"The origin of the manual?"
Hearing Sister Nan's words, Qi Ping was surprised. He hadn't expected her to bring it up just as he was about to ask.
"Yes, the origin of the manual," Sister Nan confirmed with a nod.
Qi Ping didn't beat around the bush and answered honestly, "Of course I do. If you hadn't mentioned it, I was going to ask. This is indeed very important to me..."
"You fellow, you're always so blunt."
Sister Nan gave Qi Ping a meaningful look and continued, "This manual came from a cave on Peak No. 7 in A-District. It's a very hidden dwelling that I discovered by accident ten years ago when I was young..."
"Peak No. 7 in A-District of the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range?"
Qi Ping was surprised. The first ten peaks of A-District were the places with the densest spiritual energy in the entire range. Those who could rent them were either Foundation Establishment cultivators or people with backgrounds in the three great families or the Qingyuan Sect. Sister Nan had lived there when she was young?
This made him even more curious about her identity, but he didn't press for details; if she didn't volunteer it, it wasn't right to ask.
"Yes, there. At the time, my strength was only sufficient to obtain a small portion of the heritage..."
"I couldn't open the rest of the heritage back then because I wasn't strong enough. Once your strength has improved and you're confident, you can find a way to rent that place and explore it. Although I didn't encounter any danger back then, it's still better to be steady."
"Also, here is the map of the dwelling's location and the token to open it."
As she spoke, Sister Nan handed a map and a cicada-shaped ancient jade to Qi Ping. He didn't stand on ceremony and accepted them solemnly.
The [Spirit Beast Nurturing: Insect Volume] had already produced such results. If he could obtain the full heritage, it might not be impossible for his Golden Marrow Bees to reach Core Formation or even higher. Perhaps he could even find nurturing methods for other types of spirit beasts.
This gift was truly heavy, and Qi Ping felt that this level of favor wouldn't be easy to repay.
"I am truly grateful for this gift, Sister Nan. In the future, if you have any need and it's within my power, I will never refuse!" Qi Ping promised solemnly.
"Maybe one day when you have the combat strength of a Core Formation cultivator, I'll shamelessly ask you for a favor. Until then, let's just try to survive in this hellish world... I have a feeling the coming chaos might even claim the lives of Foundation Establishment masters."
After discussing the manual, Sister Nan stayed on Peak No. 7 for one more night at Qi Ping's request. Only after confirming there was no danger did he let her return. Before she left, he gave her a portion of Golden Marrow Honey.
Sister Nan looked at him and accepted it without further refusal; she now had complete trust in him, and there was no need for further polite words.
After seeing her off, Qi Ping didn't overthink things but returned to his regular lifestyle of farming and beekeeping. He focused on nurturing the Blood Ginseng, mass-producing the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees, Ink-armored Bees, and Venomous Bees, and preparing to break through to the fourth level of Qi Refinement.
With the breakthrough imminent, he planned to go to the Bluestone Market once his Ring-cutter swarm reached about seven hundred. There, he would buy spirit beasts and Fire Spirit Grass, and if possible, find a spirit beast bag.
After the crisis with the black-robed cultivator, his anxious heart had gradually calmed. Now that he had Wild Shape as his ultimate trump card, he was no longer as afraid of rogue cultivators, demon insects, or the hidden undercurrents of the Qingtian Domain.
Having the confidence to survive meant he could develop through farming at his own pace.
Three days later.
'The black-robed cultivator's corpse and the blood-stained soil have all been moved, and flowers have been planted at the burial site.'
'I've also scouted the terrain around the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range in bee form. Many areas are rugged and overgrown with vegetation; once hundreds of High-speed Ring-cutter Bees scatter, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator likely wouldn't be able to track them.'
'As long as I don't go looking for trouble, I shouldn't have to worry too much about my safety.'
'The next goal is to obtain a talent like the Red Flame Tiger's [Crimson Flame] or the Green Lotus Spirit's [Lotus Body] by contracting an animal companion.'
'It needs to be at least first-tier high-grade, preferably second-tier low-grade or higher. With such a talent, the difficulty of breaking through to Foundation Establishment will decrease, and my foundation will be much more solid.'
Because of his own low talent, Qi Ping could only consider this method to improve himself. For example, the Red Flame Tiger's talent, [Crimson Flame], was its most powerful attribute. If he could obtain it, practicing the Wood-Flame Manual would be twice as effective and his foundation would be much more stable. In the Qi Refinement stage, the [Crimson Flame] talent was enough to ensure a smooth path, and it would even help when breaking through to Foundation Establishment or beyond.
Furthermore, he had gradually discovered that plant-based energy wasn't strictly the same as Wood-attribute spiritual energy. Plants were also divided into the five elements; some were Wood, some were Fire, and some were Water. Thus, being in a forest meant a Druid's control over plant energy could, to some extent, enhance a spiritual root's ability to communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, though the spiritual root remained the foundation.
Therefore, both Wood and Fire could serve as the basis for his cultivation.
However, just as Qi Ping switched back from his bee form to his human form and dressed to continue nurturing the Blood Ginseng, a High-speed Ring-cutter Bee appeared urgently at his ear.
It reported that a woman with an extremely powerful aura had appeared at the foot of the mountain and was heading up. Based on the bee's description, Qi Ping quickly captured the specific details.
Ninth level of Qi Refinement... a woman in blue/green... wearing the emblem of a Qingyuan Sect disciple...
An inner disciple of the Qingyuan Sect!
This information caused Qi Ping's expression to shift. He hurried to collect all the spirit herbs from the Blood Ginseng patch into his storage bag and had the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees immediately transport them deep into a hidden underground chamber in the forest.
He had rehearsed this process many times, so it was completed in just a few breaths. Then, Qi Ping immediately transformed into a High-speed Ring-cutter Bee and left the area.
He had no desire to interact with an inner disciple of the Qingyuan Sect. Who knew if such contact would bring disaster or fortune? He planned to wait for her to leave before transforming back.
But what the woman did next left Qi Ping utterly bewildered.
For almost an entire day, the blue-clad woman from the Qingyuan Sect wandered around Peak No. 7 holding a black compass, refusing to leave.
Qi Ping could only remain in his bee form, ready to flee or fight at any moment. Fortunately, he had already hidden the Golden Marrow Bees deep underground, and they had long tunnels for a quick escape. Furthermore, the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees were also battle-ready at a moment's notice...