'Yaya has not only returned to the peak of the first rank but has also mutated into a Sun-Fire Crow. Its combat power has soared.'
'The effort and heart's blood I spent nurturing the Fire Spirit Grass and experimenting with the honey these past days were not in vain. In fact, the harvest was beyond my wildest dreams.'
'Now that the Sun-Fire Crow's power exceeds expectations, it is time to immediately begin exploring the secret beneath the Blood Ginseng patch.'
'After that, I can find a better piece of spirit land to farm and develop the bee swarm. Then I can focus on brewing Wood-Ginseng Honey and Fire Spirit Tempering Honey to quickly raise my own cultivation level.'
Now, both Peak 007 itself and the Blood Ginseng patch had gradually become burdens. Previously, he had no choice, but now Qi Ping had the ability to find a much better piece of spirit land.
Thus, once Yaya had mutated, Qi Ping impatiently began organizing the exploration. Before, he had lacked sufficient strength and confidence, fearing that something he couldn't handle might emerge from underground. But now, the crow had not only returned to its peak as expected but had become an even more formidable Sun-Fire Crow!
With Yaya's current combat power and the bee swarm, which had practiced their battle formations to the point of absolute proficiency, Qi Ping was confident he could handle most dangers.
While he still had time, he patrolled the entire mountain one last time to ensure he hadn't left anything behind. Finally, he tucked the Golden Marrow Bees and the Queen Bee into his spirit beast bag.
'Nothing left behind. The battle preparations and escape routes are all mapped out. Once Yaya is finished adjusting, we can safely begin.'
'I'll put my clothes in my storage bag and have some of the bees carry them away.'
After confirming everything was in order, Qi Ping had a small squad of High-speed Ring-cutter Bees, Ink-Armor Bees, and Toxic Bees escort his storage bag and spirit beast bag to a pre-designated hiding spot. It was a very deep underground burrow, ensuring the safety of his belongings. Seeing the squad take his things, Qi Ping finally felt at ease. At this moment, he had no more worries!
About an hour later, the sun became increasingly fierce, casting its scorching golden light across the land once more. To ensure there was enough sunlight, Qi Ping even cleared away several branches that were casting shadows. Under the sun, surrounded by solar power—this was the environment most suited for Yaya to fight.
His only regret was that Yaya was still far from awakening the Solar Physique. Otherwise, if it could borrow solar power to amplify itself in combat, its strength would soar yet again.
Aside from that, nearly two thousand bees—comprised of High-speed Ring-cutter Bees, Ink-Armor Bees, and Toxic Bees—formed a massive battle formation that surrounded the Blood Ginseng patch. If an enemy appeared, they could either close in to attack or scatter to flee, preserving as much force as possible.
Qi Ping waited for a moment, and then Yaya, like a goshawk, zipped through the air and landed on his shoulder.
"Well? Are you ready?" Qi Ping turned to look at the high-spirited fellow.
"Caw! (Rest easy. No matter the enemy, Yaya will hold the front for you!)"
"Don't be in a rush. Let the bees scout the way first. We'll decide whether to fight or flee after we see what's inside. Stay with me in the distance for now. If we confirm the enemy is too strong, we flee immediately. You'll be the most obvious target, so you must not try to be a hero."
Qi Ping cautioned Yaya seriously. This bird clearly had a reckless streak, and Qi Ping did not want anything to happen to it. His main bee forces had already been sent away, so even if the swarm here was wiped out, it would just be a significant loss that could be recovered with time.
But if something happened to Yaya, it would be truly over. His shared Sun-Fire Physique would vanish. Although his realm and realizations wouldn't disappear, his future progress wouldn't be as easy, and a new contract might not yield such a perfect talent. Success at ninety-nine percent still held a chance of failure. Thus, no matter what, Qi Ping was unwilling to let anything happen to the crow.
"Caw! (Alright, alright! I'll listen to the Boss!)" Thinking about the retreat before the fight even started wasn't its style, but since the Boss had spoken, it had to obey.
"Good. You go hide in that spot back there first. If I say run, you use the trees for cover and get out of here as fast as you can. Try not to expose your position."
"Understood, Boss!" Yaya said, then followed Qi Ping's instructions and flew to a distant hiding spot.
Once Yaya was hidden, Qi Ping immediately used Wild Shape to turn into an Ink-Armor Bee and flew to hide in a far-off location. He also arranged for several other Ink-Armor, Toxic, and High-speed bees to hide near him to reduce his distinctiveness. If a risk occurred, the Ink-Armor Bee's defense could withstand an attack; midway through the escape, he could switch to the High-speed Ring-cutter form to confuse the enemy's sight and increase his speed.
In short, his motto was "steady." In Qi Ping's code of conduct, one had to stay alive to seek immortality. Therefore, survival was always the priority.
With everything ready, Qi Ping did not hesitate and immediately gave the order: "Bee Legion, dig!"
"Buzz... (Understood, Boss!)"
At his command, several hundred bees moved instantly. Underground Golden Marrow Bees were naturally skilled at digging, and for these late-stage first-rank mutated bees, moving earth was trivial. The soil of the Blood Ginseng patch was cleared at a speed visible to the naked eye, and soon a large pit had formed.
At first, nothing unusual appeared. But once they reached a depth of five meters, an unusual scent began to emerge, and the spiritual energy in the soil became noticeably denser. Qi Ping's heart couldn't help but tighten with tension.
By ten meters deep, the density of spiritual energy in the soil was no different from a prime piece of spirit land. At this point, the swarm caught a whiff of an extraordinary aura. As the situation was transmitted back to Qi Ping, he knew the truth of the underground secret was about to surface.
"Keep digging!" Qi Ping ordered, his nerves stretching taut.
The bees continued their work. Shortly after, the remaining soil suddenly fell away entirely, revealing a man-sized, mysterious underground grotto. The spiritual energy and that extraordinary aura were pouring out from within.