Chapter 644: Nature's Gift

The chaos subsided. He finally regained his composure.

Qin Sang mumbled, "As expected, Crimson Fire Gold has an immense attraction for them. Fortunately, I had already planned ahead and left a way out."

He was not a reckless person. He had scattered the Bloodwing Ghosthead Bee larvae far and wide precisely to guard against such an occurrence. If a powerful spirit insect were attracted, he could detonate the larvae as a retreat.

Compared to pursuing an invading enemy, the Crimson Fire Gold was undoubtedly more important.

Spirit insects don't possess high intelligence; they only make such simple judgments.

Each spirit insect has a different temperament. Previously, Qin Sang wasn't entirely sure how effective Crimson Fire Gold would be, as it's only beneficial for spirit insects when consumed at the brink of transformation.

Now, it seemed he had underestimated Crimson Fire Gold's allure.

The method proved viable, but what it would ultimately attract was beyond his control.

Qin Sang cursed in his heart those who discovered the Night Cicada, wondering if the information was wrong or if there wasn't just one Night Cicada in the cavern, but an entire nest.

This Night Cicada had never appeared before; it was only disturbed upon sensing the Crimson Fire Gold.

The Night Cicada pursuing him was terrifying; it had effortlessly discovered the Flying Yaksha's hiding place and possessed such dreadful combat power, far exceeding Qin Sang's expectations. It might be in the late stage of its third transformation.

Its attacks left no trace and seemed to possess spell-breaking abilities, only felt when they struck him directly.

The Night Cicada had been discovered decades ago.

Qin Sang had initially believed that no matter how strong the Night Cicada was, it would only be at the level of having just completed its third transformation, meaning he and the Flying Yaksha wouldn't have to worry.

Fortunately, he had reacted quickly, detonating the larvae in time to lure it away, otherwise the Flying Yaksha likely wouldn't have dodged a third attack.

Qin Sang summoned the Flying Yaksha. Seeing its wounds, he felt a lingering fear. He took out a Lesser Yin Magnetic Bottle containing Earth Fiend Qi and had it absorb the qi for healing.

Gazing at the direction of the cavern entrance in the distance, Qin Sang's expression flickered with uncertainty.

He had decided to leave this place and give up on the Night Cicada.

With this Night Cicada present, the cavern was extremely dangerous.

Qin Sang was no match for the Night Cicada now.

Even if he could find help and capture the Night Cicada, it would be futile.

The spirit insect control methods Qin Sang knew, whether from the Spirit Taming Sect's legacy or the Witch Tribe's Natal Worm Gu, all required the cultivator's cultivation level to exceed that of the spirit insect for there to be any chance of success.

A Natal Worm Gu was out of the question.

If he were to use the Spirit Taming Sect's insect-taming method, controlling this Night Cicada would require him to wait until it began its fourth transformation, then strike when it was vulnerable.

In other words, Qin Sang would need to possess Nascent Soul Stage cultivation.

If this Night Cicada understood how to ingest Crimson Fire Gold without refining it, and instead absorbed its medicinal power when it began its fourth transformation, its destiny might change because of that trace of Crimson Fire Gold.

This was truly a case of fortune delivered to its doorstep.

Qin Sang's eyes held a strange glint; he had inadvertently become a treasure delivery boy.

Would it thank nature for its gift?

Luring the Night Cicada required only a minuscule amount of Crimson Fire Gold, so Qin Sang's loss was minimal. However, this incident taught him a lesson: one could never be too cautious when using Crimson Fire Gold to lure spirit insects.

"The sixth one," Qin Sang muttered.

Standing at the edge of a poisonous marsh, Qin Sang rubbed his temples, a headache brewing.

After leaving the Night Cicada's cavern, Qin Sang journeyed ceaselessly, visiting four more locations consecutively.

He was now much more cautious. He would first use secret insect-luring medicine to test, then use Ghosthead Bee larvae as bait, trying various methods before finally resorting to Crimson Fire Gold.

During the luring process, he and the Flying Yaksha would keep as much distance as possible and select a retreat path in advance.

Qin Sang painstakingly traveled thousands of miles, traversing various desolate lands, pouring all his energy into searching four locations, but each time returned empty-handed. Every attempt, despite his full concentration, yielded nothing, leaving Qin Sang mentally exhausted and feeling very weary.

However, this outcome was not entirely unexpected.

Spirit insects have extremely acute senses for danger and frequently migrate. Moreover, with the rumors so widespread and many people aware, it was possible some had already been captured, especially those high on the Witch Worm List.

While Qin Sang possessed Crimson Fire Gold, there was no guarantee that others didn't also have unique insect-luring methods.

Finding a suitable spirit insect was far from easy.

This poisonous marsh was the sixth location; rumors claimed a Rainbow-Ringed Giant Earthworm resided within.

The marsh's area was smaller than the Night Cicada's barren plain. Above it, colorful poisonous mist drifted, appearing even more vibrant under the sunlight, making one think of the brightly colored fur of fierce venomous beasts.

In fact, the poisonous mist in this marsh was extremely potent. In its depths, even true essence couldn't withstand the mist's erosion, making it a death trap that even Core Formation Stage cultivators dared not enter.

Strangely, many spirit herbs capable of neutralizing all poisons grew within this marsh. Thus, every so often, cultivators would risk entering to search for these herbs.

Of course, they all stayed at the edges of the marsh, not daring to venture into its core.

This second-transformation Rainbow-Ringed Giant Earthworm had been discovered by herb gatherers in the marsh. More than one person had seen it, and it was spotted again thirty years ago, making the information far more reliable than that of the Night Cicada.

The Rainbow-Ringed Giant Earthworm possessed ancient giant earthworm bloodline. It subsisted by absorbing poisonous qi, and not only could it release a poisonous cloud, but its entire body was also highly toxic, making most people afraid to even touch it.

The more colorful rings it had on its body, and the more vibrant their colors, the more terrifying the toxicity of the Rainbow-Ringed Giant Earthworm.

Choosing it as a Natal Worm Gu wouldn't be bad either. After its third transformation, its poisonous cloud would become invisible and colorless, making it easy for Core Formation cultivators to fall victim if they weren't careful.

It was said that after its fourth transformation, the Rainbow-Ringed Giant Earthworm would possess an extremely rare Indestructible Body, a powerful divine ability coveted by countless body cultivators.

Of course, like other rare insects, the Rainbow-Ringed Giant Earthworm was exceedingly difficult to cultivate.

Being poisonous all over, it was also hard to capture, so those herb gatherers had little interest in it.

Qin Sang prepared magic tools to resist the poisonous mist and entered the marsh with the Flying Yaksha. He stopped when he neared the core area, not daring to delve deeper, and simply set up his bait there.

Due to the poisonous mist, the secret insect-luring medicines were largely ineffective.

Qin Sang released Bloodwing Ghosthead Bee larvae, but found that without his personal protection, these larvae would immediately be corroded away upon contact with the poisonous mist.

Ultimately, Qin Sang had no choice but to directly use Crimson Fire Gold.

Qin Sang was well aware of the Rainbow-Ringed Giant Earthworm's innate abilities.

This rare insect was toxic all over, but the Flying Yaksha wasn't particularly afraid.

Its physical body had been tempered by Earth Fiend Qi, significantly improving its resistance to poison. This time, even if it encountered a Rainbow-Ringed Giant Earthworm in the late stage of its third transformation, it wouldn't be as disheveled.

But Qin Sang remained very cautious, fearing he might attract something other than the Rainbow-Ringed Giant Earthworm.

Curiously, many mundane plants and trees actually grew within the mist-shrouded poisonous marsh, and he wondered how they adapted to such an environment.

Since Bloodwing Ghosthead Bee larvae couldn't be used, Qin Sang smeared the Crimson Fire Gold onto tree trunks and grass leaves, covering a large area.

Then, he and the Flying Yaksha climbed into the treetops, patiently waiting while observing the bubbling marsh below.