Wait… I’m a Druid in a Cultivation World?! - Chapter 43
When Qi Ping saw the newly emerged demonic insects—the Blood-Armor Beetles—flying toward the blood ginseng grove once again, his expression instantly darkened.
This was no coincidence.
Both waves of demonic insects had been targeting the blood ginseng grove. First the Blood-Stripe Locusts, and now these Blood-Armor Beetles!
What the hell is buried beneath that blood ginseng grove?
Qi Ping had always been wary of whatever lay underground, which was why he’d never dared to dig it up. A stable, mid-tier spiritual site was far more valuable to him.
But now, within just days of the demonic insects’ emergence, two separate swarms had attacked the same location. This only reinforced his suspicion that something dangerous was buried beneath the ginseng grove.
His wariness deepened.
At the same time, another question nagged at him:
How are these demonic insects even finding this place?
Scent? Pheromones?
Memory?
That didn’t seem likely. If it were memory, there wouldn’t have been such a long gap between attacks. Besides, demonic insects had short lifespans—they wouldn’t retain memories for long.
Scent was a possibility. Maybe the grove was emitting some undetectable pheromone, drawing in any demonic insects that passed nearby.
Unfortunately, demonic insects were inherently violent. His Beast King Druid abilities had no effect on them—otherwise, he might have been able to extract some answers.
Maybe I can still pick up something useful with [Animal Speech] during the fight.
The Blood-Armor Beetles weren’t flying particularly fast, as if they were constantly adjusting their course. Strangely, they seemed entirely focused on their destination—even the Black Dwarf Bees nearby were ignored. Normally, those bees would’ve been devoured as snacks.
To Qi Ping’s disappointment, though the beetles made noises, he couldn’t understand a thing.
Are demonic insects outside the scope of Beast King Druid abilities? [Befriend Beasts] doesn’t work, and now even [Animal Speech] fails…
This was a first. Up until now, he’d been able to understand every creature—from livestock and spirit beasts down to mosquitoes and ants. But demonic insects were an exception.
In games, druid abilities usually apply to natural wildlife. Demonic insects aren’t part of the natural ecosystem—they’re more like monsters, abominations driven by bloodlust and slaughter.
Once he thought of it that way, it made sense.
If there’s no way to communicate, then it’s time to fight.
There was no other choice. No matter what, Qi Ping wouldn’t let these demonic insects take over his blood ginseng grove.
And while the Blood-Armor Beetles were formidable, he wasn’t unprepared.
There are fifty-six of them this time—more than the last swarm of Blood-Stripe Locusts.
He turned to his bees.
“Listen up. Stick to the formation we practiced—ten bees per squad, each squad targeting one beetle.”
“The Blood-Armor Beetles are nearly fully armored. Your stingers won’t pierce their shells, so aim for their eyes and abdomens. Once you inject your venom, it’s over. Watch each other’s backs and assist any squad in trouble.”
Buzz! (Yes, Boss!)
Buzz! (We’ve drilled this formation a hundred times—no mistakes!)
With that, the Gold Marrow Bees surged forward.
Qi Ping watched intently, both nervous and eager. He wanted to see how effective their military formation would be in actual combat.
This was a strategy he’d devised days ago, inspired by human warfare. In history, a disciplined army could outperform a disorganized force ten times its size.
Similarly, unless an opponent was overwhelmingly stronger, ten trained fighters working in unison could take down a single target with minimal losses.
The Gold Marrow Bees were perfect for this—highly obedient, fearless, and utterly trusting of one another. With proper training, their coordination could surpass even that of human soldiers.
So Qi Ping had designed a simple battle formation for them:
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Simultaneous assault—forcing the enemy to split its attention.
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Six-direction encirclement—attacking from above, below, front, back, left, and right.
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Roles—some distracted, some ambushed, some rescued teammates.
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Sacrificial tactics—if necessary, one bee could draw fire to create an opening for the others.
The Blood-Armor Beetles, though also mid-tier demonic insects, were far stronger than the Blood-Stripe Locusts—and leagues above the Gold Marrow Bees.
[Blood-Armor Beetle: Mid-tier demonic insect. Entire body covered in hardened crimson armor. Possesses a pair of razor-sharp forelimbs capable of devastating strikes. Tremendous strength.]
In a chaotic brawl, Qi Ping estimated the fifty-six beetles could inflict a casualty ratio of 1:5 or worse. Their armor was too tough for the bees’ stingers and mandibles to penetrate, while the beetles’ forelimbs could cleave through a Gold Marrow Bee’s defenses in seconds.
This was why demonic insects were so feared—why even seasoned cultivators dreaded them.
But this wasn’t a brawl.
The moment the two forces clashed, the bees moved with terrifying precision.
Each squad sent one bee forward to grapple with a beetle’s head, buying precious seconds.
In that brief window, two more bees latched onto the beetle’s wings, while four others seized its six legs—all in perfect sync.
Though stronger, the beetles’ advantage lay in their armor and forelimbs. Their raw strength wasn’t overwhelmingly superior.
With wings and legs immobilized, the beetles plummeted from the sky.
All fifty-six dropped within moments.
Then came the killing blow.
Two bees drove their stingers into the beetles’ eyes.
The last one aimed for the abdomen—plunging its stinger deep and pumping in venom.