Breakthrough, Heaven Fusion Realm!

Although the blood web had already linked the consciousnesses of the man and insect, the life-bound spirit insect ritual was not yet complete.

Heavenly Insect swiftly traced another blood-colored rune in the air, then guided it onto the Light Cocoon. It quickly merged into the cocoon and was received by the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm within.

"Ah, what's this?!"

As the blood talisman entered its body, the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm cried out in alarm. It felt as though everything about itself had fallen under the other party's control because of that talisman.

"Relax. It's just a blood talisman linking our bloodlines. Only then can we help each other grow and complement one another!"

Heavenly Insect was not exactly lying. At least half of that was true...

After the blood talisman entered its body, a golden streak of light suddenly burst from the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm, shot into Heavenly Insect's mind, and condensed into a tiny golden silkworm emblem on his forehead.

When the golden light entered him, Heavenly Insect felt a powerful surge of energy abruptly appear inside his body. It battered his spiritual energy without cease, making his whole body swell like a balloon.

Holy shit! This golden origin heavenly insect's origin spiritual energy is this terrifying?!

Heavenly Insect could not help swearing inwardly in shock. It seemed he had still underestimated the might of this primordial ferocious insect.

"Ah! And you said you weren't lying! You're actually stealing my origin spiritual energy?!" The Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm's furious voice rang out in his mind again.

While struggling to suppress the energy inside him, Heavenly Insect explained, "You're overthinking it. I didn't lie to you. This is a necessary part of forming our contract. Didn't you receive a trace of my origin too?"

But compared with a primordial ferocious insect possessing such a powerful bloodline, calling the current Heavenly Insect a small fry was practically flattering him. So although both had received only a tiny trace of the other's origin, the effects were as different as heaven and earth!

"You... this is deception! Fraud! A swindle!"

"How did I deceive you?" Heavenly Insect suddenly raised an eyebrow. "A life-bound contract is already the fairest blood pact there is. Look at you, quibbling over every little thing. Why do you sound like a woman?

"Come to think of it, are you male or female? Aren't Six-Winged Golden Cicadas similar to spirit beasts, able to take human form once they become powerful enough?"

"None of your damn business! You big liar! You said you'd help me break out of my cocoon. If I ever find out you lied, I'll bite your head clean off!"

"Uh..."

Speechless, Heavenly Insect decided to ignore the creature. He could feel that there was far too much energy inside him now. If he did not refine it soon, he would probably burst!

Little by little, he gathered his thoughts, keeping his mind as tranquil as a deep, secluded pool. At the same time, he quietly circulated the spiritual art he cultivated and began rapidly absorbing the energy within him.

After the Divine Soul Realm came the Three Heavens Realm: the Heaven Fusion Realm, Heaven Transformation Realm, and Heaven-reaching Realm.

Heaven fusion meant merging with heaven and earth, then controlling their spiritual energy to gain the power to destroy mountains with every movement.

Within Heavenly Insect's Qi Sea, a miniature version of him sat cross-legged atop a wheel of spiritual light.

This was Heavenly Insect's divine soul. Its tiny hands formed a cultivation seal, its little face solemn and its bearing as dignified as a sacred statue.

Merging with heaven and earth did not mean merging one's physical body with them, but one's divine soul.

Only by allowing the divine soul to break free of the flesh's restraints and merge with heaven and earth could one command the spiritual energy between them and become a true Heaven Fusion Realm expert.

Heavenly Insect's divine soul had already fallen into stillness, gradually entering a state of selflessness. Wisps of awareness drifted through his body, yet whenever they tried to escape his flesh, they encountered resistance.

This was the so-called flesh barrier...

Heavenly Insect did not rush. Instead, he steadied his mind and allowed his awareness to drift quietly, without deliberately seeking the sensation of breaking free of his flesh.

He knew that a breakthrough could only come when the water flowed and the channel formed. Otherwise, no amount of struggling would accomplish anything.

All he needed to do now was refine the energy within him, strengthen his spiritual energy, and wait quietly.

Time passed drop by drop. As Heavenly Insect continued refining the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm's origin power, he failed to notice that his already reconstructed body was undergoing subtle changes once again.

His formerly crimson blood was now tinged with a faint golden glow. As it flowed, golden motes could be seen merging into it.

Beyond that, golden light permeated Heavenly Insect's muscles, bones, internal organs, and skin. Gradually, his flesh and skin grew tougher, his bones grew stronger, and his overall physical defense rose by a considerable margin.

This was the benefit the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm could bring: strengthening his body!

As the man and insect grew stronger and their connection deepened, Heavenly Insect's body would become even more powerful. Perhaps one day, like the Six-Winged Golden Cicada, he might become as indestructible as diamond, impervious to all arts...

While his body was strengthened, Heavenly Insect's awareness also underwent subtle changes.

During his selfless cultivation, his awareness drifted constantly through his body. Occasionally, it even broke free of his flesh and wandered outside. That wondrous sensation of escaping his body rippled endlessly through his heart, leaving him savoring it again and again...

Finally, Heavenly Insect felt his divine soul reach a certain limit. Then, amid an endless eruption of spiritual light, it shot into his Qi Sea and rose above his head, sitting cross-legged within the light.

What Heavenly Insect felt at that moment was extraordinary. When he opened his eyes, he discovered that he could actually see from two perspectives, one above and one below...

Having his divine soul and body move together felt incredibly novel, as though another version of himself had appeared in the world.

Just as Heavenly Insect fully mastered sending his divine soul out of his body, his body shuddered. The world before his eyes slowly began to change, its unfamiliarity giving way to a sense of closeness...

If heaven and earth had once felt utterly unfamiliar to Heavenly Insect, now it was as though an incredibly wondrous connection had formed between them.

This had nothing to do with some bullshit logic about the world's will rejecting an outsider's transmigrated soul. It was simply that once a cultivator broke through to the Heaven Fusion Realm, their divine soul merged with heaven and earth, bringing them into greater harmony with the world.

In fact, the cultivation system of the entire Great Thousand World was a process of continually understanding and merging with that world, until one finally inscribed their true name upon the Firmament Ledger, gaining complete control over the Great Thousand World and becoming its ruler.

At that moment, understanding seemed to dawn in Heavenly Insect's heart. His hands formed a seal, while the divine soul above his head moved its tiny hands to form the same seal.

Rumble!

The spiritual energy throughout the underground space suddenly surged toward him in a frenzy. Like countless rivers, it roared past and poured straight into Heavenly Insect's quietly seated body.

The spiritual energy fluctuations surrounding him began to soar wildly!

In a single instant, they broke through the limits of the Divine Soul Realm and entered a new realm.

Hundred Spirits Heaven was one of the countless regions of the Hundred Spirits Continent. Neither strong nor weak, it could only be considered middling.

After leaving the Black Nether Abyss, Heavenly Insect did not remain in the Northern Spiritual Realm. Instead, he headed straight for Ling Tian City, the principal city in the central region of Hundred Spirits Heaven.

Beneath Heavenly Insect's feet was an enormous Golden Armored Rhinoceros Beetle, one of the ten high-grade spirit insects he had subdued earlier.

However, this Golden Armored Rhinoceros Beetle had limited potential. Though enormous, immensely strong, and capable of flight, it possessed no special abilities and could only fight with brute force.

Its defense was somewhat stronger, so Heavenly Insect simply used it as transportation. That was faster than traveling on his own, at least...

Of course, he now faced another problem. With so many huge creatures following him, he certainly could not enter the city, and his Junior Spirit Insect Pouch could not hold these high-grade spirit insects either.

His only option was to reach the vicinity of Ling Tian City, find some secluded nook outside its walls, and hide his spirit insects there for the time being. Whenever he managed to make a High-Grade Spirit Insect Pouch, he could return to collect them.

Sitting cross-legged in boredom atop the Golden Armored Rhinoceros's massive head, with its enormous horn conveniently serving as a backrest, Heavenly Insect looked languid and forlorn.

"I really was born to toil..."

"I thought getting the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm would let me soar straight into the heavens. Who knew I'd just saddle myself with a burden? And now I've got this whole bunch of big brutes clamoring to be fed all day. How am I supposed to get by...?"

He had never imagined that being a Spirit Insect Master would be so expensive. Especially as his spirit insects grew higher in grade, the resources they consumed each day became an enormous figure.

Of course, what gave Heavenly Insect the worst headache was not these ten high-grade spirit insects, but the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm's Light Cocoon, which had now settled inside his Qi Sea...

Now, whenever he connected his consciousness with the heavenly silkworm's, he heard a voice endlessly nagging in his ear, demanding that he help it break out of its cocoon.

But damn it, you said yourself that under normal circumstances, you'd still need decades to emerge. Where am I supposed to find that enormous amount of energy to feed you?

According to Heavenly Insect's own deductions, the only way to hasten its emergence from the Light Cocoon was to provide an unlimited supply of supreme spirit liquid for it to absorb.

That step alone already had Heavenly Insect worrying enough to lose his hair...

Although Heavenly Insect came from a superpower like the Spirit Insect Tribe, he himself was merely a small fry. With neither high status nor sufficient strength, how could the tribe possibly waste supreme spirit liquid on him?

As for the possessions left behind by his original body's parents, the Nine Nether Sparrow had burned them all long ago. Otherwise, Heavenly Insect would not be in such miserable straits now.

"Sigh..."

Heaving another long sigh, Heavenly Insect decided to stop dwelling on it. For now, he should solve the problems right in front of him.

He had gathered so many high-grade spiritual materials in the Black Nether Abyss this time. Although he could not exchange them for supreme spirit liquid, they would certainly fetch plenty of spirit stones.

He would use those gains to get himself some spirit artifacts and such, arming himself first.

"Hmm, that must be Ling Tian City up ahead..."

Standing on the Golden Armored Rhinoceros Beetle's forehead, Heavenly Insect shaded his eyes with a hand and gazed into the distance. Amid the distant mountains, an enormous city dominated the land like a colossal beast, its presence majestic.

It was far larger than Mu City in the Mu Domain!

He tapped the Golden Armored Rhinoceros Beetle with his toes, directing it to land in a sparsely inhabited valley. Then he had the Earth Spirit Scorpion open an underground passage. Only after all the spirit insects had burrowed underground did he leave alone.

Although he had lost the protection of those ten bodyguards, Heavenly Insect himself was already a Heaven Fusion Realm expert. If it was only Ling Tian City, he was not worried about any danger.

Again, this was merely an ordinary region on the Hundred Spirits Continent. There were only a handful of Supreme-level experts here. How dangerous could anyone expect it to be?

After successfully entering the city, Heavenly Insect's eyes lit up at the bustling streets and surging crowds around him. Could some event be taking place here?

Of course, there was no rush to ask around. First, he needed to find somewhere to sell the spiritual materials in his possession.

"Mm, this one!"

Looking at the enormous three-story shop before him, Heavenly Insect made his decision.

"The Ling Tian Trading House. Seems it's the biggest trading house in Ling Tian City too..."

Upon entering, Heavenly Insect immediately saw an enormous hall divided into several sections, with multiple attendants serving customers behind each counter.

Heavenly Insect had barely stepped inside and had yet to take a proper look when someone spotted him and approached enthusiastically.

"Welcome to the Ling Tian Trading House! What might you need, honored customer? We offer the most comprehensive selection of spiritual arts and spirit artifacts, all kinds of spiritual materials and pills. Whatever you need, we can provide it."

A young man stood before Heavenly Insect, his words flowing like a rushing river.

Initially startled by the young man's enthusiasm, Heavenly Insect then asked, "I'd like to sell some spiritual materials. Do you buy them here?"

Realizing that he had not come to buy anything, the young man looked visibly disappointed, though he remained enthusiastic. "Yes, our trading house buys spiritual materials of every kind, and our prices are absolutely fair. However, some low-grade materials fetch very little. Might I ask what you...?"

Heavenly Insect smiled faintly. "High-grade spirit beast essence and high-grade spirit beast materials. Do you buy those?"

The young man's eyes instantly lit up, and his manner became even more attentive than before. "Yes, absolutely! Please follow me, honored customer. I'll take you to our dedicated purchasing area..."

Following behind the young man, Heavenly Insect noticed that he was not wearing the same clothes as the attendants inside the trading house. Did that mean he was not one of its attendants?

Hearing his question, the young man hurriedly put on a broad smile and explained, "You have a keen eye, honored customer. I'm indeed not an attendant here, just a temporary worker. The annual Ling Tian Auction is about to begin, so people from all over Hundred Spirits Heaven have gathered in Ling Tian City. Business gets extremely busy during this period. To avoid neglecting our honored customers, the trading house hires a large number of temporary workers at this time every year..."

Heavenly Insect nodded in understanding. This practice was certainly familiar. He simply had not expected to find it in the Great Thousand World too.