Chapter 18: Blood Refined Bee Control Technique (Please Follow! Please Collect!)

Yunhe walked toward the stall without changing expression.

The stall owner was a muscular big man, wearing a bamboo hat that hid his face, but his bulging muscles made him seem not someone to provoke easily.

"Are you a body-refining cultivator?"

A cultivator who managed to snag one of the few stalls in front of Hundred Treasures Pavilion among many black-market vendors surely isn't weak.

As Yunhe approached, the muscular man seemed to notice and looked at him:

"Fellow Daoist, are you interested in someone's Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique?"

His voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying a hint of certainty and a faint dangerous, fierce aura.

Just as Yunhe reached the stall, his movement froze.

Are the instincts of body-refining cultivators really this sharp?

Like a wild beast.

He had only lingered on that jade slip for a few seconds before being noticed.

"Indeed, picking up bargains is all a scam."

Yunhe originally thought that the burly man placing the Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique in the corner of the stall showed he didn't value it much, and maybe he could snag it at an extremely low price.

Now it seems he had oversimplified things.

How many of those who set up stalls in the black market are easy to deal with?

Such a scene where valuable items are easily snatched up as bargains probably only exists in some novels.

A cultivator like that burly man probably would rather not sell than casually sell his goods.

After a brief pause, Yunhe recovered, crouched before the stall, and lowered his voice:

"Not bad, may I first examine it to see if it's what I need?"

Seeing the burly man show no reaction, Yunhe picked up the jade slip of the Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique while glancing over the stall.

His heart trembled.

On the stall, not a single item lacked a bloody aura.

They are all products of slaughter!

This burly man is a fierce person.

His gaze returned to the jade slip.

At first glance, the jade slip looks somewhat antiquated, with some parts damaged, clearly aged.

"Could it be incomplete?"

He placed the jade slip on his forehead.

His Spirit Sense extended into it.

Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique!

He quickly saw the name of this technique.

Moreover, many parts of the content were obscured to prevent the seller from trying to memorize the prohibitions set while browsing.

But for Yunhe wanting just a rough idea, it was enough.

However, after skimming for a moment, Yunhe furrowed his brows.

He opened his eyes and looked at the burly man.

"Is the technique recorded on this jade slip incomplete?"

The complete Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique is a Second Stage secret art, applicable to cultivators who manipulate insects and gu, and is counted among the four left-handed arts of cultivation.

The four left-handed arts of the cultivation world are: corpse refining, gu nurturing, ghost raising, and blood sacrifice; compared to the orthodox four arts of pill, equipment, formation, and talisman, such secret arts are somewhat cheaper.

Even so, it remains a Second Stage secret art that Foundation Establishment cultivators can employ as one of their means!

However, this Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique is incomplete.

The methods of raising insects and selecting insects that should also be recorded are missing from this jade slip.

Even the Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique originally should have recorded the cultivation and sacrificial refinement of various spiritual insects, but those are also incomplete.

The degree of incompleteness of this jade slip is far worse than he imagined.

Regarding Yunhe's doubt, the burly man neither affirmed nor denied, merely speaking in a muffled tone:

"Fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones."

"Not that expensive."

After hearing the burly man's price, Yunhe instinctively flashed that thought.

But upon second thought, he felt it was expensive.

You know, for insect control, the most fundamental aspect is the "insect" itself.

If there are no spiritual insects and no method to nurture and select them, obtaining this secret art is as useless as a chicken rib.

Having only the method to control insects but no insects—what would you control, a hammer?

It's like buying a car: having only a wheel but no engine or chassis—how would you drive?

"Fellow Daoist, don't joke—this secret art is seventy to eighty percent incomplete." Yunhe's words sped up a bit, showing some urgency, "Although the secret art's rank is high, lacking beginning and end makes it incoherent; fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones is indeed too high."

The burly man glanced at him, seeing he truly intended to buy, and the man who had originally just quoted a price offhand became a bit more serious.

After a brief ponder, he countered:

"What do you offer?"

"Ten low-grade Spirit Stones, how about that?"

Yunhe thought it over and offered a price.

"Deal!"

Yunhe: "???"

I originally thought we'd have to haggle again, but I didn't expect the other party to be so straightforward—so straightforward that Yunhe was a bit caught off guard.

"Did I lose out?"

"Nonsense, the burly man knows his own goods best—just how severely lacking is this 'Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique'?"

"It's just that the name of this second-stage secret technique is a bit more renowned."

"Excluding the deficient parts, what remains intact is at most between medium and high quality of the first stage."

"A first‑stage medium‑quality left‑path method goes for about this price."

"Ten spirit stones it is! But I want this mortal's body‑forging method as a bonus—fellow Daoist, you won't refuse, will you?"

Yunhe gritted his teeth and pointed to a book in the corner of the stall.

The burly man looked at the ancient book titled "Turtle Breath Body Forging Technique" in the corner of the stall, confirmed it was just an ordinary mortal's body‑forging method, then waved his hand dismissively.

Yunhe painfully took out ten low‑grade spirit stones, picked up the jade slip of the Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique and the book of Turtle Breath Body Forging Technique, then got up and left.

Not long after walking, the joy on his face beneath the mask could no longer be contained.

"A second‑stage Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique! Although it's missing the crucial worm‑breeding and worm‑sacrifice methods, the worm‑control chapter—especially the bee‑control part—is preserved intact! And I just happen to not lack the worm‑breeding method."

Most importantly, one of its sections, the "Insect Battle Formation," caught his eye.

"It's not a loss—even a medium‑quality first‑stage bee‑control method costs seven or eight low‑grade spirit stones, and it comes with a bonus Insect Battle Formation; that's a small profit."

Profit or loss in trade depends on demand.

However, as Yunhe walked toward another stall, a few thoughts arose in his mind.

"I only have one low‑grade spirit stone and some spirit crystals left—can I buy a transplant method?"

"Half a jar of Red Pattern Spirit Honey sold for three low‑grade spirit stones! Although it's partly due to the novelty, the buyer likely wants to study it more, but a full jar of Red Pattern Spirit Honey is worth at least five low‑grade spirit stones."

Having found a chance to change his outfit, Yunhe walked out of the Haihai Tower, his expression beneath the mask quite exhilarated.

Thinking of the Haihai Tower boss's surprised expression when he first saw the Red Pattern Spirit Honey, Yunhe couldn't help but curl his lips.

With two months left in spring, even if only one jar of Red Pattern Spirit Honey is produced each month, that totals ten low‑grade spirit stones over two months!

Heavens!

When has he ever earned this many spirit stones from selling honey?

The original owner painstakingly kept bees for years, at most saving only two or three low‑grade spirit stones per year.

"If the number of Red Pattern Spirit Bees is replenished, the yield of Red Pattern Spirit Honey will be even more impressive!"

By then, he could not only purchase a defensive‑type magic robe, but might also have spare spirit stones to buy elixirs for advancing his cultivation.

"Moreover, spirit honey being most abundant in spring doesn't mean there is no yield in summer and autumn."

The path to immortality is rough and winding, but Yunhe has seen a glimmer of hope—how could he not be exhilarated?

"I just don't know whether this plant transplant method will work."

At that time he had only four low‑grade spirit stones and fifty spirit crystals left, yet the Haihai Tower's "Herbal Compendium" actually cost two medium‑grade spirit stones—truly giving him a start.

Fortunately, the "Herbal Compendium" can be sold in separate volumes.

Yunhe spent his last four low‑grade spirit stones and thirty spirit crystals to buy the "Herbal Compendium—Lightning‑Attribute Herbal Plants" section.

"The 'Twin‑Lightning Juice Fruit' is a rare lightning‑attribute spiritual plant, but this chapter does not give it a separate transplant method—it merely uses several lightning‑attribute spiritual plants to make a general section."

The specific effects, however, probably won't be known until we personally test it on the Demon Beast Body.

But no matter what, Yunhe was still fairly satisfied with this black market trip.

He acquired a handy metal‑type low‑grade magical artifact, his bee‑control technique was also optimized, and the method for transplanting spiritual plants at least had a clue.

The only shortcoming.

Perhaps it's because he entered the black market carrying a "huge sum" but came out with only a mere twenty spirit crystals.

"One word—poor!"

Having no money on him and no valuable goods in hand, Yunhe dared not linger in the black market any longer; he got up and left.

"Being careful is never wrong."

After making several rounds in the black market, he also changed into his third prepared disguise in the passageway of Heshu Mountain, applying honey residue to mask his scent, and after leaving the black market he continued to change directions several times.

There was no way around it; when preparing to leave the black market, Yunhe still felt a bit of nervous trepidation.

When it's time to be cautious, one must be cautious—too many people in the black market could kill him.

Fortunately, after leaving the black market there was no sudden appearance of rogue cultivators jumping out to kill and loot; after some twists and turns, he finally returned to the slum district of the market town.

"Having a storage bag really is much more convenient."

Returning to his dwelling, he dumped everything out all at once.

He fondly played with the Golden Slaughter Sword, unable to put it down.

This sword needs to be refined, and combined with the "Metal Control Technique," it will take at least several days to become proficient—no rush.

Thereafter he eagerly took out the jade slip of the Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique, placed it on his forehead, broke the simple seal, and read it carefully.

After a while.

Yunhe pursed his lips and slowly opened his eyes.

He pinched his fingers.

"Buzz—"

The five‑pattern Red Pattern Spirit Bee flew out from its own body and landed in his palm.

Looking at this lively Red Pattern Spirit Bee and feeling the demonic power within it, which was already not weak, Yunhe's eyes turned slightly chilly.

He bit open his finger.

He dropped the fresh blood onto the Red Pattern Spirit Bee's body.

The next second.

He formed a seal with one hand.

Spiritual power surged.

"Fresh blood as the lure, spiritual power as the lock, Blood Insect Control Technique, accomplished!"

Buzz—

Suddenly.

As that drop of fresh blood on the Red Pattern Spirit Bee slowly seeped into its body, Yunhe even without using the Bee Control Technique faintly felt a thread of connection between them.

Immediately he waved his left hand.

Thud!

The Red Pattern Spirit Bee shot forth in the direction he pointed.

Its stinger firmly embedded into the wooden wall.

Seeing this, Yunhe finally broke into a smile.

"Done!"

No, rather, he had entered the doorway.

Because he had the foundation of the Bee Control Technique, the bee control method in the Blood Insect Sacrifice Technique was not difficult for him to get started with.

Merely getting started allowed him to control the spirit bees without forming hand seals.

After minor accomplishment, he could even command them via spiritual power.

Upon great accomplishment, a thought suffices, and control is as easy as moving one's arm!

"Indeed, it's not comparable to those common Bee Control Techniques."

Besides the method of control satisfying him, there is also the number of bees he can control.

"With my current cultivation base, as long as the Red Pattern Spirit Bee's demonic power does not exceed early-stage demon beast level, they cannot break free from the blood control, and the number of Red Pattern Spirit Bees I can control should exceed fifty!"

Fifty!

Just think of that day when the Shi-surnamed cultivator faced a massive swarm of Black Ring Hornets and met a miserable fate—then you'll understand what this number signifies.

Most importantly, Yunhe can now let the already mutated Red Pattern Spirit Bees freely devour the Black Ring Hornets without worrying about insufficient control leading to loss of command.

"If we gather fifty of them and pair them with the Insect Battle Array, even an ordinary mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator could put up a fight. If each could reach the Nine Pattern level..."

Yunhe's eyes gleamed.

His fist clenched slightly.

"A mid-stage cultivator—perhaps even killable!"

What is self-defense capability?

This is self-defense capability!

"Furthermore"

Yunhe, his eyes flashing, muttered lowly.

Thud, thud!

Suddenly.

The door was knocked.

Yunhe hurriedly recalled the Red Pattern Spirit Bee and put away his things.

He asked warily, "Who is it?"

Today's update is again nearly 7k characters; please support and keep reading!

(End of chapter)