Chapter 4: Bee Control Technique (Please Collect!)

Buzz, buzz——

Buzz——

He returned to his dwelling.

Yunhe formed hand seals.

Indeed.

He furrowed his brows.

The basic 'Bee Control Technique' poses no problem for controlling ordinary spirit bees, but controlling mutant spirit bees feels somewhat sluggish.

Of course, it's only slightly sluggish; controlling a single mutant spirit bee is still no problem.

However, according to Yunhe's plan, if he wants to cultivate a swarm of mutant spirit bees, he clearly needs to replace this bee-controlling technique with a more powerful one.

I feel the limit of the 'Bee Control Technique' is ten mutant spirit bees; once the number exceeds that, control will surely not be smooth.

After all, it's merely the most basic first-stage low-grade technique; using the 'Bee Control Technique' to command ordinary spirit bees is fine, but commanding mutant spirit bees that have produced demonic power puts greater strain.

This is still just an estimate based on the current state of the mutant spirit bee; if it consumes a few more black-ring hornets to further boost its demonic power, it may become questionable whether it can freely control ten of them.

For now it's sufficient, but enhancing bee-controlling ability or seeking a higher-level bee-controlling technique should be one of the next goals.

This requires a large amount of spirit stones to purchase techniques.

Ultimately, cultivation emphasizes wealth, partner, method, and land; wealth always comes first.

Eat.

Watching the mutant spirit bee straining to suppress its desires, Yunhe released his restraint on it.

Buzz——

Instantly, the mutant spirit bee lunged onto the black-ring hornet's corpse and began gnawing.

Yunhe stood aside, directing it with the 'Bee Control Technique' to gnaw while employing the 'Source Refining Method'.

Soon, the mutant spirit bee had devoured the entire black-ring hornet, not even a wing fragment left.

After eating another black-ring hornet, the mutant spirit bee's body grew hot again, swayed twice, then collapsed onto the table and fell into a deep sleep.

The amount it can digest and absorb has increased, but is a single black-ring hornet its current limit?

There is still one black-ring hornet left.

After a brief consideration, Yunhe summoned two ordinary spirit bees again.

Just as before, he forcibly controlled them to gnaw the black-ring hornet's corpse.

Once both black-ring hornet corpses were completely eaten, he gathered the three spirit bees that had fallen into a deep sleep.

If all goes well, tomorrow he can add two more mutant spirit bees.

Three mutant spirit bees are few and not yet a swarm, but if he can steadily produce a few each day, he will eventually possess a swarm that would make early Qi Refining cultivators tremble at the mere mention.

By then, the pressure from the black-ring hornet swarm will not be so great.

After hastily finishing dinner, Yunhe dragged his somewhat fatigued body into the cultivation chamber.

Although producing more mutant spirit bees is his upcoming goal, Yunhe also clearly understands that his own cultivation base is the foundation of everything.

Just speaking of one point.

Only when his cultivation base rises can his lifespan increase accordingly.

Cultivators, cultivators—who isn't seeking to live a little longer?

Only by living long does one have a future.

In the murky mud, Yunhe slowly opened his eyes.

Mm

He gently shook the turtle's head, feeling his whole body heavy and his thoughts muddled.

'So this is how it feels after a spirit bee eats a black-ring hornet.'

This thought flashed through his mind subconsciously.

Yunhe closed his eyes again, silently sensing the changes in his body while adapting to the current state.

At this moment he truly resembled an old turtle, lying motionless in the lakebed mud.

After a while, that muddled, sluggish feeling finally faded; he stretched his limbs with a couple of claw movements, then opened his eyes again.

His heart held a hint of delight.

'My body has grown larger and stronger.'

Originally it was only the size of a washbasin; now it has grown more than one circle larger, approaching half a millstone.

The hastily dug burrow earlier is now nearly filled by it, making limb movement extremely inconvenient.

Of course, the change in size is not the most important.

'Demonic power has increased nearly twofold!'

If before Yunhe merely possessed demonic power barely comparable to the second layer of Qi Refining cultivation, now he can match the third layer!

Although he remains a first-stage early demonic beast, the change in strength is easy to imagine.

Know that he merely drank the blood of a golden carp, without moving its body.

Mutual combat and consumption among demonic beasts is normal, but the conversion rate is nowhere near this level.

'Is it thanks to the 'Source Refining Method', plus that undigested Reverse Blood Lotus, and the fact that the golden carp itself is a first-stage late demonic beast?'

Multiple factors combined allowed his demonic power to directly break through a minor level.

'If fully digested, the benefits would likely be even greater.'

Yunhe turned his head to look at the corner, where the carp had been pushed aside due to his enlarged body.

Its golden scales had dulled considerably, and there was no trace of bloodiness.

Left for a day, it not only had no strange odor, but instead a faint fresh fragrance wafted out.

It made Yunhe unconsciously swallow a mouthful of saliva.

'This carp probably isn't an ordinary demon beast.'

Gurgle—

A low-pitched 'gurgle' sound came from Yunhe's body.

Suppressing the hunger coming from his belly, Yunhe waved his claws, flicked his tail, brushed aside the mud covering it, and swam toward the water surface.

Just as he left the mud, the ordinary fish playing nearby were instantly frightened and scattered in all directions.

The faint demon beast aura emanating from his body made these ordinary fish instinctively feel fear.

Because he hadn't yet had time to fully digest the benefits from the carp's blood, Yunhe's demon beast aura was very pronounced at the moment.

He didn't have time to worry about them; stirring the water, he quickly came near the water surface.

He did not immediately surface, but instead cautiously surveyed the water surface and his surroundings.

The scene of the crane instantly killing the black water snake and the golden carp is still vivid in his mind; the danger level of this body of water is far higher than he imagined.

After confirming there was no dangerous creature activity around, Yunhe finally rose slowly.

Two nostrils appeared on the water surface.

While breathing, his eyes also did not forget to observe the surroundings.

Although he is a turtle-type demon beast, he cannot yet hold his breath completely and must surface to breathe at intervals.

Isn't there something like a 'turtle breath technique'? As a turtle clan member, having such an ability shouldn't be too much to ask, right?

While descending, Yunhe couldn't help but think.

The water surface is too dangerous; the underwater area he is familiar with is relatively safer.

He did not roam about or show off because of his increased strength; instead, he honestly retreated to his previous mud burrow and slightly expanded it.

Going out is just to find food; he still has a First Stage Late carp that he hasn't eaten yet.

However, when he was expelling soil from the mud burrow, he noticed a loach as thick as an arm also burrowing out from the nearby silt.

It might be due to sensing the change in the surrounding water flow, or perhaps the commotion caused by the scattering fish.

Coincidentally, he made eye contact with Yunhe, who had just poked his head out.

'Demon beast? First Stage Early.'

But it's not as strong as him; it should just be a loach that has reached First Stage Early.

So Yunhe unhesitatingly glared at it.

Demon power surged, causing a change in the water flow.

Feeling his demon beast aura, the loach shuddered violently, its scales trembling.

But it didn't flee; instead, it honestly lay flat on the ground, assuming a crawling posture, and looked at him pitifully.

Yunhe: '.'

The intelligence of a First Stage Early demon beast is indeed worrying.

Ordinary demon beasts probably need to grow to First Stage Late to have intelligence comparable to a human child, and to Second Stage to match an ordinary person.

After thinking, he flicked his short tail sharply.

The water flow twisted like a whip and lashed out.

Bang!!

The loach lying on the ground was directly flung by the water flow, spinning several times before slowly stabilizing its posture.

But it was neither annoyed nor frightened by this; instead, it showed a somewhat human-like delight.

After nodding its head vigorously at Yunhe, it twisted its body and swam away.

This is how demon beasts communicate.

The only meaning Yunhe just conveyed was: 'Get lost.'

In the world of demon beasts, might makes right, with no unnecessary complications; Yunhe not killing it meant letting it go.

After the loach demon beast swam away, Yunhe nodded in satisfaction, crawled back into the burrow, and firmly covered it with earth.

How could others be allowed to snore beside one's bed?

Demon beasts observe territories.

This small patch of mud has already been marked as his territory.

Weaker demon beasts than him have no right to dwell in a place; if they are stronger than him,

'Then let's run.'

Wagging his tail, he slowly walked toward the golden carp, somewhat impatiently swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

Crack—

A beak-like mouth bit down on the carp's scales, producing a crisp sound.

'So hard!'

Even if dead, a demon beast's body does not weaken due to death.

After chewing with difficulty two mouthfuls, Yunhe, adhering to the principle of not wasting, still swallowed it with difficulty.

'Crisp and crunchy.'

He even couldn't forget to make a teasing remark in his heart.

After eating several pieces of golden scales, the tender white fish flesh finally emerged, and that faint fresh fragrance came from it.

He couldn't wait to take a bite.

The fish meat's fibers, the fresh fragrance, mixed with an unknown juice, burst in the mouth.

Although the taste perception of turtles differs from humans, Yunhe firmly believes that this carp would taste delicious to anyone who eats it.

After eating recklessly, half a carp went into his stomach.

「Burp—」

The feeling of fullness made him stop eating.

A warm current flowed from his stomach through his body, the warm feeling gradually growing stronger, shifting toward dry heat.

But soon part of the heat flow passed through his body and was expelled outward, dissipating into nothing.

And it flowed away increasingly.

This is the normal state of eating, where the vast majority of the energy is wasted.

Yunhe hurriedly calmed his mind and activated 「Source Refinement Method」.

Sure enough, the rate of energy loss decreased; some energy was digested by him and slowly absorbed, becoming part of himself.

Tortoise shell, scales, muscle fibers, demonic power, etc., all slowly grew stronger with 「Source Refinement Method」.

He devoted himself entirely to the absorption, until time passed unnoticed and his consciousness returned to his cultivator body.

He reached out to block the sunlight streaming in from outside the window; Yunhe narrowed his eyes, slowly sat up, and stretched lazily.

「Another wonderful day. »

He felt the growth of spiritual power within his body.

Although the growth rate is extremely slow, it is still faster than his pure cultivation.

「The demon beast body's nourishment, plus my own cultivation, if nothing unexpected happens, there is a chance to break through to the third layer of Qi Refining within three months. 」

As Yunhe muttered to himself, he unconsciously felt joy rise to his eyebrows.

Qi Refining third layer is approaching; is the middle stage of Qi Refining still far?

Although his innate talent is extremely poor, having both cultivator body and demon beast body cultivating together, he still dares to hope for Foundation Establishment.

After all, the Foundation Establishment stage represents being able to live two hundred years!

Having experienced his past life and being accustomed to the bustling world, nothing is more attractive to him than living a long life.

He got up and simply washed up.

He shouldered a bamboo box, preparing to go out to release bees.

「I suddenly started looking forward to seeing how many black-ringed hornets will come today. 」

(End of chapter)