Chapter Fourteen: The Insect King

Gengjin Finger (Proficiency: 69/200)

Although both are at the proficient level, there is still a distinct difference between just entering proficiency and having already surpassed a third of it. Whether in terms of accuracy, lethality, or even the subtlety of the spell, all have become much stronger than before.

Zhou Changwang glanced at his attribute panel and a trace of relief finally appeared on his face. This, too, was the reason he was able to slay those five spirit insects in succession.

“Fellow Daoist Zhou, you are truly formidable,” Xu Zhong whispered in awe, his brows completely relaxed. He felt that if things continued this way, the crisis in his spiritual fields would soon be completely resolved.

Old Xu, standing to the side, looked rather pleased with himself. He was confident that his three pieces of lower-grade spirit stones were now as good as his. It wouldn’t be long before he could collect them.

However, after Zhou Changwang put away the corpses of the five spirit insects, he simply turned and walked back, showing no intention of continuing the extermination.

“Fellow Daoist Zhou, what’s wrong? Why not continue clearing the bugs?” Xu Zhong grew anxious at the sight and hurriedly asked.

“I’m only at the second layer of the Qi Refining stage—how much spiritual power do you think I have?” Zhou Changwang walked to the edge of the field and sat down to rest. In truth, he still had enough spiritual power left to cast three more spells, but while out and about, safety came first; there was no way he’d truly exhaust himself.

“That… I hadn’t considered that,” Xu Zhong paused, then quickly understood. Zhou Changwang’s cultivation was indeed low. At the second layer of Qi Refining, his spiritual power was limited. The fact that he had already cast a dozen or so Gengjin Fingers was quite remarkable.

Gritting his teeth, Xu Zhong produced a jade-green pill bottle from his robe and said, “These are Vitality Pills… There are five left inside, all yours. Swallow them with water and you can quickly restore your spiritual power.

“Also, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you, Fellow Daoist Zhou? I’ll go prepare something now and bring it over soon. I must trouble you to keep a close watch on these spirit fields.”

“You’re too kind, Fellow Daoist Xu.” The look of surprise on Zhou Changwang’s face flashed by and vanished, but he didn’t refuse the favor. After all, in the end, he was working for the man.

As for the Vitality Pills, he knew of them: a low-grade pill… Called Vitality Pills, though in truth they were only Vitality Powders, pressed into pills and sealed with beeswax—a bottle held ten, and cost three lower-grade spirit stones. They truly could restore a cultivator’s spiritual power quickly and were considered one of the essential pills for any low-tier cultivator on the road.

Naturally, they were also something Zhou Changwang had previously been reluctant to buy.

It was rather pitiful if one thought about it. Zhou Changwang had never tasted any spiritual pills before; even for something as basic as Vitality Powder, a staple for wandering cultivators, he’d never even considered using it.

He simply never had any surplus funds in hand.

Just think of those disciples from sects and cultivation clans—who among them didn’t carry several bottles of pills? Pills to restore energy, refresh the mind, heal wounds, detoxify, or even increase cultivation… Many practically grew up on such medicine.

Even those with inferior talent could achieve some measure of success.

Cultivating immortality is truly difficult.

He felt the bitterness in his heart.

Zhou Changwang opened the pill bottle, poured out one, and a pill the size of a pinky, dark yellow all over, appeared before him. It was a Vitality Pill, the dark yellow color due to the beeswax seal.

Without hesitation, he swallowed it with water.

The beeswax quickly melted.

Immediately, Zhou Changwang felt a surge of dense spiritual energy rising in his body.

Almost without effort on his part, the spiritual power he had spent so much of was swiftly replenished.

Still, Zhou Changwang quickly sat cross-legged and began circulating the Five Elements Technique.

This was the best way to achieve optimal recovery.

Five Elements Technique +1

After one cycle, his spiritual power was fully restored.

He did not dare waste time.

He could sense there was still lingering medicinal power from the pill yet to be refined.

So, he stepped back into the spiritual fields and began casting spells to eradicate the pests.

One, two, three…

Zhou Changwang proceeded methodically, and soon several more spirit bugs were in his bag.

He was about to continue when he suddenly saw a stalk of spiritual grain ahead trembling slightly. His gaze sharpened and his heart leapt with alarm.

He saw a spirit locust, the size of a human fist and with wings spanning a full foot, crouched atop a spiritual plant, devouring greedily.

With just a few bites, it gouged a large hole in the stalk, and the sap within was quickly sucked dry.

“A spirit locust? That big?”

Zhou Changwang’s heart skipped a beat.

Ordinary spirit locusts were not small, but only about the size of a baby’s fist. This one was several times larger, and its two front claws were visibly razor-sharp, piercing holes in the stalks with the lightest touch.

Bear in mind, spiritual grain plants are inherently tough—so much so that an ordinary person could hardly cut them with a knife.

Should those claws rake across him, they’d slice through him like a knife through tofu…

“Is this a bug king?”

Zhou Changwang swallowed.

He had heard people speculate that with so many spirit insects in Xu Zhong’s field, a bug king was likely hiding among them. Now, having seen this spirit locust, he knew the rumor was true.

He rather wished they’d been wrong.

A bug king was different from ordinary spirit insects—much more powerful, fierce, and violent. Once provoked, it would attack cultivators without hesitation.

In this life and the last, he had never fought a real battle. His former self was merely a lowly itinerant spirit farmer, always cautious, never daring to provoke conflict.

“Should I make a move?”

Zhou Changwang hesitated slightly.

Then, gritting his teeth, he made up his mind.

The bug king was formidable, but only a bit tougher than common spirit insects; its spiritual strength might not even match that of a first-layer Qi Refining cultivator.

If he shrank back in fear from such an adversary, how could he ever have the confidence to survive and thrive in the unpredictable world of cultivation?

He steadied himself, stood two zhang away, and began casting his spell.

Spiritual power surged within him, condensing into runic patterns at his will.

One breath, two breaths…

Just then, the spirit locust king seemed to sense the change in the air. It abruptly stopped feeding, screeched, and, as if spotting Zhou Changwang, spread its wings and shot toward him like lightning.

“So fast!”

Zhou Changwang saw a black blur rushing straight for his face. Instinctively, he dodged aside.

The spiritual power he had been controlling faltered slightly.

He steeled his heart, quickly regained concentration, and again controlled his energy to form the runic structure.

He knew—the battle had begun.

And as for his means, besides the Gengjin Finger, there was little he possessed that could threaten the spirit locust king.

So, he could not afford to stop casting.

Casting a spell relied on spiritual power and runic forms; at the moment the pattern was complete, it fused with the world…

In other words, performing magic did not require remaining stationary. If a cultivator’s mind was steady and his control was precise, he could cast spells while running, charging, or even dueling with blades—without interruption…