Chapter 102: Nine-Turned Gourd and Red-Ring Gold-Spotted Bee (Asking for Monthly Votes!)

Thank you!

After the grief, the little fox came before Yunhe, speaking extremely sincerely and from the heart.

Although the process seemed not difficult, it clearly knew that with its own strength, even if the Rotten Wood Jiao was breaking through, it could not possibly kill the opponent.

And once the Rotten Wood Jiao completed its breakthrough to become a third-rank demon beast, it would have even less chance.

Most importantly, Yunhe not only helped it take revenge, but also let it contribute some effort, giving it the feeling of personally avenging.

Yunhe waved his hand.

"We're already this familiar."

Anyway, for him, it's something that must be done.

"Don't just watch, come lend a hand."

Seeing the little fox still obediently staying in place, Yunhe said again.

"Ah, ah-ah!"

The little fox startled, then reacted, quickly responded and ran over to help.

"You collect the Rotten Wood Jiao's blood; this blood is good stuff for spirit plants, an excellent fertilizer—even diluted it can increase the transplant success rate of spirit plants, and undiluted it can directly increase their age."

Yunhe explained while gathering the Rotten Wood Jiao's materials.

"Ah, okay."

Half an hour later.

Almost everything on this Rotten Wood Jiao's body was collected and sorted by Yunhe.

It was quite a bountiful harvest.

After finishing these, the little fox led Yunhe into a narrow space deep within this mountain cave.

On the rock wall before them, a severely ancient, damaged stele was faintly inlaid, inscribed with characters Yunhe had never seen.

"Demon Beast Script?"

Although he didn't recognize these characters, from their appearance and brushwork, Yunhe made a reasonable guess.

Most importantly, judging by the engraving style, it was clearly not the same script—at least three kinds, possibly more.

"I also cannot read all the characters on it; I can only, only understand a small part."

The little fox glanced at Yunhe somewhat fearfully, worried he would think she was deceiving him.

But Yunhe was not surprised by this.

Not being able to read it all is actually good; otherwise, it would mean the secrets and functions hidden in this stele aren't that great.

"If one searches hard in the cultivation world, Demon Beast Script should still be findable, right?"

"It's fine; just tell me what you can read."

Seeing Yunhe not angry, but still calm, the little fox quietly breathed a sigh of relief and lightly patted her chest.

Immediately it circulated its demon power, and its lively eyes shimmered with an illusory glow.

Under the hazy spiritual light, although Yunhe still couldn't read these characters, he miraculously "understood" part of their content and grasped the meaning.

He glanced at the little fox, somewhat surprised.

"Spirit Fox Clan's exclusive script? Only the Spirit Fox's spirit pupil can read it?"

"This stele has existed since long ago; I can't say exactly how long, but I know most spirit foxes in the clan cannot read it, and those who can need at least three tails."

While showing Yunhe the text's content, she also began explaining it to him.

Yunhe nodded, turning his attention back to the stele's text.

As he browsed, his eyes gradually brightened.

The text the little fox displayed contained much; undoubtedly the most important was a technique called the "Eight-Turn Spirit Fox Technique."

But whether due to the stele's damage or the little fox's limited ability to decipher, this "Eight-Turn Spirit Fox Technique" is incomplete.

However, it is sufficient for the little fox's current cultivation.

Although the "Eight-Turn Spirit Fox Technique" is a spirit fox cultivation method, some of the secret arts recorded there Yunhe can still learn a bit of.

For example.

Secret art "Spirit Pupil."

It increases the chance to see through illusions, phantom formations, and other deceptive methods; increases the ability to see through opponents' disguises, conceal their cultivation base, etc.; and makes it easier to discover relatively hidden treasures, spirit plants, and so on.

It can be said that although it lacks great destructive power, it has extremely strong auxiliary utility, being very useful both in combat and daily life.

Just this one secret art makes the trip worthwhile.

Indeed, as the little fox said, the stele also bears a secret art that can increase the success rate for other demon beasts breaking through to third rank, called "Infuse Spirit."

Among the three checkpoints of "essence, energy, spirit" for a demon beast's breakthrough to third rank, demon sense is a crucial one; and as the name suggests, "Infuse Spirit" works by infusing the spirit fox's spirit into the breaking demon beast, thereby somewhat boosting the beast's demon sense.

This art can only be performed by demon beasts that have cultivated the "Eight-Turn Spirit Fox Technique," and using it inflicts some damage on the spirit fox, preventing it from being used more than three times in a lifetime.

Besides this technique.

Moreover, the stele actually records the refining method for a peculiar demon artifact of the demon race!

"Nine-Turned Gourd." Yunhe's eyes flashed repeatedly.

The refining method for this treasure is not too difficult, after all, demons are generally not skilled at forging.

However, the material requirements are not low.

Fortunately, depending on the materials used, this treasure can be divided into different grades, roughly similar to the grading system of the cultivation world.

And this treasure is not a weapon for battle, but rather a demonic artifact that aids cultivation.

Its effects and functions made Yunhe look quite envious.

This gourd possesses the function of refining demon bodies, turning a demon beast's body into pure spiritual liquid! Or simply put, refining it into a special liquor.

And drinking this liquor can increase bodily strength! Normally, when demon beasts fight and devour each other, they waste a large amount of spiritual energy during digestion, gaining only dual growth in demon power and physique.

But this "Nine-Curved Gourd" is purely a bodily enhancement, and it greatly increases the utilization rate.

Yunhe glanced at the little fox beside him.

He gained some insight in his heart.

The Spirit Fox clan's weakest point is probably their demonic body.

"But the gourd that is the main ingredient is indeed hard to find."

Although it's not required to be as extravagant as an innate gourd, at least it needs to be a third-tier or higher gourd spiritual plant to be barely usable.

It must be a third-tier spiritual plant, and moreover it must be a gourd spiritual plant.

Yunhe, having spent so many years in the Yao Shou Shijie, has never yet seen a gourd spiritual plant.

But at least it counts as a treasure aiding bodily cultivation; Yunhe silently recorded its refining method in his heart.

Aside from the cultivation methods and demonic artifact refining techniques, most of the remaining text discusses some common knowledge of the demon race.

For example, the strength tiers of demon beasts, precautions when demon beasts break through, some legends of the Yao Shou Shijie, and so on.

Not saying it's extremely useful, but at least it allows demon beasts that have read it to have a rough understanding and cognition of the Yao Shou Shijie.

Increasing the demon beasts' cognition naturally also means enhancing the opening of their spiritual wisdom.

"Alright."

After roughly browsing through, Yunhe called out to stop the little fox.

"Woo——"

Prolonged use of the Spirit Eye also consumes the little fox considerably. 'The little fox only displayed part of what's on it; the origin of this stele is not simple.'

Thinking this, Yunhe, amid the little fox's eyes full of astonishment, came before the stone stele.

He extended his claws, embedded them into the rock wall, and gripped firmly.

"You can't take it away; this stone, the stele, and the entire rock wall as well as the underground stones are fused into one; my clan also had ancestors who..."

He hadn't finished speaking when its eyes almost popped out.

Boom—rumble—

The mountain cave began to shake violently.

Yunhe's body also expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

As desired!

At the same time, his muscles tensed all over, and the scales on his body kept rubbing and colliding, producing a "shasha" sound.

Moving the Mountain!

In the little fox's eyes full of disbelief, Yunhe actually managed to excavate the stone stele and a large chunk of the mountain body and soil layer outright! "You, I"

The little fox opened its mouth, for a moment not knowing how to describe it.

Yet Yunhe heaved and threw, hoisting the stone stele onto his back.

He grinned at the little fox.

He cultivates the "Mountain-Carrying Art"; although he hasn't yet reached the "Mountain-Carrying Chapter," this stele is not attached to an entire mountain either.

Such a fine thing, leaving it here for those illiterate demon beasts to see would indeed be a shame; to avoid wasting heaven's bounty, he must carry it back.

As his practice of the Mountain-Carrying Art deepened, Yunhe gained a deeper "understanding" of it.

Leaning on the Mountain: grow by relying on mountain treasures; Moving the Mountain: empty the mountain of its treasures; Carrying the Mountain: haul away the whole treasure mountain. 'Hmm, seems no problem.'

His reputation as the "Bandit Turtle" wasn't just a day or two.

The world of immortal cultivation.

In Huai Shan market, within the cultivation cave dwelling.

"This is the essence blood of the Rotten Wood Flood Dragon."

Yunhe, sitting cross-legged in the cave dwelling, employed the "Great Longevity Grand Five Elements True Scripture" to cast a special seal upon the essence blood.

The result was naturally without doubt; this essence blood meets the wood-element spiritual body requirement of the Great Longevity Grand Five Elements True Scripture.

"From now on, we only need to continually offer sacrifices and refine it until it can be refined."

After staring at the essence blood for a while, Yunhe put it back into his storage bag.

Although he was eager to proceed with refining and condensing it into a wood-element spirit beast phantom, he had to wait for a safe opportunity.

He stood up.

Thud—thud—

The cave dwelling's door was lightly knocked.

A voice came from outside the door.

"Uncle Yun, it's our turn to be on duty."

Opening the door, he saw ten Qi Refining disciples of the Qingzong Sect standing outside.

"Uncle Yun!"

Everyone performed a respectful salute.

Yunhe slightly nodded and said softly, "Let's go, still following the previous arrangement."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing that, everyone promptly boarded their boats, flying toward various directions of the market, while Yunhe also waved his hand to summon a wind-and-fire vessel, lightly tapped his foot onto it, and flew to the west side of the market.

During the year he guarded the market, perhaps because it's near the Tianling Mountain Range, or perhaps because it's far from the Heyu region, he actually encountered no attacks by demonic cultivators.

Taking advantage of the turmoil in the Ten Realms, the bandits attempting to plunder the market were encountered in two batches, but both were easily dealt with by Yunhe and his companions.

Afterwards, those bandits likely also heard the news, and thus did not appear again.

Listening to the sect's occasional news, some well-known or merely acquaintances Foundation Establishment cultivators have perished; thinking of the chaos in the Heyu region, Yunhe instead began to somewhat enjoy his "quiet" cultivation days in the market.

Of course, these messages also inevitably gave rise to a sense of crisis in him.

Foundation Establishment Middle to Late stage cultivators have fallen; his measly Foundation Establishment Early stage indeed appears utterly insignificant in this turmoil.

Good thing, when on duty, it can also be used to keep bees.

Yunhe slapped his storage bag.

Buzz buzz buzz—

A large swarm of gold-and-red interwoven spirit bees flew out from the spirit insect bag.

They have two pairs of four wings, showing a gradient from red to gold; though their bodies are only the size of two fingers, their speed is astonishingly fast.

Most importantly, on their abdomens, atop a base color of alternating red and black rings, are printed golden spots.

Seeing them, Yunhe's face broke into a smile.

Although he still doesn't fully understand what kind of bee the so-called 'Four-Wing Gold Spot Bee' is, there's no doubt that his cultivation of spirit bees this time has been the most successful ever.

The spirit bees produced this time almost inherit all the advantages of the Four-Wing Gold Spot Bee; although each aspect is slightly inferior to that bee, there's no doubt that his entire spirit bee colony has undergone a qualitative leap.

The most obvious point is that the newborn larvae no longer merely possess a trace of monster power; they are born as first-stage early monster beasts!

With a little cultivation, they can attempt to break through to first-stage middle, a qualitative leap in the nature of spirit bees.

Furthermore, Yunhe's willingness to invest in Breeding Pills and monster beasts from the Monster Beast World has made their growth extremely rapid, far surpassing the difficult growth of the original Red Pattern Spirit Bees.

Although after this transformation their speed and efficiency in gathering spirit honey have decreased, the quality of the honey they collect has increased dramatically! The honey contains a trace of metal-attribute qi; even if Yunhe now consumes such spirit honey, he can feel its aid to his cultivation base.

Moreover.

To uncover their potential, Yunhe will continue carrying out selective purification.

He plans to cultivate a group of pure war bees and a group of pure honey-collecting bees.

The transformation of the bee swarm made Yunhe realize that perhaps that Four-Wing Gold Spot Bee is not so simple; whether it's the auction house appraiser or himself, they have only managed to uncover part of its potential.

As for this new bee species, he placed great hopes in it and also gave it a new name.

Red Ring Gold Spot Bee! What Yunhe himself didn't know was that, among the many lists compiled by the mad scholar known as Shengbanzi who gave him Huaxin, the Spirit Insect List quietly underwent some changes.

A spirit insect called the Red Ring Gold Spot Bee leapt into the top hundred of the Spirit Insect List.

Ranked ninety-ninth! Know that this Spirit Insect List does not merely record present-day spirit insects; it almost includes all spirit insects from the entire Cultivation Realm throughout history, the vast majority of which have already gone extinct or disappeared.

This attracted the attention of a sect that monitors the Spirit Insect List rankings, the Insect Control Sect.

Actually.

When he received that Jade Slip, since Huaxin was right beside him, most of his attention fell on the Metal Stone List, and the Spirit Insect List was merely glanced over.

If he had calmed down and examined them carefully, he would have noticed.

At nineteenth place on the Spirit Insect List.

There is a special ancient spirit insect called the Gold Shadow Eight-Wing Bee, which bears some resemblance to the Four-Wing Gold Spot Bee he previously won at the auction.

Of course, this information would likely be noticed when he is in a relatively calm environment.

———

PS: Thanks to all fellow cultivators for the monthly ticket support; this chapter delivers 4k characters! (End of chapter)