"Alas, I've done my best!" Jia Ren informed Yang Bingzhi via voice transmission that he had done all he could. He had no power to save anyone from a cultivator at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, and any attempt to intervene would only put himself at risk. Yang Bingzhi had gained benefits and thus had to bear the corresponding risks.
"I'll collect your corpse another day." Without any hesitation, Jia Ren turned on his heel and departed.
Just a few miles after he departed, a burst of explosive firelight erupted in the distance. Jia Ren, not too far away, used his Spirit Eye Technique to observe. Yang Bingzhi's residence had been violently demolished, collapsing with a crash. Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, three figures leaped out from the wreckage.
"HAHA, a big fish!" Two middle-aged men clad in Five Elements Sect Robes laughed heartily as they attacked the Yin Yang Senior Daoist with their Magic Artifacts. Yang Bingzhi cautiously retreated to one side, remaining vigilant.
Trap! The trap laid by the Five Elements Sect specifically for the forces behind the insect calamity had successfully hooked a big fish.
"The two of you are no match for me!" No sooner had the Yin Yang Senior Daoist finished speaking than swarms of Black Mosquitoes, emitting a dark glow, flew out from his Spirit Beast Bag. They covered the sky, numbering in the hundreds. These were not ordinary mosquitoes but a unique species, the Exotic Black Mosquitoes. They were naturally adept at breaking Aura Shields and possessed formidable combat power.
"Mosquito Daoist?! The Thousand Beasts Mountain is truly an ambitious wolf!" The two Five Elements Sect Cultivators recognized the Exotic Black Mosquitoes and realized the newcomer's identity: the Insect Tamer Master from Thousand Beasts Mountain, Mosquito Daoist. Thousand Beasts Mountain primarily focused on beast taming; their legacy in insect taming was scarce. Compared to cultivators who commanded Spirit Beasts, insect tamers were generally much weaker. Mosquito Daoist, however, was an exception. He had the good fortune of obtaining Exotic Black Mosquitoes and had made a formidable name for himself. It was rumored that no fewer than twenty Late Stage Qi Cultivators had perished at his hands, making his name widely known. Even with two cultivators at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement working together, victory was unlikely.
"You two will feed my Black Mosquitoes!" The Mosquito Daoist gestured at the two men from a distance. The Exotic Black Mosquitoes vibrated their wings and swiftly flew towards them to attack.
"Lingluo Fire Disk!" A disk emanating red Spiritual Fire flew into the sky, spinning ceaselessly. Circles of Spiritual Fire gushed out, transforming into a massive flaming ring that descended towards the Exotic Black Mosquitoes. The Exotic Black Mosquitoes, fearless in the face of the fiery Magic Artifact, dived into the flaming ring like moths to a flame. They were born with a protective dark glow, allowing them to remain unharmed amidst the flames. Instead, the Spiritual Fire diminished at a visible rate as the Exotic Black Mosquitoes consumed the flames and flew towards the Lingluo Fire Disk. In the blink of an eye, the Magic Artifact's glow dimmed significantly, and it plummeted from the sky.
"Such fierce mosquitoes!"
"I have no choice but to use my trump card."
"Firebird Talisman!" The Five Elements Sect Cultivator, with a pained expression, took out a jade talisman inscribed with a bird and activated it. A firebird several meters in wingspan circled in the sky before swooping down, enveloping the Exotic Black Mosquitoes in a towering inferno. The Firebird Talisman activated the Firebird Spell, a Foundation Establishment-level spell, unleashing flames that were even stronger and more domineering. The Exotic Black Mosquitoes, previously ferocious, lost their viciousness as their dark protective glow faded in the intense flames. Without the dark glow's protection, their bodies rapidly disintegrated within the fire.
"Damn it! How do you have a medium-grade talisman?!"
"My Exotic Black Mosquitoes!!!" With his Exotic Black Mosquitoes suffering heavy casualties, the Mosquito Daoist lost his biggest trump card. Without a moment's hesitation, he decisively used a Flying Artifact to escape into the distance. Without the Exotic Black Mosquitoes, let alone killing Yang Bingzhi, even escaping alive was now in question. The two Five Elements Sect Cultivators were not about to miss the opportunity to kick a man while he was down and pursued the fleeing Mosquito Daoist with all their might. The three of them, one fleeing and two chasing, soon disappeared into the Grand Wilderness Mountain.
"So it was a trap after all." Jia Ren had not anticipated this twist; the rewards bestowed by the Five Elements Sect were a setup. They had anticipated that Yang Bingzhi would be ambushed and used him as bait to lure out the force behind the scenes. Being an Inner Sect Disciple of the Five Elements Sect was not easy; one could become expendable at any moment.
After the formidable enemy had left, Yang Bingzhi saw Jia Ren and hurried over. "Daoist Jia, after the Five Elements Sect awarded me the prize, they informed me I was to lure out the mastermind behind the insect calamity. I almost made you come here in vain."
"This is the Magic Artifact I promised you." Yang Bingzhi presented a Dark Green Long Staff to Jia Ren. Inside the Dark Green Long Staff, a great number of runes were densely packed, far surpassing the Verdant Flying Daggers in quantity. It was clearly not a mundane item.
A High-Grade Magic Artifact?
"No need!" Jia Ren said. "That Magic Artifact suits you better." He hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to decline. It was false to say he was not tempted by a High-Grade Magic Artifact. But some things were far more important than a High-Grade Magic Artifact.
"Daoist Jia, this is what I promised you. One cannot be dishonest!" Jia Ren's refusal made Yang Bingzhi anxious. Yang Bingzhi knew full well that everything he had obtained was thanks to Jia Ren; without him, becoming an Inner Sect Disciple of the Five Elements Sect would have been impossible. One must not forget to repay kindness.
"A High-Grade Magic Artifact with the Five Elements Sect's mark will only bring me trouble if I take it," Jia Ren explained. "If you truly want to help me, keep an eye out for inheritances of the Four Arts of Cultivation."
As a low-level Loose Cultivator, Jia Ren had access to very few channels and resources. He had always been searching for the Four Arts of Cultivation but had found nothing so far. Without special circumstances, who knew how long it would take for Jia Ren to find the inheritances of the Four Arts of Cultivation. The bait business had no market, and the insect extermination work was about to end. Jia Ren was losing his means of earning Spirit Stones. No matter how many Spirit Stones he possessed, they would eventually be depleted if he only consumed without earning. Yang Bingzhi, now an Inner Sect Disciple of the Five Elements Sect, had contact with the sect's elite. This made it much easier for him to obtain inheritances for array formations, alchemy, artifact refinement, and talisman crafting. With the Proficiency Panel, mastering the Four Arts of Cultivation would not be difficult for Jia Ren; he could easily elevate them to an extremely high level. Wouldn't it be easy to earn Spirit Stones then?
It seemed like he was giving up a High-Grade Magic Artifact, but he was actually investing in his future. Regarding the reciprocity of favors, once this debt of gratitude was repaid, Yang Bingzhi might feel less obligated and thus less inclined to put his utmost effort into helping him in the future.
"Rest assured, Daoist Jia, I will do everything in my power to help you." Understanding Jia Ren's thoughts, Yang Bingzhi did not persist and assured him with a pat on his chest.
Hopefully, everything would go smoothly...
Just as Jia Ren was about to leave, he remembered the Exotic Black Mosquitoes summoned by the Yin Yang Senior Daoist. They had destroyed a High-Grade Magic Artifact, leaving a deep impression on Jia Ren. Compared to them, the Spirit Insects he controlled were rubbish.
Jia Ren arrived at the site of the battle. The ground was strewn with scorched marks from the flames, and many Spirit Fields had suffered collateral damage. Fortunately, the fire had not spread, so the damage to the Spirit Fields was minimal. After some searching, he found a dim, lusterless disk-shaped Magic Artifact and about a dozen charred bodies of Exotic Black Mosquitoes. Most of the Exotic Black Mosquitoes were dead, with only a few barely clinging to life.
I wonder if they can be revived? If I could command the Exotic Black Mosquitoes, they would become a trump card in my hand.
Carefully, he collected the five surviving Exotic Black Mosquitoes to see if they could be saved. Jia Ren did not covet the dimmed High-Grade Magic Artifact. He tossed it to Yang Bingzhi, for him to take back and report. With the Magic Artifact lost, the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement Cultivator from the Five Elements Sect would not let the matter rest. Yang Bingzhi had just joined the Five Elements Sect and would likely face difficulties. This situation wouldn't be conducive to him providing Jia Ren assistance from within the sect. It was highly probable that it would attract trouble to himself, a loss outweighing the gain. Jia Ren would not seek his own doom for immediate gain.