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Chapter 245: Aiding its Demise
Chapter 245: Aiding its Demise
"Oh? A grade-three Qingyu Branch? Please come up, fellow junior, and let us take a look."
A spark of interest ignited within Lu Chen as he recalled seeing this rare herb, with its distinctive deep green color and coral-like branches, in one of the ancient tomes in the library. It was so uncommon that even Tianjian Sect didn't have the appropriate spiritual herbs for exchange.
The youth with a gloomy countenance took out a strange-looking branch from his storage bag. It was slender and deep green, with delicate branches at its tip resembling pale green jade that shimmered with a crystalline luster.
Lu Chen's sharp eyes noticed the minuscule cracks on the jade-like branches, so subtle that they could easily be overlooked. The cracks were incredibly fine, and the natural trajectory of the lines made them seem distinct from anything man-made.
"May I ask, fellow junior, how long has this condition been present on the Qingyu Branch?" Lu Chen inquired curiously.
"Less than three days, I'm not exactly sure. I only noticed it by chance today," the gloomy youth replied indifferently.
Lu Chen nodded, turning the grade-three Qingyu Branch over in his hands as his thoughts swirled. "What could be the cause? From the pattern of the cracks, external forces seem unlikely. We should focus on internal factors."
"What could it be then? The intrusion of an evil aura? An unknown insect? Or is the branch simply cracking on its own accord?"
"Have you identified the issue, Senior?" The gloomy youth asked impatiently, eager for an answer.
"Not yet, but give me a moment," Lu Chen replied as he continued to examine the branch carefully.
After another while, he and the other outer sect disciples who had gathered, still had no solution. The suggestions offered only addressed the symptoms and failed to pinpoint the root cause.
"Senior, if you truly can't find the problem, let's forget about it. I'll ask another senior for help later," the youth said, a hint of skepticism lacing his tone.
"May I try planting this Qingyu Branch?" Lu Chen asked calmly, seeking the owner's permission.
When in doubt, consult the system—Lu Chen intended to utilize his precise understanding of spiritual herb growth to experiment and identify the cause.
"That's unnecessary, Senior."
"I have a strong affinity for growing spiritual herbs, and I can roughly sense their emotions and needs. By planting the Qingyu Branch and using those spirit herb techniques, I might be able to make a preliminary judgment."
"As long as it doesn't harm the branch." After a moment's hesitation, the youth reluctantly nodded in agreement, intrigued despite finding Lu Chen's suggestion bizarre.
"Rest assured, fellow junior, I guarantee I won't aggravate the damage to the spiritual herb," Lu Chen assured him. With the owner's consent, he found an empty spot, performed the Earth Drawing Technique, and planted the Qingyu Branch into the spiritual field.
Among the many outer sect disciples who had come to attend the lesson, several gathered around, curious to see how Lu Chen would resolve the issue.
Lu Chen skillfully placed the root of the Qingyu Branch into a crack in the ground. He then cast the Spirit Rain Technique, causing strands of spiritual rain to seep into the roots and branches of the herb.
Focusing his spiritual sense, detailed information about the Qingyu Branch appeared in his mind:
Qingyu Branch, grade-three spiritual herb, rare and precious. Requires the essence of jade during its growth and can be used to refine jade artifacts like the Jade Ruyi, Jade Pendant, and Jade Slip for exorcism after maturation.
Life force is waning. The presence of hidden wood insects within the spiritual herb is causing its life force to deplete. If left untreated, the jade at the tip may gradually disintegrate.
"Hidden wood insects? What are those?" Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have identified the problem. However, he had never heard of these insects, and his curiosity got the better of him. He concentrated his spiritual sense within the herb, searching for these elusive pests.
"No wonder I couldn't find any traces of it. It has become one with the spirit herb," Lu Chen mused.
"Symbiosis... parasitism..."
Lu Chen contemplated, and suddenly, a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
"This Qingyu Branch clearly isn't a symbiotic target for the Hidden Wood Insect. So, why is there a presence of the insect within the spirit herb?"
"Could it be that someone deliberately placed the Hidden Wood Insect inside the Qingyu Branch?"
The more Lu Chen thought about it, the more convinced he became of this possibility.
Considering the passive relationship between the Hidden Wood Insect and its host, along with the short duration of the Qingyu Branch's abnormal condition, Lu Chen's suspicions grew stronger.
"If it was intentional, what could be the motive?"
"To disrupt my lecture?"
He could already envision the aftermath.
As a spiritual herbologist capable of teaching at the Temple of Merit Transfer, failing to address the third-grade Qingyu Branch's deterioration would reflect poorly on his reputation in the field.
"Who could be the mastermind behind this?"
Lu Chen's mind immediately went to the trio from the blessed land. He usually kept to himself and got along with everyone, so the likelihood of someone else being involved was slim, especially given the conflict they had witnessed with the Phoenix Tree.
"Using a rare third-grade Qingyu Branch as bait, they introduced the elusive Hidden Wood Insect, knowing that I wouldn't be able to solve the problem. Once my reputation is tarnished, they can use a specific artifact to lure out the insect, and the Qingyu Branch's lost vitality will quickly recover."
"To devise such an airtight plan within half a day is truly impressive."
"Unfortunately, they didn't anticipate that I would detect the presence of the Hidden Wood Insect."
A slight, imperceptible smile tugged at Lu Chen's lips.
With his ability to discern the immediate state of spirit herbs, he could easily identify abnormalities and devise countermeasures.
"By placing the Hidden Wood Insect into a rare Qingyu Branch with which it cannot form a symbiotic relationship, they had no intention of preserving the herb."
"Since that's the case, I'll give it an extra boost."
"Assisting in the Qingyu Branch's demise."
Holding the Qingyu Branch, Lu Chen channeled a thin stream of Pure Wood Source Qi from his little finger, infusing it into the spirit herb.
The Pure Wood Source Qi was imbued with abundant and refined plant spiritual energy, a delicacy for most spirit herbs and insects like the Hidden Wood Insect.
By absorbing this energy, the Hidden Wood Insect within the Qingyu Branch would accelerate its growth, merging even more intimately and deeply with the spirit herb, becoming indistinguishable.
Knowing the perpetrator's intention to strike at him and then separate the Hidden Wood Insect from the Qingyu Branch, Lu Chen decided to weld the two together irreversibly, thwarting any possibility of separation.
"Senior, I inspected it carefully, and I believe there's a third-rate Hidden Wood Insect hidden inside the Qingyu Branch," Lu Chen announced.
"However, it has been there for a long time. The condition is deeply entrenched, and it's unlikely that the spirit herb can be restored to its normal state," he added with a tone of finality.
As he finished speaking, a cracking sound emanated from the jade-like branches at the tip of the Qingyu Branch, and the barely visible cracks suddenly lengthened and widened, becoming clearly visible.
(End of Chapter)
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