Chapter 61: Chapter 61: The True Face of the Mysterious Gu Poison?
Ye Bai had no choice but to continue tossing in the Tier Four exotic beast meat.
The Hundred-Change Silkworm was like a massive meat grinder, tirelessly devouring the flesh.
The entire laboratory echoed with the sound of its incessant chewing and swallowing, crunch, crunch.
Soon, the entire torso of the Blood Storm Rat Emperor was consumed by the Hundred-Change Silkworm, yet it still seemed unsatisfied.
Ye Bai grit his teeth and took out the left foreleg of the Blood Storm Rat Emperor.
His heart bled silently; this single left foreleg was worth a million Alliance Coins.
Experimentation is truly costly.
That’s why breeders are paid millions to evolve a pet beast.
Not expensive, really not expensive.
Just the cost of the materials alone is quite hefty.
The Hundred-Change Silkworm continued gnawing on the exotic beast meat, but its body showed no sign of increasing in size; instead, the blood-red mist around it grew thicker, akin to blood becoming ever denser.
Soon, the Hundred-Change Silkworm’s body was enveloped in the blood mist, revealing only its blood-red eyes.
The lab was filled only with the sound of crunching and chewing.
Looking down, the enchanting red glow from the Hundred-Change Silkworm’s eyes was visible.
Soon, the left foreleg was entirely gone, and the right foreleg was tossed in.
Another million Alliance Coins flew away.
Yet, to Ye Bai’s relief, the Hundred-Change Silkworm’s swallowing speed noticeably slowed.
But Ye Bai’s relief was premature, for after devouring the entire right foreleg, the Hundred-Change Silkworm still opened its mouth, using its slender tongue to point at its mouth.
When the left hind leg was entirely consumed, the Hundred-Change Silkworm finally stopped moving, yawned widely, and fell to the ground.
The blood-red mist gradually thickened, crystallizing into a blood-red casing enveloping the Hundred-Change Silkworm.
To avoid disturbing each other, Ye Bai had to move the other two cocooning Hundred-Change Silkworms aside, placing them in a separate glass cabinet to await their final evolution.
He had a premonition that the Blood Gu Butterfly could successfully evolve and become a Tier Four pet beast.
However, the evolutionary path for the Hundred-Change Silkworm to become the Blood Gu Butterfly is not easily replicated.
The most critical evolution material, the mysterious Gu Poison, remains a mystery to Ye Bai.
There’s a chance this Hundred-Change Silkworm might evolve into the first and last Blood Gu Butterfly.
Yet Ye Bai vaguely felt that the surveillance footage might provide a definitive answer.
However, upon reaching the surveillance room, Ye Bai found he did not have access.
Of course, Ye Bai could hack into the internal network using his skills.
But doing so felt disrespectful to his teacher.
While waiting for the Blood Poison Moth and Blood Gu Butterfly to evolve, Ye Bai remembered he hadn’t yet reviewed today’s intelligence reports.
[1. A Dragon-slaying Sword is hidden beneath an ancient bridge spanning Jiaying River. The Dragon-slaying Sword specializes in slaying Flood Dragons intent on transforming, called the Ten Dragon Sword after slaying ten Flood Dragons, its blade glowing with a bronze sheen. After slaying a hundred Flood Dragons, it’s called the Hundred Dragons Sword, with a silver-white luster, and a gentle tap on the blade emits a deafening dragon’s roar.]
[2. The Gray Poison Moth, after absorbing the crystal core and essence blood of a Tier Six Poisonous Flood Dragon, can evolve into a Tier Six Poison Dragon Butterfly.]
[3. Life Crystal Dew is extremely rare. After high-tier Sunflowers absorb the Essence of Heaven and Earth, the dew is condensed from their petals. Rumor has it that a Tier Three Sunflower King, after absorbing a large amount of Essence of Flesh and Blood, can also refine Life Crystal Dew, which is said to prolong life and cure all diseases, with the first dose being the most effective for extending life.]
[4. At Jiaying First High School, Mandala Grass is about to mature. After years of accumulation, a Mandala Grass King has emerged, whose roots are the main ingredient for Tier Two Awakening Potion. The Divine Phoenix Group is buying it at high prices. Be warned, the scream of Mandala Grass can cause cardiac arrest—cover your ears well.]
[5. A week from now, Professor Su Qingxian, director of the Imperial Capital Research Institute, due to a sudden heart attack without her Rapid Heart-saving Pill on hand, will collapse on Jiaying Street by Riverside Road in Jiaying City at the age of sixty-five. The crucial project she was managing will cause a significant project of the Flame Country Alliance to come to a standstill.]
This issue provides quite a bit of useful information.
The whereabouts of the Dragon-slaying Sword.
The evolutionary path of the Gray Poison Moth.
The way into Divine Phoenix Group.
But none of these compare to the last piece.
Professor Su Qingxian, Director of the Imperial Capital Research Institute, has developed many evolutionary paths and is considered of National Level significance.
For someone like her, how could she not have protection, and why wasn’t the Rapid Heart-saving Pill with her in such a dramatic situation?
This must be an attempt by another country to assassinate Professor Su Qingxian, deliberately provoking her to induce the heart attack.
She is a respected elder among researchers and a role model for all in scientific research.
Such a great and respectable person must not encounter misfortune.
But how can Professor Su Qingxian’s life be saved?
Ye Bai could only transform once more into Y to send the information out.
Though risky, it was better than doing nothing at all.
Is there a medicine that can treat heart disease, freeing Professor Su from the clutches of illness?
Ye Bai’s gaze fell on the Life Crystal Dew.
The Sunflower King shivered, rubbing its petals with its broad leaves.
Was it because the lab’s air conditioning was too cold, causing the inexplicable chill?
At that moment, Ye Bai took out the last part of the Blood Storm Rat Emperor’s body, gritting his teeth as he handed it to the Sunflower King.
Hope that the flesh of the Tier Four Blood Storm Rat Emperor can help the Sunflower King condense some Life Crystal Dew.
The Sunflower King tilted its head, showing a simple-minded smile on its face. Isn’t this wonderful?
Zhang Lingxue arrived at a heavily guarded place, and after passing through numerous security checks, she finally stood beside a screen.
Due to the urgency of the situation, she wouldn’t disturb her teacher otherwise.
"Professor Zhang Lingxue, upon approval, you have gained the right to contact the Imperial Capital Research Institute."
"Your call will not be recorded, please feel at ease to make the call."
A synthesized electronic voice came from a nearby speaker.
Video call connecting.
After a long time, an elderly man in a lab coat answered the call.
Her attire was quite plain, with a simple hairband on her head, and her hair was meticulously combed.
A pair of the most ordinary black-framed glasses perched on her nose.
This person was none other than Zhang Lingxue’s mentor, Professor Su Qingxian, the director of the Imperial Capital Research Institute.
Zhang Lingxue is the youngest apprentice of Professor Su.
Professor Su had a warm, kind smile like the sun: "Xiao Xue, why are you suddenly looking for me? What’s the urgent matter?"
Zhang Lingxue nodded: "Teacher, I truly need your help with something regarding my grandfather."
Zhang Lingxue transmitted the data in her hand through an encrypted channel.
Upon seeing this test report, Professor Su’s expression changed suddenly: "Xiao Xue, where did you find this thing?"
When Zhang Lingxue saw the elder’s expression, she understood that Professor Su might recognize what this thing was, her heart tightened: "I detected this from my grandfather’s blood."
"Teacher, what on earth is this?"
Professor Su was silent for a while before speaking to Zhang Lingxue: "No wonder we haven’t been able to detect it all this time."
"I recently took on a study that examined a lot of information, only then did I know about this thing."
"It’s called Blood Gu."
"It barely counts as a kind of Exotic Beast."
Barely counts as a kind of Exotic Beast?
Zhang Lingxue found this statement somewhat incomprehensible.
Professor Su seemed to have seen Zheng Lingxue’s confusion and explained to her: "Because whether it’s Exotic Beasts or Pet Beasts, they all start from Tier One."
"However, this Blood Gu can be considered below Tier One, meaning it’s a Tier Zero Exotic Beast."
"It’s very weak, any skill of a Pet Beast could kill it."
"But it is also very powerful. As long as it can invade the human body, it will absorb the human blood and reproduce in large numbers."
"The host being inhabited will gradually weaken and eventually die prematurely."
"This Gu Insect is also known as the incurable cancer."
At this point, Zhang Lingxue was very puzzled: "Teacher? In that case, won’t this Gu Insect spread like an infectious disease?"
Professor Su shook her head: "You can think of the Gu Insect as ordinary invasive cells. When it first enters the human body, it will be devoured by macrophages and won’t reproduce in large numbers."
"Unless special targeted drugs are used, which makes the Gu Insect take the risk of being devoured by macrophages, it might manage to penetrate the human body and propagate the Blood Gu."
"At that point, they start secreting a special hormone, making macrophages mistakenly identify the Gu Insect as their kind."
"As far as I know, this kind of drug is extremely valuable."
"This should result from human intervention."
"If we knew it was the Gu Insect from the start, there are specialized drugs to handle it."
"But once the Gu Insects reproduce in large numbers, no remedies are available."
Hearing this, Zhang Lingxue immediately understood.
Someone must have deliberately inserted the Gu Insects into her grandfather’s body.
"Xiao Xue, you should spend some time with your grandfather lately."
"Blood Gu is very active in human blood, constantly reproducing, causing immense pain, enough to drive someone to suicide for relief."
"Once the blood is filled with the Gu Insects, it’s essentially incurable."
"It’s strange though, logically, the instruments should have been able to detect it from the start!"
But Su Qingxian’s words left Zhang Lingxue momentarily perplexed: "Teacher, take a look at the high-definition video I shot."
"Those Gu insects are all asleep."
Hearing Zhang Lingxue’s words, Su Qingxian paused.
She carefully watched the transmitted video from Zhang Lingxue, confirming that the Gu insects were indeed asleep.
"Strange, has your grandfather recently taken any special medication?"
"If the Gu insects are asleep, we can use repeated blood transfusions to expel them."
"However, the cost of doing so is substantial. Your grandfather’s abilities will further decline, eventually making him an ordinary person. Would he accept that?"