Nine Revolutions Black-Whiskered Mosquito

The Blood-Mustached Mosquito was merely a low-grade spirit insect. Individually, its combat strength was inferior even to that of a Devouring Spirit Bee before its evolution.

But this spirit insect had one particular trait: as it flew, its entire body released a pale red particulate haze...

This haze was somewhat toxic. Though not lethal, it could numb and disorient any creature that inhaled it.

Once those creatures lost the ability to resist, they became the Blood-Mustached Mosquitoes' most delectable meal.

Looking at the red mist blanketing Kongsang Mountain below, Heavenly Insect knew very well that it was formed from the anesthetic haze released by the Blood-Mustached Mosquitoes.

Judging by the density and spread of that red mist, the number of Blood-Mustached Mosquitoes living on Kongsang Mountain had to be in the hundreds of millions!

"This is a real headache..." Heavenly Insect frowned deeply and surveyed his surroundings, then chose to retreat to a distant peak for the time being, intending to wait and see whether anyone would make the first move.

Quite a few people shared Heavenly Insect's thinking...

It was not that they were all afraid. Rather, nobody wanted to be the bird that stuck its head out first, only to sew someone else's wedding dress.

As a Spirit Insect Master, Heavenly Insect did have ways to break through the Blood-Mustached Mosquitoes' blockade if he truly wanted to. The Soul Devouring Bee Swarm in his possession, which had already completed its evolution as a whole, would alone be enough.

After such a long period of nurturing, Heavenly Insect's Soul Devouring Bee Swarm had recovered to over ten thousand strong, and every bee had advanced to a mid-grade spirit insect. His combat strength had more or less reached its current peak.

Of course, the price had been enormous too. Countless resources had been poured into them...

After retreating some distance, Heavenly Insect released his Treehouse Beetle. It was an enormous green beetle, with a back resembling earth covered in green moss and six legs like dead wood. Its appearance was rather ugly.

Of course, its looks did not matter. What mattered was its usefulness!

Just then, at Heavenly Insect's command, a thick tree trunk rapidly grew from the ugly Treehouse Beetle's back, stopping only after it reached five or six meters tall.

The Treehouse Beetle now looked completely different. Its body had almost entirely sunk into the soil, leaving only the upper half of a tree stump exposed. Several withered branches extended from the stump, with a single emerald leaf hanging from them, like a dead tree welcoming spring.

"Mm, not bad." Heavenly Insect looked it over and felt quite satisfied.

The Treehouse Beetle offered impressive concealment in a forest. Of course, that only meant visual concealment...

Walking toward the enormous stump, Heavenly Insect could clearly sense the changes in the soil beneath his feet. Red vines around him protruded less than a foot above the ground, but if an enemy entered their attack range, they would instantly shoot out dozens of yards, coiling tightly around the intruder like venomous snakes. The poisonous thorns on the vines would pierce the enemy's skin and kill them.

Reaching the stump, Heavenly Insect pressed his hand against its gray-green bark. The bark then slowly split open as though alive, forming a doorway wide enough for one person...

Heavenly Insect stepped inside and looked around. The wooden house was surprisingly spacious, over ten meters across-large enough for several people to live in.

Most importantly, it had two floors...

With a mere thought from him, a dense tangle of supple vines would grow inside the treehouse, forming stairs to the second floor.

With a little furnishing, this place could become a temporary base. That was why Spirit Insect Masters favored Treehouse Beetles so much.

Heavenly Insect directed the Treehouse Beetle to open several windows, then sent over a hundred Devouring Spirit Bees out to scout the surroundings while he prepared to rest up in his little base.

Flying Locust had actually volunteered information about a heaven grade insect prison this time. Anyone with discerning eyes could see what he was scheming...

Although most of those who had come were drawn by the potential gains,

No one would likely make a reckless move anytime soon. Just wait...

Someone would eventually lose patience and act, so Heavenly Insect was in no hurry.

As time passed, more and more people arrived at Kongsang Mountain. Among them were large numbers of adventuring teams, as well as several families and factions from around Flying Spirit City...

Although the original owner of Heavenly Insect's body had left home decades ago, his memories still retained impressions of some of Flying Spirit City's prominent factions from back then.

For example, the group his Devouring Spirit Bees had just discovered seemed to belong to the Flying Scorpion family. Leading them was their family head, Flying Scorpion Inkstone, a Heaven Transformation Realm Spirit Insect Master. It was said that, besides his family's hereditary Flying Scorpion King, he had also nurtured a powerful heaven-grade spirit insect...

That meant Flying Scorpion Inkstone alone possessed the equivalent combat strength of three Heaven Transformation Realm experts. Below the Supreme Realm, few could match him!

That was why, before the Supreme Realm, Spirit Insect Masters were generally stronger than ordinary cultivators. You never knew how many powerful spirit insects stood behind a single opponent, waiting for you.

This advantage would diminish upon reaching the Supreme Realm, or even disappear. Supreme Realm experts possessed Dharma Bodies and could cultivate more powerful divine arts, or even divine abilities, as well as wield powerful divine artifacts. All of these were crucial factors in evaluating a person's combat strength.

Spirit insects capable of Supreme-level combat strength were extremely difficult to nurture, and their daily consumption even exceeded that of human cultivators. Even Spirit Insect Masters could not afford to raise too many. This inevitably created a situation where one side waned as the other waxed. Without a powerful life-bound spirit insect to protect them, Spirit Insect Masters might even fall at a disadvantage!

After spending this time gaining a rough understanding of the strength of everyone drawn to the Insect Prison Site, Heavenly Insect felt his heart grow somewhat heavy.

With his strength, gaining anything from this exploration of the Insect Prison Site would probably not be easy...

"I can sense food! Little Insect, Little Insect, where are you now? Hurry and help me find the food! Find it!"

Suddenly, the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm, who had been sleeping in Heavenly Insect's Qi Sea all this time, woke up and immediately began shouting in his mind through their life-bound link.

Startled by the noisy fellow, Heavenly Insect rubbed his temples and snapped, "What are you yelling about? There's no food here! Did all that sleeping turn you stupid?"

"I'm not stupid! I sensed it! I really did! That enticing scent! Quick, quick, quick! I'll guide you. Hurry over there..."

The Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm's urgent voice rang out again.

Heavenly Insect raised an eyebrow as he suddenly caught the crucial detail... Could the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm mean something inside the insect prison?

If that really was the case, he had unwittingly gained an enormous advantage this time.

"You mean... in that direction?" Heavenly Insect asked tentatively.

"It's southeast of where you are now. The scent is very faint, but I'm certain I'm not mistaken. That's the place! As long as you find that food, it'll benefit both you and me!"

The Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm tried to tempt Heavenly Insect with the benefits.

"What are you saying? Would I refuse to find it for you if there were no benefits?!" Heavenly Insect's expression brimmed with righteous conviction. "I promised to help you break out of your cocoon, and I'll keep that promise. If something can help you, I'll fight tooth and nail for it!"

"Then how about giving me seventy percent once we find it?"

"Huh, I just took a look. That direction you mentioned seems awfully dangerous..."

"...!!!"

Three days later, over ten thousand people had gathered at Kongsang Mountain, almost filling the surrounding foothills. Spirit insects of every shape and color appeared in the sky, on the ground, and even underground...

Everyone remained wary of the competitors around them, and even their teammates. Unless they belonged to the same faction or family, they had to keep their wits about them. Otherwise, they never knew when their so-called "teammates" might sell them out.

Several people had approached Heavenly Insect during this time to invite him to join their teams, but he had refused them all.

Although being alone would leave him stretched a little thin, it was still better than getting stabbed in the back, wasn't it?

Besides, with the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm around, he might find valuable things more quickly. Heavenly Insect had no desire for a pack of so-called "teammates" to pop out and demand a share!

Finally, after the long wait, some people confident in their strength began attempting to charge into Kongsang Mountain's red mist.

Unfortunately, the thick mist obscured everything. The others could only see their backs as they rushed into the mountain forest before they vanished from sight.

Once someone took the lead, those who had intended to keep watching could no longer sit still. They deployed their various methods and rushed into the red mist.

Seeing this, Heavenly Insect put away his Treehouse Beetle, then plunged straight into the red mist amid the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm's urging in his mind.

Once inside the mist, Heavenly Insect saw nothing but blood-red. He immediately sealed his pores and held his breath to keep the poisonous haze from entering his body.

"Oh, you're far too timid! It's just a little disorienting mist. It barely even qualifies as poison! With me protecting you, what are you afraid of?"

The Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm inside the Light Cocoon openly mocked Heavenly Insect's actions. A golden halo then spread out from Heavenly Insect's body, stopping three inches beyond his skin and completely blocking out the dense red mist.

"Well, well, you've got some skills! Excellent, keep it up!" Delight appeared on Heavenly Insect's face. It seemed he could no longer treat the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm as nothing but a glutton. The fellow was rather useful after all.

"Hehe, you don't have to tell me!"

Although Heavenly Insect had no idea what expression the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm wore, he could already picture a Golden Cicada strutting smugly along with its head held high and its feet splayed outward.

"Go left. There are fewer bugs there, and it's close to the tasty stuff..."

"No problem!"

With this automatic guide, the red mist actually became an enormous help to Heavenly Insect, holding back all his competitors.

Hurrying along under the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm's guidance, Heavenly Insect indeed encountered no particularly large swarms of Blood-Mustached Mosquitoes. If there were only around ten thousand, his Devouring Spirit Bees could quickly wipe them out without losses.

"Is it just ahead...?"

As he continued onward, Heavenly Insect noticed his surroundings growing damp. Moisture had even begun gradually condensing, and he could not help frowning.

"What rich spiritual energy. This really is an excellent place for spirit insects to grow..."

"A pity it lacks a little vitality..."

The spirit insects and spirit beasts that had originally lived on Kongsang Mountain had probably all become food for those hundreds of millions of Blood-Mustached Mosquitoes.

As Heavenly Insect ventured deeper, he suddenly noticed the red mist around him slowly thinning. The Blood-Mustached Mosquitoes dwindled too, until he could no longer see a single mosquito...

Heavenly Insect raised his head and looked at the blazing sun overhead. He was certain that he was no longer on Kongsang Mountain!

"Have I already entered the Insect Prison Site...?"

Everything around him looked no different from the outside world. But after reaching the Heaven Fusion Realm, Heavenly Insect's divine soul had established some connection with heaven and earth, allowing him to sense the fragmentation and decay within this space. It was like stepping into a house on the verge of collapse.

"Golden Cicada, lead the way!" Heavenly Insect spoke directly to the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm in his mind.

"Right! A hundred and twenty li to the right from here! I can sense it-there's definitely something good there..." the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm shouted excitedly.

"Got it. Let's go!"

Heavenly Insect released his Golden Armored Rhinoceros, then leaped onto its head. With a tap of his foot, he directed the Golden Armored Rhinoceros toward the place the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm had indicated.

A quarter of an hour later, Heavenly Insect descended from the sky. Before him lay a deep ravine, filled with gusts of chilling wind. Black spiritual energy spewed from a cave deep within it, making it resemble the gateway to hell.

"What terrifying yin-aspected spiritual energy!" A gust of that chilling wind swept over Heavenly Insect, making him shudder violently.

Spirit insects capable of living in such an environment often possessed exceptionally good innate abilities, however, and that stirred a faint anticipation in his heart.

Heavenly Insect released his Earth Spirit Scorpion to scout ahead. Relying on the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm's golden shield to keep out the chilling wind, he began inching deeper into the cave.

The journey was fairly smooth. There were no signs of living creatures inside the cave, only a few remnants of spirit insect shells that had barely survived after being corroded to dust by the chilling wind...

"Up ahead! Right up ahead!"

Amid the Golden Origin Heavenly Silkworm's relentless urging, Heavenly Insect finally reached the deepest part of the cave and discovered a small pool.

Ripples spread across the pool's pitch-black spiritual water in the chilling wind. Insect eggs resembling gleaming pearls floated above its surface. Without a close look, one might have mistaken them for stars in the sky reflected in the water.

Heavenly Insect held his breath and focused, silently approaching the pool. He studied the eggs, and once he made out the larvae within their translucent shells, his breathing abruptly quickened.

"These are... nine revolutions black-whiskered mosquitoes?!"