A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 551 Then, remember to think of me often.

According to the system, a purification tree can grow for five years. When its power is exhausted or its lifespan comes to an end, it will bloom, bear fruit, and wither.

However, the purification trees in this area have only been planted for a few months, and there is no sign of them flowering or bearing fruit. The leaves and branches have already begun to wither, which is really puzzling.

A group of people stood around the withered trees, looking worried, discussing the situation for a long time without reaching a conclusion. Some thought it was just an accident, while others guessed it was due to the recent excessive rainfall; opinions varied widely.

Shen Tang asked the system in his mind, "What exactly is going on?"

After a system scan, the system's tone became grave: "Host, the roots of these trees are already rotting; currently, it's just the initial symptom of withering leaves. If not treated promptly, the root rot will rapidly worsen, and these trees will not survive."

[Furthermore, the one in the middle is the most severely rotten. I suspect it may be contagious; please dig it up as soon as possible to prevent it from infecting other purification trees.]

Shen Tang's heart sank.

If this disease is indeed contagious, the entire area's purification trees could be affected, and their efforts over the past six months would be ruined!
She immediately ordered the trees to be dug up.

Xiao Jin led the beastmen to dig very deep. The roots of the Purification Tree were extremely long, reaching more than ten meters underground and firmly embedded in the soil.

But the digging proceeded quickly under the orcs' sharp claws.

Just as they were about to dig to the bottom of the tree roots, someone suddenly felt as if they had crushed something, and their palm was covered with a sticky, milky white liquid mixed with soil.

"Your Majesty, Lord Lu Xiao, come quick! We've dug this up!"

Soon, more orcs also discovered this thing—thumb-sized white spheres, clustered together on tree roots, densely packed, looking like some kind of insect eggs.

After scanning with the system, Shen Tang's expression immediately darkened. It was indeed insect eggs!
She sent people to carefully examine the excavated soil, and sure enough, they found a long, dark brown worm about the thickness of a little finger. They resembled earthworms, wriggling gently in the soil, almost blending into the earth, making them extremely difficult to detect.

Now that both insect eggs and adult insects have appeared, it is not hard to guess why the purification tree withered: these insects were gnawing at the tree roots!

Upon witnessing this disgusting scene, some people jumped back a few steps, rubbing the goosebumps on their arms and cursing, "What bad luck! How can there be so many disgusting things in this place!"

Have you ever seen this kind of insect before?

"It shouldn't be a local, right? I've never seen one like it in my entire life."

"If they really do bite tree roots, there must be a lot more hidden in the soil. But why are only these few trees affected, while the other trees are temporarily unaffected? This means the pest infestation is spreading slowly."

"Come to think of it, these insects seem to target the purification trees that we've worked so hard to grow."

The beastmen were discussing it heatedly, and many were filled with righteous indignation.

Shen Tang's expression was also not good, and her heart was filled with doubts. Logically speaking, the Purification Tree was something produced by the system. Even if its resistance was not top-notch, it should not be so easily invaded by local pests and diseases.

She slowly began to speak, "I think this matter is probably not as simple as just pests and diseases; it is very likely that it was caused by humans."

These words shocked all the orcs present.

If that's really the case, then it's terrifying to think about!

These insect eggs reproduce extremely quickly, and it was fortunate that they were discovered early. Otherwise, if left unchecked, the hundreds of thousands of hectares of purification trees they had painstakingly planted could have been wiped out overnight.

All efforts will be in vain!
Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but gasp.

"Who on earth could be so vicious?"

"Hmph, there are plenty of people who don't like our empire. Aren't some neighboring countries always causing trouble on the border and making a fuss to annoy us from time to time? I bet they're the ones who did it."

"It could also be an insider; some people are just dishonest and specialize in these kinds of sneaky things."

"What should we do now? Should we dig out all these bugs and eggs? But they're hidden so deep, it's impossible to catch them all..."

The system spoke up at the opportune moment: "Host, don't worry. The insecticide produced by the system can kill 99% of insect species. You can use it to eliminate these root-eating insects."

Shen Tang immediately purchased a large quantity of insecticide from the system store and distributed it to the orcs, instructing them to thoroughly spray the entire area, leaving no corner untouched. Leaving even a single insect egg could render all their efforts futile.

In addition, they must find out who is behind this.

If someone is indeed deliberately causing damage, they are likely to continue spreading insect eggs if they are not identified.

For some reason, Shen Tang suddenly remembered the dark figure from last night.

Xiao Jin, Lu Xiao, and Xue Yinzhou had obviously thought of this as well, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly.

Xiao Jinjun's face was gloomy, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he turned to leave, saying, "I'm going to find that scourge no matter what!"

Shen Tang knew he was angry, so she didn't stop him.

She looked at Lu Xiao and Xue Yinzhou, whose faces were solemn, as well as Luo Fei and Fu Teng, who had just arrived, and discussed the next course of action.

If the mastermind's goal is truly to destroy the Purification Tree, then they must still be hiding nearby before the plan succeeds!

Shen Tang divided the manpower into several teams, with each tenth-level beastman leading one team, and they carried out a carpet search in different areas.

Luo Fei also led a team to set off.

In the open mountains and fields, the beastmen transformed into their true forms and lowered their heads to carefully sniff out any suspicious scents.

Leading the pack was a massive black wild boar, nearly five or six meters long, with bulging muscles, iron-like bristles, sharp tusks, and long bristles standing upright on its back like sharp thorns. It was imposing and extremely intimidating.

Luo Fei usually doesn't like to reveal his beast form easily, but he can't care about that now. Only in his true form can the strength and perception of a beastman be brought to their fullest potential.

The other party acted cautiously, leaving no trace of energy, but the scent was difficult to completely conceal. The wild boar had a keen sense of smell, and as Luo Fei's long snout kept gently nudging the ground, he suddenly detected something unusual.

He suddenly looked up, his sharp eyes fixed on a certain direction. "Over there!"

He charged forward first, unleashing a powerful burst of energy towards that spot.

With a loud bang, a deep crater was blasted into the ground, and a dark figure flew out.

"Gotcha, you little thief!" Luo Fei pressed his advantage.

But just then, the ground beneath his feet suddenly changed; the once solid earth turned into a muddy swamp, and his legs went weak, causing him to sink in instantly, unable to pull himself out no matter what he did.

"Captain!" Upon seeing this, the orcs behind rushed forward to help.

However, the next second, the ground beneath their feet turned into a mud pit, and their ankles quickly sank in.

Even more terrifying, there seemed to be an invisible suction force in the mud, pulling them down!

The more they struggled, the faster they sank. In less than half a minute, most of their bodies were already submerged in the mud.

Luo Fei, the first to be hit, had only his head sticking out. He struggled and tried to breathe, but he couldn't stop sinking, and his mouth and nose were about to be submerged in the mud.

Just at this critical moment, a green vine suddenly wrapped around his neck, pulling him upwards and preventing him from sinking completely.

Luo Fei's eyes rolled back as he was being strangled, his face turning bright red—if his mouth hadn't been covered in mud, he would have cursed loudly, wondering if this damned grass was trying to save him or strangle him. It was definitely settling a personal score!

The vines had no time to care what he thought. A dozen or so vines burst from the ground, wrapping around the orcs who were stuck in the mud, slowing their descent.

Fu Teng had originally led a team to search the area. He had his roots deeply embedded in the soil when he sensed an unusual energy fluctuation. He tracked it all the way here and just happened to rescue Luo Fei and his group who were in danger.

It has to be said that Luo Fei and his companions were incredibly lucky. A few seconds later, they might have been dead.

Xiao Jin arrived with his team and saw that some orcs were still trying to rush forward to rescue people. He shouted sternly, "All of you, step back!"

A cry of an eagle pierced the sky high above.

Lu Xiao and his flying orcs also arrived.

His calm voice came from the air, "Don't panic, the more you struggle in the swamp, the deeper you'll sink. Slowly lean back to increase the contact area with the mud."

Fu Teng tried to pull the orcs out with his vines, but the suction of the mud was too strong; the vines nearly broke, and he still couldn't drag them out. Even more unsettling, something seemed to be swimming and churning beneath the mud, accelerating the devouring process!

Lu Xiao's sharp eagle eyes instantly caught the unusual movement in a certain spot in the mud pit, and his claws condensed into a vortex of wind, striking directly at that location.

boom!
Mud splattered everywhere like bombs.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Fu Teng endured the pain and exerted his strength, quickly pulling the beastmen back to solid ground.

Luo Fei's body was pulled out, but he was huge and incredibly heavy, almost like a small truck.

Fu Teng was exhausted, his face pale and panting heavily. He wanted nothing more than to kick him—this fat pig eats so much, he's so heavy! The vines are about to break!

When Xue Yinzhou arrived, he witnessed this scene. He frowned and immediately transformed into his beast form, working together with Fu Teng to pull Luo Fei out completely.

The rescued beastmen collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, covered in mud, almost like mud men.

Fortunately, there were water-type orcs in the group, so they quickly used water to cleanse them.

Seeing that everyone was out of danger, Lu Xiao no longer held back and launched a full-scale attack.

Boom boom boom!
The violent wind-based superpowers slammed into the mud like cannonballs, blasting large gaps in the mud surface and revealing a thick, long figure hidden beneath.

It panicked and scurried through the mud, trying to escape.

This thing moves incredibly fast through mud and soil, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Trying to escape? Not so easy! Today I'll skin you alive!" Xiao Jin slammed his palm into the ground, unleashing a surge of lightning power that instantly created a lightning barrier, sealing off the surroundings.

The thing crashed into the electric fence, let out a shrill scream, and emitted black smoke from its body!

Lu Xiao simultaneously conjured a wind blade and severed its tail, which was used for burrowing.

It writhed in agony, unable to escape any longer, and was lifted directly from the ground, crashing to the ground and transforming into human form.

Xueyinzhou then captured the other orcs who were trying to escape.

It turned out to be a gang crime.

The crowd took them back for questioning.

Unfortunately, these individuals had clearly undergone rigorous training, and no amount of torture could extract any useful information from them; they even attempted suicide.

It seems the only option is to use mental energy to search through memories.

Although Shen Tang has strong mental power, he is more inclined to soothe, probe and attack to a certain extent. He is not good at searching for spirits. If he is not careful, he may turn the other party into a fool and cause the clues to be cut off.

In contrast, mermaids are more adept at charm, control, and spirit possession.

Shen Tang took out the small doll from her spatial storage, infused it with a wisp of spiritual energy, and softly called out, "Alan, are you there?"

Almost the instant she called out, the doll seemed to come to life, floating in the air and radiating a joyful aura.

Heaven knows how much Jialan missed her during their separation. Unfortunately, he had to stay at the priest's temple and couldn't come. Hearing her call now, he was overjoyed.

Seeing that there were many people present, Xiao Jialan was too embarrassed to ask her if she missed him. Instead, he gracefully sat on her left shoulder, gently picked up a strand of her hair, and whispered in her ear, "Tangtang, is there anything I can help you with?"

Shen Tang briefly explained the situation.

Xiao Jialan understood, flew to the panicked orcs, and gracefully raised her little hand.

Searching for spirits is now a piece of cake for him. Even if his true body is thousands of miles away in the deep sea, this wisp of spiritual power attached to the puppet is enough.

Soon, Jialan completed the search, and the orcs collapsed to the ground.

Xiao Jialan shared the information she had gathered with everyone, "These people were sent by Rosenia, and their purpose is to destroy the purification trees that you have worked so hard to plant."

Was it Rosenia's doing again?!

They're still up to no good!

I thought the lesson they learned last time would make them behave themselves, but after a period of silence, they've come out to cause trouble again!

Shen Tang's eyes turned cold.

We gave them a chance to reform last time, but they went further and further each time.

It seems this menace must be eliminated!

Xiao Jialan, exhausted from expending too much mental energy, yawned wearily, flew back to her head, lay down, and prepared to sleep.

Shen Tang's gaze softened. She reached out and gently scooped up the little baby lying in her hair, lowered her head and kissed its cheek, saying softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Alan."

Thousands of miles away, Jialan opened her eyes, her gaze filled with longing.

How I wish it were his true form beside her right now.

He whispered,

"Then, remember to think of me often."

His voice traveled thousands of miles and came through clearly.

Shen Tang pressed the little doll close to her cheek and whispered in response, "I miss you so much."

Although I have a thousand words I want to say to him, now is not the time for sweet nothings.

Shen Tang placed the sleeping Xiao Jialan into her breast pocket.

The doll is only the size of a palm, which fits perfectly there.

Seeing this, Xiao Jin and the others couldn't help but feel incredibly envious, being able to have her by their side at all times...

I wish they had one of these little gadgets too.

……

Inside the Royal Palace of Rosenia.

The old emperor lay leisurely on the bed, embracing the young and beautiful empress, in a very good mood. "My beauty, did the method you mentioned really work?"

When the Empress saw the old emperor reach out to touch her, a hint of disgust flashed in her eyes, but a sweet smile spread across her alluring face. "Those insect eggs were bestowed by the divine envoy. They can gnaw on the roots of the purification tree and cause it to rot on a large scale within a few days, beyond saving!"

The old emperor laughed heartily, "Excellent! In this way, the Nightbright Empire's plans over the past six months have all fallen apart! We can crush their arrogance without shedding a drop of blood, which is truly gratifying!"

A chilling jealousy crept into his voice.

Since the Nightfall Empire produced the Purification Tree Seed, it has been enjoying unparalleled popularity for the past six months, and their "Dawn Alliance" has attracted many countries and forces to join.

Rosenia felt a tremendous threat!
The old emperor said smugly, "Now, the Night Glow Empire will become a laughing stock at the international conference, won't it? Their Dawn Alliance will probably fall apart too!"

"I can't wait to see them make a fool of themselves!"

"Really?"

A gentle, melodious laugh suddenly filled the air, but the laugh concealed a chilling killing intent.

　The two chapters are combined into one, totaling four thousand words.

　　Good morning!
　　(End of this chapter)