At this moment, Qi Ping could clearly feel that the emerald energy in his palm contained a startlingly powerful force of vitality.
When he gradually injected this life-rich energy into a single stalk of Blood Ginseng, the plant—which had been slightly shriveled—immediately filled out. The minor damage caused by the bees' previous sap harvesting healed and vanished in an instant. Furthermore, the ginseng grew a fraction larger before his very eyes. While the overall increase wasn't massive, it was still quite extraordinary.
"Buzz... (Wow, Boss, what did you do?)"
"Buzz... (Too amazing!)"
"Buzz... (Boss, how did you do that?!)"
Witnessing this miraculous sight, all the Golden Marrow Bees hummed in amazement. They had only just finished harvesting sap, yet under Qi Ping's power, the plant had not only recovered but had become even more plump. This power was too wondrous; it completely transcended their understanding.
Qi Ping patiently explained that it was a special talent of his. Among his own animal companions, there was naturally no need for secrets.
'The overall effect is decent. And this is only a Level 1 [Plant Growth]. When the level is higher later, the effect will be even better,' Qi Ping calculated silently.
'It consumes some spiritual energy and mental strength, but it's within the range of acceptance. My mental strength should be enough to cast it ten times or so a day. It's just that my spiritual energy seems a bit lacking...'
'If I'm in the forest, the recovery bonus should make it less of an issue. Regardless, a Layer 1 cultivation is indeed a bit weak. I need to refine some Golden Marrow Honey as soon as possible to raise my cultivation.'
Since the honey used so much Blood Ginseng as raw material, its effect was bound to be incredible. Overall, Qi Ping was quite satisfied with the results of [Plant Growth]. It didn't look flashy, but the long-term gains would be staggering. He just needed to steadily grind his way up.
As a veteran 'grinder' of a player, Qi Ping did not mind this at all—in fact, he enjoyed it.
He proceeded to cast [Plant Growth] again, nurturing the other stalks. The results were identical to the first. On his fourth casting, a notification appeared in his mind:
[Druid Experience +1]
On his fifth casting, another line appeared:
[Plant Growth Skill Experience +1]
'Finally, the experience and skill proficiency are increasing!'
Seeing the numbers move, Qi Ping finally breathed a sigh of relief. In the modded game, as long as a skill was used continuously, it would grant a point of experience upon reaching a certain milestone.
The increase in Druid level experience depended on the chosen subclasses. Since Qi Ping was a Beast King and Jungle Druid, activities like nurturing animal companions and accelerating plant life would grant him experience.
'Nurturing the swarm and the ginseng can be done simultaneously. That should make the experience bar move faster...'
At this rate, Qi Ping estimated he could reach Level 2 in a month or two. By then, he would not only awaken new skills but also be able to contract a second companion and share a new talent. His strength would see another surge.
A month or two wasn't slow to Qi Ping. He had been in this world for five years, and it had taken several of those just to reach and stabilize his Layer 1 Qi Refinement realm. Compared to years, months were fast.
After the fifth cast, he performed it one more time. The spiritual energy in his body was finally nearing exhaustion, and his head began to feel a bit heavy—likely from the mental strain. He stopped the process and pulled a jade bottle from his storage bag. This bottle was normally used for Black Little Bee honey, and it was perfect for the task at hand.
"Gather some honey for me. You can handle the ginseng as you see fit—just try not to harm their roots. As long as I'm free, I'll try to come and nurture them every day."
"Buzz... (Alright, Boss!)"
"Buzz... (As you command, Boss!)"
A short while later, at the entrance of the subterranean nest.
With the bees working busily, the jade bottle in Qi Ping's hand was soon filled with golden honey. The honey was amber and translucent, far purer than that of the Black Little Bees, looking almost like divine nectar. When Qi Ping caught a whiff of the drifting fragrance, his body and spiritual energy actually hummed in slight resonance.
'If the mere fragrance is like this, one can only imagine how powerful the honey itself is.'
Blood Ginseng combined with [Brewing Artisan] and other precious flora resulted in a product that was, to Qi Ping, no less than a miraculous elixir. He was eager to try its effects.
After carefully tucking the honey into his storage bag, he allowed dozens of Golden Marrow Bees to crawl into his sleeves. If he encountered danger, they would serve as a hidden defense. Now that he had powerful companions, he naturally had to keep some on his person; he couldn't guarantee he would never run into trouble.
Qi Ping had survived in this dangerous world until now precisely because he followed the 'Crouching Tiger' philosophy—rarely going out and avoiding conflict. If not for that, he might have perished long ago.
Just as he was about to leave the forest, he bumped right into Old Man Zhou, who was charging toward the woods with a mundane blade in hand. The old man's hair was a mess, and his wrinkled face was full of anxiety and worry.
Old Man Zhou had already given his storage bag and his low-grade magical saber to Qi Ping; this mundane blade was currently the best weapon he had.
"Old Man Zhou, what happened?"
Seeing the old man's state, Qi Ping couldn't help but feel tense. He had never seen Old Man Zhou like this; normally, the man wouldn't bat an eye even if the sky collapsed.
Old Man Zhou didn't answer immediately. He grabbed Qi Ping and turned him around to make sure he wasn't injured. Only then did he let out a massive sigh of relief and shouted:
"Follow me!"
Seemingly frustrated by Qi Ping's speed, he used his spiritual energy to pull the youth along, sprinting down the mountain as fast as his legs would carry them. Only after they were down did he stop to catch his breath.
"What's the big emergency?" Qi Ping pressed.
Old Man Zhou panted for a few moments before speaking, showing just how hard he had run.
"The forest is dangerous!"
"According to the records, the reason the Black Little Bees were agitated is likely because Black-Armored Killer Bees or Subterranean Golden Marrow Bees have appeared nearby!"
"Both of those swarms have the power to kill a mid-layer Qi Refinement cultivator. You ask me why I'm worried?!"