Qi Ping maintained the high-speed ring-cutting bee state, ready to escape at any moment...

However, after nearly two days of this, Qi Ping could barely hold on.

"Does this woman have a screw loose?"

"Can't find anyone, so she's just sticking around here?"

Qi Ping estimated that another wave of demonic insects would arrive in about a day.

If the insects were dealt with by the blue-dressed woman, it would be fine, but if they flew to the Blood Ginseng growth site, it could trigger mutations and also risk exposing the secrets there.

This was even more infuriating than wasting his time.

"What should I do?"

Qi Ping couldn't help but feel troubled.

From his observations over the past two days, he was already sure that this blue-dressed woman was looking for that black-robed cultivator.

Luckily, he had already moved the black-robed cultivator's corpse!

Perhaps because the black-robed cultivator's aura had perished or vanished completely here, this blue-dressed woman kept roaming at the base of Mountain Number Seven, refusing to leave.

While Qi Ping hesitated, the steward Zhu unexpectedly hurried to Mountain Number Seven. After being questioned by the blue-dressed woman, he gestured towards the mountain for quite a while before leaving.

That was it; Qi Ping really couldn't keep it together, and he knew staying hidden wasn't a solution.

"What must be faced, must be faced..."

"First, I'll hide my presence and follow the steward Zhu, maybe I can overhear something..."

"If it doesn't work, I'll just have to meet this blue-dressed woman. She doesn't seem to have any malicious intent..."

"But it's still best to prepare in advance. Ink Armor Bee plus Level Three Tree Skin Technique should be enough to resist the high-speed ring-cutting bee's attacks. As long as I'm ready to transform at any time, the blue-dressed woman shouldn't be able to harm me in the short term. The remaining five hundred or so high-speed ring-cutting bees should be ready for battle..."

The principle of Tree Skin Technique involves using energy to form a high-defense armor like tree bark on the surface of the body. Combined with the defense of the Ink Armor Bee, it can resist even the damage of high-speed ring-cutting bees.

Over the last few days, around one hundred and fifty high-speed ring-cutting bees had matured, so Qi Ping was quite confident in dealing with the blue-dressed woman.

Previously, he hadn't shown up, simply because it was better to avoid unnecessary issues.

Now that even the steward Zhu had arrived, continuing to hide might complicate future matters.

...

However, Qi Ping was somewhat disappointed that after he followed the steward Zhu while concealing his presence for a while, he discovered the latter did not have the strange habit of talking to himself.

Qi Ping did gain something from it, though, as his only expression was one of confusion, without any fear or other negative emotions. This indirectly confirmed that the problem wasn't severe; otherwise, the steward Zhu's expression wouldn't have been so relaxed.

This slightly lessened Qi Ping's concerns.

About an hour later, after making preparations and adjusting his mindset, Qi Ping returned from a place far from Mountain Number Seven.

As soon as he returned to Heaven Measuring Peak, Qi Ping pretended to hurriedly check on the little black bees.

His facial expressions transitioned from anxious to relieved to happy upon seeing the good honey production, all without a hint of flaw.

These emotions were ones Qi Ping had experienced many times before. They were genuine, not an act.

While Qi Ping was tending to the little black bees, the blue-dressed woman with a handsome but emotionless face suddenly appeared nearby with that ink-colored compass.

However, much to her disappointment, the compass showed no reaction towards Qi Ping.

When Qi Ping first turned and saw her, he was initially a bit startled, and then upon seeing the special Cyan Origin Sect emblem on her attire, he became somewhat anxious.

"My lady... I am Qi Ping, greetings to the Cyan Origin Sect member!" Qi Ping hurriedly cupped his hands in respect.

Though the woman seemed younger than Qi Ping, she was undoubtedly a future Foundation Establishment Cultivator, possibly even Golden Core, so addressing her as "my lady" was not inappropriate.

"Are you a tenant of this mountain? How many years have you been here?" The blue-dressed woman's voice was very gentle and not as high-handed or aggressive as imagined.

"Replying to my lady, I've been beekeeping here for over five years with my master. My master returned to the mortal world half a month ago due to the appearance of tribulation cultivators and demonic insects..."

Qi Ping kept his hands clasped in nervousness.

The blue-dressed woman, seeing Qi Ping like this, spoke to help him relax.

"No need to be nervous, just answer my questions truthfully!"

"Yes, my lady!"

Though he said this, Qi Ping's body remained tense, showing an attempt to relax that didn't quite work.

Seeing this, the blue-dressed woman said nothing further, instead continuing with her questions:

"Why weren't you on the mountain these past few days? Where did you go?"

"Replying to my lady, I was..."

...

The blue-dressed woman asked several more questions, which Qi Ping answered nervously.

Qi Ping had carefully thought through these questions beforehand, so there were almost no flaws.

The blue-dressed woman repeatedly activated the ink-colored compass a few times, confirming that Qi Ping was indeed not the problem. She then finally said to him:

"I'm tracking a late-stage Qi Refining tribulation cultivator here, but he vanished around this area. He commands demonic insects, which is extremely dangerous..."

"It's possible he is still here, so you should leave early, otherwise your life might be at risk... but..."

The blue-dressed woman suddenly changed her tone:

"If you help me find this person, I can give you two thousand spirit stones! Here is a sensing jade talisman. Crush it, and I will come immediately..."

"Two thousand spirit stones?" Qi Ping's eyes widened suddenly.

Wow, as expected from a Cyan Origin Sect disciple, she's indeed wealthy!

But what on earth does that tribulation cultivator have that drew the attention of the blue-dressed woman?

The spirit stones, less than a thousand, the Wood Flame Technique, and Fire Spirit Body Tempering Pill Formula were precious to Qi Ping, yet not worth mentioning to this young but highly skilled inner disciple of the Cyan Origin Sect.

The only thing Qi Ping could think of was that strange token.

In the blue-dressed woman's eyes, after hesitating for a long time, Qi Ping finally accepted the sensing jade talisman from her hand.

"My lady, I accept!"

"Good, I swear on my Cyan Origin Sect disciple status, I will not deceive you in this matter!"

After swearing an oath with one hand to the sky, the blue-dressed woman turned and left.

This final oath surprised Qi Ping.

Cultivators should never swear lightly, as even breaking a simple oath could breed a heart demon.

"It seems the black-robed person had something significant to the blue-dressed woman..."

But Qi Ping had no intention of earning those two thousand spirit stones, knowing the trouble from entanglement in this matter would be substantial. He did not want to get involved.

Over the nearly one day that followed, Qi Ping lived the life of an ordinary beekeeper. It was a lifestyle very familiar to him, having done it for over five years.

The blue-dressed woman continued observing Qi Ping from the shadows and left only after almost a full day.

"Thank goodness the blue-dressed woman left before the demonic insects appeared..."

After directing the high-speed ring-cutting bees to slay the demonic insects and quickly cleaning up the carcasses, Qi Ping finally breathed a sigh of relief. Had the blue-dressed woman stayed any longer, it could have led to exposure.

After wasting several days, Qi Ping's farming and beekeeping life finally returned to normal...

"This lifestyle is so much more comfortable!"

It's enough just to farm and keep bees calmly.

...

A little over a week later, with a surge of spiritual power, Qi Ping's cultivation broke through to the Fourth-Layer of Qi Refining.

"My cultivation finally advanced to the mid-stage of Qi Refining!"

After this breakthrough in cultivation, Qi Ping felt his overall physical condition improved, and even his lifespan increased, making him quite happy.

This step-by-step approach towards longevity feels quite nice...

"Now that my cultivation has reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and the high-speed ring-cutting bees have grown to eight hundred, it's time to head to the Cyan Stone Marketplace!"

Qi Ping had longed for a new animal companion for a while. Now with sufficient spirit stones and enough strength to protect himself, he was determined to find the right animal companion this time.

"I hope Boss Gao is helpful. After such a long investigation, he should have comprehensive information about the spirit beasts for sale at the Cyan Stone Marketplace..."

Qi Ping had some confidence in Boss Gao's intelligence capabilities; any detail, even the color of a female cultivator's underwear, he might well find out. After all, as long as the spirit stones are in place, anything is negotiable.

"I hope to find a surprising animal companion this time!"

After making all necessary preparations and filled with great anticipation, Qi Ping set out on the journey to the Cyan Stone Marketplace...

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