Qi Ping didn't immediately deal with those who wanted to defect to his side. He had already left them hanging for a while; a little longer wouldn't hurt. Everything would wait until the bee swarm's evolution was complete! Once he had Soul Transformation grade bees and the resources he had prepared, he could unleash inconceivable power.
Cloud-Mist Mountain Range, the Natural Sanctuary.
Unlike its usual peaceful atmosphere, today's air held a sharp, blade-like edge. Strong, vigorous figures were training according to the methods Qi Ping had provided. Although these Equilibrium Bees were already at their peak in body and soul, they didn't stop training; this aura of unstoppable momentum was crucial.
"Buzz buzz... (Boss, we are ready! Look at them, they are the strongest and most excellent of our clan!)"
Under the sun, the Golden Marrow Queen, whose aura and bloodline were incredibly potent, stood on Qi Ping's shoulder. She looked down at the Equilibrium Bee warriors who were radiating Yin-Yang energy with a proud expression. Under the sunlight, they drew in powerful Yang energy, which was then converted through Yin-Yang transformation into even stronger Yin-Yang Qi!
Their bloodline had already evolved from sub-King to King-grade. The previously powerful Netherworld and Sky-Flame bees were now significantly weaker than these Equilibrium Bees. This was the terrifying potential and growth of the Equilibrium Bees; through constant evolution, they had formed a powerful bloodline compatibility, allowing them to integrate various strong bloodlines into their own.
If Qi Ping wished, he could use a large number of Equilibrium Bees to challenge a Soul Transformation cultivator.
"Very good! You've worked hard during this time!" Qi Ping tapped the Queen's hard head and praised her.
The stable development and resource production of the Natural Sanctuary were largely thanks to the Queen, the 'Great Steward.' Almost every plant here was managed by her. Aside from setting up formations, Qi Ping didn't have to handle the tedious work of planting, breeding, harvesting, or fertilizing. Every year, even if he did nothing, she brought in a massive amount of spirit stones.
"Buzz buzz... (It's not hard, Boss. I love leading the kids in farming. I have no interest in the outside world or fighting. This territory you built makes me very happy!)"
"Buzz buzz... (Instead, it's you who works hard outside, Boss. There are so many dangers. All I can do is develop this place and make the clan stronger!)"
Following Qi Ping was the best decision the Queen had ever made. Her proudest achievement used to be finding a patch of blood-ginseng; who could have imagined she would one day own a celestial territory like this?
The evolution of the Equilibrium Bees began soon. After the strongest and most uniquely talented bees finished their warm-up, Qi Ping distributed the prepared Evolutionary Elixirs.
The Void Mantis elixir, vibrating with spatial power!
The Sun-God Locust elixir, flickering with Yang energy!
The Nether-Winged Cricket elixir, radiating heavy Nether-water!
Spatial, Yin-Yang, Five Elements, Life, Destruction, Poison—there was at least one Soul Transformation insect bloodline for every attribute, and some had as many as three! As these unique powers flickered in the air, the entire sanctuary was bathed in a staggering bloodline pressure.
This was undoubtedly the most luxurious evolution Qi Ping had ever prepared. Even when the swarm eventually evolved from Soul Transformation to Void Refinement or even Emperor-grade, he might not be able to gather so many powerful bloodlines at once!
"Buzz buzz... (Such strong pressure!)"
"Buzz buzz... (So many elixirs! We didn't have this many before!)"
"Buzz buzz... (We are developed now! Boss is so amazing!)"
The appearance of the elixirs triggered a wave of awe. Although they had seen some of them, seeing them all at once was a first. Even the Queen's eyes were filled with excitement. The sanctuary's mood was ignited, and the Equilibrium Bees' spirits rose to a new peak.
They moved in an orderly fashion, beginning to consume the elixirs without needing direction. They had already chosen the bloodlines that best suited them. There was no need for a rousing speech; every bee was at its best.
Everything was ready! Even the risk of death could not sway them; they were determined to push the clan's bloodline toward the Emperor-grade. Every one of them would be recorded in the swarm's history.
This wasn't a platitude. Under the Queen's leadership, the swarm had been recording its history: how many bees were in each stage, who participated in which evolution, and who succeeded. As each member looked at this 'History of Glory,' how could they not be fired up? And at the center of this history was Qi Ping—the one who led them from weakness to their current state as King-grade Yin-Yang insects.
As the elixirs were consumed, unique evolutionary auras began to rise. The Queen grew nervous, her legs gripping Qi Ping's shoulder a bit tighter. Even after so many evolutions, she couldn't help it. Other bees, especially those born in the last few decades who had never seen this, watched with nervous anticipation.
"Don't worry, believe in them," Qi Ping said, holding the Queen in his palm and stroking her head. His confidence calmed her.
Qi Ping was the only one not nervous. He had enough confidence. Between the elixirs for special attributes and the multiple options for the Five Elements, the probability of producing Soul Transformation grade bees was very high. With such support, even ordinary insects could have a chance, let alone his elite Equilibrium Bees.
His bees had the highest compatibility thanks to their Yin-Yang nature, and their bodies and souls were far stronger than average. They could recover from almost anything that wasn't instantly fatal. Furthermore, Qi Ping used his status as Master of Mountains and Rivers to gather the 'Favor of the Land' and the domain's destiny upon the swarm. Combined with his Beast King traits, this evolution had every possible advantage.
'If they still failed with these conditions, there would be no justice in the world.'
Qi Ping smiled as he thought of those 'braindead' plots in stories where a character fails for some nonsensical reason. His bees weren't like that; they were elites in both talent and will. They had been trained using every bit of knowledge Qi Ping had gathered from the Beast God Sect and other sources.
As he expected, the bees remained in an excellent state. Consuming Soul Transformation bloodlines was a violent process, yet they maintained their composure. Their super-recovery played a massive role; many bees used that trait to endure the destructive shocks to their bodies and souls.
If the survivor of the Beast God Sect were here, he would be speechless. Even at its peak, the sect could never have provided such resources for an evolution. Qi Ping's investment was enough to bankrupt a high-level sect. Only his 'outrageous' wealth could support such a lavish process.
"Keep going, partners! Whether we establish an Emperor-grade foundation depends on this!"
While it was certain many would reach the Soul Transformation stage, Qi Ping wanted more. He wanted the Equilibrium Bees to perfectly fuse the Yin-Yang and Five Elements attributes at this stage. Knowledge suggested that this foundation was the most stable. Once fused, their potential would be unprecedented.
While more attributes meant more resource consumption, Qi Ping didn't care. Once his teleportation array plan was launched, his wealth would explode again. On top of the Five Elements, he would eventually integrate Time, Space, Life, and Death to further raise their limit.
This was the same path Qi Ping himself walked. Having his bees explore the way ahead gave him more research data and knowledge.
As time passed, the evolution reached its climax. In the sanctuary, powerful auras began to surge!
Soul Transformation grade bees!
One... two... three... ten...
Successfully evolved bees appeared one after another! Some were Fire-attribute, some Wood, some Yin-Yang... but they weren't pure single attributes. They were built on a Yin-Yang foundation, with a single element manifested to its peak.
Some bees even possessed a bloodline intensity that slightly exceeded the bloodline they had consumed! This was rare and required absolute talent, resources, and luck.
Furthermore, two uniquely-attributed bees made Qi Ping's smile widen: a Space-attribute bee and a Life-attribute bee!
'The swarm has truly taken flight!'
Qi Ping watched as more bees successfully evolved. The first stage of the Emperor-grade breeding plan was a success. "My resources were not wasted!" he thought excitedly.
The evolution wasn't over yet! "Let's see how much we can exceed the target..."