His Will, My Goal

Lu Zeming stood in the herb garden on the mountain behind Flower Village. The breeze stirred his moon-white robes, carrying the rich, almost cloying fragrance of medicinal herbs.

Yellow Hornet, once a Rogue Ninja of Iwagakure, stood beside him. She clutched the hem of her clothes without realizing it, seemingly nervous.

At the center of the garden, a large Spirit-Gathering Array built from 360 Spirit Stones slowly turned.

The stones' glow was gentle, brightening and dimming like a breath. They drew in the surrounding Spirit Energy, compressed it into a pale mist visible to the naked eye, and poured it steadily into the heart of the array.

Within the array stood a massive beehive, tall as a mountain peak.

It was the hive built by the Queen Bees Yellow Hornet had brought.

Even now, Yellow Hornet could hardly believe it. Raising Queen Bees to maturity normally took three years, along with Cold Marrow Flowers and Purple Crystal Honey, both nearly impossible to buy. Yet her master had done it in just over two months!

And judging by their quality, these Queen Bees surpassed every one she had ever seen in her clan!

Across the hive's surface, golden light seemed to writhe deep within its densely packed hexagonal cells.

Each Queen Bee was several times larger than a horse or ox, with a translucent amber shell. When their wings beat, faint ripples of Spiritual Power spread through the air.

More terrifying still were their stingers. Instead of one, each had dozens clustered together, every stinger as large as an arrow and laced with venom that paralyzed and corroded.

Buzz—

The hive trembled. More than a dozen Queen Bees flew out and formed a neat fan-shaped formation in the air. At a thought from Lu Zeming, a stream of his blood essence