60: Chapter 60 Insect Speculation

Chen Jiancang's brows furrowed tightly together, and following his spiritual sense marker, he removed all the black larvae in the Spirit Field.

His gaze was like a torch as he stared at the jade bottle in his hand, his slender fingers gently stroking the bottle.

The scene inside the jade bottle was alarming; densely packed black larvae were squeezed together, their bodies pitch black like ink, emitting an eerie purplish-blue glow.

Each larva had a pair of crystal-clear eyes, like two tiny pieces of jadeite, glowing faintly in the darkness.

They twisted frantically in the jade bottle, their double pincers sharp as blades, occasionally waving them and making a "crunch, crunch" sound.

Under observation by spiritual sense, the bottle wall of the jade bottle was already covered with fine scratches, emitting a cracking sound like breaking porcelain.

After inspecting the Spirit Field again with his spiritual sense and confirming there were no more, Chen Jiancang felt relieved and hurried to the Dan Hall.

"Greetings, sir."

Qingfeng and Qingyue had already tidied up the Alchemy room early and were waiting quietly at the entrance.

"Today is uneventful, you two go attend to your own matters.

Just come to the Alchemy room for cleaning in the afternoon."

Watching Qingfeng and Qingyue leave, Chen Jiancang took out one black larva from the jade bottle and placed it on the marble desktop for careful observation.

This larva was about an inch long, its body pitch black like ink, covered with fine scales on the surface, emitting a faint glow under the moonlight.

Most noticeable were the curved pincers on its head, their sharp edges like opened curved blades.

He carefully touched the larva's head with his finger, trying to make it open its pincers.

As expected, the larva reacted immediately, its pincers snapping shut fiercely, nearly pinching his fingertip.

Chen Jiancang quickly withdrew his hand, a hint of vigilance flashing in his eyes.

This reaction speed and aggressiveness far surpassed ordinary pests; it was clearly not an ordinary creature.

"This type of insect can chew through the roots of Spirit Field in a short period, and it can also interfere with the flow of spiritual energy..." Chen Jiancang muttered to himself, a sense of unease vaguely rising in his heart.

He could feel that these larvae seemed to contain a peculiar energy fluctuation within their bodies, completely different from ordinary insects.

To investigate further, he circulated his spiritual sense, injecting a part of his consciousness into the larva's body.

However, in that instant, a faint spiritual sense fluctuation suddenly flashed and disappeared from within the larva's body.

Chen Jiancang's expression changed, and he quickly withdrew his spiritual sense.

The larva became motionless in an instant, its body rigid!

In that moment just now, he felt as if he had touched some kind of forbidden power.

The spiritual sense fluctuation contained within the larva's body sent a bone-chilling coldness through him, as if it were preventing him from investigating.

Chen Jiancang's brows were tightly locked, and he secretly pondered in his heart.

He took out another black beetle and used his spiritual sense to investigate, but this time there was nothing unusual.

He carefully put away the jade bottle in his hand and walked quickly towards Chen Youyun's Alchemy room, thinking perhaps he could identify the origin of these strange black larvae.

Chen Youyun was currently sitting in the main seat, flipping through ancient books.

Hearing the movement, he looked up, his gaze falling on Chen Jiancang.

"Greetings, Deacon."

Chen Jiancang bowed and presented the jade bottle respectfully.

"Deacon, do you recognize this demonic insect?"

Chen Youyun took the jade bottle and examined the black larvae inside with a solemn expression.

He gently brushed the bottle with his hand, and a faint spiritual sense fluctuation rippled out.

The larvae immediately became restless, twisting frantically in the bottle and making a "crunch, crunch" sound.

Chen Youyun's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

"This insect is somewhat similar to the Soul-Devouring Beetle recorded in the texts.

Chen Jiancang, where did you get this insect?"

Jiancang nodded with a serious expression and explained the origin of the insects in detail: "I found these insects in the Spirit Field.

Today, while checking on the Spirit Field, I noticed the Spirit Field were growing abnormally.

At first, I thought the Spirit Field had contracted a disease, but when I dug up the roots, I discovered these strange larvae."

A hint of worry flashed in his eyes: "They hide deep in the soil, chewing on the roots and stems of the Spirit Field, and their presence is almost undetectable.

Moreover, when I just tried to inject my spiritual sense, it seemed there was a wave of spiritual sense fluctuation that flashed and disappeared, and the spiritual insect also lost its aura in an instant."

Chen Youyun's brows furrowed tightly upon hearing this, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

He gently stroked the jade bottle with his hand, and the larvae immediately became restless, twisting frantically in the bottle and making a "crunch, crunch" sound.

"It is indeed the Soul-Devouring Beetle!" Chen Youyun said in a deep voice.

"This Soul-Devouring Beetle is recorded in the 'Record of Insects'.

It is shaped like a broad bean, its body is dark black, its carapace is covered with dense scales, its chelae are shaped like twin crescent blades, its nature is irritable, it likes to feed on the roots and stems of Spirit Field containing spiritual energy, it has a tendency to gather and chew on spiritual energy, and its reproduction is astonishing."

He paused, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes: "But your insects are different from the Soul-Devouring Beetle recorded.

Ordinary Soul-Devouring Beetle are only the size of a broad bean, and their reproduction speed is astonishing.

However, there are only forty adult insects in your jade bottle, yet their size is three times larger than ordinary Soul-Devouring Beetle!"

Chen Jiancang's heart pounded with fear, and he unconsciously clenched his fists: "These insects are not only huge in size, but also the spiritual sense fluctuation within them..."

He paused, "That feeling is very strange, it's like touching some kind of resistance or defense."

"Defense?" Chen Youyun's pupils contracted slightly, "You mean..."

"I'm not sure either.

I tried to invade its consciousness with my spiritual sense, but in an instant, I felt a powerful resistance.

That feeling was like touching an existence that shouldn't be touched."

Chen Youyun was silent for a moment, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes: "It seems these insects are by no means naturally generated.

They may have been deliberately cultivated by some force."

"You mean..." Chen Jiancang's heart tightened.

"It is very likely that someone is manipulating them in the dark." Chen Youyun said slowly.

"The number and size of these insects are far beyond ordinary, which is clearly the result of careful cultivation.

Moreover, their appearance in your Spirit Field is by no means accidental; there must be another hidden reason behind it."

Chen Jiancang's heart trembled, and cold sweat ran down his spine.

"Deacon, who do you think released these insects?" Chen Jiancang suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart.

Chen Youyun pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "This matter is no small matter.

My suggestion is to immediately report it to the Law Enforcement Hall and have them send people to thoroughly investigate the Spirit Field of the entire Chen Family.

If these insects spread, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"Okay."

Chen Jiancang naturally had no objection to Chen Youyun's suggestion.

He felt that the appearance of so many Soul-Devouring Beetle in his Spirit Field had a great relationship with the Gathering Spirit Array he had set up; after all, Soul-Devouring Beetle have the characteristic of gathering spiritual energy, so the number might be a bit high, but it did not rule out the possibility that Soul-Devouring Beetle existed in places other than his Spirit Field.

The best way was to report it to the Law Enforcement Hall and let the Law Enforcement Hall thoroughly investigate the origin of this insect.

If someone had indeed deliberately spread insect eggs in the Chen Family's Spirit Field, their intentions were by no means trivial.

Chen Youyun did not delay at all, and took the jade bottle towards the Xiao Yun Mountain Law Enforcement Hall.