Upon closer inspection, Qi Ping found that this Pot-bellied Bee truly differed from the records.
'The records say the bloating is a localized deformity meant to stop the energy from bursting the body. But this one... it looks bloated, but it feels purposeful.'
'Maybe there's a surprise waiting,' Qi Ping thought.
He felt a pang of regret for the toxic and blood-red bees. He would have to wait for the next batch of potions to try for those again. For now, the Balanced Bees were complete; they could serve as the foundation for the next stage of evolution.
However, secondary mutations required potions made from five-hundred-year-old herbs. Qi Ping could sense that his Plant Growth skill currently peaked around one or two hundred years, and growth slowed down significantly after that. He would need to level up his skill several more times to reach five hundred years.
"Regardless, four successes is a victory."
"The High-speed Bee is likely the strongest in combat. The Balanced Bees are the foundation. Only the Pot-bellied one remains an unknown."
"I'll ask them once they've finished adapting."
He estimated it would take another fifteen minutes for them to fully digest the mutation. He wasn't in a hurry. From a probability standpoint, getting a High-speed Bee alone was a huge win. Such "Ultimate Organ Strengthening" was usually a stroke of extreme luck. He was glad he had reserved that extra potion, which had led to this outcome.
Soon, the four drones finished their adaptation.
"Can you feel your new powers?" Qi Ping asked, looking first at the drone with the transparent wings.
"Buzz buzz... (Boss, my talent is Extreme-speed Flight... and High-speed Cutting!)"
"Extreme-speed Flight? High-speed Cutting?"
"Buzz buzz... (Yes, Boss. I'll show you!)"
The High-speed Bee vanished. It reappeared far in the distance, leaving only blurred afterimages in its wake. Qi Ping watched the streak of light zig-zagging through the sky, his heart racing.
"So fast!"
"This speed is far beyond Sister Nan's at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement. There's no comparison."
The bee then began circling a hard boulder. To the sound of piercing shrieks, smooth, flat cuts appeared on the rock in less than a heartbeat. Each cut was wider than a finger!
Yet the bee's wings remained perfectly intact. Such terrifying speed and cutting power left Qi Ping stunned.
"Incredible!"
The destructive potential of just one such bee made his skin crawl.
"The only downside is that the cuts are shallow because of its size. But if there were a hundred... or a thousand? A cultivator would be shredded in seconds."
"Even against a high-level foe, these bees carrying poison would be a nightmare!"
Qi Ping was overjoyed. It was truly a rare organ mutation. If other insect cultivators knew he had produced such a specimen with only fifty-one insects and a few potions, they would die of envy. You could spend ten times the resources and still not see a mutation like this.
After testing, he confirmed the High-speed Bee's attributes:
[Species: High-speed Ring-cutter Bee (Golden Marrow Bee Variant)]
[Bloodline: First-tier High-grade]
[Talents: Blade-wing, High-speed Cutting, Extreme Wind Speed]
Blade-wing: Wings possess extreme resilience and legendary sharpness.
High-speed Cutting: Can vibrate wings to create terrifying cutting effects.
Extreme Wind Speed: During mutation, it shed its Wood attribute, retaining and strengthening only the Wind attribute. Its speed is unrivaled.
[Evaluation: The High-speed Ring-cutter Bee has lost its poison and brewing abilities in exchange for supreme speed and lethality.]
'Although it lost its original talents, its combat power is on a completely different level. If I build a Ring-cutter army, they could threaten late-stage Qi Refinement enemies, especially in a surprise attack.'
He could even have other bees coat the Ring-cutter's wings in poison before a battle for a "king bomb" effect!
After the Ring-cutter, he checked the two Balanced Bees. They were essentially "Plus" versions of the Golden Marrow Bee—similar to a bee that had naturally progressed to the late stage. Their bodies were larger, and their brewing and poison talents were enhanced, but they lacked the qualitative leap of the Ring-cutter. In a duel, the Ring-cutter would shred them instantly.
'But the Balanced ones are necessary. I need them for nectar and honey, and they are the best for future evolutions.'
'Now, only the Pot-bellied Bee remains...'