Chapter 201: Demonic Insects
Hundred Blossom Sect.
Among Nascent Soul sects, its overall strength was considered average, boasting two Nascent Soul cultivators. Compared to Grand Yan Sword Sect, which only had one, it was slightly stronger.
However, when it came to combat prowess, Xuan Tianhen alone could rival two cultivators of the same level. Yet in terms of connections, Hundred Blossom Sect was undeniably second to none.
"I heard the female disciples of Hundred Blossom Sect are all stunning, and they cultivate special dual cultivation techniques. If you could win one of them over, your life would be complete." On the flying vessel, a few third-generation disciples gathered together, chattering excitedly.
This mission to Hundred Blossom Sect included Elder Hou Chunyu, a Nascent Soul cultivator, along with three second-generation and six third-generation disciples.
Gu Mo was among those six.
Any third-generation disciple who got to join was undoubtedly among the most talented and promising under Hou Chunyu's tutelage. Besides exposing them to the outside world, the mission also presented a potential opportunity: if any of them caught the eye of a Hundred Blossom Sect disciple, that would be an unexpected bonus.
Of course, earning the favor of a Hundred Blossom Sect disciple wasn't easy. Only those with exceptional talent and strength could hope to be chosen.
Hundred Blossom Sect deliberately invested in cultivators with high potential—once they rose to prominence, they'd become valuable contacts for the sect. Many cultivators considered winning over a Hundred Blossom Sect disciple a great honor.
In Hou Chunyu's eyes, Gu Mo was the only one among the group with a real shot. The rest would have to rely on luck.
With a Nascent Soul cultivator leading the group, their journey was smooth. After several days of rapid travel, they arrived at a range of mountains.
At the heart of this range was a main peak, with numerous others arranged concentrically around it, resembling a blossoming flower.
This was Hundred Blossom Sect. The flower-shaped mountain formation served as the sect's protective array, each mountain peak forming a part of its foundation.
"Welcome, Elder Hou!"
As the vessel arrived, a streak of light shot out from the main peak. Before the figure within even reached them, a faint floral fragrance had already drifted over.
"It's her!"
Catching that familiar scent, Gu Mo immediately thought of the Hundred Blossom Sect fairy he'd glimpsed in Yuntian Immortal City—Mei Qiuyuan.
"Fairy Mei, it's been a while," Hou Chunyu greeted with a warm smile.
After exchanging pleasantries, the group was led into Hundred Blossom Sect and headed straight to the sect's flower fields. Their main task was to resolve an issue with Hundred Blossom Sect's Condensed Fragrance Grass.
Matters of courtship and favor could wait. The mission came first.
The flower fields were vast and teeming with exotic and vibrant spiritual flora—a feast for the eyes. However, one particular area stood out due to the withered, lifeless appearance of the grass.
"Elder Hou, this is the affected Condensed Fragrance Grass." Mei Qiuyuan carefully deactivated the protective array surrounding the grass and led the group inside. To prevent the problem from spreading, Hundred Blossom Sect had sealed off this entire section.
"Hmm, you've taken good precautions," Hou Chunyu nodded, impressed by the thoroughness. Hundred Blossom Sect clearly had its own strengths in cultivating spiritual flora.
"Take a look and see what you can figure out."
He called everyone over and began questioning them on the spot, which instantly made the third-generation disciples break into cold sweat.
"You," he pointed to one disciple who was trying to shrink into the background. With no way out, the disciple stepped forward and examined the Condensed Fragrance Grass.
"Master, it appears the grass has been corrupted by demonic energy. The demonic energy drained its life force, leaving it dull and lifeless." To his credit, the disciple quickly offered a diagnosis.
He then proposed a solution. "I believe we should first use Rainfall Technique to wash away the demonic energy, then follow up with Spring Renewal Technique to restore its vitality."
Given the ongoing conflict between righteous and demonic sects, Shennong Valley had plenty of experience healing spirit plants corrupted by demonic energy. His suggestion was a standard remedy.
"Then give it a try."
Rather than confirm or deny, Hou Chunyu gestured toward a clump of Tier 2 Condensed Fragrance Grass. Hundred Blossom Sect had cultivated this grass for nearly a thousand years, now possessing strains from Tier 1 all the way to Tier 4.
Different tiers were used to make calming incense of varying potency. Especially the Tier 4 version, which was highly feared by the demonic sects—hence their effort to sabotage it before the great war.
If they destroyed the Condensed Fragrance Grass, Hundred Blossom Sect wouldn't be able to produce the incense, and righteous cultivators would lose a key defense against soul-based attacks.
"Yes, sir!"
Understanding this was a test from his master, the disciple steadied himself and began casting. Rain fell gently onto the grass, washing away the sickly hue on its leaves.
Encouraged, he followed with Spring Renewal. A green glow fell over the grass, bringing back some of its vitality.
"As expected of a Shennong Valley disciple—already casting secret-level spells while still in Foundation Establishment." Mei Qiuyuan couldn't help but admire the performance.
No sect could rival Shennong Valley in botany, and Hou Chunyu had clearly brought his best.
"But what's the use of spellcasting without accurate diagnosis?" Hou Chunyu shook his head. As he spoke, the grass that had just turned green began to dull again.
"This... that shouldn't have happened!"
The disciple stared in disbelief.
"Gu Mo, what do you think is causing this?" Hou Chunyu turned to his most prized student, also wanting him to leave a good impression on Mei Qiuyuan.
After all, rumor had it that she had recently taken on a personal disciple—a direct heir—but no one knew much about them. Naturally, someone chosen by Mei Qiuyuan would be exceptional.
"I don't believe it's demonic energy. It looks like a type of special demonic insect," Gu Mo said after a moment of thought.
"How do we resolve it?"
Hou Chunyu nodded with satisfaction—Gu Mo had nailed it. He'd known at a glance that this wasn't simple demonic energy. It was a rare parasitic insect that mimicked the appearance and aura of demonic energy when clustered together.
Unlike demonic energy, which could be cleansed with spells, these insects had to be precisely eradicated. The tricky part was killing them without harming the grass.
"Just kill the insects."
As he spoke, Gu Mo raised his hand and pointed at one plant. A golden flash burst forth, and the withered hue faded from the grass. He followed up with Spring Renewal, and the grass bloomed with life.
"Perfected Metalforce Sword Qi!"
Hou Chunyu stared in disbelief. That golden flash was Metalforce Sword Qi, a secret-level technique—but Gu Mo had refined it into countless fine threads, eradicating the insects without damaging the grass.
Such fine control could only mean one thing: Gu Mo had fully mastered the technique. In fact, it was even stronger than the standard perfected level.
Having begun his path in sword cultivation, Gu Mo's Metalforce Sword Qi had progressed rapidly, already beyond mastery. He'd even begun to grasp Sword Intent, though not yet fully formed.
The fusion of perfected Sword Qi and Sword Intent made his technique far stronger than normal.
"Holy crap!"
The third-generation disciple who failed earlier couldn't hold back. As someone who also practiced secret-level farming techniques, he knew just how difficult mastery was.
But he wasn't alone—second-generation disciples like Wei Yang were equally stunned. None of them had perfected even one of the five core secret arts.
Only top-tier prodigies could manage such a feat.
Not just the Sword Qi—Gu Mo's Spring Renewal seemed close to perfection too.
"Well done."
After a brief moment of shock, Hou Chunyu quickly composed himself. As a Nascent Soul elder, he had to maintain his composure.
Still, catching Mei Qiuyuan's impressed gaze made him feel a wave of satisfaction. Bringing Gu Mo had clearly earned him face.
"Now that we've identified the cause, do any of you have ways to deal with it?"
Unfortunately, not everyone had Gu Mo's level of control. Unless he handled the entire flowerbed alone, they'd need alternatives.
"Uhh..."
The third-generation disciples gave up on the spot. Even the second-generation ones were struggling. Although Wei Yang and the others proposed a few ideas, the results were disappointing—either ineffective or outright harmful to the grass.
Hou Chunyu realized none of his other disciples could handle the task. He hadn't expected the demonic sect to use such a rare method.
This meant the entire cleansing process would fall on him and Gu Mo. But as an elder of Shennong Valley, he couldn't stay here indefinitely—he had more important duties.
He'd hoped to complete the task quickly with help. Now it looked like only Gu Mo could handle the bulk of it.
"Elder Hou, how about letting your disciple stay behind?"
Mei Qiuyuan, realizing the problem, made the suggestion. Hou Chunyu could just take care of the Tier 4 specimens, and Gu Mo could handle the rest over time. With years left before the righteous-demonic war, there was enough time.
"Well... I'm not sure that's appropriate."
Hou Chunyu's eyes lit up. Normally, Hundred Blossom Sect didn't allow male cultivators to stay—but clearly, they were desperate this time.
And since that was the case, he might as well negotiate for more benefits…
"If your disciple takes a liking to one of ours, I'll be happy to play matchmaker," Mei Qiuyuan offered knowingly. She was also eager to invest in a cultivator with such terrifying potential.
"Deal!"
Grinning broadly, Hou Chunyu agreed. With one of Hundred Blossom Sect's two Nascent Soul elders playing matchmaker, how could this possibly fall through?
"Stay behind? What for?!"
When Gu Mo heard the news, he was stunned. How was he supposed to grow his crops and upgrade his solar flowers now?
"It's for the mission, of course. Only you can handle the demonic insects in the Condensed Fragrance Grass. I'll give you all the mission rewards as compensation," Hou Chunyu said, patting his shoulder. Then he added via voice transmission, "This is a rare opportunity. If you fancy any of their female disciples, just tell me—I'll handle it."
"Also, Mei Qiuyuan's personal disciple is rumored to be incredibly talented. If you can convince her to join Shennong Valley, I'll credit you with major merit."
"Master, I have one condition."
Realizing he couldn't get out of it, Gu Mo agreed—but with one request: a small patch of Tier 4 spirit farmland.
Of course, that was for cultivating Tier 4 Solar Flowers. He needed the daily output of Tier 4 Sun Essence.
"Sure. I'll go ask. Shouldn't be a problem."
Hou Chunyu knew that back in Shennong Valley, Gu Mo's entire estate—including farmland—was Tier 4. Although technically Xiaohua's, she let Gu Mo manage it, which was a testament to his capabilities.
Soon enough, Hou Chunyu returned with confirmation. Given the increased difficulty, Hundred Blossom Sect agreed to compensate accordingly. A portion of Tier 4 flower fields would be temporarily allocated to Gu Mo.
Once the mission was complete, it would be returned.
(Show your support and read more chapters on my Patreon: [email protected]/psychopet. Thank you for your support!)