Night falls, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse.
After the heavy rain a few days ago, the black mist near the Black Cloud Marsh seems to have dissipated quite a bit.
At the edge of that mist, a red raccoon is skillfully navigating through the forest with a golden Flying Sword.
For the Spirit Monsters and beasts in the forest, this scene is nothing unusual.
Much less when they are busy with their migration matters.
Even if they had nothing to do, they wouldn't dare provoke those two.
Lately, frequent slaughters have been happening near the black mist.
It's enough to make the forest's Spirit Monsters and beasts aware of the danger these two pose.
Even those Corrupted Beasts that fear no death are no match for them, let alone us with our little arms and legs.
However, most Spirit Monsters and beasts didn't notice.
Today, aside from the red raccoon and the golden Flying Sword, there are some blood-colored little bugs hovering around the two.
"It's quite surprising you've learned so quickly to control the Sleep Bugs."
Unlike the Sleep Bugs controlled by Xiluo.
The Sleep Bugs flying alongside the golden Flying Sword are entirely blood-colored.
Although they need to rest frequently on the Flying Sword, their distinct difference from ordinary Sleep Bugs is evident.
At least, these blood-colored Sleep Bugs have a level of aggression that ordinary Sleep Bugs do not possess.
[I didn't expect these Sleep Bugs to be the best carriers of Evil Qi.]
After channeling most of his spirit into the Sword Pill, Li Boyang's voice became calm and composed once more.
However, with previous experiences, Li Boyang maintained enough humanity this time, without appearing too decisive, cold, and distant.
[You mentioned before that these Sleep Bugs prefer places rich in Primordial Qi...]
[And whenever you use Sleep Bugs, you first ingest them.]
[Considering these Sleep Bugs like to burrow into animals' orifices, I thought Life Essence Qi might be considered a type of Primordial Qi too?]
[So, would Life Essence Qi mixed with Evil Qi also be welcomed by Sleep Bugs?]
Startled, Xiluo glanced back at the golden Flying Sword, roughly imagining what the other person had done.
"So, you let these Sleep Bugs consume your body's own Qi?"
Throughout the entire Hundred Lands Mountain Range, only Li Boyang's Life Essence Qi contains Evil Qi.
Critically, under the Nai Fu curse, Li Boyang's body is constantly being eroded by Evil Qi.
Having Sleep Bugs devour his Qi not only doesn't cause any negative impact on him, but it also eases Li Boyang's burden.
"You have quite the guts!"
"I've never seen anyone daring enough to feed Sleep Bugs with their own Life Essence Qi."
Life Essence Qi is the foundation of life.
The rise and fall of Life Essence Qi directly affect the health of a being, a very simple fact.
A normal person finds nurturing their own Life Essence Qi insufficient, let alone generously using it to feed Sleep Bugs.
[As proven, fortune favors the brave.]
[After devouring the Evil Qi mixed with my Life Essence Qi, these Sleep Bugs are also affected by the Evil Qi.]
[The specifics are the same as my own body, with their skin turning crimson and becoming more aggressive.]
[Unfortunately, these Sleep Bugs are too fragile...]
[I cannot determine if their bodies are also strengthened like mine.]
Upon hearing this, Xiluo blinked her eyes and said.
"Strengthened perhaps, but their lifespan is likely affected too."
"After all, your Evil Qi is a curse, not a blessing or boon."
"I think these Sleep Bugs now have less than a week left, which is far less than the lifespan of normal Sleep Bugs."
Despite everything, Xiluo, an Elf of the mountain, and a Mountain God with her own deity image.
Though she couldn't see Life Essence Qi's flow like Li Boyang, she could roughly sense these Sleep Bugs' vitality.
[This isn't a major issue, considering these Sleep Bugs originally have a lifespan of about three months.]
[From maturing to development, about a week is enough for these Sleep Bugs to leave descendants.]
Understanding from a hint, Xiluo widened her eyes in surprise.
"What do you plan to do!?"
The sword's body lightly shook, and a few Sleep Bugs around immediately flew into the nearby forest.
[Life is never static; they actively adapt to their environment and continuously evolve.]
[I merely intend to accelerate this process, cultivating a variant Sleep Bug fully adapted to Evil Qi.]
[Perhaps the initial generation of variant Sleep Bugs will have a short lifespan...]
[But after several generations of selection and cultivation, they might have a normal Sleep Bug lifespan, or even longer, who knows?]
Li Boyang's voice revealed deep interest.
He wasn't expecting these Sleep Bugs to have significant combat power.
But upon discovering these Sleep Bugs' potential, Li Boyang's "farming gene" was triggered deep in his soul.
Similar to breeding animals or taming insects from past lives.
Li Boyang was eager to see if he could select and cultivate variant Sleep Bugs through a similar method artificially.
After all, idleness is boredom, and lying in the basket every day, Li Boyang must find something to occupy his time!
"Did you learn this from the 'Nine Chapters of Divination'?"
Not believing these are Li Boyang's own thoughts, Xiluo quickly found a suitable reason for him.
As the original Sleep Bugs were cultivated by the Huai River Witch in a similar way.
She strongly suspected that similar methods might be recorded in the "Nine Chapters of Divination."
At least, the "Nine Chapters of Divination" must mention similar concepts.
[I plan to name this project 'Sleep Bug Breeding and Eugenics Plan'...]
[Or call it 'Crustacean Biological Eugenic Breeding Plan,' what do you think of the name?]
Not refuting Xiluo's guess, Li Boyang merely introduced his idea with interest.
"It sounds awful, and its meaning is unclear."
Rolling her eyes speechlessly, Xiluo's attention was smoothly diverted by Li Boyang.
"Your naming ability... is just on par with your carving skills."
Xiluo couldn't comprehend what "breeding and eugenics" meant, nor what "crustacean biological" implies.
Fortunately, the two were currently communicating through the Spiritual Rhinoceros Horn.
Otherwise, Xiluo wouldn't even understand what Li Boyang was talking about.
"Instead of pondering your whimsical ideas, we now have more serious matters to attend to."
Speaking, Xiluo suddenly stopped her steps, then raised her head to point at the nearby valley.
"We have reached the place you designated; what do we do next?"
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