Chapter 958 - 501: Calamity of the Gu Insect (Part 1)

Chapter 958: Chapter 501: Calamity of the Gu Insect (Part 1)

Seeing this, a hint of approval flashed in Li Mu’s eyes. Xiaobai may look young and cute on the outside, but it actually possesses extraordinary devouring and digestion abilities. This is the terrifying aspect of the tier six Gu Insect spirit.

"Xiaobai, how do you feel?" Li Mu asked with a slight smile, showing concern.

Xiaobai turned its head to look at Li Mu, eyes full of excitement and satisfaction. It nodded gently, then its body trembled slightly, and a more solid wave of soul power emanated from its body. Clearly, this devour had enhanced its strength once again.

The next moment, Xiaobai slightly opened its small mouth and yawned.

Li Mu smiled warmly, waved his large hand, and placed it into the Spirit-Taming Treasure Bracelet to let it rest well, then began to sort through other high-tier Spiritual Objects.

...

Time flew by, and half a month passed. Li Mu ended his seclusion and came out from the Cultivation Room, heading to the Spirit Field first thing to inspect the two Tier Six Spirit Plants.

Sunlight penetrated the sparse clouds, casting golden light upon the vibrant Spirit Field behind the sect, where it intertwined with the lush green leaves, making it particularly dazzling.

Li Mu appeared beside the Spirit Field, and the Six-armed Demon Ape guarding it quickly revealed its transformed body, stepped forward, and saluted: "Greetings, Master!"

"Rise!" Li Mu glanced at it and then set his gaze upon the two Spirit Fields to examine the growth of the Yanyuan Spirit Grass and the Mouxing Spirit Grass.

Li Mu walked slowly on the path between the Spirit Fields, carefully observing each Spirit Plant to ensure there were no pests or abnormalities.

In the breeze, the Yanyuan Spirit Grass swayed gently, its leaf veins seemingly containing the mysteries of life, emitting a faint, refreshing fragrance that was quite invigorating. Meanwhile, the Mouxing Spirit Grass appeared even more radiant, the seeds on its surface sparkling with starry light, as if absorbing the essence of the night sky, each one containing immense spiritual power.

The corners of Li Mu’s mouth lifted into a satisfied smile, confirming their healthy growth, putting his heart at ease.

"It seems you have done well during this period." Li Mu praised the Six-armed Demon Ape, his tone revealing a trace of satisfaction and trust.

Upon hearing this, a sincere smile appeared on the honest face of the Six-armed Demon Ape, responding loyally: "Thank you for the compliment, Master. This is what I should do."

Li Mu smiled, casually waved his hand, and summoned a wave of Spirit Rain to irrigate the Spirit Field.

The Spirit Rain fell gently like a fine drizzle onto the Spirit Field, with each drop filled with rich Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, nourishing this thriving Top-grade Spirit Field. Under the nourishment of the Spirit Rain, the Yanyuan Spirit Grass and the Mouxing Spirit Grass flourished even more, the leaves becoming lusher, and the starlight on the fruits more brilliant.

Standing aside, Li Mu quietly watched this scene, his eyes flickering with deep brilliance, as if contemplating something.

Now with the expansion of the Painted Tier Treasure Mansion on track, Li Mu hesitated whether to transplant them into the Treasure Mansion Space to prevent any accidents.

The Profound Celestial Sword Sect is not peaceful now; many sect forces are eyeing him. Li Mu weighed the pros and cons in his heart, considering that while moving these two precious Tier Six Spirit Plants to the Treasure Mansion Space could protect them from external disruption to the maximum extent, it would also mean abandoning this carefully cultivated Top-grade Spirit Field and the natural growth advantages it brings.

"The Treasure Mansion Space, though good, is not a long-term solution." Li Mu thought silently to himself: "The growth of Spirit Plants relies on the nourishment of Heaven and Earth. Over-reliance on the Power of Space may affect their quality and potential."

Thus, Li Mu decided to maintain the status quo, allowing these Tier Six Spirit Plants to continue growing naturally in this blessed Spirit Field, relying on the rich spiritual energy of the Sect’s back mountain and the blessings of nature. The Yanyuan Spirit Grass and Mouxing Spirit Grass should be able to thrive.

In the following days, Li Mu’s life became more regular and fulfilling, researching ancient books, understanding the Insect Dao, refining artifacts, performing alchemy, and occasionally tending to the Spirit Plants, leading a plain and quiet life.

Time flew by, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Leveraging the reputation of being an Artifact Refining Saint Master, Li Mu’s connections became extremely broad. The entire Profound Celestial Sword Sect catered to his needs, knowing that Li Mu enjoyed researching some unconventional skills, now even delving into the Insect Dao.

Thus, they voluntarily collected rare books, secret diagrams related to the Insect Dao for Li Mu, and even went to great lengths to exchange for rare insect eggs and strange insects from various powers, all to win a bit of Li Mu’s friendship, sparing no effort.

With the help of countless Insect Dao secret scriptures, like "Record of Ten Thousand Insects," "Spirit Insect Parasitism Technique," "Insect Array Atlas," ... and many other Insect Dao secret classics, Li Mu gradually uncovered some mysteries related to the Insect Dao.

He also roughly understood why Xiaobai had fiercely resisted his cultivation of "Insect Scripture" before.

Li Mu gradually realized why the path of Insect Cultivation was disdained, regarded by many cultivators as a side path, because this form of cultivation is extremely challenging, hiding many undeniable disadvantages and potential negative effects on cultivators.

Firstly, the cultivation process of Insect Cultivation often involves a huge mental burden. Establishing a spiritual connection, or even symbiosis, with insects requires cultivators to possess extremely high mental control and perseverance. Long-term emotional and cognitive sharing with insects can easily lead to disturbances in the cultivator’s mental world, causing confusion and fragmentation. If not properly controlled, it may even trigger serious mental issues such as hallucinations, mania, or loss of self.

Secondly, Insect Cultivation has strong dependencies. If deprived of insect assistance, a cultivator’s combat power is greatly diminished. This over-dependence not only limits the comprehensive development of the cultivator’s own abilities but also makes them particularly vulnerable when facing specific environments or enemies. For example, if their insects are destroyed on a large scale or restricted by special means, insect cultivators may instantly lose combat power and fall into a desperate situation.

Furthermore, Insect Cultivation techniques often involve moral controversies. To cultivate powerful insects, cultivators may need to collect rare resources or capture other living beings as food or offerings. Over time, this can easily trigger inner conflict and struggles, affecting their heart cultivation.

Finally, the path of Insect Cultivation is filled with unknowns and dangers. Insects come in a wide variety, each with different habits, some possessing strong toxins or aggressiveness. In the process of cultivating and controlling these insects, a slight misstep can lead to a backlash, resulting in injury or even death. Additionally, the growth cycles, reproductive habits, and other natural laws of insects are often hard to predict, bringing numerous uncertainties to the cultivator’s plans.

Xiaobai’s previous fierce resistance to Li Mu’s cultivation of "Insect Scripture" might have stemmed from recognizing some of these disadvantages and negative effects. However, it is more likely due to the materials used in the inheritance of "Insect Scripture" and its unique spiritual nature.

If guessed correctly, the spiritual material used to refine "Insect Scripture" and its birth and inheritance revolve around an extremely rare and mysterious spiritual material - the "Soul Spirit Cocoon."

As the name implies, the Soul Spirit Cocoon is a cocoon-like object formed under specific conditions by some ancient insects, containing powerful soul force and essence of life. This material is extremely rare, forming only in the purest natural environments, after hundreds or even thousands of years of nurturing. The refining of "Insect Scripture" centers around this Soul Spirit Cocoon, supplemented with countless types of spiritual insect essence blood, fused through complex rituals and spells to embody Dao Grade methods.

The spiritual nature of the Soul Spirit Cocoon is extremely potent, not only facilitating transmission of techniques and establishing deep spiritual connections with cultivators but also subtly influencing the cultivator’s heart and will. If the cultivator’s heart is not firm, it is easy to lose oneself in the pursuit of power, being consumed by the insects’ desires and instincts.

Li Mu realized that his previous understanding of Insect Cultivation was too superficial, seeing only its powerful strength and potential while neglecting the risks and costs behind it, thus deciding to temporarily put aside learning this method.

However, after years of researching the Insect Dao, Li Mu became increasingly pessimistic about Xiaobai’s future in crossing the True Spirit Thunder Tribulation.