Translator: AnubisTL

Seeking to recapture the state of sudden enlightenment he had experienced earlier, Li Qing drained over half a jar of Moon Palace Brew in quick succession.

Unfortunately, this heavy drinking only slightly improved his mental state, failing to transport him back to that mystical realm of enlightenment.

With a soft sigh, Li Qing slowly set down his wine cup and resealed the Moon Palace Brew.

"This kind of profound state of enlightenment... it truly is a matter of chance, not something one can force," he murmured to himself.

In the end, Li Qing shook his head, wondering if he was being too greedy.

Though rumors claimed that drinking Moon Palace Brew offered a chance to enter a state of sudden enlightenment, the odds remained slim.

His first sip of Moon Palace Brew had unexpectedly plunged him into this mystical state, deepening his understanding of dao patterns and spirit patterns and significantly enhancing his artifact refinement skills.

Having already gained such profound benefits, what more could he possibly desire?

With this thought, Li Qing temporarily suppressed his restless thoughts.

Having glimpsed a new path in artifact refinement, he knew that with time, refinement, and meticulous refinement, he would naturally have opportunities to explore further.

With this settled, Li Qing's gaze drifted to the row of numbers representing his remaining lifespan.

Two thousand one hundred and twenty-one years!

That's right, his lifespan had increased again.

His previous two artifact refinement sessions had granted him five hundred and fifty years of additional lifespan.

Refining a magical treasure and a top-grade magical artifact of exceptional quality had instantly added five hundred and fifty years to Li Qing's lifespan.

Now, possessing over two thousand years of lifespan, Li Qing felt a strange numbness creeping into his heart.

With such an extended lifespan, he was likely one of the longest-lived cultivators among the human race.

"It seems I'm only getting younger as I live longer," Li Qing chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Based on his current lifespan, he was probably still in his infancy.

"But I can't afford to relax yet. A long life is meaningless if I don't live to see it."

To further secure his extended lifespan, Li Qing resolved to remain in his cave abode and continue enhancing his strength.

"There are two critical tasks at hand. First, I need to release the ninth insect and see if it can undergo metamorphosis by absorbing the heaven and earth spiritual energy."

"Second, I must hatch the three golden silkworm eggs."

The ninth insect had already been tamed as his pet beast. Its growth in strength would indirectly enhance Li Qing's combat prowess.

Li Qing had never forgotten one crucial fact: strange beasts from the World of Eternal Night experienced a massive surge in power when exposed to environments rich in spiritual energy.

With this in mind, Li Qing emerged from his cave abode and soared into the sky above the mountain peak.

He waved his hand repeatedly, casting layers of restrictions across the mountain. These barriers not only concealed the area from prying eyes but also suppressed any powerful fluctuations in spiritual energy.

After a considerable time, he finally completed the intricate network of restrictions across his territory.

At the summit of Hundred Refinements Peak on Nanyang Spirit Peak, Li Qing summoned dense clouds and mist to shroud the area, creating an illusion of a sacred immortal peak. To outsiders, the true nature of the place remained utterly obscured.

Having completed these preparations, Li Qing patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

Boom!

A black shadow flashed through the air, and in an instant, nearly half the mountain peak was occupied by the ninth insect.

The ninth insect's colossal size posed a challenge. Having grown up in the spiritual energy-starved End of Dao Era, it lacked the ability to freely control its body size like Fan Tong. This was precisely why Li Qing had brought it outside the cave abode to release it.

Immediately, the heaven and earth spiritual energy began surging toward the ninth insect's massive form.

The entire spiritual energy of Hundred Refinements Peak was drawn in, converging relentlessly upon the insect's body.

Boom!

"Is it about to begin?" Li Qing murmured, stroking his chin as he gazed curiously at Ninth Insect's massive, grotesque form. "I wonder how far it will evolve after absorbing all this spiritual energy and undergoing metamorphosis."

Ninth Insect's colossal body had curled into a tight ball, its nine tentacles retracted, resembling a giant fleshy orb embedded in the mountain peak.

Li Qing immediately sent a message through divine sense:

"Don't panic. Just relax and let the metamorphosis happen. This heaven and earth spiritual energy won't harm you."

He wasn't overly concerned about Ninth Insect. It wasn't a pure strange beast; its true form was actually an unknown type of demonic insect.

Unfortunately, it had been born during the End of Dao Era and then subjected to years of Red Moon exposure, which had mutated it into its current state.

Even the well-versed Li Qing couldn't identify what species of demonic insect Ninth Insect had been in its previous life.

The dense heaven and earth spiritual energy surged forth like a tidal wave, relentlessly scouring Ninth Insect's entire fleshly body.

The spiritual energy crashed through its body in relentless waves, showing no signs of stopping.

As if sensing that the heaven and earth spiritual energy posed no threat, Ninth Insect gradually ceased resisting and allowed the energy to flow into its body.

Soon, its grotesque insectoid form began to emit a faint, ethereal glow, radiating an otherworldly and mysterious aura.

Seeing this, Li Qing narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully observing the ninth insect's impending transformation.

"I'll finally see what kind of rare insect you are and what rank you hold in the Records of the World's Extraordinary Insects."

Unfortunately for Li Qing, his hopes were destined to be dashed.

The ninth insect's metamorphosis wasn't as dramatic as he had imagined. While its strength steadily increased, its physical appearance changed remarkably little.

Even its nine tentacles remained largely unchanged, merely gaining a layer of peculiar chitinous armor.

However, the ninth insect's aura had grown significantly stronger, far surpassing its power in the World of Eternal Night.

This surge in power was unmistakable. The ninth insect now possessed strength comparable to a mid-stage third-tier demon beast, a development that greatly pleased Li Qing.

Boom!

A violent aura erupted continuously from the ninth insect's body. Had Li Qing not erected a restriction beforehand, the entire Nanyang Spirit Peak region's cultivators would have been alerted.

Hundred Refinements Peak even trembled slightly as the ninth insect's body grew increasingly formidable.

Finally, after nearly a full day of metamorphosis, the ninth insect's transformation drew to a close.

Li Qing, his face etched with dark lines of exasperation, glared at the ninth insect and demanded, "You creature! What species of insect are you? Tell me the truth, and tell me now!"

The ninth insect's spiritual intelligence had grown considerably, yet it still shook its antennae in a dazed manner, indicating it didn't know either.

"Sigh, looks like I've brought home a freak of nature," Li Qing sighed, patting the ninth insect's body before his mind drifted to another idea.

Since the ninth insect is also a rare insect, could I get it to hatch the golden silkworm eggs?

With this thought, Li Qing chuckled softly. "I'm going to entrust you with a difficult task: hatching these three insect eggs. What do you say?"

As he spoke, three golden silkworm eggs materialized in his palm.

Upon seeing the golden silkworm eggs, the ninth insect tilted its head in confusion, as if struggling to comprehend Li Qing's words.

Observing the ninth insect's continued clumsiness, Li Qing realized he couldn't entrust it with the hatching task.

If it accidentally crushed the golden silkworm eggs, he'd be beyond tears.

"Never mind, never mind. This true lord will handle it himself."

(End of the Chapter)

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