Bug King

Geng Metal Finger (Mastery 69/200)

"Though both are Geng Metal Finger at the Mastery level, there is still a difference between having just entered Mastery and having proficiency that has already surpassed one-third.

"Whether in accuracy, killing power, or even the spell's concealment, it was much stronger than before."

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

And this was also 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 furrowed brows finally easing completely.

He felt that if this continued, the crisis in his Spirit Field would soon be thoroughly resolved.

Old Xu, standing nearby, was rather pleased with himself. He also felt that his three Low-Grade Spirit Stones were secure, and that he would probably have them in hand before long.

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

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

Xu Zhong grew anxious at the sight and hurriedly asked.

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

Zhou Changwang walked over to the edge of the field and sat down to rest.

Of course, the spiritual power within him had not yet run dry. He could still cast at least three spells, but when one was away from home, safety came first. Naturally, he would not truly exhaust all his spiritual power.

"This... I failed to consider that."

Xu Zhong was startled, then quickly understood. Zhou Changwang's cultivation was indeed rather 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 a row was already quite good.

Then, gritting his teeth, he took 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 quickly restore spiritual power.

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

"I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Zhou to put more care into this Spirit Field."

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

A flicker of surprise passed over Zhou Changwang's face, but he did not refuse the other man's goodwill.

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

As for these Vitality Pills, he knew of them. They were a low-grade medicinal pill... Though called Vitality Pills, they were actually Vitality Powder, merely sealed in beeswax and formed into pills. There were ten pills per bottle, each bottle sold for three Low-Grade Spirit Stones. They could indeed quickly restore a cultivator's spiritual power, making them one of the indispensable spirit medicines for low-level cultivators traveling outside.

Naturally, they were also something Zhou Changwang had previously been unwilling to spend on.

Thinking about it, it was rather pitiful. Zhou Changwang had never taken any spirit medicine before. He had not even dared to entertain thoughts of using a spirit-power-restoring medicine like Vitality Powder, something even low-level Rogue Cultivators considered essential.

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

Think of those sect cultivators and descendants of cultivation Lineages—who among them did not carry several bottles of spirit medicine? Pills for restoring spiritual power, restoring mental strength, healing injuries, detoxifying poison, increasing cultivation... Many of them had practically grown up swallowing pills.

Even those with poor aptitude could still achieve something.

Cultivation was difficult.

His heart was bitter too.

Zhou Changwang opened the bottle and poured out a pill. At once, a spirit pill the size of a little fingertip, dark yellow throughout, appeared before him.

It was precisely a Vitality Pill. Its dark-yellow color came from the beeswax seal.

Without hesitation, he swallowed it with water.

The beeswax quickly melted away.

Immediately afterward, Zhou Changwang felt a dense surge of spiritual qi rise within his body.

He hardly even needed to circulate his cultivation to refine it before the spiritual power that had been more than half depleted began rapidly filling back up.

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

Only this way could its restorative effect be brought to its fullest.

Five Elements Formula +1

After one full cycle, the spiritual power in Zhou Changwang's body had returned to its original state.

He did not dare waste any time.

Because he could sense that the Vitality Pill seemed to still contain medicinal power that had not yet been refined.

So he stepped into the Spirit Field once more and began casting spells to eliminate pests.

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 jolted in alarm.

A spirit insect the size of an ordinary person's fist, with a wingspan of nearly a foot, was crouched atop a spirit plant and feasting in huge bites.

In just a few mouthfuls, it bit a large hole into the stalk of Spirit Grain, then rapidly sucked up the sap within.

"A Spirit Locust?

"So big?"

Zhou Changwang was startled.

Ordinary Spirit Locusts were not small, but they were only about the size of a baby'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 punched a hole every time.

One had to know that Spirit Grain was itself a spirit plant, tough in texture and difficult for an ordinary person to sever even with a blade.

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

"This is the Bug King?"

Zhou Changwang swallowed.

He had previously heard people speculate that with so many spirit insects in Xu Zhong's Spirit Field, there was likely a Bug King hiding within. Now that he had seen this Spirit Locust, he had to admit they had guessed correctly.

But he would rather they had been wrong.

Because a Bug King was different from ordinary spirit insects. It was far stronger, ferocious and violent by nature, and once provoked, it would attack cultivators.

In both his past and present lives, 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, who had never dared clash with anyone.

"Should I make a move?"

Zhou Changwang hesitated slightly.

Then he gritted his teeth.

Though the Bug King was formidable, it was only a slightly more formidable spirit insect. Its spiritual energy strength might not even match that of a little Rogue Cultivator at the First Layer of the Qi Refining Realm.

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

So he steadied himself, stood two zhang away, and began casting a spell.

The spiritual power within his body surged. Under the control of his mind, it rapidly condensed into one rune structure after another.

One breath, two breaths...

Just then, the Spirit Locust King seemed to sense the change in the surrounding aura. It swiftly stopped feeding, then let out a shrill cry. As though it had discovered Zhou Changwang, it spread its wings and shot toward him like lightning.

"So fast!"

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

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

Zhou Changwang's heart tightened at the sight. He hurriedly calmed his mind, once again controlling his spiritual power and condensing the rune structure.

He knew the battle had begun.

And looking over his available methods, apart from Geng Metal Finger, there were truly few that could threaten this Spirit Locust King.

Therefore, he could not stop casting.

The casting of a spell fundamentally relied on spiritual power and rune structures, then, at the instant the rune structure took shape, resonating with heaven and earth...

In other words, casting spells did not place great demands on movement. 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 an assault, or even while wielding a blade in direct combat with someone, he could continue casting without being forcibly interrupted...