Chapter 98: The Search for Bees
After departing from the Hall of Conservation, Chu Liang didn't head straight back to Silver Sword Peak.
Today was the day Liu Xiaoyu'er would be moving in, and a cabin was under construction for her on the hill. Disciples dedicated to building plain wooden cabins for the Mount Shu Sect were readily available for hire. With the payment of several sword coins, a team of three to five people could swiftly complete the construction.
However, the ongoing construction was slightly noisy. And so, Chu Liang soared through the sky on his sword and made his way to the banks of the Bombax River.
Upon landing, he saw couples leisurely walking along the riverbank, surrounded by blooming flowers and lush greenery, painting a picturesque scene of spring.
This sent Chu Liang into a daze, and he didn't move forward immediately.
What happened?
What are my venomous bees?
Where are those small, unattractive creatures that possess the ability to fly, display a fiery temperament, and are venomous?
He wandered along the river, both upstream and downstream, and even asked pedestrians for information. Sadly, it was confirmed that the venomous bees hadn't been seen in the area for several days.
Chu Liang, feeling disheartened, had no choice but to turn back. Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
Did this temporary departure become a permanent farewell?
One of the loneliest moments occurs when someone cannot keep what they desire so deeply.
The venomous bees were gone, and Chu Liang had no clue when he could resume the lucrative business of selling fruit tea.
Reflecting on past experiences, it seemed that rewards from killing demonic creatures of the same species and origin were consistent. Could this imply that if he desired similar rewards, all he had to do was hunt down another creature of the same demonic species?
This theory, however, probably only applied to lower-level demonic creatures.
Lower-level creatures like the lantern monster and venomous bees naturally shared similarities. However, as they matured, changes were inevitable.
Take the giant lizard as an example. If it had a sibling, they might look identical when they were young, but as they grew and became demonic creatures of cultivation at the fourth or fifth realm, they would become different. Killing one might yield a Crimson Executioner, but slaying another would probably not result in a second identical sword.
But...
For lower-level creatures with cultivation not too high, like the Human-Faced Xiao, the rewards should be similar.
Chu Liang couldn't help but wonder if slaying another Human-Faced Xiao would yield another Qi-Circulation Puppet. In fact, if he were to kill a few, could he amass a collection of these Large-Headed Dolls? He could arrange them in a row and make these dolls cultivate, thereby enhancing his cultivation level.
Just the thought of this scene was exhilarating.
Unfortunately, Human-Faced Xiao were rare evil creatures. They were not creatures that you could locate by asking around. Meeting them again would depend on fate.
As Chu Liang immersed himself in these thoughts on the way back, he had already arrived at Silver Sword Peak.
Upon reaching his usual landing spot, he proceeded to fly along the river upstream. After a while, he noticed the river gradually veering into the mountains, with the surrounding terrain becoming more secluded and narrow.
The way ahead was obstructed by trees, rocks, and mountains, forcing Chu Liang to create a path on his flying sword, forcing him to navigate against the current in the water.
This route was unlikely to be discovered by anyone on land.
After a while, he finally saw the dense valley that Liu Xiaoyu'er had mentioned.
The location was densely covered with trees, displaying a vibrant green landscape—a truly untouched valley. Within the valley, there were no birds, animals, or butterflies; instead, it resonated with the buzzing and dancing of numerous venomous bees.
It appeared that this was indeed the location of their hive.
As Chu Liang entered, several venomous bees immediately buzzed towards him, attempting to punish this unwelcome guest.
With a sweep of his flying sword, he cut down the bees charging at him.
Boom!
The surrounding bees dodged immediately and avoided him.
Although the adorable little creatures he had long anticipated seeing fluttered through the air, Chu Liang didn't pursue them. His attention was captured by a concealed cave nestled deep in the valley, where the majority of the venomous bees were entering and exiting.
Chu Liang couldn't help but feel curious.
He could sense this mysterious aura emanating from the depths of the cave. With the use of the Hundred Swords Seal, he cleared a path and defended against the aggressive bees as he flew towards the cave. Ultimately, he arrived at the interior of the cave.
The cave stretched deeply, with a path extending a considerable distance.
As Chu Liang continued advancing, he found himself in an seemingly endless journey. The air within carried a pungent and unpleasant odor. It wasn't the sweetness that Chu Liang had anticipated.
As he moved forward slowly, he finally saw the hive of these venomous bees deep within the cave!
To his surprise, he discovered a golden skeleton almost entirely covered!
Clusters of venomous bees crawled all over the golden skeleton, appearing to be gnawing on the skeleton, yet also using the skeleton as their hive.
Chu Liang finally understood the origin of these venomous bees. It turned out that they had gained intelligence by gnawing on this skeleton! That was how they had transformed into beings of demonic nature!
A dark cave, ferocious venomous bees, and a golden skeleton—the entire scene was truly shocking!
While he was secretly stunned, a deep and muffled buzzing sound emanated from straight ahead, followed by a strange roar.
Boom!
A giant-sized bee forcefully pushed aside numerous small venomous bees and emerged from beneath the skeleton!
It was the queen bee!