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

A hidden cave dwelling, deep in the sea, with faint traces of protective barriers flowing around its entrance.

A powerful demon in human form leaned against the stone wall, its vertical pupils blood-red, its fiery red scales gleaming darkly in the eerie light. It lightly swirled a glass wine cup between its fingers, the liquid as crimson as blood.

"You humans really know how to scheme against each other." The great demon grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "In this way, we can eliminate another Nascent Soul cultivator."

He paused, then turned his vertical pupils toward the other side.

"But I heard that Heavenly Immortal City will send new Nascent Soul cultivators to guard it. At that time, that giant island nearby will once again have three Nascent Soul cultivators, plus the other two on your island... When are you planning to eliminate them all at once?"

He emphasized the last few words.

The wine glass in my hand shattered with a "crack".

The wine spilled, splashing out crimson spots on the stone ground.

Opposite him, a young cultivator dressed in the silver-white battle robes of an elder from the Heavenly Immortal City sat quietly. He had a handsome face and appeared to be around thirty years old.

His gaze fell on the illusory image of the Boundless Sea floating in front of him, and he lightly tapped a certain island with his finger, which was the place where Qingyouzi was stationed.

"What's the rush?"

His voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

"In about three years, Demon Zhou Mountain will emerge. At that time, the high-end combat forces of the Southern Xuan Continent will be restrained, which will be the best time to make a move."

As the illusory image is magnified, the outline of the entire Southern Xuan Continent emerges.

The man traced the north and south of the continent with his fingertips, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Everything is going according to plan. At that time, not only will Mozhou Mountain be ours... but the entire Southern Xuan region will eventually be ours."

The great demon shook his head, then grabbed a wine jar next to him and drank it down in one gulp.

The liquor dripped down the scales on his neck, and he laughed heartily.

"Haha! Although I don't quite understand your convoluted schemes... I have to admit, you humans really know how to deal with other humans!"

He tossed aside the empty jar and wiped his mouth.

"Alright, now that things are settled, I should be going. I'll wait for your signal."

The figure transformed into a crimson demonic light, disappeared into the cracks in the stone wall.

The cave returned to silence.

The white-robed man sat alone, his gaze still fixed on the island where Qingyouzi was located on the illusory map, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

After a long silence, he said softly:

"Qingyouzi, you're quite interesting..."

Half a day later.

Qingyouzi quietly returned to the island.

His divine sense swept over the camp, sentry posts, and cultivators' residences like a gentle breeze.

"...You have no idea, but a while ago two Nascent Soul seniors were ambushed by a fourth-tier demon! Luckily, we were attacked by several waves of lesser demons in the past few days and went to their aid, otherwise, if we had run into that demon, we wouldn't be alive today!"

"You're really lucky to be alive..."

Qingyouzi frowned slightly and withdrew his divine sense.

He walked toward his courtyard, and the monks along the way all bowed respectfully when they saw him.

Back in the courtyard, I closed the door.

Inside the cave.

He sat cross-legged in meditation, then sent a telepathic message to Mo Junxuan, instructing him not to let anyone disturb him recently, and to adjust his physical condition to perfection. Afterward, he took out the Nascent Soul Pill from his storage bag.

The pill was the size of a longan, with crimson patterns like clouds, and faintly emitted the chirping of an infant.

He swallowed it in one gulp and closed his eyes to circulate his internal energy.

The medicinal properties dissipate, flowing like a warm, clear spring to the limbs and bones, eventually converging into the dantian.

Inside the dantian, the three-inch nascent soul opened its eyes.

The clear stream swirled around the nascent soul, gradually solidifying. The nascent soul opened its small mouth and gently inhaled, drawing in the clear stream, which flowed like silk threads.

The nascent soul sat cross-legged and began refining.

The azure light around Qing Youzi intensified, and his magical power flowed through his meridians, becoming increasingly refined and pure. He could feel that his nascent soul was becoming more solid and robust, and his connection with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was becoming clearer.

Three days have passed.

He slowly opened his eyes and raised his arm.

A cyan magical power covered his palm, solidified as if it were a physical substance, with a faint radiance flowing within it. With a slight activation, the pressure of the magical power caused the air inside the cave to stagnate.

"What a wonderful elixir!"

A look of joy flashed in Qingyouzi's eyes.

The first time he took the Nascent Soul Pill, the best effect was achieved. At this moment, his Nascent Soul was nearly 30% solidified, the purity of his magical power was improved, and the power of his supernatural abilities and magical treasures would also be enhanced.

"Unfortunately, the effect was only so obvious the first time."

He finished his practice and stood up, suppressing his joy.

The path of cultivation is long. While temporary progress is certainly gratifying, it is far from the time to relax.

Two years later.

The defenses of an island in the near sea have been breached.

The corpses of more than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators lay scattered, their blood staining the rocks. A mid-stage Golden Core cultivator's sword-wielding hand trembled slightly as two Rank 3 demonic beasts menacingly approached him.

One is a late-stage Tier 3 unit, and the other is a mid-stage Tier 3 unit.

"Has the reinforcement... not arrived yet?!"

He growled hoarsely, despair evident in his eyes.

That late-stage third-tier demonic beast suddenly pounced!

The Golden Core cultivator gritted his teeth and summoned a bronze shield. The demonic claw slammed into the shield, and the immense force sent him flying backward, crashing into the rock wall behind him. He spat out blood, and his life force abruptly diminished.

The monster roared and pounced again, its gaping maw aimed straight for the head.

Just now.

Suddenly, a faint buzzing sound filled the air.

Countless fiery red streams surged in from all directions, initially resembling a rosy glow, but upon closer listening, they were the sound of countless wings vibrating rapidly. That wasn't a rosy glow at all; it was a swarm of insects, a dense mass of crimson fire demons!

The swarm of insects surged forth like a torrent, instantly engulfing the monster.

The monster howled and struggled, its body engulfed in eerie crimson flames, its flesh and blood rapidly melting away in the fire. In less than three breaths, its massive body turned to ashes, leaving not even a trace of bone.

Upon seeing this, the other third-tier demon beast turned and fled, heading straight for the sea.

But the swarms are faster.

The fiery torrent surged upwards, engulfing it. The screams were short and piercing, then fell silent. Only a wisp of smoke remained on the sea, dissipating with the wind.

The swarm of insects hovered in mid-air, their wings fluttering slightly, as docile as sheep.

The Golden Core cultivator struggled to his feet from the rubble of the rock wall, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, and looked up.

In the air, a figure stood suspended in mid-air.

He wore a long cyan robe and a black bamboo hat, with a cyan curtain of fire hanging from the edge of the hat, obscuring his face. The firelight flickered, making it impossible to see his true appearance; only the oppressive aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator remained, as deep and unfathomable as a prison.

The swarm of insects converged on the man and poured into a spirit insect pouch at his waist.

The Golden Core cultivator staggered forward, bowed deeply, and said:

"Thank you so much for saving me, senior! If it weren't for your help, I would surely be dead today..."

Qingyouzi glanced at him through the fire curtain.

"It's already quite an achievement to have persevered this far."

A jade bottle flew out from his sleeve and landed in the other person's hand.

"This healing pill will help you recover."

The Golden Core cultivator took it, and before he could say anything more, the figure had already vanished.

Only the sea breeze carries a faint scent of anxiety.

Inside the courtyard.

Qingyouzi took off her straw hat.

The drooping blue curtain of fire slowly receded, disappearing into the runes on the edge of the bamboo hat. This item, obtained from Daohe's storage bag, was a superior concealment magic treasure. With his current early-stage Nascent Soul divine sense, it was enough to deceive even mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

The only flaw is that the face can still be seen with the naked eye.

So he came up with this idea: to condense the ancient green demon fire into a curtain of fire, which could both cover his face and distract people.

It seems that Daohe was able to escape from the Second Elder of Tianxian City thanks to the power of this magic weapon.

He patted the spirit insect pouch at his waist and smiled slightly.

"It was worth it for me to spend so many high-grade fire-attribute spiritual materials to feed you... After cultivating the 'Hundred Insect Spirit Control Technique,' controlling these tens of thousands of crimson fire demon insects is truly as easy as using my own arms."

Especially after comprehending the mysterious fragment of the insect control scroll, his mastery over the insect swarm reached a new level. Now, with tens of thousands of insects emerging simultaneously, they are enough to instantly kill a late-stage third-tier demonic beast or a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

"However, the Golden Core and the Nascent Soul are ultimately worlds apart. But that fragment is truly amazing; just by referencing it, I can improve my insect control skills. If I have the chance in the future, I must get my hands on the complete version."

He murmured to himself.

No matter how strong the insect swarm is, it is still insufficient to fight against Nascent Soul cultivators. It will need several more years of nurturing before it can be considered a true trump card.

"It's alright, I... have plenty of time."

Pushing open the courtyard gate, one sees a clear blue sky and a calm sea.

Business as usual.

As Qingyouzi stepped out of the courtyard, the tip of her nose twitched slightly.

He stopped and frowned.

In the sea breeze, besides the salty, damp smell, there seemed to be a very faint, almost imperceptible...

Demonic energy?

His divine sense suddenly expanded, sweeping across the entire island.

But that wisp of aura had vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

Qingyouzi stood there, silent for a long time.

Finally, he turned around, went back into the courtyard, and closed the door.

However, a trace of his divine sense remained outside.