Xu Feng, the Insect Fanatic

"It's done, Dad. Mom hasn't come back from Aunt Ying's yet."

Sun Furong said.

Sun Sen nodded and said, "I'm treating Junior Brother Shen to dinner today. Go and bring out the food! We'll eat in the peach grove."

He walked towards the peach grove, Shen Long quickly followed.

In the peach grove, there was Zhang Qing stone table and Zhang Qing stone stools, on which was a set of sandalwood tea set. Many green peaches, not yet ripe, hung on the peach trees.

Hereditary Disciple all live with their parents. If a disciple has Dual Cultivation Partner, the Spirit Control Sect will provide a residence. The quality of the residence depends on the disciple's cultivation level; the higher the cultivation level, the better the residence.

Sun Sen sat down, gestured for Shen Long to sit down, and picked up the teapot to pour tea for Shen Long.

"Junior Brother Shen, we don't have much to offer you, just simple food and drinks. Please don't find it offensive."

Sun Sen said.

"Senior Brother Sun, you're too kind. I'm more than happy to have you invite me to dinner!"

Shen Long said sincerely.

"The Minor Competition is in a few days, Junior Brother Shen should be participating, right?"

Sun Sen took a sip of the Spirit Tea and said casually.

Shen Long nodded and said, "Yes, is Junior Sister Sun also participating?"

Disciples under sixty years old can participate in the Minor Competition, and Sun Sen is already over sixty.

"Rong'er's cultivation level is too low; she can't possibly make it into the top fifty, so there's no need for her to participate."

Sun Sen said.

Sun Furong is only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and her chances of making it into the top fifty are too low. Participating in the Minor Competition now would only expose her strength and Spirit Beast and Spirit Insect too early. It would be better for her to participate in the next Minor Competition, where she would have a better chance of success.

Even before the Minor Competition begins, powerful Qi Refining Cultivator are already attracting attention. Knowing what Spirit Beast Spirit Insect their competitors are raising allows them to prepare in advance and respond more effectively.

Some Qi Refining Cultivator do not want to reveal their strength too early, and instead focus on Secluded Cultivation in seclusion, hoping to achieve a good ranking in the Minor Competition.

"Senior Brother Sun, I heard from Junior Brother Qian that you have participated in several Minor Competition and even made it into the top twenty at one point. Could you give me some pointers? This is my first time participating in Minor Competition, and I don't have much experience."

Shen Long said politely.

"The Minor Competition- competition will be hosted by either Uncle-Master Liu or Martial Uncle Xu. The participants will compete in pairs, with the winners advancing to the next round and the losers being eliminated. The disciples who advance to the final round will then challenge the Thousand Monster Tower. Rankings will be based on the number of levels cleared and the time taken, ensuring fairness and impartiality."

Sun Sen slowly said that in the first two Minor Competition, the disciples who were able to enter the top fifty had at least the cultivation level of the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, and each had Spirit Beast at the First Rank Late Stage. A few disciples also had High-grade Magical Tool.

How strong were you, ranking fiftieth in the previous two Minor Competition?

Shen Long pressed for an answer.

"I thought you would ask about the strength of the number one player."

Sun Sen smiled slightly.

"I can't even get into the top fifty, so asking the number one is pointless. My advantage is five first-tier Great Perfection Law Technique. It's difficult to even get into the top thirty, let alone number one."

Shen Long was self-aware. He knew that Hereditary Disciple gave him a natural advantage. After their Spirit Root were detected, their parents would choose their Life-Bound Spirit Beast for them. They only needed to focus on cultivation, and their parents would provide them with cultivation resources.

Some Hereditary Disciple inherit a First Rank Late Stage Spirit Beast Spirit Insect or spirit insect at birth. Spirit beasts, Spirit Beast Spirit Insect, and Spirit Bird can be inherited. Some cultivators will pass on their Spirit Beast Spirit Insect to their descendants before they pass away. In addition, some cultivators who know they cannot advance to a higher realm will pass on their Spirit Beast or Spirit Insect to their descendants or disciples.

As a result, the starting point for Hereditary Disciple is generally higher than that for newly initiated disciples.

Shen Long had inquired with Qian Dafu and learned that the top twenty in the previous two Minor Competition all had First Rank Late Stage Spirit Beast, and a few disciples even had High-grade Magical Tool.

To ensure relative fairness and safety, the use of Second-Rank Talisman and Talisman Treasure is prohibited in the Minor Competition, and they are also not required when venturing into the Thousand Monster Tower; otherwise, ordinary disciples would have even less of a chance to advance.

"The top fifty in the first two Minor Competition all had the cultivation level of the Qi Refining Eighth Layer and a mid-stage first-tier Spirit Beast. Three years have passed, and their Spirit Beast may have advanced to the First Rank Late Stage, making the competition quite difficult. However, some disciples don't care about the Minor Competition rewards from the small competitions and go out to perform missions to earn Merit Points in preparation for exchanging for Foundation Establishment."

Sun Sen took out a blue Jade Slip and handed it to Shen Long, saying, "Junior Brother Shen, this is the list of disciples who won rankings in the first two Minor Competition. It includes information on their cultivation Law Artifact, the magical artifacts they used, the Spirit Insect and Spirit Beast possessed, and the spells they mastered. You should find it useful."

Shen Long was somewhat surprised. This information was quite valuable and could be of some reference value to him. The fact that Sun Sen had given it to him on his own initiative left him a little puzzled.

He had no connection with Sun Sen, so it was quite strange that Sun Sen took the initiative to befriend him.

Sun Sen noticed Shen Long's confusion and explained, "I heard that you have mastered five first-tier Law Technique to Great Perfection. I would like to ask you to give Rong'er some guidance."

He had been observing the new disciples and was particularly optimistic about Shen Long. Shen Long was not even thirty years old yet, but he had already mastered five first-tier Law Technique to Great Perfection. He was diligent in his cultivation and serious in his studies. Most importantly, Shen Long was Rogue Cultivator.

This information is valuable to Shen Long, but it's completely useless to disciples from cultivation Lineage like Gu Tianhong and Tang Yuting, whose relatives can help collect it.

Sun Sen also sent a gift to Qin Bao, Ye Yuqing, and Ye Yutang as a gesture of goodwill and to establish positive relationships; whether they appreciated it or not was another matter.

At this moment, Sun Furong brought over the food and placed it on the stone table.

Two dishes and a soup: steamed eel, tofu with scallions, and egg drop soup, plus a bowl of rice—the aroma was irresistible.

"I've long heard of Senior Brother Shen's exploits. Many senior brothers and Senior Brother Shen are no match for him. I would be grateful if Senior Brother Shen could offer some guidance."

Sun Furong said politely.

"Junior Sister Sun, you flatter me. I wouldn't call it guidance, let's just exchange ideas!"

Shen Long said modestly.

"Let's eat and chat! The food won't taste good if it gets cold. The spiritual vegetables are grown by ourselves, and the fish are raised by ourselves."

Sun Sen said enthusiastically.

Sun Furong served rice, and the three of them ate and chatted.

Sun Furong has now mastered two first-tier Law Technique to Great Perfection: Entanglement Technique and Earth Wall Technique. She is currently practicing Fireball Technique and humbly seeking guidance from Shen Long.

Shen Long patiently guided her. He could tell that Sun Furong didn't actually need his guidance; she just needed to practice more to Great Perfection the Fireball Technique.

Just think about it, Sun Sen can teach new disciples, so his basic knowledge must be very solid. If all else fails, there are the insights of predecessors in the Scripture Depository on cultivating various Law Technique, and disciples can also exchange cultivation experiences on Martial Arts Peak.

After dinner, they chatted for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before Shen Long took his leave.

"Rong'er, do you know why your father asked Junior Brother Shen to guide you?"

Sun Sen asked.

"I understand, Father wants me to befriend Senior Brother Shen. It's never a bad thing to have more friends."

Sun Furong said.

Sun Sen nodded with satisfaction and said, "It's good that you understand. Junior Brother Gu and Junior Sister Tang, these new disciples from cultivation Lineage, don't need our help and don't even look down on us. Once you advance to the seventh level of Qi Refining, your mother and I will apply to be transferred to a branch of the sect to work and accumulate Merit Points. You can stay at the General Headquarters and cultivate diligently. I hope you can advance to the Foundation Establishment Realm."

Only when you manage a household do you realize the cost of firewood and rice; only when you raise children do you understand the kindness of your parents.

The Spirit Control Sect has many branches, spirit mines, Spirit Herb Garden, Spirit Beast gardens, and so on, which require disciples to assist them. In order to reduce the pressure on their descendants, many Hereditary Disciple usually transfer to work in the branches or shops opened by the Spirit Control Sect. This way, they can earn more Merit Points and contribute to the exchange of Foundation Establishment for their descendants.

Sun Sen only has one daughter, Sun Furong, so he feels less pressure. Lin Cheng the other hand, has four sons, so he feels a lot of pressure.

"My daughter will work hard. Speaking of which, with Senior Brother Shen's strength, it shouldn't be difficult for him to enter the top fifty. Many senior brothers and sisters at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining have been transferred out to do other things. I just don't know where he will rank."

Sun Furong analyzed.

Sun Sen nodded and said, "That's what I think too. You should also work hard. Alright, go and cultivate! I'll clean up the dishes."

Back at his residence, Shen Long went into the basement, sat cross-legged on the stone bed, took out the Jade Slip given to him by Sun Sen, and placed it between his eyebrows.

After a while, Shen Long took off the Jade Slip, a thoughtful expression on his face.

The top fifty in the Minor Competition have at least the seventh level of Qi Refining cultivation. It's not that the higher the cultivation level, the higher the ranking. If the Spirit Beast is strong, it can also get a good ranking.

Shen Long put away the Jade Slip and began to cultivate.

The night passed quickly, and the next morning, before dawn, Shen Long went out and headed up the mountain.

He hadn't gone far when Ye Yuqing's voice came from behind him. "Junior Brother Shen, good morning!"

Shen Long stopped and turned around to look behind him, where he saw Ye Yuqing and Ye Yutang walking towards him.

"Good morning, Senior Sister Ye! Uncle Master Xu Preaching at the Dao Discussion Peak today. I'm planning to go and listen. Would you like to go and listen?"

Shen Long said.

"Junior Brother Qian already told us that we would have breakfast before going over."

Ye Yutang said.

They arrived at the Spirit Meal Pavilion, where only a few disciples were dining in the main hall.

After having breakfast, they left Spirit Meal Pavilion.

Ye Yutang released the Li Fire Falcon, walked onto its Li Fire Falcon, and Ye Yuqing and Shen Long followed closely behind.

"Walk!"

Ye Yutang gently Li Fire Falcon with her right hand. The Li Fire Falcon its wings lightly, creating a gust of hot wind, and flew into the sky.

Along the way, they encountered many Qi Refining Cultivator, most of whom rode Spirit Bird for transportation.

Shen Long saw Gu Tianhong Gu Tianhong, who was standing on the back of a Golden Winged Thunder Lion.

Half an hour later, they appeared above a towering, verdant mountain peak, at the summit of which was a vast Bluestone Square.

In the center of the Bluestone Square stood a circular platform over ten zhang in size. Around the platform, thousands of the Spirit Control Sect disciples had gathered, mostly Qi Refining Cultivator, with a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Cultivator. A large number of the Spirit Control Sect disciples had come from all over the country.

Xu Feng is a well-known insect fanatic in the Spirit Control Sect. Many disciples of the Spirit Control Sect encounter difficulties when cultivating Spirit Insect, and they listen to Xu Feng's Preaching in the hope of having their doubts resolved.

Shen Long was somewhat surprised that so many people had come; he had underestimated Xu Feng's influence.

The Li Fire Falcon landed on the Bluestone Square, and Shen Long and the other two got off. Ye Yutang put Li Fire Falcon.

"Senior Sister Ye, Senior Brother Shen, I'm here!"

A familiar male voice rang out.

Shen Long looked in the direction of the sound and saw Qian Dafu.

Shen Long strode over, took out a Blue Prayer Mat, placed it on the ground, and sat down on Cattail Mat.

"Junior Brother Qian, you're here so early!"

Shen Long asked in surprise.

"It's rare to have Uncle Master Xu Preaching, so naturally I had to arrive early. Junior Sister Ning arrived even earlier than me."

Qian Dafu pointed in a certain direction and said.

Shen Long looked in the direction Qian Dafu pointed and saw Ning Qianqian.

Gu Tianhong was talking to Ning Qianqian, but they were a bit far apart, and with the other cultivators talking, Shen Long couldn't hear what Gu Tianhong and Ning Qianqian were saying.

As far as he knew, Gu Tianhong was pursuing Ning Qianqian relentlessly.

Ning Qianqian didn't pay much attention to Gu Tianhong. Gu Tianhong often bumped into Ning Qianqian, and even bought a Golden Winged Thunder Lion to stick to her like a leech in order to have common topics. Ning Qianqian Ning Qianqian indifferent.

"Junior Brother Gu is quite devoted!"

A rough male voice rang out.

Shen Long turned his head and saw Qin Bao.

"Senior Brother Qin, it's been a long time."

Shen Long greeted him.

Qin Bao nodded and said, "Junior Brother Shen, you'll probably participate in the Minor Competition, right? I hope you can make it into the top fifty!"

"Thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother Qin."

Shen Long smiled slightly.

Shen Long and Qin Bao chatted casually. In the two years since he entered the sect, he had not had much contact with disciples from cultivation Lineage such as Gu Tianhong and Tang Yuting. They had exchanged no more than ten sentences in total. He talked more with Qin Bao. Since they were both from independent Rogue Cultivator, they felt more at ease with each other.

After a short while, someone shouted, "Uncle Master Xu is here!"

The cultivators all stopped talking and looked around, searching for Xu Feng.

A golden light appeared on the distant horizon, flashed and stopped above the Dao Discussion Peak. The Escape Light disappeared, revealing a Golden Centipede more than ten feet long. It had four pairs of thin silver wings on its back, a row of scythe-like golden claws on its abdomen, unusually long antennae, and a pair of sharp mouthparts. The Golden Centipede's body surface had some flame-like patterns, which were completely natural.

"A second-tier Eight-Winged Thunder Fire Centipede!"

Qian Dafu recognized the strange insect and looked on with envy. The Eight-Winged Thunder Fire Centipede was ranked 735th on the Heaven and Earth Exotic Insect Ranking and was proficient in both thunder and fire Law Technique.

A handsome Yellow-Shirted Man Yellow-Shirted Man atop the head of Eight-Winged Thunder Fire Centipede, with more than a dozen Spirit Beast Bag tied around his waist.

The Eight-Winged Thunder Fire Centipede landed on the circular platform, and the Yellow-Shirted Man stepped down.

Shen Long and the other Qi Refining disciples stood up, bowed, and said in unison, "Greetings, Uncle Master Xu."

Xu Feng nodded, and with his right hand patted the golden Spirit Beast Bag at his waist, a Sound Cicada flew out and landed in front of him. It was a second-tier Sound Cicada.

Shen Long had heard his fellow disciples mention Xu Feng quite often. Xu Feng 'Xu Feng for eighteen generations were all disciples of the Spirit Control Sect, and many of them had become Foundation Establishment Cultivator cultivators. He was the only son in three generations, and his grandparents and parents were all Foundation Establishment Cultivator and were still alive.

In terms of wealth alone, Ning Qianqian is far inferior to Xu Feng.

Under the influence of his elders, Xu Feng developed a strong interest in Spirit Insect from a young age. He inherited many Spirit Insect from his grandparents and parents, and he has more than ten kinds of second-tier Spirit Insect.

Unlike most disciples of the Spirit Control Sect, Xu Feng chose Spirit Insect as his Life Spirit Insect.