Fortunately, the bees had followed Qi Ping’s instructions and hidden far away, so they were not discovered by those cultivators. After the cultivators searched fruitlessly and waited for many days, the bees returned the message through an extremely complex route, passing through many deep underground tunnels and relaying the information via different bees.
The reason for such caution was, of course, Qi Ping’s order.
This was to prevent the bees from being monitored or marked with special tracking seals.
Deep, long, narrow tunnels were effective in evading tracking and spiritual sense detection. Relaying messages through multiple groups of bees ensured that the initial bees carrying the message could not be unknowingly marked or tracked by substances or seals.
After completing their mission, these bees took their honey provisions and left Qing Shi County for good.
It was precisely due to this caution that Qi Ping avoided two potential crises.
The first was the risk of the spoils of war being planted with tracking devices. If Qi Ping had directly brought those items back to his territory, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
The second was avoiding the risk of the bees being tracked.
Because when that group of cultivators found the storage bag Qi Ping had hidden but didn’t find any enemies, they immediately released many tracking substances into the surrounding area.
Being cultivators from a major sect, their experience was naturally extensive. Since demonic insects often appeared on the battlefield in Qing Shi County, they naturally took precautions against others using insect-control methods to spy on them.
Qi Ping’s orders for the bees to travel through tunnels and repeatedly change messenger bees directly prevented these cultivators from tracking him down.
“Damn it! The enemy is too cautious. The tracking failed!”
“However, it’s not a complete loss. At least we can now confirm there’s someone deeply hidden in Qing Shi County. From now on, search and observe carefully. Everyone, regularly apply tracking seals to yourselves and your belongings.”
“I refuse to believe they won’t slip up! Even one exposure will be their end!”
“Furthermore, the item the sect is looking for might even be on this person! So keep your eyes wide open and search thoroughly!”
…
Unfortunately for them, they were destined never to see Qi Ping appear or walk into their trap. Qi Ping planned not to leave the Cloud Mist Mountain Range at all before breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage. He even intended to halt the sale of honey for now.
Moreover, Meng Yan had already left Qing Shi County, and Sister Nan had been relocated to a hidden spot deep within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. Qi Ping had no reason to venture out or take action.
“So there really were traps hidden among the spoils?”
Upon hearing this news, Qi Ping frowned.
Meng Yan had inspected those items several times before. Although Meng Yan wasn’t by his side during his recovery period, nothing had happened for so long. Yet now, trouble arose.
“It seems I need to be even more cautious with spoils obtained from killing in the future…”
Thinking about the risks involved, Qi Ping still felt a sense of dread. Thankfully, he had been cautious enough.
Then, Qi Ping relayed this news and the details about the spoils to Meng Yan via a messaging talisman.
Meng Yan replied that he had already left Qing Shi County and hadn’t been targeted. Regarding the question of how the enemy tracked them, he would research it and inform Qi Ping about various common methods.
“As for the loss of roughly seven thousand spirit stones caused by the traps in those spoils this time… although it’s significant, it’s still within an acceptable range. Safety is the most important thing!”
Qi Ping never had high expectations for earning spirit stones by looting corpses. This method was fraught with risks everywhere. If not forced by circumstances, Qi Ping would never actively attempt it.
Compared to killing, Qi Ping much preferred acquiring spirit stones through farming methods. This was the most suitable way for a Druid.
“Speaking of which, I’ve already mastered the Spirit Gathering Technique to a high level and can contract my first spirit tree…” After analyzing the incident with the booby-trapped spoils and confirming no oversights, Qi Ping turned his attention away.
From now on, even if Qing Shi County were turned upside down, it had nothing to do with him. As long as it didn’t affect him, he would focus on using his current resources to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage.
As for the remaining few sets of spoils, for safety’s sake, Qi Ping decided to wait until he advanced to Foundation Establishment and needed spirit stones before using them. Even then, he wouldn’t bring them back to his territory.
“That’s right. From now on, except for spirit herbs, all other spoils will be left by the bees in places far from here. That way, even if they are baits, they won’t bring disaster to me.”
Within Qi Ping’s territory in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.
Spirit Gathering Technique!
As Qi Ping cast this spell, spiritual energy from all directions—above, below, and all around—continuously surged forth, converging into the palm of his hand.
“Not bad!”
After casting it several times and confirming no issues, Qi Ping walked over to a small sapling.
It was a tree that appeared crystal clear like white jade, its entire body a translucent, milky white color.
If Qi Ping hadn’t watched it grow, he wouldn’t have recognized it as a tree.
And this white-jade-like tree was precisely the Star Spirit Wood that made Qi Ping decide to choose the Treant Shepherd profession!
Ranked at low-grade second-tier, it possessed the ability to gather spiritual energy. Not only could it form liquid spiritual essence at its roots, but it could also nourish the surrounding land, transforming it into spiritually rich soil.
“Time to begin the contract! The effectiveness of the Treant Shepherd’s Tree Spirit Contract ability in the cultivation world depends on the Star Spirit Wood’s performance today!”
[Tree Spirit Contract: As a Treant Shepherd, you can form contracts with trees and imprint a Tree Spirit Mark on the contracted trees. (The number of trees you can contract is related to your spiritual power. The stronger your spiritual power, the more trees you can contract.)]
[Tree Spirit Mark: You can imprint a spell mark compatible with a tree’s characteristics onto its Tree Spirit. A tree imprinted with a Tree Spirit Mark will possess the ability of that spell…]
Next, Qi Ping directly activated the Tree Spirit Contract spell. A contract mark emitting a deep green light quickly sank into the Star Spirit Wood.
Since the Star Spirit Wood had no consciousness and didn’t require talent sharing, the contracting process was much simpler.
As the deep green light on the Star Spirit Wood intensified and then gradually faded as it was absorbed, the Tree Spirit Contract was successfully completed.
After forming this contract, the Star Spirit Wood felt different to Qi Ping’s senses than before.
A special connection linked him and the Star Spirit Wood. Additionally, Qi Ping could clearly sense something akin to a soul now present within the tree.
Qi Ping tentatively touched it with his consciousness, and a peculiar intent appeared in his perception.
[Spiritual energy, spiritual energy, need lots of spiritual energy! This little bit is nowhere near enough!]
[Gathering spiritual energy is too slow! How can I gather more spiritual energy here?!]
“Indeed, the spell most compatible with the Star Spirit Wood is the Spirit Gathering Technique!”
“Since you want to gather more spiritual energy, there probably isn’t a spell more suited to you than the Spirit Gathering Technique!”
