Chapter 11 – Changed
Chapter 11 – 11. Changed
"Who'd have thought Boss Xiao would lose."
"Yeah, and so badly..."
Listening to the chatter outside the library, Zhou Ting wasn't surprised.
Tang San's first Spirit Ability… Blue Silver Binding, came from a four-hundred-year Datura Snake, a hundred-year spirit ring.
It not only made Blue Silver Grass incredibly tough but also carried paralyzing poison—a superb control skill.
Tang San might attract haters, but against a move like that, Xiao Chenyu could only stand and wait for death.
Zhou Ting rose, picked up three copies of the spirit beast illustrated manual, and prepared to shelve them.
The gossip downstairs continued.
"So tragic—Sister Xiao Wu kicked Boss Xiao around like a ball."
"Sister Xiao Wu's amazing; she took on three and crushed them!"
Whether the speaker felt pity or gloating was anyone's guess.
Zhou Ting froze, dumbstruck.
"The plot's changed!!!?"
Tang San hadn't even been given a chance to show off; Xiao Wu had stolen every scrap of glory.
"The butterfly effect is terrifying… I can't trust the storyline anymore!"
He could already picture Xiao Wu's smug tail sticking sky-high.
He sat back down, opened the manual, and read slowly, word by word.
Clearly, he wasn't returning to the dorm until her enthusiasm cooled.
Time slipped by; in a blink, Xiao Wu had ruled Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy for a whole term.
Her terror blanketed the school; no one dared cross her, and life improved for every Work-Study Student.
Even Zhou Ting reaped the benefits.
At the very least, the whispers stopped, letting him study and Cultivate in peace.
On the eve of vacation, two small figures sparred in the garden beside the playground, so fast most eyes couldn't follow.
Zhou Ting sat on a bench, utterly calm.
After enough spectating, even the fiercest fight becomes routine.
If he stepped in… he'd simply lose.
Neither Xiao Wu's Soft Technique honed over a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast lifetime nor Tang San's Mysterious Jade Hand, Purple Demon Eye, and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track—gifts of Transmigration—could be matched by an ordinary past-life Zhou Ting.
He knew that perfectly well.
Bored, he looked inside his Sea of Consciousness; once half-empty, it was now packed with spirit power.
After learning to weave nets, his Cultivation speed soared—about two days per level.
Thus he'd hit level ten Perfection long ago.
Yet he hadn't sought a spirit ring; no matter how impatient, he forced himself to wait.
He kept Cultivating daily; though his spirit power didn't rise, nothing was wasted—the gains would merge once he finally obtained a ring.
Over these six months he'd focused on Body Refining.
A Spirit Master needs not only sufficient spirit power but also a strong body to absorb a ring.
Once a Spirit Beast passes ten thousand years, its Soul can attack; absorbing such a ring means withstanding that assault.
Hence strong mental force is required.
That's why black Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast rings are rare on Douluo Continent—they're simply too hard to get.
But that's distant; back to the present.
Now Zhou Ting, though no match for the two freaks beside him, was far sturdier than most Spirit Scholars.
As long as he didn't chase overly powerful hundred-year beasts, he'd manage.
Exiting his Sea of Consciousness, he saw the two freaks end yet another draw and rolled his eyes.
He couldn't help feeling his presence had twisted many unknowns.
Sibling affection had turned into rivals' mutual respect?
The fight ended.
Xiao Wu hesitated, then asked, "Little San, what are you doing for break?"
Vacation?
Homesickness flooded Tang San; he grinned, "I'm going home to see Dad."
This was the longest he'd ever been away.
He missed his father terribly.
"Home..."
The word stabbed Xiao Wu; she saw her mother dying all over again, grief welling.
"I have no home."
Watching her near tears, Tang San panicked for the first time in his life.
"Xiao Wu… come with us to Saint Spirit Village."
"Really?"
Looking at her tear-streaked face, he nodded firmly.
"Of course. Zhou Ting, right?"
Zhou Ting groaned inwardly: Tang San, ask if you want, but leave me out of it.
He meant to complain, yet under Xiao Wu's hopeful-yet-threatening gaze he couldn't refuse.
He beamed, "Absolutely! On behalf of Saint Spirit Village, I warmly welcome Sister Xiao Wu's visit!"
Xiao Wu finally smiled through her tears.
"All right, I'll come to Saint Spirit Village!"
In the little garden, cheer bloomed.
Truthfully, even without Tang San's invite, Zhou Ting would've asked her—who else would help him secure his first spirit ring?
Though a level-ten Spirit Scholar who'd spent half a year training his body, he had no Body Refining Cultivation Technique or self-made Spirit Ability.
He couldn't beat even an ordinary Worker Bee, let alone subdue a Jade Emperor Bee Queen.
Thinking of going home tomorrow and seeing his father, Tang San grew so excited his spirit power fluttered during Cultivation.
Zhou Ting sat next door, too distracted to Cultivate.
Not from homesickness—
but because he glimpsed the inner workings of Tang San's Internal Skill.
Their paths differed; even where they stored spirit power wasn't the same.
Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill used the lower Dantian, Meridians, and acupoints.
Zhou Ting's Universal Meditation Method used the Sea of Consciousness, ignoring Dantian and Meridians.
Different routes, same goal: both Cultivated spirit power and mental force.
The principle was identical—use mental force and spirit power to "capture" outside energy.
What Zhou Ting observed was Tang San's capture method.
Zhou Ting used a crude mental force net.
Tang San's Mind-Cultivation Technique drove spirit power through Meridians and acupoints, creating a strange gravity that drew outer energy in.
Seeing this, Zhou Ting felt far more confident about his next improvement.Chapter 12: The Surprised Little Rabbit
Chapter 12: 12. The Surprised Little Rabbit
Saint Spirit Village.
"Dad... is gone."
Tang San held the letter Tang Hao had left for him, his mind in turmoil, unable to calm down for a long time.
The father he had depended on for survival was suddenly gone; for a six-year-old child, this was an extremely cruel thing.
Of course, although Tang San had lived two lives and wasn't truly a six-year-old child, this was the first time in both lives he had a father and experienced familial love.
Therefore, this event was no small blow to him.
This was the first time Zhou Ting had seen Tang San so dejected.
Even though he didn't like Tang San, he had to admit that Tang Hao's actions... were indeed quite unscrupulous.
Leaving a letter and departing alone—if Tang San were truly a six-year-old child, there's no telling how much psychological trauma this would have caused.
He really wasn't a qualified father!
While Zhou Ting watched the drama unfold from the side, Xiao Wu's compassion flared up, or rather... she felt some empathy. She patted Tang San's shoulder and comforted him softly.
"Don't be sad. Your dad has only left temporarily; he'll definitely come back in the future."
"Perhaps, but Dad is my only family member. Without him, home is no longer home."
"Your dad isn't here, but you still have two good friends, me and Zhou Ting."
Good friends?
Where did that come from?
Zhou Ting's expression stiffened, and he was powerless to complain: You two... what's going on? Why did you bring me into this again? I don't want to be friends with Tang San, hey!
Unfortunately, Zhou Ting's objection was useless.
After all, he didn't dare say it out loud.
They sat with Tang San for a while. Perhaps due to Zhou Ting's presence, no special sparks flew between the two.
In truth, Zhou Ting wanted to go home and just leave them to it.
However, he didn't dare.
The moment he showed any sign of wanting to get up and leave, Xiao Wu, worried that Tang San might do something rash, would cast a very "kind" gaze his way.
Since he needed her help, Zhou Ting didn't dare offend this little auntie.
Tang San, after all, wasn't a real six-year-old child. He soon successfully pulled himself together, and a smile returned to his face.
"I'm fine now, you don't need to worry about me!"
Who's worried about you!
Zhou Ting gave a stiff smile, which... was very fake.
However, Tang San's eyes were full of the cute Xiao Wu, so he naturally ignored Zhou Ting, the third wheel.
At this point, Zhou Ting really couldn't sit still anymore.
"Ahem, I should head home to take a look as well."
Tang San nodded and said with some gratitude.
"Grandpa Jack must miss you very much too. Go on back first."
The way he said that, there was a hint of urgency to shoo him away.
Zhou Ting heard it but didn't care. He looked at Xiao Wu beside him and asked.
"Are you staying here with Tang San, or coming back with me?"
Before Xiao Wu could answer, Tang San said impatiently.
"Of course she's staying here with me."
A bit eager, aren't we?
For a moment, Zhou Ting's teasing gaze and Xiao Wu's confused gaze both converged on him.
Even the usually steady Tang San was... extremely embarrassed.
He hurriedly tried to remedy the situation.
"Ahem, I mean, there are many people in your house and no spare rooms. Xiao Wu staying at my house is more spacious!"
"Oh, so that's how it is!"
Zhou Ting smiled meaningfully, not exposing him.
Xiao Wu nodded seriously, accepting this explanation, and then said lightheartedly.
"Alright then, I'll stay at Little San's house!"
Zhou Ting didn't care where Xiao Wu stayed, as long as he could find her.
Then, he bid them farewell.
"En, then I'll come find you guys tomorrow."
"Okay, see you tomorrow..."
"Goodbye."
Upon returning home, Zhou Ting received a warm welcome from his family. Mother Zhou even kept holding onto him, constantly fussing over his life and asking: Why have you gotten thinner?
Thin? Where was he thin?
He had clearly gotten much stronger!
That night, for the first time, Zhou Ting did not cultivate. He set aside the immense pressure regarding the future and the schemes in his mind.
He fell into a peaceful sleep, dreamless all night.
"Lazybones, get out of bed!!!"
This voice sounded so familiar.
A bit like... Xiao Wu!
Wait, that's not right, I'm already home.
Zhou Ting sat up with a start, startled, and then saw Xiao Wu standing by the bed with a beaming smile.
"Why are you here?"
"Hmph, you have the nerve to ask? Look what time it is, and you're still sleeping! You said yesterday you'd come find me to play."
Looking at the sun which had risen halfway into the sky outside the door, Zhou Ting felt a bit embarrassed.
Xiao Wu tossed her head arrogantly and turned to leave, her long Scorpion Braid nearly whipping Zhou Ting in the face.
"Hurry up and get out of bed! Little San got up to cultivate ages ago, and you're still lounging. At this rate, when will your Sister Xiao Wu ever be able to help you obtain a spirit ring?"
Anytime works... Zhou Ting curled his lip and quickly put on his clothes. As Xiao Wu stepped out of the bedroom door, he followed her out.
"Where's Tang San?"
At the mention of Tang San, Xiao Wu looked a bit depressed and said.
"He just came down from the mountain and said he's going to forge iron."
Clang!
The familiar sound rang out, confirming what Xiao Wu had said.
At this moment, Xiao Wu's face was written all over with the word 'bored'.
In the main room, Mother Zhou was peeking over, her eyes full of gossip!
Zhou Ting smiled helplessly and then said to Mother Zhou.
"I'm going out to play with my classmate; I won't be eating breakfast."
With that, he didn't give Mother Zhou a chance to speak and pulled Xiao Wu as they ran out of the house.
"What are we going to play?"
Tang San was fully focused on forging something, and she didn't want to cultivate alone. Right now, she was feeling bored.
So, she had come to find Zhou Ting to play.
Even though Zhou Ting was rather dull, these were the only two people she knew in Saint Spirit Village.
"Sister Xiao Wu..."
Just as Zhou Ting uttered the title, Xiao Wu's whole body tensed up, and she looked at him with a wary expression.
After half a year of living together, Xiao Wu had long since figured out the temperaments of everyone in Dormitory Seven, especially the most unique ones, Tang San and Zhou Ting.
She said full of vigilance.
"Don't ever call me that."
"It's normal for others to call me Sister Xiao Wu."
"But you... right, and Tang San are different."
"Tang San never calls me Sister Xiao Wu, and you're even worse than Tang San. You usually don't call me that, but once you do, there's definitely something up!"
Oops, my little scheme was exposed to my face.
Zhou Ting rubbed his nose somewhat sheepishly; it was a bit itchy.
"Ahem, well, you did promise me to help me obtain a spirit ring."
Xiao Wu thought about it cautiously, and after finding no traps in his words, she replied.
"Yeah, so what?"
"Now is the time for you to fulfill that promise."
Fulfill the promise... Now?!!
Is it what she thinks it means?
Xiao Wu's brain couldn't quite process it. After a good while, she asked.
"You reached level ten?"
Zhou Ting nodded with a smile.
"I have! And..."
He pulled a medallion from his robe and showed it to Xiao Wu.
"And the medallion application is already done!"
"How is that possible?"
Xiao Wu's face was full of disbelief.
"Could it be... the Spirit Hall certification is fake?"
"It's real!"
"Then... the rank one innate spirit power test was wrong?"
"It wasn't!"Chapter 13: 13 Origin of the Jade Emperor Bee
Chapter 13: 13. Origin of the Jade Emperor Bee
Xiao Wu couldn't understand how a little piece of trash with Rank 1 innate spirit power could reach Rank 10 in just half a year.
Although she had long known Zhou Ting had secrets and wasn't simple...
But she didn't expect... it would be this kind of not simple.
Zhou Ting smiled and asked back.
"Who says the rank of Innate spirit power represents the rank of talent?"
Xiao Wu somewhat understood Zhou Ting's meaning, but the confusion in her heart grew even more.
"But... this saying has never been wrong!"
Zhou Ting said with a smile.
"There's also never been... a case of idiocy being cured by Spirit awakening; there are exceptions to everything."
Xiao Wu was momentarily speechless.
But thinking about her own situation—a Spirit Beast turning into a human—that was also something ordinary people couldn't imagine.
An exception like Zhou Ting wasn't unacceptable either.
Only in the next moment, she slapped Zhou Ting's shoulder hard and said fiercely.
"You guy are truly hateful; clearly your talent is good, yet you didn't tell us!"
Zhou Ting was knocked off balance but smiled nonchalantly.
"Haha, no matter what, I'm still far behind you two; there's nothing to show off."
When Zhou Ting said this, Xiao Wu felt much better.
After all, she and Tang San had Innate Full Spirit Power and had broken through Rank 10 early to obtain their first hundred-year spirit ring.
And over these past six months, she had already covered half the distance in the Spirit Master realm, leaping from Rank 12 to Rank 15.
Actually, this was thanks to Tang San's motivation; otherwise, with Xiao Wu's nature of disliking cultivation, how could she have improved so much?
"When do you want to go to the Soul Hunting Forest?"
"Today!"
"Okay."
Xiao Wu agreed readily.
It was something she had promised long ago; she wouldn't break her word.
Moreover, Tang San said he would devote himself entirely to blacksmithing and had no time to play with her, so she took this chance to fulfill her promise.
The two went back, gave a few brief explanations, and set off together with their bundles.
Three days later, after trekking over three hundred miles, the travel-worn pair finally stood at the entrance of the Soul Hunting Forest.
The Soul Hunting Forest, a place where the Empire keeps captive Spirit Beasts. To prevent the extinction of Spirit Beasts due to reckless hunting, the Empire and major powers like Spirit Hall joined forces to seal off many Spirit Beast forests.
Only Spirit Masters holding a medallion can enter.
Tang San came in last time because Yu Xiaogang held a third-rank warrant, the kind that could be used long-term.
As for the one Zhou Ting got, it was the lowest grade and could only be used once.
This was the gap in status and background!
"A loss, a huge loss this time!"
Xiao Wu distressedly patted her small pouch; only three gold coins were left inside.
At school, all necessities were paid for by the Work-Study Student wages, with some surplus.
As for the gold coins on her, they weren't earned by Tang San as a blacksmith, but were her own Spirit Master subsidies.
One gold coin a month.
As for Zhou Ting, there are no subsidies without breaking through Rank 10.
Xiao Wu stared at Zhou Ting with unfriendly eyes and complained.
"It's all your fault; just for accommodation on the way, we spent three gold coins!"
What could Zhou Ting say? What did he dare say!
He didn't dare say anything.
He could only grumble in his heart: "Wasn't it your own doing? Not only did we keep stopping, but you also insisted on the best lodging—one gold coin a night—and I paid for all the food and drink on the road."
Xiao Wu saw Zhou Ting's defiance at a glance and asked crossly.
"Didn't you stay in the room too?!!"
Zhou Ting curled his lip, thinking: "I stayed... but I slept on the sofa!"
Of course, he didn't dare talk back.
His future was still in her hands; what's wrong with being scolded a bit? It's not like he'd lose a piece of flesh.
A child's body, thick skin... he had no psychological barrier.
"You're right."
Zhou Ting decisively backed down.
Xiao Wu vented her frustration and didn't forget to say.
"Once you get your Spirit Master subsidy, remember to pay me back!"
Zhou Ting's mouth twitched; the thought of cute little gold coins leaving him made his heart ache.
But facing the predatory Little Rabbit, he only had one path. Enduring the heartache, he said generously.
"No problem."
"Mm, good."
Zhou Ting forced a smile and said.
"Then can we... go in now?"
"Let's go!"
At the gate, Zhou Ting showed the medallion, and the guard opened the door to let him in without any nonsense.
Returning to the primeval forest, Xiao Wu appeared exceptionally lively, skipping around, clearly very happy.
The breath of nature, the scent of home!
She suddenly looked back at Zhou Ting, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
"On him... there's a scent similar to the forest."
"It's somewhat like the aura on Tang San, yet different!"
"What... is going on with them?"
The Little Rabbit's head hurt from thinking, so she quickly gave up and asked Zhou Ting.
"Zhou Ting, have you decided what Spirit Beast you're looking for?"
While vigilantly watching the surroundings, Zhou Ting answered casually.
"Jade Emperor Bee!"
Xiao Wu stopped in her tracks and shouted in surprise.
"What? Jade Emperor Bee? Why would you choose this kind of Spirit Beast?"
Before Zhou Ting could answer, Xiao Wu asked with a strange expression.
"Do you know how the name Jade Emperor Bee came about?"
Regarding this question, Zhou Ting really didn't know and could only shake his head helplessly.
"I don't know; it wasn't in the spirit beast illustrated manual."
Xiao Wu didn't expect Zhou Ting to know and explained.
"The 'Jade' in Jade Emperor Bee refers to how these bees are pure white like jade and very beautiful. As for the 'Emperor'..."
At this point, she seemed to think of something, and a hint of terror appeared in her eyes.
"Ni—... A long, long time ago, when human strength was still relatively weak and Spirit Beasts occupied most of the continent, various strange Spirit Beasts emerged in an endless stream."
Xiao Wu found a place to sit before continuing.
"No one knows when, but a nest of bees appeared in the Star Dou Great Forest. Their bodies were like jade and extremely beautiful."
"The Bee Queen among them was a Thousand-year Spirit Beast. Since they only needed pollen and didn't occupy other resources, other Spirit Beasts didn't care and let them develop freely."
"Ten thousand years later, the swarm covered the sky. Tens of thousands of Ten Thousand Year Jade Emperor Bees, hundreds of thousands of thousand-year ones, and countless hundred-year and ten-year ones swept through the entire Star Dou Great Forest, killing countless Spirit Beasts. That's where the name 'Emperor' came from."
"Finally, the forest overlord, the Titan Giant Ape clan, took action. Paying a tragic price, they killed the Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast level Bee Queen but failed to wipe out the Jade Emperor Bees."
"Eventually, the scattered swarms spread across the entire continent!"
Little Rabbit... you're showing your rabbit feet, do you know that?
How could humans know these secrets so clearly?
Zhou Ting didn't expose her but just asked.
"Since the Jade Emperor Bee is so terrifying, why does the spirit beast illustrated manual say it's a low-level Spirit Beast?"
Xiao Wu happened to know the answer to this question.
"Since then, the terror of the Jade Emperor Bee has remained fresh in the memory of all Spirit Beasts. Additionally, high-level Spirit Beasts like the Titan Giant Ape discovered that the Jade Emperor Bee's honey is extremely delicious and greatly beneficial to cultivation."
"So, Spirit Beasts will spontaneously restrict the development of the Jade Emperor Bee."
The wisdom of a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast is no different from a human's, so Zhou Ting didn't find what Xiao Wu said strange.Chapter 14: Truly Stubborn
Chapter 14: 14. Truly Stubborn
"How is it restricted?"
Facing Zhou Ting's question, Xiao Wu spoke without reservation.
"Higher-level Spirit Beasts will occasionally destroy the hives to get honey, and they won't allow any Jade Emperor Bees over a thousand years old to appear in their territory! And that's in the Star Dou Great Forest..."
At this point, she gave Zhou Ting a strange look and said,
"You should be mentally prepared; in a small Soul Hunting Forest like this, you might not even see a hundred-year-old Jade Emperor Bee."
A moment later, Xiao Wu asked somewhat hesitantly,
"How about you choose another one..."
Zhou Ting thought of the little old man on the seventh floor of the Black Tower; he was a genuine Magician, flesh and blood.
Moreover, the seventh floor was a real study.
So, with the Black Tower, it didn't matter if the age was insufficient!
Thinking of this, he said with a look of determination,
"This is the one. If there aren't any hundred-year-old ones, I'll accept that too."
Xiao Wu said with some disappointment,
"This is your own choice. If you end up regretting it, you can't blame me."
"Fine."
Then, Zhou Ting said with a playful grin,
"Hehe, of course, it would be even better if there's one over a hundred years old."
"Heh, that's very difficult. If it were in..."
Xiao Wu eventually stopped speaking. After all, the Star Dou Great Forest was not a place Zhou Ting could go; it was far too dangerous for low-level Spirit Masters.
Zhou Ting knew what she was thinking but didn't press for details, instead changing the subject.
"By the way, if it's a hundred-year-old Jade Emperor Bee Queen, are you confident you can capture it alive?"
This question was very interesting. Why capture it alive?
Xiao Wu immediately frowned and asked,
"Isn't it enough to beat it half to death and let you deliver the killing blow?"
Xiao Wu suddenly stood up, staring at Zhou Ting suspiciously.
"Are you doubting my strength, afraid that I won't control it well and accidentally kill the Bee Queen?"
Zhou Ting quickly denied it.
"No, it's just that I need it alive."
Xiao Wu saw that Zhou Ting's eyes were serious and he didn't seem to be lying, so she said,
"Humph, better not be. My strength... is beyond doubt. Also, since I promised you, I will follow your requirements."
Zhou Ting smiled with satisfaction.
"Xiao Wu, you really are a person of your word!"
"Of course!"
Xiao Wu smiled with satisfaction at first, but the next moment, her expression changed and she questioned,
"You hateful fellow, you're just like Tang San..."
Not good, exposed.
Zhou Ting realized things were going south and took off running.
"Ah, don't run..."
..."Buzz buzz..."
Three circles to the left, three circles to the right, twist the neck... Above a strangely shaped flower stamen, a tiny body as white as jade was dancing happily.
Three pairs of crystal-like wings flapped rapidly, and seven-colored light flashed from time to time in the dim forest.
Behind a hundred-year-old tree, Xiao Wu whispered to Zhou Ting.
"This is a Jade Emperor Bee. I didn't expect to actually find one in this small Soul Hunting Forest. However, this one isn't older than fifty years. Even if it's a Bee Queen, it might be hard to find one over a hundred years old."
"Not necessarily. Didn't you say that even a Ten Thousand Year Bee Queen produces low-age Jade Emperor Bees?"
Xiao Wu didn't want to argue with Zhou Ting; she just watched the direction the Jade Emperor Bee left and whispered,
"Let's follow it to see the hive. Generally, a Bee Queen over a hundred years old will have a few hundred-year-old Male Bees around her. Once we see them, we can determine the Bee Queen's age."
This knowledge wasn't mentioned in the spirit beast illustrated manual.
I don't know if humans forgot to include it, or if they were... guarding their secrets.
The Jade Emperor Bee didn't fly fast, occasionally landing on a chosen stamen to collect pollen.
Xiao Wu and Zhou Ting were very patient, quietly watching it work without disturbing it.
Soon, the Jade Emperor Bee's two legs visibly "swelled," looking like little chicken drumsticks.
Half an hour later, Xiao Wu pulled Zhou Ting and gave him a look: stop, be quiet.
Then, she listened intently and whispered.
"I hear a lot of bee activity. The hive should be about twenty meters ahead. I'll go scout it out first; you wait here."
Zhou Ting nodded solemnly, having no intention of following.
He knew his own strength well enough; it was better not to follow and get in the way.
"Swish swish..."
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Wu leaped into the trees, moving nimbly between the large branches before vanishing from sight.
On the bare cliff face, there was a small hole with countless Jade Emperor Bees coming and going.
"It really is a hive!"
Xiao Wu remained calm and continued to observe.
A moment later, she frowned.
"What's going on? Why are they all Worker Bees? Where are the Male Bees?"
Actually, Xiao Wu hadn't told Zhou Ting everything about the Jade Emperor Bee's past.
She had personally witnessed the terror of the Jade Emperor Bees. Even a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast... was so vulnerable before a Ten Thousand Year Jade Emperor Bee colony.
As someone who had experienced it, she understood the Jade Emperor Bee colony well, and identifying a Male Bee was not difficult.
But the Male Bees weren't appearing!
"I'd better go back and discuss this."
"Swish swish..."
"How is it?"
Xiao Wu didn't answer, just pulled Zhou Ting back a hundred meters before speaking.
"None of the Worker Bees I saw were over a hundred years old, and I haven't seen any Male Bees yet, so I can't confirm the Bee Queen's age. However..."
Xiao Wu's eyes were hesitant, clearly having some concerns.
Zhou Ting, having the Black Tower as his trump card, was quite confident and said nonchalantly,
"Just say it. Even if it's only a few decades old, I can accept it."
Since things had reached this point, Xiao Wu didn't hold back anymore and said directly,
"Although Jade Emperor Bees are widely distributed, due to their unique nature, a second hive is not allowed within a certain range. Given the size of this Soul Hunting Forest, one hive is likely the limit."
So that's how it is!
Zhou Ting immediately made a decision.
"Then this is the one!"
There's a huge difference between a ten-year spirit ring and a hundred-year spirit ring, not just in terms of the power of the Spirit Ability, but also in the magnitude of help for future development.
Therefore, geniuses all obtain hundred-year yellow spirit rings, usually around four hundred years in age.
In Xiao Wu's eyes, Zhou Ting, who could rise nine levels in half a year, was clearly a genius as well.
For such a genius, absorbing a first spirit ring of around four hundred years would be quite sufficient. If he really absorbed a ten-year white spirit ring... wouldn't that be a massive waste of his talent!
So, Xiao Wu decided to try persuading him again, but she couldn't reveal her own secrets.
"How about you wait a bit longer? We'll go back and find Little San, and everyone can go to the Star Dou Great Forest together."
I only asked you so I wouldn't have to find Tang San!
Zhou Ting shook his head and flatly refused.
"No need, this is the one!"
How stubborn!
Also, Xiao Wu faintly noticed something.
Although Zhou Ting and Tang San were from the same village, he seemed to strongly dislike being close to Tang San, treating him like a stranger.
Could it be because... he was foolish for six years?Chapter 15: Shifting the Blame
Chapter 15: 15. Shifting the Blame
"The Jade Emperor Bee is different from ordinary bees, and the Jade Emperor Bee Queen is also different from regular queens. Not only is she responsible for laying eggs, but she also possesses an extremely special, even terrifying, skill."
As she spoke, that terrifying scene resurfaced before Xiao Wu's eyes.
A seven-colored rainbow rose from the ground, piercing through the heavens and earth.
On that day, all the Spirit Beasts on the continent felt as if they had caught a dazed glimpse of their long-departed ancestors.
"What is it?"
Zhou Ting was delighted; asking Xiao Wu for help really was the right choice.
Otherwise, how could he have heard so many precious secrets?
Xiao Wu had no intention of being mysterious and answered immediately.
"The Bee Queen can gather the power of her bloodline descendants to unleash a desperate, Fatal Strike."
Faced with that strike, even the hundred-thousand-year forest overlord, the Titan Giant Ape, couldn't withstand it, suffering countless casualties.
Zhou Ting's expression couldn't help but change as he asked somewhat worriedly,
"Then we... can we beat it?"
"Don't worry, with your Sister Xiao Wu here, a tiny Jade Emperor Bee is nothing to worry about."
Xiao Wu was full of confidence.
She had the grounds for such confidence. She understood the Jade Emperor Bees extremely well and knew their weaknesses. Coupled with the fact that she was an agility-attack system Spirit Master, her assurance was even greater.
She glanced at Zhou Ting and said,
"However, if you're hoping to obtain that specific Spirit Ability, I'm afraid it's impossible."
Zhou Ting had a vague guess as to why, but seeing the expectant look in Xiao Wu's eyes, he played along and asked,
"Why?"
Xiao Wu was extremely satisfied and asked back,
"Hehe, why do you think it has to be limited to the thousand-year level?"
Zhou Ting put on a look of sudden realization.
"So that's how it is."
The next moment, Zhou Ting asked,
"Is there a plan? We can't just take it by force, right?"
Xiao Wu leaned mysteriously toward Zhou Ting's ear and said with a giggle,
"Of course not. First we do this... then we do that... and finally we do that..."
Zhou Ting nodded repeatedly, and his lips involuntarily... also curled into a treacherous smile.
This definitely wasn't his intention; he was just being led astray by the Little Rabbit... "Awoo..."
Under the moonlight, a silver-white giant beast stepped out of a cave and stood up on its hind legs, reaching twenty to thirty meters in height.
In the next moment, it jumped straight down the small hill. With a loud "thud," the entire Soul Hunting Forest seemed to tremble.
"Gulp!"
That weight... let alone getting slapped by its paw, even a light graze would be unbearable!
Zhou Ting swallowed hard with difficulty, then stiffly turned his head to look at Xiao Wu, who was eager to try, and asked hesitantly,
"Are we... really going to do this?"
Xiao Wu saw Zhou Ting's hesitation and said with great dissatisfaction,
"Of course! Don't tell me you want to back out?"
At this moment, Zhou Ting's silence was deafening: although the plan was good, there was no need to set the target on this giant beast!
Xiao Wu didn't care about Zhou Ting's attitude. She reached into her small pouch and pulled out a small bundle of... fine needles.
However, they had no needle eyes.
*Hiss!*
Time to act!
Zhou Ting quickly distanced himself from Xiao Wu, found a large tree, and hid behind it.
"So cowardly!"
Xiao Wu muttered dissatisfiedly, and then instantly vanished from sight.
In the dark grass, a pink figure flickered in and out of view, accompanied by subtle "swish swish" sounds.
"Awoo!"
The white giant beast suddenly jumped up, clutching its lower body with both hands, and knelt on the ground. Its defenses were breached front and back, and it wailed incessantly.
Zhou Ting subconsciously pressed his legs together, his face full of sympathy.
*Hiss!*
"This Little Rabbit is truly ruthless, specifically targeting the Moonlight Bear's lower regions!"
"In the future... I must make sure not to offend her too badly!"
Xiao Wu was, after all, a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bones Rabbit in human form, not some innocent little girl.
Furthermore, her close-combat Soft Technique was specifically designed to target the enemy's weak points.
Whether Spirit Beast or human, regardless of gender, the lower regions... are always the most fragile places!
*Thud thud thud...*
The giant beast covered its groin with one paw and slammed the ground with the other to distract itself from the pain.
Xiao Wu was extremely fast. In less than a minute, she had successfully retreated and found Zhou Ting again.
She tilted her small head up and asked with self-satisfaction,
"How was Sister Xiao Wu's accuracy?"
Zhou Ting gave her a thumbs up and complimented,
"Great aim!"
Xiao Wu was very happy and gave Zhou Ting a look that said he was quite sensible.
Suddenly, the pitiful Moonlight Bear stopped its movements and carefully sat down, lowering its head deeply and burying it... *Hiss...*
This time it wasn't Zhou Ting.
The white Moonlight Bear let out low cries of pain from time to time, accompanied by silver needles being pulled out and dropped onto the ground.
In fact, those weren't silver needles, but the stingers of Jade Emperor Bees.
Finally, after half an hour of agony, the Moonlight Bear finally removed over seventy bee stingers from its front and back.
"Awoo..."
It stood up on its hind legs again, its eyes filled with a rage that seemed capable of burning everything.
The next moment... *Hiss...*
Swollen, throbbing, painful, numb... the weak bee venom wasn't fatal, but it was incredibly uncomfortable.
The Moonlight Bear quickly brought its hind legs together and then carefully lowered itself onto all fours.
After a moment of recovery, the Moonlight Bear suddenly turned its head to look east, toward the direction of the Jade Emperor Bee hive.
Although it hadn't seen any Jade Emperor Bees at the scene of the crime, it recognized those bee stingers.
Revenge!
It had to have revenge!
The Moonlight Bear suddenly started running toward the north.
"That's the wrong direction, isn't it?"
Zhou Ting was a bit dazed and muttered to himself,
"Could it be... the plan failed?"
"Is the Moonlight Bear scared and doesn't dare to retaliate?"
Xiao Wu had an air of victory in her grasp, not worried at all.
"Don't worry, that big dummy can't swallow this insult. Right now... it's going to put on its 'armor.'"
Even though Xiao Wu called the Moonlight Bear a big dummy, it wasn't actually stupid. Naturally, it wouldn't go into a physical brawl completely exposed.
After all, it was a Spirit Beast that had lived for thousands of years.
As for why it didn't realize the bee stingers were shot by Xiao Wu...
It was simply because the Spirit Beast aura on Xiao Wu was that of an ordinary, low-level Soft Bones Rabbit Spirit Beast, which posed no threat.
Moreover, she had nothing to do with the Jade Emperor Bees, which caused the Moonlight Bear to subconsciously ignore her.
Therefore, if anyone else had tried this plan... it wouldn't have succeeded.
The Moonlight Bear's armor was mud.
This was what Zhou Ting discovered when he saw the Moonlight Bear again near the beehive. It was a wise move that could provide some slight protection.
However... its originally silver-white fur was now covered in yellow mud. At this moment, it looked like a naughty child who had been rolling in a mud pit.
It was truly... hard to suppress a laugh.
Near the hive, there were Worker Bees patrolling and on alert at all times to prevent foreign invasions.
And a behemoth like the Moonlight Bear, even if covered in mud, could not hide from the eyes of the swarm.
"Buzz buzz buzz..."
The sentinel Worker Bees suddenly vibrated their wings rapidly, instantly transmitting the news of the foreign invasion back to the hive, to the Bee Queen.
In the next moment, squads of Worker Bees flew out of the cliff face in an orderly fashion, an endless stream of them.
"There are so many!"
Zhou Ting exclaimed. Just then, Xiao Wu suddenly patted Zhou Ting's shoulder excitedly and said in a low voice, suppressing her excitement,
"Zhou Ting, you're in luck!"Chapter 16: Less than Two Hundred Years
Chapter 16: 16. Less than Two Hundred Years
"What kind of luck?"
Xiao Wu pointed at an adult Jade Emperor Bee the size of a fist flying out of the cave entrance on the cliff and introduced it.
"Do you see that? That's a Male Bee. Most importantly... it's over a hundred years old. I can be certain that the Bee Queen in the hive is definitely over a hundred years old!"
Over a hundred years!
Zhou Ting's eyes instantly lit up, filled with uncontrollable joy.
After all, if one could have a hundred-year spirit ring, no one would choose a ten-year one. Even with a cheat, nobody would make that choice!
Just as the two were rejoicing, on the other side, the Moonlight Bear, knowing it had been exposed, made a prompt decision. It immediately abandoned its stealthy crawling and began to sprint.
"Buzz buzz..."
The enemy was heading straight for their core, and the Jade Emperor Bees immediately grew anxious. To protect their home, they were fearless in the face of death. In the sky, densely packed bee stingers flickered with a cold silver light.
It was a sight that would make one's heart turn cold, but the Moonlight Bear had already closed its eyes and couldn't see it.
In fact, even if it had seen it, it wouldn't have cared.
As one of the overlords of this Soul Hunting Forest, this wasn't its first time dealing with Jade Emperor Bees!
"Puff puff puff..."
The swarm's dense attacks couldn't stop the Moonlight Bear's advance at all. It rushed to the cliffside without any sign of slowing down.
The next moment, the sight that unfolded made Zhou Ting's mouth hang open in silent shock.
"Is that the Iron Mountain Lean?!"
The Moonlight Bear's broad shoulder slammed violently into the cave entrance on the cliff—the exit of the hive.
Boom!
Debris flew everywhere as the entrance instantly expanded from one square meter to over ten square meters.
This was genuine rock, incredibly hard, yet before the Moonlight Bear, it was like paper.
Truly... terrifying strength!
The Moonlight Bear took two steps back, ignoring the swarm's attacks without responding. Then, there was another "Boom."
The entrance expanded again, reaching twenty or thirty square meters!
That bear paw, larger than a millstone, reached directly into the cave and scooped. It pulled out a mass of snowy white.
As soon as it was out, the bear couldn't wait to shove it into its mouth.
Instantly, the air was filled with a rich, sweet fragrance.
"So fragrant!"
Zhou Ting swallowed his saliva and marveled.
"As expected of Jade Emperor Bees, their honey is like jade!"
Xiao Wu wiped the corner of her mouth and said.
"It's not just the fragrance; eating it can also promote cultivation. However, this hundred-year jade emperor honey has a relatively poor effect. Only thousand-year or ten-thousand-year honey has a good effect..."
At this point, Xiao Wu's expression turned somewhat disappointed.
After all, Ten Thousand Year jade emperor honey had already become extinct.
She had the honor of eating it once, which was already a rare stroke of luck!
"What a pity, I can't eat it anymore!"
Zhou Ting glanced at the Black Tower in his Sea of Consciousness and thought silently: That might not be the case!
Suddenly, Zhou Ting saw four fist-sized Male Bees rush out of the hive... and in the middle of their group was a Jade Emperor Bee the size of a volleyball.
"That's the... Bee Queen!"
Zhou Ting was instantly jolted and anxiously pulled at Xiao Wu.
"Look quickly, is that the Bee Queen?"
He was terrified the Bee Queen might escape!
Xiao Wu snapped back to her senses, her eyes locking onto the largest one. Her gaze flickered with uncertainty.
"Yes, but..."
Why was there a 'but'?
Zhou Ting asked nervously.
"What's wrong?"
Xiao Wu carefully recalled the Jade Emperor Bee breeding techniques, murmuring to herself.
"This Bee Queen clearly hasn't reached a hundred years yet; fifty years at most. However, breed—cough cough, my eyes won't be wrong!"
Xiao Wu suddenly thought of something and realized.
"This colony of Jade Emperor Bees... has split! This one is a new Bee Queen. Although she was matured with hundred-year royal jelly, she's only forty or fifty years old."
"There should be another Bee Queen in the hive; that one would be over a hundred years old!"
During the time Xiao Wu was analyzing, the Moonlight Bear had already scooped out over a dozen pieces of honey, feasting with such indulgence that it even forgot the pain on its body.
However, as soon as the Bee Queen appeared, a different change occurred in the swarm.
The Moonlight Bear immediately felt a threat and stopped digging for honey. It finally opened its eyes, staring straight at the four Male Bees and the Bee Queen they were guarding.
A hint of doubt flashed in its eyes, but before it could investigate further...
It heard a "Buzz!"
The frequency of the swarm's wingbeats suddenly became synchronized!
The Moonlight Bear became unsteady on its feet, its body swaying as it slammed into the cliff again. This time, however, it didn't use much force, only causing a few rocks to fall with a "swish."
"Buzz!"
Another attack came, and the Moonlight Bear felt dizzy. It shook its head violently and suddenly roared at the sky.
"Roar!"
When gods fight, mortals suffer.
Zhou Ting was that... and the only mortal.
Xiao Wu didn't count; she wasn't affected by the impact at all and remained perfectly calm.
Zhou Ting covered his ears, which made him feel a bit better. Steadying his mind, he continued to look toward the cliff.
The Moonlight Bear's roar was incredibly effective, violently shattering the swarm's sonic attack.
The swarm's frequency was instantly disrupted. Some flew around aimlessly, some with broken wings fell to the ground, and some even exploded and died.
"In this clash, the Jade Emperor Bees lost!"
Zhou Ting commented in a low voice.
"So, the natural enemy of bees... is the bear?"
Xiao Wu kept her eyes on the hive and replied casually.
"No, it's spiders, rats, birds..."
"Although bears love to eat honey, let alone wiping out a swarm, it's difficult for them to even cause effective casualties to the bees."
"In fact, if the hive were ignored, a bear would have no way to deal with the bees."
The creatures of the forest truly know its knowledge best!
Not to mention, the one in front of him was a rabbit who had lived for a hundred thousand years.
Zhou Ting looked like he was taking a lesson, which greatly satisfied Xiao Wu's vanity.
Actually, putting aside the 'love brain' aspect, Xiao Wu was still very intelligent, determined, and brave... In short, Xiao Wu was a good girl. Unfortunately, she met Tang San!
Zhou Ting felt a secret pang of pity but had no other thoughts.
"I see it, it really is so!"
Xiao Wu was somewhat excited.
Just as the Moonlight Bear was being harrassed by the new Bee Queen's team, a Jade Emperor Bee even larger than the new Bee Queen quietly flew out of the hive.
"What a cunning fellow. However, this Bee Queen is less than two hundred years old!"
"Have you decided?"
Zhou Ting didn't hesitate and said decisively.
"I've decided. It's the one!"
Xiao Wu took a deep breath and said.
"Good. Go back to the campsite and wait for me."
Zhou Ting looked at Xiao Wu with a hint of worry in his eyes and solemnly urged her.
"Be careful!"
"Mhm!"
Zhou Ting was still uneasy and spoke again.
"If you can't catch it... just forget it."
The reason he said this was because Xiao Wu was no longer that incredibly powerful Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast, but just a Rank 15 Spirit Master.
Xiao Wu saw Zhou Ting's concern and was somewhat happy, but... she looked at Zhou Ting and questioned him fiercely.
"You dare to doubt Sister Xiao Wu's strength?!"
"I wouldn't dare!"
Zhou Ting fled in a panic!Chapter 17: A Century spirit ring
Chapter 17: 17. A Century spirit ring
The campsite Xiao Wu mentioned was a tree hollow; the space wasn't large, but it was more than enough for two six-year-old children.
Additionally, the tree hollow wasn't far from the cliff where the Jade Emperor Bee hive was located, which the two had accidentally discovered in the evening.
Thus, this tree hollow became a place for the two of them to rest.
Standing on the tree canopy, Zhou Ting was restless, looking around in all directions; on one hand, he was worried that something might happen to Xiao Wu, and on the other, he desperately hoped she could bring back the Bee Queen.
Actually, the more he learned about the Jade Emperor Bee, the more fortunate he felt.
The teachers at the Junior Spirit Master Academy didn't have very high cultivation levels; they weren't much stronger than a certain twenty-ninth-rank Grandmaster.
It couldn't be helped; being from a commoner background, even if they cultivated to rank forty or fifty, their spirit ring configurations were too low, making them no match for children from noble families.
With their level, even if they faced a slightly powerful century-old Spirit Beast, they would probably flee in defeat.
Not to mention facing such a terrifying swarm. No teacher would take such a risk for Zhou Ting.
Fortunately, he had planned ahead and asked Xiao Wu to come and help.
However, this favor... was now owed.
"Boom!"
What a loud noise!
Zhou Ting immediately stood on tiptoe, trying his best to look over toward the cliff.
"What happened over at the hive?"
Unfortunately, the Moonlight Bear wasn't tall enough, and he couldn't see anything.
"What else could happen? They've started fighting!"
A voice suddenly came from behind, giving Zhou Ting a start.
However, he immediately realized it was Xiao Wu's voice.
Turning around, he indeed saw Xiao Wu standing prettily on a nearby branch, not even a strand of her hair out of place.
Moreover... Zhou Ting's gaze was completely drawn to the Bee Queen in her hand; the Spirit Beast he had been longing for day and night was finally before his eyes.
Zhou Ting was so excited he couldn't even speak clearly.
"Is... is... this... that century-old Bee Queen?"
Xiao Wu could understand Zhou Ting's feelings; after all, anyone would be excited when facing the first spirit ring of their life.
Even for her, when condensing her first spirit ring, although she knew it would be the most suitable Spirit Ability and spirit ring for her, she was just as excited, and there was even a trace of trepidation in her heart.
For someone like Zhou Ting... it would only be more intense.
Her small hand pinched the Bee Queen's neck and flipped it over, revealing its smooth little belly, as she smiled.
"It's a century-old one, look at its wings!"
Zhou Ting was speechless; why flip it over to look at the wings?
Xiao Wu didn't know Zhou Ting was complaining internally and continued her introduction.
"Look at the base of its wings. There's a small, white jade-like scale; one piece represents a hundred years. For this one, the second scale hasn't fully formed yet, so it's nearly two hundred years old. What a pity, it would have been better to wait a bit longer!"
Wait a bit longer?
Zhou Ting had already waited for nearly half a year and couldn't wait any longer.
He curiously sized up the unconscious Bee Queen, but then he heard the rumbling sounds of fighting behind him. Remembering his plan, he immediately snapped back to his senses and said urgently,
"I'm going to start."
A complex look flashed in Xiao Wu's eyes, but she eventually handed the Bee Queen over.
"Mhm, as you requested, I only knocked it unconscious!"
Although the Jade Emperor Bee was a Spirit Beast, it was... an enemy!
Xiao Wu suppressed her sympathy for her fellow Spirit Beast, and instead, her heart was filled with curiosity.
Although she didn't need to hunt Spirit Beasts to obtain spirit rings, in her hundred-thousand-year life as a Spirit Beast, she had witnessed far too many human Spirit Masters slaughtering Spirit Beasts.
But this was the first time she had seen someone request a live capture.
It wasn't like it was being prepared for someone else!
Zhou Ting took the Bee Queen and glanced at Xiao Wu, who didn't seem to be leaving, but he didn't choose to send her away.
Anyway, his secret couldn't be hidden forever and would be exposed sooner or later; he might as well show it to Xiao Wu openly.
Returning to the tree hollow, Zhou Ting placed the Bee Queen in front of him. With a thought, a pitch-black Nine-layered small pagoda revealed its true form.
Xiao Wu looked at Zhou Ting's Spirit with great interest; it really was... unadorned.
Indeed, this was the first time she had seen Zhou Ting's Spirit with her own eyes.
"I've heard Tang San say before that your Spirit is a coal-black Nine-layered small pagoda. Seeing it today, it really is so..."
"It's really too black!"
Zhou Ting was speechless: I know it's black, there's really no need to keep emphasizing it!
Zhou Ting didn't want to bother with her and focused on pouring spirit power into his Spirit.
Xiao Wu immediately noticed the change and was surprised: Eh, the Spirit grew larger! What exactly is he trying to do?
The Black Pagoda Spirit grew larger, and the door to the first floor... opened!
With the continuous infusion of spirit power, the first floor of the Black Pagoda... erupted with a powerful suction force, effortlessly sucking the entire unconscious Bee Queen inside.
It was sucked... inside?
This was a living Spirit Beast!
This wasn't a spirit ring!
How could a Spirit collect living things?
What on earth was Zhou Ting's Black Pagoda Spirit?
Xiao Wu was dumbfounded, her eyes wide like a silly rabbit's.
On the other side, Zhou Ting had neither the inclination nor the energy to answer her questions.
All of his spirit power and mental force were concentrated on the first floor of the Black Pagoda, focused on the Bee Queen.
Piercing through the mist, Zhou Ting sensed a naive consciousness.
However, remembering its previous actions, Zhou Ting always felt it was a bit cunning!
"Submit to me!"
"Buzz, buzz..."
"Submit!"
"Buzz, buzz..."
The human and the bee didn't speak the same language; it was completely like a chicken talking to a duck.
However, Zhou Ting faintly sensed the Bee Queen's meaning: Unwilling!
Thoughts turning in his mind, Zhou Ting spoke again.
"Submit to me, and you can live inside my Spirit from now on, where no Moonlight Bear can ever hurt you again."
"Buzz... buzz..."
Is it hesitating?
Zhou Ting frowned, then had a sudden thought and said,
"Since you won't agree, I'll have to let you out and let the little girl who just caught you deal with you."
"Buzz!"
It agreed?!!
What did Xiao Wu... do?
Did she really just knock it unconscious?
Before Zhou Ting could think further, his spirit power and mental force no longer met any resistance. He instantly established a link with the Bee Queen's consciousness and then assimilated it... In short, after a series of complex processes, a drastic change occurred inside the first floor of the Black Pagoda, and a bright yellow spirit ring appeared on the outside.
"This century spirit ring... where's the corpse? What's going on?"
Xiao Wu began to doubt her life as a rabbit.
It's been a hundred thousand years!
She had lived for a full hundred thousand years!
Although she rarely had contact with humans, she still knew about the cultivation process of Spirit Masters.
However, she had never heard of someone using a Spirit to collect a living Spirit Beast and then directly turning it into a spirit ring.
Unable to find an answer after much thought, she could only conclude: Extraordinary people do extraordinary things.
Xiao Wu looked at Zhou Ting somewhat gloomily and muttered to herself,
"The academy says Tang San and I are freaks for obtaining our first spirit rings in the first grade, and they're both over four hundred years old. Little do they know, Zhou Ting is a monster, the kind never seen before..."
Before she could continue complaining, Zhou Ting opened his eyes. He looked at the Black Pagoda in his palm, which was encircled by a spirit ring, and grinned foolishly.
"Haha, finally... I've finally passed this stage..."
Xiao Wu could understand Zhou Ting's excitement.
However, she had too many questions in her heart that needed answering.
Before, she couldn't disturb Zhou Ting, but now it was different.
She stared at Zhou Ting and shouted with a serious expression,
"Zhou Ting!"
Zhou Ting's body stiffened; only then did he realize there was someone else beside him, and he felt a bit awkward.
"Cough cough, thanks."
Xiao Wu waved her hand and said,
"Forget it, it was something I agreed to do anyway, but shouldn't you explain a bit?"
"Explain what?"Chapter 18: 18 Moving
Chapter 18: 18. Moving
"What does that explain?"
Zhou Ting wasn't playing dumb; he was just so happy he'd lost himself, and his mind wasn't as sharp as usual.
Seeing this, Xiao Wu had no choice but to ask in detail.
"Your Spirit... what's going on with it? Since the spirit ring was collected, where is... the Bee Queen's corpse? Your Spirit isn't going to absorb the corpse, is it?"
This guess frightened Xiao Wu herself, and she looked at Zhou Ting with a face full of terror.
Zhou Ting suddenly understood and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Oh, that!"
"It's hard to explain in just a sentence or two..."
Was he trying to dodge the question?
Xiao Wu felt a bit unhappy, let out a cold snort, and said:
"I have plenty of time!"
Zhou Ting was still immersed in joy and didn't realize Xiao Wu was upset at all, saying to himself:
"...Why don't I just show you..."
Saying that, Zhou Ting opened the door to the first floor of the black pagoda and said:
"Look inside for yourself!"
Xiao Wu was puzzled but did as told, bringing her big eyes close to the pagoda door, and instantly cried out in surprise.
"Ah! This is..."
Then, she scanned the inside of the pagoda from left to right, finally looking at Zhou Ting and asking somewhat uncertainly:
"Is this a beehive?!"
Zhou Ting nodded and smiled.
"Exactly."
Xiao Wu looked toward the center of the beehive again and couldn't help but reach her finger inside, poking the Bee Queen's fat... butt.
Cowering under Xiao Wu's intimidation, the Bee Queen only shrunk its body, not daring to resist at all.
That warm, familiar touch gave Xiao Wu an even greater shock.
"The Bee Queen... is alive?!"
Seeing Xiao Wu's mouth hanging open in surprise, Zhou Ting was also full of wonder—that pinkness... she truly was a rabbit!
However, she had just helped him, so thinking like that... was very impolite!
Zhou Ting immediately shook his head, which caused a misunderstanding for Xiao Wu, who asked in confusion:
"It's not alive?"
Zhou Ting snapped back to his senses and immediately replied:
"No, it's alive! My martial soul black pagoda is quite special; it can collect living Spirit Beasts to serve as spirit rings!"
How miraculous!
If every Spirit could be like this, how wonderful would that be!
Xiao Wu lamented.
"Amazing!"
"It's actually just like that. There's no shortage of special Spirits in this World. For example, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda will always obtain fixed skills regardless of what spirit ring it absorbs. Or the Nine Heart Begonia, which only has one Spirit Ability, Healing, no matter how many spirit rings it has..."
Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow and interrupted.
"Wait... how do you know all this?"
Oh no, his competitive streak had kicked in!
Zhou Ting hadn't even realized it, but he had been stimulated by Xiao Wu's "erudition" earlier and now couldn't help but show off.
He didn't expect it to arouse Xiao Wu's suspicion.
Zhou Ting's mind raced, and he instantly came up with a nearly perfect explanation.
"I saw it in the academy library, of course."
Xiao Wu nodded, her face unreadable as to whether she believed him or not.
Zhou Ting quickly changed the subject, saying:
"Actually, my martial soul black pagoda is similar to the Nine Heart Begonia!"
"Oh!"
Xiao Wu immediately showed a look of interest and urged:
"You also only have one Spirit Ability?"
"Yes! Let me show you."
Zhou Ting poured spirit power into the spirit ring with a smile and shouted in his heart:
"First Spirit Ability: Summon!"
"Buzz!"
The century-old yellow spirit ring outside the black pagoda flashed, and a Six-winged Jade Emperor Bee larger than a volleyball hovered in mid-air. It looked dazed, staring around with eyes full of confusion, as if to say: Where is this? How did I get here?
Xiao Wu looked at the Bee Queen with wonder; its body was ethereal. She reached out to poke it... "This isn't a physical body."
Zhou Ting, however, was in a daze. He had been dazed from the moment he summoned the Bee Queen, only snapping out of it now when he heard Xiao Wu's voice.
His expression instantly returned to normal as he said:
"Right. If it were the actual body and the Bee Queen died... wouldn't my spirit ring be gone too?"
"That makes sense!"
Xiao Wu nodded in agreement, then remembered what Zhou Ting had just said and asked:
"So, all your spirit rings are obtained this way, and your Spirit Abilities are all Summons?"
"Yes."
Zhou Ting nodded, not introducing it further. In fact, his Summon skill was not that simple.
Today's "surprises" were already big enough. Xiao Wu didn't press further. She looked at the sky outside and said:
"The battle is over. Let's rest for now and head back first thing tomorrow morning."
"Alright!"
Zhou Ting nodded heavily, then said somewhat awkwardly:
"Ahem, well, I need to go relieve myself."
"Go ahead."
Xiao Wu returned to the tree hollow, sat down, and began her daily practice.
Zhou Ting scurried down the tree and soon ran dozens of meters away.
Xiao Wu opened her eyes and said suspiciously:
"Running so far just to relieve himself? And... he seems to know a bit too much. He doesn't seem like an ordinary mountain village kid. The library, huh?"
"Should I go take a look..."
But the next moment, thinking of the densely packed books there, she suddenly shuddered.
"Never mind... if I sleep too much, I won't be able to sleep at night!"
On the other side, Zhou Ting had already run fifty meters.
"At this distance... they should be able to hear me?!"
Zhou Ting summoned the Bee Queen again. At the same time, he stared intently at the black pagoda but found nothing unusual.
"What's going on? Why isn't it there this time..."
"Forget it, I'll check again when I get back. Now I should get to business."
"Since I have the beehive, I can't be without the swarm!"
"Bee Queen, let's go back and take a look!"
"Buzz!"
The Bee Queen immediately became excited, its wings flapping joyfully.
Moving quickly, and since it wasn't far from the cliff face:
In less than ten minutes, the person and the bee had successfully arrived in front of the cliff.
Probably because of the fierce battle between the swarm and the Moonlight Bears, the nearby Spirit Beasts had all avoided this place.
The person and the bee encountered no obstacles along the way.
"Buzz buzz!"
Near the cliff, the swarm was no longer as composed as before; their formation was scattered and chaotic.
Zhou Ting waved his hand, dismissing the summoned Bee Queen phantom, and then directly released the Bee Queen's actual body.
The century-old yellow spirit ring remained as steady as a mountain!
"Buzz!"
Seeing its familiar home, the Bee Queen buzzed and called out, and the whole World seemed to fall silent.
Then, the next moment.
"Buzz..."
"Buzz buzz..."
...Countless Jade Emperor Bees flew out from the grass, from behind trees, from the cliff face, and from the beehive.
The bloodline connection was so intimate.
The command was issued, and the dark mass of Jade Emperor Bees immediately lined up in front of the Bee Queen, like soldiers waiting for their monarch's review, in perfect order.
The Bee Queen suddenly looked at Zhou Ting, her eyes full of inquiry.
Zhou Ting smiled and enlarged the black pagoda until it was about the height of a person, and the door to the first floor swung open.
"We are... moving!"
A look of excitement flashed in the Bee Queen's eyes, and she buzzed loudly.
"Buzz!"
Immediately, the swarm began to move.
Worker Bees with minor injuries carried the Worker Bees and Male Bees that couldn't fly into the new beehive.
Those who weren't injured immediately returned to the dilapidated beehive to carry honey and bee pupae... With a leader, these remnants immediately displayed incredible execution, moving all useful resources from the beehive in less than half an hour.
Of course, in the manual labor of looting... ahem, no, moving house, Zhou Ting naturally participated as well; otherwise, how could it have been so fast?
Looking at the incomplete and "clean" beehive, Zhou Ting finally clapped his hands in satisfaction and said:
"Let's go!"
The cliff area immediately returned to tranquility.
A moment later, a "buzzing" sound rang out, and two volleyball-sized Jade Emperor Bees appeared in front of the beehive.
If Zhou Ting were here, he would probably recognize them instantly: it was that new Bee Queen and a Male Bee.
Surprisingly, they, who had been used as bait by the old Bee Queen, had actually survived.
However, the two Jade Emperor Bees were dumbfounded at this moment.
Where's the home?
Where did that huge home with so many resources go?
They flew in a large circle around the beehive and then helplessly... flew away!
Only the "buzzing" sound was deafening, as if they were greeting some old fossil!Chapter 19: Confidentiality
Chapter 19: 19. Confidentiality
After finishing her daily lessons, Xiao Wu looked toward the direction where Zhou Ting had left the tree hollow, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Why hasn't he come back yet? Could it be... constipation?"
"He couldn't have... run into danger, right?"
At this point, Xiao Wu couldn't sit still anymore; she stood up, intending to go out and find him.
Just then, she heard that familiar 'buzzing' sound from dozens of meters away, along with the gradually clearer sound of familiar footsteps.
"He's back."
Xiao Wu's brow smoothed out, and she sat back down, adopting a composed posture.
"What kind of bad things did you go off to do that you only now thought to come back?"
The way she asked that... why did it have the flavor of a resentful wife?
A strange thought flashed through Zhou Ting's mind before he quickly smiled apologetically.
"How could I? Didn't I just go to find something delicious for our great heroine, Sister Xiao Wu?"
As soon as she heard 'delicious,' Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled.
On the way to the Soul Hunting Forest, it was fine; she could buy whatever she wanted to eat.
But after entering the Soul Hunting Forest, everything changed.
For two whole days, let alone eating a delicacy, she hadn't even been able to have a hot meal.
Three meals a day were all cold dry rations.
In the Soul Hunting Forest, one didn't dare to roast meat; the aroma of food wouldn't just attract humans.
With a casual wave of Zhou Ting's hand, a small, snow-white 'rice ball' appeared in his palm, floating within his spirit power.
A sweet and rich fragrance immediately filled the air. Such a familiar scent; Xiao Wu couldn't help but exclaim.
"royal jelly!!!"
Zhou Ting smiled without saying a word, simply handing over the 'white jade rice ball' in his hand.
Xiao Wu impatiently popped the royal jelly into her mouth; that sweet taste was still the delicious flavor from her memories.
Her eyes involuntarily squinted as she sighed inwardly, 'It really has been a long time since I tasted this. The last time... must have been a hundred years ago...'
After giving a piece to Xiao Wu, Zhou Ting took out a piece for himself to taste.
As for honey, Zhou Ting didn't know how many varieties he had eaten in his previous life, but... he didn't particularly like sweets.
However, the royal jelly of the Jade Emperor Bee changed his mind.
It had a special fragrance that was refreshing to the soul.
Moreover, the sweetness was relatively light, cool, and refreshing, not at all cloying.
"I can eat more of this in the future."
After the rice-ball-sized royal jelly went down, Zhou Ting immediately felt its effects.
Not only did his whole person become much more energetic, but... Zhou Ting closed his eyes and immediately began to Cultivate.
On the other side, Xiao Wu followed suit.
The royal jelly of a hundred-year-old Jade Emperor Bee was not just as simple as being delicious.
It could not only nourish the spirit but also contained a significant amount of spirit power—a type of spirit power that was extremely easy to absorb.
It had a great promoting effect on a Spirit Master's Cultivation.
Furthermore, legend had it that frequently drinking Jade Emperor Bee royal jelly could also extend one's life.
Of course, that was just a legend.
In short, in human society, the royal jelly of the Jade Emperor Bee was pursued by countless people; it was a treasure that was in high demand but low supply.
Even ordinary honey, which was much less effective, was a rare tonic.
"I've leveled up, Rank 14!"
"Only one rank away from those two freaks!"
Having finished his Cultivation, Zhou Ting exuded a confident Aura.
After being suppressed for half a year, he could finally hold his head high!
On the other side, Xiao Wu, who had finished her Cultivation early, condemned Zhou Ting.
"You actually went out to play by yourself behind my back!"
These words... if Tang San heard them, wouldn't he beat him to death?
Zhou Ting hurriedly denied it.
"Ahem, it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. Since I have the Bee Queen, the swarm won't attack me."
"That's true."
Xiao Wu nodded, the scene of Zhou Ting taking out the royal jelly flashing through her mind as she asked,
"Your honey... where did you put it?"
Zhou Ting knew that the smart Little Rabbit must have already guessed it, so he simply told the truth.
"Did you forget? There's a beehive inside the Black Tower!"
Xiao Wu remembered the scene when she poked the Bee Queen; thinking about it now, that beehive's volume wasn't small, so storing some royal jelly would be easy.
Even storing tens of thousands of Jade Emperor Bees wouldn't be difficult... "Wait!"
Xiao Wu wasn't stupid and immediately connected even more dots.
She even guessed a thing or two about why Zhou Ting chose the Bee Queen as his spirit ring.
She couldn't help but sigh.
"No wonder you chose the Jade Emperor Bee. You really are... calculating!"
What kind of ghost of an evaluation was that?!
Before Zhou Ting could defend himself, he saw Xiao Wu's expression change as she looked at him with a beaming smile. His heart suddenly 'thumped,' giving him an extremely bad premonition.
However, she just looked at him with that half-smile, saying nothing.
Zhou Ting felt his skin crawl, his heart filled with unease.
He quickly begged for mercy with a bitter smile.
"Just say what's on your mind; this is too creepy!"
Only then did Xiao Wu return to normal and say,
"Release a few Worker Bees to keep watch for the night."
This wasn't a difficult task. Zhou Ting immediately communicated with the Bee Queen, the Black Tower flashed, and a hundred intact Worker Bees immediately flew to the surroundings to stand guard.
With Spirit Beasts keeping watch, the two could finally get a good night's sleep.
On the other side, Xiao Wu said with a smile,
"As I thought..."
Hearing this, Zhou Ting immediately realized: he seemed to have been... tricked.
The Little Rabbit at this moment had turned into a little fox that had successfully stolen a chicken, smiling craftily.
She held up a finger and said,
"Every month... one portion of royal jelly!"
Hiss, this was extortion, blatant extortion!
This demand... was too ruthless!
Zhou Ting shook his head resolutely and said,
"No, the swarm suffered heavy losses; the royal jelly needs to be saved for them to recover their strength."
Xiao Wu puffed out her cheeks, her Aura surging.
Seeing this, Zhou Ting immediately changed his tune and said,
"However, if you agree to one condition of mine, then I will provide you with one portion of honey every month and one portion of royal jelly every quarter!"
This condition wasn't bad; after all, it was all for free, so Xiao Wu was quite satisfied in her heart.
"What condition?"
Zhou Ting showed his true colors, saying with a serious expression,
"The secrets of the Black Tower Spirit, you cannot tell anyone!"
Xiao Wu's two big eyes rolled around as she asked unwillingly,
"I can't tell anyone at all?"
"No!"
Zhou Ting was very serious, but Xiao Wu continued to test him.
"I can't even tell Little San?"
Zhou Ting's gaze was incredibly earnest and firm as he emphasized again,
"No, you cannot tell anyone!"
Xiao Wu lowered her eyes in disappointment and agreed listlessly,
"Alright then, I'll listen to you."
Zhou Ting, however, didn't see the flash of craftiness in the Little Rabbit's eyes.
In fact, even if he had seen it, he wouldn't have cared. The secret of the Black Tower Spirit couldn't be hidden for long.
Zhou Ting asked Xiao Wu to keep it a secret just to delay the exposure; even a few years would be fine.
As for providing the Little Rabbit with free honey, although it hurt a bit, it was a fair trade for her silence.
Besides, without Xiao Wu's help, it would have been nearly impossible for Zhou Ting to capture a live hundred-year-old Jade Emperor Bee Queen.
This favor... had to be repaid!Chapter 20 – The 20th Titled Douluo
Chapter 20 – The 20th Titled Douluo
Inside the hollow of the tree, Zhou Ting glanced at the girl leaning against the bark opposite him, fast asleep, and closed his eyes as well.
He had to admit—abducting someone else's wife for a little 'trip' was downright exhilarating.
Zhou Ting's consciousness entered the first floor of the Black Tower.
Above him stretched a pitch-black sky, scattering hazy star- and moonlight; beneath his feet lay rich black soil.
In the center of the space stood a stone wall, at the foot of which bubbled a spring so deep its bottom could not be seen.
After a quick measurement Zhou Ting reckoned the open ground covered a good ten mu.
This entire space had evolved on its own after he obtained a spirit ring on the first floor of the Black Tower—an environment perfectly suited to the Jade Emperor Bees.
Much like the seventh floor, which was the little old man Anthony's study.
Actually, calling it a study was generous; it was more a castle, an estate.
Unfortunately, Zhou Ting's current cultivation was insufficient to fully manifest it.
He couldn't even summon the little old man.
Still… with a shift of thought, Zhou Ting's consciousness instantly moved to the seventh floor.
Earlier, the first time he'd used his first Spirit Ability, he'd noticed the seventh floor seemed to flash.
At the time, however, Xiao Wu had been beside him, making investigation inconvenient.
Later, when he used the ability again, the phenomenon didn't repeat.
He'd been too busy helping the Jade Emperor Bees relocate to spare a moment.
Standing in the center of the study, he looked around: shelf after shelf packed with countless books, yet every volume remained blank; the furnishings were unchanged, and the little old man still slumbered in his original posture.
Only… on the desk before the old man, alongside the original meditation manual, now lay an extra card. It depicted a fireball—no, a pillar of flame striking a figure with arms spread wide, vaporizing it.
Spell: Fireball Technique
Effect: Deals 6 points of damage.
The moment he 'picked it up', more detailed information flooded his mind.
Fireball Technique's power scales with the spirit power invested; at maximum it equals the full strike of a sixty-first-level Spirit Emperor, but demands the entire spirit power of a standard forty-first-level Spirit Ancestor!
The card can store spirit power!
Absorbing all this, Zhou Ting was elated.
'Fantastic—finally another ace up my sleeve!'
Without the storage feature, the card would merely grant him one extra Fireball at the Spirit Grandmaster level.
With it, everything changed.
He could channel spirit power into the card whenever he liked; one day he'd accumulate enough for a Spirit Ancestor's output.
At that point he'd be able to unleash a Spirit Emperor's full blow.
In the early stages, that was an absolute trump card!
'But why only one card?'
Card in hand, Zhou Ting felt both joy and frustration.
Follower Card: Archmage Antonidas—its effect triggered whenever the summoner cast a Spell, gifting a Fireball card.
Yet when Zhou Ting used his summon ability a second time today, nothing happened.
Chin in hand, he pondered.
'Is it because the follower card never actually entered the field?'
'If it didn't appear, the effect shouldn't trigger, right?'
'Which leaves only one possibility… I'm too weak…'
Reaching that conclusion left him wryly smiling.
He stopped dwelling on it, took the card, and channelled half the spirit power in his Sea of Consciousness into it.
Energy: 1
Damage: 2
Seeing the figures on the card's back, he frowned.
'They don't show the decimal points?'
'Forget it—time to sleep. We've got an early start tomorrow.'
…Dawn. The rising sun.
Above the cliff at the old hive site.
A handsome youth of seventeen or eighteen stood with hands behind his back, facing the sunrise. Golden Holy Light glimmered in his eyes; his entire being exuded sanctity.
Behind him, a thin middle-aged man bowed, his plain features gentle.
The youth suddenly turned, stamped the cliff beneath his foot, and asked:
'Uncle She, is this the century-old Jade Emperor Bee hive from the report?'
The middle-aged man leaned over, surveyed the battlefield and the ruined hive below, and smiled wryly.
'Your Highness, this is the place.'
Studying the debris, he continued his analysis.
'Your Highness, look at the marks. Clearly a powerful Spirit Beast attacked the hive; the bees fought it off but suffered heavy losses and eventually had to relocate.'
The youth turned away again, gazing into the distance with an impassive face. Calmly he asked:
'Oh? What makes you say that?'
The man's mouth twitched as he stared at the empty hive, inwardly cursing: damn Bee Queen, you didn't leave a drop!
'There isn't a single trace of honey left. If it were an ordinary raid, the hive wouldn't have been cleaned out so thoroughly.'
'Indeed.'
The youth sighed.
'I'd hoped to find royal jelly as a birthday gift for Father Emperor. Now…'
The man immediately proposed a remedy.
'Your Highness, the battle happened recently; the Bee Queen can't have gone far. Perhaps we—'
The youth shook his head.
'Uncle She, no need to waste the effort. I know the Jade Emperor Bee temperament: timid. Once a hive is destroyed they flee far away and never rebuild nearby.'
'Several hours have passed; they're long gone.'
Embarrassed, the man scratched his head—he really hadn't known.
'Your Highness, what should we do next?'
'We'll use the original birthday gift.'
…'Ah!'
At the mouth of the tree hollow, Zhou Ting faced the sun and languidly stretched.
Glancing back, he saw someone else's wife curled up, a sweet smile on her lips.
Her sleeping posture was… indescribable.
Last night she had gradually occupied more than half the hollow.
Helpless, Zhou Ting had ended up sleeping near the opening.
Just as he was about to wake her—'Boom!'
A tremendous crash shook the air, followed by an overwhelming pressure.
Zhou Ting stared toward the forest center, horrified.
'So strong—who is it?'
Xiao Wu jolted awake, sprang up, clutched Zhou Ting's shoulders, her face drained of color, whispering in terror:
'It's… a Titled Douluo!'
'Impossible—this is only the Elementary Soul Hunting Forest. What's a Titled Douluo doing here?'
Her grip tightened unconsciously; her face was bloodless.
'Ah!'
Zhou Ting yelped in pain; Xiao Wu instantly let go and instinctively shrank deeper into the hollow.
The sounds of battle soon ceased, though the terrifying pressure lingered, now faint.
Xiao Wu's heart pounded; her face was pale.
'Not good—he's getting closer.'
She stared at the faint silhouette by the entrance, bitterness flooding her heart.
'This time… you've really gotten me killed!'