Chapter 301: Upgrading the Nether Flame Insect Nest, Time to Harvest

Inside the Secret Realm, the Demon Beast Jungle was a vast, sprawling expanse, its canopy blocking out the sun.

Gu Yuexi and Chu Sheng transformed into a streak of light, speeding toward the nearest and most densely packed cluster of red bees visible in his Nether Vision.

Along the way, the air was filled with a nauseatingly thick, cloying stench of blood.

On the ground below, desiccated corpses of Demon Beasts could be seen from time to time. Without exception, all their flesh and blood essence had been sucked dry, leaving behind nothing but hollow husks.

Their deaths were incredibly gruesome!

Chu Sheng inwardly marveled. ’These Bloodthirsty Demon Bees are truly ruthless...’

’But I like it!’

Soon, the human and the mosquito arrived at their destination.

In a clearing ahead, a massive Giant Rhinoceros Demon Beast, the size of a small mountain, was enveloped by a vast, dark "cloud."

That was no cloud at all, but thousands of ferocious Demon Bees, each the size of an adult’s palm!

These Demon Bees were pitch-black, their carapaces gleaming with a cold, metallic luster. Their mouthparts, like sharp steel needles, were frantically piercing the Giant Rhinoceros Demon Beast’s body as they devoured and sucked away its flesh and blood.

"BZZZZ—!"

The piercing buzzing converged, forming a scalp-numbing symphony of death.

This Giant Rhinoceros Demon Beast was at least at the Sixth-Grade Early Stage, with astonishing Defense Power!

But,

faced with such a massive number of Bloodthirsty Demon Bees, it was completely helpless. It could only let out desperate cries, watching as its Life Force was drained away bit by bit.

These Demon Bees were several times larger than the Spirit-Devouring Worms Chu Sheng had tamed, and they looked far more vicious!

Just then,

the swarm seemed to notice the arrival of the two uninvited guests, Chu Sheng and Gu Yuexi.

BZZZ—!

The nearest batch of Demon Bees instantly changed direction. A bloodthirsty glint flashed in their crimson compound eyes as they surged toward the pair like arrows loosed from a bow!

Their fearless, frenzied aura was enough to make anyone with a weak will lose their nerve on the spot.

Gu Yuexi’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, and a chilling aura began to emanate from her. She was about to make a move and clean up this group of insects that didn’t know their place.

But just then, Chu Sheng, who had been perched on her head, suddenly flew up and blocked her way.

"BZZ BZZ BZZ! (Hold on, hold on! Let me handle this!)"

At this moment, Chu Sheng was more excited than a kid on Christmas!

’These are all Fourth-Grade underlings! Walking Qi Blood Packages! What a waste it would be to kill them!’

’My own Spirit-Devouring Worms took so much hard work and a ton of Evolution Points to advance to the Fourth-Grade, but these Bloodthirsty Demon Bees are already Fourth-Grade right here!’

’I have to recruit them all!’

He wobbled forward, flying alone to meet the thousands of ferocious Demon Bees swarming toward him, a sky-blotting tide. His tiny body formed a stark contrast with the enormous swarm.

The scene was like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot—a classic case of overestimating one’s own strength.

However, Chu Sheng’s heart was filled with confidence and high spirits!

He spread his invisible arms and, deep within his heart, faced the surging black tide with the magnificent air of a monarch looking down upon the world, and roared heroically:

’Absorb!’

’Come! My subjects! Throw yourselves into this king’s embrace!’

The result...

One second passed.

Nothing happened.

Two seconds passed.

Still, nothing happened.

The swarm in front of him, far from being sucked into the Nether Flame Insect Nest as he had expected, was actually flying faster!

Their ferocious mouthparts seemed eager to punch a few holes in his body!

Chu Sheng: "..."

’Huh?’

’What’s going on? This isn’t how the script was supposed to go!’

Refusing to accept it, he focused his mind again and roared at the swarm in his heart:

’Absorb, dammit!’

’Absorb! Absorb! Absorb!’

However, no matter how he shouted, no matter how he tried to activate the Nether Flame Insect Nest, nothing before him changed!

The swarm just kept charging!

BZZ BZZ BZZ!

The piercing buzzing was right upon him. The Bloodthirsty Demon Bees in the front row were already in his face, and he could clearly see his own dumbfounded mosquito-face reflected in their compound eyes.

At this critical moment,

Gu Yuexi extended a slender, jade-like finger and tapped lightly at the empty air.

VMM!

An invisible Mental Power barrier instantly spread out, forming a massive cage that enveloped both her and the dumbstruck Chu Sheng.

The Divine Thought Cage!

"BZZ BZZ BZZ—!"

The next second, countless Bloodthirsty Demon Bees crashed violently against the barrier of the Divine Thought Cage as if they had gone mad.

However, the Divine Thought Cage Gu Yuexi had deployed was incredibly sturdy. No matter how hard they slammed into it, they couldn’t budge it in the slightest.

The bees that couldn’t get in didn’t disperse. Instead, they swirled and flew frantically outside the cage. Soon, more and more Demon Bees swarmed in from all directions, wrapping the entire Divine Thought Cage in layer after impenetrable layer.

From the outside, it looked like a gigantic, constantly squirming black ball of bees—an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight.

Inside the cage.

Gu Yuexi didn’t know what had happened to Chu Sheng.

But seeing this dead mosquito, usually so arrogant and showy, fall flat on his face, she suddenly found it amusing.

A barely perceptible curve tugged at the corner of the stone-faced Empress’s mouth, a rare sight indeed.

On the other side.

Chu Sheng knew Gu Yuexi would intervene in time, so he hadn’t paid the swarm any mind.

His mind was still occupied with why the Nether Flame Insect Nest hadn’t absorbed the bees.

’I’m speechless.’

’What the hell is going on?’

’This shouldn’t be happening!’

’Could it be... these Bloodthirsty Demon Bees aren’t considered Insect Beast type Demon Beasts?’

’No! Their appearance, their habits... they’re clearly bees. How could they not be Insect Beasts?’

’Wait a minute!’

Just as Chu Sheng was racking his brain, a flash of insight struck him like a bolt of lightning!

’Holy shit!’

’I... I’m such a fucking idiot!’

He finally remembered!

’The Nether Flame... Flame Insect Nest... it’s already full! How am I supposed to absorb anything?!’

Although,

after its last complete evolution, the Nether Flame Insect Nest had automatically leveled up to Level 11, and its capacity for Insect Beasts had increased to 64,000.

But!

Those damn Spirit-Devouring Worms can reproduce on their own!

Without him even realizing it, the Spirit-Devouring Worms had bred another 32,000 larvae.

Because these larvae were too low-grade, Chu Sheng never had the time to cultivate them, and he had never summoned a single one.

Over time, he’d completely forgotten about them...

Therefore, at this moment,

the Nether Flame Insect Nest was completely full.

’No wonder I can’t absorb them!’

...

’So, what now?’

’What else can I do! Not enough Space, so I’ll just upgrade it!’

’Better late than never!’

Thinking this, Chu Sheng cast aside his embarrassment. He immediately sat cross-legged... oh, no, he crossed his six legs, suspended in mid-air, and immersed his consciousness into the system to upgrade the Nether Flame Insect Nest on the spot!

He just needed to focus on upgrading. As for the danger outside, Gu Yuexi would naturally handle it for him.

’System, upgrade me!’