Beside the river in the Inner City, at the Fresh River Tower.
"Many leaves on the [Golden Spirit Mulberry Trees] already show signs of being gnawed, and the trees' spiritual energy has declined considerably. As for the number of [ice marrow spirit-devouring insects]-"
Gao Dingtian gave a bitter laugh. "They haven't reached the point of blotting out the sky, but everywhere you look, you can see crystalline specks wriggling among the trunks, branches, and leaves. The phantom images they split off are beyond counting. If we delay any longer, I fear these Golden Spirit Mulberry Trees will lose all their spiritual energy and wither away within a year."
"It's that serious?"
Lin Changheng was taken aback.
He had not expected there to be nearly a thousand [Golden Spirit Mulberry Trees], with [ice marrow spirit-devouring insects] covering almost
every inch of each tree. Just how terrifying would their numbers be?
Even several hundred thousand might be an underestimate.
No matter how refined his fire arts, divine abilities, and demonic arts were, clearing them all out would probably be difficult.
"Indeed."
Gao Dingtian nodded and sighed, his lean, aged face visibly troubled. He looked earnestly at Lin Changheng. "That is precisely why we urgently need someone as skilled in fire arts as you. Rest assured, our Gao Household disciples will cooperate fully during the extermination. They will mark the areas requiring particular attention and lay down formations to contain the collateral spread of the flames as much as possible. We only ask that you kill the [ice marrow spirit-devouring insects] precisely, leaving the roots and branches of our mulberry trees unharmed."
Clearly, this late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator had been worn down completely by the situation. Hope in his eyes, he asked, "What do you think, Fellow Daoist Lin?"
"Tap, tap, tap-"
Lin