The Demon Slayer Martial Saint Begins with Insect Refining

Chapter 265: Conflict Intensifies
Su Yan sneered, and the Devouring Soldier Youming appeared beside him, its body shrinking to the size of a palm, transforming into a pitch-black blade, heading straight for Cao Zangfeng's face.

Cao Zangfeng's expression changed slightly; he hadn't expected Su Yan to be so defiant.

Scales appeared on his arms, dark and ferocious, with blue light flowing from the edges, like swimming snakes. He punched the Devouring Soldier Youming.

With a clear sound, Cao Zangfeng's body swayed, and the arm he used to block went numb.

However, the next moment he heard a cracking sound, and the arm guard was bitten off by the Devouring Soldier Moth.

His face darkened, and he immediately launched an attack on the Devouring Soldier Netherworld, but before he could attack, he was blocked by a beam of silver light.

"The Nine Peaks Sect has quite the nerve, disappearing the exchanged items as if they were nothing. Pass on my order: all Blood Healing Pills and Meridian Nourishing Pills are cut off. My Beast King Sect has limited resources, and now our inventory is gone too."

A clear, cold voice rang out; though it was unhurried, it sent a chill down one's spine.

Cao Zangfeng turned around, his face suddenly turning ashen: "Shui Manyi!"

Shui Manyi walked gracefully towards Su Yan, stood beside him, and said with a smile, "Why not come to me to exchange items? Otherwise, people will think that the Nine Peaks Sect is in charge of Wangtian Pass and is fighting the Demonic Sect alone."

Veins bulged on Cao Zangfeng's forehead, his knuckles turned white from clenching his fists, and he suppressed his anger, his face turning extremely ugly.

Driven by personal vendetta, he planned to target the Poison Dragon faction.

However, Shui Manyi directly cut off the supply of several important elixirs.

This is different from what Su Yan exchanged. Su Yan exchanged items for cultivation purposes, so even a slight delay wouldn't cause too much of a problem.

However, Shui Manyi only cut off medicines for healing and treatment, and most of them were first and second-tier pills. These are the pills that martial artists in the Body Tempering Realm and True Intent Realm need the most. If she cut off the supply, it could be fatal.

At this point, Cao Zangfeng was in a difficult position, and his face grew increasingly grim: "Shui Manyi, you're joking about the great battle."

"Who's joking?"

Shui Manyi pressed Cao Zangfeng relentlessly, her words never faltering.

ta ta ta

The sound of hurried footsteps approached, and a young martial artist at the Nourishing Yuan Realm staggered over, rushing to the scene.

"We've arrived! We've arrived! The supplies from the Nine Peaks Sect have arrived."

The sound broke the deadlock.

Zhao Zhong kicked the man in the buttocks and cursed, "Why didn't you send it earlier? What were you doing?"

He immediately put on a smiling face: "Gentlemen, please calm down. The supplies have just arrived. Let me check if they are enough. If not, we will make further plans."

Cao Zangfeng snorted coldly: "Go."

With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and left. He wasn't about to let this go so easily, since the fight had backfired.

Zhao Zhong breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled his subordinate out.

Inside the private room, candlelight flickered and sandalwood incense wafted gently. Shui Manyi, her crimson-purple skirt swaying slightly, leaned back in her chair, her body tilting towards Su Yan, mirroring his aloof demeanor.

She chuckled, her eyes sparkling like autumn water, and teased, "Should I call you my junior disciple, or my fellow Daoist?"

In the cultivation world, strength is paramount, and cultivators at the Core Formation Realm generally address each other as equals. Unless there is a close master-disciple relationship, it is rare to retain the use of seniority in addressing each other.

"Uncle-Master is joking."

Shui Manyi said, "Long Qiushui is really lucky to have picked up a disciple like you for free. Cao Zangfeng suffered a loss just now."

Shui Manyi had sharp eyes. Cao Zangfeng's third-tier spiritual artifact arm armor had been bitten in half by the ferocious insect. It would probably be ruined before it could be repaired.

This junior apprentice's skills are truly as rumored, almost unbelievable.

Su Yan smiled and said, "He brought it on himself."

Shui Manyi asked curiously, "What would you have done if I hadn't come?"

"Force him to go to the Nine Peaks Sect to retrieve his belongings."

Shui Manyi's eyes widened: "You really are fearless, aren't you?"

"My grandmaster was Faxiang."

Shui Manyi rolled her eyes at him: "You little rascal, you're so clever."

Shui Manyi is a fox-like woman, completely different from Long Qiushui.

While chatting with Su Yan, she didn't act like an elder at all, but rather like a swaying rose, bringing the two of them much closer.

With such a personality, it's no wonder he represented the Beast King Sect in handling this exchange matter.

She was genuinely interested in Su Yan and asked him many questions about the slaying of the Danqiao stage at Hanying Peak.

About fifteen minutes later, Zhao Zhong rushed over and presented another storage ring with both hands.

After acquiring the three million contribution points, Su Yan put them away, bid farewell to Shui Manyi, and left Wangtianlou.

He had barely stepped out of the Sky-Gazing Tower when a thought suddenly struck him: he sensed that blood bees still existed in the city.

"Nangong Hongyue has also come to Wangtian Pass?"

He looked puzzled and, following his senses, arrived at an inn near the East Gate.

The inn is seven stories high, with upturned eaves and lifelike reliefs on the vermilion-lacquered pillars. It is quite grand, and those who come and go are all martial artists, dressed in fine clothes and surrounded by attendants, looking somewhat like merchants.

Su Yan went inside, ignoring the waiter's greetings, went up to the third floor, and knocked on the door of a private room.

He made no attempt to conceal his presence, and after the knock, light footsteps came from inside.

The door creaked open, and Nangong Hongyue's eyes lit up with surprise: "My lord, you're also inside Wangtian Pass?"

She welcomed Su Yan inside. She was alone in the room, which was filled with a faint fragrance that matched her own scent, indicating that she had been staying there for some time.

"The war between good and evil will mobilize our forces, but the Holy Insect Merchant Guild and the Red Moon Pill Workshop are not forces supported by our Beast King Sect."

Nangong Hongyue said, "We are not here to recruit members of the Beast King Sect, but to do business."

Su Yan looked surprised. Seeing his expression, Nangong Hongyue smiled and said, "Does my lord still think that the Holy Insect Path is just a small-scale operation?"

The Sacred Insect Path was a pseudonym that Su Yan had used before. After hearing about it from the Sly Sheep Brothers, Nangong Hongyue had already grouped the Sacred Insect Merchant Guild and the Red Moon Pill Workshop together, calling it the Sacred Insect Path.

The leader is Su Yan, the elders are Nangong Hongyue, Bai Cang Laozu and Yuan Ye, and the nine stewards are Yang Kun and his brother, Ding Meng, Wang Cang and Cai Peng, as well as Huo Ya, Hei Xiong, Na Hu from the Red Fox tribe, Wulike, Wu Yun and Ling Yu'er.

At this time, under Nangong Hongyue's management, the Sacred Insect Path had more than three thousand warriors under its command, although most of them were Body Tempering Realm warriors and there were not many in the Qi Nourishing Realm.

Such power already possesses the ability to control an entire prefecture.

Su Yan looked surprised. The fact that Nangong Hongyue had developed to this extent in just a few months was indeed beyond his imagination.

"You must have had a tough time with this development."

Nangong Hongyue was overjoyed, and her smile became even brighter. It was unclear whether it was because of the blessing of bloodline or because she had already been captivated by Su Yan.

Gaining Su Yan's approval was a reward for her. Nangong Hongyue poured tea for Su Yan and said softly, "I'm glad you don't blame me for taking matters into my own hands. Because of the expansion, many spirit stones and medicinal herbs have been used for pill refining. I used the Blood Marrow Worm to control several second-tier alchemists to assist the development of the Sacred Insect Path."

"A small expense, nothing at all."

Su Yan didn't care about these things. As long as his power could grow, the benefits he would gain later would be even greater.

Moreover, as his strength increased, the collection of resources needed for the ferocious insects to transform and the medicinal herbs needed for his own cultivation became much slower.

Nangong Hongyue said, "Although it cost a lot, we gained a lot of benefits during the process of the Qing family's betrayal and annihilation."

Su Yan frowned slightly. The betrayal by the Qing family was a significant blow to the prestige of the Beast King Sect.

They had been lying in wait for a long time; although there were three brothers, they only revealed two of them. Through a series of schemes, using the Yan Ying Sect incident as an excuse, they moved more than half of their main assets and personnel away, leaving only some smokescreens.

"The main branch of the Qing family in Nantian City?"

"Hmm," Nangong Hongyue nodded, then pressed Su Yan's shoulders with her soft, slightly cool hands.

Su Yan looked slightly surprised, then smiled.

Nangong Hongyue continued, "The Qing family of Nantian City only left behind abandoned children, but their assets couldn't be escaped. We took the initiative to wipe them out and took the lion's share, even bringing several Spirit Sealing Masters under our command. Now, the Sacred Insect Path is the number one in Nantian City."

Rock ant swarms and blood bee swarms have now become the source of materials for the Sacred Insect Path.

Nangong Hongyue, Yang Kun, and Yang Lun were blessed with the bloodline of the Heavenly Fiend Mother Locust, which is equivalent to possessing the physique of the Heavenly Fiend Mother Queen. They can already control the breeding of Fiend Bees, Blood Bees, and bee insects.

Large numbers of blood bees devour beast blood to condense blood crystals, which are used as raw materials for refining medicinal ingredients such as Blood Essence Pills and Blood Bone Pills, keeping the sales of Sacred Insect Dao pills high.

Meanwhile, regarding the Rock Ants, Bai Cang, Ding Meng, and Cai Peng all possess this bloodline modification, equivalent to the Rock Ant physique. They are in a superior ecological position, below the Rock Ant Queen but above the Rock Ant General, and also have the ability to control them.

As a result, the continuous supply of rock ant black crystals became materials for forging weapons. Whether it was spirit-sealing talismans, spirit-sealing artifacts, or sharp weapons, they all became part of the Holy Weapon Path's industry.

Some of the corpses of dead rock ants can also be used as materials for alchemy.

These two kinds of wild beasts became the foundation of the Holy Weapon Path.

Upon hearing this, Su Yan truly understood that Nangong Hongyue had earned him such a large fortune.

If not used for expansion, the monthly income from Yuan Shi alone would probably be no less than 200,000 Yuan Shi.

It is more than enough to support ordinary Danqiao Realm martial artists, and most importantly, it is used for resource collection.

"Pass down the message: without affecting the expansion of the Sacred Insect Path, help me find information about the Blazing Purple Scorpion, and also collect materials for the Seed Aperture Pill."

"Alright, I'll pass on the order to Brother Yang Kun right away."

This is the function of the Sacred Insect Path; Nangong Hongyue had already prepared for it.

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "There are two more things I need to ask the master about."

"Say"

"I want to loosen the use of the Blood Marrow Worm, and the Blood Marrow Worm must be planted on the True Meaning."

Su Yan looked up at her, saw that she was calm, and asked, "Why?"

"The Blood Marrow Worm is both a means of control and an 'inner core' for refining bloodlines, which can enhance the strength of subordinates. Moreover, the longer it is used, the more or less people will develop a dependence and sense of belonging."

She said earnestly, "The Path of the Sacred Insects needs no second voice."

She was planning ahead. Blood marrow worms are different from the grace of bloodline; they do indeed create a superior suppression of bloodline.

However, this threat and opportunity coexist. In the process of relying on the blood marrow worm to refine the body's qi and blood every day, the dependence will be strengthened, which is a human psychology.

"Can"

Su Yan did not refuse. The stronger his control over his subordinates, the more advantageous it would be for him. Moreover, as the ferocious insects continued to grow stronger, his control would also increase, so he was not worried about the risk of losing control.

"And the other thing?"

"Take over the Flamew Mountain Range and the three tribes, and establish the Holy Insect Path's headquarters there."

Su Yan narrowed his eyes slightly: "You think the Beast King Sect is in the way?"

"No matter how convenient Nantian City is, it is still under the Beast King Sect's control. It can allow one or two Danqiao Realm warriors, but it will not allow more Danqiao Realm warriors to exist, or rather, it will not allow a force capable of producing a Dharma Aspect Realm warrior to be born."

Nangong Hongyue hit the nail on the head, saying, "Especially after the Qing family incident, their control over their subordinate forces will only become stronger."

Su Yan pondered. The Sacred Insect Path, with the Blood Marrow Insects of the Heavenly Fiend Mother Locust as its core and the Bloodline Blessing as its foundation, was more like a secret society than a sect, a force dedicated to serving him.

If it develops to a certain extent, it will indeed be subject to interference from the Beast King Sect.

Moreover, given his status, it would be difficult to manage their relationship, at least not in the short term.

"How are Wulike, Nahu, and Lingyuer doing lately?"

"Very obedient"

Nangong Hongyue's lips curled up slightly, and then she said, "The demonic sects have launched a massive attack. Although the three tribes are not entirely under the Hundred Caves Witch Clan, they are still implicated, and their power has been greatly affected. Now they are also being targeted by the Heavenly Water Sect, the Iron Shadow Sect, and the Fire Cloud Sect, who are gradually pressuring the three tribes. This opportunity was proposed by Ling Yu'er."

"Ok?"

Su Yan looked surprised: "What do you mean?"

"Grand Ancestor Yu Luo was severely injured by the leader of the Tianshui Sect. Although she didn't die, her injuries won't heal in a short time. Unfortunately, she's not young anymore; if she can't break through her current limitations, I'm afraid..."

With his lifespan nearing its end and suffering a severe injury, he was in a situation where death was almost certain.

Although Ling Yu'er was already at the half-step Danqiao realm, breaking through was no easy feat.

The only way she could think of to save Yu Luo now was through the magical Blood Marrow Worm.

If a stronger Blood Marrow Worm were to intervene, the blood exchange and refinement would certainly help in the recovery of injuries.

She essentially sold out all three tribes in one fell swoop.

However, the driving force behind this may not have been without the tacit approval of Hu, Wulike, and Wuyun.

If they could take over the three tribes, they would naturally become the leaders, and perhaps even reach the power of Wang Cang and the others.

That's a natural martial physique; even if it's acquired later, it's still priceless.

As long as it can be passed down, the tribe's prosperity is just around the corner.

All they need is to offer their loyalty.

He tapped the table lightly and then asked, "How many Danqiao martial artists are there in the Tianshui Sect, the Huoyun Sect, and the Tieying Sect?"

"Of the four Danqiao Realm martial artists, the Tianshui Sect's leader and deputy leader occupy two spots. However, if Bai Cang, Yuan Ye, and I were to take them down, we could capture them. But as for the three tribal chiefs, capturing them alive would probably require the master's intervention."

After hearing this, Su Yan nodded and said, "It's settled then. You arrange for Hu and the others to provide support, and I'll take action when the time comes. If they are obedient, it's not impossible for the three clan leaders to each bestow their primordial blood."

(End of this chapter)