Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 319 The Strange Insect "Immortality Elixir"! [Two-part series, please vote!]

"Um?"

"How dare this guy come back?"

A hint of doubt flashed through Ji Yuan's mind. Logically speaking, given Hu Li's personality, he should have run away as soon as Ji Yuan had scared him in Peony City.

How dare you return to the Hundred Insect Cave to die?

But upon further reflection, Ji Yuan guessed that the old demon, the Hundred Insect Immortal, had probably used some kind of restraining trick on him, preventing him from escaping.

With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan took out the storage bag of the Hundred Insect Immortal and glanced at it.

In a short while, he found a clue inside.

"I see……"

Ji Yuan smiled to himself.

At the foot of the mountain, Hu Li, not receiving a response, called out again, "Disciple Hu Li greets the Immortal."

The mountain breeze carried the sound, and Ji Yuan's heart stirred upon hearing it... Well then, since we are so destined, I'll give you a fright.

After a moment's thought, he cast a spell, transforming it into the voice of the Hundred Insect Immortal, and said in a deep voice, "Do you... know your crime?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Li, who was standing at the foot of the mountain, instinctively knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Disciple...Disciple has been diligently collecting immortal resources for the Immortal Master. Disciple does not know what crime I have committed. If there is any crime, it is only that the immortal resources I have collected are not enough."

"Oh?"

Ji Yuan sneered, "Isn't it time for you to beg Qiu Qianhai to kill me?"

Upon hearing this, Huli was so frightened that his heart almost shattered. He immediately prostrated himself on the ground, trembling with fear.

He had only one thought in his mind... This damned Qiu Qianhai, Old Demon Qiu, how could he be so unethical!

On the surface, everything seemed fine.

They betrayed me behind my back!

Thank goodness I trusted you so much!

To do such a thing is simply a disgrace to the cultivation world!

Damn it, damn it!

My trust in Lao Tzu has resulted in this outcome. If I manage to get out of here alive, I, Hu Li, will never trust anyone again!

Seeing that he remained silent, Ji Yuan knew he was cursing him in his heart, so he spoke again: "Why aren't you saying anything? Do you want me to produce evidence?"

"Old...Old Immortal, your wisdom is profound!"

The thought flashed through Hu Li's mind, and he immediately said, "At that time, I was coerced by that old demon Qiu. He forced me to say that."

"He has already reached the Core Formation stage. Once I fall into his hands, I have no power to resist at all."

"Oh, I see."

Ji Yuan stroked his beard as he spoke, "Then tell me, how did he coerce you?"

"this……"

Hu Li paused for only 0.01 seconds before continuing, "He and the disciple were old acquaintances. When he broke into the disciple's residence, he began to interrogate the disciple, demanding that the disciple tell him about the old immortal. The old immortal treated the disciple like a son or nephew. How could the disciple betray the old immortal?"

He then threatened to kill himself, and the disciple...the disciple had no choice but to give him some false information to deceive everyone and thus narrowly escape with his life.

"So this disciple hurried back to inform the old immortal that the old demon Qiu is a ruthless and vicious person who has committed all kinds of evil. The old immortal must not trust him easily, and must not let his guard down."

"So, you're actually quite considerate of me."

Ji Yuan said in a deep voice, seemingly quite satisfied with the answer.

"Indeed, my sincere devotion to you, venerable immortal, is witnessed by Heaven and Earth!"

Huli hurriedly and loudly pledged his loyalty.

"Alright, if that's the case, then come up here."

As Ji Yuan spoke, he deliberately took a few steps forward, as if afraid that Hu Li wouldn't see him immediately when he came up.

"Yes."

Hearing the sound, Huli got up with relief and patted himself off, but the dust on his body did not come off at all; instead, it became even more solidified.

At this moment, it's time to let the old immortal see his miserable state.

They might even take pity on me and let me go.

Full of anticipation, Huli piloted his flying boat to the Hundred Insect Cave halfway up the mountain.

But as soon as he jumped off the airship and saw the familiar figure, he froze on the spot.

"What, Brother Hu, don't you recognize me?"

Ji Yuan, having switched back to Qiu Qianhai's appearance and voice, asked with interest, "Just now, weren't you cursing me quite enthusiastically, Brother Hu?"

Huli's expression was very strange at this moment.

Fear, terror, trepidation, helplessness... and even a hint of anger.

In the end, as if giving up, his legs went weak, he collapsed to the ground, convulsed a few times, and then lost consciousness.

It was as if he had fainted from fright.

"Wow, you're actually quite good at pretending."

As Ji Yuan spoke, he gently raised his right index finger, and an ice needle condensed in front of him.

"go."

He uttered a single word, and the ice needle flashed, instantly piercing Hu Li's left index finger.

In that instant, Huli regained consciousness. He sat up abruptly, pressing his left hand with his right, his expression contorted, but he dared not shout. Beads of sweat rolled down his face.

"S-senpai."

Hu Li paused for a moment before speaking.

"This junior is no match for the senior. I admit defeat. Do as you please, whether you wish to kill or torture me."

Huli was truly convinced this time. If he thought he had some ability and might be able to escape during their previous meetings, then seeing him again today made him realize the situation completely.

With that, you think you can run away?

Who can outmaneuver this Old Demon Qiu?

"Kill me or torture me?"

Ji Yuan glanced at him, who was giving up, and shook his head. "I'm afraid my hands will get dirty if I kill you... That seems a bit much. Okay, it's just that killing you wouldn't be of any use."

As he spoke, he put his hands behind his back and turned to look at the cave.

"Alright, come along and tell me about your old immortal's cave."

Hu Li jumped up as soon as he heard this, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Senior Qiu Qian, what brings you here? Where is that old immortal?"

"What do you hope is wrong with him? Is he dead or has he gone out?"

Hearing that this was another potentially disastrous question, Hu Li gritted his teeth, too lazy to choose, and directly voiced his thoughts.

"Of course, we want him dead!"

"Actually, after meeting the senior in Peony City, I was thinking of running away, but unfortunately, that old man poisoned me. If I don't take the antidote pill within a certain period of time, the worm eggs in my body will hatch, and then I will become nourishment for that strange worm, unable to live or die."

"I would be more than happy for such an old devil to die."

Ji Yuan, who was walking in front, smiled when he heard this.

"Then just pretend he's dead."

"Is...is this real?"

Huli excitedly ran forward, "I knew it! Senior, your divine power is unparalleled, invincible and unstoppable!"

"Ha, no, no, no, I, Qiu Qianhai, am a ruthless and vicious person, a villain who has committed all kinds of evil."

Ji Yuan listened and was quite satisfied with this explanation.

"Senior, please don't tease me. I'm just trying to survive. The world is vast, and staying alive is the most important thing."

"Alright, come up here and show me these things."

"Yes, senior, please look. These are Fiery Red Flowers, which the old demon used to cultivate his Blazing Army Ants. There were some seeds left over, so he had me take them and plant them here..."

"..."

A day and a night later.

Ji Yuan, having explored the entire Xuanjing Mountain, returned to the entrance of the Hundred Insect Cave. Hu Li, who was talking until his throat was dry, took the opportunity to take out a pot of spiritual liquid with some local treasures added from his storage bag. After taking a small sip, his originally tired body was refreshed again.

No wonder it took so long to talk about it.

Firstly, the old demon had left behind quite a few things, and secondly, Hu Li desperately wanted to survive, so he described everything he encountered in great detail, as long as it was useful.

He even explained in detail how the Hundred Insect Immortal used it.

After the introduction is finished, we returned to the front of the cave.

Ji Yuan then asked, "Does the Hundred Insect Immortal have any friends in this Shangdong region?"

If there is something there, then we should grab it and run away quickly. If not… Ji Yuan thinks that Xuanjing Mountain is actually quite good. With the name of the Hundred Insect Immortal as a cover, it is better to spend some time in seclusion here than to live in fear on that remote island overseas.

"No, that old devil was betrayed by his former disciple, so he doesn't trust anyone and is used to being a loner."

Hu Li thought about it seriously for a moment before continuing, "Moreover, he has a very bad temper. I remember a few demonic cultivators in the early Golden Core stage came to him, seemingly wanting to invite him to go treasure hunting together, but he just cursed them away."

"How long have you been following him?"

Ji Yuan asked.

"Ever since that old devil came to Shangdong, I have been following him."

Huli told him the truth.

"You should know that if I die, it won't do you any good," Ji Yuan said, looking at him with a squinty smile.

Upon hearing this, Hu Li quickly raised his right index finger and solemnly declared, "I, Hu Li, if there is even the slightest falsehood in my words to you, senior, at Xuanjing Mountain these past two days, may I die a horrible death!"

The vow was made, and a thunderclap rose from the ground.

However, Hu Li seemed to be fine, which put Ji Yuan at ease. But then he realized that he had also understood what Hu Li meant... These past two days, they had been talking about Xuanjing Mountain.

This shows that there were fakes before.

"You were prepared all along, weren't you?"

Seeing how resolute he was in making his vow, Ji Yuan said...

"This... I understand your temperament, senior. If I don't make this vow, all my efforts these past two days will have been in vain."

Hu Li bowed and continued to speak the truth.

"Alright, here's your antidote for the next year."

Ji Yuan tossed a jade bottle over, saying, "I need to go into seclusion in this Xuanjing Mountain. You will guard outside for me. No matter who comes looking for me, just say that the Hundred Insect Immortal is in seclusion."

Hu Li quickly took the jade bottle with both hands, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes.

"Yes, sir!"

With this year's worth of training, it means he can focus on his cultivation for the next year.

"Don't worry, as long as you work diligently for me, I will help you remove those insect eggs the day I leave this Xuanjing Mountain."

Ji Yuan inadvertently made a grand promise.

"this……"

Whether Hu Li believed it or not, he acted as if he believed it very much and immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

"You may take as many of the spirit stones and pills as you like from the mountain over there, just don't let anyone disturb me."

As Ji Yuan spoke, he raised his hand to let him leave.

Hu Li was overjoyed upon hearing this.

After he left, Ji Yuan first took out the array flags of the Upside-Down Jianghu Array and planted them horizontally around Xuanjing Mountain. After setting up the array, he planted the Yin Ghost Flag on the mountaintop and set up the Yin Ghost Array.

In the end, he also gained insight into the protective formation of Xuanjing Mountain.

This formation is called the "Sharp Metal Moving Mountain Formation". It is a mountain-protecting formation that combines the power of metal and earth, and also has a bit of the effect of a killing formation. It is a rare and good thing.

Ji Yuan first found the array plate of this formation in the storage bag of the Hundred Insect Immortal. After refining it, he used the Eye of Truth to find the damaged node that he had taken out earlier and spent several days repairing it.

After dealing with these matters, he returned to the Hundred Insect Cave and began preparing for seclusion.

The first thing to do before going into seclusion was naturally to put these buildings out.

We must not forget about receiving welfare.

So Ji Yuan first shut down the buildings on the isolated island overseas. As for the output from the corpse puppet... there wasn't much accumulated. He could go back and check later. With the formation in place, he wasn't worried about it being stolen.

Finally, Ji Yuan found a pond in the Hundred Insect Cave and activated the [Fish Pond].

He dug out another cave, threw in several spirit pig carcasses, and started the [Pigpen].

The wine cellar is even simpler.

He also carved out several caves in the deepest part of the Hundred Insect Cave, one of which was used as a mass grave so that the Heavenly Silkworm Immortal could be placed inside to heal and recover.

The other is to use it as a "spiritual field" to harvest social welfare benefits.

The last one is for storing the beehives. Too many of them were killed by those fiery army ants, so they need to be restored.

After finishing all that, he took out the Corpse Puppet Yin Child and asked him to help collect welfare payments.

As for Tu Yue, she should stay in Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and tend to the spirit stones every day.

After finishing all that, Ji Yuan began to examine the gains from this trip.

The first thing he took out was naturally the natal magic weapon of the Hundred Insect Immortal. He had already begun to refine this treasure mirror when he was touring Xuanjing Mountain.

The precious mirror is named "Golden Light Mirror".

The name is simple, and the usage is also simple. It can both attack and defend. He has tried both the strategy and the effect is very good. He likes it very much.

Its effect on him is at least greater than that of the Heavenly Net and the Crimson Wave Whip.

After all, those two magical treasures are not commonly seen.

Moreover, this golden mirror has a natural function: it has a natural restraining effect on evil spirits and heretics. Although this restraint is not strong, it is indeed effective.

"Golden Mirror... According to the classification of cultivation methods, this Hundred Insect Immortal should be considered a righteous path, but his behavior is somewhat demonic."

Ji Yuan stroked the dog's head behind the golden mirror, thinking about the future battles against the enemy.

Especially when facing demonic cultivators, one can take out this mirror, shout "Take this demon-revealing mirror!", and then shoot out a golden light from it.

"Not bad, not bad, it's worth a thorough training."

Ji Yuan put away the golden mirror and glanced at the storage bag as well.

If you add the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, you'll have five magic weapons on you. That's impressive, but the energy expenditure in battle is indeed huge.

For example, in this battle with the Hundred Insect Immortal, Ji Yuan consumed three drops of the Thousand-Year Spirit Milk.

Although this is nothing compared to his millennia-old reserves of spiritual milk.

But if it were someone else... even at the peak of Foundation Establishment, being able to successfully control a magic weapon would be considered quite remarkable.

"No wonder that old immortal of a hundred insects always thought I was a Core Formation cultivator before he died."

Ji Yuan smiled inwardly, and another talisman appeared in his hand.

This was the last apology gift from the unknown cultivator. The talisman was called "Sea-Suppressing Pearl," an earth-attribute pearl that could suppress enemies when activated.

It has a natural restraining effect, especially on water-based cultivators.

Good, I'll take it.

This perfectly compensates for the loss of the Giant Deer Sword.

Ji Yuan then took out the storage bag of the Hundred Insect Immortal, which was the biggest gain of this trip.

A quick scan with his divine sense revealed a total of 18 corpses of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

There are demonic cultivators, as well as cultivators from the Joyful Palace and the Medicine King Valley.

Ji Yuan even saw a familiar-looking fellow Daoist inside. They must have been guards of the Wangcheng Mountain weapon-refining workshop together before, but Ji Yuan couldn't remember their name.

Seeing these corpses, Ji Yuan couldn't help but feel a little emotional... If it weren't for these buildings, I probably would have become one of these corpses too?

"Ugh."

He sighed, went to the innermost part of the cave, the mass grave, threw all the corpses in there, and then had Yin Tongzi bury them one by one.

In this way, with these added, there are a total of 73 corpses of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

We are getting closer and closer to our goal of 100.

73 corpses at the Foundation Establishment stage—how long did they cultivate? At least several decades, maybe even a hundred years, and now they're all lying in this [mass grave]... The path of cultivation is truly fraught with peril.

As Ji Yuan pondered, he couldn't help but recall the time when he chased and killed the Hundred Insect Immortal underground.

He initially thought he could escape underground using his speed, but he underestimated the depth of the cave and the speed of the collapse.

Before they had gotten very far, the cave began to collapse.

Ji Yuan couldn't hide and was buried alive.

Fortunately, he was quick-witted and immediately retreated into the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

If it weren't for this magical artifact, he would have died on the spot.

Despite his severe injuries, he dared not recover there. Instead, while there were still gaps in the cave, he used Lingtai Fangcun Mountain to escape through those gaps.

Otherwise, if you stay there for too long and there's no way out, then even if you have a magic weapon, you won't be able to escape.

He used his magical artifact to traverse the underground crevice, and after an unknown amount of time, he finally escaped to a spacious area.

He heard the sound of water as if he had arrived at an underground river. He was preparing to entrust the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain to the Frost Dragon and let it carry him out.

However, before they had swum out for long, they encountered a group of peak second-tier demonic beasts in the underground river.

He had no choice but to step in and help defend against it.

Then...then she was taken away by two ice dragons.

It's alright, they can be relied on in crucial moments.

Considering that these two were already at the peak of the second tier, Ji Yuan took out two bags made of gold thread from the Hundred Insect Immortal's storage bag.

The bags are small, only about the size of a palm.

Inside was a pile of powder.

As soon as he took it out, he sensed the rich demonic energy contained in the powder.

Secret medicine, steal the medicine powder.

A secret medicine that can help peak second-tier monsters break through to third-tier monsters!

Ji Yuan carefully examined the situation with his divine sense and confirmed that there was no problem.

If this had been obtained through a trade with the Hundred Insect Immortal, Ji Yuan would have been somewhat worried.

But since it was obtained by killing someone to steal their treasure from their storage bag, we can be much more at ease.

So he gently patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

"Alright, the community has provided assistance."

Two beams of azure light flew out and transformed into two dragons as thick as an arm upon landing.

As soon as they landed, they seemed to smell something and raised their heads at the same time.

The two ice dragons clung to Ji Yuan's legs, one on each side. Especially on Monday, they even stuck out their tongues, shamelessly fawning over him like lapdogs.

While Tuesday might not have been that extreme, it was the first time Ji Yuan had ever seen someone so proactive on a Tuesday.

"Is this Demon-Snatching Powder really that good? It can actually make these two Ice Dragons so eager to participate."

Ji Yuan, if you think about it again, it's like someone is tempting you with a Dan Yuan Fruit.

If it were me, I'd probably be just as tempted.

So he looked down at the two ice dragons and said with a smile:

"Don't worry, there are two portions, you'll both get one."

As he spoke, he looked around and finally decided to open up another special cave for the two of them to break through.

Half a day later.

Looking at the enormous cave, Ji Yuan was finally relieved.

This cave is large enough to accommodate both Ice Dragons that advance to higher levels at the same time.

Now, the two ice dragons are obediently lying down, one on the left and one on the right.

Ji Yuan stopped keeping them in suspense.

With a wave of his hand, the two portions of Demon-Snatching Powder transformed into two beams of spiritual light, which fell into the mouths of the two ice dragons respectively.

They quickly swallowed it in one gulp.

But just as he swallowed it, before Ji Yuan could even turn around and leave, he noticed a sudden, intense chill emanating from Zhou Er's body.

...Is this...a breakthrough about to happen?!

Ji Yuan couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Monday, standing to the side, also turned to look at Tuesday, her eyes filled with deep envy.

Indeed, Ji Yuan would be envious too.

He felt that if the Frost Dragon also had a spiritual root, then this Tuesday would at least have a Heavenly Spiritual Root.

That breakthrough speed is simply incredible.

On Monday, he glared at it angrily a few times, then turned back to focus on refining the demon-snatching powder.

Ji Yuan closed the stone door of the cave and began to continue counting the treasure.

He still had a lot of spirit stones left, totaling more than 20000 mid-grade spirit stones. He didn't lack these, so he directly transferred them to the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and asked Tu Yue to help count and sort them.

If it's a talisman, then this old man is gone.

It seems that this talisman wouldn't be of much use to a Core Formation cultivator like him.

Moreover, it is said that there is something called "True Treasure" on this talisman.

It is very similar to a talisman, but it is made from the natal magic weapon of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Its power is immense, even among Core Formation cultivators.

The quantity is naturally extremely small.

There are very few Nascent Soul cultivators in the entire Canglu Continent, let alone those who would use their natal magic treasures to create true treasures.

Even if they do, they will only pass it on to their closest relatives.

Like Jiang Hong... he has parents who are at the Nascent Soul stage, so he probably possesses a Nascent Soul treasure.

Of the other items, what most excited Ji Yuan about the Hundred Insect Immortal was his inheritance, along with the strange insects he left behind.

Rare insects are easy to find, but his inheritance... Ji Yuan searched through his storage bag but couldn't find it.

"Could it be that this inheritance can only be passed down once, and after it is passed on, it vanishes into thin air?"

That possibility is indeed quite high.

He had asked Huli about this before, but Huli didn't know either.

In this way, Ji Yuan has no way to deal with it.

He had no choice but to browse through the numerous books and jade slips in the storage bag, and he did indeed find quite a few methods for cultivating strange insects.

That seems to be true.

The last chance for inheritance was used up by the Hundred Insect Immortal.

"It seems that this Immortal of a Hundred Insects is quite the record maker. There's so much information; we'll just have to look through it slowly at the future."

Let's take a look at the strange insects left behind by that old monster first.

Ji Yuan felt a little excited whenever he thought about it.

After all, he never expected that the "Dream Butterfly," which had such strong hallucinogenic abilities and ranked thirty-sixth on the list of strange insects in the world, would actually have a Dream Butterfly egg.

They were then placed in this Hundred Insect Cave for cultivation.

When Hu Li introduced it to Ji Yuan, he didn't quite believe it at first.

Because this Dream Butterfly egg was already on the verge of hatching, but the Elder of a Hundred Insects used a miniature array to prevent it from continuing to develop.

As for the reason... it's because he already has a Dream Butterfly egg. Not only would he not need another one, but he would also have to spend a lot of resources to cultivate it.

"Actually, the best way is to sell it, but he can't bear to part with it. After all, spirit stones are easy to earn, but this rare insect, the Dream Butterfly, is hard to find."

Ji Yuan arrived at a small cave in this cave dwelling and looked at the black and white insect egg, which was no bigger than a finger, and was shrouded in an array.

Now... naturally, it's my turn to benefit!

Ji Yuan suddenly raised his hand, and as the azure spiritual light broke through the formation, the insect egg supported by the jade plate was torn apart from the inside out at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At the same time, Ji Yuan kept making hand seals and chanting incantations.

Seeing that the insect egg was about to be completely torn apart, Ji Yuan pointed his right index and middle fingers at the egg from a distance.

Runes immediately appeared beneath the insect eggs, and then the eggs stopped moving.

A drop of blood flew from Ji Yuan's hand, drifting above the rune. Drawn by the rune, it transformed into wisps of blood energy, merging into the insect egg.

Ji Yuan immediately sensed a new connection between himself and the insect egg.

To be precise, it's the larvae inside the insect eggs.

"Click—"

A tiny white worm, no thicker than a chopstick, crawled out from inside, its back arched, on the jade plate.

After circling around a few times, it returned to the insect eggs and began to gnaw on the remaining remains of the eggs.

With each bite, its aura intensifies.

After finishing the remains, it lightly hopped onto Ji Yuan's shoulder.

...Okay, Ji Yuan still felt a little uncomfortable.

If it were truly a butterfly alighting on his shoulder, he would only feel a sense of enjoyment.

But these butterfly larvae, well, they're just a bit ugly.

"Fortunately, the Hundred Insect Immortal has also recorded the cultivation method of the Dream Butterfly in detail, and has also left behind a lot of cultivation resources. In time, it will be able to break out of its cocoon and become a butterfly. Once the Dream Butterfly is born, it will be an aid in the fight against enemies."

So Ji Yuan then prepared a "feed" for Mengdie and let it eat it slowly. After that, he went to another cave.

Inside the cave, there were many mounds of earth. The moment Ji Yuan entered, many dark figures crawled into these mounds.

Some people were slow to react and hadn't gone in yet.

They were black ants, each the size of a finger, with a few having wings, and occasionally flashes of firelight on their bodies.

The famous insect of the Hundred Insect Immortal – the Blazing Army Ant.

Those who were recognized by Him died along with Him; the rest were those who had not yet grown up.

Ji Yuan hesitated whether or not to accept these fiery army ants.

Admittedly, accepting it would give me another means of dealing with things... but that means would be somewhat superfluous.

Based on previous encounters, these army ants are no match for the spirit-devouring bees, and cultivating them would require a great deal of effort and resources.

Even on the list of unusual insects.

The Soul-Eating Bee was ranked forty-eighth, while the Blazing Army Ant was ranked fifty-ninth.

It's not very useful.

After thinking it over, Ji Yuan decided to give up on it.

Because among the strange insects left behind by the Immortal of a Hundred Insects, there is an even more domineering one, which he has never been able to cultivate.

After Ji Yuan came out of this cave, he arrived at another cave deep inside.

This cave was originally isolated by a small array. Hu Li explained that the Hundred Insect Immortal never allowed him to approach the cave.

I accidentally got too close and almost got beaten to death.

Ji Yuan, unable to contain his curiosity, broke the formation on the spot. He went in, took a look, and then came out. He reinforced the formation and warned Hu Li not to come near, or he would be killed.

What could poor Huli say?

All I can say is, "A good senior."

Now, Ji Yuan stood in front of the cave again, broke through the formation, and went inside.

The cave was furnished very simply, with only a square stone table placed in the center of the cave.

Above the table was a specially made blood-red coffin. The coffin was not large, only about the length of a person's forearm.

And lying inside this coffin is that strange insect.

When Ji Yuan first saw it, he was still a little hesitant to believe it.

It wasn't until he later found something similar and records in the storage bag of the Hundred Insect Immortal that he was certain that the strange insect lying in the coffin was like a shriveled ant.

It is the fourth one on the list of strange insects, known as the "elixir of immortality"—the winter worm.

What is a "winter worm"?

Born in winter and dying in winter, never seeing spring, autumn, or summer, it is called a winter insect.

Of course, this is the traditional explanation used in the cultivation world.

The reason it is called the "elixir of immortality" is because this strange insect has the simplest function.

He survived the loss of his lifespan and was given a second chance at life.

If a cultivator reaches the end of their lifespan and takes this winter worm, they can be rejuvenated, returning to their childhood with all their memories, and living a second life.

Although he would have lost his magical power and cultivation by then, he would have all the experience, techniques, and so on from his previous life.

If I were to be reborn, I would surely be able to go higher and further.

Even if it still doesn't work, the allure of being reborn is far beyond anything any ordinary opportunity could offer.

However, according to the list of rare insects, this winter insect can at most allow a cultivator at the peak of the Void Refinement stage to live another life.

If one's cultivation reaches the Integration Stage, comprehends the power of heaven and earth, and masters supernatural abilities, then even if one consumes this "winter worm," it will have no miraculous effect.

Even if it can only be used by cultivators at the Void Refinement stage, it is enough to alarm countless cultivators.

Only after progressing through Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Deity Transformation can one become a Void Refining cultivator.

A cultivator at the Refinement of Emptiness stage can live up to five thousand years.

Swallowing a mouthful of winter worms is equivalent to gaining five thousand years of lifespan for nothing. Who wouldn't be tempted?

Ji Yuan was increasingly tempted the more she thought about it.

Having a winter worm means having another chance to be reborn. Even if you don't use it yourself, you can trade it in the future or give it to your relatives and friends. That's fine too.

However, these worms are only effective if ingested voluntarily. If someone kills you outside, even if you have worms, it will be of no use.

If only the effects of this winter worm could revive one's health on the spot... If only it could be like the cicada of spring and autumn, allowing one to return directly to their youth, that would be even better.

"And who could have imagined that this small Cangluo Continent, with this mere Core Formation cultivator, would possess a wondrous insect capable of alarming the entire human realm?"

"As expected, opportunities are something no one can predict, and no one should underestimate them."

"You never know what kind of incredible opportunity might be hidden in a seemingly simple enemy in the future, so no matter who you are fighting, you have to go all out and take them down as quickly as possible."

"Also, we can't underestimate enemies whose cultivation is lower than our own. I can cross realms to fight against other cultivators, but who knows if others can also cross realms to fight against me? I only have one life, and if I capsize in a ditch, that would be troublesome."

I examine my body three times a day.

Ji Yuan reflected on his own situation through this winter worm.

Finally, he looked into the coffin again.

The shriveled worm lay motionless inside, while four different items were placed in the four corners of the stone chamber.

Spring brings forth all grains, summer brings forth a hundred flowers, autumn brings forth a thousand fruits, and winter brings forth a vast amount of grain.

They each symbolize one of the four seasons of the year.

These things were all connected by special runes, which ultimately led this aura into the blood coffin.

But these things can only maintain the current state of the winter worm. If you want to awaken the winter worm from its slumber... well, Ji Yuan doesn't know how to do it either.

Even the Immortal of a Hundred Insects was unaware of this. If he had known, he would most likely have already consumed the winter worm and regained his youth.

"If only Master hadn't left, she might know how to awaken this winter worm."

Ji Yuan pondered this matter, and then he wondered how he could take the winter worm away.

After some thought, he summoned the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, entered it, and created a separate room inside the cave. He then activated his magic weapon, and a suction force quickly drew everything in the cave into the cave.

Inside the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Ji Yuan looked at the winter insects that had been taken in and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that I can take it with me.

When we get to the Abyss Continent, we'll see if there's a way to awaken this winter worm.

Then Ji Yuan stepped out and put the magic weapon into his dantian.

...The fourth most powerful insect in the human world.

If this thing could be awakened, Ji Yuan felt that it would be the most valuable treasure he possessed besides his character panel.

After leaving the cave, Ji Yuan returned to the cave where he had previously kept the fiery army ants.

After much deliberation, he decided to take the item with him.

Even if I don't use it myself, I'll keep it for now. If necessary, I can just sell it when the time is right.

Just as Ji Yuan was putting away the swarm of fiery army ants, text popped up on his panel.

A new building... has appeared!

[Ant Nest: lv1 (Cannot be upgraded)]

[Effect: Ant colony reproduction speed +30%; Ant colony recovery speed +20%; Ant colony advancement probability +5%.]

[Upgrade Requirements: 50 low-grade spirit stones; breed one ant queen, ant colony size reaches 1000; 1 iron wire ant corpse. (Not yet achieved)]

When Ji Yuan saw the new building, his first reaction was not joy at seeing a new building, but rather the thought that the [ant nest] and the [beehive] should be able to merge.

He had this thought in his mind, but the panel did not react at all.

...Does this mean there are still buildings that haven't been collected?

The reason why the previous Tiangong Workshop was able to be created was because it had gathered the four buildings of pill, array, talisman and artifact, so even if the level was different, it could still show a fusion prompt.

But now, not even a prompt has appeared, which means that some building is still missing.

Ji Yuan thought for a moment, but couldn't figure out what it was, so he stopped worrying.

Whether or not it is synthesized is not a big deal.

The main problem is that these "beehives" and "ant nests" look too similar.

Hmm...we can upgrade it and see what kind of magical effects it can add to the Blazing Army Ants after upgrading the [Ant Nest] to level two.

If it works well, then keep them all.

We can just burn more resources.

With the [spiritual vein] present, Ji Yuan wasn't too worried about resources.

"These wire ants are hard to find, so let's wait until I come out of seclusion before upgrading them."

After finishing these tasks, Ji Yuan found a cave, activated the spiritual effects of the [Scripture Pavilion] and the [Enlightenment Chamber], and began to prepare for seclusion, striving to raise his cultivation to the Pseudo-Core Realm as soon as possible.

When his magical power increases again, with all these magical treasures and his natal magic treasure, even without using physical cultivation methods, he will probably be able to compete with a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation.

Under the spiritual influence of the Enlightenment Chamber, Ji Yuan calmed his mind and focused his energy, and then entered a state of comprehending the Sword Canon.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but in the darkness, he sensed a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy spreading out, which even startled him from his cultivation state.

He subconsciously looked in the direction from which the fluctuations of the magical artifact were coming.

That stone chamber... the Frost Dragon has finally advanced?!

It's reached level three?!

Ji Yuan suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with unspeakable joy.

But the joy in his eyes quickly faded.

The one who has broken through now is definitely Tuesday, who has better talent; Monday is the only one who hasn't broken through yet.

No rush, no rush, let's wait a bit longer. We'll go check on them after both of these Frost Dragons have broken through.

He suppressed his excitement and sat back down.

Moreover, the one that has broken through now is Tuesday. Given its nature, even after breaking through, it will only stay obediently in a corner, and it is even possible that it will shrink to its smallest size and curl up into a ball.

As Ji Yuan pondered, he released his divine sense to probe the past.

The scene that he saw was exactly as he had imagined.

On Tuesday after the breakthrough, the scales on his body were noticeably brighter, and even his aura exuded a faint sense of oppression.

The dragon's head looked increasingly ferocious, exuding an aura of power without anger.

In other words, it looks more like a dragon.

At this moment, it was perched in the corner of the cave, only the size of a millstone, its head raised as it looked at Monday, which was still breaking through, giving it a somewhat ice sculpture feel.

But Ji Yuan could sense from the spiritual energy wafting through the cave that Tuesday was protecting Monday!

"Thank goodness, it seems it wasn't a waste of money after all."

"It has broken through to become a third-tier demon beast, and it really is no longer so cowardly."

With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan withdrew his consciousness and continued his seclusion.

Meanwhile, at the foot of Xuanjing Mountain.

Hu Lizheng looked up at the mountaintop in shock... Could it be that the old demon's cultivation has broken through again?

This old man... this senior, his talent is truly amazing, I'm so envious!

After pondering for a moment, Hu Li once again entered a state of cultivation.

But before he could cultivate for more than a few days, he discovered that a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation was coming from the direction of the mountaintop.

Moreover, it seemed to converge with the previous fluctuations, pressing down on him so much that he dared not get up.

"This...this is a demonic beast!"

Huli was so pressed down that he dared not look up, but just then, he suddenly heard a roar coming from above.

A roar that sounded like a dragon's cry.

He guessed what was going on, and forcefully resisted the oppressive force, looking up.

A young man dressed in black robes stood atop a giant, ice-blue dragon's head, his hands slightly raised as if basking in the morning sun.

-

[Ding! Congratulations to Ji Tianzun for obtaining the key item "Winter Insect".]

(No prize for guessing: who will ultimately benefit from the winter worm?)

(End of this chapter)