Chapter 38: A Ridiculous Secret Manual

Tong Jin had a rough idea of why the Corpse-Sinking Poison Ants had evolved, but he chose not to speak of it. Instead, he asked, "Senior, how can one simply control the actions of these poison ants?" He scratched his head in embarrassment after asking, "I don't dare release them easily right now. If they just bite friend and foe alike, it would be a complete disaster."

Bai Xuan gave a faint smile. "That fellow Yun Bian didn't even have time to teach you the most basic things. These exotic insects all possess an extremely high level of innate spirituality. When a cultivator reaches the Qi Transformation realm, their essence and blood undergo a transformation. If an exotic insect consumes the essence and blood of the same person over a long period, a subtle connection will form between them."

"Are you saying, Senior, that I can already control these poison ants?" Tong Jin asked.

"It is merely a connection, not enough to completely command the insects' actions," Bai Xuan said, stroking his graying beard.

Tong Jin frowned, puzzled.

Bai Xuan looked at Tong Jin kindly and said, "Do not be impatient, little one. Everyone who raises exotic insects spends over a decade, or even several decades, of effort before seeing results. Only over that long span of time can the connection between master and insect be deepened, eventually reaching a state of heart-to-heart communion."

"Of course," Bai Xuan paused, looking slightly upward, "there are faster methods, but they are all evil arts and should not be pursued."

"Are you referring to the 'Mind-Imprinting' technique?" Tong Jin asked. He had discovered a brief mention of this technique in tiny script within an ancient text on insect-rearing, and he was surprised that Bai Xuan mentioned it now.

Bai Xuan gave Tong Jin a profound look. "I did not expect you to know of this method. It is indeed Mind-Imprinting. However, this technique requires one to torture their own spirit, pushing their intent to an extreme level, which inevitably generates negative emotions such as rage, hatred, and bloodlust. The insects that receive this imprinted intent can then unleash their ferocity completely."

Tong Jin nodded, then shook his head. "Then this method must never be used."

Bai Xuan smiled with satisfaction, thinking to himself that this youngster lacked the desire for quick success and, despite harboring a deep blood feud, had not allowed his mind to be clouded by it—a truly rare quality.

For the remainder of the time, Bai Xuan explained the methods for rearing the Corpse-Sinking Poison Ants as thoroughly as he could. Tong Jin listened with rapt attention, silently engraving every word Bai Xuan said into his mind.

Unknowingly, a day had passed. "Little one, remember this: if you ever encounter the Blood-Jade Cold Toad, which ranks fourth on the Exotic Insect List, you must never release your poison ants. I do not know if that toad still exists in this world, but the world is vast, and you may encounter it one day. The Blood-Jade Cold Toad is the natural nemesis of the Corpse-Sinking Poison Ants."

Tong Jin nodded with a solemn expression.

Afterward, Tong Jin took his leave of Bai Xuan and returned to the wooden cabin where he was staying. Guided by Bai Xuan’s advice, Tong Jin became even more diligent in feeding his blood to the dozen or so juvenile poison ants. He needed them to mature into adults as quickly as possible and then find a suitable environment for them to breed. Only then could he satisfy the conditions for the already-evolved ant to evolve once more. Although the secondary evolution of the poison ants was cruel, Tong Jin was in desperate need of such powerful allies; he had no choice.

That night, Tong Jin tightly shut his door and took out the tattered manual titled "Raging Sun Palm" from his robe. Based on his exploration the night before, he had already become proficient in the peculiar path through which his inner energy traveled through his meridians. Yet, when he turned to the second page, he discovered that the entire page contained only a single character—"Rage"!

This character was written in a very strange way, with strokes that were crooked and distorted. However, when pieced together, it emitted an indescribably odd sensation, as if the character actually represented a loud, wild laugh.

This left Tong Jin utterly confused. He simply flipped past the page, and the content on the next page made his heart sink even further. Following the "Rage" character, this page featured a simple "Sun" character. Tong Jin no longer had the heart to study it, thinking that indeed, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Recalling his earlier excitement as if he had found a treasure, he felt both amused and frustrated. He tossed the tattered manual onto the table and undressed to rest.

The next morning, Tong Jin was awakened by the two women knocking on his door. He washed, ate, and headed straight to Bai Xuan’s place. To his surprise, Bai Xuan was not in his room, leaving only a note: "Little one, I must be away for a few days. The books in the room will be useful to you; feel free to read them."

Tong Jin curled his lip and glanced at the dozen thick books that had appeared in the room. He thought it was just as well; he had time to spare and could take the opportunity to learn some powerful techniques.

Previously, when Tong Jin encountered the man named Sky Eagle, he had felt the urge to learn a more profound technique. With the same level of power, the difference in technique could lead to vastly different results. Seeing the books Bai Xuan had left, he assumed they must contain excellent manuals, or at least something comparable to what Sky Eagle practiced.

But after picking up each of the dozen books and flipping through them quickly, he almost wanted to cry. These books covered everything: descriptions of ordinary insects, treatises on exotic insects, methods for breeding the top ten exotic insects, and records of rare treasures... yet, not one of them touched upon martial arts.

"Sigh..." Tong Jin sighed softly. These books were perhaps exactly what he needed to read right now, but they were not what he wanted most at this moment. Resigned, he put the thick book back, stood up, smoothed his robes, and thought he might as well take this opportunity to visit that lad, Su Tan.

No sooner said than done, Tong Jin left Bai Xuan's wooden cabin and dashed off toward the path he had come from.

"Hey!" Before Tong Jin had run far, a figure emerged from the side and appeared in the middle of his path.

Tong Jin stopped. The person blocking his way was none other than Sky Eagle.

"Master has instructed that you are to remain in the valley until he returns." Sky Eagle’s tone was no longer as rude as it had been that day, but it remained ice-cold.

Tong Jin smiled. "It's you, Brother Sky Eagle. I'm just going to the Divine Rest Palace to see a friend and will be back before dark. I hope you will let me pass." Tong Jin actually had no ill feelings toward this man.

As the saying goes, one does not strike a smiling face. Sky Eagle was clearly taken aback by Tong Jin's beaming smile. "This... Master gave his orders. You should just stay in the Imperial Palace." Although Sky Eagle did not step aside, his tone had softened significantly.

Tong Jin asked in surprise, "You call him Master, so you are also a disciple of Senior Bai Xuan?"

Sky Eagle did not know why Tong Jin asked this, but he nodded anyway.

Tong Jin reached into his robes, fished out the wooden token Bai Xuan had given him, and held it toward Sky Eagle. "If I hold this token, may I go out for a while?"

Sky Eagle was clearly stunned when he saw the wooden token. After a long moment of hesitation, he furrowed his brows and nodded. "You may go, but you must return here before dark." He paused and added, "This is the map for entering and exiting the forest formation." With that, Sky Eagle pulled a scroll from his robes, handed it to Tong Jin, and flew off without looking back.

Tong Jin looked at the map in his hand. "This Sky Eagle isn't so bad, it’s just that face of his, as cold as a frost pattern on a midwinter window, which is really hard to compliment." Muttering to himself, Tong Jin gathered his strength and quickly darted out of the Imperial Palace.