Volume One, Chapter Seven: An Unexpected Gain
After dealing with the queen bee, Yun Qianbai felt refreshed and comfortable all over, even the wounds on his body had fully healed.
He approached the cave entrance and observed closely, only to realize that it was the entrance to a massive beehive.
The beehive was enormous, pitch-black and bottomless, like the gaping mouth of a monstrous beast waiting to devour anything that dared approach.
“This hive is so huge, there must be something valuable inside!” Yun Qianbai stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He recalled the novels he had read in his previous life; whenever the protagonists ventured into caves, they always encountered extraordinary adventures, acquiring secret manuals and divine weapons by the handful.
After all, he was a transmigrator with a system at his side, practically a protagonist archetype. Perhaps this hive concealed some unparalleled secret manual!
At the thought, his heart pounded wildly, a surge of fiery passion swelling within him.
“Fortune favors the bold! Let’s do this!” He gritted his teeth and stepped into the beehive.
As soon as he entered, a rich, cloying sweet scent enveloped him, mingled with a faint metallic stench.
Yun Qianbai frowned; the smell was quite overwhelming.
Inside, the hive was vast and labyrinthine, stretching in all directions like a gigantic maze.
He proceeded cautiously, ever alert to any movement around him.
Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from ahead. Focusing, he saw a cluster of young bees clinging to the hive walls, greedily sucking honey.
Though smaller than the adult bees, they were still about the size of a fist and looked fierce.
“Perfect for practice!” Yun Qianbai sneered and launched a flurry of punches and kicks.
The young bees were no match for him and were quickly dispatched, dissolving into pools of greenish liquid.
“Ding! Young poison bee defeated, all attributes +1!”
“Ding! Poison value +10, strength +1!”
“Ding! Poison value +10, agility +1!”
...
The system’s notification sounds kept chiming, making Yun Qianbai feel stronger with each kill, his spirits soaring.
He ventured deeper into the hive, effortlessly taking down more young bees along the way.
“There’s nothing here but these young bees. Could my protagonist aura be failing?” he muttered as he walked.
Just then, he noticed a side passage sealed with beeswax, hidden and inconspicuous.
“There’s something fishy about this!” His eyes brightened as he hurried over and pried the beeswax aside.
The side passage was pitch dark, revealing nothing.
Yun Qianbai picked up a stone and tossed it inside.
“Thud!”
The stone hit the ground with a crisp sound.
“Looks like the space inside isn’t large,” he murmured, then carefully crawled in.
The side passage was indeed narrow, ending where something gleamed faintly.
Approaching, he found an ancient-looking book with four large characters on the cover: Poison Soul Heart Technique.
“No way! A genuine secret manual!” Yun Qianbai was nearly jumping with excitement. He quickly grabbed the book and examined it carefully.
At that moment, the system’s alert suddenly sounded: “Ding! Heavenly-grade skill detected: Poison Soul Heart Technique. Absorb now?”
“Absorb! Of course!” he answered without hesitation.
The moment he spoke, the book transformed into a streak of light, piercing into his third eye.
“Ding! Beginning to refine Poison Soul Heart Technique. Estimated time: ten minutes. Please wait patiently.”
“Ten minutes? That long?” Yun Qianbai was slightly surprised but then reminded himself that for a heavenly-grade technique, ten minutes was actually quite fast.
He found a clean spot, sat down cross-legged, and waited quietly for the refinement to complete.
Ten minutes later.
“Ding! Poison Soul Heart Technique refinement complete. Congratulations, host has learned a heavenly-grade skill!”
A massive influx of information flooded his mind. He closed his eyes, carefully contemplating the profound secrets of the Poison Soul Heart Technique.
“This technique is incredible—it can absorb toxins and convert them into soul power!” Yun Qianbai rejoiced. This skill was tailor-made for him!
Eager to try it out, he activated the technique, absorbing toxins from the surroundings.
Sure enough, he felt toxins being drawn into his body and transformed into pure soul power, flowing through his limbs and bones.
“Awesome! Absolutely awesome!” he shouted, the sensation more thrilling than anything else.
A bold idea suddenly struck him: “Since the Poison Soul Heart Technique absorbs toxins, what if I combine it with the system’s divine-level feedback? Could the effects stack?”
He immediately started experimenting, simultaneously activating the Poison Soul Heart Technique and the system’s functions, absorbing the toxic gases around him.
“Ding! Poison value +200, strength +20!”
“Ding! Poison value +200, agility +20!”
...
The system’s notifications came twice as fast as before. Yun Qianbai clearly felt his soul power growing at double speed compared to using the technique alone.
“No way! It really stacks!” He jumped up with eyes wide and a crazed smile, like a lottery winner hitting the jackpot. “This is double the joy!”
He spun around excitedly and punched the hive wall. To his surprise, the sturdy wall dented under his blow.
“Haha! Now I can get stronger lying down!” Yun Qianbai laughed heartily, his voice echoing through the hive.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. He muttered to himself, “The entire world is filled with toxic gas. If I absorb all of it, won’t I become invincible?”
His heart pounded fiercely as he envisioned himself standing atop the world, overlooking all beneath him.
“Wow, if that really happens, wouldn’t I become the savior of this world?” He stroked his chin, a grin creeping onto his lips. “But then again, does this mean ‘with great power comes great responsibility’?”
He shook his head, dismissing the chaotic thoughts. “Whatever—getting stronger first! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Miss this village, and the shop’s gone!”
Taking a deep breath, Yun Qianbai sat cross-legged and focused all his energy on running the Poison Soul Heart Technique and the system’s functions, ravenously absorbing the surrounding toxic gases.
Instantly, a massive vortex of poison formed around him, the gases converging like rivers flowing to the sea, pouring into his body with reckless abandon.
“Ding! Poison value +200, strength +20!”
“Ding! Poison value +200, agility +20!”
“Ding! Poison value +200, constitution +20!”
“Ding! Poison value +200, spirit +20!”
...
The system’s notifications sounded continuously in his mind as his attributes soared at an astonishing pace.
Yun Qianbai felt as if he were in a celestial realm, every cell in his body rejoicing. This feeling was even better than winning the lottery!
“At this rate, it won’t be long before I become the most dazzling figure in this world!” he thought with delight, a proud smile spreading across his face.