Storage Bag, Insect Control Technique.

Chapter 8: Storage Bag, Insect Control Technique.

Inside Luo Mu's clinic, a table was cluttered with all manner of bottles and jars, scattered in disarray. Though these porcelain vessels varied in size and bore different labels, they all shared one common trait: they were now completely empty.

Beside the table, Luo Mu sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes lightly closed, his face serene. After a long while, he opened his eyes; the corners of his mouth curled upward involuntarily, and his gaze shone with vigor.

"Heaven never bars every path. Even if I cannot gather spiritual energy, I, Luo Mu, can still step into the world of cultivation! Father, your child has finally become a true cultivator! One day, I will surely reach the peak of the immortal path and make you smile in the afterlife!" Luo Mu waved his hand, and his Poison Spirit Power transformed into a green mist that enveloped his palm. Looking at this pale green vapor, he spoke with unwavering determination.

"Peak of the first level of Qi Refining! This time, I owe it to Xiao Ling'er for feeding me that poison pill. From now on, I, Luo Mu, will be sure to properly repay the kindness of the poison bestowed yesterday." Luo Mu's gaze was icy, yet his tone remained remarkably calm.

The peak of the first level of Qi Refining—this was Luo Mu's current cultivation base. To reach this realm in a single night was primarily due to the first-grade intermediate Heartbreak Pill given by Bai Lin. While the other poisons Luo Mu consumed afterward had some effect, they were far inferior; ordinary, unranked poisons simply could not compare to those with a grade.

Luo Mu understood perfectly well that Bai Lin had no good intentions when using that Heartbreak Pill, intending to send him to his death. Although he did not yet know Bai Lin's name or the extent of his cultivation, Luo Mu had deeply etched this 'grand gift' into his heart.

With his current strength, he had no thoughts of seeking revenge just yet, so he banished the shadows of Bai Lin and Xiao Ling'er from his mind and turned his gaze toward the porcelain bottles on the table.

Looking at the empty vessels, a helpless expression appeared on Luo Mu's face. He heaved a deep sigh and fell into contemplation once more.

Throughout the previous night, Luo Mu had consumed every bit of poison in the clinic. While the remaining herbs in the shop could be refined into poison, they were merely ordinary ones, which were useless to him now that he had reached the peak of the first level of Qi Refining.

To further improve his strength, he had to increase the Poison Spirit Power in his dantian, and obtaining graded poisons had now become a thorny issue for Luo Mu.

Refining graded poisons required raw materials of a corresponding grade. Although Luo Mu had just stepped into the Qi Refining stage and reached its peak, finding graded poisonous herbs was still quite difficult.

Most importantly, whether refining poisons or tonics for nourishing Qi and strengthening the foundation, one needed a pill formula. Without one, Luo Mu knew he lacked the financial resources to experiment on his own. Even if he had the wealth, he dared not try, as the success rate was terrifyingly low and it would be a sheer waste.

However, if he had spirit stones, these difficulties could be resolved. With spirit stones, Luo Mu could travel to large cities to purchase herbs and formulas, then refine poisons for his own consumption; his cultivation would surely advance by leaps and bounds.

The problem was that Luo Mu had no wealth to speak of. Over the years, buying spiritual herbs had exhausted his family's savings. His current income from treating the townspeople could only support him and Father Luo. To date, all the property in the Luo household added up to a mere nine spirit stones and thirty-six fragments—a pittance that was of no use at all.

As for going into the mountains to gather spiritual herbs, it wasn't that Luo Mu hadn't considered it. However, any graded herb was guarded by a demonic beast. Just like last time, when Father Luo discovered that first-grade low-tier spiritual herb, a Fire Poison Rat had been guarding it, and Father Luo, being a mere mortal, had lost his life because of it.

Because Luo Mu was only at the first level of Qi Refining—and there were thirteen levels in total—he believed he lacked the ability to enter the deep mountains to forage. Going there would be futile, and he might even end up following in his father's footsteps.

"Spiritual herbs... spiritual herbs... Right! How could I have forgotten about this!" As he racked his brain for ways to obtain herbs, a flash of inspiration struck Luo Mu, and he suddenly remembered something of utmost importance.

He reached into his robe, and a small, exquisitely crafted cloth bag appeared in his hand.

He remembered that before Father Luo passed away, his final words were not a farewell, but two simple words: "In my bosom." Afterward, Luo Mu had discovered this bag inside his father's robes.

At the time, Luo Mu had been quite surprised to find it; he had never expected his father to have such an item.

This bag was a storage bag, an item that practically every cultivator possessed!

As cultivators, they spent their lives traveling for the sake of their cultivation. One couldn't carry a bundle on their back at all times, and thus, the storage bag was born.

Not only was this bag small, attractive, and convenient to carry, but it also possessed a vast interior space capable of holding many items without feeling heavy at all. It was truly miraculous.

However, despite its wonders, the storage bag could not hold living things. No matter how one tried, a living creature could not be stuffed inside.

To open a storage bag, one simply had to inject spiritual energy into it. When he first obtained it, Luo Mu possessed no spiritual energy, so he had simply tucked it away. With his father having just passed, he had been in no mood to study it further.

Only now did Luo Mu remember the storage bag in his possession. He took it out and began to examine it closely.

After a careful inspection of its exterior, Luo Mu discovered that this bag was slightly different from those he had seen in books. The size was similar, but the pattern on the bag was different.

Luo Mu didn't find this strange. The books he had read described storage bags produced by the Wanfa Sect, which were embroidered with the character for 'Law' (Fa). This bag, however, was embroidered with a dense array of insects of various types and shapes.

He didn't dwell on these details; he was far more curious about what was inside. A storage bag held a cultivator's lifelong collection, and they preferred to keep their most important items within them for safety.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Luo Mu injected his Poison Spirit Power into the bag. While spiritual energy could open it, he wasn't certain if his Poison Spirit Power would work.

"Whoosh!" As soon as the Poison Spirit Power entered, the drawstring at the mouth of the bag loosened automatically. The speed was so great it made a sound, giving the focused Luo Mu quite a start.

With a heart full of trepidation, Luo Mu poured out everything inside!

He had already cleared the porcelain bottles off the table, but the table was soon covered in items. Seeing the sheer volume, he realized the table couldn't hold it all.

Consequently, Luo Mu moved his operation to the floor.

With a clatter, a small mountain of items piled up on the ground. The variety of objects left Luo Mu dazzled, and his heart began to race uncontrollably.

After the time it takes to eat a meal, Luo Mu finally managed to sort through the mountain of items.

Two hundred and thirty-nine low-grade spirit stones—the very thing he needed most—were carefully set aside. He had great use for them; his cultivation depended on them.

Next, a pile of withered grass appeared before his eyes. If Luo Mu guessed correctly, these were all precious spiritual herbs, but having been in the storage bag for too long, they had lost all their spiritual energy and turned into this heap of dry weeds. This showed that the bag had been away from its owner for a very long time.

Luo Mu had no use for withered grass devoid of spiritual energy. With a sigh of regret, he tossed the pile aside as waste.

The next pile of items left Luo Mu with a strange expression, as they were insect eggs and pupae. Probing them with his spiritual energy, he found that the vast majority were dead, with only a few showing faint signs of life.

The thoroughly dead ones were discarded like the withered grass, while he set the few with lingering life signs aside, not yet knowing how to handle them.

Finally, a thick book caught his eye!

The cover was yellowed, indicating it had existed for a very long time and had weathered many storms. Looking at the book titled Insect Control Technique, curiosity piqued, Luo Mu picked it up and opened it.

Scanning through it quickly, Luo Mu finally understood what this Insect Control Technique was.

It was a secret manual explaining how to cultivate spiritual insects to serve as powerful aids. It also contained detailed instructions on how to raise them—what they liked to eat, the environments they required to survive, and even detailed classifications of their types and grades.

After gaining a general understanding of the Insect Control Technique, Luo Mu looked at the few surviving insect eggs, a thoughtful expression on his face.