https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-486-The-Primal-Fire-Spirit-s-Transformation/12544581/
Chapter 485: Unraveling the Mystery
Chapter 485: Unraveling the Mystery
Huojing led Lu Chen and the others through the furrows of the spirit fields.
"The Flaming Soil is unique to the Fire Cloud Cave. Once transplanted outside, it gradually loses its fiery spiritual essence over time and becomes ordinary spirit soil," Huojing explained.
"So, to prevent this valuable resource from going to waste, the sect asked our clan to reside in the Fire Cloud Cave," he continued. "Fortunately, the environment here suits our lifestyle and cultivation, so we've lived here for generations. No one really remembers how long it's been."
"Most of the spirit plants in these fields are second and third-grade," he added. "There are also two types of fourth-grade plants, mainly fire-attribute spirits."
"Recently, some of the spirit plants started showing unexplained mutations. Our clan's spirit planters have tried various methods, but nothing seemed to work. We couldn't even identify the cause of the mutation. If we can't resolve this soon, our clan will suffer a significant loss." Huojing's face grew more worried as he spoke.
"Uncle Huojing, don't worry," Huolin reassured him. "Lu Chen is the most renowned spirit planter in Celestial Sword Sect. Even the elders who are Core Formation cultivators are not as skilled as him in this area. He was the first to discover the source of the Fire Essence Mushroom's mutation."
"With him here, I'm sure he can save the spirit plants in these fields."
"Lu Chen, we're counting on you," Huojing said, his eyes full of expectation.
Lu Chen nodded and moved forward to carefully examine the spirit plants in the fields.
Many of the spirit plants showed similarities to the Fire Essence Mushrooms, with black and red filaments inside their stalks. These filaments varied in thickness, ranging from as thin as a strand of hair to as thick as half a finger, and they occupied almost half of the plants' internal structure.
Lu Chen secretly performed the Earth Drawing Technique, causing subtle changes in the Flaming Soil. The roots of the spirit plants detached and then reconnected with the spirit soil, allowing him to quietly complete the transplantation process.
Fire Essence Mushroom, third-grade spirit plant…
Crimson Thunder Tree, third-grade spirit plant…
His consciousness focused on the spirit plants, and insights flashed through his mind.
"As expected, the root of the mutation is the same in all cases—that mysterious Magic Flame Insect," Lu Chen said, his voice steady. He turned to Xu Yong and Zhou Yunning.
"Now, I'll need your help, Xu Yong and Zhou Yunning," he said. "You'll need to cast fine ice-cold attribute spells on the mutated spirit plants. I'll observe their condition with my spiritual sense and let you know when to stop."
Casting ice-cold spells on fire-attribute spirit plants could potentially damage them, so Lu Chen's guidance was necessary to control the process.
"We're ready," Xu Yong and Zhou Yunning replied, their bodies surging with spiritual power.
A cloud of icy mist emerged from Xu Yong's body and drifted towards a nearby spirit plant, silently enveloping it. Upon closer inspection, one could see countless microscopic ice needles dancing within the mist.
As for Zhou Yunning, a miniature white jade coffin appeared before her, exuding an extremely cold aura. She pointed at a spirit plant in the distance, and the coffin transformed into a beam of white light, covering the diseased area of the plant. It then changed its shape to perfectly match the plant's branches and leaves, adhering tightly to it.
Lu Chen extended his spiritual sense, closely monitoring the movement of the black and red filaments within the spirit plants.
Soon, the spirit plant covered by Xu Yong's icy mist began to change. The black and red filaments started writhing faster, as if infused with a faint vitality.
"That's enough, Xu Yong," Lu Chen said softly. Then, amidst Huojing's eager gaze, he transformed his spiritual sense into silk-like threads and infiltrated the mutated spirit plant.
A black and red insect was slowly pulled from the leaves of a spirit plant. Stimulated by the external spiritual energy, the creature writhed unnaturally.
"Clan Head Huo, this is the Magic Flame Insect that has been causing the mutations," Lu Chen announced.
"This insect is extremely rare in the cultivation world. It may have originated from a foreign realm, as it favors feeding on the vitality of fire-attribute spirit plants. When it parasitizes a plant, it merges with it, making it incredibly difficult to separate them," Huoling explained.
"Forcibly separating them would cause severe damage to the spirit plant and could even kill it," he added.
Lu Chen handed the captured Magic Flame Insect to Huojing, who examined it with a mixture of anger and curiosity.
"So, this little beast is the culprit behind the troubles in Fire Cloud Cave's spirit fields!" Huojing gritted his teeth as he watched the insect squirm in his grasp.
He extended his finger, and a wisp of scarlet flame appeared, instantly reducing the Magic Flame Insect to a pile of black ash.
"To successfully extract these insects, we need a powerful cultivator skilled in ice-attribute spells to stimulate the plants and force the insects to reveal themselves. Then, a knowledgeable spirit planter like myself can carefully remove the insects while minimizing harm to the plants," Lu Chen explained.
As he spoke, he noticed slight movements in another spirit plant that was partially covered by Zhou Yunning's coffin.
At his signal, the cold and stern female cultivator retracted her transformed coffin, revealing a spirit plant coated in a thin layer of frost due to the mutation.
Lu Chen carefully extracted the Magic Flame Insect from this plant as well.
"The spirit plants that have been infested with these insects will need ample time to recover. They will require an abundance of fire-attribute spiritual energy and meticulous care," Lu Chen advised Huojing.
Huojing and the Fire Cloud Cave spirit planters behind him nodded, committing Lu Chen's instructions to memory.
"There might still be Magic Flame Insect eggs within the plants, so I'll need to inspect the spirit fields thoroughly after we've dealt with the adult insects," Lu Chen continued.
"I apologize for the trouble, Fellow Daoist Lu. Unfortunately, our clan's spirit planters lack the skill to detect insect eggs, so we can only rely on you to check the vast spirit fields," Huojing sighed, turning to the Fire Cloud Cave cultivators with a mixture of reprimand and disappointment.
"You lot, pay close attention to Master Lu and ensure you cater to his needs. If you fail to do so, you'll answer to me!" Huojing admonished them.
The cultivators nodded vigorously in response.
However, Lu Chen was unfazed by their incompetence and unconcerned about sharing his techniques. As he continued to inspect and cleanse the spirit plants, he sent a mental message to Huolin.
"Brother Huo, the origin of this Magic Flame Insect is unclear. Keep a close eye on the surroundings and try to uncover the instigator behind this. Whether it's an external force or an internal problem within Fire Cloud Cave, we need to get to the bottom of it," Lu Chen instructed.
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Lu. I'll be vigilant," Huolin replied gratefully through a mental message.
Thus, Lu Chen and Zhou Yunning worked together in harmony, slowly but steadily cleansing the spirit plants of the parasitic Magic Flame Insects.
With each successful extraction, Lu Chen's movements became more deft and swift, causing less and less harm to the spirit plants. It was as if he were unraveling a delicate silk cocoon, his actions graceful and natural.
(End of Chapter)
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