Chapter 569: Miasma Bees

Tens of thousands of demonic ants swarmed towards them with astonishing momentum.

Wang Qingling remained calm. She took out four blue porcelain bottles and threw them towards the multicolored ants. With a flick of her finger, two beams of green light shot out. With four soft sounds, the four porcelain bottles shattered one after another, scattering a large cloud of pungent green powder. As soon as the multicolored ants touched the green powder, they immediately turned back and flew into the sea of flowers.

While a small portion of the multicolored ants flew back into the sea of flowers, the majority of them rushed towards Wang Qingjun and the others. Wang Qingjun and the others were about to cast spells to attack the multicolored ants, but Wang Qingling stopped them.

"Don't attack them," she warned. "If you do, you'll completely enrage them, and even the Demonic Repellent Powder won't stop them."

Wang Qingling took out five finger-thick pieces of yellow sandalwood. After lighting them, she stuck them into the ground around them, and an incredibly pungent, unbearable odor wafted out. When the multicolored ants smelled this odor, it was as if they had encountered their natural enemy; they swiftly flew back into the fiery sea.

Witnessing this, Wang Qingjun and the others were dumbfounded. Could a few Demonic Repellent Powders and some sandalwood really repel multicolored ants? This was truly remarkable!

"Tenth Aunt," Wang Qiuming asked curiously, "Is the Demonic Repellent Powder effective against all demonic beasts? What is this sandalwood made of? Why are the multicolored ants afraid of this smell?"

"Of course not," she replied. "The Demonic Repellent Powder is only somewhat effective against low-level, gregarious demonic insects. The sandalwood is an insect-repelling incense I refined myself. It's primarily made from Green Serpent Grass, with the addition of Pushan Beast feces, Three-Colored Python bile, and Spirit Horse urine. It's remarkably effective against demonic insects below the third tier, provided you haven't provoked them. In fact, if you don't provoke demonic beasts, they won't actively attack you."

Wang Qingjun was slightly taken aback. "Tenth Sister," he asked, "did you research this insect-repelling incense yourself?"

"Of course not," she replied. "There are ancient texts on this in the Scripture Storage Pavilion; it's just that you don't read them. Even if you did, I doubt anyone would be willing to refine insect-repelling incense. It took me several months to successfully refine the demonic repellent incense."

Few cultivators would likely be willing to handle demonic beast excrement with their bare hands, but Wang Qingling didn't care at all. She ate and slept with her spirit beasts and bathed them regularly, treating her tamed spirit beasts as family.

"Quickly set up the formation!" she urged. "Once the insect-repelling incense burns out, the multicolored ants will rush out."

Wang Qingjun did not dare to delay. He conjured over a hundred yellow-glowing formation flags, which expanded rapidly in the wind, turning into hundreds of yellow spiritual lights that disappeared into the ground around the sea of flowers. He then conjured a palm-sized yellow gourd, covered in spiritual patterns, which flew above the sea of flowers to serve as the formation's core.

"Winged Wind Formation, activate," he commanded.

Wang Qingjun struck the formation plate with a spell. Countless runes appeared on the surface of the yellow gourd, which then spewed out a vast cloud of yellow mist, transforming into a giant yellow bowl that inverted over the sea of flowers. A dozen thick yellow hurricanes appeared out of thin air, sweeping towards the fiery sea. Wherever the hurricanes passed, they stirred up vast amounts of flying sand and rocks, uprooting the multicolored miasma flowers. Yellow wind blades emerged in the air, descending like a torrential rain upon the sea of flowers below.

Three Foundation Establishment cultivators jointly controlled the formation. Within the yellow light barrier, fierce winds raged, uprooting the multicolored miasma flowers one by one. Large numbers of multicolored ants were swept into the hurricanes, and dense yellow wind blades slashed at them, tearing them to pieces.

Fifteen minutes later, the area within the yellow light barrier was a mess. All the multicolored miasma flowers lay on the ground, which was now full of pits and craters.

The sky suddenly darkened, and a scarlet fire cloud, hundreds of feet in size, abruptly appeared above the yellow light barrier. Wang Qingjun dismantled the formation and retracted the formation flags. With a hand seal, the scarlet fire cloud churned, and hundreds of scarlet fireballs shot out, landing on the ground like falling meteors.

*Boom!*

A tremendous roaring sound echoed, and a vast sea of scarlet flames appeared before Wang Qingjun and the others, engulfing an area of several acres with astonishing heat waves. Fifteen minutes later, the sea of flames vanished, replaced by a stretch of steaming scorched earth before Wang Qingjun and the others.

If this technique had been used from the start, even if it could kill many multicolored ants, the tens of thousands of ants would still have severely injured Wang Qingjun and the others. Fortunately, Wang Qingling used the insect-repelling incense to force the multicolored ants back, then used the formation to heavily wound them, and finally cast fire spells to annihilate them completely.

Wang Qingjun put away the Fire Cloud Flag and led the group forward.

In the following days, they encountered many formidable venomous insects. Relying on Wang Qingling's extensive knowledge of insect control, they easily eradicated these demonic insects. However, the swamp contained an overwhelming number of venomous insects and large amounts of miasma. Two Qi Condensation realm clan members were careless, ambushed by demonic insects, and died on the spot.

Nine days later, they appeared on a lush, verdant peak. They crouched behind a dense thicket, gazing at a massive cave in the distance, with large numbers of black demonic bees flying in and out. The black demonic bees were relatively large, with four wings on their backs and a pair of sharp, exposed fangs, making them look somewhat ferocious.

"Once we clear out the miasma bees from this cave, we'll have completed our mission," Wang Qingjun solemnly instructed. "Everyone, please be extra careful. Let's all return home safely together." He then continued, "To set up the Fiery Adamant Formation, the formation core must be buried in the center of the formation to display its maximum power. Qiumu, go bury the formation core."

They planned to set up the formation at the cave entrance, requiring the formation core to be buried nearby. Demonic insects are quite sensitive to spiritual energy fluctuations, so if one were to bury the formation core, they couldn't use a defensive shield, as it would otherwise attract the demonic insects' attacks.

"Apply the Ink Moon Paste all over your body," Wang Qingling instructed. "The miasma bees won't easily attack you." She took out a black jade box and handed it to a yellow-robed youth in his early twenties.

Wang Qiumu opened the jade box, and an unbearable smell immediately assailed him. Inside was a black paste. "It stinks!" Wang Qiumu exclaimed, frowning in reluctance. "Tenth Aunt, are you sure this stuff works?"

"The Ink Moon Paste contains some excrement from Ink Cloud Beasts," she explained. "It does smell a bit, but it's remarkably effective against demonic bees. I've tested it many times, and there have been no issues. If there's a problem, we'll rescue you; I wouldn't harm you. Quickly apply it all over your body. Don't forget how Qiujun and the others died."

Although Wang Qiumu found the pungent smell of the Ink Moon Paste unbearable, he still obediently applied it all over his body. Wang Qingling had already proven through her actions that she was an excellent insect controller, so when it came to dealing with demonic insects, they all had to follow her advice.

Wang Qiumu took a small red cauldron from Wang Qingjun's hand, cast an invisibility spell, and slowly walked towards the cave. Before long, he arrived near the cave. He carefully lay down on the ground, dug a small pit in the earth, and placed the small red cauldron inside. Almost as soon as the small red cauldron appeared, the black demonic bees sensed something and swarmed towards it. Wang Qiumu quickly retreated and ran off. Because he had applied the Ink Moon Paste and cast an invisibility spell, the demonic bees did not notice his presence.