The Master of Beasts-Chapter 611 - 162:

If you want to face an enemy, the number of spiritual insects must be considerable, plus, the intelligence of spiritual insects is usually poor, which is why Chen Jiuge never considered cultivating spiritual insects.

"Perhaps I can take a look."

.....

As the Great Steward of Zone Three Garden, Chen Jiuge has one thousand acres of upper-grade immortal fields, and as long as he is in office, the output of these fields is entirely his own.

What does this mean?

To put it this way, for True Immortal-level spirit plants to grow, excluding some special environments, immortal fields are indispensable.

Upper-grade immortal fields can already cultivate spirit plants up to the Heavenly Immortal level, and they can significantly shorten the maturation time of spirit plants, even enhancing post-harvest effects, making the quality even more perfect.

Even a Heavenly Immortal-level spirit plant master needs to struggle for a long, long time to possibly own upper-grade immortal fields, and only dozens of acres!

Though the exterior of the wooden house was shabby, the inside was fairly clean. Chen Jiuge performed a few Cleaning Techniques and reinforced the beams and walls, which was about enough.

Out of curiosity about spiritual insects, Chen Jiuge went directly to the upper-grade immortal fields in the backyard.

The immortal fields had been abandoned for quite some time, with a tangled mess of crooked spirit plants growing, but most of the spirit plants were of low grade, just barely entering True Immortal level.

Occasionally, you could see some Yellow Tooth Immortal Rice, probably spread accidentally by those spiritual bees pollinating!

Aside from that, the most notable was a large tree in the center.

The purple trunk was covered with veins resembling those of a human, and these veins even pulsated, continuously transporting some liquid and injecting it into the fruit the size of a human head at the top!

"Purple Dragon Blood Tree?" Chen Jiuge was a bit surprised.

The Purple Dragon Blood Tree is a Heavenly Immortal-level spirit plant, but unlike ordinary Heavenly Immortal-level spirit plants, the growth of the Purple Dragon Blood Tree is different. It continuously absorbs the origin of the spirit field to maximize the single Purple Dragon Blood Fruit.

Although its name contains the word "dragon," it has no relation to a True Dragon, just symbolizing a growth as greedy as the Dragon Clan.

"The former Great Steward should not plant such a damaging spirit plant, right? The sect shouldn't allow it either." Chen Jiuge showed a meaningful smile.

Upper-grade immortal fields are just a welfare during the Great Steward's tenure, not representing ownership. It's a sect asset.

Bending down, he grabbed a handful of immortal soil, feeling the dry texture, and Chen Jiuge frowned, "Is it close to downgrading?"

While walking and observing, Chen Jiuge shockingly discovered that a full hundred acres of upper-grade immortal fields were close to being downgraded to medium-grade immortal fields.

If the sect finds out after his term ends, Chen Jiuge will be in big trouble. He would have to compensate and face sect punishment, likely being sent to expand the Golden Desert, definitely not in No. 21 City.

"Zone Three Garden hasn't had a Great Steward for a long time. Is it Zhong Ning, or other restless spirit plant masters?"

"Chirp chirp chirp"

Just as Chen Jiuge was deep in thought, a sharp insect buzzing sounded. The tiny body, like a flash of lightning, struck Chen Jiuge's forehead, making him stagger.

Blood trickled from the wound on his forehead, crossing his delicate face, and dripping from his chin.

"How could it be?" Chen Jiuge was somewhat stunned.

"Chirp chirp chirp"

The spiritual insect attacked again, but this time, Chen Jiuge was prepared and directly took out the Vajra Lock, tying it up tightly.

It was locust-shaped, but its entire body was blood-red, with a single horn on its forehead, stained with a trace of blood.

"This is a heavenly spiritual insect—a Blood Locust!" Chen Jiuge exclaimed, somewhat astonished.

Despite their small size, spiritual insects can vary greatly; heavenly spiritual insects have individual records of extremely powerful strength, and the Blood Locust is one of them.

Small as an infant's palm, its body blood-colored with a single horn, possessing excellent speed, extremely hard scale armor, and its blood having various unique effects.

"With so many spirit plant masters, hasn't anyone discovered it yet?" Chen Jiuge scrutinized the trapped Blood Locust, turning his head towards the Purple Dragon Blood Tree, forming a hypothesis in his mind.

"Planning to use the Purple Dragon Blood Tree to further cultivate the Blood Locust? Aren't you afraid of failure?"

Chen Jiuge couldn't understand. The Blood Locust's cultivation was already at the peak of Little Heavenly Immortal, just one step away from Heavenly Immortal. If it consumed the fruit from the Purple Dragon Blood Tree to break through to Heavenly Immortal and strengthened its scale armor, even a Two Flowers Celestial Immortal might not be able to subdue it!

Moreover, Zhong Ning said the highest cultivation level here was him, and he's only a One Flower Heavenly Immortal, the kind not adept at fighting, being a spirit plant master.

"Interesting, it seems unexpected people are here! But I'll take this Blood Locust for now!" Chen Jiuge chuckled softly.

No matter who is hiding here, a good thing delivered right to the door, how could I refuse it? As for the consequences, what is there to fear in the Five Elements Sect!

.....

Deep within Zone Three Garden

Two furtive figures gathered in an abandoned wooden hut, one of them anxiously said, "What should we do, the new Great Steward has already arrived, will he discover the Purple Dragon Blood Tree and the Blood Locust?"

"Why panic? Even if it's discovered, no one knows it was us." The other person said with an unpleasant expression.

Within the Five Elements Sect's Spiritual Plant Garden, it was actually considered a semi-exile place. Most people here either didn't have high potential or lacked ambition.

Generally speaking, a Spiritual Plant Garden's Great Steward would delay taking office as long as they could. Who else but Chen Jiuge would take up the post immediately the day after receiving the appointment, giving no time for anyone to react?

"Then what do we do with the Purple Dragon Blood Tree and the Blood Locust? They're all our savings! If we lose the Blood Locust, are we really going to stay here until we die?"

"Then we find a chance to get rid of him!"

"Are you crazy? That's a Heavenly Immortal!"

"A Heavenly Immortal is not invincible."

Outside the wooden hut, Zhong Ning shook his head slightly, quietly moving away until the hut was out of sight, then sighed, "Such uselessness!"

"Though it should be enough to test the waters."

"This is indeed the Spiritual Plant Garden, it's laughable to have a Beast Master as Great Steward. Clearly, I was the best candidate for the position!"

Chen Jiuge could never have imagined that Zhong Ning, this honest seeming person, harbored so much resentment, so determined for the position of Great Steward of the Spiritual Plant Garden.

Right now, Chen Jiuge was troubled, pondering how to handle the Blood Locust in his hands.

Because, shockingly, the depths of the Blood Locust's Divine Soul bore a Contract Seal, something Chen Jiuge discovered when he attempted to contract it.

"How interesting, a contracting technique so profound, at least an Inner Sect Disciple level!"

As the Great Steward of Zone Three Garden, Chen Jiuge naturally had information on all the disciples within the garden.

"Let me see, who would it be?"

Zhong Ning, Duan Xu, He Li, Yan Shen.

"Only four inner disciples? The target is really quite small!"

"But before investigating, I must first enhance my own power, also I need to place the Blood Locust somewhere safe."

This time returning to the Sect, Chen Jiuge didn't bring any Spiritual Beast, because the probability of encountering danger within the Sect was low. Besides, if he needed help, he could create it anytime, there was no need to bring Yue Meng and others along.

Immersing his mind into the Chaos World, Chen Jiuge first saw the Blood Locust bouncing around randomly, then it was smashed into the ground by a giant beast's paw, leaving it motionless.

It's probably not dead, right?

Putting the thought of the Blood Locust aside, Chen Jiuge began to scout for potential Spiritual Beasts.

"Twice, five times, three times, four times, six times."

The more he searched, the more he frowned. Most of the high-potential Spiritual Beasts had already been used by Chen Jiuge, and the remaining were mostly the selected few.

Although Chaos Qi was beneficial to the Spiritual Beasts, the time was too short, their reproduction cycle long and the second generation not yet born—greatly increasing the difficulty in finding high-potential Spiritual Beasts.

"Seven times, fine, you'll do, just need to invest a bit more resources."

Looking at the temperamental mutant spirit sheep with its cocky gaze, Chen Jiuge decided not to be choosy.

Fortunately, the means of the Chaos Pearl had become more controllable recently, trying out another mutation method seemed worthwhile!

"Crack"

The void seemed twisted by an invisible force as the mutant spirit sheep silently appeared before Chen Jiuge.

"Baah baah baah"

Letting out a few discontented bleats, the mutant spirit sheep spat disdainfully, feeling that this environment was rather lousy, making it hard to recall where it used to live.

"Let me try it out now, don't disappoint me too much!"