Chapter 384: Parasitic Yin Thread
"This junior brother will certainly make it happen," Lu Xuan promised, his lips curling into a meaningful smile.
"However, I must ask Brother Huo to keep the matter of condensing fire essence from these mutated spirit plants a secret."
He entrusted Huo Lin'er with this request.
"Rest assured, Junior Brother Lu, I will keep this matter confidential," Huo Lin'er assured, fully at ease after learning that Lu Xuan's exchange of mutated spirit plants was for the sect's benefit, nodding gently.
"By the way, Junior Brother Lu, aside from delivering the mutated spirit plants gathered by your sect and taking a rest, there's another matter I need your help with," Huo Lin'er said, pulling out a square jade seal from his storage bag. Inside the nearly transparent jade seal, there was a faintly dark red thread grass.
"This mutated spirit plant was recently discovered in an underground palace within the blessed land. Its movements are extremely elusive, making it difficult for most Foundation Establishment cultivators from all three sects to detect, posing a great trouble to us."
"It has a very peculiar and bizarre ability to silently parasitize demonic beasts and cultivators, affecting their minds. In severe cases, it can even directly control the cultivator's body."
"We've tried many methods, but none have been very effective. The usual exorcism and spirit-cleansing talismans and techniques have little effect on it."
"Please, Brother Huo, let me take a look," Lu Xuan said, taking the sealed jade seal and inspecting it closely.
The spirit plant inside was very thin, a faint dark red, without roots or leaves, just a winding thread that moved slowly like a venomous snake under Lu Xuan's gaze. Despite being sealed, it still adopted a posture ready for a powerful attack.
"It does look peculiar in shape, but nothing more can be discerned from that alone. It needs thorough research and experimentation."
"However, Brother, I have a question that I hope you can help me with."
"Please ask, Junior Brother Lu."
"As far as I know, our sect has two Core Formation elders for the opening of the blessed land, and the other two sects probably have a few as well. Several Core Formation elders should be able to easily deal with these mutated spirit plants, right?"
Lu Xuan looked puzzled.
"Junior Brother Lu might not be aware, but although dealing with these mutated spirit plants is relatively easy if their tracks are discovered, the difficulty lies elsewhere."
"The focus of Core Formation elders is on breaking the restrictions of the blessed land, not spending too much energy on these mutated spirit plants. Given their wide range of activity, we can only send Foundation Establishment cultivators from the three sects to deal with them."
Huo Lin'er's smile carried a hint of bitterness.
"Several Foundation Establishment cultivators have already been parasitized by this peculiar plant by accident. Fortunately, they were discovered in time, or there might have been life-threatening dangers."
He casually set up a restriction, placing the peculiar plant into the spiritually enriched soil covered by the restriction, forcibly infusing it with streams of spiritual rain.
Concentrating, detailed information about this mutated plant flashed through his mind.
"An unknown spirit plant, a third-grade Parasitic Yin Thread transformed under the influence of some powerful blood and flesh energy, likes to parasitize within spirit plants, demonic beasts, and even cultivators, feeding on their spiritual power, vitality, and essence. The deeper the parasitism, the more it can directly control the actions of demonic beasts and cultivators."
"Normally residing in dark underground places, it is extremely sensitive to special sound waves when not parasitized. Under the attack of sound wave spiritual power, it involuntarily reveals its form and curls up into a small ball."
"A third-grade Parasitic Yin Thread transformed..."
Lu Xuan murmured to himself.
The cultivation world was full of various strange and rare spirit plants, and although he often browsed through spirit plant scriptures in the scripture pavilion, this was his first encounter with such a peculiar high-grade spirit plant.
"Considering its parasitic ability, its ascension to the third-grade is indeed rare."
"It's a pity that the Illusion Sound Bamboo is left in my cave dwelling; otherwise, it alone could easily deal with these mutated Parasitic Yin Threads."
He recalled the fourth-grade Illusion Sound Bamboo in his dwelling, capable of simulating various strange noises, and suddenly thought.
"Well, Brother Huo's task for me is already completed. The biggest problem isn't understanding this peculiar plant but deciding when to inform him."
Lu Xuan was in a dilemma; speaking too soon would be hard to explain how he learned so much about the plant so quickly and could attract unnecessary attention and trouble.
Speaking too late, however, could potentially harm the sect. Lu Xuan decided to wait a few days before contacting Huo Lin'er.
He resealed the Parasitic Yin Thread back into the jade seal, glancing at the Demon Ghost Vine at his feet, drooling in anticipation.
The ground was covered in gray mucus, showing how much it wanted to taste the Parasitic Yin Thread.
"What, you want to eat it? Don't worry, there will definitely be a chance for you to feast," Lu Xuan kicked the increasingly large gray vine, speaking with a laugh.
The Demon Ghost Vine, not lacking in spiritual intelligence, immediately lunged towards Lu Xuan upon hearing his words.
"Scram, scram, scram!" Lu Xuan looked disdainfully at the mucus-covered Demon Ghost Vine, his expression full of disgust.