Noon arrived, and the sun was as fierce as a furnace.
Anyone standing under the sun could clearly feel a distinct, scorching heat. Many small grasses and trees wilted, unable to withstand the intensity. In such an oppressive environment, only a single black crow was filled with powerful vitality and vigor.
Its body was only slightly smaller than a goshawk's, but it emitted a scorching aura that felt lethal even to Qi Ping. The flame mark on its brow, flickering with golden light, appeared divinely extraordinary.
After Qi Ping delivered the Century Fire Spirit Honey, the crow gave him a look full of gratitude. Then, with determination and excitement, it swallowed it all without hesitation. Even the residue on the bottle walls was wrapped in spiritual energy and pulled into its belly.
It was hard to imagine that the crow's small stomach could hold so much honey without any sign of bloating. Instead, a terrifying fire-attribute energy gradually began to spread out from its body. This energy grew stronger and stronger, eventually reaching a point where Qi Ping could no longer bear it and had to retreat.
As the fire energy intensified, a golden-red flame began to rise from the crow's body. It started as small flickers before growing more powerful, eventually covering the crow's entire form. The heat was so intense that even the space around it seemed to warp slightly.
Qi Ping had no doubt that if he were to stand next to the crow right now, he would undoubtedly be burned to death. Even though he also possessed the Li-Fire Physique and cultivated fire-attribute techniques, he absolutely could not withstand it; the difference in power levels was simply too great.
'No wonder the ancient texts record that fire is one of the natural enemies of insect-type spirit beasts.'
'With the current strength of the Li-Fire Crow's life-fire, if a spirit insect doesn't have extremely high fire resistance, few of the same rank could survive the burning of the Li-Fire Flame.'
Perceiving the strength of the crow's life-fire, Qi Ping gained more confidence regarding the upcoming exploration of the secret beneath the Blood Ginseng patch. And this was likely just the crow's normal state; it had only just begun to recover its bloodline power, and the true mutation had yet to start. Once it completed its bloodline breakthrough, the intensity of its life-fire would surely rise another level.
The golden-red flames on the crow did not burn for long. After reaching a peak near its limit, the flames were gradually drawn back into its body. Soon, the life-fire and all fire energy were retracted, leaving not a trace of leaking power.
If not for the crow's increasingly powerful pressure and the divine flame mark on its brow, it would have looked no different from an ordinary black crow.
After retracting all its power, the crow's body suddenly erupted with a powerful suction. An extraordinary amount of solar power began to condense in the surrounding area before drilling into the crow's body. Supported by this dense solar energy, the crow's pressure grew even heavier, its entire body gradually becoming enveloped by solar power.
The powerful bloodline pressure was so intense that the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees standing guard nearby began to find it unbearable, their bodies trembling slightly.
"Buzz... (Boss, the crow's bloodline is so terrifying!)"
"Buzz... (Yeah, Boss, I feel my whole body shaking!)"
The surrounding bees began to marvel one after another. If they hadn't known the crow was also Qi Ping's animal companion, they would have immediately led the swarm to flee or hide. Fire power already countered them, let alone such a potent bloodline! That Li-Fire Flame was their absolute nemesis.
With the Ink-Armor Bees' defense, they could likely tank the attacks of an ordinary ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator without issue, but they definitely couldn't block the crow's flame.
Faced with the bees' awe, Qi Ping did not deny it. Among spirit beasts, the power of bloodline was far too important.
Although the High-speed Ring-cutter Bees were rare mutations born from super-strengthened organs—and could overwhelm many late-stage or peak Qi Refinement experts if their numbers were sufficient—their foundation as Golden Marrow Bees remained. Their bloodline power had an inherent limit. Therefore, compared to a spirit beast like Yaya, which had mutated into a bloodline even stronger than a normal Li-Fire Crow, the innate gap was not small.
"Yaya's bloodline is indeed strong, but you all have a chance too. In the future, I will find even more powerful bloodline energies for you. As long as you mutate successfully, your combat power won't necessarily be lower than Yaya's."
"Buzz... (Really? That's great, Boss!)"
"Buzz... (Boss is mighty!)"
Qi Ping did not feel that the Golden Marrow Bees' utility would decrease because of the crow. Not only did they have the chance to mutate by devouring other spirit beasts' bloodlines, but even now, if their numbers were raised to ten thousand, they could potentially wear the crow down to death. The advantage of an insect swarm was never individual combat power, but rather their terrifying numbers!
In theory, as long as the swarm was large enough, they could pile onto and kill over ninety-five percent of enemies of the same rank. Their only weakness was that too many insects required a vast amount of resources. Qi Ping was currently facing this problem, but fortunately, the Golden Marrow Bees had strong production capabilities. Once they moved to a new location, he was confident he could turn the swarm's deficit into a profit.
Furthermore, the Demon Insect Cultivation Manual recorded a method of devouring high-level spirit beast bloodlines. As long as one could find the carcass of a high-level beast and pair it with the spirit herbs in the recipe, the insects would have a chance to devour it and undergo a foundation bloodline upgrade. However, this recipe was not something Qi Ping could currently prepare; he would need the strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator to have a chance at success.
Thus, the swarm's potential was certainly not poor. As long as he could produce enough mutagenic potion, the swarm would have the chance to obtain the bloodline power of high-grade beasts and achieve a leap in quality.
While Qi Ping conversed with the bees, the crow gradually entered a deep state of mutation. The entire crow was wrapped in a giant cocoon formed from solar power, undergoing its most critical transformation. Qi Ping slowly lost the ability to observe the crow's appearance. He could only perceive an increasingly strong and rhythmic heartbeat, as well as an ever-more vigorous life force.
This led Qi Ping to sense that the crow's transformation this time might truly be extraordinary. As time passed, he could clearly feel his own Li-Fire Physique becoming stronger. This enhancement wasn't fast, but it was persistent, a process of strengthening that almost never stopped.
The crow's mutation lasted unexpectedly long. From noon until sunset, there was no sign of it ending. If Qi Ping hadn't been able to sense that the crow was in good condition, he might have started to worry.
However, as night fell, a different worry rose in his heart—not for the crow, but for the woman in green who might reappear at any moment. He immediately placed the bee swarm on high alert. If forced, Qi Ping truly didn't mind considering killing her; he would not allow anyone to interfere with the crow's mutation. This also made him realize the importance of a stable cultivation environment.
Fortunately, after a night of anxious waiting, no accidents occurred. When the morning sun rose, a ray of golden sunlight and a wisp of purple light shot into the crow's body. The crow, which had been silent all night, broke out of its cocoon at that very moment!