Chen Gensheng had seen many cultivation manuals and classics within his sect. In the Yunwu Continent, cultivation techniques were clearly categorized into grades. From the unranked Mortal grade to Huang (Yellow), Xuan (Mysterious), Di (Earth), and Tian (Heaven), each grade was further subdivided into Upper, Middle, and Lower tiers. His current primary technique, the Sutra of Primordial Stability—an ancient manual created by a Foundation Establishment cultivator two thousand years ago—was rated by the sect as Huang-grade, Upper tier.

  However, the Flesh and Blood Nest-Vestment before him did not fit into this system at all. A cultivation technique was supposed to teach one how to climb upward step by step; it was a foundation, a path. This thing, however, felt more like a divine ability.

  Upon flipping to the first page, he saw an extremely complex diagram of human meridians outlined in dark red lines. Those lines did not look as though they were drawn with ink, but rather as if fresh blood vessels had been directly branded onto the skin.

  "Take nine living humans, flay their skin, boil their bones, refine their blood..." "Use resentment as the thread and souls as the guide to weave the Nest-Vestment..."

  The content that followed grew even more outrageous: how to select suitable "materials"—men, women, young, and old each had their specific uses; how to perfectly fuse different flesh and blood parts without any rejection; and there was even a section discussing how to implant the bloodlines of demonic beasts into this Nest-Vestment, allowing the wearer to possess a portion of the beast's abilities.

  Gensheng closed the booklet and exhaled a long breath of turbid air. This thing was too precious. The reason Jiang Guixian was able to reshape a human body for a tiny cockroach like him was entirely due to this divine ability.

  Meanwhile. Deep within the Black-Spine Mountains, in the heart of an unremarkable peak.

  Inside the cave dwelling, stone tables and stools were fully provided. Several moonlight stones embedded in the walls emitted a soft glow, illuminating the space as bright as day.

  A male cultivator wearing the robes of an inner disciple of the Jade Tripod Sect sat by the stone table. A pot of high-grade spiritual tea stood before him, the water still warm, clearly freshly brewed. This man was the traitor of the Jade Tripod Sect, Xiao Bai.

  Opposite him sat a man in practical attire with a scholarly countenance—none other than Zhang Cuizhan, who had parted ways with Chen Gensheng. The two looked like old friends who hadn't met in years, reminiscing in this place.

  "Brother Zhang, your scheming is becoming increasingly sophisticated," Xiao Bai remarked, taking a light sip of tea, a hint of mockery playing at the corners of his mouth.

  Zhang Cuizhan merely smiled, slowly pouring himself a cup. "I observed Chen Gensheng's actions; he is decisive in killing, meticulous in thought, and extremely greedy—he does not seem like a normal person."

  "If he were a fool easily deceived, why would you go to such great lengths, Brother Zhang?" Xiao Bai set down his cup, the bottom clicking against the stone table. "On the contrary, the greedier he is and the more he thinks he's clever, the easier it is for him to fall into the trap we've set."

  Zhang Cuizhan clapped and laughed, though he carried an indescribable chill at that moment. "I was worried before that the fellow was an impenetrable blockhead. Now it seems I overthought it. I merely mentioned the Celestial Calamity Thunder-Pool Flea once, and he came scurrying along. He likely won't understand until the day he dies that what I truly want are those precious butterflies of his."

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  Xiao Bai took out a palm-sized, black, tortoise-shell-shaped compass from his storage bag. The surface of the compass was covered in fine, intricate runes, and a slender needle in the center was vibrating slightly, pointing toward a direction outside the cave.

  "Is this 'Qianji Compass' sensitive enough?" "That fellow just killed a Foundation-level female cultivator and is currently resting on the spot. It looks like he obtained something good and is refining it."

  Zhang Cuizhan waved his hand dismissively. "Speaking of which, Brother Xiao’s plan was the truly brilliant one. Had you not reminded me, I wouldn't have known that such a wonder as the Ashen-Blue Butterflies existed in this world. Their 'ash-pulverizing powder' is indeed the most suitable thing for breaking the restrictions here."

  Xiao Bai extended a finger and lightly drew a circle on the dusty stone table. "Before that 'Dao-Body' perished, it set up restrictions with its own Dao-principles—neither living nor dead, neither existing nor non-existent. Ordinary techniques cannot budge it in the slightest. Only the annihilation phosphorus of the Ashen-Blue Butterflies can wear down those Dao-principles bit by bit, reverting them to the most primal spiritual energy."

  At this point, his tone shifted slightly into one of regret. "A pity, though. The restriction on the God-Burial Pit is no small matter. To completely grind it open, those three-hundred-plus butterflies will likely need to scatter their phosphorus without rest until their very last sliver of origin is exhausted. Once the restriction breaks, they will all turn to flying ash."

  Zhang Cuizhan let out a scoff. "Since when did Brother Xiao learn to have the heart of a woman? They are merely a group of Tier 3 spirit-insects; if they die, they die. We cultivators act against the heavens, fighting people, fighting the earth, fighting the heavens—which step of our path is not trodden upon piles of white bones? We seek the Great Dao of Longevity and the heaven-reaching methods of invincibility at the Foundation stage. Why grieve over the life and death of a few bugs?"

  Xiao Bai was silent for a moment before laughing in spite of himself. "I was caught up in appearances." He stowed the compass, a burning fire reigniting in his eyes. "As long as I can obtain that 'Ethereal Dao-Body,' what does it matter if it takes three hundred butterflies, or three thousand, or thirty thousand! Once I take that body, with your artifact-refining skills and my corpse-controlling methods, we can refine it into an unprecedented, peerless, ferocious corpse. By then, with us two brothers joining hands, who in the Foundation stage could possibly be our match?"

  "Sigh, if only we had that Flesh and Blood Nest-Vestment divine ability, we could perfectly possess this body. Since that Insect Demon and Chen Qingyun fought to the death, I fear that ability has been lost."

  Zhang Cuizhan’s eyes dimmed slightly at those words. "That old demon Jiang Guixian was indeed a peerless genius to create such an evil method that plunders the creation of heaven and earth. Had he not gone mad at the last moment attempting to overturn a kingdom, he might have actually forged a path never seen before."

  Xiao Bai slapped the table and downed his remaining tea. "Regarding that Chen Gensheng—the two of us here are both at the Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment. There won't be any variables, will there?"

  Zhang Cuizhan held his cup, his fingertip lightly stroking the warm ceramic wall. He looked up at the high-spirited Xiao Bai and spoke unhurriedly: "Brother Xiao, do not underestimate this man. I have dealt with him; his actions cannot be judged by common logic."

  Xiao Bai raised an eyebrow, seemingly thinking Zhang was making a mountain out of a molehill. "Oh? He’s just a newly promoted sect Elder. What remarkable methods could he have?"

  "That female cultivator he killed was also at the Foundation stage. That Surging Dragon Fire-Fish Banner is a genuine High-Grade artifact with impressive power." Zhang paused. "Chen Gensheng didn't expend much effort to kill her."

  Xiao Bai scoffed, his face full of dismissal. "The techniques of the Joyous Union Sect are inherently flashy but hollow. Spiritual energy gained through 'dual-cultivation plundering' results in an extremely unstable foundation. In battle, that woman likely couldn't even exert thirty percent of her strength. Getting swarmed by a few insects probably made her panic, leading to a pathetic death. Besides, even if he can kill one, can he deal with two of us at the same time?"

  Xiao Bai walked back to the table, leaning forward with his hands braced on the surface, staring intently at Zhang Cuizhan. "Brother Zhang, you and I have planned this for more than a year or two. Now that everything is ready, we only lack his 'favorable wind.' This matter must succeed, whether it wants to or not!"