After absorbing the knowledge about the Brewing Artisan skill in his mind, Qi Ping turned his gaze toward the Golden Marrow Bees, who had just erged from the special state of the contract.
Since the Golden Marrow Bees had willingly beco Qi Ping’s animal companions, the contract had forged an unshakable bond of trust between them.
At a glance, Qi Ping could sense a newfound closeness with every single Golden Marrow Bee.
Even with his eyes closed, he could clearly feel this connection.
Communication between them had also beco effortless—they no longer needed words, as they could now exchange ssages directly through this unique bond.
“How do you feel?” Qi Ping asked.
“Buzz… (Boss, our bodies feel different, more refined!)” The queen bee was the first to respond.
“Buzz… (Comfortable! So comfortable!)”
“Buzz… (Our senses have sharpened!)”
…
After so back-and-forth, Qi Ping learned about the changes brought by the contract.
Under the effect of the Beast King’s Blessing skill, the Golden Marrow Bees’ overall talents had significantly improved—particularly in the flow of spiritual energy within their bodies and their ability to perceive it.
This enhancent ant that future upgrades and evolutions would co much easier for them.
In this way, Qi Ping’s promise to help the Golden Marrow Bee colony grow stronger had taken its most crucial first step—because improving innate potential was both the hardest and most fundantal aspect.
Additionally, after the contract, communication between Qi Ping and the bees had beco far smoother.
Though Qi Ping wasn’t sure whether this was due to their newfound psychic link or an increase in their intelligence.
“Excellent!”
“Right now, the Golden Marrow Bees are already a threat to mid-stage Qi Refinent cultivators. With further growth, they’ll only get stronger. If I command them effectively, they might even pose a challenge to late-stage Qi Refinent cultivators.”
“The improved communication will also make directing them in battle much easier.”
After assessing all the changes from the contract, Qi Ping was thoroughly satisfied.
His own strength hadn’t increased much, but with such extraordinary animal companions, he now had a little more confidence to navigate the world of cultivation.
“Is there any spiritual flora or dicinal herbs nearby?” Qi Ping continued questioning the bees.
Golden Marrow Bees were often found near high-grade spiritual flowers or herbs.
“Buzz… (Yes. About two li in that direction, there’s a patch of Blood Ginseng. We’ve been periodically collecting so of its sap without harming the plants…)”
“Buzz… (We’ve hidden it with dung and leaves to keep other animals from finding it…)”
Just as he thought!
Qi Ping’s heart leaped with joy.
All that ti spent reading with Old Man Zhou had paid off—otherwise, he might have taken much longer to uncover this secret.
Blood Ginseng was a valuable mid-grade spiritual herb, highly beneficial for body refinent and cultivation. Its market price was steep.
With enough Blood Ginseng, even soone with Qi Ping’s diocre talent could break through to mid-stage Qi Refinent within a few years!
No wonder he was thrilled by this discovery.
What made it even better was that Qi Ping had the Plant Growth skill, which could accelerate the ginseng’s developnt and reproduction!
This ant he could amass a substantial supply in a short ti.
On top of that, the Golden Marrow Bees’ Brewing Artisan talent ensured that honey made from Blood Ginseng would retain—or even enhance—its special effects.
“From now on, I’ll use Plant Growth to cultivate the ginseng, while the bees handle the honey production. That way, both of us will have plenty of high-grade honey to boost our physiques and cultivation. Plus, it’ll help gain Druid experience and level up Plant Growth.”
So, by quietly tending to his bees and farming as usual, Qi Ping could steadily increase his strength—and extend his lifespan in the process.
“Take to the Blood Ginseng,” he said.
“Buzz… (Got it!)”
“Buzz… (Follow , Boss!)”
Guided by the Golden Marrow Bees, Qi Ping soon arrived at the location.
The Blood Ginseng was hidden within a patch of weeds, its leaves blending seamlessly into the undergrowth.
Had he not inspected carefully, Qi Ping could have passed by ten tis without noticing it.
Beneath the dried leaves, various animal droppings had been strategically placed, emitting a faint but distinct odor—just strong enough to mask the ginseng’s scent without being too conspicuous.
“These bees are pretty clever… They know how to sustainably harvest the sap while also protecting the plants.”
Carefully parting the grass, Qi Ping counted sixteen Blood Ginseng plants.
Three were still saplings, while the other thirteen were roughly the size of a thumb, their ages likely ranging from a decade to forty years.
The sight of so many Blood Ginseng plants filled Qi Ping with excitent.
His entire net worth—even if he sold all his Black Dwarf Bees—might barely cover the cost of one or two of these.
This was nothing short of a windfall.
Yet, alongside his joy, a deep curiosity arose.
The spiritual energy in this mountain forest was thin, and the earth’s veins held little vitality. How could so many Blood Ginseng thrive here?
High-grade spiritual plants typically demanded rich spiritual land—poor conditions would stunt their growth or outright kill them.
Yet these Blood Ginseng were flourishing, completely defying the area’s natural limitations.
“Strange… The ambient spiritual energy here is no different from anywhere else.”
“That ans the reason must lie underground.”
Placing his palm against the soil, Qi Ping focused his spiritual sense—amplified by his Forest Druid abilities—and finally detected sothing unusual.
Beneath the Blood Ginseng, an extraordinary concentration of spiritual energy existed. However, the plants were actively drawing it up from deep below, which was why the surrounding vegetation showed no signs of enrichnt.
“Could there be so hidden secret beneath this land?”
Qi Ping fell into deep thought.
After a long silence, he shook his head, suppressing his urge to investigate further.
There was likely sothing buried down there—perhaps an opportunity, but also a potential danger.
After careful consideration, Qi Ping decided he was still too weak to risk ddling with unknown threats.
The Blood Ginseng alone required caution; if whatever lay beneath attracted forces beyond his ability to handle, the consequences could be disastrous.
“For now, I’ll focus on cultivating a large batch of Blood Ginseng. Once both the bees and I have grown stronger, I can return to explore what’s below.”
Patience and steady progress were Qi Ping’s way.
After all, the Blood Ginseng had been here for decades, and the underground energy was still being absorbed. There was no rush.
Taking a deep breath, he cald his restless heart.
“Haaah…”
“Let’s test Plant Growth first!”
Centering himself, Qi Ping followed the knowledge of Plant Growth in his mind, channeling that mysterious energy into his hands.
After about ten breaths, a faint erald glow began to coalesce in his palms…
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