"The source of the Demon Insect Breeding Handbook?"
When Nan Jie spoke, Qi Ping was surprised.
He didn't expect that just as he was about to ask this question, Nan Jie would bring it up herself.
"Yes, it's the source of the Demon Insect Breeding Handbook," Nan Jie affirmed with a nod.
Facing Nan Jie's question, Qi Ping didn't beat around the bush and answered frankly:
"Of course I want to know. If Nan Jie hadn't brought it up, I was planning to ask you myself. This is quite important to me…"
"You're such an honest fellow," Nan Jie said, giving Qi Ping a meaningful look, then continued:
"This Demon Insect Breeding Handbook came from Area A, Peak Seven. There's an extremely secluded Immortal Cave there, which I discovered by accident ten years ago when I was still young."
"Cloud Mist Mountain Range, Area A, Peak Seven?"
Qi Ping was a little surprised. The top ten peaks in Area A were the places with the richest Spiritual Qi in the entire Cloud Mist Mountain Range. Those who could rent there were either Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators or people with backgrounds from the Three Great Families or the Qingyuan Sect. Nan Jie actually lived there when she was young?
This made Qi Ping even more curious about Nan Jie's identity, but he didn't inquire too much. If Nan Jie didn't proactively say anything, it wasn't good for him to ask.
"Yes, that's the place. My strength at the time only allowed me to obtain a small portion of the Legacy within it."
"I couldn't open the later Legacy because my strength was insufficient at the time. When you are stronger and more confident, you can try to rent that place and explore it. Although I didn't encounter any danger back then, it's still better to act cautiously."
"Also, this is the detailed map of that Immortal Cave and the token to open it."
As Nan Jie spoke, she handed a map and a silkworm-shaped ancient jade to Qi Ping.
Qi Ping didn't act coy but solemnly took them.
The Ling Beast Cultivation: Demon Insect Chapter alone had such effects. If he could obtain the complete Legacy, it might even be possible for the Gold Marrow Bees to Breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage or even higher levels.
Perhaps he could also obtain other types of Spirit Beast cultivation methods.
However, this gift was truly precious. Qi Ping felt that he probably wouldn't be able to repay this kindness easily.
"Thank you very much for this gift, Nan Jie. In the future, if Nan Jie needs anything within my power, I will absolutely not refuse!" Qi Ping solemnly promised.
"Later, when you have the combat power of the Golden Core Stage, Nan Jie might shamelessly ask you to do something within your power. Before that, let's just try to survive in this hellish world… I always feel that even Foundation Establishment Stage great Cultivators might not be able to preserve their lives in the coming turmoil."
…
After discussing the matter of the Demon Insect Breeding Handbook, Nan Jie stayed overnight at Peak Seven at Qi Ping's request. Only after confirming there was no danger did he let her return.
Before Nan Jie left, Qi Ping also gifted her some golden marrow honey.
Nan Jie glanced at Qi Ping, didn't decline, but nodded and accepted it. At this point, she had complete trust in Qi Ping, so there was no need for excessive politeness.
After seeing Nan Jie off, Qi Ping didn't think too much, but returned to his previous routine of farming and beekeeping.
Cultivating blood ginseng, expanding his forces of High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bees, Mo Jia Bees, and Poisonous Bees, and preparing to Breakthrough to Qi Refining fourth-level.
With the Breakthrough to Qi Refining fourth-level imminent, Qi Ping planned to head to Qing Shi Market to purchase Spirit Beasts and Fire Spirit Grass once he Broke through and his High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bees numbered around seven hundred. If possible, Qi Ping also wanted to see if he had a chance to obtain a Storage Pouch for Spirit Beasts.
After this Black-Robed Cultivator crisis, Qi Ping's anxious mood gradually calmed down.
Now with Wilderness Transformation as his greatest trump card for survival, he no longer feared robber cultivators, Demon Insects, or the undercurrents in the Qingtian Domain as much.
Anyway, he had the confidence to survive; everything else could be developed slowly through farming.
Three days later.
"The Black-Robed Cultivator's corpse and the blood-stained soil have all been transported away, and flowers have been planted at the burial site."
"Even the terrain near the Cloud Mist Mountain Range has been scouted by transformed Bees. Many areas have chaotic terrain and abundant vegetation. Once hundreds of High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bees are completely dispersed, even Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators probably won't be able to track them."
"This way, as long as I don't actively seek death, I basically don't need to worry too much about my own safety."
"The next goal is to obtain a Talent similar to the Red Flame Tiger's [Red Flame] or the Green Lotus Flower Spirit's [Lotus Body] by contracting Animal Companions."
"It must at least be First-Order High-level, preferably Second-Order Low-level or higher. With such a Talent, the difficulty of Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment Stage will be greatly reduced, and the Foundation can be laid more solidly."
Due to his own low Talent, Qi Ping could only consider improving his Talent in this way.
For example, the Red Flame Tiger's Talent [Red Flame] is the Red Flame Demon Tiger's most powerful Talent. If Qi Ping could obtain such a Talent, Cultivating the Wood Flame Art would surely yield twice the result with half the effort, and also make his Foundation more solid and stable.
At least within the Qi Refining Stage, the [Red Flame] Talent would be sufficient to ensure Qi Ping's smooth progress, and it could even play a certain role in Breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage or after Foundation Establishment.
Furthermore, Qi Ping gradually discovered that plant-based energy is not equivalent to wood-attribute Spiritual Qi, because plants also belong to the Five Elements. Some Spiritual Plants belong to wood, some to fire, and others to water.
Therefore, on this basis, as long as he is in the forest, a Druid's control over plant-based energy can, to some extent, enhance the Spiritual Root's ability to communicate with Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, but it still requires the Spiritual Root as a Foundation.
Thus, both wood and fire elements can serve as the basis for Qi Ping's Cultivation.
…
However, just as Qi Ping switched from his Bee form back to human form, put on his clothes, and prepared to continue cultivating blood ginseng, a High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bee appeared anxiously by Qi Ping's ear.
It said that an extremely powerful woman had appeared at the foot of the mountain and was heading up the mountain.
Based on the High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bee's description, Qi Ping quickly captured the specific information.
Qi Refining ninth-level, Green-robed Woman, Qingyuan Sect Disciple pattern.
Qingyuan Sect Inner Sect Disciple!
This information made Qi Ping's expression change.
So, he quickly put all the Spirit Medicines from the blood ginseng cultivation area into his Storage Pouch, then had the High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bee immediately transport them deep underground in the dense forest to hide them.
Qi Ping had rehearsed this process many times, so he completed it within a few breaths.
Then Qi Ping immediately transformed into a High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bee and left the area.
Qi Ping had no desire to interact with a Qingyuan Sect Inner Sect Disciple.
Who knew if contact would bring disaster or fortune?
So, Qi Ping planned to wait until the woman left before transforming back.
But the Green-robed Woman's next actions completely bewildered Qi Ping.
For almost an entire day, this Green-robed Woman from the Qingyuan Sect kept wandering around Peak Seven with a black compass, refusing to leave.
Qi Ping could only maintain his High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bee state, ready to escape or fight at any moment.
Fortunately, he had already prepared to hide the Gold Marrow Bees. Now, except for the High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bees, all Gold Marrow Bees were hidden in very deep underground caves, and long underground tunnels had been dug for escape at any time.
In addition, the High-Speed Ring-Cutting Bees were also ready for battle at any time…
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