Chapter 2289: Chapter 2291: True Sage Joins
Filling the mine is simple; there are plenty of stones in the Broken Stone Zone. Just throw a few stones in there, then use "Turning Stone to Mud" to complete the task.
In the following two months, everyone continued to wander in the starry sky and successively witnessed three systematic societies of the Insect Race. They also encountered some scattered ones, which they would annihilate completely if possible, and if not, they would temporarily let them go.
They discovered some mineral deposits, including two Vitality Stone mines, but still no Spirit Stone mines.
Feng Jun had basically accepted a fact—this world likely does not have Spirit Stone mines.
However, on the bright side, he found another gold mine. Although the content was slightly lower, around thirty percent, the mine’s volume was large, roughly ten thousand cubic kilometers.
Feng Jun did not mine it; he simply marked his footprint for easy retrieval later.
Another month passed, and they encountered the Insect Race more frequently, even encountering an insect swarm in space once.
There were several billion insects, including ones in the Nascent Soul Stage, Golden Core Stage, and Qi Refinement Realm; however, the majority were still in the Qi Refinement Realm.
Even many large insects had layers of bugs not yet at the Qi Refinement Realm crawling on them, a dense, overwhelming sight enough to terrify anyone with fear of crowded spaces.
A vast expanse of starry sky was obscured. Even someone as formidable as Elder Qinghuang couldn’t help but suggest retreating.
Retreating was necessary. The cultivators of Tianqin are arrogant, but that’s because of their formidable strength, making them fearless across worlds. Yet facing such circumstances, they still had to wisely retreat.
They took shelter over two hundred thousand miles away, knowing now that many types of insects have excellent vision, like the Tianmu Insect Clan, so everyone activated various concealment methods.
"We didn’t bring enough concealment talismans," a Golden Core Master from Xuanhuang noted. Concealment talismans are originally rare, and before departure, each received one or two. Once activated, Xuanhuang disciples could share them.
So Xuanhuang sect’s preparations are considered adequate, but as they got closer to the Insect Race hub, encounters increased significantly. Although Golden Core disciples didn’t need to rush in, they occasionally had to dodge, and they were running low on concealment talismans.
Fortunately, the Spirit Stone reserves were still ample enough to support about a year of space exploration.
"After a while, ask Mountain Master Feng to take everyone back again," True Immortal Chen Xi was now accustomed to Feng Jun’s transportation capabilities and wouldn’t waste them. "The cost is manageable; the main thing is we’ve gained considerable loot that should be deposited and supplies replenished."
They were discussing the replenishment of supplies; other True Immortals weren’t particularly concerned. Upon reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, everyone has some means to conceal themselves. Elder Qinghuang was pondering, "Are these insects... relocating?"
"That’s possible," Elder Cang Jing, more knowledgeable about the Insect Race, replied. "The Insect Race reproduces astonishingly fast. Without control, they might quickly consume vast resources, necessitating migration to another star system."
"Where would they move to?" Elder Qing Ji asked thoughtfully. "If moving to a new location, adapting to the environment won’t be quick, we could definitely launch another surprise attack."
Throughout their over six-month journey among the stars, they mapped numerous areas and discovered valuable mineral deposits. However, these were both meant to benefit future generations, leaving the pioneers with little immediate benefit.
The real gain was in exterminating the Insect Race. The bodies of the insects provide materials for various purposes—artifact refining, medicine making, healing, etc. Moreover, many insects taste delicious; although they cultivate through Incense Fire Ascension, eating them is also beneficial.
Thus, unconsciously, this pioneering team became more interested in exterminating the Insect Race.
"I suggest not acting impulsively, observe carefully first," The one proposing caution was none other than Feng Jun, who preferred cautious development. "These insects have dispatched numerous scouts; they are highly alert. I even suspect they’re preparing for battles."
"Battles..." True Immortal Ming Xin furrowed his brow slightly. As a Sword Cultivator, he holds combat in sacred regard. "Mountain Master Feng, I mean no offense, but engaging in battle with such diverse and abundant numbers feels somewhat irresponsible."
Through months of collaboration, everyone gradually understood Feng Jun, realizing his cautious nature. Yet they depended on him greatly, and in many ways, he was the backbone of this team.
Without his presence, nobody could unify this team together—everyone is equally matched, who would heed whom?
Thus even Ming Xin, as a tough Sword Cultivator, prefaced his disagreement with a note of "no offense."
"It’s not entirely so," True Immortal Chen Xi hastily interjected, deflecting the issue. "Where they’re headed must also have insects; it’s normal. After winning, they can settle the elderly and young for living."
"Hehe," Qing Ji chuckled indifferently, "The essence of survival is resource competition; it’s nothing unusual."
This wave of the Insect Race is a staggering seven to eight hundred million, and it took a full ten days to pass through. The cultivation level got lower as time went on, but towards the end, there appeared tens of thousands of Golden Core and dozens of Nascent Soul.
"These are the rear guards," Elder Qinghuang said with interest, unconcerned by their strong abilities. "Once we are entangled in chaos, there are ample opportunities to stealthily profit... Shall we go for it?"
Others seemed eager to try as well, and Feng Jun finally suggested, "Keep a distance and observe. Avoid making hasty moves. After they are weakened to the point of mutual destruction, that’s the best time to strike."
"Of course," Elder Cang Jing answered without hesitation. Who doesn’t understand the principle of watching tigers fight from the mountain? Yet, it’s rare for both to be gravely injured, but she didn’t state the obvious. "We’ll deal with it according to the circumstances."
Thus, Feng Jun and the others maintained a long distance from the tail of this massive Insect Race swarm, with a gap exceeding 150,000 miles. The number of insects ahead was too overwhelming, making it impossible to lose track just by eyesight.
After more than ten days, the people from Xuanhuang Gate started to feel the strain— their stealth talismans were about to run out.
Considering the insects in front maintained a relatively steady pace, True Immortal Chen Xi discussed with Feng Jun, firstly retreating even further, and secondly returning to the portal to acquire another batch of stealth talismans.
Since they were returning, True Immortal Chen Xi, as the main person in charge, would certainly report back and submit some war trophies. Currently, Xuanhuang had four True Immortals with the team, not needing all to return.
Two of them were injured, so it was suitable for them to return, to recuperate and also assist True Immortal Chen Xi with additional explanations.
Once decided, they acted swiftly. Feng Jun led True Immortal Chen Xi and three others back to the portal.
Now, True Immortal Chen Xi’s reputation at Xuanhuang Gate was considerably prominent. Everyone knew he followed Feng Jun’s team deep into the Interior of the Insect World, especially when a while back, news from the rear said he visited Huang Tian and brought back True Immortal Ming Xin.
For the following four months, there was no news from True Immortal Chen Xi. Xuanhuang’s fellow members understood Feng Jun’s capabilities, so they weren’t too worried, but the persistent silence did cause many to admire his daring recklessness.
As soon as he returned today, it shook the entire Xuanhuang Gate, even attracting numerous disciples from Yuangang Gate eager to know what encounters he had ahead.
However, True Immortal Chen Xi had already made up his mind, saying this was a secret, not to be disclosed for now.
Soon, True Sage Diaoso also rushed over, keen to hear about his adventure in the front lines.
With a True Sage present, True Immortal Chen Xi certainly couldn’t hold back, promptly narrating the general experience, also stating that his current return was to send back two injured personnel, submit war trophies, acquire some combat resources, and then take two True Immortals along.
Since the two injured could also recount detailed events, True Sage Diaoso did not inquire further.
As for replenishing materials and personnel, those were simple to provide.
The Tianqin Cultivators have conducted some exploration of the Insect World over the past half year, forming preliminary impressions. Though requiring more personnel, they’re no longer clueless—at least able to discern some priorities.
Prior to this, when True Immortal Chen Xi left with Feng Jun, even Xuanhuang Gate hesitated to assign personnel, as no one knew the kind of complex situation they’d face at the portal—and Feng Jun’s team had considerable strength.
Now Xuanhuang Gate could indeed allocate manpower. In their view, the exploration team led by Chen Xi is worthy of substantial support—other explorers haven’t achieved even a third of Feng Jun’s exploration distance.
This isn’t due to others’ incompetence, but because no other team has someone like Feng Jun, extraordinary to the point of establishing teleportations, something scarce even in the Insect World.
Thus, True Immortal Chen Xi’s request for two Golden Core Disciples isn’t demanding—he could easily request ten... even add two True Immortals.
However, Tianqin’s exploration operates on its own unwritten rules. While exploring new worlds, neither sect has imposed excessive conditions, not even broaching the matter of shared rewards or standard purchases, due to the potential dangers the new world may hold.
Hence, they can’t casually join explorers’ teams; having Golden Core Masters accompany explorers to record maps and findings meets the conditions set by the leaders.
Of course, this rule might change in the future, but for now, it’s set. Truthfully, given the discovered scale of the Insect World, it’s unlikely the two sects will impose overly steep demands later, because the world is too vast for both to handle.
Thus, True Immortal Chen Xi’s request for two True Immortals can only be met with provision of two Golden Core Disciples, without making additional demands.
But upon hearing their experiences, True Sage Diaoso felt a bit tempted, "Count me in then."
