Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 46 | The Black Bee Swarm | Novela.app

They had entered the secret realm at noon. After trekking for most of the day and dealing with the Green Venom Spider, the sky began to darken. "We must find a place to rest," Yun Mingxuan said. "At night, the Misty Forest is completely shrouded. You won't be able to see a thing, and it becomes extremely dangerous." No one objected. Led by Yun Mingxuan, they found a cave at the edge of the forest to shelter in for the night. Their harvest for the day had been excellent; not everyone was lucky enough to gather spirit herbs on their first day, let alone take down a second-rank Green Venom Spider. The spider’s remains were given to Ji Rufeng, as the Bai family favored such beast materials. The night passed without incident. The next day, as the group traversed a new section of the woods, Yun Mingxuan spoke with caution. "We have entered the territory of the Black Bees. Everyone, stay alert!" The group immediately went on high alert. Li Lin summoned his Purple Smoke Cauldron, Ji Rufeng deployed his Ice Sword Array, and Yu Ming raised her flying sword. Li Xue activated the Five Elements Shuttle, while Yiyi released her Purple Silk. This time, no one tried to stop the two women; Black Bees were notorious for their overwhelming numbers and cunning, making them difficult to defend against. Li Xue and Yiyi had never seen Black Bees before, but seeing the solemn expressions on their companions' faces, they couldn't help but feel a surge of tension. Noticing their state, Li Lin comforted them, "Don't be nervous. Black Bees are just a bit of a nuisance. Just focus on protecting yourselves." They relaxed slightly but remained vigilant. Suddenly, a low humming sound drifted toward them from the distance, growing louder by the second. "Watch out! Let's kill a few to warm up!" Yun Mingxuan shouted as he charged forward. "Right! Uncle Ji, use your sword array to protect them!" Li Lin followed suit. Soon, the sky was blotted out by a dense, black cloud of bees. The four experienced cultivators kept the two women in the center of their formation, as spells and sword light danced across the air. "We want to fight too!" Li Xue finally couldn't hold back any longer, and Yiyi was equally eager. "Stay in the center," Ji Rufeng said, his sword array whirling as he joined the fray. "Any that slip through the gaps are yours!" "Alright, watch me!" Li Xue aimed at a stray Black Bee. With a point of her finger, five rays of light from the shuttle swept forward. The mid-stage first-rank Black Bee was instantly slowed by the light. It spat out black venom, but the shuttle’s radiance blocked it effortlessly. With another gesture, the five rays struck the bee’s stinger, finishing it off. The Black Bees only had two tricks: their venom and their stingers. Since the group had already taken detoxification pills, they weren't particularly afraid of the venom. Yiyi was also having the time of her life; it felt remarkably like slaying monsters in an online game, taking only a few hits to down a target. Though the Black Bees were easy enough to kill individually, their numbers were simply too vast. Before long, everyone had consumed half of their spiritual energy. They eventually pulled back together, deciding to stop wasting energy on the minions. The Bee Queen had yet to appear. "Xiao Lin, I'll leave it to you," Yun Mingxuan said. Li Xue knew that Li Lin was not only skilled in alchemy but also in the concoction of poisons. "No problem," Li Lin agreed readily, a faint smile touching his cold, handsome face. Li Lin calmly raised his cauldron and began performing hand seals. As he cast the technique, he explained to Yiyi, who was watching from the side, "This cauldron contains a poison specifically designed to counter Black Bees. Once it's incinerated, the bees will be finished." Yiyi watched with great interest, fascinated by the process. The others stood guard, not relaxing for a moment. Their countless experiences had taught them that danger often strikes the moment one lets their guard down. Soon, a plume of black smoke rose from the cauldron, quickly permeating the entire forest. Having taken the antidote beforehand, the group remained unaffected. However, Li Lin’s face turned pale, a clear sign of overextending his spiritual energy. Li Xue was startled and rushed to support him. "Xiao Lin, what's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked with concern. "I'm fine," Li Lin said weakly. "I just need to meditate for a moment." Yiyi quickly pulled a bottle from her storage bag and poured out a pill. It was a Spirit-Replenishing Pill, which she hurriedly handed to him. Li Lin took the pill, his expression turning complex. "A high-grade Spirit-Replenishing Pill... even out of ten batches, one might only produce two or three of these." "Isn't a Spirit-Replenishing Pill just for restoring spiritual energy?" Yiyi asked, somewhat puzzled. "This is a high-grade version," Li Lin explained with a complicated look. "They are extremely rare. You can't even buy them with money." "Oh, then it's very useful. You should take it quickly!" Yiyi said with a small smile. She had plenty; Sect Leader Jingyuan had given her nothing but the finest medicines. "Yiyi, thank you." Li Lin had his own pills, of course, but the materials required for a high-grade Spirit-Replenishing Pill were even more expensive than those for Crimson Spirit Pills. Li Lin swallowed the pill and began to meditate. It would be a waste not to use such a high-quality pill, and Li Xue stood by his side to protect him. Yiyi’s generosity left the group deeply moved. While it might not have seemed like much to her, high-grade pills were incredibly precious in the cultivation world. Even the high-grade Qi-Gathering Pills that Li Lin refined were few and far between, mostly due to a lack of materials. The group's opinion of Yiyi rose significantly in that moment.