Hai Cheng's Silence, the Illusionary Insect Trial

At Soaring Cloud Peak, the rain continued to pour down, and the gloomy sky was constantly flashing with lightning.

Ye Jingcheng looked at the sky, feeling a little emotional and relieved at the same time.

This is the Heavenly Thunder Rain-Summoning Array attached to the Lineage's mountain-protecting array.

This Array is actually quite useless when used alone, because it has no offensive capabilities. Its only advantage is that it makes a lot of noise, consumes little resources, and provides excellent concealment.

With the Ye Family's protective mountain formation and the Array of Soaring Cloud Lake, even the biggest breakthrough can be concealed.

Even the cultivators of Soaring Cloud Peak themselves had no idea what had happened.

Even if the Soaring Cloud Lake Array is broken, the other cultivators in the Lineage will only think that the heavenly lightning was too strong and fell on the mountain peak, making a rumbling sound.

They wouldn't suspect what was happening within the Lineage.

A Golden Falcon landed on a towering tree beside the lake; the moment had clearly arrived.

Its entire body was covered in blood, and its feathers were plucked and scattered all over the ground. It should be noted that its feathers had only recently grown back, and the blood and golden light were still intertwined.

An even greater aura was slowly brewing and emerging.

It still pecked out the blood-stained feathers itself, and at the same time, its sharp beak seemed to grow sharper and sharper.

Intermittently, there were loud roars, mingling with the rumble of thunder.

But at this moment, Ye Jingcheng still felt that the Golden Falcon's cry was even sharper and more piercing.

The entire Array in the Soaring Cloud Sea began to vibrate; the churning of Spiritual Qi and the booming of sound waves caused abnormalities within the Array.

Because the sky was so overcast, Ye Jingcheng lost track of time while observing the situation. All he knew was that the Golden Falcon had pecked out all its feathers, and its entire body was covered with tiny bloody holes.

As the last feather was plucked, the bird's entire body began to glow with golden light, and it spread its wings, which were over ten feet long, like a roc spreading its wings.

New golden feathers emerged one after another, densely packed, and the aura of the Golden Falcon had completely reached the third-level Purple Mansion aura.

At the same time, five-colored light flowed in its pupils, and a golden light flashed again in front of its long, pointed beak, revealing a small, dazzling golden sword.

The small sword was flung out, flying out like a third-tier Law Treasure, and crashing into Soaring Cloud Lake.

A deafening roar erupted in an instant.

The lake splits into two sections, marked by golden sword marks that have lingered for a long time.

Ye Jingcheng was also impressed by the power of the Golden Falcon; the casual Golden Sword Art had become even stronger.

Furthermore, the Golden Falcon's two claws coalesced into two enormous golden claw shadows, equally terrifying and unparalleled.

It soared through the air, leaving only a golden shadow in the void.

It was so fast that Ye Jingcheng could only barely catch it with his Divine Sense.

But they didn't even realize it.

If the Golden Falcon were to pounce on him like this now, he would have no means of resistance.

But this hasn't even fallen into Golden Falcon's territory yet.

The Golden Falcon's domain is to soar into the sky and then suddenly fall, just like a divine golden sword that punishes everything.

"Chirp!" The Golden Falcon let out a long cry, its voice increasingly resembling that of a roc. Its two legs also grew thicker and larger, much larger than before its bloodline advanced.

In the past, the Golden Falcon's talons might have been its weakness, but now, the Golden Falcon's talons are absolutely no less powerful than its golden sword-like mouth.

The Golden Falcon seemed to have finished its excitement. It transformed into a golden light and swept across the lake, leaving a long trail in the water with its remaining claws before landing in front of Ye Jingcheng.

At this moment, the Golden Falcon could no longer perch on Ye Jingcheng's shoulder, as its height was now almost the same as Ye Jingcheng's.

"Thank you, Master Golden Falcon will surely eliminate everything for you!" The imagined betrayal or rebellion by Golden Falcon did not occur; instead, it was a heartfelt expression of gratitude.

Golden Falcon's Divine Soul has now begun to take shape, and his intelligence has increased far.

"Good, keep it up." Ye Jingcheng nodded, extremely satisfied. He gave Golden Falcon two Golden King Pills and told him to continue taking them to consolidate his cultivation.

At the same time, a lot of Treasure Radiance was inputted. However, in the past, Ye Jingcheng felt that he could easily input enough Treasure Radiance, but now it felt like a bottomless pit. Obviously, Golden Falcon's physical body was much stronger.

The leap from Foundation Establishment to the Purple Mansion is a qualitative leap for cultivators.

The same applies to Demon Beast progressing from second to third tier.

This explains why the Golden Falcon pecks out all its feathers, and why the ancient Turtle Ancestor chewed up its shell piece by piece.

This painful self-destruction not only enhances the Demon Beast's physical body but also tempers Demon Beast Divine Soul.

After the Golden Falcon finished consuming a page of Treasure Radiance, Ye Jingcheng put it into his Spirit Beast pouch and also collected the feathers on the ground.

These spirit feathers are also treasures; they can be used to make magical armor that increases a cultivator's speed.

For some Body Cultivator, this is something they dream of.

Whether Ye Jingcheng gives it to Ye Jingyong or exchanges it at a trade fair later, it would be an excellent item.

After putting it away, Ye Jingcheng waved the array flag in his hand again, causing the Array in the sky to operate on its own again, and the thunderstorm to stop automatically after it subsided.

He then left Soaring Cloud Lake and headed towards his own courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, one sees a white tortoise perched beneath an apricot tree at the entrance.

"The little bird has broken through?" the old Turtle Ancestor asked in a condescending tone.

"Yes, Turtle Ancestor." Ye Jingcheng nodded repeatedly, not daring to be negligent.

"This time I brought the Beast-Link Tower. Get ready, I'll be staying in your cave abode for the next couple of days." Turtle Ancestor gave Ye Jingcheng a rather appreciative look before speaking.

In the past two years, because Soaring Cloud Lake was protected by a method, even to this day, neither Turtle Ancestor nor the other Purple Mansion of the Ye Family have ever been to Soaring Cloud Lake.

Fortunately, the Ye Family's ritual of Beast Communion was completed in the Lineage Ancestral Shrine.

"By the way, this time your Beast Soul Power is enough for your second Beast Communion, so you won't have any burden when you break through to the Purple Mansion," the Turtle Ancestor added again.

Ye Jingcheng nodded, then took out a Spirit Feeding Pill with a pill pattern from his Storage Bag and presented it to the Turtle Ancestor.

Seeing how sensible Ye Jingcheng was, the Turtle Ancestor couldn't help but raise its head slightly, as if it were an elder, and was extremely pleased.

Ye Jingcheng found the Turtle Ancestor's appearance somewhat strange, but he didn't say much and invited Turtle Ancestor into the room.

Turtle Ancestor then glanced into the room.

It let out a soft "eh".

"Jingcheng, how did you cultivate this Grotto-Heaven? How did it grow so much all of a sudden? Has the Stone Spirit gained sentience? Can it observe star charts now?" Turtle Ancestor asked, his face full of disbelief.

Even its old-fashioned appearance has diminished considerably.

At this moment, he was just like a curious young boy.

"Turtle Ancestor, this is Stone Spirit breaking through." Although Ye Jingcheng had serious doubts about Turtle Ancestor's age, he was still extremely sincere on the surface.

"The breakthrough effect is so good?" Turtle Ancestor still couldn't believe it.

"Let me in and take a look."

"Please, Turtle Ancestor." Ye Jingcheng nodded as well. He was about to put the Golden Falcon into the Grotto-Heaven, as the Golden Falcon preferred to stay in the Grotto-Heaven rather than in the Spirit Beast pouch.

Ye Jingcheng and Turtle Ancestor entered the Grotto-Heaven together.

As soon as the Turtle Ancestor entered the Grotto-Heaven, its eyes widened. Looking at the Spirit Lake, it immediately spotted the Jade-Scale Flood Dragon at the bottom of the lake, as well as the Dragon Whisker Fruit Tree. It was also incredibly surprised by the Spirit Eye Spring and the Purple Jade Vine.

Of course, what's even more astonishing is the sheer size of the Grotto-Heaven.

Its movements slowed slightly as it began to ponder carefully when it had last given Ye Jingcheng guidance.

It then recalled when its Grotto-Heaven had reached this level.

Then it stared at Ye Jingcheng:

Which star map did you show Stone Spirit?

Hearing this, Ye Jingcheng also felt a little strange, but he still took out the Jade Slip. The star map engraved on the Jade Slip was the one that the Turtle Ancestor had given him.

"It's alright." Turtle Ancestor glanced at the Jade Slip, then shook his head again, but his eyes began to wander.

Ye Jingcheng suddenly had a bad feeling, but the Turtle Ancestor didn't say anything more and left the Grotto-Heaven with it.

Ye Jingcheng didn't think much of it. Instead, he took out the Lineage Token and summoned all the Inner Hall members of the Ye Family to discuss the quota for the Beast Communion members.

Whether or not Beast Communion ceremony can be held in the Ye Family has always required a vote by all the Inner Hall members. More than half of them must agree in order to have the right to nominate Beast Communion for the ceremony.

Those who are in seclusion or have gone out are not included in the participation.

Therefore, this is an extreme test of one's sense of belonging to the Lineage. After all, this is how the cultivators in the Inner Hall have all grown up. This is why Ye Jingteng, who has never committed any crimes and has a good talent with two Spirit Root, has not been given a spot to become Lineage Beast Communion.

As far as the Lineage is concerned, he would rather those Beast Communion cultivators be mediocre, as long as the Lineage can be preserved, they have unlimited potential.

Of course, it's not enough if everyone agrees.

He also needed to participate in the Lineage's Beast Communion test, which was to use the soul-capturing effect of the Lineage Token's Golden Dragon Token to gain insight into the deepest thoughts of his clansmen.

Once past that, one becomes Beast Communion.

The next step was the Dust-Forgetting Pill, which completely sealed the Divine Sense, making the clansmen completely forget about this incident.

If a member of a clan fails the second test, it means that they will never be able to obtain the Beast Communion again.

Although cruel, Ye Jingcheng had to admit that it was the best way to keep it a secret.

Ye Jingcheng went to the Lineage Council Hall.

Meanwhile, in Ye Jingcheng's courtyard, the Turtle Ancestor opened its own Grotto-Heaven. Inside the Grotto-Heaven, there was an identical Soaring Cloud Peak, where Ye Haicheng landed. Behind it stood a secluded Beast -Beast-Link Tower.

The nine-story Beast-Link Tower is filled with strange Spirit Patterns, making it look incredibly mysterious and drawing people in.

"Uncle Turtle, have you arrived at Soaring Cloud Peak? How is the Lineage doing?" Ye Haicheng was a generation younger than Great Granary Turtle, and Great Granary Turtle was also inherited by Ye Haicheng.

As for its previous owner, he had long since been outlived by the Great Granary Turtle.

"We've arrived. Everything is fine with the Lineage. It's just that Hai Cheng, I feel your cultivation has surpassed mine. How about we release our Beast Communion, and I'll pass this to the Ye Family's descendants to guide their cultivation and growth?"

"For example, Jingcheng from the Jing generation is extremely good; he's almost at the Purple Mansion stage," Great Granary Turtle suggested with unwavering righteousness.

Seeing Ye Haicheng's face darken, he immediately added:

"If you don't agree, then forget it. To be honest, his earth element is really bad, which might affect his breakthrough." After saying that, Turtle Ancestor headed towards a large lake nearby.

Before the mountain peak, only Ye Haicheng remained, his face extremely gloomy, yet he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He knew he was looked down upon by Great Granary Turtle, but those who surpassed him were his juniors.

Even if he was unwilling to admit it so quickly, the Jing generation had indeed made a name for themselves.

He was extremely pleased.

Halfway to the main hall of the ceremony, Ye Jingcheng suddenly quickened his pace and changed course on the spot.

They headed towards the bamboo grove nearby.

That was the bamboo forest where Ye Xingqun was.

At that moment, an astonishing surge of Spiritual Qi emanated from there, and Ye Jingcheng guessed that Ye Xingqun was about to break through.

It's almost time.

Moreover, the opponent used the Earthflame Fire Sha technique to break through to the Foundation Establishment. If any problem occurs, they could perish or be killed. They simply cannot tolerate any disturbance.

Ye Jingcheng quickly passed through the bamboo forest, where many Blackwood Ant and Five Poison Bee appeared.

These Blackwood Ant formed a specific formation, as if they were about to attack every cultivator who entered.

Needless to say, the Five Poison Bee sometimes transform into arrow shapes and sometimes into wave shapes.

It seemed poised to devour any attackers at any moment.

Ye Xingqun's method of controlling Spirit Insect is indeed extremely sophisticated. Although Ye Jingcheng can do the same, he uses his Soul Pact, his Treasure Radiance, and the Spirit Transformation Spirit-Transforming Pill.

Ye Xingqun, however, has none of these.

To Ye Jingcheng's surprise, quite a few bamboo rats also came out of the bamboo forest.

They were making a lot of noise, baring their teeth and snarling.

It seems they are also protecting Ye Xingqun.

Ye Jingcheng felt incredibly amazed, but he didn't continue forward.

Instead, he took out Array and began to envelop the bamboo forest, and even the small house deep within it.

He has Spirit Talisman given to him by Ye Xingqun, which allows him to enter, but entering might still cause disturbance.

So Ye Jingcheng simply set up Array here to encompass the bamboo forest and the wooden house.

Seeing the Spiritual Qi and rosy glow in the distance growing increasingly intense, Ye Jingcheng could only pray.

There's nothing he can do right now.

Under the glow of Spiritual Qi, Ye Xingqun was shirtless. The power of the Earthflame Fire Sha was too great; ordinary clothing simply could not withstand it. His brows were furrowed tightly.

His body was trembling slightly.

The Earthflame Fire Sha's tempering effect on Spiritual Qi is naturally extremely terrifying, which is why it can increase the chances of a cultivator breaking through to the Foundation Establishment. Liquid Spiritual Qi was continuously generated within his body.

But the most important thing right now is how to condense the liquid spiritual energy into the spiritual platform.

At that moment, he felt his body was completely exhausted.

It seemed somewhat unable to withstand this immense spiritual power.

Even if his physical body were restored to what it was before he was sixty, it would still have been ravaged by time.

This also caused Ye Xingqun to grit his teeth repeatedly.

At this moment, Ye Xingqun felt hallucinations surging in his mind.

His vision began to cloud, then cleared again, and he found himself in a small town made of bluestone.

He was the cricket king of the town; none of his childhood friends could beat him.

Today was the day he was fighting with another cricket, the one with the Ox-Horn King.

The cricket won, but it also lost. Its beloved cricket, Flame Demon, lost its legs and whiskers, and had a huge wound on its forehead.

Everyone left, and he walked with difficulty.

If he cannot find another Flame Demon, nor can he complete the Immortal Master's test, he is not a qualified Insect Fighter, and therefore cannot become a qualified Insect Master.

The silent night engulfed him, and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

It was clearly impossible to fail; he had no idea what went wrong at the end.

"It must have taken some kind of medicine; it was clearly already powerless to resist," he murmured confidently. He clenched his fist and prepared to plunge into the darkness.

At the same time, a sense of clarity flooded his mind.

He immediately shook his head.

"He's seventy-five years old, yet he can still be affected by illusions. No wonder he's at the Foundation Establishment stage of illusion magic."

"Disperse. I never failed back then. As a Mushi Master, my regret is witnessing the powerless aging of Spirit Insect instead of ending with a glorious battle."

And this has always been his philosophy.

As the illusions around him vanished, the choice between Foundation Establishment and selecting the Spirit Insect reappeared.

This time, however, no matter how tempting the Foundation Establishment was, he firmly chose the Spirit Insect.

This is the Dao Path he has walked throughout his life.

It's not over yet, so how can you prove he's wrong?

Ye Xingqun's mind returned to clarity. The burning sensation of the Earthflame Fire Sha continued, but when he examined his inner body again, he found that his spiritual platform had already condensed to a great extent.

The surface was covered with the patterns of some Spirit Insect, but these Spirit Insect were spraying flames and dancing wildly.

Even Spirit Insect have their own lives, even if it's just one night, one day, or one autumn!

Ye Xingqun smiled slightly, and then the Earthflame Fire Sha fell into the Spirit Platform, and the final Spirit Platform was finally formed. Within his spiritual power, a domineering fiery aura was also fused.

A ripple of Spiritual Qi energy, unique to Foundation Establishment cultivators, spread out.