'A black-robed cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refinement... leading a swarm of first-tier, late-stage demon insects... and he is heading toward the Blood Ginseng patch just like the previous insects did?'
'Have cultivators already become involved in this?'
The appearance of this cultivator gave Qi Ping an ominous feeling.
Demon insects were one thing, but a cultivator who could command them was a far more significant threat. In Qi Ping's eyes, cultivators were much more troublesome than mindless bugs. If a situation was handled poorly, it could lead to an entire nest of cultivators retaliating. Furthermore, since this person had already encroached upon Qi Ping's personal territory, disposing of the evidence and the body would be exceedingly difficult.
'Fortunately, with the addition of the second-generation High-speed Ring-cutter Bees I finished nurturing today, I have nearly four hundred mature specimens. Given their combat prowess, it shouldn't be a major issue.'
'I will use Wild Shape first to turn into a High-speed Ring-cutter Bee and scout the path!'
The strategy remained the same: scout first. If he could win, he would fight; if not, he would flee.
Qi Ping had been longing to use Wild Shape for a long time, and now he finally had the chance.
"Wild Shape—High-speed Ring-cutter Bee!"
As Qi Ping focused his intent, a peculiar surge of energy enveloped his entire body. In the next heartbeat, under the influence of this mysterious power, his form underwent a rapid metamorphosis. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a High-speed Ring-cutter Bee!
The other High-speed Ring-cutter Bees nearby were utterly stunned by the sight.
"Buzz, buzz... (Boss?)" one bee asked in disbelief.
"Buzz, buzz... (Boss, how did you turn into someone who looks exactly like us?)"
They could clearly sense that Qi Ping's current form was identical to theirs. Whether it was his physique, his aura, or his size, there was no discernable difference.
Wasn't the boss a two-legged beast? How had he become a bee?
After the transformation was complete, Qi Ping's mind remained in a daze for several moments. The difference between being a human and being a High-speed Ring-cutter Bee was vast, encompassing everything from visual perspective and movement to instinctual habits.
Fortunately, the body of the bee did not feel foreign to him. Instead, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him regarding flight, combat, and visual adaptation. This was likely one of the innate characteristics of the Wild Shape ability.
After a period of acclimation, Qi Ping gradually grew accustomed to his new physical state.
In response to the questions from the wide-eyed, bewildered bees surrounding him, Qi Ping replied once he had composed himself, "This is a talent I just awakened. I can transform into the likeness of any of you. This change is absolute in terms of perception, size, and aura..."
"Buzz, buzz... (Wow... Boss, this talent of yours is incredible!)"
"Buzz, buzz... (Yeah, yeah! I never imagined the boss could become one of us. It's so miraculous—as expected of the boss!)"
Faced with Qi Ping's inconceivable and wondrous talent, nearly all the bees chimed in with spontaneous praise. They could only conclude that Qi Ping truly deserved to be their leader.
"Alright, enough of that. Follow me to check out the enemies first and see what their combat strength is like. Notify all the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees to prepare for battle!"
"Buzz, buzz... (Yes! Boss!)"
Led by the bee that had brought the report, Qi Ping rapidly took flight toward the enemy's location.
However, as he looked back at the pile of clothes and the storage bag lying on the ground, Qi Ping felt a sudden sense of helplessness. Wild Shape only transformed his physical body. Consequently, once the transformation succeeded, everything else—like his clothes and storage bag—was left behind.
'It seems that in the future, besides carrying the essentials, I must hide my other belongings well and have the swarm protect them. Otherwise, if I have to flee for my life, I might not have time to grab my clothes or my storage ring...'
A storage bag was somewhat bulky for a Golden Marrow Bee, but a storage ring would be much more suitable for them to carry. If he sensed danger, he could have a portion of the bees escape ahead of time with the ring.
'Also, when I change back to my original form, I'll likely be stark naked. I'll need to prepare several extra sets of clothes.'
This could be considered a limitation of Wild Shape, though it wasn't a major hindrance. Once he acquired a storage ring, things would be much easier.
In any case, Qi Ping rarely enjoyed going out. Usually, he just had the Golden Marrow Bees dig deep into the earth to hide and guard his treasures. That way, even the divine sense of a Core Formation stage cultivator would struggle to find his hidden stashes.
Overall, while the Wild Shape skill had minor inconveniences, they did not diminish the brilliance of the skill itself.
Flying alongside the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees, Qi Ping quickly mastered the mechanics of their flight. While he might need more practice for precise combat maneuvers, flying and retreating were no longer a problem.
'So fast!' Feeling the lightning-like speed, Qi Ping was internally amazed.
The High-speed Ring-cutter Bee truly lived up to its name as a Wind-attribute spirit insect with super-reinforced wings and the Extreme Wind Speed talent. Among first-tier, late-stage spirit beasts or insects, there were very few that could match its velocity.
Following the swarm, Qi Ping soon reached the foot of the mountain, and the enemies quickly came into view.
'First-tier, late-stage Blood Grudge Mosquitoes and first-tier, late-stage Putrid Water Flies...'
'A black-robed cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refinement.'
After gauging the enemy's true strength, Qi Ping breathed a small sigh of relief.
Though these two types of late-stage demon insects were formidable—both being highly venomous, exceptionally fast, and possessing piercing mouthparts—an ordinary late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator would likely be poisoned to death if caught off guard by a swarm of hundreds or thousands of them. Even some first-tier, late-stage defensive demon insects would have their defenses bypassed and be poisoned by such numbers.
For Qi Ping, however, these two demon insects were perfectly countered by the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees. The Ring-cutter's speed was significantly greater, and the defenses of the mosquitoes and flies were insufficient to withstand the Blade-wings. It was a perfect match.
Thus, even if the total number of these two demon insects exceeded a thousand, Qi Ping was not in the least bit afraid.
As for the seventh-level Qi Refinement black-robed cultivator, there was already a record of a swarm of over two thousand Golden Marrow Bees killing a seventh-level cultivator, not to mention the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees whose power far exceeded that of the Golden Marrow Bees.
Confirming the enemy's situation, Qi Ping did not hesitate and decided to immediately prepare for battle!
"The three hundred and fifty High-speed Ring-cutter Bees that have practiced battle formations will deploy and launch an ambush! Today's newly hatched bees will provide support from the flanks and rear!"
Qi Ping communicated the battle plan to all the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees using his special connection.
"Buzz, buzz... (Yes! Boss!)"
While Qi Ping was preparing to initiate the battle, the black-robed cultivator was hiding behind the demon insects, appearing extremely cautious. When he followed the demon insects' senses to this location, the Blood Grudge Mosquitoes and Putrid Water Flies had discovered a powerful type of bee hiding in the shadows.
The strength of those bees made him feel extremely wary, even though he was controlling these two types of demon insects.
Fortunately, the bees did not launch an attack, which allowed the black-robed cultivator to breathe a sigh of relief as he slowly began to investigate the situation here.
The things sensed by the demon insects might be what the Alliance was looking for, so he had to find them.
However, before he could figure out what was going on, hundreds of the bees that had made his demon insects so wary suddenly flew out from various corners and quickly formed several specialized battle formations.