Just leaving the Spirit Workshop, Xu Yaofeng quickly stuffed the jade jar into his bosom.
Walking back to the yamen with his subordinates, one of them said, "Sir, I heard that the 'Book of Communication with Gods' is about to be completed, and many brothers in Wei Li want to worship the Infinite Heavenly Venerate."
Xu Yaofeng's stern face did not change at all.
Please, I believe in Taichu!
The 'Book of Communication with Gods' just writes about various possibilities—it's said to save only a small part of Spirit Stones.
But Senior Taichu can precisely point out all the materials needed without any error!
It's incomparable.
Thinking this, Xu Yaofeng felt that Senior Taichu was even more mysterious and powerful.
Once my Lifebound Light Butterfly advances, I can initiate the Harmonization Domain!
My Dao Foundation will also greatly improve due to the enhancement of my Lifebound Bug, leading to a surge in cultivation.
Moreover, initiating the Harmonization Domain will bring a qualitative leap in strength!
But this Cold Moon True Essence is indeed quite troublesome.
He reached into his bosom and touched the spiritual item jade jar, pondering.
It's not like there's no way.
...
Gathering the fifty-six middle-grade Spirit Stones obtained from this gathering, Chen Qing began to rapidly calculate in his mind.
I cannot continue enhancing Alcohol Bug, as I often need to use it.
If I perform the Butterfly Transformation, it would be too obvious.
Sword Bug, however, can continue to be enhanced—after all, as my only offensive method, the higher its level, the better.
Anyway, I don't need to act frequently. I can just never act in the sect.
Who would ask a farmer like myself to fight and kill?
When I have enough Spirit Stones in the future, I can contract another Sword Bug for showcasing.
Fog Bug, however, can be continually enhanced, and Butterfly Transformation doesn't matter.
After all, no one knows, as long as it's not displayed, no one will know.
I still have ample Spirit Stones at hand now, so I'll focus on maxing out the Sword Bug and Fog Bug.
Once both Fog Bug and Sword Bug undergo Butterfly Transformation, I should be able to just manage self-protection.
June 16th.
During this period, Lotus Cave is too busy to bother finding trouble at Wuyou Mountain.
Just after nightfall, Chen Qing descended the mountain.
Sword Treasure has already advanced to Seventh Transformation, and Fog Treasure is at Fourth Transformation.
On the night of the 16th, the moonlight was still bright, and given that cultivators have exceptional eyesight, descending the mountain under moonlight was no issue at all.
After walking around the streets, he didn't find the materials for Sword Bug to advance to Eighth Transformation, though he found some for Fog Bug to reach Fifth Transformation, but they were too few and scattered.
It seems Wanbao Pavilion's profiteers win again.
This time he did not conceal his identity; with his status, spending three to four hundred Spirit Stones wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
At Wanbao Pavilion, he spent a total of three hundred and fifty-six Spirit Stones and bought fifteen Gold Seeking Stones and twenty White Tiger Bright Hairs.
On the way back, Chen Qing walked along the mountain path, where moonlight filtered through the leaves and dotted the road.
"Junior Brother Chen, have you gone down the mountain to buy materials again?"
Chen Qing looked towards the direction of the voice, which was pitch black.
"Is that Senior Brother Feng?"
Feng Qi emerged from the darkness, occasionally flashing red light on his mouth as he walked under the moonlight and exhaled smoke.
"Tonight just happens to be my night duty."
Chen Qing said, "Senior brother has worked hard."
Feng Qi shook his head, "It's all part of our duties, just like you. During the day you take care of the Spiritual Field, and only at night do you have time to go down the mountain to buy some materials."
Chen Qing said, "Recently there are a few injured in the sect, so I really don't have free time during the day."
Feng Qi's figure once again merged into the darkness, only the red light from his smoking visible intermittently.
That was Feng Qi smoking a pipe.
"Junior brother, you should head back soon."
After parting with Feng Qi, Chen Qing was not worried about Feng uncovering anything, as his actions were all reasonable.
He just thought this guy was rather profound.
Actually, more often, Chen Qing felt that it was not Ye Yuntian running things in Wuyou Mountain, but Feng Qi taking the lead.
Ye Yuntian seemed more like a sword directed by Feng Qi.
Merely an executor of plans.
Back at his cave residence, Chen Qing surveyed his living room for a while, finally deciding to go to the kitchen.
He let Sword Bug and Fog Bug each consume Gold Seeking Stones and White Tiger Bright Hairs, as Chen Qing wanted to create a hole in the kitchen.
Sword Bug was soon to be Eighth Transformation, and he figured it wouldn't take long to reach Ninth Transformation; he needed to prepare a place for Sword Bug's advancement.
After all, advancement requires some time.
The kitchen was chosen mainly because it was an odd place, one that normal people wouldn't think of.
Lifting a floorboard, he pointed his fingers like a sword, releasing a wisp of Sword Qi.
Oh Sword Treasure, your current hardships are all for your own good—don't feel wronged.
It seems like his bugs are all doing some bizarre tasks; the Fog Bug has turned into a clothing-altering artifact, and the Sword Bug is a tool perfect for digging.
Intermittently using the Sword Bug, Chen Qing felt increasingly that this thing was truly handy!
Cutting through rock as easily as slicing through tofu.
Digging until midnight, Chen Qing cleared the stones in front of him, suddenly discovering that the surface here was no longer rock, but something akin to jade, yet it also had a slightly fleshy feel, and predominantly, it resembled bone.
"What is this place?"
He cleared a broader area and found that not only had the material changed, but there were also patterns on it.
Looking at the massive, somewhat irregular hexagonal patterns on the ground, "This heck is a turtle shell!"
He stomped on it forcefully; it didn't budge.
Touching it with his hands, it felt somewhat cold.
The sect of Wuyou Mountain wasn't on a mountain, but on a colossal turtle shell.
Only, too many years had passed, and the rocks on top were dozens of meters high.
No wonder I am so steady; it seems the Feng Shui of this land has influenced me!
It seems there was a reason why Wuyou Mountain chose this location.
Chen Qing lost interest in digging further; this ancient turtle had probably been dead for many years, unlikely to have anything left.
Lying down in the newly excavated stone chamber, although enclosed, Chen Qing felt an inexplicable sense of security.
As if this place was isolated from the world, keeping out all external dangers.
"Why not make a stone bed here, and simply sleep here at night too."
"If someone comes to assassinate me, they wouldn't know I'm here."
With that thought, he began to carve out a stone bed and arrange the entrance.
Since arriving in this strange world, he had started to become like a groundhog.
He just wanted to bury himself alone underground, counting his own treasures.
After all, one can't always rely on the mercy of others for their life.
Chen Qing disguised the entrance as a pile of rocks, covered by floorboards; fog could seep through.
To enter, one simply needed to transform into fog to pass through the rocky pile.
Over a year since his arrival, Chen Qing slept well for the first time.
Staying in such an unpredictable spot brought him peace.
Early in the morning, Chen Qing headed towards the Beast Driving Hall; the brothers and sisters of the hall often weren't home during the day due to herding.
Just upon reaching the hilltop of the Beast Driving Hall, Chen Qing saw a continual stream of rats transporting items.
Rats the size of cows, speckled in color, with two cargo racks on their backs, shakily emerged one after another from a hill base.
This was underground transport.
Air transport was rarely used because it was too obvious and easy to become a target.
These rats, running through the tunnels, were almost as fast as flying and much safer.
Leading the way at the front, was a brother from the Beast Driving Hall, reportedly over seventy years old, sitting on the foremost rat, swaying as the rat moved.
"Chen, you are quite the rare visitor!"
Quickly, someone nearby remarked, "Old Sun, you've been out too long; Chen is now the Master of the Spirit Plant Hall, you should call him Hall Master."
I expected Old Sun to laugh and joke around with Chen Qing, but unexpectedly, Sun Feiting got off the rat.
Walking up to Chen Qing, he grabbed him and said, "Since Master Chen has come, you must be here to discuss matters with the masters. It's still early, and they haven't left yet, hurry and find them."
Dragging Chen Qing along, he gestured with his eyes to those following behind.
Suddenly, Chen Qing felt an extremely cold aura approaching; he turned towards the source of the aura.
It was a middle-aged man with slightly graying temples, his Daoist robe tattered, his entire demeanor dimmed, only his eyes were resolutely steadfast.
An ascetic!
When cultivators feel they have reached a bottleneck and find it hard to advance further, the stronger ones will choose to travel thousands of miles.
They would venture to various places, experience different customs, let their bugs graze, and seek opportunities for promotion or transmutation.
Natural enhancement accounted for a substantial twenty percent, largely because of the existence of the ascetics.
He looked over the terrain of Wuyou Mountain, breathing the fresh air outside the tunnel, "Finally, I've arrived at a new domain."
Only taking seventy to eighty steps, Chen Qing saw from a distance the Mountain Master and the two Hall Masters of the Beast Driving Hall arriving.
Obviously, they had already received the message from the Beast Driving Hall and had come early to wait.
Seeing Chen Qing there, the Mountain Master was also somewhat surprised, "Chen Qing, what are you doing here?"
Chen Qing said, "I want to discuss some matters with the brothers and sisters of the Beast Driving Hall."
The Mountain Master said, "Ju Xiu, take Chen Qing to your Beast Driving Hall; I'll handle this ascetic's matter."
Following Ju Xiu for a while, this fiery-tempered sister didn't walk anymore, but leaned on a green stone, watching the Mountain Master and the ascetic talking below.
Seeing Ju Xiu behaving this way, Chen Qing also mimicked her, leaning aside to watch.
Because of the distance, they couldn't hear what was being said clearly, but it was evident that the ascetic seemed quite polite.
"He looks like a righteous ascetic."
Ju Xiu said, "It's hard to say; once they choose to go out and travel long distances, it's hard to distinguish between good and evil."
"Don't be fooled by the saint-like appearance of these cultivators; when they make a move, they are more ruthless than the next."
As she spoke, Ju Xiu became somewhat secretive, "It's said that among the sects in our area, many disciples have been exiled due to doctrinal disputes."
"But looking at our Mountain Master, he doesn't seem like it."
Chen Qing asked, "What do you think our Mountain Master seems like?"
Ju Xiu laughed out loud, patted Chen Qing on the shoulder, "Let's go, junior brother, let's talk about serious matters."