Chapter 43: Green-tailed Spirit Bees

Chapter 43: Green-tailed Spirit Bees

The crowd followed the sound and found themselves beneath a Wood Hibiscus Tree. Hanging from one of its branches was a three-foot-wide beehive, surrounded by finger-sized Spirit Bees coming and going.

A few people stood under the tree, gazing upward with greedy expressions. Spirit Bee Honey was a precious substance, rich in Spiritual Energy. Its mild energy could be directly consumed, easily refined and absorbed without any poisonous side effects.

Moreover, its adaptability surpassed that of Elixirs, usable at any cultivation level. Spirit Bee Royal Jelly, in particular, was a favorite among female cultivators for its beauty-enhancing and anti-aging properties.

Wang Hong recalled a book titled "100 Ways to Woo Female Cultivators" at the book stall. It mentioned that Resplendent Youth Pills and Spirit Bee Royal Jelly were the ultimate weapons for courting female cultivators.

However, many alchemists considered it a waste for female cultivators to use Spirit Bee Royal Jelly solely for beauty, deeming it extravagant.

If a few drops were added to Alchemy, it could increase the success rate of pill formation by one percent. This was especially valuable for rare Elixirs since Spirit Herbs were hard to find, and a one percent increase in pill formation had significant worth.

The challenge lay in the difficulty of harvesting these Spirit Bees. They wouldn't watch their hard-earned Spirit Honey be taken by cultivators without a fight.

They didn't consider themselves friends with humans, nor did they have the noble intention of contributing to humanity through honey collection.

The issue was that Spirit Bees were tough opponents. While the strength of a single bee might not surpass that of a Qi Cultivation first-level cultivator, their large numbers and resistance to magic made them formidable.

The hive in front of them was relatively small among Spirit Bees, but it wasn't something they could easily deal with.

"How about waiting until nightfall, let them return to the hive, and then set it on fire?" suggested a cultivator named Lei.

"No, these Spirit Bees have resistance to fire. The Fireball Technique won't be very effective. Regular flames will be useless and might even provoke the swarm," Elder Ge countered.

After some discussion, they couldn't find a better solution. Finally, Ding, a cultivator who usually didn't speak much, proposed a straightforward method: lure the Spirit Bees away in batches, kill them at a distance, and collect the honey after they were all dead.

Unable to come up with a better plan, everyone nodded in agreement. They discussed the details and assigned tasks.

The group retreated to a hundred yards away. Elder Ge took out a bow and arrow, aimed at the beehive, and shot an arrow. The arrow hit the hive, creating a small hole. The hive then released a swarm of bees.

Seeing this, the five individuals immediately scattered. Wang Hong attached a Divine Movement Talisman to himself and ran swiftly. Some of the bees chased him, but after a while, some started to return. Only a few hundred continued pursuing him relentlessly.

Wang Hong reached an open area, stopped, and slapped an Earth Armor Talisman onto himself.

As the Spirit Bees approached, he threw a Fireball Talisman at the swarm. It exploded with a bang, but it had little effect. Only four or five bees lost their wings and fell to the ground, while a few others suffered minor injuries.

Wang Hong then tried Wind Blade Talismans, Wood Thorn Talismans, Ice Spike Talismans, Water Arrow Talismans, and various elemental spirit talismans. However, their effects were not as good as the Fireball Talisman.

With Wang Hong's body refining cultivation level, these Spirit Bees naturally couldn't harm him. However, since his face was currently covered by the Misty Illusion Mask, he created a few swollen areas on his face.

Around the beehive, only a few scattered Spirit Bees were still flying. Elder Ge summoned a Flying Sword, cutting the entire hive down.

They only harvested ten drops of Royal Jelly, just enough for each person to have two drops.

With a few swipes, the hive, along with the honey, was divided into five equal parts. Since everyone contributed equally to the operation, the income was divided among them, and each person received their share in their Storage Bags. Wang Hong casually stored his share in his Space.

As the evening approached, the group decided to spend the night in the Hundred Flowers Valley, which was relatively safe.

After nearly two days of continuous battles, they were exhausted, and their spiritual energy was depleted. They urgently needed rest and recovery. Unlike Wang Hong, they didn't have the financial means to treat Spirit Wine like water.

A bottle of Spirit Wine cost at least several dozen Spirit Stones, and although they had prepared some, they were reluctant to consume it unless absolutely necessary.

Wang Hong found a flat rock to sit on, took out an Earthen Jar from his Storage Bag, and sealed it with a kind of leaf. This was a Spirit Meal he had recently concocted, using 300 pounds of Demonic Beast meat, refining its essence, and supplementing it with several types of Spiritual Medicine. Finally, it was condensed into this small jar of meat soup.

Sealed in a small jar, it could be preserved for a long time. Wang Hong made some and kept them in his Storage Bag, using them instead of fasting pills.

The taste of fasting pills was like chewing wax, and their effects only kept one from starving for a few days. They were convenient for cultivation but didn't provide much help otherwise.

For Wang Hong, who had been afraid of hunger since childhood, now cultivating immortality, enduring starvation was something he couldn't tolerate. After all, weren't all things in the world meant to be eaten?

Cultivator Lei sat cross-legged, taking out a fasting pill, preparing to consume it when suddenly, he caught a whiff of a strange fragrance.

Following the scent, he saw Wang Hong holding an Earthen Jar in his left hand, filled with milky white liquid, with some green onions floating on top. In his right hand, he held a large pancake, taking a big bite. The pancake seemed quite chewy.

Wang Hong was hungry too. After a couple of bites and a sip of the meat soup, he felt incredibly comfortable.

"Friend Wang truly knows how to enjoy!" Cultivator Lei chuckled at Wang Hong. "Seeing you enjoy it so much has aroused our appetites. Friend Wang, could you sell me a portion?"

Cultivator Lei's words caught the attention of the others. Thinking about buying a portion themselves, after all, in the face of delicious food, who would willingly consume those tasteless fasting pills?

Wang Hong pondered for a moment. He had just met these people, and they had no previous acquaintance. If he appeared too generous, he might be taken advantage of. He said, "Sure, but it will cost twenty Spirit Stones per jar. I can throw in the pancakes for free."

Hearing this price, the group was shocked. A fasting pill only cost one Spirit Stone, and a regular Spirit Meal in Azure Void City usually went for a few Spirit Stones. Twenty Spirit Stones were considered quite expensive. The group couldn't help but marvel at Wang Hong's shrewdness.

Cultivator Lei, who was relatively wealthy among the loose cultivators, and satisfied with today's harvest, decided to buy a portion and see why Wang Hong was pricing it at twenty Spirit Stones.

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