The Mother of Thousands Breeding Method was a method of great versatility, capable of breeding a wide array of demon insects: bees, ants, spiders, centipedes, mantises... Every imaginable kind of insect could be nurtured under this method.
Nearly all of the demon insects of the Myriad Insect Kingdom had been bred from the Mother of Thousands, eventually expanding to the kingdom's vast domain. As long as the breeding method worked, following the procedure would allow the Blood Queen Bee to undergo a significant transformation. From then on, it would not only be able to produce Blood Bees, but also Blood Ants, Blood Scorpions, Blood Spiders, Blood Centipedes, and other kinds of demon insects.
This meant that if the Blood Bees couldn't adapt to, or were unable to survive in, certain environments, they could simply be replaced by other types of demon insects. With such a method, the function of the Blood Queen Bee would be greatly enhanced.
Of course, the various herbs mentioned in the Mother of Thousands Breeding Method were only found in the Cave World. Chu Xuan would have to find similar spiritual plants in the Starshatter Sea to substitute them, according to their medicinal properties.
This would certainly take a great deal of time and effort. But Chu Xuan didn't mind. If he succeeded, the Blood Queen Bee's rank would surely rise to a whole new level.
Fifth-transformation gu insects! They were comparable to Deity Transformation cultivators' gu insects! Just thinking about it made his heart race with excitement.
"The Earth Longevity Wine can only extend life for so long. Xiao Renjie will eventually resort to swallowing up the other two kingdoms. The other two diamond-level demon insect breeding methods will eventually come to me as well."
Chu Xuan smiled faintly as he watched Xiao Renjie, the Myriad Insect King, who had been ecstatic after obtaining the Longevity Wine formula. He knew that all he needed to do was stir the pot from behind the scenes. As for the specific operations, he could leave them to this King of Myriad Insects.
Returning to the house on Desolate Island, Chu Xuan immediately put up a sign to purchase various kinds of spiritual plants. These plants resembled the herbs mentioned in the Mother of Thousands Breeding Method, but they had to be inspected by him first to determine which ones were suitable for use.
The sign immediately piqued the interest of many cultivators. To them, it was clear that Master Liu was offering to buy these spiritual plants at a high price. Although they couldn't quite understand why a rune master who also dabbled in alchemy would need to purchase so many spiritual plants, they were willing to sell as long as there was profit. Soon enough, various types of spiritual plants were brought to Chu Xuan.
In just half a month, using only the resources available in the Starshatter Sea, Chu Xuan had tested and found the necessary spiritual plants. On this particular day, he successfully refined what was called the "Demon Insect Cultivation Elixir."
Among the various methods for breeding demon insects, this elixir was referred to as the Demon Insect Cultivation Elixir. However, after Chu Xuan's successful refinement, it didn't appear as a liquid but rather as a solid pill, likely due to the intense Spiritual Qi contained within the spiritual plants.
With a thought, Chu Xuan summoned the Blood Queen Bee.
The Blood Queen Bee still appeared as the same small and delicate creature as before, but now golden patterns adorned her body. This was a sign that she was on the path to transforming into the ancient and powerful Sunfire Queen Bee.
This change had been visible in the Blood Queen Bee for some time now. It was just that there had been no external influence to hasten the process until now.
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"Good little one, here's a special treat I made just for you. Eat it quickly."
Chu Xuan held the cultivation pill near the Blood Queen Bee's mouth. The Blood Queen Bee, with her compound eyes, stared at her master for a few moments. Without hesitation, she took the pill into her mouth and swallowed it in one swift gulp.
Before long, a look of discomfort appeared on her small face. Soon, she instinctively began to spin a cocoon around herself.
Chu Xuan's face lit up in surprise. He hadn't expected the cultivation pill to actually facilitate the Blood Queen Bee's metamorphosis. The Blood Queen Bee was still only a mid-tier fourth-turn insect, far from reaching the fifth-turn transformation. The fact that she was now wrapping herself in a cocoon likely meant something extraordinary—a return to her ancestral form!
"Sunfire Queen Bee!" Chu Xuan muttered with amazement.
This was an ancient and powerful gu insect, one that had been lost to time. He hadn't anticipated that it would reappear in his hands.
Days passed, and still, there was no movement from within the cocoon. Chu Xuan didn't grow impatient but instead focused on maintaining his calm and waiting patiently.
Ten months later, faint rustling sounds finally came from within the cocoon. It was clear that the Blood Queen Bee had awakened.
Chu Xuan's spirit stirred, and he breathed out a long, controlled breath, fully concentrating on the cocoon's movements.
Crack. Crack.
The cocoon was suddenly torn from the inside. Moments later, a small head poked out, still maintaining its mischievous little appearance.
With black, glossy compound eyes, it carefully examined the world outside the cocoon. As soon as it saw Chu Xuan, a wave of joy and happiness radiated from it, which Chu Xuan could clearly feel.
Crack.
The cocoon was entirely consumed, and the little creature lay fully revealed before Chu Xuan. Its entire body was covered in golden patterns, gleaming like sunlight itself. On its back, there were two large, transparent wings with golden sun-like patterns etched into them.
However, it didn't resemble the Sunfire Queen Bee, whose body was entirely that of a typical bee. This little one appeared to be a mix—a fusion of bee, ant, spider, and scorpion, all at once.
It was like an amalgamation of several demon insect features, creating a creature that looked completely unrecognizable at first glance. Yet, upon closer inspection, there was a unique and almost absurd beauty to it.
Chu Xuan extended his hand, and the little creature obediently hopped into his palm, contentedly basking in the gentle caresses of its master.
"The Mother of Thousands Insects Breeding Method has indeed worked," Chu Xuan mused with satisfaction. "The Blood Queen Bee has successfully returned to its ancestral form, and yet... it seems to have gone even further."
Chu Xuan fell into deep thought.
It seemed that calling this little creature the "Sunfire Queen Bee" was not quite fitting. It resembled more of a "Sunfire Insect Mother," capable of breeding not just bees, but a variety of other demon insects as well.
He smiled contentedly. No matter what, it had worked.
"Your intelligence is steadily improving. It's time you had a name," he mused. "You are the Sunfire Insect Mother, but not fully grown yet. You're like the rising sun."
After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "How about 'Xiao Yang' (Little Sun)?"
The little creature took a half-step back, shaking its head vigorously.
Chu Xuan was taken aback.
Such a simple and pleasant name, and it didn't like it?
He thought again. "Well then, how about 'Xiao Lie' (Little Flame)?"
The little creature shook its head even more fiercely, its resistance more intense than before.
Chu Xuan sighed. It seemed he had encountered a smart one this time.
He pondered for a while and finally said, "What do you think of 'Chen Xi' (Morning Dawn)?"
The little creature tilted its head, thought for a moment, then nodded repeatedly, as though approving of the name.
Chu Xuan let out another long sigh. "So, it's really 'Chen Xi' then? I feel like Xiao Yang and Xiao Lie have more meaning, with a certain resonance like Long, Hu, and Bao."
The little creature nodded firmly and even made a few chirping sounds, as if confirming her decision.
Chu Xuan had no choice but to accept it. "Alright, then. From now on, you shall be Chen Xi."
A smart child wasn't always a blessing. It was hard to trick such a sharp one...
In the following days, Chu Xuan noticed that the Blood Beehive, once home to only the blood bees, had been gradually altered by the insects Chen Xi produced.
With the addition of various ores and spiritual wood, the nest had grown in both size and durability, now reaching the limits of a high-grade magic treasure. Not only did it have spaces for the bees to rest, but also for ants, spiders, centipedes, and other cursed insects to dwell in.
Clearly, calling it the "Blood Beehive" was no longer suitable.
Thus, he renamed it the "Myriad Insects Nest."