Bug King

Geng Metal Finger (Mastery 69/200)

"Though both were at the Mastery level of Geng Metal Finger, there was still a difference between one who had just entered Mastery and one whose proficiency had already surpassed one-third of the way through.

"Whether in accuracy, lethality, or even the concealment of the spell, it was far stronger than before."

Zhou Changwang glanced at the Attribute Panel, and a trace of relief appeared on his face.

And that was precisely why he had been able to kill those five spirit insects in succession.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you're impressive indeed."

Xu Zhong murmured in amazement, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxing.

He felt that if this continued, the crisis facing his spirit field would soon be completely resolved.

Old Xu, standing nearby, looked rather pleased with himself. He felt that his three Low-Grade Spirit Stones were secure now; before long, they would probably be in his hands.

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

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, what's wrong? Why aren't you continuing to remove the insects?"

Xu Zhong panicked at the sight and hurriedly asked.

"I'm only at the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Realm. How much spiritual power do I have?"

Zhou Changwang walked to the ridge between the fields and sat down to rest.

Of course, the spiritual power in his body had not yet been completely exhausted. He could still cast at least three more spells, but when one was out in the open, safety came first. Naturally, he would not truly drain all his spiritual power.

"This... I hadn't considered it carefully enough."

Xu Zhong froze, then quickly understood. Zhou Changwang's cultivation was indeed somewhat low. At the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Realm, his total spiritual power was limited. Being able to cast more than ten Geng Metal Fingers in succession was already quite good.

Then, gritting his teeth, he pulled a jade-green pill bottle from his robes. "These are Vitality Pills... There are five left inside. They're all yours. Swallow them with water, and they can rapidly restore your spiritual power.

"Also, Fellow Daoist Zhou, you haven't eaten lunch yet, have you? I'll go back and prepare something right away, then bring it over to you later.

"I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Zhou to pay more attention to this spirit field."

"You're too courteous, Fellow Daoist Xu."

A flash of surprise passed across Zhou Changwang's face, but he did not refuse the goodwill.

After all, in the end, he was still working for the other man.

As for these Vitality Pills, he knew of them. They were a kind of low-tier medicinal pill... Though called Vitality Pills, they were actually Vitality Powder sealed into pill form with beeswax. Each bottle held ten pills and sold for three Low-Grade Spirit Stones. They could indeed rapidly restore a cultivator's spiritual power, making them one of the indispensable spirit pills for low-level cultivators traveling outside.

Of course, they were also something Zhou Changwang had previously been too reluctant to buy.

Thinking about it, it was rather pitiful. Zhou Changwang had never taken any spirit pills before. He had never even entertained the thought of using low-tier spiritual power-restoring medicine like Vitality Powder, something every Rogue Cultivator needed.

The truth was, he had never had any money to spare.

Think of those sect cultivators and descendants of cultivation Lineages—which one of them did not carry several bottles of spirit pills? Pills to restore spiritual power, restore the mind, heal injuries, neutralize poison, increase cultivation... Many of them had practically grown up swallowing pills.

Even with poor aptitude, they could still achieve something.

Cultivation was hard.

His heart was bitter too.

Zhou Changwang opened the pill bottle and poured out one pill. Immediately, a spirit pill the size of a little finger, dark yellow all over, appeared before him.

It was precisely a Vitality Pill. The dark yellow color on its surface came from the beeswax seal.

Without hesitation, he swallowed it with water.

The beeswax quickly melted away.

Then Zhou Changwang felt a rich surge of spiritual energy rise up within his body.

He scarcely even needed to circulate his cultivation technique to refine it before the spiritual power, more than half depleted within him, began rapidly replenishing.

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

Only this way could its restorative effect be at its best.

Five Elements Formula +1

After one full cycle, the spiritual power within Zhou Changwang had returned to normal.

He did not dare waste any time.

Because he sensed that there seemed to be medicinal power in the Vitality Pill that had yet to be refined.

So he entered the spirit field once more and began casting spells to eliminate insects.

One, two, three...

Zhou Changwang proceeded in an orderly fashion, and before long, several more spirit insects had fallen into his bag.

Just as he was about to continue, he suddenly saw a stalk of Spirit Grain ahead trembling faintly. Focusing his gaze on it, his heart gave a startled lurch.

A spirit insect the size of an ordinary person's fist, with a wingspan of nearly a foot when spread open, was crouched atop a spirit plant and eating in huge mouthfuls.

In just a few bites, it gnawed a large hole through the stalk of that Spirit Grain, then rapidly sucked up the juices within.

"A Spirit Locust?

"So large?"

Zhou Changwang was greatly alarmed.

Ordinary Spirit Locusts were not small, but they were only about the size of an infant's fist. This one, however, was several times larger. Its two foreclaws were visibly sharp, and with a light jab into the stalks and leaves of the Spirit Grain, they pierced straight through, leaving a hole with every stab.

One had to know that Spirit Grain was itself a spirit plant, its fibers tough enough that an ordinary person could scarcely cut it apart with a blade.

If claws like those slashed across his body, they would surely slice through him as smoothly as a knife through tofu...

"Is this the Bug King?"

Zhou Changwang swallowed.

He had previously heard people speculate that, with so many spirit insects in Xu Zhong's spirit field, a Bug King was very likely hiding within it. Seeing this Spirit Locust now, he had to admit they had guessed correctly.

But he would rather they had been wrong.

A Bug King was different from ordinary spirit insects. It was far stronger, and fierce and violent by nature. Once provoked, it would attack cultivators.

In both this life and his previous one, he had never experienced a proper battle. The original owner of this body had merely been a lowly Rogue Cultivator and spirit farmer, honest and submissive, never daring to clash with anyone.

"Should I make a move?"

Zhou Changwang hesitated slightly.

Then he gritted his teeth.

The Bug King might be formidable, but it was only a slightly more formidable spirit insect. Its spiritual energy strength might not even compare to that of a minor Rogue Cultivator at the First Layer of the Qi Refining Realm.

If he hesitated and feared even an insect like this, how could he possibly have the confidence to cultivate and survive in the treacherous, ever-shifting world of cultivation in the future?

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

The spiritual power within his body stirred, rapidly condensing under the control of his mind into one rune structure after another.

One breath, two breaths...

At that very moment, the Spirit Locust King seemed to sense the change in the surrounding aura. It abruptly stopped feeding, let out a shrill chirp as though it had noticed Zhou Changwang, then spread its wings and shot toward him like lightning.

"So fast!"

Zhou Changwang saw only a black shadow rushing straight at his face. He hurriedly twisted aside on instinct and dodged.

The spiritual power he had been controlling also scattered slightly at that instant.

Zhou Changwang's heart tightened. He hastily calmed his mind and once again controlled his spiritual power, condensing the rune structure.

He knew the battle had begun.

And looking over all the methods at his disposal, other than Geng Metal Finger, there was truly little that could threaten this Spirit Locust King.

So his spellcasting could not stop.

The casting of a spell relied on spiritual power and rune structures. Then, at the instant the rune structure took shape, it resonated with heaven and earth...

In other words, spellcasting did not place great demands on one's movements. One did not need to stand still in order to cast.

If a cultivator's mind was steady and he could freely control the spiritual power within his body to cast spells, then even while running in a surprise assault, or even while wielding a blade in direct combat, he could continue casting without being forcibly interrupted...