Chapter 776: The Simplest Cicada Extermination in History

At first, it was quiet all around.

Everyone waited in the forest for a quarter of an hour, then another quarter of an hour.

Even He Lingchuan asked if it would work, but Dong Rui was full of confidence: "Patience, be patient!"

As soon as he finished speaking, three or four strange cicadas jumped into this open space from all directions, heading straight for the cicada mother.

Qiu Hu shook the copper rod in his hand, but Dong Rui reminded him: "Don't bother, the more bait, the better."

The cicadas that came smelling the scent were just like humans, liking to party; the more of their own kind, the more excited they became.

The males were seeing such a plump and fertile female for the first time and were immediately infatuated, not even caring about the abnormalities on the side. The odor they emitted while mating was even more intense, and before long, it attracted even more cicadas.

The Other Rongshan Sect had set up a "ground cage array" in this open space; the principle was similar to a crab trap. The insects could get in but couldn't get out.

Over the past two months, they had also explored many ways to catch insects, and the ground cage array was one of them. It was just that they originally put food in the array, but now they changed it to the cicada mother.

Within an hour, several hundred cicadas arrived.

Two hours later, this number became seven hundred!

That dark mass of three-foot-long insects jumping around everywhere made the Other Rongshan people change their faces. Elder Dao couldn't help but sigh: "My sect has stood for over two hundred years and has seen all kinds of big storms and waves, yet today we almost fell into the hands of tiny cicadas!"

They were exterminating insects all day long, but the opponents were still endless.

Manpower is hard to reach.

If this continues, the Other Rongshan Sect and the insects must die one or the other; if they still can't find a reliable way, guess which one will die?

These opponents weren't even demons! For the past two months, the Other Rongshan Sect had been suffocated to death.

He Lingchuan pointed forward and smiled: "Isn't there a way now?"

They stayed in the pre-arranged array, and to these strange insects, humans were invisible, and there was not even an odor leak.

Four hours later, one thousand.

Seeing that no new insects had appeared for a long time, and the ground cage array couldn't hold any more, Dong Rui said with satisfaction: "That's enough."

So everyone made a move together, supernatural powers, arrays, poisons, all kinds of magic tools and props took turns to clean up the cicadas.

These cicadas had nothing but mating on their minds and had no intention of resisting or saving their lives, mainly waiting to die. Occasionally, a few would fly up to attack people, but they were quickly eliminated.

Because the preparations were sufficient, the insect extermination lasted only half an hour before it ended.

Other Rongshan Sect's cicada extermination had never been so simple, safe, and painless. Everyone was pleasantly surprised, and the looks they cast at Dong Rui and He Lingchuan were full of gratitude.

Actually, using fire was the fastest, but cicadas feared the smell of smoke and would actively stay away from land burned by fire for at least two months.

Dong Rui carefully put away the cicada mother: "Change to another place and continue?"

There was hope, and everyone was beaming: "Continue, let's continue."

This successful experiment was quickly reported to Sect Master Xue. After listening to Elder Dao's report, he decided to vigorously promote Dong Rui's successful experience.

Of course, Dong Rui now only met people under a pseudonym, calling himself Wei Yishan.

For the next three days, Dong Rui successively cultivated several more cicada mothers and let Other Rongshan disciples take them to various places to hunt strange cicadas.

The advantage of strange cicadas was their fast growth, and the disadvantage was their desire for mating and reproduction far exceeding that of ordinary cicadas.

After working like this for seven or eight days, the number of adults dropped sharply, and the newly hatched ones also had to die. The number of strange cicadas in the Other Rongshan territory dropped sharply, and good news came from the east and south.

After another seven or eight days, many places were cleared to zero.

The overall situation was settled; it was only a matter of time before the Other Rongshan Sect completely defeated the invading strange cicadas.

At the same time, they also set fire to the scorched forest in the northeast. After all, the trees there had long been sucked dry by the invading strange cicadas, and it was no pity to burn them down; the smoky charcoal land could also block the strange cicadas for several months.

By cutting off the path of the cicadas moving south, the Other Rongshan Sect could enjoy a few months of peace.

Elder Dao also asked Dong Rui: "What should we do after three months?"

After three months, it would be spring, and the mountain forests burned by the big fire would grow grass and trees again. By then, the cicadas would move south again.

The answer Dong Rui gave was also very simple: "The Ju Nation is the source; if the cicada plague there isn't eliminated, Other Rongshan will have no peace."

Who told the Ju Nation to be a neighbor that couldn't be moved? No matter how well Other Rongshan did on its own one-third of an acre, it would be dragged down by the poor student next door.

Elder Dao sighed long and hard, then asked: "Then, can we invite Mr. Wei to take a trip to the Ju Nation?"

Eliminate insects for the Ju Nation? Dong Rui shook his head: "Not going."

"Actually, the Ju Nation heard that our Other Rongshan is good at eliminating pests and came to ask for help." Elder Dao smiled even more warmly, "The strange cicadas have eaten countless people in the Ju Nation and have caused great disaster; now the whole country is unbearable, suffering from no way to save itself."

Wherever the strange cicadas pass, not a blade of grass grows, people and livestock do not survive, and agriculture and forestry wither. Once it intensifies, no country can withstand it.

The Tiangong had already sent envoys to Wan Ge Marsh, and Dong Rui wouldn't go there no matter what. He had finally escaped Beijia and would never be willing to get involved with the people and affairs there again.

He Lingchuan tentatively asked: "Has the Ju Nation never asked for foreign aid?"

"How could they not? The Ju Nation offered heavy rewards and invited strange people everywhere." Elder Dao coughed lightly: "The spy I sent to the Ju Nation also brought back a piece of news; even the Tiangong was alarmed and sent a Du Yun Envoy."

He Lingchuan was slightly surprised: "The Tiangong sent a Du Yun Envoy? Which one?"

Of course he knew that the Tiangong envoy going to Wan Ge Marsh wasn't investigating any cicada plague at all, but looking for clues related to the Great Fang Hu; that was his intention in asking Li Qingge to send the Punishment Dragon Pillar to Wan Ge Marsh.

But he didn't expect the Tiangong to send a Du Yun Envoy.

The level was very high, enough to show the degree of importance.

"Surname He, it's He Jing, one of the four Du Yun Envoys." Elder Dao said, "But this Du Yun Envoy He led people to turn around Wan Ge Marsh several times, and it seems he didn't find anything, and later he left."

"Oh!" He Lingchuan nodded solemnly; it was originally his own setup, and it would be a ghost if Envoy He could find clues about the Great Fang Hu in Wan Ge Marsh.

As for the cicada plague in the Ju Nation, he thought that Envoy He didn't take it to heart at all; anyway, it wasn't Beijia that was being harmed.

Elder Dao looked at He Lingchuan and coughed lightly: "Mr. Wei also said that the Ju Nation is the source. If it isn't treated there, the insect plague in the Other Rongshan territory cannot be eradicated."

"Eradicated"—two words, emphasized.

He Lingchuan knew that this sentence was said to him. If the insect plague in Other Rongshan couldn't be eradicated, Qiu Hu would have to continue to stay in Other Rongshan to keep his vow.

Elder Dao had sharp eyes and had long seen that this side followed He Lingchuan's lead; as long as He Lingchuan nodded, this "Mr. Wei" wouldn't refuse.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment and said sternly: "It's not that I'm kicking them while they're down, but there is something I would like to ask your sect for help with."

Elder Dao was not worried but happy: "Please speak, please speak!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 777 =====