ragginovel Chapter 2666 Immortal Summoning
Chapter 2666 Immortal Summoning
Chapter 2666 Immortal Summoning
Looking at the group of Qi Refining cultivators with great anticipation, Qin Sang took the initiative to put the elixir disguised as an insect egg into her mouth, sat down in meditation, and felt a chill run down her spine.
Although my cultivation was difficult back then, I was undoubtedly more fortunate than them.
The moment they stepped into the world of cultivation, their fate was sealed; the higher their cultivation, the closer they were to death.
"Do they know that they are merely hosts for the demonic insects?"
Qin Sang looked at the old man in hemp robes sitting in the main seat and thought to herself.
He remembered the old woman he met on the original Tianhai Island. Unbeknownst to her, her consciousness and behavior were controlled by the demonic insects. She only learned the truth before she died, and by then, all that was left of her was a hollowed-out skin.
Like the old woman, this old man was probably completely unaware that he had been parasitized by demonic insects. He might even have thought that he was truly enlightening his disciples, unaware that he was pushing his juniors into a fire pit.
However, how did those insect eggs disguised as elixirs come about, and who was behind them?
Unlike last time, Qin Sang did not directly dig out the demonic insect from the old man in hemp clothing and search its soul.
The origins of the demonic insects made Qin Sang cautious.
If this were merely the territory of some demonic insect cultivator force, revealing his whereabouts wouldn't be a big deal; he could simply flee far away and avoid it. The other party wouldn't fight him to the death over a few mere physical bodies.
Qin Sang's biggest worry was that he would be sent to the lair of the demonic insects by Ming Lei!
This means that he is now in the Heavenly Demon Realm. Thinking of such terrible consequences, Qin Sang couldn't help but feel horrified.
If all the demonic insects were bred by the Heavenly Demon, wouldn't each and every one of them be connected to the Heavenly Demon? If he were to directly attack the demonic insects and attract the Heavenly Demon, wouldn't his actions be immediately exposed?
He preferred to use the tedious method to gradually uncover the truth rather than alert the enemy and risk being besieged by the demons!
In the blink of an eye, all the disciples in the hall had taken the Crossing Reed Pill.
Qin Sang's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, his gaze penetrating their bodies, clearly seeing the changes after the elixir entered their bodies.
Although the Duwei Pill is made from insect eggs, it does indeed possess medicinal power similar to the Foundation Establishment Pill, and it is even purer than the Foundation Establishment Pill he took back then. Cultivators who take this pill have a greater chance of establishing their foundation.
The problem is that there is a mysterious aura hidden in the medicinal power. When the pill dissolves in their bodies, the demonic insects also awaken from their eggs and follow the torrent of medicinal power to circulate in the cultivators' bodies, traveling through their limbs and bones.
The disciples felt their dantian gradually becoming restless under the influence of the medicine, and their whole bodies began to feel hot. Wave after wave of the medicine surged forward, like the waves in a river, propelling them forward. They gradually sensed the location of the boundary barrier and even touched it!
Some people were overjoyed, feeling that they could smash through the obstacle in front of them with just a little effort.
But in Qin Sang's eyes, what she saw was a chilling scene.
As they activated their cultivation techniques, the medicinal power circulated throughout the body. With each cycle, the demonic insects awakened a little more. During the awakening process, they grew incredibly fine tendrils, like the roots of plants, which burrowed into the cultivators' bodies and embedded themselves in their flesh, blood, and soul.
The demonic insect's true form is these tendrils. The tendrils taking root and the medicinal power stimulating the cultivator's potential are completed simultaneously. It appears that they are breaking through to the next realm, but in reality, they are also providing nutrients for the demonic insect!
Qin Sang noticed that although these demonic insects were of different species, their parasitic processes were largely the same.
At this moment, Qin Sang finally saw the old man in hemp robes make his move. He spread his five fingers and released five-colored light, which split into dozens of beams and landed on the heads of the disciples, entering through the top of their heads.
Qin Sang had been observing the old man in hemp robes' actions and discovered that he was helping his disciples enhance the medicinal effects and guide them through breakthroughs. He certainly seemed like a kind and benevolent elder. However, by unleashing his disciples' greater potential, the old man was also inadvertently aiding the demonic insects.
'boom! '
Suddenly, an explosion occurred, and a young girl in a corner of the hall died instantly.
The steward guarding the palace gate looked regretful and took action to burn the pieces of flesh and blood away.
Qin Sang realized that it wasn't that she couldn't withstand the effects of the medicine, but rather that the parasitic worm had caused a problem. The girl's body was rejecting the worm, and the worm, having just awakened, was in its most vulnerable state. The impact of these two forces caused the girl and the worm to perish together.
Indeed, forcibly inserting something that doesn't belong to you into your body will inevitably lead to rejection.
The various discomforts experienced by the disciples inside the hall were all due to this reason.
However, the demonic insect would not reveal its true form after it died, but would immediately melt and become part of the girl's flesh and blood. The girl was unaware of the existence of the demonic insect when she died, and thought that it was because she was not talented enough, so she died with her eyes open.
Little did people know that her death at this time might not have been a bad thing.
'boom! '
'boom! '
'boom! '
……
After the girl died, several more explosions rang out in the hall. Some died from their bodies exploding, and those who survived suffered a great decline in their cultivation, all suffering from the backlash of the failed parasitism. In the end, less than 30% remained, which made the old man in hemp robes and the steward shake their heads.
The moment they broke through the barrier and successfully established their foundation, the demonic insects completed their parasitism.
They all awoke, overjoyed, but seeing the empty prayer mats around them, they couldn't help but feel sorry for their fellow disciples, completely unaware that a pitying gaze was watching them.
"The disciples from your lower academy are getting worse and worse," the old man in hemp robes said unhappily.
“It is my incompetence that I should be punished by the master,” the steward said, not daring to argue.
"After I return, I will report the truth to my sect. Whether you are punished or not is up to the sect to decide," the old man in hemp robes shook his head and flew away. "Send these disciples to the mountain gate within three days."
"As ordered!"
……
Qin Sang followed the old man away from the mountain, and couldn't help but recall what she had just seen and heard.
From the process of these parasitic insects, Qin Sang noticed a key point: they are different from the God-Snatching Lice.
The parasite that kills the god lice is a true parasite, robbing its host of 'nutrients' and waiting for the right opportunity to drain the host's potential before moving on to the next host.
These demonic insects seem to be coexisting with their host. The host's realm has indeed broken through, and the demonic insects' contribution is undeniable. While the demonic insects are growing, they are also giving back to the host. The two can be considered as one.
Based on these facts alone, it cannot be concluded that the origin of these demonic insects is unrelated to the God-Stealing Lice.
Similar to the God-Stealing Lice, these demonic insects are also extremely secretive. It is likely that only a Void Refinement cultivator could possibly detect them, and at least only a Demon Lord would have the ability to cultivate such demonic insects!
Qin Sang decided to continue following the old man in hemp clothing. She saw him use a water escape technique, with clouds rising beneath his feet as he soared through the air.
"Is this person using a spell he learned himself, or a supernatural power bestowed upon him by the demonic insect?" Qin Sang couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.
Before long, Qin Sang saw a vast swamp ahead, shrouded in mist and fluctuating with the energy of an array, clearly the mountain gate of some cultivation sect.
The old man in hemp robes landed in the swamp, and the mountain gate opened automatically. Qin Sang silently sneaked in and saw a group of men and women greeting the old man in hemp robes. They were all Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.
Without exception, they were all hosts of the demonic insects!
"Where is the alchemy room?"
Qin Sang glanced around and immediately locked onto the depths of the sect. The next moment, he appeared above a mountain range, where the fluctuations of the underground fiery veins could be heard, and many cultivators were refining pills inside.
His divine sense swept over each alchemy chamber.
Fortunately, a cultivator was refining the Crossing Reed Pill. The Crossing Reed Pill is more potent than the Foundation Establishment Pill, and its refining process is naturally more complicated, requiring 30% more types of spiritual materials than the Foundation Establishment Pill.
To Qin Sang's surprise, the person refining the Crossing Reed Pill was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Qin Sang glanced at the spiritual materials laid out in front of this person and thought to herself that it was strange. These were all normal spiritual materials from the Demon Realm, and there were no insect eggs among them.
The man drew upon various spiritual materials, methodically placing them into the alchemy furnace. He then used earth fire to calcine and refine the essence. He pressed his hands tightly against the furnace, allowing the medicinal power to condense and gradually fuse within, until the pill was nearly complete.
'boom!'
The alchemy furnace trembled, and a beam of rainbow light shot out from inside, knocking the furnace lid off.
Ignoring the furnace lid, he rushed forward to check and saw more than a dozen jade-dew-like pills lying inside. He breathed a sigh of relief, "This time I can finally hand in my task!"
He put away the pills and hurriedly left the fire chamber.
Qin Sang, who witnessed the whole process, felt a chill run down her spine the moment the pill was completed. The pill, which was clearly made using normal methods, suddenly contained a demonic insect that turned into an egg the instant it was finished!
He couldn't even see where the demonic insect came from.
Could it be that countless demonic insects lurk between heaven and earth, waiting for certain conditions, such as the successful completion of the Crossing-the-Reed Pill, to reveal themselves and reside within it? Or are these demonic insects parasitizing some kind of spiritual material, hatching inside the Crossing-the-Reed Pill?
So this is how insect eggs come about!
Qin Sang finally understood why those cultivators, who used insect eggs to enlighten their junior disciples, were all completely clueless.
The old man in hemp robes had spent more than two days in the lower courtyard and was now preparing for the appointment the next day. Qin Sang wandered alone in the mountain gate and found that the person with the highest cultivation level here was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, who was the sect's supreme sect master.
This person had been in seclusion for many years. Qin Sang did not force her way into his cave, but the cave's restrictions could not block his senses.
"As expected, he is also a host of the demonic insects. Judging from his appearance, he doesn't know the truth either," Qin Sang thought to himself.
Not believing that this was an isolated case, Qin Sang immediately left the sect. The area surrounding this great swamp was full of auspicious feng shui and abundant spiritual energy. There were also several sects deep within the swamp, all of which Qin Sang infiltrated.
Qin Sang moved very quickly, traveling to many sects and families.
As expected, the demonic insects were everywhere. Like normal cultivators, they had emotions, desires, love, hate, and grudges. They would also kill each other and would not show mercy to those of the same kind.
This scene was like a group of insects wearing human skin, putting on a terrifying shadow play in front of Qin Sang!
But they acted as if it were a serious matter.
Qin Sang discovered that the root of the problem lay in the Duwei Pill. This pill was the most well-known elixir in the area, and its ingredients were easy to find. Almost everyone, including rogue cultivators, had to take this pill when they reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
Logically speaking, the cultivation world is full of exceptionally talented individuals who can break through on their own without the aid of elixirs. However, Qin Sang, after infiltrating so many sects, did not see a single cultivator above the Foundation Establishment stage who was not parasitized by demonic insects.
This cultivation world is unusual in every way, giving the impression that an invisible hand is manipulating everything here and controlling the fate of billions of living beings.
Qin Sang then thought of the old man in hemp robes and decided to go and observe the battle between the demonic insect hosts. He had encountered several battles before, all of which were between low-level cultivators.
He waited at the agreed location in advance. After about an incense stick's time, the young man arrived first, bringing a female cultivator in a colorful dress. The two chatted and laughed, appearing to be intimate.
Then another man carrying a sword arrived. The three chatted and laughed for a while, growing increasingly impatient. Finally, the old man in hemp clothing arrived late and apologized repeatedly.
Upon seeing the old man in hemp robes, the young man surnamed Qi breathed a sigh of relief. "Fellow Daoists, you've all arrived. Let's not delay, let's set off immediately. If you can help me slay this fiend, I will be eternally grateful!"
The man with the sword on his back laughed and said, "If the four of us join forces and still cannot kill this person, we can give back all our cultivation! However, this person is always extremely cautious and his whereabouts are elusive, making it difficult for outsiders to detect him. Fellow Daoist Qi, are you sure this person will pass through Fuxia River tonight?"
I am absolutely certain!
The young man surnamed Qi was so certain that it greatly surprised everyone.
"Now that things have come to this, it's alright to tell you the truth. I wonder if any of you have heard of Patriarch Pi Hong of Donglin Lake? This learned man has reached the pinnacle of cultivation and will soon be holding the Ascension Assembly. As far as I know, he has a very deep connection with Patriarch Pi Hong. He was able to join the Yue Lin Sect back then because of Patriarch Pi Hong's influence, so he must present Patriarch Pi Hong with a congratulatory gift. Fuxia River is the only way to Donglin Lake," the cultivator surnamed Qi explained.
"The Flying Immortal Assembly!"
Everyone gasped in surprise, their faces filled with envy.
The old man in hemp robes sighed, "I wonder when we will receive the summons from the immortals."
“Once you break through to the ninth level of True Realm, a celestial summons will naturally descend upon you,” the female cultivator in the colorful dress said with a smile.
The old man in hemp clothing smiled bitterly, shook his head, and remained silent.
Next, the four headed to Fuxia River, discussing how to ambush the enemy along the way. The young man surnamed Qi had already made all the necessary preparations, and everyone felt that everything was foolproof, so the atmosphere gradually relaxed.
Qin Sang followed them at a leisurely pace, muttering to herself, "The Ascension Assembly... the summons of immortals... ascension?"
It can be confirmed that this is not a minor world. The next step after the ninth level is the Demon King Realm, which is the Void Refining stage. There should be no such thing as ascension here.
And what about the Celestial Summoning?
Qin Sang had a vague feeling that seeing the so-called divine summons might reveal the truth about this world.
As evening approached, the group arrived at the banks of the Fuxia River, submerged themselves in the river, and laid an ambush.
At midnight, a gentle breeze suddenly blew across the river. Just as I was about to cross it, a loud shout came from the river, and the wind and waves rose.
Moments later, waves surged up from all sides, forming a water prison that trapped a cultivator with a face full of shock and anger inside.
Qin Sang stood on the riverbank, observing coldly.
The ambush lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until the cultivator finally reached his limit and was killed by the four of them working together.
Qin Sang observed the cultivator's condition after death and discovered that as he died, the demonic insect within his body also perished. It seemed that the demonic insect and its host were interdependent, sharing both prosperity and ruin.
Thus, the concept of 'divine summons' becomes somewhat intriguing.
Without disturbing the four people who were working hard to erase the traces, Qin Sang leaped up and flew towards Donglin Lake.