Destroying the Insects

Lin Feng rode Bai Hao back, carrying out an assignment.

Feng Xu found several open plots and began digging pits.

This place was far from the hive, so there was no need to worry about the noise being heard.

Four days later, Feng Xu had finished digging five earthen pits.

Each had a round opening the size of a wellhead, a relatively spacious underground chamber beneath it, and another exit on the opposite side.

The five pits were spaced two li apart in pairs, preventing the bee swarms from supporting one another.

Lin Feng brought quite a few people over. They carried firewood on their backs and piled it into the pits and caves.

"Will this really work?" Feng Xi asked.

"It should. These Poison Bees aren't very intelligent. Once they spot prey, they bite down and refuse to let go."

Feng Xu replied.

He planned to demonstrate first, while the others hid nearby.

Feng Xu went to a spot two li from the swarm, lit a fire arrow, and shot it toward the hive.

The hive immediately descended into chaos. A large number of bees flew toward Feng Xu, while a small number tried to put out the fire.

Feng Xu turned and ran. Even after entering the cave, the swarm continued pursuing him relentlessly.

He leaped into the water and swam to the pool outside.

After coming out, he threw a torch inside to ignite the firewood on the ground, then blocked the exit with stones.

Then he waited quietly.

Thick smoke billowed from the cracks, but not a single Poison Bee appeared.

Once the smoke dispersed, Feng Xu pushed aside the stones and entered the cave to inspect it.

A huge number of Poison Bee corpses had fallen inside, while even more had been reduced to ashes by the flames.

Feng Xi and the others came over to inspect the cave. Seeing that it had worked, delight appeared on their faces.

"These Poison Bees fear fire and smoke. Once smoked out, they easily lose their sense of direction and scurry everywhere, making it even harder for them to escape."

They lured the swarm into the trap, pulled a golden cicada shedding its shell, then set the fire and sealed the exit. The Poison Bees inside would either burn to death or suffocate from the smoke.

Why not simply burn the hive directly?

Because that would drive the swarm away and fail to solve the problem at its root.

The group briefly cleaned up the cave, piled in more firewood, and repeated the same method.

The other pits worked on the same principle.

The bee swarms had no ability to distinguish traps, while the Baleful Qi possessed even less intelligence and merely instinctively drove the swarms to work.

The greater the swarm's casualties, the stronger its urge to reproduce. Accelerating reproduction required more food, so once they saw prey, they pursued it even more fiercely.

Thus, a vicious cycle formed, and what had seemed like an almost unsolvable disaster was resolved just like that.

They went back and forth with this method for six days.

During that time, they dug more than a dozen additional pits, and more than half of the entire swarm had been wiped out.

Quite a few bee queens had died as well.

The remaining work was left to the tribe members. Feng Xu was only responsible for clearing the Baleful Qi.

The Baleful Core in his body rapidly grew larger. Whenever it reached the size of a pigeon egg, he would further refine and compress it.

It had now reached the sixth level of condensation and had shrunk back down to the size of a grain of rice.

"Repeatedly condensing it like this makes its quality increase geometrically. If it reaches the ninth level of condensation, calling it a Nine-Turn Baleful Core would not be inappropriate."

Once the newly absorbed Baleful Qi came into contact with the Baleful Core, it was drawn in and refined by the core, becoming part of it.

After reaching the sixth level, the Baleful Qi within the core had become incomparably pure. He could faintly sense the Destruction Law.

"If I can cultivate the Destruction Law, I could consider keeping the Baleful Core and even try a new cultivation method."

However, the further he went, the harder it became to compress and refine it. Reaching the sixth level was already his limit.

If he could no longer compress and refine it, yet continued absorbing Baleful Qi beyond the limit, he would be unable to suppress it, allowing it to erupt within his body.

But there was no need to worry about that for now.

Once Baleful Qi entered the Baleful Core, it was condensed and refined to the same degree as the core itself.

After the Six-Turn Baleful Core was formed, it was almost impossible to notice any changes when Baleful Qi entered it.

From this, it seemed that even reaching the limit of the sixth turn would not be easy.

"We haven't even made a move yet. Why has the swarm started rioting again?"

Feng Xi raised his head and looked up at the hive above. Only about one-tenth of the swarm remained.

"Not good. They're trying to escape! Stop them quickly. If they get away, they'll have a chance to grow again in the future."

Since they knew to run, they must have realized something was wrong. The same tricks would no longer work on them in the future.

Feng Xu did not hesitate. He took out the Heaven-Hanging Ruler and flew up the cliff.

A golden net spread open, gathering the remaining swarm within it.

The Heavenly Net and Earthly Web had difficulty restraining small creatures, and Feng Xu had limited time.

He opened his mouth and used the Devouring technique, sucking all the Baleful Qi from the remaining swarm into himself.

Perhaps because of the agony of having their Baleful Qi stripped away, the swarm gave up searching for an exit and struggled within the net.

The colors on their bodies gradually faded, and all the black qi dispersed. They returned to the appearance of Flower Jade Bees.

Many Flower Jade Bees quickly died after the Baleful Qi left their bodies. Only a small number survived, all in a weakened state.

Feng Xu took out a snakeskin sack and stored this portion of the swarm together with the hive, then wrapped and suppressed them with the Heavenly Net and Earthly Web.

With the snakeskin sack separating them, the power of the Heavenly Net and Earthly Web would be greatly weakened.

This combination was only effective against those below the early Innate Realm. Anyone at the middle Innate Realm or above could tear open the snakeskin sack with ease.

It was just right for dealing with the Flower Jade Bee swarm.

"Feng Xu, are you all right?"

Feng Xi stepped forward to check Feng Xu's condition.

"I'm fine. The swarm's threat has been eliminated. Next, we need to clear out the nearby creatures containing Baleful Qi."

Feng Xu waved his hand and put away all his Dharma Treasures.

"This won't be a small undertaking. We'll probably need the nearby tribes to join forces in a joint purge."

Lin Feng stepped forward and chimed in. That way, he could also return to the Lin Tribe and attend far fewer lessons.

"A joint purge is fine, but it should only target creatures contaminated by Baleful Qi. This crisis has harmed the mountain's living creatures too greatly, so there should be no hunting for the time being."

Feng Xi nodded.

Everyone set the hive alight and went their separate ways.

Feng Xi would go to Lu Kun first, then to the Red Iron Tribe. Lin Feng would go to the Lin Tribe, while Feng Xu returned to Vermilion Ridge to report.

As for the Marsh Tribe, once Feng Xu returned to Vermilion Ridge, he would have someone travel there by boat along the plains' waterways, saving a great many detours.

Vermilion Ridge, fourth floor of the fortress tower.

Feng Xu reported the situation and explained the plan for a joint purge.

"Feng Chi, immediately send someone to the Marsh Tribe."

"Yes."

Feng Chi answered and went out to call for someone.

"What do you plan to do with the remaining Flower Jade Bees? Burn them or release them?"

Feng Sui asked.

"The Baleful Qi has already been removed from these Flower Jade Bees. We can raise them, and they can produce honey in the future. I'll arrange for people to make beehives shortly."

"What is honey?"

"A sweet, fragrant liquid. It can be eaten and has many uses."

Feng Sui nodded. Anything Feng Xu said could be eaten was usually good.

"Will this technique of yours for absorbing Baleful Qi harm you?"

Feng Sui was still somewhat worried. Anyone contaminated by that dangerous aura had always come to a bad end. Feng Xu was actively drawing it into his body, so it was hard not to worry.

"Don't worry. I know my limits."

Feng Xu gave him a reassuring look and turned to leave.

"Something's wrong!"

A burst of hurried footsteps sounded. Feng Chi had returned.

"What is it this time?"

Feng Xu frowned. Why did the trouble never end?

"Many wild beasts contaminated by Baleful Qi have gone berserk in the mountains. They're almost at Vermilion Ridge."

Feng Xu took out the Heaven-Hanging Ruler and flew into the sky with the two of them.

In the distance, large numbers of ferocious beasts were converging on Vermilion Ridge as if by prior arrangement.

Many of them were covered in wounds, and some even had broken limbs, yet they still dragged themselves this way.

They looked exactly like a horde of senseless zombies.