This talent had ford two days prior, once the Big-Bellied Bees reached a certain scale.
To be precise, [Brewing Artisan] had evolved into [Master Brewer].
Qi Ping hadn’t expected that a shared talent could improve alongside his animal companion’s own talen).
In the ga, this had never happened—animal companions’ talents were fixed.
But now, the shared talent could advance as the bees’ talent grew stronger. For Qi Ping, this was an unexpected delight.
“Shared talents… when you think about it, it makes sense. Since the talent is borrowed from the animal companion, it stands to reason that if their talent improves, so does the shared version.”
“If that’s the case, then continuing to develop the Golden Marrow Bees is even more worthwhile.”
After experiencing the benefits of [Brewing Artisan] in alchemy, Qi Ping understood just how crucial this talent was for cultivation.
With it, his path to immortality would be much smoother—especially since it paired perfectly with the Druid skill [Plant Growth].
[Master Brewer: You possess exceptional talent in honey brewing and an acute sensitivity toward spiritual herbs. You can intuitively blend herbs to maximize their effects, then fernt them into honey.]
After the upgrade, Qi Ping could clearly feel that his perception of spiritual herbs had sharpened significantly.
When handling mid-tier Grade-1 herbs like Blood Ginseng, he could now detect their dicinal properties and impurities with near-perfect precision.
Even the process of blending herbs no longer felt obscure and difficult. Instead, it ca to him as naturally as intuition.
Qi Ping guessed that [Master Brewer] must rank among the top-tier Grade-1 high-grade talents. As long as he proceeded carefully, fusing Grade-1 herbs shouldn’t pose much of a problem.
This boosted his confidence in successfully refining the Bloodline Mutation Elixir.
Still, he prepared the sa wooden table as before, ticulously portioning the ingredients according to the previous ratios, then closed his eyes to rest.
Even with a stronger talent, Qi Ping preferred sticking to the tried-and-true thod—it was safer, more reliable, and he had experience with it.
“Buzz… (Boss, that two-legged creature who ca last ti is here again.)”
“Buzz… (Looks like this…)”
A Golden Marrow Bee suddenly buzzed near Qi Ping’s ear, describing Sister Nan’s appearance and movents.
“Sister Nan is here?” Qi Ping frowned, his rest interrupted.
Sister Nan herself wasn’t an issue—she’d always treated him well.
But not long ago, he’d told her: If her danger sense ever triggered, she must seek him out imdiately.
So this visit likely ant trouble.
Without another thought for the elixir, Qi Ping bolted down the mountain.
Qi Ping hadn’t stayed here in half a month. Cobwebs draped the eaves, and the yard was buried under layers of dead leaves.
So of Old Man Zhou’s prized flowers, now untended, had withered away.
The entire place felt abandoned.
When Sister Nan arrived in her plain robes, she froze at the sight of the desolate courtyard.
She knew Old Man Zhou had returned to the mortal world—but where was Qi Ping? Shouldn’t he still be here?
Had sothing happened to him?
A pang of worry struck her. Qi Ping had helped her before, and they’d grown close. She didn’t want anything bad to befall him.
Just as she anxiously stepped forward to search, movent caught her eye—a lean young man sprinting down the mountainside.
“Little Qi?”
“Sister Nan! Long ti no see!”
“You’ve been living on the mountain?” She pointed at the derelict courtyard, stunned.
But more than shock, relief washed over her—he was safe.
“Yeah. With Old Man Zhou gone, it’s easier to tend the bees up there. And safer.”
“Oh… You scared for a mont!” She exhaled, pressing a hand to her chest.
“Why would I vanish? If anything happened, I’d send a Golden Marrow Bee to warn you.” He paused. “So… why are you here?”
They’d agreed before: In an ergency, he’d send a bee to hover a few feet in front of her as a signal.
“My danger sense… it’s triggered again.”
Her expression darkened, the weight of the warning clear in her eyes. This ti, the预感 (premonition) was stronger than ever.
“Again? And worse than before?”
“Far worse.”
Qi Ping’s chest tightened.
If the threat could reach Sister Nan—and with such intensity—this was no ordinary demon insect swarm.
The urgency to refine the Bloodline Mutation Elixir, evolve the Golden Marrow Bees, and advance to Tier 3 Druid burned hotter in his mind.
“I need to brew that elixir as soon as possible. Even in this state, I should manage.”
Cutting to the chase, he said:
“Co up the mountain with . I’ve set up defenses there—even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator wouldn’t survive if they attacked.”
“You can handle late-stage Qi Refining cultivators?”
“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate.
“Alright. Then I’ll add so poison traps to bolster your defenses.”
She agreed without question. She knew Qi Ping wouldn’t make empty claims.
If he said it, he could do it.
(Though the fact that he could do it left her utterly shocked.)
…..
Soon, Qi Ping led her to the towering fir where he often cultivated.
“Sister Nan, set up your traps here. I have sothing else to handle—I’ll be back later.”
“Go ahead. Don’t worry about .” She smiled.
She knew Qi Ping had his secrets, but she had no desire to pry.
All she wanted was to help where she could. And once this crisis passed, she planned to tell him about the origin of [Beast Taming: Demonic Insect Manual].
Over ti, she’d glimpsed the makings of a true powerhouse in him.
If nothing went wrong, Qi Ping might one day beco a renowned expert.
She trusted him enough to believe that if she aided him early on, he’d repay her generously without her even asking.
“He might be my best chance to cash in on the secrets I hold.”
Compared to greedy sect disciples or aloof clan cultivators, Qi Ping was far more reliable.
His voluntary gift of Golden Marrow Honey last ti proved he wasn’t the covetous type.
“Little Qi could beco my greatest ally in achieving my goals.”
But first—they had to survive.
Pulling out her deadliest poison—one potent enough to kill a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator—she got to work.
“Mm.”
With a nod, Qi Ping left to refine the Bloodline Mutation Elixir.
He, too, had ulterior motives regarding Sister Nan.
Once this crisis ended, he intended to trade Golden Marrow Honey for the location of the [Beast Taming: Demonic Insect Manual].
After all, such precious knowledge couldn’t be requested outright—timing and tact were everything.
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