"The Insect Scripture? And the physical body of the Demon God senior?"
"Yes. Since the Bee Daoist has cultivated spirit bees of such a caliber, he must possess an extraordinary talent for insect taming. Furthermore, the spirit bees he is contracted with have already mastered the Spirit Beast Cultivation: Demon Insect Chapter to perfection. I assume the demon insects you are contracted with have also begun practicing this manual?" the Demon God, the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal, suddenly inquired.
"Yes, she has already begun!" Sister Nan nodded.
She was now a prominent figure in Qingshi County, managing vast spirit fields and bee-rearing operations. Under the thriving commercial environment of the Qingtian Domain, she earned a significant amount of spirit stones annually, allowing her to naturally commence the practice of the Spirit Beast Cultivation: Demon Insect Chapter.
The direction she had chosen was the same as Qi Ping's—starting with the Golden Marrow Bees. However, she had chosen a larger variety of demon insects, as her Great Spirit Insect King Physique gave her a unique advantage in contracting and nurturing them.
However, Sister Nan continued, "Senior Demon God, I have a question. Isn't the Demon Insect Chapter just a fundamental manual for nurturing spirit insects? The demon insects I have cultivated so far are far inferior in strength to the Foundation Establishment bloodline insects I contracted directly. Why does this manual seem so vital in your eyes?"
"That is exactly what I was about to explain!" The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal paused before continuing. "This involves a secret of the Insect Scripture, or rather, a supreme method for nurturing demon insects! You know that as an Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal, I possess a powerful insect bloodline comparable to a Void Refinement stage cultivator. Upon reaching adulthood, I naturally possess the strength of that realm! However..."
A trace of loneliness flickered across the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's face. "However, I was empowered by my bloodline, and I was defeated by it. That incredibly powerful bloodline became a shackle that I could not break throughout my entire life, even with the full support of the Beast God Sect! The stronger the bloodline, the more unbreakable the shackles become!"
"We insects are not like those with the Golden Crow bloodline or the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox bloodline. Those races have a chance to break their shackles by awakening their bloodlines or obtaining higher-grade essence blood. Our insect race lacks a direct hereditary lineage. To break our shackles, we must undergo a near-suicidal transformation to evolve into a different, even more powerful species of insect—one that might be unique in the entire cultivation world!"
"But such a transformation is too difficult! However, the Insect Scripture is different..."
The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's eyes glowed with infinite yearning. "There lies the hope for the insect race to break through the limits of bloodline and achieve the status of an Emperor-grade Demon Insect!"
One must realize that an Emperor-grade Demon Insect has a sliver of a chance to contend with Mahayana stage cultivators. They are destined for the Unity stage and hold hope for the Mahayana stage! This was the goal the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal had pursued its entire life.
"But evolving into an Emperor-grade Demon Insect is incredibly arduous. First, one needs a bloodline that has undergone countless evolutions to withstand the terrifying pressure of the transformation and seize that single chance of success!"
"This is the true purpose of the Demon Insect Chapter. It uses the most violent methods of evolution to shape a demon insect swarm with terrifying evolutionary potential. Only such a swarm is qualified to practice the Insect Scripture!"
Of those who could reach the Mahayana stage, which one was not a legendary figure who shook the world? At that level, techniques and resources alone were enough to stymie countless practitioners. Yet, the Insect Scripture offered a glimmer of hope through minimal resources by achieving the impossible.
"Based on what you've said, the swarm cultivated by the Bee Daoist has likely reached the threshold of practicing the Insect Scripture. Achieving the Soul Transformation stage with it should not be difficult. However, reaching the Void Refinement stage will depend on the evolution that occurs during the breakthrough to Soul Transformation..."
"If the Bee Daoist can find the corpse of a Soul Transformation stage demon insect, he can evolve his swarm to that level. Then, utilizing his advantages as an Earth Immortal to mass-produce Soul Transformation insects, there will be hope to resolve the external threats..."
"If my physical body can be used to cultivate Soul Transformation spirit bees to the Void Refinement stage, then not only will the external threats be neutralized, but the Qingtian Domain itself will become even stronger through the birth of a massive number of demon insects!"
"However, I need the Bee Daoist to do one thing for me..." The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal stopped abruptly, its gaze burning as it looked at Sister Nan.
"What is it?" Sister Nan asked, feeling confused.
"I want him to use his power as an Earth Immortal to assist me in my reincarnation!"
"I wish to use a special method to reincarnate my soul into the bloodline and soul of a Qi Refining stage insect swarm. Then, I will use the Demon Insect Chapter and the Insect Scripture to cultivate anew. If these Qi Refining insects can evolve back to the Void Refinement stage, my memories will have a chance to awaken..."
"But this reincarnation method is extremely difficult. Even I am not certain of success. With the assistance of an Earth Immortal, however, I would be much more confident."
The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal looked at Sister Nan with great sincerity and spoke solemnly. "If the Bee Daoist is willing to swear a Heavenly Dao Oath to do his utmost to assist me—and this effort will not significantly impact him—then regardless of success or failure, I will provide a generous reward."
"The Insect Scripture, my physical body, and I will also open all my memories to him. My memories contain much knowledge and many secrets about the ancient times and the cultivation world that are difficult for others to know."
"As for you... you are the only one in the Beast God Sect to possess the Great Spirit Insect King Physique in a hundred thousand years."
The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal raised its hand and injected an incredibly unique power into Sister Nan's body.
Under the influence of this power, the potential of Sister Nan's Great Spirit Insect King Physique began to awaken and strengthen. A mysterious energy erupted from her, and her aura surged!
Even the bees Sister Nan carried with her received numerous benefits from this special energy. The power of the Great Spirit Insect King Physique was fully displayed in that moment!
The awakening lasted for a full half-hour. Once it was complete, the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's power was visibly weakened, and its body became even more translucent. Clearly, helping Sister Nan awaken her physique had been a significant drain on its strength.
"Thank you, Senior Demon God, for your help..." Sister Nan felt the strength of her physical body and the unique power of her physique. Seeing the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's weakened state, a surge of gratitude rose in her heart.
She had always been a person who clearly distinguished between favors and grudges. To have the soul of a Void Refinement stage demon insect—one who understood her physique perfectly—help her awaken was an act of immense significance that could not be easily described.
The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal was satisfied with her reaction. It had not misjudged her; after living for countless ages, it possessed that much insight.
"I will entrust the Insect Scripture and the Supreme Insect God Manual to you. Furthermore, the Qi Refining swarm I become after reincarnation will need to be contracted and raised by you..."
At this point, Sister Nan understood everything. The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal was placing its hope for reincarnation upon her. The benefits for her were self-evident! The potential of a reincarnated Void Refinement stage demon insect was far beyond any ordinary insect. This alone was a massive opportunity!
If the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal awakened in the future, her contracted insect would be at the Void Refinement stage at minimum! Moreover, the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's goal clearly exceeded that realm; it aimed for the Emperor-grade status described in the Insect Scripture! Where else could one find such an existence?
Not to mention that the Insect Scripture and the Supreme Insect God Manual were the core legacies of the Beast God Sect.
After understanding the key points, Sister Nan reacted immediately and swore a solemn oath. "I, Mu Nan, swear here today by the Heavenly Dao that if I receive Senior Demon God's legacy, I will do my utmost to nurture Senior's reincarnated form. Should I fail, may heart-demons arise and my cultivation be destroyed!"
Mu Nan then forced a drop of blood from her finger and carved a special mark into the ground. This was the widely known method for swearing a Heavenly Dao Oath among cultivators.
The moment she finished the mark, a unique thunderous rumble echoed through the heavens, and the blood mark on the ground vanished instantly. This signified the completion of the oath!
"Good, good, good!" A special smile appeared on the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's face.
Though it was confident no one could refuse such a powerful demon insect, who wouldn't want a better master? Sister Nan had left an excellent impression. Most importantly, it finally saw the hope of a breakthrough!
"This is the inheritance of the Insect Scripture and the Supreme Insect God Manual, including my insights into both. You can use the Supreme Insect God Manual to rebuild your foundation before you break through to the Foundation Establishment stage!"
The Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal merged the two inheritances into Sister Nan's soul. As she digested them, a look of unprecedented determination appeared in her eyes. She finally saw the hope of catching up to Qi Ping!
If she could nurture the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's reincarnation into an Emperor-grade Demon Insect, she would surely reach the pinnacle of the cultivation world. She would no longer be a mere ornament under Qi Ping's protection.
The rest of the communication proceeded without incident. After finishing her discussion with the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal, Sister Nan took her leave.
Qi Ping, who had been nearby, had heard everything. The gains from this trip had exceeded his expectations. He was particularly interested in the Eight-Winged Pith-Immortal's memories; there were too many unknowns in this cultivation world for him, especially regarding the forces that continuously harvested the land. They were like a sword hanging over his head.
He had to understand everything!
Of course, what interested him even more was the fact that the Insect Scripture contained a method to evolve into an Emperor-grade Demon Insect!
"Qi Ping, are you there?" After leaving the Beast God Sect's heritage ruins, Sister Nan could not wait to call out to him.
"I am here, Sister Nan!" Along with his voice, Qi Ping's black-robed figure appeared out of thin air.
"Qi Ping, you heard what was said just now. Are you..."
Before she could finish, Qi Ping spoke directly. "Yes. The Bee Daoist is me."