In just a few dozen seconds, the hailstones were completely burned away, and the worms inside were left without even a speck of ash.

Jian Ning looked up and saw the hail mixed with the gale still falling. Although she was a little worried, it was not the right time to use fire to kill the Gu worms.

With a wave of her hand, she added another layer of protection to the defensive formation, preventing the hail from falling into the courtyard. As for the hail that had already fallen on the ground and rooftops, she collected it all and burned it.

The same procedure was followed in Jian Anping's yard. Only after finishing all that did she feel relieved enough to return to her house.

Xiao Lingfeng went out and didn't return all night. It wasn't until the next morning, when the hail stopped and the wind died down, that he came back, smelling of smoke and fire.

Jian Ning's nose is too sensitive; he frowned as soon as he entered the bedroom.

"What have you been doing all night? You smell awful. Go take a shower."

"We organized manpower to deal with the hail that fell near the shelter. We burned it all night, so it didn't smell very good."

Just like you said, this hailstorm contained a higher concentration of Gu worms.

Basically, you can find a bunch of Gu worms in every three or five hailstones.

I'm worried that if we don't deal with it in time, the worms inside will come out and multiply even faster once the hail melts.

In that case, even shelters wouldn't be able to protect against them. These insects are so small and highly concealed; once they come into contact with a human, the chances of death are too high if they aren't detected in time.

"You're right, but it's almost impossible to find all the hailstones."

You know how big our base is. It's easy to deal with the hail at the foot of the mountain, but you can't possibly deal with all the hail on the mountaintop. We don't have that much manpower and resources.

In my opinion, it would be best to add two more lines of defense near the cave. Light campfires around the entrance and ventilation shafts, keeping them burning 24 hours a day, and add mugwort to them, to keep the animals as far away from the shelter area as possible.

This was the best solution Jian Ning could think of. Although it couldn't eradicate the problem completely, it could at least ensure the safety of the people at the base. As for where the Gu worms would go after they were driven away, that was beyond her control.

“Okay, I’ll do as you say. But do you still have any mugwort? Is it enough?” Xiao Lingfeng asked as he took off his clothes.

"That's enough. I'll have the housekeeper plant more; they'll be ripe in a few days."

My land is a spirit field imbued with spiritual energy, unlike ordinary soil. Come, let me take you there to bathe first. Everything will be prepared for you in a moment.”

Jian Ning pulled Xiao Lingfeng into the jade pendant space and went straight to the bedroom.

After watching him enter the bathroom, he came out and instructed Nalan Rong, "From now on, set aside a large plot of land specifically for planting mugwort. I need a large quantity."

"Yes, Master, we'll begin planting immediately." Nalan Rong simply gestured with his hand.

Suddenly, a plot of land of more than ten acres appeared by the river, and seeds were automatically sown. Then, a dark cloud drifted over from the sky, and a light rain began to fall on this plot of land.

In less than ten minutes, the seeds that had just been planted on this land began to sprout. Soon they grew into lush green seedlings, growing taller and taller in the wind. Before long, they had grown to about an inch tall.

“Master, this is all the growth we can achieve today. If you are in a hurry, I can accelerate their growth.”

Nalan Rong bowed respectfully to Jian Ning and said.

"No rush, I have enough on hand. Thank you for your help."

“Serving the master is not hard work.” Nalan Rong was actually very happy that Jian Ning could use him.

Xiao Lingfeng also finished taking a shower and came out of the house. He immediately noticed the newly planted mugwort not far away.

"Xiao Ning, you're moving so fast! So many mugwort seeds? You could probably produce several tons of them!"

"Don't worry about the quantity. Just give him some time, and we'll have as much as we need. Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat."

"Just give me two steamed buns, and I'll go to the shelter right away to dig a trench and start a fire as you instructed. We can't delay." Xiao Lingfeng knew time was of the essence. It was best to hurry.

"Here, take another carton of milk. This storage bag is full of mugwort. Don't overwork yourself; take a rest when you need to."

"You're not made of iron; I can't expect you to do everything yourself." Jian Ning handed him a storage bag, looking at his dark eyes with heartache.

"Honey, don't worry, I'm in great shape. I just didn't sleep all night, but I'm fine."

Xiao Lingfeng took the storage bag and steamed buns and ate them heartily. He then left the space with Jian Ning. After finishing the buns, he quickly put on his coat and hurriedly went downstairs.

In less than half an hour, Jian Ning could see the red flames on the mountainside from her balcony. It was fortunate that this was a mountain, where firewood was readily available.

There's no shortage of fuel; otherwise, it would probably take some effort to block these Gu worms.

The campfire burned for over a week. During that time, Jian Ning stayed home and didn't go out.

Even Jian Anping didn't let him go out; he stayed quietly inside the villa. It was the safest place there.

The temperature outside has risen to over 20 degrees Celsius by today.

Jian Ning went out for a walk and didn't find any trace of the Gu worms in the base before going home to let her family get some fresh air.

Also, remove the protective shield. Otherwise, Jian Anping wouldn't be able to leave the yard, let alone ordinary people like Uncle Li.

Xiao Lingfeng only returned for one night; he spent the rest of the time working at the shelter.

Jian Ning was worried that he wasn't eating well, so she specially asked Aunt Wang to make beef and radish dumplings today. She carried a thermos and delivered them to him on the mountain.

As we walked uphill, we could still smell the acrid odor of the mountain. It seemed that some of these Gu worms were fearless and charged into the fire, only to perish in the flames.

There was nothing that could be done about it; the shelter was filled with the smells of so many living people.

To these Gu worms, it was an unparalleled delicacy, so how could they not rush forward one after another?

No wonder there are hardly any traces of Gu worms at the foot of the mountain; they must have all gone to the middle of the mountain.

"Xiao Ning, what brings you here? You can't get through here, go around from this side."

When Jian Ning arrived at the entrance of the shelter, she saw Xiao Lingfeng standing at the cave entrance, helping to add wood to the fire. She only coughed lightly, and Xiao Lingfeng immediately noticed her.

He quickly walked over and pointed out a path for her.

"You haven't even shaved your beard. I'll bring you some food. Have you not been eating well these past few days?" Jian Ning walked over the fire and touched Xiao Lingfeng's face with concern.