After acquiring the [Brewing Artisan] talent, Qi Ping could distinctly feel that the effects of Blood Ginseng in Golden Marrow Honey, which fortify the body and enhance spiritual power, had been refined and intensified.
The reason Golden Marrow Bees could achieve this, apart from removing the impurities from Blood Ginseng, also lies in the integration of special spiritual materials like Centennial Pine Oil and Chuyang Spirit Dew by the Golden Marrow Bees.
With the talent of a [Brewing Artisan], the Golden Marrow Bees essentially draw strengths from various spiritual medicines and materials, avoiding their weaknesses, to create Golden Marrow Honey with optimal effects through ingenious fusion.
"According to this principle, using other spiritual medicines as the main ingredient instead of Blood Ginseng should also work..."
"Golden Marrow Bees are practically mini Alchemists!"
After gaining a deeper understanding of the brewing ability of Golden Marrow Bees, Qi Ping looked at these glittering golden bees with heartfelt admiration.
Perhaps there is still a significant gap compared to true Alchemists, and their limits are likely within the Qi Refining Stage, but for Qi Ping, this is already remarkable.
Those precious elixirs, especially those that improve physique and cultivation, are all exorbitantly expensive.
Even if Qi Ping sold that batch of Blood Ginseng he discovered, he probably couldn't buy much.
Therefore, the importance and value of a small Alchemist capable of continuously brewing honey, the Golden Marrow Bee, to Qi Ping is self-evident.
"However, Golden Marrow Bees also have limitations; they can only instinctively brew the best honey for their own kind. If there are other spiritual medicines and spirit flowers nearby, the effect of the honey they make will change accordingly."
"So if I want to brew honey with other special effects, I must first research with them..."
At this time, the usefulness of Qi Ping's [Brewing Artisan] talent became evident. With this talent, Qi Ping could fully understand the principles and steps of how Golden Marrow Bees brew honey, as this talent was shared from the bees themselves.
Therefore, as long as he leads and researches with the Golden Marrow Bees, he can actively create honey with various special effects.
Additionally, he can try to study how to maximize and enhance the effect of a certain spiritual medicine.
"Perhaps I can also build on the abilities of Golden Marrow Bees and my Brewing Artisan talent, and attempt to develop honey with special effects with the help of some Alchemy Knowledge. Once successful, the Golden Marrow Bees could gradually become my dedicated Alchemists..."
The only trouble is that Alchemy Knowledge is too precious, and this top-tier skill of the Immortal Cultivation Realm is beyond Qi Ping's current reach.
What Qi Ping can do now is to acquire some basic knowledge of elixirs and spiritual medicines.
Aside from Alchemy Knowledge, another issue in the future might be the Tier One Intermediate bloodline limitation of the Golden Marrow Bees.
This Tier One Intermediate bloodline is strong for Qi Ping now, but it is foreseeable that it will become a barrier for the Golden Marrow Bees to break through further in the future.
With ample resources and the [Beast King's Blessing] skill, the difficulty for Golden Marrow Bees to reach the late Tier One is not high, but the challenge to break through to Tier Two is considerable.
If the Golden Marrow Bees fail to break through to Tier Two in the future, the effect of the honey they brew will remain at the Qi Refining Stage. In such a case, when at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the usefulness of Golden Marrow Bees will be minimal.
Although at that time, they can entirely use the honey-making ability of the Golden Marrow Bees to earn Spirit Stones without worrying about being coveted.
However, Qi Ping is very optimistic about the future development space of the Golden Marrow Bees' ability, so he still hopes that the Golden Marrow Bees can continue to grow.
The Golden Marrow Bee is also Qi Ping's first animal companion, and naturally, Qi Ping wishes for them to accompany him further.
"Later, I'll find a way to enhance the bloodline level of the Golden Marrow Bee swarm!"
...
"Buzz buzz... (Boss, why are you looking at us like that?)"
"Buzz buzz... (Is the honey not good?)"
"Buzz buzz... (No way, Boss's aura has clearly become stronger!)"
...
The Golden Marrow Bees looked at Qi Ping, who was watching them strangely, and their little minds began to turn in confusion.
"Not at all, the honey is amazing. I was just thinking about how impressive you all are!"
Seeing these lively little ones, Qi Ping sincerely praised them.
"Buzz buzz... (Oh dear, Boss, you're making us blush with such praise!)"
"Buzz buzz... (As long as the Boss likes it!)"
Hearing Qi Ping's compliment, some Golden Marrow Bees twirled happily in the air.
...
After this little episode, Qi Ping began slowly transitioning into a new life of immortal cultivation.
Daily beekeeping, flower planting, cultivation, and Blood Ginseng cultivation...
The rhythm was similar to his previous life cultivation.
The major change was that previously, one box of black bees was enough; now, there were the more advanced Golden Marrow Bees.
As a result, Qi Ping also needed to plant more flowers.
Additionally, he needed to spend time and energy cultivating Blood Ginseng, which was quite taxing for Qi Ping's spiritual power and spiritual energy.
However, every time he saw messages like [Druid Level Experience +1] and [Plant Growth Skill Experience +1], Qi Ping felt his efforts were worthwhile.
Not only were there gains from the Blood Ginseng, but his druid level and skill experience were also steadily increasing.
This feeling of effort yielding rewards was very satisfying for Qi Ping, much better than in the past when there weren't many rewards despite all the hard work.
Aside from the increase in Druid Level Experience and Plant Growth Skill Experience, occasionally there would be [Beast King's Blessing Experience +1].
The increase in Beast King's Blessing Experience was because after Qi Ping cultivated a relatively abundant amount of Blood Ginseng, the effect of Golden Marrow Honey was continuously strengthening. With an ample supply of high-level spiritual medicine, the overall strength of the Golden Marrow Bee swarm was gradually increasing.
Both individual strength and swarm numbers were improving, leading the Golden Marrow Bees to have great admiration for Qi Ping as their leader!
The enhancement of the swarm's overall strength has been their greatest wish, and now, with the help of Qi Ping, their leader, this wish is continually being realized!
"Buzz buzz... (Boss, your talent is amazing!)"
This was what the Golden Marrow Bees expressed the most.
However, even though the overall strength of the swarm continues to grow, the speed of improving Beast King's Blessing is too slow compared to the speed of acquiring Level Experience, being more than ten times slower.
...
Compared to Blood Ginseng, cultivating ordinary flowers is much simpler.
Because it is springtime, the humidity, soil, and spiritual Qi in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range are quite good, providing an excellent environment for the survival of ordinary flowers. Basically, sowing the seeds is enough for them to grow without the need to use the Plant Growth Skill.
The only concern is occasionally managing pest control. Some insects, like flower-eating bugs and compound-eyed moths, can cause substantial damage to the flowers.
For these ordinary pests, simply harnessing spiritual Qi to kill them when discovered is enough, and Qi Ping is very adept at this.
Unless there is a large-scale pest outbreak that devastates the flowers before Qi Ping can discover it.
Such large-scale pest outbreaks are rare; in over five years since Qi Ping arrived here, he has only witnessed it once. At that time, most of the flowers on the mountain were consumed, and it took a great deal of effort from Elder Zhou to salvage a bit.
The losses that time were quite significant.
However, now that Qi Ping can communicate with the bees, he has already instructed them to immediately find him in any pest outbreak and notify the other Golden Marrow Bees to join in eradicating the pests.
But compared to ordinary flowers, cultivating spirit flowers is significantly more challenging...