Douluo: My Clone Is Groudon

After the flowering season had just ended, the osmanthus grove was carpeted with a layer of dried osmanthus flowers. The air was filled with fragrance, and a few beehives buzzed high up in the trees as silver bees flew off into the distance.

Tang San explained, "The Silver-Ringed Bees are named for the silver bands on their thorax and abdomen. The honey they produce is rich in energy, mildly warming and neutral, and has pain-relieving and detoxifying properties—it's a superb tonic."

"However, they're very aggressive, and their stingers are highly venomous. Just two or three hundred-year-old Silver-Ringed Bees can kill a Soul Grandmaster of the same level. We should steer clear of them."

Xiao Wu stared longingly at the beehives, recalling the taste of honey from her past. But times had changed—she couldn't afford to provoke a swarm of Silver-Ringed Bees now and could only stay far away.

As dusk fell, the forest grew dim.

"Let's rest for a bit. The Moonlight Worms will appear at night to absorb moonlight for cultivation. Don't cause any trouble."

Gu La also felt a craving for honey—he had never tasted it in this life—but now wasn't the time for indulgence.

The trio found an open space, set up a tent, and stayed low to avoid startling the Moonlight Worms.

When the moon rose high, its silver light bathed the forest, draping the osmanthus trees in a silvery veil. From beneath several broad leaves emerged a few silvery-white bugs that crawled to the brightest spots under the moonlight.

These silvery-white bugs were the Moonlight Worms. Unlike other insects that were often ugly and repulsive, the Moonlight Worms had noble bloodlines and an appealing appearance. Their silvery skin resembled a delicate gauze, giving them a dreamy cuteness under the moonlight.

Gu La activated his newly mastered Purple Extreme Demon Eye and combined it with his Appraisal Eye. The two ocular techniques merged in a miraculous way, blending macroscopic and microscopic perspectives to reveal all the information about the world around him.

"Near the beehives, the oldest Moonlight Worm is five thousand years old. It seems they've formed a symbiotic relationship with the Silver-Ringed Bees."

"The bees provide honey, while the Moonlight Worms channel moonlight at night to help the queen bee cultivate."

Gu La relayed the information revealed by his Appraisal Eye. He pointed to the top of a beehive two meters in diameter, where a palm-sized Silver-Ringed Queen Bee was nestled beside a five-thousand-year-old Moonlight Worm, emanating spirit power fluctuations as they cultivated together.

"The Silver-Ringed Queen Bee has undergone a mutation—its antennae and fur have turned silver, likely granting it moonlight attributes."

Gu La's face lit up with excitement. "The Silver-Ringed Queen Bee has seven thousand years of cultivation, and its mutated moonlight attribute makes it perfect as Xiao Wu's third soul ring."

Tang San hadn't expected Gu La to glean so much information in just a few glances, leaving him feeling somewhat ashamed.

He had thought reading numerous books about spirit beasts would put him ahead of Gu La, but now he realized how shortsighted he had been. His fleeting efforts couldn't compare to Gu La's innate talent.

"Big Brother…"

Tang San hesitated awkwardly as he addressed Gu La, but who could blame him? He couldn't match Gu La's strength, and it was unlikely he'd surpass him anytime soon. He had to accept his role as the second brother.

"We're no match for a swarm of Silver-Ringed Bees. Should we mark the Moonlight Worms' positions and ambush them after they finish cultivating and let their guard down?"

Gu La had initially intended to say there was no need—the Moonlight Worms' combat abilities before reaching ten thousand years were generally weak, and he was confident. But then he reconsidered—safety first.

Nodding, he said, "We can do that. Tonight, we'll meditate instead of sleeping. Before the moonlight fades, note where the Moonlight Worms hide. We'll hunt them tomorrow morning."

The trio sat cross-legged inside the tent, ate energy cubes, and meditated. The night passed uneventfully.

At dawn, the Star Dou Forest was quiet. The moonlight was thin, and a streak of white steadily rose in the east.

The Moonlight Worms finished their nightly cultivation, consuming the honey delivered by the Silver-Ringed Bees. Their mouthparts wriggled as they drank the dew on their skin before crawling back under the leaves to their hidden burrows.

"Move!"

Gu La gave a soft command, and a burst of telekinetic force shot out.

The enormous leaf carrying the 3,800-year-old Moonlight Worm snapped off, sending the silvery-white worm and the large green leaf spiraling through the air.

Using telekinesis, Gu La pinned down the Moonlight Worm with a force exceeding a thousand kilograms, suppressing its struggles.

Tang San threw out several pellets that exploded upon hitting the trees, releasing yellow smoke.

The pungent smell disoriented the Moonlight Worms and the swarm of Silver-Ringed Bees, temporarily disabling their keen senses.

"Go!"

Gu La transformed his telekinesis into needle-like projectiles, severely injuring the Moonlight Worm.

Xiao Wu quickly packed up the tent and sprinted ahead, leading the escape.

Gu La followed closely behind, while Tang San brought up the rear.

He continuously tossed smoke bombs he had made during his spare time, clouding the vision and senses of the spirit beasts. He also scattered scent agents to confuse the Silver-Ringed Bees.

With thorough preparation, the trio successfully escaped the swarm's pursuit and reached a nearby riverbank.

This was their pre-planned escape route. The bees couldn't enter the water, providing them a safe fallback.

After running for over ten minutes, Gu La showed no signs of exhaustion. He tossed the barely alive Moonlight Worm to Xiao Wu. "Third Sister, it's your turn."

Xiao Wu had mentally prepared herself and didn't hesitate to strike down a fellow insect-type creature. She retrieved a dagger from her storage soul tool and decisively killed the Moonlight Worm.

A purple soul ring slowly coalesced, hovering above the silvery-white corpse of the worm.

Seeing how easy it was, Xiao Wu teased, "It feels too easy. Can such a weak spirit beast really provide a soul skill that helps my martial soul evolve? Big Brother, are you reliable?"

Gu La lightly tapped Xiao Wu's forehead, exasperated. "Call me Big Brother."

After Xiao Wu reluctantly addressed him as such, Gu La spoke seriously:

"The vast majority of insect-type spirit beasts don't possess strong combat abilities, but they are the most numerous and diverse group of spirit beasts. With such a large base, a few anomalies are bound to emerge."

"The Moonlight Worm is one such anomaly. It can manipulate moonlight for attack, defense, control, and healing—almost without weakness. It's only drawback is its overly potent bloodline, which makes reproduction difficult."

"Over time, the evolution process birthed the Moonlight Worms, which inherit a trace of the Moon Worm's bloodline. These spirit beasts are incredibly weak before reaching ten thousand years of age, making them something of a disgrace among spirit beasts."

"But this is merely the Moonlight Worms accumulating strength. After reaching ten thousand years, they harness the mysterious power of moonlight to purify their bloodline and begin evolving back toward their Moon Worm ancestors."

"In theory, every Moonlight Worm has the potential to become a Moon Worm. After fifty thousand years of cultivation and undergoing five metamorphoses, they can almost certainly stabilize into Moon Worms."

Gu La spoke confidently, sharing the hidden information he had uncovered through his Appraisal Eye after observing the Moonlight Worms.

Tang San listened with great interest, curious about the inheritance Gu La had received.

The fact that the inheritance unlocked only when encountering specific things left him puzzled about the reason for such a restriction.

Xiao Wu remained skeptical, pointing out a flaw:

"How can it survive without combat skills? By the time it gathers enough moonlight to reach ten thousand years, it's likely to be eaten by other ten-thousand-year spirit beasts as a rare treasure."

Not everyone was like her and her mother, Aru, who had saved the young Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Ape. With their protection, she had safely cultivated to the hundred-thousand-year level.

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