Astral Cockroach

"Ban Bu, are you, are you alright?"

"What happened to you? Why are you coming back from over there? Did you get lost? Did you encounter a battle? What's that on your back?"

"Bai Zhu, where did you get your combat knife and dagger? Not simple!"

As they approached, Princess You Li greeted them, her divine sense sweeping over them, noticing various abnormalities and a barrage of questions bursting forth.

"We found something good!" Bai Zhu took off the backpack on his back, opened it, revealing the dark, withered roots of a tree.

Ban Bu explained, "We discovered a large wreckage, as big as the wreckage propped up in the Orchid Mountains. Inside, there's a dead and withered God-given Seed. It's too huge to move."

"A dead God-given Seed!" Princess You Li's antennae twitched, immediately associating it with those ultra-high-quality Origin Power foods, and she asked, "What level is it approximately? Could it be higher than the Insect King's God-given Seed?"

"Yes, even higher." Ban Bu said, "Princess You Li, this matter is too important to publicize. We should discuss it with the Red Beetle King later."

"The treasure hunting craze has been raging for the past two years, so it's not advisable to make a big fuss. The East XZ is very hidden, so other races probably won't find it. Let's not rush, we'll come back next year to move it, little by little, slowly moving it away."

"Yes, that makes sense!" Princess You Li was somewhat dizzy from the heavy news dropped by Ban Bu, and subconsciously agreed.

Ban Bu said, "I overused my metal ability, opening three particularly difficult metal doors, paying a considerable price. I need to return to Li Bamboo Peak to recuperate, and I'm afraid I won't be able to participate in treasure hunting this year."

Upon hearing this, Princess You Li's heart jumped again, and she eagerly asked, "Ban Bu, you're not… having problems with your Origin Power veins, are you? Will it affect your lifespan?"

"That… maybe." Ban Bu said weakly, "My metal Origin Power veins are damaged and need to be repaired for a few months."

Ban Bu spoke quickly, continuing, "We won't hunt for treasure this year. Rat Overlord and Bai Zhu will also return to Li Bamboo Peak with me."

"Those 6 Origin Power crystals and the various Origin Power foods we found, as well as ordinary combat knives, daggers, metal materials, clothing, hats, backpacks… Princess You Li, when the Red Beetle King comes, please oversee the distribution."

"I just molted and evolved once, and the life seed I gestated can just be sown in the spring."

Ban Bu spread his pulse wings.

Rat Overlord jumped onto Ban Bu's carapace.

Bai Zhu quickly packed his backpack and jumped on.

"Princess You Li, I'm leaving first!"

Ban Bu gave a final greeting, directly flapping his pulse wings and ascending into the sky, speeding away.

"Gone… why so fast… a dead God-given Seed… severely damaged Origin Power veins…"

Having received too much shocking information at once, Princess You Li's brain was a little overwhelmed. She felt something was wrong. After pondering for a while, she finally discovered the key issue: that was wealth worth about 900,000 Origin Stones! The harvest of two bamboo rat warriors working hard for nearly half a year, all given away? That Ban Bu, stingy on small wealth but very tight on big wealth, suddenly changed his nature? Impossible!

If changing his nature was impossible, then he must be looking down on the mere 900,000 Origin Stones of wealth, and had made a fortune! He's carrying something on his back? He ran away with treasure? That's probably the case.

Princess You Li understood, confirming her guess, and couldn't help but feel annoyed: Bastard! Why run so fast? Would I steal your things?

Upon further thought, she still felt something was wrong. After carefully savoring it, the expressions of the two bamboo rat warriors were off. Ban Bu ran too fast, even more wrong.

"What treasure could be worth more than Origin Power crystals?"

…

Bai Zhu was constantly worried that Princess You Li would catch up. After crossing the Orchid Mountains, still not seeing any trace of her, he was immediately relieved.

"Haha, Princess You Li is so silly, she was dizzy all at once. She's the one who needs to strengthen her brain the most, haha!"

"Shut up." Ban Bu scolded, hurrying on.

Princess You Li didn't catch up, so he successfully fooled her.

Ban Bu was also a little proud in his heart.

…

Ban Bu had traveled back and forth between Li Bamboo Peak and the Orchid Mountains several times, and was already very familiar with the route.

He secretly landed in the Red Bean Mountains once in the middle, hunting to replenish himself, detoured, and flew along the Jin River.

He didn't directly return to Li Bamboo Peak, and didn't even enter the Jinping Mountains, but instead chose a mountain with abundant Origin Power in the Jinping Mountains.

Landing, Ban Bu began to assign tasks.

"Bai Zhu, go out and get some food back."

After speaking, he used his metal ability to create a small metal bottle, spat out the newly completed God-given Seed, put it in the bottle, stuffed it with some dry grass, handed it to Rat Overlord, and instructed:

"Rat Overlord, you're clever, secretly send the God-given Seed back to Li Bamboo Peak, give it to Da Tou, and let him sow it. Remind him, if other insect ask, say I left it when I left last year."

"Iron Saber Mountain Master, or perhaps Cliff Cypress Mountain Master, may be stationed at Li Bamboo Peak. Be careful, don't be discovered, and it's best not to let other members on the mountain know. In my current state, it's not advisable to show my face."

"Ban Bu, are you alright?" Bai Zhu finally couldn't help but ask.

Rat Overlord put away the things and asked, "Ban Bu, it's been so many days, why haven't you stopped… When will you recover?"

Bai Zhu and Rat Overlord both knew that Ban Bu's metal ability came from the metal core, but they had no knowledge of the magical abilities of Dominator Realm experts. They also couldn't understand the phenomenon happening to Ban Bu.

Ban Bu said, "In order to open those three doors, I consumed the equivalent of 5 million Origin Stones of Origin Power. You guys calculate carefully."

"So much…"

"Ban Bu, your ability consumes too much, doesn't it?"

Bai Zhu and Rat Overlord clicked their tongues.

The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ say ⊥ at ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥ ⊥ book ⊥ ⊥ bar ⊥ ⊥ first ⊥ hair!

Then they became even more worried: With such a large consumption of Origin Power, it would be too difficult to replenish it!

Ban Bu waved his antennae and said, "Rat Overlord, be quick, return to Li Bamboo Peak once, and come back to find me immediately. I still have things to arrange for you and Bai Zhu to do."

"Okay!" Rat Overlord agreed, quickly running into the forest and disappearing.

"Ban Bu, should I go hunting?" Bai Zhu asked.

"Nonsense, should I go?" Ban Bu was dissatisfied. Bai Zhu was too timid. Now that he was at least at the Mountain Master level, he was still dawdling even when hunting ordinary beasts.

"Oh, hunting…"

Bai Zhu put down his backpack, thought for a while, took off his hat, thought again, took off his clothes and pants, threw away his dagger and saber, and said, "Ban Bu, I'm going hunting first."

"Yes." Ban Bu gently nodded his antennae.

Bai Zhu wasn't stupid. He knew that in a real fight, the clothes and hats on his body were a burden, the saber and dagger were not very practical, and his innate claws and teeth were the best weapons, and the metal ability was his greatest reliance.

…

With the high abundance of natural Origin Power, the speed of recovery of Ban Bu's heart supernatural power veins was fast.

The absorption rate was too fast, and an Origin Power vacuum zone formed around his body. Constantly walking slowly could maintain the recovery rate at a peak.

Even so, in a day, he could still only absorb the equivalent of 100,000 Origin Stones of Origin Power.

The Origin Power concentration of the mountain was not enough, so Ban Bu sent Bai Zhu out to find a better resting place in the Jinping Mountains.

Eight days later, Rat Overlord returned.

Bai Zhu also found a good place with abundant Origin Power.

They moved their position and dug out a resting cave.

After a busy time, Ban Bu summoned Rat Overlord and Bai Zhu.

"Rat Overlord, Bai Zhu, you haven't forgotten the 'Soul Grasping Secret Technique' I taught you, have you?"

Rat Overlord replied, "Of course not."

Bai Zhu grinned, his eyes rolling around, and said, "Ban Bu, I forgot a lot of things when I strengthened my brain last time, including the 'Soul Grasping Secret Technique'."

"Forgetting is forgetting, stop talking nonsense!" Ban Bu said, "What I taught you last time was just the introductory prelude to the secret technique cultivation, not even the introductory chapter."

"I will now teach you the complete first layer, don't forget it again… Remember, without my permission, you must not spread it, and you must not use it."

Rat Overlord asked, "Ban Bu, is there any problem with the 'Soul Grasping Secret Technique'?"

"Problem? There is no problem." Ban Bu said seriously, "However, this thing is too vicious. Once it is discovered by knowledgeable insect warriors, I am afraid that your two guys will not be allowed to exist, including the elders of the Red Beetle tribe."

"Bai Zhu, come here, I will teach it to you first."