54: Chapter 54 Fortune Lies in Peril

It was the same every day after that.

The Demon Worms came by day, and the White Jade Bees came by night; the two had a clear division of labor and never encroached on each other's time.

This left Zhao Mo quite helpless. The fragrance of flowers filling the spirit fields was soul-stirring; one could only imagine how sweet the honey brewed by these White Jade Bees must be.

Unfortunately, Zhao Mo's hands were tied by these Demon Worms.

Seeing the flowers of the golden marrow fruit beginning to wither slowly, Zhao Mo grew anxious.

"You go."

"Follow these White Jade Bees and see where their hive is."

Zhao Mo led Ox Martial out and pointed at the White Jade Bees in the spirit field.

Ox Martial drooped his ears, trying to pretend he didn't understand.

Crack!

Zhao Mo brandished the ox-driving whip, making Ox Martial jolt.

"I know you understand human speech, so don't play dumb."

"Don't say I'm forcing you. The night before last, many Fellow Daoists asked if they could borrow my ox for breeding."

"I felt bad because your body hadn't recovered yet, but now..."

Zhao Mo looked at Ox Martial with ill intent.

Ox Martial felt a chill run through him. Remembering the days of non-stop mating, he shuddered, and his legs went weak for no apparent reason.

"Moo~"

He let out a cry and nodded, signaling his agreement.

Zhao Mo released the rope on the ox tether.

"Be careful, don't get caught by anyone."

Before Zhao Mo's words even landed, Ox Martial shook his head and wagged his tail as his body gradually shrank, unexpectedly turning into a calf barely half the height of a person.

"Holy crap, a monster!"

Ox Martial rolled his eyes at Xiao Mo and trotted off after the White Jade Bees.

"Hey, what's with that look?"

"Are you looking down on me?"

Zhao Mo said crossly; his reaction just now had been purely instinctive.

But seriously, this ox's cultivation is progressing quite fast.

[You have completed spirit field pest control, +20.]

The number of Demon Worms was dwindling, and the same went for the White Jade Bees at night. As for Ox Martial, he had been gone for three days, and Zhao Mo could still sense him moving.

"Could these White Jade Bees have also become spirits?"

Based on Ox Martial's pace, he was likely over a thousand miles away from Tianfeng Valley by now.

Bees that fly a thousand miles?

Zhao Mo's scalp tingled. Weren't they definitely spirits then?

"Water Spirit Art."

The golden marrow fruit in the spirit field was now three meters tall. After the flowers fell, fruit began to set. Visible cracks appeared at the base of the golden marrow fruit plants, compounded by the scorching weather.

As soon as the Demon Worms retreated, Zhao Mo began watering.

"Who are you?"

While Zhao Mo was performing the Water Spirit Art, a monster approached from a distance, startling him so much that his Spell was interrupted.

Looking at its build, it resembled his own ox, but its entire body was covered in red, swollen blisters, giving Zhao Mo goosebumps.

"Stung by the White Jade Bees?"

Ox Martial lowered his head. He had lost a massive amount of face on this trip, second only to the breeding incident.

He, the Holy Son of the Ox Clan, had actually been stung by a swarm of Bee Demons until he knelt and begged for mercy. The defense the Ox Clan took such pride in had been completely disgraced by him.

"Did you find the hive?"

Ox Martial nodded, his eyes gleaming. That honey was simply too sweet and fragrant; even as the Holy Son of the Ox Clan, he had never tasted anything so delicious.

There seemed to be a trace of Dao Rhyme contained within, though unfortunately, he couldn't quite discern it.

It was because of that mouthful of honey that he was chased for over three hundred miles. Kneeling and begging for mercy hadn't worked; he only escaped by hiding in a manure pit.

"Wait a moment. Let me finish watering the spirit field, then we'll go get the honey."

Ox Martial wagged his tail in agreement.

[You have completed spirit field watering, Experience +20.]

"Let's go~"

Ox Martial led the way, with Zhao Mo following behind.

Before they reached the destination, they saw the sky covered in dark clouds, with lightning crackling incessantly.

"Don't move. Someone is Undergoing Tribulation..."

Zhao Mo hastily pulled Ox Martial back.

The thunderbolts in the sky came one after another, as if they wouldn't stop until the one Undergoing Tribulation was struck dead.

"Judging by the range of the Lightning Tribulation, it should be a Golden Core Tribulation, but why are there so many lightning bolts?"

"Could it be that the one Undergoing Tribulation isn't part of the Human Race?"

"Can we go around?"

Ox Martial shook his head and looked inside.

Zhao Mo guessed, "You mean the hive is inside?"

Ox Martial nodded.

"Then it's over."

Zhao Mo said regretfully.

Under the Lightning Tribulation, how could the White Jade Bees possibly survive?

"My god, is that the Queen Bee Undergoing Tribulation?"

Amidst the thunder and lightning, Zhao Mo finally saw clearly what was Undergoing Tribulation inside.

A Human-faced Queen Bee several meters long.

This Queen Bee had Cultivated some unknown technique; her upper body was completely that of a Human Race woman, while her lower half was that of a bee.

She was currently struggling to hold on under the Lightning Tribulation. In Zhao Mo's estimation, she probably wouldn't last much longer.

As the Lightning Tribulation continued, more and more Cultivators gathered around the Queen Bee.

"So it's a demon bee Undergoing Tribulation. If she succeeds, our Xuan Sect will have another Golden Core-level Spirit Beast."

As for failure, no one discussed it. After all, if she were reduced to ashes, what would be left to say?

"What is she doing?"

"Laying eggs during a Lightning Tribulation?"

"She's really courting death."

Half of the onlookers dispersed.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Lightning Tribulation continued, and the Queen Bee's aura grew even weaker after laying the eggs.

"She's finished."

Sure enough, after two more lightning strikes, the Queen Bee collapsed.

The tribulation clouds began to slowly disperse.

"Go!"

Zhao Mo charged forward holding his Iron Shovel.

"Honey, collect!"

The enlarged version of the Iron Shovel was four or five meters long, scooping up a massive chunk of honey in one go.

Then, aiming at the spot where the Queen Bee had just laid her eggs, he dug in with the shovel again.

"As expected, there are Queen Cells."

"Retreat, fast!"

Before anyone watching, including the White Jade Bees in the hive, could even react, Zhao Mo had already made off with the honey and two Queen Cells.

At this, the swarm exploded with rage, chasing after Zhao Mo in droves.

Even the onlookers were attacked indiscriminately.

"Oh my god, what kind of monsters are these?"

"The Worker Bees actually have the strength of the Foundation Establishment Stage!"

"Everyone, run!"

Dense swarms of White Jade Bees poured out of the hive, blotting out the sun. At this moment, even a Golden Core True Person would have to avoid their brunt.

"Which bastard provoked the Bee Demons? He's really screwed us over!" an unlucky Cultivator screamed.

Meanwhile, Zhao Mo, piloting his White Jade Flying Boat at full speed, had already made his getaway.

On the ground, Ox Martial watched the flying boat recede further and further away. He opened his mouth but ultimately didn't make a sound.

He flopped down right where he was and lay in the mud. Between pain and shamelessness, Ox Martial chose shamelessness without hesitation.

Hearing the constant screams from his surroundings gave Ox Martial a strange sense of joy.

"Damn it, why am I happy?"

Ox Martial shrank further into the silt, a grin revealing his large white teeth.

Back in Tianfeng Valley, Zhao Mo looked at his haul, his grin stretching from ear to ear as well.

"Old Ox, you deserve some credit for this too."

Wait, that's not right. Where's my ox?

Only then did Zhao Mo realize that his ox wasn't on the flying boat at all.

"He should be able to escape, right?" Zhao Mo recalled the sun-blotting swarm of bees, his legs trembling.

"I hope Brother Ox can successfully survive this tribulation."

Then he looked at the honey he had risked his life for and the two Queen Cells he had dug up.

"As the saying goes, wealth is found amidst danger; the ancients truly did not deceive me," Zhao Mo said happily.

A Queen Cell is an extra-large cell built by Worker Bees.

The old Queen Bee Undergoing Tribulation lays a fertilized egg inside it.

Then, the hatched larva is continuously fed Royal Jelly by the Worker Bees within the Queen Cell until it develops into an adult Queen Bee with full reproductive capabilities.

In other words, these two Queen Cells of Zhao Mo's were two White Jade Queen Bees.

This was also why Zhao Mo took the risk; he wanted to raise White Jade Bees himself.

By the time Zhao Mo finished making the hive, Ox Martial returned leisurely, wagging his tail.

But seeing the White Jade Bees flying in the ox shed, he tucked his tail and instantly wimped out.

He looked at Zhao Mo with a strange expression.

It seemed to say, "Why on earth are you raising those?"