The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 745 - 415: Unable to Distinguish Right from Wrong

Ning Xiaoxian secretly sneered inwardly, but her face remained serious as she said: "I wouldn’t dare. The deductions made by Deputy Hall Master Lian Heng are naturally astute. However, regarding this explosive, I happen to know a bit about it." She didn’t even use the humble "your subordinate," directly choosing "I" instead, which sounded particularly displeasing to Jiu Mo’s ears.

Ning Xiaoxian was not doing this on purpose; she originally came from a world that prided itself on equality, and she had never joined a Sect or ranked herself within a large organization before, so it never occurred to her to use self-deprecating terms like "your subordinate," "yours truly." Besides, because of Changtian, she subconsciously felt that since you all have your leader imprisoned in God Demon Prison by me, who in Hidden Stream is worth my bowing and scraping to?

Jiu Mo glanced at her lightly, his eyes already carrying a hint of coldness: "Speak."

Ning Xiaoxian pretended not to notice and stepped forward, pointing to the transparent fragments on the tray, and succinctly said: "This object is the abdominal shard of the ’explosive Gu insect,’ which has the hardest belly. Therefore, only this small piece remains after the explosion."

Deputy Hall Master Lian Heng of Thorny Hall sneered: "What explosive Gu insect? I’ve never even heard of it."

She quickly continued: "As you all know, many kinds of insects like bees, ants, and such can launch suicidal attacks. The explosive Gu insect is the same; its life span is a short three days, with the abdominal fluid swelling more and more each day. By the third day, the abdomen swells to its roundest and almost translucent state, filled with flammable and explosive fluid, making the belly shard extremely hard, needing just one friction to trigger an explosion! The soil in Immortal Plant Garden is rough; just a brush of the explosive Gu on the ground would cause it to explode."

Such Gu worms are extremely rare; in fact, all of Qianjin Hall’s products are both expensive and rare. She happens to know because another Gu enthusiast—Miluo—once mentioned it in passing during a conversation with Ghost Child, thinking of it as sharing hobbies, never expecting to encounter a real explosive Gu belly shard here.

Ning Xiaoxian quickly swept her gaze over everyone in the hall: "The explosive Gu is the latest trick tool developed by Qianjin Hall at the beginning of this year, the first example of combining Gu worms with clever techniques. It’s unsurprising that Deputy Hall Master Lian Heng or the other notable figures from Thorny Hall haven’t heard of it... May I ask the masters, has anyone left Ba Snake Mountain Range this year?"

All the elders in the hall subconsciously shook their heads. Even if they left the Ba Snake Mountain Range, what of it? Jiu Mo and Langya had been out, but why would they pay attention to something as trivial as the invention of the explosive Gu, seemingly irrelevant to them? Ning Xiaoxian sneered inside, how strong can the demons of Hidden Stream be? Its conservatism, its self-imposed isolation, determines that when facing sudden incidents, the Demon Sect may respond quickly but retaliate slowly, often falling into passivity.

Changtian realized this too and pondered: "My method of raising Gu insects in this cage may allow Hidden Stream’s heritage to pass on, but inevitably nurtures many problems."

Qiongqi, who was standing by, hurried to comfort: "Achieving your intent is what matters. For a Demon Sect to exist and thrive for thirty thousand years is itself a miracle. There’s no need to be too harsh about the rest."

Elder He, however, keenly picked up on the crux of her words, his eyes lighting up: "Ning Xiaoxian, are you saying that this Gu could be placed three days in advance?"

"Indeed." She nodded to Elder He, "The eggs of the explosive Gu are as fine as powder, exceedingly difficult to detect. Once buried, they will move toward a designated direction, going underground, lying in wait, and once the three-day maturation period arrives, they will explode."

Elder He’s expression turned grave: "If what you say is true, the explosive Gu was set in place three days ago and just exploded tonight. In that case, indeed, indeed it has nothing to do with the Pill Masters under my command; at least for this matter, they are no more suspect than anyone else!"

Lian Heng spoke coldly: "The premise is, what this little banshee has said is true. Since no one present has ever heard of the explosive Gu, so how can we verify it now? Moreover, even if what she says is true, how many people have left Hidden Stream within this year, and how many know of the explosive Gu? Just because she can mention the explosive Gu makes her suspect. I suggest the Sect Leader temporarily detains her for thorough interrogation."

Ning Xiaoxian’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes narrowed, and she laughed rather than getting angry: "Deputy Hall Master Lian Heng, what an imposing official authority you wield. By your words, should we detain everyone who knows of the explosive Gu and subject them all to careful questioning?" She turned to Jiu Mo and said, "Master, if we follow Deputy Hall Master Lian Heng’s words, should Hidden Stream then seal itself off and cease all communication with the outside world? To prevent anyone from gaining a bit more knowledge outside and being regarded as a spy upon their return and put to trial!"