Nine Star Hegemon Body Art

Long Chen stealthily followed behind the two of them. After fifty miles, they finally ran into a group of people. The person at the front was wearing golden armor and a scholar’s band over his head. Naturally that was Qi Xin.

Over seventy people had gathered in front of him. They were all wearing armor and helmets, even using cloth to cover up any gaps. All they exposed to the outside were their eyes.

Long Chen couldn’t help being curious now. Just what were they planning on doing with such attire? He was wondering how he could noiselessly infiltrate his way in when somewhat patted him in the shoulder.

“What are you just standing here for? Hurry up and join them.” A helmeted man shouted at him coarsely.

“Oh, okay.” Long chen quickly agreed. Behind this man were also another dozen of people. They had probably all come together, and so by joining them he wouldn’t be so conspicuous.

“Boss Qi, we pretty much have everyone. We don’t need to wait any longer.” That person brought his people in front of Qi Xin and respectfully reported.

Qi Xin looked over everyone and nodded. “No need to wait any longer. We should be enough.”

Qi Xin then turned to him. “How was it? Did you find any news about Long Chen?”

That person shook hi head. “Us brothers didn’t find his trail, but we suspect he’s hiding to heal his injuries. Lei Qianshang’s thunderseed isn’t something ordinary people can endure.”

Qi Xin frowned slightly and icily said, “I heard this bastard is viewed importantly by Tang Wan-er. Hmph, he better not let me encounter him.

“Otherwise I’ll let him endure my Qi family’s Ten Thousand Gu Insects^[1], letting him experience just what is a life worse than death!”

Before the trial, Qi Xin had sent people to force Long Chen to kowtow in apology, wanting to humiliate him.

But the result was that Qi Xin had had to repeatedly retreat in front of Little Snow’s attacks, causing him to lose face. And so his hatred of Long Chen had already sunk into his bones.

After entering the trial region, Qi Xin had constantly been searching for news of Long Chen. Unfortunately the trial region was too large, and it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.^[2]

“Okay, everyone listen closely. This time we are handling a beehive. Our target is the honey inside,” announced Qi Xin.

Everyone’s expressions became strange. Did they really need to make such huge movements to get some honey?

“Listen carefully. What we’ll be handling won’t be ordinary bees, but Magical Beasts - the Jade Butterfly Bees.” Qi Xin had long since expected that reaction.

Hearing that it was the Jade Butterfly Bees, quite a few people’s expressions changed. Many people had already heard of that name, as it was just too terrifying.

The Jade Butterfly Bee was extremely beautiful with long butterfly wings that sparkled translucently like jade. That was of course why they had been called the Jade Butterfly Bees.

They weren’t that large, only the size of a palm, and were considered first rank Magical Beasts. But they weren’t true Magical Beasts. That was because they had no crystal core or Neidan. According to a stricter classification, they were only insects.

But the most terrifying part about them was their poison. It had caused people to make an exception and include it as a Magical Beast. Its poison wasn’t life-threatening, but it was incredibly painful. After being stung once, it would be so painful it would make that person not want to continue living.

Furthermore, the Jade Butterfly Bees lived in groups. One hive of them contained thousands, perhaps ten thousands of them. If you were stung by ten Jade Butterfly Bees, that would be enough to make you go mad from pain.

Although they were all wearing armor, that armor had chinks at the shoulders, elbows, knees, etc. That was in order to not restrict the movement too much. That meant their defense was not able to stop the Jade Butterfly Bees.

Everyone’s hearts trembled in fear. Although their faces were covered, the fear in their eyes was all revealed.

“You don’t need to be afraid. With this many people, we can strike like lightning, quickly charging into the hive, grabbing the honey, and then leaving.

“As long as we are fast enough, it shouldn’t be any problem. This is our first collective movement. I hope everyone can bring out their passion.” Qi Xin lightly looked over everyone.

His meaning was extremely obvious. If they wished to join his faction, they had to complete his work. Otherwise he would kick them out.

Their hearts trembled. The majority of them had only managed to join Qi Xin’s faction because their families had set up the relationship. If they were kicked out, their days in the monastery would definitely not be good.

“Okay, everyone come with me.”

Qi Xin also put on a helmet and beckoned, bringing everyone with them. Long Chen also followed with the flow, filled with delight.

He knew of the Jade Butterfly Bee. But what he cared most about was the Jade Butterfly Queen Bee Honey. Once a Butterfly Queen Bee reached a certain age, it would transform into a Magical Beast Queen Bee.

Ordinary Jade Butterfly Bees were unable to advance ranks. From birth to death, they were all insects. But the queen bee was not the same. Its body was huge, and after one hundred years, the Jade Butterfly Queen Bee would advance to become a true first rank Magical Beast.

Three hundred years later, it could advance to the second rank. Only this second rank Magical Beast Queen Bee could give birth to Queen Bee Honey.

Ordinary Jade Butterfly Honey had the effect of calming the mind, relieving pain, and detoxing poison. Furthermore, its efficiency was extremely great, comparable to a medicinal pill.

But the Jade Butterfly Queen Bee Honey was a true treasure. Such a treasure had the great effect of completely calming the spirit. While cultivating, by drinking just a mouthful, it could quickly expel all distracting thoughts and let you enter the meditative state easier.

Long Chen had that miraculous jade pendant and so he didn’t need such a thing. But just because he didn’t need such a thing didn’t mean others didn’t.

To others, it was an invaluable treasure. So even though it was not useful to Long Chen, he could bring it out to sell and exchange it for what he needed. That would definitely make him enough money that he would never be able to spend it all.

After travelling a couple miles, Long Chen began to hear a buzzing. Occasionally a palm-sized bee that looked carved out of jade would fly by.

Although their wings were similar to those of a butterfly, their movements were extremely quick.

“Take care! Don’t kill these Jade Butterfly Bees. Otherwise it will attract even more of them.” Qi Xin gave them a cautious warning.

Long Chen smiled slightly. He wasn’t bad to know a bit about to the habits of the Jade Butterfly Bees. It appeared he could definitely provide some help for him.

After travelling another stretch, everyone slowed down. That was because a huge beehive had appeared in front of them.

It was not the same as ordinary beehives. It didn’t hang from a tree. Instead it was practically a house, built atop a huge boulder.

Its shape was similar to a huge egg that had fallen on the ground. It was over thirty meters tall. The outside of the beehive looked as if it had been made of jade, shining brightly under the sunlight.

Countless Jade Butterfly Bees were coming and going exceptionally busily. Everyone’s hearts rose to their throats.

Long Chen carefully examined this beehive. At the entrance was a three-colored stripe, causing him to smile. Hehe, this time it’ll be fun.

“A couple of you go probe the situation.” Qi Xin eyed the beehive.

Three people immediately stepped forward without hesitation and began sneaking their way to the beehive that was several hundred meters away.

Qi Xin nodded pleased. The others looked at each other and sighed sorrowfully. Those three had obviously left a good impression for Qi Xin.

But Long Chen smiled ridiculing. He scolded inside, You’re really a bunch of idiots. You’re all wearing helmets and armor. Who can even recognize you? If you want to display your loyalty then you should at least make sure he knows it’s you, right?

The three of them moved smartly, crawling forward slowly, trying not to alarm those busy Jade Butterfly Bees.

Seeing the three of them slowly approaching the beehive, everyone nervously fidgeted. Even Qi Xin was extremely tense.

He wasn’t so hopeful that these three to be able to steal the honey. What he needed was them to confirm the situation in the beehive so he could draw up a proper plan.

The three of them were sneaking their way over quite well. Those bees were busy and didn’t bother them.

But the moment they were one hundred and fifty meters away, those busy Jade Butterfly Bees immediately stopped. The world became silent.

“Quick, run!” Qi Xin’s expression changed slightly and he quickly shouted.

But as soon as he spoke, hundreds of Jade Butterfly Bees shot straight towards the three of them. Those three were all horrified. Unable to completely defend against them, they quickly ran back.

But there was still one person who was too late and was stung on the shoulder.

“AHH!”

That person let out a miserable scream. Although his face was covered, everyone could tell his face was twisted in pain.

The Jade Butterfly Bee’s toxicity was incredibly potent. It specialized in agonizing the nerves of pain. This had nothing to do with cultivation base. In fact, someone with a higher cultivation base would have even more sensitive nerves and would feel even more pain.

Once he was stung, by reflex he sent a slap to his shoulder.

“NO!” Qi Xin furiously roared.

But he was too late. That person had already smashed that Jade Butterfly Bee to pieces.

BUZZ!

The moment he killed that Jade Butterfly Bee, the entire beehive shook. Qi Xin was horrified to see that countless Jade Butterfly Bees were surging out like a flood. They were practically endless.

“Run!”

Qi Xin didn’t even need a moment to think. He had already shot away. Everyone else also knew that they had poked the bee’s nest now and quickly fled.

Although they ran quickly, the Jade Butterfly Bees also weren’t slow. There were immediately four or five people who were stung, letting out agonizing cries.

Amongst the crowd, Long Chen laughed inside as he saw these people be stung into wailing and howling. Without any preparations, they dared provoke the Jade Butterfly Bees. Hadn’t they just been asking for this?

Qi Xin always acted so scholarly, acting as if he were knowledgeable in many areas. But in reality he was just an idiot. In his lifetime, he shouldn’t even think of obtaining their honey.

Once their group ran fifty miles away, those angry Jade Butterfly Bees finally let them off, returning to their hive. Over ten people immediately collapsed to the ground, letting out miserable screams.

Bang, bang, bang…

Qi Xin waved his hand and over ten balls of water smashed onto those people’s head, immediately making them faint. Now that those miserable screams finally stopped, the world once more became calm.

Qi Xin’s expression was ashen. He had never expected that it would be so difficult before they had even touched the Jade Butterfly Honey. He was completely furious.

Everyone maintained their silence. Those miserable cries of their comrades were still ringing in their ears.

They were all people with their own prestige. If the pain wasn’t completely unbearable, none of them would let out such screams. It was obvious just how terrifying the Jade Butterfly Bees were.

As everyone descended into complete silence, Long Chen spoke out with a hoarse voice. “I might have a way for us to obtain the Jade Butterfly Honey.”

^[1] A Gu is a legendary poison insect. 

^[2] Funnily enough, the Chinese expression for ‘to find a needle in a haystack’ is ‘to fish a needle from the sea’. Why are they both needles? XD

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