"Accelerating ripening isn't simply a matter of consuming immortal crystals. It also requires enormous amounts of manpower, resources, and more, because the corresponding pests and diseases become twice as active as well!"
With that, the Heavenly Wilderness Great Witch flicked a finger, gathering water spiritual energy into a fine stream that washed the purple jade insect off the grape stem before churning it to pieces. The Great Witch explained, "These purple jade insects have considerable vitality. Their bodies are hard as jade, and they cling very strongly. They also live alongside purple jade grapes, making them difficult to spot. If you aren't careful when catching them, they may burrow into the grapes and become even harder to catch, or you may snap the grape stems, or they may drain large amounts of the grapes' vitality..."
"Understood! Is there any convenient way to deal with them?"
Xiao Ying nodded in response. Gazing out over the boundless orchards and spirit fields, he suddenly felt a headache coming on.
The Heavenly Wilderness Great Witch promptly replied, "Unusual insects such as purple-eyed bees, jade-fur beetles, and spell-eating ants are natural enemies of these pests. But some are difficult to obtain and extremely hard to breed; some target too few pests to be worth raising specifically; and others also harm spiritual plants. If their numbers aren't properly controlled, they'll devour the spiritual plants even as they catch the pests... In short, we currently have no effective, convenient measures to offer. We'll have to see what fortune brings!"
"Then we can only rely entirely on manual labor?" Xiao Ying asked with a frown.
The Heavenly Wilderness Great Witch nodded with a bitter smile and replied, "If we could recruit a Gu Witch, things should become much easier! Gu Witches aren't skilled at cultivation, but they excel