Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Perhaps due to the intimidating presence of the Submerged Scale Guards, all four of them honestly recounted their story.

They were three men and one woman, each from different minor clans, all with cultivations around the Yuanming Realm. They had stumbled upon a valley filled with Moon Bee Flowers, and, captivated by the sight, they began picking them. Little did they know that their actions would provoke the valley's resident demonic bees, forcing them to flee in disarray.

Upon hearing "Moon Bee Flowers," Wen Qiao immediately deduced that there must be Moon Bees nesting there.

Moon Bee Flowers were the spirit flowers that coexisted with the Moon Bees. To these bees, the flowers were more valuable than their own lives. They would relentlessly pursue anyone who dared to pluck them. Thus, it wasn't surprising that they were chased by the bees.

However, many small clans lacked substantial resources and up-to-date information, often leading to fatal mistakes. It was understandable that these four would attract the wrath of the Moon Bees.

Submerged Hunting then asked, "Where are the Moon Bee Flowers?"

The quartet hurriedly divulged the location without any concealment, their faces filled with anxiety, fearing that Ning Yuzhou and his companions might hold them accountable for the incident. Although Seventh Prince Ning Yuzhou posed no real threat, the Ning Clan behind him was not to be underestimated. If they incurred his enmity, their clan might not be able to protect them, let alone against the fifty Submerged Scale Guards present.

Fortunately, after obtaining the location of the Moon Bee Flowers, the Submerged Scale Guards escorted Ning Yuzhou and his group away without pressing further charges. This left the four sighing in relief as the tension they had been holding finally dissipated.

They would honestly reveal the location of the Moonbee Flowers as an apology for their previous misdeeds. As long as Ning Yuzhou accepted their gesture and didn't bear a grudge, they wouldn't pursue the matter further. It seemed that was indeed the case.

***

After several hours, they arrived at the valley where the Moonbee Flowers were found.

The Moonbee Flower was a spirit flower that coexisted with the Moonbees. Its nectar was fragrant and sweet, forming superior spirit honey. Consuming this honey not only beautified the skin and prolonged life but also, in certain circumstances, detoxified the body and enhanced cultivation, with remarkable effects.

Ning Yuzhou and his companions had come for the Moonbee honey.

The valley was carpeted with blooming Moonbee Flowers, their pale yellow petals clustering together. With the breeze blowing, the air was filled with a delightful aroma.

In the midst of the flowers, one could see the Moonbees diligently gathering nectar.

Perhaps due to the intrusion by those few individuals earlier, followed by the pursuit of the Moonbees, the number of bees in this valley wasn't substantial. However, the remaining bees were still quite numerous, making it no easy task to enter and retrieve the honey.

Despite its size, the valley was visible in its entirety. The beehives were constructed on a cliff within the valley, their massive structures highly conspicuous.

Ning Yuzhou surveyed the area, gave a few words of caution to Qian Ning, and instructed him to prepare the Qianlin Guards.

Standing at the entrance of the valley, a few Qianlin Guards stealthily entered, positioning themselves at the updraft point within the valley. They opened several jade bottles, pouring out powdery substances, then signaled the wind-oriented Qianlin Guards to create a gust, blowing the powder into the valley.

A slightly sweet fragrance was carried by the wind and swept into the valley.

Before long, one could see the moon bees flying crookedly in the valley as if they were drunk. Soon, they tumbled down from mid-air onto the ground.

After all the moon bees in the valley had been incapacitated, the Hidden Scale Guards went in to collect the honey.

Ning Yuzhou held Wen Qiao's hand and entered the valley together with her, allowing her to dig up the moon bee flowers.

Apparently, he had realized during this period that his young wife had a deep love for spiritual herbs, enjoying cultivating them regardless of their rank, high or low, with an innocent and devoted passion.

Wen Qiao didn't expect it to be so easy. Compared to the few people who had just been chased by the moon bees like dogs, they had it too easy. She couldn't help but ask, "What was that powder?"

"It's a type of spirit herb that targets demonic insects," Ning Yuzhou replied with a smile. "Breathing it in will make them drunk, just like human cultivators. They'll recover after half an hour. Of course, this only works on low-level demonic insects. The effect would be much weaker on higher-level ones."

Wen Qiao hummed in response, thinking to herself that the Hidden Scale Guards were well-prepared. They even had something like this, which was quite convenient.

Then, she started digging up the moon bee flowers as well.

She loved digging up spiritual herbs to cultivate at home the most. Although the moon bee flower was only a second-stage spirit herb, it reproduced quickly and was both beautiful and productive of honey. Naturally, she wanted to dig up several more.

The Covert Scale Guards were swift. In less than a quarter of an hour, they had harvested the honey from the hive, filling dozens of bottles. To their surprise, there was a thin layer of royal jelly left in the hive, which they carefully collected, just enough to fill one bottle, presenting it to Ning Yuzhou.

Royal jelly was more fragrant and rich than regular honey. Its translucent, viscous liquid resembled golden amber beads, slowly rolling about. It was a rare delicacy and an antidote.

Ning Yuzhou examined it and then passed it to Wen Qiao.

"For me?" Wen Qiao was taken aback.

Ning Yuzhou nodded. "This royal jelly is of high quality. Drinking it regularly can suppress the flare-ups of fire poison."

Upon hearing this, Wen Qiao didn't refuse any further, receiving it with grace. These days, she had grown accustomed to her husband giving her items of immeasurable value. If it were someone else, they might have accepted it with trembling hands.

She wasn't capable of repaying him now, but that was alright. As long as she could survive in the future, she would eventually have a chance to return the favor.

Just as she stowed the royal jelly away in her storage ring, a loud cry echoed from the guards in front of the valley: "Who's attacking?"

Clanging sounds continued nonstop as the alert Covert Scale Guards formed a simple defensive formation, deflecting the incoming projectiles while forcing the hidden attacker to reveal themselves.

No, they emerged voluntarily.

Wen Qiao and the others turned to see that the newcomers were three male cultivators.

Qian Shou's expression turned slightly grim as he discreetly positioned Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao behind him.

The Quanlin Guards in the valley also swiftly assembled, facing off against the trio at the entrance.

"A black lizard has caught the scent of the queen bee's honey. It adores it," a soft, sinister voice rang out. "Hand over the honey you've collected, or we'll kill you all."

It was a slender, pale man who spoke. His delicate, refined features contrasted with his sharp, cold eyes that shimmered like those of a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.

The other two men were a burly cultivator wielding a massive axe and a middle-aged scholar-type cultivator.

The trio stood nonchalantly together, clearly not taking the fifty Quanlin Guards in the valley seriously.

Silent and expressionless, the Quanlin Guards guarded the entrance, awaiting their master's command.

Seeing their resolve, the refined man was somewhat surprised. He suddenly laughed and said softly, "All of you Dongling cultivators are a stubborn bunch, quite a backbone you have there."

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao reacted promptly. Upon hearing this, they instantly realized that these three were not cultivators from the Kingdom of Dongling.

Observing their aggressive pursuit of the honey, it was clear they were no friendly visitors. One couldn't help but wonder if they were responsible for the death of the person whose skull had been crushed in the plains earlier.

At this moment, the middle-aged scholar-like man spoke, "Xu Jiuxiu, stop wasting time. We still have a journey to make."

Xu Jiuxiu, the effeminate man, felt displeased but understood the situation. He reluctantly agreed, "Alright then. There are quite a number of people here. Let my Black Lizard feast first."

With a flick of his wrist, he released an enormous black dragon lizard from his beast pouch. Its jaws were like a blood-filled basin, revealing sharp fangs as it charged towards the Qianlin Guards with a thunderous roar.

The Qianlin Guards were alarmed. It was a seventh-stage dragon lizard! Fortunately, it was still immature. Forming a human array, their defensive formations shifted unpredictably, allowing them to hold their ground for now.

As the Qianlin Guards fended off the dragon lizard's attacks, the trio nearby grew surprised.

"It's a human array, and a sophisticated one at that," the middle-aged cultivator exclaimed, astonished that such a powerful formation could be trained by a small, remote kingdom.

Seeing the dragon lizard repeatedly repelled, Xu Jiuxiu's expression darkened.

He took out a bone flute as white as jade, placing it to his lips. An eerie sound wave emerged, driving the black lizard into a frenzied state, augmenting its power.

Ning Yuzhou watched calmly. As the black lizard was about to breach the Qianlin Guard's defenses, he instructed Qianshu, "Act, but don't kill."

Quan Shou acknowledged with a sound, forming seals with both hands as his figure gradually faded away, disappearing from sight.

Wen Qiao was startled at first, but she soon realized that Quan Shou hadn't vanished; he had merely used the surroundings to conceal himself. This was an incredibly sophisticated hiding technique, allowing him to blend seamlessly into the environment and transform in countless ways. If not for her awakened half-demon powers, granting her an innate affinity with spiritual plants and enabling her to resonate with them, she wouldn't have sensed his aura.

The three individuals outside the valley also noticed Quan Shou's disappearance, feeling a slight shock.

Despite being attacked by the Dragon Lizard, they had kept a watchful eye on the valley, aware of a cultivator whose cultivation was unfathomable. They had been on guard against this person, so when the cultivator suddenly vanished without a trace, all three became wary.

The Dragon Lizard launched another assault, its powerful tail sweeping through, causing rocks to crumble and vegetation to scatter, finally breaking through the defense of the Quan Lin Guards.

Just as the Dragon Lizard opened its maw, preparing to swallow the disoriented Quan Lin Guards, a sharp sword beam flashed past. The creature let out a roar as a sword wound appeared from its spine to its left abdomen, its hard black scales shattering, blood spilling out.

Injured, the Dragon Lizard roared in agony, charging around wildly.

The Quan Lin Guards were disciplined and familiar with each other's combat styles. Upon seeing the Dragon Lizard wounded, they knew it was the work of their leader and promptly retreated, keeping themselves out of harm's way.

When unable to win, the Quan Lin Guards' tactical retreat was a very human-like approach, avoiding stubborn resistance.

Seeing the Dragon Lizard injured, Xu Jiuxiu was furious. His pale face flushed with an eerie red, and his soft voice turned menacing, "You dared to hurt my treasure. I'll kill you all and feed your corpses to the Dragon Lizard..."

Wen Qiao watched as Xu Jiuxiu unsheathed his dual swords, charging towards the valley with a fearsome killing intent like a slicing blade. She promptly held onto her husband's hand, ready to flee at the first sign of danger.

Ning Yuzhou remained composed, glancing at the arm she held and moving closer to her for reassurance.

Xu Jiuxiu's attack was intercepted by Qianshous, who in turn had their concealment techniques broken.

The two cultivators clashed at the entrance of the valley, causing the Qianlin Guards to retreat and protect Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao.

After a brief exchange, Xu Jiuxiu realized that this Dongling cultivator was evenly matched with him in terms of cultivation, making it impossible to defeat him swiftly. However, he couldn't let the one who dared harm the dragon lizard go. He bellowed, "Both of you still not joining in?"

The middle-aged scholar and burly man stood still, coldly responding, "That's your business."

Since Xu Jiuxiu wanted to snatch the honey from the bee queen, he would have to do it himself. They had no intention of assisting him.

Xu Jiuxiu was well aware of their thoughts and was furious.

Seeing this, Wen Qiao felt a sense of relief instead.

The cultivation levels of these three outsiders were unfathomable. If all three joined forces, along with the dragon lizard, Qianshous would undoubtedly be no match. Now, with only Xu Jiuxiu as the adversary, if they could eliminate him first...

Wen Qiao pondered relentlessly for an escape plan, her health had just shown slight improvement – she refused to let her newfound hope fade away in this place. Before she could devise anything, she felt Ning Yuzhou's hand gently scrape across hers, causing a faint itch that made her fingertips involuntarily curl.

Turning to look at Ning Yuzhou, Wen Qiao noticed he still found the leisure to flash her a smile, exuding an air of refined elegance and nobility even in this situation.

She fell silent for a moment, about to speak, when suddenly a brilliant light illuminated the distant horizon. The blinding radiance forced everyone to shield their eyes.