Jade Bee

Long Chen followed the two of them quietly for over a hundred miles until a group of people appeared ahead. Leading them was a man in golden armor wearing a scholar's cap; it was Qi Xin.

Seventy or eighty people had already gathered around Qi Xin. Everyone was clad in armor and helmets, with cloth covering any gaps, leaving only their eyes exposed.

This piqued Long Chen's curiosity. What were they planning to do in such outfits? Just as he was wondering how to blend in without drawing attention, someone suddenly slapped his shoulder.

"What are you standing there for? Get in line!" a man in a helmet shouted in a gruff voice.

"Oh, right."

Long Chen quickly complied and followed behind the man. There were about a dozen others with him, likely part of the same squad. Blending into the crowd, Long Chen became much less conspicuous.

"Big Brother Qi, almost everyone is here. We don't need to wait any longer, do we?" The man led the group to Qi Xin and spoke respectfully.

Qi Xin surveyed the surroundings and nodded. "No need to wait. This many people should be enough."

After speaking, Qi Xin asked the man, "Well? Any news on Long Chen?"

The man shook his head. "Our brothers haven't found a trace of him. I don't know if the kid is hiding to heal his wounds. After all, Lei Qianshang's Lightning Seed isn't something an ordinary person can withstand."

Qi Xin frowned slightly and said coldly, "I heard this bastard is highly regarded by Tang Wan'er. Hmph, he'd better hope I don't run into him.

Otherwise, I'll make him taste our Qi Family's Myriad Poison Gu and show him what it truly means to wish for death."

Long Chen sneered inwardly. 'I'm right in front of you, so why don't you let me taste it? I haven't even settled our score yet, and here you are already plotting against me.'

Before the trial had even started, Qi Xin had ordered his subordinates to make Long Chen kowtow and admit his wrongs, wanting to humiliate him.

As a result, under Xiao Xue's attack, Qi Xin was left in a dilemma and lost face completely, causing him to hate Long Chen to the bone.

Since entering the trial map, Qi Xin had been searching for news of Long Chen, but the map was simply too large; it was no different from searching for a needle in a haystack.

"Alright, listen up everyone. Our target this time is a beehive, and we're after the honey inside," Qi Xin said to the crowd.

Everyone's expressions became a bit strange upon hearing this. Stealing some honey—was it really worth making such a big fuss?

"Listen carefully. We aren't dealing with ordinary bees, but Demonic Beasts—Butterfly Jade Bees." Qi Xin had anticipated their reactions and gave a cold snort.

At the mention of the Butterfly Jade Bees, many people's faces changed. Many had heard of this name because it was terrifying.

Butterfly Jade Bees were very beautiful, possessing butterfly wings and bodies as translucent as jade, which was why they were called Butterfly Jade Bees.

They weren't large, only about the size of a palm, and were classified as Rank 1 Demonic Beasts. However, they weren't considered true Demonic Beasts because they lacked both crystal cores and internal dantians; logically, they should only be considered insects.

However, their terrifying toxicity forced people to include them in the ranks of Demonic Beasts. Their sting wasn't fatal, but it specifically targeted the pain nerves. A single sting would make a person wish they were dead.

Furthermore, Butterfly Jade Bees were social creatures, living in hives of thousands or tens of thousands. If someone were stung by dozens of them, the pain would absolutely drive them insane.

Although they were all wearing armor, armor had gaps. Parts like the shoulders, elbows, and knees were semi-exposed to allow for flexible movement, and thus could not defend against the Butterfly Jade Bees.

For a moment, everyone was trembling with fear. Though their faces were covered, the terror in their eyes was fully exposed.

"There's no need to be afraid. We have the numbers. We can charge into the hive with lightning speed, take the honey, and leave.

As long as we're fast enough, there won't be any problems. This is our first group activity, and I hope everyone shows their enthusiasm," Qi Xin said, glancing indifferently at the crowd.

His meaning was clear: though you've all joined my faction, if you try to slack off or play games during the mission, don't blame me for kicking you out.

Everyone felt a chill. Most people here had joined Qi Xin's faction through Family connections; if they were kicked out, their days at the Monastery would likely be very difficult.

"Alright, everyone follow me."

Qi Xin also put on a helmet and signaled the group. As he led them forward, Long Chen followed along with the flow of people, feeling wild joy in his heart.

He knew about the Butterfly Jade Bees. What he valued most was the Butterfly Jade Bee King Honey, though he didn't know if this hive had given birth to a Bee King.

The Bee King Long Chen spoke of wasn't an ordinary queen bee, but a Bee King that had lived long enough to evolve into a Demonic Beast.

Ordinary Butterfly Jade Bees cannot advance; they remain insects from birth to death. The Bee King is different. It is massive, and generally, a Butterfly Jade Bee King over a hundred years old can advance to a Rank 1 Demonic Beast.

At around three hundred years, it can advance to a Rank 2 Demonic Beast, and only a Rank 2 Bee King can brew Bee King Honey.

Ordinary Butterfly Jade Honey has the effects of calming the mind, relieving pain, and detoxifying; its effects are extremely potent, comparable to an average Medicinal Pill.

But Butterfly Jade Bee King Honey is a rare treasure. Such honey has an immense soul-soothing effect. Taking a sip before cultivation allows one to quickly clear stray thoughts and enter a meditative state more easily.

Originally, Long Chen had that mysterious jade pendant and didn't need such a thing, but just because he didn't need it didn't mean others didn't.

To others, it was a priceless treasure that couldn't be bought for ten thousand gold. Even if Long Chen couldn't use it, he could sell it in exchange for things he needed. It was absolutely the hardest currency, never devaluing.

After traveling dozens of miles, Long Chen heard a buzzing sound and saw palm-sized bees, looking as if they were carved from jade, flying through the air.

Though they had butterfly-like wings, their movements were incredibly swift, coming and going like the wind.

"Pay attention, do not kill these Butterfly Jade Bees, or it will attract even more of them," Qi Xin warned as he moved forward cautiously.

Long Chen smiled slightly. 'Not bad, at least you know some of their habits. It seems you'll be of some help.'

After proceeding a bit further, everyone slowed down because a massive beehive appeared ahead.

Unlike ordinary beehives, it wasn't hanging from a tree but was built on a giant rock like a house.

The hive was shaped like a giant duck egg lying on the ground, over a dozen feet long. Its exterior looked as if it were cast from jade, shimmering under the sunlight.

Countless Butterfly Jade Bees were busily entering and exiting. Seeing such a massive hive, everyone's hearts leaped into their throats.

Long Chen carefully observed the hive and saw three different colored stripes at the entrance. A smile played on his lips: 'Hehe, this is going to be fun.'

"A few of you go ahead first to scout the situation," Qi Xin said, glancing at the hive.

As soon as Qi Xin finished speaking, three people stepped forward without hesitation and crept toward the hive over a hundred feet away.

Qi Xin nodded, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. The others looked at each other and sighed; it seemed those three had left a good impression on Qi Xin.

A mocking look appeared on Long Chen's face as he cursed inwardly: 'What a bunch of idiots. You're all masking your faces, so who's going to recognize you? If you want to show loyalty, you need to introduce yourselves, don't you?'

The three were quite smart, crawling forward slowly to avoid alerting the busy Butterfly Jade Bees.

As the three drew closer to the hive bit by bit, everyone's hearts were in their throats, and even Qi Xin looked tense.

He didn't expect them to steal the honey; he just needed them to confirm the situation inside the hive so he could formulate a plan.

Initially, there was nothing unusual about their progress, and the busy Butterfly Jade Bees ignored them.

However, when they were fifty feet from the hive, the busy bees suddenly stopped their movements. The whole world went silent in an instant.

"Not good, fall back quickly!" Qi Xin's face changed slightly as he barked in a low voice.

But just as he finished speaking, hundreds of Butterfly Jade Bees suddenly swarmed toward the three. The trio was terrified; abandoning all stealth, they scrambled to retreat.

However, one of them was a step too slow and was caught by a Butterfly Jade Bee, which stung him on the shoulder.

"Aaaah!"

The man let out a shrill, miserable scream. Though his face was covered, one could still tell his features must be contorted with pain.

The venom of the Butterfly Jade Bee was exceptionally domineering, specifically attacking the pain nerves. This had nothing to do with cultivation; in fact, the higher the cultivation, the more sensitive the nerves, and the greater the pain.

Having been stung, the man almost reflexively swung his hand to slap his shoulder.

"Don't!" Qi Xin roared in fury.

But his roar came too late. By the time he finished, the man had already crushed the Butterfly Jade Bee into powder with a single slap.

Buzz!

The moment he killed the bee, the entire hive shook. To Qi Xin's horror, countless Butterfly Jade Bees poured out of the hive like a flood, seemingly endless.

"Run!"

Without a second thought, Qi Xin moved, flying outward like an arrow from a bow. The others also realized they had poked a hornet's nest and fled frantically.

Though they ran fast, the Butterfly Jade Bees were not slow either. Instantly, four or five more people were stung, letting out blood-curdling screams.

In the crowd, Long Chen watched these fellows wailing and howling from the stings and found it quite amusing. To provoke Butterfly Jade Bees without any preparation—wasn't that just seeking death?

It was rare for Qi Xin to usually dress like a scholar and act all knowledgeable, when in reality he was just a useless fool. At this rate, he'd never get the honey in his lifetime.

The group ran for nearly a hundred miles before the angry bees finally let them go. Once the bees left, over a dozen people collapsed to the ground, still screaming like stuck pigs.

Thump, thump, thump…

With a flick of his hand, Qi Xin sent out a dozen water orbs that slammed heavily into their heads, instantly knocking them unconscious. The pig-like wailing stopped abruptly, and the whole world went quiet.

Qi Xin's face was ashen. He hadn't expected to end up in such a pathetic state before even figuring out the situation of the hive, and he was filled with rage.

The entire group remained silent, the screams of their companions still ringing in their ears.

Most present were people of some standing; if not for the unbearable agony, no one would want to make such undignified noises. It was clear how terrifying those Butterfly Jade Bees were.

Just as everyone was silent, Long Chen spoke up in a gruff voice, "Perhaps I have a way to get the Butterfly Jade Honey."