The Insect Control Technique made controlling ordinary mosquitoes quite simple; there was practically no skill involved. Initially, Jia Ren could only control one target, but with proficiency, controlling ten mosquitoes at once posed no problem. The Spiritual Energy consumption was minimal. Even though Jia Ren was only at the Third Level of Qi Refinement, he effortlessly controlled a hundred mosquitoes, forming a vast mosquito army.
The Proficiency Level is rising so quickly!
[Insect Control Technique (Mortal): Apprentice (52/100)]
It's a pity it's an incomplete version with a low upper limit, but it'll have to do!
The Proficiency Level of the incomplete Insect Control Technique was far inferior to that of regular spells, and its potential was severely limited.
In a moment's time, Jia Ren had maxed out the technique's proficiency.
[Insect Control Technique (Mortal): Skilled (Limit)]
At the Skilled Level, the sensitivity of the Insect Control Technique increased, with its control and influence range expanding by at least a third.
Jia Ren ordered over three hundred mosquitoes to stand guard outside the stone house and attack any approaching targets.
I feel a little safer now...
How ridiculous, feeling a sense of security from mosquitoes.
But it was true; if external enemies invaded, the mosquitoes would indeed be the first line of defense.
Having gotten a taste of success with the Insect Control Technique, Jia Ren continued his studies. Mortal insects were merely transient; cultivating his own Spirit Insects was the true way forward. Although Spirit Insects weren't powerful in combat, belonging to the 'bottom tier' of their rank, their strengths were obvious. Many Spirit Insects had colonial traits; once they reached a significant scale, even cultivators of the same rank would have to give them a wide berth. The most famous were undoubtedly the Spirit-devouring Ants. A swarm of these ants once occurred in the Great Wilderness, numbering in the hundreds of billions. They left no living creature in their wake, and even High-Rank Magical Beasts were forced to flee in disarray.
Having mastered the Insect Control Technique, Jia Ren took a keen interest in the Spirit-devouring Ants; perhaps he might be able to control them in the future.
The best place to find Spirit Insects would be the Great Wilderness, but it's too dangerous. Not an option.
The second option is... a Spirit Field.
In the Spirit Field were plenty of Spirit Insects like the Earth Dragon Worm and the Corner Worm, all potential targets for cultivation. The incomplete version of the Insect Control Technique only documented a few low-grade Spirit Insects, all of which Jia Ren committed to memory.
Tomorrow, I'll find Fellow Daoist Yang Bingzhi. Worst case, I'll spend some Fragmented Spirit Stones to visit his Spirit Field.
The mosquito defensive line was established, but it was far from enough.
Sulfur, saltpeter, charcoal...
Jia Ren made gunpowder with ease by recalling the appropriate proportions from memory. He conceptualized two types of traps using gunpowder as the main component: burning traps and explosive traps. The former would deal burn damage when targets fell into them, while the latter relied mainly on explosive damage. Jia Ren decided against the former, opting for explosive traps instead. He made this choice because cultivators possessed numerous life-saving methods, and ordinary fire couldn't compare to a cultivator's Spiritual Fire. Sustained burns from mortal fire wouldn't have an immediate effect and were unlikely to inflict lethal wounds. Explosive traps, however, focused on detonation, catching cultivators off-guard. The sound of the explosion could also serve as a warning for Jia Ren and potentially attract the Enforcement Team. He didn't expect the gunpowder to inflict much damage on cultivators; it was primarily intended for nighttime defense in the early stages.
Adding iron shrapnel to the gunpowder barrels will increase their lethality.
Jia Ren decisively set to work, and before long, several sealed small gunpowder barrels were ready.
Next came the problem of igniting the gunpowder barrels.
Ignition Talismans as triggers? Or mechanical triggers?
Ignition Talismans emitted fluctuations in Spiritual Energy, inevitably alerting cultivators. The latter option involved constructing a simple mechanism connected to a fire striker holding an ember. Triggering the mechanism would cause the gunpowder barrel's fuse to contact the ember in the fire striker, achieving detonation.
Jia Ren dug pits throughout the night, focusing on placing traps in strategic locations like in front of the door and windows. Carefully finished with the arrangements, his sense of security was greatly bolstered.
There was, however, one hazard.
The traps could accidentally injure me!
To avoid becoming a victim of a gunpowder explosion, the best course of action would be to dig tunnels and a secret chamber underground. Constructing tunnels and a secret chamber would allow him to escape successfully if confronted by a powerful foe. Jia Ren had entertained similar ideas from the beginning, but unfortunately, he hadn't mastered any relevant earth-element spells. Relying on manual labor was time-consuming, laborious, and inefficient, so the idea was temporarily shelved.
Once I can control Earth Dragon Worms and Corner Worms in a few days, I can make them do the hard labor. I'll just need to supervise.
Time to grind the Wind Control Skill!
「The next day.」
Jia Ren had rested exceptionally well; his Essence, Energy, and Spirit were abundant. Carefully avoiding the traps, he had breakfast and then headed to the West District Market to set up his stall. He paid the stall fee with the single Fragmented Spirit Stone he had, leaving his pockets completely empty of Spirit Stones.
Just as he found a suitable spot to set up his stall, a familiar face furtively approached him. It was the Loose Cultivator who had purchased fifty-five pieces of Bait Tempting Technique the day before.
"Fellow Daoist, you've finally arrived!"
"The bait is indeed effective! Give me a hundred pieces today!"
The Loose Cultivator's face was flushed, and he was in high spirits. The Bait Tempting Technique's effectiveness from yesterday had yielded a handsome catch. Unlike the initial trial version, the Bait Tempting Technique he subsequently produced had an increasingly higher Proficiency Level, making its effects even better than the trial version Jia Ren had previously provided. Anyone who had used this top-notch bait would thereafter look down on Earth Dragon Worms and other low-grade bait.
"I'll give you an extra ten pieces, Fellow Daoist. May your catch be bountiful."
As a regular customer who would likely continue to support the business, Jia Ren was happy to offer a discount.
"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist!"
Tucking away the bait, the Loose Cultivator put on a mask and hurriedly departed.
He wants to keep all the profit for himself!
Not only did he not help promote the Bait Tempting Technique, but he also sold his catch in other trading areas. He's trying to monopolize the high-quality bait and prevent other Loose Cultivators in the West District from finding out about it.
Jia Ren always set up his stall on a main road in the West District and had never seen this person selling Spirit Fish.
This isn't good for me.
Jia Ren pocketed a Spirit Stone, feeling a bit conflicted.
What about trust between cultivators?
At that moment, several figures who had seen the bait-buying Loose Cultivator depart finally showed up, converging on Jia Ren's stall.
"The bait that landed over thirty Spirit Fish yesterday was bought here?"
"So secretive, trying to stop us from getting rich. What a petty fellow."
The Loose Cultivators ignored Jia Ren while exchanging information among themselves.
He caught over thirty Spirit Fish?
That would probably sell for over ten Spirit Stones!
No wonder he bought a hundred pieces of bait today.
A flash of envy crossed Jia Ren's mind, quickly replaced by a faint premonition that he was going to rake in a considerable amount of Spirit Stones today.
"How much is the bait selling for?"
"Don't try to rip us off just because we're new faces!"
"We want the high-quality bait. If it's good, we'll be regular customers."
Loose Cultivators weren't fools; they would swarm wherever there was a profit to be made. Five days ago, Jia Ren had earned six Fragmented Spirit Stones selling Spirit Fish, which attracted a flock of Loose Cultivators to follow suit at Lake of Smoky Waves. That was the best example. That cultivator named Shen wanted to hog all the profits, but the other Loose Cultivators weren't idiots. How could he possibly keep it from them?
"Top-quality bait, one Fragmented Spirit Stone for ten pieces. It's absolutely effective."
The quality needed no further explanation; the Loose Cultivator named Shen had already proven it with results.
"Fifty pieces of bait!"
"Sixty pieces of bait!"
The Loose Cultivators eagerly took out their Spirit Stones to buy, then rushed towards Lake of Smoky Waves, afraid the Spirit Fish would be gone if they were even a moment late.
Moments later, another sneaky fellow emerged from afar.
"Is there a discount for bulk bait purchases?"
Jia Ren was momentarily stunned, then seemed to understand something.
"The more bait you buy, the more extra pieces you get."
"How many extra pieces for a purchase of over a thousand?"
Just as I thought!
This guy is probably a reseller, looking to buy in bulk from me and then sell it at Lake of Smoky Waves for a profit.
The high hook rate of the top-quality bait, coupled with the prospect of an abundant catch, meant the bait was selling at an alarming rate. Offering to buy a thousand pieces at once proved the man had a keen eye.
If the profit margin on a business is high enough, someone will eventually do it if you don't.
"How about one hundred and fifty complimentary pieces for every thousand purchased?"
"Let's settle on that price."
"Maybe we can continue to work together in the future."
The reseller didn't haggle and quickly completed the transaction.
Ten Spirit Stones in hand, Jia Ren had closed a major deal.