Shang Xingchen sighed with a smile. "It''s all because of my useless older brother. I gave up my spot for him. Master Luo of the Heavenly Blood Alliance invited me to his place. I thought it over, but in the end, I came to Mystic Azure Star. Not for any particular reason, but mainly because of you, Sect Leader Chu."


    Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Because of me?"


    Shang Xingchen smiled warmly. "Sect Leader Chu went from a mere Qi Refining cultivator to the position you hold today. There must be something remarkable about you. Now, as I''m living under someone else''s roof, I naturally have to choose a strong leader."


    Chu Xuan smiled back. "In that case, I welcome you, Fellow Daoist Shang, to join the Heavenly Infinite Sect."


    Shang Xingchen also smiled. "Thank you, Sect Leader, for your approval. Now, I''ll be able to shine and contribute to Heavenly Infinite Sect."


    The two walked out of the Sect Leader''s hall side by side. One turned left, the other right, heading to their respective caves.


    Shang Xingchen gently patted his sleeve, making sure to secure the poison powders even more tightly.


    "I used four kinds of poison powder to test him, and he actually detected it quickly and even described their effects. It seems that Sect Leader Chu''s poison techniques are also quite formidable.


    This man, rising from a Qi Refining cultivator to his current position, truly isn''t someone with just empty fame. It looks like I''ll have to improve my poisons further. Since regaining my memories, this is the first person who was able to dissolve my poisons so easily. I''ve truly made the right choice returning to Mystic Azure."


    Meanwhile, Chu Xuan furrowed his brows. The hidden bee egg had only been a test to gauge Shang Xingchen''s abilities.


    If Shang Xingchen had failed to detect the insect egg, it would have shown that his strength was average, and there would be no need to pay further attention to him.


    But the fact that Shang Xingchen discovered it so quickly indicated that he was someone worth keeping an eye on.


    Chu Xuan had used a different insect egg this time. It wasn''t the standard second-transformation poison insect. It was a third-transformation insect, enhanced and refined with techniques he''d gained from studying various demon insects.


    Most Nascent Soul cultivators would struggle to detect it.


    "It seems the Hidden Bee still needs to be improved, at least to the level of a fourth-transformation insect, before it can''t be detected by him," Chu Xuan thought to himself as he left.


    He wasn''t truly trying to control Shang Xingchen with the Hidden Bee; he merely wanted to understand the man''s true intentions for joining the Heavenly Infinite Sect.


    In the following days, Shang Xingchen quickly integrated into the Heavenly Infinite Sect. Every day, he followed the rules, doing what he was supposed to do. There was no sign of trouble from him.


    Shi Juntian, Wan Hun, and the others found him to be a warm and approachable person. Bai Jinkun and the other Golden Core disciples saw him as a friendly Nascent Soul senior.


    As for the lower-ranked disciples, they regarded Shang Xingchen as the epitome of a Nascent Soul Elder—always smiling, always approachable.


    But Chu Xuan had an instinctive feeling that there was something off about him as if Shang Xingchen was hiding some kind of malice beneath his gentle exterior.


    After all, anyone who tried to poison him every time they met, and always with different poisons, could not possibly be a normal person.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Of course, every time they met, Chu Xuan also made sure to iterate and improve his insect techniques. After all, as the Sect Leader, he had resources and disciples to acquire any kind of insect he wanted.


    Every encounter between the two was a subtle test of each other''s abilities.


    ...


    In the Cave World.


    As usual, Chu Xuan cast a glance into the cavern.


    The traps set by Lie Yong had proven effective. The Holy Ant Tribe had learned the full story of the conflict between the Fire Ant Tribe and the Devouring Thunder Ant Tribe.


    After conducting a field investigation, several of the Holy Ant Tribe''s elders deliberated for a long time and finally decided that the Fire Ant Tribe was innocent. They were granted the full territory of the Devouring Thunder Ant Tribe.


    After all, the Fire Ant Tribe had always held the moral high ground. After conquering the Devouring Thunder Ant Tribe, they didn''t indiscriminately slaughter innocents but treated the Devouring Thunder Tribe''s people fairly and even offered preferential treatment to them.


    Naturally, the Holy Ant Tribe didn''t feel they could say much.


    Now, the Fire Ant Tribe, under the leadership of Lie Yong, had grown into a medium-sized tribe. Its scale was now comparable to, if not larger than, the former Devouring Thunder Ant Tribe.


    The territories of several other medium-sized tribes around them had been partially taken over by the Fire Ant Tribe.


    Chu Xuan''s gaze shifted back to Lie Yong.


    At this very moment, Lie Yong was lying in a chair, wrapped in soft white insect leather. He was holding a beautifully bound book and reading it with great interest.


    Paper books were a luxury in the Cave World. Most people only had access to bone tablets engraved with characters.


    Chu Xuan looked around. The decoration of this house was clearly very extravagant. Everywhere he looked, there were statues of demon insects made using secret techniques. They looked so lifelike as if they were about to leap out and launch an attack at any moment.


    Chu Xuan carefully observed Lie Yong.


    He noticed that the once muscular and vigorous man had aged considerably. His once-dark hair was now fully white at the temples, and the gray had spread throughout the rest of his hair.


    "Last time I paid attention, Lie Yong was already approaching sixty," Chu Xuan thought. "Now, over forty years have passed, and Lie Yong is just over a hundred."


    Chu Xuan felt a sense of melancholy.


    Lie Yong was undoubtedly an outstanding figure, a true hero. But even such a person had one foot in the grave. After all, Lie Yong had never managed to break into the ranks of Platinum Insect Masters.


    "He''s truly reaching the end of his lifespan," Chu Xuan mused.


    Suddenly, Lie Yong began coughing violently.


    He hurriedly walked to the wall beside him, where there was a row of transparent, tube-shaped insects. These insects were called "Crystal Tube Worms." Those with some status would use these worms to hold their wine. The worms were quite obedient—just a light tap on their body, and the liquid inside would spill out from their mouths into a cup.


    Lie Yong quickly filled a large cup with wine and drank deeply. After a long while, he let out a satisfied sigh.


    "This longevity wine really works," he said, his voice full of contentment. "It''s a shame my injuries never fully healed. My lifespan has probably been shortened considerably."


    Lie Yong sighed deeply, his tone full of regret.


    Chu Xuan nodded slightly. He was aware of this. Many years ago, when the Fire Ant Tribe had just established itself and had barely stabilized, they clashed with the nearby Flying Sky Ant Tribe. Lie Yong had stepped in, defeating the Flying Sky Ant Tribe''s leader, but in the process, he had sustained severe injuries.


    It was that battle that left him critically wounded and spurred him to seek out materials to extend his life. Five years ago, Lie Yong finally gathered all the required materials to make this longevity wine. It was a testament to his perseverance.


    Those materials didn''t exist in the Cave World and had to be painstakingly sourced, and he had managed to cobble them together. While it wasn''t as instant as a Longevity Pill, the gradual effects of the wine would likely add about ten years to his life.


    "Magic Mirror, oh Magic Mirror," Lie Yong muttered as he entered his room, closing the door behind him. He then took out the fragment of the Mirror, which he always kept close, along with several small crystals that he placed on its surface.


    Chu Xuan quickly learned the contents of the insect breeding techniques from these crystals and couldn''t help but shake his head.


    "No good," he thought. "These methods are far too primitive. They''re clearly limited in potential. At best, they could only reach the level of a three-transformation insect. This won''t satisfy me."


    With a shake of his head, Chu Xuan used his spiritual sense to write a line of text on the surface of the mirror shard:


    "Holy Ant Cultivation Method."


    Lie Yong saw the text appear and couldn''t help but laugh bitterly. "Holy Ant Cultivation Method?"


    "Kill me now," he thought. "Even if I were bolder, I wouldn''t dare entertain such an idea. I have such a large tribe. I have children and grandchildren. I can''t take that kind of risk."


    At that moment, another line of text appeared on the mirror.


    "Great Orifice Opening Scripture can open another Insect Orifice."


    Lie Yong''s eyes immediately turned red.


    "Isn''t this the Holy Ant Tribe?! Charge!" he shouted, determination filling his voice.