Chapter 139: The Patterned Insect
Chapter 139: The Patterned Insect
Soon, the three of them gathered together.
"I've observed the growth of those Water Spirit Peaches, and from the outside, they appear completely normal," said Yan Ping, his ordinary-looking face serious.
"Indeed, there are no signs of pest infestation at all," nodded Lu Xuan in agreement.
"Are there any protective arrays set up outside the Zhang family's spirit plantation?" Yao Shi Jie asked Zhang Yutang.
"That... is not very realistic," the white-haired elder shook his head. "There are several hundred Water Spirit Peach trees in this swamp, covering dozens of acres. A low-level protective array simply can't cover such a large area."
"As for high-level arrays, the Zhang family's financial resources and strength aren't sufficient to acquire one of that caliber," he continued. "Also, given that the Water Spirit Peaches grow in this unique environment, with the muddy swamps and interconnected lakes, it's impossible to keep out various types of strange insects."
"So, we've only set up some simple mechanism arrays in the plantation to deter intrusions from cultivators or water beasts," Zhang Yutang explained. "There are also Zhang family cultivators who patrol the area regularly. That's the extent of the protective measures for the Water Spirit Peaches."
Hearing the elder's explanation, Lu Xuan and the others nodded in understanding.
"Does the Zhang family have any live specimens of these strange insects?" Lu Xuan asked Zhang Yutang.
The elder called over a middle-aged cultivator at the Qi Refining stage and inquired, but eventually shook his head in denial. "Any insects we found were dealt with immediately, and none were left alive."
"If Fellow Daoist Lu wants to capture a live insect, I can ask Cheng Ning to take you into the spirit plantation to try your luck," the elder offered. "He often comes here to play and has a good idea of the areas where these insects are most likely to appear."
"We'd appreciate that," Lu Xuan and Yao Shi Jie said, and soon they were led into the depths of the peach grove by a handsome young man.
"Senior Lu, are we trying to capture a live strange insect now?" Zhang Chengning asked, a curious expression on his handsome face.
"Yes, since we couldn't find any issues with the Water Spirit Peaches themselves, it would be best to catch a live insect and see if we can learn anything from it," Lu Xuan replied gently.
Of course, his primary purpose wasn't just to capture the insect, but to study its condition through captivity and thus devise a targeted response.
"This area is likely to be a hiding place for those strange insects," Zhang Chengning said, leading Lu Xuan deeper into the grove. He pointed ahead. "Over there."
Lu Xuan nodded and quietly approached a Water Spirit Peach tree. The leaves on the tree swayed gently, like ripples on a peaceful lake.
He extended his spiritual sense, carefully searching through the branches and leaves.
After a long while, nothing happened.
Lu Xuan moved on to another Water Spirit Peach tree, focusing his attention on it.
Suddenly, a branch of the peach tree lashed out like a venomous snake, but Lu Xuan was prepared. His spiritual power surged, and a tendril of verdant green spiritual energy, resembling a wooden vine, trapped the branch.
"So this is what it looks like," Lu Xuan murmured. "No wonder it's almost impossible to detect. It blends seamlessly with the tree when attached, becoming one with it. Only when it attacks does its true form become visible."
A flash of red light immobilized the insect on the branch.
"Which parts of the Water Spirit Peach does this insect feed on?" Lu Xuan asked the handsome youth.
Lu Xuan cut off a small section of the Water Spirit Peach branch and placed it near the insect's mouth.
Under the influence of the red-lined needle, the insect struggled for a while before calming down. The patterns on its body changed subtly, and if it weren't for the needle holding it in place, one might have thought it had escaped.
"Senior Lu, what's the purpose of feeding this branch to the strange insect?" Zhang Chengning asked, his handsome face curious.
"Know your enemy, know yourself, and you shall win a hundred battles. Only by understanding the strange insect's habits and state can we formulate an effective countermeasure," Lu Xuan replied casually, his eyes fixed on the small branch in front of the insect.
Soon, the branch disappeared bit by bit before his eyes, but the insect's body remained perfectly camouflaged.
However, Lu Xuan was no longer concerned with that ability.
He focused his mental energy on the insect, and suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
Mimic-Pattern Insect, a first-rate strange insect. Low reproductive ability. The insect's eggs parasitize spiritual plants, and the hatched larvae feed on the leaves and branches. As it grows, it gradually mimics the form of the host spiritual plant, making it extremely difficult to detect.
"It mimics the form of the host spiritual plant as it grows? That's interesting," Lu Xuan marveled inwardly, impressed by the strange insect's unique ability.
"Since it parasitizes the Water Spirit Peach, it takes on the shape of the branch. If it were to parasitize other spiritual plants, it would presumably take on their respective shapes as well."
"Truly, it becomes you."
Holding the half-dead Mimic-Pattern Insect, Lu Xuan returned to the group with the handsome young man leading the way.
Yao Shi Jie, Yan Ping, and the group of Zhang cultivators were huddled together, discussing something in low voices.
On the damp ground lay several Mimic-Pattern Insects, looking at first glance like nothing more than sections of Water Spirit Peach branches.
"Lu Shidi, you're back? Did you find anything?" Yao Shi Jie asked.
"I only managed to catch one of those insects; nothing else of note," Lu Xuan replied, keeping the information he had learned to himself for the time being.
"We also managed to catch a few, but it wasn't easy," Yan Ping added.
"These insects are indeed very stealthy, making it challenging to eradicate them completely," one of the Zhang cultivators remarked.
"The main issue now is to identify the species of the insect, understand its characteristics, and then find a way to locate or exterminate them easily," Yao Shi Jie said calmly.
Lu Xuan and Yan Ping nodded in agreement.
"These insects seem to be able to disguise themselves as spiritual plants. Perhaps we can use that as a starting point," Lu Xuan suggested aloud.
Even though he now knew the insect's species and survival strategy, he still lacked a solution to deal with the Mimic-Pattern Insects.
He didn't rush to share the information about the Mimic-Pattern Insect with Yao Shi Jie. The scale of the infestation at the Zhang family seemed to indicate that there was more to this problem than met the eye.
"Mimic-Pattern Insects have low reproductive rates, so it should be difficult for a large number of eggs to accumulate. Yet, in this Water Spirit Peach area, there are clearly a significant number of them," Lu Xuan mused to himself.
"So, is this large number of Mimic-Pattern Insects a natural occurrence or the result of human intervention?"
Lu Xuan wondered, knowing that the key to solving the infestation lay in understanding the Water Spirit Peach trees that were being parasitized.
"We'll need to find an opportunity to dig up one of the infested trees and identify the specific problem. Only then can we devise a solution," he decided.
(End of Chapter)
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