Chapter 5: Make up for the lack of quality with quantity

After giving instructions to Chen Yaoguang to manage the factory well, Su Jie carried ten thousand scorpions back to his rented room in the urban village.

Though ten thousand scorpions sound like a lot, their actual weight is only about thirty-five to forty kilograms.

With physical capabilities surpassing those of an average person, Su Jie wouldn't be considered much in the Tianyuan World, but this load was still easily manageable for him.

Once inside the rental, Su Jie eagerly released the thousand-hand centipede.

"Go, these are all for you to eat."

Szzt!

The thousand-hand centipede stood upright excitedly and burrowed into the box.

In an instant, the scorpions that were calmly lying in the box, as if encountering a natural predator, frantically scurried about trying to escape.

The thousand-hand centipede, having entered the box, excitedly shook its antennae, as if it had arrived in paradise, emitting an extremely excited pheromone.

It was like eating chips, grabbing a scorpion and crunching noisily, quickly crushing and swallowing it before lunging at the next one.

Some scorpions, aggravated, raised their tails at the thousand-hand centipede, with predictable outcomes.

Though the thousand-hand centipede was also an inferior poisonous insect, it was from the Tianyuan World after all.

And with half a year of cultivation by Su Jie, it had enhanced strength, agility, defense, and toxicity that the scorpions couldn't possibly harm.

The scorpions that dared to attack simply became faster prey for the thousand-hand centipede, crunched and consumed with relish.

Perhaps Su Jie had starved the thousand-hand centipede too harshly in the past, for now seeing such an abundance of food, it was like a rat in a rice barrel, voraciously feeding, never stopping to pause.

In just ten minutes or so, several hundred scorpions had been devoured by the thousand-hand centipede.

Su Jie noticed that at this point, the chitin shell of the thousand-hand centipede started to change in its sheen, turning gradually from a deep color to semi-transparent.

"It's about to molt and advance in grade."

Su Jie's eyes brightened, as the owner of the Lifebound poisonous insect, he could feel the current state of the thousand-hand centipede.

It was a signal of pent-up energy bursting forth, a vigorous life force wanting to undergo transformation.

Another hour passed, and the thousand-hand centipede had consumed at least a thousand scorpions, turning them into nourishment for its bodily growth.

Having eaten too much, the movements of the thousand-hand centipede turned from the previous ferocity to a lazy sprawl, staying motionless in one spot.

Eventually, it coiled into a ball, its exterior hardening into a stiff shell as it struggled and twisted within, trying to break out.

"The advancement is starting. It seems my idea was correct; I can compensate for the resources needed by the thousand-hand centipede with quantity."

Su Jie was extremely delighted. What he saw was not only the promotion and transformation of the thousand-hand centipede but also the hope for its future growth.

On Blue Star, the poisonous creatures greatly differ from those in the Tianyuan World. However, in the Tianyuan World, people typically capture insects from the wild to cultivate them, without the benefits of modern large-scale breeding.

But Su Jie could supplement the thousand-hand centipede with an overwhelming number of insects.

If quality is insufficient, make up with quantity. The rich productivity of modern society is something the Tianyuan World does not have.

The evolution of the thousand-hand centipede took several hours, with Su Jie staying by its side the entire time.

Finally, after three hours, the completely transformed thousand-hand centipede emerged from its old skin, its new tender skin showing a slight red color, having grown from its initial length of fifty centimeters to now around one meter and twenty centimeters.

Looking closely, the insect shell on its body was dark and shiny, with fierce fangs on its head, looking utterly ferocious.

Moreover, despite the thousand-hand centipede's name, it actually only had 44 pale human-like hands under its belly.

Now, the number had doubled, reaching a total of 88 pale human-like hands.

"Haha, I've got a Low-Grade poisonous insect now,"

Su Jie couldn't help but hold the newly evolved Thousand-Handed Centipede and giggle foolishly, scrutinizing it over and over, never tiring of the sight.

Poisonous insects are categorized into Top, Middle, and Low Grades, and among the Outer Disciples, those who possess a Low-Grade poisonous insect are in the minority; most control inferior poisonous insects.

Once a poisonous insect becomes graded, even if it's just Low Grade, its abilities and strength see a massive boost.

"Wait, that's not right, it's not just Low Grade, has it completed a Spirit Refining too?"

Suddenly, Su Jie, as if he had discovered something, exclaimed in surprise as he looked at the forehead of the Thousand-Handed Centipede.

On its forehead, there was a new set of lines that looked like concentric rings.

Between the different grades of poisonous insects, Top, Middle, and Low, each grade has a special advancement branch, known as Spirit Refining.

Spirit Refining is a special kind of abnormal developmental ability of poisonous insects, akin to a tadpole transforming into a frog, or a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Upon grading, a poisonous insect will go through metamorphic development, leading to a further increase in strength and often new special abilities.

Each grade of poisonous insects can undergo Spirit Refining up to three times, hence the saying, "Each grade three refinements."

The strongest poisonous insects are those that are Top Grade with nine refinements.

Because Spirit Refining is challenging, requiring a combination of resources, luck, environment, and other factors, it's something one can hope for but not seek.

Not many Outer Disciples even have Low-Grade poisonous insects, let alone those that have undergone Spirit Refining. Even a single Spirit Refinement is considered remarkable.

Su Jie hadn't expected that the Thousand-Handed Centipede would not only be graded but also had fortuitously completed a Spirit Refining, now making it a Low-Grade First Refinement poisonous insect.

This starting point had already surpassed the majority of the Outer Disciples.

The Thousand-Handed Centipede, unaware of Su Jie's current excitement, was very hungry after its evolution, having used up all its nutrition to evolve. It quickly burrowed into the scorpion box, greedily devouring one scorpion after another.

It was observable that with just a press from one of the pale hands underneath the Thousand-Handed Centipede, a large number of scorpions turned greenish on their exterior, succumbing to the venom and dying on the spot.

This was an innate ability of the Thousand-Handed Centipede, which after grading had significantly increased force and quicker action of its venom.

Whew!

Suddenly, a few of the 88 pale hands under the belly of the Thousand-Handed Centipede snapped off from the base, as if they had their own life, swiftly lunging out to prey, grabbing scorpions and delivering them to the mouth of the Thousand-Handed Centipede.

Then, the severed arms retracted back into the gaps under its belly, rapidly reattaching and healing, presenting a sight both eerie and terrifying.

Su Jie knew that this was a new ability the Thousand-Handed Centipede had mastered, allowing its arms to detach from the body and move independently.

The few thousand scorpions in the box were just enough for a full meal for the Thousand-Handed Centipede whose dietary needs had significantly increased after becoming graded.

Half an hour later, the scorpions in the box had been completely devoured.

Su Jie once again picked up the Thousand-Handed Centipede, which had grown plumper, and placed it on his body, circulating the Hundred Poison Refining Gu Scripture.

The Thousand-Handed Centipede clung tightly to Su Jie's waist and abdomen. Su Jie could feel the other's cold touch spreading over his body, then permeating into his meridians and flesh.

Gradually, the Spiritual Power inside Su Jie became more active.

It was like a river cascading over a parched riverbed, his Spiritual Power and mind felt refreshing and invigorated, everything falling into place, as his strength broke through to the Third Level of Yunling.

What would have required a year of hard work to advance, was easily skipped with the nourishment from the Low-Grade First Refinement Thousand-Handed Centipede, saving him a year of laborious effort.