Hearing this, Xu Chuan smiled gently.
"Stop joking around. Let's get down to business."
Xu Mingshu restrained her smile and nodded slightly, then began communicating with all the spirit insects within the mist array.
The spirit insects in the array seemed to receive some signal and flew toward one location.
Buzz buzz buzz~
Over a thousand spirit insects instantly gathered around Xu Mingshu.
These low-level spirit insects had low intelligence. A little divine sense interference made them unable to discern direction, and communicating with them was quite troublesome.
Xu Mingshu also expended considerable effort before learning some information.
Such as "Insect Queen," "food," "hungry."
Based on these fragments, Xu Chuan also deduced the beginning and end.
"I estimate this insect queen has awakened from a long slumber, just like your Iron-Devouring Flying Ants. Under special circumstances, they can sleep for hundreds of years without dying.
Although individually weak, they all have some peculiar abilities that we can't match.
It seems this insect queen awakened and wants to grow, so it bred quite a few of these low-level spirit insects to go out and search for spirit objects.
The insect queen's strength may not be particularly strong, but its intelligence is definitely not weak, and it has a special status among spirit insects."
Xu Chuan looked at Xu Mingshu and smiled faintly, "You only need to control one insect queen, and you'll have an army of tens of thousands of spirit insects."
Xu Mingshu's eyes shot out brilliant light, full of anticipation.
"Of course, from these low-level spirit insects it hatched, we can also see that this insect queen probably doesn't reach the level of ancient rare insects. However, if you obtain it and carefully cultivate it, you should be able to help it improve rapidly."
"Father, shall we go find that insect queen now?"
"No rush. Let it cause trouble in Yuehu Commandery for a while first. By the way, can you tell what kind of spirit insect this is, its habits, and what it fears?"
Only then did Xu Mingshu catch one to observe carefully. "These aren't adult insects yet. If they reach adulthood, Postnatal martial artists basically can't harm them.
They have antennae on their heads, shells on their backs, and faint red spots on the shells. They should be Red-Spotted Spirit Insects.
This type of spirit insect is quite common. Their shells are hard and can resist blades and swords. They have some resistance to flames. When the red spots become obvious, it means they've reached adulthood.
They like to eat the leaves and stalks of spirit rice, and will also gnaw on the branches and leaves of spirit medicines."
"What other characteristics?"
"Red-Spotted Spirit Insects are distinguished by the number of red spots on their shells to determine strength. The stronger they are, the more spots they have. The highest seems to be seven spots, comparable to late Qi Refining.
However, those that can reach Seven-Star Red-Spotted Insects seem extremely rare."
Seven-spotted ladybugs?!
Xu Mingshu examined quite a few more. Among these spirit insects, some were adults and some were larvae.
"Red-Spotted Insects have average growth potential. What about the insect queen?"
"According to records, Red-Spotted Insect queens are quite rare. Many in Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment are willing to cultivate one. At most they can be cultivated to Foundation Establishment stage.
The offspring produced by a Foundation Establishment Red-Spotted Insect queen start as Three-Star Red-Spotted Insects, reach five stars at maturity, and with slight cultivation reaching seven stars isn't difficult.
This is the true value of the Red-Spotted Insect queen. Without an insect queen, it's extremely difficult for Red-Spotted Insects to grow to seven stars."
Hearing this, Xu Chuan nodded slightly and smiled faintly, "That's not bad then. By the way, Mingshu, you haven't said what they dislike or fear yet."
"Well, I'm not too clear about that either." Xu Mingshu scratched her head. "That half volume of the Insect Control Scripture didn't record it in such detail. I imagine low-tier immortal cultivators can easily kill them."
After pondering for a moment, Xu Chuan said, "Later you control one larva and come with me to the medicine garden first to see what it likes and what it will avoid."
"Good idea!" Xu Mingshu's eyes brightened.
"What about these spirit insects?"
"If left unmanaged, some will inevitably stumble through the mist array's interference.
Find an iron box, place some spirit rice leaves in it, lure them in and trap them there first. They don't have the Iron-Devouring Flying Ants' ability and can't escape. Later they can be used for my experiments."
"What Father says makes sense. Your daughter will trap them first, then come find you at the medicine garden."
Xu Chuan nodded slightly and left first for the medicine garden with mundane medicinal materials.
About the time it takes to burn a stick of incense later.
Xu Mingshu flew over. If one looked carefully, two insects about a third the size of a fingernail were perched on her shoulder.
"Father, I selected one larva and one adult."
"Good, you're making progress."
The two then began experimenting.
In the vast medicine garden with hundreds of different types of mundane medicinal materials, the larvae disliked three types and would fly away when encountering them, while the adults would not.
Next was the spirit medicine garden.
Both larvae and adults liked most of them. A small portion they could barely eat. Only one type, whether larvae or adults, they absolutely didn't dare approach.
When forcibly approached, their entire bodies would lose strength and they would fall directly to the nearby ground.
"Father, what kind of spirit herb is this?" After retrieving the spirit insects, Xu Mingshu asked curiously.
"Fish mint grass. It has a slightly pungent stimulating odor. It's a neutral spirit herb with multiple weak effects like foundation nourishment, detoxification, and healing.
Quite a few ordinary pill formulas use it."
Xu Mingshu leaned closer to smell and indeed there was an unpleasant odor that made one involuntarily frown. Looking at Xu Chuan, she saw he was also frowning in thought and asked curiously, "Father, what are you still worried about? Haven't we found the spirit herb that restrains Red-Spotted Insects?"
"The restraint is a bit too strong. If others know about this and use it to counter them, then even if you control this insect swarm, its use won't be great."
Hearing this, Xu Mingshu also fell silent.
"The stimulating smell means even mundane pill refiners could identify this spirit herb by its smell. I'll try mixing other spirit herbs that Red-Spotted Insects dislike with trace amounts of fish mint grass juice to refine a colorless, odorless medicinal solution."
"Nothing can stump Father." Xu Mingshu's lips curved as she smiled brightly.
"However, I also have a question. Since all things generate and restrain each other, I wonder if consuming fish mint grass could promote the growth of Red-Spotted Insects." As Xu Chuan spoke, he looked at Xu Mingshu. "After you control the Red-Spotted Insect swarm in the future, try it out. You might have some gains."
"Yes, Father."
Over the next few days, Xu Chuan was busy mixing this solution, then having Xu Mingshu assist with experiments.
In just a short time, he had experimented dozens of times.
Two more days later, he finally achieved results.
During this period, more and more Red-Spotted Insects appeared around the commandery city. Quite a few families' spirit fields suffered, with many spirit rice stalks gnawed at, basically unable to be saved.
Even when the Zhou family dispatched several immortal cultivators to guard, quite a few still suffered from the insect plague.
These Red-Spotted Insects numbered only hundreds to thousands per family, and most were still larvae, very easy for immortal cultivators to kill.
It was fine if they were discovered early, but if through a careless moment they entered the rice paddies, that would be extremely troublesome.
With one inattentive moment, the spirit rice would be damaged by one's own techniques.
To kill such tiny spirit insects while not damaging the spirit rice, probably only those among immortal cultivators who had reached the limit of fine control could accomplish it.
However, immortal cultivators usually wouldn't study such moves. Most pursued power and area attacks.
Each family suffered losses in one wave. To avoid expanding the damage, they almost day and night dispatched their family's immortal cultivators to take turns watching until the remaining spirit rice matured.
If it were in the past when aged rice could be used for taxes, families might not be so tense. But now who knew if the next time would follow the same rules as the last Imperial City envoy?
If the spirit rice catties were insufficient, ten times the resources would be needed to make up for it and the larger the spirit field scale, the more immortal cultivators needed for guarding. They had almost nothing else to do and could only guard here.
This was extremely disadvantageous for family personnel arrangements and development.
The Zhou family was also extremely troubled by this.
They caught some and had Zhou Sen research them to see if he could find a method of repelling them.
Zhou Sen didn't understand spirit insects and could only use the most foolish method, like a headless fly randomly trying things continuously.
Half a month later he also gained nothing.
"Family Head, trying to restrain these spirit insects without understanding insect control is harder than ascending to heaven. I heard that Xu Mingshu of the Xu family seems to know a bit of beast control. Why not go consult her? Even if we gain nothing, I'd like to exchange ideas with Fellow Daoist Xu."
Hearing this, Zhou Shaoyuan thought for a moment and said, "Then go. I imagine the Xu family's spirit fields also suffered severe damage in this insect plague.
The ancestor values the Xu family highly. Offering assistance to the Xu family at this time can make them remember this favor."
Zhou Sen nodded slightly.
Soon after, he departed for Dongxi.
The Dongxi territory was still shrouded in mist, excessively quiet and peaceful.
"Elder Zhou Sen, why did you come to our Dongxi today?" The patrol guard came out to look. Seeing it was Zhou Sen visiting, they immediately bowed with cupped hands, not daring to be negligent.
"Is your Grand Elder home?"
"He is."
"Lead me in."
"Yes."
After Zhou Sen entered Dongxi, he stepped on his sword and soared into the sky, suddenly feeling that Dongxi seemed to have quite a few changes from his previous visit.
"The Xu family has started developing into the mountains?" Looking into the distance, Zhou Sen discovered quite a few mountain peaks all had palaces and halls erected on them.
"That makes sense. Having become an immortal cultivation family, naturally they can't mix with mundane people day and night."
Many families were like this, with clan immortal cultivators living in one place, separate from mundane family descendants.
"However, which mountain peak should this old man go to find people?"
After muttering for a while, Zhou Sen landed on the ground and after asking the patrol guard captain, he roughly pointed out the mountain peak where the Immortal Arts Hall was located.
Zhou Sen nodded slightly and flew toward the Immortal Arts Hall. However, he again encountered an array barrier. A faint light screen appeared, leaving him somewhat stunned.
Did it have to be like this?
This array barrier seemed not very strong in defense. He felt he could break through it with one strike, but in someone else's clan territory that would be greatly disrespectful.
Seeing guards stationed at the mountain base, he flew toward them.
"Elder Zhou Sen." The two also recognized him and immediately bowed.
"This old man has come to visit your Grand Elder. Help me open the array restriction."
"Yes."
One of them quickly took out a jade token and pressed it against the array light screen. The screen immediately opened a huge gap allowing passage.
"Elder Zhou Sen, please."
Zhou Sen felt tired, his face expressionless as he went up the mountain toward the Immortal Arts Hall.
He felt like he was visiting a superior clan, having to pass through layer after layer of checkpoints and restrictions.
Who was the Foundation Establishment family here anyway?!
Arriving at the plaza in front of the Immortal Arts Hall, Zhou Sen transmitted, "Fellow Daoist Xu, this old man Zhou Sen has come to visit. May I see you?"
Hearing this, Xu Chuan turned his head to look, then said, "Qingyi, you continue researching and practicing on your own. I'll go receive Elder Zhou Sen."
"Yes, Grand Elder."
Xu Chuan stood up and walked out. He soon saw Zhou Sen standing before the plaza and approached with a smile, "Brother Zhou, why did you suddenly come today? Are clan affairs so leisurely now?"
"Mm, why does your complexion look somewhat poor?"
Zhou Sen sighed deeply, "Isn't it all because of your Xu family's doing? Outside there's a layer of mist array, on this mountain there's another layer of array restriction, and around the entire Immortal Arts Hall there's yet another. Layer upon layer, it's truly vexing and annoying."
Xu Chuan smiled gently, "I think Brother Zhou is envious."
Hearing this, Zhou Sen was immediately stunned, then smiled bitterly and pointed at him, "Your insight is truly piercing!
When my Zhou family someday cultivates a family descendant in the array formation path, I'll definitely also make others suffer and envy them like this."
"Hahaha~"
Xu Chuan chuckled lightly, "Come, let's go chat in my meditation room."
After entering the room and sitting down.
With a wave of his hand, a blue jade pot and two jade cups appeared on the tea table, each containing two or three thumb-sized emerald green tea leaves.
Using spiritual power to instantly boil the spring water in the blue jade pot, he then poured it into the jade cups.
"Brother Zhou, please try this tea and see how it is."
Zhou Sen nodded slightly and picked up the jade cup. When the cup's rim lightly touched his lips, his eyebrows immediately raised, revealing a surprised expression.
A spiritual essence exploded from the base of his tongue.
"This tea is good. With the clarity of orchid and angelica, first rushing up the nasal cavity, then slowly descending in the throat, threads of spiritual energy wandering between the teeth, like newly sprouted buds penetrating frozen soil, carrying the coolness of snowmelt permeating the meridians, surprisingly not feeling the boiling water scalding at all.
In other families this would definitely be considered top-grade spirit tea."
Xu Chuan also lightly sipped, then smiled leisurely, "It doesn't count as spirit tea. True spirit tea leaves are precious items. I've only been fortunate enough to drink it once or twice in the Imperial City."
"Brother Xu jests. How can we in this remote backwater of Yuehu Commandery compare with the Imperial City? This tea could be considered middle to top grade even in my Zhou family."
"By the way, Brother Zhou, what brings you to find me?"
Hearing this, Zhou Sen sighed, "Isn't it because of the insect plague? Originally I thought the Lu family incident was just coincidental, but who would have thought an insect plague really broke out, with all families' spirit fields suffering.
My Zhou family's spirit fields are vast, so our losses are even greater.
If we didn't have considerable spirit rice left from the past two years, this year's taxes would probably give us headaches too."
After a pause, he looked at Xu Chuan, "Your Xu family also suffered from the insect plague, right?"
"We did indeed discover quite a few spirit insects' traces some time ago." Xu Chuan nodded.
Zhou Sen nodded in agreement and continued, "If there are difficulties with spirit rice, you can tell my Zhou family. Our two families are allies, so we should naturally look out for each other."
"Thank you. If there's a need, I'll definitely speak up."
Zhou Sen took another sip of spirit tea, then looked at Xu Chuan, "By the way, has your Xu family researched those spirit insects? I heard your daughter Xu Mingshu knows a bit of beast control. I wonder what her insights are?"
So that's the plan.
Xu Chuan immediately understood in his heart and smiled faintly, "We are researching, but Mingshu hasn't received proper beast control inheritance, only trivial knowledge.
Of course, she did recognize that the spirit insects are called Red-Spotted Insects, low-level spirit insects. Although weak, they seem to reproduce very quickly."
"Yes, every so often more insect swarms appear. No one knows where they fly from." Zhou Sen complained.
"I'm also researching, but it will probably take some more time."
"If there are results, remember to inform my Zhou family. My Zhou family will definitely give good compensation."
"Naturally."
After a while without even seeing Xu Mingshu's face, Zhou Sen bid farewell and left.
When leaving Dongxi.
"The Xu family's tea is good, but did this old man forget something?"
Zhou Sen shook his head, "Forget it. At least I know these spirit insects are Red-Spotted Insects. Going back to check ancient texts might yield a solution."