"Currently, over five hundred stalks of Hundred-Spirit Grass are planted here. Normally, Grade 1 spiritual land produces one harvest per season."
"In areas with richer spiritual energy, they can mature in a bit over two months; in poorer areas, it takes about four. On average, it's one harvest every three months."
Qi Ping was calculating the specific carrying capacity of his spiritual land. He had taken two mature stalks of Hundred-Spirit Grass for the bees to test. According to the results, the honey produced from one stalk could sustain fifty combat bees for a month. This meant that honey from a hundred stalks could sustain five thousand combat bees for a month, or roughly seventeen hundred bees for three months.
"However, since I've planted over ten thousand common flowers, plus over a hundred Moon-Sleep and Day-Sun flowers, the combined output should easily double the carrying capacity of the Hundred-Spirit Grass."
"That means three hundred stalks of Hundred-Spirit Grass plus the wild flowers can sustain nearly ten thousand combat bees for three months, which accounts for sixty percent of the Hundred-Spirit Grass crop."
"The remaining two hundred stalks, along with the honey made from morning dew and spiritual essence, will be pure profit."
"So, exactly how many bees should I cultivate?" Qi Ping hesitated. If he cultivated more bees, his combat power would be higher, but he would earn fewer spirit stones. After thinking for a long time, Qi Ping finally made a decision.
Ten thousand! He would cultivate a legion of ten thousand combat bees!
Four thousand High-speed Ring-cutter Bees!
Two thousand Ink-Armor Bees!
Two thousand Toxic Bees!
Two thousand Balanced Bees!
Three thousand Brewer Pot-bellied Bees!
That made eight thousand purely combat bees, three thousand purely brewing bees, and two thousand bees capable of both combat and brewing! Ten thousand combat bees was the number Qi Ping wanted; they could usually handle the collection of pollen and spirit herbs for the brewing bees.
Five thousand brewing bees would be dedicated to honey production. This number was more than enough to handle the flowers and herbs of plot twenty-nine. But if he added plot twenty-eight, he would need at least five thousand brewing bees to process the massive amount of Hundred-Spirit Grass produced by both sites. Once he secured plot twenty-eight, the honey from the Hundred-Spirit Grass there would be pure profit!
Since his planned population was over ten thousand, plus the original thousand ordinary Golden Marrow Bees, their daily consumption would take up about eighty percent of plot twenty-nine's output. Therefore, he had to secure both plots to ensure his profit was maximized!
"It's decided. This will be the number! Thirteen thousand high-grade first-rank bees!"
Among them, ten thousand would possess formidable combat power.
'I wonder... can ten thousand bees slay a Foundation Establishment cultivator?' Qi Ping wondered.
Among these ten thousand combat bees, there were the High-speed Ring-cutters with their ultra-sharp wings, whose speed was no less than—and often surpassed—a ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator. There were also the Ink-Armor Bees with their extreme physical defense and powerful bite. And then there were the Toxic Bees with their lethal poison. The Balanced Bees weren't far behind in any attribute, possessing combat power equal to other late-stage first-rank spirit insects.
'Based on current records, whether it was the black-robed marauder with the sword array at the seventh level or the talisman cultivator at the eighth level, they had little resistance against the encirclement of the bee swarm's battle formation. They could only kill dozens to a hundred bees before falling. The gap at the ninth level wouldn't be massive.'
'While the Foundation Establishment stage is much stronger than Qi Refinement, it hasn't reached the point where one can ignore ninth-level cultivators. This means that, theoretically, ten thousand combat bees have a genuine chance of slaying an ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.'
After careful comparison, Qi Ping realized the probability of ten thousand specialized bees killing a Foundation Establishment expert was high, but the losses to the colony would be astronomical. Depending on the enemy's strength, he might lose thousands or even the entire swarm. It would take him months to replenish such numbers. Therefore, unless a battle against a Foundation Establishment cultivator offered rewards great enough to cover the losses, it was best to avoid conflict—especially considering the risk of failing to kill a particularly powerful one.
'A trump card doesn't have to be used, but it must be possessed!'
'With ten thousand combat bees, I not only have the power to rival Foundation Establishment but if I choose to flee, an ordinary Foundation Establishment expert would never be able to stop me.'
Having made up his mind, Qi Ping spent the following time focusing primarily on the Blood Ginseng. As for the Fire Spirit Grass, he only intended to cultivate enough for his own Sun-Ginseng Honey and Fire Spirit Tempering Honey, dedicating the rest of his energy to the swarm expansion. Once the expansion was complete, he estimated he would have reached the late stage of Qi Refinement, and with his increased cultivation, his speed in cultivating spirit herbs would be much faster. After that, he could slowly consider helping the bees or the Crow break through to the second rank.
These were not things that could be accomplished in a short time; otherwise, there wouldn't be so few Foundation Establishment cultivators and second-rank spirit beasts in Qingshi County. Therefore, increasing the swarm population was the fastest way for Qi Ping to acquire power comparable to Foundation Establishment within a few months. The numbers he had set were what he considered optimal for both plots—ensuring strong combat power while earning him a wealth of spirit stones.
Exactly how many stones he could earn would depend on the Brewer Pot-bellied Bees' success with the Hundred-Spirit Grass honey.
The sun rose and the moon set; the moon set and the sun rose. Cultivation knew no time, and in the blink of an eye, days passed. Plot twenty-nine changed every day.
First, all the vegetation Qi Ping hadn't explicitly ordered to be kept was cleared, burned into ash by the Crow, and mixed into the soil. The entire mountain, aside from the preserved trees and thickets, was covered in soft, blackish-yellow earth. No green was visible. Yet it didn't look desolate; instead, it looked like a field in the sowing season, brimming with infinite hope.
Upon that dark earth, bees were constantly seen working diligently—weeding, sowing, watering. Gradually, as the days passed, tiny specks of green began to appear on the black-yellow soil, eventually covering the entire mountain. Those tiny sprouts grew into vibrant seedlings, and then rapidly into lush plants. Some fast-growing common flowers, nourished by the rich spiritual energy, quickly developed thick leaves and burst into brilliant, colorful blooms.
In the gaps between his cultivation and spirit herb tending, Qi Ping observed and felt every tiny change on the mountain, sensing the laws of heaven and earth contained within.
On his twentieth day at Peak 29, after confirming that the death of the black-robed talisman cultivator had brought no danger or powerful enemies, Qi Ping finally had the bees bring back the storage bag.