"Chaoyang is dead?"
"Yes. He died inside the Secret Realm. Brother Shan has already confirmed it. Someone saw Chaoyang's corpse inside; his heart seemed to have been gnawed through by some kind of insect."
Dressed in plain clothes, Sister Nan stood on Peak 007, gazing at the distant landscape with a complex expression. In the end, she had failed to dissuade Lin Chaoyang as well.
Hearing this news, Qi Ping fell into a sudden silence. Although he had anticipated this, knowing the news for certain still left his mind in a tangle. A week ago, he had tried to convince the man for so long, yet he couldn't change his steadfast resolve to go.
Truly, one succeeds by fortune and falls by fortune! Lin Chaoyang simply didn't have enough destiny. Finding a method of cultivation had exhausted all his luck.
In Qi Ping's view, seeking fortune through risk was similar to gambling. Many people thought that if they won once, they would keep winning. They never considered that if they lost, they would truly die. Except for the chosen sons of heaven, who could guarantee they would always win?
A familiar friend had died just like that, leaving both Sister Nan and Qi Ping—fellow loose cultivators—feeling a sense of grief for their own kind. Without the protection of the Qingyuan Sect, loose cultivators were truly like grass in a chaotic world. Although Lin Chaoyang had gone of his own volition, wasn't it also a helpless choice born from a lack of future prospects?
Adjusting her mood, Sister Nan continued: "There is an even bigger problem now. Many Demon Insects have escaped from that Secret Realm."
"Demon Insects? How many? What is their strength?" Qi Ping pressed.
There was a difference between Demon Insects (Mo Chong) and Spirit Insects (Yao Chong). Spirit insects, like the Golden Marrow Bees, usually had their own territories; as long as one didn't provoke them, they wouldn't actively attack cultivators. But Demon Insects were different—cruelty, bloodlust, and cunning were their traits. They were extremely dangerous to human cultivators.
The Demon Insect Chapter described their terrifying combat power and savage nature. Moreover, Qi Ping had a premonition that these Demon Insects were likely outside the scope of what a Beast King Druid could contract.
"I'm not sure of the specifics, only that there are very, many of them. At the Secret Realm alone, many cultivators at the early and middle stages of Qi Refinement died. Even several late-stage cultivators fell."
"Before long, these Demon Insects will spread across Qingshi County, Baiyun County, and even the entire Qingtian Domain..."
As she spoke, Sister Nan's brow furrowed tightly. She knew the terror of Demon Insects. If even late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators were dying, how many loose cultivators like them could survive an encounter?
"How can there be so many? What is the Qingyuan Sect's reaction?"
Qi Ping was shocked by the reported numbers. If even late-stage cultivators were dying, could the Ring-cutter Bees hold out against a terrifying swarm? More critically, the Ring-cutter army would take at least half a month to be ready. If ordinary Golden Marrow Bees faced Demon Insects, the result likely wouldn't be optimistic.
"The exact number is unknown, but it's certain there are many. I heard that in the past two days, many cultivators within Qingshi County have already been killed by Demon Insect attacks."
"The Qingyuan Sect and the three great families have taken action this time, wiping out a large number of them. But even more Demon Insects have gone into hiding. It's extremely difficult for even Foundation Establishment cultivators to search them out..."
Qi Ping's frown deepened. He hadn't expected the situation to deteriorate to this point in just one week!
"The Life-Prosperity Association is planning a general meeting tomorrow. Everyone will exchange information and discuss countermeasures. Let's go together."
"Alright," Qi Ping agreed. He wouldn't miss such an opportunity to gather large amounts of information.
After discussing the Secret Realm and the insects, Qi Ping shifted the topic to Sister Nan: "Sister Nan, have you broken through to the fifth layer of Qi Refinement?"
"Thanks to you, I have!" Sister Nan dropped her Breath-Concealing Art, revealing the aura of the fifth layer. The joy on her face expressed her current mood. The bottleneck that had plagued her for so long was finally broken; her excitement was easy to imagine.
"Sister Nan is incredible," Qi Ping praised.
Originally, he had planned to give Sister Nan a portion of the Golden Marrow Honey, but given the current crisis, he felt it was better to save it for the mass production of the Ring-cutters. At most, he could send some bees to Peak 005 to keep watch and intervene if needed. He also reminded her to stay alert to her Crisis Warning talent; if anything felt off, she was to find him immediately to prepare for battle.
After watching her figure disappear, Qi Ping hurried back into the forest to check on the cultivation of the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees. The sooner they were ready, the sooner he would have a trump card against the Demon Insects.
Golden Marrow Bees were decent against ordinary middle-stage cultivators, but against Demon Insects born for slaughter, the outcome likely wouldn't be pretty. Facing these insects, the only effective method he could think of was mass production! If a hundred Ring-cutters couldn't win, then five hundred! If five hundred couldn't, then a thousand! Or even more!
As long as those insects weren't at the Foundation Establishment stage, the Ring-cutters should have a fighting chance. Demon Insects were built for combat, but so were the Ring-cutters. Who was stronger would only be known after a clash. But if the difference in strength wasn't huge, the side with more numbers would naturally win!
At a time like this, he couldn't worry about whether a massive colony would consume too many spirit herbs or honey. The most important thing was ensuring he could survive the insect calamity.
"Stop worrying about herb consumption. We must make the Ring-cutter larvae grow at the fastest possible speed!"
"Buzz buzz... (No problem, Boss!)"
"Buzz buzz... (At most half a month, and the first batch of two hundred will be fully mature!)"
"Good! When we meet the Demon Insects, winning will depend on you!"
"Buzz buzz... (Don't worry, Boss! Leave it to us!)"
Knowing it would only take half a month to raise a legion of two hundred Ring-cutters, Qi Ping's tension eased slightly. However, he immediately arranged for many Golden Marrow and Black Little Bees to monitor every movement nearby to prevent any intrusions.
Afterward, he worked tirelessly to accelerate the growth of the Blood Ginseng. Previously, the amount of Blood Ginseng could support the colony's expansion and daily needs while allowing him and Old Man Zhou to cultivate, with a slight surplus. Thus, he had focused more on his own cultivation. But now, to support the explosive growth of the Ring-cutters, he had to devote more energy to the herbs.
To his delight, on that very night, his effort finally leveled up his skill!
[Plant Growth Lv1 (99/100)] -> [Plant Growth Lv2 (0/200)]!