The cooperation plan for "Little Stardust Powder" had just been finalized, and everyone on Starfall Peak was still immersed in the joy of effortlessly collecting spirit stones. Elder Gu Chen was even more in high spirits, personally supervising the handymen disciples to carefully pick the ripe stardust berries. Some were juiced to sell to Pill Cauldron Peak, while others were carefully preserved as "high-end gifts" and benefits for the peak.
However, joy turned to sorrow.
In just one night!
"Peak Master! Something terrible has happened!!" Elder Gu Chen's tearful roar shattered the tranquility of Starfall Peak in the early morning like a death knell.
Lin Yuan was happily trying to draw star power into his body from the edge of the stone platform, using the Daoist energy emanating from the Myriad Stars Sundial seedlings, when he was startled by the shout and almost lost his spiritual energy. He rushed out of the cave and saw Gu Chen tumbling over, holding several leaves that should have been shimmering with starlight but were now dull, withered, and covered with strange silver specks, his face as pale as paper.
"Insects...insects! So many insects!" Gu Chen's voice trembled. "Thirteen divine trees! All...all of them are doomed! The leaves are withered! The fruits are wilted! The roots...the roots have been eaten away! It's over! It's all over!"
Lin Yuan's heart sank, and he rushed to the thirteen Star Gathering Spirit Bonsai in an instant.
The sight before him made his eyes widen in horror!
Yesterday, the plant was laden with glistening berries and lush foliage; now, it appears lifeless! The leaves are curled and yellowed, covered with countless tiny silver spots, like pinheads. Upon closer inspection, these spots appear to be wriggling! Insects! Countless tiny silver insects! The plump berries on the branches have lost their luster, becoming shriveled and dull, some even riddled with tiny holes! Even more alarming, a faint silver shimmer can be seen in the soil near the roots!
"Star-Eating Spirit Worms!" Gu Chen pounded his chest and stamped his feet, tears streaming down his face. "It's Star-Eating Spirit Worms! These things specialize in devouring spiritual plants containing star power! They reproduce quickly, burrow deep into the ground, and are highly resistant to pesticides! Ordinary insect repellent pills are completely useless! They... they must have been mixed in with the batch of 'Star-Radiant Soil' (a type of spiritual soil fertilizer containing a trace of star power) that was delivered yesterday! Dan Ding Peak! It must be that old bastard Lie Yangzi! He's jealous! He used underhanded tricks!"
Looking at the drooping, lifeless potted plant before him, and then at the thought that the large sum of spirit stones he was about to receive and the "Little Star Powder" plan were about to fall through, a surge of anger rushed to the top of his head! Damn it! The Zhao family just collapsed, and this old bastard Lieyangzi jumps out to cause trouble? Does he really think Starfall Peak is easy to bully?
"Old Gu! Stop howling! What's the solution? Tell me!" Lin Yuan roared, barely suppressing his anger.
"A solution..." Gu Chen wiped away his tears, his eyes filled with despair, "Unless there's a pill or elixir containing powerful purifying star energy or special laws to directly annihilate the insect swarm's source! Otherwise... once they've devoured the roots, the divine tree will be completely finished! But... but such a pill is unheard of! Even if it existed, there wouldn't be enough time to refine it!"
Purifying star power? The power of special laws? A flash of inspiration struck Lin Yuan! The [Star Purification Technique] (Beginner) rewarded by the system! And... that upgraded [Chaos Star Cauldron]!
"Damn it! Lieyangzi! You want to play dirty, huh? I'll play big with you!" A fierce and... crazy glint flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes! He turned around abruptly, rushed to the center of the stone platform, and grabbed the heavy Chaos Star Pot with a few shallow scratches on the bottom!
"Old Gu! Don't just stand there! Bring me all the Starfruit Juice in the warehouse! And all those rotten and wilted berries! Quickly!" Lin Yuan's voice carried an unquestionable command.
"Huh? Berry juice? Wilted fruit?" Gu Chen was taken aback. Although he didn't understand, due to his blind trust in Lin Yuan's "Starry Sky Pill Dao," he immediately shouted, "Quick! Do as the Peak Master says! Bring all the berry juice and wilted fruit here!"
The handymen disciples immediately sprang into action, quickly piling buckets of sweet-smelling but slightly dull fruit juice and baskets of dull, wilted berries in front of Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan took a deep breath, his eyes sharp as knives. He recalled the principles of the [Star Purification Technique]—drawing upon pure star power to cleanse impurities and purify the source! He also combined this with the crude concepts of energy guidance and extraction from the [Star Elixir Explanation].
A plan so audacious it was almost absurd took shape in his mind—not alchemy! But pesticides! Starry Sky Brand Powerful Insecticide!
"Take it off the heat!" Lin Yuan shouted, slamming the Chaos Star Pot heavily onto the ground! He pressed his hands firmly against the star runes on the pot's surface!
Buzz!
The Chaos Star Cauldron burst forth with a dazzling silver-gray light! The star runes and the few shallow scratches on the cauldron's body lit up, faintly emanating an aura of chaotic annihilation!
"Pour in the juice!"
Splash!
Several large buckets of dull berry juice were poured into the pot!
"Wilted fruit! Throw them all in!"
Thump! Thump!
Baskets of wilted berries were thrown into the boiling juice (under the influence of star power) like dumplings being dropped into a pot!
"Phoenix Phoenix! Lend me some star power! Pure, with purifying properties!" Lin Yuan shouted towards the pit. He knew the Empress's disciple was definitely watching this area.
Feng Qinghuang's cool gaze swept over the scene of the insect infestation and Lin Yuan's large pot. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she still flicked her finger! A torrent of condensed, pure, and powerfully purifying icy blue star energy instantly poured into the bottom of the pot!
boom!
The mixture in the pot boiled and churned violently under the impact of the pure star power! The wilted berries were instantly torn apart and purified, blending with the juice! The originally dull juice began to emit a strange, azure light with a strong sense of dispelling and purifying under the effect of the purifying star power!
"Not enough!" Lin Yuan felt the energy fluctuations within the pot, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes! He abruptly activated the [Star Purification Technique] (Beginner)! A faint yet powerful purifying force, imbued with the aura of laws, flowed through his hands and into the runes on the pot's surface!
Buzz—!!!
The Chaos Star Cauldron trembled violently! The azure liquid within seemed to be infused with a soul! Its light surged instantly! Countless tiny runes, composed of pure star power and purification laws, formed and circulated within the liquid! An indescribable, terrifying aura, seemingly capable of cleansing all filth and annihilating all evil in the world, mixed with an even richer, sweet fragrance (purified version), erupted with a deafening roar!
It's done! Lin Yuan was overjoyed! This thing looks pretty cool!
"Gu Chen! Get the spray bottle... no! Get the bucket! The big ladle! Quick!" Lin Yuan roared.
Gu Chen and the servants immediately found several large wooden buckets and long-handled water ladles.
Lin Yuan carefully (mainly because he was afraid that the energy in the pot would splash out and purify him) used his spiritual power to wrap a ball of azure "pesticide" the size of a basketball, which was emitting terrifying purification waves, and moved it into an empty bucket.
"Dilute it with water! Uh... dilute it with some ordinary spiritual spring water! Don't make it too concentrated!" Lin Yuan instructed. He was afraid that if the concentration was too high, it would purify the tree completely as well.
Gu Chen immediately did as instructed, carefully diluting the terrifying azure liquid into several large buckets of spiritual spring water. The diluted liquid took on a clear, starry-blue hue, and its aura became much gentler, but the purifying power was still clearly discernible.
"Go! Spray it! Spray it hard on the places with bugs! Leaves! Branches! Soil around the roots! Don't miss a single spot!" Lin Yuan rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a long-handled ladle, scooped up a ladle of light blue "Star Purification Powder" (his temporary name), and splashed it hard on the potted plant that was most badly eaten by bugs!
Whoosh!
The pale blue liquid fell on the plant like a shower of stars, quickly seeping into the leaves, branches and soil!
A miracle has happened!
The silver Star-Eating Spirit Insects that were originally wriggling and gnawing wildly on the leaves, in the crevices of branches, and in the soil, seemed to have met their nemesis the moment they came into contact with the pale blue liquid!
Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!
A series of extremely faint, yet incredibly dense, burning sounds rang out!
All the Star-Eating Insects that came into contact with the liquid instantly stiffened and curled up, their silvery light rapidly dimming and extinguishing, turning into tiny specks of black ash! Even more miraculously, the gnawed spots and holes were visibly purified and repaired under the light blue liquid, regaining a faint luster of life! The withered leaves even seemed to unfurl slightly!
"Dead...dead! All the insects are dead! The divine tree...the divine tree is recovering!" Xiao Cui pointed at the leaves, so excited that she couldn't speak coherently!
"A miracle drug! A miracle drug from the Peak Master!" Li Tie and the other menial disciples stared in disbelief, then erupted in thunderous cheers!
Gu Chen, as if possessed, rushed to the potted plant that had been "baptized," his fingers trembling as he stroked the revitalized leaves, feeling the lingering pure purifying power. Tears streamed down his face: "Purifying starlight! Cleansing filth! Nourishing life! This... this is simply divine elixir of creation! Peak Master! You... you have created another... uh, a new discipline of agriculture!"
Lin Yuan looked at the potted plant that had clearly recovered its vitality, and then watched the other handyman disciples imitate him, splashing ladlefuls of "Star Purification Powder" onto the damaged plants. Finally, he felt a surge of anger and released his pent-up frustration! He weighed the large ladle in his hand, a benevolent smile spreading across his face:
"Old Gu, don't just stand there! Get some men and get a few more buckets! Spray it hard! Spray it all the way down to the ground! Make those damned bugs wipe out their offspring!"
"Furthermore..." He turned his gaze towards Dan Ding Peak, his voice icy, "Send a barrel of 'raw essence' to Peak Master Lie Yangzi of Dan Ding Peak! Say it's the 'Star Power Nutrient Solution' newly developed by my Xingyun Peak, and ask him... to taste it!"
Gu Chen instantly understood, a similarly benevolent smile spreading across his face: "Peak Master is wise! This old man will take care of it immediately! I guarantee Peak Master Lieyangzi will never forget it!"
At the summit of Starfall Peak, a vigorous "pest control and disaster relief" campaign unfolded in full swing. Wherever the pale blue "star rain" passed, the silver insects vanished, and the plants regained their vitality.
Meanwhile, at this moment, in Lieyangzi's quiet room on Danding Peak.
A trusted disciple reported tremblingly, "...Peak Master, the Star-Eating Spirit Insects...are all...all wiped out! Starfall Peak used a strange blue potion...and they died instantly! Their berry plants...seem...seem to be recovering!"
"What?!" The lid of the alchemy furnace in Lie Yangzi's hand clattered to the ground, his face instantly turning deathly pale! The Star-Eating Spirit Insects he had acquired at great cost were gone just like that? Just how many more evil tricks did Lin Yuan have up his sleeve?
Just then, a steward entered carrying a small jade bucket, his expression strange: "Peak Master, Elder Gu Chen of Starfall Peak... sent this item, saying it's their Peak Master Lin's newly developed 'Star Power Nutrient Solution,' and requests your... appraisal?"
As Lie Yangzi looked at the pale blue liquid in the jade bucket, which exuded pure star power and a faint, sweet fragrance, yet subtly made him feel a chill, a coldness instantly shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!
Appreciation?
This is a blatant warning and a demonstration!