CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 76: ALTAR AND INSECT CORPSE

"Mysterious cave? Proceed inside!"

Currently, Qi Ping and the beehive were still within the range of that special connection between him and his animal companions, so he could still direct the movements of the beehive in real-time.

Upon receiving the order, the hive immediately flew into the cave.

About ten bees were the first to enter. As soon as they entered, they sensed the dense spiritual energy within the cave.

Utilizing their dark vision, the bees began exploring the cave according to Qi Ping’s orders. Almost any animal that could be rated as a spirit beast possessed basic dark vision, including even a cultivator at the First-Layer of Qi Refining, although the strength of their dark vision varied.

However, just as they had barely entered and hadn’t had a chance to explore further, an unexpected change occurred in an instant.

Qi Ping had just ordered the bees to enter when he felt a mysterious force trying to control them, even disrupting the animal companion contract he had with the bees.

"Something is trying to forcibly control the bees?" Qi Ping’s expression changed upon sensing this.

Thus, Qi Ping hastily stopped other bees intending to enter.

This mysterious force was exceedingly strange, capable of directly attempting to control the consciousness of the bees!

The reason the animal companion contract between Qi Ping and the bees was disrupted was due to that mysterious force forcibly enslaving the bees!

"What kind of spooky entity could be inside?" Qi Ping furrowed his brows tightly upon sensing the situation.

According to records, something that could control and enslave to such an extent was either an extraordinary being with powerful means or a spirit beast with a king-level bloodline that had the talent to control lesser spirit beasts.

Either scenario implied that the entity inside was not easy to deal with.

Fortunately, after a period, the mysterious force did not shake the animal companion contract and gradually retreated.

This allowed Qi Ping to breathe a sigh of relief.

It was probably the latter case because if it were an extraordinarily powerful being, the consciousness of the hive would have been easily obliterated.

Fortunately, the animal companion contract was far more stable than ordinary blood contract techniques.

The reason Beast Taming Cultivators value cultivating bonds with spirit pets so highly is because of the significant flaws in the blood contract technique.

For instance, if a spirit beast holds animosity towards its master or their relationship is poor, it is impossible to command one’s pet beast. Some spirit pets, even at the risk of their divine soul collapsing, would bring their master down with them...

Moreover, there are mysterious techniques capable of bypassing this blood contract method, forcibly breaking an ordinary blood contract...

Fortunately, Qi Ping didn’t face this issue, as the animal companion contract was far superior and more stable than the Blood Sacrifice Technique, which is a fundamental ability of the Beast King Druid profession.

"Continue investigating! Get a clear understanding of the situation inside!"

After some consideration, Qi Ping ordered once more.

"Buzz buzz... (Yes, Boss!)"

"Buzz buzz... (That huge creature was trying to forcibly enslave us! Outrageous!)"

....

Soon, the situation inside the cave was relayed to Qi Ping bit by bit.

"Mysterious altar..."

"Array... chains..."

"Giant insect corpse... blood-colored larvae..."

...

After acquiring this information, Qi Ping quickly depicted the scene inside the cave.

It was a cave not very large, about ten meters in length and width. The rock walls and overall appearance were not much different from ordinary caves.

The only unusual feature was the mysterious blood-colored altar in the center of the cave.

This circular blood-colored altar was over two meters in length and width, with four Spiritual Origin Stone Pillars erected around it. Four spiritual energy lock chains tightly bound a giant insect corpse in the middle of the altar.

This corpse itself showed no signs of life; the force attempting to control the bees came from a plump blood-colored worm on the giant insect corpse.

This blood-colored worm was about the size of a human body, with a worm-shaped black mark on its forehead...

Inside the cave at that moment.

The blood-colored worm bound on the altar looked at the bees with puzzlement.

Weren’t these the little insects it summoned?

Why couldn’t it control them?

Logically speaking, such small creatures of this level and size should have been unable to resist its control!

Since awakening from its slumber recently, it had been waking up every three days to release a special signal, preparing to lure demonic insects to this place, then forcibly control and use them to free itself from the bonds.

At that time, the sky would be the limit for its ventures!

Outside, upon discovering the descriptions from the bees, Qi Ping’s expression drastically changed!

"Four Saints Demon Breeding Array!"

This is a method briefly mentioned in the Demon Insect Cultivation Manual.

This breeding method involves using the corpse of a King-Level bloodline spirit insect, combined with various rare spiritual objects and the larvae of the most ferocious demonic insects, then cultivating through the Four Saints Demon Breeding Array, a highly mysterious and terrifying method.

The major characteristics of this breeding method are the consumption of materials, lengthy time requirements, and low success rate.

However, if successful, it would result in the emergence of an enormously terrifying Demon Insect King!

This is why the method is described as terrifying; only the utterly mad would use it.

This breeding method’s timeline spans such vast lengths—possibly hundreds or thousands of years—that ordinary breeders simply cannot live that long.

Moreover, after being cultivated, the difficulty of controlling such a Demon Insect King is extremely high, and there is a constant risk of it turning against its master.

Thus, without absolute certainty, someone who breeds such a demonic insect is purely bent on revenge against the Immortal Cultivation Realm.

Once such a Demon Insect King emerges, it can rapidly increase its power by devouring demonic insects or other spirit beasts’ bodies, a strength that allows it to overpower virtually any peer-level demonic insect or most spirit beasts in individual combat.

Thick-skinned, high attack, high defense, and ruthless describe this type of Demon Insect King.

Yet, this still isn’t the most terrifying aspect. The most terrifying is this Demon Insect King’s absolute domination and control over ordinary demonic insects!

Demons without masters have virtually no ability to resist enslavement by a Demon Insect King, and even those with masters have a significant chance of being forcibly enslaved!

Moreover, this control isn’t limited to demonic insects alone; because the Demon Insect King devours the blood essence of King-Level bloodline spirit insects, it possesses a strong domination and demonizing ability over many ordinary spirit insects as well.

If it develops well, a powerful Demon Insect King could control an army of demonic insects numbering in the millions or even tens of millions!

Once a disaster of such a scale of demonic insects forms, it spells absolute calamity for the Immortal Cultivation Realm.

Combined with the high intelligence and cunning nature of the Demon Insect King, such a grade of demonic insect disaster often results in fields of corpses and a complete loss of vitality wherever it passes...