This world is far too mysterious!
Qin Sang could not help but marvel.
Was the tempest encircling the outer perimeter of the Canglang Sea, just like the barrier of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, a lingering aftereffect of a great war between ancient mighty figures?
Did it also hide secret realm relic abodes and ancient cultivators' lost treasures?
If the opportunity arose, he could venture to the edge of the storm to see for himself.
After studying the topographical map, Qin Sang felt as though an anchor had dropped within his heart, settling him into calm.
As for a nautical chart of the Canglang Sea, it would not be difficult to obtain once he left the Western Frontier and came into contact with high-level cultivators from the Witch God Continent or the human race; there was no need to rush.
The Witch God Continent, the Canglang Sea, the Storm Demon Sea...
Qin Sang was still uncertain where he should head. For now, he had no intention of leaving the Western Frontier, preferring to plan his moves slowly.
Withdrawing his spiritual sense from the topographical map, Qin Sang opened another jade slip.
Its contents were the true inherited insect-controlling arts of the Five Insects Sect.
Upon finishing the slip, an expression of astonishment appeared on Qin Sang's face. He immediately unsealed the final jade slip, studying it closely for a long while before finally setting it aside, lost in thought.
The Witch Clan's system of insect gu was an entirely different matter from that of the Lesser Cold Domain. The distinction went far beyond the difference between the Witch Insect Registry and the Exotic Insect Registry; even their criteria for defining spirit insects and their understanding of metamorphosis were completely distinct.
From the moment a spirit insect was born, its strength was already comparable to a Qi Refinement stage cultivator.
In the Lesser Cold Domain, cultivators generally considered a spirit insect's first transformation after birth to be its First Metamorphosis, akin to a cultivator's Foundation Establishment. After this metamorphosis, its power surged dramatically, rivaling a Foundation Establishment cultivator or a Demon Spirit stage demon beast.
The Witch Clan, however, regarded the spirit insect's very hatching as its First Metamorphosis. Humans had to pass through a mortal phase before reaching the Qi Refinement stage, yet these spirit insects possessed transcendent power right from birth; thus, they had surely undergone a metamorphosis prior to hatching.
Following the First Metamorphosis, they were analogous to the Qi Refinement stage.
The Second Metamorphosis corresponded to the Foundation Establishment stage...
The Third Metamorphosis corresponded to the Core Formation stage...
And so on and so forth, all the way to the Ninth Metamorphosis—undergoing heavenly tribulation to achieve immortality!
In Witch Clan mythology, there was a legend of a spirit silkworm undergoing nine metamorphoses to attain immortality. That very silkworm had been the Witch God's gu insect, though whether it served as the Witch God's natal insect gu remained unsubstantiated by definitive lore.
Comparing the two differing schools of thought, Qin Sang felt that the Yuling Sect and the Lesser Cold Domain possessed an understanding of spirit insects inferior to that of the Witch Clan. After all, few cultivators in the Lesser Cold Domain focused on insect-controlling arts, and spirit insects were exceedingly rare there.
While they had gleaned considerable knowledge from ancient texts—not lacking in brilliant insights—it was unsystematic, amounting to a hodgepodge cobbled together by later generations.
By comparison, the Witch Clan was far more structured. Their insect-controlling arts were detailed and deeply rooted in an enduring heritage, well deserving of recognition.
Qin Sang decided to follow the Witch Clan's system going forward, while integrating the Yuling Sect's insights into it.
Although the Yuling Sect's knowledge was less comprehensive than the Witch Clan's, much of it came from ancient texts unearthed in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, crystallizing the wisdom of ancient cultivators that the Witch Clan lacked.
Among these records, the methods for rearing and facilitating the metamorphosis of several rare exotic insects were the most valuable.
Those exotic insects were already extinct in the Lesser Cold Domain; he wondered whether they could be found on the Witch God Continent.
Yet all this was within expectations. What struck Qin Sang as truly novel was the concept of the natal insect gu.
Previously, Qin Sang's understanding of the Witch Clan had been superficial. He had thought them no different from the human race, their cultivation path practically identical—drawing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, following the very same progression through Foundation Establishment and Core Formation.
Only the Witch Clan's natal insect gu was something he had never before encountered.
Reading the jade slip revealed that the people of the Witch Clan were born with a wondrous affinity for nature. This innate talent allowed them to commune with the natural world and converse effortlessly with spirit insects—a gift human cultivators did not possess.
Even Witch Clan mortals were adept in insect-controlling arts, practically self-taught without needing a master.
While hiding in the Qianhu Stockade, Qin Sang had seen mortals breeding venomous insects.
By chance, some mortals could even earn the recognition of a metamorphosed spirit insect. If an immortal cultivator grew careless, it would come as no surprise if they were slain by a mortal in return.
It was thanks to this innate talent that the Witch Clan had been able to devise the secret art of the natal insect gu.
By cultivating this secret art, one could subjugate a spirit insect as early as the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement stage, drawing it into the sea of qi, establishing a soul connection, and nourishing it with essence blood.
Certain cultivation methods required crafting a special magic tool prior to the Core Formation stage to coordinate with one's cultivation, which could be considered a life magic tool, similar to the ebony sword.
However, the *Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter* was extraordinary, daring to nurture a sword with the origin soul at a low realm—a feat unmatched by any other method.
There were also cultivators like Mu Yifeng, who bonded with a single magic tool to keep by their side at all times, doing everything possible to upgrade it, and then elevating it to a magic treasure upon Core Formation to serve as their life magic treasure.
Yet if one chose a natal insect gu, none of this could be done.
After Core Formation, the natal insect gu would also occupy the place of a life magic treasure.
A life magic treasure was of paramount importance to a cultivator.
Without one, if a cultivator failed to properly nurture their natal insect gu, their strength would be severely compromised, leaving them far weaker than peers of the same realm.
Beyond that, there lay an even greater hidden danger.
Once a spirit insect was refined into a natal insect gu, it had to be nourished with the cultivator's essence blood, which was why it was also known as a blood gu. Over time, as the natal insect gu consumed more essence blood, its temperament would grow increasingly ferocious and berserk, making it prone to turning on its master.
Yet the gu's original consciousness could not be erased; otherwise, it would become a dead gu, losing its vitality and ability to advance, rendering it useless.
Thanks to their innate talent, Witch Clan cultivators were able to soothe the insect gu, maintaining a firmer grip over their natal insect gu.
Human cultivators could also practice the Witch Clan's natal insect gu arts, but lacking this innate talent, they faced severe constraints. The moment the natal insect gu reached the same realm as them, they would no longer be able to suppress it.
Consequently, going through the trouble of raising a natal insect gu without reaping its most precious benefit made the endeavor like a chicken rib—scant reward for immense effort.
For the natal insect gu possessed a staggering advantage: an astonishing efficacy in aiding breakthroughs across bottlenecks!
It was even effective when breaking through major cultivation thresholds like Foundation Establishment and Core Formation!
When a cultivator reached the False Core stage, if they could also nurture their natal insect gu to the peak of its Second Metamorphosis, uniting human and insect during the breakthrough would grant an increased chance of achieving Core Formation.
The cultivation of the natal insect gu had to match the cultivator's own; otherwise, there would be no effect.
Moreover, if the natal insect gu managed to complete its Third Metamorphosis ahead of its master, the effect would be even greater.
Naturally, the risk of it turning on its master would also become far more severe!
Even if human cultivators secretly learned the Witch Clan's natal insect gu art, they would never dare allow their natal insect gu to metamorphose past their own realm. Only Witch Clan cultivators, relying on their innate gift, had an exceedingly rare few daring enough to attempt it—and even then, they had to remain perpetually on guard against a lethal backlash.
It was said that this aiding effect remained potent even during Nascent Soul formation!
One Witch Clan predecessor had even forged an entirely different path through the natal insect gu—an exceedingly sinister path.
This was a rumor that had drifted in from the outside world; because it was so sensational, cultivators of the Western Frontier doubted its authenticity, suspecting it was merely a fabricated tale.
The figure in the rumor was surnamed Fang, whose natal insect gu had completed its Fourth Metamorphosis ahead of him.
Yet Fang himself had suffered wretched luck. Even with the assistance of his natal insect gu, he repeatedly failed in his attempts to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. In the end, with his lifespan drawing to a close and all hope of Nascent Soul formation gone, he went so far as to abandon his mortal flesh, fusing his origin soul directly with his natal insect gu!
Chapter 625