Chapter 322 Solution

Lin Mao shook his head and said:

"There were no warning signs before it happened; it was a type of black aphid that I had never seen before."

The most alarming thing is that the pest infestation is still spreading.

The deacons stationed there tried many methods, but it was difficult to kill them; the black aphids could even temporarily resist the damage from the flames.

If the spread of the pests cannot be stopped, all the spirit fields in the sect that are not protected by magical arrays will likely suffer.

There are many spirit fields without the protection of magic arrays. In addition to the non-grade spirit fields used for planting spirit grains, there are also a large number of first-order mid-grade and low-grade spirit fields.

In the first-tier spirit field, medicinal materials for refining Qi Refining stage pills and auxiliary materials for Foundation Establishment stage pills are planted.

Ji An recalled the situation he encountered in Fallen Maple Valley when the demon calamity broke out, but he hadn't inquired about the specifics at the time.

"Let's go to the scene of the incident."

He walked out of the main hall, took out the Flame Banner, and channeled his magic power into it. He could control the magical artifact at a speed slightly faster than riding the clouds.

A cloud of fire enveloped the two figures, with bright yellow flames erupting as they sped northward.

Lin Mao was extremely anxious. If the insect infestation caused serious damage, the establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture would become a huge joke, and they would probably be punished by the sect.

Puyun Mountain is the ancestral home of the Chen family.

Chen Xingzhou bowed and said obsequiously:

"Reporting to Lord Xiong Ba, last night I personally released the black aphids within the Jinling Sect's territory."

If nothing unexpected happens, they're probably in a real bind right now.

This type of black aphid is very resilient and difficult to eradicate quickly.

They have a hard shell that can protect them from a lot of damage, and they reproduce incredibly quickly, producing a new generation every two days.

If they cannot be eliminated quickly, the entire Golden Spirit Sect will suffer.

"Haha, well done. The Heavenly Demon Alliance needs cultivators like you."

Xiong Ba laughed loudly, saying that the Heavenly Demon Alliance had used the same method to create chaos in Falling Maple Valley.

Now, the Heavenly Demon Alliance is simultaneously releasing demonic insects into the three sects. If all goes well, the fruits of the vast majority of the spiritual fields in the three sects will be destroyed.

These demonic insects are the result of years of secret cultivation. If they were to run rampant, the lower-ranking disciples of the three sects would have to endure several years of hardship.

Spirit Valley is easy to grow and matures in a few months, so losses are tolerable.

However, if low-level spiritual herbs are destroyed, it cannot be repaired in a short time and will have a far-reaching impact.

"Pay close attention to the situation and report to me at any time."

"Yes, sir! I have left some beasts behind to keep a close watch on the Golden Spirit Sect."

"I'm increasingly reassured by your work. Good job. Keep up the good work, and after you achieve a few more merits, you'll be able to obtain the cultivation method to break through to the Chaoyuan stage."

Chen Xingzhou was secretly delighted, but kept a serious expression on his face:

"It is my duty to share the burdens of adults."

His loyal and devoted demeanor delighted Xiong Ba.

This is the edge of the sect. A hawk circles high in the sky, but it is just a wild beast.

A large number of spirit farmers gathered in the spirit field, huddled together in twos and threes, whispering among themselves, their voices filled with worry.

If a solution can be found now, these spiritual valleys can still be saved.

Reduced production is inevitable, but it won't result in a complete crop failure.

Some of the Lingnong disciples were pale and bloodless; their spiritual fields were the first to be affected and are now condemned to a total crop failure.

If the sect's rent is not reduced, they will be burdened with debt, which will inevitably delay their cultivation.

Ji An controlled his magical artifact to land beside the spirit field. He saw swarms of aphids occupying the leaves and stems of the spirit grain, making a rustling sound.

That was the sound of countless aphids devouring leaves, converging into a wave.

A steward from the Ministry of Agriculture flew over, his voice trembling:

"Reporting to the two palace masters, the black aphids are spreading rapidly, and the affected areas are becoming increasingly larger."

We've tried many methods, but none of them have been able to kill them effectively.

These aphids can not only devour leaves, but also burrow underground to eat roots and stems.

They tried it, but it didn't work very well.

Ji An held several aphids in his palm and observed them carefully.

These black insects are two to three times the size of ordinary aphids, with mouthparts similar to those of ants and proboscis like those of cicadas.

After he grabbed her, she struggled frantically, trying to pierce his skin with the straw, but to no avail.

He looked up and asked:

What methods have you tried?

The deacon replied:

"We tried everything that could possibly solve the problem: burning, using the Sharp Metal Technique to kill it, washing it off with spiritual rain, releasing the Cold Wind Technique, using mosquito-repelling grass to fumigate it, poisoning it, and so on."

The Lingnongs themselves tried many unorthodox methods, but with little success.

A barn worker rushed over and knelt down with a thud:

"My fellow disciples, I beg you, please save my spiritual plant!"

Ling Nong's face was dark red, his face was covered with wrinkles, and his eyes were full of despair.

He rented twenty acres of first-grade low-level spiritual land from the sect and planted Fire Cloud Ginseng, which will be ready for harvest in two or three years.

These elixirs were everything to him; the Foundation Establishment Pill depended entirely on these ginseng roots.

He is already fifty years old this year, and if the elixir is not harvested, all his hopes will be gone.

Ji An used his object manipulation technique to grab the disciples and said:

"Get up, I will do everything in my power."

He was also a Lingnong, and he empathized with this kind of thing.

He unleashed the Sharp Metal Technique, and strands of golden light pierced the aphid in his hand, instantly calming the frantically struggling insect.

Ji An probed the aphids with his divine sense and found that they had all died, their life force cut off.

He blinked; things didn't seem difficult.

His magical power was rapidly circulating along a specific route within his immortal veins as he fully activated the Sharp Metal Technique.

Countless golden rays, finer than cow hair, flashed and shone brightly, illuminating the world in an instant.

The sharp and incomparable aura of the Dharma spread out, and Lin Mao felt as if a cold wind was cutting his face, so he subconsciously shrank back.

The Gengjin Spirit-Slaying Sword can also condense countless fine golden rays, but at the same time it will damage the spirit plant itself.

The meaning of "斩灵" is to annihilate life force.

If he uses the Gengjin Spirit-Slaying Sword, the only consequence will be that the dying spiritual plant will immediately perish.

A flash of golden light, and the black aphids that were frantically devouring the spirit plant immediately froze and remained motionless.

Just then, a cool breeze blew by, and to Lin Mao and the steward's astonishment, countless tiny black insects fell to the ground, leaving a layer of 'black ash' on the ground.

The deacon pounced forward, grabbed an insect from the ground, probed it with his divine sense, and exclaimed in astonishment:

"This...this is it?"

The idea that he could solve the problem by simply casting a Qi Refining stage spell made him seem incredibly foolish.

He also tried using the Sharp Metal Technique, but it had absolutely no effect.

Lin Mao bent down and grabbed a handful of insects. When he sensed that their life force had been completely extinguished, he immediately cast a spell on the spirit field next to him.

He knows the Sharp Metal Technique too!

If he had known the problem would be solved so quickly, he wouldn't have rushed to report to the Palace Master.

Golden light shone brightly, and countless streams of light surged.

The spell's effect completely disappeared, but the black aphids on the spirit valley remained unmoved, continuing to diligently devour the leaves of the spirit plant.

Lin Mao was stunned, feeling a burning pain on his face.

Although the Sharp Metal Technique is not a commonly used planting spell, he had practiced it to perfection and never expected it to be completely useless.

He knew that his spells would be less effective than the temple master's, after all, there was a difference in their cultivation levels.

His prediction was that only a portion of the black aphids would be killed, and several more spells would be needed to complete the operation.

To everyone's surprise, not a single aphid was killed.

'Should we cast the spell again? Maybe this time it will work.'

Lin Mao was torn. He wanted to try again, but he was afraid that the result would be the same as before.

That would solidify his reputation for overestimating his abilities.

Ji An, unaware of the many complex thoughts swirling in his mind, said in a deep voice:

"I'm about to begin the spell. Gather your men and check if any have slipped through the net."

After saying that, he began to unleash the Sharp Metal Technique with all his might, and under the flashing golden light, more than twenty acres of spiritual fields were enveloped in it.

Seeing him continuously casting spells, a crowd gathered nearby and came over.

Lin Mao shouted:

"Palace Master Ji has displayed his divine power and has already solved the pest problem."

"Disciples, listen to my command! Follow me to check if any demonic insects have managed to escape death."

"Lingtian is saved!"

The disciples cheered and looked up at the Palace Master of the Ministry of Agriculture, whom they had never met before.

The eagle circling in the sky flew away and quickly disappeared without a trace.

Ji An cast a spell on all the areas affected by the insects, by which time the sun was already setting.

The sunset glow, like billowing flames, illuminated the sky, creating a golden hue.

He gathered the barons together and said in a deep voice:

“I carefully observed the disaster area, and the spiritual fields where spiritual grains and talisman herbs were planted suffered serious damage.”

The Temple Master has decided to waive three months' land rent for all affected disciples.

If the loss is extremely severe, it can be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture, and after verification, additional relief may be obtained.

Spirit Valley will inevitably suffer a significant reduction in production, but fortunately, the losses in the medicinal fields are relatively small.

"good!"

"The Palace Master is wise!"

The Lingnong disciples cheered. According to this calculation, they not only suffered no loss from this disaster, but actually made a profit.

The only extra cost was three months of time.

Ji An instructed the steward to tally the affected fields and the corresponding tenants, and then observed the area at the edge of the sect's grand formation for a while.

He felt that the incident must have been caused by human sabotage; otherwise, such a severe insect infestation could not have ended without any warning.

Ji An rode the Flame Banner back to the Ministry of Agriculture, and Lin Mao said softly:

“Palace Master, your decision today is against the rules. The sect cannot bear the losses of these Lingnong disciples.”

The other party's decision was simple, but the Temple of Agriculture would fill a large number of contribution points as a result.

In his view, although the damaged spiritual fields would produce less, the disciples could fully afford such losses.

If disciples develop a bad habit of dependence, it will be difficult to manage them effectively.

"We can all see the strangeness of this insect plague. If we leave the disciples to bear the losses entirely, the sect's responsibility will be questioned."

I will report this matter to the other hall masters and carry it out.

Ji An said that he had to request the Enforcement Hall to strengthen its patrols around the sect's perimeter.

Today's events were clearly an attack, but the Enforcement Hall found no clues, which, strictly speaking, means they are derelict in their duties.

(End of this chapter)