The underground chamber wasn't large and was divided into a cultivation room and an insect breeding room.
The cultivation room was used for cultivation and improving skill proficiency, while the insect breeding room housed Spirit Insects.
Three types of Spirit Insects were placed in the insect breeding room.
The Poisonous Spine Insects, controlled by the Insect Taming Technique with the Spirit Contract Mark, were still in their larval stage, totaling 38.
The Poisonous Spine Insects mainly provided poisonous spines for creating itching powder and would not participate in combat.
After contracting Corner Worms, 144 were hatched. Accounting for the ones that died, 112 remained.
As miner helpers, the Corner Worms were currently 'unemployed' since the underground chamber was completed.
Finally, there were the Exotic Black Mosquitoes.
Two of the Exotic Black Mosquitoes didn't make it, leaving only three alive.
Two had lost their wings and couldn't fly. Only one solitary mosquito could be used as a combat unit.
It isn't the small number of survivors that's scary, but rather the fear of none surviving at all.
As long as the female Exotic Black Mosquito survived, given some time for cultivating and breeding, he could, like the Mosquito Daoist, breed a force of hundreds.
Jia Ren had witnessed the ferocity of the Exotic Black Mosquitoes firsthand. Even Spiritual Fire and a High-Grade Magical Artifact couldn't handle them. It took a Mid-Grade Firebird Talisman to take them down.
Once the Exotic Black Mosquitoes formed a swarm, even cultivators in the Late Stage Qi-Refining could be fought and overcome.
Jia Ren looked at the three Exotic Black Mosquitoes. Despite resting for several days, they still looked listless.
He had been hesitant to use the Insect Control Technique because he was worried they were too weak and could die from mishandling.
He couldn't delay any longer.
If the Exotic Black Mosquitoes recovered and took the opportunity to kill him during his cultivation, it would be a humiliating death.
"Insect Control Technique!"
At Grandmaster Level Complete, his Insect Control Technique easily controlled the three Exotic Black Mosquitoes, a standard above even the Mosquito Daoist's.
Unlike controlling other Spirit Insects, Exotic Black Mosquitoes endured greater mental pressure—controlling one took as much mental energy as controlling five Corner Worms.
The Corner Worms could be controlled up to 80 at a time, but the forceful control limit for Exotic Black Mosquitoes was 16.
The Insect Taming Technique controls more insects, so it will be the main focus.
Rest well, the army of Exotic Black Mosquitoes relies on you.
After changing the Spiritual Liquid, Jia Ren returned to the cultivation room. With a thought, the Proficiency Panel appeared.
[Realm: Qi Refining Fourth Level (322/400)]
[Cultivation Technique: Tortoise Spirit Technique Fourth Level (349/400)]
[Spells: Wind Control Skill: Grandmaster (368/1600)]
[Fireball Technique: Proficient (33/200)]
[Spirit Eye Technique: Proficient (186/200)]
[Spirit Shield: Proficient (25/200)]
[Sun Locking Technique: Skilled (196/400)]
[Return to Origin Sword Qi: Proficient (148/200)]
[Gather Water Spell: Beginner (30/100)]
[Tempting Bait (Fish): Grandmaster (Ultimate) +]
[Insect Control Technique (Spirit): Grandmaster (Ultimate II)]
[Insect Taming Technique (Spirit Contract Mark): Proficient (82/200)]
[Metal Finger Technique: Grandmaster (Ultimate) +]
[Turtle Breath Technique: Beginner (21/100)]
[Turtle Prime Spirit Armor: Beginner (11/100)]
Skill Breaking Point: 1.275
After accumulating over several days, his Skill Breaking Points had once again reached above one.
The Wind Control Skill was still a long way from reaching the ultimate Grandmaster level, so it wasn't currently usable for breakthroughs.
The Insect Control Technique had been broken through once, and breaking through a second time required even more Skill Breaking Points.
The techniques currently meeting the requirements were the Metal Finger Technique and the Tempting Bait.
The Metal Finger Technique had just performed exceptionally well, and Jia Ren was not stingy. He decisively tapped the plus sign behind Metal Finger Technique.
[Metal Finger Technique: Great Grandmaster (1688/3200)]
The breakthrough for Metal Finger Technique was successful, elevating it to the realm of Great Grandmaster. Jia Ren felt a deeper understanding of Metal Finger Technique welling up inside him.
It was as if, after practicing Metal Finger Technique for decades, he had achieved enlightenment overnight and successfully broken through.
A golden light condensed on the index finger of his right hand as if it was tangible. With a single tap, the golden light suddenly appeared, silently piercing through the mud wall.
Peering through the hole left in the mud wall, Jia Ren saw a crater of unknown depth on the wall of the Insect Breeding Room.
The speed of the Great Grandmaster level Metal Finger Technique has increased by at least 30% compared to before, and its lethality has become stronger. With such a sudden close-range burst, few can evade it.
I wonder if it can penetrate the defense of a Medium-grade Magic Tool?
Jia Ren thought of the Green Spirit Shield. After hesitating for a moment, he gave up on the risky idea of damaging a Middle-Grade Defense Magical Implement.
Who would have thought this was a technique for killing insects?
The Great Grandmaster level Metal Finger Technique has become a trump card.
Continue the cultivation! Spells are protective methods for the path, but Cultivation Level is the foundation.
I will not leave seclusion until reaching the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining.
「After seven days in seclusion」
Jia Ren ignored the outside world and concentrated wholly on cultivation.
This was his longest time in secluded cultivation. He consumed all the Spirit Bud Elixir he had, causing his cultivation speed to slow down.
On the last day, Jia Ren finally made a concerted effort, and his Cultivation Level reached the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining.
Haha, I'm at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining! Although I am still far from Foundation Establishment, this is indeed a happy occasion.
Without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles. Cultivation is, by its very nature, a process of accumulation over time.
Feeling elated, Jia Ren left the underground chamber to see the long-missed sunlight.
Perhaps it was because he had been underground for too long; his skin was damp and slightly pale from not having seen sunlight for an extended period.
He cooked a pot of Spirit Rice to fill his empty stomach.
It's time to buy some Elixirs.
He had enough Spirit Rice but lacked Elixirs for cultivation.
Without Elixirs to aid in cultivation, Jia Ren felt the difference in his progress. Even with the aid of Spirit Bud Rice, the last stretch of cultivation took two days.
Compared to when he took Spirit Bud Elixir and progressed rapidly, the psychological gap was too great.
Depending only on meditation for cultivation, who knows when he would break through to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, not to mention the Late Stage Qi-Refining.
I don't have a lot of Spirit Stones on hand, and there's no news from Yang Bingzhi at the moment. I need to figure out a way to earn Spirit Stones first.
I wonder if it's been safe these past few days?
Has the Bizarre Evil Qi ended?
Being in seclusion for many days had cut him off from news; he was almost isolated from the world.
Jia Ren left the stone house and surveyed his surroundings carefully, remaining cautious.
He didn't see any living people along the way, as if he was in a post-apocalyptic world, with only himself left alone.
In the distance, the stone houses bore remnants of congealed bloodstains and signs of battle. The head of a familiar Cultivator lay tilted in a pool of blood in front of a door, decapitated.
His unattended remains, unknown how long exposed, were decaying and attracting flies and insects.
Jia Ren approached and used the Fireball Technique to burn the corpse.
He did this to prevent the corpse from spreading disease and affecting him.
"Daoist Jia, don't burn the corpse! It might attract trouble!"
The door of the neighboring stone house opened, and a scruffy Loose Cultivator poked his head out, looking at Jia Ren with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
The two had only met once and were not familiar, not even knowing each other's names.
"Daoist Jia, I have a favor to ask. Could you help me arrange the stone house?"
"How about two Spirit Stones?"
Jia Ren was utterly confused and didn't understand what was being asked of him.
Following the Loose Cultivator's gaze, he turned his head to survey the various slightly dilapidated stone houses around.
Compared to his professional distressing technique, their imitation was poor and lacked its essence.
Such poorly aged stone houses wouldn't be enough to deter Bizarre Cultivators.
"Fellow Daoist, could you tell me what has happened recently?"