter 285: Killing People is Sure to Bring Wealth_1


    The runes on this insect bag are more profound and numerous than those on the first two treasures, indicating that the bag¡¯s abilities are likely even stronger.


    Could it be that Elder Jiu Yin fit so many insects inside this bag?


    Considering that possibility, Qin Niu¡¯s breathing became somewhat rapid.


    He had always wanted a larger insect bag, ideally one that could hold tens of thousands of termites, or even more.


    But as the termites continued to evolve, they grew larger and larger.


    Ordinary insect bags simply couldn¡¯t accommodate them.


    If this insect bag was a treasure, it might be able to solve this problem.


    Since he was in his own yard, there was no need to rush.


    He took his time to study the bag over and over again.


    If it was an item embodying the laws of the Great Dao, it should be possible to lay claim to it via blood recognition.


    Not entirely sure, he decided to give it a try.


    He bit his fingertip and dripped three drops of blood on it.


    As the fresh blood touched the insect bag, the ancient and minute runes seemed to come to life.


    They emitted a faint luminescence.


    Overjoyed, Qin Niu thought that such a reaction to his blood meant that blood recognition was possible.


    Indeed, after only a moment, he felt a curious connection with the bag, much like the connection he had with his Ink Blade.


    Qin Niu¡¯s spiritual power could now easily probe inside the bag.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly miraculous. Inside, there are so many independent spaces, and some are particularly vast. It wouldn¡¯t just hold ten thousand termites; it could easily hold a million,¡± he mused.


    However, he had no idea how to use it.


    He tried the most old-fashioned method, infusing a trace of his Qi into the insect bag.


    Without needing any instruction, he instinctively discovered that he could control which space in the bag to open with his spiritual power or even just his thoughts.


    The insect bag was not empty; it still contained quite a few insects.


    Some of them were dead.


    Others were still alive.


    The deceased insects had all been claimed by Elder Jiu Yin.


    The living insects, however, had not been directly claimed.


    Just like Qin Niu, it was enough to claim only the Ant Queen.


    He could command all the termites produced by the Ant Queen.


    Elder Jiu Yin did the same. The millions of Bloodsucking Leeches, over a hundred thousand Fire Ants, and the quantity of these insects was indeed terrifying.


    If each insect had to be claimed individually, any Insect Master would end up bankrupt.


    Even a low-grade Contract Charm costs one tael of silver on the market.


    Could a Beast Tamer afford to spend a hundred taels of silver to subdue a hundred thousand Grade Three Fire Ants?


    Let¡¯s say, hypothetically, that a Beast Tamer was willing to spend so much money, his Spirit Space wouldn¡¯t possibly support such a vast host of pets.


    Now at the Innate Realm, Qin Niu could only claim around forty to fifty insects or other low-grade beasts before reaching the limit.


    In fact, as insects and beast pets advanced in rank, the amount of Spirit Space they required increased further.


    Almost all Insect Masters and Beast Tamers would choose to use their limited Spirit Space to claim higher-value insects or beasts.


    In this process, some would even proactively cull pets with less potential to free up Spirit Space.


    Qin Niu attempted to control the space holding the Fire Ants in the insect bag. As soon as he opened the mouth of the bag, hundreds of Fire Ants fell out and landed on the ground.


    They were extremely fierce.


    They immediately tried to attack Qin Niu.


    However, they were quickly subdued by Fourth, along with the Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants, or targeted with a Mental Attack that left them writhing in pain on the ground.


    Some even died outright.


    ¡°With this treasure, I won¡¯t have to worry about raising too many insects in the future. The insects kept in the bag will just have to be cleared out gradually,¡± he thought.


    He carefully stored away the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag, feeling extremely satisfied.


    The Invisibility Talisman that was consumed, and the hundreds of Poisonous Ants that died¡ªall losses were recuperated with this Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    He began to search for treasures on Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s body.


    The armor was directly shattered.


    No inner armor was found.


    The sword was a good item, he picked it up and observed it carefully.


    He tried channeling a wisp of his power into the blade.


    Hisss!


    Immediately, Sword Qi emanated from the tip of the sword blade.


    The material of this treasured sword was at least Meteoric Iron from beyond the heavens, and its grade was probably on par with the level of the Ink Blade when it had just developed Sword Qi. For now, he hadn¡¯t sensed any spirit consciousness in the sword.


    Generally, treasured swords or blades with spirit consciousness would tremble non-stop and fiercely resist when held by strangers.


    This sword could be used as soon as it was picked up, indicating it hadn¡¯t evolved a spirit consciousness yet, but it had already reached the level of having Sword Qi.


    ¡°Xiao Qing is cultivating the Seven-Star Sword Technique, so giving her this sword would be quite suitable,¡± he thought.


    Qin Niu had the Ink Blade, and he didn¡¯t really fancy this treasured sword.


    Xiao Qing was his personal servant, practically his right-hand, so naturally, he had to intensify her training.


    With a set of King Pig Leather Armor and now this treasured sword, Xiao Qing was armed by him to be an ¡®little monster¡¯ ready for both offense and defense. Once Xiao Qing advanced to the Acquired Realm, most of the formidable experts would not be able to cause a stir in front of her in this rural area.


    In Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s personal belongings, Qin Niu found more hidden treasures.


    Dozens of gold and silver notes.


    After counting, it totaled up to roughly thirty-seven thousand five hundred taels of silver.


    Poorer than he had imagined.


    He thought that someone of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s caliber would have a fortune of at least one hundred thousand taels.


    But this was also understandable.


    After earning money, Elder Jiu Yin certainly wouldn¡¯t hoard it like a miser. He would find ways to purchase various cultivation resources to improve his cultivation and breed insects.


    Maintaining so many insects would certainly entail a staggering cost.


    The Termites and bees Qin Niu raised were many in number, but Termites were omnivorous insects. Leaves, bark, wood, roots, insect corpses, and so forth¡ªthey could eat them all.


    They could even consume stones and soil.


    The cost of feeding was virtually zero.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t need to personally tend to them; they built nests and foraged underground on their own.


    Not to mention the bees, which flew out to collect pollen and make honey.


    Besides their own consumption, Qin Niu, their master, would also occasionally partake.


    Elder Jiu Yin kept various kinds of insects, some of which required meat.


    That surely required spending money on purchases.


    There were also Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s equipment investments, expenditure on servants¡¯ upkeep, and so on. The bigger a personage, the greater the expenses.


    To still have thirty-seven thousand five hundred taels of silver left was already quite impressive.


    In the pocket of his clothes, aside from the silver and gold notes, a thick ¡°Breeding Insects Secrets¡± was found. Flipping through it, it was all various methods of breeding and controlling insects recorded by Elder Jiu Yin himself.


    This was a lifetime of breeding and insect controlling experience and insights from an extremely formidable Insect Master, immensely valuable.


    For Qin Niu, a newcomer to insect controlling, this was definitely a treasure.


    In addition, there were several bottles of Elixirs, which were also treasures.


    Perhaps to avoid confusion, each bottle of the Elixirs had its name written on it.


    Detoxification Pills, Qi Refining Elixirs, Healing Pills, Insect Medicine¡­


    Also found was a ¡°Wind-Riding Nine Sword Art¡±. It should be a sword technique.


    It looked quite old.


    Qin Niu flipped through it, a rather profound book of sword techniques. There were only nine movements in total, but with the mental methods, it had infinite variations.


    He decided to keep it for later.


    It would also be quite excellent for his wife¡¯s cultivation.


    He was about to marry Wang Wanyan, and after she became part of the family, Qin Niu was determined to cherish her well.

 Chapter 293 - Chapter 293: Chapter 286 Immortal Brief _1

    Chapter 293: Chapter 286 Immortal Brief _1


    ¡°Such a formidable member of the Nine Insect Gang, the most valuable thing on him must be that insect bag.¡±


    Qin Niu finished looting the spoils, feeling fairly satisfied.


    But it wasn¡¯t as substantial as he had imagined.


    As his strength and wealth surged, ordinary treasures hardly caught his eye anymore.


    He longed for elixirs and treasures that could help him quickly step into the Immortal Gate.


    The elixirs he looted were all rather common ones.


    There were none of the advanced elixirs like the Boundary-breaking Elixir.


    Qi Refining Elixirs were considered advanced elixirs, but one had to reach the Spirit Qi Realm to consume them, which he couldn¡¯t use at the moment.


    Moreover, this elixir was meant for daily cultivation.


    It was of the same nature as the Tempering Elixir used in the Mortal Realm, belonging to the ordinary elixirs that improved cultivation level.


    Having looted the property, he began to consider how to deal with the corpse.


    Using it to feed the insects seemed like the obvious choice.


    Currently, among all the insects, only Termite had the capability to consume the corpse in a short time.


    But such an act was against the natural order.


    Humans were the sovereigns of the world, the spirit of all living things; even nibbling on a corpse could attract great trouble.


    Termite had always been his most important insect, and in the future, he might even cultivate it as his core insect. He was indecisive about whether to let them incur such karma.


    However, to simply bury the body of such a powerful Spirit Qi Realm practitioner seemed a waste.


    After much thought, he decided to give the corpse of Elder Jiu Yin proper disposal.


    Throwing the body into the maze surrounding the Ancient Banyan Tree, allowing the corpse to become nourishment for the tree, might be the best way to handle it.


    Although the corpse was tempting as food for the insects, the consequences of doing so were very serious.


    Qin Niu valued long-term development more than immediate gains.


    As he dragged the body, he noticed that the boots on Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s feet were exceptionally thick.


    This old thief, extremely sly and cunning with deep schemes, could there be treasures hidden inside his boots?


    Qin Niu instinctively took off the boots from the corpse to check.


    Sure enough, he discovered something.


    The left boot felt thicker, and upon close inspection, he found a very concealed compartment.


    It could be opened directly.


    He pulled out a flat brocade bag from inside.


    The workmanship of this brocade bag was exquisite.


    Upon opening it, there was a jade slip inside, along with a tiny glass tube.


    The tube, only four millimeters in diameter, looked more like a lidded ¡®bottle.¡¯ It was only about three centimeters long.


    It had a lid and even a threaded structure that could be screwed on tightly.


    Inside this miniature glass vial were more than a dozen brown insect eggs.


    Considering Elder Jiu Yin went to great lengths to hide them within the boot¡¯s compartment, these eggs must be extremely precious.


    To find out what these eggs were for, one simply needed to examine the contents of the jade slip.


    Qin Niu had once acquired a jade slip.


    It contained methods and uses for cultivating the Green Silk Worm.


    This jade slip seemed even older and more sophisticated.


    Jade slips came in a variety of types.


    The simplest were inscribed with characters that could be directly read with the naked eye.


    This type was the most common.


    There were also more advanced jade slips, which appeared dull and gray, with not a single character visible. But when held in hand, one could feel their extraordinariness.


    They contained a faint trace of spirit power.


    Ordinary people might not sense this trace of spirit power, but holding it in hand felt cool and comfortable.


    This type of jade slip is known in the cultivation world as an Immortal Scroll.


    It is made from a kind of jade that contains Spirit Qi, so it is quite valuable.


    It is much more expensive than ordinary jade.


    In fact, all jade is the essence of the earth and sky, containing a trace of the world¡¯s Spirit Qi.


    But there are strong and weak ones.


    Good jade, with Spirit Qi sealed inside, won¡¯t lose it for ten thousand, or even a hundred thousand years.


    Ordinary mortal jade starts to lose its contained Spirit Qi from the moment it is mined.


    Until it is depleted.


    The kind of jade that can seal Spirit Qi inside is called Spirit Jade.


    The cultivation world also refers to it as Spirit Stone.


    This type of jade is extremely rare, and even a small piece appearing in the Mortal Realm could incite bloody battles among various powers.


    Usually, at the center of a jade mine, there will be a jade core.


    It is essentially the heart of the entire jade mine.


    Radiating outwards from this central point, it forms a vein of jade ore.


    This is because jade is formed over countless years, nourished by the Spirit Qi of the land.


    And Spirit Qi underground typically flows like rivers, which is why jade mines often have a long, strip-like shape.


    The location of the jade core is typically also the site of a Spirit Qi spring.


    In the Mortal Realm, when powerful families mine jade ore, they might hit a stroke of immense luck and find a source of Spirit Qi that has not entirely dried up. Then, faint traces of Spirit Qi would emerge from the spring.


    If a family encounters such good fortune and can keep the news secret, in less than a century, they would become the most powerful clan locally.


    Because they can establish a hidden cultivation site above the Spirit Qi source for their clan members to cultivate in.


    Cultivating in such an environment rich in Spirit Qi accelerates progress, often by several or even more than ten times compared to the outside world.


    This is precisely why Qin Niu, upon discovering that cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree was twenty times more effective than the outside world, refused to divulge this secret.


    He didn¡¯t even allow Wang Wanyan or Tang Caixian to cultivate there.


    He was well aware that once the secret was out, not just the powerful families of the Black Tiger Gang and the Gang Leader, but even Immortal Masters from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect might make a move to snatch it.


    In that case, he, a minor character, would be crushed outright.


    He examined the Immortal Scroll in his hands carefully, unable to put it down.


    Those who use ordinary jade slips for recording are considered craftsmen.


    Those capable of recording with an Immortal Scroll are at least at the Immortal Master level. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t even dream of using Immortal Scrolls for recording.


    This is a very advanced method of record-keeping.


    An Immortal Scroll, even after thousands or tens of thousands of years, will not undergo any changes. The content recorded inside will never become unclear or disappear.


    Cultivation Techniques, Immortal Techniques, and so on from the Immortal Sects are all recorded on Immortal Scrolls.


    His heart pounded.


    To say he wasn¡¯t excited would be a lie. If it recorded the Cultivation Techniques and Spells of the Immortal Sect, and he learned them, the benefits would be endless.


    To access the content of an ordinary jade slip, one just needs to focus and read the inscriptions on the surface.


    To obtain the content inside an Immortal Scroll, however, requires the use of one¡¯s consciousness to read it.


    Fortunately, he had seen related records in a book, and now, holding the Immortal Scroll against his forehead, he tried to access its contents.


    As his spiritual power entered the Immortal Scroll, the information flooded his brain like a tide.


    It was much more efficient than reading with the eyes.


    In an instant, he had grasped all the content recorded inside the Immortal Scroll.


    And it was directly imprinted in his brain.


    This experience was particularly extraordinary.


    ¡°So this is the legendary method of accessing an Immortal Scroll with divine consciousness,¡± he mused with a wry smile, feeling enlightened.

 Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: Chapter 287 Southern Border Gu Techniques_1

    Chapter 294: Chapter 287 Southern Border Gu Techniques_1


    ¡°`


    The Puppet Gu Secret Technique, originally a love Gu cultivated by the Witch Gu Sect of the Southern Border, eventually mutated during its cultivation process and became a Puppet Gu capable of invading others¡¯ brains and manipulating their consciousness.


    It was known as the most sinister Gu insect in the Southern Border.


    The Witch Gu Sect used this Gu to covertly control the upper echelons of various sects and families, which finally led to public outrage and resulted in their being besieged by all.


    In the end, the Witch Gu Sect was completely exterminated, and all their secret techniques and Gu insects were destroyed in flames.


    I was fortunate to discover records about the Puppet Gu in the ruins of an underground palace and recorded them into the Immortal Scrolls for future Gu-loving friends to study.


    The Southern Border is considered one of the cradles of insect control.


    Its earliest origins can be traced back to Empress Leizu.


    As the Emperor¡¯s First Consort, she raised silkworms and wove silk, which provided people with satin and brocade.


    Empress Leizu brought the Insect Control Technique to the Southern Border, initially seeing that it was a region with high mountains and dense forests, full of poisonous insects and miasma. The locals not only lived in poverty but also suffered from poisonous insect bites while gathering herbs or chopping wood in the mountains.


    At first, the Insect Control Technique of the Southern Border was only passed on to females and not to males.


    It is said that this was a rule set by Empress Leizu herself.


    Weak by nature, women began to learn the Insect Control Technique to defend themselves against being bullied by men.


    Later on, an insect-controlling genius greatly advanced the Insect Control Technique and cultivated the love Gu that could control lovers.


    Initially, it was a good thing.


    Because the love Gu merely served as a means of monitoring to prevent lovers from being unfaithful.


    One female Insect Master made a mountain pledge and sea oath with her lover, swearing lifelong commitment to grow old together, never to part.


    But unexpectedly, the lover turned out to be a fickle-hearted philanderer.


    He quickly grew tired of the female Insect Master and began to philander outside.


    The female Insect Master gave the man many chances, but he never repented and repeatedly deceived her. He even assaulted her sister through despicable means, leading her sister to take her own life.


    Furthermore, relying on his strength, the man persecuted her and her family.


    Finally, driven by vengeance, the aggrieved female Insect Master transformed her love into hate and sought revenge against this vile man.


    Under the power of hatred, the female Insect Master astonishingly took the Insect Control Technique to a higher level. She turned the love Gu into a heart-eating Gu, and the love Gu inside the man started to gnaw away at his heart.


    Not long after, the man died a terrible death at home.


    This must have been the earliest prototype of Gu art.


    Gu art continued to progress over time, metamorphosing from tangible to intangible.


    It became possible to manipulate Gu insects inside others¡¯ bodies from thousands of miles away, killing people without leaving a trace.


    There were even those who cultivated Gu insects that could help enhance one¡¯s cultivation level.


    For example, the Copper Skin Gu could significantly increase its master¡¯s defense, making the skin as hard as copper and iron.


    Another example is the Purification Gu, which could help its master detoxify.


    When Gu art reached its zenith, there were even the existence of Immortal Gus.


    Some people relied on Gus to become Immortal Masters.


    This was a sensational event in the realm of cultivation. During that period, countless men married into the Southern Border, not for any other reason but to learn from their wives the arts of nurturing and refining Gu, and then to step through the Immortal Gate with the help of Gu insects.


    For unknown reasons, after flourishing for a while, Gu art gradually declined.


    Some say that the Gu Masters began infighting, killing each other.


    Two exceptionally talented and beautiful female Gu Masters fell in love with a male disciple of the Immortal Sect and fought fiercely over him, which led to a vast sect conflict.


    In that war, many powerful Gu Masters perished, and some formidable Gu techniques were forever lost.


    Even so, Southern Border Gu art remained renowned in the cultivation world, and its residual strength was still formidable.


    But later, Southern Border Gu Masters were drawn into a great war of the Immortal Sects. More tragically, the sect that the Southern Border Gu Masters supported in the war was defeated by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect and was completely wiped out as a consequence.


    The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect did not spare the accomplices of their enemies and thus eradicated the Southern Border Gu Masters as well.


    Some speculated that the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect exterminated the Southern Border Gu Masters because they realized how terrifying Gu art could be, almost indefensible even to Immortal Masters.


    To avoid nurturing a threat, they thus resorted to such drastic measures.


    Qin Niu leaned toward this latter explanation.


    Whether it¡¯s a new dynasty or a new sect, the first order of business is always to consolidate one¡¯s position and eliminate any threats or elements that could destabilize.


    ¡°`


    The Gu Master¡¯s art is unfathomable, mysterious, and unpredictable, posing a serious threat to the dominance of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    Exterminating it directly would be the wisest course of action.


    Qin Niu slowly digested the content inside the cultivation manual.


    Some records about Gu art and the Puppet Gu¡¯s techniques for nurturing and controlling Gu were eye-opening to him.


    It was as if a new window to Insect Commanding had been opened.


    Insect Commanding and Gu cultivation are entirely different worlds.


    Gu art is characterized by being tricky and strange.


    Insect Commanding is characterized by being ruthless, poisonous, and orderly.


    A Gu¡¯s emphasis is on being intangible, silent, and colorless. The enemy remains unaware even when struck by a Gu art technique¡ªit¡¯s about being unnoticed by gods and ghosts alike.


    Insect Commanding, on the other hand, involves cultivating powerful insects, attacking the enemy head-on with their terrifying venom or numerical superiority, among other things.


    The techniques of nurturing and controlling Gu within this Immortal Manual are worth learning and researching.


    It seems that Gu art and the Insect Commanding Technique can complement each other.


    Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.


    ¡°Could the insect eggs inside this glass bottle be Gu eggs?¡±


    They did not resemble ancient objects, but rather, they seemed like modern high-quality bottles.


    Qin Niu speculated to himself that Elder Jiu Yin most likely studied the content in the Immortal Manual and then attempted Gu cultivation, eventually breeding these Gu eggs.


    Flipping through the thick ¡°Insect Breeding Notes¡± left by Elder Jiu Yin, after some searching, he indeed found some records pertaining to Gu cultivation.


    The insect eggs inside the glass bottle were indeed Gu eggs cultivated by Elder Jiu Yin.


    However, Elder Jiu Yin had not completely succeeded in their cultivation.


    These Gu eggs were still half-Gu, half-insect.


    Furthermore, Elder Jiu Yin mentioned that his Taiyin Yaoyao had evolved a special ability to resist slashes from swords and knives, a breakthrough he made by learning from Gu art, which led to the successful cultivation of this unique ability.


    The Four-Winged Demon Centipede that Elder Jiu Yin spat out from his mouth was also a result of insights gained from Gu art, allowing him to nurture it inside his stomach.


    Moreover, the ability of the Four-Winged Demon Centipede to leap during flight was likewise a harvest from Gu art.


    By such a token, Gu art should be more advanced than the current Insect Control Technique.


    Qin Niu immediately grinned from ear to ear.


    Acquiring this Immortal Manual was indeed more valuable than the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    He wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with the Gu eggs inside the glass bottle.


    He needed to finish reading all the notes left by Elder Jiu Yin and understand the Gu eggs inside before he dared to open it.


    Otherwise, if the Gu were to backlash, disaster would ensue.


    After securing all the treasures, he carried the body of Elder Jiu Yin into the mountains at night and threw it into the mystical formation surrounding the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    ¡°I often take your tree sap and cultivate under your branches; consider this some repayment,¡± said Qin Niu to the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree likely lacked spiritual intelligence and probably couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying.


    After dealing with the body, Qin Niu went straight home.


    He cleaned up all the traces of the fight¡ªthe bloodstains¡ªas if Elder Jiu Yin had never been there.


    The Nine Insect Gang surely didn¡¯t know yet that Elder Jiu Yin had been killed.


    If they learned of this news, it would certainly cause an upheaval.


    After waiting for daylight, Qin Niu hired workers to dig a lotus pond in the backyard.


    Because he normally paid very generously for labor,


    when word got out that he needed people to dig a lotus pond, the robust workers in the village were eager to offer their services.


    Many hands make light work, and with these people working energetically, the lotus pond would likely be completed within a day or two at most.


    Qin Niu offered them twenty Wen Money a day for the job and didn¡¯t provide meals.


    He needed to finish the lotus pond as soon as possible and plant the Ice Lotus inside.

 Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Chapter 288: A Woman’s Fear of Marrying the Wrong Man_1

    Chapter 295: Chapter 288: A Woman¡¯s Fear of Marrying the Wrong Man_1


    The enemy had invaded his home this time, providing Qin Niu with a wake-up call.


    He must manage his lair well to ensure his absolute safety.


    Planting the Ice Lotus in the backyard would not only create a small world encased in ice but also allow for the breeding of insects that thrived in cold environments. He could even conduct various cultivation experiments.


    This Ice Lotus was very special; he believed that if it was well cultivated, its usefulness would be no less than that of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    ¡°Master Qin, are you at home?¡±


    Matchmaker Auntie Hua waddled over with her plump hips swaying.


    With her face glowing and radiant with joy, anyone unaware of the context might have thought there was a happy occasion in her own family!


    ¡°Auntie Hua, is the betrothal gift ready?¡±


    After Qin Niu provided fifty taels of Silver Money, he hadn¡¯t paid it any further attention.


    Having spent yesterday preparing, it was assumed everything must be almost in place.


    ¡°All set, all set! I¡¯ve procured generously just as you instructed. A set of gold and silver jewelry, a bolt of silk fabric, a bolt of brocade fabric, two sets of silk garments, numerous boxes of candies and assorted goods, and plenty of kitchen and dining wares. I¡¯ve had people carry them over for your inspection.¡±


    Auntie Hua called some people to bring them into the courtyard.


    ¡°I trust your work, Auntie Hua. Is the marriage proposal ready?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I appreciate Master Qin¡¯s trust. Here is the marriage proposal; I had Zhang Banzui write it, and for his troubles, I gave him ten Wen Money and two pitchers of fine wine.¡±


    Auntie Hua took out the marriage proposal.


    Upon opening it, the writing inside was very beautiful.


    In the guarantor¡¯s section, there was clearly the seal of the village chief, Xu Zhenchang.


    Marriage is no trifling matter and is always treated with utmost seriousness. In addition to the matchmaker, local elders or the village chief are typically asked to vouch for the marriage, known as guarantors.


    If a quarrel arose between the newlyweds, or if the bride¡¯s family demanded more dowry when the groom came to take her, the guarantor would step in to mediate.


    Should a husband discard his wife arbitrarily after marriage, the wife¡¯s family would seek justice from the guarantor.


    Men fear choosing the wrong profession, women fear marrying the wrong man.


    A woman discarded by her husband¡¯s family was often in a pitiable state, not only bringing dishonor to her birth family but potentially being rejected if she returned there.


    Especially in families with male heirs, they would follow the saying, ¡®Daughters are like water spilled out of the house,¡¯ and refuse to have a married daughter return home.


    In such cases, the woman would find herself without recourse, possibly driven to despair.


    Or she might flee to a distant land.


    However, in this dog-eat-dog world, a vulnerable woman wandering outside would find it very dangerous.


    The best-case scenario was to be taken in by a kind-hearted individual.


    For instance, some solitary old men might take a young woman into their home if she was of a young age and possessed some beauty.


    The most tragic were those young and beautiful women who would often be easy targets for the brothels, ending up with a miserable fate.


    There was another option known as selling the wife.


    A husband would sell his wife to another man.


    Some women were fiercely loyal and would not tolerate serving a second husband, possibly unable to bear the shame and choosing to end their lives by throwing themselves against a pillar or into a river.


    Therefore, a woman¡¯s marriage was tantamount to handing over her fate to the man¡¯s family, and it was generally approached with great caution.


    The more substantial the betrothal gift, the more respect it showed the bride¡¯s family.


    After reviewing the betrothal letter, Qin Niu was very pleased.


    ¡°Auntie Hua, how about we go to propose to the Wang Family now?¡±


    ¡°I spoke with Wang Furen yesterday, and he is very confident entrusting his daughter to you. If we bring the betrothal gifts now, I believe the Wang Family will be very pleased.¡±


    Auntie Hua said with a smile.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go now!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the villagers helping to carry the betrothal gifts, mostly composed of women and older men from the village.


    Auntie Hua probably considered the cost of labor, too.


    ¡°I am grateful for everyone¡¯s help in carrying the bridal gifts to the Wang Furen¡¯s house, and I will definitely reward you afterward!¡±


    Hearing that Qin Niu would give reward money, the crowd waiting in the courtyard all smiled brightly.


    They usually had no opportunity to enter Qin Niu¡¯s grand mansion.


    Now they had the chance to go into the front courtyard; they took this opportunity to broaden their horizons and admire Qin Niu¡¯s grand mansion.


    The flowers and plants in the front courtyard and the hall were mainly arranged by Tang Caixian.


    She had put a lot of thought into it, making the entire mansion look particularly elegant and full of vitality.


    ¡°Master Qin is too polite!¡±


    ¡°It is our honor to do something for Master Qin!¡±


    The people were more than willing to help Qin Niu carry the bridal gifts.


    Even without the promise of reward money, they were glad to help. If they could become familiar faces to Qin Niu, they might be able to count on some favor or consideration in the future.


    This is the most enticing aspect of power; it can easily mobilize massive amounts of social resources at a very low cost.


    Qin Niu, dressed in the Insect Master¡¯s robe, went to Wang Furen¡¯s house together with Auntie Hua.


    Behind them, a group of villagers carried the bridal gifts.


    ¡°Haha, please come in!¡±


    Wang Furen had heard the commotion and couldn¡¯t wait to open the gate, greeting them with a beaming smile.


    Both parties entered the main hall, took their seats according to their status, and the matchmaker proceeded with the marriage proposal.


    Since the girl¡¯s family had agreed to marry their daughter to Qin Niu, the matter was settled very easily.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, thank you for giving me your daughter in marriage. In addition to these bridal gifts, I am going to give you an extra hundred taels of silver money as a token of my respect. Buy whatever you want, eat whatever you like, it¡¯s all up to you.¡±


    Qin Niu was indeed generous, immediately pulling out a silver note of a hundred taels and handing it to Wang Furen.


    ¡°Oh my, you child, with such generous bridal gifts, and now even more silver money! It hasn¡¯t been easy for you either, so I accept your kindness. I only have one daughter, and from now on, you¡¯ll be like a son to me.¡±


    Wang Furen took the silver note, his hands trembling with happiness.


    He was a businessman and loving money was in his nature.


    A hundred taels of silver was a sizable sum, even for someone of his modest means.


    ¡°Please rest assured, Uncle Wang, I will take good care of Wan Yan and will always honor you. There is another matter I would like to discuss with you and Wan Yan, in the presence of Auntie Hua, the matchmaker.¡±


    After giving the silver, Qin Niu took advantage of Wang Furen¡¯s good mood to discuss another important matter.


    ¡°Call the young miss over!¡±


    Wang Furen seemed to guess a bit and instructed Nurse Wu to call Wang Wanyan over.


    He then pressed the silver note on top of the table and picked up his cup of tea to drink.


    Auntie Hua¡¯s eyes were spinning with curiosity. She wondered what matter Qin Niu wanted to discuss.


    Wang Wanyan quickly descended the stairs with light steps.


    She glanced timidly at Qin Niu but smiled nonetheless.


    ¡°Master Qin has something he wishes to discuss with you and me. Please take a seat here,¡±


    Wang Furen turned to signal to his daughter.


    The father and daughter surely had a very deep affection for each other.


    Conscientiously speaking, Wang Furen had treated his daughter well. Because she was the only child, there was no problem of favoring sons over daughters.


    Wang Wanyan sat down gracefully.


    ¡°Wan Yan, to marry you is a blessing that I, Qin Niu, have cultivated over several lifetimes. I will treat you well and we will spend our lives together.¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡±


    She nodded shyly, this time not avoiding his gaze but boldly looking at Qin Niu.


    Her eyes were pure and clear as water, as if they could speak.


    Marrying such a beautiful girl made Qin Niu feel extremely content.

 Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Chapter 289 A Man Should Stand Firm Between Heaven and Earth_1

    Chapter 296: Chapter 289 A Man Should Stand Firm Between Heaven and Earth_1


    During the times of distress, her financial support and assistance had deepened Qin Niu¡¯s affections for her.


    In every man¡¯s heart lies a patch of the softest soil, home to kinship, friendship, love, or perhaps a profoundly touching moment that etches itself into one¡¯s memory.


    ¡°Before marrying you, Cai Xian from Daoyuan Village, accompanied by Matchmaker Aunt Hua and another go-between, visited my house with a marriage proposal, which you might have heard about. At that time, I rejected Cai Xian. But after further contact, her infatuation and the bravery she showed in her love moved me deeply.


    In ancient times, the two sisters E Huang and Nv Ying shared one husband.


    If Uncle Wang and Wan Yan agree, I would like to take Tang Caixian as a concubine.¡±


    Qin Niu was well aware that many women are strongly opposed to their husbands taking concubines.


    Because it would divide a portion of their husband¡¯s love.


    And might even lead to domestic strife.


    A lot of concubines, being younger and prettier than the first wife, would rely on their husbands¡¯ affection to stir up strife in the inner chambers. Crafty schemes would emerge one after another, and there were even some cruel concubines who would harm the first wife¡¯s children, all to become the primary woman of the household.


    Qin Niu¡¯s words had hardly faded when the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.


    Matchmaker Aunt Hua was so anxious that she nearly stamped her feet.


    This Ah Niu really was a simpleton, bringing up the matter of taking a concubine at such a time?


    Even if he waited until after the wedding and found an opportunity to mention it, it would be fine.


    If handled poorly now, this marriage could fall through.


    Wang Furen¡¯s expression had become quite ugly, and it was only because of Qin Niu¡¯s special status that he dared not lose his temper easily. In his heart, he was probably fuming with rage.


    This Ah Niu, he talks sweetly, saying he would treat Wan Yan well, but before they are even married, he is already thinking of taking a concubine.


    A philandering cad, through and through.


    Entrusting his daughter to such a man, he was very worried about her future life after marriage.


    ¡°Cai Xian is an exceptionally outstanding girl, kind-hearted, and it should be good to have her serve you alongside me. In the future, with an additional person in the house, we¡¯ll have more help with any issue.


    Ah Niu, the fact that you brought this up before the wedding shows that you are an open and honest man.


    If you had mentioned this after the wedding, I would have lost respect for you.¡±


    After a brief silence, Wang Wanyan unexpectedly spoke in support of Qin Niu.


    This indeed showed that a grown woman can¡¯t be restrained.


    Wang Furen sighed and shook his head repeatedly.


    ¡°Father, shall we agree to this? I know Ah Niu¡¯s character; he values sentiment deeply. If Cai Xian hadn¡¯t truly touched his heart, he would never consider taking her as a concubine. As your daughter, I will be the principal wife, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me being aggrieved.¡±


    Wang Wanyan was trying to persuade her father.


    ¡°Ah¡­ what kind of situation is this!¡±


    Under his daughter¡¯s persuasion, Wang Furen¡¯s face looked much better.


    He was a man and naturally understood the thoughts of men.


    Which man doesn¡¯t eat what¡¯s in his bowl while eyeing what¡¯s in the pot?


    Some daughters from wealthy families, when marrying into a major household, are often accompanied by a maidservant to serve in their chamber.


    The purpose is twofold: one is to help the new mistress gain a foothold in the new family. The other reason is to replace the mistress in the bedroom when she is indisposed, to prevent the master of the house from seeking pleasure elsewhere.


    ¡°Ah Niu, I¡¯ve watched you grow up. I¡¯m giving my daughter to you in marriage because I deem your character fit. Now, you wish to take a concubine, and my daughter is not against it, so I, as her father, have nothing more to say. But I require you to swear in front of everyone that you will never wrong my daughter, otherwise may lightning strike you.¡±


    Wang Furen needed to secure a guarantee for his daughter.


    In this world, oaths are like passing wind to ordinary people.


    No one takes them seriously.


    But for cultivators, an oath holds a strong binding force.


    The higher one¡¯s cultivation, the more one dares not make oaths lightly.


    To understand this, consider that ordinary people¡¯s oaths are ignored by the universe, for they are as fleeting as mayflies, their lives short, and even if they break their promises, the harm is limited.


    However, powerful cultivators have grasped a strand of the universe¡¯s laws, even the profound truths of the Dao.


    They hold a certain influence over the universe.


    Their oaths are the universe acting as guarantor, backing them up.


    If they break their oaths, it¡¯s an affront to the universe.


    The universe certainly cannot tolerate such events, and it¡¯s highly likely that it will make oath-breakers meet their doom.


    For instance, if someone swears they won¡¯t die a peaceful death, then significant calamities will befall them, ensuring a violent end. Hiding away in a sanctuary would be of no use.


    ¡°Father, on such an auspicious day, why make such a frightening oath, it¡¯s so inauspicious!¡±


    Wang Wanyan coquettishly pleaded with her father.


    She truly liked Qin Niu and could not bear to see anything go wrong with him.


    ¡°If he is unwilling to make this vow, it means he has a guilty conscience and does not truly care for you, and I will resolutely disapprove of your marriage.¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s stance was exceptionally firm.


    ¡°I can make the vow.¡±


    After speaking, Qin Niu raised his left hand above his head, turning his palm towards the heavens.


    This act meant aligning his hand with the heart of the heavens and his feet with the heart of the earth, standing on the earth and answering to the sky.


    ¡°I, Qin Niu, hereby swear that if I should fail my wife, Wang Wanyan, in this life, may heaven strike me with five thunders, may I die a terrible death, and may my soul never ascend.¡±


    Qin Niu made his first vow.


    His tone was resolute, and his gaze determined.


    ¡°Good! Since you are willing to swear by your heart, I can rest assured and give you my daughter in marriage.¡±


    Wang Furen nodded in satisfaction.


    Despite Wang Furen¡¯s usually jovial demeanor, when it came down to the essentials, he was extremely meticulous.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Wang!¡±


    Qin Niu thanked him, and Aunt Hua¡¯s hanging heart finally settled.


    ¡°Wan Yan, thank you for being so forgiving about this matter.¡±


    He was well aware that without Wang Wanyan¡¯s support, this would have been out of the question.


    ¡°We will soon become husband and wife, united as one; there¡¯s no need for thanks.¡±


    Wang Wanyan shook her head, gazing into his eyes.


    ¡°Then let us set the wedding date, and on the same day, we¡¯ll marry Tang Caixian. Do you think that¡¯s acceptable?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    She nodded in agreement once more.


    ¡°Master Qin, now that Wang Furen and Miss Wang have agreed to you taking a concubine, but will the Tang Family agree?¡±


    Aunt Hua knew very well that Tang Caixian¡¯s popularity even surpassed Wang Wanyan¡¯s.


    In the city, countless rich young masters and privileged lords wanted to marry Tang Caixian as their principal wife.


    Their conditions were far better than Qin Niu¡¯s.


    Yet, they were all rejected by Tang Caixian.


    Now to ask her to be a concubine, how could that possibly be acceptable?


    The status of a concubine was extremely low.


    Both the husband and the principal wife could scold or beat the concubine at will, and order her around in the household.


    However, there were also some harmonious households where the principal wife would specially respect the concubine.


    Even so, the status of a concubine was far beneath that of a principal wife.


    Even in death, she could not be buried alongside her husband.


    ¡°This is precisely what I wanted to discuss with you, to ask you to prepare another set of bridal gifts identical to the ones for marrying Wan Yan, and then propose to the Tang Family.¡±


    Qin Niu did not hide his intentions, discussing these matters openly in front of the Wang Family.


    It was not possible to marry two principal wives at the same time, and in terms of status, Tang Caixian was already wronged.


    Economically, he could not allow Tang Caixian to suffer any further injustice.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll go procure them shortly.¡±


    Aunt Hua could now see that Qin Niu probably wasn¡¯t short of money.


    Because he had just given Wang Furen an additional hundred taels of silver money.


    As long as the money was settled, the legwork she had to do was not an issue at all.


    After proposing and leaving the Wang Family home, Qin Niu took a deep breath of turbid air.


    There were many things that were extremely difficult, but there was no avoiding them; they had to be done.


    Now that he had secured the Wang Family¡¯s approval, dealing with the Tang Family would be much easier.


    A man stands for nothing if he has no integrity.


    All the things he promised Tang Caixian, he would naturally fulfill one by one.


    He gave Aunt Hua fifty taels of silver money for her to run the errand again, to prepare the bridal gifts, without mentioning it further.


    As for the Tang Family¡¯s reaction, it was still hard to predict.

 Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: Chapter 290 The Goodwill of the Ancient Banyan Tree_1

    Chapter 297: Chapter 290 The Goodwill of the Ancient Banyan Tree_1


    Qin Niu was rather efficient, having proposed to the Wang Family, he went straight to the mountain to cultivate and breed termites.


    He left Xiao Qing in charge of supervising and directing the workers at home.


    If the opportunity arose, he planned to buy two more servants.


    With servants to take care of the trivial matters at home, both he and Xiao Qing would be able to focus entirely on cultivation.


    In time, when he married Wang Wanyan and Tang Caixian, that would be even more the case.


    Managing the daily needs of a household would be a problem in itself.


    Both wives were not accustomed to menial labor; he couldn¡¯t possibly have them suffer hardship after marriage, could he?


    Xiao Qing was still a child, and Qin Niu never treated her as a servant.


    Instead, he planned to train her into a powerful assistant.


    Moreover, he now had the financial ability to keep a few servants, so he could certainly afford to have a few to make life more comfortable for the family.


    Carrying a basket on his back, he went into the mountains where the termites were still increasing at a rate of a thousand per day.


    The Ant Queen had consumed the corpse of a Taiyin Yaoyao.


    So far, no anomalies had been observed.


    Nor had there been any evolution or promotion.


    Qin Niu was not discouraged; after all, there were eight more Taiyin Yaoyao corpses, along with many other high-grade insect corpses, including that of a Four-Winged Demon Centipede, which could all be used to feed the Ant Queen.


    He intended to use the Four-Winged Demon Centipede¡¯s corpse as a crucial cultivation resource in the end.


    Centipedes were naturally wingless terrestrial creatures.


    A centipede that grew four wings was considered an exceptional being in heaven and earth.


    Having personally experienced the terrifying power of the Four-Winged Demon Centipede, Qin Niu knew how high-grade such an insect corpse was and that it should be reserved for the most crucial moments.


    Quality steel should be used on the edge of the blade.


    Whether it was the Ant Queen or the Green Demon Bee approaching a bottleneck above Grade Six, he would not hesitate to use it.


    Termites had one great advantage: they were not picky eaters.


    They could consume almost anything.


    Unlike bees, with their singular diet, making them difficult to raise.


    ¡°Fourth, take the Demon Ants and feed this Taiyin Yaoyao corpse to the Ant Queen,¡± Qin Niu ordered.


    These high-grade insect corpses were extremely precious, akin to superior elixirs for humans, and had to be utilized properly.


    After feeding one Taiyin Yaoyao corpse, he fed the Ant Queen a large number of ordinary Grade Three and Four insect corpses.


    Puppet Ants and Ghost Ants also were on his list to cultivate.


    But due to limited resources, he could only feed them living Fire Ants.


    After acquiring Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Hundred Treasures Insect Bag, which mostly contained Three and Four Grade Fire Ants, their Ant Queen had died, leaving the colony in disarray.


    They either had to select a new Ant Queen or the entire colony would gradually head toward destruction.


    With termites in his possession, Qin Niu had no intention of cultivating a colony of Fire Ants.


    Biting off more than one could chew often led to trouble.


    The growth potential of Fire Ants was weaker than that of termites.


    Besides, the current termite Ant Queen had long since ceased to be the ordinary termite she once was and was likely awakening an ancient lineage as a Four-Winged Yin Ant.


    Typical insects or beast pets couldn¡¯t possibly live up to thirty thousand years.


    The lifespan of an Ant Queen was originally only a few decades, but after promotion, it skyrocketed to an astonishing thirty thousand years. Qin Niu could only think of one possibility: the awakening of an ancient bloodline.


    Just as the horned water buffalo, after awakening the Green Ox bloodline, had its lifespan reach 9,999 years.


    Only one year short of ten thousand years.


    Despite the high-ranking species of Green Ox having such a lifespan, it hadn¡¯t broken past ten thousand, yet the Ant Queen easily exceeded that mark, reaching thirty thousand years. This further emphasized its extraordinary nature.


    Qin Niu was unclear about the final stage the Ant Queen could reach.


    One thing was certain: he would treat the Ant Queen as a core pet for cultivation.


    If its performance continued to be outstanding, it might even be chosen by Qin Niu as his life-bound insect.


    ¡­


    After cultivating all the termites, Qin Niu, accompanied by Fourth, entered the labyrinth within the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The corpses thrown in the previous night had disappeared.


    Only some cloth and shattered armor remained, proving that Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s body had indeed been tossed inside.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree seemed more lush and verdant than before.


    It appeared that the stronger the cultivation of the corpses thrown in, the greater the benefit to the tree.


    Qin Niu swung his blade decisively towards the Ancient Banyan Tree and then set up an altar to collect the tree¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Oh, Banyan Tree, you truly are a great treasure. Even though I draw your blood every day, and practice beneath your shade, absorbing your medicinal aura, I also give you something in return. We have formed a bond, and should the day come that I step through the Immortal Gate, I will not forget your kindness.¡±


    He caressed the Ancient Banyan Tree with his hand, muttering to himself.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree stood in silence between heaven and earth, offering no response.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t bother with it any further but sat down cross-legged underneath the tree to cultivate.


    Having visited many times, he had become very familiar with this ancient wood. His fear of it had also faded a great deal.


    He continued to practice until the evening, when he finally stopped cultivating.


    ¡°Eh! Why hasn¡¯t the wound on the tree¡¯s trunk healed today?¡±


    Qin Niu was surprised.


    According to his experience, no matter how deep the cut, the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s wounds would have healed by evening.


    Now, five wounds were still dripping dark green blood.


    All five altars were nearly full.


    ¡°Could it be that my cultivation has improved and I struck with more force than before?¡±


    He reached out to touch the trunk and channeled a trace of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power into it.


    But for this towering tree, such a small input of energy was like a drop in the ocean.


    ¡°Next time I cut you, I¡¯ll be gentler, sorry.¡±


    After channeling a trace of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power, Qin Niu quickly collected the five altars.


    At that moment, something miraculous happened.


    The wounds on the Ancient Banyan Tree quickly healed at a pace visible to the naked eye.


    Could it be that the influx of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power had an effect?


    It seems the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s energy is quite useful.


    A smile appeared on Qin Niu¡¯s face as he packed away five jars of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and made his way out swiftly.


    Because the branches were now heavily drooping, the distance to the ground was less than two meters.


    Once again, a miraculous spectacle occurred. As Qin Niu moved forward, the branches automatically parted to each side.


    It was as if the tree purposefully created a path for Qin Niu to leave.


    ¡°This¡­ could it really possess spirit, regarding me as a friend?¡±


    Qin Niu looked up in sheer amazement.


    He could only see dense foliage, like a hand covering the sky, firmly in control of this space.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Even though he wasn¡¯t sure whether the Ancient Banyan Tree could understand him, Qin Niu felt the goodwill it emitted.


    Between man and tree, there existed a certain tacit understanding.


    As he moved forward, the branches and leaves of the Ancient Banyan Tree automatically parted and did not harm him.


    Moreover, exiting the Banyan Tree¡¯s maze seemed to be much easier today than before.


    Even Fourth appeared puzzled.


    Waving its antennae, it lifted its head.


    Was it wondering about the life of ants?


    Emerging from the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s maze, Qin Niu felt joy in his heart. He faintly realized that he might have received a hint of recognition from the tree.


    Thinking back carefully, the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s wounds had not healed even after he injected a trace of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power into the tree¡¯s blood before retrieving the jars. But once he collected the five jars, the wounds on the Ancient Banyan Tree healed quickly.


    This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence.


    It¡¯s very likely that the Ancient Banyan Tree intentionally controlled the healing of its wounds, purposely not allowing them to close.


    Whether this is true or not, a trip up the mountain tomorrow would tell.


    He hastened towards the outer reaches of the mountain.


    Xiao Nui followed behind him, frolicking.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, staying under the tree for most of the day with me, have you gained anything too?¡±


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    Xiao Nui raised its neck and let out a bellow that resounded through the heavens and earth.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re really not modest! I hope you become stronger so that you can be a big help when powerful enemies try to kill me.¡±


    Qin Niu patted its back.


    Killing Elder Jiu Yin wouldn¡¯t have been possible without this little ox¡¯s contribution.

 Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: Chapter 291: The Return of the Green Demon Bee_1

    Chapter 298: Chapter 291: The Return of the Green Demon Bee_1


    I believe that once its strength becomes even more formidable, the golden light it shoots out will be even more terrifying.


    Having just come out of the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree, Qin Niu sensed something unusual.


    He checked the Green Demon Bee egg.


    It had already cracked open, which meant that the Green Demon Bee had successfully hatched.


    Qin Niu felt both joy and worry.


    Because he had no idea how to raise a Green Demon Bee.


    Just like a baby, the newly hatched larva was fragile and needed careful nurturing to grow steadily.


    The larva was very soft and utterly incapable of movement at this stage.


    Normally, worker bees are responsible for feeding and caring for them.


    Qin Niu really didn¡¯t know what to feed it.


    Once home, he saw that the lotus pond in the backyard had been dug out. It was two zhang wide and about three zhang long.


    A considerably large lotus pond.


    It was just over one meter deep.


    Money makes things easier.


    After he offered a high salary, the villagers worked very hard and excavated such a big pond for him in just one day.


    However, it couldn¡¯t be used right away.


    He had to ask Tang the tile-worker to come and line it with green tiles to reinforce the edges of the pond. Otherwise, as soon as it was filled with water, the edges of the lotus pond were extremely prone to collapse.


    ¡°Master, Sister Cai Xian came looking for you today.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you invite her to stay a while?¡±


    ¡°I did, but when she saw that you weren¡¯t home, she left quite soon.¡±


    ¡°Did she say anything?¡±


    ¡°Actually, she didn¡¯t mention anything specific.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to her home to propose marriage tomorrow, so I¡¯ll definitely see her then. Have the workers who helped with the pond been paid in full?¡±


    ¡°They have been paid in full. Just as you instructed, we also gave each of them an extra ten Wen Money as a bonus.¡±


    Xiao Qing might be young, but she handled things quite maturely.


    She was already able to relieve Qin Niu¡¯s worries.


    ¡°Well done, let¡¯s have dinner first. Later, I need to take a trip to Daoyuan Village.¡±


    After dinner, Qin Niu did not rush to feed the Green Demon Bee.


    Instead, while it was still not too late, he decided to go to Daoyuan Village to ask Tang Fang to come over tomorrow to work on the lotus pond.


    The Ice Lotus had to be planted in the pond as soon as possible.


    Currently in the soil, it was in an unhealthy state.


    After dinner, Qin Niu hurried off to Daoyuan Village.


    Now, many people in Daoyuan Village recognized Qin Niu and respected him greatly for helping the village fight against locusts.


    Those he met along the way greeted him respectfully.


    ¡°Master Tang!¡±


    Qin Niu shouted as he arrived outside Tang Fang¡¯s house.


    Tang Fang, who had just finished bathing, opened his door to see who was outside.


    ¡°My, if it isn¡¯t Master Qin! What brings you here? Please come in for some tea.¡±


    Tang Fang and Qin Niu were quite familiar with each other.


    It was Tang Fang who had built Qin Niu¡¯s house.


    After entering, Tang Fang¡¯s wife brewed tea for them and brought out some fruit.


    The Tang family was well-off, living much better than the poor.


    But compared to Wang Furen, their situation was markedly less affluent.


    They were a middle-class family, better off than some, but not as wealthy as others.


    Like the Yan Family, who belonged to the local nobility, only a few families in town were on their level. In some towns, there wasn¡¯t even one.


    ¡°Master Tang, I recently hired people to dig a lotus pond in my backyard, and it¡¯s now complete. It¡¯s necessary to reinforce the four sides of the pond with bricks and stone. You did such fine work on my house last time that I was extremely satisfied. I¡¯d like to ask for your help again. Would that be convenient for you?¡±


    ¡°Master Qin asking me to work is a sign of respect. There¡¯s no inconvenience at all; tomorrow, I¡¯ll bring people to help you finish the brickwork. Have you bought the bricks, sand, and glutinous rice?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t bought anything. I don¡¯t understand these things, so I¡¯ll leave it all to you ¡ª I¡¯ll pay for both the labor and materials afterward anyway.¡±


    Qin Niu really had no clue about these things.


    Unlike the last time he had hired Tang Fang to build a house, he was now quite wealthy and didn¡¯t lack such a small amount of money.


    As long as the job was done well, he didn¡¯t mind paying a little extra.


    Besides, Tang Fang was an honest man; there was no chance of him swindling silver money.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do this ¡ª I¡¯ll head to your place right now to check the size and depth of your lotus pond, and then I can calculate the amount of materials needed for the bricks and stones.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you for your efforts!¡±


    Although Qin Niu¡¯s status was now far above that of Tang Fang, he spoke very politely.


    Respecting others is the most basic principle of conduct.


    He learned it from the Yan Family.


    As the two of them stepped out the door, a charming figure, like a joyful butterfly, flew in from the darkness.


    ¡°Ah Niu, is it really you? I heard people saying you came to our Daoyuan Village, and I wanted to come see for myself.¡±


    She appeared extremely delighted.


    Every time she saw Qin Niu, her gaze was exceptionally gentle. In her eyes, there was only this man.


    ¡°Master Tang, how about this ¡ª you go directly to my house to check the lotus pond; my maid Xiao Qing is at home. Just knock on the door when you get there. I¡¯ll talk to Cai Xian.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, sure, you two chat. Cai Xian, this young girl, I¡¯ve watched her grow up ¡ª a very kind-hearted girl, and she is wholeheartedly devoted to Master Qin. Just two days ago, a young master from the city came in a luxurious carriage to propose, but she outright rejected him.¡±


    Tang Fang also took the opportunity to speak well of his niece.


    ¡°Uncle Fang, please go ahead and get busy! Don¡¯t randomly say things!¡±


    Tang Caixian didn¡¯t want to share these details with Qin Niu.


    ¡°Ha ha, you¡¯re implying that I¡¯m in the way here, huh? Off I go, off I go.¡±


    Tang Fang laughed, waved his hand, and strode away.


    Outside in the courtyard, enshrouded in darkness, only Qin Niu and Tang Caixian remained.


    ¡°Xiao Qing told me that you came looking for me today, but unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t home. It just so happens I have something to tell you; let¡¯s walk and talk, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She nodded and followed beside Qin Niu.


    Wafts of a maiden¡¯s subtle fragrance intermittently reached Qin Niu¡¯s nostrils.


    ¡°How¡¯s your cultivation practice been going recently?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been okay! But my natural talent is just average; I¡¯ve only reached the third level of mortal cultivation. After all this time of arduous practice, I¡¯ve only improved by two levels; am I very slow?¡±


    She looked at Qin Niu.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not slow at all ¡ª just a little foolish.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re mean! Are you making fun of me?¡±


    She playfully protested.


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t a bit foolish, why would you forsake those young masters and fall for a country Insect Master like myself?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not that many reasons; it¡¯s just that I like you.¡±


    Upon realizing Qin Niu wasn¡¯t mocking her for being truly foolish, a joyful smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°Cai Xian, I like you too, and I plan to propose to your family tomorrow.¡±


    Qin Niu stopped walking and looked at her.


    In the night, her features seemed even more charming, and her eyes shone brightly.


    Especially when she heard Qin Niu¡¯s words, she was stunned for a moment, her eyes wide with astonishment.


    This made her even more enchanting.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re not just trying to make me happy with a lie, are you?¡±


    ¡°Although I, Qin Niu, have no power or influence, I never speak empty words. I¡¯ve already asked Aunt Hua from Shuangfeng Village to purchase the betrothal gifts, and I¡¯m preparing to propose at your house tomorrow morning. But¡­ as I told you before, I can only take you as a concubine. Would you agree to that?¡±


    ¡°I agree! As long as I can be with you, I don¡¯t care about status at all!¡±


    She was truly love-struck, agreeing to be a concubine so readily.

 Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Chapter 292: Subduing the Exotic Insects of Heaven and Earth _1

    Chapter 299: Chapter 292: Subduing the Exotic Insects of Heaven and Earth _1


    ¡°You agree, but will your parents and brother agree?¡±


    Qin Niu was still somewhat worried.


    Having one¡¯s daughter become a concubine was not a particularly honorable matter.


    Many families of the girl¡¯s side would oppose it.


    Unless they were poor and saw it as a way to make a sum of money and climb the social ladder by connecting with a wealthy family, they might agree to marry their daughter off as a concubine to someone else.


    And most often, they were married off to old men.


    Tang Caixian¡¯s conditions were not bad, and Qin Niu¡¯s current status and strength that was openly known were merely those of an ordinary Insect Master. Such individuals were a dime a dozen in Black Tiger City, far from being considered particularly outstanding.


    ¡°If they don¡¯t agree, I will think of a way to convince them. In the end, I am the one who will be living the life, and as long as they see you will treat me well, they should agree,¡± she said, although she had no real confidence in her heart.


    ¡°Caixian, thank you. The only promise I can give you is that I will be true to you, supporting each other until old age.¡±


    In matters of affection, Qin Niu was a novice.


    He was very naive in all aspects.


    But his heart was wholly sincere towards the two women.


    And he was confident in providing them with a happy married life.


    ¡­


    After returning home from Daoyuan Village, he began to read through the Insect Control scrolls and Insect Control Books he had gathered.


    The Spider Technique Scrolls he had found on Zhu Zhu¡¯s body and the Breeding Insects Secrets he had obtained from Elder Jiu Yin were his focus for study.


    The Spider Technique Scroll was an ancient volume at first glance.


    Its content was extremely profound.


    It mentioned various methods of controlling, breeding, catching, creating, and exterminating spiders.


    Later on, it even detailed the methods of cultivating demon spiders and the abilities of various demon spiders.


    For instance, the Phantom Jumping Spider, killed by Qin Niu, could become a demon when cultivated to a later stage. Its invisibility power would be extremely formidable in the forest, far surpassing ordinary magical beasts and insect demons.


    Moreover, the difficulty of a bug transforming into a demon was much greater than that of beasts or birds, and the Phantom Jumping Spider only needed to find a tree on the verge of gaining spiritual essence and drink its sap to greatly increase the success rate of becoming a demon.


    After its transformation, it could even use that nearly enlightened tree as a den to form a strange symbiotic relationship.


    This made Qin Niu think of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    That Ancient Banyan Tree was likely on the brink of becoming enlightened, or it already had.


    Especially in the evening, when Qin Niu escaped from the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree, it actually opened up a path for him, indicating it had already acquired a certain level of sentience.


    This was also why Qin Niu believed it may have already become enlightened.


    The Spider Technique Scroll also mentioned that spiders drinking the sap of plants about to become enlightened had a chance to upgrade or awaken special powers.


    A smile crossed Qin Niu¡¯s face.


    This point, he had already figured out.


    His Termites, bees, Diamond Ink Turtle, Green Ox, and other pets were able to advance only after consuming the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    Currently, only the Grade Seven Red-eyed Golden Toad had not consumed the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    It wasn¡¯t that he begrudged it; he had simply kept needing it to provide protection. If it drank the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and, like the Green Ox, fell asleep for two or three months, Qin Niu would lose a powerful ally in battle.


    Lately, the Red-eyed Golden Toad had earned numerous merits, helping Qin Niu resolve many dangers.


    Once the conflict between the Black Tiger Gang and the Nine Insect Gang had come to an end, he would immediately nurture it.


    In the cultivation methods of the Spider Technique Scroll, there was a method mentioned called ¡°spider fusion.¡±


    It involved letting one spider devour another, merging to become one.


    If the fusion were successful, it could lead to the development of a new species that combined the virtues of both spiders.


    However, this method had a high rate of failure, and even if the fusion were successful, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed to combine the virtues of the two spiders. It could also potentially combine the faults of the other spider.


    This could lead to the new species having significant defects.


    The way to increase the success rate was to try to have the primary spider devour spiders of the same kind.


    The primary spider should preferably devour spiders weaker than itself.


    Otherwise, it might be devoured in reverse, and the new species formed would be dominated by the secondary spider.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but think of the Green Demon Bee and the Corpse Bee.


    They all belonged to the bee species, and their prototypes were evolved from hornets.


    They were essentially of the same origin.


    The success rate of having them devour each other should greatly increase.


    And it would be Green Demon Bees taking the lead, exactly as Qin Niu had intended.


    With this idea in mind, he began to study meticulously the insect breeding method recorded in the Spider Technique Scroll.


    Reading into the night, waves of sleepiness washed over him, and he sat in the backyard, replacing sleep with spiritual practice.


    As his cultivation improved, his spiritual power also recovered rapidly.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Qin Niu did not go to the mountains for cultivation or insect breeding.


    Because he hadn¡¯t yet found the method to raise Green Demon Bees.


    He wondered if he should let the Worker Bees serve as nursemaids?


    The main issue was that he did not know what food the young Green Demon Bees needed.


    The Green Demon Bee Breeding Classics did not mention a word about it.


    Qin Niu felt this issue was urgent and immediately started studying the Breeding Insects Secrets written by Elder Jiu Yin.


    It detailed Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s breeding processes for various insects.


    Compared to Green Demons, Elder Jiu Yin did not hold back any secrets, recording the complete breeding processes and insights for every insect.


    One book summed up Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s three hundred years of familial history.


    As long as Elder Jiu Yin had raised the insect, whether it was a Rabuja, a Bloodsucking Leech, or the Fire Ant, Taiyin Yaoyao, Four-Winged Demon Centipede¡­ the breeding process for every insect was described in great detail.


    Even how to obtain the original insect was thoroughly recorded.


    For instance, the most formidable Four-Winged Demon Centipede was captured by Elder Jiu Yin by chance in the Poisonous Miasma Forest with at least a millennium¡¯s history.


    It started off as a Dual-Winged Flying Centipede.


    After Elder Jiu Yin captured it with great difficulty, he thought of many ways to subjugate it, using more than thirty Advanced Contract Talismans alone.


    When subduing this insect, Elder Jiu Yin adopted a war of attrition method.


    He had his attendants and a host of enslaved insects use mid-tier Contract Charms to continuously wear down the Dual-Winged Flying Centipede¡¯s energy.


    Only when it was extremely weary did Elder Jiu Yin personally take action, subduing it at once.


    To subdue it, Elder Jiu Yin endured a grueling three days and four nights, using thirty-four Advanced Contract Talismans. Only then did he manage to subdue it.


    Of all the pets Qin Niu had tamed, the most difficult to subdue had been the War Bee Queen Bee.


    He had never experienced paying such a huge price to subdue an insect like Elder Jiu Yin did.


    However, he learned a lot from Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s experiences.


    In the future, when encountering particularly difficult insects or animals to tame, he could adopt a war of attrition or relentless harassment approach to subdue them.


    In general, insects that require such effort to subdue are either of a high grade or are rare species of heaven and earth.


    The Four-Winged Demon Centipede was one of those rare species.


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao had a rather common origin.


    At that time, Elder Jiu Yin was over thirty years old and still unmarried.


    Lacking any special skills, penniless, short, and somewhat ugly, he epitomized the trifecta of poor, stubby, and unattractive.


    Not a single maiden was willing to marry him.


    It¡¯s said that necessity is the mother of invention, so Elder Jiu Yin used the money he had saved from working to buy a Low-grade Contract Charm and a popular Insect Control Book.


    Then his reversal of fortune began.


    Initially, he wanted to subdue a venomous spider. Since Elder Jiu Yin was a native to the Nine Insect Gang, he grew up in the deep mountains surrounded by forests.


    The most common sight in the forests were spiders.


    At that time, he could barely read and spent over half a year begging for help to learn how to read so that he could comprehend the insect control books.


    Feeling somewhat confident in what he had learned, Elder Jiu Yin went into the deep forest full of ambition, searching for the most powerful venomous spider.


    The result was that two days later, he crawled back home.


    He didn¡¯t catch a venomous spider; instead, he was bitten by one.

 Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: Chapter 293 Feeding Bees with Blood_1

    Chapter 300: Chapter 293 Feeding Bees with Blood_1


    When he dragged himself home, the wound on his hand had swelled significantly and turned black.


    It was one of his uncles who had summoned a Pharmacist to treat the poison, saving his life. It was after that bite that his right hand became somewhat deformed, and what was worse, he was left with the aftereffects of facial paralysis and a limping gait.


    After this, the thought of taking another girl as his bride was pretty much out of the question.


    Lying on his rickety bed, Elder Jiu Yin sighed deeply, cursing the thieving heavens and lamenting the unfairness of his fate.


    It was then that he discovered a cockroach looking for food in a corner of the wall, providing companionship in his days of hardship.


    He deliberately tossed some scraps of food onto the floor every day for no other reason than to have the cockroach keep him company.


    Because lying in bed alone was just too lonely.


    Not even someone to talk to.


    Now at least he had a cockroach for company.


    Perhaps it was because he fed it every day that the cockroach gradually became much bolder.


    Watching the cockroach, Elder Jiu Yin had a moment of inspiration and decided to tame it as a pet.


    It seemed to be fated, for he tamed the cockroach with astonishing ease.


    In his life, he now had his first pet.


    From then on, he was never alone, as he had the cockroach for company every day.


    As cockroaches are omnivorous, Elder Jiu Yin, after taming it, started deliberately killing some of the spiders in the house to feed it in order to help it grow stronger.


    Latter, when a gecko came in search of food, Elder Jiu Yin also killed it, using it to feed the cockroach.


    From then on, Elder Jiu Yin would kill any small animal or insect that entered his room to feed the cockroach.


    He poured all his efforts into raising the cockroach.


    The cockroach did not let him down and, after eating these slightly better-quality foods, it evolved directly from a Grade Two female to Grade Three.


    This delighted Elder Jiu Yin tremendously.


    After achieving the title of Insect Master, his status and destiny were completely transformed.


    He then showed extraordinary talent in the way of rearing insects.


    And not long after he gained the status of Insect Master, a beautiful young girl whose family was poor was married off to him with his uncle acting as a go-between, and the two of them tied the knot.


    Elder Jiu Yin was on top of the world, and his days finally had hope.


    Latter, utilizing the strong reproductive abilities of the cockroach, he made a name for himself in the insect fighting tournaments. He was appreciated by an elder of the Nine Insect Gang and taken in as a nominal disciple.


    However, due to the chaotic management and backward thinking of the Nine Insect Gang,


    that elder took a fancy to Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s beautiful wife and ultimately forced himself upon her using despicable means.


    Meanwhile, Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s wife was already more than five months pregnant.


    With a fierce temperament, she left a bloodstained letter and hung herself that very night.


    Elder Jiu Yin was overwhelmed with grief and faced a choice: confront the elder immediately to seek justice for his wife,


    or after careful consideration, he chose to bide his time.


    The next day, when the master asked about his wife¡¯s suicide, Elder Jiu Yin publicly cursed her for being ungrateful, saying her death was well-deserved.


    He also said that if he took another wife in the future, if his master liked her, he could have her anytime.


    As he spoke these words, Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s heart bled.


    But there was no choice, he had to endure it; otherwise, not only would he be unable to avenge her, but his master could also easily kill him.


    The disparity in power between them was too great.


    Not until sixty-seven years later did Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s strength become sufficiently powerful.


    He also unexpectedly acquired a celestial script detailing gu techniques.


    Seizing the opportunity, he poisoned his master, hacked off his limbs, and then used him to feed insects. And not just that, he humiliated all of his master¡¯s female relatives in front of him and sold them into a brothel.


    Having avenged his great injustice, he finally dared to build a grave for his late wife to mourn and comfort her spirit.


    Qin Niu, after reading about Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s early history of vengeance, felt a mix of emotions.


    Morality is very important.


    If one acts immorally, sooner or later one will suffer a terrible fate and even bring disaster upon one¡¯s family.


    The fate of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s master, who for a moment¡¯s pleasure brought calamity upon his disciple¡¯s wife, ended up extremely wretched.


    Through reading ¡°Breeding Insects Secrets,¡± Qin Niu had gained some insights into cultivating Green Demon Bees.


    Being able to hatch Green Demon Bee eggs with fresh blood suggested that it was also possible to feed the larvae with fresh blood.


    The day he slaughtered Elder Jiu Yin, Qin Niu obtained a large amount of fresh blood, which came in handy for feeding the larvae.


    He tried using a small wooden stick to scoop up a bit of coagulated blood and then placed it near the larvae¡¯s mouth.


    No use.


    It couldn¡¯t move at the moment and, although its mouthparts kept opening and closing, it couldn¡¯t reach the blood.


    This didn¡¯t stump Qin Niu; he had a swarm of bees and could order a couple of Worker Bees to come and feed this larva.


    He directly summoned two powerful War Bees over.


    After consuming the coagulated blood, they began to feed the young Green Demon Bee.


    Hey, this trick indeed worked.


    It fed happily, with the two War Bees bustling about joyfully.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad. Hopefully, this larva will turn into a pupa soon.¡±


    He tried checking the larva¡¯s properties.


    Green Demon Bee (Larva)


    Grade: Grade Four Hymenopteran insects, experience needed for leveling up 10021/100000


    Lifespan: 1000 years


    Energy: 10070


    Skills: None.


    Talents: None.


    Its skills and talents were not visible for the time being.


    It might be necessary to wait for it to pupate and hatch before being able to see its skills and talents as a mature larva.


    Being just a larva, it already had a lifespan of a thousand years, and it was a Grade Four insect.


    Its innate conditions were even better than those of the Green Silk Worm.


    This was the famous insect that brought renown to the Green Demon, and once it matured, Qin Niu was certain it would bring him pleasant surprises.


    What he needed to do now was to nurture it with great care and wait patiently.


    After hesitating for a moment, he took out the egg of a Corpse Bee and placed it beside the larva.


    Then, following the Secret Technique described in the ¡°Spider Technique Scroll,¡± he used human blood as a catalyst to induce mutual consumption and fusion between them.


    This was going to be a lengthy process.


    ¡°Master Qin, are you home?¡±


    It was the voice of the matchmaker, Madam Hua.


    ¡°I am home. Let me change my clothes, and I shall accompany you to the Tang family to propose marriage.¡±


    Qin Niu took this matter very seriously.


    After all, it was a significant event in his life.


    After changing his clothes, he and Madam Hua, carrying the betrothal gifts, set off for Tang Wenh§Ñn¡¯s residence.


    In the backyard, Tang Fang was already busy with the craftsmen.


    Qin Niu naturally wouldn¡¯t bother with these trifles, leaving it to the craftsmen to get on with their tasks.


    They needed to boil sticky rice juice, mix it with five-colored mud, and the firewood in the backyard was at their disposal.


    In this world, there was no cement, but there were five-colored muds, which, as legend had it, were passed down by N¨¹wa when she mended the sky. However, N¨¹wa¡¯s creation was the Five-Colored Yuhua Stones.


    In folk burials or for constructing the foundations of houses, five-colored paste was often used.


    It was made by mixing sticky rice juice, lime, sand paste, and other materials.


    Impervious to soaking, resistant to corrosion, it could last a thousand years without damage.


    Pool edges constructed with stones and green bricks along with this mud would be incredibly sturdy.


    Because producing five-colored mud required the use of sticky rice, ordinary poor families would be reluctant to waste food. Thus, it was only the rich and powerful who would use it extravagantly.

 Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: Chapter 294: Fiancée Steps In_1

    Chapter 301: Chapter 294: Fianc¨¦e Steps In_1


    The marriage proposal procession was quite impressive, comprising over a dozen people and carrying a generous bridal dowry, attracting the attention of many onlookers along the way.


    Qin Niu felt uncertain about the Tang Family¡¯s attitude.


    If necessary, he could make some promises to the Tang Family as compensation for taking Tang Caixian as his consort.


    They soon arrived at Tang Wenh§Ñn¡¯s home.


    But the courtyard door was tightly closed.


    This gave Qin Niu a bad premonition.


    Tang Caixian longed to marry him, but it seemed her family was not very supportive.


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll go get Auntie He over here.¡±


    Seeing that they might be turned away at the door, Aunt Hua hurriedly called for the local matchmaker, Sister He, from Daoyuan Village.


    The two often collaborated and were in frequent contact, so naturally, she sought help from a colleague when facing a problem.


    Sister He, having already discussed the situation with Aunt Hua on the way over, seemed to know the gist of the matter.


    She smiled at Qin Niu and said, ¡°Master Qin, don¡¯t worry. They say you can¡¯t keep a grown daughter at home. As long as Cai Xian is willing to marry you, Tang Wenh§Ñn¡¯s stubbornness won¡¯t matter. Besides, Master Qin, you are young and promising, with a bright future ahead of you; marrying you would be no loss for her.¡±


    After comforting Qin Niu, Sister He started calling out at the door directly.


    ¡°Tang Wenh§Ñn, open up, you¡¯ve got great news coming!¡±


    There was no response from inside the house.


    A moment later, however, a window on the upper floor opened.


    ¡°Is that Auntie He? I¡¯ll come down and open the door right away.¡±


    Tang Caixian leaned out halfway, dressed very delicately.


    She wore a pink dress that perfectly combined a young girl¡¯s charm with a graceful figure.


    Knowing Qin Niu would come to propose today, she had taken special care to dress up.


    Seeing that her father and brother would not open the door, she could not contain her impatience and rushed to agree.


    ¡°Stay upstairs, your brother will open the door.¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn¡¯s voice rose from inside the house.


    He ordered his daughter not to come downstairs.


    Soon, Tang Bin opened both the main gate and the courtyard door.


    His expression was icy-cold, showing no emotion.


    ¡°Brother Tang Bin!¡±


    Qin Niu greeted him proactively with polite respect.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to visit, but there¡¯s no need to bring your things inside,¡± Tang Bin said coldly.


    Qin Niu knew that this brother-in-law was angry. No one would want their sister to marry off as a concubine. He decided not to take issue with Tang Bin¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°You fellows, please wait outside for a while. Aunt Hua, Sister He, let¡¯s the three of us go in first,¡± Qin Niu said as he led the way.


    Inside the main hall, Tang Wenh§Ñn sat there puffing on his dry pipe with a ¡°tapping¡± sound.


    ¡°Shuangfeng Village¡¯s Qin Niu pays his respects to Uncle Tang,¡± said Qin Niu as he stepped forward to greet him.


    ¡°Hmph! Sit down!¡± Tang Wenh§Ñn grunted, not even lifting his eyes.


    A young woman in a floral dress, likely Tang Bin¡¯s wife, gestured for the three to sit down and then served them tea.


    ¡°Brother Wenh§Ñn, you see, Young Master Qin is sincere about wanting to marry your daughter, and Cai Xian has a special affection for Young Master Qin¡­¡± Sister He started working on Tang Wenh§Ñn¡¯s mindset very professionally, as soon as she sat down.


    ¡°Drink your tea, let them speak for themselves,¡± said Tang Wenh§Ñn, looking down and puffing on his pipe.


    ¡°Uncle Tang, I wish to take your daughter, Tang Caixian, as my concubine. I hope you will grant us your blessing,¡± Qin Niu, deciding not to beat around the bush, said directly.


    ¡°Bullying too far, bullying too far!¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn¡¯s dry tobacco pipe banged on the table with a thumping sound, his face filled with anger.


    ¡°I only have this one daughter. In looks, talent, character, where does she fall short for you to look down upon her like this? So many young masters and sons of wealthy families want to marry her, but I refused. Yet, you set your sights on this poor Insect Master. Don¡¯t think that becoming an Insect Master is something extraordinary. To take my daughter as a concubine, no way.¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn was adamant.


    ¡°Qin Niu, I respected you as a hero, but I didn¡¯t expect you to treat my sister with such contempt. I¡¯m telling you clearly today that my sister does not have to marry you. There are plenty of distinguished young masters willing to marry her with eight palanquins.¡±


    Tang Bin also said angrily on the side.


    ¡°I know this matter has made you very angry, please allow me to explain a few words. First, I have no intention of belittling Cai Xian. The betrothal gifts I presented to the Wang Family were the same as what I brought to your family. Second, I met Wang Wanyan before I met you. In those days when I was destitute and couldn¡¯t even afford a meal, it was she who gave me alms and helped me survive the toughest times.


    I can promise you, although Cai Xian will be a concubine, I will definitely not mistreat her, much less betray her deep-sea-like affection.


    Also, if given the chance in the future, I will definitely help Cai Xian¡¯s maiden family become a strong clan.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t just bragging.


    With his current strength, he was already slightly surpassing the Yan Family.


    At the very least, he was on par with the Yan Family.


    Now that the Green Demon Bee had hatched and both Green Ox and Termite were growing, his own cultivation was also improving. It would only take a year or two to completely surpass the Yan Family.


    By then, Tang Wenh§Ñn would be his father-in-law and Tang Bin his brother-in-law, undoubtedly receiving some preferential treatment.


    ¡°Stop fantasizing here. Even if you¡¯re just an ordinary Insect Master now, even if you become a high-ranking member of the Black Tiger Gang, I will not agree to marry off my daughter to be your concubine. Our Tang Family won¡¯t sacrifice our daughter¡¯s lifetime happiness for the benefit of the clan.¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn refuted angrily.


    ¡°Father is right. This kind of glory and riches obtained by sacrificing our sister, we Tang Family don¡¯t want it.¡±


    Tang Bin echoed as well.


    The father and son were indeed of one mind.


    ¡°Father, brother, thank you for loving me so much, but what I want to tell you is that marrying Qin Niu as a concubine is my greatest happiness. Marrying those young masters as a principal wife is not the love I want, and I wouldn¡¯t be happy.¡±


    Tang Caixian came down from upstairs.


    Or rather, she had been eavesdropping all along.


    Accompanying her was a rather beautiful middle-aged woman, presumably Tang Caixian¡¯s mother.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re confused!¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn stood up abruptly, raising his hand to strike his daughter.


    But his wife shielded her.


    ¡°Our daughter is just sharing her true feelings, why strike her?¡±


    ¡°I want to smack some sense into this foolish girl. A fine principal wife she could be, able to marry into the city, yet she insists on marrying this Qin Niu. And to be someone else¡¯s concubine at that.¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn bellowed with rage.


    ¡°Father, I know you want what¡¯s best for your daughter, but you don¡¯t understand what your daughter truly wants. Please, I beg you, agree to Qin Niu! Okay?¡±


    Tang Caixian seemed quite pampered at home.


    Even if her father was furious beyond measure, she didn¡¯t appear afraid.


    She still tried hard to fight for her father¡¯s agreement.


    ¡°If you want me to agree, wait till I¡¯m dead! Hmph¡­ This is truly maddening.¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn gasped for breath, his breathing harsh.


    Just as both parties were at a stalemate, a cool and pleasant female voice came from outside.


    ¡°May I ask if Uncle Tang Wenh§Ñn is home? Wang Wanyan has come to visit specially.¡±


    Everyone was momentarily stunned.


    The situation was already chaotic enough, and Wang Wanyan¡¯s arrival at this moment was akin to adding fuel to the fire, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Please come in!¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn sat back in the master seat, and his wife, along with his daughter Tang Caixian, did not go upstairs.


    Wang Wanyan entered, wearing a fitted white dress.


    ¡°Miss Wang Wanyan pays her respects to Uncle Wenh§Ñn!¡±


    ¡°What brings you here?¡± Tang Wenh§Ñn asked with a blank expression on his face.


    Only his tone had softened somewhat.

 Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Chapter 295: Ennoblement to First-Class Nobility_1

    Chapter 302: Chapter 295: Ennoblement to First-Class Nobility_1


    ¡°I came here to discuss with you the matter of Qin Niu taking Cai Xian as his concubine,¡± Wang Wanyan finished, looking towards Qin Niu and Auntie Hua. ¡°Ah Niu, could you allow me to chat with the Tang Family alone?¡±


    Qin Niu, looking at his fianc¨¦e, was filled with confusion.


    Nevertheless, he nodded his head.


    ¡°Auntie Hua, Auntie He, let¡¯s wait outside for now!¡±


    After speaking, he took the lead in leaving the Tang Family¡¯s main hall.


    Shortly after the three of them left, the door was swiftly closed.


    Wang Wanyan didn¡¯t know what was being discussed inside with the Tang Family.


    After nearly half an hour, the door opened again, and Tang Bin walked out with a face no longer cold.


    ¡°Qin Niu, I really envy you for having such a good wife. Let them bring in the dowry! You three, please come inside and have some tea.¡±


    It seemed Wang Wanyan had persuaded the Tang Family.


    What exactly did she say?


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know.


    From Tang Bin¡¯s tone, it was evident that Wang Wanyan likely made some promises to the Tang Family and had gained their trust.


    After entering the house, Wang Wanyan and Cai Xian were nowhere to be seen.


    It was unclear whether they were deliberately avoiding them, or if the matter had been settled, and the two seized the opportunity to have a private chat and further bond.


    ¡°Qin Niu, just now your fianc¨¦e convinced me and my whole family. Moreover, my daughter is intent on marrying you¡­ Sigh, it¡¯s hard to keep a grown daughter at home, so I entrust her to you. I hope you will treat my daughter well. If you fail her, even if it costs me my life, I will make you pay.¡±


    Tang Wenhan appeared quite helpless.


    His daughter was set on marrying, and as her father, if he insisted on preventing the marriage, it would only trigger a variety of unpredictable and serious consequences.


    Either his daughter would seek her own death, or she would elope with Qin Niu, or stubbornly remain unmarried for a lifetime, becoming an old maiden. She might even blame him for the rest of her life.


    After much deliberation, Tang Wenhan could only reluctantly agree to the marriage.


    ¡°In the presence of you, Auntie, and Brother Tang Bin and his wife, I pledge to treat Cai Xian sincerely, to love and protect her for a lifetime,¡± Qin Niu solemnly promised.


    What followed was a matter of course, with both sides setting the wedding date and arranging the marriage.


    As Wang Furen was eager to marry off his daughter, the wedding date was set for the sixth day of the following month, an auspicious day for marriage.


    In these troubled times, without a strong protector, Wang Furen was particularly worried about not being able to ensure his daughter¡¯s safety.


    Marrying his daughter to Qin Niu was a way for him to have peace of mind.


    ¡­


    After leaving the Tang Family¡¯s house, Qin Niu finally could breathe a deep sigh of relief.


    The matter of a lifetime was settled.


    Once he married two beautiful daughters-in-law, he would have his own family.


    Giving rewards to the two matchmakers goes without saying.


    When he returned to Shuangfeng Village, from afar he could see a luxurious carriage and several fine horses parked outside his home.


    It seemed guests had arrived.


    Qin Niu hurried home, to find several important figures already seated in the living room.


    Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that experts from the Fang Family had come.


    ¡°Qin Niu pays respects to Young Master Fang and the two esteemed elders of the Fang Family,¡± he said.


    Young Master Fang Lian and the two elders from the Fang Family, who cultivated in seclusion, were all known to Qin Niu.


    He promptly stepped forward to greet them.


    Previously, facing Young Master Fang, Qin Niu only felt that the latter¡¯s strength was unfathomably deep.


    Now, with the cultivation of the Innate Realm, Qin Niu faced this young master of the Fang Family with less awe and more composure.


    The cultivation level of the two Fang Family elders should be on par with that of Vice City Lord Bai.


    Both were unfathomably profound, like two towering mountains, even just sitting there motionlessly, they exuded a strong sense of oppression.


    ¡°Master Qin, long time no see!¡±


    Fang Lian rose with a smile.


    The two elders of the Fang Family slightly nodded to Qin Niu as a form of acknowledgement.


    Such existences, each a top expert of the Black Tiger Gang, were quite normal in their haughtiness.


    Their mere nod to Qin Niu was already quite courteous.


    ¡°Young Master Fang remains radiant as ever, which strikes a particularly fond chord with onlookers.¡±


    There was more than a hint of sycophancy in Qin Niu¡¯s words.


    In the world of adults, being sycophantic is just right.


    If you can¡¯t swallow your pride, you¡¯ll struggle in society.


    ¡°Haha, Master Qin is a friend of our Fang Family, and I find you equally endearing. By the way, this is Deputy City Lord of the City Lord¡¯s Mansion. Since Vice Gang Leader Bai is injured and needs to recuperate, the Gang Leader specifically asked the Deputy City Lord to come to present you with an honor and additional rewards.¡±


    Young Master Fang introduced with a laugh.


    Deputy City Lord was a somewhat stern-looking elderly man.


    Appearing to be in his sixties.


    His long grey eyebrows drooped at the sides of his brow bone, his eyes electric, sharper even than those of an eagle.


    His cultivation seemed somewhat weaker than that of the two elders of the Fang Family, roughly equal to that of Elder Jiu Yin.


    He also was a powerhouse of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    All of these people were top existences within the Black Tiger Gang.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart stirred slightly, recalling that last time Wang Furen had been very eager to marry off his daughter to the son of Black Tiger City¡¯s City Commandant. He wondered if this man might be the City Commandant?


    ¡°Qin Niu pays his respects to Deputy City Lord!¡±


    Qin Niu bowed deeply as a gesture of respect and reverence to a mighty figure.


    ¡°No need for formalities! Indeed, a dragon amongst men, youthful yet majestic and unassuming with hidden talents, quite remarkable!¡±


    Deputy City Lord scrutinized Qin Niu, offering a very high evaluation.


    What does ¡°unassuming with hidden talents¡± mean?


    Was it a veiled reference to Qin Niu preferring to conceal his skill, keeping a low profile to hide his true strength?


    ¡°Thank you for the high praise, Deputy City Lord, I am but a humble Insect Master.¡±


    Qin Niu certainly didn¡¯t dare to take such compliments casually.


    ¡°A humble Insect Master? One who was able to defeat decisively Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s twelve disciples, furiously slain many. Not to mention utterly destroying Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s own Taiyin Yaoyao. Do you think an ordinary Insect Master could do that?¡±


    Deputy City Lord asked with a half-smile.


    Having heard of Qin Niu¡¯s glorious achievements, Young Master Fang¡¯s gaze clearly shifted dramatically when looking at him.


    ¡°Uh¡­ these things were not accomplished by my efforts alone, I merely assisted under the leadership of Lord Bai and Master He Shan.¡±


    Qin Niu never thought about taking on some high official role.


    He simply wished to retreat to Shuangfeng Village and cultivate in peace; any grand military achievements were to be deferred whenever possible.


    ¡°You are quite an interesting young man. While others your age chase fame and fortune like hungry ducks, you steer clear of it. It seems like the Lord of the City¡¯s initial intent was to recruit you into the military, exceptionally promoting you as an officer. Looking at you now, it seems you¡¯ll most likely decline.¡±


    This Deputy City Lord was truly impressive, easily piercing through Qin Niu¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Thank you, Deputy City Lord, for your discernment. I am but a simple country bumpkin by nature, not destined for officialdom. If there truly is a reward, a pill or two of Elixir, or some land, would be the best reward for me.¡±


    Qin Niu was quite shrewd.


    He seized the moment to express his disinterest in an official career.


    Asking for Elixir and land, to be a landlord in the countryside, that was his dream.


    ¡°The Gang Leader really does have a wonderful foresight! Two sets of reward plans were prepared for you. Since you have no interest in officialdom, let¡¯s go with the second one!¡±


    After speaking, Deputy City Lord opened a commendation letter.


    ¡°Qin Niu, Insect Master of Shuangfeng Village in Jade Stream Town, has repeatedly uncovered significant military intelligence, establishing extraordinary meritorious service for our Black Tiger Gang. Following that, under the command of Vice City Lord Bai, he significantly defeated the Insect Formation set by the Nine Insect Gang, burning countless enemy ships, leading our army to a great victory, decimating over ten thousand enemies. Furthermore, he assisted Vice City Lord Bai at a critical moment to destroy Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s foundational Taiyin Yaoyao, breaking the bee and ant swarms, aiding in killing two Spirit Qi Realm high-level enemies of the enemy army, crippling Elder Jiu Yin and forcing him to flee.


    Each and every achievement constitutes an immense contribution.


    Our Black Tiger Gang clearly distinguishes rewards and punishments, Qin Niu has established immense merit, promoting him over five grades to become a first-class noble of the Black Tiger Gang, enjoying all the privileges of a first-class noble.


    Awarded a hundred mu of fertile land, and a bottle of Peiyuan Elixir useful for enhancing cultivation.¡±


    This reward was too great.


    A first-class noble was no ordinary honor, equivalent to being among the royalty and nobility of a country, belonging to a privileged class.

 Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Chapter 296 Ascending to the Top_1

    Chapter 303: Chapter 296 Ascending to the Top_1


    The Black Tiger Gang could confer the title of a first-class noble on no more than two hundred individuals. Such beings generally have one mandatory condition: their cultivation must reach the Spirit Qi Realm, or they must possess strength comparable to that of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    For example, powerful Insect Masters or Beast Tamers, who may only be in the Innate Realm themselves, but have extremely formidable pets that can contend with the strong in the Spirit Qi Realm.


    After accumulating merit, these individuals are also qualified to be conferred the title of a first-class noble.


    Top-tier pill masters and plantation masters, if their cultivation is insufficient, would at most be made second-class nobles.


    In any faction, even in the Nine Insect Gang, strength is revered above all else.


    When the Black Tiger Gang confers the title of a first-class noble, it values not only strength but also merit. Because based on merit, one can measure a person¡¯s contribution to the gang and loyalty.


    Strictly speaking, Qin Niu certainly does not meet these two conditions.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader likely sees him as a talent and wants to win over his heart by bestowing grace.


    This, coupled with the current urgent need to bolster morale, is why they need to set a few examples.


    Qin Niu stumbled into making a great contribution, with strength that was also barely passable, and he himself was particularly young with limitless potential for growth.


    And he had no interest in an official career.


    He probably wouldn¡¯t accept a government appointment,


    So he was directly made a first-class noble instead.


    ¡°Thank you, Gang Leader, for your great favor. Qin Niu will surely be deeply engrained with gratitude and seek opportunities to continue making contributions to the Black Tiger Gang.¡±


    Qin Niu bowed as he received the conferment document.


    ¡°Haha, well done, well done. The Gang Leader indeed was not mistaken about you.¡±


    Lord Lu rarely showed a smile.


    ¡°As a first-class noble, there are less than a thousand conferees thus far in our gang, and of those alive today, just over two hundred people. With this status, all your lands are exempt from taxation, your descendants and family members exempt from conscription. There is no need to salute an official, and only the City Lord¡¯s Mansion may judge you in the case of offenses. If participating in a trial, you may be offered a seat¡­¡±


    The various privileges of a first-class noble were enough to make countless people envious.


    Not to mention anything else, just the exemption of all lands from taxation and exemption from conscription for the family and individual themselves was a super privilege.


    The land tax, which could be as little as ten percent or as much as thirty percent, was a heavy, long-term burden for many landlords and farmers.


    Even a local influential family like the Yan Family had to pay their taxes honestly.


    ¡°The hundred mu of fertile land conferred upon you all belong to the public fields of the City Lord¡¯s Mansion. Here is the land deed, specially selected to be the public fields nearest to Shuangfeng Village.¡±


    Other than personal ownership, the remaining land all belonged to the wealth of the City Lord¡¯s Mansion.


    It could also be called public property.


    However, the City Lord¡¯s Mansion would not directly cultivate the land but rather rent it out, and then collect rent.


    This was an important source of income for the City Lord¡¯s Mansion.


    Now comes the question: with the City Lord¡¯s Mansion often needing to confer land to meritorious subjects, and having only so much land to begin with, could it run out?


    In reality, it would not.


    Besides some landlords and farmers who could be confiscated of their property for breaking the law, the City Lord¡¯s Mansion also had a dedicated department for business affairs. When the land prices were low, the City Lord¡¯s Mansion might buy a large amount of land from the people.


    A hundred mu of fertile land was already a lot.


    Counting one mu of fertile land as eleven taels of silver, that was a total of one thousand one hundred taels of silver.


    Add on the deed tax, and the total price exceeded one thousand three hundred taels of silver.


    An ordinary person, owning a hundred mu of fertile land, could directly become a landlord.


    Up until now, Qin Niu had only one mu of inferior land.


    Now he had received the conferment of a hundred mu of fertile land, which was indeed an honor for his ancestors.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord of the City, thank you, Lord Lu!¡±


    Qin Niu took the land deed with both hands, his heart surging with emotion.


    If only Old Man Liu were still alive.


    Such a large amount of land would have been enough to make Old Man Liu grin from ear to ear.


    ¡°Right now, our Black Tiger Gang is still at war with the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect, and the outcome of the battle is uncertain. You should diligently cultivate, strive to enhance your strength, and try to contribute more when it¡¯s necessary. Protecting one¡¯s family and country is also the obligation and responsibility of every subject.¡±


    Lord Lu admonished.


    ¡°This humble one will certainly keep Lord Lu¡¯s teachings in mind.¡±


    ¡°You are now a first-class noble, ranking at the same level as Lu. There¡¯s no need to belittle yourself any longer.¡±


    Lord Lu said with a smile, offering a reminder.


    ¡°This junior will slowly adapt.¡±


    Qin Niu immediately changed his way of speaking and no longer referred to himself as ¡°this lowly one.¡±


    Lord Lu looked towards Young Master Fang.


    ¡°We should set off and continue the pursuit of Elder Jiu Yin and the rest of the scoundrels, let¡¯s depart!¡±


    They obviously didn¡¯t know about the demise of Elder Jiu Yin at the hands of Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu hesitated for two seconds but ultimately decided to keep it to himself until the end.


    That Hundred Treasures Insect Bag was a valuable item; if they were to find out he had killed Elder Jiu Yin and demanded the spoils of war, wouldn¡¯t that be troublesome?


    Furthermore, if the Nine Insect Gang knew it was he who killed Elder Jiu Yin, they would certainly regard him as a mortal enemy.


    Qin Niu ultimately decided to keep this to himself.


    After all, the body and evidence had already been destroyed.


    ¡°Master Qin, we shall take our leave then. Elder Jiu Yin has always been elusive, and from certain clues, we believe he may have fled back to Jade Stream Town. You must be careful. If you encounter him, do not act recklessly. Elder Jiu Yin is one of the two strongest elders of the Nine Insect Gang, with many tricks up his sleeve. Facing him alone, you could easily be killed instead.¡±


    Fang Lian treated Qin Niu as a friend.


    Only he knew that Qin Niu was not only an Insect Master but also an extremely adept Planting Grandmaster.


    The important medicinal plant of the Fang Family had gradually recovered under Qin Niu¡¯s treatment.


    The crisis of the Fang Family had thus been averted.


    But no one could guarantee that those important medicinal plants wouldn¡¯t have issues again, and there might be times in the future when they¡¯d need Qin Niu¡¯s help.


    Now that Qin Niu had been ennobled as a first-class noble, the Fang Family no longer had the power to manipulate him as they pleased.


    Improving relations with him was the best strategy.


    ¡°Also, according to reliable information, Elder Mei of the Nine Insect Gang led a group of experts into the heartland of the Black Tiger Gang, possibly to rescue Elder Jiu Yin from his predicament. These experts are also very powerful, and although Elder Mei¡¯s insect control skills may not match Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s, his cultivation had already advanced to the Spirit Qi Realm over a hundred years ago. He is one of the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s top-tier experts, and if you happen to spot this person, the best strategy would be to run away.¡±


    Fang Lian disclosed another important piece of information to Qin Niu.


    This also showed that Lord Lu had kept certain information from him.


    If it weren¡¯t for Fang Lian¡¯s disclosure, Qin Niu would have had no knowledge of this at all.


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Young Master Fang. Take care!¡±


    Qin Niu expressed his thanks with a clasped fist.


    ¡°Take care!¡±


    Young Master Fang nodded and, along with the family¡¯s experts and Lord Lu, took their leave.


    These individuals were among the elite of the Black Tiger Gang.


    The arrival of so many prominent figures to visit Qin Niu caused the villagers, who were watching from a distance, to hold him in even greater awe.


    They all speculated about the intentions of these dignitaries.


    Wang Furen, watching from next door, saw his future son-in-law appearing increasingly accomplished and felt a secret delight.


    ¡­


    The mention of Qin Niu¡¯s mountaintop cultivation shall be skipped.


    He planned to take over the hundred acres of good farmland awarded to him in a couple of days.


    After all, with the deed in hand, it wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    The locust plague had not yet subsided and continued to ravage the territories of the Black Tiger Gang. However, as most plants had been devoured, the locusts had begun to migrate, and the plague was likely to end before long.


    In such circumstances, even if Qin Niu took possession of the good farmland, it would inevitably lie fallow.


    After the locust plague had passed, he would consider hiring workers to cultivate the land.


    By then, he could also follow the Yan Family¡¯s example, keep a couple of oxen for plowing, hire a group of long-term workers, and be a landlord himself.


    Unfortunately, land prices had not yet fallen significantly; otherwise, Qin Niu would certainly have been buying a lot.


    Buying up land extensively.


    When prices were high, an acre of good farmland cost around thirteen taels of silver.


    Now it¡¯s about eleven taels.


    Which is a two taels reduction per acre.


    This was a minor decrease, not a substantial price drop.


    He believed it was not the best time to buy, and decided to wait and see.


    After all, in his view, the value of that mountain was even higher.

 Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: Chapter 297 Cultivating the Golden Toad_1

    Chapter 304: Chapter 297 Cultivating the Golden Toad_1


    Today, upon entering the maze within the Ancient Banyan Tree, he deliberately did not cut the wound too deep.


    Then, he stood by and watched.


    Initially, the wound on the trunk healed quickly, but it soon stopped, with the dark green tree blood continuing to drip out.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Qin Niu patted the trunk of the Ancient Banyan Tree and, as a token of gratitude, channeled a thread of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power into the tree.


    He began to sit under the tree and meditate with his eyes closed.


    His cultivation level was rapidly increasing.


    By evening time, his Medicine King Sutra had successfully broken through another layer, advancing him to the sixth level of the Acquired Realm.


    This cultivation speed left him very satisfied.


    He hadn¡¯t consumed the Peiyuan Elixir bestowed by the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Since he wasn¡¯t facing any bottlenecks, and his cultivation speed had reached dozens of times faster than outside, there was no need to consume the elixir.


    It would be better to save it for when he was breaking through a major realm.


    Based on his experience with consuming Boundary-breaking Elixirs, it was best to save such elixirs to break through bottlenecks.


    Having killed so many experts without obtaining a single Boundary-breaking Elixir or similar top-tier elixir, it was clear that such elixirs were extremely scarce resources. For this reason, Qin Niu had to be prepared to use common elixirs when facing bottlenecks.


    He stood up and checked the five jars placed around the trunk.


    Just like yesterday, they had already filled up with tree blood.


    After collecting the jars, the wound on the trunk healed slowly.


    Through two days of experimentation, he was certain that the Ancient Banyan Tree was showing him goodwill.


    This tree indeed possessed a certain degree of sentience.


    Today, when he went out, he tried not to use Fourth as a guide.


    But he still got trapped.


    This suggested that the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree might naturally exist, and perhaps even the tree itself couldn¡¯t control it.


    Carrying the five jars of tree blood, he arrived in front of the Ant Nest; the Zombie Ant was still evolving, and the Ant Queen was in normal condition, not having evolved any special abilities yet.


    Qin Niu continued to persist in feeding them.


    After all, he was feeding them one Taiyin Yaoyao per day.


    Until it advanced or evolved a new special ability.


    When he got home, the lotus pond in the backyard was completed.


    Tang Fang¡¯s craftsmanship was commendable; the lotus pond was built very sturdily. But he couldn¡¯t use it just yet; it needed a couple of days before water could be poured into it.


    Qin Niu also checked on the Green Demon Bee; it seemed to have grown a bit after feeding on fresh blood.


    But it hadn¡¯t yet managed to merge with the egg of the Corpse Bee.


    On the other hand, after absorbing the fresh blood of Elder Jiu Yin, the Green Silk Worm grew at an astoundingly fast rate.


    It was almost changing daily.


    ¡°Wart Toad, come here!¡±


    Qin Niu called out, and the Red-eyed Golden Toad lying in a cool corner of the yard immediately hopped over.


    ¡°I plan to help you increase your level, but this process carries some risks and could be quite lengthy. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    It let out a croaking sound, indicating its agreement.


    All creatures are incredibly persistent in their pursuit of becoming stronger, unable to resist such temptation.


    Qin Niu could stay peacefully in the countryside without having to enlist in the army for now, so he thought of taking this opportunity to help the Golden Toad level up one more time.


    It was currently at Grade Seven.


    Among Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s twelve disciples and their insects, the strongest were around Grade Seven.


    The king insect of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao should be at the peak of Grade Seven, not quite reaching Grade Eight. The Four-Winged Demon Centipede might have reached Grade Eight.


    In facing these formidable insects, the Golden Toad was clearly somewhat inadequate.


    It could only manage to deal with ordinary Taiyin Yaoyao.


    This was definitely not enough.


    As Qin Niu¡¯s strength continued to grow, so too did the strength of his enemies.


    This was also an inevitable process.


    The more strength one has, the broader world one can engage with.


    As long as the Golden Toad could level up to Grade Eight, there would be no fear when facing the top Insect Masters from the Nine Insect Gang in the future.


    Toads are naturally the bane of most insects.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad, being a special creature of heaven and earth, has even greater combat strength. Once it advanced to Grade Eight, it would totally have the power to crush some Level Eight insects.


    Don¡¯t look at how it seemed somewhat inferior when it faced the Taiyin Yaoyao king and the Four-Winged Demon Centipede that day.


    That was because these two insects were among the rare oddities of heaven and earth.


    Their combat strength was ten times, even dozens of times stronger than that of ordinary insects.


    Qin Niu meticulously prepared Ancient Banyan Tree Blood for the Red-eyed Golden Toad, and directly fed it to the creature.


    After it finished eating, Qin Niu anxiously watched from the side.


    Its belly swelled up like a balloon.


    When the Green Ox ate the Banyan Tree Blood, there was no significant reaction, and nearly a day later, the Green Ox began to madly dash around in frenzy.


    But the Red-eyed Golden Toad, having eaten the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, inflated instantaneously, with its body starting to swell on the spot.


    This was very similar to what happened with the Termite.


    As time elapsed, the Golden Toad¡¯s body had swollen into a round ball, its eyes even unable to open.


    Its limbs were no longer able to touch the ground.


    Because its belly had ballooned into a round sphere.


    Even its limbs began to inflate and expand.


    Qin Niu was very clear that this was because the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood contained an extremely considerable amount of energy, just like humans consuming a high-grade elixir, with the vigorous energy roaming throughout the body.


    They had nowhere to be released, and the body couldn¡¯t immediately absorb so much energy.


    This moment was extremely dangerous, and there was even the possibility of the body bursting and dying.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad had extremely strong defenses and was a special creature of heaven and earth; Qin Niu had great confidence in it.


    He believed it could get through this difficult phase.


    Consuming Ancient Banyan Tree Blood might seem dangerous, but through Qin Niu¡¯s continuous exploration and experimentation, he had come to believe that Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was the ¡®high-grade elixir¡¯ for nurturing pets.


    As long as the dosage was not exceeded by too much, it was generally safe.


    Enduring some hardships was inevitable.


    In the early stages, when he used Ancient Banyan Tree Blood to cultivate Termites and bees, the mortality rate was slightly high, which was due to an imprecise control over the dosage.


    Finally, the Red-eyed Golden Toad¡¯s body had swelled to the limit.


    If it expanded any further, it might very well explode.


    Qin Niu watched nervously at the side.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad seemed to be in great pain, struggling continuously with its four inflated legs.


    But it couldn¡¯t touch the ground.


    Due to the over-inflation, its legs were no longer able to bend.


    ¡°Wart Toad, hang in there.¡±


    No sooner had Qin Niu finished speaking than the Golden Toad¡¯s body inflated even more.


    Its skin became as thin and transparent as the wings of a cicada.


    This caused Qin Niu¡¯s heart to instantly tighten.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that the Golden Toad, which he had the most confidence in, couldn¡¯t endure this dangerous phase.


    The dosage fed to it had been carefully calculated.


    And was already conservative.


    Why was it still unbearable for it?


    Could it be that each creature has a different standard for calculating a safe dosage?


    Just as Qin Niu was feeling distressed, two large bulges suddenly appeared on the Red-eyed Golden Toad¡¯s throat.


    One on either side.


    They kept expanding and soon were touching the ground.


    The swelling didn¡¯t stop, though the rest of the Golden Toad¡¯s body did not keep expanding.


    As time went by, after two more hours had passed and the air sacs in the toad¡¯s throat had swelled to half the size of its body, the expansion finally came to a halt.


    It was by leveraging this tactic that the Red-eyed Golden Toad successfully endured the life-and-death ordeal.

 Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: Chapter 298 Bodhi Tree_1

    Chapter 305: Chapter 298 Bodhi Tree_1


    Watching this important pet survive the most difficult life-or-death situation, Qin Niu also let out a long sigh of relief.


    Ancient Banyan Tree Blood is a good thing, as long as the dosage is sufficient, at the very least it can advance one grade.


    Once the Red-eyed Golden Toad advances to Grade Eight, it will become Qin Niu¡¯s strongest pet.


    And it can also provide him with valuable experience in cultivating other pets.


    After settling the Golden Toad, he did not stay in the backyard to cultivate but took out the thick ¡°The Plant Atlas¡± and Master Mo Yang¡¯s ¡°Rare Herbs and Plants Atlas¡± to read.


    He hoped to find records about the Ancient Banyan Tree in them.


    That thick ¡°The Plant Atlas¡± contained records of ordinary plants and medicinal herbs.


    It was essentially a standard version of a plant encyclopedia.


    There were detailed explanations for every plant¡¯s image, characteristics, medicinal effects, toxicity, and information on when they would bloom and bear fruit.


    It was quite nice to study it when he had nothing else to do.


    Qin Niu flipped through it for a while, then put it aside.


    Picking up Master Mo Yang¡¯s ¡°Rare Herbs and Plants Atlas,¡± he began to turn the pages one by one.


    The book recorded various rare and unusual herbs and trees.


    Each one could be considered a strange and exotic plant.


    It even explained the principles behind plants turning into spirits.


    The plants in the world, after many years, accumulate enough essence of the sun and moon within themselves, which helps them complete their evolution and mutation. This allows them to undergo certain changes and acquire advantages not found in their own kind.


    Mutation is only the first step.


    But this step is also the most difficult.


    Out of a million plants, there might only be one or two that have the chance to mutate.


    Some might develop more extensive root systems capable of penetrating deeper soil layers to absorb more nutrients. Others might undergo changes in their plant structure, allowing them to absorb more essence of the sun and moon.


    There are also special medicinal herbs and trees that can absorb the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.


    Mutation is just the first step for a plant to turn into a spirit.


    The Dogtail Grass in Qin Niu¡¯s backyard is a typical example. Nourished by the Everlasting Spring Technique, it rapidly underwent evolution and mutation.


    The veins in its leaves turned purple.


    And the plant itself became much sturdier.


    This also proves that the Everlasting Spring Technique is an extremely precious cultivation technique. It has the ability to transform plants and help increase their chances of becoming spirits.


    The second step, after the plant mutates, is to continue absorbing the essence of the sun and the moon, and its mutated abilities will continue to evolve.


    When the plant evolves to a certain point, it can absorb the spiritual qi between heaven and earth, which is akin to taking half a step into becoming a spirit. As it absorbs more spiritual qi, the plant becomes stronger, not only capable of withstanding the destruction of wind, snow, and rain but also resisting damage from wild animals, insects, and other creatures.


    Over the long years, they will gradually awaken their spirit intellect and eventually become true spirits.


    Moreover, once the plants become spirits, the land or water body they grow upon will become their ¡®home¡¯.


    They can use the geographical advantage to defend against enemies.


    In their home, their strength also increases exponentially.


    Powerful Tree Demons can even control a domain, making an entire mountain serve them.


    He couldn¡¯t help thinking about the Ancient Banyan Tree, which clearly had a trace of spirit intellect by now and was very strong, probably on the verge of becoming a spirit.


    It had even acquired some of the abilities of a spirit creature.


    The third step, after becoming a spirit, the plant will continue to cultivate. But since they lack sophisticated cultivation techniques, they only know superficial cultivation methods, so their progress is very slow.


    And their means of attack are also very limited.


    ¡°`


    They often only know some inherent attacks.


    However, by chance, if some plants comprehend even a sliver of the heavenly Dao and cultivate for thousands, or even tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of years, they can become incredibly powerful. Their strength may even rival that of human Immortal Masters.


    Not only that, within their own domain, because they can infinitely borrow the power of heaven and earth to repel enemies, their magic is endless and nearly invincible.


    Qin Niu watched with longing in his heart.


    If the Ancient Banyan Tree could receive his enlightenment and assistance, there was a complete possibility it could become such a formidable entity.


    By then, Qin Niu¡¯s lair would be as secure as a fortified city of metal.


    Even if Immortal Masters came, they could be easily kept at bay.


    He continued to flip through the Rare Herbs and Plants Atlas, but did not find any illustrations or descriptions of the Ancient Banyan Tree. Instead, he unexpectedly discovered an illustration that was extremely similar to the ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯.


    Its trunk also bore many patterns resembling eyes.


    This tree was called the Thousand Eyes Bodhi Wood, one of the wonders of the Buddhist Sect. The tallest of such trees could grow over a hundred meters tall, and legend has it that this tree possesses the extraordinary effects of calming the mind, focusing the spirit, helping cultivators refine their spiritual power, and aiding in sudden enlightenment.


    Many formidable figures in the Buddhist Sect obtained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, even Patriarch Bodhidharma is said to have found the way to Buddhahood beneath it.


    The Bodhi Tree has some subspecies, the shortest of which are only three feet tall with slender, frail branches.


    According to some lucky cultivators who obtained the Bodhi Tree, even the subspecies of the Bodhi Tree still possess various unbelievable miraculous effects.


    Some can enhance spiritual power, while others can give the user some kind of spiritual special ability, such as mental attacks, or even the Buddhist Sect¡¯s Telepathy and other special powers. There are also a few that can enhance the cultivator¡¯s comprehension, making the discovery and understanding of the Dao much more efficient.


    Qin Niu had never imagined that the seemingly insignificant ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ could have such strong effects.


    Back when he was fleeing for his life, he had cut down many ¡®Thousand Eyes Trees¡¯, and now, thinking back, it was a sheer waste of heavenly treasures.


    At that time, he had never thought that these were the extremely rare Bodhi Trees.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s mind, the Bodhi Tree was definitely a towering giant tree, not these small trees that are half the height of a person.


    So it turns out that the Bodhi Tree has subspecies too.


    That makes sense, not just trees, even high-level divine beasts like dragons have subspecies.


    Dragons give birth to nine offspring, each one different from the others.


    As they continue to procreate, the purity of their bloodlines will decrease, and various subspecies will emerge in succession.


    Plainly speaking, these are hybrids.


    For instance, if a male dragon falls in love with a female turtle, their offspring would still have dragon blood, but it would be impure¡ªhalf dragon blood and half turtle blood.


    The famous Dragon Turtle is a species from this kind of union.


    ¡°So many Bodhi Trees under the Ancient Banyan Tree, and there are even new saplings sprouting; isn¡¯t this a windfall?¡±


    Once Qin Niu knew that the Thousand Eyes Tree was a subspecies of the Bodhi Tree, his heart blossomed with joy.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree was indeed a treasure trove.


    It not only provided Qin Niu with several cultivation resources by itself but also the Bodhi Trees taking shelter under it turned out to be treasures.


    It¡¯s a pity that those Bodhi Trees cannot be moved to the outside world, or else he could consider other uses for them.


    He wouldn¡¯t consider selling them, though,


    After all, these high-level cultivation resources are naturally safer firmly in his own hands.


    So far, it has only been discovered that Termites can be cultivated using Bodhi Tree Blood.


    Worker Ants that ingest it evolve into Puppet Ants, possessing Spirit Control abilities.


    Soldier Ants that ingest it evolve into Ghost Ants, possessing Mental Attack abilities.


    In the future, other pets can be used for further experimentation.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: Chapter 299: The Powerful Young Man from the Mountain Village_1

    Chapter 306: Chapter 299: The Powerful Young Man from the Mountain Village_1


    ¡°`


    Feeding the Green Ox, Golden Toad, Green Demon Bee, and other pets directly was definitely not possible.


    Because the terrible consequences of using it to cultivate bees in the past were still deeply imprinted on Qin Niu¡¯s mind.


    After consuming it, the bees died on the spot, without a single survivor.


    Qin Niu continued reading the Rare Herbs and Plants Atlas, as the content of this book was extremely valuable. By memorizing it, he would not miss out on special plants when he encountered them in the future.


    However, he had cultivated the Medicine King Sutra and could easily perceive the amount of energy and medicinal qi contained in a plant, and it was difficult for any slightly powerful plant to escape his detection.


    But there were always exceptions.


    For example, a Bodhi Tree ¨C if it was still a sapling, its medicinal qi and energy would be weak, and the Medicine King Sutra would not be able to detect it at all under these circumstances.


    Moreover, if he had the chance to raid some prominent families and snatch spoils of war, he could learn about the characteristics and effects of each precious herb and plant and act first to gain the upper hand.


    The Medicine King Sutra could sense that a tree¡¯s energy and medicinal qi were strong, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean the tree held significant value.


    It was also possible that the tree was just about to become sentient.


    So, the Medicine King Sutra was not infallible in identifying plants.


    He still needed to learn more and accumulate knowledge.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, five days passed, and Qin Niu¡¯s Zombie Ants had successfully evolved.


    Their abilities had also become stronger.


    One hundred and thirty-eight Grade Four Iron Stiff Ants, with a lifespan of 99 years, special abilities (Intermediate Carapace, Intermediate Self-healing, Super Strong Biting, Tremendous Strength, Corpse Poison Attack, Assimilation (the enemies bitten by them would be easily assimilated). Night Demon (this ant species, in darkness or an environment with heavy yin, would double its combat power, and its self-healing ability would become extremely strong)).


    Their lifespan and overall abilities were much stronger than that of the Grade Three Zombie Ants.


    The only regret was that no new special abilities emerged.


    In theory, upon advancing a grade, it was entirely possible for them to evolve one or two new special abilities.


    Perhaps they were already strong enough on their own.


    So, evolving new special abilities had become even more difficult.


    This was completely acceptable.


    Special abilities were not necessarily better in greater numbers.


    It was better to evolve one simple and practical special ability than to evolve a multitude of mediocre ones.


    The evolution of pets involved their own choices and intelligence, and Qin Niu was full of confidence in them.


    He would never harshly demand that they evolve a certain number of special abilities.


    Everything followed its natural course.


    His ant colony was still growing by a thousand ants every day, with the rare Demon Ant species sometimes increasing by one, sometimes by two or three.


    As the accumulation continued, the number of special ant species was steadily increasing.


    Healing Ants and Elephantic Ants were gradually forming a small scale too.


    As for the Poisonous Ants, they had now become rampant.


    Moreover, their venom was highly toxic.


    Even beings like Elder Jiu Yin needed to take a Detoxification Pill immediately after being bitten, or they would be in mortal danger.


    The combat ability of the Termite colony had also officially reached a new height.


    Even when facing large beast pets like lions and elephants, they were no longer the weaker group.


    They could completely rely on their venom to defeat their enemies.


    Unconsciously, Qin Niu had already fed the Ant Queen seven corpses of the Taiyin Yaoyao.


    Others, Grade Four and Grade Five insect corpses, had been fed in great amounts.


    And that was on a daily basis.


    Even the resources allocated to Fourth were significantly less.


    The Ant Queen was always considered Qin Niu¡¯s most core pet for nurturing.


    ¡°`


    But it had eaten so much and still hadn¡¯t leveled up.


    This made Qin Niu somewhat impatient.


    There were a total of nine Taiyin Yaoyao corpses, and after feeding seven of them, only two remained.


    After feeding today¡¯s ordinary Taiyin Yaoyao, only the king insect¡¯s body would be left.


    If the Ant Queen still couldn¡¯t evolve, then there would basically be no hope left.


    The undying body of the Taiyin Yaoyao made Qin Niu extremely envious.


    Truth be told, even if he knew Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s cultivation method, it would be nearly impossible to replicate.


    Because for the sake of cultivating the Taiyin Yaoyao, Elder Jiu Yin was utterly inhumane, even resorting to the most bloodthirsty of gu-raising techniques. He used living people, specifically virgin boys and girls, to cultivate the Taiyin Yaoyao.


    In addition, he utilized a variety of high-level cultivation resources.


    It could be said that if Qin Niu¡¯s boundary-breaking elixir was considered a rare treasure, then Elder Jiu Yin had used resources for cultivating the Taiyin Yaoyao that were at least equivalent to no less than fifty boundary-breaking elixirs.


    He had also sacrificed countless human lives.


    To the members of the Nine Insect Gang, those demons, human life meant nothing at all.


    As long as they could cultivate powerful insects, they were even willing to use their own bodies as cauldrons.


    This was not madness, but rather they had fallen into a demonic state.


    His ant colony was constantly growing stronger, and cultivation was underway with utmost urgency; he had also been busy with many other things these past few days.


    Since filling the backyard pond with water, he had transplanted the Ice Lotus into it.


    This also made the temperature in the backyard exceptionally cold.


    There was even a light mist enshrouding the lotus pond in the backyard.


    The Ice Lotus indeed needed to be grown in water.


    It had now fully recovered to normal and was becoming lively again. And under the nourishment of Qin Niu¡¯s Everlasting Spring Technique, it was growing rapidly.


    At this rate, in just a few years, it might be possible for it to almost step into the ranks of the mystical creatures.


    It was already strong enough now, continually releasing cold energy that could even freeze the surface of the lotus pond.


    However, it only froze at night; by day, the thin ice over the pond would melt away.


    Such ability was far beyond that of ordinary mutant plants.


    Therefore, Qin Niu was very confident that he could help it break through and cross into the threshold of mystical creatures in just a few years¡¯ time.


    There was another piece of good news: the Green Demon Bee, under the nourishment of War Bee, was eating Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s fresh blood every day and growing rapidly.


    The Corpse Bee ant egg had already begun to gradually merge with its body.


    This fusion was exceedingly strange.


    The Corpse Bee¡¯s eggs had always failed to hatch, but with the merger with the Green Demon Bee¡¯s body, it had successfully hatched.


    However, the two young bees, one big and one small, were fused together like conjoined freaks, swallowing each other.


    It was uncertain when the swallowing process would be completed.


    Qin Niu had enough patience to wait.


    After consuming the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, the Red-eyed Golden Toad lay on its back in its nest, motionless.


    Apart from Qin Niu peeking at it in the corner every day, no one else disturbed it.


    It was as if the whole world had forgotten about it.


    In these five days, Qin Niu also managed to subdue a Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    When he had captured the two Green-Head Summoning Bees, he found their abilities to be very special. He thought he could domesticate them to cultivate a special type of bee or use them for other research.


    Only after subduing them did he realize how special they truly were.


    Their other abilities were quite common, but they had two particular abilities that were incredibly powerful.


    One was their flying ability, possessing exceptionally strong flying skills.


    This made them nearly invincible in aerial combat. Even if they couldn¡¯t win, escape was always an option.

 Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: Chapter 300: A Feather Can Be Used As a Token of Authority_1

    Chapter 307: Chapter 300: A Feather Can Be Used As a Token of Authority_1


    ¡°`


    The Summoning Bee had an exceptionally strong ability to fly, and another special ability was to rally.


    It could even summon members of its own species that were three grades higher than itself.


    This ability was seriously badass.


    It was like commanding the winds and clouds with a mere feather duster.


    Qin Niu reviewed its attributes.


    Green-Head Summoning Bee


    Grade: Grade Three Hymenopteran Insect, Level-up Experience 2719/10000


    Lifespan: 30 Years


    Energy: 18900


    Skills: Advanced Flight (capable of high-speed flight, faster than birds. Can quickly turn and roll in the air, nimbly dodging), Rally (Can summon Steel-winged Poison Bees within a 500-meter radius, unable to summon poison bees more than three grades above itself for combat)


    Talent: Night Vision, Discernment (Can see through enemy disguises)


    This was the most badass wild bee Qin Niu had ever seen.


    Despite being utterly weak, it had the ability to summon an army to fight for it.


    To subdue this Green-Head Summoning Bee, he had used up three Intermediate Contract Talismans.


    He needed to make a trip to the city soon to replenish supplies.


    What he most wanted to stock up on were Invisibility Talismans and Advanced Contract Talismans.


    He had bought ten Intermediate Contract Talismans last time and still had quite a few left. Just a moderate replenishment would suffice.


    With his current strength, ordinary low-grade insects and beasts hardly caught his eye. Therefore, he seldom needed to use Low-grade Contract Charms.


    ¡°Green-Head Bee, come here!¡±


    Qin Niu gave an order to the Green-Head Summoning Bee, and it buzzed over with a flutter of its wings.


    ¡°This insect carcass is your reward; eat it.¡±


    It was the body of a Grade Six Steel-winged Wild Bee.


    Qin Niu had obtained many such bee commander corpses in the wild.


    Green Demon Bees and Steel-winged Wild Bees, even including wild common hornets, were omnivorous creatures.


    Their favorite food was bee pupae and larvae.


    When food was scarce, the carcasses of small animals were also within their range of diet.


    There was even a record of large hornets collectively preying on small birds.


    Ordinary large hornets were already extremely fierce, but Steel-winged Wild Bees cultured multiple times by Green Demons were even more ferocious.


    Despite the Green-Head Summoning Bee¡¯s combat power being trash, it was still as ferocious as a wolf and as fierce as a tiger when eating.


    It skillfully used its mandibles to dissect the carcass of its kin.


    Moreover, it was not picky at all, which made it much easier to raise than honeybees.


    ¡°Let me spice it up for you.¡±


    Qin Niu showed a mischievous smile and added a drop of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood to the food of the Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    The dosage was carefully calculated based on the bee¡¯s weight and physical condition.


    As long as there were no accidents, the dosage was definitely safe.


    The Green-Head Summoning Bee seemed to notice something off in the taste, but it didn¡¯t stop feeding; instead, it ate even more ferociously and rapidly.


    By the time it finished eating, its body had already begun to react strongly, swelling continuously.


    It was in pain as it flapped its wings chaotically around the courtyard.


    Qin Niu had captured two Green-Head Summoning Bees in total, and he had prepared for the worst.


    If this one died, he still had another one to use.


    On the other hand, if this Green-Head Bee successfully advanced, even if it only made it to Grade Four, it meant it would have the power to summon Grade Seven wild bees for combat.


    Grade Seven was a watershed.


    A Grade Six insect, if only slightly outstanding in strength and with decent special abilities, could easily annihilate a human Acquired Realm master. Some even had the capability to fight against Innate Realm powerhouses.


    Upon reaching Grade Seven, they were already beyond ordinary insects; they were fully capable of challenging human Innate Realm powerhouses.


    Even just with sufficient numbers and strong special abilities, they could basically crush an ordinary Innate Realm human.


    ¡°`


    For example, Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao, ordinary ones would be at the peak of Grade Seven. Simply having seven of them was enough to overwhelm a strong person like Master He Shan.


    That Grade Eight Taiyin Yaoyao Queen Bee could even single-handedly challenge an extremely powerful Spirit Qi Realm expert like Deputy City Lord Bai.


    Moreover, leaving Deputy City Lord Bai utterly helpless against it.


    If Qin Niu¡¯s Green-Head Summoning Bee survives this ordeal and successfully advances to Grade Four, then Qin Niu would essentially possess a potential battling group of Grade Seven Steel-winged Wild Bees.


    However, all of this is just speculation based on the best possible outcome.


    After summoning the wild bees, how to cleverly command them to attack the enemy will still require further exploration.


    After all, the summoned wild bees are not yet tamed and could very likely fail to distinguish friend from foe, posing a significant risk that they might directly attack Qin Niu.


    At that time, Qin Niu could cleverly outsmart himself and place himself in danger.


    Also, do not be fooled by the seeming abundance of Grade Six War Bees; he killed over a hundred of them in the mountains of Black Stone Village.


    But Grade Seven wild bees are definitely not common commodity.


    Whether one can find Grade Seven wild bees in the wild is still uncertain.


    At least up to now, he has not yet encountered any Grade Seven wild bees.


    After consuming the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, the Green-Head Summoning Bee went into a frenzy in the sky, its speed fast as lightning.


    After a while, it headed directly towards the direction of the mountain range.


    Qin Niu watched in silence.


    In his own yard, it was safe. There would be no other creatures attacking it at least.


    But once in the mountains, that was another story.


    The Green-Head Summoning Bee¡¯s combat ability was rubbish and it could easily fall prey to spiders, venomous snakes, and birds in the mountains.


    ¡°Come back, come back to me right now!¡±


    Qin Niu issued a command to the Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    But it might have already flown too far away to receive his command signal.


    And with its current state, even if it did receive the command signal, it might not be able to comply.


    Faced with such a ¡®simpleton¡¯, Qin Niu was helpless.


    To ensure its safety, he had no choice but to quickly send a group of War Bees to escort it.


    In terms of flying capacity, the War Bees were far inferior to the Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    Only the Queen Bee of the War Bees possessed high-level flight capabilities equivalent to that of the Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    Qin Niu watched the War Bees disappear from sight, praying silently that nothing would go wrong.


    More than an hour passed, and the War Bees had yet to return.


    Qin Niu looked at the sky.


    It was about to get dark soon.


    This Green-Head Summoning Bee was really making him worry.


    Just as he decided to take the bee swarm out to search for it, the War Bees returned.


    They brought back the Green-Head Summoning Bee with them.


    However, it was now swollen as fat as a pig, puffed up, with its legs and antennae retracted. Not moving at all, it was carried by two War Bees as they flew.


    Dead?


    Qin Niu had formed a soul contract with it, so if it died, it was impossible for him not to sense anything.


    He would at least feel a piercing pain in his spirit.


    Or even suffer damage to his soul.


    Since he, the master, was fine, it indicated that the Green-Head Summoning Bee was not dead.


    It might be in some kind of deep sleep.


    Or perhaps a coma.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll lock you up in a cage before anything else, so you don¡¯t go causing more trouble,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Qin Niu locked the Green-Head Summoning Bee inside a cage.


    It still did not move.


    Even its antennae maintained a retracted posture. Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was something wonderful, but the insects or birds and beasts that consumed it all had to ¡®die¡¯ once.

 Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: Chapter 301 Black Land_1

    Chapter 308: Chapter 301 Black Land_1


    This was also a necessary process on the path to becoming stronger.


    The laws of the world are very fair, they won¡¯t allow an insect to effortlessly complete its metamorphosis. If that were the case, it would defy the natural laws and the principles of biological evolution. The order of the universe would be thrown into chaos.


    Powerful creatures would be found everywhere.


    The next morning, Qin Niu checked the Green-Head Summoning Bee; its antennae were vibrating slightly.


    Had it come back to life?


    He guessed that after suffering this hardship, the next time he fed it, it would likely have a psychological shadow.


    It would definitely be extremely cautious.


    Qin Niu decided to take over the one hundred mu of good farmland that had been awarded to him.


    He also wanted to check on the locust disaster.


    The sixth day of next month would be his wedding day. Before then, if he took over that one hundred mu of good farmland, the wedding could be made a bit more lavish.


    Taking Xiao Qing and Green Ox with him, Qin Niu headed to the location specified on the title deed.


    ¡°Oh, Master Qin, it has been some days since I last saw you.¡±


    Upon seeing Qin Niu, Xu Zhenchang hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.


    Ever since the visit from Official Lu, Young Master Fang, and others to Qin Niu¡¯s home, the local people had held Qin Niu in even greater awe.


    Since Qin Niu¡¯s status had risen, it was only natural for people to feel intimidated.


    It was like an ordinary person standing at the foot of a mountain, looking up at it, would naturally feel a sense of fear.


    ¡°Ah, Village Chief, are you preparing to sow the seeds?¡±


    Qin Niu saw that Xu Zhenchang was carrying a bag of wheat seeds and a few corn seeds, while Xu Zhenchang¡¯s wife was carrying buckets of water behind him.


    ¡°It looks like the locust plague is finally letting up, and I can¡¯t just leave my fields fallow. By the end of the year, I have to pay the rent to the Yan Family on time, and it won¡¯t be a small sum. The first half of the year, we had floods and locust plagues, and it has been a tough time for me.


    Luckily, with Master Qin¡¯s help, there was no total loss, and my losses were greatly reduced.


    If the harvest in the second half of the year is not bad, then I won¡¯t be at a loss this year.


    However, facing such a year of disasters, it¡¯s like working for nothing for a year.¡±


    As Xu Zhenchang spoke, he was filled with grievances.


    He was one of the luckier ones, at least most of the harvest in his eighty odd mu of land in Shuangfeng Village was saved. It only cost him a bit of money to get rid of the pests.


    Compared to other tenant farmers, he was incredibly fortunate.


    In the face of such natural and insect disasters, not just him, even the Yan Family suffered heavy losses.


    The Yan Family alone spent a shocking amount on Qin Niu and the other two Insect Masters for pest control.


    The two Insect Masters they hired last ended up with one dead and one fleeing, the Yan Family might even have to pay compensation to the family of the deceased.


    After all, it was the Yan Family who hired them, and the accident happened while they were on the job.


    ¡°Farming has always been a battle against the heavens and a struggle with the earth. Village Chief, you being able to break even without loss means you have already won against most of the farmers. I believe things will get better.¡±


    Qin Niu chatted with Xu Zhenchang for a bit before quickly leaving.


    Even after leaving the village, they could still spot some scattered locusts, but compared to the seriousness of the disaster, these few were negligible.


    Many forests and fields had become barren.


    Some trees, after having their leaves stripped away, had sprouted fresh green buds.


    The most tenacious creatures in the universe must undoubtedly be plants.


    They have an incredible ability to adapt.


    Indeed, wildfires can¡¯t burn them out, the spring breeze brings them back to life.


    Qin Niu continued westward along the main road.


    Cross the river and it would be Daoyuan Village, but if he didn¡¯t cross the river and kept going west, that territory belonged to another large village under the He Family¡¯s control.


    It was said that the He Family¡¯s heritage was even deeper than the Yan Family¡¯s.


    In Jade Stream Town, there are only three most powerful families: the Yan Family, the He Family, and the Pang Family.


    The Yan Family was a newcomer who rose to power, currently holding the strongest apparent strength among the three families.


    But the He Family, an old established family, had been meticulously cultivating their land in the countryside for many years and had a thriving population; their strength should not be underestimated.


    Because Shuangfeng Village was part of the Yan Family¡¯s territory, the other two major families would usually consciously avoid any semblance of conflict and almost never intervene.


    It was like drawing a boundary line between two countries.


    If one were a larger and stronger nation, one might even leave a smaller country between them as a buffer.


    The three major families had coexisted for many years with an unspoken understanding in this regard.


    They would never foolishly engage in conflict over minor benefits or disputes.


    When two strong armies clashed, one was bound to be injured.


    Usually, if there was a need to suppress an opponent, it was done when the opponent¡¯s power was not yet fully developed.


    Once an opponent gained significant influence and everyone¡¯s strength was roughly equal, taking action would be utterly foolish.


    Qin Niu, accompanied by Xiao Qing, quickly reached their destination.


    This place had about five hundred mu of public farmland, with visible signs of cultivation.


    ¡°Separated by the main road reaching the foot of Woniu Peak and from the irrigation canal on the left to the measured boundary on the right.¡±


    It was clearly stated on the deed.


    ¡°Why are there crops newly planted on these mu of land?¡±


    Qin Niu was somewhat puzzled.


    The Black Tiger Gang leader was very generous, rewarding him with a hundred mu of prime farmland that not only had convenient irrigation and plenty of sunlight, but also included more than ten mu of the finest black soil.


    This type of prime farmland was top-grade among A-grade lands.


    Ordinary prime farmland sold for eleven taels of silver per mu, but this black soil farmland would fetch no less than fifteen taels of silver each.


    Its soil was fertile, ensuring very good yields regardless of the crop planted.


    But that wasn¡¯t all; cultivating this top-grade farmland could save a great deal of fertilizer.


    It saved on labor and fertilizer with crops¡¯ root systems developing well and growing speedily, producing about thirty percent more than ordinary prime farmland.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, go to the road and chop a dozen thick logs for me,¡±


    Qin Niu told Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, you help out too; haul the logs over here.¡±


    Qin Niu, upon receiving this hundred mu of prime farmland, definitely needed to make some markers.


    The most common practice was to erect boundary markers on the edges of the farmland.


    If it were in his own village, there wouldn¡¯t be so much trouble. A simple announcement would suffice.


    The villagers wouldn¡¯t dare to offend him, the Insect Master.


    Now, in what was known as the strongest village in Jade Stream Town, and being unfamiliar with the place, Qin Niu had to rely on old customs, erecting boundary markers to declare his sovereignty over the hundred mu of prime farmland.


    Xiao Qing, having reached the peak of the Mortal Realm and been gifted a treasure sword by Qin Niu, found chopping down trees to be child¡¯s play.


    Although the Green Ox was known to be lazy, its strength was not to be underestimated.


    It easily pulled two logs at a time without effort.


    Qin Niu used his Ink Blade to split the logs in half, then sharpened them and drove them deep into the edges of the farmland ridge, engraving the character ¡°Qin¡± on them.


    This was to tell everyone that from now on, this hundred mu of prime farmland would be known by the surname Qin.


    ¡°Young man, what are you doing?¡±


    Two farmers came walking over.


    One was about fifty years old, a more elderly farmer, while the other was a man in his thirties, in his prime.


    They were carrying hoes, having been working on a distant plot.


    They were likely villagers from the same village.


    Or perhaps long-term workers hired by the Pang Family.


    ¡°I am Qin Niu from Shuangfeng Village, here to take possession of the hundred mu of prime farmland gifted to me by the Gang Leader. Do you know who planted these crops?¡±


    Qin Niu asked politely.

 Chapter 309 - Chapter 309: Chapter 302: The Domination of an Established Family_1

    Chapter 309: Chapter 302: The Domination of an Established Family_1


    The public fields were usually rented out by government administrators.


    Managing the public fields was a lucrative job, with ample opportunity for manipulation. Especially in disaster years, out of a thousand acres of public land, only more than ten might suffer from floods. Yet, the managing officials might report that a hundred acres of good land were affected.


    The government would send people to check.


    At that time, a little bribe could make the inspectors help to falsely report the disaster.


    If the inspectors couldn¡¯t be bribed, there were other methods.


    One only had to collude with the local field protectors and spokesmen. By leading the inspectors through the genuinely affected fields a couple of times, they could easily be deceived.


    This year, there was no need to lie about the disaster at all, as the locust plague devastated indiscriminately, attacking all the crops within the fields.


    The public fields of the government were exempt from rent.


    If you had connections, renting the public fields was more economical than leasing the private fields from landlords.


    The rent for public fields was usually lower than the market price.


    In disaster years, landlords might halve the rent and tenants would be so grateful they¡¯d kowtow in thanks.


    If one leased public fields and they were hit by floods, droughts, or insect disasters, the government would check and accordingly reduce the rent based on the disaster. This reduction would be very generous.


    In fact, ordinary peasants seldom had the chance to rent public fields.


    They were mostly rented by people with various connections.


    People with certain backgrounds or power.


    Take the great landlord Yan Ruohai as an example. The Yan Family owned more than a thousand acres of land themselves, which they would lease out. Then, through connections, they would rent public fields.


    After renting the public fields, they would likely try to lease them out again.


    By doing this, they could earn at least a twenty percent profit margin.


    In disaster years, there was practically no rent for the leased public fields. However, the Yan Family would still demand rent from their tenants, only reducing it slightly at most.


    This way, many people could live lavishly without lifting a finger.


    Qin Niu was somewhat aware of these tricks.


    Previously, he was a minor character who could never touch the public fields.


    Now, coming to take over a hundred acres of public fields and seeing that crops were planted, he didn¡¯t act rashly.


    Whether it was local heavyweights or the officials managing the public fields, all had a certain background and power, so he would avoid offending them as much as possible.


    This had always been his way of navigating life.


    ¡°The government has awarded you these public fields, Young Master Qin?¡±


    The older farmer asked.


    The younger farmers were filled with envy.


    ¡°Indeed,¡±


    Qin Niu nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll ask around in the village for you,¡±


    The old farmer said with a cupped hand gesture before walking away, hoe on his shoulder.


    Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in green brocade arrived in a horse-drawn carriage.


    The carriage was quite luxurious with at least a copper-roofed canopy. It was wide enough to comfortably seat three to four people. The horse pulling the carriage, astonishingly, was a Sweaty Precious Horse.


    It was simply extravagant to use such a fine horse for pulling a carriage.


    After the carriage came to a stop, the coachman deftly jumped down from the shaft, positioned a stepping stool, and respectfully assisted the middle-aged man in alighting.


    He addressed the man as Fourth Master He.


    This indicated the arrival of a high-level member of the He Family.


    ¡°I am Fourth of the Pang Family, also known as Fourth Master, currently overseeing the He Family¡¯s agricultural land and planting. I have indeed heard of the Insect Master of Shuangfeng Village, Qin Niu. No doubt, you must be Master Qin himself?¡±


    Upon descending from the carriage, Fourth Pang looked Qin Niu up and down before greeting him with a bow,


    He seemed polite, but his demeanor was filled with arrogance.


    The offspring of these major families were proud to the core.


    Being born with a golden spoon in their mouths and treated with privilege, they habitually looked down on others.


    The phrase ¡®nose in the air¡¯ aptly described these people.


    ¡°I dare not claim to be a master, I am the Insect Master Qin Niu,¡±


    Qin Niu replied cautiously.


    After all, the He Family was an even more ancient family than the Yan Family.


    ¡°Are all these public farmlands now owned by Master Qin?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Qin Niu nodded again.


    ¡°Is it possible to discuss with Master Qin that these public farmlands have always been rented and farmed by our He Family? Look, crops are already planted in the fields. We can exchange other lands with you. How about that?¡±


    Fourth of the He Family sure has a bold face.


    These hundred acres of public farmland are all good land, with even more than ten acres of rich black soil.


    How could one just switch them so easily?


    ¡°May I ask which lands Fourth of the He Family is prepared to exchange?¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t immediately refuse.


    The other party had already planted crops, and that¡¯s a fact.


    Furthermore, Fourth of the He Family mentioned that the He Family had been renting these public farmlands consistently.


    Since ancient times, there has been a custom that buying and selling should not break a rental agreement, and both sides should resolve issues amicably through negotiation.


    ¡°The lands over there belong to our He Family; we can directly allocate a hundred acres to Master Qin, would that be acceptable?¡±


    Fourth of the He Family pointed to a large stretch of fields across the river.


    There, the terrain was flat, bordered by the river on one side and mountains on the other.


    The quality of these farmlands was far inferior to Qin Niu¡¯s hundred acres of good land. The fields near the river were clearly prone to flooding.


    Whenever the summer river levels rise, floodwaters will spill over the embankments, inundating vast areas of farmland.


    The floods would carry silt that would wash into the fields.


    Therefore, the soil of this kind of field is known as sandy loam.


    Take a handful carefully, and it crumbles with just a gentle squeeze.


    Despite its loose and moist nature with good water retention, a large component of its soil is sand, not clay.


    This results in poor decomposition capability, difficulties in retaining nutrients, and extremely bad aeration.


    Crops planted here go yellow and wither, and won¡¯t grow taller than two feet in half a year.


    Moreover, many large willow trees, planted as embankment protectors, line both sides of the river, casting shade over the nearby fields.


    That is another significant drawback.


    Without sunlight, a plant¡¯s photosynthesis is severely inhibited, and growth inevitably suffers. The plants become weak, susceptible to disease, and yield less.


    And as for the fields at the foot of the mountain, the peaks lie to the south, and as everyone knows, when building a house, it should face south.


    Rooms facing south are commonly used as the master bedrooms.


    They have good natural light and abundant sunshine, making them comfortable to live in.


    The same principle applies to crops.


    A substantial amount of sunlight is blocked by the mountains, and at least thirty or forty out of that hundred acres of farmland are under the shadow of the peaks.


    The crops that grow in these fields tend to be spindly and etiolated, characterized by their tender, thin, green shoots. They have very weak resistance to disease, poor lodging resistance, and low yield.


    Qin Niu was not ignorant about farming. After one glance at the fields pointed out by Fourth of the He Family, without a second thought, he directly refused, ¡°If Fourth of the He Family is sincere about exchanging, please show some sincerity. If the He Family is unwilling to exchange lands of equal quality, I wouldn¡¯t mind renting these lands to the He Family for another year at the market rate, which certainly won¡¯t cost your He Family too much.¡±


    These words were spoken with considerable grace.


    Fourth of the He Family claimed he wanted to exchange lands, but what they offered ¨C average quality fields for his high-quality farmland ¨C was nothing short of taking advantage of his youth and inexperience.


    Qin Niu remained calm and proposed a solution, which showed generous patience on his part.


    ¡°Those lands are also good farmland, just like yours, and my offer demonstrates ample sincerity. My He Family has been established in Jade Stream Town for over eight hundred years, and it has only ever been we who rented lands out, never a tradition of us renting farmland from others. If Master Qin feels the fields I offer are not as good as these, I can give you an additional five acres. One hundred and five acres in exchange for your hundred acres.


    That is the utmost sincerity of my He Family.¡±


    Fourth of the He Family spoke with a touch of arrogance, brooking no discussion or rejection.


    ¡°The He Family has never rented anyone else¡¯s farmland? Aren¡¯t these public farmlands rented?¡±


    Qin Niu curled his lip.


    The smile on his face had long since faded.


    Respect is mutual.


    He had been resolving things with a smile, but with Fourth of the He Family leveraging their old family status and trying to take advantage of him, a newly emerged small landlord, he naturally couldn¡¯t continue to indulge them.


    Without a backbone, one is only treated as a pushover to be easily bullied.

 Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: Chapter 303: Be careful or I’ll flatten your He Family_1

    Chapter 310: Chapter 303: Be careful or I¡¯ll flatten your He Family_1


    ¡°Presumptuous, how dare a mere Insect Master openly mock the Fourth Master of the He Family?¡±


    The coachman was an overbearing servant.


    Relying on the power of his master, upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s mockery, his face immediately darkened, and he directly rebuked Qin Niu for not understanding the rules.


    His eyes were fierce, his tone was harsh, much like a hound at the command of its master.


    Before Qin Niu could act, Xiao Qing had already dashed forward like lightning, throwing punches at the coachman left and right.


    Smack-smack.


    Both slaps resonated loudly.


    After striking the man, she retreated to Qin Niu¡¯s side, her face coldly fixating on the coachman.


    Although she was just a maidservant, by following Qin Niu in cultivation and conduct, she had unwittingly picked up some of Qin Niu¡¯s ways.


    In her eyes, Qin Niu was the sky, the master, not to be offended by anyone.


    A coachman, daring to insult her master.


    If the lord is worried, the servant is shamed; if the lord is insulted, the servant dies.


    Whoever offended Qin Niu, she was willing to risk her life. Not for anything else, but to defend the dignity of her master.


    ¡°You, you little girl, dare to lay your hands on me? I¡¯ll tear you apart,¡± said the coachman.


    The coachman, after taking the two powerful slaps, already had a swollen face.


    Xiao Qing was at the peak of the Mortal Realm in her cultivation, which would have made her a formidable presence even in the Yan Family¡¯s Protector team.


    The strength of her slap was no joke.


    Even a wild wolf could be knocked out with a slap from her.


    Seeing his servant being hit, the Fourth Master He¡¯s face became extremely displeased, filled with murderous intent.


    He was ready to teach these two young people, who didn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth, a lesson.


    When the coachman charged at Xiao Qing, not only did the Fourth Master He not stop him, he tacitly permitted it.


    Xiao Qing looked to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Show no mercy.¡±


    Qin Niu uttered just three words, light yet heavy with significance.


    Since he had decided to accept the one hundred mu of public farmland, he had prepared for all the hard battles that lay ahead.


    This world was inherently survival of the fittest.


    Even if one were awarded one hundred mu of good farmland, if one didn¡¯t have the ability to take it over, the government definitely wouldn¡¯t care.


    As long as the government transferred the deed to Qin Niu, they would have fulfilled their duty.


    Everything else was for Qin Niu to handle on his own.


    Xiao Qing had not expected her master to order her to kill.


    Though hesitating slightly, her treasured sword was already drawn. Against the coachman who held a dagger and charged over with the intent to fight to the death, her sword covered the opponent¡¯s vital points with flickering, elusive light.


    She was executing the Seven-Star Sword Technique.


    However, because she hadn¡¯t practiced for long, and had no guidance, it still appeared somewhat naive.


    Yet, to kill this coachman, it was enough.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ heh heh¡­¡±


    The coachman, clutching his neck, had blood pouring continuously from his throat.


    Blood seeped through the gaps in his fingers, quickly staining the back of his hand red.


    The coachman stared with eyes full of terror and resentment at the cold and ruthless Xiao Qing.


    He truly hadn¡¯t expected that someone would actually dare to commit murder.


    For Xiao Qing, this was her first kill, and it was clear that she was nervous.


    After killing the man, she experienced a strong sense of unease and physical discomfort.


    ¡°Well done.


    Qin Niu stroked her head, and Xiao Qing¡¯s uneasiness was relieved by many degrees.¡±


    ¡°`


    Receiving her master¡¯s affirmation was like having a calming pill for her heart.


    Murder was against the law, and the killer must pay with their life; this belief was deeply ingrained in people¡¯s hearts.


    However, Qin Niu was no longer an ordinary Insect Master but a noble of the highest rank.


    Not to mention that the coachman had offended him first; even without any offense, just an irreverent glance was enough to justify an on-the-spot execution.


    After understanding the situation, the authorities would merely regard it as the death of a chicken or a duck.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, remember, when reason cannot resolve an issue, as long as our strength is formidable enough, we can use force at any time. Today marks the beginning of your true experience of the law of the jungle,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu calmly soothed her, enlightening her with his words.


    He didn¡¯t even spare another glance at the fallen coachman and the extremely terrified He Sire.


    To him now, a commoner was truly like an ant.


    Crushing one to death carried no burden at all, neither mentally nor legally.


    ¡°You dare to commit violence in broad daylight, just you wait,¡± He Sire said.


    He pulled out a dagger, cut the reins, sprang onto the horse, and fled in panic toward the direction of the village.


    One could see an expanse of buildings there.


    In the depths, that castle-like complex was likely the He Family stronghold.


    ¡°Take this message to the head of the He Family: I, Qin Niu, do not wish to cause trouble, but I am not afraid of it either. I¡¯ve claimed these hundred acres of good land. If the He Family dares to play tricks and obstruct me, I won¡¯t hesitate to level the He Family,¡± he declared.


    These were words of great dominance.


    They were fundamentally different from the bluster of He Sire when he first alighted from the carriage.


    He Sire was merely posturing; to put it crudely, it was all an act. Qin Niu, however, carried himself with a dignified air, his grandeur understated.


    The stern words he spoke were backed by formidable strength.


    The battle with Elder Jiu Yin had been of great help to him, making his own power crystal clear.


    In these lands, he might already be an invincible presence.


    That¡¯s because he had too many aces up his sleeve.


    He had the Ink Blade and the Treasure Armor, the insects and Beast Pet, and the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    At the same time, he possessed Blade Technique martial skills and had reached the second level of the Innate Realm.


    In terms of status, he enjoyed the dual privileges of being an Insect Master and a first-class noble.


    All these factors combined gave him the strength to face any local family head-on.


    And his chances of winning were very good.


    As long as these families did not have hidden elder ancestors as their backbone, he was almost guaranteed victory.


    Moreover, he was not overbearing in his actions, always abiding by the rules.


    In matters of morality, he always held the high ground.


    He Sire, mounted on his horse, trembled at Qin Niu¡¯s words, almost falling off in fright.


    What kind of tough customer had he provoked?


    This Insect Master named Qin Niu was either young and overly arrogant, or he truly had the capability to back his words.


    Even Yan Ruohai of the Yan Family wouldn¡¯t dare to make such a bold claim of flattening the He Family.


    After fleeing back to the He Family in a panic, the first thing He Sire did was order a gathering of all the Protectors in the family. He himself went straight into the family¡¯s ancestral hall.


    He Sire¡¯s father had died relatively young.


    It was said that this was because He Sire¡¯s grandfather had been unrestrained in his desires, even taking a cousin as his wife, leading to congenital deficiencies in He Sire¡¯s father from birth.


    Despite the family¡¯s efforts, the former family head of the He Family still only lived to be fifty before passing away.


    Fortunately, the last family head of the He Family had many sons despite his weak constitution; he was quite the ladies¡¯ man and had seven sons.


    The He Family¡¯s seven sons managed all the family¡¯s affairs, which allowed the family¡¯s business to continue to flourish.


    Currently, no successor to the family head had been chosen.


    By tradition, it was usually the eldest son who inherited the family business.


    But since the seven sons of the He Family had been managing affairs from an early age, each held a certain amount of power and influence and none acknowledged the others¡¯ superiority.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Chapter 304 Perching Phoenix Mountain Range_1

    Chapter 311: Chapter 304 Perching Phoenix Mountain Range_1


    The He Family had not chosen a new family head for a long time, yet there was no internal strife among the seven sons of the He Family, and it remained stable.


    This indicated that the He Family definitely had elders or formidable individuals capable of suppressing the seven sons.


    People say that the most merciless are the imperial families.


    When the royal family vies for the throne, cases of kin slaughtering each other are too numerous to count.


    The struggle for power within a large clan is equally ruthless.


    In the face of absolute interest, what¡¯s the worth of kinship?


    To sit in the patriarch¡¯s seat, the seven sons of the He Family could totally make moves against each other.


    Qin Niu hinted to Xiao Qing to behead a coachman of the He Family. Although it was meant to establish authority, some restraint was still shown.


    If they had slain Lord He Si on the spot, that would have constituted a deadly feud, one with no end until death.


    Now, it was only the beheading of a servant of the He Family, which intentionally left some room for the He Family to step down gracefully.


    It all depended on how the real power holder of the He Family would handle this matter.


    If the He Family continued to be unyielding, then there was nothing to talk about, and Qin Niu just happened to want to become a new noble in the area.


    Eliminating this old established family, the He Family, would just free up space for his own growth.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, were you scared when you killed just now?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t scared when killing, but I was a bit scared afterward.¡±


    After all, Xiao Qing was still a child, even though she followed her adoptive grandfather through various hardships across the south, experienced in the jianghu, and accustomed to all sorts of cruel scenes. But to personally take a life was still a great psychological test for her.


    ¡°Being scared is normal,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it in time. We don¡¯t provoke others, but we won¡¯t let ourselves be bullied either. In this world where the strong prey on the weak, being fierce and resolute when you¡¯re strong is a good thing.


    We want to smoothly take over this hundred acres of good farmland. If we can¡¯t intimidate the He Family in one fell swoop, even if we manage to take it over, it will inevitably be fraught with troubles.


    Now that we are not seeing eye to eye, we directly beheaded a servant of the He Family. This is to establish authority over the He Family.


    Even if the He Family is somewhat unhappy, as long as the person in charge is not foolish, they will certainly weigh their options. At the very least, the He Family will take us seriously and not dare to be as overbearing and aggressive as before.¡±


    Qin Niu was training Xiao Qing as a confidant.


    He didn¡¯t mind giving her some pointers on how to conduct oneself in society.


    ¡°Understood,¡± she said.


    She nodded with much relief showing on her face.


    Qin Niu was not idle but was marking his territory at the boundary of his hundred acres of good farmland.


    Just like a tiger spraying urine on the edges of its territory to declare sovereignty. If any other beast dared to trespass, it would be seen as an offense and the tiger wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill the offender.


    It had been half an hour since Lord He Si fled, and the carriage and the coachman¡¯s body had been left there the whole time.


    Logically, even if he went back for reinforcements, they should have been assembled by now.


    But the continued absence was thought-provoking.


    ¡°It seems that the He Family either has not unified in opinion or they are secretly probing my background. Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    After taking over the farmland, Qin Niu returned home with Xiao Qing and Green Ox.


    He was not going to stay here and wait for people from the He Family to come, nor would he demean himself by complaining to the He Family.


    ¡­


    After returning home, Qin Niu took Xiao Qing into the mountains to cultivate.


    Having slain a person today, her mental state should have undergone a breakthrough, presenting a great opportunity.


    If it could be seized, she might be able to advance to the Acquired Realm today.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, you go and cultivate under the banyan tree first, and strive to break through today,¡± he instructed.


    ¡°Mm,¡± she responded eagerly.


    She nodded vigorously, already running towards the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, went towards the Termite Nest.


    ¡°Ant Queen, Ant Queen, if you can¡¯t evolve any further, I¡¯m out of options. I¡¯ll feed you this king worm of Taiyin Yaoyao.¡±


    The last two corpses of Taiyin Yaoyao were all fed to the Ant Queen.


    ¡°`


    The Ant Queen was proving truly difficult to evolve.


    After feeding the Ant Queen and nurturing all the newly emerged termites, Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush to practice under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Instead, he began to wander leisurely through the mountains.


    In a few days, he planned to make a trip to the city, likely before the wedding. Apart from procuring some cultivation materials, he wanted to select a valuable gift for each of his two wives.


    During his last battle with a formidable enemy, he had obtained an inner armor that could withstand the strike of an Ink Blade and was suitable for a woman to wear.


    This top-tier treasure was the first thing he thought of giving to his wife.


    But with two wives and only one piece of inner armor, he couldn¡¯t exactly favor one over the other, could he?


    This was indeed a tricky matter.


    The sword he acquired from killing Elder Jiu Yin would have been of a similar grade to the inner armor.


    However, as a wedding is a joyful occasion, presenting a weapon seemed inappropriate.


    The omen was also not good.


    Weapons signify violence, while a wedding is about auspiciousness and celebration. He definitely couldn¡¯t give gifts haphazardly.


    He was not short on money now and wanted to go to the city to look for a respectable treasure to purchase.


    There was another matter; he intended to buy the entire mountain and turn it into his private land.


    He would surely need to inquire about this at the government office.


    Tang Yan held an official position in the city, so asking him should be a good idea.


    Qin Niu had some acquaintance with Deputy City Lord Bai, whose official rank was many times higher than Tang Yan¡¯s. But in Qin Niu¡¯s view, buying land was a minor matter, unworthy of calling upon someone as high-ranking as Deputy City Lord Bai.


    Since he was preparing to purchase this mountainous area, he definitely wanted to get the lay of the land first to see what size purchase would be appropriate.


    The part of the mountains where he currently was should all belong to the Qifeng Mountain Range.


    The two peaks behind Shuangfeng Village were merely at the very end of the Qifeng Mountain Range.


    As to whether it was actually the Qifeng Mountain Range or something else, no one could say for sure.


    Some even thought it was the ¡°Qifeng Mountain Range,¡± as there were many maple trees in the mountains.


    In autumn, red maple leaves decked the large and small maples all over the mountains.


    They were a characteristic scenic splendor of the Qifeng Mountain Range.


    Those who believed it should be called the ¡°Qifeng Mountain Range¡± did so because no matter how strong the wind was, once it blew into Shuangfeng Village, it couldn¡¯t escape.


    It all blew deep into the mountains.


    People believed the wind had found a dwelling within the Qifeng Mountain Range.


    Regardless, everyone currently called it the Qifeng Mountain Range. Not only because the name sounded more prosperous, but also because of an extremely ancient story passed down from generation to generation among the local populace.


    It is said that in ancient times, terrifying crows would often emerge from the mountain behind the village to attack humans.


    These crows flocked together; some had already cultivated some mystical powers, becoming demonic birds.


    They were very picky eaters when it came to humans, preferring young children.


    They liked to eat babies held in their parents¡¯ arms the most, as well as toddlers under three years old who ran around everywhere.


    Just as eagles prey on chicks, the villages in this region often experienced the loss of children.


    When parents went searching, they could only find leftover bones and clothing in the mountains.


    Sometimes, if they searched too late, even the bones were consumed by the ferocious beasts in the mountains.


    Not even the skeletons remained.


    After nearly eleven years of this hardship, the crows had eaten so many of the nearby villages¡¯ children that few were left.


    The crows then began to target young adults.


    They did not discriminate between young men and women; all were consumed.


    Those who could escape had already fled to other lands.


    The village had nearly ten homes empty for every occupied one, becoming sparsely populated.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: Chapter 305: Deep Mountain Demon Bird_1

    Chapter 312: Chapter 305: Deep Mountain Demon Bird_1


    The government dispatched troops into the mountains to encircle and suppress those crows.


    However, the crows had wings, were adept at flying, and extremely cunning. With slightest rustling of leaves, the sentry crows would immediately fly off and could not be caught at all.


    The crackdown by the soldiers in the mountains naturally came to nothing.


    Later, the government sent skilled archers into the mountains to shoot down the crows. This time, they achieved some success.


    But it angered the bird demons among the crows, which spat out green flames. Anyone touched by it would immediately drop dead.


    What was strange was that the slain archers¡¯ bodies were intact, showing no signs of damage.


    The green flames did not burn the mountains, trees, or clothes, but anyone touched by them would instantly die.


    Only after consulting knowledgeable cultivators did they learn that the green flames spewed by those crow demons was nether flame.


    Which burns a person¡¯s soul.


    For a while, the government was also at a loss and posted offer rewards for experts to deal with those crow demons. Unfortunately, no one dared to accept the challenge.


    Just when the government was at its wits¡¯ end, a great bird, enveloped in fire, appeared in the sky from afar and made its way directly into the Qifeng Mountain Range. Some said that its wingspan was nearly a hundred meters wide, and its body was twenty to thirty meters long¡ªso immense that it blotted out the sky and was an astonishing sight.


    Strangely, ever since it entered the mountain, those man-eating crows had not been seen again.


    Even today, there are very few crows within the Qifeng Mountain Range.


    And they never harm humans.


    This further convinced the local people that the Fire Phoenix¡¯s descent upon the Qifeng Mountain Range was true.


    At this moment, Qin Niu was leading Green Ox deeper into the mountain range.


    Dressed in King Pig Leather Armor and possessing the cultivation of the Innate Realm, he was able to disregard any thorns and spikes.


    He moved through the mountains more nimbly than wild animals.


    He even discovered numerous thoroughfares left by large beasts.


    Based on the footprints and droppings on the ground, it was apparent these passages had been made by groups of wild boars.


    Wild boars liked to search for food in large, organized groups.


    Qin Niu had previously slaughtered a wild boar king that had turned into a demon, yet the rest of the boar herd still dared to roam in this area.


    Following the trails they had used, Qin Niu traveled about seventeen or eighteen li non-stop, gradually making his way deeper into the mountain.


    The vegetation around him was not as lush as before.


    Or rather, tall trees everywhere became the norm, while shorter trees and plants like ferns became increasingly scarce.


    The ground hosted only some sporadic weeds or low ferns.


    Most of the sunlight was blocked by tall trees, making it difficult for smaller plants to survive in this environment.


    This was a true primeval forest, seldom visited by humans.


    Even woodcutters who regularly ventured into the mountains to chop wood did not dare to come here.


    Perhaps some herb pickers would enter.


    In the forest, apart from Qin Niu and Green Ox, there seemed to be no other animals.


    He was well aware that this was because other animals were natives; they hid away in their own lairs.


    In such an environment, he felt somewhat uneasy.


    Occasionally, he would spot a rare medicinal herb that was hard to find outside.


    No birds could be seen on the trees.


    Moreover, the mountains within were contiguous, and looking ahead, one could faintly see towering peaks piercing the clouds, standing tall between heaven and earth.


    They were hidden in the mist, almost reaching the heavens.


    Despite its appearance like a fairyland, such places were uninhabited by humans.


    Qin Niu looked up at the sky; Xiao Qing was still cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree. She did not have the ability to leave the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    If Qin Niu could not return before dark and lead her out, she would disappear the next day.


    The towering peaks ahead beckoned to him but also gave him an intense feeling of danger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back to explore deeper into the mountains tomorrow. For today, this is far enough.¡±


    Qin Niu did not venture any further but began to traverse laterally, surveying this stretch of mountainous land.


    Despite being owned by the government, beyond the outer regions, no one would come to manage it.


    If it were not expensive, he would buy it outright.


    If the price was exorbitant, he would definitely not make the purchase.


    Mountains have traditionally been of little value.


    Unless there were gold mines, silver mines, or spiritual veins, they could potentially have high value.


    The real moneymakers are farmlands.


    Especially fertile ones.


    Because farmlands can be used to grow crops, directly generating economic effects.


    There are many who would lease farmland, but very few would lease mountains.


    Qin Niu purchased this expanse of mountain with the aim of turning it into a formidable stronghold. In doing so, he wouldn¡¯t fear even the strongest of enemies.


    Ancient human ancestors, when battling gigantic beasts, often sought refuge in caves and underground burrows.


    These were the earliest human dwellings.


    Later, as humans triumphed over the gigantic beasts and began to flourish, they moved from living in underground caves and mountain caverns to establishing homes on the ground surface.


    Qin Niu quickly traversed laterally through the terrain.


    Along the way, he encountered no danger.


    Occasionally, a rabbit that had strayed from its master would dart out from the bushes, fleeing swiftly to some other place.


    ¡°Clang, clang!¡±


    ¡°Clang, clang!¡±


    From within the depths of the mighty peaks, a petrifying cry echoed.


    It did not sound like the roar of a ferocious beast but rather like the call of a bird.


    Yet, this call seemed as if it could pierce through the clouds, soaring straight up to the heavens.


    Hearing it instilled a sense of awe.


    No ordinary bird, not even large species like peafowls or eagles, could emit such a resounding cry.


    Green Ox stopped in its tracks and looked towards the distant rugged peak.


    For the first time ever, a trace of seriousness could be seen in its eyes.


    ¡°Lazy ox is usually fearless of both heaven and earth, so any creature that makes it feel solemn must be no ordinary being,¡± Qin Niu silently thought.


    It seemed that deep within this mountain, there were still many secrets to be uncovered.


    Last time he had encountered a wild boar king that had turned into a monster, which suggested that the mountain might still be home to even more formidable mythical beasts.


    ¡°Lazy ox, don¡¯t be nosy, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Of course, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t risk exploring deeper into the mountain.


    His current strength was still too weak, and recklessly venturing into danger would be like asking for an early demise.


    The experience of nearly losing his life when he wandered into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze was still vivid in his memory.


    He guided Green Ox and dared to explore only within the current depth they were at.


    As they proceeded, they clearly became much more cautious and vigilant.


    ¡°Woo¡­¡±


    A low growl came from behind a large tree up ahead.


    A spotted tiger with drooping eyes, its body crouched low, fixed its gaze on the approaching pair of man and ox.


    It¡¯s said that a tiger¡¯s territory spans five hundred miles.


    Meaning, within a five hundred mile radius, only one adult tiger resides.


    Qin Niu had heard of the legends of tigers but had never seen a real one until now.


    At this moment, as he observed the yellow-striped tiger, he could feel a faint aura of tiger¡¯s might emanating from it. However, for him, a cultivator of the Innate Realm, it posed no threat at all.


    Even Green Ox could probably handle this adult tiger with ease.


    ¡°Ao~!¡±


    Green Ox issued a humming call towards the fierce tiger in front.


    It kept flicking its tail, its eyes filled with curiosity and devoid of fear.


    The adage about a newborn calf not fearing tigers truly applied here.


    Green Ox was utterly oblivious to how fierce and terrifying tigers could be.


    An adult tiger was fully capable of hunting and killing a fully grown adult water buffalo on its own, and would do so quite effortlessly.


    A calf the size of Green Ox could easily be pressed to death on the ground with a single slap of its paw.


    The paw strike of a tiger is even more terrifying than that of a Black Bear.


    It could deliver a blow with the force of a ton.


    Easily capable of smashing the skulls of its prey.


    Even the Grey Wolf, a powerful wild animal of the forest, was insignificant in its presence.


    Even a pack of wolves would flee immediately upon encountering an adult tiger, daring not to challenge it.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The tiger, perhaps feeling its majesty had been affronted, let out an angry roar.


    Green Ox¡¯s horns pointed towards the fierce tiger, and with a flash of golden light shooting out, struck the tiger¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Woo¡­¡±


    The fierce tiger instantly turned into a scaredy-cat, its tail between its legs, scampering away without any notion of resistance.

 Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: Chapter 306 Black Python in the Mountains_1

    Chapter 313: Chapter 306 Black Python in the Mountains_1


    With Green Ox¡¯s current abilities, dealing with common beasts was a complete case of dimensional suppression.


    It was like sending Fourth to take care of a black smelly ant; wasn¡¯t that just bullying?


    The tiger, as the king of the beasts, was a top predator in the jungle.


    Its combat strength was incredibly formidable, but the Green Ox belonged to the class of exotic beasts with special abilities, nearly demonic. How could one even fight against that?


    It was just that Green Ox¡¯s grade wasn¡¯t particularly high yet, being only Grade Six.


    If it could advance to above grade ten, probably even an Immortal Master would have to keep a respectful distance upon encountering it.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Qin Niu had no intention of slaughtering the tiger to take its skin or to brew tiger bone soup.


    Since he planned to turn this mountain domain into his den, it was best to avoid disrupting its ecosystem as much as possible.


    Having a tiger residing in this territory was quite nice, after all.


    Eventually, once Qin Niu had his den well established, he might even properly cultivate the tiger and make it stronger.


    He continued to patrol the mountain forest with Green Ox.


    After traveling westward for about twelve or thirteen li, he heard the sound of flowing water in his ears.


    In the mountains, water veins are often found in low-lying areas.


    Such as canyons, gullies, and other low places.


    ¡°The sound of the water is quite loud; let¡¯s have a look.¡±


    Before long, a mountain stream appeared before him.


    This was an unpolluted mountain spring, extremely clear. The stream was not deep, only about one and a half meters wide, and you could see shrimp frolicking at the edge.


    On closer inspection, he found various animal hoof prints along the edge of the stream.


    Presumably, the animals of this mountain domain all came here to drink.


    Qin Niu looked upstream and saw a secluded valley that cut deep into the heart of the mountain, seemingly leading to the majestic peaks from which the Demon Bird calls came.


    Having been in the mountains for so long, this was the ¡®main artery¡¯ into the Qifeng Mountain Range.


    Seeing such clear mountain spring water, Green Ox was already excited and had hopped directly into the stream, rolling around happily.


    Drinking big gulps of the sweet stream water.


    Qin Niu ran upstream, squatted down, scooped up some stream water to wash his face, and drank heartily.


    The stream water carried a refreshing chill and was sweet upon entry, with that unique fresh scent of the mountains.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not bad.¡±


    As long as there was a water source, planting medicinal herbs and trees, domesticating animals, and sustaining his own life all had the most basic guarantee.


    Water is the source of all life.


    He followed the stream downhill, while Green Ox, too fond of play, continued to walk in the stream, reluctant to come ashore.


    Qin Niu indulgently let it frolic.


    Being able to encounter this calf and to have saved it from drowning was also a kind of fate.


    Not much further down, he found a very narrow branch in the stream.


    Normally, when rivers and streams branch off, they tend to flow in the same direction. However, this small branch flowed off to the side.


    And it somehow did not seem like a naturally eroded formation.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but feel curious.


    Could it be that someone was living in these mountains, redirecting the stream water?


    But upon closer examination of the small branch, it did not seem like it had been dug out by human hands.


    He decided to explore further and see where this little branch actually led.


    After exploring less than a hundred meters ahead, a pool of water appeared in front of him.


    Most pools deep in the mountains are formed by waterfalls pouring down over many years, creating deep pools.


    But there was no waterfall here.


    The vegetation around the pool was lush; the water overflowing from the pool nourished the land, making the plants especially verdant.


    Logically, such a pool in the deep mountains should have attracted many animals to drink from it.


    On the contrary, there was very little sign of trampling around the pool.


    Only one spot showed vegetation flattened down, forming a pathway about a foot wide.


    Qin Niu leaped in front of the path and closely examined it; the ground was smooth, and the path was not straight but winding and twisting.


    It closely resembled that small stream.


    ¡°It¡¯s a snake trail!¡±


    Qin Niu almost immediately thought of a creature.


    How large must the snake be to create such a wide trail?


    It had to be a giant python with a body length of over ten meters at least.


    Just as he deduced that a giant python might be lurking nearby, a foul wind suddenly arose behind him, and water splashed in all directions.


    A large python clad in black scales burst out from the pond, its target clear, aiming to swallow this ¡®prey¡¯ that had ventured near the pond in one gulp.


    Green Ox heard the commotion here, already leaping swiftly out of the stream and running towards this place.


    ¡°Roar~!¡±


    An angry roar echoed through heaven and earth.


    How dare a wild beast of the mountains attack its master; it absolutely could not tolerate this.


    Qin Niu, realizing the abnormal noise behind him, had already executed the Misty Rain Elusive Step in a flash, turning his body into a blur, and darting aside.


    The attack of the giant python missed as well.


    With Ink Blade in hand, Qin Niu was ready to slice the giant python, but he quickly changed his mind.


    All things possessed spirituality.


    This python had built a small stream on its own and then created a pond here, showing it had gained a certain level of intelligence.


    Killing it would take but a single blow.


    But if spared and nurtured well, it could perhaps become an excellent ¡®mountain guardian¡¯ in the future.


    Neither the ferocious tiger nor this black giant python were creatures Qin Niu intended to tame.


    His pets were already numerous, and both his energy and resources were limited.


    He wasn¡¯t about to take every slightly powerful wild beast or snake as a pet.


    Like the Ancient Banyan Tree, they could be left to grow freely in this mountain domain.


    They could even become friends with Qin Niu, coexisting harmoniously.


    That being said, if he encountered an extraordinary beast or bird, he would definitely not hesitate to tame it.


    ¡°Evil creature, go back to where you came from.¡±


    He struck the python¡¯s head with the flat of his blade.


    Unexpectedly, although the python¡¯s body seemed massive, its movements were extremely agile.


    With a mere flicker, it evaded Qin Niu¡¯s strike.


    It lunged for another bite at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Seeking death.¡±


    Qin Niu still attacked with the flat of his blade, lifting the blade upwards, aiming for its chin.


    A snake¡¯s jawbones are highly specialized, allowing them to open to about 130 degrees. This is why snakes can swallow prey several times thicker than their own bodies.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t intend to kill it, only to teach it a lesson, to ensure it wouldn¡¯t dare to misbehave in the future.


    Suddenly, the giant python swung its tail and struck Qin Niu¡¯s body fiercely.


    This beastly creature was super cunning; while it appeared to attack with its mouth, it was, in fact, a feint. The real attack was a tail whip aimed at Qin Niu.


    He was caught off guard by its unexpected attack from behind.


    Green Ox was still forty or fifty meters away.


    Seeing its master in danger, Green Ox didn¡¯t hesitate to shoot a beam of golden light from its horns.


    Swish!


    It hit the python¡¯s head instantly.


    The python was momentarily stunned as Qin Niu seized the opportunity to slash its chin, leaping up and narrowly avoiding its tail whip.


    As Ink Blade¡¯s flat struck its chin, a sound of gold striking iron resounded.


    The scales of the python were extremely hard, like steel.


    ¡°Hiss hiss~!¡±


    After being hit, the python, in pain, promptly hid back in the pond.


    Through the recent exchange, it had already realized that this human was not to be trifled with, and that the human had an ally as well.

 Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: 307 This is not enough to establish authority_1

    Chapter 314: 307 This is not enough to establish authority_1


    ¡°`


    ¡°Outnumbered and overpowered, it retreated back into the pond and dared not come out again.¡±


    Qin Niu had no intention of killing it, either. After teaching it a lesson, he watched the tumbling water of the pond. He couldn¡¯t help but think, If the Diamond Ink Turtle advanced in level, who would be stronger between it and this giant python?


    And in the Wash Crime River at the border of the Black Tiger Gang and the Nine Insect Gang, there was also that enormous creature¡ªcould it possibly be the legendary Jiao Dragon?


    It is said that snakes with exceptional talent could transform into pythons in a hundred years, become Jiaos in a thousand, and upon encountering wind in ten thousand years, they would turn into dragons.


    This python must have been around for quite some time already.


    It seemed to be even stronger than that fierce tiger.


    As for its level, that¡¯s hard to say.


    At the very least, it was above Grade Six, and it could very likely have reached Grade Seven.


    It probably hasn¡¯t reached the point of becoming demonic yet.


    There¡¯s a strong ferocity emanating from it, but no demonic aura is detected.


    For beasts and serpents in the mountains to become demonic is about as difficult as for humans to become Immortal Masters. Not only does it require great talent, but also a great fortune and a significant transformative opportunity.


    Merely diligent cultivation is generally insufficient to become demonic.


    Before they become demonic, they have to withstand the hunts of various natural predators, as well as endure disease, injury, and natural disasters.


    Even the king of beasts, the tiger, tries to avoid injury when hunting its prey.


    Because once injured, death is likely to follow.


    ¡°Given time, there¡¯s a good chance this Black Python will become demonic. Whether it can transform into a Jiao, it¡¯s too soon to tell,¡± Qin Niu mused.


    After observing the pond for a while, he decided not to linger any longer.


    He would deal with the Black Python again in the future. Having established his dominance today, the next time they met, it should behave more submissively.


    The sun was already sinking in the sky, and dusk was approaching.


    He headed straight towards the location of the Ancient Banyan Tree to first bring out Xiao Qing.


    The Qifeng Mountain Range was home to many powerful creatures. If Qin Niu wanted to become familiar with it, he couldn¡¯t rush things; he had to take it step by step.


    He believed that one day, the Qifeng Mountain Range would be as familiar to him as his own backyard.


    His greatest desire was to coexist harmoniously with all the creatures and plants in the mountains. To live alongside those powerful creatures like friends, in this mountainous territory, was actually quite pleasant.


    By the time he arrived at the Ancient Banyan Tree, the sun had reached the mountaintop and was about to set.


    Qin Niu burst into the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree and immediately spotted Xiao Qing, who was still cultivating.


    Powerful currents radiated from her center, wreaking havoc all around. Nearby saplings and weeds were whipped chaotically.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s aura was noticeably stronger than before.


    Qin Niu was pleasantly surprised¡ªXiao Qing had finally broken through after so many days.


    The reason why there was such violent turbulence around her was that she had just broken through and her realm was not yet stable, preventing her from controlling her internal energy well.


    Having experienced this phenomenon himself, he was more than familiar with it.


    At this moment, the branches had descended to a little over three meters high, and soon they would press down even further.


    Qin Niu could even feel the cold energy constantly cascading down from the treetop.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, stop cultivating for now and hurry out of here,¡± Qin Niu called out.


    She slowly gathered her cultivation and opened her eyes.


    Confidence and joy were evident on her youthful face.


    It was just as children are, unable to hide their emotions on their faces.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve made a breakthrough,¡± Xiao Qing shared the good news with her master as the first thing.


    ¡°Congratulations, congratulations, let¡¯s get out of here before we talk,¡± Qin Niu led her out of the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    ¡°Master, this new realm is amazing! Inside me, there are two alchemy cauldrons made of energy that constantly rotate. I feel like my burst strength is more than ten times stronger than before.


    Also, my sensitivity to plants has improved greatly.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree is terrifying; its energy is like the boundless sky.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how strong it must be.¡±


    Xiao Qing chattered nonstop about her cultivation progress along the way.


    ¡°You¡­ said you have two cauldrons inside you?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, two of them. They spin in opposite directions¡ªone green, one red.¡±


    Xiao Qing nodded earnestly to confirm.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re most suited for cultivating the Medicine King Classic. After I broke through to the Acquired Realm, I only had one cauldron inside me, one less than you. With dual cauldrons, I believe as long as you continue with this technique, you¡¯re certain to achieve greater success.¡±


    Qin Niu envied Xiao Qing for being able to cultivate dual cauldrons.


    But everyone has their own fate.


    Xiao Qing was found with the Medicine King Classic, which suggests it might be her family¡¯s ancestral technique.


    Just like Qin Niu, who cultivates life-nurturing techniques like the Everlasting Spring Technique and also has a high talent for them.


    ¡°Once I grow stronger, I can protect my master better and do things for them. If I have the chance, I want to learn alchemy. Not only could I refine elixirs to enhance my own cultivation, but I could also make various elixirs for my master.¡±


    A look of longing filled Xiao Qing¡¯s youthful face.


    ¡°Want to learn alchemy, huh? No problem, I¡¯ll go to the city in a few days and ask around for you.¡±


    Qin Niu thought Master Zi Zhou¡¯s alchemy skills were pretty good.


    Having only dealt with that old man once, it would probably be difficult to get Master Zi Zhou to take Xiao Qing as a disciple.


    But there was no rush for this matter.


    They could also wait until Xiao Qing¡¯s cultivation reached the Innate Realm before seeking discipleship with Master Zi Zhou.


    The master and servant returned home in high spirits.


    Both had made significant gains, and Qin Niu had pretty much scouted the deeper regions of this mountain area.


    He didn¡¯t dare to venture into the deepest parts where the demon birds called out.


    The conditions just weren¡¯t ripe yet.


    But reconnoitering wouldn¡¯t be difficult¡ªhe could easily send bees to take a look.


    Whether bees or termites, he could breed them in large numbers for standard tasks, using them as cannon fodder if necessary.


    As soon as he returned to the village, he sensed something was off in the atmosphere.


    He sighed inwardly; it seemed the He Family was not willing to let things lie.


    He quickened his pace towards home.


    Sure enough, from a distance, he saw carriages parked outside his home, surrounded by many people.


    The door of Wang Furen¡¯s house next door had been smashed to pieces.


    Wang Furen himself knelt on the ground, his face covered in blood.


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s figure was nowhere to be seen.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart sank.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the He Family to seek trouble with Wang Furen¡¯s house.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, don¡¯t hold back later. If there¡¯s someone we have the strength to kill, just kill them,¡± Qin Niu¡¯s face was filled with surging killing intent.


    He had gotten engaged to Wang Wanyan, and news of it had spread far and wide.


    Now the He Family dared to touch his future wife; they were truly courting death.


    Qin Niu had grown up without parents and held friends and relatives in the highest regard.


    After Old Man Liu¡¯s death, he had no other kin in this world.


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s arrival had been a light in his life.


    He had already come to regard her as family in his heart.


    Wang Furen had shown him much kindness, and later gave him his daughter¡¯s hand in marriage, so Qin Niu also saw him as family.


    Seeing him beaten and forced to kneel on the ground had touched Qin Niu¡¯s last nerve.

 Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: 308

    Chapter 315: 308


    ¡°`


    If it had been in the past, the Yan Family and other local gentry, to him, would have been behemoth-like existences.


    But now, Qin Niu had grown, and when looking at these local gentry, they seemed not that remarkable anymore.


    He performed the Misty Rain Traceless Step and in the blink of an eye, appeared beside Wang Furen.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, who did this?¡±


    Seeing Qin Niu appear, Wang Furen was like a bullied child seeing his parents, unable to help his sorrow from welling up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, hurry and save Wan Yan. She¡¯s been captured by the He Family and is locked inside that carriage.¡±


    Wang Furen was even more concerned for his daughter¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Ah Niu, a wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him. Admit your errors, save Wan Yan, and take her far away from here.¡±


    He lowered his voice and added another piece of advice.


    Qin Niu helped Wang Furen up from the ground.


    But the poor shopkeeper dare not stand, because the He Family¡¯s people were right there.


    If the He Family wanted him to kneel, he wouldn¡¯t dare utter a word of protest.


    ¡°Hey you, did Fourth Master He tell you to get up?¡±


    As soon as Qin Niu helped Wang Furen up, a middle-aged man nearby asked coldly.


    Wang Furen¡¯s body shuddered violently, broke free from Qin Niu, and knelt down on the ground obediently.


    This shopkeeper, indeed a merchant through and through, showed not the slightest defiance in the face of power. Understandable, really.


    After many years of travelling around, he had seen countless gruesome scenes.


    He knew all too well what end awaited those who offended the powerful.


    The He Family was one of the three great gentry families of Jade Stream Town. Although they seldom came to Shuangfeng Village, people¡¯s names cast long shadows. Residents of Jade Stream Town might not know the Black Tiger Gang Leader, but they couldn¡¯t be ignorant of the gentry families¡¯ fame.


    Qin Niu turned his head to look at the middle-aged man who had spoken.


    Fourth Master He, who had been scared off by Qin Niu in the morning, was now fully ¡°revived.¡±


    Not far away, an armchair and a tea table were set up, with Fourth Master He sitting there, legs crossed.


    He held the teacup and savored it leisurely.


    There were also desserts and fruits on the tea table.


    This B¡¯s act was worthy of full marks.


    Behind Fourth Master He stood more than thirty Protectors of the He Family, all wearing leather armor and carrying long sabers at their waists. The formation was fairly neat, their eyes cold.


    The He Family had evidently intended to train them into a private army.


    But because they had never been on a battlefield, these people, with cultivation only in the Mortal Realm, lacked some imposing aura of murderous spirit and military might. Instead, they had the air of a show without substance.


    These men posed no threat to Qin Niu.


    The really formidable one was the old man standing next to Fourth Master He, over fifty years old and less than 1.6 meters tall. Dressed in gray, and wearing a bamboo hat, he looked every bit the part of an old farmer.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by his short stature and unremarkable appearance, for it¡¯s not the pleats that make the bun.


    This man gave Qin Niu a sense of invisible pressure.


    It meant either he possessed powerful treasures, or he was also a strong practitioner in the Innate Realm.


    One thing was certain: he was definitely not a strong practitioner in the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Because Qin Niu simply couldn¡¯t sense the cultivation level of such existences, he could only feel an overwhelming ¡°vast ocean,¡± unfathomable.


    He dared to challenge the He Family, naturally not out of reckless bravado.


    Even if the He Family had even stronger experts hidden behind them, stronger than those in the Innate Realm, Qin Niu could still rely on the strength of the Fang Family.


    And if worse came to worst, once his Green Demon Bees were bred for some time, he would have the capability to challenge those in the Spirit Qi Realm on his own.


    Moreover, he had already slain a strong practitioner in the Spirit Qi Realm and had seen their strength, so he dared to confront them when major interests were compromised.


    ¡°Is the He Family prepared to fight this out to the bitter end?¡±


    Qin Niu stepped toward Fourth Master He, considering the thirty or so Protectors of the He Family as if they were nothing.


    The Ink Blade was already grasped in his right hand, held at the ready.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    The Hundred Treasures Insect Bag contained a large number of Termites.


    Among them were Soldier Ants and Worker Ants possessing highly toxic venom. Just one sting from their poison, and anyone below the Innate Realm would likely drop dead on the spot.


    Even Qin Niu, their owner, had no antidote.


    Perhaps a Detoxification Pill could cure their venom, but it had not been tried.


    ¡°You killed a member of the He Family, you must give an explanation.¡±


    He Siye replied unhurriedly.


    When it came to putting on airs, Qin Niu was convinced this man was second to none.


    When it was time to flee with his tail between his legs, he did not hesitate. When it was time to strut, he strutted with style and swagger.


    ¡°Who kidnapped my fianc¨¦e?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°I did. That woman was feisty, but she had smooth skin and a top-notch figure. I may have been a bit rough with her, but she brought it upon herself.¡±


    The answer came from the same middle-aged man.


    This person must be the head of the Yan Family Protectors, not weak at all¡ªprobably at the peak of the Acquired Realm.


    But still a bit short of the Innate Realm.


    With that kind of strength, he definitely had the means to run amok in the countryside.


    Yet his retribution had come today, in the form of Qin Niu.


    ¡°Besides you, was there anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Capturing that little vixen alone, do we need several people for that? Our master¡¯s intention is this, you kneel today and give a kowtow, admit your mistake to the He Family, and we¡¯ll let bygones be bygones. Your fianc¨¦e will be returned to you.


    If you don¡¯t recognize what¡¯s good for you, thinking you can act recklessly before the He Family just because you have some ability and status, even if we can¡¯t do much to a distinguished nobleman like you, as for your future wife, our master will take full responsibility.¡±


    The middle-aged man¡¯s words carried an undertone of arrogance.


    Clearly, the He Family had dared to seek revenge and reclaim their standing by investigating Qin Niu¡¯s background thoroughly.


    What they could find out was probably just surface-level information.


    As for Qin Niu¡¯s true strength and his resources, the He Family likely had no clue.


    The He Family thought Qin Niu was a native of Shuangfeng Village with a history of only a few months. Even if he had some strength and opportunities, they were limited.


    Moreover, Qin Niu was young, which only further convinced the He Family that he had become arrogant with a little power.


    Arrogance is the nature of most young people.


    ¡°Sun Gui spoke well, I, the fourth master, do enjoy that. Taming the unruly fianc¨¦es of the disobedient, that¡¯s my favorite pastime,¡± He Siye said with a smile, nodding repeatedly.


    ¡°You, are you not afraid of the law?¡±


    Wang Furen, hearing that his daughter might be tarnished by He Siye if taken back, was both anxious and angry. His daughter was the apple of his eye.


    Besides, if she were defiled by He Siye, there would only be two paths left: either to take her own life or to beg to become He Siye¡¯s concubine.


    The men of the He Family were famously licentious in the local area.


    He Siye¡¯s grandfather was the kind to even marry a cousin.


    He Siye¡¯s father was also promiscuous, fathering a large brood of children. Seven sons alone.


    ¡°Haha, the law? In these parts, might is right. I, the fourth master, have taken not less than three fianc¨¦es, what¡¯s one more to me? Anyway, the He Family has plenty of land and grain, we can afford it, rest assured,¡± He Siye said joyfully.


    Not to mention locally, even in Black Tiger City, or the entire domain of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, power means everything.


    The law can only restrain the common folk.


    It has always been so, throughout history.


    ¡°Those who insult me, kill! Those who insult my family, kill! Those who insult my fianc¨¦e, kill!¡±


    Qin Niu repeated the word ¡®kill¡¯ three times.


    Since the He Family knew he was a first-class noble yet still dared to seek retribution, Qin Niu would have to establish an even greater deterrence.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: Chapter 310: The He Family Isn’t as Rich as Imagined_1

    Chapter 317: Chapter 310: The He Family Isn¡¯t as Rich as Imagined_1


    Although Wang Wanyan had read thousands of books and was knowledgeable, she was ultimately just a country girl with limited experience and exposure. Usually, she would spend her time in seclusion reading books, playing the guqin, practicing needlework, or tending flowers and plants, a typical homebody.


    When she suddenly encountered the violent He Family, whose strength was so great it left her in despair, and who acted with extreme brutality,


    they not only beat up her father but also went so far as to kidnap her directly.


    This was probably the first time in her life that she had witnessed such lawlessness.


    It was certain that she was terrified.


    In the moment of crisis, she saw her beloved appear in her despair and quickly eliminate the enemies, then rescued her. At this moment, Qin Niu¡¯s status in her heart reached an unprecedented height.


    ¡°Hero¡± was likely the word she would use to describe Qin Niu.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright now, it¡¯s alright,¡± Qin Niu whispered, ¡°as long as I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t allow anyone to hurt you or your family.¡±


    Qin Niu gently patted her back, soothing her with his calm voice.


    The lackeys of the He Family had already scattered in all directions like rats, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Qin Niu was very clear that given how things had escalated, the situation had intensified.


    What followed was that the conflict with the He Family would become even more fierce.


    Having slain an Innate Realm expert of the He Family, Qin Niu had thus exposed part of his strength.


    It was both a good thing and a bad thing.


    On the positive side, it could make the He Family understand that his strength was formidable, fully capable of killing an Innate Realm expert. Whether they wanted to continue clashing with such a powerful adversary, the He Family would surely give it careful consideration.


    To be honest, even for the established noble families in the area, experts of the Innate Realm were absolutely rare talents.


    Losing one would certainly hurt the He Family deeply.


    Continuing to fight against Qin Niu might result in the loss of even more of the family¡¯s top warriors.


    Not to mention Innate Realm experts, even the Acquired Realm masters were not something the Yan or He Families could produce in large numbers.


    All of them were considered high-level talent.


    On the negative side, having exposed his strength, the enemy would no longer treat him as an ordinary Insect Master.


    ¡°Ah Niu, quickly take my daughter and run, the farther the better.¡±


    After seeing Qin Niu kill He Siye, Wang Furen knew it would only invite fiercer retaliation from the He Family.


    ¡°Dad, if we¡¯re going, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Wang Wanyan looked at her father with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Wait, give me a moment,¡±


    Wang Furen said, suddenly remembering something, and he quickly ran into the house. It took almost a quarter of an hour before he returned.


    In his hand was a well-packed bundle.


    ¡°Wan Yan, take this with you. Your father hasn¡¯t saved much over the years, but it¡¯s all in there. Live a good life with Ah Niu in the future, and don¡¯t be wilful, do you understand?¡±


    Wang Furen¡¯s love for his daughter was evident in his face, his eyes, and etched in his heart.


    He was a man who loved money dearly.


    Yet at this moment, he gave all his possessions to his daughter.


    The time he had spent inside just now must have involved considerable effort to retrieve his hidden wealth.


    ¡°Dad, I won¡¯t go. If we go, we all go together.¡±


    Wang Wanyan said through her tears.


    ¡°Silly child, your father is old. If I go with you, in the end, none of us would escape. The He Family¡¯s pursuers are likely to arrive soon, so you must hurry. Child, your father won¡¯t be able to take care of you in the future; you have to take good care of yourself and cherish your health, do you understand?¡±


    Wang Furen looked at his daughter reluctantly but, worrying about the He Family¡¯s experts catching up, he could only urge her to quickly escape with Qin Niu.


    ¡°Ah Niu, I entrust my daughter to you. You must not deceive or hit her. If she does something to make you angry, for the sake of Uncle Wang who once helped your family, don¡¯t hold it against her. I¡¯m begging you,¡±


    Wang Furen pleaded with Qin Niu.


    Asking for help is like swallowing a three-foot sword.


    If he didn¡¯t love his daughter to the marrow of his bones, why would he plead so earnestly with Qin Niu, a junior?


    ¡°Uncle Wang, things have not reached that point yet. But there is one thing I can assure you of, I will take good care of Wan Yan, cherish her, love her, and protect her for a lifetime.¡± Qin Niu had no intention of fleeing.


    The benefits from those hundred acres of good farmland were indeed significant, especially with several acres of fertile black soil.


    But in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, it was just so-so.


    If he had not been confident in contending with the He Family, he would have certainly settled for peace, grudgingly letting the He Family push him around.


    Just like when Wang Haikun had stolen his wolf skin, at that time, with his strength still weak, he did not stubbornly resist Wang Haikun.


    Instead, he wisely ¡°gifted¡± the wolf skin to the other party.


    It wasn¡¯t until later, when his strength grew stronger and even enabled him to dominate Wang Haikun¡¯s elder brother, that he began to strike back powerfully.


    Now, dealing with the He Family was the same.


    Qin Niu was not impulsive or reckless, but had made the decision after much thought and deliberation.


    ¡°Ah Niu, do not try to act tough. The He Family has been established locally for hundreds of years, over three hundred years earlier than the Yan Family. Not to mention you, even the Yan Family would give them some leeway. Listen to your uncle¡¯s advice and hurry up and flee with Wan Yan. This Sweaty Precious Horse is fast enough to help you both quickly escape Jade Stream Town.¡±


    The meaning in Wang Furen¡¯s words was very clear, he was telling Qin Niu to flee with Wang Wanyan.


    In his eyes, Xiao Qing was just a servant, who would naturally be abandoned without hesitation when the master was in danger.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, trust me, if it really comes to the point of needing to flee for our lives, I will definitely take Wan Yan and you with me. We are not at that point yet.¡±


    Qin Niu had taken a stroll in the deep mountains that day.


    There was water in the mountains and the Ancient Banyan Tree served as a natural shelter. Even if the He Family had warriors in the Spirit Qi Realm, Qin Niu felt capable of handling them.


    Furthermore, he would seize the time to cultivate insects, making them a formidable fighting force as well.


    Seeing that he could not persuade Qin Niu, Wang Furen could only sigh heavily.


    ¡°Ah¡­ You young people do not understand the severity, and you will suffer greatly sooner or later.¡±


    That being said, Wang Furen had no way to enforce his will since Qin Niu refused to flee.


    He was of advanced age, and his cultivation was no different from an ordinary person. He could not run far nor protect Wang Wanyan.


    So he could only listen to Qin Niu and stay at home.


    If they did not need to flee, that would naturally be for the best.


    Qin Niu had already started to rummage through the corpse of the Innate Realm warrior, looking for valuables.


    His movements were extremely skilled.


    However, after the search, he had only found silver notes worth three hundred taels and some silver pieces.


    This Innate Realm warrior from the He Family was really poor.


    Moreover, his weapon had been destroyed.


    It was better than nothing.


    He then went to search the body of He Sire.


    But as he approached, he smelled a stench of urine mixed with the smell of feces. This coward, what a disgrace.


    When posturing, he was arrogant enough.


    Who knew he was such a coward that he wet himself with fear at the moment of death.


    Luckily, Qin Niu had a small gain from searching the body, finding silver notes and silver adding up to just over nine hundred taels. Almost a thousand taels.


    ¡°This is strange, is it that the local tycoons are too poor? Or have I recently become too rich?¡±


    Qin Niu wondered to himself.


    He wasn¡¯t very clear about the financial situation of the local elite families.


    He Sire, after all, was one of the seven sons of the He Family, managing their plantation industry, yet he had less than a thousand taels of cash on him.

 Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: Chapter 311: The Undying Ancestor_1

    Chapter 318: Chapter 311: The Undying Ancestor_1


    The Innate Realm expert who carried the silver had even less on him, with only three hundred taels.


    This indirectly indicated that the He Family¡¯s economic strength was weaker.


    Now it made sense as to why the He Family wanted to seize those hundred mu of fertile farmland. With the backing of an Innate Realm expert in the family and even more formidable forces, they naturally wanted to take full advantage of Qin Niu, a seemingly insignificant figure.


    Not to take advantage of such an opportunity would be foolish.


    He Sige was arrogant and flamboyant, and he was the actual controller of the He Family¡¯s agricultural sector.


    If he could exchange some average fertile fields for those hundred mu of prime farmland, even with over a dozen mu of barren land, it would be a significant contribution. He might even use this achievement to compete for the position of family head.


    His calculations were meticulous, but unfortunately, he met a tough character.


    After scouring the bodies for any valuables, Qin Niu said to Wang Wanyan and her father, ¡°If Uncle Wang is worried about the He Family seeking revenge, there is another solution. I will now escort you into the city. You may find an inn there to stay at.¡±


    ¡°This is an excellent idea,¡±


    Wang Furen immediately nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Then, gather your belongings, and I will take you there now.¡±


    Qin Niu also happened to be going into the city to purchase a set of cultivation materials.


    Especially the Invisibility Talisman from last time, he was extremely eager to obtain another one.


    Owing such a huge favor to the mute girl, he certainly needed to repay it twofold in the future.


    ¡­


    Soon, the Wang Family father and daughter came out with their female servant.


    The luggage they brought wasn¡¯t much.


    Wang Furen might have considered that this was an escape for their lives, wishing to quickly flee out of the He Family¡¯s pursuit range, so they left with just the essentials.


    Bearing in mind the servant girl was brought along, it showed Wang Furen¡¯s deep affection for this woman.


    ¡°This Sweaty Precious Horse is perfect for your travel, and there¡¯s even a ready carriage; please get on,¡±


    Qin Niu unceremoniously claimed the Sweaty Precious Horse for himself.


    Only, he hadn¡¯t anticipated that when he went to lead the horse, the creature, being extremely intelligent, reared up on its forelegs, struggling and neighing vehemently.


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    Qin Niu grasped the horse¡¯s neck with his hand, pinning it so it could not move.


    The Sweaty Precious Horse was much larger than an average steed; standing beside it, Qin Niu and the animal were not at all comparable in size.


    Yet, Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation was far superior, and it took little effort for him to subdue it.


    ¡°Alright, the four of you sit in the carriage, I will take the reins,¡±


    Qin Niu sat on the shaft of the carriage, personally acting as the coachman for his fianc¨¦e.


    The way was unobstructed, and there was no pursuit from He Family¡¯s experts.


    After leaving Shuangfeng Village, the carriage took to the main road, racing along at breakneck speed.


    The Sweaty Precious Horse lived up to its reputation as a famed warhorse.


    Its stamina and pulling power were both exceptional.


    Following behind the carriage, a Green Ox was kicking up dust.


    Qin Niu was worried that after they left, the He Family¡¯s anger would fall upon the Green Ox, and they would simply slaughter it.


    So, he brought it along.


    Furthermore, in case they encountered experts from the He Family on the road, having the Green Ox with them could provide some support.


    ¡°After the upcoming intersection, we¡¯ll be out of Jade Stream Town, and we should be safe,¡±


    Wang Furen sat inside the carriage, occasionally lifting the curtain to look ahead.


    The intangible pressure from the He Family made him extremely anxious.


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, appeared unruffled.


    It wasn¡¯t just about killing He Sige; even if it were an esteemed elder like Elder Jiu Yin, as long as there was a chance, Qin Niu would strike without hesitation.


    ¡°Master, it looks like someone is chasing us from behind,¡±


    Xiao Qing was unlike Wang Furen; as she sat inside the carriage accompanying Wang Wanyan, she would also occasionally glance back.


    It was approaching evening now.


    The sky was growing dark, and night was about to envelop the world completely.


    Under normal circumstances, there should be no one out.


    The people appearing behind them were almost certainly the He Family¡¯s pursuers.


    ¡°Hurry up, faster, we must not let them catch us,¡±


    Wang Furen urged continuously, seeing that they were close to escaping Jade Stream Town, he felt his life hanging by a thread.


    ¡°Dad, Ah Niu is already pushing the horse as fast as he can. Don¡¯t rush him anymore,¡±


    Wang Wanyan, however, was concerned for her betrothed.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, check the number of pursuers and their ages,¡±


    Qin Niu concentrated on driving the carriage, unable to turn around.


    Otherwise, if the carriage flipped over, it wouldn¡¯t be a joke.


    ¡°There are only three of them, it¡¯s too dark to see their ages clearly. They¡¯re all on horseback. The leader seems to be an old man, short in stature, and both his beard and hair are probably white,¡± Xiao Qing reported the situation of their pursuers.


    ¡°Uncle Wang, does the He Family have a short old man?¡±


    Qin Niu was very young, and usually only active within Shuangfeng Village, so he wasn¡¯t very familiar with the He Family.


    Not to mention the He Family, he also didn¡¯t know much about the Yan Family.


    ¡°Let me have a look.¡±


    Wang Furen quickly peered through the small window at the back of the carriage.


    ¡°Oh my god, that old man looks like the father of the He Family¡¯s old patriarch. I¡¯ve only seen a portrait once. I heard he passed away many years ago, how is he still alive?¡±


    After Wang Furen took a look, he exclaimed in fright.


    He Siye was already thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, and the old patriarch of the He Family, He Siye¡¯s grandfather.


    According to a generation being counted as twenty years, the He Family¡¯s old patriarch must be at least eighty or ninety years old.


    Then the father of the old patriarch would be over a hundred years old?


    In those days, not many people lived to be a hundred.


    ¡°That makes sense, the He Family knew I am a first-class noble but still dared to make a move; they must have something to rely on. Having an old ancestor still alive is not surprising.¡±


    Qin Niu had seen the five old ancestors of the Fang Family, all of whom were extremely old.


    For an established major clan like the He Family, having an old ancestor over a hundred years old still clinging to life, what¡¯s so strange about that?


    Many major clans liked to play this trick.


    Once the powerhouse of a family reached a certain age, they would declare to the world that they¡¯ve passed away from illness, and then make a big show of handling the funeral. It was all to deceive the public.


    In fact, they were hiding their strength, allowing that powerful individual to continue cultivating in secret.


    Some were kept so secret that even their own family members were unaware.


    Only the head of the family knew the person was still alive.


    ¡°Qin Niu, you have killed many of my He Family; you cannot escape.¡±


    A fierce shout came from behind them.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, can you drive a carriage?¡±


    Qin Niu knew that there would definitely be a fierce battle today; he prepared to face the enemy alone.


    Having Wang Wanyan and the others at his side would only become a burden.


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    Xiao Qing understood Qin Niu¡¯s intention.


    ¡°You take over the reins and lead them into the city. If you reach the city gate and they don¡¯t open it for you, use this command token and call for the gate,¡±


    Qin Niu took out the token given by the Fang Family and handed it to Xiao Qing.


    In Black Tiger City, the Fang Family was one of the top preeminent families. Their command token had unimaginable power.


    ¡°Be careful, Master. Once I have escorted Sister Wanyan safely inside the city, I will come back immediately to help you,¡±


    Xiao Qing took over the token and took charge of the carriage.


    ¡°If the old ancestor of the He Family is formidable, your assistance would be in vain. It would be better to take this command token and seek out Fang Lian of the Fang Family, and tell him the He Family wants to kill me; he will surely come to the rescue.¡±


    At that moment, Qin Niu could only rely on his connections with the Fang Family.


    The He Family, knowing that their Innate Realm expert had been killed, still dared to pursue; this indicated that the old ancestor¡¯s cultivation must be very terrifying.


    Whether he has reached the Spirit Qi Realm is difficult to say.


    The likelihood of him being at the peak of the Innate Realm is greater.


    Because a Spirit Qi Realm expert already has the ability to lead their family to establish a solid footing within the city.


    Given the arrogance of the He Family, if they truly had a Spirit Qi Realm expert, they wouldn¡¯t allow the Yan Family and Pang Family to live peacefully.


    A single mountain cannot harbor two tigers.


    The three families were able to coexist peacefully because none could devour the others.


    It¡¯s impossible for each of the Yan Family, Pang Family, and He Family to have a Spirit Qi Realm expert, right?


    Spirit Qi Realm experts aren¡¯t that common.


    If a family could produce a Spirit Qi Realm expert, they could definitely leap to become a top powerhouse locally.


    Even in the city, to become a prominent family.


    He Siye and that Innate Realm expert named Uncle Qiong didn¡¯t carry much silver money, indicating that the He Family was not living in wealth.

 Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: Chapter 312: Poisonous Ant Shows Power_1

    Chapter 319: Chapter 312: Poisonous Ant Shows Power_1


    ¡°`


    This should also indirectly prove that the He Family does not have a strong practitioner in the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Since the He Family lacks a strong practitioner in the Spirit Qi Realm, Qin Niu naturally has nothing to fear.


    Qin Niu leaped off the carriage, ready to face the three experts of the He Family alongside Green Ox.


    ¡°Ah Niu, you must survive, I¡¯ll wait for you in Black Tiger City.¡±


    Wang Wanyan shouted to Qin Niu.


    At this moment, watching Qin Niu facing a formidable enemy alone, her heart was filled with an indescribable feeling.


    Her desire to become stronger became more resolute, more urgent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Qin Niu watched as the carriage sped away, then he turned to face the strong enemies pursuing him.


    The He Family¡¯s target was him, so it was fine if Wang Wanyan and the others escaped.


    ¡°Young man, you have guts.¡±


    The He Family patriarch looked at the not-so-tall figure of Qin Niu, whose voice, however, was like a huge bell, very loud.


    ¡°You flatter me!¡±


    Qin Niu calmly regarded the three pursuers.


    The leader, an old man with a face full of wrinkles and white hair and beard, might only be around 1.5 meters tall. He was dressed in gray cloth and wore straw sandals, but in his hand, he held a Red-Tasseled Treasure Sword.


    The horse he rode was a Sweaty Precious Horse, as were those ridden by the other two.


    The He Family either had a special fondness for Sweaty Precious Horses or they had the ability to breed purebred ones.


    Although this horse was known as the king among horses, fearless even in the presence of lions and tigers, ready to charge into battle, ordinary horses would grow weak in the knees at the sight of a fierce tiger.


    The other two pursuers were around their fifties and nearly sixties, respectively.


    All three were strong and deliberately concealed the sharpness in their eyes.


    ¡°There really are quite a few Innate Realm experts in the He Family, including the one I killed, plus the three here, that makes four. Is this what they call the foundation of a local influential clan?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s expression remained calm.


    As long as the He Family had no strong practitioner in the Spirit Qi Realm, he believed that with his insects and pets, and with the added help of the Ink Blade and King Pig Leather Armor, he had the capability to fight.


    ¡°For killing a direct descendant of the He Family, you must give an explanation today.¡±


    ¡°What kind of explanation would you like?¡±


    Qin Niu stared at the elder standing behind the He Family patriarch and asked.


    ¡°Commit suicide as an apology!¡±


    Another Innate Realm practitioner in his fifties answered sternly.


    ¡°Hmm, that sounds good. The three of you can commit suicide now.¡±


    Qin Niu nodded.


    ¡°Raaawr! I¡¯m so angry, so furious¡ªkill him!¡±


    The He Family patriarch had a fiery temper.


    His descendant had been killed by Qin Niu, and now this youngster did not show any remorse. Instead, he casually suggested that they commit suicide, his nonchalant tone being the greatest form of arrogance.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, run fast!¡±


    Just a moment ago, Qin Niu was infinitely arrogant, outdoing even Lord He in posturing. The next second, to everyone¡¯s surprise, he immediately took Green Ox and jumped off the shoulder of the road, fleeing into the weeds.


    ¡°Chase.¡±


    The three Innate Realm experts from the He Family immediately followed suit.


    Though the Sweaty Precious Horse could adapt to different complex terrains, the direction Qin Niu chose to flee had many ditches, where a horse could easily stumble if it missed a step.


    Green Ox had already tumbled a few times.


    Seeing that the Sweaty Precious Horses were at a disadvantage chasing Qin Niu across such terrain, the three He Family experts swiftly dismounted and pursued Qin Niu using their movement techniques.


    Surprisingly, the three He Family experts were extremely formidable, each displaying profound skill in their movements.


    ¡°Old does not mean decrepit. You three old fellows think you can catch this young master?¡±


    Qin Niu in the lead, still provoked the three men from up front.


    At this point, the sky was dimming, greatly affecting visibility.


    ¡°`


    The three strong members of the He Family really lived their years in vain, completely unaware that if Qin Niu could slaughter an expert of the Innate Realm from the He Family, how could he be merely a coward who only knows to run away?


    The first to suffer were their battle horses.


    One by one, the extremely poisonous termites silently crawled onto them and viciously bit them.


    ¡°Huihui~!¡±


    ¡°Hiss hiss!¡±


    The three Sweaty Precious Horses cried out in pain, raising their hooves and desperately leaping on the spot, thrashing their bodies, with tails wildly whipping their hindquarters.


    They tried to drive away the termites on their bodies just like swatting at mosquitoes.


    However, as the poison quickly took effect, they began to show varying degrees of symptoms and ran wildly around in a frenzy.


    Some of the termites had also crawled onto the bodies of the three He Family strongmen.


    Hearing the sudden screams and chaotic running and jumping of the battle horses behind them, they realized something was wrong.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good, I¡¯ve heard that Qin Niu is an Insect Master, and we might have fallen into his trap,¡± one of them said.


    At last someone¡¯s mind was still sharp.


    This person realized that Qin Niu might have intentionally lured them into this kind of complex terrain.


    Because the area was overgrown with weeds, it was very easy for insects to hide.


    ¡°Aiyah!¡±


    The over sixty-year-old expert from the Innate Realm let out a cry of pain, slapping his neck.


    Clearly, he had been stung by a termite.


    ¡°Watch out for the bugs, I¡¯ve been stung, it might be a rice bee,¡± he advised.


    ¡°Rice bee¡± is the local term collectively referring to those smaller species of bees.


    There are mud bees, cyan rice bees, jumper bees, and many other types.


    Despite their small size, even smaller than common honeybees, with the tiniest being the size of a green bean, they carry poison stingers and are capable of causing harm.


    When outdoors, they land on a person¡¯s body silently and crawl around in search of food.


    At this time, they do not actively attack people.


    But once they crawl onto a person¡¯s skin, and the person, instinctively feeling the bug, tries to swat it,


    that¡¯s when they get stung.


    Most species of bees, even if they are swatted dead, still have the capability to sting.


    ¡°Use your cultivation to protect your entire body,¡± came the command.


    The He Family ancestor already had a faint golden aura shining around his body.


    This aura¡¯s color was related to the practiced cultivation technique.


    For example, if one cultivated something like the Golden Bell Shield, the aura could be golden in color. Qin Niu¡¯s practiced Everlasting Spring Technique, hence it appeared green.


    There were also people whose cultivation technique produced a white aura.


    The ability to extend one¡¯s cultivation outside the body was something that only a master of the Innate Realm could do. Even a pinnacle expert of the Acquired Realm did not have this ability.


    The faint golden aura around the He Family ancestor was thin, but very solid.


    The weeds and leaves that came into contact with his body were directly shattered.


    The auras of the other two Innate Realm strongmen were pretty much the same color, both golden yellow.


    However, their cultivation wasn¡¯t as profound as the He Family ancestor, so their auras¡¯ color was much paler.


    The depth of one¡¯s cultivation was clear at a glance at this moment.


    ¡°Too bad, only one person was hurt,¡± Qin Niu remarked.


    He noticed that the termites which had successfully climbed onto his enemies had been killed before they could attack.


    Experts of the Innate Realm were extremely powerful, and ordinary bugs posed little threat to them.


    At best, they could only take advantage when the experts were unprepared and launch a surprise attack.


    Unless Qin Niu could cultivate the termites to Grade Six or higher, allowing them to evolve stronger attacking or defensive abilities, they were unlikely to pose a serious threat to Innate Realm experts.


    Qin Niu had originally planned to use the termites to secretly attack the three He Family strongmen and then strike them down in their weakened state, attempting a counter-kill in one fell swoop.


    But now, facing one against three, the risk was too great.


    He decisively gave up.


    At least for now, rushing in to take advantage of the situation would likely result in falling into a dangerous predicament of being surrounded and attacked by the three Innate Realm strongmen.

 Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: Chapter 313: Killing the Ancestor is Possible_1

    Chapter 320: Chapter 313: Killing the Ancestor is Possible_1


    He always acted with extreme caution, making decisive and risky moves only when he had a very high level of assurance or was compelled to fight desperately.


    Now was not that time.


    After all, with the three He Family powerhouses having lost their horses and having been delayed for such a long time, catching up with Wang Wanyan and Xiao Qing among others had become very unlikely.


    Qin Niu was fully capable of playing a game of hide and seek with them right here, wearing them down.


    Projecting one¡¯s cultivation externally to form a layer of radiant energy on the surface of the body provides extremely strong defense, but it also consumes a great deal of energy.


    The Life-Nurturing Technique that Qin Niu practiced allowed him to have deeper reserves of energy compared to others of the same level.


    This was a natural law.


    In the world, nothing and no one is perfect. Where there are weaknesses, there must be strengths.


    Life-Nurturing Techniques are not well-suited for combat because they lack explosive power. However, they offer enduring and profound energy, ensuring greater stamina.


    The golden aura of protection exhibited by the three He Family members indicated they practiced combat-oriented techniques that had very strong explosive power.


    The elder in his sixties from the Innate Realm was likely the weakest.


    Having been stung by a Termite, with its potent poison, it would certainly consume a significant amount of his energy.


    Even if he took a Detoxification Pill immediately after being stung, it wouldn¡¯t take effect right away.


    After swallowing a Detoxification Pill, it would take at least a quarter of an hour, or even an hour to achieve the detoxifying effect.


    Because after swallowing the pill, it first has to go through the stomach and then starts to be churned.


    At that point, the stomach begins to absorb the medicinal effects, but its absorption capability is relatively weak.


    It isn¡¯t until the pill enters the small intestine that the body absorbs it in large amounts, thus neutralizing the toxins inside.


    There are two methods of detoxification for Detoxification Pills.


    One way is for the medication to enter the bloodstream and neutralize the toxins in the body.


    The other way is for it to help the body accelerate the elimination of toxins after entering the body, for example, inducing vomiting or diarrhea, sweating profusely, etc.


    Higher-grade Detoxification Pills usually have dual detoxification abilities.


    They can neutralize some of the body¡¯s toxins and help the body expel most of the poisons, thus achieving the best detoxification effect.


    It is hard to believe that any cultivator would be foolish enough to think that having a Detoxification Pill in hand would render them impervious to all toxins.


    Once poisoned, even if one could use a Detoxification Pill to detox quickly, the body would still be in a weakened state.


    And this weakened period might last quite a long time.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t escape very far with Green Ox, but instead was ready to engage the enemy in this area with complicated terrain.


    First, he would exhaust the energy of the three formidable enemies, then constantly watch for any opening from the Innate Realm powerhouse who had been bitten by the Termite.


    The moment that person showed a weakness, Qin Niu would strike to kill him instantly.


    ¡°Kid, if you¡¯re brave, stop running.¡±


    ¡°Idiot! If I were you and faced one against two, would you run or not?¡±


    Qin Niu mocked the He Family patriarch.


    ¡°Gaaah! You actually dare to call me an idiot, I¡¯m so angry!¡±


    The He Family patriarch was so angry he stomped his feet, and his speed instantly surged.


    People with such a hot temper are like a powder keg, set off by the slightest touch.


    Of course, Qin Niu liked such enemies the most.


    There was nothing else, these types of people were easier to kill.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not an idiot, what are you? If you were a bit smarter, how could I have killed those three Sweaty Precious Horses?¡±


    Qin Niu continued to taunt the enemy.


    Truth be told, he preferred to deal with his enemies with less talk and more action.


    Now, constantly using words to provoke the enemy was simply a necessity.


    It was really because the enemy was too strong, and he was outnumbered, so he had to resort to cunning strategies.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death, you¡¯re courting death!¡±


    The He Family patriarch¡¯s speed increased yet again.


    He had been provoked, determined to slay Qin Niu quickly.


    ¡°Fool, I think you¡¯re not only extremely stupid but also short, ugly, and old. I really don¡¯t know how your mother gave birth to something like you.¡±


    Qin Niu kept insulting the easily angered old man.


    Living for over a hundred years with such a temper, and yet still being alive was nothing short of miraculous.


    This time, the He Family patriarch didn¡¯t speak; instead, his hair stood on end, his complexion shifted from bright red to dark red, turning slightly cyanotic and purplish.


    Clenching his teeth, he pursued relentlessly.


    And his footwork was pushed to the limit.


    ¡°Great Uncle, be careful of the youngster¡¯s tricks,¡± called out the Innate Realm powerhouse in his fifties from behind.


    This man actually had some wisdom.


    At least he could see through some of Qin Niu¡¯s schemes.


    ¡°Scram!¡±


    The He Family ancestor was furious, seemingly driven mad by anger.


    You¡¯re asking him to stop the pursuit at this moment?


    Is it even possible?


    The Cultivator in his fifties from the Innate Realm received a scolding and dared not make another sound.


    Bear as a grandson first, command as a forefather later.


    Scolded by an elder, you truly just have to endure it.


    As the chase ensued, the He Family ancestor gradually distanced himself from the two Innate Realm powerhouses of his clan.


    The Cultivator in his sixties from the Innate Realm, who had been stung, didn¡¯t take it seriously at first, but soon felt overwhelmed and quickly fished out a green porcelain bottle, swallowing two elixirs from it.


    Because he had to combat the poison in his body, his speed inevitably slowed down a lot.


    He fell behind to the very end.


    As a result, the three Innate Realm powerhouses of the He Family ended up in a straight line. The strategy to encircle was self-defeating.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, prepare to lend a hand,¡±


    Qin Niu had roughly figured out that the He Family ancestor was at the later stages of the Innate Realm, at most at the pinnacle of the Innate Realm.


    It was not yet possible to judge his martial skills.


    The loss of over twenty termites to three powerful enemies had caused Qin Niu considerable distress.


    To test the enemy¡¯s capability, he decided to use some bees as cannon fodder.


    These Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees, which he could breed in a number of eighty or ninety a day, woudn¡¯t be a significant loss if several dozen or even a hundred were to die.


    Qin Niu escorted Wang Wanyan to the city this time, carrying nearly a thousand Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees with him, a force to be reckoned with.


    However, their threat to cultivators of the Innate Realm was almost negligible.


    Qin Niu knew their combat effectiveness was subpar, but the others didn¡¯t!


    The appearance of the Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees was quite impressive.


    The He Family ancestor, unaware of their true depth and coupled with one of his clan¡¯s experts already injured by a sting, was enough to put the three powerhouses of the He Family on edge, fearing shadows and rustling leaves.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Qin Niu released twelve Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees, which flew towards the pursuing He Family ancestor as soon as they emerged from the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    The Hundred Treasures Insect Bag was indeed a fine treasure.


    A fine sword for a hero.


    With this Hundred Treasures Insect Bag, Qin Niu truly had an additional edge.


    When traveling, carrying a large number of insects was very convenient.


    Previously, tens of thousands of Grade Two and Grade Three termites would have filled half a basket.


    ¡°Fool, today will be your end,¡±


    No sooner had Qin Niu finished speaking than the twelve Grade Two Green Ring Worker Bees reached the He Family ancestor.


    Their flying ability was quite good.


    The He Family ancestor, noticing the bees¡¯ large wings, swift speed, and the green rings on their bodies making them appear formidable, and considering one of his clan¡¯s experts had already been severely poisoned by a sting,


    suddenly didn¡¯t dare to take them lightly.


    He hastily wielded his sword, slashing at the twelve swiftly approaching Green Ring Worker Bees.


    With the sword unsheathed and fully energized by the He Family ancestor, a sword qi nearly two inches long appeared.


    Qin Niu silently observed and felt secretly delighted.


    This was definitely an ordinary sword, at most, forged from special material.


    It seemed hopeful to kill the He Family ancestor.


    So far, only Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s sword had withstood the Ink Blade without being broken.


    Other weapons faced with it were basically sliced as easily as cutting through metal and jade, instantly severed.


    The He Family ancestor conjured a sword-flower as big as a basin, protecting himself all around.


    As a result, nine of the twelve Green Ring Worker Bees were instantly sliced to shreds.


    The remaining three, on Qin Niu¡¯s command, promptly flew behind the He Family ancestor.


    This also proved the He Family ancestor¡¯s swordsmanship was average, not as strong as imagined.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance; the old guy¡¯s end is in sight,¡±


    Qin Niu watched coldly as the other two He Family powerhouses lagged behind, already considering the best place to make his move.


    Given the current situation, he had only one opportunity to ambush.


    And it would be very brief.


    If he couldn¡¯t kill the He Family ancestor in one strike, he would have to flee immediately; otherwise, he might find himself trapped in an assault by powerful enemies.


    The shrubbery ahead looked like a good place to strike.

 Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: Chapter 314: Slaying the He Family Ancestor_1

    Chapter 321: Chapter 314: Slaying the He Family Ancestor_1


    ¡°`


    Unfortunately, Qin Niu currently didn¡¯t have any impressive insects that he could use to fight; the most powerful ones were only the Termites and the War Bees.


    They were incapable of posing a fatal threat to a practitioner of the Innate Realm.


    Given more time, once the Green Demon Bees and the Ant Queen matured, he should be able to massacre his enemies just like Elder Jiu Yin, solely relying on insects.


    Qin Niu released another batch of Green Ring Worker Bees, but this time their target wasn¡¯t the He Family Old Ancestor, it was the two He Family Innate Realm experts at the rear.


    The purpose was to delay them.


    He wanted to minimize the risk of assassinating the He Family Old Ancestor.


    The Green Ring Worker Bees could be bred again if they died, but if he, their master, died, everything would be over.


    The two He Family Innate Realm experts, noticing wave after wave of poisonous bees attacking, dared not be negligent, refusing to let the bees close to their bodies. They both stopped and vigorously swung their weapons to defend.


    This was the instinct of every expert.


    ¡°You ugly, short old ghost, you¡¯re so frightened by just a few ordinary poisonous bees, you¡¯d better just stay home and guard your coffin. If you keep chasing me, don¡¯t blame me for slaughtering you.¡±


    Qin Niu, while fleeing, continued to provoke the He Family Old Ancestor, a ticking time bomb, with his words.


    Dealing with someone with a hot temper and impatience, angering them, and then waiting for them to reveal a flaw before striking them down, was a repeatedly proven experience.


    ¡°Argh¡­ You¡¯re driving me to my grave, you¡¯re driving me to my grave! If you¡¯re brave enough, stop running!¡±


    ¡°Alright, as you wish!¡±


    Qin Niu suddenly turned around, holding the Ink Blade in hand, and as the He Family Old Ancestor charged towards him at great speed, he raised his hand and struck with his blade.


    The simple slash contained a trace of the essence of martial arts.


    Blade Qi burst forth as if intending to split the heavens and the earth, and ahead of the Blade Qi, a fine black line became faintly visible.


    This strike had, once again, the effect of Rupture.


    ¡°Little brat, you¡¯re seeking your own death.¡±


    The He Family Old Ancestor revealed a cunning smile as he touched his waist, where his belt turned out to be a soft sword.


    The luxurious Treasured Sword he had always been carrying was just a decoy.


    The soft sword was the real divine weapon.


    The old ginger was still spicier, after all.


    The He Family Old Ancestor had actually hidden a move up his sleeve.


    But his smugness didn¡¯t last two seconds, because a golden light shot towards him, appearing even brighter in the twilight of the evening.


    The speed of the light was something no human could evade.


    It was too fast.


    The golden light shone on the head of the He Family Old Ancestor.


    Moo~!


    The Green Ox made a sound.


    The He Family Old Ancestor, initially thinking that the function of the golden light was to dazzle his eyes, didn¡¯t expect that once the light shone on him, his mind would become groggy.


    With his extensive combat experience, he immediately realized something bad was going to happen.


    He bit his tongue at once, using the sharp pain to quickly clear his mind.


    When he lifted his eyes, Qin Niu¡¯s Blade Qi was already above his forehead.


    It was too late to dodge or defend.


    ¡°This damn scoundrel, so dishonorable in combat!¡±


    The He Family Old Ancestor inwardly cursed, already feeling a piercing pain on his scalp.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you down with me.¡±


    In that instant, the He Family Old Ancestor made a crazy decision.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t escape his deadly fate, his soft sword thrust at Qin Niu, with brilliant Sword Qi bursting from the tip.


    The Blade Qi also, in that moment, directly tore through all of the He Family Old Ancestor¡¯s defenses.


    The thin aura formed by the outward display of his power, which could block the attacks from the Termites and Green Ring Bees, couldn¡¯t stop Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade.


    ¡°`


    Bang!


    The entire person was split into two by the Treasured Sword. Qin Niu¡¯s peak cultivation in the Innate Realm was utterly useless against the Ink Blade.


    Right before death, the He Family patriarch¡¯s soft sword stabbed into Qin Niu¡¯s King Pig Leather Armor.


    Pfft!


    The defensive power of the King Pig Leather Armor was decent; it withstood part of the attack but was still pierced through.


    This sword was almost of the same quality as that of Elder Jiu Yin.


    It was indeed a divine weapon.


    Even someone with only an Acquired Realm cultivation could manifest a trace of Sword Qi with such a divine weapon. It was extraordinarily powerful.


    It was the first time Qin Niu¡¯s King Pig Leather Armor had been breached.


    After the soft sword pierced through the King Pig Leather Armor, it was blocked by a layer of material that wasn¡¯t too thick.


    It was the soft armor Qin Niu had acquired from that female Insect Master.


    Since it was a woman¡¯s undergarment, he couldn¡¯t wear it; he could only fold it and place it over his chest.


    This armor could withstand a slash from the Ink Blade, so naturally, it could resist the soft sword with ease.


    It had saved Qin Niu¡¯s life.


    However, the powerful force emanating from the sword¡¯s tip still sent Qin Niu flying. The He Family patriarch was profoundly skilled, and his desperate strike was terrifyingly powerful.


    The blow from the sword severely injured Qin Niu, blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, and his ribs were in such pain that they felt as if they were broken.


    ¡°Great-Uncle!¡±


    The two Innate Realm experts from the He Family, seeing that their patriarch had been cleaved into two halves, couldn¡¯t help but let out an extremely anguished roar.


    After killing the man, despite his serious injuries, Qin Niu did not forget to take the soft sword.


    He had been worrying about what precious gifts to give his two fianc¨¦es; now that he had this soft sword, he no longer had to worry about being unfair.


    He had another purpose for doing this, which was to deliberately reveal some information to the enemy.


    To tell the other two formidable foes, ¡°I killed your He Family patriarch and still had the strength to pick up the spoils of war. So relaxed and composed as I am, come and chase me if you dare.¡±


    ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    The fifty-something Innate Realm expert shouted from behind and sped towards Qin Niu.


    It was just that the Innate Realm expert who had been bitten by the Termite was lagging significantly.


    Qin Niu glanced back at the man chasing him, and instead of speeding up his escape, the corners of his mouth curved up, revealing a meaningful, wicked smile.


    He proceeded forward at an unhurried pace.


    A shiver ran through the heart of this Innate Realm expert from the He Family.


    Their patriarch was easily slaughtered with a single slash; he was now deep within enemy territory alone and could end up as the next He Family patriarch.


    Considering how Qin Niu had calmly taken the soft sword of the He Family patriarch just now, it was baffling.


    The man pretending to chase after Qin Niu stopped near the patriarch¡¯s corpse and fell down crying next to it.


    ¡°Great-Uncle, your death is so tragic, I swear I will avenge your blood feud¡­¡±


    That was all nonsense.


    A true ruthless person wouldn¡¯t say such things for show; they would just grit their teeth and doggedly pursue Qin Niu, vowing to fight to the death.


    Qin Niu¡¯s figure gradually disappeared from view.


    ¡­


    The two Innate Realm experts of the He Family looked at their patriarch¡¯s tragic death with sorrow, anger, and deep fear.


    ¡°Our patriarch was at the peak of the Innate Realm, just one step away from entering the Spirit Qi Realm, yet was instantly killed by Qin Niu. This man is indeed formidable.¡±


    ¡°His blade must not be an ordinary weapon.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it must be a divine weapon. It¡¯s infuriating that our He Family had only that one divine weapon, and it was grabbed by that little beast. Brother Camel, now our He Family only has the two of us at the Innate Realm. I¡¯m afraid killing Qin Niu would be as hard as ascending to heaven.¡±


    ¡°Alas¡­ If I had known, I would not have provoked this scourge. All for a dozen or so mu of black earth, at the expense of the top forces our He Family had accumulated over many years.¡±

 Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Chapter 315: The Calamity of Annihilation_1

    Chapter 322: Chapter 315: The Calamity of Annihilation_1


    The two Innate Realm experts had begun to realize the gravity of the situation by now.


    The disaster that had befallen the He Family was far beyond what they could bear.


    Families of standing in the region each had a certain foundation.


    Between them, there had been a balance of power, which was now disrupted with the death of two Innate Realm experts from the He Family, including the death of the patriarch of the He Family. This meant that the regional balance of power was broken.


    The true crisis for the He Family was about to descend upon them.


    The Yan Family and the Pang Family would not miss this opportunity to grow stronger. Even other major families outside of Jade Stream Town would want to get involved.


    The benefits of swallowing up an established prominent family were immense, enough to lure countless capable families and powerful individuals to scramble for a piece of the feast.


    ¡°It indeed should not have come to this step. Now that it has, we must face more than just Qin Niu as an enemy. Over the years, the Yan Family and Pang Family have been suppressed by us. Especially the Yan Family, who had a major conflict with our He Family before, but later Yan Ruohai chose to step back for a broader sky. That time, the Yan Family compensated our family with fifty acres of land. Although it¡¯s been many years since then, the Yan Family will certainly not forget.


    These recent years, the Yan Family has been diligently strengthening themselves while our He Family has gradually declined.


    With the patriarch present before, the Yan Family did not dare to make a move recklessly.


    Now with the patriarch fallen, the Yan Family¡¯s wolfish ambition will surely reveal itself. We have to keep the patriarch¡¯s death a secret.¡±


    The two were discussing countermeasures.


    ¡°He Jun, I support your idea. While it¡¯s still dark, let¡¯s hurry and bring the patriarch¡¯s body back without announcing his death.¡±


    The elder called Camel Brother agreed with this plan.


    Since he had just taken a Detoxification Pill, his body was still suffering from Termite¡¯s venom and could only rely on He Jun to handle the corpse.


    ¡°How are we going to settle the issue of Qin Niu killing our He Family patriarch?¡±


    ¡°Our He Family is not without its backers; if push comes to shove, we may have no choice but to ask the Lu Family for help.¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family has always been greedy. Asking for their help will cost our He Family a hefty price. Ai, if I had known earlier how formidable Qin Niu was, we should never have provoked him.¡±


    Camel Brother sighed incessantly, filled with regret.


    Many things are like this; before they are weighed, they seem light. But once they are actually weighed, they could be heavier than a thousand catties.


    It¡¯s too late for the He Family to regret now.


    The situation between them had become one where either side must perish.


    Whether it is the He Family or Qin Niu, given the chance, they will certainly aim to kill the other, to eliminate future troubles.


    Thinking about reconciling was almost impossible.


    ¡°Camel Brother, have you considered, if we keep this a secret and do not announce the death, what if that Qin surnamed boy leaks the news? No matter how greedy the Lu Family is, at least they can save our He Family in this critical moment.


    As long as they eliminate Qin Niu, it serves both to silence him and to prevent the news of the patriarch¡¯s death from spreading.


    At the same time, it would remove a great threat for our He Family. Paying some price is well worth it.¡±


    He Jun believed that eliminating Qin Niu was the most urgent matter at hand.


    Even though he knew asking the Lu Family for help was like bargaining with a tiger for its skin, he was still willing to do so.


    He took off his coat, wrapped up the body of the He Family patriarch, and carried it in his arms as he and Camel Brother quickly made their way toward the He Family¡¯s location.


    When they came here, the three had ridden high-headed horses, but now they left in a somber and miserable state.


    ¡°Camel Brother, you lead the way, and try to find a large basket to use. There are many prying eyes in the village, and some gossipy women are very fond of wagging their tongues; I fear they might see us and let the news spread.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Camel Brother quickly agreed.


    The bite on his neck had swollen up considerably and turned black.


    Termite¡¯s venom was highly toxic, causing severe paralysis.


    The Detoxification Pill Camel Brother had taken was slowly working its effects, but for now, he was mainly relying on his inner strength to suppress it.


    It was obvious that his movements were somewhat impeded.


    At this moment, he could only grit his teeth and brace himself as he continued to rush forward.


    He needed to get a large basket as soon as possible.


    If he saw anyone peeping along the way, he would intimidate them into retreating.


    As he ran on, he could see the road ahead.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved; running through the brush was inconvenient, with ditches everywhere. He had developed a psychological shadow after being stung by Termite, becoming fearful of any brush he saw.


    He maintained his protective aura the whole time.


    Once on the main road, there was no longer any need to worry about insects.


    Just at that moment, a figure suddenly sprang out from the grass ahead and slashed at him with a knife without a sound.


    ¡°Damn it, instead of running away, this plagued star had actually circled to our rear.¡±


    Brother Camel saw Qin Niu suddenly burst out and launch an attack, scaring the soul out of him.


    ¡°He Jun, save me.¡±


    Brother Camel, in his sixties, was quite a humorous sight.


    After realizing that Qin Niu had been lying in ambush and viciously attacked him, his first instinct was to run away, and he loudly called for help from He Jun who was carrying the body of the He Family elder ancestor behind him.


    ¡°Not even a god can save you.¡±


    Qin Niu executed the Misty Rain Elusive Step to perfection, taking advantage of his ambush position to catch Brother Camel completely off guard.


    This time he didn¡¯t even use the Green Ox. With a single stroke, he beheaded Brother Camel right there and then.


    Due to his cowardice, the man didn¡¯t even think to use a weapon to defend himself.


    Killing this man was really too easy.


    ¡°Qin Niu, my He Family will never let you off.¡±


    Seeing Brother Camel killed by a single slash from Qin Niu, He Jun was beside himself with terror.


    Although he spouted harsh words, his body reacted with the utmost sincerity.


    He threw down the body of the He Family elder ancestor he was carrying and turned to run. When his life was at stake, all was vanity; survival was of paramount importance.


    The He Family had only four people in the Innate Realm, and Qin Niu had already killed three.


    He Jun simply did not have the courage to confront Qin Niu head-on.


    Actually, if the two were to really fight, it wasn¡¯t certain that Qin Niu would be his match.


    The might of Green Ox¡¯s golden light was formidable, but it wasn¡¯t unlimited in its use. It needed some time to recover before it could be wielded again; otherwise, its power would surely diminish greatly.


    ¡°He¡¯s running away? What trash.¡±


    Qin Niu watched as the formidable foe fled, abandoning even his ancestor¡¯s body, and couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless.


    ¡°Planning to go to Black Tiger City to get the Lu Family to take care of me? Then I¡¯ve got to intercept him before he gets there and kill him. Once he¡¯s dead, the He Family should have no noteworthy experts left, and then I can directly wipe out the He Family, eliminating future troubles once and for all.¡±


    Qin Niu never dragged his feet when it came to action.


    Since it had come down to a fight to the death, he had to eradicate them completely.


    The He Family was going to be wiped out without a single chicken or dog left alive.


    Essentially, this was the way all the big clans operated.


    Even the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, in exterminating the Gu Masters of the Southern Barbarians, had been thorough, showing no mercy.


    Qin Niu thought for a moment and realized the fleeing He Jun was quite clever; he would surely figure out this point as well.


    Heading to Black Tiger City now to intercept him would likely be a waste of time.


    After all, Black Tiger City had several gates, and even if he lay in wait, he could only guard one.


    Moreover, fighting and killing outside the city gates was somewhat challenging the laws of the Black Tiger Gang.


    As newly appointed nobility of the first rank, it was probably better to be less brazen in his actions.


    Better to take advantage of the night to infiltrate the He Family¡¯s residence and take over all their assets.


    This benefit was quite substantial, and Qin Niu, despite his injuries, headed directly to the He Family.


    Tonight was destined to be a day of great disaster for the He Family.


    ¡­


    Two hours later, a total of 351 members of the He Family were slain by Qin Niu, regardless of gender, age, or status. This included Acquired Realm experts and youngsters with decent talent.


    None were spared.


    However, the long-term workers and servants of the He Family were unharmed.


    Qin Niu had his own set of principles in doing things and wasn¡¯t a demon who slaughtered innocents recklessly.


    According to his preliminary investigation, the He Family still had over forty people working or residing in Black Tiger City. Among them were some of the He Family households. These people were not easy to kill.


    This matter also made him realize that it was best not to easily antagonize any clan to the point of irreconcilable hostility.


    Because the implications were extensive and the number of people involved was vast.


    Those forty-two people, including the escaped Innate Realm expert, would be endless sources of trouble if not dealt with.


    Moreover, among those he killed, some might have formed marital ties with other clans.


    The He Family had been operating for hundreds of years, and their roots ran deep and wide.


    Thoroughly purging such a vast clan was no easy feat.

 Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Chapter 316 Blood Silkworm_1

    Chapter 323: Chapter 316 Blood Silkworm_1


    But with Qin Niu¡¯s character, if he didn¡¯t act, he wouldn¡¯t bother; but once he acted, he did so decisively.


    In this cruel world, womanly compassion has no place, let alone the right to survive.


    After slaughtering more than three hundred people from the He Family, young and old, he also seized all their land deeds, house deeds, even including some assets within the city.


    However, this didn¡¯t mean he could just take possession of the He Family¡¯s land and property.


    Because the deeds had names on them and transaction details.


    Without transferring the ownership, the assets still belonged to the He Family.


    Were these land deeds and house deeds of any use?


    Naturally, they were useful.


    As long as he controlled an heir from the He Family, then he could legally transfer all these properties and lands to himself.


    If his Divine Skills were a bit more formidable, he could even pawn them directly at a black market pawnshop.


    However, that would be incredibly disadvantageous.


    Because the market price of one mu of good farmland was eleven taels of silver, and at most, pawnshops would give two or three taels.


    At this moment, Qin Niu had captured the second brother among the seven sons of the He Family to use as a puppet.


    Six of the He Family¡¯s seven sons lived in the countryside, only the third brother lived in the city, narrowly escaping disaster.


    The fourth of the He Family had already been slaughtered by Qin Niu.


    The remaining eldest brother, the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh brother of the He Family all fell victim to his poisonous hand. It was unclear whether it was a family trait or something else, but each of the seven brothers was more cowardly than the last.


    Every single one of them loved life and feared death.


    At this moment, the second brother of the He Family acted like a servant, meekly leading Qin Niu into the ancestral hall of the He Family.


    And he even opened the secret chamber¡¯s door.


    This mechanism door was concealed behind a shadow wall in the ancestral hall, very hidden. Moreover, it was rigged with a mechanism. If not for the second brother leading the way and opening the mechanism, it would have been very difficult for Qin Niu to enter.


    In order to survive, this fellow was willing to do anything.


    ¡°Do the innate realm experts of your He Family typically cultivate here?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze swept over the room, noticing that the secret chamber was elegantly arranged, with a Luminous Pearl embedded in the ceiling, brightening the interior as if it were daylight.


    There were only three meditation mats inside, indicating that typically only three people meditated in silence there.


    ¡°Yes, our He Family¡¯s ancestors and others would meditate here in silence. There¡¯s also an innate realm expert who is not surnamed He; he doesn¡¯t cultivate here regularly.¡±


    The second brother of the He Family did not dare to conceal anything.


    ¡°Is Uncle Qiong not surnamed He?¡±


    Qin Niu inquired.


    ¡°Correct, he was originally a family slave of our He Family. He has great talent and through cultivation, eventually broke through to the innate realm.¡±


    ¡°Where does your He Family store cultivation resources? Like elixirs, medicinal herbs, equipment, and such?¡±


    ¡°The better medicinal herbs are all planted behind the ancestral hall; none of the herbs are particularly old. As for equipment, everyone usually wears it or keeps it for themselves. The best item is a Spirit Serpent Sword, which even an average acquired realm expert can use to bring out its Sword Qi.


    It should have always been in the hands of our He Family¡¯s ancestor.¡±


    The second brother of the He Family knew quite a lot.


    ¡°Very good, you are very honest. Now that the eldest brother of the He Family is dead, you are the eldest. As long as you obey, I will support you to become the new head of the He Family.¡±


    Qin Niu was somewhat satisfied with this man¡¯s performance.


    The second brother of the He Family was already forty-seven or forty-eight years old, with a wife and children living in the city, who temporarily managed to escape disaster.


    But his concubine was directly slaughtered by Qin Niu with a single stroke.


    How laughable it was that when the second brother of the He Family was holding his concubine in his arms asleep, he was so frightened upon discovering Qin Niu barging in with a bloodied sword that he repeatedly kowtowed, and even actively offered his concubine to Qin Niu for his pleasure.


    But Qin Niu was not interested in that sort of enjoyment, and without any mercy, he killed the well-bodied, fair-skinned concubine.


    It was truly extreme.


    To witness his concubine die so miserably, yet the second brother of the He Family showed scarcely any grief or anger. He merely kept kowtowing, begging Qin Niu for his life.


    Later, under this man¡¯s leadership, Qin Niu killed many more of the He Family.


    One really has to wonder what he was thinking.


    Any man with a semblance of backbone couldn¡¯t possibly commit such acts.


    ¡°He Xin expresses his gratitude to Master Qin for your heavenly grace, from now on, I, the second elder of the He Family, am your servant, Master Qin. Should you point east, I dare not go west.¡±


    The second elder knelt down with his forehead touching the ground.


    This man was truly born to be a servant.


    ¡°Haha, very good! Rise! As long as you obey, not only will I help you become the head of the He Family, but I will also help you eliminate all those in the He Family who dare to oppose you.¡±


    Qin Niu began to search for treasures in the secret chamber.


    He only found six boxes of gold, silver, and jewels, and did not find any other treasures.


    Logically, there should have been Cultivation Techniques or something of the sort.


    Qin Niu had already searched the bodies of the He Family¡¯s ancestor and another strong individual from the Innate Realm but had not found any Cultivation Techniques or martial skills.


    The Cultivation Techniques were either taken by the remaining Innate Realm individual of the He Family or hidden somewhere else.


    ¡°Where is your He Family¡¯s Cultivation Technique practiced?¡±


    ¡°It is all passed down verbally and by heart from our elders; I have never seen the actual manuscript.¡±


    The second elder answered.


    ¡°Is this the only secret chamber of the He Family?¡±


    ¡°There are some small private chambers built by our clansmen, but this is the only large secret chamber of our family.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Qin Niu nodded and started tapping around to examine the secret chamber.


    He didn¡¯t find anything.


    The incense burner on the desk caught Qin Niu¡¯s attention.


    Worshipping ancestors is generally done in the ancestral hall outside the chamber, there is no need for another burner inside the chamber.


    This incense burner was not used for scenting incense because it was quite large in diameter, over half a foot.


    A typical burner used for scenting incense is usually only the size of a palm.


    Such a large burner is commonly used in temples for offering incense and also by wealthy families for worship.


    Qin Niu tried to pick up the incense burner.


    To his surprise, it was integrated with the desk, immovable.


    There must be a trick to it.


    He tried to rotate it, and this time it moved.


    Afterward, there was a click, and a secret door on the wall behind the desk automatically opened.


    This secret door was made of thick black iron and was covered on the outside with bricks.


    No wonder, even with tapping, no hollow sound suggesting a cavity was detected.


    The secret door was not large, and the space inside was tiny, barely a foot square.


    Everything could be seen at a glance.


    An ancient scroll came into view, and there was also a small box, resembling a shrine, made entirely of cold jade. Its exterior had a crystal cover, allowing one to see a dark red cocoon inside.


    The cocoon was only slightly thicker than a thumb.


    But it was over four inches long.


    Many insects can spin cocoons, including silkworms, all hairy caterpillars, adult Phoenix Eye butterflies, and so on. They all cocoon themselves at their third stage of growth.


    Just to one day emerge as butterflies.


    ¡°Which Insect Master of your He Family raised this insect?¡±


    Qin Niu watched for any changes in the second elder¡¯s expression.


    The second elder showed a look of surprise when he saw the cocoon.


    The man either truly lacked knowledge or his acting was impeccable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that our He Family fortuitously acquired a Blood Silkworm, which is said to possess the bloodline of an ancestral silkworm. The silk it spins can be used to weave Blood Armor. This kind of secret is not known to me or to my several brothers, only our He Family ancestor knew.¡±


    The second elder revealed a secret of the He Family.


    The ancestral silkworm probably refers to the first silkworm raised by the mythical sericulture pioneer Leizu, also known as Leizu¡¯s original silkworm.

 Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Chapter 317: Insect Coffin_1

    Chapter 324: Chapter 317: Insect Coffin_1


    It is said that clothes woven from the silk of the sericulture initiated by the great ancestor not only resist water and fire, but can also ward off blades, and even repel harsh cold.


    Emperor Xuanyuan was able to defeat Chi You largely because the great ancestor wove him soft armor made from the silk of the initial sericulture, which made a significant contribution to his victory.


    Poisonous insects, snakes, and ants dared not approach Emperor Xuanyuan.


    This was all because he was wearing inner armor woven from the silk of the initial sericulture.


    The initial sericulture could be called the Ancestor of Insects, and its rank was very high.


    After spinning its cocoon, it was at its most vulnerable. To avoid being preyed upon by natural enemies, it would put great effort into its cocoon, including allowing its own initial sericulture aura to attach to the cocoon.


    Silk is actually obtained from the cocoon.


    Thus, inner armor woven from the silk of the initial sericulture naturally carried its aura, enough to make all poisonous insects keep a respectful distance.


    Qin Niu had come across snippets of the exalted reputation of the Blood Silkworm in his readings.


    Some people had even specifically created the Blood Silkworm Divine Skill based on the unique characteristics of the Blood Silkworm.


    The He Family, as a well-established and wealthy clan, indeed had profound resources.


    They actually possessed a cocoon of the Blood Silkworm.


    ¡°Has your He Family raised only one Blood Silkworm? Silkworms have male and female, and with only one Blood Silkworm, it¡¯s impossible to reproduce.¡±


    Qin Niu stared at the Second Master He and asked.


    This Second Master He probably wasn¡¯t as honest as he appeared on the surface.


    ¡°Indeed, my He Family only has one Blood Silkworm. It was fortunate enough that our ancestors obtained this silkworm. If there were a pair, we wouldn¡¯t have needed to keep this one continuously slumbering inside the Cold Jade Insect Coffin. If I¡¯m not mistaken, our family ancestor probably wanted to wait until we found another Blood Silkworm before letting this one awaken and break out of the cocoon.¡±


    A small box like a shrine, entirely made of cold jade.


    You could hardly feel the slightest chill from the outside.


    It was all sealed inside by that glazed cover.


    So, this item was known as the Cold Jade Insect Coffin; this was certainly enlightening.


    The analysis by Second Master He was reasonable, and Qin Niu was inclined to believe it to some extent.


    ¡°What use is the blood armor?¡±


    He inquired of Second Master He.


    ¡°As to the specific uses, I¡¯m not entirely sure. I only know that the blood armor is very beneficial for those with severe burn injuries. Even if the skin from their entire body was burnt off, as long as they don the blood armor, they could regrow new skin. Without the blood armor, someone with severe burns, even if they do not die, would inevitably be disfigured.¡±


    In fact, if burn injuries cover more than 30% of the body, there would be a significant risk to life.


    The effects of the blood armor must be more than just helping burn victims grow new skin.


    Otherwise, people would not regard the Blood Silkworm and blood armor as treasures.


    Qin Niu unceremoniously took out the Cold Jade Insect Coffin, after examining it for a moment, he placed it into the basket on his back.


    Second Master He watched this scene, but there was no displeasure on his face; on the contrary, it was as if he had expected it.


    The more he acted like this, the more dangerous Qin Niu found him.


    However, Qin Niu still had use for Second Master He, so naturally, he did not show any sign of his thoughts.


    After obtaining the Blood Silkworm¡¯s cocoon, Qin Niu picked up the scroll of the cultivation technique.


    Dragon Elephant Skill.


    Just three simple words, yet they exuded an overwhelming authority.


    Generally, cultivation techniques starting with the word ¡®Dragon¡¯, unless they were ¡®knockoffs¡¯, would not be bad.


    The He Family, relying on this technique, cultivated four strong practitioners of the Innate Realm, which was enough to prove the extraordinary nature of this technique.


    Qin Niu casually flipped through it, finding its content esoteric and profound, belonging to the category of superior cultivation techniques.


    It should be of similar grade to the Dragon Chant Skill for which that noble son spent five thousand silver money in the Supreme Sea.


    Back then, Qin Niu had thought that a cultivation technique costing five thousand silver money was something he could only look up to in his lifetime.


    Now, as his own strength had improved and he had crushed the He Family to obtain this technique, he was not particularly excited about it.


    It was just so-so.


    Moreover, he had already cultivated the Everlasting Spring Technique and the Medicine King Sutra, and simply had no capacity to learn a third cultivation technique.


    It might be suitable for his two wives to cultivate, though.


    After conducting a thorough search of the secret chamber and finding nothing else of value, Qin Niu had no choice but to give up.


    ¡°Second Master He, follow me to Black Tiger City. After dawn, transfer all of your He Family¡¯s property and land to your name.¡±


    ¡°This humble one is willing to serve Master Qin for life, without the need for any property.¡±


    Second Master He said respectfully.


    ¡°If I tell you to take it, just take it, no need for so much nonsense,¡± Qin Niu glowered, scaring He Lao¡¯er into not daring to say another word.


    ¡°All servants of the He Family listen, the He Family sought to kill Qin, leaving me no choice but to eradicate the entire family. I, Qin, may have won this life-and-death battle, but considering that the women and children of the He Family died only because they were implicated, I am willing to pay for their burial. For every person buried, be it man, woman, old, or young, I, Qin, will pay fifty coins.¡±


    Qin Niu did not let the corpses of the vanquished He Family rot away, instead, he paid the servants of the He Family to bury the bodies.


    Everyone looked at Qin Niu with eyes filled with extreme fear, no one daring to easily step forward for such money.


    Though the price of fifty coins to bury a person was incredibly tempting.


    Still, no one dared to take on the task.


    ¡°Master Qin¡¯s word is as weighty as nine tripods, what he promises, he fulfills. My He Family bullied Master Qin first, time and again seeking to kill him. Now, having been dealt the calamity of extermination, our punishment is deserved. He Xin hereby earnestly pleads with you all to bury the young and old of the Qin Family, allowing them to rest in peace.¡±


    He Lao¡¯er stepped forward, bowing to the crowd.


    Only then did some dare to take on the task.


    ¡°Just bury them on the hillside behind. I will stay here for one and a half hours, and within this period, all buried corpses will be counted.¡±


    Having annihilated the He Family, Qin Niu acquired no fewer than six chests of gold and precious treasures.


    At that moment, he took out a chest full of gold and silver, which, under the torchlight, had many eyes staring fixedly.


    ¡°Master Qin, may I ask, how many corpses can be placed in one grave?¡±


    ¡°You can, but you must ensure that the burial depth exceeds one foot three inches,¡± Qin Niu set a standard.


    Burying these corpses served two purposes: one was to prevent the stench from rotting bodies.


    The second was to give no chance for the authorities to investigate.


    Destroying the bodies and eradicating the traces was essentially the idea.


    It was only right for me to kill the experts of the Qin Family. But there is a saying, ¡®calamity should not befall the family members.¡¯


    Now, having eradicated the entire He Family, over three hundred people ¨C this was a great sin.


    The authorities could not possibly ignore it.


    Qin Niu relied on three points: one, the He Family had bullied him first and later even sought to kill him; two, he had the status of a first-class noble; three, as the Black Tiger Gang was in the midst of recruiting people while simultaneously facing two great enemies, the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect, they simply could not afford to be distracted.


    It was very possible that Qin Niu¡¯s extermination of the He Family would be glossed over.


    These kinds of incidents were not common, but they still occurred.


    The powerful families in the city would undoubtedly annihilate their enemy¡¯s entire family without hesitation if an opportunity arose.


    ¡­


    One and a half hours later, all the corpses of the He Family had been buried.


    Qin Niu kept his word and paid the servants of the He Family sufficiently for their work.


    Just as he was preparing to take He Lao¡¯er and head for Black Tiger City, Fang Lian had already hurried over with two elders from the Fang Family.


    ¡°Master Qin, are you all right?¡± Fang Lian heaved a long sigh of relief upon seeing that Qin Niu was still alive.


    In the future, if anything happened to the medicinal herbs of the Fang Family, they would need to call on Qin Niu for help. The older the herbs, the more delicate they were.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master Fang, for coming to the rescue. I, Qin, was lucky, narrowly escaping with my life.¡±


    Qin Niu was very grateful to see Young Master Fang coming to help in the middle of the night.


    Even though he knew this was merely an exchange of interests, he still felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Fang Lian.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I could hear from your voice that you¡¯re injured. I have some top-quality healing pills here, take this. You just need to take one at a time.¡±


    Fang Lian casually tossed a dark red porcelain bottle his way.


    Inside were three healing elixirs.


    ¡°I now owe Young Master Fang another favor!¡± Qin Niu did not say thank you this time, but straightforwardly acknowledged he owed Fang Lian a favor.


    ¡°Haha, just a bottle of healing elixirs, it¡¯s nothing. But these pills are not easy to concoct, and if it were anyone else, Fang would really be reluctant to give them away,¡± Fang Lian laughed heartily, obviously very pleased with Qin Niu¡¯s response.


    ¡°Now that Master Qin is unharmed, I shall take my leave first. Take care.¡±


    Fang Lian nodded at Qin Niu and quickly left with the two Fang Family elders.


    They arrived quickly and departed just as fast.


    Now, in the midst of war, Fang Lian was serving in the military and had obviously taken time out of his duties to come here.


    If he couldn¡¯t return on time, it was easy for others to criticize him.


    Qin Niu had wanted to ask Fang Lian how to handle the matter of massacring the entire He Family, but given Fang Lian¡¯s attitude, it was clear he had no intention of dealing with such a troublesome matter.

 Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: Chapter 318 The Flaw of Being Too Perfect_1

    Chapter 325: Chapter 318 The Flaw of Being Too Perfect_1


    ¡°`


    Massacring a family, even if just a local gentry, is absolutely an unethical act.


    Fang Lian, the young master of the Fang Family, now temporarily in charge of the Fang Family, had a very sensitive identity.


    He naturally shied away from such reputation-damaging, immoral affairs.


    Qin Niu was also pondering over how to deal with this matter.


    Conceding some interests to a person of power? This method seemed fine, but it might not catch their fancy.


    To be honest, he was reluctant to throw up the rich meat that had just reached his mouth.


    He set off to Black Tiger City with He Lao Er.


    The greatest threat to the He Family now was the escaped He Jun.


    There¡¯s a saying, ¡°The barefoot are not afraid of the shoe-wearing.¡±


    In the past, compared to the He Family with its large home and business, Qin Niu was just a barefoot man.


    Now that the He Family had been exterminated by him, He Jun had become the barefoot man.


    An enemy in the dark while I¡¯m in the light poses a huge threat.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t afraid, but his two fianc¨¦es, Xiao Qing, and Green Ox would surely die if they encountered He Jun.


    He would not rest easy until this man was disposed of.


    ¡°He Lao Er, this time I am helping you take the position of the He Family¡¯s head, the biggest obstacle being He Lao San in the city. Do you need me to get rid of He Lao San for you?¡±


    ¡°Please, Master, help me get rid of Lao San!¡±


    He Lao Er said respectfully.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not good to make a move inside the city, this matter may need further planning.¡±


    Qin Niu was actually just testing He Lao Er¡¯s attitude.


    He had wiped out the He Family, and He Lao Er was willing to be his servant, never showing the slightest anger or hatred from beginning to end, which was very contrary to human nature.


    Even a coward, afraid of death, would not be so compliant.


    At the very least, he would show some resentment in secrecy.


    He Lao Er¡¯s perfect performance, in Qin Niu¡¯s view, was actually the biggest flaw.


    ¡°I can lure Lao San out of the city, and then, Master, you can kill him.¡±


    He Lao Er proposed this naturally.


    Qin Niu stared into He Lao Er¡¯s eyes and saw that his gaze was honest and his demeanor calm.


    ¡°Your plan is excellent.¡±


    The two rode on horses and soon arrived at Black Tiger City.


    After Qin Niu took a healing elixir that Fang Lian had given him, at first he felt a burning pain in the injured area. Gradually, the part became hot, and he could feel the injury rapidly healing.


    Healing Pills might be expensive, but their effect was indeed remarkable.


    Currently, the city gate was still closed.


    No entry or exit was allowed at night, a rule that applied only to ordinary people.


    Qin Niu was now a first-class noble, fully entitled to have the city guard open the gate for him in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Open the gate.¡±


    He called from below the city wall.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡±


    ¡°First-class noble Qin Niu!¡±


    Qin Niu lifted his identity badge high above his head, and after the soldiers on the city wall checked it, they opened the gate.


    At night, only the smaller side gates were opened, as was customary.


    ¡°Much obliged.¡±


    Qin Niu casually tossed some silver pieces over to the three city guards who had opened the gate, and their faces immediately lit up with smiles.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Qin!¡±


    The soldiers guarding the city were insignificant figures.


    This was itself a thankless job, and people with any significant status or position wouldn¡¯t stoop to playing ¡®doorkeeper¡¯.


    Qin Niu used to look up to these city guards in his weaker days.


    Now, on the other hand, they could only look up to him as if gazing at the stars.


    With He Lao Er in tow, he successfully entered the city, still some time away from dawn.


    The streets inside the city were silent.


    ¡°Do you know where He Jun lives?¡±


    Qin Niu asked He Lao Er casually.


    Under Qin Niu¡¯s gaze, He Lao Er was docile, not daring to lift his head.


    ¡°He Jun is an Innate Realm powerhouse of my He Family, with multiple residences in the city. Although I hold a position in the family, I am not privy to the affairs of Innate Realm powerhouses. He Lao San, who manages the city¡¯s assets, might know about this.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    Qin Niu coldly spat out two words.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He Lao Er didn¡¯t dare to disobey and, after discerning the direction, led Qin Niu to where He Lao San lived.


    ¡°Lao San holds an official position in the city and sometimes stays in the official residence. Would you now like to go to his home or the official residence?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to his home.¡±


    After Qin Niu finished speaking, he added, ¡°Just proceed directly, I will follow you secretly.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    He Lao Er honestly led the way at the front, walking straight ahead without ever looking back to check.


    Qin Niu watched He Lao Er¡¯s retreating figure but did not actually follow him.


    Instead, he went straight to seek out Xiao Qing and Wang Wanyan.


    ¡°Fourth, can you sense the location of that Termite on the carriage?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Fourth wiggled the antennas on top of his head.


    As an Insect Master, tracking a person should be an easy task.


    Qin Niu had left a Termite on the carriage in the beginning just in case there were any emergencies so he could promptly find Wang Wanyan and Xiao Qing.


    Now, it had indeed come in handy.


    Under Fourth¡¯s guidance, Qin Niu quickly arrived in front of an inn.


    Wang Furen was merely an ordinary rich peasant from the countryside, not even qualifying as a wealthy household, so naturally, he could not afford to own property in the city.


    The doors of the inn were closed.


    Qin Niu knocked on the door knocker, and after a while, a somewhat groggy voice came from inside.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Staying overnight.¡±


    Qin Niu replied with just two words.


    ¡°Coming, coming.¡±


    Hearing that there was business, the inn¡¯s staff quickly opened the doors.


    Qin Niu looked around and spotted the He Family¡¯s carriage.


    ¡°Which rooms did the guests who arrived on that carriage last night stay in?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ it involves the privacy of our guests; we can¡¯t reveal that.¡±


    The server refused to tell.


    ¡°Can you tell me now?¡±


    Qin Niu took out some silver pieces.


    ¡°Honored guest, please don¡¯t make it difficult for me; our inn has rules against disclosing guest information.¡±


    ¡°Humph, open your eyes wide and look carefully. If you prattle on, I¡¯ll tear down your inn.¡±


    Qin Niu took out his waist badge.


    ¡°Oh my, so you are Master Qin! Those guests are staying in two rooms upstairs; I¡¯ll lead you there right now.¡± After seeing Qin Niu¡¯s waist badge, the server nearly wet himself with fear.


    A first-class noble like that wielded absolute authority in Black Tiger City, and he, a mere inn server, would never dare to offend even slightly unless he was tired of living.


    Upon reaching the second floor, Qin Niu directly called out, ¡°Xiao Qing, are you asleep?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Master!¡±


    Xiao Qing, elated to hear Qin Niu¡¯s call, rushed to open the door. At the table inside sat Wang Wanyan, who now stood up with delight at the sight of Qin Niu.


    ¡°Ah Niu!¡±


    Wang Wanyan ran over and flung herself into his arms.


    ¡°You have nothing to do here now; go downstairs!¡±


    Qin Niu ordered the server bluntly.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The server quickly turned and descended the stairs, understanding that this esteemed Master Qin must be acquainted with that incomparably beautiful young lady.


    He didn¡¯t dare linger and intrude.


    Such celestial beauty, only a noble person like Master Qin deserved to possess.


    The server¡¯s heart was full of envy.


    ¡°You and your father will stay in the inn for the time being; the matter with the He Family hasn¡¯t been completely resolved. I came especially to check on you both to ease your minds,¡± Qin Niu said, embracing her.

 Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Chapter 319 Borrowing the Power of the Tang Family to Destroy the Enemy_1

    Chapter 326: Chapter 319 Borrowing the Power of the Tang Family to Destroy the Enemy_1


    ¡°I told Sister Wanyan to go to bed and rest, but she refused to sleep. Then she kept looking out the window, and asked me, ¡®Ah Niu won¡¯t be in any trouble, right?¡¯¡±


    ¡°If you dare to mimic what others say again, wait until I become Mrs. Qin and see how I¡¯ll deal with you!¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s secret was exposed, leaving her extremely embarrassed.


    ¡°You¡¯re already about to become Mrs. Qin, what¡¯s there to be shy about? Now that you know I¡¯m fine, you can rest easy! Hurry up and get some sleep! Look at the dark circles under your eyes, they¡¯re so big already. If it goes on like this, you won¡¯t be beautiful anymore.¡±


    Qin Niu said to her with a smile.


    In every man¡¯s heart, there is a softest space.


    It could be for one¡¯s wife, or one¡¯s children, or maybe for one¡¯s parents.


    Wang Wanyan had long occupied a place deep within Qin Niu¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, stay here and accompany Wan Yan. Though we are not yet married, we¡¯ve already been betrothed. She¡¯s your half mistress, and you must protect her well.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Xiao Qing, a child who had mixed with society, was highly adaptable.


    Knowing that Wang Wanyan was to be the future mistress, she naturally took her place and worked on building a good relationship in advance.


    ¡°As for the matter of the room fee, don¡¯t worry about it. Once we¡¯ve dealt with the He Family¡¯s situation, I¡¯ll take you back to Shuangfeng Village.¡±


    Qin Niu gave a few brief instructions and hurriedly left the building.


    The inn¡¯s waiter was holding up his chin, dozing off.


    ¡°Waiter, this is for you.¡±


    Qin Niu tossed a piece of silver to him.


    Previously, when using silver money to bribe the waiter, the latter actually refused to take it, adhering to his professional ethics. This made Qin Niu respect him quite a bit more.


    ¡°I dare not accept it.¡±


    The waiter returned the silver money respectfully with both hands.


    ¡°I told you to take it, so take it.¡±


    Qin Niu truly had no patience to fuss with such a trifling character.


    ¡°This is ten silver pieces. The room fee, the meal charges for those four guests upstairs, charge it all to me. If anyone asks you about them and you dare to reveal anything, you better have your family prepare coffins in advance.¡±


    After speaking, Qin Niu left behind a large silver ingot, opened the door, and quickly walked away.


    The waiter was left staring at Qin Niu¡¯s departing figure as if he had seen a deity, dazed.


    A moment later, he finally came back to his senses.


    Qin Niu left the inn and went straight to Tang Yan¡¯s residence in the city.


    Tang Yan¡¯s place was right across from the City Lord¡¯s Mansion, very close to his office.


    To this day, Qin Niu still didn¡¯t know exactly what position Tang Yan held.


    He only knew that his status was not low, probably on the same level as a Historian of the six departments.


    Living on the street in front of the City Lord¡¯s Mansion, one was either rich or noble.


    After knocking on the door, Tang Yan, clad only in a robe, opened it for him.


    ¡°Master Qin! What brings you to the city this late?¡±


    Tang Yan was quite surprised to see Qin Niu.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and talk!¡±


    Once inside the house, Tang Yan wanted to make tea for him, but Qin Niu stopped him.


    ¡°Lord Tang, I have come to disturb you late at night for a reason. I need to ask for your help with something.¡±


    ¡°Master Qin, you can speak frankly, no need for courtesy. You and Cai Xian are soon to be wed, so we¡¯re practically family. Your matter is my matter.¡±


    Tang Yan, being an official, was very eloquent.


    ¡°I have wiped out the He Family!¡±


    Qin Niu stated matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tang Yan showed an extremely shocked expression upon hearing this news. ¡°You, which He Family are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there only one He Family in Jade Stream Town?¡±


    ¡°Is, is that true? My goodness, the He Family had Innate Realm experts, at least two of them. You wiped out the He Family? That¡¯s too terrifying.¡±


    Tang Yan reached for his handkerchief to wipe his sweat.


    Then he realized that he was only wearing his nightgown with a coat casually thrown over it, with no handkerchief on him.


    He lifted his hand to wipe his sweat.


    ¡°The He Family had a total of four Innate Realm experts, including the old ancestor of the He Family, and they have all been killed by me. There¡¯s still one Innate Realm expert who escaped, named He Jun. If he is left alive, he will be a calamity sooner or later. You¡¯re more familiar with the city than I am, is there a way to find out where He Jun is staying?¡±


    Qin Niu got straight to the point.


    ¡°When did He Jun escape?¡±


    Upon hearing that Qin Niu had slain all the other Innate Realm powerhouses of the He Family, Tang Yan was truly shocked.


    After the initial shock, he had gradually calmed down.


    Qin Niu had arranged a marriage with Tang Caixian, making him half a member of the Tang Family.


    As the saying goes, help family over justice.


    Tang Yan would certainly help Qin Niu eliminate the threat of He Jun.


    ¡°My battle with the He Family took place in the evening. He Jun fled to Black Tiger City; the city gates must have already been closed by that time. However, whether he had any special way to enter the city, that¡¯s hard to say.


    If He Jun hasn¡¯t entered the city, I¡¯d like to ask you to use your influence to watch over several city gates. As soon as He Jun is spotted, I will take him down immediately.


    If He Jun has already entered the city, just finding his residence will suffice.¡±


    Qin Niu revealed some critical information.


    This allowed Tang Yan to have a better chance to think it over.


    ¡°Master Qin was newly appointed as a first-class noble, and as long as the stakes are high enough, the Lu Family might indeed take action. If He Jun has already entered the city, trying to kill him would be almost impossible. The law within the city is strict and killing someone at whim is a grave crime.¡±


    Tang Yan, who was deeply aware of the character of the great clans,


    knew that the Lu Family could very well act against Qin Niu if the benefits were significant enough.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s hope He Jun hasn¡¯t entered the city yet; that will give us a chance to kill him. If he has already made it inside, I advise Master Qin to give up. Please sit here for a bit while I go out to make inquiries. I¡¯ll be back quickly.¡±


    After finishing, Tang Yan went inside to dress and left the house.


    Shortly after, he returned.


    ¡°It seems that He Jun has not yet entered the city. I have already sent people to watch the four city gates overnight. As soon as He Jun appears, we will get word immediately. Master Qin, now you need to guard not just against He Jun but also against any major family within the city.


    Your ability to kill several Innate Realm powerhouses of the He Family proves you are strong.


    However, the great families in the city, one by one, have profound foundations and can easily obliterate an Innate Realm powerhouse.


    The Lu Family controls the City Defense Force. If they intend to assist the He Family, then your situation will become very dangerous. I suggest you leave the city immediately and flee far away the moment things look sour. Although I hold some official rank within the city, I can¡¯t stir even a ripple in front of the Lu Family.¡±


    Tang Yan confided his thoughts to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Brother Tang speaks the truth. If I can get through this crisis, it would also mean a rapid rise for the Tang Family. Even if the Lu Family takes action, it¡¯s not necessarily a no-win situation. Right now, all we can do is take it one step at a time.¡±


    He was also subtly indicating to Tang Yan the benefits of helping him through this ordeal.


    ¡°Alas, the fortunes and misfortunes of life are unpredictable and cannot be foreseen. I was thinking of returning to Shuangfeng Village in a few days to congratulate Master Qin on his noble title and then discuss some important matters. Who could have anticipated such a sudden calamity? It¡¯s all about timing and fate. One thing I can promise is that I will do everything in my power to help you.¡±


    Tang Yan expressed his stance to him.


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    Qin Niu expressed his gratitude with a clasped hand gesture.


    Sometimes, taking a couple of extra wives isn¡¯t such a bad thing.


    With that layer of marital ties, it¡¯s like having your own people.


    Many resources can be utilized.


    As they were talking, a gray sparrow flew in from outside.


    Tang Yan whistled to it, and it immediately flew into the room, landing on his hand.


    He removed a piece of paper from its leg.


    Tang Yan had some tricks up his sleeve to firmly establish his position in the city and reach a certain height.


    ¡°A suspicious person has been spotted, at the West Gate, most likely to be He Jun,¡±


    Tang Yan said.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on my way immediately.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s spirits were lifted, and he hurried towards the West City Gate.


    By the time he arrived, it was already somewhat late.


    He Jun had already called for the city gates to be opened and was talking with the soldiers on guard.


    The City Defense Army was under the control of the Lu Family, and He Jun had sought an audience with the Lu Family¡¯s leader, which led to the opening of the city gates.


    ¡°Green Ox, we have only one chance; if we kill this man, I can rest easy. No one from the He Family will be left to threaten me,¡±


    Qin Niu understood very well that for a family to cultivate an Innate Realm powerhouse was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.


    The real estates of the He Family would eventually be taken by other families if they didn¡¯t end up in Qin Niu¡¯s hands.


    The remaining forty or so were mostly the He Family¡¯s own kin.


    They would have a hard time making any significant waves.

 Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: Chapter 320 The Strong Makes Rules Part 1

    Chapter 327: Chapter 320 The Strong Makes Rules Part 1


    He Jun was already like a frightened bird at this moment.


    Having witnessed Qin Niu¡¯s ruthlessness with his own eyes, out of the four powerful Innate Realm experts from his family, only he remained. Qin Niu killed them as easily as slaughtering chickens and ducks.


    Though the most convenient route into the city would have been through the Eastern Gate, He Jun worried that Qin Niu might be lying in wait ahead, so he deliberately took a detour spanning dozens of miles, entering through the Western Gate.


    His intelligence was likely the highest among the He Family¡¯s four Innate Realm powerhouses.


    Choosing the long way around, this tactic indeed proved effective.


    Unfortunately for him, Qin Niu had found Tang Yan, and regardless of whether He Jun had already entered the city, he was not going to escape Qin Niu¡¯s pursuit.


    He Jun was conversing with the soldiers guarding the city, waiting for someone from the Lu Family to come over.


    As long as he saw someone from the Lu Family, he would be safe.


    Burdened with a deep-seated hatred, all he could think about was revenge. Even if he had to serve the Lu Family as a dog, as long as he could have his revenge, he was willing.


    He was even prepared to pay any price.


    At that moment, he noticed a figure rapidly approaching from not far away, followed by a half-grown water buffalo.


    Fear surged in He Jun¡¯s heart.


    That scourge really had entered the city, and had been waiting for him all along.


    ¡°Qin Niu, this is Black Tiger City, you dare to commit murder, the law will surely execute your entire clan,¡± He Jun brandished his sword and shouted, his face fierce but internals craven.


    Yet his warning seemed to be of no use, as Qin Niu not only didn¡¯t stop, but also accelerated towards him.


    The Ink Blade in Qin Niu¡¯s hand trembled continuously.


    This blade had already developed a sense of spirit, and it seemed to relish the taste of human blood, especially the blood of powerful warriors.


    Every time Qin Niu killed someone with it, the blade became particularly excited.


    ¡°I request your protection! I have a very important gift for the City Commandant!¡±


    Seeing his warnings ignored, He Jun quickly sought help from the City Defense Army.


    The City Commandant was in charge of the City Defense Army, akin to the modern head of a police department, managing tasks such as city public order and patrols.


    In terms of combat capability, the City Defense Army was weaker than a real army.


    These men were generally drop-outs from the military.


    The truly formidable were the guards of the City Lord¡¯s Mansion, each and every one an elite from the military forces. They protected the safety of the City Lord¡¯s Mansion and safeguarded the City Lord and his family.


    ¡°Who goes there? Private fighting is forbidden within the city, halt!¡±


    The captain in charge of the defenses at the Western City Gate, seeing the situation, also knew Qin Niu was up to no good.


    He immediately bellowed for Qin Niu to stop.


    Qin Niu did not respond, his target was clear, and he headed straight for He Jun.


    ¡°Save me, save me!¡±


    He Jun, an innate realm warrior, couldn¡¯t help but cry out for help repeatedly in extreme panic as he faced the charging Qin Niu.


    Having personally experienced Qin Niu¡¯s ferocity, and with even the old ancestor of the He Family cut down by Qin Niu¡¯s blade, he couldn¡¯t help but fear.


    ¡°Form the spear formation, repel the enemy! Protect He Jun!¡±


    Seeing Qin Niu heedless of warnings, the cold-eyed captain of the Western City Gate immediately commanded his City Defense soldiers to form up.


    There were eleven of them, including himself.


    ¡°Those who block me, kill without mercy!¡±


    Qin Niu revealed a badge signifying noble identity.


    The King Pig Leather Armor also glowed with a faint aura, endlessly circulating.


    This was him preparing to ignore the City Defense soldiers¡¯ warning and force his way through.


    The soldiers, whose cultivation generally hovered around the twelfth level of the Mortal Realm, with the captain¡¯s cultivation at about the first or second level of the Acquired Realm, stood no chance against Qin Niu. Truly powerful individuals would never be found guarding the city gates.


    Upon seeing that the badge Qin Niu revealed was that of a first-class noble, all eleven City Defense soldiers felt a wave of terror.


    Such beings, in the entire Black Tiger Gang, numbered only a little over two hundred, some of whom were already deceased.


    Each one was a pinnacle existence, not someone a mere soldier could contend with.


    Should they wound Qin Niu, it would be considered an act of insubordination, a crime of the highest order.


    If Qin Niu had killed them, there was a high chance they would have died in vain.


    So, when they saw Qin Niu actually charging at them, they subconsciously made way to both sides.


    Poor He Jun, who was hiding behind them, thought he was safe once he entered the city.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Qin Niu to disregard the rules, trample the law and city regulations, and dare to kill someone within the city walls, especially in front of the city gate and in view of the City Defense Army.


    In the past, the He Family was considered lawless on their own turf, able to cover the sky with one hand.


    Now, having witnessed Qin Niu¡¯s actions, He Jun realized what it truly meant to disregard all rules.


    ¡°I have already sought refuge with the Lu Family, killing me would mean making enemies with the Lu Family, you had better think this through,¡± he said.


    He Jun saw Qin Niu approaching, and knew there was no chance of escape.


    Because the city gates were already closed.


    And fleeing would mean exposing his back to the edge of Qin Niu¡¯s blade, which would only accelerate his death.


    Invoking the Lu Family as a shield against death, he simultaneously assumed a defensive stance.


    His sword hand, however, was trembling.


    A pale yellow aura was swiftly circulating around the surface of his body.


    Qin Niu¡¯s response to He Jun was a forceful slash.


    Green Ox, having a mutual understanding with Qin Niu and having faced many powerful enemies together, had now accumulated some combat experience.


    It coordinated perfectly.


    As Qin Niu swung his blade, Green Ox¡¯s horns shot out golden light, striking He Jun.


    ¡°Spare his life under your blade!¡±


    An old and majestic voice echoed from afar.


    It was the City Commandant of Black Tiger City, who had once met Qin Niu and had now personally come to rescue someone after hearing the news.


    Qin Niu, of course, didn¡¯t heed his call.


    He cleaved He Jun into two clean halves.


    With the last Innate Realm expert of the He Family eliminated by him, the greatest threat was finally disposed of.


    As for the remaining remnants of the He Family, they were no longer a threat to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Qin Niu, you dare to kill someone on the streets within the city, and in front of the City Commandant no less! Do you have any regard for the royal law? Any respect for the orders of the City Lord¡¯s Mansion? The Gang Leader has repeatedly emphasized that fighting within the city is forbidden. What do you take the laws and the City Lord¡¯s Mansion¡¯s orders for?¡±


    The City Commandant still arrived too late.


    He was unable to save the last Innate Realm powerhouse of the He Family.


    Initially, the City Commandant wasn¡¯t about to make an enemy out of Qin Niu, a promising figure, just for the He Family¡¯s assets.


    He coveted the Blood Silkworm cocoons of the He Family, which was why he rushed to get involved in this messy situation.


    Moreover, with his status, strength, and power, he was fully capable of sheltering the He Family and easily obtaining their Blood Silkworm cocoons.


    Besides, the He Family¡¯s Dragon Elephant Art was a very decent Cultivation Technique.


    It was an overbearing Technique created specifically for battle.


    Those who mastered it not only gained tremendous strength, akin to that of a dragon or elephant, but also explosive power and formidable defense.


    This Technique, if mastered by only two or three people, might have limited impact.


    But if an entire army were to master it and form battle formations, their power would be terrifying.


    For the determined, Heaven will not disappoint; lying on straw, tasting gall, an armor of three thousand can shake the immortals.


    There once was a defeated monarch who would lie on straw and taste gall every day to remind himself of the deep vengeance he carried, the hatred for his nation¡¯s destruction.


    This monarch created the Dragon Elephant Art and trained three thousand soldiers.


    The monarch of the enemy nation, seeing only three thousand soldiers, paid them no attention. After all, the powerful nation already possessed an army of a million, any fraction of which could easily annihilate the overthrown monarch¡¯s three thousand.


    Ten years passed, and when the dethroned monarch led his three thousand soldiers, each clad in iron armor, onto the battlefield, defeating the enemy was as easy as slicing through vegetables.


    Using the three thousand ironclad soldiers, the former monarch not only routed the enemy nation¡¯s million-strong army but even when the Emperor Emeritus called upon an Immortal Master from his sect for assistance, they too were repelled with severe injuries by the three thousand soldiers.


    This was historically the first time a mortal army defeated an Immortal Master, shattering the myth that immortals were invincible and above reproach.


    It¡¯s said that not only did this monarch achieve a reversal, defeating the enemy nation, but he also led his three thousand ironclad soldiers in cultivation, eventually ascending to immortality together.


    They became a celebrated tale of an entire army ascending to immortality.

 Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: Chapter 321 The Principle That What Is Eaten Cannot Be Spit Out_1

    Chapter 328: Chapter 321 The Principle That What Is Eaten Cannot Be Spit Out_1


    As for this dethroned monarch who reached the Immortal Realm, how he fared was unknown to anyone.


    Ever since the He Family obtained the ¡°Dragon Elephant Art,¡± they have been secretly cultivating it without revealing it to the outside world.


    It was only because He Jun wanted to ask City Commandant Lu for help in taking revenge that he did not hesitate to unveil his family¡¯s secret. To impress a mighty character like City Commandant Lu, ordinary wealth couldn¡¯t catch his eye.


    City Commandant Lu rushed to the rescue just to obtain the He Family¡¯s ¡°Dragon Elephant Skill¡± and the Blood Silkworm cocoons.


    He believed that with the Dragon Elephant Art, and ten years to train the city¡¯s guards under his command, he, the city commandant, would become an unrivaled authority in the Black Tiger Gang.


    Even the direct ascent to Gang Leader was highly possible.


    ¡°City Commandant Lu, please calm your anger. I killed He Jun because he tried to kill me first, and I was merely forced to defend myself,¡± Qin Niu pleaded.


    Qin Niu was very aware that City Commandant Lu was almost certainly a strong practitioner of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    At present, he was no match for such an existence.


    As long as he didn¡¯t confront City Commandant Lu head on, the commandant actually had no real way of dealing with him.


    ¡°With both the human witness and the physical evidence present, you still dare to quibble? Come back to the court with me to speak further.¡±


    City Commandant Lu¡¯s face darkened.


    With a wave of his hand, two Innate Realm experts rushed towards Qin Niu from both sides, aiming to capture him.


    ¡°I am of the highest nobility, and even if I have committed an offense, it must be tried by the tribunal of three. You have no right to arrest me. If you wish to take me to trial, I will go with you,¡± Qin Niu declared.


    Naturally, Qin Niu would not go quietly.


    If he were to be caught, his life and death would be completely at the mercy of others.


    ¡°Move the corpse outside the court, and invite the Law Enforcement Elder and the deputy Gang Leader holding the Legal Authority Seal to join the tribunal for the trial.¡±


    The tribunal of three consisted of the punishing city commandant, the Law Enforcement Elder, and the deputy Gang Leader with the Legal Authority Seal.


    Typically, cases that required the convening of the tribunal were major cases.


    At this time, the Black Tiger Gang Leader would definitely inquire into the matter or watch covertly to see the final verdict.


    It must be explained that the Black Tiger Gang Leader was the supreme authority of the Black Tiger Gang, but his word was not the law.


    Major affairs within the gang were not decided by him alone but required consultation with the gang¡¯s high-level officials.


    After being brought to court, Qin Niu was given a chair to sit on for the trial, as befitting someone of his noble status.


    Even having killed someone, he did not need to wear shackles like an ordinary person or kneel on the ground for his trial.


    It was also impossible to subject him to torture so readily.


    It wasn¡¯t that City Commandant Lu didn¡¯t wish to torture him, but that the rules forbade it.


    If Qin Niu could be tortured today, other high nobles who committed crimes could similarly be tortured in the future.


    This concerned the privileges of all the highest nobility, and City Commandant Lu would not likely make such a dire mistake, provided he had the slightest bit of sense.


    Since it was night, calling the tribunal together wasn¡¯t an immediate affair.


    The other members of the tribunal were cocooned in their blankets, embracing their delicate wives or concubines in sleep, and it was just before dawn, the sweetest time to slumber.


    Rousing them from bed and getting dressed would take some time.


    ¡°Qin Niu, it hasn¡¯t even been two days since you were made a noble of the highest rank. Why didn¡¯t you cherish it? Instead, you revealed your true colors and went on a killing spree?¡± City Commandant Lu questioned Qin Niu sternly.


    ¡°It was the He Family who wanted to kill me, not I who wanted to kill them,¡± Qin Niu responded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the He Family¡¯s wealth has fallen into your hands. Do you dare to say it wasn¡¯t about killing for wealth?¡±


    City Commandant Lu already knew about the He Family¡¯s wealth ending up in Qin Niu¡¯s hands, which suggested that He Er might have secretly turned to City Commandant Lu.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wrongful accusation, City Commandant Lu! If you say I killed the He Family in self-defense, I admit it. But regarding their wealth falling into my hands¡ªthat is entirely unfounded,¡± Qin Niu protested his innocence vehemently.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Hmph, if you wish for none to know, you ought not to do it at all. You took the He Family¡¯s property, and I, as the City Commandant, could have chosen not to pursue it. However, there are two items that belong to my Lu Family which were left in the He Family¡¯s care. Return them to me, and a major issue can be minimized, and a minor one erased.¡±


    Lu, the City Commandant, snorted and took this opportunity to discuss terms with Qin Niu, while the other two influential figures were absent.


    He wouldn¡¯t openly demand them, of course.


    Instead, he used this more subtle expression to get Qin Niu to hand over the two items.


    ¡°Lord Lu, if you have belongings stored with the He Family, you should claim them from the He Family. As I¡¯ve said before, I only killed the people of the He Family, not taken their property.¡±


    Once Qin Niu had something in his possession, it was impossible for him to spit it back out.


    To extinguish the He Family was a shocking, monumental case.


    The several chests of gold, silver, and jewels actually interested him little. The silver money converted could be no more than ten thousand or so.


    The He Family, being such an extensive clan, had enormous daily expenses, and the wealth was unlikely to be concentrated in one person¡¯s hands. It was distributed among all family members.


    Moreover, the family¡¯s available cash was typically minimal.


    Most families would opt to invest in farmland, shops in the town, and so forth.


    ¡°Qin Niu, I know you¡¯re a smart man. Same goes, if you return the Cultivation Technique and a Blood Silkworm cocoon belonging to Lord Lu that were left in the He Family¡¯s care, we¡¯re all nobles of the same rank¡ªnaturally, I¡¯d save you face. However, if you are determined to embezzle the two treasures of Lord Lu¡¯s, you should consider the consequences carefully.¡±


    Lu, the City Commandant, was clearly running out of patience.


    ¡°I truly haven¡¯t taken any property from the He Family; if Lord Lu does not believe me, he can call someone out for confrontation.¡±


    Qin Niu stuck to his guns ¡ª he hadn¡¯t taken it.


    At this moment, someone came from outside.


    ¡°Law Enforcement Elder Gong Sun of the Black Tiger Gang has arrived!¡±


    A middle-aged man with three tufts of handsome beard walked in. He looked to be around fifty years old, with a lean face and a small locked box in his hand.


    This man was Gong Sun, the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang, in charge of the Legal Authority Seal.


    He had a composed, outstanding demeanor and carried an air of nonchalance in his movements.


    ¡°Lord Lu, it¡¯s inappropriate to disturb a person¡¯s rest in the middle of the night! What¡¯s the big trouble that couldn¡¯t wait until morning and demanded a meeting of three departments?¡±


    Vice Gang Leader Gong Sun inquired.


    Before coming, he¡¯d definitely gained a preliminary understanding of the case and now seemingly feigned ignorance.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all about the newly ennobled noble of the first rank, Qin Niu. Just days after his ennoblement, he wiped out the He Family. Moreover, at the western city gate, in front of the city guards and myself, he killed an Innate Realm expert of the He Family.¡±


    Lu, the City Commandant, pointed at Qin Niu below the hall.


    ¡°I¡¯ve met Gang Leader Gong Sun.¡±


    Qin Niu rose and bowed respectfully.


    It is said that no one faults excessive courtesy. Now, being at fault, he naturally wanted to make a good impression on the judge.


    Lord Lu wanted the Dragon Elephant Skill scroll and the Blood Silkworm cocoon, and Qin Niu refusing to hand over these two items would definitely result in a strained relationship between them.


    The Dragon Elephant Art scroll didn¡¯t matter much to him.


    Its market value was probably around five thousand Silver Money at most.


    But if he handed over the Dragon Elephant Skill, then the Blood Silkworm cocoon could not remain hidden.


    After all, no one was a fool.


    If Qin Niu had already taken the He Family¡¯s Dragon Elephant Skill, who would believe that he didn¡¯t take the Blood Silkworm cocoon?


    Therefore, the best strategy was to flatly deny everything.


    Qin Niu secretly speculated that it must have been He number two who snitched to Lu, the City Commandant.


    Originally, he had considered killing He number two, but Qin Niu was coveting the fields and properties of the He Family and wanted to use He number two to get them into his hands.


    Fortunately, Qin Niu had prepared for this in advance and was not worried about He number two stirring up any serious trouble.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Chapter 322 Gongsun Gang Leader’s Goodwill_1

    Chapter 329: Chapter 322 Gongsun Gang Leader¡¯s Goodwill_1


    ¡°Master Qin, there¡¯s no need for such formalities. Please, take a seat!¡±


    Vice Gang Leader Gongsun¡¯s attitude toward him was quite polite, which was somewhat intriguing.


    The two were meeting for the first time and had never dealt with each other before.


    The Black Tiger Gang¡¯s power structure was divided into two senior groups, both headed by the Gang Leader. One was the Elder Group and the other was the Vice Leader Group.


    Theoretically, once ascended to an Elder, one could never vie for the position of Gang Leader again.


    However, the Elder Group had the authority to join forces to dismiss the Gang Leader and Vice Leaders.


    An Elder¡¯s power was essentially limited to this, acting as an organization that balanced the high-tier members of the gang.


    Those who truly held the reins of power within the gang were the Gang Leader and the Vice Leaders.


    For instance, Vice Gang Leader Bai Xuezhu commanded an army, holding military power and being able to mobilize troops to attack cities and claim land. She could even deploy the forces to eliminate her enemies when necessary.


    The Elders did not have this power.


    Neither financial nor military power was within the Elders¡¯ reach.


    In terms of status, Vice Gang Leader Gongsun was half a rank higher than City Commandant Lu, but City Commandant Lu held great sway over the city guards, controlling all defense and public security of Black Tiger City, with all four city gates under his command.


    Therefore, his actual power was not inferior to any of the Vice Leaders.


    Vice Gang Leader Gongsun, whose real name was Gongsun Jin, held the Legal Authority Seal. Together with the Law Enforcement Elder, he could conduct ultimate trials. Dealing with the higher echelons of the Black Tiger Gang often required these two to join forces in judgment.


    City Commandant Lu was in charge of criminal law, mainly targeting ordinary people and the middle and lower ranks of the Black Tiger Gang.


    For example, Qin Niu ignored his command and killed He Jun right in front of him; City Commandant Lu was annoyed, but could do nothing to Qin Niu.


    It seems he has now ¡®invited¡¯ Qin Niu to the court.


    But after the trial, if the Law Enforcement Elder and Vice Gang Leader Gongsun find Qin Niu not guilty, then no matter how angry City Commandant Lu is, he can only release the man.


    The high-ranking members of the Black Tiger Gang might regret having promoted Qin Niu to a first-ranked noble.


    Ennoblement is easy, but now that Qin Niu has risen, it would be difficult to take him down.


    From the current situation, it seems unlikely that even City Commandant Lu would want to strip Qin Niu of his first-ranked noble title.


    It is likely that the clan elders would not agree either.


    A newly ennobled first-ranked noble being deposed within days would be like child¡¯s play.


    ¡°The Law Enforcement Elder has arrived!¡±


    The guards at the door announced.


    This too was a form of respect for the higher-ups.


    A tall man with a thick, short beard entered.


    As he walked, the ground beneath his feet seemed to shrink. He was strolling leisurely, yet his speed was astonishing.


    He had just been at the door to the hall, and in the blink of an eye, he was already in front of it.


    The distance of nearly thirty meters was covered in an instant.


    ¡°Elder Wen, your ¡®Shortening Ground¡¯ technique has become more and more masterful!¡± Gongsun Jin greeted the newcomer with a smile.


    ¡°Speaking of movement techniques, Vice Gang Leader Gongsun¡¯s ¡®Ascending Ladder¡¯ is at least ten times stronger than my little skill. I heard that the newly ennobled first-ranked noble killed someone in the streets, challenging the laws of Black Tiger City. He¡¯s got quite the audacity!¡±


    Elder Wen¡¯s gaze fixed on Qin Niu.


    Suddenly, an invisible pressure made Qin Niu¡¯s body tense up.


    The gaze of the strong, as if it could transform into an invisible restraint.


    ¡°This junior, Qin Niu, has met Elder Wen! It really wasn¡¯t my intention to provoke the law, but the He Family bullied me first. Left with no other choice, I killed in self-defense.¡±


    Although Qin Niu had clearly wiped out the entire He Family, at that moment he assumed an expression of a victim wronged.


    It made others feel that his killing was completely a move of helplessness.


    ¡°You kid, your words are quite pleasing,¡± said Elder Wen, his gaze softening somewhat, and the invisible pressure bearing down on Qin Niu also lessened a great deal. ¡°Everyone has arrived; let¡¯s begin! If the trial is over quickly, maybe I can still get home for a bit of extra sleep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly my wish,¡± Another voice chimed in, ¡°I was sleeping so soundly in the middle of the night. What¡¯s the point of convening a trial? Qin Niu doesn¡¯t seem like the haughty and domineering type. It¡¯s most likely the He Family bullying others on their seniority, picking on a newly ennobled first-class noble. Since they¡¯re killed, they¡¯re killed; it¡¯s time for the local families to learn their lesson. The Legal Orders from our Black Tiger Gang are always distorted when implemented locally; it¡¯s about time we set things right.¡±


    Gongsun Jin was clearly helping Qin Niu find an excuse.


    The trial hadn¡¯t even started yet, but with a deputy gang leader covering him, Qin Niu became even more optimistic about the outcome.


    ¡°We are here today to try Qin Niu for killing within the city gates, other matters can be discussed on another day. Otherwise, Elder Wen¡¯s desire for extra sleep might be in vain!¡±


    Seeing the tide turning unfavorable, City Commandant Lu hurriedly steered the conversation back.


    The matter at hand was about trying Qin Niu for murder, but Gongsun Jin had turned the subject to the untamed local families. How then could the trial proceed?


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind; these local families stretch their hands too long, ignoring the gang¡¯s Legal Orders¡ªit¡¯s indeed time to manage them. Last time I even heard that a local family leased over 760 acres of public land and only paid less than seventy silver in rent for ten years. If the roots are rotten, none of us at the top can rest easy.¡±


    Elder Wen¡¯s loyalty to his gang was extreme.


    When the subject of the gang¡¯s corruption came up, he naturally sided with Gang Leader Gongsun.


    ¡°Let¡¯s judge the case first, one by one! To govern locally, we must also work together with the Household and Workshop divisions,¡± said City Commandant Lu, feeling dismayed.


    With much fanfare, he had arranged a three-departmental trial, but the other two officials clearly weren¡¯t taking the matter seriously, showing little intention to delve into the murder committed by Qin Niu.


    He weighed inwardly whether he should continue to stand up for the He Family.


    But as soon as he thought of the Dragon Elephant Skill and the Blood Silkworm Cocoon, his heart grew firm.


    The rise of a great family might only require the emergence of a Spirit Qi Realm expert. However, to reach a higher level after becoming a prominent family in the city required accumulation in many aspects.


    His position as City Commandant might seem prestigious, but the Lu Family was a recent riser, lacking a deep foundation, which was a sore point for City Commandant Lu.


    Looking at the Fang Family, Gongsun Family, Bai Family¡­ each of these top families was deeply founded and powerful.


    As for the Lu Family, it was just him, the City Commandant, holding the fort. Without a family elder nor exceptional herbs or spiritual woods, they only had a decent mount to their name.


    If he could obtain that Blood Silkworm Cocoon, even if he didn¡¯t use it himself, he could exchange it for other high-level resources.


    One should know that ordinary elixirs, herbs, and pets could be bought on the open market. But special top-tier cultivation resources, whether it be Cultivation Techniques or pets, or even elixirs and herbs, were impossible to purchase.


    Any resource that could help a family grow stronger was something no one was willing to sell.


    For any family, power was the most important.


    Silver was just a pile of metal.


    Without power, no amount of metal would prevent others from making free use of it.


    The three big shots presided in court, and the trial officially began.


    Qin Niu remained seated throughout the trial.


    A first-class noble had such privileges, able to enjoy this treatment.

 Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: 323 has secured a place in the Black Tiger Gang_1

    Chapter 330: 323 has secured a place in the Black Tiger Gang_1


    In ancient times, some noble scions, upon taking a fancy to a beauty or a treasure, would directly slaughter an entire family, and in the end, there¡¯d be no repercussions.


    It¡¯s not that these young nobles lacked brains, but rather, they were aware of their status and the privileges it conferred.


    Even if they killed an entire family, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    When Qin Niu was initially ennobled as a first-class noble, he had no intention of killing anyone. However, the He Family failed to see the situation clearly, thinking that a first-class noble was a mere figurehead, someone they could control, which was almost like forcing Qin Niu into annihilating them completely.


    ¡°Qin Niu, fully aware of the strict laws, why did you still slaughter the entire He Family? Did you commit murder to plunder the He Family¡¯s wealth?¡±


    As soon as the City Commandant spoke, he immediately dug several pits for Qin Niu.


    This was somewhat akin to setting a trap and waiting for someone to fall into it.


    ¡°Please, the three seniors must see clearly, I was granted a hundred mu of fertile land as a reward, and being well aware of the He Family¡¯s considerable influence, I deliberately delayed for two days before going to take possession of the land. Who knew the He Family would try to swap my prime fertile land with their flood-prone low-lying fields? When I refused, He Sire the Fourth let his servants curse at me.


    If it were an ordinary time, I would have endured it in fear of the He Family¡¯s deep roots and extensive influence.


    But on the day I was ennobled as a first-class noble, the City Commandant himself told me that in the entire Black Tiger Gang, only about two hundred people were ennobled as first-class nobles. Being insulted was one thing, but I couldn¡¯t disgrace the other first-class nobles.


    If the coachman of a local family clan dared to freely curse at a first-class noble, then what dignity would we first-class nobles have left to speak of?


    Unable to tolerate it any longer, I killed this extremely arrogant coachman.


    I originally left room for maneuver, hoping that after seeing my strength, the He Family would restrain themselves.


    Yet to my surprise, upon his return home, He Sire the Fourth, relying on the He Family¡¯s several Innate Realm experts and their status as one of the oldest local families, took advantage of my absence while I was working on the mountain. Not only did they beat up my future father-in-law, but they also kidnapped my fianc¨¦e, and in public they uttered obscene words, saying that they wanted to take my fianc¨¦e back to the He Family to properly ¡°train¡± her.


    I ask, what man could tolerate such humiliation?


    There was no choice, I had to kill He Sire the Fourth.


    The following events you can probably guess, upon seeing that a member of their direct lineage was killed, the entire He Family was infuriated. The He Family Elder led the family¡¯s strongmen, vowing to fight me to the death.


    For self-preservation, I had no choice but to counterattack, and as luck would have it, I won the battle.


    Afterward, I even paid to hire the He Family¡¯s servants to bury the bodies of their people. All the blame lies with the He Family, not me.¡±


    Qin Niu pushed his sophistry to the extreme.


    He, a murderer, had now turned into the one with grievance.


    Gongsun Jin and Elder Wen both nodded in succession, only stopping short of giving a high-five and praising, ¡°Well killed.¡±


    ¡°He Second lambasted you for robbing the He Family of all their wealth; how do you explain this?¡±


    The City Commandant inquired.


    ¡°Upon my conscience, I did not take any of the He Family¡¯s possessions. Call out He Second to confront me; the deeds to the fields and houses, and all other properties, are all in the possession of He Second. He did indeed propose to give them to me as a gift and also wanted me to help him climb to the position of the He Family¡¯s patriarch.¡±


    Qin Niu protested his innocence repeatedly.


    ¡°Bring He Second here.¡±


    ¡°Reporting to the City Commandant, He Second collapsed and died on the spot, suspected of having committed suicide by poison.¡±


    A guard came in and reported.


    The City Commandant¡¯s expression darkened; this was indeed a case without a witness.


    He Second had been in good health all along; why did he suddenly die?


    The situation was highly suspicious.


    ¡°City Commandant, forgive my frankness, He Second harbored evil intentions, always plotting to put me to death. Malicious slander, pinning blame on me, is also very likely. Now that he is called forth for a confrontation, his plot is about to be exposed, so he therefore took his own life out of fear of his crimes. I suggest immediately bringing up He Second¡¯s body, search his person, and the truth will naturally come to light for all to see.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke nonsense confidently, feeling a sense of relief in his heart upon hearing of He Second¡¯s death.


    Now with no one to confront, he could say whatever he wanted.


    ¡°What Master Qin suggested seems reasonable. Bring up the body for examination on the spot.¡±


    Elder Wen agreed to Qin Niu¡¯s proposal.


    The body was quickly brought up.


    He Second had blood flowing from all seven orifices, his expression hideous.


    The guards indeed found a large number of property deeds and house deeds on his body, along with a small amount of silver notes and other items.


    ¡°Brother Lu, I think there¡¯s no need to continue this trial. What Qin Niu said, even if somewhat exaggerated, basically corresponds with the facts. The He Family was lawless, acting without any regard for others, relying on the numerous strongmen in their family to even covet the lands of a first-class noble, and moreover, they sought to desecrate someone¡¯s fianc¨¦e; they deserved to be killed.¡±


    Elder Wen rendered his judgement on the trial.


    ¡°Indeed, the He Family truly deserves contempt. The title of a first-class noble is not an empty honor but represents status and authority. Today, the He Family dared to ignore Qin Niu, a newly conferred first-class noble, and in the future, they might dare to disregard us, the established first-class nobles. Qin Niu¡¯s successful counter-slaughter of the He Family serves as a stern warning to other local families, making clear who truly commands the heavens.¡±


    Gongsun Jin seemed to be particularly friendly towards Qin Niu.


    He kept finding ways to extricate Qin Niu from blame.


    ¡°Since the opinions of the two gentlemen are in agreement, Lu does not have any objections. Our trial is concluded, and we can now post notices everywhere, declaring the He Family¡¯s crimes and deterring the local families. At present, our Black Tiger Gang is at war with two other major gangs, and this cleansing of social order is indeed a good thing.¡±


    Seeing that there was nothing he could do about Qin Niu, the City Commandant simply decided to go with the flow and do Qin Niu a favor.


    As a result, the joint trial by the three departments not only failed to do anything to Qin Niu but instead turned into a court session that acquitted him of his charges.


    If the departed souls of the He Family had spirits in heaven, they would likely be angered back to life.


    ¡°Thank you, esteemed lords, for your discerning eyes which cleared my name. If there is nothing else, this junior will take his leave.¡±


    In terms of status, Qin Niu was on par with the three of them.


    He was now a top noble of the Black Tiger Gang.


    After offering thanks with clasped hands, he walked out of the public hall.


    Looking up at the stars in the sky, he could truly feel that he had grown from a ¡®small sapling¡¯ in this world into a tree capable of withstanding ordinary storms.


    After this battle, within the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, he had genuinely secured a place for himself.


    ¡°Master Qin, congratulations on your successful acquittal.¡±


    Tang Yan, however, was anxiously waiting outside with his people.


    He was very aware that Qin Niu was now powerful enough to annihilate the entire He Family by himself and had been appointed a first-class noble. If he survived this ordeal, Qin Niu would become a towering tree for the Tang Family.


    As the saying goes, it¡¯s good to seek shade under a big tree.


    Although the Tang Family was showing signs of initial prosperity, they were still far from becoming a powerful local clan.


    They were leagues behind the Yan, He, and Pang Families.


    But if Tang Caixian married Qin Niu, even if only as a concubine, the Tang Family¡¯s status would immediately change.


    Tang Yan, who campaigned in the city, knew the importance of having a powerful family behind him.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s help, he believed that it wouldn¡¯t be long before he could rapidly rise through the ranks.


    The Tang Family would also become one of the powerful local clans.


    Capable of holding their own against the Yan and Pang Families.


    This reliance was intangible, just like Wang Haikun could be a bully in Shuangfeng Village, oppressing the villagers because he relied on his brother, Wang Yue¡¯s influence.


    But the Tang Family¡¯s reliance on Qin Niu was a thousand times, even a million times stronger than Wang Yue.


    ¡°We are all family here; there¡¯s no need for formalities. If there¡¯s ever anything you need in the future, feel free to come to me. Now, I must visit your home for tea.¡±


    Having successfully turned the tide in his favor, Qin Niu was in an excellent mood.


    He took the initiative to go to Tang Yan¡¯s home for tea.


    This essentially announced to everyone his very close relationship with Tang Yan.


    ¡°Haha, Master Qin, your consideration is thorough, please!¡±


    Tang Yan, having navigated the official circles for many years, was a cunning one.


    He immediately grasped Qin Niu¡¯s intentions.


    He happily led Qin Niu towards his home.


    Although it was not yet dawn, a case that alarmed the joint trial shuttles would have undoubtedly attracted quiet attention from many in the city.


    The news would spread quickly, and everyone would know of Qin Niu¡¯s relationship with Tang Yan.


    After staying at Tang Yan¡¯s home for nearly an hour, the sky had already brightened.


    The two of them had their first in-depth discussion.


    Because of the connection through Tang Caixian, neither regarded the other as an outsider.


    Tang Yan shared some of his challenges and aspirations. Qin Niu told Tang Yan that when dealing with others in the future, he could use his name as a stepping stone.

 Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: Chapter 324 Talisman_1

    Chapter 331: Chapter 324 Talisman_1


    Despite Tang Yan¡¯s not insignificant official position, within the city, he could only just barely be considered middle class.


    Because the Tang Family lacked a true powerhouse and a strong economic foundation, Tang Yan was hardly different from the grassroots level.


    If he wanted to establish relationships with some of the real power players in the city, he might not even make it through their doors.


    There was no need to mention top-tier noble families like the Fang Family and the Lu Family. Even if Tang Yan¡¯s official rank were to be raised by two more levels, he still wouldn¡¯t catch the eye of these people. To put it more harshly, Fang Lian wouldn¡¯t even give him a second glance.


    Delivering a visitation card and having a steward receive him would already be considered good treatment.


    There was virtually no chance that Fang Lian would meet with him personally.


    The thresholds of top-tier noble families were infamously high.


    After chatting with Tang Yan for a while, Qin Niu stood up to take his leave. Tang Yan accompanied him all the way to the steps outside the door, watching as he left with the half-grown water buffalo.


    A different kind of brilliance shone on Tang Yan¡¯s face, filled with anticipation for the future.


    ¡°Cai Xian really has a discerning eye! When she stubbornly insisted on marrying Qin Niu, I thought she was marrying beneath her, but now it seems she has actually married above her station. With Qin Niu¡¯s influence, my Tang Family can completely soar high and rise several levels. When facing my colleagues, I¡¯ll have that much more confidence in my heart.¡±


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, was rather indifferent to power and influence.


    In his eyes, as long as he could prolong his life by a few years, even if he were offered the position of the Black Tiger Gang Leader, he would not give it a second thought.


    Walking on the streets in the early morning, he could feel the probing gazes hidden in the shadows.


    He pretended not to notice them.


    Today¡¯s Third Office Judgment made him aware of the gap between him and Spirit Qi Realm powerhouses.


    The short-distance teleportation technique of Elder Wen was truly masterful.


    Their fighting power was likely to be extremely terrifying.


    Though the Black Tiger Gang seemed to have been established not long ago, they had amassed a considerable amount of talent.


    It was baffling what the Nine Insect Gang was thinking. Did they really fantasize about swallowing up such a powerful gang?


    The best outcome would be chipping their own teeth.


    It could very well end up with the Nine Insect Gang being counter-killed by the Black Tiger Gang.


    In the previous battle by the river, the Shennong Sect must have suffered great losses.


    What changes will happen next, he didn¡¯t know for the time being.


    War is full of uncertainties.


    The battlefield situation also changes in a flash, and the current circumstances of the Black Tiger Gang were still cause for concern.


    Qin Niu decided to go to the Cultivation Market to buy some more talismans.


    As for elixirs, he was reluctant to spend that silver money.


    Ordinary elixirs had little effect on him, and the prices of advanced elixirs were exorbitantly high.


    Despite having over a hundred thousand silver money now, if he were to spend it on advanced elixirs, he would quickly be penniless.


    It was most cost-effective to grow his own medicinal herbs and then pay Master Zi Zhou to refine them.


    Before long, Qin Niu arrived at the Cultivation Market.


    There were several talisman shops, but he was especially fond of Bei Bing¡¯s talismans.


    Entering the small shop, Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather was nowhere to be seen, while Bei Bing herself was focused on drawing talismans with a talisman pen.


    She was still in simple hemp clothes, her long hair scattered behind her, barefoot, giving her an exceedingly fresh and natural appearance.


    Every time he saw her, it was as if he wasn¡¯t looking at a person, but at a piece of natural scenery.


    Her unique scholarly aura, mixed with the transcendental qualities of a cultivator who is detached from worldly desires, did not show beauty, but the celestial aura that a true fairy should possess.


    ¡°Hey! Bei Bing, drawing talismans again?¡±


    Qin Niu greeted her with a smile.


    Only in the presence of real friends did Qin Niu show his naturally unrestrained side.


    ¡°Yiya yiya!¡±


    When she raised her eyes and saw Qin Niu, her face and eyes were full of surprise.


    Unlike Tang Caixian and Wang Wanyan, who looked at him with affectionate eyes, Bei Bing looked at Qin Niu with clear eyes that held no worldly desires of men and women.


    It was purely the joy of seeing a true friend.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to you again to buy talismans. The last Invisibility Talisman you gave me saved my life, helping me successfully get through a life-and-death ordeal. Thank you for giving me such a precious talisman.¡±


    Qin Niu walked directly toward the inner room.


    On the desk, there were some leaves of various sizes, emitting a faint medicinal scent.


    At the same time, Qin Niu also felt a very special energy within the leaves.


    Since his Medicine King Sutra had only been cultivated to the Acquired Realm, his ability to discern the internal energies of plants was not extremely meticulous.


    At most, he could differentiate between cool, yin-cold, and fiery-hot energies.


    The leaves that could be used for crafting talismans were naturally not ordinary plant leaves.


    The brush used for drawing talismans was also particular.


    Usually, it was made from the fur of demon beasts.


    Such items were rarely sold in Black Tiger City; only in some larger cities could one possibly buy them.


    It¡¯s said that in the cultivation markets directly controlled by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, almost any item can be purchased. However, the currency used there is not ordinary things like gold, silver, or jewels.


    It¡¯s either barter or currency that Immortal Masters could use.


    ¡°Has your grandfather gone out again to look for materials for crafting talismans?¡±


    Qin Niu casually chatted with the mute girl.


    She nodded her head.


    ¡°Is it difficult to find materials for crafting talismans? You could spend money to buy them at the market!¡±


    She picked up an ordinary charcoal pencil and quickly wrote on a slate.


    ¡°Materials for making Advanced Contract Talismans are extremely hard to find; they simply can¡¯t be bought at the market.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just some leaves and stuff like that?¡±


    ¡°We need leaves infused with Spirit Qi, and different types of talismans require leaves with different properties. To craft more advanced talismans, the skin of demon beasts is needed.¡±


    After reading what she wrote, Qin Niu realized that he had been naive.


    ¡°This time, I¡¯m looking to buy a few Advanced Contract Talismans from you. If you have special talismans like the Invisibility Talisman, I would also like to buy a couple for self-protection.¡±


    Having experienced the power of the Invisibility Talisman, Qin Niu was very eager to get a few more for himself.


    Even if they cost a thousand Silver Money each, he thought they were very worthwhile.


    If it weren¡¯t for that Invisibility Talisman last time, he might have already been killed by Elder Jiu Yin.


    An expert of the Spirit Qi Realm was truly terrifying.


    ¡°My grandfather went out this time to look for ingredients to make the Invisibility Talismans. It¡¯s just that he has been gone for more than half a month and hasn¡¯t come back yet, I¡¯m a bit worried.¡±


    Bei Bing usually had no friends and rarely interacted with others.


    She wouldn¡¯t easily share her family matters with anyone.


    Now that she met Qin Niu, she found an opportunity to confide.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I believe your grandfather will be fine. Lately, the Black Tiger Gang has been at war with two other factions, so maybe he¡¯s just been delayed on the road.¡±


    Qin Niu comforted her.


    The old man has rich social experience and is not likely to run into any trouble.


    ¡°Could it be because you gave me the Invisibility Talisman last time, that your grandfather saw you didn¡¯t have any protective talismans left, so he was eager to find materials to make a few more Invisibility Talismans?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    Doing the math regarding time, it had been about twenty days or so since Bei Bing gave him the Invisibility Talisman.


    Her grandfather must have set out just a couple of days after that.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    She nodded again.


    The old man¡¯s affection for his granddaughter was silent but profound, expressed in this unique way, showing his love for her.

 Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Chapter 325 Spell_1

    Chapter 332: Chapter 325 Spell_1


    ¡°The Invisibility Talisman is particularly magical,¡± observed Ah Niu, ¡°Having one or two on hand could indeed greatly enhance one¡¯s ability to avoid danger.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of spells?¡± asked Bei Bing as she wiped away the characters on the slate and wrote a new sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read about them in books. Aren¡¯t they something that only Immortal Masters can perform?¡± Qin Niu held a deep yearning for the legendary spells.


    However, as he had yet to even reach the Spirit Qi Realm, the prospect of learning spells seemed a distant dream.


    Spells were thought to be standard for Immortal Masters.


    They are quite different from martial techniques.


    An Immortal Master, when in conflict with others, can engage in magical combat in addition to using martial techniques.


    Magical combat here refers to attacks and defenses with spells, or using auxiliary types of spells.


    Examples include invisibility, Divine Movement Technique, and so on.


    They can¡¯t be used directly for attack or defense in combat, but can be used to hide one¡¯s form, making it difficult for enemies to find them, or to facilitate faster escape with the help of spells.


    Qin Niu, who had just stepped into the threshold of cultivation, was quite ignorant of many of the practices of immortality.


    ¡°Spells can indeed only be performed by Immortal Masters, but there are also some powerhouses in the Spirit Qi Realm who can use spells with the aid of magical tools or talismans. For example, when you activate the invisibility talisman my grandfather drew, you gain the effect of invisibility, which is essentially like casting a copycat version of an invisibility spell,¡± explained Bei Bing as she wrote down some obscure knowledge about spells on the slate.


    The effect achieved by talismans is indeed indistinguishable from spells.


    But generally, talismans are considered ¡®knockoffs¡¯ when compared to spells.


    One can think of it as a spell being sealed within a talisman, which is then released through specific conditions to activate the talisman.


    Firstly, the material of the talisman itself is unable to withstand the full energy of the spell, so when inscribing a talisman, one must compress it.


    Otherwise, the creation of the talisman will fail, and the materials will be destroyed.


    Moreover, a talisman simulates a spell through the act of writing, which is quite different from an Immortal Master casting a spell directly.


    This also means that a talisman will always be weaker than a genuine spell.


    The advantage, however, is that once a talisman is created, it can be used easily by someone in the Innate Realm.


    Even an ordinary person can activate certain talismans using their essence blood.


    For instance, an ordinary person can activate a Contractual Talisman with their essence blood.


    ¡°When you use the Invisibility Talisman in the future, remember that some powerful Immortal Masters have ways to see through it,¡± Bei Bing reminded Qin Niu.


    ¡°So, as long as someone has a much higher cultivation level, they can see through invisibility?¡± Qin Niu was startled; he¡¯d never considered this before.


    Luckily, Bei Bing was there to warn him.


    Otherwise, after activating the Invisibility Talisman and assuming he was concealed, he would be completely visible in the eyes of a more powerful individual, making a fool of himself, self-deceiving in front of a stronger opponent.


    ¡°Unless someone¡¯s cultivation is several realms higher than yours, it is difficult to see through your form. However, some Immortal Masters practice arts like the Eye of Heaven, or Magical Mirror, which can see through invisibility. There are also special magical tools, such as Magical Mirrors, that can reveal your invisibility,¡± she continued.


    Bei Bing understood many secrets of immortality.


    She was indeed a professional.


    Qin Niu chatted with her for nearly half an hour and greatly expanded his knowledge in the process.


    He was lucky this time, having acquired two Advanced Contract Talismans.


    As for the Invisibility Talisman, forget about it.


    It was out of stock.


    Even if he had the money, he couldn¡¯t buy it.


    The item itself was highly advanced, not typically available for purchase, even with ample money.


    After leaving the talisman shop, Qin Niu browsed through the Cultivation Market.


    He didn¡¯t find anything particularly appealing.


    Most wares were simple street stall goods or common cultivation materials, all ridiculously expensive.


    He had hoped to buy gifts for his two soon-to-be-wed fianc¨¦es but ultimately had to give up the idea.


    Luckily, having killed the ancestor of the He Family, he got a decent soft sword, which was quite presentable.


    After leaving the Cultivation Market, Qin Niu headed straight for the inn.


    Sometimes, plans change faster than they can be made.


    Before, I was always worried that after He Jun received the protection of the Lu Family, it would be difficult to eliminate him.


    Unexpectedly, with the help of Tang Yan, we caught and killed He Jun at the city gate.


    Having dealt with the last Innate Realm powerhouse of the He Family, those forty or so remnants are no longer a threat.


    Moreover, the results from today¡¯s tribunal clearly show that they are leaning towards Qin Niu¡¯s side.


    Don¡¯t assume that the upper echelons of the Black Tiger Gang are fools.


    Each one of them is a sly fox.


    The He Family has been almost wiped out by Qin Niu, and it was clearly at fault to begin with. In such circumstances, help the He Family seek redress of a grievance?


    And then force Qin Niu, this potential stock, into rebellion?


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader would definitely not agree to it.


    In the last battle, the Black Tiger Gang emerged utterly victorious, and Qin Niu contributed a great deal to that.


    If the high ranking members of the Black Tiger Gang knew that Qin Niu had killed Elder Jiu Yin, they would definitely hold him in even higher esteem.


    Inside the inn, Wang Wanyan was still worried about Qin Niu¡¯s safety.


    She did not know that her fianc¨¦ had killed several hundred members of the He Family.


    ¡°Wan Yan!¡±


    The moment Qin Niu called out as he opened the door to the guest room, Wang Wanyan stood up excitedly, and like a bird returning to the forest, she flung herself into his arms.


    She didn¡¯t care about maintaining any decorum and clung tightly to Qin Niu.


    Between lovers, only after facing great tribulations together can they truly understand how important they are to each other.


    ¡°Ah Niu, I heard people discussing that you murdered someone at the city gate and were arrested by the soldiers. I also heard that there was a tribunal. I remember tribunals are for big cases and high officials. I was really scared¡­¡±


    She nestled closely in Qin Niu¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right now. We can go home today. You all pack up, and we¡¯ll leave now. If you want to look around the city, I can accompany you. Whatever you want to buy, your wish is my command.¡±


    Qin Niu was now a super-rich man; anything she fancied, even a large mansion, he could easily afford.


    ¡°We rarely get to come to the city. Now with chaos everywhere, my father is worried about my safety and is even more reluctant to let me go out. Our wedding is coming up, so I want to go to the street to look around, buy you a couple of suitable outfits, and get you a nice piece of jewelry as a gift.¡±


    She saw that Qin Niu had no parents, with nobody to take care of the wedding preparations.


    Having gone through this life and death ordeal, she had thrown caution to the wind. Throwing aside her shyness, she wanted to help Qin Niu with organizing his wedding attire and other items.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to have you!¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but plant a kiss on her forehead.


    Cough!


    Wang Furen happened to hear Qin Niu¡¯s voice and came over to check.


    Then he witnessed this scene.


    Being experienced, it didn¡¯t really bother him.


    But he still felt a bit awkward.


    He could only cough to remind the two young people.


    Wang Wanyan, like a startled bunny, quickly fled from Qin Niu¡¯s arms, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, blushing right down to her neck.


    ¡°Uncle Wang!¡±


    Qin Niu also felt somewhat embarrassed.


    After all, he was still inexperienced.


    Just now, carried away by deep emotion, he couldn¡¯t help but give her a kiss.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to be caught in the act by her parent.


    ¡°Uh¡­ about your arrest and the tribunal, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all settled now.¡±


    After Qin Niu replied, he continued, ¡°Uncle Wang, we can return to Shuangfeng Village today. If you are worried about your home, you can take the maidservants and the carriage back. Wan Yan and I will go shopping for a bit, and then we can just hire a carriage to go back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine! I can trust you with Wan Yan.¡±


    Wang Furen could no longer see through Qin Niu.


    To commit such a brazen act of murder at the city gate and come out unscathed from the tribunal¡ªjust how powerful had Ah Niu become?


    He had previously thought that at most Qin Niu was a top player in the village, barely making the cut in the town.


    Now he realized that this prospective son-in-law was truly impressive.


    It seemed he could even call the wind and summon the rain in Black Tiger City.

 Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Chapter 326: Promoted to Broodmother_1

    Chapter 333: Chapter 326: Promoted to Broodmother_1


    Qin Niu accompanied Wang Wanyan to the street.


    Because of her exceptionally beautiful appearance, she would wear a face veil every time she went out for self-protection.


    This kind of attire was fairly common in the city.


    Many well-bred ladies did not want to show their faces too much, and wearing a cloak would seem too mysterious and instead attract the peculiar gazes of passers-by. Therefore, they chose to wear face veils when going out.


    Some even chose to disguise themselves as men.


    While strolling with her on the street, Xiao Qing followed behind the pair, and Green Ox was taken by Qin Niu to ¡°see the world.¡± It did not cause any trouble but instead looked around curiously, admiring the city¡¯s prosperity and bustle.


    Wang Wanyan, who seldom went out, seemed very practiced when it came to shopping.


    She picked out fabric, asked the tailor to take Qin Niu¡¯s measurements, and bargained. This was in complete contrast to her usual tranquility and shyness.


    She would be an excellent choice to manage household affairs and take care of family finances in the future.


    A lioness does not bear a lamb.


    Wang Furen had been a businessman before moving to the countryside, buying houses and land and becoming a wealthy farmer. His daughter had learned a thing or two from her father.


    When she shopped, Qin Niu watched indulgently by her side the entire time.


    It was clear she was a rather frugal person.


    She prioritized practicality and affordability in her purchases.


    She did not chase after status or luxury.


    She quickly had two sets of clothes tailored for Qin Niu. One set was a red wedding suit, and the other was for everyday wear. She haggled so hard that she managed to get the owner to throw in two extra pairs of cloth shoes.


    The owner agreed with a wry smile.


    ¡°Wan Yan, don¡¯t just focus on getting me clothes, you should also buy two outfits for yourself, and get two more for Xiao Qing. If you¡¯re certain about Cai Xian¡¯s size, you could also prepare two outfits for her,¡± Qin Niu suggested.


    Buying a few outfits was just a trifle for Qin Niu.


    Truly a drop in the bucket.


    ¡°Why buy so many clothes? I still have clothes to wear, and there will be a wedding dress in your betrothal gifts. Xiao Qing should have clothes to wear recently, she is growing up. Sister Cai Xian has very high standards for clothing quality. If you really want to buy some, it would be better for you to come with her personally next time,¡± she advised.


    She had not yet married over, but she was already considering Qin Niu¡¯s needs.


    She was the epitome of a good wife and wise mother.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you! Whenever you want to buy new clothes, just buy them; no need to worry about whether I can afford it,¡± Qin Niu was totally agreeable to her suggestions.


    The three of them left the clothing store, and Qin Niu took her into a jewelry store.


    He bought several pieces of jewelry for both her and Tang Caixian.


    For such a significant event as marriage, could mere betrothal gifts be enough?


    With the capability, of course, he wanted to spoil his wife with his strength.


    Girls seemed to have an innate love for pretty adornments. He gave her two pairs of earrings, a hair accessory, and a pearl necklace, making her so happy that her eyes curved and shone with laughter.


    Sweet happiness almost spilled from her eyes.


    After their preparations were nearly complete, the three of them prepared to rent a horse carriage to return home.


    They happened to pass by Old Master Huang¡¯s house.


    Qin Niu noticed that the house was not abandoned but was now occupied.


    Was it taken over by the family of Old Master Huang? Or perhaps the Nine Insect Gang had taken over the property?


    This could be a matter for Tang Yan to secretly investigate.


    Qin Niu had killed many of the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s important people, and last time Fang Lian told him that Elder Mei of the Nine Insect Gang had likely infiltrated the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory. Qin Niu needed to be extra careful.


    ¡­


    After renting a carriage and returning to Shuangfeng Village, they found the lock on Qin Niu¡¯s house intact, and the corpses of the He Family¡¯s experts, who had been killed at his door the day before, had all been cleaned up.


    Only dark red bloodstains could still be seen on the ground.


    This battle had made him suddenly rise as a new titan in Jade Stream Town, surpassing the Yan Family and Pang Family.


    It also gave him some reputation within the Black Tiger Gang.


    It was truly a battle that made his name.


    The time-honored He Family, a prominent local clan, was directly wiped off the map.


    It must be said, in this world where strength is revered, being low-key like the Yan Family is the true path to success.


    Perhaps even the high ranks of the He Family never expected that by provoking a newly ennobled Grade One noble, they would directly bring about their family¡¯s destruction.


    Entering the house, Qin Niu found that the insects and pets were all safe and sound.


    The He Family had not sent anyone to break into his residence.


    At that time, the He Family only wanted to kill Qin Niu. As for the house, they could easily come to take it over later.


    Moreover, since Shuangfeng Village was Yan Family¡¯s territory, the He Family did not want to make more powerful enemies.


    Qin Niu went to the backyard and pulled a strand of hair from his head.


    The strand of hair astonishingly arched its body and lifted its head.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a great service this time, helping me get rid of the second eldest He. You shall be rewarded!¡±


    Qin Niu had confidently let the second eldest He leave while placing the Green Silk Worm on him to secretly monitor.


    Later, upon learning of the second eldest He¡¯s betrayal, he directly had the Green Silk Worm launch a Venom Attack.


    All this was unbeknownst to the second eldest He.


    Green Silk Worm (Adult Female)


    Grade: Grade Four segmented worms with tentacles, experience for leveling up 10000/100000


    Lifespan: Infinite


    Energy: 1706


    Abilities: Bloodsucking First Order 4.5/10, Venom First Order 5.1/10 (paralysis, coagulation), Tracking First Order 0/10 (can track targets within a hundred miles by the scent left behind or the scent of its offspring).


    Talent: Parasitism, Spirit Communication


    It had advanced from Grade Three to Grade Four, and gained an additional skill in tracking.


    Quite impressive indeed.


    The lifespan of this kind of insect is infinite, as long as it doesn¡¯t starve or get killed, it can virtually live forever.


    In terms of longevity, even the Ant Queen seems insignificant before it.


    After its promotion to Grade Four, it finally transformed from a larva into an adult female.


    This meant that it could lay eggs and then hatch new Green Silk Worms.


    In the future, Qin Niu could use these offspring to monitor his enemies.


    This would not only significantly reduce the risk to the mother worm but also achieve real surveillance.


    One could understand it this way: the mother worm is a receiver, and the offspring are surveillance probes.


    By having the offspring parasitize an enemy, it¡¯s like installing a monitoring device on them.


    Qin Niu could be aware of every single move of the enemy through the mother worm.


    The blood of a Spirit Qi Realm strong person is indeed a great tonic. After the Green Silk Worm fed on Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s blood, it rapidly advanced a grade in just a short period of time.


    If one day it could be nurtured to Grade Seven or above, that would be fantastic.


    It could monitor every single move and word of the enemy on a full-scale.


    For now, its main surveillance purpose is tracking.


    It will still need to lay eggs and wait for them to hatch first.


    As for hatching, Qin Niu did have some cultivation experience.


    He took some of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s blood and fed it to the Green Silk Worm as a reward.


    Killing the second eldest He, it relied on two types of venom: paralysis and coagulation.


    Paralyzing the enemy¡¯s respiratory organs could directly cause them to suffocate to death. The coagulation venom could cause a large number of blood clots to form in the enemy¡¯s head, leading to a stroke.


    Killing an Innate Realm strong person with these two abilities might be challenging.


    Against an ordinary person, it¡¯s almost a sure kill with each attempt.


    The Green Silk Worm¡¯s sucker plunged into the dark red, gelatinous blood and greedily absorbed the liquid.


    Its tail could be seen wagging non-stop, obviously filled with joy.

 Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: Chapter 327: Grade Six Ant Queen_1

    Chapter 334: Chapter 327: Grade Six Ant Queen_1


    As it continued to suck blood, its body didn¡¯t get fatter, but its tail rapidly excreted a large amount of greasy substance.


    If it landed on an enemy¡¯s head, the chances of being discovered were almost negligible.


    Qin Niu finished feeding the Green Silk Worm and then took out a Green Demon Bee to check on it.


    It had completely devoured the Corpse Bee¡¯s egg and its body had clearly developed a lot.


    These past few days, the Worker Bees must have taken good care of it.


    It was uncertain how long it would take to transform into an adult.


    The Green Demon Bee¡¯s original form should be that of a wasp.


    A wasp¡¯s growth is divided into four stages, egg, larva, pupa, and adult.


    It was currently in the larval stage and was growing rapidly by the day.


    Once it pupates, it will be close to becoming an adult.


    Qin Niu¡¯s own Cultivation Technique was not suited for combat, and during his growth, he would inevitably encounter various strong enemies and dangers. This was something every cultivator would experience.


    Having a few powerful insects and pets to help him fend off enemies was an ideal defensive strategy.


    The Green Demon Bee was so legendary, its combat abilities were bound to be exceptional.


    Qin Niu had high hopes for it.


    This time, using a Secret Technique, he allowed it to devour a Corpse Bee¡¯s egg. If their abilities could complement each other, that would be perfect.


    ¡°Take good care of it and strive for it to pupate soon.¡±


    Qin Niu specifically arranged for a few War Bees to feed the Green Demon Bee larvae to ensure it would pupate as soon as possible.


    At the same time, the War Bees feeding it would also benefit.


    Because the fresh blood they consumed was from cultivators in the Spirit Qi Realm, and that was something valuable.


    After cultivating the Green Demon Bee, Qin Niu, concerned about the Ant Queen in the mountains, hurried to check on the Ant Queen without delay.


    As soon as he arrived, he noticed a significant restlessness within the ant colony.


    His heart leapt with quiet joy; without any surprises, the Ant Queen had finally made another breakthrough and evolution after eating the bodies of nine Taiyin Yaoyaos and a large number of Grade Four and Five insect corpses.


    ¡°Master, are you alright? Yesterday, I sensed danger befalling you.¡±


    The Ant Queen was the first to send him a greeting.


    Qin Niu returned Fourth to the Ant Nest, and the restless ant colony immediately became calm.


    Fourth was the ruler of the ant colony.


    He could be called an uncrowned king.


    Normally, each termite colony has one Ant Queen and one King Ant; they are spouses.


    Moreover, from the Ant Queen¡¯s nuptial flight, once it chooses a male ant, the couple will find a hidden location to build a nest and then seal up the nest to breed children without shame or irritation.


    The King Ant¡¯s position is not for life.


    That¡¯s because the life span of a King Ant is not as long as that of an Ant Queen.


    Termites can hardly be called model spouses, as they have a very cruel elimination mechanism.


    Once the King Ant¡¯s mating ability weakens, it is easily eliminated.


    The Worker Ants will no longer feed it, letting it starve to death.


    Not just the King Ant, even if an Ant Queen¡¯s breeding ability weakens, it can also be eliminated by the colony.


    When exterminators dig into termite nests built underground, they often find the shriveled corpses of Ant Queens that have starved to death.


    In their mad rush to breed children, they let their bodies become increasingly fatter.


    Especially their abdomens, swelling roundly to the point where even crawling becomes extremely difficult.


    They can only lie still in the Ant Queen¡¯s chamber within the nest, laying eggs every second that counts.


    The termite colony Qin Niu raised had evolved far beyond any ordinary termite.


    The Ant Queen had evolved into a special termite, and Fourth had evolved into a War Demon Ant, both extremely scarce species in this world.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright now. Have you advanced in rank?¡±


    Qin Niu shared a slight spiritual bond with the Ant Queen.


    Yesterday, when faced with an encirclement by many powerful members of the He Family, facing a life-and-death test, even the Ant Queen sensed it.


    But none of the other pets sensed it.


    Including the War Bee Queen Bee and the Diamond Ink Turtle¡ªthey didn¡¯t sense their master was in danger.


    This precisely demonstrated the Ant Queen¡¯s unique perceptual abilities.


    He distinctly remembered the first time he was trapped inside the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s maze; Qin Niu had contacted the Ant Queen by relying on a weak call of his spiritual soul. It was the Ant Queen who recklessly led the ant colony to save their master.


    Eventually, the Ant Queen rescued Qin Niu.


    Having had these special experiences, Qin Niu¡¯s affection for the Ant Queen and Fourth was profound.


    ¡°Yes, I have advanced.¡±


    The Ant Queen¡¯s voice carried a trace of weakness but mostly excitement.


    Looking at the situation, it seemed it had just completed its advancement.


    ¡°You sensed I was in danger, so you clenched your teeth and forced yourself to advance?¡±


    Qin Niu asked teasingly.


    ¡°I guess so! I was planning to accumulate some more special energy to be more confident in advancing to the next level.¡±


    Whether it¡¯s insect pets or humans, when breaking through to a new realm, it¡¯s best to push through in one go. If the advancement fails, the difficulty of breaking through to the new realm the next time will increase.


    If an insect fails to advance three times, that insect is basically done for.


    In the future, unless it can come across some special opportunity, it would be very difficult to advance again for the rest of its life.


    This is much the same for human cultivators.


    Everyone is very cautious when breaking through to a new realm, making all the necessary preparations.


    When reaching the later stages of the Innate Realm and aiming to advance to the Spirit Qi Realm, if circumstances permit, some would even choose to go into a cultivation retreat.


    Fang Lian¡¯s father was probably in a cultivation retreat trying to break through to the Spirit Qi Realm.


    He left the family affairs for his son to handle.


    Qin Niu knew that the Ant Queen had just finished advancing and its body was in a somewhat unstable state.


    It was akin to a period of weakness.


    So he did not bother it further.


    ¡°You¡¯ve just finished advancing, so you can stop laying eggs for these few days until your body stabilizes, then resume breeding the young ants.¡±


    Currently, with over twenty thousand termites, nearly thirty thousand in total, there were barely enough to get by.


    There was no need to rush the Ant Queen.


    If it were pushed to lay eggs hastily and its body encountered problems or even a collapse in its new level, then the loss would outweigh the gain.


    He checked the attributes of the Ant Queen.


    Female Four-Winged Yin Ant (Ant Queen)


    Level: Grade Six Isoptera Insect, Upgrade Experience 1000000/10000000


    Lifespan: 31,000 years


    Energy: 1090007


    Skills: Reproduction Grade Three 524/1000 (lays 1000 eggs per day), Feign Death Grade One 2/10, Flight Grade One 0/10, Escape Grade One 0/10, Advanced Self-Healing Grade One 0/10, Ant Formation Grade One 0/10 (can instruct worker ants and soldier ants to form formations, significantly enhancing the combat and defense capabilities of the ant colony).


    Talents: Higher Intelligence, offspring with great strength attribute (10%), offspring with extreme toxin attribute (30%), offspring with Demon Ant attribute (0.4%), offspring with Gold Devouring Ant attribute (0.004%), offspring with Healing Ant attribute (0.2%), offspring with Zombie Ant attribute (2%), offspring with Advanced Self-Healing attribute (5%). Looking at the Ant Queen¡¯s attribute changes, a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of Qin Niu¡¯s mouth.


    The Ant Queen had never let him down.


    After eating nine Taiyin Yaoyao, the Ant Queen¡¯s self-healing ability had advanced from basic to advanced.


    On average, out of every hundred offspring it produced, five would inherit this special ability.


    How strong was Advanced Self-Healing?


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know.


    He only knew that once the Zombie Ants advanced to Grade Four Iron Stiff Ants, their ability to self-heal was only at an intermediate level.


    Even basic self-healing was very powerful.


    Wounds could heal by themselves.


    With advanced self-healing, even regrowing lost limbs was possible.


    He could test this thoroughly on the battlefield when the time came.


    As the Ant Queen advanced to Grade Six this time, her lifespan did not increase.


    However, the newly acquired Ant Formation skill was exceptionally powerful¡ªit allowed the command of ant formations for battle, whose significance was no less than that of the Advanced Self-Healing skill.


    What¡¯s more, the Ant Queen¡¯s intelligence reached higher intelligence.


    This meant that its intellect was now no different from that of humans.


    The benefits were just as immense.


    It could not only allocate each ant species more scientifically and rationally during reproduction, but it could also provide Qin Niu remote support when necessary.


    If the Ant Nest was in danger, it could respond better.


    Furthermore, now that the Ant Queen had advanced to Grade Six, the offspring it produced should be able to reach Grade Three, or even Grade Four.


    After Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation, a batch of Grade Four and Grade Five termites could appear.


    This was a substantial increase in overall combat power.


    The combat abilities of a Grade Two termite and a Grade Four termite were not even comparable.


    Fortunately, the Ant Queen¡¯s diet was varied; it could eat anything.


    If it ate only meat and needed to lay a thousand eggs per day, it¡¯s feared that every living creature in this mountain region would be eaten up by the termites.


    Feeding on grass and trees removed this concern.


    Because vegetation has a strong growth capability, and the Ant Queen had great wisdom, knowing to conserve resources for continuous use.


    It would make reasonable use of every bit of food.


    Therefore, even if its reproductive capability went up another notch, reaching ten thousand eggs per day, it wouldn¡¯t deplete the whole mountain. As long as it showed restraint and didn¡¯t focus on eating one tree, they would be unlikely to gnaw a tree to death.


    Moreover, a large tree could feed the entire ant colony for a month or two.


    The mountain is vast, with countless grasses and trees; when one area is consumed, another grows back.


    Also, the worker termites, after Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation, gained the ability to heal wounds on trees. After feeding, they could help the trees recover quickly.

 Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: Chapter 328: Cultivating a Group of Termite Breeding Experts_1

    Chapter 335: Chapter 328: Cultivating a Group of Termite Breeding Experts_1


    After examining the Ant Queen¡¯s attributes, Qin Niu¡¯s expectations for this nest of termites inadvertently rose a few notches.


    The innate abilities of the Ant Queen were steadily growing stronger, and the termite offspring she could breed were also becoming increasingly formidable.


    Moreover, the variety of ant species kept increasing.


    As long as he raised this nest of termites well, even if he became an Immortal Master in the future, he could still rely on the termites to wreak havoc in all directions.


    On the ground, there should not be many insects capable of battling the termites.


    The termites could even leverage their numerical superiority to directly confront large fierce beasts. In an extremely short span of time, they could easily gnaw a beast down to its skeleton.


    He began to nurture the newly hatched termites.


    This task had now become quite easy, for as long as he provided enough Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, the worker ants could take care of it.


    He even considered whether he could start feeding the worker ants Ancient Banyan Tree Blood from the moment the young ants hatched.


    However, this matter needed to be conducted with a plan.


    If done too hastily, it could easily result in major losses.


    Firstly, he needed to train a batch of worker ants dedicated to feeding the young ants Banyan Tree Blood. They would only be responsible for this one task, without having to engage in other work.


    In this way, they would become ¡®nurturing experts.¡¯


    With accumulated experience in feeding each young ant, they could precisely control the amount.


    They might even be safer than the dosages Qin Niu calculated.


    The second point, currently he only allowed them to nurture ordinary worker and soldier ants. For precious ant species like Healing Ants, Elephantic Ants, and Demon Ants, it was more appropriate for Qin Niu to set the nurturing dosage one-on-one.


    At least until these ¡®nurturing experts¡¯ gained sufficient experience, they must not be allowed to nurture at will.


    Qin Niu was a man of action; as soon as he had the idea, he began to implement it.


    He carefully selected a batch from the worker ants, a total of ten Grade Three Lightning Worker Ants, to be solely responsible for nurturing newly hatched ordinary young ants from now on.


    Since it was the first experiment, he was extremely cautious.


    If it didn¡¯t work out, he would be able to stop the losses in time.


    The ten carefully selected Lightning Worker Ants were not only gentle-natured and more patient than other termites but also slightly more intelligent than ordinary termites.


    The experiment began swiftly.


    The ten Lightning Worker Ants fed the newly hatched young ants.


    After consuming the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, seven young ants died on the spot from bodily explosion. Of the remaining three, two also succumbed to bodily explosion soon after.


    Their bodies were too fragile.


    Having just hatched, their skin was extremely tender.


    They also had very little capacity to withstand pressure.


    After taking the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, their bodies simply couldn¡¯t withstand that wild surge of energy.


    The loss of nine young ants made Qin Niu quite distressed.


    His gaze was firmly fixed on the last surviving young ant.


    Its small body was expanding, and fine cracks could even be faintly seen on its nearly transparent skin.


    Qin Niu had already braced himself for a total loss.


    As time trickled by, that young ant miraculously pulled through the life-and-death threshold.


    Once past that threshold, it could generally complete the evolution smoothly.


    All that was left was to wait patiently for a day or two to see what level it would ultimately evolve to.


    ¡°The success rate of nurturing newly hatched young ants is terrifyingly low, but what if I nurture ants that hatched three days ago?¡±


    Qin Niu was very clear that if a young ant was successfully nurtured in this way, it proved that this path was feasible.


    In the future, his cultivation would grow higher, and he might need to enter seclusion for a month or two, even a year or two, during which time the cultivation of the termites would come to a halt.


    Moreover, every time he personally nurtured young termites, it took up a considerable amount of time.


    If he could save this time and cultivate under the Ancient Banyan Tree instead, his cultivation would certainly improve much faster.


    The foundation of one¡¯s own cultivation is the fundamental, and it¡¯s certainly unwise to expend a large amount of time on pet breeding in the long run.


    It feels a bit like neglecting the essentials for the sake of the trivial.


    Qin Niu then had the ten Worker Ants nurture ten newly hatched young ants that were three days old.


    It was evident that two of the Worker Ants were already summarizing the experience from last time, significantly reducing the amount of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood fed to them.


    After feeding the ten young ants, two of them exploded and died on the spot.


    One might have survived because the dose fed was too small, but its body only slightly swelled. According to Qin Niu¡¯s breeding experience, although this Termite could survive, it would be very difficult for it to advance.


    At most, it would evolve some special ability.


    But it would be much weaker than a Termite that successfully advanced.


    An hour later, of the ten three-day-old hatched young ants, five had died.


    The remaining five survived successfully.


    However, one of them had consumed so little Ancient Banyan Tree Blood that it was unlikely to advance.


    Therefore, the actual survival rate was only four ants.


    The successful breeding rate suddenly rose to 40%, which greatly exhilarated Qin Niu.


    Moreover, since the newly hatched young ants were quite small, they consumed much less Ancient Banyan Tree Blood than the adult Termites did.


    This was very cost-effective.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree Blood is not unlimited, and Qin Niu did not dare to take too much at one time.


    Especially after the last discovery that the Ancient Banyan Tree might have already awakened its spirit intelligence, he approached the mysterious old tree with a heart full of reverence.


    If he took too much blood and it caused some unfavorable changes, Qin Niu might get counter-killed.


    Or he might never be able to obtain Ancient Banyan Tree Blood again.


    Like now, this should be the best state of harmonious coexistence.


    The uses of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood are of great variety, besides being able to cultivate Termites, it can also be used to foster other pets.


    He even suspected that Ancient Banyan Tree Blood could be used to nurture all kinds of pets.


    On the contrary, the Subspecies Bodhi Tree Blood was greatly limited.


    So far, it has only been experimented with for cultivating Termites.


    Now that he had discovered a method of having Worker Ants nurture the young ants on their behalf, he could conserve a significant amount of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and free himself from the laborious task of breeding.


    This was indeed beneficial in many ways.


    ¡°In the future, Worker Ants can start nurturing them on the third day after the young ants hatch.¡±


    He looked up at the sky, which still left a little time, so he took Fourth directly into the maze within the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    The Ink Blade now consumes quite an amount of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood every day, and Qin Niu fulfills its needs wholeheartedly.


    In this world, one must possess a powerful weapon.


    With the Ink Blade, even if faced with a peak level expert of the Innate Realm or even a strong individual of the Spirit Qi Realm, he would be able to slay them with a single cut.


    This would greatly enhance Qin Niu¡¯s self-defense capabilities.


    After he had made several cuts to the body of the Ancient Banyan Tree and collected the blood, he did not rush to cultivate. Instead, he climbed the tree to pluck its leaves.


    Strangely, there were no fallen leaves from the Ancient Banyan Tree on the ground.


    Perhaps this tree had become a spirit and stopped shedding leaves?


    This was somewhat against the laws of nature.


    He picked two leaves, intending to take them out for the mute girl Bei Bing to craft talismans.


    These were the leaves of a Tree Demon and should be suitable for making some advanced talismans.


    There was no anomaly when he plucked the leaves from the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Just that when plucked, they felt very tough.


    Then, he took one leaf in his hand and placed another inside a copper box before taking them out with him.

 Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Chapter 329 Yan Ruohai_1

    Chapter 336: Chapter 329 Yan Ruohai_1


    ¡°`html


    Based on past experience, as long as plants were from inside the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, once taken out, they would quickly wither, decay, and die.


    He didn¡¯t know whether the leaves of the Ancient Banyan Tree would end up the same?


    After being taken out, the leaves visibly turned yellow at a speed noticeable to the naked eye, then dried up and decayed.


    A gentle touch, and they directly turned into ash, scattering everywhere.


    It was only at this moment that he realised that it wasn¡¯t that the leaves of the Ancient Banyan Tree didn¡¯t fall; rather, once they fell to the ground and left the maze, they would quickly turn to ash. If they fell within the maze, there was a possibility that they would be completely absorbed by the tree itself at night.


    ¡°It seems that getting some materials for Bei Bing to make talismans will have to be put on hold for now.¡±


    He shook his head.


    In these deep mountains, there might still exist demonic trees like the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    It¡¯s just that they have their own protection methods, and it¡¯s very difficult for outsiders to discover them. Even though Qin Niu had cultivated the Medicine King Sutra and reached the Acquired Realm, from outside the maze, the Ancient Banyan Tree still looked completely ordinary.


    There are countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures between heaven and earth, only by a fortunate coincidence can one have the chance to obtain them.


    He entered the maze to gather Bodhi Tree Blood.


    With each drop obtained, he could cultivate a Termite with the ability to launch Mental Attacks.


    Now that was a good thing.


    ¡­


    In the evening, he returned to the village.


    Just as he entered his home, he saw several gift boxes piled up in the courtyard, with Xiao Qing cleaning up.


    ¡°Master, someone came to visit you in the afternoon. I told them you were out, and they left.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with these gifts?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Unsolicited generosity often harbors ulterior motives, either cunning or thievery.


    No one is kin or friend here, no one gives gifts without a reason.


    ¡°The gifts were sent by the Pang Family. The young miss of the Pang Family came to visit you, but since you weren¡¯t at home, she stated she would come again another day. Then she left these gifts, saying they were a modest token of goodwill, and asked that you accept them,¡± Xiao Qing explained.


    She then took out an invitation from a table inside the house.


    ¡°This was delivered by Steward Yan Qi, saying that Lord Yan Ruohai would like to visit you tomorrow.¡±


    Sending an invitation is a sign of respect.


    Generally, those of lower status visiting someone of higher status or peers with some status visiting each other would send invitations ahead of time as a sign of courtesy.


    It¡¯s like inviting someone to a banquet; usually, you need to give several days, or even ten days to half a month¡¯s notice.


    Those with high status are often very busy, dealing with many important matters every day. Without a set appointment, it is difficult to meet.


    The relationship between the Yan Family and Qin Niu had become more and more intriguing.


    From the initial friendly gestures and recruitment attempts to later treating each other with respect, and now, Yan Ruohai of the Yan Family was personally delivering an invitation, a gesture of respect.


    By doing this, Yan Ruohai elevated Qin Niu¡¯s status to a level equal to his own.


    The Pang Family had never interacted with Qin Niu before, and now that the young miss of the Pang Family had personally delivered gifts to Qin Niu¡¯s house, this was not only an overture of friendship but also a ¡®paying of homage.¡¯


    The Yan and Pang Families, it seems, had seen how Qin Niu had annihilated the He Family by himself and yet had emerged unscathed from the trial at Black Tiger City. They were shocked in their hearts, rushing to curry favor to ensure the safety of their clans.


    ¡°Remember from now on, no gifts are to be allowed in if I am not home. And don¡¯t accept gifts from anyone.¡±


    Qin Niu instructed Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Should I send these gifts back to them now?¡± Xiao Qing sensed Qin Niu¡¯s displeasure and felt very apprehensive.


    ¡°Since they¡¯ve been accepted, they¡¯ve been accepted! Just don¡¯t accept them next time. The Pang Family has no connection to me, rushing to send gifts out of fear that I would obliterate them just like I did with the He Family. They are underestimating me, Qin Niu!¡±


    Qin Niu scoffed.


    He was never the kind of person who would bully the weak or rob others of their possessions for no reason.


    As long as the Pang Family didn¡¯t provoke him, even if they never sent gifts, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t do anything to them.


    However, he could understand the anxiety and unease of the major clans.


    The strength of the He and Pang Families was not much different; if Qin Niu had the power to destroy the He Family, he also had the capability to wipe out the Pang Family.


    Therefore, the Pang Family was very afraid of such a thing happening.


    ¡°`


    Peace reigned through the night.


    Qin Niu did not rush out the following day; Yan Ruohai had sent an invitation, arranging a visit for today, and this courtesy had to be extended.


    When he was still weak, the Yan Family had shown him much goodwill.


    He had long admired Yan Ruohai.


    The patriarch of the Yan Family was a very wise and virtuous local magnate.


    The sound of a carriage¡¯s wheels rolling approached and halted abruptly outside Qin Niu¡¯s residence.


    ¡°May I ask if Master Qin is home? This humble old man, Yan Ruohai, has come to pay a visit.¡±


    The voice of Yan Ruohai was aged, robust and powerful.


    Very steady, yet deep.


    To hear his voice was to see his person, a true gentleman and a great figure with substance.


    ¡°If friends come from afar, are we not happy! I, Qin, have the tea ready and am only awaiting the arrival of Elder Yan.¡±


    Qin Niu personally opened the courtyard door to welcome his esteemed guest.


    Even if his strength was not on par with Qin Niu¡¯s, Yan Ruohai deserved such treatment.


    He felt genuine respect for Yan Ruohai from his heart.


    ¡°Ha ha, I have long wanted to meet Master Qin, but have been entangled in various affairs and thus unable to fulfill this wish. Today I am finally gratified. Indeed, seeing is believing!¡±


    Yan Ruohai was dressed in fitting brocade robes, with a hat on his head and his white beard fluttering; his spirit and demeanor were excellent.


    Wherever he stood, he seemed to bring the spring breeze with him, eliciting a sincere fondness from others.


    His gaze was gentle, yet it carried a subtle authority that made it hard for others to maintain eye contact for long.


    This was an extremely strong-minded elder.


    His cultivation was also astonishing; he must have reached the later stages of the Innate Realm.


    He was a bit weaker than the He Family¡¯s ancestor.


    The He Family¡¯s ancestor had reached the pinnacle of the Innate Realm and was on the verge of entering the Spirit Qi Realm.


    In terms of age, Yan Ruohai was decades younger than the He Family¡¯s ancestor.


    His potential was also much higher than that of the He Family¡¯s ancestor.


    Without any accidents, Yan Ruohai had a great chance of breaking through to the Spirit Qi Realm.


    If I remember correctly, Yan Ruohai is eighty-nine this year.


    It¡¯s not just in the countryside; even in Black Tiger City, martial artists in the later stage of the Innate Realm under the age of ninety are few and far between. They are definitely considered cultivation geniuses.


    ¡°To borrow your words, seeing is believing. I, Qin, have long admired Elder Yan and have regretted not having the opportunity to meet you. Today, I am especially delighted to see you. Please come inside and take a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu gestured with one hand, welcoming Yan Ruohai into the house.


    ¡°This residence is indeed exquisite! It looks so comfortable to the eyes; living here must be extremely pleasant. Master Qin is a man who appreciates the finer things in life.¡±


    Yan Ruohai surveyed the arrangement of the courtyard and house.


    ¡°You are too kind. These arrangements are all thanks to my fianc¨¦e Tang Caixian. I am merely reaping the benefits.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s residence had been so elegantly arranged, all thanks to the considerable efforts of Tang Caixian.


    Flowers, calligraphy, paintings¡ªalmost all were arranged by her hand.


    ¡°Ha ha, Master Qin is a young hero, and to have an excellent woman¡¯s affection is not a fortune many of us can envy. Whether it¡¯s the young Miss from the Wang Family next door or Tang Caixian from the Tang Family, both are rare beauties of the locality. Each one is both beautiful and intelligent, virtuous and good-natured. Marrying them would surely bring prosperity to any family.¡±


    Yan Ruohai lightly stroked his white beard as he praised Qin Niu¡¯s two fianc¨¦es.


    This was just polite banter exchanged upon their initial meeting.


    Words of admiration make it easier to bring the two parties closer.


    The primary purpose of Yan Ruohai¡¯s eager visit was to build a relationship with Qin Niu and, at the same time, to express his acknowledgment of Qin Niu¡¯s status in the local area.


    In strict terms, Shuangfeng Village was under the jurisdiction of the Yan Family.


    Now, with the rise of Qin Niu, the Yan Family¡¯s attitude was crucial.


    It was a question of whether the valley could tolerate two tigers or if both sides could coexist in harmony; the Yan Family needed to make their position clear.


    After chatting for a short while, the conversation moved to the main topic.


    ¡°Master Qin, may I know if you plan to devote yourself to cultivation in the future, or would you prefer to be a landlord, enjoying life?¡±


    Yan Ruohai asked casually, as if discussing family matters.

 Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Chapter 330: Buying a Mountain_1

    Chapter 337: Chapter 330: Buying a Mountain_1


    ¡°`


    This was to feel out Qin Niu¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°I prefer the pastoral life of being a landlord while cultivating.¡±


    Hearing Qin Niu¡¯s response, Yan Ruohai¡¯s eyes became slightly focused, ¡°Since Master Qin yearns for farming, my Yan Family is willing to gift all of our fields in Shuangfeng Village to Master Qin. It¡¯s close to your home, and it would be convenient for you to farm.¡±


    This was an initiative to show goodwill.


    It was also a concession.


    Yan Ruohai possessed profound wisdom, aware that two tigers cannot share one mountain. The best course of action was to relinquish the fields in Shuangfeng Village, thereby currying favor and avoiding any conflicts of interest with Qin Niu.


    When everyone farms together, the competition for water during the peak summer irrigation season can easily lead to conflicts.


    At that time, everyone¡¯s fields need water.


    Qin Niu¡¯s future father-in-law already had more than ten acres of land in the village, and Qin Niu would undoubtedly purchase more land in the future. It would be quite easy for conflicts over water sources to arise.


    Furthermore, there are field ridges dividing the lands.


    Farmers could easily encroach upon each other¡¯s side during cultivation, which could also lead to conflicts.


    The best solution was to avoid contact.


    Proactively offering the fields of Shuangfeng Village to Qin Niu was a very substantial gift. In the future, if Qin Niu wished to expand, he would remember this generous gift and avoid the Yan Family¡¯s territory.


    Moreover, with the He Family now destroyed, the vacant fields will eventually be slowly encroached upon and taken by others.


    Blatant robbery is generally unlikely.


    But purchasing at a low price is very possible.


    ¡°Thank you for the kind offer, Elder Yan, but I dare not accept this gift. Being a landlord, the land is one¡¯s lifeblood and foundation. The Yan Family¡¯s fields in Shuangfeng Village amount to at least a hundred acres, nearly ten percent of the total Yan Family land. These assets have been accumulated little by little by generations of your family.


    When this household of mine was established, I had already received a generous gift from the Yan Family.


    Moreover, when I was still weak, the Yan Family did not oppress me but instead helped me a great deal. That is a bond of gratitude.


    Shuangfeng Village can fully accommodate both me and the Yan Family.


    If Elder Yan is willing, I would like to buy the back mountain of Shuangfeng Village at the market price,¡± Qin Niu sincerely said.


    ¡°Some hills are not worth much. If Master Qin needs them, I can simply give them to you. We can go to the city today to transfer the title deeds.¡±


    Yan Ruohai, hearing that Qin Niu did not intend to dominate Jade Stream Town and remembered the old kindness of the Yan Family, felt somewhat relieved in his heart.


    ¡°I can¡¯t accept a reward without merit. If it is a gift, I will not take it. If the Yan Family is willing to part with it and sell it to me at market price, that in itself is a tremendous act of kindness.¡±


    ¡°Well, all right! As you wish!¡±


    Yan Ruohai did not argue with him any further.


    Those hills weren¡¯t worth much, the Yan Family usually just kept them as a place to gather wood, and to plant trees like fir, pine, and camellia.


    In the end, both parties reached a deal for 637 Two Silver Money.


    The price of mountain land was originally low, and the total area was only three to four hundred acres.


    The Yan Family perhaps considered it more of a part sale, part donation.


    Qin Niu was now rich to the point of overflowing, paying in cash silver.


    The six chests of gold, silver, and jewels looted from the He Family alone were worth a lot of money.


    Certainly more than ten thousand Two Silver Money.


    After all, it was a traditional family¡¯s accumulation over many years. Even though this old family had declined, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.


    Having bought all of the back mountains of Shuangfeng Village, Qin Niu¡¯s plan to build a stronghold could officially commence.


    That very day, he went with Yan Ruohai to the city to complete the transfer procedures.


    ¡°`


    Qin Niu was now a first-class noble, which meant he was exempt from taxes when buying land and houses. This was a significant benefit.


    The transaction and deed taxes on land typically accounted for nearly one-tenth of the cost.


    In other words, the purchase price for an acre of ordinary good farmland was thirteen Silver Money, with the additional tax to the government amounting to one Silver Money and thirty coins.


    By purchasing the back mountain of Shuangfeng Village, on this item alone, Qin Niu saved more than sixty Silver Money in taxes.


    During the transfer of ownership, he discovered that Yan Ruohai had wide connections in the city.


    The government clerks were quite familiar with Yan Ruohai, and even the wealthy merchants and landlords who came to handle procedures would exchange a few words with Yan Ruohai.


    ¡°Brother Yan, have you heard about the recent occurrence? There¡¯s been an outbreak of aphids and mole crickets along the Black Water River. The plants that have just sprouted after being gnawed by locusts are now being ruined by aphids. Many crops in the fields have had their roots bitten off by mole crickets and are dying in patches.¡±


    A portly old man with a square face and big ears whispered to Yan Ruohai.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t spread, has it?¡±


    Yan Ruohai asked, somewhat anxiously.


    ¡°There¡¯s a tendency for it to spread, but it¡¯s still uncertain for now. Many are just watching and waiting. I¡¯d only share this with you because we have a good relationship, so that you can prepare early.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯ll have the farmers in my family make some arrangements as soon as I get back. Alas, if only Insect Masters weren¡¯t so hard to find. My Yan Family has Beast Tamers and farmers, but not a single Insect Master.¡±


    Yan Ruohai shook his head and sighed.


    Insect Masters were regarded as a profession with very limited development potential.


    And because of their bad reputation, which made them intimidating, not many people chose this career.


    Essentially, it was the children from impoverished families who had no other options that would reluctantly choose to pursue this profession.


    It must be made clear that wanting to be an Insect Master is one thing, but actually becoming one is another matter altogether.


    Despite Qin Niu having a bunch of Grade Three insects, and every expert in the Nine Insect Gang possessing numerous insects of Grade Three and above, these individuals were actually elites among elites.


    For ordinary people, without the guidance and help of a skilled Insect Master, becoming one is extremely difficult.


    The difficulty is far greater than passing examinations to obtain official titles.


    The Yan Family didn¡¯t have an Insect Master, which hadn¡¯t been a problem in the past.


    But now, with frequent pest infestations, their situation had become very passive.


    ¡°Brother Yan, you need not worry too much, a tall man will deal with the falling sky. We¡¯ve just had a locust disaster; it shouldn¡¯t happen again so soon. I need to go over there to handle the transfer procedures, goodbye for now.¡±


    The portly old man greeted and went to handle the transfer procedures.


    Qin Niu noticed that there were quite a few people buying land.


    There were also many selling.


    He heard several people¡¯s buying price was Twelve Silver Money per acre, which indicated that land prices were starting to fall.


    As these large landlords continued to offload, land prices would further decrease.


    ¡­


    Back in Shuangfeng Village, he had now become the new owner of the back mountain.


    All the hill lands combined covered a total area of 426 acres, which the Yan Family sold to him for one Silver Money and five coins per acre.


    It was a very low price.


    Normally, hills close to a village would typically sell for Two Silver Money per acre.


    Because with hard work and proper cultivation, they could be turned into fertile land. Although it¡¯s difficult to grow rice or wheat,


    planting sweet potatoes, oil tea, tea leaves, bamboo, or cedar trees are all excellent choices.


    After surveying the entire mountain area, Qin Niu already had some plans in mind.


    Previously, entering the mountain had required taking the mountain path by Xie Laizi¡¯s house entrance, but now that the back mountain of Shuangfeng Village belonged to him, he could simply open a new path directly from the back of his house into the mountains.

 Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Chapter 331: Caterpillar Rampage_1

    Chapter 338: Chapter 331: Caterpillar Rampage_1


    ¡°`


    He had calculated that by scaling the ridge behind his own house, he could reach the location of the Ancient Banyan Tree and the Ant Nest directly.


    The journey would be considerably shorter than before.


    It is said that a cunning hare has three burrows.


    In the future, his access to the deep mountains would also be more convenient, and he could avoid prying eyes.


    In case of a powerful enemy attack, he could even escape directly into the deep mountains.


    He was already considering raising some poisonous insects on the mountain behind his house, and planting some aggressive plants as well.


    In time, the mountain behind his house would become a forbidden area.


    Additionally, he now had a vast area of land for planting various precious medicinal herbs.


    Most medicinal herbs are not suitable for planting in fields, but rather in the mountains.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, eight days had passed.


    Only two days remained until his wedding.


    The Wang Family had already started purchasing supplies in preparation for the wedding banquet.


    The Tang Family was probably making preparations as well.


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, was saving trouble by directly enlisting Auntie Hua and Xu Zhenchang to handle the arrangements for him.


    It was something that couldn¡¯t be helped, as his family only had Xiao Qing as a servant, without a steward or slaves, nor any other relatives to handle such a grand celebration, and Qin Niu had no experience in such matters.


    Auntie Hua and Xu Zhenchang were both pleased to curry favor with Qin Niu.


    The opportunity to serve him was met with great pleasure from both, and they handled everything with diligence.


    Recently, Qin Niu was so busy with cultivation that the two of them withdrew silver coin quite frequently.


    And there was a lot of calculation needed too.


    So he simply said to Xiao Qing, ¡°Xiao Qing, please ask Sister Wanyan to come over, I need her help with something.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before the white-clad Wang Wanyan floated over.


    Not having seen her for several days, she seemed even more beautiful and charming.


    ¡°Wanyan, these past few days I¡¯ve asked Auntie Hua and the village head to organize the wedding. There are many items that need to be purchased. I would like you to take charge of the finances, keeping the silver money with you. When they need to withdraw silver money, they will come to you. Is that okay?¡±


    Qin Niu felt that she had a talent for financial management when they went clothes shopping together that day.


    After all, they will soon be family, so it would be quite appropriate for her to start playing the role of the lady of the house a bit early.


    ¡°Of course I can. But with the multiple expenses involved, aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll embezzle?¡±


    ¡°Haha, you are mine, what¡¯s the harm in giving you all the silver money? And you are one of the people I trust most. It¡¯s not just a mere hundred taels of silver money¡ªif I gave you all of our entire family¡¯s assets, I¡¯d be completely at ease.¡±


    Qin Niu laughed and gave her a hundred taels of silver money.


    A simple wedding could be carried out with just two taels of silver money.


    If one were to have a grand celebration, fifteen or sixteen taels would suffice to make it quite spectacular.


    But he was not one to skimp, providing a hundred taels for the wedding feast to be used freely.


    ¡°Drum and gong troupes, suona bands, all must be complete, and there must be a bridal sedan chair carried by eight, with a banquet done properly. We¡¯ll have a banquet with dishes served like a flowing stream, treating all the villagers of Shuangfeng Village and Daoyuan Village to a day-long feast. Also, we need to hire an opera troupe. There¡¯s only one such occasion in life, I can¡¯t let you or Cai Xian be wronged.¡±


    Qin Niu gave his instructions.


    Hiring an opera troupe was a major expense; without at least four taels of silver money, one could not hire anyone.


    If one wanted a somewhat famous opera troupe, ten taels would be on the lower end. The appearance fees for some well-known performers started at a minimum of seven or eight taels.


    ¡°That¡¯s so much money to spend on the event! Maybe we should skip hiring the opera troupe!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, being able to marry you and Cai Xian is a blessing I¡¯ve cultivated over eight lifetimes. This money must be spent. Don¡¯t worry about spending it, the right thing to do is to use up these hundred taels.¡±


    For Qin Niu, the matter of setting up a family was of utmost importance.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    She chose to follow her fianc¨¦¡¯s wishes.


    With this settled, Qin Niu could now head into the mountains to cultivate with peace of mind.


    Upon reaching the Ant Nest, the young ants he had cultivated using Worker Ants last time had already advanced to the next level.


    He discovered that even after advancing, these young ants remained young ants.


    He then fed them ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± Blood, and one by one, they all successfully evolved to have mental control or mental attack abilities.


    And the ¡°Thousand Eyes Tree¡± Blood consumed was very minimal.


    After discovering this breeding plan was feasible, Qin Niu gradually expanded his ¡®cultivation expert¡¯ operations.


    From the initial ten to now a hundred.


    He no longer had to worry about breeding termites.


    Providing them with enough Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was all that was required.


    The Ant Queen reached a stable state around the fifth day, transforming back into an egg-laying machine. At a rate of a thousand eggs per day, she expanded the colony.


    However, the newly laid ant eggs had to wait for about twenty-one days before they could hatch.


    ¡°`


    Qin Niu could only wait patiently.


    The Ant Queen was now a grade six queen insect, and the eggs she laid would hatch into progeny of even higher grades.


    Moreover, the new ant species would possess advanced self-healing abilities.


    This was something worth looking forward to.


    If one day he possessed a large number of termites like the Taiyin Yaoyao, fearless of swords and blades, who could swiftly heal even when chopped into eight pieces,


    then he should be able to contend with Innate Realm experts using termites alone.


    To deal with Spirit Qi Realm experts, besides granting the termites an immortal body, they would also need to possess extremely powerful offensive capabilities.


    Merely the aura shield of an Innate Realm was enough to prevent termites from getting close.


    Spirit Qi Realm experts could directly create an aura armor, which was even more formidable in defense.


    Not to mention ordinary termites, even Fourth didn¡¯t have the ability to bite through an enemy¡¯s aura armor.


    Lately, Fourth and the Demon Ants, after feeding on numerous high-grade insect corpses, showed signs of evolving and advancing.


    They shouldn¡¯t need much time to level up.


    After all, even the Ant Queen had advanced.


    Their difficulty in advancing should be far lower than the Ant Queen¡¯s.


    However, after consuming the high-grade insect corpses, most were fed to the Ant Queen, and they absorbed only a small portion themselves.


    Termites are communal creatures, and they don¡¯t possess selfish desires.


    This is something that other animals can hardly compare with.


    While observing the termites, a caterpillar fell from the tree.


    Covered with black poisonous spines, it was only as thick as a pinky finger and a bit longer than an inch.


    It was resilient to the fall; after hitting the ground, it righted itself and quickly crawled forward.


    Searching for new tender leaves to eat.


    Qin Niu subconsciously looked up at the tree, noticing that the leaves of this camphor tree had been nibbled to the point of being spotted and many leaves were damaged.


    Looking at the surrounding trees, they seemed to have also suffered from the caterpillar infestation.


    It¡¯s normal for there to be caterpillars in the mountains.


    When did so many caterpillars appear?


    Previously when the locust plague occurred, Luofeng Mountain wasn¡¯t greatly affected.


    Qin Niu believed that the many birds, spiders, and others in the mountains would deal with the locusts.


    Added to that, Qin Niu stopped the locusts at the entrance of the village, hence Luofeng Mountain remained unscathed.


    The sudden appearance of so many caterpillars in such a short time made him suspect that it might be the work of an enemy.


    Upon closer observation, he discovered that there were several species of caterpillars on the trees, not just one.


    The most numerous were these black caterpillars.


    There were adult and larvae alike.


    They ate the tender leaves with abandon.


    With time, the caterpillars would spin cocoons and then turn into butterflies.


    Some caterpillars undergo the process from egg to butterfly, which includes hatching into a larva, forming a cocoon, becoming a pupa, and emerging from the cocoon as a butterfly, altogether taking about three months, with the longest duration being close to nine months.


    Where did all these caterpillar larvae come from?


    They couldn¡¯t have appeared out of nowhere.


    Could it be that a mass of butterflies laid eggs in the mountains one or two months ago?


    Qin Niu spent each day in the mountains practicing or cultivating insects and hadn¡¯t noticed large numbers of butterflies.


    ¡°Fourth, lead the swarm to work, clear all the caterpillars in this area.¡±


    These termites really aren¡¯t up to the task.


    So many caterpillars have appeared nearby, and yet they allowed the caterpillars to feast on the leaves.


    Soon, if the trees die, there will be issues with the termites¡¯ food supply.


    The Ant Queen probably didn¡¯t know about the large quantity of caterpillars outside, or else she would have commanded the swarm to protect the trees.


    After all, she now possessed advanced intelligence.


    Fourth was very brave, leading a large number of termites out. They swiftly climbed the trees and began clearing the caterpillars.


    These caterpillars were simply no match for them.


    As the battle progressed, Fourth even developed a more efficient method for eradicating caterpillars.


    Currently, there were about six thousand Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants with the ability to perform mental attacks.


    They didn¡¯t need to approach their targets and could launch attacks directly from the tree trunks.


    One by one, the caterpillars, subjected to mental attacks, fell painfully from the trees to the ground, where they were then bitten to death by the Soldier Ants and Worker Ants waiting below.

 Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Chapter 332 Unspeakably Precious_1

    Chapter 339: Chapter 332 Unspeakably Precious_1


    ¡°`


    This was a silent, one-sided slaughter where Qin Niu¡¯s termites held an absolute advantage.


    There were a great number of these caterpillars, but all were ordinary caterpillars.


    The most numerous among them were the black caterpillars, which likely belonged to the larvae of tussock moths.


    There were also some caterpillars with white spots on them, which appeared to be pine caterpillar moths.


    These two types were basically the most prevalent.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t now sure whether the emergence of these caterpillars was a natural disaster or the work of humans.


    Perching Phoenix Mountain Range had been where he started his fortune, and now that he¡¯d bought the entire mountain behind Shuangfeng Village, he could even enter the mountain directly through the back door of his residence. He had come to regard the Qifeng Mountain Range as his own private territory.


    If these caterpillars were to destroy all the vegetation in the mountains, it would greatly affect Qin Niu.


    He would never just stand by.


    For this period, he would take his termites to exterminate pests in the mountains.


    ¡­


    Busy until the evening, he returned home to find two pairs of big red lanterns hanging at the doorway and festive couplets pasted on the doorframe.


    Red paper-cuts could be seen everywhere.


    The whole house was filled with celebration.


    A stage had been set up in the open space at the door, intended for the opera troupe to perform.


    In the front yard, temporary stoves had been set up with large iron pots suspended over them.


    He had asked the villagers to help, and the host was expected to provide food.


    On this front, Qin Niu never shortchanged the villagers.


    Pork, rice, fish, and more¡ªhe let everyone eat their fill.


    ¡°Master Qin is back! How do you find the decorations? Are you satisfied?¡±


    Aunt Hua was feeding Wan Yan when she saw Qin Niu return. She quickly set down the bowl and came over.


    ¡°I am particularly satisfied. You all have worked hard these past two days, Aunt Hua. Go and have your meal.¡±


    The villagers¡¯ faces lit up with smiles at Qin Niu¡¯s affirmation.


    ¡°Master Qin is truly blessed, to have married the most beautiful girls from our village and Daoyuan Village.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Such marital bliss is something only Master Qin deserves!¡±


    The helping villagers, both men and women, took the rare opportunity to chat with Qin Niu.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words. You¡¯ve all worked hard these days. Please enjoy your food and drinks.¡±


    Qin Niu bowed his hands and entered the house.


    Inside, Xiao Qing had already kept his meal warm for him.


    The village had a professional chef whose cooking was more delicious than the usual homemade dishes.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, have the chef prepare an extra table of food for tomorrow¡¯s meals and send it to Wang Furen¡¯s house. We are all one family now, so let¡¯s take care of them as much as we can,¡± said Qin Niu.


    ¡°Alright! I did invite Sister Wanyan to eat here, but she refused. If we send the food over, she will definitely be delighted,¡± Xiao Qing nodded and agreed.


    ¡°Wanyan is a modest young lady from a respectable family and not yet married. Naturally, she¡¯s embarrassed to come over for the meal!¡±


    The master and servant began their meal.


    Both were cultivators with not insignificant cultivation, and thus had quite large appetites.


    A table of food that was enough for ten people was swiftly cleared by the master and servant.


    Qin Niu, in fact, preferred to eat the flesh of beasts like the Pig King.


    The energy contained in ordinary grains and cereals was much less.


    It was said that once cultivation reached a certain level, one might even need to abstain from grains.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve heard the villagers discussing the appearance of a lot of caterpillars in Ping Shui, and the newly-planted crops in the fields are infested with aphids and mole crickets. The villagers are very concerned that these pests will spread to Shuangfeng Village and have suggested that you think of a solution.¡±


    Ping Shui was quite far from Shuangfeng Village.


    ¡°`


    Unexpectedly, a large number of caterpillars also appeared over there, signaling the arrival of another round of pestilence.


    ¡°Master Qin, give me some alcohol to drink!¡±


    Zhang Banzui staggered to the door but didn¡¯t dare to come in. His eyes were half-closed as if he hadn¡¯t woken up, and his face always bore the red flush of drunkenness.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, go fetch two jars of good wine for him.¡±


    Qin Niu was hosting a wedding celebration at his house and did not mind such trivial expenses on food and drink.


    Ever since that mysterious master from the Nine Insect Gang had entered the village and then disappeared without a trace, Qin Niu had been puzzled. He even began to suspect that Zhang Banzui might be a concealed expert who could have taken care of that person without anyone noticing.


    Someone like the Ji Gong Monk, a high-level cultivator who engaged in worldly affairs.


    He might appear crazy and nonsensical, but his power was off the charts.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, don¡¯t just drink, there¡¯s hot food ready outside! Come eat tomorrow and the day after tomorrow too, and we¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re well fed.¡±


    Qin Niu said.


    ¡°Master Qin is truly generous! Even if I were to die drunk in the street, no one would care.¡±


    ¡°We are all villagers here, no need to be polite! If you really have no money for alcohol in the future, just come to me. I will instruct the servants to give you some.¡±


    Now that Qin Niu had money, he was willing to take care of Zhang Banzui as much as possible.


    Zhang Banzui, who lived alone in the village without children nor relatives, nor any friends, truly deserved sympathy.


    ¡°How¡­ How could I impose like that! Master Qin¡¯s kindness ensures he will surely be blessed in the future.¡±


    Zhang Banzui paid a few compliments, happily accepting Qin Niu¡¯s generosity with a smile on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, if you can¡¯t find alcohol in the future, come to me. But drinking too much isn¡¯t good for your health, so I can¡¯t give you too much at once. Just bring your gourd to Xiao Qing, and she¡¯ll fill it for you each time.¡±


    While they were talking, Xiao Qing had already brought out two jars of good wine.


    The day after tomorrow was Qin Niu¡¯s big wedding day, and the family had already purchased hundreds of jars of fine alcohol.


    ¡°Ah, this is top-quality alcohol, thank you Master Qin, thank you Miss Xiao Qing!¡±


    Zhang Banzui¡¯s eyes gleamed at the sight of the two jars of fine wine.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, take Uncle Zhang outside to eat.¡±


    ¡°No need, no need, I¡¯m covered in lice and my body smells sour. If I were to sit at that table, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to keep their food down.¡±


    Zhang Banzui was keenly aware of his situation.


    ¡°Then get a big bowl and serve Uncle Zhang some rice, with a bit more meat and such.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, here, let me serve you some rice, you can sit on the steps and eat.¡±


    Xiao Qing placed the two jars of wine on the steps and then quickly served a bowl of rice with some side dishes and handed it to Zhang Banzui.


    ¡°Good girl, thank you!¡±


    Zhang Banzui took the food and ate with some degree of propriety.


    He would eat a chopstickful of food and follow it with a couple of sips of wine, showing an expression of pure enjoyment.


    ¡°Zhang Banzui, don¡¯t you usually tell fortunes? Master Qin has treated you to wine and food, why don¡¯t you read his fortune for him?¡±


    ¡°Master Qin¡¯s fate is so noble, it is beyond words, beyond words!¡±


    Zhang Banzui, often beaten when telling fortunes, had now smartened up and only told the flattering things that people liked to hear.


    ¡°Then how about you read mine.¡±


    Auntie Hua grabbed a chicken leg and walked over to put it in Zhang Banzui¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°Auntie Hua is a person of hardship; I fear there may be misfortune in your household within this month, it would be best to advise against your family going out.¡±


    ¡°Pah, pah, pah, I knew your fortune-telling was unreliable. I¡¯m taking the chicken leg back; I¡¯d rather feed it to a dog than let you eat it.¡±


    Auntie Hua turned pale with anger.


    Zhang Banzui had read Qin Niu¡¯s fortune saying his fate was too noble to speak of, yet when it came to her, it suddenly turned into the prediction of a disaster in her home within the month.


    If it weren¡¯t for the bruises on Zhang Banzui¡¯s face that still hadn¡¯t faded, she really felt like hitting him.


    Zhang Banzui endured her scolding without talking back, simply focusing on his drinking.


    The onlookers, however, burst into laughter.

 Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Chapter 333 Accelerated Growth of the Green Demon Bee_1

    Chapter 340: Chapter 333 Accelerated Growth of the Green Demon Bee_1


    Qin Niu covertly tried to sense Zhang Banzui¡¯s cultivation level, which was merely that of an ordinary person, at the Onefold realm of mortals.


    Seeing that Zhang Banzui had angered Auntie Flower, the others did not dare to let Zhang Banzui tell their fortunes anymore.


    After all, Qin Niu was holding a joyous event. If Zhang Banzui were to blurt out something ominous again, it would completely spoil the festive atmosphere. It could even possibly irritate Qin Niu, their host.


    A good while later, Zhang Banzui had eaten his fill.


    He did have his principles, washing his bowl and putting it back where it belonged.


    Then, he picked up two jars of fine wine and staggered out.


    ¡°Good fortune or disaster, if it¡¯s disaster, you can¡¯t escape! People laugh at me for being insane, I laugh at people for not seeing through¡­¡±


    Muttering to himself, he wandered off.


    ¡°Auntie Flower, will you and your daughter come into the city tomorrow? My girl mentioned there¡¯s a pharmacy in the city hiring, offering a salary of two Silver Money a month. Work well, and there¡¯s extra rewards. On holidays, they even give fish, meat, and shoes. I heard that if you stay for three years, the salary can increase to at least three Silver Money a month. Such opportunities are rare.¡±


    ¡°You go ahead! My daughter needs to stay home these next few days to help me with work,¡± Auntie Flower replied, although in her heart, she took Zhang Banzui¡¯s words to heart and was reluctant to let her daughter go to the city.


    Two Silver Money a month was a decent job for a girl already.


    Working in a pharmacy was also somewhat respectable.


    They could even learn some medical knowledge there.


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t really believe what Zhang Banzui said, do you? Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. Everyone knows Auntie Flower has a good heart; how could your family possibly encounter disaster? It¡¯s only blessings. Pharmacies rarely hire people, and this time they wanted to fill positions because a couple of guys left. Miss this chance, and there won¡¯t be another shop waiting.¡±


    Auntie Liu from the Liu Family continued to urge Auntie Flower.


    Thanks to Auntie Flower¡¯s successful match-making for Qin Niu, all the villagers knew about her close relationship with Qin Niu. Grateful for her kindness, Qin Niu would certainly look after Auntie Flower should she need help in the future.


    Because of this relationship, Auntie Flower¡¯s status in the village had soared.


    Auntie Liu, wanting to be on good terms with Auntie Flower, was selling her this favor by introducing a good job for Auntie Flower¡¯s daughter in the city.


    ¡°Thank you, dear sister. My daughter indeed needs to help me with work at home these days. I¡¯m grateful for your kind offer. I¡¯m done eating, and my daughter hasn¡¯t had her dinner at home yet. I need to take some food to her, so please excuse me,¡± Auntie Flower said as she carried a bowl of food out of the Qin Residence.


    In the village, when there was a good occasion, if one was on good terms with the host family, it was common to take some food back home for the family, and the host family usually wouldn¡¯t mind.


    Auntie Flower taking some food from Qin Niu¡¯s place was something Qin Niu certainly wouldn¡¯t mind.


    ¡­


    After finishing his meal, Qin Niu went to check on the Green Demon Bees as usual.


    ¡°Growing so fast! They¡¯ve actually molted.¡±


    The larval stage should be the most vulnerable stage in a Green Demon Bee¡¯s life.


    At this time, its body was covered with a layer of fuzz, and it was very soft. If it encountered a natural predator, it would be easily killed.


    Normally, hornets needed to molt about twice during the larval stage before they could start pupating.


    Having been feeding the Green Demon Bee for so long, it finally completed its first molt.


    One could see that its exoskeleton¡¯s color had clearly darkened somewhat.


    Compared with before, its body had also grown significantly larger.


    Qin Niu had a sudden idea; since the Green Demon Bee needed Worker Bees to feed it anyway, why not feed it the corpses of some Corpse Bee generals?


    As soon as he thought of it, he did it.


    He directly took the corpse of one Corpse Bee general, then a Steel-winged Wild Bee general, and had the War Bees eat them before feeding the Green Demon Bee.


    After cultivating the Green Demon Bee, Qin Niu went to the backyard to check on the Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    He saw the Ice Lotus in the pond of the backyard trying hard to display its beautiful petals. Within the pond, cold air rose and met with the warm air, creating mist. The whole pond seemed shrouded in fog, full of artistic conception.


    It was still summer now, the hottest time of the year.


    Yet, beside the lotus pond, Qin Niu felt pleasantly cool. This Ice Lotus had a natural cooling effect.


    Approaching the corner of the backyard, where the Golden Toad¡¯s nest was located,


    he saw that the Golden Toad was still curled up, squatting motionless inside its burrow.


    ¡°`


    Based on Qin Niu¡¯s experience from cultivating beast pets twice, after consuming Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, they required at least a month to complete their evolution.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle and Green Ox both took a long time to finish evolving.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad was originally Grade Seven, and its evolution time would probably be even longer.


    One could faintly see threads of electric sparks, like silken threads, flashing across the surface of the Golden Toad¡¯s body.


    He hoped it could advance to Grade Eight in one fell swoop, at which point, Qin Niu would gain another powerful ally.


    At present, only the Green Ox was capable of helping him against formidable enemies.


    The other pets, including the War Bees and termites, were still lacking somewhat.


    The next day, he got up early and headed for the mountain.


    Now entering and leaving the mountain was much easier than before, he did not go to the Ant Nest but directly entered the maze within the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He sat under the tree with his eyes closed, cultivating.


    With his continuous hard work, the Everlasting Spring Technique showed signs of breakthrough, and unconsciously, he had reached the peak of the Initial Stage of the Innate Realm, where he could advance to the middle stage at any moment.


    Even in the Innate Realm, advancing even a minor realm was exceedingly difficult.


    Qin Niu managed to reach the peak of the Initial Stage of the Innate Realm in such a short period without taking elixirs, relying solely on rigorous cultivation, which apart from his excellent talent, could not be separated from the help of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Cultivating under the tree, at a speed dozens of times faster, allowed him to endure one day of intense cultivation, which was equivalent to over a month of hard work outside.


    Besides the approaching breakthrough in the power of his Everlasting Spring Technique, his proficiency in the Medicine King Sutra also unknowingly reached the ninth layer of the Acquired Realm.


    This speed was nothing short of miraculous.


    He was very satisfied.


    He aimed to elevate his proficiency in the Medicine King Sutra to the Innate Realm within the month.


    Once he achieved this, both of his Cultivation Techniques would reach the Innate Realm, and his combat strength would surely see a substantial increase. His ability to identify plants and herbs was also expected to improve greatly.


    As his proficiency in the Medicine King Sutra grew, he began to sense that this technique might be inherently created for alchemy.


    Because the medicinal cauldron within his body was not suited for combat.


    After cultivating the Medicine King Sutra, one could sense the medicinal essence of a plant, the amount of energy, the type of energy, which probably were just its supplementary functions.


    Its true capability was most likely in assisting with alchemy.


    On the days when Qin Niu had free time, he would read books and had already made some progress. He also gained a lot of insights from his previous conversation with the mute Bei Bing.


    A day went by in the blink of an eye.


    When he returned home to check on the Green Demon Bee, he was shocked to discover that it had shed another layer of skin.


    And its size had obviously increased significantly.


    The first shedding took nearly a month to complete, but now it only took a day to finish the second shedding. Was it because it had already shed once and its growth rate had accelerated?


    Or was it because it had consumed the bodies of two Bee Generals?


    No matter the reason, it was good news for Qin Niu.


    He took out another Corpse Bee General¡¯s body and the body of a Steel-winged Bee General to feed to the Green Demon Bee.


    He hoped it would pupate soon.


    Once the Green Demon Bee molted into an adult bee, Qin Niu would be able to witness its combat strength.


    If Steel-winged Wild Bees were that fierce, he believed the Green Demon Bee could not possibly be much weaker.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    He furrowed his brows.


    Because he sensed that the termite colony seemed to be exhibiting some abnormalities.


    The termites were one of his foundations and could not afford any mishaps.


    The Qifeng Mountain Range was filled with many mysterious entities.


    During his last patrol in the mountains, not only did he find that huge python, he also heard the cries of a Demon Bird.


    Now the only thing that could harm the termites was probably a demon.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: Chapter 334 Gold Devouring Ant_1

    Chapter 341: Chapter 334 Gold Devouring Ant_1


    Qin Niu hurried toward the direction of the Ant Nest.


    With his cultivation at the Innate Realm and the use of Misty Rain Elusive Step, he moved through the mountains like a wisp of light smoke.


    The disturbance in the Ant Nest this time was very peculiar; it didn¡¯t seem like a cry for help due to danger.


    If there were indeed a great danger, given the Ant Queen¡¯s current abilities and intelligence, she should have been fully capable of calling out to Qin Niu for help.


    It took him only about a quarter of an hour to arrive at the location of the Ant Nest.


    By now it had grown dark, and the occasional sound of insects could be heard throughout the mountains.


    The ground was strewn with the bodies of caterpillars.


    Lately, the Termites had been brutally slaughtering caterpillars in the mountains; around the Ant Nest, all the caterpillars had been wiped out.


    There were so many caterpillar bodies that they simply couldn¡¯t eat them all.


    That was the reason why so many insect corpses had been left abandoned in the forest.


    Inside the Ant Nest, the colony seemed to be boiling over, as ants poured out frantically.


    ¡°Fourth, check what happened!¡±


    Whenever Qin Niu went down the mountain, he would bring along a large number of Termites on his body for self-defense.


    Leaving over ten thousand Termites in the Ant Nest to handle defense, nourishing the young ants, the Ant Queen, and the Soldier Ants was more than sufficient. Termites stored a portion of food, but unlike ants, they did not store large quantities.


    Ants generally don¡¯t eat things like tree roots and tree trunks.


    Termites can eat anything.


    Their winter food supply was essentially worry-free.


    After Fourth entered the Ant Nest, the previously boiling colony quickly became calm.


    Before long, Fourth came out carrying a tender, pink Termite on its back.


    It was very small, a newly hatched young ant.


    The little guy looked quite delicate and lovely.


    Fourth¡¯s treatment toward this young Termite was clearly not ordinary.


    Normally, even with Demon Ants, Fourth would directly bite their bodies and carry them out.


    But now, it allowed the young Termite to lie on its back, assuming a humble posture willing to act as the young ant¡¯s protector.


    Though small, the body of the young Termite was covered with intricate, dark golden patterns.


    ¡°Is this another new species?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s spirits lifted, and he quickly checked the attributes of the ant colony.


    Grade Four Gold Devouring Ant 1 (extremely rare species), Lifespan 3 days, Special Abilities (Swift, Armor-Piercing, Gold Devouring, Moderate Intelligence, Possess Primary Carapace, Primary Self-Healing).


    The long-anticipated top-tier ant species had finally emerged.


    Its abilities were quite balanced, and it was fairly excellent in all aspects.


    But it wasn¡¯t as amazing as he had imagined.


    He felt that if it fought Fourth when it was grown, it might not necessarily win.


    What was even more maddening was its lifespan.


    Truly, the good die young.


    Its lifespan was a mere fleeting three days.


    This was simply outrageous.


    Wasn¡¯t it clear that it was meant to be just a flash in the pan?


    Qin Niu looked at the tender young Termite and quickly began to think about how to extend its life.


    Based on his experience in rearing insects, feeding it some high-grade ¡®feed¡¯ might help extend its life.


    For example, the blood of mythical beasts or the bodies of insects Grade Five and above.


    ¡°Fourth, feed it some of this blood.¡±


    Qin Niu took out a small jar containing Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s blood. This was the blood of a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse, with an absolutely top-notch nourishing effect.


    The little one had a tiny appetite, and after Fourth fed it a little bit, it refused to eat more.


    He had Fourth take it back to the nest, then Qin Niu returned home and frowned as he pondered ways to extend the life of the Gold Devouring Ant.


    It was still in the young ant phase and couldn¡¯t feed itself.


    If feeding it Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s blood couldn¡¯t extend its life, it was unlikely that feeding it the bodies of high-level insects would be effective either.


    He spent the night consulting Insect Control Books, hoping to find a way to extend the life of the Gold Devouring Ant.


    He had two large boxes of Insect Control Books, most of which were given to him by Tang Yan.


    He also squeezed in some reading time normally, but most of those books hadn¡¯t been read.


    Now he was cramming at the last minute.


    ¡°Master, are you not going to rest so late?¡±


    Xiao Qing stood at the study door with an oil lamp in hand.


    ¡°I need to check some materials on insect breeding, you go to sleep!¡±


    Qin Niu was basically not at home during the day, with Xiao Qing managing everything.


    Young as she was, she handled everything both inside and out with great capability.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the day of your wedding with the two elder sisters, don¡¯t be too busy too late. If there¡¯s anything, you can call me at any time.¡±


    ¡°Go sleep!¡±


    Qin Niu had never allowed her to wait on him by serving tea or pouring water.


    He sat alone in the study reading silently, and the Qin Residence, inside and out, was brimming with festivity in the deep of night.


    After tomorrow, this house would welcome two new mistresses.


    This family would slowly become complete and flourish.


    It seemed that cramming at the last minute was not a good thing, as he continued to search until midnight without finding a single word about the Gold Devouring Ant.


    Considering tomorrow was a very important day, he had no choice but to go to bed to get enough rest.


    The next morning, as soon as Qin Niu got up, he saw Aunt Hua and the village cooks coming over to get busy.


    ¡°Master Qin, the procession to welcome the brides from both directions are going to set off soon. You will go to the Wang Family to receive the bride, and I will take Xiao Qing with me to the Tang Family, to welcome the new bride back.¡±


    All these arrangements were discussed and agreed upon with Qin Niu.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Unable to be in two places at once, Qin Niu had to manage things this way.


    Hopefully, nothing would go wrong on the Tang Family¡¯s side.


    As daylight broke, the courtyard gradually became lively. More and more villagers came to help.


    ¡°Today is my grand wedding day. I am deeply grateful to all the fellow villagers for your help. There¡¯s plain wine and meals prepared; please eat and drink well. After the procession has welcomed the new brides back, I will have additional rewards for everyone.¡±


    Organizing a wedding was easy as long as there was sufficient money and food.


    ¡°Please rest assured, Master Qin, we will surely welcome the new bride back for you, and you just wait for the bridal chamber to be lit with wedding candles!¡± the suona band masters responded loudly.


    Laughter erupted at once.


    ¡°Haha, thanks, much appreciated!¡±


    Qin Niu made a gesture of politeness with his hands.


    Everyone was satisfied after a hearty breakfast.


    Usually in the village, whenever a household held a celebration, everyone could partake in a sumptuous feast. But such abundance as the Qin Family¡¯s was unprecedented.


    In the locality, probably only the Yan Family would be willing to hold such an event.


    However, the Yan Family never let outsiders interfere in their affairs, whether it was wedding or funeral ceremonies or birthday celebrations.


    Because the Yan Family had a multitude of servants of their own.


    Using their own servants, they were certainly more at ease.


    Qin Niu was a newly emerging nobleman and could not compare to the Yan Family in every aspect of accumulation.


    As the auspicious time approached, the opera troupe invited from the city also arrived.


    After they greeted Qin Niu upon arrival, they began setting up on the stage outside.


    They pulled in several cartloads of items with horse-drawn carriages, and there were even fierce animals in cages, attracting many village children to come and watch.


    ¡°Brother Ah Niu, congratulations! Here is a little gift from me.¡±


    Er Dan fished out a wooden carved auspicious beast ornament from his bosom.


    It was not very big, and the carving was quite crude.


    ¡°Is this a dog you¡¯ve carved?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a tiger, a fierce tiger!¡±


    Er Dan rubbed his hands in embarrassment, his face showing an unusually sheepish expression.


    ¡°I heard about your wedding too late, so I didn¡¯t have much time to practice, so the carving isn¡¯t very good. This one was the most tiger-like out of the ones I carved.¡±


    Having never learned carving, Er Dan had done quite well to carve it like this.


    To draw a tiger not to scale but like a dog.


    He had managed to carve a fierce tiger into a large dog.


    ¡°Haha, thank you for this generous gift! I really like it, and it¡¯s very meaningful, symbolizing the friendship between us. I¡¯ve noticed that since I became an Insect Master, we¡¯ve hung out less.¡±


    Qin Niu accepted the gift with joy.


    ¡°My father wouldn¡¯t let me come, fearing I¡¯d offend you.¡±


    Er Dan spoke with some grievance.

 Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Chapter 335 Er Dan’s Dream_1

    Chapter 342: Chapter 335 Er Dan¡¯s Dream_1


    Before, Qin Niu was just a child from a poor family.


    Er Dan could play with him without a care in the world.


    Now Qin Niu¡¯s status is incredibly noble, while Er Dan remains just an ordinary child from a poor family, naturally he doesn¡¯t dare to easily get close to Qin Niu anymore.


    Even if Er Dan is just a child, with none of the social customs of adults, his parents worry that their child might offend Qin Niu by speaking to him as before, and that would bring disaster upon their family.


    ¡°Offend? What are you talking about! If you ever want to see me, as long as I¡¯m at home, you can come by any time. If you want to learn Insect Controlling, I can teach you that too, and help you become an Insect Master.¡±


    Qin Niu took extra care of this little buddy.


    He now had the complete capability to help Er Dan become a true Insect Master.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to be an Insect Master, I want to be a Beast Tamer!¡±


    Er Dan said, looking up at him.


    ¡°A Beast Tamer is better? But your family¡¯s condition isn¡¯t too good, if you raise a fierce beast that needs to eat meat at every meal, will your dad agree?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to raise a fierce beast! I can raise an animal that eats grass, or even a mouse. The Treasure-Seeking Mouse that the lame man in the neighboring village has is really good.¡±


    Er Dan had his own ideas.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to be an Insect Master?¡±


    Qin Niu asked, purely out of curiosity.


    ¡°Because Insect Masters are feared by people, no one dares to deal with them. My dad told me that the bugs of Insect Masters are especially terrifying, a single bite, and you¡¯ll lose your life right away. My mom also said that girls are very afraid of bugs, and it¡¯s hard for Insect Masters to get married. Our family only has me as a son, if I can¡¯t get a wife, my dad will definitely be very disappointed. I don¡¯t want to make them unhappy.¡±


    Er Dan may seem mischievous and often gets hung up by his dad to be whipped with a cane, but that doesn¡¯t affect his filial piety towards his parents.


    ¡°Well, you do make some sense. This Talisman is called a Contract Charm, if you come across an animal you like, you can bite the tip of your finger, and then drop your blood right here. The Talisman will turn into a beam of golden light and shoot into the body of that animal¡­¡±


    Qin Niu took out a Low-grade Contract Charm and handed it to Er Dan.


    And he explained in detail how to use it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take something so valuable.¡±


    Er Dan held back his hands, afraid to accept it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal with me. After you become a great Beast Tamer, you might even help me with some things! Take it! But remember, never flash your wealth, and you must not tell anyone. After you¡¯ve tamed an animal, you should train it well, and never show off in front of others. It¡¯s best to even keep it a secret from your own parents and family.¡±


    Qin Niu admonished Er Dan.


    ¡°Alright then! Thank you, Brother Ah Niu!¡±


    Er Dan took the Talisman and carefully tucked it away like a treasure.


    ¡°The Talisman must not be contaminated, you¡¯d better get a box to keep it in. Don¡¯t fold it to avoid damage.¡±


    Qin Niu patted Er Dan¡¯s head.


    ¡°Here¡¯s two Silver Moneys as a gift for your happiness. Today I¡¯ll have a banquet at my house, remember to come and eat. You can eat your fill, and even take some home for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Brother Ah Niu treats me the best! I¡¯ll go get a box to put the Contract Charm in first.¡±


    Er Dan was still childlike at heart.


    The mention of delicious food immediately made his face light up with greed.


    But he knew priorities, and he knew to get a box to keep the Talisman safe first.


    Qin Niu watched Er Dan run off and couldn¡¯t help but smile, his gaze filled with tenderness.


    Before long, Auntie Hua came over to hurry him along.


    ¡°Master Qin, the auspicious hour is nearly upon us. I¡¯m going to escort Miss Xiao Qing to fetch Tang Caixian. You go next door to welcome Miss Wang, and after you¡¯ve brought her back, we¡¯ll wait for Miss Tang to be escorted back as well so the wedding ceremony can proceed together.¡±


    Auntie Hua¡¯s face was painted with powder and rouge, her lips colored as red as a chicken¡¯s behind.


    There was even a red flower in her hair, signifying celebration.


    This attire was quite amusing to look at.


    ¡°Alright! I will follow Aunt Hua¡¯s arrangements.¡±


    Qin Niu naturally had no objections.


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t just go over like this; you have to change into the groom¡¯s attire. Do you want me to help you with that?¡±


    ¡°No need; I can change by myself,¡±


    Qin Niu waved his hand.


    Wang Wanyan had already prepared his wedding attire, which was in the room. Today, he could just change into it directly.


    After changing into his clothes, he led the suona band and the drum troupe, clanging and banging all the way to the adjacent house.


    Wang Furen, too, was dressed in a brand-new outfit today, complete with a hat studded with jewels. He seldom wore a belt, but today he had one fastened around his waist.


    In his hand, he held a jade ruyi scepter.


    He emanated an aura of wealth and festivity.


    Wang Furen¡¯s maid supported Wang Wanyan as she gracefully descended the attic stairs.


    ¡°Qin Niu, this daughter of mine is my only treasure. I¡¯ve never had the heart to scold or hit her. Today, I am formally entrusting her to you. Live a good life together, and if Wanyan does anything wrong, I ask that you be patient with her,¡±


    said Wang Furen, his face filled with reluctance.


    A woman should get married when she comes of age, and so should a man. He knew that this day would inevitably come.


    Now that he was entrusting her to Qin Niu, it didn¡¯t seem too bad.


    ¡°Please rest assured, Uncle Wang, I will treat Wanyan well and will honor you and Aunt together with her in the future,¡±


    said Qin Niu. The Aunt he referred to was Wang Furen¡¯s maid.


    Although she had no formal status, she was, in reality, Wang Furen¡¯s concubine.


    ¡°Qin Niu, our houses are close neighbors. If Wanyan ever makes you unhappy, come to me; do not harm her,¡±


    the maid, who rarely spoke, said with a choked voice as she handed Wang Wanyan over to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Aunt, I will remember,¡±


    Qin Niu nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Wanyan, remember to come back home often to see your father! If you ever need help, you can come to me anytime, or just send someone with a message,¡±


    the maid told Wang Wanyan.


    ¡°Whimper¡­¡±


    Wang Wanyan couldn¡¯t hold back her sobs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s your big day, you should be happy!¡±


    The maid quickly comforted Wang Wanyan, gently patting her back and sending her off into the bridal sedan.


    Wang Wanyan, with a voice slightly hoarse, said, ¡°Father¡­ Stepmother, please take good care of yourselves!¡±


    She usually had conflicts with this maid since she believed that the maid had taken the love that should have belonged to her mother.


    Now, for the first time, she called her ¡°Stepmother.¡±


    This also meant that, in her heart, Wang Wanyan had finally acknowledged the maid as her father¡¯s concubine.


    If she hadn¡¯t been so adamantly opposed all along, Wang Furen might have taken the maid as a concubine by now.


    Hearing her call the maid ¡°Stepmother,¡± Wang Furen felt both gratified and a touch melancholic.


    Qin Niu, with his bride, made his way back to his mansion.


    The two households were adjacent; this must have been the shortest journey ever for a groom to receive his bride.


    After Wang Wanyan was brought home, Aunt Hua on the other side was quite efficient; it wasn¡¯t long before the sound of gongs and drums could be heard from afar.


    Tang Caixian was also being brought back.


    Both brides were first-class beauties, shrouded in floral veils and dressed in bright red.


    ¡°The auspicious time has arrived; the groom and bride, please proceed to the wedding ceremony!¡±


    The master of ceremonies was Xu Zhenchang.


    The three positioned themselves accordingly, standing side by side.

 Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: Chapter 336: The Big Shots Arrive_1

    Chapter 343: Chapter 336: The Big Shots Arrive_1


    ¡°Joyous indeed! On this auspicious day blessed with great fortune, the four walls gleam as distinguished guests fill the hall! Today, in the Qin Residence, there is a young and handsome bachelor, Qin Niu, full of vigor and successful in his undertakings. The Wang Family has a daughter, Wan Yan, gentle and virtuous with both beauty and talent. The Tang Family has a daughter, Cai Xian, skilled in singing and dancing, with exemplary conduct. The groom, Qin Niu, takes Wang Wanyan as his principal wife and embraces Tang Caixian as his concubine. Matches made by the god of marriage, bridged by magpies, with the marital cup as witness.¡±


    Double happiness arrives at the door as the rising sun brings congratulations.


    ¡­¡±


    Xu Zhenchang sang the congratulatory words, allowing both parties to perform the wedding ceremony.


    And allowed all present to bear witness together.


    Outside the main hall, guests and children looking for fun crowded around.


    ¡°Yan Family¡¯s Yan Ruohai brings his eldest son to congratulate! A thousand taels of Silver Money in congratulations!¡±


    Such generous gifts.


    The Yan Family really doesn¡¯t do things by halves.


    For the sake of building a good relationship with Qin Niu, they directly sent a thousand taels of Silver Money as a wedding gift.


    ¡°Pang Family¡¯s eldest daughter, Pang Juan, comes with congratulations! A thousand taels of Silver Money!¡±


    Did these two families agree on a standardized gift amount?


    The crowd secretly clicked their tongues, realizing that, in the region, only Qin Niu could simultaneously attract the head figures of the powerful Yan and Pang Families to extend their congratulations.


    Even Tang Yan of the Tang Family didn¡¯t have such clout.


    By this time, Qin Niu had completed the wedding ceremony with his two wives and, hearing that the two strongest local families had come to offer congratulations, he also hurried forward to greet them.


    Help with the reception was provided by villagers.


    But because the identities of the guests were not low, ordinary villagers would likely converse with them in trepidation, finding it difficult to speak freely.


    ¡°Master Yan! Young Master Yan! Miss Pang! Thank you for coming to offer congratulations, please take a seat at the high table. If there is any lapse in hospitality, please grant us your forgiveness.¡±


    Qin Niu stepped forward to greet the three.


    It was, however, his first time meeting Miss Pang of the Pang Family.


    Dressed in a green dress, she looked dignified and beautiful, with clear eyes like water, yet she carried a subtle aura of authority.


    The Pang Family had sons, but it was the eldest daughter who was in charge, indicating Miss Pang¡¯s exceptional capabilities.


    Her cultivation level was a highlight.


    She possessed an upper-level cultivation at the Innate Realm, even higher than Qin Niu by a small realm.


    She should be in her early twenties, yet already possessed such strong cultivation, clearly indicating her talent might even surpass that of Yan Ruohai.


    Given time, the Pang Family will surely flourish.


    In this light, the He Family, though seemingly deep-rooted, appears to have the least competitive and potential strength among them.


    Any family that solely relies on past achievements and indulges in former glory can quickly spiral into decline.


    The He Family has no less than four Innate Realm masters, a formidable strength indeed.


    But all four are elders, not one of them young.


    This can easily lead to a talent gap.


    The Yan Family keeps its strength well hidden; surely there must be more Innate Realm masters than just Yan Ruohai.


    Yan Ruohai, with his deep wisdom, only reveals enough strength to deter opponents and prevent them from having covetous thoughts.


    ¡°Master Qin, may you and your ladies grow old together and be blessed with a hundred children and a thousand grandchildren!¡±


    Miss Pang smiled as she offered her congratulations.


    ¡°Thank you! Please, take a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu gestured with one hand invitingly.


    ¡°Master Qin, such youthful charm, taking two such beautiful wives and concubines, do take it easy!¡±


    Young Master Yan joked with a smile.


    ¡°Ha-ha, seems like Young Master Yan is an experienced man with much to teach. I look forward to learning from you in the future. Please, take a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu ushered the three to the high table.


    He would undoubtedly need to interact with both families in the future and was more than happy to foster good relations with them.


    As they were speaking, the sound of a carriage approached from outside.


    ¡°Tang Family¡¯s Tang Yan comes to offer his congratulations! A Hundred Taels in Silver Money!¡±


    Tang Yan arrived in his official robe.


    He couldn¡¯t compare with the Yan or Pang Families; a hundred taels was already his limit.


    It was even possible that he had to go into debt for it.


    Giving such a generous gift was also a sign of his respect and gratitude towards Qin Niu.


    Because not long ago, Qin Niu had greatly aided him.


    This in turn allowed Tang Yan¡¯s network in Black Tiger City to smoothly expand, and his status increased significantly.


    ¡°Master Tang, you shouldn¡¯t have! Please, take a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu stepped forward to welcome him.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit late, just a modest gift, I hope Master Qin won¡¯t look down upon it.¡±


    ¡°Eh, a hundred taels of congratulatory silver is already an extremely generous gift, Qin is truly grateful!¡±


    In Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, Tang Yan¡¯s hundred taels of congratulatory silver even outweighed the thousand taels given by the Yan and Pang families.


    It was because the Yan Family gritting their teeth to take out a thousand taels of silver would not hurt their vitality.


    But for Tang Yan to take out these hundred taels, it could very well be everything he had.


    Hiss hiss!


    Once again, the neighing of a steed came from outside, and an extremely luxurious carriage stopped at the doorstep.


    A handsome and distinguished young nobleman stepped down from the carriage.


    ¡°Young Master Fang Lian of the Fang Family from Black Tiger City presents his congratulations! A thousand taels of silver and a pair of six-hundred-year-old ginseng.¡±


    It turned out to be Fang Lian, accompanied by two spirit Qi realm experts from the Fang Family.


    As the heir to the Fang Family, they were sure to protect him well.


    Coming to the countryside for a wedding feast, if they encountered an assault by a rival family, his situation would become extremely dangerous.


    Therefore, Fang Lian always had at least one spirit Qi realm expert with him at all times for personal protection when traveling.


    Young Master Fang was always generous with his spending.


    However, even for a top family like the Fang Family, a thousand taels of silver should be quite a sum.


    ¡°Chairman Li of the Insect Master Association and Chief Identification Master Hu are here to congratulate! A hundred taels of congratulatory silver!¡±


    These were all people who had interacted with Qin Niu in the past and had a good relationship with him.


    Qin Niu had not sent them invitations, nor did he know how these people got the news.


    Just as he was welcoming these honored guests into the banquet, a young woman wearing hemp clothes and straw sandals walked in.


    That unique aura of a celestial untouched by worldly dust could only belong to the mute girl, Bei Bing.


    ¡°Talisman Master Bei Bing presents her congratulations! A high-level talisman as the congratulatory gift.¡±


    She didn¡¯t give away gold or silver but presented a high-level talisman.


    Its value was no less than a hundred taels of silver.


    ¡°Bei Bing, I really didn¡¯t expect you to get the news too, I¡¯m so happy to see you. Please, take your seat!¡±


    Qin Niu was sincere and had enormous potential.


    Unknowingly, he had made many friends and connections.


    Roar!


    A lion¡¯s roar came from outside, deafening to hear.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    The Green Ox in the pen responded with a call, easily suppressing the roar of the lion.


    ¡°Master He Shan, a Chiliarch, presents his congratulations! Five hundred taels of congratulatory silver!¡±


    ¡°Deputy City Lord Bai Xuezhu presents his congratulations! A thousand taels of silver.¡±


    Both Master He Shan and Deputy City Lord Bai strode into the hall.


    Haven¡¯t seen him for many days, Deputy City Lord Bai still looked somewhat pale.


    His last bloody battle against Elder Jiu Yin and the self-destruction of two spirit Qi realm experts had severely wounded him. He must have come, injured, to celebrate Qin Niu¡¯s wedding.


    Qin was deeply moved by this display of friendship.


    ¡°I am flattered! How are your injuries, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°Haha, Bai specializes in toughening exercises, nothing much, just thick skin and flesh. As long as one doesn¡¯t die on the spot, then one won¡¯t die. For such a great occasion for brother Qin, how could I not come over for a drink or two?¡±


    ¡°Please, take your seat!¡±


    Qin Niu ushered them towards the head table.


    The highest-ranking person on the scene had become Deputy City Lord Bai.


    Although Fang Lian was also of high stature, he ranked below Deputy City Lord Bai.


    ¡°Gongsun, the Deputy Gang Leader from Black Tiger City, comes to offer congratulations! A thousand taels of congratulatory silver!¡±


    Another big shot arrived.


    Today Shuangfeng Village was indeed bustling with excitement.


    Just the deputy gang leaders alone accounted for two, and many of the congratulatory gifts amounted to a thousand taels of silver.


    This was an enormous fortune that ordinary people could not earn in a lifetime.


    Wang Furen sat in the chief seat, his face flushed with excitement.


    Previously, he had thought that marrying his daughter to the son of the city commandant was like grasping at a high branch.


    Now he realized that the seemingly simple Ah Niu from next door was a hundred or even a thousand times more formidable than he had imagined. To think that such prominent figures from the city would come to celebrate his wedding.


    And each one of them chatted and laughed amiably with Qin Niu, showing a great relationship.


    With his shrewdness, Wang Furen had come to see that his son-in-law held the status to converse as an equal with these powerful individuals.

 Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: Chapter 337 Happy Life_1

    Chapter 344: Chapter 337 Happy Life_1


    He simply couldn¡¯t understand how his son-in-law had become so capable?


    Wang Furen, seeing his son-in-law achieve great success, felt nothing but pride in his daughter¡¯s choice. This time, she had really bet on the right horse. He was delighted through and through.


    From now on, he would be Qin Niu¡¯s father-in-law.


    The more formidable Qin Niu was, the more prestigious his status as the father-in-law would be.


    ¡°Gang Leader Gongsun, I did not expect you to take time out of your busy schedule to congratulate me. I am truly grateful! Over there, there is some modest wine prepared, please, take your seat!¡±


    Qin Niu stepped forward and respectfully bowed.


    ¡°Originally, the Lord of the City wanted to personally come to congratulate you, but due to some affairs, he could not make it, so he sent me to represent him. This gift, the Lord of the City instructed me to personally hand it to you.¡±


    Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun was the right-hand man of Black Tiger City¡¯s Lord.


    Unlike Bai Xuezhu, Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun was considered virtually a spokesperson for the Lord.


    He took out a brocade box from his sleeve and handed it to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Do not open it in front of others. The Lord commands you to train hard, strive to grow stronger, and become a pillar of our Black Tiger City as soon as possible.¡±


    Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun cautioned in a low voice.


    It was all so mysterious and deliberately not listed in the gift registry. What could possibly be inside that brocade box?


    Qin Niu had just eradicated the He Family not too long ago, and the Lord of Black Tiger City, who had no personal relationship with him, found it inappropriate to congratulate him personally.


    Sending Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun to congratulate him was very appropriate.


    At the level of deputy gang leaders and gang leaders, with their noble status, they wouldn¡¯t personally offer congratulations unless there was a private relationship or the marriage was of significant importance. Being able to send a servant to deliver a congratulatory gift was already quite a favor.


    With these bigshots coming to offer congratulations, the wedding was pushed to its peak.


    Inside and outside the Qin Residence, tables were arranged.


    A continuous banquet was being served.


    The opera troupe was already performing on stage.


    The entire Qin Residence was extraordinarily lively.


    It was declaring to everyone the rise of a new family.


    Tang Yan looked enviously at heavyweights like Young Master Fang, Vice City Lord Bai, and Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun.


    Unfortunately, Qin Niu had no interest in an official career, otherwise with the support of so many top-level dignitaries, he could quickly become a high-ranking official of considerable power.


    Qin Niu was also going from table to table and toasting, expressing his thanks to the congratulating guests.


    As everyone was enjoying the feast, a white crane flew in from the distant sky, slowly descending.


    ¡°It¡¯s a spirit crane!¡±


    Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun waved at it, and the white crane immediately flew to his arm.


    He retrieved a hidden note from under its wing.


    After reading the note, Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    ¡°Lord Bai, the Gang Leader summons us to return immediately, there is a matter of war.¡±


    ¡°This Nine Insect Gang is really annoying. I rarely get such an opportunity to drink, and now they come to disturb it,¡± complained Vice City Lord Bai upon hearing the news, lifting his glass and draining it in one go.


    As he was leaving, he even took with him the half a jar of wine that was left.


    ¡°Qin Niu, I have urgent business to attend to and must leave. I will visit your residence another day. This wine is sweet and refreshing, truly excellent wine,¡± said Vice City Lord Bai, ready to leave at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Brother Qin, I must go as well, thank you for the hospitality. This banquet is really satisfying,¡± said Fang Lian with his mouth greasy from the food.


    These were all top-tier nobility, who usually dined on delicacies, and probably didn¡¯t often get the chance to enjoy a rural banquet like this.


    It was not only a novelty but the flavors were also very distinctive.


    Qin Niu bid farewell to these distinguished guests, feeling a hint of worry in his heart.


    He had only just married, and war had already broken out.


    The urgent recall of both Deputy Gang Leaders and Young Master Fang by the Black Tiger Gang Leader suggested that the war was pressing and quite serious.


    Hopefully, the Black Tiger Gang could withstand it.


    Qin Niu was beginning to feel a sense of belonging to the Black Tiger Gang and certainly did not wish for the gang to be destroyed.


    ¡­


    The Qin Residence¡¯s banquet continued into the evening, as did the opera performance.


    As the feast ended, the villagers left, satisfied with their fill of food and entertainment. The opera troupe not only performed plays but also featured famous actors singing, dancing, and playing instruments.


    Ordinarily, if these people wanted to enjoy such performances, they¡¯d have to go to the theaters in the city.


    ¡°`


    Just the entrance fee alone was enough to make many people shy away.


    There were indeed cheaper pleasure houses, such as the secret brothels within some private residences. The price there was more affordable, but forget about listening to music, watching dances, or hearing the guitar.


    The moment you entered the door, it was straight to business, purely to resolve physical needs.


    Qin Niu saw off his guests and walked into the bridal chamber.


    Wang Wanyan sat on the edge of the bed, covered by a red bridal veil, seeming rather nervous.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Qin Niu emerged from Tang Caixian¡¯s room.


    He spent the first half of the night with his official wife, but then was sent away by Wang Wanyan to spend the rest of it with Tang Caixian.


    Qin Niu had transformed from a boy into a true man.


    From then on, he had two wives.


    Perhaps, in the near future, there would also be children.


    The sky was a dull grey; it was a cloudy day.


    ¡°Husband, you¡¯re up so early?¡±


    Wang Wanyan and Xiao Qing were making breakfast.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep in longer? Washing and cooking are things that the servants should do from now on. Xiao Qing, you don¡¯t have to do these tasks anymore too, just focus on your cultivation. I¡¯m going to buy two servants today.¡±


    Qin Niu now had the financial strength to do so.


    ¡°Xiao Qing and I can handle these tasks, why spend the extra money?¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s mindset was of the thrifty, household-managing sort.


    Buying two servants would cost a good sum of Silver Money, not to mention daily expenses for food and drink.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can afford this expense.¡±


    Qin Niu was already thinking that, once Wang Wanyan¡¯s temperament matured a bit more, he would hand over all the Silver Money for his wife to manage and take care of.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Tang Caixian also got up.


    But the way she walked was a bit unnatural.


    Wang Wanyan, being a newlywed wife, had at least rested for half the night. She, on the other hand, hadn¡¯t rested much at all and was still in pain.


    ¡°Both of you, just sit and rest well. Xiao Qing and I will make breakfast.¡±


    Qin Niu rolled up his sleeves and started cooking himself.


    Thinking back to those poor days of eating grass roots and tree bark, the life he led now was incomparably blessed.


    He had wives and concubines who were especially beautiful, each with her own merits.


    And he possessed a vast fortune that he couldn¡¯t spend in several lifetimes.


    Wang Wanyan was feeling a bit unwell, she had just been gritting her teeth while making breakfast, but seeing Qin Niu so attentive, she happily accepted.


    And she sat down at the table to chat with Tang Caixian.


    The two got along like sisters.


    When they looked at each other, their pretty faces blushed in unison.


    Tang Caixian was a bit better off; she wasn¡¯t as introverted and shy. Wang Wanyan, however, was very shy about marital matters.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡±


    Qin Niu brought the freshly cooked meals to the table.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, stop cleaning up; come eat first.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just a maid, it¡¯s enough for me to eat a little in the kitchen.¡±


    Xiao Qing, when it was just her and Qin Niu, would dare to eat at the table. Now that there were two mistresses in the house, she worried about breaking the rules and being resented.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that little head of yours getting all these rules from? Hurry up and come eat!¡±


    Qin Niu scolded with a stare.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, come on! We¡¯re all family here; we¡¯re not so formal.¡±


    Wang Wanyan also called out to her.


    ¡°Sit next to me!¡±


    Tang Caixian gestured to her.


    The family of four got along quite harmoniously.


    As they were eating, Qin Niu faintly heard crying coming from outside.


    Who was crying so early in the morning?


    It seemed to be the cries of a woman.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: Chapter 338 Zhang Banzui’s Words Came True_1

    Chapter 345: Chapter 338 Zhang Banzui¡¯s Words Came True_1


    The wailing was approaching bit by bit, and soon it reached the door.


    Thump, thump, thump!


    The crying woman was knocking forcefully on the door knocker.


    ¡°Master Qin¡­ you must seek justice for my daughter! Wuu wuu wuu¡­¡±


    It was Auntie Hua¡¯s voice.


    Qin Niu abruptly stood up and rushed outside, arriving at the courtyard gate after just a couple of strides.


    Upon opening the gate, Auntie Hua¡¯s face was smeared with tears, leaning on the door frame, with dishevelled hair and wearing her sleepwear of undergarments and undershorts, patched up in many places.


    Many rural women are very frugal.


    Mostly because they are poor.


    Auntie Hua was normally a very prideful woman. She would dress as decently as possible when going out and apply a bit of makeup appropriately.


    Now, wearing a patched-up outfit outside, it definitely indicated that something serious had happened.


    ¡°Auntie Hua, don¡¯t panic, tell me what happened slowly.¡±


    She was Qin Niu¡¯s matchmaker; now that something happened in her family, Qin Niu would undoubtedly stand up for her.


    Auntie Hua wiped away her tears, but they just wouldn¡¯t stop flowing incessantly.


    ¡°This morning, after getting up and preparing the meal as usual, I called my daughter to get up and eat, but there was no response no matter how much I called. I ran to her room to check, and I don¡¯t know which bastard ruined my daughter! There was blood all down below, and she was hanging dead from the roof beam. I beg Master Qin to seek justice for my daughter and bring the murderer to justice.¡±


    Auntie Hua dropped to her knees, repeatedly kowtowing to Qin Niu.


    Forehead striking the ground, blood was visible on her forehead in an instant, and a large bruise swelled up.


    ¡°Auntie Hua, don¡¯t do this, please get up!¡±


    Qin Niu helped Auntie Hua up.


    ¡°First, take me to your home to take a look. If you suspect anyone, you can also tell me who it is.¡±


    Encountering such an incident early in the morning left Qin Niu speechless.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think of what Zhang Banzui had predicted a couple of days ago.


    Zhang Banzui said that there would be misfortune in Auntie Hua¡¯s family, but at that time, everyone thought Zhang Banzui was spouting nonsense.


    Little did they know, it came true so quickly.


    Auntie Hua only had one daughter, and now she had been killed. How was she supposed to live on?


    Although in these troubled times, human life is as fragile as grass.


    But for those families who have lost loved ones, it is an absolute catastrophe.


    Most of the villagers in Shuangfeng Village are honest and simple.


    Only Wang Haikun could be considered a villain in the village, oppressing the people and wreaking havoc in the area. Ever since Qin Niu severed one of Wang Haikun¡¯s arms, Wang Haikun never again bullied anyone.


    He mostly stayed at home drinking or worked in the fields.


    He might have thought about taking revenge on Qin Niu in the past, but as Qin Niu continued to rise rapidly and gain fortune, Wang Haikun became as insignificant as a speck of dust.


    To put it bluntly, Qin Niu could easily crush him with a single finger.


    Qin Niu followed Auntie Hua to her home.


    Auntie Hua¡¯s daughter slept in the inner room, separated only by a wall from Auntie Hua¡¯s room.


    There were no signs of struggle inside the room.


    Neither the door nor the windows had been tampered with.


    For families like Silver Coin¡¯s, who were slightly wealthier, if they had daughters, they would construct a loft.


    Since ancient times, there has been the saying of keeping daughters in lofty chambers.


    This, in fact, was to ensure the safety of daughters.


    Because the doors and windows of old were made of wood and easily breached by criminals who could then enter and commit crimes.


    Ancient women often pursued an ideal of delicate beauty.


    Not only were they easily frightened, but their bodies were also weak and powerless, easily subdued by criminals.


    If it were possible to build a loft and raise the daughter there, it would be much safer.


    Auntie Hua was poor and couldn¡¯t afford such a thing.


    Keeping her daughter in the rear room provided at least one added layer of protection.


    Qin Niu first looked at the body hanging from the beam, its lower half undressed, hung by a white silk and dead. The tongue was sticking out of the mouth, and the expression on the face did not show fright or pain; instead, it was somewhat tranquil.


    The already washed-out bedsheet had a large stain of blood on it.


    Qin Niu leaned closer to examine carefully.


    The substance did not seem like ordinary blood, as it appeared to be mixed with some transparent fluid.


    ¡°Could this be amniotic fluid?¡±


    Having made this discovery, Qin Niu looked once again at the body¡¯s abdomen.


    This time, there was a new finding.


    He saw shallow purple lines, spanning from the entire abdomen to the top of the thighs, like the pattern of a watermelon.


    These were stretch marks from pregnancy.


    ¡°Auntie Hua, do you know if your daughter had a man in her life?¡±


    ¡°Master Qin, what do you mean by that? My daughter was still a virgin, and even though she did go out sometimes, she was always obedient and sensible. If she really had a man, she would have definitely told me.¡±


    ¡°This is odd, looking at her stomach, it seems she was pregnant, and the bloodstain on this bedsheet, it doesn¡¯t look like simple bleeding, but rather like blood mixed with amniotic fluid after giving birth.¡±


    Qin Niu did not understand these women¡¯s matters very well.


    He had only heard them mentioned in passing by villagers during idle chatter.


    Especially the women in their forties and fifties, who loved to gossip about the households east and west, discussing nothing but the scandals of the village.


    Upon hearing this, Auntie Hua wiped away her tears and stepped forward to look closely.


    Her complexion changed slightly.


    Being experienced herself, she immediately knew there was truth to Qin Niu¡¯s words.


    ¡°Was your daughter acting normally last night when you came home?¡±


    ¡°She was normal! Didn¡¯t that plague-stricken Zhang Banzui predict a disaster would befall my house within a month? She¡¯s my only daughter. To be on the safe side, I didn¡¯t let her out even yesterday.


    When I came home from your place, I even brought her some food she loves.


    She had a very good appetite and ate it all up.


    I washed feet with her and watched her go back to her room to sleep.¡±


    Auntie Hua recounted the events of last night.


    Who could have imagined that, after just one night, she and her daughter would be separated by life and death.


    ¡°Did you sleep in the room next door all night?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear any noise?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a heavy sleeper, I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    Auntie Hua answered.


    ¡°Then have you noticed any strange behaviors in your daughter recently?¡±


    Qin Niu remembered that Auntie Hua¡¯s daughter had gone to the city to look for a job not long ago.


    And she had worked for about two or three months, returning to the family home around half a month ago, and had not gone out since.


    If she really was pregnant, whose child was she carrying?


    After the baby in her belly was born, where did it go?


    The doors and windows were intact, and it didn¡¯t look like the place had been intruded by criminals.


    ¡°Speaking of strange behaviors, there really were some abnormalities; her appetite was noticeably larger than before. One day I even saw her sitting on the edge of the bed in the middle of the night, smiling while looking into the mirror.


    Additionally, her body had grown much fatter than before.


    When I asked her about it, she just said that she had been eating well while working in the city, which is why she gained weight.¡±


    Now that Auntie Hua reflected on it closely, she realized her daughter had exhibited quite a few abnormal behaviors.


    ¡°Exactly what job was she doing in the city?¡±


    Qin Niu pressed on.


    The people of Shuangfeng Village were relatively simple, and it was improbable for there to be such vicious individuals capable of murder or causing harm.


    Even Wang Haikun, who was normally fierce, had not killed anyone before.


    At most, he did some wicked things, beat someone up, extorted some Silver Coin and valuables, or harassed someone else¡¯s wife.

 Chapter 346 - Chapter 346: Chapter 339: The Bloodiest Parasite_1

    Chapter 346: Chapter 339: The Bloodiest Parasite_1


    If the murderer wasn¡¯t from the village, then they must certainly be an outsider.


    Yesterday, Qin Niu held a wedding, and there were many guests who came from the city.


    But these guests were all respected figures, or kindhearted Talisman Masters like Bei Bing. There were no criminals who engaged in evil deeds.


    After ruling out these factors, Qin Niu suspected that Aunt Hua¡¯s daughter¡¯s death might have already been foreshadowed during her time working in the city.


    ¡°I¡¯m not clear on what kind of work she did there, only that her employer required her to keep it a secret. The salary they gave was generous, too. In three months, she brought back a total of Two Silver Money and five coins.


    I noticed she was much paler and also chubbier than when she left, and the clothes she wore were made of fine fabric.


    It seems her job in the city must have been quite good,¡±


    Aunt Hua said with a hint of pride in her tone when mentioning her daughter¡¯s work.


    A girl without any skills, earning Two Silver Money and five coins in just three months of work in the city.


    Almost more than eight coins a month.


    Even grown men can hardly earn such a wage.


    She was earning such a high salary, and her job required secrecy¡ªcould it be that after entering the city, she became a prostitute?


    Women, especially slightly pretty young girls without skills or connections, don¡¯t have many ways to make quick money.


    Apart from being a prostitute in the city, Qin Niu could not think of any other job that paid so well.


    ¡°Why did she quit such a high-paying job? Just work for one or two years, and that¡¯s enough to buy an acre of good farmland. Then, wouldn¡¯t your family be set for life?¡±


    Qin Niu believed that Aunt Hua must also have had this calculation in mind.


    With money, everyone thinks of buying land.


    If your family owns ten or more acres of good farmland, you would basically have no worries about food and clothing for a lifetime if you live frugally.


    ¡°I did ask her about this, but she refused to say. I¡¯m afraid she was dismissed by her employer and must have been very upset, so I did not press further on the matter.¡±


    Aunt Hua knew next to nothing about her daughter¡¯s job.


    This made Qin Niu even more certain that her daughter¡¯s death was related to that particular job in the city.


    ¡°Were there other people who went to the city to work with your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Wang Haikun¡¯s wife and He Saixiang from Daoyuan Village, the three of them went together.¡±


    Many women from the villages choose to go to the city to work in groups.


    They can look out for each other.


    The cities are complex with diverse people, and village girls are easily exploited and deceived.


    But married women usually don¡¯t go to the city for work.


    It¡¯s mostly unmarried girls, around fourteen or fifteen years old, trying to make some money.


    ¡°Wang Haikun¡¯s wife went to the city for work too? How come I¡¯ve never heard anyone mention it?¡± Qin Niu was surprised.


    Wang Haikun¡¯s wife was not tall, reasonably pretty, but also not young, well into her thirties.


    What could she be doing in the city?


    ¡°Perhaps she was worried about gossip, so she kept it secret from everyone. Her salary was a bit lower than my daughter¡¯s. I heard she also brought back Two Silver Money in three months.¡±


    As Aunt Hua spoke, she caught sight of her daughter¡¯s body and couldn¡¯t help but sob with the grief welling up from within.


    Qin Niu helped bring down the body.


    The body had already stiffened.


    ¡°Aunt Hua, you dress her first. This matter is full of strangeness; once I find out the real murderer, I will surely seek justice for your daughter.¡±


    Having said this, Qin Niu left Aunt Hua¡¯s home and hurriedly ran toward Wang Haikun¡¯s house.


    Ever since Qin Niu had cut off one of Wang Haikun¡¯s arms and had him kneel outside his house for public display, the two had not interacted with each other.


    During Qin Niu¡¯s wedding, everyone in the village attended, except for Wang Haikun.


    As for whether Wang Haikun¡¯s wife showed up, Qin Niu really hadn¡¯t paid attention.


    Now that Aunt Hua¡¯s daughter was dead, hopefully, nothing had happened to Wang Haikun¡¯s wife.


    When Qin Niu reached the exterior of Wang Haikun¡¯s house, he barely heard some noises coming from inside.


    He immediately knocked on the door with force.


    ¡°Wang Haikun, open the door quickly!¡±


    After a good while, the door opened.


    Wang Haikun reeked of alcohol, his hair was a mess, and his whole person seemed to have aged over twenty years compared to before.


    Having one arm chopped off by Qin Niu and being harshly reprimanded had been a huge blow for Wang Haikun. He had been living in pain and hatred.


    And he had lost all face in the village.


    ¡°It¡¯s you! Are you here to mock me?¡±


    Wang Haikun, upon seeing Qin Niu, hesitated for a moment before attempting to close the door.


    ¡°Where is your wife?¡±


    If Qin Niu possessed the cultivation of the Innate Realm, he could¡¯ve effortlessly pushed the door open, and Wang Haikun¡¯s single hand wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.


    The door was pushed open, and Wang Haikun staggered, almost falling over.


    ¡°My wife is pregnant. What, what do you want to do?¡±


    Wang Haikun thought that Qin Niu was like him, someone who specifically bullied other people¡¯s wives.


    ¡°Is your wife really pregnant?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Wang Haikun clenched his teeth, his expression somewhat fierce.


    ¡°I warned her, if the child turns out to be like me, all would be well. But if it resembles Xie Laizi, I will definitely kill her and the bastard child,¡± Wang Haikun was not particularly bright.


    Previously, Qin Niu had used a scheme to sow seeds of doubt in him about his wife having an illicit affair behind his back with Xie Laizi.


    This matter was like a thorn in Wang Haikun¡¯s side, one he could not let go of.


    His domestic violence against his wife was mostly fueled by this issue.


    Unable to bear the family abuse, Wang Haikun¡¯s wife had thought of going to the city to work.


    Xie Laizi had long been dead.


    Yet, Wang Haikun still suspected that his wife was pregnant with Xie Laizi¡¯s child.


    ¡°Take me to see your wife immediately, it might be too late if we delay.¡±


    Qin Niu burst into the house without further explanation.


    In the east bedroom, he saw Wang Haikun¡¯s wife lying on the bed.


    Dressed in silk underwear, her belly protruded mightily.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Master Qin, please, get out of here.¡±


    Startled by Qin Niu¡¯s sudden entrance, she hastily grabbed the blanket to cover herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move; let me look at your belly.¡±


    Qin Niu approached the bed and lifted the blanket.


    Wang Haikun followed closely behind.


    Seeing this scene, his fists clenched so tight they nearly leaked water.


    ¡°Qin Niu, murdering doesn¡¯t exceed beyond the line of baldness. If you attempt to violate my wife, even if it costs me my life, I will defend a man¡¯s dignity to the death,¡± Wang Haikun had just exchanged blows with Qin Niu and was acutely aware of Qin Niu¡¯s terrifying level of cultivation.


    He couldn¡¯t hope to compete.


    But seeing Qin Niu seemingly about to dishonor his pregnant wife, he was ready to fight to the death.


    On this matter, Wang Haikun was a passionate man.


    Much stronger than that coward in the village.


    ¡°Do you think everyone is like you? Always doing despicable things? I am here to save your wife.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s face was stern.


    Did he find Wang Haikun¡¯s wife attractive when he had his own delicate and beautiful wives and concubines?


    What a joke.


    He placed his hand on Wang Haikun¡¯s wife¡¯s belly, feeling for the condition of the fetus inside.


    Thump!


    Thump!


    It was like the sound of a drum.


    ¡°Confess honestly, what exactly was the work you did in the city? I am telling you, Aunt Hua¡¯s daughter is dead. She, like you, was also pregnant.¡±


    Qin Niu glared at Wang Haikun¡¯s wife, interrogating her.


    ¡°What? Sister Hua¡¯s daughter is dead?¡±


    Her complexion changed.


    ¡°They discovered it just this morning. She must have died last night. You better tell me the truth quickly; it might just save your life. We are running out of time.¡±


    Qin Niu urged her repeatedly.


    He had a hunch that perhaps the fetuses they carried were not human.


    From the book ¡°Breeding Insects Secrets¡± by Elder Jiu Yin of the Jiu Yin sect, he knew that the Nine Insect Gang had some special techniques for breeding insects. They had humans carry the offspring, and the resulting insects would be extraordinary.

 Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: Chapter 340 High Salary Trap_1

    Chapter 347: Chapter 340 High Salary Trap_1


    Especially, the immortal text he obtained recorded the methods of refining and controlling Puppet Gu Secret Technique among the southern border¡¯s Gu techniques.


    It also mentioned the secret method of breeding Gu by feeding them human blood.


    Humans are considered the most intelligent special creatures in the world, and no other species can compare with humans.


    Many Gu Masters believe that the ultimate purpose of refining Gu is to deal with humans or assist the Gu Master themselves, so using humans to breed Gu insects achieves better results.


    Another point is that humans are the most spiritual beings in the world, and Gu born from human women understand human nature and possess high intelligence.


    Ever since the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was established, Gu Masters had essentially vanished from sight.


    For many years, no Gu Master had appeared.


    Even Elder Jiu Yin, who had fortuitously obtained the Puppet Gu Secret Technique, only dared to secretly study and practice it.


    The sudden emergence of such a cruel Gu refining technique, using human bodies to breed Gu, and its appearance in the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory, was by no means a trivial matter.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but recall the matter of someone living in Old Master Huang¡¯s courtyard again.


    If it really was someone from the Nine Insect Gang living there, then it definitely was one of their strongholds.


    ¡°Whose bastard child are you carrying in your womb? Speak!¡±


    The veins on Wang Haikun¡¯s neck bulged as he glared at his wife with a vicious look.


    She was obviously somewhat frightened of her husband.


    She must have been a frequent victim of domestic violence.


    She closed her eyes, and tears welled up, rolling down from her temples onto the pillow.


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    Seeing Wang Haikun¡¯s shout actually made her unwilling to speak, Qin Niu realized.


    Time was precious now, and Wang Haikun¡¯s wife could succumb at any moment; by then, it would be impossible to extract any useful information from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving!¡±


    Wang Haikun was still worried that Qin Niu might do something excessive to his wife.


    Without a word, Qin Niu grabbed Wang Haikun and threw him out.


    ¡°Alright, now you can talk. I¡¯m here to save you,¡± Qin Niu said to Wang Haikun¡¯s wife.


    She opened her eyes again and gave Qin Niu a complex look.


    ¡°Did Sister Hua¡¯s daughter really die?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Did she give birth to the child?¡±


    ¡°She must have, but there was no trace of the child. She herself was found hanged from a beam. If I¡¯m not wrong, what you¡¯re carrying in your womb is similar to what she had, not a real fetus. Moreover, I suspect that Sister Hua¡¯s daughter didn¡¯t hang herself but was controlled by the thing in her womb.¡±


    Qin Niu had seen some of the bloody records in the Puppet Gu Secret Technique.


    Almost all Gu cultivation methods are extremely evil and bloody.


    Raising Gu means letting a pile of insects fight each other to the death. The one insect that emerges victorious is entitled to breeding. After feeding, it continues to the next round of deadly struggle.


    Some Gu Masters, to avoid these complicated and lengthy processes, would choose more sinister methods to cultivate them.


    Like using living people to nourish the Gu, often virgin boys and girls.


    Others use special carriers like pregnant women.


    ¡°My husband began to beat and scold me several months ago, constantly suspecting that I was having an affair with Xie Laizi. No matter how I explained, he wouldn¡¯t listen. Life at home was unbearable, so I, along with Sister Hua¡¯s daughter and He Saixiang from Daoyuan Village, went to the city hoping to find jobs.


    We were lucky because we saw a big household recruiting female workers, and the salary was quite good.


    We agreed to five pieces of Silver Money per month, with a bonus for good work.


    Once we went in, we started off with laundry, cooking, and meat chopping.


    That household needed a large amount of meat chopped every day, saying they had opened a dumpling restaurant in the city. But we never saw our employer take the chopped meat out of their residence. We didn¡¯t dare to ask too much; we just did what we were told.¡±


    Wang Haikun¡¯s wife was recounting her experience of going to the city to work.


    Behind high salaries, there often lies a trap.


    Every day, I just washed clothes, cooked meals, and chopped meat. For this, I was paid five pieces of Silver Money per month, with the prospect of additional rewards. How could such a windfall, like pie falling from the sky, be possible for a few country women who had come to the city?


    ¡°What kind of meat were you chopping every day?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    Even wealthy families who didn¡¯t lack money had a limit to how much meat they could eat.


    Because a family can only consume so much in a day.


    The richer the people, the stingier they are. They may eat meat themselves, but the servants definitely do not receive the same treatment.


    ¡°It seems like all kinds of meat. Chicken, pork, beef, mutton, dog meat¡­ I¡¯ve chopped all types of meat. And the meat the master gave us always had blood in it and we weren¡¯t allowed to wash it. He said this made the dumpling filling taste better.¡±


    As Qin Niu had suspected, there definitely was something wrong with this family¡¯s master.


    Making dumpling filling is all about the aroma of the meat; I have never heard of anyone deliberately wanting a bloody flavor in their dumplings.


    Only those rearing Gu need a large amount of blood alimentation.


    The Gu must be enticed by blood.


    They are very particular about their food; they crave blood and will not feed without it.


    ¡°How many of you were there chopping meat?¡±


    ¡°Roughly seven or eight, it wasn¡¯t very fixed. Besides us three from Jade Stream Town, there were also several from other places. All country women.¡±


    ¡°How much meat did you have to chop every day?¡±


    ¡°I estimate we chopped over a hundred pounds a day. The master required us to chop it very finely, until it became like minced meat. The first time, the meat I chopped was a bit coarse, and the master was somewhat unhappy. He made me work through the night to mince the meat finer before allowing me to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Have you always been doing work like washing clothes, cooking, and chopping meat?¡±


    ¡°At first, yes. Later, one of the sisters secretly told me that if I wanted to earn a lot of money, I could ask the master for some private work. If I could get it done, I would be paid at least ten pieces of Silver Money. Hearing about such a large sum, I was tempted. I thought that if I could earn more money to take home, it might make my husband a bit happier and stop him from beating and scolding me every day.¡±


    Women actually have a very pitiable existence.


    After marriage, they almost completely become their husband¡¯s private property.


    If the husband is affectionate, life can be very happy. But if the husband loathes her, there¡¯s nothing worse than being beaten and abused daily.


    What¡¯s more frightening than domestic abuse is receiving the bill of divorce from the husband¡¯s family.


    This is also why many women, despite being abused and scolded in their husband¡¯s family, still take care of their husbands cautiously. Because after being divorced, they face the predicament of having nowhere to go.


    Rejected by their natal family and driven out by their husband¡¯s family, they have no place to turn, and their fates become extremely tragic.


    Especially for older women who have lost their youthful beauty, being driven out of their homes means death is their only remaining prospect.


    ¡°What private work did you take on?¡±


    Qin Niu speculated that she and Auntie Hua¡¯s daughter¡¯s pregnancy could both be related to taking on this private work.


    Could it be that the master had slept with her?


    Sleeping once for ten pieces of Silver Money wasn¡¯t a low price.


    But for an unmarried virgin, ten pieces of Silver Money would definitely be too little.


    ¡°I can¡¯t bring myself to say it.¡±


    Her expression showed embarrassment and unease.


    ¡°Slept with the master?¡± Qin Niu directly asked.


    ¡°No! The master is very decent, he has never harassed us.¡±


    She shook her head in denial.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t say. You better speak quickly, otherwise, once you start to react, no one will be able to save you.¡±


    Qin Niu urged her.

 Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: Chapter 341 Birth of the Blood Spider_1

    Chapter 348: Chapter 341 Birth of the Blood Spider_1


    ¡°Please Master Qin, promise me you won¡¯t speak of this matter.¡±


    After much hesitation, to save her own life, she decided to reveal the truth.


    But it involved a woman¡¯s honor and chastity, and absolutely could not be leaked.


    Otherwise, she would never be able to lift her head in the village for the rest of her life and would be subject to people¡¯s finger-pointing.


    ¡°I promise you, it won¡¯t go any further.¡±


    Qin Niu nodded earnestly.


    Only then did she let go of her worries. ¡°The employer had me bathe thoroughly and then sit in a tub full of bloody water. Just by sitting there for one night, I could have three days off from work and even receive an additional reward of One Tael of Silver.


    When I sat in it, I felt disgusted and a little scared.


    However¡­ after sitting for half an Hour, I felt a tingling numbness, which was quite comfortable. The next morning, I got out of the tub, cleaned myself off, and indeed received the One Tael of Silver that the employer had promised.


    Earning that One Tael of Silver was exceptionally easy.¡±


    An adult male working for a landlord for a year would earn only a basic wage of three Taels of Silver.


    Even with various subsidies and benefits, it would be less than four Taels of Silver.


    She merely sat in a tub full of fresh blood for one night and earned One Tael of Silver, which indeed seemed too easy.


    Yet, as an adult, she didn¡¯t consider the consequences.


    Where in this world is there a free lunch?


    For such a sum of money, there must be a price to pay.


    ¡°About a month or so later, I began to feel nauseated at the smell of cooking oil, but the smell of blood seemed especially comfortable, almost fragrant. Also, I often vomited during meals.


    My stomach slowly started to bulge out.


    I knew there was a possibility I was pregnant.


    The employer took great care of me, and the few of us who did private work for him had meat at every meal. At first, it was cooked meat served in a big bowl. Later, they started giving me raw meat to eat.


    My belly grew bigger day by day.


    Then, around three months later, the employer called me over and told me that the dumpling restaurant¡¯s business had worsened, and he asked me to go home and wait for news. When they needed manpower again, they would send someone to take me to the city.


    He also told me to give birth to the child in my stomach and that afterwards, the employer would give me ten more Taels of Silver.


    So I came back.


    Flower¡¯s daughter returned on the same day as I did.


    Now that I think about it carefully, the whole situation is filled with oddities. You say that Flower¡¯s daughter is dead, and I¡¯m terrified, worried that whatever is inside my belly might cost me my life.¡±


    Even if she was foolish, she knew that what was inside her was by no means human.


    It was likely related to sitting in a tub filled with blood for one night.


    ¡°Now, the only option is to find a way to remove the thing in your belly. That employer who hired you certainly knows the antidote. If we can find him, you can be saved. Where does he live in the city? I¡¯ll find a way to reach him.¡±


    Qin Niu pressed for the employer¡¯s address.


    No matter whether that person was a disciple of the Nine Insect Gang or not, since he had killed Aunt Flower¡¯s daughter, he could not be forgiven.


    The act of using a living person as a surrogate to incubate Gu was extremely evil.


    If this person was not eliminated, more innocent women would continue to die tragically.


    And the longer the delay, the more Gu the man would cultivate, making him harder to deal with later on.


    Just how powerful the Gu arts of the Southern Border were, Qin Niu did not know.


    He only knew that even the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect had been extremely wary of them in the past.


    ¡°Oh no¡­ My, my stomach feels like it¡¯s about to burst, it hurts, it¡¯s so painful!¡±


    She suddenly cried out in agony, her expression turning fierce.


    Her eyeballs began to show bloodlines at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in an instant, her eyes turned into terrifying blood-red pupils.


    Covered with bloodlines of all sizes.


    Seeing all this, Qin Niu¡¯s face turned solemn.


    He had planned to get the employer¡¯s address from Wang Haikun¡¯s wife and then take him down, naturally obtaining the antidote in the process.


    He hadn¡¯t expected her to act up so quickly.


    ¡°Uh¡­ it hurts so much, my stomach feels like it¡¯s splitting open!¡±


    Her screams grew even more piercing.


    ¡°Wife, wife!¡±


    Wang Haikun stumbled his way in.


    After Qin Niu had thrown him out the door, this young man was too scared to come in, yet he did not leave. Instead, he stayed outside the door, eavesdropping.


    The door was never shut.


    Seeing his wife in agony, Wang Haikun knew that she might die.


    His heart was filled with remorse.


    He had always abused his wife, suspecting her of having an affair with Xie Laizi. It was only now that he realized what his wife was carrying was not human at all. She had never betrayed Wang Haikun.


    ¡°Haikun¡­ I¡¯ve never betrayed you! After I die, you must live a good life, don¡¯t get drunk anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    She looked at Wang Haikun tearfully.


    Perhaps because of the excruciating pain in her belly, she cried out in agony again. Sweat quickly soaked her hair.


    A large patch of fresh blood appeared on the bedding beneath her, expanding rapidly.


    The amniotic fluid had broken.


    Her body arched upward, her hands clutching the bedsheet tightly, and her bones made cracking noises.


    The blood and fluid flowing from beneath her continued to increase. A layer of black air enveloped her face.


    She looked extremely terrifying.


    ¡°Master Qin, Master Qin, save me! I beg you to overlook my past offenses and save my wife. I am willing to work like an ox or a horse for you in the future.¡±


    As Wang Haikun saw his wife fading, he collapsed with a bang, kneeling before Qin Niu.


    Pleading for him to save his wife.


    He knew very well that only Qin Niu had the ability to save her.


    Now, it seemed her labor had reached a certain stage; she was no longer able to make any noise, and her face had turned purplish-black.


    ¡°We have to let her give birth to whatever is inside her belly first, then figure out what to do.¡±


    Qin Niu was neither a doctor nor a Gu Master.


    He did not have a good way to save her.


    Even if he were a Gu Master, without knowing which Gu was planted by someone else, he would have no way to handle it.


    Wang Haikun¡¯s wife had already pulled down her trousers by herself, and a bloodied orb rolled out.


    It burst open, and from inside emerged a creature with eight legs.


    It was dark red all over, resembling a spider but not entirely.


    On its back were profound dark black patterns forming a unique rune. Faint, thread-like sparks flashed across its body.


    ¡°This, this¡­ how could my wife give birth to a spider?¡±


    Wang Haikun was terrified.


    He scrambled out of the way in panic.


    Qin Niu, however, had already been waiting, ready to act.


    ¡°Fourth, control it.¡±


    Fourth had already been stationed there with a group of Puppet Ants, waiting for this Gu creature to be born.


    Upon receiving Qin Niu¡¯s command, its antennae targeted the Blood Spider.


    The same was true for the other Termite ants.


    The fleeing Blood Spider froze mid-escape, then stopped moving on the bedsheet.


    But it wasn¡¯t immediately under control.


    It was clear to see that the Blood Spider was formidable.


    Keep in mind that Fourth was already on the verge of advancing to Grade Four, infinitely close to Grade Five.


    It and the rest of the Puppet Ants were battle-hardened, skilled in using spiritual power to manipulate their enemies; they were extremely proficient.


    Yet at this moment, they could not immediately subdue the Blood Spider.


    Not because they were too weak, but because this Blood Spider was too powerful.


    Qin Niu took out a metal cage and covered the Blood Spider with it.


    As it got startled, it darted forward and managed to easily slip through the gaps of the metal cage.

 Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: Chapter 342 Fourth Swallows the Gu_1

    Chapter 349: Chapter 342 Fourth Swallows the Gu_1


    The metal cage for containing insects had very small gaps.


    Yet it could escape through these gaps like water, which indicated that its body possessed the capability to morph.


    This was also one of the most basic abilities of a Gu.


    Disperse to become gas, gather to take form.


    This Blood Spider had already begun to master this skill. The nine Taiyin Yaoyaos that Elder Jiu Yin kept also had this ability.


    When they were a whole, the Insect Jar couldn¡¯t contain them at all.


    Only by cutting them in half and imprisoning them separately could they prevent their escape.


    When Elder Jiu Yin confidently left eight Taiyin Yaoyaos by the Tianshui River to deal with Master He Shan, he counted on their special ability to be impervious to swords and challenging to imprison.


    With these two abilities, their safety was basically secured.


    However, they encountered the anomaly Qin Niu, who had a large group of Termites capable of Spirit Control. In a twist of fate, they found a way to imprison Taiyin Yaoyaos.


    As for this Blood Spider, it certainly couldn¡¯t be imprisoned with the same method.


    Because it didn¡¯t possess the immortal body of the Taiyin Yaoyao.


    Qin Niu wanted to keep this Blood Spider for research.


    It was best not to kill it.


    He tried taking out another Insect Jar, this time made of bamboo, with no holes.


    With Fourth¡¯s assistance, they once again successfully captured the Blood Spider within the bamboo tube.


    But it escaped again.


    It seemed that as long as there was a gap, no matter how small, it could get out.


    Although it had not yet reached the Gu¡¯s state of being formless and traceless, its ability was already very formidable.


    After escaping this time, it even pounced towards Qin Niu, attempting to bite him.


    Frightened, Qin Niu hastily activated his King Pig Leather Armor with his internal power, forming a protective energy armor around his body.


    Gu poison was extremely difficult to resolve.


    Even an Immortal Master, if poisoned by a Gu, would lose half their life if not die.


    Qin Niu did not dare let it invade his body.


    Spiders belong to a large family among the arthropods.


    They are divided into several orders: Araneae, Scorpiones, Pseudoscorpiones, Solifugae, Amblypygi, Ricinulei, Palpigradi, Thelyphonida, Opiliones, Schizomida, and Acari. Nearly every order has its terrifying entities.


    For example, the notorious Day Evasion Spider from the deserts, which could annihilate an entire nest of ants all by itself.


    It¡¯s one of the few ground spiders that isn¡¯t afraid of group attacks.


    The exact species of this Blood Spider was unclear; it somewhat resembled the Pseudoscorpiones but not entirely.


    Seeing it attack humans, Qin Niu gave up the idea of capturing it alive.


    Mainly because he hadn¡¯t seriously learned the Gu Control Technique and simply couldn¡¯t contain this Blood Spider.


    ¡°Fourth, here¡¯s your chance to grow stronger; eat it directly.¡±


    Qin Niu decided to let Fourth consume this nourishing entity.


    A Blood Spider conceived from a human host, half-insect and half-Gu, was definitely a nourishing delicacy.


    Fourth was already chomping at the bit to attack.


    It had been stuck at the peak of Grade Four for many days and had long wished to advance a level.


    But being an extremely rare War Demon Ant, it faced much more difficulty in advancing than other special Termites. Thus, it had not been able to do so.


    Theoretically, the more powerful the creature, the more difficult it is to advance.


    They naturally belonged to unique species favored by the heavens and earth.


    Nature was very fair, giving every species advantages while also imbuing them with disadvantages.


    There¡¯s a flaw in the heavenly way; nothing without a blemish can last.


    There is no person or thing in the world that is perfect. Every person, every item, and every creature has its strengths and weaknesses.


    Powerful creatures not only experience difficulty in advancing but generally have poor reproductive capabilities as well.


    As Fourth rushed out, the other Puppet Ants simultaneously performed Spirit Control on the Blood Spider.


    Although it was formidable, facing such a multitude of Termites¡¯ attack, and especially the most devious Mental Attack, it immediately fell into a sluggish state.


    Fourth had already pounced on its body, starting to devour the Blood Spider.


    A horrifying scene unfolded.


    The Blood Spider actually transformed into a cloud of blood mist, voluntarily merging into Fourth¡¯s body.


    ¡°No good! It¡¯s trying to fight back!¡±


    Qin Niu had read the scriptures on Puppet Ants, giving him some understanding of the characteristics of gu.


    Immediately realizing its intent when it allowed itself to be consumed by Fourth, he knew it was already too late.


    It entangled itself with Fourth¡¯s body, enveloping Fourth¡¯s form in blood mist, which then solidified into a blood cocoon.


    ¡°Fourth, don¡¯t panic. I believe you can definitely overcome it. Make good use of your home-field advantage.¡±


    Qin Niu encouraged Fourth.


    After all, the body belonged to Fourth, who was the host, with the Blood Spider as the guest. Now that the Blood Spider wanted to usurp the host¡¯s role, it didn¡¯t have the advantage of terrain.


    To prevent Fourth¡¯s battle with the blood cocoon from any interference, Qin Niu placed the blood cocoon directly into a bamboo tube.


    Such a struggle was hard for outsiders to assist with.


    Fourth had to rely on his own strength to conquer the Blood Spider.


    This was also a good trial for Fourth.


    It was like cultivators facing the tribulation of thunder, a disaster, but also an opportunity for transformation.


    After the tribulation, the cultivator would experience a complete metamorphosis in every way.


    Qin Niu secured the blood cocoon and turned towards Wang Haikun¡¯s wife.


    Her lower half was still bleeding profusely, eyes bloodshot and vacant.


    ¡°Wife, wife! I¡¯ll never hit you again; I¡¯ll never scold you again. Wake up, wake up¡­¡±


    Wang Haikun cradled his wife, calling out to her nonstop.


    Who would have thought that such a bully would have his conscience awakened one day?


    Seeing his wife in such a tragic state, and upon learning that she had not betrayed him, Wang Haikun recalled his past abusive behavior towards her, his heart filled with guilt and regret.


    If he hadn¡¯t been so abusive, driving her to leave home to work and earn money in the city¡­


    Most women, after getting married, would stay at home to support their husbands, raising children, and helping with farming and such.


    ¡°He he¡­¡±


    Wang Haikun¡¯s wife made a strange noise as if it emanated from deep within her belly.


    Qin Niu watched her intently, waiting for the next development.


    Her body arched backward again, her abdomen protruding extremely high, with a cracking sound emanating from her bones.


    Then, in a swift motion, she stood up straight.


    Wang Haikun was strong, even with only one arm remaining, it was no problem for him to hold his wife who had just given birth.


    Yet, she flung him away effortlessly.


    He stumbled and fell to the ground.


    His wife, He Yue, grabbed a long silk ribbon from the bedside, climbed onto a table, and accurately tossed it over the roof beam.


    Next, she tied a noose with the ribbon that went over the beam, tightened it, and then slipped her head through it.


    This scene was almost identical to what had happened to Flower Auntie¡¯s daughter.


    If no one was present, she would surely hang herself from the beam.


    Qin Niu suspected that there must be a gu inside her, controlling her thoughts.


    Otherwise, these actions would¡¯ve been impossible.


    ¡°Master Qin, I beg you, save my wife, hurry!¡±


    Wang Haikun scrambled to his feet, lunged forward to save her, but his wife kicked him away, then leaped forward, her body suspended in mid-air.


    The silk ribbon around her neck tightened.


    The expression on her face remained serene, with no sign of pain.


    Qin Niu was thoroughly creeped out.


    Gu techniques were too frightening.


    They killed silently.


    Compared to Gu Masters, Insect Masters were merely juniors.

 Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Chapter 343: Twin Gu_1

    Chapter 350: Chapter 343: Twin Gu_1


    ¡°He Yue, wake up!¡±


    Qin Niu leapt forward and slashed through the long silk, then lifted the person and firmly landed on the ground.


    He Yue tried to grab him with a force so strong that it was at least equivalent to the strength of an ordinary person with a threefold cultivation.


    How could such a weak woman, who had just given birth, have such great strength?


    No wonder Wang Haikun was kicked away by her with a single blow.


    This also made Qin Niu even more certain that there was still a Gu inside her body.


    If there was still a Gu inside He Yue¡¯s body, then did Hua¡¯s daughter¡¯s body also contain one?


    Or is it that only after the person died can the Gu in their body leave?


    Bearing a Gu to nurture it must definitely have some restrictions.


    And almost all Gu are paired.


    They are divided into male and female or mother and child.


    The Gu controller usually controls the mother Gu or the female Gu, then releases the other male Gu or child Gu to reside in the enemy¡¯s body.


    It could also be in the body of a beloved one.


    For example, with the love Gu, a female Gu Master stealthily places the male Gu onto her lover. If the lover¡¯s heart changes, she will know and render the most ferocious revenge.


    There are also some male Gu Masters who use the love Gu to control beautiful women, with the goal of possessing them.


    Anyway, no matter the situation, it¡¯s basically a pair of Gu.


    Qin Niu pondered to himself that both He Yue and Hua¡¯s daughter bore Gu in their bodies, and they had now also finished giving birth. If the person behind the scenes still wanted to take their lives, making them commit suicide by hanging themselves,


    there would only be two purposes for doing so.


    One is to kill them to cover up all truths, and the other is to allow the mother Gu inside them to come out.


    If the person doesn¡¯t die, the mother Gu inside them could possibly stay there for a lifetime.


    In that case, the person behind the scenes wouldn¡¯t be able to control the Blood Spiders that were nurtured.


    After clarifying his thoughts, Qin Niu inwardly sighed in regret.


    If Hua¡¯s daughter could have been discovered earlier, she might not have died.


    When they rescued her, her body was already stiff, and the mother Gu inside probably had long since escaped.


    Now that the mother Gu inside He Yue¡¯s body was still there, as long as they found a way to remove it, He Yue would be saved too.


    Qin Niu held onto He Yue, but she was desperately struggling, and seeing she couldn¡¯t break free, she even tried to bite people.


    ¡°He Yue, cooperate with me, I am trying to find a way to save you,¡±


    Qin Niu shouted at her.


    But it had no effect whatsoever, as she seemed to have been completely controlled by the mother Gu¡¯s mind, indifferent to everything in the external world.


    Seeing her struggling like a madwoman, Qin Niu used the snapped long silk to directly tie up her hands and feet, and threw her on the ground.


    Even so, she still made strange ¡°he he¡± sounds and struggled fiercely, causing the long silk to make a tight ¡°zeng zeng¡± sound.


    Fortunately, the long silk was made of hemp and silk, very sturdy.


    Qin Niu specifically tied several loops, her strength was great, but she couldn¡¯t break free.


    ¡°Master Qin, what on earth has happened to my wife? Please, you must think of a way. As long as you can save my wife, I, Wang Haikun, swear here that I will never hold a grudge against you for breaking my arm, and will be a bull and a horse for you, Master Qin, serving as a servant and a slave,¡±


    At this moment, Wang Haikun was ready to do anything to save his wife.


    His family¡¯s financial condition couldn¡¯t be said to be good, just slightly better than the average commoner.


    After all, exploiting the villagers of his own village couldn¡¯t earn too much Silver Money.


    Being able to collect three or four taels of silver a year would be the limit.


    In reality, he couldn¡¯t get such a large benefit. Everyone was not rich; being bullied by him, they could at most give a tip of ten or twenty wen.


    And the villagers he could bully were not many.


    For a large family like the Liu Family with many men, Wang Haikun couldn¡¯t control them at all.


    As for Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang, the two wealthy individuals in the village, he couldn¡¯t control either of them.


    Now asking Qin Niu to save his wife, all he could offer were the remaining twenty or thirty years of labor he had left.


    That¡¯s if he lives that long to reach such an age.


    He now only had one hand, and even his servitude to Qin Niu would be despised.


    ¡°As long as I can save her, I will certainly save her. First, go and get a large copper basin, and then gather some charcoal,¡±


    Qin Niu instructed.


    In the scriptures of the Puppet Gu Secret Technique, he had seen a crude method of driving out a Gu.


    One side was to roast with charcoal heat, while placing a basin near the victim¡¯s mouth and nose, filled with fresh blood.


    Gu insects are cold and evil creatures, and they fear charcoal heat.


    Using the fear induced by the charcoal heat to drive them out, and fresh blood as temptation on the other side, they would naturally emerge obediently from the victim¡¯s nostrils or mouth.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go prepare it immediately!¡±


    This time, Wang Haikun did not hesitate and hurriedly prepared the items Qin Niu needed.


    Qin Niu did not dare to leave.


    Because he feared that the mother Gu lurking inside He Yue would cause trouble.


    Only by capturing it could they feel at ease.


    Just the Blood Spider alone had already been very powerful, indicating the Gu inside them was extremely important to the one behind the scenes.


    This actually worked to Qin Niu¡¯s advantage.


    He wanted to expose the sinister culprit, and the best way was to use the Gu as bait, letting the enemy come to him.


    ¡°Master Qin, here are the copper basin and charcoal. What else do you need?¡±


    In order to save his wife, Wang Haikun was desperate.


    Luckily, his family had these two items on hand.


    ¡°Get a wooden bucket and some fresh blood. Pig¡¯s blood, chicken¡¯s blood, or sheep¡¯s blood will all do, just don¡¯t bring dog¡¯s blood,¡±


    Dogs belong to a very special kind of creature.


    Especially black dogs, their blood contains supreme yang energy.


    As a yin and evil creature, the Gu would instinctively reject the pure yang energy in dog¡¯s blood.


    Qin Niu took the copper basin and charcoal, lit them up, and then fanned the flames to make them more vigorous.


    After the charcoal heat became intense, He Yue, who lay on the bed struggling nonstop, seemed to move fearfully, trying to avoid the charcoal heat.


    Soon after Wang Haikun left, he heard the miserable cries of chickens and ducks.


    A moment later, he came in carrying a bucket.


    Inside the bucket, there was some fresh blood.


    Chicken and duck feathers could also be seen.


    ¡°Master Qin, do you think this is enough?¡±


    ¡°It is a bit less, but let¡¯s just try for now. Hold your wife¡¯s feet and raise her above the fire to roast,¡±


    Qin Niu commanded Wang Haikun to hold He Yue¡¯s feet.


    As soon as Wang Haikun, with his one arm, grabbed hold, he was forcefully kicked by her, causing him to fall down right in front of the bed. His mouth nearly knocked against the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Wife, don¡¯t struggle. I and Master Qin are trying to save you.¡±


    Wang Haikun, having seen his wife give birth to a Blood Tarantula from her belly and now become deranged and attempting to commit suicide, was completely bewildered and terrified as an ordinary villager who had never witnessed such bizarre occurrences.


    He thought this was the method of a high-level Gu Master murdering people.


    And since Qin Niu is also a Gu Master, he naturally followed his instructions without question.


    ¡°Hold on tight, we must act quickly. The longer we delay, the worse it is for her.¡±


    Having said that, Qin Niu directly grabbed He Yue¡¯s hands, while Wang Haikun held her feet, and they raised her above the charcoal fire to roast.


    She was only wearing a thin layer of clothing, so the roasting effect should be quite good.


    Since this method of driving out the Gu was Qin Niu¡¯s first attempt, he was completely uncertain.


    But he could only try.


    As time ticked by, He Yue kept struggling, but no Gu came out of her mouth. Instead, her clothing, under the continuous roasting from the charcoal fire, started to emit a scorched smell.

 Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: Chapter 344: Another Life Lost_1

    Chapter 351: Chapter 344: Another Life Lost_1


    Qin Niu also became uncertain.


    He could only wait and see.


    After a while, her eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    She made a retching sound, and her expression was no longer numb but revealed a hint of pain.


    Seeing this, Qin Niu actually felt a surge of happiness.


    A reaction was a sign of a good thing.


    If there had been no reaction, then it would mean the exorcism method was ineffective.


    ¡°Master Qin, we keep roasting my wife like this, and she seems to be struggling.¡±


    Wang Haikun was worried that the charcoal fire would burn his wife.


    Indeed, her body had begun to overheat, sweat had already soaked her face, dampening her hair.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Wah!¡±


    Splash!


    She vomited a mouthful of foul-smelling filth, her eyes rolled back, her body went rigid, and she spasmed continuously.


    It looked very much like the reaction of someone on the verge of death.


    ¡°Master Qin, if we keep roasting her like this, my wife will die.¡±


    Wang Haikun hurriedly moved his wife aside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, don¡¯t move. Let her keep roasting, trust me.¡±


    Qin Niu commanded.


    Life was at stake, and Wang Haikun clearly did not trust him, still wanting to carry his wife away to a safer place.


    At that moment, black blood began to flow from He Yue¡¯s nostrils.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    She let out an exceedingly mournful scream, and blood started to flow from her eyes as well.


    The scene was extremely frightening.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart sank; the Mother Gu was being forcibly expelled from her body, could it be out of spite, and now intended to destroy the host?


    Just as he was puzzled, a red spider crawled out from her left nostril.


    It dashed into the wooden bucket below in a blink.


    It plunged into the blood and disappeared instantly.


    The Gu was shadowless, traceless, formless, dissolving into the blood as soon as it entered.


    He Yue screamed once and then passed out.


    ¡°Your wife should be alive. You go fetch some river water and clean her up, burn all the blood-stained sheets and clothes.¡±


    After speaking, Qin Niu carried the bucket and promptly walked out of the room.


    The Mother Gu was in the blood within the bucket.


    It shouldn¡¯t come out now.


    Once it had consumed all the energy in the blood, it would emerge.


    It¡¯s a pity that he hadn¡¯t mastered the Gu Control Technique.


    Otherwise, he could have found a way to control this Mother Gu.


    But Qin Niu wasn¡¯t entirely without a means to deal with it.


    He carried the bucket directly to the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze and placed the bucket inside.


    Even though the Mother Gu could transform and escape from the Insect Jar as a wisp of blood, it should not be able to escape from the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    Keeping this Mother Gu, he had his own uses for it.


    After leaving the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, Qin Niu quickly headed to He Saixiang¡¯s home in Daoyuan Village.


    But it was still one step too late.


    Just as he arrived outside the house, he heard wails and cries of grief from inside. The person must have already died.


    It was fate sealed.


    Such matters involving the heavens, Qin Niu had no way of intervening.


    King Yama would not keep a person destined to die at the third watch until the fifth watch.


    If he had forcefully intervened, even if he had managed to save He Saixiang, he would have contracted a great karma.


    Upon entering the room, he saw He Saixiang¡¯s corpse drenched, as if just pulled out from the water.


    Her clothes had plenty of mud on them.


    ¡°Master Qin is here!¡±


    The crowd made way.


    Just yesterday, Qin Niu had his wedding and invited all the villagers from Shuangfeng Village and Daoyuan Village to his home for a banquet in celebration. Everyone had already gotten to know him.


    So many big shots attended Qin Niu¡¯s wedding yesterday, even two deputies from the Black Tiger Gang were present, making it hard for the villagers not to remember Qin Niu.


    Living in this region, one might not know who the Black Tiger Gang Leader is, but one must know who the local elites are.


    Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t even know how you died after offending someone you should not have.


    ¡°When did she die?¡±


    Qin Niu, accustomed to the fearful gazes cast his way, confronted the crowd.


    ¡°Master Qin, please seek justice for my daughter! She was always shy and timid, but sensible. She went to the city for work, and when she came back, I noticed her belly was swelling¡­¡±


    The deceased¡¯s mother wailed, recounting her daughter¡¯s cause of death.


    An unmarried pregnancy was an exceedingly shameful matter.


    Most would keep it tightly concealed, never speaking of it to outsiders.


    ¡°I asked you when she died!¡±


    Qin Niu had already inquired clearly about these three women¡¯s affairs.


    Now he wanted to know how long He Saixiang had been dead.


    To see if there was still a chance to catch the two Gu that were gestating inside her.


    ¡°She was just fished out of the well when you arrived. Not long ago, she clutched her stomach and went into the latrine, and after a while, she came out with blood on her trousers. I asked what happened, but she didn¡¯t speak.


    She walked to the backyard, and I saw her pull up the well bucket, thinking she wanted to draw some water to wash up.


    But unexpectedly, she fell right in.


    I was so frightened, I immediately called for help, but by the time she was pulled out, it was too late.¡±


    He Saixiang¡¯s mother described the circumstances of her daughter¡¯s death.


    Speaking of which, all three women had tragic lives.


    He Saixiang¡¯s father died early, and she was raised by her mother. It was said that her mother was a prostitute who reformed and married her father.


    People in the village often pointed fingers at He Saixiang¡¯s mother.


    He Saixiang, too, was implicated, being called a bastard and a child of sin since childhood, and ridiculed as the spawn of some wild man.


    This caused He Saixiang to become reclusive and taciturn from an early age.


    Her mother, lacking in understanding, didn¡¯t guide her daughter properly and often blamed her instead.


    When she saw her daughter return from working in the city for a few months with a big belly, she was so angry she beat her.


    She feared even more the gossip of the villagers once they found out.


    So much so that when she saw her daughter emerge from the latrine with bloody trousers, she did not show much concern.


    Rather, she ignored her child as she went to the backyard to fetch water and wash by herself.


    Now, seeing her daughter jump into the well and drown, she must be filled with regret.


    Qin Niu squatted down and examined He Saixiang¡¯s body closely; black blood flowed from her mouth and nose, and the way she died was pitiful.


    The body was not yet stiff, still soft.


    It indeed indicated she hadn¡¯t been dead for long.


    Qin Niu ran to the well and looked inside, only to see a mist of blood clinging to the walls of the well.


    That must be the mother Gu.


    It seemed to wait for its host to die before emerging.


    If the host did not die, even if the Gu came out, it would likely return to the mother¡¯s body, using it as a nest.


    This was also the reason why the mastermind behind the scenes wanted to kill the three women.


    Qin Niu watched the motionless mother Gu clinging there and wondered to himself, if it kept hiding here, how would the mastermind take it away?


    Plus, He Saixiang¡¯s belly had deflated, suggesting she might have birthed the other Gu in the latrine.


    After emerging, would that Gu go directly to seek the person who seeded it from behind the scenes, or come find this mother Gu?


    Books are invaluable only when needed.


    Although he had read through the contents of the Puppet Gu Immortal Manual, he hadn¡¯t studied and researched them carefully.


    Once he was done handling this matter, he absolutely had to cram and thoroughly learn the contents of the manual.


    The techniques for raising Gu and Gu Control Technique were just too important.


    Being skilled does not burden one, and even though Gu arts are shunned by the world, they are undeniably powerful.


    Blending them with the Insect Commanding Technique could definitely help Qin Niu become a superior Insect Master.

 Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Chapter 345 Tang Wenhаn’s Status Skyrockets_1

    Chapter 352: Chapter 345 Tang Wenh§Ñn¡¯s Status Skyrockets_1


    Gu techniques might be good, spells might be otherwise, but inherently they should not be inherently good or evil.


    As long as one¡¯s intentions are just, learning Gu techniques does not mean one will go about killing the innocent at will.


    To prevent this Mother Gu from escaping, the best method would be to capture it. However, Qin Niu did not possess the Gu Control Technique and had no way to confine it.


    Now, the only method to deal with the Gu was to have Termite enforce spiritual control over it.


    Or to simply kill it outright.


    Qin Niu was considering whether to find another insect to devour this Mother Gu.


    The next candidate would undoubtedly be the Green Silk Worm.


    Having now evolved into a Mother Worm, its level was already high, and its capabilities were very akin to that of the Gu.


    Having the Green Silk Worm consume the Gu would likely be of great benefit to it.


    But in his actions, he always preferred to maximize benefits.


    He wanted to use the Mother Gu to capture the escaped Offspring Gu and also to locate the puppeteer behind the scenes.


    There, He Saixiang¡¯s mother and relatives were still wailing.


    The villagers from Daoyuan Village gradually came over to help with the funeral arrangements.


    ¡°Tang Wenh§Ñn, brother, we need your steady hand to help the He Family with the funeral!¡±


    ¡°Tang Wenh§Ñn, give the orders! At least first help the He Family to place their daughter in the coffin so she isn¡¯t just lying here!¡±


    The villagers discussed among themselves.


    In the countryside, it is customary for villagers to spontaneously come to aid with funerals.


    He Saixiang, not yet twenty years old and in the prime of her youth, had died, making her an ¡®untimely spirit.¡¯


    It is commonly believed among the folk that those who die abnormal deaths or who pass away below the age of forty carry heavy malefic energy, and are likely to turn into malevolent ghosts that bring harm to the living.


    Interment in a coffin as soon as possible, followed by a burial and a conducted spell, is considered the best way to deal with it.


    This can also prevent the spirit of the deceased from lingering and causing harm to others.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for me to take charge of this? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have the village head coordinate and arrange everyone?¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn sneaked a glance towards Qin Niu.


    Some gain their status through their children¡¯s achievements.


    Because Tang Caixian married Qin Niu, Tang Wenh§Ñn became Qin Niu¡¯s father-in-law. By virtue of this relationship, his status soared to become one of the most revered in Daoyuan Village.


    The only other person who might compare to him was probably Tang Yan.


    Personnel arrangements for funeral affairs are typically orchestrated by the village head or other respected individuals within the village. The chief organizer is usually appointed by the bereaved family and is often someone they trust.


    Other tasks such as washing vegetables, cutting them, managing the stove, digging graves, lighting firecrackers, handling the storage room, picking up dishes, and serving food, are arranged by the village head.


    Organizing a funeral requires the help of at least forty to fifty people.


    Just the bearers of the coffin need to be more than sixteen strong men.


    Such personnel arrangements are usually commanded by the village head.


    Yet now, there had been a quiet shift in the winds.


    Those who wished to curry favor with the influential naturally pushed Tang Wenh§Ñn to the forefront, urging him to take command.


    ¡°Tang Wenh§Ñn, brother, don¡¯t shirk this task. In our village, only you and the venerable Tang Yan have the most esteemed status. It¡¯s perfectly appropriate for you to take charge,¡± one said.


    The village head of Daoyuan Village knew how to play his cards, and on the spot, very tactfully ceded his authority.


    ¡°Uncle Wenh§Ñn, don¡¯t hesitate. Just tell me what to do. Surely we can¡¯t let He Sai Yue¡¯s body just lie in the backyard?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright! Tang Xiong, go prepare the incense sticks, paper money, and gongs¡­¡±


    Tang Wenh§Ñn relented, albeit reluctantly.


    For worldly folks, power, wealth, and beauty are the three things they find hardest to refuse.


    Tang Wenh§Ñn was not an old man, and like any ordinary man, he too had his vanities.


    Especially within the village, among kin and clansmen, now that he had become one of the two most distinguished figures in the village, his vanity was immensely satisfied.


    As for Qin Niu, he had not the slightest interest in these worldly displays of power.


    Helping his father-in-law¡¯s family to become stronger, even the entire Tang Family Clan to become stronger, that was something he was happy to see.


    His gaze fell again on the blood fog on the inner wall at the bottom of the well.


    It seemed to have become a lot more active, constantly changing.


    One could faintly discern its true form, and astonishingly, it was another Blood Spider. Its size was much smaller than the child spiders¡¯, which was quite surprising.


    Usually, the female spiders are larger than the male spiders.


    This results in each courtship being extremely dangerous for the male spiders, as they might accidentally get killed by the females.


    The notorious Black Widow is an expert at killing its ¡®husband¡¯.


    In the hearts of most spiders, there has never been a concept of ¡®husband and wife¡¯.


    All they care about is reproducing a superior next generation.


    The movement of this maternal Gu was a good sign.


    It meant that it was either planning to escape or was releasing some sort of signal, trying to summon the child Gu over.


    He waited patiently.


    However, the presence of many people in the backyard might startle the child Gu, causing it not to dare show up or even attack them.


    Neither situation was good.


    ¡°Father-in-law, do you think it¡¯s possible to move the body to the front hall first? Let¡¯s try to keep people out of the backyard as much as possible. He Saixiang died a wrongful death, her spirit is heavy with malevolence, and this well is the place of her extreme misfortune. Whoever she latches onto might become a scapegoat.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t believe in these ghostly talks in his heart.


    But now, using the three words ¡®scapegoat¡¯ was sure to drive all the villagers away efficiently.


    ¡°Master Qin makes a lot of sense. Please help move my daughter¡¯s body to the front hall. I have prepared a wooden coffin for myself, which will now have to be used for my daughter first.¡±


    He Saixiang¡¯s mother was a woman who feared death.


    Hearing Qin Niu say her daughter might look for a scapegoat, she turned pale with fright.


    Such heartlessness.


    Her husband had passed away early, and now that her daughter was dead, she cried sorrowfully, but from some of her actions, it seemed she didn¡¯t care about her daughter¡¯s death as much as one might expect.


    On the contrary, she cared more about her own life.


    ¡°You two, carry the body to the front hall.¡±


    Tang Wenhan assigned two men.


    One was around fifty years old, the other in his thirties.


    ¡°Uncle Wenhan, carrying a corpse is extremely unlucky. Especially one that died young like this¡ªit¡¯s even more unlucky. I can¡¯t do this job, you¡¯ll have to find someone else!¡±


    The man in his thirties refused to carry the corpse.


    ¡°To carry such a corpse, it¡¯s usually customary to give some lucky money to offset the bad luck.¡±


    The fifty-year-old man was much more smooth-talking.


    With the promise of a reward, carrying a corpse wasn¡¯t really something that many people would be afraid of.


    ¡°Mrs. He, if you don¡¯t offer some lucky money, nobody will be willing to carry it!¡±


    ¡°I will definitely thank you later, just help move it for now!¡±


    She pleaded while wiping away her tears.


    This woman was indeed stingy to the core.


    Even with the talk going this far, she still couldn¡¯t bear to part with that lucky money.


    ¡°Fine, I think it¡¯s cheapest for Mrs. Mo herself to move the corpse. After all, she is He Saixiang¡¯s mother; surely, Saixiang wouldn¡¯t harm her own mother, right?¡±


    Expecting not to spend a penny and have the villagers carry her daughter¡¯s corpse, how could that be possible?


    Everyone was just giving her face, thinking she was pitiable because her daughter had died, which is why they were willing to help out of their own accord.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll give the money, all right? Ten Wen Money per person who carries the body.¡±


    The moment she heard she might have to move the body herself, she was so scared she almost wet herself, and immediately agreed to pay.


    And the amount she offered was not low.

 Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Chapter 346: Using Gu as Bait_1

    Chapter 353: Chapter 346: Using Gu as Bait_1


    Ten Wen Money per person, equivalent to a day¡¯s wages.


    After the two villagers had received the money, they were both delighted and helped carry the corpse to the front hall.


    The houses of the poor were very simple.


    Usually, there would be one main room and two bedrooms, with the latrine often lacking a proper room; it typically consisted of a pit dug behind the house, covered by a thatched shed.


    He Saixiang¡¯s house was slightly better than Qin Niu¡¯s old one.


    After removing the corpse, the entire backyard became exceptionally quiet.


    Other than Qin Niu who stayed by the well, no one else lingered there.


    Each of them stayed far away, fearing the affliction of unclean entities.


    This suited Qin Niu¡¯s intentions perfectly.


    The cluster of blood mist at the bottom of the well seemed to become more active, starting to crawl towards the top of the well, but acting very cautiously.


    Qin Niu moved to a distance, trying not to startle it.


    Soon, a dark red shadow burst out from a corner of the backyard, moving at an incredibly fast speed.


    Qin Niu was secretly thrilled, as the child Gu had indeed come.


    It was as if it had walked into a trap.


    He didn¡¯t rush to capture it, instead wanting to see what would happen after it reunited with its kin.


    After the child Gu entered the well, it climbed directly onto the mother Gu, which then carried it on its back.


    The mother Gu crawled out of the well and quickly moved along the dark corners of the wall.


    Qin Niu merely observed their movements in secret, without disturbing them.


    However, to avoid losing track of his target, he sent out two Demon Ants and three War Bees to track them by land and air.


    The two Blood Spiders crawled through a rat hole over the low wall of the backyard, then continued in a northwest direction.


    It seemed as if they did not like sunlight very much.


    Along the way, they intentionally avoided brightly lit areas, choosing routes with darker light instead.


    Qin Niu just followed them from a distance, curious to see where they were going.


    After about the time it took for a meal to pass, they actually reached the riverbank.


    Could it be they were about to enter the river?


    Knowing this, Qin Niu should have brought the Diamond Ink Turtle. If they entered the river, despite it being a small river, Qin Niu would quickly lose sight of them.


    If he acted now, his plan to use the Gu as bait would be thwarted.


    As he weighed whether to capture them now, he saw the two Blood Spiders jump down the riverbank but did not enter the water; instead, they continued upstream.


    Every so often, the mother spider fluttered its front paw through the air a couple of times.


    Qin Niu noticed an interesting phenomenon: whenever the mother spider raised its front paws, the male spider on its back instinctively dodged backward.


    Spiders are different from Termites, which rely on their antennae to distinguish scents.


    Spiders lack antennae and only have a pair of fangs.


    Some spiders are non-venomous, so their fangs cannot be considered poisonous. Most spiders have venom which they use to inject neurotoxins into their prey upon biting, paralyzing the victim.


    It might be more appropriate to describe it as a ¡®vegetative state.¡¯


    In this condition, the prey does not die but is incapacitated, helplessly waiting as the spider slowly sucks out their bodily fluids.


    So, in theory, all spiders are venomous.


    At most, the venom is just low in toxicity.


    There are also some highly venomous spiders whose bite can kill a person, such as the Red Widow, Six-eyed Sand Spider, Funnel-web Spider, Black Widow, and so on.


    Orb-weavers are generally considered low in toxicity or even non-venomous.


    A spider¡¯s chelicerae, or ¡®fangs,¡¯ are actually not taste organs. They detect the scent of their prey with the fine hairs on their eight legs.


    Especially the front legs, where nerves are most abundant, both the sense of smell and touch are extremely sensitive.


    The mother spider¡¯s continuous motion with its front legs through the air likely serves to identify pheromones and scents to determine direction.


    Qin Niu was not sure what exactly was attracting it in the front.


    It had crawled straight ahead for a good twenty-four or twenty-five miles, entering a low-lying area before it finally stopped.


    This place had long left the boundaries of Daoyuan Village, and had even left Jade Stream Town.


    It was at the confluence of a big river and the small river of Daoyuan Village.


    On the riverbanks grew willow trees, poplar trees, and other trees such as Metasequoia.


    The spot where the spider mother stopped was under a very large willow tree.


    But it was not a weeping willow.


    The diameter of its trunk was estimated to be over half a meter, it looked quite old.


    Willow and locust trees gather yin.


    Anyone with a slight knowledge of geomancy would not plant willow or locust trees at their doorstep.


    If someone buried dead animals, or even dead people, under willow or locust trees, it would likely turn into a sinister place.


    After the spider mother arrived under this willow tree with its spiderlings on its back, it went straight into a tree cavity at the position of the tree hollow.


    ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s something inside this tree hollow that¡¯s attracting it?¡±


    Qin Niu waited outside for a moment but didn¡¯t see the two blood spiders come out again.


    He decided to send a termite in to explore thoroughly.


    Fourth was currently engulfing each other with that young Gu, so he couldn¡¯t use it.


    He had no choice but to send another termite on this mission.


    Among the many termites, apart from the Ant Queen, Fourth was the smartest. Qin Niu usually found Fourth to be the most satisfactory to use.


    ¡°Go, you two, go explore this tree hollow.¡±


    Qin Niu released two termites, which knew not what fear was.


    They executed their master¡¯s orders unconditionally.


    The two termites went inside, but quickly fled back out.


    ¡°Master, there are several bugs inside!¡±


    Their intelligence wasn¡¯t as good as Fourth¡¯s, communication wasn¡¯t nearly as efficient.


    And they were not very clear in their expression.


    ¡°Could there be more than two blood spiders?¡±


    Qin Niu thought of Auntie Hua¡¯s daughter, whose Gu had long since disappeared without a trace; they might have run here too.


    The puppet master cultivated Gu in people, and to not reveal her identity, she couldn¡¯t stay by the side of the victim.


    After their deaths, the Gu inside them would wander out on their own. If not collected in time, they could easily be lost.


    Choosing a hidden location, letting them gather together, and then waiting for the right moment to take the Gu away at night or when no one was around. This would allow for stealth and misdirection.


    Qin Niu realized this place might very well be a temporary gathering place for Gu set up by that Gu Master.


    ¡°Better to wait for the outcome of Fourth¡¯s and that young Gu¡¯s engulfment before making a move.¡±


    He didn¡¯t rush to stir the Gu in the tree hollow.


    Instead, he chose a concealed spot and waited in hiding.


    Fourth¡¯s body was still covered by the blood cocoon turned from the blood mist, unmoving.


    Qin Niu was not clear on how long it would take to complete the engulfment.


    In theory, it shouldn¡¯t take too long to complete the engulfment¡ªit should be entirely sufficient within one or two hours.


    The blood spider it was engulfing was a newborn Gu, whose abilities were all still in an infantile state.


    Fourth itself was a War Demon Ant, belonging to a rare breed between heaven and earth. If it couldn¡¯t handle even a young Gu, it would be somewhat too weak.


    As time passed, Qin Niu sat in the tree, hidden by the lush foliage. Even if someone passed by here, they¡¯d find it very difficult to spot him.


    He didn¡¯t just sit and wait.


    He was already prepared to eliminate the Gu inside the tree hollow at any moment.

 Chapter 354 - Chapter 354: Chapter 347: Combining Gu, Captive Gu_1

    Chapter 354: Chapter 347: Combining Gu, Captive Gu_1


    The Green Silk Worm, Demon Ant, and War Bee were all candidates for devouring those few Gu.


    As he waited, he took out the manual of the Puppet Gu Secret Technique and studied it carefully. It could be seen as a last-minute attempt to learn some knowledge about controlling, nurturing, and fusing Gu.


    It really was like sharpening your axe just before going into battle, a dull axe could still shine with some effort.


    Through studying, he gained some new insights into controlling and nurturing Gu.


    The Puppet Gu Secret Technique mentioned the art of fusing Gu.


    That involved fusing two Gu, either similar or different, into one. The purpose was to elevate their ranks and give them greater power.


    There was even a tiny chance of witnessing a completely new transformation.


    The manual mentioned that fusing a Water Gu with a Grass Gu could potentially create an Ironskin Gu with extremely powerful defensive capabilities.


    This method of fusion also existed in insect cultivation.


    Qin Niu¡¯s merging of the Green Demon Bee with the Corpse Bee was akin to the mystical art of Gu fusion.


    ¡°The manual mentions a method of imprisoning Gu, which is certainly worth trying,¡± he mused.


    He had tried numerous methods to imprison Gu, but none could hold them.


    Given any small gap, no matter how tiny, they would find a way to escape.


    To address this issue, the manual introduced two methods.


    The first was to attach a Sealing Talisman to the lid of the jar.


    The second method was to apply a circle of an extremely yang substance to the gap. The manual mentioned rooster blood and black dog blood as substances of extreme yang, but their effects lasted only a short while.


    Fresh black dog blood would normally dissipate its yang energy after three days.


    The best material was yang ink.


    The ingredients for making yang ink were very particular; the sap of the fire phoenix tree was the preferred choice, and the blood of certain special demon beasts and birds, such as the Fire Phoenix, Phoenix, Golden Crow, and fire Kylin, could also be used.


    Combined with ink stones and fire oil, yang ink was produced.


    Simply applying it to the sealing spot not only easily imprisoned the Gu to prevent them from escaping, but yang ink could also subdue evil forces.


    The fire phoenix tree was said to be the favored tree where the Golden Crow perched.


    On Earth, the probability of finding such a tree was almost zero.


    If such a Divine Tree existed, the great Immortal Sects would have designated it as a treasured asset centuries ago and guarded it vigorously, never allowing outsiders a chance to meddle with it.


    The blood of the Fire Phoenix?


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but feel intrigued.


    He remembered the cries of the demon birds from the tallest peak of Perching Phoenix Mountain.


    He had no way to know if it was a Fire Phoenix or not.


    But even if it truly was a Fire Phoenix, for Qin Niu to obtain its blood was akin to a fool¡¯s dream.


    Such beings could probably obliterate Qin Niu, this ¡®ant¡¯, in an instant.


    A human in the Innate Realm might be considered an elite in Jade Stream Town, but in the presence of creatures like the Fire Phoenix, they would surely fall short.


    ¡°Rooster blood and black dog blood could also serve as temporary substitutes; I should consider acquiring some for emergencies,¡± he thought.


    Qin Niu started to ponder.


    The two Blood Spiders that had crawled into the tree hole had not come out since, suggesting they would probably stay inside indefinitely.


    Just recently, he had sent two Termites to scout the area.


    Although they did not venture deep into the hole and merely investigated the entrance, the Termites informed Qin Niu that there were several insects inside the hole.


    If he could capture them, even if they could only be contained for three days, it would still be quite an achievement.


    Besides, when the third day arrived, he could always apply fresh black dog blood if necessary.


    At most, it would just be a bit of a hassle.


    Roosters and black dogs were common livestock in the countryside.


    Qin Niu could easily obtain them from any village.


    Stealing someone else¡¯s chicken or dog was definitely not something he would do.


    As an Insect Master and a noble of the highest rank, resorting to theft would be disgraceful, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to show his face ever again if word got out.


    ¡°You all stay here and keep watch. If any insects come out of that tree hole, notify me immediately,¡± he instructed.


    Leaving several Termites and Green Ring Bees to surveil the area, Qin Niu leaped off the tree and landed firmly on the ground with two hops.


    He quickly ran towards a distant village.


    He didn¡¯t know the name of the village, but finding someone to buy a rooster or a black dog from would suffice.


    Upon arriving at the village, a large yellow dog in the courtyard of a household barked furiously at him.


    His gaze fell upon it, and the large yellow dog immediately tucked its tail, hunched its body, and let out a low whining sound.


    Clearly, the gaze of an Innate Realm powerhouse had instilled fear into the dog.


    Dogs are very perceptive; they can discern danger.


    Qin Niu noticed that this household not only had a dog but also a few hens and a large rooster with a red comb.


    Its feathers appeared colorful and quite beautiful.


    ¡°Is anyone home?¡±


    Qin Niu asked, standing outside the courtyard.


    ¡°Lad, whom are you looking for?¡±


    An elderly man with a hunched back walked out from inside the house.


    Upon seeing Qin Niu, a young man he did not recognize, he immediately became more cautious.


    ¡°Sir, I would like to buy a large rooster from you. Are you selling any?¡±


    Qin Niu inquired.


    ¡°You want to buy a rooster? A rooster this size goes for around one hundred and twenty wen on the market. My rooster here has even knocked down eagles before, and it never fails to eat rats or snakes it encounters. At the very least, it¡¯ll cost three hundred Wen Money.¡±


    The old man appeared quite aged, at least in his sixties.


    But when it came to business, he was unequivocal.


    ¡°Here, this is three Silver Money, no more, no less.¡±


    Qin Niu tossed over three Silver Pieces, then approached the large rooster. Unexpectedly, the rooster was quite aggressive, thinking Qin Niu was going after its hens. It spread its wings, its neck feathers bristling, and lunged at Qin Niu while continuously making a ¡°woo woo woo¡± sound.


    However, just as it took off, it was grasped by the neck in Qin Niu¡¯s hand and instantly subdued.


    ¡°Sir, do you have a pot?¡±


    ¡°What do you need a pot for?¡±


    ¡°I need one this big, do you have one?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The elderly man, pleased with the three Silver Pieces, brought out a pot from the house.


    ¡°It¡¯s usually for pickling vegetables, but if you want to use it for chicken, you¡¯ll need to take it home and wash it. Otherwise, the smell inside is rather strong.¡±


    The old man handed the pot to Qin Niu.


    ¡°How much for this one?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°No charge, it¡¯s on the house.¡±


    The old man had sold his rooster for a good price, so he was in high spirits.


    In the countryside, pots are the least valuable items.


    Clay pots made from mud, one or two wen apiece.


    ¡°Then, thank you.¡±


    Qin Niu took the pot, now with everything ready.


    Carrying the rooster and the pot back to the river, the Gu from within the tree hole had not emerged.


    He cleaned the pot at the riverbank then and there, and slaughtered the rooster on the spot.


    He collected the chicken blood and then evenly applied it around the seal of the pot.


    These pickle pots have a water storage groove, mainly to keep out air.


    Now Qin Niu had filled the groove with a fair amount of rooster blood.


    Whether this method could contain those Gu was something he had to try to find out.


    With everything prepared, Qin Niu was still waiting patiently for Fourth to show results.


    Yet as time ticked by, the blood cocoon that Fourth had formed with the young Gu still showed no signs of activity.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t afford to just keep waiting here indefinitely.


    He prepared to take down all the Gu inside.


    He pulled out the Ink Blade and walked towards the large willow tree ahead.

 Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: Chapter 348 Fully Collected_1

    Chapter 355: Chapter 348 Fully Collected_1


    After observing the tree hollow once more, he struck the willow tree¡¯s trunk with his knife.


    With his current strength and the power of the Ink Blade, he easily bisected the large willow tree with a half-meter diameter.


    Because the Ink Blade was so sharp, the tree did not fall immediately after being cut.


    He felt that the trunk was probably hollow inside.


    Trees with hollow trunks.


    Nine out of ten large trees are hollow.


    Qin Niu placed one hand on the trunk and pushed hard.


    It immediately tilted and thunderously fell to the ground.


    The tree canopy heavily crashed into the river, splashing up a great deal of water.


    However, Qin Niu¡¯s gaze was tightly fixed on the inside of the tree hollow. To his surprise, even with such a big commotion, the Gu hidden inside did not come out.


    In the center of the severed trunk¡¯s cross-section, there was an irregular hollow.


    Looking down the hollow of the tree heart, he saw a clay pot the size of a sea bowl at the bottom, faintly emanating a stench of blood.


    There was a black cloth covering the mouth of the pot, with only a hole the size of a fingertip left open at the center.


    This was definitely prearranged by the backstage culprit.


    The blood in the pot was likely intended to lure several Gu to come and feed.


    Ordinary blood would not be able to lure Gu from miles away.


    This indicated the blood in the pot was specially prepared.


    Qin Niu secretly admired the cunning methods of the person behind the scenes. Having discovered it now, he certainly would not be courteous.


    He directly took the whole pot.


    After checking there were no Gu on the outside of the pot, he carefully took the pot out of the tree hollow.


    Indeed, it contained half a pot of liquid.


    It was quite heavy when he carried it.


    Upon lifting the black cloth that covered it, the pot indeed contained blood. It had not coagulated and looked like freshly drawn blood, vivid in color.


    It was difficult to discern with the naked eye how many Gu were actually inside.


    Termite could roughly sense how many Gu were inside by using his sensing abilities.


    Qin Niu disliked that this pot had no lid, worrying it couldn¡¯t confine the Gu inside.


    So he simply poured the blood from the pot into the pickle jar he had purchased. As he poured, the Gu inside might have been disturbed, causing the blood to churn and bubbles to emerge.


    But it quickly calmed down.


    It seemed as long as there was a sufficient supply of blood food, they would be particularly quiet.


    He sealed the lid and then used rooster blood to seal the mouth of the jar.


    To prevent any missed Gu, he released Termite to search around the tree hollow. Not discovering any Gu hiding outside, he finally felt somewhat at ease.


    He went straight back to Shuangfeng Village with the pot.


    From a hidden spot, he deployed Termite and bees to keep watch.


    Since this place was far from Shuangfeng Village, standing guard here was not a wise decision.


    He had a sneaking suspicion that the person behind the scenes was not only cunning but also likely extremely powerful.


    Whether it was using humans to breed Gu or having arranged blood food in advance to lure the successfully bred Blood Gu, all these indicated that this person was proficient in the art of Gu.


    Fang Lian had once reminded Qin Niu to be careful of Elder Mei from the Nine Insect Gang.


    That person, along with a group of Nine Insect Gang experts, had infiltrated the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, intending to rescue Elder Jiu Yin who was trapped.


    Later that day, Elder Jiu Yin was killed by Qin Niu.


    Whether Elder Mei left or not, no one was sure.


    With the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory being so vast, it would be all too easy for a Spirit Qi Realm expert to hide away.


    Qin Niu still felt palpitations from his battle with Elder Jiu Yin.


    Even with severe injuries, almost all his insects lost, Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s combat power was still terribly strong. He was more than ten times more formidable than Old Master Huang.


    If the person raising these Gu was indeed Elder Mei, Qin Niu standing guard here would probably be no different from courting death.


    Now that he had taken all the Gu that the opponent had cultivated with great effort.


    ¡°`


    Taking the gu and slipping away quickly was the best strategy.


    More than an hour later, he returned to Shuangfeng Village with the jar.


    To avoid bringing disaster upon himself, he didn¡¯t take it home but brought it into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze instead.


    The mother gu inside the bucket was still sucking on the blood.


    But when Qin Niu opened the jar, the mother gu in the bucket seemed more interested in the blood inside the jar.


    It quickly crawled out of the bucket and actually climbed into the jar on its own.


    Qin Niu also noticed it seemingly disliked the rooster¡¯s blood in the jar¡¯s storage trench.


    As it passed by, it carefully avoided the rooster¡¯s blood.


    Once the mother gu entered the jar, he secured the lid back on top.


    What to do with these few gu became a difficult problem.


    Before Fourth had completely assimilated the gu, Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare to experiment with a second insect.


    In another two or three six hours, it would get dark.


    At night, he definitely couldn¡¯t leave these gu within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze. Otherwise, by the next day, they would likely all become nutrients for the ancient banyan tree.


    Leaving them outside, he was somewhat uneasy.


    He was worried both about the gu inside escaping and about the perpetrator behind the scenes following the trail here.


    If the secret of this Ancient Banyan Tree was discovered, his losses would be tremendous.


    ¡­


    Time flew by, and there were no abnormalities from the termites and bees lingering around the cut-down willow.


    It meant the perpetrator behind the scenes had not yet appeared.


    As the sky gradually darkened, Qin Niu had no choice but to bury the pickle jar containing several gu next to the Ancient Banyan Tree underground.


    He went home for dinner, and utilizing his rare free time, he taught both his wives and Xiao Qing the Misty Rain Elusive Step together.


    Now that they were a family, any cultivation resources Qin Niu had that could be useful to them, he provided openly and abundantly.


    When he got to know his wives a bit better, he planned to take them to cultivate under the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    By then, their cultivation levels would surely soar.


    It¡¯s just that women sometimes can¡¯t keep secrets, and it¡¯s easy for them to spill family affairs.


    Wang Wanyan and Tang Caixian were both young, and at times, they still behaved like children.


    They were completely unaware of how treacherous society could be.


    Tang Caixian might be a bit better in this regard, having stayed in the city and encountered many nobles and young masters. She should have seen quite a bit of society¡¯s dark side and the ugliness of human nature.


    Wang Wanyan, on the other hand, rarely left home, a sheltered lady, and somewhat lacking in worldly experience.


    In the middle of the night, as Qin Niu was sleeping with his wife, he detected movement from the termites near the willow tree.


    ¡°Wan Yan, I have to go out and handle something. Lock the door properly and wait for me to come back.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going at this late hour?¡±


    She clung to Qin Niu, resting her face against his chest.


    ¡°There¡¯s some activity with the gu I¡¯m raising; I need to check it out. Be good! Wait for me at home.¡±


    Qin Niu gently pushed her away, quickly got dressed, and put on his King Pig Leather Armor.


    ¡°Husband, be careful.¡±


    Wang Wanyan looked at him with some concern.


    ¡°Mmm! Wait for me to come back.¡±


    Qin Niu gave her a light kiss on her cherry lips, then went out the door.


    He moved like a ghost on his way.


    This tree was about twenty-four or twenty-five miles away from the willow¡¯s location, so he hadn¡¯t planned to go check it out.


    Instead, he hurried to the mountains.


    Now, this mountain was almost entirely his private territory, with termites placed everywhere as his eyes and ears. The moment someone intruded into the mountains, he would immediately know.


    It was just a pity that the Green Demon Bee hadn¡¯t metamorphosed into an adult insect yet; otherwise, he would have had yet another formidable method at his disposal.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: Chapter 349: Fourth’s New Abilities After Advancement_1

    Chapter 356: Chapter 349: Fourth¡¯s New Abilities After Advancement_1


    ¡°`


    Arriving at the spot where the jar was buried, he faintly heard the sound of liquid churning inside the jar, ¡°gurgle, gurgle¡±.


    He guessed that a few trapped Gu were desperately trying to drill their way out.


    The commotion from these Gu indicated that they either had absorbed all the energy from the blood, or the culprit behind the scenes was summoning them?


    Qin Niu was prepared for the worst. If he truly couldn¡¯t save those Gu, he would have to destroy them.


    He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to throw the jar, along with them, directly into the labyrinth of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly let that person take them away.


    Time felt unbearably long at that moment.


    Every second was torture.


    He worried about the enemy invading his home, harming his wives and concubines, and he also feared that the enemy would follow the scent of the Blood Gu to find their way here.


    If those who came were from the Innate Realm, even if three or four of them showed up, he was confident he could keep them in the mountains forever.


    But if a Spirit Qi Realm expert came, his situation would be dangerous.


    Just as his anxiety was mounting, he noticed something amiss with Fourth.


    He took Fourth out of the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    At this moment, the blood cocoon still covered Fourth, but it had successfully broken through it.


    A tiny crack appeared at the tip of the blood cocoon, and then Fourth¡¯s powerful mandibles nibbled a small hole in it.


    It quickly devoured the blood cocoon, and soon, most of its head was exposed.


    A caterpillar breaks out of its cocoon and becomes a butterfly.


    After this life-threatening ordeal, what kind of progress had Fourth made?


    It seemed to have advanced in grade.


    Blood-veins appeared on its forehead.


    It rapidly consumed the entire blood cocoon, waving its horn at Qin Niu.


    As if boasting to its master about its triumph over a formidable enemy.


    Its body size had only grown slightly, and its six legs had become a bit more muscular. The rest of its body now exhibited some dark red blood-veins. Other than that, there were no significant changes.


    He checked its attributes.


    One Grade Six Ironclad Battle Demon Ant (extremely rare species), lifespan 300 years, special abilities (Divine Power, Flash Strike, Advanced Armor Break, Soul Eroding Poison, Medium Intelligence++, Basic Self-Healing, possesses Advanced Carapace, Morphing Ability that allows its body to move like smoke. Demonization allows for a fivefold increase in speed, tenfold increase in attack power, and fivefold increase in defense power under the demonized state). Spirit Control that has a certain chance to control enemies of the same grade or below.


    After seeing Fourth¡¯s new abilities post-advancement, Qin Niu broke into a wide smile.


    Fortune favors the bold.


    It had devoured the Blood Gu and almost succumbed to its backlash.


    Now, having defeated its enemy, it had jumped two grades in one fell swoop and became a Grade Six insect.


    Its special abilities and lifespan had undergone a qualitative improvement.


    Its lifespan had jumped from the previous 30.5 years to 300 years.


    With such an extended lifespan, it would have ample time to pursue longevity alongside Qin Niu.


    Its armor-breaking ability had also moved up a grade.


    It had gone from a regular Armor Break to Advanced Armor Break.


    As for its Divine Power and Flash Strike, it meant that its strength was now greater than before, and its attack speed was as swift and fierce as lightning.


    The poison had not changed much.


    It was still the Soul Eroding Poison.


    Then, its intelligence had improved.


    And it had acquired a Basic Self-Healing ability.


    This was a very important ability, allowing it to quickly recover after being injured.


    Having consumed so many Taiyin Yaoyao corpses, it all proved worthwhile.


    Even though most were fed to the Ant Queen, it had absorbed some of the nutrients itself.


    At a glance, the Basic Self-Healing ability might not seem very powerful, and similar effects could be achieved through the Healing Ant¡¯s treatment. But having this self-healing ability laid a foundation.


    If this ability could be further enhanced in the future, it could eventually hope to possess a regenerative ability similar to Taiyin Yaoyao.


    The most surprising was its Morphing Ability.


    It was a super awesome new ability.


    Only available to Gu.


    ¡°`


    It could morph into various shapes just like smoke.


    Now, if you tried to trap Fourth with a jar, it would be impossible to contain it.


    Because as long as there was a gap, no matter how small, it could escape.


    Of course, since it had just acquired this ability, it might still be weak.


    If the gap was too small, it might not be able to escape.


    ¡°Fourth, not bad at all, not advancing for so long and then jumping two grades at once.¡±


    Qin Niu held it in his palm and could feel its body was quite weighty.


    A Grade Six insect, even if it was just an ant, was already very strong.


    ¡°Do you still need to consume Blood Gu?¡±


    Qin Niu asked it.


    ¡°Eating more won¡¯t do much for me. Let the other Demon Ants have it.¡±


    After pondering for a moment with its head tilted, Fourth replied.


    Qin Niu had this in mind.


    He released all the Puppet Ants and Ghost Ants, preparing them for battle.


    Fourth was now the undisputed King Ant.


    Only the Ant Queen could barely match it.


    After doing all this, Qin Niu took off the Green Silk Worm from his head, then opened the lid of the jar.


    A small crack just appeared.


    A wisp of blood mist drilled out of it.


    Qin Niu quickly covered the lid.


    You couldn¡¯t release too many Gus at once, or they might escape.


    Fourth had devoured a Blood Gu and directly advanced two grades.


    Even if Fourth had already been on the verge of advancing, consuming Blood Gu allowed it to progress by at least one grade, and that was from Grade Five to Grade Six.


    This indicated that the energy contained within Blood Gu was very advanced.


    It was even higher-grade than the corpses of ordinary Grade Seven insects.


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s understanding, Gu was a very special existence. It was much higher-grade than insects, but compared to those demonized insects, it should be somewhat weaker.


    Unless it was some powerful Gu, then it might be stronger than the demonic insects.


    Seeing as these Gus were so formidable, the Termites only controlled one or two at most each time.


    After advancing to Grade Six, Fourth¡¯s Spirit Control ability had also obviously become much stronger.


    The moment the Blood Gu escaped from the jar, it was controlled and lay on the ground, unable to move.


    Fourth led a host of Puppet Ants in firmly pinning it down.


    ¡°Green Silk Worm, it¡¯s your turn to advance. Devour it.¡±


    Qin Niu gave the command to the Green Silk Worm.


    It arched its body, went behind the Blood Gu, then coiled around it like a snake. Its suckered head firmly adhered to the head of the Blood Spider.


    The Blood Gu must have been under attack, as it started to retaliate.


    A cloud of blood mist entangled and rolled with the Green Silk Worm.


    After a brief struggle, the blood mist was slowly absorbed by the Green Silk Worm, but the Green Silk Worm¡¯s body turned from dark green to dark red.


    The battle ended quicker than expected.


    The Green Silk Worm won the battle straightforwardly, but it needed time to digest after devouring its opponent.


    Seeing how easily the Green Silk Worm took down a Blood Gu, Qin Niu was quite shocked in his heart.


    It seemed that the Green Silk Worm¡¯s level was by no means weaker than the War Demon Ant, and it might even be much higher-grade.


    ¡°Bring out a War Bee to give it a try.¡±


    Qin Niu also valued the cultivation of the bees highly.


    He did the same thing again and released another Blood Gu.


    But this time, unexpectedly, two came out, a mother and a child.


    Luckily, Fourth had now advanced to Grade Six, increasing its strength significantly, and managed to control both Blood Gus.

 Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: Chapter 350: The Use of Fireflies_1

    Chapter 357: Chapter 350: The Use of Fireflies_1


    ¡°Go, devour it for me!¡±


    Qin Niu randomly chose a War Bee and instructed it to consume the mother Gu.


    Who knew that the moment the War Bee approached, it got so scared that it flew away, flapping its wings.


    It was no match for the Blood Gu at all.


    ¡°You could be even more worthless!¡±


    Qin Niu shook his head as he watched, thinking that aside from making honey, bees were truly useless.


    It seemed that in the future, it would be better not to force them into combat roles.


    ¡°Demon Ants, it¡¯s your lucky day.¡±


    Qin Niu directly chose two Demon Ants, allowing each of them to devour a Blood Gu.


    It was a pity that the Gold Devouring Ant had not finished evolving; otherwise, letting it consume one might have solved its longevity issue.


    The Gold Devouring Ant was as rare as the War Demon Ant, and its abilities couldn¡¯t be too weak.


    It was still evolving after the last feeding of the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    Besides, it was still immature, a young ant, and whether it could defeat the Blood Gu was an unknown.


    It was better not to rush this matter.


    The two Demon Ants, upon receiving his command, couldn¡¯t wait to pounce on the Blood Gu. White ants might look fragile, but they were fierce.


    They had a very strong sense of territoriality.


    Any creature daring to invade their nest would suffer the most violent of attacks.


    The two Blood Gu behaved the same as the one Fourth had consumed.


    They allowed the Demon Ants to consume them, then attempted to counter-devour.


    However, they clearly underestimated the will and ability of the Demon Ants. While they might not be a match for the War Demon Ants, the Demon Ants were never afraid of ordinary bugs.


    Moreover, their performance was always impressive.


    After the Demon Ants consumed the two Blood Gu, they quickly formed into blood cocoons.


    It was as if they were copying the process of Fourth consuming the Blood Gu all over again.


    ¡°Might as well take care of them all.¡±


    Following the same method, Qin Niu released two Blood Gu at a time, then had the Puppet Ants take control of them.


    Soon after, he had the Demon Ants consume them.


    He quickly processed all the Blood Gu.


    Eleven Gu came out of the jar in total, plus the one that Fourth had consumed, making twelve.


    This also meant that six women had become victims.


    They were used as vessels to carry the Gu.


    Aside from Wang Haikun¡¯s wife, whom Qin Niu managed to save just in time, the other five unfortunate women had likely met their fatal ends.


    In these chaotic times, human lives were as insignificant as grass.


    Having dealt with all the Blood Gu, Qin Niu also let out a slight sigh of relief.


    This time, even if the Gu Master behind the scenes came looking for him, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid.


    After all, the Blood Gu had been dealt with, and the other party had no ability to summon them back.


    Just then, the Termite he had placed on the outskirts of the mountain sent out a warning.


    It signified that someone had intruded.


    His heart instantly tensed, calculating the timing, it could very well be that the Gu Master was following the scent of the Blood Gu deep into the mountains.


    He just didn¡¯t know the level of cultivation of the person approaching.


    Qin Niu looked at the jar, now only containing blood water, and a plan formed in his mind.


    He could perhaps use the jar as bait to lure the comer into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    He decided to bury the jar at the edge of the maze, then covered it with some branches and underbrush.


    After completing these preparations, he chose a concealed spot at some distance and stealthily hid himself.


    It wasn¡¯t long before faint noises could be heard in the mountains,


    rapidly approaching the location where Qin Niu had buried the jar.


    At that moment, under the moonlight, he could see a blurry shadow moving at high speed towards the position of the jar.


    Large wild animals typically charge through the mountains, crashing and smashing; underbrush falls, and small trees and branches are broken off.


    The noise that was generated along the way was tremendous.


    But real human masters, when running through the mountains, make hardly any sound.


    They can deftly avoid obstacles and move swiftly through the mountains without harming a single blade of grass or tree.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare to look too long at that shadowy figure.


    Because such masters have extremely strong perception.


    If one were to stare at their figure for a few more glances, they would immediately be sensed by the other party.


    Qin Niu monitored that shadowy figure with the corners of his eyes from time to time.


    When they reached the location where the jar was buried, the shadowy figure seemed to know there was a trap ahead and naturally stopped.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, if we could have lured this person into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, we could have used the power of the Ancient Banyan Tree to eliminate this powerful enemy.¡±


    Last time, an ambush on Old Master Huang was also detected by him.


    This time it was discovered by this person again.


    Where exactly is the problem?


    Qin Niu thought hard, and the only possibility he could think of was that the methods used to set up the trap were too primitive.


    Probably some human traces were left behind.


    That¡¯s why it was immediately seen through by the other party.


    ¡°Hmph, this little Shuangfeng Village really is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons.¡±


    After the person stopped, the Longsword in his hand directly slashed at the branches and twigs covered on top.


    Immediately, the twigs were cut to pieces.


    Qin Niu finally got a clear look at this person¡¯s true face¡ªit was a tall and imposing old man, at least one meter eighty-five in height.


    Long white whiskers fell upon his chest.


    This person had a long horse-like face.


    From the sword skills he had casually demonstrated earlier, one could determine that his swordsmanship was extremely brilliant.


    As for this person¡¯s cultivation, it was definitely in the Spirit Qi Realm.


    The invisible pressure he brought to Qin Niu was not something an Innate Realm powerhouse could have.


    After using the sword to remove the twigs on top, the old man casually picked with his treasured sword a few times and the jar was easily picked out.


    It was as if an invisible force allowed the entire jar to sit steadily on the blade.


    ¡°Rooster blood?¡±


    The man took a sniff and was able to easily determine the traces of blood that remained in the jar¡¯s storage ditch.


    Gu Masters are extremely sensitive to various types of blood.


    With just a slight sniff, they could know what blood it is.


    ¡°Friend, come out! I know you must be nearby. It¡¯s fine if you got those Blood Spiders. No big deal. I¡¯ll just find another way to cultivate them. If you want to learn higher Gu Control Techniques, I¡¯m also willing to teach you.


    Gu Masters in this world should be one family, not distinguishing between each other.¡±


    The elder¡¯s gaze swept around.


    The mountains in the night were deathly still.


    The elder did not receive any response, but he did not get angry.


    Instead, he said lightly, ¡°It seems you want to test my abilities. No problem, I will find you now. But rest assured, I will not harm you. We are all Gu Masters and should not be enemies.¡±


    After finishing his words, the elder took off an Insect Bag from his waist.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Tens of thousands of fireflies flew out from the Insect Bag, spreading out in all directions.


    Some of them blundered into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    Naturally, they could not get out.


    The elder stared at the Ancient Banyan Tree ahead somewhat apprehensively.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that there would be formations in these deep mountains! Friend, I don¡¯t know if you set up this formation or if it formed naturally?¡±


    The elder¡¯s tone was always calm, without the slightest hint of anger.


    Such a person was the most terrifying.


    Qin Niu had his twelve Blood Gu wiped out in a stroke, all taken away. If this person were truly as unconcerned and unbothered as he claimed, there would be no need for him to run into the deep mountains in the middle of the night.


    He chased here because he wanted to find the person who took the Blood Gu.

 Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Chapter 351: Kidnapped to Be Cannon Fodder_1

    Chapter 358: Chapter 351: Kidnapped to Be Cannon Fodder_1


    If Qin Niu, inexperienced in the ways of the world, naively believed what this person said and walked right into a trap by revealing himself, what awaited him was likely death.


    Countless fireflies danced and illuminated the entire forest.


    Under the old man¡¯s control, they consciously avoided the area around the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Qin Niu was secretly delighted.


    Because his hiding spot was right on the edge of the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    With his familiarity with the terrain, he could easily walk along the edge of the maze created by the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Even using the fireflies, the old man came up empty-handed.


    Just as Qin Niu thought his hiding spot had not been discovered, the old man looked directly towards where he was hiding.


    ¡°Friend, can you now reveal yourself for a face-to-face talk? You must be a descendant of an Immortal Master to understand such a profound formation, right?¡±


    This was what the old man had been wary of.


    Formations were a highly esteemed skill among cultivators.


    Especially for cultivators at the lower Spirit Qi Realm, it was something to aspire to.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in hiding anymore!¡±


    Seeing that Qin Niu still didn¡¯t speak or show himself, the old man frowned slightly.


    A large number of fireflies gathered towards the area where Qin Niu was hiding.


    Then, the glow from their tails lit up the area like daytime.


    He had never thought there was such a use for fireflies.


    Qin Niu learned another application for insects.


    He racked his brains but couldn¡¯t figure out how the old man had discovered him.


    The fireflies had approached the area, but they kept a considerable distance.


    He had stayed hidden the whole time, and his form was well-concealed by the vegetation.


    But he had still been found.


    ¡°This old man¡¯s twelve Blood Spiders are a gift to you, my friend! That formation of yours looks quite dangerous. Was it left to you by your ancestors?¡±


    The old man was actually more interested in the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    This was a wake-up call for Qin Niu; the maze was not as hidden as he thought.


    A true expert, upon approaching it, could very likely detect its existence.


    Now that his hiding place had been discovered, and the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze was revealed to be a formation, it was basically futile to think about using the maze to deal with this person.


    Qin Niu¡¯s mind raced through possible strategies.


    They were enemies, not friends.


    It was either his death, or mine.


    The other party didn¡¯t immediately launch an attack because he was unsure of Qin Niu¡¯s background.


    He was worried that an Immortal Master might be backing Qin Niu.


    If such a being did exist, any attack on Qin Niu by the old man would be suicidal.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hide inside the formation? Don¡¯t you have control over it?¡±


    The old man continued to ask.


    And he tentatively moved closer to Qin Niu¡¯s hiding place step by step.


    Without a clear understanding of Qin Niu¡¯s background, he would definitely not act rashly.


    But as the old man spotted more and more flaws, Qin Niu¡¯s situation grew increasingly dangerous.


    In these deep mountains, no cry for help would reach the heavens, nor would it move the earth.


    No one was coming to his rescue.


    Qin Niu was well aware that facing a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse, running away was futile.


    No matter how fast he was, he couldn¡¯t outrun a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse.


    Unable to escape, unable to win, he was left with essentially one path¡ªdeath.


    It made him break out in a cold sweat.


    To hide inside the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree?


    The thought was tempting and also foolish. The Ancient Banyan Tree might have taken a liking to him, even seeing him as half a ¡®companion,¡¯ but at night it couldn¡¯t distinguish friend from foe.


    Once inside its maze, everything was absorbed as nourishment without exception.


    Except as a last resort, Qin Niu would definitely not enter the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze and seek his own death.


    ¡°Right, isn¡¯t there a Demon Bird in the deep mountains? Why not deceive this person with words and lead them to the highest peak in the deep mountains?¡±


    After having this thought, Qin Niu steadied his spirit.


    ¡°Fellow cultivator, your Blood Spider was taken by my mentor. My mentor is a being of the Terrestrial True Immortal Grade One, who wouldn¡¯t just take your possession for nothing. You may follow me to meet my mentor, and he will grant you some opportunities.¡±


    For powerhouses at the Spirit Qi Realm, what they desire the most is not to rear a powerful insect.


    Even if the insect is nurtured into a demon insect, if one¡¯s own cultivation is trash, it can only be a flash in the pan, and after a hundred years they will die, their path dissipating, turning into a handful of yellow soil.


    Stepping into the realm above, learning Immortal Technique, seeking eternity, this is what powerhouses at the Spirit Qi Realm yearn for the most.


    The higher the cultivation, the stronger the desire to become an Immortal Master.


    Because at the Innate Realm, one is still very far from the level of an Immortal Master.


    Naturally, one doesn¡¯t dare to have too many extravagant hopes.


    But having cultivated painstakingly to the Spirit Qi Realm, already reaching the threshold of being an Immortal Master, at this moment, the intention to step into the gateway of being an Immortal Master becomes a hundred, a thousand times stronger.


    ¡°May I know where your mentor resides?¡±


    The elder bowed slightly, showing great respect.


    In these deep mountains, to encounter such a powerful formation was already a shock to the elder.


    He had been speculating whether this formation was naturally formed or artificially devised by someone.


    Furthermore, Qin Niu¡¯s evasive demeanor, appearing to lack confidence, also aroused suspicion in the elder.


    Now that Qin Niu stepped forward and told the elder that he had a mentor above him, and that he was a transcendent being of the Terrestrial True Immortal Grade One, whether true or not, the elder didn¡¯t dare act rashly.


    At least before meeting that mentor, he wouldn¡¯t harbor any thoughts of killing Qin Niu.


    Otherwise, if he truly provoked Qin Niu¡¯s mentor to come out, he could be crushed to death with just one hand.


    ¡°Follow me! My mentor has a rather foul temper, so along the way, do not speak too much or look around too much. Just keep your head down and follow. Once we reach the foot of the peak, I will report to him first and get his permission for you to enter. Then you may proceed. Otherwise, you must bear the consequences.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s tone was cold and indifferent.


    It had to be this way; otherwise, with the elder¡¯s experience, he would immediately see through him.


    And then he wouldn¡¯t be able to trick this person into becoming cannon fodder on that highest peak.


    ¡°Understood! I am grateful for your guidance, fellow cultivator!¡±


    The elder verbally complied, but his heart probably didn¡¯t feel the same way.


    At least his suspicion about Qin Niu had not been completely dispelled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking! Waiting for you beside this mountain formation late at night, do you think I¡¯d be an ordinary cultivator? Once you meet my mentor, all your doubts will disappear.¡±


    After speaking, Qin Niu no longer paid attention to the elder and took the lead up ahead.


    Fortunately, he had patrolled the mountain once before.


    Even though it was night, leading the elder behind him to that highest peak seemed effortless.


    This also served to dispel quite a few of the elder¡¯s doubts to some extent.


    He led the way, maintaining a distance of about a hundred meters from the elder.


    In his heart, however, he was secretly guessing the elder¡¯s identity.


    It could be certain that this person was not one of the high-ranking members of the Black Tiger Gang.


    As for whether this person was Elder Mei of the Nine Insect Gang, only by killing him and taking his waist badge could Qin Niu determine his true identity.


    Qin Niu now mainly displayed a stance of aloofness.


    He didn¡¯t inquire much about the elder¡¯s identity.


    As they continued to approach the location of the highest peak, the path became increasingly difficult to traverse.


    The two, one in front of the other, moved quickly through the deep mountains.


    Fortunately, Qin Niu¡¯s Misty Rain Elusive Step was getting stronger and it was a great help at this moment.


    After about an hour and a half, they finally arrived at the base of the highest mountain peak.


    ¡°The mountain looks no bigger than a stone from the plain.¡±


    Travelling through the deep mountains, what seems close at hand when walking could easily exhaust a person to death.


    ¡°This is the peak! Wait here.¡±


    After speaking, Qin Niu dashed up the mountain in front of the elder.


    Actually, his heart was hanging.


    The cries of the Demon Bird had come from this peak that day, and now that he was entering its territory, it was easy to become a target of attack.

 Chapter 361 - Chapter 361: Chapter 354: The Lingering Effect of the Soul-devouring Poison_1

    Chapter 361: Chapter 354: The Lingering Effect of the Soul-devouring Poison_1


    It was not easy to leave the elderly adversary half dead, and letting him go would surely cause endless calamity.


    All the previous calculations would have been in vain.


    Moreover, knowing the secret of the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, he would certainly come to investigate once he recovered from his injuries. By then, he could directly seize this natural treasure.


    Qin Niu was able to navigate the maze with the guidance of a Termite.


    The elder would naturally have other methods to solve the maze.


    After much deliberation, he was still undecided.


    Should he go out and fight to the death with this elder? He was weighing the risks and chances of victory.


    Based on his experience fighting with Elder Jiu Yin, if he went out now, he estimated that he wouldn¡¯t even have a ten percent chance of winning.


    The gap between the Innate Realm and the Spirit Qi Realm was an entire major realm apart, with no grounds for comparison.


    As Qin Niu hesitated, the elder was stung multiple times by the Dark Poison Ants. The poison seemed to be taking effect within his body.


    He staggered as he walked.


    Bang!


    The elder collapsed to the ground, convulsing, foaming at the mouth, eyes rolling back ¨C it looked like he had been directly taken down by the Termite¡¯s poison.


    Instead of going out to kill, Qin Niu held his breath and remained still, not daring to make a move.


    He didn¡¯t even dare to make a sound.


    Because he was well aware that the Dark Poison Ant¡¯s poison was mainly a mix of coagulants and neurotoxins.


    The symptoms after being poisoned didn¡¯t look like this.


    Usually, one would feel a constriction in the neck, clutch at it, then collapse on the ground with difficulty breathing, bleeding from all orifices.


    Without an antidote, death would follow quickly.


    The elder spat foam and his eyes rolled back, body convulsing ¨C it was clearly an imitation of the symptoms of being bitten by other common poisonous insects.


    He had only one reason for doing this; he wanted to lure Qin Niu out to kill him.


    As soon as Qin Niu showed himself, the elder would immediately counter-attack.


    ¡°Master, I can take a group of Poisonous Ants to attack him. As long as I bite him once, I can definitely harm him,¡± Fourth offered, sensing his master¡¯s anxiety and fear, and volunteered to lead a group of Termites to finish off the elder.


    ¡°No. You are one of my most important pets, irreplaceable. Even if you could succeed in injuring him, you¡¯d be instantly killed by his energy armor,¡± Qin Niu disagreed with Fourth¡¯s offer to fight.


    He had deep feelings for the Ant Queen and Fourth. They were Qin Niu¡¯s pets as well as his companions, his foundation when facing various dangers and competitions.


    ¡°As long as I bite him and immediately run away, he shouldn¡¯t be able to kill me,¡± Fourth eagerly wanted to help alleviate his master¡¯s worries.


    At this moment, the elder lay on the ground, tongue out, lips askew, white foam continuously spilling out.


    I truly admire this elder¡¯s acting skills.


    To feign death so convincingly, it¡¯s hard to find a second one like him.


    ¡°Fourth, since you want to try, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Remember, the opponent is a Spirit Qi Realm expert, terrifying enough to kill me with ease. If there¡¯s no chance to succeed, you must decisively give up, understand?¡± Qin Niu instructed Fourth.


    At present, there really wasn¡¯t a better way to kill this extremely powerful elder.


    Fourth¡¯s poison was completely different from the Dark Poison Ant¡¯s.


    His poison could erode the soul, only moderately effective against ordinary people but even more terrifying for the strong.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    With his master¡¯s permission, Fourth felt extremely excited.


    Perhaps, it loved taking risks deep in its bones.


    If it could help Qin Niu defeat this powerful elder now, it would achieve a great feat.


    Perhaps in its simple thought process, being able to help Qin Niu was something very honorable and worthwhile.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t succeed, fall to the ground and pretend to be dead to save yourself. You now possess a simple Morphing Ability which, when necessary, can greatly increase your chances of survival.


    After success, fall to the ground just the same, then morph to dodge the elder¡¯s killing move,¡± Qin Niu strategized.


    He taught it some life-saving techniques.


    After biting someone, if Fourth desperately crawled towards the distance, no matter how fast it crawled, it could never outrun someone from the Spirit Qi Realm.


    In the end, it would definitely be caught up to and then killed.


    The only chance of survival lay in stirring up confusion; after falling to the ground, it would take advantage of the night and the cover of leaves and branches to hide underground.


    Qin Niu noticed the old man lying on the ground looking close to death, his twitching movements considerably weaker.


    He really was an old fox.


    If it had been a slightly more impulsive young person, they would have taken the bait ages ago.


    ¡°Like playing dead? Then taste the biting of termites.¡±


    Qin Niu released two regular termites and directed them towards the old man to attack.


    They both stung the old man with their poisonous stingers, then quickly fled.


    The old man had no reaction.


    He probably knew that Qin Niu had intentionally released the two termites to probe, so he had to keep up the act until the very end.


    Otherwise, all his efforts would be in vain.


    Qin Niu sneered, and this time directly released nearly three hundred poisonous ants, scattering them towards the old man.


    Fourth was also mixed in among them by Qin Niu¡¯s arrangement.


    They quickly reached the old man¡¯s location.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    The simultaneous attack of several hundred termites was terrifying.


    But the old man himself was a formidable Insect Master, seemingly possessing strong immunity to such ant poison attacks.


    Otherwise, he certainly wouldn¡¯t dare allow them to sting his body with their poisons.


    Now, both sides were trying to outsmart the other.


    The old man hoped to trick Qin Niu into believing his act by playing dead as realistically as possible.


    Then, when Qin Niu approached to check the old man¡¯s body and loot any valuables, the old man would suddenly strike, capturing Qin Niu or even killing him on the spot.


    Qin Niu¡¯s plan was simpler, just to go along with the old man¡¯s ruse and let Fourth test the effect of the Soul Eroding Poison.


    So far, the only person Fourth had killed was Xie Laizi.


    This time the target was a practitioner from the Spirit Qi Realm; whether it would succeed was still uncertain.


    And it was inherently a great risk.


    Possibly facing death at any moment.


    Watching the termites climb onto the old man one after another, Qin Niu¡¯s heart was in his throat.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    Fourth, now a Grade Six, had an extremely powerful biting ability, possessing an Advanced Armor Break capability.


    It bit through the old man¡¯s skin in one bite.


    It quickly injected its venom and then fell off the old man¡¯s body to the ground.


    The other poison ants followed suit.


    Their purpose in doing so was to cover for Fourth¡¯s safe withdrawal.


    The old man still lay motionless on the ground.


    Even after being bitten by Fourth, this remained the case.


    ¡°Fourth, make a quick getaway.¡±


    Actually, Fourth didn¡¯t need Qin Niu¡¯s reminder; it had already burrowed under the fallen leaves and vanished.


    Time slowly passed, and the old man showed no signs of life.


    There was no bleeding from his seven orifices, no movement at all.


    Qin Niu muttered to himself, wondering if the old man could really be dead.


    If the old man wasn¡¯t faking but had truly died, and Qin Niu was still being so cautious, even he would find it funny.

 Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: Chapter 355: The Master’s Gamble, Determination is Most Important_1

    Chapter 362: Chapter 355: The Master¡¯s Gamble, Determination is Most Important_1


    ¡°`


    But when facing such an extremely dangerous expert, the more careful, the better.


    It¡¯s well said that caution brings a long life for a ship!


    Whenever he acted, especially in risky situations, he was always careful and cautious.


    Fourth had safely evacuated and returned to Qin Niu¡¯s side.


    The other Poisonous Ants scattered and fled, and he had not called them back to his side for the time being.


    Because this old man was also a top-notch Insect Master, there was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t use some means to track the Poisonous Ants that had stung him. And then by following the clues, he could find Qin Niu¡¯s hiding place.


    Time slipped by moment by moment.


    The old man lay there motionless on the ground, his face slowly turning blue, and discoloration started to appear on the side of his face, resembling the beginning stages of livor mortis.


    ¡°Damn it, he looks like he¡¯s been dead for a while! After all this fuss, I might have just scared myself?¡±


    Even though Qin Niu thought this way, he still didn¡¯t dare to make any noise.


    He remained quietly lying in the dark, not moving an inch.


    An hour passed in the blink of an eye, and the corpse of the old man lay on the ground without moving again.


    It seemed the man was truly dead.


    The body even appeared to have stiffened.


    Qin Niu waited patiently. The toxicity of Fourth¡¯s bites was very special, like strong liquor, with a lingering and potent aftereffect.


    Initially, one might not feel much at the moment of the sting.


    Only after some time would one begin to feel its power.


    Qin Niu decided to wait patiently until dawn before leaving. He still needed to be wary in case the old man was playing possum.


    As time passed little by little, the mountains were shrouded in silence.


    The Demon Bird that had been pursuing the old man had long since vanished without a trace.


    It was indeed somewhat disappointing that no ferocious beasts were near this mountain peak. Even a wild dog would have been good; dragging away the old man¡¯s corpse or eating it on the spot could have been a fine method to force the old man to reveal his ruse.


    Up to now, Qin Niu was unable to discern whether the old man was truly dead or feigning death.


    Logically speaking, having been severely wounded by the Demon Bird, even if he had taken a Healing Elixir, he should have hurriedly fled the area.


    Finding a safe place to heal would have been the correct decision.


    Lying on the ground, playing dead to deceive Qin Niu into showing himself, had already taken over three hours. Dawn was approaching, and continuing the act wouldn¡¯t have much meaning.


    In a contest between masters, sometimes what is compared is that thread of patience.


    Whoever shows their hand first, loses.


    Another half an hour passed.


    A sliver of dawn light appeared on the horizon, and a new day began.


    Qin Niu, like a stubborn stone on the ground, lay there without moving.


    His body was covered with fallen leaves and weeds.


    ¡°Li!¡±


    From the highest peak not far away, a clear cry of the Demon Bird rang out.


    The skirmish with a human of the Spirit Qi Realm the previous night seemed to it like an inconsequential minor affair.


    How powerful it truly was, Qin Niu did not know.


    He only knew that the terribly strong Elder of the Spirit Qi Realm could not even withstand a single move against it. Barely engaging in combat, the Elder was defeated and forced to flee, not only losing an arm but also sustaining severe injuries to his back and shoulder.


    Such was the strength of the Demon Bird.


    Now, Qin Niu had many beast companions, and with Green Ox for terrestrial travel, he was quite satisfied.


    But he still lacked a flying mount.


    If he could tame this Demon Bird and ride it to roam the world, how marvelous that would be!


    With a Demon Bird as his mount, traveling from Shuangfeng Village to Black Tiger City would probably take no more time than a meal.


    Just like when General Guan warmed the wine to behead Hua Xiong.


    He returned with Hua Xiong¡¯s head, and the wine was still warm.


    Gradually, the sun showered its light upon the vast mountains.


    But due to the abundance of tall trees in the mountains, the sunlight struggled to penetrate completely.


    ¡°`


    Only a few rays of sunlight filtered through the gaps to shine on the low-lying vegetation in the mountain.


    The ferns were tenacious, capable of photosynthesis with just a bit of light.


    This was also the main reason why ferns in the deep mountains grew so well.


    In addition to ferns, some parasitic plants and vines also thrived.


    Just like humans, what exists is justified by its existence.


    Some people don¡¯t seem to work very hard, yet their annual income is extremely impressive. Others appear to be working very hard, but they can¡¯t save even a small amount of money by the end of the year.


    They simply grasp different societal rules.


    Qin Niu really had the patience to endure¡ªhe remained hidden there, motionless.


    Time was flying by.


    It was summer at that point, and the mountains were swarming with mosquitoes and insects.


    Qin Niu was hiding just beneath the soil surface, where insects were even more abundant.


    Luckily, he was an Insect Master himself, with nearly thirty thousand Termite ants for protection; no insect could harm him.


    Being undercover for such a long time without eating or drinking was a real test of one¡¯s endurance.


    Just last night, Qin Niu sent hundreds of Termite ants to sting the old man¡¯s ¡®corpse¡¯. If the latter was feigning death, he would definitely know that Qin Niu was nearby.


    When it came to a war of attrition, Qin Niu was certain he could win out.


    After all, the old man had lost an arm and was grievously injured; staying in this place for too long would be more than his body could withstand.


    The effects of the Healing Elixir were good, but it couldn¡¯t stave off hunger.


    Nor could it replenish the essential nutrients the body needed.


    Wang Wanyan had not returned the previous night.


    Before heading out, Qin Niu had explained the basic situation to his wife, Wang Wanyan, but if he took too long to return, she might come looking for him in the mountains.


    Fortunately, he was located in the true depths of the mountains, so it was unlikely that his wife would find her way there.


    However, the longer the time dragged on, the more possible it became that his two wives and Xiao Qing, deeply concerned, might search for him everywhere in the mountains.


    Just as Qin Niu was debating whether to take the risk and quietly leave the area, the old man¡¯s body imperceptibly cracked open an eye.


    Although it was a very slight movement, the Termite ants Qin Niu had placed nearby captured it clearly.


    ¡°Damn, he really was playing dead,¡± Qin Niu muttered. He had been suspecting whether the old man was truly dead.


    Now, with the surveillance of the Termite ants, it was confirmed the old man was indeed alive.


    Unnoticed, the sun started to tilt westward.


    There were no seasons in the mountain wilderness.


    Within the deep mountains, the passage of time was hard to perceive.


    Now that Qin Niu knew the old man wasn¡¯t dead, he naturally had to outlast him.


    As he braced himself for a tough fight and settled in to wear the old man down, the ¡®corpse¡¯ suddenly turned over and sat up.


    The old man¡¯s body had initially been sprawled on the ground.


    In a semi-prone position.


    The wound on his back was clearly visible.


    ¡°Come out, come out to me!¡± the old man shouted as he sat up, holding his precious sword and hacking around like a madman.


    His frenzied slashing didn¡¯t find Qin Niu, but it did reveal his current true strength.


    The sword in his hand was a good one, capable of unleashing Sword Qi.


    It was only slightly weaker than Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s sword, but it was already considered a very rare high-quality weapon.


    Qin Niu noticed that the places the old man cut were essentially where the Dark Poison Ants had stung people, then quickly scurried away to hide.


    Luckily, he had been cautious.


    After letting the Termite ants sting the old man, he had them quickly flee, but he did not call them back to his side.


    If he had recalled those Poisonous Ants then and there, his hiding place would have been exposed long ago.


    In a struggle against a top-level Insect Master like the old man, every step was perilous; one misstep could lead to complete and utter ruin.

 Chapter 363 - Chapter 363: Chapter 356 Demonization is the Foundation_1

    Chapter 363: Chapter 356 Demonization is the Foundation_1


    ¡°`


    As the Poisonous Ants died one by one, Qin Niu¡¯s heart ached.


    Each Termite was his cherished treasure.


    Dark Poison Ants, even in their early stages, used to be a scarce variety within the ant colony.


    Now, as the Ant Queen¡¯s strength continued to grow, Poisonous Ants had become a mass-produced common variety. Moreover, their venom evolved from mildly toxic to extremely poisonous.


    Despite the elder being bitten by so many Dark Poison Ants without issue, it did not mean the Poisonous Ants were not formidable.


    The elder himself was an expert at dealing with insects; surely he possessed some special methods to resist the potent venom of the Poisonous Ants.


    However, during his feigned death, the symptoms of poisoning he acted out did not match up at all, suggesting he was not as proficient in understanding the insects¡¯ venom as one might think.


    ¡°Fourth, you¡¯ve been biting him for a while now, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be affected. It seems your venom needs further evolution!¡±


    Qin Niu quietly monitored the elder¡¯s movements while communicating with Fourth.


    ¡°What makes us War Demon Ants formidable isn¡¯t our venom, but our demonization attack. If my lord requires it, I will strive to evolve my venom further in the future,¡±


    Fourth explained to him.


    As Fourth¡¯s wisdom continuously increased, communicating with it had become very smooth.


    ¡°You are small, which is a natural disadvantage. Evolving your venom would be greatly beneficial for you. In the future, it could be an effective strategy against strong enemies,¡±


    Qin Niu pointed out a direction for its future development.


    Demon Ants and War Demon Ants actually belong to the same category.


    War Demon Ants are the cream of the crop among Demon Ants.


    At least, that¡¯s how Qin Niu understood it.


    As Fourth mentioned, their strongest ability lies in demonization.


    It just felt extremely difficult to enhance their demonization ability.


    Fourth had been a War Demon Ant for quite some time now, and its level had even risen to Grade Six. Apart from demonization, all other special abilities had improved, but the demonization remained the same.


    ¡°Your venom is very special, having the effect of eroding the soul. In the future, when evolving your venom, you could continue in this direction. Moreover, your demonization is fundamental and can be evolved as an innate ability. In terms of importance, demonization is even more critical than venom. Do you understand what I mean?¡±


    Qin Niu was worried that Fourth¡¯s thinking was too simplistic and couldn¡¯t differentiate between primary and secondary matters.


    ¡°Understood! Master, you don¡¯t need to worry. My venomous ability was evolved, while demonization is innate. No matter how much I evolve my venom, it won¡¯t surpass the capability of demonization,¡±


    Fourth explained to him.


    There will certainly be differences between innate abilities and those evolved later.


    Innate abilities hold more advantage.


    While Qin Niu was exchanging thoughts with the War Demon Ant, the elder¡¯s frantic slashing garnered no results.


    Moreover, his condition seemed to be deteriorating.


    His complexion was ashen, his eyes were fierce but lacked luster, and the wound on his amputated arm had stopped bleeding and begun to scab over. The injury on his back, though still gruesome, had started to scab as well.


    One must commend the effectiveness of the Healing Elixir.


    With such severe injuries, it was incredible that they had begun to scab over in just a day and a night.


    ¡°You little demon brat, managing to ambush and get the better of me this time. As the green hills last and the rivers flow on, you best hope not to fall into my hands,¡±


    After his declaration, the elder, gritting his teeth, swiftly moved towards the mountain¡¯s exterior.


    His movements remained agile.


    A Spirit Qi Realm expert does indeed have formidable vitality.


    Elder Jiu Yin had also been severely injured last time, yet he still possessed terrifying combat power.


    The injuries suffered by the elder didn¡¯t seem any lighter than those of Elder Jiu Yin, yet he was just as resilient.


    Qin Niu watched the elder¡¯s retreating figure with a furrowed brow.


    Lately, it seemed he had been particularly unlucky, constantly encountering opponents far stronger than himself.


    He had also been earnestly summarizing lessons and experiences.


    Getting involved with the He Family was akin to being an innocent bystander shot while lying down.


    He Lao Si was defecating on his head, intent on taking his hundred acres of good farmland. If Qin Niu gave in once, there would surely be a second time.


    Just like when Wang Haikun bullied him before.


    Once they taste success, wouldn¡¯t they exploit him to death in the future?


    Qin Niu felt he had the strength to confront the He Family, so he was unwilling to suffer this silent injustice.


    ¡°`


    It turned out that he did indeed manage to annihilate the entire He Family using his own strength.


    And he got away unscathed.


    This time, the enemy he provoked was even more terrifying.


    It seemed avoidable, but it was inevitable.


    When Aunty Hua¡¯s daughter was tragically killed, if he did nothing, he would be no different from a cold-blooded animal.


    He knew the consequences when he took away the Gu hidden inside the willow tree.


    And he had always suspected that it was the work of Elder Mei from the Nine Insect Gang.


    Elder Mei would come for him sooner or later; there was no avoiding it.


    Unless he could take his wives and concubines and flee far away, to live in anonymity.


    Provoking Elder Mei this time merely accelerated the onset of this crisis. He had no regrets.


    If he had to choose again, he would probably make the same decision.


    Had he not taken those Blood Gu and allowed Elder Mei to acquire them, this enemy would have become even more powerful.


    Better to have them fall into Qin Niu¡¯s hands.


    That way, he not only increased his own strength but also weakened the enemy¡¯s power by comparison.


    It was killing two birds with one stone.


    Whether this old man was Elder Mei, it was still hard to say.


    Because he had never seen what Elder Mei looked like.


    After the old man¡¯s silhouette disappeared, Qin Niu remained motionless, crouched in his hiding spot.


    When dealing with such an extremely cunning adversary, one had to be careful and cautious in every respect.


    Deep in the mountains, weary birds returned to the woods.


    Nightfall was approaching quickly.


    A day¡¯s time had truly flown by in the blink of an eye.


    Qin Niu slightly regretted not bringing Green Ox into the deep mountains. If he had brought Green Ox, he might have already ended this hunting game.


    Now his situation was very passive.


    He could only engage in a war of attrition with his opponent.


    With the old man¡¯s intelligence, once his injuries recovered, it was almost certain that he would investigate Shuangfeng Village.


    At that time, Qin Niu¡¯s entire family would be in danger.


    The idea of creating a strong base where he could seek refuge in the face of powerful enemies grew stronger in his mind.


    ¡°Fourth, I¡¯m giving you a mission. Take a group of Termites to search this area and see if there are any spiders or other insects lurking. If so, kill them on the spot.¡±


    Qin Niu released the Termites to clean up the area.


    Strangely enough, there were lots of caterpillars around the periphery of the forest. But near this highest peak, no caterpillars were to be found.


    Whether it was because a Demon Bird was guarding the area, rendering those caterpillars too afraid to invade, was unknown.


    Fourth and the other Termites quickly made some kills.


    Various insects living in this area suffered, mercilessly killed by them.


    As Fourth and the ant swarm were on a killing spree, Qin Niu sensed an extremely dangerous aura.


    ¡°Fourth, immediately scatter the Termites and hide on the spot,¡±


    Qin Niu gave the order.


    It was too late to recall them now.


    Time did not permit it.


    Hiding on the spot, taking advantage of the Termites¡¯ small bodies, underneath leaves, gaps under trees, and tree hollows were all places they could take cover.


    No sooner had the Termites hidden themselves than a blurred figure appeared from a distance, getting closer.


    It was the old man who had left earlier.


    With a ferocious expression and brimming with killing intent, he hurried back.


    Seeing his frantic appearance, it was very likely that some of the insects killed by the Termites were his.

 Chapter 364 - Chapter 364: Chapter 357: Without Ruthlessness, You Can’t Stand Firm_1

    Chapter 364: Chapter 357: Without Ruthlessness, You Can¡¯t Stand Firm_1


    ¡°Little demon spawn, your methods are indeed fierce, and your mind is meticulous,¡±


    the old man¡¯s voice changed slightly as he spoke.


    Also, his hand holding the sword was trembling slightly.


    It wasn¡¯t clear whether it was because his injuries were too severe, his body had gone too long without replenishing nutrients, or he hadn¡¯t had proper rest, causing some weakness. Or perhaps, it was the effects of the Soul-Eroding Poison starting to take hold after being bitten by Fourth.


    Qin Niu remained still, quietly observing the changes.


    This old man, not only was his cultivation terrifyingly strong, but he was also extremely cunning and shameless.


    Without absolute certainty, Qin Niu would never rashly risk making a sneak attack.


    The old man¡¯s gaze searched all around, but still, he found nothing.


    He was well aware that Qin Niu was hiding somewhere in this mountainous region. But where exactly, he was unable to ascertain.


    As the sky gradually darkened, the old man¡¯s physical condition seemed to be getting worse. He could not find Qin Niu and was extremely unwilling to give up.


    After all, he had been tricked too miserably by the young man.


    If he hadn¡¯t used multiple life-saving methods, he would have even perished on that high peak.


    Having lived for so many years, yet being toyed with by a youngster, was absolutely a humiliation for him.


    ¡°Think you can hide from this old man if you don¡¯t come out?¡±


    As the old man opened his mouth and spat out, a spider, black as ink, emerged from his mouth and landed on the ground.


    Qin Niu had seen the method of raising insects inside the body with Elder Jiu Yin.


    The insects kept inside one¡¯s body are usually the most important pets.


    That black spider didn¡¯t look very big, being only the size of a fingernail. Its abdomen was a bit like the common garden spider, round and plump, which made its back look a bit hunched.


    It had not two eyes, but six.


    A faint black aura lingered around its body, expanding and contracting as if it was breathing, inhaling and exhaling.


    Such a little spider, yet it gave Qin Niu an extreme sense of danger.


    It was unclear what species it was.


    But the feeling was its level must certainly not be low.


    ¡°Fourth, are you confident you can eliminate that spider?¡±


    Qin Niu asked Fourth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll control it with the Puppet Ants in secret, and just a few Green-Scaled Worker Ants will be able to finish it off,¡± Fourth said confidently.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very good idea, make preparations. You must be careful to stay concealed, as long as you¡¯re safe, even if we sacrifice many more Termite ants, we can quickly recreate another ant colony,¡± Qin Niu stressed.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Termite colony now had three most special ants.


    The Ant Queen, the War Demon Ant, and the Gold Devouring Ant.


    Apart from these three, all other Termites could be mass-produced.


    If sacrificing a portion of Termites could take down the old man¡¯s lifebound insect, it would definitely be worth it.


    Once the black spider landed on the ground, it raised its front legs as though it was detecting a scent.


    Qin Niu had the Elephantic Ant on him, naturally not worried about it detecting his scent.


    After the black spider detected for a while, it seemed to find nothing significant.


    It quickly moved to another area and continued its sensing.


    It was just in time to meet its demise. The spider actually moved close to where a dozen or so Tiger-striped Soldier Ants were hiding.


    The old man, meanwhile, stood there with his eyes closed, motionless, gripping his treasured sword tightly.


    Just waiting for the black spider to find its prey, then he would immediately raise his sword and go on a killing spree.


    ¡°Fourth, do it!¡±


    Qin Niu gave the combat order.


    One by one, the Puppet Ants hidden in the shadows, along with Fourth, exerted their psychic control and firmly restrained the black spider in place.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The old man seemed to have a psychic connection with the black spider.


    The moment the spider was controlled, he sensed it and immediately opened his eyes, looking in the direction of the spider.


    Just then, seventeen or eighteen Tiger-striped Soldier Ants swiftly crawled out.


    Without hesitation, they descended upon the black spider, tearing and biting.


    They were like fierce dogs, exceptionally ferocious.


    The black spider¡¯s body was very special; when torn and bitten, it showed extreme toughness.


    However, these Tiger-striped Soldier Ants, once they entered a ferocious state, had far greater attack power than usual. Moreover, they could secrete a special ant acid that could corrode even Silver Money and stone.


    Despite the black spider being of a high rank, it could not escape being dismembered by them.


    Some pulled at its legs, others bit into the spider¡¯s abdomen, tearing away fiercely.


    Qin Niu noticed that the torn-off spider legs could still move.


    And there were signs they were trying to reattach themselves.


    He had seen the creatures of Elder Jiu Yin. Those Taiyin Yaoyao, when cut into pieces, could automatically reassemble and heal quickly.


    This black spider likely possessed a similar ability.


    Under the circumstances, there was no time for Qin Niu to start a fire and trap the black spider in a metal can to burn it to death.


    The best option was for the Termites to eat it.


    Soldier Ants possessed powerful mandibles with an exceptional ability to tear and bite, but they could not eat on their own.


    ¡°Worker Ants, get to it.¡±


    Qin Niu was very aware that the Termites had little time.


    The old man would certainly rescue his creature the moment he reacted.


    Worker Ants emerged from all around, quickly dragging the legs torn off by the Soldier Ants under leaves or into tree holes and other dark places to feast.


    Given enough ants, they could bite an elephant to death.


    Let alone a small black spider like this one.


    In the blink of an eye, it was thoroughly devoured by the Termites.


    ¡°Damn it, how could this happen?¡±


    The old man noticed that the black spider he had released was eaten clean by a swarm of Termites that emerged in just a few seconds.


    Not even leaving a residue behind.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how these Termites could have such terrifying attack power.


    ¡°Die! Die, all of you!¡±


    The old man swung his sword once more at the hiding places of the Termites.


    Sword Qi swept across, and one after another, the trees fell at the sound.


    Although practitioners in the Spirit Qi Realm didn¡¯t have the ability to destroy heaven and earth, decimating a forest was a piece of cake.


    Qin Niu sensed a number of Termites being slaughtered and couldn¡¯t help feeling the pain.


    These were the forces he had accumulated little by little.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The old man¡¯s body suddenly trembled, the Sword Qi nearly vanished, and a flush appeared on his face; then, he opened his mouth and ¡°wa¡± spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    His body swayed, nearly falling.


    It goes without saying that this was because his life-bound creature was killed. As its master, he suffered collateral damage, which caused serious harm to his soul.


    He was already severely injured, and now, it was like adding insult to injury.


    Moreover, Fourth bit him, and the Soul Eroding Poison was known for its soul-devastating power.


    It seemed like nothing at the time because his cultivation was strong, and he had a strong resistance. Now his body became even weaker, and his soul deeply wounded, causing the Soul Eroding Poison to erupt massively.


    Its power was amplified more than tenfold in an instant.


    Kick him while he¡¯s down, seize his life.


    Qin Niu might have been young, but he was absolutely ruthless. He wiped out hundreds of the He Family, regardless of age or gender, not sparing a single one.


    If one¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t cold enough, that simply couldn¡¯t be done.


    In this world, only two types of people could afford to be kind. One was the weakest at the very bottom. They were already weak enough; a bit more kindness would just mean dying a few years earlier.


    The other was the strongest at the very top.


    They had become immortals, possessing terrifying strength, able to control their own destinies and those of others.


    With a kind heart, it was more conducive for them to be in tune with the heavenly heart and to comprehend the great Dao of the world.


    Qin Niu had lain in wait for a day and a night for this god-given opportunity.


    Without any hesitation, he crawled out of his hiding spot, gripping the Ink Blade as he rushed towards the old man.


    Whether he could succeed all depended on the power of this blade.

 Chapter 365 - Chapter 365: Chapter 358: Just a Matter of One Stroke_1

    Chapter 365: Chapter 358: Just a Matter of One Stroke_1


    ¡°Innate Realm is like ants!¡±


    Despite his grave injuries, the elder squeezed out the words with difficulty, his contempt for the Innate Realm remaining unabated even in the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Only one realm apart, yet those in the Spirit Qi Realm saw themselves as gods towering above, with those in the Innate Realm as mere mortals in their eyes.


    Qin Niu¡¯s lips curled upward, his gaze cold and resolute.


    The elder considered him an ant, yet he looked upon the elder as a sick cat.


    He had already killed a Spirit Qi Realm expert.


    Eliminating such an existence, he had gained a bit of experience. If he could conquer the fear in his heart, and coupled with a divine weapon, a Spirit Qi Realm expert was but a single slash away.


    However, killing such powerful beings carried extreme risk.


    If he failed to kill with one strike, he was likely to be counter-killed by the opponent.


    Qin Niu wasted no words and executed the Misty Rain Elusive Step, closing the distance in a blink. He swung his blade in a plain and straightforward slash.


    It was his most skilled Slash Martial Skill.


    The brilliant Blade Qi was even stronger than the elder¡¯s full-force swing of his treasured sword by threefold.


    ¡°Is that, is that a Spirit Blade?¡±


    The elder¡¯s pupils shrank suddenly, and a look of horror spread over his defeated face.


    Instinctively, he swung his sword in defense.


    Cold light and sword shadows, brilliant as a waterfall.


    The elder¡¯s sword technique was extremely refined.


    As Qin Niu¡¯s Blade Qi slashed through, a barely perceptible thin black line appeared in front of him.


    That black line was incredibly unstable.


    It was Qin Niu¡¯s strongest slashing specialty, Rupture.


    Compared to the elder¡¯s splendid sword technique, his blade technique seemed downright rustic.


    But it was precisely this seemingly unsophisticated slash that instantly scattered the elder¡¯s myriad sword lights.


    The fearsome Blade Qi tore viciously through the elder¡¯s body.


    ¡°Uh¡­ not only do you have a Spirit Blade, but you also understand the laws of martial arts¡­¡±


    A line of blood appeared in the center of the elder¡¯s forehead, then rapidly expanded.


    His eyes were filled with resentment and ferocity.


    ¡°You won¡¯t live either¡­¡±


    As he spoke, a chillingly eerie smile crept across his face.


    In the instant the elder¡¯s corpse split in two, a black bolt of light shot out.


    Qin Niu inwardly cursed his misfortune and immediately exerted his full power to activate the King Pig Leather Armor, forming a layer of qi armor for defense.


    Snap!


    The black bolt of light hit his face, its speed just too fast.


    There was no time to dodge.


    Then, ignoring his qi armor¡¯s defense, the black bolt landed on his face guard.


    And turned into a wisp of black mist that burrowed into Qin Niu¡¯s nostrils.


    Everything happened in the blink of an eye, the speed was simply too fast.


    He didn¡¯t have time to react at all.


    It felt like it should be an insect.


    But he didn¡¯t see it clearly.


    Insects that could transform into mist were mostly Gu.


    Qin Niu felt a wave of dizziness and his first instinct was to blow his nose.


    He wanted to get rid of the Gu.


    But it was of no use.


    Once it entered Qin Niu¡¯s nostrils, it seemed to vanish.


    Without a trace.


    A sense of fear washed over Qin Niu, and thinking back on the elder¡¯s extremely strange smile just before dying, he knew this Gu was definitely not anything good.


    He felt nothing unusual in his body for the moment.


    And after inspecting internally with his thoughts, he found nothing either.


    ¡°`


    The sky was already darkening.


    His plan was to collect the termites, loot the spoils of battle, process the corpses, and then hurry home.


    If he was lucky, he might find something on the old man¡¯s corpse that could solve the problem with that black Gu.


    When summoning the termites lurking around to return, Qin Niu was horrified to discover that some of the termites had been poisoned to death.


    These termites included worker ants and tiger-striped soldier ants.


    They had previously attacked that jet-black spider.


    But it seemed that the spider was extremely poisonous.


    All termites that had bitten it had their bodies rot and perforate, losing nearly a hundred and thirty worker and soldier ants.


    Although the tiger-striped soldier ants now had mass production capability,


    losing so many at once still caused Qin Niu unspeakable pain.


    The black spider eaten by the termites was spat out by the old man. Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but think about the black Gu that had burrowed into his own body; could they be the same species?


    He had thought that after the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect wiped out the Southern Border Gu Masters, the art of Gu had been lost.


    But it seemed that this thing simply couldn¡¯t be eradicated.


    Among the insect masters Qin Niu had come into contact with, he had already found two who were secretly practicing Gu techniques.


    Elder Jiu Yin learned Gu techniques and cultivated a nearly immortal Taiyin Yaoyao.


    Now this old man had also mastered Gu techniques, raising a distinctly poisonous black spider, as well as a Blood Gu.


    Qin Niu felt that this man¡¯s Gu cultivation was not on the same path as Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s.


    Elder Jiu Yin combined Gu cultivation with insect control, and the insects he raised mainly had strong regenerative abilities.


    This old man, however, focused his cultivation on illusion and Gu poison.


    Qin Niu¡¯s termites could not say they were impervious to all poisons, but there were not many things that could directly poison them to death.


    They had eaten centipedes, poisonous spiders, scorpions, snakes, extremely poisonous wasps, corpse bees, and so on, never showing any signs of being poisoned to death.


    Even when they were once affected by corpse poison, they had quickly recovered and then returned to health.


    The black spider they ate this time, although it didn¡¯t seem large, was extremely venomous. It poisoned more than a hundred and thirty termites in one go.


    What kind of poison was it?


    Qin Niu thought about the slain old man who had been bitten by his dark poison ants and showed no signs of poisoning.


    Could it be because the old man had this extremely poisonous black Gu in his body?


    Utilizing it to fight poison with poison, could this be why he was able to withstand the ant venom?


    It was a possibility.


    He thought for a moment, took out a small jar, and collected all the dead termite bodies into it.


    Now that the intensely poisonous black spider had been eaten by them, collecting the termite corpses was, in effect, also collecting the remains of that black spider.


    Keeping them might have some unexpected uses.


    With a few bounds, he reached the old man¡¯s corpse and unapologetically claimed the precious sword as his own. It would be a fine gift for his wife.


    It was a divine weapon capable of unleashing Sword Qi.


    When Qin Niu had used the Ink Blade to kill the old man, the latter, upon seeing his powerful Blade Qi, exclaimed that it was a spirit weapon.


    It seemed that spirit weapons were probably a bit more advanced than divine weapons.


    That wasn¡¯t hard to understand.


    A divine weapon is a weapon that has evolved some special abilities, such as the ability to unleash Blade Qi or Sword Qi. Or perhaps their material is exceptionally special and rare in the world, able to slice through iron as if it were mud, and can be called divine weapons.


    Spirit weapons, however, are more advanced.


    They have acquired spirituality, and their special abilities are stronger.


    They can even coordinate with their master to attack or automatically protect them.


    Qin Ni¡¯s Ink Blade had been nourished by Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and had already evolved into a spirit weapon.


    It was now evolving towards an even higher level.


    What it could develop into in the future was still uncertain.


    He would certainly find ways to assist its evolution.


    Because it was his weapon, critical for protecting his life and slaying enemies when the moment came.


    Qin Niu crouched down and began to loot the old man¡¯s corpse.


    The first thing he found was a waist badge.


    He had seen this type of badge many times before; it was nothing new.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 366 - Chapter 366: Chapter 359 Family-Style Cultivation_1

    Chapter 366: Chapter 359 Family-Style Cultivation_1


    ¡°`


    The disciples and elders of the Nine Insect Gang all possess this kind of waist plaque.


    It is known as the Nine Insect Command.


    ¡°Elder Mei Qing!¡±


    This was the old man¡¯s name.


    The surname Mei itself was very rare.


    It turned out that this old man was indeed Elder Mei. Although Qin Niu had some suspicions long ago, he had never dared to be sure.


    Now that he had seen this identity talisman, he dared to believe the person he had killed was Elder Mei.


    He felt that Elder Mei¡¯s strength seemed to be just slightly weaker than Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s.


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s insects were endless, and he possessed several extremely formidable ones.


    During the fight with Elder Mei, the most powerful insect that Qin Niu had seen was that black spider. There was also the black Gu that had invaded the body.


    Perhaps they belonged to the same species.


    After a thorough search, he found a bundle of gold notes and silver notes on the body, totaling about twenty-four thousand six hundred taels of Silver Money.


    This was a huge fortune.


    The Nine Insect Gang seemed very poor, but it turned out that each of its elders was loaded.


    However, when one thinks about it, reaching the level of an elder and being among the high ranks of the gang, having less than thirty thousand taels on hand didn¡¯t really count as particularly wealthy.


    At most, they were just like the average landlord class.


    Qin Niu naturally accepted his loot with a big smile.


    Money talks.


    With enough Silver Money, not only could one buy high-level cultivation resources, but also land and property, which allowed money to generate more money.


    Among the spoils he had searched for, apart from the silver notes, there were also some elixirs and medicinal powders.


    These included Healing Elixirs and elixirs that increased cultivation level.


    But he did not find any Detoxification Pills.


    Maybe it was because Elder Mei could fight poison with the black Gu, so he had no need for Detoxification Pills.


    As for those two bottles of medicinal powder, he didn¡¯t know what they were used for.


    One was black, and the other red.


    After opening the lids, a pungent and unpleasant smell could be detected.


    ¡°Mei Qing¡¯s Insights on Insect Control!¡±


    This was the only book he had found.


    Quite substantial, it had over two hundred pages.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t immediately look at it now. He worried that if too much time passed, his wives and concubines would become anxious.


    Should they decide to find him in the mountains, with their weak strength, it was easy for dangers to occur.


    Immediately, he carried Elder Mei¡¯s body to the location of the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze and threw the body into the maze to nourish the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Having often taken its blood, Qin Niu felt he should express some gratitude and give it some return.


    After disposing of the body, he returned home.


    His two wives, along with Xiao Qing, were frantic, like ants on a hot pan, worried about Qin Niu having an accident.


    Fortunately, Xiao Qing, knowing Qin Niu¡¯s capabilities, managed to calm the two ladies down, so they had not rushed into the mountains to look for him.


    Care leads to chaos.


    Having married Qin Niu, he was their support in this world from then on.


    ¡°Ah Niu, you¡¯re all right?¡±


    Wang Wanyan seemed to prefer calling him by his nickname.


    ¡°What can possibly happen to me! I¡¯m just tired after a day in the mountains, I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡±


    Qin Niu went to the inner room to store his loot properly.


    After the bath, hot and steaming meals were already served on the table, waiting for him to have dinner together.


    ¡°Cai Xian specially stewed lamb for you, to make sure you refill your energy.¡±


    Wang Wanyan placed the lamb in front of Qin Niu.


    Upon hearing this, Tang Caixian¡¯s charming face blushed with a hint of shyness.


    Having taken two young and beautiful wives, Qin Niu surely needed to replenish his energy after the night¡¯s exertions.


    ¡°Cai Xian, I¡¯ll join you tonight. Let¡¯s try for a healthy baby boy as soon as possible.¡±


    Qin Niu teased her with a smile.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m so embarrassed! Let¡¯s eat, hurry up and eat!¡±


    When Tang Caixian and Qin Niu were alone together, she was absolutely passionate and unrestrained.


    Now, in front of their family members, she felt embarrassed.


    Which made Wang Wanyan cover her mouth and giggle nonstop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh, you also need to give me several children, and then our old Qin family won¡¯t be so short on hands anymore, and we can quickly grow and flourish.¡±


    Qin Niu had seen the depth of those large families and knew the importance of descendants.


    No matter how strong an individual is, that strength could only last for a while.


    If a family wants to remain powerful and not decline, then it must have continuous generations of descendants, one after another.


    The closest relationship in the world should be that of blood ties.


    Many people think lovers are the closest, and sure, when the relationship is good, couples or spouses are naturally very close. But if the relationship sours, they¡¯re more terrifying than strangers¡ªthey become enemies.


    But it¡¯s rare for children and parents to become enemies.


    With blood relation, as long as a child isn¡¯t spoiled too much from a young age, most children understand gratitude.


    And they naturally feel close to their parents.


    Qin Niu wanted to grow into a ¡®sky-touching great tree¡¯ in this world, which couldn¡¯t be done without a slew of outstanding descendants to support him.


    In time, he would become the old ancestor of the Qin Family, and under his protection, his descendants would continue to expand the family generation after generation.


    And they would provide him with a steady stream of resources for cultivation.


    Even if he entered the Immortal Sect in the future, if his children were outstanding enough, they could also join him.


    He trusted his own children far more than any disciple or underling.


    ¡°You bully, always picking on me and Cai Xian!¡±


    Wang Wanyan was more reserved, and she was so shy she didn¡¯t dare lift her head.


    She hunched over her bowl, gobbling down her food.


    ¡°Haha, just teasing you. It would be wonderful to have a bunch of children, but if you don¡¯t want to have that many, having one son and a daughter would also be great.¡±


    Qin Niu looked affectionately at his two wives.


    Serving food to both of them.


    ¡°Eat, eat more. From now on, Wanyan will take care of the household meals, and you can splurge a bit, don¡¯t worry about me not being able to earn money as your husband. I¡¯ll make sure you both are well-fed and chubby. Just don¡¯t get so thin that you look like a rack of bones.¡±


    As he spoke, Qin Niu took out several silver notes from his bosom and placed them in front of Wang Wanyan.


    ¡°Wanyan, this money is for our household¡¯s food expenses. You and Cai Xian can pick some suitable maidservants, buy a couple if you find ones you like. They don¡¯t need to do anything else, just help with washing clothes and cooking.


    Xiao Qing is nominally my maidservant, but her main focus is on cultivation, acting as your personal bodyguard.¡±


    Qin Niu made a series of arrangements.


    Xiao Qing now had a cultivation level of the Acquired Realm, and she had learned both the Misty Rain Elusive Step and Seven-Star Sword Technique, plus she received a precious sword from Qin Niu¡¯s reward, making it difficult for her to meet an equal opponent in this countryside.


    Unless she encountered someone from the Innate Realm, that would be dangerous.


    If she truly provoked someone from the Innate Realm, then Qin Niu standing behind Xiao Qing would take action.


    Wang Wanyan set down her chopsticks and started counting the silver notes.


    ¡°My goodness, this is a total of eight hundred taels of silver. Husband, where did you get such a large sum of money?¡±


    It seemed to her that Qin Niu didn¡¯t do much ordinarily, but whether building a house or getting married, he always had endless money to spend.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we receive a lot of generous gifts at our wedding? That¡¯s where the silver came from! Just spend it, and if it¡¯s not enough, come to me for more.¡±


    The money Qin Niu gave was just a drop in the bucket for him.


    He now possessed over a hundred thousand taels of silver.


    All together, it was probably close to one hundred and forty thousand taels.


    He didn¡¯t hand all this silver over to Wang Wanyan. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust her, but she was inexperienced and young; suddenly controlling such a vast fortune could easily lead to power without virtue.


    If not handled well, it could attract disasters.


    ¡°Mmm, even though our family is now wealthy, we can¡¯t just squander it. If we eat meat every meal, ten taels of silver a year should be surely enough for food expenses. The betrothal gift you gave my father, he already gave it all to me. He also handed over his savings from over the years. Combined with the money you gave me, I think when the land prices fall, we should buy some property.


    Whether for renting out, or hiring people to farm it, we could earn a good amount of money each year.


    And if we want to liquidate, we can always sell it.


    Land is always solid currency.¡±


    Wang Wanyan talked about financial management with a good head for business.


    ¡°No problem, let¡¯s do it your way. Lately, there have been pest infestations everywhere ¨C caterpillars, aphids, mole crickets ¨C they¡¯re all crazily destroying crops, making the people suffer. I don¡¯t think it will be long before a lot of landlords and farmers sell their land cheaply, and then our family can take the opportunity to buy a great deal.¡±


    Qin Niu was very supportive of his wife¡¯s financial advice.

 Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Chapter 360: A New Direction for Cultivating the War Bee Queen_1

    Chapter 367: Chapter 360: A New Direction for Cultivating the War Bee Queen_1


    He had long been thinking of purchasing a large amount of land to achieve the goal of making money work for him.


    In time, his stash of several hundred thousand taels of silver would last forever, generating a substantial amount of rental and farming income every year.


    Nearly all large families relied on this method to continually accumulate their family¡¯s wealth.


    Besides, buying shops within the city was also a decent choice.


    However, purchasing storefronts carried a significant risk¡ªit wasn¡¯t as stable as buying land.


    Even if you take a loss on land, it wouldn¡¯t amount to much.


    With a wide audience, it¡¯s easier to rent out. If there really is no one to rent, one could cultivate it oneself.


    If you make a good purchase on the storefront, that could provide for three generations.


    If you don¡¯t, you might well end up with nothing.


    Moreover, the price of a shop often starts north of a hundred taels of silver, and if it is not a good investment, it might be impossible to offload.


    For instance, if at the time of the purchase, a business district in the north of the city is thriving, one could rent out a shop for ten taels of silver. The cost to buy one might be two hundred and fifty taels of silver.


    But after the purchase, either due to the government¡¯s business planning or market fluctuations, that district in the north of the city could become desolate.


    Rental income for the shop would plummet dramatically.


    What used to fetch ten taels of silver a year would not even attract one tael now.


    You¡¯d still have to pay for annual maintenance of the property and a plethora of taxes; holding onto such a shop would not only fail to yield any income, but it would also result in losses year after year.


    This is basically the equivalent of losing all your capital.


    Many people would choose to cut their losses decisively and sell at a very low price.


    Buying farmland doesn¡¯t have this risk.


    Even in the case of a bad year due to disasters, it might just mean no yield for that year. The next year, one can continue to cultivate or rent it out again.


    And even if the fertile land that was bought for thirteen taels of silver per mu devalues, people would still buy it at five or six taels.


    War is the biggest factor that causes farmland prices to plummet.


    In times of fleeing from calamity, farmland can¡¯t be taken along, and to survive, one has no choice but to sell off at a low price.


    For instance, the Black Tiger Gang has been at war with the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect recently, making people anxious and surely going to cause land prices to drop sharply.


    But as Shuangfeng Village sits deeply within Black Tiger Gang territory, it has not been affected too much.


    After all, those landlords and farmers holding onto the land aren¡¯t fools; they are watching the situation closely in secret.


    They will only choose to sell off their land if the situation turns sour.


    ¡°Husband, do you think the land prices will drop significantly?¡±


    Tang Caixian joined the conversation from the side.


    ¡°They should. Based on my travels from a while ago, many landlords in the border areas have already started to sell off their land at low prices and liquidate their assets. Recently, troops from the Nine Insect Gang attacked Jade Stream Town, which has already caused unrest among the locals. It¡¯s just that those landlords and rich farmers are very shrewd, all observing the situation in secret.


    The locust plague has just subsided, and other insect disasters have arisen, persisting for a while now.


    I reckon they are on the brink of selling off.


    If anything else were to happen, it would instantly ignite a frenzy of selling.


    At that time, our old Qin Family will have the opportunity to pick up a bargain,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Now that he had a family, Qin Niu¡¯s mentality had undergone a significant change from when he was alone.


    He would think about more long-term issues.


    Because the fate of his wives and concubines, along with his maid Xiao Qing, was tied to him as their master. Additionally, he needed to make plans for his future children.


    After dinner, he didn¡¯t rush to his wife or concubines¡¯ rooms to enjoy intimacy.


    The black Gu insect lurking inside of him remained a hidden danger until it was eliminated.


    If it entered his wives¡¯ or concubines¡¯ bodies during close contact, it would be an endless affliction.


    The answer to dealing with the black Gu could most likely be found in Elder Mei¡¯s ¡°Myriad Insect Mastery.¡±


    ¡°Wan Yan, Cai Xian, I might need to concentrate on breaking through to a higher cultivation realm these days, so I won¡¯t be able to sleep with you at night. You can rest early,¡± Qin Niu found an excuse and greeted his spouses.


    Having just married, they obviously hoped to spend intimate time with their husband.


    However, when their husband needed to overcome a bottleneck in his cultivation, both were very supportive.


    ¡°`


    In this world, the real foundation isn¡¯t honesty or money, but cultivation.


    As long as one has sufficiently high cultivation, they can ensure the safety of their family.


    Qin Niu first went to check on the Green Demon Bee and the swarm of bees above the grain storehouse.


    The Green Demon Bee seemed to have entered a rapid growth phase.


    After molting several times, it had actually formed a cocoon.


    One could see that it was wrapped in a brown shell, sealed inside.


    It was as if a hermetic seal was custom-made for it.


    ¡°This is great, finally reaching the cocoon stage. Once you emerge, I will have real aerial strength.¡±


    Qin Niu was filled with joy and anticipation.


    The insect that the Green Demon placed great hopes on, to turn the tide and even challenge the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, could not be weak.


    The Green Demon was an absolute overlord.


    Not only were his actions treacherous and scheming, full of calculations, but he was also cruel and ruthless.


    He deliberately used a treasure map hidden in the Green Demon Bee Breeding Classics and the ubiquitous inferior Green Demon Bees to lure treasure hunters into the mountain.


    Then, he had a continuous supply of ¡®food¡¯.


    Had Qin Niu not destroyed that underground cave, who knows how many more people the Green Demon would have harmed.


    Given time, once the Green Demon absorbed enough energy, it might transform into a true demon.


    And this Green Demon Bee would also become an adult and perhaps breed a new swarm, then help the Green Demon obliterate powerful enemies.


    Since the Green Demon Bee had already formed a cocoon, there was no longer a need for War Bees to feed it.


    Qin Niu placed the cocoon of the Green Demon Bee into the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag and carried it with him.


    Having this Hundred Treasures Insect Bag is really nice.


    It can hold any number of insects.


    It is truly a divine artifact for an Insect Master.


    Especially for an Insect Master like Qin Niu, who has many insects. With it, traveling and fighting become much more convenient.


    He then checked on the situation of the swarm of bees.


    The queen of the War Bees was still tirelessly laying eggs.


    One hundred eggs each day.


    As for how to upgrade her, Qin Niu was still exploring and learning.


    The simplest way for any insect to upgrade is to feed them some high-level food.


    Such as the corpses of other high-level insects.


    Or the blood of magical trees, or the blood of human powerhouses, and so on.


    Any insect that wants to advance needs an accumulation of energy. It doesn¡¯t just upgrade out of thin air.


    The dietary habits of bees are rather simple.


    It seems they don¡¯t eat insect corpses, only pollen and nectar.


    The only cultivation method discovered so far is to feed them Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    But Ancient Banyan Tree Blood is only effective the first time they eat it; it¡¯s ineffective afterwards.


    I need to figure out a way to get some high-grade pollen for them.


    But where to get high-grade pollen?


    The first thing Qin Niu thought of was the Ice Lotus he was cultivating.


    This is a special herb, already at the level of a spiritual herb.


    Letting the bees gather its pollen might bring unexpected benefits.


    As for other herbs, he¡¯s working hard at cultivating them.


    Nourishing them daily with the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    I believe that given time, they will all become spiritual herbs.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 368 - Chapter 368: Chapter 361: The Black Spider Gu, One of the Eight Great Poison Gu

    Chapter 368: Chapter 361: The Black Spider Gu, One of the Eight Great Poison Gu


    ¡°Come with me, you few!¡±


    Qin Niu selected a group of bees, including War Bees, and led them to the backyard.


    In the lotus pond, the Ice Lotus quietly bloomed underwater, seemingly preferring to admire its own solitude.


    It always bloomed quietly, like an orchid in a deep valley.


    ¡°Wait here!¡±


    Qin Niu directly took the Ice Lotus out of the water.


    It didn¡¯t need to be rooted in soil, so moving it was fairly convenient.


    But there was always the saying: plants die when relocated, people thrive when they move.


    The Ice Lotus was thriving underwater, and relocating it would certainly cause it some harm.


    If someone else moved it, it could easily die.


    However, Qin Niu didn¡¯t need to worry about these things. If anything, he could just channel a strand of Everlasting Spring Technique into it when putting it back in the water, sufficient to rapidly restore it to its peak vitality.


    ¡°Come and collect pollen!¡±


    Under Qin Niu¡¯s command, over a dozen bees flew over.


    But as soon as the Giant Wing Worker Bees and Green Ring Worker Bees got near the Ice Lotus, they were instantly frozen and fled. Only three War Bees managed to land on the Ice Lotus and burrow into its heart to collect pollen.


    Seeing this, Qin Niu was overjoyed.


    This looked promising.


    He had acquired the Ice Lotus some time ago; why hadn¡¯t he thought of letting the bees collect its pollen and make honey?


    ¡°All the War Bees, come and make honey for me.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s bee hive was located just above the granary, making it very convenient to summon them.


    To date, he had accumulated 27 War Bees.


    Originally there were 29, but two had died in battle.


    War Bees were a scarce breed among bees.


    Their numbers were even fewer than those of honey-making bees.


    Their combat abilities were formidable; even at Grade Two, they could easily confront fierce hornets.


    After being nurtured with Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, they advanced to Grade Three War Bees, and their abilities multiplied in every aspect.


    Despite appearing rather useless against enemies¡¯ insects during battles, they were hardly seen as significant players.


    They could only be used for aerial reconnaissance, surveillance, and other support tasks that did not involve contact with enemy insects.


    But this did not affect their status as the strongest bee species in the hive.


    At this moment, they were the only ones brave enough to land on the Ice Lotus to collect honey.


    Ordinary Worker Bees dared not land there at all.


    They could not withstand the cold air emitted by the Ice Lotus.


    Bees were very sensitive to cold.


    In the cold winter, if it was freezing, you wouldn¡¯t see them at all.


    In cold weather, they would huddle together inside the hive for warmth.


    If the temperature was too low, their movements would become very slow, or they might even freeze to death.


    The War Bees, while collecting honey from the Ice Lotus, seemed not to last very long.


    All 27 War Bees completed only one round of honey collection before escaping the Ice Lotus. When Qin Niu called them over again, he found a light layer of frost on their bodies and they were shivering from the cold.


    It seems that he could let them collect pollen from the Ice Lotus only once a day at most.


    ¡°Rest well, all of you!¡±


    Qin Niu gently stroked these pitiful little creatures.


    He returned the Ice Lotus to the lotus pond and casually channeled a wisp of Everlasting Spring Technique into its plant body, helping it quickly recover its vitality.


    After all this was done, he went back to his study and started reading Mei Qing¡¯s Insect Control Experience.


    It was a match for Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s insect breeding notes.


    Qin Niu realized that these Spirit Qi Realm experts, once they achieved a certain level of success, liked to summarize their experiences, recording the growth process of their Insect Control Techniques in detail.


    This was an excellent habit.


    A good memory is not as reliable as bad handwriting; it¡¯s useful to have some insect breeding methods and processes written down for easy reference.


    Not just them, Qin Niu had this habit as well.


    An Insect Master must continuously summarize to grow.


    He read very carefully, wanting to find textual records about the Black Spider Gu.


    Luckily, Elder Mei had indeed recorded it all.


    Unlike the Puppet Gu Immortal Manual obtained by Elder Jiu Yin, what Elder Mei obtained was only a fragmented manual. This caused Elder Mei to fumble his way in rearing and controlling Gu, like a little horse trying to find its way across a river.


    Groping in the dark and learning as he went.


    The Gu rearing technique obtained by Elder Mei specifically cultivated one of the eight great poisonous Gus, the spider Gu.


    The Black Spider Gu that burrowed inside Qin Niu was one such spider Gu, but it was a half-finished product.


    Even Elder Mei couldn¡¯t fully control it.


    After keeping this Gu inside his body, Elder Mei suffered daily from the agony of the Gu poison eroding his flesh. It also granted Elder Mei a special ability, which was immunity to all poisons.


    Ever since he had the Black Spider Gu inside his body, whether Elder Mei was bitten by a venomous centipede, a poisonous snake, or if someone poisoned his food, he would not be harmed.


    Moreover, he discovered that each time he was poisoned, the Black Spider Gu inside his body would grow stronger.


    Latter on, Elder Mei even began to actively seek out venomous creatures to bite him.


    The Nine Insect Gang had many powerful Insect Masters.


    Finding some highly toxic creatures was incredibly easy.


    However, as Elder Mei was bitten by more and more poisonous creatures, he gradually became frustrated by his inability to find even more potent poisons.


    The Black Spider Gu inside him was very peculiar.


    If he could find sufficiently venomous creatures to bite him, the Black Spider Gu would be very content.


    If several days passed without finding more venomous creatures or snakes to bite him, the Black Spider Gu would become restless. It would attack its host, causing unbearable pain.


    There was one time when Elder Mei couldn¡¯t find a stronger poison for more than a month, and the Black Spider Gu nearly killed him.


    That experience was the most deeply ingrained in Elder Mei¡¯s memory.


    In his notes on Gu rearing, he wrote that if he could start over, he would definitely not touch the spider Gu. The spider Gu inside his body was like a bottomless pit, never to be satisfied. Each time I was wounded by a poisonous creature, it would help me by absorbing all the poison from my body.


    At the same time, it would grow stronger.


    The next time, in order to satisfy it, I had to find a more poisonous creature to wound me.


    I dare not imagine what would happen if one day I can no longer find a more lethal poison.


    After finishing reading, Qin Niu felt a chill run down his spine.


    It¡¯s said that rearing Gu is a double-edged sword, it can harm others while potentially backfiring on oneself.


    He hadn¡¯t believed it before, but now he did.


    What was more fatal was that the terrible Black Spider Gu had already burrowed into Qin Niu¡¯s body. He had become the new host.


    From now on, he would desperately search for more lethal poisons to harm himself, this vicious cycle would befall on Qin Niu.


    ¡°The malicious Elder Mei, even at the brink of death, planted such a curse inside me.¡±


    Qin Niu finally understood what Elder Mei¡¯s eerie smile before dying meant.


    Elder Mei was certain that there would come a day when Qin Niu could no longer satisfy the Black Spider Gu.


    And then, he would surely die.


    And his death would be particularly tragic.


    ¡°No wonder that sending so many Dark Poison Ants to bite Elder Mei had no effect. No wonder Elder Mei didn¡¯t carry any Detoxification Pills on him.¡±


    Many doubts were cleared up in his mind.


    ¡°If Elder Mei could transfer this Black Spider Gu onto me, can¡¯t I also transfer it to someone else?¡±


    Qin Niu began to ponder.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was evil.


    But it stemmed from his instinct to survive.


    A fellow cultivator may die, but not oneself; such is the essence of all cultivators.


    Being compassionately foolish in the world of cultivation would only lead one to their own demise.


    With an agitated heart, he continued reading this cultivation experience notebook.


    Soon, his hope turned into complete despair.


    The notes on Gu rearing clearly stated that the Black Spider Gu was one of the world¡¯s eight great poisonous Gus. This Black Spider Gu was a half-finished product that Elder Mei had cultivated based on the incomplete Gu-rearing secret technique, supplemented by his own Insect Control Technique.


    To put it more bluntly, it would be more appropriate to call it a problematic Gu.


    Only when the host dies can they transfer it to someone else just before death. Otherwise, there was absolutely no way to get rid of it.


    Elder Mei had thought of countless methods but none were successful.

 Chapter 369 - Chapter 369: Chapter 362: Grade Five Demon Ant_1

    Chapter 369: Chapter 362: Grade Five Demon Ant_1


    Under normal circumstances, when Gu insects are cultivated, their master can control them.


    The extreme case of them backfiring on their master rarely happens.


    This Black Spider Gu couldn¡¯t be controlled because Elder Mei cultivated it as a semi-finished product, with flaws.


    Upon his demise, the problem was completely resolved.


    With the issue now transferred onto Qin Niu, it was his turn to suffer the headache.


    He read through ¡°Mei Qing¡¯s Insect Control Experience¡± overnight and gained a lot from it in terms of knowledge on controlling, cultivating, breeding, and managing Gu insects.


    He compared it with Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s notes, and there was quite an overlap in their knowledge of controlling Gu.


    However, their methods of cultivating and controlling Gu were completely different.


    People always have their own agendas.


    They probably often shared their experience in controlling Gu, but the techniques of cultivating and controlling were considered core skills and were never disclosed lightly.


    Qin Niu, now in possession of the cultivation and control techniques from both elders, began to merge their Gu techniques to find a way to deal with the Black Spider Gu in his body as soon as possible.


    ¡­


    As the days passed, Qin Niu practiced diligently every day, earnestly cultivating the insects.


    The Black Spider Gu that had burrowed into his body seemed to vanish like the air, without a trace.


    It did not flare up at all.


    This slightly relaxed Qin Niu¡¯s extremely tense nerves.


    Even so, he was still proactively preparing for the worst.


    These days, apart from practicing and cultivating the insects, he also consciously learned and practiced the techniques of cultivating and controlling Gu.


    After killing Elder Jiu Yin, he found a crystal tube on his body.


    It contained more than a dozen insect eggs.


    These were the Gu that Elder Jiu Yin had not yet successfully cultivated.


    They were half insect, half Gu.


    Qin Niu had always been afraid to touch them before, but now, he was consciously trying to hatch them.


    However, for the sake of safety, he initially took only one insect egg to hatch.


    The most common method of cultivating Gu is to feed them blood or poison.


    There are also some special Gu insects that prefer certain peculiar ¡®foods¡¯. For example, Moonlight Gu, which not only feeds on fresh blood but also draws on moonlight.


    Today, like any other day, Qin Niu went to the mountain to check on the Termites.


    Just as he arrived at the Ant Nest, he discovered a very special Termite that had emerged. It was small and extremely agile.


    Its body shined with a faint metallic luster, displaying a light pinkish hue.


    It was the Gold Devouring Ant that had been continuously evolving since it had consumed Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    Today, it had finally completed its evolution.


    ¡°Little one, let me check your attributes first,¡± Qin Niu said.


    He extended his right hand, and the ant promptly climbed onto his palm, waving its two antennae and looking up at him.


    One Grade Five Gold Devouring Ant (extremely rare variety), lifespan 9 years, special abilities (Flash Strike, Advanced Armor Break, Gold Devouring, moderate intelligence +, possesses intermediate carapace and self-healing capabilities).


    He felt that its abilities had improved, but the change was not as significant as he had imagined¡ªit was more of a steady enhancement.


    The most notable improvements were probably the Advanced Armor Break and an increase in intelligence.


    Its lifespan had increased from 3 days to 9 years.


    Not bad, he thought.


    At least he did not need to worry about its lifespan for the time being.


    Ancient Banyan Tree Blood truly was a magnificent thing; regardless of which variety of Termite ate it, their lifespan increased by a few years.


    Some even gained a few decades.


    The Ant Queen¡¯s lifespan had increased by thousands of years, a special case, impossible for other Termites to replicate.


    Even Fourth couldn¡¯t compare to it.


    The Gold Devouring Ant had a high starting point as a Grade Four Termite at birth, and after consuming Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, it was promoted directly to Grade Five.


    With a bit more fortuity in the future, advancing to Grade Six would be effortless.


    ¡°Not bad. From now on, you¡¯ll follow me and be ready to serve at any time,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Qin Niu was definitely not raising insects for fun.


    At critical moments, he needed the insects to help him, their master, deal with formidable enemies or capture other powerful insects.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    It vigorously waved its two antennae, and its abdomen lifted slightly, resembling a little dog that wanted to please its master, desperately wagging its tail.


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    Qin Niu took out the corpse of a bee general for it to eat.


    It touched the bee general¡¯s corpse with its antennae but surprisingly didn¡¯t eat it.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the food I like.¡±


    It continued to wag its two antennae at Qin Niu, begging for food.


    ¡°Your brothers and sisters usually aren¡¯t picky eaters, but you are rather particular. This is the corpse of a Steel-winged Wild Bee general, which I wouldn¡¯t normally even think of feeding to the common termite. Only the Ant Queen, Fourth, and several dozen Demon Ants are qualified to eat it.¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the little thing in his palm, genuinely unsure of what it wanted to eat.


    Its name was Gold Devouring Ant, and among its special abilities was gold devouring.


    Could it be that it liked to eat metal?


    But that was not its sole prerogative.


    For instance, among Rock-Biting Rats, the top-grade variety known as Gold-Biting Rats enjoyed consuming metal.


    At first, they ate ores containing metal.


    Such as iron ore, gold ore, and so on.


    Later, as their abilities grew stronger and stronger, they became pickier about their food. They stopped eating metal ores and started directly consuming processed metals like iron ingots and silver bars.


    Qin Niu felt around on himself, and this was a copper coin.


    As he became richer, he rarely carried copper coins on him anymore. At most, he would carry some silver pieces.


    ¡°Come on, have a copper coin! I¡¯m just afraid you won¡¯t be able to bite through it.¡±


    Qin Niu placed the copper coin in front of it.


    The little guy touched it with its antennae and immediately became excited.


    It started gnawing on the edge of the copper coin.


    Crunch, crunch!


    The hard copper coin before it was like a crisply baked cookie. It ate mouthful after mouthful, and a notch quickly appeared on the edge.


    As it continued to feed, its originally pinkish body gradually turned brass in color.


    ¡°Go enjoy your feast in the Insect Bag! If you like eating metal, from now on I¡¯ll feed you metal blocks every day. Feel free to eat to your heart¡¯s content without worrying that I can¡¯t afford to keep you,¡± Qin Niu told it.


    The Gold Devouring Ant belonged to a very rare species; he believed that with proper grooming, the stronger its abilities would become as time passed.


    After securing the Gold Devouring Ant, Qin Niu turned his attention to the Demon Ants that had consumed the Blood Gu.


    They had already completed their devouring and evolution two days earlier.


    The results were quite encouraging, with a total of ten Demon Ants turning out to be the lucky ones, each getting the chance to devour a Blood Gu.


    Qin Niu had obtained a total of twelve Blood Gus at that time. Fourth and the Green Silk Worm each devoured one, and the remaining ten were given to ten Demon Ants by Qin Niu.


    Grade Five Demon Ants, 10 individuals, lifespan 270 years, special abilities (Flash Strike, Moderate Intelligence+, Advanced Carapace, Intermediate Self-healing, Advanced Armor Break, Venom Attack; developed a poison sting and sac in the abdomen, the venom possessing strong paralytic, heart corroding, and soul eroding toxicity. The poison sting has a very strong armor-piercing capability. Illusion form. Demonization+, with speed increasing fourfold, attack power sixfold, and defense threefold when demonized.)


    Quite impressive.


    The venom of the Demon Ants was very special, capable of attacking the enemy¡¯s body and possessing soul-eroding toxicity.


    It felt, however, that their soul-eroding toxicity should be weaker than Fourth¡¯s.


    But their ability to have compound toxicity would catch enemies off guard in actual combat.


    If bitten by a Dark Poison Ant, one could still take a Detoxification Pill to neutralize the poison.


    If bitten by a Demon Ant, it was estimated that a regular Detoxification Pill would be ineffective.


    Elder Mei had a Black Spider Gu in his body, which specialized in devouring various venoms. The more poisonous the toxin, the more it enjoyed consuming it. Bitten by over a hundred Dark Poison Ants, Elder Mei was fine.


    On the contrary, it greatly satisfied the Black Spider Gu within him.


    But after being bitten by Fourth, within about a day, Elder Mei eventually started showing symptoms of soul erosion.


    This was enough to indicate that Fourth¡¯s venom was of a very high grade, even beyond what the Black Spider Gu could absorb.

 Chapter 370 - Chapter 370: Chapter 363 – Finding a Way to Conquer the Ancient Banyan Tree_1

    Chapter 370: Chapter 363 ¨C Finding a Way to Conquer the Ancient Banyan Tree_1


    After the demon ant devoured the Blood Gu, its lifespan increased by 200 years.


    It achieved a lifespan of 270 years.


    This was already longer than the lifespan of human Innate Realm experts.


    Its intelligence also increased, and like Fourth, it acquired a morphing ability.


    It could transform its body as if it were smoke.


    This was a very powerful ability.


    Originally, only Gu could have such ability.


    They were equivalent to possessing an exclusive ability of a Gu, which could significantly increase their survival rate when attacked by powerful foes.


    Qin Niu was very much looking forward to seeing the effects when these ten demon ants went into battle the next time they encountered a formidable enemy.


    Previously, when he let the termites fight against Spirit Qi Realm or Innate Realm experts, he did not dare let Fourth or the demon ants engage in close combat with the enemy.


    Because they could easily be squashed by the enemy.


    Now that they had the morphing ability,


    it would not be so easy to kill them, as they could transform into smoke.


    If only their self-healing ability could be a little stronger, that would be even better.


    The current self-healing ability of the demon ants had reached an intermediate level, meaning they could quickly recover from general injuries.


    After checking the new attributes of the demon ants, Qin Niu subconsciously reviewed the Green Silk Worm.


    This fellow was still evolving.


    It had the easiest time consuming the Blood Gu, but its evolution was taking the longest.


    According to his experience in breeding insects, this was a good sign.


    Because whether they were insects or beasts and birds, the longer the evolution time, the stronger the strength after evolution.


    Initially, Green Ox¡¯s evolution took as long as two months.


    After its evolution was completed, its abilities were incredible. The golden light that shot out from its horns could capture opponents or items directly. As its cultivation increased in the future, during magical combat, Green Ox would be the master of ambush and plundering enemy treasures.


    Having finished cultivating the termites, Qin Niu entered the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree directly.


    The body of Elder Mei had long since become nutrients for the Ancient Banyan Tree, leaving no remnants.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree seemed more lush and verdant than before.


    Qin Niu practiced beneath the tree, without mentioning taking the Banyan Tree Blood.


    Now with the active cooperation of the Ancient Banyan Tree, he found it very convenient to extract the Banyan Tree Blood.


    This also gave him more ideas.


    He had lured strong enemies to the front of the Ancient Banyan Tree twice in a row, trying to make the enemies enter it. But each time, the enemies noticed the danger and avoided it.


    If Qin Niu wanted to make this deep mountain his stronghold with the Ancient Banyan Tree at its center, he definitely needed to solve a problem. It would be great if it were also safe for him to enter the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree at night.


    In that case, he could directly hide within the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    He would be safe inside, and if enemies dared to pursue him into it, they would immediately be attacked by the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    By then, even if the enemy was a Spirit Qi Realm expert, Qin Niu would have the confidence to kill them within the maze.


    ¡°Ancient Banyan Tree, oh, Ancient Banyan Tree, we are now old friends. Can we strike a deal to let me stay inside at night too, without being attacked by you?¡±


    Qin Niu stroked the tree¡¯s trunk thick enough for several people to embrace and sent a sliver of Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s cultivation energy into the tree.


    This was deliberately offering it a benefit.


    Everyone in this world is moved by profit; everyone bustles about for the sake of profit.


    As long as there are enough benefits, even ghosts would be willing to grind at the mill for humans.


    The trunk showed no response.


    It was like an inanimate object, devoid of consciousness and thought.


    Qin Niu knew it was certainly not an inanimate object but had a certain level of consciousness. Otherwise, it would not have actively shown goodwill when Qin Niu was extracting its blood.


    At this time, it should be close to evening outside.


    Because the branches and leaves of the Ancient Banyan Tree were constantly drooping lower, the height from the ground was only about three meters.


    Qin Niu carried the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood out of the maze and then charged back in.


    Having reached the Innate Realm and possessing the King Pig Leather Armor, he had a bit more resistance against the attacks of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Even though he could not resist for long, being instantly killed was basically out of the question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t attack me, I¡¯m one of us!¡±


    Qin Niu shouted.


    It¡¯s of no use.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree simply couldn¡¯t understand human language.


    Although its branches constantly hung down, they automatically parted on either side of where Qin Niu stood. It was intentionally avoiding Qin Niu.


    The chilling energy falling onto his head was also much less than in other places.


    Qin Niu stood there, desperately resisting the continuously falling chilling energy.


    He felt it was probably a form of self-cleansing and purification.


    Every night, it would commence an evolution of the ground beneath it, not only protecting itself from pests and harmful birds but also obtaining constant new energy by killing the invaders.


    This allowed the tree to grow more lushly and also accelerated its promotion speed.


    Qin Niu stood there, not moving an inch.


    He quickly realized this method wouldn¡¯t work.


    Drowsiness kept striking him, his blood flow slowed, his body felt extremely cold, and the operation of his inner cultivation technique became sluggish.


    All of this was telling him to hurry and escape.


    Otherwise, he would be mercilessly killed by the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Having no choice, he escaped the banyan tree¡¯s labyrinth following Fourth¡¯s guidance.


    After getting out, he felt normal again after a short rest.


    He wasn¡¯t willing to give up and entered the labyrinth once more.


    It was only now that he dared to attempt repeatedly so boldly. If it had been any earlier, such behavior would have been suicidal.


    As soon as he entered the labyrinth, he felt the terrifying chilling energy pouring down.


    When he had escaped earlier, the chilling energy over his head was merely a drizzle. Now, it had turned into a moderate rain.


    If it were deep into the night, it would surely become a downpour.


    Just the drizzle-level chilling energy was already something Qin Niu could barely resist.


    If it turned into a pouring rain, he would probably not last even a second.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree seemed to recognize him again, and the branches overhead automatically parted, reducing the descending chilling energy by several times.


    However, Qin Niu still couldn¡¯t withstand it for long.


    He eventually had to escape again.


    He was somewhat discontent.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree was already very friendly towards him and recognized him as a ¡®friend.¡¯ So why couldn¡¯t it achieve zero attack?


    With these doubts, he returned home.


    His wives were already waiting for him to come home for dinner.


    They still hadn¡¯t purchased any maids, so it was Xiao Qing along with the two wives who did the household chores together.


    The family sat around the table for dinner, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.


    In a family with two wives, as long as they didn¡¯t fight out of jealousy and there was no infighting, the household would be very harmonious.


    In many wealthy families, the female members often did not dine together at the table but had servants bring the prepared food to their rooms to eat separately.


    ¡°Ah Niu, how is your cultivation going lately? Have you broken through the bottleneck?¡±


    Tang Caixian asked him.


    Her words were pregnant with meaning!


    It had only been a few days since their wedding, and Qin Niu hadn¡¯t been sleeping in their bed, leaving the two young wives alone at night, which was certainly unacceptable.


    ¡°Oh, it should be soon. After the Innate Realm, each step is a hurdle, so it might still take some time.¡±


    Qin Niu answered perfunctorily.


    The Black Spider Gu had been silent all this time, and he couldn¡¯t find it when he looked within, which made him feel uneasy.


    Being completely unable to locate it, taking control of it was even more impossible.


    ¡°Cultivation is the foundation, it¡¯s important, and you should focus on cultivating at ease. Cai Xian is just concerned about you, she has no other intentions,¡±


    Wang Wanyan said from the side.


    The two women must have discussed it beforehand.


    They both wanted Qin Niu to spend the night with them.


    ¡°I will make the most of my time. If you have questions about cultivation, feel free to ask me anytime. If you want better cultivation techniques, I have some here as well.¡±


    After Qin Niu finished speaking, he lowered his head and focused on eating.

 Chapter 371 - Chapter 371: Chapter 364: The Onset of the Poisonous Gu_1

    Chapter 371: Chapter 364: The Onset of the Poisonous Gu_1


    Last time when Ah Niu eradicated the He Family, he obtained a very good cultivation technique called Dragon Elephant Art.


    This technique is mainly used for combat.


    Xiao Qing had already cultivated the Medicine King Sutra, while the techniques cultivated by Tang Cai Xian and Wang Wanyan should be quite ordinary. Switching to high-level techniques was also a good way out for them.


    Because their current cultivation levels were still quite shallow.


    ¡°Does my husband have any techniques suitable for women to cultivate?¡±


    Wang Wanyan asked with interest as soon as she heard this.


    Though her family background was not bad, the techniques she could afford to buy were basically ordinary ones costing around a dozen silver money per copy.


    A little better than what one would find at a street stall.


    One could ensure that they were buying the genuine technique, and they were written by Acquired Realm experts who had achieved a small degree of success in their cultivation.


    With a bit of luck, one might even be able to purchase a technique scroll written by an Innate Realm powerhouse.


    To obtain anything better, one usually had to resort to incomplete scrolls, life-nurturing techniques, or flawed techniques with major defects.


    For instance, the Everlasting Spring Technique that Qin Niu had bought was not only a life-nurturing technique, but also an incomplete scroll.


    Techniques that cost thousands of silver money per scroll were virtually impossible to come by by sheer luck.


    Not to mention the techniques worth thousands of silver money, even those valued at a hundred taels of silver money were hard to get by chance.


    After all, every bookstore had its professional appraisers.


    Smaller technique shops often had the owner doubling as the appraiser.


    These owners often had experience working as appraisers in other technique shops before they set up their own business.


    Just as many restaurant owners come from a chef background.


    ¡°What kind of techniques does Wan Yan prefer to cultivate? According to my understanding, except for a few special techniques, they generally are not gender-specific.¡±


    Qin Niu looked up at his wife.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I want to cultivate a powerful technique, preferably one that can make me strong, protect my youth, and prevent my face from aging.¡±


    She pondered seriously before answering.


    ¡°Cai Xian, what about you?¡±


    Qin Niu looked at his concubine.


    Marrying two such beautiful girls at the same time was undoubtedly the dream of every man.


    As a new husband, Qin Niu was incredibly indulgent towards his wife and concubine.


    He would try his best to satisfy whatever they needed.


    ¡°I wish to cultivate a technique that allows me to fight and become an Immortal Master. The lifespan of ordinary people is too short, and since Ah Niu dislikes partings, then I will strive to cultivate diligently, so that I can accompany you for as long as possible.¡±


    Even after marrying into the family, Tang Caixian was still wholeheartedly devoted to Qin Niu.


    She only wanted to be his wife forever.


    ¡°It seems that the techniques you two want are basically similar, both aiming to cultivate beyond the Spirit Qi Realm and for combat. After we finish eating, I¡¯ll satisfy your wishes.¡±


    Qin Niu decided to hand over the Dragon Elephant Skill for his wife and concubine to cultivate.


    After dinner, he called his wife and concubine into the room and handed the Dragon Elephant Skill to Wang Wanyan.


    ¡°For the time being, you two can even contemplate this technique together at night. If there is anything you don¡¯t understand, you can ask me anytime. Once you have entered the doorway of cultivation, I will find ways to help you quickly improve your cultivation and advance to the Innate Realm as soon as possible.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke these words with great confidence.


    With a vast fortune, the Ancient Banyan Tree as a tremendous treasure, and such an advanced technique as the Dragon Elephant Art, as long as their talent for cultivation wasn¡¯t abysmal, it was certain they could advance to the Innate Realm within just a few short years.


    By then, his family would become incredibly powerful.


    ¡°Oh right, on our wedding night, I only gave a piece of soft armor to Wan Yan but not a good weapon, which is like a tiger without teeth. This sword is for you; its quality is about the same as the one Cai Xian has.¡±


    Qin Niu handed over the treasured sword he had obtained from killing Elder Mei to Wang Wanyan.


    Now, her equipment was both offensive and defensive, and she was fully equipped.


    Tang Caixian looked on from the side, filled with envy.


    ¡°Caixian, when the right opportunity comes next time, I¡¯ll get you a set of armor or soft armor. You and Wan Yan are both my women, and I will definitely treat you both equally without favoritism.¡±


    Qin Niu pulled Tang Caixian closer, comforting her.


    ¡°Ah Niu treats us so well! Marrying you must be the luckiest thing of my life.¡±


    Tang Caixian rested her head on his shoulder.


    The faint fragrance of her hair, mixed with the subtle scent of her body, assaulted Qin Niu¡¯s nose.


    It made Qin Niu¡¯s heart race, and he felt his heartbeat quicken.


    The more agitated his ¡®heart-monkey¡¯ became.


    Just then, he felt as if a strange energy was gathering inside him, followed by waves of pain radiating from his abdomen and spreading throughout his body.


    He was now an Innate Realm powerhouse, almost invulnerable to all diseases.


    The dinner they had that night couldn¡¯t possibly be the problem.


    A sudden stomach ache likely meant that the Black Spider Gu that had burrowed into his body last time was acting up.


    A chill settled in Qin Niu¡¯s heart; he couldn¡¯t let his wives find out about this.


    They wouldn¡¯t be able to help, and would only end up worrying.


    ¡°Alright, you two go practice the Dragon Elephant Art,¡± he said, pressing down the pain in his abdomen with a gentle tone.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re off! Don¡¯t overexert yourself, and remember to rest. I¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯ve been looking quite haggard these last few days,¡± Wang Wanyan observed attentively.


    Qin Niu had been trying every possible means to find a way to rid himself of the Gu poison lately, bearing immense psychological stress, truly not resting well.


    As he watched the two women leave, Qin Niu shut the door, opened the cover to the underground chamber, and went straight in.


    Because he didn¡¯t know what it would be like when the Black Spider Gu acted up.


    If he screamed in agony by accident, his wives would easily hear it.


    Elder Mei was a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse, and even Elder Mei suffered unimaginably when the Gu poison flared up. Qin Niu, being at the Innate Realm, would only fare worse.


    No sooner had he hidden in the underground chamber than he felt a gut-wrenching pain in his abdomen.


    At the same time, his head began to tighten progressively with each pulse, hurting more intensely with each wave.


    It was like the legendary Tightening Band Spell had been placed on him.


    The Black Spider Gu inside his body seemed to be ¡®chanting spells¡¯.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    He clutched his head, writhing in pain on the ground.


    The pain at that instant made his world go dark, and his breathing became difficult.


    It was excruciating.


    It felt as though countless blunt knives were ceaselessly cutting inside him, as if he were being quartered and slowly flayed alive.


    ¡°Damn creature, unleash all you¡¯ve got. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know your weakness; if I stop providing you with food, you will eventually die bit by bit. I¡¯ve always been someone who cannot be coerced; the more you try to use pain to force me to find better sustenance for you, the more I refuse to comply. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try. I¡¯d rather be shattered jade than an intact tile¡­ Ah!¡±


    Qin Niu screamed again, rolling on the ground in agony.


    The pain in his stomach was becoming intense.


    It was no longer intermittent but a continuous, severe ache.


    Sweat started to bead on his forehead, quickly forming a layer, drenching his hair.


    The veins on his neck bulged, one by one.


    The fear induced by the Gu poison was indeed extraordinary.


    Far surpassing the endurance limits of an ordinary person.

 Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: Chapter 365 Green Silk Worm Advancement_1

    Chapter 372: Chapter 365 Green Silk Worm Advancement_1


    Qin Niu bit down on his teeth, continuously rolling on the ground, letting out hoarse roars from his throat as a way to lessen the horrific pain in his body.


    At first, it was only his stomach that hurt terribly, but gradually, the pain began to spread to his head as well.


    His entire head kept tightening, as if it were about to explode.


    The pain was so intense that he began to roll his eyes back, and the dinner he had just eaten was all vomited out.


    It made a mess all over the ground.


    As he rolled in agony on the ground, he ended up smeared in it.


    The pain lasted for about a quarter of an hour, after which Qin Niu, drenched in sweat as if pulled from water, collapsed weakly on the ground, gasping for air.


    Just now, he felt as though he might die at any moment.


    However, with his understanding of Gu poison, he knew that the Black Spider Gu wouldn¡¯t let him die so easily unless it found a suitable new host.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t unprepared either.


    The moment he entered the basement, he had released the Termite Army.


    Under the command of Fourth.


    The moment the Black Spider Gu tried to drill out of Qin Niu¡¯s body, it would immediately face their attack.


    Qin Niu had thought that the Gu poison episode was over, but he had vastly underestimated the tenacity of the Black Spider Gu.


    Just after a short while, his stomach began to hurt again.


    And then the excruciating pain that he had just endured was replayed.


    He rolled on the ground again, suffering a fate worse than death.


    And this time, the episode was even longer than before.


    Last time, it lasted for less than a quarter of an hour, but this time it was twice as long.


    He was in agony for almost half an hour.


    When the pain finally stopped, he lay spread-eagled on the cold, dirty floor, covered in mud, vomit, and his own sweat, looking utterly wretched.


    After a while, he began to recover.


    Supporting himself with his hands, he sat up from the ground.


    He couldn¡¯t imagine that a Gu poison episode could inflict such unbearable pain on him, a strong warrior of the Innate Realm, leaving him absolutely defenseless.


    No wonder the termites that ate the Black Spider Gu¡¯s ¡®offspring¡¯ were all poisoned to death.


    Its toxicity was beyond imagination.


    ¡°Son of a bitch, come at me if you dare!¡±


    Qin Niu yelled at the air.


    There was no response.


    Probably, after launching two rounds of attacks, the Black Spider Gu was also exhausted.


    Just as Qin Niu rested for a while, thinking it was over and getting ready to take a bath and change into clean clothes, his stomach began to hurt again.


    Then, the unbearable intense pain descended upon him once more.


    This time the pain lasted even longer, nearly half an hour.


    Even after the pain ceased, he lay on the ground for a long time, motionless.


    Three consecutive bouts of violent pain had drained all his strength and left his body exhausted.


    He was truly terrified of the pain.


    He didn¡¯t want to experience it a fourth time.


    Lying quietly on the cold ground, he felt that as long as the pain didn¡¯t return, this was the most comfortable he could be.


    He clearly underestimated the terror of the Black Spider Gu.


    It had made Elder Mei its slave, contriving ways to find more toxic venom for it¡ªif that was all it could do, how could Elder Mei have succumbed to it?


    Qin Niu had not even fully recovered lying on the ground when the fourth round of pain struck.


    This time, he chose to endure silently, fighting against it with stubborn willpower.


    ¡­


    And so, wave after wave of severe pain kept hammering at his body.


    And each time was worse than the last.


    Qin Niu fully understood now just how terrifying Gu poison could be.


    From the looks of it, unless Qin Niu gave in, it would continue to torment him to death.


    Faint light began to leak through the ventilation holes from outside.


    The entire night passed in this way.


    Qin Niu touched his nose and found it covered in almost dry blood, mixed with mucus.


    Then, he heard someone knocking on the cellar cover from outside.


    ¡°Husband, it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s pleasant voice came through.


    It was weak.


    Because the cover was extremely thick, it had a good sound insulation effect.


    ¡°I need to go into seclusion to break through to a new realm. I won¡¯t need to eat these few days, you guys go ahead! And, don¡¯t come to disturb me anymore.¡±


    Qin Niu could only use a well-intentioned lie to avoid arousing his family¡¯s suspicions.


    As he spoke, a new wave of pain began once more.


    The poison from the Black Spider Gu acted up, endlessly, and each episode was more severe than the last.


    Qin Niu was also a stubborn one.


    No matter how much it tormented him, he simply refused to give in.


    He was very clear that if he compromised even once, he would be at the mercy of the Black Spider Gu for his entire life.


    That was certainly not the outcome he wanted.


    Now, all he could do was to endure it with the Gu.


    As long as it emerged, Qin Niu could immediately handle it with the Termite Army.


    He had long been harboring a ruthless determination in his heart, promising to kill it the moment the Black Spider Gu showed itself.


    He had never suffered such a big loss before in his life.


    In the dimly lit basement, he had completely lost any sense of time. He only knew that wave after wave of intense pain had descended upon him.


    As if there was never an end.


    In this way, he endured about thirty-seven or thirty-eight bouts of excruciating pain, nearly pushing him to the brink of collapse.


    He still hadn¡¯t caved in to the Black Spider Gu, and it was entirely due to the stubborn tenacity in his heart that he kept going.


    At that moment, Qin Niu, lying on the ground, seemed to sense something.


    His consciousness probed into the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    The Gold Devouring Ant had already finished eating the Copper Coin he had fed it.


    He checked the other compartments.


    He quickly found the reason that had triggered his sensation.


    The Green Silk Worm had broken out of its cocoon, completing its devouring and leveling up.


    Its appearance didn¡¯t seem to have any significant changes from before.


    Green Silk Worm (Mature Female)


    Grade: Grade Five Annulata, leveling experience 100000/1000000


    Lifespan: Infinite


    Energy: 8911


    Skills: Bloodsucking First Order 5.9/10, Venom First Order 7.1/10 (paralysis, coagulation), Tracking First Order 0/10 (can trace targets within a hundred miles based on the scent left behind or the scent of the offspring), Eavesdrop First Order 0/10 (can listen to everything near the offspring through the offspring), Morph.


    Talent: Parasitism, Spirit Communication


    After devouring the Blood Gu, it had advanced from Grade Four to Grade Five.


    And two new skills had been added.


    One was eavesdropping.


    This skill allowed it to listen to nearby sounds through its offspring.


    It was a very practical skill.


    In the future, if Qin Niu wanted to understand the true thoughts or schemes of his enemies, he could simply let the offspring of the Green Silk Worm parasitize the enemy¡¯s head, then easily listen to all their conversations with others through the Green Silk Worm.


    The other new skill it had acquired was morphing.


    This ability was definitely a significant enhancement for the Green Silk Worm.


    ¡°Very good!¡±


    Qin Niu took out the Green Silk Worm.


    It automatically attached to Qin Niu¡¯s head, blending in with his hair.


    Even if you were to hold a lantern, it would be hard to spot it.


    Because after leveling up, it seemed to resemble hair even more.


    When nestled on Qin Niu¡¯s head, it looked just like any other strand of hair.


    And it was firmly attached to Qin Niu¡¯s head.


    ¡°Ah¡­ dammit, it really is endless.¡±


    A new round of pain started acting up.


    Qin Niu clutched his stomach and cursed.


    It was that Black Spider Gu hiding inside his body and not coming out that made him entertain the thought of fighting the Gu to the death.


    Never had he hated a Gu insect to the bone like this.

 Chapter 373 - Chapter 373: Chapter 366: The Battle of the Two Gu_1

    Chapter 373: Chapter 366: The Battle of the Two Gu_1


    ¡°Master, let me deal with it!¡±


    The Green Silk Worm, having just completed its advancement, sensed its master being attacked and immediately volunteered to confront the Black Spider Gu wreaking havoc inside him.


    ¡°Hurry up and do it!¡±


    Qin Niu was already in so much pain that his eyes were rolling back, almost exerting all his strength to issue commands to the Green Silk Worm.


    The Green Silk Worm promptly burrowed into his nostrils.


    He instantly felt an itch in his nose, followed by a series of sneezes.


    Thankfully, the Green Silk Worm quickly made its way in.


    It now possessed the ability to transform and navigate freely inside Qin Niu¡¯s body.


    After a while, Qin Niu felt an even greater pain in his stomach.


    He writhed on the ground in agony, his cries of pain unable to alleviate the suffering of his body.


    He was in too much pain to even curse at the Green Silk Worm.


    The Green Silk Worm, without the ability, still insisted on confronting the Black Spider Gu.


    Now, not only had it failed to subdue the Black Spider Gu but it had also aggravated its ferocity.


    Just when Qin Niu was on the verge of fainting from pain multiple times, he was overjoyed to discover that the pain in his head was diminishing. Like ice and snow melting away, his head no longer felt as tight.


    Then, his stomach didn¡¯t hurt as much either.


    As the severe pain eased slightly, out of curiosity, he immediately inspected the Green Silk Worm¡¯s situation through internal vision.


    Inside his abdominal cavity, he saw a mass of black energy entwined with a mass of green energy, tumbling and intertwined.


    They were coiled together like two snakes.


    ¡°Green Silk Worm, can you bring it outside?¡±


    Qin Niu communicated with the Green Silk Worm through his thoughts.


    ¡°No¡­ can!¡±


    The Green Silk Worm seemed very strained.


    It only replied with two words and then fell silent. It was entangled in a fierce battle with the Black Spider Gu, unable to break free.


    Qin Niu had been tormented by this Black Spider Gu for nearly two days, and he was on the verge of collapse.


    Now that it had finally revealed itself, he had to think of a way to assist the Green Silk Worm in killing it.


    He tried to use the power of his Everlasting Spring Technique to attack the black energy.


    But it was of no use.


    His Medicine King Sutra had only been cultivated to the Acquired Realm and thus he wasn¡¯t able to channel power to attack the Black Spider Gu.


    Even if he could attack, it probably wouldn¡¯t be of much use.


    The Medicine King Sutra and Everlasting Spring Technique he practiced were not combat Cultivation Techniques.


    Moreover, this Black Spider Gu itself had an extremely strong defensive capacity. Even Elder Mei couldn¡¯t handle it.


    Qin Niu, finding that power attacks were ineffective, immediately switched to another method, mobilizing his spiritual power to launch an attack on it.


    It was strange.


    When the spiritual power hit it, it was like hitting a clump of air.


    Qin Niu did not know whether it was because he was not skilled in mental attacks or because the Black Spider Gu was too special, immune to Mental Attacks.


    Since it was inside his body, he was at a loss for what to do for a moment.


    Time was slipping by.


    The green energy formed by the Green Silk Worm seemed slightly inferior, gradually losing ground.


    Even so, it was already very powerful.


    It was the only one among all Qin Niu¡¯s creatures that could contend with the Black Spider Gu.


    ¡°If only I could get it out of my body!¡±


    Qin Niu frowned, painfully contemplating a strategy.


    Use bait of blood to lure it?


    It was inside Qin Niu¡¯s body, able to freely feast on his blood and energy, so there was no chance it would come out.


    Fourth and the ten Demon Ants had consumed the Blood Gu, which granted them the ability to transform.


    They should also be able to burrow into Qin Niu¡¯s body and fight.


    Perhaps he should have them assist the Green Silk Worm in combat.


    Fourth and the Demon Ants had extremely formidable combat power. They would certainly be able to inflict damage on the Black Spider Gu.


    ¡°Fourth, burrow into my stomach, kill that Black Spider Gu or lure it out.¡±


    Qin Niu issued the combat command.


    Fourth immediately crawled into his nostril, but after a while, it came back out.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s outside the intestines. I can¡¯t get to it.¡±


    Fourth burrowed into Qin Niu through his nostrils, either entering his lungs through the trachea or his stomach through the esophagus before making its way to the intestines.


    But the Black Spider Gu was outside the intestines, so unless Fourth bit through Qin Niu¡¯s intestines, it had no way to get out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have shape-shifting abilities? Can¡¯t you pass through the intestinal wall?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    It was quite helpless.


    This left Qin Niu perplexed, how did the Green Silk Worm get through the intestinal wall?


    ¡°Green Silk Worm, how did you get through my intestines to the outside?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    The situation of the Green Silk Worm seemed to be very bad, completely suppressed.


    ¡°Master¡­ I can¡¯t defeat this Black Gu, I can¡¯t hold on much longer.¡±


    It pleaded to Qin Niu for help.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t help you!¡±


    Qin Niu had already tried various methods he could think of, all ineffective against the Black Spider Gu.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the mass of green qi within his body began to flee.


    Qin Niu paid close attention with his thoughts.


    He saw it easily pass through the intestinal wall and then enter the intestines, escaping outwards along the gut.


    In the blink of an eye, it had burrowed out through Qin Niu¡¯s nostrils.


    With similar shape-shifting abilities, the Green Silk Worm was clearly much more formidable than Fourth.


    Qin Niu even suspected the Green Silk Worm was originally part insect, part Gu.


    Because the way the Green Silk Worm devoured the Blood Gu was completely different from how Termite did.


    It seemed much more effortless.


    As if a mantis eating a fly was that simple.


    Not long after the Green Silk Worm had escaped, he felt abdominal pain again.


    The Black Spider Gu had started causing trouble again.


    Qin Niu kept monitoring it with his thoughts.


    When the Green Silk Worm fled, it chased for a distance, but as soon as the Green Silk Worm passed through the intestinal wall into the interior of the intestines, it did not pursue any further.


    Then the black qi slowly dissipated, and eventually, its shadow was no longer visible.


    As if it had vanished without a trace once again.


    This is the terrifying aspect of Gu.


    When scattered, they become formless; when gathered, they form insects, and if they want to hide, they are utterly untraceable.


    He was a bit worried before that the Green Silk Worm would be eaten by it if it lost the fight.


    It turned out that even if the Green Silk Worm couldn¡¯t win, escaping was not a problem at all.


    This gave Qin Niu a few more opportunities to try.


    While the pain in his belly was still just starting and within the range he could bear, he hurriedly communicated with the Green Silk Worm.


    After escaping, the Green Silk Worm seemed to be exhausted.


    It had automatically crawled onto Qin Niu¡¯s head, sucking the blood from his scalp.


    ¡°Green Silk Worm, would you dare to fight it again next time?¡±


    ¡°I dare!¡±


    ¡°Can you escape if you can¡¯t beat it?¡±


    ¡°I can escape any time.¡±


    ¡°In a moment, you go back inside and deal with it, and I¡¯ll think of a way to try to get rid of it.¡±


    Qin Niu issued the order.


    One thing subdues another.


    Right now, he had no way to find where the Black Spider Gu was hiding. But as long as the Green Silk Worm entered his body, it could coax the Black Spider Gu out.


    This was very important.


    As long as he forced it to reveal itself, he could think of a way to get rid of it.


    As the Black Spider Gu released its poison within him once more, he soon was in unbearable pain, rolling on the ground, screaming incessantly.


    The Green Silk Worm had sucked his blood and rested for so long, it had almost fully recovered.


    It entered Qin Niu¡¯s body again to help deal with that rampaging Black Spider Gu.


    Before long, that mass of black qi once again coalesced inside the abdominal cavity and started fighting with the Green Silk Worm.

 Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: Chapter 367: Successfully Subdued_1

    Chapter 374: Chapter 367: Successfully Subdued_1


    ¡°`


    The Green Silk Worm was no match for it; its strength was slightly weaker, but not by too much.


    If the Green Silk Worm could advance to Grade Six, perhaps it would be able to defeat it.


    Currently, it was only at Grade Five, a level lower.


    After fighting with the Green Silk Worm, the Black Spider Gu could no longer release its venom to torture Qin Niu.


    This gave him a chance to catch his breath.


    Taking a slight breath, Qin Niu quickly took out a wooden box from his chest, which contained a Talisman.


    He did not use an Advanced Contract Talisman directly because it was too precious.


    One could only buy one or two at a time.


    It belonged to the series that was difficult to buy even with money.


    Moreover, at a price of a Hundred Taels of Silver for each, it was certainly not cheap.


    Just now, he had been contemplating ways to deal with the Black Spider Gu. Since it was a semi-finished product cultivated by Elder Mei, it should be somewhere between half Gu half worm.


    Isn¡¯t that quite similar to the current state of the Green Silk Worm?


    Since he could tame the Green Silk Worm as a pet, he should be able to tame this terrifying Black Spider Gu as one too.


    This was an epiphany Qin Niu had amidst excruciating pain.


    He took out a medium-grade Contractual Talisman and without hesitation, activated it with his power.


    The Talisman turned into a beam of golden light and shot out.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Qin Niu pointed at his own stomach.


    Because the insect he was trying to tame this time was quite unique, inside his body, he did not know if it was feasible.


    The golden light weakened significantly as it entered his abdomen.


    Under the control of Qin Niu¡¯s spiritual power, it eventually reached the position of the black mist.


    It shot directly into the black mist.


    In an instant, the black mist was dyed gold.


    The golden light of the Talisman was not repelled, indicating there was hope in taming it.


    The Green Silk Worm had already established a servant-master contract with Qin Niu, so it was not affected at all.


    The golden light continued to permeate the black mist.


    However, realizing the danger, the Black Spider Gu resisted fiercely.


    The black mist churned as it desperately struggled.


    After a while, the golden light began to fade, showing signs of dissipating.


    This was because the energy of the Contractual Talisman was about to be depleted.


    Qin Niu immediately took out another medium-grade Contractual Talisman and sparked it without hesitation, directing the golden light to replenish it.


    One medium-grade Contractual Talisman cost Ten Taels of Silver.


    It was only because he had some financial resource now that he could afford to use them so generously.


    When he was just starting, he would use even a Low-grade Contract Charm, worth just One Tael of Silver, with extreme caution.


    ¡­


    Time was passing quickly.


    By the time he used the sixth medium-grade Contractual Talisman, the black mist slowly turned completely gold.


    Then, the golden light began to fade little by little within the black mist.


    In fact, it hadn¡¯t disappeared but had been absorbed by it.


    Moments later, a beam of golden light flew out of the black mist.


    Qin Niu was overjoyed and quickly caught it.


    After the golden light flew out of Qin Niu¡¯s abdominal cavity, it directly entered his brow.


    Through his efforts, the contract was finally successfully established.


    And it was a master-servant contract.


    He could now fully control the life and death of the Black Spider Gu.


    ¡°Little thing, you thought you were so tough? Now what? Aren¡¯t you still tamed by me!¡±


    Qin Niu had been tormented to death¡¯s door by the Black Spider Gu, helpless to do anything.


    Thanks to the Green Silk Worm¡¯s assistance, he reversed this passive situation.


    In the end, more than he dared to imagine, he tamed it directly.


    ¡°Come out!¡±


    Qin Niu commanded it.


    The Black Spider Gu turned into a stream of black mist and drilled out from Qin Niu¡¯s nostrils. Then it transformed into a small black spider, shiny and black all over.


    Its body was covered with intricate stripes of blood, almost spanning most of its body.


    However, on closer inspection, one could notice that although these stripes were disorderly, they betrayed an underlying order, yet something seemed missing. Together, they did not form a complete Talisman.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade, at the beginning, there were some special patterns too.


    Eventually, after successful blade cultivation, those patterns inside the blade transformed into a Talisman containing the laws of the Dao. That was what allowed the Ink Blade to become a spiritual weapon and to possess its own spiritual consciousness.


    This Black Spider Gu was an incomplete product, and the problem seemed to lie here.


    Normally, the pattern on its body should form a complete Talisman.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Looking at its shiny black body, Qin Niu knew that it must be extremely poisonous.


    Other insects would die from the poison with just one touch.


    The poison of a Gu is the most terrifying.


    This Black Spider Gu was the king of poison.


    Things like centipedes, scorpions, and cobras were far inferior to it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check your attributes first!¡±


    Having been tormented by this Black Spider Gu to the point of near death, he wanted to see what special abilities it possessed.


    Black Spider Gu (Hermaphroditic)


    Grade: Grade Six Araneae Order Funnel-web Spider Family Gu Spider, Upgrade Experience 7118029/10000000


    Lifespan: Infinite


    Energy: 79180


    Skills: Bloodsucking Tier Three 701.9/1000, Venom Tier Five 67009/100000 (Mixed Gu poison, capable of attacking both the spirit and the body), Morphing Tier Four 1078/10000 (Disperses into formlessness, coalesces into a spider), Reproduction Tier One 0.7/10 (Can breed offspring Gu, highly poisonous, possesses about 30% of the mother Gu¡¯s capabilities).


    Talent: Gu Allure.


    After reviewing the abilities of the Black Spider Gu, Qin Niu felt its most formidable aspect was the Gu poison.


    And its morphing ability.


    Once it penetrated an enemy¡¯s body, it was virtually impossible to locate.


    Moreover, martial power was ineffective against it.


    Mental attacks were equally futile.


    This one aspect alone made it one of the most difficult Gu poisons to deal with.


    Furthermore, its terrifying Gu poison was capable of continuous evolution.


    Because it needed to constantly consume more potent toxins to enhance the power of its Gu poison.


    The Black Spider Gu looked at him with an innocent face.


    Lying motionless on his hand.


    ¡°Why do you constantly need to consume more poisonous venom?¡±


    Qin Niu asked it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just my instinct. Consuming stronger venom makes me stronger and feels particularly soothing,¡± it responded.


    No wonder it had been relentlessly tormenting its host.


    Forcing the host to find it more potent venomous insects and snakes.


    Like humans, it was just another method of cultivation for it.


    ¡°What would happen if you don¡¯t consume more potent venom for a long time?¡±


    ¡°I would feel great pain, as if I were dying,¡± it explained.


    ¡°When you attacked me earlier, causing stomach and head pains, was that the Gu poison attacking me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I control the release concentration of the Gu poison and would not actually poison you to death.¡±


    It indeed was the Gu poison.


    Qin Niu did not want to experience it again.


    Because that kind of Gu poison was truly dreadful.


    ¡°Alright, from now on, don¡¯t stay inside my body, just stay in the Insect Bag!¡±


    Qin Niu already harbored a psychological shadow.


    He placed it into the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    But shortly after it was put away, it sent a pleading signal to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Master, please let me return to your body. I won¡¯t attack you again.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    Qin Niu flatly refused.


    ¡°Inside here, I can¡¯t absorb life force and the vitality of living beings. I will die very soon.¡±


    Now that it was subdued by Qin Niu, it was completely at a disadvantage.


    ¡°Stop trying to deceive me here. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know the art of raising Gu. Gu can be kept in Gu cups, and fed blood regularly.¡±


    In these past days, to counter this Black Spider Gu, Qin Niu had spared no effort in learning the knowledge of raising and cultivating Gu.


    ¡°I¡­ am an incomplete Gu, and I must parasitize a living person¡¯s body,¡± it emphasized again.


    Elder Mei had also mentioned the Black Spider Gu¡¯s flaw in his Compendium of Insect Control.


    It was just an incomplete Gu due to Elder Mei¡¯s incomplete Gu breeding techniques, not a normal Gu.


    But he hadn¡¯t realized the extent of its flaw.


    It had to parasitize a living person¡¯s body.


    ¡°Come on! I will find a way to make you a normal Gu as soon as possible. And while inside my body, you better behave. Dare to cause trouble, and I will eradicate you on the spot.¡±


    Now, if Qin Niu wanted to kill it, it was just a matter of a thought.


    The master has absolute power over life and death for a pet that has signed a master-servant contract.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 375 - Chapter 375: Chapter 368: Buying a Maid, Black Market_1

    Chapter 375: Chapter 368: Buying a Maid, Black Market_1


    After Qin Niu stored the Black Spider Gu inside his body, he tidied up a bit and finally emerged from the basement he had been trapped in for two days.


    After taking a bath and changing into clean clothes, he felt an unprecedented level of relaxation. These past few days, not having slept a single sound sleep, that sense of impending danger, like a sword hanging over one¡¯s head, constantly weighed on his mind.


    He owed his wives and concubines for the past few days, and he intended to make it up to them.


    He entered Wang Wanyan¡¯s room, and what happened there goes without saying.


    The next day, he didn¡¯t get out of bed until the sun was three poles high.


    He was also human, worn out and tense from consecutive days of toil, last night he lay in the tender land of dreams and was able to completely relax. He slept extremely soundly.


    ¡°Husband, you¡¯re up!¡±


    Wang Wanyan saw him dressed and coming out of the room, and she immediately walked over with a smile.


    ¡°Wash your face and come eat breakfast quickly!¡±


    She brought over the water for washing and the medicinal paste for oral hygiene.


    In this world, there was no toothpaste, and people mostly used salt to clean their teeth.


    People in cities, those with slightly better economic conditions, would use specialized dental pastes. Moreover, this world already had tools similar to toothbrushes.


    One type was made from willow branches, and another was made from horse¡¯s mane hair; both types were quite convenient to use.


    Poor folks in the countryside often didn¡¯t brush their teeth, opting to swish water in their mouths after meals instead.


    People who were a bit more health-conscious used their fingertips or a cloth strip for tooth-brushing.


    The mainstream method was still to use a brush made from willow branches, dipped into a bit of salt for brushing teeth.


    Qin Niu, now affluent, ensured that both Wang Wanyan and Tang Caixian, who came from not so poor families, used specialized dental pastes for their daily tooth-brushing.


    These came in both expensive and cheap varieties.


    A simpler version cost twenty-five Wen Money a box, enough to last two or three months.


    Quite affordable.


    The paste not only cleaned teeth but also kept the breath fresh and prevented cavities. Thus, it was much more effective than using salt for dental hygiene.


    As long as a household was somewhat wealthy, they generally used dental paste.


    ¡°I can do it myself, you just sit and rest more,¡± Qin Niu took the dental paste, looking at his wife, her face flushed, his eyes filled with tenderness.


    Last night, she had shown him the utmost gentleness, and this morning she had gotten up early with Xiao Qing to prepare breakfast for the family. This made Qin Niu feel very distressed for her.


    You should know that before she married over, she hardly had to lift a finger to do any work.


    After washing up, Qin Niu sat at the dining table to have breakfast.


    ¡°Wan Yan, today I¡¯ll take you into the city, and we¡¯ll pick a couple of servant girls to bring back. From now on, household chores will all be handed over to the servants,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why spend that money? Recently, I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on land prices. Many landlord and wealthy farmers, as well as merchants, have started to offload their lands, and the price has fallen from twelve Silver Money per mu of good land to ten Silver Money per mu. That¡¯s a full drop of Two Silver Money. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to save some money to buy more fields and lands?¡± she replied.


    She was a true miser at heart.


    Always thinking about making money grow and enriching the family.


    Good land used to cost thirteen Silver Money per mu, but due to the insect disaster and wars, it went down by one Silver Money.


    This time, it dropped straight to ten Silver Money per mu, which was indeed a significant decrease.


    ¡°Then let me ask you, what is the purpose of making money?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to live a prosperous life!¡± she answered.


    ¡°Exactly! Making money is to provide a better life for the family, so we don¡¯t have to bow down for a mere three liters of rice. It allows us to buy precious cultivation resources, helping us quickly enhance our cultivation level. Listen to me, learn to spend money, instead of just earning without spending,¡± he explained.


    Qin Niu¡¯s thinking was far more progressive.


    Initially, in order to become an Insect Master, he even sold off his family property, bore infamy, and ate bland meals. Not for anything else, but for the hope that one day, he could achieve immortality, and would no longer have to struggle for subsistence.


    Just thinking about hoarding money is the mindset of a miser.


    ¡°But my father always taught me from a young age to be thrifty, to learn to make money work for us, and not to be extravagant,¡± she still somewhat defiantly retorted.


    ¡°That¡¯s because your father only aspires to be a businessman, whereas I want to make you an Immortal Master, or even a higher existence,¡± Qin Niu said seriously, looking at her.


    Becoming an Immortal Master was a height countless people couldn¡¯t reach in their entire lifetime.


    But to Qin Niu, it seemed like a very normal, trivial matter.


    Those with ambitions do not see mountains and seas as distant.


    Those who aim high will ascend to the top and look down upon all the other mountains as small.


    Qin Niu always harbored grand ambitions; to him, becoming an Immortal Master was just an initial stage in the pursuit of immortality.


    So in his opinion, becoming an Immortal Master was a natural and minor goal.


    If one couldn¡¯t even reach this target, how could one aspire to immortality?


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll follow my husband. I¡¯ll do as you say,¡± she ultimately conceded, persuaded by Qin Niu.


    In fact, Qin Niu¡¯s achievements had already far surpassed her father¡¯s.


    This indirectly proved that Qin Niu¡¯s thoughts were more advanced than her father¡¯s.


    ¡°Where is Cai Xian? Why haven¡¯t I seen her?¡± Qin Niu had not gone to Tang Caixian¡¯s room the previous night.


    The wedding night was a special case.


    He had to be fair and not neglect any of the new brides.


    Now, he could take turns spending nights in his wives¡¯ and concubines¡¯ rooms.


    ¡°She¡¯s cultivating! Didn¡¯t you give us a scroll of the ¡®Dragon Elephant Art¡¯? These past few days, she¡¯s been diligently practicing this Cultivation Technique. It seems to suit her quite well; she has already grasped a hint of the cultivation method,¡± Wang Wanyan said with a hint of envy.


    Cultivation talent is very important.


    With good talent, one can achieve twice the result with half the effort.


    ¡°Not bad at all! I was always worried she didn¡¯t have much talent for cultivation, afraid she might not keep up with our progress. How do you feel about practicing the ¡®Dragon Elephant Art¡¯?¡±

 Chapter 376 - Chapter 376: Chapter 368 Buying Slave Girls, Black Market_2

    Chapter 376: Chapter 368 Buying Slave Girls, Black Market_2


    Qin Niu inquired of his wife.


    He was especially happy to hear that his concubine had made some progress in cultivating the ¡°Dragon Elephant Art.¡±


    ¡°It seems I don¡¯t have any talent for cultivation, I¡¯ve tried to cultivate many times, but I always fail to grasp the essentials,¡± said Wang Wanyan with some frustration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take the time to explore with you, and if that doesn¡¯t work, we can switch to another cultivation technique. Your talent for cultivation shouldn¡¯t be poor, at most it¡¯s just that this cultivation technique doesn¡¯t suit you,¡± said Qin Niu.


    Such words could only be spoken by Qin Niu.


    A high-level cultivation technique worth five thousand taels of silver money wasn¡¯t something that could be easily replaced.


    Even for a local noble family like the Yan Family, being able to accumulate one was quite impressive.


    The He Family, an old prestigious family in the area, had also accumulated only one.


    Qin Niu, through guile and force, had amassed a huge fortune and many cultivation techniques, and indeed had the ability to change them.


    ¡­


    After eating, he told Xiao Qing to stay at home to protect Tang Caixian while he went into the city with Wang Wanyan.


    Now that Elder Mei had been dealt with, and the poison Gu in his body had been neutralized, he no longer had any concerns about going into the city.


    ¡°I¡¯ll change my clothes!¡±


    Like the majority of women, Wang Wanyan definitely wanted to dress up a bit before going out.


    Especially when going into the city.


    For ordinary people, going to the city was a significant event.


    It was only because she had married Qin Niu, and her status had risen, that going into the city had become a common occurrence.


    After all, Qin Niu had a very high status in the city; he could kill people in the street without being punished.


    While Wang Wanyan was dressing up, Qin Niu took the opportunity to run up to the storeroom roof to check on the bee colony.


    The War Bees had gathered Ice Lotus pollen to make honey, and Qin Niu was very eager for them to make it soon.


    On closer inspection, he found that they had brewed all the Ice Lotus pollen into a special new royal platform.


    Maybe because the Ice Lotus pollen emitted a terrifying cold air which ordinary bees couldn¡¯t withstand, the War Bees built a new royal platform not far from their hive.


    The production was still ongoing.


    The quantity wasn¡¯t much.


    After all, there were only so many War Bees, and they could only gather honey once a day.


    At this pace, it would be good if they could seal off those honeycombs within a month.


    He leaped down from the top of the storeroom, landing steadily on the ground of the courtyard.


    The Green Ox was carrying his large basket on its back.


    It kept chewing its cud.


    The Green Ox was a lazy ox, spending its days eating or sleeping, hardly ever doing any work.


    But the manure it produced was valuable.


    Qin Niu had conducted many experiments, using the manure to fertilize medicinal herbs, which caused the herbs to grow wildly, with thick stems, large leaves, and lush growth.


    Because he knew its fertilizer was valuable, Qin Niu used it on the medicinal herbs and Strange Vines planted in the backyard, and carried the excess to the fields to be composted.


    He had piled up quite a lot, ready for use at any time.


    Now that he was the most powerful man in the area, not to mention a pile of fertilizer in the fields, even if he dropped a piece of silver money there, no one would dare to pick it up.


    The days when Wang Haikun would frequently rob him were long gone.


    At that moment, he seemed to sense something, feeling an abnormal fluctuation inside the Insect Bag.


    Upon checking, he discovered that the Green Demon Bee that had pupated had successfully emerged.


    It had just broken out of the pupa; its wings were still wet and clumped together.


    It shook its wings like an ordinary bee, vibrating its body to speed up the shedding of its old skin.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, it has finally reached the stage of emerging. In future battles, I¡¯ll have one more powerful method at my disposal,¡± Qin Niu thought with joy and anticipation.


    As the pets he raised continued to evolve and their varieties became increasingly diverse, his strength grew substantially.


    His methods for dealing with strong enemies also multiplied.


    This was a very good thing.


    In these chaotic times, only great strength could protect the woman he loved, protect himself, and prevent others from bullying him.


    ¡°Husband, is this outfit okay for going into the city?¡±


    Wang Wanyan had already changed into her clothes and done her makeup.


    Now that she was a married woman, she followed the rules and instead of letting her hair hang loosely behind her as before, she had it tied up on the top of her head and secured with a jade hairpin.


    With her hair neatly piled high, her slender neck, her enchanting beauty, and her graceful figure, she looked like a fairy descending to the mortal world.


    Looking at his stunningly beautiful wife, Qin Niu felt immense satisfaction and was very happy.


    ¡°You look very beautiful, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you always know how to make me happy!¡±


    She laughed joyfully, took out a white handkerchief and covered her face with it, hiding half of it.


    Even so, her innate beauty could hardly be concealed.


    Just by looking at her forehead and brows, one could tell that she was an extremely beautiful woman.


    After they left the courtyard, Qin Niu went to the home of Wang Furen and led the carriage out.


    This carriage was taken last time they robbed the He Family.


    Along with the horse pulling the carriage, the Sweaty Precious Horse, which was also grabbed in the same raid.


    Later, he directly gave it to Wang Furen.


    Today, they had to enter the city, but it was not suitable for Wang Wanyan to walk, so Qin Niu served as her coachman.


    Green Ox was running wildly behind the carriage.


    With the convenience of the carriage, it was not long before the two arrived at Black Tiger City.


    When entering the city, Wang Wanyan experienced what it felt like to be a wealthy lady. No need to pay an entrance fee, no need for inspection, no need to queue.


    Qin Niu just showed his identity token, and the city guards immediately lifted the horse barrier, allowing the carriage to enter through the green channel.


    ¡°Wan Yan, do you need to buy two new outfits?¡±


    ¡°No need, no need, I have more than enough clothes,¡± she repeatedly declined.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go buy some maid servants first! If two aren¡¯t enough, we¡¯ll buy four, it won¡¯t cost much anyway.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t two enough? That¡¯s plenty! Having two more people in the house means two more mouths to feed, and there will be expenses for their food, clothing, and living,¡± she said.


    Wang Wanyan exuded thriftiness in everything she did.


    Having a thrifty wife was indeed a stroke of luck.


    Buying maid servants usually didn¡¯t cost much silver money, but the subsequent expenses could be considerable.


    Because once you buy someone, you have to provide for their food, clothing, and shelter.


    More enlightened masters sometimes gave them pocket money every now and then, to encourage them to work more diligently.


    The servants bought privately belonged to the master, who could almost control their life and death.


    Many perverted male masters would abuse young and pretty maid servants. They could also beat and scold them as punishment.


    Servants belonged to the lowest class of society, with no basic human rights at all.


    However, some servants in large families, if they did well, could be much more overbearing than ordinary civilians.


    Relying on their master¡¯s favoritism, they would bully others using their master¡¯s influence.


    Such domineering servants would often swagger through the streets, and generally, no one dared to provoke them.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s buy two first, and if that¡¯s not enough, we can buy more later,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu drove the carriage straight to the black market in the north of the city.


    There was a chaotic and disordered market.


    Various items, including slaves, could be purchased there.


    If you wanted to buy normal maid servants or servant girls, you could generally only get those who were either too young or too old, or whose appearances were plain.


    Because the ones who were beautiful were snatched up early by the brothels.


    The owners of the dozen or so brothels in the city would stroll through the black market daily, and as soon as they found young girls who could earn big money for the brothels, they would buy them without hesitation.


    Qin Niu stopped the carriage outside the black market.


    After paying five wen money for the parking fee, someone specialised took care of it.


    Usually, the local thugs did this job.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go inside!¡±


    After storing the carriage, Qin Niu held Wang Wanyan¡¯s hand and walked together into the black market.


    Green Ox followed closely behind him.


    The black market was very sensitive to the market trends because some underground transactions were dealt with there.


    For instance, if the land prices recently started to plummet, the black market would definitely show this sign half a month in advance.


    Many stall owners wore masks and loose clothing, as they clearly didn¡¯t want to be recognized.


    There were few hawkers calling out.


    Instead, they would display their goods on the stalls, and some, to save trouble, would write the prices so customers could pick for themselves.


    Shortly after entering the black market, Qin Niu was attracted by a product on a stall.


    It was a dark red soft armor, suitable for both men and women.


    ¡°Blood Silkworm Soft Armor, forty thousand silver money,¡± they declared.


    The price was frightening.


    Even for a top family like the Fang Family of Black Tiger City, to take out forty thousand silver money in cash would likely be difficult.


    Because the price was so expensive, there was no one lingering in front of the stall.


    People with forty thousand silver money wouldn¡¯t buy just a piece of soft armor.


    They could use it to buy elixirs, cultivation techniques, which were more worthwhile.


    After all, equipment was just an external possession.


    ¡°May I take a look at it?¡±


    Qin Niu approached the stall and asked indifferently.

 Chapter 377 - Chapter 377: Chapter 369 Phoenix Feather_1

    Chapter 377: Chapter 369 Phoenix Feather_1


    ¡°Please feel free,¡±


    the stall owner gestured with a hand, indicating Qin Niu could examine the goods himself.


    Qin Niu picked up the Blood Silkworm Soft Armor. It was incredibly light, almost weightless. However, upon contact with the skin, he could feel a unique warm energy enveloping the surface of his skin, which was extremely comforting.


    It seemed the rumors that Blood Silkworm Soft Armor could help a burnt person regrow skin must be true.


    Yet, just this ability alone made the price of the Blood Silkworm Soft Armor as high as forty thousand Silver Money, which was obviously unreasonable.


    ¡°With such a steep price, could you introduce its uses to me?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    The stall owner remained silent.


    ¡°Will you sell it for ten thousand Silver Money?¡±


    ¡°No sale!¡±


    The stall owner shook his head.


    ¡°You need a lot of blood silkworm silk to weave an armor like this. You must have raised a lot of blood silkworms. Would you sell a few to me?¡±


    Qin Niu was simply trying to draw out the stall owner.


    ¡°This armor is an ancient artifact from at least ten thousand years ago. Blood silkworms have long been extinct, young brother, you jest,¡±


    the stall owner finally cracked and offered a brief explanation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that Blood Silkworm Armor can regenerate skin. With just this single function, even as an ancient artifact from ten thousand years ago, a price of forty thousand Silver Money really does seem a bit outrageous.¡±


    Qin Niu shook his head, preparing to leave.


    ¡°Blood Silkworm Armor can ward off myriad insects, prevent the invasion of gu poison into the body, and moisten and regenerate skin. Forty thousand Silver Money for one, fair and square,¡±


    the stall owner¡¯s voice was slightly strained.


    It sounded like it could be an old man.


    But intuition told him it was more like someone pretending to be an old man.


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t planned to buy it, he was only curious about the artifact and wanted to understand the value and use of blood silkworms.


    Unexpectedly, wearing the Blood Silkworm Armor could protect against the invasion of gu.


    If Qin Niu had been wearing this Blood Silkworm Soft Armor during his fight with Elder Mei, he wouldn¡¯t have been invaded by the Black Spider Gu.


    While the issue had been resolved, in the future, facing powerful enemies, warding off various evil gu was a relentless challenge.


    He had to find a way to make a set of Blood Silkworm Armor for protection.


    But spending forty thousand Silver Money for one was, of course, out of the question.


    It wasn¡¯t an immediate necessity. He could raise blood silkworms himself and then weave the Blood Silkworm Armor.


    He had snatched a blood silkworm cocoon from the He Family, but he didn¡¯t know yet whether the silkworm inside was male or female. If he could find another one, pairing them, Qin Niu could then breed blood silkworms on a large scale.


    The problem was that blood silkworms had been extinct for years, and finding another one seemed nearly impossible.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look around some more.¡±


    Qin Niu bowed slightly and, with his wife, continued deeper into the black market.


    Despite Black Tiger City¡¯s small size and population of about a hundred thousand, the black market was much larger than the Cultivation Market.


    Both the vendors and the visitors were numerous.


    The place was bustling with activity.


    This showed that everyone enjoyed trading outside the boundaries of the law.


    In the black market, one could buy various items that were not available elsewhere, including slaves, maids, and all kinds of prohibited goods.


    They hadn¡¯t gone far when they saw a crowd gathering around a stall.


    The people were observing a stall that displayed a feather, fiery red in color.


    You could see the feather shimmering with a red light.


    It seemed as if flames were burning within it.


    ¡°Phoenix Feather! Priced at ten thousand Silver Money, can be used to practice fire-based magic,¡±


    the stall owner announced.


    A simple feather was surprisingly priced at ten thousand Silver Money.


    This was simply an exorbitant amount.


    It was many times more valuable than gold.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart stirred, thinking of Perching Phoenix Mountain where an avian demon that could breathe fire would kill Spirit Qi Realm warriors as though it was a walk in the park. Even if it was not a Fire Phoenix, it must have been an extraordinarily formidable demon bird.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± said a gentleman in white, striding to the booth and presenting a Gold Note worth a thousand taels.


    He purchased the phoenix feather straight away.


    The onlookers gasped in admiration, their chatter a buzzing swarm.


    Yet the gentleman in white simply drifted away.


    Qin Niu, relying on his sensitivity to qi, was certain that this gentleman¡¯s cultivation was at least at the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Terrifyingly powerful.


    Even stronger than Vice City Lord Bai¡¯s presence.


    Such a formidable person was likely practicing spells for the Immortal Master rank.


    Only Immortal Masters had the skill to practice spells.


    Ordinary people, even those strong in the Spirit Qi Realm, were incapable of casting spells.


    However, nothing is absolute; those in the Spirit Qi Realm could still cast spells using talismans or certain special items.


    ¡°So the black market is really where Black Tiger City hides its hidden dragons and crouching tigers.¡±


    Qin Niu subconsciously lowered his stance; his own cultivation at the Innate Realm didn¡¯t seem like much before these true powerhouses.


    From not too far ahead came the pleading cries of a young girl.


    ¡°Please¡­ please stop hitting me, I won¡¯t do it again!¡±


    Her clothes were tattered, and her exposed back was nearly all bone, streaked with bloody lash marks.


    ¡°My husband, why don¡¯t we buy that girl and take her home?¡±


    Wang Wanyan had a kind heart and couldn¡¯t bear to see such human suffering.


    Moved by pity at the sight of the little girl¡¯s plight, she immediately wanted to act.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty; let¡¯s look around a bit more.¡±


    Qin Niu held her back, speaking in a low voice.


    The city¡¯s schemes were deep, full of pitfalls. Without extra caution, one could easily be ensnared.


    Qin Niu had learned this the hard way.


    ¡°Look at the stall owner whipping that girl; his eyes aren¡¯t on her but secretly checking out passersby. He¡¯s likely trying to garner sympathy to sell her off quicker.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ there are such people? That¡¯s despicable!¡±


    Wang Wanyan was surprised and angered upon hearing this.


    ¡°To sell someone, is there a need to beat her? She¡¯s just about twelve or thirteen years old; too young, it¡¯s too pitiful.¡±


    She clenched her fists in anger but did not confront the stall owner.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go deeper inside.¡±


    Qin Niu took Wang Wanyan¡¯s hand and bypassed the slaver¡¯s stall, continuing inward.


    This area was full of slave stalls.


    Some slaves had their necks locked, tethered to the stalls like cattle.


    Others sat on the ground, expressionless, with shackles on their ankles and wrists.


    Young girls and women were locked in large iron cages.


    Many were scantily clad, emaciated, with eyes full of fear or indifferent expressions.


    There were even children for sale, some as young as three.


    Both boys and girls.


    Those buying children were mostly large landowners.


    With vast lands to tend, these landlords needed many slaves to work, so they bought children and raised them from a young age to labor.


    For some exceptional children, there was even the chance of being singled out for education in literacy and arithmetic.


    These children, as they grew, would become loyal servants to the landowner¡¯s family.


    Assigned to various jobs.


    Steward Yan Qi of the Yan Family was such a person, adopted young by the family and then raised to become the steward.


    Raising children from a young age not only saved costs on purchasing slaves but also ensured loyalty to the family, making large landowners particularly fond of adopting these children as slaves.

 Chapter 378 - Chapter 378: Chapter 370: Deep Routine_1

    Chapter 378: Chapter 370: Deep Routine_1


    Some large families would buy children and train them to become devoted fighters.


    Others would build private armies.


    However, in this world where everyone could practice martial cultivation, private armies made up of ordinary people were not very effective. When encountering powerful adversaries, they were easily destroyed.


    Qin Niu selected a stall with the largest scale.


    He liked to buy from strong and well-established sellers when shopping. A large scale generally meant that the seller¡¯s integrity was not a problem.


    The quality of goods would also be more reliable.


    Because only those who operated their businesses with honesty could grow them significantly.


    ¡°Wan Yan, you pick! Let¡¯s not buy male servants for our home for now.¡±


    Although he already owned a hundred acres of good farming land, he hadn¡¯t considered buying some slaves for agricultural work yet.


    After all, farming was a skilled job.


    He thought it was more cost-effective to either lease the land or hire long-term laborers.


    The slaves that were bought were often only thinking about escaping, slacking off, or regaining freedom; getting them to willingly work for their owner was basically impossible.


    They would only work if someone was standing behind them with a whip to give orders.


    Wang Wanyan approached the stall and eyed the rows of female slaves.


    There were tall and short, fat and thin ones.


    The younger ones were only about ten years old, very small. The older ones were in their forties, already considered old women.


    These people were sold into the slave market for various reasons.


    For example, a father who gambled and incurred debts sometimes had no choice but to use his wife and daughter to pay off the debts when he could not repay them.


    It must be mentioned that rural houses, unless they were made of bricks and tiles, were worthless.


    Some were so worthless that nobody would want them even if given away for free.


    In some poor families, the only valuable thing was the people themselves.


    Especially women, who were in great market demand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take her!¡±


    Wang Wanyan picked out a girl of about twelve years old.


    She had a reasonably pretty face, smeared with grime, and her eyes were filled with fear.


    ¡°Pick one more, one isn¡¯t enough to bring home! Besides, she¡¯s so young, perhaps consider getting someone a bit older, who can work more efficiently?¡±


    Qin Niu frowned upon seeing her choice of a young girl.


    They already had Xiao Qing at home.


    Bringing another young girl back was really unnecessary.


    She must have picked the young girl out of compassion.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going to that stall later!¡±


    Wang Wanyan was still thinking about the frail girl who was being whipped by the stall owner.


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal, we¡¯ll just buy three! It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    Qin Niu said.


    ¡°Then you pick one as well, my husband!¡±


    She had no choice but to agree.


    Qin Niu was never sentimental when it came to women.


    He immediately chose a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, who was quite ordinary-looking but seemed sturdy. Such a girl could be very effective at housework when brought back home.


    The girl had a spirited look in her eyes, probably indicating she was quite clever.


    ¡°Boss, how much for these two female slaves?¡±


    ¡°The younger one is eleven taels of silver, the older one is thirteen. Since you are buying two at once, I¡¯ll give you a discount. Let¡¯s say a total of twenty-three taels and five copper coins.¡±


    The price for a maid was really cheap.


    One could be bought for just over ten taels of silver.


    ¡°Twenty-three taels of silver then! That¡¯s about the going rate with everyone else!¡±


    Wang Wanyan bargained from the side.


    ¡°In the entire black market, my place arguably sells the cheapest. Plus, every slave I sell is very clean. But since it¡¯s your first time doing business with me, I¡¯ll give you a further discount of five copper coins, so let¡¯s do it your way, twenty-three taels.¡±


    The stall owner laughed proudly after hearing this.


    From his tone, his business seemed to be the biggest in the black market and probably the most legitimate one as well.


    The phrase ¡°the slaves are clean¡± had two meanings.


    First, it meant that the female slaves had not been defiled; second, it implied that their sources were legitimate.


    They all came with proper documentation.


    Qin Niu was pleased with this.


    When buying slaves, one looked for peace of mind and assurance. If the slaves bought had issues, such as being trafficked, and if the victims reported it to the authorities, it could mean trouble if they came knocking.


    It was easy to get entangled in legal issues.


    It could end up with both property and money lost at best, and in some cases, one might even be arrested by the authorities for crimes.


    Money was paid on the spot, and they received the slavery contracts for the two female slaves, along with a proof of purchase from the boss.


    With these two documents, there were no worries at all.


    ¡°Thank you for the discount; we¡¯ve settled our accounts, and now we¡¯ll take the person with us.¡±


    ¡°Haha, thank you for your patronage. If Master Qin needs anything in the future, you are most welcome to come to me.¡±


    The vendor said with a smile.


    ¡°You¡­ you know me!¡±


    Qin Niu was somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Master Qin is a newly ascended noble of the Black Tiger Gang. You¡¯ve recently made quite a stir in Black Tiger City; of course, I know you.¡±


    ¡°Farewell!¡±


    Having heard this, Qin Niu cupped his hands in salute and left with the two female slaves.


    ¡°Husband, let¡¯s also buy the girl from that stall!¡±


    ¡°As you wish!¡±


    Qin Niu nodded in agreement.


    Wang Wanyan immediately quickened her pace to the stall ahead to inquire about the price.


    Qin Niu, along with the two newly-purchased female slaves and Green Ox, strolled through the black market at a leisurely pace.


    There were all sorts of goods for sale here.


    Some particularly rare insects and animals could be found here.


    There were even fierce tigers and lions locked in cages.


    Some people were even selling pythons.


    The prices weren¡¯t particularly high; a python over four meters long cost only three Taels of Silver.


    A six-meter-long rock python was more expensive, requiring nine Taels of Silver each.


    ¡°Husband, come here.¡±


    Wang Wanyan waved to Qin Niu.


    He immediately walked over.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The owner is asking for twenty-five Taels of Silver; help me bargain with him.¡±


    The price Wang Wanyan quoted genuinely took Qin Niu aback.


    He glanced at the small girl crouched on the ground, then turned his head to the vendor.


    The vendor was tall with triangle eyes and an indistinctive face¡ªmost likely a cunning merchant.


    ¡°Owner, we sincerely want to buy this little girl. Let¡¯s not haggle over the price. How about ten Taels of Silver?¡±


    Qin Niu cut straight to the lowest price.


    ¡°It¡¯s not for sale! Don¡¯t be fooled by this little girl¡¯s skinny appearance; she was very expensive when I bought her, costing twenty-three Taels of Silver. Now I¡¯m just selling her for twenty-five Taels, barely making any profit.¡±


    The vendor wouldn¡¯t budge an inch.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not for sale, then forget it. These two I bought were only eleven Taels of Silver each, and the quality is much better than yours. You can keep her and sell her slowly!¡±


    Qin Niu gave Wang Wanyan a meaningful look.


    But seeing the girl covered in bruises, Wang Wanyan couldn¡¯t bear it and hesitated, reluctant to leave.


    ¡°Wan Yan, let¡¯s go! There are plenty of female slaves in the black market. Not only are they cheaper elsewhere, but their quality is also much better than this one. This girl is already so thin and has been beaten to this state. It¡¯s uncertain if she¡¯ll survive. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to spend that money on buying two acres of good land?¡±


    Qin Niu pulled her away.


    Merchants like this vendor could only exploit the soft-heartedness of people like Wang Wanyan.


    For Qin Niu, such tactics designed to appeal to the customer¡¯s sympathy were utterly ineffective.


    Wang Wanyan, led by him had not walked far when the sound of the vendor whipping the girl echoed from behind them.


    ¡°You money-losing wretch, nobody wants to buy you even for twenty-five Taels of Silver. I might as well beat you to death today.¡±


    The whip cracked loudly, hitting flesh with each blow.


    The little girl cried bitterly.


    ¡°Husband, let¡¯s buy her! She¡¯s too pitiable!¡±


    Wang Wanyan almost pleaded.


    ¡°You¡¯re usually clever; why can¡¯t you see through this now? They¡¯re waiting for you to fall for the trap, don¡¯t you understand? If you buy that little girl at a high price now, the vendor gets a taste of easy money and will use the same ploy next time.¡±


    Qin Niu whispered to her in a low voice.


    Without looking back, the two had walked about ten meters when the vendor, throwing down his whip, caught up with them.


    ¡°Hey, hey, young master, how about I sell her to you for fifteen Taels of Silver, and I¡¯ll take a loss of ten. After all, she was acquired to settle a debt.¡±


    The vendor was indeed an extreme swindler.


    ¡°Ten Taels of Silver is my final offer, not even one copper coin more.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.


    After an inner struggle, the vendor finally gritted his teeth and agreed.


    ¡°Alright, all right, I¡¯ll sell her to you for ten Taels of Silver. I¡¯m annoyed just looking at that money-losing girl.¡±


    The vendor compromised once more.


    Qin Niu then turned to walk toward the stall.


    But upon seeing the little girl on the ground, his expression changed slightly, and he immediately shook his head, saying, ¡°She¡¯s been beaten to her last breath by you. If I buy her, I¡¯ll end up having to spend money on her funeral. I don¡¯t want her. Deal with her yourself!¡±


    Indeed, the girl on the ground already seemed to be barely moving.

 Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: Chapter 371 News of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly_1

    Chapter 379: Chapter 371 News of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly_1


    ¡°Stop playing dead, you worthless wretch!¡±


    The stall owner kicked the little girl, cursing viciously as he did so.


    The girl must have been hurt by the kick, her brow furrowed noticeably, yet she still curled up on the ground without moving.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy her for six silver money, consider it an act of charity. If she survives, great; if not, it¡¯s my tough luck,¡± Qin Niu said to the stall owner.


    There was no helping it, his wife was just too kind-hearted. After seeing the little girl kicked, she had to argue with the stall owner.


    The black market had its own rules.


    And such matters were beyond anyone¡¯s control.


    There were at least a thousand slaves confined within the market, and new ones were brought in every day.


    Even in times of peace, not to mention in times of chaos, there were still many who suffered.


    ¡°You agreed on ten silver money, why have you suddenly dropped the price so much?¡± the stall owner grumbled.


    ¡°You nearly beat her to death and still expect ten silver money? I¡¯m only willing to spend six because I see she¡¯s still breathing. Wait until she¡¯s gone, and you won¡¯t be able to sell her for a single copper coin, plus you¡¯ll have to pay for her burial,¡± Qin Niu argued, who was a powerhouse of the Innate Realm with a fortune well over a hundred thousand silver money.


    Though young, his presence was incredibly imposing when he spoke.


    The stall owner¡¯s gaze flickered, glancing again at the little girl on the ground, and finally, clenching his teeth and with a long face, said, ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s yours! Take her away for six silver money quickly, this loss-maker is a nuisance.¡±


    Qin Niu handed over the six silver money, took possession of the girl¡¯s slave contract, and also had the stall owner draw up a sale certificate.


    The paperwork had to be in order.


    ¡°Wanyan, hold on to this for me!¡± Qin Niu handed the slave contract and the sale certificate to Wang Wanyan, then bent down to pick up the little girl and walked out of the market.


    It was said that at night the black market even held a Ghost Market, with even more thrilling goods for sale.


    Occasionally, some powerful merchants would organize auctions.


    Many truly valuable items were circulated out of the black market.


    Qin Niu¡¯s main purpose for coming to the city this time was to buy a couple of slaves for household chores and to check on land prices. If appropriate, he wouldn¡¯t mind snapping up some properties.


    Upon leaving the black market, he placed the beaten servant girl inside the carriage.


    Her body kept trembling; he couldn¡¯t tell if it was out of fear or pain.


    ¡°Little sister, where does it hurt?¡± Wang Wanyan asked, leaning in from outside the carriage.


    The little girl didn¡¯t speak, merely shrinking into herself and shivering nonstop.


    ¡°I checked her just now, she doesn¡¯t seem to have any severe internal injuries. It¡¯s probably hunger that has made her like this. I¡¯ll go buy a bowl of hot noodles and feed her; that should help a great deal,¡± Qin Niu said as he emerged from the carriage.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡± Hearing this, Wang Wanyan patted her chest and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Normally, a female master showing such good attitude towards household slaves was quite rare. Not beating or scolding them was already considered quite generous.


    Wang Wanyan treated these female slaves as if they were family, which was definitely not proper.


    Qin Niu was very kind to Xiao Qing, but that was because Xiao Qing had a very special status.


    She was nominally Qin Niu¡¯s maid, but in reality, she was free.


    It was her grandfather who, on his deathbed, had entrusted her to Qin Niu, which is why he had taken her in.


    For these ordinary female slaves, he certainly could not be too friendly.


    A master must maintain the proper authority.


    Only by balancing benevolence with authority could one truly master the art of governance.


    In the future, Wang Wanyan was to manage vast wealth and hundreds of slaves and hired hands. She would need to grow into this role gradually. Qin Niu planned to find an opportunity to discuss this matter with her.


    ¡°Are the two of you hungry now?¡±


    ¡°Hungry!¡±


    The older of the two maidservants answered.


    The girl of about twelve just timidly glanced at Qin Niu before quickly lowering her head again.


    In her eyes, one could see the longing for food.


    ¡°Wan Yan, let¡¯s do this. We¡¯ll go to the noodle shop over there, get something to eat, and buy a bowl of noodles for each of the three of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow my husband¡¯s lead in everything.¡±


    Wang Wanyan said with a smile.


    As they approached the noodle shop by carriage, the waiter beamed from afar, bending over to welcome them.


    Anyone who drove such a luxurious carriage was either rich or noble.


    For them to dine at their noodle shop was certainly a cause for celebration, as esteemed guests were a true highlight.


    ¡°Young Master, please come inside!¡±


    The waiter readily took the horse¡¯s reins.


    ¡°There are three maidservants recently bought inside the carriage, keep an eye on them for me.¡±


    Qin Niu casually tossed a piece of silver over.


    ¡°Thank you for the generous reward, Young Master! Rest assured, I will definitely take good care of the carriage and the people for you!¡±


    The waiter, overjoyed by the silver piece, couldn¡¯t stop grinning.


    Serving esteemed guests was always good, for even a trivial tip amounted to a half month¡¯s wages.


    ¡°Go and bring three bowls of noodles to the carriage for them to eat! Make sure the portions are generous, add two eggs per person.¡±


    Qin Niu understood their physical condition all too well.


    All of them were thin, suffering from long-term malnutrition. Now that he had bought them, he naturally had to feed them nutritious food so they could recover sooner.


    Only with good health would they have the strength to do housework and serve his large family.


    ¡°My, Young Master is really kind-hearted! Being your servant is truly a great fortune! I¡¯ll go and take care of it immediately.¡±


    The waiter tied up the horse and quickly ran into the hall.


    Qin Niu then turned to the older maid in the carriage, ¡°Yu Qiu, when the noodles are delivered, you feed the lying one and take good care of her.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Yu Qiu nodded respectfully in response.


    She was seventeen, a year older than Qin Niu. Had she not been sold into servitude, she probably would¡¯ve been married by now.


    Being older, her mind was clearly much more mature.


    She knew how to please her master.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t concern himself further with the three maidservants, and, taking Wang Wanyan, entered the noodle shop. The couple ordered beef noodles, with Qin Niu requesting extra beef be added for her, encouraging her to eat more.


    While eating their noodles, they overheard someone at the next table discussing that the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect¡¯s Water and Land Dharma Assembly, which occurred once every ten years, was to be held in six months. At that time, all subjects within the territory of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, regardless of identity, gender, age, or socio-economic status, were allowed to attend the Assembly and seek the chance for immortality.¡±


    This was an extremely uplifting piece of news.


    Prior to this, Qin Niu had been but a commoner struggling even for subsistence, never paying attention to such news.


    In the countryside where he was from, information was hard to come by, and it was difficult to hear about such significant events.


    By the time he would hear of it, the Water and Land Dharma Assembly would likely have already taken place.


    After having their noodles, he and Wang Wanyan left the noodle shop.


    ¡°Wan Yan, did you hear what was said just now? The diners at the next table mentioned that the Water and Land Dharma Assembly of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect will be held in half a year. Let¡¯s both work hard at our cultivation, aiming to seize the chance for immortality. As long as one of us gains admission into the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, there¡¯s the opportunity to bring the other along for immortal cultivation,¡± Qin Niu said to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m currently at the Fivefold Innate Realm, not even having reached Sixfold. It¡¯s impossible to cultivate to such heights in half a year. Cai Xian¡¯s cultivation level is even weaker than mine. Our family¡¯s hopes can only rest on you.¡±


    For her, the prospect of attaining such an immortal fate was too daring to even contemplate.

 Chapter 380 - Chapter 380: Chapter 372 Revisiting Perching Phoenix Mountain_1

    Chapter 380: Chapter 372 Revisiting Perching Phoenix Mountain_1


    How could the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect be so easy to enter?


    The Black Tiger Gang is just one of the ordinary sects within the jurisdiction of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, and there are over a thousand such sects.


    Only by becoming a top-level martial artist within the Black Tiger Gang does one have that sliver of a chance.


    Even cultivators in the Innate Realm have no qualification to attain the opportunity for immortality.


    One must at least possess the cultivation of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    ¡°You must have confidence! Now that the servants have been bought, let¡¯s focus on cultivation in earnest for the next half year. If fortune allows, we might even have a chance to enter the Immortal Sect, learn the supreme immortal cultivation techniques, and obtain the art of everlasting life.¡±


    Like all cultivators, Qin Niu¡¯s ultimate goal was to enter an Immortal Sect and learn the ways of immortality.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the yamen and check out the land prices.¡±


    The two headed towards the carriage.


    Inside the carriage, the three female servants had already finished their noodles.


    The one who had been beaten and couldn¡¯t sit up was now sitting up with the support of Yu Qiu after eating her noodles.


    Leaning against the inner wall of the carriage.


    ¡°Have you all eaten your fill?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, master. I am full. Tang Zhilei is full as well.¡±


    Yu Qiu knelt inside the carriage to reply.


    Seeing her kneel to respond, the other two female servants followed suit.


    Although Tang Zhilei had recovered quite a bit, her body was still weak, and she seemed somewhat unstable as she knelt in the carriage.


    ¡°In the future, there¡¯s no need to kneel when responding. In my house, we don¡¯t have so many formalities. Buying you all was a stroke of fate; from now on, you are the servants of the Qin Family. As long as you work hard and are loyal to my family, naturally you will not be mistreated.¡±


    Qin Niu said to the three.


    ¡°The bowl of noodles I had today is the most delicious food I¡¯ve ever eaten in my life. I will definitely work hard in the future to repay the kindness of my master.¡±


    Tang Zhilei¡¯s voice was quite pleasant to hear.


    It was like the sound of silver bells, somewhat sweet and soft, but her voice was weak due to her frail condition.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely impossible to provide such good food every day. However, if you three perform well, having a delicious meal like this once or twice a month shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Qin Niu promised some rewards to the three with a smile.


    For them, a delicious meal was the greatest reward.


    He drove the carriage to the yamen to check out the current land prices.


    The selling price for good farmland was basically maintained between ten and eleven taels of silver. The number of people wanting to sell their land was clearly much higher than last time.


    This indicated that a trend of selling off property was forming.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before more landlords and wealthy farmers started selling their lands.


    By that time, with more people selling land and fewer buying, prices would plummet.


    Qin Niu had ample patience to wait for land prices to fall, then take advantage of the situation.


    After looking at the houses, he went to meet Tang Yan alone.


    ¡°Brother Qin is a rare visitor. Thanks to your help last time, I¡¯ve recently managed to network with several high-ranking officials in the yamen. If all goes well, I should be able to be promoted to the position of Historian at the end of the year. Without Brother Qin¡¯s support, even my current deputy position would be somewhat shaky.¡±


    Tang Yan was very respectful towards Qin Niu.


    At Qin Niu¡¯s wedding last time, he witnessed what it means to have hidden depths.


    Not one but two Deputy Gang Leaders attended.


    To someone like Tang Yan, even trying to gift something to a Deputy Gang Leader was out of reach, yet Qin Niu had quite a deep relationship with them. Moreover, it was not merely a matter of rank and file.


    It was more of an equal exchange.


    This made Tang Yan realize that he was not on the same level as Qin Niu at all.


    He had long accepted his place, willing to be a vassal to Qin Niu, and had given up on trying to consider himself Qin Niu¡¯s equal.


    ¡°`


    ¡°You¡¯re Cai Xian¡¯s kinswoman, and now that she is my concubine, we are family. There¡¯s no need for such formalities between us. I came here to entrust you with two matters. The first is to secretly investigate the estate at this address. I suspect that the person living there might be a spy from the Nine Insect Gang, so you must be very careful. If you find their actions suspicious, report it directly.¡±


    ¡°At that time, you could also gain considerable merit.¡±


    ¡°The second matter is to keep an eye on the land prices, and notify me immediately when they hit a low point.¡±


    ¡°If you encounter difficulties in the city, feel free to use my name to handle matters. I¡¯ll be a steadfast support for you.¡±


    ¡°`


    Qin Niu explained succinctly the two tasks and stood up to leave.


    By then, Elder Mei had already been disposed of by him.


    Old Master Huang¡¯s mansion was no longer necessary, and having it sealed by the authorities was more convenient.


    It also provided an opportunity for Tang Yan to earn significant merit.


    It could be said to serve several purposes at once.


    ¡­


    Returning to Shuangfeng Village, Qin Niu brought back three maidservants, immediately relieving Wang Wanyan, Tang Cai Xian, and Xiao Qing of their trifling household duties.


    ¡°The three of you will live in this room from now on, each with a new cotton quilt and a bed. Those who perform well may be promoted and have the chance to live in a room on their own.¡±


    Naturally, Qin Niu intended to create some competition among them.


    This was to motivate them and ensure their loyalty was solely to their master.


    With interests at stake, it was difficult for them to be united in purpose.


    For Master Qin Niu, this division was actually an advantage.


    The unity among servants could lead to complacency in their duties and the potential to deceive their master.


    The three female servants each had their strengths.


    The injured Tang Zhilei was the smartest, which was apparent when she spoke.


    The oldest, Yu Qiu, was robust and mature-minded, knowing how to please her master. She was likely to be adept at her work.


    The last one, close in age to Tang Zhilei at about twelve or thirteen, was introverted.


    Such a person, once shown kindness, could easily become absolutely loyal to their master.


    After arranging for the three maidservants, Qin Niu went straight into the mountains to cultivate.


    Tang Cai Xian continued to cultivate diligently in her room.


    Wang Wanyan, on the other hand, kept trying to grasp the Dragon Elephant Skill. Qin Niu had given her some guidance.


    This Cultivation Technique was quite advanced, and Wang Wanyan¡¯s talent for cultivation might be better than Tang Cai Xian¡¯s.


    Qin Niu decided to let her continue cultivating and see how it went.


    Sometimes, a slow start doesn¡¯t necessarily mean a bad thing.


    Arriving in the mountains, he checked on the Ant Nest and everything was normal. Thinking of the Phoenix Feather he¡¯d seen in the black market, selling for as much as ten thousand taels of silver each, made him itch to take a risk.


    He was determined to explore the tallest peak.


    He certainly wouldn¡¯t go up the mountain himself, but instead decided to send some bees to scout the area.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he reached the foot of the tallest peak.


    This was his second visit here.


    With the experience from his previous exploration, he approached the task with ease.


    Based on his last experience, he knew very well that as long as he didn¡¯t venture to the top of the peak, there wasn¡¯t much danger.


    ¡°Go! Check for any fallen red feathers inside the peak for me!¡±


    Qin Niu sent out a large group of Green Ring Bees, along with Termites.


    The entire mountain was towering, and the exploration by the bees was relatively more efficient.


    But the termites, crawling on the ground, were more discreet and could investigate more thoroughly.

 Chapter 381 - Chapter 381: Chapter 373: Cultivating the Weekly Cycle_1

    Chapter 381: Chapter 373: Cultivating the Weekly Cycle_1


    ¡°`


    The bees and termites sent out vanished without a trace, with no information coming back.


    That night, Qin Niu had entered the mountain peak before him; he knew the peak¡¯s top was the most dangerous place because demon birds were likely to nest near the summit.


    The termites and bees had just set out, and it might take some time for them to reach above the middle of the mountain.


    Suddenly, his heart quivered slightly¡ªa Green Ring Bee had been sacrificed.


    Soon after, several more Green Ring Bees perished.


    The situation for the termites was also grim.


    More and more termites were getting killed in succession.


    The sound of bird calls rose from the mountain.


    Birds flew out one after another from the dense foliage; sparrows, shrikes, woodpeckers, coots¡­ These birds, as if suddenly disturbed, all made their appearance.


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t discovered these birds when he scouted the peak last night.


    Choosing to scout the peak during daylight turned out to be a completely different situation from nighttime scouting. He hadn¡¯t expected so many birds to inhabit this mountain.


    ¡°Termites, immediately burrow underground to hide; all bees, return!¡±


    He made a quick decision.


    Facing these birds, the termites and Green Ring Bees had no power to fight back, suggesting that these birds might not be ordinary but could have undergone evolution.


    Just like the few thousand ducks he was raising, some had already shown signs of evolution.


    They had stronger hunting abilities than regular ducks.


    Living atop this mountain peak was a demon bird; it was completely normal for there to be some formidable birds.


    It seems he would have to scout the peak again at night.


    He had already resolved to let the termites scout inside the peak at night.


    Termites had a great advantage: they could crawl on the ground. At night, most birds would not be able to see them, and they would be much safer.


    He had no intention of personally scouting the peak.


    At least with his current strength, he was no match for that demon bird. It was safer to be cautious.


    Seeing that it was getting late, he headed straight back home.


    Leaving behind approximately three hundred termites to explore the mountain on their own.


    At home, the meal was ready, just waiting for his return.


    Of the three female slaves, only Tang Zhilei, who was injured, still couldn¡¯t work. The other two had already followed Xiao Qing in managing household affairs.


    ¡°Cai Xian, you finally came out!¡±


    Qin Niu said with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t poke fun at me, Ah Niu. The Dragon Elephant Skill requires continuity during practice; I had to persist until I completed a full cycle.¡±


    Tang Caixian appeared to have changed somewhat.


    It was indescribable.


    But she seemed to radiate an aura of increased sharpness.


    ¡°You can now practice a full cycle?¡±


    Qin Niu had also pondered on the Dragon Elephant Skill, thereby understanding its various stages of cultivation.


    To be able to cultivate a full cycle meant reaching the second layer of the Dragon Elephant Skill.


    Considering Tang Caixian had only been practicing this Cultivation Technique for a few days, he hadn¡¯t expected her talent to be so profound.


    ¡°Yes! For now, I¡¯ve only managed a single cycle; since it¡¯s my first time, I¡¯m not very proficient yet, and it took almost two days and nights,¡± she said, somewhat bashfully.


    ¡°`


    ¡°This is already quite impressive! Cai Xian, it seems that this Cultivation Technique is especially suited for you.¡±


    Qin Niu had already been considering the matter of cultivating together with her inside the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Tonight, while sharing her bed, would be the perfect time to persuade her.


    After dinner, Qin Niu took a bath and then went straight to Tang Caixian¡¯s room.


    He and the two women had long ago agreed to take turns sleeping in each of the wives¡¯ rooms to ensure equal attention.


    After their affectionate time, Qin Niu, holding her said, ¡°Cai Xian, if I asked you to keep the affairs of your husband¡¯s family a secret from your maiden family, would you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes! On the night before I got married, my mom told me, once a woman is married, that place becomes her new home. Visiting the maiden home is like being a guest, and she also told me that if a married woman still only cares about her maiden family, it¡¯s very easy to be resented by her husband¡¯s family, which could affect the harmony between husband and wife. Now that I am married here, this is my home. Any important matters, especially those that could harm this family¡¯s interests or your reputation, I definitely would not tell my maiden family.¡±


    Tang Caixian¡¯s mother was undoubtedly a wise woman.


    ¡°Today, Wan Yan and I went to the city and inadvertently heard that the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect will hold the Water and Land Dharma Assembly in half a year. At that time, everyone will have the opportunity to pursue good fortune. Therefore, I plan to use these six months to figure out every possible way to help you and Wan Yan improve your cultivation. Neither of you have much of a foundation in cultivation, and it¡¯s very difficult to reach the Spirit Qi Realm within just a short period of six months.


    If you could rely on elixirs and other external forces for help, the chances will be much greater.¡±


    Qin Niu was laying the groundwork step by step.


    ¡°The big opportunity that allowed me to cultivate to the Innate Realm in a very short time also depended on some great fortune. Tomorrow, I plan to share this great opportunity with you and Wan Yan. But you must keep this a secret, or else our entire family could encounter disaster, and we might end up with no place to be buried.¡±


    He spoke with utmost seriousness.


    In fact, if other powerhouses discovered that Ancient Banyan Tree, and given that Qin Niu¡¯s current strength was not enough to deter the strong members of the Black Tiger Gang, those strong practitioners in the Spirit Qi Realm, including the Black Tiger Gang Leader, would take action to fight for it.


    Not just the experts of the Black Tiger Gang, but strong individuals from other sects, and even Immortal Masters from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, might also fight for it.


    What Qin Niu feared most was that his two young and naive wives would let slip in a moment of pride and reveal the secret.


    From their behavior, they both seemed to be intelligent women with good manners.


    As long as he explained the pros and cons, they would surely understand the gravity of the situation.


    ¡°Do you think I am that foolish? I understand the principle that wealth should not be exposed! Now that we are husband and wife, family, I am even less likely to do anything that could harm you.¡±


    She had performed songs and dances for wealthy families in the city and had witnessed the dangers of society.


    Hearing Qin Niu speak so gravely, she naturally understood what was at stake and immediately promised not to speak of it.


    A tender night naturally goes unmentioned.


    The next day, Qin Niu got up and went to the backyard to check on the medicinal herbs and the Golden Toad.


    That Dogtail Grass had not yet bloomed, its leaf veins becoming purpler, its energy and medicinal essence seeming to reach a peak, with the rate of increase becoming extremely slow.


    This Dogtail Grass was his lucky plant.


    He had gleaned inspiration for the Everlasting Spring Technique from this very plant.


    As he continued to cultivate, this originally mundane wild plant also evolved continuously.


    Looking at its current appearance, it seemed to have reached a peak, just like a human.


    It was difficult for it to advance further.


    To achieve a breakthrough, it needed to break its current constraints.


    Qin Niu grasped its base and injected a trace of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power into it.


    He was giving it a helping hand.


    As to whether it could successfully level up, that depended on its own good fortune.


    Qin Niu walked to the backyard corner to check on the condition of the Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    It was still evolving.


    He did not know when it would complete its evolution.


    Recalling that the Green Demon Bee had already begun its metamorphosis yesterday, now a day and a night later, it should have completed it.


    He subconsciously checked the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.

 Chapter 382 - Chapter 382: Chapter 374 Abnormal Ability of the Green Demon Bee_1

    Chapter 382: Chapter 374 Abnormal Ability of the Green Demon Bee_1


    ¡°`


    A rather ¡°delicate¡± looking bizarre bee, suddenly appeared in the Insect Bag.


    ¡°Come out!¡±


    He controlled the Green Demon Bee with his mind and moved it out of the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    Its body wasn¡¯t large, only the size of an adult¡¯s thumb, with a slender frame like that of a wolf.


    He had been looking forward to the emergence of this Green Demon Bee for a long time.


    Green Demon Bee (Adult Female)


    Level: Grade Five Hymenoptera, upgrade experience 100,000/1,000,000


    Lifespan: 3000 years


    Energy: 100,000


    Skills: Advanced reproduction (offspring have a chance to fully inherit all abilities of the mother bee). Night Vision, Deicide Poison (can kill Immortal Masters), Super Flight (can hover, fly backward, roll, dodge, fly at high speed, and glide with the wind, etc.), Regeneration, Sonic Attack (attack enemies with sound waves produced by vibrating all four wings). Demonization (ability unknown).


    Talent: Poison evolution, physical evolution, night vision, strengthening by absorbing Yin cold energy and the blood of living beings.


    Too strong.


    Although its abilities seem simple, each one is quite perverse.


    This is also the first insect Qin Niu owns that possesses the ability to regenerate.


    With this ability, even if it were chopped into countless pieces, it could rapidly reconstitute itself.


    Even if its head were severed, it could grow a new one.


    And crucially, this is a female bee.


    It can lay eggs and breed a swarm of bees.


    Moreover, the offspring it produces have a chance to be as powerful as the mother bee itself.


    That ability is the most terrifying.


    In time, Qin Niu could soon have a swarm of Green Demon Bees.


    Imagine when they all attack together, even true immortals might not be able to withstand them.


    Moreover, their venom is super terrifying.


    It can directly kill Immortal Masters.


    The Green Demon, in its quest for revenge, has carefully crafted this second-generation Green Demon Bee, and it really is no ordinary level of powerful.


    Their bee poison is probably tailor-made for Immortal Masters.


    On the other hand, if powerful beings in the Spirit Qi Realm and Innate Realm were stung by them, wouldn¡¯t they instantly turn into a puddle of yellow fluid?


    Qin Niu used to always complain about not having powerful airborne pets.


    Now that he has the Green Demon Bee, his biggest shortcoming has been addressed.


    In the future, he will have the Termite Army for ground combat.


    And for aerial combat, an even more terrifying swarm of Green Demon Bees.


    This also gave him combat insect-controlling strength on par with top-tier Insect Masters like Elder Jiu Yin and Elder Mei.


    ¡°Very good! You should be able to feed yourself now, right?¡±


    Qin Niu asked it.


    ¡°I can!¡±


    The Green Demon Bee flew around in front of him, its wings buzzing as it vanished in an instant.


    The next second, it flew over from behind Qin Niu.


    This ¡°little show-off¡± was flaunting its superior flight skills in front of its master.


    To hover in mid-air and fly backward, that¡¯s a dragonfly¡¯s trademark.


    Among all insects, dragonflies are the strongest when it comes to flying.


    But this Green Demon Bee also had the flying capabilities of a dragonfly, even stronger than that of dragonflies.


    Its wings were similar in appearance to those of a dragonfly.


    And at the top of its wings, it also had the thickened wing spots unique to dragonflies.


    Don¡¯t underestimate these thickened wing spots on each wing ¨C it is their presence that endows dragonflies with their unique flying capabilities.


    In catching various flying insects in mid-air, dragonflies are the absolute monarchs.


    If it weren¡¯t for their size and biting force being limited, they could definitely be like tigers, the absolute monarchs among all insects, with life and death in their control, killing at will.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee inherited the dragonfly¡¯s perfect flight capabilities.


    ¡°`


    Meanwhile, it also possessed the terrifying venom of the Green Demon Bee, as well as an incredibly strong biting ability.


    It would become the nightmare of all flying insects.


    Qin Niu was already impatient to find an opponent to test the waters.


    However, looking around, he found no suitable target for practice.


    ¡°Here, the corpse of this Bee General, for you to feed on.¡±


    Qin Niu took out a Bee General¡¯s corpse and rewarded the Green Demon Bee with it.


    It caught the corpse accurately in mid-air, grasped the food with its six legs, and then incessantly gnawed at the Bee General¡¯s body.


    Seeing it eat with relish, Qin Niu retracted it back into the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    What he needed to do thereafter was to regularly feed it nutritious food to let it lay eggs soon.


    Since it was a female bee, the best scenario would be to find a male bee for mating to produce offspring.


    However, it also possessed a reproductive ability called parthenogenesis.


    The downside was that the offspring produced this way were rather uniform.


    But considering its strength, finding it a ¡®husband¡¯ would not be an easy task.


    It should now embody the best traits of both the Green Demon Bee and the Corpse Bee.


    Even stronger than the second-generation Green Demon Bee bred by the Green Demons.


    Where could he find a husband as outstanding as it was?


    If it really came down to it, he would have to let it proceed with parthenogenesis first, or figure out a way to cultivate the Steel-winged Wild Bees he had captured before.


    Although many of the captured Steel-winged Wild Bees were alive,


    Qin Niu had even released some in the back mountain for them to breed on their own.


    But there were few male bees among them.


    It was not something to be rushed; he had to figure out a way gradually.


    Having one Green Demon Bee at the moment could make do for now.


    Nevertheless, for safety¡¯s sake, it was best to let it produce several offspring. Later in combat, let its offspring take to the field.


    He stored the Queen Bee in the Insect Bag.


    Just like an Ant Queen, dedicated to laying eggs and breeding offspring.


    The advantage of this was as follows; even if an enemy encountered was very powerful, and the dispatched Green Demon Bees were completely annihilated, the Queen Bee did not participate in battle and would not die. As long as the Queen Bee survived, a new swarm could quickly be bred.


    The lifespan of a Green Demon Bee was 3,000 years, which was more than sufficient.


    By 3,000 years later, Qin Niu would surely have become an immortal, and by then, he would naturally be able to obtain more advanced resources to cultivate the Green Demon Bee King, prolonging its lifespan.


    The most badass was still the Ant Queen, with a lifespan of 30,000 years.


    It would probably still be alive even when its master, Qin Niu, had long since died.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, today you stay at home and oversee the work of those three. If there are any visitors, you can entertain them,¡± Qin Niu said after breakfast, taking his two wives up the mountain.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Longing shone in Xiao Qing¡¯s eyes; she, too, wanted to go up the mountain to cultivate.


    Not long ago, she had finally advanced to the Acquired Realm and was eager to enter the Innate Realm as soon as possible.


    Cultivating at home was as slow as a snail compared to when under the Ancient Banyan Tree where she could immerse herself in absorbing medicinal essence to enhance her cultivation, dozens of times faster than the outside world.


    This extremely rapid cultivation was truly tempting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient, first teach those three properly. When the time comes, I will naturally bring you into the mountain to cultivate every day,¡± Qin Niu saw through Xiao Qing¡¯s thoughts.


    He patted her head with his hand, soothingly reassured her.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Xiao Qing said, elated by his words.


    Qin Niu then led Wang Wanyan and Tang Caixian up into the mountains.


    Along the way, both women were filled with curiosity about many things in the mountain.


    In their hearts, they were puzzled about where Qin Niu was taking them in the mountain to cultivate.


    However, they noticed that even Xiao Qing, after following Qin Niu into the mountains to cultivate for a period, had already attained the Acquired Realm. They secretly surmised that there must be a great opportunity awaiting.

 Chapter 383 - Chapter 383: Chapter 375: Family Improves Strength_Part 1

    Chapter 383: Chapter 375: Family Improves Strength_Part 1


    ¡°This is the place, I¡¯ll take you in.¡±


    Qin Niu, holding one wife on each side by the hand, led them into the maze within the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Green Ox loyally followed behind him.


    Green Ox had already entered the maze many times with Qin Niu and was extremely familiar with this place.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that special!¡±


    Cai Xian looked around and didn¡¯t notice anything unusual.


    Since it was daytime, and early morning at that, the Ancient Banyan Tree looked just like any old tree. She and Wang Wanyan had not cultivated the Medicine King Sutra and being of mere flesh and blood, naturally, they could not see its abnormalities.


    ¡°Cai Xian, try to see if you can walk out!¡±


    Qin Niu said leisurely.


    ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about that!¡± She turned around and walked towards the outside immediately.


    She quickly realized something was amiss.


    No matter how she walked, she could not leave, trapped under this tree.


    ¡°Brother Ah Niu, I seem to have encountered what they call ¡®ghost hitting the wall¡¯ in the legends.¡±


    Cai Xian was already panic-stricken.


    After all, she was a girl, newly married, and her courage hadn¡¯t increased by much.


    After several attempts, her heart was already filled with fear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, once our cultivation is almost at the same level, I will naturally take you out.¡±


    Qin Niu walked over with a smile and embraced her slim waist.


    Having trained in singing and dancing, not only was her voice sweet, but her waist was also supple.


    ¡°What¡¯s really going on? Why can¡¯t I walk out?¡±


    Cai Xian felt much more at ease in her husband¡¯s embrace.


    She was full of curiosity about the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    ¡°This tree has become sentient. Within the range of its canopy, a trap formation has naturally formed. If someone or an animal strays into it and can¡¯t escape before nightfall, they will become its food.¡±


    Qin Niu said somberly to the two women.


    Wang Wanyan heard how terrifying this tree was and was scared; she quickly came over and clung tightly to Qin Niu¡¯s left hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, the Ancient Banyan Tree is now my friend. As long as you know its rules, not only will it not eat you, but you can also use it to increase the speed of your cultivation. Go sit over there and try to cultivate, and experience the wonderful feeling of rapid advancement.¡±


    Qin Niu led the two women to the trunk of the tree; they sat down cross-legged, and the women tried to cultivate.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Wang Wanyan¡¯s face, which could topple nations, showed an expression of shock, while her eyes revealed surprise.


    Cai Xian¡¯s pretty face, however, showed ecstatic joy.


    But she quickly calmed down, adjusted her attitude swiftly, and concentrated on cultivating.


    This showed that Cai Xian¡¯s temperament was quite good.


    It seems that no matter who it is, experiencing the world when young can mature the mind and stabilize the temperament.


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s display of temperament was clearly weaker than Cai Xian¡¯s.


    Qin Niu watched his two beautiful wives and consorts concentrate on cultivating. Following his usual practice, he took out a jar to collect the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, then sat down beside them to cultivate together.


    ¡­


    Before they realized it, a day had passed quickly.


    The three of them had cultivated under the tree for a whole day, and all had gained much.


    ¡°Stop cultivating, we need to leave here quickly.¡±


    Qin Niu said to his wives.


    They slowly opened their eyes, and Qin Niu had already packed up the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and carried it in a basket on his back.


    Taking both wives by the hand, he walked outside.


    At this moment, tree branches were already drooping, and chilling energy sprinkled down from the leaves, piercing to the bone.


    ¡°`


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold!¡± Cai Xian hugged her husband¡¯s arm and leaned against him.


    ¡°I feel like all the blood in my body has frozen,¡± Wang Wanyan also leaned against her husband.


    In such a perilous environment, Qin Niu was their pillar of strength, their source of security, protecting them from harm.


    Qin Niu quickly led them out of the maze. The two women felt as if they had returned from the underworld to the land of the living, just as the setting sun dipped below the horizon, casting a glow on the mountains.


    ¡°It¡¯s miraculous. Ah Niu, will you take us here to cultivate again tomorrow? My cultivation level has improved by two stages, reaching the Fivefold level of ordinary humans,¡± Cai Xian said, who was originally at the Threefold level, close to reaching Fourfold.


    Just one day of cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree, and she had broken through directly to Fivefold.


    It was equivalent to advancing through two minor realms.


    Having tasted the sweetness, she was already eager to continue the next day.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not a rainy day, I will bring you both here to cultivate in the future. But you must remember, never to disclose anything about the Ancient Banyan Tree. Not to your parents, siblings, or friends,¡± Qin Niu once again cautioned his wives.


    Women naturally love to show off, and that was his greatest concern.


    Fortunately, both Wang Wanyan and Cai Xian were well-cultured. Even if vanity and the desire to boast were in their bones, their education, principles of interacting with people, and experience in social survival were enough to quell that urge.


    They would keep the secret of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    ¡°Wan Yan, your cultivation has also increased by one stage, right?¡± Qin Niu could actually see through their cultivation levels at a glance.


    ¡°Yes, my cultivation has increased by one stage. But I¡¯m far behind Little Sister Cai Xian,¡± Wang Wanyan said.


    She had now reached the Sixfold level of ordinary humans.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate yourself; everyone has their own strengths. Cai Xian has a deeper understanding of the Dragon-Elephant Sutra, so her cultivation speed is slightly faster. But it¡¯s not much faster than yours. In my opinion, your slower comprehension of the Dragon-Elephant Sutra isn¡¯t a bad thing. With the same cultivation technique, personal understandings differ greatly, leading to vastly different cultivation paths,¡± Qin Niu was very satisfied with his wives¡¯ progress.


    He had long wanted to bring them together for cultivation.


    But due to a variety of concerns, the plan had been put off.


    Now that they were married, and his women, it was only natural to share this top-tier cultivation resource with them.


    Even a top family like the Fang Family did not have such superior resources.


    The tree regarded as the Fang Family¡¯s ancestral treasure could only make the spiritual energy within the Fang Family Forbidden Land about twice as dense as outside.


    Compared to the twentyfold increase provided by the Ancient Banyan Tree, there was a tenfold difference.


    Moreover, given the size of the Ancient Banyan Tree, there was no need to worry about too rapid a depletion of spiritual energy even if several people were cultivating.


    Each of them could absorb the energy within the maze to their heart¡¯s content.


    ¡­


    In the following days, Qin Niu brought his wives into the mountains to cultivate every day.


    He also persisted in nurturing his insects.


    The Gold Devouring Ant, Fourth, Demon Ant, Green Demon Bee, Green Silk Worm, and Black Spider Gu were all his key nurturing targets.


    Unbeknownst to him, his collection of insect pets had grown quite rich.


    He did not follow Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s path of cultivation.


    Rather than pursuing numerical superiority, he preferred to seek quality in his insects.


    If any advantage were to be discussed regarding numbers, the Termite naturally had a head-start because the Ant Queen could lay a thousand eggs a day, a tireless breeding machine.


    The Gold Devouring Ant¡¯s diet was unique, specializing in various metals.


    Gold, silver, copper, iron¡ªthese were its favorite delicacies.


    It presumably would be fond of other rare metals as well; it was only difficult to procure them.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 384 - Chapter 384: Chapter 376 The Gorgeous Array of Insect Pets_1

    Chapter 384: Chapter 376 The Gorgeous Array of Insect Pets_1


    ¡°`


    Qin Niu fed it mostly iron and copper, these two metals being comparatively cheap.


    Because the price of these metals was relatively low,


    he really couldn¡¯t bear to feed it gold or Silver Money directly.


    At present, the cultivation of the Gold Devouring Ant was still in an exploratory stage.


    Despite its small size, its appetite was quite substantial.


    In the beginning, feeding it a copper coin could sustain it for one to two days.


    Now, as its body continued to grow and its digestive capacity seemed to be increasing, it needed to devour twenty-one copper coins a day. If it ate ordinary black iron, it could consume about three taels a day.


    This seemed exaggerated, but its appetite was that enormous.


    Moreover, its appetite was still growing.


    Every day, after consuming so much metal, its excrement resembled slag.


    It looked like waste slag poured from a smelting furnace.


    It was hard to imagine, with it eating so much metal every day, how it stored the absorbed energy inside its body.


    When Qin Niu held it in his hand, the only issue was that it was a bit heavy.


    Having ingested so much metal, its weight was definitely increasing.


    Holding it in hand, it felt like a heavy lump of iron.


    Furthermore, the metallic luster on its body was becoming darker and more muted.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know how strong it had become, because recently, times had been peaceful and there was simply no need to use the Gold Devouring Ant, his ace in the hole Termite.


    Besides the obvious progress of the Gold Devouring Ant, Fourth¡¯s improvement was also quite significant.


    It was in the midst of challenging Grade Seven.


    If it succeeded in advancing, Qin Niu believed that with Fourth¡¯s abilities, it could definitely take on an expert from the human Innate Realm by itself.


    Additionally, Fourth¡¯s venom was also evolving continuously.


    Its Soul Eroding Poison seemed to have become more potent than before.


    The number of Termite¡¯s ant colony was steadily increasing, and it was approaching the significant number of fifty thousand. This was something Qin Niu had not dared to dream about before.


    The Bodhi Tree he had cultivated within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze was now nearly numbering thirty.


    And they had all grown quite a bit.


    The yield of ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree¡¯ Blood he could collect at one time had more than doubled.


    This also enabled him to breed even more Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants.


    Speaking of the Termite colony, there was one thing that somewhat troubled Qin Niu.


    Last time, he deliberately left over three hundred Termites inside the highest peak, letting them find an opportunity to search the entire mountain, to see if they could discover the feathers shed by the Demon Bird.


    As a result, over two hundred Termites were lost, and now only a little over one hundred remained, continuing the search in the mountain.


    Qin Niu had already prepared himself for the possibility of a total annihilation.


    The sacrifice of over three hundred Termites was somewhat painful, but as long as they could find a single feather for him, especially the flight feathers, he could immediately recover all the losses.


    After all, for him, sacrificing a few hundred common Grade Three Termites was a loss he could absolutely afford.


    The feathers of the Demon Bird would be shed as they aged and grew, continuously being replaced with new ones.


    At that time, old feathers would fall off by themselves.


    Bird feathers are generally divided into several parts: the head and neck, chest and belly, are mainly covered with down and fine feathers. Only the tips of their wings and tail feathers have a high quality.


    And their value is the highest.


    The surviving hundred or so Termites were a group that was more clever at hiding and had outstanding skills in concealment.


    Having survived until now, they must have already accumulated a wealth of survival experience.


    Qin Niu hoped they would explore every part of the mountain.


    Based on the information fed back by the Termites before their death, the most dangerous area was a large region near the mountain peak. That place was likely where the Demon Bird lived.


    Termites who entered that area were very likely to die.


    If feathers shed by the Demon Bird were indeed on the mountain, then they were most likely to be found in that area.


    Anyway, so far, not a single Termite has found a feather.


    While the Termite colony was developing nicely, the Green Silk Worm had also begun to silently breed and expand its family.


    About every ten days, it could lay an egg.


    Then, with the help of Qin Niu¡¯s scalp and blood, it would incubate.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    The offspring of the Green Silk Worm, like the adult worms, look exactly like human hair from the outside. They could easily be parasitized onto an enemy¡¯s head without the enemy even realizing it.


    His Green Demon Bees were also growing rapidly.


    Their appetite was quite large, requiring the feeding of two to three steel-winged wild bee generals¡¯ carcasses a day.


    However, the significant investment yielded a satisfying return.


    The size of the Green Demon Bee had grown to that of a knife handle.


    When it flapped its wings to fly, it came without a shadow and left without a trace, giving the impression that its speed could match that of the peregrine falcon, the king of birds in flight.


    Of course, that might be a bit of an exaggeration.


    After all, the top flight speed of a peregrine falcon could reach 380 kilometers per hour.


    In fact, scientists have tested that the maximum flight speed of the peregrine falcon can reach 389 kilometers per hour.


    Most birds, once targeted by it, have little chance of escaping.


    Even the white eagle, known as the king of the skies, is no match for it.


    The peregrine falcon, in the air, can easily provoke or bully other birds of prey, even those ten times its size.


    It all comes down to its incredibly swift flight speed.


    And its talons are also terrifying, easily piercing through the heads of its prey, achieving instant kills.


    And these are truly instant kills.


    Even if the speed of the Green Demon Bee doesn¡¯t match that of the peregrine falcon, in the insect world, it would be difficult to find an opponent that could compete with it.


    Unless one considers those exceptionally incredible mystical insects from the ¡®Mystical Insects List.¡¯


    Qin Niu watched as its size grew day by day and felt joy in his heart, but he was also somewhat anxious.


    Because finding a ¡®husband¡¯ for the Green Demon Bee was proving to be extremely difficult.


    It was hard to find a male bee of the same grade.


    If it really came down to it, he might have to try letting it reproduce asexually.


    However, according to Qin Niu¡¯s beekeeping experience, female bees that did not undergo sexual reproduction would likely produce male offspring.


    That wouldn¡¯t do.


    Male bees were all style and no substance, the lazy ¡®Cowherds¡¯ that only looked good.


    They lacked stingers and their combat prowess was abysmal.


    Almost any bee could easily chase them into a panicked scramble.


    It would be best to find an excellent ¡®husband¡¯ for this Green Demon Bee.


    Of the bee species Qin Niu had come into contact with, the two closest to the Green Demon Bee in terms of breed were the Corpse Bee and the Steel-winged Wild Bee.


    Both these bee species were strong.


    He prepared to take a two-pronged approach.


    On one hand, he planned to cultivate male bees from the Corpse and Steel-winged Wild Bee species, and on the other hand, he intended to search far and wide for formidable bee species.


    Whether it meant buying them or capturing them in the wild, he was open to either option.


    With thousands of Puppet Ants and Ghost Ants at his disposal, capturing even the most formidable wild bees would be a breeze.


    Moreover, with the Green Demon Bee as his ace in the hole, there was no need to worry about the wild bees escaping once discovered.


    He also didn¡¯t neglect the cultivation of the Black Spider Gu.


    The Black Spider Gu had a particular craving for all kinds of potent poisons.


    To satisfy it, Qin Niu had the Green Demon Bee secrete venom for it to consume.


    It should be noted that the venom of the Green Demon Bee could even kill an Immortal Master.


    It was absolutely a super existence among venoms.


    The Black Spider Gu only dared to consume a little bit at a time. Despite its immunity to hundreds of poisons, it remained extraordinarily cautious and careful when faced with the Green Demon Bee¡¯s venom.


    After eating the venom of the Green Demon Bee, the body of the Black Spider Gu became even shinier and more black.


    Presumably, its venom had also become even more fearsome.


    Thus, Qin Niu now had two types of poisonous insects that could confront powerful enemies.


    Once Fourth¡¯s Soul Eroding Poison evolved further, he would have venom from three types of poisonous insects that could take on opponents in the Spirit Qi Realm, and even against Immortal Masters.


    Time passed in such a leisurely and unhurried manner.


    That day, Qin Niu returned home from practicing in the mountains with his two wives and Xiao Qing.


    Young Master Yan of the Yan Family had come over with Steward Yan Qi.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: Chapter 377 Yan Family Crisis_1

    Chapter 385: Chapter 377 Yan Family Crisis_1


    Young Master Yan wore an expression heavy with concerns, his brows deeply furrowed.


    Steward Yan Qi¡¯s face was also filled with worry.


    ¡°Greetings, Master Qin!¡±


    Young Master Yan stood up and greeted him with utmost respect.


    It had not been this way when they met before.


    For scions of noble families like him, no matter how much they cultivated their manners, they always carried an inherent pride.


    Such arrogance was etched into their very bones.


    In the past, when he met Qin Niu, a simple clasped-hand salute was all he would offer. The deep bow he performed today was unprecedented. The way he addressed Qin Niu was also quite thought-provoking.


    In the past, he would call him Master Qin, but today he referred to him as Master Qin.


    Taking into account the troubled expressions both master and servant wore, the Yan Family must be facing a difficult situation.


    Qin Niu had been busy lately, taking his wives and concubines, along with Xiao Qing, into the mountains to cultivate, desperately trying to advance his cultivation level. Then there was also the cultivation of insects, and daily assistance with the War Bees in gathering Ice Lotus pollen to make honey¡ªhe was simply too busy.


    Because of this, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the outside world and current events.


    However, he had heard the maids in the house discussing how the insect plagues were getting worse recently. There had also started to be a shortage of food, leading to refugees fleeing in all directions.


    They were quite fortunate to have been bought by Qin Niu.


    Here, they wanted for nothing. The workload was not heavy, mainly tending to the domestic needs of a family.


    When they went out to do laundry, they could catch snippets of village gossip from the chatty women.


    But the chatter was usually about trivial household matters from one family or the other.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal, Young Master Yan. Please, take a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu gestured for Young Master Yan and Steward Yan Qi to sit down.


    His two wives, on the other hand, went straight into an inner room.


    Women generally did not show themselves easily.


    When guests visited, they would usually stay in their rooms to avoid them.


    Some particular ladies of stature and married women even ate and washed within their rooms. Seeing them could be difficult even for the household servants.


    ¡°Bring the tea!¡±


    Qin Niu signaled to the maid.


    The three maids in the house weren¡¯t there just to eat for free¡ªof course, they had to work.


    Beyond cooking and cleaning, the basic domestic chores, when guests arrived, serving tea, assisting the master in dressing and undressing, handling shoes, and such were all part of their duties.


    A diligent maid would get the master dressed after they woke, dispose of the chamber pot, and clean it. She would then bring hot water for the master to wash his face and rinse his mouth, while another maid served ready-made tonic soup and breakfast to feed the master.


    This was why large households had dozens of maids.


    Because there were many people to serve.


    Besides the male head of the family, there were the mistress, the young masters, the grandfather, and the grandmother¡ªall needing their service.


    Since serving the master meant entering their private quarters, male servants were rarely used for this purpose.


    Unless someone wanted their head to bloom green.


    Probably no landlord would willingly let a male slave enter the inner courtyard and serve his wife or concubines, helping them dress or feeding them.


    It¡¯s worth mentioning that the status of a personal attendant is higher than that of a maid.


    Personal attendants could be of humble or noble birth. They were often the confidantes of their masters, attending not just to their daily needs but also assisting with various matters, offering advice, and receiving guests on their behalf.


    They were somewhat similar to modern-day secretaries.


    But personal attendants were much more loyal than secretaries.


    In times of danger, they would often be the ones to shield their masters with their own bodies.


    In terms of feelings, masters easily develop deep affection for their maidservants and treat them like half relatives.


    However, it is difficult for maids to receive too much care from their masters.


    As long as they lose their value, maids could be sold again or driven out of the household.


    Moreover, maids are servants who have lost most of their personal freedom and are also known as lowly registered.


    Their sell-yourself contracts or indenture documents are held by their masters.


    Therefore, they have no way to leave their masters.


    Many maidservants have their freedom and could leave whenever they want to. However, they are very loyal to their masters and generally wouldn¡¯t easily betray them.


    Even when the masters go bankrupt and their family fortune declines, they still remain loyal and do not abandon them.


    Some excellent maidservants may even try to earn money for their masters and help them make a comeback.


    As for the maids, since they were bought, whether they are loyal depends entirely on their conscience.


    Because they serve their masters daily and do house chores, it is inevitable that they make mistakes, which can easily lead to scolding and punishment. This can make them harbor resentment, but they dare not rebel and can only silently endure.


    Over time, this resentment could accumulate and deepen.


    When the master encounters misfortune, they are likely to clap their hands in glee, perhaps even wishing for the master¡¯s death.


    In this regard, most masters always guard against maids.


    Discovering any disloyal behavior, they often impose extremely harsh punishments to serve as a warning to others.


    Even if some masters are gentle in nature and lenient and kind, never berating their maids, it is impossible for their family members to be as gentle as them. This invariably means that maids find it difficult to be truly loyal to a master¡¯s house.


    What they want, presumably, is to save enough money so that when they get old, they can find a place to retire.


    ¡°Young Master Yan, how has the old Master Yan¡¯s health been lately?¡±


    Qin Niu thought to himself, could it be that Yan Ruohai¡¯s health has encountered problems?


    After all, no one can avoid aging, sickness, and death with advancing years.


    ¡°Thanks to your blessings, my father is healthy.¡±


    Young Master Yan picked up the teacup, used the lid to push aside the leaves, smelled it, then took a light sip.


    Young masters and misses of these large families have all learned the rules of etiquette.


    They have particular standards for their clothing, food, and living expenses.


    ¡°We¡¯ve come to seek Master Qin this time because we have a favor to ask.¡±


    Steward Yan Qi saw that Young Master Yan had a thin face and couldn¡¯t speak up, so he had to speak out on his behalf.


    ¡°The Yan Family and I have always had good relations. If there is a difficulty you¡¯re facing that I can help with, I will definitely do my utmost. May I know what the matter is?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Our Yan Family¡¯s Mulberry Garden has suffered a pest disaster, causing most of the silkworms we were raising to starve to death. As a result, we cannot deliver the silk on time to our buyers. After an initial estimate, we will need to pay at least Four Thousand Silver Money in damages and deposits.


    If it had been in previous years, our Yan Family could have purchased silk elsewhere to fill this deficit when faced with such an eventuality.


    This year, however, pests and floods have plagued everywhere, persisting for several months, and everyone is facing the same dilemma. Only a few powerful families have managed to protect their Mulberry Gardens and can deliver on time.


    The silk on the market has long been bought up by some prescient textile magnates.


    With the Black Tiger Gang engaged in war with two sects and the borders being locked down, our Yan Family can¡¯t find a source of goods from outside.


    My Yan Family has enormous expenses and currently, we are a bit strapped for cash.


    I don¡¯t know if Master Qin¡¯s financial situation is more flexible? My Yan Family is willing to put up fertile lands as collateral and borrow some Silver Money from you at a 50% annual interest rate to tide us over.¡±


    Young Master Yan finally clarified the purpose of their visit.


    The larger the household, the more likely it is to be caught short when trouble arises.


    This year has been fraught with numerous problems, a series of natural and man-made disasters, and the Yan Family, unprepared, has faced a major financial crisis.

 Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: Chapter 378: The Terrifying Usury_1

    Chapter 386: Chapter 378: The Terrifying Usury_1


    ¡°When does the buyer¡¯s compensation need to be in place?¡±


    Qin Niu asked directly.


    The Yan Family was borrowing money from him, obviously because they had seen the large number of congratulatory gifts he had received when he got married recently.


    Many bosses came to drink the wedding wine, and the gifts were basically a thousand taels of Silver Money.


    This gift, he would certainly have to return in the future.


    But it also made Qin Niu¡¯s hands full of ample Silver Money.


    ¡°The buyer¡¯s compensation must be paid in full by the end of this month. I won¡¯t hide it from you, the buyer has a big background, with businesses spread throughout the entire Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. Not to mention our Yan Family, even those top families in the city wouldn¡¯t dare to offend him.¡±


    Young Master Yan explained so clearly, there was somewhat an attempt to make excuses for the Yan Family.


    The main worry was that Qin Niu would look down on them.


    ¡°The Yan Family is able to do business with such a big buyer, truly worthy of being an old and powerful clan in the area.¡±


    Qin Niu raised his thumb in praise.


    Speaking of wisdom, despite being only sixteen years old, he was a lot stronger than Young Master Yan.


    ¡°May I know how many taels of Silver Money does the Yan Family need to borrow?¡±


    He had plenty of Silver Money on hand.


    Lending it out could earn him a 50% interest, which was a very profitable deal.


    In this world, there are two types of money lending. One is borrowing from a money-changer, with an average annual interest rate of around 60%. Borrow one tael of Silver Money, and a year later you owe one tael and six Wen Money.


    Does that sound very dark?


    The market is basically like that.


    Loans between friends, the interest rate is generally much lower, with an annual interest rate between 40% to 50%.


    The darkest are the usurers.


    Those who borrow from usurers could sell their sons and daughters and still not necessarily be able to pay it off.


    In the end, they may well end up with a destroyed family and lost lives.


    Usury¡¯s normal annual interest rates are usually around 100%, borrow one tael of Silver Money, and the second year you repay two Silver Money.


    If you can¡¯t pay, then it gets terrifying.


    Compound interest upon compound interest can send a debtor plummeting into an abyss.


    There are even darker usurious loans, with annual interest rates of 1000%. Borrow one tael of Silver Money, and if it¡¯s not repaid within the stipulated time, the annual interest can soar to a terrifying 1000%.


    Equivalent to having to repay a hundred taels the following year.


    Those who need to borrow usury are mostly at their wits¡¯ end, with no other options.


    Asking them to repay ten times the loan in the second year, nine times out of ten, they can¡¯t pay it back.


    It¡¯s common for borrowers to flee.


    But wives and children, parents, all will suffer as well.


    If the wives and children can¡¯t flee with them, they are mostly caught by the usurers and sold.


    The usurers aren¡¯t fools; having lent a large sum of Silver Money to someone, they would certainly have informants secretly watching the borrower¡¯s family.


    It¡¯s nearly impossible for the borrower to flee successfully with his family.


    Any single suspicious activity, and the lender immediately comes with his thugs.


    So, if a debtor wants to flee, the only possibly successful way is to cruelly abandon his parents, children, wife, and escape alone.


    Even then, fleeing alone isn¡¯t as easy as one might imagine.


    One must shake off the informants and avoid being discovered by the creditor.


    Those daring to lend at extortionate rates often have a lot of power locally, with both black and white under their influence. If you think it¡¯s easy to swindle their money, think again.


    If caught, you are first beaten up, then have one or two fingers chopped off as punishment, which is standard procedure.


    Yan Ruohai of the Yan Family could not possibly be foolish enough to borrow usurious loans.


    He must have been out of options to think of turning to Qin Niu for help.


    ¡°It¡¯s roughly an eight thousand tael shortfall. If Master Qin is willing to help with this, our Yan Family is prepared to pledge twelve hundred acres of good farmland as security. With the current land prices, good farmland is about nine Silver Money per acre.¡±


    Young Master Yan said.


    What people fear most is hardship.


    A single Wen Money can stump a hero.


    The total amount of Yan Family¡¯s lands is also probably just over a thousand acres.


    Presumably no more than one thousand five hundred acres.


    This is the wealth the Yan Family has accumulated over several generations.


    To borrow eight thousand taels of silver, it was necessary to mortgage twelve hundred acres of good farmland, almost giving away the wealth accumulated by generations of the family in one fell swoop.


    It is known that when the market is good, one acre of good farmland can sell for thirteen to fourteen taels of silver.


    It could even be higher.


    Even if the Yan Family had bought it for twelve taels of silver per acre, now mortgaging it to Qin Niu, the price per acre of good farmland was only six taels and six wen of silver, less than the price of seven taels.


    The wealth could be said to have drastically shrunk.


    The Yan Family was truly experiencing a run of bad luck.


    The Black Tiger Gang is at war, which has led to difficulty in selling shops and properties within Black Tiger City.


    If they had to be sold now, they would definitely be sold cheap.


    A shop bought for a hundred taels of silver might sell for around fifteen to sixteen taels.


    Yan Ruohai, known for his deep calculations, had certainly considered how to resolve the crisis the Yan Family was facing.


    After much consideration, borrowing money from Qin Niu seemed to be the most cost-effective.


    It was relatively easier to gather the silver money in a very short time. Selling properties in the city would be a huge loss and difficult to do swiftly.


    The war situation was not yet clear, and there had been a persistent blight within the territory controlled by the Black Tiger Gang, causing widespread panic, with everyone watching and waiting.


    No wealthy man would buy city properties under such circumstances.


    Otherwise, if one were not careful, they might end up holding the bag, and wouldn¡¯t that mean regretting it bitterly?


    No one¡¯s silver money comes from the wind.


    ¡°To borrow eight thousand taels¡­ I was actually planning to keep the silver money to buy land when the land price hit rock bottom. The Yan Family and I have always had a good relationship, and I can¡¯t just stand by when they are in trouble. Alright, let¡¯s just do as Young Master Yan says. Let¡¯s not set the annual interest so high, drop it to 40%,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Qin Niu had received some favors and gifts from the Yan Family in the past.


    He took the initiative to reduce the loan interest by 10%.


    One must have some human kindness.


    But to lend money for nothing, that was definitely out of the question.


    Each man for himself, or heaven and earth would combine to destroy him.


    Inside the bounds of reason, to strive for a bigger benefit was nothing but right and proper.


    ¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯m extremely grateful! Master Qin is truly a generous man! My father has always spoken highly of your sense of honor, and indeed he wasn¡¯t wrong¡­¡±


    Upon hearing that only 40% interest would be charged, Young Master Yan showered Qin Niu with praises.


    Both parties drafted a loan agreement, and they had someone witness it.


    One thousand two hundred acres of land deeds and promissory notes were mortgaged to Qin Niu. If the Yan Family couldn¡¯t repay the loan on time, Qin Niu could take these documents straight to the government office and transfer the land to his name.


    Young Master Yan left with eight thousand taels in silver notes.


    Having borrowed this sum of silver, the family crisis was temporarily resolved, and Young Master Yan also heaved a sigh of relief.


    Qin Niu was also very pleased.


    Such good fortunes were always welcome.


    With more than 130,000 taels of cash silver in hand, keeping it idle wouldn¡¯t produce even a copper coin¡¯s worth of interest.


    Lending it out and collecting 40% interest was definitely a good deal.


    The price of farmland dropping to nine taels of silver per acre was quite enticing, much lower than the normal price by a good four to five taels.


    Qin Niu believed that prices could fall even further.


    He was in no rush to buy.


    Whether the timing was right, his 130,000-plus taels of silver could potentially acquire more than 18,000 acres of good farmland.


    However, he certainly wouldn¡¯t buy that much.


    One shouldn¡¯t put all one¡¯s eggs in one basket.


    If he, an Innate Realm expert, suddenly purchased nearly 20,000 acres of good farmland, it would undoubtedly draw suspicion from the higher-ups of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Then, they might secretly investigate the origins of his silver.


    It could easily expose his secret of robbing and killing for wealth.


    This time, he planned to purchase about four to five thousand acres of good farmland.


    Even so, it was still quite a formidable amount.


    He would be one of the biggest landlords recognized by the Black Tiger Gang, several times larger than the Yan Family.


    As days passed leisurely, Qin Niu entered the mountains to practice nearly every day, and the power of his Medicine King Sutra gradually reached the peak of the Acquired Realm.


    If he could get another Boundary-breaking Elixir, he could attempt to break through to the Innate Realm right away.


    This time, he wasn¡¯t planning on using the Boundary-breaking Elixir.


    Because his Everlasting Spring Technique had already reached the Innate Realm, laying a solid foundation, he had full confidence that with the massive medicinal qi of the Ancient Banyan Tree, he could directly break through to the Innate Realm.

 Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Chapter 379: Cai Xian’s Promotion_1

    Chapter 387: Chapter 379: Cai Xian¡¯s Promotion_1


    Under the ancient banyan tree, Qin Niu was vigorously cultivating together with his wife, concubines, and the maidservant Xiao Qing.


    Tang Caixian, cultivating the Dragon Elephant Skill, revealed an astonishing talent, which greatly surprised Qin Niu. Her level of cultivation was improving almost one step with each day, comparable to when Qin Niu himself cultivated the Everlasting Spring Technique under the ancient banyan tree.


    Qin Niu had top-tier talent in cultivating life-preserving techniques.


    That meant Tang Caixian was very suitable for cultivating combat techniques like the Dragon Elephant Art.


    By comparison, Wang Wanyan¡¯s talent for cultivating the Dragon Elephant Skill seemed to be much inferior.


    Her pace of advancement in cultivation was clearly much slower than Tang Caixian¡¯s.


    Three days ago, Tang Caixian had already reached the Tenfold Mortal Realm, and now she was at the peak of the Mortal Realm, challenging the Acquired Realm.


    But Wang Wanyan was only at the Eightfold Mortal Realm.


    In the path of cultivation, talent is indeed very important.


    Like when cultivating the Medicine King Sutra, Qin Niu reached the Acquired Realm and only formed a single cauldron within himself. Xiao Qing, with better talent, formed two medicine cauldrons.


    At this moment, Tang Caixian let out a slightly pained grunt.


    Qin Niu was startled and quickly ceased his practice, opening his eyes to check on her condition.


    Wang Wanyan had also stopped cultivating, standing up and walking over to Tang Caixian, her eyes full of concern.


    ¡°Wanyan, don¡¯t touch her! Do not disturb her!¡±


    Qin Niu hastily stopped his wife.


    Seeing his wife and concubine getting along harmoniously and having good affection for each other, he was very pleased.


    But when it comes to breaking through realms in cultivation, one can only rely on oneself.


    Others, even if they wish to help, cannot provide much assistance.


    Qin Niu, as someone who had experienced it before, had relatively rich experience in cultivation. Tang Caixian was currently challenging the Acquired Realm, and not disturbing her or letting her challenge the new realm on her own, was the best help he could offer her.


    ¡°She seems to be in a lot of pain, will she be alright?¡±


    Wang Wanyan asked worriedly.


    ¡°Breaking through to a new realm is a difficult and dangerous endeavor. You too will experience it in the not-too-distant future. One can only break through it with perseverance, determination, and wisdom.¡±


    Qin Niu shared some of his cultivation experiences with her.


    After all, as an Innate Realm powerhouse, being her teacher is definitely not a problem.


    ¡°You continue cultivating! I will watch over her,¡± Qin Niu told Wang Wanyan.


    As time swiftly passed, the energy surrounding Tang Caixian¡¯s body violently surged like enraged waves.


    Her body twisted non-stop in response.


    Sounds of cracking bones came from her skeleton.


    Fortunately, she had trained in song and dance, and her body was extremely supple.


    Things like splits and back bends were nothing more than child¡¯s play to her.


    Having taken her as his wife, Qin Niu certainly enjoyed all the happiness a man could desire.


    As she kept assaulting the Acquired Realm, the extent of her body¡¯s contortions grew bigger. It was worrying that she might twist her neck or the bones in other parts of her body.


    With each severe contortion of her body, she would reveal a pained expression and let out a muffled groan.


    Gradually, Qin Niu noticed that the energy around her body took on the shape of a snake, like a fluttering ribbon, constantly twisting. This snake-shaped energy stood vertically, over ten meters tall and nearly one and a half meters in diameter.


    It was incredibly astonishing.


    And her body moved along with the snake-shaped energy, slowly forming a tacit harmony with it.


    Could this also lead to breaking through the barrier?


    Just as Qin Niu was somewhat puzzled, finding it hard to believe she was on the right track, a magical scene unfolded.


    He saw that with every sway of her body, the snake-shaped energy around Tang Caixian was quickly diminishing.


    ¡°`


    Carefully examining, he realized that the serpentine energy had been absorbed by her body.


    ¡°Snakes have their paths, rats have their ways! It seems each cultivation technique requires a different method of practice,¡±


    Qin Niu had indeed broadened his horizons.


    He estimated that once she completely absorbed the serpentine energy, she would have successfully broken through to the Acquired Realm.


    As expected, after nearly more than an hour had passed, Tang Caixian¡¯s cultivation neared its end. She had absorbed all of the serpentine energy little by little, and her momentum had risen step by step.


    When her momentum reached its peak, it began to recede.


    Another half hour later, she slowly ended her cultivation and opened her eyes.


    The bright light in her eyes sparkled, and a delighted smile bloomed on her charming face.


    ¡°Ah Niu brother, I made it! I¡¯ve successfully broken through to the Acquired Realm!¡±


    She leaped up and hugged Qin Niu tightly.


    In her heart, cultivation wasn¡¯t about becoming stronger but about reducing the lifespan gap with the man she deeply loved, striving to accompany him longer.


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re amazing! Keep it up, I believe that you will definitely advance to the Innate Realm in the near future,¡±


    Qin Niu embraced her in return, encouraging her to strive for the next great realm.


    ¡°I will. I¡¯ll definitely continue to practice diligently, striving to reach the Innate Realm as soon as possible.¡±


    She was still immersed in the joy of having just made a major breakthrough and was full of confidence in the future.


    ¡°Cai Xian, congratulations!¡±


    Wang Wanyan had also completed her practice and approached.


    Her cultivation level had just broken through to the ninth level of the Mortal Realm.


    She was probably greatly stimulated and was doggedly catching up.


    ¡°Thank you! I believe you¡¯ll break through to the Acquired Realm very soon as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah, among the three of us, my talent is the worst. I have some confidence in reaching the Acquired Realm, but when it comes to the Innate Realm, I¡¯m worried that I won¡¯t be able to keep up with you two and will become a burden.¡±


    Wang Wanyan said with some self-deprecation.


    ¡°Wan Yan sister, you mustn¡¯t think like that. We are a family, and no matter who enters the Immortal Warrior Realm first, we won¡¯t leave the other two behind. We will all help each other, pursuing true longevity. I believe that as long as we work together, we will eventually succeed,¡±


    Tang Caixian took Wang Wanyan¡¯s hand, comforting her.


    Qin Niu then hugged both of them, one on each side. ¡°Cai Xian is right, we¡¯re a family, and as long as we stand united, we will one day achieve true longevity. Everyone has different talents. I excel at cultivating life-preserving techniques, Xiao Qing excels at practicing the Medicine King Sutra, and Cai Xian excels at the Dragon Elephant Art.


    Your current slow progress in cultivation could be because the technique doesn¡¯t match your talent or possibly that you¡¯re a late bloomer who will start excelling later on.¡±


    Qin Niu believed Wang Wanyan¡¯s talent couldn¡¯t be poor.


    The sky was turning dark, the branches and leaves of the ancient banyan tree began to droop, and strands of yin-cold energy continuously fell.


    He led the three women out of the labyrinth.


    ¡°The three of you go back first! I still need to feed the insects,¡±


    Qin Niu told them.


    ¡°Then you be careful and come home early for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Qin Niu waved his hand, watching as his wives and Xiao Qing left together.


    He had now purchased the entire back mountain, which belonged to his private property. He had specially opened two shortcuts leading into the mountain, both reaching directly to the backyard of his home.


    Since Xiao Qing and Cai Xian had both advanced to the Acquired Realm, he was not worried about their safety.


    In the outer areas of the mountains, there were almost no wild beasts that could threaten the three of them.


    Unless there were demon beasts or demon birds.


    Those beings were exceptionally rare, residing deep within the mountains and unlikely to come out easily.


    Besides, Qin Niu had already established quite a few ¡®informants¡¯ in this mountain territory, so if there were any unusual movements, he would be able to discover them in time.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Chapter 380: Obtaining the Demon Feather_1

    Chapter 388: Chapter 380: Obtaining the Demon Feather_1


    ¡°`


    His last deployment of over three hundred termites to the highest peak had dwindled to just over twenty.


    Despite such heavy losses, he still did not recall them.


    Instead, he issued them a long-term command.


    To stay hidden within that mountain peak, waiting for an opportunity to search for demon bird feathers.


    The Phoenix Feather, worth ten thousand Silver Money a piece, was extremely tempting.


    As long as he could obtain one, all losses could be recouped a hundredfold.


    There were definitely demon birds on that mountain, and that was an indisputable fact. Moreover, one could breathe fire.


    As for whether it was a Fire Phoenix, nobody could be certain.


    Perhaps Elder Mei, who had already died, had seen what that demon bird looked like.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t have the courage to face that terrifying demon bird directly.


    So, he could only dare to send termites to scout the situation.


    On that highest peak, the termites were almost all eaten by birds.


    The mountain was home to tens of thousands of various species of birds.


    Apart from hunting insects on trees, they would also go down to the ground to forage for insects. Some birds even lived on the ground.


    Such as wild chickens, Black Charcoal Birds, and so on.


    Magpies also liked to search for insects and fruits on the ground to eat.


    The twenty-four surviving termites were each elite. They had accumulated a wealth of survival experience and had stronger survival instincts and cleverness than other termites.


    They knew how to avoid predation by birds.


    Qin Niu hoped they could get a clear grasp of the demon bird¡¯s habits to provide intelligence for his future peak exploration.


    He was even considering, when only a few of these over twenty termites remained, to deploy another batch to the mountain peak.


    After all, the Ant Queen¡¯s production was now very stable, with a thousand ant eggs hatching daily.


    Hurrying to the Ant Nest, he checked on the ant colony.


    Nothing was out of the ordinary.


    War Demon Ants, Gold Devouring Ants, none had reappeared.


    Instead, Demon Ants, Healing Ants, Elephantic Ants had accumulated quite a number.


    Zombie Ants were even more numerous.


    Every kind of termite had its use.


    He could now mass-cultivate Grade Four termites, with stronger Demon Ants, special ants, even reaching above Grade Five.


    These were things Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t have dared to dream of before.


    The Ant Queen was currently Grade Six, but promoting it to Grade Seven was extremely difficult.


    Qin Niu would devise ways every day to feed it some high-level food, but after eating it, there was no sign of promotion to Grade Seven.


    Just like human Cultivators, once insects reached Grade Six, the difficulty of advancing further increased exponentially.


    As he was inspecting the Ant Nest, his mind slightly stirred.


    Just now, his soul had a sensation, as a termite lurking within the highest peak sent information that it might have found the demon bird¡¯s leading feather.


    This was major good news.


    Qin Niu¡¯s spirits were lifted, and he immediately took a large number of termites and rushed over.


    Even though it was dusk and the sun had set, he was not afraid.


    He had more or less figured out most of the area of this mountain range.


    So far, only the highest peak had a fire-breathing demon bird.


    And the potential demon beast was the Python living in that pool.


    It took Qin Niu almost half an Hour to finally arrive at the foot of the highest peak.


    By now, the sky was fairly dark, but not completely night yet.


    Birdsong fluttered from the mountain, extremely noisy.


    This was not usually heard.


    At dusk, as the weary birds returned to their nests, they too, like humans, returned home to rest.


    The returning birds would greet each other with calls or exchange information.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t understand the birds¡¯ language; to him, the bird calls from the mountain were just noise.


    ¡°Go, you all climb the mountain and help that termite transport the discovered demon feather down the mountain,¡±


    This time, he directly released four hundred termites.


    And he tried releasing fifty Zombie Ants.


    It was a special ant species, which he would have been somewhat reluctant to use before.


    Now, for every hundred termites the Ant Queen produced, two were Zombie Ants.


    ¡°`


    On average, twenty or so zombie ants could be produced per day.


    Zombie ants above Grade Four possessed a special ability called Night Demon.


    When this ability was activated at night or in places with heavy yin energy, not only would their combat power double, but their self-healing ability would become exceptionally terrifying.


    It might fall short of true immortality, but it essentially allowed for limb regeneration and swift recovery from injuries.


    After releasing four hundred termites into the peak, Qin Niu watched as they vanished below the summit.


    These newly released termites were clearly lacking in experience.


    Suddenly, over thirty were eaten by birds.


    No one really knew how many birds there were on this mountain peak.


    Qin Niu believed the number of birds was at least over one hundred thousand.


    The mountain was teeming with a variety of wild fruits and lush trees; it was simply a paradise for birds.


    ¡°Croak! Croak!¡±


    A particularly large black crow flew out from the mountain peak, its spine-chilling cawing filling the air.


    What was it trying to signal?


    Qin Niu soon understood what it was trying to communicate. Wherever it flew, the previously chirping birds all fell silent.


    In just a moment, all the birds in the mountain collectively fell mute.


    The crow with a wingspan of over two feet could have been seen as a ¡®night watchman¡¯.


    It was reminding all the birds that night had fallen, and it was time to rest.


    The birds actually took it seriously and started to enter ¡®night mode¡¯.


    Watching all this from below the mountain, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but marvel.


    The natural world was indeed full of wonders.


    With the birds at rest, the rate at which his released termites died slowed down considerably.


    ¡°I hope you can successfully bring down that demon feather from the mountain,¡± he thought.


    After watching for a while, the sky was darkening quickly.


    He also prepared to head home.


    Just then, atop the mountain, a beautiful fiery-red giant bird spread its wings and soared into the high sky.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    It let out a piercing cry, as if to tear through the heavens.


    Because it was several thousand meters away, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t make out the details.


    From a distance, it didn¡¯t look bigger than a washbasin.


    But he was very aware that this was because it was at least more than two thousand meters away.


    The size of that bird was very likely over ten times the size of a washbasin.


    Such a colossal demon bird, there was no doubt about it.


    Only its cry could be so domineering.


    Qin Niu watched it from below the peak, not daring to move an inch.


    After all, such a creature could instantaneously kill even those in the Spirit Qi Realm, and if it noticed Qin Niu, he would be easily dispatched.


    ¡°It must be the Fire Phoenix without a doubt!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze was fixed unwaveringly on its fiery-red plumage and its long tail feathers.


    This bird was likely the legendary Fire Phoenix.


    The phoenix feather Qin Niu had seen in the black market that day was also red.


    The color was like burning flames.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    The demon bird cried out loudly again, then flames burst into being around its body.


    It circled the summit, flying.


    Dancing in the sky.


    The whole mountain, even the Qifeng Mountain Range, fell utterly silent.


    Perhaps other creatures had been intimidated by the demon bird¡¯s cry and dared not make a sound.


    In the natural world, the hierarchy was especially clear.


    The weak, when faced with the strong, could only grovel and show submission.


    ¡°Damn it, if one day I could subjugate that demon bird and make it my mount, I¡¯d be no different from a real Immortal Master. I could soar through the heavens and roam freely across the four seas,¡± he thought.


    Qin Niu looked at the demon bird above the summit and actually contemplated taming it.


    If the demon bird knew what he was thinking, it would immediately fly over and snuff him out.

 Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: Chapter 381: Is the Demon Bird Cultivating?_1

    Chapter 389: Chapter 381: Is the Demon Bird Cultivating?_1


    Just as Qin Niu was getting excited watching, the fiery red Demon Bird flew towards the other side of the peak.


    Based on its flight direction and distance, it should have landed on a mountain behind the high peak.


    Qin Niu had never crossed over this high peak, and he was unclear about what lay on the other side of the mountain.


    ¡°With the Demon Bird leaving the peak, wouldn¡¯t those twenty-plus termites have a chance to strike? It seems he also has the opportunity to enter the mountain.¡±


    At this thought, he became excited.


    Normally, as the Demon Bird guarded its nest, any termites daring to approach would be burnt to ashes instantly.


    Now that it had flown away from this high peak, the termites¡¯ opportunity had also arrived.


    Qin Niu quietly stared at the high peak in front of him.


    At this moment, it should be safe to sneak into this high peak.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to enter the mountain lightly.


    Elder Mei, when facing this Demon Bird, had many life-saving tricks up his sleeve, and his cultivation was much stronger than that of Qin Niu. He managed to escape with his life in the end.


    That didn¡¯t mean Qin Niu could escape as well.


    ¡°This matter can¡¯t be rushed. I must first thoroughly understand the Demon Bird¡¯s habits before taking any action.¡±


    Qin Niu was always cautious in his actions.


    He would never dare to risk his life recklessly.


    Although Demon Bird feathers were very precious, they were worth nothing compared to his life.


    He lay quietly in the tree, still as a bird perched in the treetop.


    All things have spirit.


    Perhaps because a Demon Bird lived on the peak ahead, no other fierce beasts could be seen nearby, including the commonly found snakes in the mountains.


    Time flew by swiftly.


    The termites Qin Niu sent into the mountain were stealthily on the move.


    Some were exploiting the cover of night to scout around, others were helping the termite that had found the Demon Bird feather to transport it down the mountain.


    The termites he sent out, even the most ordinary ones, were at least Grade Three.


    After all, the Ant Queen was now a Grade Six Ant Queen. Any ant eggs it laid, as long as they hatched, would be at least Grade Three young ants.


    With the nourishment of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, they could easily evolve to Grade Four.


    Some, after being nurtured a second time, could even reach Grade Five.


    The ones sent into the mountain were more common ant species. The more precious termites, like Demon Ants and Elephantic Ants, he really didn¡¯t want to send out.


    After the Demon Bird had flown away, a long time passed without it returning.


    The mountain was silent, without a sound of birds or beasts.


    It was almost two and a half hours later, and it was now approaching midnight.


    Qin Niu felt a slight stirring in his heart. The first termite that had found the Demon Bird feather, with the help of a dozen Zombie Ants, had successfully transported the feather to halfway up the mountain.


    The long absence of the Demon Bird had also eased Qin Niu¡¯s tense nerves a bit.


    He had sneaked up to the mountainside in the middle of the night before.


    There had been no danger last time.


    The most dangerous part of this mountain peak was the summit.


    ¡°I need to give the termites a hand!¡±


    Qin Niu immediately slid down the tree and then stealthily moved towards the mountainside ahead.


    Just like the last time he entered the mountain, he encountered no obstacles.


    There might be birds resting in the trees, but as long as they were not startled, there would generally be no trouble.


    In the pitch darkness of night, ordinary birds are almost blind.


    It is only birds like owls, eagles, falcons, and ospreys that possess night vision.


    Qin Niu went straight towards the location of the Demon Bird feather.


    The termites were struggling to transport it.


    Thankfully, even the weakest termite was a Grade Three termite with great strength, which allowed them to drag the Demon Bird feather.


    Finally, he successfully met up with the termites.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve worked hard. Leave the Demon Bird feather to me.¡±


    Qin Niu picked up the Demon Bird feather from the ground.


    This feather was nearly half a foot long and three inches wide, fiery red all over.


    ¡°`


    It felt rather heavy in hand, emanating a touch of warm energy from the feather.


    It was likely not one of the rougher feathers from the wings or tail, but a regular downy feather instead.


    Nevertheless, its size was still so impressively large.


    It was hard to imagine just how long the flight feathers on its wings must be; could they stretch over a foot in length?


    Qin Niu carefully stored the magic feather close to his body.


    ¡°Wait, were you the first to discover the magic feather?¡±


    He communicated with the termite using his spiritual power.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Its reply was simple and honest.


    All termites were like that, truthful; they never lied.


    When communicating, they were often as innocent as three-year-old children.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a great service; don¡¯t go venturing into the mountains anymore. I¡¯ll take you back, and from now on, I¡¯ll make sure to cultivate you well and help you become stronger,¡± Qin Niu promised.


    Qin Niu had always been clear about rewards and punishments.


    This termite had discovered the magic feather and managed to transport it halfway up the mountain alone before it met with the zombie ants ascending the hillside, after which it got the assistance of a dozen others.


    In terms of merit, this termite had earned the greatest, playing a principal role.


    Moreover, the fact that it could survive on the peak already proved it was extraordinary.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the master want us to thoroughly explore the mountain peak? I am willing to do this,¡± it declared.


    ¡°That¡¯s very dangerous; aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± Qin Niu was more impressed with this termite and thus all the more reluctant to let it venture into peril again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful!¡±


    It surely feared death.


    But to fulfill the wishes of its master, Qin Niu, it was willing to do so unconditionally.


    Qin Niu still didn¡¯t fully understand the society of termites.


    Humans certainly couldn¡¯t achieve their level of selflessness. Every termite was willing to live for the collective; as needed, they worked tirelessly and protected their kin with no regard for their own lives.


    They were a truly remarkable group of creatures.


    ¡°Alright then, be very careful. I¡¯m giving you another order: stay alive,¡± Qin Niu gave it a new directive.


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    Its figure vanished amid the piles of dead branches and decaying leaves on the ground.


    Qin Niu suppressed the urge to head to the mountain peak to investigate and decisively turned away, making his way down the mountain.


    After descending less than a hundred meters, he began to sense danger approaching.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    The call of the demon bird sounded again, coming from behind the peak.


    Shortly after, a fiery red figure appeared in the sky.


    Orange flames enveloped its body with visible tongues of fire leaping about.


    What was it doing?


    Qin Niu was secretly curious.


    Before it went behind the mountain, its feathers were red, but no flames could be seen.


    Now, fierce flames flared up around its body¡ªcould it be going to cultivate?


    After much thinking, that seemed like the only possibility.


    The creature circled the mountain top, in no hurry to descend.


    Now that it had awakened its intelligence, it likely knew that, engulfed in fire, it could easily trigger a wildfire upon landing.


    If that happened, the entire mountain would be ignited, and any birds living at the peak that failed to flee in time would be burnt to death.


    Even if this demon bird were foolish, it surely wouldn¡¯t set its own nest ablaze.


    Currently hidden within the mountain, Qin Niu dare not move an inch, terrified.


    His body was hunkered close to the ground, using a large tree to conceal his presence.


    He just hoped that the daunting demon bird wouldn¡¯t notice such an insignificant being as himself.


    Qin Niu wished it would land in its nest atop the peak soon; only then could he depart safely.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Chapter 382: The Giant Crow_1

    Chapter 390: Chapter 382: The Giant Crow_1


    At this moment, it kept circling incessantly above the summit, its terrifying presence like the force of the heavens, dreadfully overwhelming.


    To tame it as a mount was a bold idea, but likely unattainable.


    The Demon Bird circled in the sky above the peak for nearly half an hour before slowly absorbing the flames on its body.


    Qin Niu guessed it was time for it to return to its nest to rest.


    Perhaps he spent a bit too long staring at the Demon Bird because it seemed to have noticed, unleashing a piercing shriek in the direction where Qin Niu was hiding.


    ¡°Liii!¡±


    The shrill sound seemed capable of penetrating metal and splitting stone, causing Qin Niu¡¯s eardrums to ache, his body feeling as if hit by a boulder.


    It was extremely painful.


    And it wasn¡¯t just the pain, it felt as if his innards were about to be shattered by the sonic attack.


    Fortunately, he practiced life-nourishing techniques, and moreover, his cultivation was not low, enabling him to withstand this wave of sonic attack.


    Merely a cry from two kilometers away carried such terrifying force, what would it be like to fight it up close?


    Elder Mei was so powerful, yet during the battle, she had her arm severed in an instant, and it was only by exhausting all her trump cards that she gained a chance to escape severely wounded.


    Having witnessed the horror of the Demon Bird, Qin Niu dared not move an inch as he lay there.


    He didn¡¯t dare to look at the Demon Bird any longer.


    This creature had an extremely keen sense of awareness; even though he had been very careful while observing it.


    He did not keep his gaze fixed on it.


    Most of the time, he merely used his peripheral vision to monitor its actions.


    And he used the dense foliage of the trees for cover.


    Still, it had raised its alertness.


    A Demon Bird like this should be on par with a human Immortal Master.


    ¡°I wonder if using the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze could trap it?¡± Qin Niu was nothing if not audacious.


    Sometimes, he appeared very cautious, but when the stakes were high enough, or when he was driven into a corner, he was bolder than anyone else.


    If the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze could trap it, perhaps he could take advantage of its weakness and subdue it in one fell swoop.


    Qin Niu instinctively touched the Contractual Talisman he carried with him.


    The two Advanced Contract Talismans, each worth a hundred taels of Silver Money, were reserved for this Demon Bird.


    Exactly how to lure it into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, and to make a safe and viable plan, still required careful consideration. It definitely wouldn¡¯t be him personally taking on this task, but rather he would use a pet as the sacrificial pawn.


    For instance, the honeybees, or perhaps he could tame a few more Steel-winged Wild Bees. Either could work.


    If Xiao Qing¡¯s Green Demon Bee had produced enough offspring, sacrificing a few would be well worth it.


    To exchange a few Green Demon Bee offspring for a Demon Bird, he was entirely willing.


    But the likelihood of success was undoubtedly very low.


    First, a swarm of honeybees might not be enough to provoke a Demon Bird; the two were not even on the same level. The difference in strength was so great that the Demon Bird might not even bother with those honeybees.


    If provoked, a single breath of fire from it could incinerate the honeybees completely.


    Moreover, inside the mountain where the Demon Bird resided, there were tens of thousands of birds. They would likely all obey the Demon Bird¡¯s command.


    When the time came, if those birds launched a collective attack, not to mention a swarm of honeybees, even ten would not suffice to plug their gaps.


    Second, even if they could successfully attract the Demon Bird¡¯s pursuit, it might sense the danger of the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze and avoid falling into the trap.


    Having evolved to the level of a Demon Bird, it was certainly one of those super survival-conscious and exceedingly cautious creatures.


    Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have lived to this day.


    After calling out twice in the direction of Qin Niu, the Demon Bird swooped down to the top of the peak, presumably returning to its nest.


    Qin Niu let out a long sigh of relief.


    The Demon Bird¡¯s sonic attack just now, each cry felt like a several ton heavy boulder ruthlessly smashing into his body. It was simply too terrifying.


    Blood was already trailing from the corners of his mouth.


    He had sustained internal injuries from the Demon Bird¡¯s sonic attack.


    After a while, there was no more movement from the peak, indicating that the Demon Bird had started to rest.


    Only then did he dare to continue his escape down the mountain.


    As he fled, he faintly heard the sound of wingbeats.


    Out of caution, he immediately found a place to hide and lay motionless.


    Less than ten breaths had passed when a giant crow flew to the spot where Qin Niu had been hiding earlier.


    This giant crow was vastly different from ordinary crows.


    As it neared the area, Qin Niu felt the temperature around him drop by several degrees.


    An all-encompassing coldness.


    It seemed capable of emitting a chilling aura, which was very similar to the cold energy that the Ancient Banyan Tree exuded at night.


    The giant crow¡¯s eyes glowed with a ghostly green light, as if there were two orbs of will-o¡¯-the-wisp flickering within.


    It was certain that this giant crow had night vision.


    And even though it might not be a demon bird, it already possessed some climatic power and was close to becoming one.


    It scanned the area where Qin Niu had been hiding several times over before finally flapping its wings and flying away.


    It seemed this peak was home to quite a few formidable birds.


    There was probably more than one demon bird.


    Considering just how powerful that firebird was, it was only logical for it to have one or two slightly weaker demon birds under its command.


    Once the crow had flown away, Qin Niu hurriedly slipped down the mountain.


    He was confident that he could have dispatched the giant crow with a single blade.


    His main concern was attracting the attention of the firebird at the peak.


    After escaping down the mountain, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe at last.


    The gains of the day were substantial, and they established many favorable conditions for his next exploration of the peak.


    He wondered if the firebird went to other places behind the peak to cultivate every night.


    If it left its nest daily, it would be much easier for Qin Niu to obtain the shed feathers.


    The height of this peak was likely only about two thousand meters.


    With his cultivation level coupled with the Misty Rain Elusive Step, he could easily make several trips back and forth in a little over six hours.


    Climbing mountains was much more difficult than running on flat ground.


    Half an hour was enough for him to make one or two round trips up and down the mountain.


    The firebird had been away from its nest for over six hours today, which would give Qin Niu ample time to empty its lair.


    When he returned home, his wives and Xiao Qing had already been extremely worried.


    Qin Niu merely mentioned that he encountered some issues while breeding the insects and didn¡¯t share the details of his dangerous experience.


    Men, struggling in the outside world, often do not wish to communicate to their women how perilous the world can be, and how arduous their battles are.


    They tend to silently bear all, shouldering the family¡¯s burdens, striving to create as comfortable a living environment as possible for their wives and children.


    At dinner, he still felt severe pain in his internal organs.


    The injury he suffered was quite serious.


    Fortunately, his life-preserving techniques had a certain healing effect, and he also had two bottles of Healing Elixir to use, so there was no need to worry.


    After dinner, he went to the study, closed the door, and took out the demon feather.


    Under the lamp light, the demon feather radiated a delicate red glow.


    Whether this feather was truly a phoenix feather, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    Avian species were a niche category among Beast Tamers.


    Primarily, some nobles kept eagles for sport, or certain families and official institutions raised birds to send messages.


    And then there were some Immortal Masters who pursued elegance by keeping white cranes.


    This was because, according to legends, many genuine immortals would raise Immortal Cranes in their cultivation caves.


    Qin Niu held the demon feather in his hands, examining it over and over, feeling the energy within, unable to put it down.


    He wondered what the market price for this demon feather could be.


    The simplest way to identify what kind of feather it was would be to take it to an appraiser at an auction house or set up a stall in the black market to sell it.


    However, doing so would expose the fact that he possessed a demon feather.


    By itself, that was not an issue.


    But he feared that some interested parties might investigate the origin of the demon feather.

 Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: Chapter 383 The Demon Bird’s Lair_1

    Chapter 391: Chapter 383 The Demon Bird¡¯s Lair_1


    By then, it would be easy to find out that Demon Birds were haunting Perching Phoenix Mountain.


    Qin Niu was well aware that the competition in this world was incredibly cruel, and some advanced cultivation resources were extremely precious. To him, that Demon Bird was also considered an advanced cultivation resource.


    Just the Demon Feathers alone were already extremely valuable, and if he could kill it, obtaining its Demon Core, he would definitely be able to refine a batch of top-level elixirs.


    Last time, by only killing a Pig Demon that hadn¡¯t reached its potential, the acquired Demon Core was directly refined into a Boundary-breaking Elixir.


    That Demon Bird was hundreds of times more formidable than the Pig Demon.


    With its Demon Core, the elixir refined from it might even help Qin Niu advance directly to the Spirit Qi Realm.


    If he could subdue it, that would be even more incredible.


    He would then have a super powerful mount at his disposal, whether for guarding his cave dwelling or for traveling around, it would be a great ally.


    How could he allow others to get their hands on such advanced resources?


    Good things definitely need to be kept tightly under wraps, never giving outsiders a chance.


    The best method was to prevent others from knowing that the Qifeng Mountain Range harbored a Demon Bird.


    This was an easy task.


    Now, the area around Jade Stream Town was essentially dominated by him.


    Moreover, he had bought all the hills behind Shuangfeng Village, which had become his private territory.


    As long as he released some poisonous insects in the mountains, after the villagers were stung and injured, they naturally wouldn¡¯t dare to enter the mountains lightly anymore.


    Gradually, the whole mountain would completely become his private territory.


    At this moment, he was holding the fiery-red Demon Feather, studying it over and over again.


    Trying various experiments.


    That day at the market, he had personally heard the person selling Phoenix Feathers say that they could be used to practice Fire-based Magic.


    To cast spells, one had to be at least at the Immortal Master level. Qin Niu hadn¡¯t even reached the Spirit Qi Realm yet, so it was normal to not come up with anything from studying the Demon Feather.


    He concluded that his cultivation was too shallow at present, which was why he could not fathom the uses of the Demon Feather.


    ¡­


    In the following days, Qin Niu would take his wives and concubines up the mountain for cultivation every day. In the evenings, he would go alone to the foot of the highest peak to quietly observe the life habits of the Demon Bird.


    After careful observation, he found that as long as the weather was clear, the Demon Bird would fly away from the main peak to cultivate somewhere behind the tall peaks.


    Each time it left the main peak, there was no visible flame on its body, but when it returned from cultivation, it would be shrouded in flames.


    Qin Niu was particularly curious, where did it go to cultivate each time?


    What exactly was behind the main peak?


    During this period, although many of the Termites he had sent into the main peak had died, some survivors had successfully entered the peak-top area.


    The Termite that had discovered the Demon Feather especially stood out.


    It seemed to have ascertained the location of the firebird¡¯s nest.


    The Termites helped Qin Niu to get a clear grasp of the situation on the peak-top.


    There should be at least ten or more Demon Birds in the main peak.


    This was an extremely terrifying number.


    Usually, finding a single Demon Bird in the mountains was already very rare. To have at least ten Demon Birds living in a peak that wasn¡¯t particularly tall was definitely what one would call a Demon Bird¡¯s nest.


    Qin Niu initially wanted to take the opportunity to sneak into the peak-top to explore while the firebird was absent from the main peak.


    He now directly abandoned this idea.


    The next day, a light and scattered drizzle started to fall from the sky.


    From his experience, he knew that one should not cultivate under the Ancient Banyan Tree during gloomy rainy weather. As long as it was overcast and raining, even during the daytime, the boughs and leaves of the Ancient Banyan Tree would automatically sprinkle chilling energy.


    If one stayed under the tree for a bit too long, it was very easy to be killed by it.


    ¡°Wan Yan, Cai Xian, both of you stay home for cultivation today! Practice your Step-Method Martial Skills and sword techniques well, I am going to cultivate insects in the mountains, and if I come back late, you don¡¯t have to wait for me,¡± said Qin Niu to his wives and concubines, as he walked out the door with Green Ox.


    The Golden Ox¡¯s golden light was incredibly potent; with it by his side, he had an additional helper in times of danger.


    Additionally, he now also had three new helpers: the Black Spider Gu, Green Demon Bee, and Gold Devouring Ant. The termite swarm had also expanded significantly. His strength was several times greater than before.


    Regrettably, his proficiency in the Medicine King Sutra had been stuck at the peak of the Acquired Realm, unable to break through to the Innate Realm.


    This Cultivation Technique was inherently difficult to advance.


    Advancing in major realms was much more difficult than in minor ones.


    Without consuming elixirs, progressing from the Acquired Realm to the Innate Realm could take one or two months of effort, which was considered quite normal.


    And that was with the massive amount of medicinal qi from the Ancient Banyan Tree available for absorption.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s grandfather had, after all, never been able to ascend to the fifth level of the Mortal Realm before his death.


    After Qin Niu set out into the mountains with the Green Ox, he headed straight for the main peak.


    Today, he intended to bypass the main peak and see what lay beyond it.


    Due to the rain, the leaves of the grass and trees in the mountain were all wet.


    Fortunately, he was wearing the King Pig Leather Armor, which had a waterproof feature, or else he would have been drenched by now.


    The Green Ox, on the other hand, feared neither the heavens nor the earth.


    It didn¡¯t care about the water droplets on the grass sticking to it. A few shakes were all it took to flick off the water beads.


    The man and the ox reached the vicinity of the main peak but did not dare to ascend, instead finding a small path to circumvent it.


    This main peak might only be over two thousand meters tall, but circumventing it required covering a mountain path of at least seventeen or eighteen li.


    And that was a conservative estimate.


    This peak likely belonged to the ¡®stout¡¯ type.


    But even an ordinary two-thousand-meter peak would have an astonishingly large base circumference, or else it wouldn¡¯t be able to stand towering into the clouds.


    It took Qin Niu and the Green Ox nearly three hours to finally circumvent the high peak successfully.


    He was now behind it.


    A bit disappointed.


    The other side was still mountain peaks and not short by any means, probably reaching fifteen to sixteen hundred meters.


    It stretched like a dragon¡¯s spine far into the distance.


    Most mountain ranges were like that, one peak connected to another in an endless chain.


    ¡°Where would that fire bird be cultivating?¡±


    Qin Niu gazed at the succession of peaks, but he didn¡¯t notice anything unusual.


    The fire bird was covered in flames and also breathed fire when attacking enemies, which indicated it likely cultivated fire-based magic.


    Therefore, places with fire energy would surely appeal to it.


    But where could one find fire in these mountains?


    Qin Niu had read in books about a large mountain that burned perpetually, never extinguishing even after ten thousand years.


    The region for a thousand li around that mountain was scorched earth.


    And people referred to that mountain as Flaming Mountain.


    There was another type of mountain that could spew hot magma, known as a volcano.


    But a volcanic eruption often leaves traces.


    The boiling magma spurts out and flows downward. Once cooled, it can potentially form distinctive volcanic rocks.


    None of the peaks ahead showed signs of volcanic activity.


    It was a rainy day, and according to the fire bird¡¯s habits, it was unlikely to come out to cultivate.


    Qin Niu decided to climb to the top of the mountain ahead to take a look.


    A mountain fifteen to sixteen hundred meters high could easily be scaled to the peak in half an hour with his cultivation level.


    He proceeded to climb up the mountain with the Green Ox at once.

 Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: Chapter 384: Cavern, Fire Bees_1

    Chapter 392: Chapter 384: Cavern, Fire Bees_1


    This lazy cow, when asked to work, it shows eight hundred kinds of reluctance.


    But when taken out for fun, it never complains of being tired.


    It would always cheerfully follow behind Qin Niu or run ahead of him, and whenever it spotted leaves or tender grass it liked, it would eat without hesitation.


    Perhaps it was just a young cow, like a child, playful and carefree.


    With it, Qin Niu spent nearly half an hour and finally succeeded in climbing to the top of the mountain.


    It was five or six hundred meters shorter than the main peak.


    Standing on the summit, one could see some of the conditions of the opposite main peak.


    Moreover, inside this mountain, Qin Niu saw many bird nests and various bird droppings everywhere.


    Birds have a rather special digestive system, they only have a rectum.


    After eating, they quickly excrete.


    They cannot, like humans, be content with excreting once or twice a day.


    They have to evacuate many times a day, and they simply cannot hold back. They could defecate at any time and place.


    It¡¯s daytime now; although it¡¯s raining, most of the birds have gone out to forage for food.


    Qin Niu could only occasionally see one or two birds active atop the trees.


    They appeared extremely vigilant, and upon seeing Qin Niu and Green Ox approaching, they would hurriedly take off from afar.


    Qin Niu stood on the peak, scanning his eyes all around.


    Not far from the west side of the mountain, he quickly found some exhilarating conditions.


    There lay patches and patches of grey-black rocks.


    Even after many years of weathering, one could still tell that these rocks were formed from magma that had flowed out and solidified.


    ¡°Could there really be a volcano here?¡±


    Qin Niu quickly rushed to that place.


    However, he didn¡¯t let down his guard, sending out dozens of bees to scout ahead.


    In fact, before he began his ascent, he had the bees explore in front of him.


    Bees lack night vision, but being scouts during the day is no problem at all.


    The queen bee¡¯s reproductive capacity is quite good; in the case of danger, even if ten or a hundred bees were sacrificed, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t feel too heartbroken.


    But Green Demon Bees and Green-Head Summoning Bees were each incredibly precious, one might say irreplaceable.


    If they died, they were gone for good.


    He wouldn¡¯t dare send them on risky ventures lightly.


    Especially the Green Demon Bee, its venom could even kill an Immortal Master.


    And possessing a near-immortal ability, with a bit of nurturing, it was more reliable than a Spirit Qi Realm expert.


    Soon, he was at the extensive area where the magma rocks were located.


    Upon careful observation, he realized the magma seemed to have flowed down from halfway up the mountain.


    Following the magma rocks upward, he soon discovered a massive cave.


    The surrounding area was bare, not a blade of grass to be seen.


    Standing at the entrance, one could still feel waves of heat rushing out from inside the cave.


    ¡°That firebird must have come here to cultivate!¡±


    Living in Shuangfeng Village for over ten years, Qin Niu never knew about such a large cavern here.


    He had also never heard the villagers talk about a volcanic eruption.


    Such scorching hot waves coming out of the cave indicated that there must be underground fire, or boiling magma inside.


    He entered the cavern with Green Ox without hesitation.


    Not far into the cave, he saw a piece of demon feather fallen on the ground.


    It was very similar to the one Termite had dragged down from the main peak; also fiery red but slightly larger.


    Qin Niu joyfully picked it up and tucked it into his bosom.


    It indeed matched his guess; the firebird really had been cultivating in this cave.


    The fallen demon feather was the best proof.


    Its color was exactly the same as the ones on its body.


    He continued to explore deeper into the cave, with the bees scouting ahead, playing the role of vanguard.


    However, as the temperature inside the cave grew hotter and hotter, the bees gradually became unable to withstand it and began sending signals to Qin Niu to escape.


    ¡°Trash!¡±


    Qin Niu cursed.


    While he cursed, he didn¡¯t force them to continue deeper.


    These Green Ring Bees had undergone one round of breeding, but their vitality was still very fragile.


    If the temperature was too high, they would quickly be burnt to death.


    Fortunately, the four War Bees had much stronger resistance.


    They could still hold on.


    The cave was irregularly shaped, with relatively smooth walls. It seemed to be naturally formed, with no signs of artificial excavation.


    ¡°Buzz buzz buzz!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s ears caught a series of familiar wing-beating sounds.


    Right after that, the four War Bees scouting ahead were attacked.


    These were a swarm of peculiar bees with a dark red body.


    Their size looked quite similar to that of bumblebees, except that they were entirely dark red.


    Even their wings were dark red.


    Their six legs, however, were black.


    ¡°What kind of bees are these?¡±


    Qin Niu had seen his fair share of the world and encountered many formidable insects.


    But this was the first time he had seen such strange bees living in a hot cave.


    The Demon Bird often entered this cave to cultivate; did these strange bees not attack it?


    Though the four War Bees appeared weak, they were quite capable fighters.


    Engaged in a fierce battle with the strange bees, they were not at a disadvantage.


    Qin Niu simply stood there, observing, with no immediate intention to intervene.


    War Bees were among the strongest bee breeds in the bee hierarchy.


    Their combat prowess, flight capability, and defense were all quite impressive.


    The attacks of those dark red Fire Bees were incredibly fierce, but their defensive abilities were not strong. Furthermore, their agility in the air was much inferior to the War Bees.


    This resulted in them, despite having the advantage in numbers, being beaten by the four War Bees into a hasty retreat.


    More than twenty Fire Bees had already fallen to the ground.


    Many had their wings bitten and could no longer fly.


    Since the War Bees were smaller in size, it was almost impossible for them to bite through the Fire Bees¡¯ bodies completely.


    Due to the enemy¡¯s superior numbers, the War Bees dared not engage in close combat; instead, they relied on superior flying abilities, dodging flexibly and attacking swiftly. They aimed not to kill their enemies but to bite through their wings or legs, causing them to fall and be unable to rejoin the battle.


    ¡°Let me collect a few to take back for research and breeding.¡±


    Qin Niu immediately took out an Insect Jar, captured a few injured Fire Bees that had fallen to the ground, and locked them in the jar.


    They continued to buzz nonstop.


    Even with damaged wings, they desperately tried to flap them, hoping to fly.


    This caused even more severe damage to their wings, and some even snapped entirely.


    These Fire Bees reminded him of Zhang Feiniao, impulsive and quick-tempered.


    This was also evident in the way they launched their attacks.


    They were extremely fierce when attacking, as if fighting for their very lives.


    Looking at their stingers, they were quite long and seemed very strong when extending and retracting. This indicated that their stingers had great penetration power and could quickly inject venom into their enemies.


    If they didn¡¯t have strong venom sacs and muscles in their tails, their stingers wouldn¡¯t be able to retract so quickly.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough, come back! Don¡¯t kill all these Fire Bees. Leaving them to live in these mountains will add one more species of poisonous bee.¡±


    Qin Niu gave the order for the War Bees to retreat.


    These Fire Bees had no way to harm Qin Niu, let alone breach the defense of his King Pig Leather Armor.


    Just as Qin Niu was calling the War Bees back, several Giant Fire Bees flew out from the depths of the cave. They were several times larger than the regular Fire Bees.


    The average Fire Bee was about twice the size of a bumblebee, but the seven or eight Giant Fire Bees that emerged were at least the size of a knife handle.


    As they vibrated their wings, a faint explosive sound could be heard.


    ¡°Are these the elite enforcers of the Fire Bee family?¡±


    Seeing the Giant Fire Bees, Qin Niu¡¯s eyes lit up slightly.

 Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: Chapter 385: Fire Poison _1

    Chapter 393: Chapter 385: Fire Poison _1


    ¡°`


    Even a nest of ordinary hornets has its strong female ¡®guards¡¯.


    In addition to this, there are scout wasps responsible for standing guard and searching for bee nests.


    Larger bee colonies may even have ¡®nanny bees¡¯ specially dedicated to nurturing the young.


    There¡¯s an interesting phenomenon among hornets; some females will lay eggs in secret. As long as their actions go unnoticed, their eggs are raised together with the rest.


    But if they are discovered, those hornets that laid eggs in secret face punishment, and may even be expelled from the colony.


    This kind of situation generally doesn¡¯t occur among honeybees when there isn¡¯t a loss of the queen.


    These fire bees belong to a special species of bee.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, they can only be considered as a general special species; they are even slightly inferior to the Steel-winged Wild Bees bred by the Green Demon.


    Having already obtained Green Demon Bees that are a hundred times stronger than Steel-winged Wild Bees, how could Qin Niu covet this group of fire bees?


    He may not covet them, but they can be kept to enrich the bee species in this great mountain.


    He has already released some of the Steel-winged Wild Bees he captured into the mountains.


    If the Steel-winged Wild Bees could interbreed with the fire bees, it¡¯s possible that a new species of bee could evolve.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity the fire bees are a bit weak, otherwise it would be nice to get a male to be the ¡®husband¡¯ for the Green Demon Bee.¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the giant fire bee and felt a hint of regret.


    Finding a male bee for the Green Demon Bee was to enable it to produce more exceptional offspring.


    The standard was: better none than substandard.


    ¡°Fourth, lead the ant swarm to take control of these giant fire bees!¡± Qin Niu issued the combat order to the ant swarm.


    With his current Insect Master strength, dealing with these few giant fire bees was really like child¡¯s play.


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    Fourth had long been itching to join the fray.


    It is a War Demon Ant, which by nature is extremely bellicose.


    It is in its instincts.


    Several giant fire bees dived at the War Bees at great speed, launching an attack.


    They had explosive force that was very shocking, and as they neared the War Bees, they were able to flap their wings and release a faint white smoke from the glands under their abdomen.


    Then, through the flapping of their wings, they would create a smoky attack.


    Qin Niu thought that this smoke was probably absorbed from above the magma where they lived in rock caves for a long time.


    It is akin to being stored within their bodies for use against enemies.


    It could be seen as a special skill they evolved.


    Thus, he believed that this smoke was most likely intended to confuse the vision of the War Bees and did not have any other harmful effects.


    However, he soon realized that he had assumed too simply.


    One of the War Bees was unable to dodge in time and came into contact with the smoke sprayed by a giant fire bee. Its body immediately experienced severe pain, and it plummeted straight to the ground.


    The frenzied giant fire bee was about to finish off that War Bee.


    ¡°Fourth, act quickly.¡±


    Qin Niu quickly gave the order.


    In terms of speed, mental attacks were definitely faster.


    The five giant fire bees were subdued in an instant.


    Fourth is now extremely powerful. The number of Puppet Ants had also increased by more than a thousand.


    And the grades of some reached Grade Five.


    The majority were Grade Four.


    This also means that they could control even higher-level insects.


    The five giant fire bees flew in a line.


    Qin Niu took out a large Metal Bug Canister and directly had them fly in a row into the canister.


    Then, he captured the entire nest.


    ¡°Could the smoke sprayed by these giant fire bees be poisonous?¡±


    Qin Niu walked over to the War Bee that had been affected, bent down to pick it up, and brought it close for careful examination.


    It was not dead, but it was in very poor condition.


    Its legs were curled up, its wings trembled slightly, and its body was constantly shaking.


    ¡°`


    It constantly spat out a sparkling dark red liquid from its mouth.


    It seemed as if it was coughing up blood.


    In fact, if a bee were to actually cough up blood, it would be a colorless liquid, or perhaps carry a slight milky hue.


    This War Bee spitting out dark red liquid indicated that it had been poisoned.


    Whether it had been poisoned by consuming smoke or simply by coming into contact with the smoke was still uncertain at this stage.


    ¡°Black Spider Gu, get to work!¡±


    Inside Qin Niu¡¯s body lived a Black Spider Gu, which was known for its love of all poisons.


    It welcomed any kind of poison it encountered.


    Moreover, the more toxic the poison, the more it enjoyed it.


    ¡°Have a taste and see, what kind of poison is this?¡±


    Qin Niu commanded the Black Spider Gu to consume the dark red liquid spat out by the War Bee.


    It really did eat every last drop without leaving any behind.


    ¡°Fierce in nature, it can make the blood circulate rapidly in an instant, while also causing intense pain in the body and dizziness, it should be a fire toxin.¡±


    The Black Spider Gu performed an identification of the poison.


    It was more like a wine taster.


    Able to discern various venoms.


    ¡°Is this poison lethal?¡±


    ¡°Not lethal, the poisoning will subside on its own after spending some time in a cold place.¡±


    The Black Spider Gu was quite intelligent, and since its birth, it had been living within humans. Communicating with it was not at all arduous.


    After hearing this, Qin Niu stopped worrying about the poisoned War Bee.


    He was very interested in the evolved fire toxin of the Giant Fire Bee.


    It was likely completely opposite to the Corpse Bee¡¯s corpse toxin.


    The corpse toxin was sinister and cold, creeping into the enemy¡¯s body slowly with a long onset time. The fire toxin was domineering and fierce, with an extremely short onset time, causing one to collapse upon contact.


    The venom of the Green Demon Bee had already mixed with the corpse toxin of the Corpse Bee.


    Because his Green Demon Bee had devoured a Corpse Bee¡¯s egg during its incubation process.


    It wasn¡¯t merely consumed, but the two species had merged to form a new kind of bee.


    This was a successful experiment conducted by Qin Niu based on insect-rearing practices.


    Now, the Green Demon Bee was stronger than the original second-generation Green Demon Bees bred by the Green Demon.


    If the Green Demon Bee could assimilate the advantages of the Fire Bee, would it rise to an even higher level?


    When the time came, once the Green Demon Bee had laid eggs and hatched new Green Demon Bees, he could use the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood to help them achieve another significant upgrade.


    By a conservative estimate, this could elevate the Green Demon Bee¡¯s grade to Grade Seven.


    After all, the queen bee was currently only Grade Five, so there was definitely a lot of room for growth.


    After Qin Niu used his ant swarm to capture these Fire Bees, he was able to continue further into the depths of the cave.


    This cave was much deeper than he had imagined.


    He had thought it would be impressive if it were just tens of meters deep, but now, after delving over two hundred meters, he still couldn¡¯t see the end.


    Along the way, Fire Bees would intermittently burst out from nowhere.


    However, he didn¡¯t see their nests anywhere.


    This made Qin Niu very curious, where did these Fire Bees actually live?


    He began to observe carefully, wanting to see where exactly the Fire Bees were emerging from.


    Soon, he made a significant discovery.


    The Fire Bees were coming out of some crevices in the ceiling of the cave.


    Could it be that they didn¡¯t live in groups, but rather lived alone?


    It didn¡¯t seem like it!


    Some bees do choose solitary living, such as the Bear Bee and the Spider-eating Bee, among others.


    If these Fire Bees were solitary, why did they fight in groups? They also seemed very united, and their actions were in perfect sync.


    Based on their behavior, they should undoubtedly be social.


    This was a bee species never seen before, so it wouldn¡¯t be right to compare their habits too closely with those of wasps.

 Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Chapter 386: Do You Want to Become the Bull Demon King?_1

    Chapter 394: Chapter 386: Do You Want to Become the Bull Demon King?_1


    At this moment, Qin Niu felt a scorching heat wave rushing toward him, blowing out from deeper within the cave.


    He instinctively looked toward the deeper parts of the cave.


    Because he had entered more than 200 meters into the cave, his current position was very dark.


    In fact, just after entering about 20 meters into the cave, the light had already become very dim.


    He noticed that there was a faint red light shimmering ahead.


    It was like the glow brought by flames.


    But there was a difference between this and the light emitted by fire. Flames usually flicker and leap, but the red light ahead was quite stable.


    At this moment, standing in the deep and dark cave and seeing the red light before him, most people would have been scared off running for their lives.


    In these deep mountains, and particularly within a secret cave, it was easy for demons and ghosts to lurk.


    Qin Niu, who was meticulous in thinking, deduced from the magma rocks outside the cave and the tracks of a fire bird entering the cave that there was likely hot magma inside.


    Taking Green Ox with him, he continued to feel his way towards the depths of the cave.


    He was determined to see just how deep this cave was and what was inside.


    If he was lucky, he might even come across some heavenly and earthly treasures.


    As he proceeded further, after walking about 150 to 160 meters and taking two turns, he finally saw the source of the red light.


    He saw a burning mass of hot magma before him.


    There wasn¡¯t the imagined magma lake or river formed by magma. It felt more like a ¡®marsh¡¯ of magma.


    Part of the ground in front had been melted away, forming a semi-liquid state of magma.


    One could see the dark red glow emitting from the ground.


    Qin Niu, still more than fifty meters away from the magma marshland, could already feel the burning heat beneath his feet. By the light of the magma, he could also vaguely make out some of the scene inside the cave.


    The magma marshland ahead seemed to stretch for a great length; there was no end in sight.


    Qin Niu was just a mortal with a physical body and not particularly strong cultivation, and he was incapable of withstanding the flames.


    He could only look on and not proceed any further.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    Green Ox raised its neck and let out a moaning cry.


    ¡°You want to go in?¡±


    Qin Niu turned his head to look at Green Ox beside him.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    It seemed like it really did want to go in.


    ¡°Curiosity killed the cow! Don¡¯t ask for trouble. If you get stuck in there, I simply don¡¯t have the ability to save you.¡±


    Qin Niu knew this Green Ox was no ordinary beast.


    It might be able to resist high temperatures to some extent.


    Green Ox was quite stubborn.


    It headed directly towards the inside, and the scorching ground seemed to cause it no harm.


    Qin Niu stood still and watched.


    With the King Pig Leather Armor on his body, and his Innate Realm cultivation, he could barely enter the 50 meters of magma marshland ahead, but he couldn¡¯t stay long. Once he went in, he had to come back out immediately.


    If he was slow to retreat, he would be burned alive inside.


    After Green Ox entered the area of the magma marshland, a hint of green light could be seen swirling under its hooves, protecting them.


    The ground there was as soft as Qin Niu had imagined.


    As soon as one stepped on it, they would immediately sink down.


    Green Ox was smart; before its hooves sank completely, it quickly lifted them up and galloped forward.


    This principle was somewhat similar to the light body technique called ¡®water striding¡¯.


    As long as the speed was fast enough, even walking on the surface of water wouldn¡¯t result in falling through.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t know why Green Ox was so insistent on going deeper into the cave.


    It¡¯s silhouette turned around the next bend, and soon it was out of sight.


    Just as Qin Niu began to worry about it, it wasn¡¯t long before it turned around and came back out.


    Its fur was burnt and curled.


    It turned into a curly-haired ox.


    Looking at its embarrassed appearance, Qin Niu felt both amused and slightly concerned about its condition.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t burned, are you?¡±


    When it ran back, Qin Niu touched its head and back, asking about its condition.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    It raised its neck, making a sound that didn¡¯t care for its predicament, sounding rather proud.


    This stupid ox, really leaves one speechless.


    At this moment, the Green Ox actually bit Qin Niu¡¯s arm and then gestured for Qin Niu to ride on its back.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Qin Niu asked it in confusion.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    The Green Ox made a call towards the front.


    ¡°Do you want to carry me into the magma area ahead?¡±


    Qin Niu did not understand beast language, so he could only guess.


    The Green Ox could understand him, but he did not understand the Green Ox¡¯s language.


    Although the ox was his pet and they could communicate through their souls, there was still a certain communication barrier.


    Seeing the Green Ox nod, Qin Niu shook his head repeatedly, ¡°What a joke, the deeper into the cavern we go, the hotter the magma will surely be. I don¡¯t have your ability; I could easily be turned to ash once inside.¡±


    He would never dare to blindly mess around with this not-yet-fully-grown Green Ox.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    The Green Ox persisted in biting his arm, still gesturing for him to mount it.


    Usually, Qin Niu had never ridden on it before.


    After all, he was such a big person, and the Green Ox was still only a half-grown calf.


    Riding on its back, he was indeed worried it wouldn¡¯t be able to bear his weight.


    But the Green Ox was very insistent, determined to have its master ride on its back. Qin Niu had no choice but to mount it.


    Hey, its lumbar strength was much stronger than he had imagined.


    An adult like him riding on it, and the Green Ox¡¯s body was as steady as Mount Tai.


    Carrying Qin Niu, it ran straight into the lava swamp ahead at quite a fast speed.


    This ox was still one that loved adventure.


    He really didn¡¯t understand what was so attractive inside the cave?


    Aren¡¯t water buffaloes more fond of water?


    If it jumped into a pond or river, Qin Niu could understand.


    After all, when he saved it initially, the massive floodwaters had not managed to drown it.


    It was said that the legendary Bull Demon King could spew fire from its nose, could it be that it was preparing for both water and fire cultivation?


    Sitting on its back, Qin Niu tried to stay low because he was a bit worried about hitting the cave ceiling.


    The Green Ox carried him, running wildly within the lava marsh, and did not sink into it at all.


    Turning around the bend ahead, the sight that met his eyes was still a stretch of lava marsh.


    However, on the right side of the cavern, there was a path wide enough for people to pass through.


    The temperature here also seemed even hotter.


    ¡°No wonder you dared to carry me in, it turns out there¡¯s a different world inside!¡±


    Qin Niu leaped down from the ox¡¯s back and landed firmly on the ground.


    Next to him was the lava marsh, but the ground he stepped on felt very solid. These rocks seemed to have a higher melting point.


    The melting point of ordinary rocks might be around 1200 degrees, but these black rocks might require temperatures above 2000 degrees to melt them.


    It was precisely because of this that Qin Niu had a passable path.


    The Green Ox seemed very excited and led the way straight ahead.


    Fire bees still occasionally flew down to attack Qin Niu.


    Strangely enough, those fire bees seemed to completely ignore the Green Ox.


    These animals also knew how to pick on the easier target, specifically bullying Qin Niu.


    As the temperature in the cave continued to rise, his termites were obviously affected.


    Some of the Grade Two Puppet Ants could no longer hold on, and Qin Niu had to put them in the Insect Bag.


    Fortunately, Fourth and the Puppet Ants of Grade Three and above were very strong; they were still enduring.


    With them taking care of those fire bees trying to attack Qin Niu, he didn¡¯t have to worry at all.


    Another corner appeared up ahead.


    At the corner, the space for him to walk on became extremely narrow, only a little more than half a foot wide.


    Walking on it required great care, as falling into the lava marsh next to it would cause his clothes to spontaneously ignite.


    What he admired most was the Green Ox leading the way ahead; it didn¡¯t have any issues and moved easily on the narrow path, looking very relaxed.


    After turning this big corner, what came into view was a fiery red magma flow.


    This time it was a real magma stream, no longer the half magma, half stone marsh.

 Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: Chapter 387 Exploring the Branching Path_1

    Chapter 395: Chapter 387 Exploring the Branching Path_1


    Bubbles kept emerging from beneath, making the lava form pockets that then burst.


    It was as if a group of mischievous children were hiding under the lava, blowing bubbles incessantly.


    Qin Niu had not easily entered this place, and naturally, he searched everywhere in hope of discovering some natural treasures.


    Whether it was him or his wives and concubines at home, they all greatly needed some big opportunities to help them with their early accumulation of power. As long as one person advanced to the level of Immortal Master, the path of cultivation for their entire family would become much easier.


    As of now, they were still too weak


    They even lacked the means to access real cultivation resources.


    Whether it be spells, magical treasures used by Immortal Masters, or even high-level Cultivation Techniques and Immortal Pills, they were all out of reach.


    They knew only a little of the many cultivation basics known to Immortal Masters.


    As the head of the family, Qin Niu had to assume the role of a guide.


    He was the sole reliance of his wives and concubines.


    ¡°Lazy Bull, why must you drag me to explore deeper?¡±


    Qin Niu asked Green Ox.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    Its response had let Qin Niu thoroughly understand the true meaning of ¡°talking past each other.¡±


    Because of the language barrier, it was very difficult to communicate with Green Ox.


    Qin Niu also wondered if Green Ox was just too young?


    After all, he could communicate more smoothly with the Red-eyed Golden Toad and the Diamond Ink Turtle.


    Even though he didn¡¯t understand animal language, having formed a mental contract with Green Ox, they could easily communicate through their souls.


    The current situation was such that Green Ox could understand what he said, but he couldn¡¯t understand Green Ox.


    Having no other choice, Qin Niu could only continue to explore forward following Green Ox.


    The air became even hotter, and he started to sweat profusely.


    To reduce the injury from high temperatures, he had no choice but to circulate his Cultivation Technique, channeling it into his King Pig Leather Armor, forming a thin layer of protective aura.


    Although this aura layer was thin, it had the capabilities to insulate heat, provide defense, and shield from toxic gases.


    Fortunately, his Everlasting Spring Technique had already reached the peak of the initial stage of the Innate Realm.


    While his Cultivation Technique wasn¡¯t incredibly profound, it would at least allow him to hold out a little longer in such a perilous environment.


    After activating the protective aura of King Pig Leather Armor, another benefit was that it could fend off those annoying Giant Fire Bees.


    His termites couldn¡¯t withstand high temperatures, and in this environment, only Fourth and some Grade Four Puppet Ants could hold on.


    A man and an ox moved forward and after about two hundred meters or so, the cave branched into two paths.


    One was very narrow, with the ground full of scalding hot lava that occasionally bubbled up. The other seemed a bit wider, with some black rocks that hadn¡¯t melted, offering a place to step, but it felt dangerous.


    The main path in front turned spirally deeper into the ground.


    For the time being, some narrow black rocky surfaces were still available for walking.


    ¡°Lazy Bull, I¡¯ll go explore that narrow branch path.¡±


    Qin Niu estimated that the width of the branch path was at most not more than two meters, with the narrowest sections being even less than one meter.


    The ground was full of scalding hot lava, unsuitable to step on, but he could use his hands and feet to brace against the walls of the tunnel to move forward.


    Green Ox watched as Qin Niu leaped directly, and with a few bounds, he reached the narrow branch path.


    Then, using his hands and feet, he braced himself against the walls of the tunnel to advance.


    After moving forward about eighty or ninety meters, Qin Niu reached the end of this branch path.


    At the end, bright red lava was spewing forth like a ¡°spring¡¯s eye.¡±


    After exerting so much effort to come here, he found no treasures.


    He had no choice but to exit the branch path.


    Feeling somewhat unwilling to let it go, he turned to look at the other branch path.


    This path had places to stand, but it was also not very spacious, and Green Ox would probably have a hard time getting in.


    Having cultivated the Misty Rain Elusive Step, Qin Niu could try his luck using this set of light-footed skills to navigate it.


    With a few leaps and bounds, he entered the branching path.


    Feeling an implicit danger, he heightened his alertness and tightly gripped the Ink Blade in his hand.


    After advancing about forty or fifty meters, the ground was completely covered in scorching lava, leaving him nowhere to set foot. He had yet to find any treasures and hadn¡¯t encountered any threats beyond the lava.


    He stood on a piece of black rock, peering into the depths of the branching path.


    He had a feeling that this path could be very long.


    However, after traveling less than fifty meters, he could no longer proceed. After all, he had no way to walk on the lava.


    Reluctantly, he prepared to give up exploring and decided to inspect the main cave once more before leaving.


    At that moment, Qin Niu faintly heard a buzzing in his ears.


    Looking up, he saw several Giant Fire Bees swooping toward him.


    He felt that these Giant Fire Bees seemed a bit dim-witted. Because not long before, Qin Niu had captured five bees of their caliber, which were now still in the Insect Jar hanging at his waist.


    They were purely on a suicide mission.


    ¡°Killing a few Giant Fire Bees to feed to the Ant Queen wouldn¡¯t be bad.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and directly had Fourth lead the Termites to launch a Mental Attack on them.


    The Grade Four and above Ghost Ants were also ready for combat.


    There were around two thousand Ghost Ants total.


    Their attack was a Mental Attack, aimed at hurting or killing enemy insects.


    Qin Niu cultivated more Puppet Ants.


    Because he preferred to capture enemy insects alive, rather than killing them.


    Some mystical creatures in the world, once killed, are gone for good.


    Some were even one-of-a-kind.


    Meaning there was only one of their kind and it was very unlikely to find another one.


    ¡°One, two, three¡­¡±


    As many as seventeen or eighteen Giant Fire Bees ferociously flung themselves at Qin Niu, prepared to launch their poison fog and sting attacks at any moment.


    It was unfortunate for them that with Fourth and a group of Grade Four Puppet Ants protecting Qin Niu, they stood no chance of getting close.


    They were controlled three or four meters away from Qin Niu.


    One by one, they were all captured by Qin Niu into jars.


    Just when he thought he had dealt with them all, even more fire bees flew out from deeper within the cave, and there were no small ones¡ªall were of the Giant Fire Bee variety.


    He even spotted two larger Giant Fire Bees.


    Their color was a bit deeper than the others.


    ¡°Come on, entering the cave once, I can¡¯t just return empty-handed, right? Capturing some to cultivate the Ant Queen is quite good. It will help advance her to Grade Seven sooner.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s most important creature was always the Ant Queen.


    Advancing an insect to Grade Seven was a watershed moment.


    It was like when humans advanced to the Innate Realm, only then they are considered to have one foot within the threshold of becoming an Immortal Master.


    One by one, the Giant Fire Bees were captured without suspense; for each that came, he took one.


    He didn¡¯t even have to lift a finger.


    As long as they got near Qin Niu, they would immediately be controlled by the Puppet Ants.


    The battle went on continuously.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    Green Ox, sensing its master under attack, let out an anxious moo from outside the branching path.


    In its heart, Qin Niu must be as important as its ¡®mother.¡¯


    If anyone tried to harm Qin Niu, it wouldn¡¯t stand for it.


    Just as Qin Niu was enjoying himself capturing the Giant Fire Bees, he sensed danger. Subconsciously looking up, he saw a dark red fire bee leading a large swarm of Giant Fire Bees flying toward him.

 Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Chapter 388 Queen Bee Appears?_1

    Chapter 396: Chapter 388 Queen Bee Appears?_1


    The leader, a dark red fire bee, was actually smaller in size.


    But it was like an emperor, with all the other giant fire bees only able to follow behind.


    The seven or eight giant fire bees that followed closely behind it were also dark red in color, just not as deep as its hue.


    Its body was almost black with how red it was.


    Its flying speed was equally terrifying, suddenly appearing right in front of Qin Niu.


    Probably only Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee could barely compete with it.


    The equally flight-capable War Bees were considered ¡®garbage¡¯ in comparison.


    It wasn¡¯t a small difference, but a very large gap.


    Fourth and the other Termites were caught completely off guard by this sudden turn of events.


    Qin Niu only saw a fleeting shadow before the blackish-red Queen Bee was already in front of him. It was too fast.


    It effortlessly penetrated Qin Niu¡¯s aura armor as if it were a game.


    After piercing through the aura armor, it cleverly chose to attack the exposed parts of Qin Niu¡¯s face.


    The eyes are a significant weakness.


    It¡¯s not possible to cover the eyes as well, leaving them almost unprotected.


    The Fire Bee Queen wasn¡¯t courteous with Qin Niu, lifting its abdomen, the terrifying Poison Stinger aimed directly at his eyes.


    Luckily, Qin Niu was also battle-hardened.


    Even under its sudden attack, he reacted quickly, retreating swiftly while also shifting his head to dodge this fearsome Fire Bee Queen.


    At this critical moment, a streak of dark green shadow rushed forward.


    It was Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee.


    It was currently only Grade Five and had a lot of room for growth.


    Probably feeding it Ancient Banyan Tree Blood would easily allow it to advance to Grade Six, or even Grade Seven.


    It was also the strongest of all Qin Niu¡¯s bee insect pets.


    Not strong in just one aspect, but powerful in every aspect.


    The Green Demon Bee engaged in direct combat with the Fire Bee Queen.


    Normally, a Queen Bee rarely participates in combat.


    Especially after laying eggs, their job is to lay eggs.


    Only if the hive faces utter destruction and the swarm is at a life-or-death crisis would the Queen possibly fight alongside the female bees against a formidable enemy.


    As for the male bees, apart from mating with the Queen Bee, they¡¯re good for nothing else.


    The poison stingers of the Queen and female bees are actually evolved from their ovipositors.


    The male bees, despite their size, can¡¯t even defeat an ordinary female bee.


    It¡¯s similar to spotted hyenas, where the females are significantly larger than the males.


    This participation of the Fire Bee Queen herself was somewhat puzzling. After all, even if Qin Niu had entered their habitat, he wasn¡¯t at the hive yet, far from posing a mortal threat to the hive.


    Perhaps it had to do with the temperament of the fire bees.


    They have a violent temper and would fiercely fight against any slight offense.


    The Green Demon Bee clung to the Fire Bee Queen¡¯s body, with both bees wrestling together.


    The Fire Bee Queen¡¯s Poison Stinger desperately jabbed at the Green Demon Bee.


    The Green Demon Bee was similarly ruthless.


    Both of their stingers possessed extreme penetrating power.


    The Green Demon Bee, with its special abilities of Phantasmal Shape and Regeneration, had an ability akin to immortality. When it came to biting, it certainly had the advantage.


    The Fire Bee Queen couldn¡¯t hurt it, but it could bite or sting the Fire Bee Queen.


    It was akin to a dimensional attack.


    After being stung by the Green Demon Bee, the Deicide Poison seemed to have caused severe damage to the Fire Bee Queen¡¯s body.


    Soon, it lost the ability to resist.


    Qin Niu hurriedly took out a Metal Bug Canister and put the Queen inside.


    As for the remaining giant fire bees, Qin Niu considered them of little threat.


    After being imprisoned, the Fire Bee Queen still curled up its body, its wings trembling nonstop.


    Looking at the Green Demon Bee, it too had been stung, but it was seemingly unharmed.


    Worthy indeed of being the revenge bee cultivated with all the heart and soul of the Green Demon, it had declared victory in its first battle, and was extraordinarily remarkable. It justified all that Qin Niu had invested in it.


    The Green Demon Bee landed on the metal insect jar in Qin Niu¡¯s hand, crawling restlessly.


    ¡°If you want to eat, you can have those Giant Fire Bees, but this Queen Bee is very precious, I need to keep it,¡± Qin Niu said, knowing what the Green Demon Bee intended to do.


    As an Insect Master, encountering a completely new insect species definitely warranted saving for research to see if it could be cultivated further.


    This Fire Bee Queen possessed formidable combat strength; it just happened to meet its match this time, which was why it seemed rather weak.


    Unfortunately for it, it was suppressed by the Green Demon Bee in every aspect.


    He examined the captured Fire Bee Queen with delight.


    He noticed some fine, intricate patterns on its body that didn¡¯t seem like natural markings, but rather ones that developed over time.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right, though; despite looking very dominant, it lacks the queen¡¯s temperament, not quite like a true Queen Bee,¡± Qin Niu mused, confident in his insect identification skills.


    He had seen many Queen Bees before.


    Even the weakest hive¡¯s Queen Bee always possessed an innate regal aura.


    Although this Fire Bee Queen had a dominant aura, it lacked the pampered nobility and the leader¡¯s presence that should come with being the head of a colony. It felt like a general, not an emperor.


    A thought suddenly struck Qin Niu.


    Could those Giant Fire Bees merely be evolved common female bees?


    And could this crimson Fire Bee Queen in fact be a Bee General?


    With this possibility in mind, Qin Niu¡¯s gaze involuntarily shifted towards the depths of the side tunnel.


    Regrettably, with the ground covered in scorching lava, he couldn¡¯t venture deeper to uncover the truth.


    Was there another way to lure out the true Queen Bee?


    Qin Niu pondered with a frown.


    Even after capturing this Fire Bee Queen, that sense of danger still lingered, indirectly confirming his suspicion.


    Perhaps there was an even more formidable creature, or even a monster, deep within the side passage, or the bee he caught was a Bee General, not the Queen Bee.


    Considering how powerful just a Bee General was, the Queen Bee¡¯s strength must be truly terrifying.


    He had always been desperately searching for a suitable male bee for the Green Demon Bee to mate with.


    Given the strength of the current Fire Bees, wouldn¡¯t capturing one or two male bees solve the problem that had troubled him for days?


    Then, the Green Demon Bee could lay eggs normally.


    He dreamt of creating a Green Demon Bee combat swarm.


    Elder Jiu Yin had, with just a Corpse Bee swarm, laid waste to numerous Innate Realm experts, causing even Spirit Qi Realm experts to tread cautiously. If Qin Niu succeeded in creating a Green Demon Bee swarm, even Immortal Masters would have to be polite upon meeting him.


    As for Spirit Qi Realm experts, they would become easy prey in his presence.


    With just a move from the Green Demon Bee, he could instantly kill Spirit Qi Realm experts.


    Just thinking of the immense benefits, he became excited.


    But how could he venture into the depths of the side tunnel to investigate?


    Send in the Green Demon Bee?


    That was his sole treasure; if the Fire Bee Queen was too powerful, or if there were formidable monsters living deeper within the side passage that killed his Green Demon Bee, the loss would be unbearable for him.


    After all, the Green Demon Bee had not reproduced yet¡ªthere was only one female bee.


    The female bee¡¯s ability to withstand risks was very weak, and he couldn¡¯t afford to recklessly risk her. The best solution was to quickly find an excellent male bee for her, mate them, and then breed a large number of Green Demon Bees.


    With that, all problems would be solved.


    Qin Niu summoned several War Bees, but ultimately shook his head.


    The War Bees couldn¡¯t even defeat the Giant Fire Bees, let alone a Fire Bee General.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s right, the Green-Head Summoning Bee can summon other wild bees for battle. I wonder if its summoning ability works on the Fire Bees?¡± Qin Niu remembered the Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    It was a very special type of bee.


    He had tamed two in total and only ever caught two.


    One of them had been nurtured with Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, significantly enhancing its abilities.


    Now was the perfect time to put it to the test.

 Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: Chapter 389: The One Qi Transforms into the Three Purities_1

    Chapter 397: Chapter 389: The One Qi Transforms into the Three Purities_1


    The one he had summoned now looked top-heavy, oddly comical yet endearing.


    On its forehead was a very special deep black rune, and its wings were slim and of moderate size, highly resilient.


    This was how it appeared after its evolution from drinking Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    Green-Head Summoning Bee


    Grade: Grade Four membranous wing insect, leveling experience 10909/100000


    Lifespan: 99 years


    Energy: 100000


    Skills: Medium level intelligence, Super Flight (capable of hovering, flying backward, rolling, dodging, high-speed flying, gliding with the wind, etc.), Summoning (can summon wild bees within a thousand meters for combat, unable to summon wild bees more than three grades above its own), Attraction (can release special pheromones to lure all bee swarms within five hundred meters)


    Talents: Night Vision, Discernment (capable of seeing through enemy disguise)


    Compared to the Grade Three Green-Head Summoning Bee, not only had its lifespan significantly increased, but its flight ability had also evolved into Super Flight.


    So far, among Qin Niu¡¯s insect pets, only the Green Demon Bee possessed this skill.


    The Green-Head Summoning Bee¡¯s flight ability was already formidable, but after drinking the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, it had become on par with that of the Green Demon Bee.


    This also meant that its ability to escape would become extremely strong.


    In the world of martial arts, speed is unrivaled.


    Its Super Flight ability could easily allow it to shake off powerful enemies and escape unscathed.


    Besides, its summoning skill had also improved, now able to summon wild bees within a kilometer radius. Not only had the summoning radius doubled, but the type of bees it could summon had changed from Steel-winged Wild Bees to wild bees.


    This means that the range of bees it could call upon had multiplied tremendously.


    Last but not least, it had gained an additional skill: Attraction.


    This was a new skill, somewhat similar to the unique abilities possessed only by the Queen Bee. It somewhat felt like issuing a false imperial edict, capable of misleading all the nearby bee swarms.


    What pleased Qin Niu the most was its intelligence, which had directly advanced to a medium level.


    This was extremely important.


    The higher the intelligence of insects, the smoother the communication.


    When deployed in battle, they could exert even greater power.


    ¡°Begin your performance! Try to lure out all the fire bees from the depths of the cave,¡±


    Qin Niu commanded it.


    The Green-Head Summoning Bee immediately got to work.


    Fluttering its wings, it flew straight ahead. Along the way, it showed off its superior flying skills, constantly dancing beautiful arcs in the air.


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, was fully prepared for battle.


    Less than the time it took for a cup of tea to brew, he heard buzzing noises coming from deep inside the cave.


    Obviously, a group of fire bees had been lured out by the Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    He held an empty Insect Jar in one hand and the Ink Blade in the other, ready for combat.


    Ordinary fire bees were not a concern, but those dark red Fire Bee Generals had formidable attack strength.


    Moreover, they could ignore his Blade Qi armor, so he had to be cautious.


    Fourth and the other Termitees were also prepared.


    The command Qin Niu gave them was to prioritize dealing with the Fire Bee Generals.


    Soon, a large swarm of fire bees appeared in Qin Niu¡¯s vision.


    Dense and numerous, there were at least ten thousand of them.


    The Green-Head Summoning Bee, on the other hand, turned into a blur and instantly flew to Qin Niu¡¯s side.


    ¡°Master, are you satisfied?¡±


    It sought praise from Qin Niu.


    Having evolved medium-level intelligence, it had learned to actively communicate.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you keep a low profile, maybe summon a few less at a time?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s complexion changed as he looked at so many fire bees.


    He roughly estimated that there were at least forty or fifty dark red bee shadows.


    Each one was incredibly imposing, almost identical to the Fire Bee General that Qin Niu had previously captured.


    With so many Fire Bee Generals launching an attack at the same time, along with tens of thousands of Giant Fire Bees, it was enough to keep him busy.


    Moreover, this was on their home turf, with hot air and molten lava everywhere.


    The Fire Bees had the territorial advantage.


    Some of Qin Niu¡¯s Termites were unable to join the battle and could only hide inside the Insect Bag.


    Those Fire Bees were incredibly fast.


    Especially, the Fire Bee Generals¡¯ speed allowed them to reach Qin Niu in an instant.


    Luckily, Fourth and the other Termites were prepared this time.


    They launched a coordinated attack, targeting the dark red Fire Bee Generals.


    The Green Demon Bee was the most ferocious, slaughtering all around.


    Each of its strikes was deadly, and with each hit, a Fire Bee General would fall to the ground, writhing in agony.


    As long as it was stabbed by its poison sting, the Fire Bee General would instantly collapse from the poison, without exception.


    Qin Niu swung his blade to kill those that slipped through, using a Sweeping Martial Technique.


    With a sweep of his blade, the Fire Bee Generals could often dodge nimbly, but the ordinary Giant Fire Bees were caught off-guard and chopped into pieces by the Ink Blade.


    The battle was intensely fierce.


    So far, not a single Fire Bee General had managed to attack Qin Niu.


    Because along with the Puppet Ants, he had also released the Ghost Ants.


    Mental attacks, especially group mental attacks, were almost impossible for insects to resist.


    Just when Qin Niu thought he was about to win, he suddenly sensed extreme danger.


    Within the swarm, there was a deep purple Fire Bee, surrounded and followed by a dozen dark red Generals, and a much larger Fire Bee.


    Its body was dark red, two sizes larger than a Giant Fire Bee, and covered with golden patterns.


    Seeing its exaggerated appearance, Qin Niu thought of ¡°Cowherd¡±.


    The deep purple Fire Bee exuded a noble aura from birth, and even the Fire Bee Generals behind it were submissive, following like servants.


    ¡°Is this the Queen Bee?¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the purple Fire Bee, feeling an inexplicable danger.


    While secretly bracing himself, he also rapidly retreated towards the entrance of the cave.


    The purple Fire Bee Queen did not give him any chance to escape.


    With a flash, it appeared right behind Qin Niu in the next second.


    Its speed was terrifying.


    It was even stronger than the Fire Bee Generals.


    Sensing the danger, Qin Niu quickly turned and swung his blade to defend.


    He didn¡¯t know any particularly advanced blade techniques, only two moves. One was a chop, the other was a sweep.


    The most basic blade techniques.


    This time, he was dealing with the more powerful Fire Bee Queen, and he unleashed a chop with an Explosive Slash Effect.


    The Blade Qi descended like a snow-capped mountain and tore through the earth as it slashed toward the Queen Bee.


    As long as it hit, no matter how strong, it was bound to be shattered into pieces.


    The Queen Bee¡¯s body trembled slightly, and then suddenly three identical purple Queen Bees appeared, all attacking Qin Niu at once.


    What kind of skill was this?


    A cloning technique? Turning into the Three Purities?


    Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade naturally missed, and seeing the Fire Bee Queen¡¯s bizarre tactics, his heart raced.


    Perhaps he¡¯d been too confident. There was a chance he could be killed by a Fire Bee Queen today.


    However, he had something to rely on.


    Even if he were stung, he had a Black Spider Gu in his body that fed on various poisons, so there was no need to worry about the bee poison.


    Moreover, the Green Demon Bee had been enhanced and bred by Qin Niu, and he also wanted to test the Green Demon Bee¡¯s combat strength.

 Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: Chapter 390 Adding Another General_1

    Chapter 398: Chapter 390 Adding Another General_1


    At this critical moment, Fourth sensed his master¡¯s danger and had already directed his antennas towards one of the Queen Bees.


    However, his mental control seemed to be ineffective against the Queen Bee.


    ¡°Master, be careful, this Queen Bee is fearsome. I locked onto it with my mental control, and it felt empty.¡±


    Anxious, Fourth communicated with Qin Niu using spiritual power.


    Qin Niu had already sensed extreme danger, and all he could do was to frantically stimulate the Everlasting Spring Technique within his body to channel more energy into his King Pig Leather Armor, making the qi armor even more solid.


    But that sense of impending death still loomed over him.


    In this desperate situation, the Green Demon Bee stood in front of Qin Niu.


    Its body emitted streaks of black qi.


    Unlike the black smoke, the qi that came out of its body was concentrated and extremely flexible.


    It coiled around its body like snakes.


    Following that, the Green Demon Bee, like an octopus, formed several antennas from the black qi on its body.


    It then pounced towards the Queen Bee on the far left.


    Both seemed to possess super flight abilities.


    This was also the strongest opponent the Green Demon Bee had ever faced.


    What the Green Demon Bee was now displaying appeared to be a Demonization skill.


    Even Qin Niu, its master, did not know the full extent of this skill¡¯s abilities.


    In the blink of an eye, it flew in front of the Queen Bee, whose figure gradually blurred, then vanished.


    A new Fire Bee Queen appeared, less than two meters away from Qin Niu.


    This meant that there were always three purple Fire Bee Queens in the air.


    This ability was unheard of.


    Out of the three Queen Bees, likely only one was real, and the other two were probably just afterimages created by the Queen Bee.


    The most astonishing part was that its real body seemed to freely switch between the three afterimages at will.


    The Green Demon Bee had gone for the Queen Bee on the far left, but as it closed in, the real body of the Fire Bee Queen instantaneously switched to another of the afterimages, creating a new one.


    Always maintaining three.


    This was a clash of the top fighters among bees.


    The venom of the Fire Bee Queen must be formidable; otherwise, it would not make Qin Niu feel a threat of death.


    In addition to fending off this Queen Bee¡¯s attacks, he also had to deal with the onslaught from a swarm of Fire Bee Generals.


    ¡°Fourth, if you can¡¯t deal with the Queen Bee, then go after the other Generals.¡±


    Qin Niu was still looking for a way to retreat.


    If he could exit this tunnel, he could have Green Ox join the battle.


    The golden light from Green Ox would undoubtedly immobilize the Queen Bee.


    By then, Qin Niu would easily capture the Queen Bee.


    But obviously, the Fire Bee Queen wouldn¡¯t give him that opportunity.


    It lunged at Qin Niu¡¯s face once more.


    Just as Qin Niu prepared to dodge to the side, very thin black tentacles appeared at the front, back, and sides of the Queen Bee.


    They were as fine as spider silk.


    Even finer than spider silk.


    What kind of trick was this?


    The Green Demon Bee was clearly still over there!


    Qin Niu found himself exhilarated watching the two top-tier Queen Bees duel.


    This Fire Bee Queen was extremely powerful; to capture it alive and tame it would be marvelous.


    Its combat prowess could rival the current Green Demon Bee and undoubtedly held immense cultivation value.


    It was also worthy to become Qin Niu¡¯s new Insect Pet.


    With his current strength, ordinary special insects really didn¡¯t catch his eye.


    But a Queen Bee of this caliber, naturally the more the better.


    Coming across such a Heavenly Earth Strange Insect was a grand opportunity.


    And in the blink of an eye, the situation on the battlefield had changed.


    The thin black threads continuously closed in, trapping the purple Queen Bee within. Not just one, but all three purple Queen Bees were simultaneously bound by strands of black qi.


    With this move, the Green Demon Bee caught everyone off guard.


    Naturally, the purple Queen Bee didn¡¯t want to sit and wait for death.


    It began to incessantly switch from one afterimage to another.


    Alas, since all three were bound, switching was futile no matter which afterimage it chose.


    The Green Demon Bee¡¯s black tentacles slowly pulled the three afterimages of the Fire Bee Queen towards it.


    In just a moment, the three afterimages were drawn to its side.


    Qin Niu noticed that it seemed to be especially struggling.


    It looked like the Green Demon Bee wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on much longer.


    He reached into his chest, without hesitation, took out an Advanced Contract Talisman, and upon stimulating it with his power, a golden light shot towards one of the Fire Bee Queens.


    Although there were three identical purple Fire Bee Queens, there should only be one that was real.


    The other two were merely illusions.


    Qin Niu¡¯s golden light shot towards the Fire Bee Queen in the very center.


    The golden light passed straight through it.


    He finally understood why Fourth¡¯s mental attack had been ineffective against the Queen Bee.


    Because attacking it was like attacking a wisp of air.


    It had only a shadow, no form, and certainly no physical existence.


    How was he supposed to attack then?


    This Fire Bee Queen must have touched the threshold of demons with such a powerful ability.


    Qin Niu then controlled the golden light of the Contractual Talisman, aiming it at another illusionary duplicate.


    It was still like shooting through a wisp of air.


    Only one illusionary duplicate remained; this time there should be no mistakes.


    Qin Niu controlled the golden light as it zipped towards the target, but once again, the light passed right through.


    It was his first time witnessing the prowess of the Heavenly Earth Strange Insect.


    This skill was no different from that of demons.


    Even the Black Spider Gu was not this formidable.


    ¡°Green Demon Bee, combine its three illusionary duplicates together,¡± Qin Niu commanded.


    The Green Demon Bee was quite intelligent, but certainly not as much as humans.


    It immediately used its black touch to forcibly merge the three illusionary duplicates of the Fire Bee Queen.


    As the three duplicates merged, Qin Niu once again controlled the golden light from the Contractual Talisman and shot it out.


    This time it was successful.


    The golden light didn¡¯t pass through but instead hit the actual body.


    It was indeed the body of the Fire Bee Queen.


    The golden light wrapped around its body, continuously eroding its spiritual power, trying to bring it under control and form a master-servant contract with Qin Niu.


    As the Queen Bee, it naturally refused to be enslaved.


    It struggled desperately.


    The golden light gradually dimmed, quickly depleting.


    Qin Niu was calm and composed, as if securely seated in a fishing boat awaiting his catch.


    He had prepared many Contractual Talismans, thinking that if he encountered fierce beasts, birds, or insects that were hard to subdue, he could wear them down little by little.


    When the first intermediate Contractual Talisman¡¯s golden light was about to run out, he immediately activated another to strengthen the contracting golden light.


    As time swiftly passed, Qin Niu had consumed seven intermediate Contractual Talismans in a short period, and his expression grew solemn.


    Spiritual power was not a problem, but there were only two intermediate Contractual Talismans left, and likewise two Advanced Contractual Talismans.


    Given the current rate of consumption, even if he used up all his Talismans, subduing the Fire Bee Queen might be impossible.


    ¡°Submit to me, and I can make you stronger,¡± Qin Niu persuaded.


    ¡°The Green Demon Bee you are fighting is also my pet. If I weren¡¯t strong enough, it wouldn¡¯t follow me,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu continuously used Bee Language to erode the will of the Fire Bee Queen.


    When the last two intermediate Contractual Talismans were exhausted, he had no choice but to take out an Advanced Contractual Talisman and activate it without hesitation.


    He was now in a situation he couldn¡¯t easily get out of.


    It was not an option to give up halfway.


    The golden light from the Advanced Contractual Talisman was much more solid, firmly enveloping the Fire Bee Queen.


    ¡°Submit, and I guarantee I will let you advance at least one grade in a very short time,¡± Qin Niu promised earnestly.


    He was not deceiving it.


    The promises made when taming a pet must be fulfilled.


    Making empty promises and deceiving them was absolutely not an option. That would make them disloyal and fill them with thoughts of rebellion and escape.


    Under his verbal onslaught, the resistance of the Fire Bee Queen seemed to weaken.


    The contracting golden light permeated its body, and quite a lot of it seeped inside all at once.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, submission is not a disgrace but a way to become stronger,¡± Qin Niu said as he saw the effect, again breaking down its resistance.


    The golden light surged forward vigorously, penetrating directly into the Queen.


    It quickly subdued her.


    Eventually, a master-servant contract was successfully formed. Qin Niu¡¯s pet legion had gained yet another powerful member.


    The strength of the Fire Bee Queen was second only to the Green Demon Bee, almost on par with it.


    Reflecting on the taming process, he realized that the Fire Bee Queen¡¯s endurance seemed poor. The Contractual Talisman¡¯s golden light was consumed very quickly, which was likely when its resistance was at its most intense.


    Latter on, it gradually grew weaker.


    The experience gained from subduing it could perhaps be applied to that golden-patterned male bee.

 Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: Chapter 391 Grade Eight Male Bee_1

    Chapter 399: Chapter 391 Grade Eight Male Bee_1


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze turned to the male fire bee, which seemed even more important to him than the Fire Bee Queen itself.


    Wasps usually have a queen served by multiple male bees.


    On the other hand, termites often practice monogamy.


    After a nuptial flight, the male and female termites find a hidden spot to build a nest, then mate frantically to construct a termite empire.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Ant Queen was an exception.


    It was solely focused on reproducing superior offspring, regarding the male ants merely as tools for procreation.


    This Fire Bee Queen was quite interesting; it was accompanied by only one male bee.


    And this male bee had an extraordinary appearance.


    ¡°Fire Bee Queen, help me subdue that male bee!¡±


    Qin Niu commanded the newly subdued Fire Bee Queen.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The Fire Bee Queen was now obedient and docile.


    However, there still seemed to be some hostility between it and the Green Demon Bee, with mutual animosity.


    Perhaps it held a grudge for being entangled by the Green Demon Bee, which had led to its human subjugation.


    The Fire Bee Queen held the highest status within its swarm.


    From the moment Qin Niu successfully subdued it, the entire fire bee swarm halted its attack on him.


    At this moment, the Fire Bee Queen was directly flying through the air, tracing curves.


    It must have been releasing pheromones.


    The entire swarm began to converge around it.


    The male bee flew over as well.


    Other fire bees formed a sort of secondary master-servant relationship with Qin Niu.


    He could now control them.


    The principle was the same as with offspring produced by the Ant Queen and the War Bee Queen, which Qin Niu could control.


    Because these fire bees were the daughters of the Fire Bee Queen.


    The only exception was the male bee that Qin Niu couldn¡¯t control.


    It probably wasn¡¯t a son born of the Queen Bee; rather, it could have come from outside.


    In fact, whether it comes to wasps or honeybees, the queens, in order to preserve stable inheritance of their excellent genes in their children and for the continuous evolution and adaptation of their swarm to the harsh natural environment,


    often opt for external males as mating partners.


    Very few queens mate with males from their own colony.


    Qin Niu now only had one Low-grade Contract Charm and one Advanced Contract Talisman left on him.


    After gritting his teeth, he decided to use his last Advanced Contract Talisman.


    He had no confidence at all in his heart.


    After all, he used so many talismans to subdue the Fire Bee Queen, and now, to subjugate a male bee of a similar level, one Advanced Contract Talisman might not be enough.


    Once activated, the Advanced Contract Talisman transformed into a beam of golden light that shot towards the male bee.


    It didn¡¯t dodge or evade, allowing the golden light to penetrate its body.


    And quickly subdued it.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a huge windfall. Had I known it¡¯d be this easy to subdue, one Low-grade Contract Charm would have done the job.¡±


    As he felt the pinch, he still found joy in successfully subduing the male bee.


    Having subdued this male bee, it could serve as the ¡®husband¡¯ for the Green Demon Bee.


    Thus enabling the Green Demon Bee to produce even finer offspring.


    Qin Niu checked the attributes of the Fire Bee Queen and the male bee.


    Shadow Fire Bee (Queen Bee)


    Level: Grade Seven Hymenopteran Insect, 10 million/100 million EXP required to level up


    Lifespan: 10,000 years


    Energy: 1.7 million


    Skills: Level 3 Reproduction 4909/10000 (produces 1,000 eggs daily), Special Abilities (Super Flight, Soul Devouring Fire Poison Attack, Super Armor Piercing, Super Illusion.)


    Talent: Advanced Self-Healing, Produces Shadow Fire Bee (0.001% chance), Produces Dark Fire Bee (0.1% chance)


    Bee Swarm: Regular Worker Bees 46,091, Giant Fire Bees 1,906, Male Bees 22, Young Queen Bees 4, Dark Fire Bees 74.


    This was the first Grade Seven insect that Qin Niu had subdued.


    And it was a fire bee.


    It was definitely a lucrative haul.


    Its skills and talents seem simple, but they are unimaginably powerful.


    Not a single one is a trash skill.


    No wonder its combat power is so strong, even forcing the Green Demon Bee to use a demonization skill that it had never used before.


    The most impressive thing to people is its illusion technique.


    It can conjure two illusions that are identical to its real body and switch between the illusions and the real body at will. This ability is incredibly heaven-defying.


    Unless someone can eliminate both its illusions and its real body simultaneously, it would be impossible to harm it.


    In subduing the Shadow Fire Bee Queen, he also incidentally picked up a nest of Fire Bees, which included 74 exceptionally strong Dark Fire Bees.


    This exploration was a huge windfall.


    Qin Niu checked the attributes of the male Fire Bees.


    Dark Gold Shadow Fire Bee (Male)


    Grade: Grade Eight Hymenoptera insect, upgrade experience 100 million/1 billion


    Lifespan: 20,000 years


    Energy: 100,000


    Skills: Special abilities (Super Flight, Super Illusion, Super Carapace.)


    Talents: Regeneration, Fire Devouring


    Its skills and talents appear even simpler.


    Being a male bee, it¡¯s quite normal for it not to have so many skills and talents.


    Initially, Qin Niu thought this male bee was just a pretty face, but after seeing its grade and abilities, he realized he had underestimated it.


    It turned out to be a Grade Eight Dark Gold Shadow Fire Bee.


    That was equivalent to the level of an Immortal Master among humans.


    Qin Niu even felt regret at having used an Advanced Contract Talisman to subdue it, thinking it was a loss.


    He was truly getting a bargain and still making a fuss.


    Only now did he finally understand why the Shadow Fire Bee Queen was so powerful, yet had only one male bee.


    Because one was completely sufficient.


    According to human marriage rules, the Queen Bee being with this male bee was truly marrying up.


    The male bee was of a higher grade than the Queen Bee.


    ¡°It¡¯s simply a natural stud!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the good-looking male bee and sighed to himself; if it weren¡¯t for its status as a male bee, its combat power would undoubtedly surpass that of the current Green Demon Bee.


    However, using it for breeding was also an excellent choice.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a task; from now on, you¡¯ll be the husband to both of them! Enjoy the fortune of having two partners.¡±


    Qin Niu commanded the male bee.


    He was making it the husband to both the Shadow Fire Bee Queen and the Green Demon Bee.


    Both bees were rare species in the world.


    It turned its head to glance at the Shadow Fire Bee Queen and then flew towards the Green Demon Bee.


    A comedic scene unfolded: the usually fearless Green Demon Bee, faced with the approach of this male bee, acted like a bashful young girl.


    ¡°You two go to the Insect Bag and communicate slowly!¡±


    Qin Niu created a private space inside the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag for the Dark Gold Shadow Fire Bee and the Green Demon Bee, allowing them to communicate more comfortably.


    The Shadow Fire Bee, however, seemed somewhat displeaseed.


    But faced with Qin Niu¡¯s command, it could only comply; there was no room for resistance.


    ¡°All of you go in there!¡±


    Qin Niu collected the entire swarm of bees into the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    This Hundred Treasures Insect Bag truly was a marvelous treasure.


    Having managed to snatch it from the hands of Elder Jiu Yin was an incredible stroke of fortune for Qin Niu and brought him great convenience in controlling insects.


    On the ground, some Fire Bees were rolling around injured or had been stung by the Green Demon Bee, laying in a dying state.


    Qin Niu swept them all up into the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag in one go.


    Whether they could resist the venom of the Green Demon Bee was uncertain.


    He could only watch and wait.


    If they couldn¡¯t withstand it and died, their corpses would definitely not go to waste.


    Qin Niu would use them to feed the Ant Queen and the Green Demon Bee.


    Having finished exploring this side passage, Qin Niu returned to the main cave.

 Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: Chapter 392 Red Lotus_1

    Chapter 400: Chapter 392 Red Lotus_1


    Green Ox was still there, anxiously waiting for him.


    Seeing him exit safely, Green Ox immediately rushed to his side, stretching its neck and rubbing its head against Qin Niu.


    ¡°Lazy ox, do we go out now, or continue exploring forward?¡±


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    Green Ox answered with action.


    It kicked up its hooves and galloped towards the deeper parts of the main cave.


    Qin Niu followed behind it, feeling extremely joyful because the rewards of this trip had exceeded his imagination.


    After walking about three hundred fifty to sixty meters, a terrifying sea of molten lava appeared in front of them. The lava inside kept rolling over, and the black rocks around could withstand the high temperature without melting.


    This also meant that the lava inside the cave was contained; only a tiny amount flowed outside following the lower areas.


    Thus, forming a lava belt.


    The closer they got to the cave entrance, the cooler the lava became.


    He felt that the magma inside the mountain was not particularly stable.


    Generally, where there¡¯s rolling lava, there are active volcanoes that might erupt at any time.


    At this point, the main cave basically reached its end.


    There might be a bit of an extension ahead, but there was nowhere for him to step. Moreover, it was all fiercely rolling lava; should he fall in, his body would immediately ignite and he would be burned alive.


    ¡°Nature is truly amazing.¡±


    Qin Niu, feeling the mighty force of nature, couldn¡¯t help but feel incredibly small.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    Green Ox lifted its neck, calling out towards the deeper parts of the lava.


    Qin Niu was curious, what exactly was it that attracted this lazy ox to venture into the cave to explore?


    Following the direction of Green Ox¡¯s gaze, he carefully observed; the lava in that area seemed to be rolling even more intensively, like water at boiling point, with that spot being the core area of the boil.


    With the intense rolling of the lava, he could faintly see golden, pointed leaves within the lava.


    They formed a circle, shrinking layer by layer towards the center, getting smaller.


    What was visible now was probably only a part of it.


    ¡°What in the world is that?¡±


    Qin Niu watched for a while, and the more he watched, the more it resembled a large flower.


    Most of it was immersed in the lava, with only a few tips peeking out.


    And that was only when the lava was rolling.


    His mind quickly recalled the Plants Illustrated Handbook by Master Mo Yang.


    The Fire Phoenix Tree could be ruled out first.


    Because the Fire Phoenix Trees generally grew above ground, not in the magma of a cave. They were very large and thrived on sunlight and scorching environments.


    It was said that Fire Phoenix Trees could only be found within the Wind-Fire Realm at the edge of chaos.


    They were called Divine Trees, and it was almost impossible to see them in this world where mortals lived.


    If it wasn¡¯t a Fire Phoenix Tree, what plant could it be?


    There weren¡¯t many plants that could live in scalding magma.


    Because both fire and metal could overcome wood.


    Normal plants would immediately turn to ash upon approaching a fire source. This was a natural suppression within the laws of the world.


    Just like water and fire, they inherently don¡¯t mix.


    Based on the few visible flower or leaf tips of that plant, it seemed more like a large flower.


    Or a plant with sword-shaped leaves.


    From the shape of those pointed leaves, the base seemed quite wide. They looked more like petals rather than leaves.


    Qin Niu¡¯s mind involuntarily conjured up the image of the Ice Lotus from his home.


    The two shared an uncanny resemblance.


    Only, the Ice Lotus at home was nearly transparent, almost indistinguishable in color from ice blocks.


    But the flower growing in the lava was golden in color.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity it¡¯s too far from the shore, I can¡¯t reach it.¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the giant plant growing within the lava, feeling a hint of itchiness in his heart.


    But there was nothing he could do.


    If that plant in the lava was indeed a flower, its diameter was over two meters.


    A tremendously large flower.


    ¡°It resembles the Fire Lotus that Master Mo Yang mentioned in the book. It belongs to a rare variant of the Gold Lotus, extremely rare. It only appears in lava pools. It is said that whoever obtains the Fire Lotus could possibly use it to undergo a phoenix-like rebirth¡­¡±


    He stared at that plant phasing in and out of visibility, and after repeated comparisons, he felt it was more like the Fire Lotus that Master Mo Yang had mentioned.


    Also known as the Red Lotus.


    It was rumored that this lotus had the power to aid beings in their phoenix-like rebirth.


    Qin Niu naturally wanted to obtain such a precious treasure.


    Green Ox was also staring at it with desirous eyes, wanting to consume it.


    However, neither master nor servant could enter the lava pool, let alone dig out that plant.


    Besides, whether it was a plant at all was still uncertain.


    The temperature inside was extremely high, and Qin Niu was already having some difficulty resisting it.


    The battle with the firebees had already consumed a great amount of his cultivation power, and he had been inside the cave for a long time. Furthermore, the temperature at the deepest part of the main cave was extremely high, requiring him to expend even more cultivation power to activate the King Pig Leather Armor for protection.


    This significantly increased the speed at which his cultivation power was being depleted.


    ¡°Eh, another feather from a firebird!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze inadvertently caught a very small feather in a corner.


    It could definitely be identified as a feather from that firebird.


    Could it be that the firebird flies into the deepest part of this cave to cultivate every time?


    Qin Niu¡¯s heartbeat quickened.


    He also realized that his current situation was very dangerous.


    If that firebird came in to cultivate and found a human and a Green Ox had invaded, it would definitely kill them without hesitation.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, stop looking. We can¡¯t get it now. If we want to get that Fire Lotus, we must think of a way to enter the lava.¡±


    Qin Niu was concerned about the firebird coming in to cultivate. If they collided, he would undoubtedly die.


    With his current strength, he was no match for the firebird.


    Knowing that it often comes to this cave to cultivate, he could possibly plan to deal with it here in the future.


    Green Ox was staring at the Fire Lotus in the middle of the lava pool, unwilling to leave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Greed will only cost you your own life.¡±


    Qin Niu slapped the ox¡¯s backside. It felt a bit of pain and obediently followed Qin Niu out of the cave.


    Fortunately, it was raining today, so the firebird did not come to cultivate.


    He planned to go back home and consult the Plants Illustrated Handbook for a comparison.


    He had the feeling that the plant in the lava might be the legendary Fire Lotus.


    Green Ox looked back three steps at a time, dragging its feet as it walked.


    ¡°You want to eat the Fire Lotus from the lava pool?¡±


    Qin Niu asked Green Ox.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    It humanly nodded its head with a light moo.


    ¡°When I get it, I can break off a few petals for you to eat. Eating the whole Fire Lotus, of course, would not do. Such a miraculous and rare plant like this are very seldom found in the world. I already have an Ice Lotus, and if I obtain a Fire Lotus, I¡¯ll immediately have both water and fire.¡±


    Qin Niu had his own plans.


    He, too, was covetous of the Fire Lotus.


    Today, he had subdued a swarm of firebees and a Grade Eight Dark Gold Shadow Fire Bee and had discovered the firebird¡¯s secret cultivation spot, as well as the Fire Lotus, making for a fruitful haul.


    Having spent a lot of time in the cave, by the time he returned home, it was already dark.


    His wives were cultivating at home, practicing martial arts with Xiao Qing.


    Xiao Qing was practicing the Seven-Star Sword Technique in the front courtyard.


    Seeing Qin Niu returning with Green Ox, she immediately sheathed her sword and happily came to greet him.


    At the same time, she shouted toward the house, ¡°Sister Wanyan, Sister Cai Xian, the master is back!¡±


    Two beautiful figures, one after the other, darted out from inside the house.


    It was Qin Niu¡¯s wives.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, next time I come back, don¡¯t disturb your sisters,¡± Qin Niu said as he patted Xiao Qing¡¯s head.


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ve got it!¡±


    Xiao Qing nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I saw that you were getting the hang of the Seven-Star Sword Technique just now, which is very good. Keep practicing. Mastery in one is better than being a jack of all trades. As long as you master this sword technique and combine it with the Misty Rain Elusive Step, you¡¯ll be able to handle all sorts of situations.¡±


    Qin Niu found Xiao Qing¡¯s talent to be truly exceptional.


    Whether she was cultivating her skills or practicing sword or step techniques, she was particularly diligent.


    She didn¡¯t just blindly put in effort.


    Watching her practice the Seven-Star Sword Technique, her progress was clearly visible.


    ¡°Husband, did you get wet from being in the mountains all day?¡±


    Wang Wanyan approached and felt Qin Niu¡¯s clothes.


    She found them to be dry.


    ¡°I¡¯m wearing the King Pig Leather Armor. It can completely protect against rain, dew, and thorns. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Qin Niu said with a smile.

 Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Chapter 393: A Letter from Tang Yan_1

    Chapter 401: Chapter 393: A Letter from Tang Yan_1


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s good that they didn¡¯t get wet! My father told me that if clothes get wet, you must change them in time, otherwise when you get old, you¡¯ll suffer from aches here and there. Go wash your hands and let¡¯s eat, Yu Qiu and the others have already prepared the food.¡±


    Wang Wanyan naturally took off the basket Qin Niu was carrying on his back.


    ¡°Ah Niu, my father came to our home today.¡±


    Tang Cai Xian kept by his right side.


    She waited until Wang Wanyan had finished speaking before she interjected.


    ¡°Did the old father-in-law come? Did you ask him to stay for a meal?¡±


    Qin Niu had a good impression of both his fathers-in-law.


    Neither were the type to sell their daughters for money, their principles were upright.


    Since their daughter got married and came over, they never asked for anything from Qin Niu, nor did they swagger around outside using their son-in-law¡¯s name as leverage.


    ¡°Wan Yan and I both asked him to stay, but he refused to eat! He sat for a while and then left. Daoyuan Village is now pushing him to become the village head, and the Tang Family is also preparing to have him as the clan leader. He came over this time to ask for your opinion.¡±


    Tang Cai Xian explained to her father¡¯s purpose.


    In this household, she was, after all, a concubine, her status lower than Wang Wanyan¡¯s.


    So she made a point to mention that Wang Wanyan also insisted her father stay for a meal.


    ¡°If your father came to ask me, that means he wants to be the clan leader and village head. This isn¡¯t a bad thing, I definitely support it fully. However, there¡¯s one condition, he must be advised to keep a low profile and not show off unnecessarily, and be even more careful not to be used by others with ulterior motives. Once he becomes the village head and clan leader of the Tang Family, he should consult with Tang Yan on any matters as much as possible.


    Also, have your brother work with him in handling affairs.


    Once your brother has developed the ability, he can take over the positions of clan leader and village head.¡±


    Qin Niu made some strategic plans for Tang Cai Xian¡¯s maternal family.


    In terms of wisdom and great intelligence, he was certainly far superior to Tang Cai Xian¡¯s father and brother.


    By loving one¡¯s own, he wholeheartedly supported his wives¡¯ and concubines¡¯ families¡¯ rise to power, which greatly benefited him personally as well.


    Having Daoyuan Village under the control of Tang Cai Xian¡¯s maternal family and Shuangfeng Village effectively under Qin Niu¡¯s control, in addition to the largest local landlord, the Yan Family, being on good terms with Qin Niu, he was like a large tree, planting his roots deep into the soil and spreading them out.


    What is a large tree with deep roots?


    This is it.


    If there were any issues in the future, Qin Niu, like a local emperor, would not be greatly affected regardless of regime changes.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll visit my maternal home tomorrow!¡±


    Hearing Qin Niu¡¯s full support for the development of her maternal family, Tang Cai Xian¡¯s face showed a happy smile.


    Now that she was living a good life, she naturally wanted her family to live a prosperous life too.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go empty-handed, take some food and other things with you. Xiao Qing, you take a maidservant with you to accompany Sister Cai Xian.¡±


    Qin Niu, not worried about food and clothing, was extremely considerate towards Tang Cai Xian¡¯s maternal family.


    Tang Cai Xian becoming his concubine had been somewhat of a concession on her part, so Qin Niu naturally provided some compensation.


    However, Wang Wanyan was a woman of substantial forbearance; she actually never treated Tang Cai Xian as a concubine, but rather as an equal co-wife.


    ¡°By the way, this is a letter that Uncle Tang Yan sent for you.¡±


    Tang Cai Xian handed Qin Niu a letter sealed with lacquer.


    Tang Yan was cautious in his affairs, worrying that someone might peek at the contents of the letter, so he sealed it with lacquer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down for a meal!¡±


    Qin Niu, holding the letter, entered the study.


    With three additional maidservants in the house, some sensitive matters certainly could not be overheard by them.


    He opened the letter and read it carefully.


    The letter mentioned several matters.


    The first matter Qin Niu attended to was to secretly direct Tang Yan to investigate the courtyard where Old Master Huang had stayed. Upon inspection, it turned out that the Nine Insect Gang had indeed planted spies there.


    However, they only managed to catch two minor ¡°fish.¡±


    Based on the official interrogation of the two Nine Insect Gang disciples, it was inferred that a high-ranking member of the Nine Insect Gang had resided in the house for some time. Unfortunately, after leaving one evening, that high-ranking member never returned.


    From the gathered information, the authorities suspected that the absconding high-ranking member of the Nine Insect Gang might very well be Elder Mei.


    Qin Niu chuckled to himself; Elder Mei had already become fertilizer for the Ancient Banyan Tree and was likely never to return.


    It actually worked out in Tang Yan¡¯s favor, who, thanks to the report, was credited with a merit.


    The second matter concerned the ongoing pest infestation within the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory. The Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect amassed a significant force, preparing to attack the Black Tiger Gang head-on, with a major battle imminent.


    Many landlords and wealthy farmers, upon hearing the news, rushed to sell their fields.


    This led to a drastic plunge in land prices.


    At the moment, the price of an acre of good farmland peaked at nine taels and five coins of silver, with the lowest going for around eight taels.


    Now, it was a matter of who could act fastest, for only by holding silver money in hand could one feel secure.


    But the buyers weren¡¯t fools either; with such a poor overall environment and a selling frenzy in full swing, there were very few who dared to take over.


    Many potential buyers were still watching and waiting, hoping to make a purchase when the land prices hit rock bottom.


    They were also worried about the Black Tiger Gang facing defeat.


    If the Black Tiger Gang were to be wiped out and the new authorities didn¡¯t acknowledge the purchased fields, the spent silver would be wasted.


    Furthermore, with the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s notorious reputation, if the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory fell under their control, then any person with even modest means would contemplate fleeing the area. The fields held in hand would become worthless.


    Qin Niu believed that the price of the land would fall further.


    The Nine Insect Gang had already lost two elders; they had to directly challenge the Black Tiger Gang to give an explanation to their members.


    The battle was inevitable.


    It was just a matter of when would be most advantageous for the Nine Insect Gang to launch a full-scale attack, and they would choose that time to strike.


    By then, the price of the land would truly hit rock bottom.


    If Qin Niu swooped in and bought around five thousand acres then, he was certain to make a huge profit.


    The third matter, based on reliable information, was that the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was soon to hold the Water and Land Dharma Assembly in Elixir City, with some people already heading there.


    Entering an Immortal Sect is the ultimate dream of every cultivator.


    Even some independent cultivators who had reached the level of an Immortal Master still aspired to join an Immortal Sect.


    Because the top-tier cultivation resources were almost entirely concentrated in the hands of the Immortal Sects.


    The Cultivation Techniques, Spells, magical treasures, Immortal Pills, and cultivation experiences were extremely hard to come by in the outside world.


    Becoming an immortal should be the dream of every mortal.


    Only by becoming an immortal would one have the possibility to explore higher realms, seek eternal life, and roam freely between heaven and earth.


    ¡°Those people are rushing to Elixir City, surely hoping to seize an early advantage. With my current situation, it¡¯s impossible for me to enter an Immortal Sect, so rushing there would be pointless. It¡¯s better to stay in Shuangfeng Village and focus on my cultivation,¡± Qin Niu thought.


    The news about the Water and Land Dharma Assembly was what Qin Niu cared about the most.


    Though he was only sixteen now, even if he waited another ten years, he still had the chance to enter an Immortal Sect.


    However, entering an Immortal Sect at the age of sixteen and at twenty-six meant completely different treatments.


    He had heard that cultivation resources in Immortal Sects were limited and the competition between various Immortal Sects was extremely fierce.


    The Immortal Sects would definitely prefer to concentrate a large amount of resources on disciples with more exceptional potential.


    Therefore, he would definitely attend this Water and Land Dharma Assembly.


    Whether he could enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect or not, at least he could bravely strive for it. Even if he failed, he would gain experience for the next Water and Land Dharma Assembly.

 Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Chapter 394 Plotting for the Fire Lotus_1

    Chapter 402: Chapter 394 Plotting for the Fire Lotus_1


    ¡°`


    Many cultivators were like old scholars rushing to exams, failing this year and trying again the next.


    The more times they took the exam, the more familiar they became with the rules, which allowed them to prepare more effectively for the next one.


    The Water and Land Dharma Assembly was the only chance for mortal cultivators to enter an Immortal Sect.


    And comparatively speaking, it was fairer.


    As long as one had the strength, it was nearly impossible to be overlooked.


    By then, even all the senior members of the Black Tiger Gang would likely attend. Many of those big shots already had experience in multiple assemblies, and their chances of success were higher.


    After all, most of them had already reached the Spirit Qi Realm.


    ¡­


    After dinner, Qin Niu returned to his study to browse through Master Mo Yang¡¯s Plants Illustrated Handbook.


    Purchasing this book had been an incredible deal.


    The plants included within were extraordinarily rare and special.


    It was said that Master Mo Yang later entered an Immortal Sect, but whether he achieved immortality or if he was still alive was unknown.


    Master Mo Yang could be considered a top success story among farmers.


    A normal farmer, if they worked hard to become a planting master and a great landlord, would be deemed very successful. He, however, had managed to enter an Immortal Sect and cultivate through his hard work.


    Qin Niu quickly flipped to the page about the Fire Lotus.


    It featured several illustrations, all of the same Fire Lotus, but from different perspectives and stages of growth.


    The last picture, showing the Fire Lotus in full bloom, was extremely similar to the one Qin Niu had seen in the lava.


    The Fire Lotus, also known as Drought Golden Lotus, Red Lotus, Nirvana Lotus, Apocalypse Lotus, etc., grows in scorching lava. It is most commonly found in active volcanoes.


    Some were the size of a palm, while others could grow up to seven or eight meters in diameter.


    Legend has it that the lotus coexists with fire, meaning when it is born, a volcano forms. When it fully blooms, it marks the eruption of the volcano.


    The lotus can be used in medicine and can help cultivators of fire-related cultivation techniques rapidly increase their cultivation levels.


    There were tales of great beings of the immortal dao who, with immense wisdom and courage, used the Fire Lotus to achieve nirvana and transcendence, shedding their mortal bodies to forge an immortal form and an indestructible golden body¡­


    As Qin Niu read about the Fire Lotus, he felt his blood boiling with excitement.


    By a stroke of luck, he had already obtained an Ice Lotus.


    If he could get a Fire Lotus as well, it would be perfect.


    The book didn¡¯t mention any methods for harvesting the Fire Lotus, only that it was born within fiery lava, and that attempting to retrieve it risked life and limb and was not for the faint-hearted.


    Master Mo Yang must have been someone who cherished plants and trees; his Plants Illustrated Handbook detailed the uses of each plant and included illustrations, but never discussed how to acquire them.


    ¡°Water and fire are incompatible, yet they generate and overcome each other. Can I use the Ice Lotus to obtain the Fire Lotus?¡±


    A flash of inspiration struck Qin Niu.


    Master Mo Yang had also mentioned that when the Fire Lotus fully blooms, it signifies the eruption of a volcano.


    The Fire Lotus in the lava was nearing its full bloom, and the turbulent flow of the lava in the cave indicated that the volcano might erupt at any moment.


    He had to acquire the Fire Lotus before the volcano erupted.


    Otherwise, the Lotus would be destroyed in the eruption.


    The temperature of the lava was extremely high, exceeding a thousand degrees. As a mortal with a physical body, Qin Niu stood no chance of entering it.


    The Ice Lotus seemed to be the exact opposite of the Fire Lotus, continually emitting cold air, even capable of freezing an entire pond.


    Using it to withstand the heat of the lava was at least worth a try.


    Qin Niu decided to find time to take the Ice Lotus and attempt entering the cave.


    Of course, he had to make some preparations first.


    After reviewing the Plants Illustrated Handbook, he used his consciousness to check on the Green Demon Bees and the Dark Gold Shadow Fire Bees in his Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    Pff!


    He blushed with embarrassment.


    There he saw, the Dark Gold Shadow Fire Bee was lying on top of the Green Demon Bee.


    The world of insects was so straightforward. Human relationships, by comparison, were much more complex. Some people might date for years before even considering marriage and eventually coming together.


    Insects, on the other hand, could become mates as soon as they found each other agreeable.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Originally, he was still worried that the Dark Gold Shadow Fire Bee and the Green Demon Bee were two different bee species, and they wouldn¡¯t mate.


    His worry was unnecessary.


    All he needed to do was patiently wait for the Green Demon Bee to lay eggs.


    After his bath, Qin Niu walked towards Wang Wanyan¡¯s room. While the insects were busy procreating, he too must work hard towards the goal of soon becoming a father.


    If he could have several children, raise them, and have them join him in cultivation, the Qin Family would gradually flourish.


    He would also have the strongest support.


    Father and son soldiers in battle, after all.


    The next morning, Qin Niu wrestled out of the tender land, dressed, and left the room.


    He didn¡¯t wake Wang Wanyan, still sleeping soundly.


    Having given her a tough time last night, naturally, he let her sleep a while longer.


    ¡°Master, good morning!¡±


    The three maidservants were industrious, getting up early to prepare breakfast and boil hot water.


    Upon seeing Qin Niu rise, they brought over the hot water for washing.


    ¡°Is it raining outside?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a light rain has been falling!¡±


    Yu Qiu, the oldest of the maidservants, replied.


    The other two maidservants were only around thirteen years old, a bit young, and also much shier.


    They didn¡¯t dare to converse much with their master.


    Every time they saw Qin Niu, they would stand respectfully, hands held down at the front, shoulders slightly drooped.


    ¡°You three have been at my residence for some time now, are you getting used to it?¡±


    ¡°Used to it!¡±


    The two younger maidservants replied softly.


    ¡°You and the two madams treat us very well, never scold us. I have food to eat, a good place to live, and the work is not tiring. It is good! Being able to serve you and the two madams as maidservants is my good fortune.¡±


    Yu Qiu¡¯s answer might have a hint of flattery, but her tone and gaze were very sincere as she spoke.


    Her overall demeanor was also quite positive.


    Her complexion had a hint of rosy health, her eyes were bright, indicating her life here was indeed not bad.


    ¡°As long as you work hard and serve me and the two madams well, I will definitely not treat you unfairly. I¡¯m planning to go into the city today, and I see your clothing is quite worn. I will buy two sets for each of you. Just tell Xiao Qing your sizes.¡±


    Qin Niu was fairly satisfied with the performance of the three maidservants over this period.


    It was also time to give them some rewards to keep them motivated.


    Adults work hard mostly to honor their parents, support their children, and improve the lives of their families and themselves¡ª to have enough food and warm clothing.


    They sold themselves to Qin Niu, becoming servants, which made it impossible for them to contact their families again.


    Unless they had Qin Niu¡¯s permission.


    The maidservants generally wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to contact their families.


    Most of them were sold off by their parents or siblings, losing their freedom.


    And others no longer had any family.


    Some uncles or other relatives, upon seeing their niece¡¯s parents dead or missing, might outright sell them off, then usurp their inheritance.


    For the sake of money, human nature can be more terrifying than demons.


    ¡°Thank you, master!¡±


    All three maidservants were overjoyed upon hearing that their master was going to get them new clothes.


    Their smiles were evident on their faces.


    ¡°Yang Yao, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you smile; you should smile more in the future. That way you¡¯ll look prettier, understand? If you always frown and look troubled, you¡¯ll only grow uglier, and age especially fast,¡± Qin Niu told the maidservant with a beauty mark on her left eyebrow.


    This maidservant was picked by Wang Wanyan, quite frail looking, but not bad in appearance. She was just exceptionally introverted, always seemed preoccupied, rarely speaking.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: Chapter 395: Treat the Servants Well_1

    Chapter 403: Chapter 395: Treat the Servants Well_1


    She should be the youngest of the three maids.


    People with moles on their eyebrows are said, from the perspective of physiognomy, to achieve great success. Moreover, these individuals are especially intelligent.


    Qin Niu had learned some wisdom from the Yan Family¡¯s method of managing servants.


    Although maids were servants, once they entered the household, they also counted as half a member of the family.


    They might not amount to anything significant, but sometimes they could ruin their master¡¯s important affairs.


    If they intended to seek revenge on their masters, it would be an utterly terrifying matter.


    It could even lead to disastrous consequences.


    Qin Niu had heard of a case where a small landlord bought a maid who was made to work all day and was given only scanty meals, always the worst kind of food. And, if he was displeased, he would drag her into his room to vent his bestial desires.


    One time, the mistress caught them in the act.


    The landlord adamantly claimed that the maid had seduced him.


    The mistress hung the maid up and beat her viciously, punishing her by making her kneel without food.


    Everyone thought that was the end of it.


    But after half a year or so, the landlord¡¯s three-year-old son fell into a well and drowned.


    A few months later, sores festered on the landlord¡¯s head and his feet began to ooze pus and rot away. Despite seeing many doctors, his illness could not be cured.


    The man grew thinner by the day, living in constant torment from his sickness.


    Within less than a year, the landlord died in agony.


    On the day of his death, he was skin and bones, his head covered in festering sores, his feet so rotted they were unrecognizable. His entire foot had turned black, continuously leaking fetid pus.


    After the landlord was buried, only the mistress and the maid were left in the family.


    Not long after, the mistress went mad.


    The maid told outsiders that her mistress was haunted by the deceased master.


    One day, the mistress was found dead in the river.


    Everyone said the mistress had died by suicide, jumping into the river.


    The maid took care of the funeral and asked the villagers to help bury the mistress. Everyone praised the maid for her loyalty and decency.


    It wasn¡¯t until later, when the officials¡¯ constables came to the village and shackled the maid to take her away, that everyone learned the deaths of the landlord¡¯s family of three had all been the doing of this maid.


    Her intention was to seek revenge against the landlord¡¯s family.


    The landlord¡¯s child was tricked by her to the backyard well, where she pushed him in.


    He was drowned alive.


    The landlord¡¯s strange illness wasn¡¯t due to doing too many bad deeds resulting in sores on his head and pus in his feet; it was because the maid had been secretly poisoning him.


    The dosage was very well controlled; she would add the poison to the landlord¡¯s tea or soup each day, eventually causing him to die in excruciating pain from the sickness.


    The mistress went mad from being terrorized.


    Her suicide by drowning was also a result of the maid¡¯s manipulation.


    A perfectly good family ended up devastated and decimated, all because they had mistreated this maid.


    When Qin Niu initially bought the maids, he had ideas about how to manage them properly.


    It boiled down to three approaches: first, maintain authority; second, show kindness; and third, offer help when they needed it, inspiring lifetime gratitude and loyalty.


    As long as these three aspects were handled well, there would be no fear of their disloyalty.


    After breakfast, Qin Niu mentioned to his wife that he was stepping out, shouldered a basket, and, with Green Ox, headed towards Black Tiger City.


    He enjoyed taking every opportunity to walk to practice the Misty Rain Elusive Step.


    This light-body cultivation technique was extremely useful for him.


    Today, since he was alone and didn¡¯t have to wait for anyone, his pace was much faster than usual.


    In less than an hour, he had arrived at Black Tiger City.


    With his Innate Realm cultivation complemented by the Misty Rain Elusive Step, it was indeed not too shabby.


    A distance that took an average person four hours to walk, he completed in just one. His walking speed was four times that of a regular person.


    And this wasn¡¯t even his fastest speed yet.


    If he put forth full effort, it would take him just over half an hour to reach Black Tiger City.


    Once inside the city, he made straight for the Cultivation Market.


    He had exhausted all his Contractual Talismans to subdue two Shadow Fire Bees, leaving only about a dozen low-grade Contract Charms.


    He deliberately entered the city to restock.


    Black Tiger City was shrouded in an atmosphere of war, with many shops hanging ¡°For Sale¡± signs.


    Some stores had closed their doors altogether.


    Before a war, merchants would usually turn their stores and goods into Silver Money to minimize losses.


    As for those who ended up with these assets, if they couldn¡¯t sell them off, they could only blame themselves.


    He went straight to Bei Bing¡¯s talisman shop.


    ¡°Bei Bing!¡±


    Qin Niu walked in.


    Inside the shop, there was only her, and he didn¡¯t see her grandfather.


    Bei Bing seemed very happy to see him.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t your grandfather come back yet?¡±


    Qin Niu asked with concern.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡±


    She shook her head.


    Then she wrote on a slate, ¡°However, my grandfather sent me a letter saying that he¡¯s run into a bit of trouble and will be coming back two or three months late. He told me to look after the shop well and to practice my talisman-making skills.¡±


    As long as the old man was safe, that was what mattered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you to look after the shop by yourself. If you need any help, feel free to send someone to drop me a note. You know my address.¡±


    Qin Niu considered her a real friend.


    He would definitely provide all the help he could if she needed assistance.


    ¡°I want to thank you for attending my wedding last time and for the generous gift. I¡¯m sorry for any lack of hospitality on my part; please forgive me. If you visit my home in the future, I¡¯ll make sure to treat you well.¡±


    Qin Niu expressed his gratitude to her.


    ¡°Mm-hmm!¡±


    She gestured with her hands, indicating that she would definitely visit when she had the time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy twenty mid-grade Contractual Talismans and five Advanced Contractual Talismans.¡±


    Qin Niu found it too troublesome to enter the city repeatedly, so he intended to buy a large batch of talismans at once.


    If he had the opportunity to subdue that Demon Bird, he would definitely need to consume a large number of mid-grade and advanced talismans, so naturally, he wanted to be well-prepared.


    After hearing his request, she showed a troubled expression.


    Then she wrote on the slate, ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the mid-grade talismans, but we currently don¡¯t have any advanced ones in stock.¡±


    Making Advanced Contract Talismans required not only high-level materials but also a high level of symbolism expertise.


    Bei Bing was currently only capable of making mid-grade Contractual Talismans.


    Her grandfather had been away for a long time and had not returned, which led to a direct shortage of Advanced Contractual Talismans.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll just buy the twenty mid-grade Contractual Talismans for now!¡±


    Qin Niu took out two hundred taels of Silver Money.


    But she insisted on only accepting a hundred and eighty taels, giving him a discount of ten percent.


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    Qin Niu accepted her kindness.


    Her family¡¯s living conditions should not be bad, as the cost of making talismans was relatively low, and what they earned was mainly from their expertise.


    The selling price for a mid-grade Contractual Talisman was ten taels of Silver Money, which was equivalent to the total income of an ordinary farmer over three years. Even if the cost to make one talisman was four taels of Silver Money, considering a certain failure rate, she could still make about two taels of Silver Money from each one.


    In the talisman-making industry, the primary cost is the failure rate.


    Even if making a mid-grade Contractual Talisman only cost two taels of Silver Money, if it took making ten to succeed in one, the cost would shoot up to twenty taels of Silver Money. Selling one would mean a loss of ten taels of Silver Money.


    The better the Talisman Maker¡¯s expertise and the more experience they had, the more they would earn.


    Conversely, if it was a novice Talisman Master, they might well run at a loss.


    ¡°Do you know where I can buy Advanced Contractual Talismans? Can you recommend a talisman shop that sells quality ones for me?¡±


    Qin Niu sought advice from her, an industry insider.

 Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: Chapter 396 Earth Escape Talisman_1

    Chapter 404: Chapter 396 Earth Escape Talisman_1


    ¡°Dark Talisman Languages for sale, but the owner has a bit of an odd temper. Once you ask for the price, never try to haggle, or else he¡¯ll never sell you a talisman again,¡± Bei Bing wrote on the slate.


    ¡°Alright, thanks! Then I¡¯ll be off. If there¡¯s anything you need help with, feel free to look for me at any time.¡±


    Qin Niu chatted with her for a bit before leaving the shop and heading straight for the Dark Talisman Language Shop.


    The shop didn¡¯t give a good impression.


    Out front, there was a hemp stone sign with the words ¡°Dark Talisman Language¡± carved crookedly on it.


    This hemp stone had a square hole, was long-bar-shaped, and clearly looked like a piece of a door frame salvaged from a demolished old building.


    Looking at the shop¡¯s exterior decoration, the walls were mottled, and areas closer to the ground were covered in moss.


    There wasn¡¯t even the simplest of decor.


    Inside the shop was a long wooden cabinet, somewhat like the standard bookshelves, but more closely resembling a medicine cabinet used for storing Chinese herbs.


    It was because this long wooden cabinet had a series of drawers.


    The floor inside was made of uneven mud.


    Customers didn¡¯t even need to enter the shop, just one glance from outside was enough to make them feel the shop was unreliable.


    Crafting talismans is an extremely precise task.


    Whether it¡¯s the materials or the process of drawing the talismans, every stroke must be meticulous, without the slightest error.


    This shop couldn¡¯t even write a proper sign, so how could they possibly draw a good talisman?


    Qin Niu, on his first trip to the city to buy talismans, hadn¡¯t even stepped foot in the shop.


    Just a look from afar, and he had dismissed it.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Bei Bing¡¯s recommendation, he would never have known that this shop sold Advanced Contract Talismans.


    After entering, he saw a middle-aged man around fifty standing at an old desk, carving a piece of wood.


    It was a thick log, as wide as an adult¡¯s waist.


    The man furrowed his brow, carving meticulously with the knife in his hand, stroke by stroke.


    Noticing a customer entering, the man didn¡¯t look up to greet him but continued to focus intently on his carving.


    ¡°Excuse me, do you have any Advanced Contract Talismans for sale?¡±


    ¡°Yes, one hundred and twenty taels of silver each,¡± the owner answered without raising his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take five,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Even though Bei Bing had referred him and the price seemed steep, Qin Niu was in urgent need of them and reluctantly accepted the cost.


    After all, what mattered was the quality.


    With his current wealth, spending an extra hundred taels of silver on such critical cultivation materials was entirely acceptable.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± the middle-aged man replied indifferently, still focused on the wood he was carving on the desk.


    Qin Niu instinctively looked at the man¡¯s carving.


    The wood was etched with smooth lines.


    Every line the man carved was continuous from start to finish. Some were deep, some shallow; some thick, some thin.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of carving all these lines?¡± Qin Niu wondered to himself.


    As time passed, the man¡¯s carving gradually neared completion.


    ¡°Is this, wind?¡± Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes at the finished carving.


    The man ignored him and picked up a strip of cloth, hanging it beside the wood carving. The cloth didn¡¯t react at all.


    The man shook his head in disappointment.


    ¡°You wanted five Advanced Contract Talismans, right?¡± He kept Qin Niu waiting so long with no hint of an apology.


    Instead, he looked grumpy, his tone unpleasant, because the carving hadn¡¯t produced the desired effect.


    ¡°Right,¡± Qin Niu replied, not taking issue with his attitude.


    The man opened one of the drawers from the cabinet and took out five wooden boxes.


    Each box bore a strange symbol on it, somewhat reminiscent of a child¡¯s doodle. However, upon closer inspection, one¡¯s spirit felt like it was being drawn in by an invisible force.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be six hundred taels of silver. You can check them now, but once you leave the shop, no returns or exchanges are allowed.¡±


    For someone to do business with such an arrogant attitude and yet not close up shop, he must either rely on his skills to get by, or because the profit on talismans was so high, selling one Advanced Contract Talisman could sustain him for three years.


    ¡°I¡¯ll inspect the goods first.¡±


    Qin Niu took the wooden boxes, opening one of them.


    The talisman was actually black, not the most common yellow.


    The runes drawn on it were a dark red.


    It looked somewhat sinister.


    Timid people probably wouldn¡¯t dare to carry it on their person at all.


    After looking over all five boxes, Qin Niu felt uneasy in his heart.


    Are these five Advanced Talismans really reliable?


    Bei Bing is certainly trustworthy, her recommended shops should be more or less the same.


    The last time her grandfather recommended a grocery store, it was very dependable.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take all five.¡±


    Qin Niu gritted his teeth and spent six hundred taels of Silver Money to buy all the talismans.


    ¡°Do you have any other special talismans here besides Advanced Contract Talismans, like an Invisibility Talisman?¡±


    He had fallen deeply in love with special talismans after using an Invisibility Talisman once.


    Having one could save his life at a critical moment.


    ¡°Hmph, it was Old Bei who referred you here, wasn¡¯t it? Only Old Bei can make Invisibility Talismans, and I bet he hasn¡¯t fully mastered it yet.¡±


    The middle-aged man mentioned Old Bei, which must be Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather.


    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll come back if I need anything else, goodbye.¡±


    Without saying much more, Qin Niu carefully tucked the talismans close to his body and left the Dark Talisman Language Shop.


    ¡°An Earth Escape Talisman for one thousand taels of Silver Money each, want one?¡±


    The middle-aged man called out to his departing figure.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Qin Niu, upon hearing that an Earth Escape Talisman was available for just one thousand taels each, agreed without a second thought.


    When it came to buying farmland worth nine taels per acre, he always hesitated.


    But now, to buy an Earth Escape Talisman for a thousand taels each, he was exceptionally swift.


    Not everyone could understand this kind of spending mindset.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    The middle-aged man went inside and brought out a yellow wooden box.


    It was about three inches long and two inches wide.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the talisman. Once activated, it will give you a temporary ability to escape through the earth, allowing you to instantly travel up to five miles away. However, be careful to avoid rocky terrain, as it only works through soil. If you encounter rock, it won¡¯t be effective.¡±


    The middle-aged man briefly explained the talisman¡¯s function.


    ¡°That¡¯s already very powerful. Here¡¯s a thousand taels of Silver Money.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t blink an eye as he threw down the money.


    What if he was being swindled?


    Unless this Talisman shop didn¡¯t want to stay in business anymore, with his current abilities, he could easily shut down the small shop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t breathe while using the talisman, keep your eyes closed, and hold your breath.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you for the advice, boss.¡±


    Qin Niu had never used an Earth Escape Talisman, but after buying it, he kept it close. He planned to use it only if his life was in danger.


    It¡¯s best not to have to use such lifesaving items at all.


    Upon leaving the Cultivation Market, he saw that many shops on the main street were displaying signs for sale at reduced prices.


    But the price decreases weren¡¯t significant, barely less than twenty percent.


    If he waited patiently a while longer, the prices in the shops might drop to their lowest.


    Qin Niu only bought clothes and shoes for his three maidservants before returning home.


    This trip to the city was mainly to purchase Contractual Talismans.


    There wasn¡¯t anything particularly high-class to buy in Black Tiger City itself.


    However, the black market was an exception.


    Sometimes some rather good special items would appear there.


    He had considered taking a demon feather to the black market to probe it, but ultimately decided the risk was too great and gave up decisively.


    ¡­


    Once home, distributing the clothes and shoes to the maidservants went without saying.


    The next day, Qin Niu, his wives, concubines, and Xiao Qing went to the mountain to practice cultivation together.


    Only rainy days prevented them from cultivating in the mountains.


    After it had rained for two consecutive days, they rested at home as well.


    Qin Niu, however, was hoping for a heavy rain.


    He could use it as an opportunity to head to the cave in the mountains and try to obtain the Fire Lotus.

 Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: Chapter 397: Assault on the Dual Innate Realm_1

    Chapter 405: Chapter 397: Assault on the Dual Innate Realm_1


    ¡°`


    By intuition, if he could obtain that Fire Lotus, his fate might change significantly.


    Opportunity sometimes presented itself in such a way that, if seized, it was easy to alter one¡¯s destiny.


    Originally, if he hadn¡¯t gone all out to buy the Contractual Talisman and tamed a Termite as a pet, he might still be just a poor country boy now, so wretched that even dogs would turn up their noses at him.


    It would have been impossible for him to live in a mansion, be a first-rate noble, and marry two stunningly beautiful wives.


    Under the Ancient Banyan Tree, Qin Niu was meditating with his eyes closed, cultivating the Medicine King Sutra.


    His Cultivation Technique of the Medicine King Sutra had been stuck at the peak of Grade Ten in the Acquired Realm for some time, and his inability to advance to the Innate Realm was causing a hint of impatience in the depths of his heart.


    At other times, even if he couldn¡¯t break through to the Innate Realm after a year of cultivation, he would remain indifferent.


    But the Water and Land Dharma Assembly was about to begin, and if he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait another ten years.


    This was the root of his restlessness.


    The Alchemy Stove inside his body was spinning rapidly.


    It was an Alchemy Stove condensed from the power of the Medicine King Sutra.


    It was round, with three legs, no ears, and no lid.


    Its shape wasn¡¯t even stable; as it spun, the shape of its mouth would change.


    It felt soft and weak to him, not solid enough.


    As Qin Niu continually absorbed medicinal qi from the outside world and transformed it into the power of the Medicine King Sutra, adding it into the Alchemy Stove without cease, the walls of the stove became little by little more substantial.


    When his Medicine King Sutra had just advanced to the Acquired Realm, the Alchemy Stove he condensed was very small, and its walls were extremely thin.


    After such a long time of cultivation, his cultivation level had risen from Grade One to Grade Ten in the Acquired Realm; the Alchemy Stove had grown nearly thirty times in size, and its walls had become extremely thick.


    But its shape was always unstable.


    It was like it lacked bones, missing solid support.


    His restlessness was causing him to want to advance to the Innate Realm quickly, and the speed of the Alchemy Stove¡¯s rotation was also getting faster and faster.


    The faster the Alchemy Stove spun, the quicker it absorbed medicinal qi from the outside world.


    He gritted his teeth, fully controlling the Alchemy Stove, making it spin wildly like an unbridled horse.


    The Alchemy Stove began to deform violently.


    It even started to develop cracks, with a risk of falling apart.


    ¡°No, if this continues, it¡¯s very likely to cause the Alchemy Stove to collapse,¡± he thought.


    Qin Niu realized the danger.


    He quickly suppressed the restlessness in his heart, knowing that haste would not bring success.


    Being too eager could easily lead to deviating from the path and becoming possessed.


    At the very least, his cultivation could regress.


    Some successful experiences from cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique helped him at this moment.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique emphasized letting things take their natural course, pursuing naturalness, and following the laws of nature.


    To avoid the risk of deviating while cultivating the Medicine King Sutra, he tried to relax his heart, no longer eager for quick success but rather taking a natural approach and circulating the Medicine King Sutra for a normal cultivation session.


    The once rapidly spinning Alchemy Stove began to slow down to a steady speed.


    It also became much more stable and stopped developing ruptures.


    He started to cultivate with a quiet determination.


    After a while, he noticed some changes in the spinning of the Alchemy Stove.


    As its spinning became slower and steadier, energy began to sink bit by bit. Then the three legs seemed to grow sturdier and have a more stable support capacity.


    Because the base had become stable.


    Qin Niu secretly delighted in this development and continued to refine his technique following this opportunity.


    The sense of solidity in the three legs of the Alchemy Stove was further strengthened.


    At this point, he noticed the benefit, that the spinning of the Alchemy Stove, although seemingly much slower, was in fact increasing the speed of the absorption of medicinal qi.


    ¡°`


    Furthermore, the lower base of the Alchemy Stove became thicker, and the entire stove became more stable.


    The extent of the mouth¡¯s distortion diminished increasingly.


    It seems that cultivating with a serene heart is the true path of cultivation.


    The current method of cultivation is the correct one.


    About an hour later, the sense of heaviness in the entire Alchemy Stove extended upwards from the three legs, making it feel increasingly substantial and more stable as well.


    Its bottom hardly deformed anymore, as if it had acquired a skeleton.


    After about two hours of cultivation, Qin Niu felt his head grow dizzy and swollen. He knew that this was due to severe depletion of spiritual power. He could no longer continue to cultivate the Medicine King Sutra.


    ¡°What a pity, if I could cultivate for another six hours, perhaps the entire Alchemy Stove would become completely stable. By then, I might also have advanced to the Innate Realm.¡±


    Qin Niu sighed inwardly.


    However, he had now adjusted his mindset, so he was able to face it with equanimity.


    His heart remained constantly calm and unhurried.


    After a short rest, he began to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    This Life-Nurturing Technique was really good, completely substituting for sleep to help him quickly recover the exhausted spiritual power. At the same time, it also rapidly increased the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique, killing two birds with one stone.


    This cultivation session lasted for a full six hours.


    He felt strands of cool energy falling on his head, dusk had descended once more; the day had passed so quickly.


    In the mountains during cultivation, time was irrelevant.


    Under the Ancient Banyan Tree, one could cultivate almost twenty times faster than in the outside world, which made everyone here vie with one another to make the most of every second.


    ¡°Stop cultivating, we need to leave.¡±


    While collecting Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, Qin Niu said to the three women.


    If he returned tomorrow to cultivate for another day, his Medicine King Sutra should be able to break through to the Innate Realm.


    Back at home, Qin Niu saw Wang Wanyan feeding her cat.


    The growth rate of this cat was quite slow; it had only barely advanced to Grade Two.


    It could defeat a few dogs in the village, and that was all.


    ¡°Wan Yan, how is the cat¡¯s training coming along?¡±


    He walked over and observed the cat.


    It was just an ordinary house cat, but because it had eaten plenty of Pig King meat, it had made it to Grade Two.


    Many Beast Tamers were unwilling to take normal animals as pets for this reason.


    Their rate of improvement was simply too slow.


    And their potential for growth was very low.


    ¡°It¡¯s going alright! I can now communicate with it somewhat; it understands my words, and I can guess its intentions from its meows and actions. However, when commanding it in battle, it does well against the village¡¯s big yellow and big flower dogs. But when facing wild beasts in the mountains, it becomes quite frustrating.


    Last time, at the foot of the mountain, just past Xie Laizi¡¯s place, we encountered a snake over three meters long.


    My cat ended up being defeated.


    When I commanded it to fight the snake, it just wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    Wang Wanyan shared her achievements and frustrations during the beast training process.


    ¡°Have you ever thought that it might not listen to your commands because its combat ability hasn¡¯t reached your expectations?¡±


    Qin Niu had some experience with insect control and beast training.


    After all, he had quite a number of pets by now.


    ¡°This¡­ I hadn¡¯t really thought of that.¡±


    Wang Wanyan wore a contemplative expression.


    ¡°It seems you are right. It¡¯s also possible that its strength or speed isn¡¯t sufficient. When I instructed it to attack the snake¡¯s vital seven-inch region, it made similar movements, but in the end, its claws only hit the snake¡¯s tail.¡±

 Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: Chapter 398: A Cat Has Nine Lives_1

    Chapter 406: Chapter 398: A Cat Has Nine Lives_1


    The situation she described could very well be that the cat¡¯s speed was too slow, or that during the battle, the cat anticipated danger and didn¡¯t dare to forcefully attack the snake¡¯s vital spot.


    If it failed to dodge in time and got bitten, or if the snake coiled around it, that would be extremely dangerous.


    The snake¡¯s most formidable attack methods, besides its terrifying fangs, include its constricting ability.


    It can strangle its enemies to death.


    Eventually turning from prey into the hunter.


    ¡°I have a method to make it stronger, but the process is very risky. It might die, can you accept that?¡±


    Qin Niu asked his wife.


    After pondering seriously for a moment, she nodded her head.


    ¡°There are always some risks in the process of getting stronger, let it try!¡±


    By saying this, she had already prepared for the worst.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feed it anything for now, I¡¯ll give you a fish in a moment.¡±


    Qin Niu walked to the fish pond in the front yard, scooped up a fish, and then based on the cat¡¯s weight, inserted a certain dosage of Ancient Banyan Tree Blood into the fish¡¯s belly.


    This was valuable stuff.


    Even a Grade Seven Red-eyed Golden Toad would benefit from it.


    After he prepared it, he handed it to his wife.


    ¡°Just feed this fish to the cat. Make sure to watch it eat the whole thing, and it would be best to lock it in a cage.¡±


    Each pet had a different reaction after ingesting Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    If this cat went crazy and ran away after eating it, it would really be impossible to find it later.


    Moreover, the ranking-up process after eating the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was very long, during which time it would have almost no ability to defend itself, which was very dangerous.


    Wang Wanyan was quite compliant with his words.


    She locked the cat in a specially made iron cage.


    Then she threw the fish into its feeding bowl.


    The cat sniffed at the fish, licked it with its tongue, and started to nibble, beginning with the fish¡¯s head.


    The fish was freshly caught and weighed only two ounces.


    Quite small.


    The scent of the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood belonged to the natural world, and it was quite rare for animals to be alerted to its smell.


    Qin Niu watched as the cat finished eating the fish.


    In less than fifteen minutes, the cat began to show some abnormal reactions.


    It kept scratching its neck and body with its paws.


    And it emitted bursts of cries.


    The real danger had begun; whether it could survive this ordeal depended entirely on its own fate.


    ¡°My cat seems to be in a lot of pain, is there something wrong with that fish?¡±


    Wang Wanyan asked anxiously.


    ¡°I added a bit of an extra to that fish. As long as the cat can make it through, it will become stronger. It will at least advance to Grade Three and may even evolve some special abilities. Only then will it be worth further training.


    Otherwise, you will eventually discard it.¡±


    Qin Niu was very clear about the process of pet training.


    When encountering more powerful pets, one would definitely prioritize training the ones with greater potential.


    At this moment, Qin Niu heard what seemed to be a frog croak coming from the backyard.


    His heart swelled with joy; it looked like the Red-eyed Golden Toad had finally completed its evolution.


    Not an easy feat at all.


    These days without the Golden Toad, when dealing with some formidable bugs, he always felt like he lacked a capable assistant.


    ¡°Wan Yan, no matter how your cat struggles or howls, never let it out. One of my pets seems to have completed its advancement; I need to go check it out. Watch the cat for me.¡±


    Having said that, Qin Niu headed straight for the backyard.


    Upon entering the backyard, he saw two red beams of light shooting out from the hole in the corner of the wall.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad¡¯s eyes were red, and these beams were very likely emitted from its eyes.


    ¡°Wart Toad, come out!¡±


    Qin Niu called.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad was already a Grade Seven Golden Toad, and now it had most likely advanced to Grade Eight.


    Pets that reached Grade Eight were basically equivalent to human Spirit Qi Realm experts.


    Only Qin Niu, its owner, could afford to call it a Wart Toad.


    A dark golden figure leaped out from underground.


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    Its call was like thunder, startlingly loud.


    Electric sparks flickered around its body.


    ¡°Such a powerful aura.¡±


    Qin Niu saw its remarkable appearance and felt even greater expectations for it.


    It seemed that its size had also increased substantially.


    Red-eyed Golden Toad


    Grade: Grade Eight Tailless Golden Swallowing Toad, experience 100 million/1 billion


    Lifespan: 1000 years


    Energy: 9 million


    Skills: Swimming Grade Seven 1000000/10000000, Qi Gong Defense Grade Seven 2000000/10000000, Predation Grade Seven 1000000/10000000, Hibernation Grade Three 109/1000, Frog Croak Grade One 0/10


    Talent: Devouring, Defense, Venom Immunity


    The Golden Toad had indeed advanced to Grade Eight, but there was almost no significant change in its skills and talents.


    There was an additional Frog Croak.


    This skill seemed to be a sonic attack skill.


    The specific effects of the attack were not yet clear.


    Furthermore, its other skills had also improved.


    Only the Hibernation skill remained the same.


    It was immune to all venoms, which was a significant improvement.


    Previously, it was only immune to some venoms.


    From its name, it was not hard to see that it had the ability to swallow gold.


    Qin Niu had tested this ability before. It could swallow small pieces of metal, such as black iron, silver pieces.


    But it digested them very slowly.


    And after eating them, there was no significant improvement in its abilities.


    This made Qin Niu stop feeding it metals later on.


    Because the input-output ratio was too disproportionate.


    ¡°Green-Head Summoning Bee, come out.¡±


    Qin Niu summoned the un-cultivated Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    ¡°Wart Toad, try attacking it with your Frog Croak Skill.¡±


    He wanted to see the effect of the Frog Croak Skill.


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    The Golden Toad croaked at the Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    Without any warning, the Green-Head Summoning Bee dropped straight to the ground.


    Like the birds frightened by the mere twang of a bowstring in the legends.


    ¡°What a powerful skill.¡±


    Qin Niu was also worried that the Green-Head Summoning Bee had died.


    Fortunately, it had only been in a brief injured state after the sonic attack.


    It soon took flight again.


    Panicked, it fled into the distance, evidently wounded and filled with fear of the Golden Toad.


    ¡°In the future, to deal with insects in the air, just have the Golden Toad croak.¡±


    Qin Niu felt delightfully smug about this.


    The Golden Toad¡¯s biggest weakness previously was its inability to attack flying insects.


    Now that it had evolved the Frog Croak skill, capturing insects in the air would be easy.


    ¡°Husband, husband, come quickly, I think my cat is dead!¡±


    Wang Wanyan urgently called out from inside the house.


    Qin Niu hurried over, only to see the cat lying stiff and motionless in its cage.


    ¡°Even in death, it shouldn¡¯t be like this!¡±


    Qin Niu was well aware that animals, birds, or insects that had consumed Ancient Banyan Tree Blood often exploded upon death.


    The cat¡¯s body looked only slightly swollen, not burst.


    This struck him as strange.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it for now, keep it in the cage and observe for a couple more days. If it¡¯s truly dead, we¡¯ll bury it then. I¡¯ll find you a better pet,¡± Qin Niu said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her.


    They say cats have nine lives. Perhaps this cat wasn¡¯t dead after all.


    Wang Wanyan looked at the cat she had raised for many years lying lifeless in the cage, motionless, and she was deeply saddened.


    Her eyes were red.


    With comfort from Qin Niu, she felt a bit better, and Tang Caixian took over to continue consoling her.


    But she barely ate anything at dinner.


    This pained Qin Niu deeply.


    The next day, the cat was still laying motionless in the cage.


    Qin Niu stared attentively, noticing there was no rise and fall of the cat¡¯s belly, indicating it wasn¡¯t breathing.


    Could it really be dead?


    He reached into the cage and touched the cat¡¯s body.


    It was somewhat cold.


    But oddly, its body wasn¡¯t stiff, still soft.


    This gave a glimmer of hope.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue observing for a few more days. If it starts to smell, then it means it¡¯s really dead. If it doesn¡¯t smell, it could be a case of apparent death.¡±

 Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: Chapter 399: Undermine the Foundation Part 1

    Chapter 407: Chapter 399: Undermine the Foundation Part 1


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s eyes seemed somewhat swollen, likely shedding no small number of tears last night.


    The heart of a young girl is tender and kind, having raised a cat for so long, she had grown quite attached to it.


    Seeing it die, Wang Wanyan must have been very sad.


    Qin Niu, rising early, took the three of them into the mountains for cultivation.


    After making considerable progress in reaching the Dual Innate Realm yesterday, today he aimed to take it a step further.


    ¡­


    Beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree, Qin Niu once more charged at the Innate Realm of the Medicine King Sutra based on yesterday¡¯s foundation.


    He cultivated at a steady and unhurried pace.


    The Alchemy Stove, condensed from his cultivation power, turned at a uniform speed, and he could feel it becoming even more stable.


    Two hours later, when Qin Niu started to feel a bit of a headache, he slowly ended his practice.


    The enhancement of the Alchemy Stove seemed to have reached its limit.


    Although he had clearly touched the threshold of the Innate Realm, he was just short of the final step.


    First, he practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique to recover his depleted spiritual power.


    Nearly two hours later, he ended his practice.


    His spiritual power had been fully restored, and he looked energetic and spirited.


    Trying to cultivate the Medicine King Sutra once more, he persisted with the determination and perseverance to turn an iron staff into a needle.


    This time, just as the Alchemy Stove began to spin, its speed slowed down, and then, to his surprise, it began to spin in the opposite direction. The hard-earned cultivation power began to dissipate along with the reverse rotation of the stove.


    Qin Niu felt a pang of distress.


    Without any guidance, he didn¡¯t know whether this was a cultivation mishap or a normal phenomenon in the assault on the Innate Realm.


    His only option was to stabilize and continue cultivating.


    The turnaround came quickly.


    The Alchemy Stove spun in the reverse direction faster and faster, and not only did the power stop dissipating, it started to absorb the medicinal energy from outside back into the body. Raised patterns began to emerge on the surface of the stove.


    They stretched out like tendons, from the three legs toward the entire surface of the stove.


    As time rapidly flew by, these tendons evolved into nine principal meridians and countless branches.


    They covered the entire outer surface of the Alchemy Stove.


    This made the entire stove look ugly and somewhat ferocious.


    Though it was not aesthetically pleasing, the stove had gained a framework, becoming as stable as a bronze stove. No matter how fast it spun, there was no need to worry about deformation or rupture.


    Moreover, its speed of absorbing medicinal energy had nearly tripled from before.


    It was like a giant whale crazily engulfing the medicinal energy of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    But there was no need to worry, the medicinal energy of this tree could be described as vast as the sea. No matter how fast Qin Niu absorbed it, it was nothing but a drop in the ocean for the tree.


    As the Alchemy Stove transformed, his body also became stronger.


    The benefits of the Dual Innate Realm were beyond imagination.


    However, it was rare for someone to cultivate two techniques because it could lead to biting off more than one could chew, resulting in loss rather than gain.


    ¡°So this is the Innate Realm of the Medicine King Sutra, quite miraculous indeed,¡± he mused as he meticulously felt the brand-new realm.


    Besides his body becoming stronger, going through a second refinement and nourishment, and the thrice-increased speed of absorbing medicinal energy, he could now see deeper aspects of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    It is said that the size of the tree crown matches the breadth of its roots.


    He could feel that the roots of this tree extended over a hundred meters deep into the ground. Moreover, he could sense an odd energy within the trunk, very advanced and much higher-grade than his Innate Realm cultivation.


    Additionally, at the top of the tree, mingled with the medicinal energy, was a hint of a faint, violent aura.


    He couldn¡¯t quite identify it.


    It always felt somewhat like the legendary demonic aura.


    If that violent and fierce aura was demonic energy, then the strange energy within the trunk of the tree could possibly be the power of a Tree Demon.


    This also meant that it had one foot already stepping onto the threshold of becoming a demon.


    ¡°Does that firebird know that this Ancient Banyan Tree has turned into a demon?¡±


    Qin Niu was not certain.


    If the Ancient Banyan Tree was merely halfway into demonhood, trying to use it to scheme against the firebird probably wouldn¡¯t work.


    The firebird was an absolute Demon Bird, and its strength was extremely terrifying.


    It probably could burn the Ancient Banyan Tree to ash with a single flame.


    At that time, Qin Niu would lose an important resource for cultivation.


    ¡°Finally reached the Dual Innate Realm, the next step is to find a way to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique to the Spirit Qi Realm.¡±


    His Everlasting Spring Technique was currently only cultivated to the peak of the initial stage, still some distance away from the middle stage.


    Not to mention the Spirit Qi Realm.


    However, with more than five months until the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, he had the Ancient Banyan Tree and over a hundred thousand Silver Money; as long as he used them wisely, there was definitely a chance.


    ¡­


    Time flew by, and before he knew it, more than two months had passed.


    The insect plague was still ongoing.


    The Nine Insect Gang deployed a massive number of insects to attack the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, a move akin to pulling the rug out from under them.


    Crops couldn¡¯t be planted in the soil, and even the vegetation in the mountains and fields was entirely destroyed by the insects, which could lead to famine.


    Added to that, the Shennong Sect¡¯s blockade of ports and roads, cutting off the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s channels to purchase food from other places, meant that famine would probably soon hit the Black Tiger Gang.


    With the common people lacking food and the soldiers starving and wailing, how could they continue to fight?


    The tide of land sell-offs was intensifying.


    As the insect plague couldn¡¯t be stopped and had lasted so long, landlords and farmers had already lost faith in the Black Tiger Gang.


    The Beast Tamers of the Black Tiger Gang were very strong, but their ability to control insects was indeed a weakness.


    If it weren¡¯t for Qin Niu¡¯s unexpected rise last time, directly annihilating several disciples¡¯ insects of Elder Jiu Yin and seizing all of Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s personal insects, the situation for the Black Tiger Gang would have been much worse than it is now.


    This was also why the high ranks of the Black Tiger Gang agreed to bestow on Qin Niu the title of a first-class noble.


    Because the higher-ups could see Qin Niu¡¯s potential value.


    Such a formidable young Insect Master definitely had to be fiercely wooed and tightly bound to the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s battleship.


    This was something Qin Niu only came to understand later on.


    That time, in order to eliminate the Innate Realm powerhouse of the He Family, he even killed people in the streets of the city. This act was actually a challenge to the laws of Black Tiger City.


    But when the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang handled the matter, his attitude was quite ambiguous.


    Not only did he not punish Qin Niu, but he also issued an announcement, listing all the various crimes of the He Family, to absolve Qin Niu of guilt.


    This was a form of protection for Qin Niu.


    During these two months, as long as it was not a rainy day, Qin Niu would take his wives, concubines, and the maid Xiao Qing to the mountains for training.


    His cultivation level was also rising steadily, as the Everlasting Spring Technique advanced from the peak of the Initial Stage of the Innate Realm to the peak of the middle stage.


    The Medicine King Sutra was starting to look as though it might overtake the former in its development.


    It has now also reached the middle stage of the Innate Realm, moving towards the peak of the middle stage.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s talent for cultivating the Medicine King Sutra was extremely astonishing; she had now reached the peak of the tenth level of the Acquired Realm, only a thread away from advancing to the Innate Realm.


    It was known that she had two Alchemy Stoves.


    Having two Alchemy Stoves in her body was definitely much more powerful than Qin Niu with his single stove.


    Qin Niu was considering finding a way to let her go to the city to learn alchemy.


    The biggest difficulty in this was the challenge of becoming a disciple under a renowned teacher because they simply would not accept disciples lightly.

 Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Chapter 400: The Improvement of All Pets_1

    Chapter 408: Chapter 400: The Improvement of All Pets_1


    He also asked for Xiao Qing¡¯s opinion, and Xiao Qing was very attached to him and the two female masters, unwilling to leave them to study alchemy in the city.


    There was no way around it, so Qin Niu could only buy some books for her to study.


    At least she could accumulate some theoretical knowledge first.


    Now, let¡¯s talk about the cultivation progress of his two wives. Wang Wanyan¡¯s cultivation speed was still relatively slow, but it felt like she had laid a very solid foundation.


    Moreover, her cultivation direction seemed to be significantly different from Tang Caixian¡¯s.


    Though both of them were practicing the same cultivation technique, it was unclear why there was such a big difference.


    Wang Wanyan had also already broken through to the Acquired Realm and reached the fourth level. To have such great progress in just over two months was largely due to the benefits of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Practicing under the tree, one could cultivate more than twenty times faster than in the outside world.


    As long as one wasn¡¯t too foolish and was a little diligent, and the cultivation technique wasn¡¯t complete garbage, one could generally achieve a cultivation speed like Wang Wanyan¡¯s.


    Tang Caixian, practicing the Dragon and Tiger Art, displayed quite an impressive talent and had now reached the ninth level of the Acquired Realm, leaving Wang Wanyan far behind.


    If nothing unexpected happened, it was estimated that with another month or so of cultivation, she should have hope of advancing to the Innate Realm.


    In these two months, aside from his own cultivation, Qin Niu also spent a great deal of time secretly observing that fire bird.


    As long as it wasn¡¯t a rainy day, the fire bird would always go to that cave to cultivate.


    This fact had already been confirmed without a doubt.


    Twice, he had hidden near the cave in advance and witnessed the fire bird flying into the cave with his own eyes. Each time it went in for cultivation, it stayed for two to three hours.


    When it went in, there was nothing unusual.


    When it came out, its body would always be covered with raging flames.


    Qin Niu had observed the fire bird up close several times.


    It differed greatly from the legendary Fire Phoenix.


    Its size was certainly large, but the aura it emitted could only be described as quite terrifying, though lacking the domineering presence and majesty of a supreme creature of heaven and earth.


    Fierce enough, but not sufficiently majestic.


    It was precisely because it was not a Fire Phoenix that Qin Niu dared to think about making it his own.


    He had now, by lurking with termites on the highest peak and from two to three months of secret observation, essentially figured out the fire bird¡¯s daily routine.


    There were multiple demon birds living on the highest peak, and trying to subdue this fire bird there was almost impossible.


    Even if Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation had advanced to the Spirit Qi Realm, there was still no chance.


    Through various predictions, he believed that if he were discovered by the fire bird on the highest peak, he would almost certainly die.


    The best place to subdue it would likely be inside that cave.


    It would be easiest to succeed by taking advantage of it during its cultivation.


    He was currently making further plans, preparing to find an opportunity to hide inside the cave in advance.


    Then, he would secretly observe the fire bird¡¯s cultivation process.


    To see if there was an opportunity to exploit.


    However, he was very aware that doing this was very dangerous, and if the fire bird discovered him, the consequences would be dire.


    Therefore, he had to be thoroughly prepared.


    In these more than two months, his gains in controlling insects were also tremendous.


    The Gold Devouring Ant had become stronger and stronger with his continuous feeding.


    Despite its appetite not seeming large, it chose only the most expensive metals to eat. Initially, Qin Niu fed it only copper and iron.


    After he fed it Silver Money, it started to eat Silver Money exclusively, ignoring copper and iron.


    Late on, Qin Niu tried feeding it a small piece of gold.


    That caused a lot of trouble.


    From then on, it ate only gold.


    On average, it could consume about ten grams of gold per day. To think, in ten days, it would consume a hundred grams of gold.


    This was very costly.


    Fortunately, after eating gold, its evolution speed was also extremely evident. At least it was proportional to the money invested.


    Qin Niu was unsure to what extent the Gold Devouring Ant could eventually grow.


    Since the Gold Devouring Ant could match or even surpass the War Demon Ant, its growth limit definitely would not be low.


    Qin Niu was very much looking forward to the day it would advance to Grade Eight.


    Almost all insects only reveal whether their abilities are strong or weak after advancing to Grade Eight.


    Whether they are dragons or crawling reptiles, it can only be known upon reaching Grade Eight.


    Take, for instance, his Red-eyed Golden Toad, which is considered a decent abnormal species among heaven and earth.


    When it was at Grade Seven, it seemed strong, but when it fought against formidable insects, it always appeared somewhat weak.


    Now that it has advanced to Grade Eight and evolved the Frog Croak Skill, plus the further enhancement of other skills, it becomes aberrantly powerful when battling formidable insects.


    There was almost no insect it couldn¡¯t overcome.


    His Termite Army had grown by nearly sixty thousand in just over two months.


    This was an incredibly large number.


    He was very satisfied with the number of Demon Ants. His only regret was that no more special breeds like the War Demon Ant or Gold Devouring Ant had appeared since then.


    Fortunately, his Green Demon Bee hadn¡¯t disappointed him.


    About a month after mating with the Dark Gold Shadow Fire Bee, the Green Demon Bee started laying eggs.


    So far, it had laid thirty-two eggs.


    It seemed to be laying an egg almost every day.


    The eggs were currently incubating and being nurtured.


    Once all these eggs successfully hatched, Qin Niu would have thirty-three Green Demon Bees.


    And this number would continue to increase.


    Its egg-laying had not stopped, with one egg being produced daily.


    The thought of him commanding thirty-two Green Demon Bees in a charge into battle was terrifying.


    Whether they could slaughter an Immortal Master was still up for debate.


    At least, dealing with strong beings of the Spirit Qi Realm would be like child¡¯s play.


    His bees had been continuously collecting pollen from the Ice Lotus to make honey.


    This special honey, he estimated, would take over a year to produce, and there would only be a little of it.


    As for the effects of this special honey, Qin Niu was very excited.


    The Ice Lotus itself was already quite special, and honey made by the War Bees and special honey-making bees couldn¡¯t be too bad.


    Additionally, his other insects like the Green Silk Worm, Black Spider Gu, and others were also growing.


    The progeny of Green Silk Worms had become quite substantial.


    If Qin Niu wanted to surveil someone, he could completely do so without them knowing.


    It was a pity that Green Silk Worms were only proficient at hiding on humans.


    Against other creatures, Green Silk Worms could be somewhat useful, but their effectiveness was limited.


    Another thing worth mentioning was Wang Wanyan¡¯s cat, which, after consuming the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, fell into a state similar to death.


    It had no breathing or heartbeat, and it had not woken up yet.


    Its body had not stiffened, nor had it started to rot or emit a foul odor.


    This unique method of evolution had opened Qin Niu¡¯s eyes. For a long time, Wan Yan grieved for her cat.


    When Qin Niu wanted to get her another pet, she refused no matter what.


    She was determined to wait for her cat to wake up.


    ¡­


    That day, Qin Niu entered the cave early with his tools, vigorously digging out a hole just big enough to hide himself.


    He dug over four meters deep.


    He planned to hide inside to spy on how the Fire Phoenix cultivated.


    For absolute certainty, he dug another lateral tunnel from the hole to conceal his presence.

 Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: Chapter 401 Bathing in Fire_1

    Chapter 409: Chapter 401 Bathing in Fire_1


    After excavating a hole to hide in, he cleared up the outside and camouflaged it.


    Demon Birds are highly intelligent, and a slight anomaly could easily alert them.


    He had to get the details just right.


    Once the hole was ready, he took out the Ice Lotus from his basket. Wisps of cold air emanated from the Ice Lotus, helping him counteract the intense heat inside the cave.


    The Ice Lotus needed to grow in water, and now that he had removed it from its aquatic environment and brought it into a space filled with scorching lava, it was clearly suffering from the high temperatures.


    Water and fire are naturally incompatible.


    It was visible that the edges of the Ice Lotus petals were wilting at a rate noticeable to the naked eye.


    Qin Niu had brought the Ice Lotus into the cave today to test whether he could use it to enter the lava.


    Now, just being in the scorching environment, it had already begun to wilt; directly exposed to the boiling lava, it would likely turn to ash in a very short time.


    His original thought was to use the Ice Lotus like an amulet, binding it to his body before entering the lava.


    Qin Niu tried placing the Ice Lotus at the edge of the lava.


    As soon as it touched the lava, it immediately made a sizzling sound and emitted bursts of white smoke.


    Though it looked frightening, its petals were not instantly burnt, they simply wilted at a slightly faster rate.


    Seeing how resilient it was, Qin Niu felt a surge of excitement, glimpsing a sliver of hope.


    He tried to touch the lava near the Ice Lotus with his hand.


    Extremely hot.


    A brief touch was manageable, but long exposure would char his hand to a crisp.


    The most fearsome thing in the world is flame, burning all things to ash.


    ¡°It seems impossible to use the Ice Lotus to enter the pool of lava and retrieve the Fire Lotus,¡± he said to himself.


    Qin Niu drew back his hand and picked up the Ice Lotus to check its condition.


    The petals were severely wilted, but it was still continuously emitting cold air. This indicated that its internal structure wasn¡¯t much affected.


    ¡°The Everlasting Spring Technique can help plants grow quickly and regain vitality. Could infusing it with the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique help it recover?¡± he wondered.


    Qin Niu tried channeling a trace of the Everlasting Spring Technique into the Ice Lotus.


    The once severely wilted outer petals quickly rejuvenated, becoming vivid and lively once more.


    This proved that the strength of the Everlasting Spring Technique really could help the Ice Lotus resist the heat from the scorching lava.


    Even in the absence of water, it still had a significant effect.


    He continued the experiment, infusing the Ice Lotus with the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power while keeping it in contact with the lava.


    Supported by his Everlasting Spring Technique, the Ice Lotus was bolstered with an external force, allowing it to persist in its battle against the lava.


    Even so, Qin Niu still couldn¡¯t, enter the lava.


    ¡­


    Another five days passed.


    Recently, while cultivating in the mountains or controlling insects, he had felt minor tremors in the ground. This worried him that the volcano housing the cave might erupt soon.


    According to his plan, it would have been best to wait until his cultivation of the Everlasting Spring Technique reached the Spirit Qi Realm before attempting to enter the cave and retrieve the Fire Lotus.


    Now, it seemed he would have to act sooner.


    If he didn¡¯t manage to extract the Fire Lotus before the volcano erupted, it would be shattered by the explosion and destroyed.


    Such a rare flower was an extremely precious treasure; he might only encounter such a thing once in a lifetime.


    Qin Niu concluded his practice early that day, sent his wives and Xiao Qing home, and then hurried toward the volcanic cave with the Ice Lotus and an array of pets.


    He had to hide in the already-excavated cavity before the Demon Birds went in to cultivate.


    This wasn¡¯t his first trip to the cave; he seemed to know the way well and arrived at the entrance to the cave quickly.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, there¡¯s no place in there for you to hide. If that firebird discovers you, you will be in great danger. You stay outside, and if I¡¯m in any danger, you¡¯ll be able to support me in time.¡±


    Qin Niu had Green Ox hide in a concealed spot outside.


    He believed that as long as its head wasn¡¯t broken, it would stay put right there.


    Because once discovered by the firebird, given Green Ox¡¯s current strength, it was no match for the firebird. It would probably instantaneously turn into a roasted ox.


    Qin Niu looked up at the sky, which had darkened, and didn¡¯t hesitate to enter the cave.


    Magma could be seen spilling out toward the cave entrance.


    The first time he came, he had to go dozens of meters into the cave before he could see a little bit of magma, like in a marshland.


    Now, less than ten meters into the cave, some rocks on the ground could be seen melting from the high temperature, glowing with a dark red color.


    Stepping on them, if one didn¡¯t move quickly, one¡¯s soles would feel scorching hot.


    He arrived at the deepest part of the cave, went straight into the dug-out hole, hid his figure, then held his breath and quieted his spirit, waiting for the firebird to come in for cultivation.


    Time was slipping away fast.


    It should be dark outside by now.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    The loud call of the firebird reverberated outside the cave, and soon, merely around ten breaths later, a fiery red afterimage streaked by at high speed.


    Such fast speed.


    Even inside the cave, it could still fly.


    Perhaps, this wasn¡¯t flying but might be some kind of demon magic.


    Powerful demon birds or beasts all have their ways of fleeing.


    In nature, all wild animals must learn methods to save their own lives. Even the mightiest tigers, Black Bears in the jungle, or the smallest ants and caterpillars have to develop skills to protect themselves.


    Otherwise, they won¡¯t live long before being eliminated by nature, becoming food for other animals.


    Qin Niu hid in the cave, well placed to see most of the magma pool.


    Fearing to attract the demon bird¡¯s notice, he dared not stare at it.


    He could only observe the activities in the magma pool with the corner of his eye.


    The firebird seemed to have some fear of the magma too, as it didn¡¯t dare to dive directly into it for cultivation.


    Instead, it flapped its wings and flew above the magma pool, right above the Fire Lotus, occasionally swooping toward the surface to splash magma onto its body.


    That was its way of cultivating.


    The bird¡¯s wings splashed the scalding magma onto its back, eliciting pained cries.


    Its feathers were quickly ignited, with flames burning fiercely.


    While it clearly was in great pain bathing in the magma, the firebird kept repeatedly splashing magma onto itself.


    Rumor had it that for a Phoenix to undergo rebirth, it must first endure the agony of flames consuming its body.


    Could this firebird truly be a Phoenix?


    At first, Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare stare at it.


    He even avoided looking directly at its location.


    After half an hour or more, the firebird¡¯s feathers were in disarray like a hen¡¯s nest, and its cries had become hoarse, clearly diminishing in strength.


    This indicated that cultivating with the help of magma caused certain damage to its body.


    Or perhaps, during cultivation, its demon power was being rapidly depleted.


    Seizing the moment of its weakness, Qin Niu boldly looked at the magma pool below it. The center of the Fire Lotus was actually displaying a pale golden color.


    This meant that the flame temperature was even higher than in other places.


    The firebird flapped its wings, flying above the Fire Lotus, again and again swooping down toward the magma, using it as a bath.

 Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Chapter 402 Fire Lotus Obtained_1

    Chapter 410: Chapter 402 Fire Lotus Obtained_1


    It seemed eager to enter the magma, but it still wasn¡¯t capable of fully submerging itself.


    Every time, it bravely beat its wings and descended, then flew back up.


    It somewhat resembled a dragonfly skimming the water¡¯s surface, as the legends go.


    When it pounced toward the lava pool once more, with the magma being parted by its wingbeats, Qin Niu could now clearly see that most of the Fire Lotus had been exposed.


    It indeed was a Fire Lotus.


    Moreover, it was a Fire Lotus that had completely bloomed.


    You could even see the pistil.


    ¡°If what Master Mo Yang wrote in his book is true, then the eruption of this volcano should occur in the near future.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s expression turned solemn.


    If the volcano erupted while he was inside the cave, he would be burned to ash without a doubt.


    Because at the moment of a volcanic eruption, the magma would spew out like a flood, rapidly filling the entire cave.


    It was even possible that the force could burst a hole through the mountain above the lava pool, causing the magma to spray directly into the sky.


    As he was deep in thought, the firebird seemed to sense something and turned its head to look in his direction.


    Luckily, Qin Niu had made ample camouflage and cover.


    Frightened, he lay low and dared not to move an inch.


    He had also long since averted his gaze.


    This Demon Bird¡¯s sensing ability was too sharp; he had only looked at the Fire Lotus inside the lava pool a few times more than usual, not expecting to be detected by it.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    The firebird flew to the entrance of the cave where Qin Niu was hiding and then opened its mouth to spew a blast of flames inside.


    Qin Niu quickly ducked into a side tunnel, activating the King Pig Leather Armor, and hugging the Ice Lotus tightly, he frantically channeled the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique into the Ice Lotus.


    The fierce flames scorched his skin painfully.


    Thankfully, with the Ice Lotus blocking most of the flame¡¯s ferocity, and being inside a side tunnel where less fire could enter, he managed to narrowly escape this disaster.


    ¡°How terrifying!¡±


    Having evaded the calamity of fiery immolation, he finally understood why Elder Mei had no strength to fight back against this firebird and immediately fled after just one contact,


    losing an arm in the process.


    The flames spit out by the firebird could likely reduce an Immortal Master of the Spirit Qi Realm to ashes on the spot.


    ¡°Although its fiery blast is fierce, it¡¯s not as horrific as the legends claim.¡±


    According to legend, flames spewed by a Phoenix could vaporize a person instantaneously,


    leaving not even ashes behind,


    and the person would be vaporized in an instant.


    This firebird was still far from that level.


    ¡°With the Ice Lotus protecting me and this pre-dug cave for cover, there¡¯s no need for excessive worry,¡± Qin Niu reassured himself, having gauged a portion of its strength through their brief clash.


    At this moment, the magma in the pool began roiling even more violently.


    Big bubbles over a meter in diameter bubbled up from the bottom, shooting the magma high in the air.


    The lava in the pool was boiling as if thoroughly enflamed.


    ¡°This is bad, could the volcano be erupting today?¡± Qin Niu¡¯s eyelids twitched uncontrollably as he watched the churning lava pool, his heart filled with fear.


    He could withstand the firebird¡¯s fiery attack, but he certainly could not stand up against the power of a volcanic eruption.


    The force of nature was difficult for even an Immortal Master to withstand,


    let alone someone of the Innate Realm like him.


    After the firebird sprayed a blast of flame into his hiding cave and left him be,


    it seemed very confident in its own fiery breath.


    Nothing and no one could escape its fiery blast.


    It, too, sensed the abnormality in the lava pool and began to pounce toward the surface of the pool with increased frequency.


    The rate of its strikes was much higher than before,


    and it started to extend its claws to snatch the Fire Lotus.


    But its talons couldn¡¯t reach too deep into the magma and could only penetrate a little bit.


    Thus, it could only grab part of the Fire Lotus¡¯s petals and not the base of the flower.


    ¡°Is it trying to dig out the Fire Lotus and then fly out of the cave with it?¡± Qin Niu pondered its intentions.


    He had no way of entering the lava pool; if the firebird could dig out that Fire Lotus, it might actually present an opportunity for him.


    After several attempts, the firebird failed to extract the Fire Lotus from the lava pool,


    instead shredding the petals to tatters.


    It seemed to become anxious,


    as the rolling of the lava pool grew ever more intense, a sense of the majesty of heaven and earth began to fill the entire cave.


    Danger was descending.


    Even the firebird could not withstand the peril of a volcanic eruption.


    But the fire lotus seemed extremely important to it, and it could not bring itself to abandon it.


    After multiple failed attempts, it plunged headfirst into the pool of magma, an action that almost made Qin Niu¡¯s jaw drop.


    It didn¡¯t care about its life anymore?


    Once the firebird dived into the pool of magma, the lava immediately engulfed it.


    Its feathers were being rapidly burned by the magma.


    The agony of being consumed by flames caused it to emit piercing cries of pain.


    It actually dived deeper into the magma again.


    After a moment, Qin Niu noticed that the fire lotus had risen noticeably.


    One could now see a third of the fire lotus¡¯s petals.


    After a while, the firebird emerged from the magma.


    The feathers on its body had been burned so much they were unrecognizable, with only the bases of some feathers remaining.


    After emerging from the magma, it seemed to be gasping for air.


    A few seconds later, it dived back into the magma.


    Truly a demon bird, swimming directly in the lava, and even diving.


    This time, the fire lotus floated up even more.


    About half of it was now exposed above the surface of the magma.


    Qin Niu noticed it was moving towards the shore.


    It was very likely that the firebird was carrying it underwater.


    Its feathers were burned away, and it was no longer able to fly. It had no choice but to try to carry the fire lotus to the shore and then climb up.


    Qin Niu simply watched quietly, although his heartbeat was accelerating non-stop.


    Picking peaches, that was his strong suit.


    Missing out on an advantage would make him a fool.


    The firebird now had no feathers left to fly and was carrying the fire lotus to the shore.


    It was a golden opportunity.


    A while later, the firebird emerged from the magma to breathe again.


    At this moment, the lava in the pool was boiling even more violently. Even the cave where Qin Niu was hiding felt the effects.


    Below his feet were hard, black rocks with a very high melting point.


    Yet now there were signs they were beginning to melt.


    Qin Niu could only rely on the ice lotus to withstand the high temperature coming from the ground.


    Time was passing quickly, and the firebird was finally about to carry the fire lotus to the shore after great difficulty.


    When it came up to breathe, one could see that its feathers had been completely burned away.


    Not even the roots remained.


    Moreover, its skin had also suffered severe damage and was charred everywhere.


    ¡°Grab the fire lotus and run. Without its feathers, it shouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to me,¡± he thought.


    Qin Niu bit his lip and decided to take a risky chance.


    The fire lotus was only two meters from the shore now, and this time the firebird would surely get it ashore.


    He watched as the firebird dived into the magma once again.


    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡±


    Qin Niu immediately rushed out from his hiding place and silently arrived at the edge of the magma pool.


    The firebird in the lava clearly had no idea there was a human waiting to take advantage of the situation.


    It was still in the magma, enduring the agony of being burned, stupidly carrying the fire lotus towards the shore.


    Closer and closer.


    Qin Niu tried to reach for the petals of the fire lotus.


    It was scalding.


    As though he was grabbing flames.


    He immediately took a jade hook out of the basket on his back.


    It was specially prepared for retrieving the fire lotus.


    He reached into the lava, hooked the fire lotus, and then pulled up with force.


    In an instant, he pulled it out of the magma.


    The root could be seen to be very rough.


    Qin Niu pulled the fire lotus ashore and started running with it.


    The firebird sensed something was wrong, emerged from the lava, and saw a human stealing its fire lotus.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    It immediately flapped its wings desperately, trying to get ashore, but could no longer take flight. Qin Niu was already twenty meters away.


    In a fit of rage, the firebird opened its mouth and spewed a jet of flame towards Qin Niu.


    Unfortunately, it was a bit too far, and it failed to harm Qin Niu.

 Chapter 411 - Chapter 411: Chapter 403: Subduing the Demon Bird_1

    Chapter 411: Chapter 403: Subduing the Demon Bird_1


    ¡°`


    In its effort to haul the Fire Lotus from the magma to the shore, it had nearly exhausted all its strength, even its feathers had been burnt away.


    This also left it powerless to pursue Qin Niu.


    Under normal circumstances, this puny human would be nothing more than an easy catch before it.


    But now, the tiger had fallen onto the plains and was being bullied by dogs.


    Qin Niu used a jade hook to drag the huge Fire Lotus towards the cave¡¯s exit.


    The Fire Lotus continuously emitted scorching high temperatures, making it nearly unbearable.


    Fortunately, he was protected by the Ice Lotus, allowing him to withstand the high temperatures, and thus he was unafraid of the heat emanating from the Fire Lotus.


    The Misty Rain Elusive Step was performed to its extreme, as his figure turned into a blurred shadow, escaping from the intensely hot cave.


    Upon reaching the cave entrance, he felt the ground melting at an accelerated rate.


    He also distinctly felt the ground rise significantly, resulting in the cave becoming slightly shorter in height.


    Behind him, the furious cries of the firebird continued to sound.


    It was doggedly pursuing him.


    ¡°Lazy Bull, run fast, the volcano is about to erupt.¡±


    Qin Niu had not forgotten about the Green Ox lurking outside the cave.


    Actually, without his prompting, the Green Ox seemed to have sensed the danger as well. Its ears were erect, and its tail was swinging back and forth, showing extreme unease.


    The birds and beasts in the mountains were also fleeing the area in a panic.


    It was now deep into the night, but thankfully, the stars lit up the earth.


    Qin Niu, with the Green Ox, fled the way they had come, and behind them, the firebird¡¯s calls gradually faded.


    Having lost its feathers and unable to fly, and with its demon power seemingly heavily depleted, its speed dropped significantly.


    A bird¡¯s innate ability is to fly.


    Running on the ground is a weakness for them.


    Qin Niu and the Green Ox had barely escaped five or six hundred meters when the ground began to shake violently. Almost immediately after, a roaring sound, akin to low thunder, came from behind them.


    He instinctively looked back.


    He saw that the mountain region was reflecting a red glow, yet there was no fire soaring to the sky as one might imagine. The volcanic magma wasn¡¯t shooting hundreds of meters high into the sky either.


    ¡°Could it be that the mountain is too thick and hasn¡¯t been breached by the magma?¡±


    Qin Niu curiously wondered to himself.


    According to records in books, there are usually some warning signs before a volcanic eruption.


    For example, underground well water becoming hot, livestock growing restless, birds unrestfully flying into the sky, and wild animals fleeing from the mountains, among others.


    However, these warnings had not occurred in Shuangfeng Village where he lived.


    He thought it over carefully, the vast area of molten rock outside the cave indicated that in the past, scorching magma had indeed flowed out from the cave.


    Perhaps the volcano had never had a large-scale eruption before.


    Each time it erupted, it only caused a large amount of magma to flow out from the cave.


    Having a cavity to discharge the magma greatly reduces the force of the eruption.


    Additionally, with the mountain being so thick, the magma couldn¡¯t break through the summit and, in the end, could only pour out in large quantities from the cave opening.


    If his speculation was correct, now that he had left that cave, he was safe.


    His greatest concern before was that the volcanic eruption would scatter high-temperature ash all over the area, and he would have to quickly seek refuge in a pre-dug cave.


    Otherwise, he would be burnt alive.


    Even if the falling volcanic ash wasn¡¯t at a thousand degrees, it was still extremely hot.


    Qin Niu looked up at the highest mountain peak, where the firebird¡¯s nest was.


    At this moment, the birds inside the peak were startled and all flew into the sky.


    However, they did not flee.


    Instead, they circled above the peak, constantly emitting cries.


    Every sign indicated that the volcano was not going to erupt.


    Qin Niu subconsciously turned his head to check on the Fire Lotus he was dragging.


    It had already turned a blackish-gray color.


    ¡°`


    Only the heart of the flower remained a deep red.


    The heat it emitted had also noticeably decreased a lot.


    It needed to live in scorching magma, as that was its most ideal growing environment. Away from the magma, it would struggle to survive.


    Qin Niu had gone to great lengths and risked tremendous danger to get his hands on this Fire Lotus; he certainly didn¡¯t want it to die.


    He was considering artificially creating a suitable growing environment for it.


    Now that he had ample wealth, he could afford to hire workers to continuously chop wood and light fires for twenty-four hours, providing the Fire Lotus with an endless supply of flame energy.


    ¡°That firebird paid a heavy price to obtain this Fire Lotus. It probably doesn¡¯t have the capability to sustain the Fire Lotus¡¯s life. So what does it want with this Fire Lotus?¡±


    Before the magma erupted, had the firebird managed to escape the cave or not?


    All these matters piqued Qin Niu¡¯s curiosity.


    Unconsciously, he had arrived at the previously dug cave that was intended for emergency refuge.


    There were four caves in total, dug for urgent shelter.


    This was the one closest to the cave.


    About six hundred meters away.


    He dragged the Fire Lotus straight into the cave. The outer petals of the Fire Lotus had already turned into a blackish-gray color, hard like rock.


    Dragging it on the ground resulted in significant damage to the edges of the petals.


    The Fire Lotus, which originally had a diameter of about two meters, was now just over one meter. Qin Niu could feel its vitality weakening bit by bit.


    This process was much slower than he had imagined.


    He tried inputting a trace of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s power into the Fire Lotus.


    The originally dull heart of the flower became much redder. The speed at which its vitality weakened also visibly slowed down.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique was very friendly to all plants.


    Even for a peculiar plant like the Fire Lotus that existed between heaven and earth, the Everlasting Spring Technique was still effective.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, let¡¯s go back and have a look,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu stashed the Fire Lotus in the cave, then returned with the Green Ox.


    He had been so focused on snatching the Fire Lotus that he had neglected everything else.


    Now that he had secured the Fire Lotus and hidden it, and seeing that the volcano hadn¡¯t erupted yet, he grew bolder. He decided to go check on the firebird¡¯s condition.


    During the struggle for the Fire Lotus, he had determined from the firebird¡¯s behavior that it was in a weakened state.


    If he could seize the moment, there might be a chance to subjugate it.


    Qin Niu, ever audacious, indeed took the Green Ox and dashed towards the direction of the cave.


    Before long, he reached the mountain where the cave was located.


    From a distance, he could see that the vicinity had turned into a sea of fire, with the ground covered in scalding magma.


    That area was completely submerged.


    More hot magma was continuously gushing out from the mouth of the cave, flowing towards the surrounding area.


    In the center of the magma, the firebird was fluttering about.


    At first, Qin Niu thought it was trapped in the magma and couldn¡¯t escape.


    Upon closer observation, he discovered it was cultivating in the magma. A fiery red inner core was continuously rolling in its open beak.


    It was visible that large flames were emanating from its abdomen.


    What was it trying to do?


    Rebirth through Nirvana?


    Watching this scene, Qin Niu had no intention of going easy on it.


    He immediately pulled out an Advanced Contract Talisman from his chest.


    He had bought five in total, all for the purpose of subduing this firebird.


    He had long dreamed of subduing a formidable Demon Bird to serve as his mount.


    With the power of his cultivation technique, he activated the Talisman, and instantly a beam of golden light shot out.


    ¡°Eh, this Talisman seems to be even better than the ones from Bei Bing¡¯s Talisman store!¡±


    Qin Niu noticed that the golden light that shot out was much more solid.

 Chapter 412 - Chapter 412: Chapter 404: Fierce as Fire_1

    Chapter 412: Chapter 404: Fierce as Fire_1


    ¡°`


    The Advanced Contract Talismans of the dark runes cost an extra twenty Silver Money each, and I had thought the quirky old shopkeeper was overcharging.


    Only after using them did I realize the true high quality of his talismans.


    What exists is reasonable.


    The dark rune shopkeeper was quirky and indifferent to customers, but the fact that he hadn¡¯t closed shop meant he must have had something outstanding to offer.


    After purchasing from him once, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but look forward even more to the Earth Escape Talisman that was priced at a thousand Silver Money.


    If the quality of the Advanced Contract Talismans was so impressive, then that Earth Escape Talisman surely couldn¡¯t be far behind.


    The Fiery Bird in the midst of cultivation lost its Fire Lotus and was already seething with anger.


    Seeing a flash of golden light, it instinctively sensed danger.


    It turned its head to look.


    Upon spotting the despicable human who had stolen the Fire Lotus, it immediately let out an angry screech.


    Qin Niu, however, didn¡¯t give it a chance to attack.


    He directly controlled the golden light to shoot towards it.


    The speed of light goes without saying, the golden light instantly hit the Fiery Bird¡¯s body, wrapping it tightly.


    A red demon power lit up on its body as it struggled desperately to resist.


    It was evident that the bird was in a very weak state. The demon power on its body surface flickered uncertainly, extremely thin.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been cultivating for many years and have already opened your spirit intelligence. The Fire Lotus you lost is now mine, but if you submit to me, you can use the Fire Lotus to help you break through the current bottleneck.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke directly to it.


    Using words to dissolve its will to resist was the best strategy.


    In a battle between two armies, conquering the heart is paramount.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    The Fiery Bird let out a screech of extreme anger, its eyes shooting flames.


    Even more flames burst forth from its mouth.


    It then showed a personified expression of pain and panic.


    Qin Niu¡¯s interference at a critical moment of its cultivation had a significant impact on it.


    ¡°You have only one fate if you don¡¯t submit to me: a dead end. Without showing you some color, you¡¯re unlikely to submit,¡± Qin Niu said, gesturing to the Green Ox behind him.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, deal with it.¡±


    Upon receiving its master¡¯s order, the Green Ox immediately shot a golden light from its horns, striking the Fiery Bird hard.


    The potency of its golden light needs no explanation.


    The bird, already at a critical moment in its cultivation and struggling to cope with the invasion of golden light from the Contractual Talisman, was now violently trembling as more flames surged from its mouth due to the Green Ox¡¯s attack.


    The flames weren¡¯t emitted by the bird intentionally.


    They burst forth on their own.


    The flames enveloped the Fiery Bird, burning incessantly.


    The Fiery Bird let out a mournful cry of pain.


    Qin Niu showed no mercy, aiming to take advantage of its vulnerable state and crucial moment of cultivation to subdue it today.


    If he waited for it to successfully advance, it would not only be impossible to subdue it later, but even being discovered by it could be extremely dangerous.


    Even as the flames consumed it, the Fiery Bird showed no intention of submitting.


    Unwilling to submit, its temper was as fiery as its nature.


    ¡°Then I shall slaughter you and take your inner core to make Elixirs! The benefits will be just as great,¡± Qin Niu told it.


    The Fiery Bird, infuriated, trembled even more violently.


    Neither side backed down.


    Time was slipping away, and the volanic cavern continually spewed out lava, forcing Qin Niu to keep retreating.


    He couldn¡¯t stay in the scorching lava.


    Dragging out the time was not in his favor.


    Because when he subjugates pets, there¡¯s a limitation to the distance he can be from them.


    This was now because his cultivation had reached the Innate Realm, and his spiritual power was more than a hundred times stronger than before. Otherwise, whether subduing insects or beasts, he could only do so from a very close distance.


    His current limit would not exceed two hundred meters.


    And that was because he had reached the Dual Innate Realm level of cultivation.


    Previously, before cultivating the Medicine King Sutra to the Innate Realm, the reach was at most about one hundred and twenty meters.


    ¡°`


    This weakness couldn¡¯t be discovered by the Phoenix, or, with its intelligence, it would definitely find a way to keep its distance from Qin Niu.


    At that time, Qin Niu could only helplessly watch as the Phoenix cultivated.


    Once it successfully advanced and its demon feathers grew back, Qin Niu would have to immediately flee. There wouldn¡¯t be the slightest chance left.


    At the moment, he was about one hundred and fifty meters away from the Phoenix, with fifty meters to retreat.


    But the further away he was, the more strenuous it would be for him to control the Contractual Talisman¡¯s golden light.


    This would lead to the consumption of spiritual power doubling in speed.


    ¡°I must seize it in one fell swoop. If this drags on, today¡¯s taming battle will only end in vain.¡±


    A chill flashed in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Wart Toad, it¡¯s your turn. Use your sonic attack on it.¡±


    To tame this incredibly powerful Phoenix, he truly spared no effort.


    The Grade Eight Red-eyed Golden Toad leaped out, squatting on Qin Niu¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    Its Frog Croak Skill activated.


    Using a sonic attack against the Phoenix.


    A Grade Eight pet, not yet reaching the level of a demon, could be considered half-demon. Should it reach Level Nine, it would essentially be a demon insect.


    This Phoenix was definitely already a Demon Bird, its current realm unknown, but it was likely at least two or three levels higher than the Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    Normally, the Red-eyed Golden Toad¡¯s Frog Croak attack wouldn¡¯t be much use against it.


    But now it had become the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.


    More flames surged out of the Phoenix¡¯s mouth, even white-hot flames.


    Its body was consumed by the flames, continually burning.


    Suddenly, the inner core in its mouth started to rotate in reverse. It stared at Qin Niu with a look of intense hatred.


    The extremely dangerous aura made Qin Niu feel fearful.


    From the Phoenix¡¯s eyes, he saw a determination to fight to the death.


    It wanted to perish together with Qin Niu.


    From the reverse rotation of its inner core, one could roughly deduce that it was attempting to self-destruct.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be as fiery as your nature, preferring death over submission. I admire that, so I¡¯ll back down. There¡¯s no need for you to sign a servitude contract with me, we can just sign an equal contract.¡±


    Qin Niu made a compromise and gave ground.


    If he insisted on having his way, in the end, only mutual destruction awaited.


    At this moment, he had to exhibit wisdom.


    Compromise and concession were the only way to resolve this crisis.


    An equal contract meant that both parties would be like friends. The Phoenix would need to follow Qin Niu but wouldn¡¯t have to fully obey his commands. It retained a great deal of autonomy.


    If Qin Niu died, it would be affected, but it wouldn¡¯t necessarily die as well.


    The Phoenix held his gaze for about four or five seconds.


    Finally, the Contractual Talisman¡¯s golden light easily entered its body.


    It chose to live.


    Qin Niu, seeing how quickly the Contractual Talisman¡¯s golden light entered its body and how swiftly the soul bond was forged, couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.


    This Phoenix had just been ready to fight him to the death, perhaps only pretending, deliberately frightening him.


    It had already reached a dead end¡ªwithout submission, death was almost certain.


    It would have been burnt alive by its own flames.


    In order to gain greater benefits, it made a desperate move.


    Even if it was only pretending to be desperate, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t dare take the risk, because he couldn¡¯t afford to lose.


    The brave fear the stout-hearted, and the stout-hearted fear those who are not afraid to die.


    Nobody could be sure whether the Phoenix would actually self-destruct.


    This Phoenix, with its fiery nature and extremely high intelligence, did indeed endear itself to Qin Niu.


    The only regret he had was that he couldn¡¯t sign a master-servant contract with it.


    They had signed only an equal contract, making it likely to disobey orders.


    He would have preferred to have complete control over this powerful Demon Bird.


    ¡°Can you return the Fire Lotus to me now?¡±


    After signing the contract with Qin Niu, the Phoenix immediately spoke in human language, demanding the Fire Lotus.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of returning it to you, but lending it to you for cultivation. That Fire Lotus is of great use to me as well.¡± Qin Niu had the Ice Lotus, and now obtained the Fire Lotus too¡ªa great opportunity.

 Chapter 413 - Chapter 413: Chapter 405: Inescapable Lifespan_1

    Chapter 413: Chapter 405: Inescapable Lifespan_1


    The Firebird was just a pet he had subjugated; it was impossible for its master to let the most important cultivation resource be taken by a pet.


    In the face of interest, the master definitely comes first.


    Moreover, the contract he had signed with the Firebird was an equal one, and when it came to the distribution of significant benefits, there had to be some consideration.


    ¡°Borrowing it is also fine!¡±


    Urgency seeped through the Firebird¡¯s voice.


    Its current situation seemed quite dire, probably at a critical moment in its cultivation.


    ¡°After the Fire Lotus is extracted from the lava, it has already been damaged, how do you plan to use it for your cultivation?¡±


    Qin Niu naturally wanted to get the details clear before giving it to the bird.


    ¡°I have been cultivating for many years and intended to use the geothermal heat here along with the Fire Lotus¡¯s energy to achieve rebirth. However, I¡¯ve found that just absorbing geothermal heat is far from enough. The fire essence contained within the Fire Lotus could lend me a final helping hand. Since the Fire Lotus withers away from fire but thrives when meeting it, there¡¯s no need to worry. Just give it to me, and with the great opportunity provided by the volcanic eruption, it will quickly recover.¡±


    The Firebird was desperately suppressing the backlash of the flames.


    Reabsorbing them into its body.


    ¡°After you use the Fire Lotus for cultivation, will it wither?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    The Firebird answered with certainty.


    ¡°The fire essence inside it will be completely absorbed by me, and it will take many years to recover.¡±


    ¡°Wait here!¡±


    Qin Niu rushed back to retrieve the Fire Lotus.


    Soon after, he returned with the Fire Lotus and threw it directly into the Firebird that was immersed in the lava.


    The moment the Fire Lotus, which had started to wilt, was tossed into the lava, it began to recover its vitality at a rapid pace. The ash-colored petals turned a red hue visible to the naked eye.


    The Firebird pecked at the core of the Fire Lotus, feasting on the fire essence within.


    Qin Niu took this opportunity to check its attributes.


    Huo Zhi


    Level: Level Eleven Order Galliformes, Huo Zhi Chicken, Experience 499.9 billion/500 billion


    Lifespan: 1790 years


    Energy: 100 million


    Skills: Fire control Grade Eight 10 million/100 million, Flight Level Seven 1 million/10 million


    Talent: Fire Mastery


    After seeing its attributes, Qin Niu was stunned by its level.


    It was now at the peak of Level Eleven, just one step away from leveling up.


    If Grade Eight was equivalent to the Spirit Qi Realm and Level Nine to an ordinary Immortal Master, then Level Ten was already terrifying.


    Just how strong was this Firebird, who was now at Level Eleven Demon Bird?


    It would probably rank well even if it were placed in the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    Such a powerful Demon Bird had actually been successfully subjugated under Qin Niu¡¯s schemes.


    Reflecting on it now, he still couldn¡¯t help breaking out in cold sweat.


    He had been too bold at the time.


    If it were a human Immortal Master, Qin Niu would definitely not dare to entertain the idea of taking advantage of them.


    But this Firebird was more than ten times stronger than an average Immortal Master.


    No wonder it would rather die than become Qin Niu¡¯s servant.


    After pecking at the fire essence contained within the Red Lotus, the Firebird¡¯s body was completely swallowed by flames, turning into a ball of fire.


    Screech!


    It emitted continuous piercing screams, which made Qin Niu¡¯s heart pound with fear.


    Having just subjugated an extremely powerful Demon Bird, he certainly didn¡¯t want the Firebird to perish like this.


    From its agonized cries, it was evident that its current situation was extremely dangerous.


    Whether human or demon, one faces many difficulties when breaking through to a new realm, even risking their lives.


    It is said that even humans who have cultivated to the Immortal Warrior Realm might disintegrate if they fail to break through to a higher realm.


    And worse outcomes include being obliterated from the cycle of life and death entirely.


    ¡°Were you too hasty in attempting to breakthrough to a higher realm this time?¡± Qin Niu communicated directly with the fire bird using spiritual power.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Its voice carried a sense of helplessness while also sounding extremely strained.


    ¡°My time is up, if I don¡¯t break through, I can only die of old age.¡±


    The fire bird expressed its own bitterness and helplessness.


    Lifespan is the greatest test for any living being.


    King Yama decides people die at the third watch, and will not let them live till the fifth.


    Even for powerful demon birds, once their time is up, if they can¡¯t find a way to extend their life, they too can only die of old age.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lived for over seventeen hundred years already?¡±


    Qin Niu asked it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really counted, but ever since I became sentient, I realized how precious lifespan is. In the beginning, in order to become a demon, my body endured considerable damage, though I later succeeded in transforming, the damage to my body could never be repaired. You must pay attention to this issue in the future: severe loss of vitality or serious injury, both can diminish lifespan.¡±


    The fire bird addressed Qin Niu with the word ¡°you.¡±


    Not as its master.


    This was the result of an equal contract.


    They were like friends, Qin Niu¡¯s control over the fire bird was minimal.


    While he was the master of the fire bird, he had to respect it and treat it equally.


    He couldn¡¯t simply order the fire bird to do anything for him.


    Everything had to be voluntary on the fire bird¡¯s part.


    However, the fire bird couldn¡¯t leave Qin Niu, due to the power of the contract binding them; whenever Qin Niu called, no matter the distance, it had to come.


    Additionally, it could not attack Qin Niu, otherwise, it would be disrespecting its master.


    The power of the contract would then punish it.


    This punishment was more terrifying than the Tightening Band Spell Sun Wukong wore.


    Because making a contract was a soul contract, with heaven and earth as witnesses. Violating the contract by either party is akin to defying heaven and earth.


    At that time, they would face the punishment of the forces of heaven and earth.


    Unless someone could withstand the forces of heaven and earth, no one would dare to break the contract.


    The fire bird¡¯s willingness to remind Qin Niu about the dangers of lifespan loss was a proactive show of goodwill.


    ¡°If you succeed in advancing this time, how much could your lifespan increase?¡±


    Qin Niu pursued the question.


    ¡°At least by a thousand years. Considering last time it increased by a full eight hundred years.¡±


    The fire bird, like all demon beasts, shared the advantage of a long lifespan, something humans could only envy.


    It is much more difficult for humans to increase their lifespan than it is for demon beasts.


    Heaven is fair, granting certain advantages to a species while also bestowing them with equivalent disadvantages.


    Humans possess great intelligence, unmatched by any demon beast.


    But the short lifespan of humans is also a significant weakness.


    Ordinary birds, some may live only three to five years before dying. But once they become demons, their lifespan instantly increases by hundreds of years.


    This fire bird had an overall lifespan of one thousand seven hundred and ninety years, and even though it lost some of its lifespan during its transformation, it has lived for at least a thousand years.


    ¡°What are the chances of your successful advancement?¡±


    The question asked by Qin Niu seemed to touch a sensitive spot.


    After a moment, it responded, ¡°There¡¯s hardly a ten percent chance, very low.¡±


    ¡°Less than a ten percent chance, and you still dare to challenge a new realm? You really amaze me,¡± Qin Niu said, somewhat speechless.


    ¡°The volcanic eruption seems to have come earlier than expected, rather suddenly. If I want to advance, I must seize this opportunity presented by the eruption. For us demon beasts, ascending to a new realm is much more difficult than it is for you humans. Besides having to guard against attacks from other demon beasts, we also have to beware of humans scheming against us when we attempt to break through. Additionally, sometimes the punishment from the heavens can be particularly severe.


    If I can¡¯t advance this time, when the heavenly tribulation of thunder descends, I¡¯ll still face certain death.


    Even though the chances are less than ten percent, I have to give it my all.¡±


    The fire bird was filled with envy towards humans.

 Chapter 414 - Chapter 414: Chapter 406: Nirvana as the Phoenix_1

    Chapter 414: Chapter 406: Nirvana as the Phoenix_1


    It never occurred to Qin Niu that the advancement of mythical beasts could be fraught with so many difficulties until it came up in conversation.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you guys seek refuge with us humans? Look at you, now you¡¯re my pet, and I¡¯ll definitely protect you, making sure you¡¯re undisturbed during your promotion.¡±


    Yet, he didn¡¯t consider that it was precisely during the critical moment of the Fire Bird¡¯s cultivation that he had stolen the Fire Lotus and had schemed against it quite ruthlessly.


    That wasn¡¯t all; he also took advantage of its struggle to break through its realm, attacking it multiple times with his pet, which ultimately resulted in the proud Demon Bird being subdued by him, a cultivator of the Innate Realm.


    This incident was an absolute disgrace to the Demon Realm.


    The Fire Bird did not respond.


    Probably angered by his words, it couldn¡¯t be bothered to engage any further.


    It was desperately trying to break into a new realm within the magma; its body was burned beyond recognition, and the flames continued to devour it mercilessly.


    The agony of being burned by intense flames in order to be reborn through fire, to achieve nirvana, was unimaginable.


    Qin Niu watched quietly as it underwent cultivation, struggling within the flames.


    He was also protecting it.


    Guarding against other demon beasts and Demon Birds that might attack it.


    No wonder none of the more than ten Demon Birds that lived in the highest peak came to aid the Fire Bird in its protection.


    If it had really gathered over ten Demon Birds to protect it, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.


    The Fire Bird had evolved from an ordinary wild bird into a Demon Bird, step by step, and was filled with distrust for other Demon Birds.


    This wariness had long become a habit of its and a survival skill necessary in the natural world.


    As time went by, the flames in the cavern became even more ferocious.


    Great gushes of scorching magma spewed from within the cave, and a large area at the base of the mountain transformed into a magma lake and sea of fire.


    Many plants caught fire directly and began to burn.


    Luckily, vegetation was sparse on this mountain, which prevented a larger wildfire from forming.


    If a wildfire were to occur, the entire Qifeng Mountain Range could be burned to a bald state.


    The Fire Bird was consuming fewer and fewer fire essences from the Fire Lotus.


    Looking at the situation, the fire essence inside seemed to have been completely devoured by it.


    But it was still far from reaching the state needed for promotion.


    ¡°Fire Bird, bring that Fire Lotus over here. I may be able to help you advance,¡± Qin Niu called out to it.


    The Fire Bird¡¯s body was now concealed within a gigantic fireball.


    It seemed to have heard Qin Niu¡¯s call.


    Finally, under the weight of the Fire Lotus, it drew closer to where Qin Niu was.


    Moving slowly, it appeared to be in great difficulty.


    Unable to enter the magma himself, Qin Niu could only stand there and watch.


    Eventually, the Fire Bird successfully brought the Fire Lotus before him.


    Qin Niu channeled the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique into the Fire Lotus to help it grow rapidly.


    Whether he could help it quickly condense fire essence, he had no idea.


    The Fire Bird, meanwhile, was struggling bitterly, enduring the torment of being burnt by raging flames.


    Gleaning fire essence from the Fire Lotus should accelerate its nirvana, enabling it to withstand the threat of death from being consumed by flames.


    With the nourishment of the Everlasting Spring Technique, the roots of the Fire Lotus grew swiftly, penetrating deeper into the magma and rapidly absorbing the fiery energy within.


    The heart of the Fire Lotus emitted a blazing white flame.


    The outer petals of the Fire Lotus expanded even further.


    Then, the Fire Lotus began to spin slowly on its own within the magma.


    Upon closer inspection, one could notice that a large amount of subterranean fire energy was gathering at its roots. They formed a vortex, which was the reason for the rotation of the Fire Lotus.


    Qin Niu was overjoyed and channeled the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique into the Fire Lotus again.


    It must be said, the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique was incredibly beneficial to plants.


    The speed at which the Fire Lotus absorbed the fiery energy increased, and its rotation grew faster as well.


    ¡°This is fantastic¡­ The fire essence inside the Fire Lotus is increasing rapidly.¡±


    The Fire Bird could feel the change in the fire essence inside the Fire Lotus, and its voice was also filled with joy.


    Now that Qin Niu¡¯s Medicine King Sutra had reached the Innate Realm, he naturally could sense some subtle changes in the Fire Lotus. The fiery energy within was rapidly increasing, and he could clearly feel it.


    He could even faintly sense the process by which the Fire Lotus absorbed the fiery energy and slowly transformed it into fire essence after purification.


    That Essence of Fire must be something good.


    He just didn¡¯t know how to absorb it.


    When the time comes, perhaps he could humbly ask the Firebird for advice.


    He also wondered if, just as the Fire Lotus could automatically transform into Essence of Fire, the Ice Lotus might also contain the essence of water within.


    He immediately took out the Ice Lotus and examined its core.


    He could sense that the core of the Ice Lotus contained an extremely pure and cold energy.


    He didn¡¯t dare to touch it because it was too cold.


    Just touching it would instantly cause frostbite.


    As the Fire Lotus rapidly condensed a large amount of Essence of Fire with the help of his Everlasting Spring Technique, the Firebird on the brink of death finally found a new source of energy.


    It pecked at the Essence of Fire inside the Fire Lotus again.


    With sufficient Essence of Fire, the Firebird¡¯s rebirth could continue.


    Qin Niu watched its cultivation from the side, and he made quite significant gains himself.


    The magma eruption within the cavern continued unabated.


    An entire night quickly passed.


    The sky gradually brightened, but the magma continued to erupt ceaselessly, already filling a large portion of the low-lying area below.


    Qin Niu¡¯s power of the Everlasting Spring Technique was almost depleted.


    He continuously channeled the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique into the Fire Lotus, helping it rapidly absorb the power of flames and transform it into Essence of Fire.


    At the same time, in order to protect himself from the flames, he also had to channel part of his Everlasting Spring Technique power into the Ice Lotus, helping it maintain its vitality, continuously releasing cold air to assist him in resisting the searing magma and flames.


    ¡­


    Gradually, the sun climbed high into the sky, shining brightly.


    The Firebird¡¯s cultivation had finally reached a critical point.


    ¡°Caw!¡±


    It let out a clear cry.


    Then, it fluttered its wings and revealed its true form from within the blazing flames.


    Qin Niu was amazed to see that it had regrown its crimson feathers.


    The new feathers were still short and had not spread out.


    With each forceful flap of its wings, the feathers on its body grew faster.


    The feathers on its wings and tail had begun to unfold.


    All of this was truly magical.


    ¡°It seems it has successfully undergone its rebirth.¡±


    Qin Niu felt genuinely happy for it.


    Luckily, there were no other powerful demon beasts in this mountain range. Otherwise, taking advantage of the Firebird¡¯s critical moment of reaching a new realm, an ambush would have been difficult for Qin Niu to fend off.


    Time flew by quickly.


    Before they knew it, it was noon.


    The Firebird had completely transformed.


    Its body was now covered in dense crimson feathers, some even shimmering with colorful glows.


    From its body emanated a royal aura, domineering and majestic over all creation.


    Even as its master, Qin Niu still felt a thrill of fear.


    ¡°Caw!¡±


    The Firebird spread its wings and flew out from the magma, soaring high into the sky, heading straight for the sun.


    There were blazing white flames on its body.


    Almost no crimson flames were visible anymore.


    This indicated that after its advancement, it could manipulate even more powerful flames.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting above itself! It actually wants to contend with the sun.¡±


    As Qin Niu watched the Firebird soar into the sky, he felt as if he had been in a dream since yesterday.


    It was too unbelievable.


    He now somewhat couldn¡¯t believe that such a powerful Demon Bird had been subdued by him.


    Seeing the Firebird¡¯s brash demeanor, it seemed it would fly in the sky for a good while, flaunting itself. It wanted to let the other demon birds in the region know that it had successfully advanced.


    Qin Niu dragged the Fire Lotus out from the magma, ready to take it back and care for it properly.

 Chapter 415 - Chapter 415: Chapter 407 Initial Recognition of Master_1

    Chapter 415: Chapter 407 Initial Recognition of Master_1


    ¡°`


    The Firebird soared up into the sky, spreading its wings before swooping down towards Qin Niu below.


    Its broad wings blocked out the sunlight overhead.


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, thinking if the Firebird dared to show off in front of its master, he would certainly need to discipline it once he grew stronger.


    At this moment, however, in order to help the Firebird evolve, his strength was nearly depleted, leaving him looking extremely weak and fatigued.


    He had no ability to contend with the Firebird.


    When he checked the Firebird¡¯s attributes after its evolution, his face immediately showed a look of shock.


    Fire Phoenix


    Grade: Grade Twelve Galliformes Fire Phoenix, experience for upgrade 500 billion/1000 billion


    Lifespan: Ten thousand years


    Energy: 110 million


    Skills: Fire Control eighth grade 10 million/100 million, Flight seventh grade 1 million/10 million, True Fire first grade 0/10, Nirvana first grade 1/10


    Talent: Sovereignty over Myriad Flames, Undying Body


    No wonder it was so flamboyant; from a Huo Zhi chicken, it had successfully evolved into a Fire Phoenix, truly ascending to the branches to become a phoenix.


    In all the world, birds are led by the Phoenix, beasts by the Kylin.


    And among the creatures of the water, the Dragon reigns supreme.


    Qin Niu had heard stories of carps leaping over the dragon gate, transforming into dragons, shedding their fish bodies to become nobles of the dragon kind.


    Right now, he was witnessing another miracle of the mortal realm, as the Huo Zhi, through arduous cultivation, had also successfully transformed into one of the most supreme beings.


    It had become a phoenix.


    Phoenix and Fenghuang, the former is male, the latter female, both reigning over all birds.


    They are among the world¡¯s top-notch creatures.


    The origins of the Phoenix have always been mysterious, with nobody knowing where it came from. They only knew that the Phoenix emerged from fire, hence the mistaken belief that it was born from flames.


    Now it seemed that the Phoenix might belong to a very special species in the world.


    Originally, there was no Phoenix.


    The Firebird, through arduous cultivation and rebirth from fire, could undergo Nirvana and transform into a Phoenix.


    This process bore an uncanny resemblance to the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.


    This Fire Phoenix was now a Grade Twelve Demon Bird; just how terrifying its power was, would only be known after tests.


    Before its evolution, it already had the power to instant-kill those in the Spirit Qi Realm, and now it was at least capable of killing weaker Immortal Masters in an instant.


    This also meant that Qin Niu¡¯s true combat strength had increased by thousands, if not tens of thousands of times.


    Although he couldn¡¯t command the Fire Phoenix to do his bidding at the moment, should he encounter danger, the Fire Phoenix would surely come to his rescue.


    The power of the contract made it Qin Niu¡¯s personal, cost-free bodyguard.


    After the Fire Phoenix swooped down in front of Qin Niu, its wing flaps created a gale that battered Qin Niu¡¯s face and body, messing up his hair.


    Qin Niu¡¯s face darkened, and he was about to scold it.


    ¡°Thank you, Master, for aiding my successful Nirvana! Our Fire Turkey species are numerous, but very few can succeed in the Nirvana to become a phoenix. Sometimes, not even one emerges in tens or thousands of years. I have succeeded in the Nirvana to become a phoenix, and from now on, I am almost indestructible, capable of living as long as the heavens and the earth, shining alongside the sun and the moon. Without the Master¡¯s aid, I would surely have failed.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix spoke in human language as it landed before Qin Niu, staring at him with fierce eyes.


    This was the first time it addressed Qin Niu as its master.


    It also signified that it had accepted its current status from the bottom of its heart.


    ¡°It is mainly the result of your own efforts; what I have done is actually trivial.¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the Fire Phoenix exuding a king¡¯s aura and felt a complex mix of emotions.


    ¡°`


    I had thought that after its promotion to a Fire Phoenix, it would want to establish its might in front of me, its master, to gain greater freedom.


    However, it possessed a grateful heart and actively thanked Qin Niu.


    ¡°What does ¡®it¡¯s not worth mentioning¡¯ mean?¡±


    The Fire Phoenix cocked its head and asked.


    Its feathers had all grown back, and compared to yesterday¡¯s pitiful sight of being a burnt bald chicken, it now looked completely different.


    In the sunlight, its feathers radiated a myriad of colors.


    Qin Niu subconsciously compared its feathers to the phoenix feather he had seen in the black market that day, which probably wasn¡¯t authentic. He felt that the so-called phoenix feather looked more like the feathers of a fire bird before its promotion.


    ¡°¡®It¡¯s not worth mentioning¡¯ means there¡¯s no need to thank me. Because you are my pet, helping you to advance is what I should do. Just like one day, if I need your help, I believe you would assist me unhesitatingly.


    We¡¯re allies, growing together and helping each other.¡±


    Qin Niu fully utilized the art of language to bind it together.


    ¡°The way you humans think is really strange! Before becoming your pet, you plotted against me in all sorts of ways, but now that I am your pet, you wholeheartedly assist me.¡± The Fire Phoenix¡¯s ability to think clearly couldn¡¯t compare to that of a real human.


    It possessed the intelligence equivalent to that of a seven or eight-year-old child.


    In the world of beasts, the law of the jungle, where might is right and interests are paramount, is their rule of survival.


    Concepts like humans having eternal interests but no eternal enemies are difficult for them to understand.


    ¡°Before becoming my pet, would you have killed me if you saw me?¡±


    ¡°If you had trespassed into my territory, then certainly. But if we simply met in these mountains, I would not kill you, because you are too weak to pose any threat to me.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix¡¯s words were quite demoralizing.


    Qin Niu was, after all, a Dual Innate Realm expert, with a weapon like the Ink Blade that could slay Spirit Qi Realm experts.


    But in the eyes of the Fire Phoenix, he was as weak as an ant.


    ¡°So if I trespassed into your territory now, would you still kill me?¡±


    Qin Niu countered.


    ¡°Of course not. We have signed a contract, bound by a soul contract, so I can¡¯t hurt you anymore.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix answered quite straightforwardly.


    ¡°That¡¯s the difference. Now we have a soul contract, like friends, and you won¡¯t hurt me. Instead, when I am in danger, you will help me. That¡¯s why I am willing to help you advance with all my strength.¡±


    Qin Niu tried hard to explain to it.


    From its expression, it seemed to have reluctantly understood.


    ¡°Regardless, you helped me successfully undergo the phoenix nirvana, making you my benefactor. From now on, in these mountains, I will not allow any demon birds to harm you. Please, sit on my back. I want to announce to all the demon birds in these mountains that you are my master, and they are not to offend you,¡±


    the Fire Phoenix said to him.


    ¡°Thank you for becoming my pet. I believe you¡¯ll never regret it in the future. The nirvana is not your end, but just a new beginning for you.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s planting skills were his most formidable core ability.


    Even stronger than all the pets he raised.


    He seldom used his planting skills before, because he hadn¡¯t needed to. His strength was still weak, and since planting took a long time to show results, he had focused his main efforts on cultivation and training pets.


    Once he became an Immortal Master and no longer had to worry about lifespan, he could plant a large number of precious herbs just like the Fang Family.


    Then, not only could he consume them himself, but he could also administer them to his pets, helping them enhance their strength together.


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret it already. Come sit on my back!¡±


    The Fire Phoenix urged him again.


    As for the great prospects Qin Niu laid out for him, it seemed to take them lightly.

 Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: Chapter 408: Officially Becoming the Master of the Mountains_1

    Chapter 416: Chapter 408: Officially Becoming the Master of the Mountains_1


    Because Qin Niu was still very weak, far weaker than it.


    Qin Niu told it that he could help it become stronger in the future, which seemed very mysterious to it.


    Qin Niu naturally understood its thoughts and didn¡¯t bother to explain further.


    Time reveals a person¡¯s heart, just as the road tests a horse¡¯s strength.


    In time, it would naturally understand that what Qin Niu had said was not empty talk, boastful talk, but the truth.


    Qin Niu never boasted to anyone.


    Just like the time the He Family bullied him, he warned them, if they dared to bully him again, to be careful or he would destroy the He Family completely.


    Unfortunately, the higher-ups of the He Family didn¡¯t take it seriously at all.


    They didn¡¯t consider him as a newly appointed first-class noble.


    In the end, the He Family paid an extremely heavy price for their stupidity, arrogance, and vanity. Qin Niu uprooted the entire He Family and removed them from the territory of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Qin Niu leaped up and landed firmly on the back of the Fire Phoenix.


    It immediately spread its wings and flew high into the sky.


    This was Qin Niu¡¯s first time flying, and he was so scared that he quickly clamped the Fire Phoenix¡¯s body with his legs and hugged its neck with his arms.


    ¡°Master, there is no need to be afraid, if you fall from my back, I am confident I can catch you,¡±


    As the Fire Phoenix spoke, it rolled in the air, scaring Qin Niu into letting out a terrified scream.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    His scream echoed through the land, resonating continuously in the valleys.


    Because the Fire Phoenix was flying too fast, and because of the sudden roll, he fell off its back and into the air.


    Flailing around in the air, his face had already turned deathly pale.


    The Fire Phoenix dived down at lightning speed and caught him with precision.


    ¡°You bastard, stop messing around.¡±


    Qin Niu had been terrified out of his wits just now.


    Falling from a hundred meters high, he would have undoubtedly broken his body to pieces.


    This time, he learned to be smart, if the Fire Phoenix dared to play again, he would hold on to its neck with his hands.


    But this trick probably wouldn¡¯t work either.


    Because its demon power was incredibly strong, it could easily shake off Qin Niu¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Master, please don¡¯t be angry, I was also very scared the first time I flew, but as I got slowly accustomed to it, I was no longer afraid. Flying is not only a natural talent of us birds, but human Cultivators also need to learn this skill. I have seen strong human Cultivators who can fly directly through the sky. Though their flying skills aren¡¯t very good, the weaker ones even wobble, as if they might fall at any moment.


    I believe that Master, as long as you study hard, can definitely fly better than them,¡±


    The Fire Phoenix had lived for more than a thousand years and had seen a vast array of experiences.


    It had actually seen human Cultivators who could fly.


    Even the strong ones in the Spirit Qi Realm found it difficult to fly, only the Immortal Masters could travel through the skies and earth.


    This meant that it had likely seen Immortal Masters among humans.


    ¡°When I can fly in the future, let you teach me flying.¡±


    Qin Niu said.


    ¡°No problem, I can¡¯t guarantee other things, but when it comes to flying and playing with fire, I¡¯m really good,¡±


    The Fire Phoenix readily agreed.


    At this moment, it was soaring rapidly into the sky.


    As it flew higher, Qin Niu felt a strong cold wind blowing on his face.


    The high altitude seemed to be much colder than the ground.


    Perhaps because he stayed in the hot environment on the ground, he felt particularly noticeable when the air turned cold.


    The ground was filled with a massive amount of lava erupting, making the area feel like a furnace.


    After the initial tension and fear, Qin Niu gradually became a bit bolder.


    He looked down at the ground only to see that the objects below had become significantly smaller.


    The landscape of the entire mountain range was captured in his eyes.


    At a glance, it was all lush green mountains. He originally wanted to check the location of the Ancient Banyan Tree, but upon looking, the whole mountain range looked similar with no significant differences.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree was like an old turtle in deep waters, hidden within these mountains, hardly noticeable to outsiders.


    The Fire Phoenix carried him to the top of the highest peak.


    One by one, huge monstrous birds came flying over.


    They circled below the Fire Phoenix as a sign of submission.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Whistle!¡±


    The Fire Phoenix let out a clear and resonant cry.


    All the birds answered with their calls, flying around the Fire Phoenix.


    Hundreds of birds facing the phoenix, I had only seen in paintings before.


    At this moment, Qin Niu was witnessing the real version of hundreds of birds facing the phoenix.


    The Demon Birds and large birds living in this mountain domain took to the sky, expressing their submission and celebration to the Fire Phoenix.


    The Crow Demon, which I had seen only once before, was also present in the flock below.


    It seemed to hold a high position.


    After circling in the low sky twice, it ascended to fly beside the Fire Phoenix.


    But when it saw Qin Niu riding on the back of the Fire Phoenix, it was extremely shocked.


    Because it could not comprehend how a weak human could be riding atop the Fire Phoenix.


    Following that, a huge eagle flew up.


    It flew on one side, with the Crow Demon on the other, flanking the Fire Phoenix.


    Within these mountains, the strongest was undoubtedly the Fire Phoenix, followed by the Crow Demon and the eagle demon.


    The giant eagle looked extremely ferocious, its beak and sturdy claws glinting coldly, a terrifying aura of death and aggression emanating from it.


    It stared at Qin Niu with a fierce and vicious gaze.


    ¡°Crow Demon, eagle demon, listen well, this one is my master; from now on, you must not offend him.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix spoke in human language, announcing Qin Niu¡¯s identity to the two Demon Birds.


    ¡°We greet you, master!¡±


    The two Demon Birds were stunned for a moment but then bowed to Qin Niu at the same time.


    They flew in the air and then performed a bowing gesture.


    What surprised Qin Niu even more was that they could actually speak human language.


    Any higher-level demon beast would strive to evolve into a human.


    Taking on human form and speaking human language were common behaviors of demon beasts when they appeared in the human world. They would reveal their true shapes only when in their own dwellings.


    ¡°No need for such formalities.¡±


    Qin Niu waved his hand disinterestedly.


    After the Fire Phoenix introduced Qin Niu¡¯s identity to the two strongest Demon Birds, it suddenly swooped down with Qin Niu, weaving and flying through the flock of birds.


    It cried out repeatedly.


    The other birds, including some Demon Birds, answered Qin Niu and the Fire Phoenix with their calls, as a sign of acknowledgment.


    Their gaze toward Qin Niu shifted from initial hostility and ferociousness to friendliness,


    Even displaying a sense of eagerness to please and submissiveness.


    Qin Niu had unexpectedly become the master of these birds, which was an unintentional gain.


    His plan to transform this mountain into his private domain advanced one large step further.


    Now, the Ancient Banyan Tree also recognized him.


    These Demon Birds, including the most powerful Fire Phoenix, all acknowledged him as their master. Coupled with the Termite and bees he had cultivated, there probably weren¡¯t any creatures in this mountain that could contend with him.


    The entire mountain had become his private empire.


    ¡°All right, take me down now! I need to find a way to settle this Fire Lotus properly.¡±


    Seeing that the time was about right, Qin Niu asked the Fire Phoenix to take him back to the ground.


    Riding on the back of a bird flying was a novel experience.


    Long ago, he had hoped to one day travel on a Demon Bird, wandering far and wide.


    Now, that wish had become reality.


    Once he reached the ground, Qin Niu leaped down from the back of the Fire Phoenix.


    ¡°Go on, I will summon you if there¡¯s a need.¡±


    Qin Niu said to the Fire Phoenix.


    It glanced at the Fire Lotus, obviously reluctant to leave, but it couldn¡¯t compete with Qin Niu for the treasure.


    Because Qin Niu was its master, and it could not outmatch him.


    ¡°Master, this Fire Lotus must not be removed from the magma, or it will quickly wither and die. The magma within this mountain burns eternally. After this eruption subsides, you might consider replanting the Fire Lotus in a cave.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix suggested to Qin Niu.


    This would also significantly benefit it, allowing it to enter the cave at any time to cultivate with the help of the Fire Lotus.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 417 - Chapter 417: Chapter 409 Rat Demon_1

    Chapter 417: Chapter 409 Rat Demon_1


    The Fire Phoenix had dwelt in this mountain for many years and was extremely familiar with the situation here.


    Reminded by it, Qin Niu began to seriously contemplate the feasibility of the matter.


    The Fire Lotus had extremely stringent requirements for its growing environment, and it would be safer to bring it home for cultivation. However, the cost of cultivation was high, and it demanded continuous investment.


    Lava is earth fire, with temperatures easily reaching over a thousand degrees.


    If cultivated at home, one could only use firewood as a substitute.


    The temperature had to be several hundred degrees.


    Not only that, but the energy provided by firewood was far less substantial than that of earth fire.


    This was definitely detrimental to the growth of the Fire Lotus.


    Planting it back in the cave seemingly left it outdoors, but in reality, it was safe.


    That was because the Fire Phoenix was stronger than before.


    With its guardianship here, it was nearly impossible for anyone else to steal it.


    Qin Niu had now tamed a swarm of fire bees and could assign some to monitor inside the cave. Any disturbance, and he would be the first to know.


    Moreover, the strongest creature within this great mountain had been subdued by him, so the entire mountain had essentially become his territory.


    This place was no different from his backyard.


    After careful consideration, he decided to plant the Fire Lotus back in the cave.


    However, he had to ask about some issues clearly.


    ¡°Does the lava in that cave always exist?¡±


    ¡°Yes! The reason I chose to reside in this range of mountains was because of the earth fire here that could aid my cultivation.¡±


    It was the need to use earth fire for cultivation that had kept the Fire Phoenix here all this time.


    ¡°How often does it erupt?¡±


    Qin Niu was more concerned about this issue.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. There¡¯s no set pattern for when the lava in the cave erupts. It only happens when the earth fire accumulates to its limit, which causes the lava to erupt. I have been cultivating here for seven to eight hundred years. Back then, my cultivation was shallow, and I could absorb only limited earth fire, so it would erupt regularly after a certain period.


    Later, as my cultivation deepened and I frequented the cave for my practice, continuously absorbing the earth fire, the intervals between eruptions became longer and longer.


    Now, it generally takes about seventy or eighty years before it erupts once.


    With my current deeper level of cultivation, I can absorb even more earth fire at once, so the interval between eruptions will only get longer.¡±


    The existence of the Fire Phoenix had actually directly extended the intervals of lava eruptions in the cave.


    There¡¯s a preordained time for everything.


    Qin Niu gained a deeper comprehension of the natural order.


    ¡°Since it only erupts once every seventy or eighty years, I can be at ease planting the Fire Lotus back in the cave. In the future, pay extra attention and take good care of this Fire Lotus. During your cultivation, you may peck at the Fire Essence within the Fire Lotus, but do not let it wither.¡±


    Qin Niu set some rules for it.


    ¡°The Fire Essence within the Fire Lotus is extremely precious, and it accumulates very slowly. I seldom dare to consume the Fire Essence during my regular cultivation. It¡¯s only during critical moments of cultivation that I dare to use it. Master has a special ability to allow it to accumulate Fire Essence quickly. If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t dare believe it.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix mentioned Qin Niu¡¯s special ability with envy.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Everlasting Spring Technique was indeed miraculous.


    It had a powerful nourishing effect on plants. Even the Ancient Banyan Tree began to take a liking to him and gradually considered him a ¡®friend¡¯.


    ¡°In the future, I will take some time to help the Fire Lotus accumulate Fire Essence quickly, so you can take the opportunity to peck at it occasionally, instead of waiting decades between each peck.¡±


    Qin Niu quietly used a huge favor to win over the Fire Phoenix.


    Binding interests is the most clever tactic.


    Only when it gains huge benefits, will it be unable to leave Qin Niu, its master.


    From now on, there¡¯s no fear that it won¡¯t obediently serve.


    ¡°Thank you, master.¡±


    Upon hearing it could often peck at a large amount of fire essence to cultivate, the Fire Phoenix indeed had no resistance and happily thanked Qin Niu on the spot.


    With each mention of ¡°master,¡± it did so with glee.


    In the meantime, the lava spewing inside the cave seemed to be nearing its end.


    The speed of the outflow had already significantly decreased by morning, and now, the lava erupting out was minimal.


    Large gaps had appeared in the ceiling of the cave.


    Qin Niu noticed that the cave seemed to have expanded a bit more.


    As the lava spewed, it would continuously melt the walls of the cave, thereby causing the cave to expand.


    Fortunately, the stone of the cave was a high-melting-point black rock, so there was no need to worry about the cave expanding too quickly, causing a collapse of the mountain.


    ¡°Are there any other formidable demon beasts occupying this range of mountains?¡±


    Seeing that he would have to wait for a while longer, Qin Niu took the opportunity to converse with the Fire Phoenix and deepen his understanding of this mountain range.


    Currently, his Green Demon Bees had already laid eggs and hatched young bees.


    Having tamed a nest of fire bees added to his ability to conduct more in-depth exploration and surveillance of the entire mountain.


    In this mountain region, the demon beasts or half-demons he had so far encountered were just a few.


    There was the Pig King he had slaughtered in the beginning, the Black Python in the deep pool, and then the dozen or so Demon Birds living within this highest peak.


    All in all, the powerful creatures within the mountain were rarer than he had imagined.


    ¡°Are you referring to this entire range of mountains?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°In this entire range of mountains, there are only me and the thirteen Demon Birds. There used to be a Pig King, but it disappeared later on. Additionally, there are two or three creatures with the potential to become demons. Over there is a Black Python that¡¯s about to become a spirit, and in that valley, there¡¯s a formidable scorpion.


    They are usually very timid, never daring to show themselves for fear that I would eat them.


    And in that direction, there¡¯s a Poisonous Miasma Forest with a powerful Rat Demon inside. What kind of Rat Demon it is, I¡¯m not even sure.


    It could be a Yellow Weasel or it might be a Rock-Biting Rat with exceptional talent.


    Its strength must be very strong; one of my Crow Demon subordinates almost fell prey to it once. It¡¯s extremely cunning, almost never active during the day, and it will hide in its cave at the slightest disturbance.


    Once, I wanted to quickly improve my strength, and considering that Rat Demon had killed many members of our Bird Clan, I wanted to eat it.


    After guarding near the Poisonous Miasma Forest for over a month, it never showed itself.


    Eventually, I lost patience and spewed out several breaths of fierce fire to burn down that forest directly. But the fire I expelled went out quickly once it entered the Poisonous Miasma Forest.


    The poisonous gases and miasma there were incredibly potent; I inhaled some and it took me more than half a year to completely clear the poison from my body.


    Since then, I¡¯ve not dared to go near that Poisonous Miasma Forest to seek trouble with that Rat Demon again.


    That Rat Demon is also very clever, never leaving that Poisonous Miasma Forest.¡±


    I never expected there to be so many formidable creatures in this range of mountains.


    Qin Niu, when his strength was still weak, wisely refrained from venturing deeper into the mountains, which was a very correct decision. Otherwise, encountering any demon beast could have potentially cost him his life.


    A Rat Demon that even a Fire Phoenix couldn¡¯t contend with is a horrifying thought.


    That Rat Demon, entrenched in the Poisonous Miasma Forest, is effectively guarding a natural stronghold, capable of attacking and defending. Within this range of mountains, there seems to be no other demon beast that can handle it.

 Chapter 418 - Chapter 418: Chapter 410: Mysterious Powerhouse_1

    Chapter 418: Chapter 410: Mysterious Powerhouse_1


    Qin Niu did feel a certain interest in that Rat Demon.


    Having pets isn¡¯t always about quantity.


    But pets that reach the level of demon beasts are always beneficial in greater numbers.


    These demon beasts and insect spirits that survived all shared a common trait, and that was caution.


    Although they possessed great strength, they were extremely cautious when they traveled.


    Take the Scorpion Spirit for example, it never came out during the day, thus reducing the risk of being preyed upon by demon birds.


    The survival rules of these demon beasts held many lessons worth learning for him.


    The Fire Phoenix was undoubtedly the strongest, and the Rat Demon had eaten many of its kind, causing it to hate the Rat Demon to the bone. However, after discovering that the poisonous gas in the Poisonous Miasma Forest was extremely dangerous, it no longer dared to venture there.


    This was a form of concession and endurance that was also the way of survival.


    Human powerhouses were sometimes hot-tempered and arrogantly prideful. Faced with such situations, many would directly storm the doors of their enemies and fight a bloody battle.


    From the survival rules of the Rat Demon, Qin Niu learned the importance of having a den.


    When it comes to strength, the Rat Demon might not be as powerful as the Fire Phoenix.


    But it had the Poisonous Miasma Forest as a natural fortress. As long as it hid inside, the Fire Phoenix, no matter how powerful, could do nothing to it.


    Qin Niu had this idea quite early on.


    He too wanted to build a den he could use as a refuge. No matter how powerful the enemy, once they entered his den, he would have the ability to kill them.


    Now, he should be able to realize this idea initially.


    With the Fire Phoenix and thirteen Demon Birds, plus a heap of insects and the Ancient Banyan Tree, if an enemy entered this mountain range, their life would be in Qin Niu¡¯s hands.


    He was quite interested in that Rat Demon and Scorpion Spirit.


    Once he grew a bit stronger and found the opportunity to subdue these two demons, he would immediately have two more dependable subordinates.


    The Rat Demon was adept at burrowing.


    This ability was extremely practical.


    Facing formidable enemies, even if he couldn¡¯t outfight them, just by hiding underground, he could instantly escape with his life.


    Not to mention the Scorpion Spirit.


    Scorpions belong to the insect category, and Qin Niu was an Insect Master.


    His current most formidable insects were the Green Demon Bee and the Shadow Fire Bee, but neither had reached the level of demon insects.


    If he could subdue that Scorpion Spirit, he would immediately have a demon insect in his possession.


    This was incredibly tempting.


    But now, he had no way to subdue them. His spiritual power was still not particularly strong.


    Even though he had formed an equal contract with the Fire Phoenix, the strain on his spiritual power was still very serious because the Fire Phoenix¡¯s grade was too high.


    If Qin Niu wanted to take on new pets, he would probably have to wait until his cultivation advanced to a higher realm and his spiritual power further increased.


    ¡°By the way, Master, do you live in a village outside this mountain range?¡±


    The Fire Phoenix seemed to have thought of something and asked Qin Niu.


    ¡°Yes, I live in Shuangfeng Village.¡±


    ¡°There should be a very powerful human powerhouse living in a village outside the mountain range. That person¡¯s strength should be very great.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix wouldn¡¯t talk nonsense.


    If it said so, there must be some basis for it.


    ¡°The strongest person in our village should be me; even if we broaden the scope, the neighboring villages don¡¯t have especially strong individuals either. Could it be that the Yan Family has a hidden master?¡±


    Qin Niu thought about it and then dismissed this guess.


    Although the Yan Family had some heritage, its history of wealth creation was short, only about three to four hundred years.


    In such a time span, it was possible to cultivate a formidable powerhouse, but the chances were extremely slim.


    Every major human family prioritized family interests first.


    Those prominent families might hide one or two top experts, but they would definitely not sacrifice family interests to hide their strong members.


    If the Yan Family had a top-level expert, how could they possibly be nested in the countryside?


    They would have established a family in the city like the Fang Family and joined the ranks of the top great families.


    If the Yan Family had even one Spirit Qi Realm expert, they wouldn¡¯t be holed up in Jade Stream Town developing as they are now. It¡¯s even less likely that they would mortgage their years of accumulated estate to compensate for a large merchant¡¯s breach of contract.


    Therefore, Qin Niu could basically be certain that the Yan Family¡¯s top expert was also at the level of the Innate Realm.


    Which should be comparable to the strength of the He Family.


    Even possibly a little weaker than the He Family.


    Since the super expert didn¡¯t come from the Yan Family, whose could it be?


    Qin Niu racked his brain for a long time but couldn¡¯t figure out which family might have such a formidable expert.


    Humans considered extremely powerful by Fire Phoenix must be at least at the level of Immortal Master.


    Let alone Jade Stream Town, even Black Tiger City probably couldn¡¯t find an Immortal Master.


    ¡°Could you have mistaken?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°No mistake. I¡¯ve lived in these mountains for seven or eight hundred years, and I¡¯m quite familiar with the nearby villages. That expert should have appeared in the last few decades. Not long ago, he even entered the mountains.¡±


    Fire Phoenix was very certain when it spoke.


    ¡°Not long ago, he entered the mountains? Roughly when was that?¡±


    Qin Niu thought to himself, could Fire Phoenix be referring to Elder Mei?


    ¡°You¡¯re not talking about the old human who barged into the mountain where you reside, whom you pecked and broke an arm, and who fled for his life, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, that old man¡¯s strength was very weak, I didn¡¯t even use my full strength and I made him flee with his tail between his legs. If it weren¡¯t for the life-saving technique he used being quite impressive, he wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to escape.¡±


    When Fire Phoenix mentioned Elder Mei, its tone was one of utter contempt.


    Thus, it could be determined that the human expert it referred to must be terrifyingly powerful.


    At the very least, at the level of Immortal Master.


    ¡°About two or three months ago, one late night, well into the night, a rather powerful human riding a leopard entered the mountains. He seemed to be looking for someone.


    Not long after that person entered the mountain, another human followed.


    Soon, they fought.


    The human expert who entered the mountain later used just one move to kill both the leopard and the human expert.


    At that moment, a trace of terrifying aura inadvertently released by that human expert made me feel extreme fear. The dozen or so Demon Birds under my command all trembled. I¡¯m certain, if I had fought that human expert then, I would have been flattened in an instant.¡±


    Even two or three months later, when Fire Phoenix spoke of that human expert, it was still filled with dread.


    This was its instinctive fear of the powerful.


    ¡°The human expert riding a leopard, and it was late at night when he entered the mountain?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qin Niu¡¯s eyes gleamed slightly.


    He had killed several experts from the Nine Insect Gang, and one night as he was practicing at home, he sensed a powerful individual riding a mount passing by his house at an incredible speed.


    He was very anxious at the time, knowing that powerful individual was likely coming for him.


    Resulting in him waiting apprehensively till the next morning, he didn¡¯t see or hear the expert leaving the village.


    He was puzzled for many days about that event.


    Even afraid to easily enter the mountains.


    Afterwards, that powerful individual appeared to vanish into thin air.


    Now, hearing Fire Phoenix¡¯s account, he realized that the one riding the leopard was killed shortly after entering the mountain by another expert.


    ¡°Did you get a clear look at that human expert¡¯s face?¡±


    ¡°Since it was night, I couldn¡¯t see clearly at all. After that person released a trace of terrifying aura, I was too scared to spy on him any longer,¡± Fire Phoenix said.


    ¡°Alright, I know about this. I¡¯ll investigate it secretly when there¡¯s a chance. You don¡¯t have to be too nervous, if that expert really wanted to harm you, he would have done it long ago. He wouldn¡¯t have let you live safely until now.


    Besides, now that you have an undying body, facing ordinary dangers, you should have no problems at all protecting yourself.¡±


    Qin Niu comforted Fire Phoenix, but in his mind, he was pondering who that mysterious expert could be?

 Chapter 419 - Chapter 419: Chapter 411 Gang Leaders Attendant_1

    Chapter 419: Chapter 411 Gang Leader¡¯s Attendant_1


    Long ago, he had suspected Zhang Banzui, but later, upon secretly sensing his cultivation level, he realized that it was merely that of an ordinary person with nofold cultivation.


    And so, he dismissed this suspicion.


    It is said that great concealment lies in the imperial court, moderate concealment lies in the marketplace, and minor concealment lies in the forest.


    Some powerful beings, weary of the constant heart-wrenching struggles and the bloody disputes over interests, choose to retreat into the mountains and forests, living incognito as ordinary farmers in the countryside, leading a peaceful life away from worldly conflicts.


    Ever since he was young, Qin Niu had yearned for such a peaceful, farming life.


    The mysterious expert could very likely be hidden among the common folk of the countryside, keeping their existence unknown to outsiders.


    ¡°The expert who rode a leopard into the village could very possibly be a powerful figure from the Nine Insect Gang. Why would the mysterious expert, hiding in the countryside, take action to eliminate him?¡±


    Qin Niu pondered deeply over this matter.


    Since the mysterious expert was concealed in the countryside, he surely did not wish to expose his identity.


    But his action in eradicating the expert from the Nine Insect Gang could easily provoke an investigation by the gang. In that case, the mysterious expert would be even more likely to be discovered.


    An adult¡¯s every action is guaranteed by interests.


    The mysterious expert must have had a reason for acting as he did.


    Could it be that the expert from the Nine Insect Gang had discovered the whereabouts of the mysterious expert and was therefore silenced?


    Or could it be that the mysterious expert was secretly protecting this land, preventing the experts from the Nine Insect Gang from wreaking havoc in this region? At that time, the Nine Insect Gang was constantly sending out powerful assassins to target the Insect Masters of the Black Tiger Gang.


    The situation was fraught with tension.


    Now that Qin Niu¡¯s insects were increasing both in number and strength, he could secretly set up controls, monitoring the entirety of Shuangfeng Village and the Qifeng Mountain Range.


    Should the mysterious expert take action again, Qin Niu would surely be able to find him.


    ¡­


    He didn¡¯t return to Shuangfeng Village from the deep mountains until near dusk.


    The Fire Lotus had already been replanted within the cavern by him, nourished by the Earth¡¯s fire and the power of his Everlasting Spring Technique, the Fire Lotus was quickly regaining its vitality. The fire essence within it was also accumulating at an astonishing rate.


    The Fire Phoenix sect had dispatched its Demon Birds to take turns guarding the cavern.


    Qin Niu had positioned some of the War Bees inside the cave to protect the Fire Lotus.


    This way, there was a double layer of insurance.


    When he arrived home, his two wives and Xiao Qing had been anxious for a whole two days and had even gone into the mountains looking for him.


    By his estimate, if he had not returned, they would have ventured deeper into the mountains to search for him.


    Women are truly such emotional beings.


    A home without wives and maids may have fewer complications, but life would also lose a lot of color. He did rather enjoy the feeling of having people care and worry about him.


    He believed that as they came into contact with more things, they would gradually become more rational and detached.


    Not like now, where if Qin Niu didn¡¯t come home for just a day or two, they would become extremely anxious.


    Qin Niu replanted the Ice Lotus in the lotus pond in the backyard, but he was contemplating some ideas.


    The lotus pond was too shallow for the growth of the Ice Lotus.


    Based on the living environment of the Fire Lotus and the deep pond where he had obtained the Ice Lotus, planting the Ice Lotus in deeper water would likely be more beneficial for its growth.


    He decided to hire workers to dig a deep well in the backyard.


    The next day, he went out to hire people.


    Due to the ongoing insect calamities preventing crops from being planted, many able-bodied laborers in the countryside were in a state of unemployment, idling their days away.


    Moreover, continuous news of warfare exacerbated the panic among the populace.


    This caused widespread anxiety, with families having already packed up their valuables, stockpiled dry food, and prepared to flee at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Now the price of grain was rising daily, climbing steadily higher; many households were already finding ways to conserve food. Numerous women, along with their children, went out to the fields and wilds to dig up grass roots and stems of wild vines to bring home. These were then mixed with the food in a certain ratio and cooked until mushy, to serve as a means to stave off hunger.


    Qin Niu had once used this method himself.


    It was indeed very effective.


    It could significantly save on food consumption.


    However, their taste was somewhat hard to swallow.


    Qin Niu took a casual stroll and hired over thirty strong laborers. He had them help dig a deep well in the backyard.


    Three meals a day, and a salary of fifteen Wen Money per day.


    In the eyes of these ordinary sturdy laborers, this was already a rare and cushy job, and they all worked hard, fearing that the employer would mistake them for lazybones and kick them out.


    It must be said, wherever there is money, there is respect.


    Life was even more comfortable than that of an emperor.


    ¡­


    Nine days later, Qin Niu¡¯s backyard boasted a well over thirty meters deep.


    To prevent collapse, the well¡¯s inner walls were lined with a circle of blue stones.


    The well¡¯s diameter was nearly ten meters, making it a very large water well.


    The day after the well was completed, he transplanted the Ice Lotus into the well.


    The reason he waited until the next day to transplant was due to worries about potential collapses after the well walls had been soaked. After observing for a night and confirming everything was safe, he dared to transplant the Ice Lotus into it.


    After the Ice Lotus was transplanted into the well, everything was normal for the first two days.


    But by the third day, the well was filled with bone-chilling cold. When he drew half a bucket of water with a bucket, it was ice-cold to the touch.


    The growth rate of the Ice Lotus had clearly accelerated a lot.


    It seemed that digging a deep well specifically for its cultivation was the right method.


    Qin Niu squatted by the well, observing the Ice Lotus at the bottom. It was like a quiet orchid in a deep valley, silently blooming at the bottom of the well. It continuously released cold air, making the entire well¡¯s water ice-cold.


    Normally, the water in a deep well would be warm in winter and cool in summer.


    Because it was spring water.


    He thought to himself that if Fire Lotus contains fire essence, could Ice Lotus also have some essence energy within it?


    Could he use these two special herbs to enhance his cultivation?


    Or to cultivate special skills?


    He now had two special herbs in his possession, yet did not know how to use them, which felt like a waste of heaven¡¯s gifts.


    For now, the Ice Lotus was only used for the War Bees to collect its pollen to make special honey.


    The Fire Lotus was practically unused, simply transplanted back into its original cave.


    At that moment, the sound of horse hooves came from outside.


    ¡°May I ask if Master Qin is at home? Military envoy Ye Ji seeks an audience.¡±


    A cold female voice sounded.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, escort the guest to the front hall, I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    Qin Niu instructed.


    Military envoys are generally dispatched for important military matters that need to be conveyed.


    Because the information that needs to be conveyed is highly confidential, it cannot be entrusted to ordinary couriers, thus the need for a military envoy.


    They are often guards close to the military decision-making layer.


    Such people, Qin Niu naturally could not neglect.


    Xiao Qing escorted the guest to the front hall, and it was a slender woman dressed in a tight black outfit.


    Her exact age was indiscernible because she wore an animal face mask.


    It was somewhat like a fox face mask.


    This woman¡¯s movements were exceedingly agile. Upon entering the front hall, without any obvious preparation, her steps lightly lifted, and she was already near Qin Niu.


    Bowing to Qin Niu, she said, ¡°Ye Ji, a close attendant of the Black Tiger Gang Leader, pays respects to Master Qin.¡±


    As someone of an esteemed lineage, despite her status as an attendant to the Gang Leader, she needed to perform the grand gesture of respect.

 Chapter 420 - Chapter 420: Chapter 412: Looking Down on People_1

    Chapter 420: Chapter 412: Looking Down on People_1


    This is a form of etiquette, as well as an expression of a strict hierarchical society.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities! Please take a seat, Miss Ye Ji!¡±


    Qin Niu could tell from her voice that she was probably not very old, perhaps around thirty or so.


    However, judging a woman¡¯s age solely by her voice and figure was definitely not precise, especially in a world where everyone could cultivate. Some cultivators with high levels of skill, even if they had lived for two or three hundred years, might still look very young.


    It was said that some exceptionally talented Immortal Masters could maintain a youthful appearance nearly indefinitely if they reached the Immortal Master level in their twenties or thirties.


    The law of aging seemed to be nonexistent for them.


    The footwork Ye Ji had just demonstrated was at least at the level of the Innate Realm.


    Her real age was truly unpredictable.


    What interested Qin Niu was not her enticing figure, nor her cool and slightly enchanting voice. It was her status as the close servant to the Gang Leader.


    To be able to become the close servant of the Black Tiger Gang Leader, one must be no ordinary expert.


    Even Qin Niu, when choosing his close servants, needed to pick those who were trustworthy, had good talent in cultivation, were strong, and loyal.


    Not to mention the Black Tiger Gang Leader himself.


    Ordinary experts of the Innate Realm probably wouldn¡¯t even qualify to serve as his close servants.


    ¡°This is a secret letter from the Gang Leader for Master Qin. The military situation is urgent at the front, and the Gang Leader hopes Master Qin can lend a hand, to defend our home and protect the Black Tiger Gang together against the formidable enemy.¡±


    Having finished her salute, Ye Ji also took the opportunity to size up Qin Niu.


    A person whom the Black Tiger Gang Leader would send his close servant to request assistance from must possess great abilities.


    Yet, the youth before her appeared to be only about sixteen years old, with an immature air still lingering on his handsome face.


    There seemed to be nothing extraordinary about him.


    How could such a youth have any great capabilities?


    As a close servant to the Black Tiger Gang Leader, Ye Ji naturally had seen much of the world.


    She had seen countless powerful individuals.


    All those strong figures had an extraordinary demeanor. Qin Niu, in both his attire and presence, was no different from an ordinary country youth.


    Xiao Qing received the secret letter from Ye Ji¡¯s hands and handed it to Qin Niu.


    He opened the envelope and took out the letter, which consisted of only a few dozen words.


    ¡°Our gang faces the greatest crisis since its founding. The Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect have mobilized an army of four hundred thousand, sneaking across Wash Crime River to invade our Black Tiger Gang territory. The Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang are extremely formidable. Master Qin is a prodigy in controlling insects, and we hope you can come at once to lend the strength of your arm to our army.¡±


    Black Tiger Gang Leader Xue Qiuhe cordially invites you.¡±


    From the secret letter, one could easily tell that the Black Tiger Gang Leader was a straightforward person.


    He did not offer any long-winded polite talk but earnestly stated the current situation briefly and then directly invited Qin Niu to come to their aid.


    ¡°By what time at the latest can I get there?¡±


    Although Qin Niu had advanced to the Dual Innate Realm, he was acutely aware of the terror of those in the Spirit Qi Realm.


    By his own wishes, if he could cultivate his Everlasting Spring Technique to the Spirit Qi Realm, plus the multitude of pets he possessed, he would basically be able to face any situation calmly.


    As of now, however, things were a bit too rushed.


    ¡°The battle at the front is intense, and it would be best if Master Qin could set out immediately. If you arrive too late and the Black Tiger Gang is defeated, there would be no chance to turn the tide of defeat.¡±


    Ye Ji said.


    ¡°As a member of the Black Tiger Gang, it is my bounden duty to help defend against the invading enemy. However, my current level of cultivation is shallow, and with the Nine Insect Gang and Shennong Sect boasting numerous strong figures, including many in the Spirit Qi Realm, I am afraid I may not be of much use if I go now. I could even be easily slain by the strong enemies among their ranks.¡±


    Qin Niu had his own concerns.


    He certainly did not want the Black Tiger Gang to suffer defeat.


    Having killed two elders and many experts of the Nine Insect Gang, and having significantly foiled their grand schemes, the enmity with the Nine Insect Gang was complete.


    If the Black Tiger Gang were defeated, the Nine Insect Gang would surely not let him off.


    ¡°The Gang Leader has instructed me to ensure Master Qin¡¯s safety. When the time comes, besides me, there will also be another one of the Gang Leader¡¯s close servants to protect Master Qin.¡±


    Ye Ji was not slow-witted and immediately perceived that Qin Niu was concerned about his personal safety.


    She promptly stated that both she and another close servant of the Gang Leader would protect Qin Niu closely.


    ¡°Since the Gang Leader has been so thoughtful on my behalf, it would be really inexcusable for me to refuse anymore. Alright, I¡¯ll get ready, and then I¡¯ll rush to the frontline with you.¡±


    Qin Niu knew he definitely needed to make some extra preparations before heading to the frontline to confront a formidable enemy.


    Fortunately, he had acquired an Earth Escape Talisman last time.


    The talismans from the Dark Talisman Language Shop were of exceptional quality, and that Earth Escape Talisman could help him escape to safety in a critical moment.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, please take good care of Miss Ye Ji here, I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    After Qin Niu gave his instructions, he turned and entered the back room.


    His two wives had already heard their conversation.


    Filled with worry, they were utterly reluctant to have their husband head to the frontline.


    But there was no way for them to resist the command of the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the polite tone of the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s invitation for Qin Niu to help; Qin Niu really had no option to refuse.


    It¡¯s somewhat like when a company leader asks an employee to work overtime ¨C it sounds polite and seems like a request, but in reality, it¡¯s more like a command. As long as that employee still wants to progress and keep their job, they will likely not refuse the overtime.


    ¡°Husband, the frontline is extremely dangerous. When you go, you must be careful. Cai Xian and I will be waiting for you at home to return.¡±


    Wang Wanyan, despite her many reservations, did not try to stop him.


    She always knew the bigger picture, and she never made a fuss over such significant matters.


    ¡°You two practice cultivation at home in peace¡ªno need to go into the mountains during this time. The mountains are very dangerous, and without me at home, I worry about you encountering accidents.¡±


    Qin Niu cautioned the two of them.


    They stood to his left and right, holding onto Qin Niu and nodding hard with their lips tightly bitten.


    Tears were already welling up in Tang Caixian¡¯s eyes.


    But she didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Go back to your rooms! I have to pack some things, and then I¡¯ll need to leave shortly. If you encounter any difficult issues that you cannot resolve while I¡¯m away, feel free to send someone to find help from the Fang Family in the city.¡±


    Qin Niu had some acquaintance with Fang Lian.


    If his wives faced a big problem during his absence, common people would not have the capability to help them.


    Only a top-tier family like the Fang Family would have the ability to do so.


    Having instructed his wives, Qin Niu left from the back door of the courtyard, heading straight for the mountains.


    He needed to bring more Termite with him.


    It was a pity that the Fire Phoenix had only signed an equal contract with him and could not be brought along like the Green Ox.


    Otherwise, there would be nothing for him to fear.


    At the frontline, faced with even the most powerful of enemies, he just needed to let the Fire Phoenix take action, and it would immediately burn the enemy to ash.


    Just as Qin Niu exited the back gate of the courtyard, his vision blurred, and Ye Ji appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Master Qin, why don¡¯t I accompany you to the frontline? If there¡¯s any danger, I can protect you,¡± Ye Ji said politely, though her eyes betrayed a lack of trust.


    She had clearly misunderstood, thinking Qin Niu was becoming frightened at the last minute and was trying to flee.


    ¡°Miss Ye Ji, you are quite well-informed, keeping such a close watch on my every move. Be assured, if I truly wanted to hide, you wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me. Just wait here for me.¡±


    There was a hint of pride in Qin Niu¡¯s tone.


    This young woman was judging him through a narrow gap, underestimating him.


    He had never considered running away.


    Ye Ji stared at him intently for a good five or six seconds before stepping aside.


    ¡°I will wait here for Master Qin to return! Please come back soon, so I don¡¯t have to report a failure,¡± Ye Ji said, her words sounding like a double entendre.


    Qin Niu, not bothering to respond, directly dashed off into the mountains.


    Displaying the Misty Rain Elusive Step, he vanished from Ye Ji¡¯s sight in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: Chapter 413 Wounded Goodbye_1

    Chapter 421: Chapter 413 Wounded Goodbye_1


    ¡°`


    After he entered the mountain, he took a portion of the termites and put them into his insect bag.


    For the past two months or so, apart from daily cultivation, he had never ceased the breeding of the termites.


    In fact, by now, except for special ant breeds, there wasn¡¯t much need for him, the master, to worry about.


    He had already specially cultivated a batch of ¡®Breeding Specialist Ants¡¯.


    As long as sufficient Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree Blood¡¯ were provided, they could cultivate the young ants on their own.


    The Ant Queen had now reached a Grade Six mother insect, and the offspring she produced were directly Grade Three larvae.


    After being nurtured with Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, the larvae could at least advance another grade, reaching Grade Four. If it were a young ant of exceptional talent, a special breed, and consumes ¡®Thousand Eyes Tree Blood¡¯, it could completely advance two grades, becoming a Grade Five termite.


    The ant colony could now increase by about a thousand each day.


    There were a small number of termites that would perish during the cultivation process, which was inevitable.


    Fortunately, as the Breeding Specialist Ants gained more and more experience, the number of perished termites decreased.


    Qin Niu only left behind about a thousand termites to guard the Ant Nest, and put all the other termites into the insect bag.


    Fourth was the worthy King Ant.


    Even though the capabilities of the Gold Devouring Ant were also strong, it still couldn¡¯t shake Fourth¡¯s status as the King Ant.


    As for the Demon Ants, ever since Fourth had rubbed them on the ground, no other Demon Ant dared to challenge its authority.


    Moreover, Fourth was now a Grade Six War Demon Ant, its skills and talents already very powerful, not to mention termites, there were few other insects that could match it.


    Given time, as long as Qin Niu was willing to continue nurturing it, helping it to advance to Grade Nine and above. At that time, not to say invincible, Fourth¡¯s strength could at least climb another large step.


    As for how powerful it would become, that¡¯s hard to say.


    Only actual combat would tell.


    Based on his insect fighting experience, a Grade Seven insect could contend with human warriors in the Innate Realm. A Grade Eight insect could fight against human warriors in the Spirit Qi Realm, and at Level Nine, they were considered demi-demons, capable of barely holding their own against human Immortal Masters.


    Elder Jiu Yin, relying on a Level Eight Taiyin Yaoyao king insect, had once directly tangled with Deputy Gang Leader Bai.


    Just a single Taiyin Yaoyao king insect gave Deputy Gang Leader Bai a terrible headache.


    Of course, ordinary Level Eight insects definitely weren¡¯t that powerful, and it was only special insects like Taiyin Yaoyao that could be so formidable.


    Qin Niu¡¯s War Demon Ants were special insects, a rare breed between heaven and earth, so logically, if cultivated to Grade Eight, their strength would definitely not be weaker than the Taiyin Yaoyao king insect.


    After collecting the termites, his gaze turned to the highest peak deep in the mountain range.


    He called for the Fire Phoenix through the power of the soul contract.


    Soon, a scarlet figure flew from the highest peak and came towards here. Under the sunlight, its feathers emitted a rainbow halo.


    Before undergoing nirvana, the Fire Phoenix was merely a Huo Zhi.


    Now, it was among the top-class rare birds between heaven and earth, as noble as dragons, a genuine Phoenix.


    Although it was just a newly nirvanaed Fire Phoenix, still a ¡®child¡¯ among the Phoenixes, it was tremendously terrifying. Qin Niu wasn¡¯t sure how powerful the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was.


    But with Fire Phoenix¡¯s current strength, dealing with ordinary Immortal Masters should be like child¡¯s play.


    ¡°Screech!¡±


    Upon Qin Niu¡¯s call, the Fire Phoenix transformed into a dazzling red streak, instantly appearing in the sky above Qin Niu¡¯s head.


    It swooped down sharply and landed steadily in front of Qin Niu.


    The strong wind generated by its wing flaps caused the surrounding grass and trees to shake unceasingly, with some even toppling over.


    ¡°I need to leave for a while, and I entrust you with the protection of this mountain. This trip to the front lines is fraught with unknown dangers, and if I unfortunately fall in battle, I hope that for the kind bond we shared, you will protect Shuangfeng Village. If my wives or descendants face danger, protect them as much as you can.¡±


    Qin Niu had assisted the avian in achieving its nirvana, which was a connection between him and the Fire Phoenix.


    The contract he had with the Fire Phoenix was one of equality; he couldn¡¯t simply order it to do anything.


    ¡°Is the place master is going far?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°It could be about two hundred li away!¡±


    Qin Niu calculated in his heart the distance to Wash Crime River, and it indeed seemed to be over two hundred li.


    ¡°For your human li, I can arrive in an instant. Two hundred li, that is not too far for me. Master, if you encounter great danger, you can call for me, and I will rush to your rescue. However, as a Demon Bird, and now having become a Phoenix, I am considered a treasure in the eyes of human Cultivators. Once exposed, it would be easy to attract human hunters.


    Master, do not rashly call for me to come.¡±


    Fire Phoenix, though seemingly powerful, was very cautious.


    Almost all mythical beasts and wild animals are very cautious. They actively stay away from humans to avoid being hunted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you have now become my pet, and naturally, I will consider your safety. Unless absolutely necessary, I will never call for you to come to my rescue.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s strength was not weak, and unless his luck turned to the worst point, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for anyone to kill him.


    ¡­


    Before long, he returned to his home in Shuangfeng Village.


    Ye Ji looked relieved when she saw him return.


    She was probably worried he had fled from fear of the battlefield.


    Qin Niu ignored her and started to take all the pets he could take with him.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad that had ascended to Grade Eight, as well as the Green Ox and insect pets like the Green Demon Bee, Fire Bee, Green Silk Worm, and others.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle wasn¡¯t very powerful now, but its combat strength in water was remarkable, so Qin Niu decided to take it as well.


    He was someone who somewhat feared the sorrow of parting.


    After packing his things, he didn¡¯t plan on bidding farewell to his wives once more and went straight outside.


    ¡°Ah Niu, big brother!¡±


    Tang Caixian appeared in a flash, blocking his path.


    ¡°Cultivate diligently at home, I will be back soon.¡±


    Qin Niu gently stroked her hair and back, speaking in a soothing tone.


    Tang Caixian bit her lip, hugged him tightly and nodded vigorously, yet large tears kept sliding down uncontrollably.


    Wang Wanyan came out with a bundle.


    ¡°Husband, take this bundle with you, it contains clothes for changing and some dry food. Be extra careful out there and take good care of yourself,¡± she said, with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m off.¡±


    Qin Niu took the bundle, briefly hugged his wives, and resolutely walked away.


    In the front hall, Ye Ji was waiting for him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Qin Niu said to her.


    Yet his two wives chased to the door, watching him with tear-blurred eyes.


    This was the first time Qin Niu was separating from them since they were married.


    ¡°Going to the battlefield with a semi-grown Green Ox?¡±


    Ye Ji glanced at the Green Ox that Qin Niu brought along.


    She clearly misjudged, as this was not an ordinary calf, but a Green Ox that was even more formidable than a Phoenix.


    Legend has it that the Supreme Elder Lord of the Three Purities had such a mount.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Green Ox, even if it was just a subspecies, was also one of the top mounts in this realm.


    When he first obtained it, it was just a slightly unusual Curved-Horn calf.


    It was after consuming the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood that it was able to transform and became a Curved-Horn Green Ox.

 Chapter 422 - Chapter 422: Chapter 414 The Life of an Attendant_1

    Chapter 422: Chapter 414 The Life of an Attendant_1


    ¡°It can help me carry things!¡±


    After saying so, Qin Niu headed straight for the gate.


    Xiao Qing watched him from the yard, her eyes brimming with reluctance.


    ¡°Master, please return safely. I and your two sisters will wait for you at home.¡±


    She herself had been abandoned as a child, and the only grandfather who had raised her was also dead. Now, she was alone, with Qin Niu being her only reliance.


    If Qin Niu died on the battlefield, she would be left with no one to depend on.


    ¡°Watch the house!¡±


    Qin Niu instructed before quickly stepping out of the courtyard gate.


    The Green Ox, on the other hand, was free from such human sentiments of sorrow, running merrily ahead, occasionally letting out mooing sounds.


    For the Green Ox, as long as it wasn¡¯t confined to a pen, it was extremely happy.


    Every day, following Qin Niu out, whether up the mountains or into town, it played and frolicked all the way, which made it very cheerful.


    The Green Ox now was no different from a playful child.


    It was, after all, still a young calf.


    Ye Ji flipped on to her tall steed tied outside the courtyard.


    It was an all-white steed, with a gaze that exuded an extraordinary intelligence, seemingly even more superior than the Black Mare Horse.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Ye Ji clamped her legs together, and the white horse immediately galloped into motion.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Master Qin have any other means of transportation?¡±


    Ye Ji caught up to Qin Niu and asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to running on my two legs every day, you need not worry about me.¡±


    The distance of more than two hundred li, considering his current cultivation level, he estimated that it would take just one day to reach. Perhaps not even a full day.


    He preferred to use every opportunity to practice the Misty Rain Elusive Step.


    This technique was the only movement martial skill he had learned, and as long as he mastered it, whether in battle with an enemy or in fleeing, it would prove extremely practical.


    Half a day later, they had already passed Black Tiger City.


    He estimated they had run over a hundred li at this point.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Everlasting Spring Technique was not suitable for combat, but for running away, it offered unexpected benefits. The profound and enduring energy meant that, despite having run so long, he felt only slightly tired.


    ¡°Miss Ye Ji, let¡¯s rest under the tree ahead for a while!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Ye Ji was now acting as his protector, naturally following his orders.


    They rested under a large locust tree by the roadside.


    The sun in the sky was scorching hot.


    Qin Niu opened the bundle his wife had prepared for him, which contained pancakes, dry rations, water, four silver notes of a hundred taels each, some scattered silver pieces, clothes, and other items.


    ¡°This silly girl, even after marrying me, is still so foolish. Why give me so much silver money when I¡¯m heading off to the battlefield?¡±


    She was probably worried that Qin Niu would lack essentials and gave him the silver to spend on the road.


    Life is easy at home, but each step out of the door is hard.


    Outside, without money on hand, even eating becomes a problem.


    ¡°Miss Ye Ji, would you like a pancake? My wife made them, and they have meat.¡±


    Qin Niu took out two meat pancakes and offered them to Ye Ji.


    She always wore a fox-faced mask, and throughout their journey, she hadn¡¯t seemed to eat or drink.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any.¡±


    She seemed a bit embarrassed.


    With such a thin skin, how did she become the close servant of the Gang Leader?


    Qin Niu originally intended to ignore her, but if she didn¡¯t eat, her combat strength would surely decrease. If they encountered a strong enemy later on, Qin Niu would be down one powerful assistant.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it hot wearing a mask?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bearable.¡±


    She must be weak, as her tight clothes, especially on her back, were already soaked with sweat.


    Sweat stains were visible on the small portion of her forehead that was showing.


    It was now the sweltering weather of the late autumn. They say the autumn heat is fierce, and now the sun seemed even hotter than in summer.


    ¡°Take off the mask and eat some food! Don¡¯t worry, even if your face is terribly ugly, I¡¯ll never laugh at you.¡±


    Qin Niu continued to offer the meat pancake to her.


    This was food prepared by his wife, and he truly felt reluctant to share it with someone else.


    However, the road they were taking was quite secluded, with no village ahead and no store behind, leaving them nowhere to dine.


    One could see that the grain sack on her back was somewhat deflated, suggesting she seldom traveled far alone and lacked experience.


    Otherwise, she would have definitely brought more supplies for the journey.


    ¡°Who says that wearing a mask means one is definitely ugly?¡±


    She glared at Qin Niu and took the two meat pies.


    Women, especially young women, tend to be very sensitive to comments about being ugly.


    ¡°Then I suppose you must be rather old, a bit aged. It¡¯s fine, your duty is to act as my guard, to ensure my safety, so whether you are ugly or very old, I won¡¯t mind,¡± Qin Niu said.


    While eating the meat pies, Qin Niu talked with Ye Ji.


    He purposefully chose provocative words to stimulate her; he was certainly not trying to flirt.


    This female guard was quite aloof; one would not be able to get much information out of her through normal questioning.


    Attacking her with the words ¡®old¡¯ and ¡®ugly¡¯ would easily provoke her to inadvertently reveal some information in self-defense.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s old! I¡¯m only twenty-four this year.¡±


    Ye Ji replied discontentedly, took the two meat pies, sat down a short distance away with her back to Qin Niu, fiddled with her mask, and began to eat.


    She did not take off her mask.


    This mask was cleverly designed so that the bottom half could be pushed down to the neck. That way, one could eat without removing the mask.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s quite strange. If you are not ugly or old, why wear a mask afraid to let me see your true face? Could it be that your face is covered with pockmarks?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be bothered with you.¡±


    Ye Ji clearly had an expression of grinding her teeth.


    ¡°When you serve as the Gang Leader¡¯s attendant, do you always wear masks?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    She responded curtly.


    ¡°But you have to take it off to eat or sleep, right? Wearing a mask must be uncomfortable!¡±


    ¡°We must always wear the mask and are not allowed to show our true faces to others.¡±


    A recipient of kindness softens, an employee is subordinate.


    Having eaten two of Qin Niu¡¯s meat pies, she finally revealed some useful information.


    ¡°It¡¯s just being an attendant for the Gang Leader, even if people saw your faces, it wouldn¡¯t matter, right? Are you worried about falling in love with another man?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t understand why she made things so mysterious.


    ¡°Heh¡­ the day we become attendants to the Gang Leader, we are destined not to marry,¡± she said with a laugh that carried both self-mockery and a touch of desolation.


    A man should marry at the right age, as should a woman.


    Whether it¡¯s men or women, at a certain age, there is a natural desire for love. It¡¯s human instinct.


    At twenty-four, she had never experienced love, which was like depriving her of the right to love.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you allowed to marry? That¡¯s too inhumane.¡±


    Qin Niu asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Everything I have was given by the Gang Leader. From the day I was chosen, this was already agreed upon. Those of us who serve as attendants to the Gang Leader are mostly kids who couldn¡¯t even get enough to eat. The Gang Leader spent Silver Money to buy us from our families, then provided for our sustenance, taught us Cultivation Techniques, literacy, and trained us. As long as we performed well, we would receive a sum of Silver Money each year, which we could use as we pleased or help send to our families.


    Gaining these benefits naturally meant losing something in return.¡±


    She saw things quite clearly.


    At twenty-four¡ªif she was only a few years old when she was bought by the Gang Leader¡ªmany years would have given her enough time to understand many things clearly.


    ¡°Your parents sold you, and you¡¯re still willing to spend the money you earn on them every year?¡±


    Qin Niu thought Ye Ji was truly steeped in servility.


    If his parents had sold him, he swore he would disown them completely.


    ¡°They sold me only because they had no choice. I was just five years old that year, during a disaster, with famine everywhere. There were dead from starvation all over, and some people even resorted to trading their children for food. My parents sold me to the Black Tiger Gang Leader to keep me alive and the rest of the family fed. At the time, I hated them, but later on, I stopped hating them. Now, every year, I still have the Gang Leader send the Silver Money I earn to my parents.


    As long as they are well, the price I pay is very worthwhile.


    Serving as an attendant to the Gang Leader has its risks and means losing some freedom, but otherwise, everything is good.


    We have food and clothing, and the Cultivation Techniques and martial skills we learn are of the highest quality.


    If we perform well, we may even be rewarded with Elixirs and the like.


    As for falling in love and getting married, I don¡¯t care about that. If you want to become an Immortal Master, you must sever emotional ties and purify your spirit, cutting off all worldly distractions. Since I have never been in love, I will have one less trouble when the time comes.¡±


    Ye Ji¡¯s words poured out like a floodgate had been opened.

 Chapter 423 - Chapter 423: Chapter 415 Bug Cloud _1

    Chapter 423: Chapter 415 Bug Cloud _1


    ¡°You seem to take things very easily. In the world, there are three emotions that everyone should experience; otherwise, it¡¯s not a complete life. Having never experienced love, even if you become an Immortal Master someday, you will have regrets, and it might even become a major flaw on your path to seeking immortality.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t clear about what requirements were needed to become an Immortal Master.


    However, in his view, friendship, love, and family affection were all very important.


    After he got married, his understanding of love deepened a little more.


    That gut-wrenching feeling, that haunting longing in dreams, and the warmth of a family, they were all the unique charms of love.


    If he had to choose between love and cultivation, he would choose love.


    Ye Ji looked at the young man before her, and her disdain for him lessened a little.


    He was several years younger than her, yet he spoke with a sense of aged wisdom, and it was hard to dismiss what he was saying as unreasonable.


    She could feel that Qin Niu¡¯s understanding of life was more profound than hers.


    ¡°Right, you still haven¡¯t told me why you always wear masks!¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Wearing masks to hide our true identities is for the Gang Leader¡¯s security. If someone knew what we look like, they could impersonate us and infiltrate the Gang Leader¡¯s circle with unimaginable consequences. Also, if our faces were known, it would be easy to locate our families and thus threaten us into submission.¡±


    Ye Ji explained the reason they couldn¡¯t take off their masks.


    It¡¯s lonely at the top.


    For someone like the Black Tiger Gang Leader, there was always the risk of assassination, poisoning, and even keeping one¡¯s whereabouts a secret was necessary.


    The personal attendants were an important protective force for the Gang Leader, but it was crucial to prevent them from being exploited by others.


    The attendants could easily get close to the Gang Leader, and if they betrayed him, it was almost impossible to defend against.


    As they were talking, the sky above them suddenly darkened.


    Both of them looked up at the sky almost at the same time.


    All they saw was a large expanse of dark clouds.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right, those are insect clouds! All insects.¡±


    Upon closer inspection, Qin Niu realized that the vast expanse of dark clouds was composed of countless insects.


    They swarmed densely, flying across the sky.


    ¡°Master Qin, I¡¯m afraid we can no longer rest. This swarm of insects is likely released by the Nine Insect Gang, which means our defense line might have already been breached. At least, we have already lost in the insect battle,¡±


    Ye Ji¡¯s tone was tinged with a trace of urgency.


    As a personal attendant to the Gang Leader, she should be highly trusted by him.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader had specifically sent her to request Qin Niu¡¯s help, and if they were delayed, and the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s army was defeated, there would be no point.


    ¡°Miss Ye Ji, do not worry, let me observe a little longer.¡±


    Qin Niu raised his hand over his head to create some shade and squinted at the swarm of insects in the sky.


    Ye Ji did not know what he had in mind and was anxiously stamping her feet.


    Yet this Master Qin was not in the slightest hurry, leisurely watching the swarm of insects in the sky.


    Time was passing by rapidly.


    An hour passed, then another¡­


    Seeing that Qin Niu had been watching for nearly half an hour without any sign of leaving, Ye Ji became impatient.


    ¡°Master Qin, the situation at the front lines is urgent, our army is in peril, please do not delay any longer and set out for the front lines to assist immediately. I can assure you, as long as I¡¯m breathing, I will ensure your safety.¡±


    She thought Qin Niu must be afraid of dying in battle at the front lines.


    That¡¯s why he was deliberately delaying.


    ¡°No rush, let me look a little longer.¡±


    Qin Niu had an indifferent expression like someone watching a fire from across the river, which infuriated Ye Ji to no end.


    ¡°Master Qin, I never thought you would be such a person! The front lines are about to be overrun, yet you¡¯re not in any hurry and keep delaying. To put it bluntly, you¡¯re just afraid of death, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve said it before, if there¡¯s real danger, I¡¯d sacrifice my life to ensure your safe retreat. If you keep dawdling, don¡¯t blame me for looking down on you.¡±


    Ye Ji was extremely angry.


    The slight fondness and respect she had recently started to feel for Qin Niu vanished completely.


    In the face of life and death, one¡¯s true nature is most evident.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you can just look down on me,¡± he said.


    Unmoved, Qin Niu even climbed a tree to continue observing the swarm of insects.


    The number of bugs in the sky was vast, and because they were far away, it was hard to make out what kind of insects they were.


    They fluttered under the bright sun in the sky, circling non-stop.


    Ye Ji was so furious that her teeth gnashed loudly, and her fists were so tightly clenched they seemed to wring out water, yet she was helpless against Qin Niu.


    If someone doesn¡¯t want to go, you can¡¯t exactly tie them up and force them, can you?


    She looked up at Qin Niu on the tree, flames of anger shooting from her eyes.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯ll have no choice but to offend you.¡±


    Ye Ji waited a while longer, but seeing that he still had no intention of heading to the front line, she understood clearly that Master Qin had no plans to support the front line at all.


    Qin Niu ignored her, focusing instead on the swarm of insects in the sky.


    Without saying a second word and with anger pent up inside, she leapt toward the tree intending to subdue Qin Niu with force.


    Generally, even if an Insect Master reaches the Innate Realm, their combat strength is often weak.


    As the close attendant of the Gang Leader, Ye Ji had exceptional combat ability. She was a ¡®fighter jet¡¯ among those in the Innate Realm, the elite of the elite.


    Moreover, her cultivation level was a small realm higher than Qin Niu¡¯s.


    She was now in the Later Stage of the Innate Realm, while Qin Niu only had mid-stage Innate Realm cultivation. She was confident she could take Qin Niu down in one move and subdue him immediately.


    Then, she would forcibly take him to the front line.


    But as soon as she got close to Qin Niu, still about three meters away, she immediately felt an extremely intense threat of death.


    A Green Demon Bee suddenly flew in front of her, lunging at her.


    Its speed was so fast that it reached her ear in a flash. At the same time, as she heard the sound of the Green Demon Bee¡¯s wings vibrating, her head felt dizzy and extremely irritated.


    ¡°Not good, this is a sonic attack.¡±


    With her extensive combat experience, Ye Ji immediately realized this was a sonic attack from the mutant bee.


    She quickly displayed an aura armor on her body and swung a Short Sword in defense.


    Regrettably, her speed was much slower than the Green Demon Bee¡¯s.


    Before she could swing her Short Sword to cut down the Green Demon Bee, it had effortlessly pierced through her aura armor, lightly scratched her face, and then flew back to Qin Niu¡¯s side.


    Ye Ji¡¯s face turned deathly pale, and her back was drenched in cold sweat.


    If the bee had intended to harm her, she probably would have been stung already.


    Not wanting to accept this defeat, as she had never suffered such a loss since her debut, she gritted her teeth and, with sword in hand, moved to launch another attack on Qin Niu.


    ¡°Still want to fight?¡±


    Qin Niu turned to look at her, his eyes showing a hint of pity and a mocking attitude that drove her mad.


    She felt utterly ashamed, having been bested by an insect.


    Her supposed strength proved powerless in front of the ugly green mutant bee, and the outcome was decided in an instant.


    Her aura armor seemed utterly useless in front of the Green Demon Bee.


    This mutant bee was terrifying.

 Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: Chapter 416 Valley of Wronged Spirits_1

    Chapter 424: Chapter 416 Valley of Wronged Spirits_1


    ¡°Where does she know that the Green Demon Bee, after several rounds of breeding by the Green Demon and Qin Niu, is already against the heavens. It was originally used to deal with Immortal Masters.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s just a strong fighter in the Innate Realm, it would be a wonder if she wasn¡¯t killed instantly in front of the Green Demon Bee.¡±


    ¡°You won disgracefully,¡± she said through gritted teeth, ¡°because I didn¡¯t expect you to launch a sneak attack with that strange bee.¡±


    However, her face was a bit feverish, luckily she was wearing a fox-face mask.


    But one could still see the redness of her ears.


    This was also her last bit of stubbornness.


    ¡°To think you¡¯re still a close attendant to a Gang Leader, where battling the enemy involves life and death in a moment¡¯s thought. Who would be so foolish as to discuss rules and martial morality with you?¡±


    Qin Niu sneered at her remarks.


    ¡°Hmph, a sneak attack is disgraceful nonetheless.¡±


    She huffed, but didn¡¯t continue to dwell on this topic.


    ¡°As a noble of the Black Tiger Gang and an Insect Master, Master Qin watches the Black Tiger Gang struggle desperately against the enemy but is unwilling to rush to the front. Aren¡¯t you afraid of becoming the laughingstock of the world?¡±


    ¡°I truly wonder how you¡¯ve managed to grow up. Will the laughter of others make you lose a single hair? Does a real strong person care about the gaze and opinions of others? I suggest you fall in love at least once, and make your way through society, otherwise, your thoughts are as naive as those of a two or three-year-old child,¡± Qin Niu was not insulting her, but merely stating the facts.


    ¡°Follow me!¡±


    Having said that, he leapt down from the tree and, taking Green Ox, ran towards the front left.


    ¡°Wrong, you¡¯re going in the wrong direction. That way is where the two armies are clashing.¡±


    Ye Ji mounted her horse and called out repeatedly from behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s not wrong, this is the direction. Keep up.¡±


    After Qin Niu spoke, he ignored her and continued racing forward.


    His speed reached its peak under the full use of the Misty Rain Elusive Step.


    Faster even than the white horse she rode.


    Ye Ji followed behind, not believing his nonsense at all.


    The direction where the two armies were fighting was clearly to the right front, yet Qin Niu was running towards the left front, obviously intentionally avoiding the frontline.


    More than half an hour later, Qin Niu stopped in front of a mountain valley.


    The valley was extremely narrow and stretched deep into the mountains.


    The Black Tiger Gang¡¯s terrains were characterized by mountains on one side, and flat land on the other.


    Grey miasma could be seen rising from afar, shrouding the entire valley.


    At this moment, numerous insects were descending into the valley from the sky.


    More insects were continuously flying out from the depths of the valley. They were identical to the ones descending, but upon flying out, their bodies appeared significantly darker in color.


    Qin Niu stood outside the valley, watching the large number of insects in the sky fall into the valley, his eyebrows deeply furrowed.


    It was only at this moment that Ye Ji understood that Qin Niu had been observing for so long to determine the location where the insect swarm was falling.


    She had mistaken Qin Niu for a deserter, but now she realized her misjudgment and felt quite embarrassed.


    ¡°This place is so secluded, what exactly does the Nine Insect Gang want by letting the insect swarm enter this valley?¡±


    Qin Niu seemed to be talking to himself, but also seemed to be asking Ye Ji who had caught up.


    ¡°This valley is known as the Valley of Wronged Spirits, a notorious place of misfortune. Local villagers dare not enter. Anyone who enters the valley rarely comes out alive. Although locals say that vengeful spirits and fierce ghosts in the valley eat people, the real cause of death for those who enter are the terrifying poisonous miasmas inside.¡±


    Ye Ji appeared to be very familiar with the situation of this valley, which surprised Qin Niu.


    ¡°You seem quite familiar with the terrain here!¡±


    Qin Niu could naturally see that the valley was shrouded in poisonous miasma.


    ¡°As attendants to the Gang Leader, aside from the necessary training, familiarizing ourselves with the terrain of various locations of the Black Tiger Gang is also compulsory. Because we might encounter danger anywhere while protecting the Gang Leader, we must know the terrain well in order to ensure a quick evacuation. Especially with dangerous and treacherous places, it is crucial to remember them well,¡±


    Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, she explained in great detail.


    Qin Niu nodded, ¡°Miss Ye Ji, have you ever entered this valley?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in, but I know that there is a terrible poisonous miasma inside the valley, and any human or livestock that enters is sure to die.¡±


    After she finished speaking, she paused, then added, ¡°Do you know why it¡¯s called the Valley of Wronged Spirits?¡±


    ¡°Because anyone who goes in is bound to die. Some uninformed villagers ventured into the valley and ended up dying there. With so many deaths, that¡¯s why it¡¯s called the Valley of Wronged Spirits, right?¡±


    Qin Niu thought this question was too simple.


    The spirits of those who perished in the valley continued to accumulate, naturally transforming it into the so-called Valley of Wronged Spirits.


    ¡°The Valley of Wronged Spirits wasn¡¯t originally called this. It is rumored that during the founding war, the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect killed many southern Gu Masters. It was in this valley that the fierce battle took place, and in the end, more than seven hundred southern Gu Masters all died in what is now the Valley of Wronged Spirits. When those Gu Masters found they could not win, they begged the Immortal Masters of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect for mercy, hoping to be spared.


    Unfortunately, the Immortal Masters of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect were unmoved. Regardless of men, women, children, or the elderly, all were killed in the valley.¡±


    Filled with immeasurable resentment before their deaths, the Gu Masters used all their knowledge to turn the valley into a land rampant with poisonous miasma.


    It is said that over ten Immortal Masters were poisoned and killed on the spot in the valley.


    Moreover, the poisonous miasma in the valley has a feature: the more people who die in it, and the stronger the cultivation of the deceased, the more potent the poisonous miasma becomes.


    After so many years, no one knows how terrifying the poisonous miasma in the valley has become.


    Nor does anyone dare to take half a step across the boundary.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know what the Nine Insect Gang is doing by bringing so many insects into the valley?¡±


    Ye Ji explained the history of the Valley of Wronged Spirits all in one breath.


    Qin Niu really didn¡¯t know that a valley could have so many stories.


    The Gu Masters were slaughtered by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, which many people knew about.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected that the valley in front of him was the very place where the Immortal Sect executed the Gu Masters.


    According to Ye Ji, the more people who died in the Valley of Wronged Spirits, the more powerful the poisonous miasma in the valley would become.


    Could this poisonous miasma actually evolve on its own?


    Qin Niu¡¯s Black Spider Gu fed exclusively on the world¡¯s poisons and miasmas; this was an opportunity.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare to enter the valley himself but released the Black Spider Gu to let it rush into the valley and devour the poisonous miasma.


    As soon as the Black Spider Gu entered the valley, it immediately communicated excitedly with Qin Niu via psychic bond.


    ¡°Master, this place contains the essence of my origin. If I absorb more, I will definitely grow stronger, perhaps even advance directly.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, absorb to your heart¡¯s content,¡± Qin Niu said.


    By now, Qin Niu was almost certain that the legends about the Valley of Wronged Spirits were true.


    The Black Spider Gu was half-insect, half-Gu.


    If it said that the valley contained its origin essence, this indicated that a large number of Gu Masters indeed perished here.


    Qin Niu decided to capture a few insects that flew into the valley to study further.


    ¡°Green Demon Bee, go, fetch me a couple of insects.¡±


    Qin Niu sent out the Green Demon Bee to catch several insects that had flown out of the valley, as well as a few that were flying into it.


    These insects looked similar to the coleopterous hide beetles.


    However, after undergoing mutations and evolution, they were quite different from the original hide beetles.


    Their size was large, as big as the common housefly.


    The most dangerous thing about hide beetles is that they can cause dermatitis.


    If someone swatted one dead on their face, it wouldn¡¯t take long before the face felt like it was on fire: blistering, swelling up, and becoming sore and ulcerated over a large area.


    These mutated hide beetles were bound to be even more formidable.


    Their toxicity would be even more domineering.


    Qin Niu compared the hide beetles that went into the valley with those that flew out of it.


    ¡°These hide beetles have absorbed the poisonous miasma of the valley, making their toxicity even more virulent. That must be the purpose of the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s Gu Masters in letting them enter the valley.¡±


    After researching, he came to a conclusion.

 Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: Chapter 417 A Unique Way of Attacking_1

    Chapter 425: Chapter 417 A Unique Way of Attacking_1


    Their body shape somewhat resembled wasps, with long abdomens and pointy tails.


    However, their wings were nearly invisible.


    In fact, their wings were those short and thick elytra that looked more like two pieces of armor. When they needed to fly, the contracted wings would quickly extend from beneath the elytra and then unfold.


    One characteristic of these beetles was that their larvae were wingless, only the adults would have the wings necessary for flight.


    This aspect was quite similar to ducks.


    Ducklings had fluffy feathers, rendering them incapable of flight when they were young.


    Qin Niu found that these beetles were mostly Grade Two insects, with only a few reaching Grade Three. They lacked Poison Stingers, meaning they couldn¡¯t sting like wasps do.


    Ordinary beetles of this kind didn¡¯t have poison glands.


    The abdomens of these beetles had clearly evolved to have poison glands.


    Qin Niu was very curious about their method of attack.


    Having poison glands without fangs or stingers still left them unable to inject their venom into an enemy.


    It was clear that these beetles lacked Poison Stingers, both Grade Two and Grade Three were the same in this regard.


    If they had evolved to have poison glands, logically, they should also evolve corresponding attack organs.


    For example, they could evolve their poison glands in their head, connected to their mouthparts.


    After biting an enemy, they could quickly deliver the venom through their fangs or mouthparts.


    To evolve poison glands in their abdomen didn¡¯t make sense by normal logic.


    Surely they couldn¡¯t also grow a tube connecting to their mouthparts?


    The distance would be too great, causing a delay in the Venom Attack. Even a delay of just one second could allow an enemy to escape.


    This could greatly reduce their success rate of venom attacks.


    Qin Niu used a homemade wooden tweezer to carefully observe a beetle, continually provoking it to display its attack method.


    At that moment, he noticed a clear change in the beetle he had angered.


    Its abdomen bulged noticeably.


    Puff!


    A transparent liquid sprayed out from the tip of its abdomen.


    Qin Niu hastened to dodge.


    The liquid fell onto the leaves of the weeds on the ground.


    The leaves of the weeds looked as if they had been burned, immediately showing spots, turning yellow at a visually discernible rate, and eventually darkening.


    The venom was actually sprayed out from the tip of the beetle¡¯s abdomen.


    This move was very much like the attack mechanism of the poison dart frog. When the frog is attacked by a strong enemy, it sprays a stream of urine from its rear as an attack. This urine contains potent toxins that cause immediate unbearable pain when in contact with the eyes, and can even lead to blindness.


    If ingested, it likewise leads to vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and other symptoms of poisoning.


    If it lands on the skin and is not washed off quickly, it can corrode the skin, then penetrate into the bloodstream, causing poisoning.


    Primitive humans knew the poison of the dart frog was very potent, so they specially collected it to smear on the tips of their arrows.


    Or they would dip fine needles directly into the toxing to poison them.


    They also applied it to the heads of their spears.


    Even lions and elephants could be in big trouble if they got just a little bit on them.


    Since primitive humans had primitive weapons, it was difficult for them to hunt elephants. But ever since they discovered frog toxins and applied them to their weapons, they almost became invincible in the jungle.


    Even several-ton elephants could be hunted by them.


    The venom attack method of these beetles was astonishingly similar to that of the poison dart frog, yet their venom was even more intense.


    Qin Niu specifically tested the venom of two kinds of wing-hidden insects.


    The venom of the wing-hidden insects before entering the valley was obviously much weaker. After flying out of the valley, the venom of the wing-hidden insects became more than three times stronger.


    If this were sprayed onto the warriors of the Black Tiger Gang, even the strong fighters of the Innate Realm would suffer unbearable pain if they got just a little on them.


    The warriors of the Acquired Realm and Mortal Realm who got the venom on them wouldn¡¯t necessarily lose their lives, but they would lose their combat effectiveness in an extremely short amount of time.


    ¡°It seems that there are over a hundred million wing-hidden insects that have entered the valley. They have absorbed the poisonous miasma there and then reformed into insect clouds to return to the battlefield to deal with the warriors of the Black Tiger Gang. Once they rain down their venom from the sky, it will probably only take a moment to cause the army of the Black Tiger Gang to collapse.¡±


    After deducing the enemy¡¯s intentions, Qin Niu broke out into a cold sweat.


    The Nine Insect Gang has many experts, and their insect-controlling abilities are unmatched, if not the best in the world, certainly outstanding within the territory of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    Similarly, the previous deployment of armored insects was a grandiose affair, numbering at least tens of millions, forming an immense and formidable army of armored insects.


    However, the speed of the armored insects was somewhat limited as they crawled on the ground.


    So was their attack range.


    These wing-hidden insects could fly, and their flight capability was not weak. They were also capable of spraying venom and did not need to come into contact with the enemy to launch a venom attack. They were like a nightmare existence for the warriors of the Black Tiger Gang.


    ¡°Perfect, let my Termite Army have a feast on this opportunity.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Army had nearly thirty thousand Poisonous Ants in its ranks.


    It could be said that most of the termites hatched later were equipped with poison stingers and glands. On average, three out of every ten termites had the ability to launch a venom attack.


    And their venom was highly toxic.


    Due to the terrifying poisonous miasma in the valley, Qin Niu initially sent only ten Poisonous Ants to explore the valley.


    As soon as they came into contact with the poisonous miasma, they showed clear signs of poisoning.


    But it didn¡¯t take long for them to recover to normal.


    Furthermore, their venom seemed to have become stronger. This greatly satisfied Qin Niu, and his anxiety was alleviated.


    Without further hesitation, he sent all of the Poisonous Ants into the valley.


    The only task assigned to them was to kill those wing-hidden insects.


    After releasing all the Poisonous Ants, he tried sending a few Worker Ants and Soldier Ants into the valley as well.


    Four Worker Ants were poisoned to death one after another.


    Out of five Soldier Ants, only one managed to escape. But it was already staggering and walking unsteadily, as if it were intoxicated.


    Before long, this only surviving Soldier Ant also perished.


    The power of the poisonous miasma was exceedingly terrifying.


    It is worth mentioning that Qin Niu¡¯s termites, if not completely resistant to all poisons, at least possessed a very strong toxin resistance.


    They fed on poisonous snakes, centipedes, spiders, and never exhibited any symptoms of poisoning.


    Now, the poisonous miasma in this valley was potent enough to kill them directly, proving the Valley of Wronged Spirits to be an extraordinarily dangerous place.


    The nearly thirty thousand Poisonous Ants released by Qin Niu had an even stronger resistance to poison. They could withstand the poisonous miasma just like those wing-hidden insects.


    Upon entering the valley, they had commenced an unrelenting massacre of those wing-hidden insects.


    The actual number of them was approximately twenty-eight thousand five hundred.


    This was Qin Niu¡¯s accumulation of resources over a long period.


    Nearly all the Poisonous Ants were there.


    Only a few were left in the Ant Nest for defense and security.


    Some of these Poisonous Ants were Grade Three, some were Grade Four, and a small number were early Grade Two Poisonous Ants.


    These wing-hidden insects were like chickens and ducks in front of them, allowing them to slaughter at will. The wing-hidden insects had almost no power to fight back against them.

 Chapter 426 - Chapter 426: Chapter 418 Mirage Insect_1

    Chapter 426: Chapter 418 Mirage Insect_1


    Termites inherently possess strong combat capabilities, but because they naturally prefer defensive nesting rather than offensive attacks, people tend to view termites as weak and easily bullied insects.


    It is a common belief that termites are weak.


    An entomologist once accidentally encountered a ferocious group of army ants assaulting a termite nest.


    Taking advantage of their superior numbers and brutality, the army ants breached into the termite nest, slaughtering the termite soldiers in droves. Just when the entomologist thought the termite colony would soon be wiped out, the termites began their counterattack.


    A host of termites from deep within the nest were roused, responding to the distress signals of their kin and the pheromones released by the Termite Queen.


    They swiftly emerged from the depths of the nest.


    After just over an hour, the termites, though outnumbered, had miraculously defeated the formidable army ant forces, even locating and biting to death the Army Ant Queen.


    The army ants left behind a vast number of their dead, including the body of the Ant Queen, and retreated in panic.


    Since Qin Niu started raising termites, he hadn¡¯t yet seen any ants with combat abilities stronger than the termites.¡¯


    Even the Fire Ants of Elder Jiu Yin from the Nine Insect Gang were effortlessly slaughtered by the Termite Army of Qin Niu.


    The combat prowess of these hidden-wing insects might not be as strong as that of regular ants of the same grade.


    Their most effective method of attack is to spray venom from their abdomens.


    However, against the poison-resistant Poisonous Ants among the termites, this tactic was almost useless. Consequently, the hidden-wing insects were slaughtered en masse.


    Over twenty thousand died in one instance, an astonishing rate of attrition.


    If the hidden-wing insects were concentrated in one location, the battle would likely be over within an hour at most.


    Ye Ji simply stood silently behind Qin Niu, watching.


    This time, she did not urge Qin Niu to hurry to the frontline battlefield.


    Even if she was not the sharpest tool in the shed, she understood that Qin Niu¡¯s elimination of these hidden-wing insects was the strongest support he could offer to the frontline warriors.


    If these hidden-wing insects absorbed enough of the toxic miasma in the Valley of Wronged Spirits and then returned to the frontline, it would spell doom for the Black Tiger Gang Warriors.


    Ye Ji had not forgotten her duties; she held her Short Sword tight, vigilantly observing her surroundings.


    Should any danger arise, she would immediately step in to protect Qin Niu.


    As time swiftly passed, the hidden-wing insects in the valley had been almost completely annihilated.


    Essentially, as many as came were destroyed.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Poisonous Ant Army was at full battle capacity, taking advantage of this opportunity to feast grandly, hoping to accumulate energy and evolve to higher grades sooner rather than later.


    Like humans, insects also become addicted to getting stronger.


    The Grade Three termites sought to reach Grade Four, and those at Grade Four aspired to ascend to Grade Five.


    The path to evolving and getting stronger is endless.


    ¡°The swarm in the sky is almost out of sight. These hidden-wing insects should be completely eradicated in less than half an hour,¡± Qin Niu said, looking up at the sky.


    This valley had become a burial ground for the hidden-wing insect army.


    Perhaps the Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang would never dream that a powerful Black Tiger Gang Insect Master had uncovered their conspiracy and was waiting here to massacre them.


    ¡°Onglur!¡±


    Within the valley, a column of black qi shot up to the sky, emitting a deep cry at the same time.


    You could vaguely see the silhouette of an insect writhing within the black qi.


    ¡°What kind of monster is that? Could it be that a sinister creature resides within the Valley of Wronged Spirits?¡±


    Ye Ji reached into her bosom and pulled out a talisman.


    It gave off a dangerous aura.


    Qin Niu was not well-versed in talismans, having only seen three somewhat advanced ones¡ªContractual Talisman, Invisibility Talisman, and Earth Escape Talisman.


    The talisman Ye Ji produced was clearly none of these three.


    ¡°Can your talisman deal with this sinister creature?¡± Qin Niu asked curiously.


    As a close attendant to the Gang Leader, she indeed had some last-resort methods up her sleeve.


    ¡°This here is a Flame Blast Talisman; when activated, it can create a small-scale explosion of flames. Most insects fear fire, so if that creature is too powerful, I should be able to fend it off with this talisman, or even inflict severe injury upon it.¡±


    ¡°`


    Ye Ji introduced the name and function of this talisman.


    After listening, Qin Niu yearned even more for the status of an Immortal Master.


    Whether a powerhouse in the Innate Realm or the Spirit Qi Realm, they could only demonstrate the might of spells through the use of talismans.


    Moreover, in terms of power, talismans definitely did not match up to the original spells.


    This was because the principle of talismans was akin to sealing spells within them, inevitably reducing their power.


    Theoretically speaking, if those Talisman Makers had high enough cultivation levels, they could draw whatever types of talismans they wanted, allowing them to cast corresponding spells.


    Talismans, aside from being expensive and having reduced power, had one major drawback: they were single-use.


    Once used, they were gone.


    If one became an Immortal Master and learned spells, this problem would not exist.


    Spells could be cast repeatedly as long as one had enough mana, with no restrictions.


    Furthermore, as spells were cast more frequently, their power would increase, and the speed at which they were cast would also become faster.


    ¡°This demonic insect closely resembles the legendary Mirage Insect; it is essentially a Gu that can shapeshift.¡±


    Qin Niu had very little knowledge about the Mirage Insect.


    He had only read a few fragments about it in books.


    The Mirage Insect possessed a peculiar ability: its actual body might be very weak, but it could project extremely powerful images. The images it conjured were not wholly illusory; they possessed real combat capabilities.


    This was terrifying.


    For example, the black energy that had burst forth from the valley¡ªif that were truly the Mirage Insect¡¯s doing¡ªits attack power might be as formidable as it appeared.


    Merely by its ability to shoot straight into the sky, a single strike might reach the level of an Immortal Master.


    It was certainly not something that two individuals in the Innate Realm like themselves could contend with.


    Moreover, even if the images conjured by the Mirage Insect were destroyed, it would not inflict much damage to its actual body.


    Which meant, if they fought tirelessly and yet could not find where the true body of the Mirage Insect was hiding, then all their efforts would have been in vain.


    Given some time, the Mirage Insect could conjure a new image to battle their enemies once more.


    Qin Niu had released nearly thirty thousand Poisonous Ants, and a Black Spider Gu had entered the valley to hunt enemy insects. He was somewhat worried that the Mirage Insect might take action against them.


    Since being subdued by Qin Niu, the Black Spider Gu had been treasured by him like a jewel.


    Merely the fact that the Black Spider Gu could resist all poisons, neutralizing and absorbing them, was enough to make Qin Niu treat it as an extremely important pet to cultivate.


    The Black Spider Gu was certainly no match for the Mirage Insect now.


    Even if Qin Niu employed all his tricks, he might not be able to deal with that Mirage Insect.


    After all, it had the advantage of being on its home turf.


    Within the Valley of Wronged Spirits lay a dangerously poisonous atmosphere, and Qin Niu couldn¡¯t possibly enter.


    ¡°Black Spider Gu, come back!¡±


    Qin Niu immediately called for the Black Spider Gu to return.


    If the Termites truly met an unfortunate end, he could still rely on the Ant Queen to lay eggs continuously, recreating an army of thirty thousand Poisonous Ants.


    If the Black Spider Gu died, he would not be able to find another one.


    This was why every special insect was so precious.


    ¡°Master, the insect inside the valley is particularly terrifying.¡±


    The Black Spider Gu, while fleeing out of the valley, engaged in a spirit communication with Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu was well aware of how formidable the Mirage Insect was.


    The severity of the Mirage Insect¡¯s prowess was directly linked to its strength.


    The stronger they were, the more powerful the images they could conjure.


    Conversely, the images they conjured could be very weak insects.


    ¡°Black Spider Gu, can you find the actual body of that insect?¡±


    Qin Niu always developed a deep interest in such special insects whenever he encountered them, thinking of various strategies to subdue them as his pets.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 427 - Chapter 427: Chapter 419 Battle with the Mirage Insect_1

    Chapter 427: Chapter 419 Battle with the Mirage Insect_1


    ¡°Original body?¡±


    The intelligence of the Black Spider Gu was limited, and it clearly couldn¡¯t understand such a complex term.


    ¡°The original body refers to the physical body of the insect. What you see now, that black aura and the huge insect body within it, is probably just an image, and not its actual body,¡±


    Qin Niu patiently explained to it.


    The Mirage Insect belonged to the legendary category of rare insects, much more uncommon than ordinary Gu.


    Encountering a Mirage Insect, which might have reached the level of a demon-level creature, sent Qin Niu¡¯s heart racing with excitement, eager to seize this opportunity.


    Despite already possessing a large collection of rare insects including the War Demon Ant, Gold Devouring Ant, Green Silk Worm, Green Demon Bee, and Black Spider Gu, cultivating each insect was extremely difficult.


    Even with the auspicious boon of the Ancient Banyan Tree, he still hadn¡¯t managed to cultivate a demon-level insect.


    Not to mention a demon-level insect, he didn¡¯t even have a half-demon level one.


    One would need to reach at least Level Nine to be considered a half-demon.


    Among the insect pets he currently owned, the highest level was only Grade Eight. That was the Dark Gold Shadow Fire Bee he had newly subdued.


    It just so happened to be a male bee with almost no combat power.


    The reason why the Mirage Insect stirred Qin Niu so much, besides its high level, was its rarity.


    It was capable of using its insect shadow to fight while its original body stayed hidden in the shadows, an ability not inferior to the Shadow Fire Bee¡¯s super mirage.


    ¡°Master, I think I¡¯m about to level up! The poison here is of very high quality, and it¡¯s helping me a lot!¡±


    ¡°All right, focus on your advancement. There¡¯s no rush to find the original body of the Mirage Insect,¡±


    Qin Niu was thrilled to hear that the Black Spider Gu was benefiting so much from the Valley of Wronged Spirits¡¯ poison and was on the verge of levelling up.


    The Black Spider Gu was very important to him.


    With this Gu for protection, he was almost immune to all poisons.


    It was already so powerful at Grade Six, and levelling up to Grade Seven would mean it was truly entering the ranks of high-level pets.


    It was just like the personal attendants of the Black Tiger Gang Leader; the lowest cultivation level among them had to reach the Innate Realm.


    The rank of an insect was directly linked to its power.


    Grade Three was a watershed, and so was Grade Seven.


    In the eyes of formidable Insect Masters, insects below Grade Seven were weak and not worth displaying.


    Unless it was a rare insect like the Green Demon Bee, even a War Demon Ant below Grade Seven was not considered presentable.


    Because to become a true powerhouse, one must at least reach the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Insects below Grade Seven posed little threat in the face of a Spirit Qi Realm expert.


    Qin Niu¡¯s War Demon Ant may have been Grade Six, capable of easily defeating Grade Seven insects, but it could be instantly killed by a Spirit Qi Realm expert in a direct confrontation.


    Moreover, with a Spirit Qi Realm expert on guard, all of its attacks would likely fail to harm the opponent.


    But if it could advance another level, it would be a different story altogether.


    It would begin to possess the strength to fight against a Spirit Qi Realm expert.


    Both its survivability and offensive capabilities would see a significant increase.


    Take for instance the Fire Bee Queen that Qin Niu had subdued. It was currently at Grade Seven but could challenge Qin Niu, an Innate Realm expert, with its super mirage. Without the help of his numerous pets, Qin Niu would have been killed instantly by it.


    That was the power of a Grade Seven insect.


    Of course, the Shadow Fire Bee ranked quite high among the rare insects.


    The Shadow Fire Bee was only slightly inferior to the Green Demon Bee.


    In the valley, the Mirage Insect, like a roused behemoth, caused Qin Niu to sense that more than ten Poisonous Ants were instantly killed by it.


    Its attacks didn¡¯t seem to discriminate; whether it was Qin Niu¡¯s Termite or those hidden-winged insects, anything discovered by it fell within its range of attack.


    ¡°Retreat!¡±


    Qin Niu decisively commanded the Termites and Black Spider Gu to retreat from the valley.


    The Mirage Insect was too powerful, and the Termites had no resistance against it, dying upon almost any contact.


    The dark aura it conjured began to rampage within the valley, with a gigantic insect body wildly devouring any creatures it could attack within the dark mist. Its ferocity made Qin Niu even suspect that whether man or beast, anything entering the valley would be killed and consumed by it.


    This insect was too terrifying.


    In a very short amount of time, at least over five hundred of Qin Niu¡¯s Poisonous Ants that he had sent into the valley were killed.


    The Mirage Insect had a wide range of attack and moved extremely fast. The Termites could only crawl on the ground and couldn¡¯t escape its pursuit.


    ¡°Black Spider Gu, escape quickly and stop absorbing the poisonous miasma. There will be other opportunities in the future,¡± Qin Niu urgently ordered the Black Spider Gu to retreat as he realized the danger and discovered that the Mirage Insect was also taking the opportunity to rapidly consume the poisonous miasma in the valley.


    There was no room for negotiation.


    He understood the Black Spider Gu¡¯s desire to advance in rank. Faced with the temptation that was right within grasp, not just an insect, even adults with higher intelligence would find it hard to resist.


    The death of a batch of Poisonous Ants was indeed painful for Qin Niu, but with the breeding machine that was the Ant Queen, he could quickly breed more Poisonous Ants.


    If the Black Spider Gu died, there would be no way to cultivate another one.


    This loss was something Qin Niu couldn¡¯t afford.


    The Black Spider Gu also sensed the danger and, upon receiving Qin Niu¡¯s command, fled towards his location as fast as it could.


    ¡°You guys, attack the Mirage Insect and draw its attention,¡± Qin Niu made a ruthless decision at this critical juncture.


    To sacrifice a part of the Poisonous Ants, using them as cannon fodder, was to buy time for the Black Spider Gu to escape.


    It wasn¡¯t because he was cruel, but because the laws of survival in this world were just so.


    The Black Spider Gu was more valuable, more precious, so he could only sacrifice the mass-producible Poisonous Ants.


    But he discovered it was of no use.


    No one knew where the Mirage Insect¡¯s body was actually hidden.


    Even if the Termites attacked the dark aura and the gigantic insect body conjured by the Mirage Insect with all their might, it could basically be considered futile.


    Other than rapidly increasing the death toll of the Poisonous Ants, it served no purpose.


    It couldn¡¯t block that dark aura at all.


    ¡°No good, the Mirage Insect seems to have set its sights on the Black Spider Gu,¡± Qin Niu noticed that the terrifying dark aura was chasing in the direction of the Black Spider Gu¡¯s escape.


    Its speed was extremely frightening, and no insect could withstand it.


    Within the Valley of Wronged Spirits, the Mirage Insect was like a godly presence.


    Its progress was unaffected by any insect.


    On its path, be it Termites or Camouflaged Bugs, just being touched by the dark aura meant they were immediately drawn in and then instantly killed.


    ¡°Green Ox, attack that dark aura!¡± Qin Niu was very decisive at this critical moment.


    He had to save the Black Spider Gu with all his might and help it safely escape from the Valley of Wronged Spirits.


    The Dragon¡¯s Roar Skill of the Green Ox could break through evil barriers, illusions, and demonic sounds; it was considered the bane of the Mirage Insect.


    With it taking action, it should be able to stop the Mirage Insect from wreaking havoc.


    ¡°Ao¡ª¡± The Green Ox slightly lifted its neck, emitting a deep and resonant chant.


    Unlike the tiger¡¯s roar, its chant was low in pitch and highly penetrating, with an inherent divine quality.

 Chapter 428 - Chapter 428: Chapter 420 Miscalculation_1

    Chapter 428: Chapter 420 Miscalculation_1


    ¡°`


    The toxic miasma within the valley was being toyed with by an invisible hand under the assault of the sonic attack.


    It instantly dispersed a lot to both sides.


    The miasma fluctuated violently, drifting quickly in all directions.


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze was fixed on that black qi, which was the key point.


    Only by dispersing that black qi could they stop the Mirage Insect¡¯s violence.


    The Dragon Chant sounded its impact on that black qi over a diameter of more than ten feet, scattering some of it and making the giant insect shadow inside clearer. It looked very much like a centipede, and also like a giant horsefly.


    Qin Niu knew that it was not the Mirage Insect¡¯s true form, but just its illusion.


    This ability was very similar to the projection of deities in the mortal world.


    In this vast world, there were all kinds of wonders.


    Some insects or beasts and birds possess special talents or abilities. Their stunts shared a subtle resemblance to some of the divine methods.


    ¡°Green Ox is still a bit weak. If its level were two or three grades higher, perhaps a single Dragon Chant could directly scatter the Mirage Insect¡¯s illusion.¡±


    Qin Niu watched as the black qi, after a brief pause, began to spin rapidly, sucking in the valley¡¯s toxic miasma and then quickly returning to its original state.


    This black qi was very much like the legendary tornado.


    It must have been formed by the highly condensed toxic miasma of the valley.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, not bad. Although you didn¡¯t scatter the Mirage Insect¡¯s illusion, you¡¯ve stalled it once. Do it again.¡±


    Qin Niu encouraged Green Ox to launch another Dragon¡¯s Roar Skill attack.


    The most precious thing now was time.


    As long as they could stop the Mirage Insect¡¯s illusion from advancing, they could buy precious time for Poisonous Ant and Black Spider Gu to escape.


    The Dragon¡¯s Roar Skill of Green Ox did not seem to be as easy to use as imagined.


    It needed a little preparation time to launch this skill.


    It couldn¡¯t be activated continuously without a break.


    Qin Niu stomped his feet anxiously as he watched the black qi get closer and closer to Black Spider Gu.


    He was still a bit careless.


    Originally, he had thought Black Spider Gu could shift shapes and was immune to all poisons, so it was almost impossible for it to be killed by any insects.


    That¡¯s why he let it enter the Valley of Wronged Spirits without worry.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that the Mirage Insect¡¯s mere illusion would possess such terrifying power.


    All the insects drawn into the black qi were killed instantly.


    If Black Spider Gu were sucked in, it probably couldn¡¯t escape its doom.


    ¡°Run, hurry up!¡±


    Qin Niu repeatedly issued commands to the Black Spider Gu, urging it to speed up its escape.


    Actually, there was no need to urge it; Black Spider Gu had already sensed the threat of death and was using its fastest speed to run away.


    ¡°Aaah¡ª¡±


    Green Ox was somewhat reliable, emitting a Dragon Chant again at this critical moment.


    It once again scattered a part of the black qi, successfully stopping its advance.


    It¡¯s just that the power of its Dragon Chant attack was too limited, it could only cause a brief pause in the black qi before it spun at high speed again, recovering and continuing to move forward.


    Qin Niu could no longer be concerned about how great the loss of Poisonous Ant was.


    All his attention was on Black Spider Gu.


    It was almost out of the Valley of Wronged Spirits.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t actually see where Black Spider Gu was, he could only roughly judge its location through the connection of their soul contract.


    At this moment, the Mirage Insect hidden in the shadows also seemed to realize its prey was about to escape.


    It made an astonishing move.


    The rapidly spinning black qi suddenly sped up and poured directly towards the location of Black Spider Gu.


    Qin Niu watched the terrifyingly toxic miasma inside the valley, wanting to enter to save Black Spider Gu, but eventually, worried that he himself, as the master, might be caught up in it too, hesitated to act.


    Even if Black Spider Gu was precious, it certainly was not as important as he, the master, was.


    The toxic miasma inside the valley was extremely dangerous, and he had no certainty of withstanding it.


    ¡°Master, save me!¡±


    Black Spider Gu sensed the black qi pouring down rapidly; it knew there was no escape and sent out a distress signal to Qin Niu.


    ¡°`


    At this moment, its only hope lay with Qin Niu, its master.


    ¡°Let¡¯s gamble!¡±


    Qin Niu swiftly made his decision.


    His thought process was clear: Black Spider Gu could resist all poisons. As long as he rescued the Black Spider Gu, he could rely on it to fend off the poisonous miasma within the valley.


    Furthermore, the Black Spider Gu was already at the edge of the valley, just less than twenty meters away.


    Though its crawling speed had slowed, Qin Niu could use the Misty Rain Elusive Step to instantly whisk it away from the valley.


    Once out of the valley, he would be safe.


    If the Mirage Insect dared to chase out of the valley, it would provide the perfect opportunity to take it down.


    These thoughts settled in his mind in an instant.


    ¡°Green Ox, Wart Toad, wait for me outside the valley.¡±


    Before the words had left Qin Niu¡¯s mouth, his figure had already turned into a blur as he dashed into the valley.


    Ye Ji, who had been protecting Qin Niu, saw this sudden turn of events and cried out in dismay, ¡°No, don¡¯t go in!¡±


    Alas, her call was a moment too late; Qin Niu had already entered the Valley of Wronged Spirits.


    Ye Ji bit her lip, wanting to follow him, but ultimately lacked the courage. This was no joke; the poisonous miasma in the Valley of Wronged Spirits was terrifying, and entering would almost certainly mean death.


    It was better to stay outside and wait for Qin Niu.


    With this in mind, she planted her foot back on the ground, her gaze fixed anxiously on Qin Niu as he entered the valley.


    Because of the miasma spreading throughout the valley, as soon as a person entered, their visibility diminished.


    Qin Niu grabbed the Black Spider Gu, which was about to be sucked in by the dark miasma, and swiftly retreated to the side.


    Fortunately, he had made a split-second decision at the most critical moment.


    If he had been just a second slower, the Black Spider Gu would have been swallowed by the miasma.


    After entering the valley, Qin Niu realized that the dark miasma was even more terrifying and trickier than he had imagined.


    It continued to whirl at high speed, as if it had eyes, chasing wildly after Qin Niu.


    The Mirage Insect was undoubtedly furious that its easy prey had been snatched away by Qin Niu.


    Therefore, it wanted to kill Qin Niu along with the Black Spider Gu.


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s plan, he would rescue the Black Spider Gu and then flee the valley immediately.


    The distance was not far, just less than twenty meters.


    With his current level of cultivation and the Misty Rain Elusive Step, he could escape in three to four seconds.


    Yet, he still underestimated the horror of the valley¡¯s poisonous miasma.


    Though he held his breath, he still felt his head growing heavy, his vision going dark, and his body becoming feeble. His hands and feet began to tremble uncontrollably.


    As a result, even executing the familiar Misty Rain Elusive Step became incredibly difficult.


    Without entering it, one could hardly imagine the horror of the Valley of Wronged Spirits.


    It was devoid of sunlight, and stepping inside felt like entering the legendary underworld.


    ¡°Black Spider Gu, hurry and cleanse the poisonous miasma from my body,¡± Qin Niu implored, worried that the Black Spider Gu wouldn¡¯t understand the situation due to its low intelligence.


    Fortunately, the Black Spider Gu, upon being rescued, immediately turned into a black mist and entered Qin Niu¡¯s nostrils, making its way inside his body.


    Without needing his command, it began to cleanse the miasma from his body.


    However, the entire valley was filled with poison, and just as the Black Spider Gu had cleared the miasma within Qin Niu, more from the environment would penetrate through his skin and orifices.


    Thus, a delicate balance was formed.


    The miasma in Qin Niu¡¯s body could hardly be cleared in a short time.


    Driven by sheer willpower, he gritted his teeth and fled towards the valley¡¯s exit.


    For he knew, if he could not escape, death was certain.


    Outside the valley, the Green Ox seemed to sense its master¡¯s peril, and it let out the Dragon¡¯s Roar Skill once more.


    This time, the Dragon¡¯s Roar Skill was stronger than ever.


    In Green Ox¡¯s heart, Qin Niu was as good as family. With Qin Niu in danger, the creature was prepared to risk its own life to protect him.


    Qin Niu staggered toward the exit of the valley.


    The black miasma pursued him closely, right on his heels.


    What seemed a mere twenty meters had become a path of life and death.

 Chapter 429 - Chapter 429: 421

    Chapter 429: 421


    He risked his life to save the Black Spider Gu and could clearly feel the relationship between him and the Black Spider Gu had grown much closer.


    This change was hard to put into words, but with his long-honed sharp insight, he could vaguely detect it.


    Having tamed so many pets, he was crystal clear about which ones were extremely loyal to him and which ones were compelled into submission by the power of a soul contract.


    Take the Fire Phoenix for instance, he was able to tame it entirely by taking advantage of its vulnerability.


    When he first tamed it, the Fire Phoenix even harboured deep hatred towards Qin Niu.


    Later, Qin Niu devoted his full effort to help it successfully undergo its nirvana, which greatly improved their relationship.


    The taming of the Black Spider Gu had been equally difficult at first.


    After taming it, its loyalty had never been high.


    Even though Qin Niu used the Green Demon Bee¡¯s venom to help it increase its strength and later went out of his way to find even more potent venoms to feed it, he still couldn¡¯t raise its loyalty.


    Later, he mistakenly believed that all Gus were cold-blooded and unfeeling, that they were thankless wolves and hearts cold as stone that couldn¡¯t be warmed, so he simply gave up.


    After all, with a master-servant contract in place, he could still command the Black Spider Gu to kill enemies and perform tasks.


    However, every Insect Master or Beast Tamer hopes for the highest possible loyalty from their pets.


    If the loyalty is too low, when they are ordered to work, they are likely to slack off.


    This would greatly diminish the pets¡¯ combat effectiveness and agility.


    Even more frightening is that when the master is weakened, or the pet¡¯s level greatly exceeds their master¡¯s, they would turn on their master without hesitation.


    This is terrifying.


    Many such tragedies have occurred throughout history.


    The once-dominant Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch died from being turned on by his own pet. It is said that Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch had tamed an extremely powerful centipede, a rare species among heaven and earth, and a top existence among strange insects.


    Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch made his fortune with this centipede, progressing rapidly and becoming an Immortal Master of an Immortal Sect.


    The centipede was Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch¡¯s darling. Whatever high-grade resources he obtained, he would give to the centipede first. It is said that once, Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch got a very good Demonic Beast Inner Alchemy Elixir.


    This was a Water Attribute Demon Elixir, which matched the Cultivation Technique practiced by Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch very well.


    If it had been someone else, they definitely would have asked an elixir master to refine it into an elixir and then take it to increase cultivation.


    Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch instead exchanged this demon core for a Fire Attribute Demon Elixir and had it refined into an elixir for the centipede to consume.


    At that time, those around Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch advised him against such foolishness.


    Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch didn¡¯t listen and was determined to nurture his beloved centipede.


    After consuming the elixir, the centipede performed impressively, successfully advancing two levels. With the newly advanced centipede, Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch slaughtered his way through opponents and wiped out his strongest enemy in one fell swoop.


    Since then, Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch, like possessed, recklessly sought various high-grade resources for his centipede, to make it stronger.


    In doing so, the gap between his own cultivation level and the centipede¡¯s grew ever wider without him realizing.


    This laid the groundwork for later tragedy.


    Having conquered the world with the help of the centipede, Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch had not completely neglected his own cultivation.


    It was just that he focused primarily on the centipede.


    Once, he accidentally obtained a ten-thousand-year-old frost ginseng.


    This was a treasure that could not only nourish qi and blood and prolong life but also enhance cultivation. He too thought of using this rare millennia-old medicament to break through his cultivation bottleneck.


    For this, he invited the best elixir master to refine it into an elixir, made thorough preparations, and then entered seclusion for life-or-death cultivation.


    He brought only the centipede with him into the cave abode.


    In his view, having that centipede to protect his safety was enough.


    The centipede¡¯s level was several grades higher than his, and its power was even stronger than its master¡¯s. With it as a protector, he truly had no need to worry about enemies daring to cause trouble.


    This seclusion lasted for a full seven years.


    It wasn¡¯t until one day, when a hybrid monster with a human head and a centipede¡¯s body emerged from the cave dwelling, that everyone realized the Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch had been devoured by his own centipede.


    Because of the existing master-servant contract, the centipede didn¡¯t dare kill the Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch; otherwise, it would have died as well.


    After the centipede successfully devoured the master, it took direct control of the Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch and merged with him, becoming a monster.


    After it left the cave dwelling, it went on a killing spree against everyone in the Immortal Sect.


    Not for anything else, just to eat those Immortal Masters to enhance its own strength.


    It wanted to become stronger.


    In that battle, the entire Immortal Sect suffered a great disaster, with over forty disciples nearly wiped out.


    In the end, three elders were forced to trigger the Sect Annihilation Formation, perishing together with the centipede, which finally killed it.


    That incident directly led to the expulsion of a very powerful Immortal Sect, the loss was immeasurable.


    Afterwards, an investigation revealed that the Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch had left a will in the cave dwelling, roughly explaining the reasons for the disaster. He had become possessed by evil during his seclusion and cultivation due to his eagerness for quick success after taking an elixir.


    Although he managed to stabilize the situation eventually, he was weak, and his cultivation level not only failed to advance but actually regressed.


    Under these circumstances, the centipede he had spent a lifetime carefully nurturing brazenly turned on him.


    Because he had used almost all of his important resources to train that centipede, and coupled with its outstanding talent, it was unrivaled. Even all the other pets of the Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch combined couldn¡¯t beat this centipede.


    The tragedy of the Hundred-Eyes Immortal Monarch shows that the loyalty of a pet is extremely important.


    Otherwise, when a pet¡¯s level greatly exceeds its master¡¯s, it is very likely to turn on the master.


    The Black Spider Gu could help Qin Niu ward off all poisons, its use was quite significant.


    But its loyalty to Qin Niu had not been able to rise, which was like planting a bomb. It could explode at any moment.


    Qin Niu was well aware of this, so he wasn¡¯t overly eager with the nurturing of the Black Spider Gu.


    This time, he risked his life to save the Black Spider Gu, and unexpectedly, the loyalty of the Black Spider Gu towards him increased substantially, which was a cause for celebration.


    Only now, whether he could successfully escape the pursuit of the Mirage Insect was not easy to say.


    The dark mist chased him like a maggot attached to bone, biting hard on his heels.


    If Qin Niu hadn¡¯t been poisoned, he would have escaped in an instant.


    But now he was struggling to move.


    Just as the dark mist was about to reach his body, the Green Ox outside the valley charged indiscriminately into the valley.


    Its Dragon¡¯s Roar Skill couldn¡¯t be used continuously; it could only run while using its strongest offensive method, shooting a beam of golden light from its horns to attack the enemy.


    But the valley was filled with poisonous miasma, and the golden light didn¡¯t work well.


    It couldn¡¯t even illuminate the dark mist, let alone deal with the giant insect within it.


    At this moment, Qin Niu very clearly felt the presence of the Grim Reaper.


    He hadn¡¯t experienced this feeling in a long time, and he hadn¡¯t expected to face it once again in the Valley of Wronged Spirits. The sensation of a hair-raising, impending catastrophe made it clear to him that if he were to be engulfed by the dark mist, it¡¯s highly likely he would be killed instantly.


    Just at this critical juncture, a green shadow darted out like a bolt of lightning and plunged into the dark mist.


    It was Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee taking action.


    Sensing that its master faced mortal danger, it decisively risked its life to protect him.

 Chapter 430 - Chapter 430: Chapter 422: Successfully Capturing the Original Body_1

    Chapter 430: Chapter 422: Successfully Capturing the Original Body_1


    The Green Demon Bee actually took the initiative to enter the black fog, isn¡¯t that akin to suicide?


    One must know that it was merely a Grade Five insect at the moment.


    Qin Niu, due to the poisoning, had a dull mind and his reaction was extremely sluggish. Normally sharp-witted, he found no particular feelings when he saw the Green Demon Bee dive headfirst into the black fog.


    He did not even consider the possibility of the Green Demon Bee dying.


    After the Green Demon Bee entered the black fog, it did not perish but instead attacked the giant insect within the fog.


    The body of that giant insect was as immense as a divine dragon.


    In front of it, the Green Demon Bee was but a speck.


    Yet this little speck was fiercely battling the giant insect.


    True to its name, the Green Demon Bee, a miraculous insect with the potential to slaughter Immortal Masters.


    Qin Niu had thought it was certain death, yet after the Green Demon Bee took action, the rotation speed of the black fog momentarily slowed down. He managed to widen the distance and then narrowly escaped from the valley.


    ¡°Master Qin!¡±


    Ye Ji dared not enter the valley to rescue him and could only stand outside, anxiously watching.


    At that moment, seeing Qin Niu tumbling and crawling out of the valley, she quickly went forward to support him, then rapidly helped him distance himself from the dangerous Valley of Wronged Spirits.


    After Qin Niu escaped the valley, no new poisonous miasma penetrated his body.


    The Black Spider Gu was quickly absorbing the existing poison within his body.


    Soon after, his body returned to normal, and his mind also cleared.


    ¡°Green Demon Bee!¡±


    As soon as Qin Niu regained consciousness, he instinctively checked on the Green Demon Bee¡¯s situation.


    Among all of his insect pets, the Green Demon Bee should be the one with the strongest potential.


    Perhaps because it had hatched after consuming his blood, the loyalty of the Green Demon Bee had always been extremely high. This was why it would risk its life to dive into the black fog and save its master when Qin Niu was in mortal danger.


    Its actions were quite reminiscent of a moth darting into the flame.


    Even the bee itself probably had no clue whether it could survive after entering the black fog.


    It resolutely dove into the black fog, and at that moment, it probably had no thought of surviving. It had only one idea, to block the black fog for a moment, to buy its master a sliver of a chance at life.


    Its brave sacrifice was successful.


    Qin Niu successfully escaped.


    But it had fallen into the black fog.


    Outside the valley, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t see the situation inside clearly, only vaguely noticing that the dreadful black fog was still rotating rapidly.


    Through the power of the contract, he could sense that the Green Demon Bee was not dead.


    However, its situation was very dangerous.


    The giant insect in the black fog was not a real Mirage Insect, but merely an image it had conjured, which could also be seen as an energy body.


    The Green Demon Bee wasn¡¯t afraid of the poisonous miasma, but it probably couldn¡¯t defeat the giant insect.


    After all, the Green Demon Bee was only Grade Five at the moment.


    ¡°I have to help it!¡±


    Qin Niu had fought the Mirage Insect once and so wasn¡¯t as fearful of it anymore.


    Although the poisonous miasma in the Valley of Wronged Spirits seemed terrifying, he had the Black Spider Gu, so there was no need to fear being poisoned.


    Because the Black Spider Gu could quickly clean out the poison in his body.


    The more virulent the substance, the more the Black Spider Gu enjoyed it.


    Qin Niu was very clear that the Mirage Insect was incredibly powerful, and recklessly storming in would end up with not enough pets to be killed by the Mirage Insect.


    The most straightforward and effective method to deal with the Mirage Insect was to find its true body.


    ¡°Where exactly is this bastard hiding?¡±


    Qin Niu forced himself to remain calm, quickly analyzing where the true body of the Mirage Insect might be.


    After careful analysis and deliberation, he believed that since the Mirage Insect could control the black fog, it was likely nearby.


    There were still a large number of Poisonous Ants that had not yet managed to escape the valley.


    He could have them search for the Mirage Insect¡¯s true body with all their might.


    Due to the terrible poisonous miasma in the Valley of Wronged Spirits, other creatures would be poisoned to death upon entering the valley. Even if not poisoned, they would be killed by the Mirage Insect and devoured.


    Such a special environment actually made it easier for Qin Niu to find the true body of the Mirage Insect.


    Up till now, a large number of Cryptic Insects that had flown into the valley that day had been discovered.


    ¡°`


    Apart from that, Qin Niu only had over 28,000 Poisonous Ants left.


    So within the valley, besides the Wing-Hiding Insect and the Poisonous Ants, if a third type of insect was discovered, it was highly likely to be the Mirage Insect¡¯s true form.


    ¡°All Poisonous Ants, heed my command and start searching for insects other than the Wing-Hiding Insects immediately,¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s command was very straightforward.


    All the Poisonous Ants immediately sprang into action, searching all over the valley for insects other than the Wing-Hiding Insects.


    Qin Niu had made up his mind that he would spare no expense of his Poisonous Ants today.


    As long as he could find the Mirage Insect¡¯s true body, he did not mind entering the Valley of Wronged Spirits again.


    As time passed, the saying ¡°there¡¯s strength in numbers¡± proved to be equally applicable to the Termite.


    One of the Poisonous Ants found the target.


    It was a black insect hidden underground. Its size was not large, only as thick as an adult¡¯s pinky finger.


    ¡°All Poisonous Ants, attack the target immediately,¡±


    Qin Niu commanded the attack without caring whether the black insect was the Mirage Insect¡¯s true form or not.


    Better to err in killing than to let escape.


    One after another, the Poisonous Ants fearlessly bit at the black insect.


    Qin Niu noticed a stream of swiftly spinning dark energy moving quickly towards the location of the black insect.


    Is it trying to save it?


    It seemed that the black insect could very well be the Mirage Insect¡¯s true form.


    This insect had a strong resistance to the ants¡¯ poison.


    After all, it was an expert at handling poison itself.


    Living every day in poisonous miasma, how could it not be formidable?


    ¡°Drag it out for me,¡± Qin Niu commanded.


    Among Qin Niu¡¯s Poisonous Ants, there were Puppet Ants and Ghost Ants, amounting to roughly over two thousand in number.


    This was a formidable force.


    If the poison attack was ineffective, what about a mental attack?


    So far, no insect had been found to be immune to mental attacks.


    More than two thousand Poisonous Ants capable of mental attacks launched their assault simultaneously, causing the Mirage Insect to roll on the ground in agony before being rapidly dragged out of the valley by the ants.


    Even the rapidly spinning dark energy, including the giant insect within, seemed to be affected.


    The speed of the dark energy¡¯s rotation noticeably slowed down quite a bit, moving aimlessly like a headless fly, advancing at one moment and retreating the next.


    Veering to the left and then to the right.


    The giant insect inside was akin to an idiot, staying still and allowing the Green Demon Bee to seize the opportunity to attack.


    Qin Niu was elated upon seeing this.


    Had he known that mental attacks were so effective, he would have ordered the Poisonous Ants to use this method earlier.


    Soon, the Mirage Insect¡¯s true form was dragged out of the valley by the Poisonous Ants.


    Qin Niu had already been waiting for a long time.


    It was a peculiar creature emitting dark energy all over. Its body had visible tiny sparks of electricity flickering across it.


    The entire length of the insect was about twelve to thirteen centimeters, as thick as a pinky finger, with a complex pattern on its body surface, and its back was relatively smooth. It lacked poisonous hairs or spikes.


    For example, caterpillars often have black poisonous hairs on their back, which, if touched, cause unbearable itching immediately.


    The backs of Green Thorn Moths are covered with poisonous spikes, touching them results in a burning pain as if on fire.


    Even frogs that eat all sorts of insects would go around the Green Thorn Moth.


    If a frog even managed to catch a Green Thorn Moth in its mouth, it would spit it out immediately.


    This thing, a curse for whoever touches it.


    The Mirage Insect at hand, apart from the complex patterns on its body, did not seem to possess anything extraordinary.


    Even distinguishing its head from its tail was difficult.


    It had no eyes, no mouthparts, and both ends looked eerily similar. Under its body, however, were two rows of suckers resembling insect legs.


    Possibly due to the immense pain of the mental attack, the Mirage Insect continuously rolled, twisting its body, allowing Qin Niu to easily see its insect legs and abdomen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll confine you first,¡± Qin Niu said.


    He promptly shut it inside the Insect Jar.


    After subduing the Fire Phoenix, his Spirit Space was nearly full; he could not tame a new pet. Unless his cultivation advanced and his spiritual power surged, only then would his Spirit Space expand again.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 431 - Chapter 431: Chapter 423 Timid as a Mouse_1

    Chapter 431: Chapter 423 Timid as a Mouse_1


    Victory was achieved here, and the Green Demon Bee was making progress as well.


    With its powerful abilities of regeneration and demonization, along with its nearly abnormal evolutionary talents of fleshly body advancement, venom evolution, and the strengthening of consuming cold energy and lifeblood, it had begun to turn the tables and was crazily absorbing the energy of the giant insect.


    Qin Niu could feel that the venom and physique of the Green Demon Bee were growing stronger.


    And the speed of this was somewhat astonishing.


    This filled him with indescribable joy.


    After being imprisoned in the Insect Jar, the Mirage Insect seemed somewhat restless, as if it wanted to escape from within.


    After all, it¡¯s very likely now evolv into a magical creature.


    A regular Insect Jar would have a hard time containing it.


    Qin Niu paid close attention, wanting to see what special skills it truly possessed.


    The Mirage Insect was active inside the Insect Jar for a while but still couldn¡¯t escape.


    This also suggested that the true form of the Mirage Insect was indeed quite weak.


    Given how terrifying its illusionary form was, who would have thought that it was so feeble when confined within the Insect Jar.


    Qin Niu also had several Advanced Contract Talisman on him, but unfortunately, the Spirit Space wasn¡¯t sufficient; otherwise, he could have tamed the Mirage Insect by now.


    ¡°Human, release me!¡±


    A sharp voice, like a cracked gong, reached Qin Niu¡¯s ears.


    He looked around before finally lowering his gaze to the Mirage Insect within the Insect Jar.


    ¡°Are you talking to me?¡±


    Encountering an insect capable of human speech was a first for Qin Niu.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything!¡±


    Ye Ji, who stood behind Qin Niu at a distance of about two meters, seemed not to have heard the Mirage Insect¡¯s voice.


    She thought Qin Niu was asking her.


    This made Qin Niu hold the abilities of the Mirage Insect in even higher esteem.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing. We Insect Masters understand some insect language, I was communicating with the insect.¡±


    Qin Niu briefly explained, his gaze once again fixed on the Mirage Insect inside the Insect Jar.


    ¡°Release me!¡±


    That sharp and stiff voice came again.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve managed to survive this long! Already a prisoner, yet you use a commanding tone to ask for your release?¡±


    Qin Niu worried about the intelligence of this insect.


    He already had several unusual insects, and if this Mirage Insect was too foolish, he would have to seriously consider whether to take it as a pet or not.


    He wouldn¡¯t accept just any old stray cat or mangy dog.


    There was no more to discuss between the two sides; Qin Niu didn¡¯t plan to engage with it any further. He directly commanded the Poisonous Ants in the valley to embark on another massive slaughter, killing off the concealer insects one after another that had entered the valley.


    These concealer insects must have been bred by the Nine Insect Gang Insect Masters, absorbing the toxic air after entering the valley and quadrupling the potency of their venom.


    If they were allowed to fly back to the battlefield, they would undoubtedly cause countless Black Tiger Gang Warriors to die or be wounded.


    The Poisonous Ants, seeking to evolve, of course could not do without eating some higher-grade insects.


    These concealer insects, possessing deadly poison and not too different in level from the Poisonous Ants, were the perfect food and would also train the combat capabilities of the ants.


    The slaughter continued in the Valley of Wronged Spirits, and Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee, in a short period of time, unexpectedly showed signs of advancement.


    If it could promote from Grade Five to Grade Six today, the gains would be too great.


    He was contemplating whether the Green Demon Bee could advance to Grade Six this time.


    Then, the Green Demon Bee directly advanced in rank.


    Just as simple as drinking water or having a meal.


    The entire promotion process was exceptionally smooth and remarkably quick.


    This even upended Qin Niu¡¯s experience in insect cultivation. According to his prior experience, the stronger the insect, the more difficult it was to advance in rank.


    Once past Grade Three, each elevation in level was extremely challenging.


    The Ant Queen, Fourth, War Bees¡­ their promotions were all arduous and protracted.


    Yet, for the Green Demon Bee to ascend from Grade Five to Grade Six was so easy, so swift, that even Qin Niu found it hard to believe. It felt surreal.


    After the Green Demon Bee advanced to Grade Six, it sucked the life out of the giant insect even faster.


    Qin Niu felt the Green Demon Bee growing stronger rapidly ¨C phrases like ¡®by leaps and bounds¡¯ or ¡®with incredible speed¡¯ simply couldn¡¯t capture the rate at which it was enhancing itself now.


    Its current pace of advancement could only be described as terrifying and defying the natural order.


    Was this because of the Green Demon Bee¡¯s excellent innate talent, or did the Mirage Insect¡¯s illusion contain an unimaginably vast amount of energy?


    Perhaps it was both.


    ¡°Human, release me!¡±


    The Mirage Insect still hadn¡¯t given up. After being refused by Qin Niu, it spoke to him again.


    This time, its voice carried a hint of plea, without the commanding tone it had before.


    ¡°Why should I release you? If you caught prey, would you let it go?¡±


    Qin Niu thought this Mirage Insect was as naive as a three-year-old child.


    ¡°I will not attack you in the future,¡±


    the Mirage Insect promised him.


    Qin Niu snorted at that.


    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t release you, you won¡¯t be able to attack me anyway. According to my practice, when I catch an insect of a higher grade, I usually feed it to my own insects, helping them advance.¡±


    Hearing Qin Niu saying this, the Mirage Insect inside the Insect Jar curled up and shivered.


    It seemed to have a small courage, easily frightened.


    ¡°Are you¡­ planning to kill me?¡±


    The trembling in its voice was evident.


    It was very afraid.


    This reminded Qin Niu of the timid Diamond Ink Turtle. The Mirage Insect¡¯s guts were on par with it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you myself, but I am planning to feed you directly to my insects. Letting them eat you alive prevents the loss of energy,¡±


    Qin Niu said earnestly.


    Having discovered that the Mirage Insect was extremely cowardly, he didn¡¯t mind scaring it half to death; it would make the process of subduing it unusually smooth.


    If this Mirage Insect was truly a supernatural creature, Qin Niu had no desire to sign another contract of equals with it.


    He preferred to sign a master-servant contract, to fully control it.


    ¡°You, you not only want to kill me, but also allow your insects to devour me alive, you¡¯re so cruel. My true form doesn¡¯t have much energy, your insects won¡¯t benefit much even if they consume me,¡±


    the Mirage Insect said, clearly frightened out of its wits, now starting to beat around the bush for mercy.


    This at least proved it wasn¡¯t as stupid as imagined.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even a mosquito matters; I believe my insects will gain a lot by consuming a supernatural creature like you.¡±


    Qin Niu had a serious and ruthless look on his face, but inside, he was already laughing so hard it hurt.


    This was the most timid supernatural creature he had ever seen.


    ¡°Human, let¡¯s talk this over. I¡¯m just a very weak supernatural creature, and I haven¡¯t been transformed for long. Don¡¯t feed me to your insects, I can listen to you, can I?¡±


    ¡°It depends on how you perform. I have many insects to feed, they require a lot of food, and I treat my insects very well. Every time I catch a high-grade insect, I can¡¯t help but want to feed them.


    I¡¯ve already decided which one of my insects to feed you to.


    Of course, if you perform really well, I will definitely keep you.¡±


    Qin Niu only regretted that his Spirit Space was not enough; otherwise, he could have immediately subdued this supernatural creature.


    This was a supernatural creature!


    And also one with a special ability.


    ¡°Tell me, how do you want me to perform? I will try my best to do well.¡±


    The Mirage Insect slowly unraveled its body, appearing willing to do anything Qin Niu asked, displaying an obsequious and servile attitude.

 Chapter 432 - Chapter 432: Chapter 424 Clone_1

    Chapter 432: Chapter 424 Clone_1


    Who says only humans have a strong will to survive? This Mirage Insect¡¯s will to survive is no less intense than that of humans.


    ¡°Besides you, are there any other mystical creatures or insects nestled in the valley?¡±


    ¡°There used to be some insects, powerful beasts, and birds, but now they¡¯re gone. I ate them all,¡±


    the Mirage Insect replied.


    Who would have thought this extremely timid Mirage Insect was actually a killing maniac?


    It had slain every living being within the Valley of Wronged Spirits, terrifying.


    ¡°Your body is so small, how can you eat so much?¡±


    Qin Niu was obviously skeptical.


    Its actual size was only as thick as an adult¡¯s pinky finger; a single toad would be enough for it to eat for about ten days. And that was if it had strong digestive abilities. If it were a wolf, or a fierce tiger, wouldn¡¯t it take a year or two to consume?


    The prerequisite is that the corpses of the wolf or tiger don¡¯t decay after being killed.


    If left in hot weather, they would completely rot within a week.


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat for long, it was my avatars that ate them.¡±


    ¡°Your avatars refer to that black mist?¡±


    Qin Niu had very limited knowledge of Mirage Insects and had no clue that their avatars also needed to eat, let alone consume so much.


    ¡°My avatars are the insects inside that black mist. Can¡­ can you ask your bee not to kill my avatars?¡±


    It begged pitifully.


    ¡°Anyway, your avatars can¡¯t be taken away, so if they¡¯re killed, they¡¯re killed. How many avatars do you have? Is it easy to create one?¡±


    The power of Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee was rapidly advancing, marching towards Grade Seven; asking him to call it off, was that possible?


    Even when the Green Demon Bee was only at Grade Five, it was already capable of defeating Ye Ji without her being able to fight back. If it rose to Grade Seven, even those at the Spirit Qi Realm would be within its match.


    At that time, Qin Niu would have another means to deal with Spirit Qi Realm powerhouses.


    ¡°Creating an avatar is extremely difficult for me; it was only by a stroke of luck that I got this one. Your insect wants to consume my avatar¡¯s energy, I am willing. Just don¡¯t kill my avatar,¡±


    the Mirage Insect pleaded almost with a sob in its voice.


    You could hear the helplessness and sadness seeping through its voice.


    ¡°I have been nurturing this avatar for many years, it has swallowed countless beings with the help of the toxic miasma in the valley to gain its power today, wuwu¡­¡±


    It finally couldn¡¯t help but weep.


    It might also be playing pitiful deliberately in front of Qin Niu.


    ¡°Your avatar has been raised for so many years but is being rubbed into the ground by my Grade Five insect, it doesn¡¯t seem all that impressive!¡±


    Since Qin Niu planned to subdue the Mirage Insect, he would naturally spare its avatar¡¯s life.


    He was very curious about the capabilities of the Mirage Insect¡¯s avatar and wanted to learn more from it.


    However, in his view, the Mirage Insect¡¯s avatar seemed all bark and no bite, just a silver wax gun tip.


    ¡°Human, don¡¯t insult my avatar. If it weren¡¯t for my main body being captured by you, if it weren¡¯t for your bee which just happens to counter my avatar, a human like you, no matter how many you bring, wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat my avatar.


    All would only be devoured by my avatar.¡±


    The Mirage Insect seemed to be very protective of its avatar.


    It was as if someone had devoted their life to studying a certain field and took pride in that skill, and naturally, would not tolerate others disparaging it.


    After hearing its argument, Qin Niu felt there was some truth to it.


    The diverse talents and abilities of the Green Demon Bee just happened to counter the Mirage Insect¡¯s avatar, hence it was able to consume the energy of the avatar.


    If Qin Niu hadn¡¯t captured the Mirage Insect in time and restrained it, the Green Demon Bee definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat its avatar. In that case, the Green Demon Bee would have been the one killed.


    ¡°Can you create new avatars still?¡±


    Qin Niu asked it.


    ¡°As long as the conditions are right, definitely. Currently, I should be able to control three to four avatars like this, and I can surely increase that number in the future.¡±


    The Mirage Insect, worried that Qin Niu might use it to feed his insect, eagerly proved its potential.


    ¡°`


    Hearing that it could control three or four such powerful avatars, Qin Niu¡¯s interest was immediately piqued.


    If it could control three or four strong avatars to fight at the same time, it might easily slaughter even Immortal Masters. Such a powerful creature stirred his heart intensely.


    ¡°Are you interested in becoming my pet? When the time comes, I¡¯ll have a vast amount of resources and will definitely help you refine a few new avatars, making you even stronger. Moreover, I treat my pets very well, as I believe you¡¯ve seen.¡±


    Qin Niu risked his life to save the Black Spider Gu, and now he was letting the Green Demon Bee freely suck the Mirage Insect¡¯s avatar to grow rapidly. He believed the Mirage Insect had seen all of this.


    The Mirage Insect said, ¡°I will listen to you obediently.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about being obedient, but about being my pet. Right now you listen to me, but what if you run away when I¡¯m unprepared, or even turn to attack me? Then where would I cry?


    Qin Niu directly exposed its little trick.


    ¡°Give me a moment to think, can you?¡±


    Although the Mirage Insect feared death, as a magical creature, it was quite reluctant to become a pet to a human weaker than itself.


    ¡°No problem. However, I¡¯m not very patient. Once you become my pet, you¡¯re one of us. If not, you¡¯re a potential enemy, and I might feed you to my insects at any time to prevent you from becoming a menace.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s Spirit Space was full anyway, so it was a good time to wait.


    Once his Everlasting Spring Technique broke through to the Spirit Qi Realm, he would be able to subdue the Mirage Insect.


    Compared with the Mirage Insect, that Fire Phoenix was obviously of a higher level and stronger.


    So, he did not regret the large amount of Spirit Space occupied by subduing the Fire Phoenix. With a Fire Phoenix as a pet, he was now even capable of directly challenging the entire Black Tiger Gang.


    As for the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, he still didn¡¯t know much about them.


    Killing ordinary Immortal Masters should be like child¡¯s play for the Fire Phoenix.


    The strongest person in the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was likely the Hundred-Tempering Child. How strong he actually was, would only be known to Qin Niu once he joined the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect in the future.


    Currently, there was no enmity between the two parties, so Qin Niu certainly couldn¡¯t take the Fire Phoenix and make enemies with the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect for no reason.


    Deep in his heart, the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was like the heavens¡ªan existence not to be defied or offended.


    At least, that was still the case now.


    It¡¯s like when he had first become an Insect Master; at the gates of Black Tiger City, any of the Black Armored Soldiers were beings he had to look up to, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. Now, after striving and continuously growing stronger, not to mention the Black Armored Soldiers of Black Tiger City¡ªeven the mid-ranks of the Black Tiger Gang¡ªdid not matter much to him.


    Within the Valley of Wronged Spirits, the Green Demon Bee had successfully broken through to Grade Seven, and its increase in strength had not stopped; in fact, the pace had quickened even more.


    Qin Niu waited patiently outside the valley, already overjoyed.


    Grade Seven! The Green Demon Bee had actually advanced from Grade Five to Grade Seven in such a short period, jumping up two whole grades.


    Following the current trend, it even had the hope of reaching Grade Eight.


    If it truly reached Grade Eight, it would certainly be sufficient to deal with Spirit Qi Realm experts.


    Elder Jiu Yin¡¯s Taiyin Yaoyao king insect was Grade Eight, and back then, it had rendered Vice Gang Leader Bai helpless. Like a pesky plaster, it clung onto Vice Gang Leader Bai, constantly eroding his power.


    With its formidable flying capability and various heaven-defying talents, the Green Demon Bee would become the worst nightmare for countless Spirit Qi Realm experts once it reached Grade Eight.


    ¡°Master Qin, it seems like most of the poison insects in the valley have been eradicated¡ªshould we hurry to the front now?¡±


    Ye Ji lifted her head to look at the sky, unable to see the shadow of the camouflaged insects anymore.


    Worried about the front line being overrun, she wanted to take Qin Niu there as soon as possible to report.


    Ye Ji was a close attendant cultivated by the Black Tiger Gang Leader and was no different than a death soldier. She was determined to accomplish any task given to her by the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    ¡°No rush!¡±


    As Qin Niu entered the valley and faced danger, she hadn¡¯t attempted to rescue him, which greatly reduced his fondness and trust in her.


    Qin Niu was much stronger than her overall, so he wouldn¡¯t possibly act on her orders.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, it didn¡¯t matter if the front line was lost. His Green Demon Bee seizing this rare opportunity to advance to Grade Eight was more important than anything else.


    Such an opportunity, once lost, was almost impossible to come by again.


    The Poisonous Ants he had sent into the valley were sweeping through the area.


    As there were no other creatures in the valley, this made the sweep by the Poisonous Ants all the simpler and worry-free.


    An hour and a bit passed in the blink of an eye, and the sun in the sky had begun to set, with dusk soon approaching. Ye Ji started to show impatience, occasionally glancing at Qin Niu and then back at the sun in the sky.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 433 - Chapter 433: Chapter 425: Grade Eight Magic Bee_1

    Chapter 433: Chapter 425: Grade Eight Magic Bee_1


    At this moment, Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee had finally succeeded in advancing to Grade Eight.


    The dreadful black qi had shrunk from over ten meters in diameter to less than a foot, and its rotation had also slowed down significantly. The giant insect within the black qi had also severely contracted, becoming only as thick as an adult¡¯s arm.


    With the Green Demon Bee¡¯s current terrifying strength, if it continued to suck the Mirage Insect¡¯s avatar, soon nothing would be left, not even dregs.


    The Mirage Insect inside the Insect Jar had already begged Qin Niu several times.


    It was very afraid of its only avatar being completely killed.


    ¡°Alright, come back!¡±


    Qin Niu commanded the Green Demon Bee.


    It transformed into a blur, suddenly bursting out from the giant insect¡¯s body, easily penetrating the black qi outside, and the next second, it appeared directly in front of Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu examined the Green Demon Bee, which had been reborn, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.


    The Green Demon Bee¡¯s body was now bigger than an adult¡¯s fist, and its body and wings were covered with extremely mysterious patterns. On its forehead, a seductive dark purple rune was even faintly forming.


    Streaks of black lightning flashed across its body.


    It was like a Death God that had emerged from hell, emitting an aura that made one¡¯s heart tremble with fear.


    The invisible ferocity made even Qin Niu, its master, feel a bit apprehensive.


    ¡°Good, go into the Insect Bag and rest!¡±


    Qin Niu gently stroked the Green Demon Bee floating in front of him.


    Its flying skill had clearly improved significantly, covering a distance of nearly a hundred meters instantaneously, as if teleporting¡ªand it could hover motionless in mid-air.


    Green Demon Bee (Mature Queen)


    Grade: Grade Eight Hymenoptera Insect, upgrade experience 100 million/1 billion


    Lifespan: 5000 years


    Energy: 100 million


    Skills: Split Breeding (the descendants it produces can fully inherit the mother bee¡¯s skills and talents, and can be on the same level as the mother bee). Night Vision, Deicide Poison (can poison Immortal Masters and above). Extreme Flight (second only to flight evasion), Regeneration, Demonic Sound Attack (produces a demonic sound by vibrating its wings to provoke the enemy¡¯s inner demons). Demonization (abilities unknown). Primary Demonic Body.


    Talent: Poison Evolution, Physical Body Evolution, Night Vision, Strengthens by absorbing Yin cold energy and the blood of living beings.


    After checking the Green Demon Bee¡¯s new attributes, only two words came to Qin Niu¡¯s mind: ¡°against heaven.¡±


    The Green Demon Bee¡¯s starting point was already very high, and now that it had advanced to Grade Eight, its skills had been further enhanced, making it truly ¡°against heaven.¡±


    It seemed that its breeding method had also changed.


    Initially, it was high-grade breeding, but now it had transformed into split breeding.


    This was easy to understand, like a virus replicating itself.


    It meant that the offspring it produced were no different from its true self.


    It was currently Grade Eight, and the offspring it produced would be Grade Eight as well.


    One just didn¡¯t know how many offspring it could breed in a day?


    Previously, it could lay one bee egg per day. Those eggs had already begun to hatch one after another and were being nurtured. They would probably need some more time before they could transform.


    It would save effort in the future.


    The offspring produced by the Green Demon Bee wouldn¡¯t need incubation or nurturing.


    The downside was that it wouldn¡¯t be possible to produce a stronger breed of bee than the mother, nor could it produce a special breed of bee different from the mother.


    It was essentially cloning itself.


    If the mother bee was Grade Eight, the offspring it produced could only be Grade Eight.


    Qin Niu was a bit worried that the Ant Queen would also evolve this kind of breeding in the future. Oviparous reproduction, though much more troublesome, had greater potential and could produce more diverse offspring.


    The Green Demon Bee¡¯s Breeding Skill had evolved into Split Breeding, and there was nothing Qin Niu could do about it.


    He could only accept it.


    There were various risks inherent in cultivating insects.


    Such as the risk of death, the risk of failed evolution, the risk of losing skills, and so on.


    The Green Demon Bee¡¯s flying skill had indeed evolved; it was now capable of extreme flight, second only to instantaneous escape. No wonder it could cover the nearly hundred-meter distance in the blink of an eye.


    With such swift speed, there were probably not many in the Spirit Qi Realm who could escape from its pursuit.


    Those in the Innate Realm could instantaneously move ten meters, which was considered quite strong. Even if those in the Spirit Qi Realm were several times more skilled, instantaneously moving thirty to fifty meters was their limit. This could only be achieved in combination with a step-method martial skill.


    And they had to practice that step-method martial skill to a certain level.


    Even with cultivation at the Spirit Qi Realm, without a step-method martial skill, being able to instantaneously move ten meters was already quite remarkable.


    Qin Niu could now move seven or eight meters instantaneously by relying on the Misty Rain Elusive Step.


    If he could train this step-method martial skill to a higher level, he should be able to improve further.


    This time, the Green Demon Bee had risen by three grades and even evolved a special skill¡ªinitial demon body.


    This was a fleshly body skill, which presumably shared the same ingenious principle as the legendary golden body.


    The exact effects were yet to be seen until after the Green Demon Bee was tested in battle.


    Overall, he was quite satisfied with the results of the Green Demon Bee¡¯s evolution.


    The gains from this time exceeded his expectations.


    ¡°Mirage Insect, how will you deal with that avatar?¡±


    Qin Niu asked the Mirage Insect.


    He had not yet subjugated the Mirage Insect, only captured it, so naturally, he would not let it return to the wild.


    He would certainly not release it back into the Valley of Wronged Spirits.


    Instead, he kept it confined within the Insect Jar until he could form a master-servant contract with the Mirage Insect.


    After all, it was a monstrous insect. Despite its current pitiful state, if it were allowed to return to the wild, capturing it again would be difficult.


    ¡°Can you let me out? I can deal with the avatar,¡± the Mirage Insect said.


    ¡°Letting you out is fine, but you can¡¯t enter the Valley of Wronged Spirits,¡± Qin Niu replied.


    ¡°Agreed!¡± the Mirage Insect consented.


    Qin Niu tipped the Mirage Insect out of the Insect Jar, watching it closely. Should this insect dare any funny business, Qin Niu¡¯s pets, including the Termite, Green Ox, Golden Toad, and Green Demon Bee, would immediately put it in its place.


    To increase his deterrence, Qin Niu held the Ink Blade in his hand.


    This blade had become increasingly powerful from being nourished nightly with Ancient Banyan Tree Blood. Qin Niu could feel its growing strength himself.


    He had also used this blade to kill many strong opponents.


    Full of sinister energy, the Ink Blade seemed to possess a natural affinity for the blood of living beings, having a particular craving for it.


    The more powerful beings he killed, the more energy and Spirit Qi it absorbed from their blood, as well as the resentment from their deaths, making the Ink Blade¡¯s might more and more terrifying.


    Qin Niu was somewhat worried, unsure whether this was good or bad.


    His main concern was that the Ink Blade might one day spin out of control and even begin to manipulate him, its master.


    This kind of situation wasn¡¯t unheard of.


    Some weapons were extremely evil and could slowly take control of their owner¡¯s mind, making the owner cruel, bloodthirsty, and ultimately a complete slave to the weapon, turning into a murderous lunatic.


    The Mirage Insect was indeed very timid.


    Feeling the numerous contingencies Qin Niu had prepared for it, it trembled with fear and dared not make any suspicious movements.


    Its ¡®head¡¯ pointed towards the direction of the Valley of Wronged Spirits.


    Or perhaps that was its tail.


    Qin Niu could no longer distinguish its head from the tail.


    The black qi from within the valley slowly coiled and emerged from the valley. When it reached the Mirage Insect, the insect absorbed it bit by bit into its body.


    The Mirage Insect¡¯s body, originally only as thick as a pinky finger, began to grow visibly larger, quickly becoming as thick as an adult¡¯s thigh.

 Chapter 434 - Chapter 434: Chapter 426: Kicked the Iron Plate_1

    Chapter 434: Chapter 426: Kicked the Iron Plate_1


    It showed a totem on its back that was identical to the giant insect, resembling a colossal centipede.


    Then, the body of the Mirage Insect began to shrink gradually, like a deflating balloon.


    Qin Niu was merely watching quietly.


    Ye Ji was equally astonished by the spectacle, and she gained a deeper understanding of Qin Niu¡¯s insect-handling skills. She finally understood why the Black Tiger Gang Leader had sent her to request the assistance of a young man when the battle was in dire straits.


    The Mirage Insect eventually shrunk to the thickness of a pinky finger, and other than the centipede totem on its back, it appeared to have no other changes.


    Its ability to withdraw its clone into its main body was quite impressive.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hurry to the front line now.¡±


    After Qin Niu collected all of the Poisonous Ants, he and Ye Ji rushed to the front line together.


    The banks of the Wash Crime River had become a living hell, with corpses strewn everywhere, as the warriors from the three major sects continued to fight to the death.


    The Black Tiger Gang was clearly at a disadvantage.


    After all, the Nine Insect Gang in alliance with the Shennong Sect held the advantage in both numbers and in the count of top-tier experts.


    The Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang had the capabilities to battle thousands alone.


    Some formidable Insect Masters were driving swarms of venomous insects to attack the Black Tiger Gang warriors. The tiny poisonous insects seemed exceptionally sharp on the battlefield.


    Although the Black Tiger Gang was somewhat weaker in insect-handling, their Beast Tamers were quite powerful.


    On the battlefield, one could see roaring giant beasts and fierce creatures, as well as swiftly moving warhorses, all of which were part of the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s arsenal.


    This battle was a crucial life-and-death struggle, and all three sides revealed their entire array of forces.


    Qin Niu had only known that the Black Armored Army was the strongest force of the Black Tiger Gang. Now, seeing a cavalry unit on the battlefield, riding black horses, clad in black armor, and wielding long spears, he could tell at a glance that this unit of Black Knights belonged to the Black Tiger Gang.


    They moved through the battlefield like the wind, and wherever they struck, the enemy would start to collapse.


    No matter whether it was the elite troops of the Shennong Sect or the barbaric warriors of the Nine Insect Gang, none could withstand the onslaught of this cavalry.


    ¡°Miss Ye Ji, who commands that unit of Black Knights?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    Cavalry charging across the battlefield were invincible.


    Normally, cavalrymen equipped with battle axes were common. Cavalrymen wielding long spears were quite rare.


    The spear is known as the ¡°thief¡± among all weapons, not suited for openly brutal combat, but rather for flexible and tricky tactics. When fighting on the ground, spear fighters have an advantage.


    In traditional warfare, spearmen countered all cavalry.


    Many capable generals liked to use spearmen in conjunction with infantry equipped with blades. Infantry holding shields would stay in front, and when the enemy charged, the shield-bearers would block while spearmen in the rear viciously stabbed at the charging enemy with their long spears.


    Basically, each stab was a kill, making the harvesting of enemy forces frighteningly efficient.


    However, there were exceptions, such as the Mongol cavalry that once swept across Asia and Europe. No matter how impregnable the city or how formidable the spearmen, none could stand against them.


    Just one charge was enough to utterly defeat the enemy.


    ¡°The Black Knights are personally led by the Black Tiger Gang Leader. They are an elite cavalry trained by his very hand. To be selected as a Black Knight, one must have a cultivation of at least the fifth level of the Acquired Realm, and their horsemanship has to be extraordinary. With the Black Knights present, even the strongest enemy forces would be flattened,¡± Ye Ji said, her eyes showing admiration for the Black Tiger Gang Leader and the Black Knights.


    She had almost blind worship for the Gang Leader.


    One could feel it in her tone.


    Qin Niu inwardly shook his head, pitying the Gang Leader¡¯s close attendants. Although they possessed Innate Realm cultivation, they had been brainwashed by the Gang Leader.


    In their eyes, the Gang Leader was an existence akin to a Heavenly Emperor.


    If the Black Tiger Gang Leader were truly that powerful, he wouldn¡¯t have been bullied by the enemy for over half a year, let alone allowing the enemy to breach their home.


    This year, the Black Tiger Gang had been suffering from an insect disaster for over half a year, making it impossible to cultivate crops in their fields; many lands were left barren. Yet, the Black Tiger Gang had no effective measures to combat it.


    As a result, the Black Tiger Gang was now plagued with famine throughout its domain.


    It was only autumn now, but when winter came and famine coupled with cold descended, the common people of the Black Tiger Gang would face extreme hardship and a daunting test of survival.


    ¡°Ye Ji!¡±


    A burly man riding a fierce tiger with hanging eyes rushed over.


    ¡°This must be Master Qin, right?¡±


    After greeting Ye Ji, the man¡¯s gaze fell on Qin Niu.


    The man also wore a mask, that of a fierce tiger.


    ¡°Iron Tiger, where¡¯s the Gang Leader? I have brought Master Qin here,¡± Ye Ji inquired.


    ¡°The Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang are too formidable. It¡¯s rumored that there might even be a presence of long-lost Gu Masters, causing our Black Tiger Gang¡¯s army to struggle. The Gang Leader has been anxiously awaiting Master Qin¡¯s assistance. I will take you to the central command tent,¡± the man said.


    The man finished speaking and led the way ahead.


    The huge tiger he rode was extremely fierce; wherever it went, people scrambled to get out of its way.


    Luckily, the warhorses on the battlefield were trained; otherwise, the sight of this formidable tiger would send them collapsing to the ground in terror.


    Iron Tiger and Ye Ji each rode their mounts in front, while Qin Niu followed behind, carrying a backpack.


    On the battlefield, the clash of gold and iron, blood and fire could be seen everywhere, as life and death unfolded at every moment.


    Once on the battlefield, it¡¯s either your death or mine¡ªeach warrior seemed possessed by a devil.


    ¡°Why did you get here so late?¡±


    Iron Tiger asked Ye Ji in a low voice.


    ¡°Master Qin was delayed on the road by exterminating insects for several hours; I told him to leave, but he wouldn¡¯t, so there was nothing I could do. The Gang Leader isn¡¯t angry, is he?¡±


    Ye Ji was more worried about the Black Tiger Gang Leader blaming her for not handling things effectively.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t blow his top, but he looked pretty frightening. This Qin fellow doesn¡¯t seem very strong; couldn¡¯t you have beaten him? Just grabbing and bringing him over would have worked, right?¡±


    Iron Tiger was somewhat puzzled.


    He knew Ye Ji¡¯s strength well; normally, Insect Masters at the Innate Realm were a bit weaker than ordinary warriors at the Innate Realm, but Ye Ji was among the top experts inside the Innate Realm, and she could easily take down an Insect Master with the surname Qin.


    ¡°Catch him? I¡¯ll tell you, even though it¡¯s embarrassing¡ªI can¡¯t even defeat one of his insects.¡±


    Ye Ji, still frightened, remembered that terrifying green monster bee.


    ¡°He bullied you on the road? Let me take him down a peg.¡±


    Upon hearing that Ye Ji had suffered at the hands of Qin Niu, Iron Tiger immediately grew furious, and without saying another word, he suddenly turned his fierce tiger around and launched an attack on Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu was abruptly assaulted, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.


    The Green Ox behind him had an even swifter reaction, shooting out a golden light from its horns, which directly struck the fierce tiger.


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, raised his hand and delivered a chop.


    The most straightforward of moves, a chop.


    Yet, an effortless chop resulted in a Critical Chop with the effect of Rupture.


    A very thin black line appeared faintly visible in front of the Blade Qi.


    Iron Tiger hadn¡¯t expected this young Insect Master to react so quickly and strike viciously, with no mercy.


    Moreover, he saw in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes that kind of indifference and murderous intent common in those who had killed countless others.


    Only someone who had been through numerous battles of life and death could have such a terrifying gaze.


    Iron Tiger quickly swung his giant axe to block Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade.


    Bang!


    Iron Tiger¡¯s giant axe was chopped in two; the momentum of the Ink Blade continued, chopping towards what was in front of it.


    Such a fearsome chop scared the soul out of Iron Tiger.


    Only now did he realize how formidable the young Insect Master before him was.


    Iron Tiger attempted to turn his fierce tiger around and flee, but the tiger, as if bewitched, was extremely sluggish in response.


    Out of options, Iron Tiger could only wave the shield in his left hand and roll with it, jumping off the tiger¡¯s back.


    His shield was torn apart, and his mount, the fierce tiger, let out a mournful cry as its head was split in half by Qin Niu¡¯s blade. It fell to the ground, its brains spilling out, obviously beyond saving.


    Qin Niu had cut Iron Tiger¡¯s mount in half, and the cold light in his eyes remained.


    Holding his blade, he performed the Misty Rain Elusive Step and, like a shadow, killed towards Iron Tiger once more.


    The heart and guts of Iron Tiger, over two meters tall, were split with fear.


    ¡°Stop, stop, Master Qin, please stop, it was just a joke!¡±


    Iron Tiger was on the verge of tears, the loss from this ¡®joke¡¯ was too great.


    He had provoked a real hard case this time.


    If he didn¡¯t beg for mercy now, looking at Qin Niu¡¯s expression, he was certain he would be slain by the blade.


    ¡°I do not enjoy jokes, and there won¡¯t be a next time,¡±


    Qin Niu stopped in his tracks and looked at Iron Tiger coldly, sheathing his blade.


    Had he released the Green Demon Bee or Shadow Fire Bee to kill the enemy, ten Iron Tigers would already be lying on the ground cooling off.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it will never happen again.¡±


    Iron Tiger¡¯s forehead and back were soaked with cold sweat, now fully aware that the Insect Master before him was not to be trifled with.

 Chapter 435 - Chapter 435: Chapter 427: Gu Master Appears_1

    Chapter 435: Chapter 427: Gu Master Appears_1


    After making a show of strength, Qin Niu did not bother further with Iron Tiger.


    He understood the thoughts of a man.


    Iron Tiger merely felt that Ye Ji had been bullied and wanted to stand up for her. Moreover, he had preemptively judged that an Insect Master of the Innate Realm was inherently weak in combat, hence his direct action.


    After his defeat, head bowed, he led the way in silence.


    ¡°Being defeated by Master Qin is no disgrace!¡±


    Ye Ji whispered comfort to Iron Tiger.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I intended to help you vent, but ended up bringing shame to our Gang Leader¡¯s personal guards instead,¡± Iron Tiger said, still keeping his head down, not daring to look at her.


    ¡°Master Qin is very strong; your defeat is not unjust. Where is the central military tent? Let¡¯s walk faster.¡±


    Ye Ji had witnessed Qin Niu dealing with the Mirage Insect.


    That was a demon insect which had been lurking in the Valley of Wronged Spirits for at least a few hundred years, and it was completely subdued by Qin Niu without showing the slightest resistance. This man, just like the Gang Leader, was both mysterious and powerful.


    Many soldiers looked at Qin Niu with eyes full of reverence.


    Qin Niu¡¯s defeat of Iron Tiger, one of the Gang Leader¡¯s personal guards, with a single strike had already earned their respect with his strength.


    In the army, it is like this, the strong are revered, and strength speaks for itself.


    The three of them walked on, swiftly reaching an unremarkable military tent.


    In a battle between two armies, the central military tent and the commander¡¯s platform are of utmost importance; it¡¯s impossible to let the enemy know where the commander is.


    Otherwise, if the enemy forms an elite unit to target the central military tent, it would be quite easy for the enemy to behead the commander.


    Or capture the commander.


    Either scenario would signify defeat.


    ¡°Reporting to the Gang Leader, Master Qin has been brought here.¡±


    ¡°Please invite Master Qin in!¡±


    A calm and steady middle-aged man¡¯s voice sounded.


    His speech was slow, naturally exuding an invisible authority.


    Outside the tent, there were many guards, each with strong cultivation, all of them Innate Realm powerhouses.


    They had one thing in common, masks on their faces.


    Wolf masks, eagle masks, bear masks, a wide variety, like a wild animal park. The identities of these people didn¡¯t need to be stated; they were all personal guards of the Gang Leader.


    Qin Niu entered the central military tent and saw many familiar faces, including Vice Gang Leader Bai Xuezhu, Fang Lian, City Commandant Lu, and Vice Gang Leader Gongsun Jin. This battle was a matter of life and death for the Black Tiger Gang, and almost all the high-ranking members had come out in force.


    Sitting at the top seat of the military tent, however, was a plainly-looking middle-aged man, wearing black chainmail, draped in a great cloak made of Tiger Skin, and wearing a black metal helmet.


    Different from the helmet of the Black Knight, this man¡¯s helmet had a red gem set in the center, and there were three long feathers at the top.


    Each feather resembled the long tail feathers of a wild rooster.


    Yet, Qin Niu could tell at a glance that those three long feathers were all demonic feathers. The so-called Phoenix Feathers he had seen at the black market were far inferior to these three long feathers.


    Merely by looking at this man¡¯s appearance, there was already considerable grandeur.


    ¡°Master Qin has had a hard journey! Today, the Black Tiger Gang has faced an invasion by the combined forces of the Nine Insect Gang and Shennong; it is a matter of life and death. We must gather all the strength we can to have any hope of winning this war.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s gaze was serene, his demeanor friendly and approachable. When speaking to Qin Niu, he showed not a trace of superiority, instead was like that of a friend.


    ¡°When the state is in peril, every man is responsible. Qin Niu is a member of the Black Tiger Gang. Although my strength is weak, I am willing to offer my little bit of power, to fight alongside the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s troops, beat back the formidable enemy, and protect our homeland.¡±


    Qin Niu was very tactful, and he spoke those noble words with great boldness.


    ¡°Good! Good! With a young man of such aspirations as Master Qin in our Black Tiger Gang, victory is certain today!¡± the Black Tiger Gang Leader nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Master He Shan, please brief Master Qin on the situation of the insect battle on the battlefield. Your Insect Master camp just needs to hold off the enemy¡¯s insect swarm, and we can hope for victory.¡±


    The gaze of the Black Tiger Gang Leader turned to Master He Shan, who was to his right.


    To be honest, Master He Shan¡¯s insect-controlling ability was only so-so, not even comparable to Elder Jiu Yin or Elder Mei.


    In the whole Nine Insect Gang, there must be quite a few powerful Insect Masters like Elder Jiu Yin and Elder Mei.


    The strongest was definitely the Nine Insects Gang Leader, said to be a powerful woman whom countless men greatly feared. Known as ¡®Black Widow,¡¯ she was unpredictable in temper and ruthless, with a mind as sharp as any man¡¯s.


    But many secretly called her ¡®Poison Widow¡¯ and ¡®Viper Woman.¡¯


    ¡°Our Black Tiger Gang has been lying low these years, ostentatiously developing the strength of Beast Tamers on the surface while secretly cultivating and supporting Insect Masters. In terms of Insect Master strength, although we are not as strong as the Nine Insect Gang, we are not weak either.


    In previous battles with the Nine Insect Gang, our Insect Master camp never suffered much.


    But this time, the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s insect swarm is extremely strange. Aside from their astonishing numbers, some insect swarms even exhibit characteristics of Gu. Chairman Li and others suspect the presence of a Gu Master among the enemy forces. Gu Masters are mysterious and unpredictable, their insect-controlling techniques are stronger than those of ordinary Insect Masters, and this battle might be difficult to predict the outcome of.¡±


    Upon saying this, Master He Shan shook his head and sighed repeatedly.


    Anyone could see that his morale was very low.


    ¡°Gu Masters have been in hiding for many years and are always considered taboo by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. If the Nine Insect Gang dares let Gu Masters join the battle, they will surely provoke the fear of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, and they will only be courting self-destruction. Master He Shan need not be too pessimistic. Even if the Nine Insect Gang really has Gu Masters, they would only dare to sneak around and help secretly,¡± said Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun Jin, the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s confidant, on behalf of the Gang Leader.


    Now that the two armies were at war, Master He Shan was diminishing his own authority while boosting the enemy¡¯s morale¡ªa major taboo in the military.


    Were it not for Master He Shan holding a rather high position, and the fact that they were short-handed at the moment, the Black Tiger Gang Leader might have made a swift and decisive move against him.


    Qin Niu thought to himself, so what if there¡¯s a Gu Master?


    Many of the insects he was now raising were not inferior to Gu bugs, and he had also learned some Gu techniques.


    To say that Gu techniques were definitely stronger than controlling insects was nonsense.


    Controlling insects includes Gu techniques.


    Gu techniques are just a branch within the art of insect control, like an unorthodox path taken by a sword.


    This was Qin Niu¡¯s view on Gu techniques.


    It¡¯s like there are thousands of cultivation methods, among which there are some evil arts with tremendous power that are extremely vicious and relatively easier to master, so they are greatly feared by all. Once a practitioner of such evil arts appears, they often become like rats on the street, pursued and attacked by everyone.


    ¡°Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun spoke the truth. Even if the Nine Insect Gang has a Gu Master, we need not be afraid,¡± Deputy Gang Leader Bai Xuezhu said, supporting Master He Shan.


    The two had worked together before, and Master He Shan was considered a major general under Deputy Gang Leader Bai Xuezhu, who naturally wouldn¡¯t want to continue upsetting the Gang Leader.


    ¡°According to Chairman Li¡¯s observations, the enemy is likely to use a large number of terrifying poisonous insects, whose levels may not be high, but their numbers will certainly be vast. When the time comes, they could directly reverse the situation, causing our forces to suffer a crushing defeat,¡± he said.


    No sooner had the Deputy Gang Leader finished speaking than Ye Ji, standing below, immediately bowed and reported.


    ¡°I was just about to report this matter to the Gang Leader. On the way here, Master Qin observed that the sky was covered by a vast swarm of insects, and through Master Qin¡¯s efforts, he finally found where those insect clouds were heading.


    Those insects are called Mirage Insects, and they entered the Valley of Wronged Spirits to absorb the poisonous miasma in the valley to enhance the power of their venom.


    Once they have absorbed enough poisonous miasma, they will return to the battlefield and spray their venom from the air onto our warriors.¡±


    Ye Ji accurately reported Qin Niu¡¯s achievements.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, there¡¯s a certain type of low-level insect called Mirage Insects on the battlefield. They spray venom from the air onto the warriors below, which, when it touches the face, causes unbearable pain, almost like scalding with boiling water,¡± added Deputy Gang Leader Bai Xuezhu, who had also noticed these insects.

 Chapter 436 - Chapter 436: Chapter 428: High-Level Showdown_1

    Chapter 436: Chapter 428: High-Level Showdown_1


    ¡°Seventeen warriors unfortunately got venom in their eyes and were blinded on the spot. After being poisoned, taking Detoxification Pills was completely ineffective. I specifically inquired with Chairman Li and Master He Shan about what kind of insects these were, with such powerful venom. It turns out that these insects had absorbed toxic miasma in the Valley of Wronged Spirits, no wonder the Detoxification Pills were ineffective.¡±


    The Valley of Wronged Spirits is known to be an extremely dangerous place; almost all the senior members of the gang are aware of it.


    They are even more aware of the terror of the toxic miasma in the valley.


    ¡°Now the number of those stealth-winged insects is not many, and the damage caused to our army is not significant. But if there were tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of them, our soldiers would lose their fighting capacity in an instant. Master Qin discovered the gathering point of those insects, and there¡¯s no time to lose¡ªwe must immediately dispatch troops to the Valley of Wronged Spirits to exterminate those poisonous insects.¡±


    Vice Gang Leader Bai is very afraid that those stealth-winged insects will increase in number.


    ¡°Hehe, Gang Leader Bai, rest assured! Master Qin has already dealt with all those stealth-winged insects. There weren¡¯t just tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of them but two to three hundred million.¡±


    Ye Ji actually laughed out loud in such a serious military discussion, which was quite inappropriate.


    Yet, every high-ranking member of the Black Tiger Gang did not blame her; instead, they all heaved sighs of relief and smiled with a sense of fortunate triumph.


    ¡°Is this true? There were actually two to three hundred million of them? The Nine Insect Gang is too powerful, far too powerful. If so many stealth-winged insects were to fly in the sky simultaneously, spraying venom, our Black Tiger Gang would be doomed. Gang Leader, you were wise to call Master Qin Niu out of retirement, and you did so just in time.¡±


    Gongsun Jin took the opportunity to flatter the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Being able to become a confidant of the Gang Leader naturally means he has special abilities.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine, the Nine Insect Gang can control two to three hundred million stealth-winged insects, their Insect Masters are not ordinary in strength.¡±


    Vice Gang Leader Bai followed with a relieved mutter to himself.


    ¡°Good, very good! Master Qin is young and promising, and as soon as he emerged from retirement, he has made a tremendous contribution to our gang, averting a crisis invisibly. Clerk, mark down the merits for Master Qin, and we will discuss rewards after the war is over.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader was very pleased when he heard this.


    His gaze toward Qin Niu softened even more.


    Compared to such a significant feat, what does it matter that Qin Niu killed a few people on the street?


    ¡°One man¡¯s success is built on the skeleton of many others.¡±


    In the eyes of these higher-ups, they only value interests.


    ¡°He Shan, hurry and introduce the specific details of the insect battle to Master Qin!¡±


    ¡°Very well!¡±


    Master He Shan was envious in his heart¡ªthis Brother Qin Niu, he didn¡¯t know how he entered the Valley of Wronged Spirits.


    The toxic miasma in the valley is said to be overwhelmingly dominant, to the extent that even Immortal Masters dared not easily venture in. It was said that once an Immortal Master from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect came down for an inspection, and after just coming into contact with the miasma in the valley, he had to recuperate on-site for half a month.


    Qin Niu was able to enter the valley and exterminate hundreds of millions of stealth-winged insects, a feat which he himself felt unequal to.


    He carefully introduced the specifics of the battlefield to Qin Niu and also discussed where the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s insect masters were falling short.


    Qin Niu listened quietly throughout.


    At that moment, dull drumbeats and the sound of bugles resonated from the battlefield.


    The expressions of the high-ranking members in the tent changed slightly, ¡°This is bad, the enemy has sounded the charge once more; they are launching the sixth attack. We must immediately go out and command the army to resist the enemy.¡±


    After the Black Tiger Gang Leader spoke, he raised his eyes to look at Qin Niu.


    ¡°True heroes are often young, Master Qin, show your abilities to the fullest. Iron Tiger, Ye Ji, from now on, you are to stay close and ensure Master Qin¡¯s safety, ready for his command, and leniency will not be tolerated.¡±


    ¡°By your command!¡±


    Ye Ji and Iron Tiger responded in unison.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Gang Leader!¡±


    Qin Niu bowed in thanks.


    Being a first-class noble, things like kneeling in gratitude were unnecessary.


    ¡°He Shan, Qin Niu, join me in battle!¡±


    Bai Xuezhu called out to the two, put on his helmet, and left the central military tent.


    Qin Niu followed out of the tent, only to see the battlefield was already filled with dust and the earth-shattering cries of combat. The sheer murderous aura of armored warfare is hard to comprehend without being on the battlefield.


    To the front left of the battlefield, one beast after another let out piercing screams, and the defensive forces of the Black Tiger Gang showed clear signs of collapse.


    Vice Gang Leader Bai¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°The Nine Insect Gang¡¯s main insect masters have made another move; let¡¯s hurry over.¡±


    Qin Niu and He Shan swiftly followed behind him.


    ¡°Bring a fine horse for Master Qin Niu.¡±


    Bai Xuezhu issued an order.


    His personal guards immediately brought a Black Mare Horse to Qin Niu and respectfully handed it over to him.


    ¡°These warhorses have all been trained, Master Qin can rest assured in their use.¡±


    Qin Niu had intended to refuse, since his mount was the Green Ox, which was much stronger than these Black Mare Horses.


    Thinking that this was Bai Xuezhu¡¯s kindness, he accepted it.


    Having the Green Ox follow behind to support in battle would be good.


    Charging into the fray was extremely dangerous.


    Iron Tiger¡¯s ferocious tiger had been slain by Qin Niu, who had now also switched to a Black Mare Horse.


    On the battlefield, the most practical weren¡¯t ferocious beasts, but warhorses.


    Because warhorses are easier to breed in large numbers and easier to train as well.


    Another point is that with army sizes reaching hundreds of thousands, even if only twenty thousand mounts needed to be fed meat, there¡¯s no gang that could afford it.


    The more formidable the beast, the more terrifying its appetite.


    A ferocious tiger might need to consume fifty or sixty pounds of meat in one meal. Only army generals or those of high status could afford such creatures.


    For every ordinary soldier to have a beast mount is simply unthinkable.


    Warhorses mainly eat grass and grains; their maintenance costs are significantly lower than those of beasts.


    Hence, warhorses will always be the mainstream on the battlefield.


    Wolf Cavalry, elephant troops, and Ferocious Tiger Soldiers have all made appearances, but only on a small scale. There¡¯s never been such an absurd scene as one hundred thousand elephant cavalry.


    Qin Niu, riding on the back of the Black Mare Horse, discovered that the horse was not only vigorous and strong but also easily understood his commands.


    With a light squeeze of his legs, it immediately ran forward.


    To make it speed up, a mere flick of the reins was needed. To stop it, he simply had to pull back on the reins.


    Riding it was extremely comfortable.


    ¡°Bai Xuezhu, today is the day you die.¡±


    Across from him, a sinister-looking old man with a sharp and long nose, dressed in a black robe, had a hat on his head that was quite distinctive. At first glance, it seemed like a fine hat, but up close it turned out to be made of long wriggling insects.


    Raising their heads, they revealed their fine sharp legs and frightening mouthparts, making one¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Qin Niu recognized at a glance that those insects resembled centipedes.


    A rough estimate suggested that at least two to three hundred centipedes were needed to make such a large hat.


    The experts of the Nine Insect Gang were truly disgusting; not only were the centipedes poisonous, but they also emitted a foul smell. For that old man to coil so many centipedes on his head as a hat, it was hard to fathom what he was thinking.


    ¡°Seeking death!¡±


    Deputy Gang Leader Bai practiced body-hardening techniques, his defensive strength was astonishing.


    In combat, he always charged forward, brave and fierce.


    He drew his sword and went straight to kill.


    The sinister old man dared not be careless, immediately releasing bugs to attack Bai Xuezhu, wielding a snake-shaped cane as his weapon.


    Through the sensing of qi, this disgusting old man was also a strong practitioner in the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Qin Niu¡¯s gaze swept over and he saw that there were as many as six strong practitioners in the Spirit Qi Realm concentrated in that area.


    On the side of the Black Tiger Gang, they were equally unyielding.


    Besides Deputy Gang Leader Bai, there were several other strong practitioners in the Spirit Qi Realm whom Qin Niu did not recognize. These people were generally older in age.


    It was likely that after the ordinary soldiers had mostly been killed, these old fellows finally made their move.


    ¡°Not good, Gang Leader Bai is in danger!¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s complexion changed slightly, appearing very anxious.


    Qin Niu followed his gaze and saw a woman wearing a cloak and a large black robe standing on the back of a giant spider.


    The spider was as large as a water buffalo, its body covered in patterns, somewhat resembling a variety from the garden spider family.

 Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Chapter 429: Level 10 Demon Spider_1

    Chapter 437: Chapter 429: Level 10 Demon Spider_1


    ¡°`


    However, upon closer observation of its physique, with slender legs and an abdomen like that of a wolf, it appeared plump, but was actually lithe. As it moved, it was quite agile, moving faster than the running speed of an ordinary warhorse.


    His initial assessment was obviously wrong, this was not a garden spider.


    Most garden spiders share a common feature, their abdomens are irregularly round, short, and plump, making them look like hunchbacked old men.


    The large spider ridden by the woman in the black robe clearly did not fit this description.


    Upon closer inspection, it bore a resemblance to the Banded Funnel-Web Spider or the Forest Funnel-Web Spider.


    Considering its agility and movement, it also had traces of the Wolf Spider.


    Furthermore, the size of this spider was astonishing.


    The largest spider Qin Niu had ever seen was the size of a millstone, which he found incredibly remarkable at the time.


    He had never before seen a spider as large as a full-grown water buffalo.


    The vast majority of insects have a natural disadvantage in terms of size.


    They are usually very small.


    For example, ants, centipedes, scorpions, wasps, spiders¡­ nearly all the insects one can think of are small. Any beast or bird seems like a super giant in comparison.


    An insect that grows as large as a water buffalo is either transformed into a demon or is a rare species of heaven and earth.


    ¡°Who is that woman riding the spider?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s the Black Widow, the Gang Leader of the Nine Insects Gang. I haven¡¯t seen her for over a decade, and to think her Tyrant Funnel-Web Spider has now transformed into a demon, what a great improvement,¡± replied Master He Shan with a tone filled with both envy and a hint of fear.


    Every Insect Master dreams of cultivating a powerful insect.


    They raise their insect pets like children, hoping they become as strong as possible.


    For an insect to transform into a demon is a height most Insect Masters cannot reach in their lifetime.


    In terms of the difficulty of transformation, insects are second only to plants.


    Their transformation process is ten times more difficult than that of beasts and birds.


    This is also an important reason why the status of Insect Masters is inferior to that of Beast Tamers.


    If an Insect Master¡¯s insect pet can be cultivated to Grade Eight, it has essentially reached its peak. A slightly stronger one might have the luck to break through to Level Nine, which then is the end point.


    A Level Nine insect can be considered a half-demon.


    Logically, being half-Demon, with half of its body stepping over the threshold into the Demon realm, shouldn¡¯t it only be a matter of effort for the transformation to follow like water flowing into a channel?


    But this turns out to be as difficult as climbing to heaven for insects.


    The majority of Insect Masters, upon reaching the Immortal Scholar Realm, cannot succeed in advancing their insect pets to Level Ten no matter what.


    Eventually, these Insect Masters despair and give up the profession, switching to beast taming instead.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s Tyrant Funnel-Web Spider advancing to Level Ten and successfully transforming means she has surpassed the vast majority of Insect Masters. It also makes the battle today much more dangerous.


    The strongest insect pet Qin Niu currently has is Grade Eight.


    If only his Spirit Space were sufficient to subdue the Mirage Insect, he could also possess a demon insect pet.


    He squinted his eyes, fixated on the demon spider, wishing he was in the Qifeng Mountain Range. He could easily have the Fire Phoenix take action and eliminate the demon spider with ease.


    Right now, the Fire Phoenix is a Level Twelve Demon Bird, and far more formidable than the Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s spider by countless measures.


    Birds naturally predate insects.


    After transformation into demons, this natural bloodline suppression doesn¡¯t change.


    A Level Ten Demon Bird can completely dominate a Level Eleven demon insect. And the Fire Phoenix, capable of controlling fire and spewing True Fire to attack enemies, doesn¡¯t even need to be mentioned.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader, mounted on her Tyrant Demon Spider, had already closed in on Vice Gang Leader Bai.


    ¡°`


    Bai Xuezhu was originally locked in a fierce battle with a dark and sinister elder from the enemy side, managing to maintain a slight advantage. Now that the Nine Insects Gang Leader had joined the fray, the pressure on him surged instantly.


    Despite Bai Xuezhu¡¯s expertise in tough external martial arts, and his fearless nature of neither dreading the heavens nor the earth, his heart couldn¡¯t help but shudder at this moment.


    ¡°Old witch, stop your violence, eat my blade!¡±


    A man in his forties, wielding a Crescent Blade and mounted on his horse, positioned himself in front of the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    This man had muscles coiled like a dragon, thick beards covering his face, and a towering build. His cultivation was similarly not weak, likely above the middle stage of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    His energy felt much stronger than that of an ordinary warrior of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    But he was still far weaker than Bai Xuezhu.


    Usually, these top warriors of the Black Tiger Gang practiced in solitude at home. Now, faced with the threat of annihilation, they had all emerged.


    There should be dozens of Spirit Qi Realm experts within the Black Tiger Gang.


    After all, they also had many years of accumulation.


    Take the Fang Family, for instance, with no fewer than five Spirit Qi Realm experts, each an esteemed patriarch.


    ¡°Cao Family, you¡¯ve always been the most talkative one!¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader spoke in an ice-cold tone, sounding like that of an eighteen-year-old girl. Though it carried supreme authority, it was as pleasant as silver bells.


    The banter indicated familiarity between the two parties.


    Spirit Qi Realm experts often lived over a hundred years, and it was not unusual for members of neighboring gangs to know each other.


    The Tyrant Funnel-Web Spider beneath her spewed out a large puff of spider silk, ensnaring the middle-aged Cao patriarch in what seemed like a vast net. The middle-aged man slashed at the descending spider web with his blade, causing radiant Blade Qi to appear along the edge of the Crescent Blade.


    Yet his Blade Qi seemed ineffective against the web.


    The threads appeared soft and delicate but turned out to be incredibly durable.


    ¡°That Cao fellow is done for.¡±


    Qin Niu made a prediction in his mind.


    Both parties were Spirit Qi Realm experts, and once one side found themselves ensnared, unless they had exceptional life-saving techniques, they were almost certainly doomed.


    Even with such techniques, if they didn¡¯t act early and decisively enough to deploy them quickly, there was only a slim chance of survival.


    After failing to cleave through the web with one slice, the Cao patriarch seemed to panic and made a mistake by striking a second blade. He put all his effort into this strike, and the Blade Qi shone even more brilliantly than before.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader raised her delicate hand, and her figure vanished in a flash.


    When she reappeared, she was already behind the ensnared Cao patriarch, wielding twin Crescent Halberds in her hands.


    Both were plunged into the back of the Cao patriarch, with a small section protruding from the front at the heart position.


    This woman was truly ruthless.


    Killing with efficiency, as if it were an insignificant trifle.


    After successfully taking down her target, she withdrew her Crescent Halberds, her form vanishing again. The next second, she reappeared on the back of the Tyrant Funnel-Web Spider.


    Such unpredictable movement techniques gave Qin Niu a glimpse of how terrifying a Spirit Qi Realm expert could be.


    He instinctively shrank his neck, harboring not even a hint of desire to rush forward and play the hero, but rather watched indifferently as the Cao patriarch was killed, silently gauging the strength of the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    He was well aware that a battle between Spirit Qi Realm warriors was not something he, an Innate Realm warrior, could interfere with.


    He had already learned his lesson during previous battles with Elder Jiu Yin and Elder Mei.


    The gap between the Innate Realm and the Spirit Qi Realm seemed to be just one major realm, but in terms of strength, it was the difference between heaven and earth.


    After eliminating the Cao patriarch with a single move, the Nine Insects Gang Leader once again turned her attention to Bai Xuezhu.


    Bai Xuezhu, frightened, launched two aggressive moves and made a hasty retreat.


    As brave as he was, he wasn¡¯t foolish. The Cao patriarch had been swiftly killed in one move, so how could Bai Xuezhu dare to fight two against one?

 Chapter 438 - Chapter 438: Chapter 430 Black Tiger Gang Leaders Love History_1

    Chapter 438: Chapter 430 Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s Love History_1


    ¡°Old Bai, after more than a decade, how come you¡¯ve become so timid?¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader said to Bai Xuezhu in a very familiar tone.


    There was a hint of teasing in his words.


    To the uninformed, they might like old friends who hadn¡¯t seen each other for years.


    ¡°Hmph, if you dare not use your demon spider, see if I¡¯m afraid to have a fight with you!¡±


    Bai Xuezhu snorted.


    Giggle, giggle, giggle!


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader laughed with shaking shoulders, like a young girl.


    ¡°You, saying to a woman that she has guts, is that appropriate? Old Bai, where did that heartbreaker Xue Qiuhe of yours die off to? Is he hiding from me on purpose now that he knows I¡¯m here?¡±


    While conversing with Bai Xuezhu, the Nine Insects Gang Leader didn¡¯t display any murderous intent or aggressiveness.


    The entire time, he was coquettish, even with a tinge of flirtation and banter.


    ¡°Hei Ying, for your own selfish desires, you stir up conflict; how can you be at peace? I advise you, it¡¯s not too late to call off your troops and pull back now.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader galloped over, riding a huge tiger with fur as black as ink.


    This giant tiger was at least six meters long and over two meters tall, resembling a moving giant panel.


    The ferocity and murderous aura it exuded made Qin Niu feel as if his very soul was trembling.


    This giant tiger was undoubtedly much stronger than him.


    It could very well be a demon beast.


    So, the Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s name is Hei Ying, quite a pleasant-sounding name. It¡¯s unclear why she received the unpleasant nickname ¡°Black Widow.¡±


    Both Bai Xuezhu and the Black Tiger Gang Leader had some decency not to call her ¡°Black Widow.¡±


    Only the deceased man surnamed Cao had cursed her as an ¡°old witch.¡±


    This also reflects a person¡¯s upbringing.


    ¡°Back when you abandoned me, you had the same hypocritical look. Xue Qiuhe, even after all these years, you¡¯re still as insincere as ever. Under your rule, millions of Black Tiger Gang¡¯s citizens are suffering, and here I am trying to save them. If you truly care about the people, then hand the Black Tiger Gang over to me, and stop deceiving the public.¡±


    To Qin Niu¡¯s shock, the Nine Insects Gang Leader had a romantic history with the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    The romantic entanglements of the higher-ups seemed quite complicated.


    ¡°Sigh! I knew you wouldn¡¯t listen to reason for the sake of your personal vendetta. The people¡¯s eyes are clear; whether I am hypocritical or not is not for you to say, but for everyone to judge. On the other hand, I¡¯ve heard many citizens cursing your rule over Nine Insect Gang as cruel and inhumane.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader rode his Black Tiger to a stop in front of the Nine Insects Gang Leader, and neither was in haste to attack.


    His gaze towards the Nine Insects Gang Leader was quite complex.


    To say there was nothing between them, Qin Niu would never believe it.


    ¡°Stop beating around the bush, chattering here with me. In what way am I inferior to that woman? Why did you choose her over me?¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader demanded.


    Even after so many years, her resentment ran deep.


    ¡°Love can¡¯t be forced. We weren¡¯t compatible, and I had the right to choose the woman I liked. So many years have passed; you should have let go by now. Back when you annexed the territory of the Seven-Star Sect, I let you have your way because of our past. Today, if you don¡¯t retreat and continue this senseless conduct, then don¡¯t blame me for destroying your Nine Insects Gang.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader said in a very serious tone.


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m not as pretty as her, or is my cultivation weaker? Also, don¡¯t talk to me with that victorious tone; I don¡¯t like it. You don¡¯t have that right. Whatever abilities you have, just bring them out. Today, either your Black Tiger Gang will be annihilated, or my Nine Insects Gang will be destroyed. I will make you realize that not choosing me was the biggest mistake of your life.¡±


    As the Nine Insects Gang Leader spoke, she became increasingly emotional.


    Being abandoned by the Black Tiger Gang Leader and him marrying another woman, had been a sharp sting to her.


    ¡°Hei Ying, it seems you won¡¯t tear up until you see the coffin! Come on, let¡¯s see how much you¡¯ve grown over the years.¡±


    With that, the Black Tiger Gang Leader drew his weapon, a long spear.


    Spear-users were rare.


    Especially among those in the Spirit Qi Realm, most preferred blades and swords. Fewer still used axes, maces, halberds, and the like.


    Qin Niu stood at the back, slightly excited as he watched, for scenes of top-tier fighters clashing were extremely rare. As someone from the Innate Realm, he could learn many precious combat experiences from their battles.


    ¡°Woo¡ªroar!¡±


    The giant black tiger opened its bloody maw and roared furiously.


    Among beasts of the same level, feline animals are almost invincible. Their high agility and powerful bursts of strength are not something that ordinary beasts can match.


    As the king of all beasts, known as big cats, tigers need no further explanation.


    The response to the giant black tiger was a large spray of webbing from the Tyrant Funnel-Web Spider.


    The Funnel-web Spider¡¯s webs are different from orb-weaving spiders; they are made of densely packed silk shaped like a funnel, often found in grass, or between rock crevices.


    Orb-weavers, garden spiders, and ghost spiders typically spin their webs in trees, corners, or windowsills.


    Their webs are not easily noticed, with few threads, somewhat like a Bagua formation.


    The Funnel-web Spider¡¯s web looks like a piece of gauze from a distance due to the dense silk.


    Facing the onslaught of webbing, the black tiger conjured a demon wind out of thin air, blowing the silk back upon itself.


    One could vaguely see a Demon Core spinning ceaselessly in the tiger¡¯s mouth.


    Well, indeed it was a demon beast.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader, mysterious and reserved, was not only personally formidable, but his mount was also powerful. The outcome of today¡¯s battle was becoming difficult to predict.


    ¡°Old Bai, leave this side to me, you go take care of those fools from the Shennong Sect. Tell them that the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s invasion of the Black Tiger Gang is for personal gain only and that they should stay out of this mess. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be too late even for tears,¡± said the Black Tiger Gang Leader, keeping his calm in such a dangerous situation and always pressing his enemies from a moral high ground.


    Qin Niu learned a lot from this.


    Inside the central military tent, he could feel the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s deep concern. The enemy forces were ferocious, and with the two gangs forming an alliance, it would be hard for the Black Tiger Gang to withstand. The Gang Leader was not optimistic about the outcome of this war.


    Now, facing the enemy head-on, the Gang Leader acted confidently, as if holding the initiative and giving the enemy a chance to reform¡ªa true kingly demeanor.


    Qin Niu thought that the Nine Insects Gang Leader wasn¡¯t wrong in calling Xue Qiuhe a hypocrite.


    ¡°Be careful, Leader Xue. If you are outmatched, do not resist stubbornly!¡±


    After saying this, Bai Xuezhu, with Qin Niu and Master He Shan and the others, started attacking in another direction.


    There, the Shennong Sect¡¯s top fighters were leading an assault, but it did not seem to be going well¡ªtheir forces were scattered by the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s Black Knight Legion, making it difficult to organize a proper battle formation for a charge.


    The Shennong Sect was not known for combat, and their previous strategy of neutrality, focusing solely on developing commerce and the economy, was undoubtedly wise.


    To now attack the Black Tiger Gang alongside the Nine Insect Gang was definitely a blunder.


    It was unclear what the Shennong Sect¡¯s leader was thinking.


    ¡°Qin Niu, He Shan, the two of you lead the Insect Master Camp to fend off the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s insect masters. Leave the Shennong Sect¡¯s mess to me and the deputy leaders,¡± said Bai Xuezhu, already spurring her mount towards the Shennong Sect¡¯s experts.


    Upon reaching the Spirit Qi Realm, it¡¯s difficult for ordinary soldiers to harm them.


    The higher-ups were all well aware of this, and so the Spirit Qi Realm experts from all three sides had consciously begun their ultimate showdown.


    ¡°Master Qin, do you see that man riding the white horse?¡±


    Master He Shan pointed towards the front right.


    ¡°Who is that man? The woman next to him looks quite beautiful. They are fighting side by side; they really look like a couple,¡± said Qin Niu.


    It was a rule not to bring wives or concubines to the battlefield¡ªfor no man would wish to put his wife or concubine in the dangerous position of clashing with enemy forces.


    Moreover, most women possessed weak cultivation and lacked strong combat abilities.


    Bringing them to that battlefield would not only offer little help, but they could also become a burden.


    ¡°The man riding the white horse is the Shennong Sect leader, Pan Jianjun, and the young and beautiful woman fighting alongside him is the Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s younger sister. I heard she¡¯s not his blood sister but a sworn one. She¡¯s now married to Pan Jianjun,¡± explained Master He Shan. Upon mentioning the young beauty, he winked and gave a knowing look.

 Chapter 439 - Chapter 439: Chapter 431 The Terrifying Buffalo Midges_1

    Chapter 439: Chapter 431 The Terrifying Buffalo Midges_1


    Any discerning person could see that the Nine Insects Gang Leader used a beauty trap, but was the Shennong Sect Leader really that foolish?


    Qin Niu felt that there must be some unknown mystery here.


    It¡¯s undeniable, the fact that the Nine Insects Gang Leader could make the Shennong Sect Leader compliantly cooperate with just a sworn sister was indeed a clever tactic.


    Qin Niu gazed at the beauty on a red date horse, wielding a longsword. Her figure was graceful and her face was delicate, she did have some charm.


    To say she was especially stunning, a beauty that could cause the downfall of a country, would be a far stretch.


    At least by Qin Niu¡¯s standards, she was just alright, not as enchanting as Tang Caixian, and even less comparable to Wang Wanyan.


    He really didn¡¯t know what Pan Jianjun saw in her.


    Logically, with Pan Jianjun¡¯s status and cultivation level, what kind of beauty couldn¡¯t he find?


    He could even take a new bride every night without any trouble.


    ¡°These Shennong Sect warriors are a bit lousy! If it weren¡¯t for the support of the Nine Insects Gang¡¯s warriors, they would probably have been directly routed.¡±


    Qin Niu scanned the battlefield and held the Shennong Sect¡¯s military strength in slight contempt.


    He wondered if it was because they rarely fought, lacking combat experience, or because the Shennong Sect¡¯s people were too accustomed to a rich and comfortable life. When they went into battle, they inherently lacked the blood and courage necessary.


    As a result, they appeared loose and disarrayed, each either timid and greedy for life, or indecisive, not showing enough bravery or ruthlessness.


    On the battlefield, often a misjudgment could cost a life.


    Those Shennong Sect warriors, when clashing with the enemy and clearly needing to make a decisive move, they hesitated, and thus squandered opportunities. In the end, they were slain by the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s warriors.


    When it was time to charge into battle, they only shouted but didn¡¯t charge.


    Just now, Qin Niu saw a Shennong Sect warrior clashing with a Black Tiger Gang warrior, and the Shennong warrior lost his left arm to his opponent¡¯s blade. If he had been calm and ruthless enough, he could have taken off the Black Tiger Gang Warrior¡¯s head with one stroke.


    But after the Shennong Sect warrior¡¯s arm was cut off, he retreated in panic and ran away.


    In the end, he was shot in the back by an arrow from the Black Tiger Gang warrior and fell to the ground.


    It must be said, it was truly pathetic.


    On the battlefield, the more one fears death, the faster death comes.


    ¡°Master He Shan, I think there¡¯s no need for us to bother with the Shennong Sect anymore. After the Black Knights¡¯ sweep, they¡¯ve become like scattered sand, unable to form a proper battle formation for a charge. I estimate it won¡¯t be long before they are defeated one by one, ending in either complete annihilation or massive rout.¡±


    Even with limited battlefield experience, Qin Niu could see that the Shennong Sect¡¯s army could no longer make any significant waves.


    Master He Shan had far more experience in war and saw things even more clearly.


    ¡°Master Qin has an insightful eye, a natural talent for leadership. It truly is a pity that you haven¡¯t chosen to enlist in the military. You should consider becoming an officer, I believe you would certainly achieve great things,¡± said Master He Shan.


    His words were not mere pleasantries, but sincere sentiments.


    Qin Niu had saved his life, and the two shared a good relationship. He genuinely hoped Qin Niu would have even better prospects.


    ¡°Becoming an officer? Forget it. I¡¯m naturally used to being free and unrestrained; I can¡¯t stand those constraints. Being a commander requires responsibility in every aspect, I couldn¡¯t even have a female companion by my side, dealing daily with military affairs or fighting on the battlefield, that¡¯s not the life I want,¡± Qin Niu shook his head.


    Had he desired to be an official, he needn¡¯t have waited until now.


    He still liked living in Shuangfeng Village, leading the peaceful life of a landlord with his wives and concubines.


    Raising insects, cultivating medicinal herbs, and then meditating and cultivating¡ªit was far more comfortable than the constant scheming of officialdom.


    ¡°Everyone has their own way of living, and I can understand that you, Master Qin, lived a carefree youth. Anyway, you¡¯re still young, and there will be plenty of opportunities if you want to enlist as a general in the future,¡± Master He Shan no longer insisted.


    ¡°The Insect Master camp can¡¯t hold on anymore; let¡¯s go and support them!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted.¡±


    Qin Niu watched the Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang command the insect swarm on the battlefield with impunity, causing Chairman Li and others to retreat in defeat. He had been itching to join in.


    So many high-grade insects; they were all treasures.


    After killing them, they could be used to feed the Ant Queen and the Green Demon Bee; maybe they would help them increase their strength even more.


    The Green Demon Bee was by now a Grade Eight demonic bee, with strength so formidable it was astonishing, capable of combating Spirit Qi Realm warriors. If it were to advance another level and reach Level Nine, then it was likely that a single Green Demon Bee could crush most of the Spirit Qi Realm warriors.


    The two immediately went into battle.


    ¡°Master He Shan, you old fool, last time you escaped disaster, but today shall be your memorial day!¡±


    A very short old man came flying in, controlling his insects in battle.


    This old man had already killed many of the Black Tiger Gang; his insects were a swarm of dark red mosquitoes. There were two types, one somewhat resembling buffalo midges, only much larger in size. The smallest were the size of half an egg, and the largest were as big as a child¡¯s fist.


    They flew at an incredibly fast speed, dodging nimbly in the air.


    When they attacked people, they flew in circles, waiting for an opportunity. As soon as they found one, they would land on the exposed skin of the Black Tiger Gang warriors and bite fiercely.


    Clearly, their mouthparts were much more powerful than ordinary buffalo midges¡¯. As soon as they landed on an enemy, they could penetrate the skin instantly, then precisely draw blood. The bitten warriors initially did not react at all, completely unaware of the bite.


    By the time they noticed, the insects had already sucked a large amount of blood, their bellies swollen.


    Following that, the bitten warriors would scratch the bite area like mad. Some even threw away their weapons in their desperation to scratch, screaming in agony.


    From their reactions, it was clear that the bite of these buffalo midges was unbearably itchy.


    Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have discarded their weapons and continued to scratch until their flesh was torn and blood flowed freely.


    Furthermore, wounds bitten by these buffalo midges would not stop bleeding at all.


    Qin Niu saw several warriors scratch open their skin at the bite, causing the wounds to enlarge and bleed even more profusely. Eventually, a warrior would collapse to the ground due to unstoppable blood loss.


    They likely died of excessive blood loss.


    A tiny buffalo midge could be so terrifying; it was no wonder the Insect Masters were feared like tigers.


    The very short old man, in addition to the buffalo midges, had another type of mosquito that wasn¡¯t much different from the common poison mosquitoes in the mountains. They were just slightly larger, about the size of a housefly.


    One more thing, this species of poison mosquito was incredibly numerous, swarming densely, with at least several hundred thousand of them.


    Although the buffalo midges were frightening, there were fewer of them, probably only around one or two hundred.


    And because the buffalo midges were large, they were easy to spot.


    Their defensive abilities seemed to be very poor; Qin Niu saw with his own eyes a Mortal Realm warrior of the Black Tiger Gang smack one dead with a single slap.


    However, even though the buffalo midge was killed, it had already successfully bitten the warrior and sucked a fair amount of blood.


    When it was killed, all the blood in its belly splattered out, covering the left side of the warrior¡¯s face with blood.

 Chapter 440 - Chapter 440: Chapter 432: The Great Battle with Elder Wu Shanle_1

    Chapter 440: Chapter 432: The Great Battle with Elder Wu Shanle_1


    Then, the unbearable itching at the warrior¡¯s wound drove him to want to scratch it, but his companions stopped him in time.


    Eventually, they had to twist his hands behind his back and tie them firmly to prevent him from scratching the wound, which saved him from tearing the flesh around it and possibly dying from excessive bleeding.


    The warrior was carried to the rear.


    This area was the territory of the Black Tiger Gang, where logistics naturally held a distinct advantage. Injured warriors often received timely and effective treatment, with a dedicated rescue team transporting them to the back.


    The warrior bitten by the Buffalo Midges was undoubtedly lucky.


    Without any accidents, he should be able to survive.


    He was expected to suffer quite a bit, though.


    The terrible itch was almost unbearable, and even though his hands were bound, he rubbed his left cheek fiercely against the ground to alleviate the pain caused by the itch.


    Later, when carried on a stretcher, he rubbed his face fiercely against the stretcher¡¯s poles, emitting roars like a wild beast.


    The Buffalo Midges were fearsome, but those venomous mosquitoes were even more terrifying.


    Because they were numerous and small, they were difficult to guard against.


    Qin Niu personally saw two warriors first bitten by a few of the venomous mosquitoes. Immediately after, as if possessed, they displayed sinister smiles, voluntarily removed their helmets, and unfastened their clothing.


    That¡¯s when the tragedy struck.


    Hordes of venomous mosquitoes swarmed them, and in an incredibly short amount of time, the skin on their faces and necks was completely shriveled.


    Fallen to the ground, motionless, they were most likely dead.


    Even in death, their faces still held those sinister smiles.


    However, due to their faces being drained of blood and becoming shriveled, their smiles appeared even more sinister and chilling to those who saw them.


    The diminutive old man was clearly an acquaintance of Master He Shan. After cursing at one another, he had already commanded a large swarm of venomous mosquitoes and Buffalo Midges to kill their way over.


    Because Qin Niu was with Master He Shan, he was also targeted by the old man¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Master Qin, be careful. This man is Elder Wu Shanle of the Nine Insect Gang, known as the Mosquito Maniac. He specializes in breeding various poisonous mosquitoes and Buffalo Midges and has killed countless people. Those bitten by his mosquitoes or midges, if not dead, will at least lose a layer of skin. The pain is not something ordinary people can endure,¡± said Master He Shan, his expression grave.


    While confronting the enemy with his own insect pets, he warned Qin Niu.


    Master He Shan¡¯s insect pets were mainly Golden Armored Centipedes, which excelled at crawling and fighting on the ground. Against these flying mosquitoes and midges, they were clearly at a disadvantage.


    Master He Shan¡¯s insect pets were naturally not limited to Golden Armored Centipedes, as he also released a batch of moths, somewhat resembling Night Scale Moths.


    They were a gloomy gray-black, with tips of their feet shining green and a dark green vertical stripe on their heads, indicating their toxicity from their appearance alone.


    When Insect Masters cultivate insect pets, they always try to evolve them towards poison if there is even the slightest possibility.


    Having insect pets engage in close combat with enemies is certainly not realistic.


    Their diminutive size and fragile bodies make them easy to kill.


    The best way to use insect pets to defeat formidable enemies is to evolve them to have fearsome toxins.


    The moths have a natural advantage; their bodies are covered in countless scales.


    These scales, finer than dust, land on enemies and kill covertly.


    Master He Shan released around three hundred of the Night Scale Moths.


    Right now, fighting for his life against a formidable enemy, he had clearly laid all his cards on the table.


    The moths¡¯ flight abilities were quite poor, and trying to use them against the agile flying mosquitoes and midges was clearly a case of playing to their weakness. This also indirectly revealed that Master He Shan¡¯s aerial insect pets were weak.


    Originally, Qin Niu¡¯s Termite evolved very well, but he still felt a strong sense of crisis and wanted to rear one or two nests of flying insect pets.


    Later, after he had subdued the Queen Bee of the War Bees, he remained dissatisfied.


    Because bees were weak combatants.


    Afterward, he always sought to find outstanding flying insect pets.


    However, such insect pets were not easy to find, and the weaker ones failed to catch his eye.


    Through his relentless efforts, he eventually amassed a collection of powerful flying insect pets such as the Green Demon Bee, Shadow Fire Bee, and Green-Head Summoning Bee, finally filling the gap in his aerial combat abilities.


    Now, in his fight against Elder Wu Shanle, he appeared calm and composed.


    If that short old man had only these two types of insects, Qin Niu could easily handle them. He might not even need to deploy his flying insect pets; just by sending out the Termites to form Insect Armor on his body, he could wipe out all the mosquitoes and Buffalo Midges.


    Master He Shan released the Night Moths, and perhaps feeling that it was still not safe enough, he took out a larger Insect Bag and shook it vigorously, releasing a swarm of mantises.


    There was quite a number of them, about a thousand or so.


    However, these mantises were not of a high grade, many were only Grade Two, with a small number having brownish wings reaching Grade Three.


    Qin Niu shook his head, Master He Shan¡¯s mantises could indeed counter most insects, but they had a significant weakness: poor flying ability and sluggish movement.


    Mantises were only fast when they ¡®struck¡¯ with their arms.


    Normally, their movements were quite slow.


    By showing his hand, Master He Shan had exposed all his strengths and weaknesses.


    His flying insect pets had become a glaring vulnerability.


    ¡°He Shan, you old fool, I knew you hadn¡¯t made much progress over the years. After that battle more than a decade ago, you were lucky to escape with your life. I thought you would¡¯ve learned your lesson and nurtured more flying insect pets. Look at what you have brought out! Moths, mantises, do you think they can outfly my mosquitoes and Buffalo Midges?¡±


    Elder Wu Shanle was incredibly arrogant.


    Especially after seeing Master He Shan reveal his holdings, he felt even more confident in ridiculing his opponent.


    Both men¡¯s names contained the character for ¡®Shan,¡¯ yet there was not a shred of goodness between them.


    ¡°Hmph, save it, we¡¯ll see after we fight.¡±


    Master He Shan¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment.


    The purpose of releasing the Golden Armored Centipedes was not to defend but to attack.


    They were already rapidly crawling towards Elder Wu Shanle.


    ¡°Fine! Once I¡¯ve dealt with that pretty-boy by your side, I¡¯ll slowly play you to death. I can¡¯t stand these handsome young pretty-boys. Apart from a good-looking face, what else do they have? Yet the girls all seem to love them. I kill every single one I see.¡±


    Elder Wu Shanle directed over a hundred Buffalo Midges to attack Qin Niu.


    Behind them, another twenty to thirty thousand War Bees followed in a killing spree.


    He was prepared to deal with Qin Niu in the shortest possible time.


    It is said that short men, due to insecurities, are prone to psychological issues such as viciousness and jealousy, etc.


    This time, Qin Niu was hit by a stray bullet while lying down.


    Was it just because he was a bit more handsome and a bit taller? He had been labeled as a pretty boy.


    In all fairness, he had never spent a day as a pretty boy.


    ¡°Is it because you¡¯re short and ugly that women despise you, and you can¡¯t find a partner?¡±


    Qin Niu was unsparing in his words.


    When dealing with enemies, he never played by the rules.


    ¡°Wow, what a venomous tongue! I was planning to let you die quickly, but now I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯ll make sure you experience a fate worse than death, living a life worse than that of a dog.¡±


    Elder Wu Shanle, enraged, literally jumped.


    He really was hopping mad.


    With a baby face that was now completely contorted, his two large nostrils were huffing and puffing angrily.


    Having his sore spot publicly poked at by Qin Niu, it was understandable that he was hopping mad.


    ¡°Jumping won¡¯t change anything, what I said is only the truth.¡±


    Facing the massive onslaught of the War Bees and over a hundred Buffalo Midges, Qin Niu remained unruffled.

 Chapter 441 - Chapter 441: Chapter 433 This Kid is Not Simple_1

    Chapter 441: Chapter 433 This Kid is Not Simple_1


    ¡°`


    Wu Shanle was very ¡°caring¡± towards him, intending to deal with Qin Niu as quickly as possible. He also wanted to assert his authority in front of Master He Shan.


    The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without a fight; to attack the mind is the key.


    He wanted Master He Shan to feel the fear of death and thus become timid. That way, he could kill Master He Shan more easily.


    After all, at Master He Shan¡¯s level, every aspect of his strength was formidable.


    In a bloody battle, even if Elder Wu Shanle could kill him, he would have to pay a heavy price.


    This is why many experts of similar strength prefer to intimidate their opponents in combat. Whoever shows signs of fear first is almost certain to lose.


    A swarm of terrifying Buffalo Midges instantly appeared in front of Qin Niu.


    They flew around Qin Niu, looking for an opportunity to strike.


    Once reaching the Innate Realm, as long as one¡¯s cultivation is a bit stronger, one would generally possess certain defensive capabilities all over the body. It is not like in the Mortal Realm or Acquired Realm, where the body hardly has any defensive capacity.


    Faced with these Buffalo Midges, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t afford to be careless.


    He stimulated his inner strength to display a thin layer of energy armor on the surface of his body by using the King Pig Leather Armor.


    Besides the energy armor defense, his body was covered by densely packed Termite-made Insect Armor, with Fourth being the commander of the Termites.


    To deal with these agile Buffalo Midges, the simplest and most effective method was a Mental Attack.


    Buffalo Midges, after being subjected to either Mental Attacks or Spirit Control, would either fall directly to the ground or ¡°just happen¡± to fly in front of Qin Niu, who would then chop them down with a single slice. The originally fierce and agile Buffalo Midges became like fools in front of Qin Niu.


    For the time being, Qin Niu didn¡¯t have the Termites control the Buffalo Midges to counterattack.


    Because he didn¡¯t want to reveal too much.


    Anyone who could become an elder of the Nine Insect Gang would definitely have some trump cards. Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s cultivation seemed to be at the early stage of the Spirit Qi Realm, much weaker than Vice City Lord Bai.


    And still weaker compared to Elder Jiu Yin.


    Elder Wu Shanle could probably be one of the weaker among the seven Great Elders of the Nine Insect Gang.


    Qin Niu had dealt with many high-ranking members of the Nine Insect Gang.


    Elders, Executors, Disciples ¨C he had experienced them all. The minimum requirement for an Elder¡¯s cultivation was the Spirit Qi Realm.


    All the Nine Insect Gang Elders he had met so far were of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Elders such as Elder Jiu Yin and Elder Mei were very strong, likely to be at the Middle Stage of the Spirit Qi Realm or above. Their strength as Insect Masters was not the core of their fighting power.


    Their Insect Pets were.


    Elder Wu Shanle was no exception. With an early Spirit Qi Realm cultivation daring to be so arrogant, he must possess some formidable insects.


    If Elder Wu Shanle learned now that Qin Niu could control other people¡¯s insects, he would definitely be on guard. It would not be so easy for Qin Niu to eradicate his trump card Insect Pets later on.


    ¡°Damn bastard, you¡¯ve killed so many of my Buffalo Midges in an instant, I underestimated you.¡±


    Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s hundred-plus Buffalo Midges couldn¡¯t stir up any big waves and were quietly wiped out by Qin Niu in a very short time.


    To Qin Niu, this was just a warm-up before the battle.


    He had revealed at most one-tenth of his strength.


    Pets like Shadow Fire Bee, Green Demon Bee, Red-eyed Golden Toad hadn¡¯t even made a move yet.


    ¡°People who are short always see everything as larger. These Buffalo Midges are as weak as you, I advise you not to show any more insects, lest you continue to embarrass yourself.¡±


    Qin Niu said with a faint smile and a taunting tone.


    ¡°Whoo¡­ you¡¯re really making me furious!¡±


    Elder Wu Shanle focused his main energy on Qin Niu, which made things much easier for Master He Shan. He took the opportunity to control his praying mantis to counterattack, and he made quite some gains, too.


    Those Golden Armored Centipedes also made their way to the feet of Elder Wu Shanle.


    ¡°`


    Being bitten by them would definitely result in severe poisoning.


    Centipedes are one of the five poisons, and even an ordinary centipede is extremely toxic, let alone these Golden Armored Centipedes that have been cultivated and evolved over a long time.


    After the Golden Armored Centipedes reached Elder Wu Shanle, he acted as if he didn¡¯t see them, still focusing on fighting Qin Niu.


    At that moment, a Golden Armored Centipede suddenly launched an attack.


    It swiftly climbed up Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s leg.


    Wu Shanle might look short, but he wore tall battle boots. These were also the kind of boots most people preferred to wear.


    Only the farmers who tilled the fields and the woodcutters who went up the mountains would wear straw sandals or short shoes.


    Who among those with a bit of status did not wear tall boots?


    Even some farmers would wear a pair of tall boots to others¡¯ weddings, birthday feasts, or for important occasions like the New Year when visiting relatives.


    Of course, for the average farmer, tall boots were quite expensive, and they definitely could not afford to wear them on a daily basis.


    A pair of tall boots could last someone a lifetime.


    Those from poorer families might even pass their tall boots to their sons when they grow old.


    It could only be said that the lives of the poor were incomprehensible to the rich.


    The wealthy might change their tall boots several times a year, whether it¡¯s because new styles came out, or they felt the old ones had become slightly worn, or they¡¯d been worn too many times to important occasions, those could all be reasons to change boots.


    The Golden Armored Centipede, more than half a foot long, was incredibly agile. After it climbed onto Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s boot, it quickly started to burrow into Wu Shanle¡¯s boot.


    Strangely enough, after the Golden Armored Centipede burrowed inside, there was no further movement.


    Elder Wu Shanle went on as if nothing happened, seemingly unaffected.


    Master He Shan¡¯s face slightly changed.


    ¡°Wu Shanle, what is hiding in your boots? My Golden Armored Centipedes may not be very powerful, but to be able to kill one instantly, it¡¯s not something ordinary that could do this,¡± he said.


    Master He Shan¡¯s cultivation was at the peak of the Innate Realm, just a little shy of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Yet, that slight difference made him lack any confidence in front of a strong practitioner of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    The gap of a whole realm could make the combat power between two people vastly different.


    Now, in the insect battle, Master He Shan was also falling behind, which was worrying.


    ¡°Fool, how could I possibly tell you!¡± Elder Wu Shanle cursed, his eyes, a murky yellow like those of a toad, shifting back to Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but feel there was something eerie about the old man¡¯s smile, though he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on what it was.


    Large swarms of poisonous midges had reached him, but they were nothing more than food for delivery. No matter how many came, they would just end up as food for the termites.


    In the blink of an eye, Qin Niu¡¯s termites had annihilated the majority of the hundred thousand or so poisonous midges.


    The rest flapped their wings and fled, not daring to come closer.


    Even if they did not dare approach Qin Niu any longer, as long as they were within about twenty or thirty meters, they still could not escape the mental attacks of the termites.


    The mental attack range of the Grade Two Puppet Ants and Ghost Ants was about ten meters.


    Now, the powerful Puppet Ants had reached Grade Six, like Fourth. The weaker ones were basically Grade Three or Four.


    Their effective attack range was generally over twenty meters.


    Some of the more powerful ones could even attack targets more than fifty meters away.


    The poisonous midges that escaped to beyond twenty meters thought they were safe this time. However, midges continued to be hit by mental attacks and then fell to the ground, struggling in pain.

 Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: Chapter 434: Exterminating Fleas, Mysterious Swarm of Bees_1

    Chapter 442: Chapter 434: Exterminating Fleas, Mysterious Swarm of Bees_1


    Theoretically, the lower the grade of the insects, the weaker their spiritual power.


    The smaller they are, the weaker the spiritual power.


    The individual mosquitoes are small, low-grade, which inevitably means their spiritual power is very weak. Their advantages are mainly their flexible flight and numerous quantity.


    In contrast, Qin Niu¡¯s termites, since the Ant Queen is currently Grade Six, give birth to offspring that are Grade Three from birth.


    After Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation, they could reach Grade Four or even Grade Five.


    Compared to these mosquitoes, that is considerably powerful.


    So, when the mosquitoes were hit by a mental attack, their slight consciousness was almost instantly shattered. It was as if their souls had been directly destroyed.


    All that was left was their bodies.


    Their painful struggling on the ground was merely a bodily instinct, and soon they stopped moving altogether, completely dead.


    Wu Shanle watched as his foundations were rapidly destroyed by Qin Niu. His face twitched uncontrollably, flames of anger shot from his eyes, and his heart bled.


    ¡°Damn it, just who is this kid?¡±


    Wu Shanle¡¯s gaze was cold and murderous.


    ¡°He Shan, old fool, you¡¯ve got good fortune to have taken on such a formidable disciple. But¡­ if this is all he¡¯s got, then he should be on his way to meet King Yama!¡±


    As he spoke, several tiny fleas suddenly leaped out from under Qin Niu¡¯s feet.


    They were so small that they were half the size of a sesame seed, making it very hard for the naked eye to capture their presence. Moreover, their jumping ability was extremely terrifying; they could easily leap onto Qin Niu¡¯s head or neck.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by their size; their grade is not low.


    Fourth had already taken control of one, and Qin Niu opened his palm, letting it stay in the center.


    You could see complex patterns etched along the flea¡¯s body, forming a special rune. The color of their carapace was dark, not ink-black, but a dark grey.


    Glowing with a metallic luster.


    This also meant that they had evolved advanced carapaces.


    Qin Niu pinched it between two fingers and tried to crush it with force, only to find that the flea didn¡¯t get crushed.


    It was hard to imagine, as Qin Niu was in the Dual Innate Realm, even though the cultivation technique he practiced was not suited for combat, it wasn¡¯t weak. Not to mention a flea, he could easily crush a stone.


    ¡°Master, please bestow it upon me!¡±


    The Black Spider Gu seemed particularly interested in this flea.


    ¡°No problem, eat it to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    Qin Niu found that these fleas were quite formidable; ordinary termites had to swarm together in large numbers to control just one. Only Fourth had the strength to control one by itself.


    That Gold Devouring Ant hadn¡¯t been fed Bodhi Tree Blood temporarily, so it hadn¡¯t evolved the ability for mental control.


    Essentially, Gold Devouring Ants should belong to the Worker Ant category.


    Despite the ant colony appearing to have a variety of ant species, there were strictly only three categories: Worker Ants, Soldier Ants, and Breeder Ants.


    Worker Ants had the most outstanding growth potential.


    Although the growth potential of Breeder Ants is also very outstanding, even surpassing that of Worker Ants, they inherently lack combat capability. Their main role is to breed offspring.


    So, the ones with the most growth potential are actually the Worker Ants.


    Given the same level, a Worker Ant and a Soldier Ant, with the equal cultivation efforts, the Worker Ant will undoubtedly become stronger.


    At least this is the conclusion Qin Niu reached based on his experience in cultivating termites.


    There were several excellent breeds among the Worker Ants, like War Demon Ant, Demon Ant, and Gold Devouring Ant. Relatively speaking, although many special ant species also emerged among Soldier Ants, they simply couldn¡¯t compare to War Demon Ant and Demon Ant.


    Qin Niu had been on high alert for Elder Wu Shanle to resort to dirty tricks, but now that he found the opponent had surreptitiously released tiny fleas to sneak attack, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    There were a total of six fleas, all caught in the termites¡¯ net.


    The Black Spider Gu loved to collect various strange poisons for evolution.


    These six fleas were probably around Grade Six, and Qin Niu was not sure about the quality of their venom, but it must not be poor.


    Otherwise, Wu Shanle wouldn¡¯t have put his hopes on them to assassinate him with a sneak attack.


    ¡°If all six fleas are of the same grade and their strength is similar, could there also be a King Flea?¡±


    After checking the six fleas, Qin Niu once again started to be on guard.


    Based on his fighting experience, when Insect Masters cultivate a group of the same Insect Pets, more often than not, one is selected to be the Insect King.


    Just as a marshal cannot possibly personally direct every single soldier in battle, nor does he have the energy to manage each individual soldier.


    The best method is to promote leaders underneath him to manage on his behalf.


    The leaders are accountable to the marshal, and they set up a command structure with chiliarchs, centurions, platoon leaders, squad leaders, and team leaders to manage.


    It¡¯s the same with insects.


    For example, Qin Niu manages the termite colony, usually letting Fourth and the Ant Queen manage on his behalf.


    ¡°You killed my flea, you will pay with your life.¡±


    As soon as the Black Spider Gu devoured a flea, Elder Wu Shanle was already aware of it.


    A pained expression appeared on his face, marked by a tinge of paleness, and his body uncontrollably trembled for a moment.


    Qin Niu watched with dark amusement.


    This indicated that Wu Shanle had signed soul contracts with all six fleas.


    When they were killed, their master also suffered repercussions, his soul sustaining damage.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve forced my hand!¡±


    Elder Wu Shanle removed a giant insect bag from his waist, shook it open, and a swarm of black poisonous bees flew out from it.


    These bees were about the size of bumblebees and there were a great many of them.


    Each one possessed a terrifying sting.


    ¡°Playing with bees?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s lips twitched slightly.


    He wouldn¡¯t claim to be the ancestor of bee play, but at the very least, he was a seasoned Insect Master with bees.


    Corpse Bees, Green Demon Bees, Green-Head Summoning Bees, Shadow Fire Bees, War Bees¡­ he had played with them all.


    Wu Shanle must have been driven mad by the annihilation of his core insect pet.


    He actually dispatched a large swarm of poisonous bees to attack Qin Niu.


    The bees were vicious, instantly rushing in front of Qin Niu.


    Fourth quickly realized something was off.


    ¡°Master, these bees are strange; they seem to act as a single entity. I can¡¯t control any one of them,¡± Fourth said.


    You should know, Fourth is a Grade Six War Demon Ant.


    It can individually control a Grade Six insect, turning it into a puppet of sorts.


    Yet now it was unable to control a single bee.


    To become an elder of the Nine Insect Gang, one must have unique abilities indeed. Each one possessing a special skill.


    ¡°Separate and they swarm, together they become one; this is a trait only a Gu possesses. Even my termites cannot achieve this feat. It appears the Nine Insect Gang hides a true Gu Master who has been secretly helping the other elders cultivate Gu Arts.¡±


    Qin Niu came to a conclusion.


    Today, a fierce battle was likely. He might even confront the Gu Master lurking in the shadows face to face.


    Thinking about this, he felt both excited and nervous.


    The power of a Gu Master goes without saying.


    Why did the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect eradicate Gu Masters without mercy?


    Saying that Gu Masters are evil and everyone should regulate them is nothing but a fool¡¯s talk.


    The high-level members of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect must have witnessed the terrifying power of Gu Masters and were filled with fear, thus they resolved to completely eradicate them, not daring to give the Gu Masters any chance to recover.


    What exactly happened in the battle when the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect annihilated the Gu Masters years ago?


    Qin Niu was filled with curiosity about that historical battle.


    In the Valley of Wronged Spirits, many Gu Masters were buried; killed by the powerhouses of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. Even after many years had passed, the poisonous miasma in the Valley of Wronged Spirits still caused the Immortal Masters of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect to fear it like a tiger.


    This was more than enough to illustrate just how powerful Gu Masters were.


    Qin Niu¡¯s fortuitous capture of the Mirage Insect might just be an opportunity, a monumental chance.


    The prerequisite was that he must tame the Mirage Insect to uncover the secrets within the Valley of Wronged Spirits.

 Chapter 443 - Chapter 443: Chapter 435: The Most Awesome Insect Formation_1

    Chapter 443: Chapter 435: The Most Awesome Insect Formation_1


    A swarm of poison bees killed their way to the forefront in the blink of an eye, and for the first time, his Termite swarm seemed a bit at a loss facing the enemy.


    The Termite swarm had always dealt with enemies by first launching Mental Attacks and Spirit Control, before engaging in close combat and melee fights.


    But don¡¯t underestimate their Mental Attack skills.


    This skill could attack from a distance, causing the enemy to be defeated before even getting close.


    It was a typical case of striking a fatal blow unseen.


    This made the Termite swarm very effective in combat, as they could quickly secure victory against any type of insect they encountered.


    For instance, they easily captured all six fleas just a moment ago.


    One after another, the poison bees launched their attacks on Qin Niu.


    When they attacked, they formed a high-speed spinning battle formation, like a giant flying shuttle, with the sharp point aimed at Qin Niu¡¯s head and chest.


    The termites formed Insect Armor on Qin Niu¡¯s body, but as soon as they came into contact with the ¡®flying shuttle¡¯ formed by the poison bees, immediately a number of termites were killed or injured. More and more termites got injured or died.


    The ¡®Flying Shuttle Formation¡¯ executed by the swarm of bees was incredibly formidable.


    This new style of combat was something Qin Niu had never seen before.


    Insects forming Insect Formations to attack was not uncommon, but to have such terrifying power after forming an Insect Formation was something he was seeing for the first time.


    If you want to broaden your horizons and enhance your knowledge, you have to fight more against skilled opponents.


    As more and more termites on Qin Niu¡¯s neck and chest died or were injured and fell to the ground, the Insect Armor suffered damage, and the Qi Armor that he had condensed on the surface of his body began to directly withstand the attacks from the poison bees.


    Normally, even Grade Four insects would be instantly shattered or repelled when hitting his Qi Armor.


    At this moment, his Qi Armor was under extremely sharp attacks.


    Each poison bee¡¯s collision was like a series of sharp chisels striking it.


    Their impact was so potent that it could penetrate the Qi Armor, leaving behind numerous tiny cracks.


    ¡°The individual strength of these poison bees clearly isn¡¯t strong, yet when they form a battle formation, each poison bee¡¯s combat ability compares to that of Grade Six or higher insects. This Insect Formation is truly sophisticated,¡± Qin Niu remarked as he observed the ¡®Flying Shuttle Formation¡¯ made up of poison bees.


    He wanted to learn a bit of impressive knowledge about Insect Formations.


    But he quickly realized it was futile.


    Each poison bee in the high-speed swirling Insect Formation moved so rapidly that it dazzled him, leaving him without any insight.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Qi Armor had an automatic repair capability. All he needed was to continually channel his strength into the King Pig Leather Armor, allowing the cracks in the Qi Armor to be rapidly repaired.


    In the short term, his Qi Armor would not be breached.


    But the rate at which he expended his strength had more than doubled.


    And as the damaged area of the Insect Armor increased, the range of attacks his Qi Armor had to withstand also expanded, causing his rate of strength depletion to rapidly increase as well.


    If he couldn¡¯t find a way to break the bee swarm¡¯s attack formation in a short period, he would find himself in jeopardy.


    ¡°Wu Shanle, stop showing off your ferocity!¡±


    Master He Shan was quite honorable; seeing that Qin Niu was in trouble, he immediately lent a hand.


    Actually, his own situation wasn¡¯t great either.


    He had to fend off a massive number of buffalo midges and over a hundred poison midges, and his mantises were not performing well. Occasionally, some midges would bypass the mantises¡¯ defense and attack Master He Shan directly.


    Fortunately, Master He Shan was at the pinnacle of the Innate Realm, and he was barely able to form a thin layer of Qi as defense on his body.


    Strong practitioners of the Innate Realm, even at the pinnacle, cannot form Qi Armor on their body without special armor.


    Because Qi Armor defense is actually a defensive method for practitioners at the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Master He Shan dispatched some mantises to attack the swarm of poison bees.


    But as soon as his mantises came into contact with the swarm of poison bees, they were like being sent into a meat grinder.


    No matter how many went in, that was exactly how many died.


    They didn¡¯t make any impact on the swarm of bees¡¯ Flying Shuttle Formation at all.


    ¡°What formidable poison bees! Their strength is quite comparable to that of demon-level insects,¡± he exclaimed.


    Master He Shan¡¯s complexion changed drastically as he now realized the terrifying extent of the attack Qin Niu was enduring.


    ¡°Brother Li, come over and give Qin Niu a hand, there¡¯s a demonic insect-level attack here.¡±


    Seeing the situation turning dire, Master He Shan worried for Qin Niu¡¯s safety and immediately sought assistance from Chairman Li.


    Chairman Li himself was not faring any better at the moment.


    He and his subordinates, the Insect Masters, were struggling to withstand the enemy¡¯s insect swarm attack, completely at a disadvantage.


    In insect warfare, a single elder from the Nine Insect Gang could easily rout the Insect Masters of the Black Tiger Gang, leaving them crying for their fathers and mothers.


    The real strength of the Black Tiger Gang lies in its beast pets.


    However, those experts¡¯ beast pets seemed somewhat ineffective when facing the swarms of insects.


    How to put it?


    It¡¯s like a mighty lion, extremely powerful, but stymied by a single mosquito.


    The true picture of a fight between beast pets and insect pets is like punching cotton.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a swarm of poison bees? What demonic insect is there?¡±


    Chairman Li took a moment to glance over, frowning slightly.


    Demonic insects are extremely rare.


    Across the entire Nine Insect Gang, so far only the Nine Insects Gang Leader has revealed one demonic insect.


    ¡°You all go help Qin Niu! Wu Shanle is one of the two weakest elders in terms of cultivation within the Nine Insect Gang. You can try to attack his real body instead of engaging in insect warfare with him blindly.¡±


    Chairman Li placed great importance on Qin Niu and eventually dispatched two quite capable Insect Masters to support him.


    Faced with the bee swarm¡¯s attack, Qin Niu was naturally not going to sit by and wait for death.


    Seeing that the termites were no match for the swarm, he quickly drew the Ink Blade from his back and slashed at the swarm.


    There were no other fancy moves, just a slashing martial skill.


    A simple and unadorned strike.


    Bang!


    The Ink Blade, carrying the might of thunder, struck the bee swarm hard.


    But the entire swarm behaved like a master helmsman steering with the wind; as the Ink Blade descended, they swiftly dodged. The bees in flight were extraordinarily agile.


    Qin Niu¡¯s strike was futile, and he raised his arm for another sweeping strike.


    This was a group killing martial skill.


    Still, it had little effect.


    At that moment, he realized that this bee swarm was no ordinary one.


    He wondered if he should release the Green Demon Bee to combat them?


    But the risk was considerable.


    Although the Green Demon Bee had recently advanced to Grade Eight, being powerful, this swarm of poison bees was exceedingly strange. If anything happened to the Green Demon Bee, the loss would be too great.


    If only the Green Demon Bee¡¯s young had successfully completed their transformation.


    Then he could have sent the Green Demon Bee¡¯s young into battle.


    If anything went wrong, as long as the Queen Bee was still alive, a new batch of Green Demon Bees could be quickly bred.


    ¡°Wart Toad, stop being a spectator!¡±


    Qin Niu decided to let the Red-eyed Golden Toad have a try.


    The Golden Toad naturally had an advantage over most insect types, and now as a Grade Eight beast pet, its defense capabilities were also exceptionally outstanding, and being immune to all venom, it seemed like a good idea to let it tackle this swarm of poison bees.


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad, a distinguished creature between heaven and earth, was only called Wart Toad by Qin Niu.


    If anyone else dared to call it that, they would probably be immediately swallowed whole.

 Chapter 444 - Chapter 444: Chapter 436 Clever Breakthrough_1

    Chapter 444: Chapter 436 Clever Breakthrough_1


    It poked its head out a bit from the basket and lay on Qin Niu¡¯s back, peeking out with half of its head.


    Just at that moment, the swarm of bees rushed towards Qin Niu again.


    Like lightning, it shot out its long tongue, targeting a Poison Stinger, ready to capture it.


    But the strike of its tongue came up empty.


    Keep in mind that the Red-eyed Golden Toad¡¯s capture skill is as high as Grade Seven. Moreover, it has been catching insects for food since it was young; this is its bread-and-butter skill for eating. How could it miss capturing a Grade Four or so Poison Stinger at such a close distance? How is that possible?


    ¡°Master, this swarm of bees is very strange! It¡¯s like a single entity. When my tongue wrapped around one of them, it was as though I had wrapped around a mountain,¡±


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad tried hard to describe its capturing experience.


    No wonder it failed to capture its target.


    The Poison Stinger it aimed for merged with the entire swarm into one entity. When its tongue wrapped around it, the entire swarm tumbled, and the Golden Toad¡¯s tongue couldn¡¯t possibly hold on to the target.


    It seems I need to find a way to break the Insect Formation.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t expect the two Insect Masters sent by Master He Shan and Chairman Li to be of much help.


    ¡°A mere swarm of bees, daring to be so presumptuous, annihilate it!¡±


    The two Insect Masters sent by Chairman Li were both around forty years old with not weak cultivation. They seemed to have reached the pinnacle of the Innate Realm.


    The two men looked quite similar and were likely a pair of twin brothers.


    The insects used by the slightly plumper Insect Master on the left were a group of Bear Bees.


    Their bodies were enormous, each the size of a chicken egg, buzzing loudly as they flapped their wings.


    Like a fleet of bombers.


    The bodies of these Bear Bees were densely covered with fur, each strand gleaming with a metallic luster, making them resemble flying hedgehogs.


    Bear Bees have one major weakness: they rarely live in colonies, primarily leading solitary lives.


    There are only three to five Bear Bees even in the occasional colony.


    Yet this Insect Master managed to compensate for this weakness and released a swarm of five to six hundred Bear Bees, forming a large, impressive, and dark mass in the sky like a big flock of birds.


    Their momentum was quite astonishing.


    To consolidate Bear Bees into a colony is no easy task.


    Moreover, these Bear Bees have clearly undergone multiple rounds of evolution and have some impressive mutations.


    Their mandibles are like two iron pincers, as if they could easily tear through the hardest of shells.


    And the long brown Poison Stinger at their tail end moved in and out, contracting and extending.


    Just looking at it chilled one to the bone.


    The grade of these Bear Bees was at least Grade Five, and that was a very conservative estimate.


    If compared to the body size of the Corpse Bee generals and the Steel-winged Wild Bee, these Bear Bees were slightly larger. Their grade might not be Grade Five but Grade Six.


    The thought of five to six hundred Grade Six Bear Bees was terrifying.


    It seems that the Insect Masters of the Black Tiger Gang are not as weak as one might have imagined, with hidden dragons and crouching tigers among them.


    Because their status is still not as high as Chairman Li¡¯s.


    Power is respected everywhere.


    This also indirectly suggests their abilities as Insect Masters are weaker than Chairman Li¡¯s.


    The other, thinner Insect Master controlled a group of longicorn beetles.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the fact that longicorn beetles are also from the order Coleoptera; they have two long antennae like the tails of wild roosters and a slender build that gives them quite a ¡®general¡¯ look.


    In reality, longicorn beetles are among the weakest in the order Coleoptera.


    Even the often-disrespected dung beetle or the smaller Seven-spot Ladybird can bully these big longicorn beetles.


    Longicorn beetles are like the proverbial silver spearheads that are not actually usable.


    Generally, nobody wants to raise longicorn beetles as Insect Pets.


    After all, apart from personal preferences, practical use must be considered when raising insects.


    Raising a bunch of useless waste Insect Pets that can¡¯t beat anyone, how do you acquire cultivation resources? How do you make money? How do you gain a higher status?


    These are very real issues.


    If this guy is raising a whole bunch of longicorn beetles as Insect Pets and his head isn¡¯t messed up, then these longicorn beetles must possess some special abilities.


    Although longicorn beetles have poor fighting ability and can¡¯t beat other Coleoptera insects, they are the bane of most trees.


    Their larvae have a unique ability: boring.


    Longicorn beetle larvae can bore into the heartwood of trees, then eat their way through.


    Eventually, this leads to the trees becoming hollow and dying.


    The death of trees in the forest is a far greater threat from longhorn beetles than other pests. Even the caterpillars, known for their strong reproductive abilities, can hardly rival them.


    Caterpillars are the larvae of various butterflies or moths, and if the climate is suitable and food is abundant, their reproductive speed is remarkably fast.


    But there has never been a report of caterpillars causing the mass death of trees in a forest.


    At most, they nibble leaves to shreds, leaving bare branches exposed, and are dubbed the ¡°barbers¡± of trees.


    While caterpillars can hinder the growth of trees, from another perspective, they also contribute to the entire vegetation system of the forest. If trees are too dense, small saplings and low vegetation beneath them struggle to get sunlight. They will die or have a hard time thriving.


    Yet, after caterpillars strip the leaves from the trees, sunlight and dew are able to reach the saplings below.


    This effectively supports the rapid growth of saplings, giving them a chance to stand out.


    There are many large trees in the forest, and the system is relatively fixed; it¡¯s difficult for small trees to grow into large ones without special opportunities to compete with old trees.


    Only when the old trees fall or die do they get a chance to mature.


    This is quite similar to the saying ¡°when a whale falls, teeming life arises¡± in the ocean.


    To some extent, caterpillars promote the diversity of vegetation in forests.


    Longhorn beetles are different from caterpillars; they might look pretty, but they¡¯re called the demons of the forest.


    According to incomplete statistics, longhorn beetles cause many times more tree deaths annually than forest fires do.


    Did this Insect Master rear a large group of longhorn beetles specifically to destroy forest vegetation?


    The two brothers simultaneously took control of their respective insect swarms and attacked.


    There were over a thousand longhorn beetles and four to five hundred Bear Bees, all attacking the bee colony at the same time.


    The brothers quickly suffered a major setback, their expressions no different from Master He Shan. Their Insect Pets had just made contact with the bee swarm and it was like they were automatically fed into a meat grinder.


    Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s Insect Formation was too formidable.


    It could enhance the combat power of Insect Pets by ten times.


    Qin Niu had recognized the potential of Insect Formations early on from Old Master Huang¡¯s combat methods. Later, he allowed his Termite swarm to evolve in this aspect, developing mental attacks and charges for the ant swarm.


    Subsequently, he also developed Insect Armor.


    But compared to Wu Shanle¡¯s bee formation, the ones he studied himself were practically garbage.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s quickly retreat our insects, or they¡¯re all going to die.¡±


    After suffering a great loss, the thinner Insect Master called out to his brother in panic to withdraw their insects.


    Even though the two brothers reacted swiftly, their insects suffered over fifty percent casualties in a very short time. Only now did they realize how formidable Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s insects were.


    That Qin Niu had been able to withstand Wu Shanle¡¯s bee formation for so long was already impressive to the brothers.


    ¡°Master Qin Niu, if we really can¡¯t hold on, let¡¯s retreat first! Wu Shanle¡¯s bee swarm is very tricky; we are no match for him.¡±


    The brothers were forthright people, with courage even smaller than a mouse¡¯s.


    After taking a big loss, they immediately thought about fleeing.


    When the sky falls, there will naturally be tall ones holding it up.


    They had no intention of playing the part of the hero.


    ¡°Let me try again!¡±


    Qin Niu still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.


    If it weren¡¯t for Wu Shanle¡¯s cultivation at the Spirit Qi Realm, Qin Niu might have already attacked Wu Shanle himself.


    ¡°Green-Head Summoning Bee, let¡¯s see what you can do.¡±


    Qin Niu was the grandmaster of bee play, and he had thought of a brilliant way to break the bee formation.


    His Green-Head Summoning Bee had the ability to summon wild bees to fight, as long as their grade was no more than three levels below its own.


    Wu Shanle¡¯s bee swarm surely wasn¡¯t comprised of wild bees.


    But it was worth a try.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t believe that Wu Shanle had signed a soul contract with every single bee. That was unrealistic.


    If so, then he had a chance to break the enemy¡¯s bee formation.


    Once the Green-Head Summoning Bee came out, it didn¡¯t dawdle.


    It immediately launched its specialty skills¡ªsummoning and luring.


    As it danced in the air, what had been an impregnable bee formation began to agitate. One by one, Poison Bees, drawn by the summoning and luring, flew towards the Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    Naturally, the bee formation broke.


    ¡°Come back, come back to me!¡±


    Elder Wu Shanle panicked and immediately took out a whistle and blew it.

 Chapter 445 - Chapter 445: Chapter 437 Brotherhoods United Defense_1

    Chapter 445: Chapter 437 Brotherhood¡¯s United Defense_1


    Unfortunately, those poison bees seemed bewitched, completely ignoring his commands and swarming towards the Green-Head Summoning Bee instead.


    Qin Niu, upon witnessing this sight, felt a surge of secret delight, yet he was also deep in thought.


    Like Elder Wu Shanle, he controlled ant swarms, bee swarms, and other insect pets by subduing the queen insect and utilizing the blood connection between the queen and its offspring for control.


    In the art of Insect Control Technique, this indirect manipulation is known as secondary control.


    Secondary control is quite common.


    Its benefit is the conservation of a great deal of spirit space, allowing Insect Masters to tame more insect pets. Another point is that during combat against enemies, an Insect Master need only issue orders to the queen insect.


    After receiving the commands, the queen or mother insect will then relay orders to its offspring.


    The master can also issue direct combat orders to the offspring.


    However, when the number of offspring is too large, this becomes unfeasible. Issuing orders often involves communication between the spirit and the offspring, consuming spiritual power.


    A few or perhaps a few dozen could still be manageable.


    But when the number of offspring reaches tens of thousands or even millions, it¡¯s more than what an Insect Master can endure.


    Even an Insect Master at the Spirit Qi Realm level couldn¡¯t possess such immense spiritual power.


    While secondary control has many advantages, it also leaves flaws for enemies to exploit. For example, presently, Qin Niu¡¯s Green-Head Summoning Bee is using both summoning and enticing skills, instantly overpowering Elder Wu Shanle, the bee swarm¡¯s master.


    The bee swarm no longer obeys its master but responds to the signals sent out by the Green-Head Summoning Bee.


    Imagine, if Qin Niu in the future were to battle a formidable enemy who possessed such ¡®usurping¡¯ techniques, couldn¡¯t they reverse-control Qin Niu¡¯s ant swarm and have it attack him instead?


    After this war concludes, he must consult Chairman Li and Master He Shan in earnest.


    At this moment, he cleverly broke through Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s bee formation using the Green-Head Summoning Bee, and naturally, he would strike while the enemy was down.


    ¡°Wart Toad, attack!¡±


    Qin Niu issued another command to the Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    ¡°Fourth, lead the ant swarm and try to attack the bee swarm again!¡±


    No sooner had the order been given than Fourth sent back good news.


    ¡°Success, success!¡±


    A poison bee flew in front of Qin Niu and then stopped.


    Qin Niu flicked his finger towards it.


    Pop.


    The poison bee instantly turned into ash.


    The strength of an Innate Realm expert was already terrifying. A simple flick of the finger possessed enough power to instantly shatter even a stone.


    ¡°It seems these poison bees are not as formidable as imagined! Their strength lies in forming the bee array.¡±


    Qin Niu concluded.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad began to gorge itself, swallowing the poison bees like a mythical glutton.


    Its long tongue was like a ghost, or a dark red flash of lightning, darting out and then rolling back with several poison bees, swallowing them down. Then, the tongue darted out again.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Army, which had just suffered heavy casualties and had been firmly suppressed by the bee array, had long been simmering with pent-up fury.


    Once the bee array broke, they immediately launched the most ferocious retaliation against the poison bee swarm.


    Many poison bees fell to the ground after succumbing to mental attacks and were then torn apart and eaten by numerous Soldier Ants or Worker Ants.


    Elder Wu Shanle watched his prized insect pets being slaughtered by Qin Niu, his heartache twisting his expression.


    Desperate to recall the poison bees, he nearly shattered his whistle blowing it, all to no avail.


    ¡°I¡¯m going all out against you!¡±


    Seeing the increasing casualties among the poison bees, Elder Wu Shanle became desperate.


    Without another word, he directly lunged at Qin Niu with his Spirit Qi Realm strength, wielding a staff whip as his weapon.


    Whip-shaped weapons are quite common.


    However, the staff whip is less common. It belongs to the category of unusual weapons, with a rod made of wood or iron at one end and a long whip at the other.


    It¡¯s rather similar to the whips children use to spin tops.


    Only, this kind of whip is much longer.


    Elder Wu Shanle himself was quite short, probably no more than one meter thirty at most. With his stature, wielding a long whip could easily result in self-injury.


    ¡°Protect Master Qin!¡±


    Ye Ji and Iron Tiger were quite competent, having been powerless in the earlier insect battle, they immediately moved to shield Qin Niu as Wu Shanle made a beeline for him.


    ¡°Haha, Wu Shanle is getting desperate! Master Qin just focus on dealing with Wu Shanle¡¯s poison bees, leave the man to us.¡±


    The two Insect Masters sent by Chairman Li charged at Wu Shanle together.


    These two Insect Masters¡¯ cultivation seemed to be at the peak of the Innate Realm, yet they dared to challenge a Spirit Qi Realm expert. It was unclear where their confidence came from.


    Qin Niu soon understood where the two brothers¡¯ confidence lay.


    As they shook hands and moved forward, their aura also surged dramatically. In no time, the brothers¡¯ combined strength was no less than that of Elder Wu Shanle.


    It is said that two hands can¡¯t defend against four.


    It had never occurred to me that two Innate Realm experts could join forces to become one, instantly reaching the power level of a Spirit Qi Realm expert.


    ¡°Have you mastered the Joint Wall Technique?¡±


    Wu Shanle, watching the brothers elevate their cultivation to a level nearly equal to his own through this special method, instantly turned extremely pale.


    Today really wasn¡¯t his day.


    What had originally been an advantageous situation had turned around so quickly. First, the bee formation was broken, the poison bees were being slaughtered by the young Insect Master named Qin Niu, and now he was being held at bay by two Innate Realm experts.


    The disadvantages kept piling up.


    Seeing the poison bees being slaughtered in droves, Wu Shanle grew anxious.


    With a lash of his whip, the powerful shadows it cast burst through the air like thunder on a clear day. Yet the two brothers caught the strike, and he gained no advantage.


    The three of them fought fiercely, with the whip and sword clashing.


    The actual combat ability of an Insect Master¡¯s true self was not as weak as I had imagined.


    Qin Niu sped up the slaughter of the opposing poison bees from behind.


    Soon, he had nearly wiped out the entire poison bee swarm. The Queen Bee was nowhere in sight, and given some time, Elder Wu Shanle might have been able to breed another swarm.


    If that was the case, then why was he in such a hurry to fight desperately?


    There was only one possibility, breeding these poison bees was not as easy as he had thought.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t care about these details. After obliterating the entire poison bee swarm, he turned to look at the fierce battle between Wu Shanle and the two brothers that seemed to have no end in sight.


    Although the brothers had used special means to stack their cultivation to reach the level of the Spirit Qi Realm, they surely had shortcomings compared to a true Spirit Qi Realm expert. The two were gradually falling into a disadvantageous position.


    If they weren¡¯t assisted promptly, defeat was only a matter of time.


    By then, would Wu Shanle let Qin Niu off the hook?


    After all, Qin Niu had annihilated his most important poison bee swarm.


    ¡°This is a good opportunity to test the combat strength of my Green Demon Bee!¡±


    Qin Niu had no rules for dealing with enemies, always preferring to win by ganging up rather than fighting one-on-one. He would opt for a surprise attack rather than a fair and square face-off.


    Taking advantage of the moment, he stealthily released the Green Demon Bee.


    The Green Demon Bee darted out and transformed into a shadow, in a flash appearing next to Elder Wu Shanle.


    The Extreme Flight Skill was even more superior to the Super Flight Skill.

 Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Chapter 438: Instant Kill Spirit Qi Realm_1

    Chapter 446: Chapter 438: Instant Kill Spirit Qi Realm_1


    This extreme flying speed is almost indistinguishable from teleportation.


    The Green Demon Bee has now grown to grade eight, and its formidable power is gradually coming to the fore.


    Elder Wu Shanle was engaged in fierce combat with the two brothers, and he had finally gained the upper hand, thinking that victory would be his if he could just hold out a little longer. But then he saw Qin Niu release a dark green poisonous bee, which in a flash appeared at his side, startling him so much that he shivered with fear.


    Before he could react, the Green Demon Bee struck his cheek with a slap.


    Of course, as a Cultivator in the Spirit Qi Realm with a solid Qi aura for protection, he would normally be unharmed by swords or spears.


    Unexpectedly, his Qi Wave Defense was as good as nothing in front of the Green Demon Bee, and was easily shattered.


    The bee¡¯s terrifying stinger plunged viciously into his skin.


    Human Cultivators, starting from the Mortal Realm, strengthen their bodies to make them increasingly powerful.


    By the time they reach the Spirit Qi Realm, their bodies are not made of iron, but at least they are as hard as ironstone. Ordinary poisonous bees certainly couldn¡¯t penetrate their skin, let alone break through their defenses.


    But the Green Demon Bee was far too strong, not just excelling in one aspect, but formidable in every way.


    The stinger easily pierced through Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s facial skin, then it injected its venom and flew off.


    Slap!


    Elder Wu Shanle slapped his own face, dealing himself a harsh slap.


    However, the Green Demon Bee had already made its escape.


    ¡°What a powerful poisonous bee! Such an aberrant flying ability¡­ If only I could possess such an incredible poisonous bee, even death would be well worth it,¡± he thought.


    After being stung, Elder Wu Shanle didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, he revealed an obsessed smile.


    This situation was like a stunning beauty spitting on a hooligan¡¯s face, yet the latter responds with a sleazy grin like that of a lecher.


    Insect Masters generally strive to breed a more powerful Insect Pet.


    Those who take pleasure in beekeeping are even more thrilled at finding a supremely powerful poisonous bee than discovering a gold mine.


    Wu Shanle¡¯s poisonous bee was far inferior to the Green Demon Bee, but once it formed a Swarm Formation, it possessed immense strength. If he could acquire a Green Demon Bee and then breed a swarm to form a Swarm Formation, how strong would that be?


    He reckoned even an Immortal Master would be easily slain.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ This bee venom is quite domineering, like a strong liquor with a powerful aftereffect!¡±


    The left side of Wu Shanle¡¯s face had already turned black, although he couldn¡¯t see it for himself.


    Since the sting was on his head, the venom acted even more swiftly. The Green Demon Bee¡¯s venom was already exceptionally potent, capable of killing immortals.


    After absorbing the Mirage Insect¡¯s avatar and the poisonous miasma in the Valley of Wronged Spirits, its venom evolved again, terrifying even immortals.


    Wu Shanle, merely at the early stage of the Spirit Qi Realm, was far from matching an Immortal Master.


    Having been stung, instead of urgently seeking an antidote, he was so delighted at the prospect of seizing Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee that he lost his senses.


    This was truly a fatal obsession.


    It was a prelude to his unavoidable death.


    When the two brothers saw that Wu Shanle was poisoned, they didn¡¯t show any mercy. They immediately intensified their assault, hoping to take advantage of the situation and kill Elder Wu Shanle there and then.


    ¡°You¡¯re digging your own graves!¡±


    Wu Shanle¡¯s eyes turned blood-red, and the black energy on his face was spreading rapidly, covering his entire face in a very short time.


    He swiftly took out a green porcelain bottle from his chest, removed the wooden stopper with one hand, and poured the bottle¡¯s contents into his mouth.


    He must have consumed several Detoxification Pills in one go.


    Then, with a flick of his whip, he lashed out at the two brothers coming to kill him.


    Dark red blood was streaming from his nostrils, a sign that the venom was acting swiftly. Battling the enemy with all his might while poisoned, he further accelerated the venom¡¯s effects.


    ¡°Kill this Zealot!¡±


    The brothers exchanged a look, and the slightly chubbier elder brother took the lead in launching a fierce attack.


    The younger brother followed close behind, joining the powerful assault.


    The two brothers displayed exceptional unity in battle.


    Wu Shanle staggered, and blood began to flow from his eyes as well. He lashed out fiercely with his whip, but this time the movement was conspicuously heavy compared to before.


    Boom!


    The whip exploded, turning into countless steel needles that flew at the brothers.


    Even though Qin Niu was more than ten meters away, he quickly activated his King Pig Leather Armor with full force to avoid getting hurt.


    ¡°Ah ah¡­¡±


    The two brothers, along with some of the surrounding warriors, let out screams of agony.


    In this moment of peril, Iron Tiger desperately threw himself in front of Ye Ji, using his massive body to shield her.


    The power of Wu Shanle Elder¡¯s self-detonated weapon was truly terrifying.


    Qin Niu felt ¡®steel needles¡¯ fiercely slamming into his qi armor, creating cracks all over it.


    Luckily, in this critical moment, the Red-eyed Golden Toad activated its Qi Wave Defense.


    Croak!


    A ring of qi waves blocked some of the incoming ¡®steel needles,¡¯ or significantly reduced their destructive force.


    It was due to this that Qin Niu¡¯s qi armor remained unbroken.


    The steel needles fell to the ground, some turning directly into powder.


    They were actually made of the same material as the long whip.


    In the moment of detonation, they broke into countless filaments, each one or two inches long. These filaments, carrying terrifying destructive power, attacked indiscriminately like steel needles against all nearby targets.


    This included warriors and Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang, anyone close suffered the consequences.


    The two brothers who were fighting Wu Shanle Elder were the closest.


    Both lay on the ground, seemingly with very serious injuries.


    Since Ye Ji was shielded by Iron Tiger, she was not injured.


    She looked at Iron Tiger with a complex gaze, filled with gratitude but largely overshadowed by helplessness.


    ¡°Iron Tiger, you didn¡¯t really need to protect me,¡± Ye Ji said in a faint voice.


    ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d get hurt!¡± Iron Tiger replied with a naive smile.


    After his weapon self-destructed, Wu Shanle Elder¡¯s body wobbled unsteadily. He leapt up, attempting to flee, but ultimately collapsed to the ground.


    Qin Niu, wary of Wu Shanle Elder¡¯s potential dying counterattack, did not dare to approach immediately.


    After a moment, as Wu Shanle Elder still lay motionless, Qin Niu sent a Termite forward to check and control. He found that the man was already dead.


    The Deicide Poison of the Green Demon Bee was just too dreadful.


    It killed a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse in less than fifteen minutes.


    This was a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse, after all.


    Not long ago, even though Qin Niu had reached Dual Innate Realm cultivation, he still might not have been able to defeat such an opponent, even one gravely injured.


    He almost got killed himself when he fought Elder Mei.


    But now, he merely needed his Green Demon Bee to act, and the enemy was dead in a single encounter.


    The drastic improvement in the strength of his Insect Pet made him feel somewhat unreal.


    Unknowingly, the strength of his Insect Pet and Beast Pet had reached the level where they could easily slaughter Spirit Qi Realm powerhouses, or even Immortal Masters.


    ¡°With such strong pets, I, as their master, need to work harder!¡±


    Qin Niu felt a sense of pressure.


    While it¡¯s great to have strong pets, it¡¯s certainly not normal for them to be vastly stronger than their master.


    Using Misty Rain Elusive Step, he instantly approached Wu Shanle Elder¡¯s corpse, and without a word, he swung down a hand and decapitated him.


    He was mainly concerned about the possibility of feigned death.


    Once the head was severed and the body still showed no reaction, he felt relieved.


    Familiar with the process, he began to search for loot with practiced ease.


    There was no shame in it.


    This was an elder of the Nine Insect Gang, so he was bound to have something valuable on him.


    Qin Niu was not short of silver notes now; what he lacked were high-level Insect Control Techniques.


    Although Wu Shanle Elder was the weakest of the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s elders, his bee array greatly interested Qin Niu. If he could find the elder¡¯s records on breeding insects, he might learn something from them.


    Soon, all the spoils were thoroughly looted by him.


    Among them, a yellowed jade slip accelerated Qin Niu¡¯s heartbeat.


    Nine times out of ten, it was something good.


    But with many eyes around, he certainly wasn¡¯t foolish enough to take out the jade slip to study it right then and there.


    Good things must be kept hidden and protected.

 Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: Chapter 439: The Nemesis of the Nine Insect Gang_1

    Chapter 447: Chapter 439: The Nemesis of the Nine Insect Gang_1


    After scavenging the spoils of war, Qin Niu noticed that several logistics soldiers had rushed over.


    Wu Shanle had detonated his long whip just a moment ago, injuring many people.


    Some of those with weaker cultivation even died on the spot. Qin Niu saw one warrior¡¯s chest had been blown open with a hole as big as a bowl. Another¡¯s helmet was caved in; that person¡¯s skull must have been shattered and probably a large chunk of his head was caved in as well.


    The desperate strike of a Spirit Qi Realm expert was this terrifying.


    The two brothers at the very center of the explosion were severely injured; the skinny Insect Master was already lying on the ground in a semi-conscious state. The fat Insect Master was in a much better condition, with just blood at the corner of his mouth, which was a clear sign of internal injury.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t be of much help and watched as the logistics soldiers carried the two away.


    Someone would tend to these injured people.


    Since the two brothers had the peak of Innate Realm cultivation and were Insect Masters, they would undoubtedly be prioritized for treatment.


    ¡°Master Qin, Iron Tiger has been hurt as well!¡±


    Ye Ji called out to Qin Niu anxiously.


    ¡°Where is he injured?¡±


    Qin Niu went over to inspect Iron Tiger¡¯s injury. These two were now his bodyguards, so naturally, they were under his command.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious; just got hit on my back. I practice body-hardening cultivation techniques. It won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    Iron Tiger was putting on a brave face, yet his body trembled.


    The armor on his back had been shattered, with flesh around the broken area mangled. It was dangerously close to the spine and similarly near to the heart.


    Upon careful inspection, Qin Niu found the wound was about an inch deep; any deeper and it would certainly have reached the internal organs.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem too serious, go rest in the back! Have someone clean your wound and then apply some antiseptic medicine,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Ye Ji had called him over simply to get his permission.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader had ordered them to follow Qin Niu¡¯s commands and ensure his safety. Even though Iron Tiger was injured, he wouldn¡¯t dare to leave without Qin Niu¡¯s consent.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Master Qin. This little injury is nothing; I can just apply some medicine myself,¡± Iron Tiger said, not wanting to withdraw for healing.


    After speaking, he purposefully clenched his fist to reveal a faint hint of light, proving he was indeed not seriously hurt.


    ¡°Okay then! Miss Ye Ji, you apply some medicine on him,¡± Qin Niu agreed.


    Ye Ji, however, appeared troubled and seemed a bit embarrassed.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s view, Iron Tiger had been injured while protecting Ye Ji, and since both were close attendants of the Gang Leader, applying medicine didn¡¯t seem out of place.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Qin Niu¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no problem,¡± Ye Ji finally agreed to help Iron Tiger with his wound. Iron Tiger immediately showed a pleased smile as if the injury on his back no longer pained him.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t pay them any more attention and turned to survey other parts of the battlefield.


    Having the Green Demon Bee take action had instantly eliminated a Spirit Qi Realm expert, giving him a bit more confidence.


    However, he didn¡¯t become complacent with pride; instead, he remained cautious.


    The Nine Insect Gang was known for insect control, with plenty of highly skilled practitioners. There was no ruling out the possibility that someone could counter Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee. If anything went wrong, it would be a case of excessive joy turning into sorrow.


    Before the Green Demon Bee¡¯s larvae were combat-ready, he would only consider the Green Demon Bee a last resort, rather than deploying it recklessly to kill enemies.


    Nor would he show off on the battlefield.


    The situation on the battlefield was still unclear, with ordinary soldiers fighting to the death. Such was the sorrow of the foot soldier.


    They had no freedom of choice but to act on the commands of the higher-ups.


    Whether they liked it or not, once on the frontline, they had to fight for their lives.


    What they thought about was defeating the enemy army, establishing great achievements, and winning this war.


    The higher-ups from the three sects were also fighting fiercely against each other at this moment.


    But compared to ordinary soldiers, they seemed more rational. If they couldn¡¯t win, they would immediately retreat and flee, never dragging their feet.


    Vice Gang Leader Bai and a few Spirit Qi Realm experts from the Black Tiger Gang were currently in a duel with experts from the Shennong Sect.


    The most astonishing in strength among them was Pan Jianjun, the Shennong Sect Leader.


    In his hands, the three-foot green blade moved with divine intervention, its sword momentum strong and domineering, like a green sword dragon slaughtering all in its path. His wife wielded a longsword as well, paired with her graceful figure, she danced like a butterfly among flowers.


    Her sword momentum was elusive and beautiful, yet also had a venomous cruelty like that of a viper, with every strike aiming for the enemy¡¯s life and directly targeting their vital points.


    Around these two were five or six Spirit Qi Realm powerhouses, identifiable as Shennong Sect experts from their attire.


    On the side of the Black Tiger Gang, Bai Xuezhu was the most eye-catching, clashing with the Shennong Sect Leader without falling short at all.


    The greatest advantage of practicing a cultivating technique focused on resilience was the astonishing defense; when fighting against a powerful enemy, one could afford to fight unrestrainedly, unafraid of getting hurt.


    Since the opposition did not practice a defensive cultivation technique, if they exchanged blows, the opponent would undoubtedly suffer more serious injuries.


    This caused the opponent to dare not meet force with force, but only to dodge.


    Bai Xuezhu thus gained a not insignificant advantage.


    The experts from the Shennong Sect were currently at a disadvantage.


    One thing puzzled Qin Niu. The Shennong Sect¡¯s scale should be the largest among the three sects, and they should have far more than six or seven top experts. At the very least, they should be able to bring out a dozen or twenty Spirit Qi Realm powerhouses.


    Including the Shennong Sect Leader and his wife, there were only seven Spirit Qi Realm experts in total; it was clear they hadn¡¯t exerted their full strength.


    It was possible that this didn¡¯t even constitute half of the Shennong Sect¡¯s top experts.


    This kind of situation could mean that the Shennong Sect was dealing with internal disagreements, with many high-level figures not willing to follow the Sect Leader into battle against the Black Tiger Gang. Another possibility was that Pan Jianjun was guarding against the Nine Insect Gang, not wanting to become cannon fodder, and had deliberately held back some strength.


    ¡°Qin Niu, hurry and support the Gang Leader over there!¡±


    Bai Xuezhu truly had eyes in every direction and ears on every wind.


    At this time, he noticed that the situation was not good for the Black Tiger Gang Leader, and after seeing Qin Niu kill Wu Shanle, an elder of the Nine Insect Gang, with one blow, he thought of asking Qin Niu to go support the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Because the main opponent the Black Tiger Gang Leader was fighting was an Insect Master from the Nine Insect Gang.


    This included the remaining four elders of the Nine Insect Gang, as well as protectors, executors, and others.


    The Nine Insect Gang had a total of seven elders, three of whom were taken out by Qin Niu.


    If there truly was a natural nemesis in life, then the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s nemesis was definitely Qin Niu.


    ¡°Take care of yourself!¡±


    Qin Niu and Bai Xuezhu had some acquaintance.


    Ever since they met, Bai Xuezhu had always appreciated him and taken good care of him.


    Qin Niu was a person who knew gratitude, and he did not wish for Bai Xuezhu to come to harm.


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine here, go quickly!¡±


    Bai Xuezhu urged anxiously.


    The Black Tiger Gang was weak when it came to Insect Masters, and they were in need of a formidable Insect Master like Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t dawdle any further and immediately spurred his warhorse toward the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    The two sides weren¡¯t far apart.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader and the Nine Insects Gang Leader seemed to be arch-enemies, engaging in a fight that was difficult to resolve.


    The demonic spider of the Nine Insects Gang Leader was formidable, but the demonic beast mount of the Black Tiger Gang Leader was no weaker. In terms of strength, the Black Tiger Gang Leader was even a bit stronger.


    However, when the other Spirit Qi Realm powerhouses of the Black Tiger Gang were in a fierce fight with powerful enemies, they also had to guard against stealth attacks from the opponent¡¯s Insect Pets, which led them to be somewhat at a disadvantage. Moreover, the insect pets released by the elders and protectors of the Nine Insect Gang were very formidable, posing a threat to the Spirit Qi Realm powerhouses.

 Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: Chapter 440: Black and White Protectors_1

    Chapter 448: Chapter 440: Black and White Protectors_1


    Qin Niu arrived, only to be immediately given ¡®special attention¡¯.


    ¡°It¡¯s this brat who killed Elder Wu, annihilate him, avenge Elder Wu.¡±


    ¡°His Insect Pet must be very formidable, somewhat resembled the long-lost Green Demon Bee.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be careless, Elder Wu was stung by his Green Bee and quickly succumbed to the poison and died. Elder Gong, dealing with this kid suits you best.¡±


    The Nine Insect Gang¡¯s remaining four elders saw Qin Niu¡¯s arrival and immediately began to discuss amongst themselves animatedly.


    ¡°I have to deal with the two old folks from the Fang Family, an insignificant Innate Realm kid like him could easily be eliminated by any one of you.¡±


    Elder Gong was a sinister-looking old man.


    Of medium height, fair-skinned, his face slightly chubby. It was the kind of baby fat look, with a mustache.


    He was fighting two opponents at once, yet he was not at a disadvantage¡ªhe was indeed no ordinary powerhouse.


    After all, each of the five old ancestors from the Fang Family had incredible cultivation. The combat power they demonstrated was beyond imagination.


    Fang Lian likely wanted to take this opportunity to make a great contribution, to enhance the Fang Family¡¯s influence in the Black Tiger Gang. All five ancestors of the Fang Family were present, and Fang Lian himself was strenuously engaged in a fight with an opponent of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Since Fang Lian only had cultivation in the Innate Realm, the other ancestors of the Fang Family were concerned that he might encounter an accident, so no less than three of them followed to protect him.


    Under normal circumstances, which Innate Realm powerhouse would dare to engage in direct combat with a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse?


    He would probably be annihilated upon the first exchange.


    But Fang Lian dared to do so.


    His combat experience could be seen improving rapidly.


    The benefits of fighting a battle of life and death against a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse would be unimaginable.


    It must be said, being born into a good family indeed enables one to struggle less than ordinary people for many years.


    Though Elder Gong spoke lightly, not taking Qin Niu seriously, the reality could be quite the opposite. When he looked at Qin Niu, there was a deep wariness in his eyes.


    Qin Niu easily killed Elder Wu Shanle. Should Elder Gong be a bit more cautious, he would try to avoid fighting against such a freak as much as possible.


    Because winning would bring no glory, and losing would be truly humiliating¡ªit would be like being upstaged by a mere infant after thirty years.


    He made an excuse that he was too tied up to lead the fight, which was a very wise choice.


    ¡°Elder Di, why don¡¯t you go? You have deep research on the Green Demon Bee, and if that kid really uses the Green Demon Bee, you would be the perfect counter to him.¡±


    ¡°I am on the verge of victory, and you want me to withdraw to deal with a milk-smelling kid? What are your intentions? Is killing a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse of the Black Tiger Gang not more valuable than killing an Innate Realm Insect Master?¡±


    Elder Di was also no fool and refused outright.


    The reason was he was actually having the upper hand against the City Commandant in their fight, but to say the battle would end there, was premature.


    ¡°Black and White Protectors, you siblings go and eliminate that kid.¡±


    Seeing that these elders were immovable, each more cunning than the last, the task of dealing with Qin Niu finally fell to two protectors.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The two protectors, a brother and a sister, the man dressed in a white robe and the woman in a black robe.


    The man wielded a weapon that was a dark red iron chain, which could possibly be crafted from the legendary mysterious metal. And not just any mysterious metal, but the extremely rare Red Iron.


    Iron tends to embody water properties, being majority cold due to its yin nature.


    But Red Iron within the mysterious metals was an exception.


    Some believed it to be Red Flame Iron, inherently carrying fire properties. Some made it into a Red Flame Iron Saber, from which a single slash brought forth flames, its power extraordinarily formidable.


    The female protector wielded a staff that appeared very heavy.


    However, it seemed quite effortless in her hands when she swung it.


    The two, one in black and the other in white, using such peculiar weapons¡ªcould they be trying to mimic the legendary Black and White Impermanence?


    ¡°This is an opportunity for you and your sister to establish great merit. If you can slay that boy and avenge Elder Wu¡¯s death, how could the Gang Leader ignore your contributions? One of you siblings might even become a new Elder.¡±


    Driven by the lure of great rewards, the sibling duo stopped refusing, exchanged a glance, and charged directly at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Surrender your life, and we may leave your corpse intact!¡±


    The female protector barked coldly.


    The cultivation levels of the Black and White Protectors were both at the peak of the Innate Realm, especially the female protector, who felt infinitely close to the Spirit Qi Realm. Standing there, the air around her fluctuated and constantly twisted.


    This was a sign that the power within her was so strong that it was overflowing outwards.


    In simple terms, she had cultivated to the utmost limit of the Innate Realm, her profound power so immense that her body could no longer contain it.


    Phenomena of power overflowing typically occur under two circumstances.


    One is when someone has just advanced to the Innate Realm or Spirit Qi Realm and their realm is not yet stable, leading to an overflow of power.


    This is generally a minor overflow of power.


    The other is when one¡¯s cultivation level has reached its pinnacle, and due to the inability to break through to the next new realm, their body cannot contain it, leading to a massive overflow. This type of overflow is also known as expansion.


    It would overflow from various parts of the body, causing the surrounding air to distort, making the person appear somewhat blurred.


    The Black and White Protectors seemed to be aware of the potency of Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Pet, and did not give him the chance to release it, attacking Qin Niu with their weapons simultaneously. The woman swung her mourning stick at Qin Niu¡¯s head, while the man shook the Red Iron Chains towards Qin Niu¡¯s legs.


    Their coordination was seamless, clearly the result of frequent joint training practice.


    At the same time, their Insect Pets also launched a combined assault on Qin Niu.


    The woman summoned a group of beautiful butterflies, numbering around seventeen or eighteen, while the man controlled a swarm of vile maggots.


    They wriggled quickly, crawling toward Qin Niu.


    The beautiful butterflies, on the other hand, flew towards Qin Niu¡¯s head, waiting for the opportunity to attack.


    ¡°Phosphor butterflies, also known as Nether Flame Butterflies, the legend has it that these insects hail from the ghostly netherworld. As they fly, they can scatter phosphorous powder, which ignites upon contact with air when it lands on an enemy. Not only can this flame burn the enemy¡¯s flesh, but it can also consume their soul. It¡¯s an extremely malevolent insect.¡±


    Qin Niu recalled a passage about Nether Flame Butterflies from a book he had read.


    It was said that in ancient times, to prevent tomb raiders from excavating their tombs, emperors would pay a hefty price to procure phosphor butterflies and seal them within their palace tombs.


    Even after thousands of years, should any tomb raider dig open the grave and enter, they would immediately come under phosphor butterfly attack and ultimately be incinerated to ash.


    This was Qin Niu¡¯s first time encountering such an evil legendary insect.


    The vile maggots released by the Male Protector were ferocious in nature, and if they burrowed into one¡¯s body, they would cling to the bones and suck the marrow. They could easily break through an enemy¡¯s skin, then drill into the flesh and head straight for the bone marrow.


    This particular vile maggot was known as the bone-clinging maggot, which feeds on the marrow of living beings.


    ¡°They¡¯re both precious items; feeding them to my Insect Pet might help it evolve new special abilities.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t afraid upon seeing these two strange insects.


    The phosphor butterflies were of a Yin-incarnate nature, and the Shadow Fire Bees could suppress them tightly.


    As for the bone-clinging maggots, Qin Niu¡¯s Termites could clean them up easily.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Qin Niu released a large swarm of Shadow Fire Bees to deal with those phosphor butterflies and also commanded Fourth to lead the ant army to attack those swiftly approaching maggots.


    By this time, the female protector had already closed in.


    Her figure was incredibly alluring, but her face was impossible to see clearly because she wore a ghostly mask over it.


    ¡°Green Ox, get to work!¡±


    Qin Niu ordered the Green Ox into battle.


    Green Ox lowered his head and aimed his horns at the female protector; a golden light shot out.


    The female protector saw Green Ox lowering its head and thought the foolish ox intended to strike her with its horns. It was only when the golden light emitted from the horns hit her that she realized her mistake.

 Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Chapter 441 Twin-tailed Red Fox_1

    Chapter 449: Chapter 441 Twin-tailed Red Fox_1


    The moment the golden light struck her, she felt dizzy in her head.


    What met her was Qin Niu¡¯s merciless Ink Blade.


    The terrifying Blade Qi ripped through all her defenses without any pity or hesitation, severing her neck with a single stroke.


    As Qin Niu made his move, the Male Protector tried to entangle Qin Niu¡¯s legs with the Red Iron Chains, a dark green afterimage shot out from Qin Niu¡¯s body. It reached the Male Protector¡¯s neck in an instant, before he could react, it broke through his defenses and stung him.


    By the time the Male Protector realized he had been stung, the Green Demon Bee had already flown back to Qin Niu¡¯s side.


    This was its second kill, executed with even more proficiency than the last.


    The movements were smoother and the speed even faster.


    From the strike to its return, it was practically the blink of an eye. It took the concept of swift battle to the extreme.


    Qin Niu struck successfully and quickly withdrew.


    He always fought cautiously, always on guard against his enemy¡¯s dying counterattack.


    The lesson from Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s self-destructing weapons that gravely injured the two brothers was still fresh; Qin Niu would not make the same mistake.


    The Male Protector¡¯s cultivation was not weak, possessing the peak cultivation of the Innate Realm, making his final strike immensely fearsome.


    But hardly two seconds had passed since he was stung when a terrible black qi appeared on his neck, spreading rapidly to his face and shoulders.


    Suddenly, the body of the Male Protector seemed to lose control, his movements becoming stiff.


    ¡°Such poison!¡±


    He managed to squeeze out two words from deep in his throat, but the venom of the Green Demon Bee was too formidable, savagely ravaging his internal organs. Black blood began to flow from his nostrils and eyes.


    He looked at Qin Niu with eyes full of bitterness, raising his hand to fling the Red Iron Chains in a last ditch effort, but he didn¡¯t succeed.


    His hand had only lifted halfway before his body fell to the ground.


    Thump!


    The life force of the Male Protector was swiftly extinguished.


    Perhaps his cultivation level was one realm weaker than Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s, which is why the venom acted faster, causing him to die sooner.


    From the moment he was stung to the moment he died, it took only about seven or eight seconds.


    The venom of the Green Demon Bee had reached a terrifying level, instantly sealing the throats of those it bled. Even a strong person from the Innate Realm would not have a chance to take a Detoxification Pill once stung.


    In fact, even if they did take a Detoxification Pill, it would be useless.


    The elders of the Nine Insects Gang, who were secretly watching the battle, were terrified by Qin Niu¡¯s ability to instantly kill the Black and White Protectors with just one encounter, and none of them dared to face Qin Niu in combat.


    Though they were vicious, they were not fools.


    No one wanted to gamble with their lives.


    Especially given the strangely powerful show of strength by Qin Niu, which was beyond their comprehension, their abnormal performance made them even more wary.


    ¡°Green Demon Bee? Since the fall of the Green Demon, this bee has disappeared for many years. Although some formidable Steel-winged Poison Bees were captured in the former territory of the Green Demon, they are far from the true Green Demon Bee.¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader was truly formidable, standing on the back of a Wolf Spider, she could engage in combat with the Black Tiger Gang Leader while taking the time to observe the fight between Qin Niu and the Black and White Protectors.


    ¡°Xue Qiuhe, I didn¡¯t expect you to have cultivated such a powerful young Insect Master. Six months ago, the old territory of the Green Demon within my Nine Insects Gang¡¯s borders suddenly collapsed. Some people saw a young man emerge with an Ice Lotus, which must be this Qin Niu who obtained the ultimate treasure of the Green Demon, right?¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader probed the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s response, trying to ascertain some facts.


    Since the Green Demon¡¯s former residence was in their territory, yet another had claimed the treasure, it left a sour taste in the mouth of the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    Watching Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee in action filled her with envy.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing? I truly was not aware of that,¡± she responded.


    Xue Qiuhe¡¯s eyes flashed a hint of surprise at the news, but it quickly disappeared.


    Connecting this with Qin Niu¡¯s previous infiltration of the Nine Insects Gang and his killing of one of their camp commanders, only to return ten days later from a Shennong Sect crossing at Tian Shui, where he incidentally uncovered a conspiracy between the Nine Insects Gang and Shennong Sect to smuggle across Tianshui River, establishing a major achievement.


    With the intelligence of the Black Tiger Gang Leader, linking the Green Demon Bees Qin Niu currently wielded to him, the Gang Leader immediately speculated that the person who obtained the ultimate treasure in the former lands of the Green Demon was very likely Qin Niu.


    However, he was certain not to admit such a thing.


    Having such an excellent Insect Master in the Black Tiger Gang was something he longed for and naturally needed to protect well.


    ¡°Stop playing dumb here, damn it! Is there anything you rotten scoundrel dare to admit? Just a despicable and shameless bastard!¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader cursed loudly.


    Yet her gaze occasionally drifted towards Qin Niu.


    After Qin Niu had killed the Black and White Protectors, he began searching for a new target. Those protectors and executors of the Nine Insects Gang had long been wary of Qin Niu.


    After all, the ability to kill an elder of the Nine Insects Gang was enough to draw attention from the gang¡¯s higher-ups.


    Seeing the harbinger of doom, Qin Niu, approaching, they immediately retreated with their insects, with no intention of confronting Qin Niu head-on.


    This retreat deepened the panic among the other experts of the Nine Insects Gang.


    So much so that wherever Qin Niu went, he didn¡¯t even need to lift a finger; the enemy fled in disarray.


    In desperation, Qin Niu could only target one of the elders of the Nine Insects Gang.


    Gongsun Jin, the Vice Gang Leader, had some acquaintance with Qin Niu.


    When Qin Niu slaughtered the He Family¡¯s Innate Realm expert in the city, violating the gang¡¯s rules and the law, Gongsun insisted on absolving him of his crimes, even though he was influenced by the Black Tiger Gang Leader. This was also a favor to Qin Niu.


    Later, during Qin Niu¡¯s wedding, Gongsun Jin attended the celebration and gifted a thousand taels of silver.


    At the moment, Gongsun Jin was locked in a fierce fight with one of the Nine Insects Gang¡¯s elders.


    Gongsun Jin¡¯s beast pet was a very beautiful red fox with two tails. Everyone knew that the supreme among foxes was the Nine-Tailed Green Fox, but such beings had already surpassed ordinary Great Immortals.


    Gongsun Jin was merely a Spirit Qi Realm expert, a far cry from a true immortal.


    To own a Two-tailed Red Fox was already quite impressive.


    Rumors said that multi-tailed foxes were among the finest in the fox kin, one in tens of thousands.


    Foxes with multiple tails all possessed the bloodline of the Nine-tailed Fox and could become great demons after a thousand years of cultivation.


    Gongsun Jin¡¯s Two-tailed Red Fox had likely reached around Level Nine, sensing it was very close to becoming a demon.


    Now, the Two-tailed Red Fox was engaged in an inseparable battle with an enemy Wolf Spider.


    The Wolf Spider was as big as a rabbit.


    It was extremely agile, and with its eight legs, its body could turn even more flexibly.


    Qin Niu even thought that the Wolf Spider¡¯s agility far exceeded that of feline animals of the same level. It was precisely by relying on this agility that the Wolf Spider could stand toe-to-toe with the Two-tailed Red Fox.


    The Twin-tailed Red Fox seemed to be very afraid of being bitten and could only constantly dodge.


    Nonetheless, it had a particularly powerful ace up its sleeve.


    It could spew red mist from its mouth.


    The temperature of the red mist was extremely high. The weeds on the ground wilted rapidly after being sprayed with the red mist, even beginning to smoke.


    But it still fell a bit short of actual flames.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Fire Phoenix was an ancestor of fire¡ªthe flames it ejected were a hundred times more powerful than the Twin-tailed Red Fox¡¯s red mist.

 Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: Chapter 442 Immortal Master? _1

    Chapter 450: Chapter 442 Immortal Master? _1


    Especially after his Fire Phoenix underwent nirvana, the True Fire it spewed became even more terrifying.


    Qin Niu saw that Gongsun Jin was struggling in the battle against a formidable enemy and immediately rushed over to help with a couple of jumps.


    ¡°Gongsun Gang Leader, I¡¯m here to help you!¡±


    Before Qin Niu even joined the fray, the complexion of the Nine Insect Gang Elder opposite him had already drastically changed, with his armor of Qi becoming significantly more solidified, a sign of heightened defense.


    This Elder was the one who ordered the Black and White Protectors into battle.


    He specialized in inciting others to be cannon fodder while he himself shrank back.


    Now that Qin Niu had directly approached him, he probably cursed silently, feeling a chill running down his spine.


    ¡°Gongsun Jin, today I shall spare your wretched life, but after I¡¯ve rested for a while, I will come for you!¡±


    Leaving behind those superficial words, the Elder feigned an attack and, accompanied by his Wolf Spider, quickly fled towards the distance.


    He simply did not have the courage to engage in battle with Qin Niu.


    From this, one could also see that the majority of the Nine Insect Gang Elders were slippery types, seldom willing to fight to the death against tough opponents.


    ¡°Coward! Next time you better wear your wife¡¯s clothes to the fight, you mouse-hearted thing!¡± Gongsun Jin scorned.


    The Elder pretended not to hear and ran off without looking back.


    There are two types of people on the battlefield: those who are afraid of death, who only target the weak, and those brave warriors who are not afraid to charge and kill. However, if they do not possess exceptional strength, those warriors often die early.


    ¡°Brother Qin Niu, it¡¯s been a while, and yet your Insect Master strength has improved to such an extent. You¡¯re even capable of killing those in the Spirit Qi Realm, truly enviable. I¡¯ve also taken up being a Beast Tamer, and I don¡¯t think my pets are too shabby, but compared to you, I¡¯m still far behind,¡± Gongsun Jin said with envy.


    If he could be as formidable as Qin Niu, he would already be making Immortal Masters flee with their tails between their legs.


    The truth was he struggled even against strong foes in the Spirit Qi Realm, let alone challenge Immortal Masters.


    Gongsun Jin¡¯s way of addressing Qin Niu had subtly undergone a significant change.


    In the past, he would at most call him Master Qin, but now he was calling him Brother Qin Niu.


    Gongsun Jin was a Gang Leader who held a Dharma Seal, no different from a Law Enforcement Elder. The people he willingly addressed as brothers could likely be counted on one hand.


    Don¡¯t assume that important figures are always aloof, above the trivial matters of the mortal world.


    In fact, important figures are more pragmatic than ordinary people.


    If you don¡¯t have the strength, they won¡¯t give you a second glance.


    But with strength or value, they are more than willing to lower their stance to befriend you.


    ¡°Gongsun Elder Brother, you flatter me. This is just like how we men look at other people¡¯s wives, always thinking they are more beautiful and more gentle. The reality is only that we have grown aesthetically weary from spending too much time with our own spouses. Your Twin-tailed Red Fox¡¯s red Qi can ignite vegetation. I think if it advances one more grade, it will definitely be able to breathe fire. By then, its strength will be on par with an Immortal Master. What are my insect pets in front of it? A burst of fire and they¡¯d be burnt to a crisp,¡± Qin Niu said modestly.


    This was his way of being humble.


    He always preferred to conceal his skill and never boasted.


    His Shadow Fire Bee was born with fire and did not fear being burned at all.


    Even if Gongsun Jin¡¯s Two-tailed Red Fox were to advance another grade, it would likely still pose no threat to Qin Niu¡¯s insect pets.


    As for Qin Niu¡¯s beast pets, there was even less need to say.


    But everyone loves to hear compliments.


    Gongsun Jin¡¯s Two-tailed Red Fox was his pride, and upon receiving Qin Niu¡¯s praise, his face lit up with extreme joy.


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll take Brother Qin Niu¡¯s auspicious words to heart. If my Red Fox transforms successfully one day, I must invite Brother Qin Niu for a drink. It¡¯s just that final step, which seems as difficult as ascending to heaven. I¡¯ve yet to see it transform. Over the years, I¡¯ve spared no effort in nurturing it, and it has consumed many precious resources. I am even considering taking it to the Fire Cloud Cave during the Water and Land Dharma Assembly to rent the Fire Cloud Tunnel for its dedicated cultivation to assist its transformation,¡± Gongsun Jin said.


    He even shared his plans for nurturing his beast pet with Qin Niu.


    It was evident that Qin Niu¡¯s few words of praise had genuinely touched his heart.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go help the Gang Leader drive back that poisonous widow from the Nine Insect Gang! As long as she is defeated, the enemy forces will surely collapse, and we will have won this battle,¡± Gongsun Jin suggested.


    Gongsun Jin was a trusted aide of the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    He was always loyal and dedicated to the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just follow the two Gang Leaders into battle, wherever you point, I¡¯ll strike!¡±


    Qin Niu nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Haha, Brother Qin Niu, that¡¯s some real dedication! Your cultivation is a bit weaker, so try not to stray too far from me. The Widowmaker¡¯s character isn¡¯t great, but her strength is incredibly formidable. Her cultivation must be very close to that of an Immortal Master.¡±


    Gongsun Jin saw how readily Qin Niu was cooperating and found himself growing more and more fond of him.


    He was conversely concerned for Qin Niu¡¯s safety.


    Soon, they reached the side of the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    From a distance, there didn¡¯t seem to be much to notice. They only saw the Black Tiger Gang Leader and the Nine Insects Gang Leader exchanging blows with sword and blade, fighting quite casually.


    It was only upon approaching the Black Tiger Gang Leader that they could feel the terrifying force emanating from the clash between the two sides.


    Every exchange subjected Qin Niu¡¯s body to violent tremors.


    It was as if an invisible battering ram was slamming into him with force.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation was greatly inferior compared to these powerhouses.


    This sobering realization highlighted his own shortcomings.


    Having powerful Insect Pets wasn¡¯t enough; one also needed strong personal cultivation to last.


    ¡°Witch, prepare to die!¡±


    Gongsun Jin, who was usually well-spoken, didn¡¯t hesitate to call the Nine Insects Gang Leader a witch outright.


    ¡°Chatterer!¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader coldly shouted and swung her sword through the air, unleashing a slash towards Gongsun Jin.


    A terrifying Sword Qi flew from the tip of her sword, like a crescent moon or a surging wave¡¯s leading crest, striking towards Gongsun Jin.


    Qin Niu felt an invisible force pressing on him, completely suppressing any thought of resistance.


    It was simply too powerful.


    What shocked him even more was that the Nine Insects Gang Leader could project Sword Qi from the tip of her sword. This method of attack was far more sophisticated than merely showing Sword Qi at the tip.


    Gongsun Jin hurriedly raised his defenses, swinging his weapon to reveal a solidified energy blade that collided with the incoming Sword Qi.


    He was using a Judge¡¯s Pen.


    It somewhat resembled a pipe for smoking.


    This weapon was also a part of the odd weaponry category, used by very few.


    Some scholars and scribes liked to use Judge¡¯s Pens.


    Especially those literati who acquired positions of power, and then achieved some level of cultivation, they might choose to use a Judge¡¯s Pen.


    It could be wielded as a sword, used as a pen to strategize, or even determine other people¡¯s life and death, as well as their fate.


    In the Innate Realm, powerful cultivators can display Sword Qi or Blade Qi from their weapons. At the Spirit Qi Realm, they can go a step further, condensing the Sword Qi to make it more solidified, turning it into an energy blade at the end.


    Without a doubt, an energy blade is far more powerful than mere Sword Qi.


    Boom!


    After the massive explosion, Gongsun Jin¡¯s right hand trembled nonstop, and his complexion turned slightly pale.


    When he looked at the Nine Insects Gang Leader, his eyes were filled with fear.


    ¡°Witch, I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯ve touched the threshold of an Immortal Master. It seems you might already possess the cultivation of an Immortal Master, right?¡±


    He asked tentatively.


    The response was another Sword Qi strike from the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    It¡¯s best not to upset women for no reason. If you do, the consequences can be like that of Gongsun Jin¡¯s, enduring one Sword Qi attack after another, until they kill you.


    ¡°Damn! Heart as poisonous as a widow¡¯s, they didn¡¯t call you the Widowmaker for nothing!¡±


    Gongsun Jin screeched in a high-pitched voice, once again raising the Judge¡¯s Pen to defend.


    He had no choice but to stand his ground, as there was no way to dodge.


    The speed of this Sword Qi was too fast; with his current agility and speed, he couldn¡¯t evade it. One hit from the Sword Qi would dismember him on the spot.

 Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Chapter 443 Falling Moon Sword Technique_1

    Chapter 451: Chapter 443 Falling Moon Sword Technique_1


    The best approach was to actively resist and dissolve the incoming slash of Sword Qi.


    The second wave of Sword Qi was again successfully neutralized by Gongsun Jin, but his hair was disheveled, and the hem of his robe and the cuff of his right sleeve were torn. He looked rather disheveled.


    Between Immortal Masters and the Spirit Qi Realm, there seemed to be only one level difference, but it was like the difference between heaven and earth.


    It was unclear why Gongsun Jin harbored such hatred for the Nine Insects Gang Leader, insisting on catching and scolding her.


    The grievances between those in high positions were only clear to the parties involved.


    Being repeatedly insulted, the Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s black robe fluttered without wind, clearly enraged to the extreme.


    ¡°As detestable as that wretch! It¡¯s true that not a single one from the Gongsun Family is decent, only fit for hell!¡±


    Before the words ended, she danced nimbly upon the Tyrant Demon Spider, with the treasure sword in her hand drawing bizarre sword shadows.


    Seeing this scene, the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s expression changed dramatically, and he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Gongsun Gang Leader, flee quickly!¡± As he spoke, he spurred the tiger demon under him to block in front of the Nine Insect Gang Leader. ¡°Hei Ying, your opponent is me, and today I must properly experience your Falling Moon Sword Technique.¡±


    ¡°Is this, this the Falling Moon Sword Technique? It was rumored that back in the day, the Seven-Star Sect showcased the Seven-Star Sword Technique as its proud sword technique, but secretly, they possessed an even more powerful sword technique, called the Falling Moon Sword Technique. This sword technique is only passed down to the sect leader.¡±


    Gongsun Jin did not rush to flee, instead, he watched the Nine Insects Gang Leader perform the Falling Moon Sword Technique with a desirous gaze.


    Qin Niu had obtained a copy of the Seven-Star Sword Technique, always thinking it was the Seven-Star Sect¡¯s profound masterpiece, which was why he had Xiao Qing and his two wives practice this sword technique.


    Now he understood that the Seven-Star Sword Technique was just the strongest technique on display, while the truly formidable one was the Falling Moon Sword Technique.


    The movements of the Nine Insects Gang Leader were not very fast, and even appeared slow, graceful, and enchanting to onlookers.


    In actuality, she quickly completed the initiation of the Falling Moon Sword Technique.


    Some advanced sword techniques have initiation moves, which serve as a foundation for subsequent techniques.


    It could also be simply understood as a warm-up.


    ¡°The first move, ¡®Seemingly the Milky Way Falling from the Heavens¡¯!¡±


    She chanted the sword mantra, and slashed a sword strike towards Gongsun Jin.


    The terrifying Sword Qi unleashed from the tip of the sword, growing stronger as it surged forth, carrying the desolate force capable of exterminating all life on earth, as though it could silence all things.


    However, it was quickly blocked by the Black Tiger Gang Leader with a sword.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s sword technique was upright and powerful, displaying the dominance befitting a king.


    One sword strike, like the collapse of Mount Tai, like the surge of raging waves.


    Even his sword light was pale gold.


    With what appeared to be an effortless stroke, he unleashed the power of a thousand troops charging into battle.


    Boom!


    Their sword lights collided fiercely, clashing and striking against one another.


    Eventually, both sword lights gradually dissipated, with their sword technique strengths seeming to be evenly matched.


    ¡°Xue Qiuhe, you deceitful wretch, you¡¯ve hidden yourself well. I didn¡¯t expect you to have broken through to the Immortal Scholar Realm. And you¡¯ve mastered the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique,¡± spat the Nine Insects Gang Leader, her voice icy cold.


    She wanted to kill Gongsun Jin, who insulted her, with one strike, not hesitating to use the Falling Moon Sword Technique, but her supposedly lethal strike was blocked by the Black Tiger Gang Leader, and her inner rage was imaginable.


    ¡°Both of us have our little secrets. Without any fuss, you¡¯ve obtained the inheritance sword technique of the Seven-Star Sect and have trained it to such power, and at the same time, you¡¯ve also broken through to the Immortal Scholar Realm, which is truly impressive. It seems that at this year¡¯s Water and Land Dharma Assembly, you are set on winning.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader, instead of trading insults with her, instead complimented her for being remarkable.


    In fact, the Nine Insects Gang Leader, a woman in her own right, managed to control a sect and didn¡¯t neglect her cultivation, which really was no simple feat.


    These individuals were all genuine powerhouses who normally kept a low profile and never easily displayed their strength.


    Only in the heat of battle could their true power be seen.


    Qin Niu always believed that Immortal Masters were high above, residing only within the Immortal Sects, and ordinary people would find it difficult to encounter one in a lifetime.


    He had not expected to face two Immortal Scholars.


    ¡°The Water and Land Dharma Assembly is our only chance to enter the Immortal Gate. Who wouldn¡¯t go all out for it?¡± Gongsun Jin is doomed today, and you can¡¯t protect him.¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader perhaps noticed that the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s strength was not inferior to her own, and her tone underwent a slight change.


    It could be seen as a form of respect.


    At their level, money and power should have long been of little concern.


    After all, both of them controlled their own sects and possessed extremely powerful strength.


    ¡°Why must it come to this! Take my advice, withdraw your forces back to the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s territory immediately. A fight where both sides suffer serves no one any good.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader showed forbearance towards the Nine Insects Gang Leader at every turn, opting for a conciliatory policy.


    What romantic entanglements the two may have had in their youth, nobody knew.


    ¡°The second form, Miles of Autumn Sorrow Dances in the Sky!¡±


    She executed the second form of the Falling Moon Sword Technique.


    As she swept out with her sword, the entire sky seemed to tremble, the pleasant autumn weather suddenly gave way to a gusting wind.


    The ground¡¯s weeds and dead leaves were whipped up, swirling through the air, truly conveying a sense of deep autumnal melancholy.


    The fearsome Sword Qi split in mid-air, first into two, then four.


    All of it aimed directly at Gongsun Jin.


    Qin Niu was standing very close to Gongsun Jin, and in fright, he quickly gripped the Ink Blade in his hand, while activating the King Pig Leather Armor, trying to make the Qi armor more solid. Still not feeling safe, he also performed the Misty Rain Elusive Step to increase the distance.


    When Immortals fight, mere mortals suffer.


    With his current cultivation, he couldn¡¯t even handle a strong practitioner of the Spirit Qi Realm, let alone withstand the top-tier sword techniques of an Immortal Scholar.


    Even a fool could see, the Nine Insects Gang Leader, angered by Gongsun Jin¡¯s insults, was set on killing Gongsun Jin.


    ¡°Gangsun Sect Leader, run!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader parried two streams of Sword Qi with her sword, then commanded her demonic tiger to emit a stream of black Qi, blocking another. However, she was powerless to stop the last one.


    By the time Gongsun Jin thought of escaping, it was already too late.


    The Sword Qi was incredibly fast, reaching him in the blink of an eye. Although this Sword Qi represented only a quarter of the second form¡¯s power, its might was astonishing, over ten feet long and more than a foot wide, enveloping Gongsun Jin entirely within the range of the Sword Qi¡¯s slash.


    In this critical moment, Gongsun Jin instantly dropped his defenses and then thrust hard against the ground with both feet.


    Immediately after, he soared into the air.


    Beneath his feet, as if treading upon invisible clouds, he kept thrusting upward, his body rapidly gaining altitude.


    In an instant, he had risen more than thirty meters into the air.


    Narrowly avoiding the dreadful Sword Qi.


    Bang!


    The Sword Qi slammed fiercely onto the ground, all stones and vegetation covered by it were turned to rubble in an instant.


    A deep crevice more than thirty feet long appeared on the ground.


    The whole earth shook intensely for a moment.


    Qin Niu paled with fright, his eyes wide with terror as he gazed at the gash in the ground, swallowing with difficulty. Then, wisely, he fled towards the back, increasing the distance between himself and the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    Such an opponent was beyond his ability to provoke.


    Staying away from her was the wisest move.

 Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Chapter 444: Phantom Messenger_1

    Chapter 452: Chapter 444: Phantom Messenger_1


    Anyway, with the strength of his insect pets now, Qin Niu figured that aside from the Gang Leader, there probably wouldn¡¯t be a second person in the Nine Insects Gang daring to target him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve trained the ¡®Ascending Cloud Ladder¡¯ to this level; truly not an easy feat. However, you still can¡¯t escape death,¡±


    the Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s voice carried a trace of solemnity.


    The face hidden under the black hood must also be filled with severity.


    It seemed she was about to use the third move of the Falling Moon Sword Technique.


    Or perhaps continue using the second move because it was very practical. Even the Black Tiger Gang Leader couldn¡¯t stop it despite his full effort.


    When Gongsun Jin landed back on the ground, his face was pale, and without a word, he quickly fled into the distance.


    But he had only escaped a few steps when he was stopped by the Golden Silkworms.


    These Golden Silkworms seemed to appear out of thin air, materializing in front of Gongsun Jin.


    They looked like very ordinary little insects, but Gongsun Jin was extremely wary of them.


    Keep in mind, Gongsun Jin himself was a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse; not to mention ordinary insects, even Grade Seven insects he could easily kill.


    ¡°Brother Qin Niu, help me deal with these insects!¡±


    Gongsun Jin was too bashful to cry for help, so instead, he elegantly asked Qin Niu for assistance against the insects.


    ¡°Do these fireflies have any special characteristics?¡±


    Qin Niu dared not rashly reach out to save him.


    In helping others, one must first ensure they have the strength to do so.


    ¡°They are one of the witch¡¯s two great insect pets, known as the Ghost Messengers. Once touched by the ghost flame on their bodies, one would immediately suffer the agony of a soul burning.¡±


    Gongsun Jin mentioned the fireflies with great fear.


    Physical attacks are at most painful to the flesh and are visible to the eye.


    But Mental Attacks, soul corrosion, and soul-burning offensive methods are truly indefensible.


    ¡°Did these fireflies just appear out of nowhere, can they turn invisible?¡±


    Qin Niu was neither arrogant nor reckless.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader was a master insect-tamer, and even the already revealed Tyrant Demon Spider was terrifying, reaching the rank of an insect demon. Could those fireflies, as one of her two great insect pets, be any weaker?


    ¡°In the darkness of the night, these fireflies might be able to turn invisible. Now in broad daylight, they shouldn¡¯t be able to. I¡¯m also puzzled as to why they suddenly emerged from the air,¡±


    said Gongsun Jin, constantly moving his judge¡¯s pen to prevent the Golden Silkworms from getting close.


    But his attacks were not very effective.


    Because he didn¡¯t dare to touch the fireflies at all.


    Even with a weapon, he dared not make contact with those insects.


    ¡°Can¡¯t these fireflies be killed?¡±


    Qin Niu caught the hint and inquired further.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that they will self-destruct. If hit by a weapon, they will immediately self-destruct. Even if smeared with a bit of the Soul Devouring Nether Flame on their bodies, it will ignite the soul. You can use insects to deal with them, but you must never get close to these fireflies. Not even a protective air armor can necessarily block the Soul Devouring Nether Flame on them,¡±


    cautioned Gongsun Jin.


    Just a firefly, yet so terrifying. No wonder Gongsun Jin, a mighty Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse, immediately retreated in fear upon detecting those fireflies, not daring to have any contact with them.


    Qin Niu observed the fireflies carefully, each one plump with a full abdomen, looking rather chubby.


    At the end of their abdomens, a faint ghostly light continuously twinkled.


    At first glance, it didn¡¯t seem much different from the glow emitted by ordinary fireflies.


    ¡°Let¡¯s send a Green Ring Worker Bee to test,¡±


    said Qin Niu. Among his flying insect pets, which were abundant and easy to breed, there were only two types.


    One was the honeybee, and the other was the Shadow Fire Bee.


    If talking about the cheapest, it was the honeybee.


    The reproduction of the Shadow Fire Bees wasn¡¯t as easy as imagined. Furthermore, to make them fight, Qin Niu could not directly command them but had to do so through the Queen Bee.


    The Green Ring Worker Bee¡¯s flying speed was quite fast, while the fireflies¡¯ speed was slower; it should be easy to catch up with one of the fireflies.


    However, this Green Ring Worker Bee most likely wouldn¡¯t come back alive.


    The Green Ring Worker Bee flew out of Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Bag and quickly flew towards a firefly.


    At that moment, the Nine Insects Gang Leader had already initiated the second move again.


    Still four Sword Qi strikes, three of which were once again blocked by the Black Tiger Gang Leader and his pet tiger, leaving the remaining one slashing towards Gongsun Jin.


    At this moment, Gongsun Jin was clearly much more passive.


    He could not escape.


    Behind him were all fireflies, any one of which could kill him, a strong Spirit Qi Realm expert.


    In front was the Sword Qi cut by the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    He was preparing to repeat his old trick, trying once more to use the ¡°Climbing The Clouds Ladder¡± to rush into the sky to dodge this dreadful Sword Qi.


    But there were fireflies appearing above his head too, scaring him from daring to evade upward anymore.


    Otherwise, if he bumped into them, that would be a tragedy.


    With no other choice, Gongsun Jin had to wave his Judge¡¯s Pen to block the attacking Sword Qi with all his might.


    Boom, boom, boom!


    A series of explosions sounded, Gongsun Jin¡¯s robes were completely tattered, looking like a beggar¡¯s outfit, with streaks of blood on his face and blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.


    He was also staggering, extremely disheveled.


    He had caught that Sword Qi strike, but he had sustained serious injuries.


    ¡°Brother Qin Niu, hurry up!¡±


    Gongsun Jin¡¯s voice was sharp, already carrying a hint of crying.


    Of course, at his level, crying like a woman was out of the question.


    But facing the threat of death, his heart was undoubtedly in a panic.


    ¡°I can only do my best; please don¡¯t place all your hopes on me.¡±


    Qin Niu did not dare to make such a guarantee.


    The Green Ring Worker Bees he sent out had already flown behind a firefly, directly attacking it.


    Half a foot away from the firefly, his Green Ring Worker Bee silently tumbled from the air to the ground.


    Before it even hit the ground, the Green Ring Worker Bee was dead.


    ¡°Such a powerful firefly! Could these fireflies also have Mental Attacks?¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s Termite had both Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants.


    One kind could perform Spirit Control and the other kind could perform Mental Attacks.


    So, Qin Niu¡¯s first thought was whether these fireflies also possessed such attack methods.


    His Green Ring Worker Bee did not even come into contact with the opponent and was directly killed; what else could it be besides a Mental Attack?


    ¡°Fourth, take the ant swarm and attack one of the fireflies to test it.¡±


    Qin Niu approached one of the fireflies, allowing the Termite to launch a Mental Attack.


    Surprisingly, Fourth easily succeeded.


    The firefly immediately obediently flew towards Qin Niu.


    This indicated that Mental Attacks were effective against them.


    Once it flew close, Qin Niu carefully observed this firefly and could see black patterns on its body, forming two strange runes.


    To be precise, there were at least three strange runes on it.


    Because there seemed to be patterns on its head as well, but since its head was so small, Qin Niu did not dare to get closer to observe.


    From two meters away, he could only see some blurry patterns.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Qin Niu sent another Green Ring Worker Bee towards the controlled firefly.


    Only to see the Green Ring Worker Bee flying to about half a foot from it, the same scenario played out, silently falling from the sky.


    Keep in mind, this firefly was already under the control of Fourth.


    It definitely couldn¡¯t have launched an attack against Qin Niu¡¯s Green Ring Worker Bee on its own, yet the second Green Ring Worker Bee was still killed. This indicated that the fireflies possessed a natural automatic defense mechanism.


    Because this time it was much closer, Qin Niu saw more clearly that before the Green Ring Worker Bee fell, its head had emitted a faint ghostly light.


    Could it be that the death of the Green Ring Worker Bee was not due to a Mental Attack, but it was hit by the firefly¡¯s Soul Devouring Nether Flame?


    That was very likely the case.


    It approached within half a foot of the firefly, its faint spirit ignited, which was the true cause of its sudden death.

 Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Chapter 445: The Golden Crow Appears, The Jade Rabbit Emerges_1

    Chapter 453: Chapter 445: The Golden Crow Appears, The Jade Rabbit Emerges_1


    To verify his conjecture, Qin Niu sent another termite to approach that firefly.


    Just like with the Green Ring Worker Bees, the moment it got within half a foot of the firefly, the termite suddenly flipped over on the ground, its six legs twitched a few times, and then it lay still. A wisp of ghostly light also appeared on its head and quickly faded away.


    Qin Niu felt a chill run down his spine.


    If these fireflies were so formidable, who could withstand them if the Nine Insects Gang Leader simply released them to kill the enemy?


    However, the Nine Insects Gang Leader did not do so, and there must be a hidden reason behind it.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader was no kind soul. If she could have used the fireflies to wipe out all her enemies, she would have done so long ago. She wouldn¡¯t have had to struggle to use the Falling Moon Sword Technique in a life-and-death fight with the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    This meant the fireflies must have a weakness.


    Just like those who practice defensive cultivation techniques and are impervious to blade and spear, they usually have a vulnerable point, also known as a lethal acupoint.


    This kind of lethal acupoint, concerning their wealth and lives, wouldn¡¯t be revealed even to their closest confidants.


    What is the ¡®lethal acupoint¡¯ of the fireflies?


    Qin Niu racked his brains in ponderous thought.


    Termites, bees¡ªall just needed to get within half a foot of the fireflies to die, and he estimated that the same outcome would be true for other insects sent into battle.


    The only method he could think of to counter the fireflies at the moment was to have the Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants use mental attacks.


    This was a method of remote attack, which could kill or capture the fireflies without having to get close to them.


    Still, as Gongsun Jin also mentioned, the fireflies are highly prone to self-destruct, so it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.


    If he got tainted with their Soul Devouring Nether Flame, Qin Niu¡¯s fate might be the same as the dead Green Ring Worker Bee.


    ¡°Fourth, lead the Ghost Ants and Puppet Ants to eradicate those fireflies with all their might. You can manipulate them to fight each other to death.¡±


    Qin Niu issued the combat order.


    Although he had a way to deal with the fireflies, there were two questions he still couldn¡¯t figure out.


    First, what exactly is the lethal acupoint of the fireflies? Second, where did the fireflies suddenly come from¡ªwas it invisibility or some other means?


    Pop!


    Pop!


    One after another, the fireflies self-destructed when they were controlled or attacked.


    When they exploded, a large number of glows scattered all around, with a force akin to that of miniature bombs.


    Qin Niu initially thought that the fireflies¡¯ vulnerable point might be the Soul Devouring Nether Flame produced by their self-destruct.


    This flame was vicious beyond compare, specializing in burning the soul.


    Just a touch would be enough to burn someone to death.


    After being splashed, they should also get burned to death.


    However, he soon realized his deduction was wrong. The fireflies were completely immune to this Soul Devouring Nether Flame. Even when splashed, they remained unharmed.


    In addition, he had roughly measured the blast radius of the fireflies through actual combat, and it reached as far as three meters away.


    This power was truly terrifying.


    ¡°Young man, I seem to have underestimated you!¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader sensed that the fireflies were dying off constantly and immediately checked the situation. She quickly realized it had something to do with Qin Niu.


    Being able to kill her fireflies silently and without a trace was not something any ordinary Insect Master could achieve.


    ¡°Once I have taken down Gongsun Jin, you¡¯re next!¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader was firmly blocked by the Black Tiger Gang Leader, making it impossible to deal with Qin Niu and Gongsun Jin simultaneously. Now that she had finally injured Gongsun Jin, she naturally didn¡¯t want to miss this excellent opportunity.


    She once again executed the second move of the Falling Moon Sword Technique, preparing to finish off Gongsun Jin first.


    Qin Niu was not one to be frightened that easily.


    Being cautious in his actions didn¡¯t mean he was faint-hearted.


    Taking advantage of the Nine Insects Gang Leader being preoccupied, Qin Niu led the Termite Army to furiously slaughter those terrifying fireflies.


    He always felt that these fireflies were quite special. To simply let them self-destruct seemed like a wasteful way to deal with them. How wonderful it would be if he could keep the whole carcass to feed the Ant Queen and other insect pets!


    But those fireflies¡¯ Soul Devouring Nether Flames were too frightening, and Qin Niu truly dared not carry them on his person.


    He had no choice but to abandon this idea.


    ¡°My fate is sealed!¡±


    Gongsun Jin had just exhausted all his strength to block that sword qi and had deeply realized just how terrifying the Falling Moon Sword Technique could be.


    He had no confidence in blocking a second wave of sword qi.


    As he saw a large number of fireflies above his head and many more approaching from behind, he knew he could not escape.


    He could only be forced by those fireflies to step forward.


    As if voluntarily moving closer to the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    It somewhat felt like he was delivering himself to the Nine Insects Gang Leader to be slaughtered.


    ¡°Hei Ying, since you are beyond persuasion, I have no choice but to offend you.¡±


    Seeing the situation was dire, the Black Tiger Gang Leader couldn¡¯t just watch Gongsun Jin be killed.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s expression turned grave.


    ¡°Rebel!¡±


    He spat out the word forcefully.


    Then he swung his sword towards the sky, and the strong wind made his robes billow with a whistling sound.


    The heavens and earth seemed to brighten suddenly, giving the sensation of a high sun shining brightly.


    Qin Niu felt puzzled and took a brief glance.


    With just that glance, he almost cried out in shock. Above the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s head, a proud sun appeared, blazing red with a diameter of two to three zhang, glittering with golden light.


    If not for the setting sun still hanging in the sky, Qin Niu would have believed that the sun had been brought down by the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Conjuring a sun with human strength was a bewildering and shocking ability indeed.


    Could an Immortal Master¡¯s methods be so powerful?


    ¡°You, your Sun Pursuing Sword Technique has reached perfection, capable of gathering the Golden Crow with your sword, you¡¯re confident against me. To protect that scoundrel¡¯s in-laws, you reveal your trump card without hesitation, is this guilt by association? It seems that scoundrel holds a very high status in your heart!¡±


    Watching the Black Tiger Gang Leader execute the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique, the Nine Insects Gang Leader instantly lost her confidence in winning with swordsmanship.


    Clearly, the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s swordsmanship was superior to hers.


    If the fight continued, she would not be able to stand against the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    ¡°Withdraw the troops! I will not kill you!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader said indifferently.


    ¡°Hmph, you think by using the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique you can defeat me, you¡¯re probably still lacking a bit.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she let out a cold, eerie laugh and lifted her veil to consume an elixir.


    Then, she started to wield her sword with rapid movements.


    It seemed to be a strenuous effort.


    ¡°The Golden Crow appears, the Jade Rabbit emerges!¡±


    As soon as her words ended, a faint crescent moon appeared above her head.


    Both were going all out, their strengths evenly matched.


    One successfully gathered the Golden Crow¡¯s phantom, while the other the crescent moon¡¯s phantom.


    The Falling Moon Sword Technique and the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique were both top-tier sword techniques.


    Qin Niu¡¯s understanding of martial skills was completely refreshed.


    The two began clashing swords, each blow swift and violent, overpowering each other with sheer force.


    Every exchange carried the power to destroy heaven and earth, making it impossible for anyone to approach.


    Such was the terrifying strength of an Immortal Master.


    It made Qin Niu even more envious, yearning to break through to such an ultimate realm as soon as possible.


    At the moment, all he could do was speed up the killing of those fireflies, helping Gongsun Jin make a bloody path to escape.


    After killing about four to five hundred fireflies, the Nine Insects Gang Leader started to falter a bit.


    Those fireflies were one of her most powerful insects, nurtured with great difficulty, and now they were being killed off in large numbers, causing her heart to bleed.

 Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: 446

    Chapter 454: 446


    ¡°Invisible!¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader uttered just one word, and those fireflies flew up into the sky and then vanished from sight.


    Qin Niu thought to himself, ¡°Little punk, let¡¯s see if you dare to tough it out.¡±


    The Nine Insect Gang Leader had the fireflies turn invisible on their own accord, indicating that she couldn¡¯t afford such a significant loss.


    Gongsun Jin, seeing those fireflies that blocked the way had disappeared, didn¡¯t dare delay any longer and swiftly turned into a fleeting shadow, escaping into the distance.


    ¡°Brother Qin Niu, thank you for the rescue!¡±


    He had previously relied on the Cloud-Ascending Steps and believed that even if the Nine Insects Gang Leader went all out, she couldn¡¯t hurt him.


    Now, having witnessed the frightening ability of the Nine Insects Gang Leader, how could he still act willfully?


    He wished he could flee as far as possible.


    He had to get away from that enchantress.


    Qin Niu also escaped towards the distance; Gongsun Jin had fled, so why should he stay there like a sitting duck? Was that even possible?


    No sooner had he fled a few dozen meters than he sensed something was off.


    Groups of insects kept popping up around him as if appearing out of thin air.


    The fireflies had an invisibility technique, but did these other insects have one too?


    Isn¡¯t that nonsense?


    Qin Niu tried attacking the insects, only to find they were very cunning. He would slash at them, and they would immediately scatter, making it hard to hurt them.


    He let Fourth try to exercise mind control.


    ¡°Master, I seem to have a bit of trouble controlling it!¡±


    Fourth reported to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Is it because the insect you picked is particularly powerful?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve switched several times, and it¡¯s the same result.¡±


    Fourth was currently a Grade Six War Demon Ant, which meant its level was quite high.


    The moths ahead didn¡¯t look like Grade Six moths at all.


    At most, they seemed to be between Grade Three and Four.


    Why couldn¡¯t Fourth control them?


    ¡°Fourth, try controlling a different insect again.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s insect pets were generally very strong, so he wasn¡¯t worried.


    ¡°Still can¡¯t control them, they¡¯re strange, it¡¯s like they¡¯re a single entity.¡±


    Fourth was frustrated; it wasn¡¯t weak, but today it kept being thwarted.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I understand now! This is an Insect Formation! Yes, someone must have set up a massive Insect Formation.¡±


    At this point, Qin Niu could only think of this possibility.


    When he fought Elder Wu Shanle, the impression that the Poison Bee Formation left on him was unforgettable.


    This was a big deal.


    The enemy must be quietly setting up a super Insect Formation. Just because the formation was so large, it would take time to set up.


    If they waited until the enemy¡¯s formation was complete, it would be doubtful whether any of the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s high ranks could escape.


    Qin Niu knew very well how powerful those poison bees were when formed into an Insect Formation.


    ¡°Gang Leader, the enemy is secretly setting up a massive Insect Formation, intending to envelop us all within it. Once complete, the combat power of the Nine Insects Gang¡¯s swarm will increase tenfold or even a hundredfold.¡±


    Qin Niu hurriedly reported loudly to the Black Tiger Gang Leader not far away.


    ¡°An Insect Formation?¡±


    After hearing this, the Black Tiger Gang Leader remained composed but noticeably intensified his offensive tactics.


    Although the Black Tiger Gang Leader appeared to have everything under control, in reality, he was not as strong as imagined.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have just watched Gongsun Jin get critically injured.


    From what the Nine Insects Gang Leader said, it was clear that Gongsun Jin must be a relative of the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s wife¡¯s family. Whether he was her brother or father, that was unknown.


    When Gongsun Jin faced the threat of being slain, the Black Tiger Gang Leader revealed his ultimate strength in the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique without hesitation, underscoring the incredible importance of Gongsun Jin in his heart.


    Qin Niu finally understood why Gongsun Jin could become the spokesman for the Black Tiger Gang Leader and his right-hand man.


    With the familial ties, that was a natural bond.


    Just as Qin Niu would fully support Tang Caixian¡¯s brother, it¡¯s the same principle.


    One must prioritize their own relatives in matters of importance.


    ¡°Hei Ying, after all these years, you haven¡¯t changed at all. Your methods are still so ruthless and fierce.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s swordplay grew more ferocious with each strike, forcing the Nine Insects Gang Leader to retreat defeat after defeat.


    In a fight, men possess a natural advantage.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader bit her teeth in silence.


    ¡°Among the five top-tier sword techniques, both you and I have learned one. In history, practitioners of the Falling Moon Sword Technique defeated those of the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique. People believe that the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique is inferior to the Falling Moon Sword Technique.


    However, that¡¯s merely because the practitioner of the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique harbored feelings of kindness, reserving a tender and compassionate heart.¡±


    ¡°Today, I will let you witness the true power of the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique.¡±


    As his words fell, the Black Tiger Gang Leader reached into his robe and pulled out a black tiger-head medallion.


    ¡°Members of the Black Tiger Gang, heed my command. Today¡¯s battle is a matter of life and death for the Black Tiger Gang, and it concerns the fate of a million citizens. We must win, and we will win. Otherwise, our families, our brothers, and sisters behind us will face a fate worse than death, a dilemma of life and death.


    All of our years of hard work and accumulation will be reduced to nothing.


    The Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect have shamefully conspired against us, and if such dholes gain power, they will only plunge the people of the world into misery, leading them to a desperate plight.


    Now, the Nine Insect Gang has secretly set up a super Insect Formation, intending to trap us all in one fell swoop.


    We must break the formation before it is fully laid out.


    All the Spirit Qi Realm experts, follow my lead, and the Black Knight Legion will support from the rear. Break through the enemy¡¯s formation! Kill!¡±


    The voice of the Black Tiger Gang Leader echoed throughout the entire battlefield.


    Immortal Masters are indeed formidable, those in the Spirit Qi Realm can also use the same technique to amplify their voices, but they cannot make their voice reverberate across the entire battlefield with such divine authority.


    One by one, the Spirit Qi Realm experts of the Black Tiger Gang abandoned their enemies and quickly converged toward their Gang Leader.


    This is the rallying power and cohesion of a top-tier boss.


    Such prestige cannot be cultivated overnight.


    It goes to show just how high-ranking the Black Tiger Gang Leader is within the gang, and how much they all respect him.


    Over the years, the Black Tiger Gang has gone from nothing to something, and modestly built up their strength, with each member bearing witness to the Gang Leader¡¯s wisdom.


    ¡°Heaven Cleaver!¡±


    The treasured sword in the hands of the Black Tiger Gang Leader turned a crimson red, and then sword light began to emerge on the blade, growing stronger and stronger.


    Eventually, it looked as if flames were burning on the sword.


    In fact, it was the sword light.


    Boom!


    He struck out at the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    It seemed as if the sky itself was cleaved by the sword, and one could faintly perceive the kind of authority of Pangu opening the heavens as told in legends.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader also struck out with her sword.


    Their sword lights collided, and her body, like autumn leaves, was quickly blown back.


    The Tyrant Demon Spider she rode on suffered rare damage.


    A crack appeared on its back, with green demonic blood gushing forth.


    It let out a ¡°sisss siss¡± noise and quickly retreated.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader asserted his might with one sword strike, sending the Nine Insects Gang Leader flying and wounding the Tyrant Demon Spider, an act of power that undeniably exhilarated every member of the Black Tiger Gang. Their morale soared, their fighting spirit was like a rainbow, and they too went all out, charging toward the enemy ahead.


    ¡°The ultimate moves of the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique are indeed extraordinary. Besides Heaven Cleaver, there should be another move called Earth Extinguisher. Your Heaven Cleaver still lacks refinement, and I presume you have yet to master Earth Extinguisher,¡± said a man shrouded in a black robe who appeared out of nowhere.


    His face was unclear, he held a vine staff, and his back was hunched.


    The voice was old and raspy, and unsettling to the ear, like fingernails scraping across frosted glass.


    Qin Niu watched this suddenly appearing robed old man, his heart thumping wildly.


    He couldn¡¯t quite explain it, but he had a feeling that this robed old man was the actual manipulator of the super Insect Formation.


    Because around the old man¡¯s body, a great many insects were fluttering.


    ¡°I presume you must be the hidden Gu Master of the Nine Insects Gang?¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader, sword in hand, took steps closer to the other party.

 Chapter 455 - Chapter 455: Chapter 447: Fang Lian Aspires to Rise to a Higher Position_1

    Chapter 455: Chapter 447: Fang Lian Aspires to Rise to a Higher Position_1


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    The mysterious elder let out a chilling laugh, causing listeners to feel their insides churn in discomfort.


    ¡°Submit or die!¡±


    The elder didn¡¯t answer directly, instead presenting a supremely tyrannical choice.


    It was extremely arrogant.


    ¡°What if I choose neither?¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s composure was exceptionally high, and he didn¡¯t get angry.


    He also didn¡¯t rush to attack his opponent but quietly observed the Mysterious Gu Master instead.


    ¡°Then I can only send you to meet the Silkworm Ancestor!¡±


    The Silkworm Ancestor, also known as the Goddess of Silkworms, is the common progenitor revered by all Insect Masters and Gu Masters.


    Only especially powerful Insect Masters would place the Silkworm Ancestor in the highest position in their hearts. Hence, it¡¯s rare to hear Insect Masters mention the Silkworm Ancestor, let alone discuss her often.


    This is because powerful Insect Masters are extremely scarce.


    However, it¡¯s different for Gu Masters. It¡¯s rumored that during their blood covenant ceremony, Gu Masters must cut their fingers and offer blood to the Silkworm Ancestor; this is known as establishing a blood covenant.


    Some Gu Masters believe it to be the establishment of a blood pact.


    The purpose is to receive the Silkworm Ancestor¡¯s protection and guidance, enabling their Gu techniques to reach great success.


    Through this language detail from the mysterious elder, it¡¯s essentially certain that he is undoubtedly a Gu Master. For Gu Masters, the Silkworm Ancestor is extremely sacred. They don¡¯t respect the Three Purities, nor do they revere the Jade Emperor; they only venerate the Silkworm Ancestor.


    ¡°Heaven Cleaver!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader no longer wasted words and directly unleashed his most powerful sword technique.


    The longsword in his hand struck, its glow as radiant as the blazing sun upon the earth.


    The ferocious, violent sword radiance carried the might of total annihilation, savagely slashing everything before it.


    ¡°Hmph, you think the mere Sun Pursuing Sword Technique¡¯s Heaven Cleaver can stand against me? It¡¯s nothing but a fool¡¯s errand.¡±


    The Mysterious Gu Master lightly swung his vine staff, pointing forward.


    All kinds of insects began to emerge from the air and the ground¡ªmoths, poison wasps, stink bugs, longhorn beetles, scarab beetles, centipedes, spiders¡­ virtually every type of insect appeared.


    They swarmed together densely, forming a terrifying insect tide.


    When the sword radiance struck towards the mysterious elder, the entire swarm fearlessly met the attack.


    Insect after insect was dissolved by the sword radiance, not even leaving a corpse behind.


    But the initially overwhelming sword radiance rapidly weakened and soon vanished.


    The insect tide was still surging, even seeming somewhat more powerful.


    An endless number of insects kept appearing, merging into the tide.


    It was unimaginable that the full-powered strike from the Black Tiger Gang Leader didn¡¯t even harm the opponent¡¯s skin.


    The Gu Master¡¯s power was too strong.


    Merely setting up an Insect Formation allowed him to use a massive number of weak insects to confront an Immortal Master¡¯s all-out strike with ease. Such an unpredictable, heaven-reaching ability made Qin Niu¡¯s eyes turn red with envy.


    He knew his own affairs best.


    The Life-Nurturing Technique and Medicine King Sutra he cultivated were non-combat oriented techniques.


    Before the fight had even begun, he was at a disadvantage compared to enemies of the same level.


    If he could learn this powerful Insect Formation and integrate it with his own formidable insect pets to set up a formation, he could instantly add a powerful trump card to his arsenal.


    As his cultivation level steadily improved and his experience grew, he gradually realized that there were many factors that truly determined one¡¯s combat prowess.


    It certainly wasn¡¯t just about cultivation level and weapon skills.


    Cultivation, weapon skills, cultivation techniques, equipment, pets, formations¡­ mastering any of these could create the opportunity for a comeback, easily defeating formidable enemies.


    At his current level of cultivation, he might, at most, fight evenly with a warrior at the initial stage of the Innate Realm.


    Yet he could easily slay a mid-stage Innate Realm warrior with his martial arts, the Ink Blade, and the King Pig Leather Armor. He might even overpower warriors at the later stage of the Innate Realm.


    If he employed his pet, the situation would become even more terrifying, as he already possessed the absolute strength to clash head-on with warriors at the Spirit Qi Realm.


    This was still the case even though his pet had not yet reached its full growth.


    Otherwise, even Immortal Scholars would have to circumvent him.


    ¡°Xue Qiuhe, today will be your demise.¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader, having been wounded, had initially prepared to flee. But upon witnessing how formidable her own Gu Masters were, she immediately regained her courage and confidence.


    A ruthless woman like her would never miss a chance to slay her enemies.


    One after another, the top warriors of the Nine Insects Gang gathered behind the Gang Leader, with her at the helm.


    The Shennong Sect Leader stood on the right side of the Nine Insects Gang Leader, while the Great Elder of the gang stood to her left.


    ¡°Pan Jianjun, I truly do not know what you were thinking. For the sake of a woman, you¡¯ve willingly groveled at the feet of a vixen and are content to be a lapdog for the Nine Insects Gang. You¡¯ve lost all face for the Shennong Sect, and even if you die, you wouldn¡¯t have the face to meet the previous Sect Leaders.¡±


    The one cursing was Fang Lian.


    Despite his youth and being merely at the Innate Realm, as the young master of the Fang Family and in order to increase his influence, he had to make his mark.


    A situation like this was an excellent opportunity to make himself known.


    With no fewer than five Fang Family ancestors of the Spirit Qi Realm backing him, his presence alone commanded respect, and no one dared to underestimate Fang Lian.


    The experts of the Shennong Sect felt ashamed upon hearing this.


    The Sect Leader was being too indiscreet. How could he stand next to the Nine Insects Gang Leader just like the Great Elder? To the uninformed, it appeared as if the Shennong Sect Leader had become a subordinate of the Nine Insects Gang.


    ¡°Sharp-tongued fool, you¡¯re seeking death!¡±


    Pan Jianjun¡¯s wife was the first to anger.


    She seemed very protective of her husband¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°Oh? Did I say something wrong? Who doesn¡¯t know that it was you who seduced the Sect Leader of the Shennong Sect with your charms, turning a venerable sect into a vassal of the Nine Insects Gang? With your beauty, you¡¯ve turned a Sect Leader into a spineless fool; your skill is truly unparalleled amongst women. Even a courtesan in a brothel seldom possesses your talent.¡±


    Fang Lian¡¯s words were extremely unpleasant to hear.


    He not only insulted the Shennong Sect Leader as spineless and incompetent, but also labeled the Sect Leader¡¯s wife as nothing more than a glamorous courtesan.


    ¡°Those who insult my beloved wife shall die!¡±


    No matter how composed Pan Jianjun was, being publicly insulted as a courtesan was too much for him to bear for his wife.


    He drew his sword and recklessly charged at Fang Lian.


    ¡°If you want our young master of the Fang Family, you¡¯ll have to get past us first.¡±


    The five Fang Family elders were not there just for show; they united in front of Fang Lian to confront Pan Jianjun and his wife.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader was skilled at currying favor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you bully my sister, as long as I still breathe, I¡¯ll never allow it.¡±


    And just like that, she even disregarded the Black Tiger Gang Leader, her old enemy; riding the Tyrant Demon Spider, she swung her sword and attacked the five Fang Family elders.


    Though strong, the five Fang Family elders had not reached the Immortal Scholar Realm.


    They might have been able to bully Pan Jianjun and his wife when acting together, but with the addition of the Nine Insects Gang Leader, the pressure on the five Fang Family elders increased dramatically.


    The powerhouses of the Spirit Qi Realm from the other major families standing beside the Fangs didn¡¯t bother to lend a hand; they were indifferent, and instead, each chose an opponent to engage in the melee.


    The Fang Family was one of the strongest in the Black Tiger Gang. In this war, the Fang Family had virtually deployed its entire force.


    Apart from Fang Lian¡¯s father, who remained in seclusion for cultivation, all five Fang Family elders were mobilized.

 Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: Chapter 448 Breaking the Insect Formation_1

    Chapter 456: Chapter 448 Breaking the Insect Formation_1


    The Fang Family had their own considerations for doing so.


    With the once-a-decade Water and Land Dharma Assembly about to begin, the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s cultivation had broken through to the Immortal Master Realm. If nothing unexpected occurred, he was very likely to fight his way out among the many competitors and successfully win a chance at immortality.


    Once he obtained the entry ticket from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, the Black Tiger Gang Leader naturally wouldn¡¯t have the time or energy to manage the Black Tiger Gang anymore.


    At that time, a new Gang Leader would definitely be selected.


    If Fang Lian performed well in this crucial war and made a name for himself, the Fang Family could later exert their influence to help him fight for the position of Gang Leader, and the chances of success were very high.


    At least among the younger generation, whether it was the Lu Family, the family that the Black Tiger Gang Leader belonged to, or the other large families, none were currently able to compete with Fang Lian.


    To become the leader of a gang, one either needed to have very solid cultivation, management abilities, and personal character, or one must be exceptional and be backed by a powerful family.


    Fang Lian¡¯s character and management skills were not lacking; though his cultivation was somewhat weaker, it was still considered excellent among his peers.


    Most importantly, the Fang Family was currently the most powerful family in Black Tiger City.


    When the time came to choose a new Gang Leader, this factor would definitely be taken into account.


    Otherwise, if the new Gang Leader couldn¡¯t suppress the other families, internal strife would easily occur.


    This was something the current Black Tiger Gang Leader absolutely did not want to see.


    Considering various factors, the Black Tiger Gang Leader was most likely to nominate Fang Lian as his successor.


    The other families weren¡¯t fools either; they clearly understood the Fang Family¡¯s intentions.


    They definitely wouldn¡¯t openly oppose the Fang Family, but watching the five Fang Family elders struggling alone against formidable enemies, without any help, was what they could do.


    If one or two of the Fang Family elders died in battle, it would be a result they were very happy to see.


    On the other hand, the bravery and spirit the Fang Family displayed by fighting alone against two faction leaders would be enough to establish unprecedented prestige for the Fang Family.


    ¡°A bunch of mayflies! They all deserve to die!¡±


    The mysterious elder made his move again, as the terrifying tide of insects attacked every powerful person in the enemy¡¯s formation indiscriminately.


    This kind of method was simply defying the heavens.


    It was equivalent to him single-handedly challenging all the strong members of the Black Tiger Gang.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader was an Immortal Master, and the Black Tiger under him was a tiger demon, equivalent to two Immortal Masters. There were also many strong Spirit Qi Realm warriors.


    Such a powerful force was something that even an ordinary Immortal Master from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect wouldn¡¯t dare to confront alone.


    The Gu Master, this mysterious profession that was banned by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, indeed had its unique aspects.


    The mysterious elder compared these people to mayflies, but did not call them ants, adding to Qin Niu¡¯s suspicions about this person¡¯s background.


    In the eyes of ordinary people, ants signify weakness.


    But in the eyes of Insect Masters, the strongest insects are actually ants.


    Of course, not common ants, but various Heavenly Earth Strange Insects. For instance, the world-famous Void Ant, Heavenly Crystal Ant, Gold Devouring Ant, and so on.


    Among the ranking of Heavenly Earth Strange Insects, at least two out of the top ten belong to ants.


    Mayfly does not refer to the ant species alone.


    It refers to both the mol cricket and the ant species.


    The mol cricket is well-known for its great strength, possessing two front legs full of serrated edges that can rapidly excavate soil or push stones much heavier than their own weight.


    Compared to ants, mol crickets are much less famous.


    This does not mean they are weak.


    Rather, it is because mol crickets have a simpler breed variety and are not as numerous as ants.


    The base number of ants is terrifying, hence many Heavenly Earth Strange Insects emerge.


    With a smaller base number, mol crickets naturally have far fewer variants.


    The mysterious elder¡¯s respect for mayflies indicates that before becoming a Gu Master, he was likely an Insect Master.


    In fact, Gu Masters originally came from Insect Masters, considered a branch that surpassed its origin.


    At the moment, the strength of both sides was not much different, but with the enemy camp setting up a super Insect Formation and the support of this mysterious Gu Master, the situation had suddenly reversed.


    Under the dual attack of the insect tide and the enemies, the five elders of the Fang Family were the first to suffer.


    After all, the Nine Insects Gang Leader was too powerful.


    Aside from the Black Tiger Gang Leader, almost no one could rival her.


    With one slash of her sword, four streaks of Sword Qi were directed towards four of the Fang Family elders.


    The four elders of the Fang Family managed to barely fend off the Sword Qi but were overwhelmed by the insect tide, putting them in grave danger.


    As it seemed that the elders of the Fang Family were on the brink of total annihilation, Fang Lian was heartbroken.


    If the five elders died in battle, the Fang Family would immediately go from being a top-tier family in Black Tiger City to a second-tier one.


    For a family, strong warriors in the Spirit Qi Realm were like the stabilizing pillar of the sea.


    ¡°Young Master Fang, I¡¯m here to lend you a hand!¡±


    Qin Niu had received numerous favors from the Fang Family, and he was not one to accept kindness without giving something in return.


    At this critical moment, he decisively took action.


    He was well aware that if the Insect Formation couldn¡¯t be broken, everyone from the Black Tiger Gang would be doomed today.


    Qin Niu had killed so many of the Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s fireflies; the Nine Insects Gang Leader, being so venomous, would never let him off the hook.


    Since it was a matter of life and death either way, he might as well take the initiative to strike and find a way to break the situation.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡±


    Fang Lian was thrilled beyond measure; in this difficult moment, Qin Niu¡¯s willingness to risk his life to save the Fang Family¡¯s five ancestors was truly sending coal in snowy weather.


    It also filled his heart with warmth.


    Qin Niu wasted no time, immediately using his Shadow Fire Bee swarm to help the Fang Family¡¯s five ancestors resolve the crisis.


    Just relying on the Shadow Fire Bee swarm was definitely not enough.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, Wart Toad, use your Dragon¡¯s Roar and Frog Croak to attack the swarm.¡±


    Facing a massive swarm, the best form of attack was a sonic attack.


    Because a sonic attack can achieve a mass attack effect.


    The Frog Croak attack could instill fear in the bugs, causing them to flee chaotically. It served as an excellent deterrent.


    Green Ox¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Roar Skill could break through evil barriers, illusions, and bewitching sounds.


    It might have a certain effect on the current Insect Formation.


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The two pets launched their sonic attacks one after the other.


    The result was surprisingly effective.


    The originally surging tide of insects suddenly scattered in all directions, as if clouds had parted to reveal the sun.


    Qin Niu realized that the Insect Formation was likely to have an illusionary effect.


    Moreover, since Gu techniques were mostly evil, the Insect Formation they produced might also have a nefarious nature.


    Green Ox¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Roar Skill was just right for breaking evil barriers, countering some dark arts, which was why it achieved such good results.


    The sudden turn of events left everyone in shock.


    After a brief moment of astonishment, the strong amongst the Nine Insects Gang fixed their murderous gazes on Green Ox behind Qin Niu.


    The power of the Insect Formation was so fearsome that it almost instantly secured victory for the Nine Insects Gang.


    Now that the Insect Formation had been disrupted, they felt not only disappointment but also rage, wanting to kill the one who had destroyed it.


    The powerhouses of the Black Tiger Gang, on the other hand, were overjoyed.


    As long as they could break the enemy¡¯s Insect Formation, the Black Tiger Gang could defeat the formidable foe.


    ¡°Kill that kid!¡±


    The mysterious elder pointed his Vine Staff towards Qin Niu; the Insect Formation hadn¡¯t been broken, but was swiftly recovering.


    A large group of insects converged once again, reforming the formation.


    ¡°Protect Master Qin Niu at all costs!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader would have to be a fool to let Qin Niu be killed by the enemy.


    The Fang Family¡¯s five ancestors, saved by Qin Niu from a tragic fate, were filled with gratitude toward him.


    However, upon receiving the mysterious elder¡¯s instructions, the Nine Insects Gang Leader swung her sword at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Scram!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader was not polite this time; he leaped over on the Black Tiger and launched a sword strike at the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    The fearsome Sword Qi left the Nine Insects Gang Leader in absolute terror; she dared not continue her attack on Qin Niu, but instead focused on countering the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s attack. The fight between them, unlike before, held no punches.


    Every sword strike was supremely forceful and overwhelmingly sharp.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader struggled to defend herself, and even the black veil on her face was sliced apart, revealing the pretty face of an eighteen-year-old girl.


    It was a very beautiful face, with double eyelids, thin red lips, fair skin, and extremely delicate features. The only flaw was her eyes, which were cold and venomous, like a snake¡¯s, causing one¡¯s heart to palpitate.


    Qin Niu was preparing to further break the enemy¡¯s Insect Formation with his pets when a voice suddenly rang in his ear.


    ¡°Human, can you set me free?¡±


    The Mirage Insect unexpectedly reached out to him with a telepathic message.

 Chapter 457 - Chapter 457: Chapter 449: The Second Avatar_1

    Chapter 457: Chapter 449: The Second Avatar_1


    How could Qin Niu possibly let it go?


    This Mirage Insect had lived so many years, it had practically become a demon, yet it always came up with some childishly naive demands.


    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly let you go before we¡¯ve formed a soul contract,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu flatly refused its request.


    ¡°I can help you break this Insect Formation.¡±


    The Mirage Insect seemed not to be stupid, at least knowing what Qin Niu wanted to do.


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, didn¡¯t think that this insect would lie, as nearly all monsters were very honest. In their view, there was no need for all that scheming and circumvention, to hunt prey, as long as one had the strength, one would simply attack.


    If not strong enough, they would hide and remain still to avoid detection.


    The law of the jungle was just that straightforward.


    ¡°How will you break the Insect Formation?¡±


    Qin Niu decided to listen to its opinion first.


    Just now, he had used the Red-eyed Golden Toad and the Green Ox, which had a significant impact on the enemy¡¯s Insect Formation, but he failed to break the enemy¡¯s formation.


    No matter what kind of tactics, the more they were used, the easier it was for the enemy to find loopholes.


    Using the same tactics over and over, was a major taboo in battle.


    If he used the sonic attacks of the Green Ox and the Golden Toad too many times, it was very likely that the mysterious Gu Master would find a way to counter them. By then, it would be difficult for the Black Tiger Gang to break the Insect Formation.


    ¡°Those insects always move around a core. When the Insect Formation was hit by sound just now, I found the location of that central point. There is a very powerful insect there, I can swallow it, and then turn it into my second avatar.¡±


    The Mirage Insect honestly relayed its discovery.


    There was a certain emotional fluctuation when it mentioned the second avatar.


    For beings like this that had awoken spiritual intelligence, the pursuit of greater strength was instinctual. It was also what they longed for the most.


    The Mirage Insect had only managed to obtain one avatar over so many years, which showed how difficult it was to create one.


    The conditions for its choice of an avatar must be extremely strict.


    It was not easy to come across an insect that could serve as its avatar, which understandably excited it.


    After listening, Qin Niu believed it to some extent.


    Every formation had a key point, the ¡°formation eye,¡± which was crucial for breaking the formation.


    The core that the Mirage Insect discovered could very well be the formation eye of the Insect Formation.


    Since the formation eye had been located, Qin Niu could use other insect pets to break the formation.


    ¡°Although I really want to break this Insect Formation, I absolutely cannot let you go. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do: You tell me the core position of the Insect Formation, and I¡¯ll send other insects to break the formation.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The Mirage Insect clearly hadn¡¯t expected this human to be so shameless.


    It had been tricked out of its information for free, without any benefit for itself.


    ¡°Do you have any objections?¡± Qin Niu¡¯s tone became unpleasant.


    ¡°Not at all, I am just worried that your insects won¡¯t be able to handle that Night Gu. If it gets scared and becomes cautious, it will be hard to capture it later on. Also, that Night Gu isn¡¯t of much use to your insects, but it¡¯s very useful to me,¡± the Mirage Insect said in obvious fear of Qin Niu.


    After all, it had suffered at his hands.


    This young human was ruthless, and would feed it to other insects at the slightest disagreement, which terrified the Mirage Insect.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Even if that Night Gu is of little help to my insect pets, it¡¯s still better than giving it to you. I¡¯ll only take care of my own insect pets, so don¡¯t even think about getting any benefits,¡± said Qin Niu indifferently.


    He was intentionally aggravating it, otherwise how could he convince the Mirage Insect to agree to become his pet?


    ¡°Where is that Night Gu? Lead the way!¡±


    We must break the Insect Formation in the shortest time possible, otherwise once the Insect Formation is fully deployed, the difficulty of breaking it will be akin to hell.


    I believe that the Gu Master realizes this too, hence the eagerness to kill Qin Niu.


    ¡°It¡¯s over there!¡±


    The Mirage Insect honestly pointed the way for Qin Niu.


    It seemed to be preoccupied, evidently contemplating becoming Qin Niu¡¯s pet, thus obtaining the dark night Gu.


    Higher-level Gus are extremely rare.


    Such opportunities are to be seized, not sought.


    The Mirage Insect¡¯s first doppelganger was nearly wasted by Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bees.


    To recover to its former peak strength, no one knows how long it would take. It, being naturally timid, urgently needed a powerful second doppelganger to ensure its own safety.


    Now, in Qin Niu¡¯s hands, it felt like meat on the chopping block ¨C Qin Niu could kill it at any time he wished.


    To submit would bring many benefits.


    To resist, would certainly lead to being used as fodder for the human¡¯s Insect Pets.


    The Mirage Insect¡¯s brain was quite simple, it only chose the answer that was more beneficial to itself.


    ¡°Human, I agree to become your pet! But you can¡¯t send me to my death!¡±


    In choosing to submit, it also set a condition.


    ¡°You are a wise demon insect, I believe you will never regret today¡¯s choice in the future. As for sending you to your death, that will only happen if you slack off and fail to progress. On the day that you hold no value to me, I might actually set you free, for a good departure rather than callously using you as cannon fodder.¡±


    Qin Niu knew where its concerns came from.


    Not long ago, Qin Niu sent a Green Ring Worker Bee to deal with those fireflies, and it died.


    Then he sent a Termite to probe, and it died as well.


    All this had been witnessed by the Mirage Insect; it worried that one day it would also be used as cannon fodder by Qin Niu.


    To bind oneself with a human in a soul contract means that one¡¯s life and death are controlled by the master.


    Demon beasts, Demon Birds, and demon insects, they have all unlocked their spiritual intelligence, possessing considerable wisdom. To place their fate in the hands of a human, they would instinctively reject it.


    ¡°I trust you to keep your promise! We can make the contract now.¡±


    The Mirage Insect chose to trust him.


    It had no better option.


    ¡°I can¡¯t form a soul contract with you right now because my Spirit Space is already filled with other pets.¡±


    Qin Niu felt a wave of helplessness, having finally convinced the Mirage Insect to become his pet.


    But his Spirit Space was occupied.


    This was a demon insect, a very special one at that.


    Other Insect Masters struggle their entire lives and still might never obtain a demon insect.


    ¡°That¡¯s simple, we can first establish a private contract and later have it witnessed by heaven and earth, it¡¯s the same.¡±


    The Mirage Insect proposed a solution.


    ¡°What is a private contract?¡±


    Qin Niu discovered yet again how lacking his knowledge of cultivation was. He was ignorant of many advanced cultivation concepts.


    He came from humble beginnings, and it was already commendable that Old Man Liu taught him to read.


    No one had taught him cultivation knowledge, he could only gather bits and pieces from books and from others¡¯ conversations.


    Many advanced cultivation concepts were not mentioned in books at all, usually they needed to be orally transmitted from master to disciple.


    ¡°A private contract means that both parties willingly agree, and I actively give a strand of my soul to merge with yours. If I harbor any ill intentions, you would know immediately. You could destroy that strand of soul to severely harm me, or even possibly cause my death.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it worked.


    Qin Niu gained new insight.

 Chapter 458 - Chapter 458: Chapter 450 Toothless Tiger_1

    Chapter 458: Chapter 450 Toothless Tiger_1


    He understood that forging a soul contract involved the use of a Contractual Talisman to bind with another creature¡¯s soul. This bond was witnessed by the heavens and earth and mediated by the talisman, anchoring a binding process for the souls of both parties.


    After the contract was successfully established, the master could directly control the life and death of his pet and command it to do anything.


    What the Mirage Insect had mentioned regarding a private pact meant skipping the processes of heaven and earth witnessing and the talisman mediating, privately establishing a soul contract between master and creature.


    There were certain risks involved.


    If the other party decided to renege, Qin Niu¡¯s leverage over the Mirage Insect would be extremely limited.


    Whereas obtaining the public certification of heaven and earth was a vastly different matter.


    Should they dare to violate the contract, heaven and earth would directly eradicate them.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s first establish a private pact!¡±


    Qin Niu saw no harm in forming a private pact first and if anything seemed amiss, he could halt the process in time.


    Moreover, the Mirage Insect was still under his control, daring to harbor ulterior motives would be suicidal.


    Wouldn¡¯t establishing a private pact also occupy spirit space? He felt puzzled but was too embarrassed to ask.


    Fortunately, one would know after experiencing it once.


    With the proactive cooperation of the Mirage Insect, it relinquished a wisp of its soul to Qin Niu, who then confined that soul within his own body.


    It was significantly different from establishing a true soul contract.


    However, after taking over that wisp of the creature¡¯s soul, Qin Niu discovered he could indeed monitor the thoughts and consciousness of the Mirage Insect in real-time. It was quite magical, like having a window into the soul of the Mirage Insect.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve made a private pact, I believe in your sincerity. To speak bluntly, should you dare harbor any treacherous thoughts, I advise against it. I particularly despise those who are treacherous and fickle. Betray me once, and you¡¯re discarded for life. At that point, you will hold no value in my eyes.¡±


    Qin Niu gave it a clear warning in advance.


    Monsters are often cunning, most being opportunists who will act shamelessly at the slightest chance.


    At this moment, as the Insect Formation was restored, the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s side once again became precarious.


    Several masters from the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect endeavored to kill Qin Niu but were fiercely impeded by the experts of the Black Tiger Gang.


    ¡°What of Immortal Masters? They are but chaff before me!¡±


    The Mysterious Elder, seeing the restoration of the Insect Formation, grew more confident. He appeared to change his strategy, planning to first eliminate the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    This was because the Nine Insects Gang Leader was no match for the Black Tiger Gang Leader and had already been driven to a bloodied and pallid state.


    Masses of insects surged towards the Black Tiger Gang Leader like a tide.


    Boom boom boom!


    The sounds of fierce explosions were incessant.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader, enveloped by the swarm, could only wield his sword, slashing everywhere. Each strike of his could annihilate many insects, but his situation was deteriorating.


    The insects, with the Insect Formation bolstering them, had their strength multiplied manyfold. Even a full-force sword strike from the Black Tiger Gang Leader could only kill a dozen or so insects at a time.


    It was unthinkable.


    The power wielded by the Black Tiger Gang Leader through the Sun Pursuing Sword Technique was immense, but so was the drain on his strength, unlikely to be sustainable.


    The illusory sun formed by his sword technique was directly obscured by the swarm, vanishing from sight.


    This caused the power of his Sun Pursuing Sword Technique to plummet instantly.


    Pfft!


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader was struck by the insects and the Nine Insects Gang Leader¡¯s Sword Qi, spewing out blood and his complexion turning pale, his expression deflated.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader was extremely cunning, covertly launching a sneak attack through the cover of the Insect Formation.


    This allowed her to succeed.


    ¡°Save the Gang Leader!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang¡¯s experts, realizing the peril of the Black Tiger Gang Leader, intervened with their full force to rescue him.


    However, the enemy was clearly strengthened by the Insect Formation.


    They desperately obstructed the other Black Tiger Gang experts to prevent them from aiding their leader.


    Victory was in sight, and smiles spread across the faces of every master from the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect.


    Should they win this battle, they could annihilate the Black Tiger Gang.


    Then it would be their turn to divide the assets and territories of the Black Tiger Gang. Each victor was faced with an opportunity for promotion and wealth.


    ¡°Xue Qiuhe, today is the day you die! Meet your end!¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader was now truly enraged.


    Her hair had been thrown into disarray.


    Using the cover of the Insect Formation, she struck with another slash.


    Bang!


    Another sneak attack was successful, and the Black Tiger Gang Leader sustained even graver injuries.


    ¡°Gang Leader¡­¡±


    Everyone was filled with grief and fury, unable to break through to save him. Their hearts had cooled by half.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader was the foundation of the entire Black Tiger Gang and the spiritual pillar for everyone.


    With him killed, who could stand against that witch?


    The powerhouses of the Black Tiger Gang were in despair, already preparing for the worst.


    In the event of defeat, they did not even know if they could beg for their lives.


    At this critical moment, the incredibly powerful Mysterious Gu Master suddenly let out a roar of shock and fury.


    ¡°No¡­ you little beast, how dare you!¡±


    No one knew what had happened.


    They only saw the previously surging bug horde turn into a scattered mess, and at last, light began to shine through the sky that had been enveloped.


    ¡°The Insect Formation is broken! The Insect Formation has been broken!¡±


    Each Black Tiger Gang Warrior, who had fallen into despair, cheered and rejoiced ecstatically.


    They knew that once again they had been granted a chance at life.


    After the rapture, the experts of the Black Tiger Gang instinctively looked toward the Mysterious Gu Master.


    They saw the Mysterious Gu Master flying in the air, wielding a Vine Staff and charging towards a young man hundreds of meters away.


    That young man was none other than Qin Niu.


    Previously, the enemy had only focused all its power on killing the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    The people of the Black Tiger Gang were all intent on protecting their leader, and no one noticed Qin Niu, who was hiding in the rear.


    From the Mysterious Gu Master¡¯s level of anger, it was not hard to see that it must be Qin Niu who had broken the Insect Formation.


    ¡°Master Qin, run fast!¡±


    Ye Ji and Iron Tiger were indeed dutiful, standing in front of Qin Niu during this dangerous moment, directly facing the oncoming Mysterious Gu Master.


    This was a terrifying existence capable of killing even an Immortal Master.


    The two of them, at the Innate Realm, probably wouldn¡¯t even suffice to fill his teeth.


    Perhaps from the day they became close aides to the Gang Leader, they were already prepared to sacrifice themselves at any moment.


    Seeing the Mysterious Gu Master charging furiously towards him, Qin Niu¡¯s heart jolted, and without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he turned around and fled. The Earth Escape Talisman was quietly clutched in his hand.


    In the face of life and death, he was very decisive.


    As for the safety of Ye Ji and Iron Tiger, he wouldn¡¯t care at all.


    If the two were to die in battle, he would take good care of their families.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The Mysterious Gu Master swung the Vine Staff and pointed at the two of them.


    A multitude of insects pounced towards the pair.


    ¡°Huh! This Mysterious Gu Master¡¯s way of attacking doesn¡¯t seem all that impressive!¡±


    As Qin Niu was escaping, he paid attention to the situation behind him.


    He unexpectedly discovered that the Mysterious Gu Master was not as terrifying as he had imagined.


    The dominance previously shown while controlling the Insect Formation and severely injuring the Black Tiger Gang Leader had vanished.


    ¡°The most terrifying thing about Gu Masters is the Gu they raise. Without the cover of night, he¡¯s like a tiger that has lost its teeth. If my first clone hadn¡¯t been¡­¡±


    Mirage Insect mentioned its first clone being crippled by the Green Demon Bee, clearly touching a sore point.


    Qin Niu perked up on hearing this.


    So, the Mysterious Gu Master was now weak? Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter; this was Qin Niu¡¯s usual mode of operation.


    He would never give his enemy a chance to rise again.


    Ye Ji and Iron Tiger actually withstood the attack of the insects and were not killed instantly, which undoubtedly gave Qin Niu even greater confidence.


    ¡°If Immortal Masters are as chaff, then you are less than chaff. Damn it, just a toothless paper tiger, still daring to be fierce here, watch me exterminate you.¡±


    Without another word, Qin Niu turned around and charged back.


    To him, the Gu Master¡¯s insects weren¡¯t anything to worry about.


    And as for the attack of Gu techniques, his body housed the Black Spider Gu, so he wasn¡¯t afraid of other Gu infiltrating his body.


    With this in mind, what was there to fear from the Mysterious Gu Master?


    Wielding the Ink Blade and executing the Misty Rain Elusive Step, in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the Mysterious Gu Master.


    The opponent seemed surprised to see him attack, even a little frightened.


    He hadn¡¯t expected his bluff to be so easily seen through by Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu wasted no words, grasping the Ink Blade and bringing it down in a slash. The simplest Slash Martial Skill displayed terrifying power at that moment.

 Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: Chapter 451 Soul Craving Tendril Staff_1

    Chapter 459: Chapter 451 Soul Craving Tendril Staff_1


    The Slash Martial Skill¡¯s Critical Chop and Rupture were simultaneously displayed.


    Hiss!


    After a muffled sound, the body of the Mysterious Gu Master was chopped into two. In front of Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade, he had not the slightest ability to defend himself.


    Even Qin Niu was stunned for a moment.


    Under normal circumstances, flesh and blood would at least produce the sound of bones being cleaved.


    Some powerful warriors would even wear armor, helmets, and the like, making them even more difficult to kill.


    Soon, he made a new discovery.


    After the Mysterious Gu Master¡¯s black robe was sliced open, there was no human body inside, just a dense swarm of insects.


    A large number of poison bees flew out from it.


    Qin Niu was stunned for a moment, then understood what was happening. That Mysterious Gu Master didn¡¯t have a physical body at all, or rather, his flesh had never been there in the first place.


    This technique was extremely similar to that of the residual soul of the Green Demon.


    He had witnessed it once before, so it was no longer strange to him.


    ¡°Green Demon Bees, Shadow Fire Bees, kill for me!¡±


    Qin Niu quickly reacted, dispatching the Shadow Fire Bees and the Green Demon Bees to fight together.


    The goal was one, to hold back this Mysterious Gu Master and utterly eradicate him.


    As soon as the Green Demon Bees flew out, their demonic might directly intimidated the poison bees inside the black robe. They were so frightened that they scattered and fled, not daring to confront them.


    The Green Demon Bees were now incredibly powerful; even Spirit Qi Realm experts without special defensive means were easily killed by them.


    ¡°Damn it, damn it¡­ To think you obtained two such fierce poison bees! My Steel-winged Wild Bees, painstakingly cultivated for so many years, are no more than trash before them.¡±


    The voice came from within the Vine Staff.


    Merely having experience and knowledge is far from enough to cultivate an Insect Pet. One also needs high-grade food for pet training, and most importantly, an excellent queen insect.


    Beyond that, one requires some special opportunities and luck.


    The Green Demon Bee was a specially cultivated insect to begin with, virtually impossible to replicate.


    In other words, barring accidents, only Qin Niu would have the Green Demon Bee.


    Even Green Demon himself, if he hadn¡¯t preserved any eggs or larvae of the Green Demon Bee, wouldn¡¯t be able to cultivate another one.


    The Black Scale Bees of this Mysterious Gu Master were many times more powerful than regular poison bees.


    But you know, goods judged side by side reveal the inferior, and comparisons between people spell doom.


    Pets fear comparison the most.


    Compared to the Green Demon Bee, his Black Scale Bees were mere waste.


    ¡°You won¡¯t escape today.¡±


    No matter how the Mysterious Gu Master roared with rage, Qin Niu remained cold and merciless as he had the Green Demon Bees and the Shadow Fire Bees slaughter those Black Scale Bees.


    The bodies of the Black Scale Bees were covered in black scales, wrapping around them in layers like a tailored set of scale armor. Even their six legs were covered in scale armor.


    The wings were a weak point.


    However, their wings bore traces of the Steel-winged Wild Bee, suggesting they were bred through crossbreeding with them.


    This method of cultivation was extremely common.


    At that moment, the slaughter was entirely one-sided.


    The Black Scale Bees fell from the sky like raindrops. The Shadow Fire Bees, being extremely irritable and powerful, massacred the Black Scale Bees with ruthless ferocity.


    Seeing things going south, the Mysterious Gu Master immediately controlled the Vine Staff, attempting to fly away.


    Too bad it was already too late.


    Qin Niu leaped into the air, swinging his blade mercilessly at the Vine Staff.


    He was aiming to destroy it.


    If his guess was correct, it was likely that the Mysterious Gu Master¡¯s soul was residing inside the Vine Staff.


    Destroying the Vine Staff, naturally, the Mysterious Gu Master would have nowhere to hide.


    A dense cloud of black Qi burst out from inside the Vine Staff, fiercely resisting the Blade Qi that Qin Niu had chopped down. The Vine Staff shook violently in the air, as if it was about to fall from the sky at any moment.


    The chop that Qin Niu had just delivered didn¡¯t produce the critical hit effect nor the rupture effect.


    Therefore, its power was limited.


    He quickly drew his sword and struck again.


    This time, he executed a Critical Chop.


    Bang!


    The dark energy emerging from the Vine Staff failed to withstand the chop, causing the staff to fall to the ground with clear marks of the blade on it.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s strikes were ruthlessly fierce as he chopped down once more.


    This time it was even more terrifying; he unleashed the Rupture special effect.


    Crack!


    The Vine Staff was directly chopped into two pieces.


    A wisp of black Qi panickedly flew out from within the staff, trying to escape quickly.


    A bizarre scene ensued ¨C Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade seemed to generate a fearsome suction force, rapidly absorbing the wisp of black Qi along with the energy within the staff.


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­¡±


    The black Qi struggled desperately, emitting a piercing scream of extreme panic.


    Unfortunately, it was to no avail; in the end, it was violently sucked into the Ink Blade.


    Qin Niu observed all this with a contemplative expression on his face.


    Having nourished the Ink Blade for so long, its sentience seemed to be growing stronger along with its ability to release Blade Qi.


    This blade had always been bloodthirsty.


    But it was the first time it devoured the soul of its victim during a kill.


    Qin Niu was somewhat concerned that the blade would ultimately follow a sinister path.


    Just like the legendary Blood-Draining Divine Blade, and the swords Ah Bi and Yuan Tu, they were top-notch weapons of evil.


    He worried that one day he would be backfired by the Ink Blade, controlled by it, and turned into a killing machine.


    If that happened, he would have fallen into the path of wickedness.


    After completely devouring the wisp of black Qi, the Ink Blade didn¡¯t stop; it continued to absorb the energy within a section of the Vine Staff.


    This Vine Staff was certainly no ordinary one; it appeared dark brown and very common.


    Old vines deep in the mountains were extremely similar to it.


    Qin Niu stared at the Vine Staff and scrutinized it closely. At the severed section, there were faint traces of gray Qi swirling. Apart from that, the interior of the Vine Staff contained numerous tiny pores. The surface of the staff bore brown, fine granules densely and evenly spread across the entire staff.


    The more he looked, the more familiar it appeared.


    ¡°Why does this Vine Staff look so much like the Soul Craving Tendril Wood mentioned in Master Mo Yang¡¯s ¡®Plants Illustrated Handbook¡¯?¡±


    There were various types of soul-nourishing trees, ranging from towering trees to low-lying vines.


    Master Mo Yang had only seen two types.


    One was very similar to locust trees and could grow to forty or fifty meters high, requiring one or two people to encircle it.


    The essence of it resided in the heartwood, which alone held value for soul nourishing.


    Yet for such trees, nine out of ten were hollow.


    These tall soul-nourishing trees were highly prone to being hollow. Once hollow, their heartwood was practically useless.


    This was why soul-nourishing trees were so precious and rare.


    Master Mo Yang additionally noted that among soul-nourishing trees, nine out of ten were hollow, and the occasional solid ones could only be considered as mediocre.


    In other words, even if the soul-nourishing tree was not hollow and its heartwood was usable, it was still not a superior quality.


    What qualified as superior?


    They needed to endure for a thousand years and withstand thunder tribulations to be considered treasures of this world.


    Using such wood for soul nourishing, it could restore even a fragmentary soul.


    There was no need to even think about such prime quality ¨C even if it existed, immortals would surely take it away.


    Then there was another type of soul-nourishing wood, which took the form of a vine.


    It was known as Soul Craving Tendril Wood or Soul Craving Tendril Staff, which was easier to obtain compared to the previous type of soul-nourishing tree.


    A purplish-brown color was considered high-quality.


    The Soul Craving Tendril Staff also had the effect of nourishing souls, though its efficacy couldn¡¯t match that of the previous type of soul-nourishing wood.

 Chapter 460 - Chapter 460: Chapter 452 Mans Dying Words are Good_1

    Chapter 460: Chapter 452 Man¡¯s Dying Words are Good_1


    ¡°`


    This Soul Craving Tendril Wood, because it grows in places with extremely dense yin aura like deep abysses and graveyards, is relatively easy to obtain, yet still quite rare.


    If it reaches a purple-brown hue, its value is not inferior to that of the Thunderstruck Soul Nourishing Wood.


    After realizing the value of this vine staff, Qin Niu¡¯s thoughts turned, wondering, could the Everlasting Spring Technique bring this vine staff back to life?


    At the moment, the head of the staff had nearly had all its energy absorbed by the Ink Blade.


    He picked up the broken end of the staff in his hand, weighed it, and found it surprisingly heavy. The vine staff had been cut down for many years, and its life force probably had long been severed.


    If it were a freshly cut vine staff, he would have great confidence in using the Everlasting Spring Technique to help it revive.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Medicine King Sutra had now advanced to the Innate Realm. Not only could he sense the medicinal aura and energy of plants, but he could also detect some of their subtler aspects. He tried injecting a strand of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power into the interior of the vine staff.


    As he had expected, after so many years, the vine staff had completely dried up.


    He could not feel any vitality at all.


    However, when his Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power seeped into the body of the staff, he was pleasantly surprised to discover a hidden mechanism.


    Inside, there was a mass of energy.


    With his experience, he could tell that this energy had a hint of vitality, meaning its core still harbored a trace of life force.


    Lacking the conditions to plant it now, Qin Niu immediately carefully tucked it away in his bosom.


    Once the battle was over, he would bring the vine staff home and plant it either in the backyard or within the Qifeng Mountain Range.


    The Mysterious Gu Master was dead, and the Insect Formation had been broken, the battle likely wouldn¡¯t hold any more suspense.


    Indeed, half an hour later, the situation on the battlefield had completely reversed.


    The Black Tiger Gang now held a complete advantage, their morale surging like a rainbow. In contrast, the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect were at the end of their tether.


    The death of the Mysterious Gu Master had dealt a significant blow to the Nine Insect Gang.


    Many were even starting to flee outright.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader was severely injured, no match for the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    ¡°Xue Qiuhe, today I¡¯ll let you enjoy your brief triumph. The mountains and rivers are evergreen, we will fight again another day,¡± the Nine Insects Gang Leader might have said because of her injuries, her once fair and tender face now had lines of wrinkles appearing.


    And she was aging at a visible rate.


    Her once jet-black hair now had strands of white, particularly noticeable at the temples.


    Her Tyrant Demon Spider no longer exuded its fearsome aura, as it had lost two of its legs, and its body bore many wounds.


    ¡°Retreat!¡±


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader led the gang¡¯s experts in a retreat.


    With this retreat, the pressure on the experts of the Shennong Sect instantly doubled.


    ¡°Think you can escape?¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader was a ruthless man.


    It¡¯s said that a man without poison is no real man, and he who is small-minded cannot be a gentleman.


    Having finally inflicted a severe wound on the Nine Insects Gang Leader, even if the Black Tiger Gang Leader had once harbored feelings for her in his youth, he was not willing to let the tiger return to the mountain.


    This was an excellent opportunity to eliminate the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    By killing her, the Black Tiger Gang could definitely wipe out the Nine Insect Gang in one fell swoop, and then settle the score with the Shennong Sect. At that time, the Black Tiger Gang could directly absorb these two sects.


    ¡°Protect the Gang Leader!¡±


    One of the close confidants of the Nine Insects Gang Leader shouted sharply.


    Yet the elders of the Nine Insect Gang seemed to have their own designs and did not protect the Gang Leader or cover her escape.


    Instead, they fled even faster and more desperately.


    The Nine Insect Gang originally had four great elders remaining, but now after another had died in battle, only three were left.


    The shrewdest of them, the Great Elder, had already escaped until only a silhouette remained.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader, brandishing his sword, directly pursued the fleeing Nine Insects Gang Leader. Some loyal high-ranking members of the Nine Insect Gang emerged to block him.


    Alas, not a single one of them was a match for the Black Tiger Gang Leader, who swept them aside with two strokes of his sword.


    In the face of the Black Tiger Gang Leader, experts of the Innate Realm were as frail as chickens.


    ¡°Sister, go quickly!¡±


    At this critical moment, the wife of the Shennong Sect Leader drew her sword and resolutely stood in front of the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Her cultivation was at the bottom of the Spirit Qi Realm and was nowhere near powerful.


    On the contrary, the strength of Pan Jianjun, the Shennong Sect Leader, was much greater; he had already reached the peak of the Spirit Qi Realm and was only one step from breaking through to the Immortal Scholar Realm.


    Indeed, the love between sisters was deep.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader did not even signal her when fleeing.


    Now, knowing she was no match for the Black Tiger Gang Leader, she still bravely stepped forward to cover her sister¡¯s retreat.


    ¡°`


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader rode the tyrant demon spider swiftly fleeing from the battlefield.


    Though she was seriously injured at this moment, there was hardly anyone daring to block her way.


    ¡°You are courting death!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader watched in rage as his formidable enemy escaped, his anger reaching its peak.


    He swung his sword fiercely at the Shennong Sect Leader¡¯s wife who was attacking him.


    Boom!


    Like a kite with its string cut, the Shennong Sect Leader¡¯s wife was sent flying backward, her treasured sword slipping from her hands and flying away as she did.


    She, only at the early stage of the Spirit Qi Realm, dared to fight against an Immortal Master and a tiger demon, truly overestimating herself.


    ¡°Xiang Rou!¡±


    Seeing his wife struck down, the Shennong Sect Leader was filled with immense sorrow. Everything had happened in the blink of an eye, too quickly for him to intervene.


    Pan Jianjun¡¯s strength was extremely formidable, as he flew to catch his wife in midair and then slashed twice at the Black Tiger Gang Leader with his sword.


    The two terrifying sword Qis forced the Black Tiger Gang Leader to hastily retreat.


    The crisscrossing Sword Qi spread around, forcing Vice City Lord Bai and others to hurriedly defend themselves with their swords.


    This Sword Qi was highly spiritual, capable of automatically pursuing enemies.


    One could only find safety by neutralizing it.


    Otherwise, it was easy to be cut down by it.


    These two Sword Qi were also Pan Jianjun¡¯s most powerful sword techniques, the ultimate moves in his repertoire.


    His wife was now so weak her body was limp; fresh blood constantly spilled from her mouth, and her gaze became listless.


    It was obvious that her injuries were extremely severe.


    ¡°Retreat!¡±


    Pan Jianjun let out a thunderous roar, holding his wife and swiftly escaping into the distance.


    There were experts covering their retreat from behind.


    Looking back at the Nine Insects Gang Leader, she indeed was a poisonous woman. Her sworn sister had paid such a heavy price to buy her time to escape, yet the Nine Insects Gang Leader didn¡¯t look back once, focusing solely on fleeing as fast as she could.


    From beginning to end, the woman named Xiang Rou was nothing but a tool in the eyes of the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    It was truly sad.


    ¡°Xiang Rou, I will take you back to Shennong City immediately to find the best doctor to heal you. You must hold on,¡± the Shennong Sect Leader said, his heart wrenching as his eyes and heart were filled only with his injured wife.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make it¡­ I won¡¯t be able to watch the sunrise and sunset with you nor practice swordplay together¡­¡±


    Her mouth gushed forth a copious amount of bloody foam.


    Her gaze lovingly fixed on the man of her heart.


    ¡°Everyone says I¡¯m a vixen, deceiving you and making you henpecked¡­ If I die, no one will call you foolish anymore!¡± A tragic smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°No¡­ no, you won¡¯t die! Everything I have done for you has been of my own free will. I never cared about what others thought; all I know is that every day spent with you has been joyful. Even if the whole world scolded us, so what? Who I love is not for others to judge or criticize. Xiang Rou, you must hold on; you promised to join me in seeking the Immortality Technique at the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect,¡± Pan Jianjun said as he looked down at his wife in his arms, shaking his head in denial.


    He didn¡¯t want her to die.


    He couldn¡¯t bear to imagine life without her.


    Qin Niu watched the couple from a short distance away, sighing softly in his heart.


    What is love in this world, if not a promise to live and die together?


    The Shennong Sect Leader¡¯s devotion to his wife was deeply moving.


    It was just a pity they had been used by the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    ¡°Jianjun, it was so good to have met you in this life!¡±


    A glow like that of a last burst of radiance lit her face, showing an unprecedented sweetness and happiness.


    ¡°When I first met you, it was my sister who intentionally created the opportunity for us. But after getting to know you, I found myself uncontrollably falling in love with you. Since then, I¡¯ve never deceived you¡­¡±


    With death imminent, her words were kind.


    She finally revealed the truth; initially, she approached the Shennong Sect Leader under the direction of the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    From the very beginning, their meeting was with an ulterior motive.


    ¡°I know all of it! And I¡¯ve never blamed you. In the jianghu, one can¡¯t help oneself, and everyone has their own difficulties. All I wanted was to be with you. I don¡¯t care about the position of Sect Leader, nor about power, territory, or wealth. Once your injuries heal, I will take you away to hide in the mountains, never to concern ourselves with the world¡¯s enmities and grudges,¡± Pan Jianjun cautiously wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

 Chapter 461 - Chapter 461: Chapter 453 Verdant Blood Verdant_1

    Chapter 461: Chapter 453 Verdant Blood Verdant_1


    At the status of Pan Jianjun, he had already obtained many things that ordinary people only dream of having. It was precisely because he had experienced them that he was able to view wealth and power as mere passing clouds.


    When climbing the peaks of life, before seeing the scenery on the other side of the mountain, one particularly yearns to see it, believing that it must be far more beautiful.


    But once you truly reach the summit and look at it long enough, it becomes mundane.


    What he now considered most precious was love, the woman before him who was about to die, his wife.


    It was the fear of losing her that made him value her even more.


    He was not confused. He had long known that the ruse of the Nine Insects Gang Leader introducing a foster sister to coincidentally meet him was a ploy of seduction.


    Yet, he was willing to be ensnared by it.


    ¡°Jianjun¡­ thank you for understanding me, for tolerating me! If there is an afterlife, I wish to fall in love with you clearly and cleanly, never to be separated again¡­¡±


    She looked at her husband with an extremely gentle gaze, but her eyelids slowly closed.


    Her hands then slid down powerlessly, hanging in the air.


    A strong practitioner in the Spirit Qi Realm had just passed away so easily.


    Pan Jianjun did not cry out in tearing grief. Instead, with a serious expression, he coldly told everyone around him, ¡°I, as a sinner of Shennong Sect, am ashamed of the past sect leaders. I now pass on the position of sect leader to the Great Elder, Yuan Wenqing, and all matters of the Shennong Sect shall be decided by the new leader.¡±


    As he finished speaking, Pan Jianjun threw a token from his hand, along with his sword, towards the Great Elder.


    ¡°These two items are the symbols of the sect leader. I entrust the future of Shennong Sect to Elder Yuan.¡±


    ¡°Why must the sect leader do this for a woman¡­¡±


    Yuan Wenqing caught the token and the treasured sword, but he was desperately trying to persuade Pan Jianjun.


    Without waiting for him to finish, Pan Jianjun interrupted him coldly.


    ¡°My mind is made up, no need for further words!¡±


    After the transfer of the leadership, everyone thought Pan Jianjun was ready to fight to the death with the Black Tiger Gang Leader to avenge his wife.


    Instead, Pan Jianjun urged his mount and sped toward the outskirts of the battlefield.


    His personal guards protected him as they charged forward.


    Pan Jianjun used one hand to support his wife¡¯s back and then took out a dark red elixir as large as an egg. He removed the wax seal and swallowed it in one gulp.


    ¡°Sect leader, you mustn¡¯t! The consequences of consuming the Verdant Blood Elixir are terrifying. At best it greatly reduces one¡¯s lifespan, at worst it can be fatal¡­¡±


    Yuan Wenqing cried out in despair.


    So it turned out that this pill was known as the Verdant Blood Elixir. Qin Niu had heard of the notorious reputation of this elixir.


    The elixir was extremely difficult to refine and very costly.


    As for the effects of the Verdant Blood Elixir, there were different views. Some believed it was a miraculous pill that could bring back the dead, while others thought it could revive the dead and mend bones. There were also those who believed that this elixir came from the underworld, calling it the Netherworld Elixir.


    There was even speculation that the ¡®Verdant¡¯ in its name was derived from the phrase ¡®up to the verdant skies and down to the yellow springs¡¯.


    In any case, there were many legends about this elixir, but few had ever seen it.


    The Shennong Sect was famous for its cultivation of medicinal herbs, producing a great variety of them.


    As the sect leader, Pan Jianjun held most of the sect¡¯s top resources, so obtaining a Verdant Blood Elixir was not surprising.


    The Great Elder Yuan Wenqing was so anxious; it must indeed be true that the pill could reduce one¡¯s lifespan.


    Pan Jianjun¡¯s desperate act to save his wife shocked many of those present.


    You see, with Pan Jianjun¡¯s status and cultivation, it would be no problem for him to find any number of beautiful, young women. Why would he pay such a heavy price for one woman?


    Qin Niu watched from a distance.


    After Pan Jianjun consumed the Verdant Blood Elixir, his skin gradually turned red, and a strong scent of blood emerged from his body.


    The blood enveloped his wife, who he was holding in his arms, and continuously entered her body.


    Moments later, Pan Jianjun¡¯s mount carried the two of them out of the battlefield, vanishing from Qin Niu¡¯s sight.


    No one went after him.


    Ordinary soldiers who dared to chase would simply be courting death. The Spirit Qi Realm experts of the Black Tiger Gang, as long as they weren¡¯t out of their minds, would definitely not provoke Pan Jianjun at this time.


    Anyone could see that the man was like a wild, crazed beast at that moment.


    Whoever provoked him would be unlucky.


    For them, winning the battle was enough.


    There was no need to take a massive risk to chase down a supreme expert who had already renounced his leadership position.


    The one who escaped the fastest on the battlefield must have been the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    That witch had long since vanished without a trace.


    ¡­


    Three days later, the war was basically over.


    The Black Tiger Gang emerged victoriously, while the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect were defeated.


    Qin Niu also made a name for himself through this war, becoming the youngest and most promising Insect Master of the Black Tiger Gang.


    Once the war ended, he returned to Shuangfeng Village with an extremely low profile.


    Eager, he planted the half piece of the Soul Craving Tendril Staff he had obtained into the ground. He also needed to promptly organize and assimilate some of the spoils of war he had collected from the battlefield.


    He appeared at his home¡¯s doorstep, accompanied by Green Ox.


    From about forty or fifty meters away, the gates to his home opened, and Xiao Qing was the first to rush out.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    She called out with an expression filled with tremendous surprise.


    ¡°Sisters, come out quickly, the master really has returned, he has come back¡­¡±


    Excitedly waving her hands, she continuously peered back into the courtyard.


    Two beautiful figures dashed out from inside the house, Tang Caixian gently held her belly as she walked slightly slower.


    Wang Wanyan, however, used the Misty Rain Elusive Step taught to her by Qin Niu, rapidly moving towards him.


    ¡°Husband!¡±


    ¡°Ah Niu brother!¡±


    Seeing that it really was their husband returning home safe and sound, they couldn¡¯t help but be overjoyed.


    When Qin Niu was conscripted, the risk of dying on the battlefield was extremely high.


    During times of war, many women¡¯s husbands or unmarried sons went off to battle, never to return. Often, what awaited them were the husband¡¯s personal belongings and some pension money.


    The unexpectedly quick and safe return of Qin Niu thrilled them beyond expectation, and the anxiety that had been weighing on their hearts finally settled.


    ¡°How has everything been at home while I was away?¡±


    Qin Niu, with one arm around his wife Wang Wanyan and the other holding his concubine Tang Caixian, walked towards the courtyard.


    ¡°Everything at home has been fine, we were just a bit worried about the husband¡¯s safety. Has the war at the frontlines ended so soon?¡±


    Wang Wanyan inquired.


    ¡°Ah Niu brother, you didn¡¯t get homesick and run back, did you?¡± Tang Caixian asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°Indeed, I missed you quite a bit, but I haven¡¯t deserted. The battlefront¡¯s hostilities effectively ceased yesterday afternoon, and after reporting to the Gang Leader, I was permitted to return to Shuangfeng Village overnight. This Black Mare Horse was a gift from the Gang Leader, who said it would make my journey back more comfortable.¡±


    Qin Niu gestured toward the Black Mare Horse that Xiao Qing was holding.


    It was hard to decline the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s kind gesture, so he accepted it.


    After all, with his current wealth, he certainly wouldn¡¯t struggle to afford keeping a horse.


    ¡°Such a fine horse, even more majestic than the Sweaty Precious Horse my father has raised!¡±


    Upon learning that her husband hadn¡¯t fled back home, Wang Wanyan¡¯s face immediately relaxed.


    The end of the war signified that the Black Tiger Gang must have won.


    Otherwise, Qin Niu would not have returned so quickly.


    ¡°Ah Niu brother, so we won?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we won. The Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect suffered a crushing defeat.¡±


    Qin Niu said with a smile and a nod.


    ¡°By the way, these are some good fields and shops within the city that I had Tang Yan take the opportunity to purchase for me. The land deeds and property deeds are all here. In a few days, when the wartime turbulence is completely settled and the government operations return to normal, we¡¯ll go and register them at the official residence.¡±


    With a large amount of silver on hand, it certainly couldn¡¯t just sit there gathering dust.


    Qin Niu had long wanted to buy around five thousand mu of good farmland.


    Moreover, it needed to be as close to Jade Stream Town as possible, not too far away.


    Due to the sudden outbreak of the war, and the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s situation being extremely unfavorable at the time, many landlords and rich merchants panicked, selling off their properties and businesses at low prices.


    Luckily, Qin Niu had planned ahead and had notified Tang Yan early on.

 Chapter 462 - Chapter 462: Chapter 454: Pregnant_1

    Chapter 462: Chapter 454: Pregnant_1


    Tang Yan had acquired a total of more than 6,300 acres of good farmland for him.


    Qin Niu had originally told Tang Yan that acquiring about 5,000 acres would be enough. However, Tang Yan went ahead and acquired an additional 1,300 acres for him.


    Afterwards, Tang Yan also told Qin Niu that seeing those premium farmlands being sold off for as little as seven taels, or even six taels and five pieces of silver money, was simply too good a bargain to pass up. He couldn¡¯t resist and ended up helping Qin Niu acquire an extra thousand acres.


    It cost a few thousand silver money less than the budget Qin Niu had set.


    Qin Niu was only willing to acquire about 5,000 acres, not because he was short of silver money, but because he did not want to be too high-profile.


    He deeply knew the principles of making a fortune in silence.


    If he took the opportunity to acquire ten to twenty thousand acres of farmland, he could very likely become the largest landlord of the Black Tiger Gang. Then, with only the cultivation of the Innate Realm, he could easily become a target of jealousy.


    Although with his current strength of beast pets, he was not afraid of anyone in the Black Tiger Gang, avoiding troubles if possible was always the preferred option.


    In addition to the large purchase of farmland, Tang Yan also helped him acquire more than 120 shopfronts and a quadrangle dwelling.


    Qin Niu¡¯s idea was simple; having a residence in the city meant that when he went there, he would have a place to stay.


    There would be no need to stay at an inn again.


    It would become very convenient for his two ladies to go into the city to buy clothes, rouge, and other such items.


    In case he became the target of a powerful enemy, he could also arrange for his family to stay safely within the city, thus not having to worry about their security.


    The quadrangle dwelling would normally cost at least three thousand silver money and upward in the market.


    It had mountains and waters, a backyard garden, pavilions, and verandas. The house was very large, could accommodate seventy to eighty servants, and there was no problem housing a family of a dozen or so people.


    Stables, guest rooms, servant rooms, woodsheds, the main hall, living rooms, basement, treasure hiding walls, and so on were all included.


    The decorations inside were particularly luxurious; the roof was covered with top-quality glazed tiles.


    Brick tiles were laid both inside and outside the house.


    The house originally belonged to a wealthy merchant who intended it for his own residence. The merchant, who was well-informed, learned that the Black Tiger Gang was facing a defeat on the battlefield, quickly decided to sell the house at a low price.


    Even though he offered it for only two thousand silver money, a full thousand taels less than the market price, there were still no takers.


    Eventually, Tang Yan obtained it after a round of bargaining for the incredibly low price of one thousand six hundred taels.


    The furniture in the house alone was worth more than a thousand taels.


    The location of the home was very good, the land area it occupied was large, and combined with the luxurious decor of the house, even an empty house was worth far more than six hundred taels.


    Qin Niu had stumbled upon a veritable windfall.


    The Black Tiger Gang had now won a major victory, and with the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect severely damaged, the Black Tiger Gang was sure to become even more prosperous and thriving.


    In the future, Black Tiger City, being the core city of the Black Tiger Gang, was likely to welcome a wave of major development.


    The quadrangle dwelling that Qin Niu held, along with those more than 120 shops, would all appreciate significantly in value.


    ¡°My lord, you really are adept at balancing warfare and business! I also heard that land prices have plummeted, so I used the spare cash to buy more than 200 acres of good farmland! I didn¡¯t dare to buy any shops in the city though¡ªI¡¯m not that bold,¡± Wang Wanyan said with a face full of admiration.


    ¡°Haha, my wife is clever and capable. In the future, I will leave all domestic property management to you,¡± Qin Niu said, feeling that Wang Wanyan truly had a talent for business.


    It might be the influence of her father since she was young.


    ¡°Ah Niu brother, what about me?¡± Tang Caixian asked with her lips pursed.


    ¡°Your main task is to cultivate. When you have spare time, you can also assist Wanyan in managing the household affairs. Wanyan, when it comes to managing property and household affairs, you also need to learn to gradually delegate authority to others. We can find two or three stewards to handle these matters, so it won¡¯t take up too much of your time. Cultivation is the most important thing, we mustn¡¯t neglect it for the sake of making money,¡± Qin Niu advised.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, cultivation was the true path.


    Money, after all, was external to oneself. While it was certainly important, it could completely be left to hired people to operate and manage the family¡¯s industry.


    ¡°Just for the bit of land we have, hiring two or three stewards¡­ Do you think they do not require wages? Caixian and I can manage it just fine without taking up too much time,¡± Wang Wanyan clearly did not yet know the full extent of her husband¡¯s wealth.


    Qin Niu did not explain further, as she would naturally find out in a few days.


    ¡°You see, you need to change your mindset. Money can never be earned out. Tasks that can be done by underlings should be left to them as much as possible. You married me to enjoy life, not to toil and labor like a housekeeper,¡± he said.


    Wang Wanyan heard this and said nothing more.


    Clearly, Qin Niu¡¯s doting affection made her feel very cherished.


    ¡°Cai Xian, why were you holding your stomach as you walked just now? Is there any discomfort?¡±


    The three entered the house.


    Xiao Qing led the Black Mare Horse into the stable to lock it up.


    The Green Ox, being highly intelligent, needed no one to tend to it and went back to its own barn to nap.


    It only needed someone to feed it and clean up its dung on time.


    ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    Tang Caixian said with her head lowered, her face flushed with shyness.


    ¡°What¡¯s pregnant?¡±


    Qin Niu had not yet caught on.


    ¡°It means we¡¯re expecting! Sister Cai Xian is likely already carrying your child.¡±


    Wang Wanyan explained from the side.


    Both women looked at Qin Niu with a gaze meant for a mischievous child.


    ¡°Is this true? I¡¯m going to be a dad, haha, I¡¯m going to be a dad!¡±


    Upon hearing the good news, Qin Niu was so happy he didn¡¯t know what to do with himself.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Tang Caixian¡¯s belly to be so ¡®capable¡¯.


    Qin Family was in dire need of people at the moment, and he really wanted his wives and concubines to give birth to a bunch of children. In time, the Qin Family would prosper and gradually become stronger.


    ¡°From now on, don¡¯t do any work, and don¡¯t lift anything heavy. No, I have to make a trip to the city tomorrow, to buy two more maids to take care of you specifically. Also, whatever you want to eat, just buy it¡­¡±


    Qin Niu strove to provide her with the best living conditions.


    ¡°Who says I¡¯m so delicate? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful. We already have three maids at home, which is completely sufficient. As for food, our current meals are very good, there¡¯s no need to buy anything else.¡±


    Tang Caixian smiled happily, preventing Qin Niu from spending lavishly for her.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. We won¡¯t buy maids for now. Having fewer people at home makes it easier to manage. If we¡¯re short-handed later, we can buy more.¡± Qin Niu was obedient to her words. ¡°Wan Yan, I¡¯ll have to sleep in your room tonight, to get you pregnant sooner.¡±


    Qin Niu noticed Wang Wanyan felt somewhat dejected and quickly offered consolation.


    ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡±


    Her face blushed, and she was so embarrassed she wanted to burrow into a hole in the ground.


    After chatting with his wives for a while, Qin Niu remembered he still had important things to do.


    He went to the backyard, planted the Soul Craving Tendril Staff in the soil, and then infused a strand of Everlasting Spring Technique energy to help it recover its vitality. He noticed a lot of cold air rising from the deep well where the Ice Lotus was planted, indicating that it was growing particularly well there.


    ¡°Wart Toad, go back to your lair and rest!¡±


    Qin Niu called the Red-eyed Golden Toad out from the carrying basket.


    During the trip to the battlefield, all the beast pets had made great contributions. Only the Diamond Ink Turtle, due to its low level and weak strength, couldn¡¯t offer much help.


    With the little turtle¡¯s strength improving slowly, Qin Niu had no immediate solution.


    He could only wait for the right opportunity, with suitable food or elixirs to help it enhance its strength.


    After all, it had an extremely long lifespan. Qin Niu had enough pets for the time being, and there was no pressing need for it.


    After dealing with all this, he checked on the Mirage Insect.


    It was still swallowing and refining its second avatar, a process that looked set to last a long time.


    Qin Niu hoped to improve his cultivation as quickly as possible. As soon as his Spirit Space expanded, he would immediately establish a soul pact with the Mirage Insect.


    Now that they only had a private pact, it left him somewhat uneasy.

 Chapter 463 - Chapter 463: Chapter 455: All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation_1

    Chapter 463: Chapter 455: All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation_1


    However, there¡¯s no use being anxious about such matters.


    Haste makes waste.


    Rushing to improve one¡¯s cultivation can easily lead to mental derangement. Especially since his current cultivation had reached the Innate Realm, he needed to be more cautious.


    In the Mortal Realm, no matter how one cultivates, it is impossible to become mentally deranged.


    That¡¯s because the power cultivated in the Mortal Realm is minimal and is directly absorbed by the body. By the time one reaches the Innate Realm, the power within the body is already quite formidable, and a slight mishap can lead to the loss of control of this power, or even mental derangement.


    In terms of cultivation environment, he had even more of an advantage than the Black Tiger Gang Leader, the patriarch of the Fang Family, and others. After all, cultivating within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, the speed was twenty times that of the outside world.


    Those major clans, having a cultivation speed in secret realms that is one or two times faster than the outside world, would consider that reaching the skies.


    What he currently lacked was only a high-level Elixir that could help him break through his bottlenecks.


    When he tried to break through from the initial stage of the Innate Realm to the middle stage, he distinctly felt some obstacles.


    He estimated that the further he would go, the more difficult it would become.


    Having an Elixir at a critical moment could definitely increase efficiency twofold and help him quickly overcome the bottleneck.


    Whether it was to enhance his spiritual power, to subdue the Mirage Insect sooner, or for the upcoming Water and Land Dharma Assembly, he needed to raise his cultivation level as quickly as possible.


    Qin Niu no longer paid attention to the Mirage Insect but started to take inventory of the spoils of war obtained after slaying the Black and White Protectors and Elder Wu Shanle, among others.


    The weapons of the Black and White Protectors were quite good, one wielded a Red Iron Chain forged from red iron, and the other wielded a crying staff forged from mysterious iron.


    Both weapons were made of mysterious iron, but the Red Iron Chain had fire attributes while the crying staff was of cold attributes.


    Qin Niu was planning to enter the city in a couple of days and intended to see if Master Ou could transform them into one special weapon.


    Or perhaps find a way to upgrade the Ink Blade.


    He noticed that after the Ink Blade absorbed the energy from the Soul Craving Tendril Staff and the soul of the Mysterious Gu Master, it seemed to have undergone some changes.


    Exactly what had changed, he couldn¡¯t pinpoint.


    Weapons or pets, their growth sometimes isn¡¯t controlled by their owner. It¡¯s like children, all raised the same way, yet some become high officials, some become tycoons, and others end up at the bottom of society.


    What the Ink Blade will ultimately develop into, nobody can predict.


    Qin Niu took out a yellowed jade slip from the spoils of war.


    It was found on Elder Wu Shanle.


    He looked closely at the jade slip and didn¡¯t find any text or runes carved on its surface. He knew that it was likely a high-level ancient jade slip.


    It¡¯s also known as a celestial slip.


    The content is sealed inside the jade slip; one needs to press it to their forehead and use their divine power to explore the content recorded within.


    He pressed the jade slip to his forehead and released a strand of spiritual power into the slip.


    A torrent of information flooded into his brain.


    All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation: This formation at least requires thirty-six insect spirits to set up, and once established, it can control all evil spirits and demonic overlords of the six paths. One can use the power of these spirits and demons to commit atrocities within the formation, causing dragons and monstrous creatures to rise, slaughtering all enemy beings within the formation.


    The power of this formation is closely related to the insect spirits used to set it up, the proficiency of the practitioner, and the adaptability of the controller.


    The more insect spirits used in the formation, the greater the power of the formation.


    The higher the level of insect spirits used, the stronger they are, the more terrifying the power of the formation. Slaying deities and immortals is not out of reach, as een once slain a Golden Immortal with the help of this formation.


    Having read the contents of the jade slip, Qin Niu, despite his young age and deep composure, showed an uncontainable excitement on his face.


    Having witnessed the power of the Insect Formation wielded by Wu Shanle and the Mysterious Gu Master, he had been especially envious.


    When he found this jade slip, he vaguely felt that it might contain the methods for setting up an Insect Formation.


    Before it was confirmed, there was still an element of uncertainty.


    Now that his conjecture had proven true, having learned the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation would absolutely be like adding wings to a tiger.


    In future battles against formidable enemies, as long as he deployed the Insect Formation, he could immediately enhance his Insect Pets¡¯ combat power by tenfold.


    If his Green Demon Bees could be massively reproduced, reaching a quantity of thirty-six or more, the power of the Insect Formation would be terrifyingly formidable, almost beyond imagination.


    Qin Niu was a pragmatist who also did not fuss over the exhaustion from traveling, and after learning the Insect Formation, he immediately summoned thirty-six Termites, directing Fourth to lead them to arrange into formation at specific positions.


    Since the Insect Formation would be in constant motion, setting it up was much more difficult than ordinary formations.


    After taking their positions, they still needed repeated drills to maintain the correctness of their placement at all times.


    Otherwise, the Insect Formation would collapse without even being attacked.


    The drilling of the entire Insect Formation could be divided into four stages. The most basic level was to draw lines, and having each Termite stand in its spot was enough to form the Insect Formation.


    The second stage was to have them move uniformly forward or backward after they had become familiar with their respective positions. It was crucial that all thirty-six Termites moved together, and the position of each Termite could not be in disarray.


    To achieve this was extremely difficult.


    To prevent the Insect Formation from breaking due to the death of any Termite or incorrect positioning during battle, the base number of thirty-six Termites could be doubled. When the number reached seventy-two, each Termite would have a substitute.


    In case a Termite died in battle or failed to take the correct position in time, a substitute Termite could replace it.


    Thus, the Insect Formation would become even more stable.


    Qin Niu was confident that after repeated drills, the Termites could meet the requirements of the second stage.


    At the very least, they would be able to move freely, keeping the Insect Formation from chaos.


    The third stage was even more difficult. It involved hundreds, or even thousands, of insects forming an array, both on the ground and in the air.


    Moreover, there needed to be formations within formations, countless small formations within a large formation.


    For example, there could be thirty-six groups of Insect Pets, positioned into a large Insect Formation. Then, each group of Insect Pets would form a small formation.


    To reach this stage, all insect groups had to coordinate in unison and cooperate seamlessly.


    Anyone who has studied management knows that the more people there are, the harder it is to manage.


    The same is true for insect groups.


    At the fourth stage, once the insect groups were familiar with the positions of the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation, they could freely change the formation. Dispersed they formed an array, together they also formed an array.


    When scattered, each insect group was an independent Insect Formation.


    They could even resonate with other insect groups from a distance, forming a super-large Insect Formation.


    When gathered, they were still an Insect Formation.


    Or they could be multiple Insect Formations stacking together, merging into one.


    By that point, to gather or disperse at will, to form a formation however one desired, it would be quite perfect.


    However, to reach this stage was incredibly challenging.


    The ¡®Formation Eye¡¯ of the Insect Formation needed to become an excellent commander, and the ¡®Formation Eyes¡¯ of the smaller formations also needed to be equally excellent. Then, when commanding the entire insect group, not a single insect could fall out of line; all had to proficiently obey the commands.


    It was even necessary to consider the varying strengths and weaknesses of the different insects, their crawling speeds, flying capabilities, and so on.


    Qin Niu was not one for unrealistic dreams; he decided to start with the most basic drills.


    He believed that with sufficient training and Fourth¡¯s exceptional intelligence, the Insect Formation would undoubtedly get better and better.

 Chapter 464 - Chapter 464: Chapter 456 Eating Worms Boots_1

    Chapter 464: Chapter 456 Eating Worms Boots_1


    ¡°`


    Among the loot scavenged from Elder Wu Shanle, besides the jade slip detailing the Insect Formation, there was another extremely formidable item.


    It was a pair of boots taken off Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s legs.


    Qin Niu had noticed these boots because when Master He Shan¡¯s Golden Centipede crawled inside, it was instantly killed.


    Qin Niu initially thought there was a powerful Insect Pet hidden inside the boots that could easily kill the Golden Centipede.


    However, no insect carcasses were found inside the boots afterward.


    This was very puzzling.


    Could it be that these boots could consume insects?


    Qin Niu held the boots, examining them, mid-calf in height, to be worn below the knee.


    Some long boots can be worn above the knee.


    The size of the boots was quite small; they could probably fit a child of seven or eight, which was understandable since Elder Wu Shanle was only as tall as a child of that age.


    The material of the boots was indistinguishable, marked with dark patterns, somewhat like leather but not quite.


    They were heavy in hand, weighing at least over two pounds.


    After examining the boots several times, Qin Niu found nothing unusual. Then he tried throwing a live insect into the boot; a terrifying scene occurred¡ªthe insect was gradually absorbed by the inner wall of the boot.


    The process was extremely fast.


    Even weirder, the insect didn¡¯t show any resistance; it seemed to cooperate.


    This was highly abnormal.


    Even ants cling to life; any insect instinctively fears death and seeks to avoid it.


    Why, then, did the moth he¡¯d put into the boot accept death so calmly?


    Furthermore, the boot could actually consume a living insect.


    Qin Niu realized that these boots could be a very powerful treasure.


    He caught another beetle and threw it into the other boot. The same eerie phenomenon occurred¡ªthe beetle was also consumed by the boot.


    The interior of the boot was black, showing no signs of change.


    And it left no traces behind.


    Qin Niu¡¯s interest was thoroughly piqued; holding the boots, he studied them closely and conducted several experiments. No matter the insect, as soon as it entered the boot, it would be obediently devoured by it.


    More astonishing was that after the boots consumed multiple insects, they showed no change whatsoever.


    Thinking of how some magical items could be bound by blood, Qin Niu tried cutting his fingertip and dripping blood onto the boot. It didn¡¯t absorb the blood, showing no reaction at all.


    He then tried several other methods, all to no avail.


    The pair of boots remained the same.


    In the end, he had no choice but to put them away for the time being, planning to buy more books to study upon entering the city, hoping to determine what kind of treasure these boots were.


    Although Elder Wu Shanle was the weakest elder of the Nine Insect Gang, diminutive in stature, and quite ugly, the fact that he possessed a jade slip and boots that could eat insects suggested his identity might not be so simple as it appeared.


    If the opportunity arose, Qin Niu would surely conduct a thorough investigation into Elder Wu Shanle¡¯s identity.


    ¡­


    In the following days, Qin Niu spent every day with his wives, concubines, and Xiao Qing going into the mountains for arduous cultivation.


    Although Tang Caixian was pregnant, it did not affect her cultivation.


    As a first-time mother, she was extremely protective of the baby in her womb. She said that cultivation could help the child become stronger and wished for the child to be born with better physical conditions, not to fall behind from the start.


    Some strong individuals¡¯ wives, when pregnant, would hire experts to regularly nurture their unborn children with their cultivation strength, helping to open the children¡¯s meridians.


    They would even, when the fetus was a bit older, combine medicinal baths and dietary supplements to help enhance the child¡¯s constitution.


    This is truly cultivating from within the womb.


    Children born in this way often possess exceptional talents and cultivate much faster than children from ordinary families.


    Some are even formidable, reaching the tenth level of the Mortal Realm by age six, breaking through to the Acquired Realm by seven or eight, and reaching the Innate Realm by twelve or thirteen. For example, the young noble whom Qin Niu met on his first trip to the Supreme Sea to purchase Cultivation Techniques, who despite his tender age, had an incredibly impressive cultivation level.


    But then again, having capable parents can indeed give one a head start.


    ¡°`


    Personal effort and opportunities in the Acquired Realm are equally important.


    Some people are born into privilege, never having to worry about elixirs or cultivation techniques as if born with a golden key in their mouths. But due to their parents¡¯ overindulgence and pampering, they gradually become mediocre.


    On the other hand, some children of humble origins, through their own efforts, constantly improve themselves and undergo transformations, eventually overtaking those born with inherent advantages.


    Qin Niu was the latter.


    He started with nothing, penniless and empty-handed.


    With his own effort, he finally underwent several transformations. He had now surpassed 99% of the privileged young masters and was hopeful to become an immortal of his generation.


    Children without umbrellas must run harder than others.


    Nine days flew by in the blink of an eye, and Qin Niu received news that Black Tiger City had restored basic order.


    The government institutions within the city were now functioning normally.


    Furthermore, he learned that after defeating two major factions, the Black Tiger Gang took advantage of the victory and captured a large territory of the Nine Insects Gang. Almost all the territory originally belonging to the Seven-Star Sect had been seized by the Black Tiger Gang.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader, using complex terrain and a vast swarm of insects, barely managed to halt the advance of the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s army.


    That witch must be regretting it now.


    If she had known better, she wouldn¡¯t have attempted to challenge the Black Tiger Gang¡ªnow she has lost half her own territory.


    The most tragic of all was the Shennong Sect.


    At a critical moment, the Shennong Sect Leader Pan Jianjun, in order to save his beloved wife, gave up his position and swallowed the Verdant Blood Elixir to save her. His whereabouts were unknown afterward.


    The Great Elder took over as the Shennong Sect Leader, but was unable to form an absolute dominance over other elders and various powers within the sect, leading to the most serious internal strife in the sect¡¯s history.


    In such a situation, the Black Tiger Gang was overjoyed.


    They took the opportunity to capture a vast fertile land of the Shennong Sect, nearly all of the territory south of Tian Shui spread over a thousand miles, was swept into their coffers.


    The most speechless part was about the Nine Insects Gang¡ªseeing that the Shennong Sect could no longer hold on, not only did they not help their ally against the strong enemy, but at this crucial moment, they raided and occupied large tracts of the Shennong Sect¡¯s mountains and fields.


    The Nine Insects Gang defended strategically and seemed to have reached some sort of tacit agreement with the Black Tiger Gang, no longer attacking each other. Instead, they freed their hands to fully stabilize the newly conquered territories.


    The Shennong Sect¡¯s Spirit Qi Realm experts and large families either fled or surrendered.


    With families in tow, they generally chose to surrender where possible.


    While this might seem a loss of spine and dignity, it was most advantageous for their families.


    They avoided leaving their homes and managed to preserve part of their family¡¯s assets.


    It was essentially like having a change in boss.


    With a good performance, within a century they could become one of the top noble families of either the Black Tiger Gang or the Nine Insects Gang.


    In the end, the mighty Shennong Sect was destroyed within a mere nine days.


    About a third of their territory was devoured by the Nine Insects Gang, and two-thirds were shared by the Black Tiger Gang.


    No one could have predicted such an outcome.


    Now, Shennong City, Seven-Star City, and Mai City had all become cities under the Black Tiger Gang.


    Who would have thought that the Black Tiger Gang, despite being besieged by two major sects, would not only survive but also nearly double their strength.


    While the Nine Insects Gang lost the Seven-Star Sect¡¯s territory, by swallowing up a third of the Shennong Sect¡¯s territory, they compensated for their losses.


    Qin Niu felt puzzled. Why hadn¡¯t the Black Tiger Gang taken the opportunity to obliterate the Nine Insects Gang?


    After all, allowing that vicious witch to grow stronger should not have been an option.


    Keep in mind that the wife of the Shennong Sect Leader sacrificed her life to help the Nine Insects Gang Leader escape. If the Nine Insects Gang Leader had even a shred of gratitude, he absolutely wouldn¡¯t have made such a move.


    Yet that witch had the audacity to lead her troops in looting the Shennong Sect¡¯s assets amid chaos.


    If she could even seize the territories of her sister and brother-in-law, what else was that witch incapable of doing?


    Sooner or later, when the Nine Insects Gang regained their strength, the Black Tiger Gang would likely have difficulty.


    Qin Niu planned to take a day to enter the city.


    Now that he had a horse carriage and a treasure like the Black Mare Horse, entering the city had become extremely convenient.


    If he hadn¡¯t been worried about exposing his top-tier avian mount, the Fire Phoenix, he could have ridden it to the city, which would have been even faster.

 Chapter 465 - Chapter 465: Chapter 457 The Historian Niu Ascending to the Path_1

    Chapter 465: Chapter 457 The Historian Niu Ascending to the Path_1


    Early in the morning, after the family had breakfast, they rode in a carriage into the city.


    Along the way, one could still see the traces of the pest infestation. Many trees had their leaves gnawed away, not even sparing the freshly sprouted buds.


    Some newly hatched caterpillars clung to the damaged leaf tips like vampires, sucking the sap from the branches.


    Ordinarily, apart from cattle and sheep that might graze on them, the ground¡¯s weeds were rarely nibbled by insects.


    This year, however, they too suffered greatly.


    Not only were the leaves eaten by locusts, leaf insects, and other pests, but even the roots were mostly consumed by pests like mole crickets. This led to the complete death of many weeds.


    It is known that weeds are extremely resilient plants; wild fires can¡¯t even burn them to death.


    Just as long as spring arrives, their splendor remains unchanged.


    Now, with the Black Tiger Gang emerging victorious and the Nine Insect Gang suffering a crushing defeat, the pestilence that had driven everyone to despair lost its mastermind, and it was believed that it would soon subside.


    Qin Niu saw the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s strategic genius through this battle that had lasted nearly a year.


    At the time, no one was optimistic about the war, with most of the focus on how to deal with the pest infestation.


    But the Black Tiger Gang Leader never offered a solution to the pestilence and even seemed to have an air of resignation about him, ignoring the devastation. Even when the people in Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory suffered crop failures for three consecutive seasons and famines began to emerge, the Gang Leader maintained his composure.


    Only now did Qin Niu understand the Gang Leader¡¯s far-sighted strategy.


    It was a technique of capturing the ringleaders to defeat the followers.


    Lacking powerful Insect Masters, the Black Tiger Gang would surely lose if they contended with the Nine Insect Gang on that front. In the end, the Gang Leader chose to wait patiently and then directly defeated the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s forces on the battlefield.


    He even nearly assassinated the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    In this way, there was no need to address the pestilence anymore.


    Moreover, the deadlocks of famine, soaring grain prices, and blocked import channels were successfully resolved. By seizing control of the Shennong Sect¡¯s territory, the Black Tiger Gang was no longer afraid of being cut off when buying grain.


    The Shennong Sect was an extremely important transportation hub, somewhat like a city that connects nine provinces.


    After annexing two-thirds of the Shennong Sect¡¯s territory, the Black Tiger Gang now enjoyed this enviable transportation advantage that many factions coveted.


    Surveying the entire war situation, Qin Niu held the Black Tiger Gang Leader in the highest regard.


    He also learned many profound strategies.


    He learned not to focus on the gains and losses of a single city or place but to look towards the long-term, to play to strengths and avoid weaknesses in the gamble with the enemy. Fighting their own battles in their own way, they ultimately turned the tide of the entire war in one fell swoop.


    This ability is something every family head, every Gang Leader, and every Sect Master must learn.


    After Qin Niu drove the carriage into the city, he headed straight for the government offices.


    He had several matters to tend to in the city that day.


    ¡°Oh, Master Qin has arrived! You¡¯re a rare guest, please come inside for some tea,¡± said the Historian from the government office, immediately coming out to greet him upon seeing Qin Niu.


    He greeted Qin Niu with a smile on his face, slightly stooping his shoulders, displaying an extremely submissive posture.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Historian Niu! I have several important matters to handle today, I¡¯ll come to bother you another day!¡±


    Qin Niu did not have time to drink tea with him.


    In the past, the Historian from the household office was a big official in his eyes. Now that he was a first-class noble with his cultivation advanced to the Dual Innate Realm, the Historian seemed much less significant.


    At least, it had to be someone of the level of Vice Gang Leader Bai to be worth noting.


    ¡°This is my wife, Mrs. Wang. I bought some good farmland and shops a few days ago and have not yet had the opportunity to transfer ownership. Please help me with the formalities, Historian Niu. Transfer all of them into my wife¡¯s name,¡± Qin Niu had already planned this before coming.


    His wife managing the family wealth was a good option.


    ¡°I have seen Mrs. Qin,¡± Historian Niu immediately greeted Wang Wanyan with a handclasp.


    A wife derives her status from her husband.


    Qin Niu¡¯s status is prestigious, and with that, Wang Wanyan, his official wife, also sees her status elevated to honor.


    ¡°Master Qin is too kind!¡±


    Wang Wanyan returned the courtesy, responding quite appropriately.


    She was unlike some women who, relying on their husband¡¯s noble position, would flaunt their power in front of others, putting on airs wherever they went.


    If she had been that kind of woman, Qin Niu would never have married her.


    Let alone make her his official wife.


    The Qin Family needed a virtuous and gentle wife to flourish and thrive.


    Just like an empress of a nation must be a paragon of womanhood for all, rather than a scheming woman with just a pretty face.


    ¡°Master Qin, these are the original land deeds and house deeds, how long do you think it will take to get them processed?¡±


    The Historian took the documents Qin Niu handed over.


    Two thick stacks, housed in a wooden box. He examined them carefully, a look of shock appearing on his face.


    ¡°This must be several thousand acres of fertile land, and over a hundred shops, right?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    Qin Niu nodded.


    His wife¡¯s beautiful eyes suddenly widened in surprise.


    She had thought her husband would at most purchase a few hundred acres of good land; she had not expected Qin Niu to buy thousands of acres ¡ª how much money would that be?


    And with over a hundred shops, even if one sold for merely a hundred taels of Silver Money, that would already be ten thousand taels.


    In reality, any decently located shop wouldn¡¯t sell for less than four hundred taels.


    After all, rent was not cheap.


    Larger shops in slightly better locations had annual rents that started at least at ten taels of Silver Money and went up from there. The more expensive ones could be as much as forty or fifty taels per shop.


    ¡°Master Qin is an esteemed guest of our yamen. I have specially assigned several clerks and accountants to handle your property transfer. At the soonest, I estimate it would take about three to four hours to complete everything,¡± the Historian considered and then gave a specific completion time.


    A subordinate, hearing this, showed a worried expression.


    Leaning close to the Historian, he whispered, ¡°Many procedures for influential figures in the city are still pending and haven¡¯t been dealt with! If you prioritize Master Qin¡¯s case, what would those nobles think should they find out?¡±


    ¡°Idiot, who is Master Qin? Now that he¡¯s here, if I don¡¯t prioritize his case, should I give preference to someone else?¡±


    After being scolded, the subordinate immediately bowed his head and fell silent.


    Even though the two spoke in hushed tones, Qin Niu, with his Innate Realm cultivation, heard everything clearly.


    This Historian was a clever man, well-versed in the ways of bureaucracy.


    Although Qin Niu only had the honorary title of a first-class noble, his performance in this war was outstanding. It could be said that the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s great victory owed much to Qin Niu.


    Without him breaking the Insect Formation and killing the Mysterious Gu Master, it would have been difficult to say whose hands victory would fall into.


    Could the Historian afford to offend such a person?


    Prioritizing Qin Niu¡¯s case was the most advantageous choice. By taking the opportunity to connect with Qin Niu, future benefits abounded.


    ¡°Wan Yan, you stay here with Xiao Qing to handle the property transfer. I¡¯ll come back to pick you up after I¡¯m done with my tasks.¡±


    ¡°Mm, you go ahead with your work.¡±


    Wang Wanyan nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Master Qin, then I entrust this matter to you.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me, you just go about your business!¡±


    Master Qin patted his chest in assurance.


    Qin Niu left, satisfied.

 Chapter 466 - Chapter 466: Chapter 458 Upgrading Weapons_1

    Chapter 466: Chapter 458 Upgrading Weapons_1


    After exiting, Qin Niu made a beeline for the carriage. Tang Cai Xian was still seated inside.


    She was pregnant, and Qin Niu had not wanted her to come, but she wished to accompany him to the city. So he had let her.


    It was a good opportunity to take her to see the newly purchased quadrangle and those shops.


    ¡°Cai Xian, all the family¡¯s fields and shops have been transferred to Wan Yan¡¯s name. Are you sure you have no objections? If we need to make changes, there¡¯s still time. I can have Mr. Niu transfer the shops to your name.¡±


    Qin Niu treated both his wives equally.


    Only, the official wife naturally had certain advantages.


    In some wealthy families, the concubines had a very low status, just a bit higher than that of a servant girl.


    Yet Tang Cai Xian received the treatment of an equal wife in the Qin Family.


    ¡°We are all one family, what objections could I possibly have? Besides, Sister Wan Yan has always been kind to me. If it¡¯s in her name, would she deny me and our child food? I have no interest in managing family properties. As long as I can live a life of love with you, I¡¯d be willing to work the fields every day.¡±


    Her heart was full of love, and she had no interest in competing for the family property.


    Her greatest wish was to spend a life of love with Qin Niu.


    ¡°To marry both you and Wan Yan in this lifetime is indeed my good fortune. Sit tight; I¡¯ll stop by the Cultivation Market first.¡±


    Qin Niu drove the carriage straight to the Cultivation Market.


    He even went out of his way to visit the mute girl Bei Bing in her talisman shop.


    Her grandfather still hadn¡¯t returned.


    During their conversation, it was evident that she was deeply worried about her grandfather¡¯s safety.


    Due to the war between three sects, roads were blocked, and her grandfather couldn¡¯t return.


    Now that the war was essentially over, Qin Niu believed her grandfather would soon return safely. He comforted her with a few words before driving to Master Ou¡¯s smithy.


    Tang Cai Xian refused to show her face in public, so she stayed inside the carriage compartment, waiting for Qin Niu.


    Upon entering the smithy, Master Ou was sitting behind the counter, carefully examining a narrow sword, while his apprentice worked tirelessly in the forging room, pounding away with a heavy hammer.


    Learning blacksmithing skills must start with the basics.


    Hammering was a compulsory lesson for every blacksmith.


    Not only did repeated hammering refine the impurities out of the raw materials, making the metal more compact and hard, but it also improved the blacksmith¡¯s forging level.


    The final shape of a blade, whether the edge is even¡ªall of these require relentless effort and continual experience to achieve a higher standard.


    Inferior blacksmiths often produce weapons with poor designs, loose material structure, uncoordinated proportions, and inadequate tempering, leading to terrible user experiences.


    For a seasoned blacksmith like Master Ou, using the weapons he forged was a true delight.


    ¡°Master Ou, busy as always!¡± Qin Niu greeted him with a smile.


    Master Ou¡¯s gaze shifted from the narrow sword in his hand and he looked up at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you! I must say I was once blind to greatness, not realizing that you were the well-known Insect Master Qin Niu.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t expect that Master Ou, who spent all day cooped up in his shop forging iron, would be aware of his identity.


    ¡°You flatter me! I¡¯m just a country youth.¡± Qin Niu was humbly modest.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen you break the enemy¡¯s Insect Formation on the battlefield that day, who would have thought that someone so ordinary-looking like you could be so capable. A true hero indeed! What brings you here today? Do you wish to purchase an Insect Jar or to have weapons forged?¡±


    Master Ou gestured towards a stool in front of the counter.


    ¡°Please, have a seat!¡±


    The stool was old and dirty; one really couldn¡¯t be too choosy in a smithy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come today to ask you a few questions.¡± Qin Niu spoke and placed the Ink Blade directly on the counter.


    ¡°Do you remember this blade?¡±


    ¡°Taking one look at its design, I knew it was forged by my own hand.¡± Master Ou glanced at it and immediately recognized it as his work.


    However, he had forged so many weapons that he couldn¡¯t clearly remember when he had made this particular blade.


    ¡°Please take a closer look,¡± Qin Niu hinted calmly.


    Upon hearing this, Master Ou reached out with a puzzled look to pick up the Ink Blade.


    Immediately, he sensed a strong resistance emanating from the blade, along with a heart-palpitating murderous aura and a chilling breath.


    ¡°This blade has already evolved its own consciousness; it has actually become a spiritual weapon, which is too inconceivable,¡± exclaimed Master Ou, his face a picture of shock as he looked at the Ink Blade.


    In the end, a faint red glow shone on his hands, and he forcibly picked up the Ink Blade.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart trembled slightly, who could have thought that this old blacksmith had such profound cultivation. He must be at the peak of the Innate Realm, or possibly at the early stage of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Hidden dragons and crouching tigers.


    Many masters seemed to hide in the city, taking on the roles of blacksmiths, Talisman Masters.


    Master Ou, the owner of the dark talisman shop, they were all masters.


    ¡°Such a powerful Blade Spirit. Although I don¡¯t remember when I forged this blade for you, I am certain that it was not more than a year ago. For you to be able to nurture it into a spiritual weapon in such a short time, there must be a great opportunity,


    Blades are instruments of killing and inherently fierce.


    Its evolutionary direction is a bit evil and murderous, and you must beware of the Blade Spirit¡¯s backlash in the future. Prolonged use of this blade can easily affect your mind,¡± Master Ou advised Qin Niu.


    ¡°Then, is there any way to resolve it?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°The evolutionary direction of a weapon is generally beyond anyone¡¯s control. For any weapon to evolve from an ordinary weapon to a spiritual one requires an extraordinary opportunity, which is almost impossible to replicate. The fact that your blade has evolved in an evil and murderous direction does not necessarily mean it is a bad thing. For instance, I once saw a spear that evolved in a direction of brightness and ferocity, favoring the fire attribute, but its owner used it to kill many innocent people.


    Eventually, the spear¡¯s owner was killed by an immortal from the Immortal Sect, vanishing into oblivion.


    That spear then changed hands.


    After passing through several owners, when I saw it again, it was by chance. A young man in his twenties had it and used it to help villagers deal with a green snake about to turn into a demon.


    So, whether a weapon is evil or righteous isn¡¯t so important.


    What matters is whether the weapon¡¯s owner is righteous or evil.


    As long as you steadfastly adhere to the path of righteousness, it will be hard for this blade to influence you.


    There¡¯s no need to think about changing its evolutionary direction.


    Because doing so might ruin it.


    Just like forcing a child who naturally enjoys business to farm instead, which would ultimately ruin that child¡¯s future,¡± Master Ou, who has spent his life forging various weapons, viewed each weapon as a child.


    Perhaps in Master Ou¡¯s eyes, each weapon had its own life.


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, senior!¡± Qin Niu bowed deeply, his gratitude genuine.


    ¡°I have another question. When this weapon was originally forged, I was short on funds and used very ordinary materials. I only used fine iron and a small amount of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel. Do you think it¡¯s possible to add some higher-grade metals to upgrade it?¡±


    Upgrading weapons was a fairly common practice.


    ¡°Yes! But the risk of upgrading it is very high; one careless move could lead to its destruction. And now that it has become a spiritual weapon, to upgrade it, you would need at least metals of very high quality such as Mystical Iron or Meteoric Iron. These materials are rare and usually hard to come by,¡± explained Master Ou, advising him against upgrading the Ink Blade.


    If it were to be ruined, it would be a great pity.


    ¡°Would this Red Iron Chain material be suitable?¡±


    Qin Niu took out the Red Iron Chains and laid them on the counter.


    ¡°Red Iron! This iron is naturally fiery and considered a top-class Mystical Iron. Using it to upgrade this blade would indeed be well matched,¡± said Master Ou, using the phrase ¡°well matched.¡±


    When upgrading weapons, the materials must be commensurate with the weapon¡¯s grade.


    Load failed, please RETRY

 Chapter 467 - Chapter 467: Chapter 459 Using People without Suspicion_1

    Chapter 467: Chapter 459 Using People without Suspicion_1


    Marriage follows a similar principle, if the two parties involved are too mismatched, it is difficult to arrive at a good outcome.


    ¡°Take another look at this staff.¡±


    Qin Niu then took out another mourning staff and handed it over.


    The cultivation levels of the Black and White Protectors had already reached the peak of the Innate Realm, just a hair¡¯s breadth away from ascending to the Spirit Qi Realm. Their weapons were also exceptionally fine, especially in terms of material, which comprised some of the rarest metals in the world.


    ¡°Heavy iron! This is heavy iron!¡±


    Upon receiving it, Master Ou discovered that the mourning staff was incredibly heavy and emitted waves of a cold, gloomy aura. He couldn¡¯t help but become even more astonished.


    ¡°For you to obtain two such fine weapons at the same time, your fortune is truly against the heavens. Red iron and heavy iron are two types of metal with completely opposite properties, both are rare treasures in this world. To use them to upgrade your blade, which has already evolved into a Spirit Weapon, even I am excited at the prospect.


    If the upgrade is successful, I dare say that this sword will definitely become a peerless divine weapon.


    However, having said that, upgrading a weapon, as it requires reforging the weapon in the furnace, there is a possibility of failure. If you can accept the worst-case scenario, I am willing to take on this business.¡±


    Master Ou suppressed the excitement in his heart and clearly explained the pros and cons to Qin Niu.


    Every industry has its rules.


    Potential risks must be made clear.


    Otherwise, if the upgrade fails and Qin Niu¡¯s Spirit Weapon is ruined, the consequences would be quite severe.


    Master Ou certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to compensate him with another Spirit Weapon.


    Qin Niu lowered his head, pondering the risks involved.


    The Ink Blade was now his only weapon, which he had nurtured for so long, developing affection for it and becoming accustomed to using it.


    Without upgrading, it would still suffice to handle the vast majority of situations.


    ¡°Could you please tell me the disadvantages of not upgrading and the benefits I could gain if I do upgrade?¡±


    ¡°Without upgrading, the limit of this sword will be rather low. It is currently at the level of a Spirit Weapon, which is almost the highest limit it can reach. Even if you provide it with the best nurturing conditions, it can at most evolve into a top-grade Spirit Weapon. Also, the evil aura within the sword¡¯s body has already taken the upper hand, and if you don¡¯t find a way to balance this evil aura, the sword might very well become a demonic blade.


    When that happens, the Blade Spirit will prioritize its own evolution, and once its strength reaches a certain level, it will either actively absorb metals to enhance the blade or the Blade Spirit will seize the owner¡¯s flesh, using the owner¡¯s body as a cauldron to completely transform into a demon.¡±


    Master Ou spoke these words with a serious demeanor.


    Clearly, he wasn¡¯t trying to scare Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu had also noticed the leanings of the Blade Spirit towards evil.


    Especially after absorbing the soul of that Mysterious Gu Master, the changes in the Ink Blade were particularly noticeable.


    The sinister aura it radiated even made Qin Niu, its owner, feel somewhat uncomfortable.


    ¡°The advantages of upgrading are numerous. First of all, it can break the limit of this sword and give it better potential for growth in the future. After the upgrade, its growth speed will be faster than now, and its power will increase significantly.


    It may even develop some special abilities.


    The two materials you¡¯ve provided, red iron to counteract the evil aura in the sword body and heavy iron to absorb and neutralize some of the sinister energy, will subtly counterbalance the evil aura of the Blade Spirit.


    I have a Fire Eye taken from a Fire Monkey, and embedding it in the handle of the sword should further correct the nefarious aura of both the sword body and the Blade Spirit.


    Then, during the quenching process, I will use Thousand Chill Water and monster blood to temper the blade, enhancing its steeliness, toughness, and hardness to a whole new level.¡±


    Weapon forging, quenching is also an extremely critical step.


    Master Ou is an artisan, and just like the owner of that Armor Shop, he pursues higher forging techniques, sparing no expense and giving his all.


    Hearing Master Ou mention the use of materials like the eyes of a monster monkey and Thousand Chill Water, Qin Niu subconsciously touched his nearly depleted silver notes. Recently, taking advantage of the turmoil within the Black Tiger Gang, the prices of land and houses plummeted, and he made a frenzy of purchases.


    This also resulted in him spending most of his Silver Money.


    He had about forty thousand left.


    This fund was prepared to help himself and his two wives breach into the Spirit Qi Realm. When the time came, he would definitely need to purchase elixirs and the like.


    Even if he had four hundred thousand silver money in hand, rather than just forty thousand, he did not think it would be too much.


    ¡°How much will it cost to upgrade this sword?¡±


    Qin Niu decided to first inquire about the price.


    The benefits of upgrading the Ink Blade were numerous, which deeply tempted him.


    However, with limited funds at the moment, he had to focus his resources on breaching into the Spirit Qi Realm in order to compete for immortal fate at the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.


    To delay his pursuit of immortal fate for the sake of upgrading a sword would be like picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelons.


    He would never engage in such a misdirected transaction.


    ¡°As for the cost¡­ you can give me four thousand silver money, which is the cost price,¡±


    Master Ou¡¯s charges were always clear-cut.


    When buying weapons or insect jars from him, there was significant room to bargain.


    But Qin Niu did not bargain with him this time.


    Because the Fire Monkey¡¯s eyes, Thousand Cold Weak Water, and demon blood were all extremely valuable. Besides, Master Ou¡¯s skills were also quite valuable.


    The four thousand was a bit pricey, yet still within Qin Niu¡¯s acceptable range.


    ¡°When can I come to collect the sword?¡±


    ¡°It will probably take twenty to thirty days. If the upgrade fails, all these materials and the Treasured Sword will turn to scrap, so you must be prepared for the worst. But I will give it my all.¡±


    ¡°Trust those you use, and don¡¯t use those you doubt. This isn¡¯t our first transaction, and I entrust the Treasured Sword to you. I¡¯ll come to pick it up in a month.¡±


    Qin Niu was always decisive in his actions.


    If the Ink Blade wasn¡¯t upgraded, it was bound to be phased out sooner or later. By the time Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation reached the Immortal Master level, it definitely would not be able to keep pace.


    Given this, it was better to take a gamble.


    If the upgrade succeeded, the Ink Blade could accompany him for an even longer time. If it failed, he would only feel it was a pity.


    But with the Ancient Banyan Tree, he could certainly nurture another spirit weapon.


    Qin Niu left Master Ou¡¯s weapon shop, and after Master Ou sent him to the door and hung up the ¡®Do Not Disturb¡¯ sign, he closed the shop.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Qin Niu looked back at the closed weapon shop and grew even more confident in Master Ou.


    Master Ou was willing to close his shop for a month just to concentrate on upgrading his Ink Blade.


    The old man had not completely sunk into the pursuit of money.


    ¡°Cai Xian, you must be getting impatient!¡±


    Qin Niu approached the carriage and asked.


    ¡°Not at all, I have the Dragon Elephant Art with me, and studying it in my spare time has proven to be quite fruitful,¡±


    She smiled, waving the Cultivation Technique in her hand.


    This Cultivation Technique was extremely suitable for her. Based on her current pace of cultivation, she estimated she could advance to the Innate Realm in something like two or three years.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re carrying our child, you must take care of your health. It¡¯s okay to take your time with cultivation.¡±


    Qin Niu made up his mind, as the head of the family, it was his duty to strive for immortal fate with all his might.


    Once he entered the Immortal Gate, it would be possible for one to ascend and bring along the entire family. He could then lead his family in the quest for immortality and eternal life.

 Chapter 468 - Chapter 468: Chapter 460 New Nobility of Black Tiger City_1

    Chapter 468: Chapter 460 New Nobility of Black Tiger City_1


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful! Besides, who could be so delicate?¡± She really couldn¡¯t stand sitting around all day doing nothing.


    ¡°Alright, just be careful! I¡¯m taking you now to see the new residence we bought in the city. Let¡¯s go take a look and find someone to clean it up. Once Wan Yan has finished the transfer procedures over there, I¡¯ll go and bring her over.¡±


    Qin Niu drove the carriage, taking Tang Caixian to see the newly purchased four-courtyard mansion.


    For the average person, not to mention buying such a large mansion, even buying an ordinary residence is a big deal.


    In this world, there¡¯s no such thing as a mortgage.


    People generally don¡¯t dare to borrow money from moneylenders, and as for taking out loans at high interest rates, that¡¯s asking for trouble.


    Anyone who can afford to buy a house in the city has some financial strength.


    Qin Niu had bought the mansion some time ago and, apart from looking it over twice after the big battle ended, he hadn¡¯t visited since. He had just left the house there without taking care of it.


    Having money can really allow one to be willful.


    The carriage swiftly entered the busiest street in Black Tiger City, then turned into an alley and stopped after less than fifty meters.


    Ahead was a large compound with walls built from blocks of bluestone, looking very sturdy.


    The walls were much higher than those of ordinary homes, at least five meters tall.


    Standing outside the front gate, inlaid with copper nails, looking up, one could only vaguely see the tips of the two magnolia trees inside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in! We¡¯ll need to consider hiring a loyal servant to keep watch here.¡±


    Qin Niu took out the key, opened the copper lock on the side door, and walked in.


    For big residences like this, to prevent thieves, the main doors are often not locked. Instead, they are bolted from the inside. Besides having several bars across the top, there are also hidden latches.


    It may not be as sturdy as city gates, but ordinary strong men shouldn¡¯t even think about breaking in.


    The gates are very sturdy, and not even the battering rams used in sieges could easily damage them.


    After Qin Niu entered through the side door, removing the bars and hidden latches, he opened the two main gates and then drove the carriage into the courtyard.


    ¡°What a grand residence! This was the Jia Family¡¯s mansion. I came here once when I was performing songs and dances in the city.¡± She stepped off the carriage and looked around at the brilliant architecture of the mansion. ¡°Back then, we entered through that small door. I remember being amazed and thinking that the homes of the wealthy in the city are truly imposing, probably no less so than the Emperor¡¯s Palace as spoken of in legends.¡±


    ¡°Would you have thought? Now, you¡¯ve become the lady of this house, and you can live in whichever room you like in the future,¡± Qin Niu said with a smile.


    ¡°Hehe, I dared not even dream of such things before. I guess I¡¯m enjoying the good fortune alongside Ah Niu now. The Jia Family¡¯s backyard is especially large; it¡¯s where we performed that day. The Jia Family was very generous, and each of us received extra silver money.¡±


    Tang Caixian spoke of the past with great enthusiasm.


    The two walked along the corridor on the left toward the backyard.


    The backyard is where the master and his family would spend their time, and the servants weren¡¯t generally allowed in.


    The corridor didn¡¯t lead directly into the backyard; one would have to pass through three doors to reach it. This passageway is typically used by servants, for instance, to water the flowers and plants in the backyard, trim them, or feed the precious birds and beasts kept there.


    Qin Niu led her through the door.


    An enormous backyard, spanning more than five acres, came into view.


    Inside, there were a variety of rare flowers and exotic plants, as well as some landscape trees.


    The artificial hills were also extensive.


    The large fish pond had cleverly engineered flowing water and an oblong swimming pool, where the lord of the mansion could frolic with his wives and concubines or maids.


    The life of the wealthy was truly extravagant.


    ¡°The Jia Family sold off their estate at a low price and fled in a hurry to distant lands. They¡¯re probably regretting it deeply now. If you like living here, we can stay in the city often,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Qin Niu noticed that women seem to really like such mansions.


    When Wang Wanyan first saw the estate he had built in the countryside, she kept praising it. Not long after, she married Qin Niu.


    Now that Tang Caixian had seen this four-courtyard mansion in the city, she was likewise beaming with happiness, appearing extremely pleased.


    ¡°Although I like living in such a grand residence, I like being with Ah Niu even more. Where you are is home for me, and without you, even the most luxurious residence would feel empty and boring. I think people are much more important than houses,¡± Tang Caixian said, holding Qin Niu¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Our Cai Xian really has quite a high level of thought! You¡¯re right, no matter how luxurious a house is, it¡¯s not as important as family. I just hope we can safely spend every day together. Let¡¯s take a walk in the backyard and see what kinds of flowers and plants we have.¡±


    Qin Niu held her hand and wandered leisurely along the pebble-paved path in the rear garden.


    The feeling was indescribably delightful.


    Because the beauty of the rear garden belonged only to them, they didn¡¯t need to worry about being disturbed by anyone.


    ¡­


    About six hours later, Qin Niu also brought over Wang Wanyan.


    She had already completed the property transfer procedures.


    Even though Wang Wanyan had been numbed by her husband¡¯s enormous fortune, she still exhibited a look of shock and joy upon seeing the superb mansion.


    She wandered around each room and every scene like an excited child.


    She touched the high-end furniture over and over again.


    It was the very picture of someone obsessed with wealth.


    ¡°Husband, you actually bought such a luxurious mansion and kept your cool. You didn¡¯t even bring me and Cai Xian over to see it for so long,¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s pretty face was flushed with excitement after she had looked through the entire estate.


    From her manner, it seemed as if she couldn¡¯t wait to move in immediately.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a mansion? It¡¯s not like it would be stolen if left here. We can come to live in the city when we have time. But forget it for the time being; we need to focus on cultivating diligently to strive for a chance at the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s face was indifferent.


    In his eyes, the mansion was far less valuable than the Ancient Banyan Tree on the mountain. Cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree would progress twenty times faster than in the outside world. Living in this mansion, apart from eroding one¡¯s determination, would only immerse a person in material pleasures, and no other benefits would come of it.


    ¡°Can we stay here for the night? I really love this mansion,¡±


    Wang Wanyan pleaded with Qin Niu.


    ¡°I want to stay for the night too!¡±


    Tang Caixian chimed in.


    ¡°Alright, since both my ladies have this interest, naturally, I must satisfy you. Xiao Qing, go out now and buy some quilts and other household goods. Wanyan and Cai Xian, follow me to take over those shops. I think we should perhaps buy a couple more servants?¡±


    Qin Niu felt that the current servants were not sufficient.


    Although Xiao Qing was his maid, her actual status was much higher than that of a maid.


    ¡°We already have enough with three maids at home. With so many fields purchased, we will definitely need to hire a lot of workers. When no one is living in this mansion, we¡¯ll just lock it up; there¡¯s no need to spend extra money.¡±


    Wang Wanyan was particularly stingy when it came to these expenses.


    Qin Niu merely laughed and shook his head, indulging her. Some views couldn¡¯t change overnight.


    Once the income from the family¡¯s shops and fields started coming in, her spending habits would surely evolve gradually.


    The majority of the one hundred and twenty shops were closed.


    Some were open and doing business. The tenants, upon seeing their new landlord, were all very warm.


    Of course, their warmth stemmed from the hope that the new landlord wouldn¡¯t raise the rent.


    The three of them took over the shops without encountering any trouble.


    ¡°Those five shops up ahead are also ours. It seems they are currently rented by the same owner, who is running a food service business,¡± Qin Niu pointed to the five shops in front.


    The rent for these five shops was the highest among all the shops.


    Because of the prime location and large space, not to mention two or more floors,


    renting one meant being able to use both the ground floor and upstairs.


    The selling price of each was close to a thousand taels of silver.


    This was also why, when the Black Tiger Gang was facing defeat on the battlefield and might be routed at any moment, the owner of the five shops hurriedly sold them off. Otherwise, such prime, golden-location shops, enough to sustain a family for three generations, would never be sold.


    If they were to be sold, the price would not be less than two thousand taels per shop.


    Even Tang Yan said that getting these five shops was entirely down to good luck.

 Chapter 469 - Chapter 469: Chapter 461 World Rules_1

    Chapter 469: Chapter 461 World Rules_1


    Ordinary shops, those priced cheaply at seventy to eighty taels per unit, could be bought. This street was the busiest street in the city, and these five shops had wide frontages, each shop facade being eight meters wide and twelve meters deep.


    The location, situated at a central crossroad¡¯s gold-standard section, was why the asking price far exceeded that of ordinary shops.


    Qin Niu went in with his wives and concubines.


    ¡°May I ask what the three honored guests would like to eat?¡±


    The server greeted the trio warmly as he came up to serve them.


    The servers in the restaurant were not dressed in local attire; the male waiters wore straw raincoats, bamboo hats, turned-up felt shoes, with holes in their ears and silver earrings.


    They sported mustaches, carried curved knives and ox horns at their waists, and moved with agile steps.


    Female waiters, on the other hand, wore brocade dresses with paired horse and bird patterns, phoenix crowns on their heads with tassels hanging down, and earrings as well.


    Each of them had a slim figure, beautiful curves, a sweet smile on their face, and light steps as if they were always dancing. It was a pleasure to watch.


    ¡°It seems to be a restaurant run by foreigners!¡±


    Wang Wanyan curiously surveyed everything inside the restaurant.


    Perhaps it was close to dinner time, the restaurant was packed with diners.


    Looking around, the food on the tables was also quite distinctive, with roasted beefsteaks or lamb chops, blood sausages the size of radishes, as well as large chunks of lamb and beef. Besides, various exotic delicacies were in sight.


    The cruelest scene was that of a gibbons shackled under a table, with its head perfectly fixed in a circular hole at the center of the table¡ªunable to rise further or retreat back.


    The top of its head was opened up, revealing the white brain tissue, so diners could scoop up the living brain to dip in sauce and eat.


    This scene was extremely brutal.


    The appearance of the gibbon was quite similar to that of humans, and its face showed a pained expression. Perhaps because its brain tissue was damaged, it kept emitting piercing screams.


    The heart-wrenching cries could bring a listener to tears.


    ¡°Ah, that monkey looks so pitiful!¡±


    Wang Wanyan, kind-hearted, instinctively clung tighter to Qin Niu¡¯s arm and turned her head away, unable to bear watching any longer.


    ¡°Madam must be visiting Delicacy Pavilion for the first time! Animals are meant for human consumption. This gibbon might look miserable, but if it were our human children caught by it, it would show no mercy either. This gibbon was captured because it stole a three-year-old child from a village, then cruelly tore the child¡¯s arm off and gnawed on it, before being taken down by hunters from the village.


    Don¡¯t be misled by its current pitiful state; it was very fierce when it first arrived.¡±


    The waiter said, explaining by the side.


    ¡°Do you have private rooms?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes! There is just one private room left upstairs, the three honored guests are very lucky, as all the others have been reserved by clients.¡±


    ¡°Take us to the private room, bring up a few of your signature dishes, and a pot of fine tea.¡±


    Now Qin Niu could be considered the richest man in Black Tiger City, with a fortune that at least ranked among the top.


    Even ordinary major families were not necessarily as wealthy as him.


    Taking advantage of the chaos of war, he had purchased a large amount of prime farmland and shops, which had further skyrocketed his wealth.


    Not to mention having a meal of delicacies; even if he dined on delicacies from the mountains and seas every meal, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Alright! Honored guests, this way upstairs, please!¡±


    The waiter wasn¡¯t blind and naturally could tell that these three guests were of exceptional bearing and needed to be treated well.


    After going upstairs, the decoration was like a natural world, ingeniously laid out, with various vines, flowers and plants, and low bushes everywhere. There were also terrariums with lizards, turtles, white cranes, and other animals.


    The owner of Delicacy Pavilion had an extraordinary business acumen and had put thought into every detail.


    There was a reason the business here was booming.


    After the three of them were seated in the private room, a beautiful waitress came up with a teapot.


    White steam rose ceaselessly from the spout of the teapot, indicating that the water inside must have just boiled.


    ¡°Distinguished guests, may I ask what flavor of tea you would prefer?¡±


    She asked with a smile, her gaze landing on Qin Niu.


    It was clear to her that Qin Niu was the decision-maker.


    ¡°There are different flavors of tea?¡±


    Qin Niu knew nothing about tea ceremony; in the past, whenever he was thirsty, he would just drink a bucket of cool well water. Now that his family¡¯s conditions had improved, he could finally enjoy a cup of hot tea.


    However, he had a strong distaste for the aristocrats¡¯ method of sipping and savouring tea with refinement and leisure.


    With the time it took to drink tea in such a manner, he would rather read a few more pages of a book or spend more time cultivating.


    ¡°Hehe, look at what you¡¯re saying, sir. People come in all ranks and sorts, and so does tea, each with its own characteristics. Some teas need to be boiled, some infused with boiling water, some require steeping, some teas are bitter and stimulating, and some are slightly bitter with a sweet aftertaste, which can clarify one¡¯s eyes¡­¡±


    One of the tea-serving waitresses spoke about tea ceremony with clarity and professionalism.


    After listening, Qin Niu nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°Bring us a pot of tea that refreshes the mind and invigorates the spirit!¡±


    After a busy day, he really felt somewhat groggy.


    Dealing with various tenants in managing the shops had left him feeling especially exhausted. Such matters would be better handled by a steward in the future.


    The waitress prepared their tea, pouring a cup for each person, and with a bow, she then left the private room.


    At that moment, a series of sorrowful braying sounds came from outside the window.


    ¡°They must be killing a donkey outside. Although the restaurant does good business, it¡¯s cruel to be killing animals every day.¡±


    Wang Wanyan covered her ears, unwilling to listen to the pitiful cries of the donkey.


    Tang Caixian seemed to have a more tolerant attitude toward these things, not showing any signs of disgust.


    ¡°Sister Wanyan, this world is inherently a jungle ruled by the law of the survival of the fittest. Not to mention monkeys or donkeys, if our husbands were not strong enough, or they lacked the ability to protect us back at our parental homes, our fates would have been far more tragic than these animals. I¡¯ve seen a lot while learning singing and dancing with my master in the city. There were many girls who were abandoned by their families or tricked, and they were forced to entertain clients with forced smiles.


    Any slight disobedience could lead to hunger or even beatings.


    In the countryside, such cruelty is not as apparent, and neighbors are relatively polite to each other. In the city, however, there are too many cruel things, and everyone survives by their own means. Those with schemes and ruthless hearts live better lives.


    Those who are kind-hearted and soft in every respect, who do not compete with others, end up struggling at the very bottom of society.


    In some families, it is common to sell sons and daughters when they cannot make ends meet.


    Others may force their wives to sleep with other men to make money for the household.


    I used to be like you, unable to bear the suffering of the world and feeling sympathy for everyone. It was only after I had helped a beggar, who then almost sold me to a brothel, that I learned my lesson. Thankfully, because my master had connections with many brothels in the city and my uncle Tang Yan held an official position and had influence in the city, I was found and rescued just in time.


    I cried for two days and nights, and it was only after my master¡¯s guidance that I gradually understood.


    I was only twelve years old at the time, and I had never imagined people¡¯s hearts could be so sinister.


    Lucky for me, I was young; otherwise, I might have been prepped and presented to some high-ranking officials for their pleasure that very night. Other than being frightened and slapped a few times, I suffered no further harm. But from that day forward, I no longer trusted anyone lightly, and my kindness never again overflowed.


    Once you¡¯ve interacted more with various people in the city, you¡¯ll realize that the seemingly pitiful people at the bottom are often the darkest inside.


    They might betray a friend over a meal.


    Those at the bottom, in fact, often have the fewest scruples.¡±


    Tang Caixian may have long noticed Wang Wanyan¡¯s naivety and kindness, and now seized the opportunity to share her own experiences to warn her.


    So she wouldn¡¯t suffer or be deceived in the future.

 Chapter 470 - Chapter 470: Chapter 462: Unexpected Gains_1

    Chapter 470: Chapter 462: Unexpected Gains_1


    Qin Niu merely listened quietly and did not interject.


    Tang Caixian¡¯s social experience was evidently much more extensive than Wang Wanyan¡¯s, and their mutual support could enhance their relationship, which was very good.


    ¡°There are such venomous beggars in the world? That person is truly despicable,¡± Wang Wanyan said after hearing the story, and she stopped paying attention to the donkey¡¯s screams, instead feeling indignant on behalf of Tang Caixian.


    Before long, the signature dishes were served one after another, and the three of them tasted the exquisite delicacies together.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ this meat is particularly fresh and tender, with an amazing flavor. You two should try it as well.¡±


    Wang Wanyan elegantly ate the slice of meat that she had picked up.


    Perhaps having never tasted such delicious stir-fried meat before, she took several more pieces with her chopsticks.


    After eating, she kept praising how delicious and fresh the meat was.


    ¡°Madam, you truly know how to appreciate fine food! This is one of our restaurant¡¯s signature dishes, stir-fried donkey meat. To ensure the meat is fresh and tender, we specially cut it from living donkeys. This dish, you see¡­¡±


    The server, proudly presenting the dish, began to introduce the name and origin of this plate of stir-fried meat.


    However, before he could finish, Wang Wanyan¡¯s face had already changed color.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, you can look down from that window. The more than twenty donkeys tied up in the shed are all alive. It takes seven days for each donkey to regrow tender meat that can be cut again. Often, you can¡¯t even get this dish when you want it!¡± said the server, thinking Wang Wanyan doubted his honesty and promptly pointing to the window behind the private room.


    She stood up and walked to the window, pushed open the lattice, and looked down.


    Indeed, she saw a chef holding a sharp blade and cutting the tender meat off a donkey¡¯s leg, with blood spilling profusely; the donkey was screaming in pain. The scene was extremely bloody and cruel.


    Wang Wanyan could no longer hold it in and crouched on the ground, dry heaving.


    Qin Niu quickly got up and went over to comfort her.


    In his view, eating live donkey meat, though cruel, didn¡¯t seem wrong.


    The server, realizing he had said something wrong, turned pale and kept apologizing profusely.


    ¡°You may go down now!¡±


    Qin Niu gave the server an indifferent glance.


    Unbeknownst to others, he had already acquired a certain level of authority. This demeanor and authority seemed to come naturally.


    Upon reflection, it was closely related to his advancement in spiritual power, increase in wealth, rise in social status, and continuous expansion of his connections.


    It was the same for anyone¡ª as one¡¯s comprehensive strength improved, and as one¡¯s words turned into actions, and one¡¯s goals were achieved, a sense of authority gradually emerged.


    After comforting Wang Wanyan for a while, Tang Caixian also came over to console her and poured her tea to drink, finally calming her down.


    However, she refused to eat any more of the meat, fearing she might be unwittingly tricked again.


    She would only consent to eating some vegetarian dishes.


    When the meal was almost finished, someone knocked on the door and came in.


    Aside from a female server, there was also a rather portly, oddly-dressed man. He had a round face, small eyes, a small mustache, and a face that beamed with a Buddha-like smile.


    ¡°I am Shen Wanqing, the Shopkeeper of Delicacy Pavilion. I was unaware that Master Qin and the two distinguished ladies had arrived; I apologize for not greeting you sooner. Please forgive my oversight,¡± he said, bowing deeply to the three guests.


    ¡°Shopkeeper Shen, please, there is no need for such formalities! We had just taken over a new property near here and saw that your establishment offered a wide variety of delicious dishes, so we thought to eat here before coming to find you. If Shopkeeper Shen is not too busy, you can sit down now, and we can have a chat.¡± Qin Niu gestured with a lifting hand.


    ¡°The previous landlord already informed me about this matter, and I have been looking forward to your visit. This tea is specially prepared for you; it¡¯s a restorative tea made from the leaves of a unique tea tree in my hometown. After drinking it, it can enhance your spiritual power. Please, you and your two wives have a taste.¡±


    Shen Wanqing was in his forties, and he always conducted himself with great modesty.


    To have made such an impressive business on his own merits by his forties clearly showed the man¡¯s capabilities.


    ¡°Shopkeeper Shen, you are too kind. I shall accept your generous offer without further ado!¡±


    After receiving the teapot, Qin Niu poured himself a cup.


    The tea was a pale green with a hint of blue.


    Upon taking a sip, he initially detected a slight bitterness, feeling his tongue and throat tighten. But quickly, an invisible cool energy gathered first in his kidneys and then rose all the way to his head.


    He felt as though his spiritual power had indeed increased somewhat.


    ¡°Hmm, good tea!¡±


    He finished the tea in his cup in one go, and this time, he felt the increase in his spiritual power quicken.


    This restorative tea was definitely an extremely rare treasure.


    It was incredibly difficult to enhance spiritual power; a single cup of this tea was equivalent to the increase one would experience from advancing a minor realm in cultivation.


    He poured another cup, then started to pour for his wives.


    The waitress had keen eyes; she took the teapot from Qin Niu¡¯s hands and proactively poured the tea for his wives.


    ¡°If Master Qin likes it, I have some more here, which I will give to you as a gift.¡±


    Shen Wanqing took out a small packet of tea leaves from his sleeve, which seemed to weigh less than an ounce.


    ¡°I cannot accept such a precious gift without a reason. Such valuable tea leaves, I would be embarrassed to take them for free. Please name your price, Shopkeeper Shen. I will buy it, and in the future, if you have more of this tea, you can sell it to me,¡± Qin Niu said to him.


    ¡°That tea tree grows incredibly slowly and doesn¡¯t produce much even in a year. This small packet represents about two years¡¯ worth of leaves. I only serve this tea to honored guests who visit my shop. If Master Qin really likes it, I can send you the leaves harvested each year. After all, it¡¯s grown at home and isn¡¯t worth much money,¡± Shen Wanqing replied, speaking with a businessman¡¯s charm.


    Truly a man of business; his words were well crafted.


    No one knew just how much the annual yield was.


    ¡°Is that tea tree your personal property, Shopkeeper Shen?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It was also a stroke of luck. My grandfather was chasing an ibex on a cliff when he accidentally discovered the tea tree. Since then, every spring, we can pick some fresh leaves. However, probably because the tree is growing on a cliff without much soil, it grows very slowly. The annual yield is extremely limited, and we can only harvest once a year.¡±


    Shen Wanqing seemed unaware of the immense value of this tea tree.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s view, exchanging five shops for that tea tree would be well worth it.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Shopkeeper Shen transplant the tea tree to his own land? With sufficient fertility, wouldn¡¯t it produce a higher yield?¡±


    ¡°I have considered that, but such special plants often don¡¯t survive transplantation. Moreover, my grandfather specifically sought advice from a planting master, who said the miraculous effects of the tea leaves could be due not only to the tree¡¯s uniqueness. The harsh and cold environment of that cliff, along with the special energy of the land and nourishment from the rain and dew, is also crucial. After transplantation, the tea leaves might not possess such potent effects anymore.¡±


    His explanation seemed to make sense.


    Nevertheless, Qin Niu hadn¡¯t given up. He practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique, which enabled him to transplant any plant and ensure its rapid acclimatization and survival.


    If he could transplant that tea tree to his own residence, how wonderful that would be!


    At the very least, it was worth a try.


    If it didn¡¯t work, he could always transplant it back.

 Chapter 471 - Chapter 471: Chapter 463 The Way to Conduct Oneself in the World_1

    Chapter 471: Chapter 463 The Way to Conduct Oneself in the World_1


    Despite having some thoughts, Qin Niu did not propose to buy the other party¡¯s tea tree on the spot.


    They had just met today, and the other party had served him with Refreshing Tea. To bring up buying their tea tree right then would not only seem greedy but also rude. These kinds of matters should not be rushed but approached gradually.


    After finishing the tea, Qin Niu continued to chat with the other party for a while.


    Not only did he not raise the rent, but Qin Niu actually took the initiative to reduce it by five percent. Shen Wanqing, who reaped such great benefits, was all smiles.


    From their conversation and Shen Wanqing¡¯s reactions, it seemed there would be a good chance of successfully buying that tea tree when the time was ripe.


    ¡­


    Because there were as many as one hundred and twenty-one stores, they were busy until dark and still had not completed the handover.


    Helpless, they had to stay in the city for the night and finish taking over the remaining stores the next day.


    Qin Niu had already started thinking about hiring a steward.


    With over six thousand mu of good farmland at home and many shops in the city, if he had to attend to it all personally, he was afraid he would work himself to death. In his view, assets and making money should only serve as aids to cultivation.


    Spending a significant amount of time and energy on making money would be a loss-making endeavor, for sure.


    In this world, cultivation and strength were always core.


    Without mentioning anything else, what¡¯s the use of earning so much money if one¡¯s cultivation is not high?


    After a hundred years, wouldn¡¯t it all just turn into a handful of dust?


    That evening, the family moved into their new house in the city, and both of his wives seemed very happy. They strolled around the backyard garden for a long time, forcing Qin Niu to buy lamp oil and light all of the outdoor oil lamps in the garden that night.


    Xiao Qing didn¡¯t seem to have much interest in the mansion. After having dinner, she busied herself sorting out the rooms and cleaning.


    Her diligence and sensibleness were heart-touching.


    In the quiet of the night, Qin Niu, hugging Wang Wanyan, slept in the warm comfort of their bedding. It must be said that the land of tenderness does indeed weaken a man¡¯s resolve.


    After their passions subsided, Wang Wanyan, with her cheeks flushed, snuggled up to him like a kitty.


    ¡°Wan Yan, I¡¯m planning to buy a few more servants tomorrow. This time not only maids, but if there are suitable boys, I am thinking of buying a few as well. Our family can now be considered to have some estate and needs someone dedicated to manage it. We can¡¯t have you personally taking care of everything. I¡¯m thinking of finding two or three stewards, whose characters must be reliable and capabilities not too poor, although their age doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± he said.


    The couple had their pillow talk.


    To prosper and strengthen a family, one must have a wise person to oversee the big picture.


    Qin Niu was the backbone and the helmsman of this family.


    ¡°You decide on hiring people by yourself. I had thought that if our family only had a few hundred mu of land, hiring some farmers would do, and I could manage it all. But my husband, you have kept so much hidden, possessing this astonishing wealth and yet keeping it a secret from me and Cai Xian,¡± she said.


    She had watched Qin Niu grow prosperous step by step, never imagining that her husband, who was about the same age as her, could possess such immense wealth in less than a year¡¯s time.


    As for Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation changing every day, reaching the Innate Realm in such a short time, after seeing the charm of the Ancient Banyan Tree, she no longer found it surprising.


    Because, after cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree, her own cultivation had a similar rapid progress.


    ¡°Keeping certain things from you is actually for your safety. Wealth should not be flaunted, for if you accidentally let it slip, it can easily bring about a life-threatening disaster. Not to mention, despite having a bit of cultivation now, my strength is just barely adequate, but there are many in this world stronger than me. If any such strong person targets us, our entire family could end up dead without a place to be buried,¡± he explained.


    Qin Niu gently stroked her hair and jade back, patiently explaining to her.


    ¡°I understand the principle of ¡®bearing the brunt of the crime¡¯, I¡¯ve been taught that by my father since I was very young. Husband, is it possible for my father to also go up the mountain to cultivate? I¡¯m worried about his age and his limited lifespan.¡±


    Wang Wanyan seized the opportunity to make a request.


    Her mother had passed away early, and she had always depended on her father. The bond between father and daughter was extremely strong.


    Now that she had tasted the rapid progress of cultivation, making leaps and bounds in just one day, she began to think and wished for her father to enjoy these benefits as well.


    Her only intent was to let her father live a few more years.


    ¡°This matter should not be feasible for now. I can understand your filial piety in wanting to extend your father-in-law¡¯s life. But have you considered that if your father goes to cultivate inside the Ancient Banyan Tree, wouldn¡¯t the parents of Cai Xian also be able to follow suit? Everyone has their own selfish desires, and once they enter to cultivate and experience the immense benefits, they will think of letting their sons enter as well.¡±


    In time, Cai Xian¡¯s brother would think of having his wife and children go in to cultivate.


    The more people who know the secret of the Ancient Banyan Tree, the more our danger increases by many times. Human nature can never withstand such a test.


    Moreover, even if every person who enters to cultivate can keep tight-lipped, our greatly increased cultivation levels in such a short period would make others suspicious. They¡¯re not fools. They will surely investigate in secret, and eventually, the secret will be exposed.


    Once the secret of the Ancient Banyan Tree is discovered by others, our entire family¡¯s days are numbered.¡±


    At that time, the powerful individuals wanting to monopolize the Ancient Banyan Tree will not hesitate to kill everyone who knows about it, to prevent a second person from finding out. We won¡¯t even have a chance to escape.


    ¡°Your original intention was to prolong your father-in-law¡¯s life, but the end result might very well be the early demise of all of us, including your father.¡±


    With each word Qin Niu spoke, the arm she was holding onto became much tighter.


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s entire body trembled.


    She was inexperienced in the ways of the world and had never thought about these potential consequences.


    Although she was very smart, compared with Qin Niu¡¯s meticulous thinking, cautious actions, and strategic foresight, there was still a significant gap.


    This was also why Qin Niu could achieve a turnaround with his own abilities in a very short time, while she could not.


    ¡°I was too naive! So when we have a bit more resources, can we buy a few Elixirs to enhance my father¡¯s cultivation?¡±


    After listening to Qin Niu¡¯s analysis, she dismissed the idea of letting her father go up the mountain to cultivate.


    ¡°Buying Elixirs is not a big deal. If it¡¯s just inexpensive ones like the Tempering Elixir, you can buy some tomorrow to take back. Just buy a few more, and bring some for Cai Xian¡¯s parents too. Let¡¯s not buy the really expensive Elixirs for now. Our current priority should be to concentrate all resources on breaking through to the Spirit Qi Realm, rather than spreading them thin.


    ¡°As long as any one of us, you, Cai Xian, Xiao Qing, or myself, enters the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, the path ahead will be much smoother.


    ¡°Conversely, if our family doesn¡¯t have even one Immortal Master, even with the emergence of many at the Spirit Qi Realm, we will still be no more than a bunch of ordinary folk, and achieving a true turnaround will be difficult.¡±


    Qin Niu used his words to guide his wife.


    Wang Wanyan was quick-witted, and she understood many things with just a hint.


    After hearing this, she held Qin Niu even tighter, pressing her face against his firm chest.


    ¡°Husband, where did you learn all these principles? Why is it that I also like reading, but I haven¡¯t learned these ways of dealing with the world?¡±

 Chapter 472 - Chapter 472: Chapter 464 Bai Qi Fairy_1

    Chapter 472: Chapter 464 Bai Qi Fairy_1


    ¡°Haha, you fool, not everyone enjoys the same books. Even if it¡¯s the same book, the content is the same, but the knowledge people gain from reading it is not the same. For example, if you eagerly desire to improve your cultivation, you would pay special attention to the parts of the book that discuss how to quickly enhance your cultivation. If you¡¯re short on money, you would learn various ways and ideas to make money from the book.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, many parts of the book are academic in nature and require you to deeply understand and reflect upon them before you can draw inspiration and make that knowledge your own.¡±


    ¡°You were born into a wealthy family, never having to worry about food or clothing, and you never had to think about survival.¡±


    ¡°In contrast, I depend solely on Old Liu, living in poverty, often having one meal without knowing where the next will come from, and frequently being bullied by people like Wang Haikun. This forces me to learn ways to survive.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the way I approach life may lean towards practicality.¡±


    ¡°Plainly speaking, it¡¯s about how I and my family can survive in this cruel society.¡±


    After Qin Niu explained it in this way, she suddenly saw the light.


    There was indeed some truth to it.


    The environment in which everyone survives is different, and so are the problems they think about.


    Wang Wanyan only felt that although her husband seemed to come from a poor background and had not read many books, the knowledge he had about survival far surpassed hers by ten or a hundred times.


    In a surge of interest, she began to humbly seek advice from Qin Niu.


    The couple chatted late into the night before going to sleep.


    The next day, it goes without saying that Qin Niu continued to take over the businesses with his wife and concubines.


    After taking over all the businesses, he went on to buy six servants, including two maids around fourteen or fifteen years old and four boys between six and seven years old.


    The youngest boy was just over two years old and was mostly in a crawling state.


    These poor children were either orphaned and sold to slave traders by ¡®kind-hearted people¡¯ or sold by their impoverished parents who had too many children to care for and wanted to ensure they had something to eat.


    Some were captives taken during wars.


    Others were deceived and brought by slave traders.


    The price for these boys and girls was generally not expensive. After buying them, not only did you have to provide for their food and clothing, but you also had to teach them basic life skills.


    As for making them work, only those over six years old at least could help the family with tasks like herding cattle or shoveling dung.


    Qin Niu bought the boys to raise them as loyal servants.


    If he found any exceptional ones, he could slowly nurture them into becoming stewards or managers of the family.


    This tactic was learned from the Yan Family.


    Steward Yan Qi of the Yan Family was personally trained by them and absolutely loyal. His ability to handle affairs was also quite remarkable.


    Such loyal servants could help their masters deal with many things.


    Qin Niu had originally wanted to find an experienced steward, but after looking around, he did not find a suitable one.


    After buying the servants, he considered whether to ask Tang Yan for help in scouting for two or three candidates for stewards in the city.


    Considering this matter, Qin Niu had some reservations.


    Although there was a marital connection with Tang Yan, finding someone through Tang Yan, especially for such an important position as steward, who could guarantee they were not Tang Yan¡¯s spies?


    At that point, every move of the Qin Family would be under Tang Yan¡¯s surveillance.


    Qin Niu would rather be cautious with a suspicion of others than be unprepared for the worst.


    If it really came down to it, temporarily hiring a couple of assistants with money could also solve the urgent issues. In selecting a steward for the Qin Residence, he insisted on quality over quantity.


    ¡°I need to find a carriage to send these six people to Shuangfeng Village! Let¡¯s go see what¡¯s available at the horse market!¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the six newly purchased servants; the two maids had decent looks, far from beautiful, but they looked smart enough.


    He had never intended to sleep with them, so he only valued the maids¡¯ capabilities.


    The four male servants were all young boys who still needed someone to teach them how to work. These four boys were carefully selected by Qin Niu from many slaves. Each one was an uncut gem, with eyes that were clever and bright.


    Two of them showed particular intelligence in some details and with proper training could at least become managers of the Qin Family.


    Throughout the process of buying the servants, Wang Wanyan had just quietly watched, without intervening.


    She was not foolish; she realized that her husband¡¯s wisdom, capabilities, and social experience far exceeded her own, and it was better for him to make the important decisions.


    ¡°Wan Yan, Cai Xian, wait for me in the carriage. I¡¯ll arrange their transport and then we¡¯ll leave,¡± Qin Niu said, greeting them before leading the six servants into the horse market.


    ¡°Oh, Master Qin, it¡¯s you! Old Cui Yu pays his respects to Master Qin!¡±


    ¡°`


    The owner of the horse carriage service was just over sixty years old and possessed a not insignificant level of cultivation, having actually reached the second layer of the Acquired Realm.


    Upon seeing Qin Niu enter the store, he recognized him at a glance.


    He immediately performed a salute and paid his respects.


    First-class nobility were extremely honored, endowed with many privileges.


    When ordinary people saw them, they had to perform a salute and pay their respects. On the road, first-class nobility had the right of way.


    However, the vast majority of first-class nobles were very low-key and would rarely reveal their status.


    This elder had recognized Qin Niu with just a glance, but it was unknown when he had seen him before.


    ¡°Owner Cui, there¡¯s no need for formalities! I¡¯ve just bought six servants and would like to rent a carriage to send them to Shuangfeng Village in Jade Stream Town.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a trivial matter. I¡¯ll arrange a carriage for you right away.¡±


    Owner Cui immediately arranged a carriage for him and refused to accept any money. Qin Niu left behind a piece of Silver Money and left.


    The market price should be around eighty copper coins; giving a piece of Silver Money was neither too much nor too little.


    For such a small sum of money, he was not willing to forge any sort of connection with this horse carriage service owner.


    As his status rose, the number of people seeking his help had also increased.


    He would generally keep respectful but distant from these people.


    After leaving the horse carriage service, he immediately spotted an even more luxurious carriage parked beside his own.


    The color of Qin Niu¡¯s face changed slightly at once.


    Could it be some blind young master of a noble family who, upon seeing the beauty of his wives and concubines, parked next to them to harass them?


    He quickly strode over.


    As he got closer, he heard bursts of cheerful laughter coming from within the carriage.


    ¡°Wan Yan, who has come?¡±


    Qin Niu called out to ask.


    The curtains of the carriage were lifted, and he could clearly see the scene inside.


    He saw a beautiful young woman sitting next to Tang Caixian, holding hands intimately.


    ¡°Brother Ah Niu, let me introduce you. This is my teacher, Fairy Bai Qi.¡±


    Tang Caixian introduced them to each other.


    ¡°Teacher, this is my husband, Qin Niu.¡±


    ¡°The younger Qin Niu pays his respects to Fairy Bai Qi!¡±


    Qin Niu did not look down upon the other party simply because she was a courtesan.


    After all, this person was Tang Caixian¡¯s teacher.


    She had saved Tang Caixian in the past and even taught her singing and dancing.


    ¡°Your spirit is profound and restrained, neither arrogant nor rash. Young man, you deserve to be the youngest first-class noble in the history of Black Tiger City, truly extraordinary. I happened to be away from the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory on the day of Caixian¡¯s wedding, so I couldn¡¯t attend to congratulate you both. This jade flute is my belated gift to you, to wish you a lifetime of love and affection. Now that Caixian is pregnant, you mustn¡¯t bully her anymore.¡±


    Fairy Bai Qi was not at all intimidated by Qin Niu¡¯s status as a first-class noble.


    On the contrary, she appeared very calm.


    From her tone and her gaze, it was evident she possessed great self-confidence, the kind that allowed her to overlook even a first-class noble.


    Qin Niu felt a chill in his heart and dared not show any sign of disrespect.


    Some women of the pleasure quarters, though seeming to be of low standing, often had hidden depths.


    They might either be backed by a powerful patron, or¡­


    No matter how powerful a man was, he could not escape the influence of a woman.


    ¡°You¡¯ve spent too much, elder! I will surely cherish Caixian and our unborn child, daring not to be reckless.¡±


    Qin Niu declared on the spot.


    Ever since he learned of Tang Caixian¡¯s pregnancy, he had not shared a bed with her.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 473 - Chapter 473: Chapter 465: Mortal and Immortal_1

    Chapter 473: Chapter 465: Mortal and Immortal_1


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. Cai Xian, you should practice the soft technique I have taught you more, it will be beneficial to you in the future.¡±


    Bai Qi Fairy alighted from the carriage with a light and nimble figure, then boarded her own carriage.


    Her full figure wrapped in a gossamer dress, slender waist, firm thighs, and the fair skin coupled with her jet-black hair all made her look particularly young. She was quite a sight to behold, possessing a mature charm that younger girls did not have.


    With every move she made, her body was like a boneless, graceful snake, full of aesthetic beauty.


    Qin Niu made a point of perceiving her cultivation level and found it no different from that of an ordinary person.


    ¡°Cai Xian, I never imagined your master was so young!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, my master has mastered the art of eternal youth. Since the day I met her, she has always been this youthful and beautiful.¡±


    Tang Caixian indirectly informed Qin Niu that her master¡¯s age was much greater than it seemed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with many people and things in the city, and I had never heard of Bai Qi Fairy before. It¡¯s against the laws of nature for your master to remain eternally young without any cultivation.¡±


    Qin Niu felt puzzled by this.


    Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural order of life, which no one can escape.


    He had assumed Bai Qi Fairy was only a decade or so older than Tang Caixian; with proper care, it was indeed possible for her to look like an eighteen-year-old girl.


    Now, it appeared that Bai Qi Fairy might well be over forty years old.


    ¡°Who said my master has no cultivation! One time, three strong men heard my master singing from behind the screen and found her voice extremely melodious. They threw down fifty silver money and requested that my master show her face and play a tune.


    The men looked fierce and menacing, and the brothel madam, fearing they would cause trouble, pleaded with my master to play a tune for them.


    My master complied.


    You should know that my master rarely shows herself, and when she performs for guests, she usually sings or plays behind a beaded curtain. On the rare occasion when some high-ranking officials want to see my master dance, she also wears a half veil.


    Upon seeing my master¡¯s extraordinary beauty and charm, the three men clamored for her to dance, wanting to fully enjoy themselves.


    Upon persuasion from the madam, my master conceded once more and danced for the three men.


    Perhaps my master displayed the utmost feminine grace and curves while dancing because the three men were completely fixated, and they even threw out a thousand silver money to try to persuade my master to drink and sleep with them. My master left the scene indignantly.


    She has always been known for selling her art without selling her body, and all the patrons in the city are aware of this.


    Seeing that my master would not agree, the three men drew their weapons, blocked her way, and one even started smashing things offstage.


    At that moment, my master was cornered and forced to fight with the three men. She moved with the softness of a snake and the agility of a butterfly, gracefully dancing among their attacks. In just a short while, the three thugs were injured and fled in terror.


    Since then, I knew that my master had martial skills.¡±


    Tang Caixian recounted an episode from her master¡¯s past.


    Although brothels seem like sleazy places, they often have enforcers to keep the peace. Behind them are powerful backers from the official circles. Ordinary people contemplating causing trouble in brothels must first weigh their own strength.


    When spending money, the madam welcomes guests with a smile, doing everything to please them.


    But the moment the money is insufficient or someone wants to cause trouble, the madan¡¯s face changes instantly, calling in enforcers to throw the troublemakers out.


    The fact that those three thugs dared to create a disturbance and even intimidated the madam implies that they were not weak.


    They must have at least reached the Innate Realm to be considered significant.


    With just a few dance moves, Bai Qi Fairy managed to beat up the three thugs. This indicated that her cultivation level was not as simple as it appeared. Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but think again of the village drunkard Zhang Banzui.


    This man also appeared to be just an ordinary person.


    Fire Phoenix once told Qin Niu that there was an extremely terrifying human being in a nearby village of the Qifeng Mountain Range. He had been unable to determine the identity of this mysterious strong person.


    If narrowed down to within Shuangfeng Village, the most suspicious person was Zhang Banzui.


    He joined Shuangfeng Village halfway, and his past was difficult for everyone to trace.


    ¡°Bai Qi Fairy is probably a remarkable person. For you to have her as your master is a great boon indeed. The soft technique she has taught you, practiced diligently, is unlikely to be anything but beneficial.¡±


    Qin Niu instructed Tang Caixian.


    ¡°Hmm, I will! This set of gentle cultivation techniques is a secret my master does not pass on lightly. Even the eldest senior sister, who has followed our master for many years, has not been able to learn it. I don¡¯t know why master suddenly decided to teach it to me today.¡±


    Tang Caixian still found it a little unbelievable when she spoke about the event.


    ¡°Wan Yan is also in the carriage, did she also sneakily learn some of it?¡±


    Qin Niu, concerned about neglecting his wife, teased her with a smile.


    ¡°Not at all! At that time, Bai Qi Fairy told Sister Caixian to close her eyes, clear her mind, concentrate, and then she extended her slender jade finger to touch Caixian¡¯s forehead just like that. The whole process lasted less than ten breaths before it ended. I am sure that Caixian¡¯s master must be a highly skilled individual.¡±


    Wang Wanyan inadvertently revealed another special ability of Bai Qi Fairy.


    Touching a disciple¡¯s forehead with a finger to transmit a cultivation technique was a feat only immortals could achieve.


    It also made Qin Niu even more curious about Bai Qi Fairy¡¯s true level of cultivation.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, get on the carriage!¡±


    Qin Niu turned his head to call out to Xiao Qing, who was standing by the carriage.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    She leapt onto the carriage and crawled into the rear compartment.


    ¡°Are you adjusting well to living in the city?¡±


    Qin Niu asked Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Living anywhere with you and the two sisters is pretty much the same.¡± She gave a clever response.


    But as a child with nowhere else to turn, her life stabilized after becoming Qin Niu¡¯s maid. Her cultivation also improved rapidly. Qin Niu treated her like a younger sister, providing her with armor, gifting her a precious sword, and teaching her the Seven-Star Sword Technique and the Misty Rain Elusive Step martial skills.


    This made her highly dependent on Qin Niu.


    Wang Wanyan and Tang Caixian were also extremely kind to her, making her feel deeply integrated into this new family.


    ¡°Hehe, you flatterer, have you coated your mouth with honey?¡± Qin Niu grinned and laughed. ¡°You mentioned before that you wanted to learn alchemy. Now that the conflict between the Black Tiger Gang and the two major sects has mostly ended, and there doesn¡¯t seem to be any more danger, I am thinking about sending you to study alchemy with Master Zi Zhou at Miaodan Pavilion.¡±


    Qin Niu had this idea some time ago.


    However, owing to the ongoing turmoil caused by the Black Tiger Gang, he was concerned that if Black Tiger City were to be breached, it would become extremely dangerous inside the city.


    Now that the situation with the Black Tiger Gang had stabilized, he could consider letting Xiao Qing go to learn alchemy.


    ¡°Learn alchemy? Can I study it later? I want to cultivate with all of you for now, to raise my cultivation level even higher.¡±


    Xiao Qing clearly did not want to leave this warm home.


    ¡°Husband, why don¡¯t we wait until Xiao Qing grows up a bit more before sending her to study alchemy? She is still so young; I¡¯m a bit worried about her,¡± said Wang Wanyan, who had a deep affection for Xiao Qing and could not bear to send her away to study at this time.


    ¡°Alright, then! Let¡¯s the four of us stay in Shuangfeng Village and focus on improving our cultivation for a while,¡± agreed Qin Niu.


    In his view, now was actually a very good time.


    The war had just stabilized, and having made significant contributions during the battles, his renown was high. Before his rewards were decreed, his position was even more esteemed.


    Because nobody knew what official position the Black Tiger Gang would bestow upon Qin Niu.


    Only he himself knew that he would not accept any official post given to him.


    But Miaodan Pavilion didn¡¯t know that.


    He could take advantage of this information gap to successfully get Xiao Qing into Miaodan Pavilion. He might even persuade Master Zi Zhou to personally take Xiao Qing as a disciple.

 Chapter 474 - Chapter 474: Chapter 466: The Xu Family Scandal_1

    Chapter 474: Chapter 466: The Xu Family Scandal_1


    In his view, Xiao Qing showed exceptional talent in cultivating the Medicine King Sutra, and he estimated her talent in alchemy would be equally impressive.


    Elixirs, whether used for healing or enhancing cultivation, breaking through bottlenecks, have an effect that cannot be ignored.


    One¡¯s energy and time are limited, and talents differ from one to another.


    Qin Niu¡¯s talent lay in cultivating health techniques, raising insect pets, and planting medicinal herbs. He could grow various precious medicinal herbs and then find someone to refine them into elixirs.


    If he could train Xiao Qing to become an excellent alchemy master, it would not only save a lot of alchemy costs but also be more secure in terms of safety.


    It would also maximize confidentiality.


    The benefits were numerous.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go buy some elixirs now, then buy some alchemy books for Xiao Qing, and head back to the estate. What do you think, my wives?¡±


    Qin Niu asked for his wives¡¯ opinion.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine for you to decide, husband.¡±


    They always followed Qin Niu¡¯s opinions.


    Even though they wanted to stay in the city mansion for a few more days to experience the life of living in a luxurious house, they had to go back to the countryside with Qin Niu when he decided to return.


    Qin Niu bought a total of twenty Tempering Elixirs, ten for each wife, and asked them to give them to their parents as a gesture of filial piety.


    This was something he had discussed with Wang Wanyan.


    She never mentioned again the idea of letting her father practice in the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    Tang Caixian gave the ten Tempering Elixirs to her parents, which made Tang Wenh§Ñn grin from ear to ear.


    Initially, he had strongly opposed marrying his daughter off to Qin Niu as a concubine.


    Now, basking in the glory of his son-in-law, his status in the village rocketed, and he even became the village head and the Tang Family patriarch. Economically, he also reaped many benefits from his son-in-law. Whenever Tang Wenh§Ñn saw Qin Niu, he would warmly refer to him as his excellent son-in-law.


    In humans, interests always remain eternal.


    ¡­


    After returning to the village, Qin Niu resumed his ordinary yet fulfilling cultivation life.


    Cultivation, raising insect pets, growing medicinal herbs, and studying¡ªthese activities nearly filled all his time. Only at night did he have the chance to chat with his wives and foster their relationships.


    At the moment, one troublesome issue was causing him a headache.


    Owing to his purchase of over six thousand acres of good farmland, he must find a way to cultivate it as soon as possible. He had no choice but to round up manpower, hiring a large number of farmers to work the fields.


    Due to this year¡¯s floods and insect disasters, many tenant farmers had lost so much they had nothing left, and there was little enthusiasm for renting farmland. Of the nearly six thousand six hundred acres of good farmland he owned, aside from the few dozen acres of fertile black soil that people scrambled to rent, there was little interest in the rest of the land.


    Qin Niu was preparing for the worst-case scenario of farming the land himself.


    With his status as a first-class noble, he was exempt from paying taxes on his land according to the regulations. However, with six to seven thousand acres in his name, he did not know if he could be exempted from taxes on all of it.


    He would have to ask Fang Lian for advice when he got the chance.


    The last time he saved the five ancestors of the Fang Family on the battlefield, essentially saving the Fang Family, his relationship with them became even closer.


    He believed that there were many secrets of high society that Fang Lian would probably share with him.


    That day, while Qin Niu was having dinner at home with his wives and discussing the idea of teaching a few servants to read with Xiao Qing, they were interrupted by Er Dan¡¯s cries from outside.


    ¡°Brother Ah Niu, Brother Ah Niu, something has happened!¡±


    Panic was evident in his voice.


    A surge of apprehension arose in Qin Niu¡¯s heart; not long before, an incident had occurred in Aunt Hua¡¯s family, resulting in the death of her daughter. Now that Er Dan¡¯s family had an issue, he wondered if he was indeed the ill-fated ¡°Heavenly Destroying Lone Star¡± from the legends?


    One by one, people close to him were running into trouble.


    This was not a good sign.


    With a flash, Qin Niu appeared behind the courtyard gate and personally opened it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Er Dan? Don¡¯t panic; just take your time and explain.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Xu¡¯s wife is ranting about jumping into the river to end her life, and no one can hold her back. My dad¡¯s worried someone will die, so he sent me to get you to come take a look,¡± Er Dan said, pulling Qin Niu towards the village chief¡¯s house.


    The Uncle Xu in his mouth was Xu Zhenchang.


    For a small place like Shuangfeng Village, with just over two hundred people, the interpersonal relationships were complicated.


    Each family had its own way of survival.


    The relationship between Er Dan¡¯s family and Xu Zhenchang was extremely close because Xu Zhenchang had hired Er Dan¡¯s father to help farm the land, essentially serving as a long-term laborer for the Xu Family.


    During the busy farming season, when temporary help was needed, Er Dan¡¯s mother was often hired first.


    Most of Er Dan¡¯s family¡¯s income depended on the wages from Xu Zhenchang.


    This naturally resulted in a close relationship between the two families.


    Xu Zhenchang, as the village chief, though he acted quite diplomatically, was considered a decent man. His family had always been harmonious and was envied by the villagers as a happy household.


    However, why was Xu Zhenchang¡¯s wife suddenly making a scene about jumping into the river?


    Making a scene, kicking up a fuss, and threatening to hang oneself were basically the trademarks of a shrew.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s wife did not seem like the shrewish type, so her current threat to jump into the river must mean that a significant family crisis had occurred.


    Qin Niu hurried to Xu Zhenchang¡¯s home at the entrance of the village, where some villagers had already gathered to watch the commotion.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s wife sat on the ground with disheveled hair, her clothes partly torn, exposing her undergarment. Her face was streaked with tears, and she cried pitifully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold me back, let me die, I really can¡¯t live like this anymore! Even if you stop me now, when you all leave, I will still seek death¡­wuu¡­¡±


    She struggled incessantly, her voice filled with despair.


    Xu Zhenchang, however, was holding her tightly, while their two children stood by, helpless and unsure of what to do.


    ¡°Auntie Shuixiang, what¡¯s going on? Did Uncle Xu bully you?¡±


    Qin Niu was now the most respected figure in the village, wielding great authority.


    His arrival made the onlooking villagers step aside, and some were even saying, ¡°Master Qin is here, he will surely be able to persuade Li Shuixiang.¡±


    ¡°You let Xu Zhenchang say it himself, I can¡¯t bring myself to say it!¡±


    Li Shuixiang said angrily.


    Xu Zhenchang, on the other hand, looked embarrassed and managed to force a strained smile at Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu, catching on to the situation, vaguely guessed part of it.


    It was very likely that some scandalous family matter had occurred.


    ¡°Everyone disperse! Go back to sleep early, rest well, and if you¡¯re willing to work, you can all come to work in my fields. You won¡¯t be short of your wages.¡±


    Qin Niu had become the largest landlord in the area.


    He even owned more farmland than the Yan Family.


    However, he also finally understood why the Yan Family only kept around a thousand mu of farmland.


    Having farmland without people to work and manage it doesn¡¯t lead to profit; in fact, you have to invest a significant amount of money into it every year. For example, land tax is a considerable expense.


    Moreover, buying ten acres of good land seems like it only requires a little over a hundred Silver Money to secure.


    But the subsequent expenses, like hiring farmers, buying seeds, fertilizers, pest control, and weeding are all significant costs. And no matter if the harvest is good or bad, these expenses are incurred annually.


    You can only consume as much as your appetite can handle.


    The Yan Family had grown gradually and had much richer experience than the nouveau riche Qin Niu.


    Although the crowd was reluctant, they dispersed at Qin Niu¡¯s command, as no one dared to disobey. They left one after another.


    Qin Niu then said to the couple, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and talk about whatever¡¯s going on.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang and his wife followed him inside.


    Their two children also came in.


    ¡°Er Dan, take them outside to play. I¡¯ll have a talk with Uncle Xu and Auntie,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Er Dan immediately took Xu Zhenchang¡¯s children outside to play.


    Er Dan¡¯s father and mother, sensing the situation, closed the door discreetly and waited outside as well.


    A family¡¯s dirty laundry should not be aired in public.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s family matters were certainly not for others to hear.


    ¡°Now that there¡¯s no one else here, tell me what exactly happened?¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t really wish to get involved in other people¡¯s domestic affairs, but Xu Zhenchang had helped him a lot, and now that the Xu family was in trouble, he couldn¡¯t just ignore it.


    ¡°He, he¡­ this heartless man, actually got involved with Liu Qing¡¯s wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down, lower your voice!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang quickly covered his wife¡¯s mouth, looking as if he feared being overheard, with the guilty conscience of a thief.


    Liu Qing was Liu Shengli¡¯s cousin.


    His wife was very beautiful but was known for being a bit lazy and gluttonous. Moreover, it was rumored that she was somewhat flirtatious.


    Men, even if they don¡¯t have a chance, will still try to create opportunities to cozy up to a beautiful woman.


    Liu Qing¡¯s wife being a flirt, it was only a matter of time before she would stray.


    Liu Qing himself was not too bright, and many people called him ¡®Silly Liu¡¯ behind his back.


    ¡°Daring to cheat, yet scared of being talked about!¡±


    Li Shuixiang cursed.

 Chapter 475 - Chapter 475: Chapter 467: Heroes Struggle to Pass the Beauty Test _1

    Chapter 475: Chapter 467: Heroes Struggle to Pass the Beauty Test _1


    ¡°I really have nothing with Madame Zhao.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang, in any case, would not admit it even if it killed him.


    Having been the village chief for so many years, he hadn¡¯t held the position for nothing. He understood the principle of leniency for those who confess, harshness for those who resist.


    With such matters, as long as you¡¯re not caught in the act, a firm denial means nobody can do anything to you.


    If he admitted it, his status at home would definitely plummet, and what if Liu Qing caught wind of it? Would he let him off?


    Don¡¯t take Liu Qing for a fool, despite his slow wits, his body is all muscle, strong and powerful.


    When he loses his temper, he¡¯s like a bull, intimidating to anyone who encounters him.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s physique was certainly no match for him.


    He reckoned it would only take two or three rounds before Liu Qing had him pinned to the ground, at the very least giving him a good thrashing. If he really were beaten, he reckoned he¡¯d also lose face to continue as the village chief, forever unable to hold his head up in the village.


    ¡°Hmph, dare to do but not admit it? You¡¯ve taken so much silver money to give to that vixen; without that kind of relationship, would you, the stingy rooster, be so generous? The household is nearly falling apart, yet you¡¯re still sending out half a tael of silver. Xu Zhenchang, don¡¯t take everyone in the world for fools.¡±


    Li Shuixiang grew angrier as she spoke.


    The hard-earned money made with her husband, yet being squandered by him on wining and dining, and on other women. Anyone would be unable to stand it.


    No wonder she wanted to seek death.


    ¡°This¡­this was just the wages I settled with Liu Qing for the work he did for our family!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was for settling Liu Qing¡¯s wages, was it? You gave at least five taels of silver to Madame Zhao, right? That¡¯s nearly two years¡¯ worth of wages. I¡¯m going to ask Liu Qing in person right now, to see if it¡¯s really wages or money for sleeping with his wife.¡±


    Li Shuixiang said and started to head outside, intending to confront Liu Qing face to face.


    When this woman got angry, she was truly more fearsome than a tigress.


    Xu Zhenchang didn¡¯t dare have a face-to-face confrontation, knowing it would definitely reveal the truth. Panicked, he grabbed his wife, almost pleadingly saying, ¡°Wife, I was confused for a moment, I won¡¯t dare to do such recklessly generous things again. I assure you, I won¡¯t have any contact with that Madame Zhao from now on. If I dare to violate this, you can deal with me as you see fit.¡±


    Looking at him like that, he was almost close to kneeling and begging for mercy.


    ¡°Get the money back that you gave away, and we¡¯ll call it even. I¡¯m not clear on exactly how much you gave that vixen. Let¡¯s just go with what we know, five taels. You go and get it back right now, otherwise, we can¡¯t go on like this.¡±


    With a day as husband and wife comes a hundred days of grace; Li Shuixiang clearly softened as well.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s face was filled with difficulty, and he looked to Qin Niu for help.


    Having no choice, Qin Niu had to step in to mediate.


    ¡°Aunt, the money that¡¯s been given away will likely be hard to get back. Madame Zhao loves nothing more than money. Once money falls into her hands, it¡¯s difficult to get it back.¡±


    Qin Niu had interacted with that Madame Zhao a few times as well.


    She was a formidable woman.


    There were definitely more men in the village who had given her money besides Xu Zhenchang, rumor had it there were even men from outside the village involved with her.


    But all these rumors, no one had concrete evidence, they were all hearsay.


    Madame Zhao was indeed fickle and in love with money, and she was equally talented in dancing. Seeing that Qin Niu was now well-off, she took her chances a few times when they were alone, even making a play for him.


    She was clearly over thirty, yet she flirted and behaved frivolously around him.


    She even used suggestive language to tease him, both overtly and covertly.


    Qin Niu, no matter how scarce his food supply, would never look favorably upon such lousy fish.


    With Xu Zhenchang squandering money on Madame Zhao, hoping to get the money back was like a fool¡¯s dream.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t care. My family only managed to preserve some of our crop yield in the first half of the year with your help. In the second half of the year, we were hit by continuous pestilence and ended up with a complete crop failure. Now, my family is so poor that we can barely keep the pot boiling. After paying off the workers, we still owe the Yan Family more than a dozen taels of Silver Money. If we can¡¯t get those five taels back, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to make it through the year!¡±


    Li Shuixiang was usually hard-working and had a feisty personality, but she cared a lot about her reputation.


    If it weren¡¯t for the family being truly impoverished, she wouldn¡¯t have revealed such embarrassments in front of outsiders.


    A man turns bad once he gets money.


    Xu Zhenchang was truly foolish. As soon as his family came into a bit of money, he started fooling around outside.


    That woman, Madame Zhao, was one not to be trifled with. Otherwise, even a large fortune would be squandered away.


    ¡°Wife, our farming did lose quite a bit of money this year, but we can definitely earn it back next year. Asking for money from Madame Zhao now is really putting me in a difficult position¡­¡±


    Xu Zhenchang pleaded bitterly.


    Forget five taels of Silver Money, he wouldn¡¯t have the guts to ask for fifty from Liu Qing¡¯s family.


    If Liu Qing found out about his affair with Liu¡¯s wife, Madame Zhao, he would definitely fight Xu Zhenchang on the spot.


    ¡°Exactly, Uncle Xu is right. The Black Tiger Gang has now defeated the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect; the pestilence will soon disappear, and next year we¡¯ll surely have a good harvest. With Uncle Xu¡¯s excellent farming skills, coupled with Auntie¡¯s help as a wise and virtuous wife, you¡¯re certain to make a big profit. Things will get better then. Auntie, considering the many years of affection between you as husband and wife, and for the sake of the children, please let this go!¡±


    Qin Niu joined in to mediate the situation.


    Women are emotional creatures; tenderness is their biggest weakness.


    ¡°Wuwu¡­ Master Qin, if not for giving face to you today, I would have no choice but to jump into the river and commit suicide. Now that my family owes so much money, and he still enjoys his pleasure-seeking without trying to find a solution, is there such a person as this?¡±


    Li Shuixiang sobbed, expressing the grievances in her heart.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I know you¡¯ve sacrificed a lot for this family. Don¡¯t worry, now that I¡¯m here today, I will definitely talk to Uncle Xu,¡± said Qin Niu, aware that this step had basically resolved the family conflict.


    All that remained was to help the Xu Family overcome their financial crisis, and this family could soon return to normal.


    ¡°Uncle Xu, let¡¯s step outside for a chat!¡±


    Qin Niu called Xu Zhenchang out.


    ¡°Er Dan, let them both go in to keep Auntie company!¡± Qin Niu told Er Dan.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s son and daughter were very sensible. Seeing their parents argue depressed them. They wanted to persuade their mom and dad, but they didn¡¯t dare to speak up and didn¡¯t know how to persuade them.


    The siblings ran into the house and crowded around Li Shuixiang.


    Li Shuixiang hugged her children tightly, and she stopped crying.


    Indeed, crying in front of her children was somewhat embarrassing.


    ¡°Master Qin, I truly owe you a debt of gratitude today. Otherwise, there would have been trouble at home,¡± said Xu Zhenchang, who started the conversation first.


    ¡°We are neighbors, after all; it¡¯s only right that we help and look out for each other, such a small matter is not worth mentioning. Although Madame Zhao has her charms, as a married man, why in the world did you get involved with her?¡±


    Qin Niu, being a junior, didn¡¯t feel it appropriate to speak too harshly.


    ¡°Alas, it¡¯s all my fault for being foolish momentarily. Since last year, Madame Zhao has been seductively luring me, both subtly and overtly. I knew that she had been involved with many men in the village, and usually, I could resist. This year started with the flood, followed by a prolonged pestilence, which left me feeling agitated, and I fell for her tricks,¡± said Xu Zhenchang, shaking his head and sighing.

 Chapter 476 - Chapter 476: Chapter 468: The Cunning Monster_1

    Chapter 476: Chapter 468: The Cunning Monster_1


    At this moment, Xu Zhenchang cut a somewhat diminished figure of a hero.


    Even heroes find it hard to overcome the allure of a beautiful woman.


    This year, due to the persistent insect disaster, Xu Zhenchang¡¯s farming suffered heavy losses, and he bore immense financial and mental stress. Affected by the insect disaster, the amount of labor required to farm an acre of land could potentially triple.


    For instance, after sowing the seeds, there were costs for the seeds themselves, tilling the soil, not to mention watering, applying base fertilizer, digging holes, and weeding¡ªall of which could not be skipped.


    In the end, just as the seeds began to sprout, they were voraciously consumed by the insects.


    To give up at that point would leave one grudgingly dissatisfied.


    People always hold on to a stroke of luck, so he sowed a second batch of seeds.


    This time, to prevent the insects from eating them, he took extra precautions. He guarded them day and night.


    Under normal circumstances, it would take three to five days for seedlings to emerge after sowing, and then about ten days later, the first round of fertilizer would be applied. By then, weeds would also have started to grow and needed to be removed quickly, because once the crop seedlings grew taller, weeds would barely grow in the field anymore.


    All that was needed then was to manage the fertilization and water, and to prevent insect damage.


    But because the first sowing¡¯s seedlings were completely eaten by insects, there was a need to replant a second batch. This led to weeds growing wildly before the new seedlings had a chance to become established.


    In such cases, much more time would be spent on weeding.


    This increased the amount of labor quite unexpectedly.


    Having toiled for a long time in the second half of the year, Xu Zhenchang¡¯s efforts ended up fruitless, which obviously left him physically and mentally exhausted.


    It¡¯s said that poverty brings a thousand woes to a marriage.


    After exhausting himself outside, he would inevitably quarrel with his wife at home over the family income. It was during such times that Zhao took the opportunity to seduce Xu Zhenchang, who was eight or nine years her senior.


    Even if Xu Zhenchang was the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, he would have fallen into the trap.


    Eventually, he started an affair with Zhao.


    With men, the thrill of cheating is known to become addictive.


    One time leads to another.


    In the end, Xu Zhenchang met with a tragedy. He unwittingly ended up generously ¡°giving¡± the little money he had at home to Zhao.


    Put plainly, it was no different from visiting a brothel.


    The money spent was naturally impossible to reclaim.


    ¡°How much did you spend on Zhao in total?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Almost seventeen or eighteen taels, and I secretly borrowed nine taels of Silver Money without daring to tell my wife.¡±


    Xu Zhenchang revealed a shocking number.


    ¡°You borrowed so much? How could you still borrow money to be with her? Your wife isn¡¯t ugly either! With such a huge hole, I doubt you could fill it even if you farmed for another year.¡±


    Qin Niu was taken aback.


    He had thought that at most, Xu Zhenchang would have spent seven or eight taels, but he had gone mad with Zhao, borrowing such a significant amount of Silver Money for her.


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know why I was so silly; every time Zhao dragged me into a haystack or the sorghum field, and after it was over, the moment she opened her mouth, even if I had no Silver Money, I would find a way to gather some for her. Sometimes I even think about castrating myself. Whenever I see Zhao, it¡¯s like I¡¯m bewitched. Every time after I give her the money, I swear I won¡¯t get entangled with her again. But a few days later, as soon as I see her again, I lose control.¡±


    As Xu Zhenchang spoke about this, he appeared profoundly distressed and full of self-blame.


    ¡°I think you really should castrate yourself!¡± Qin Niu quite agreed, with a touch of disappointment. ¡°Zhao alone has extracted so much Silver Money from you, and yet her house is still those few dilapidated earthen houses, and her clothes aren¡¯t nice either. Where on earth does she spend all that money?¡±


    Those involved are blind, while the bystanders see it clear.


    Qin Niu sensed something was amiss.


    If Zhao was simply unfaithful for the sake of extorting a bit of money from men, then that should be sufficient.


    Frankly, Xu Zhenchang¡¯s high expenditures were more than what one would spend in the city¡¯s brothels.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She only told me her mother was seriously ill and needed a lot of money for treatment.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll look into this matter when I have the chance. With so much debt, what do you plan to do in the future?¡±


    Qin Niu decided to help Xu Zhenchang with his urgent trouble first.


    Save the urgent but not the impoverished, that is the principle of helping others.


    ¡°I, I plan to wait until the price of the fields improves before selling a mu or two of good land to pay off my debts,¡± Xu Zhenchang said as his heart bled at the thought of selling his land.


    He had struggled for most of his life to purchase more than ten mu of farmland.


    Now, because of a mistake, he had to sell two mu to repay his debts, which was undoubtedly heartbreaking.


    ¡°Hmm, then that¡¯s settled! That¡¯s the only way to solve i. Take care of yourself, and don¡¯t have any secret dealings with the Zhao family anymore. When you feel confused, think more about your wife and children. If you continue to fall, you might end up with a broken home and lost lives. You can go to the black market in the city when you have time. Many slaves are there because their fathers committed foolish acts and were forced to sell their sons, daughters, and wives.¡±


    Qin Niu patted Xu Zhenchang on the shoulder and went straight back to his own home.


    Nobody noticed that when he patted Xu Zhenchang¡¯s shoulder, a black, hair-like worm quietly landed on Xu Zhenchang¡¯s shoulder. Then it bowed its body and directly landed on Xu Zhenchang¡¯s head, merging into his hair.


    From Qin Niu¡¯s understanding of human nature, the likelihood that Xu Zhenchang would make another foolish mistake was high.


    What kind of methods did that member of the Zhao family have to make men willingly comply with her manipulation?


    Qin Niu decided to investigate this matter discreetly.


    After he returned home, he did not attend to the matter anymore.


    With the Green Silk Worm keeping an eye on Xu Zhenchang¡¯s every move, he would immediately know if anything unusual was detected.


    The Water and Land Dharma Assembly was drawing nearer, and he had to hurry and strengthen his abilities.


    At present, there were two pieces of good news.


    One was that his Green Demon Bee hatchlings had successfully matured, finally forming a real Green Demon Bee swarm.


    The All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation was also being trained continuously every day.


    In a few more days, it would definitely be ready for real combat.


    By then, the power of the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation laid out by the Green Demon Bees was unimaginable.


    The second piece of good news was that after drinking the Nourishing Spirit Tea for several days, his spiritual power had grown rapidly. He estimated that once he finished drinking the entire pack of Nourishing Spirit Tea, he should be able to try forming a soul contract with the Mirage Insect.


    The Mirage Insect was in the process of refining its second avatar.


    Qin Niu was quite concerned that after it succeeded, it might turn on him and consume its master.


    He did not like the feeling of constant worry and preferred to hold the initiative.


    Days passed by, and he finally finished his pack of Nourishing Spirit Tea. His cultivation in the Medicine King Sutra had also, at this critical juncture, broken through to the mid-stage of the Innate Realm.


    This came as a delightful surprise to Qin Niu.


    The breakthrough in the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s cultivation in such a short period was somewhat related to the fact that his Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s cultivation had already broken through to the mid-stage of the Innate Realm.


    Of course, the greatest contributor was the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    It provided an almost infinite supply of medicinal qi, which was stronger than any elixir.


    After Qin Niu made his breakthrough, he discovered that his spiritual power had also significantly increased. He immediately started considering the Mirage Insect.


    However, he was also a person who could keep his composure.


    He did not immediately form a soul contract with the Mirage Insect.


    Instead, he first stabilized his new realm, and the next morning, he headed into the mountains again.


    After entering the maze of the Ancient Banyan Tree, the first thing he did was to release the Mirage Insect.


    One could see the Mirage Insect had transformed into a black Light Cocoon, firmly enveloping the Mysterious Gu Master¡¯s Gu worm inside it.


    This state had been continuing for many days.


    ¡°Mirage Insect, release your divine consciousness, for I am now going to form a soul contract with you,¡± Qin Niu stated abruptly.


    ¡°Ah¡­ What do you mean, master? Haven¡¯t we already formed a private pact?¡± the Mirage Insect exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°A private pact is ultimately somewhat unsatisfactory. You¡¯ve seen these days, as my pet, I will treat you well. So, forming a soul contract with me won¡¯t have any adverse effects on you.¡±


    Qin Niu detected a hint of reluctance in the Mirage Insect¡¯s words.

 Chapter 477 - Chapter 477: Chapter 469: Creating a Noose for Ones Own Neck_1

    Chapter 477: Chapter 469: Creating a Noose for One¡¯s Own Neck_1


    This was within his expectations.


    He was anxious to enhance his spiritual power, to formally contract with the Mirage Insect as soon as possible, fearing that delay may bring unexpected complications.


    He was unclear about what the Mirage Insect was thinking.


    But with his understanding of human nature, considering the Mirage Insect was a demon bug, it would never willingly submit to a human whose cultivation level was much weaker than its own. To regain its freedom, it turning on its master was inevitable.


    At this moment, taking advantage of the Mirage Insect not yet fully assimilating its second identity, Qin Niu found the timing to be extremely favorable.


    ¡°I am very willing to establish a soul contract with my master, but I am currently at a critical moment in assimilating the Dark Night Gu and cannot be disturbed. Otherwise, there is a risk of being backlashed by the Dark Night Gu. May I ask my master for an extension of some days? Once I have assimilated the Dark Night Gu, I will definitely contract with my master at the first opportunity,¡±


    the Mirage Insect said earnestly.


    ¡°Is that so? I really hate being deceived,¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s lips curled up, a hint of mockery on his face.


    At the same time, he drew his Ink Blade and held it in hand, while Termite set up the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation.


    The Green Demon Bee King led thirty-one newly transformed Green Demon Bees to guard in front of Qin Niu.


    Green Ox was also ready to strike, prepared to use its innate ability at any moment.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, I would never dare to deceive my master,¡±


    the Mirage Insect, seeing this display, instinctively stepped back.


    ¡°It seems I neglected to tell you, I am somewhat knowledgeable in the art of Gu. The moment you swallowed that Dark Night Gu, it lost the ability to backlash against you. Now that you can communicate with me normally, it is proof enough that you have the situation entirely under control, and a little disturbance will not affect your assimilation of your second identity. Since you have become my pet, why hesitate?¡±


    Qin Niu had already taken out a Low-grade Contract Charm.


    Although the opponent was a demon bug, as long as it cooperated willingly, a low-grade Contract Charm would suffice.


    He had purchased five high-grade Contractual Talismans last time, but he would save them if he could.


    ¡°Fine! If we can¡¯t come to an agreement, then it¡¯s time to say goodbye!¡±


    No sooner had the Mirage Insect¡¯s words fallen, than it transformed into a streaking shadow, escaping into the distance.


    The light in the surrounding area darkened as well, as if daytime had suddenly turned to dusk.


    It appeared that the Mirage Insect had already assimilated the Dark Night Gu.


    It now possessed part of the abilities of the Dark Night Gu.


    Luckily, Qin Niu had kept a card up his sleeve, constantly controlling the Mirage Insect¡¯s first identity, which to an extent, could weaken its combat power.


    Moreover, judging by the Mirage Insect¡¯s behavior, it was very likely that due to the existence of the private pact, it dared not initiate an attack on Qin Niu.


    ¡°You can¡¯t escape!¡±


    Qin Niu leisurely watched the Mirage Insect flee.


    He intentionally chose to establish the soul contract within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze to prevent anything unexpected.


    Now, it seemed that the preventive measures had paid off.


    Transforming into a shadow, the Mirage Insect desperately tried to escape, but it soon discovered that no matter how it fled, it ended up trapped within this area.


    Only now did it realize just how terrifying Qin Niu was.


    ¡°Cunning human, have you trapped me using a formation?¡±


    The voice of the Mirage Insect came out from the darkness.


    ¡°My patience has its limits. You¡¯ve already chosen to submit, so why harbor ulterior motives? If you submit now, I can forgive and forget. Otherwise, at the very least, I will have to make you suffer, and if you remain obstinate, I might just kill you outright,¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s voice was cold.


    To other Insect Masters, a demon bug was a treasure, but in his eyes, it was nothing of particular significance.


    Seizing the timidity of the Mirage Insect, Qin Niu intentionally frightened it.


    ¡°First find me and then we¡¯ll talk!¡±


    It seemed the Mirage Insect was hastening to refine the Dark Night Gu, as the light in the area was becoming dimmer and dimmer.


    At this moment, Qin Niu noticed the Ancient Banyan Tree also had some reaction to the growing darkness. Its branches started to descend bit by bit, and that chill energy began to trickle down.


    Though it was clearly daytime, the Ancient Banyan Tree had activated its night-time cleansing mechanism due to the special ability of the Dark Night Gu.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but gain a deeper understanding of the Dark Night Gu¡¯s capability.


    ¡°Evil deeds will meet their due end, keep going!¡±


    Qin Niu simply collected all of his insects, leaving only Fourth and Green Ox to guard by his side.


    The frigid energy descending from the Ancient Banyan Tree was terrifying. Just a bit more exposure and the Mirage Insect would understand what it meant to weave one¡¯s own trap.


    As time trickled by, because Qin Niu was a ¡®friend¡¯ of sorts to the Ancient Banyan Tree, although the frigid energy descending would attack him too, the energy falling upon his head was much less.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ I think I smell the scent of death! That detestable scent of death, what in the world is going on?¡±


    The Mirage Insect could no longer bear it.


    Panic was evident in its voice.


    Qin Niu¡¯s face was indifferent; he discovered that Green Ox was able to resist some of the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s frigid energy. For such a long time, Green Ox didn¡¯t lie down; it only trembled.


    One could see a faint divine light on its body, protecting it from within.


    This Green Ox had very special abilities.


    Even though its level wasn¡¯t high, it had already shown its extraordinariness in many aspects.


    After this Water and Land Dharma Assembly, Qin Niu was determined to find a way to help Green Ox level up even more.


    If it could reach level ten, probably just with Green Ox alone, he could contend with an ordinary Immortal Master.


    With no escape, now that the branches of the Ancient Banyan Tree were continually lowering, more and more frigid energy fell, and the Mirage Insect¡¯s fragile spirit could no longer hold up.


    All that remained was the panic and the fear of death.


    ¡°Master, I was wrong, I was wrong. Please stop attacking, I will make a soul contract with you!¡±


    The Mirage Insect revealed its true form, inching toward Qin Niu.


    One could see that a totem had appeared on its back¡ªa very special black insect pattern.


    It must be the shape of the Dark Night Gu.


    This confirmed that the Mirage Insect had indeed refined the Dark Night Gu.


    But it was very cunning; although it had refined the Dark Night Gu, it deliberately formed a Light Cocoon, in order to deceive Qin Niu. Making Qin Niu believe it had not finished refining the Dark Night Gu.


    Unfortunately, as the saying goes, ¡®for every wise man there is one still wiser.¡¯ In the end, Qin Niu had it firmly within his grasp.


    ¡°Now you know you were wrong? What were you doing earlier?¡±


    Unmoved, Qin Niu was deliberate in grinding down its pride and arrogance.


    The true form of Mirage Insect wasn¡¯t very powerful, and with more and more frigid energy falling upon it, its predicament became even more dangerous. The sensation of being ¡®digested¡¯ by the Ancient Banyan Tree was mortifyingly terrifying to it.


    ¡°I was wrong, I won¡¯t dare to have these cunning thoughts again. Now that I have two avatars, and given that I am a demon insect, after making a soul contract with you, I can do many tasks for you. As soon as my first avatar regains its strength, whether it¡¯s your human Immortal Masters or demonic beasts, I will be able to handle them all.¡±


    To save its life, the Mirage Insect could only desperately showcase its value.


    It couldn¡¯t be sure if Qin Niu was just scaring it or if he actually intended to kill it.


    Begging for mercy was the only thing it could do.

 Chapter 478 - Chapter 478: Chapter 470 Three No Help_1

    Chapter 478: Chapter 470 Three No Help_1


    Because it dared not gamble and couldn¡¯t afford to lose.


    Seeing that the time was right, Qin Niu didn¡¯t say any more. He directly activated the Low-grade Contract Charm in his hand. A golden light shot towards the Mirage Insect¡¯s true body, which only resisted briefly before actively collaborating with Qin Niu to complete the soul contract.


    This must be the easiest taming of a demon insect that Qin Niu had ever experienced.


    With just one Low-grade Contract Charm and in an extremely brief period of time, he had successfully tamed it; everything went so smoothly that he found it hard to believe.


    As the soul contract was successfully formed between them, he felt his Spirit Space being filled up again.


    It even exceeded the load, giving him a very ¡®strained¡¯ feeling.


    Almost every Insect Master and Beast Tamer would encounter a similar dilemma as his.


    Human greed knows no bounds.


    Upon encountering insects or beasts, birds they like, they would think of taming them.


    But the Spirit Space is limited; taming a few more pets can easily fill it up.


    At this time, most Insect Masters or Beast Tamers would choose to eliminate some of the old pets to make room for new ones in their Spirit Space.


    Because as their strength continuously improved, the pets they tamed would certainly become stronger and stronger.


    There was also another solution, and that was to strive to improve their cultivation level, or through meditation, consuming some elixirs or nourishing teas that enhance spiritual power, to increase their spiritual power, and continuously expand the Spirit Space.


    Qin Niu had deep feelings for every insect or beast bird he had tamed; naturally, he wouldn¡¯t easily eliminate them.


    Therefore, he chose the most hardcore method, which was finding ways to increase spiritual power and to expand the Spirit Space.


    It¡¯s just a pity that treasures capable of enhancing spiritual power were too scarce.


    After taming the Mirage Insect, he directly placed it into the Insect Bag.


    As the Night Gu was also put into the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag, the light in this area quickly returned to normal, and it became daytime once again.


    The branches of the Ancient Banyan Tree also rose automatically.


    Qin Niu stood under the tree and quietly observed the changes of the Ancient Banyan Tree. He found that after reaching the Dual Innate Realm, resisting the chilly energy of the Ancient Banyan Tree was significantly easier. If it had been before, he would have fled long ago.


    Having been attacked by the chilly energy for so long, he still had excess strength.


    He could hold on for at least half an hour more.


    This also served as a reminder for him, that in the future, relying on the Ancient Banyan Tree to kill those at the Spirit Qi Realm or an Immortal Master would be almost impossible to succeed.


    Such existences all had some life-saving means.


    He believed that they could resist the attack of the Ancient Banyan Tree for even longer.


    This Ancient Banyan Tree should be kept as a secret cultivation realm instead.


    ¡°This is your first clone. Take good care of it!¡±


    Qin Niu returned the first clone to the Mirage Insect.


    Then, he left the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, outside, was a bright sunny day. His wives and Xiao Qing were all waiting for him not far away.


    This was also arranged by Qin Niu, to prevent any accidents, asking them to wait outside patiently.


    ¡°Husband, has the matter been settled?¡±


    Wang Wanyan asked.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve completely tamed that demon insect. Did you notice anything unusual outside just now?¡±


    Qin Niu wanted to understand whether the transformation of the maze into night by the Night Gu also affected the outside.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. What happened?¡±


    Tang Caixian asked with concern.


    ¡°Oh, then never mind. Just now, that demon insect turned the sky inside to darkness. I thought that the outside might also be affected. It seems this maze can isolate the interior from the outside world.¡±


    Qin Niu provided a brief explanation.


    ¡°Everyone, go and cultivate! Xiao Qing, you¡¯ve made great progress recently. Keep up the effort, and if you can cultivate to the Spirit Qi Realm, you can also join me in attending the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.¡±


    His gaze fell upon Xiao Qing.


    Currently, Xiao Qing was still in the Acquired Realm, yet to reach the Innate Realm.


    It was no easy task to advance into the Spirit Qi Realm within the remaining five months.


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, had great hope.


    His Everlasting Spring Technique was progressing toward the Later Stage of Innate Realm, while the power of the Medicine King Sutra had just broken through to the middle stage of the Innate Realm, focusing on consolidating his cultivation level.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any Immortal fate; being by Master¡¯s side is enough for me. Living with Master and the two sisters now, I feel especially happy.¡± Xiao Qing still had a child¡¯s nature, cherishing the warmth of this home.


    ¡°You child, think further ahead! Among the four of us, as long as one person attains Immortal fate, the other three will benefit too. Each of us must strive hard. In this cruel world, if one¡¯s strength is not strong enough, it¡¯s difficult to even live peacefully in a remote village. On the contrary, if we have absolute strength, we can live peacefully no matter where we are.¡±


    Qin Niu patiently enlightened her.


    Xiao Qing showed a thoughtful expression, then nodded her head, evidently taking the advice to heart.


    ¡°Then I will practice diligently and do my best to compete for the Immortal fate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Maybe one day, your strength will surpass ours, and then you can protect us in return,¡± Qin Niu said consolingly.


    She just nodded vigorously.


    ¡­


    Days flew by rapidly, with Qin Niu and his family practicing diligently every day. Tang Yan brought back news from the city that the Black Tiger Gang might go to war with the Nine Insect Gang again.


    Last time, the Nine Insect Gang was decisively defeated, even losing the territory of the Seven-Star Sect. How could they suddenly have the strength to wage war against the Black Tiger Gang?


    And why did the Black Tiger Gang allow the Nine Insect Gang to occupy one-third of the Shennong Sect¡¯s land?


    There must be demons at work in an abnormal phenomenon.


    There certainly was an unknown reason behind this.


    Qin Niu was not interested in sect conflicts, nor did he want to interfere. He was well aware that striving to enhance his cultivation and combat power was the true path.


    That evening, as he and his wives, along with Xiao Qing, just returned home, they saw Xu Zhenchang¡¯s wife squatting at the door, weeping and wailing.


    Qin Niu had taken his wives out for cultivation during the day.


    The servants at home did not dare to let outsiders into the house. If Xiao Qing were home, she would definitely have invited Li Shuixiang inside.


    The Qin Residence needed to find a few suitable stewards.


    When the master was not home, the stewards could handle some matters.


    Now with abundant assets, Qin Niu needed two to three stewards to help manage them so that he could be completely liberated from those duties.


    ¡°Auntie, what happened? Please come inside and have some tea!¡±


    Qin Niu invited Li Shuixiang into the house without scolding the servants for their lack of sense.


    Serving in the Qin Family, as long as they did not commit any principled mistakes, he never treated them harshly.


    ¡°Master Qin, you have to save my husband¡­ sob sob!¡±


    Li Shuixiang entered the house crying.


    As she entered the living room, she knelt on the floor with a thud.


    ¡°Stand up! If it¡¯s within my capabilities, I will definitely try to help your family resolve the issue,¡± Qin Niu said.


    Actually, he already knew what it was about.


    Xu Zhenchang owed a debt of nine Silver Money in order to please Liu Qing¡¯s wife. This was not a small sum. For wealthy families, it might just be petty cash.


    The Xu Family¡¯s financial situation was even worse than that of Wang Furen, and they had lost quite a bit of money on farming this year. To repay the nine Silver Money, they had no other choice but to sell their land.


    However, the war was not entirely settled yet, and the insect plague had not completely disappeared either. Although the land price had increased slightly, it was still very low.


    Previously, one mu of good farmland could sell for thirteen Silver Money, but now even getting eight Silver Money per mu was difficult.


    ¡°My darned husband borrowed Silver Money from the Baofeng Silver Bank in Black Tiger City. He borrowed a full nine Silver Money, and with the interest rolling and compounding, the debt collectors have come. If we cannot repay the Silver Money, they¡¯re going to chop off my husband¡¯s hands to collect some interest. I¡¯m begging you, Master Qin, to stand up for my family.¡±


    She knelt on the ground, refusing to get up.

 Chapter 479 - Chapter 479: Chapter 471 Kindness Must Have an Edge_1

    Chapter 479: Chapter 471 Kindness Must Have an Edge_1


    Qin Niu did not feel any softer because Li Shuixiang was kneeling on the ground.


    Since ancient times, there have been three kinds of favors one should not extend.


    Otherwise, it¡¯s very easy to get oneself entangled.


    One does not help with illegal activities, with giving alms to the poor, or with acts of recklessness.


    Xu Zhenchang had borrowed from Baofeng Silver Bank for his personal pleasure. Now the Xu Family¡¯s assets were completely capable of repaying the debt. By coming to his house and kneeling to ask for his help, Li Shuixiang already had ulterior motives.


    She merely wished to have Qin Niu settle the matter, or have him lend her the money to repay the debt.


    It was her family that borrowed the money, and now that the creditor had come to collect, she was reluctant to cut her losses, and sought only to use Qin Niu as a shield. Where in the world could such a good deal be found?


    ¡°Husband, if we can lend a hand in this matter, let¡¯s do it! Auntie Li wouldn¡¯t be kneeling before us if she weren¡¯t driven to desperation,¡±


    Wang Wanyan was simply too kind-hearted.


    She tended to soften easily.


    In contrast, Tang Caixian was much better in such situations.


    It¡¯s not that Tang Caixian wasn¡¯t kind-hearted; she knew when to show compassion and when to be ruthless.


    ¡°You and Cai Xian go and rest first. I¡¯ll handle this, don¡¯t worry. After all, Uncle Xu did help me before. Now that he¡¯s in trouble, naturally, I won¡¯t ignore him,¡± Qin Niu said in front of Li Shuixiang.


    Otherwise, it would be very easy for Li Shuixiang to bear a grudge.


    It¡¯s difficult to be a good person these days,


    ¡°I believe Ah Niu will handle it well. We¡¯re tired from the day. Let¡¯s go inside and rest,¡±


    Tang Caixian led Wang Wanyan into the living quarters.


    ¡°Auntie, I¡¯d like to hear how you plan to solve this matter first.¡±


    Qin Niu took a sip from his teacup.


    Although his status had elevated, he still hadn¡¯t learned the art of savoring tea slowly and deliberately.


    He felt that the time could be better spent cultivating, reading, or nurturing his Insect Pets.


    ¡°I¡­ I wish to borrow some Silver Money from Master Qin to pay off the debt. Land prices are extremely low right now, selling them off at such low prices is really hard for me to accept. I believe Master Qin understands that my husband and I started from nothing, working from dawn to dusk, tirelessly, to slowly accumulate a little wealth. I remember very distinctly every acquisition of each plot of land,¡±


    ¡°Master Qin, what do you say?¡±


    She looked up at Qin Niu, her eyes brimming with plea.


    Her face bore an expression of bitter suffering, with the traces of tears still visible.


    Don¡¯t think women are fools, Li Shuixiang is a shrewd woman.


    By playing the pitiful and distressed act, she was essentially performing a distress strategy.


    ¡°How much do you plan to borrow? I¡¯ve just acquired some land and shops, and money is tight. I¡¯m also about to recruit a large number of farmers and purchase seeds, cattle for plowing, farm tools, fertilizers, and other items, which require a huge expense. To be frank, I haven¡¯t even figured out where to get this money¡ªI¡¯m still thinking about where to borrow it from.¡±


    Qin Niu naturally wouldn¡¯t tell her that he still held over forty thousand taels of Silver Money.


    Helping Xu Zhenchang repay this money was not a difficult task for him. He never had a deep relationship with Xu Zhenchang in the first place.


    Xu Zhenchang had taken the initiative to ingratiate himself with Qin Niu only after he had made his fortune.


    Before becoming an Insect Master, even when Wang Haikun bullied Qin Niu to near death, Xu Zhenchang, the village head, had never spoken a word of justice on his behalf¡ªnot even a word to persuade Wang Haikun.


    Of course, Qin Niu did not blame Xu Zhenchang for his indifference.


    Adults value their safety first and foremost.


    Xu Zhenchang was neither kin nor kith to him, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t offend Wang Haikun, the village tyrant, just to speak up for him.


    People are reciprocal.


    When Qin Niu was weak and young, Xu Zhenchang didn¡¯t offer much help. So now that Xu Zhenchang had fallen on hard times, Qin Niu wasn¡¯t obliged to help him.


    If Xu Zhenchang wanted assistance, he would definitely need to offer something beneficial in exchange.


    The dozen or so acres owned by the Xu family were of no interest to Qin Niu.


    However, the prospect of employing Xu Zhenchang as a manager for the Qin Residence was something he could consider.


    Firstly, Xu Zhenchang had excellent planting techniques, as well as planting and management experience, which made him well-suited to be the manager of the Qin Residence.


    Under normal circumstances, if Qin Niu asked Xu Zhenchang to be his manager, Xu Zhenchang would surely be reluctant.


    But if Qin Niu offered him the opportunity to be a manager when Xu Zhenchang was in dire straits, he would undoubtedly be grateful and loyally handle affairs for him, which is precisely the outcome Qin Niu desired.


    ¡°At Baofeng Silver Bank, the total calculated debt comes to sixteen taels and five maces of silver. If I cannot pay it today, for each day I delay, at least two more maces of interest will accrue. Our family has run out of money, so if possible, please lend me the sixteen taels and five maces of silver, Master Qin. Rest assured, as soon as the price of the land rises, we will immediately sell our property to repay the silver money,¡±


    Li Shuixiang said with a sobbing tone.


    Xu Zhenchang only borrowed nine taels of silver, and in less than a year, the interest had shockingly reached seven taels and five maces.


    High-interest lending was truly terrifying.


    No wonder so many poor people who borrowed money ended up having to sell their sons, daughters, and wives to repay their debts.


    Baofeng Silver Bank was still considered one of the more regulated banks, its interest rates were much lower than those places that specialized in high-interest lending.


    Some high-interest loans could reach an interest rate of 300%.


    Borrow one tael of silver for a full year, and you¡¯d need to repay a total of four taels, including principal and interest.


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s debt of nine taels of silver had now matured. If he couldn¡¯t repay it on time, the bank would calculate interest on the new principal. With principal and interest combined, 16.5 taels, that is the new principal amount.


    ¡°Auntie, I really can¡¯t come up with that much silver all at once. However, I do have some connection with Uncle Xu, and I can¡¯t just ignore this matter. Please wait here for a while, and I¡¯ll do my best to gather some silver for you,¡±


    Qin Niu said, then rose and went inside.


    Meanwhile, Li Shuixiang was still kneeling on the ground, realizing that despite his youth, Qin Niu was not so easy to handle.


    She thought the self-pitying act she had put on would¡¯ve earned the sympathy of most people.


    It seemed that Qin Niu was not swayed by her tactics.


    Constantly kneeling made her knees extremely painful. The ground in the Qin Residence was not made of mud, but paved with hard floor tiles. She wanted to stand up but worried that if Qin Niu returned and found her standing, he might no longer sympathize with her.


    In the end, Li Shuixiang gritted her teeth and continued to kneel on the ground.


    She calculated in her mind that the more miserable she appeared, the more generous Qin Niu would be with the loan.


    Yet, even after such a long wait, Qin Niu still hadn¡¯t returned.


    Seeing Qin Niu come in, Wang Wanyan immediately asked, ¡°Husband, did you settle Li Auntie¡¯s issue so quickly?¡±


    ¡°Not yet! She wants to borrow sixteen taels and five maces of silver, and I told her that our household has many expenses and is quite strapped for cash,¡±


    Qin Niu had no need to hide anything from his wife.


    ¡°Sixteen taels and five maces isn¡¯t an especially large sum; our family can afford it. Are you worried that Li Auntie won¡¯t repay the silver after borrowing it?¡±


    Wang Wanyan clearly didn¡¯t understand the various calculations of adults.


    She was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Xu Zhenchang and Li Shuixiang aren¡¯t the type to renege on debts. If they had the money, they would surely repay us. But have you thought about this? If we lend them money so readily this time, what if they come to us again with another problem next time, would you lend it to them or not?¡±


    Qin Niu sat down and chatted casually with her.

 Chapter 480 - Chapter 480: Chapter 472: Must Eliminate Hidden Dangers_1

    Chapter 480: Chapter 472: Must Eliminate Hidden Dangers_1


    ¡°`


    ¡°Well, that depends on what it¡¯s about. My family doesn¡¯t run a bank; how could we always lend money to others?¡±


    Wang Wanyan clutched her hands nervously.


    Her understanding of human nature was still very superficial.


    ¡°Let me ask you again. When others see that Li Shuixiang¡¯s family is in trouble and come to us for a loan, and they get it easily, solving a huge problem for them. Then, when they face difficulties, they will naturally think of asking our family for help. We¡¯re all neighbors and villagers. Would you help or not?¡±


    Qin Niu continued to subject her to a grueling interrogation.


    ¡°This¡­ My family definitely can¡¯t be the savior of the world. My father often educates me that being a good person is difficult, and you must help others within your means.¡±


    She lowered her head, seemingly realizing that she hadn¡¯t thought deeply enough.


    ¡°Your father-in-law is right. Doing good deeds must be within one¡¯s capacity. Being a good person doesn¡¯t necessarily lead to good rewards. If there¡¯s no limit to doing good deeds, such a person actually lacks the ability to survive and would find it very difficult to live in this cruel world.


    You have a kind heart, and that¡¯s good.


    Cai Xian is just as kind as you are, but she handled the matter of Li Shuixiang borrowing money very well today.


    I believe she must have seen the dangers of human hearts and the greediness of human nature, which is why she knew how to handle this situation.¡±


    Qin Niu praised Tang Caixian for handling the situation well.


    ¡°Sister Wanyan also knows Li Shuixiang better, which is why she thought of helping her. If it were someone else, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been so overly sympathetic.¡±


    Tang Caixian certainly didn¡¯t dare steal the show from the rightful wife.


    She was a smart girl. Despite looking lovesick in her pursuit of Qin Niu, it didn¡¯t mean she was foolish.


    On the contrary, she was very clever and also had quite a bit of social experience.


    Following her master in the city and performing songs and dances for the powerful, she surely saw much of society¡¯s dark side.


    That¡¯s also a good thing.


    Without experiencing hardships and setbacks, a person will always remain naive.


    Everyone matures little by little only after being taken advantage of, deceived, and seeing the true dark side of life.


    ¡°Wanyan, if I¡¯m not around in the future, you must remember that it¡¯s okay to be kind, but your kindness must have some edge to it. Being blindly merciful and kind will just make you seem weak and easily bullied, even putting yourself in danger.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke earnestly.


    He had wanted to talk to her about this for a while but hadn¡¯t found the right opportunity.


    Today seemed like a good time.


    ¡°So, should we just watch the Xu Family fall into trouble and do nothing?¡±


    Wang Wanyan felt it was too cruel not to care about the life and death of the Xu Family.


    ¡°We must help, but there are methods to doing things. Also, if we were the ones in trouble today, would the Xu Family help us?¡±


    Qin Niu posed another soul-searching question to her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now how to handle this specifically. If you think my approach is wrong, you can ask your father-in-law for advice. I believe he will give you the answer.¡±


    Having finished the conversation, Qin Niu stood up and walked out.


    In his hand, he held some silver pieces he had ¡°scrounged¡± together.


    Li Shuixiang had been kneeling until her knees were nearly broken, and the pain made her cry to herself. Seeing Qin Niu come out, she bit her teeth and continued to kneel without moving, tears streaming out and dripping to the ground.


    ¡°Auntie, I just went inside and cobbled together about five taels of silver. Don¡¯t think it¡¯s too little; my family really is short on cash right now. This is all I can do to help you,¡± Qin Niu said as he placed the five taels of scattered silver on the coffee table.


    Her eyes glanced over.


    After wiping away her tears, she could see more clearly. Indeed, it was a pile of scattered silver, and she somewhat believed Qin Niu¡¯s words, but her heart was filled with disappointment.


    She had assumed that the Qin Family, being so wealthy, could easily lend ten or twenty taels.


    It turned out the Qin Family was just like hers; they looked prestigious on the outside, but it was a mess underneath.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Qin! I understand you have difficulties, and these five taels of silver are already very good. Once my family sells our fields, we will make sure to repay you promptly,¡± said Li Shuixiang, realizing that pleading at the Qin Residence until dawn would be of no use.


    She helped herself up using the chair.


    ¡°`


    The pain in the knee became so intense that tears started to fall once again. This time, the tears were not squeezed out on purpose but truly spurred by pain.


    ¡°Uncle Xu has a very good relationship with the Yan Family. You can try to see them again and gather a bit more, maybe then you will have enough.¡± Qin Niu felt that Li Shuixiang really shouldn¡¯t have come to him, but instead should have sought help from the Yan Family.


    Xu Zhenchang was only short of recognizing Yan Ruohai as his godfather.


    Now that trouble has arisen, the Yan Family would probably lend some support.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie to you, I have already been to the Yan Family. But Master Yan is in seclusion, and Young Master Yan went into the city, so I couldn¡¯t find the person in charge, and that¡¯s why I came here,¡± she said.


    She hit a wall at the Yan Family.


    Qin Niu was quite aware that the Yan Family was probably intentionally avoiding her.


    The Yan Family was much more informed than Qin Niu and very likely already knew about Xu Zhenchang¡¯s debt, which is why they purposely dodged her.


    To openly ignore someone in need was very offensive.


    The Yan Family took on this tactful approach.


    Li Shuixiang, being so astute, must also understand what the Yan Family meant.


    ¡°It¡¯s already evening. Young Master Yan might have returned from the city by now. You should go and take another look,¡± he suggested.


    Qin Niu stopped just short of explicitly showing her out.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go check at the Yan Family again. Is this a total of five taels of silver money? I¡¯ll write an IOU for Master Qin,¡± she proposed.


    Li Shuixiang was also creditworthy, taking the initiative to promise Qin Niu an IOU.


    Five taels of silver money was not a small sum, already amounting to the wages of an adult man for a year and a half.


    ¡°Ah, aunty and I are not strangers, and I trust you and Uncle Xu¡¯s character. If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t lend the five taels of silver money no matter what. You should take care of the money and not bother with writing an IOU, and just repay me when you have the funds,¡± he insisted.


    Qin Niu, with a grand gesture, displayed immense magnanimity.


    In fact, not to mention Shuangfeng Village, even in Black Tiger City, no one would dare to default on his money.


    Writing an IOU or not made no difference.


    Better to do a favor that goes with the flow.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Qin! These years of affection for you from me and your Uncle Xu have not been in vain. Ah, who would have thought that you would rise to prominence now, while your Uncle Xu keeps going downhill¡­ I wonder what sorcery that vixen has cast on him¡­ I must go now!¡±


    Every time Li Shuixiang mentioned Liu Qing¡¯s wife, she ground her teeth in hatred.


    It was someone else¡¯s family affair, and Qin Niu naturally wouldn¡¯t interfere.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, escort Auntie Li out!¡±


    After sending Li Shuixiang off, Qin Niu sipped his tea while pondering over Liu Qing¡¯s wife¡¯s matter.


    Madame Zhao¡¯s background surely had no issues.


    Still, it required some investigation.


    Shuangfeng Village was Qin Niu¡¯s hometown, and he planned to make it his stronghold. He definitely wouldn¡¯t tolerate any potential threats.


    The mysterious strongman had not been found yet.


    He had thought that Madame Zhao might still be looking for Xu Zhenchang, but she hadn¡¯t sought after him in these past days.


    Thus, Qin Niu¡¯s plan to monitor her fell through.


    Now that Qin Niu had subdued the Mirage Insect, eliminating an internal threat, he could focus on investigating Madame Zhao.


    After dinner, he notified his wives and concubines and then walked toward Liu Qing¡¯s house.


    The Liu Family was considered a large clan in Shuangfeng Village, with several households, and especially fond of having sons. They often had many sons.


    Even when Wang Haikun behaved so arrogantly, he did not dare to provoke the Liu Family.


    In the countryside, having many sons was somewhat beneficial.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Qin Niu arrived at the doorstep of Liu Shengli¡¯s home, with the earthen house of Liu Qing not far away.


    Liu Qing had been married for several years but had not yet had any children.


    ¡°Master Qin, what brings you out and about today? Please come to my home for tea!¡±


    Liu Shengli, seeing Qin Niu from a distance, quickly ran out to greet him without even properly putting on his shoes.

 Chapter 481 - Chapter 481: Chapter 473: A Virtuous Wife Can Prosper Her Husband_1

    Chapter 481: Chapter 473: A Virtuous Wife Can Prosper Her Husband_1


    Liu Shengli was extremely opportunistic and adept at currying favor. Whenever he saw a chance to make money or gain any benefits, he would take action without hesitation.


    Even his cousin Liu Qing¡¯s prospective marriage partner was snatched away by him to become his wife.


    If Liu Shengli hadn¡¯t stolen the woman meant for Liu Qing, Liu Qing wouldn¡¯t have ended up marrying Madame Zhao.


    The fate of a person can sometimes be so mysterious; any significant event can potentially change the destiny of their entire life.


    Qin Niu did not like people like Liu Shengli.


    Yet at this moment, a thought crossed his mind; going directly to Liu Qing¡¯s home might not uncover anything, and could even startle the quarry.


    He had heard that Madame Zhao was introduced to Liu Qing by Liu Shengli, so perhaps he could learn something from Liu Shengli.


    ¡°Shengli, do you want to work in my fields next year? I see that you work very hard, so I can give you an additional two Wen Money per day; and if you work for a full year, I¡¯ll raise your salary annually.¡±


    Qin Niu knew that Liu Shengli usually did odd jobs.


    Wang Furen and Xu Zhenchang would often compete to hire Liu Shengli for work during the busy farming season.


    For some reason, Liu Shengli never did farm work for the Yan Family, but he often sold them firewood.


    ¡°I appreciate you thinking so highly of me, offering such a high wage. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t tempted. But I also have two acres of my own land; if I become a long-term worker for your family, there will be nobody to tend to my fields!¡± Liu Shengli said with a troubled expression.


    Seeing his shrewd bargaining gaze, Qin Niu knew exactly what he was after.


    Offering two additional Wen Money per day was already a high rate.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about your land; I can take care of it. Master Qin is offering you such a high salary, you¡¯ll have work every day¡ªwhat¡¯s there not to accept?¡±


    Liu Shengli¡¯s wife came out.


    This woman not only had a fine figure, with her round, large buttocks suggesting she was fertile, but her face was also quite beautiful. With a light touch of makeup, she looked like a gorgeous pink rose.


    More importantly, she was very industrious and took good care of the household.


    It was said her social skills were also quite exceptional. Xu Zhenchang was so captivated by her that he couldn¡¯t forget her family whenever there were benefits to be gained.


    Had Xu Zhenchang slept with Liu Qing¡¯s wife, or had he overstepped his boundaries with Liu Shengli¡¯s wife?


    ¡°Master Qin, you are an honored guest, and both Shengli and I have been looking forward to the day you might visit our home. We¡¯ve had some sour wine brewing for a while now, didn¡¯t even dare to drink it during last year¡¯s New Year festivities. If you don¡¯t mind, please come inside and have a taste!¡±


    She smiled like a blooming flower, warmly inviting Qin Niu to take a seat inside.


    ¡°Since Shengli is reluctant to be a long-term worker for me, I¡¯ll have to look for someone else. I¡¯d better not stay today!¡±


    Qin Niu thought to himself, ¡°Little do you know, I¡¯ve got you figured out.¡±


    Liu Shengli knew of the large amount of land Qin Niu had acquired and that he needed to hire many workers, which is why he expected Qin Niu to offer an even higher wage.


    But who was Qin Niu? He had the wisdom, the ability to read people¡¯s expressions, and the insight into human nature¡ªall first-rate. Liu Shengli, playing his sly games before him, was bound to make fruitless efforts.


    ¡°Oh, just put your mind at ease. It¡¯s not just that you¡¯re offering Shengli such a high wage¡ªeven if you didn¡¯t pay him at all, getting to work for you would be an honor. I¡¯ll decide on this matter; Shengli will certainly work for you next year. It might seem like he earns a lot from woodcutting in the mountains, but when you tally it up for the year, it doesn¡¯t amount to much.


    He can¡¯t cut wood on rainy or snowy days, and during the off-season, he can¡¯t sell the wood he cuts. How can that compare to being a stable long-term worker for you!¡±


    She spoke coyly, nearly pulling Qin Niu into their home.


    ¡°Haha, they say behind every successful man is a wise wife; it¡¯s certainly true. Sister-in-law has made a fine calculation! What do you say, Liu Shengli?¡±


    Qin Niu looked at Liu Shengli with a smile.


    ¡°My wife has already agreed; what more can I say? Looks like I can¡¯t even sneak out of work! As long as Master Qin doesn¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll work hard in your fields for a whole year next year. I believe that if I do well, Master Qin won¡¯t shortchange me. After all, you have an excellent reputation in the village, known for offering high wages.¡±


    Liu Shengli agreed, and at the same time, he didn¡¯t forget to give Qin Niu a high compliment.


    ¡°As fellow villagers, it¡¯s only right to offer a higher wage. That settles it, if you do well, I¡¯ll give you an extra two Wen Money a day and it will continue. During festivals, as long as I¡¯m not too strapped for cash, I¡¯ll find a way to give you all some extra bonuses.¡±


    Qin Niu was also straightforward, offering very generous terms.


    Only the Yan Family was known to be so generous in giving bonuses to workers during the festive seasons.


    Other employers, at most, would provide their workers with an extra meal with meat on the festive day to improve their food.


    If it were one of those rich but unkind and stingy employers, they would enjoy lavish feasts themselves without even sharing the soup with their workers.


    ¡°Deal! I knew Master Qin would not treat me poorly!¡±


    Liu Shengli¡¯s face beamed with smiles as he nodded repeatedly, inviting Qin Niu into his home.


    His wife had already run over to open the big door, set up chairs, and even wiped them with her sleeve, doing her utmost to be hospitable.


    ¡°Master Qin, my home is not in a good state, it¡¯s a bit messy, please bear with us!¡±


    ¡°This is already very good! The household items are neatly arranged, and the corners and windowsills are clean and tidy, sister-in-law is a diligent woman! Liu Shengli is fortunate to have married you, that is definitely a blessing.¡±


    Qin Niu praised sincerely from his heart.


    Liu Shengli¡¯s wife had managed their home in an orderly, clean, and bright manner, which gave a particularly good impression.


    Living in such a home would surely be very comfortable.


    For a man to marry a good wife is definitely a tremendously happy thing.


    She brought out some pastries and melon seeds from inside the house, and placed them in a wooden bowl.


    ¡°Master Qin, please have some snacks first; I will go fetch some sour wine.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, no trouble needed, I seldom drink,¡± Qin Niu called out.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble! It¡¯s our honor for you to visit our home, and we must offer you the best food we have. But in your mansion, you lack nothing, enjoy exquisite delicacies every day, so don¡¯t disdain these simple foods of ours!¡±


    She was more eloquent than most women.


    Capable of touching people¡¯s hearts.


    Now Qin Niu was the wealthiest in the region, with servants attending to his food and clothing, able to eat whatever he desired.


    Indeed, just as she said, he had grown tired of exotic delicacies.


    The pastries and sour wine in the Liu Shengli family might be considered the best food by them, but for Qin Niu, they were relatively poor fare.


    ¡°Thank you for your warm hospitality, sister-in-law; what we eat at home is actually just the same,¡± Qin Niu said as he sat down and casually popped a piece of pastry into his mouth.


    Liu Shengli¡¯s three children peered out timidly from behind the doorframe, eagerly eyeing the pastries on the wooden platter.


    ¡°These three children are yours, right?¡± Qin Niu asked while waving at the three shy kids.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, come here, take whatever you want to eat!¡±


    The three children, despite their cravings, didn¡¯t dare to come over. They just hid behind the doorframe, looking at Qin Niu.


    One child was even so scared that they tucked their head back in.

 Chapter 482 - Chapter 482: Chapter 474 Scorpion Spirit and Wild Fruit_1

    Chapter 482: Chapter 474 Scorpion Spirit and Wild Fruit_1


    ¡°Yes, all of them are mine. The two older ones are twins, and the little one is just two years old,¡± Liu Shengli doted on his children, his gaze especially tender when he looked at the three of them. ¡°You three, come here and greet Master Qin.¡±


    But the three children didn¡¯t dare to come out; instead, they hid further inside the room.


    ¡°They¡¯re a bit shy, I hope Master Qin won¡¯t take offense!¡±


    ¡°Haha, no worries, no worries. When I was young, I wasn¡¯t even as brave as they are! At least they dare to stick out their heads and sneak a peek,¡± Qin Niu said, chuckling and waving his hand.


    Seeing other people¡¯s children, Qin Niu looked forward to the birth of his own child with great anticipation.


    When the time comes, he would certainly give them a good upbringing.


    With his conditions, there was no need to worry about not being able to afford it.


    Even if he had ten or eight children, he could certainly support them.


    Qin Niu¡¯s sense of family and kinship was very strong. As Old Man Liu lay dying, he clutched at Qin Niu¡¯s hand, unwilling to close his eyes. He hoped Qin Niu would find a wife.


    Because Old Man Liu had never married in his life, and if he hadn¡¯t found Qin Niu, the abandoned baby, there would have been no one to mourn him upon his death.


    The concepts of family and lineage had deeply rooted themselves in Qin Niu¡¯s heart.


    The bonds of blood-related kinship were the best ties.


    They could give him an unbreakable foundation in this harsh world.


    ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s true, but the fees for the private school in Jade Stream Town are very high, and three children would really be too much to support. As for letting them cultivate, that¡¯s even more unthinkable. Just managing to feed them enough to avoid hunger is already not easy,¡± Liu Shengli sighed dejectedly.


    With the meager two mu of land at home, coupled with what he earned from chopping wood and other odd jobs, he barely made enough to support his family.


    ¡°Work hard for me, and when the time comes, I will have someone teach you some advanced farming techniques. As long as your skills improve, your income will increase too, and then anything might be possible,¡± Qin Niu promised him, painting a big picture.


    It wasn¡¯t entirely empty talk¡ªprovided Liu Shengli was willing to learn, to study hard, and to be loyal to Qin Niu, it was not impossible that he would be promoted to be a steward for the Qin Residence in the future.


    Even if he didn¡¯t become a steward, just advancing to a higher level of farmer would provide an income of at least ten Silver Money; Liu Shengli¡¯s family¡¯s situation would greatly improve.


    ¡°Master Qin, from now on, my life is yours! Just you watch, I will show you my best performance,¡± Liu Shengli said, after all, a youth from the countryside.


    Although he was already the father of three children, the vision Qin Niu painted instantly fired up his zeal, making him wish to devote himself completely.


    At that moment, Liu Shengli¡¯s wife came over, holding a freshly opened jar of liquor.


    ¡°This jar of sour liquor is said to strengthen masculinity and replenish vitality! Now that Master Qin has married two beautiful wives and bought several maidservants, you might well drink this to revitalize,¡± she said boldy.


    This woman really dared say anything.


    She removed the paper seal from the jar, and a unique fragrance of liquor immediately filled the entire hall.


    She poured a large bowl for Qin Niu and then a small one for Liu Shengli.


    The liquor was a bright yellow color, distinct from the clarity of white liquor.


    Sour liquor is usually made by collecting wild fruits from the mountains and fermenting them with some nourishing herbs. As Liu Shengli often went into the mountains to chop wood and sell it, he encountered wild fruits which he would bring back, hence having the materials to brew sour liquor.


    Qin Niu picked up the bowl and sniffed; it gave off a refreshing aroma rather than the strong scent of white liquor.


    It smelled very comforting.


    He licked a tiny bit with his tongue; it tasted a tad sour and a little sweet, similar to the flavor of rice wine.


    He tried taking a sip.


    The taste was mellow and smooth, with a slight spiciness as it went down the throat, quite delightful indeed.


    Sour liquor was not commonly sold because it was challenging to brew, so most people kept it for themselves to drink.


    The main reason was that it wasn¡¯t expensive to sell.


    People who enjoyed drinking found sour liquor too mild, much preferring the taste of white liquor. As for sour liquor¡¯s reputed power to strengthen masculinity and replenish vitality, they could choose to soak tonics, along with snakes and centipedes, in white liquor instead.


    This kind of liquor is even more nourishing.


    Because of this, the sour wine was not well-received in the market, and its price could not rise.


    That is also the main reason why sour wine was seldom sold in the market.


    Qin Niu took a sip of the sour wine and quickly felt a very unique energy slowly surge into his limbs and bones. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique and Medicine King Sutra had both gained some growth.


    After combining with this special energy, they became more refined.


    ¡°Good wine!¡±


    Qin Niu could not help but praise it, lifted the bowl, and drank the remaining sour wine in a few gulps.


    ¡°Master Qin, please drink slowly. The sour wine I brew is different from what others make, it¡¯s very refreshing to drink, but it has a strong aftereffect.¡±


    Now that Liu Shengli had tied his prospects to Qin Niu, he naturally tried his best to please him.


    ¡°Oh, is your brewing method different from others?¡±


    Qin Niu asked deliberately.


    The sour wine was very beneficial to him, so he could ask Liu Shengli to specially brew some for him in the future.


    Power gained from cultivation normally requires repeated tempering to become increasingly refined. This process is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and extremely slow.


    Now it seemed he had found a shortcut.


    Little Shuangfeng Village really was full of hidden opportunities everywhere.


    Qin Niu realized that he had lived in Shuangfeng Village for more than a decade, growing up here, yet he knew nothing about it.


    Perhaps what he could see before were only the superficial aspects of people and events.


    Previously, the chance of him getting to drink the sour wine brewed by Liu Shengli was almost impossible.


    Liu Shengli was a very opportunistic man, would not reveal the wine to Qin Niu without seeing any great utility in it.


    ¡°The method of brewing sour wine is the same, there¡¯s nothing special about it.¡±


    Liu Shengli¡¯s eyes flickered, he leaned in close to Qin Niu¡¯s ear, and continued in a low voice, ¡°To tell you the truth, I accidentally found a very special fruit tree while chopping wood in the mountains. There was a scorpion spirit as big as a calf guarding it, and its fruits only mature in deep autumn.


    I always try to distract the scorpion spirit and then hurriedly pick some fruits before quickly fleeing for my life.


    This sour wine, after being drunk, is greatly nourishing, and I usually can¡¯t bear to let anyone drink it.


    If you like it, this jar is for you. From now on, I hope for your greater support and care.¡±


    The fruit used for brewing was something Liu Shengli risked his life to pick.


    No wonder he treasured it like a gem.


    When Qin Niu heard Liu Shengli mention a scorpion spirit the size of a calf, he perked up.


    Fire Phoenix had also told him about a scorpion spirit lurking in this area, but could the one Liu Shengli mentioned be the same one Fire Phoenix had referred to?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as you work diligently for me, benefits will surely come your way. Do you have any of those fruits on hand?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    He wanted to see what kind of fruit it was.


    Liu Shengli might not recognize some special herbs and spirit fruits, but Qin Niu had specifically studied them and might be able to identify them.


    ¡°The size of the fruit is about as big as a pellet, with ten to twenty on a string, and the color is dark purple. They are green before they ripen. Once picked, they cannot be left out, and must be used to brew wine on the same day. The first time I picked some, I worried they might be poisonous and didn¡¯t dare to eat them, so I thought to try feeding one or two to the chickens and ducks at home first. After a couple of days, when they were still well, then I¡¯d try them myself.


    To my surprise, the next day, all the fruits had turned into yellow liquid.


    When I saw that the chickens that ate the fruits not only didn¡¯t die but grew stronger and more robust than the other chickens, I knew the fruits must be something good.


    The following year, I picked some and was worried it might be too nourishing, so I didn¡¯t dare to eat too many. After eating two, I felt overwhelmed.¡±


    As Liu Shengli spoke, he instinctively glanced at his wife.


    His wife¡¯s face was red, and she was looking down.


    It seems that after Liu Shengli ate those wild fruits, he had not spared her from his vigor.


    ¡°At that time, I thought I still had over thirty wild fruits left, which couldn¡¯t be eaten all at once. Wouldn¡¯t that be a waste? These were fruits I risked being eaten by the scorpion spirit to pick. So, I had a flash of inspiration and decided to use them to brew sour wine.¡±

 Chapter 483 - Chapter 483: Chapter 475: The Truth Revealed_1

    Chapter 483: Chapter 475: The Truth Revealed_1


    Having said this, Liu Shengli felt proud of his own cleverness and quick wit, and a proud smile spread across his face.


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t expect that using that kind of special wild fruit to brew sour wine would be so successful. Later, I tried a small cup myself; the effect was too strong, so I added some other wild fruits and mixed them together to ferment the fruit wine. This one I¡¯m offering you now is the third jar of special fruit wine that I¡¯ve improved on. If Master Qin likes it, I¡¯ll give you this whole jar.¡±


    Liu Shengli gritted his teeth, deciding to give a more substantial gift to Qin Niu.


    He was just a nobody, belonging to the poor.


    When giving gifts to flatter bigshots like Qin Niu, one naturally brings out the best one has.


    This is also the mentality of most poor people.


    Offering what one considers their best thing while still worrying that the bigshot might not appreciate it.


    ¡°The taste of this wine is very special; I quite like it. However, I don¡¯t want you to give it to me for free. How much do you usually sell a jar for? I¡¯ll give you Silver Money. You have three children and a wife to support, and an old father above you, so I definitely can¡¯t take advantage of you.¡±


    Qin Niu never took advantage of others.


    ¡°How could I take your money! It¡¯s just a jar of fruit wine, not worth much.¡±


    Liu Shengli rubbed his hands together, a smile on his face.


    ¡°Exactly, exactly. If you¡¯re pleased with it, just help out my husband occasionally in the future, and we can brew you a jar every year without any problems,¡± added Liu Shengli¡¯s wife from the side.


    The couple played their roles of harmonious partnership perfectly.


    ¡°For the fruits you risked your life to pick, is Three Silver Money enough for this jar?¡±


    Qin Niu had originally planned to give Two Silver Money but felt it was a bit too little and added one more.


    Human nature is greedy. If he said he would give Hundred Taels, then even if he could take the wine this year, there would be no chance of getting another jar next year.


    After all, Liu Shengli working for him for a year would probably earn only about four or five Silver Money.


    If brewing a jar of wine could sell for Hundred Taels, Liu Shengli, being a shrewd man, would immediately think of selling the wine in town. As long as someone recognized the value, Liu Shengli would definitely hike up the price.


    By then, even if Qin Niu was willing to pay Hundred Taels, he might not be able to buy a jar.


    Giving Liu Shengli Three Silver Money now was a rather appropriate price.


    ¡°A jar of fruit wine, though it has some special effects, is not worth that much. If you love to drink it, just take it home; there¡¯s really no need for money,¡± Liu Shengli insisted, waving his hand refusing to take the money.


    ¡°One is one, two is two. I appreciate that you¡¯re willing to offer me such delicious wine, and I accept your kind gesture. Sour wine doesn¡¯t fetch high market prices, only about fifty or sixty copper coins a jar. But your wine is special, and you risk a great deal picking wild fruit to brew it, so I¡¯m very happy to pay a good price. Don¡¯t think Three Silver Money is too little; it¡¯s also an extra income for your family.


    ¡°Does your sister-in-law usually stay at home to take care of people?¡± Qin Niu turned to Liu Shengli¡¯s wife.


    This woman knew how to please, as she puffed out her chest, twisted her willowy waist, and her face bore a charming smile.


    ¡°Being a woman, I can only do such household work. Last time, thanks to your blessing, I earned a few tens of Wen Money helping out in the village. If Master Qin has any work for women in the future, please think of me,¡± she offered with such warmth that Liu Shengli felt a bit uneasy and instinctively moved his chair closer to his wife.


    Liu Shengli was very aware that although his wife had given birth to three children, she was still very attractive, and her figure had not deteriorated too much.


    What if Qin Niu took a fancy to him? He had no confidence in competing with Qin Niu.


    ¡°No problem, when the time comes, there will be some work that you women can do, and I¡¯ll call you. The pay might be a little lower than the men¡¯s, but if you do well, I see you¡¯re smart and capable, I can promote you to be a female overseer.¡±


    Qin Niu was well versed in human nature, offering her aspirations to look forward to, sure that she and her family would work their hearts out.


    ¡°Really? Haha, that¡¯s great! I knew Master Qin was the best! You can¡¯t forget this promise!¡±


    She was so happy at the thought of being promoted to overseer if she did well that she almost jumped for joy.


    Clapping her hands, she laughed with her mouth wide open.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget. I¡¯m about to hire a large number of people soon, and I also need a few loyal and shrewd people to help me manage things.¡± Qin Niu offered so many benefits as a groundwork for what was to come.


    Seeing that the time was ripe, he quietly shifted the topic.


    ¡°Shengli, your Liu Family is a major clan in the village, with seven or eight able-bodied laborers. Your cousin Liu Qing usually chops some firewood to sell, too. I don¡¯t know what his plans are for next year? I¡¯m planning to invite him over to work, but the wage I offer him will be just a regular wage. You shouldn¡¯t flaunt in front of him that I¡¯m giving you an extra two Wen Money a day.¡±


    Qin Niu deliberately mentioned the difference in their wages to add to Liu Shengli¡¯s sense of superiority.


    With this feeling of superiority, he wasn¡¯t afraid that Liu Shengli would do anything but work his heart out.


    ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t reveal this to anyone,¡± Liu Shengli assured seriously. ¡°Brother Qing¡¯s family must be quite short on money. I¡¯ve heard his wife arguing with him several times, scolding him for being useless. Chopping and selling firewood earns hard money, just enough to scrape by. The mountains have become dangerous lately, with poison bees and biting insects everywhere.


    The trails of tigers and wolves have even spread to some previously untouched mountain areas.


    Now, it is getting harder and harder to chop firewood.


    If Brother Qing could work as a long-term laborer for you, I think that would be great. The pay is stable at your place, and there¡¯s no need to risk the dangers of the mountains, which is much better than being a woodcutter.¡±


    Liu Shengli inadvertently revealed important information.


    Master Qin thought to himself, Liu Qing¡¯s wife had already earned seventeen or eighteen Hundred Taels from Xu Zhenchang alone, which was equivalent to five or six years of wages for an ordinary person.


    Madame Zhao must have had affairs with not just Xu Zhenchang but several other villagers, so she must have earned even more money.


    Where on earth had she spent all that money?


    ¡°Liu Qing¡¯s wife is always smiling and easy to talk to when she sees people. Does she often argue with Liu Qing at home?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only because you asked about this matter that I dare tell you some truth. They say one shouldn¡¯t air one¡¯s dirty laundry in public. Brother Qing¡¯s wife just puts on a smile in front of others, but when she gets home, she turns her face on Brother Qing every day.¡±


    Liu Shengli looked outside the door, making sure there was no one else around, before he lowered his voice and revealed the truth.


    Every family has its own challenges.


    Many families that seem harmonious on the outside often have turmoil behind closed doors.


    ¡°Is that so? Madame Zhao was introduced to Liu Qing by you, wasn¡¯t she? Now that the couple is not living harmoniously, Liu Qing hasn¡¯t blamed you, has he?¡±


    Master Qin climbed up the pole of conversation, starting to inquire about Madame Zhao¡¯s background.


    Speaking of Madame Zhao, although she married into Shuangfeng Village several years ago, not many knew about her background. It was only known that she came from another village.


    In these turbulent times of war and frequent disasters, refugees often scattered everywhere.


    A young and not ugly woman could easily find a man and settle down.

 Chapter 484 - Chapter 484: Chapter 476: Eerie and Mysterious_1

    Chapter 484: Chapter 476: Eerie and Mysterious_1


    ¡°`


    If the person concerned is not willing to talk, outsiders also won¡¯t pry excessively into someone¡¯s background.


    ¡°Distant relatives by three thousand miles, direct relations for five hundred years. Brother Qing and I are cousins; when I introduced him to his would-be wife, it was with the best of intentions, and I believe he has never held a grudge against me. We still get along quite well when we meet, no different from before,¡±


    Liu Shengli mentioned this matter as he glanced at his wife beside him.


    Originally, it was he who had taken a shine to Liu Qing¡¯s matchmaking prospect and, by some means, deceived her into his hands and married her. This matter, indeed, left him feeling somewhat guilty.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you inspect Madame Zhao¡¯s character before matchmaking? I have heard many rumors about Madame Zhao in the village.¡±


    Qin Niu shifted the topic to Madame Zhao.


    As for Liu Qing, the honest man, he was not interested at all.


    ¡°Ah! This is something I can¡¯t clear even if I jump into the Yellow River. Back then, she and I had privately decided to be together for life; when Brother Qing found out, he came to confront me, and there really was no other way. I could only agree to help Brother Qing find another wife.


    It happened to be fate.


    When I went to prepare the betrothal gifts, I met a woman escaping calamity on the road, disheveled and emitting a sour stench.


    At that moment, the woman¡¯s silhouette was quite alluring, so I thought even if she was ugly, her figure shouldn¡¯t be bad. Brother Qing was eager to marry and also really didn¡¯t have much wealth, so he couldn¡¯t afford much.


    This woman fleeing the calamity just needed a meal to agree.


    And sure enough, after a brief conversation with her, she consented.


    So, I found a place to settle Madame Zhao, while I went to tell Brother Qing about this.


    Brother Qing was very happy when he heard.


    In the end, with my matchmaking, they tied the knot. Brother Qing was over the moon when he saw how beautiful and alluring the bride¡¯s figure was. He even sent me half a pig and a whole pig¡¯s head to thank me for the match I made for him.


    It just so happened that after marrying Madame Zhao, there was still no sign of pregnancy after several years. But that kind of thing is just down to Brother Qing¡¯s own bad luck. If it¡¯s destined that they will have offspring, then surely there will come a day when Madame Zhao will get pregnant,¡±


    Initially, I hoped to find out about Madame Zhao¡¯s background from Liu Shengli.


    But it turned out that even Liu Shengli didn¡¯t know much.


    Now it is basically certain that Madame Zhao was picked up along the way.


    At that time, she was a wandering woman.


    ¡°Right, right, right, Shengli is very correct, having children or not is all a matter of fate. If it is not destined in one¡¯s fortune, even if the child is born, it will be hard to raise,¡± Qin Niu agreed while continuing to inquire. ¡°Liu Qing has been married to Madame Zhao for several years now, hasn¡¯t he visited her family¡¯s home even once?¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t. I asked Brother Qing about this privately once when we were chopping wood on the mountain. He told me that Madame Zhao claims all her family is gone. It¡¯s better this way; her family being gone means no way back for her, at least she can stay honestly with Brother Qing,¡±


    Liu Shengli viewed the issue entirely from Liu Qing¡¯s interests.


    A woman, without even one family member left, has nowhere left to go if she¡¯s wronged by her husband¡¯s family.


    If her family is powerful, her husband¡¯s family generally wouldn¡¯t dare to mistreat her.


    Qin Niu thought it was about enough with the probing; asking more would arouse suspicion.


    Now it can be basically determined that Madame Zhao¡¯s background is unclear, and it seems there¡¯s nothing problematic with Liu Shengli¡¯s family.


    ¡°Everyone has their own fate, if Liu Qing could be half as clever and capable as you, he wouldn¡¯t end up quarreling with his wife every day. I hope that after he comes to work for me, he can get along a bit better with Madame Zhao,¡±


    Having said this, Qin Niu stood up to take his leave.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s getting late; I should be going. I¡¯ll take this jar of wine with me, and tomorrow I¡¯ll send over three taels of silver as my thanks for your hospitality. After the New Year, remember to come over and help me with work,¡±


    ¡°No need for money, this wine is a gift for you! Really no need!¡±


    Liu Shengli and his wife got up to see him off.


    Their words were exceedingly polite.


    A jar of wine worth three taels of silver, how could Liu Shengli possibly not want it?


    It was just the empty courtesies between adults.


    ¡°Please, no need to see me out!¡±


    Qin Niu left Liu Shengli¡¯s home and headed straight for Liu Qing¡¯s house.


    By this time, it was starting to get dark, though not completely so.


    He stood on the village path outside, looking towards Liu Qing¡¯s home, where the door was closed. There were no lights inside the house, no sound to be heard.


    ¡°`


    Is Liu Qing so keen to cuddle up in bed with his wife already?


    He¡¯s young, and he married a beautiful wife. It¡¯s been a few years with no children, so it¡¯s understandable if he tries a bit harder.


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s an illusion, but when he looked at Liu Qing¡¯s house, he always felt that the building had an eerie and sinister air about it, resembling a monstrous beast in the dark night ready to swallow a person whole.


    He had been considering checking out the situation at Liu Qing¡¯s home, but Qin Niu naturally wouldn¡¯t want to disturb their private time now.


    So, he carried the jar of wine and turned to walk back.


    A few Termite had already quietly landed on the ground, heading towards Liu Qing¡¯s house.


    Shuangfeng Village was Qin Niu¡¯s territory; whether dealing with spirits or demons wanting to cause trouble here, they had to ask Qin Niu¡¯s permission first.


    He hadn¡¯t walked far when he sensed as if there were a pair of eyes lurking behind him.


    Instantly, he felt the house of Liu Qing seemed even more ghastly and frightening.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade was still being upgraded in the city. In case Madame Zhao did have a serious problem and a fight ensued, he really had no confidence in securing a sure victory. He doubted he could even protect himself.


    The wisest course of action was to pretend to be oblivious to everything.


    As long as he didn¡¯t make any overt moves, no serious danger would likely occur.


    He walked away nonchalantly, and only after some distance did the sensation of being surreptitiously observed, like a thorn in his side, fade away.


    ¡°It seems there is indeed something wrong in Liu Qing¡¯s household.¡±


    Now, Qin Niu¡¯s power was not weak. Ordinary people covertly watching him would not be able to induce such prickling sensation.


    Only someone with strength equal or greater than his, spying on him, could bring on such an invisible pressure.


    When he returned home, he stored the jar of sour wine in his study as if it were a treasure.


    He planned to drink a bowl every day from now on.


    In his mind, he was contemplating how to investigate Madame Zhao.


    Even if Madame Zhao truly was a demon, he wasn¡¯t afraid of her, even without the Ink Blade.


    Because if necessary, he could summon the Fire Phoenix to help.


    This place was Shuangfeng Village, very close to Qifeng Mountain Range. If Qin Niu called the Fire Phoenix, it could hurry over to assist.


    Besides, Qin Niu¡¯s Insect Pets and the Green Ox were formidable. Even without calling on the Fire Phoenix, dealing with an ordinary Immortal Master shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    His Green Demon Bee swarm had already grown to several dozens and recently, he had started training them in the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation.


    It could significantly enhance the combat abilities of the Green Demon Bees and the swarm.


    The Golden Light radiated by the Green Ox was effective against most enemies. In combination with the Insect Pets, it was enough to instantly kill those in the Spirit Qi Realm and defeat the Immortal Scholar Realm.


    Ironically, Qin Niu himself, without the Ink Blade, now had quite subpar combat strength.


    This also made him realize the importance of a weapon.


    Previously, with the Ink Blade always by his side, he didn¡¯t think much of it. Now with the Ink Blade away for upgrading, he realized how without it, he practically lacked any impressive martial skills.


    Even his strongest Slash Martial Skill required a Spirit Weapon like the Ink Blade to increase the probability of triggering special attacks.


    Ordinary weapons would likely be unable to execute special effects like Critical Chop and Rupture.


    ¡°I need to instruct my wives not to contact Madame Zhao alone; it could easily lead to danger.¡±


    Qin Niu always felt that Xu Zhenchang, a mature man who made it from scratch, wouldn¡¯t just get carried away and have an affair with Madame Zhao, then indebted himself for her¡ª it didn¡¯t seem logical.


    Madame Zhao dared to ask him for money, even claiming she had a gravely ill mother who needed treatment.


    Yet to Liu Qing, she said she had no one left in her maternal family.


    This woman was truly quick to lie.


    So far, there had been no evidence of her harming anyone, just deceiving men out of some money at most.


    That¡¯s another reason Qin Niu wasn¡¯t in a rush to confront Madame Zhao.


    Just as Qin Niu was about to leave his study, he sensed that one of the Termite he had sent to Liu Qing¡¯s house had died¡ª died for no apparent reason.


    His heart trembled slightly at the thought¡ª was it discovered, or had the Termite accidentally trespassed into some ¡®forbidden zone¡¯ in Liu Qing¡¯s home which led to its death?

 Chapter 485 - Chapter 485: Chapter 477: Taking the Initiative_1

    Chapter 485: Chapter 477: Taking the Initiative_1


    You should know that the white ants Qin Niu has now are not ordinary insects; the weakest among them are Grade Two termites.


    The few he had sent out totaled five Grade Three and one Grade Four white ants.


    To put it a bit dramatically, even martial arts masters in the Mortal Realm at the tenfold level might not be able to kill them. That Grade Four white ant is entirely capable of biting to death a master at the tenfold level of the Mortal Realm.


    If it were to fight head-on with a martial arts master at the tenfold level of the Mortal Realm, it would certainly be defeated.


    After all, termites are very small in size, and even though the body of a Grade Four white ant has grown as thick as an adult¡¯s finger, their defense is very weak. Humans, with high intelligence, could easily step on it and kill it.


    It is night now, and it has already grown dark; the white ants can use the cover of night to hide their forms well.


    They move silently across the ground, barely making a sound.


    It is very difficult for ordinary people to detect them.


    Qin Niu suppressed the urge to rush to Liu Qing¡¯s home to investigate.


    Without Ink Blade by his side, encountering a formidable demon would put him in great danger.


    He quickly gave orders to the five surviving white ants through Fourth to go into hiding.


    He instructed them to hide in place and not to move rashly anymore.


    Unfortunately, using the white ants to investigate the situation still fell short. Qin Niu couldn¡¯t see or hear the scene, so he also couldn¡¯t make any deductions.


    For gathering intelligence and monitoring every move of the enemy, the Green Silk Worm is still necessary.


    Qin Niu was able to listen to sounds and movements near the offspring worms through the queen.


    He made up his mind to find a way to get close to Liu Qing tomorrow and stealthily release a Green Silk Worm to attach to Liu Qing¡¯s head.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Qin Niu got up early to check on the growth of the medicinal herbs in his backyard.


    That Ice Lotus was truly remarkable, turning the entire well into a world of ice and frost.


    Of the six white ants secretly placed in Liu Qing¡¯s house yesterday, only one unfortunately perished. Qin Niu didn¡¯t know exactly how it died.


    He just suddenly sensed that the white ant had died.


    It all happened in an instant.


    Fortunately, the remaining five white ants chose to stay hidden and did not encounter any further misfortune.


    He also didn¡¯t know whether Madame Zhao had noticed his move to surreptitiously release insects to monitor the Liu household. For now, it was probably best not to stir the grass and startle the snake.


    If a confrontation were to break out and he tore apart relations with the enemy, Qin Niu was completely unaware of the enemy¡¯s details, which was very dangerous.


    It could even implicate his family.


    ¡°This matter is indeed a bit tricky!¡±


    He frowned and paced in the backyard. The Red-eyed Golden Toad hopped around chaotically behind him; sensing his master¡¯s poor mood, it didn¡¯t dare croak noisily.


    Qin Niu was now faced with two choices.


    One was to turn a blind eye, not to interfere with Madame Zhao¡¯s affairs. Just like before, everyone would continue to live peacefully without disturbing each other.


    This was a way to protect oneself wisely.


    However, this was ultimately Qin Niu¡¯s territory, and unless he was prepared to move elsewhere, watching Madame Zhao grow stronger would inevitably lead to a direct conflict one day.


    By then, with an even stronger enemy, it would be more dangerous to deal with her.


    The second option was to find a way to investigate Madame Zhao¡¯s background and then find a way to eliminate this hidden danger, restoring peace to Shuangfeng Village.


    This approach also carried great risks.


    If Madame Zhao turned out to be stronger than imagined, and Qin Niu was discovered while secretly investigating her, she would certainly find a way to get rid of Qin Niu.


    Facing him was a dilemma.


    In the end, he still chose the second plan, to take the initiative.


    Sitting and waiting for death was not his style.


    Rather than waiting for the enemy to grow stronger, it was better to take advantage of the fact that their wings were not yet full and find a way to solve the problem as soon as possible.


    Luckily, Madame Zhao had not harmed anyone¡¯s life so far, only tricked men out of their money, which wasn¡¯t considered brutal.


    After breakfast, Qin Niu took three taels of silver money, brought Xiao Qing and Green Ox, and personally went to Liu Shengli¡¯s house.


    From a distance, he saw Liu Shengli¡¯s wife bending over, tending to the newly sprouted vegetables in the yard.


    Due to the ongoing pest problem, vegetables had become a luxury.


    With Insect Master Qin Niu residing in Shuangfeng Village, the pest problem hadn¡¯t been as severe. Now that the Nine Insect Gang had been defeated, and no one was deliberately releasing pests to harm the villagers under the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s protection. Qin Niu thus started to use his own insect pets to gradually clear the pests from Shuangfeng Village.


    He had already cleaned up twice.


    The number of pests had decreased by more than 90%, but some still flew in from neighboring villages or nearby mountains.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯re busy planting vegetables early in the morning! You¡¯re really hardworking!¡±


    Qin Niu greeted her with a smile.


    She turned her head to see it was Qin Niu and immediately squeezed out a charming smile on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s Master Qin! Good morning, Master Qin! Are you heading up the mountain for labor, accompanied by your maid and ox?¡±


    Nowadays, everyone in the village knew that Qin Niu often went into the mountains.


    As long as he took Green Ox towards the mountains, he was almost certainly going into the mountains.


    What exactly Qin Niu did in the mountains, however, was a mystery to everyone.


    In the past when Qin Niu had not yet become an Insect Master, outsiders only knew that he was researching mountain fertilizer formulas in the mountains.


    Now that his status and power were too formidable, and he had bought all the surrounding mountains, no one dared to inquire what Qin Niu was doing in the mountains anymore.


    ¡°My family has bought quite a bit of farmland, haven¡¯t we? We must prepare for next spring¡¯s farming! I have to go up the mountain to ferment some mountain fertilizer,¡± Qin Niu explained.


    Speak a third to others, keep seven parts to oneself.


    He would never tell outsiders that his trips into the mountains were for cultivation.


    ¡°No wonder you¡¯ve managed to grow your family business so large! Even though you¡¯re already so wealthy, you still work so hard,¡± Liu Shengli¡¯s wife said, looking at him with admiration.


    ¡°Oh, right, this is the money for the wine I bought yesterday. I¡¯ve brought it.¡±


    Qin Niu handed over the three taels of silver money.


    Liu Shengli¡¯s wife verbally declined, yet her hands were very honest, weak and lacking any force in her resistance.


    She all but opened her purse for Qin Niu to put the money inside.


    A woman, once married and with her own family, would consider her family¡¯s needs. Especially after having children, this becomes even more the case.


    ¡°Master Qin, you came all this way so early just to bring me the money for the wine! You¡¯re really too polite!¡±


    Liu Shengli, seeing Qin Niu and his wife interacting in the yard, and slightly worried about his wife stepping out, quickly came out from the latrine in the back of the house.


    ¡°I ought to give you this money for the wine! By the way, yesterday I was planning to ask Liu Qing to help me with some work, but I saw his house was locked and there were no lights inside. I guessed he¡¯d gone to sleep and didn¡¯t disturb him. Please relay a message for me that if Liu Qing is willing to work for me as a regular worker next year, tell him to come and find me at my house this evening or tomorrow morning.¡±


    Qin Niu briefly explained the situation.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll go and tell Brother Qing right away. He should be up by now. If you¡¯re not in a hurry, please come inside and have some tea while I fetch Brother Qing,¡± Liu Shengli warmly invited Qin Niu inside.


    His wife also urged Qin Niu to come in.


    ¡°Well, alright then, I¡¯ll wait here for a while.¡±


    Qin Niu moved a chair to sit down on the steps outside Liu Shengli¡¯s door.

 Chapter 486 - Chapter 486: Chapter 478 Madame Zhaos True Face_1

    Chapter 486: Chapter 478 Madame Zhao¡¯s True Face_1


    ¡°Miss Xiao Qing, please take a seat! You¡¯re becoming more and more attractive!¡±


    Liu Shengli¡¯s wife, with her swaying hips, moved a chair for Xiao Qing and then brewed tea for them both.


    Today, there was no sour wine offered to Qin Niu.


    It was likely that after selling that jar to Qin Niu, their household had run out of stock.


    Liu Shengli¡¯s wife really knew how to please others; after making the tea, she brought over some pastries, then sat opposite Qin Niu on a small stool, engaging in conversation. She was unreserved in showcasing her shapely figure that was tantalizingly visible.


    She understood men well.


    During their chat, she had a knack for making people feel good, focusing the conversation on topics that adored Qin Niu or praised him.


    She mentioned how Qin Niu was now the most successful young man in Shuangfeng Village and even in Jade Stream Town.


    She also said she wanted her three children to learn from Qin Niu, claiming that she would be overjoyed if they could achieve even one ten-thousandth of his success.


    Before long, Liu Shengli arrived with Liu Qing.


    Madame Zhao was nowhere to be seen.


    Qin Niu discreetly observed Liu Qing and didn¡¯t notice anything amiss.


    ¡°Master Qin, I¡¯m really sorry. I went to bed early last night and didn¡¯t know you had come to look for me.¡±


    Liu Qing was a straightforward man.


    He was all kowtows and bows in front of Qin Niu, bending his knees as he spoke.


    ¡°No problem, no problem, I was just passing by. How about it? Interested in working on my land? As for the pay, we¡¯ll go by the rates the Yan Family offers to their workers, and I won¡¯t shortchange you a single Wen Money. Work well, and there will be additional rewards.¡±


    Qin Niu directly asked for Liu Qing¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°Sure, if you¡¯re willing to hire me, that¡¯s an honor. When do I start? I¡¯ll come find you then. But there¡¯s one thing: I can¡¯t stay at your place. I have to eat and sleep at home.¡±


    Liu Qing, who often quarreled with his wife and was scolded for being useless, had probably longed for a stable job to earn money.


    He had plenty of muscles; strength was certainly not what he lacked.


    The Yan Family had strict requirements for hiring long-term workers; sheer brute strength wasn¡¯t always enough to impress them.


    After all, farming was also a skill.


    The Yan Family had been in business for many years, had extensive connections, and were deeply rooted in the area, so they never worried about finding suitable workers.


    Liu Qing¡¯s eager agreement indicated that he might have gone to the Yan Family for a job in the past but got turned down.


    Now that a long-term job was coming to him, and the wages were no less than the Yan Family¡¯s, it naturally made Liu Qing very happy.


    ¡°As for meals, I¡¯ll take care of three meals a day at my place. And you thinking about staying over? I wouldn¡¯t allow it even if you wanted to! Don¡¯t worry, even if you work as a long-term laborer at my place, it won¡¯t affect your nights with your beloved wife. Everyone knows you¡¯ve married a beautiful woman and keep her treasured and pampered at home!¡±


    Qin Niu said, joking and laughing.


    ¡°Hehe!¡±


    Liu Qing scratched his head, his face breaking into an especially sweet smile.


    Considering the situation, although he often fought with his wife, their marital life seemed very harmonious.


    I really hope there¡¯s nothing wrong with Madame Zhao.


    A straightforward man like Liu Qing was hard to come by; Madame Zhao was not at a loss, having married him.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. After the New Year¡¯s, you¡¯ll work on my farm¡¯s land. The wages will be paid monthly, and I¡¯ll provide three full meals a day. I have other things to attend to now, so I¡¯m off.¡±


    Qin Niu stood up and patted Liu Qing on the shoulder.


    When he did, he realized that Liu Qing¡¯s body was quite sturdy and could even be classified as robust.


    If he remembered correctly, although Liu Qing had great physical strength, he had never practiced any cultivation technique. But judging from the brief touch, Qin Niu was certain that Liu Qing¡¯s physical strength must have reached Fourdfold in the Mortal Realm or higher.


    Much stronger than Liu Shengli by many times.


    ¡°Liu Qing, you¡¯re pretty sturdy! Do you practice any cultivation techniques at home?¡±


    Qin Niu asked outright.


    ¡°Heh, cultivation techniques are so expensive; I could never afford them. Even if I bought one, I can¡¯t read, so I wouldn¡¯t understand it. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been chopping wood all year round that my body got stronger!¡±


    Liu Qing denied practicing any cultivation techniques.


    ¡°Hmm, that could be it. When you start working on my land, I¡¯ll adjust your wages according to your actual performance. With such a strong build, I¡¯ll definitely have to increase your pay.¡±


    As Qin Niu patted his shoulder, he had unnoticeably released a Green Silk Worm.


    It adhered tightly to the top of Liu Qing¡¯s head, integrating perfectly with his hair.


    Since Liu Qing had not cultivated any Cultivation Technique, the rapid increase in his strength could very likely be the result of Madame Zhao¡¯s secret assistance.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but become more curious about Madame Zhao.


    At least from what he could see now, Madame Zhao seemed to have nothing to do with those vicious and bloodthirsty demons and monsters.


    After taking leave from Liu Shengli¡¯s home, Qin Niu, accompanied by Xiao Qing, entered the mountain.


    It had been many days since he last traveled on this mountain path by Xie Laizi¡¯s house. Perhaps due to fewer people entering the mountains, Qin Niu felt that the path had become desolate.


    If it weren¡¯t for pests devouring almost all the foliage in the mountains, this path would certainly appear somewhat eerie.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t afraid of ghosts or monsters; in fact, for a while, he even hoped he would encounter a demon beast.


    Then he would kill the demon and obtain its elixir to help his wives refine a Boundary-breaking Elixir, aiding them in breaking through to the Innate Realm quickly.


    Unfortunately, the mountains were so devoid of demons that he hadn¡¯t encountered any during that time.


    Now that he had subdued the Fire Phoenix and his horizons had broadened, he no longer cared about ordinary monsters.


    Only powerful beasts could pique his interest now.


    As he continued walking into the mountains, Qin Niu eavesdropped on some sounds coming from Liu Qing¡¯s direction through the brood moth of the Green Silk Worms.


    ¡°A¡¯Qing, are you really planning to go work as a laborer at the Qin Family¡¯s house?¡±


    This was Madame Zhao¡¯s voice.


    It seemed Liu Qing had already gone home and told her about his plan to work as a laborer at the Qin Residence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to earn more money? Working as a laborer for the Qin Residence will definitely pay more than chopping wood. Then you¡¯d be happier and stop arguing with me.¡±


    Liu Qing really had nothing to say to his wife.


    He probably still didn¡¯t know about Madame Zhao¡¯s flirtatious behavior outside of the home. Otherwise, he might be utterly heartbroken.


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re tired of arguing with me?¡±


    Madame Zhao¡¯s voice grew much louder.


    ¡°How could I tire of you! I just don¡¯t want to see you unhappy and want to make you happier. These past few years since you married me, I haven¡¯t given you a single joyful day; it¡¯s all because I¡¯m not capable enough. My dear, rest assured, once I start working as a laborer at the Qin house, I will surely learn planting techniques. Once my salary increases, I¡¯ll be able to give you a better life.¡±


    Liu Qing said to his wife, full of remorse.


    If it weren¡¯t for listening in on their conversation through the Green Silk Worm, Qin Niu would have continued to believe that Liu Qing and Madame Zhao had a very strained relationship.


    After all, Liu Shengli had heard that the couple often argued.


    Many things really can¡¯t be understood just from what others say.


    After hearing what Liu Qing said, Madame Zhao fell into a brief silence.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind that I can¡¯t bear you children?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all; it¡¯s just my bad luck,¡± Liu Qing responded again.


    ¡°What did Master Qin tell you?¡±


    She began to inquire about what Qin Niu had said.


    This immediately made Qin Niu tense up. After careful thought, he realized that the words he had said to Liu Qing contained no flaws and thus relaxed.


    Sure enough, Liu Qing repeated verbatim everything Master Qin had said, and after hearing it, Madame Zhao said nothing more.


    ¡°Alright, go chop wood in the mountains! You must chop a full thirteen loads today, or don¡¯t come back for dinner!¡±


    Madame Zhao said harshly.


    ¡°My dear, remember to take care of yourself. I¡¯m off to chop wood in the mountains.¡±


    Liu Qing was very obedient.


    Taking his tools, he left the house.


    Qin Niu was somewhat speechless; men and women were the same. Once they fell in love with someone, they could easily become blinded by love.


    Tang Caixian was all but completely compliant to Qin Niu, and Liu Qing was unquestioningly indulgent and loving towards Madame Zhao.


    Chopping thirteen loads of wood in a day was more than twice the workload of an ordinary woodcutter.

 Chapter 487 - Chapter 487: Chapter 479 Wicked Sorcery_1

    Chapter 487: Chapter 479 Wicked Sorcery_1


    ¡°`


    For a man with the cultivation of a Fourfold Commoner, as long as he put in a bit of effort, it was entirely possible to complete.


    Qin Niu arrived at the Ancient Banyan Tree with Xiao Qing and the Green Ox; Wang Wanyan and Tang Caixian had already been waiting there.


    Since only Qin Niu possessed the ability to navigate out of the banyan¡¯s maze, the two dared not enter.


    ¡°Everyone, go in and cultivate!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush to enter but instead released two War Bees to monitor the movements of Liu Qing.


    Soon, he noticed that Liu Qing had also entered the mountain.


    However, instead of heading in this direction, Liu Qing circumvented the mountain ridge Qin Niu had bought and headed toward Woniuling.


    Woniuling was part of an unclaimed mountain range.


    It mainly consisted of low hills that rose and fell, surrounding the northern region of Jade Stream Town. Most woodcutters preferred to go into this range to chop wood and gather firewood.


    Since the hills were low, there were rarely any fierce beasts to be found there.


    Occasionally, one or two jackals would appear, and even wolves seldom ventured there.


    However, Woniuling had plenty of wild rabbits.


    Qin Niu had been there several times; rabbit burrows could be seen everywhere. While they looked only as big as the mouth of a bowl, the burrows were deep and had multiple exits.


    The wild rabbits there were extremely cunning, quickly hiding in their burrows at the slightest hint of movement.


    If someone dug into their burrows, they would immediately escape through other passages.


    Due to the abundance of rabbit holes in that mountain range, skilled hunters rarely went there to hunt.


    Although there seemed to be many rabbits, they were quite difficult to catch.


    Some less experienced hunters, who didn¡¯t dare go deep into the mountains to hunt large wild animals like wild boars and Black Bears, often set various traps in Woniuling to solve their food and clothing needs.


    They set traps, laid nets, or dug deep pits.


    The rabbits in those mountains seemed to have become sentient, gradually learning to recognize the various traps and rarely triggering the mechanisms.


    Instead, the woodcutters and villagers who went into the mountains to chop wood suffered; it was common for them to accidentally get caught in animal traps or fall into pits. Last month, a rich town family¡¯s second young master bought a book to learn the art of alchemy.


    He entered the mountains seeking to harvest medicinal herbs for practice and unfortunately stepped on an animal trap, injuring his leg.


    Barely escaping the trap, he then fell into a pitfall.


    When found, the second young master¡¯s body was pierced by several sharpened bamboo stakes; he was not yet dead, clinging to life by a thread.


    After being rescued, upon seeing his relatives, he said with a sobbing tone, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll never come to Woniuling again; it¡¯s all traps and snares, really no place for people.¡±


    Later, the wealthy family sent their son to the best medical facility in Black Tiger City and treated him for more than twenty days. His life was saved.


    The expenses must have been substantial.


    The rich man¡¯s wife relentlessly cursed the hunters for their immoral traps, day and night.


    The second young master developed a strange illness; as soon as night fell, he would squat on the ground and hop like a rabbit, unable to be pulled up.


    Although Woniuling was filled with various traps to catch wild rabbits, for experienced woodcutters, it was not a dangerous place.


    They would often use their long sticks for carrying firewood to feel the way ahead.


    Moreover, they went into the mountains every day to chop wood, familiar with the routes. Everyone would stick to the safe paths that had been checked.


    If someone was unfortunate enough to get caught in an animal trap, they would call out for help from their fellow villagers.


    The second young master was a townsman with a wealthy family; he hadn¡¯t suffered much hardship in life, much less had experience in mountain climbing or harvesting herbs. He was just a rash youth who, on a whim, ran to Woniuling to dig for herbs¡ªit was like courting death.


    He was lucky; fate left him a breath of life.


    Otherwise, a few more lives would not have been enough to survive in there.


    Liu Qing going to Woniuling to chop wood was not unusual. Qin Niu sent out the War Bees to watch for a while, ultimately deciding not to bother with it any further.


    He too entered the maze within the Ancient Banyan Tree and began to cultivate.


    But not long after he began to cultivate, he sensed something and slowly discontinued his practice.


    Just now, the Green Silk Worm lurking above Xu Zhenchang¡¯s head picked up on some anomalies.


    ¡°Village chief, why have you been avoiding me lately?¡±


    This was Madame Zhao¡¯s voice.


    It sounded somewhat coquettish.


    Qin Niu thought to himself, ¡°She runs to Xu Zhenchang for a rendezvous as soon as she sends Liu Qing out to chop wood; could this woman be short of money again? She¡¯s earned so much by selling herself, where on earth is it all going?¡±


    ¡°Madame Zhao, we shouldn¡¯t see each other anymore. My wife has found out about us, and now I¡¯m in so much debt I can¡¯t give you any more money.¡±


    ¡°`


    Xu Zhenchang this time indeed withstood the temptation and resolutely drew a clear line with Madame Zhao.


    ¡°Why are you so cold? When you needed me, you didn¡¯t act like this. Village chief, I know you¡¯ve been very troubled lately, I can help you relieve your worries and make you happy!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it! From now on, you go your way, and I¡¯ll go mine. Let¡¯s not see each other anymore!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang said very decisively.


    ¡°Are all men so heartless? Your family has dozens of acres of good land, what does spending a little matter? Besides, money can be earned again! With the village chief¡¯s abilities, you will definitely earn more silver money in the future, and then you will be even richer than the Yan Family.¡±


    Madame Zhao coquettishly tried to stop Xu Zhenchang from leaving.


    ¡°Move aside! Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for getting rough!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang shouted angrily.


    ¡°Go on then, get rough! I just love your domineering manner, you¡¯re so manly! See, you can¡¯t bear to hit me, can you? Village chief, I know you still have me in your heart. Do you think I¡¯m pretty?¡±


    Madame Zhao was surely tilting her face up at this moment, staring at Xu Zhenchang with eyes that could melt a man¡¯s resolve.


    ¡°You dare not even look at me? I¡¯m not even asking you for money! Can you just look at me once?¡±


    She pleaded softly.


    Xu Zhenchang very likely turned his head away, not looking at her.


    As a mature and stable man, he should know what can and cannot be done.


    Qin Niu had previously warned Xu Zhenchang not to associate with Madame Zhao anymore.


    Xu Zhenchang must have also realized the danger.


    Besides, men are always looking for novelty. Xu Zhenchang had been involved with Madame Zhao for quite some time already, and once the novelty wore off, he naturally wouldn¡¯t be as infatuated as before.


    ¡°Move aside!¡±


    Xu Zhenchang shouted angrily again.


    ¡°I won¡¯t move! Look at me once before you leave!¡±


    She cooed in front of Xu Zhenchang.


    Xu Zhenchang was quite a bit older than her, which also gave her confidence and an advantage.


    ¡°If I look at you once, you¡¯ll move aside, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡±


    She responded with a soft hum.


    What followed was silence.


    Qin Niu felt something was off. Xu Zhenchang should have looked at her once by now and then demanded that she move out of the way again.


    But neither of them spoke again, and that probably wasn¡¯t good.


    However, no indecent sounds emerged; perhaps the two were locked in a deep gaze?


    ¡°Village chief, do you find me beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Then why are you so determined to draw a line with me?¡±


    Madame Zhao inquired after the reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m heartless; it¡¯s that my wife found out about us, and she made a fuss about committing suicide. Master Qin also advised me not to see you anymore!¡±


    Qin Niu had a sinking feeling that something was amiss.


    No matter how much Xu Zhenchang lost his senses, he shouldn¡¯t have implicated Qin Niu.


    ¡°So, do you still intend to draw a line with me now?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! You are my sweetheart¡­¡±


    Xu Zhenchang¡¯s voice became urgent.


    Bad news, he might have fallen for Madame Zhao¡¯s tricks again.


    Qin Niu was secretly anxious.


    At this point, there was nothing he could do to help Xu Zhenchang.


    What kind of spell had Madame Zhao cast that made Xu Zhenchang change his attitude by a hundred and eighty degrees in such a short time?


    Qin Niu thought of how Madame Zhao had been insisting that Xu Zhenchang look into her eyes.


    The problem likely lay there.

 Chapter 488 - Chapter 488: Chapter 480: Is It a Demon or an Immortal?_1

    Chapter 488: Chapter 480: Is It a Demon or an Immortal?_1


    ¡°`


    It¡¯s said that some demons and evil spirits can control others just by making eye contact.


    Madame Zhao had likely learned this kind of sorcery.


    Xu Zhenchang had hardly made up his mind to stop seeing her, and now he was caught in her trap again, probably doomed to a complete downfall.


    ¡°Zhenchang, Zhenchang, where are you? We have visitors at home!¡±


    In this critical moment, Li Shuixiang¡¯s call came through.


    ¡°Zhenchang, where are you?¡±


    The calling voice drew nearer.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s happening to me?¡±


    Xu Zhenchang seemed to be talking to himself, then a muffled groan from Madame Zhao could be heard, likely pushed away by a sobering Xu Zhenchang.


    Right after that, the door swung open and Xu Zhenchang ran out.


    ¡°Wife, I¡¯m here, over here!¡±


    Panic and a hint of fear could be detected in Xu Zhenchang¡¯s voice.


    He must have become aware of something strange.


    Qin Niu breathed a sigh of relief to himself. Xu Zhenchang¡¯s life and death weren¡¯t of much concern to him, but out of either righteousness or the slight bond between them, he hoped Xu Zhenchang would free himself from Madame Zhao¡¯s control and take the right path.


    Now, it seemed that Madame Zhao¡¯s method of bewitching men was very evil, relying on sorcery rather than her beauty.


    Logically speaking, with such capability, Madame Zhao could easily acquire wealth. Why then did she tangle with so many men?


    Qin Niu suddenly considered the possibility that Madame Zhao¡¯s involvement with various men, both from within and outside the village, was just rumor.


    In fact, she may not have had those sorts of relations with these men at all.


    After controlling them through sorcery, she would then find ways to demand money.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Li Shuixiang¡¯s interruption just now, perhaps the truth would have been uncovered.


    It¡¯s rather regretful.


    Qin Niu decided to secretly monitor two men who had been ¡®involved¡¯ with Madame Zhao.


    In time, the truth would naturally come to light.


    Xu Zhenchang had just exposed Qin Niu a moment ago which was rather troublesome. Unless Madame Zhao was foolish, she would definitely be cautious of Qin Niu and might even take covert action against him.


    Feeling an invisible threat, Qin Niu hoped that the Ink Blade would complete its upgrade soon.


    However, he definitely couldn¡¯t pin all his hopes on the Ink Blade.


    Master Ou had said that the upgrade could fail.


    The worst outcome would be the direct loss of the Ink Blade. Then, he would still need to find a way to deal with Madame Zhao.


    In that case, it might be better to wean off reliance on the Ink Blade and think of other ways to handle Madame Zhao.


    Cultivation level was definitely most important.


    If Qin Niu had cultivated to the Immortal Scholar Realm by now, facing Madame Zhao would be much easier.


    With this in mind, he continued to cultivate within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, seizing the time to enhance his cultivation level.


    He kept at it until evening, then he returned home with his wives and Xiao Qing.


    All four had made significant gains.


    Especially Xiao Qing and Tang Caixian, their progress was truly astounding.


    Wang Wanyan was a bit lagging, but she was still improving many times faster than cultivating outside.


    ¡°Master, I feel that with some more cultivation time, I should be able to break through to the Innate Realm,¡± Xiao Qing said, lifting her head to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Hmm, keep it up! If you feel you are about to break through, remember to tell me. I¡¯ll take you to Miaodan Pavilion to buy one or two elixirs; that would make it much safer,¡± Qin Niu responded. As someone who had been through it, he knew all too well how difficult it was to break through from the Acquired Realm to the Innate Realm.


    Without the help of elixirs, the success rate might not even reach fifty percent.


    This was also why high-level elixirs were so expensive. Their effects were indeed very good.


    If they weren¡¯t, people wouldn¡¯t foolishly spend a lot of silver money on them.


    The four chose to return home via the back mountain.


    ¡°`


    This was a shortcut that led directly to the backyard of Qin Niu¡¯s house.


    Buying this mountain ridge from the Yan Family had brought enormous convenience for Qin Niu¡¯s comings and goings.


    As they passed through a dense forest area, a sinister and piercing cold wind blew over, making Qin Niu very uncomfortable.


    This evil wind was indeed strange.


    Qin Niu immediately became alert.


    ¡°You three go back home first, I¡¯m going to catch a few more bugs to bring back!¡±


    Qin Niu himself wasn¡¯t very afraid, but he was worried about his two spouses getting involved, so he hurriedly asked them to leave.


    Tang Caixian was pregnant, and an injury could easily lead to a miscarriage.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, my husband, please come back home early. The mountains are not safe.¡±


    Wang Wanyan was a virtuous wife.


    Whatever Qin Niu wanted to do, she always silently supported him from behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I know this mountain area like the back of my hand even with my eyes closed. After you go home, don¡¯t come out again, that¡¯s the real concern.¡±


    After watching them leave, Qin Niu¡¯s face slowly turned icy, with a hint of solemnity.


    ¡°Come out! There¡¯s no need for these ghostly pretenses!¡±


    What was destined to come, would always come.


    Qin Niu had originally planned to secretly figure out the details of Madame Zhao before making his next move.


    Unexpectedly, after Xu Zhenchang was bewitched by evil arts, he directly exposed Qin Niu.


    That cold wind just now was certainly not a natural breeze.


    Qin Niu traveled this path daily and knew it exceedingly well. Aside from a few venomous snakes and spiders, there were no other formidable demon beasts in this dense forest.


    Although many people think that there are many demonic beasts in deep mountains, in reality, demons are far fewer than imagined.


    A wild beast or bird seeking to transform into a demon must undergo many hardships and needs at least two major opportunities. For example, the Pig King that Qin Niu had slaughtered, although it was already half-demon, still had a long way to go before becoming a true demon.


    Humans are naturally highly intelligent, belonging to the order of primates.


    However, the majority of wild beasts have low intelligence; they do not understand cultivation techniques and do not cultivate themselves. They can only fumble for the way to cultivate.


    Whoosh!


    Another cold wind rushed by, chilling Qin Niu to the bone as if to drill into his marrow, making his blood feel as though it were about to freeze.


    ¡°Madame Zhao, come out!¡±


    Qin Niu called out directly.


    He wasn¡¯t actually certain it was Madame Zhao. One could never be too cautious with deception, he was merely testing.


    ¡°Giggle giggle giggle¡­ Master Qin is even more formidable than I imagined! Could it be that you¡¯ve smelled my scent?¡±


    Madame Zhao¡¯s laughter came from all directions, and then her reasonably pleasing figure appeared out of thin air.


    She wore a never-before-seen green dress, with runes flowing endlessly upon it.


    This dress was very likely a magical garment.


    Her wisdom, after all, was still lacking a bit, deceived by Qin Niu¡¯s feint, she directly revealed her form.


    Madame Zhao at this moment was very different from the usual Madame Zhao.


    She was still the same person, but the temperament, the look in her eyes, and the aura were completely different.


    Like two entirely different twin sisters.


    ¡°Is Madame Zhao human or a demon?¡±


    Qin Niu silently sensed Madame Zhao¡¯s cultivation level, and his heart turned half cold.


    The Madame Zhao before his eyes was like an ordinary person.


    This peculiar situation had also occurred with Tang Caixian¡¯s master before.


    Madame Zhao¡¯s feet were not touching the ground but were suspended half a foot above it, just floating there.


    This kind of ability was not something an Innate Realm expert could manage.


    Nor had he ever seen a Spirit Qi Realm expert accomplish such a feat.

 Chapter 489 - Chapter 489: Chapter 481 Cant Afford to Offend_1

    Chapter 489: Chapter 481 Can¡¯t Afford to Offend_1


    ¡°Does this servant seem very fierce in Master Qin¡¯s eyes?¡±


    She smoothed her curled bangs with a hint of dissatisfaction in her tone.


    Qin Niu knew she could control others by making eye contact, so he didn¡¯t dare to look her in the eyes.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be anything in a small place like Shuangfeng Village that would interest someone of your stature, right? Regardless of your purpose here, this is where I grew up, and I won¡¯t allow any villagers to be harmed. I also don¡¯t want the peace of Shuangfeng Village to be disturbed.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t beat around the bush any longer and directly made his stance clear.


    Madame Zhao had taken the initiative to find him and even showed her true colors, which essentially amounted to laying all cards on the table.


    A life-and-death battle could break out at any moment.


    However, as of now, Madame Zhao didn¡¯t seem to harbor any intent to kill him.


    Either she held some reservations or she wasn¡¯t inherently evil and never intended to kill anyone.


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re quite young, but you don¡¯t lack courage,¡± said Madame Zhao with a smile still on her face. She extended her fair right hand toward Qin Niu and pressed down through the air.


    Instantly, an unbearable, terrifying gravitational force weighed down on Qin Niu, as though an invisible mountain had suddenly crashed onto him.


    He clenched his teeth and held firm, blue veins bulging out one after another on his neck and forehead, his face rapidly turning beet red.


    Is this the strength of an Immortal Master?


    Qin Niu felt an overwhelming fear.


    Under her oppressive force, he had no power to resist.


    ¡°It would be best if we could mind our own business. Otherwise, even the Black Tiger Gang can¡¯t protect you. Also, don¡¯t reveal my true identity to anyone. I generally don¡¯t kill easily, but if pushed too far, I prefer to exterminate entire clans.¡±


    As soon as Madame Zhao¡¯s words fell, her figure vanished into thin air.


    That extreme terrifying pressure disappeared in an instant as well.


    Qin Niu was soaked with sweat as if he had been fished out of water.


    ¡°What a terrifying woman! Indeed, Immortal Masters are not something mortals can contend with.¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but think of the Green Demon.


    The Green Demon had once reigned supreme with the Green Demon Bees, killing the Seven Star Sect Master directly, which was utterly glorious.


    But when the Immortal Sect took action, they killed the Green Demon instantly, forcing his remnant soul to barely survive in a sunless abyss deep underground through some special means.


    In front of Madame Zhao, Qin Niu didn¡¯t even have the ability to summon insects to fight back.


    ¡°Fire Phoenix!¡±


    Qin Niu called out for the Fire Phoenix, eager to gather some information.


    A crimson streak shot across the sky and in the blink of an eye landed before Qin Niu, his most powerful pet¡ªthe Fire Phoenix.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to help me just now?¡± Qin Niu demanded.


    ¡°That woman is too terrifying; even if I came, it would have made no difference,¡± admitted the Fire Phoenix frankly.


    It had a contract of equality with Qin Niu, akin to a friendship. When Qin Niu was in danger, it could choose to rescue or ignore him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t defeat her?¡±


    Qin Niu had thought that Fire Phoenix¡¯s strength was already astonishing, well capable of instantly killing an ordinary Immortal Master.


    Yet, it apparently couldn¡¯t beat Madame Zhao.


    ¡°Her strength is much greater than mine; just the aura she exudes makes me tremble. If there were a real battle, she could probably seriously injure me with just one look,¡± said the Fire Phoenix honestly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to be that strong. She¡¯s the mysterious powerhouse you discovered last time, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Qin Niu had been secretly looking for that mysterious powerhouse.


    He felt that powerhouse should be protecting Shuangfeng Village from the shadows.


    ¡°The human powerhouse from that night is not her. I can sense that their auras are quite different,¡± replied the Fire Phoenix.


    ¡°What on earth is going on!¡±


    Qin Niu pressed his hand to his forehead, suddenly overcome with a headache.


    One Madame Zhao was already terrifying enough, and yet there was another mysterious powerhouse lurking in Shuangfeng Village.


    It truly confirmed the old saying, ¡°The greatest hides in plain sight, the middling in the marketplace, and the minor in the woods.¡±


    These supreme powerhouses all seemed to enjoy playing the game of retreating into the obscurity of the mountains and forests.


    ¡°Which of the two do you think is stronger?¡±


    Qin Niu pressed.


    ¡°Hard to say, they¡¯re both terrifying. Master, it¡¯s still best not to provoke them. Their power is too fearsome; they could easily erase you.¡±


    Fire Phoenix had now undergone nirvana, becoming nearly immortal.


    Even if it couldn¡¯t win, it should still manage to fly high into the sky and escape. Qin Niu was only at the Innate Realm, and if he truly angered either of the two supreme powerhouses, he probably wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to flee.


    Madame Zhao¡¯s casual tone just now was filled with disdain for the Black Tiger Gang.


    When she mentioned the Black Tiger Gang, she said, ¡°The little Black Tiger Gang can¡¯t protect you.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader had the cultivation of an Immortal Master; Madame Zhao must have been aware of that. Her audacity in saying such a thing meant that she didn¡¯t take the Gang Leader seriously at all.


    ¡°You should return to your cultivation! It¡¯s better for you to show yourself less in the future. I¡¯m worried that if they discover you, they¡¯ll slaughter you on the spot to obtain the Demon Core and Phoenix Feather.¡±


    Qin Niu reminded Fire Phoenix.


    For now, the purpose of these two supreme powerhouses lurking in Shuangfeng Village was still unclear.


    At the moment, he could only take things one step at a time.


    Qin Niu was somewhat shaken and his desire to become stronger surged like never before.


    After returning home, he did not mention Madame Zhao to anyone.


    The five Termite spies that were hidden in Liu Qing¡¯s house were also called back by him.


    Without absolute power, it was still best to avoid provoking Madame Zhao. She had warned Qin Niu that if he angered her, she would directly annihilate his entire family.


    At night, Qin Niu lay in bed, holding Wang Wanyan in his arms, but no matter what, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    His mind tirelessly pondered over Madame Zhao¡¯s motives.


    With such terrifying strength, why would she stoop to involve herself with the likes of Xu Zhenchang? Wasn¡¯t that degrading herself?


    If she really were short of money, robbing any landlord could earn her several hundred, even a thousand Silver Money.


    Moreover, after marrying Liu Qing, she had not borne any children. Could it be that she never shared a room with Liu Qing at all?


    Finally, she was always in disguise, quarreling with Liu Qing to appear like a normal couple. She meddled with Xu Zhenchang and others, acting like a despicable woman, shameless for money, selling her body.


    Devaluing herself to such an extent, what exactly was she after?


    Qin Niu did not believe for a second that she did all this to amuse herself with the life of an ordinary person.


    Even Qin Niu himself, currently only at the Innate Realm, found it impossible to bother with the trivial matters of ordinary people.


    The villagers who wanted him to do something, unless they had some relationship with him, would definitely be turned away at the door.


    This Madame Zhao was shrouded in mystery at every turn, utterly inscrutable.


    The next day, Qin Niu got out of bed still somewhat distracted and uneasy.


    The sky was drizzling, so he opted not to take his wives to the mountains for cultivation.


    Shuangfeng Village was very peaceful, and Madame Zhao showed no unusual behavior.


    Qin Niu stayed at home reading books and cultivating insects.


    Approaching noontime, the sound of galloping horse carriages came from outside, stopping at his house.


    ¡°Is Master Qin at home?¡±


    Someone outside asked.


    Qin Niu signaled the servants to open the door and invite the visitor in.


    Soon, Gongsun, the vice leader of the gang whom he had not seen for some days, walked in with a swagger.

 Chapter 490 - Chapter 490: Chapter 482 Successor_1

    Chapter 490: Chapter 482 Successor_1


    Behind Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun, there followed two close attendants of the Gang Leader.


    They were both acquaintances.


    It was Iron Tiger and Ye Ji who had protected Qin Niu last time.


    The two still wore masks, and as soon as they saw Qin Niu, they immediately bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Greetings, Master Qin!¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Qin Niu¡¯s timely rescue last time, these two attendants of the Gang Leader would have long met their end.


    Now that they saw Qin Niu, their eyes betrayed respect and warmth when they looked at him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities!¡± Qin Niu extended his hand in a supportive gesture, and the two straightened up. ¡°Gangsun Leader, you are quite the rare visitor, have you not eaten yet? I will have my people prepare a meal immediately.¡±


    ¡°Brother Qin, no need for such courtesy! The recent battles are still rather intense, and there are many affairs in the gang, so I won¡¯t be eating. I¡¯ll take the opportunity to enjoy the countryside dishes at your place next time,¡± Gongsun Jin said, and then he took out several items from his sleeve. ¡°We¡¯re old friends, and with no strangers around, I¡¯ll skip some formalities. You made an incredible contribution in the last defense battle, and after the gang¡¯s high council deliberated, they decided to reward you for your achievements.


    The Gang Leader knew you do not like to be constrained, so he did not assign you any official duties.


    You have been promoted exceptionally to be a Grade One Executor of the gang, awarded a thousand mu of good land, and a Blood Silkworm.¡±


    Such generous rewards left Qin Niu pleasantly surprised.


    ¡°Brother Qin, here is the Blood Silkworm, please take good care of it. It¡¯s your own profound fortune that during our gang¡¯s campaign against the Nine Insect Gang, who occupied the territory of the Seven-Star Sect, we accidentally found a Blood Silkworm. Several Insect Masters within the gang wanted to buy it at a high price, but were refused by the Gang Leader.


    I believe that this Blood Silkworm will realize its greatest value in the hands of Brother Qin Niu.¡±


    Gongsun Jin¡¯s words carried a hidden message, as if he already knew Qin Niu had acquired the Blood Silkworm from the He Family.


    At their level of influence, many things were well understood without being said openly.


    It was an understanding unspoken between them.


    ¡°Please convey my thanks to the Gang Leader! He truly takes great care of me,¡± Qin Niu said as he received the Blood Silkworm, feeling immensely grateful in his heart towards the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Their encounters hadn¡¯t been many, and Qin Niu did not know why the Black Tiger Gang Leader had taken care of him ¨C a countryside Insect Master ¨C so repeatedly.


    If it weren¡¯t for the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s instruction for Gongsun Jin to protect Qin Niu, the annihilation of the entire He Family would not have ended so favourably last time.


    This time, during the campaign against the Nine Insect Gang, obtaining a Blood Silkworm, the Black Tiger Gang Leader once again went against popular opinion to reserve it for Qin Niu.


    This silent support made Qin Niu even more grateful.


    ¡°Brother Qin, the Gang Leader truly goes to great lengths for you. Given my understanding of him, such arrangements imply he hopes you will achieve even greater things in the future,¡± Gongsun Jin said, able to hint only so much in front of so many people ¨C some matters could not be spoken outright.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a country boy who got lucky and became an Insect Master. Our Black Tiger Gang is full of talents, and I¡¯m sure even if Chairman Li were to age one day, there would be someone else to take over. For instance, Master He Shan is very strong.¡±


    Qin Niu had achieved no small feat in controlling insects, but the idea of taking over from Chairman Li had not crossed his mind.


    Especially after witnessing Madame Zhao¡¯s terrifying strength yesterday, he realized that no matter how strong the Insect Pets are, they are useless without personal cultivation.


    Personal cultivation is what matters most.


    ¡°Brother Qin, you mustn¡¯t just focus on the Insect Master Association! With your abilities and strength, you can certainly set your sights much farther! Do you understand what it means to be exceptionally promoted to a Grade One Executor?¡±


    Gongsun Jin asked with a wink and a smile.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know, please enlighten me, older brother Gongsun!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s address for Gongsun Jin had changed as well.


    Since Gang Leader Gongsun had already called him ¡°Brother Qin,¡± it would have been somewhat impersonal if he continued to call him ¡°Gang Leader Gongsun.¡±


    ¡°The Executors in our gang are divided into three grades. Only those who have made great achievements and possess Innate Realm cultivation are possibly promoted to Grade Three Executor. If one continues to perform excellently after becoming a Grade Three Executor, and makes further significant contributions to the gang, only then they may have the chance to be promoted to Grade Two Executor.


    There are quite a few talented individuals lucky enough to be promoted to Grade Two Executor, but Grade One Executors are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.


    The majority of the Grade Two Executors end up advancing to become protectors, and then, once their cultivation reaches the Spirit Qi Realm and their contributions to the gang are sufficient, they automatically become elders of the gang.


    Only an extremely small number of outstanding Grade Two Executors who have also passed the scrutiny of the gang¡¯s upper echelons might be promoted to Grade One Executor.


    ¡°`


    After being promoted to a Grade One Executor, as long as one doesn¡¯t make any major mistakes, once their cultivation breaks through to the Spirit Qi Realm, they can be discussed by the Gang Leader and deputy gang leaders in a meeting to be promoted to deputy gang leader.


    ¡°What sets the Black Tiger Gang apart from other factions is that it¡¯s easy to become an elder, but extremely difficult to become a deputy gang leader,¡±


    Gongsun Jin patiently clarified for Qin Niu.


    It seemed to be indeed the case.


    The Black Tiger Gang had two high-level circles, one was the elder circle, and the other was the main circle.


    The elders basically had no real power; they only had the right to make suggestions and vote but no actual managerial or military authority.


    But every deputy gang leader held real power, either in charge of law enforcement or military forces.


    In terms of status, the elders couldn¡¯t even begin to compare with the deputy gang leaders.


    Another point was that in other gangs, elders could replace the Gang Leader if needed.


    For instance, in the Shennong Sect or the Nine Insect Gang, if the Gang Leader died in battle or joined an Immortal Sect, it was highly likely that the Great Elder would take over as Gang Leader.


    But for the Black Tiger Gang, an elder could only ever be an elder, with no chance of becoming the Gang Leader in their lifetime.


    On the contrary, the deputy gang leaders could become the official Gang Leader at any time.


    This unique talent selection mechanism was precisely why the Black Tiger Gang had steadily advanced over the years.


    The internal stability was solid, with virtually no incidents of internal strife due to power struggles ever occurring.


    ¡°Now that Brother Qin has become a Grade One Executor, as long as your cultivation breaks through to the Spirit Qi Realm in the future, I estimate you¡¯ll quickly be promoted to a deputy gang leader position.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t even dare to dream of such good fortune!¡±


    Qin Niu finally understood how valuable being a Grade One Executor was.


    It was a lot better than the first-class noble title he got last time.


    After all, there were several hundred people in the Black Tiger Gang who had been conferred the title of first-class nobles, but very few who could become Grade One Executors.


    ¡°Haha, so you see, you should be bolder and look further ahead,¡± Gongsun Jin said with a laugh as he stroked his beard.


    ¡°The thousand mu of fertile land awarded to you is on the other side of the Tianshui River. During this campaign, our Gang wiped out the Shennong Sect and acquired a large amount of their land. A portion of it was set aside as rewards for the meritorious soldiers. Here are the land deed and map, you should take some time to take possession of it. You can rent it out, cultivate it yourself, or sell it, as you see fit.¡±


    Qin Niu accepted the land deed with both hands.


    The Black Tiger Gang was always clear about rewards and punishments, and the reward given to him was indeed quite generous.


    Keep in mind that it took years of diligent management for the Yan family of Jade Stream Town to accrue a thousand mu of fertile land.


    The reward Qin Niu received now was directly equivalent to the estate of a local landlord.


    ¡°By the way, these two personal guards of the gang leaders are also awarded to you. Their salaries are covered by the Black Tiger Gang, and they are assigned to protect you and be at your disposal. Each personal guard is a valuable asset to the Gang, so I ask that you treat them well, Brother Qin.¡±


    After Gongsun Jin finished speaking, he waved his hand at Iron Tiger and Ye Ji, who immediately went to stand behind Qin Niu.


    ¡°This, I should probably not accept these personal guards! The Gang Leader is the soul and core of the Black Tiger Gang and needs more protection than I do. Besides, I live in the countryside and rarely encounter any dangers.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t want these two guards.


    Mainly, he was afraid of being surveilled.


    These two were like the loyal retainers and personal soldiers trained by the Gang Leader, and they would undoubtedly have greater loyalty to him. Placing them by Qin Niu¡¯s side was like installing two spies next to him, wasn¡¯t it?


    Moreover, the cultivation of these two was only in the Innate Realm, not even a match for Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee.


    ¡°Brother Qin, this decision comes from the Gang Leader himself and is also the usual practice in the Gang. Every Grade One Executor in our Gang is a core talent that we cannot afford to risk. If they come from prestigious families, they will find their own personal guards, whose salaries are paid by the Gang.


    If they are from common roots or small families, the Gang Leader will assign two personal guards.¡±


    Gongsun Jin explained to Qin Niu.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 491 - Chapter 491: 483 Chapter: Fatal Fire Poison_1

    Chapter 491: 483 Chapter: Fatal Fire Poison_1


    ¡°So be it, then, thank you for your kind offer, Gang Leader!¡±


    Qin Niu no longer declined.


    ¡°You two will follow Master Qin from now on and ensure his safety,¡± Gongsun Jin said, preparing to take his leave. ¡°Brother Qin, the reward has been arranged. The battle ahead is intense, so I must leave now.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t the Shennong Sect and the Nine Insects Gang defeated? Why has the battle situation become tense instead?¡±


    Qin Niu felt somewhat puzzled.


    Could it be that the Black Tiger Gang Leader was ambitious and took the initiative to wage war on other gangs?


    He didn¡¯t seem like that kind of person.


    ¡°Sigh, this matter is indeed quite frustrating. That witch from the Nine Insects Gang luckily escaped with her life last time. Our Black Tiger Gang¡¯s warriors pursued the victory and chased her back to the heartland of the Nine Insects Gang. At that time, due to limited forces, we faced two choices. Either concentrate our forces to wipe out the Nine Insects Gang in one fell swoop or focus on taking down the Shennong Sect.


    After two high-level discussions within the gang, we ultimately decided to concentrate our forces against the Shennong Sect first.


    Picking the soft persimmon to squeeze, the Shennong Sect¡¯s leader, in order to save his wife, didn¡¯t hesitate to take the Verdant Blood Dan and even resigned from his position, retreating with his wife into the seclusion of the mountains and forests. For the already not so strong Shennong Sect, this was like adding frost to snow.


    Moreover, the Shennong Sect has always been neutral, not adept at war. Its land is vast and fertile, and its geographical position is extremely important; for us of the Black Tiger Gang, it holds great value.¡±


    On the other hand, all the territories that originally belonged to the Seven-Star Sect have been captured by us. The remaining territories are simply barren mountains and rough waters, with extremely low value.


    Furthermore, the mountains are full of poisonous insects and beasts; every citizen of the Nine Insects Gang is ready to fight, all of them possessing some skill in the Insect Commanding Technique.


    To completely eradicate the Nine Insects Gang, we of the Black Tiger Gang would also pay a heavy price.


    If that witch takes advantage of the terrain for guerrilla warfare against us, it would undoubtedly lead to a protracted war.¡±


    After weighing the options, we ultimately decided to exterminate the Shennong Sect first, and then deal with the Nine Insects Gang with freed-up resources.


    Who knew that witch would once again pull in strong reinforcements and took the opportunity to carve up nearly one-third of the Shennong Sect¡¯s territory. That¡¯s not all; she led the strong members of her gang to command a large number of poisonous insects, launching frequent sneak attacks on our army.¡±


    Currently, the Gang Leader is healing from injuries, with Vice Gang Leader Bai and others leading our army to fight with the Nine Insect Gang.


    Both sides have had victories and defeats, but overall, we of the Black Tiger Gang still hold the advantage.¡±


    However, the strength of the Nine Insects Gang remains exceptionally formidable, matching ours, presenting an equal stance. Perhaps when the Gang Leader recovers from his injuries, the end of the Nine Insects Gang will not be far off.¡±


    Gongsun Jin gave a rough outline of the situation on the battlefield.


    Qin Niu nodded in realization, no wonder the Black Tiger Gang was tolerating the Nine Insects Gang¡¯s movements. It turned out that the Black Tiger Gang Leader was in seclusion, healing his wounds.


    In that battle that day, both the Nine Insects Gang Leader and the Black Tiger Gang Leader were gravely injured.


    The Nine Insects Gang even lost all but three of their elders.


    Logically, the Nine Insects Gang Leader should also be in seclusion, healing his wounds.


    ¡°The Nine Insects Gang has found strong reinforcements again? Did they drag another gang into the fray?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not yet clear whether her reinforcements are from a private force or an official act from another gang. However, those people are extremely powerful, and in terms of the Spirit Qi Realm, their number of strong fighters is no less than ours in the Black Tiger Gang.


    Some even have the ability to launch fire attacks, which our side struggles to withstand.¡±


    Upon mentioning these formidable enemies, Gongsun Jin¡¯s tone became especially solemn.


    The Spirit Qi Realm warriors already belong to the top echelon of forces under the Immortal Sects.


    Finding a large number of Spirit Qi Realm warriors and getting them to fight is by no means an easy task.


    Not to mention enlisting the aid of a substantial number of Spirit Qi Realm warriors at the same time¡ª even inviting one or two from that realm would be extremely difficult.


    Those in the Innate Realm might still be motivated by money to offer help, but those in the Spirit Qi Realm already have the capacity to build their own families, forming a significant force. They are beyond the need for money.


    At this level, it¡¯s very difficult to motivate them to risk their lives for money.


    ¡°Use a fire attack? Isn¡¯t that a spell-level tactic?¡±


    Qin Niu was shocked upon hearing this.


    Even Spirit Warrior Realm powerhouses can¡¯t directly control fire.


    Only demons and Immortal Masters possess this ability.


    And it must be a demon or an Immortal Master who specializes in this area who can control flames to attack the enemy.


    Like Qin Niu¡¯s Fire Phoenix, which can easily manipulate fire to assault foes.


    It can even spout True Fire to burn enemies to death.


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a spell, like the last time the powerhouse who injured me; when his palm struck against mine, he was able to spray True Qi containing raging flames from his palm center. Had I not withdrawn my hand in time, coupled with the two attendants sacrificing their lives to block the old man, I might have met with disaster.


    Even so, I am still suffering from the injury.¡±


    Gongsun Jin extended his right palm for Qin Niu to see.


    His right palm was a reddish color, with the skin in the center of the palm showing signs of a burn injury.


    ¡°Look at my arm!¡±


    He carefully rolled up his wide sleeve, revealing his robust right arm.


    One could see that the skin on his right arm still had blisters of various sizes, making it look as though the entire arm had been scalded in boiling water.


    The sight was shockingly gruesome.


    ¡°If you were a Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse, even if you were burned, you should be able to recover quickly. Were these wounds inflicted in the last two days?¡±


    Qin Niu asked with concern.


    ¡°I have been injured for over half a month. If it were just ordinary burns or scalds, I¡¯d heal in a day or two. Even ordinary boiling water cannot scald my skin in a short period of time.


    The old man¡¯s Raging Flame Palm is extremely wicked; the fire poison infiltrated my body, and although I withdrew my hand in time and immediately used my own True Qi to firmly block the fire poison, preventing it from spreading up my arm, the poison was like maggots in the bones, continuously ravaging my right arm.


    These blisters heal and then quickly reappear.


    At night, the pain pierces the heart, making it difficult to sleep.¡±


    The fire poison brought Gongsun Jin tremendous suffering.


    Moreover, having been injured for over half a month without seeing any sign of improvement, Gongsun Jin felt fear and concern.


    ¡°Can¡¯t the fire poison be forced out?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    Even though he only had the power of the Innate Realm, he had the ability to expel toxins from his body.


    A Spirit Qi Realm powerhouse should be even stronger.


    ¡°I have tried many methods, but none have worked. This fire poison is indeed extremely domineering.¡±


    Gongsun Jin shook his head and sighed, his expression one of defeat.


    ¡°The attacking techniques used by those people are very special, for instance, when crossing swords with me, their blades could suddenly burst into raging flames. The same could happen when we exchanged blows with our fists. Multiple people from our gang have already fallen victim to them. The two attendants who saved me both met with unfortunate deaths. They weren¡¯t killed on the spot but succumbed to injuries inflicted by the old man¡¯s Raging Flame Palm, as the fire poison invaded their internal organs, cooking them from the inside, leading to their deaths.


    Before they died, they were in great pain, continuously pounding their chests and drinking large amounts of water.


    Yet white steam still emitted from their mouth and nose.¡±


    Speaking of the death of the two attendants, Gongsun Jin was both angry and filled with fear.

 Chapter 492 - Chapter 492: Chapter 484: Neutralizing the Fire Poison_1

    Chapter 492: Chapter 484: Neutralizing the Fire Poison_1


    Human fear arises from many aspects, such as the fear of the unknown, like this sort of fear where one can only watch helplessly as a close attendant¡¯s internal organs are cooked alive and die.


    ¡°May I feel the fire poison within your body?¡±


    Out of gratitude to Gongsun Jin, Qin Niu was willing to offer help now that the other party was in trouble, should he be able to provide any assistance.


    Moreover, having formed a deadly enmity with the Nine Insect Gang, they would surely not let him off the hook.


    The day for battle would inevitably come, perhaps even looming on the horizon.


    Given the formidable attacking tactics of the reinforcements brought by the Nine Insect Gang, he definitely needed to learn more. This way, when he eventually confronted those people, he could do so with full awareness.


    ¡°This fire poison is extremely domineering; your cultivation is still shallow, so you must be careful! Probe only briefly, and immediately retract your energy, do not let it invade your body,¡± Gongsun Jin instructed.


    Qin Niu had revealed an unparalleled talent in controlling insects, even breaking through the carefully laid Insect Formation of the Nine Insect Gang, making him a star of hope in the eyes of the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s upper echelons.


    Having witnessed the prowess of the Insect Master, they hoped even more that their own faction could have such a formidable Insect Master in residence.


    It could be said that with Qin Niu present, the Black Tiger Gang need not fear the Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang.


    Nearly every far-sighted member of the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s upper level would protect Qin Niu like Gongsun Jin, to prevent any accidents from happening to him.


    After receiving permission from Gongsun Jin, Qin Niu extended a finger to touch the palm of Gongsun Jin¡¯s right hand.


    Upon contact, he felt an intense heat.


    Like a red-hot branding iron.


    ¡°This fire poison is truly terrifying!¡±


    Qin Niu withdrew his hand as if he¡¯d been shocked by electricity. This reaction was within Gongsun Jin¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Let me take another look!¡±


    He extended a finger again to touch Gongsun Jin¡¯s palm. This time, prepared, he activated his energy to protect the finger from being scorched.


    Who would have guessed that just one second upon contact, before he could further investigate, he felt a fiery breath rushing into his body through his fingertip.


    Frightened, he quickly withdrew his hand.


    But it was still slightly too late.


    The fiery breath couldn¡¯t be shaken off and rapidly spread from his fingertip to his palm.


    It was an indescribable sensation, like boiling water flowing upwards or as if his hand caught fire, burning up along the finger.


    ¡°Has the fire poison invaded your body through your fingertip? Sit down quickly and use your energy to suppress it,¡± Gongsun Jin¡¯s complexion changed subtly.


    He guessed what was happening from Qin Niu¡¯s reaction and urgently advised him on how to counter it.


    Qin Niu sat down and closed his eyes, mobilizing the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique within his body to suppress the fire poison that had invaded him.


    Unexpectedly, not only did this not help, but as soon as he mobilized the Everlasting Spring Technique, it was like pouring oil on the fire.


    The fire poison became even more violent.


    He had an ominous feeling.


    Curiosity killed the cat. He truly hadn¡¯t expected the fire poison to be this terrible.


    ¡°Is the cultivation technique you¡¯re practicing wood-element?¡±


    Seeing Qin Niu¡¯s entire palm turning red and spreading rapidly towards his arm, Gongsun Jin began to panic, his voice urgent as he pressed for an answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m practicing the Life-Nurturing Technique; I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s wood-element!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qin Niu quickly switched to using the power of the Medicine King Sutra to suppress the fire poison.


    This time it had some effect.


    The spread of the fire poison significantly slowed.


    It seemed that indeed the wood-element technique had exacerbated the onslaught of the fire poison.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s all my fault for being careless; I¡¯ve done harm to Brother Qin!¡±


    Gongsun Jin repeatedly stamped his feet in distress.


    ¡°Others have also tested the fire poison in my right arm like you did, but no accidents occurred. I didn¡¯t know that the technique you were practicing was of the wood element, and now I¡¯ve put you in danger. This fire poison is overwhelmingly domineering; if you can¡¯t suppress it with your power and you don¡¯t have a method to eliminate the fire poison, I fear you may have to amputate your arm to save your life.¡±


    It was like being bitten by a venomous snake on one¡¯s foot.


    If at the moment of the bite one immediately had the heart to sever the foot, it would prevent the snake venom from spreading through the body.


    In the end, although one would lose a leg, life would be preserved.


    It¡¯s extremely rare to find someone decisive enough to amputate their own leg. Most people would try to bind their injured leg tightly to prevent the blood carrying the venom from flowing upwards.


    Then they would seek to squeeze the poisoned blood out from the wound.


    This method can sometimes save lives, but if you encounter a particularly powerful poisonous snake, it definitely won¡¯t work.


    Qin Niu had been poisoned by fire, and if he couldn¡¯t suppress it, the poison would soon spread throughout his body. Eventually, his internal organs would boil alive, and he would die in agony.


    ¡°I will think of another way, please excuse me!¡±


    Qin Niu stood up and ran quickly toward the back yard.


    Two attendants followed closely behind him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to follow me, just stay in the front hall. Xiao Qing, arrange two rooms for them to stay in.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s residence was quite large.


    Accommodating a dozen or so servants was not a problem.


    The four boys he had bought last time lived in a room. Qin Niu had specifically asked Xiao Qing and another literate maid to teach the four boys how to read during their free time.


    Once they could read, they would be given books to study on their own.


    Over time, slowly nurtured, they would be able to share the worries of the Qin Residence and become loyal servants of the household.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I was so careless! What should I do now?¡±


    Gongsun Jin showed immense remorse.


    Originally he had planned to leave immediately after delivering the reward, but now seeing Qin Niu poisoned by fire, he worried about Qin Niu¡¯s safety and had to stay temporarily to observe Qin Niu¡¯s subsequent condition.


    Qin Niu rushed to the back yard and directly leaped into the deep well.


    Cold air was rising inside, the water¡¯s temperature extremely low.


    You could even see a thin layer of ice on the surface.


    He discovered that the cold air of the Ice Lotus had a good effect in suppressing the fire poison, and his heart quietly rejoiced.


    It seemed he wouldn¡¯t need to amputate his arm to save his life.


    He dived to the bottom of the well, grasped the Ice Lotus, and strands of cold seeped into his left hand, seeming to gradually dilute the fire poison.


    At this moment, the cultivation methods from Medicine King Sutra emerged in his mind.


    After reaching the Innate Realm, the Medicine King Sutra suggested you could directly absorb the medicinal properties of herbs into the body.


    He tried to operate the Medicine King Sutra and then followed the second layer of its methods.


    Gradually, an alchemy stove formed from the concentration of his cultivation strength emerged outside his body, spinning incessantly in front of him.


    The Ice Lotus he was holding was pulled out of his grasp by a powerful suction, flying into the alchemy stove.


    Even more miraculous was what happened next.


    As Qin Niu continued to channel the strength of the Medicine King Sutra, the alchemy stove incessantly drew the cold air from the Ice Lotus into Qin Niu¡¯s body.


    The fire poison in his left arm was washed away continuously, and he felt exceptionally comfortable.


    The pain from the fire poison was steadily decreasing.


    As time passed, the fire poison in Qin Niu¡¯s left arm had been completely controlled. A large amount of the poison had been weakened by the cold.


    However, he still did not dare to be careless; this fire poison was extremely malignant and could easily flare up again.


    Initially, only a hint of the fire poison had infiltrated his body, but in a very short time, it spread ferociously to his left forearm, already passing the wrist joint.


    Now, only a small cluster of the fire poison remained in the palm of his left hand.


    But it was extremely stubborn and difficult to completely eradicate.


    ¡°Maybe if I cultivate in this well several times, I could completely clear the fire poison from my body.¡±


    Qin Niu, deeming it almost sufficient, slowly ceased his cultivation.


    At that moment, he was surprised to find that the Ice Lotus had gradually shrunk along with the alchemy stove and then was absorbed into his body with it.


    ¡°This is too incredible!¡±


    Via internal inspection, he quickly discovered an Ice Lotus within the alchemy stove in his body.


    It had not disappeared; instead, cold air was continuously drawn from it in the alchemy stove. After extracting the cold, the stove delivered it to Qin Niu¡¯s limbs and body.


    The fire poison had been well-suppressed, and he no longer needed to worry about the issue.


    A new problem emerged.


    The cold made Qin Niu feel severely chilled. If it continued for a long time, he would turn into an ice sculpture.


    At the same time, he also accidentally discovered a significant growth in the strength of his Medicine King Sutra cultivation.


    The Ice Lotus was a good thing; refined by the alchemy stove, it was the reason behind the remarkable increase in his cultivation strength.


    This was a brand new cultivation method he had figured out after his Medicine King Sutra had advanced to the Innate Realm.


    ¡°Can I refine the Fire Lotus in the same manner?¡±


    Qin Niu pondered internally about the solution.

 Chapter 493 - Chapter 493: Chapter 485: Theres Always Someone Stronger_1

    Chapter 493: Chapter 485: There¡¯s Always Someone Stronger_1


    Both the Ice Lotus and the Fire Lotus are extremely rare and special herbs found between heaven and earth.


    Master Mo Yang¡¯s Plants Illustrated Handbook records it very clearly, the Fire Lotus only grows in environments where geothermal heat is incredibly intense. Basically, it¡¯s only possible for a Fire Lotus to appear at the mouth of a volcano or in the underground where high-temperature magma still exists.


    The Ice Lotus is even rarer.


    Many people think that the Ice Lotus must grow on the perpetually snow-covered peaks of high mountains or in other ice- and snow-bound lands. In fact, Master Mo Yang recorded two Ice Lotuses, one of which was found in an underground dark river and the other at the bottom of a well known as Lock Dragon Well.


    If one seeks the Ice Lotus in the snow atop mountains or in the lands of extreme cold, it will be like trying to draw blood from a stone.


    Qin Niu had managed to collect both the Ice Lotus and the Fire Lotus, which was in itself a great opportunity and a huge stroke of fortune.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know how to use these two special herbs.


    After obtaining the Ice Lotus, aside from letting the War Bees harvest its pollen for honey-making, he did not explore the other abilities of the Ice Lotus. The Fire Lotus was even more negligently handled; he simply threw it in an underground cave in the mountains, leaving it under the care of the Fire Phoenix.


    Now, having unexpectedly discovered that the Medicine King Sutra could incorporate the Ice Lotus, he firmly grasped this chance and was intensely exploring the changes brought about by refining the Ice Lotus.


    The fire poison in his left arm could no longer pose any threat to him.


    He was now confident that even if more fire poison invaded his body, he would be able to suppress and then completely purify it, using the chill of the Ice Lotus.


    However, this fire poison was indeed extremely domineering and difficult to cleanse.


    The Ice Lotus spun continuously in the alchemy stove, which he had assumed would completely refine and dissipate it. But that didn¡¯t happen; the alchemy stove was just constantly drawing energy from the Ice Lotus.


    It felt as if the entire Ice Lotus had merged with the alchemy stove.


    At this moment, the Ice Lotus existed in a very special state.


    Should he also refine the Fire Lotus, he believed there would be even greater gains.


    Not to drag his feet, he went directly from the backyard to the mountain, speeding towards the location of the cave.


    In order to save time, not long after entering the mountain behind his house, he summoned the Fire Phoenix.


    ¡°Carry me to the cave!¡±


    Qin Niu said to the Fire Phoenix and directly leaped onto its back.


    ¡°Hold on tight!¡±


    Although the Fire Phoenix had formed an equal contract with Qin Niu, it was still his pet. Plus, it was only with Qin Niu¡¯s wholehearted assistance that it had been able to undergo Nirvana and become a phoenix; out of gratitude to Qin Niu, it was quite loyal to him.


    It spread its wings and soared into the sky, then carried Qin Niu at an extremely fast speed over the mountains and forests, arriving at the cave in the blink of an eye.


    One could still see the traces where the lava had spewed forth.


    They had solidified and turned into new rocks.


    All the vegetation in the area had been burnt to death.


    ¡°Master, why is there a cold and icy aura in your body? There seems to be a very strange fiery aura as well.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix cocked its head and examined Qin Niu with curiosity.


    ¡°Feel the fire poison in my left arm.¡±


    Qin Niu stopped using the Ice Lotus¡¯s chill to suppress the fire poison, and it immediately began to grow stronger within his body.


    This fire poison was extremely sinister.


    ¡°This is the Samadhi True Fire! Has master been injured by a powerful human?¡±


    The Fire Phoenix asked in surprise.


    ¡°One of my friends was injured by an enemy who used a technique called Raging Flame Palm, imbuing fire poison into my friend¡¯s body. When I tried to examine the injury, my wood-based cultivation technique reacted with the fire, drawing the poison into my own body.


    Fortunately, I used my Ice Lotus to suppress the fire poison.


    However, this fire poison is extraordinarily sinister. As soon as I remove the Ice Lotus¡¯s cold suppression, it flares back to life and rages within my body once more.¡±


    Qin Niu knew that the Fire Phoenix was the ancestral master of playing with fire.


    Its ability to easily identify the flame as Taiyin flame suggested that it probably knew the origin of this flame.


    ¡°Taiyin flame is cold and domineering, igniting upon contact with blood. Its kind is not easily extinguished. If the master¡¯s cultivated technique is of the wood attribute, it might cause the flame to burn even faster. It¡¯s a pity that I have cultivated Taiyang flame, which is the exact opposite. My flame is just as domineering, capable of burning everything in the world and suppressing all sorts of Yin and evil things, but it¡¯s practically powerless against Taiyin flame.¡±


    There are specialties in every craft.


    After listening to the Fire Phoenix¡¯s explanation, Qin Niu came to understand that there were actually two types of flames.


    ¡°Is there a way to eradicate this Taiyin flame?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, there is a way. Though I cannot deal with Taiyin flame, it cannot harm me. And my Taiyang flame can injure those who cultivate it. The strand of Taiyin flame within the master¡¯s body is of a lower level and its power is much weaker than the true Taiyin flame.


    Using the Fire Lotus, the master can easily extract the fire poison from within.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix offered him a solution.


    He had originally come to the mountain to refine the Fire Lotus, and this conviction now grew even stronger.


    He had not expected that a Fire Lotus could be used to remove fire poison.


    According to Qin Niu¡¯s understanding, a Fire Lotus being of fire, he had not anticipated using it to counteract fire poison. Instead, he intended to use it to balance the Ice Lotus¡¯s cold energy.¡±


    ¡°So flames have strengths and weaknesses too?¡±


    When Qin Niu asked this, he felt that he hadn¡¯t thought it through.


    The flames that the Fire Phoenix used to emit were ordinary, but now it could spit True Fire, which was much more powerful than before.


    There must be different levels of flames.


    ¡°Wind, fire, thunder, and lightning are the four most special powers in nature. There are many types of fires, including the Nether Flame that burns souls and the Taiyang flame that can burn all things, the cold and domineering Taiyin flame, and the mysterious Black Flame that devours everything¡­


    The strength of a flame should never be measured simply by its temperature alone.


    For example, the True Fire I can now unleash is much hotter than ordinary flames, but it still ranks very low among Taiyang flames.


    According to the Fire Phoenix inheritance I¡¯ve received, the Samadhi True Fire of your human cultivators is very strong.


    Even more powerful is the True Fire of the Golden Crow.


    If our Phoenix clan cultivates to the utmost level and obtains various opportunities, there is a chance to cultivate the Five-colored Divine Flame, also known as Five-colored True Fire or Five-Fold Samadhi Flame. This flame ranks just below the True Fire of the Golden Crow.


    As for the Taiyin flame, if cultivated to the utmost, it can become Taiyin Extreme Flame. It is said to be eternally inextinguishable, and its main feature is that it only burns intangible things like blood, True Qi, poisonous miasma, and so on.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix imparted to Qin Niu some profound knowledge about flames.


    He had thought the Phoenix clan was the strongest at fire control in the world. But according to the Fire Phoenix, they were not as proficient as the Golden Crow clan.


    ¡°Is the strongest flame in the world the True Fire of the Golden Crow controlled by the Golden Crow clan?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. There is no such thing as the strongest flame. Rumor has it that the Chaos Flame is even more formidable than the True Fire of the Golden Crow. In the future, once the master becomes stronger, you will certainly encounter many powerful flames.¡±


    The Fire Phoenix seemed particularly eager when mentioning the Chaos Flame.


    From its intent, it seemed that once Qin Niu¡¯s strength grew in the future, it wished for him to take it to see the wonderful world outside.


    It dared not show itself in front of human powerhouses now, fearing it might be hunted.¡±

 Chapter 494 - Chapter 494: Chapter 486 Ice and Fire Together_1

    Chapter 494: Chapter 486 Ice and Fire Together_1


    Humans, upon discovering a supreme rare bird like the Fire Phoenix, would certainly not preach about martial morality to it. They would immediately think of ways to capture it and claim it as their own.


    Not to mention the Fire Phoenix, almost all demonic beasts and birds meet this fate.


    Once they awaken their intelligence, they hide in the depths of great mountains rarely trodden by humans, or in some dangerous places, to prevent being discovered by mankind.


    ¡°Once I become powerful, I will naturally seek out opportunities for you to enhance the power of your flames. After all, it isn¡¯t possible to cultivate in this small village for a lifetime; both you and I should experience the wonders of the outside world. Cultivation, cultivation, one can only climb new peaks in practice by traveling the whole world.¡±


    Qin Niu stroked its neck.


    The phoenix feathers were not as soft as one might imagine, but rather rough.


    ¡°Come with me into the cave!¡±


    He led the Fire Phoenix into the cavern, heading straight to the deepest part where the Fire Lotus was located.


    ¡°Go and fetch the Fire Lotus for me!¡±


    Perhaps it was the future blueprint that Qin Niu had just described that excited the Fire Phoenix and made it yearn for it. At this moment, it followed Qin Niu¡¯s commands without any objection.


    It flew straight into the center of the magma and carried the Fire Lotus back.


    Qin Niu reached out and grabbed the Fire Lotus directly, and the scorching lava did not harm him at all.


    Having assimilated the Ice Lotus, he had already gained a strong resistance to flames.


    However, he still did not dare to jump into the lava.


    After all, the Ice Lotus was not very powerful right now. If it could not withstand the burning heat of the lava, it would be extremely dangerous.


    He sat down cross-legged, then circulated the Medicine King Sutra, and the Alchemy Stove once again flew out from within his body.


    Then, he swallowed the Fire Lotus into it, refining it bit by bit.


    The Fire Phoenix looked on impatiently because it also needed the Fire Lotus to cultivate.


    Only by continuously absorbing the fiery essence within the Fire Lotus could it rapidly enhance its cultivation level.


    Now that the only Fire Lotus was being assimilated by Qin Niu, the Fire Phoenix¡¯s cultivation aid would greatly diminish in the future.


    Despite its urgency, the Fire Phoenix dared not interrupt Qin Niu, nor did it attempt to stop him.


    About half an hour later, Qin Niu successfully refined the entire Fire Lotus, and inside the Alchemy Stove, it rotated endlessly along with the Ice Lotus, one white and one red, like the Yin and Yang fish in the Tai Chi pattern.


    Just as he finished refining the Fire Lotus, his power of the Medicine King Sutra surged once again.


    All of the abundant flame energy and fiery essence within the Fire Lotus were transformed into the power of his Medicine King Sutra.


    Even more wondrous was the fact that the flame energy of the Fire Lotus and the icy aura of the Ice Lotus seemed to form a subtle balance.


    His power of the Medicine King Sutra advanced by leaps and bounds, breaking through from the Initial Stage of the Innate Realm to the Later Stage of the Innate Realm. Moreover, it continued to rise at an extremely fast speed.


    This was a stroke of fortune beyond his wildest dreams.


    Given the current pace, the Medicine King Sutra was very likely to be the first to advance to the Spirit Qi Realm.


    ¡°Absorb!¡±


    With a thought, the fire poison within his left arm was absorbed bit by bit by the Fire Lotus.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, all the fire poison in his body was completely absorbed.


    Now, he became one who could control flames as well.


    At least, when facing attacks of fire, he had a strong ability to resist.


    ¡°Fire Phoenix, don¡¯t just stand there, take me back!¡±


    Qin Niu jumped onto its back.


    ¡°You need to look further into the future. Although this Fire Lotus was refined by me, I will definitely find you even better treasures for cultivation in the future. By then, your cultivation level will increase much faster than it is now.¡±


    After Qin Niu reassured the Fire Phoenix, it seemed to accept this reality.


    However, with the Fire Lotus gone to absorb the geothermal energy, the cavern might erupt into a volcano next time.


    This was something Qin Niu was powerless to prevent.


    In front of the formidable force of nature, not just he, but even an Immortal Master would have to retreat three feet away.


    ¡­


    By the time he returned to his backyard at home, less than two hours had passed.


    With the Fire Phoenix flying him, he had saved a lot of time.


    Qin Niu eagerly anticipated the day when he could ride the Fire Phoenix openly and fly around the world.


    Right now, as his abilities were still weak, even with such a powerful Demon Bird, he could only keep it hidden and never let outsiders know about it easily.


    Gongsun Jin was still there at this moment, pacing back and forth with worry.


    Having been sent to reward Qin Niu, I never expected Qin Niu to have inflicted upon himself a severe case of fire poison.


    If Qin Niu were to perish, it would be difficult for me to explain to the Black Tiger Gang Leader and the other high-ranking members of the gang upon my return.


    ¡°Why is brother Gongsun still here?¡±


    Qin Niu walked out from behind and was somewhat surprised to see the anxious look on Gongsun Jin¡¯s face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to rush you off, I¡¯m just curious since you said the frontlines were tense and you needed to hurry back. Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    Qin Niu quickly followed with an explanation.


    ¡°Having contracted fire poison from my place, brother Qin¡¯s condition was critical, how could I simply walk away? Eh, brother Qin now seems to be in excellent condition, could it be that you have the fire poison under control?¡±


    After a careful examination of Qin Niu¡¯s condition, Gongsun Jin¡¯s face immediately revealed traces of joy.


    His greatest concern was that Qin Niu would be killed by the terrible fire poison.


    As long as Qin Niu had a way to suppress the fire poison, there would be no danger to his life.


    As for completely eliminating the fire poison, Gongsun Jin didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. Even as a strong practitioner in the Spirit Qi Realm who had tried multiple methods, he still could not rid his body of the fire poison.


    At most, he could only suppress it within his right arm, barely clinging to life.


    ¡°Brother Gongsun has been too kind to me. I¡¯ve already dealt with the fire poison, you need not worry anymore,¡± Qin Niu said with a calm smile. ¡°Come, give me your right arm.¡±


    As Qin Niu spoke, he reached out to grab Gongsun Jin¡¯s right hand.


    The latter, worried that the fire poison in his right arm might harm Qin Niu once again, hurriedly withdrew his hand to avoid it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely be careful this time,¡± Qin Niu reassured with a smile.


    ¡°You want to probe for fire poison in my body again?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m prepared to have another look,¡± Qin Niu said, nodding calmly.


    Seeing that Qin Niu didn¡¯t seem to be joking and emanated confidence, Gongsun Jin began to believe him.


    Reluctantly, he extended his right hand toward Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu immediately grabbed his right hand.


    ¡°This¡­ is not good, it¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    Gongsun Jin immediately tried to withdraw his hand. However, Qin Niu confidently said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, I know my limits. I wouldn¡¯t play with fire and get burned.¡±


    He had already dispelled Gongsun Jin¡¯s doubts with his actions.


    Bit by bit, the fire poison was being actively drawn out by Qin Niu.


    Gongsun Jin watched Qin Niu¡¯s hands intently and then checked Qin Niu¡¯s complexion, only to see Qin Niu looking calm, with no apparent abnormalities on his hands.


    ¡°Has brother Qin truly found a way to counteract the fire poison?¡± Gongsun Jin asked with a look of joy on his face.


    ¡°Sort of! I also can¡¯t make any bold claims just yet, I can only try,¡± Qin Niu replied, having noticed that the fire poison he was drawing out was entering the Fire Lotus and causing no harm to his own body. On the contrary, his Medicine King Sutra prowess was growing at an astonishing rate.


    This proved that the fire poison was a beneficial substance, which, after being transformed by the Fire Lotus, was used to enhance Qin Niu¡¯s prowess.


    Having experimented and tasted the benefits, he grew much bolder.


    He accelerated the process of absorbing the fire poison.


    Gongsun Jin, feeling the fire poison that had plagued him for many days being quickly drawn out, was filled with joy and anticipation, and also a bit of worry.


    He was very afraid Qin Niu might get burned playing with fire.


    An hour later, Qin Niu exhaled a long breath of turbid air and released Gongsun Jin¡¯s right hand.


    ¡°This is unbelievable! Brother Qin has completely cleared the fire poison from my body; such a skill is enough to make all of us old practitioners in the Spirit Qi Realm blush with shame. Now that the desperately troublesome fire poison is gone, I feel as if a huge mountain pressing on me has been lifted, indescribably light and comfortable.¡±


    Smiles filled Gongsun Jin¡¯s face.


    Looking at Qin Niu, his eyes brimmed with gratitude and a hint of admiration.


    There was no denying it; the fire poison he couldn¡¯t handle was resolved by Qin Niu.


    ¡°Brother Qin, for such a great kindness, thanks are not enough; if there¡¯s anything you need in the future, just let me know,¡± Gongsun Jin declared.


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you. Brother Gongsun has already helped me plenty; it¡¯s only right I do something for you.¡±


    ¡°Brother Qin, since you are so righteous, I¡¯ll brazenly make another immodest request. There are others in our gang suffering from fire poison; could you help clear it for them? If that¡¯s possible, I will have them come to Shuangfeng Village to find you.¡±


    After making this request, Gongsun Jin looked at Qin Niu apprehensively.

 Chapter 495 - Chapter 495: Chapter 487 Huoyun Ancestor_1

    Chapter 495: Chapter 487 Huoyun Ancestor_1


    ¡°This is completely fine. However, my abilities are limited, so I can only do my best,¡± Qin Niu readily agreed.


    Helping others remove the fire poison not only allowed him to increase his mastery of the Medicine King Sutra but also enabled him to win people¡¯s hearts, achieving two goals with one action.


    But he was well aware of how unpredictable human nature could be.


    If the removal of the fire poison was too easy, people¡¯s gratitude towards him would surely diminish significantly.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was insincere, but rather that the social laws of this world naturally worked in this way.


    ¡°The fire poison is domineering and extremely difficult to tackle, which everyone is well aware of. When the time comes, brother Qin, save whoever you can. If it is beyond your capabilities, then we can only leave it to fate. I believe they would all understand,¡± Gongsun Jin said.


    Having been tormented by the fire poison for more than half a month, Gongsun Jin naturally understood that it was not easy to deal with.


    The fact that Qin Niu could help him clear out the fire poison from his body was already an unexpected joy.


    ¡°Brother Qin, saving lives is as urgent as putting out a fire, I must hurry back immediately. Until next time!¡±


    Gongsun Jin, concerned about the warriors poisoned by the fire, promptly rose to leave upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s agreement.


    ¡°No matter the hurry, it won¡¯t hurt to wait a moment longer! Have a meal at my house before you go,¡± Qin Niu urged him to stay.


    ¡°I¡¯m carrying some dry food and beef jerky with me. I¡¯ll visit brother Qin¡¯s home to bother you some other time. Then, I¡¯ll definitely accompany brother Qin for a good drink. With extraordinary skills and upright character, I believe you are destined to be a person of great influence in the future. Take care!¡±


    Gongsun Jin now truly regarded Qin Niu as a friend of the same stature and bid farewell with a clasped hands salute before getting into the carriage and speeding away.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Qin Niu was at home arranging work for his two attendants when several carriages arrived in haste.


    It turned out that right after leaving the day before, Gongsun Jin had immediately sent a message via carrier bird to inform the other high-ranking members of the Black Tiger Gang and then arranged for a group of warriors afflicted with the fire poison to come for treatment as a priority.


    They bore the agonizing pain of the fire poison and rushed through the night, hoping for an early recovery.


    There were a total of twenty-one people, including five Spirit Qi Realm experts and sixteen Innate Realm experts. All of them were afflicted with fire poison, with four of them hanging by a thread.


    These individuals were either middle or high-ranking members of the Black Tiger Gang or masters from influential families.


    Qin Niu naturally prioritized the rescue of the four most severely injured warriors.


    All of them had the fire poison invading their internal organs. One of them, a boy of only seventeen or eighteen, had a body burning hot, with his clothes having been scorched away. His entire body was red and covered with blisters of various sizes, and his breath was extremely weak.


    Had it not been for Qin Niu¡¯s ability to extract the fire poison, the boy would have been doomed.


    After a concerted effort in treatment, this Young Master Ye from a great family of Black Tiger City was fortunate to have his life saved.


    Having rescued four people by midday and completely removed the fire poison from their bodies, Qin Niu was quite exhausted. Fortunately, the payoff was quite good, for his mastery of the Medicine King Sutra had considerably increased.


    Moreover, by saving four lives, his merit was immeasurable.


    Over the next three days, he continuously took action to save people, helping them to extract the fire poison.


    Young Master Ye, whose actual name was Ye Jinglei, had the fire poison removed from his body, and after three days of rest, was largely recovered. When he arrived, he had to be carried into the house by the experts of the Ye Family from the carriage.


    He was in a semi-comatose state, with his eyes tightly closed, an expression of pain, unable to eat or make any sound.


    He was completely a picture of someone at death¡¯s door.


    Now, Young Master Ye could walk, eat, and use the toilet on his own, no longer requiring the care of others.


    The few people from the Ye Family who had come along breathed a huge sigh of relief as they saw Young Master Ye turning from danger to safety.


    ¡°Master Qin, the great kindness of saving a life will never be forgotten by the Ye Family. My son¡¯s revival owes much to your intervention in removing the fire poison from him. If anything had happened to Jinglei, there would have been a significant shift in the destiny of the Ye Family. He is the most outstanding man in the younger generation of my family, and I had intended for him to gain experience on the battlefield. Unexpectedly, he lacked combat experience and fell into a trap during a clash with a strong member of the Nine Insect Gang.


    Their methods of attack are extremely special; they can release fire poison not only with their punches and palm strikes but also through their weapons.


    At that time, my son was fighting against two Innate Realm experts from the Nine Insect Gang and was gaining the upper hand.


    However, those two resorted to deceit. As one fought fiercely against my son, the other took the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. My son defended against the enemy¡¯s attacks with his dual swords, and just then, the opponent¡¯s fire poison travelled up the blade, making its way into my son¡¯s body.


    When Master Qin confronts the remnants of the Nine Insect Gang, please be exceedingly cautious.


    From their way of attacking, their behavior, and the ornaments they wear, it¡¯s almost certain that they come from Fire Cloud Tunnel. The Huoyun Ancestor made a name for himself in a battle where, within three days, he slaughtered four gangs, and even the Immortal Masters sent by the Immortal Sect to mediate had to keep their distance.


    After the intervention and mediation by the Immortal Sect, Fire Cloud Tunnel ceased external expansion, and the Huoyun Ancestor has been in seclusion and has not appeared since then.


    Due to the Huoyun Ancestor¡¯s extreme ruthlessness, more vicious and merciless than tigers or wolves, people secretly referred to him as the Huoyun Evil Deity.


    After so many years of accumulation, the strength of Fire Cloud Tunnel has become even more formidable.


    Lying dormant for so many years, the sudden deployment of experts from Fire Cloud Tunnel to assist the Nine Insect Gang, particularly during the Hundred-Tempering Child¡¯s centennial life and death tribulation, indicates that their ambitions are far from small.


    I¡¯m afraid it is much more complicated than just annexing one or two gangs.


    Although our Black Tiger Gang has also built some strength over the years, when compared with a super gang like Fire Cloud Tunnel, we are still quite far behind.


    Alas, during the last tribulation of the Hundred-Tempering Child, a total of thirty-seven gangs vanished. This time, with the stirring of dragons and snakes, numerous powerful figures are itching for action, and we are likely to face another dark three years. Master Qin, you might want to make more preparations to increase your chances of survival when the crisis hits.¡±


    Filled with gratitude, Ye Jinglei¡¯s father shared many state secrets known only to a few high-ranking members.


    What shocked Qin Niu the most was the super gang, Fire Cloud Tunnel.


    The number of gangs within the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect should exceed one thousand.


    Some gangs are stronger than others.


    However, as long as one can establish a gang, even the weakest cannot be underestimated.


    The witch from the Nine Insect Gang is truly daring; to deal with the Black Tiger Gang, she actually colluded with Fire Cloud Tunnel.


    When the time comes, it will probably be easy to invite the devil in but hard to send it away, and the Nine Insect Gang could well follow in the footsteps of the Shennong Sect.


    Throughout history, it is rare for women to become emperors, and there are reasons for this.


    Once a woman goes mad, she indeed becomes reckless without regard for the consequences.


    ¡°Alright, Jinglei¡¯s condition has significantly improved after three days of rest, and we plan to return to Black Tiger City today. We are grateful for the hospitality of Master Qin these past few dates. Should Master Qin visit Black Tiger City, you are welcome to be a guest at the Ye Residence any time.¡±


    ¡°Elder Ye is too kind. I only have simple tea and meals and a modest abode to offer, and if my reception was inadequate, I ask for your understanding. Should the opportunity arise, I will certainly visit the Ye Residence.¡±


    Qin Niu stood up to see them off.


    As he watched the two carriages from the Ye Family speed away, his network expanded once more.

 Chapter 496 - Chapter 496: Chapter 488: Striking the Spirit Qi Realm_1

    Chapter 496: Chapter 488: Striking the Spirit Qi Realm_1


    The most powerful family in Black Tiger City is undoubtedly the Fang Family.


    The Fang Family boasts five old ancestors, plus the previous generation¡¯s family head who is currently in seclusion, attempting to break into the Spirit Qi Realm. Their strength is unmatched by any other family.


    The strength of the Ye Family is also formidable, only slightly less so than the Fang Family.


    Over the years, the Fang and Ye families have been like fire and water, openly and secretly fighting and irreconcilable.


    It is very likely that the Ye Family had a hand in the incident with the Fang Family¡¯s heirloom medicinal herb.


    However, as long as the head of the Ye Family is not a fool, they would certainly leave no evidence for the Fang Family to use against them.


    Therefore, the Fang Family ultimately only dealt with their own chief planting master and did not dare to trouble the Ye Family. Both are prominent big families, counted as significant entities by the Black Tiger Gang. Without solid evidence, no one could recklessly make accusations.


    To catch a thief, one must catch the loot; this has been the rule since ancient times.


    Although the Fang Family did not find any proof that the Ye Family was behind it, they could guess a few things in the dark and were itching to get even with the Ye Family.


    Ye Jinglei, who is just over seventeen, has already reached the Later Stage of the Innate Realm. As long as he does not die prematurely, he can at the very least cultivate to the Spirit Qi Realm. If he works hard enough and catches some significant opportunities, becoming an Immortal Master is also quite possible.


    Such an important person is practically the successor of the Ye Family.


    If he were to die, it would be an immeasurable loss for the Ye Family.


    Qin Niu saving Ye Jinglei means that the Ye Family is most likely unwilling to refuse him anything in the future.


    By gaining such a powerful friend, Qin Niu, the poor country boy, is quietly accumulating a vast network of powerful connections.


    On this day, Qin Niu went up the mountain to cultivate with his wives and Xiao Qing.


    The soldiers poisoned by the fire toxin have all been successfully treated with his help, with their poison removed. Seven or eight of the wounded are still staying at his residence, and the rest have already said their goodbyes and left.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation was delayed for a full four days.


    In those four days, he saved a total of thirty-four people, all were frontline soldiers who had been injured and poisoned by fire toxin.


    None of them were below the Innate Realm.


    Those in the Acquired Realm or Mortal Realm, if poisoned by the fire toxin, would likely be burned alive on the spot.


    Because they are simply too weak and have no ability to resist in front of the fire toxin.


    At least, one needs to reach the Innate Realm in order to have some defensive ability against attacks such as venom or fire toxin.


    Having absorbed a great deal of fire toxin, Qin Niu¡¯s Medicine King Sutra cultivation improved continuously, and he has now reached the peak of the Later Stage of the Innate Realm. He wanted to use the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze and try to break into the Spirit Qi Realm.


    After all, as long as one¡¯s cultivation has reached the peak of the Innate Realm, they can attempt to break into the Spirit Qi Realm.


    However, charging in without any preparation would mean a very low success rate.


    Out of about a hundred at the pinnacle of the Innate Realm, it would be good if only one or two could successfully advance to the Spirit Qi Realm.


    If one could prepare some elixirs like the Boundary-breaking Elixir, Spirit Realm Elixir, or cultivate in special environments with denser spiritual energy like secret realms, or in special places like fire lava caves or ice caverns, the success rate can be significantly improved.


    Qin Niu planned to cultivate for a few days first within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze to solidify his cultivation level even more.


    Then, in a few days, he would head into the city to see if he could buy one or two elixirs that assist in breaking through realms.


    After all, he still had quite a bit of Silver Money in his hand.


    The shops in the city also generate a steady income from their monthly rents, and the more than seven thousand acres of good farmland in his name is equally a huge fortune.


    His only hope is that the Black Tiger Gang can end the war as soon as possible.


    Otherwise, as long as the war continues, the business environment in Black Tiger City will not improve.


    Merchants feared war and dared not do business in Black Tiger City.


    Farmers also had no interest in renting the landlord¡¯s fields. In the event of war, most of the crops would likely be lost. Then, not only would they have worked in vain for a year, but they would also have to compensate the landlord for the lost rent.


    In addition, the land tax was not low.


    War greatly impacted everyone, and nobody wished for it to happen.


    ¡­


    With the blink of an eye, six days had passed, and Qin Niu visited the Ancient Banyan Tree every day to cultivate. He was now focusing on the Medicine King Sutra, hoping to break through to the Spirit Qi Realm as soon as possible.


    However, when he felt tired from practicing the Medicine King Sutra, he would also cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique to recover his spiritual power, unwilling to waste a single moment.


    On the other hand, his wives and Xiao Qing did not have this ability.


    After cultivating for about three to six hours, they had to stop and rest for a while. As a result, they spent nearly half as much time cultivating as Qin Niu did.


    If one does not pursue combat power, the Everlasting Spring Technique is quite good.


    This Life-Nurturing Technique can replace sleep, quickly helping cultivators recover their physical strength and spiritual power. In addition, the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique can also help plants to quickly take root and grow.


    These are all very practical benefits.


    As Qin Niu diligently cultivated every day, the power of his Medicine King Sutra had reached the pinnacle of the Innate Realm and he felt it difficult to make further progress.


    Early this morning he began to cultivate and realized that the power of the Medicine King Sutra had only increased by a little.


    It seemed that he had to break through to the next realm to continue progressing.


    Otherwise, the power of his Medicine King Sutra would stagnate.


    He looked up at the canopy of the Ancient Banyan Tree, guessing that it was still early.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any elixirs for advancing to the Spirit Qi Realm at hand, but the spiritual power within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze is more than twenty times denser than outside. Moreover, there is an inexhaustible supply of medicinal energy. Perhaps I could take a chance and try,¡±


    Qin Niu calculated quietly in his mind.


    Glancing at his wives and Xiao Qing who were concentrating on their cultivation, Qin Niu subconsciously moved a bit further away from them.


    Because when attempting to make a major breakthrough, the wild energy that becomes uncontrollable can easily harm those around.


    Once ready, Qin Niu no longer hesitated and operated the Medicine King Sutra with all his might, attempting to break through.


    At first, it was not smooth sailing.


    Since he had no master to guide him, he could only explore on his own. After trying various methods and still seeing no progress in his cultivation level, he felt stuck.


    At this crucial moment, Qin Niu suddenly felt an extremely strong, cool energy descending from above, enveloping him completely.


    Fortuitously, he immediately summoned the alchemy stove within his body.


    As the alchemy stove spun continuously, the potent cool energy was greedily absorbed by it.


    Inside, the Fire Lotus and Ice Lotus also reacted, drawing energy through the alchemy stove before releasing it either as fiery essence or cold air.


    The fiery essence and cold air were repeatedly refined within the alchemy stove, becoming purer and purer.


    The alchemy stove, formed by condensed cultivation power, was becoming more solid bit by bit, and its spinning speed was increasing.


    Qin Niu faintly sensed that this must be the correct way to break through the realm.


    The cool energy descending from above was unceasing ¨C it had to be the doing of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    It was actually actively helping Qin Niu to break through the realm, which was quite incredible.

 Chapter 497 - Chapter 497: Chapter 489: The Power of a Single Finger

    Chapter 497: Chapter 489: The Power of a Single Finger


    The Ancient Banyan Tree likely had developed a certain level of sentience, or perhaps, because of the long-time benefits it received from Qin Niu, it had come to consider him as a good friend. Helping Qin Niu become stronger allowed it to gain even more benefits.


    Many plants and wild animals have this kind of symbiotic relationship.


    For example, rhinoceroses rely on small birds to get rid of parasites on their bodies. Or the mongooses and drongos that utilize the drongos as sentinels.


    Actually, when the drongo acts as a sentinel for the mongoose, it also expects a reward.


    When the mongoose digs up insects from the ground, if it does not give any to the drongo, the bird will deliberately make an eagle¡¯s warning call, giving the mongoose a false alarm. The frightened mongoose will drop its food and flee back into its burrow.


    Then, the drongo would eat the insects the mongoose just dug up.


    Plants also have such symbiotic relationships. There is a very special Hook Vine that has no roots and can only grow on large trees by absorbing nutrients from them. However, inside its leaves are natural insecticidal components. When some pests land on the tree to nibble at the leaves, the Hook Vine emits chemical signals to deliberately lure the pests to eat its leaves first.


    Although its leaves would get damaged by the insects, those insects would quickly be poisoned and die, thus sparing the large tree from pest harm.


    Over time, some pests that have suffered would pass on the information that this kind of tree is inedible to their offspring.


    Their descendants, upon seeing this kind of tree, would automatically steer clear and not dare to nibble it.


    Every day, as Qin Niu practiced the Everlasting Spring Technique beneath the Ancient Banyan Tree, some energy would seep out and be absorbed by it. This energy allowed the Ancient Banyan Tree to grow quickly.


    Furthermore, every time he completed his practice and departed, he would repay the kindness by infusing a bit of the Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s cultivation power into the tree.


    Having received benefits many times, the Ancient Banyan Tree had come to regard Qin Niu as a very important ¡®friend¡¯.


    At this moment, benefitting from the continuous support of the Ancient Banyan Tree, Qin Niu came to understand the meaning of the saying that those who seek the path receive abundant help.


    He firmly seized the opportunity and kept pushing against the threshold of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    In the Innate Realm, the cultivation power is stored in the body in an initial state of True Qi, primarily within the Dantian and the meridians.


    By the peak of the Innate Realm, the Dantian is utterly full of True Qi.


    Qin Niu knew very little about the higher Spirit Qi Realm.


    He only knew that an expert of the Spirit Qi Realm could easily kill ten at the peak of the Innate Realm.


    Although the gap appeared to be slight, the difference in strength was vast.


    Moreover, reaching the Spirit Qi Realm meant nearly stepping half into the Immortal Gate, having the ability to truly grasp many of the mysteries of an Immortal Master.


    ¡­


    As time passed, Qin Niu¡¯s Alchemy Stove displayed three marvelous colors.


    It had also grown to the size of a bushel, and when it rotated, its power was extremely formidable.


    ¡°Coalesce!¡±


    He uttered a single word from his mouth.


    The rapidly spinning Alchemy Stove began to shrink bit by bit. The energy of the three colors sank down respectively, eventually forming three legs.


    One leg was azure, the cooling energy provided by the Ancient Banyan Tree at the critical moment. One leg was a fiery red, the essence of flame transformed from the Fire Lotus. The last leg was blue, the coldness condensed from the Ice Lotus.


    The Alchemy Stove eventually shrunk to the size of three inches, with the three legs¡¯ colors vividly defined, as the entire Alchemy Stove slowly entered Qin Niu¡¯s Dantian in his abdomen.


    The moment the Alchemy Stove was situated in the Dantian, his aura surged dramatically, his presence as if a deity descended to the mortal realm.


    The entire ascension to the Spirit Qi Realm was surprisingly effortless.


    Qin Niu felt the various changes brought about by the new realm.


    Firstly, his spiritual power had more than doubled and was still growing. Secondly, he could feel the True Qi inside his body become more cohesive and lighter, and when he controlled them, it was even more flexible.


    He snapped his fingers.


    Chi!


    A powerful aura shot out from his fingertip, striking the ground not far away.


    Bang!


    The ground was like it had been struck by a cannonball, blasting a pot-sized deep crater a foot deep.


    That was just a casual strike from him.


    Without the aid of any weapons, nor using any martial techniques.


    Such terrifying power, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t have matched even with his full force in the past.


    ¡°The Spirit Qi Realm is truly mystical. When True Qi is deployed, one can fight as if they were ten.¡±


    His greatest feeling was that the movement and use of True Qi became more flexible and swift, and although only a strand of True Qi was released, once it left the body, it could rapidly absorb the natural energy of the world, continuously expanding and growing stronger.


    By the time it landed on the enemy, the energy it contained was equivalent to the sum of ten strands of True Qi.


    This is the terrifying aspect of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    It can already borrow the power of the natural world, as if it had the blessing of heaven and earth.


    No wonder Elder Jiu Yin, despite being severely injured with only a tenth of his strength remaining, was still frighteningly powerful.


    Recalling his encounters with multiple Spirit Qi Realm experts, Qin Niu felt a chill of fear.


    The full strike of such existences couldn¡¯t possibly be withstood by an Innate Realm expert.


    His survival to this point was truly a stroke of luck.


    If it weren¡¯t for the many pets, the Ink Blade, and the King Pig Leather Armor, he would have lost all his lives many times over.


    After stabilizing his realm, Qin Niu stood up and walked over to the trunk of the Ancient Banyan Tree, placing one hand against it.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    A surge of robust Everlasting Spring Technique cultivation power flowed into the trunk of the tree.


    This was Qin Niu¡¯s way of repaying it.


    The branches and leaves of the Ancient Banyan Tree shook with a rustling sound.


    ¡°Husband, are you a Spirit Qi Realm expert now?¡±


    Wang Wanyan looked at her husband, filled with joy.


    The growth of this man exceeded her imagination.


    A year ago, Qin Niu was still in dire poverty, with no guarantee of a meal. At that time, he was also very weak, no different from an ordinary person.


    Now, he had become a Spirit Qi Realm expert.


    He had also become the strongest Insect Master of the Black Tiger Gang, a first-class noble, a first-class Executor.


    The wealth he possessed was equally astonishing.


    Originally, Wang Furen didn¡¯t think much of Qin Niu, the poor boy, and wanted his daughter to marry into a wealthy family with all his heart. Yet Wang Wanyan insisted on marrying for love, to the man she admired.


    It turned out her initial choice and persistence were correct.


    For a woman, marrying is a huge gamble in life.


    If she marries the right person, she can be happy for a lifetime. If she marries the wrong one, it would be incredibly tragic.


    Thankfully, she bet on the right man.


    Qin Niu now had directly become a representative of wealth and officialdom, and the Qin Residence had become a truly powerful family.


    ¡°I was lucky to have the help of this ancient tree and step into the Spirit Qi Realm. You three also need to work hard, striving to advance to the Spirit Qi Realm before the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. Only then will you have the chance to compete for the fate of the immortals.¡±


    If you are only in the Innate Realm, you won¡¯t even qualify to enter the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.


    The Spirit Qi Realm is the minimum requirement for entering the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.


    ¡°I knew my husband would be the best! The Spirit Qi Realm, a realm of experts I¡¯ve only read about in books. The books say that a Spirit Qi Realm expert can support an entire noble family by themselves. As for me breaking through to the Spirit Qi Realm in six months, I wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about it. Being able to break through to the Innate Realm is already a blessing from my ancestors.¡±


    In terms of cultivation, Wang Wanyan was gradually falling behind.

 Chapter 498 - Chapter 498: Chapter 490: Zhang Banzui Goes Missing

    Chapter 498: Chapter 490: Zhang Banzui Goes Missing


    Her confidence grew weaker and weaker.


    ¡°Heh, even invoking the blessings of ancestors. Never give up until the very last moment, and never look down on yourself,¡± Qin Niu looked into her eyes and asked seriously, ¡°Do you believe in me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I trust you!¡±


    She nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°Then let me tell you, as long as you stay resolute in your belief, your future cultivation level will definitely not be lower than ours. In fact, it¡¯s even possible that you could become the strongest among us.¡±


    Qin Niu said this very seriously.


    ¡°I also think Sister Wan Yan has a great talent for cultivation. Could it be that the Dragon Elephant Skill is not suitable for Sister Wan Yan to cultivate?¡±


    Xiao Qing strongly agreed with Qin Niu¡¯s opinion.


    After Wang Wanyan started cultivating the Dragon Elephant Art, she was quickly surpassed by Tang Cai Xian.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, keep cultivating for some time and see. Wan Yan¡¯s temperament is rather steady, and she likes to cultivate in a slow and steady manner. Sometimes, people¡¯s different temperaments can lead to vast differences even when cultivating the same technique. Cai Xian¡¯s current rapid improvement in cultivation might outpace yours, but after reaching a high level, you might have a chance for a breakthrough, potentially surpassing her. Maintaining your current style of cultivation is good.


    To build a nine-story platform, start by piling up the earth.


    Having a solid foundation will enable you to go higher and farther in the future.¡±


    Qin Niu believed it was fine for his two wives to practice the Dragon Elephant Art.


    It was good for Wang Wanyan to strengthen her foundation.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Does my rapid increase in cultivation power mean that my foundation isn¡¯t solid?¡± Tang Cai Xian got anxious upon hearing this.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily that simple. Your fast advancement in the Dragon Elephant Art in cultivation is because the path you¡¯ve found highly matches you. It can also be seen as having a natural talent for the Dragon Elephant Art. However, I believe everything has its pros and cons. The rapid increase in your early stage might impact you later on.


    If it continues at this pace, it¡¯d be defying the heavens.


    Of course, this is just my personal shallow understanding of cultivation. You can seek advice from your master next time you have the chance to meet her.¡±


    Qin Niu was certain that Tang Cai Xian¡¯s master was very likely an Immortal Master.


    She knew much more.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you out!¡±


    Qin Niu noticed the branches of the Ancient Banyan Tree had descended to only about three meters above the ground.


    But now his cultivation power was strong, and he could effectively resist the chilling energy descending from the Ancient Banyan Tree. Moreover, his Alchemy Stove could absorb the chilly energy that invaded his body, transforming it to strengthen his cultivation of the Medicine King Sutra.


    After sending his wives and Xiao Qing out, Qin Niu wanted to test how long he could withstand the Ancient Banyan Tree¡¯s assault.


    ¡°You all go back first! If I don¡¯t return by tonight, don¡¯t worry about me,¡± he said.


    ¡°My lord, the Ancient Banyan Tree is very dangerous. Even if you want to quickly improve your cultivation, you don¡¯t need to risk your life for it. Even if we don¡¯t obtain the Immortal Fate this time, we can wait for the next decennial,¡± Wang Wanyan, as his principal wife, often had the power to advise her husband.


    However, she generally wouldn¡¯t stop Qin Niu unless it involved something potentially life-threatening, which was when she would argue against it.


    ¡°I know my limits. We grew up together, and I¡¯ve been afraid of death since childhood. You are aware of that. Go back, don¡¯t worry about me,¡± he reassured.


    After sending his wives away, Qin Niu once again entered the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze.


    As soon as he entered, the chilly energy that fell from above penetrated his body through every pore.


    However, the Ancient Banyan Tree actually recognized him, parting its branches automatically to form a ¡®gap¡¯ just above his head, displaying its friendship toward Qin Niu with a unique gentleness.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can now bear your chilly energy,¡± he declared.


    Qin Niu sat down cross-legged, actively allowing the chilly energy to invade his body faster.


    The Alchemy Stove within his Dantian absorbed the invading chilly energy rapidly, refining it swiftly.


    These energies hardly caused any damage to Qin Niu.


    ¡­


    Overnight, Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation of the Medicine King Sutra had improved significantly.


    With the current speed of cultivation, he even felt confident he could reach the later stages of the Spirit Qi Realm before the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.


    Looking up at the slowly retracting branches and leaves, it signified that Qin Niu now had the ability to stay within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze indefinitely, no longer needing to worry about being killed by it.


    Because its chilly energy attacks could no longer harm Qin Niu.


    ¡°I wonder if other cultivators in the Spirit Qi Realm can also withstand its Yin-cold energy attacks?¡±


    Qin Niu pondered this question.


    If the enemy couldn¡¯t endure the Yin-cold energy attacks within the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze, but Qin Niu could resist them relatively easily, wouldn¡¯t that give him a significant strategic advantage in this place against his foes?


    He felt there were still many aspects worth exploring and experimenting with.


    The utility value of the Ancient Banyan Tree was being further unearthed by him.


    Anxious that his wives and concubines might be worrying if he was away too long, he immediately left the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze and headed towards his home.


    It didn¡¯t take long before he was back home.


    As expected, his wives and concubines were indeed worried about his safety and had even discussed going up the mountain early in the morning.


    At this point, it was still not fully light outside.


    Luckily, Qin Niu returned in time.


    Seeing that their husband was unharmed, the two women and Xiao Qing finally felt relieved.


    ¡°Husband, something strange has happened in the village, and everyone is talking about it!¡±


    Wang Wanyan said, as she brought Qin Niu his breakfast, speaking of the events within the village.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me in suspense, just tell me!¡±


    Qin Niu was truly hungry and urged her on while eating his breakfast.


    He secretly thought that it must be Madame Zhao stirring up trouble again.


    However, Madame Zhao¡¯s cultivation was too terrifying, and there was no way Qin Niu could provoke her. As long as she didn¡¯t harm his family, he would turn a blind eye.


    ¡°Zhang Banzui has been missing for three days! Someone said they saw him running towards Black Tiger City in the middle of the night, acting completely mad.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang wanders around the village every day, and even when he is out of money for drink, at most he would go to the town in Jade Stream Town to tell fortunes for some drinking money. For many years, Uncle Zhang has never left Shuangfeng Village for a day. To suddenly disappear for more than three days is indeed unusual.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Could it be that Madame Zhao can¡¯t even spare a drunken beggar and tried to squeeze some silver money out of Zhang Banzui?


    She¡¯s smart enough to know Zhang Banzui has no money. Even if she were to throw him into a frying pan, she wouldn¡¯t be able to squeeze out two drops of oil.


    If it wasn¡¯t Madame Zhao¡¯s doing, then for what reason did Zhang Banzui suddenly leave Shuangfeng Village?


    ¡°Xiao Qing, go call Er Dan here!¡±


    Qin Niu decided to ask around.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Er Dan came running over.


    ¡°Brother Ah Niu, just let me know what you need.¡±


    Er Dan had received a Low-grade Contract Charm from Qin Niu last time, and he¡¯d actually managed to subdue a sparrow. He carried it with him wherever he went.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t notice anything special about this sparrow.


    Its strength was not formidable and, at best, it was a Grade Two Beast Pet.


    ¡°Do you know about Zhang Banzui¡¯s disappearance?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I saw him three days ago.¡±


    Er Dan was clever and crafty, resembling a little imp. He usually had a clear knowledge of which widow was meeting with which man secretly in the village.


    ¡°Zhang Banzui was staggering out of the village that day, carrying his wine gourd. I could tell that his gourd must have been empty. As he walked, he was mumbling to himself, talking about ¡®rolling red dust and three thousand tribulations¡¯.¡±


    Er Dan recalled the situation at that time.


    ¡°Have you seen Zhang Banzui in contact with any woman recently?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ The only thing I saw was Big Sister Hua chasing him with a broom, saying that Zhang Banzui had caused the death of her daughter.¡±


    Ever since her daughter died, Big Sister Hua had stopped matchmaking and rarely left her home.


    Every time she saw Zhang Banzui, she would pick up whatever was in her hand and chase after him, wanting to beat him to death.


    She cursed Zhang Banzui for his fortunes, saying that the good ones never came true, but the bad ones always did.

 Chapter 499 - Chapter 499: Chapter 491 Treasured Sword Upgrade Successful

    Chapter 499: Chapter 491 Treasured Sword Upgrade Successful


    Zhang Banzui was not beaten up for fortune-telling just once or twice, so he certainly wouldn¡¯t flee Shuangfeng Village because of such matters.


    Qin Niu suspected that he was driven away by Madame Zhao.


    What could Madame Zhao¡¯s purpose be for lurking in Shuangfeng Village? She only swindled men out of some money and never harmed a life, so she couldn¡¯t be considered too wicked.


    ¡°Er Dan, things haven¡¯t been very peaceful lately, and some strange events have occurred one after another in our Shuangfeng Village. Even if you come across something odd, don¡¯t go poking around in it, lest you encounter unforeseen dangers.¡±


    Qin Niu did not want his playmate to come to any harm.


    ¡°Understood! Ah Niu brother, you should also be careful yourself. The rifle shoots the bird that sticks its head out, and you are the most prominent one in our village. I¡¯m afraid those with ulterior motives might target you.¡±


    The child Er Dan was smart and alert, actually turning around to remind Qin Niu to be cautious.


    After sending Er Dan off, Qin Niu decided to use the advantage of being an Insect Master to surveil the entire village.


    Bees were the best choice.


    They are numerous and very common, and not easy to be detected by people.


    Zhang Banzui¡¯s disappearance did not cause much of a stir; the villagers discussed it heatedly for only the first few days. Everyone had their own lives, and after the initial buzz, hardly anyone mentioned Zhang Banzui again.


    As the Chinese New Year approached, all households, whether rich or poor, had already started preparing for it.


    Those who were better off bought fresh pork and fish to cure, and then smoked it into bacon. Custom-making clothes for children and the elderly was also a highlight of the New Year preparations. The middle-aged parents, the pillars of the family, invariably put themselves last.


    If there was any money left after ordering clothes for the children and the elderly, they would consider buying new clothes for themselves.


    Most women would prioritize getting new clothes for their husbands.


    They felt that the man was the head of the household, the face of a family, who needed to go out and interact with others. If he dressed too shabbily, it was easy to be looked down upon.


    Preparing new clothes, new shoes, smoking fish and meat, pasting cut-out window decorations with red paper, putting up couplets to welcome the Spring Festival, and the thorough cleaning of the house inside and out¡­ every family was busy beyond measure.


    Even the bachelors in the village cleaned the drainage ditches in front of and behind their houses, swept away the cobwebs in the eaves and corners, and washed the starched quilt covers.


    Qin Niu, on the other hand, was practicing with his family against the clock.


    Trivial matters such as cleaning were left to the servants in the family.


    In this period, no more strange events occurred in the village, and Madame Zhao carried on as before, occasionally going out to seduce men. It was unclear what she did with all the money she earned from selling her body.


    Time flew, and one day, as Qin Niu was cultivating in the mountains, he suddenly felt a spiritual calling, as if something in a faraway place was calling out to him.


    A trace of joy appeared on his face as he felt a slight stir in his heart.


    He had been so busy with his cultivation these days that he had almost forgotten about the Ink Blade.


    If his sensing was correct just now, his Ink Blade must have completed its upgrade.


    Indeed, when he returned home that evening, he saw Master Ou sitting outside the courtyard in a waistcoat, exposing his strong, muscular arms and carrying a long case on his back.


    The moment Qin Niu approached, the case on Master Ou¡¯s back began to vibrate.


    ¡°Master Ou, why have you come in person? The servants didn¡¯t dare to welcome a guest without permission, making you wait outside is really a discourtesy!¡±


    Qin Niu apologized as he invited the man into the house.


    ¡°I have not failed my mission, your weapon has been upgraded successfully. Although there were some twists and turns during the process, fortunately, it was a success.¡±


    Master Ou entered the room and immediately took the long case from his back and opened it.


    Inside, the Treasured Sword vibrated even more intensely, as if it was about to fly up on its own.


    Qin Niu¡¯s eyes fixed on the Treasured Sword, he reached out to it through the air with a beckoning motion.


    The Treasured Sword swooshed into his hand.


    The moment he gripped it, he felt a blood connection to the Treasured Sword, as if a family member had returned.


    Embedded in the hilt was a dark red ¡®gemstone¡¯¡ªupon closer inspection, it was revealed to be an eyeball.


    Master Ou had said that he would embed a fire monkey¡¯s Fire Eye in the hilt.


    Looking again at the color of the blade, it was a slightly sinister blood-red seeping through the black, faint electric sparks flickering like thin threads over the surface of the blade. Within the blade itself, runes could be glimpsed.


    After the upgrade, the dimensions of the Treasured Sword had increased considerably, both the hilt and the blade becoming thicker and heavier.


    Its weight must have exceeded 140 jin.


    Luckily, Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation had reached the Spirit Qi Realm, which allowed him to wield it flexibly.


    ¡°Master Qin¡¯s cultivation has achieved a major breakthrough, which is truly a cause for celebration! A Treasured Sword for a hero; this sword and you are perfectly matched. The malevolent energy of this sword is extremely powerful. I made many efforts when upgrading it, but in the end, I was unable to resolve its malevolent energy. However, I did manage to suppress its malevolence, so in the future, as long as you are careful when using it, you shouldn¡¯t be led astray.¡±


    Master Ou couldn¡¯t help but reveal a slightly shocked expression when he saw Qin Niu summon the Treasured Sword through the air to his hand.


    It was known that a month ago, when Qin Niu had come to his shop to have the Ink Blade upgraded, he was only at the Innate Realm. Unbelievably, in such a short time, Qin Niu broke through directly to the Spirit Qi Realm.


    And the realm felt quite stable, indicating he had reached the Spirit Qi Realm some time ago.


    Such a demoniac talent, who would have thought he had been cultivating in a rural mountain village all along.


    ¡°I really like it, thanks to Master Ou for putting all his effort into upgrading my weapon. Its strength and limit have been transformed, and I estimate that I can continue to use it in the future.¡±


    Qin Niu held the Ink Blade, turning it over in his hands, his fondness for it growing the more he looked.


    ¡°In the future, there are more than four methods to nourish the sword. First, you can continue using the method you¡¯ve used before. Second, it can grow stronger through the slaughter of living beings, allowing it to drink blood and absorb souls. However, the more it kills, the heavier the malevolence on the blade will be. If you cannot suppress the malevolence, it can easily harm you.


    Therefore, you must be cautious when killing with it.


    But a heavy malevolence is not entirely a bad thing. If you can suppress or refine the malevolence, it could greatly increase the sword¡¯s power. Slaying gods and cutting down immortals beyond its level would not be out of the question.


    Third, it can be immersed in places with abundant fire energy to absorb and grow.


    Fourth, it can be placed in cold and yin places to absorb the yin energy of heaven and earth and become stronger. Be aware that a cold and yin place is not the same as an evil and sinister place. The sword itself has a strong malevolence, which reduced significantly after being reforged, but if it is not nourished properly, its malevolence can easily flourish.¡±


    Well, the Treasured Sword has been returned to its owner, and I too have gained much from reforging it. I must go back and summarize it, striving for a greater breakthrough in my forging skills. Farewell!¡±


    Master Ou had come specially to deliver the Treasured Sword to him.


    ¡°This is your reward for helping me upgrade the Treasured Sword, please accept it with a smile!¡±


    Qin Niu had previously agreed with Master Ou on a price of four thousand Silver Money. Now, seeing how well the Treasured Sword had been upgraded, he directly offered a ten thousand silver note as a token of thanks.

 Chapter 500 - Chapter 500: Chapter 492: Raising Blood Silkworms

    Chapter 500: Chapter 492: Raising Blood Silkworms


    Weapons are of great importance to any Cultivator.


    The successful upgrade of the Ink Blade had resolved a significant issue for Qin Niu. The value of this success was certainly more than ten thousand pieces of Silver Money.


    ¡°Just give me the cost price! Consider it a good karma between Master Qin and myself.¡±


    Master Ou only agreed to accept four thousand pieces of Silver Money, returning the rest, and then gracefully departed.


    Craftsmen like him were known for their eccentric temperaments and straightforwardness.


    As Qin Niu watched Master Ou depart, he suddenly remembered he hadn¡¯t offered him a meal. Holding the Ink Blade, he returned to the courtyard and silently stimulated his Cultivation Power to channel into the blade.


    Hisss!


    A tangible Blade Qi emitted from the edge of the blade. Under Qin Niu¡¯s Cultivation Power, the Blade Qi became more solid, showing signs of turning from Qi into a blade¡¯s edge.


    This was his home¡¯s front courtyard, so he refrained from testing the blade wantonly.


    If he damaged the ground, he would have to find someone to repair it.


    By his estimate, the power of the Ink Blade had increased by at least fivefold.


    Of course, this was also related to his own advancement in cultivation.


    The difference between the Innate Realm and the Spirit Qi Realm was significant. Wielding this blade with Cultivation Power from the Spirit Qi Realm, its power could increase by at least threefold.


    The blade itself had gained at least a twofold increase in power after the upgrade.


    And this was just after the recent upgrade; as long as he continued to nurture it, the power of the Ink Blade would keep increasing.


    ¡°With a good blade, my chances of seizing a celestial fate at the Water and Land Dharma Assembly will increase substantially!¡±


    Qin Niu had been diligently preparing for the chance to obtain a celestial fate in many ways.


    Weapons, cultivation, pets¡ªeverything was continually improving.


    At that moment, the sound of a carriage approached from outside.


    Qin Niu quietly wondered if Master Ou had some other matter and had returned.


    ¡°Master Qin, may I visit you now?¡±


    The voice that came from outside belonged to Steward Yan Qi.


    ¡°Please invite him in!¡±


    Qin Niu signaled Xiao Qing to greet the visitor.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s status was rather special. With many servants now in the house, her position had been elevated.


    She would personally receive only some important guests, as directed by Qin Niu.


    If it were a regular villager, the task of opening the door was generally left to a common maidservant.


    Steward Yan Qi had a certain relationship with Qin Niu. He had established a bond with Qin Niu even before Qin Niu¡¯s rise to success.


    Now, despite Qin Niu¡¯s dauntingly high status, he still treated Yan Qi as a friend in his presence.


    Before long, Yan Qi and the Yan Family¡¯s eldest young master entered.


    ¡°Greetings, Master Qin!¡±


    Nowadays, when the Yan Family¡¯s eldest young master met Qin Niu, he was no longer as casual as before but instead greeted him with great respect.


    Yan Qi followed behind, bending at the waist to offer a respectful bow.


    This was considered a grand salute.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities, please rise! We are all old acquaintances. Please have a seat!¡±


    Qin Niu gestured with his hands for them to sit down, and then the servants presented fragrant tea.


    At last, the Qin Residence had taken on the look of nobility.


    ¡°Master Qin, I borrowed eight thousand pieces of Silver Money from you last time. Now that the end of the year is near, and you never came to press for the repayment. My father has somehow scraped together three thousand pieces of Silver Money, which I¡¯ve brought over. As for the remaining five thousand, I will repay you after some time, along with the interest. Does that sound acceptable to you?¡±


    Young Master Yan must have seldom begged for favors from others since his early years.


    Now that he owes Qin Niu several thousand taels of silver, he has no choice but to bow his head and speak softly.


    ¡°Master Yan and Young Master Yan are truly men of their word! Nowadays, it¡¯s hard to find debtors who keep their trust as you do. Every family has its tough times; this year disasters kept coming, and I deeply empathize with the Yan Family¡¯s plight. I¡¯m not in urgent need of money, so if your family needs to use these three thousand taels, there¡¯s no need to repay me for now.


    Young Master Yan can go back and tell Master Yan not to worry about these eight thousand taels of silver.


    When you have the money, you can return it.¡±


    This year¡¯s gang war has caused many landlords who follow Black Tiger Gang to suffer great misfortune.


    Aside from a few who saw the opportunity early and shifted the risk away, most are tightening their belts to get by.


    The Yan Family faced large penalties for breached contracts because they couldn¡¯t deliver silk on time due to a mass death of silkworms. Then, with no harvest from the fields, they still had to pay the workers¡¯ wages and the land tax.


    Under multiple adversities, their lives were particularly miserable.


    Being able to gather these three thousand taels of silver was already incredibly difficult.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Master Qin. Our family has kept a bit of silver on hand, so please accept these three thousand taels for now. Currently, Black Tiger Gang and Nine Insect Gang have signed a peace agreement. The merchants in Black Tiger City have regained confidence; they proactively approached the Yan Family to renew their store leases and paid next year¡¯s rent in advance. As long as there are no major wars again, I believe the Yan Family can repay the silver by next year¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival at the latest.¡±


    Young Master Yan unwittingly revealed a crucial piece of information.


    Black Tiger Gang and Nine Insect Gang have actually agreed to a truce.


    No wonder he hasn¡¯t seen any warriors suffering from poison seeking Qin Niu¡¯s treatment recently.


    A truce is a good thing.


    War always results in death, and ultimately, it is the common people who suffer.


    Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory has nearly doubled in size, making them the biggest winner of this war. Although Nine Insect Gang lost the original territories of Seven-Star Sect, they managed to invade some of Shennong Sect¡¯s land, making their losses somewhat acceptable.


    After seeing off Young Master Yan, Qin Niu was finally able to have dinner with his wives and concubines.


    After dinner, he went to his study and carefully opened a box on the desk. Inside lay two blood cocoon, lying still.


    Some time ago, after Black Tiger Gang rewarded him with a Blood Silkworm, Qin Niu finally managed to gather a pair.


    He then took out the Blood Silkworm he had snatched from the He Family and began hatching them together.


    Lacking experience in breeding Blood Silkworms, the hatching of the two was very slow.


    Given the great reputation of Blood Silkworms, he believed they definitely could bring him immense benefits. Thus, he looked forward to the silkworms emerging from their cocoons soon.


    To prevent the Blood Silkworms from hatching, the He Family even placed them in a Cold Jade Insect Coffin, effectively freezing them.


    He had thought that simply removing the Blood Silkworm cocoons from the Cold Jade Insect Coffin would allow them to hatch quickly.


    Days passed, and the two Blood Silkworm cocoons showed no sign of activity, still leaving him uncertain about when they would hatch.


    ¡­


    Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, four months passed.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation was progressing at an astonishing pace.


    His Medicine King Technique had now reached the mid-stage of the Spirit Qi Realm, still a considerable distance from the late Spirit Qi Realm. This was despite cultivating under the Ancient Banyan Tree with an abundant supply of medicinal energy to absorb.


    The cold, dark energy that fell from the Ancient Banyan Tree at night also greatly aided the advancement of Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation.


    Even so, his Medicine King Sutra¡¯s power had only reached the mid-stage of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    This showed that after reaching the Spirit Qi Realm, advancing even one minor realm required ten times more time and accumulation.


    The Everlasting Spring Technique successfully broke through to the early stage of the Spirit Qi Realm not long ago.


    Qin Niu was a contented person.


    He had originally thought that with the help of the Ancient Banyan Tree, and maybe one or two elixirs to break through levels, he could easily promote his cultivation to the peak of the Spirit Qi Realm. But in reality, reaching the peak of the Spirit Qi Realm proved much more difficult than anticipated.


    However, that makes sense; every Spirit Qi Realm Expert who reached that level had cultivated for a hundred years, or even two to three hundred years, hadn¡¯t they?


    Qin Niu, not even seventeen yet, had already achieved a mid-stage Spirit Qi Realm cultivation level. Wherever he went, he would be considered an exceptional genius.

 Chapter 501 - Chapter 501: Chapter 493 Housekeeper Xu

    Chapter 501: Chapter 493 Housekeeper Xu


    After his practice of the Medicine King Sutra reached the Spirit Qi Realm, Qin Niu had gained the ability to directly refine the energy and medicinal essence of plants into cultivation power. After advancing to the mid-stage of the Spirit Qi Realm, he acquired a new skill¡ª the ability to directly absorb the stored energy of plants within a hundred-meter radius, quickly replenishing his depleted True Qi.


    Don¡¯t underestimate the limited energy storage of an ordinary plant; the combined energy stored by plants within a hundred meters can be quite astonishing.


    Moreover, he could keep moving and absorbing the energy storage from new plants.


    With this ability, as long as he was in the forest, he hardly had to worry about running out of internal cultivation power.


    This was somewhat like being the King of the Earth; as long as one¡¯s feet stood on the ground, one could continuously draw strength from the earth.


    Initially, he practiced the Medicine King Sutra simply to better identify medicinal herbs and plants; he had never imagined that cultivating this technique to the mid-stage of the Spirit Qi Realm would grant him such an incredible ability.


    Besides the Medicine King Sutra, the special abilities that came with his Everlasting Spring Technique also saw a significant boost after advancing to the early stage of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    Injecting the same amount of Everlasting Spring Technique power into medicinal herbs, their growth rate was visibly faster.


    Another, even more intriguing matter caught Qin Niu¡¯s deep thought.


    In the backyard, there was a clump of Dogtail Grass that he had infused with some Everlasting Spring Technique power five days ago.


    As a result, when he sat down last night in the backyard to practice the Everlasting Spring Technique, he discovered this morning that the Dogtail Grass¡¯s leaves were now facing him.


    It is natural for plants to lean towards the sun; this is not unusual.


    The most typical example is the sunflower, which turns with the sun after blooming. Other plants¡¯ leaves also grow towards the sunnier side.


    But why did that clump of Dogtail Grass face Qin Niu?


    Could it be that it saw Qin Niu as the sun?


    Now, there were a total of over two hundred medicinal herbs planted in the backyard; Qin Niu only noticed the Dogtail Grass leaning towards him, while the other herbs seemed not to have this pattern. He was certain that the Dogtail Grass had never done this before.


    Five days ago, just as his Everlasting Spring Technique advanced to the Spirit Qi Realm, he came back home and, feeling grateful to the clump of Dogtail Grass that had helped him understand the cultivation method of the Everlasting Spring Technique, gave it exceptional care by infusing it with the Everlasting Spring Technique power until it reached its limit.


    Could it be that by infusing it with enough Everlasting Spring Technique power, he caused it to mutate?


    To verify his hypothesis, Qin Niu chose another two medicinal herbs and infused them with the Everlasting Spring Technique power to their limit.


    These herbs were basically low-growing, so even if he filled their stems with Everlasting Spring Technique power, it wouldn¡¯t take much.


    After doing all of this, Qin Niu prepared to observe their changes in a few days.


    The Water and Land Dharma Assembly was drawing nearer by the day, with less than a month left; Qin Niu had already started preparing to attend. He needed to set out for it no later than ten days from now.


    Some of the stronger members of the Black Tiger Gang had already set off for Elixir City.


    However, Qin Niu learned that the true Water and Land Dharma Assembly would be held in Myriad Immortal City, a city directly governed by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    Elixir City might just be the preliminary meeting place.


    The Black Tiger Gang and the Nine Insect Gang had not waged any wars since signing the ceasefire agreement, but both sides still stationed heavy forces on their borders, maintaining a tense atmosphere.


    The Water and Land Dharma Assembly, which occurs only once every ten years, represents an opportunity for all Spirit Qi Realm experts to strive for their immortal fate.


    Therefore, these two factions, hostile as fire and water, maintained an unusual tacit understanding; their leaders cast aside faction affairs and formed teams to rush to Elixir City.


    Gang Leader Xue Qiuhe, Deputy Gang Leader Gongsun Jin, and others had already specially sent an invitation to Qin Niu nine days ago to join them on their journey to Elixir City. However, at that time, Qin Niu had not yet broken through to the Spirit Qi Realm with his Everlasting Spring Technique, so he declined their invitation.


    In his opinion, both of the cultivation techniques he practiced were non-combative in nature, which inherently placed him at a disadvantage.


    If his Everlasting Spring Technique remained at the peak of the Innate Realm, even if he rushed over, he would probably just be making up the numbers.


    It was very likely that he would be eliminated in the first round.


    One must know that there were over a thousand sects, big and small, within the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. Among them were super sects like Fire Cloud Tunnel.


    By then, it would certainly be a gathering of mighty experts, with geniuses swarming like ants.


    ¡°Wan Yan, for the next few days, hand over the important family affairs to Cai Xian, and bid farewell to your father. I plan to set out with you and Xiao Qing to Elixir City to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly seven days from now. Your cultivation has just broken through to the early stage of the Innate Realm. You¡¯re a bit weak now, but it¡¯s still good to go and broaden your horizons.


    Xiao Qing, your cultivation is currently at the late stage of the Innate Realm, which is quite good.


    However, the minimum cultivation requirement for the Water and Land Dharma Assembly is to reach the Spirit Qi Realm. If there¡¯s a chance to seize fortune from the immortals, you must give it your all. If there¡¯s no chance to participate, take it as familiarizing yourself with the procedures, and it won¡¯t be too late to participate in the next one in ten years¡¯ time.


    After all, you are still young, and even in ten years, you will only be eighteen, still extremely young.


    Moreover, I estimate that with your growth rate, plus the boost from the Ancient Banyan Tree, your cultivation could very possibly break through directly to the Immortal Scholar Realm in ten years. At that time, your chances of seizing fortune from the immortals will be much greater.¡±


    Qin Niu began to make arrangements for the departure.


    There were over seven thousand mu of good farmland and more than a hundred shops at home that needed management.


    As for the farmland, there was already a manager, which was Xu Zhenchang.


    To have Xu Zhenchang become the manager of the Qin Residence, Qin Niu really went through a lot of trouble. That time when Xu Zhenchang was pressed by creditors to pay off debts, trying to borrow money everywhere, Qin Niu lent five taels of silver to his wife.


    Li Shuixiang ran to the Yan Family again hoping to borrow money, but she was turned away once more.


    The Yan Family usually seemed quite righteous, but this time, it was not known whether they were tight on funds or simply adhering to the principle of helping only in emergencies, not in poverty, so they refused to lend money to Xu Zhenchang.


    Li Shuixiang had tried to borrow from everyone she could, and as one could imagine, she was still far short.


    After all, the area had suffered from continuous pest infestations last year, making life difficult for everyone, each of them barely scraping by.


    Besides, Xu Zhenchang was only a wealthy farmer, and the significant figures he could associate with were only the likes of Yan Da, the young master of the Yan Family, and the stewards of the Yan Family. As for Qin Niu, if it were not for the fact that they were from the same village, Xu Zhenchang would have had no chance of encountering him.


    In a desperate situation, Li Shuixiang, the woman, made a foolish move.


    Listening to the nonsense of some relative, she actually borrowed high-interest loans in the city.


    Though she managed to clear her husband¡¯s previous debt, the new high-interest loan was not something to be trifled with.


    The proper course of action would have been to cut losses decisively, selling a few mu of their land to pay off the debt, even if the price of land was very low at the time.


    Such a decision might seem somewhat disadvantageous, but it wouldn¡¯t have led to unbearable loss.


    Borrowing money at high interest, the daily interest was a terrifying number.


    If she couldn¡¯t repay on time, there was a high likelihood that she would be forced to sell her children or even Li Shuixiang herself. If it came to that, it would undoubtedly be a devastating outcome for the family.

 Chapter 502 - Chapter 502: Chapter 494: Meeting the Scorpion Demon

    Chapter 502: Chapter 494: Meeting the Scorpion Demon


    ¡°`


    Therefore, a family¡¯s finances should never be lightly entrusted to a woman¡¯s management.


    Unless that woman is very steady and frugal, with considerable wisdom; otherwise, if they act on impulse and support their natal family, they become that legendary ¡°brother-supporting demon¡±.


    Or they might be deceived by someone, fall into a trap, and for the family, it truly becomes a disaster.


    After Li Shuixiang paid the ransom and redeemed her husband, she initially kept it a secret from Xu Zhenchang and didn¡¯t mention the high-interest loan she had taken to save him.


    It was not until after the New Year, when the creditor came to collect the first month¡¯s interest, that Xu Zhenchang learned of his wife¡¯s foolish act.


    But by then, it was already too late for regrets.


    Even if he had known about the high-interest loan the moment he was redeemed, it would likely have been too late.


    Because creditors make their living from high-interest loans, once you¡¯ve signed, they certainly wouldn¡¯t agree to an early repayment by Xu Zhenchang.


    Otherwise, how would they earn any interest?


    The high-interest loan Li Shuixiang took out was for eleven taels of silver, which to the wealthy was just a trifle, not even enough to buy a pretty maidservant or concubine.


    But for the average farmer, it was a huge sum.


    After borrowing for only one month, the creditor demanded two taels and eight maces of silver as interest.


    And this was just the interest.


    High-interest loans really shouldn¡¯t be touched ¨C whoever does, perishes.


    When Xu Zhenchang found out, he was petrified.


    When he approached Qin Niu¡¯s house with a face ashen from crying, his legs were trembling.


    As he entered the courtyard, he directly knelt down with a ¡°thud¡± in front of Qin Niu, begging for his help.


    Xu Zhenchang was more clear-headed than Li Shuixiang, at least he was the village head.


    He sold the three acres of good farmland in his home for eighteen taels of silver to Qin Niu.


    Then he pleaded with Qin Niu to intervene, which ultimately convinced the creditor to agree to an early repayment. In the end, he repaid the principal of eleven taels of silver, the interest of two taels and eight maces, and a penalty of one tael.


    That was because, out of respect for Qin Niu, the creditor agreed to let Xu Zhenchang repay the loan early.


    After clearing the high-interest loan, Xu Zhenchang felt disillusioned and deeply affected.


    At that moment, Qin Niu extended an olive branch, wanting to hire Xu Zhenchang as a steward in the Qin Residence, to be specifically in charge of over seven thousand acres of good farmland. The salary was also quite tempting, a fixed wage of ten taels of silver per year.


    Furthermore, if the harvest was good, there would be additional bonuses.


    Xu Zhenchang calculated that working as a steward for the Qin Residence was much better than renting and farming land from the Yan Family.


    Renting land from the Yan Family to plant crops meant toiling away for a year, only to earn a sum after avoiding insects, floods, and droughts. After removing various expenses, being left with ten taels was considered good.


    If it was a year of disasters, breaking even would already be a stroke of luck.


    Now, being a steward for the Qin Residence, he could earn enough in one year to buy an acre of good farmland. Considering the current price of farmland, where one acre was only six or seven taels, working for two years would allow him to buy three acres of good farmland.


    And this without any of the risks.


    Moreover, managing so many farmers was every man¡¯s dream. Besides, having become a steward in the Qin Residence would greatly elevate his social status.


    Despite his seemingly good relationship with the Yan Family.


    That was only because he was actively being a sycophant to the Yan Family. In their eyes, his status was not much higher than a house slave, even far below a steward like Yan Qi.


    If Xu Zhenchang became Qin Niu¡¯s steward, even the young master of the Yan Family would need to address him respectfully as Steward Xu in the future.


    Having realized this, Xu Zhenchang happily accepted Qin Niu¡¯s offer and went to the Qin Residence the next day to become a farming steward.


    And it must be said, Xu Zhenchang proved to be extremely loyal, and he had quite the knack for managing farmers.


    After all, he was originally a farmer himself.


    Not to mention his agricultural skills.


    If Xu Zhenchang¡¯s farming skills were poor, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to accumulate wealth or achieve prosperity.


    All those talks about hard work leading to riches are but deceptive gibberish.


    In Shuangfeng village, there were many hardworking farmers, and aside from Xu Zhenchang, who had earned some money and made a name for himself, the others remained in poverty, with just enough to get by.


    With Xu Zhenchang as the steward, the Qin Family didn¡¯t have to worry about farming anymore.


    Later on, they could even select some outstanding farmers from among many to become part of the management.


    ¡°`


    By that time, the Qin Family¡¯s cultivation talent team would finally take shape.


    As for the management of over a hundred shops within the city, a suitable candidate had not yet been found. Wang Wanyan had once suggested her father, Wang Furen, manage them, but Qin Niu had not agreed.


    Never employ a relative to avoid poverty, never farm your father-in-law¡¯s land to avoid hunger; this was an age-old good practice.


    Whether it was his father-in-law or the big brother-in-law from the Tang Family, Qin Niu never considered letting them manage the Qin Family¡¯s assets.


    Human nature was what was most difficult to trust.


    If he let them take over now, it seemed convenient, and they were his own people, trustworthy. But if they later embezzled or mismanaged, Qin Niu would have no way to punish them.


    If he had to replace them, there was a high chance he would no longer have a relationship with his relatives.


    Eight or nine out of ten times, they would become his enemies.


    Better to prevent than to mend.


    ¡­


    ¡°Husband, what about me? Are you planning to leave me alone at home?¡±


    Tang Caixian¡¯s belly was already risen as high as a fist.


    When she heard that Qin Niu was going to the Water and Land Dharma Assembly with Wang Wanyan and Xiao Qing, she wanted to join too.


    ¡°The Water and Land Dharma Assembly is quite dangerous, and my strength is still very weak. Especially in a place where the strong gather, I simply don¡¯t have the ability to protect you. If something happened that led to the child in your belly being harmed, we would both have lifelong regrets.


    I estimate that within two months at the latest, Wan Yan, Xiao Qing, and I will rush back.¡±


    ¡°During this period, you can rest at home and nurture your baby. The shop at home and other affairs also happen to be managed by you. I don¡¯t feel at ease leaving these matters to others; you can take my place in handling all matters.¡±


    Qin Niu said reassuringly as he embraced her.


    ¡°Alright then! I will wait for you guys at home.¡±


    She agreed with pursed lips.


    As a mother for the first time, she, like the vast majority of pregnant women, was full of maternal love for the child in her womb.


    The possibility of harming the child in her belly by attending the Water and Land Dharma Assembly was something she could not accept.


    ¡°Cai Xian, during this time I am not at home, if you encounter difficult decisions, you can consult with Tang Yan.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Tang Caixian nodded again in agreement.


    ¡°You all go about your business, I need to hurry and cultivate my insects. I probably won¡¯t come back in these three days.¡±


    After leaving these instructions, Qin Niu went out with his basket on his back.


    The hatching of the two blood silkworms was extremely slow; several months had passed, and they still had not emerged from their cocoons. However, the color of both blood silkworm cocoons had darkened a lot, and the movements inside the cocoons had become much more frequent than before.


    Qin Niu believed that in a few more days, the two blood silkworms would emerge from their cocoons.


    After leaving the house, Qin Niu headed straight for Liu Shengli¡¯s home.


    He saw from a distance that Liu Shengli was saying goodbye to his wife and came out of his home with his hoe on his shoulder. Qin Niu thought to himself, fortunately, he had come early, otherwise, he would have had to go to the fields to find Liu Shengli.


    Liu Shengli and Liu Qing had both become the Qin Family¡¯s long-term laborers, responsible for farming.


    Qin Niu allowed the two men to return home to live.


    Liu Shengli, who couldn¡¯t bear to leave his wife, had agreed with Qin Niu from the start that he would return home to live every day.


    And Qin Niu had agreed.


    Liu Qing¡¯s wife was Madame Zhao, a woman of strange ways and terrifying strength.


    Even now, though Qin Niu was at the Double Spirit Qi Realm, he remained terrified every time he saw Madame Zhao. After witnessing Madame Zhao¡¯s strength that day, he had adopted the strategy of never angering Madame Zhao.


    Allowing Liu Qing to return home every day was also a way of showing goodwill toward Madame Zhao.


    ¡°Shengli, are you preparing to go to the fields to work?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the master! What brings you here? Please, come in and have a seat!¡± Liu Shengli invited Qin Niu into his home.


    ¡°No need to sit. Bring your tools for cutting wood; today, take me to face that scorpion demon in the mountain,¡± Qin Niu instructed.

 Chapter 503 - Chapter 503: Chapter 495: People Die for Wealth

    Chapter 503: Chapter 495: People Die for Wealth


    ¡°Ah¡­ you¡¯re not joking, are you? That Scorpion Spirit is extremely terrifying, and one careless move could mean death!¡±


    Liu Shengli¡¯s face turned pale with fright.


    His wife was equally terrified, spilling the tea she was holding.


    ¡°Rest assured, I know you have a wife and children, and I don¡¯t need you to enter the mountain valley. Just showing me the way will suffice,¡± Qin Niu had heard about the Scorpion Demon from Fire Phoenix early on, but at that time his powers were too weak, so he didn¡¯t dare to investigate.


    For any Insect Master, the temptation of a wild mystical creature is something no one could resist.


    They would certainly try every means to subdue it.


    Qin Niu holding back until now was already acting in an extremely rational manner.


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s not that. I am very concerned for your safety, you are our Shuangfeng Village¡¯s guardian deity¡­¡± Upon hearing that he didn¡¯t have to enter the valley, the tense expression on Liu Shengli¡¯s face visibly relaxed.


    His glib tongue was skilled in speech, and he immediately expressed his utmost loyalty to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Enough, enough, take your woodcutting tools and lead the way! Sister-in-law, rest assured, I will definitely not let your man take any risks. I¡¯m just asking him to point out the road,¡± Qin Niu said, looking towards Liu Shengli¡¯s wife.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Qin, for your compassion! Thank you, Master Qin, for your compassion!¡±


    She was no longer courteous, but repeatedly bowed deeply to Qin Niu.


    Liu Shengli took an axe and two bundles of thick ropes and came out of the house.


    ¡°Wife, take good care of the children at home, I¡¯ll be back after I show Master Qin the way.¡± His affection for his wife seemed quite strong, with a look of reluctance in both of their eyes.


    His wife just bit her thin red lips and nodded vigorously.


    Watching Liu Shengli leave with Qin Niu, she chased out and, leaning on the door frame, shouted, ¡°Master Qin, I entrust my husband to you, please don¡¯t let him enter that mountain valley!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing will go wrong!¡±


    Qin Niu waved his hand and strode forward.


    Liu Shengli led the way in front, but went straight towards a mountain range next to Fire Phoenix Mountain.


    ¡°Is the valley just ahead?¡±


    With the cultivation of the Spirit Qi Realm and his Step-Method Martial Skill, Qin Niu easily followed behind Liu Shengli.


    ¡°After you climb over these several mountains ahead, you can see a very secluded valley. Even in broad daylight, the valley is still very dark, and the trees are particularly lush. The valley is filled with many camphor trees and wild vines, as well as some ancient nanmu trees.


    Stumbling upon that valley was a chance discovery.


    Once, when the eldest young master of the Yan Family was getting married, the Yan Family wanted to make a proper set of furniture for him. At that time, they looked in the city, perhaps thinking the price was too high and not satisfied with the styles, so they planned to use their own carpenters to make the furniture.


    Making furniture themselves could indeed save a lot of money, but valuable timber wasn¡¯t easy to find.


    Especially large, valuable timbers were extremely hard to come by.


    At the time, the Yan Family announced to all the woodcutters in Jade Stream Town that they would pay a high price for nanmu and rosewood. The price they offered was indeed very tempting.


    For nanmu trees with a diameter over three inches, it was one tael of silver per meter. For rosewood trees with a diameter over three inches, it was six mace of silver per meter.


    Our family was very poor at the time, and my brother was already of an age to take a wife. I was still quite young then, just over ten years old. My brother was envious of others who were able to cuddle with their wives in warm beds, and he really wanted to start a family.


    You also know that our Liu Family has been woodcutters for generations, making a living by felling and chopping wood.


    Seeing the Yan Family offering high prices for golden teak and rosewood, my brother¡¯s heart fluttered. Early the next morning, he pulled me aside and whispered to me, ¡°Brother, an opportunity for our family to turn things around has come with the Yan Family paying top dollar for precious timber.¡±


    ¡°Today, let¡¯s go into the mountain and look for golden teak and rosewood. If we find two or three larger trees, the money for both of us to get married will be taken care of.¡±


    At that time, I was still young, only vaguely understanding the matter of getting married.


    However, every time I heard someone ridicule our family for not being able to afford a bride, my heart felt bitter.


    So I followed my brother with our axes and ropes, provisions, and water, and entered the mountain.


    After a tough search, heaven favored the diligent, and we brothers discovered two golden teak trees, one large and one small, outside that valley. The larger one was as thick as an adult¡¯s waist, and the smaller one had a diameter of about four inches. This made us extremely happy.


    My brother was even more ecstatic, his face flushed with excitement as he vigorously patted my shoulder and said with an intense fervor I¡¯d never heard before, ¡°Brother, we¡¯ve got enough for four marriages now. I¡¯m twenty-one now and still haven¡¯t taken a wife, haven¡¯t even touched a woman¡¯s hand; the nights are truly lonely! Life is too hard for a man without a wife. I will never let you suffer like that.¡±


    ¡°The moment you turn fifteen, I¡¯ll immediately have a matchmaker find you a beautiful girl.¡±


    Reminiscing about these past events, Liu Shengli¡¯s face showed an unprecedented tenderness, while tears slid down his cheeks.


    Who would have thought that the shrewd and businesslike Liu Shengli could also be so sentimental?


    It¡¯s clear that he had a deep bond with his brother.


    Qin Niu only knew that Liu Tieniu had been short-lived, having heard he was injured while chopping wood in the mountains, and after lying at home for a few days, he died. The specifics of his death, the Liu Family never shared with outsiders.


    At the time, Qin Niu was only four or five years old and understood nothing.


    He spent his days following the older children, playing in the mud.


    Looking back now, Liu Tieniu¡¯s death was related to that incident with the golden teak trees.


    They were just ordinary men; facing a Scorpion Demon, anyone could guess the outcome with their toes.


    ¡°We rushed to the two golden teak trees with our axes, full of excitement. But just as we reached the trees, I quickly spotted a rusty axe lying there. Clearing the dead leaves on the ground surface, we found a decomposed skeleton.¡±


    I was so scared at the time that I nearly wet my pants.


    My brother was also quite frightened.


    He quickly realized the danger and deliberately made up an excuse for me to wait for him at a distance. I was also foolish at that time; he told me to stand on the mountain peak opposite and keep watch for him, to alert him immediately if anyone approached.


    The smaller golden teak tree was felled without any mishaps, and everything went smoothly.


    After it fell, my brother dragged it about two or three hundred meters from the valley before calling me over to help.


    We transported that golden teak tree back home.


    Taking it to the Yan Family, after measuring its length at just over five meters, it indeed sold for five taels of silver.


    Earning five taels of silver in one go, my brother and my parents were especially pleased.


    The very next day, the three of us went into the mountain together, planning to cut down and bring back the larger golden teak tree.


    The larger and more precious the timber, the more valuable it was. The tree we sold yesterday, which had a diameter of less than four inches, fetched five taels of silver, so this larger one could definitely sell for twenty or thirty taels.


    My father and brother worked on cutting the tree, while I was once again arranged by my brother to stand guard on the opposite mountain peak.


    In the beginning, everything went smoothly, but right after the big tree was felled, I heard my father scream and then shout to my brother, ¡°Tieniu, run fast, this beast is fierce!¡±

 Chapter 504 - Chapter 504: Chapter 496 The Unkind Yan Family for Wealth

    Chapter 504: Chapter 496 The Unkind Yan Family for Wealth


    Even after so many years, listening to Liu Shengli recount what happened at that time was still incredibly terrifying.


    ¡°I was very scared at the time, not knowing what had happened below.


    From a distance, I could only see a yellow mist rising in the valley, accompanied by the agonizing screams of my dad. I still remember the last roar my dad made before he died, ¡®Take care of your brother and your mom, take this tree back to sell for a wife. Whatever money is left, save it for your younger brother to get married. Your father isn¡¯t very capable; this is the last thing I can do for you two boys.¡¯


    My dad¡¯s roar echoed into the valley.


    Before long, my brother dragged out the felled Phoebe zhennan tree with great effort.


    The Phoebe zhennan tree was considerable in size, the diameter of the tree trunk was at least seven inches if not a full foot. It was very difficult for my brother to drag it by himself, and I was just about to go down to help him when that dreadful yellow mist emerged from the valley.


    Then my brother screamed and fell to the ground.


    After the yellow mist dispersed, I ran over crying to check on my brother who was lying on the ground.


    My brother¡¯s face was pale, but he was not dead.


    He told me that a huge scorpion had attacked him and our father. My dad had already been killed by the Scorpion Spirit, and my brother had just played dead to escape its clutches. His right leg was stung by the Scorpion Spirit.


    Suppressing our grief, we brothers dragged the Phoebe zhennan tree back home.


    As a result, my brother fainted at the doorway as soon as we got home.


    We later discovered that the area where his right leg was stung had turned black and was swollen.


    We called a doctor to treat him, and after examining him, the doctor said the scorpion poison was too severe; the best method would be to amputate the right leg immediately to see if we could save his life.


    At that time, our family was devastated.


    My father died a horrible death, leaving no remains. My brother was about to have his right leg amputated just to stay alive, our well-kept home instantly shattered. Having no choice but to save his life, my brother had his right leg amputated. The doctor prescribed some antidotes for my brother to take orally and apply externally, and only then did his condition start to improve.


    After visiting the doctor, the five taels of silver we had gotten from selling the trees were all spent.


    At this point, my mom thought of selling the large Phoebe zhennan tree to the Yan Family.


    After all, it was obtained in exchange for my father¡¯s life and my brother¡¯s leg. If we could sell it for a good price to the Yan Family, it would be some consolation.


    Little did we know, the Yan Family were as ruthless as dholes, devouring people without spitting out the bones.


    They said they would purchase it for one tael of silver per meter, taking advantage of my father¡¯s death and my brother being disabled, preying on the fact that there was no one in my family to make decisions. In the end, in order to get treatment for my brother, my mother spoke a basket of good words to the Yan Family¡¯s steward, who finally agreed to give one more tael of silver.


    The large Phoebe zhennan tree was sold for nine taels of silver.


    When my brother learned about this, he was furious. His condition worsened that night, he refused to eat or drink, and before dying, he held my hand, trembling he said to me, ¡®Brother, I¡¯ve wronged you, I promised to save the money so you could marry a wife in the future; those nine taels of silver definitely won¡¯t be enough.¡¯


    ¡®After I¡¯m gone, it¡¯s all up to you to take care of the family, make sure to live a decent life and get a wife.¡¯


    It was only then that I learned my brother was refusing to eat in order not to undergo treatment anymore, wanting to save the nine taels of silver for me to get married.¡±


    At this point, Liu Shengli¡¯s fists were clenched so tightly they could wring out water, and his knuckles turned white from the strain.


    He hated the Yan Family for being too crafty, indirectly causing the death of his brother.


    No wonder Liu Shengli never worked for the Yan Family; he had long harbored hatred for them.


    Given what I know about Yan Ruohai, he shouldn¡¯t be so deceitful and heartless. Perhaps this was manipulated by the subordinates.


    Many stewards of large households played both sides for their own benefit.


    For instance, when the Yan Family wanted to purchase valuable timber to make furniture for the eldest young master, they handed the task over to the steward.


    The steward bought a piece of golden-threaded phoebe with a diameter of four inches, offering the lumberjacks one Tael of Silver per meter, as it was the agreed upon price by the Yan Family. Then, when he reported the expenses to the Yan Family, it was very likely one Tael and five Mace of Silver per meter.


    Effectively making a five Mace of Silver profit per meter.


    This incident, however, served as a wakeup call for Qin Niu, who realized the necessity of overseeing his servants in the future. Otherwise, the servants might secretly take advantage and oppress the common people, and ultimately, the common people would blame Qin Niu for their grievances.


    That would be truly unjust.


    ¡°Your family paid such a heavy price for a marriage, which is really unfortunate. Now that you are married with children, your father and brother, if their spirits are in heaven, can rest in peace with smiles on their faces.¡±


    Qin Niu offered his consolation.


    ¡°What else can I do! One must always look forward. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely prevent my brother and my father from cutting down the second golden-threaded phoebe tree.


    Perhaps we should not have been tempted by the Yan Family¡¯s high price for valuable timber.¡±


    Liu Shengli shook his head, a complex expression on his face.


    ¡°Right, that Scorpion Demon has some patterns in its activities. During the day, it rarely comes out. Also, it seldom leaves that valley. Over the years, I have observed it many times and have never found it leaving the valley.


    However, at night, it seems to often go out of the valley to hunt for food. Because I have found traces of animal blood and signs of struggle outside the valley, as well as the remains of eaten carcasses. For example, fur, hooves, claws, tails, and antelope horns, and so on.


    The Scorpion Demon not only feeds on the beasts and birds near the valley, but it seems to eat even insects. I have found that it¡¯s almost impossible to find spiders, caterpillars, or other insects like that near the valley, and even crickets hiding underground are rarely discovered.¡±


    Scorpions have a varied diet, their aggressiveness is strong, and they have a strong sense of territory.


    During the day, they generally hide under rocks or in burrows they dig underground to rest, and only come out to forage at night. The nighttime is when they are most active.


    ¡°Have you been inside the valley?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have! The special fruits I gather are found there. Those fruits cannot be found anywhere else but in that valley where there is only one plant.¡±


    Liu Shengli would gather those special fruits every year to brew fruit wine, and had long since explored the perilous valley numerous times.


    ¡°Do you know where exactly the Scorpion Demon hides?¡±


    Qin Niu pressed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too clear on that. I feel it must be hiding deeper within the valley. When it appears, there¡¯s often some yellow fog. Right, that yellow fog is poisonous¡ªjust a sniff will make one dizzy and give a headache, and it takes a long time to recover to normal. Master Qin, you must be careful when you enter the valley, and be sure not to inhale the yellow fog produced by the Scorpion Demon.¡±


    Demons with more profound abilities often like to stir up white mist, strong winds, yellow fog, black winds, and the like.


    As saints make their entrance, it¡¯s always in a splendid carriage and amid a shower of blossoms from the skies.


    Demons too have their own spectacle and can be said to possess a certain commanding presence when they appear.


    ¡°Once we get to the valley, tell me also about the location where you pick the special fruits.¡±


    Qin Niu wanted to dig up that special fruit tree and take it home.


    Now that his Everlasting Spring Technique had advanced to the Spirit Qi Realm, his special ability to cultivate plants had also grown stronger.


    By planting it in his backyard, it would be much more convenient to pick fruits for winemaking in the future.


    ¡°Master Qin, if you just want to pick those special fruits, I can do that for you every year.¡±


    Liu Shengli¡¯s eyes flickered.

 Chapter 505 - Chapter 505: Chapter 497 Exploring the Valley

    Chapter 505: Chapter 497 Exploring the Valley


    He was clearly making his little calculations.


    The special fruit tree inside the valley held certain value, as he was the first to discover it and had been harvesting it for many years. Now, giving it up to Qin Niu, he might feel like he was getting the short end of the stick.


    But he couldn¡¯t fight against someone stronger than him, as his strength and status were nowhere near Qin Niu¡¯s, so he dared not refuse outright.


    All he could do was play little tricks, using such methods to keep the fruit tree as much as possible.


    ¡°You have this concern, and I am touched. You only have the Mortal Realm First Layer cultivation, and every year you enter the valley to pick those wild fruits, what if the Scorpion Demon discovers you, could you escape?¡± Qin Niu stared at him and asked.


    ¡°As long as I¡¯m careful, it should be impossible for it to discover me. Over the years, I have sneaked into the valley no less than ten times, and it never found out.¡±


    Liu Shengli was quick-witted and must have thought of some ways to avoid the Scorpion Demon.


    ¡°That fruit must be of some benefit to the Scorpion Demon. For you to have been able to successfully pluck the fruit under its watch for ten years and leave safely is no simple feat. Can you share your methods?¡±


    Qin Niu was here this time specifically for the Scorpion Demon.


    First, he wanted to gather some information about the Scorpion Demon¡¯s habits from Liu Shengli. Having this knowledge would give him a better chance when the time came.


    Today, he wanted both the Scorpion Demon and the wild fruit tree for himself.


    The powerful naturally have the right to take and give as they please.


    These important cultivation resources had no reason to be relinquished to Liu Shengli, a mere ordinary farmer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take advantage of you for nothing. If the method you mention is of some use to me, these two ounces of Silver Money will be yours.¡±


    Qin Niu took out two ounces of Silver Money.


    Liu Shengli¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. After glancing at the Silver Money, he looked away, smiling at Qin Niu and saying, ¡°Master Qin, I will surely tell you everything I know, sparing no detail. No need for the reward, serving you is my honor.¡±


    He found that Qin Niu did not like to hear such flattery; his face was already showing impatience, and he dared not waste more words.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually quite simple; I just tie a rope above the valley and slide down. After picking the fruits, I climb up using the rope before the Scorpion Spirit arrives. There¡¯s also a little trick; I only pick a small portion of the wild fruits each time. This way, even if the Scorpion Spirit notices some fruits are missing, it won¡¯t get too angry. Plus, I¡¯ve noticed a pattern; it¡¯s less active on rainy days.


    On sunny days, it moves around the valley quite frequently.


    I¡¯ve secretly observed this many times, and on sunny days, the yellow fog in the valley moves about. But if it rains, especially during thunderstorms, there¡¯s no trace of the yellow fog to be found. I guess it fears the thunder and lightning, so it hides in its cave and doesn¡¯t come out.¡±


    Liu Shengli shared all the experience he had accumulated over the years.


    Who could have thought that an ordinary farmer would have such a clear understanding of the Scorpion Demon¡¯s activity patterns?


    After hearing everything, Qin Niu was generous and tossed the two ounces of Silver Money over.


    ¡°Not bad at all! With your brains, work hard, and I might promote you to a steward for the Qin Family. If your performance is excellent and you¡¯re sufficiently loyal, it¡¯s not impossible for me to make you the butler of the Qin Residence in the future.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Qin, for your generous reward! Rest assured, if you point east, I will not go west; I will definitely do a good job.¡±


    Liu Shengli quickly caught the thrown Silver Money, his face beaming with joy.


    He also took the opportunity to express his loyalty to Qin Niu on the spot.


    Qin Niu nodded and did not say much more.


    An hour later, Liu Shengli brought Qin Niu to the top of the mountain above the valley.


    Standing on the mountain looking down into the valley, trees were lush and green, showing nothing out of the ordinary.


    Yet, this valley was somewhat narrow and long, extending into the depths of the mountain, winding and twisting, and one couldn¡¯t see the end of it.


    The entrance to the valley was relatively spacious.


    If one didn¡¯t know the details, no one would suspect that a Scorpion Spirit was lurking inside the valley.


    ¡°`


    It coiled within this mountainous region, and if a human accidentally strayed into its territory, nine out of ten would be devoured.


    However, when Liu Tieniu was discovered by the Scorpion Spirit, he was only stung and not dragged into the valley to be eaten, a fact that was quite intriguing.


    The vast majority of wild animals have to worry about finding food.


    They only have three issues to address: first is to secure food and drink, second is to solve the problem of reproduction, and third is to avoid being discovered by predators.


    Therefore, when wild animals find food, even if they can¡¯t eat it all at once, they will find a way to drag the food back to their dwelling and hide it for the next meal.


    For instance, ants will transport food into their caves, and cheetahs will hang leftover food on trees.


    Why didn¡¯t the Scorpion Spirit drag Liu Tieniu into the valley at that time?


    If that question were answered, Qin Niu might be able to understand the wisdom or habits of this Scorpion Spirit.


    ¡°Master Qin, I usually attach a rope here and descend, then slide down the rope into the valley. The weather is clear today, the very time when the Scorpion Spirit is most active. Please think it over thrice before you descend!¡±


    Liu Shengli was now tentatively tied to Qin Niu¡¯s interest battleship.


    In addition to working for Qin Niu as a long-term laborer, earning a fairly considerable fixed income, if he did well, Qin Niu promised to make him the steward of the Qin Residence.


    Now with interests entwined, naturally, he did not want Qin Niu to come to harm.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you go back! I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Qin Niu was worried that if he got into a fight with the Scorpion Demon, and in case he was defeated, he wouldn¡¯t be able to protect Liu Shengli.


    After all, the man had a wife and child to support. If something were to happen, Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t know how to explain it to his family.


    ¡°Then, please be careful!¡±


    This time, Liu Shengli didn¡¯t dawdle, and after helping Qin Niu secure the rope, he took off with his firewood knife in a puff of smoke.


    Qin Niu stood at the top of the valley, observing the situation within, and for the moment, no yellow mist was visible.


    He decided to first deploy some Green Ring Worker Bees into the valley to investigate.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    With a pat on the Insect Bag, immediately, hundreds of Green Ring Worker Bees flew out, heading straight into the valley.


    After entering the valley, they scattered about, exploring the area.


    Indeed, as Liu Shengli had said, even a spider was hard to find in the valley.


    The Green Ring Worker Bees spent a great part of the day searching the valley and still could not locate the Scorpion Spirit. Qin Niu was calculating in his mind how he might capture the Scorpion Spirit.


    The valley was the Scorpion Spirit¡¯s domain; it was not only familiar with the terrain, but it likely also had other geographical advantages.


    If it realized it couldn¡¯t defeat Qin Niu and hid in a cave, then capturing it would become difficult.


    For more than four months, Qin Niu had been focusing on cultivating a few of his most important Insect Pets, such as the Termite Ant Queen, Green Silk Worm, Green Demon Bee, and Mirage Insect. He also cultivated other Insect Pets, but they received much less of his attention and resources.


    The Ant Queen was Qin Niu¡¯s first Insect Pet and also the one with the deepest emotional bond.


    No other Insect Pet could replace that special bond.


    Not even Fourth could take its place.


    Back then, when Qin Niu was in an extremely difficult period, without the Ant Queen, there would be no today for him.


    Even now, having achieved success, when lying in bed in the deep of night, he would often remember the desperate gamble of his past.


    As time went on, leveling up the Ant Queen became increasingly difficult.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 506 - Chapter 506: Chapter 498: Imperial Wood

    Chapter 506: Chapter 498: Imperial Wood


    Qin Niu fed it many insects and some special medicinal herbs. Yet, it still remained at Grade Six, unable to advance in level.


    This caused Qin Niu great distress.


    Because the Ant Queen¡¯s level could not increase, the offspring it produced were basically only able to reach Grade Four or Five. This was no longer keeping pace with Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation.


    You see, his true self had now reached the Double Spirit Qi Realm; if his Insect Pet were to keep up with its master, it needed to be at least Grade Eight. If things went well, reaching Ninth Level would be more ideal.


    Just like the Nine Insects Gang Leader, whose Tyrant Demon Spider was already a tenth-level Insect Pet.


    Having tried many methods and expended tremendous resources on it, Qin Niu still couldn¡¯t help the Ant Queen advance, leaving a trace of impatience and anxiety in his heart.


    According to his previous plan, before participating in the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, the Ant Queen should at least reach the Ninth Level to be considered ideal.


    He was a full three levels away from this goal he had set.


    The Queen Bee of the Green Demon Bee was now Grade Eight, barely sufficient.


    But, according to Qin Niu¡¯s character, those he encountered at the Water and Land Dharma Assembly would not only be Spirit Qi Realm Experts but also terrifying entities at the Immortal Master level. To seize a chance at immortality, he needed several cards in his hand capable of eliminating an Immortal Master.


    The Green Demon Bee should have an easier time eliminating those in the Spirit Qi Realm, but the chance of defeating Immortal Master level experts was not great.


    However, now that he had the swarm and had mastered the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation, he might have a slight chance against less capable Immortal Masters.


    Qin Niu had never fought an Immortal Master before.


    That day on the battlefield, however, he did witness the Magical Combat between the Black Tiger Gang Leader and the Nine Insects Gang Leader, both Immortal Masters. These two must have advanced to Immortal Master status not long ago.


    Even so, their combat power was still so formidable that it left everyone feeling uneasy.


    Spirit Qi Realm Experts in front of an Immortal Master were as vulnerable as chickens and dogs made of clay.


    Even the wife of the Shennong Sect Leader, as formidable as she was, failed to withstand a full-powered strike from the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Whether Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee, coupled with the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation, could eliminate an Immortal Master was truly hard to say.


    ¡°Perhaps setting up an Insect Formation outside the valley and luring out that Scorpion Demon, then using the formation and many pets to take it down together would be more secure,¡± he thought.


    He would certainly not summon the Fire Phoenix unless absolutely necessary.


    As a master, he naturally held dignity.


    If he were to frequently call upon the Fire Phoenix for help, it would cause the Fire Phoenix to look down on him.


    He also would not get over that psychological barrier within himself.


    For a man, pride outweighs life.


    Although many people, worn down by society, think that so-called pride is worthless, throughout history, every emperor or general who has achieved greatness has held onto their dignity.


    Han Xin endured the humiliation of crawling between another¡¯s legs and later strived to become a general. Gou Jian slept on sticks and tasted gall, never forgetting his humiliation, eventually building an empire.


    Their success was not accidental; they shared a common trait: valuing their dignity more than life itself.


    The essence of humiliation is the trampling of self-respect.


    This became the driving force behind their determination to succeed.


    Although Qin Niu came from humble origins, there was pride and self-respect in his bones.


    When he subdued the Fire Phoenix, he signed a contract of equality, indicating that the Fire Phoenix inwardly looked down on him.


    He still had a long way to go to truly subdue the Fire Phoenix.


    Of course, if he could thoroughly subdue a supreme being like the Fire Phoenix, he would surely benefit from it for life.


    Since ancient times, dragons, phoenixes, kylins, and fenghuang have been revered as holy beasts and supreme beings.


    Today, Qin Niu sought to rely on his strength alone, without using the Fire Phoenix, to capture the Scorpion Spirit. It was a good opportunity to test his and his pets¡¯ combat abilities.


    Once the Scorpion Spirit was captured, there was hope for the Ant Queen¡¯s advancement.


    According to his experience in insect cultivation, the reason the Ant Queen did not advance, despite consuming so many insects and medicinal herbs, was ultimately that its diet was too ¡®trashy¡¯.


    To ascend to Grade Six, the Ant Queen had eaten a ninth-level insect carcass as well as several from seventh level.


    Thus, for it to ascend to Grade Seven, it had to eat at least a ninth-level insect.


    If the Scorpion Spirit turned into a demon, it would be a tenth-level insect.


    The Ant Queen, if she ate it, could advance to at least Grade Seven.


    There¡¯s also a good chance that she could accidentally reach Grade Eight.


    After arranging the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation outside the valley and checking for errors, he once again turned his attention to the valley.


    It was still eerily quiet, so quiet that it was frightening.


    He had yet to see any yellow fog appear.


    ¡°Could it be that the scorpion spirit has cozied up inside its cave to sleep in today? Or perhaps it¡¯s just stepped out?¡±


    Qin Niu decided to sneak into the valley first to have a look.


    Gently descending into the valley along the rope that Liu Shengli had secured.


    The rope was only about thirty meters long, hardly enough to reach the bottom of the valley. The landing spot was a mixture of rock and soil, with some low-growing plants.


    Liu Shengli had chosen the location well, as there was a sloping path perfect for climbing.


    As Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation was far superior to Liu Shengli¡¯s, he did not need to rely much on external support and swiftly made his way down to the valley floor.


    Indeed, as Liu Shengli had described, the place was overrun with hook vines.


    They climbed everywhere, their long hook-shaped tendrils stretching out.


    The leaves resembled those of the mouse vine, but the two plants were definitely not the same.


    He decided to look for that fruit tree first.


    The light inside the valley was extremely poor, casting a very dark shadow. Sunlight had difficulty penetrating from outside.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Medicine King Sutra had advanced to the mid-stage of the Spirit Qi Realm, allowing him to easily sense the energy inside these plants and the strength of their medicinal aura.


    ¡°These hook vines are a bit strange!¡±


    He found that the medicinal aura of the hook vines was continuous and considerable. It was even stronger than that of the Ancient Banyan Tree.


    Yet the energy inside them was separate.


    Turning to inspect the tall ancient trees, he spotted several valuable Phoebe zhennan trees at a glance.


    The largest one had a trunk so thick that it could be embraced by a single person.


    This was not the deepest part of the valley, at most it was the middle section.


    One could foresee that deeper into the valley there might be even larger Phoebe zhennan trees.


    With the Scorpion Spirit guarding this valley, all the woodcutters who wanted to enter and cut down the Phoebe zhennan trees had all met with King Yama. It was for this reason that so many Phoebe zhennan trees could exist within the valley.


    Besides that, there were also many camphor trees and red-leaf trees.


    Qin Niu also discovered something interesting: the medicinal aura of these Phoebe zhennan trees carried a hint of purple.


    This wood was known as Imperial Wood in ancient times, considered exclusively for royal use, truly having some extraordinary aspects.


    He tried to run the Medicine King Sutra to absorb the medicinal aura from the largest Phoebe zhennan tree.


    No sooner had he absorbed a small amount than he felt the alchemy stove within him spin rapidly, with a wisp of purple aura rising within the stove. He could perceive changes occurring within the alchemy stove, although he couldn¡¯t describe them precisely.


    Perhaps it was because he had absorbed too little of the medicinal aura from the Phoebe zhennan tree.


    Suddenly, his expression changed slightly, and he felt a sudden tightness in his heart. One of the Green Ring Worker Bees he had sent out to scout the valley had just died.


    It had been killed just moments ago.


    It must have been located in the depths of the valley.


    Qin Niu had no time to absorb more of the Phoebe zhennan tree¡¯s medicinal aura; instead, he quickly gripped the Ink Blade and tensed, ready for the Scorpion Demon to approach.


    His Green Ring Worker Bees weren¡¯t especially strong, about Grade Two at best, probably unable to defeat even a slightly more formidable Asian giant hornet.


    But killing them in flight was not easy, and it presented significant difficulty. Ordinary insects couldn¡¯t manage it.


    In this valley, it was likely only the Scorpion Demon could have done so.


    Suddenly, another two Green Ring Worker Bees met with trouble at the same time, both instantly killed.

 Chapter 507 - Chapter 507: Chapter 499: Green Demon Bee Swarm Battles Scorpion Demon

    Chapter 507: Chapter 499: Green Demon Bee Swarm Battles Scorpion Demon


    The Scorpion Demon¡¯s speed seemed much faster than anticipated.


    Qin Niu took advantage of the fact that the Scorpion Demon had not yet arrived and swiftly made his way toward the location of the fruit tree.


    The light inside the valley was very dim, but one could still make out a small, unremarkable tree growing not far away, close to the right side of the valley¡¯s rock wall. From a distance, it looked a bit like a mountain ganoderma tree.


    Many dark green fruits hung on the tree in clusters, almost covering the entire branch.


    Now wasn¡¯t the season for the fruits to mature.


    According to Liu Shengli, these fruits would turn red once they ripened.


    With a warm climate and moist soil in the valley and the mountain bodies on both sides along with dense trees serving as cover, even if frost fell outside, it would hardly harm the plants within the valley.


    As of now, Qin Niu had cultivated his Everlasting Spring Technique to the Spirit Qi Realm, which enabled him to better enhance the vitality of plants and make them grow faster.


    Therefore, he was not worried that this fruit tree would die.


    As for exactly what kind of fruit tree this was, he still needed to go back and flip through the Plants Illustrated Handbook again.


    To lure the Scorpion Demon out of the valley, digging up this fruit tree was the best method.


    He had long anticipated this.


    The Scorpion Demon certainly knew that the fruits of this tree had great medicinal effects, as it should have been eating them for many years. Now by digging up the tree, it would be like taking its treasure away, which would surely enrage it.


    The angrier it became, the easier it would be for Qin Niu to draw it out of the valley.


    Just as Qin Niu had dug out the fruit tree, which was about two meters in height, a rolling mass of yellow fog quickly approached him from not far ahead. There were also ¡°sizzling¡± sounds accompanying it.


    It sounded a bit like electricity, but not entirely.


    ¡°Fiend, cease your violence! It¡¯s just a wild fruit tree grown in the mountains, there for anyone to harvest.¡±


    Qin Niu walked away carrying the fruit tree.


    Now, his Misty Rain Elusive Step had reached a high level of mastery. Although it was not yet perfect, the skill already granted a considerable bonus effect. His speed could be increased by 70%, and his agility by 40%.


    Running and dodging were extremely practical.


    From afar, he appeared like a wisp of residual smoke, fleeting and erratic, vanishing and reappearing intermittently.


    If he could further improve and perfect this martial skill, he believed that his speed and agility would advance even further.


    The yellow fog rolled, sweeping up leaves and grass, relentlessly pursuing him from behind.


    Along the way, it tore through everything in its path, unstoppable.


    Qin Niu discreetly observed and gained some understanding of the Scorpion Demon¡¯s strength. Its power was much weaker than that of the Fire Phoenix, probably about on par with the Crow Demon subordinate to the Fire Phoenix.


    Based on this reasoning, the Scorpion Demon¡¯s grade should still be ten.


    Had it been like the Fire Phoenix, reaching grade twelve, Qin Niu would definitely have fled for his life at once, even summoning the Fire Phoenix to fight.


    But against a grade ten Insect Demon, he still held some confidence.


    With the mystique of the Misty Rain Elusive Step, he fled in one breath to where he had left the rope.


    Grabbing the rope, he made a few leaps and exited the valley.


    The yellow fog behind him paused slightly before quickly resuming its pursuit of Qin Niu.


    The Scorpion Demon already possessed a certain level of intelligence, and it must have been hesitating just now, also wary of an ambush.


    Almost all wild animals have a habit of diligently managing their own territory and nests. It¡¯s rare for insects or wild beasts to leave their own domain to attack other creatures.


    Scorpions are on the more timid end of the spectrum.


    They typically only move at night and prey on small insects. Scorpions rarely initiate attacks on insects or animals larger than themselves.


    Only when attacked or when their nests are invaded do they fight back vigorously.


    Qin Niu had once slain a scorpion larger than a millstone.


    What left the deepest impression on him were the scorpion¡¯s shell and the long tail that arched over its body.


    As for the scorpion¡¯s double claws, they¡¯re actually not very powerful.


    They¡¯re much weaker than a crab¡¯s or a lobster¡¯s pincers.


    The scorpion¡¯s most formidable means of attack should be its tail. It¡¯s segmented like bamboo, constructed joint by joint, not only strong and powerful when attacking but also extremely flexible when it turns.


    In ¡°Journey to the West,¡± even the Buddha was once stung by the Scorpion Spirit.


    Sun Wukong was also stung.


    Afterwards, they both described a similar experience, ¡°I had no idea what that monster did, but all I felt was a sudden excruciating pain on my head, and before I knew it, I had fallen for its trick.¡±


    It shows that the Scorpion Spirit¡¯s sting is far mightier than that of honeybees or wasps.


    When it stings its enemies, it attacks faster than a snake.


    Those who have been bitten by venomous snakes might have had a similar experience. All you feel is a sudden prick on your foot, and when you look down, you find nothing there but two tiny puncture wounds on your foot.


    When a scorpion attacks with its Poison Stinger, it¡¯s even faster than a venomous snake.


    After Qin Niu escaped the valley, he found the yellow fog rolling behind him, relentlessly in pursuit, and felt a secret joy in his heart. Once it entered the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation, he knew it would be doomed.


    Just then, the yellow fog suddenly sped up. Qin Niu also pushed his speed to the limit, and in an instant, charged into the pre-arranged ambush.


    In the end, the Scorpion Demon¡¯s intelligence was just a little lacking; it never suspected that this human could be so cunning and would have set up an ambush beforehand.


    It plunged headlong into it.


    ¡°Activate the formation!¡±


    At Qin Niu¡¯s command, the mightiest Green Demon Bee swarm was the first to form the formation successfully.


    Green Demon Bees can fly, and their maneuverability is virtually invincible.


    They arranged themselves into the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation almost instantly.


    Don¡¯t think that there are few Green Demon Bees; in total there are just over a hundred, but each one possesses a suffocatingly powerful strength.


    Especially after the Green Demon Bees advanced to Grade Eight, their Breeding Skill evolved and allowed them to split and reproduce directly.


    A bit akin to viruses replicating themselves.


    Moreover, the offspring bees that split off are the same grade as the mother bee, with identical abilities.


    The only difference is that the offspring bees do not have the ability to reproduce further.


    Additionally, since this mode of reproduction eliminates the need for the offspring bees to level up, the mother bee consumes significantly more energy when gestating bee eggs, and the process takes longer than before.


    This is also why, in nearly half a year¡¯s time, Qin Niu has only managed to gather just over a hundred Green Demon Bee offspring.


    As the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation was established, the Scorpion Demon was directly trapped inside the Insect Formation.


    However, this Insect Formation was not a trapping formation; its main purpose was to greatly enhance each insect¡¯s combat power. It¡¯s like combining the strength of all insects through the formation.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    Qin Niu pointed towards the yellow fog, and the Green Demon Bees ferociously charged into the fog.


    They were absolutely obedient to Qin Niu¡¯s commands.


    Plus, Green Demon Bees are inherently ferocious and extremely fierce by nature, warlike and bloodthirsty, born to battle.


    They are even more ferocious than honeybees or War Bees.


    Over a hundred Green Demon Bees charged into the yellow fog like a tornado, fiercely attacking.


    The Scorpion Demon showed some ability as well, emitting continuous hissing sounds.


    One could tell the Scorpion Demon was probably at a disadvantage, as the yellow fog was gradually dissipating.


    This yellow fog seemed poisonous. Qin Niu sniffed it twice and detected a very particular pungent, fishy smell that made one¡¯s head spin.


    However, his body contained the Black Spider Gu, regarded as the nemesis of all poisons.

 Chapter 508 - Chapter 508: Chapter 500 Killing Demons So Easily

    Chapter 508: Chapter 500 Killing Demons So Easily


    In an instant, the poison that had infiltrated his body was completely cleansed by the Ink Blade Gu.


    ¡°Master, this scorpion poison is really good stuff, I haven¡¯t eaten such powerful venom in a long time.¡±


    The Ink Blade Gu communicated with Qin Niu through Divine Sense.


    It seemed very excited, like a child who had tasted fresh delicacies for the first time.


    ¡°Since you like it so much, then absorb a bit more.¡±


    Qin Niu directly released the Ink Blade Gu from his body, allowing it to absorb the yellow mist on its own.


    However, he kept a close watch on it, mainly worried that the Scorpion Demon would kill it.


    The fierce battle was still ongoing; the yellow fog produced by the Scorpion Demon was quickly dissipating, gradually revealing its true form.


    What a creature, it was a scorpion spirit as big as a calf.


    Its body was clad in dark brown armor with a metallic sheen, indicating that it was extremely hard to penetrate, impervious to swords and spears. The Green Demon Bees formed an Insect Formation, taking turns to attack the colossal Scorpion Demon.


    On the periphery, a large number of termites, Shadow Fire Bees, and War Bees also set up the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation.


    Having so many Insect Pets work together to form a formation in such a short time of training resulted in the formation not being very flexible.


    Nevertheless, their combined formation was considered a success, significantly amplifying the attack power of the Green Demon Bees.


    The Green Demon Bee Queen was the focal point of the Insect Formation.


    It was on Qin Niu.


    This was also Qin Niu learning from the lesson of that Mysterious Gu Master. The All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation was powerful, but if the enemy spotted the focal point, it would be easy to break the formation.


    By carrying the Green Demon Bee Queen on himself, Qin Niu made it so that the enemy would have to kill him first to break the formation.


    The difficulty of doing so was likely at a hellish level.


    With this strategy, the chance of an enemy breaking the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation he had set up was nearly impossible.


    Unless they managed to kill most of his Insect Pets.


    ¡°Here I was thinking this Scorpion Demon was so strong, but it¡¯s nothing much in front of my swarm of Green Demon Bees.¡±


    Through actual combat, Qin Niu gained a clear understanding of the true combat strength of the Green Demon Bees and the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation.


    This Scorpion Demon was so large; it had to be at least Grade Ten or above. Yet, under the relentless attack of over a hundred Green Demon Bees, it was reduced to only being able to defend.


    If the Scorpion Demon had no other tricks up its sleeve, its defeat was just a matter of time.


    Its gigantic scorpion tail struck fiercely at the Green Demon Bees attacking it, but to no avail as they were too fast and seemingly unperturbed by the scorpion poison, handling it with ease.


    These were only Grade Eight Green Demon Bees. If they were upgraded to Grade Ten, their combat power might be strong enough to kill an Immortal Master easily.


    ¡°Planning to run away?¡±


    Qin Niu watched as the Scorpion Demon, clearly no match for the swarm of Green Demon Bees, frantically tried to escape.


    Did it think that after being lured out of the valley by Qin Niu, it could simply run away?


    The Ant Queen and Green Demon Bees¡¯ upgrade depended on this very Scorpion Demon.


    Before this, if Qin Niu had found the Scorpion Demon¡¯s strength to be noteworthy, with standout abilities, he would have considered taking it in. But having seen its performance in battle, he could only describe it as mediocre.


    This was just an ordinary scorpion spirit. Perhaps due to good fortune or an exceptional talent for cultivation, it had managed to become a demon.


    The Scorpion Demon¡¯s attempts to break free were all thwarted by the Green Demon Bees, and its yellow fog was almost completely depleted, suggesting it was on its last legs.


    At that moment, the Scorpion Demon suddenly started spinning in place, and its turning speed grew faster and faster.


    Upon seeing this, Qin Niu immediately sensed trouble ¡ª it was likely about to use a life-saving measure.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    He was worried that delaying could lead to complications, so he decided to make his move without hesitation.


    Now was not the time for playing cat and mouse. Otherwise, the situation could easily turn into the mouse playing with the cat.


    If the Scorpion Demon managed to escape back into the valley, finding it again would be difficult.


    The Ink Blade had not been officially used in combat since its upgrade.


    Right now, Qin Niu gripped the Ink Blade and slashed at the Scorpion Demon.


    The blade Qi that was several inches long was highly condensed, and near the edge of the blade, a slight blade light had formed. This slash was executed brilliantly.


    A faint black line appeared in the air in front of the blade Qi.


    This was the Rupture effect.


    The Scorpion Demon was rapidly twirling its body, attempting to deploy a life-saving measure to escape, but it sensed the human with the blade charging to strike without having made a move previously. It could feel the threat of death looming.


    Out of fright, it hastily raised its tail to block.


    Bang!


    The tail of the Scorpion Demon was easily severed, and it let out a ¡°squeak¡± of agony.


    The momentum of the blade was relentless, mercilessly striking its carapace.


    Bang!


    Once again, a thunderous slashing sound resounded as its carapace was split open, and pale yellow blood began to ooze out.


    The Scorpion Demon emitted another pitiful shriek, for it was severely wounded.


    ¡°How is a demon any different? It¡¯s just like this!¡±


    Qin Niu found that after the Ink Blade had tasted blood, it became exceptionally excited, its blade trembling slightly and emitting a deep sword cry.


    A massive wound had been gouged into the Scorpion Demon¡¯s carapace; it struggled only a few times before its demonic energy began to dissipate. The Green Demon Bees were instinctively wanting to devour the Scorpion Demon¡¯s body.


    Qin Niu hastily halted them.


    Once the Scorpion Demon was dead through and through, a wisp of black air was absorbed by the Ink Blade.


    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, that should¡¯ve been its demonic soul.


    The Ink Blade, having absorbed a demonic soul, seemed thoroughly satisfied. The blade trembled violently as sparks danced across it.


    Its power also visibly increased a great deal.


    ¡°With my current strength, to kill an insect demon was unexpectedly so simple. Doesn¡¯t it mean that I already have the ability to slay the Tyrant Spider Demon that belongs to the Nine Insects Gang Leader?¡±


    Qin Niu weighed the notion in his mind.


    On this trip to Elixir City to seek fortunes with immortals, he was bound to encounter the Nine Insects Gang Leader. If conflicts arose by then, as long as someone could hold her off, Qin Niu would be able to seize the opportunity to kill her spider demon.


    He slapped the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag, and a ray of white light emerged, directly sweeping the colossal corpse of the Scorpion Demon into the bag.


    This Insect Bag was definitely a treasure of the immortals.


    The only drawback was that it could only take in insects. Other objects could not be stored inside the Insect Bag.


    ¡°First, go back and feed the body of the Scorpion Demon to the Ant Queen, plant this fruit tree in my backyard, and come back tomorrow to explore this valley.¡±


    Qin Niu was truly delighted in his heart after having successfully slain the Scorpion Demon.


    This type of top-tier resource for breeding insects was limited; he could not afford to share it evenly. He only planned to use it to feed the Ant Queen and the Green Demon Bee Queen.


    With the Water and Land Dharma Assembly approaching, he must focus resources on cultivating the two most important insect pets.


    One crawled on the ground, and the other flew through the air.


    With these two queens, Qin Niu would be able to continuously breed a large number of Termites and Green Demon Bees.


    In only about half an hour, he arrived in front of the Ant Nest.


    Now, within this whole mountain territory, he truly felt as easygoing as if he were strolling through his own backyard.


    He was pondering, if the Scorpion Demon fed to the Ant Queen and the Green Demon Bee Queen had good results, should he also slaughter the Rat Demon?


    The exterior of the Ant Nest looked no different from before.


    But Qin Niu was well aware that the Termites had excavated a vast and deep nest underground.


    The Ant Queen had also moved several times.


    This time for his long journey, he was considering whether to take the Ant Queen with him?


    After all, the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag had the capacity for this.


    No matter how many insects there were, it could fit them all. Moreover, insects could maintain a very ideal state inside the Insect Bag.


    After careful consideration, he ultimately dismissed the idea of taking the Ant Queen with him.


    Letting it stay entrenched in this mountain territory, continually managing the entire ant colony, might be better.


    ¡°Fourth, lead the Demon Ants to work. Your task is to consume the Scorpion Demon¡¯s body and then feed it to the Ant Queen.¡±


    After retrieving the Scorpion Demon¡¯s corpse from the Insect Bag, Qin Niu cut it into two with a single stroke.


    At that moment, a bead the size of an eyeball appeared within the corpse, close to the section near the Scorpion Demon¡¯s head.


    ¡°An inner core! I almost forgot about this!¡±


    Qin Niu was pleasantly surprised.

 Chapter 509 - Chapter 509: 501

    Chapter 509: 501


    The volume of this inner core was quite large; using it to refine elixirs to enhance one¡¯s own cultivation or to feed insect pets was a good choice.


    There is actually a significant difference between the inner cores of demon beasts and demon insects.


    If intended for human consumption, neither type of demon core could be swallowed directly; one needed to find a Pill Alchemist to refine them into elixirs before they could be taken. The failure rate of refining any demon core into an elixir was considerably high.


    Don¡¯t think that the time when Qin Niu successfully refined the Pig King¡¯s inner core into a Boundary-breaking Elixir wasn¡¯t a stroke of luck.


    Even for Master Zi Zhou, the highest skilled alchemist in Miaodan Pavilion, the success rate of refining a Demonic Beast Inner Alchemy Elixir was only around 30%.


    Qin Niu had already reached the Spirit Qi Realm in his cultivation, but to break through to the Immortal Scholar Realm, he was still far from ready.


    Last time he barely managed to avoid failure when he took the Mirror-Breaking Elixir to break through to the Innate Realm; now, to think of using a Boundary-breaking Elixir to break through to the Immortal Scholar Realm was out of the question. Based on his experience breaking through the Spirit Qi Realm, the best method was to cultivate to the peak of the current realm and then rely on the power of an elixir at a critical moment to break through in one fell swoop.


    Otherwise, it would just be a waste of the precious Boundary-breaking Elixir.


    Since he didn¡¯t need the Boundary-breaking Elixir for now and the success rate of refining such an elixir was extremely low, it would be better to keep the Scorpion Demon¡¯s inner core to cultivate insect pets.


    The inner cores of demon beasts could be swallowed directly by beast species.


    The inner cores of demon insects could be feasted on directly by insect species.


    However, beast species could not directly consume the inner cores of demon insects. Conversely, insect species also could not feast on inner cores of demon beasts.


    It was already quite difficult for insect species to become demon insects, which made the inner cores of demon insects exceedingly rare.


    Thus, the Scorpion Demon¡¯s inner core appeared even more precious and scarce.


    Qin Niu was considering whether he should feed the Scorpion Demon¡¯s inner core to the Ant Queen or use it to nourish the Green Demon Bee Queen.


    Scorpions, being venomous reptiles, were closer to Termites.


    Letting Termites consume the Scorpion Demon¡¯s inner core would definitely yield a higher benefit.


    The Ant Queen was Qin Niu¡¯s first insect pet, and it had never disappointed him, having contributed enormously to his rapid rise.


    After consuming the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, it had directly transformed from an ordinary Termite into a Four-Winged Yin Ant.


    This also meant it had completed its preliminary leap from being a carp to leaping over the dragon gate.


    Its growth potential was incalculable.


    Whether out of affection or considering the Ant Queen¡¯s growth potential, Qin Niu decided to prioritize cultivating it.


    Even though it was currently much weaker than the Green Demon Bee, its ability to explode into soldiers was hard to rival; if not unmatched in the three realms, it was at least second to none.


    Once the Ant Queen one day grew to be a Grade Eight insect, it was uncertain whether the Green Demon Bee would still be a match for it.


    Having made up his mind, Qin Niu stored the Scorpion Demon¡¯s inner core.


    The corpse of the Scorpion Demon was split evenly between the Ant Queen and the Green Demon Bee King. The Scorpion Demon¡¯s inner core, however, was reserved for the Ant Queen¡¯s sole consumption, hoping to use it to help the Ant Queen advance its level.


    ¡­


    Five days later, half of the Scorpion Demon¡¯s carcass had been thoroughly devoured by the Ant Queen.


    After all, it was an egg-laying machine that consumed an astonishing amount of energy daily. With an open supply, it had eaten the equivalent of half a calf in five days.


    Having consumed so much, it finally showed signs of advancing to the next level.


    Early on the sixth day, Qin Niu sensed something unusual about the Ant Queen, and the ant colony became restless as well.


    He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but after hurrying over to check the Ant Nest, a smile appeared on his face.


    It was a good sign.


    The Ant Queen was about to advance.


    Qin Niu was capable of remaining patient; after checking, he went straight into the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze to cultivate.


    By late afternoon, the Ant Queen¡¯s upgrade was complete.


    Qin Niu immediately checked the Ant Queen¡¯s attributes.


    It had evolved from a Grade Six to a Grade Seven female Four-Winged Yin Ant.


    ¡°Strike while the iron is hot, give it another push!¡±


    Qin Niu stopped cultivating and walked out of the Ancient Banyan Tree Maze. He went to the Ant Nest, took out a Scorpion Demon inner core, let Fourth and the Demon Ants devour it, and then fed it to the Ant Queen.


    After feeding the Ant Queen, Qin Niu returned home. As he passed through the backyard, he subconsciously checked on the Green Demon Bee King.


    More than half of that Scorpion Demon¡¯s body had been eaten by the Green Demon Bees.


    Compared to the Ant Queen, the Green Demon Bee seemed to have a much smaller appetite.


    The Ant Queen had a very strong digestive ability, which the Green Demon Bee lagged far behind.


    At this moment, the Green Demon Bee King was still incessantly munching on the Scorpion Demon, with black qi continuously emerging from its body. If the Green Demon Bee could ascend to the Ninth Level, that would be marvelous.


    Qin Niu¡¯s confidence in attending the Water and Land Dharma Assembly increased yet another notch.


    After checking on the Green Demon Bee, he went to the herb garden. The veins on the Dogtail Grass seemed to have turned a deeper shade of purple, its roots and stems had become thicker, and its vitality was even more tenacious than before.


    After dinner and a bath, Qin Niu proceeded to practice the Everlasting Spring Technique in the backyard.


    He observed the reactions of various medicinal herbs in secret.


    Days before, he had specifically selected two herbs and infused them with a sufficient amount of Everlasting Spring Technique¡¯s cultivation power. Six days had passed, and these two plants did not exhibit any special abilities.


    It was only the Dogtail Grass that still regarded him as the sun. Wherever he sat to cultivate, the Dogtail Grass would turn towards him.


    Also, he noticed that the Dogtail Grass seemed to be able to express some ¡¯emotions¡¯ through its leaves.


    For example, when Qin Niu cultivated the Everlasting Spring Technique next to it, the Dogtail Grass absorbed some of the diffused energy, which made it comfortable and grow faster. Thus, it would joyfully sway its leaves up and down.


    When Qin Niu intentionally moved away to cultivate where the grass could not reach, its leaves and even the entire stalk would desperately stretch towards the direction of Qin Niu.


    ¡°It seems this Dogtail Grass has truly undergone some mysterious changes!¡±


    Qin Niu mused to himself.


    It used to be like a dumb piece of wood, just quietly growing. Now, it¡¯s like it has gained sentience and expresses its feelings or needs through the movements of its leaves and stems.


    ¡°Could it be that it has gained a form of intelligence?¡±


    Qin Niu was inwardly shaken by this possibility.


    If it were true, then the Everlasting Spring Technique would definitely be a top-tier cultivation technique. Because it meant that with his current level of cultivation, he could directly enlighten plants and help them awaken their intelligence.


    Although plants and stones can cultivate, the ones that transform into spirits are extremely rare.


    They are actually the most abundant in nature and possess a long life that animals envy. However, they also have an inherent weakness¡ªplants may have life, but they lack intelligence.


    Even a butterfly or a caterpillar knows to hide from enemies.


    Or even feign death to save their life.


    This shows they possess simple cognitive abilities.


    But plants have a hard time developed such cognitive skills; they only know how to grow in silence, competing with their peers for sunlight and nutrients, instinctively rooting deeper or spreading further.


    Then they bloom and bear fruit, reproducing offspring, year after year.


    If plants were to have intelligence like animals, then they would certainly dominate the world, not humankind.


    If Qin Niu¡¯s Everlasting Spring Technique could indeed enlighten plants, wouldn¡¯t he be able to create spirits en masse?

 Chapter 510 - Chapter 510: 502

    Chapter 510: 502


    ¡°`


    Spirit creatures generally have straightforward thinking and are inherently kind, making them easy to control.


    If he could create a large group of spirit creature subordinates, his power would surge. His desire to build a secure lair would also be realized more quickly.


    At this thought, he immediately infused several herbs with the Cultivation Power of the Everlasting Spring Technique until they reached their limit of endurance before stopping.


    Lying in bed, holding his delicate wife, his mind was still pondering the matter of awakening the herbs.


    If there were a second herb among those that had been awakened, then it would mean that the Everlasting Spring Technique he was practicing truly possessed the ability to awaken plants, helping them to open their spiritual intelligence.


    If no other herbs were awakened, then it would mean that the Dogtail Grass was very special, and it had fortuitously achieved spiritual intelligence.


    This was also a stroke of fortune for it.


    ¡°Husband, are you preoccupied with something?¡±


    Wang Wanyan lay her head on one of his arms, resting on his firm chest, the two appearing very much in love.


    In truth, since their marriage, Qin Niu had always doted on his wives, and the feelings among the three were excellent. They had never quarreled, let alone had any conflict.


    ¡°In less than ten days, we will be setting off for Elixir City to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. I¡¯m a bit worried that the competition will be too fierce, and we will end up mere also-rans. If any one of us can seize an opportunity for Immortal Fate, our Qin Family will be able to rise even faster.


    Do you know?


    From the day I secretly fell in love with you, I¡¯ve been thinking that I must protect you well in the future.


    But in this cruel world, without strength, all is but empty talk.


    I come from humble beginnings, without advanced Cultivation Techniques or a distinguished family background. To reach today, I¡¯ve fought alone every step of the way. Don¡¯t look now, as our family has become the strongest presence in Jade Stream Town, and we even fear no one in the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s territory. But in front of those truly top-tier powerhouses, we¡¯re no different from ants.


    They can make us live or die at their whim.


    I do not like this feeling of having my fate controlled by others.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke with his wife, sharing his pillow talk.


    Many of his true feelings, he never revealed to others. However, after marriage, as his affection for Wang Wanyan and Tang Caixian deepened, he would often share some of his inner thoughts with them.


    But as men are, they tend to share only the good news, not the bad.


    In front of their wives, few are willing to admit weakness. They would not talk about the grievances they faced outside either.


    ¡°Hehe, so you had a secret crush on me long ago, husband?¡±


    ¡°A gentleman loves the fair lady. You¡¯re so beautiful and kind-hearted, any normal man would like you! Besides, you always brought me food and even gave me money, who could resist that? I unknowingly developed a liking for you.¡±


    Qin Niu admitted frankly.


    He had already secretly fancied his neighbor, Wang Wanyan, at about the age of fourteen.


    Only at that time, Wang Wanyan was a young mistress of a wealthy family, while Qin Niu was a poor boy with nothing to his name, even if he aspired to be a Wart Toad craving swan meat, he was utterly out of reach.


    The disparity between their statuses was too great.


    It was only later, when his strength and standing increased somewhat, that he dared to act on his inappropriate desires.


    ¡°What if I hadn¡¯t married you? Would you still protect me?¡±


    Wang Wanyan looked up at his face.


    ¡°Of course, I would! I¡¯m not given to much talking, but I always remember those who are good to me. You helped me during my toughest time and never exposed me, protecting my fragile pride. In my eyes, you are a celestial fairy. No matter which man you married, I would¡¯ve silently protected you for life.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke earnestly.


    ¡°Hehe, to tell you the truth, I really didn¡¯t care for those rich young masters or distinguished young heroes; instead, I liked you, a poor boy. Though impoverished, you are noble in character. I often saw you buying and reading used books, and you always had your own ideas about things. I knew then that you wouldn¡¯t always be poor and lowly.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect your rise to be so swift.¡±


    ¡°In just two years, you¡¯ve directly ascended to a height that countless others won¡¯t reach in their entire lives.¡±


    Her eyes twinkled with little stars, and at that moment, she was utterly transformed into an adoring fan.


    ¡°Husband, is fate as an Immortal really that important? I think that our family being together, safe and sound, is more important than anything else. If we miss this opportunity for fate as an Immortal, won¡¯t there be another one in the next ten years? Even if we never obtain it in our lifetimes, isn¡¯t it fine? Living such simple and ordinary lives, I feel quite content.¡±


    Wang Wanyan was subtly advising her husband, not wanting him to push himself too hard.


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to live an ordinary life growing old with their spouses? But this world is far crueler than you imagine. To gain true freedom, one must struggle. Look around at all the myriad creatures of this world, whether humans, birds, insects, or even plants, all need to compete, all need to strive.


    ¡°You are so beautiful, that if I weren¡¯t strong enough, any spoiled young master could easily take a fancy to you and whisk you away to be abused at his whim. And I would only be able to watch helplessly, or be killed by him.


    ¡°A person who wants to become strong must seize every opportunity.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a powerful family to back me up, nor do I have earth-defying talent. I can only rely on myself. I¡¯m already at a great disadvantage compared to those favored by the heavens. If I miss out on some important opportunities, how can I compete with them?


    ¡°If I secure this opportunity for fate as an Immortal, I might have the chance to cultivate to the realm of an Immortal Warrior in a very short time.


    ¡°By then, you, Cai Xian, and Xiao Qing could all benefit from it.


    ¡°Human life is incredibly fleeting; I really want to live forever and always be with you and Cai Xian.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t work hard to become stronger, once our lifespans end, we will quickly fade away.¡±


    Qin Niu had longed for immortality from an early age.


    When cultivating, he had always pursued it as his ultimate goal.


    Wang Wanyan, inexperienced in the ways of the world, still had many thoughts that were innocent and childlike.


    In the end, Wang Wanyan didn¡¯t say anything more, just pressed her face tighter against his chest.


    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.


    Qin Niu had been keeping an eye on the medicinal herbs in the backyard all these days.


    But to his disappointment, he found that only the Dogtail Grass had awakened its spiritual intelligence; although the other herbs were growing faster, they had not awakened their spiritual intelligence.


    After the Dogtail Grass awakened its spiritual intelligence, its growth rate accelerated even more.


    From its increasingly strong medicinal aura and the rapidly increasing energy stored within the plant, it was clear that its progress was improving by leaps and bounds.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity we have to depart for Elixir City; otherwise, I could observe these herbs for a few more days.¡±


    Qin Niu sighed with resignation.


    The Ant Queen had finished consuming the Demon Core, and the energy contained within might have been too terrifying. Since the first day it ate the Scorpion Demon¡¯s inner core, it had stopped laying eggs. It was in a state similar to secluded cultivation.


    By intuition, the chances of it advancing to Grade Eight seemed high.


    It just needed time.


    There was also good news. Fourth had eaten the corpse of the Scorpion Demon and its inner core. Although most of it had been fed to the Ant Queen, it had benefited significantly.


    Indeed, three days ago, it had successfully advanced to Grade Seven.


    All its abilities had grown significantly, and its combat power had more than doubled.


    Some of the Demon Ants had also successfully advanced, while seven or eight had not. Intuitively, the remaining seven or eight were just a bit short of advancing.


    The Green Demon Bee had finished eating the half of the Scorpion Demon¡¯s corpse and its strength had increased significantly, but it had yet to advance.

 Chapter 511 - Chapter 511: 503

    Chapter 511: 503


    It was now a Grade Eight Insect Pet; advancing one more level would make it a half demon. Being inherently much stronger than ordinary insects and belonging to an alien species of heaven and earth, the difficulty of its advancement was naturally much higher than that of other insects.


    Moreover, the energy it needed for promotion was much greater.


    If Qin Niu fed it the Scorpion Demon¡¯s inner core, it might just help it to advance to the Ninth Level.


    Merely half of a Demon Beast¡¯s carcass was somewhat insufficient.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to set out!¡±


    He collected all his insect pets into the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle, Red-eyed Golden Toad, Green Ox were all prepared to be taken along. He decided not to bring the Fire Phoenix, as this supreme bird of heaven and earth drew too much attention.


    Even though Qin Niu had already subdued it as a pet, there were still ways for those powerful beings to snatch it away.


    They could force Qin Niu to dissolve the contract with the Fire Phoenix and then claim it for themselves.


    Even if Qin Niu refused, if the other party killed the Fire Phoenix or captured it, it could still be highly valuable.


    The Phoenix was indeed a treasure all over; from its feathers to its Demon Core and spirit, all were extremely precious items. These could be used for crafting, alchemy, or nurturing pets and were very desirable.


    While seeking for the chance to become an immortal was important, preserving one¡¯s strength was even more vital.


    He had basically seized control of the top resources of the Perching Phoenix Mountain Range¡ªFire Phoenix, Fire Lotus, Ancient Banyan Tree¡ªthese were all top resources.


    Also, in the valley where he last slew the Scorpion Demon, those strange Hook Vines also had some value.


    He was very rational; if he exposed these top resources in his quest to seek for immortal fate, it would definitely be a loss outweighing the gain.


    He had originally thought about slaughtering that Rat Demon before heading to Elixir City.


    In the end, Qin Niu decided to spare the Rat Demon¡¯s life.


    The Perching Phoenix Mountain Range had now become his stronghold, leaving a few Demon Beasts nesting deep in the mountains was not a bad thing. It could deter the local villagers, preventing them from entering the mountains rashly.


    By doing so, he could better guard his secrets.


    He even planned to breed a large number of dangerous insects like Termite, Steel-winged Wild Bee, Shadow Fire Bee in the mountains, in order to increase the dangers of this mountain domain.


    One day, the entire Perching Phoenix Mountain Range would become his forbidden territory.


    The Ancient Banyan Tree Maze could become a secret magical treasure for the old Qin Family to nurture their descendants.


    After securing the insects, Qin Niu went to check on the bee hives above the granary. This colony of bees had mostly gone through their iterations, with the weakest being Green Ring Worker Bees and a large number of War Bees.


    Qin Niu still primarily defined them as honey producers and scouts.


    The entire swarm had a large number of specialized honey bees, which were solely responsible for making honey.


    Within one of the king platforms, what was being produced was honey made from the Ice Lotus pollen.


    Unfortunately, the honey production took a very long time, needing over a year.


    It was not yet possible to collect it.


    That Ice Lotus honey, once brewed, he planned to use for nurturing insects, rather than for his own consumption.


    ¡­


    After lunch that day, Qin Niu took his wife Wang Wanyan and Xiao Qing to Black Tiger City.


    As he said goodbye to Tang Caixian, her eyes were red with emotion, and with her pregnant belly, she insisted on seeing Qin Niu off to the edge of the village and still found it difficult to go back.


    Since Qin Niu had brought her into his home, the two had never been apart for long.


    Now suddenly facing a separation of at least a month, this made her very reluctant to part. She was even more worried about her husband facing danger at the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.


    The journey from Shuangfeng Village to Elixir City was long, and with more than a thousand sects¡¯ powerhouses participating, it was fraught with dangers.


    This departure could potentially be a goodbye forever.


    But for Qin Niu, to become stronger and to seek the path to eternal life, he had to venture out and struggle.


    Tang Caixian could only pray silently at home, hoping her husband would return safe and sound.


    After entering the city, Qin Niu first settled Wang Wanyan and Xiao Qing in a mansion. Before setting off, he still needed to buy some life-saving supplies.


    Talismans were of utmost importance.


    The weapons had been upgraded and needed no further consideration. For armor, he had a complete set of King Pig Leather Armor, which for the time being, would suffice.


    It¡¯s quite difficult to custom-make stronger armor in a short amount of time.


    If I could purchase a decent talisman, like an Earth Escape Talisman or an Invisibility Talisman, it could save my life in a critical moment.


    Before long, Qin Niu appeared at Bei Bing¡¯s Talisman Shop.


    ¡°Bei Bing, long time no see!¡±


    Qin Niu said, greeting her with a smile.


    ¡°Ya ya!¡± The mute girl, seeing him, also showed a face full of surprise.


    She excitedly gestured with both hands for him to sit.


    ¡°Seeing you smile so happily, your grandfather must have returned!¡±


    ¡°Mhm mhm!¡±


    She nodded vigorously, while pointing inside.


    Qin Niu turned to look into the shop¡¯s talisman-crafting room and indeed saw the old man concentrating on making talismans.


    ¡°I¡¯m preparing to participate in the Water and Land Dharma Assembly to seek immortal fate, so I¡¯ll need to leave for quite a long time. I¡¯m worried if you need to find me, you¡¯d make a wasted trip.¡±


    Qin Niu had known her for a long time, and she had only rushed to congratulate him on his wedding day, never having asked him for help.


    On the contrary, Qin Niu had once received an extremely valuable Invisibility Talisman from her.


    ¡°Do you have any high-level talismans for sale? Price is not an issue.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bei Bing called her grandfather out.


    ¡°Young man, you¡¯re going to participate in the Water and Land Dharma Assembly?¡±


    The old man looked at him with kind eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I know you¡¯re highly skilled in talisman making, and I want to buy some talismans from you that can be used to save my life at critical moments. Do you have any?¡±


    ¡°This Invisibility Talisman costs five Hundred Taels of silver money, I don¡¯t have other talismans. You can go to the Dark Talisman Shop and ask.¡±


    The old man took out a newly made Invisibility Talisman and handed it to Qin Niu.


    He seemed not the least bit worried that Qin Niu couldn¡¯t afford it.


    ¡°Thank you, elder!¡±


    Qin Niu received it with both hands, promptly paid the five Hundred Taels of silver money.


    ¡°Do you have any more Invisibility Talismans? I want to buy a few more.¡±


    This time he was taking his wife and Xiao Qing with him to the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, and just one Invisibility Talisman was not enough.


    He needed to buy at least three, one for each person, to feel secure.


    ¡°No more.¡±


    The old man rejected him outright.


    Bei Bing wrote on the side, ¡°My grandfather only made two, and they were not intended for sale.¡±


    Making such special talismans is extremely difficult; the old man only made two, probably keeping one for his granddaughter¡¯s protection and the other for his own use. Now, willing to sell one to Qin Niu was already a special favor.


    ¡°Okay, thank you for your generosity, elder! Then I¡¯ll go check at the Dark Talisman Shop! Goodbye!¡±


    Qin Niu waved goodbye.


    Bei Bing wanted to go upstairs to get something, but her grandfather held her back.


    Knowing Bei Bing as Qin Niu did, if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, she was preparing to give Qin Niu her own Invisibility Talisman once again.


    However, because the talisman is extremely difficult to make and extraordinarily precious, her grandfather, out of protection for his granddaughter, stopped her from giving that Invisibility Talisman away.


    Qin Niu gestured to her with his hand, signaling her not to go against her grandfather¡¯s wishes, and quickly left Bei Bing¡¯s Talisman Shop.


    Arriving at the Dark Talisman Shop, everything was as usual.


    Knowing the shop owner had a somewhat odd temperament, he directly approached the owner, who was busy drawing.


    ¡°Boss, do you have any special talismans like Earth Escape Talismans? I don¡¯t mind if they¡¯re a bit expensive, your talismans are very effective.¡±


    He appropriately flattered the other party.

 Chapter 512 - Chapter 512: Chapter 504 Myriad Beast Gang

    Chapter 512: Chapter 504 Myriad Beast Gang


    It wasn¡¯t entirely flattery, but rather the honest truth.


    The boss continued to carve some strange lines into a large piece of wood. It looked like he was drawing the wind, but it didn¡¯t quite seem like it.


    Qin Niu had asked the boss before if he was drawing the wind, and he had been met with a cold shoulder, not even receiving a response.


    ¡°Please wait!¡±


    The boss said without lifting his head.


    That wait lasted for more than an hour.


    After the boss carved the last fine line, Qin Niu actually felt a breeze emerge from the wood.


    Perhaps it was because his cultivation of the Medicine King Sutra had reached the Spirit Qi Realm that he was able to sense the subtle changes inside the wood.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a failure again!¡±


    However, the boss shook his head and sighed deeply, showing an expression of defeat.


    ¡°If you were drawing the wind, I think you must be close to success. Just now, I sensed a slight breeze inside the wood, but it was very weak and didn¡¯t blow out,¡± Qin Niu said, unable to bear seeing the boss so disheartened and added another comment.


    ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±


    The boss suddenly raised his head, his eyes burning as he stared at Qin Niu.


    An invisible pressure made Qin Niu tighten up, and he found himself unable to move. How strong exactly was this boss?


    Even when Qin Niu faced a Grade Twelve Fire Phoenix, he had never felt such intense pressure.


    Could it mean that this boss was even stronger than the Fire Phoenix?


    Appearances are deceiving.


    Even Shuangfeng Village had hidden dragons and crouching tigers, let alone Black Tiger City.


    After witnessing the strength of Madame Zhao, Qin Niu was no longer the frog in the well of the past. Some powerful Immortal Masters appeared no different from ordinary people.


    The reason he couldn¡¯t discern their cultivation levels was simply that his realm was too low.


    It¡¯s like a group of wealthy people sitting in the same venue; it¡¯s difficult to tell from appearances how rich they are.


    Some multi-billionaires might dress very plainly, looking like ordinary farmers, but in reality, they could be the super-big shots holding the reins of leading enterprises.


    It¡¯s the same with Immortal Masters. Some of them just like to dress up as ordinary people and live among them.


    ¡°With your high level of cultivation, can¡¯t you feel it yourself?¡± Qin Niu countered, indirectly confirming to the other party that indeed a breeze had formed inside the wood.


    ¡°Sorry, it was I, Long, who lost my composure! My cultivation is not weak, but it¡¯s difficult to sense the conditions inside the wood. The cultivation technique you practice must be quite special for you to be able to detect such subtle changes within the wood,¡± the boss said, inadvertently revealing his surname.


    So his surname was Long.


    ¡°You are right, the cultivation technique I practice allows me to clearly sense the changes within plants. Although the life force of this piece of wood is severed, I can still feel some of its changes. Just now when you drew the final thin line, a breeze formed inside the wood at this spot, but it quickly vanished,¡± Qin Niu pointed out the exact location, hoping to help this deeply concealed expert.


    ¡°Young man, can you feel the direction the breeze was blowing?¡±


    ¡°It started from this point and should have blown in that direction. However, it disappeared as soon as it arose, so I can¡¯t be one hundred percent certain,¡± Qin Niu replied.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The boss took out an Earth Escape Talisman from the cupboard and handed it to him.


    ¡°Five hundred Silver Money will do.¡±


    Last time, he had sold one to Qin Niu for a full thousand taels. Now, it was half the price, the same as what Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather charged.


    It seemed that the boss gave a friendly price because Qin Niu had offered some useful advice.


    ¡°Thank you, boss! Do you have any other special talismans? Ones for preserving life, attacking enemies, or trapping them, all are good,¡± Qin Niu expressed his intense desire for these special talismans.


    He was not short of money and was willing to spend as long as the talismans were of good quality.


    ¡°These special talismans are extremely demanding to make, the materials are very hard to find, and the crafting process is prone to failure. Even with my current skill level, if I can successfully make two out of ten, that¡¯s not bad. You must be buying this talisman for the Water and Land Dharma Assembly; as long as you¡¯re not incredibly unlucky, one should be enough to save your life.


    I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice: if something cannot be done, do not force it.


    Destiny is the key in ¡®Immortal Destiny,¡¯ not the ¡®immortal¡¯ part.¡±


    Although the boss appeared aloof and strange, after Qin Niu greatly helped him, his attitude towards Qin Niu became friendlier.


    ¡°Junior will certainly heed your teachings! Farewell!¡±


    Qin Niu bowed with clasped hands, then took the Earth Escape Talisman and departed.


    The shop owner¡¯s words were somewhat profound, seemingly hinting to Qin Niu in secret that what matters most in acquiring immortal fate is destiny, not that joining the Immortal Gate ensures everything will be smooth sailing.


    Since this person was an Immortal Scholar, Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather was most likely one as well.


    Qin Niu was very curious about what level of cultivation this person had achieved.


    It is said that once one reaches the Immortal Warrior Realm, one can cultivate spells.


    This Mr. Long, the owner, along with Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather, should both be capable of casting spells.


    After purchasing the talismans, he made a special trip to the City Lord¡¯s Mansion.


    Thinking of accompanying the Black Tiger Gang Leader to Elixir City, it would be good to have someone to rely on during the journey.


    Only after asking the guards did he learn that the Black Tiger Gang Leader and Gongsun Jin had set off for Elixir City twelve days prior.


    Currently, only a few Innate Realm Experts are stationed in Black Tiger City.


    Almost all Spirit Qi Realm Experts have already rushed to Elixir City, each one eager to seize their immortal fate and enter the Immortal Sect.


    Qin Niu could only drive the horse cart, heading to Elixir City with his wife and Xiao Qing.


    That night, they stayed at an inn in Seven-Star City.


    The speed of the horse cart was limited; after rushing for more than three hours in the afternoon, they only arrived at Seven-Star City when darkness had fallen.


    By then, the city gates had already been closed.


    Being a Grade One noble and executor of the Black Tiger Gang, Qin Niu possessed a distinguished status. Now that Seven-Star City was under the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s control, once he displayed his identity token, the soldiers guarding the city opened the gate to let him in.


    Sometimes, a noble identity can be very useful. At critical moments, it allows one to enjoy privileges that ordinary people do not have.


    At night, Qin Niu nestled with his wife in bed.


    Xiao Qing slept in the next room.


    ¡°Wan Yan, this talisman is called the Earth Escape Talisman. At a critical moment, you only need to drop blood on this spot, or activate it with your cultivation power, and the talisman will be triggered. When using it, make sure you¡¯re not on rocky ground, otherwise it will fail¡­¡±


    Qin Niu only had two Earth Escape Talismans.


    He kept one for himself and gave the other to his wife.


    At times like this, there¡¯s a big difference between a maid and a wife.


    Important cultivation resources will always be given to a wife first, and not to a maid.


    ¡°Remember, this talisman is extremely precious, and should only be used when your life is in danger.¡±


    Qin Niu was worried that his wife, lacking worldly experience, might use it at the slightest sign of danger. When a real threat to their lives emerged, they would be left with no talisman to use.


    In the days that followed, Qin Niu spent each day traveling with his wife and Xiao Qing.


    Fortunately, the horses pulling the cart were top-grade Black Mare Horses. There were two of them, and for the time being, they showed no signs of frothing at the mouth or collapsing from exhaustion.


    When they seemed unable to pull any longer, Qin Niu would stop to rest appropriately.


    The Green Ox followed behind the horse cart as it ran.


    This lazy beast was not going to pull the cart; that was impossible.


    At home, besides eating and playing, its only use was producing about ten or more kilograms of wet manure daily. Its dung was very fertile, excellent for fertilizing medicinal herbs.


    On the eighth day, their cart had entered the territory of the Myriad Beast Gang.


    During the Water and Land Dharma Assembly period, the borders of the major sects were almost completely open, allowing free passage to all. This was an unwritten rule among the sects, a kind of tacit agreement between them.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been running through the Myriad Beast Gang¡¯s territory for almost a day, right? Their domain is really vast.¡±


    Qin Niu parked the cart on the roadside to rest.


    The two Black Mare Horses were so exhausted that they extended their tongues to pant, their mouths covered in foam.


    The Myriad Beast Gang, an old-established sect with tremendous strength, had grown and expanded over the years through annexing the domains of many other sects.


    In terms of influence, it probably wasn¡¯t much different from the Fire Cloud Tunnel.


    Each sect has its own distinctive features. For instance, the Nine Insect Gang mainly uses insects, while the Black Tiger Gang primarily focuses on beast taming, and also develops other areas.


    The Myriad Beast Gang¡¯s emphasis on beast taming is apparent just from its name.


    Qin Niu took out a map and realized that after running for a whole day, they had only crossed one-third of Myriad Beast Gang¡¯s territory.

 Chapter 513 - Chapter 513: Chapter 505: Giant Elephant Soldiers

    Chapter 513: Chapter 505: Giant Elephant Soldiers


    ¡°Another seventy li or so ahead and we¡¯ll reach Rat City, which belongs to the Myriad Beast Gang. Let¡¯s find an inn there to stay the night,¡±


    Qin Niu said to his wife.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a place named Rat City? Along this journey, I¡¯ve seen many people riding all kinds of tamed beasts and birds of prey, quite majestic. Why would they choose such a weak name for a city?¡±


    Wang Wanyan had picked up much knowledge traveling with Qin Niu these past days.


    They even encountered bandits who tried to rob them on their journey.


    Of course, Qin Niu didn¡¯t show any courtesy, directly sending those four bandits to confess their sins in Yama¡¯s Hall.


    The title Insect Master had always been synonymous with danger.


    Bandits bold enough to rob Insect Masters were indeed few and far between.


    ¡°Though the character ¡®rat¡¯ might seem a bit undignified and gives the initial impression of cowardice, thievery, and disgust, I think the name Rat City is quite distinctive. For the Myriad Beast Gang to be one of the top sects, it must have exceptional qualities. It no longer needs to rely on a resounding city name to rally people¡¯s spirits,¡±


    Qin Niu believed this proved the strength of the Myriad Beast Gang.


    The more humble individuals often possess substantial strength. Those who talk big tend to be all show and no substance.


    ¡°Wan Yan, would you like to get out and stretch your legs?¡±


    Xiao Qing had already jumped down from the carriage, as she was still very much a child at heart.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather stay inside the carriage for now. Once we get to Rat City, if you have time, you can take me to stroll down the streets and experience the local customs of the Myriad Beast Gang,¡±


    Wang Wanyan responded.


    ¡°Alright! Let the horses rest a bit more, then we¡¯ll continue on our way.¡±


    Qin Niu took the gourd from his waist, opened the stopper, and took a hearty drink.


    Traveling by carriage was quite comfortable; if they couldn¡¯t find an inn, they could simply sleep inside the carriage. Plus, they could store some food and water on board.


    At that moment, a series of rumbling sounds came from afar, and the ground seemed to tremble.


    Qin Niu turned to look back at the road and saw a herd of enormous elephants charging towards them. These elephants were much larger than ordinary ones, appearing to be ancient behemoths, standing six to seven meters tall.


    An ordinary elephant reaching four meters was already awe-inspiring.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see people seated on the backs of those colossal beasts. The people looked insignificant perched atop the enormous elephants, extremely tiny in comparison.


    The massive creatures drew closer, and the earth vibrated with their steps as if an earthquake was imminent.


    Their might was incredibly impressive.


    There were eleven of them in total. The leader was a deep grey elephant that was even larger than the rest. Its tusks were much thicker than a grown man¡¯s thigh and curved slightly upwards.


    ¡°They must be the elephant cavalry of the Myriad Beast Gang! If these behemoths charged in battle, who could withstand them!¡±


    Qin Niu had witnessed the Black Tiger Gang¡¯s Black Knight Legion, which could sweep through the entire battlefield during a charge, unstoppable by any. However, compared to this elephant cavalry, the Black Knight Legion was obviously not on the same level.


    The elephant cavalry quickly reached where Qin Niu was standing. The man sitting on the lead elephant was an expressionless, indifferent old man in his fifties.


    After glancing at Qin Niu and Xiao Qing, the old man spoke coldly, ¡°Recently, there have been monstrous creatures eating people in this area. Judging by your attire, you must be outsiders. It¡¯s best not to sleep outside come nightfall.¡±


    Having said that, the old man patted the elephant¡¯s neck.


    Roar!


    The elephant let out an excited cry and once again spurred into a gallop.


    The ten following elephants called out in response, close behind. Each elephant carried a member of the elephant cavalry on its back, holding a long spear, with bows and arrows strapped behind them.


    They were dressed in simple leather vests that protected their vital areas, leaving their necks, arms, and heads exposed.


    These elephant soldiers¡¯ defenses appear quite rudimentary, relying, it seemed, on the mighty beasts they rode.


    For these great elephants stood six to seven meters tall, like moving hills. Perched on the backs of the elephants, the soldiers hardly needed to worry about enemy strikes.


    Conversely, from their high vantage point, they could easily skewer enemies with long spears or shoot them with arrows.


    ¡°These elephant soldiers look so ferocious, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be quite friendly!¡±


    Xiao Qing had just been scared enough to hide behind Qin Niu.


    It was only when the elephant soldiers had moved on that she dared to speak.


    ¡°One mustn¡¯t judge by appearances. They may look fierce but are kind at heart. The Myriad Beast Gang, despite having annexed many sects, treats the common people gently. I¡¯ve never heard of them wantonly killing innocents.¡±


    Qin Niu actually knew little.


    The word of mouth about a sect from the common folk is likely the most accurate.


    For instance, the Nine Insect Gang was extremely brutal towards the common people, committing ruthless acts, and their local reputation was terrible. When the Black Tiger Gang took over the territories of the Seven-Star Sect, which had been under the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s control, many citizens were happier than if it were the New Year.


    Under the Nine Insect Gang¡¯s rule, they could only be exploited and harmed.


    The original members of the Nine Insect Gang were first-class citizens, free to take their possessions and claim their women. Those were days devoid of light for them.


    Now that they were subjects of the Black Tiger Gang, they no longer had to worry about intruders breaking in at midnight, coercing their wives, stealing their wealth, or even being murdered.


    As long as they were willing to work hard, they could engage in trade, work for landlords, or earn money through other jobs.


    The houses and lands they purchased would be legally protected.


    ¡°Husband, let¡¯s set off quickly! It¡¯s getting late, and if we truly encounter monsters, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    Wang Wanyan said, a hint of fear in her voice.


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re an Innate Realm Expert yourself. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    Qin Niu said with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that after hearing the elephant soldier¡¯s warning, I felt a bit uneasy. I¡¯ve heard that monsters are extremely terrifying, each one vicious¡­ Let¡¯s hurry on our way!¡±


    Fear tinged her voice.


    Qin Niu, of course, would not go against the wishes of his cherished wife. He looked up at the sky, where the sun was nearly set. The horizon was strewn with bands of red, as delicate as blood.


    The carriage sped along the road, the two Black Mare Horses having rested only briefly and still not having caught their second wind.


    They struggled to pull the carriage forward, panting heavily. Their pace was considerably slower than before.


    Having dashed about twenty li non-stop, the sun had fully set.


    In at most half an hour, it would be completely dark.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do. The Black Mare Horses might be famed for covering a thousand li in a day, but after days of continuous labor and having trotted all day today without proper rest, their speed has dropped to half of their usual. I estimate we¡¯d be lucky to reach Rat City by midnight.¡±


    Qin Niu looked at the two horses gasping for air, white foam stringing from the corners of their mouths to the ground.


    They could be whipped to pick up their pace if absolutely necessary.


    But likely by the time they reached Rat City, the two horses would be spent.


    Considering they were still a long way from Elixir City, traveling without these two horses would become extremely difficult.


    Even the esteemed Sweaty Precious Horses could not compare with Black Mare Horses.


    ¡°What shall we do, then?¡±


    Anxiously, Wang Wanyan¡¯s furrowed brows formed knots as she sat inside the carriage.

 Chapter 514 - Chapter 514: Chapter 506 Infant Demon

    Chapter 514: Chapter 506 Infant Demon


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if we can¡¯t enter the city tonight, we can just ask to stay at someone¡¯s house for the night. At most, we¡¯ll pay a little extra silver money, and they¡¯re sure to agree.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t really afraid.


    If they truly encountered a demon, it would be the demon¡¯s misfortune.


    ¡°Master, there seems to be a house up ahead.¡±


    Xiao Qing pulled aside the curtain on the left side of the carriage, pointing at a house by the roadside in front of them.


    The population was rather sparse in this area.


    It was quite rare to see a village of more than a dozen households gathered together; more commonly, one would see these scattered individual homes.


    Qin Niu quickly brought the carriage in front of this house.


    The front gate was tightly shut, and the courtyard door was also closed.


    Even the windows were tightly latched.


    ¡°Anyone home?¡±


    Qin Niu called out from outside. Although there were different dialects in different places, the official language throughout the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect¡¯s territory was uniform.


    There was no language barrier in communication.


    There was no response from inside the house.


    ¡°We are travelers on the road, could we stay at your home for the night? I can pay double the money.¡±


    Qin Niu called out again.


    Still, there was no response, but he knew there were people inside.


    A moment ago, when they were still far off, he had seen someone enter and quickly close the door.


    Since the other party was unwilling to open the door, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t force his way in and had to continue driving the carriage forward.


    Along the way, the households they encountered had all closed their doors and windows early, and local people were no longer visible from outside.


    Under the influence of this atmosphere, Wang Wanyan became even more frightened.


    ¡°Wan Yan, don¡¯t be afraid. We shouldn¡¯t be so unlucky as to encounter a demon. And even if we do, at worst we¡¯ll just have to fight it out.¡± Qin Niu dared to travel the jianghu, naturally possessing a certain strength.


    If any random demon could eat him, then he wouldn¡¯t need to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.


    The experts who participated in the assembly were even more formidable than demons.


    The carriage sped along the road, with only the sounds of the rolling wheels, the hoofbeats of the two horses, and their heavy breathing to be heard.


    The sky gradually darkened, and the entire land was enveloped in blackness.


    Qin Niu sat on the shaft of the carriage, gripping the handle of the Ink Blade tightly, ready for any possible fierce battle.


    As long as they didn¡¯t encounter any particularly terrifying demons, he wasn¡¯t afraid.


    In this thinly populated region, especially at night with lush trees and hills all around, it indeed gave one the creeps.


    The carriage entered a grove of oak trees.


    ¡°Hiss!¡±


    Both horses suddenly reared up without warning, coming to a halt.


    Qin Niu tensed up in quiet vigilance.


    Only Green Ox following behind the carriage appeared carefree, truly fearing neither heaven nor earth.


    ¡°Gua! Waa, waa!¡±


    The sudden crying of a baby ahead gave all three of them a big scare.


    Xiao Qing and Wang Wanyan, terrified, clung to each other, huddled inside the carriage.


    Both were Innate Realm experts with no lack of equipment, but faced with this eerie situation, they were no different from ordinary people, completely dominated by fear.


    ¡°It looks like there¡¯s a baby in the middle of the road up ahead!¡±


    After taking a closer look, Qin Niu said to the two inside the carriage.


    They could faintly see a plump baby lying in the middle of the road, probably no more than four or five months old, unable to even crawl.


    The baby lay there, waving its limbs and crying nonstop.


    ¡°Most likely some heartless parents abandoned their child here. I¡¯ll go check!¡±


    Upon hearing it was a baby and possibly an abandoned one, Wang Wanyan¡¯s fear instantly dissipated by more than half. Naturally kind-hearted and without thinking further, she wanted to get out of the carriage to check on the baby¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get out of the carriage, I find the emergence of this child rather peculiar. If it is indeed an abandoned infant, why would it be left in the woods? This region is sparsely populated, rife with wild beasts that can be found anywhere, and with nightfall upon us, it¡¯s the prime hunting time for these animals.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange enough that the child hasn¡¯t been harmed by any beasts.¡±


    ¡°You all stay in the carriage, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Qin Niu said as he leaped down from the carriage, Ink Blade in hand, and approached the infant.


    He certainly didn¡¯t possess Wang Wanyan¡¯s feminine compassion; he once slaughtered over three hundred members of the He Family, not sparing women or children.


    This child suddenly appeared in the middle of the night and obstructed the road; it was likely not a regular child.


    ¡°Master, be careful, this child is not human, it¡¯s a demon!¡±


    The Mirage Insect was the first to issue a warning to Qin Niu.


    Its first avatar was almost crippled by Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee, but after Qin Niu completely subdued it, he not only helped it refine its second avatar but also took it back to Death Valley to recuperate its first avatar.


    Currently, the Mirage Insect was the highest-ranked among all of Qin Niu¡¯s insect pets.


    With two avatars now, its true combat strength was unclear.


    ¡°Evil creature, die!¡±


    Qin Niu held the Ink Blade and reached the baby without a word, his cultivation power fueled the blade as he suddenly attacked.


    A ruthless and merciless chop aimed at the infant lying on the ground.


    ¡°Gua!¡±


    The infant emitted an extremely piercing cry, and a trail of bloodlight swept toward Qin Niu.


    Luckily, Qin Niu had been alerted by the Mirage Insect and was prepared; relying on the agility provided by the Misty Rain Elusive Step, he narrowly dodged the bloodlight attack.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    His first chop had not killed the infant on the ground, so he delivered another diagonal chop.


    This time, he directly unleashed the dual effects of Critical Chop and Rupture.


    The infant on the ground abruptly transformed into a bloodlight and disappeared in a flash.


    The infant must have sensed that Qin Niu was no easy opponent, which led it to flee.


    ¡°Such incredible speed!¡±


    After two consecutive chops failed to harm the infant, Qin Niu was amazed at the baby¡¯s speed.


    Worried about Wang Wanyan and Xiao Qing who were still in the carriage, he dared not pursue the fleeing infant and swiftly retreated back to the carriage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Qin Niu urged the two Black Mare Horses forward, knowing he must quickly leave this oak forest.


    If he delayed, it would be too easy to fall into the creature¡¯s trap.


    It was unclear what kind of demon that infant represented; normally, most demons have ferocious appearances with green faces and sharp teeth. Yet, this infant appeared chubby and cute.


    It was hard to associate it with a demon.


    ¡°Mirage Insect, do you know the origins of that infant?¡±


    Qin Niu humbly sought enlightenment from the Mirage Insect.


    Having lived for many years, it knew far more than Qin Niu did.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely an Infant Demon. I¡¯ve seen some demonic creatures, but this Infant Demon is very evil. Even from a distance, I could feel its malevolent aura.¡±


    The Mirage Insect was a demon itself, albeit an insect demon.


    It had its own background; it once belonged to a powerful Gu Master. Since all Gu Masters were eradicated by the Immortal Masters of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, the Mirage Insect witnessed the destruction of the Gu Masters. Protected by them, it managed to survive by chance.


    ¡°What species is an Infant Demon? Human infants who have cultivated into demons?¡±


    Qin Niu had never heard of such a demon before.


    ¡°There are many types of Infant Demons. For example, ginseng that has become sentient may also transform into an Infant Demon. Additionally, dead human infants buried in places with dense yin energy, who died with great resentment and whose bodies don¡¯t rot, may slowly absorb the yin energy from heaven and earth and turn into an Infant Demon, also known as a Corpse Demon, which is a particularly evil type of Infant Demon.¡±


    ¡°And a few demon births may also result in offsprings capable of cultivating into Infant Demons.¡±


    ¡°For instance, among the offspring that Sheep Demons bear, there might be Infant Demons that resemble human babies.¡±


    ¡°There are also Infant Demons naturally nurtured by the forces of nature, such as the Stone Infant, which, upon birth from a stone, immediately becomes a formidable Infant Demon.¡±


    ¡°That Infant Demon we just encountered was incredibly evil, and its ability to spew out blood to attack indicates that it is likely a Corpse Demon.¡±


    The Mirage Insect educated Qin Niu on the origins of Infant Demons.

 Chapter 515 - Chapter 515: Chapter 507: Divide and Punish

    Chapter 515: Chapter 507: Divide and Punish


    ¡°Within the territory of the Myriad Beast Gang, there actually lurked an evil Infant Demon, which appeared at a very cunning time, just when all the experts from various sects had gone to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, leaving a void and striking when people were unguarded. The Water and Land Dharma Assembly hasn¡¯t even started yet, but all sorts of demons, spirits, and ghosts can¡¯t wait to come out and wreak havoc.¡±


    The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect could be described as vast in territory, with countless demons living within its mountains, rivers, and lakes.


    They usually dared not show themselves openly, for fear of becoming prey to human experts.


    Now, with the human experts rushing to Elixir City to fight for immortal fate, and with the Hundred-Tempering Child entering the once-in-a-century life-and-death trial, unable to come out for three years, the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect faced both internal and external troubles. Externally, they had to guard against other immortal and demon sects taking advantage of the situation to invade.


    Internally, they needed to prevent some powerful sects from creating chaos and rebellion, leaving them no time to pay attention to the demons lurking in the wilderness.


    The lives of ordinary people were worthless in the eyes of the powerful.


    There was a powerful individual who, in a fit of anger, slaughtered nearly a hundred thousand people, including many innocent civilians. Yet no one held that powerful individual accountable for their actions.


    Just like when Qin Niu slaughtered hundreds from the He Family, the matter was downplayed and eventually forgotten.


    The demons were well versed in human nature and hearts, seizing this opportunity to come out and feed voraciously on humans to then crazily boost their strength.


    Qin Niu had no intention of meddling in these affairs.


    All those slogans like acting for the sake of all life under the heavens and seeking blessings for all beings are merely things rulers shouted to solidify their positions. When faced with major decisions concerning their own interests, few were willing to sacrifice their gains.


    He could tell at a glance that the Infant Demon was not to be trifared with, and as long as it did not attack him again, it could go wherever it pleased.


    Once the Water and Land Dharma Assembly was over, naturally the experts of the Myriad Beast Gang would deal with it.


    The carriage sped through the forest.


    The two Black Mare Horses were quite intelligent; they also knew that their situation was very dangerous, so they ran desperately forward, trying to escape from there as quickly as possible.


    However, a surge of blood light struck out of the blue from the bushes on the side, aimed directly at the carriage.


    Qin Niu was always on his guard, naturally not allowing the Infant Demon to harm his wife and Xiao Qing.


    He swung his Ink Blade quickly toward the blood light.


    In this crucial moment, Green Ox unexpectedly cooperated skillfully with his master. It also shot out a beam of golden light from the tip of its horn, hitting the blood light dead center.


    With Green Ox¡¯s help, Qin Niu¡¯s strike successfully hit the target.


    Not bad, he achieved an Explosive Slash Effect.


    As his Slash Martial Skill continued to improve, coupled with the Ink Blade¡¯s power increasing several times after the upgrade, now whenever he executed the Slash Martial Skill, he almost always achieved the Explosive Slash Effect.


    ¡°Wuuahh!¡±


    The blood light let out a piercing wail like that of an infant after being struck.


    Qin Niu saw a chubby infant appear within the cleaved blood light, except its face had become extremely ferocious. The face was twisted, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth.


    Its eyes were as red as blood, extremely vicious and filled with hatred.


    It seemed determined not to give up until it had devoured Qin Niu.


    The blood light disappeared in a flash, and the demon escaped once more.


    Qin Niu remained on alert, knowing that once they escaped this forest and reached an open area, it would be much harder for the Infant Demon to ambush him.


    ¡°Everyone be alert and attack together,¡± Qin Niu ordered his pets sternly.


    The laziness of the Red-eyed Golden Toad annoyed him enormously.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle was naturally timid, and in times of danger, it was always a qualified turtle that shrank its head back into its shell.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help, but if I use my Dark Night Gu-clone to plunge this area into darkness, it would actually benefit the Infant Demon. It would just hinder you. My first clone takes time to activate, and the Infant Demon is too fast. By the time I¡¯m ready to launch the first clone, it¡¯s already escaped,¡± explained the Mirage Insect, worried that Qin Niu might have a poor opinion of it.


    At this moment, the Infant Demon began to mount another attack.


    ¡°Wuu wuu wuu¡­¡±


    The crying of the demon could be heard throughout the forest, coming from all directions.


    The sound was so irritating to the ear that it caused confusion and dizziness.


    Inside the carriage, the two women clutched their ears but still couldn¡¯t withstand it. Wang Wanyan¡¯s face was pale as she huddled in the corner of the carriage. Xiao Qing was right beside her.


    Even under these circumstances, Xiao Qing still hadn¡¯t forgotten her duty. She gripped the treasured sword firmly, protecting her mistress.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    Green Ox stretched its neck and chanted towards the front.


    Its chanting was like the roar of a tiger and the chant of a dragon, capable of breaking through evil barriers, illusions, and demonic sounds.


    The wailing of the Infant Demon stopped abruptly as the gray mist was scattered by the Dragon Chant.


    Qin Niu vaguely saw a cluster of blood light hidden within the crown of an oak tree to his front left.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, over there, get it!¡±


    As Qin Niu called Green Ox to deal with the Infant Demon using the golden light, he also leaped vigorously from the carriage, slashing his blade at the blood light.


    The Infant Demon, sensing danger, tried desperately to escape.


    Unfortunately, the golden light from Green Ox was faster, hitting it directly, causing its form to become sluggish.


    Qin Niu¡¯s blade struck the blood light fiercely.


    He had put all his strength into this blow, and it produced both the Rupture and the Explosive Slash effects.


    ¡°Quack!¡±


    The Infant Demon let out a shrill, pitiful wail as the blood light was viciously split apart. A chubby little hand was severed and fell from the sky.


    The tongue of the Red-eyed Golden Toad shot out, grasping the severed arm.


    ¡°Quack!¡±


    It quickly released the severed limb.


    When its tongue had caught the arm, it was as if it had grabbed a red-hot iron, emitting puffs of white smoke and sizzling sounds.


    This immensely evil Infant Demon was truly formidable.


    Qin Niu saw the severed arm flying back towards the Infant Demon and hurriedly swung his blade horizontally to strike.


    Having suffered a major blow, the Infant Demon was completely enraged.


    It opened its mouth full of sharp teeth and spewed out a mass of black gas that solidified like a substance. That black gas changed with the wind and quickly formed an enormous baby phantom.


    That phantom produced black chains that wrapped towards Qin Niu.


    ¡°Slash!¡±


    Qin Niu, with the Ink Blade in hand, wasn¡¯t afraid of these evil things at all.


    Because the Ink Blade itself was a nefarious and fierce weapon.


    He slashed at the incoming black chains, and though they were not severed, the Ink Blade drew them in, absorbing them into the blade itself.


    Could these be the Infant Demon¡¯s soul?


    Qin Niu suddenly understood.


    Indeed, it was the Infant Demon¡¯s misfortune that many of its tactics were restrained by Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade.


    The Ink Blade could consume souls; it had devoured the soul of the Mysterious Gu Master last time. Later it also consumed the soul of the Scorpion Demon.


    This Infant Demon was foolish to the extreme to use its demonic soul to attack Qin Niu.


    However, demonic souls were formless, changeable, and indeed held tremendous power against ordinary Spirit Qi Realm Experts.


    And seeing as the Infant Demon¡¯s demonic soul was immensely vast, able to transform into hundreds of black chains to attack its enemies, it must have often used this move to kill its foes.


    ¡°Green Demon Bee, this Infant Demon is cold and evil, just to your taste. Eat it for me.¡±


    Qin Niu directly ordered the Green Demon Bee to attack.


    The demonic soul of the Infant Demon was firmly caught by the Ink Blade, which was slowly consuming it, while it struggled in vain, unable to break free.


    This made Qin Niu grow increasingly confident.


    He continuously urged his cultivation power, accelerating the consumption of the demonic soul.


    At Qin Niu¡¯s command, the entire swarm of Green Demon Bees mobilized. They quickly formed the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation in the air, trapping the blood light securely within it.

 Chapter 516 - Chapter 516: Chapter 508: Helping Green Ox Upgrade

    Chapter 516: Chapter 508: Helping Green Ox Upgrade


    ¡°Are you dumb or something? There¡¯s only one demon body, and with so many Green Demon Bees sharing it, how much can you, the Bee King, actually eat?¡±


    Qin Niu knew the appetite of the Green Demon Bee swarm was staggering.


    He had no doubt they could devour the body of the Infant Demon in a very short time.


    But he believed such a high-level resource should be given priority to the Bee King.


    Because in his view, as long as the Bee King advanced one more grade, it could completely breed a new and more powerful swarm.


    The soul of the Infant Demon was being devoured by the Ink Blade, causing its infant body to hang motionless in the air.


    Only a bloody light rolled around its demonic body.


    The Green Demon Bee swarm had already launched an attack on the Infant Demon¡¯s body, with the Bee King and other Green Demon Bees frenziedly gnawing at it.


    Qin Niu watched in frustration.


    Was this Green Demon Bee King a bit stupid? He had already told it not to share the Infant Demon¡¯s body with the other Green Demon Bees, so why wouldn¡¯t it listen?


    In just a moment, the body of the Infant Demon was eaten away by a large portion of the swarm.


    It couldn¡¯t hold on any longer.


    Its demonic soul was firmly grasped by the Ink Blade and was continually shrinking.


    Facing the threat of death, the soul pleaded with Qin Niu nonstop.


    ¡°Please let me go, please let me go, I won¡¯t dare anymore¡­¡±


    It silently begged Qin Niu.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re a demon and have harmed so many people, naturally you cannot be spared.¡±


    Qin Niu was unyielding.


    He had struggled up from the very bottom, seen the darkness and ugliness of human nature, and had a profound experience of the cruelty and ruthlessness of this world. When it was time to be ruthless, he never softened his heart.


    Not to mention dealing with a demon, even with his enemies, he was never soft.


    When it was time to kill, he didn¡¯t hesitate, often resolving it with one stroke.


    ¡°I was forced to do it, too. When I was eight months in my mother¡¯s womb, my mother was beaten to death alive by others, and I hate those people. Just let me go, and I¡¯ll never come out and cause trouble again.¡±


    The Infant Demon was still pleading desperately.


    Faced with death, it must have been filled with endless fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfair what life has dealt to you, I can understand that. But when you harmed people, you didn¡¯t choose your victims, thinking only of yourself, completely devoid of humanity. Therefore, you must die. The heavens have never been fair, but the heavens are merciful, it¡¯s your own doing, you can¡¯t blame others!¡±


    The life story of the Infant Demon was extremely tragic.


    But that could not be an excuse for it to eat people at will.


    As the Green Demon Bees ate away most of the Infant Demon¡¯s body, out floated a black Demon Core the size of a child¡¯s fist.


    This Infant Demon¡¯s cultivation might have already reached grade eleven.


    Because it was much larger than the inner core of the Scorpion Demon.


    Qin Niu looked at Green Ox, ¡°Lazy Ox, how about you eat this Demon Core?¡±


    Green Ox had helped Qin Niu a lot through many life-and-death battles, and it was still only a grade six Beast Pet. Now that Qin Niu had such a high-level Demon Core, the first thing he thought of was it.


    ¡°Moo!¡±


    Green Ox nodded at Qin Niu over and over.


    Such a huge benefit made it incredibly excited. For Beast Pets, they never played coy.


    They would gladly accept whatever they needed.


    A moment later, the Green Demon Bees had completely devoured the body of the Infant Demon.


    Without the demon body, its soul had no support and was wholly drawn into the blade of the Ink Blade.


    ¡°I hate, I will never forgive you all¡­¡±


    The soul cursed resentfully as it was absorbed.


    Qin Niu never took such meager threats seriously. It¡¯s already been devoured by the Ink Blade, and it still thinks there¡¯s a future?


    He leaped up and caught the black Demon Core in his hand.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, open up!¡±


    Green Ox opened its mouth wide, and Qin Niu threw the black Demon Core straight into it.


    Even just holding it for a short while, the chilly energy of the Demon Core still made Qin Niu feel very uncomfortable. The Infant Demon was born with resentment, long entrenched in places with heavy Yin energy, and had even devoured many humans to enhance its cultivation.


    This also made its Demon Core extremely cold and evil.


    Green Ox really didn¡¯t think twice before swallowing the Demon Core whole without even tasting it to see if it could digest it.


    After consuming the Demon Core, Qin Niu watched it closely, his face filled with anxiety.


    But the beast acted as if nothing had happened.


    At this moment, a shocking transformation was occurring in the swarm of Green Demon Bees in the sky.


    The Green Demon Bee Queen actually pounced on one of the Green Demon Bees, then bit it to death and ate it.


    ¡°What are you trying to do? Have you lost your mind?¡± Qin Niu noticed that the Green Demon Bee Queen was behaving oddly.


    These Green Demon Bees were its offspring, equivalent to its daughters. Yet it was eating its own daughters.


    Even tigers don¡¯t eat their young.


    ¡°Advance in rank!¡± The Green Demon Bee Queen replied to Qin Niu with just two short words.


    As the Green Demon Bee Queen devoured the first Green Demon Bee, streaks of black qi began to surge across its body, enveloping it. It truly was advancing in rank, just as it had said.


    With the Infant Demon now exterminated, the light in the entire oak forest brightened a bit.


    The previous scene with gusts of cold wind and howls of ghosts and wolves had been truly frightening.


    ¡°Wan Yan, the demon creature has been dealt with, there¡¯s no need to be afraid anymore.¡± Qin Niu reassured Wang Wanyan inside the carriage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and leave this place. The forest feels so sinister, it makes me anxious!¡± Wang Wanyan didn¡¯t dare stick her head out of the carriage to look around.


    Suddenly encountering an Infant Demon in the forest late at night was a real test of her limits of courage.


    ¡°Okay! Then let¡¯s continue on our journey.¡± Qin Niu urged the carriage forward.


    After leaving the forest, they still saw a few scattered households and small villages along the way, all tightly closed up with no one walking about.


    It seemed that the local villagers had been terrified by the Infant Demon.


    He also observed an interesting phenomenon: many of the villagers had ferocious Tibetan Mastiffs tied up in their courtyards. And many of them didn¡¯t just have one, but several.


    It was quite normal for households in the Myriad Beast Gang to keep fierce dogs to guard and protect their homes.


    After a night of relentless travel, they finally arrived at Rat City late at night.


    By then, the city gates were already closed.


    ¡°Esteemed soldiers, we¡¯ve traveled through the night to get here. Is it possible to open the city gates and let us in?¡± Qin Niu called out to the soldiers on guard at the top of the wall after dismounting from the carriage.


    Having powerful cultivation and both Beast Pets and Insect Pets, he made the request with an air of indifference. His was the calm of someone confident in their inner strength.


    Ordinary people facing the city¡¯s guards would be exceedingly deferential, not to mention shouting to have the gates opened; they wouldn¡¯t even dare to make eye contact with the soldiers.


    ¡°How many are you? Where do you come from? And where are you headed?¡± A robust man appeared on the wall, likely a junior officer of the soldiers.


    He stood in a watchtower, looking down at Qin Niu and the carriage below.


    ¡°There are three of us, coming from the Black Tiger Gang, heading to Elixir City to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. We hope the soldiers can do us a favor. I, Qin, have an offering to give in return.¡± Qin Niu knew the power of Silver Money.


    The whole point of making it to Elixir City during the night was to find an inn for a good night¡¯s rest, wasn¡¯t it?


    The two Black Mare Horses also needed proper care and feeding of top-quality fodder.


    ¡°So you¡¯re eminent figures going to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. My apologies, my apologies. I¡¯ll open the gates right away.¡± The soldiers¡¯ attitude toward them changed immediately to one of respect upon hearing that they were attending the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.


    It was the natural awe the weak feel for the powerful.


    Admiration for strength and fear of the powerful are most people¡¯s instincts.


    To dare attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, one must at least possess cultivation at the Innate Realm.


    After the city gates were opened, Qin Niu and his company were welcomed inside.


    Qin Niu took out two taels of Silver Money and handed it to the leader of the soldiers, who waved his hands frantically in refusal.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly accept, couldn¡¯t possibly accept. It¡¯s an honor for Xiong to be of slight service to Master Qin. If the three of you don¡¯t mind, our Lord of the City has specially prepared a place for distinguished guests attending the Water and Land Dharma Assembly to rest. I can have someone take you there.¡±

 Chapter 517 - Chapter 517: Chapter 509: Elder Di Scared to Wet Himself

    Chapter 517: Chapter 509: Elder Di Scared to Wet Himself


    ¡°`


    ¡°Then I shall trouble you!¡±


    Qin Niu, upon hearing that the Rat City officials had arranged a special residence for them, gladly agreed.


    It was now so late, and they were strangers in a strange land, uncertain if they could even find an inn.


    The three men followed the lead of the soldiers to the posthouse.


    Besides being used for carrying messages, the posthouse also served another purpose, which was to receive officials on public business.


    Qin Niu sat atop the shaft of the carriage, acting as the coachman, while the guide, a soldier, rode a strange horse with a row of spines along its neck. This horse, with hair black as satin and a body larger than that of an ordinary steed, stood at least two and a half meters tall.


    Its limbs were stocky, and longer hair could be seen circling above the location of its hooves.


    Overall, it looked very impressive and magnificently powerful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a curfew here? I see that it¡¯s still very lively at night!¡±


    Qin Niu noticed that the main streets of Rat City were still brightly lit, bustling with carriages and horses, teeming with people, and appearing very lively. There were shops on both sides of the street selling all sorts of things.


    ¡°Rat City doesn¡¯t need a curfew; the official army is fully capable of handling any emergencies. Master Qin, if you¡¯re interested, after settling in, you can take your family out for a stroll. There are many local snacks here that you can¡¯t find anywhere else.


    There¡¯s also the largest Beast Pet Market within the Myriad Beast Gang¡¯s territory. If you find a beast pet you like, don¡¯t miss out.


    After midnight, there¡¯s a street that hosts the Ghost Market. They sell beast pets and various rare treasures that are very attractive. However, since it¡¯s the Ghost Market, purchases completely depend on personal judgment. Many outsiders come with the mindset of finding a bargain, and it¡¯s not unusual for them to end up paying a high price for trash. Master Qin, you may consider this at your discretion.¡±


    The soldier enthusiastically introduced the flourishing aspects of Rat City, promoting its goods.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m here, naturally, I¡¯ll have to check it out.¡±


    Qin Niu was quite interested in the Ghost Market.


    The thrill of finding a bargain was what he was after; even if he misjudged, it didn¡¯t matter to him.


    After all, he thought of it as just for fun.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the posthouse! I¡¯ll go ahead and notify the manager. Please wait here in the courtyard for a moment!¡±


    The soldier jumped down from the horse and ran inside to find the person in charge to give notice.


    The facade of the posthouse was wide enough to allow two carriages to enter at the same time. The main gate was not closed but left open.


    Multiple carriages could be seen parked inside the courtyard.


    Clearly, there were many powerful figures gathered here for the Water and Land Dharma Assembly from all corners of the land.


    Normally, experts headed in the eastern and western directions would pass through the territory of the Myriad Beast Gang. It was inevitable they would drop by Rat City for a visit.


    At this moment, an old man, hugging a young girl, came out from inside.


    Qin Niu thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but upon closer inspection, there was no mistake; the stern-faced old man was none other than Elder Di of the Nine Insect Gang.


    The two hadn¡¯t directly clashed on the battlefield, but they recognized each other nonetheless.


    The young girl, hugged by Elder Di, was about eighteen or nineteen years old, very attractive and slender. She seemed very compliant in the embrace of Elder Di, although her eyes looked somewhat vacant.


    The Nine Insect Gang never regarded people as human beings, and its senior members indulged in extreme pleasures.


    Qin Niu had witnessed it before.


    Who knew where this girl had come from, now spoiled by this old man.


    Such matters, no one would interfere with.


    Some girls¡¯ families were poor, and their parents were quite willing to sell their daughters for a good price, even secretly instructing them to serve well.


    As long as the service was good, the parents could then use the opportunity to establish a connection with Elder Di.


    ¡°`


    In the future, he might be able to get some help.


    Even if it¡¯s just by taking advantage of Elder Di¡¯s influence, he could still enjoy many solid benefits.


    Initially, Elder Di did not notice Qin Niu sitting at the front of the carriage.


    As he got closer, he subconsciously glanced over here and found the young man sitting on the shaft somewhat familiar. The water buffalo looked familiar as well.


    He couldn¡¯t help but turn his head for a closer look.


    What he saw frightened him so much that his complexion changed.


    ¡°Elder Di, I hope all is well!¡±


    Qin Niu greeted with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile.


    ¡°Haha, Master Qin grows more handsome by the day! Are you also going to Elixir City to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly?¡±


    Elder Di forced himself to remain calm, though the hand he wrapped around the young girl might have tightened a bit too much from nerves¡ªher fine eyebrows knitted together, and her face showed a hint of pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s a grand event that happens once in a decade, and I would also like to broaden my horizons. But I¡¯m well aware of my own capabilities and am only going to play a supporting role. The Nine Insect Gang must have dispatched quite a few experts as well, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too modest, Master Qin. A few from our Nine Insect Gang have gone as well. I was delayed a few days because I had some matters to take care of. The grievances between our two gangs are just that, between gangs, and there¡¯s no need to turn them into personal vendettas. To tell you the truth, I quite admire you. A young hero, exceptional in strength. If there¡¯s a chance, the two of us should sit down and have a drink or two.¡±


    Elder Di discreetly probed Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation level and discovered that Qin Niu had already advanced to the Spirit Qi Realm and was at the mid-stage at that. His face changed color once again.


    It had not even been half a year since the last great battle.


    Back then, Qin Niu was only at the Innate Realm, but with the Green Demon Bee, he could easily eliminate a Spirit Qi Realm Elder of the Nine Insect Gang. Recalling how swiftly and ruthlessly Qin Niu killed, Elder Di¡¯s feet involuntarily grew cold.


    To think that now, Qin Niu had already advanced to the mid-stage of the Spirit Qi Realm was simply defying the heavens.


    If someone who was only at the Innate Realm could easily eliminate Spirit Qi Realm experts, how terrifying must Qin Niu be now?


    With this thought, Elder Di couldn¡¯t help but shudder.


    His look towards Qin Niu changed from wariness to outright fear.


    For this reason, he took the initiative to extend an olive branch, utterly unwilling to make an enemy of Qin Niu, fearing the thought of engaging in combat with him.


    ¡°Of course, of course!¡±


    How could Qin Niu possibly sit down and have a drink with an elder from a rival sect? This wasn¡¯t about being magnanimous. If word got back to the higher-ups of the Black Tiger Gang, how would they view it?


    No one would want to be labeled a traitor or colluding with the enemy.


    ¡°Master Qin, then I won¡¯t disturb you any further. Until we meet again!¡±


    Elder Di forced a smile, said his farewells, and walked towards the exit holding the girl.


    The corners of Qin Niu¡¯s mouth lifted, revealing a slight smile.


    He had seen clearly just now that Elder Di¡¯s forehead was beaded with sweat. And the smile on Elder Di¡¯s face when he said goodbye was very stiff, his hands trembling slightly.


    ¡°He makes me out to be some kind of murderous fiend! This old man must be the most cowardly elder of the Nine Insect Gang.¡±


    At that moment, other strong individuals came out from the inside, likewise heading out to stroll through the streets and experience the lively atmosphere of the world.


    There were three of them, two men and one woman, all quite young.


    From their attire, they seemed to be strong practitioners from the same sect. These three individuals¡¯ cultivation levels were quite even, all at the early stage of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    The woman had an acceptable appearance, with vertical eyebrows and slender eyes that made her look somewhat fierce.


    A green longbow hung on her back, and an arrow quiver was attached to her waist.


    The trio walked out chatting and laughing together.

 Chapter 518 - Chapter 518: Chapter 510: The Exorbitant Cat Food

    Chapter 518: Chapter 510: The Exorbitant Cat Food


    ¡°If the majority of the strong participants in the Water and Land Dharma Assembly are of this level, then my chances of gaining immortal fate are substantial.¡±


    Qin Niu felt confident competing against these three people as well as Elder Di; he was sure he could take on all four at once and bury them outright.


    However, the strength of a powerful cultivator can¡¯t be judged solely by their cultivation level; many other factors determine the potency of their abilities.


    Such as beast pets, insect pets, and then there are weapons and equipment, as well as martial arts techniques and talismans, etc.


    The Water and Land Dharma Assembly is definitely a battle of the fittest, and he dared not take it lightly, nor could he afford to underestimate any opponent.


    Perhaps sensing Qin Niu observing them, the woman walking in the middle turned her head and glared over, her gaze sharp and quite fierce.


    ¡°This woman is fierce!¡±


    A wise man doesn¡¯t fight with women, so Qin Niu tactfully looked away and turned his head to look elsewhere.


    Those three were not belligerent types either and quickly walked away.


    At this moment, the official in charge of inn hospitality came out with a soldier. He was a short and plump man in his fifties, with gray hair and a waddle to his walk like a duck.


    Upon closer observation, Qin Niu noticed that the old man¡¯s right leg appeared to be partially missing.


    Even though he wore shoes, it was noticeable that a part of the shoe on his right foot was empty.


    ¡°Honored guests, on behalf of the Rat City hospitality official, I welcome you. You can call me Hong the Fatty, or Old Hong is fine too. There are three of you, am I correct?¡±


    The old man¡¯s voice was somewhat hoarse, his eyes beamed with friendliness, and his face wore a warm smile.


    ¡°Yes, we are three, and they are my wife and maid. Just arrange one room for us.¡±


    Qin Niu said.


    Being away from home, especially in a place surrounded by strong cultivators, it was clear they couldn¡¯t afford to separate.


    Xiao Qing only had Innate Realm cultivation, practising the Medicine King Sutra, which wasn¡¯t suitable for combat; if she encountered someone with bad intentions, she had almost no capability to fight back.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll arrange a large guest room for you. The maid can stay in the outer room, and you and your lady can stay in the inner room.¡±


    Old Hong led Qin Niu and his companions upstairs.


    The soldier who brought Qin Niu over greeted him before returning to report back.


    ¡°Officer Hong, my two horses need some water and good quality fodder. As for the costs, it¡¯s not a problem at all, I will settle them when I leave tomorrow. Please take good care of them for me.¡±


    Qin Niu still needed his two Black Mare Horses for the road and naturally wanted them well-fed.


    ¡°Rest assured, I will make sure your horses are well-fed. Let¡¯s first get you settled in the upstairs guest room.¡±


    Leading the three upstairs, when they passed by the other rooms, they were mostly occupied.


    Some burly men were playing drinking games in their rooms, while others flirted with women or roughhoused, and still others were eerily silent though Qin Niu could sense the presence of people inside.


    ¡°Please check if this room meets your satisfaction. Because there have been many guests lately all heading to Elixir City for the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, there are only a couple of rooms left. You are honored guests, and we¡¯ve been instructed from above to treat every participant of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly well.¡±


    Old Hong showed them into the finest big guest room available.


    Though called a big guest room, it was less than thirty square meters with an inner and outer room.


    The outer room had only a wooden bed about one and a half meters wide and a small square table. The inner room was a bit larger with about twenty square meters, elegantly arranged, with a new bedding on a one point eight-meter-wide bed.


    There were even some boudoir pleasures arranged around the room.


    Wang Wanyan blushed at the sight.


    ¡°This room is quite nice, thank you for your effort, Officer Hong!¡±


    Qin Niu wouldn¡¯t be silly enough to call an old man old enough to be his father ¡°Old Hong.¡±


    A minimum level of respect is very necessary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, this is all part of my job. You three must be hungry, I¡¯ll go get you something to eat.¡±


    The old man left before Qin Niu could reply.


    Soon enough, he brought in three big bowls of steaming noodles and a bowl of sliced braised beef.


    ¡°This is our Rat City¡¯s unique flower-scented wine, smooth and soft on the palate but potent in strength. Take your time, I won¡¯t disturb you any further. If you need anything, you can find me downstairs anytime. If you want to go out at night, feel free to do so, the gate is always open.¡±


    The noodles were topped with shredded meat and a crisp, golden fried egg.


    Qin Niu did not hesitate to try a bite, and it tasted quite good.


    After a day on the road, having eaten only some dry food, they were all very hungry.


    The noodles and braised beef were devoured completely by the three of them.


    Even the usually ladylike Wang Wanyan was licking her red, thin lips, repeatedly praising how delicious the noodles were. She looked like she still hadn¡¯t had her fill and was unsatisfied.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s take a walk outside.¡±


    After settling down, Qin Niu took the two women out with him.


    The two Black Mare Horses had already been led to the stable at the side, munching on fodder. There were beans and corn, all top-quality feed. Green Ox also followed the two Black Mare Horses around, mooching food, water, and a place to sleep.


    Qin Niu thought to himself, ¡°Myriad Beast Gang is really good at heart, extremely friendly towards guests.¡±


    However, Myriad Beast Gang¡¯s generosity was not without gain, as mighty individuals came from various sects. Having received the enthusiastic hospitality of Myriad Beast Gang, they would naturally feel grateful and grow fonder of the gang.


    In this way, Myriad Beast Gang managed to build friendships with the major sects by just spending a little money.


    It was a very cost-effective deal.


    No wonder they could become a top sect, they indeed had aspects worthy of learning.


    Qin Niu walked down the bustling street with the two women, Wang Wanyan¡¯s face shielded by a silk scarf. Because of her extreme beauty, she covered her face to avoid unnecessary trouble when going out.


    Even so, the forehead and eyes she revealed were still so beautiful that they stirred the heart.


    As they walked down the street, they caught many glances.


    ¡°Beast Pet Food Store!¡±


    Wang Wanyan, uninterested in the beautiful clothes, dresses, and accessories, stopped in front of a Beast Pet Food Store.


    More precisely, this row had twenty to thirty shops, all selling beast pet food.


    ¡°I want to buy some food for my cat. The cat food we brought is almost finished,¡± Wang Wanyan said, looking at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s buy it!¡±


    Qin Niu took his wife¡¯s hand and entered the store.


    The store mainly sold carnivorous and omnivorous beast pet food. There were sun-dried meats and minced meats mixed into a cake-like feed.


    ¡°May I ask what kind of beast pet food the distinguished customer would like to purchase? Our store specializes in carnivorous beast pet food.¡±


    ¡°Do you have pet food suitable for cats?¡± Wang Wanyan asked.


    ¡°Yes! These are all cat food, we have mouse-flavored, fishy-flavored, bird-flavored¡ªsee which one your cat prefers.¡±


    She brought the cat with her and let the cat choose its own food directly.


    ¡°Your cat should be a Grade Four beast pet, right?¡±


    The store owner was in his forties, with a bulbous nose and a three-inch beard.


    After only two glances at Wang Wanyan¡¯s cat, he accurately identified the cat¡¯s grade.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You have good eyes, boss.¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s cat had managed to grow to Grade Four only because it ate Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    Otherwise, at most, it would look like a Grade Two.


    This cat was originally just an ordinary house cat in her family. Although it advanced two grades and underwent some transformation after consuming Ancient Banyan Tree Blood, it wasn¡¯t some extraordinary alien species; it still seemed very common.


    It was just that Wang Wanyan was so fond of it that she couldn¡¯t bear to replace it.


    Otherwise, according to Qin Niu, they should have already replaced this cat with a more potential-filled pet.


    ¡°Considering the extraordinary appearance of the three of you, I dare to recommend some high-level beast pet food from our store. We have a type of cat food that could have certain effects on cat-type beast pets under Grade Eight. It helps the pets rapidly improve their cultivation. The specific amount of improvement depends on their fortune.


    The high-level cat food for rapid cultivation advancement is priced at forty Silver Money per bag. Would you like to take a look?¡±


    That price was certainly shocking.


    Forty Silver Money could equate to more than ten years¡¯ total income for an ordinary farmer.


    Yet here, it could only buy one bag of cat food.


    ¡°It¡¯s that expensive? I¡¯ll just buy the ordinary cat food instead,¡± Wang Wanyan, a saver at heart, said. She was always frugal in her day-to-day life, and the price of forty Silver Money per bag startled her enough to immediately give up the idea.

 Chapter 519 - Chapter 519: Chapter 511: Its Worth Spending a Little Money to Get Things Done

    Chapter 519: Chapter 511: It¡¯s Worth Spending a Little Money to Get Things Done


    ¡°Are you sure this will be effective for cat-type beast pets below Grade Eight?¡±


    Qin Niu directly asked the shopkeeper.


    ¡°My family has run this shop for three hundred and twenty-seven years, I wouldn¡¯t joke about our reputation.¡±


    The shopkeeper might not have been much to look at, but when it came to the quality of his cat food, he was extremely confident.


    His shop had been around for more than three hundred years, Qin Niu thought to himself. That¡¯s what you call a solid foundation! It was difficult to find shops in Black Tiger City that had been around for over a hundred years.


    ¡°How much does one bag weigh?¡±


    ¡°Fifty jin per bag.¡±


    ¡°Based on your experience, how long would one bag last for this cat?¡±


    Qin Niu was always willing to spend money for his wives and concubines and never felt pained to part with Silver Money.


    In fact, by killing those from the Nine Insect Gang, he had made a substantial amount of money from the dead. Destroying the He Family also brought him a lot of silver notes. He had already accumulated considerable wealth, so spending this amount of money was trivial to him.


    As long as he could increase his strength, no amount of money spent was too much.


    Strength decided everything.


    With enough strength, you can regain your wealth even after squandering it all. Without strength, no matter how rich you are, you cannot hold onto your wealth and can only make it a dowry for someone else.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Based on its current size, one bag of cat food should last for half a year without a problem. However, because its level is not high, it might level up quickly after eating the cat food, and its size might grow rapidly as well. So, I suggest you buy two bags. Our shop¡¯s cat food, as long as kept dry and sealed, won¡¯t go bad even if stored for ten years.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then give me two bags! If it works well, we¡¯ll buy some more from you when we pass by on our way back.¡±


    Qin Niu happily took out a silver note for a hundred taels and bought two bags.


    Wang Wanyan, standing on the side, felt immensely sweet inside. Her husband¡¯s lavish love and care for her made her delighted.


    The shopkeeper, having successfully sold two bags of cat food, was equally unable to contain his joy.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, do you have food for turtles that can help them raise their cultivation?¡±


    ¡°May I ask how big your turtle is? The food for land turtles and sea turtles differs significantly, and there¡¯s also a difference between food for old turtles and regular turtles.¡±


    ¡°Here, this little turtle!¡±


    Qin Niu directly took out the Diamond Ink Turtle from the basket on his back.


    The shopkeeper stared at it carefully and his expression became more serious.


    ¡°Oh, this turtle is no ordinary one, I think it must have the lineage of a Diamond Turtle. Looking at its shell, and also the patterns and color on it, it should be unmistaken.¡±


    No wonder their shop has been in business for more than three hundred years. The shopkeeper might look ordinary and not particularly old, but he had an impressively keen ability for pet appraisal.


    Just a cursory glance was enough for him to recognize it as a Diamond Turtle.


    This increased Qin Niu¡¯s trust in the shop even more.


    ¡°Impressive eyesight, shopkeeper, I¡¯m impressed! Do you have turtle food for it to eat?¡±


    Qin Niu gave a thumbs up, praising the other party.


    ¡°We do have it, but I will need to go outside to fetch it. If you can wait the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, I will bring it immediately. The price varies from expensive to cheap, picking the best might cost a hundred and five taels of silver for one bag. This special food for Diamond Turtles can enhance their defensive abilities and help them level up quickly.¡±


    The price really wasn¡¯t cheap.


    Buying a special talisman would cost Qin Niu only five hundred taels of silver.


    However, since the Diamond Ink Turtle was an amphibious creature, if he trained it well, it would be invaluable for underwater use in the future if needed, making the investment worthwhile.


    On land, he had the Green Ox to rely on.


    In the sky, he had the Fire Phoenix at his disposal.


    In the water for battles, treasure hunting, or escaping, he would depend on the Diamond Ink Turtle. But this little turtle grew extremely slowly.


    Because Qin Niu had many pets and limited resources, he rarely had the chance to foster its growth.


    This time, passing through the territory of the Myriad Beast Gang, there was turtle feed available that could help enhance its cultivation. Naturally, it was an opportunity not to be missed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s buy two bags first!¡±


    Qin Niu also decided to buy two bags first to see the effects.


    ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Please take a seat for a moment. I¡¯ll be right back. Ah Lang, come entertain our honored guests with some top-quality tea!¡±


    After saying that, the shopkeeper hurried out the door.


    While the shop assistant went to brew tea, Xiao Qing leaned towards Qin Niu and whispered, ¡°Master, I think this shopkeeper is likely to go to another store to fetch the goods. He doesn¡¯t have them on hand.¡±


    Xiao Qing had been adventuring with her grandfather since she was a child and was insightful about many of the ways of the jianghu (martial world).


    This precious social experience would benefit her for a lifetime.


    Many little girls of eight or nine years of age were still being spoiled in their parents¡¯ arms, naive as could be.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, as long as the turtle feed is effective, paying a few extra Silver Money is worth it. Consider it a service fee for the shopkeeper,¡± Qin Niu replied.


    Qin Niu had long seen through the shopkeeper¡¯s tactics, but he didn¡¯t call him out, having his own considerations.


    In the past, when he was short on money, he had to count every copper coin when spending it.


    Now that he had money, he felt that it was entirely unnecessary to haggle over minor expenses that could be handled with a little cash.


    Unfamiliar with the local area, he would likely end up buying fake or substandard goods if he went looking for turtle feed on his own.


    The shopkeeper¡¯s reputation of over three hundred years guaranteed almost zero chance of selling fake goods to him.


    Letting the other party earn a few Silver Money, he felt, was a worthwhile deal.


    Before long, the shopkeeper returned carrying two bags of turtle feed.


    Each bag weighed fifty catties.


    They were packed in small hemp bags.


    The weaving of these hemp bags was extremely thick and tight; there were no gaps visible at all. The hemp threads used for the weave seemed to have undergone special treatment, possibly through boiling, oiling, and other processes.


    Such meticulous care taken with just a small packaging bag suggested that the turtle feed, costing over a hundred taels of silver per bag, would not be lacking in quality.


    ¡°Two bags in total, fifty catties each, quality assured, that will be 210 taels of Silver Money,¡± the shopkeeper announced.


    ¡°No problem, thank you for your effort,¡± Qin Niu said cheerfully as he paid the silver note.


    ¡°Could you possibly arrange for someone to deliver it to the Posthouse Manager¡¯s office? My name is Qin Niu, staying in room number 17 on the second floor.¡±


    ¡°So, it is an esteemed guest from the Posthouse Manager¡¯s office, my apologies. I¡¯ll send someone right away to deliver it,¡± the shopkeeper responded, his expression showing little change despite his words of apology.


    He had probably already figured out Qin Niu and his companions¡¯ identities.


    This was not difficult as the clothes they were wearing were different from the locals. Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation was evident, making it easy for observant people to guess his identity.


    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper!¡±


    Qin Niu stood up, gave a polite bow with his hands, and expressed his gratitude.


    ¡°We¡¯re new to this precious place and would like to explore around. Please accept our leave,¡± he said.


    ¡°Distinguished guests, please take your time! If you¡¯re looking to buy a better quality Beast Pet, you might want to check out the Ghost Market after midnight. However, whether you can buy a high-quality Beast Pet entirely depends on your eye for quality and luck. The Beast Pets in the Ghost Market are of mixed quality, so be very careful not to be deceived if the prices are too high,¡± the shopkeeper said meaningfully as he glanced at Wang Wanyan when mentioning the purchase of Beast Pets.


    With the shopkeeper¡¯s keen eye, he could easily tell that Wang Wanyan¡¯s Beast Pet was nothing special.


    Qin Niu¡¯s generous spending indicated he was more than capable of buying her a better one.


    Indeed, the fact that her cat had consumed Ancient Banyan Tree Blood and still not awakened any powerful lineage made it quite ordinary.

 Chapter 520 - Chapter 520: Chapter 512: The Exorbitant Gold-Biting Rat

    Chapter 520: Chapter 512: The Exorbitant Gold-Biting Rat


    The three of them left the shop and strolled casually on the main street.


    Each place had its own unique charm and merchandise. The street vendors on both sides of the street sold various items, some of which were ornaments or weapons made from beast bones and teeth.


    There were decorative pieces carved from beast bones.


    There were also combs made from bulls¡¯ horns, and some raw animal horns and skins were simply processed and put up for sale.


    ¡°Wan Yan, didn¡¯t you say you were still hungry during the meal? That roasted venison over there looks good, do you want to try some?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Wang Wanyan readily agreed.


    Aside from the roasted venison, there were also tenderly stewed tiger meat, deep-fried elephant meat, and bear paws. The price wasn¡¯t as expensive as one might think; a large bowl of stewed tiger meat mixed with tiger bone soup only cost thirty copper coins.


    If it were sold by the Black Tiger Gang, even fifty grams of Silver Money might not get you a bowl.


    Because tigers themselves are rare wild beasts.


    But here, it seemed that all kinds of wild beasts were worth nothing. It appeared that all the rare wild beasts were mass-produced here, and their prices were barely more expensive than pork or chicken.


    After finishing the nutritious delicacies, Qin Niu continued to walk the streets with the two women.


    The street stalls and the shops behind them all sold beast pets.


    There were fiery red Red Foxes, pure White Foxes, and majestic Grey Wolves, as well as cute and dopey Black Bears¡­ almost anything one could want was here.


    The prices were generally not high.


    Just the Grey Wolves with their necks tethered could sell their complete Wolf Skin for over three taels of silver in Black Tiger City, with better quality ones fetching up to five taels. But here, an entire large Grey Wolf only cost two taels of silver.


    And if one wanted to buy, it would be easy to purchase a few hundred at once.


    If a trader specifically bought wolves from here and killed them to process the meat locally, keeping only the Wolf Skin to sell in places like Black Tiger City, they could make quite a profit.


    However, the distance to Black Tiger City was far, and for an ordinary trader to transport a cartload of Wolf Skin through several Sect territories, they¡¯d be lucky to even survive.


    The entrance and exit fees charged by each Sect for goods were also very costly.


    ¡°Wan Yan, have you thought about raising another pet? I see there are many pets here. If you¡¯re willing, I can help you choose a beast pet with great potential.¡±


    Qin Niu asked his wife.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m a bit worried about whether we can afford their meat diet!¡±


    ¡°Our family¡¯s situation isn¡¯t bad, right? You could raise ten tigers without any problems. Money is something one can¡¯t bring with them at birth or take with them in death; you need to learn to spend freely. There¡¯s really no need to be frugal in every aspect.¡±


    His wife was good in all aspects, just too kind and frugal, which could sometimes be a headache.


    Such changes in thought and perspective could only come slowly.


    It was related to the education she had received since childhood.


    Thriftiness was a virtue, but excessive thriftiness could be detrimental.


    For example, in dealing with people, if one were too frugal and only thought about inviting someone to a meal at a roadside stall, that person might just turn around and leave, feeling undervalued.


    Especially when hosting someone of status, they must be treated with great importance.


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s conceptual thinking was still what Wang Furen had taught her, suitable only for a common wealthy farmer¡¯s family. Qin Niu¡¯s spending philosophy, however, utilized money to purchase various cultivation materials, establish connections, and strengthen his own power and status.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll buy another fox then. I think they look really cute. I¡¯ve heard that foxes don¡¯t eat much and are easy to maintain.¡±


    She was clearly moved.


    The cat she kept was too ordinary, without much potential, making it difficult to be of use in battle.


    Now, seeing the market full of numerous decent beast pets for sale at cheap prices, she couldn¡¯t help but be tempted.


    Still, her thinking was influenced by her thrifty, money-saving mindset.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep a close lookout for you. If there¡¯s a decent fox, we¡¯ll buy one for you. If we come across an even better beast pet, I¡¯ll ask for your opinion then,¡±


    After saying this, Qin Niu turned to look at Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, the same goes for you. If you see any beast pet you like, let me know first. If we find a good one, I¡¯ll buy one for you as well. Don¡¯t worry about whether we can afford it; I¡¯ll provide the funds,¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master! Thank you, Sister Wan Yan!¡±


    Xiao Qing didn¡¯t decline, happily accepting the offer.


    Seeing everyone else with a pet, she must have been envious for a long time.


    Now that Qin Niu had suggested it, and they were in a city where everyone had a beast pet, naturally, she wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    The little girl was smart; she even knew to thank Wang Wanyan, the mistress of the house.


    After deciding to buy beast pets, the three began looking for suitable ones at street stalls as well as inside shops.


    Qin Niu, after asking for prices and making comparisons, found that the beast pets sold at street stalls were cheap but of poor quality.


    The shops had both good and bad quality, and those with outstanding potential were basically sold at sky-high prices.


    A fox with a trace of Green Fox Bloodline was sold for as high as fifty thousand Silver Money.


    It was simply exorbitantly priced.


    Moreover, the bloodline of that Green Fox was not pure, belonging to a hybrid among the subspecies.


    The Green Hill Fox Tribe was indeed famous in the world of beast pets.


    After all, the strongest Green Fox once easily slaughtered many True Immortals.


    ¡°Over there, it looks like they¡¯re all selling rats!¡±


    Xiao Qing, with her sharp eyes, pointed towards a street on the left and shouted.


    Qin Niu turned his head to look, and sure enough.


    The cages were filled with all types of rats, the largest being the size of a dog.


    The three walked over.


    ¡°Do you three wish to buy rats? Here are bamboo rats, Mole Rats, Rock Rats¡­¡±


    The shop assistant greeted the three warmly.


    In the cages displayed outside the shop, all sorts of rats were a sight to behold.


    There were even rats specially raised in the water, as big as a child, looking like gibbons with long hooks on their claws.


    ¡°Won¡¯t these rats drown in the water?¡±


    Xiao Qing asked curiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them, these are called Water Otters, and those over there are River Beavers, specializing in building dams in the rivers. The ones about the size of a child here are otters. If you are swimming in the water and they discover you, they will silently dive under your feet and then pull on your feet forcefully to drag you under. In the water, they are extremely powerful and agile. Many people who drowned were killed by them.


    These rats are all specialized for living in water, and their swimming skills are outstanding,¡±


    the shop assistant explained in detail the special features of these aquatic rats.


    ¡°Why do the cages for those small rats, need such thick iron bars?¡±


    Xiao Qing pointed at another cage and asked.


    ¡°These rats are called Rock Rats, they have another name, called Rock-Biting Rats. Don¡¯t be fooled by their size; their teeth are very sharp. Some of the more formidable ones can gnaw through iron bars this thick in just a few bites.


    To keep them locked up, these cages are specially processed.


    Moreover, all the rats sold here have been carefully selected, and we guarantee each one is of top quality. If you raise them and find that their potential is very poor, we offer returns,¡±


    the shop assistant added.


    These shops had one thing in common, they all highly valued honesty.


    Usually, the sale of beast pets came with no responsibility for the seller after the transaction, yet these shops dared to offer a quality guarantee service, promising a full return if there were any problems.


    ¡°Master, I would like to buy a Rock Rat to raise, may I?¡±


    Xiao Qing looked at Qin Niu.


    ¡°Of course, you can. Pick the best one for yourself,¡± Qin Niu replied.


    ¡°Boss, how much for one Rock Rat?¡±


    After getting permission, Xiao Qing didn¡¯t rush to make a purchase but first asked for the price.


    Her address to the shop assistant was interesting; she directly called him ¡°Boss¡± instead of ¡°Assistant.¡±


    ¡°The ones in this cage are two Silver Money each. The ones in separate cages over there have different prices. For example, this one sells for eight thousand Silver Money,¡±


    the assistant announced an astonishing price.


    Rats of the same size, these sold for only two Silver Money each, yet that one was priced at eight thousand, which was four thousand times more expensive.


    ¡°That¡¯s so expensive, what¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°Of course there¡¯s a difference! This one has been appraised by an authoritative Appraiser and comes with a certificate. It has the Gold Biter Mouse Bloodline, and although its level is still very low now, it can bite through iron bars as if it¡¯s playing.¡±


    The shop assistant picked up a long iron bar next to him, thick as a chopstick, and inserted it into the cage.


    Crunch, crunch.


    The Rock Rat gnawed it in half in just two bites.

 Chapter 521 - Chapter 521: Chapter 513 Picking Up a Bargain

    Chapter 521: Chapter 513 Picking Up a Bargain


    Beast pet appraisal is similar to insect pet appraisal; they both have professional appraisers.


    Qin Niu is fairly skilled at appraising insects, but when it comes to appraising beast species, he is basically a layman.


    ¡°I think these are quite good too, just buy a regular one for me,¡±


    Xiao Qing took out two taels of silver and handed them over.


    As Qin Niu¡¯s maidservant, she received a monthly salary and occasionally received extra rewards. Her little treasury should have saved over a hundred taels of silver.


    For the average person, this was already a considerable fortune.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, don¡¯t rush to buy. Let¡¯s look around some more,¡±


    Qin Niu walked up to the rock mice that were kept separately, observing each one carefully.


    Especially for the Rock-Biting Rat that was priced at eight thousand taels of silver, he looked at it with extra care.


    After looking over all the Rock-Biting Rats, Qin Niu said to the shop assistant, ¡°We¡¯ll go back and think it over before coming back.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, our esteemed guests can come back to make a purchase whenever needed. All the beast pets in our shop are fairly priced and quality assured,¡±


    The shop assistant could only agree.


    It was evident, however, that the absence of a sale from the trio left him somewhat disappointed.


    Of course, Qin Niu did not care about the shop assistant¡¯s feelings.


    The most expensive Rock-Biting Rat was priced at thirty-nine thousand taels and was known as the treasure of the shop. Its appraisal certificate stated that the Rock-Biting Rat had a strong Gold-Biting Rat bloodline. With proper nurturing, there was a high chance it would grow into a powerful Gold-Biting Rat in the future.


    Although Qin Niu didn¡¯t know how to appraise Gold Metal species, he had a genuine Gold Devouring Ant.


    This was the only ant capable of surpassing the War Demon Ant in terms of bloodline rank.


    When he was observing those rock mice, Qin Niu specifically had it investigate those potential Gold-Biting Rats. Because they all had the Gold-Biting attribute, it could sense the quality of each Gold-Biting Rat.


    It would be more suitable to describe it as potential.


    The more expensive the rock mice were, and the purer their bloodlines, the stronger the Gold Devouring Ant¡¯s reaction was.


    Since Qin Niu discovered that he could use the Gold Devouring Ant to pick out excellent rock mice, he naturally wouldn¡¯t waste his money on an unreasonable purchase.


    Walking out of the beast pet store with Xiao Qing and his wife, Wang Wanyan asked with some confusion, ¡°My Lord, why didn¡¯t you let Xiao Qing buy an ordinary rock mouse in this shop?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will definitely buy a rock mouse. But the rock mice in the store that have been appraised are either exorbitantly priced if high-quality, or not worth much if cheap. Since Xiao Qing wants to raise a pet, we should naturally help her buy a good one.


    I prefer to spend the least amount of money to get the best merchandise.¡±


    ¡°Just now I tried my hand at appraising those special rock mice and managed to learn a thing or two.


    We¡¯ll look around at the street stalls and try to find a bargain,¡±


    Qin Niu did not hide anything and shared his thoughts.


    ¡°Master, that¡¯s a great idea! If we really manage to buy a rock mouse worth thousands of taels of silver for very little money, that would be a huge win,¡±


    Xiao Qing clapped her hands in excitement and agreed.


    ¡°My Lord is incredibly clever. Just by looking, you learned how to assess rock mice. It¡¯s truly admirable. Later, you should also help me pick out a fox with great potential, but for cheap, from the street stalls,¡±


    Wang Wanyan never doubted Qin Niu¡¯s abilities.


    After all, she had witnessed his skills with her own eyes.


    ¡°Ha, look at how thrifty you are! I managed to learn how to appraise rock mice by coincidence. I don¡¯t know how to appraise foxes, but if we observe carefully, I think there¡¯s still a possibility of finding a bargain.¡±


    All women are the same at heart; they love a good deal.


    Wang Wanyan was naturally frugal and wanted to buy a fox to raise, but many foxes of good quality were expensive. She was reluctant to spend that much money.


    Seeing that Qin Niu could appraise beast pets, she immediately thought of having him help her find a bargain.


    The three continued browsing the market, and now with a clear goal, Qin Niu focused on the stalls selling cheap rock rats.


    There were many stalls selling all kinds of rat beast pets.


    This whole street was lined with them.


    Rats have an extremely wide distribution, exceptional adaptability, and equally strong reproductive capabilities. Citizens of the Myriad Beast Gang have been dealing with all kinds of wild animals since childhood, so catching rats is like a routine meal for them.


    Many people would catch rats and bring them to the market to sell, as a way to supplement their income.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t interested in other rats, only in those that could eat metal.


    Their gnawing ability was incredibly strong; almost nothing could withstand their bite.


    Having such a rat as a pet, Xiao Qing would surely be able to shine in future battles against enemies.


    As the three moved from stall to stall in search of outstanding rock rats, Qin Niu noticed that there were quite a few buyers with the same idea, also selectively hunting for superior rats.


    These people had certain skill in appraising, some even owned beast pet shops, and specifically came to the stalls to spot any undervalued gems, which they then sold at high prices back at their shops.


    They paid more attention to the breed and quality of the rock rats when choosing.


    It was precisely because of so many professionals looking for bargains that Qin Niu couldn¡¯t find a single rock rat with Gold-Biting Rat bloodline after checking over thirty stalls.


    It seemed that finding such a bargain wasn¡¯t going to be so easy after all.


    Don¡¯t assume that the beast pet shop we saw earlier, which had over twenty Gold-Biting Rats, randomly set their prices. Those were collected from various channels by the shop¡¯s owner.


    Out here at the stalls, even among ten thousand rock rats, it would be hard to find one special rock rat with Gold-Biting Rat bloodline.


    The store sold them for eight thousand taels, or even tens of thousands of taels each, and the pricing wasn¡¯t arbitrary; it mainly stemmed from the rarity of the Gold-Biting Rats.


    ¡°Master, there are the rock rats you¡¯re looking for up ahead!¡±


    The Gold Devouring Ant conveyed to Qin Niu in ant language.


    Encouraged by this, Qin Niu followed the Gold Devouring Ant¡¯s direction to a stall up ahead.


    There, two large iron cages were placed, each holding a mix of over a thousand rock rats.


    The stall owners were a middle-aged couple, the husband strong and muscular, tall and robust, with a face that looked rather ugly and fierce. His wife was not tall¡ªjust over five feet¡ªand only came up to her husband¡¯s chest.


    But she was broad and plump, with features far from what one would call delicate.


    Standing together, they did seem quite matched as a couple, sharing a certain spousal resemblance.


    ¡°Boss, how much for these rock rats?¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush to buy, but instead casually inquired about the price.


    That¡¯s how shopping goes¡ªif you seem too anxious, you¡¯re easy to overcharge. This is particularly true when buying such unique rock rats.


    Each of these stall owners was as clever as a fox, ready to jack up the price if they sensed any clue, leading to a lot of unnecessary complications.


    As Qin Niu was here to find a bargain, naturally, he wouldn¡¯t give the vendors any chance to take advantage of him.


    The boss looked up at him, his mouth opened as if to speak, but no sound came out. He gestured with his hands, first holding up one finger, and then five.


    It turned out he was mute.


    ¡°One tael of silver for ten, pick as you like,¡± the wife helped explain.


    The price was incredibly cheap, much lower than the pet store¡¯s.


    Rock rats weren¡¯t easy to catch; they lived on cliffs and were adept at burrowing into rocks to make their nests.


    The more formidable the rock rat, the harder the rock face it chose for nesting.


    Some rock rats even chose granite or gneiss, extremely tough rocks, for nesting.

 Chapter 522 - Chapter 522: Chapter 514 Bestowing Favor

    Chapter 522: Chapter 514 Bestowing Favor


    ¡°`


    They dig holes somewhat differently from ordinary mice, usually choosing smoother or more concealed rock layers and then digging a small hole just big enough for them to pass through. About two or three meters deep into the winding path, only then do they start to widen the interior and expand.


    The purpose of this is to prevent enemies from invading.


    The rock rats have poor eyesight and are far less agile in running and jumping than ordinary mice. They could even be considered clumsy.


    If an enemy accidentally invades their nest, the whole family of rock rats would be doomed.


    Through long-term evolution, they have developed a set of self-protection methods.


    This kind of long, narrow passage can stop most of the enemies, with only small snakes being able to drill through. Most mice are afraid of snakes because they often become snake food.


    Rock rats are an exception.


    They possess great stamina and a super powerful gnawing ability.


    Unless they encounter venomous snakes, they can usually rupture the hard scales of snakes with their sharp teeth and easily gnaw through the snake¡¯s body and bones.


    Snakes have only two methods of killing their prey.


    One is a venom attack, and the other is constricting to death.


    A python as thick as a small arm can crush an adult¡¯s bones.


    Many non-venomous snakes rely on constriction to kill their enemies. They also bite their prey during the attack, but their teeth are sharp and thin, making it hard to cause serious harm.


    Thanks to their strong gnawing ability, rock rats can often gnaw through the body of a snake before it completes the constriction.


    They also have an interesting defensive method of leaving a stone just big enough to block the mouse hole while they dig their nests. When they sleep, they push the stone to block the entrance.


    From their habits, it¡¯s clear that capturing a rock rat is no easy task.


    But clever humans are not easily deterred.


    Many hunters who specialize in catching rats would set traps or use smoke and other methods to capture them.


    If someone wants to dig open their mouse holes to catch them, they would surely end up questioning their life choices.


    Rock rats are difficult to capture and only appear on the wild cliffs and steep ledges, and they are relatively scarce, which all contribute to their high price.


    Ten for one tael of silver, which is the equivalent of one hundred wen money per rat.


    It doesn¡¯t seem cheap, but in reality, many people might spend more than half a month¡¯s time trying to catch a rock rat. They must take risks entering deep mountains, scaling cliffs, and then figuring out ways to catch the rock rats.


    With good luck, they might capture several at once.


    With bad luck, they might return empty-handed.


    ¡°Here is one tael of silver, I¡¯ll take ten.¡±


    Qin Niu paid the money directly and selected the rock rats himself.


    The price was unimaginably cheap.


    He caught a total of ten.


    Unfortunately, among the thousands of rock rats, only one possessed the Gold-Biting Rat bloodline.


    ¡°Do you have any better cages for sale?¡±


    Qin Niu asked the vendor¡¯s wife.


    She did not react at all.


    Such a neglectful treatment of a customer was obviously not normal.


    Her husband nudged her and gestured some signs. Then he turned to Qin Niu and offered a smile more frightening than a ghost¡¯s.


    ¡°Sorry, my ears are deaf. This cage can hold them; only a rock rat with the Gold-Biting ability could possibly chew through these ordinary iron cages.¡± She said apologetically with a smile to Qin Niu.


    It turned out that both the husband and wife were disabled.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    Qin Niu waved his hand and gave the couple a kind smile.


    The three of them walked to an open space nearby, and Qin Niu stopped.


    ¡°Wan Yan, let your cat eat a rock rat to try. I read in a book that feline beast pets can reap great benefits from eating mice.¡± Cats and mice are natural enemies; there¡¯s a reason they love eating mice.


    ¡°`


    The book mentioned that rodents could provide cats with some special energy.


    After eating them, cats would feel very comfortable and even find it easier to advance in rank.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll take your word for it! But weren¡¯t these rock rats bought as pets for Xiao Qing? It seems such a waste to feed them to my cat!¡±


    ¡°Out of the ten, only one is truly useful, the others are just there for show.¡±


    As Qin Niu spoke, he threw a rock rat to Wang Wanyan¡¯s cat for it to hunt.


    Now a Grade Four beast pet, the feline instantly captured the rock rat, then killed it with a bite and cruelly tore it apart, chewing it up.


    Cat¡¯s teeth are rather sharp and fine, and their biting force is not their strong suit in battle.


    But a cat¡¯s agility can almost make up for all its shortcomings.


    Many people don¡¯t know that feline animals are said to be invincible among predators of the same rank, but they have very poor stamina. The most typical example is the cheetah, which, with its near-perfect hunting technique, has a very high success rate in hunting.


    However, when faced with slightly stronger hyenas, or even wild dogs that are much smaller in size, they can only drop their prey and flee in panic.


    Because cheetahs have weak defenses, poor endurance, and biting abilities far inferior to those of hyenas, they simply cannot win the fight.


    When Wang Wanyan initially chose her own cat as a pet, it was somewhat whimsical.


    Qin Niu always doted on her, letting her have her way as long as she liked something.


    Now that there was a chance, Qin Niu thought about helping her improve her cat as much as possible.


    Ancient Banyan Tree Blood was a treasure; although it hadn¡¯t evolved special abilities after eating it, it had undergone some changes and accumulated some benefits.


    These rock rats were much more advanced than normal rats, and a large amount of feeding might help it evolve some special abilities.


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    After eating the rock rat, the cat emitted a joyful cry.


    This was a delicacy it hardly ever got to eat.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t hesitate and threw the remaining eight ordinary rock rats to it as well.


    For this cat, it was like snacking on desserts, eating one with each bite, and enjoying it tremendously.


    After swallowing nine rock rats, its belly only bulged a little. Considering its appetite, it could easily devour forty or fifty in one meal.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, this rock rat is for you. We¡¯ve walked around quite a bit already, I¡¯m going to check out the Ghost Market later tonight, but for now, let¡¯s head back to our accommodation.¡±


    The three had played enough and eaten, and after a tiring day of travel, they needed a good rest.


    Rat City¡¯s beast pet market was rich in variety and not lacking in high-quality pets.


    But the prices were also incredibly high.


    Special beast pets costing tens of thousands of silver money each, that price was outrageous.


    The market for beast pets here was completely polarized, with ordinary pets being dirt cheap, while special ones commanded astronomical prices. To find a bargain, one must know how to identify them and also be lucky.


    If a selection has been picked over by many people, the chance of finding a great deal is pitifully small.


    Back at the station manager¡¯s, the owner of the Beast Pet Food Store truly kept his word, having someone deliver the feed to their room.


    ¡°We¡¯ve added four bags of beast pet food, weighing two hundred pounds, can those two horses pull that?¡± Wang Wanyan asked with some concern.


    ¡°No worries, if they really can¡¯t pull it, I¡¯ll just buy two more horses here tomorrow. With four horses taking turns pulling the cart, we¡¯ll be able to travel much more quickly.¡± It¡¯s just a minor matter.


    The Myriad Beast Gang had various mounts available at reasonable prices, so buying two more good horses would be fine.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, this Low-grade Contract Charm is for you, now go ahead and subdue this rock rat.¡±


    The rock rat Qin Niu chose didn¡¯t look good.


    Its fur was bristling and forked, its body frail, looking malnourished. Its teeth didn¡¯t seem impressive either, the two most important front teeth were ¡®withered¡¯ and the gap between them unusually wide.


    It was hard to imagine that such a rock rat actually had the Gold-Biting Rat bloodline.


    And it was a rich one at that.


    Xiao Qing took the talisman without a hint of doubt and started to subdue the rock rat right away.

 Chapter 523 - Chapter 523: Chapter 515: Doting on Wife with Power

    Chapter 523: Chapter 515: Doting on Wife with Power


    ¡°Husband, this rock rat looks a lot like you!¡±


    Wang Wanyan said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Are you taking a roundabout way of calling me a rat? Just wait and see how I¡¯ll deal with you tonight.¡±


    Qin Niu gave her a fierce look.


    ¡°Stop it, mind your words, Xiao Qing is here!¡±


    Wang Wanyan¡¯s pretty face turned red in an instant.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean to insult you. Of the ten rock rats you bought, this one looked to be in the worst shape, all pitiable, but you were able to identify that it¡¯s actually the strongest one.


    Back in Shuangfeng Village, you also seemed like the most pitiful child, malnourished and poor. But now you¡¯ve become so strong. Don¡¯t you think you and this rock rat are quite alike?¡±


    She asked with a smile.


    There really were similarities between the two.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s face showed a mischievous smile while Qin Niu coughed twice and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Xiao Niu!¡±


    He had fed the demon core of an infant demon to the Green Ox, and so far, there hadn¡¯t been any abnormal reactions. However, since it was a demon core and could very well be from a Grade Eleven demon, he was somewhat worried.


    The energy contained within a demon core was often extremely violent, and the Green Ox was only Grade Six. Whether it could withstand the terrifying energy of a Grade Eleven demon core was still unknown.


    Arriving at the stables, Qin Niu saw two Black Mare Horses standing asleep.


    Horses rarely lie down to rest unless they are ill.


    When standing, they often need only three legs to support themselves, while the remaining leg rests. Then they switch legs to rest in turn.


    In the wild, there are many predators that hunt resting wild horses.


    If they lay down to rest, chances are they¡¯d be caught by the throat and subdued by a predator before they could even get up.


    If they stand while resting, they can run away immediately when ambushed.


    The Green Ox was lying in a separate stall with its eyes closed, and aside from faint sparks of electricity on its horns, there were no other abnormalities.


    After secretly observing for a while, Qin Niu found it wasn¡¯t in any danger and felt relieved.


    Back in the guest room, he first took out turtle feed to feed the Diamond Ink Turtle.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad stared with a pair of bulging frog eyes, showing an envious expression.


    Qin Niu hadn¡¯t bought pet food for it, which made it feel neglected.


    ¡°Your food is insects. When I find a suitable one, I¡¯ll consider feeding you.¡±


    Qin Niu consoled it.


    ¡°Croak!¡±


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad let out a low croak, as if it felt greatly wronged.


    This made Qin Niu laugh.


    This Wart Toad was indeed a Grade Eight beast pet and had very high intelligence, even possessing some thinking abilities that were unique to humans.


    With several pets to care for, he couldn¡¯t ensure that each pet received the same treatment.


    After feeding the little turtle, he checked the condition of the Green Demon Bee.


    Its six limbs were retracted, clinging tightly to its abdomen, and its four steel wings were also tightly retracted. Its entire body was surrounded by a swirling black mist.


    ¡°Fantastic, an infant demon brought such significant benefits. If I encounter another demon next time, I won¡¯t hesitate.¡±


    After inspecting the Green Demon Bee, Qin Niu went to bed to rest.


    ¡­


    Halfway through the night, he got up and left the room.


    ¡°Master, are you planning to visit the Ghost Market?¡±


    Xiao Qing was very alert; she had been sleeping outside and woke up immediately upon hearing noise.


    ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m going to take a look around. Make sure the door is bolted.¡±


    Qin Niu gave them a couple of reminders and then left the post station.


    The once-bustling streets were now only sparsely populated with a handful of pedestrians. It seemed everyone was tired from their activities; many had already gone home to sleep.


    Street vendors were packing up their wares, preparing to head home.


    Many of the shops on both sides of the street had already closed for the night.


    As he passed the street where the rat-seller was located, Qin Niu unexpectedly spotted two familiar figures. A burly man was carrying two heavy iron cages, and his wife was following him, carrying other items.


    The business of the disabled couple selling rock rats didn¡¯t seem very good; they hadn¡¯t sold many.


    By the looks of it, they were packing up to go home.


    Witnessing the couple¡¯s hard efforts in the depths of the night, Qin Niu felt a stirring in his heart.


    ¡°How many rock rats do you have in total?¡±


    He approached and stopped them.


    The husband set down his load and communicated with his wife through gestures.


    ¡°There should be 1064!¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why Qin Niu was asking this.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll buy all the rock rats from you. A hundred taels of silver, do you sell or not?¡±


    Qin Niu asked for their opinion.


    ¡°Mhm, mhm, mhm!¡±


    The couple were so thrilled to have such a big customer that they nodded vigorously, agreeing to the deal.


    ¡°Give me those two big iron cages as well, and here are the hundred taels of silver.¡±


    Qin Niu handed them a silver note worth a hundred taels.


    The large iron cages seemed quite sizable but probably weren¡¯t expensive to buy; they likely cost no more than five maces of silver. With some bargaining, he might even get them for three and a half to four maces of silver.


    The tall husband took the silver note, his excitement coloring his cheeks a shade of red.


    After verifying the note was authentic, he handed it to his wife.


    She was taken aback, refused it with a shake of her hands, but her husband insisted until she finally took it. Holding the silver note felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in her trembling hands, and the way she looked at her husband was deeper and more affectionate than ever before.


    Heartfelt communication is most important between people.


    The husband treated her so well that she would probably be willing to entrust her life to him.


    Qin Niu smiled. As his strength and status continued to rise, his basic needs were well taken care of, and he had attained a certain level of authority over life and death. He preferred to witness human kindness and sincerity and disliked deceit and evil.


    He took the thousand-plus rock rats and placed them directly inside the carriage.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about them being stolen.


    Those staying in the post station were powerhouses, none of whom would stoop to stealing someone else¡¯s rats.


    Qin Niu bought these rock rats partly out of a desire to help the disabled couple and partly to help his wife¡¯s cat evolve special abilities. After all, he had already purchased the expensive cat food, so he couldn¡¯t just give up halfway.


    He could only continue investing, doing everything he could to help it become stronger.


    This was also why one must be extremely cautious when choosing beast pets or insect pets.


    If one chose a pet with poor potential, they would have to invest far more than others, and they might even end up raising an ¡®irremediable failure,¡¯ with all the time, effort, money, and resources going to waste in the end.


    In this highly competitive world, with the same amount of resources, others¡¯ pets might grow stronger while the weaker ones are left behind.


    Ultimately, the weak may become weaker, missing out on many significant opportunities, while the victor continues to climb higher and grow stronger.


    Wang Wanyan had something of a young lady¡¯s temperament, being somewhat capricious, simple-minded and kind-hearted, and was not particularly utilitarian in her actions.


    While this was a commendable character trait, it lacked competitiveness.


    Luckily, she married Qin Niu, and the two complemented each other well


    Qin Niu was ruthless in his actions, meticulous in thought, and deep in strategy, never showing any undue mercy common to women. This was one of the key reasons for his rapid rise.


    Even without discovering that Ancient Banyan Tree, he could still rise quickly, though perhaps not achieving quite the extraordinary level of success he now enjoyed.

 Chapter 524 - Chapter 524: Chapter 516: Ghost Market Takes a Slave

    Chapter 524: Chapter 516: Ghost Market Takes a Slave


    ¡°`


    Wang Wanyan had his protection and support, and he believed that she would definitely continue to grow and become more and more mature in the future.


    After placing the rock rat properly, Qin Niu headed straight for the Ghost Market with a clear goal in mind.


    He already had plenty of pets, and with limited energy and resources, he did not plan to add new pets lightly. Unless he encountered some especially heaven-defying pets, that would be a different story.


    The Ghost Market was located on the edge of Rat City. Two ghostly green lanterns hung at the entrance, with an archway-style gate standing beside them.


    Four characters were engraved on it: ¡°Rat City Ghost Market¡±.


    Under the glow of the lanterns, the calligraphic characters appeared particularly eerie.


    The whole Ghost Market was pitch black and utterly silent; those with less courage might feel their legs go soft at the entrance and turn to flee immediately.


    Qin Niu, of course, was not afraid. If he dared to kill an infant demon, why would he fear ghosts?


    He walked straight in.


    All around was quiet. Could the market be inside?


    ¡°Ao¡ª¡±


    At that moment, he heard the howl of a wolf, and it was not far to his left.


    Upon instinct, he turned his head to follow the sound, and despite his bravery, he was startled. In the darkness on the left, a pair of menacing green eyes fixed on him.


    With his cultivation power focused on his eyes, he finally saw clearly.


    There was an old man sitting on the ground, with a ferocious wild wolf tied to a stone pillar behind him.


    The wolf was as big as a one-year-old calf, with a body covered in blue fur. The fur near its brow was tinged with yellow, bordering on golden. It had a V-shaped patch of white fur around its neck, and its tail dragged along the ground.


    Green wolves were even rarer than grey wolves, both belonging to larger species of wolves.


    Coyotes, dholes, and Langshan wolves were all much smaller.


    Just by looking at its external appearance, one could tell the wolf was powerful, level-headed, and probably very fierce. Its eyes revealed a cunning nature.


    Wolves are often very good at disguising themselves.


    The old man saw Qin Niu approaching but remained silent with an indifferent expression.


    ¡°How much for this wolf?¡±


    Qin Niu felt that Wang Wanyan would be better off raising a wolf than a fox.


    Because wolves were stronger in combat and could also be used as mounts.


    She probably only considered raising a pet that was cuter, without thinking about their practical uses.


    Asking the price of this wolf wasn¡¯t out of intention to buy, but to get an understanding of the market first.


    The old man stretched out four fingers.


    ¡°Four hundred taels.¡±


    The price he quoted wasn¡¯t too outrageous, but it certainly wasn¡¯t cheap either.


    Because a normal grey wolf on the market only sold for two silver money. This green wolf was priced two hundred times higher.


    ¡°Does it have any special features?¡±


    Qin Niu asked because he didn¡¯t know.


    Identifying beast pets was never his strong suit.


    The old man glanced at him, didn¡¯t say anything, crossed his arms, lowered his head, closed his eyes, and began to sleep.


    This attitude clearly showed he was no longer interested in doing business.


    It was a sign for Qin Niu to do as he pleased.


    Qin Niu observed the green wolf carefully for a while and then turned to walk further inside.


    This time, he noticed that every ten meters or so there was a stall owner. The items for sale were diverse, including various beast pets, and even high-quality bugs. There were weapons, talismans, and other items for sale as well.


    There were herbs and demon blood that could help beast pets advance in their levels, among other things.


    Qin Niu stopped in front of a stall selling equipment.


    The equipment here was not for human use, but specifically for beast pets.


    There were iron armors to be worn by beast pets, neck guards with sharp spikes against bites, helmets, hoof guards, and more.


    ¡°`


    The neck bite-protection spikes could be worn around a beast pet¡¯s neck like a collar.


    Their purpose was to protect the vulnerable neck from being bitten or to prevent an adversary from locking its throat.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Green Ox was still a half-grown calf; fitting it with armor was wasteful, as the armor would have to be discarded once it grew a bit larger. It wasn¡¯t worth spending the unjustified money.


    As for the Golden Toad and Ink Turtle, being less common beast pets, there simply wasn¡¯t any protective gear available for them.


    After a brief glance, Qin Niu continued straight ahead, looking for the items he needed.


    After entering, he realized that there were quite a few people browsing the Ghost Market¡ªmostly lone wolves. Both men and women were present and all kept a low profile.


    They stopped only when they came across goods that piqued their interest to ask for the price.


    At that moment, Qin Niu saw a crowd gathered around a stall ahead. Driven by curiosity, he suspected that some remarkable treasure must have attracted so much attention, so he hastened his steps to go over.


    Seated at the stall was a man with stubble and messy hair, wearing a tattered black robe.


    However, there was a daunting aura of resentment emanating from him.


    He appeared to be in his thirties with no low level of cultivation, clearly in the middle phase of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    In front of him was a sign, with two lines written in blood.


    ¡°I am for sale. If anyone can help me take revenge and kill my enemy, I will become a slave for life, never to betray.¡±


    Among the onlookers, a masked woman seemed particularly interested in the man.


    ¡°Who is your enemy? How formidable are they?¡±


    The voice seemed familiar to Qin Niu, and upon a closer look at her attire, even though she had changed into a set of night-clothes that made her lithe figure even more eye-catching, and she wore a mask over her face, Qin Niu still recognized her instantly.


    Those uniquely slanted eyebrows were too characteristic.


    It was none other than the woman among the group of two men and a woman he had encountered at the posthouse.


    Her male companions were not in sight.


    Perhaps she had come to browse the Ghost Market alone, and she wasn¡¯t carrying the long bow on her back. Such attire clearly indicated she didn¡¯t want to reveal her true identity.


    Understandably, many people browsing the Ghost Market would conceal their true faces as much as possible. Some items here couldn¡¯t stand the light of day, and if one acquired an extremely valuable treasure, others not knowing one¡¯s true identity meant there was no need to worry about being robbed or assassinated.


    Making a silent fortune was king anywhere.


    ¡°My enemy is Fang Hanshan, the Sixth Cave Master of the Fire Cloud Tunnel, an Immortal Master.¡±</p>


    Upon hearing that his enemy was the Sixth Cave Master of the Fire Cloud Tunnel, the onlookers drew back. To make an enemy out of an Immortal Master just to acquire a mid-phase Spirit Qi Realm slave was not a wise decision.


    Moreover, with its resounding reputation, the Fire Cloud Tunnel was one of the top sects among the more than one thousand under the jurisdiction of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    If one actually killed their Sixth Cave Master, it would be tantamount to making an enemy of the entire Fire Cloud Tunnel.


    Who would do such a foolish thing?


    The man seemed used to the reaction of the onlookers; his face, obscured by his unruly hair, showed no change.


    The woman who asked about the situation silently left.


    Her cultivation was only in the early phase of the Spirit Qi Realm; she couldn¡¯t possibly have the guts to challenge an Immortal Master.


    ¡°Could you tell me why you want to take revenge on the Sixth Cave Master?¡± Qin Niu seemed very interested in the man.


    He was someone who normally wouldn¡¯t meddle in murky waters, but there was one exception: if the benefits were significant enough, he might take the risk.


    To others, an Immortal Master might be terrifying, but he had numerous beast pets and his own cultivation was constantly improving. Moreover, having easily exterminated an eleventh-grade Infant Demon not long ago had filled him with considerable confidence.


    ¡°That beast defiled and murdered my wife. As long as I draw breath, I will seek revenge for her,¡± the man said, his fingernails digging into his flesh and his veins popping with anger.


    A wife violated and murdered was undoubtedly something no man could accept.


    No wonder the man was willing to become a slave for life just to seek vengeance upon the Sixth Cave Master.


    ¡°Immortal Masters shouldn¡¯t lack for women; this kind of despicable act is hard to imagine happening normally,¡± Qin Niu observed the man¡¯s reactions from the sidelines.


    It wasn¡¯t just Immortal Masters; anyone who reached the Innate Realm would not want for women.


    Only ordinary people would covet sleeping with beautiful women all day long. At such levels, they would strive to raise their own cultivation, pursuing higher realms. Women and power were essentially inconsequential to them.

 Chapter 525 - Chapter 525: Chapter 517 Thousand Taels Rusty Sword

    Chapter 525: Chapter 517 Thousand Taels Rusty Sword


    Those acts of bullying men and domineering over women are disdained not just by Immortal Masters, but even by Spirit Qi Realm Experts.


    Because their strength is evident, many treasures that are seen as precious by common people are easily within their reach.


    ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t think Immortal Masters are all paragons of virtue. I witnessed it myself that day, if I hadn¡¯t jumped into the river and luckily escaped, I would have fallen into that old thief¡¯s clutches long ago.¡±


    The man made a ripping sound as he tore open his clothes, revealing two scars on his chest.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s eyesight, he could tell at a glance that these were wounds pierced by a weapon like a longsword.


    The scars had peeled off, and the wounds had healed.


    The injury should have occurred two or three months ago.


    ¡°This is not a place for conversation. If you trust me, then follow me.¡± Qin Niu did not agree to help the man take revenge, but planned to interrogate him more carefully.


    Then he had to observe the man¡¯s character and potential.


    He would only consider taking the job if the benefits were substantial enough.


    Acquiring a servant at the level of the Spirit Qi Realm was a long-term consideration for him. Although the Black Tiger Gang Leader had assigned two attendants to be his guards, obeying his orders, Qin Niu did not dare to trust those two completely.


    In his eyes, those two attendants served as the Gang Leader¡¯s spies while pretending to be guards.


    This meant that he could never consider those two attendants as his confidants.


    However, it¡¯s said that a brave man is reinforced by three assistants. If he wanted to expand and grow stronger, then he must cultivate some trustworthy subordinates.


    Xiao Qing was a subordinate he was training, and if Er Dan¡¯s potential turned out to be good, he could also be counted as one.


    But just these two kids were not enough ¨C their power was too weak.


    If he encountered suitable candidates, especially those who were already Spirit Qi Realm Experts, and if he could subjugate them, it would be very worthwhile to pay a certain price.


    To his surprise, the man did not hesitate at all and stood up to follow him.


    Qin Niu remained silent, simply moving forward, continuing to browse the Ghost Market. The man followed silently behind him.


    The onlookers also dispersed one after another.


    Many of them thought Qin Niu must be either crazy or a swindler, making grand claims.


    A Spirit Qi Realm attempting to kill an Immortal Master level expert, could it be possible?


    The first inquirer, the masked woman, looked at Qin Niu with astonishment. She had clearly recognized him, knowing that he also stayed at the same inn.


    Qin Niu kept looking for suitable pets as he went along.


    Chirp chirp!


    Chirp chirp!


    The cries coming from ahead caught his attention.


    Looking up, he saw a hunter trying to sell two baby foxes that had not yet opened their eyes. They were crawling around in a basket on his back, probably hungry or missing their mother, and they kept making tender cries.


    The hunter appeared to be between forty-seven and fifty years old, dressed in shorts made of animal skin, revealing arms and calves as strong as cast iron and two huge bulging muscles on his chest.


    Qin Niu noticed that many men from the Myriad Beast Gang had robust physiques.


    The two little foxes had a slight pink tint to their fur, showing no obvious special features.


    But as Qin Niu approached them, he felt stronger vibrations from the Fire Lotus within him. He was inwardly pleased, knowing that he might have come across a beast pet with excellent potential.


    ¡°These two little foxes haven¡¯t been weaned yet, have they?¡±


    Qin Niu inquired of the hunter.


    ¡°Hmm, I caught them when I was hunting in the mountains. Their mother had been eaten by a very powerful Eagle Demon. By the time I found them, two had already been swallowed by a big snake. These two were lucky to survive. Judging by their mother¡¯s ferocity, the cubs she birthed shouldn¡¯t be weak,¡± the hunter explained briefly.


    ¡°So young, I¡¯m afraid they might not be easy to raise!¡±


    Qin Niu shook his head repeatedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too difficult. The market sells special kitten food, just a bit pricey. They only need to be fed for about two months before they can be weaned.¡±


    ¡°Seeing as they¡¯re in such difficulty, I¡¯ll take them both. How much?¡±


    ¡°Forty taels of silver should do, consider it giving them a chance at life.¡±


    The price the hunter quoted wasn¡¯t expensive.


    But he was selling not only these two little foxes but other beast pets as well, including a strange snake with two horns on its head and its body covered in green scales.


    ¡°Deal! I¡¯ll take them!¡±


    Qin Niu had set his mind on a price below ten thousand taels, so he didn¡¯t expect the other party to ask for only forty taels.


    He was overjoyed inside, knowing he had stumbled upon a great deal, but he maintained an utterly calm exterior. He paid up and picked up his carrying basket.


    The two little foxes, sensing the unfamiliar scent and vibrations, scrambled frantically inside.


    After purchasing the two foxes, he continued to browse the Ghost Market, more than willing to grab any opportunity to score a bargain.


    Although there were all sorts of strange and exotic wares in the Ghost Market, real opportunities to score a bargain were few and far between. At least, Qin Niu had only come across these two young foxes so far.


    And that was because they hadn¡¯t opened their eyes yet; most people would not take any interest in them, nor could they easily see their extraordinary attributes, which was what allowed Qin Niu to find this bargain.


    If it were beast pets with good physical features, they¡¯d probably have been bought long ago.


    On his way back, he stopped at a young man¡¯s stall.


    This young man was selling some common cultivation techniques, a longsword that looked quite ancient but was covered in rust spots, and an object a bit like a ram¡¯s horn¡ªan S-shaped curve as thick as an adult arm.


    Qin Niu observed the young man, his clothes were fairly opulent, though clearly worn and washed so often they had started to fade, particularly around the cuffs and collar.


    The shoes, however, were quite ordinary.


    The man¡¯s eyes were swollen and blackened, pale in complexion, and he appeared rather thin and weak.


    From Qin Niu¡¯s experience, he thought that this man was most likely a young master whose family had fallen on hard times.


    After all, Qin Niu too had once turned his own home upside down to gather money to buy a Contractual Talisman, selling anything of even slight value.


    Because the young man¡¯s wares were really unimpressive, nobody even bothered to ask for a price.


    Many people would merely glance over them briefly before walking away quickly.


    ¡°How much for this sword?¡±


    Qin Niu inquired.


    He wasn¡¯t in need of a weapon, neither were his wife or maidservants.


    Yet, seeing this young man¡¯s plight reminded him of his past self. If the price weren¡¯t too steep, he wouldn¡¯t mind spending a few taels of silver to help.


    The man was now selling his family heirlooms, most likely due to some difficulty.


    ¡°One thousand taels of silver,¡±


    the young man stated a price that could shock a person¡¯s jaw off.


    Qin Niu, though wealthy, was not a fool. A rusty longsword, if it could sell for one tael, would be quite impressive already.


    How audacious of him to ask for such a sky-high price.


    ¡°I could buy a newly forged longsword at the blacksmith¡¯s for around five maces of silver, and that would be for one of quite fine quality. Brother, don¡¯t you think that a thousand taels for this sword is a bit too expensive?¡±


    After saying this, Qin Niu prepared to leave.


    He had intended to lend a hand but didn¡¯t expect to run into a fool.


    ¡°It¡¯s not expensive at all, not in the least. This longsword may look rusty, but my great-great-grandfather wielded it to kill a demon beast when he was still alive. After his unfortunate death, the sword has been passed down through generations.¡±

 Chapter 526 - Chapter 526: Chapter 518: The Prodigal Son

    Chapter 526: Chapter 518: The Prodigal Son


    The young man narrated the origin of the sword.


    After hearing this, Qin Niu laughed and shook his head, ¡°If it really were a treasure sword, could it rust like this? Your story is quite valuable, worth a Thousand Taels, goodbye.¡±


    This person was very likely a swindler.


    Before coming to the Ghost Market, that old man from the Posthouse had reminded him to be careful not to be deceived.


    ¡°Just hold it, and you¡¯ll know I¡¯m not lying!¡±


    Seeing a prospective buyer who finally asked about the price, the young man quickly tried to keep him there.


    Qin Niu, half-believing and half-doubting, picked up the rusty Longsword.


    The weight was around twelve or thirteen catties, which made it a very heavy sword. Ordinary longswords mostly weighed around one to two catties, and never more than three.


    Because a sword needs to be agile and graceful, and even many swordsmen believe that swordplay is very elegant; if it is too heavy, one would only be clumsy when striking.


    He held the sword in his hand but didn¡¯t feel anything special about it.


    It was only when he tried to channel his Cultivation Power into the blade that an intense repulsive energy emanated from within the sword, blocking his Cultivation Power from entering.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t lied; indeed, this sword is somewhat special. But its price is a bit too expensive, I would take it for Five Hundred Taels,¡± he said.


    Qin Niu directly halved the asking price.


    ¡°You¡¯ve slashed right at my waist! Five Hundred Taels it is, take it!¡±


    The young man agreed to sell without even a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    Qin Niu¡¯s heart lurched, this behavior was too reminiscent of a scam artist. Could he actually have encountered a swindler?


    He scrutinized the young man, who appeared eager for him to pay.


    Seeing this, Qin Niu carefully felt the Longsword again, and as before, his Cultivation Power faced strong resistance from the blade. Not a trace of power could enter.


    If the young man wasn¡¯t lying, then the beast horn on the stall must also be a good item.


    ¡°If I buy this sword, could you throw in that goat horn for me?¡±


    He, like the vast majority of cunning merchants, always drove hard bargains and disparaged the items when buying treasures.


    ¡°No, no, absolutely not. This isn¡¯t a goat horn, but a beast horn, handed down from my ancestors. If you want it, it¡¯ll be Five Hundred Taels.¡±


    ¡°One Hundred Taels, take it or leave it!¡±


    Qin Niu was ruthless in bargaining, cutting down the price mercilessly.


    ¡°Add a bit more, Two Hundred Taels!¡±


    ¡°Just One Hundred Taels; even as an ornament, others would think this goat horn overpriced at One Tael of Silver.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­all right, it¡¯s yours!¡±


    The young man seemed inept at negotiating, easily caving after a bit of pressure from Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu internally concluded that the man was either a profligate spender or an extremely skilled swindler playing his part to the hilt.


    Regardless of which it was, he was quite satisfied to acquire these items at such prices.


    Even if it turned out to be a scam, Six Hundred Taels of Silver was still within his tolerable loss.


    After paying, the young man packed up his stall and left briskly with a joyful expression.


    The men named Chi, following behind Qin Niu, had witnessed everything and couldn¡¯t help but voice a warning, ¡°This person is very likely a con artist, you may have been deceived.¡±


    ¡°No harm done, even if it¡¯s a scam, the loss isn¡¯t significant. Do you really think I¡¯d help you with revenge?¡±


    Qin Niu turned and stared into the man¡¯s eyes as he spoke.


    ¡°Trust!¡±


    His words were decisive, without the slightest hesitation.


    ¡°After leaving the Ghost Market, find a secluded place and tell me about your situation in detail. I haven¡¯t agreed to help you with your revenge yet. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Qin Niu took the man out of the Ghost Market.


    He found a deserted spot and stopped.


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t fussy and sat directly on the curb by the street.


    ¡°Tell me more about your deep hatred! I know that every time you bring up that matter, it¡¯s like tearing open your wounds. But since we¡¯re merely acquaintances, there¡¯s no foundation of trust to speak of, I must understand the situation clearly before deciding.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The man sat down next to him.


    ¡°My wife and I met at the end of a journey. At that time, I was only at the Acquired Realm, and I led a destitute life in Rat City. She, on the other hand, was the precious daughter of a great family, with maids following her every time she went out. Although the pocket money given by her family wasn¡¯t much, she still lived a life without worries about food and clothing, which was much better than most people.


    Back then, I worked in a beast-catching shop. While out in the mountains to catch beasts, I was unfortunately bitten by a vicious wolf and my leg¡¯s bone was broken.


    When I was carried back to the city, the shop turned its back on me, firing me without a penny of compensation.


    My income was low to begin with, so all my savings went to medical treatment.


    But after the savings were spent, my leg was still only half healed. I couldn¡¯t even afford food and had to beg for it, dragging my injured leg along. She found me, bought a bowl of hot noodles, and had her maid bring it over to me.¡±


    ¡°I will never forget that bowl of noodles; it was the most delicious bowl I¡¯d ever had in my life.¡±


    ¡°After that, she and her maid came to bring me food every day.¡±


    ¡°Gradually, we got to know each other. I learned that she was the precious daughter of the Qi Family, with a distinguished background.¡±


    ¡°Later, we developed feelings for each other, but when her family found out, they disapproved of our relationship and wanted to marry her into another wealthy family for a political alliance. To be with me, we pledged ourselves to each other in a secret ceremony under the moonlit night.¡±


    ¡°When her family found out, they kicked her out.¡±


    ¡°From then on, she drifted about with me.¡±


    ¡°I secretly vowed to work hard to improve my cultivation and earn money so that I could give her a good life. She was ambitious as well; she strived to practice her martial arts to become strong. One day, she wanted her family to see that without their help, she could still live well.¡±


    As the man recounted these sweet memories, a happy smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°Later, I successfully broke through to the Innate Realm, and my income increased significantly. We bought a house in the city and had a stable home. With my help, she eventually also broke through to the Innate Realm.


    ¡°At that time, our life was getting better and better, and we were filled with hope for the future.¡±


    ¡°Over ten years passed, and I was fortunate enough to break through to the Spirit Qi Realm, thanks to various opportunities. My income and status improved greatly, and I did my best to help her improve her cultivation, hoping she would break through to the Spirit Qi Realm as well.¡±


    ¡°But the peaceful days were shattered one day.¡±


    ¡°We went out to the wilderness to capture a Gold-Striped Lightning Leopard and pursued it through the forest for nearly a thousand miles. Seeing the leopard flee into a cave by the river, we were overjoyed. If we caught it, we could sell it for a good price, and that would settle the funds needed for my wife¡¯s breakthrough to the Spirit Qi Realm.¡±


    ¡°Who would have thought that as soon as we entered, we realized something was amiss; the leopard was sitting behind an old man with a hooked nose and sunken cheeks.¡±


    ¡°The old man glanced at us and then fixed his gaze on my wife.¡±


    ¡°He muttered to himself excitedly, talking about a Pure Yin Body and that she was the nourishment he had been desperately searching for. We sensed danger the moment we heard his words, and instinctively felt the threat. I quickly said to my wife, ¡®Xiaoyan, run!¡¯


    ¡°I drew my sword to cover her retreat.¡±


    ¡°But the old man was too powerful, he struck me with a move that left me seriously wounded, sending me flying. Then he captured my wife in an instant. In front of me, he committed those bestial acts on my wife. That wasn¡¯t all; he drained my wife until she was nothing more than a dried-up corpse. How can I not seek revenge for such a deep and grievous hatred? In grief and desperation, I plunged into the river. That old villain was eager to cultivate and didn¡¯t chase after me.¡±


    ¡°Escaping death, I was overcome with sorrow, driven only by thoughts of revenge.¡±


    ¡°Knowing the old fiend¡¯s cultivation was unfathomably profound, I sought out my wife¡¯s family hoping the Qi Family would help me avenge her. To my despair, they flatly refused.¡±

 Chapter 527 - Chapter 527: Chapter 519: The Sixth Cave Master Who Turned to the Evil Path

    Chapter 527: Chapter 519: The Sixth Cave Master Who Turned to the Evil Path


    Many large families are cold and heartless, prioritizing the interests of the clan above all else. To trouble an Immortal Master for the sake of a deceased female heir of a family, moreover when that person is the Sixth Cave Master of Huoyun Cave, how is that possible?


    One would believe that as long as the decision-makers of that family were a bit rational, they would suppress this matter and act as if it had never happened.


    ¡°Since the Qi Family refuses to help me take revenge, I can only find my own way. But when I reached out to the friends I was on good terms with for help, they all rejected me. Later on, they even started avoiding me. In the end, I realized that everyone feared the elder because he was an Immortal Master; no one was willing to wade into such murky waters.


    Therefore, I trained desperately, only to seek vengeance for my wife as soon as possible, to slay that old thief and sacrifice him to the spirit of my wife in heaven.


    Heaven does not disappoint those who work hard; under my relentless training, my cultivation level broke through to the mid-stage of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    I acquired some Talismans and equipment and set out to seek vengeance once more.


    After making various inquiries, I learned that the old thief was the Sixth Cave Master of Huoyun Cave, named Fang Hanshan. The old thief had encountered issues due to greed and impatience in cultivating a formidable technique from Huoyun Cave, and was hiding outside to meditate in seclusion.


    In reality, he was hiding outside hunting for women with Pure Yin Bodies to help dispel the fire poison in his body.


    The Gold-Striped Lightning Leopard was his pet, deliberately let loose to lure some highly skilled Hunters to pursue it. Then, he would lead them to the cave where the old thief was in seclusion, capturing them all at once.


    If they were men, after capturing them, the old thief would manipulate them with secret techniques, forcing them to serve him and search far and wide for women with Pure Yin Bodies.


    If they were women, most would be violated by the old thief on the spot and sucked dry to become mummies. Moreover, any woman he encountered, even if she didn¡¯t possess a Pure Yin Body, as long as her cultivation reached the Innate Realm or above, he wouldn¡¯t let her go.


    After figuring out the old thief¡¯s background, I attempted a surprise attack while he was off guard. To my surprise, the old thief¡¯s cultivation was truly terrifying.


    Even with the help of Talismans and my years of swordsmanship training, I still couldn¡¯t kill him. Instead, I was struck by the old thief¡¯s palm, which shattered my treasured sword, and the two broken halves pierced into my chest. At the brink of life and death, although I managed to escape, and by a stroke of luck kept my wretched life, I also realized the huge gap in strength between the old thief and myself.


    When he shattered my treasured sword with a palm, flames sprayed from his hand.


    The flames, which could melt gold and iron, also contained terrifying fire poison. After being stabbed by the two broken halves of the sword, I was poisoned, and almost burnt to death.


    Thankfully, during my first escape, I accidentally discovered a cold spring at the bottom of a river. I soaked in that cold spring for over a month, and only then successfully neutralized the fire poison in my body.


    That¡¯s the entire story. If there¡¯s a single lie, may lightning strike me dead, and may I never transcend in the afterlife.¡±


    After telling his story, the man immediately made a venomous oath.


    It was to make Qin Niu believe him.


    ¡°From today on, you will follow me, but you have to promise me that you will obey my orders and never act on your own. Especially when you see that old thief Fang Hanshan, you


    must suppress your hatred and follow my commands. If you violate this, our agreement will be null and void, you¡¯ll take your own path, and I¡¯ll cross my own bridge. After I avenge you, you must keep your word and remain loyal to me for life, never to betray.¡±


    After refining the Ice Lotus, Qin Niu was no longer afraid of the fire poison from the Huoyun Cave Cultivators.


    Now, what needed to be ascertained was Fang Hanshan¡¯s true cultivation level and his weaknesses.


    Since the old thief was looking for women with Pure Yin Bodies to harvest for his cultivation, it indicated that the Cultivation Technique he practiced must have significant flaws. In essence, it wasn¡¯t much different from dark magic.


    Such cultivation techniques, once practiced, would grant immense power, but they also made it easy to lose one¡¯s mind and become a devil.


    Looking at all Fang Hanshan¡¯s actions, he was no different from a devil.


    ¡°Agreed, a gentleman¡¯s promise is inviolable!¡±


    After listening, the man agreed immediately.


    ¡°My name is Chi Xing, from now on, I¡¯m willing to follow your commands, sir, and will never act on my own initiative.¡±


    This person¡¯s every word and action were too solemn, belonging to those who are very by-the-book.


    Such a character trait is quite good, especially for a subordinate. Although a bit rigid, their loyalty is extremely high, making it difficult for them to betray you for personal gain.


    ¡°My name is Qin Niu,¡± he said. ¡°Until I have avenged you, you may call me by my name or Ah Niu. After I have taken my revenge, you must serve me as your master.¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡±


    Chi Xing nodded solemnly once again.


    Having no hope of taking his revenge on his own, he could only seek the strength of others. As a grown man without money or influence, the only thing of value he possessed was himself. To offer a lifetime of servitude was the only bargaining chip he had to sway those strong individuals.


    ¡°Brother Chi, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m very curious about. I am just at the Spirit Qi Realm like you; why do you believe that I can avenge you?¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I have been seeking chivalrous warriors willing to help me take my revenge for days, but no Immortal Masters of higher caliber have given me the time of day. Occasionally some Spirit Qi Realm warriors would come forward to ask about my plight, but as soon as they learned that they¡¯d have to confront an Immortal Master, they were immediately discouraged.


    You are the only one willing to help me seek revenge in all these days.


    As for whether you can avenge me, I¡¯m truly not sure. Anyway, having one more person is having additional strength. I cannot take my revenge with my abilities alone, so following your lead is just fine with me.¡±


    The blunt truth expressed by Chi Xing caused Qin Niu¡¯s forehead to be covered in black lines.


    Qin Niu had thought this man recognized something exceptional about him, only to realize that he was merely embracing the idea of having an extra set of hands at no cost.


    If he could take his revenge, that would be great, but if not, Chi Xing would not have lost anything. Instead, he would have gained a powerful ally.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯re both using each other! I¡¯ll prepare to set out for Elixir City first thing tomorrow morning. You should get yourself some ordinary clothes and clean up your appearance to follow me as a guard. If that old thief can recognize you, it would be best to wear a mask to change your appearance so that he cannot easily identify you.¡±


    Qin Niu threw ten pieces of silver money over to him.


    ¡°I have my own money,¡± Chi Xing firmly refused to accept the ten silver pieces.


    He had quite the pride of someone refusing to accept handouts.


    ¡°Alright then, make your own preparations, and wait for me at the postmaster¡¯s gate tomorrow morning. I¡¯m in a hurry, so time is tight; don¡¯t be late.¡±


    After giving his instructions, Qin Niu paid him no further attention and went straight back to the post house.


    After he opened the door to his room, Xiao Qing and Wang Wanyan saw him bring back two fox cubs that hadn¡¯t opened their eyes yet, both filled with curiosity.


    ¡°Wan Yan, I¡¯ve brought back two ¡®children¡¯ that need nursing. Take good care of these two little foxes on our journey. Later, you will bond with one and save the other for Cai Xian. This way, she can¡¯t complain later that I was unfair.¡±


    Qin Niu said with a smile.


    ¡°Where am I supposed to find food for them? They¡¯re so small; can they survive?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about their food; I¡¯ll buy some tomorrow morning. They might look tiny, but as long as they are properly fed, they should survive.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just buy two adult foxes directly? Even those that have been weaned would do!¡±


    She asked, quite puzzled.


    Why would he buy such small cubs if not to cause himself trouble?

 Chapter 528 - Chapter 528: Chapter 520: Skillful Diplomatic Tactics

    Chapter 528: Chapter 520: Skillful Diplomatic Tactics


    ¡°You just don¡¯t understand! These two fox cubs may look small, but they are not ordinary foxes. You will naturally know once you start raising them. I had originally planned to buy you a tall green wolf to serve as your mount, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t come across a suitable one.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s the case! Then I will take good care of them and raise them well.¡±


    Wang Wanyan looked at the two fox cubs, and her naturally kind heart couldn¡¯t help but be filled with maternal affection.


    She poured a little water and fed them with soaked food using chopsticks.


    The next day, early in the morning, Qin Niu went out and bought two handsome horses and food for the fox cubs. The price of horses was really not expensive, two horses that were even taller and better in quality than the Black Mare Horse, only costing a total of more than two hundred and sixty silver money.


    Had it been in Black Tiger City, buying a single Black Mare Horse without spending a thousand silver money would be unthinkable.


    The Myriad Beast Gang was the origin of many beast pets and had formed an industry advantage, with prices so low they were beyond imagination. However, the prices for those beast pets with special bloodlines or abilities were frighteningly high.


    Qin Niu returned with the horses, and Wang Wanyan couldn¡¯t wait to feed the two hungry fox cubs that were chirping and scrambling for food.


    After soaking it in warm water, she fed them.


    Seeing them eat with gusto, she was finally put at ease.


    ¡°This food isn¡¯t cheap; it cost me a total of more than seventy silver money for three bags, an exorbitant price indeed.¡±


    Even though Qin Niu had substantial wealth, spending money like water while abroad made him worry about depleting his resources.


    Nevertheless, he did not hesitate to spend the necessary silver money.


    Having finished their specialized food, the two little foxes seemed much calmer and cuddled together to sleep. The night before, due to extreme hunger, they had been climbing all over, making a constant ruckus.


    Qin Niu glanced at the Green Demon Bee King, which was still evolving. The dark aura enveloping it seemed to have grown even denser.


    On the other hand, the Green Ox showed little effect after consuming the Demon Core.


    It continued its usual activities.


    That was a stark contrast to the time it consumed the Ancient Banyan Tree Blood.


    Upon checking its attributes, Qin Niu was pleasantly surprised to find that the Green Ox had advanced from Grade Six to Grade Seven. However, almost none of its attributes had changed, except for a significant increase in energy.


    Skills, talents, and key attributes like lifespan remained unchanged.


    Its lifespan seemed fixed at 9999 years and not increasing.


    To be honest, having nearly ten thousand years of lifespan was already quite remarkable.


    ¡°Moo~!¡±


    When the Green Ox saw its master approaching, it leaped out of the stall in high spirits and affectionately rubbed its head against Qin Niu¡¯s body.


    One could still feel the significant improvement in its strength.


    The aura it emitted was much stronger than before.


    Its movements had also become quicker.


    ¡°If one Demon Core only allows you to advance by one grade, then I would really be crying.¡±


    Qin Niu petted its head and noticed that fine sparks were still flashing on its horns, indicating it was still refining and absorbing the Demon Core.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set off!¡±


    He led the two Black Mare Horses out. After a night¡¯s rest, they were lively and energetic.


    The elder who was managing the post station helped him with the saddles.


    ¡°Master Qin, here is the payment for the two Dragon Colt horses you bought, totaling two hundred and sixty silver money. Please accept it.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    Qin Niu had bought the horses at the horse market outside. Why was the post station returning the money to him?


    These tall horses were known by a resounding nickname, Dragon Colt.


    A true Dragon Horse was generally chestnut-colored, with an odd shape and a long neck like that of a dragon.


    These Dragon Colts could be a hybrid breed cultivated by the Myriad Beast Gang, a sub-species. Their pulling strength, endurance, and running speed were all quite impressive, much better than the so-called Sweaty Precious Horse.


    Such superior horses were almost freely available here, and at very low prices.


    ¡°`


    Only sold for a hundred and thirty Silver Money per horse.


    Even an ordinary horse would cost fifteen or sixteen Silver Money. Its price was less than ten times that of an ordinary horse.


    ¡°You are a distinguished guest of the Myriad Beast Gang, and the Gang Leader has long instructed us to provide good hospitality to all participants of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly and Spirit Qi Realm Experts who traverse the territory of our gang. If I have not provided you with adequate hospitality, it would be my negligence.


    The Dragon Colt is a mount bred by our gang. It is our honor that you have taken a liking to them, so how could we possibly accept your money?¡±


    The old man spoke very sincerely.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s only right and proper to pay for purchases. I can¡¯t take this Silver Money back.¡±


    Qin Niu repeatedly declined.


    ¡°Master Qin, please be assured that as the Myriad Beast Gang, we merely fulfill the hospitality due to a landlord without seeking any return, and there are absolutely no conditions attached. Please do not make this difficult for me. After you have participated in the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, you are welcome to stay with us again on your return trip.¡±


    The old man was very persuasive, insisting that Qin Niu keep the returned silver money.


    It¡¯s very likely that the government would cover this expense directly.


    ¡°Well, then, I thank you for the Myriad Beast Gang¡¯s generosity,¡± Qin Niu said, no longer refusing.


    After settling his wife and Xiao Qing, Qin Niu drove the carriage away from the post house.


    The diplomatic skills of the Myriad Beast Gang were extremely sophisticated and adept at winning people¡¯s hearts.


    As long as there were Spirit Qi Realm Experts passing through the territory of the Myriad Beast Gang, they could all expect gracious hospitality, even to the point of giving away horses worth nearly three hundred Silver Money.


    It seemed like a huge expense, but in reality, it was money well spent.


    After receiving favors, these crossing experts would surely remember them and have increased goodwill towards the Myriad Beast Gang.


    In future conflicts involving the Myriad Beast Gang, naturally, they would remember this kindness and be inclined to favor the gang.


    No sooner had the carriage left the post house than a strange man followed.


    ¡°Chi Xing is here to serve as Master Qin¡¯s bodyguard!¡± the man declared.


    At the sound of his voice, Qin Niu could not help but laugh quietly to himself.


    It turned out to be Chi Xing, who had altered his appearance to look like a stranger.


    ¡°Ride one of the Dragon Colts at the back and guard our rear,¡± Qin Niu instructed.


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    Chi Xing leaped onto one of the Dragon Colts and followed behind Qin Niu.


    Wang Wanyan, inside the carriage, was quietly curious, whispering, ¡°My husband, when did you hire a personal bodyguard?¡±


    ¡°The journey is quite dangerous, so I thought it safer to hire a bodyguard. His name is Chi Xing, and he¡¯s quite skilled.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    She nodded her head and said no more, internally calculating the likely high cost of hiring a Spirit Qi Realm Expert.


    Once they were out of Rat City and still within the territory of the Myriad Beast Gang, they encountered no obstacles.


    The Myriad Beast Gang had many sparsely populated areas since most of its population was concentrated in and around cities. Each Sect¡¯s underlings had their own unique way of life.


    With beast taming as their main activity, they needed to leave ample wild space for the beasts to roam.


    This particular circumstance also resulted in an interesting concentration of population.


    Two days later, their carriage left the territory of the Myriad Beast Gang and entered the territory of the No Peak Sect. This No Peak Sect was a rather weak Sect, possibly even weaker than the Black Tiger Gang.


    It hadn¡¯t been swallowed up by the Myriad Beast Gang because it bordered Fire Cloud Tunnel on another side.


    Being situated between two powerful Sects, it served as a buffer zone.


    Without No Peak Sect as a buffer, it would be easy for the two super Sects to come into direct conflict.


    As one can imagine, life for No Peak Sect, wedged between two super Sects, was not easy. Although they had not been wiped out, forces from both super Sects frequently intruded into No Peak Sect¡¯s territory without restraint.


    The wife of Chi Xing had fallen victim in No Peak Sect¡¯s territory while pursuing a Gold-Striped Lightning Leopard.


    Despite its name, No Peak Sect¡¯s territory was actually full of mountains; it only seemed peakless because the mountains were layered and surrounded by mist, giving the appearance of having no peaks.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 529 - Chapter 529: Chapter 521 Primitive Tribe

    Chapter 529: Chapter 521 Primitive Tribe


    ¡°`Some people jokingly said that the name of this sect was chosen to cover up some ugliness. It was said that the main city of the No Peak Sect was located in a flat area, where a giant peak with its top severed stood.


    The peak was over two thousand meters tall, looking as if someone had used a sword to slice off half of it, leaving only a base.


    This land had once seen many powerful immortals, each with the ability to overturn rivers and seas, move mountains and split the earth.


    After entering the No Peak Sect¡¯s territory, Qin Niu secretly observed Chi Xing behind him.


    He saw that Chi Xing was looking down, his eyes filled with endless hatred, and his clothes moving without any wind. However, due to the agreement with Qin Niu, he suppressed the hatred in his heart and dared not act on his own.


    His behavior satisfied Qin Niu.


    ¡°Brother Chi, where is the great river you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than two hundred li from here, on the west side of the No Peak Sect.¡±


    Chi Xing urged his Black Mare Horse to come over, while Qin Niu took out a map and asked him to point out the location.


    ¡°Where is that cold spring?¡±


    Since Qin Niu was preparing to help Chi Xing kill the Sixth Cave Master, he naturally had to be ready to confront the Huoyun Cave Sect.


    Moreover, in his view, since the Sixth Cave Master was in seclusion outside, if he were to be killed discreetly, it might not even be noticed by the Huoyun Cave Sect.


    After all, this wasn¡¯t the first time Qin Niu had done such a thing.


    Several elders and executors of the Nine Insect Gang had been secretly killed by him, and although there were people who secretly investigated afterward, they were never able to pin it on him.


    He believed there were only two risks to this action: one was that Fang Hanshan was too powerful and could kill him in retaliation; the second was the Huoyun Cave Sect learning of it afterward and seeking revenge.


    If he was cautious and careful enough in his actions, both risks could be minimized.


    The fiercest tactic of the Huoyun Cave Sect was likely its fire poison attacks.


    Qin Niu had now integrated the Ice Lotus and was more than capable of dealing with ordinary fire poison, but the fire poison of an Immortal Master could possibly be more formidable. Especially since Fang Hanshan practiced nefarious techniques, his fire skills were even more terrifying.


    Investigating that cold spring under the river now could potentially yield significant benefits.


    After Chi Xing was poisoned by the fire toxin, soaking in the cold spring alone allowed him to neutralize the poison. Although it took a month, it proved that the cold spring could neutralize the Sixth Cave Master¡¯s fire poison, which was quite remarkable.


    The dominance and sinister nature of the Huoyun Cave Cultivator¡¯s fire poison was something Qin Niu had experienced firsthand.


    At the time, even with Vice Gang Leader Gongsun¡¯s formidable cultivation, he could only just suppress the fire poison and avoid being burnt alive. But it was difficult to completely cleanse himself of it.


    Qin Niu fared even worse, nearly being burned alive by merely a touch of the fire poison.


    ¡°Here, the cold spring is at this position.¡±


    After carefully identifying and searching on the map, Chi Xing confirmed the location of the cold spring.


    ¡°We should be able to reach Tian Cheng of the No Peak Sect today. When we get there, you¡¯ll take me to explore this place.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Chi Xing nodded in agreement.


    After nearly a day of travel, they finally arrived at Tian Cheng before dark.


    It was the only city of the No Peak Sect.


    Just like in the legends, from a distance, the city was perched atop a giant mountain with its top shorn off. The foundation of this great mountain was at least dozens of square kilometers in width, and its height exceeded two thousand meters.


    Along the way, Qin Niu saw nothing but mountains upon mountains.


    Most newcomers would think they had entered a primeval forest.


    However, there was a significant difference between this place and a primeval forest, because here one could see humans living amongst the mountains. And it was rare to see towering trees; the vegetation was mostly ordinary shrubs.


    Another important difference was the variety of roads. Even though the mountains were rugged, traces of human activity were visible everywhere, unlike the seldom-trodden primeval forests.


    ¡°Wan Yan, you and Xiao Qing find a place to stay in Tian Cheng for the time being. I¡¯ll take Chi Xing out for a spin.¡±


    Qin Niu said to his wife.¡°`


    ¡°Hmm! You all must pay attention to safety,¡± she said.


    Now burdened with the care of two fox cubs, she appeared especially busy.


    Even her cat was feeling neglected.


    A woman is born with the radiance of motherhood, and once she has children, her entire focus shifts to them.


    She had never been a mother before, and now, watching the two fox cubs crying for food, she probably regarded them as her ¡®children¡¯.


    The carriage had been climbing uphill, and to ease the burden on the two Black Mare Horses, Qin Niu also had the idle Yalong colt help pull the carriage. Green Ox still basked in Qin Niu¡¯s favor, never having to do such hard labor.


    It seemed to thoroughly enjoy the unique geographical environment of the No Peak Sect.


    Surrounded by mountains and filled with greenery everywhere, it was very happy. This journey, for it, was akin to touring and frolicking through the mountains and waters.


    Now and then, it would even chew on the leaves and tender stems of plants that it found palatable.


    The road to Tian Cheng was not straight but wound upwards.


    This represented human ingenuity, as the circuitous upward mountain path reduced the incline to its lowest possible extent.


    If they had created a straight road from the foot of the mountain to Tian Cheng, it probably wouldn¡¯t be much different from the legendary ladder to heaven, especially with an altitude of over two thousand meters.


    Gradually, their carriage finally reached the entrance to Tian Cheng.


    There was no city wall, because a wall was simply unnecessary for protection.


    The city gate was a huge rock standing there, with the words Tian Cheng carved into it.


    In front of the gate were barricades, with a troop of soldiers in short skirts made of animal skins and wielding spears standing guard. Their attire made them look like primitive people from ancient times.


    Entering the city required an entry fee, five copper coins per person.


    If you had no money, you could offset the fee with food, animal hides, or captured beasts and birds.


    The impression one got was that Tian Cheng was underdeveloped, almost cut off from the world. Sandwiched between two super sects, life there must be tough.


    The rulers of the No Peak Sect didn¡¯t dare to develop too much, for fear of causing any misunderstandings with their super neighbors.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Wang Wanyan had just lifted the curtain to check out the local customs of Tian Cheng and couldn¡¯t help but let out a shriek of surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Qin Niu quickly asked.


    ¡°These, these women here, why aren¡¯t they wearing any tops? It¡¯s so embarrassing!¡±


    She said, her embarrassment obvious.


    ¡°Each place has its own customs, we should just follow the local ways. We¡¯re only staying here for one night after all, and we¡¯ll leave first thing tomorrow morning,¡± Qin Niu replied quite unruffled.


    Chi Xing must have visited this place many times and had long since grown accustomed to the local human attire.


    Compared to the city of the Myriad Beast Gang, Tian Cheng seemed like a completely different world.


    Rat City of the Myriad Beast Gang was bustling and thriving, and very developed.


    In contrast, Tian Cheng seemed backward, akin to a primitive tribe from ancient times. The houses here were primarily made of stone, and the roofs were not covered in green tiles or glazed tiles, but in tree bark.


    Indeed, every place had its own distinctive features.


    Situated deep in the mountains with inaccessible transportation, building houses here meant using whatever materials were immediately at hand.


    It was only within Tian Cheng that one could see a large number of stone houses; along their journey, they mostly saw wooden houses.


    ¡°Brother Chi, such a backward place as Tian Cheng, does it have any strong cultivators?¡±

 Chapter 530 - Chapter 530: Chapter 522: Grade Eight Green Ox

    Chapter 530: Chapter 522: Grade Eight Green Ox


    ¡°Yes, and there are quite a few of them. Both the Myriad Beast Gang and Fire Cloud Tunnel have sent experts to try and secretly control this place, but in the end, they all returned empty-handed. Perhaps it¡¯s because their lifestyle is simple and closer to the primitive natural state, so they produce a large number of strong warriors.


    When night falls, you¡¯ll understand just how strong the No Peak Sect is after you see their patrolling troops.¡±


    Chi Xing explained the situation of the sect to Qin Niu.


    This came as a surprise to Qin Niu. Based on his speculation, it would have been impressive if the No Peak Sect had one or two Spirit Qi Realm experts.


    Now it seemed he was terribly wrong.


    The strength of a sect that could make the armies of two major super sects return empty-handed must be terrifying indeed.


    The Fire Cloud Tunnel merely sent a few cultivators and managed to decimate the Black Tiger Gang to such an extent that they could hardly advance, eventually being forced to sign a cease-fire agreement with the Nine Insect Gang.


    How could the No Peak Sect, so poor and backward, cultivate so many strong warriors? Where did their cultivation resources come from?


    Perhaps this place is full of mountains and forests, very suitable for various herbs to grow.


    With the inexhaustible supply of herbs and the locals maintaining a simple mindset, their cultivation progresses twice with half the effort.¡±


    ¡°Since there are many strong warriors here, do not go out after we settle in tonight,¡±


    Qin Niu instructed his wife and Xiao Qing in the carriage.


    They found an inn and, to avoid trouble, specifically chose a large one. The cost was much lower than they had expected. They opened two large rooms for only thirty copper coins.


    The food here is also quite good. The vegetarian dishes mainly consist of mushrooms, Lingzhi, and wild vegetables, while the meat dishes are mainly pheasant, roe deer, venison, and wild boar.


    Bear paws, which are very expensive elsewhere, are so cheap here one might think they are fake.


    They even have monkey and ape meat.


    Qin Niu saw the cages in the inn¡¯s kitchen with sullen and fearful apes squatting inside, looking very similar to humans.


    In many places, apes are considered close relatives to humans and are not hunted.


    Even eating monkey meat is rare.


    Yet, here, eating ape meat seems utterly normal and commonplace.


    The inn¡¯s waitstaff even specially recommended it, saying that eating ape meat could quickly boost one¡¯s spiritual power and is very effective for nourishing the spirit and revitalizing the mind.


    After he had filled his stomach and settled his wife and Xiao Qing, he then headed with Chi Xing to the location of the cold spring.


    Both of them being at the Spirit Qi Realm, they didn¡¯t need to ride horses.


    However, for safety reasons, Qin Niu took all his pets with him, including the Green Ox.


    After a day of traveling, the Green Ox¡¯s level had actually increased by one, reaching Grade Eight, and it showed no signs of stopping.


    The benefits from a Grade Eleven Demon Core were simply too great.


    Qin Niu checked its attributes.


    Curved Horn Male Green Ox


    Level: Grade Eight hoofed mammal, leveling experience 100 million/1 billion


    Lifespan: 9999 years


    Energy: 100 million


    Skills: Fertilizer Production Third Tier 224.1/1000, Brute Force Second Tier 47/100 (can burst with double strength), Divine Light First Tier 2.1/10 (can capture enemies or objects with divine light emitted from the horns), Dragon Chant First Tier 1.9/10 (can break through evil barriers, illusions, demonic sounds), Defense First Tier 0/10 (can improve defense)


    Talent: Awakening, Sloth, Super Defense (reduces physical and mana damage by 50%)


    Its lifespan has still not broken through ten thousand years, and it has gained a new defense skill.


    You can see that each of its skills is very powerful, but most of them are still at the first tier. Mainly because the Green Ox is just too lazy.


    Apart from the fertilizer production skill, it rarely practices other skills.


    If it weren¡¯t for its need to excrete every day, its fertilizer production skill would probably still be at the first tier.


    The Green Ox has the talent for awakening but only showed excellence when it advanced to Grade Six. Afterwards, its performance has been mediocre, never revealing any new impressive abilities.


    This made Qin Niu secretly consider whether he should force it to be more diligent.


    ¡­


    Under the guidance of Chi Xing, they arrived at the riverbank in the dark.


    The river didn¡¯t seem very wide, nestled between two tall mountains, with torrents surging and the water flowing rapidly. Relying on starlight to look across to the other bank, it seemed to be only about two hundred meters wide.


    ¡°Is the place where that old thief is cultivating in seclusion far from here?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s about a dozen or so miles away from here, but that old thief has recently left. I suspect he¡¯s probably gone to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.¡±


    Chi Xing should have come to investigate the cave where Fang Hanshan was in seclusion during this time.


    ¡°Did you manage to get a read on the old thief¡¯s exact level of cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. I only know it¡¯s profoundly unfathomable. To tell you the truth, with our current level of cultivation, we don¡¯t stand a chance against that old thief. When I tried to ambush him last time, I was already at the mid-stage of the Spirit Qi Realm, but he countered with a single palm strike that severely wounded me. That old thief¡¯s strength is probably beyond most high-ranking members of the Myriad Beast Gang.¡±


    As Chi Xing mentioned Fang Hanshan¡¯s cultivation power, his tone carried a hint of despair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose heart. Everything is possible with effort. I believe that as long as we first figure out the old thief¡¯s weaknesses, and then find the right opportunity to strike, we can kill him in one fell swoop.¡±


    Qin Niu patted his shoulder.


    The two men were clearly decades, if not centuries apart in age, but at this moment, Qin Niu had become Chi Xing¡¯s ¡®support¡¯.


    Chi Xing just nodded heavily.


    ¡°Where exactly is the cold spring?¡±


    ¡°Right there, near the opposite bank of the river.¡±


    Chi Xing pointed to a spot on the other side of the riverbank. Perhaps because it was nighttime and visibility wasn¡¯t great, Qin Niu stared hard but didn¡¯t discern anything special.


    Even the river¡¯s surface was devoid of cold mist.


    ¡°Lazy Ox, move around in this area on your own. I¡¯ll find you when I¡¯m done.¡±


    After speaking to Green Ox, Qin Niu turned to Chi Xing.


    ¡°Brother Chi, just wait for me on the shore. I¡¯ll go down and check out the cold spring. Perhaps this cold spring can help us eliminate the Sixth Cave Master.¡±


    After saying this, Qin Niu leaped straight towards the tumultuous river surface.


    Just as he was about to hit the water, he treaded on the waves and moved with an air of elegance.


    Having practiced the Misty Rain Elusive Step for so long, and with his cultivation reaching the Spirit Qi Realm, when he now executed this technique, its true power was revealed.


    Unexpectedly, Qin Niu did not rush to dive to the river bottom.


    Instead, he treaded on the waves and crossed the river to the opposite bank.


    Then he calmly took the Diamond Ink Turtle out of the basket on his back.


    ¡°Timid Turtle, go scout out the bottom of the river for me.¡±


    His caution was natural.


    What are pets for if not to be used at crucial moments?


    The little turtle popped its head out to survey its surroundings, then fixated on the raging river surface.


    This time it didn¡¯t hesitate, crawling straight into the river before diving into the depths.


    About half a quarter of an hour later, the Diamond Ink Turtle surfaced.


    The swift river current seemed to have no effect on it.


    As it awakened its talent for Water Command and its swimming skills improved continuously, its ability to navigate the water grew stronger as well.


    ¡°Safe!¡±


    The Ink Turtle relayed to Qin Niu.


    This time, Qin Niu didn¡¯t hesitate any longer, removed his basket and clothes, and with a leap, entered the turbulent river flow.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle loyally guarded beside Qin Niu.


    He had bought turtle food for it a couple of days ago, which made it very happy. Every time it was fed, it ate voraciously, and its loyalty to Qin Niu had noticeably increased.


    The temperature of the river water was quite normal.


    Qin Niu took a deep breath and dived to the river bottom.


    As he got closer to the cold spring, he could clearly sense the water growing colder and colder.


    At that moment, the Ice Lotus he had integrated reacted.


    It released a sense of joy unlike any before. Qin Niu sank down above the spring¡¯s eye and began running the Medicine King Sutra, attempting to absorb the energy of the cold spring.


    Stream after stream of significant cold flow was absorbed by the Ice Lotus into the Alchemy Stove, where it was refined and became a part of Qin Niu¡¯s Medicine King Sutra Cultivation Power.


    The cold spring, gathering the Spirit Qi of the mountains, rivers, and lakes all around, must be a special existence.

 Chapter 531 - Chapter 531: Chapter 523 Transforming the Lotus Platform

    Chapter 531: Chapter 523 Transforming the Lotus Platform


    There are not a few special existences like this between heaven and earth.


    Some big rivers and streams are commonly acknowledged. After a long time of absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and gathering human faith, they grant blessings to all beings in the region and attain a great virtue, with the possibility of becoming a special existence.


    This cold spring is far inferior to those extremely famous mountains, rivers, and lakes.


    Its nurturing time must have been shorter, and the energy it possesses is smaller.


    But for Qin Niu, this cold spring is still an incredible existence and a great opportunity.


    Like a greedy serpent greedily devouring everything, he was continuously absorbing the cold energy of this cold spring. The Ice Lotus in the alchemy stove, nourished by the cold energy, was also growing and enlarging rapidly.


    This change even far surpassed the benefits brought about by the cultivation power of the Everlasting Spring Technique.


    The cultivation power of the Everlasting Spring Technique could help plants rapidly recover their vitality, speed up their growth, and even induce some high-level evolutions.


    The energy from the cold spring, however, enabled the Ice Lotus to blossom beautifully; its interior was quietly undergoing changes.


    The Ice Lotus was originally much weaker than the Fire Lotus, but at this moment, it was rapidly getting stronger, closing the gap with the Fire Lotus.


    As time passed, Qin Niu gradually emerged from the bottom of the river to the surface, standing erect with his hands spread out in front of his chest, his eyes closed.


    Under his feet was an alchemy stove formed of concentrated cultivation power, rapidly spinning.


    A considerable amount of cold air was being absorbed into the stove.


    On the opposite bank of the river, Chi Xing watched this scene in astonishment; he could see that Qin Niu was cultivating with the help of the cold spring. He envied this special ability.


    Though the cold spring lay there, not everyone could utilize it to enhance their cultivation.


    While the cold spring contained special energy of heaven and earth, it was different from the spiritual energy. Most human cultivators could only directly absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for their use.


    Qin Niu¡¯s special ability was also obtained by a fortunate coincidence.


    The birth of every great cultivator is inseparable from such special opportunities.


    His body remained poised on the surface of the river, exposing only his head and shoulders, as if rooted to the spot. No matter how turbulent the flow, it could not shake him in the slightest.


    It was initially thought that this cultivation session would soon end.


    But unexpectedly, it lasted the entire night.


    The next morning, at the crack of dawn, as the day slowly brightened and the sun rose in the east, Qin Niu was still motionlessly cultivating in the river.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle remained loyally by his side, protecting him.


    It was continuously maneuvering the river water, frolicking and playing, also improving its swimming skills.


    Due to the long time spent absorbing the energy of the cold spring, the energy gathered had become less and less. However, his Ice Lotus had undergone significant changes, its emitted cold aura strengthening by at least double.


    At this point, the Ice Lotus inside the alchemy stove slowly flew out and then gradually sank into the depths of the cold spring.


    This was a change of its own accord; Qin Niu did not manipulate or command it.


    The Ice Lotus had a certain degree of spirituality, perhaps feeling that the energy absorbed from the cold spring was too little, so it wanted to enter the deeper parts of the spring¡¯s eye to absorb more cold spring energy.


    As it rotated and sank deeper into the spring¡¯s eye, the cold spring appeared to boil, beginning to produce a large number of bubbles.


    The bubbles grew larger and larger, from the size of a fist to the size of a sea bowl, and eventually became as big as a pot lid.


    Qin Niu focused solely on his cultivation, unmoving as a mountain.


    When the sun was directly overhead, the bubbles rising from the spring¡¯s eye began to decrease in number and size.


    Centered on this spot, the entire river surface began to emit white cold air.


    Qin Niu, in the middle of it all, had a layer of frost form on his eyebrows. His cultivation power from the Medicine King Sutra was also climbing steadily, even more effective than consuming miracle pills and elixirs.


    His body, originally submerged in the river, was also slowly rising to the surface.


    It seemed as though something was buoying his body upwards.


    Until his body was completely above the river surface, underfoot a glitteringly transparent giant Ice Lotus appeared, measuring ten feet in size. The bottom of the Ice Lotus contracted to form a platform, constantly emitting chill cold air.


    After absorbing the energy of the entire cold spring, it underwent a transformation as if reborn, evolving from an Ice Lotus into a Lotus Platform.


    At this moment, Qin Niu appeared as though an Immortal Venerable from legends was born into this world, exuding an invisible aura of dignity that seemed sacred and inviolable.


    ¡°So powerful!¡±


    Chi Xing, who had been waiting on the opposite shore, watched this scene with both envy and shock.


    Right now, looking at Qin Niu, whose strength had skyrocketed overnight, his heart filled with anticipation. The first light of dawn on the path of revenge suddenly illuminated his way, giving him hope.


    ¡°Perhaps this person really can help me avenge my deep hatred!¡±


    Chi Xing¡¯s eyes were filled with complex emotions.


    After rising above the river¡¯s surface, Qin Niu floated one foot above it.


    The cold energy within the Lotus Platform surged into his body, and his cultivation level continued to skyrocket.


    Boom!


    Centred on him, energy burst forth, causing even the river surface to tremble violently.


    And his Medicine King Sutra cultivation broke through directly to the late stage of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    The Lotus Platform gradually merged into his body, eventually transforming into a white light that returned to the Alchemy Stove.


    Qin Niu, feeling his newfound cultivation power, showed a joyous expression on his face. Initially, he had only thought that this cold spring might be of some use, but he had not expected that it would directly help him form the Ice Lotus Platform and break through to the late stage of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    The Ice Lotus had now transcended the Fire Lotus.


    This cultivation session also provided Qin Niu with many valuable experiences.


    If he encountered such special opportunities between heaven and earth again in the future, he should be able to seize them.


    The cold spring at the bottom of the river was now exhausted, and the riverbed even began to collapse on a small scale, forming whirlpools on the surface.


    ¡°Timid Turtle, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Qin Niu bent down to pick up the Diamond Ink Turtle, lightly tapped the river surface with his feet, and flew toward the shore with effortless grace.


    With just a couple of leaps, he had firmly landed on the shore.


    ¡°Not bad, I¡¯ll give you some turtle feed when we get back!¡±


    Qin Niu patted the little turtle and placed it back into his carrying basket.


    Looking up at the blazing sun in the sky, Qin Niu simply gave a light shake, and the water on his body instantly turned into countless fine droplets that sprayed outward. His clothes dried in the blink of an eye as well.


    After donning the King Pig Leather Armor and shouldering the huge basket, he once again leaped towards the river surface.


    This time, however, it was much easier than the day before, his movements looking incredibly free and easy, and in just a moment, he had successfully crossed the river.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The Green Ox raised its neck and let out a Dragon Chant at him.


    The grass and trees were impacted and bowed down.


    ¡°You lazy ox, even if you want to show affection, that¡¯s not the way to do it!¡± Qin Niu said with a chuckle as he stroked the Green Ox¡¯s head, which had a round, well-fed belly. Moreover, the aura it emitted was clearly stronger than yesterday, giving Qin Niu a faint sense of pressure.


    Upon checking its attributes again, he discovered, sure enough, it had advanced to the Ninth Level.


    An Infant Demon¡¯s inner core had helped it rise by three grades, and its horns were still flickering with traces of electricity, indicating that it had not yet fully digested the Demon Core.


    Truly a fine thing!


    What Qin Niu didn¡¯t know was that this success was partly serendipitous, as oxen inherently have a certain capability to suppress evil.


    Lesser cultivators often rely on ox tears to open their spiritual eyes to see ghosts and demons more clearly.

 Chapter 532 - Chapter 532: Chapter 524: Divine Retribution and Slaughter Business

    Chapter 532: Chapter 524: Divine Retribution and Slaughter Business


    They extracted tears from the ox¡¯s eyes to make a special fluid, after which they would dab fresh willow leaves in it and wipe it over both eyes, a method known as the Heaven Eye Technique. At that point, they could clearly see ghosts and malevolent entities.


    However, this kind of Heaven Eye Technique was considered the simplest and most superficial method within the Taoist magic arts.


    Against some powerful ghosts or evil spirits, it could easily become ineffective.


    Truly formidable Immortal Masters would directly use their mana to perform the Heaven Eye Technique, rendering even slightly stronger ghosts unable to hide before them.


    And there were even more powerful practitioners who cultivated a third divine eye, transforming it into a Divine Skill.


    Individuals like Wen Zhong and Yang Jian were outstanding representatives of such Divine Skills.


    In the future, if Qin Niu needed, he could use the tears of Green Ox to perform the Heaven Eye Technique to search for traces of malevolent spirits.


    ¡°Master Qin is exceptionally talented, with his strength skyrocketing overnight, it¡¯s truly enviable,¡± Chi Xing felt Qin Niu¡¯s formidable cultivation, literally watching him grow stronger and being surpassed by him.


    What was even more preposterous was that the half-grown water buffalo raised by Qin Niu was also a freak just like its master.


    The aura it exuded changed drastically with each passing day.


    Chi Xing had no idea what kind of ¡®divine being¡¯ he had encountered.


    ¡°Everyone has their own fortunes, Brother Chi doesn¡¯t need to envy me. Speaking of which, I should thank you for providing me with information, which allowed me to seize this opportunity. However, with my current strength, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m far from capable of helping you take your revenge. We still have to work together,¡± Qin Niu said with extreme humility.


    Staying low-key and playing the fool had always been his strong suit.


    Two of the elders from the Nine Insect Gang had been fooled by his ostensible strength and ended up dead in a gutter, meeting unfortunate ends.


    ¡°Take me to see that old thief¡¯s cultivation site; perhaps we can find out some of his secrets,¡± Qin Niu urged.


    Qin Niu was very adept at controlling others.


    Chi Xing, decades his senior, was completely manipulated by Qin Niu and willingly followed him.


    At the moment, the thing Chi Xing cared about the most was avenging his wife.


    As long as Qin Niu occasionally brought it up, Chi Xing would be firmly tethered to him.


    The two soon arrived at the cave.


    Returning to this heartbreaking place evoked painful memories for Chi Xing; he could squeeze out water from his clenched fists, and his expression turned frightfully fierce, his eyes menacing.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a simple cave that was temporarily excavated, nothing extraordinary,¡± Qin Niu commented after inspecting the outside, then released several Green Ring Worker Bees to scout for information.


    They buzzed their wings and flew into the cave.


    No one was inside anymore, and the Gold-Striped Lightning Leopard had also disappeared without a trace.


    After confirming that the cave was free of danger, Qin Niu dared to enter.


    The cave was only about twelve or thirteen square meters, with a narrow entrance and dark lighting inside. There was no furniture for living purposes, but the cave walls had varying depths of palm prints and traces of fingers digging.


    Upon closer examination, he noticed that these palm prints had slight marks of high-temperature burns.


    In some places, there were even signs of high-temperature rock formation, like that of bricks after firing. The texture felt extremely hard to the touch.


    ¡°The Raging Flame Palm of Fire Cloud Tunnel is indeed terrifying; to be able to burn the soil until it vitrifies, how high must the temperature be?¡± Qin Niu wondered, estimating the temperature to reach at least that of ordinary flames.


    Worried that the Sixth Cave Master would return here to continue his secluded cultivation, Qin Niu did not destroy any part of the cave to avoid alerting the old thief that someone had investigated the place and raising his vigilance.


    Even after so many had been killed, there were no human corpses, skeletons, or clothes to be seen inside the cave.


    After Qin Niu finished examining the cave, he started searching the surrounding area.


    Not far below in a mountain stream, Qin Niu found a heap of white bones, belonging to at least a hundred bodies, some with their clothing still intact, both men and women.


    There were even clothes from local residents of the No Peak Sect, like animal skin skirts, which only the locals would wear.


    ¡°This scoundrel has killed countless, has the No Peak Sect really not noticed?¡± Qin Niu pondered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. But the experts of the No Peak Sect are very selfish and don¡¯t place much value on the lives of ordinary people. They also don¡¯t want to offend the two adjacent super sects easily, so even if they do find out, as long as Fang Hanshan doesn¡¯t go too far, they turn a deaf ear and pretend to be unaware of the matter,¡± Chi Xing explained.


    Chi Xing said resentfully.


    ¡°Adults always prioritize their interests; the death of a few civilians really isn¡¯t enough to make them determined to antagonize an Immortal Master, let alone instigate a war with the Fire Cloud Tunnel. Such an old thief¡¯s actions that so defy the natural order will undoubtedly bring divine punishment.¡±


    As Qin Niu continued to advance his cultivation, he gradually gained a very superficial understanding of the Heavenly Dao.


    Killing damages the harmony of Heaven, and engaging in such acts excessively will certainly invite divine retribution.


    If he were to choose again, he might not exterminate the entire He Family; instead, he would adopt a more gentle approach, merely executing the upper ranks of the family.


    However, everything has its two sides; speaking of killing, emperors are second to none, with no one daring to claim first.


    For every general who wins a war, ten thousand bones lay bare.


    Even after an emperor ascends the throne successfully, to consolidate their rule and position, they often have to kill a number of people. At the drop of a hat, they would exterminate the offender¡¯s entire family line or even nine familial generations, committing far more killings than anyone else.


    As for how emperors resolve the negative karma from these killings, he didn¡¯t know.


    But after his recent promotion to the later stages of the Spirit Qi Realm, he could vaguely sense that the taint of killing on him was like an invisible sword hanging over his head.


    Invisible and intangible, yet it was a real presence.


    It made him feel uneasy.


    Fang Hanshan, out of selfishness, wantonly killed innocent people, accumulating far more negative karma from his evil deeds than Qin Niu had by countless times. If there was a chance, it would be worth some deeper research.


    ¡°Brother Chi, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Chi Xing, still immersed in hatred, managed to keep a sliver of reason.


    ¡­


    When the two returned to the inn, Wang Wanyan and Xiao Qing were anxiously waiting.


    Qin Niu had instructed them not to go out carelessly, and they had not dared to leave the inn in search of him. Seeing Qin Niu return, Wang Wanyan couldn¡¯t bother with shyness and threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I got some opportunities, so I came back a bit late. Let¡¯s hurry up and eat; we still have to hit the road.¡±


    Qin Niu gently stroked her jade back, soothing her with a gentle voice.


    The two were married, and now that they were far from home, Wang Wanyan cared even more about him. She had come to regard Qin Niu as her most important family member.


    After eating, they continued their journey by carriage.


    As they were about to leave Tian Cheng, a troop appeared ahead, all dressed in unison with beast robes. They were all male, wearing animal skin skirts on their lower bodies and draped in war cloaks made of tiger skin on their upper bodies.


    Long wild beast teeth were hung on their chests, some with one tooth, others with two or three. They wore them around their necks like necklaces.


    In their hands, they carried spears, and on their backs, bows and arrows, exuding the atmosphere of a primitive tribe.


    As these people approached, the intangible aura they emitted sent shivers down Qin Niu¡¯s spine.


    He was, after all, an expert in the later stages of the Spirit Qi Realm. Although he did not practice combat-focused cultivation techniques, he was confident that he could easily annihilate an elite troop all by himself.


    The incoming troop was only about fifty strong; how could they possess such a terrifying presence?


    Qin Niu carefully sensed their cultivation levels, and discovered that the weakest were only at the early stage of the Innate Realm, while the strongest were at the later stage of the Innate Realm.


    An army composed exclusively of Innate Realm experts.


    No wonder their aura was chilling to him.


    ¡°This must be the entire No Peak Sect¡¯s Innate Realm force gathered together!¡± Qin Niu inquired of Chi Xing beside him.


    ¡°No, this is just a regular patrol unit from the No Peak Sect. In the event of a major conflict, the Innate Realm experts of the No Peak Sect can make any super sect feel intimidated. No one knows just how many Innate Realm experts the No Peak Sect really has, but conservatively estimated, the number is at least more than two thousand,¡± replied Chi Xing.


    The number Chi Xing revealed shocked Qin Niu greatly.


    The Black Tiger Gang did not consider itself too weak among the various sects, and yet its Innate Realm experts in total would not exceed four hundred. That was an optimistic estimate; the actual number might be even smaller.


    The No Peak Sect, appearing impoverished and primitive like a tribal society, had an unexpectedly high number of Innate Realm experts.

 Chapter 533 - Chapter 533: Chapter 525 Elixir City

    Chapter 533: Chapter 525 Elixir City


    With a large base in the Innate Realm, the number of Spirit Qi Realm Experts would naturally increase as the tide raises all boats.


    Qin Niu mused to himself, ¡°What exists is reasonable.¡±


    Those who could survive among the cracks of the powerful must have their own capabilities.


    If the No Peak Sect were to engage in war with another sect, employing all of their Innate Realm Experts, and then form an army of two thousand Innate Realm Experts, such combat strength would probably make even the Immortal Sect wary.


    Just a single No Peak Sect is already this powerful, how strong could the Myriad Beast Gang and Fire Cloud Tunnel possibly be?


    Moreover, in the entire Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, there must be many more medium and super sects among the over a thousand sects. Yet all these powerful sects are firmly suppressed by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, with no one daring to challenge its authority.


    The strength of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect must be astonishingly formidable.


    After leaving Tian Cheng, Qin Niu¡¯s carriage headed towards Elixir City, drawing ever closer to their destination.


    Along the way, they frequently saw other strong individuals traveling just like them, most of them at the Spirit Qi Realm level, occasionally bringing along one or two juniors from the Innate Realm to broaden their horizons. Those Innate Realm Experts who could accompany their elders to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly were generally the most outstanding among their families.


    However, there were a few exceptions.


    Since the Water and Land Dharma Assembly was open to everyone, theoretically, even an ordinary person at the Onfold level of the Mortal Realm could attend.


    But those who were truly capable of competing for fortunes of immortality needed to be at least at the Spirit Qi Realm level.


    It was believed that no ordinary person would dare to take on a Spirit Qi Realm Expert. At the Spirit Qi Realm level, a simple flick of a finger could kill a great number of ordinary people.


    Even though they encountered many strong individuals on the road, there was a strong sense of caution between them, and nobody would casually greet a stranger.


    Qin Niu was even less likely to provoke anyone.


    On this journey, he was constantly attentive to the condition of Green Ox and his various pets.


    The Green Demon Bee, after days of evolution, finally completed its advancement.


    It was now a bona fide Ninth Level insect.


    The Green Demon Bee had grown to a diameter larger than a rice bowl, with a body length of over half a foot, and its body and wings were covered with mysterious patterns. The sinister dark-purple mark on its forehead had become even more distinct.


    Seeing its enormous size and the terrifying design, it was hard to associate it with an insect.


    It was easier to mistake it for a winged monster.


    Even Qin Niu, its master, felt a tremor in his heart when facing it.


    With a simple flap of its wings, its form became blurred and elusive, making it difficult to pinpoint.


    He could feel that its flying ability must be extremely remarkable by now.


    ¡°That Infant Demon¡¯s body is filled with an evil aura, the Green Demon Bee can absorb malevolent energy to grow, which is indeed making the best use of it.¡±


    There was also something that made Qin Niu slightly fearful.


    After advancing, the Green Demon Bee began to eat its own Green Demon Bee offspring, one by one.


    It consumed twenty or thirty a day.


    It must be doing this to enhance its strength, but it felt overly cruel and malicious. After all, those Green Demon Bees were its children.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t stop it, because the Green Demon Bee had high intelligence and had its own ideas when acting.


    As long as it didn¡¯t threaten him, its master, he wouldn¡¯t interfere too much.


    All pets are the same, left to grow on their own.


    The Green Demon Bee had now advanced to Ninth Level, becoming half-insect, half-demon. It surely wanted to strive for a higher realm and to transform into a full demon.


    It was for this reason that it devoured its own offspring.


    Insects transforming into demons is extremely difficult, far more so than for beasts and birds. In order to become a demon, the Green Demon Bee had no choice but to find ways to accumulate more energy. Every child born would take away a portion of its energy.


    Now by absorbing them back, it was as if its body was in a more perfect state.


    ¡°As long as there is a chance, I will help you get more tonics,¡±


    Qin Niu said to the Green Demon Bee.


    With many experts at the Water and Land Dharma Assembly and various kinds of demon beasts, insect demons, and demon birds, there should be plenty of opportunities to obtain tonics for it.


    After many days of effort, Green Ox had finally completely assimilated and absorbed the inner core of the Infant Demon.


    But it ultimately did not advance to the Tenth Level.


    However, it felt like it had reached the peak of the Ninth Level, just a step away from breaking through. To become a demon, in addition to needing a vast accumulation of energy, it also required constant tempering of the beast¡¯s body and deeper understanding of cultivation methods among other things.


    The transformation of beasts into demons is as difficult as humans advancing to become an Immortal Master, one can imagine the challenge.


    ¡­


    Hurrying along, their carriage finally arrived at Elixir City that day.


    ¡°Elixir City is right ahead!¡±


    Looking up ahead, one could see an ancient city lying quietly on the land in front of them. The thick city walls, constructed from massive blocks of hemp stones, showed a mottled appearance.


    Many places bore deep marks of the years.


    The city gate was of a never-before-seen trapezoidal shape, and the scenery was quite beautiful, with ancient pines welcoming guests planted on both sides.


    What was most shocking was the towering Elm Money Tree in front of the entrance staircase that soared into the clouds.


    The tallest ancient tree Qin Niu had ever seen was the Ancient Banyan Tree behind Shuangfeng Village. But this Elm Money Tree in front of him stood over a hundred meters tall, reaching into the clouds, with its crown spreading out as if to cover the entire city ahead.


    ¡°Elixir City is one of the ancient cities and was once a key site of the Longevity Sect. In later years, the sect, being non-aggressive and giving way in all respects, was eventually wiped out by other Immortal Sects. However, Elixir City was not destroyed but was well preserved to this day.


    Traditionally, Elixir City has been the home of many Pill Alchemists, who search for medicinal ingredients and set up furnaces for Alchemy.


    It is said that at its peak, the city¡¯s alchemy produced purple qi that coalesced into a stream, shooting straight into the sky, lingering for years without dispersing, forming the extremely rare spectacle of purple clouds.


    To this day, it remains the holy land in the hearts of Pill Alchemists, with top tier neophyte Pill Alchemists coming here each year to exchange and learn.¡±


    Chi Xing had been mostly silent on the journey, only speaking when necessary.


    He briefly recounted the history of Elixir City.


    He must have been smart enough to realize early on that Qin Niu and his wife, Wang Wanyan, came from a small Sect, the kind that hadn¡¯t seen much of the world. But since he still relied on Qin Niu to help him with his revenge, he naturally did not dare to expose Qin Niu¡¯s shortcomings.


    ¡°The holy land of Pill Masters truly stands out from the ordinary!¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t totally ignorant about Elixir City.


    Elixir City didn¡¯t have checkpoints; it was open to everyone. There were no fees to enter the city.


    There was also an unwritten rule: regardless of the Sect, any criminal who fled to Elixir City would receive a life-saving talisman. Even the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect would not dare to send people to Elixir City to take anyone.


    Otherwise, it would be an enormous offence to the entire world.


    If even the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect did not dare to enter Elixir City to capture someone, it went without saying for its affiliated Sects.


    Inside the city, fighting was not allowed at random.


    But if there were disputes and conflicts, both parties could voluntarily go to the arena to resolve them. Even if someone were killed in the ring, it would be considered legal and justifiable, with no one pursuing the matter.

 Chapter 534 - Chapter 534: Chapter 526 Elm Money Immortal Tree

    Chapter 534: Chapter 526 Elm Money Immortal Tree


    The jobs available within Elixir City were numerous, whether it was being a street vendor, gathering and selling herbs, or even working as a butcher, a prostitute¡­ as long as one was diligent and steadfast, there was no worry about failing to make a living.


    It was precisely because of such a high degree of inclusiveness that Elixir City¡¯s population grew year after year.


    The city expanded time and again.


    The true core area of Elixir City could accommodate about five million people in total. But now, the actual population of Elixir City had long surpassed ten million.


    This was a city that was truly ungoverned.


    Or perhaps it would be more apt to call it a city beyond the reach of any governing body. The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect did not interfere, other sects also refrained from involvement, and individual powerhouses likewise dared not meddle in the affairs of Elixir City.


    So, with such a vast population and without any sects or factions to manage it, how was it possible that Elixir City could develop so well?


    This necessitates mentioning the Pill Alchemist Association of Elixir City.


    It is an unofficial organization, yet respected by pill alchemists around the world as a ¡®court.¡¯


    All top-tier pill masters wanting to be conferred titles must come to Elixir City to exchange knowledge and gain the recognition of the Pill Alchemist Association before being bestowed their titles.


    The operation and management of Elixir City, in fact, were enforced by the Pill Alchemist Association.


    Or rather, the Pill Alchemist Association had been forced into business over the years.


    Pill alchemists earn considerable incomes and are, one and all, proudly unyielding. They were actually not inclined to manage such mundane and complicated civilian affairs. But if they didn¡¯t, given that Elixir City fell under no jurisdiction and had a vast population, without a leading organization stepping forward to take charge, things would quickly devolve into chaos.


    Thus, the folks at the Pill Alchemist Association could only be forced into business, taking responsibility for managing the big and small matters of the entire Elixir City.


    These people, who immersed themselves in the art of elixir crafting, naturally were one hundred eighty times unwilling to divert a portion of their energy and time to manage civilian affairs. With the time and effort, they could instead be researching alchemy and medication techniques, perhaps even achieving a greater level of mastery.


    Therefore, in an effort to save themselves the trouble, they came up with a brilliant solution.


    They established an extremely harsh covenant for the citizens of Elixir City, and anyone who dared to violate it would be subject to the most severe punishment.


    For example, if there was a private fight within the city, even if the two parties were just playing around, they would be expelled from the city and forbidden from entering Elixir City for a hundred years.


    Speaking of the most stringent rule in Elixir City, it would be the protection of the city¡¯s ancient structures and trees.


    If anyone dared to damage even a piece of bark on the ancient pine at the city gate, at the very least they would be expelled from Elixir City, never to enter again. More severe consequences included the forfeiture of one¡¯s cultivation and expulsion from the city. If the situation were severe enough, it was even possible to be executed on the spot.


    A high-ranking Immortal Master from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect once damaged an ancient pine at the entrance of Elixir City.


    Before he could even flee, he was slain on the spot by one of Elixir City¡¯s powerhouses. Even as this Immortal Master begged for mercy, citing his affiliation with the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, it was to no avail.


    Afterwards, everyone expected that the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect would be thunderously furious and seek vengeance for their fallen member.


    Contrary to expectations, not only did the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect not trouble Elixir City, but they also warned all their disciples to take it as a lesson and strictly adhere to the city rules of Elixir City.


    Since then, no one dared to act recklessly in Elixir City.


    Whether they were disciples of an Immortal Sect, descendants of an Immortal Master, or a profligate son of some major family, once they were in Elixir City, they truly had to act subservient: even if they were dragons, they¡¯d have to coil themselves up, and if they were tigers, they¡¯d have to crouch down.


    ¡°Carriages are not allowed into the city?¡±


    Qin Niu saw a large stone stele at the roadside, inscribed with eye-catching red characters.


    ¡°Over there is a place where you can deposit carriages. Although carriages cannot enter the city, horses and beast pets can be brought in.¡±


    Chi Xing pointed towards a long row of buildings not far away.


    Indeed, there was a sign for a carriage and large item storage facility. Moreover, there was more than one such facility; there were many.


    ¡°Brother Chi, please go and take care of the storage.¡±


    Qin Niu had originally intended to let Xiao Qing handle this matter, and had in mind to train her abilities as well.


    Only Xiao Qing seemed a bit off at the moment.


    As the carriage approached Elixir City, she became somewhat distracted, her state of mind seemingly adrift.


    Wang Wanyan helped her off the carriage and then glanced at Qin Niu, giving him a meaningful look.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, are you dissatisfied with the rock rat I bought for you?¡±


    Qin Niu asked with concern.


    ¡°Not at all, the rock rat is very cute. Now that I¡¯m familiar with it, it¡¯s so much fun. And its teeth are incredibly sharp¡ªit can even gnaw through iron bars. The rock rat you chose for me is just as good as those that cost tens of thousands of taels each.¡±


    Ever since she had the rock rat, indeed, she showed her smile much more often.


    And it took her only about three days to establish a mutual trust with the rock rat.


    She was now able to command the rock rat to perform some simple actions.


    ¡°Do you have any troubles on your mind? Whatever it is, feel free to tell me. Though nominally we have a master-servant relationship, in reality, I¡¯m your brother and it¡¯s my duty to help you through your worries.¡±


    Qin Niu sincerely said, looking into her eyes.


    ¡°Yes, I understand. Since I¡¯ve been with my master, you have taken meticulous care of me. I have no other relatives in this world and have long considered Master, Sister Wan Yan, and Sister Cai Xian as my family.¡±


    She nodded with force.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but as soon as the carriage neared Elixir City, I felt as though something was calling me¡ªa very vague calling. Grandfather once told me that he found me. I can¡¯t help but wonder if this calling is the call of kinship.


    The Medicine King Sutra that I cultivate is also related to alchemy. Maybe my relatives are in Elixir City.¡±


    She was both hopeful and a bit nervous as she spoke of these things.


    Her feelings must be extremely complicated inside.


    After all, she¡¯s just a little girl of a bit over eight years old, not yet even nine.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll soon enter Elixir City, and when we do, I¡¯ll accompany you to search for your relatives. If we really find them, it would be a great thing for you,¡± Qin Niu said, patting her head.


    ¡°Thank you, Master! If I do find my parents, I must ask them face to face why they were so heartless to abandon me in the open fields while I was still swaddled.¡±


    Xiao Qing had suffered a lot over the years following ¡®Grandfather¡¯. Seeing other children her age pampered by their parents, she must have felt especially envious deep down.


    Although Qin Niu took great care of her, and was very affectionate, he could not give the love of a parent.


    ¡°Perhaps they had their own difficulties. My fate is similar to yours; I was also abandoned by my parents when I was very young. But I never hated them. In this cruel world, no matter the reason they abandoned me, I can understand.


    Over the years, I have seen through this world, through the human heart and nature; only being strong oneself is the true reality.


    It¡¯s better to rely on oneself than anyone else.¡±


    Qin Niu and Xiao Qing could be considered to share a similar plight.


    Born into a chaotic world, there were too many abandoned children like them.


    ¡°Husband, now that we are a wedded couple, if you truly have any hardships, I will be your stalwart support. Even if I have to be shattered to pieces, I will have no regrets,¡± Wang Wanyan said as she reached out and held Qin Niu¡¯s hand with her tender grip.


    ¡°With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for! As you said, we are now a family, you, Cai Xian, Xiao Qing, all are my family. No matter what fate befalls us in the future, we shall face it together,¡± Qin Niu declared and turned his gaze toward the Elm Money Tree that stood not far off.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that this Elm Money Tree has lived for over ten thousand years, and its fallen leaves are treasured by people. Ordinary folks who take them home to steep in water say it can cure all kinds of diseases.¡±


    These were things he had heard from others.


    At this moment, there were quite a few people waiting under the Elm Money Tree, not for anything else, but to pick up its fallen leaves, flowers, and fruits.


    Qin Niu led his wife and Xiao Qing toward the Elm Money Tree.


    He could feel that the medicinal aura of the Elm Money Tree far surpassed that of the Ancient Banyan Tree by more than a thousand times.

 Chapter 535 - Chapter 535: Chapter 527: Acquiring the Chance for Immortality

    chapter 535: chapter 527: acquiring the chance for immortality


    although the ancient banyan tree is also ancient, this elm money tree is even older than elixir city. it was said to exist when the city was first built.


    the first sect master of the longevity sect often sat beneath it to meditate and understand the dao.


    this elm money tree was as sacred as the bodhi tree that helped bodhidharma in his enlightenment.


    qin niu walked to the base of the tree, looked up at the trunk, and followed the cracks that spread upward. even after living for more than ten thousand years, the elm money tree was still full of life and lush with foliage.


    its branches were laden with hanging inflorescences, each cluster resembling a string of copper coins.


    the energy contained within the tree was as vast as mountains and seas, unfathomable.


    qin niu closed his eyes and carefully felt the energies inside the elm money tree; he discovered that there seemed to be a very unique and high-level energy hidden within the trunk. without thinking, he extended both hands and pressed them against it.


    the tree¡¯s trunk was extremely large, and even thirty grown men, holding hands, might not be able to encompass it.


    standing beside the trunk, qin niu looked like a thumb-sized person.


    with his hands pressed against the elm money tree, he first tried channeling a thread of medicine king sutra cultivation power to probe that unique energy inside the tree.


    but he quickly realized this was futile.


    because that special energy was hidden in the deepest depths of all energies. the energy of the elm money tree was as abundant as ocean waters, and qin niu¡¯s medicine king sutra power was soon dispersed by it.


    there was no way to reach the deepest part.


    seeing that probing in this way was useless, he switched to another type of cultivation power.


    this was the advantage of cultivating two types of cultivation techniques.


    one had an extra method at crucial moments. moreover, a double spirit qi realm expert like him was much stronger than those who cultivated just one cultivation technique. even though the techniques he cultivated were non-combat types, he could still crush peers at the same level who practiced combat techniques.


    the everlasting spring technique power from within qin niu spread out like tentacles, reaching for that special energy at the very core of the elm money tree.


    this time, he found the everlasting spring technique power very stable, and it was not dispersed by the intense energy within the tree.


    a moment later, his everlasting spring technique power successfully reached the deepest part of the tree¡¯s energy sea.


    the moment he touched that special energy, he felt indescribably comfortable. the bit of everlasting spring technique power he had released acted like a conduit, continuously channeling the tree¡¯s special energy back into his body.


    in the beginning, qin niu was cautious, not daring to let that special energy enter his body readily.


    but when he found that this energy could rapidly enhance his everlasting spring technique power, he became like a greedy infant, eagerly absorbing the special energy from deep within the tree.


    and his everlasting spring technique power grew rapidly.


    wang wanyan and xiao qing, seeing qin niu standing motionless with his hands pressed against the tree, instinctively guarded behind him.


    ¡°is he comprehending the dao?¡±


    ¡°he couldn¡¯t possibly be harming the elm money immortal tree, could he?¡±


    ¡°he wouldn¡¯t dare. even the disciples from the hundred-tempering immortal sect wouldn¡¯t be spared if they caused trouble here; they would be killed.¡±


    many people took notice of qin niu¡¯s odd behavior.


    they were discussing among themselves.


    meanwhile, chi xing had already stored the carriage and came back. seeing this scene, he was truly envious.


    just a few days ago, he had seen with his own eyes how qin niu absorbed the energy of the cold spring, causing his cultivation to surge.


    now, having come to elixir city, it seemed that qin niu had found another great opportunity.


    feeling the continuous strengthening of qin niu¡¯s aura, chi xing silently speculated that qin niu might be using the elm money tree for cultivation. he silently folded his arms and stood beside qin niu.


    as time swiftly passed, qin niu¡¯s everlasting spring technique power had broken through from the early stages of the spirit qi realm to the middle stage.


    ¡°`


    the special energy was simply too vast.


    qin niu estimated he had absorbed less than one-thousandth of it.


    he was still absorbing the special energy from within the trunk of the tree, even quickening his pace. through his long period of cultivation and attempts, he hadn¡¯t found any danger.


    on the contrary, the special energy within the tree made him feel it was of the same origin as the everlasting spring technique¡¯s cultivation power.


    in those days, elixir city was the gate of the longevity sect, and the elm money tree was the testament of the sect master¡¯s path to enlightenment, later celebrated as a beautiful tale.


    he wondered if the everlasting spring technique he was cultivating was originally from the longevity sect.


    but the scroll of the everlasting spring technique he bought was incomplete, with only the first half present, and he knew nothing of the subsequent cultivation methods. he was equally ignorant about the origins of this cultivation technique.


    this serendipitous discovery was a chance to try and inquire about the origins of the longevity sect.


    one good thing in elixir city was that people didn¡¯t dare to engage in fights lightly.


    with qin niu¡¯s hands pressed against the elm money immortal tree, he remained unmoved, undisturbed by anyone.


    however, he had already sensed at least three powerful beings probing him with their divine sense. if his cultivation caused harm to the elm money immortal tree, those powerful beings would definitely intervene.


    ¡­


    nobody expected qin niu to stand under the tree cultivating for three full days and nights without moving.


    for those above the innate realm, secluding themselves for cultivation for several months or even years was common. so, qin niu¡¯s three days of closed-eye cultivation was nothing out of the ordinary.


    his everlasting spring technique¡¯s cultivation power had broken through to the late pinnacle of the spirit qi realm, a mere step away from entering the immortal scholar realm.


    he could even sense the immortal scholar realm quite clearly.


    it seemed within arm¡¯s reach, yet he couldn¡¯t climb this final step.


    now, qin niu could no longer absorb any more of the special energy. his body was like a person who had eaten to the point of fullness; his everlasting spring technique¡¯s cultivation power had reached its limit.


    the special energy within the elm money immortal tree was still vast; he had absorbed less than one percent of it.


    this ancient tree had lived for over ten thousand years, accumulating an astonishing amount of energy.


    as to the origin of the special energy inside, qin niu was unclear.


    elixir city housed countless pill masters conducting alchemy, emitting an enormous amount of elixir energy daily. perhaps, the elm money immortal tree absorbed these alchemy emissions, transforming them into this special energy.


    or maybe, like the ancient banyan tree, it had developed a spiritual intelligence and knew how to cultivate on its own.


    this special energy was highly similar to the everlasting spring technique¡¯s cultivation power.


    qin niu checked his attributes and found his lifespan had increased to 600 years.


    indeed, compared to beasts, birds, and insects, human lifespans were no match. once his pets advanced to the ninth level, even those with the shortest lifespans could live over a thousand years, with many others reaching or nearing ten thousand years.


    nature was quite fair, bestowing upon humans higher intelligence that other creatures lacked, while also placing certain obstacles in their way.


    lifespan was humanity¡¯s greatest shortcoming.


    ¡°let¡¯s head into the city!¡±


    after completing his cultivation, qin niu slowly opened his eyes.


    his wife, along with xiao qing and chi xing, had guarded him for three whole days and nights.


    ¡°have the three of you gained anything from staying under this tree for three days?¡±


    qin niu asked the trio.


    ¡°i certainly don¡¯t have the monstrous talent of master qin. spending three days under this tree has been fruitless for me,¡± chi xing said with a bitter face, shaking his head.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 536 - Chapter 536: 528

    chapter 536: 528


    wang wanyan shook her head as well.


    she cultivated the dragon elephant art, which progressed slowly. beneath the ancient banyan tree, she could enjoy a twentyfold increase in her cultivation speed. yet, beneath the open elm money immortal tree, she hadn¡¯t reaped any benefits at all.


    ¡°my cultivation has improved a bit.¡±


    xiao qing was the only one among the three who had gained significantly.


    she practiced the medicine king sutra, which could absorb the massive medicinal qi of the elm money immortal tree to increase her cultivation level. over the three days, her cultivation had clearly advanced.


    ¡°opportunities and fortunes differ for everyone, i believe there¡¯s a chance for everyone.¡±


    qin niu consoled the two of them.


    the elm money immortal tree still appeared unchanged, seemingly without any difference.


    but qin niu keenly sensed that he had established a close connection with this immortal tree. he wasn¡¯t sure whether it was because he had absorbed some of its special energies.


    he led the trio up the steps, heading toward the inner parts of elixir city.


    the ancient pines on both sides stood like guards of the city, stationed beside the steps to welcome and send off everyone entering and leaving elixir city.


    the medicinal qi emitted by these ancient pines was also extremely rich, and the energy contained within their trunks far exceeded that of ordinary ancient trees. however, they paled in comparison to the elm money immortal tree ¨C not by a small margin.


    at the very least, the difference was more than a thousandfold.


    owing to the imminent water and land dharma assembly, elixir city was already overcrowded.


    one could see spirit qi realm experts with formidable auras everywhere.


    there were also some who seemed like ordinary people, but the spirit qi realm experts following them acted with the utmost respect. this suggested that they were definitely not ordinary people; they were most likely immortal masters.


    looking around, the streets spread in all directions with shops lined up on both sides.


    the most numerous were various shops related to elixirs. some sold medicinal herbs, others sold charcoal and coal for alchemy, and there were even those selling books on crafting elixirs.


    plenty of shops for elixir appraisal, material appraisal, elixir purchasing, and material purchasing could be seen everywhere as well.


    there were also shops that specifically recruited alchemy apprentices, touting slogans that struck a chord in one¡¯s heart.


    if you don¡¯t learn in a year, the tuition fee will be fully refunded.


    in three years, you could become a pill alchemist, with guaranteed teaching and learning.


    ¡­


    indeed, one industry sustains the residents of a region.


    qin niu privately marveled at the thriving pill industry of elixir city. as long as one had money, it seemed any kind of elixir could be bought here.


    ¡°wanyan, after we attend the water and land dharma assembly, i¡¯ll buy some elixirs that enhance cultivation for you and cai xian to take back.¡±


    ¡°if they¡¯re too expensive, then don¡¯t buy them.¡±


    she always worried about spending too much.


    such a deeply ingrained attitude truly wasn¡¯t something that could change in a short time.


    ¡°look over there, how beautiful!¡±


    xiao qing pointed toward a place ahead.


    there, auspicious lights and mystical aura pervaded, and fairytale music wafted through the air. from a distance, one could see a reed platform surrounded by many people.


    ¡°that must be a preparation for the water and land dharma assembly; let¡¯s go take a look,¡± qin niu suggested.


    qin niu held his wife¡¯s hand and walked towards the location.


    xiao qing and chi xing followed closely behind.


    upon closer approach, they saw seven or eight immortal maidens in white dresses on the reed platform, each veiled with gossamer scarves, adorned with beads and jade ornaments, dancing gracefully.


    the area below the platform was already packed with onlookers.


    one red-dressed immortal maiden floated in the air, about three feet above the surface of the reed platform. her red dress billowed, and ribbons fluttered as her hair cascaded loosely behind her, looking so stunningly beautiful she seemed otherworldly.


    with a long flute in her hands, she played a tune.


    the melody of the flute was melodious and soothing, bringing a sense of peace and clarity to the listeners, as if it could cleanse one¡¯s soul.


    ¡°the eight performers on the platform are all immortal masters. it¡¯s no wonder; this event is hosted by the hundred-tempering immortal sect, and even a casual display is such a grand event,¡± qin niu mused.


    any sect that could produce an immortal master was already worthy of great respect. casually presenting eight immortal maidens, each a peerless beauty, was a treat for the eyes of all the males attending the water and land dharma assembly, an unprecedented visual feast.


    ¡°their movements are flowing, their demeanor serene; they¡¯re truly beautiful!¡±


    wang wanyan sincerely praised.


    ¡°your beauty does not fall short of any of them, and in my eyes, you¡¯re even more beautiful. their beauty is more about the dignity and sanctity that comes from being an immortal master. if one day you became an immortal master, you¡¯d definitely be thousands, even tens of thousands times more beautiful.¡±


    qin niu quietly said, holding his wife¡¯s hand.


    ¡°hehe, you just know how to make me happy!¡±


    she covered her mouth, laughing very joyfully.


    the area around the reed platform was packed with people, impossible to squeeze into. thus, the four of them could only stand at a distance and watch, while more and more new spectators continued to join from behind.


    qin niu even heard some spectators who couldn¡¯t squeeze in lamenting that they had arrived too late and that one would have to be here before dawn to get close to the platform.


    was it necessary to go to such lengths just to see a few fairy maidens?


    no matter how early one arrived or how close to the reed platform one got, it was impossible to marry them and take them home as wives.


    anyone with a bit of self-awareness wouldn¡¯t indulge in such daydreams.


    yet, there were many men of the spirit qi realm who were tireless in their enjoyment, immersed in their beautiful dreams and unwilling to wake up.


    after about half an hour, the fairy maidens on the stage ceased their singing and dancing and lined up on both sides.


    the fairy in red descended to the front of the team. she merely swept an indifferent glance over the audience below, her luminous eyes devoid of any emotion.


    the coldness and authority of an immortal were fully embodied in her.


    the seven dancing maidens in white slightly bowed and stood by as if welcoming the arrival of a distinguished figure.


    just as the audience below were abuzz with speculation, flowers from the sky started to drift down, and celestial music wafted through the air as a young and handsome man clad in feathered clothes seemed to materialize out of thin air, slowly descending from the sky.


    he eventually landed firmly on the reed platform.


    all seven maidens in white prostrated themselves in reverence, and the fairy in red bowed as well.


    ¡°we welcome the great immortal envoy!¡±


    all eight fairy maidens greeted the handsome man in unison.


    his face was impassive, taking the respectful greeting from the eight fairy maidens as if he were accustomed to it. after landing on the reed platform, he walked to the front and his gaze casually swept over the audience below.


    in his eyes were pity, indifference, and also an intangible air of authority.


    the previously noisy crowd beneath the platform fell into dead silence, everyone instinctively maintaining quiet, not daring any disrespect.


    standing below the platform, qin niu, despite the distance, still felt an extremely terrifying pressuring aura as if an invisible mountain weighed upon his head.


    when the gaze of the great immortal envoy swept in his direction, it was even more terrifying; his knees weakened, and he felt the urge to kneel and worship.


    in fact, many among the crowd, possibly due to insufficient cultivation or determination, had already knelt on the ground.


    there were also strong individuals like qin niu who managed to remain standing, not losing their dignity.


    wan yan¡¯s body couldn¡¯t help but want to kneel; it was with qin niu¡¯s firm support that she did not fall to her knees.


    yet at this moment, her face turned pale, as if she were severely ill.


    fear was evident in her expression.


    this was the might of an immortal, immortal might.


    under the immortal might, if one¡¯s cultivation was insufficient, one might even need to prostrate on the ground to avoid injury. challenging immortal might with insufficient power or will, one could easily be hurt.


    while supporting his wife, qin niu also intentionally shielded xiao qing behind him.


    it was equivalent to him bearing the immortal might meant for three people, which was extremely taxing, and sweat began to form on his forehead.


    chi xing¡¯s current cultivation was much weaker than his; he could barely protect himself, his body trembling slightly as he bit down on his teeth.


    barely maintaining his stance without kneeling.


    this was a silent struggle. the great immortal envoy wasn¡¯t targeting anyone specifically; his natural release of immortal might subjected every person in the audience to an indiscriminate assault.


    to call it an attack might be an exaggeration.


    this innate pressure of immortal might could, at best, be considered a passive skill, nothing more than an unintentional oppression.


    if the great immortal envoy intentionally targeted someone, probably just one glance would be sufficient to make that person kneel.


    qin niu¡¯s fire phoenix was at grade twelve, at least two major realms stronger than a typical immortal master. but the pressure emitted by the fire phoenix paled in comparison to the great immortal envoy by countless times.


    even the mysterious madame zhao lurking in shuangfeng village exuded an aura of pressure that was much weaker than this great immortal envoy¡¯s.


    the two were simply not on the same level.

 Chapter 537 - Chapter 537: Chapter 529: Three Immortal Gates

    chapter 537: chapter 529: three immortal gates


    ¡°`


    if the strength level of beast pets were used as a comparison, an ordinary immortal master would be equivalent to a grade ten beast pet.


    the seven fairies in white on the stage should be one level higher than an ordinary immortal master, roughly equal in strength to a grade eleven beast pet. the fairy in red has a higher cultivation level than them, approximately equal to grade twelve, which is on par with a fire phoenix.


    the great immortal envoy who had descended was able to make eight fairies bow in greeting, and the immortal might he radiated was even more frightening than madame zhao¡¯s. if madame zhao¡¯s strength was equivalent to that of a grade thirteen beast pet, then the great immortal envoy¡¯s strength must be at least above grade fourteen.


    ¡°morning dew and evening glow, ten years pass in the flick of a finger. once again our sect hosts the water and land dharma assembly, flinging wide the immortal gate, eagerly welcoming outstanding talents from all directions. our sect has established the jielu platform here to expound the dao and the dharma. tomorrow marks the preliminary selection of talent. anyone who aspires to join the hundred-tempering immortal sect may vie for their immortal fate here.


    at that time, there will be three immortal gates. passing through the first gate will grant an immortal badge, passing the second will earn a spot in the external registry of the immortal sect, and passing the third will earn an ascendancy order, entry into our sect, and the struggle for immortal fate.


    the path to immortality is long and arduous, let¡¯s encourage each other.¡±


    no sooner had the voice faded than the great immortal envoy¡¯s figure, just like when he arrived, slowly ascended and then gradually disappeared.


    the celestial flowers that had floated down from the sky, along with the melodious sounds of immortals, disappeared as well.


    the auspicious clouds slowly dissipated, and the audience below remained silent.


    everyone¡¯s fists were clenched tight, as if invigorated by a shot of adrenaline, resolutely determined to vie for their immortal fate tomorrow with all their might.


    the great immortal envoy had made it clear that anyone passing through the second immortal gate could become a registered disciple of the hundred-tempering immortal sect.


    though in previous years some registered disciples were also recruited, the numbers were extremely limited. often before any announcements were made, the higher-ups from the major sects would use their connections and offer lavish gifts to secure these positions internally.


    for ordinary people to get one of these registered disciple slots was almost harder than ascending to heaven.


    this year, however, it was exceptionally open to all who could pass through the second immortal gate to become a registered disciple of the hundred-tempering immortal sect, which was truly an unprecedented and hefty benefit.


    the so-called registered disciples essentially serve the immortal sect as menial workers.


    the immortals¡¯ daily needs, and the mundane affairs of the immortal sect as well as the collection of various intelligence, all need to be addressed by these menial disciples.


    since its establishment, the hundred-tempering immortal sect has always been discreet in its actions, recruiting few registered disciples.


    they do this to ensure the purity of the sect¡¯s lineage.


    the fewer people there are, the easier they are to manage.


    too many menial disciples would bring a lot of trouble.


    consider that menial disciples in an immortal sect are equivalent to serving the immortals as servants. these individuals have at least the cultivation level of the spirit qi realm. for experts of this caliber to willingly serve as servants speaks to the significant benefits they aspire to gain.


    if they have decent talent and serve as servants for a decade or even three or four decades, they might be able to succeed and be promoted to disciples of the immortal sect without harboring other intentions.


    however, spirit qi realm experts who have served as immortal servants for fifty, sixty years, or even over a hundred years without becoming disciples of the immortal sect will definitely feel disappointed, and perhaps even despair.


    since their hope for immortal fate is lost, and they have served the immortal sect for many years with certain connections formed, and are familiar with the various managements and regulations of the immortal sect, they might exploit the sect¡¯s dependencies, bleed them dry.


    they might even take an evil path and commit even more outrageous acts.


    the formal disciples of the immortal sect are each engrossed in their cultivation, single-mindedly pursuing higher realms, and would not bother with the trifles of the sect.


    under these circumstances, unless those registered disciples commit exceedingly many and significant misdeeds, the immortal sect would not intervene.


    from this perspective, being a registered disciple in the immortal sect is a desirable job.


    many prominent families hold the belief that having someone in the government makes official duties easier and are therefore vying to send their strong family members to the immortal sect to serve as servants. this is because only through such service can they establish connections with the immortals of the immortal sect.


    ¡°the hundred-tempering immortal sect¡¯s grand recruitment of registered disciples this year is indeed revealing something unusual.¡±


    qin niu¡¯s brows were slightly furrowed.


    the number of immortals in the hundred-tempering immortal sect remains the same, so the sudden mass recruitment of registered disciples suggests two possibilities.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    either it was for the expansion of territory, requiring a group to lead the charge and take on the role of scouts,


    or it was to prevent subordinate sects from causing trouble, necessitating stronger oversight.


    it looked very much like the latter.


    because the hundred-tempering child was facing the once-in-a-century life and death trial, if the subordinate super sects caused trouble or even colluded with external enemies at this time, the hundred-tempering immortal sect would face a significant security risk. it could even be destroyed entirely.


    the destruction of the longevity sect had happened in an extremely short time.


    and at that time, the longevity sect was at the height of its power, and nobody expected that it would be wiped out.


    the hundred-tempering immortal sect had been established for over a thousand years by now.


    the hundred-tempering child and those old ministers of the hundred-tempering immortal sect belonged to the first generation; they had experienced many bloody battles during the founding of the sect and had even wiped out the preceding sects. therefore, they had a strong sense of crisis.


    even after a thousand years of peaceful days, they would still likely remain vigilant towards the subordinate sects.


    because when looking at the history of those sects that had been destroyed, few were annihilated by external enemies; most were taken down by their own subordinate sects.


    another common scenario was the emergence of a powerful figure within one of the subordinated sects of an immortal sect.


    out of gratitude or fear towards that immortal sect, the super sect would not dare to challenge the immortal sect that held authority over it. thus, it would set its sights on weaker immortal sects outside of its own.


    they would strike unexpectedly, sparking a war of sect conquest.


    if they were to lose, they could still retreat to their native land and continue to survive. but if they won, they would successfully establish a new immortal sect, marking a monumental achievement.


    qin niu always felt that the current state of the hundred-tempering immortal sect was like a building in a brewing storm, about to be enveloped by turbulent winds.


    it was possible that chaos could erupt at any moment.


    the wars of sect founding that dragged on for years could last over three thousand years, and for most people, war was not a good thing.


    because where there was war, there would be deaths.


    tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of strong experts might fall, and no one could be sure that they would be lucky enough to survive until the end of the war.


    just now, facing the immortal might of the great immortal envoy, qin niu was certain that he had no power of resistance in front of such a high-level expert. if the other party willed him to live, he would live, and if they willed him to die, then he could only die.


    ¡°let¡¯s go, let¡¯s first find an inn to settle down!¡±


    qin niu said to the three.


    ¡°xiao qing, can you still feel that call from the depths of your soul? while the water and land dharma assembly hasn¡¯t started yet, i¡¯m planning to take you to look for them.¡±


    if he could help her find her family, that would be the best outcome.


    although he felt reluctant to part, if her family was strong enough, she would certainly get better development after returning to them.


    qin niu had two wives to support, and there would be children in the future, so the cultivation resources he could provide xiao qing were limited.


    besides, he was currently very weak and incomparable to those truly established powerful clans.


    ¡°i can feel it, but it¡¯s still very vague,¡±


    her eyes were filled with anticipation.


    ¡°alright, we¡¯ll look for your family after we¡¯ve settled down.¡±


    maybe her family was one of the alchemy families within elixir city. after all, the medicine king sutra was closely related to alchemy.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 538 - Chapter 538: 530

    chapter 538: 530


    the search for an inn proved to be a continuous struggle for the group.


    owing to the water and land dharma assembly, a great number of powerful individuals from all around had flooded into elixir city. these people were not lacking in silver money and were numerous in quantity.


    as a result, the inns within the city had long been fully occupied.


    ultimately, qin niu exhausted much effort before finally finding a temporary lodging. in plain terms, seeing the influx of visitors, some people had vacated one or two rooms in their own empty or lived-in houses to rent out as guest rooms temporarily.


    this was a fairly good option.


    after all, the vast majority of people had ordinary incomes, and they were very willing to seize every opportunity to earn an honest extra income.


    qin niu rented two rooms, and the rental cost was indeed not cheap, three pieces of silver money per day for each room.


    that amounted to paying six pieces of silver money for one day¡¯s stay.


    if it were not for the considerable profits, people would not likely rent out two rooms of their own residence for guests.


    after all, this could expose many of the homeowners¡¯ privacies.


    once they had secured guest rooms, qin niu left with xiao qing and chi xing, leaving his wife alone in the room to rest. thanks to the good public security environment in elixir city, there was almost no danger within the city as long as one did not violate the city¡¯s regulations.


    for wang wanyan, the most pressing matter at the moment was not seizing opportunities at the water and land dharma assembly but taking care of the two fox cubs.


    after leaving the inn, qin niu let xiao qing lead the way.


    he and chi xing followed behind.


    xiao qing, guided by the sensing of that mysterious calling, continuously adjusted their direction until they gradually approached a tower-like building that was seven stories high.


    ¡°it seems to be here, the sensation has become much clearer. it¡¯s like a voice is ceaselessly calling to me, saying, ¡®here, here¡­''¡±


    xiao qing pointed toward the tower-like building ahead.


    qin niu looked up at the tower in front of them, which was at least forty meters tall, taller than most of the buildings in the city.


    buildings such as this ancient and tall construction were not uncommon within elixir city.


    the entire tower was constructed from huge stones, with a height similar to the rubble used for building city walls. the tower¡¯s surface appeared to be covered in scars, it could even be described as riddled with holes. there were traces of repairs everywhere to be seen.


    ¡°medicine king tower!¡±


    upon seeing the name of the tower, qin niu knew that they might have found xiao qing¡¯s family.


    because both the medicine king sutra and the medicine king tower shared the words ¡°medicine king.¡±


    entering the tower was not so simple, as there was a very large residence outside the tower. or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a complex of buildings.


    people could be seen casually entering and exiting, but it was unclear what their purpose was.


    looking at the attire of these individuals, there were common visitors as well as pill alchemists dressed in the robes of pill masters.


    it seemed this place gathered some miscellaneous pill masters.


    they lived here to light the furnaces and practice alchemy.


    qin niu, after covertly observing, finally understood the identities of these people.


    moving forward, one could see rows of closely packed alchemy rooms. their layout was essentially similar.


    there was a front hall for receiving guests outside, and behind it, there were pill furnaces ready to light the fire for alchemy. each building housed one or more pill alchemists.


    their businesses varied, with some doing well and others not so much.


    walking further in, some buildings had constantly burning furnaces with dense elixir fumes. others had cold stoves with no customers seeking their alchemy services.


    those pill alchemists who had not received any alchemy tasks were either fiddling with medicinal herbs or reading books.


    some were even simply lying on recliners, resting with their eyes closed.


    from outside, it seemed that there were only a few dozen buildings constructed around the medicine king tower.


    only upon entering did one realize how extensive the complex was.


    there were at least over a hundred alchemy rooms, with the number of residing pill alchemists totaling several hundred.


    ¡°we¡¯re approaching the medicine king tower, and it seems there are no guards in sight!¡±


    qin niu stood outside the tower, scouting inside.


    ¡°let¡¯s go in and find out what¡¯s inside!¡±


    he led xiao qing directly into the medicine king tower. it was evident that the tower was very ancient, with at least several hundreds, if not thousands, of years of history.


    the first floor of the tower was extremely spacious.


    almost all high towers have a large base, and the area decreases with each ascending level.


    upon entering the tower, he had thought it was empty.


    but to his surprise, nearly thirty pill alchemists of varying ages were currently operating pill furnaces and practicing alchemy inside.


    their pill furnaces varied in size and style, with distinct tiers of quality.


    some of the furnaces were entirely yellow-purple, clearly made from purple copper. others had simple and ancient patterns or runes etched onto them, looking very high-end.


    all the pill masters inside shared one common characteristic, a haughty demeanor, as if they were divine beings who transcended the mortal realm and looked down upon all creatures.


    however, their pride was not without foundation, for they truly had the skills to back it up.


    their pill master robes were also a testament to their abilities.


    the weakest among them were red-robed alchemists, and the three with the highest ranks were even clad in purple robes, topped with heaven-and-earth crowns.


    master yi zhou of miaodan pavilion in black tiger city was a chief alchemist, yet he didn¡¯t even qualify for a red robe.


    any alchemist from the first floor of medicine king tower, if taken to black tiger city, could easily crush all the pill alchemists in the entire city.


    these people were either conversing with clients or focused intently on controlling the flames to practice alchemy.


    one of the purple-robed alchemists was particularly eye-catching.


    he was practicing alchemy with two apprentice fans, controlling the flames while his apprentices relentlessly fanned them to increase the fire¡¯s potency.


    from time to time, the sound of tiger¡¯s roar emanated from the furnace, as if a massive beast was being refined within.


    in reality, the furnace was open at the top, and you could see purple qi rising without any actual beast. the qi occasionally condensed into the phantom shape of a ferocious animal.


    it somewhat resembled a huge tiger.


    every time the tiger shape coalesced, a roar would come from the furnace.


    strangely enough, every time the tiger roared, it would disperse and revert back into purple medicinal qi, boiling within the furnace.


    even though qin niu was no expert in alchemy, he understood that this purple-robed alchemist must be encountering difficulties.


    or perhaps, he was challenging a higher realm of alchemy.


    if the tiger form remained intact and roared without dispersing, perhaps it would signify his success.


    time after time, he failed, but the purple-robed alchemist kept trying.


    to become a powerhouse in the realm of alchemy, indeed none of them had success handed to them on a silver platter.


    just observing the tenacity and persistence of this purple-robed alchemist, it was clear that his willpower was even stronger than steel.


    ¡°master, the call i sense is coming from beneath the ground!¡±


    xiao qing whispered to qin niu.


    ¡°let¡¯s head underground!¡±


    qin niu immediately spotted the staircase leading down to the lower levels of the medicine king tower.


    under normal circumstances, most towers with more than seven floors have an underground level.


    some pagodas might even have only three levels above ground but seven or nine levels underground.


    for instance, the legendary suppressing pagoda is a treasure pagoda that is inverted and buried underground.


    chi xing was qin niu¡¯s guard, and seeing qin niu¡¯s strength improving day by day, he was doing his utmost to please him. at that moment, he raced to be the first to enter the staircase leading to the tower¡¯s foundation, eager to take the lead in exploring.

 Chapter 539 - Chapter 539: Chapter 531: Bizarre Purple Flame

    Chapter 539: Chapter 531: Bizarre Purple Flame


    As soon as he entered, he was repelled by an invisible force and sent flying.


    ¡°What a powerful defense array!¡±


    Chi Xing, with a face full of terror, looked at the entrance to the stairway leading to the underground level of the Medicine King Tower as if a terrifying beast was hiding inside.


    An array that could easily send a mid-phase Spirit Qi Realm cultivator flying must be extremely powerful.


    The Pill Alchemists on the first level of the tower had calm expressions as if they were used to such occurrences. Even the clients who came to them for pill concoction merely glanced indifferently before continuing to watch the Pill Furnace.


    Faced with such a formidable array, Qin Niu¡¯s expression immediately became more solemn.


    However, he was not daunted.


    Instead, he entered the stairway to investigate personally. Chi Xing was only repelled and not injured, scared at most.


    This gave Qin Niu the courage to explore on his own.


    Upon entering the stairway, he sensed an invisible resisting force pushing outward.


    But one could still move forward by relying on powerful cultivation.


    With every step down, the invisible resisting force would increase by several folds. Chi Xing was violently repelled after reaching the third step.


    When Qin Niu descended to the fourth step, the terrifyingly strong resisting force became extremely intense.


    Just when he thought he was going to be repelled, he did not expect that the Pill Furnace within him, a manifestation of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s cultivation power, would spontaneously rotate, effortlessly neutralizing the extremely intense resisting force.


    Qin Niu was astounded.


    As the Pill Furnace inside him rotated, he could feel a strange connection with something beneath the ground.


    Qin Niu continued to step downward, facing a resistance so strong it chilled the heart.


    He estimated that even an Immortal Master might easily be repelled if they attempted to force their way through.


    His inner Pill Furnace, however, rotated to neutralize the resisting force, allowing him to proceed deeper down the steps, but each step became harder than the last.


    By the time he reached the fourteenth step, Qin Niu could already see parts of the underground level.


    There were blazing flames burning below.


    The color of the flames was very strange, neither crimson nor orange, nor gold, white, or blue, but an eerie purple.


    There was another odd thing.


    From his current position, he could see the purple flames nearly covering the entire underground level, but he could not feel the heat that should come from the flames. The temperature was almost unchanged from above.


    Qin Niu took another step, descending to the fifteenth step.


    This time, the resisting force was so strong it was infuriating. His inner Pill Furnace flew out directly, shielding his entire body inside it, to withstand the overwhelming force.


    There were a total of twenty-eight steps leading to the negative first floor.


    Being able to successfully descend to the fourteenth step should be a watershed, and after reaching the fifteenth step, the resisting force increased tenfold.


    Yet, Qin Niu had withstood it.


    The Pill Alchemists and clients on the first floor of the pagoda were shocked that Qin Niu had not come out after such a long time.


    This had never happened before.


    No matter where the strong came from, if they tried to forcefully enter the first level of the Medicine King Tower, the only outcome was to be repelled by the defense array.


    If one only descended one or two steps, they might not be injured when repelled.


    Descending five or six steps would likely result in injuries.


    Because the more stairs one descends, the stronger the rebound force becomes.


    Chi Xing had long been numbed by Qin Niu¡¯s blows.


    Because the special abilities Qin Niu displayed in front of him were not just once or twice, but many times.


    Watching as that demon-like man charged into the bottom minus one floor of the tower without being flung out, Chi Xing felt completely numb. His mind was filled with only one thought, how could Master Qin withstand such strong resistance?


    How exactly did he do it?


    Qin Niu certainly didn¡¯t care about the thoughts of those outside, and he continued to charge downward.


    These purple flames seemed to be very precious because his Fire Lotus had already started to stir. The Ice Lotus had absorbed all the energy from that cold spring last time and directly formed a Lotus Platform, which had already suppressed the Fire Lotus.


    This also meant they had lost their balance.


    Although this would not cause any problems with the Alchemy Stove inside his body, an imbalance between the Ice Lotus and Fire Lotus was definitely unfavorable.


    Right now, there was a great opportunity at hand. If he could obtain it, perhaps he could enable the Fire Lotus to form a Lotus Platform just like the Ice Lotus had.


    By then, Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation power of the Medicine King Sutra would at least reach the peak of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    He might even be able to take a step further, reaching the Immortal Scholar Realm he so dearly dreamt of.


    A mere mortal who wishes to become an extraordinary immortal needs to overcome at least two major barriers.


    The first time is the breakthrough to the Innate Realm.


    There¡¯s an old saying in the cultivator world, ¡°the first step into the Innate Realm is half a step into the Immortal Scholar Realm.¡± As long as one successfully steps into the Innate Realm, it¡¯s like having half a ticket to the Immortal Scholar Realm. The vast majority of people will be stuck in the Acquired Realm for their entire lives.


    If there are few cultivation resources, one might even be stuck at the Mortal Realm First Layer for life.


    Cultivation Techniques and nourishment for the body, especially meat, are very important.


    If it weren¡¯t for Qin Niu¡¯s lucky encounter and his effort to buy the Everlasting Spring Technique, and his killing of an old wolf to nourish his body, he would never have taken the first step.


    The Mortal Realm First Layer may seem like the most basic level of cultivation, but the number of people who are stuck at this step are countless.


    It can be said that 99% of people will be trapped in the Mortal Realm First Layer for their entire lives, unable to break through.


    But as long as one has the most basic Cultivation Technique and an adequate supply of food, especially meat, almost everyone can break through the Mortal Realm First Layer.


    Breaking through the Mortal Realm First Layer restrains 99% of people; then, less than 1% of the lucky ones who do break through have a small chance to cultivate to the Mortal Realm Tenth Layer with effort and fortuitous encounters.


    After reaching the Mortal Realm Tenth Layer, one basically doesn¡¯t lack ordinary cultivation resources.


    The food they eat is always of the finest quality, and the supply of meat is more or less guaranteed. At least they practice a Cultivation Technique, and they have grasped some cultivation methods.


    Even some Mortal Realm Tenth Layer experts in better conditions might have the chance to consume some Elixirs.


    At this point, they have a greater chance of breaking through to the Acquired Realm.


    Upon entering the Acquired Realm, one¡¯s status and income will greatly improve, a far cry from the Mortal Realm. Even without skills in farming, controlling insects, or taming beasts, one could hold an officer position in the military.


    They would already have the ability to access some medium-level cultivation resources.


    What follows is a long period of cultivation and accumulation. After reaching the Acquired Realm¡¯s Tenth Layer, one can attempt to break through to the Innate Realm. However, this attempt is like facing a life-or-death challenge, and less than 1% can make it through.


    Out of 100 Acquired Realm experts, having one lucky individual advance to the Innate Realm would be quite impressive.


    It is very cruel.


    Don¡¯t look at Qin Niu and his two wives, along with Xiao Qing, having already successfully advanced to the Innate Realm. That¡¯s because Qin Niu provided them with many high-level cultivation resources, and he supplied them abundantly.


    Only then could he help them greatly increase their chances of successfully advancing to the Innate Realm.


    Furthermore, their talents are quite good, and they are sufficiently diligent, which is how they could achieve such pleasing results.

 Chapter 540 - Chapter 540: 532

    Chapter 540: 532


    This is also why the direct descendants of many major families, as long as their talent isn¡¯t exceptionally poor, are generally not weak.


    Breaking through to the Innate Realm is very difficult, but there are still some methods to think of.


    As long as one works hard enough, has access to advanced cultivation resources, and their talent isn¡¯t at the extreme low end, they generally have a chance to step into it.


    The difficulty of advancing to the Spirit Qi Realm thereafter increases by several times, but as long as one has perseverance, determination, and a long enough lifespan, they can generally step into the Spirit Qi Realm. In fact, being able to cultivate to the Innate Realm means one¡¯s talent can¡¯t be that bad.


    Therefore, though experts in the Spirit Qi Realm seem scarce, in the eyes of many Innate Realm experts, it¡¯s never been considered a major obstacle.


    The biggest concern is just that one¡¯s lifespan might not be long enough to withstand the breakthrough period.


    There¡¯s even a saying among cultivators, ¡°those with the longevity of a turtle can all enter the Spirit Qi Realm.¡±


    Advancing to the Immortal Scholar Realm, whether in terms of difficulty or soft and hard conditions, requires ten times more effort than advancing to the Innate Realm.


    This is the main reason why there are so few Immortal Scholars.


    While the Innate Realm also doesn¡¯t have many practitioners, a sect could still find a few hundred or even a thousand of them.


    But at the level of the Spirit Qi Realm, having thirty or forty in a sect is already quite impressive.


    As for the Immortal Scholar Realm, the Black Tiger Gang has only one native Immortal Scholar, the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Qin Niu dreamed of stepping into the Immortal Scholar Realm, but unfortunately, it was too difficult.


    Even with the immense opportunity bestowed by the Elm Money Immortal Tree, he had only managed to cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique to the pinnacle of the Spirit Qi Realm. He could not, however, make that final step no matter how hard he tried.


    This time, encountering such bizarre purple flames in the underground level of the Medicine King Tower, he couldn¡¯t help but reignite his hopes.


    A seventeen-year-old Spirit Qi Realm expert and a seventeen-year-old Immortal Scholar are completely different concepts.


    At this moment, there was only one belief in his heart, to seize this opportunity and strive to step into the Immortal Scholar Realm.


    Even though he had made many preparations for this Water and Land Dharma Assembly, after witnessing the Immortal Might of the Great Immortal Envoy, he felt his current level of cultivation was only good for swaggering around in the Black Tiger Gang. Here, it barely counted for anything.


    He gritted his teeth and continued to walk down step by step, reaching the twentieth step with his face swelling red.


    Another step forward, his right foot stepping onto the twenty-first step.


    Boom!


    Tremendous resistance nearly caused his alchemy stove to collapse.


    But with the support of his strong will, the alchemy stove remained intact like an indomitable cockroach, despite being severely deformed and without a single crack.


    The alchemy stove quickly returned to its original state.


    Qin Niu bit his teeth and took another step forward.


    The resistance he was facing this time had clearly risen several levels. The alchemy stove was twisted for a long time before it returned to normal.


    With a firm belief and unwavering willpower, he descended step by step to the twenty-seventh step. By then, the alchemy stove was severely deformed and had developed numerous grave cracks.


    He was very clear that the last step was like a chasm in the sky.


    If he dared to take this step, the alchemy stove would inevitably rupture and collapse, and he would be brutally ejected by the terrifying resistance. The rebounding force was far beyond the limit his physical body could bear.


    If nothing unexpected happened, his body would shatter in an instant, leaving not even dregs behind.


    Thinking of Tang Caixian, who was already pregnant, and Wang Wanyan, who was waiting for his return at the inn, Qin Niu hesitated at this point.


    Faced with death, he couldn¡¯t help but be afraid.


    Anyone faced with such a choice would be extremely cautious. The vast majority would retreat.


    Some opportunities for trial and error come many times, even countless times.


    But the current opportunity for trial and error was zero.


    If he successfully stepped into the twenty-eighth step, he might allow the Fire Lotus to absorb the energy of these purple flames, which could then take his Medicine King Sutra¡¯s cultivation power to a higher level. More likely, however, he would fail and die instantly.


    According to his estimation, the chance of success was less than 1%.


    Sweat continuously emerged on Qin Niu¡¯s forehead, then slid down his cheeks. His brows were tightly furrowed, and after thinking through all possible solutions he could imagine, he sadly found that in the face of the horrific rebounding force of the array, all his proud techniques were useless.


    With his current cards and resources, there was absolutely no need to be so desperate.


    He believed that even if he gave up on this opportunity, he would inevitably advance to become an Immortal Scholar in the future. It was just a matter of time.


    After numerous struggles between heaven and man, Qin Niu, surprisingly, abandoned his previous caution and decided to take the most dangerous step in his life, risking the very likely possibility of being killed.


    In his view, this step was one that needed to be taken sooner or later.


    If he shrank back now, when faced with the same choice in the future, he might retreat again.


    Advancing to the Immortal Scholar Realm might just be the first step on the road to everlasting life.


    Because he heard that experts of the Spirit Qi Realm who could live up to six hundred years were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Those who could live eight hundred years, one in ten thousand.


    But as long as one could advance to the Immortal Scholar Realm, one¡¯s lifespan would immediately increase significantly.


    How much it would increase specifically varied from person to person.


    It was related to each person¡¯s Cultivation Technique, constitution, and other factors.


    ¡°This step is one to break through the self! If I don¡¯t succeed, I will die with honor!¡±


    All hesitation and cowardice in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes had dissipated, leaving only resolute determination.


    This struggle between heaven and man was also an important part of his inner growth.


    It could even be called a transformation in every sense.


    Before, he would give everything careful thought, and as soon as he felt that the risk was too high, he would immediately choose to give up.


    His fear of death was most vividly demonstrated in his actions.


    This time, he broke through the self, ready to rid himself of all concerns for the sake of advancing to the Immortal Scholar Realm, ready to give his all, including his life.


    Even in death, he would be willing.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t step out of the prison in your mind, you¡¯ll always be a prisoner. Today I took this step, no longer a prisoner, but truly freed from the shackles of my soul.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s understanding of life and the Dao had clearly deepened a lot.


    After all, he was still a bit too young, and even if he was mature beyond his years, his inner world still lacked the experiences and insights that those old monsters who had lived for hundreds of years possessed.


    This insight was extremely important to him.


    Once he had made up his mind, there was no more hesitation; he lifted his foot and stepped directly onto the twenty-eighth step.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    A cry of alarm from Xiao Qing came from behind him.


    But Qin Niu seemed as if he had heard nothing, his expression calm, showing no fear of death.


    What he had was indifference, the composure and persistence that came after understanding the Dao and the law.


    This might well be his Dao.


    Boom!


    An overpowering force of resistance mercilessly struck the alchemy stove protecting Qin Niu¡¯s body.


    Bang!


    Like being hit by a meteorite, he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.


    This force of resistance was terrifying, not even weaker than the Immortal Might of a Great Immortal Envoy.


    Choosing life in the face of death, choosing the Dao in life, come on!


    He was shouting in his heart, with his body, soul, Medicine King Sutra Cultivation Power, Everlasting Spring Technique Cultivation Power, his entire being was in an extremely mystical state. He was in harmony with nature, with the Dao, with everything around him.


    It was as if he himself was nature.


    Even though his heart had become so strong and the Dao he perceived was so profound, it did not change the fate of the alchemy stove shattering.


    In the face of this overwhelmingly strong resistance, the alchemy stove seemed incredibly fragile.


    It was torn apart in an instant.


    But Qin Niu was not thrown out, nor did the alchemy stove completely dissipate. Instead, a miraculous scene unfolded.


    The alchemy stove actually broke and then reformed, with the Fire Lotus and Ice Lotus, along with that special energy, complementing each other, recondensing into a cauldron.


    It became more solid, and unfamiliar runes appeared on the cauldron walls, continuously revolving.

 Chapter 541 - Chapter 541: Chapter 533: Advancement to Immortal Master

    Chapter 541: Chapter 533: Advancement to Immortal Master


    When Qin Niu¡¯s Alchemy Stove recondensed successfully, the terrible defensive array crumbled almost instantaneously as if it had met its nemesis, dissolving into nothingness.


    It was as if no matter how strong it was, it was but a gentle breeze against the mountain.


    ¡°The barrier to advancing to the Immortal Scholar Realm in the Medicine King Sutra no longer exists!¡±


    In Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, there was an understanding of life and death, of the Dao. This self-breakthrough was incredibly mystical; he was still himself, and there wasn¡¯t much change in his cultivation power, but after a transformation in his mindset and thoughts, the obstacles that once seemed as insurmountable as mountains no longer appeared terrifying.


    They could easily be overcome.


    This kind of growth was invisible and intangible, yet he could clearly feel it.


    He confidently took a step onto the twenty-eighth step and stepped into the fierce purple flames. The Fire Lotus on the Alchemy Stove voluntarily flew out and quickly began absorbing the purple flames.


    Qin Niu did not notice that Xiao Qing, acting out of urgent concern, had also followed him down into the danger.


    But it seemed as if no defensive array existed before her.


    Or rather, the defensive array was ineffective against her.


    She effortlessly reached behind Qin Niu and stood on the twenty-eighth step.


    ¡°Master, are you alright?¡±


    Xiao Qing asked with concern.


    Qin Niu then realized that Xiao Qing had followed him. His descent into the underground layer had been intended to scout ahead for Xiao Qing and eliminate danger.


    Because in his eyes, Xiao Qing was far too weak.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Be careful with these purple flames.¡±


    Qin Niu had some understanding of flames; even the earthfire accompanied by magma beneath the ground, he had experienced it. These purple flames looked like they weren¡¯t hot, but in reality, their high temperature was contained within, not leaking out.


    That¡¯s why they seemed harmless.


    Anyone daring enough to enter the core of the purple flames would be incinerated to ash instantly.


    ¡°That call from the depths of the soul seems to come from even deeper underground. This Medicine King Tower might have another layer,¡± Xiao Qing said as two Alchemy Stoves appeared on her body, alternating like a pair of twin brothers.


    ¡°If there truly is a second underground layer to this tower, the entrance is likely hidden within the purple flames. Once I clear these purple flames, let¡¯s look for the entrance,¡± Qin Niu suggested while hastening the absorption of the purple flames with the Fire Lotus.


    The Fire Lotus visibly grew larger, its rotational speed constant. It was like a super black hole within the purple flames, voraciously consuming the flames from all directions.


    After nearly two hours, the diameter of the entire Fire Lotus had exceeded ten feet, suspended in mid-air, rotating continuously.


    The purple flames of the entire underground layer had been absorbed clean by it.


    However, it seemed that the Fire Lotus hadn¡¯t taken away the essence of the flames, which was hidden deep beneath the ground.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation in the Medicine King Sutra had surged to the peak of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    After absorbing all the purple flames, the Fire Lotus began to transform.


    In front of them, the area previously covered by purple flames revealed an entrance leading to the second underground layer, still the same ancient stone steps.


    ¡°Master, this time I can feel more clearly that the calling is coming from beneath us,¡± Xiao Qing said.


    ¡°This Medicine King Tower is quite mysterious; the first underground layer has terrifying purple flames and a defensive array. The second layer is likely even more dangerous. Wait until the Fire Lotus returns to its normal size, then I will take you into the second layer,¡± Qin Niu said, unwilling to risk Xiao Qing entering.


    She was still but a child, with only Innate Realm cultivation, face to face with even a slightly bigger danger, she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of escaping.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Xiao Qing depended on and trusted Qin Niu greatly.


    After agreeing, out of curiosity, she walked to the entrance leading to the second underground layer and peered down.


    However, she did not go down.


    Qin Niu turned his head to glance at her, seeing that she was just standing at the entrance and looking, not facing any danger, he immediately felt at ease.


    After a moment, the Fire Lotus began to emit dazzling golden light, it seemed to undergo a rapid transformation, much like the Ice Lotus. Even more miraculously, the Ice Lotus within the Alchemy Stove seemed to respond, flying out on its own and slowly merging with the Fire Lotus.


    Ice and fire intertwined, two opposing forces incredibly achieving a harmonious fusion.


    However, as the owner, Qin Niu could feel the fierce collision happening inside them. He could only focus his entire attention on dealing with this sudden emergency.


    The pill alchemists on the first floor of the Medicine King Tower were originally practicing alchemy.


    After Qin Niu absorbed all the purple flames from the first underground floor, the flames under their alchemy stoves instantly weakened. Each of them started cursing under their breath, but to avoid failing their alchemy, they couldn¡¯t afford to lose focus.


    They could only try everything possible to finish refining the elixir they were working on.


    Chi Xing was guarding the entrance to the underground first floor, and he was somewhat anxious as he waited, filled with worry.


    It had been a long time since Qin Niu had entered the first underground floor, but there was still no sign of movement.


    If anything truly happened to Qin Niu, Chi Xing would lose a powerful ally in his quest for vengeance.


    On the contrary, Qin Niu demonstrated extraordinary abilities at every turn, and if he could successfully survive and come out, Chi Xing believed Qin Niu¡¯s strength would certainly have improved significantly again.


    ¡­


    On the negative first floor at the bottom of the tower, Qin Niu was concentrating all his efforts on fusing the two Fire Lotuses.


    Xiao Qing, however, was nowhere to be seen.


    But Qin Niu hadn¡¯t noticed her disappearance.


    As time flew by, Qin Niu¡¯s Fire Lotus and Ice Lotus, after numerous collisions, were slowly fusing.


    One white, one red, they overlapped, creating a unique Lotus Platform unlike anything seen before.


    The Ice Lotus Platform was at the bottom, with the Fire Lotus Platform above, creating an interplay of red and white.


    The Fire Lotus Platform continued to emit golden flames, with a hint of purple.


    Meanwhile, the Ice Lotus Platform below was filled with raging cold air, an icy wilderness.


    ¡°Rise!¡±


    Qin Niu shouted clearly, and the Lotus Platform flew in front of him and stopped still.


    With a swift movement, he stepped onto the Lotus Platform and then sat down cross-legged right at the center of it.


    The fierce flames within the Fire Lotus constantly burned his body.


    However, they did not cause him any evident harm.


    On the contrary, it seemed as though his cultivation had achieved a significant breakthrough, and his aura climbed steadily.


    The Lotus Platform and he slowly merged into one.


    Boom!


    The entire area trembled violently as if Qin Niu had become the master of this world, transcending everything, able to avoid all disasters, to command all beings, to hold life and death in his hands.


    His alchemy stove also underwent another transformation, becoming more solid, as if it were cast from ancient bronze.


    In its rotation, it seemed capable of swallowing all herbs, heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and living beings into the stove to refine them into elixirs.


    ¡°Life Flame!¡±


    Qin Niu pointed towards the alchemy stove, and indeed, golden flames burst forth inside it.


    ¡°Freeze!¡±


    He pointed again, and the golden flames inside were instantly frozen and then extinguished.


    It was believed anything inside the stove would be frozen still.


    ¡°Is this the power of an Immortal Scholar Realm?¡±


    Qin Niu felt that compared to the Spirit Qi Realm, his physical body¡¯s strength had not improved drastically. It was only somewhat stronger than the late stages of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    But the cultivation power of the Medicine King Sutra inside him had undergone earth-shattering changes.


    It was as if they wielded authority.


    Every strand of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s cultivation power had the authority to mobilize the power of heaven and earth.


    A mere release of a strand of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s cultivation power by Qin Niu could make it exhibit strength over a hundred times greater than its own.

 Chapter 542 - Chapter 542: Chapter 534 Xiao Qings Opportunity

    Chapter 542: Chapter 534 Xiao Qing¡¯s Opportunity


    He tried to channel a sliver of the Medicine King Sutra¡¯s cultivation power from his fingertip, accompanied by a faint golden hue.


    It was only as thick as a strand of hair.


    If it were in the Spirit Qi Realm, such a fine thread of cultivation power could still enhance the attack by borrowing a part of the Heavenly Earthly Power. But this enhancement could at most reach tenfold.


    At this moment, however, the strand of Medicine King Sutra¡¯s cultivation power was directly invoking the might of the heavens and earth in the vicinity, effortlessly amplifying its own power by as much as a hundredfold.


    The sensation of wielding the power of heaven and earth was exhilarating.


    It gave him a feeling of supremacy over the heavens and the earth, a sense of exaltation that far surpassed the terrestrial authority wielded by emperors among men.


    No wonder so many leaders of sects were doing everything in their power to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, all for the chance to gain favor with the immortals and ascend one day to become an Immortal Master. The power over men might feel quite good at first, but with time, it inevitably becomes dull.


    Only the joy derived from harnessing the power of heaven and earth could last indefinitely, without the emptiness and tastelessness that sets in once the novelty wore off.


    Before Qin Niu had advanced to the Immortal Scholar Realm, he had merely thought that Immortal Masters were high above, transcendent and unapproachable, worthy only of admiration. But now that he had truly advanced to the Immortal Scholar Realm, he realized it wasn¡¯t as grand as he had imagined.


    He had heard that once one advanced to the Immortal Scholar Realm, one would be able to learn spells and cast them.


    As for how exactly to cast spells and how to practice them, he was completely clueless.


    This further fueled Qin Niu¡¯s desire to gain favor with the immortals and enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. Because all those advanced cultivation resources and methods were in the hands of the Immortal Sects.


    Now that he had successfully advanced to the Immortal Scholar Realm, he could finally take Xiao Qing to explore the second layer beneath the ground.


    Having received this tremendous opportunity, Qin Niu hoped to help Xiao Qing also find good fortune and perhaps even locate her parents and relatives.


    ¡°Xiao Qing!¡±


    He called out, but heard no response.


    Looking around, he realized that he was the only one left on this first underground layer.


    Could it be that she grew tired of waiting and went back up by herself?


    That was a possibility.


    Qin Niu immediately took a step forward, light as a feather, and in an instant, he arrived at the exit leading to the first layer.


    He was surprised to find that the power of the Misty Rain Elusive Step had increased by more than tenfold.


    Is this the benefit that comes with advancing to the Immortal Scholar Realm?


    The power of his martial skills increased tenfold in an instant.


    If the power of the Step-Method Martial Skill had exploded tenfold, then the same should apply to other martial skills.


    At this thought, a small wave of excitement surged in his heart.


    When casting the Slash Martial Skill in the Spirit Qi Realm, it was already formidable enough to annihilate a ninth-level Infant Demon. Now that he had advanced to the Immortal Scholar Realm and the power of his Slash Martial Skill had surged tenfold, how strong would that be?


    ¡°Master Qin!¡±


    Chi Xing saw Qin Niu emerging from the first underground layer, and the aura he exuded made Chi Xing feel terror and despair.


    He couldn¡¯t help being shocked, fearing that Master Qin had made a significant breakthrough in his strength.


    Such a formidable aura; he had only felt it from Immortal Masters.


    ¡°You, have you broken through to the Immortal Scholar Realm?¡± Chi Xing was both shocked and overjoyed.


    He involuntarily used a more respectful tone when addressing Qin Niu.


    ¡°Sort of! I¡¯m not quite sure myself. Where is my maidservant Xiao Qing?¡± asked Qin Niu.


    He had expected to find Xiao Qing on the first layer, but she was nowhere to be seen.


    Knowing her as he did, Qin Niu was aware that without any major unforeseen event, Xiao Qing would not be so mischievous. To leave without a word had never happened before.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she follow you down to the bottom of the tower? She hasn¡¯t ever come back up!¡± Chi Xing said with a bewildered expression.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    It dawned on Qin Niu that it was very likely she had gone down to the second underground layer by herself.


    The fact that she didn¡¯t respond when he called out earlier was definitely not a good sign.


    He hoped desperately that nothing had happened to her.


    His heart plummeted, and with a flash, he re-entered the bottomless layer of the tower.


    This time, he encountered no resistance.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if the defensive formation had been broken, or if his advancement to the Immortal Scholar Realm allowed him to ignore the formation¡¯s repelling force.


    ¡°Xiao Qing!¡±


    Qin Niu called out loudly.


    Still, there was no answer; she definitely must have gone down to the second underground layer.


    ¡°`


    I¡¯m afraid something has already gone wrong.


    Qin Niu drew the Ink Blade and charged towards the entrance to the second layer below.


    No sooner had he barged in than an unsurpassable force of resistance pushed him out fiercely. Even when he deployed the Medicine King Sutra and summoned the Alchemy Stove outside his body, it was to no avail.


    Keep in mind, he was now an Immortal Master and had the Ink Blade in hand; ordinary defensive formations were simply not worth mentioning in his eyes.


    He lifted the sword and struck the entrance to the second layer heavily.


    Bang!


    The Ink Blade slashed out a black line in the air.


    The space itself seemed to warp a little.


    With the Critical Chop and Rupture effects of the Slash Martial Skill, combined with the inherent power of the Ink Blade, the strike could not only tear through the heavens and earth but at the very least tear a deep fissure into the ground.


    However, this slash upon the entrance to the second layer underground was akin to striking an incredibly hard cover.


    All of the slashing force was reflected back.


    The Ink Blade in Qin Niu¡¯s hand almost flew out due to the rebound. Had it not been for his attainment in the Immortal Scholar Realm which graced him with nimble reflexes, he narrowly dodged to the side, avoiding dire consequences. He could have easily died by his own attack.


    The defensive formation of the Medicine King Tower¡¯s negative second floor was indeed stronger than that of the first floor.


    Seeing that a brute force attack was clearly impossible to breach the defense, Qin Niu scratched his head in anxiety.


    ¡°Could the Green Demon Bee break through?¡±


    At this time, Qin Niu thought of relying on Summoning Pets to break the formation.


    Aside from Green Ox, who was too large to bring along, all his other pets were with him.


    The first one that came to mind was the Green Demon Bee.


    Because the Green Demon Bee had already advanced to the Ninth Level and was currently striking towards the Tenth Level. Its combat power was incredibly formidable.


    It had been the Green Demon Bee that had initially shattered the Mirage Insect¡¯s avatar.


    Qin Niu summoned it from within the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    The Green Demon Bee had devoured all its offspring to try to advance, but still failed to reach the Tenth Level. It remained a Ninth Level Insect Pet.


    For insect creatures, advancing to Tenth Level was exceedingly difficult.


    ¡°Go, break the defensive formation ahead, and then I¡¯ll help you break through to Tenth Level.¡±


    Now that Qin Niu had advanced to Tenth Level, he seemed clearly more confident when facing this powerful pet.


    For a prolonged period in the past, he was stuck in the awkward predicament where the master was weaker than his pets.


    With its high intelligence, upon hearing Qin Niu¡¯s promise, the Green Demon Bee immediately flew excitedly towards the entrance that led to the second underground layer.


    However, it received the same treatment as Qin Niu.


    Hardly had it flown in when it was harshly bounced out and fell to the ground. Despite its formidable defenses and not being hurt, it flapped its wings and took off again, charging towards the entrance to the second layer underground.


    It was still harshly bounced back.


    After trying repeatedly, the Green Demon Bee reluctantly gave up.


    Seeing that the Green Demon Bee was ineffective, Qin Niu prepared to try the Termites instead.


    A multitude of Termites were summoned, rushing toward the entrance to the second underground layer. They too were blocked, then they came together to form the All-Heaven Myriad Insects Formation and launched an attack on the defensive formation.


    Unfortunately, all their efforts were in vain.


    They were like ants trying to shake a tree, entirely unable to break the defensive formation.


    Just as Qin Niu was about to think of other methods, a figure shot out from the second underground layer, it was Xiao Qing.


    On her forehead was a striking purple flame totem.


    Her face was tear-streaked, as if she had cried in sorrow, her eyes swollen.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Xiao Qing¡¯s voice was somewhat hoarse.


    ¡°I was just worried that you might encounter danger down there. I¡¯m glad you came out safe.¡±


    Qin Niu said gently to comfort her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making Master worry. I was observing the entrance to the second underground layer when suddenly, a great force pulled me in. But I didn¡¯t encounter much danger inside. Instead, I gained some significant opportunities. This is the Purple Flame Divine Fire seed that I acquired down there.¡±


    Xiao Qing extended her right hand, opened it, and as her mind moved, a ball of purple flame danced in her palm.


    It was identical to the purple fire that filled the first underground layer.


    The only difference was that this ball of Purple Flame Divine Fire was produced by Xiao Qing through the seed. As long as her cultivation power was sufficient, she could endlessly display this kind of purple fire.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that you could gain such a significant opportunity. Do not let others easily find out about your acquisition of the Purple Flame Divine Fire seed; it will greatly benefit your alchemy in the future.¡±


    Qin Niu instructed her.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 543 - Chapter 543: Chapter 535: The Origin of Xiao Qing

    Chapter 543: Chapter 535: The Origin of Xiao Qing


    Special flames are extremely precious and scarce; the innocent man is blameless, but invites trouble with his possession.


    Should those powerful beings come to know of it, it would easily become a target of their contention. When the strong desire to loot the treasures of the weak, they wouldn¡¯t bother with reason and would simply seize it by force.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Xiao Qing nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Master, take a look at this.¡±


    With a wave of her hand in the air, Xiao Qing released a beam of green light that shot straight out from her body.


    It was unexpectedly an ancient greenish Pill Furnace.


    The material was indiscernible, somewhat resembling ancient bronze. The outer walls of the Pill Furnace were adorned with Thistle Dragon Patterns and complex runes, with hints of electric sparks flickering and magical light emerging intermittently. An aura of dignity emanated from the Pill Furnace, making anyone facing it feel as if they were in the presence of a supremely noble Immortal.


    Moreover, the dignified aura it emitted seemed to be of a higher grade than even the Immortal Might of the Great Immortal Envoy.


    Dong!


    The Pill Furnace landed on the ground with a dull thud.


    It was indeed a real Pill Furnace, not one condensed by the power of her Medicine King Sutra.


    ¡°It can change size and be taken into the body for nourishment; could this Pill Furnace possibly be a Magical Treasure?¡±


    Up until now, the only piece of equipment that Qin Niu had obtained which possibly was a Magical Treasure was the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag. It was quite special, capable of taking insects into the bag.


    But he was not sure whether the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag was definitely a Magical Treasure.


    According to the legends, even ordinary Immortal Masters might not possess a Magical Treasure.


    ¡°It is the Magical Treasure passed down through generations in our Yao Family, specially used for Alchemy. This Medicine King Tower was secretly left by my Yao Family, and to mislead others, it has always been open for public use. But the most important Medicine King Furnace of our family was hidden at the bottom of this tower when the Yao Family encountered the calamity of annihilation.


    Protected by defensive formations that even an Immortal King would find difficult to break through, and guarded by the Purple Flame Divine Fire, it has remained safe and sound over the years.


    One must successfully cultivate the Medicine King Sutra and produce two Pill Furnaces to enter the second level of the tower basement.


    After entering, there are even stronger and more concealed restrictions inside, which only the bloodline of the Yao Family can unlock.


    Thirteen years ago, my Yao Family faced the calamity of annihilation, and every elder and senior Cultivator in the clan was either killed or bound by spells. My father was a hidden bloodline of the Yao Family, and when the disaster struck our clan, he escaped with the Medicine King Sutra.


    Later, during his escape, he met my mother, and after they fell in love, I was born.


    But the good times did not last long. At that time, I was still in my infancy when my father was unfortunately tracked down by our enemies.


    The enemies refused to spare the last bloodline of the Yao Family.


    In order to protect me, my parents had no choice but to abandon me heartlessly.


    Yet they did their utmost to lure the enemies away.


    What happened afterward, I am not sure, as the information recorded in this jade amulet is only this much.¡±


    By this point, Xiao Qing was already in tears.


    Her current cultivation had advanced to the late stage of the Spirit Qi Realm, indicating that she gained great benefits beneath the ground.


    ¡°Initially, your parents abandoned you to protect you, this was an act of desperation, not heartlessness or a lack of love. Do you understand this?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do!¡±


    Xiao Qing bit her lip as she nodded forcefully, tears cascading down continuously.


    ¡°Since you have become my maidservant, it is a twist of fate. No matter how powerful your family¡¯s enemies are, as long as I am capable, I will spare no effort to protect you completely.¡±


    Qin Niu had made his stance clear.


    He always cherished those close to him¡ªfamily and friends. Since he was adopted by Old Man Liu from a young age, he held the precious human emotions of kinship, love, and friendship in even higher regard.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Qing felt Qin Niu¡¯s caring love, which made her more reliant and closer to him.


    The two were not related by blood, yet their bond was as strong as if they were.


    ¡°Silly child, there¡¯s no need for thanks or such formalities between us. We¡¯re like family, helping each other and together facing all sorts of threats, striving to grow stronger and survive in these chaotic times.¡±


    ¡°Right now, we should hurry and leave this place to prevent being tracked down by those with ulterior motives.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s thoughts were much more mature than hers, and when dealing with various crises, he was meticulous and calm.


    He could foresee dangers that others couldn¡¯t.


    It was precisely because of his vigilance and caution that he had been able to survive amidst various dangers.


    The fact that the Yao Family had once built such a grand Medicine King Tower in Elixir City was enough to show how powerful the Yao Family must have been.


    The enemy capable of wiping out the Yao Family would only be more terrifying.


    Although Qin Niu had now advanced to the Immortal Scholar Realm, his strength was still weak.


    The only subordinate he had taken in was just at the mid-stage of the Spirit Qi Realm, and he hadn¡¯t completely subdued him yet.


    If at this time the enemies of the Yao Family discovered that Yao Xiaoqing was a direct bloodline and had slipped through the net, the situation Qin Niu would have to face would be extremely frightening.


    The best method was to hide their identity until they had absolute strength.


    After all, Xiao Qing had been transferred twice already, first living with the Herb Picker Tang Qian for more than seven years, and then with Qin Niu for over a year. Now her identity was that of Qin Niu¡¯s maidservant.


    As long as they were careful, they should not be easily tracked down by the enemies of the Yao Family.


    ¡°I will listen to my master!¡±


    Xiao Qing knew that Qin Niu was extremely wise and always acted prudently.


    Following his guidance was sure not to be wrong.


    ¡°Remember, whatever opportunities you gained today on the second floor underground and what you know about those matters, it¡¯s only known to you, to me, to the heavens, to the earth and should not be revealed to a third person. After this Water and Land Dharma Assembly concludes, we¡¯ll find a way to figure out who the Yao Family¡¯s enemies are, whether there are any survivors of the Yao Family, and then we will devise a revenge plan based on the enemy¡¯s circumstances.


    Rest assured, the people of the Yao Family will not have died in vain.


    The day that either your strength or mine becomes great, that will be the day for avenging the blood feud.¡±


    Qin Niu instructed her on what to be careful about and then slapped himself.


    Puh!


    A stream of fresh blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. He deliberately smeared a bit onto Xiao Qing¡¯s face.


    ¡°Can you feign death? If not, just pretend to be seriously injured, and I¡¯ll carry you out.¡±


    Qin Niu said to her.


    ¡°I can!¡±


    Xiao Qing, having grown up with her grandfather in society, was highly adaptable.


    Without a word, she collapsed onto the ground, eyes tightly closed.


    A picture of someone on the brink of death.


    Qin Niu carried her, staggering as they ¡®escaped¡¯ from the bottom of the tower.


    ¡°Master Qin, what happened to you?¡±


    Chi Xing saw that Qin Niu had emerged severely injured and was startled. He quickly came forward to help.


    ¡°The defensive array at the bottom of the tower is indeed terrifying, impossible to break through just like that!¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s voice was weak, appearing seriously injured.


    With Chi Xing¡¯s help, he left with Xiao Qing in a sorry state.


    Behind them, they left only a crowd of onlookers.


    The pill alchemists who were refining elixirs on the first floor, along with the regular visitors, seemed to have grown accustomed to such sights.


    Because there were often some who believed their strength to be considerable, attempting to force their way into the bottom level, ending up just like Qin Niu, in injured retreat.


    They didn¡¯t know that Qin Niu had already gained a great opportunity at the bottom of the tower.

 Chapter 544 - Chapter 544: Chapter 536: First Immortal Gate

    Chapter 544: Chapter 536: First Immortal Gate


    Xiao Qing even obtained the Yao Family¡¯s ancestral Medicine King Furnace.


    After escaping the Medicine King Tower, Qin Niu did not hurry back to his guest room to rest. Instead, he asked Chi Xing to find a new place to stay.


    In the end, they found a guest room for One Tael of Silver per day.


    It was a homestay, where a city household rented out two of their own rooms to them.


    It was a bit more expensive, but the advantage was its secrecy.


    The great length Qin Niu went to change his accommodation was naturally to lessen the likelihood of being tracked down by others. Or rather, to lower the attention of those who might have an interest in finding him.


    As long as he was in Elixir City, it would be no difficult task for the Yao Family¡¯s enemies to find him if they truly intended to do so.


    He was clearer about this point than anyone else.


    The best method was to lessen the attention of those with intentions, and give them as little opportunity to investigate as possible.


    Soon, Wang Wanyan was also brought over.


    When she heard that Qin Niu and Xiao Qing had both been injured, she was extremely worried.


    Upon entering the room, she quickly examined Qin Niu¡¯s wounds, her eyes brimming with tears.


    ¡°Husband, are your injuries severe? How did you and Xiao Qing get hurt so badly?¡± she was already speaking with a sob in her voice.


    Ever since they were married, they had lived together, rising and resting at the same time.


    Wang Wanyan cared deeply for him, with eyes and heart only for him. This was the first time she had seen Qin Niu injured and it pained her heart heavily.


    ¡°We went to investigate the Medicine King Tower, but who knew the defensive formation would be so formidable, injuring both Xiao Qing and me. Xiao Qing even fainted, and it took me a lot of effort to find her. However, you don¡¯t need to worry too much, we both came back alive, and with some rest, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Qin Niu himself felt somewhat reluctant to deceive his wife.


    But in order not to be noticed by those with intentions that this was all an act, he had to ensure it seemed real.


    The best method was to deceive even those close to him.


    Chi Xing and Wang Wanyan both believed it to be true, so that outsiders would believe it as well.


    ¡­


    The next day, Qin Niu did not rush to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly; instead, he honestly stayed in the guest room to rest.


    In fact, he was continuously cultivating, consolidating the realm he had just broken through.


    Chi Xing went to the site of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly to gather information and also participated in the initial trials of the assembly.


    He could not even pass through the First Immortal Gate.


    After returning, his mood appeared very downcast.


    ¡°Brother Chi, the Water and Land Dharma Assembly occurs once every ten years. Even if you missed this opportunity, there will be another next time. There is no need to lose heart.¡±


    Qin Niu¡¯s complexion still looked somewhat pale.


    The sound of his voice, however, was better than yesterday. Speaking yesterday, he had been very weak, the breath uneven.


    ¡°Alas! It¡¯s all about fate! I wish to avenge my beloved wife, yet I can¡¯t even pass through the First Immortal Gate of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. The matter of revenge seems to be indefinitely postponed, which means that old thief gets to live much longer. Every time I think of my wife¡¯s death, my heart aches as if being wrung, and I hate that I can¡¯t consume the old thief¡¯s flesh and blood.¡±


    Chi Xing sighed heavily.


    To see his wife violated to death by the Sixth Cave Master and not being able to avenge this blood feud as a fervent man, he would live in hatred every single day.


    His soul tormented as if in purgatory at every moment.


    ¡°There will be an opportunity. Haste doesn¡¯t bring success. The more impatient you are with some matters, the more difficult they are to accomplish. Since I promised to help you with your vengeance, I won¡¯t go back on my word,¡± Qin Niu said as he patted his shoulder. ¡°Tell me about the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.¡±


    Chi Xing¡¯s failure did not mean Qin Niu would fail too.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    He now could only place his hope in Qin Niu.


    ¡°Today is the first official day of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. The participants were as numerous as the carps crossing the river. I roughly counted, and just in the time from morning to noon, there were over ten thousand participants.


    Yet those who successfully breached the First Immortal Gate were few and far between.


    Only a little over thirty people managed to break through the First Immortal Gate in the morning.


    The red-robed fairy from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect announced that due to the participation of over a hundred thousand contenders, the First Immortal Gate would remain open for seven days. It would not distinguish between day and night, and as long as one believed in their own strength, they could choose to take on the challenge.¡±


    Out of over ten thousand strong contenders who attempted the First Immortal Gate, only a little over thirty managed to break through, the ratio being frustratingly low.


    It seemed that seizing the chance for celestial fate was terrifyingly difficult.


    Qin Niu had originally successfully advanced to the Immortal Scholar Realm and was full of confidence in seizing celestial fate.


    Now, he had become somewhat uncertain.


    ¡°What kind of strength did the challengers you saw possess?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Some were experts from the Innate Realm, a small portion were experts from the Spirit Qi Realm, and there were also a few scattered Immortal Masters. Those who successfully passed through the First Immortal Gate were mostly Immortal Masters. As for the experts of the Innate Realm, only one person made it through the First Immortal Gate.


    Those from the Spirit Qi Realm who managed to break through were all outstanding individuals. Each one had formidable combat power with many cards up their sleeves.


    I consider my own strength to be not the weakest among my peers, but during the challenge, it was inadequate. I feel that this year¡¯s Water and Land Dharma Assembly is more difficult than any previous one. There were even Immortal Masters who got eliminated in the first round.¡±


    This was truly frightening.


    Immortal Masters, each commanding respect in their own right, were formidable figures. Yet such beings couldn¡¯t even break through the First Immortal Gate.


    To say it was difficult, there was actually an expert from the Innate Realm who passed through the First Immortal Gate.


    ¡°What exactly is the method to break through the First Immortal Gate? Where does the difficulty lie?¡±


    Qin Niu decided to ask for clarification first.


    He had never participated in the Water and Land Dharma Assembly before and was completely ignorant of the Immortal Gate and all its rules.


    ¡°It¡¯s an oval-shaped gate with seven colors, and once you enter, you search for the exit. Get through it successfully, and you¡¯ve passed. If you can¡¯t break out within the time of one incense stick, you¡¯ll be expelled by the Immortal Gate, and that counts as a failure.


    When I tried, perhaps because the hatred in my heart was too deep, it directly triggered my Heart Demon. In the end, before I could defeat the Heart Demon, I was expelled.¡±


    Master Qin, when you challenge the gate, it¡¯s best to maintain a calm mind. I heard it makes it easier to pass,¡± Chi Xing offered some advice to Qin Niu.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that for the first challenge, as long as you don¡¯t trigger the Heart Demon or defeat your own Heart Demon within the time of one incense stick, you¡¯ve passed?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°If it were only that simple. The Heart Demon is just one of several factors. The challenge of the Immortal Gate tests all aspects of your abilities. In short, once inside the Immortal Gate, no matter the means, as long as you can find the exit and successfully break through, it¡¯s considered a success.


    Moreover, you could encounter anything inside the Immortal Gate.


    Don¡¯t trust anyone, because what appears to be your wife could actually be an illusion of your Heart Demon or possibly the Heart-reflecting Mirror within the Immortal Gate.


    I¡¯ve heard that this magical treasure is extremely malevolent; it looks similar to an ordinary mirror. But while an ordinary mirror only shows your reflection, the Heart-reflecting Mirror can reveal your true inner self.¡±


    Hearing about such a nefarious magical treasure within the Immortal Gate, Qin Niu became somewhat anxious.


    Wouldn¡¯t all of his secrets be exposed to the people of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect if shined upon by that Heart-reflecting Mirror?


    He held many secrets: the Ancient Banyan Tree, the Fire Phoenix, the Green Demon Bee, having killed numerous high-ranking members of the Nine Insect Gang¡­ But upon careful consideration, these secrets might be attractive to ordinary strong contenders, yet they would probably be dismissed by true immortals.


    Thinking this way, the only thing he needed to worry about was the matter concerning Xiao Qing¡¯s origins.


    For now, he did not know who had wiped out the Yao Family.


    Before participating in the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, he needed to figure it out. Otherwise, what if the enemies of the Yao Family were from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect or one of its high-ranking officials? Wouldn¡¯t that be walking into a trap?


    But trying to identify the one who eradicated the Yao Family was equally dangerous.


    His inquiries could easily draw the attention of the Yao Family¡¯s enemies.


    If they were to investigate, it could very well lead back to him.

 Chapter 545 - Chapter 545: Chapter 537: Proxy Refinement Intermediary

    Chapter 545: Chapter 537: Proxy Refinement Intermediary


    He hadn¡¯t come up with a foolproof strategy yet, so he decided to go out and take a look first.


    He had to attend the Water and Land Dharma Assembly; there was no way he would let a single Heart-reflecting Mirror scare him off. Risks that needed to be avoided could be actively mitigated.


    After leaving the house, Qin Niu did not rush to the site of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. The opening of the First Immortal Gate lasted for seven days, and it was only the first day now; there was no need to hurry.


    Attending earlier didn¡¯t equate to a higher chance of passing.


    This time, Qin Niu went straight to the Elixir trading market. In Elixir City, there were many alchemy shops that primarily offered Elixir-making services, with various Elixirs for sale, but the quality was rather ordinary.


    The largest free trading market in Elixir City was located in the south of the city, covering a vast area, with a massive influx of visitors every day.


    The market dealt in both wholesale and retail of Elixirs.


    There were also services for commissioning high-level Elixirs.


    Qin Niu came to the market alone.


    Standing outside, he could see a very imposing archway upon which were written the three big characters of ¡°Immortal Pill Emporium.¡±


    It sounded a bit tacky but was also very down to earth.


    Most people came here seeking Elixirs to increase their cultivation.


    If one could find an Immortal Pill here, they could immediately achieve a significant increase in their cultivation level.


    Even though the Water and Land Dharma Assembly had attracted many people, it did not affect the prosperity of the Immortal Pill Emporium. The place teemed with people, so crowded that the daily foot traffic here likely exceeded a hundred thousand.


    The prosperity of the human world was thoroughly displayed here.


    Qin Niu, disguised as just another guest among many, entered the Immortal Pill Emporium with an unnoticeable presence.


    ¡°Fresh-out-of-the-furnace Laojun Pills, one pill can add ten years to your life, take one home for just a thousand Veined Silver!¡±


    ¡°Commissioned alchemy services, a 400-year experienced Pill Master, fifth-grade Elixirs or below, with a success rate over 60 percent, transparent pricing.¡±


    ¡°A level ten fox demon¡¯s inner core, in dire need of money, only selling for three thousand Silver Money. Don¡¯t miss out as you pass by!¡±


    ¡­


    The shouts and conversations in the market blended into a bustling soundscape.


    Here, one could buy all kinds of Elixirs and alchemy materials.


    Services for commissioned alchemy were also plentiful.


    Qin Niu thought to himself that the Yao Family used to be very good at alchemy. It might be possible to fish out some useful information by inquiring through a commission intermediary.


    After some careful observation, he quickly locked onto a target.


    She was a very active alchemy commission agent, who would try her best to sell various alchemy services to any interested customers that stopped in front of her stall.


    However, her luck today might not have been good, for she hadn¡¯t managed to secure even a single deal despite attracting customers for a long time.


    Commissioned alchemists only needed to successfully produce one or two Elixirs a month to get by.


    To earn money, of course, one needed to secure several deals.


    Qin Niu casually walked over and stopped in front of the woman¡¯s commissioned alchemy stall.


    He said nothing, simply staring at her cloth sign.


    It listed the specific commissioned alchemy services.


    She only accepted commissions for third-grade Elixirs or higher, mainly specializing in Detoxification Pills and Boundary-breaking Elixirs for major breakthroughs.


    Alchemy was a vast field, with a multitude of Elixir varieties.


    Pill Alchemists would specialize in making one or two types of Elixirs according to their research field.


    For example, those who often made Detoxification Pills would specialize in this category.


    They were familiar with the recipes for Elixirs and well-versed in the detoxification effects of various Detoxification Pills. More importantly, because they specialized in making these Elixirs, their success rate was also somewhat higher.


    ¡°Immortal Master, may I ask if you wish to commission Elixir making?¡±


    The woman asked respectfully.


    This woman, who appeared to only have a cultivation level of the Innate Realm, had managed to discern at a glance that Qin Niu was at the Immortal Scholar Realm; she had some ability.


    ¡°Can you make Elixirs of the sixth-grade or above?¡±


    Since Qin Niu was prepared to inquire about the Yao family, he obviously had to throw out a substantial lure.


    The higher the grade of the elixirs refined, the more the mediator could earn in brokerage fees, increasing by geometric multiples.


    A first-grade elixir might only be worth two or three silver taels in total value.


    As a mediator, she could at most draw an introduction fee of five mace of silver; that was the limit.


    ¡°Ah ah¡­ You want to refine an elixir above the sixth grade? Anything above that is an Immortal Pill, which is advanced alchemy, and the cost is quite frightening. However, our Pill Masters are the top in the industry, with success rates, refinement quality, and credibility that are second to none.¡±


    Upon hearing that Qin Niu wanted to refine an elixir above the sixth grade, the woman was overjoyed.


    This was a big business opportunity.


    If she could successfully secure this deal, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food and drink for several years, making much more than from one or two small orders.


    Due to her extreme surprise, she even spoke with some difficulty.


    Luckily, she worked in this industry, and soon, she was able to talk effortlessly with her clever mouth.


    ¡°Is that so? The elixir I want to refine is a seventh-grade Immortal Pill. Even the auxiliary materials for alchemy are extremely precious, not to mention the several main ingredients. It¡¯s okay if the cost is a bit high; the quality of the elixir and the success rate are most important.¡±


    Qin Niu, with his Immortal Scholar Realm cultivation, stated he wanted to refine a seventh-grade Immortal Pill, making the mediator believe him wholeheartedly.


    ¡°Ahaha, an Immortal wants to refine a seventh-grade Immortal Pill! You¡¯ve really come to the right person. Are you preparing to break through to the higher Immortal Envoy Realm? Let me tell you, you have keen judgement for coming to me. I¡¯ve already helped four Immortals refine elixirs for breaking through to the Immortal Envoy Realm¡­ ¡±


    The woman was eloquent as she spoke.


    This was exactly what Qin Niu wanted.


    He had chosen her as a target precisely because she was willing to say anything.


    It is said that some women can¡¯t keep secrets, spilling everything they know.


    Now, having encountered Qin Niu, a potential big-client prospect, her sole focus was on how to secure this business and not let this Immortal Scholar slip away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a quiet and elegant place to discuss in detail! If you really have such impressive alchemy skills, I would be happy to entrust the refinement of this Immortal Pill to you.¡±


    Qin Niu seemed somewhat moved by her words.


    The woman, having seen all kinds of people, couldn¡¯t imagine that an Immortal Scholar had intentionally sought her out just to coax information out of her.


    ¡°Inside the Immortal Pill Emporium, there are teahouses and taverns. I don¡¯t know if the Immortal prefers tea or alcohol? I can immediately take you to a quiet room for a private discussion.¡±


    She lifted her porcelain wrist and lightly brushed aside her bangs, offering Qin Niu a charming, seductive smile.


    If Qin Niu were truly interested in her, the woman would likely be very willing to be graced by his favor.


    Many women with low cultivation levels, in order to latch onto a powerful benefactor or obtain help from a strong figure, would resort to their beauty for advantage, especially if they lacked the backing of a powerful family.


    However, those who reach the Immortal Scholar level hardly lack for female companionship, and rarely do they demean themselves by consorting with low-level, mediocre women.


    If Qin Niu didn¡¯t want to extract some useful information from her, he probably wouldn¡¯t even deign to give her a glance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have tea,¡± Qin Niu said indifferently.


    She covered her mouth with a light laugh and then glanced at Qin Niu with a coquettish look, leading the way with a swaying, graceful waist.


    A short while later, the two entered a teahouse.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Miss Yue! Are you having tea in the elegant seats on the first floor today, or are you going up to the second?¡±


    She must be a regular here.


    The waiter recognized her at a glance, greeting her warmly with a smile.


    At the same time, he was discreetly sizing up Qin Niu.


    She didn¡¯t take charge but instead, with a playful laugh, looked to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Of course, we must follow the wishes of the Immortal!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to a quiet room on the second floor,¡± Qin Niu stated directly.


    ¡°Alright! A quiet room on the second floor is five taels of silver per hour. We provide complimentary high-quality tea. Please follow me upstairs,¡± said the waiter, quoting the price.


    Miss Yue showed no intention of taking care of the charge herself; instead, she astutely stepped aside with a gesture implying that Qin Niu should lead, accompanying him at his side.

 Chapter 546 - Chapter 546: Chapter 538: Trouble Caused by the Nine-Rank Immortal Pill

    Chapter 546: Chapter 538: Trouble Caused by the Nine-Rank Immortal Pill


    ¡°`


    An hour¡¯s fee for five taels of Silver Money was definitely a sky-high price.


    Qin Niu almost thought he had encountered a tea hustle.


    ¡°Here are ten taels of Silver Money, if it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll add more!¡±


    In order to coax useful information out of Miss Yue, it was appropriate to be a little generous and bleed some money first.


    To him, ten taels of Silver Money were but a trifling sum.


    If he could really find out about the affairs of the Yao Family, these ten taels would be very well spent.


    ¡°Oh, how could I possibly let you pay for this? The hostess should pay, since you¡¯re the guest,¡± the woman said gracefully.


    If she had truly intended to pay, she would have hurried to settle the bill already.


    Qin Niu naturally wouldn¡¯t quibble over such trifles with her, and indifferently waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s all the same who pays, Miss Yue needn¡¯t mind.¡± Seeing Qin Niu so generous, Miss Yue¡¯s attitude towards him warmed noticeably.


    After the two entered the private room on the second floor, Qin Niu discovered that a soundproofing array had been set up, which immediately put him on alert.


    Even though Elixir City had a rule prohibiting fighting within the city, with a soundproofing array, if Qin Niu were to be killed here, no one would ever know.


    When traveling in unfamiliar places, it was better to proceed with caution.


    ¡°Waiter, why is there an array set up in this private room?¡±


    Qin Niu asked the server.


    ¡°Immortal must be visiting our Whispering Teahouse for the first time, then? Each private room on the second floor is equipped with an independent soundproofing array. One only needs to manipulate the array flag on the table to seal off the sound inside the room,¡± explained the server.


    After finishing the explanation and serving them a pot of fine tea, the server smiled ambiguously at Qin Niu, ¡°Please enjoy, I¡¯ll take my leave now. Once the soundproofing array is activated, no matter how loud the noises inside the private room are, they cannot be heard from the outside. And without your permission, no one will come to disturb you.¡±


    After speaking, the server eyed Miss Yue and then Qin Niu before quickly exiting.


    On leaving, he did not forget to set up an hourglass.


    The private room required five taels of Silver Money per hour, most likely measured by this hourglass.


    But it¡¯s believed that no one would be foolish enough to frolic with a woman in here.


    Mainly because the price was too extravagant.


    There was simply no need.


    ¡°Miss Yue, could you introduce your most skilled Pill Alchemist to me? I¡¯m looking to refine a seventh-grade Boundary-breaking Elixir, just provide me with a Pill Master proficient in crafting such Elixirs.¡±


    After activating the soundproofing array, Qin Niu got straight to the point.


    She, however, smiled and leaned a bit closer to Qin Niu, a faint scent drifting into his nostrils. He harbored no improper thoughts but instead frowned slightly.


    Miss Yue caught all these subtle expressions and understood that Qin Niu was not a frivolous man, and thus she stopped teasing right away.


    Instead, she returned to her seat, her expression becoming much more serious.


    ¡°In the entire Elixir City, there are no more than ten Pill Alchemists capable of refining seventh-grade Elixirs. There are only three who specialize in crafting Boundary-breaking Elixirs, and the Pill Alchemist behind me is one of those three.¡±


    After speaking, she paused, staring at Qin Niu to gauge his reaction.


    Qin Niu showed no emotion.


    ¡°Master Huang Changchun, have you heard of him?¡±


    ¡°Qin has limited knowledge and knows very little of these Pill Masters¡¯ reputations. Miss Yue could just introduce him directly, there¡¯s no need for intrigue.¡±


    ¡°Giggle! It seems Immortal Qin is quite a forthright person! I like dealing with customers like you.¡±


    ¡°`


    She covered her mouth with a slight chuckle.


    ¡°If I said Master Huang Changchun is the strongest among the three 7th rank Pill Masters adept at concocting Boundary-breaking Elixirs, you might not believe me, thinking I¡¯m exaggerating to land this deal. Master Huang Changchun once studied alchemy under Master Yao Yangming, which established a solid foundation for him. Whether it¡¯s knowledge, alchemy experience, or control over the alchemical flames, he¡¯s far superior to ordinary Pill Masters.¡±


    ¡°Now that the Yao Family is gone, Master Huang Changchun¡¯s alchemy skills are considered the most extraordinary in the whole Elixir City.¡±


    ¡°Even the other 7th rank Pill Masters frequently seek him out to exchange alchemy techniques.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t interested in this Master Huang Changchun that Miss Yue mentioned.


    He was, however, very curious about Master Yao Yangming who she mentioned.


    But he couldn¡¯t let this curiosity show outright.


    One must inquire indirectly to be safe.


    ¡°Who is Yao Yangming?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Master Yao Yangming?¡± She thought Qin Niu was teasing her. After carefully looking into Qin Niu¡¯s eyes for a while, she realized he didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    ¡°Master Yao Yangming was the most formidable Pill Alchemist of the Yao Family. It¡¯s said he successfully concocted a 9th rank Elixir, causing a sensation throughout the entire cultivation world.


    Currently, in the whole Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, even in the entire cultivation world, it¡¯s believed that only Master Yao Yangming can concoct a 9th rank Elixir.


    Somehow, the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect¡¯s elder Yu Yuan found out about this.


    He then invited Yao Yangming to help with alchemy.


    Master Yao Yangming outright refused to help Yu Yuan, the Immortal, concoct a 9th rank Immortal Pill. According to rumors, that Immortal Yu Yuan is domineering and has committed many atrocities.


    With his natural lifespan nearing its end, Immortal Yu Yuan was desperate, urgently wanting to extend his life or break through his current realm using a 9th rank Immortal Pill.


    After being rejected by Yao Yangming, he couldn¡¯t help but fly into a rage, and neither threats nor promises were effective.


    Eventually, this only made Yao Yangming more stubborn, who then berated Yu Yuan harshly, exposing all of the Immortal¡¯s heinous deeds.


    What kind of person was this Immortal Yu Yuan? He raised two divine dragons, a terrifying figure in the cultivation world that no one dared to provoke for many years. Refusing to concoct an elixir for him and even listing his crimes was tantamount to plucking hairs from a tiger¡¯s head.


    The Yao Family immediately faced a calamity of annihilation.


    Overnight, Immortal Yu Yuan led a group to exterminate the Yao Family, capturing all their Pill Masters and imprisoning them in the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect. It¡¯s heard that Master Yao Yangming fought desperately and was seriously injured. Some say Master Yao Yangming has fallen, while others believe he was just captured by the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect.


    In any case, the destruction of the Yao Family led to a reshuffle of the Elixir City¡¯s elixir business.


    There used to be quite a few Pill Masters who could concoct 8th rank Immortal Pills. Now, being able to concoct a 7th rank Immortal Pill is already considered the highest skill level.


    If Immortal Qin doesn¡¯t trust me, you can go inquire about Master Huang Changchun¡¯s reputation. It would be the same if you come to find me later.¡±


    She said confidently.


    Qin Niu successfully gathered some information about the Yao Family¡¯s enemies, giving him a base understanding of them.


    As long as they weren¡¯t from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, it was fine.


    As for the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect, they were too remote to have any control here.


    ¡°Ah, what a pity! If Master Yao Yangming hadn¡¯t been captured, maybe he could have easily helped me concoct a 7th rank Immortal Pill,¡± Qin Niu lamented after hearing the story. ¡°Elixir City should be under the jurisdiction of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, right? Logically speaking, with such a powerful Pill Master, the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect wouldn¡¯t just stand by watching him be captured by another Immortal Sect.¡±


    Historically, Elixir City was located in the domain of the Longevity Immortal Sect.


    Its position was very special.


    Now, it had become a city under the control of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.

 Chapter 547 - Chapter 547: Chapter 539: The Hegemon Within the Immortal Sect

    Chapter 547: Chapter 539: The Hegemon Within the Immortal Sect


    ¡°Immortal Qin, please do not disseminate the contents of our conversation today. The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect and Immortal Yu Yuan are not entities that someone as insignificant as I can afford to criticize,¡±


    she pleaded with Qin Niu.


    ¡°Of course, Qin is aware of what¡¯s important. It¡¯s not just you, even I am but an ant in front of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect,¡±


    Qin Niu essentially gave her a guarantee.


    Criticizing the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect or Immortal Yu Yuan, as long as it came to their knowledge, would definitely bring about great trouble.


    It might even lead to being directly eliminated.


    Having received Qin Niu¡¯s promise, Miss Yue continued, ¡°Immortal Yu Yuan, known as the Double Dragon Immortal Lord, has already reached the level of an Immortal Monarch in his own cultivation, and with two divine dragons he raised, his combat strength is so formidable that it¡¯s not weaker than that of three Immortal Monarchs combined.


    Moreover, with the backing of the massive Myriad Beast Immortal Sect, both strength and resources greatly surpass those of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, which has been established for only about a thousand years.¡±


    At that time, the Yao Family had already been annihilated by Immortal Yu Yuan, which although damaging the face of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, such a large sect would definitely put the actual interests of the sect first.


    Avenging a pill-refining family that had already been destroyed did not align with the interests of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    The matter of the Yao Family being exterminated was thus suppressed.


    The few who had knowledge of it only dared to discuss it privately.


    Be it an Immortal Sect, a sect, or a clan, interests are always prioritized.


    Take Chi Xing¡¯s wife, for instance, she was the daughter of a prominent family. Having been abused to death by the Sixth Cave Master of the Fire Cloud Tunnel, in a most brutal manner, her family, upon learning of her fate, had no thoughts of avenging her.


    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want revenge; it was the fear of the Sixth Cave Master¡¯s power and the worry of bringing trouble to the family.


    ¡°So Immortal Yu Yuan is truly formidable, managing to pressure the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect into silence,¡±


    Qin Niu exclaimed.


    ¡°Exactly! The Myriad Beast Immortal Sect has always been very aggressive in its actions. Some Immortal Sects were annihilated after provoking it, such as the Longevity Sect, Sword Origin Sect, and Great Luo Immortal Sect, all because they incurred the wrath of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect.


    Elixir City was originally the site of the Longevity Sect. The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect establishing itself on this land is essentially equivalent to inheriting the territory of the Longevity Sect.


    In order to avoid misunderstandings with the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect, the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect even took the initiative to locate their sect far from Elixir City.


    The existence of Elixir City serves as a constant reminder to the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect that some powerful Immortal Sects must not be provoked,¡±


    Miss Yue narrated these old affairs between the Immortal Sects with fluency.


    ¡°So the Longevity Sect was extinguished by the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect! Miss Yue, your knowledge is commendable. The Myriad Beast Immortal Sect truly is powerful, no wonder the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect fears it so,¡±


    Qin Niu was entirely ignorant about these matters of the Immortal Sects and learned something new this time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back on topic and discuss the matter of refining Grade Seven Boundary-breaking Elixirs. What is the success rate of Master Huang Changchun in refining Grade Seven Immortal Pills? And what is his fee?¡±


    Having gathered enough information, Qin Niu didn¡¯t probe any further.


    Otherwise, he might give himself away.


    ¡°The success rate of Grade Seven Immortal Pills is generally quite low, but Master Huang is one of the best among pill masters, with a success rate of around 10 percent. As for the fee, you need not worry. Everyone operates with integrity, charging according to market rates.


    If the refinement fails, there is no charge, and the remains of the spent Pill Furnace are returned to you. If the refinement is successful, the charge will be 50,000 Silver Money,¡±


    Such an exorbitant refinement fee even shocked Qin Niu, who was known for his wealth.


    His wealth had not come easy, having been mostly accumulated through defeating powerful enemies and plundering the valuables from their corpses.


    50,000 Silver Money was enough for him to purchase thousands of acres of fertile land to become a landlord of some standing.


    However, if a Grade Seven Immortal Pill could truly help him ascend another level, promoting him to the Immortal Envoy Realm, it would be worth it.


    After all, the higher one¡¯s cultivation, the faster one could earn money.


    ¡°The cost is not cheap, is there room for negotiation?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°Fifty thousand Silver Money is basically the lowest price already, but if Immortal Qin sincerely takes care of my business, I can offer a discount of one thousand Silver Money at that time. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m waiving the introduction fee, giving the benefits to Immortal Qin, not for anything else but hoping for Master Qin¡¯s help in promoting us more in the future.¡±


    She claimed she wouldn¡¯t charge an introduction fee, but that line could only deceive those inexperienced in the ways of the world.


    Qin Niu took it as a joke.


    ¡°Then I thank Miss Yue. Are the materials to be provided entirely by the customer, or do I only need to supply the main materials?¡±


    ¡°The materials needed to refine a Grade Seven Immortal Pill are usually very precious, and the prices are extremely high. Even just one auxiliary material might cost thousands, or even tens of thousands of Silver Money. We only take care of the alchemy, solving the pill furnace, alchemy room, alchemy staff, and demonic blood for quenching the pills, while the customer is responsible for all the alchemy materials.¡±


    She clarified the responsibilities of both parties.


    It makes sense. With such expensive materials needed for refining a Grade Seven Immortal Pill, if someone took on everything, they might lose everything but their underwear.


    After all, the success rate was only ten percent.


    ¡°I can see Miss Yue is a very trustworthy person. Please give me a copy of Master Huang¡¯s material list for refining the Boundary-breaking Elixir, and I¡¯ll gather them before coming back to the Immortal Pill Emporium. To be honest, a success rate of only ten percent is too low.


    I still want to do some comparison shopping, and ask other Pill Masters. Each one of my main materials is extremely precious and hard to come by.¡±


    Qin Niu said.


    ¡°No problem! I believe that after Immortal Qin does some inquiries, you will certainly come back to me. Here is the material list for refining the Boundary-breaking Elixir, for instance, this main material, the inner core of a Grade Thirteen demon beast. If you don¡¯t have it, you can use these materials instead, including ginseng of over a hundred thousand years, or deep sea dragon pearls, among other treasures. The auxiliary materials can be replaced as well.


    As long as you gather three main materials and ten auxiliary materials, you can basically refine a Grade Seven Boundary-breaking Elixir.¡±


    She took out a written list from her sleeve.


    This alone showed how well-prepared and professional she was.


    Qin Niu took the list and couldn¡¯t help but be astounded.


    Ignoring the auxiliary materials for now, just the main materials could scare someone to death.


    Where to find the inner core of a Grade Thirteen demon beast?


    A Grade Ten demon beast was already extremely powerful, and his Fire Phoenix was only Grade Twelve.


    It would mean having to slay a demon beast stronger than the Fire Phoenix to collect just one of the main materials.


    Upon leaving the tea house, Qin Niu didn¡¯t rush to the scene of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, but returned to his lodging.


    This trip to gather information was very rewarding.


    ¡­


    Three days later, the Water and Land Dharma Assembly had been underway for a full three days and three nights, with a considerable number of people successfully passing through the First Immortal Gate.


    According to the records of those with keen interest, there were no fewer than fifty thousand challengers in these three days, and over three hundred people successfully passed the First Immortal Gate.


    Though compared with the total number of challengers, it¡¯s less than one percent.


    But still, having over three hundred people passing through the First Immortal Gate was a fairly substantial figure.


    Based on this ratio, it is estimated that this year, at least a thousand people will successfully pass through the First Immortal Gate.

 Chapter 548 - Chapter 548: Chapter 540 Thousand Beast Pavilion

    Chapter 548: Chapter 540 Thousand Beast Pavilion


    Because many true strong fighters, like Qin Niu, do not rush to take on the trial in the first few days.


    The majority of formidable fighters prefer to make an appearance at the end.


    By observing others, they can gain more practical experience and learn from the failures of others.


    Qin Niu felt the timing was about right and prepared to take on the trial in the next two days.


    In these past few days, staying in his guest room to solidify his Immortal Scholar Realm, he was also paying attention to see if anyone was inquiring about him and Xiao Qing. According to the feedback from the insects he secretly deployed, a total of four groups of people were inquiring about him and Xiao Qing.


    These people included the landlord and the landlord¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law.


    The Myriad Beast Immortal Sect had annihilated the Yao Family, directly capturing several of the Yao Family¡¯s Pill Masters. Maybe things weren¡¯t as simple as they seemed.


    If Immortal Monarch Yu Yuan genuinely only wanted the Yao Family to help him refine a ninth-grade Immortal Pill, simply capturing the formidable Pill Masters of the Yao Family would have been enough. There was no need to exterminate the Yao Family completely.


    Xiao Qing¡¯s father had been on the run for several years, and as a concealed bloodline left by the Yao Family, he was still tracked down and pursued by the people of Immortal Monarch Yu Yuan, facing assassination. Treating the remaining bloodline of the Yao Family with such great effort certainly wasn¡¯t just to prevent the Yao Family from seeking vengeance.


    This time, Qin Niu and Xiao Qing caused some commotion by taking on the first floor of Medicine King Tower and it was quite normal for them to attract attention.


    But for four groups of people to inquire about them, even going so far as to bribe the landlord and his eldest daughter-in-law, was really against common logic.


    ¡°Wan Yan, Xiao Qing, let¡¯s go to the Water and Land Dharma Assembly today. As long as the conditions allow, both of you can try to overcome the Immortal Gate. Whether or not you make it through, you can at least gather some valuable experience,¡±


    he said to the two women.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been ready for a long time,¡±


    said Xiao Qing, who now knew her heritage. All she was thinking about was finding out her parents¡¯ whereabouts and rescuing the imprisoned clan members.


    To do such a thing, she would need to grow stronger.


    With her current strength, it was frankly not enough.


    ¡°I heard that many experts in the later stages of the Spirit Qi Realm couldn¡¯t get through the First Immortal Gate. Is my cultivation at the Innate Realm sufficient?¡±


    Indeed, her cultivation was not high.


    She had just managed to break through to the Innate Realm.


    Whether one can pass the First Immortal Gate isn¡¯t solely determined by the level of cultivation. On the first day, Brother Chi witnessed an Innate Realm Expert successfully pass through the First Immortal Gate,¡±


    Qin Niu could only try to find ways to encourage her.


    If one did not have confidence in oneself, even going there would mostly just be for show.


    At this moment, the Green Silk Worm that Qin Niu had quietly placed on the landlord¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law transmitted some useful sounds.


    ¡°Stay in the room, I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible!¡±


    Qin Niu opened the window and, like a nimble cat, vanished in a flash.


    He quietly arrived at the landlord¡¯s backyard, looked down from the rooftop, and saw a shifty middle-aged man speaking with the landlord¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law.


    ¡°Are you sure that person surnamed Qin and the little girl have not left the room at all?¡±


    ¡°I can confirm it. Every day, I look for excuses to deliver tea for them, and I see everything clearly. The little girl is that Master Qin¡¯s maid, and she has been lying on the bed since returning. She was unconscious for the first two days and only woke up today.


    It seems that Master Qin was injured as well, as he¡¯s been seen sitting cross-legged on the bed tending to his injuries every day,¡±


    she told the man.


    No wonder she kept finding excuses to enter Qin Niu¡¯s room so often; she was acting as a spy.


    A murderous intent flashed in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    When it came to potential threats, he always preferred to nip them in the bud.


    ¡°Hmm, job well done. Here¡¯s One Tael of Silver for you. Continue to keep an eye on those few, especially that young man surnamed Qin and the little girl. If they do anything unusual or have any important conversations, you can tell me in time. There will be a substantial reward for you.¡±


    The middle-aged man tossed One Tael of Silver, making the landlord¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law grin from ear to ear.


    ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll do this well. Even if that man surnamed Qin whispers sweet nothings to his wife in the middle of the night, I¡¯ll remember it all and report it to you without missing a word,¡±


    she declared, thrilled with her reward and repeatedly expressing her loyalty to the middle-aged man.


    ¡°Get lost, get lost. Who wants to hear their nighttime sweet talk? You just need to pay attention to the important matters they discuss,¡±


    said the middle-aged man impatiently, waving his hand.


    ¡°Yes, understood!¡±


    She nodded with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Master, where should I find you if I have some news?¡±


    ¡°Just go to the Thousand Beast Pavilion to find me. You only need to tell the clerk that you have something to inform Master Wu, and someone will take you to see me. If you can uncover some important intelligence, I will reward you with at least ten taels of silver, or even a hundred taels.¡±


    The middle-aged man wearing a mask was actually from the Thousand Beast Pavilion.


    I must investigate the background of this Thousand Beast Pavilion.


    Upon hearing that a hundred taels of reward silver could be obtained, the eyes of the innkeeper¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law lit up.


    ¡°So, Master Wu is the owner of the Thousand Beast Pavilion. No wonder you are so generous! It must have been hard for you to come all this way. How about going to my room for a cup of tea to quench your thirst?¡±


    She pressed her body against Master Wu as she twisted around.


    This woman, by her age, wasn¡¯t exactly old either, somewhere around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.


    From the looks of it, she was ready to offer herself to curry favor with the middle-aged man. Of course, her main motive for doing this was money.


    Seeing that the two were having a rather close contact, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


    At this moment, Qin Niu made a bold decision, controlling the green silk worm on the head of the innkeeper¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law, quietly flicking it onto the middle-aged man.


    As the green silk worm landed on the middle-aged man, Qin Niu¡¯s heart was in his throat.


    Because if discovered, the green silk worm would most likely not survive. It might even startle the snake in the grass, making the man wary.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡±


    The middle-aged man clearly was not interested, coldly rejecting her, and subtly distancing himself from the innkeeper¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law.


    Qin Niu¡¯s green silk worm successfully crawled atop the middle-aged man¡¯s head and concealed itself among the multitude of hairs.


    The middle-aged man seemed to sense something and scratched his head, but not finding anything, he let it go.


    ¡­


    After watching the middle-aged man leave, Qin Niu also left with his wife and Xiao Qing.


    Heading straight to the site of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.


    ¡°Wan Yan, Xiao Qing, later on you two just try to break through the Immortal Gate on your own. Even if I went with you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take care of you both,¡± he said.


    Inside the Immortal Gate, there were restrictions. Even if ten thousand people entered at the same time, they wouldn¡¯t encounter anyone else.


    This prevented any possibility of mutual assistance.


    Each contender had to rely on their own skills to break through.


    Qin Niu was not in a hurry to attempt the challenge, instead, he prepared to let his wife and Xiao Qing try to break through the Immortal Gate first.


    The scene was packed with a sea of people, and there were many challengers.


    The two followed the crowd towards the light gate in front of the Reed Platform.


    Everyone was queuing to enter.


    From time to time, people were ejected from the light gate, looking utterly disheveled. Some were even injured.


    But there were also a few who entered and never came back out.


    This was actually a good sign.


    As long as one wasn¡¯t ejected by the Immortal Gate, there was still a chance.


    Wang Wanyan and Xiao Qing leaped into the light gate together, while Qin Niu stood nervously below the Reed Platform, watching.


    In less than half a quarter of an hour, Wang Wanyan was ejected by the Immortal Gate, retreating again and again in disarray. Soon after, she was caught by a pair of strong arms¡ª it was Qin Niu.


    ¡°It¡¯s too hard, I tried my best inside but couldn¡¯t last even a quarter of an hour, let alone find the exit,¡± she said with a look of frustration.


    ¡°No worries, if we fail this time, we can participate again next time. I believe that in ten years, you will surely pass. Go back to our lodgings and rest. I should be going up to take the challenge soon,¡± Qin Niu comforted her.

 Chapter 549 - Chapter 549: Chapter 541: Deep Sea Giant Demon

    Chapter 549: Chapter 541: Deep Sea Giant Demon


    ¡°Go ahead! I¡¯ll be here cheering for you!¡±


    Having failed the challenge, she placed all her hopes on her husband.


    ¡°That¡¯s good! With you here to watch over everything, if Xiao Qing happens to fail the challenge, you can step in to help in time,¡± Qin Niu turned to look at Chi Xing. ¡°Brother Chi, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take good care of my wife and Xiao Qing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Qin, even without instructions, I would do so.¡±


    Chi Xing was indeed trustworthy.


    Qin Niu no longer lingered, but walked straight towards the light gate in front of the Reed Platform.


    Yet, before he reached the light gate, he stopped. The Green Silk Worm he had stealthily placed on Executor Wu was sending back feedback.


    Moments later, a gleam of sharpness flashed in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    Executor Wu¡¯s identity was indeed not simple; the one he devotedly served turned out to be an Executor of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect. This person had a close relationship with the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect and didn¡¯t hesitate to pay a high price for the landlord¡¯s daughter-in-law to surveil Qin Niu and Xiao Qing¡¯s every move.


    This meant that Yu Yuan of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect had not relaxed his vigilance but had secretly placed people to monitor everything at the Medicine King Tower.


    That day, the attempt by Qin Niu and Xiao Qing to break through the negative first floor of the Medicine King Tower had already caught the attention of these people.


    Fortunately, Qin Niu was cautious in his actions and had taken some measures to cover up the truth.


    From Executor Wu¡¯s reactions, it seemed they were only secretly watching Qin Niu and had not taken any further action. They should be safe for the time being.


    If they could enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect this time, they might be able to gain some protection.


    At the very least, it would cause the spies of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect to have some apprehensions.


    Without concrete evidence, their investigation into Qin Niu and Xiao Qing might be put on hold.


    Qin Niu stepped into the light gate.


    As soon as he entered, the world around him spun, the constellations shifted, and the scenery changed continually. Just as described by Chi Xing and the others, once inside the Immortal Gate, one could not see any other challengers.


    Looking around, Qin Niu saw before him a vast deep-blue sea, boundless to the eye.


    And he was situated right on the coast.


    The First Immortal Gate was right in front of the Reed Platform, so where did this ocean come from? It must be an illusion.


    That was Qin Niu¡¯s first thought.


    When challenging the First Immortal Gate, he had brought all his pets except for Green Ox.


    Having reached the Immortal Scholar Realm himself, he was not alarmed.


    The seawater continuously rushed towards the shore, wave upon wave, with the splashing sound of ¡°splash splash¡± going on endlessly, while that distinctive briny sea breeze hit his face. The illusion seemed a bit too realistic.


    The rule for breaking through the First Immortal Gate was very simple: just find the way out and successfully break through it.


    If one exceeded the time limit without breaking through the Immortal Gate, they would be ejected, signifying a failed challenge.


    The sea stretched as far as the eye could see; how could one get across?


    Not to mention the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, even ten times that would not be enough to cross to the other side of the ocean!


    Challenging the Immortal Gate was indeed an endeavor of hellish difficulty.


    No wonder so few succeeded in breaking through the Immortal Gate. Out of a hundred people, hardly one could make it through.


    Looking at the ocean before him, he was very clear that brute force would definitely not work.


    The best approach would be to break the illusion before him.


    Just as he was considering how to break the illusion, the sea unexpectedly began to rise. The water swiftly washed up to his feet, that icy cold and damp feeling was incredibly real, and his shoes quickly became soaked.


    Bending over, he moved his hand through the water, the touch strikingly authentic, with waves splashing up in response to his movements.


    Even the sandy beach by the sea felt utterly realistic.


    Could this ocean actually be real?


    Qin Niu bit his tongue, and waves of pain flooded in.


    It meant his entire being was alert.


    Could the sea be real and not an illusion?


    How could that be possible?


    Even an Immortal Monarch should not be able to transfer an entire ocean here, right?


    Moving mountains and overturning seas, only ancient powers possessed such abilities.


    Qin Niu subconsciously gripped the Ink Blade tight, and with a fierce slash, he struck at the sea in front of him.


    Bang!


    The seawater parted to both sides, with four or five-meter-high waves rushing towards the sides, revealing a part of the seabed scene. One could even clearly see a crab scurrying away in panic at the bottom of the sea, a species Qin Niu had never seen before.


    It had a shell speckled with spots, long legs, and its body was a bit larger than a grown man¡¯s palm.


    Such crabs could not be found in freshwater rivers or lakes.


    ¡°This is too lifelike.¡±


    Qin Niu was astonished at how realistic the illusion before his eyes was.


    Time was swiftly passing by, and his previous slash had caused no damage to the sea. Nor had he found a way to get across the sea and break through the Immortal Gate.


    The time of an incense stick, which is about half an Hour or so.


    He couldn¡¯t help but grow anxious.


    If he couldn¡¯t even get through the First Immortal Gate, it would be impossible to enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. Without entry into the sect, there was no way to learn the profound Immortal spells and techniques.


    After advancing to the Immortal Scholar Realm, he desired even more to join the Immortal Sect.


    Because by simply groping around on his own, even with so many great opportunities he had come upon, he had only just barely managed to advance to the Immortal Scholar Realm.


    He knew nothing about how to proceed with his cultivation.


    Let alone practicing spells.


    At this moment, Qin Niu made a bold decision to attempt to walk directly on the waves, heading towards the depths of the sea.


    With his current cultivation level, relying on the Misty Rain Elusive Step, he could definitely walk on the water¡¯s surface as if it were flat land.


    After running forward for about a quarter of an Hour, he started to feel panicked.


    Because he could feel the seawater growing increasingly deeper and the waves more terrifying. Randomly kicked-up waves were dozens of meters high, not something human power could contend against.


    And there was still no end in sight ahead.


    Based on his current method, even if he ran forward for a day and a night, he likely wouldn¡¯t have crossed even one ten-thousandth of the sea.


    Another wave came crashing towards him.


    He swung his blade with all his might.


    A fierce sea shark took the opportunity to burst out of the water and viciously bite at him.


    The threat of death descended, unbearably real.


    He could even feel how that terrifying gaping maw could easily swallow him whole.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Qin Niu delivered a cleaving cut towards the attacking sea shark.


    Splat!


    Blood instantly stained the sea red as he sliced the sea shark in two.


    But the crisis was not resolved; more sea sharks, attracted by the scent of blood, converged towards him.


    They savagely tore at the carcass of the split shark, while some set their sights on Qin Niu.


    In the depths of the ocean, an even more terrifying presence was drawing near to him.


    Qin Niu caught sight of that dark mass, as large as a small hill.


    He definitely shouldn¡¯t venture further into the depths of the sea; otherwise, he could very well find his grave there.


    Even though there had been no news of anyone dying while attempting to pass through the Immortal Gate, Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare gamble with his life. Even if the gigantic sea creature swallowed him and he didn¡¯t die, his attempt to pass the trial would most likely end in failure.


    In such circumstances, he decisively turned around and ran back.


    Only then did he realize that being in the open sea, surrounded by boundless waves on all sides, he couldn¡¯t find the shore at all.


    Qin Niu inwardly cursed his luck.


    The difficulty of passing through the First Immortal Gate was truly immense; no wonder so many late Spirit Qi Realm experts failed at the challenge.

 Chapter 550 - Chapter 550: 542

    Chapter 550: 542


    At this moment, he, a powerhouse of the Immortal Warrior Realm, also faced the threat of failing the trial, and he was afraid he would soon become the laughing stock of many people.


    After all, possessing the cultivation of an Immortal Master and still unable to overcome the First Immortal Gate was truly an embarrassment.


    Qin Niu ran wildly on the surface of the sea, performing the Misty Rain Elusive Step to its extreme, transforming his entire being into a faint afterimage. In the blink of an eye, he had traveled a hundred meters.


    With such speed, those sea sharks naturally could not catch up to him.


    Though he had shaken off the group of sea sharks, Qin Niu was now facing the threat of being unable to find the coast.


    ¡°It should be this direction without a doubt!¡±


    He considered himself to have a good sense of direction and remembered coming from this direction.


    But after running forward for a quarter of an hour, he still couldn¡¯t see the coastline.


    At that time, he desperately wished there was a lighthouse ahead to guide the way. Otherwise, he was sure to perish at sea.


    He thought of asking his pets for help.


    ¡°Fourth, can you discern the direction?¡±


    Qin Niu summoned Fourth to help him determine the direction.


    Fourth¡¯s sole horn moved around, and after a long while, it finally said in ant language, ¡°Master, it¡¯s impossible to discern direction here.¡±


    Qin Niu also summoned Green Demon Bees and other bugs to lead the way, but they all ended up with the same result as Fourth.


    In this Immortal Gate, they were unable to discern directions.


    Most bugs determine direction using the sun as a reference.


    The sky here was nothing but chaos, with no sun or moon, only dim light and a boundless ocean.


    ¡°Master, a formidable and aggressive creature is catching up from behind.¡±


    The Diamond Ink Turtle had always been carried by Qin Niu in a basket.


    Yet now it was rare for it to communicate with Qin Niu using Divine Sense.


    Qin Niu turned his head to look behind and indeed saw towering waves in the distance, a mass as large as a small hill rapidly approaching.


    Damn it, that monstrous sea creature had locked onto him as its target.


    Watching time slip away, he had not been able to find the exit. Trapped in the vast ocean, he couldn¡¯t help but fall into a heart of despair, having lost all illusions of hope.


    This time, he had considered himself to be quite well-prepared, and on his way here, he had continuously encountered numerous great opportunities, which had pushed his cultivation to the Immortal Warrior Realm.


    Who would have thought that all of it would still end in failure?


    As his confidence vanished, the world seemed to grow even darker.


    ¡°I¡¯ll slaughter this giant sea monster first.¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but stir up the blood and courage in his heart.


    He had one great quality about himself; he never gave up without a fight.


    Faced with threats, he always took the initiative to strike back. Even if his enemies were ten or a hundred times stronger than him, he never bowed his head, let alone waited for death.


    ¡°Cowardly turtle, fighting in the water is your forte, let¡¯s join forces to deal with this giant beast catching up.¡±


    After hearing this, the Diamond Ink Turtle¡¯s neck shrank back into its shell.


    It angered Qin Niu so much that he really wanted to throw it away.


    The waves behind him began to close in fast and grew taller and taller.


    Riding the rise and fall of the waves, at its highest point, Qin Niu was lifted by the wave¡¯s crest to nearly seventy or eighty meters high. The sea monster¡¯s speed was incredibly fast, and it had already caught up.


    Finally, Qin Niu could see its true form clearly.


    It was a whale, with an exceedingly immense body. Its huge mouth harbored at least a hundred whale baleens, resembling a spider web, or rather, a complex sieve.


    ¡°Wu¡ª¡ª¡±


    It opened its vast mouth towards Qin Niu to swallow him, and suddenly a terrifying suction force started to draw all the seawater and everything around it towards its gaping mouth.


    In front of its massive body, Qin Niu was as insignificant as a shrimp.


    The power of being swallowed by the whale was extremely frightening.


    He was involuntarily swept along with the seawater, surging towards the mouth of the giant whale.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    As he reached the whale¡¯s mouth, Qin Niu raised his Ink Blade and fiercely slashed at its baleens.


    Unexpectedly, these baleens possessed astonishing elasticity and were quite thick. His blade strike only managed to injure one baleen.


    Qin Niu¡¯s body was involuntarily pushed further into its massive mouth.


    It immediately closed its mouth to swallow.


    In its mouth, Qin Niu felt as though heaven and earth were collapsing, incapable of resisting at all.


    This giant whale was nearly a hundred meters long and dominated the sea like a colossus.


    Moreover, based on his feeling, it likely wasn¡¯t an ordinary creature but possibly a Sea Demon.


    Otherwise, its whale baleen couldn¡¯t have been so tenacious.


    It must be known that with Qin Niu¡¯s current cultivation power, combined with Slash Martial Skill, plus the power of the Ink Blade, it wasn¡¯t just a whale baleen that could be easily cut through, even an iron pillar would yield to his blade.


    He was swallowed by the giant whale.


    A torrent of rolling and spinning made him feel as though he was tumbling in a twisted tunnel.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a Demon Beast, then there should be a Demon Core.¡±


    Qin Niu was struggling to mobilize his cultivation power, with the help of King Pig Leather Armor, he formed a protective shield of qi around his body while searching for a way to destroy the enemy and save himself.


    What he saw were the dark red intestines squirming continuously.


    This must be the giant whale¡¯s digestive tract.


    The place he was in now was inside its digestive tract.


    ¡°Cowardly Turtle, quickly sense around and find where this giant whale¡¯s Demon Core is located.¡±


    At this moment, Qin Niu once again asked for the Diamond Ink Turtle¡¯s help.


    Though extremely cowardly, it was very loyal to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Over there!¡±


    After the Diamond Ink Turtle pointed out the direction, it also strived to help Qin Niu withstand the pressure from the giant whale.


    Its greatest ability was Water Control.


    It seemed that the giant whale also needed the help of seawater to push prey it had swallowed into its stomach.


    ¡°Break!¡±


    Following the guidance of the Diamond Ink Turtle, Qin Niu struck fiercely against the dark red walls of the digestive tract in front of him.


    With this strike, he managed to produce both the critical hit and Rupture effects.


    After ascending to the Immortal Warrior Realm, when he performed the Ink Blade Strike, his Blade Qi became like real blade light with a tendency to converge into a solid form.


    The blade light fiercely tore open a gap in the whale¡¯s inner wall.


    But for its massive body, this wound less than a meter long was just a minor cut.


    Its healing ability was also extremely strong.


    No sooner had Qin Niu slashed a one-meter-long wound than the ends began to heal.


    Seizing the moment before it fully healed, Qin Niu, with exceptional agility, squeezed directly out.


    However, after wriggling out of the esophagus, he was surrounded by sticky fluids and various organs. He thought these liquids were its blood or stomach fluids of some sort.


    In the darkness, he saw a glowing object the size of a human head.


    With his experience, this must be the Demon Core.


    ¡°How dare you swallow me.¡±


    Qin Niu struggled to approach the Demon Core, hugged it, and then, with one hand wielding the blade, frantically hacked and slashed at the surrounding organs.


    The Demon Core released a powerful demonic energy, trying to push him away.


    But it didn¡¯t succeed.


    ¡°Cowardly Turtle, haven¡¯t you always wanted to ascend to a higher level? Now¡¯s your chance, swallow this Demon Core for me.¡±


    Qin Niu felt the terrible pressure around him.


    The giant whale seemed to be counterattacking, trying to crush him into mush.


    The sticky fluids were also rapidly eroding his protective qi shield.


    Facing these attacks, Qin Niu swung his blade desperately.


    Inflicting damage and pain upon the giant whale.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle was able to discern what was good for it, recognizing that the Demon Core was a valuable item.


    Changing from its timid nature, it swam quickly to the Demon Core, clumsily wrapped its forelegs around it, and bit fiercely into the Demon Core.


    One could see it rapidly absorbing energy from the Demon Core.


    Streams of green light continuously flowed into its body.


    And its body began to grow larger.


    Seeing the Diamond Ink Turtle acting so boldly, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased. He didn¡¯t need to hold onto the Demon Core anymore and could free his hands to grip the blade with both hands, dealing severe damage to the giant whale.

 Chapter 551 - Chapter 551: Chapter 543: Successfully Breaking Through the Immortal Gate

    Chapter 551: Chapter 543: Successfully Breaking Through the Immortal Gate


    ¡°`


    A single-handed slash and a two-handed swing should surely differ in power.


    A two-handed force is greater, and so is the power of the chop, dealing at least double the damage to the giant whale.


    Even so, such damage to the massive whale is still only a minor wound.


    The demon core of this deep-sea giant demon is as big as a human head, and with a body over a hundred meters long, the waves it raises are like undulating mountains. Its grade is at least above thirteen, and it might even reach fourteen.


    Such a formidable demon beast would normally be impossible for Qin Niu to contend with.


    But now he had found an opening.


    Nearly all strong demon beasts share a common weakness. They may have a formidable defense across their bodies, even evolving carapaces, but their inner bodies cannot be as formidable as the exterior.


    This allowed Qin Niu to wreak havoc inside its belly.


    The chopping may not be fatal, but it effectively distracted the beast, making it too busy to respond. This created an opportunity for the Diamond Ink Turtle to absorb its demon core.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle absorbed the demon core at an increasingly rapid pace, at times making Qin Niu feel somewhat unreal.


    He still couldn¡¯t be certain whether the ocean and demon beasts within the Immortal Gate were real or not.


    As the Diamond Ink Turtle absorbed a massive amount of energy from the demon core, its body grew rapidly. Its shell displayed minute cracks, which quickly healed, and the process repeated.


    In just a moment, the Diamond Ink Turtle effortlessly advanced to Grade Six.


    Qin Niu checked its attributes, and after confirming the advancement, he was sure that all of this was real.


    At this moment, he was less concerned about breaking through the First Immortal Gate.


    He just hoped that before being ejected from the Immortal Gate, the Diamond Ink Turtle could absorb more energy from the giant whale¡¯s demon core. After all, the Diamond Ink Turtle grew too slowly.


    For it, this was a once-in-a-millennium chance.


    ¡­


    As time passed, the Diamond Ink Turtle absorbed the energy from the giant whale¡¯s demon core faster and faster. The demon core, originally as big as a human head, shrank significantly due to its frenzied absorption.


    The giant whale¡¯s struggles grew weaker.


    The wounds Qin Niu inflicted by slicing its organs, which initially healed rapidly, were now healing more slowly.


    Blood continued to seep out.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle had grown over two meters in length, becoming a massive turtle. Dark cyan patterns emerged on its shell, forming enigmatic runes, with streaks of electricity flickering continuously across its body.


    It was hard to imagine that not long ago, this timid turtle was merely a Grade Five pet.


    Now that it had absorbed the energy of the giant whale¡¯s demon core, it had transformed into a Ninth Level beast pet.


    The demon core of the giant whale had shrunk to the size of a sea bowl.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle directly swallowed it in one gulp.


    As the Diamond Ink Turtle swallowed the demon core, the giant whale¡¯s body trembled violently, convulsed, and stiffened.


    A white light gateway appeared in front of Qin Niu.


    ¡°This¡­ Is this the passage out of the Immortal Gate?¡±


    Qin Niu could hardly believe his eyes.


    Surprises often come so unexpectedly.


    He had already lost hope of breaking through the First Immortal Gate.


    From the tales of those who had failed to break through the First Immortal Gate, he had realized that most challengers had different experiences within the Immortal Gate, leaving no trace to follow.


    Everyone has their path, and trying to find the way through that others have succeeded by might end up being a fruitless pursuit.


    The First Immortal Gate posed ¡®questions¡¯ according to each person¡¯s situation.


    Qin Niu was still wary of the Heart-reflecting Mirror inside the First Immortal Gate, but it never appeared at all. There were no challenges like the Heart Demon either.


    ¡°`


    He stepped into the light gate with the Diamond Ink Turtle beside him.


    The next second, he found himself in a beautifully serene garden. This vast garden was filled mostly with common greenery, yet it possessed an extraordinary charm. There were delicate bamboo, robust pines, bright red roses, and elegant orchids¡­


    The garden featured rockeries with flowing water, arch bridges, pavilions, and other scenic elements.


    Everywhere one could see powerful individuals who had successfully passed through the First Immortal Gate.


    Qin Niu¡¯s sudden appearance with a giant turtle didn¡¯t shock the crowd; on the contrary, everyone seemed quite composed.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Xiao Qing had also remarkably passed through the First Immortal Gate already.


    Upon seeing Qin Niu, she immediately ran over excitedly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made it out too, well done!¡±


    Qin Niu said with a smile.


    ¡°After I entered, I was trapped in a mountain engulfed by flames, but in the end, I made it out thanks to the seed flame of the Purple Flame Divine Fire.¡±


    She recounted her experience in the challenge.


    It was, as Qin Niu had surmised, everyone faced different trials when passing the gate.


    ¡°You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡±


    Qin Niu asked with concern.


    ¡°Not at all! I¡¯ve heard others discussing that we will soon attempt the Second Immortal Gate. Although, compared to the First Immortal Gate, the second one is more dangerous, and there¡¯s even the possibility of death.¡±


    Xiao Qing quietly shared some intelligence she had gathered with Qin Niu.


    ¡°When the time comes, we¡¯ll assess the situation. If it¡¯s too dangerous, don¡¯t force yourself to pursue the fortune of immortality.¡± Qin Niu warned her, worried she would be blinded by hatred, striving for immortal fortune at the cost of her life.


    Xiao Qing had successfully mastered the Purple Flame Divine Fire and obtained a magical treasure-level Pill Furnace, not to mention her cultivation of the Medicine King Sutra, which assured her a bright future.


    Though Yu Yuan from the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect was formidably strong, Qin Niu believed that with gradual accumulation of strength, she would eventually have the opportunity to avenge herself.


    ¡°I understand the principle of ¡®Where there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope,''¡± she replied.


    Studying and living with Qin Niu, Wang Wanyan, and Tang Caixian, she had indeed learned a great deal.


    Qin Niu turned to look at the Diamond Ink Turtle by his side, which had grown immensely in size, competing with legendary sea turtles in stature.


    A faint golden luster had begun to shimmer on its shell.


    Centered around the Ink Turtle, intense waves of energy swept across the surroundings.


    Qin Niu was all too familiar with these phenomena of attracted natural energies, as he had recently advanced to the Immortal Scholar Realm and caused a similar disturbance.


    Whether it was a human reaching the Immortal Scholar Realm or a beast evolving into a demon, both could cause ripples in the fabric of the world.


    Such beings had transcended the realm of ordinary creatures and gained a modicum of influence in the universe¡ª


    or, one might say, began to have a slight presence.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle had directly consumed a Giant Whale¡¯s Demon Core, and now it seemed like it was about to transform into a demon itself.


    It was about to advance to the Tenth Level.


    Many who had successfully passed the challenge noticed the turtle¡¯s transformation, some looking on with envy, others casting an indifferent glance before turning back to continue chatting with companions or sitting cross-legged on the ground meditating.


    ¡°Master Qin Niu, I didn¡¯t expect us to meet again here.¡±


    A few familiar faces approached.


    It was none other than the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang, Bai Xuezhu, and others. Also present were two elders from the Fang Family.


    Encountering them in this foreign land, Qin Niu felt an unexpected sense of warmth.

 Chapter 552 - Chapter 552: Chapter 544: The Ambition of the Fire Cloud Tunnel

    Chapter 552: Chapter 544: The Ambition of the Fire Cloud Tunnel


    ¡°`


    The Fang Family had a total of five old ancestors, but only two of them successfully passed through the First Immortal Gate.


    This was already considered very strong.


    When Qin Niu first met the five old ancestors of the Fang Family, he could only look up to them. They were as majestic and inscrutable as the deities in the heavens.


    Now, seeing these two old ancestors of the Fang Family again, Qin Niu¡¯s mindset had undergone a great change.


    Both of these individuals were at the peak of the Spirit Qi Realm, just one step away from the Immortal Scholar Realm.


    But it was this one step that had stumped them for many years.


    Qin Niu was a latecomer who excelled over them, leveraging many opportunities to directly ascend to the status of an Immortal Master.


    ¡°Qin Niu has seen the Gang Leader, Bai Gang Leader, Gongsun Gang Leader, and the two senior members of the Fang Family¡­¡±


    He greeted each of these individuals in turn.


    In terms of cultivation, among the people present, only the Black Tiger Gang Leader Xue Qiuhe could match Qin Niu.


    Both were in the Immortal Scholar Realm.


    ¡°The younger generation truly inspires awe! When I first saw you in my family¡¯s secret grounds, your cultivation was so weak that it was almost negligible. In less than a year, you have already surpassed us two old-timers and directly entered the Immortal Scholar Realm. With such a demonically talented gift, even the young master of the Li family is probably no match for you.¡±


    The expressions of the two old ancestors of the Fang Family were extremely complex.


    Talent and opportunity really do not come by one¡¯s own choice.


    Everyone has their own fate.


    They had almost watched Qin Niu change step by step over a period of time.


    Last time when the Black Tiger Gang battled with the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect, Qin Niu¡¯s strength had already made them take a fresh look at him. Who would have thought that in just over half a year¡¯s time, Qin Niu had directly stepped from the Innate Realm into the Immortal Scholar Realm.


    Leaping across two major realms in succession was indeed something that made others envious.


    ¡°The two seniors are too kind. Qin is just a little luckier,¡± Qin Niu said with utmost humility.


    His gaze turned to a youth standing behind the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    He was only about eleven or twelve years old.


    Qin Niu was not unfamiliar with this youth, having had the fortune to see him once when he first went to buy Cultivation Techniques. At that time, this young master Li did not even blink an eye and directly bought a scroll worth five thousand Silver Money, the ¡°Dragon Chant¡±.


    Back then, Qin Niu only felt that young master Li¡¯s cultivation was terrifying, but he did not know how strong it really was.


    Because at that time, Qin Niu was still just an ordinary person at the Mortal Realm First Layer.


    Just anyone at the Twofold Mortal Realm could beat him till he was down on the ground looking for his teeth.


    Now, he clearly felt that young master Li¡¯s cultivation was in the late phase of the Innate Realm.


    The other party obviously did not remember Qin Niu, this insignificant character who had barely crossed his path.


    But now, Qin Niu was someone young master Li had to look up to.


    ¡°Having good luck is also part of one¡¯s strength! Qin Master, you are only seventeen this year, right? Tsk tsk, a seventeen-year-old grassroots Immortal Scholar is probably a rare prodigious talent even within the entire Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. I am genuinely pleased for the Black Tiger Gang to have brought forth a talent of such caliber.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader looked at him with a smile, his expression changing.


    In the past, when he looked at Qin Niu, it was the gaze of a superior looking at a subordinate.


    Now, it was with equal treatment.


    ¡°A seventeen-year-old Immortal Master, if only I could cultivate to the Immortal Scholar Realm before I turn eighteen like Brother Qin!¡±


    Young Master Li looked at Qin Niu with an admiring gaze.


    Admiration for the strong is many people¡¯s nature.


    Young Master Li used to hardly spare Qin Niu a second glance, but now he was lowering his stance, directly calling Qin Niu ¡°Brother Qin¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll make young master Li laugh if I say this, but compared to you, I am but a false Immortal Scholar. You managed to pass the First Immortal Gate relying solely on your Innate Realm cultivation, while I almost didn¡¯t make it through. With young master Li¡¯s talent, I believe your future achievements will be much higher than mine,¡± said Qin Niu sincerely.


    He had made it through entirely because the Diamond Ink Turtle mistakenly swallowed the Demon Core of that giant whale.


    ¡°`


    Otherwise, he would have surely been eliminated.


    ¡°Brother Qin, you mustn¡¯t underestimate yourself. Every person who has passed through the First Immortal Gate is no ordinary contender. It is said that the rules set by the First Immortal Gate adapt¡ªstrong against the strong and weak against the weak. The trial I faced was not on the same level as yours which is why it was possible for me to pass. Truth be told, I can scarcely believe it myself. My lucky break might be related to the soundwave-based Cultivation Technique and martial skills that I practice.¡±


    Young Master Li was, after all, an adolescent, and his words lacked guile.


    He straightforwardly revealed his own Cultivation Technique and martial skills.


    Qin Niu was five years his senior and much more mature.


    ¡°There are also soundwave types of Cultivation Techniques?¡±


    Qin Niu asked, curious.


    He knew about soundwave martial skills such as Lion¡¯s Roar and Thousand Mile Transmission.


    ¡°Both Cultivation Techniques I practice are of the soundwave type. The Dragon Chant Technique I¡¯m currently practicing does enhance physical strength, but it¡¯s more oriented towards soundwaves. Combined with my soundwave martial skills, its power can increase several fold.¡±


    He even revealed some secrets about himself.


    ¡°All right, all right, there are too many people here, and walls have ears; we shouldn¡¯t discuss too much. Both of you are the youngest and most outstanding talents of our Black Tiger Gang, and seeing that you¡¯ve hit it off, you should interact more privately in the future.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader quickly stopped Young Master Li from continuing.


    Otherwise, the guileless Young Master Li might just reveal even the color of his underwear.


    ¡°Xue Qiuhe, it seems your Black Tiger Gang has no shortage of young prodigies! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good ¡®care¡¯ of them at the Second Immortal Gate when the time comes.¡±


    When she said the word ¡°care,¡± she bit down hard on the sound.


    This enchantress had also successfully passed through the First Immortal Gate.


    And beside her gathered three strong individuals exuding an aura of flames, one of them an Immortal Scholar Realm cultivator.


    Xue Qiuhe¡¯s expression slightly changed.


    ¡°The grudge between us should be settled by us alone; don¡¯t take your anger out on these young people.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang had not easily produced a seventeen-year-old genius at the Immortal Scholar Realm, and the Black Tiger Gang Leader did not wish for Qin Niu to fall inside the Second Immortal Gate.


    He believed that the Nine Insects Gang Leader, that malicious woman, would certainly do what she said she could do.


    ¡°Ha ha, now you¡¯re afraid? I love to see you in agony, weeping, and regretting for the rest of your life. Rest assured, I¡¯ll take very good ¡®care¡¯ of Master Qin Niu. The youngest exceptional Insect Master of the Black Tiger Gang, the youngest Immortal Scholar, tsk tsk, such a treasure indeed!¡±


    She still wore a black cloak, her face obscured.


    But Qin Niu felt her malevolent gaze fixed on him.


    He feigned fear and shrank back a little.


    This subtle act drew another disdainful snort from the Nine Insects Gang Leader.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard there is an Insect Master named Qin in the Black Tiger Gang who can rid people of fire poison; I assume that is you?¡±


    The middle-aged man standing beside the Nine Insects Gang Leader was also an Immortal Scholar Realm cultivator.


    His straight, hawk-like eyebrows that reached into his temples gave off an extremely fierce vibe.


    The energy of flames pulsed within him, most likely a cultivator from the Fire Cloud Tunnel.


    Xue Qiuhe wondered what favor the Nine Insects Gang Leader had done for Fire Cloud Tunnel to have them directly send an Immortal Scholar to support her.


    ¡°My Black Tiger Gang and Fire Cloud Tunnel have always kept to our own affairs; I don¡¯t know why you would side with the Nine Insect Gang against us.¡±


    Xue Qiuhe stepped in front of Qin Niu.


    However, he did not know that with Qin Niu¡¯s current power, he had nothing to fear from the Fire Cloud Tunnel¡¯s attacks of fire poison.


    The middle-aged man was likely to be killed by Qin Niu if they were to engage in a fight.


    ¡°My Fire Cloud Tunnel is open to recruiting talent, and only those who understand the times are considered heroes. As long as your Black Tiger Gang is willing to submit to Fire Cloud Tunnel, there will be no more targeting of your members.¡±


    The middle-aged man spoke indifferently.


    ¡°The rules of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect clearly prohibit affiliated sects from forming cliques. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished by Fire Cloud Tunnel?¡±


    Bai Xuezhu, who couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, interjected.

 Chapter 553 - Chapter 553: Chapter 545: Unconventional Methods and Orthodoxy

    Chapter 553: Chapter 545: Unconventional Methods and Orthodoxy


    Almost every Immortal Sect has this rule: sects under their jurisdiction are prohibited from forming alliances or factions.


    Immortal Sects may seem powerful, but if the subordinate sects were to unite, it would not only be detrimental to management, but they could also potentially band together to rebel.


    ¡°You ungrateful thing!¡±


    The middle-aged man scowled and cursed, then paid no further attention to the people from the Black Tiger Gang.


    The atmosphere became awkward and oppressive for a moment.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader seemed to greatly enjoy this situation, fanning the flames by commenting, ¡°Fellow Daoist Mo, there¡¯s no need to lower yourself to the level of these obstinate fools and damage your health over it. I have dealt with the Black Tiger Gang for many years and am all too familiar with their character. Every one of them is arrogant, never taking a supreme sect like Fire Cloud Tunnel seriously.¡±


    It was a killing remark aimed at the heart.


    This venomous woman was clearly fueling the fire.


    ¡°Hmph, the Black Tiger Gang is nothing more than chickens and ducks in the eyes of Fire Cloud Tunnel. If they dare to misbehave, exterminating them is easy,¡± stated the middle-aged man, utterly undeterred, his eyes flashing with undisguised murderous intent.


    The supreme sect¡¯s arrogance was fully displayed.


    Though the Black Tiger Gang was weak, it was, after all, a sect that had been established for hundreds of years. Yet, this man spoke of annihilating it so casually, which was nothing short of arrogance.


    Bai Xuezhu, along with Gongsun Jin and the others, all showed anger on their faces.


    Even if the other party was an Immortal Master, they would still resist.


    Vice Gang Leader Bai practiced a defensive cultivation technique and was known to be quite resilient. He seemed to never fear powerful adversaries.


    In this respect, he was quite similar to Qin Niu.


    The only difference was that Qin Niu was ruthless inwardly, whereas Bai Xuezhu was openly so.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader chose to back down.


    He clearly did not want to provoke a head-on conflict with Fire Cloud Tunnel, and he tried to avoid their sharpness at all costs whenever there was the slightest room to maneuver. This was the same strategy he had adopted when facing the joint invasion of the Nine Insect Gang and the Shennong Sect.


    After the group backed away, the middle-aged man from Fire Cloud Tunnel surnamed Mo didn¡¯t follow them.


    ¡°It¡¯s too much! This is outright bullying. This year our Black Tiger Gang had so many successfully pass through the First Immortal Gate, and we even have two Immortal Masters. Yet, in the eyes of that Mo surname, we are regarded as chickens and ducks, ready for slaughter,¡± Bai Xuezhu said resentfully.


    ¡°Bai Xuezhu, after all these years, you still have such a fiery temper! It is a great taboo to not behave humbly when your country is weak. Our Black Tiger Gang¡¯s foundations are still shallow, indeed we can¡¯t compare to those supreme sects. What harm is there in giving them a little deference!¡± said the Black Tiger Gang Leader, not wishing to spark a dispute and trying hard to calm his vice leader.


    The group chose a quiet corner to sit down and rest.


    Unless something unexpected happened, they would probably have to wait about three days before they could attempt to pass through the Second Immortal Gate.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Turtle was constantly striving to break through to the tenth level, its body shining with bursts of golden light.


    At first, Qin Niu was somewhat nervous as he protected his Ink Turtle.


    After one day, Qin Niu had become familiar with the environment, and as his Ink Turtle continued to advance, he, as the master, began to secretly observe the other successful challengers.


    He had originally thought that the majority of those who had passed through the First Immortal Gate would be from the Spirit Qi Realm.


    By the sixth day, Qin Niu realized that the number of Spirit Qi Realm experts didn¡¯t even make up half the total. Aside from a few lucky ones from the Innate Realm, only about forty percent were Spirit Qi Realm experts. Surprisingly, the rest were all at the level of Immortal Scholar.


    Even some were no longer in the early stage of the Immortal Warrior Realm but possessed higher cultivation levels.


    Facing so many experts in the Immortal Warrior Realm, Qin Niu felt immense pressure.


    ¡­


    ¡°Gang Leader, may I ask you some questions about cultivation?¡±


    Seizing the opportunity, Qin Niu decided to seek guidance from the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    ¡°As long as I know, I¡¯ll tell you everything, just ask!¡±


    Xue Qiuhe was very kind to these outstanding juniors.


    ¡°Everyone can cultivate to the Immortal Scholar Realm without joining the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, so why do so many Immortal Warriors still scramble to gain a lucky chance to enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect?¡±


    By now, the number of Immortal Warriors present had probably exceeded two hundred.


    More were arriving continuously after successfully passing through the Immortal Gate, transported into this garden.


    ¡°Though one can cultivate to the Immortal Warrior, even Immortal Envoy or Great Immortal Envoy Realm by taking unorthodox paths, there have been talented freaks who cultivated to the Immortal Monarch Realm. For example, the Immortal Monarch of the Longevity Immortal Sect, who took such an unorthodox path.


    It¡¯s said that back in the day, he used the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed, accompanied only by the mountains, without joining any Immortal Sect. Relying solely on his own exploration, he cultivated to the Immortal Monarch Realm.


    Later on, he even managed to establish the Longevity Immortal Sect.


    Unfortunately, he offended the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect and ended up bringing disaster upon his Sect.


    If the Immortal Monarch of Longevity hadn¡¯t perished back then, today his cultivation could have outstripped everyone¡¯s, and he might have even stepped into the Earth Immortal Realm.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader was quite knowledgeable about these historical events.


    Qin Niu had long known that the Longevity Immortal Sect was destroyed by the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect.


    That the Immortal Monarch of Longevity took an unorthodox route without ever attending an Immortal Sect for study was a surprise to him.


    ¡°I dare say, the talent of the Immortal Monarch of Longevity was absolutely one of the best in the world. However, when facing the massacre by the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect, the combat prowess he exhibited was rather pitiful to see. Although many cultivation techniques aren¡¯t meant for combat, their ineffectiveness in battle.


    But once one has reached the Immortal Scholar Realm, the discrepancy between combat and non-combat cultivation techniques is almost entirely obliterated.


    The terrible combat prowess of the Immortal Monarch of Longevity probably has to do with him taking the unorthodox path and not cultivating powerful spells.


    Several factors determine the combat strength of an Immortal Monarch, including spells, pets, magical treasure gear, and the depth of mana. The mana of the Immortal Monarch of Longevity wasn¡¯t weak, but his gear and spells were his biggest weaknesses.


    As for other auxiliary items that could enhance combat power, such as elixirs and talismans, it goes without saying that he couldn¡¯t compare to those from the orthodox Immortal Sects at all.


    We desperately vie for lucky chances to enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect so that we can systematically learn the orthodox spells and techniques of alchemy and tool refinement. Also, if we encounter problems during cultivation, we could have guidance from Immortals, which can help us avoid detours.


    Furthermore, the cultivation environment of the Immortal Sect is also highly desirable.


    Discovering a small secret realm with merely thrice the concentration of spirit qi in the outer world is already against the heavens. However, in the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, the best Blessed Lands can have a hundred times the spirit qi concentration of the outside world. And it can also improve one¡¯s speed of gaining enlightenment.


    Lastly, having a great tree to lean on provides good shade. By entering the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, you also become a member of it, no longer needing to fear being bullied by other Immortal Sects.¡±


    This is akin to joining a powerful organization, having a strong backing.


    With so many benefits, no wonder everyone is so eager and competitive to get into the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    ¡°Are spells only available in Immortal Sects?¡±


    Qin Niu asked curiously.


    Could Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather draw Invisibility Talismans because he understood the invisibility spell?

 Chapter 554 - Chapter 554: Chapter 546 Promotion to Dragon Turtle

    Chapter 554: Chapter 546 Promotion to Dragon Turtle


    ¡°There are some simple spells out there, but the really powerful ones are almost all in the hands of Immortal Sects. It¡¯s very difficult to have the opportunity to cultivate those powerful spells without joining an Immortal Sect. Some powerful Immortal Sects may even possess means more formidable than spells.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader said, filled with longing.


    ¡°What kind of means are those?¡±


    Qin Niu pressed for an answer.


    ¡°Divine Skills, or methods similar to Divine Skills. Take the Law of Heaven and Earth from the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect for example, once it is used, it can directly crush the vast majority of spells.¡±


    ¡°So, from what you¡¯re saying, Divine Skills are so much more powerful than spells, why doesn¡¯t everyone just cultivate Divine Skills directly?¡±


    Qin Niu gained a further understanding of the strength of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect.


    No wonder the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect could dominate the entire cultivation world, and nobody dared to provoke them.


    With the Law of Heaven and Earth, any Immortal Sect that dared to provoke it would be wiped out directly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you imagine. Divine Skills are just a bit more advanced than spells, but to say they are definitely stronger than spells is certainly not correct. Some spells, if well cultivated, can easily defeat or counter some Divine Skills.


    For example, there are many spells that can counter the Law of Heaven and Earth from the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect.


    There once was an Immortal Monarch from a minor sect who, using a very ordinary Freezing Spell, directly defeated two Immortal Monarchs of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect. To this day, the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect still considers the far north forbidden and strictly orders their disciples not to set foot in the far north.¡±


    Freezing Spell?


    Qin Niu thought about the freezing winds sweeping over the land, sealing miles in ice. He had the Ice Lotus and the Fire Lotus, so ordinary Freezing Spells would likely be unable to harm him.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is! Gang Leader, have you cultivated any spells?¡±


    He remembered that during the fight between the Black Tiger Gang and the Nine Insects Gang Leader, the Black Tiger Gang Leader was able to manifest a Golden Crow above his head and, with a single strike of his sword, was almost invincible.


    ¡°Like you, I have just recently entered the Immortal Warrior Realm, and haven¡¯t even been able to convert to mana yet, let alone talk about cultivating spells,¡± the Black Tiger Gang Leader said with a wry smile and a shake of his head.


    If only spells were that easy to cultivate.


    Then when the strong of this world engaged in Magical Combat, it would not involve the clashing of swords, but a sky filled with various spells.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the cultivation power we¡¯ve cultivated in our bodies mana?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    In these profound realms of cultivation, he was completely a beginner.


    ¡°To be precise, what you¡¯re referring to as cultivation power is the True Qi we¡¯ve cultivated in our bodies. Mana is a higher form of energy than True Qi, filled with spirit and identical to the forces of nature. Only with such energy can one cast spells or operate Magic Artifacts and Magical Treasures.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader patiently educated him on these cultivation details.


    ¡°Does this blade count as a Magic Artifact?¡±


    Qin Niu displayed his Ink Blade for him to see.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very good blade. It¡¯s not a Magic Artifact, but it has the potential to evolve into a Magical Treasure. Magical Treasures are more advanced than Magic Artifacts. You must take good care of this blade and think of ways to nurture it so it can evolve into a Magical Treasure sooner.


    By then, your combat power would at least triple.


    It may even increase more than tenfold.


    A formidable Magical Treasure can easily boost an immortal¡¯s combat power by several times.¡±


    Whether it be Immortal Masters, Immortal Monarchs, or even higher-ranking immortals, all of them rely on Magical Treasures for defense or attack during combat.


    Some Magical Treasures are dual-purpose, for both offense and defense.


    This underscores the importance of Magical Treasures.


    If Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade is well nurtured, it has the potential to grow into a formidable Magical Treasure in the future.


    ¡°I can already stimulate this blade with cultivation power without any problems, right? Does this mean that once it advances to a Magical Treasure, I can only use mana to stimulate it?¡±


    ¡°Even for a spiritual weapon like this one, you can use cultivation power to activate it. However, using cultivation power to operate a Magic Artifact only reveals its blade light or Blade Qi, and you can¡¯t unlock its true abilities. If your blade were a Magic Artifact, using cultivation power wouldn¡¯t let it change size or shoot out flames. But if you use mana, it could grow with the wind, turning into a massive sword that¡¯s tens or even dozens of meters long.


    A single slice could level the top of a small mountain.¡±


    With this explanation, Qin Niu understood.


    Using cultivation power to operate a Magic Artifact was basically a waste of its potential.


    ¡°`


    Only by activating them with mana could their true mighty power be revealed.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think of Tian Cheng from the No Peak Sect, which looked as if a mountain had been cut in half at its waist. He wondered if it was the work of an ancient being, wielding a flying sword or Treasured Sword of magical treasure grade, that had cleaved it into such a shape.


    ¡­


    Three days had passed in the blink of an eye.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Diamond Ink Turtle finally succeeded in transforming into a demon, advancing to a Grade Ten Beast Pet last night.


    Its shell emanated a faint golden glow, and its appearance had also undergone significant changes. The aura it radiated made even Qin Niu feel apprehensive.


    Male Dragon Turtle


    Grade: Grade Ten longevity dragon turtle of the turtle and softshell turtle order, level-up experience 100 million (Lesser Demon)


    Lifespan: 100,000 years.


    Energy: 1 billion


    Skills: Swimming third tier 112/1000, Hibernation first tier 0/10, Qi Wave Defense first tier 0.01/10, Water Control third tier 314/1000, Stirring Waves and Billows first tier 0/10, Water Escape first tier 0/10


    Talents: Timid, Defense, Water Mastery


    After the Diamond Ink Turtle advanced to Grade Ten, its attributes changed drastically.


    It must have undergone a significant evolution, similar to a carp leaping through the dragon gate, transforming from an ordinary land turtle into an extremely rare and noble Dragon Turtle.


    Qin Niu secretly guessed that such a drastic change likely had something to do with it consuming the Demon Core of the giant whale.


    With a Demon Beast-level Dragon Turtle on his side, Qin Niu¡¯s future battles in the water would most likely involve him bullying others rather than being bullied.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad saw the Diamond Ink Turtle advance directly from a Grade Five Beast Pet to a Grade Ten Demon Beast, leaving it envious.


    When it looked at Qin Niu, its red frog eyes were full of grievance.


    ¡°The chance that¡¯s meant for you will definitely come, no need to be anxious,¡± he reassured.


    Qin Niu patted its bumpy head.


    Every time he touched the Red-eyed Golden Toad, he felt nauseated; not only was its skin coarse, but it was also chillingly cold, which made for an uncomfortable sensation.


    ¡°The First Immortal Gate has closed!¡±


    As soon as the words of the Black Tiger Gang Leader fell, the powerhouses in the garden stood up one after another, all awaiting their turn to challenge the Second Immortal Gate.


    No one dared to make a loud fuss, however.


    Just as everyone was looking forward with anticipation, that familiar Immortal Might once again enveloped everyone¡¯s heads. Celestial music sounded from above, petals showered down, and auspicious clouds appeared.


    It goes without saying that the Great Immortal Envoy was about to make his appearance.


    True enough, after just a few breaths, the handsome Great Immortal Envoy appeared again.


    He stood proudly in midair, looking down at everyone below.


    ¡°A total of 819 people have passed through the First Immortal Gate, not bad!¡±


    The Great Immortal Envoy seemed pleased with the number, although his emotionless and desire-free face betrayed no expressions.


    ¡°Congratulations to you all for earning the right to challenge the Second Immortal Gate. Now, I will bestow the immortal ribbons upon you.¡±


    With that, he waved his hand and swept it over the crowd below.


    As the white light rained down, a sash made of white light materialized on each person, slanting from their left chest to their shoulder.


    On the sash of condensed white light were enigmatic runes revolving about.


    Qin Niu felt nothing out of the ordinary when the ribbon bound him.


    ¡°Timid Turtle, can you reduce your size?¡±


    Qin Niu communicated with the Dragon Turtle using his Divine Sense.


    The Immortal Might of the Great Immortal Envoy couldn¡¯t suppress him as before, to the point where he could hardly stand upright.


    Upon receiving Qin Niu¡¯s command, the Dragon Turtle indeed began to reduce its size.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 555 - Chapter 555: Chapter 547 Immortal Qi

    Chapter 555: Chapter 547 Immortal Qi


    By the time the Dragon Turtle shrank down to the size of a palm, Qin Niu picked it up and tossed it into the basket on his back.


    After transforming, demon beasts could minimize their physical form, but this was an extremely strenuous task for them.


    Almost all demon beasts preferred maintaining their primal physical state.


    ¡°Those who break through the Second Immortal Gate can become registered disciples of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. The Second Immortal Gate is still within Elixir City, but to break through the gate, one must find a strand of Immortal Qi and refine it. There is another method to pass, gather three Immortal Ribbons and it might automatically unlock the key to the Immortal Gate.¡±


    When the Great Immortal Envoy mentioned the second method, a sly smile crossed his face.


    Qin Niu¡¯s face, however, showed a slight change in expression.


    Every expert who had successfully passed the First Immortal Gate had obtained an Immortal Ribbon. The simplest way to collect three Immortal Ribbons was to forcibly seize them from two other challengers.


    This meant that within the Second Immortal Gate, everyone was at liberty to fight to the death.


    For those seasoned Immortal Masters as well as some formidable Spirit Qi Realm experts, this was highly advantageous. However, for those who had barely scraped through the First Immortal Gate, the Innate Realm experts, and the weaker Spirit Qi Realm experts, the situation would become incredibly dangerous.


    ¡°The path to immortality is fraught with endless hardships and calamities, yet I regret nothing! Whoever fears death can choose to give up before entering the Second Immortal Gate.¡±


    The Great Immortal Envoy delineated a line between life and death for everyone present.


    As long as they didn¡¯t enter the Second Immortal Gate, they could avoid death, but it would also mean giving up this opportunity for immortality.


    Nobody was willing to give up easily after having struggled all the way to the Second Immortal Gate.


    ¡°May I ask, Great Immortal Envoy, what would happen if someone¡¯s Immortal Ribbon is taken during the challenge?¡±


    The speaker was a burly man riding a giant tiger.


    His mount, a White Tiger with hanging eyes, was over six meters long, its fur glinting with a precious light, hinting at the demon power ceaselessly circulating within its body.


    Just this giant tiger alone was enough to defeat most Immortal Masters.


    It was at least a Grade Eleven demon beast.


    No wonder this burly man dared to question the Great Immortal Envoy.


    ¡°With the Immortal Ribbon, you may leave unscathed. Without it, your fate is unpredictable,¡± the Great Immortal Envoy said indifferently.


    Hearing this, the faces of many people became grave.


    The Immortal Ribbon was extremely important; not only was it the key to passing through the Second Immortal Gate, but it also served as a kind of talisman. As long as one had the Immortal Ribbon on them, they wouldn¡¯t encounter great danger.


    ¡°If I want to obtain the Immortal Ribbon from someone else, can I just take it directly?¡±


    ¡°You may convince the other party to offer it willingly, or you may take it by force. When attempting to pass through the Immortal Gate, harmony should be valued. Do not engage in indiscriminate killing!¡±


    Having said this, the Great Immortal Envoy waved his hand, and a Five-Colored Light Gate appeared in the sky.


    ¡°The Second Immortal Gate has been opened; you may all make your decision. This Immortal Gate will stay open for twelve Hours, and the maximum time limit for the challenge is twelve Hours.¡±


    As he finished speaking, the figure of the Great Immortal Envoy gradually disappeared.


    The Immortal Might pressing down on everyone¡¯s heads also dissipated, and some were already eagerly leaping into the Five-Colored Light Gate.


    ¡°Master, since I have no hope of passing the challenge, I might as well give you this Immortal Ribbon,¡± Xiao Qing said to Qin Niu.


    ¡°The Immortal Ribbon cannot be taken off outside, otherwise, it will immediately vanish. Look over there!¡±


    Qin Niu pointed to a young man in the distance. They saw the young man was just taking off the Immortal Ribbon from his body when it disappeared instantly. A wave of exclamations followed, and before the young man could react, he was enveloped in a burst of azure light and disappeared without a trace.


    The crowd let out another series of gasps.


    The rules for passing through the Immortal Gate were stricter than they had imagined.


    If the Immortal Qi ribbon was removed before entering the Immortal Gate, it was equivalent to forfeiting, and one would be immediately cleared out.


    However, taking off the Immortal Qi ribbon inside the Immortal Gate would place oneself in danger.


    As for what choice to make, the experts present believed they already had the answer.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, whether or not to enter the Second Immortal Gate and compete for the chance at immortality, the decision is yours to make. However, I don¡¯t need your Immortal Qi ribbon.¡±


    If Qin Niu was only thinking about exploiting his subordinates to get through the second challenge, then even if he managed to pass the Second Immortal Gate, he would find it very difficult to get through the Third Immortal Gate. He would be nothing more than an immortal slave in the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect for life.


    ¡°Gang Leader, White Gang Leader, Gongsun Gang Leader, I¡¯ll go ahead first!¡±


    After greeting the others, Qin Niu stepped forward and entered directly into the Immortal Gate.


    He did not choose to join the Black Tiger Gang Leader and the others.


    Based on his experience from the First Immortal Gate challenge, it should be very difficult to get through the challenges in the Immortal Gate with companions.


    After entering, Qin Niu found himself surrounded by a vast expanse of white.


    Before he had entered, already about fifty experts had rushed in, yet he could not see a trace of anyone. This confirmed his prediction that in the Second Immortal Gate, one should not count on going through the challenges with companions.


    Qin Niu had his reasons for choosing to enter the Immortal Gate earlier.


    There would definitely be a limited amount of Immortal Qi, and entering earlier could mean finding the hidden Immortal Qi sooner.


    By the time the others had nearly finished searching for the Immortal Qi, those who entered later would definitely be at a disadvantage.


    Qin Niu rushed forward aimlessly, gripping the Ink Blade tightly, ready to confront any danger that might arise.


    A burst of colored light shone from a distant position to his left front, clearly visible even from afar.


    ¡°It¡¯s Immortal Qi, definitely Immortal Qi!¡±


    In this place where everything was shrouded in whiteness, the fact that the colored light was so clear from such a distance could only make him think of Immortal Qi.


    He quickly flew toward it using the Misty Rain Elusive Step.


    When he was only three or four hundred meters from the colored light, a figure suddenly charged from the side. This person acted despicably, likely having lain in ambush here, waiting for someone to pass by in front to launch a surprise attack.


    Luckily, Qin Niu was well prepared and did not panic when faced with this sudden attack.


    Instead, he dodged the lethal blow with the agility of the Misty Rain Elusive Step.


    He also saw the true face of the attacker.


    The attacker was a man in his fifties with a face full of pockmarks, holding a black sword. It was with this sword that he had suddenly thrust at Qin Niu. His sword technique was like a venomous snake¡¯s strike, both swift and ruthless.


    If it were another Immortal Scholar caught unprepared, they could easily be caught off guard.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, what are you doing?¡±


    As Qin Niu shouted angrily, he was also quietly assessing the person¡¯s cultivation level.


    Another Immortal Scholar Realm expert, with a gloomy face and wolf-like fierce and treacherous eyes. One could tell at a glance that this was no good Samaritan.


    Defeating two people and obtaining their Immortal Qi ribbons was enough to pass the second challenge.


    This was fatally tempting for any challenger.


    Qin Niu felt that fighting this person to the death was too risky, and he decisively prepared to give up.


    Although he was somewhat disgruntled at being attacked by surprise.


    But as an adult, sometimes one must endure when it is necessary to endure.


    ¡°Haha, just kidding with you! You¡¯re young but quite cautious, little brother!¡±


    The man laughed it off and then left with an air of nonchalance.

 Chapter 556 - Chapter 556: Chapter 548: Showing Off in the Presence of an Expert is Folly

    Chapter 556: Chapter 548: Showing Off in the Presence of an Expert is Folly


    Perhaps through the skirmish just now, he too realized that Qin Niu was not easy to provoke.


    After the recent ambush, Qin Niu had become even more cautious. He kept his direction unchanged, continuing towards the location of that colorful light.


    Seizing two strands of Immortal Ribbons was no easy feat.


    Those Spirit Qi Realm experts were no fools, either; upon entering the Immortal Gate, they would surely find ways to conceal their tracks, to avoid being targeted by experts of the Immortal Master level.


    As for Qin Niu snatching from other Immortal Masters, that was out of the question.


    He, a newly promoted Immortal Master, had neither the combat experience nor the fighting strength to compare with those veteran Immortal Masters. Many of them had been cultivating for hundreds of years, and were beyond what a newcomer like him could compare with.


    In the midst of his rush, a swarm of poison bees suddenly flew out from the surroundings, clearly having laid ambush for a long time, and suddenly striking at Qin Niu from all around.


    There were roughly seventy to eighty bees in total, each the size of an adult¡¯s fist.


    From the sparks of electricity on their wings, it was evident that these entirely dark poison bees must have reached at least the Eighth Grade.


    Even amongst the alien species, it was difficult for one to have electric sparks flashing unless they reached the Eighth Grade.


    The ambush by around seventy to eighty poison bees of Eighth Grade or above was incredibly terrifying.


    ¡°No, there are at least twenty of these poison bees that have reached Ninth Level,¡± Qin Niu assessed. As an Insect Master, he carefully observed and soon discerned the individual grades of the swarm, deciding not to judge based on their size.


    While their sizes seemed similar, the tones of their color varied in intensity.


    The wings also had slight differences.


    The wings of Ninth Level poison bees were a bit darker, and the patterns on them were more intricate.


    Since their main changes from evolving to Ninth Level manifested in their wings, that meant their flying capabilities must have greatly improved.


    The poison bees maintained uniform flying speeds while launching their attack.


    It was likely an intentional ploy to lull Qin Niu into complacency, to then accelerate suddenly for a fiercer assault once they were near, catching Qin Niu off guard and securing their attack.


    Swarming ants can bite an elephant to death.


    Ninth Level poison bees were equivalent to Spirit Qi Realm experts.


    With over twenty Ninth Level poison bees and more than sixty Eighth Level poison bees launching an attack simultaneously, it was akin to over twenty Spirit Qi Realm experts and sixty-plus Innate Realm experts besieging Qin Niu alone.


    He hadn¡¯t even managed to cultivate his mana yet, placing him at the weakest realm among those in the Immortal Master level.


    Facing an ambush of such magnitude, just a moment of carelessness could result in instant death.


    ¡°This is high-level food delivered to my doorstep! Attack!¡± Qin Niu ordered.


    Not only did Qin Niu release his Green Demon Bee and Shadow Fire Bee to fend off the enemy, but he also commanded his Red-eyed Golden Toad to act.


    This Wart Toad had longed to consume some high-level bugs for evolution but had found no opportunity. Now, with so many Ninth Level poison bees, it was definitely a substantial nourishment for it.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad was an Eighth Grade Beast Pet, and if it could devour a few more Ninth Level bugs, there was a great hope for it to advance to the Ninth Level.


    Perhaps the sight of the Diamond Ink Turtle directly advancing to a Demon Beast had stimulated it.


    At this moment, the Red-eyed Golden Toad abandoned its usual lethargy; its tongue shot out repeatedly, pulling one bee after another into its mouth.


    In just a moment, it had swallowed three Ninth Level poison bees.


    After being captured, these poison bees naturally refused to die without a fight; they attempted to retaliate with their poison stingers, inflicting non-negligible injuries. Its mouth was already swollen from the stings.


    Nevertheless, this did nothing to dampen its enthusiasm for preying on the poison bees.


    Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee had struggled to reach the Tenth Grade and had never succeeded. Now faced with such high-level nourishment, it showed no courtesy either.


    It launched into a frenzied slaughter against the poison bees.


    On the other hand, Qin Niu¡¯s Termite Army, due to their slow advancement in grades, had now become merely decorative.


    There was no helping it; who asked for his own cultivation to progress so rapidly?


    Since the Termite Army was numerous, their advancement was inherently slow. They couldn¡¯t keep up with their master¡¯s pace, which was nothing out of the ordinary.


    ¡°`


    It¡¯s not to say that they¡¯re entirely useless.


    If they encounter an insect army equivalent to their level, they can immediately play a significant role.


    Qin Niu took down eight or nine of the more than eighty Poison Bees almost as soon as he encountered them. Moreover, those eliminated were all Ninth Level Poison Bees from the bee flock.


    It must be said that his Insect Pets and Beast Pets have a knack for choosing their enemies. They always target the strongest.


    ¡°Stop, stop! Young brother, we can talk this out, there is room for discussion!¡±


    The middle-aged man who had previously ambushed Qin Niu once again made an appearance.


    He yelled at Qin Niu to immediately cease his attack.


    ¡°Are these Poison Bees yours?¡±


    Quin Niu had no intentions of stopping but continued commanding his pets to attack.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, they¡¯re a batch of Insect Pets that I raised, each one not easy to come by. I implore the young brother to show mercy,¡± the man said while watching his Poison Bees swiftly be eliminated, hopping mad with anxiety.


    He gripped his precious sword tightly, its brilliance flickering as he considered attacking, yet he was cautious of Qin Niu¡¯s pets being too formidable and dared not act rashly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve ambushed me time and again, and now you want me to stop?¡±


    Qin Niu quietly clenched his Ink Blade.


    He had originally planned to quickly reach the place where the colored light had appeared, vying for the Immortal Qi.


    Now that he had encountered this easy target, it would be difficult to ensure his safety unless he dealt with this person. The man¡¯s repeated ambushes had thoroughly provoked Qin Niu¡¯s killing intent.


    ¡°Stop your hand!¡±


    The middle-aged man swung his sword at Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bees and Shadow Fire Bees, striking fiercely.


    Two rather impressive Shadow Fire Bees were chopped down on the spot.


    ¡°Damn, trouble doesn¡¯t call itself trouble; it¡¯s just treachery!¡±


    Qin Niu inwardly sighed, wishing Green Ox had come along too.


    He wasn¡¯t too confident about dealing with an Immortal Master.


    But since the other party had already bullied him to this extent, retreating would only lead to a dead end. He no longer considered backing down but instead directly ordered the Green Demon Bees to attack his opponent.


    ¡°Dare to curse your Lord¡¯s house, then I might as well cut out your tongue first,¡± the man said.


    Upon hearing Qin Niu curse him for treachery, the middle-aged man¡¯s face immediately turned green with rage. Gnashing his teeth, he brandished his sword at Qin Niu. His swordplay was tricky and cruel, hard to defend against.


    Qin Niu simply raised his hand and delivered a chop with his blade.


    The opponent¡¯s sword moves were complicated and tricky, but Qin Niu¡¯s was a simple chop, performing his most proficient Slash Martial Skill.


    Bang!


    The clash of sword and blade resounded, Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade was undamaged, yet the opponent¡¯s precious sword emitted a mournful wail.


    Seizing the advantage with one chop, he followed with another.


    This chop combined the effects of Rupture and Critical Chop.


    The middle-aged man grunted heavily, forced to wield his sword in defense again. However, having been at a disadvantage once, he did not choose to collide head-on this time.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very good blade you have there, a pity it¡¯s in your hands. The same move over and over, such a waste,¡± he said, eyeing Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade.


    During their brief skirmish, he had already noticed that Qin Niu¡¯s Ink Blade was no ordinary spiritual weapon.


    But before he could launch a stronger attack, something stung the back of his neck.


    Turning his head, he saw it was Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 557 - Chapter 557: Chapter 549: Reap the Benefits Without Offering Help

    Chapter 557: Chapter 549: Reap the Benefits Without Offering Help


    Since he was dealing with an Immortal Master this time, Qin Niu dared not be the slightest bit careless.


    Within the Second Immortal Gate, countless strong figures lay hidden, opportunists lurking at every corner. The moment they saw Qin Niu injured or showing a weakness, they would not hesitate to attack and kill him, or subdue him.


    After all, finding Immortal Qi was much harder than taking two Immortal Ribbons from other challengers.


    If one was lucky, just encountering two Spirit Qi Realm Experts was enough to easily rob them of their Immortal Ribbons.


    Experts of the Spirit Qi Realm were simply not on the same level as an Immortal Master.


    Unless they had special methods, upon facing an Immortal Master, they were basically like lambs waiting for the slaughter.


    Qin Niu originally did not wish to contend with other Immortal Masters, let alone gamble with his life.


    But this pockmarked individual was clearly targeting him, so rather than being sneak attacked repeatedly, it was better to eliminate the threat once and for all.


    The Green Demon Bee had now grown to a pinnacle level close to the Ninth Level; among all his Insect Pets, it was Qin Niu¡¯s strongest trump card. It was even more formidable than the Mirage Insect, which had become a Demon Insect.


    In order to elicit the Green Demon Bee¡¯s strongest combat power, Qin Niu had even allowed it to undergo Demonization.


    The uses of the Green Demon Bee¡¯s demonized abilities were still unknown at this point.


    It was only known that after its Demonization, its combat power would increase several-fold.


    After successfully ambushing and stinging the pockmarked Immortal Master, the Green Demon Bee instantly transformed into a shadowy figure and flew toward the distance. Its flight speed was already extreme, and now after Demonization, it had further increased.


    It was almost indistinguishable from the fabled ability to flee through the air.


    One could see its form flickering in and out of visibility in midair, incredibly indistinct.


    Another ability it gained after Demonization was particularly remarkable, directly disregarding the Aura Barrier that the Immortal Master had condensed around his body and easily piercing through it. It was with this ability that it could ambush successfully.


    ¡°How can your venomous bee be so formidable?¡±


    The pockmarked man covered his neck, his face full of terror.


    He felt the terrible venom of the Green Demon Bee rapidly corroding his body and soul. He took out a Detoxification Pill, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it forcefully. But the Detoxification Pill turned out to be useless.


    Mobilizing the Cultivation Power within his body to resist the bee¡¯s poison was equally futile.


    This wickedly potent bee venom truly terrified the pockmarked man to his core.


    ¡°Zhuang admits his mistake; please show mercy, fellow Daoist! I willingly offer my Immortal Ribbon to you.¡±


    The pockmarked man was thoroughly panicked.


    He was, after all, an old monster who had lived for several centuries. Realizing he was at a disadvantage, he promptly begged for mercy.


    Desperate to make Qin Niu spare his life, he decisively gave up on this chance at Immortal fate, removed the Immortal Ribbon from his body, and handed it over to Qin Niu.


    ¡°I will accept the Immortal Ribbon.¡±


    Qin Niu unceremoniously reached out and took the Immortal Ribbon.


    Upon merging with Qin Niu¡¯s own Immortal Ribbon, one could see it became slightly more solidified, with no other changes.


    ¡°The antidote, give me the antidote quickly!¡±


    The pockmarked man¡¯s face had turned pitch black, his expression distorted, veins bulging prominently on his neck. Moreover, his veins were showing a dark blue-black color, significantly different from the normal blue of healthy individuals.


    This was a sign that the venom had reached his heart and spread throughout his bloodstream.


    The pockmarked man¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and even small amounts of black blood leaked from them; he looked quite terrifying to behold.


    ¡°Sorry, there is no antidote for my venomous bee¡¯s poison.¡±


    Qin Niu shook his head indifferently.


    The Green Demon Bee, the culmination of the Green Demon¡¯s lifetime efforts to breed an alien species, did not disappoint in its combat prowess. Even a powerful Immortal Master, once stung, was doomed to depart this world.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Hearing Qin Niu refuse to provide an antidote, the pockmarked man¡¯s face immediately showed rage and murderous intent.


    But in the end, he was an old monster who had lived for several centuries, his temperament not comparable to that of the younger generation.


    He quickly suppressed the anger in his heart.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, we hold no deep grudges, and here is my accumulation of many years, all for you. I only hope you will take pity on my difficult years of cultivating and spare me a path to live.¡± Ma Zi directly took a small pouch from his waist and threw it to Qin Niu.


    The material of the pouch was extremely special, like it was made of fine linen woven with gold threads, yet it felt very soft in hand.


    The pouch was only about the size of two palms, covered with dense, tiny runes.


    Qin Niu held it in his hand and felt that it was very light.


    He thought to himself, could it be that silver notes and gold notes were all inside?


    Looking at the weight, even if it was filled with large denomination gold notes, there would only be tens of thousands of taels at most.


    However, he had spent quite a bit of money on his journey, and having a large sum of income would just be enough to offset his expenses.


    ¡°I truly do not have the antidote for this poison bee, Fellow Daoist Zhuang, please do as you wish.¡±


    Qin Niu was taking the advantage while denying the antidote.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re being too outrageous! Zhuang will fight you with his life!¡±


    After seeing that all his life savings had been handed over yet Qin Niu still refused to give him the antidote, Ma Zi couldn¡¯t contain his fury any longer. A fierce light gleamed in his eyes, and he lunged with his sword, ready to fight Qin Niu to the death.


    ¡°You are seeking your own death, don¡¯t blame Qin for being ruthless.¡±


    Qin Niu swung his blade and chopped at the attacking Ma Zi.


    Bang!


    The two clashed head-on with a single move, and Qin Niu stepped back. Ma Zi¡¯s face surged with layers of black qi, with black blood flowing from his eyes, nostrils, and ears. His entire body shook violently.


    One moment he was clutching his head, the next he was clutching his belly.


    He appeared to be in great pain.


    Already afflicted with the Green Demon Bee¡¯s venom, his struggle with Qin Niu would only speed up the spread of the poison.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drag you down with me even if I die today!¡±


    Ma Zi, sensing his inevitable death, became desperately vicious in his expression and made a move to rush at Qin Niu in a self-destructive attempt.


    However, Qin Niu, foreseeing this, did not engage in a life-and-death struggle, but performed the Misty Rain Elusive Step to increase the distance between them.


    Now, before Ma Zi could even reach him, Qin Niu had swiftly escaped to a distant place, disappearing from Ma Zi¡¯s sight in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Ah ah ah¡­ Bastard!¡±


    Ma Zi wanted to drag him down with him, but unfortunately, his target had already vanished.


    Once triggered, there was no stopping the self-destruction.


    Boom!


    The earth shook and the terrifying force of the explosion wreaked havoc in all directions, causing trouble for three onlookers who had hidden nearby to watch the commotion, hoping to benefit from it.


    Two of them were too close and were severely injured on the spot.


    Another lurker reacted quickly and escaped in time, using protective equipment, but still incurred some minor injuries.


    ¡°Madman!¡±


    Qin Niu shook his head, thankful for his quick reaction. After exchanging one hard blow with his opponent, he immediately created distance.


    The power of an Immortal Master¡¯s self-destruction was truly terrifying.


    Recalling how Elder Jiu Yin and Bai Xuezhu fought to the death, directly causing two Spirit Qi Realm guards to self-destruct, Qin Niu still felt psychologically scarred to this day.


    It was precisely because he knew the power of self-destruction that he had reserved extra caution in his fight with Ma Zi.


    Those two lurkers hoping to profit from their misfortune, who were severely injured by the blast, stirred up an idea in Qin Niu.


    He already had two Immortal Strips. By snatching one more, he could immediately pass through the second barrier.


    In this place, one could become prey at any moment; the sooner one passed the barrier, the safer it was.

 Chapter 558 - Chapter 558: Chapter 550: Elite Hunter

    Chapter 558: Chapter 550: Elite Hunter


    The two injured individuals, one was in the latter stages of the Spirit Qi Realm, while the other had even reached the level of an Immortal Master.


    Qin Niu¡¯s target was that middle-aged man in the latter stages of the Spirit Qi Realm.


    This person was short in stature with a sleazy face.


    Earlier, during the scuffle between Qin Niu and Mazzi, if either Qin Niu or Mazzi were injured, or if a flaw was exposed during the fight, this person might have suddenly struck with a deadly blow.


    However, man¡¯s plans are inferior to those of heaven; he didn¡¯t find an opportunity to capitalize on the situation but instead got injured by the explosion.


    Pick the soft persimmons to pinch.


    This person¡¯s cultivation level was a full major realm weaker than Qin Niu¡¯s, and now he was also seriously injured ¨C if not him, then who else would Qin Niu kill?


    Qin Niu immediately turned around and approached this person.


    At the same time, Green Demon Bees and Shadow Fire Bees were mobilized.


    Mazzi¡¯s self-destruction had just killed several of Qin Niu¡¯s Shadow Fire Bees. However, this loss was negligible for Qin Niu.


    Originally, his plan was to feed Mazzi¡¯s corpse to the Green Demon Bees if he could kill Mazzi, in hopes of helping the Green Demon Bees advance to level ten quickly. But since his opponent had self-destructed, Qin Niu had to think of another way.


    First, gather the three Immortal Ribbons and get through this challenge.


    What Qin Niu did not expect was that the heavily injured Immortal Master actually made the first move.


    With a single sword strike, he killed the man in the latter stages of the Spirit Qi Realm and snatched away the Immortal Ribbon.


    Seeing how fierce this person was, Qin Niu immediately stopped in his tracks and recalled the poison bees that he had released. Despite being seriously injured in Mazzi¡¯s self-destruction, this person¡¯s combat strength was profoundly formidable.


    Qin Niu was not sure he would come out on top if he approached now.


    After the Immortal Master killed the short man with a sword, it seemed that he had expended a great deal of energy; his body kept swaying, looking like he might collapse at any moment.


    It seemed as if he was at the end of his strength.


    Qin Niu had been ready to give up on this target, but seeing the Immortal Master¡¯s weakness, he immediately contemplated killing the man and seizing the Immortal Ribbons. However, after just a few steps forward and a careful observation, he still noticed something amiss.


    The Immortal Master appeared to be an old man in his fifties, with grey hair and a lean figure.


    Logically, with such severe injuries, even if he did not fall, he should at least be sitting on the ground to rest.


    Yet, the old man leaned on his sword, his body continuously shaking, but he never sat down.


    Moreover, Qin Niu had a strong intuition of extreme danger emanating from this person.


    He had always trusted his intuitions.


    An Immortal Master, despite being gravely injured, still posed an extreme danger to him. Either the man possessed a powerful trump card, or his injuries were feigned.


    The most elite hunters often appeared in the guise of prey.


    The sword strike that killed the short man earlier was quite decisive.


    With these premonitions, Qin Niu decisively chose to wait and see, not rushing to take action.


    If the risk was too high, he would give up decisively.


    He could control his greed, but that did not mean others could as well.


    The Immortal Master who had suffered minor injuries unexpectedly returned, this time with a clear target ¨C the heavily injured old man.


    Because the old man already possessed two Immortal Ribbons. If he was killed, one could immediately pass through the Second Immortal Gate.


    This temptation was too much for most to resist.


    The lightly injured Immortal Master possessed profound Step-Method Martial Skills. Earlier, it was by relying on this set of skills that he sped away from the center of the explosion, thus avoiding a worse fate.


    In the blink of an eye, he was already behind the old man.


    The old man appeared grievously injured and tottering on the brink of collapse, seemingly unaware even when someone approached him from behind.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The lightly injured Immortal Master, who looked to be in his thirties or forties, very young, struck with extreme ruthlessness.


    ¡°`


    He kept silent, gripping a short sword, preparing for a stealth attack.


    This was also to prevent the old man from detecting him.


    He even refrained from channeling his cultivation power to activate the short sword in advance.


    Just then, an unexpected change occurred.


    The severely injured old man, who seemed on the verge of collapse at any moment, incredibly dodged the sword strike and, with extreme ferocity, counterattacked the assailant. His return blow was just as clean and decisive, beheading with a single stroke, without any fanciful maneuvers.


    Qin Niu could clearly see that when the old man swung his sword, it was as though he could control the entire area.


    The Immortal Master, who had only suffered minor injuries, tried to block and dodge the old man¡¯s sword strike, but his body seemed to be bound by an invisible force, unable to move. Even the expressions of terror and panic on his face did not fully appear until after his head had fallen to the ground.


    It appeared that in the face of the old man¡¯s sword technique, his reactions were incredibly sluggish.


    Such a bizarre situation caused Qin Niu to break out in a cold sweat.


    If he had made his move just now, he most likely would have become the prey.


    After the old man seized another Immortal Badge, his body was enveloped in a white light, and then he disappeared without a trace.


    If Qin Niu wasn¡¯t mistaken, the old man had passed the second trial.


    After collecting three Immortal Badges, one would automatically be transported out by the Immortal Gate.


    ¡°I need to figure out a way to obtain another Immortal Badge.¡±


    After witnessing the bloody struggle, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but worry about Xiao Qing.


    She was only at the Spirit Qi Realm and cultivated a technique that was not proficient in combat, which was far too dangerous in this place.


    He hoped that she would give up directly and not enter the Second Immortal Gate.


    Qin Niu remembered seeing a rainbow light up ahead. Instinctively, he looked up in that direction, only to find that the light had disappeared. It seemed that the strand of Immortal Qi there had already been successfully refined by someone else.


    He had no choice but to change direction and search elsewhere for targets.


    Whether he encountered Immortal Qi or other challengers weaker than himself, he would attack without hesitation.


    Now he just hoped to break through as quickly as possible.


    The longer he stayed inside, the more dangerous his situation became.


    Both the Nine Insects Gang Leader and the Immortal Master surnamed Mo from the Fire Cloud Tunnel wished to kill Qin Niu. If he ran into these people, he couldn¡¯t avoid a fierce battle.


    The Fire Cloud Tunnel was incredibly powerful, and Qin Niu had no desire to face them head-on.


    As he pressed on, he spotted a faint rainbow light not far ahead to the right, and his heart leaped with joy. Good fortune was on his side; it was very likely another strand of Immortal Qi.


    Its rainbow light was weak, and it was very close to Qin Niu, suggesting that it might be an undiscovered strand of Immortal Qi.


    Qin Niu sped up towards that direction.


    In the blink of an eye, he reached the source of the light. There, a hair-thin wisp of five-colored Qi floated quietly three feet above the ground, exuding liveliness and emitting faint rainbow light.


    ¡°So this is Immortal Qi, it looks quite advanced. I wonder how to refine it?¡±


    Qin Niu took precaution as he reached out for the Immortal Qi.


    The moment his hand touched the Immortal Qi, it reacted like a startled wild ox, struggling to fly away, bursting with intense multicolored light.


    Instinctively, Qin Niu caught it firmly in his hand, then channeled the cultivation power within his body towards the Immortal Qi, enveloping and rapidly refining it.


    Since the Immortal Qi was disturbed, it emitted an extremely intense rainbow light.


    This would allow challengers far away to see it.


    Soon there would be a large number of challengers rushing over.


    Though the strand of Immortal Qi was as thin as a strand of hair, when refining it, his cultivation power felt like it encountered an invisible barrier, making it very difficult to advance.


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 559 - Chapter 559: Chapter 551 Slaying Immortal Masters Like Butchering Dogs

    Chapter 559: Chapter 551 Slaying Immortal Masters Like Butchering Dogs


    ¡°`


    The longer the delay, the more powerful individuals are attracted.


    With Qin Niu¡¯s level of cultivation, encountering any moderately strong opponent could lead to serious injury, even death.


    It really is a case of fearing the worst and having it happen.


    A figure hurried over, and even from a distance of more than ten meters, one could feel the powerful aura emanating from this person.


    The newcomer was a burly old man with snow-white hair, with a purple beast perched on his shoulder, no bigger than a four or five-month-old kitten. With its round head, sharp snout, lethal claws, and fluffy tail, it was surely a purple marten.


    The beast moved swiftly and had a rather fierce nature.


    Qin Niu, already possessing two demon beasts, was more than familiar with their aura. He instantly surmised that this purple marten had reached the level of a demon beast.


    Moreover, it was most likely a Grade Eleven demon beast, far more formidable than those newly demonized Grade Ten ones.


    An Immortal Master plus a Grade Eleven demon beast, that was just the strength that was visible on the surface.


    The old man stared at Qin Niu for a while, hesitation apparent in his eyes.


    He did not make a move, but neither did he leave; he simply watched Qin Niu refine the Immortal Qi.


    The more he did so, the greater the pressure on Qin Niu.


    If the old man had rushed over to attack, Qin Niu would have had less to worry about. The old man¡¯s calm observation indicated he was cautious and strategic. Such a person, once they chose to attack, was sure to strike with overwhelming force, confident of their victory before they acted.


    While Qin Niu remained on guard, he hastened the refining of the Immortal Qi.


    He found that even though the Immortal Qi was difficult to refine, his persistent efforts were paying off, slowly breaking down its outer defenses. At the current rate, it would take him just about quarter of an hour to fully refine the Immortal Qi.


    By then, he would also have overcome the second obstacle.


    This stream of Immortal Qi, seemingly very slight, belonged to a higher order of energy. Refining it would be greatly beneficial for enhancing Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation power.


    Since advancing to the Immortal Scholar Realm, he increasingly felt the difficulty of cultivation.


    There is a fundamental difference between the immortal and the mundane.


    The cultivation methods that one needed to grasp in the Immortal Scholar Realm were still very obscure to him.


    Time was rapidly passing, and Qin Niu had already succeeded in refining the outer defenses of the Immortal Qi. His cultivation power began to seep into it, and in a bit more time, he would be able to completely refine this Immortal Qi.


    As his cultivation power penetrated it, he sensed a kind of high-level energy he had never encountered before.


    It was very close to natural energy, yet distinctly different.


    The energy within the Immortal Qi was ethereal, pure, sacred, inspiring an innate fondness and longing.


    The old man watched as Qin Niu was about to refine the Immortal Qi, still showing no intention of fighting for it, just calmly observing. Such caution and composure suggested the old man must have accumulated hundreds of years of experience in the ways of the world.


    Qin Niu was pleased to coexist peacefully with the other party.


    Since there was more than one stream of Immortal Qi here, even if he refined this one, the old man still had other chances to find more.


    The old man was clearly aware of this fact, which explained his composed demeanor.


    However, Qin Niu was not so naive as to think the old man was kind-hearted. Should Qin Niu expose any weakness, making the old man see an opportunity, he would act without hesitation.


    The current inaction was merely waiting for the right moment.


    Just as Qin Niu was about to refine the Immortal Qi, another strong individual arrived.


    The newcomer was an acquaintance, a fellow named Mo from Huoyun Cave who had ties with the Nine Insect Gang.


    ¡°Hey, it indeed is a stream of Immortal Qi, Mo¡¯s luck isn¡¯t bad at all!¡±


    This person was at the Immortal Master level and had already demonstrated an extremely arrogant and domineering demeanor outside. Now, by the sound of it, he already considered the Immortal Qi his for the taking.


    ¡°`


    He glanced casually at the elder, then, without a second word, struck Qin Niu with his palm.


    Flames spewed from his palm.


    The elder still chose to watch from the sidelines and did not take the opportunity to attack.


    Facing such an enemy of the Immortal Scholar Realm, there were very few insect pets that could be of use to Qin Niu.


    He released the Shadow Fire Bee and the Green Demon Bee at the same time.


    Shadow Fire Bees, born amidst fire, were not afraid of the fire techniques of the Huoyun Cave Cultivator. The Green Demon Bee was more sinister with its Grade One demon body and ability to undergo demonization; it should be immune to fire and poison attacks as well.


    In order to make the Huoyun Cave Immortal Master overconfident, Qin Niu deliberately refrained from using the Ink Blade to meet the enemy. Instead, he feigned panic and met the palm with his own.


    Seeing this, the Immortal Master with the surname Mo smiled triumphantly at the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°This young man knows neither heaven nor earth, daring to hard block this palm. He¡¯ll soon come to understand the severity of the fire-poison,¡± he thought.


    Bang!


    Their palms collided.


    Qin Niu¡¯s cultivation power was not as profound as his opponent¡¯s, and since he had never practiced palm techniques, he was no match for the man. He was forced to retreat repeatedly, his throat rolling as a wisp of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.


    The terrifying fire poison madly surged into his body.


    But it did not cause any damage to his body; instead, it was absorbed by his Fire Lotus and transformed into the power of the Medicine King Sutra.


    A large number of Shadow Fire Bees and the mixed-in Green Demon Bee took advantage of their palm collision to launch an attack.


    The Green Demon Bee, as fast as lightning, pierced through Mo¡¯s defenses and successfully stung his right hand¡ªthe very one that had struck Qin Niu.


    It would have been better to target the man¡¯s head or face, but since he was wearing armor that protected his neck and other vital parts, the Green Demon Bee was forced to attack a more accessible area.


    Fortunately, its stealth attack was successful.


    As for the Shadow Fire Bees, they became mere supporting actors, serving only to provide cover.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ those detestable insects!¡± the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master cursed in pain after being stung, swinging a palm toward the Shadow Fire Bees in the air.


    As for the Green Demon Bee, it had already slyly returned to Qin Niu¡¯s side.


    It possessed the potential of a demon lord, preferring to launch stealth attacks against enemies and, irrespective of the outcome, retreating immediately afterward. Despite its formidable strength, it liked to use such sneaky tactics.


    And it was extremely cautious about its own life.


    Qin Niu seized the opportunity to continue refining that strand of Immortal Qi, just a bit away from completely assimilating it.


    To prevent any accidents, he even stealthily ordered the Dragon Turtle to be on high alert.


    If the elder attempted a surprise attack, the Dragon Turtle could rely on its strong defensive abilities to block all attacks for Qin Niu.


    Some of the Shadow Fire Bees were hit by the palm wind of the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master and, unfortunately, were knocked out of the sky and tumbled to the ground.


    The rest dodged flexibly and continued to harass the enemy.


    The Mo-surnamed Immortal Master didn¡¯t realize that the poisonous bee that attacked him was of another species; he foolishly thought it was the doing of the Shadow Fire Bees. After being stung, he became highly vigilant against them.


    ¡°Once bitten, twice shy.¡±


    He did not want to be stung again.


    Little did he know that he had already missed the best chance to save himself.


    Qin Niu commanded the Shadow Fire Bees to continue their stealth attacks in order to prevent the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master from severing his own arm to save his life. The Green Demon Bee¡¯s venom was incurable, but since the sting was on the back of the hand, if he amputated that arm immediately, the poison could not spread throughout his body.

 Chapter 560 - Chapter 560: Chapter 552: Securing the Position as a Registered Disciple

    Chapter 560: Chapter 552: Securing the Position as a Registered Disciple


    Unfortunately, the man was completely unaware of how terrifying the poison of the Green Demon Bee was.


    Even the venom of Fourth wasn¡¯t as dreadful as that of the Green Demon Bee.


    Perhaps only when Fourth grew to the Ninth Level, and continuously evolved his venom, could he possibly match the Green Demon Bee.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t so much as give another glance at the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master who was desperately swatting at and killing the Shadow Fire Bees, but instead focused on accelerating the refinement of the Immortal Qi. From the palm strike a moment ago, he had sustained some injuries.


    However, the most dangerous fire poison was ineffective against him.


    Moreover, the Everlasting Spring Technique he cultivated possessed strong healing abilities; such injuries were healed in an instant.


    ¡°Ah¡­ how can this bee poison be so domineering?¡±


    It was at this time that the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master finally realized something was wrong.


    He was horrified to discover that the bee poison had spread throughout his body, and the cultivation power within him couldn¡¯t suppress that poison.


    ¡°You little beast, hand over the antidote immediately!¡±


    the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master shouted sternly.


    On the brink of death, he was still putting on airs as if from the Fire Cloud Tunnel, truly clueless about what death meant.


    Qin Niu blatantly ignored him, continuing to focus on refining the Immortal Qi.


    The elder who had been watching all along saw that the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master¡¯s face was now blackened, his arms enveloped in dark qi, and couldn¡¯t help feeling his face pale. Without a second word, he immediately distanced himself from Qin Niu and also took out a cloak-like piece of equipment to wear, enhancing his defense.


    Just now, he had clearly seen that Qin Niu¡¯s poison bee, when launching its attack, easily penetrated the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master¡¯s protective qi shield.


    With the speed of light and the abnormal power to break through defenses, along with its terrifying venom, the poison bee made a slaughter of the strong Mo-surnamed disciple from the Fire Cloud Tunnel seem like play.


    The elder secretly rejoiced that he hadn¡¯t acted rashly just now.


    This young man with the basket on his back was too terrifying.


    Even after distancing himself by nearly a hundred meters from Qin Niu, he still didn¡¯t feel safe.


    The elder didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately turned to flee toward the distance. It was more of a flight prompted by stark terror.


    His escape unexpectedly drew out two strong individuals who had been lurking and observing from the shadows.


    One from the Spirit Qi Realm, one from the Immortal Scholar Realm, both revealed themselves and hastily took off.


    Fear is indeed contagious.


    Seeing the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master from the Fire Cloud Tunnel suffer from the poison, they couldn¡¯t help but be afraid.


    At this time, Qin Niu had finally completely refined the Immortal Qi.


    He directly absorbed it into his body.


    Once the Immortal Qi sank into his Dantian, it suppressed all other cultivation power within him, like a king; they congregated around the threadlike Immortal Qi as their core.


    The Mo-surnamed Immortal Master staggered toward Qin Niu.


    ¡°Mo someone is an Executor of the Fire Cloud Tunnel, if you don¡¯t hand over the antidote today and anything happens to Mo, you will bear the wrath of the Fire Cloud Tunnel,¡± he threatened with a grim face.


    Having successfully refined the Immortal Qi and feeling a significant boost to his strength, Qin Niu quietly thought it was good stuff.


    At this moment, a strong force seemed to be transporting him out.


    The force was intensifying rapidly.


    Seeing the Mo-surnamed Immortal Master lunging at him, Qin Niu waved his hand and unleashed a strike with his blade.


    The Mo-surnamed Immortal Master hadn¡¯t expected that, after announcing the name of the Fire Cloud Tunnel, Qin Niu would not only refuse to give him the antidote but also dared to strike with lethal force.


    In his haste, he tried to dodge, but due to the bee poison, he was already too weak.


    He couldn¡¯t avoid it.


    With no other choice, he could only draw his treasured sword to defend himself.


    Bang!


    This resistance was more a symbolic gesture than anything else. The Ink Blade easily cleaved it in two, and with undiminished momentum, it split the body of the Mo-named Immortal Master in half.


    A pitiful Immortal Master met his untimely and inexplicable death.


    At the very moment he was slain, the Immortal Ribbons on his body automatically flew to Qin Niu¡¯s.


    An overwhelmingly strong teleportation force spirited Qin Niu away.


    When his vision returned to normal, Qin Niu found himself back in the garden he¡¯d been in before.


    Only this time, his location was within the connecting corridors in the middle of the garden.


    Along with him, seven or eight other people were teleported there, each exuding an extraordinary aura. Some had three Immortal Ribbons on their bodies, while others had faint, multicolored halos around them.


    Qin Niu was the most unique among them.


    He bore three Immortal Ribbons as well as a multicolored halo.


    Because he had successfully refined a strand of Immortal Qi.


    When the others saw Qin Niu appear, not only did they show no hostility, but two or three even gave him a friendly smile and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Congratulations, fellow Daoist, for successfully passing the Second Immortal Gate. Please take good care of us in the future,¡± one of the men, about thirty years old, congratulated him.


    ¡°Thank you! My name is Qin Niu, may I have the honor of knowing your esteemed name?¡± Qin Niu could feel a completely different friendly atmosphere than before.


    These people had succeeded in passing through the Second Immortal Gate, which meant that at worst they could become registered disciples of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. From then on, they would all be under the same sect.


    If some could go further and pass the Third Immortal Gate, they would become official disciples of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, with statuses and futures far surpassing that of registered disciples. Getting acquainted now and building good relationships might make things easier when seeking help in the future.


    Right now, nobody could be sure who would be able to pass through the Third Immortal Gate.


    That was exactly why they were all being polite to each other.


    ¡°Hu Lang! From the Myriad Beast Gang, if I¡¯m lucky enough to pass the Third Immortal Gate this time, then it would truly honor my ancestors.¡±


    The young man was quite talkative.


    The faint multicolored halo around his body indicated that he was someone who had successfully refined a strand of Immortal Qi.


    This was very strong.


    In Qin Niu¡¯s eyes, the difficulty of refining a strand of Immortal Qi was much higher than obtaining two Immortal Ribbons.


    Because during the process of refining Immortal Qi, one must fend off potential challengers who could appear at any time. And the attackers to fend off were more than just one.


    ¡°I believe Brother Hu will definitely achieve this wish. If I may be so bold to ask, what is the relationship between the Myriad Beast Gang and the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect?¡±


    Qin Niu had a very good impression of the Myriad Beast Gang.


    When passing through the territory of the Myriad Beast Gang, he received good care, and they even gifted him a sub-dragon steed.


    That was a favor with real substance.


    However, due to Xiao Qing¡¯s involvement, he was destined to be an enemy of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect. So he wanted to take this opportunity to ask for clarity.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re asking about that? Our Myriad Beast Gang has no relation to the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect. Our Gang Leader was originally a Beast Tamer who raised quite a few Beast Pets. In a moment of inspiration, he decided on the name Myriad Beast Gang.


    The Myriad Beast Immortal Sect is an absolute overlord in this realm, one that not even the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect would dare to provoke.


    Even if we brazenly pleaded with them to take us in, they wouldn¡¯t agree,¡± Hu Lang explained with a laugh.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Hu, for clearing up my confusion.¡±


    Qin Niu sat cross-legged and began to take inventory of the spoils from inside the Immortal Gate.


    He held the small bag covered in runes in his hand, curious to see how many silver notes it contained.


    ¡°Brother Qin, this Storage Bag is quite a treasure. I¡¯ve been saving money hoping to buy one someday,¡± Qin Lang said enviously to Qin Niu.

 Chapter 561 - Chapter 561: Chapter 553: Gathering

    Chapter 561: Chapter 553: Gathering


    ¡°Brother Hu must find this amusing, I actually haven¡¯t had it for long!¡±


    Qin Niu killed that pockmarked man surnamed Zhuang and obtained this little bag.


    At first, he thought it was merely a purse made of superior material, but now he realizes it is the legendary Storage Bag.


    Its nature should be quite similar to his Hundred Treasures Insect Bag, both possessing their own independent storage space.


    However, the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag can only accommodate insects, whereas the Storage Bag can hold all sorts of inanimate objects.


    ¡°This one should be the ten-foot spatial version, right? I asked around in Immortal City, and they all wanted one hundred thousand Silver Money for one. I was thinking that the Water and Land Dharma Assembly is about to take place, and I needed to save money to boost my actual strength, so I didn¡¯t buy one. Once I enter the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, I¡¯ll definitely save up to buy one. When traveling, having a Storage Bag to keep personal and valuable items is indeed very convenient.¡±


    Hu Lang was quite sincere when conversing with him.


    Being able to identify the make and value of Qin Niu¡¯s Storage Bag at a glance shows he hasn¡¯t skimped on his homework.


    ¡°Having a Storage Bag really does make things a lot more convenient.¡±


    Qin Niu went along with the conversation.


    After taking the Storage Bag in his hand, since it was his first time using it, he could only refer to the method of using the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    He tried to probe the Storage Bag with his spiritual power, only to encounter an invisible barrier of resistance.


    This was because the bag had not been attuned to a master.


    He was about to bite the tip of his finger to drip blood on it for attunement.


    Hu Lang hurriedly advised, ¡°Brother Qin is indeed new to this, showing me utmost trust. Since you¡¯ve now refined a strand of Immortal Qi, there¡¯s no need to use blood to attune to this Storage Bag. You can simply refine it with your Immortal Qi.¡±


    In terms of knowledge and cultivation, Hu Lang was clearly far more advanced than Qin Niu.


    His ability to deduce that Qin Niu had not refined the Storage Bag showed that he was quite sharp.


    ¡°Alright, thank you Brother Hu for the guidance!¡±


    Qin Niu candidly acknowledged this and expressed his thanks to the other party.


    Before entering the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, it was fortuitous to meet such a straightforward friend. He could consult him about things he didn¡¯t understand in the future.


    He tried to manipulate the strand of Immortal Qi within his body to refine the Storage Bag, and it turned out to be surprisingly effective.


    In just a moment, he successfully refined it.


    His spiritual power could now smoothly enter into the Storage Bag.


    Inside, there were not only a stack of silver notes but also elixirs, clothes, and other items. The space inside the Storage Bag was indeed just as Hu Lang said, a mere ten feet square.


    Although the space wasn¡¯t large, it was more than sufficient for storing some valuable items.


    Naturally, Qin Niu wasn¡¯t foolish enough to take out the items inside with so many people around.


    He studied the Storage Bag with great interest.


    More and more experts who had successfully passed through the Second Immortal Gate were being transported into this corridor.


    Xiao Qing had yet to appear, which made Qin Niu quite worried.


    If he could kill someone within the Second Immortal Gate, other experts could undoubtedly do the same. Xiao Qing¡¯s cultivation level was not advantageous.


    A Spirit Qi Realm expert would hardly stand a chance against an Immortal Master.


    With a flash of light, the figure of the Nine Insects Gang Leader suddenly appeared not far away. Upon emerging, she immediately scanned her surroundings, searching for the experts and allies of the Nine Insect Gang. She found none.


    When she noticed that Qin Niu had also successfully passed the Second Immortal Gate, she was slightly taken aback.


    ¡°Young brother, quite impressive! Are you interested in joining my Nine Insect Gang? As long as you are willing, we can forget all our past grudges. Plus, you can enjoy the company of the beauties in our gang, and we¡¯ll even prioritize you for high-level cultivation resources.¡±


    The venomous woman came over with a smile, offering an invitation to Qin Niu.


    ¡°Not interested!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t bother with even superficial courtesies and coldly refused.


    In the past, when he only had the cultivation of the Spirit Qi Realm, he might have been somewhat wary of this venomous woman. But now, with the cultivation of an Immortal Master and many beast pets at his command, he had no need to fear this woman.


    ¡°What do men strive and struggle for? Isn¡¯t it for power over the world, to revel in glory and riches, and to sleep with women of all hues? Young brother, you¡¯re so young, and it¡¯s only because you¡¯re thin-skinned that you refuse right now. You can think it over; following me would be a hundred, a thousand times better than following that faithless Hu Lang of Xue Qiuhe.¡±


    She gently brushed the bangs from her forehead, her tone remaining ever so gentle.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t even bother to reply this time.


    He simply closed his eyes to meditate, continuously probing that streak of Immortal Qi.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader was truly a strong woman; undisturbed by being rejected by someone younger like Qin Niu, she didn¡¯t show the slightest annoyance.


    ¡­


    A day went by in the blink of an eye.


    Xiao Qing had not appeared yet, which sank Qin Niu¡¯s heart to the depths. He had a very bad premonition.


    Despite Xiao Qing¡¯s young age, not even nine years old, the seed of revenge had been planted in her heart since she learned of her family¡¯s annihilation. Determined to seize the chance for Immortal Fate, she would have gone all out and certainly not shrunk back at the last moment.


    The Five-Colored Immortal Gate in the sky had begun to flicker, the prelude to closing.


    Unexpectedly, at this critical juncture, a bright light emerged, and two more people were transmitted out. They both entered the corridor.


    ¡°Xiao Qing!¡±


    Qin Niu flew over, overwhelmed with joy.


    She was in bad shape, with blood at the corner of her mouth, her clothes torn, and numerous sword wounds across her body.


    She didn¡¯t have the five-colored aura around her, only three overlapped Immortal Ribbons. It seemed she had snatched two Immortal Ribbons and successfully made it through the second gate.


    The other person Qin Niu also recognized, it was none other than the old man with a purple marten perched on his shoulder.


    The man¡¯s cultivation was not weak, and his beast pet was very strong. It was unclear why he had taken so long to pass the gate.


    He had the five-colored aura around him, clearly having refined a streak of Immortal Qi to make his way out.


    Refining Immortal Qi was not easy, but it brought considerable benefits after successful refinement.


    Perhaps it was for this reason that the old man persisted in searching for Immortal Qi. Finally, as the heavens would not disappoint a dedicated heart, he found and refined a streak of Immortal Qi.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve successfully made it out.¡±


    Xiao Qing said excitedly.


    ¡°Hmm, very good, I believe this experience will greatly benefit your growth,¡± Qin Niu praised with a smile.


    Seeing Xiao Qing alive and well was enough to make him very happy.


    ¡°Brother Qin Niu, over here!¡±


    Bai Xuezhu waved at Qin Niu.


    Qin Niu turned to look and saw Bai Xuezhu standing there with the Black Tiger Gang Leader and an elder from the Fang Family.


    The Black Tiger Gang had an especially brilliant record this year, with five people successfully passing through the second gate.


    Qin Niu walked over with Xiao Qing.


    ¡°Gang Leader, Leader Bai, Elder Fang, congratulations to you all!¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha, the joy is mutual. You and your maid have both successfully passed through the Second Immortal Gate, which has indeed given us a happy surprise. This year, our Black Tiger Gang has five members who¡¯ve passed the second gate. With the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect accepting additional record disciples, even in the worst-case scenario, five of us will become recorded disciples of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, which is hugely beneficial for our Black Tiger Gang,¡± the Black Tiger Gang Leader said excitedly, his face beaming. He had grand strategies and had always wanted to strengthen the Black Tiger Gang which he had started from scratch.


    Now, with the gang flourishing with talent, it naturally invigorated him.

 Chapter 562 - Chapter 562: Chapter 554: Decision

    Chapter 562: Chapter 554: Decision


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader recently conspired with the cultivators from Fire Cloud Tunnel to deal with the Black Tiger Gang, greatly increasing the pressure on the Black Tiger Gang Leader. After all, Fire Cloud Tunnel is a super sect with strength so formidable that the Black Tiger Gang can only look up to them.


    Faced with such a formidable enemy, it¡¯s unlikely that any gang leader could sleep soundly.


    To the Black Tiger Gang Leader, even if one is just a nominal disciple of an Immortal Sect, there would still be a chance to learn immortal techniques, enabling a slightly stronger foundation when confronting Fire Cloud Tunnel.


    The Five-Colored Light Gate in the sky had only just disappeared before the Great Immortal Envoy appeared once again.


    ¡°Congratulations to all fellow daoists for successfully passing through the Second Immortal Gate. You now qualify to become nominal disciples of my Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. The path to seeking immortality is fraught with danger, and it¡¯s regrettable that some challengers have perished within the Second Immortal Gate.


    The Third Immortal Gate you are about to face will be even more dangerous, with life and death being unpredictable. You may decide for yourselves.


    If you give up now, you can directly go to my Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect to register as nominal disciples. If you are determined to challenge the Third Immortal Gate, the outcome, no matter what, will be a choice of your own.


    Those who successfully pass through the Third Immortal Gate will be promoted directly to official disciples of our sect.¡±


    After the Great Immortal Envoy finished his announcement, he did not hurry to leave.


    Instead, he waved a hand towards the void.


    Immediately, a cloud began to slowly condense and take shape, covering quite a large area, about half an acre in size.


    Lying overhead, it blocked out much of the light, causing the whole garden to become dim.


    ¡°Stepping on this cloud signifies one¡¯s determination to challenge the Third Immortal Gate, life and death notwithstanding.¡±


    The voice of the Great Immortal Envoy was devoid of any emotional color.


    In his eyes, living beings were no different from plants and trees.


    ¡°Great Immortal Envoy, may I ask if companions can tackle the Third Immortal Gate together?¡±


    Qin Niu asked while bowing with his hands folded in front of him.


    In the face of such a powerful being, one must maintain a heart of reverence.


    The gaze of the Great Immortal Envoy turned towards him, the invisible pressure feeling like several mountains bearing down. Although Qin Niu had advanced to the Immortal Scholar Realm and had refined a strand of Immortal Qi, before the gaze of the Great Immortal Envoy, his knees still went weak, and he felt the urge to kneel and bow down.


    It seemed that only by kneeling and bowing could the pressure on him be alleviated.


    ¡°Our sect¡¯s recruitment of official disciples is extremely strict. It is not possible to go through the Third Immortal Gate in pairs, as the test measures individual comprehensive strength. Only the most outstanding individuals will succeed.¡±


    The Great Immortal Envoy did not continue to stare at him, but instead swept his indifferent and merciless gaze across the entire crowd.


    This made Qin Niu feel much more at ease.


    ¡°Those who have not ascended the cloud before this incense stick burns out will be deemed to have given up.¡±


    An incense stick appeared out of thin air in the hands of the Great Immortal Envoy, and without any evident movement, it was lit.


    The blue smoke curled up as the incense slowly burned.


    The time given for the crowd to consider was not much.


    A total of one hundred and twenty-seven people had successfully passed the second challenge.


    ¡°Xiao Qing, it¡¯s already great that you could pass the second challenge, but the third is even more perilous. It would be wise for you to make a cautious choice.¡±


    Qin Niu did not force her to continue, allowing her to make her own decision.


    In his heart, he certainly hoped she would give up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll heed Master¡¯s advice and start as a nominal disciple. I¡¯ll strive to become an official disciple later.¡±


    After some thought, she chose to give up.


    Being only in the Spirit Qi Realm, it was very fortunate for her to have passed the second challenge.


    Many cultivators at the level of Immortal Scholar failed to do so.


    As for the talented young Mr. Li from the Black Tiger Gang, it was not clear whether he chose to forfeit or failed when tackling the second challenge, as he was not to be seen in this corridor.


    That included an elder from the Fang Family and individuals like Gongsun Jin, none of whom had passed the second challenge.


    The difficulty of the third challenge would only be higher, so Xiao Qing¡¯s choice to give up at this point was a wise one.


    Blindly persisting without knowing when to retreat could easily lead to one¡¯s demise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll certainly have the opportunity to become an official disciple.¡±


    Qin Niu assured her.


    ¡°Mm, I believe in Master,¡±


    She knew what Qin Niu meant. Once Qin Niu became an official disciple, he would definitely lend her a hand.


    Given Qin Niu¡¯s solid foundation, once he became an official disciple, he should be able to cultivate to the Immortal Envoy Realm within a very short period of time. By then, he would have a bit of status within the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    It would then become much easier to give Xiao Qing a helping hand.


    ¡°I, too, shall stop at the second barrier!¡±


    The elder ancestor from the Fang Family, who had successfully passed through the Second Immortal Gate, also chose to give up.


    ¡°This life of Bai is cheap, born from a mountain of corpses and sea of blood, I¡¯m willing to give it a go. Should I indeed meet an unfortunate demise, I would have no regrets,¡±


    Bai Xuezhu decided to take the chance.


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader turned to Qin Niu, ¡°Brother Qin Niu probably won¡¯t give up, either.¡±


    ¡°You know me well, Gang Leader!¡±


    Qin Niu smiled and nodded.


    ¡°The three of us will go up together. If we have the chance to travel together, we can look out for each other.¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader took the two of them and flew up to the white cloud.


    Stepping on it felt like stepping on cotton, making it seem like one might drop off at any moment.


    This was Qin Niu¡¯s first time experiencing the taste of cloud flying.


    ¡°Xue Qiuhe, you¡¯d better hope that I don¡¯t encounter you inside the Third Immortal Gate.¡±


    Nobody knew why the Nine Insects Gang Leader harbored such intense hatred towards the Black Tiger Gang Leader.


    Upon hearing this, the Black Tiger Gang Leader simply shrugged his shoulders and made a bitter smile.


    Qin Niu even suspected that this venomous woman might deliberately be looking for excuses to pester him endlessly, just to have a justified reason to deal with the Black Tiger Gang.


    Too much ambition in a woman is not always a good thing.


    Half an hour later, when the fragrant incense had completely burned out, the Great Immortal Envoy formed a hand seal and chanted under his breath.


    The white cloud immediately carried everyone soaring into the sky.


    Although it wasn¡¯t Qin Niu¡¯s first time experiencing high-altitude flight, flying on clouds still felt very novel to him.


    Standing on the white cloud gave one a very insecure feeling, with the footings light and insubstantial.


    He was always worried that he might fall.


    Most of the others were similarly tense.


    The accident of falling through the cloud and plummeting from the sky did not occur. The white cloud whisked through the air; the fierce cold wind buffeted everyone, carefully stabilizing their postures and edging towards the center of the cloud.


    If one were to be unfortunate enough to be blown off the white cloud by the strong winds at this altitude, they would most likely end up shattered to pieces.


    Unless one day, they too, like the Great Immortal Envoy, learned the art of flight.


    After about three or four hours, they could see a city grander than Elixir City below them.


    The scenery within the city was beautiful, with dome and pagoda-topped buildings.


    Flowers, plants, and trees nearly covered the whole city, the greenest Qin Niu had ever seen.


    He could see tamed Immortal Cranes flying at low altitudes.


    ¡°That must be the Hundred Refinements Immortal City below!¡±


    The Black Tiger Gang Leader said softly.


    ¡°Have you been to this Immortal City before, Gang Leader?¡±


    ¡°Once, the high-level cultivation resources inside are extremely abundant. Advanced Elixirs, Talismans, Magic Artifacts, and all sorts of items are available. Our silver notes from the mortal world can be used within the Immortal City once exchanged for Universal Banknotes from the Sky-Earth Bank.


    Once we join the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, it should be very convenient for us to come here.¡±


    Looking down at the beautiful Immortal City, the Black Tiger Gang Leader¡¯s eyes were filled with longing.


    Qin Niu was more curious about where the third trial would take place. Were they going directly to the Sect gatehouse of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect?

 Chapter 563 - Chapter 563: Chapter 555: Living Plants

    Chapter 563: Chapter 555: Living Plants


    The Great Immortal Envoy manipulated the white cloud to carry them directly over the Immortal City.


    They could feel formidable fluctuations from the arrays, and as soon as the Great Immortal Envoy formed a seal with his fingers and pointed downward, the fluctuations vanished. They were thus able to pass smoothly over the domain of the Immortal City.


    Once past the Immortal City, the landscape below underwent a drastic change, revealing vast barren mountain ranges and large expanses of swamps filled with black poisonous miasma, with no rivers in sight.


    Occasionally, they saw ponds brimming with black water.


    In stark contrast to the beautiful scenery of the Immortal City, the land below was all desolate mountains and evil waters, exuding an aura of death.


    ¡°This place has been known as a barren land for thousands of years, with dangers lurking everywhere. Even Immortal Envoys might perish here if they are not careful. The gate of my Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect is ahead. To become an official disciple, one only needs to traverse the thousand-mile barren land in front of us. I wish you all good luck!¡±


    As soon as the Great Immortal Envoy¡¯s voice fell, everyone felt the white cloud beneath them starting to dissipate, and its carrying power seemed to decrease, as they began to descend rapidly toward the ground.


    ¡°Great Immortal Envoy, is it necessary to cross this thousand-mile barren land on foot?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily, as long as one has the skill, all methods are permissible.¡±


    The figure of the Great Immortal Envoy gradually faded and then disappeared in front of everyone.


    When the white cloud, carrying more than a hundred people, was about fifty to sixty meters above the ground, it had become extremely thin. If one¡¯s strength was insufficient, their feet would sink directly downward, and it seemed that the entire person would fall through the cloud.


    With the Misty Rain Elusive Step and the cultivation of an Immortal Master, Qin Niu was easily able to stabilize his stance.


    Unexpectedly, it automatically split into smaller white clouds and began to carry everyone down toward the barren land below.


    However, everyone¡¯s landing location varied.


    Generally speaking, those with weaker strength landed on the ground earlier. The more powerful Immortal Masters were carried by the white cloud rapidly toward more distant places.


    ¡°So this is how they separate each challenger?¡±


    Qin Niu felt that the Great Immortal Envoy was thinking too simply.


    If the challengers intended to unite and take on the challenge together, they could regroup after landing. Or, they could simply hold hands in the air, preventing the cloud beneath them from dissipating.


    He soon also descended toward the ground.


    Luckily, the area below was a mountain ridge filled with withered branches and fallen leaves. The vegetation here seemed difficult to sustain, with either a mix of rocks and dark red soil or dead plants in sight.


    About three to four meters above the ground, he suddenly sensed danger and instinctively drew the Ink Blade, on full alert.


    However, after checking the ground repeatedly, he couldn¡¯t find any living creatures.


    Where was the danger coming from?


    Since he was only three to four meters above the ground, which was the blink of an eye, he had already landed. There was no time left for him to consider the source of the danger.


    As soon as he landed, the withered branches and fallen leaves seemed to spring to life like fierce ghosts.


    One by one, black tender branches crawled out from the ground and then wound around his ankles and body.


    ¡°Seeking death.¡±


    Qin Niu wasn¡¯t afraid of these plants that attacked humans, casually swinging his blade to cut them off.


    After being severed, the plants bounced chaotically on the ground, and a dark green blood seeped from the wounds.


    They were like living creatures.


    ¡°The blood of the Banyan Tree can nurture an Insect Pet; the blood of these plants should also have a good effect.¡±


    Once Qin Niu realized this, he immediately took out a small jar to start collecting it.


    But as he reached out to pick up a severed branch on the ground, the branch immediately grew many spikes and roots, wrapping tightly around Qin Niu¡¯s right hand, resembling an octopus.


    The spikes pierced directly into his skin, greedily sucking his blood and flesh.


    Intense pain and panic caused him to shake his hand violently in instinct.


    But it was of no use at all.


    After absorbing his blood and flesh, the severed branch began to grow and expand at a remarkably astonishing speed.


    It was rapidly wrapping itself around Qin Niu¡¯s arm.


    At this rate, it would take only a short time to entwine his entire body.


    He had never imagined a severed branch could be so terrifying.


    Who would have thought, had they not experienced it themselves, that a severed branch could easily kill an Immortal Master?


    Fortunately, Qin Niu quickly regained his composure and immediately thought of the best method to constrain plants.


    The Fire Lotus was swiftly summoned, and flames covered his entire right arm in an instant.


    The branch caught fire immediately, released Qin Niu¡¯s arm, and fell to the ground.


    Seeing that the flames were effective against these sinister plants, Qin Niu immediately harnessed the energy of the Fire Lotus and covered his whole body with flames. In this way, any plant that touched him would immediately ignite.


    If the third challenge involved only dangerous plants, it might have been okay to let Xiao Qing participate.


    Xiao Qing possesses the seed of the Purple Flame Divine Fire, and the flames she could control were ten to a hundred times more powerful than Qin Niu¡¯s, easily incinerating these plants.


    As this barren region stretched for thousands of miles and his cultivation power was limited, he definitely couldn¡¯t sustain the flames covering his body for an extended period. He hurried, dashing forward as quickly as he could.


    However, he found the plants here to be very peculiar and took out a metal can, placing a small section of the severed branch inside.


    After sealing the lid, he attempted to put it into his storage bag.


    It wouldn¡¯t go in at all.


    This meant the plants were likely living entities, similar to animals, and were considered to have life.


    The storage bag was only meant to hold non-living items.


    But if it were an ordinary small tree, it would certainly fit inside.


    ¡°I might as well carry it with me, I¡¯m not afraid of it,¡± he thought.


    Qin Niu intended to bring this small section of the branch back to Shuangfeng Village and plant it in the mountains.


    They were like natural guardians.


    Nevertheless, these plants were far too eerie, and planting them required consideration of the consequences.


    If after planting them, they would annihilate all living beings within the Perching Phoenix Mountain Range, the area would become a barren wasteland.


    In that case, he would certainly need to start by experimenting with a small area first.


    Only after understanding the habits of these plants would he consider planting them on a large scale.


    He ran forward for about fifty to sixty miles without stopping. Other than the plants that would suddenly burst from the ground to attack, he did not encounter any other danger along the way.


    Earlier, he had heard what seemed to be the dying screams of humans ahead, but now that he reached the spot, there was no one to be seen.


    He began to look around in search of others.


    Right now, it was like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their Divine Skills to pass the challenges.


    Qin Niu certainly wasn¡¯t going to play the good Samaritan, rashly looking to rescue anyone who called for help.


    His reasoning was simple, if he encountered someone who could be saved, rescuing them would be an act of merit. As long as the person saved wasn¡¯t ungrateful, they would likely remember his life-saving grace.


    They would be in the same Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect for cultivation in the future, which could mean mutual support.


    If it was too dangerous and he was unable to save the person, at the very least, he could learn how that individual died. Moving forward, he would take the lesson to heart and try to avoid similar dangers.


    After a thorough search, a faintly noticeable dark shadow caught his attention.

 Chapter 564 - Chapter 564: 556

    Chapter 564: 556


    From a distance, the black shadow looked very much like a person.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t dare to approach rashly, he cautiously advanced with his blade in hand.


    The black shadow was still moving, entwined with several branches. This time, he saw clearly. It was indeed a person.


    Unfortunately, he was a step too late; the person had already been killed by the branches.


    The flesh had been rapidly drained of blood, leaving nothing but white bones and skin, as well as the clothes on the body.


    Qin Niu forcefully used flames to drive away those branches and the unfortunate victim¡¯s body collapsed powerlessly to the ground. It was no longer possible to distinguish the person¡¯s features; only dry, wrinkled skin wrapped around the skeletal frame remained.


    The person¡¯s identity could vaguely be discerned from the clothes on his body.


    He remembered he was a large and imposing middle-aged man with the cultivation power of an Immortal Master, and he had not expected such an unfortunate demise here.


    After driving away the murderous branches, Qin Niu began to search the body for spoils of war.


    He reached for the person¡¯s clothes, where the treasures were sure to be hidden.


    If he could get another Storage Bag, that would be great.


    What Qin Niu currently lacked the most were advanced Elixirs and defensive gear. If he could get another Storage Bag, he could use one openly and keep the other concealed, specifically for storing important belongings.


    Like silver notes, for instance.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    He never expected to be bitten by something when he reached into the corpse¡¯s embrace to search for treasure.


    He quickly withdrew his hand and hastened to create distance.


    Two blood holes appeared at the site of the bite, and the blood swiftly turned black. The skin around the wound was also rapidly darkening.


    Clearly, it was highly poisonous.


    Fortunately, he had a Black Spider Gu in his body, which could absorb almost all poisons. Moreover, the stronger the poison it absorbed, the quicker the Black Spider Gu¡¯s strength increased.


    The venom in his right hand was quickly devoured by the Black Spider Gu, and Qin Niu¡¯s hand returned to normal.


    The numb sensation had disappeared.


    The blood flowing from the wound also turned back to its normal bright red color.


    He circulated his Everlasting Spring Technique to heal the injury, and the two small blood holes soon healed as if nothing had happened.


    Having taken such a loss, Qin Niu naturally would not let go of the poison hidden within the corpse.


    This time, he used his Ink Blade to directly pry open the clothes on the corpse, and a small, completely black snake with a pair of horns on its head escaped in panic.


    It was the one that had bitten him.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get away!¡±


    Qin Niu was quick to act, chopping down with his blade.


    However, the little snake was quite formidable; it managed to dodge with a spring in its body.


    Just as he was about to deal another blow, the Red-eyed Golden Toad in his basket made a move. Its long snake-like tongue shot out like lightning, pulling the little snake straight into its mouth, and then swallowed it whole.


    ¡°Wart Toad, well done!¡±


    Qin Niu praised.


    However, he soon noticed that the Red-eyed Golden Toad seemed to have been bitten; its body was quickly covered in a layer of black qi, a sign of poisoning.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you clear the poison!¡±


    Qin Niu prepared to use the Black Spider Gu to help the Red-eyed Golden Toad detoxify.


    But the Red-eyed Golden Toad refused.


    It was naturally immune to most poisons, and being bitten by this unknown dual-horned little snake should not be fatal.


    ¡°Alright then, if you can¡¯t hold out, I¡¯ll help you detox later.¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t worry about it further.


    He hastened to loot the corpse for spoils of war.


    He didn¡¯t find a Storage Bag, but he did find two bottles of Elixirs, more than ten thousand taels of silver notes, and a small shield with ridged edges.


    This shield was only the size of a palm, its body dark brown, not appearing to be made of metal.


    What exactly the material was, he could not tell.


    But he noticed faint, barely visible runes within the shield, and he felt secretly thrilled. Now that he possessed some high-level equipment, he had gained a bit of discernment.


    Any pieces of equipment with such fine runes were good stuff.


    Some might even possibly be magical treasures.


    After turning over the corpse, Qin Niu discovered another treasure. A stream of Immortal Qi emitting a colorful halo was attached to the corpse¡¯s spine.


    ¡°This is a good find, it¡¯s come just in time for me,¡± he said.


    Without another word, Qin Niu hastened to refine the stream of Immortal Qi.


    He even neglected to study the small shield.


    He had thought that refining the Immortal Qi would take at least an hour or two, but it turned out to be much easier than the first time he refined it.


    It took only about half an hour for him to successfully refine the Immortal Qi.


    As this stream of Immortal Qi entered his body, the Immortal Qi in his dantian grew stronger, evidently doubling in thickness.


    It seemed his cultivation had also improved significantly.


    Immortal Qi really was a good thing; if he came across more such opportunities to pick up bargains along the way, he wouldn¡¯t mind picking up a few more streams.


    With the spoils of battle collected, Qin Niu naturally would not stay here any longer.


    He flew onward, studying the small shield he had just obtained.


    He tried to infuse it with his cultivation power, but there were no apparent changes.


    It was like pouring his cultivation power into an ordinary stone or piece of wood.


    ¡°Perhaps it needs to be refined before I can use it?¡± he wondered.


    In the past, when Qin Niu had to refine such treasures, he could only use the most primitive method, dripping blood on them to claim ownership. This method was not always effective.


    But now, he had learned a new method.


    Directly using Immortal Qi to refine the small shield.


    With his Immortal Qi now doubled in strength, it also significantly sped up the refinement of equipment, more than doubling the speed.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to successfully refine the small shield.


    He tried again to infuse a bit of his cultivation power into the small shield and ¡°sizz,¡± the shield directly displayed a layer of aura as solid as reality on its surface. It was much stronger than the defensive shield of the King Pig Leather Armor.


    ¡°Could this small shield be a magical treasure?¡± Qin Niu wasn¡¯t sure.


    He still hadn¡¯t cultivated mana, so even if he obtained a magical treasure, he couldn¡¯t showcase its full power.


    However, even if he could only utilize part of the small shield¡¯s power, his defensive ability could still be increased several-fold.


    Along the way, he continued to forge ahead, with his target being the mountain gate of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, a thousand miles away.


    While dashing forward, he felt as if something had attacked his left ankle.


    Looking down, he was faced again with a black snake with two horns on its head.


    It was biting at Qin Niu¡¯s left foot.


    The snake¡¯s sharp fangs tried to pierce through the King Pig Leather Armor, but failed to do so.


    Although Qin Niu wasn¡¯t afraid of its venom, he also didn¡¯t dare let it bite him, so he quickly swung his Ink Blade to flick it away.


    The snake, extremely agile, dodged the attack and sprang directly toward Qin Niu¡¯s face.


    Before Qin Niu could swing his blade a second time, the Red-eyed Golden Toad took action again, engulfing the snake as if it were swallowing a bug, rolling it into its mouth and swallowing it.


    It was apparent that the black qi on the body of the Red-eyed Golden Toad had almost completely dissipated.


    This indicated that the venom of the snake hadn¡¯t caused too much harm to it.


    However, as it swallowed the second snake, it seemed to have been bitten once more. The black qi that had faded reemerged, though it was lighter than the first bite.


    Its resistance to the snake venom must have strengthened.


    ¡°I originally thought these horned snakes were the pets of the deceased Immortal Master, but it appears not to be the case,¡± he mused.


    Qin Niu realized that the Immortal Master might not have been killed by the plants here, but rather was poisoned by the snake bites and got entangled by the branches while attempting to cure the poison, leading to his demise.


    After all, those who can make it to the third stage, each and every one of them, has some life-saving trump cards.


    That person also had a very decent shield, capable of withstanding most attacks.


    Qin Niu had already run more than a hundred miles, and along the way, apart from encountering the deceased burly Immortal Master, he hadn¡¯t come across any other challengers.


    With only a little over a hundred people, this barren expanse was incredibly vast; it was normal for them not to come across each other.


    He turned his head to check on the Red-eyed Golden Toad in the basket on his back; it seemed to be without any serious trouble.


    It was diligently digesting the snake it had swallowed.

 Chapter 565 - Chapter 565: Chapter 557 Rescue

    Chapter 565: Chapter 557 Rescue


    In this barren land of mountains, there were only two dangers: one was the evil branches that could burst out from the ground at any moment, and the other was the small black snakes with double horns on their heads.


    These small snakes were protected by scales harder than steel and had an extremely strong leaping ability, making them agile in movement.


    But the most terrifying was their venom.


    Qin Niu, with his understanding of various snake and insect venoms, knew that the venom of these small snakes was even more powerful than that of ordinary poisonous insects by more than a hundredfold. A single bite from one, and the usual Detoxification Pills would hardly be effective.


    As he was running, he faintly heard another human¡¯s scream.


    It seemed to come from a slightly rearward position to the right.


    Nine times out of ten, someone else had fallen victim to poison.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t have many hobbies, but he most enjoyed profiting from the dead.


    The evil plants and double-horned poisonous snakes in this area could not threaten his life; naturally, he wanted to take a look.


    If he could save someone, that would be for the best. But if the person was unfortunate enough to have died, he could still make use of their belongings and collect some windfall wealth.


    Before long, he arrived at the location of the screams.


    There was no need to search; from afar, he could see a figure lying on the ground, wrapped up by a multitude of evil plants like a rice dumpling.


    On the person¡¯s body was a faint multicolored aura, indicating that they had successfully refined some Immortal Qi.


    Anyone who could successfully refine Immortal Qi within the Second Immortal Gate was an exceptional individual.


    Through the sensing of Qi, Qin Niu inferred that the individual ensnared must be of Immortal Master cultivation.


    Although bound by numerous evil plants, the person had not been killed. His clothes were puffed out, and a dull yellow aura was protecting him from within. However, if no one came to his rescue, he would likely face a grim fate.


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t rashly attempt a rescue; he was never the sort to play the good Samaritan.


    The man¡¯s allegiance, enemy or friend, was unclear; needless to say, he wouldn¡¯t save him without reason.


    ¡°Fellow Daoist, save me!¡±


    The other party took the initiative to call out for help.


    It appeared to be an older male elder by the voice, suggesting he was not particularly tall. At most, he might be around one meter fifty.


    Qin Niu¡¯s mind quickly raced through the appearances of over a hundred strong individuals who had braved the third challenge.


    He didn¡¯t recall any of them being as short as this elder.


    As he was pondering the elder¡¯s identity, the situation turned more perilous. The protective aura around the elder had been broken through.


    If he didn¡¯t act swiftly, the elder would be drained to a husk by the evil plants in just an instant.


    Decisively, Qin Niu swung his Ink Blade at the branches wrapped around the elder.


    The Ink Blade alone could only sever the branches, but could hardly save the elder; it was essential to utilize the fiery energy of the Fire Lotus.


    Under Qin Niu¡¯s control, flames instantly enveloped the blade.


    The Ink Blade became a Fire Blade, easily driving away the evil branches from the elder¡¯s body and rescuing him.


    The elder who had regained his freedom stood up with a carp flip, then his bones made a ¡°crackling¡± sound as he swiftly grew taller. In an instant, he had transformed into a formidable old man.


    To resist the attack of the evil branches, the elder had employed a unique talent to significantly shrink his body.


    This ability seemed very similar to the legendary Bone Shrinking Skill.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s you!¡±


    Qin Niu recognized the elder in an instant; it was none other than the elder who had perched a purple marten on his shoulder when he first refined the Immortal Qi.


    He had an especially deep impression of the elder at that moment.


    Because the elder had stood by watching the entire time without making a move, his composure was terrifying.


    ¡°Thank you, young friend, for your rescue. This old man is named Xu Qiao, known as Elder Xu. Seeing the flames you just wielded, could it be that you are a Huoyun Cave Cultivator?¡±


    ¡°Qin is not a Huoyun Cave Cultivator,¡±


    Qin Niu shook his head in denial.


    However, he did not reveal his own origins, feeling very cautious toward the elder.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the flame aura that the young friend emitted is indeed different from that of a Huoyun Cave Cultivator. This old man comes from the Myriad Beast Gang, and should you visit the Myriad Beast Gang in the future, please honor my home with your presence. I must treat you well to repay your life-saving grace today.¡±


    Having learned that Qin Niu was not a Huoyun Cave Cultivator, the old man then disclosed his own background.


    When traveling outside, everyone carries a sense of vigilance.


    If you¡¯re not careful, you probably won¡¯t survive three days.


    ¡°So Elder Xu is a cultivator from the Myriad Beast Gang! My apologies for any disrespect! I see a black aura enveloping your face; have you been poisoned?¡±


    Once Qin Niu learned that the old man was a cultivator from the Myriad Beast Gang, his goodwill immediately surged.


    It¡¯s undeniable that when he passed through the Myriad Beast Gang, they had treated him with great hospitality, which left him feeling fondly toward all the cultivators from the gang.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mention it. When I barged in here, I encountered a massive attack by evil branches. If it were just the attack from the evil plants, this old man could have managed to defend against it. But at that moment, seven or eight small snakes with horns on their heads emerged, and they along with the evil plants surrounded and attacked me.


    Ultimately, my little Zi decided to protect me and got bitten by a silver-horned snake.¡±


    I managed to kill those little snakes using some of my ultimate techniques, but that silver-horned snake was extremely powerful and escaped while injured.


    Unexpectedly, that silver-horned snake¡¯s venom was terrifying. I became poisoned while extracting the venom from little Zi.


    Eventually, my strength waned, and I was tied up tight by the evil plants.¡±


    While speaking, the elder kept a vigilant watch on the ground, guarding against the evil plants that could spring up and attack at any moment.


    ¡°I see! Qin passed through the treasured domain of the Myriad Beast Gang and received some care. Consider this as returning a favor by helping you detoxify.¡±


    After hearing the full story, Qin Niu decided to create another bond of goodwill.


    But the elder shook his head, ¡°The young friend has extraordinary strength, but little does he know how formidable the venom of the silver-horned snake is. I¡¯ve taken a variety of detoxification pills and have only just managed to suppress the venom. Your kind intention to detoxify me might just end up harming you instead.¡±


    The elder too was one to remember kindness.


    Qin Niu had saved his life, and now he was worried about Qin Niu being hurt by the snake venom, rejecting the idea of Qin Niu helping him to detoxify.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for concern, Elder Xu. I know my limits,¡±


    Qin Niu said with a confident smile.


    ¡°Please sit cross-legged, Elder Xu, and relax.¡±


    The elder complied, though he remained anxious about the evil plants that could burst forth from the earth at any moment.


    Strangely enough, standing there, Qin Niu seemed to deter any evil plants within a ten-meter radius from daring to harm anyone.


    They appeared to be very sentient, showing extreme fear of Qin Niu after witnessing his prowess.


    Qin Niu placed one hand on the elder¡¯s head.


    And in just a short while, the black aura on the elder¡¯s face had vanished, and he felt indescribably relieved.


    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡±


    Qin Niu stated simply.


    The elder stood up, incredulously examining his own body and stretching his limbs.


    ¡°This is truly unbelievable. Your abilities are extraordinary, and I am in awe. Thank you for helping me once again.¡±


    Elder Xu looked at Qin Niu as if he were looking at a god with limitless power.


    At this moment, he truly understood that there were always greater skies beyond the one you see, and more profound people beyond oneself.


    Qin Niu was not only capable of subduing evil plants but could also easily dispel the terrible snake venom.

 Chapter 566 - Chapter 566: 558

    Chapter 566: 558


    ¡°No need for formalities, Elder Xu. By the way, where did that little silver-horned snake go? My pet needs some food, and it would be nice if we could catch it.¡±


    Qin Niu asked with a smile.


    To him, helping Elder Xu with the poison was just a simple matter.


    ¡°That beast fled in that direction at the time. I reckon that¡¯s where its lair is,¡± Elder Xu pointed to a spot not far away and then looked at Qin Niu with pleading eyes. ¡°Could you please help me with one more thing?¡±


    ¡°Please speak!¡±


    Qin Niu didn¡¯t agree rashly.


    ¡°My Little Purple has also been poisoned by the snake, and it¡¯s much more serious than mine. Its condition is quite bad; could you please help my Little Purple detoxify? I know this request is somewhat abrupt, but for us cultivators of the Myriad Beast Gang, a beast pet is our second life¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. Bring it out!¡± Qin Niu promptly agreed.


    The old man took off a bag from his waist, which had dense runes appearing on it.


    This must be a magical treasure.


    It was somewhat similar to Qin Niu¡¯s storage bag and the Hundred Treasures Insect Bag.


    The elder simply shook the bag, and a purple figure tumbled out¡ªit was indeed that purple marten.


    Currently, it looked entirely different from the spirited creature he had seen before. Curled up into a ball, it was constantly trembling.


    Its eyes were lifeless, barely opening a small slit.


    Martens naturally have some immunity to snake venom, and it was precisely because of this that the marten had not lost its life.


    However, looking at its condition, it was hard to tell whether it could hold on.


    Qin Niu gave it a quick examination and then proceeded to remove the snake venom from its body.


    It seemed his Ink Blade Gu had consumed a very high-grade new poison, which made it very happy. Its strength also surged upward rapidly.


    ¡°All right, it should be fine now.¡±


    Qin Niu easily cleared the snake venom from the marten¡¯s body.


    The marten¡¯s condition also returned to normal, its lush tail rising up again like a lavish umbrella over its body.


    ¡°Squeak, squeak!¡±


    It made a clear chirping sound at Qin Niu, a sign of gratitude.


    The emotions of wild beasts are usually very straightforward.


    They know gratitude and will remember it deeply for a lifetime.


    ¡°The little guy is quite humane!¡±


    Qin Niu laughed and praised.


    ¡°Hehe, my Little Purple is very loyal. When it was young, its mother was eaten by a horned eagle, and all its siblings starved to death, only it was left half alive. I brought it home and raised it, and later, it became my beast pet, never leaving my side. Over the years, I¡¯ve managed to cultivate to my current level of achievement ¡ª Little Purple has played an indispensable role. You¡¯ve saved it, and it will surely remember you for a lifetime,¡±


    Elder Xu spoke proudly of the marten¡¯s backstory.


    It was clear he had deep feelings for the marten.


    ¡°Right, I need to go find that little silver-horned snake. I wish Elder Xu an early passage through this barren land,¡±


    Qin Niu headed straight in the direction Elder Xu had pointed to before.


    He wanted to capture the injured silver-horned snake and feed it to the Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    It was certain that the silver-horned snake was more powerful than an ordinary bi-horned snake, and its grade was higher. Since it could injure a Grade Eleven marten, it was very likely a demon beast.


    This was a great opportunity for the Red-eyed Golden Toad.


    ¡°Young friend Qin, let me take you to that little snake! My Little Purple is the best at tracking prey,¡±


    Elder Xu came up to Qin Niu and volunteered to help him find the little silver-horned snake.


    The marten seemed to understand human speech, as it had already quickly jumped down from Elder Xu¡¯s shoulder and took the lead, its tiny nostrils moving constantly.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m in your debt!¡±


    Qin Niu smiled and bowed in thanks.


    ¡°Seeing that these evil plants are quite afraid of young friend Qin, if you don¡¯t mind, we might as well go together. It would be good to have someone to watch out for each other on the road.¡±


    When Qin Niu stayed there, not a single evil plant dared to emerge from the ground.


    As soon as Qin Niu left, Elder Xu suffered attacks from the evil plants, which made him realize that following Qin Niu could save him a lot of trouble.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Qin Niu readily agreed.


    Elder Xu¡¯s cultivation was much higher than Qin Niu¡¯s, and he was experienced. Having such an elder as a companion on the road could teach Qin Niu a lot and reduce many unnecessary troubles.


    The marten seemed to have already located the target up ahead, excitedly squeaking and moving forward quickly.


    Qin Niu and the old man Xu followed closely behind.


    Before long, the purple marten stopped in front of a withered tree.


    This fallen withered tree must have been there for many years, as its smaller branches had already rotted away, leaving only the main trunk.


    The purple marten screamed madly at the main trunk.


    ¡°Inside?¡±


    An excited Qin Niu brandished his Ink Blade and chopped directly at the trunk.


    Bang!


    The trunk was split in half, and a silver-horned snake quickly scrambled out from the inside.


    Its scales were cracked in several places, and it was stained with blood, looking seriously injured.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Qin Niu naturally did not miss the opportunity to kick someone while they were down.


    He swung his blade at the silver-horned snake.


    Whoosh!


    Despite the snake¡¯s serious injuries, it quickly escaped. Its movements were very agile.


    Xu, standing by, made his move and drew his sword, continuously slashing at the snake and forcing it back.


    Qin Niu seized the opportunity to strike again.


    This time, he finally managed to hit the silver-horned snake.


    However, a powerful demonic energy burst from the snake¡¯s body, stubbornly blocking the Ink Blade.


    ¡°Hmph, do you think you can block me?¡±


    Qin Niu withdrew his blade and delivered another Critical Chop.


    This time, he executed a critical hit with a Rupture effect, fiercely splitting the snake¡¯s demonic energy and striking its body.


    ¡°Quack!¡±


    It let out a piercing scream.


    Ultimately, it could not change its fate of being slain.


    Qin Niu chopped it into two segments with a single stroke.


    The Red-eyed Golden Toad had been waiting to take advantage of the situation. Its long tongue lashed out twice, swallowing the two halves of the silver-horned snake.


    ¡°Not bad!¡±


    Qin Niu laughed happily, having successfully taken down the silver-horned snake.


    ¡°Xu, let¡¯s hurry on our way!¡±


    The two of them flew forward, Xu¡¯s Step-Method Martial Skill appearing even more sophisticated than Qin Niu¡¯s, his figure graceful. With a casual step, he would cover more than a dozen meters.


    ¡­


    Five days later, the two of them had made their way through seven to eight hundred miles of mountain ridges.


    Since Qin Niu was able to restrain evil plants and little snakes in the mountains, they continuously chose the mountainous path.


    Others, adept at dealing with the dangers of swamps, chose to take the swamp routes.


    ¡°As soon as we cross the big snowy mountain up ahead, we¡¯ll reach the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect¡¯s grounds.¡±


    On this journey, Xu had been greatly benefited from following Qin Niu.


    He had never thought that passing through the challenge could be so easy.


    ¡°Xu, look over there, it seems some people have already started to climb the snowy mountain ahead of us.¡±


    Qin Niu pointed to the small black dots on the distant snowy mountain.


    Xu squinted and saw that they were indeed challengers climbing the snow-capped mountain.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we should also hurry up and climb. I heard that this big snowy mountain is very sinister; it devours people at night. If we can¡¯t cross over before dark, it¡¯s easy to be devoured by the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Who did Xu hear that from? Is the information reliable?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but think of the Ancient Banyan Tree, which also annihilated all life under it at night.


    ¡°It should be trustworthy. At the Water and Land Dharma Assembly held every ten years, the final challenge is always through this desolate place. Not to hide it from you, our Myriad Beast Gang has many people holding important positions in the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, and they can provide some useful information and covert assistance to the sect¡¯s disciples.¡±


    Xu said calmly.


    Having travelled together these last few days, both had found the other quite to their liking.


    Xu was the more silent type, acting calmly and decisively when needed. He was also extremely sincere towards Qin Niu, his life-saver.


    After a few days of companionship, the two had become good friends with a strong relationship.

 Chapter 567 - Chapter 567: Chapter 559: Asura Locusts

    Chapter 567: Chapter 559: Asura Locusts


    ¡°Do you see the distant black marshes? In this thousand-mile barren land, there are only three routes to choose from. One is the mountain road, one is the black marshes, and the last is the most dangerous ¨C the Underground Dark River.¡±


    To confirm that he knew quite a few insider secrets, Xu Weng revealed even more information.


    ¡°There¡¯s an Underground Dark River too?¡±


    Qin Niu had never known about the third route.


    After all, from the air, everyone could clearly see that apart from the desolate mountains and black marshes, no other terrain was visible.


    The dark river lay underground, nearly impossible to find from the air, and presumably, only a very few people might stumble upon it by accident.


    ¡°The Underground Dark River lies beneath the mountains, and it is difficult for the average person to find the entrance. Moreover, even if you do enter, the danger inside is extremely high, and a moment¡¯s carelessness could mean burial beneath the earth. However, I¡¯ve heard that if you¡¯re lucky, you can find some special creatures in the Underground Dark River, with the most famous being the Shura locusts that inhabit it. They are almost immortal and possess exaggerated parasitic abilities and bloodsucking speed.


    If bitten by a Shura locust, without special means, death is almost certain.


    During the biting process, they do not suck blood immediately but rapidly lay eggs. A large amount of insect eggs enter the victim¡¯s body, then hatch quickly due to the human body¡¯s warmth.


    The larvae can hatch in a short span of an hour or two.


    Then, within one to three days, they frenziedly suck blood to mature into adults. That¡¯s not even the worst of it. Once the Shura locusts inside the body mature, they quickly lay a large number of eggs.


    Even a grown man as tall as eight feet can be drained of blood and die in a very short time.


    As far as I know, even Great Immortal Envoys from the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect and the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect have been killed by Shura locusts.¡±


    When Xu Weng mentioned this, his tone carried a hint of fear.


    ¡°Even Great Immortal Envoys can be killed! These Shura locusts really live up to their name!¡±


    Qin Niu licked his lips, his interest in the Shura locusts instantly intensifying.


    He already had the fierce Green Demon Bee as his powerful ally, and if he could obtain another formidable Insect Pet, he would be overjoyed.


    However, thus far, he still considered the Termite as his most core Insect Pet for cultivation.


    He might even make the Ant Queen his life-bound pet in the future.


    But the Ant Queen¡¯s difficulty in advancing was high, its evolution slow, and its mobility inconvenient, so it was destined to be cultivated slowly.


    ¡°In the eyes of young friend Qin, the Great Immortal Envoy must seem like the pinnacle, right?¡±


    ¡°Haha, not exactly the pinnacle, but close enough. At least when I face the Immortal Might of a Great Immortal Envoy, my knees go weak, and I can¡¯t muster any thought of resistance.¡±


    Qin Niu naturally knew there were even stronger Immortal Monarchs above a Great Immortal Envoy.


    He was only at the level of an Immortal Master now and would never underestimate a Great Immortal Envoy.


    ¡°Immortal Might is the most direct means for all immortals. Once above the Immortal Master level, everyone has persevered for many years to reach such a state, and in conflicts, they try to avoid hand-to-hand combat if possible. This is because no one can be sure of defeating the opponent.


    In conflicts, they often judge based on the strength of the opponent¡¯s Immortal Might.


    This way, they avoid direct confrontation.


    Blades are blind; if it really comes to a fight, at best you get injured, at worst you lose your life. This method of resolving conflicts is no longer suitable for immortals. The Great Immortal Envoy responsible for this assessment is surnamed Yao, and is considered to be among the top ranks within the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    We are only of Immortal Master level; being able to withstand his gaze without kneeling is already quite remarkable.¡±


    Xu Weng even knew clearly what the other person¡¯s surname was, a testament to the adage that having connections makes an official¡¯s life easier.


    ¡°Joining forces with Xu Weng is the best choice I¡¯ve made! Indeed, I¡¯ve learned a lot from you.¡±


    Qin Niu praised.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯ll come to know about these things sooner or later. The Great Immortal Envoy is actually not the most formidable existence, not even the Immortal Monarch is the mightiest in this realm,¡±


    xu Weng said with pride, stroking his beard and smiling.


    A flattery works through the toughest skin. Everyone loves to hear words of praise.


    ¡°Oh, are there beings even stronger than the Immortal Monarch in this realm?¡±


    Qin Niu asked in surprise.


    ¡°Actually, whether it be the Immortal Monarch or the Great Immortal Envoy, none of them truly count as real immortals. Us Immortal Masters count even less. Above the Immortal Monarch, there are even stronger beings known as the Earth Immortals. Only those who have reached the Earth Immortal Realm can be considered true immortals, enjoying prolonged lifespans; living a hundred thousand years is nothing to them.


    There are many Immortal Monarchs who have lived for more than a hundred thousand years, but they all need to rely on some special methods to do so.


    For example, the Hundred Refinements Immortal Monarch of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect must rejuvenate himself every hundred years.


    The Immortal Monarchs of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect also have their own longevity skills.¡±


    Qin Niu had his eyes opened today.


    He had always thought that the Immortal Monarch was the strongest existence in this realm, and now he discovered that there were also Earth Immortals.


    This made Qin Niu once again think of Madame Zhao from Shuangfeng Village and Tang Caixian¡¯s master; he wondered just what level they were?


    Madame Zhao was even more formidable than a Grade Twelve Fire Phoenix, at the very least she was of the Immortal Envoy level.


    If Madame Zhao were an Earth Immortal, that would be utterly astonishing.


    And he could not fathom why such a powerful figure like Madame Zhao would willingly marry Liu Qing, that simpleton.


    Qin Niu thought to himself that it was fortunate he had never had a conflict with Liu Qing, and instead had invited him to work as a farmhand for his family. If he had used his strength to bully Liu Qing and angered Madame Zhao, he would have no idea how he might¡¯ve met his end.


    It¡¯s better to be kind as a person.


    Ever since becoming the wealthiest man of Shuangfeng Village, he had always done good deeds for the villagers and never bullied anyone.


    Only if someone provoked him would he be forced to fight back.


    As they talked and walked, they arrived at the foot of the Great Snow Mountain without realizing it.


    The cold winds were piercing, the white snow flew about, and the Great Snow Mountain was covered with thick snow. It¡¯s indeed magical, with the Great Snow Mountain as the boundary; the other side is desolate mountain ranges, but once you enter the territory of the snow mountain, it¡¯s instantly a world of flying snowflakes and icy landscapes.


    ¡°xu Weng, is there some sort of formation set up on this Great Snow Mountain? Otherwise, why is it like a different world from the barren mountains over there?¡±


    As Qin Niu stepped into the Great Snow Mountain, he immediately felt the bone-chilling wind piercing into his body.


    Logically, with his cultivation as an Immortal Master, just the aura barrier would have been enough to easily fend off the cold.


    But the cold within the Great Snow Mountain easily penetrated his Aura Barrier, and even the King Pig Leather Armor couldn¡¯t withstand the cold¡¯s invasion.


    ¡°Who knows about such things! Past the Great Snow Mountain is where the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect is located. The Hundred Refinements Immortal Monarch chose to establish his sect here, so there must be something special about this place. Let¡¯s hurry up and climb the mountain. I aim to get past it before nightfall; I have no wish to be consumed by this Great Snow Mountain.¡±


    xu Weng urged Qin Niu to hasten up the mountain.


    Qin Niu had wanted to look for the entrance to the Underground Dark River to see if he could catch a Shura Grasshopper as a pet.


    Now he had to give up on that idea.


    The two of them used their movement techniques and struggled up the mountain. The thick snow made it very easy for them to sink in, making their progress extremely difficult.

 Chapter 568 - Chapter 568: Chapter 560: Some People Are Just Born Bad

    Chapter 568: Chapter 560: Some People Are Just Born Bad


    The cold wind within the Great Snow Mountain penetrated their bodies, quickly revealing its might, as both of them felt their blood circulation slowing down, and their movements becoming increasingly sluggish.


    Qin Niu now finally understood just how difficult it was to climb this Great Snow Mountain.


    No wonder the little black dots he had seen before were moving so slowly through the mountains.


    He had the Ice Lotus and Fire Lotus, so he wasn¡¯t afraid of the cold.


    Noticing the odd nature of the cold wind here, and finding it impossible to resist, he tried using the Ice Lotus to dispel the cold.


    It was indeed effective.


    As the Ice Lotus rotated within his body, it absorbed all the cold air that had invaded his body. His hands and feet, which had been numbed by the cold, regained their flexibility, and his speed in climbing the mountain was also restored.


    Xu Weng, however, had no means to resist this peculiar cold wind, and his pace was getting slower and slower.


    ¡°Xu Weng, give me your hand.¡±


    Qin Niu took hold of the other¡¯s hand, then proceeded to climb up the mountain rapidly with Xu Weng in tow.


    For now, apart from the special cold wind, no other dangers had appeared.


    The two men struggled to climb toward the summit, gradually reaching the mid-mountain. There, the snow had slowly turned into hard ice blocks, which were very slippery underfoot.


    Moreover, it was difficult to see any vegetation on the Great Snow Mountain, as if it were a desolate and silent solitary peak.


    Even those terrifying evil plants did not wish to grow on this snow mountain.


    As the sky gradually darkened, the two climbed even more earnestly. Not one to be sly or cheat, Xu Weng, in order to combat the cold, would take an elixir every so often.


    Each time he took an elixir, his previously stiff movements would become much faster.


    However, the effect would not last long, and soon his movements would become sluggish and slow again.


    Fortunately, Qin Niu was pulling him along in the climb, preventing him from sliding down. Their speed was consistently maintained at a decent level.


    While they were climbing, they caught a glance of a delicate female figure ahead, her posture agile, forcefully leaping through the ice and snow.


    ¡°Poisonous woman!¡±


    Qin Niu had not expected to encounter the Nine Insects Gang Leader here.


    If given the chance, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill this venomous woman.


    The Nine Insects Gang Leader, with her keen perception, turned her head, immediately noticed Qin Niu and Xu Weng.


    She quickly made a decision, deviating from her path, and moved to the side, avoiding getting any closer to the two men.


    After all, she was alone while Qin Niu had an ally. If a fight really broke out, she would be at a great disadvantage.


    This woman had secured the position of the Gang Leader of the Nine Insects Gang for many years, her intelligence was not comparable to that of ordinary women.


    Qin Niu certainly would not sacrifice the greater good for something trivial and waste his precious time pursuing this venomous woman. The sky was getting darker, and if they couldn¡¯t leave the Great Snow Mountain before nightfall, their situation would be worrisome.


    ¡°Qin my friend, do you have a grudge against that woman?¡±


    Observing their interaction, Xu Weng could not help but ask.


    ¡°There¡¯s no deep enmity, just that I don¡¯t quite like her way of doing things. It happens that I¡¯ve meddled with her interests, so if given the chance, she would not hesitate to get rid of me. Of course, if there were an opportunity, I would also decisively eliminate this potential threat.¡±


    Qin Niu spoke frankly.


    ¡°I can see that! If we were somewhere else, the two of us together could surely take her down. But now, we probably can only give up.¡±


    Xu Weng stared at the Nine Insects Gang Leader, his eyes narrowing slightly.


    He was tactfully advising Qin Niu to prioritize the overall situation and deal with the immediate task at hand.


    ¡°Rest assured, I wouldn¡¯t possibly delay crossing this mountain in order to get rid of her. With her current strength, she doesn¡¯t pose much of a threat to me. The main issue with this woman is that she¡¯s too vile and likes to drag others into her schemes. Last time, she pulled in a strong cultivator from the Fire Cloud Tunnel to deal with me.¡±


    The image of the cultivator with the surname Yao facing death flashed through Qin Niu¡¯s mind.


    Poisoned by the stings of the Green Demon Bee, he had died a painful death.


    After putting a distance of five to six hundred meters between them, the Nine Insects Gang Leader finally stopped her lateral movement.


    Next, both sides were struggling to climb upwards.


    The mountain became steeper and steeper, and the ice and snow became harder and harder to stand on. They had to keep leveraging their momentum, tirelessly climbing upward.


    Stopping to rest had become a luxury.


    Because as soon as they stopped, their bodies would immediately begin to slide uncontrollably downward. For cultivators like them, there were ways to deal with this.


    For example, they could forcefully stab their treasured swords into the layers of ice and snow to stabilize their bodies and prevent sliding down.


    ¡°Look, there are several challengers over there!¡±


    Xu Weng looked up at the upper reaches of the snow mountain and saw seven or eight dark figures scattered above.


    The most powerful ones were already approaching the summit.


    Indeed, there are always higher skies beyond this one, and people beyond people. Along the way, Qin Niu and Xu Weng had advanced together and hadn¡¯t wasted much time. Yet, they hadn¡¯t expected others to have climbed up the great snow mountain even earlier than them.


    And it wasn¡¯t just one person, but several.


    ¡°That middle-aged man with red hair is about to reach the top. But it seems very slippery at the summit; he can barely make any progress.¡±


    Qin Niu noticed that although the red-haired man was struggling to climb, his body kept sliding downward.


    ¡°That¡¯s Chi Jinglei, the protector from Fire Cloud Tunnel, whose cultivation has reached the peak of the Immortal Master. Most of his cultivation power has been transformed into mana. He should be capable of casting some basic spells.¡±


    Xu Weng recognized the man at a glance.


    ¡°If just a protector is this powerful, then wouldn¡¯t the cave master of the Fire Cloud Tunnel be even stronger?¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help thinking of the Sixth Cave Master.


    He had promised to help Chi Xing seek revenge. If the Sixth Cave Master was too powerful, this deal would surely be at a loss for him.


    After all, Chi Xing was still only at the Spirit Qi Realm.


    ¡°Presently, Fire Cloud Tunnel has a total of eight cave masters, even the weakest of whom could easily crush Chi Jinglei. However, the most powerful entity in Fire Cloud Tunnel is probably the Fire Cloud Evil God, whose Fire Cloud Palm is said to have reached a transcendent level. Just how strong he is, remains a mystery.


    All I know is that once, the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect sent an Immortal Envoy for inspection.


    A female Immortal Envoy might have been slightly arrogant during her visit to Fire Cloud Tunnel and was directly taken by the Fire Cloud Evil God to be a female slave. Afterwards, everyone thought the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect would be furious and might even destroy Fire Cloud Tunnel, but no one ever mentioned the female Immortal Envoy¡¯s humiliation and imprisonment again.


    It¡¯s as if the incident never happened.¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but break out in cold sweat.


    Ignorant of danger, he had, led by Chi Xing, even gone to inspect the cave where the Sixth Cave Master was in seclusion on their way here. Now that he knew that the cave masters of Fire Cloud Tunnel could easily kill an Immortal Master, he understood why Chi Xing¡¯s wife¡¯s family never spoke of seeking revenge.


    Which family would dare to offend such a strong being over a dead woman?


    The Fire Cloud Evil God was indeed domineering, taking down an Immortal Envoy sent by the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect for inspection whenever he wished.


    At this moment, a clear sound of cracking came from above.


    It was somewhat similar to the sound of glass shattering.


    Xu Weng¡¯s face changed drastically, ¡°Not good, an avalanche is coming!¡± He looked upward, and a look of anger swiftly spread across his face.


    ¡°That Chi Jinglei is really too wicked, he¡¯s trying to kill us all.¡±


    Qin Niu was puzzled and looked up carefully.


    He then noticed Chi Jinglei holding a thick-backed knife with a ring, hacking at the ice above to deliberately trigger an avalanche.


    Some people were truly born wicked.


    He had reached the summit himself, yet he wanted all these strong climbers to be buried in the great snow mountain.


    ¡°Xu Weng, let¡¯s give it our all!¡±


    After Qin Niu finished speaking, he had already pushed the Misty Rain Elusive Step to its limit.


    Xu Weng also knew the gravity of the situation and took three elixirs in succession, also pushing his step-method martial skill to the utmost limit. Both used the fastest speeds of their lives, aiming to reach the summit before the avalanche occurred.

 Chapter 575 - Chapter 575: Chapter 563: The Tribulation of Chix Xiao Immortal Monarch Begins

    Chapter 575: Chapter 563: The Tribulation of Chix Xiao Immortal Monarch Begins


    Qin Niu was also stunned as he stared at the beast horn in his hand, never expecting the ¡®junk¡¯ he had picked up for a hundred taels of Silver Money at the Ghost Market to possess such powerful abilities.


    It could actually absorb lightning.


    ¡°Haha, fate cannot be defied, even the Heavens are helping my Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect to survive this disaster! Chi Xiao, listen to this Immortal Monarch¡¯s advice, turn back and you shall find shore!¡± Haosnow Immortal Monarch had thought he was doomed to fail, but who would have expected such a huge twist.


    Even after cultivating for hundreds or thousands of years, with his heart forged as firm as iron and stone, he was still moved by this sudden turn of good fortune.


    Laughing heartily, he did not hesitate to cast a spell.


    Instantly, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch and the others in front were enveloped in chilling frost, then swiftly frozen within it.


    Qin Niu watched with a pounding heart.


    The means of an Immortal Monarch are like reaching through heaven and earth, truly too powerful.


    So many enemies, the weakest of them at the Immortal Master level, were all frozen in an instant. The life and death of mortals rest on the thoughts of an Immortal Monarch.


    Even if there were ten thousand, a million strong individuals, they would still be no more than ants before an Immortal Monarch.


    Just when he thought the situation was under control, more figures flew out from within the Immortal Gate.


    The leader, clad in fire armor and a red helmet, held a golden axe in each hand, presenting himself like an unparalleled war general against the backdrop of his majestic stature.


    ¡°A mere Immortal Monarch dares to obstruct the grand ambitions of Fire Cloud Tunnel, who gave you the courage?¡±


    His words were filled with overwhelming confidence and before the sound of his voice faded, he struck down with his axe.


    A boundless blaze covered the heavens and earth in an instant, burning fiercely. The strong members of Fire Cloud Tunnel who had been frozen, one after another, revealed looks of joy, as the ice entrapping them was rapidly melting.


    A golden flower, ethereal and partially visible, appeared above the fire-armored warrior¡¯s head.


    The golden flower, merely the size of a tea cup, naturally grew from the center of the fire-armored warrior¡¯s head. It emitted a soft yet divine light, making one feel an innate reverence and awe, as if it possessed the highest authority, like the world¡¯s most regal crown.


    As Qin Niu looked at this golden flower, aside from wanting to worship it, he felt in his heart that it was the most noble crown in the world.


    ¡°A crown of golden blossoms, a foot emitting auspicious clouds, only achievable by an Earth Immortal. No wonder Huoyun Ancestor dared to lay hands on my Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect,¡± Haosnow Immortal Monarch said with a sense of awe as he looked at the fire-armored warrior who held contempt for all else.


    Indeed, this individual was the renowned Huoyun Ancestor.


    Forget the level of Earth Immortal, even at the realm of Immortal Monarch, they were esteemed existences in Qin Niu¡¯s eyes.


    Even the level of a Great Immortal Envoy was something he had to look up to, incapable of harboring even the slightest thought of resistance.


    ¡°Humph, without real ability, who dares to climb to the Immortal Mountain?¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor boasted as he struck another axe blow toward the front.


    The formidable blaze, like an immense crescent moon, slashed towards Haosnow Immortal Monarch.


    Qin Niu found that his body was like it was bound, unable to move, not even able to turn his eyes or close them, let alone move his fingers. That overwhelming might seemed like the shattering of heaven and earth, simply beyond the resistance of mortals.


    Death enveloped him in an instant.


    His soul trembled as if doomsday judgment was upon him.


    ¡°Ice Armor!¡±


    Haosnow Immortal Monarch struggled to utter four words, forming hand seals, and cast his most powerful spell toward the front.


    Mountains of ice rapidly spread forward, freezing everything in their path.


    Where ice met fire, the ice blocks were melting at an astonishing rate. Where fire and ice collided, vast steam rose, emitting hissing sounds.


    The Mana of the two was obviously not on the same level, Haosnow Immortal Monarch was weaker than Huoyun Ancestor by a notch.


    The fiery flames advanced relentlessly, melting all the ice, and soon reached right in front of Haosnow Immortal Monarch.


    Qin Niu also felt the terrifying heat which unmercifully scorched his face and skin, causing a prickling pain.


    Haosnow Immortal Monarch¡¯s body trembled violently, his originally fair face now turning bright red.


    ¡°Haha, how can a firefly dare contend with the bright moon? Today, you shall fall here!¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor laughed arrogantly, at the same time increasing his Mana output.


    The dreadful blaze swallowed Haosnow Immortal Monarch and Qin Niu together.


    Even reaching the realm of Immortal Monarch, one was still fodder before an Earth Immortal.


    Haosnow Immortal Monarch was almost without the strength to fight back.


    Facing the life-and-death catastrophe, Haosnow Immortal Monarch frantically formed hand seals, casting a new spell.


    ¡°Ice Armor!¡±


    Eight hexagonal ice shields blocked all around.


    In this moment of life and death, Haosnow Immortal Monarch did not abandon Qin Niu, this insignificant being, but rather chose to spend more Mana to protect him within the Ice Armor as well, which somewhat moved Qin Niu.


    Because, in his understanding, those above the level of Immortal Master were all heartless and selfish.


    Many Immortals were even detached from emotions and desires, cold and ruthless.


    ¡°Kid, if this Ice Armor cannot hold for two more hours, you can only consider yourself unlucky, be prepared to face death. Once this Ice Armor of this Immortal Monarch breaks, I can no longer guarantee your safety; then you should use whatever means you have to escape,¡± Haosnow Immortal Monarch said, his lips leaking golden blood continuously.


    He seemed to have suffered internal injuries.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t die today, I am willing to take you as my master, not for anything else, but because you didn¡¯t forget to protect me, this little shrimp, at the critical moment of life and death, which shows that the character of the Immortal Monarch is beyond reproach. Having such a master would surely be a joyous thing,¡± Qin Niu offered.

 Chapter 576 - Chapter 576: Chapter 563: The Tribulation of Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch Begins_2

    Chapter 576: Chapter 563: The Tribulation of Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch Begins_2


    ¡°`


    Qin Niu, faced with the fearsome flames outside, was not panicked at all.


    Instead, he took this opportunity to establish a master-disciple relationship with the Great Immortal Bei Bing.


    ¡°Ho ho, the little fellow is quite confident, huh! There are countless Immortal Envoys and Great Immortal Envoys who wish to take me as their master. Up till now, I have never taken a disciple. However, you do have many aspects that appeal to me. To borrow an old monk¡¯s saying, ¡®We are fated.¡¯ If both of us survive today, I will accept you as my disciple,¡±


    Great Immortal Bei Bing smiled with his mouth wide open, agreeing to the matter of taking a disciple.


    This secretly delighted Qin Niu.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±


    Qin Niu was not one to stand on ceremony; seizing the moment, he straightaway referred to Great Immortal Bei Bing as Master.


    ¡°You¡¯d better focus on how to save your life! The Huoyun Ancestor has cultivated to the Earth Immortal Realm. I¡¯m afraid only the Sect Master of our Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect can match him,¡± Great Immortal Bei Bing¡¯s cheeks twitched, but he did not outright reject him.


    At this moment, all those strong figures from Fire Cloud Tunnel who had been sealed in ice broke free.


    The Chix Xao Immortal Monarch, filled with anger, joined the battle as soon as he was free.


    Without further ado, he unleashed a Flame Spell towards Great Immortal Bei Bing.


    Like a giant sun, an immense fireball wrapped in towering flames as high as mountains fiercely bombarded Great Immortal Bei Bing¡¯s Ice Armor.


    Boom!


    Bei Bing¡¯s Ice Armor, already struggling to withstand the attacks from the Huoyun Ancestor, now, with Chix Xao Immortal Monarch¡¯s kick to a man who¡¯s down and full force assault, instantly developed countless tiny cracks.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Bei Bing bit the tip of his tongue and directly spurted a mouthful of Golden Blood onto the Ice Armor.


    The Ice Armor, consisting of eight shield plates, once again compressed and shrank considerably, with Qin Niu tightly squeezed back-to-back with Great Immortal Bei Bing. The immense pressure nearly crushed his body.


    He had only just broken through to the Immortal Scholar Realm not long ago, and his physical body was far from comparable to the centuries-old oddity that was Great Immortal Bei Bing.


    It felt as if all his organs were about to be crushed, and a sweet taste surged in his throat, followed by a mouthful of the taste of blood.


    The terrible pressure instantly injured him.


    Great Immortal Bei Bing, unable to look after himself, had no strength to care for him.


    At this critical juncture, Qin Niu felt the pressure on his body suddenly reduce significantly, and his body felt much better.


    A look revealed that the Diamond Ink Turtle had deployed its defensive skill at this moment.


    Now a tenth-level Dragon Turtle, defense was naturally its forte, and its power was exceptional.


    ¡°Cowardly Turtle, well done!¡±


    Qin Niu communicated with it through Divine Sense, affirming its protective actions.


    The Diamond Ink Turtle blinked its small eyes.


    As Qin Niu¡¯s various pets continued to grow, they could now be of some help even in high-level battles.


    He thought he was safe for the moment, but the good times were short-lived. The Ice Armor of Great Immortal Bei Bing, facing a combined assault from an Immortal Monarch and an Earth Immortal, soon could no longer hold out.


    One of the ice shield plates became thinner and thinner, eventually getting pierced through.


    Then, the terrible flames ruthlessly burned their way in.


    Great Immortal Bei Bing¡¯s feathered garment was immediately ignited, but he was beyond the point of paying attention to it. In this moment of crisis, Qin Niu acted again, directly absorbing the incoming flames into his body.


    Now he and Great Immortal Bei Bing shared both glory and loss.


    He could no longer afford to hide his skills.


    Facing Immortal Monarchs and Earth Immortals of such calibers, his cultivation power was indeed somewhat insignificant.


    However, the opponent was playing with fire and Qin Niu possessed the Fire Lotus, a heavenly treasure. He had refined it into a Lotus Platform with the help of the Medicine King Sutra. He couldn¡¯t claim to resist all fires in the world, but ordinary flames certainly couldn¡¯t harm him in the slightest.


    Having just absorbed a bit of the flames, his eyes brightened.


    ¡°Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s flames are of quite high quality!¡±


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, having been frozen by Great Immortal Bei Bing, had accumulated towering rage. The flames he unleashed with all his might at this moment were at least of True Fire Level, many times more powerful than ordinary flames.


    Qin Niu could clearly feel the Fire Lotus within him ¡®greedily¡¯ absorbing these high-level fire energies. His cultivation power from the Medicine King Sutra grew at a pleasing rate.


    This feeling of rapid growth in cultivation was quite comfortable for him.


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch was not a fool and quickly spotted that something was amiss.


    Originally wearing a grim smile as he waited to reduce Great Immortal Bei Bing to ashes, he found to his surprise that although one side of the opponent¡¯s Ice Armor had been breached, it still had not fallen, nor showed any anomalies.


    ¡°`


    After a careful examination, he finally discovered the clue.


    It turned out that the youngster with merely the Immortal Scholar Realm cultivation took on the flame attack for Immortal Monarch Haosnow.


    ¡°How could this youngster withstand my True Fire attack?¡± Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch felt extremely puzzled.


    Earlier, his thunder technique attack had been successfully blocked by Qin Niu, which already made him immensely covet the beast horn in Qin Niu¡¯s hand. Such treasures capable of withstanding thunder were few and far between, each one incredibly precious.


    The beast horn in Qin Niu¡¯s hand was even more advanced than the Flood Dragon horn he used for casting the Thunder Technique.


    The Thunder Technique attack was Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s proudest offensive method, almost always successful. If he could obtain the beast horn from Qin Niu, his Thunder Technique would certainly ascend to another level.


    At this moment, seeing that Qin Niu could also take on his True Fire, with Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s vast experience, he immediately thought that there might be other treasures on Qin Niu.


    Upon this realization, even with a thousand years of cultivation and a heart as steadfast as rock, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s heart pounded with excitement.


    Lightning and flame, these two types of treasures were precisely what Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch needed.


    ¡°It must be this Immortal Monarch¡¯s great fortune!¡±


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, an old hand at this, knew well the allure of treasures. In the face of such significant interests, even the Huoyun Ancestor would be tempted.


    If Huoyun Ancestor were to kill Immortal Monarch Haosnow and casually exterminate that youngster as well, he would definitely discover the treasures on the youngster. By then, it would be too late for him, this Immortal Monarch, to even have a share.


    After all, the rule was clear.


    Whoever killed the person would take the spoils.


    With a whole host of followers to look after, how could Huoyun Ancestor possibly share the treasures with Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch?


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch felt he could wait no longer.


    Otherwise, missing the opportunity would lead to eternal regret. Such a great opportunity was hard to come by, right in front of him, and it would be a pity if he failed to seize it.


    He made an important decision and directly said to the Huoyun Ancestor, ¡°Great leader, you are an Earth Immortal-tier powerhouse, and Immortal Monarch Haosnow possesses strong mana, let me leave him to you. As for the rest of the riffraff, leave them all to me to clean up.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡±


    Fire Cloud Sect Master readily agreed.


    Little did he dream that his subordinate, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, was scheming.


    While Immortal Monarch Haosnow was tied down, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch directly invoked a flag and cast a spell towards Qin Niu through the air. Qin Niu, previously protected inside the Ice Armor, suddenly felt his body uncontrollably shifted by a powerful force.


    After a moment of dizziness, he found himself in an unfamiliar environment.


    Surrounding him were blazing flames.


    Hovering ahead was an immortal clad in a red feathered robe, none other than Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch.


    ¡°Boy, hand over all the treasures on you, and this Immortal Monarch may consider not obliterating your soul. Hesitate, and I won¡¯t let you transcend in death,¡± Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch said, making no attempt to hide the greed in his eyes.


    Faced with such a formidable being, Qin Niu dared not entertain any thoughts of resistance.


    Without a word, he immediately turned to flee.


    ¡°Hmph, within my Flame Flag, unless your mana surpasses mine, escape is impossible even if you had wings,¡± Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch was not afraid of Qin Niu running away at all.


    Qin Niu darted about, only to find endless flames in every direction, scalding his skin and causing pain.


    Luckily, he had the Fire Lotus, which could absorb the energy of flames, saving him from being burnt alive.


    Realizing he couldn¡¯t escape, Qin Niu remembered he still had an Invisibility Talisman he had bought from Grandfather Bei Bing. Without a second thought, he activated it.


    His body instantly faded and vanished.


    ¡°Such a masterful Invisibility Spell!¡± Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch couldn¡¯t help but praise; his interest in Qin Niu grew even more. This youngster was simply a moving treasure trove.


    It¡¯s well-known that Invisibility Spells are among the most precious of techniques.


    Although not many immortals mastered Invisibility Spells¡ªperhaps only a hundred or so¡ªalmost any powerhouse who had attained the Great Immortal Envoy Realm had the chance to learn this spell.


    But the Invisibility Spells they cast were not sophisticated, and none could escape detection by Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s Fire Eyes.


    Now, Qin Niu, using just a talisman to perform the Invisibility Spell, had managed to become undetectable to Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, who, instead of hurrying to kill Qin Niu, wanted to learn this advanced Invisibility Spell.


    If he could master such a skillful Invisibility Spell, even in the most perilous situations in the future, he would be able to preserve his life with ease.

 Chapter 577 - Chapter 577: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant

    Chapter 577: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant


    Qin Niu knew full well that the Invisibility Talisman could only maintain its effect for an hour or two. If he couldn¡¯t escape within that time, he would almost certainly die.


    Facing an Immortal Monarch, he didn¡¯t even consider the possibility of a sneak attack or a counterkill.


    If the opponent was just an Immortal Envoy, perhaps he could have fought back. At the Immortal Monarch level, any such fantasies were pure foolishness.


    He quietly rushed outward, only to quickly discover that he had fallen into the enemy¡¯s trap formation. No matter how he tried to escape, he was always surrounded by a sea of fire.


    The magical treasure deployed by an Immortal Monarch was indeed no small matter.


    Under the power of mana, the Flame Flag sealed off an area to form a trap formation. He simply couldn¡¯t escape.


    Time was rapidly slipping away, and Qin Niu¡¯s heart filled with despair.


    Who could have imagined that upon joining the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, he would encounter such misfortune? The enemy¡¯s strength was beyond imagination. Crucially, the most powerful Sect Master of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was in the midst of a centennial life-or-death seclusion, and no one could withstand the overwhelming ferocity of Huoyun Ancestor and Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch.


    The Immortal Monarch, Haosnow, was gradually losing the capacity to withstand the attack from Huoyun Ancestor. His Ice Armor was showing a multitude of cracks, and the situation was perilous.


    This made Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch start to worry internally.


    Because Qin Niu had used an Invisibility Talisman and had been hiding within the trapped formation without being discovered, and had withstood the scorching of the flames, remaining unharmed, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s desire for Qin Niu¡¯s supposed treasure grew even stronger.


    He must kill Qin Niu before Huoyun Ancestor defeated Haosnow Immortal Monarch to stealthily obtain the treasures on Qin Niu.


    Otherwise, once Huoyun Ancestor was free to join, there would be too many uncertainties.


    ¡°Boy, taste the Innate True Fire that this Immortal Monarch has cultivated for over five hundred years!¡±


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch gritted his teeth, deciding to unleash his most powerful technique.


    The Innate True Fire was extremely important to him, something he would not use lightly. It was only in desperate times that he would utilize it.


    For him, Innate True Fire was as vital as the inner core cultivated by a demon beast.


    Using Innate True Fire against Qin Niu, a mere Immortal Master, was like using a cleaver to kill a chicken.


    But because the Innate True Fire was intricately linked to his soul after cultivation, it was also easier to break Qin Niu¡¯s invisibility.


    Whoosh!


    A blast of blazing white fire erupted from Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s mouth.


    In an instant, the temperature inside the trap formation doubled, reaching at least fourteen to fifteen hundred degrees.


    Sensing danger, Qin Niu¡¯s Fire Lotus Platform began to operate on its own, frantically absorbing Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s Innate True Fire.


    ¡°Damn it, what kind of treasure is this?¡±


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch immediately panicked.


    Every wisp of his Innate True Fire was painstakingly cultivated and accumulated, and now it was diminishing at an alarming rate.


    What¡¯s more terrifying was that his Innate True Fire was tightly bound to him, and he couldn¡¯t retract it.


    ¡°Die for this Immortal Monarch!¡±


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch went completely mad, launching indiscriminate attacks within the trap formation.


    Unfortunately, his two strongest methods, flame and lightning, were ineffective against Qin Niu. He now seemed more like he was trapped in a quagmire, struggling in vain.


    As Qin Niu¡¯s Fire Lotus Platform absorbed the Innate True Fire, it began to grow at an astonishing rate, like a barbaric beast.


    That was a valuable thing, the energy of flames that an Immortal Monarch had cultivated for hundreds of years.


    The Fire Lotus Platform spun faster and faster, like a ravenous monster.


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch saw his Innate True Fire depleting and felt terror and heartache, but could no longer retrieve it.


    He now faced a terribly difficult choice: either ask for Huoyun Ancestor¡¯s help immediately or give up the Innate True Fire he had bitterly cultivated for many years.


    Asking for Huoyun Ancestor¡¯s help could possibly save his remaining Innate True Fire, but all the treasures Qin Niu possessed would definitely be taken by Huoyun Ancestor. That would be a devastating loss for Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if other methods of this Immortal Monarch will work. I refuse to believe that I can¡¯t take down a mere Immortal Master.¡±


    After pondering, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch made a decision.


    If he killed Qin Niu, all losses could be compensated.


    This would also be the most erroneous decision in Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s life.


    ¡­


    Boom!


    The Flame Flag suddenly burst apart, scattering fragments in all directions, while the flames burst outward like fireworks.


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch emerged with disheveled hair and a pale face.


    He looked utterly defeated, with his vital energy in disarray and appearing to have suffered a significant blow.


    The other members of the Fire Cloud Tunnel were astonished to see Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch so embarrassingly outmatched by a mere Immortal Master.


    ¡°Chix Xiao, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor asked with a grim face.


    His battle against Haosnow Immortal Monarch wasn¡¯t going so smoothly either. Although he eventually broke Haosnow¡¯s Ice Armor, Haosnow managed to flee into the nearby Great Snow Mountain at a crucial moment, causing Huoyun Ancestor to hesitate to pursue and kill.


    ¡°The brat is slippery as an eel. Somehow, he took all my Innate True Fire,¡± Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch said, his heart bleeding with each word.


    He failed to catch the prey and instead got a face full of embarrassment, even losing the Innate True Fire he had cultivated over many years.


    ¡°To take your Innate True Fire, he must be no simple character. Where is he?¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor was an Earth Immortal, considering himself one of the strongest beings in this realm.


    As long as one reached the Earth Immortal Realm, they could act with impunity in this world, existing at a transcendent level.


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, with his face of shame, lowered his head and gritted his teeth, ¡°He slipped away using an Invisibility Talisman!¡± To have an Immortal Monarch go all out against an Immortal Master was a bit ludicrous to begin with.

 Chapter 578 - Chapter 578: Chapter 564 Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_2

    Chapter 578: Chapter 564 Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_2


    Now that the other party has escaped unscathed, it is simply an enormous humiliation.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see an Invisibility Talisman that can evade the eyes and ears of an Immortal Monarch!¡± Huoyun Ancestor, old and shrewd, seemed to have already seen through Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s little tricks. ¡°It seems this youngster is not simple! Let¡¯s attend to the pressing matters first. A mere Immortal Master can be dealt with later.¡±


    Harboring grand ambitions, Huoyun Ancestor was not willing to let a minor character affect his grand undertakings, especially not before the business at hand was achieved and the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect overthrown.


    ¡°All disciples of Huoyun Immortal Sect, heed my command! Follow me immediately into the forbidden land of the Sect Master of Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. Once we annihilate those of Hundred-Tempering, you will be the founding heroes of our new sect. Immortal Techniques, elixirs, spirit grasses, and magical treasures will be at your fingertips, and your status will far exceed your current one.¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor promptly elevated the name from Fire Cloud Tunnel to Huoyun Immortal Sect, highlighting his impatience to realize his ambitions.


    Even for these cultivators of high realms, the lure of cultivation resources and social status was irresistible.


    The cultivators of Fire Cloud Tunnel, as if injected with an adrenaline shot, followed closely behind Huoyun Ancestor towards the forbidden land of Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, each employing their own methods.


    Having held a high position in Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect for many years, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, now a spy within their ranks, led the way.


    Soon, the group arrived at the forbidden land of Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    ¡°Sect Master, just ahead is where the Immortal Venerable of Hundred-Tempering is undergoing the life-and-death trial. According to reliable information, the Immortal Venerable has sealed himself within a wooden coffin, buried deep underground. At this moment, he should be extremely weak, and his strength, at most, barely reaches the level of a Great Immortal Envoy.¡±


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch pointed towards a mountain wall ahead and respectfully reported to Huoyun Ancestor.


    Having lost his Innate True Fire, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s strength suffered greatly, and if he did not find a remedy in time, his cultivation could even regress.


    He was quick-witted, immediately addressing Huoyun Ancestor as the Sect Master.


    Typically, only after successfully establishing a sect does one earn the title of Sect Master.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    A victorious smile spread across Huoyun Ancestor¡¯s face as he formed hand seals and cast a terrible fire snake that shot directly toward the mountain wall.


    The mountain wall looked ordinary, with common rocky cliffs, and was covered with some vines, wild grass, and small trees.


    If Qin Niu were here, he would certainly realize that these plants were no ordinary vegetation.


    The fire snake swelled in the wind, quickly growing to seventeen or eighteen meters in length, thicker than a water bucket and displaying great intelligence.


    It smashed viciously against the cliff.


    Boom!


    A violent explosion swept outwards, causing everyone to shield their faces and deploy mana shields for protection.


    But once the flames dissipated, the plants on the cliffside remained unscathed, and faint circles of blue light could be seen.


    ¡°This is a defensive formation!¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor turned to look at Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, his eyes revealing a bit of dissatisfaction.


    Not warning him about the defensive formation, was this a deliberate attempt to embarrass him?


    ¡°Please discern the truth, old ancestor. This is the Sect Master¡¯s forbidden territory; I do not have the qualifications to enter. I was also unaware of any protective formation here,¡± Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch said with a frightened look.


    His maneuvering for treasures from Qin Niu had already caused Huoyun Ancestor to become wary.


    And now, the issue with the protective formation had added to Huoyun Ancestor¡¯s dissatisfaction.


    Unless he no longer wished to remain with Fire Cloud Tunnel, he had to clarify the situation.


    Having betrayed Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, if he also incurred the Ancestor¡¯s displeasure, he would indeed find himself in a lose-lose situation like Zhu Bajie looking in the mirror¡ªneither human nor beast.


    ¡°Hmm, so now you¡¯re aware. Having lurked in Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect for so many years, you must surely know how to break the formation. It¡¯s your move!¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor¡¯s displeasure softened somewhat, yet he burdened Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch with a difficult task.


    ¡°This¡­ I shall exert my utmost effort. However, the Immortal Venerable is extremely cautious regarding us; the formations he deploys are bound to be robust. I¡¯m uncertain if I can break through,¡± Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch truly didn¡¯t have a clue.


    Still, he had no choice but to forge ahead.


    ¡°Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect is on the brink of collapse, yet here you are, constantly referring to ¡®Immortal Venerable¡¯ this and that¡ªare your knees sore from kneeling too long?¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor asked coldly.


    After becoming slightly dissatisfied with Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, he began feeling more and more discontent.


    Everything seemed thorny to him.


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder, old ancestor. I shall definitely reform in the future!¡±


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch felt conflicted. Betraying Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect didn¡¯t seem to have brought him the benefits he desired, and instead, he faced challenges at every turn. Regrettably, there¡¯s no medicine for regret in this world.


    If he hadn¡¯t betrayed Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, he at least would have been part of the high echelons of the sect.


    Now, having taken great risks and bearing a lifetime of infamy, the gains he reaped were minimal.


    Having shot the arrow, there was no turning back. He could only see the chosen path through to the end, thinking of ways to make amends and regain Huoyun Ancestor¡¯s trust and regard.


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch brought out a Cherry Blossom Short Spear and stabbed it towards the cliff.


    A substantial crimson gleam burst from the tip of the short spear, seemingly invincible and unstoppable.


    Thud!


    It pierced hard into the cliff wall, and, surprisingly, the defensive blue light merely flickered twice before vanishing completely.


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch looked at the short spear in his hand and then at the cliff wall ahead, delight gradually spreading across his face.


    After probing with the spear a couple of times, the strong defensive blue light indeed was gone.


    Now he became more confident.


    ¡°Haha, broken, the defensive formation is broken! The death of those from Hundred-Tempering is nigh! Congratulations old ancestor, soon you will be able to take over and become the new Immortal Venerable!¡±


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch had lived for so many years, and although he hadn¡¯t needed to flatter anyone since attaining a high position, at this moment, his strong will to survive helped him revive his dormant skills in sycophancy.

 Chapter 579 - Chapter 579: Chapter 564 Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_3

    Chapter 579: Chapter 564 Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_3


    One must grovel when one¡¯s strength and status are inferior.


    ¡°Very good!¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor was delighted, a hint of red glow appearing on his face.


    Just then, a bronze coffin flew straight out from the cliff face, and without a word, it suppressed Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch underneath it.


    ¡°Ancestor, save me!¡±


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, having lost his Innate True Fire and greatly weakened, now had no power to resist the copper coffin.


    Upon hearing the plea, Huoyun Ancestor acted as if facing a great enemy, showing no intention to save him immediately.


    Despite leading a rebellion and storming the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect with audacious courage, the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Venerable had ruled this region for many years and had accumulated deep awe. Like the human name cast by the tree¡¯s shadow, the Hundred-Tempering Child had slain countless powerful foes during the founding war of the sect, including an Earth Immortal.


    Therefore, it wasn¡¯t hard to understand the trepidation within Huoyun Ancestor¡¯s heart.


    However, it was said that during that battle, although Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch had advanced to the Earth Immortal realm, his combat strength was low due to cultivating a Life-Nurturing Technique unsuited for battle, and his ultimate fate had always been a mystery.


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch was firmly suppressed under the copper coffin, slowly collapsing, completely unable to move.


    From within the coffin spurted strands of dark qi, tangible and seemingly sentient, which wrapped around Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch beneath it, ceaselessly assimilating him.


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, on the other hand, let out pitiful screams filled with terror.


    The rebels of Fire Cloud Tunnel stood as if facing a formidable enemy, many with faces filled with shock, adopting defensive stances while also stealthily retreating.


    ¡°Hmph, playing tricks!¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor snorted heavily, once again casting the Fire Serpent Technique he was so proud of.


    A giant serpent-shaped fire snake shot out and coiled itself around the copper coffin.


    In the blink of an eye, the coffin was glowing red hot.


    The terrifying dark qi was burned away, revealing Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s form once more. Only now, his complexion was ashen, a sign of severe vitality loss.


    ¡°Ho-ho-ho¡­ such a trifling Fire Serpent Technique, it¡¯s nothing special!¡±


    A shrill, mocking laugh came from inside the coffin, which suddenly flew up and then headed straight for the distant snowy mountain.


    Along the way, it didn¡¯t forget to attack the rebelling Fire Cloud Tunnel powerhouses.


    A few who couldn¡¯t dodge in time were bound by the black qi shooting from inside the coffin and each let out screams of agony before writhing on the ground.


    ¡°Hundred-Tempering child, where will you flee? Today is the day you die.¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor, seemingly having gauged the true strength of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Venerable and confirming his opponent¡¯s inferiority, became bolder.


    He struck out once more, to no avail, as the copper coffin was already flying away quickly.


    Huoyun Ancestor formed a cloud of fire beneath his feet and swiftly pursued the copper coffin.


    In the blink of an eye, the chase led them to the foot of the snowy mountain. Huoyun Ancestor, more anxious than ever, gave chase without hesitation.


    The moment he entered the snowy mountain, the entire mountain seemed to come alive instantaneously, moving as a whole.


    It was like a giant beast, consuming Huoyun Ancestor in one bite.


    ¡°Shameless! Using a natural magic array to scheme against me!¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor found his Fire-based Magic suppressed, unable to exert even half of its power. His expression changed drastically as he realized he was in a dire situation and immediately sought to fight his way out.


    But once the snowy mountain ¡®awakened¡¯, it turned into a terrifying monster, with ice and snow transforming into sharp arrows shot at Huoyun Ancestor. They were endless, and as long as Huoyun Ancestor couldn¡¯t escape, even his profound mana would be drained here.


    Realizing that the situation was grim, Huoyun Ancestor began to panic.


    Despite being an Earth Immortal, a top existence in this world, he still faced the risk of falling.


    If his rebellion failed and he ended up sacrificing himself in the process, that really wouldn¡¯t be worth it.


    Huoyun Ancestor turned into a blaze, charging from left to right, still unable to break through. In a decisive move, he used his last resort. He brought out a fire banner and hid himself inside it before charging outward.


    The snowy mountain was not to be underestimated, with ice giants resurrecting one by one from the ground to block the fire banner.


    The battle between the two sides was indiscernible.


    But now, with the situation shifting, it was Huoyun Ancestor who became anxious.


    If he couldn¡¯t break through, he would surely fall here today.


    ¡°Fellow Daoists, I beseech your aid!¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor, seeing that he could not break out, shouted towards the void.


    Suddenly, the upper right space fluctuated and then a Flood Dragon clad in Golden Armor appeared. To be more precise, it should be called a Flood Dragon.


    For on its head were two antlers, its eyes burned like two flames, it had claws on both sides of its abdomen, and its tail was more fish-like and broad than a snake¡¯s.


    Such an odd figure made it difficult to classify it as a python.


    ¡°Ao!¡±


    It bowed its head toward the space below, emitting a deep Dragon Chant.


    The terrifying sonorous waves swept over the ground like a heavy bomb. Ice giants within the range of the noise shattered one after another, turning into piles of broken ice scattered on the ground. Fragments weighing hundreds of pounds were lifted by the sonorous waves seven or eight meters into the air before crashing down heavily.


    ¡°I did not expect the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect to join the fray as well, truly considering our Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect highly!¡±


    Haosnow Immortal Monarch, hidden within the snowy mountain, murmured to himself.


    ¡°Master, is that a Flood Dragon?¡±


    Qin Niu also stood behind Haosnow Immortal Monarch, looking unscathed and much stronger in strength.


    As for the extreme cold of the snowy mountain, it did not affect him at all, for he had the Ice Lotus Platform to protect him from all extreme cold.

 Chapter 580 - Chapter 580: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_4

    Chapter 580: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_4


    After ambushing Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch and seizing his Innate True Fire, Qin Niu¡¯s Red Lotus Platform advanced even further. Not only did the lotus petals become thicker and more imbued with spiritual energy, but natural talismans also began to appear on the lotus platform.


    Qin Niu had originally planned to take advantage of Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s severe injuries to use the Ink Blade to slay him.


    However, this crazy idea was fleeting.


    Because an Immortal Monarch was too terrifying. If he failed to kill the enemy, it would be his own demise.


    And even if he could have slain Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, there still would have been the even more formidable Huoyun Ancestor outside. Ultimately, he chose to take what he had gained and leave quietly, using an Invisibility Talisman to escape from there.


    Knowing that Haosnow Immortal Monarch had fled into the Great Snow Mountain, it was only natural for him, as a disciple, to follow and escape there as well.


    After reuniting with his master, Haosnow Immortal Monarch greatly praised him for seriously wounding Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch.


    This also served as a way to vent Haosnow Immortal Monarch¡¯s own resentments.


    ¡°That is the Mountain Guardian Earth Dragon of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect. More than four hundred years ago, not even when an elder of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect was besieged by formidable enemies did they deploy this Earth Dragon. It¡¯s unexpected that this time they would bring it straight to our Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect¡¯s territory. They really hold our sect in high regard. It seems today we are more likely to face disaster than fortune,¡± Haosnow Immortal Monarch said somewhat pessimistically.


    Originally, relying on this Great Snow Mountain, they could have combated the powerhouses of the Fire Cloud Tunnel, but now that the dominant Myriad Beast Immortal Sect had joined the battle, the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect stood no chance of winning.


    Qin Niu stared closely at the horn of the Earth Dragon, feeling it was extremely similar to the beast horn he had purchased.


    He tentatively asked, ¡°Master, is that dragon capable of unleashing lightning attacks?¡±


    Haosnow Immortal Monarch still wore a mournful expression, his tone heavy as he said, ¡°The Myriad Beast Immortal Sect¡¯s Mountain Guardian Earth Dragon is adept in both lightning and flame attacks. The lightning it releases is comparable to the thunder of a minor tribulation, and the flames it spews are second only to the Samadhi True Fire. Even Earth Immortal Level Protective Barriers find it hard to withstand. According to legends, more than two hundred years ago, the Turtle Shell Immortal, who was known as the foremost among Earth Immortals,


    stormed into the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect in fury, demanding an explanation after his disciple was killed by them.


    In the end, he was turned to ash by the Samadhi True Fire breath of the Mountain Guardian Earth Dragon.


    You must know, defense was Turtle Shell Immortal¡¯s strongest suit.¡±


    Speaking of the terror of the Earth Dragon, Haosnow Immortal Monarch was full of fear.


    The most terrifying aspect of flame is that nothing can escape its burn. As long as it¡¯s powerful enough, everything can be reduced to ashes. No matter how strong your walls, they can all be melted down.


    ¡°With such a powerful Earth Dragon, doesn¡¯t that mean no one can stand against the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect?¡±


    Qin Niu had already experienced the power of the Purple Flame Divine Fire and True Fire, which his Fire Lotus was able to withstand. As for the even mightier Samadhi True Fire, he was rather eager to try his hand at it because his Fire Lotus, having absorbed Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s Innate True Fire, had ascended to a new level, and the level of fire it could handle had increased as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case. The Myriad Beast Immortal Sect conducts itself in a domineering manner and possesses immense strength; no single Immortal Sect dares to directly confront it. But there are as many as eight Immortal Sects in this realm, and a union of three could defeat the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect. They say that those who are reckless invite rain, and those who are haughty invite calamity. The ways of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect have been so domineering in recent years that they¡¯ve reached the point where people are outraged.


    They¡¯ve swallowed up as many as three other Immortal Sects, invaded our Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect¡¯s territory to capture the Pill Masters left by the Medicine King Immortal Sect, and they¡¯ve been thoroughly ruthless with their bloodline, annihilating them completely. Their actions have angered both people and deities alike.


    If they indeed destroy our Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect this time, their power will certainly grow further, leaving even fewer sects able to check their power. I believe the other Immortal Sects will not just stand by and watch.¡±


    Haosnow Immortal Monarch gazed at the imposing Earth Dragon and the powerhouses of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect in the sky, his eyes holding no hatred but a deep disdain that came from within.


    Upon hearing this, something stirred in Qin Niu¡¯s heart.


    The Pill Masters of the Medicine King Immortal Sect? Could it be those include Xiao Qing¡¯s parents and grandfather?


    ¡°Why would the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect capture the Pill Masters of the Medicine King Immortal Sect?¡±


    If they wanted them to help with alchemy, they could have simply paid to hire them!


    ¡°Ha! Pill Masters don¡¯t come cheap, especially not from the Medicine King Immortal Sect, which originally had the highest standards of Alchemy in the realm. Since its downfall, only a handful of Pill Masters are left. With scarcity comes value, and those few old fellows charge even higher prices. The Myriad Beast Immortal Sect thought of ¡®inviting¡¯ them by force, then using them like slaves, which would save a considerable amount of expenses. This would be extremely beneficial for the sect¡¯s development.


    Unexpectedly, those Pill Masters didn¡¯t play ball; they were particularly tough.


    In the end, after a fallout, the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect resorted to violence.¡± Haosnow Immortal Monarch revealed the reason with a cold smirk.


    The world of adults is indeed driven only by the word ¡®interest.¡¯


    He who has the stronger fist can rob and plunder with impunity.


    While they were quietly talking, the Copper Coffin and the powerhouses of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect started to clash.


    But the Copper Coffin was completely no match for the enemy, being suppressed outright.


    Defeat was only a matter of time.


    ¡°Master, is the person in the Copper Coffin the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Venerable?¡± Qin Niu asked out of curiosity.


    He had heard that the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Venerable had entered his once-a-century life-and-death tribulation, needing to lie in a coffin for three years. After rejuvenating, he could extend his life by another hundred years. Judging by the situation, the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Venerable was undergoing the life-and-death tribulation, thereby greatly reduced in strength, and easily suppressed by formidable enemies.


    ¡°Just keep watching and you will see,¡± Haosnow Immortal Monarch¡¯s gaze flickered, not directly giving an answer.


    He was clearly cautious about Qin Niu when it came to the Sect Master¡¯s secrets.


    As they spoke, an old man with hair and beard white as snow, each hair tight and twined like thorns, proudly stood atop the Earth Dragon, riding the dragon as he attacked the Copper Coffin.

 Chapter 581 - Chapter 581: Chapter 564 Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_5

    Chapter 581: Chapter 564 Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_5


    The old man bore a robust build and a fierce visage, resembling a primitive beast-man who subsisted on raw meat and blood.


    ¡°Break!¡±


    He brandished the golden melon hammer in his hand, smashing it ruthlessly down on the copper coffin.


    Bang!


    The copper coffin was struck fiercely, a circle of dark energy manifesting on its surface only to be shattered instantly by the might of the golden melon hammer. The coffin lid was also catapulted away in an instant, detaching from the coffin body.


    A body wrapped in dark energy flew out from the coffin, its frame rigid as a zombie.


    Its specific features were indiscernible; one could only infer that the person shrouded in dark energy had a tall stature and must be extremely strong.


    ¡°Who are you? The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect¡¯s cowards won¡¯t come out, so they sent you to die in their stead?¡±


    The old man immediately recognized that this person was not the Hundred Refinements Immortal Monarch.


    Qin Niu merely watched, wide-eyed.


    ¡°This is one of the two great protectors who serve beside the Immortal Venerable, known as Black Protector. His strength even surpasses mine.¡±


    Next to him, the Immortal Master Haoxue gave Qin Niu a hint.


    ¡°I see!¡±


    Qin Niu nodded, his understanding of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect¡¯s strength growing.


    He had assumed the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was a newly established sect, with few top-tier powerhouses. Initially, he thought there were only two, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch and Immortal Master Haoxue. Now it seemed that this wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Haha, your status as the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect¡¯s Great Elder doesn¡¯t qualify you to demand the presence of our Sect Master,¡± the Black Protector¡¯s voice boomed, rough and resonant like the clashing of metal, echoing thunderously.


    ¡°Insolence!¡±


    The old man¡¯s complexion turned dark instantly.


    The Earth Dragon, meanwhile, spit a mouthful of flame at the Black Protector. This was Samadhi True Fire, which could burn anything.


    The black energy around the protector¡¯s body crackled and hissed, rapidly dissolving.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Seeing the Black Protector at a disadvantage, Immortal Master Haoxue hurriedly took action, his hexagonal ice shields flying out directly to block the Earth Dragon¡¯s flames.


    The Samadhi True Fire was indeed extraordinary, rendering the seemingly strong ice shields as frail as foam.


    The flames could easily burn through three to four ice shields in the blink of an eye.


    Nevertheless, this bought the Black Protector a brief respite. He swiftly escaped the Earth Dragon¡¯s attack range and landed beside Immortal Master Haoxue.


    ¡°Haoxue, thanks!¡±


    His tone was a bit gruff, as if he reluctantly acknowledged the favor from Immortal Master Haoxue.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    Immortal Master Haoxue¡¯s gaze locked onto the Earth Dragon above, his spells continuously changing as he controlled more ice and snow to form new shields against its fire. However, the Samadhi True Fire from the Earth Dragon was too powerful, and his ice shield spell clearly couldn¡¯t withstand it.


    As the flames pressed closer and closer, Immortal Master Haoxue had no choice but to retreat repeatedly.


    ¡°Huoyun Ancestor, what are you waiting for? Act now!¡± the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect¡¯s Great Elder commanded coldly and unceremoniously.


    Huoyun Ancestor, a formidable Earth Immortal and head of a sect, was a figure admired by thousands. Now being so starkly reprimanded, he dared not show any displeasure; instead, he obediently performed the Fire Serpent Technique, attacking Immortal Master Haoxue and the others alongside the Earth Dragon.


    His Fire Serpent Technique was far more formidable than Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s Great Fireball Technique.


    The terrifying fire serpent swept toward them.


    Fear flashed across Immortal Master Haoxue¡¯s face. He was already losing the battle against the Earth Dragon¡¯s Samadhi True Fire, and with Huoyun Ancestor¡¯s Fire Serpent Technique added to the mix, he stood no chance at all.


    The Black Protector on the side denounced the foes, ¡°Have you no shame? Two Earth Immortals and an Earth Dragon ganging up on our two Immortal Monarchs!¡±


    ¡°Stop your noise!¡±


    Furious, the Great Elder brandished the golden melon hammer at the Black Protector.


    ¡°Qin lad, run for your life, as far as you can!¡±


    Immortal Master Haoxue was quite fond of his newly accepted disciple. Seeing the extreme danger, he immediately told Qin Niu to escape.


    The Black Protector cast an unexpected glance at Qin Niu.


    Until then, he hadn¡¯t given Qin Niu so much as a cursory look. A mere Immortal Master, indeed, hardly merited the attention of someone of his stature, an Immortal Monarch.


    ¡°Master, let me try that Earth Dragon¡¯s Samadhi True Fire!¡±


    Far from fleeing, Qin Niu unexpectedly took the initiative to strike, leading the Black Protector to wonder if the boy had gone mad.


    If the Earth Dragon¡¯s Samadhi True Fire were so easily withstood, the two Immortal Monarchs wouldn¡¯t have been forced into such dire straits.


    Nevertheless, Qin Niu fearlessly charged toward the dragon¡¯s breath that had pierced through the ice shields.


    Immortal Master Haoxue¡¯s heart clenched instantly, while the Black Protector watched in shock, ¡°Aren¡¯t you known for not taking disciples? When did you take in this lad?¡±


    ¡°I just took him on today!¡±


    Immortal Master Haoxue had no intention of conversing with the Black Protector and instead desperately manipulated his spells, creating more ice shields to withstand the Earth Dragon¡¯s breath, hoping to lessen the sustained damage to Qin Niu.


    Little did he know, as Qin Niu charged into the dragon¡¯s breath, he extended his left hand to block it, an act that seemed like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.


    ¡°The fool, he¡¯s courting death!¡±


    Huoyun Ancestor scoffed in disdain.


    It was only because Qin Niu had not only escaped from Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch¡¯s enclosure but also severely wounded him, that Huoyun Ancestor took a slight interest in the boy. He suspected Qin Niu might possess an unknown treasure of great significance.


    Soon enough, Qin Niu reappeared from within the dragon¡¯s breath, standing tall as before. The surrounding ice and snow melted into water, and then evaporated into steam, revealing a deep pit. One could even faintly glimpse the rocky strata below.


    He smacked his lips, an expression of unsatiated desire as he provocatively looked toward the Earth Dragon.


    ¡°You little crawler, keep it coming!¡±


    Both Immortal Master Haoxue and the Black Protector nearly collapsed upon hearing this.


    Just what was the background of this boy? He could withstand the Samadhi True Fire breath from the Earth Dragon with such ease, and he appeared utterly unfazed.

 Chapter 582 - Chapter 582: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_6

    Chapter 582: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_6


    Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch was the first to reach his limit.


    ¡°It¡¯s this damned kid who stole my Innate True Fire that I cultivated through years of hard work, causing my powers to greatly diminish,¡± he bemoaned. He coveted the treasures on Qin Niu, but he knew they were difficult to obtain. Now, his actions had displeased the Huoyun Ancestor, causing a bias against him.


    It¡¯s often said that while a broken mirror can be mended, the cracks remain forever.


    His gaze inadvertently drifted towards the Great Elder of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect. The opportunity to pledge his loyalty and find refuge seemed just within reach¡ªif he acted quickly, he could secure himself a new and even more powerful patron than the Huoyun Ancestor.


    Once he made up his mind, he steeled his heart and immediately said to the Great Elder of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect, ¡°Elder He, this humble Immortal has a matter to report to you!¡±


    The Great Elder¡¯s gaze swiveled, fixing on his pale face.


    ¡°Speak!¡±


    A single word uttered, simple yet authoritative, domineering.


    There was even a commanding tone to it.


    The Huoyun Ancestor cast a cold glance at Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch, and although his face was expressionless, his dissatisfaction was evident in his eyes.


    Feeling the coldness and dissatisfaction in those eyes, Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch couldn¡¯t help but shiver inside. He had already drawn his bow and could not turn back; he must cling tightly to Elder He, or he would end up in an extremely awkward position on both sides.


    ¡°That kid is called Qin Niu, a newly admitted disciple of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, who possesses at least two priceless items. One can withstand thunder and even heavenly lightning, and another can devour all flames. They say that treasures are destined for those of virtue and luck¡ªyour respected self, with profound virtue and abundant blessings, is surely the rightful owner of these precious treasures,¡± he said, fawning over the prospect of a new and powerful patron to the point of abject sycophancy.


    It could be counted as obsequiousness in the extreme.


    ¡°Oh, is there such a matter? You have done well!¡±


    Elder He praised him with a single sentence, yet did not indicate whether he would give him protection. This made Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch quite anxious.


    He had offered up a great opportunity, but what if after all this, he received no benefit?


    He had surely now completely offended the Huoyun Ancestor, so there was no possibility of returning to the Fire Cloud Tunnel.


    ¡°Scoundrel, hand over all the precious items, and I might spare your life!¡±


    Elder He, stepping on an Earth Dragon, flew directly above Qin Niu¡¯s head, arriving in almost an instant.


    The prospect of an item that could ward off heavenly lightning greatly tempted Elder He.


    Every immortal must endure the terrifying heavenly tribulation; a slight misstep could lead to an untimely death. However, items that can resist lightning are few and far between, each one immeasurably rare and valuable.


    Qin Niu was not foolish; seeing that the most powerful figure among his adversaries had made a move specially against him, a minor Immortal Master, he wasted no breath before he turned on his heels and ran, using the Misty Rain Elusive Step.


    As he had only recently advanced to Immortal Master, he was not yet capable of flying as other immortals could.


    ¡°Hmph, do you really think you can flee in front of me?¡±


    Elder He sneered, casually slashing through the air with his hand, causing Qin Niu to immediately feel as though his body had sunk into a bog, each step an immense struggle.


    ¡°Heaven naturally prefers to cherish life, but you, an obstinate scourge, shall not be spared. Die!¡±


    To Elder He, judging life and death seemed like an utterly trivial matter.


    He made a pinching gesture in the air towards Qin Niu.


    Down below, Qin Niu suddenly felt the pressure on his body multiply by tens and hundreds of times, making breathing exceedingly difficult. The veins in his neck and forehead bulged like cords, and his face turned a deep red.


    His body was on the verge of bursting.


    The capabilities of an Earth Immortal were too horrendous, way beyond what he, a mere Immortal Master, could withstand.


    ¡°This territory belongs to the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, cease your belligerence!¡±


    Though he knew he was no match, the Immortal Venerable nevertheless boldly intervened to save Qin Niu.


    Previously, he would never have risked so much to save an Immortal Master, even if the individual was his disciple. But having interacted with Qin Niu several times, he felt that the young man suited him perfectly and they had formed a deep connection.


    If he failed to save Qin Niu, he would surely be wracked with lifelong guilt and perhaps even be haunted by a Heart Demon.


    This compelled him to resolutely take action.


    Despite summoning a giant blade of ice with all his might, using countless snowflakes and ice crystals, he still could not break through the enclosure set by Elder He.


    Elder He had completely sealed off that small area.


    It was impenetrable to outsiders.


    As Qin Niu was about to perish, the Immortal Venerable despaired.Upd@te by novg0.co


    At that moment, Black Protector also came to help, and the combined efforts of two Immortal Monarchs finally started to loosen the seal established by Elder He.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    At this critical juncture, the Earth Dragon sprang into action, breathing out a torrent of dragon¡¯s breath at the two Immortal Monarchs below.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    The two Immortal Monarchs instantly pulled back to dodge, not daring to be scorched by the dark green dragon¡¯s breath.


    ¡°He Zhiming, you¡¯ve cultivated for over three thousand years, and yet you stoop to targeting a mere Immortal Master from our sect, don¡¯t you have any shame?¡±


    A childish voice rang out.


    Suddenly, Elder He¡¯s seal directly collapsed, and Qin Niu, who was trapped inside, was immediately rescued by someone. The oppressive force that had enveloped his body vanished, and he gasped for air greedily.


    The surface of his skin was covered in a dense web of fine cracks, oozing blood.


    In the moment of crisis, the Diamond Ink Turtle had used its defensive aura to shield him, but it was utterly ineffective, crushed instantly by the overwhelming power. The disparity in strength between it and Elder He was far too great.


    ¡°Hundred-Tempering brat, I¡¯ve finally forced you out! Today will be your day of demise,¡± Elder He said, wearing a smug smile that suggested his trap had succeeded.


    From the implications of his words, the ultimate target of this hunt was none other than the Immortal Venerable of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. Everything he did was just to force the Immortal Venerable to reveal himself.

 Chapter 583 - Chapter 583: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_7

    Chapter 583: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_7


    After being rescued, Qin Niu had already fled back to the side of Immortal Monarch Haoxue, and had never seen a trace of Immortal Venerable Bailian from beginning to end.


    ¡°Haha, is it not known that the most astute hunters often call out to their prey by mimicking their appearance?¡±


    The laughter of Immortal Venerable Bailian was filled with mockery.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can laugh! My Myriad Beast Immortal Sect chose to strike when you were entering the life-death passage, to ensure a foolproof plan. I will slaughter this youngster first!¡±


    Elder He¡¯s face twitched with anger as he commanded the Earth Dragon to charge straight at Qin Niu, since he couldn¡¯t locate Immortal Venerable Bailian.


    However, from his vigilant expression, it was evident he was on edge.


    After all, Immortal Venerable Bailian had just easily broken through his seal with a move.


    Without warning, a purple-golden coffin appeared out of thin air and transformed into a massive hand that struck at Elder He.


    ¡°Fellow sect members, assist me!¡±


    As Elder He called out loudly, he already summoned an elliptical shield shaped like a wok to defend himself.


    Boom!


    The elliptical shield was directly shattered by the massive hand, breaking into several pieces that scattered to the ground.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    At this critical moment, the Earth Dragon spat out dragon¡¯s breath at the striking giant hand.


    The giant hand seemed to be wary of the Samadhi True Fire exhaled by the Earth Dragon, retracting like lightning. But just as the hand pulled back and hadn¡¯t disappeared yet, another hand silently struck at Elder He from behind.


    By now, Elder He¡¯s face had turned white with fear, frantically casting a life-saving spell and abandoning the Earth Dragon to flee in panic.


    His figure flashed and in the blink of an eye, he was a hundred meters away.


    Boom!


    This time, the hand fiercely struck the body of the Earth Dragon.


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    The dragon was sent flying before crashing heavily onto the snowy mountain. However, it seemed unharmed, writhing its body and angrily flying back into the sky to look for the one who had hurt it.


    But it ultimately failed to find its target and, overwhelmed with fury, roared and spat dragon¡¯s breath all over the ground again.


    Streams of cyan-black flames turned thick ice and snow beneath into vapor, revealing deep pits.


    As the prominent Demon Beast of Myriad Beast Immortal Sect, it indeed possessed exceptional strength. Not only was its exhaled Samadhi True Fire extremely potent, but it also had a strong defensive capability.


    When the giant hand struck it before, Qin Niu clearly saw a layer of golden light appear on the dragon¡¯s scale-covered body, which was why it remained unscathed.


    While the Earth Dragon was on a rampage, the vanished giant hand made a reappearance.


    It suddenly emerged behind the dragon, grabbing its tail and whipping it like a leather strap, slamming it furiously against the ground.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Deep grooves were plowed into the ground as the Earth Dragon roared in anger, unable to escape the grip of the giant hand.


    Just as Qin Niu thought the Earth Dragon would be abused to death, its dragon horns emitted, without warning, two thick bolts of silver lightning that struck the giant hand.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±


    A pained groan resounded, shaking the entire snowy mountain.


    The vanished purple-golden coffin was enveloped in the lightning, and the groan was coming from within.


    ¡°Seal!¡±


    After a cold shout, multiple Immortals mounted on Demon Beasts materialized from all directions, each displaying astonishing prowess. The weakest were of Immortal Monarch cultivation, while the stronger ones had reached the level of Earth Immortals.


    In the four cardinal directions, northeast, southwest, one Earth Immortal each.


    Elder He had already positioned himself in the west, accompanied by three strong Immortal Monarchs.


    Not only were these newly appeared immortals strong, but the Demon Beasts they brought were also tremendously powerful. One of them was a White Tiger over ten meters long, exuding an aura that was evidently as formidable as Elder He¡¯s.


    Several other Demon Beasts were comparable to Immortal Monarchs in strength.


    From their clothing, it was clear they all belonged to the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect.


    ¡°We greet the Sect Master respectfully!¡±


    After these powerhouses appeared, they all bowed in unison towards the central position where the Earth Dragon stood.


    Qin Niu was slightly startled; aside from the Earth Dragon, there was only the purple-golden coffin that had been attacked by lightning. Could it be that these strong figures from the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect were paying respects to Immortal Venerable Bailian?


    As he speculated, an odd-looking man appeared out of nowhere above the Earth Dragon.


    He had flowing silver-white hair, skin that appeared fair and tender, and utterly black eyes that seemed to lack irises. He was dressed in a long robe embellished with golden patterns and wore a Raven Crown with two cornu-like horns on his head.


    ¡°Dragon King!¡±


    Immortal Monarch Haoxue¡¯s body shuddered as he struggled to utter the name of the odd-looking man.


    ¡°Master, is he the Sect Master of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect?¡±


    Qin Niu found the title of Dragon King to be quite fitting.


    ¡°Indeed. He has not shown himself for at least a thousand years, leading many to believe he had either passed into immortality or ascended to a higher realm. It¡¯s unexpected that he is still alive. To say he¡¯s the strongest being in this world is no exaggeration.¡±


    Immortal Monarch Haoxue spoke of this person with undeniable fear.


    It was a shudder that came from deep within the soul.


    And a reverence for a top-notch powerhouse.


    ¡°What makes him so powerful?¡±


    Qin Niu focused on the Dragon King in the sky, and after just a few glances, his eyes began to hurt so much that he could not help but shed tears.


    ¡°Having reached the pinnacle of cultivation, he is unfathomably profound. Rumor has it that he has merged with an Earth Dragon, possessing immense defensive power, profound mana, and mighty physical strength. In a contest of physical strength, he would likely be unbeatable in this world. Both fire-based magic and Thunder Technique are his strong suits. With such might, any Earth Immortal would fear to face him in battle.¡±


    This was an Earth Immortal whose power was enough to cause alarm.


    ¡°Moreover, the Dragon King never adheres to any rules of chivalry; he relishes overpowering the weak and outnumbering the fewer. He often gathers a horde of allies to tear into enemies weaker than himself.¡±

 Chapter 584 - Chapter 584: Chapter 564 Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_8

    Chapter 584: Chapter 564 Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_8


    Only a fool would talk about the rules of the rivers and lakes.


    The gangster-like approach of the Dragon King actually made Qin Niu feel very much in tune with the trend.


    In battle, he liked to have all sorts of pets join the fight. It was just that he was just getting started and didn¡¯t have any powerful subordinates by his side; otherwise, he would also like to emulate the Dragon King, who never fought alone if he could help it but preferred a group beating.


    ¡°Master, is our Sect Master really powerful?¡±


    Qin Niu asked.


    ¡°The Sect Master is definitely powerful, but there¡¯s probably still a gap compared to the Dragon King,¡± Immortal Master Haixue didn¡¯t dare to put down his own Sect Master too much, but the tone of his voice made it clear that the Immortal Venerable Bailian was definitely not at the level of the Dragon King.


    ¡°Since the Sect Master isn¡¯t as formidable as the Dragon King, why does the Dragon King need to wait for the Sect Master to enter the once-a-century life-and-death challenge when he is at his weakest before making a move?¡±


    ¡°Fool, at the level of an Earth Immortal, even if you can¡¯t win, escape is still easy. Besides, with our Sect Master¡¯s fierce combat strength, slaughtering two or three Earth Immortals from the opposition would be a piece of cake. Myriad Beast Immortal Sect certainly doesn¡¯t want a situation where both sides suffer significant losses,¡± Immortal Master Haixue enlightened his disciple.


    Immortal Master Haixue was enlightening his disciple.


    ¡°Master¡¯s words make sense.¡±


    Qin Niu nodded in understanding.


    Even wild beasts follow the principle of avoiding injury when hunting their prey, let alone human beings at the top-level existence of Earth Immortals.


    As long as the Dragon King remained uninjured and stable, he could maintain his position at the pinnacle of humanity.


    Even if someone surpassed him, his status wouldn¡¯t fall by much.


    To deal with Immortal Venerable Bailian and risk himself in the process was something the Dragon King would surely be reluctant to do, so he would not take the risk lightly.


    ¡°Bailian, Heaven bestows kindness upon all its creatures and is aware of the hardships of your cultivation, submit, or perish!¡±


    The Dragon King spoke, his tone indifferent and emotionless.


    No wonder the likes of the Great Elder of Myriad Beast Immortal Sect acted so overbearingly, for they had an even more domineering Sect Master. As the saying goes, ¡®Like master, like man,¡¯ the style naturally follows suit.


    ¡°Why do you go to such lengths to deal with me?¡±


    The milky voice of Immortal Venerable Bailian came out from the purple-gold coffin.


    The lightning of the Earth Dragon was potent, but it seemed to do limited damage to Immortal Venerable Bailian. At least, there was no clear sign of injury from the voice.


    ¡°You are the most demonic Earth Immortal in a millennium! Only by submitting to Myriad Beast Immortal Sect can you ensure the stability of the world.¡±


    The Dragon King provided his explanation.


    ¡°Can I take that to mean: you fear I will surpass you one day? Capturing the Pill Masters who were left by the Medicine King Immortal Sect was also to prevent them from concocting pills for me, right?¡±


    Immortal Venerable Bailian inquired.


    ¡°You worry too much!¡±


    The Dragon King still appeared indifferent.


    However, from his tone, one could sense a subtle change. Clearly, Immortal Venerable Bailian had hit the nail on the head regarding the Dragon King¡¯s concerns. He, being the strongest in the world, equivalent to the top leader of this realm, just didn¡¯t dare to admit it.


    ¡°Dragon King, let me give you a piece of advice¡ªevil deeds will eventually lead to self-destruction. Even if you can kill me today, you cannot kill everyone in the world. There will always be someone who can surpass you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Submit or perish?¡±


    The Dragon King was no longer interested in wasting words, losing patience.


    ¡°Ever since I entered this path, I have only stood in death, never knelt in life! Today is no exception!¡±


    The voice of Immortal Venerable Bailian was still milky, yet it made Qin Niu¡¯s blood boil with overwhelming respect.


    ¡°Good! How about you?¡±


    The black eyes of the Dragon King swept over Immortal Master Haixue and the others.


    ¡°A true man should be able to stand tall between heaven and earth, live freely and unyieldingly, and would rather shatter to pieces than live a cowardly life!¡±


    Qin Niu couldn¡¯t help but cry out impulsively.


    Right after he yelled out, he somewhat regretted it. Why make himself a target? But he had been moved by Immortal Venerable Bailian¡¯s emotion, and he felt choked if he didn¡¯t shout these words.Upd@te by novg0. co


    ¡°I am willing to live and die with the sect!¡±


    Immortal Master Haixue simply stated.


    Black Protector wasn¡¯t fond of talking much and directly showed his weapon, his sword pointing at the enemy, to express his stance.


    ¡°Having chosen death, I shall grant your wish! Kill!¡±


    The Dragon King gave the command, apparently irritated by these people.


    Great Elder charged forward, his target clear, heading straight for Qin Niu. He harbored desires for the two magical artifacts Qin Niu possessed, either of which he had long coveted.


    In terms of strength, Great Elder could completely look down on both Immortal Master Haixue and Black Protector.


    As for Qin Niu, the Immortal Master, he hardly gave him a second thought.


    Now that the Dragon King was dealing with Immortal Venerable Bailian, Great Elder had no worries and was utterly fearless.


    To his surprise, just as he approached and before he could engage with Immortal Master Haixue and Black Protector, Great Elder felt his heartbeat quicken and his soul tremble.


    ¡°This damned strength suppression!¡±


    He thought it was a threat from Immortal Venerable Bailian and didn¡¯t take it seriously.


    Suddenly, he felt as if something was binding him, unable to advance an inch while flying in the air. Realizing something was amiss, he immediately retreated based on his rich combat experience.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Great Elder was now truly panicked as he couldn¡¯t retreat, his body seemingly frozen in place.


    Thud!


    Silently, a black blade emerged from his chest, and his powerful immortal body and the garment failed to offer any defense.


    Fear spread rapidly in the heart of Great Elder.


    He could feel his body¡¯s vital energy swiftly fading away.


    Without a second thought, he immediately abandoned his physical form, and his soul emerged from the top of his head, fleeing rapidly towards the Dragon King not far away.


    ¡°Sect Master, save me!¡±


    The soul of the Great Elder could only let out a shrill shriek, akin to a ghost¡¯s wail.


    It was shocking that an Earth Immortal had been killed in an instant with a single move, and without a sound.


    One must know that reaching the Earth Immortal Realm in this world is almost an invincible existence. Even if unable to win, escaping wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

 Chapter 585 - Chapter 585: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_9

    Chapter 585: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_9


    ¡°Be careful, there¡¯s an ambush!¡±


    Panic rose in the hearts of the strong from the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect, and even the bravest among them fled faster than rabbits.


    ¡°To think you, a deadly assassin, are still alive!¡±


    The Dragon King¡¯s gaze, dark as a void, swept over this way. Without any visible effort, an old man appeared next to Elder He¡¯s corpse, and a flirty woman materialized not far away.


    Both were acquaintances of Qin Niu.


    ¡°Zhao, Madame Zhao! Old master!¡±


    Qin Niu cried out in disbelief.


    One of them was the wife that Liu Qing of Shuangfeng Village had married, Madame Zhao, a mysterious woman with a strength even greater than the Fire Phoenix Qin Niu had subdued.


    The coquette remained as seductive as ever, attracting the gazes of men everywhere.


    However, it was from her sleeves that strands of transparent threads shot out, binding Elder He¡¯s body. It must have been she who had taken control of Elder He.


    The old man holding a black blade turned out to be Bei Bing, the elder from the symbol shop and also Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather.


    He was now dressed in tight black clothes, his form lean and efficient.


    ¡°Hehe, Brother Qin, we meet again!¡±


    Madame Zhao greeted him with a giggling smile.


    Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather glanced at Qin Niu, his look rather gentle.


    ¡°Ahem, I never imagined that you were all such supreme experts. For any past offenses, please forgive me!¡±


    Qin Niu bowed deeply with his hands clasped together.


    ¡°Enough with the formalities; I won¡¯t be blinded by your humble demeanor,¡± said Madame Zhao, who knew all too well Qin Niu¡¯s modus operandi and likely even knew about the strong ones he had killed in the village.


    ¡°May I have this corpse as a gift?¡±


    Qin Niu asked, his face brimming with hope.


    Elder He was of Earth Immortal cultivation, and far stronger than an average Earth Immortal; the value of his corporeal body was immense.


    For Qin Niu¡¯s Green Demon Bee to evolve swiftly, it required high-quality food.


    Consuming this body would undoubtedly lead to a significant breakthrough for the Green Demon Bee.


    ¡°For my granddaughter¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll give it to you!¡±


    Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather flung the body towards Qin Niu, and the transparent threads wrapped around it disappeared as if withdrawn by Madame Zhao.


    ¡°Thank you both, Immortals!¡±


    Qin Niu expressed his gratitude profusely.


    This almost drove Elder He¡¯s soul mad with rage, as he had to watch his own body desecrated while being powerless to do anything about it.


    ¡°Dragon King, you murdered my wife, daughter-in-law, and children to acquire my invisibility technique. Today, it should come to an end,¡± Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather said with hate.


    ¡°Yuan Ji, to think you escaped only to join the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. Indeed, destroying the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect was just, as this place has become a hideout for filth and the largest source of instability,¡± the Dragon King said, looking at Madame Zhao.


    ¡°Return to the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect with me, and I will overlook past grievances, allowing you to still become my consort.¡±


    Nobody could have anticipated that Madame Zhao was, in fact, the Dragon King¡¯s consort.


    ¡°That will never happen. I am already another man¡¯s wife. You pretended to treat me well but secretly planned to use me as a furnace to enhance your cultivation. Fortunately, I saw through it and escaped with my life,¡± Madame Zhao revealed, exposing the Dragon King¡¯s sinister intentions.


    ¡°Nonsense! Every one of the three thousand consorts of mine is my true love, each cherished by me. But you, you were always paranoid!¡±


    The Dragon King¡¯s countenance finally shifted upon hearing that Madame Zhao had a husband, rage seeping into his tone.


    ¡°Is that so? Then what about those consorts in your palace who have long since become mere husks of flesh? They were nothing more than furnaces for you to increase your cultivation. The heavens are blind not to strike you with thunder and obliterate your soul and corpse, to seek justice for those women who died unjustly.¡±


    Madame Zhao accused the Dragon King of his vile deeds in anger.


    ¡°Hmph, you slew the Great Elder of the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect and now spew such slander to defame me. You deserve death! Since you came, none of you will leave!¡± the Dragon King proclaimed, his fury prompting him to take action himself.


    To let Madame Zhao continue would only reveal more of his misdeeds.


    ¡°I am an Immortal Venerable, charged with upholding celestial law and judging all beings, maintaining the Way of Heaven!¡±


    A golden seal appeared in the Dragon King¡¯s hand, as he loudly chanted the incantation.


    As he spoke, the clouds above seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand and a bizarre, enormous eye appeared, devoid of any human emotion.


    ¡°Punish!¡±


    The Dragon King pointed at the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect and others, and the sky instantly burst with thunder and lightning, the giant eye locking firmly onto the people of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    When Qin Niu found himself targeted by the eye in the sky, he felt utterly helpless, his heart pounding as if facing the wrath of heaven itself.


    Such a method of dispensing heavenly punishment was genuinely terrifying.


    No wonder the Immortal Monarch Haosnow had told him that the Dragon King was the strongest in this realm.


    Boom!


    A massive bolt of lightning struck towards Madame Zhao.


    It seemed that the Dragon King was not devoid of emotions; he too could feel anger and, like any mortal, hold grudges.


    He must have considered Yuan Ji¡¯s escape a betrayal, and thus sought to kill her.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Yuan Ji could only summon a small, teardrop-shaped shield to ward off the punitive lightning from the sky.


    Crack!


    Her seemingly robust shield shattered in an instant under the lightning strike.


    In that moment of peril, the purple-gold coffin flew above her, blocking the thunderbolt. Yuan Ji was left in sheer terror, her clothes disheveled, a pitiable sight to behold.


    Liu Qing was truly fortunate to have such a powerful and beautiful Immortal as a wife; a blessing of several lifetimes.


    The giant eye in the sky did not relent, and once again summoned even thicker bolts of lightning to strike at everyone.


    Bolt after bolt indiscriminately attacked those of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.


    Qin Niu was also within the range of the attack.


    C

 Chapter 586 - Chapter 586: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_10

    Chapter 586: Chapter 564: Dragon King, Gold Devouring Ant_10


    However, he did not panic but grasped the beast horn and easily caught the punitive lightning that descended from the sky. When he saw Immortal Master Haixue, his hair standing on end and body trembling from the electric shock, he once again intervened to shield his teacher from the remaining tribulation lightning.


    Bei Bing¡¯s grandfather chose to turn invisible and vanished in a swish.


    But the lightning, as if it had eyes, chased after him to strike.


    ¡°Disciple, let¡¯s go help the Sect Master.¡±


    Immortal Master Haixue pulled Qin Niu along and flew toward the purple-golden coffin.


    Qin Niu used the beast horn to block the tribulation lightning.


    ¡°The Azure Dragon Horn! You, a mere Immortal Master, actually possess the Azure Dragon Horn?¡±


    The Dragon King stared at the beast horn in Qin Niu¡¯s hand.


    Suddenly, an overpowering and irresistible force attempted to snatch the Azure Dragon Horn from Qin Niu¡¯s hand. The Dragon King was simply too strong, so much that he had no way of contending against him.


    ¡°Do not bully the weak with power! A Dragon King, robbing an Immortal Master of his treasure, aren¡¯t you afraid of losing your dignity?¡±


    Once again, a childish voice emanated from within the purple-golden coffin, neutralizing the force that tried to take the Azure Dragon Horn, allowing Qin Niu to barely hold on to it.


    Immortal Master Haixue was already flushed with effort, struggling to protect Qin Niu.


    ¡°Hundred-Tempering, you are not yet capable of resisting me as you are now.¡±


    The Dragon King intensified the force of his struggle for the horn.


    In the face of absolute interests, who would truly care about face?


    ¡°What if I join in?¡±


    A voice that was very familiar to Qin Niu sounded, and immediately after, a slovenly-dressed, gourd-carrying drunk staggered into view.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang!¡±


    Qin Niu was almost in disbelief when he saw this intoxicated figure.


    This person was none other than Zhang Banzui, who lived in Shuangfeng Village, earning wine money by flattering and fortune-telling.


    How come these powerful characters all nestled in the small mountain village of Shuangfeng Village?


    Qin Niu was puzzled.


    Yuan Ji was equally shocked when she saw Zhang Banzui, her delicate body trembling violently. Covering her mouth with her hand, she stared at Zhang Banzui intently.


    ¡°You, you are the Wine Immortal Venerable?¡±


    ¡°Indeed! While the world awakens, I alone am drunk! Drink!¡±


    Zhang Banzui swayed, half-drunk and half-awake. He took down the wine gourd from his waist and guzzled it down, then wore an utterly intoxicated expression of enjoyment.


    ¡°I have searched for you in hardship for many years, never expecting you to have hidden in Shuangfeng Village. My suspicions were not without cause, but repeated tests never revealed you to be the Wine Immortal Venerable. You saved me from the Dragon King¡¯s clutches, allowing me to escape all those years ago. You¡­ this time, you can¡¯t just leave without saying goodbye; you must give me a chance to express my gratitude.¡±


    Yuan Ji looked at Zhang Banzui and actually knelt before him in public.


    ¡°Foolish, foolish, foolish!¡±


    Zhang Banzui waved his hand casually, and Yuan Ji was lifted by an invisible force, unable to kneel any longer.


    ¡°Hundred-Tempering, I knew you were a thorn in the side from the day you established your sect. Now it seems I was right. These people, each and every one of them, has joined your Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect. It never occurred to me that even the esteemed Wine Immortal Venerable would join your Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect.¡±


    Regret and wariness resonated in the Dragon King¡¯s voice.


    The weight of Zhang Banzui¡¯s presence seemed immensely significant.


    ¡°Back then, I named it Hundred-Tempering, which also meant perseverance and unity in struggle against a tyrant like you. Unlike you, who desires to rule this realm, to reign supreme and forbid anyone from surpassing you, my Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect coexists harmoniously with all strong beings, welcoming all like the vast sea, and that is why we have the support of so many seniors. Those with the Tao receive help, those without it have little support; it¡¯s an unchanging truth.¡±


    Just as the Immortal Venerable Hundred-Tempering finished speaking, more figures appeared behind him.


    Qin Niu noticed the arrival of Cai Xian¡¯s teacher.


    He had known that Cai Xian¡¯s teacher was no ordinary person, and now it seemed he was right, possessing the cultivation of an Immortal Monarch.


    There were also some powerful figures he did not recognize.


    After all, beneath the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect, there were over a thousand sects, spread across vast territories, and it was not possible for all strong beings to be gathered in the territory of the Black Tiger Gang.


    ¡°Good that you have come; you rebels, all in one net. To uphold the heavenly way, for all under the heavens to witness!¡±


    After scanning the gathered strong beings, the Dragon King still prepared for a fierce battle.


    This time, his black-hole eyes finally showed pupils, but they were filled with a terrifying killing intent.


    Where his gaze landed, blocks of ice and snow exploded spontaneously.


    The Dragon King¡¯s body underwent a transformation, his face revealing a slightly pained expression, followed by the emergence of a long dragon tail, and his body even sprouted dragon scales. He had truly become a half-human, half-beast creature.


    ¡°Fun!¡±


    The lid of the purple-gold sarcophagus violently flew off, and a dwarf child less than a meter tall bounced out, accompanied by a woman dressed in snow-white clothing. This must be the White Protector.


    ¡°Hundred-Tempering, you haven¡¯t sealed yourself in life and death closure?¡±


    The Dragon King asked in astonishment.


    His words already carried a hint of wavering.


    ¡°They say all¡¯s fair in war. Have you ever considered that the once-in-a-century life and death calamity was just bait dangled by this Sect Master to lure you in? Haha, how fun.¡±


    Hundred-Tempering Immortal Venerable clapped his hands, devoid of any Sect Master¡¯s dignity.


    He was like a child who hadn¡¯t grown up.


    Standing next to the Wine Immortal Venerable, he was really a sight for sore eyes.


    But it was these two individuals who managed to hold the Dragon King at bay.


    ¡°Dragon King, even if you fight ferociously, with your severe injuries today, your chances of falling are quite high. Let me give you a piece of advice, go back where you came from, live a peaceful life. Let¡¯s not infringe on each other¡¯s territory.¡±


    Zhang Banzui advised with squinted, drunken eyes.


    However, Hundred-Tempering Immortal Venerable shook his head repeatedly. ¡°Don¡¯t, the game has just begun! Dragon-slaying is really fun.¡±


    With his face clouded, the Dragon King eventually yielded to the threat of the two Immortal Venerables and disappeared with his followers in a flash. The giant eye in the sky slowly closed as well and then vanished.


    ¡°After a thousand years, there will be a reckoning, but for today, I will spare you all!¡±


    The voice of the Dragon King echoed from the sky.


    Only leaving the likes of the Chi Xiao Immortal Monarch and Huoyun Ancestor of Fire Cloud Tunnel trembling.


    Unfortunately, it seemed they had been abandoned by the Dragon King.


    ¡°Flee!¡±


    The Huoyun Ancestor must¡¯ve cursed the Dragon King hundreds of times in his heart and, seeing himself abandoned, he fled alone without caring for his disciples.


    After all, in the presence of two Immortal Venerables, he, an Earth Immortal, was no match at all.


    If he fled too slowly, he was afraid there would be no chance to escape at all.


    ¡­


    And so, a major battle dissipated into nothingness. Qin Niu had obtained the body of Elder He and used it to feed the Green Demon Bees, which goes without saying.


    Suddenly, he felt someone approaching from behind and turned his head, almost screaming in fright.


    There was Zhang Banzui, half-lying there, staring at him with a smile.


    ¡°Ah Niu, you¡¯re quite alert!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang!¡±


    Qin Niu hurried forward to greet him.


    From the looks of it, Zhang Banzui must have been lying there for a long time; it¡¯s just that Qin Niu never noticed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business, although we scared off the Dragon King a few days ago, that old fellow¡¯s defense is said to be the strongest in the world. If we really came to blows, even Hundred-Tempering and I together couldn¡¯t beat him. The ants you¡¯re raising seem quite remarkable. Those Gold Devouring Ants, if well nurtured, would be the greatest bane of the Dragon King. But you need to raise more, a single one is far from enough.


    See you, see you.¡±


    Zhang Banzui stretched lazily, and his figure disappeared directly.


    Then he came back again.


    ¡°By the way, the Pill Masters from the Medicine King Immortal Sect who were captured have already been rescued by us while the Dragon King left the Myriad Beast Immortal Sect. Don¡¯t bother trying to rescue that little maidservant anymore, the Dragon King is cruel and ruthless. Raising insects is good, keep it up, the more ants and bees, the better. But those Gu Insects are really evil, you need to be wary of backlash.¡±


    With that, Zhang Banzui¡¯s figure disappeared again.


    This time he seemed to have truly gone.


    Qin Niu was extremely shocked, it turned out that the Termite nest he had raised had long been seen through by others.


    Fortunately, Zhang Banzui bore him no ill will.


    Now, as an official Disciple of the Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect and having contributed to protecting the Sect, his status was relatively high. With the Sect Master¡¯s approval, he was allowed to bring his wives and family into the Sect for cultivation.


    The road to defeating the Dragon King was still long and arduous. As Qin Niu considered culturing those insects, his thoughts also returned to Shuangfeng Village, his true domain.


    (The end of the book, thank you to all friends for your company and support! Due to health issues lately, I cannot give my best, truly sorry everyone, bowing down!)