Chapter 33: Swallowing a Bug?

"Sect-Breaking Pill?" A trace of surprise flashed in Bai Jingyan's eyes. The Sect-Breaking Pill was an incredibly precious elixir capable of helping a martial artist overcome their bottleneck and step into the Martial Sect realm. Such pills were extremely rare and notoriously difficult to refine, so it was no wonder the Azure Cloud Sect held them in such high regard.

Lin Xuan nodded, a hint of anticipation in his tone: "The Sect-Breaking Pill is vital to our Azure Cloud Sect. If we can win the bid, the sect's strength will surely increase significantly."

Bai Jingyan smiled slightly, pondering to himself. The Mad Dragon Sect's auction was certainly not simple. Whether it was the map of the Martial Sect's tomb or the Sect-Breaking Pill, both were enough to incite competition among all the major sects.

"It is said that there are four pieces of the tomb map in total. The Mad Dragon Sect has already obtained one and will be auctioning it off at this event. This means that at least two or more factions will be involved in the struggle for the Martial Sect's tomb. I truly wonder what the Mad Dragon Sect is thinking." Lin Xuan shook his head, his tone laced with confusion.

However, judging by the playful glint in his eyes, he did not seem particularly interested in the so-called Martial Sect's tomb.

Bai Jingyan did not say much more. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he took his leave and returned to his quarters to continue focusing on his cultivation.

"Senior Brother, why do you trust him so much?" Yun Xiyue asked, tilting her head with a face full of suspicion. "And why did you tell him about something as important as the Martial Sect's tomb?"

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "Yue'er, this Bai Jingyan is no simple man."

"No simple man?" Yun Xiyue blinked, clearly failing to grasp Lin Xuan's meaning.

Lin Xuan explained patiently: "Just now, when I mentioned the Sect-Breaking Pill, an ordinary person would have already shown signs of greed. But his expression didn't change in the slightest; his composure is incredibly deep. Either he is accustomed to seeing experts of the Martial Sect realm, or... he himself is a Martial Sect expert!"

"Hiss—"

Hearing this, Yun Xiyue gasped.

A Martial Sect expert so young? Was it possible? Of course not! Bai Jingyan was only a seventh-level Martial Apprentice.

"Therefore, this person is not as simple as he appears on the surface; even I cannot see through him," Lin Xuan said, shaking his head. "With such a person, lying is useless; one can only be sincere. Perhaps he might even become a friend to our Azure Cloud Sect."

At this point, a sharp glint suddenly flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes, and his entire demeanor changed. He was no longer the sickly-looking youth, but truly displayed the bearing of the Young Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect.

"Yue'er, remember, try to avoid provoking this Bai Jingyan in the future," Lin Xuan instructed solemnly.

"I understand," Yun Xiyue nodded. Although she still had doubts, she chose to obey her senior brother.

She glanced deeply at Bai Jingyan's room before following Lin Xuan away.

...

By evening, the servants of the Azure Cloud Sect returned to the inn, walking in dusty and weary, each carrying a small jar.

"Young Master, we have found what you requested," one of the servants said as he unscrewed the lid of a jar.

The other servants also opened their jars. Inside, the containers were densely packed with small, blue-green insects, crawling slowly—there were hundreds of them.

"Young Master, as per your instructions, these jars contain two-inch-long Thread-Stalk Insects. The two jars on the left contain males, and the two on the right contain females; we have prepared five hundred of each," the servant reported respectfully.

Upon hearing this, Bai Jingyan's expression became somewhat strange. He was simultaneously impressed by the Azure Cloud Sect's resources and amused by the situation.

These servants were certainly "efficient" to a fault!

Bai Jingyan picked up a jar and walked into the room with Lin Xuan, shutting everyone else out.

"Brother Bai, what should I do next?" Lin Xuan asked curiously as he looked at him.

In response, Bai Jingyan unscrewed the lid of the jar, picked out three of the more robust-looking Thread-Stalk Insects, and handed them to Lin Xuan.

Seeing this, Lin Xuan's face contorted in disgust.

He held them cautiously in his hand, his mouth twitching.

"Brother Lin, swallow these three insects," Bai Jingyan said with a smile.

Hearing this, Lin Xuan felt his stomach turn. He stared at the three insects in his hand and asked, "S-swallow them?"

"Exactly," Bai Jingyan nodded. "And you must not chew; you must swallow them directly to ensure they remain alive when they reach your stomach."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan's chest rose and fell sharply; a wave of nausea surged within him. He suppressed the urge to vomit and said, "Brother Bai, are you joking? You want me to eat insects?"

Bai Jingyan's expression remained indifferent. "These Thread-Stalk Insects have an incredible survival instinct; they can live for about a week even inside a human stomach. Moreover, these insects love to feed on human vomit. Once they enter your body, they will crawl into your stomach and intestines, devouring the residual food and waste."

"By then, the remaining medicinal liquid in your body will be completely purged."

Hearing this, Lin Xuan's face remained pale. Although he understood Bai Jingyan's logic, the sight of the squirming insects still made him feel nauseous.

"Is there no other way?" Lin Xuan asked.

Bai Jingyan shook his head and said calmly, "This is the fastest and most effective method. The Thread-Stalk Insects will thoroughly clean the impurities and residual spirit liquid from your body, helping you absorb new spiritual energy more effectively. If you wish to recover your state in a short time, or even achieve a breakthrough, this is the only path."

Lin Xuan's face remained pale. He looked down at the three squirming insects in his hand, struggling internally. As the Young Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect, he had weathered many storms, but swallowing live insects still made his stomach churn.

"Brother Lin, the path of cultivation is full of hardship. If you cannot even endure this, how can you go further on the martial path?" Bai Jingyan said flatly.

Lin Xuan took a deep breath, a flicker of determination flashing in his eyes. He knew Bai Jingyan was right; the path of cultivation was never smooth. If he couldn't even overcome this small obstacle, he was unworthy of being the Young Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sect.

"Fine, I will swallow them!" Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

He closed his eyes, shoved the three Thread-Stalk Insects into his mouth, and swallowed them hard. In that instant, he felt the insects wriggling in his throat, his stomach turning upside down, and he barely managed to keep from vomiting.