"Just as I expected!"
Hearing Zhou Pangzi’s response, Qi Ping felt like he was starting to grasp something.
"Spirit Beast Cultivation: Demon Insect Chapter, Blood Ginseng, Blood Fiend Insect Poison, Flowing Light Grass, Black Spirit Duck..."
One or two things might not explain anything, but so many coincidences gathered together forced Qi Ping to doubt the secrets behind these things.
Qi Ping suspected that perhaps long ago, there was a Beast Taming or Insect Taming force in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range!
The reason Qi Ping had such a suspicion was due to the Druid skill "Animal Communication".
"Animal Communication: You can understand the language of animals and communicate with them."
Through this skill, Qi Ping heard a lot of key information in the intermittent calls of the Black Spirit Duck:
"Gaa... (Bloody big worm!)"
"Gaa... (Uncomfortable!)"
"Gaa... (Glowing grass! Detoxify!)"
....
If Qi Ping had not obtained the "Spirit Beast Cultivation: Demon Insect Chapter" before, he might have only known they were poisoned, and it would have taken a long time to find information on the Flowing Light Grass.
He couldn’t have known about the Blood Fiend Worm poisoning and the deeper connections.
But after obtaining the Demon Insect Cultivation Manual, Qi Ping remembered that the introduction to the Blood Fiend Worm mentioned that a special toxin appeared where they lived.
This special toxin would cause spirit beasts like Black Spirit Ducks to refuse to eat, causing their vital energy and blood to deplete slowly.
The simplest way to neutralize this toxin is to boil Flowing Light Grass in water; just a little bit can easily solve this special toxin.
In Qi Ping’s impression, breeding Black Spirit Ducks had always been prevalent in Qingshi County, so if an Insect Taming Sect had existed here before, it made sense for the cultivation manual to specifically mention Black Spirit Ducks.
Zhou Pangzi’s ravine was always a place with the most Black Spirit Ducks.
So in this situation, there’s a high possibility that Flowing Light Grass would be planted where Blood Fiend Worms appeared.
As long as there is Flowing Light Grass here, it can also corroborate the authenticity of Qi Ping’s suspicion.
"That’s right, Blood Ginseng, Flowing Light Grass, Demon Insect Cultivation Manual, Blood Fiend Worm, Black Spirit Duck... The main ingredients for the Bloodline Mutation Potion are also Centennial Blood Ginseng and fifty-year-old Flowing Light Grass..."
"When these factors are combined, it further proves that this is not a coincidence!"
"There’s even the Golden Marrow Bee, which, like the Blood Fiend Worm, seemed to have appeared recently, and the mysterious spirit energy constantly emanating underground from the Blood Ginseng, even the secret realm Chaoyang mentioned that’s about to emerge... Are these all coincidences? Or are they heralds of a major event about to happen?"
Connecting all these clues made Qi Ping suddenly feel a sense of unease inside.
Because if a significant event were to occur, the level of disaster and massacre is not something a small character like him can easily face and contend with.
Even a slight mistake could lead to a shattered body outcome!
This situation filled Qi Ping’s heart with a sense of urgency.
"I must quickly improve my strength!"
He already possessed the Blood Ginseng, and as for the Flowing Light Grass, he could buy two stalks from Zhou Pangzi, which would save him from going to the Cyan Stone Marketplace.
This would not only be much safer but would also allow him to start cultivating the Golden Marrow Bee sooner.
Once the Golden Marrow Bee is successfully cultivated, his Druid Level should already be at level two.
By then, he will quickly complete the contract for a second animal companion.
However, knowing that there are Blood Fiend Worms here, Qi Ping became more deliberative and hesitant about his second animal companion.
"First, let’s see the metamorphosis of the Golden Marrow Bee after taking the Bloodline Mutation Potion, and then review the pet beast information provided by Boss Gao to decide on the choice for the second animal companion..."
Qi Ping was not troubled by this; having more choices is good. The Blood Fiend Worm is a Tier One Intermediate Spirit Insect, its overall combat power subtly surpassing the Golden Marrow Bee, with excellent potential for cultivation.
What the Blood Fiend Worm lacks is a honey-making method similar to that of the Golden Marrow Bee, but its combat methods and flexibility are higher than the Golden Marrow Bee.
At the same time, there’s an issue where the Blood Fiend Worm, although herbivorous, has a rather violent temperament, and Qi Ping is unsure whether his identity as a Beast King Druid could successfully contract with a Blood Fiend Worm...
...
"Hmm, the Flowing Light Grass should be able to solve the problem of the Black Spirit Duck!" In response to Zhou Pangzi’s question, Qi Ping nodded affirmatively.
"Alright, then come with me!" Fatty said, a bit overjoyed.
Then Qi Ping and Sister Nan, under Zhou Pangzi’s guidance, quickly crossed a large patch of rugged and jagged rocks to a very concealed spot in the ravine.
There grew three small stalks of grass, green with a hint of golden yellow, from which tendrils of golden light were emanating from the leaves.
No doubt it’s Tier One Lower Flowing Light Grass.
However, compared to the nourishment of the Blood Ginseng, these few Flowing Light Grasses seemed somewhat malnourished, perhaps due to a lack of spirit energy, and were rather petite.
"Here it is. I saw they’re not growing well, so I didn’t pick them, thinking I’d come back when they’re older..." Zhou Pangzi explained, pointing at the three Flowing Light Grasses.
"It’s fine even if they haven’t grown up. Just pick a small leaf and boil it in water, then feed a little to each Black Spirit Duck..."
"Alright, should I pick more?" Zhou Pangzi asked, a bit uneasily.
"No need, just a tiny leaf the size of a pinky should suffice. More would likely be a waste..."
...
The actions of the Cultivators were swift; in no time, the three of them had returned to the duck farm with the brewed Flowing Light Grass water.
Upon arriving at the duck farm, Zhou Pangzi couldn’t wait to envelop about two spoonfuls of water with his Spiritual Power and pour it into the mouth of a Black Spirit Duck, fearing that his beloved ducks might starve to death.
Once the Black Spirit Duck ingested the medicine, the three of them stared intently at it.
Especially Zhou Pangzi, whose nervous expression almost matched his countenance when his wife was giving birth.
Fortunately, after some anxious waiting, the outcome did not disappoint them. The Black Spirit Duck began to stand up on its trembling legs and walked laboriously to the feed, eating ravenously.
"Gaa... (Saved... Hungry!)"
Seeing this scene, Zhou Pangzi actually shed tears like a two-hundred-pound child.
Who could understand his worries and anxieties over the past few days?
If all the ducks died, such a considerable loss, how would he support his family in the future?
Especially if he couldn’t pay the rent, he might really be dragged off to the mines. If he were alone, it would be another story, but now that he has a family, if something happens to him, how will his two wives and four children survive?
But now, the most urgent task is to save all the ducks first.
Thus, Zhou Pangzi put aside his inner excitement and continued administering the medicine.
Qi Ping and Sister Nan didn’t just stand by; they quickly stepped forward to help.
Before long, all the ducks were swiftly rescued by the three of them.
Watching the Black Spirit Ducks tremble as they ate, Zhou Pangzi’s eyes were blurred again with tears.
After a while, he walked over to Qi Ping and Sister Nan and made a solemn bow:
"Little Qi, Sister Nan, thank you so much this time!"
"Little Qi, this time you saved Fat Bro’s entire family’s life..."
...
The following scene was so moving that Qi Ping felt somewhat uncomfortable, though Zhou Pangzi’s personality was always like this, and Qi Ping and Sister Nan had anticipated such a scene.
For compensation, Qi Ping only requested one stalk of Flowing Light Grass, but Zhou Pangzi gave him two, mentioning that he could always purchase more at the market if needed.
Then Zhou Pangzi also offered Qi Ping a bag of Spirit Stones and several Black Spirit Ducks and prepared something for Sister Nan, albeit less generous than for Qi Ping.
However, these were all refused by Qi Ping and Sister Nan.
Zhou Pangzi had just been through this worrying event, and he must have spent quite a bit already, not to mention needing to support his family. Gathering the rent money would likely require selling Black Spirit Ducks or other things, so his situation was not looking optimistic.
For Qi Ping and Sister Nan, who had recently profited greatly from the Tribulation Cultivator, it was natural to decline the Spirit Stones and Black Spirit Ducks that Zhou Pangzi himself was in urgent need of.
Especially for Qi Ping, having two stalks of Flowing Light Grass was already an unexpected joy.
With the two main ingredients of the Bloodline Mutation Potion—Blood Ginseng and Flowing Light Grass—now assembled.
Next, he just needed to use the Plant Growth Skill to cultivate the two Spiritual Medicines to a hundred years and fifty years respectively, and he could start preparing the potion to cultivate the Golden Marrow Bee...