Purple-Striped Fire Centipede

"Put away the Snow Cloud Fox first! Don't let it escape. This thing is very cunning—I heard that someone once caught a Snow Cloud Fox, only for it to run away midway."

Qin Qing suggested.

Ye Yuqing took out a Silver Talisman and slapped it onto the Snow Cloud Fox's head. The Snow Cloud Fox immediately stopped moving, as if it had been immobilized.

"Fairy Ye, what kind of talisman is this? Wouldn't it be very convenient for capturing First Rank Monster Beasts?"

Shen Long asked curiously.

"This is an Immobilization Talisman. It only holds it still temporarily, making it easier to put into a Spirit Beast Bag."

Ye Yuqing explained.

She formed a hand seal, and the Cyan Net loosened around the Snow Cloud Fox.

Ye Yuqing brought out a Cyan Spirit Beast Bag, which released a burst of cyan glow that covered the Snow Cloud Fox and drew it into the Spirit Beast Bag.

After handling the insect monsters' corpses, Ye Yutang formed a hand seal. The Blue Water Screen shattered, and more than a dozen White Jade Bees flew toward the southeast direction. Shen Long and the others hurriedly followed.

In less than half an hour, they arrived at a black dense forest. The vegetation here was lush, sunlight was scarce, and the fallen leaves on the ground were over a foot thick. They could smell a rotting stench.

More than a dozen White Jade Bees flew before a towering tree and descended toward the ground. Only then did the group notice a huge pit in the earth.

White Jade Bees flew in and out from time to time. Clearly, the hive was here.

Qin Qing picked up a stone and tossed it into the pit. Only after a long while did an echo return.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, go investigate it."

Sun Yang said.

"I don't have a flying magical tool. How am I supposed to investigate? This pit extends underground; I need to fly to investigate it."

Qin Qing said with a frown.

"I'll give you a Flight Talisman and a Golden Armor Talisman. Go take a look. Even if you encounter second rank White Jade Bees, as long as you don't attack them first, they probably won't attack you."

Ye Yuqing took out a Flight Talisman and a Golden Armor Talisman and handed them to Qin Qing.

Qin Qing hesitated slightly before agreeing.

Qin Qing accepted the two Talismans and slapped the Flight Talisman onto himself.

Cyan light flashed, and a pair of cyan-glowing wings appeared on his back. With a light flap, Qin Qing flew toward the enormous pit.

Shen Long and the others waited outside, their faces full of anticipation.

Less than a quarter hour later, Qin Qing flew back out and said excitedly, "The Bee Queen is only First Rank Late Stage, so it isn't very strong. The hive is huge."

"Excellent! Let's go in and harvest the hive."

Xu Lei brought out the Azure Cloud Boat and stepped aboard. Shen Long and the others hurriedly followed.

He formed a hand seal, and the Azure Cloud Boat flew into the enormous pit. The cave descended vertically into the earth. After dropping several hundred zhang, they finally reached the ground and arrived in a stone grotto about an acre wide.

In the lower right corner of the grotto stood a huge white hive, with countless White Jade Bees visible around it.

"Be careful. Don't destroy the hive."

Xu Lei instructed. He took out a cyan Feather Fan and gave it a light wave. A large swath of sharp Cyan Wind Blades shot forth, cutting down great numbers of White Jade Bees.

Shen Long and the others brought out their Dharma Artifacts and attacked the White Jade Bees.

The White Jade Bees' offensive power was weak, and they were no match for them at all.

They killed the first rank early stage White Jade Bees and captured the first rank middle stage and First Rank Late Stage White Jade Bees, which could be sold for Spirit Stones.

Before long, the battle was over.

Xu Lei put away the hive. The Spirit Stones earned from selling it would be divided afterward.

"Fairy Ye is truly learned and knowledgeable. Otherwise, we would have had no way to find the White Jade Bees' hive."

Qin Qing said with a smile.

If the Monster Luring Incense had not drawn in the White Jade Bees, they would not have followed the vine to find the melon and discovered the hive.

"It was only good luck. I didn't know there were White Jade Bees here either. We have Fellow Daoist Xu to thank for gathering this information."

Ye Yuqing said modestly.

"It's rare for us to enter the mountains. Fairy Ye still needs a Formation, so let's keep looking around. Perhaps we can find more First Rank Monster Beasts."

Qin Qing suggested.

Their gains this time had been abundant. Not only could he repay Shen Long's Spirit Stones, but he could also make a handsome profit.

"We should stop while we're ahead! After all, we're only at the Qi Refinement Stage."

Shen Long said. Their harvest had already been considerable.

Xu Lei looked toward Ye Yutang and asked politely, "Fairy Ye, what do you think?"

"Both Fellow Daoist Qin and Fellow Daoist Shen make sense. It's rare for us to come out, so let's continue looking around. As long as we're careful, we probably won't encounter second rank Monster Beasts."

Ye Yutang said. She had joined Xu Lei's group because she was stuck at a bottleneck.

"Then we'll do as Fairy Ye says and look around a little longer."

Xu Lei said.

None of the cultivators objected. Ye Yutang had proven herself through her strength.

Xu Lei formed a hand seal, and the Azure Cloud Boat carried everyone into the air. It flew out of the cave and landed on the ground, and Shen Long and the others stepped off.

Xu Lei put away the Azure Cloud Boat and walked forward, with Shen Long and the others hurrying after him.

A day later, they appeared in a long, narrow valley. Vegetation within the valley was sparse, and the place looked somewhat desolate.

Their faces were filled with vigilance, and they did not move quickly.

Before long, they emerged from the valley, and a vast, boundless Cyan Bamboo Forest appeared before them.

A loud explosion rang out from ahead, followed by a huge burst of crimson fire light in the distance. Everyone was startled.

"Someone seems to be hunting a Monster Beast. Or perhaps a Monster Beast is foraging. Qin Qing, go investigate."

Xu Lei said.

Qin Qing acknowledged and cyan light lit up beneath his feet as he raced toward the bamboo forest.

At that moment, a bedraggled figure flew toward them head-on. It was Liu Jiao.

Liu Jiao's right arm had vanished entirely. Her aura was weak, her face pale, and her eyes filled with terror, as though she had encountered something dreadful.

"Mrs. Liu!"

Qin Qing cried out in surprise upon seeing Liu Jiao.

A piercing, ear-splitting hiss sounded, and two enormous Crimson Centipedes came chasing after her.

Purple patterns covered the centipedes' bodies, naturally formed, and each had a pair of wings on its back.

"Not good, they're Purple-Striped Fire Centipedes! They're Spirit Insects on the Heaven and Earth Exotic Insect Ranking, and their abilities are quite formidable. We're no match for them—run!"

Ye Yutang exclaimed.

These two Purple-Striped Fire Centipedes were only First Rank Late Stage. The Purple-Striped Fire Centipede ranked nine hundred and fifty-fifth on the Heaven and Earth Exotic Insect Ranking, placing relatively low, but every Spirit Insect that could make the ranking possessed extraordinary qualities.

Qin Qing reacted the fastest. Cyan light blazed beneath his feet as he raced back along the way they had come.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, save me!"

Liu Jiao pleaded.

Xu Lei acted as though he had heard nothing. Better a dead fellow Daoist than a dead poor Daoist.

He hurriedly brought out the Azure Cloud Boat and stepped aboard. Shen Long and the other seven quickly followed.

Xu Lei formed a hand seal, and the Azure Cloud Boat flashed with cyan light as it rose into the sky.

The two Purple-Striped Fire Centipedes each spewed a thick stream of Crimson Flame toward Liu Jiao.

Liu Jiao hurriedly brought out a cyan shield with dim spiritual light. It bore many tiny cracks and scorch marks, having already suffered serious damage.

The two streams of Crimson Flame struck the cyan shield, and roaring fire engulfed it.

The two Purple-Striped Fire Centipedes flew over, their scythe-like claws striking the shield. The shield shattered into pieces as though it were made of paper.

The claws of the two Purple-Striped Fire Centipedes broke through Liu Jiao's defenses, chopped her into bloody chunks, and devoured her.

Shen Long witnessed Liu Jiao's death and was secretly shocked. The exotic insects on the Heaven and Earth Exotic Insect Ranking truly were formidable.