"After I was injured yesterday, I luckily broke through, and my strength improved. So I brought these Rapid Insects over as backup. I’ll explain the details to you after we clean up the battlefield!"
Looking at his father’s astonished expression, Qin Yu didn’t elaborate further. Although the dozen or so people following his father were all trusted aides of the Qin family, there were too many ears around. This was no place to talk.
"Alright!" Qin Hu was the Qin Family Patriarch. Though he appeared gruff, he was actually quite meticulous. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to control the massive Qin family.
He simply looked at the Rapid Insects devouring the Demon Fiends’ flesh and blood on the hillside, his eyes filled with a mix of doubt and excitement. These must be the Rapid Insects Qin Yu had spoken of.
Despite the distance, with the eyesight of a Bone Forging Realm martial artist, he had still witnessed the scene of the Rapid Insects fighting the Demon Fiends. Their ferocious appearance then was entirely different from their current docility.
Suddenly, Qin Hu’s pupils shrank.
He watched as two Rapid Insects—whose carapaces had been corroded while besieging the Fire Fox Demon Fiend—continuously gnawed at the fox demon’s corpse. As large chunks of flesh and blood entered their stomachs, their injuries healed at a visible rate. Faint specks of scarlet even seemed to appear on one of them.
Qin Yu also turned to look, a hint of joy uncontrollably appearing on his face.
Evolution!
After being corroded by that bloody mist during the battle and then devouring the Blood Fox’s flesh, this Rapid Insect was actually undergoing an evolutionary mutation! He could sense that the cells inside the Rapid Insect were currently changing at a phenomenal speed.
Evolutionary mutation—this was the greatest trait of the Insect Race!
As long as the evolution was completed, this genetic structure would be recorded by the Insect Nest, becoming a new genetic template for the Insect Swarm to spawn on a massive scale.
"Go help bring all these Demon Fiend corpses back!" Although Qin Hu had many questions, he didn’t say anything more and directly issued the order.
Demon Fiends were ferocious, but their entire bodies were treasures. The Qin Family Manor was inherently a place for weapon forging. Whether it was fur or scale armor, they were excellent materials for crafting armor, and the flesh was highly nourishing for martial artists.
"Don’t worry, the Rapid Insects won’t hurt people. Qin Wu, you guys go help too," Qin Yu added.
Immediately, the dozen or so men behind him walked over with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Seeing that the Rapid Insects simply focused on devouring the flesh without paying them any mind, they finally relaxed.
The Rapid Insects needed to eat as well. After traveling and then engaging in a massive battle, they had long been famished.
At the Qin Family Manor.
Built halfway up a mountain, it was called a manor, but in reality, it was a fortress. Several arrow towers stood atop its thirty-foot-tall walls. Due to years of mining Profound Iron Ore, the interior of the mountain peak was filled with massive hollows. It housed over ten weapon forging shops and served as an excellent hiding place in its own right.
When the main gates opened and Qin Yu and Qin Hu walked in, the Rapid Insects filing in behind them immediately drew everyone’s attention, leaving the onlookers horrified.
"What are those things?"
"Demon Fiends?"
"Bullshit! These are our Qin family’s Rapid Beasts!"
"They are powerful War Beasts on par with Muscle Refining Martial Artists!"
Several of Qin Yu’s guards shouted proudly. Their expressions were full of pride, and the gazes they directed at Qin Yu were completely fanatical.
In an instant, the entire Qin Family Manor erupted in an uproar.
However, Qin Yu and his father, Qin Hu, had already retreated to a quiet room. Qin Hu obviously had a bellyful of questions.
"How are your injuries?" As soon as he spoke, Qin Hu didn’t ask about the Rapid Insects; instead, he was more concerned about Qin Yu’s well-being.
The Qin Family Manor actually had a doctor, but his medical skills were average. After providing Qin Yu with emergency treatment, he had hurriedly sent him to the county. With injuries like that, unless he used those legendary Miracle Elixirs, it would be absolutely impossible to recover overnight.
"This is related to a fortuitous encounter of mine. I was lucky enough to obtain the legacy of an Insect Control and Beast Taming Sect..."
Qin Yu explained slowly. Aside from the true origins of the Insect Race, he hid nothing else. He spoke openly with his father, including about the breakthrough in his own strength.
"A sect’s legacy? My son is truly extraordinary to have such a fortuitous encounter," Qin Hu said, the joy in his eyes growing even richer. "Your strength broke through to the Muscle Refining Realm, and your Archery Skill has reached the Micro Realm. Truly, the heavens are blessing our Qin family!
"Perhaps, before you turn twenty, you’ll have hope of charging into the Qi and Blood Realm and strengthening our Qin family!"
Martial Arts were the foundation of everything!
The first realm of Martial Arts was known as the Body Forging Realm. The Body Forging Realm could be subdivided into four barriers: the Skin Barrier, the Flesh Barrier, the Tendon Barrier, and the Bone Barrier.
Once the Skin Barrier was breached, one would possess a thousand pounds of strength. Their body would become like cowhide—tough and unbreakable—vastly increasing their defense.
Once the Flesh Barrier was breached, one’s physical strength would surge, making shattering monuments and cracking rocks an effortless task.
Once the Tendon Barrier was breached, the tendons throughout the entire body would contract and expand with intense power, enabling ferocious bursts of speed and greatly improving physical agility.
Once the Bone Barrier was breached, one’s External Skills would reach Great Success. With Copper Skin Iron Bones, their piercing power would become formidable, their physical body even more agile, and their resistance to blows significantly stronger.
If all four barriers reached Perfection, a mere wave of the hand would carry ten thousand pounds of immense force, capable of routing an army of thousands!
If one successfully gathered and converged the qi and blood circulating within their bones during the Bone Forging Realm into their internal organs, they could use the five organs—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—as a Qi and Blood Melting Furnace to gradually nourish Qi and Blood Power.
This step was the Qi and Blood Realm.
A Qi and Blood Realm martial artist could release their qi and blood externally, form Protective Gang Qi, and even extend their lifespan by decades! And when trying to break through to the Qi and Blood Realm, younger was always better. Once past the age of thirty, a person’s qi and blood would gradually decline, making the possibility of a breakthrough smaller and smaller. How could he not be excited?
Having a single Qi and Blood Realm martial artist was enough to be considered a major clan even in the Prefecture City.
He didn’t ask Qin Yu too much about the legacy. He knew his own son perfectly well. He had been precocious since childhood, highly opinionated in his actions, and incredibly steady in character. There might be some secrets involved, but so what?
"It was also luck on my part," Qin Yu sighed emotionally. If the Insect Swarm’s legacy hadn’t awakened at the critical moment, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Our Qin family suffered no small loss during this Demon Fiend invasion. I originally thought we were going to face a massive calamity, but with your Rapid Beasts, we might be able to turn this crisis into safety." Qin Hu sighed, emotion washing over his gruff face.
Regarding the Demon Fiend invasion, the twenty-odd beasts outside the Qin Family Manor were merely a small fraction. The Demon Nest behind the Demon Fiends was the true menace. But with these Rapid Insects, the Qin family’s strength had massively increased, and their safety was naturally vastly improved.
"Yes, naturally!" Qin Yu gave a slight nod. "Father, I need to cultivate more Rapid Insects, and this will require the family’s support. I don’t care about the Demon Fiend fur or scale armor, but I have a great use for their flesh and blood!"
That Insect Nest within Cyan Peak County was merely for emergencies!
Truly cultivating the Insect Swarm still needed to be done in these vast mountains. The flesh and blood of those Demon Fiends would serve as his first pot of gold. Afterward, with the Qin Family Manor as the center, he would continuously expand deep into the mountains.
Cang Mang Mountain stretched for ten thousand miles. Who knew how many wild beasts and Demon Fiends lurked within? They would be the best resources for the Insect Swarm.
"Don’t worry! The family will fully support you. Since you need flesh and corpses to cultivate the Rapid Insects, I’ll have people figure out a way to transfer a batch over." Qin Hu nodded heavily. How could he not support such a thing?
As the two were talking, a skinny middle-aged man who looked about thirty percent similar to Qin Hu barged in hastily. Seeing Qin Yu, a flash of joy first appeared in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by gloom.
"Brother, Yu! Something has happened."
The newcomer was Qin Yu’s second uncle, Qin De. While Qin Hu was the head of the Qin family, Qin De had joined the Cyan Peak County Yamen as the County Captain. He oversaw the public security of the entire county and commanded three hundred County Soldiers.
However, most of these County Soldiers were merely physically fit commoners. There were hardly any Skin Refining Martial Artists among them, and the few strong ones had been planted there by the Qin family. They were fine for maintaining public order, but when facing a Demon Fiend invasion, they were essentially useless.
"Brother, I just received news. Chen Family Village was breached by Demon Fiends; all twelve hundred people perished without a single survivor. The surrounding small villages have also been massacred.
"There’s even news from Bishui City that Demon Fiends have appeared over there!"