“Xun Meng, have you calculated where Sheng Yi is?”
Chu Tianle had searched the entire Golden Wood Peach Forest, but he hadn't even found a single strand of Bai Sheng Yi's hair.
Xun Meng's delicate face was solemn, and she frowned, "I wasn't very accurate in calculating Sheng Yi's whereabouts to begin with, and now it's even harder. The place she is in seems to be completely shielded by some force, blocking all heavenly secrets..."
Chu Tianle asked, "Could she also be trapped in an illusion, just like Feng Wuya?"
This Golden Wood Peach Forest looked incredibly gentle and harmless, but in reality, it was still fraught with danger. Feng Wuya was quite unlucky; the peach branch under his feet was the eye of an illusion array, and in a blink of an eye, he had fallen into it.
Fortunately, Xun Meng had managed to confirm his location in time. Now, Chu Tianle only needed to wait for him to break out on his own.
However, Bai Sheng Yi's whereabouts remained unknown.
Xun Meng replied, "I don't think that's very likely. Daoist Friend Chu, let me try calculating again."
After speaking, Xun Meng closed her eyes and quickly moved the beads on her jade abacus. As she moved, a faint, ethereal white light began to surround her. A large hexagram appeared on the surface of the jade abacus, instantly enveloping Xun Meng.
"Heaven clear, earth bright, traces of man are found, calculate... *cough*!"
Xun Meng's words suddenly stopped. She opened her eyes and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Xun Meng!" Chu Tianle frowned, a bad premonition suddenly arising in his heart.
As expected, Xun Meng said, "Daoist Friend Chu, I apologize. My skills are not profound enough. I can no longer calculate Sheng Yi's whereabouts."
"You should meditate and rest first. When Feng Wuya comes out, we'll leave this place and search again." Chu Tianle was extremely disappointed, but he knew that Xun Meng had already done her best.
He paused and then asked, "Do you need any pills?"
"No, thank you." As she spoke, she closed her eyes and sat cross-legged on the ground, forming a lotus seal with her hands. All the spiritual energy around them began to surge towards her.
...
The beehive was deep within the peach forest.
The path was covered in falling pink peach blossoms. Bai Sheng Yi had been following the bee demon for a long time without reaching their destination, and she was growing impatient.
"There's no one around here? Hua Xueji, is she leading us correctly?" Bai Sheng Yi tugged at the vine tied around the bee demon, stopping in her tracks.
Yingying was surprised that the man beside this woman knew the way to the beehive. Her large, bright bee pupils widened. Fortunately, she hadn't played any tricks earlier!
Hua Xueji said coldly, "Yes."
Bai Sheng Yi flicked the vine. "Let's go."
Yingying: ...Damn it! Does this woman think of me as a dog!
She hated it in her heart, but she dared not speak out in anger, fearing that Bai Sheng Yi would send a flame to roast her. She honestly continued to lead the way.
After walking for a while longer, she finally said, "We're here!"
Bai Sheng Yi noticed that the jade slip she carried flashed, indicating a place not far ahead where a box could be placed. However, after Bai Sheng Yi took two more steps forward, the flickering light disappeared.
Bai Sheng Yi looked up and saw a large ancient tree not far in front of her, requiring five or six people to embrace it. Its canopy was lush green. Starting from a height of ten meters, it split into two branches, with a massive beehive at the fork.
Around the ancient tree was a small patch of forest, with beehives of various sizes hanging from the branches.
There were no peach trees in the vicinity.
"Ximen, here, missing." As if sensing what Bai Sheng Yi was thinking, Hua Xueji pointed to the beehive on the ancient tree.
Bai Sheng Yi looked up.
"What a dense wood spiritual energy," the Qing Meng Vine suddenly said. "Master, can I use the surrounding spiritual energy to cultivate? Little Teng Ye is so hungry."
Ever since it had devoured the Spirit Chasing Wood, it had always felt hungry and wanted to consume its master's spiritual energy. However, it was reluctant. Now that it had finally arrived at a place with so much food, it could hardly resist.
Bai Sheng Yi asked, "Can you wait a bit longer?"
She was still unsure if this wood spiritual energy originated from the ancient tree or this secret realm.
That's right, Bai Sheng Yi guessed that the place she was in was likely outside the Flowing Light Secret Realm. She didn't know if this secret realm had been split off from the Flowing Light Secret Realm or if it had always existed within the Flowing Light.
"Alright," the Qing Meng Vine replied verbally, but a slender green vine had already burrowed underground without Bai Sheng Yi noticing.
"Queen, Yingying is useless, she was captured by human cultivators, boohoo..." As soon as Yingying returned to the beehive, she couldn't help but cry.
Her eyes were red, and she looked so wronged.
When Bai Sheng Yi saw the so-called Bee Queen, her expression changed slightly, and she instinctively retreated behind Hua Xueji.
Damn it! Why didn't Yingying mention that the queen who hadn't transformed was a plump, wriggling worm! Ahhhhh!
Bai Sheng Yi was most afraid of these soft-bodied creatures. Not screaming on the spot was already her greatest display of manners.
Hua Xueji glanced at Bai Sheng Yi.
Bai Sheng Yi glared back, "What are you looking at? Is it strange to be afraid of insects?"
"Don't cry, you have received the blessing of the ancient tree, and you can already transform. You are no longer a little girl." After comforting Yingying for a long time, the Bee Queen turned to Bai Sheng Yi and Hua Xueji and said, "Distinguished guests, do you seek knowledge from me?"
"No, we are here to lend a helping hand to the Queen and the bee tribe." Bai Sheng Yi didn't expect Hua Xueji to communicate with them, so she quickly replied.
"Oh?" The Queen wriggled forward.
Bai Sheng Yi hurriedly said, "You! Just stay there!" She could barely control her hand from summoning the Samsara Brush!
"Respected guests, can you truly help us drive away these peach demons? Our ancient bee tribe is willing to pay any price!" the Queen said anxiously.
"Peach demons?" Bai Sheng Yi keenly grasped the information she wanted. "Are the villagers of Peach Blossom Village all peach demons transformed from peach trees?"
"They are all bad people!" Yingying said.
"Don't be afraid," the Queen said, nuzzling Yingying soothingly.
This made Bai Sheng Yi's skin crawl, and she quickly asked, "Can you explain in detail?"
Although she had guessed that Granny Li and the villagers might be lying, and the little bee might be telling the truth, she had only thought that these villagers were transformed from demon beasts. She hadn't expected them to be spiritual plants.
However, this place was too strange. Outside, on the Continent of Divine Revelation, demon plants and demon beasts needed to be at least ninth tier to transform. But from her earlier fight with the little bee, she had discovered that Yingying had at most the strength of the early stage of Foundation Establishment. This meant that she could transform at a strength not exceeding the fourth tier.
Could this be related to what the Queen called the "ancient tree's blessing"?
As Bai Sheng Yi pondered, the Queen began to speak.
"Of course. The matter began a hundred years ago..."
The Queen said, "My tribe has lived here for generations, making a living by collecting peach blossom honey, living self-sufficiently. Peach trees have a limited lifespan. Every ten years, the ancient tree would bless the tribesmen, allowing them to transform and then go west to retrieve peach seeds to plant.
"But a hundred years ago, shortly after I was born, the tribesmen discovered that the peach seeds in the west were gone. Immediately after, the peach trees in the tribal land transformed..."