Chapter 437: Guardian Spiritual Beast, Exceptional Promotion, Family Development

Chapter 437: Guardian Spiritual Beast, Exceptional Promotion, Family Development

Chapter 437: Guardian Spiritual Beast, Exceptional Promotion, Family Development
Qingxin Xiaozhu
In the courtyard, an old plum tree blooms quietly, and its petals fall in the wind.

Yu Qingru sat at the stone table, holding a bowl of warm elixir in her hand, and coaxed Ningning beside her softly: "Ningning, take another sip"

Ningning's eyes were dull and she didn't react at all.

She held tightly in her hands a wooden puppet carved in the image of a flying squirrel - it was the only thing she was willing to touch.

Yu Qingru's eyes flashed with heartache, but she still stroked her hair gently: "Okay, if you don't want to drink, then don't drink."

Just then, the gate was gently pushed open.

Fu Changsheng stood at the door, his eyes fell on Ningning, and he sighed in his heart.

It’s been six years... Ningning is still the same.

Yu Qingru noticed the movement and looked back. She saw that Fu Changsheng's aura was stronger than before. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes: "Congratulations to my husband for breaking through the ninth level of the Purple Mansion."

Fu Changsheng nodded slightly.

He walked slowly closer, squatted down, looked Ningning in the eye, reached out and gently held her hand: "Ningning, do you remember your father?"

Ningning shuddered violently and subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, but Fu Changsheng did not let go and just looked at her tenderly.

Gradually, her struggle weakened and a trace of confusion flashed in her eyes.

Yu Qingru watched from the side with red eyes.

"She... is like this sometimes." She whispered, "Sometimes she will suddenly become quiet, as if she recognized something, but will soon fall into confusion again."

It seems we need to have someone keep an eye on the Seventh Prince's Mansion.

Ningning's condition will only improve if she finds the whereabouts of the flying squirrel as soon as possible. Ningning has a heart disease, and her heart is closed. Only through the flying squirrel can it be opened.

Fu Changsheng held Yu Qingru's hand tightly and said, "Qingru, thank you for your hard work over the years."

Yu Qingru shook her head, not wanting to dwell on this issue, and said:
"Husband, in addition to taking care of Ningning, I have been studying the teleportation array schematics obtained from the Kunlun Secret Realm for the past few years, and I have figured out the general idea."

talking.

Put the medicine bowl down.

A ray of spiritual light gathered at the fingertips, outlining a complex array pattern in the void.

The array patterns intertwined into a web, flashing with a faint blue light, and gradually formed a miniature teleportation array model:

"My husband, the core principle of this teleportation array is to tear apart the space barrier, and to achieve this, the most critical spiritual material is the Void Stone."

Void stone?
Fu Changsheng had never heard of it.

Yu Qingru added:
"According to the records I have obtained, this void stone is produced from the space cracks in the northern border and is extremely rare. It can stabilize the space channel and resist the erosion of space turbulence. Without it, the teleportation array cannot withstand the tearing of the space force at all."

Fu Changsheng took note of it secretly.

There is some clue.

Then it will be much easier to take action:
"Qingru, what else do we need to build a teleportation array besides the Void Stone?"

"It also needs to be supplemented with meteorite iron to build the array base, using its toughness to bear the force of space; the phantom sand is used to reconcile spatial fluctuations and avoid deviations during the transmission process. But the foundation of all this is still the void stone. It is like the 'heart' of the teleportation array and is indispensable."

Fu Changsheng was secretly shocked when he heard this.

Because he had never heard of these three spiritual materials, it seemed that the major families did not build separate teleportation arrays, not because they did not understand the principles of teleportation arrays, but because a good cook could not cook without rice:
"Okay, Qingru, you can continue to practice this teleportation array when you are free. As for the spiritual materials needed for its construction, I will ask the tribesmen to help gather information, and I will figure out the rest."

It really doesn't work.

See if the Shadow Gate can be exchanged.

Coming out of Yu Qingru’s courtyard.

Fu Changsheng went straight to the mansion where Liu Meizhen lived.

According to intelligence reports.

Mei Zhen was pregnant for five years, and there were celestial phenomena when her youngest son was born. It must be extraordinary. He remembered that the intelligence mentioned that Mei Zhen entered the Yunling Pool in the Kunlun Secret Realm at that time, and the fetus in her belly absorbed the essence of heaven and earth in the Yunling Pool, so he was not surprised that there were celestial phenomena when his son was born.

The moment you step into the patriarch’s mansion.

Fu Changsheng paused slightly.

Six years passed in the blink of an eye in the eyes of the immortal cultivator, but when he saw Liu Meizhen's back standing in front of the planetarium with the baby in her arms, a strange sense of dislocation surged in his heart - as if yesterday she was still pregnant and sending him to seclusion, and in the blink of an eye the child was already one year old.

"Husband."

Liu Meizhen heard footsteps, turned around and saw that it was Fu Changsheng, a hint of joy flashed across her brows:
"Congratulations to my husband for successfully breaking through the ninth level of the Purple Mansion. He will be able to achieve the Golden Elixir soon!"

The smiling face is as bright as a flower.

Six years had left no trace on her face; instead, the majesty in her phoenix eyes was even greater than before.

The baby in her arms was playing with a jade pendant that sparkled with starlight. When he sensed a stranger approaching, he suddenly looked up.

"This"

Fu Changsheng's breathing stagnated.

He saw a bright red cinnabar mole on the child's forehead, and an amber spiritual light was flowing in his black eyes. What shocked him even more was that when his spiritual sense swept over, the spiritual power rushing through the baby's meridians actually formed a faint circulation!
"Husband, you are out of seclusion very well. Our Yuanxiao has not yet been given a name."

Liu Meizhen smiled and handed the child to Fu Changsheng.

Yuanxiao is not afraid of strangers.

Or maybe it was the natural father-son relationship, as she hugged Fu Changsheng's neck and laughed.

Fu Changsheng stared at the cinnabar mole between the baby's eyebrows in his arms. In a trance, he seemed to see the stars turning upside down, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowing around him. He stroked the baby's delicate cheek with his fingertips and said thoughtfully:
"This child was born on the Lantern Festival, and was blessed by the Soul-Pregnant Pond. He should inherit the destiny of heaven and earth. Let's call him - Fu Yongxing."

As soon as he finished speaking, the thousand-year-old plum tree in the courtyard suddenly moved without wind, and the falling petals formed the shape of stars in the air.

Seeing this, Liu Meizhen covered her mouth and exclaimed:
"The sky is showing strange signs, this is the secret of the famous contract!"

Fu Changsheng took out a pitch-black scale ring from his hand, with purple lightning flickering between the python patterns. As he made hand gestures and chanted a spell, the scale ring suddenly turned into a three-meter-long black-scaled python, with two fleshy horns protruding from its head, a clear sign that it was about to transform into a dragon.

"hiss--"

The black python was coiled on the ground, but its vertical pupils looked at the baby docilely.

Fu Changsheng placed Yongxing on the python's head, and the black python lowered its head as if possessed by a spirit, allowing the baby to grab its horns and play with it.

"This python was born from the essence of the Nine Nether Cold Pond. Back then, my husband fought hard for a long time in the Kunlun Secret Realm before he subdued it."

Fu Changsheng pointed his finger and carved a blood contract on the python's forehead:
"Today I grant you the Eternal Star, and in the future you will become a guardian spirit beast."

"Roar"

The black python suddenly stood up, and its tail stirred up a gust of wind to support the young master.

Wisps of black mist seeped out from the gaps between its scales, condensing into a black python mark on the baby's wrist - this is the life protection contract that only a quasi-fourth-level monster can perform.

He was born with a quasi-fourth-level guardian spirit beast.

It's not just the Fu family, it's extremely rare in the entire Great Zhou.

Liu Meizhen smiled and asked someone to carry Yongxing down. When only the couple were left in the room, her face became serious. She took out a scroll of spiritual jade from her sleeve and tapped it with her fingertips. Suddenly, a three-dimensional projection of Huizhou's territory appeared:

"Since my husband's seclusion for six years, the construction of Huizhou Prefecture has made three key advances—"

"One is that the three Qin brothers built Huiyang County."

She pointed in the direction of the Ghost Mist Forest, and a group of obsidian buildings immediately appeared in the projection:

"The three Qin brothers who married into the family emptied their family fortune, and with our help, they opened up Huiyang County outside the Misty Ghost Forest. They used the Yinming Black Iron as the foundation and set up the Nine Nether Soul Locking Formation, which refined the ghost fog within a hundred miles into a miasma to protect the city."

The projection switched to the interior of the county town, where fluorescent nether grass could be seen planted on both sides of the street, and monks were using special soul bottles to collect the remaining souls in the fog.

"The Soul Devouring Body Forging Technique created by the second son of the Qin family has trained 300 Yin soldiers, and the strongest one is comparable to a half-step Purple Mansion." Liu Meizhen's lips curled up slightly, "Last month, a Purple Mansion cultivator tried to seize the Yin Iron Mine, but was trapped and killed by the Yin soldiers. Now no one dares to attack Huiyang anymore. The spiritual stones and spiritual materials that Huiyang County pays tribute to every year are very considerable."

“The second is the industrial innovation of Wanyao Valley”

The scene shifts to the Fu Family Medicine Garden.

I saw that all the fruit trees on the mountain were bearing twin fruits.

"Yong Wei improved the 'Spiritual Plant Cultivation Technique' and doubled the fruit tree's yield by grafting the roots of the Ghost Face Flower. The quality was also greatly improved."

She took out a cold jade box, which contained more than twenty star-shining pills.

This was the number of Soul-Guiding Pills that remained after she and Fu Yongdan worked together to refine thirty-six Heavenly Soul Fruits into Soul-Guiding Pills and gave them to eight people.

Fu Changsheng had anticipated this.

After all, the intelligence reported who broke through the Purple Mansion.

Calculate it like this.

The current Purple Mansion combat power of their Fu family, including his thirty-six soul-eating insects, has exceeded sixty.

The first condition for promotion to a sixth-rank family has been met.

A hint of joy appeared in Fu Changsheng's eyes.

Liu Meizhen continued:
"The third is the development of black iron ore veins"

The projection finally stopped in an underground mine.

Thousands of mechanical puppets are mining the ore that glows purple:
"Three years ago, Yongyi led the people from the Detection Hall to explore and discover the Xuanyin Purple Iron Mine near the Lei Ze area. Now a fully automated mining system has been built."

talking.

One shot storage bag.

A flash of glow.

A piece of ore with lightning patterns flashed in his hand:
"Combined with the thunder refining method, that mine can produce 3,000 kilograms of high-quality spiritual materials every year. In addition to our own use, we have earned 200,000 low-quality spiritual stones in six years just by selling them to the Weapon Refining Alliance."

The family is thriving.

Everything is going in the right direction.

Fu Changsheng nodded repeatedly, but the external enemies were still there:
"Meizhen, is there any movement from Xuanxiao Sect?"

"Since the last defeat, Xuanxiao Sect has been secluded in the mountains, and nothing unusual has been found in the past six years. In addition, the mountain protection formation of Yuyao City has not only been repaired, but the defensive power is several times stronger than before. Unless a real Yuanying Zhenjun comes, otherwise, our Huizhou Prefecture can be said to be as stable as a rock."

in this way.

He felt much more relieved.

According to intelligence mentioned.

The beast tide in Jingzhou was more ferocious than ever before. Since there was no problem in Huizhou Prefecture, he planned to temporarily bring the main combat force of the clan back to Jingzhou to resist the beast tide.

When Liu Meizhen heard this, she performed a soundproofing spell and said mysteriously:
"My husband, I heard a little rumor in the Shadow Gate that the imperial court is discussing issuing a decree of favor. If the major families have outstanding performance in defending a region, or receive a mission issued by the imperial court, they may be promoted exceptionally."

A trip to Kunlun Secret Realm.

Let them taste the sweetness.

If they are promoted to the sixth rank, it means that they can participate in the division of more resources in the imperial court.

Fu Changsheng was stunned for a moment.

Because of what Meizhen said, even the information could not be updated.

However, if it is really as Meizhen said, it is a great opportunity for the Fu family. After hearing Liu Meizhen's words that Huizhou Prefecture has recruited many independent cultivators in recent years, Fu Changsheng still has a line of defense against outsiders, and said:
“Mei Zhen, please tell the recruited independent cultivators not to enter the Demon Control City, especially the inner city.”

It would be bad if other forces planted spies in and ended up colluding with the enemy from inside and outside.

Liu Meizhen nodded:
"Husband, please rest assured. Now all outsiders will be arranged first to Huiyang County built by the three brothers of the Qin family. Husband, since you have decided to return to Jingzhou, do you want to call the elders to discuss this matter?"

"Um"

Fu Changsheng nodded.

……

After a family dinner that evening, a meeting of elders was convened early the next morning.

All twenty Purple Mansions in the clan arrived, except Yaoyao who quietly set up a heavenly secret isolation formation in the secret realm of Yunshan County.

The scent of agarwood in the hall was mixed with the coolness of spiritual tea.

Fu Changsheng sat in the main seat, tapping the table with his fingertips, his voice steady and powerful:
"Everyone, the latest intelligence from our clan shows that the monster beasts at the border of Jingzhou are moving frequently. The scale of this monster tide may be the largest in a hundred years."

He raised his hand and a "100,000 Mountain Beast Tide Warning Map" unfolded in the center of the hall. The area representing Jingzhou in the map was faintly red, and several black air spread out from the depths of the mountains, forming a siege.

"Three days ago, the border sentry towers of the Great Wall discovered traces of three early-stage third-order monsters. The size of the beast groups far exceeds that of previous years." The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became solemn.

Fu Changli hesitated for a moment, then said after some consideration:

"Master, the strongest beasts in the beast tide were only at the peak of the third level before. We also built the Great Wall for defense outside the Ten Thousand Mountains. Huizhou Prefecture is now developing rapidly. If too much combat power is withdrawn, it may affect the foundation."

Fu Changsheng's eyes were slightly cold:
"A month ago, a peak level 3 thunder-horned rhino almost destroyed the Cao family's fiefdom. Now the intelligence has made it clear that there is more than one level 3 monster in this beast tide! If we wait until the beast tide breaks out before deploying troops, then the defense line of Jingzhou will collapse, and we will miss a major stronghold. Jingzhou is our ancestral land and birthplace."

"Huizhou Prefecture has a mountain protection formation. No one can break it unless Yuanying Zhenjun comes in person. If Jingzhou is lost, the foundation of the entire Fu family will be shaken!"

Fu Changli's expression changed slightly and he said no more.

Fu Changsheng continued:

"Not all of us will come out to support Jingzhou this time. Qiu Niang will stay in the Demon Control Tower, Yong Wei will stay in the Wanyao Valley, Mei Zhen will be in charge of Huizhou Prefecture and Jingzhou's general affairs, and the rest of the Zifu -" he said in a heavier tone, "all will follow me back to Jingzhou to prepare for the beast tide!"

There was silence in the hall for a moment.

Fu Changsheng took out a jade slip and unfolded it. A dark group of beasts emerged in the blood-red light curtain. A red-feathered Burning Sky Bird was circling in the sky. Among the wolves running on the ground, a quasi-fourth-level early demon wolf howled towards the sky.

Everyone in the hall gasped.

Fu Changsheng took back the jade slip and said in a low and firm voice: "The beast tide has not yet erupted, but the signs have appeared. This return to help is not an exaggeration, but a precaution!"

He stood up, and the pressure from the ninth level of the Purple Mansion was released, and the spiritual lights in the hall flickered.

"Send an order - three days later, except for Qiu Niang, Yong Wei, and Mei Zhen, all Purple Mansion elders will follow me back to Jingzhou! We cannot afford to lose this battle!"

Outside the palace, the wind suddenly blew, as if thunderclouds were gathering.

The elders clasped their fists solemnly and said, "We will follow the orders of the Patriarch!"

……

The light of the teleportation array gradually dissipated, and Fu Changsheng opened his eyes, and the familiar scene of Yunshan County came into view. However, there was a strange smell in the air, which made him frown slightly.

"Father!"

A hurried voice came, and Fu Yongqing walked over quickly with a rare solemnity on his face. In his hand, he held a special spiritual jade box, the surface of which was engraved with sealing runes, and a faint "rustling" gnawing sound could be heard coming from inside.

"Yongqing, why are you so flustered?" Fu Changsheng asked in a deep voice, his eyes falling on the constantly vibrating jade box.

Fu Yongqing took a deep breath and said, "Master, you came back at the right time. Something more terrifying than the beast tide has appeared in Yunshan County - spring locusts."

"Spring locusts?" Fu Changsheng raised his eyebrows. "They are just some pests. Why should we be so nervous?"

"No, Master, these are not ordinary spring locusts." Fu Yongqing shook his head, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes, "Please follow me."

Fu Changsheng signaled the other tribesmen to settle down first, and he followed Fu Yongqing to the backyard of the county governor's mansion. A temporary magic circle had been built in the yard, with a transparent crystal ball suspended in the center, and dozens of green insects the size of a fingernail trapped inside:
"About a month ago, I first discovered this kind of insect when I went hunting in the Shiwan Mountains. I found that they were in groups and could devour spiritual creatures. Seeing that I was powerless, I led the team back and captured one alive in a hurry. I imprisoned it in this magic circle. In less than a month, the insect began to reproduce automatically."

Fu Yongqing's face showed deep fear.

After swallowing his saliva.

Then he said:
"The larvae of these spring locusts initially only ate crops, but in less than ten days, they evolved to the point where they could bite through the spiritual power shield of Qi Refining monks."

As if to prove his words, a spring locust in the crystal ball suddenly opened its ferocious mouth, revealing three rows of jagged teeth, and bit the crystal wall fiercely. What was horrifying was that the crystal ball that was said to be able to trap a foundation-building cultivator was actually bitten into tiny cracks.

See this scene.

Fu Yongqing was even more frightened:
"Father, look, in less than a month, the spring locusts have evolved to the second stage and can even break through the foundation-building protective shield."

Fu Changsheng's pupils shrank slightly: "This is definitely not a naturally occurring insect. Have you tried to kill it?"

"We've tried all kinds of methods." Fu Yongqing smiled bitterly, "Fire attack, flooding, and poisoning are all ineffective. What's even more terrifying is..." He pointed to a corner of the crystal ball.

A spring locust was accidentally injured by its companion and broke into two pieces. However, the two pieces of the body moved independently and soon grew into a complete insect.

"They have the ability to split and regenerate. Ordinary attacks will only increase their number." Fu Yongqing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Yesterday, the Shi family sent a message saying that Xiling County under the Shi family's rule has been completely destroyed. The entire county town is gone, not even bricks and tiles are left."

Fu Changsheng was shocked: "How many casualties?"

"Fortunately, it was discovered early and most of the people in the county government evacuated in time. But the three villages and towns have already..." Fu Yongqing didn't say anything else.

At this moment, the crystal ball suddenly vibrated violently. The insect swarm inside seemed to sense something. They all stopped moving and turned in the same direction.

"They are receiving instructions." Fu Changsheng keenly noticed the abnormality, "These insects have group consciousness!"

Fu Yongqing's face changed drastically: "Is there someone controlling them?"

Fu Changsheng did not answer, but quickly made a gesture, and a purple light shot into the crystal ball, killing all the insects inside. Even so, a few insects still completed their last egg-laying before dying.

"Call all the elders for a meeting immediately."

Fu Changsheng ordered in a deep voice.

Staring at those insect eggs, an ominous feeling arose in my heart.

This kind of monster that can devour everything and reproduce infinitely is definitely not a simple natural disaster. If we can't find a way to restrain it as soon as possible, I'm afraid that before the beast tide arrives, the Fu family's fiefdom will be eaten up by these insects.

When Fu Changsheng returned to the meeting hall, the elders were already in place.

Everyone whispered.

I don’t know how urgent the matter was, so they were summoned urgently before they could even have a reunion dinner with their families.

With the appearance of Fu Changsheng, the discussions immediately dissipated and the atmosphere became solemn.

After Fu Changsheng sat down.

No nonsense either.

Just wave your sleeves.

A emerald green pod was suspended in the air. As a spell was cast, a curtain of light was projected out, clearly reproducing the horrifying scene of the spring locusts in the backyard magic circle - the entire process of the swarm gnawing on the fine iron, splitting and reproducing, and attacking the crystal wall, without missing a single thing.

"This..." Law Enforcement Hall elder Ouyang Fei stood up suddenly, his beard trembling, "How can such an evil thing exist in the world?"

The screen happened to show a strange scene where the swarm of insects suddenly stopped and turned in the same direction. Fu Changli, who was in charge of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts, took a breath and said, "Group consciousness! This is definitely not something that ordinary insects can possess!"

"Please read the last paragraph," Fu Changsheng said solemnly. The screen switched to a scene where he used purple light to kill the insect swarm. The spring locusts struggled in the purple light, but a few still completed their last egg-laying.

"Even your purple divine light can't completely kill them?" Fu Yongshou exclaimed, "This is a secret method that can kill the evil cultivators in the Purple Mansion!"

Fu Changsheng put away the photo pod, and the hall fell into deathly silence. Everyone realized that they were facing an unprecedented terrorist threat.

"According to Yongqing's report, Xiling County has been completely destroyed, and three villages and towns have been reduced to nothing." Fu Changsheng's voice echoed in the hall, "And what's more terrifying is that the evolution speed of these insects is far beyond imagination - from being able to eat crops to breaking through the foundation-building shield, it only took less than ten days."

His eyes were like lightning, sweeping over each elder: "If we allow this to develop, within three months, the entire Yunshan County will cease to exist."

"Master!" The elder of the Battle Hall, Fu Yongqi, stood up suddenly, and the fighting spirit in his eyes was burning. "Please allow me to lead the disciples of the Battle Hall to set out immediately to wipe out these bugs!"

"No hurry. If we strangle the spring locusts now, the people behind them or the insect king will bear a grudge against us and concentrate their forces to attack our fiefdom. That would be more trouble than gain."

Fu Changsheng turned and looked at Fu Changli:

"Fourth sister, I will hand over all the eggs and remains captured by Yongqing to the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts. You have been in charge of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts for many years and are most familiar with all kinds of spiritual beasts and insects. You should lead the disciples of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts to quickly study the weaknesses of these spring locusts, what they fear, how they reproduce, why they have group consciousness - all the information that may help us eliminate them."

"Yes, Patriarch." A gleam of brilliance flashed in Fu Changli's eyes. "However, I need the highest authority to access the family classics."

"Yes." Fu Changsheng did not hesitate, and then looked at Fu Yongqi, "Yongqi, you and Uncle Fei, lead the elite troops of the Battle Hall to track the insect swarm in reverse along its route, and make sure to find its origin. Pay special attention to-"

His voice suddenly sank: "See if there are any signs of human manipulation."

Fu Yongqi clasped his fists and accepted the order: "Yes, Master, Yongqi will definitely fulfill your order!"

"The rest of the halls." Fu Changsheng looked around at everyone, "The Medicine Hall is stepping up the refining of anti-poison pills and healing medicines; the Talisman Hall is preparing large-scale defense talismans; the Formation Hall is inspecting and reinforcing the mountain protection formation, and the Law Enforcement Hall is strengthening the vigilance of each city. Once the traces of the insect swarm are found, the people will be evacuated immediately."

He stood up, and a majestic aura naturally emanated:
"Everyone, the Fu family has been established for nearly a thousand years and has experienced countless disasters. Although the spring locusts today are treacherous and unpredictable, I believe that as long as the Fu family works together, we will be able to find a way to break it!"

"We will follow the orders of the head of the family!" All the elders stood up solemnly, their voices like thunder.

a few days later.

Fu Yongqi's boots stopped as they rolled over the soft humus of the Shiwan Mountains. The scabbard gently pushed aside a clump of ferns - the leaves were intact, without even the slightest trace of insect bites:
"Yongqing, are you sure these are spring locusts found here?"

Fu Yongqing was also somewhat stunned by the scene before him.

However, a month ago, the cicada tree, which was eaten by spring locusts and left with only a bare trunk, is now lush and green.

There were no signs of spring locust activity around.

So much so that he felt he had come to the wrong place:
"Brother Yongqi, we did find the spring locusts here."

talking.

He released the image in the photo pod he carried with him. It was originally used to record the contribution points of the disciples in the Hunting Hall, and also to review the hunting operations when returning to the clan. But it came in handy now.

hum!
The scene shown in the photo pod is exactly the same as this place.

Also.

There is also a swarm of spring locusts.

"How could this be?"

Fu Yongqing frowned slightly.

After discussing with Ouyang Fei, he ordered twenty disciples from the Conquest Hall to form teams of two and spread out to search.

Everyone took the order and left.

Fu Yongqi squatted down, pressed his palms on the ground, and activated the Soul Detection Technique. His spiritual power spread like ripples, but he couldn't even sense the faintest insect breath. This was too abnormal. Even the most ordinary forests should have ant colonies.

After half a cup of tea.

"Master!" A disciple ran over from the stream, his leather armor still stained with water droplets, "We found something on the rocky beach three miles downstream."

When everyone arrived, the stream was washing over an unusually flat rock. The surface of the rock was covered with dense honeycomb-like holes, as if it was pierced by thousands of steel needles at the same time. Fu Yongqing drew his sword and scraped across the rock surface, sparks flew from the friction between the sword tip and the rock.

"These are the marks left by spring locusts." Ouyang Fei's silver needle turned in the hole, "But they were left at least half a month ago." He suddenly narrowed his eyes, "Have you noticed that all the marks are on the east bank of the stream?"

Fu Yongqi's heart skipped a beat.

Indeed, the vegetation on the west bank was not damaged at all. It was as if some invisible boundary had suddenly stopped the attack of those vicious insects that could devour everything.

After searching for several days without any results.

“Go to Xiling County.”

Ouyang Fei sheathed his sword, and the sword guard made a clear sound when it collided with the scabbard.

The Shi family and the Fu family are also relatives.

Moreover, the Fu family is now the highest-ranking Shi family in Huainan Prefecture. If the Shi family discovers more information, they will not hide anything from them.

Three days later.

Fu Yongqi and his group jumped down from the crane.

The former site of Xiling County is now shrouded in an eerie tranquility.

The county town, which should have been in ruins, was now eerily neat. The collapsed bricks of the city wall were neatly stacked on both sides of the road, the charred beams were sawed into equal lengths, and even the broken porcelain pieces were stacked by color.

"Is anyone rebuilding after the disaster?" Fu Yongqing shook his head as soon as he opened his mouth. No craftsman would work in such a dead place.

In front of the ruins of the county government, several Shi family monks were inspecting. Seeing the Fu family, the middle-aged monk in the lead hurriedly came to greet them, and the jade pendant on his waist swayed with his movements - it was Shi Yi, the Shi family's external affairs steward, and Fu Yongqing's brother-in-law.

"Senior Fu!" Shi Yi clasped his fists, "Are you also here for the insect plague?"

Fu Yongqi noticed that the other party used the word "phenomenon" instead of "disaster". After he briefly explained his purpose, Shi Yi smiled bitterly and pointed to the back hall of the county government office: "The most bizarre thing is there."

On the foundation of the back hall, there were seven bodies covered with white cloth. When Ouyang Fei uncovered the first one, his silver needle suddenly floated up by itself - there was a bowl-sized hole on the chest of the body, the edge was as smooth as a mirror, but the internal organs were missing.

"It was done by spring locusts." Shi Yi's voice was dry, "But the weird thing is..." He lifted up the other white cloths one by one. The wounds on each corpse were exactly the same, but there was no trace left by the spring locusts.

It was as if none of this had ever happened.

Fu Yongqi's pupils shrank:
"When did you find out the swarm had disappeared?"

"At midnight five days ago." Shi Yi pointed to the northwest watchtower. "The disciples on duty saw with their own eyes that the swarm of insects suddenly retreated as if they had received an order. Wherever they passed..." His Adam's apple rolled, "even their own feces disappeared."

Shi Yi spread out a sheepskin map with the route of the plague marked on it: "From the Shiwanda Mountains to Xiling County, the invasion of spring locusts spread in a perfect radial pattern, but when retreating..." His fingers drew a few broken lines, "It's like they are consciously erasing the traces."

Fu Yongqi suddenly realized something and grabbed the brush and dotted on the map: "These are the places where the swarms have stayed for more than twelve hours." The tip of the brush connected to form a strange hexagram pattern, and the center point happened to fall somewhere in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Shi Yi's body was shocked: "Senior Fu, do you mean someone is controlling the insect swarm?"

(End of this chapter)