Fortunately, the bees had followed Qi Ping's instructions to hide far away, so they were not discovered by the group of cultivators. After the cultivators searched fruitlessly for many days and eventually left, the bees used a complex route through extremely deep tunnels to relay the information back.
The reason for such caution was Qi Ping's explicit orders. He wanted to ensure the bees weren't being monitored or marked with special spiritual imprints. Deep, long tunnels could effectively evade tracking and divine sense probes. By using multiple groups of bees to relay messages, he prevented any single bee from being locked onto by subtle substances or marks. Once the task was complete, these bees took their honey rations and left Qingshi County entirely.
Qi Ping's caution had saved him from two potential crises. The first was the risk of the spoils being rigged with tracking devices; if Qi Ping had brought them directly back to his territory, the consequences would have been catastrophic. The second was the risk of the bees themselves being tracked.
When the cultivators found the hidden storage bag but no enemy, they had released numerous tracking substances into the surroundings. As members of a great sect, their knowledge was vast. They knew Demon Insects often appeared on the battlefields of Qingshi County, so they were naturally guarded against others using insect-taming methods to spy on them. Qi Ping's strategy—tunnelling and relaying—directly severed any possibility of them tracking him.
"Dammit! The enemy is too cautious. The tracking failed!"
"It wasn't a total loss. At least we can confirm there's a very well-hidden fellow in Qingshi County. From now on, search and observe carefully. Everyone must regularly apply tracking marks to their bodies and possessions..."
"I don't believe this rat won't show its tail! One slip-up is all I need to end him!"
"The item the sect is looking for might even be on him! So keep your eyes peeled!"
...
Unfortunately, they were destined never to see Qi Ping reveal himself. He had decided not to leave the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range until he reached the Foundation Establishment stage. He even planned to stop selling honey for a while. Now that Meng Yan had left Qingshi County and Sister Nan was hidden deep within the mountains, Qi Ping had no reason to venture out or take action.
"So there were traps in the loot after all?" Qi Ping frowned upon hearing the news.
Meng Yan had checked the spoils several times, and even though they had been with him for a long time without incident while he was recovering, trouble had finally flared up.
'I must be even more careful with the belongings of those I kill in the future...' Qi Ping felt a lingering fear. He was glad he had remained cautious.
He then used a communication talisman to inform Meng Yan of the news and the details of the spoils. Meng Yan replied that he had already left Qingshi County and was safe. Regarding how the enemy had tracked them, he promised to investigate and inform Qi Ping of common tracking methods.
"As for the loss of about seven thousand spirit stones from that batch of loot... though it's not a small amount, it's acceptable. Safety is the priority!"
Qi Ping never placed much hope in making a living through killing and looting. Such methods were fraught with risk; he would never actively seek them out unless forced. Compared to killing, he preferred obtaining spirit stones through farming—that was the path most suited for a Druid.
"Speaking of which, my Spirit-Gathering Art has reached the stage of Small Accomplishment. I can finally contract my first spiritual tree..."
After analyzing the trap and ensuring there were no oversights, Qi Ping put the matter out of his mind. Let Qingshi County be turned upside down; as long as it didn't affect him, he would use his current resources to reach Foundation Establishment. As for the remaining spoils, he intended to wait until he needed spirit stones after his breakthrough before using them—and even then, he would not bring them into his core territory.
'Yes, from now on, all loot except for spirit herbs will be kept far away by the bees. That way, even if they are bait, the disaster won't reach me.'
Within his territory in the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range, Qi Ping cast a spell.
"Spirit-Gathering Art!"
As he cast the technique, spiritual energy from all directions, from the sky and the earth, surged continuously toward his palm.
"The effect is quite good!"
After practicing several times to ensure there were no issues, he walked over to a small sapling. It was a tree that looked as translucent as white jade. If Qi Ping hadn't watched it grow, he wouldn't have even recognized it as a tree.
This white-jade-like tree was the Star-Spirit Wood, the very reason Qi Ping had chosen the Shepherd of Trees profession! It was a Rank 2, low-grade spiritual tree with the ability to gather spiritual energy. Not only could it form a liquid Spirit Liquid at its roots, but it could also nourish the surrounding soil, turning it into rich spiritual land.
"Let the contract begin! We shall see today how the Tree Spirit Contract of a Shepherd of Trees fares in the cultivation world!"
(TN: Tree Spirit Contract: As a Shepherd of Trees, you can form a covenant with trees and engrave a Tree Spirit Imprint upon them. The number of contracted trees depends on your mental strength.)
(TN: Tree Spirit Imprint: You can engrave a spell imprint that matches the tree's characteristics into its spirit. The tree will then gain the ability to use that spell.)
Qi Ping activated the spell. A contract mark glowing with an eerie green light quickly sank into the Star-Spirit Wood. Since the tree had no consciousness of its own and didn't require a talent-sharing process, the contracting was much simpler. As the green light was absorbed and disappeared, the contract was successfully completed.
With the covenant forged, the Star-Spirit Wood felt different in Qi Ping's perception. A special link now connected him to the tree. Furthermore, he could clearly sense something akin to a soul appearing within the wood.
Qi Ping tried to touch it with his consciousness, and a peculiar thought entered his mind.
'Spiritual energy... spiritual energy... I want lots of spiritual energy! This isn't nearly enough!'
'The speed of gathering is too slow! How can I pull more spiritual energy over here?'
"As expected, the technique that matches the Star-Spirit Wood perfectly is the Spirit-Gathering Art!"
"Since you want to gather more energy, there is no spell better suited for you than this!"