"This Heaven-Devouring Insect Kingâeven though it only has half of its body leftâthereâs actually a terrifying and powerful restriction protecting it. My divine sense canât penetrate at all!"
"Best not to mess with it!"
Lin Changâsheng sat cross-legged atop Iron Mountain, surrounded by a sprawling mass of black Heaven-Devouring Wormsâat least a hundred thousand.
Among these Heaven-Devouring Worms, eight were ten-zhang long leaders. Lin Changâsheng had planted divine soul contracts in them, making them his to command.
There were even more Heaven-Devouring Worms inside, but Lin Changâsheng didnât make a move on them, since those were far too close to the Heaven-Devouring Insect King.
That Heaven-Devouring Insect Kingâfor now, Lin Changâsheng couldnât afford to provoke it.
"Forget it, Iâd better find a spot to raise my cultivation to the Peak of Foundation Establishment first!"
Lin Changâsheng eyed the eight Heaven-Devouring Worm leaders beside him, thinking to himself.
Right now, heâd killed the Beimu Immortal Raceâs Saint Heir, Su Mu, and been marked by the nascent soul-level divine thought of the Beimu Immortal Race. If he left here, he was certain to be hunted down by a Nascent Soul cultivator.
The stronger his cultivation, the higher his chances of surviving a Nascent Soul chase.
Currently, he was on the Eighth Layer of Foundation Establishment.
One more layer and heâd hit the Ninth Layerâafter that, he could consider forming his Golden Core. With Jade Spirit Marrow, a Golden Molding Pill, and the Myriad Treasures Pill Formation Technique, so many treasures and pillsâit shouldnât be hard to break through to Golden Core Stage.
Once he advanced to Golden Core, heâd have way more confidence.
"True Essence Pills are barely working for me nowâtheir medicinal power has weakened. If I want to reach the Peak of Foundation Establishment, Iâll need a sea of spiritual energy...."
Lin Changâsheng checked his status panel. Seeing the cultivation experience points, his brow furrowed deeply.
For his current Eighth Layer, he needed 128,000 experience points to reach the Ninth Layer. Based on the previous leveling curve, he figured the Ninth Layer would need 256,000 experience points.
At this stage, a single True Essence Pill would only give him 75 points, and if he made it to the Ninth Layer, itâd probably only add 30.
To max out his Ninth Layer Foundation Establishment experience, there just werenât enough True Essence Pills.
"Better find a place to reach the Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment first!"
Lin Changâsheng made up his mind, and glanced at the Heaven-Devouring Worms beside him. These things were a must to keep close.
Considering Heaven-Devouring Worms chew through anything, their favorite food was still the iron from this mountain.
Lin Changâsheng ordered each worm to take a fist-sized chunk of mountain iron with them.
"Eight Heaven-Devouring Worm leadersâequal to eight Golden Core Early Stage cultivators. Plus nearly a hundred thousand worms. In this Golden Core Area, as long as I donât act clueless, I should be safe enough."
"Time to find a mountain and carve out a cave residence!"
Lin Changâsheng commanded his eight worm leaders, with a hundred thousand worms trailing behind.
The swarm of nearly a hundred thousand Heaven-Devouring Worms followed Lin Changâsheng, surging ahead like a black cloud.
Beneath Iron Mountain lay half the corpse of the Heaven-Devouring Insect Kingâno way Lin Changâsheng was going to cultivate here.
........
Lin Changâsheng raced forward, covering nearly a thousand miles, but never came across a mountain he liked for making a cave residence. He spread his powerful divine sense, searching all around.
"Huh? Thatâs a massive Spirit Marrow Pool up ahead! And a bunch of Golden Core cultivators?"
Suddenly, Lin Changâsheng spotted thick, pale-white spiritual mist to the east, almost tangible; the air was unbelievably fresh. His heart skipped a beat.
His cultivation experience points needed were exactly the surging spiritual energy found here!
If he cultivated inside this kind of spiritual energy, experience would rack up at lightning speed, right?
His only concern was that the Spirit Marrow Pool had plenty of Golden Core Stage cultivators!
"Iâve been stressing about running out of True Essence Pills, but now I run into spiritual energy this dense!"
"If I donât get too close and just cultivate near the edge, I should be fine."
Lin Changâsheng felt a spark, immediately concealing his presence and shrinking his divine sense as he approached, with the Heaven-Devouring Worms following.
He wasnât about to compete with those Golden Core cultivatorsâjust needed a spot on the outskirts to cultivate for a bit. Out there, a hundred zhang away, even the spiritual energy was as potent as a True Essence Pill.
Lin Changâsheng moved in towards the edge of the spiritual energy field; this Spirit Marrow Pool spanned a hundred zhang.
In the pool, eighteen three-foot stone platforms were arranged in order. Each one was occupied by a Peak Golden Core cultivator.
At the poolâs border sat some Late Stage and Middle Stage Golden Core cultivators.
Further out were Early Stage Golden Core cultivators, and over a dozen Peak Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"All the spots are taken?"
Lin Changâsheng inspected the Spirit Marrow Pool, setting his eyes on a stone platform twenty-odd zhang from the poolâs edge. No one was there. He stepped forward, felt the thick spiritual energy, and nodded with satisfaction. "This is definitely a great spot for cultivation. If I can train here, Iâll reach the Peak of Foundation Establishment for sure!"
Lin Changâshengâs eyes lit up.
Right now, Lin Changâsheng had: mid-stage Golden Core physique, mid-stage Golden Core divine sense, eight Early Stage Golden Core Heaven-Devouring Worm leaders, and over a hundred thousand worms. With that, he figured drawing energy from the outskirts shouldnât be a problem.
Lin Changâsheng thought for a moment.
Then he walked over, sat down on empty ground twenty zhang from the Spirit Marrow Pool, ready to cultivate.
"Get lost!"
Just then, a cold, cutting voice rang past Lin Changâshengâs ear, along with three hostile stares.
"Sir, this is the Void Hall Golden Core Areaâeveryoneâs allowed. Iâm here to cultivate, twenty zhang from you. Surely Iâm not disturbing you?"
Lin Changâsheng glanced at the cultivator who spoke, his heart sinking.
It was a tall man, about forty, with a lump at the corner of his eye the size of a pigeon eggâan Early Stage Golden Core cultivator. His face was dark, eyes full of murderous intent.
Lin Changâsheng also saw two skinny Early Stage Golden Core cultivators at the lump guyâs side. All three looked at him with clear hostility.
"Damn, these three bastards canât get to the middle of the Spirit Marrow Pool to cultivate, so they pick on the weakâworried Iâll siphon off the spiritual energy in their patch and donât want me training here?"
Lin Changâshengâs brow furrowed deeply.
The ruckus instantly caught the attention of the surrounding Early and Middle Stage Golden Core cultivators, though the Late Stage and Peak cultivators completely ignored it!
"I said get lostâare you deaf?"
The lump-faced cultivatorâs eyes turned icy; he spat out a flying sword, sending it slicing toward Lin Changâshengâs throat.
"You......."
Seeing the lump-faced Golden Core go straight for his life without a word, Lin Changâsheng lost his patience. He instantly activated his Near-at-Hand technique, his figure flashing back a hundred zhang.
At the same timeâ
His divine sense flickered, contacting the hundred thousand Heaven-Devouring Worms waiting behind.
"Think you can run?"
The lump-faced Golden Core cultivator was startled by Lin Changâshengâs speed, though his Golden Core flying sword was even faster, shrieking through the air, clinging to Lin Changâsheng like a maggot on a bone.
"Open for me!"
Lin Changâsheng instantly drew his Immortal Slaying Saber, smashing the lump-faced manâs flying sword away with one strike.
At the same timeâ
A huge black cloud swept in, instantly swarming around the lump-faced Golden Coreâs flying sword!
"Crunch crunch!"
A wave of sickening, teeth-grinding gnawing noises echoed out.
"Ah...no!"
The lump-faced Golden Coreâs face twisted, blood spraying from his mouth; he paled in an instant, staring at Lin Changâsheng in terror!
He sensed his magical treasure getting devoured by thousands of worms in a blinkâhis mind was injured along with his treasure!
"What the...."
The two cultivators at the lump-faced manâs side watched it all, backing away in horror!