Chapter 93 - 88: You Really Are Too Casual_3
"How come there seem to be fewer Black Needle Poison Bee offspring?"
He muttered to himself, then glanced at the hive as large as a big round table, covered with countless offspring buzzing around.
Amidst the offspring was a giant bee the size of an adult’s head, which with a casual turn, caused a large number of offspring to scatter to the side. One offspring darted around like a headless fly and accidentally collided with the queen bee’s head. With a lightning-fast motion, the queen bee extended forward, bit the offspring, and with a few chomps, swallowed it whole.
"The queen bee consuming its own, looks like it’s indeed famished."
The middle-aged cultivator realized, and promptly threw out a large piece of blood-stained bone.
The queen bee seemed to smell the meat aroma and quickly jumped down from the hive, leisurely gnawing on the bone.
With one bite, the iron-hard bone showed a fine crack, then a few bites more, and the bone shattered, revealing the tender marrow inside.
And it began to contentedly suck it.
...
"These Gold-Devouring Spirit Bees have a truly large appetite; one hundred pounds of Metal Spirit Ore, now there’s only fifty pounds left so quickly?"
Zhou Changwang observed the Gold-Devouring Spirit Bees, his face showing rare signs of distress.
A hundred pounds of Metal Spirit Ore isn’t actually worth much, around three Lower-Grade Spirit Stones. He originally spent ten Lower-Grade Spirit Stones mostly for their hive.
Their hive is formed from the metal spiritual materials excreted after the Gold-Devouring Spirit Bees consume Metal Spirit Ore.
With high purity, it can be directly taken to the Artifact Refining Workshop and used as material to refine various magical artifacts and such.
Therefore, in a sense, these Gold-Devouring Spirit Bees can create value; you just need to regularly harvest the hive and sell it to exchange for Spirit Stones.
But in less than ten days, fifty pounds of Metal Spirit Ore have been consumed, which is not a small appetite.
It’s no wonder that although these Gold-Devouring Spirit Bees excel in pest control, few Spirit Farmers choose to raise them.
With costs over a hundred Lower-Grade Spirit Stones, nearly ten Lower-Grade Spirit Stones monthly expenses; as the offspring increase, expenses grow larger, even if the hives they form can be sold, predicting the price is difficult.
"However, over this period, they’ve destroyed over forty to fifty Black Needle Poison Bees.
It’s worth it.
At least, I no longer need to worry about pest issues in the Spirit Field now."
Zhou Changwang’s face showed a satisfied smile.
Moreover, he noticed the queen bee had finally started laying offspring after this period of adaptation.
Inside the hive were over ten tiny Gold-Devouring Spirit Bee larvae, plump and being carefully fed by the offspring bees.
"Estimating, in about ten days, they’ll cocoon and mature."
Zhou Changwang was pleased to see this.
After all, the threat of Black Needle Poison Bees hasn’t been completely eliminated.
If two or three came at once now, they could easily handle them, but if numbers increased, it would be troublesome.
The more offspring of the Gold-Devouring Spirit Bees, the stronger they become, and naturally better at protecting his Spirit Field.
On the next day.
Zhou Changwang had just finished practicing the Celestial Essence Eight Techniques when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it!"
Zhou Changwang asked cautiously, and then heard a familiar voice.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, it’s me."
Zhou Changwang quickly opened the door, and immediately saw a familiar figure.
Qian Xiaoyue.
After not seeing her for some time, Qian Xiaoyue looked more radiant than before, her white magic robe making her look like a graceful fairy, catching people’s eye.
The key was her aura.
Zhou Changwang showed surprise, "Fellow Daoist Qian, you’ve had a breakthrough?"
The aura emanating from her was the unmistakable presence of a Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator.
"Please come in!"
He quickly stepped aside, letting her enter.
"Yes, I just broke through."
Qian Xiaoyue’s face also showed joy, and she said with a smile, "I was planning to visit you some time ago.
But having just entered Shuiyun Pavilion, there were many matters to familiarize with, and adapting to the new cultivation technique delayed me.
After finally freeing some time, during a cultivation session, I suddenly felt a mysterious opportunity, so I went into seclusion, and just a few days ago broke through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer."
"Truly congratulations to Fellow Daoist Qian.
With this progress, your likelihood of entering the Shuiyun Immortal Sect a year from now is much greater."
Hearing this, Zhou Changwang couldn’t help but show a slight look of envy.
Recently, she’s been truly fortunate: befriending a Shuiyun Immortal Sect senior sister, entering Shuiyun Pavilion, following advice to change cultivation techniques and immediately breaking through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer...
Which among these isn’t enviable?
Especially for those cultivators from humble origins, it’s undoubtedly an inspirational example.
Nonetheless, Zhou Changwang’s words were genuinely joyous for her breakthrough; if he remembered correctly, she had been stuck at the Third Layer for nearly a year, so managing to successfully break through was worth celebrating.
"Indeed, the chances are somewhat higher.
But since I was previously a loose cultivator, practicing alone without systematic guidance, my foundation is relatively weak, so I need to make up for these gaps to enhance my chances."
Qian Xiaoyue nodded and then looked at the houses in the front yard, showing a look of admiration, "But speaking of which, I truly admire you, Fellow Daoist, for renting such a large yard.