Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

"Advanced insect control techniques?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Zhengshan paused slightly, stroking his beard, and lowered his head in thought. After a moment, a glint flashed in his eyes, and he looked up with a smile:

"Yes! Although this type of technique is unorthodox, our pavilion actually possesses two of them. Please wait a moment, senior."

He immediately sent a few words out the door.

Qingyouzi nodded, her fingertips lightly tracing the edge of the teacup, her expression serene.

A short while later, a maid entered gracefully carrying an ebony tray with two jade slips placed side by side on it. The maid gently placed the tray on the table and silently withdrew.

Chu Zhengshan first pointed to the cyan jade slip on the left:

"This manual originates from Spirit Beast Mountain and is its secret insect control method, the 'Hundred Insects Spirit Control Technique.' It was originally a closely guarded secret of Spirit Beast Mountain. More than ten years ago, one of our stewards obtained it by chance from an unidentified corpse while he was out."

He paused, his smile carrying the shrewdness characteristic of a merchant:

"The price is one thousand spirit stones. What do you think, senior?"

"Oh?" Qingyouzi picked up the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

The jade slip did indeed record a sophisticated insect-controlling technique at the beginning. The method primarily involved nurturing with divine sense and branding with essence blood, combined with special hand seals, allowing simultaneous control of dozens of spiritual insects—a truly unique approach. However, the latter half was sealed by a restriction, requiring specific techniques or forced breaking to access.

Judging from the first half of the content alone, this formula is indeed of superior quality.

"The secret techniques of Spirit Beast Mountain," Qing Youzi put down the jade slip, looked up at Chu Zhengshan, and said, "you're just going to sell them to me for a thousand spirit stones?"

Chu Zhengshan chuckled, showing no embarrassment:

"Senior is too kind. Since this item is a secret of Spirit Beast Mountain, purchasing it carries the corresponding risks. Moreover, cultivation techniques can all be copied and reproduced. If Senior were not already a Nascent Soul cultivator, I really wouldn't dare to take it out so easily, lest Spirit Beast Mountain find out and I get burned."

Qingyouzi remained noncommittal, his gaze shifting to the dusty jade slip on his right:

"And what is this one?"

Chu Zhengshan's expression hardened slightly, and after a brief hesitation, he said:

"This text... should be a fragment of some advanced insect control technique. However, the content is incomplete, and even after studying it for several years, I have not been able to grasp its essence. If it cannot be completed, it can at most be used for reference."

He changed the subject, his smile becoming sincere:

"If you need it, senior, I will give this simple gift to you as a token of my appreciation."

As he spoke, his eyes held a hint of anticipation.

Qingyouzi understood that this was an attempt to do someone a favor.

He wouldn't pass up a good opportunity; that's not in his nature.

"In that case, I will accept it."

He calmly tucked the gray jade slip into his sleeve.

Afterwards, he purchased a batch of fire-attribute pills and spiritual materials from Tianbao Pavilion. The diet of the Crimson Fire Demon Insect larvae was still unknown, so it was always good to have some pills and spiritual materials on hand.

This purchase cost over five thousand spirit stones.

Chu Zhengshan respectfully saw him off all the way to the outside of the pavilion, his attitude becoming increasingly respectful.

In the following days, Qingyouzi strolled around Tianxian City, seemingly casually, but in reality, he was secretly gathering information.

Three days later, he rented a superior cave dwelling in the east of the city. It was rich in spiritual energy and had a quiet environment. The monthly rent was one hundred spirit stones, which was not expensive for a Nascent Soul cultivator.

In the quiet chamber of the cave, Qingyouzi sat cross-legged, his expression solemn.

"The spiritual veins have been excavated... Is the Yin Xuan Sect really a branch of the Blood Yin Sect?"

The information he had gathered in the past few days filled him with dread.

The Blood Yin Sect is the number one demonic sect on the Northern Pavilion Continent, openly commanding two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, making its strength unfathomable. When the Heavenly Immortal City sent people to the Yin Xuan Sect's mountain gate, it was already deserted, clearly indicating that their scheme had been planned for a long time.

"The Blood Yin Sect dares to offend Heavenly Immortal City so blatantly; there must be more than one sect behind them."

He murmured to himself.

Perhaps, it is the will of the entire Northern Pavilion Demonic Path, and even the Northern Pavilion Continent.

Shaking his head, Qingyouzi stopped thinking about it. Such a situation was beyond his control alone.

He got up and walked towards a specially opened insect chamber on the east side of the cave.

The room was spacious, except for a three-foot-tall Crimson Flame Tree planted in the center. This was a fire-attribute spirit tree, its branches and leaves glowing with a faint red light, warm but not scorching. Thousands of tiny crimson insects, their carapaces crystalline and their thin wings trembling slightly, were densely packed on the tree; they were Crimson Fire Demon Insects.

Qingyouzi took out a Crimson Flame Fruit and tossed it into the air.

"Buzz—!"

The swarm of insects suddenly appeared! Like a red cloud sweeping across, the fruit was devoured in mid-air, leaving not even the seeds behind.

Three years.

It has been three years since I returned from Tianxian Cave.

During these three years, apart from occasionally going out to purchase cultivation resources and fire-attribute spiritual materials, he almost never left his house.

His cultivation was steadily progressing in the early stages of the Nascent Soul realm, but the progress was slow. At this rate, it would take at least another one or two hundred years of arduous cultivation to reach the threshold of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm.

However, the Crimson Fire Demon Insect is growing very well.

After three years of careful nurturing and a large investment of fire-attribute resources, the insect swarm has grown from an initial three hundred larvae to over five thousand. Although most are still in their youth, they are already comparable to late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and a few strong individuals are even faintly approaching the threshold of Foundation Establishment.

Qingyouzi's mind stirred slightly.

Dozens of demonic insects responded to his call and flew up, swirling into a small fire tornado above his palm, their wings vibrating and emitting a soft buzzing sound. He flipped his hand, and the swarm obediently flew back to the Crimson Flame Wood.

"It's acceptable."

He nodded slightly, then scattered a handful of phosphorescent sand to watch the insects fight over it before leaving the insect chamber.

Over the past three years, the external environment has undergone tremendous changes.

The theft of the sacred veins of Tianxian Cave was finally made public by Tianxian City.

The announcement stated that the earth's veins have been damaged, and the foundation of the Celestial Cave Secret Realm has been damaged. It may take hundreds or thousands of years to recover, during which time the secret realm will be closed indefinitely.

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

The cultivators of the Southern Xuan Continent, especially those who had entered the Heavenly Immortal Cave and received opportunities, were all indignant.

After all, although the secret realm is dangerous, it has also created countless legends of Foundation Establishment cultivators breaking through to Golden Core and Golden Core cultivators glimpsing Nascent Soul. Now that this path is cut off, it is tantamount to cutting off the path of cultivation for many cultivators who are trapped in bottlenecks and whose lifespans are about to end.

The voices of discontent spread like wildfire.

Many Nascent Soul cultivators have publicly stated that they are uniting with their respective sects and beginning to coordinate with various forces across the Southern Xuan Continent.

The exposure of Yin Xuanmen as a branch of Xue Yinmen and an undercover agent in the Northern Pavilion Continent further directed this hostility towards the north.

The Southern Xuan Continent is rife with undercurrents.

The main chamber of the cave.

Qingyouzi slowly finished his practice and exhaled a long breath.

He rarely went out, but every time he went to Tianbao Pavilion to buy cultivation materials, he was greeted by Chu Zhengshan. From Chu Zhengshan, he could also learn about the Southern Xuan regime and some major events that had recently occurred.

He rose and walked to the window, his gaze piercing through the array barrier as he looked down upon the bustling Celestial City. Countless lights shone, and cultivators swarmed about like ants within this colossal city.

"Celestial City...impressive methods."

He muttered to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips.

By leveraging the momentum and rallying popular support, they transformed the anger of one sect into hostility towards Beiting across the entire Southern Xuan Continent. Such shrewdness and skill are truly befitting of a powerful force with a thousand-year history.

"That's all...so be it."

Just as he was pondering this, the restrictions outside the cave stirred slightly.

A communication jade talisman pierced through the array and hovered in front of him.

Qingyouzi scanned the jade talisman with his divine sense. There was no specific content in it, only a brief summoning wave originating from the official Heavenly Immortal City and directed at all Nascent Soul cultivators in the city.

He raised an eyebrow slightly.

Just then, from the direction of the main peak of Tianxian City in the distance, a low roar, suppressed with anger, faintly came. Although the sound was weakened by the formation, it still caused the walls of the cave to tremble slightly.

Inside the main hall, Jiang Taiyuan sat on a high seat, crushing a jade talisman in his hand into dust.

The elders of the Heavenly Immortal City stood with their heads bowed, none daring to utter a sound.

"The demon race... is also causing trouble at this time."

Jiang Taiyuan's voice was icy cold, and the anger in his eyes was palpable:

"Are they trying to take advantage of the chaos and grab a share of Demon Zhou Mountain's spoils? Or... are they colluding with those scoundrels from Beiting, plotting to seize my Southern Xuan territory? Or perhaps both!"

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the assembled spectators with a sharp, piercing intensity:

"Order! Effective immediately, Heavenly Immortal City is placed on wartime alert. All Nascent Soul cultivators are to convene in the main hall within three days for a meeting."

"It's time to make a move in this game."