"Chip! Collect data, build a field experiment database!"
As he released the white termites, Leilin pressed a hand to his temple, his eyes projecting a bright blue light that shone directly into the pit.
Under Leilin's probing gaze, the termites, once freed, immediately latched onto a tree root.
Compared to the colossal Mist Tree root, the termites were like specks of dust, utterly unnoticed by it.
"Experiment Subject One's life force shows a sharp increase. Commencing parasitic reproduction!"
However, in the Chip's detection imagery, the red dots representing the termites remained on the yellowish-brown root for a moment before their life force surged dramatically, glowing a vibrant crimson. They began dispersing tiny particles throughout the root's interior.
Like a domino effect, the red points of light multiplied at the speed of light, instantly spreading from one root to the entire wall and continuing to advance toward the main body of the Mist Tree root.
"What is this... ah..."
Then, the Mist Tree root's screams echoed throughout the entire garden.
From the entrance of the pit, Leilin could still hear the dense, spine-chilling sound of voracious gnawing.
By now, the white flying termites covered every inch of the Mist Tree root.
Billions of termites, mandibles wide, bit savagely into the root. In just a few minutes, they had chewed it full of holes.
The Mist Tree root's roars grew weaker and weaker until they finally fell silent.
Bzzz...
The sound of vibrating wings filled the air as a massive cloud of tiny white flying termites emerged from the pit, sweeping through the garden like a locust plague, devouring all the remaining plants.
After consuming every last plant, all the termites roared in a frenzy.
"Warning! Warning! This organism's spiritual power is experiencing violent fluctuations. Previous mental imprinting has failed. Entering frenzied foraging mode!"
Following the Chip's alert, all the termites suddenly froze unnaturally. A hint of bloodshot red appeared in their eyes as they turned toward Leilin.
"As expected, an experiment without proper preparation is always full of surprises! But too bad! Time's up!" A smile spread across Leilin's face.
As the 5-minute countdown on the Chip's display hit zero, the termites that had been terrorizing moments ago all fell to the ground, their life force extinguished.
In the blink of an eye, the ground was covered with a thick layer of termite corpses.
This was Leilin's pre-set safeguard, and it appeared to have worked quite well.
"This thing is filled with uncertainty! It seems like a lot more experiments are needed before it can be truly deployed in real combat..."
Leilin then collected a few termite corpses as specimens before entering the earthen pit, which had collapsed nearly halfway.
Soon, he reached the spot where the Mist Tree root had been. Unfortunately, all that remained were scattered remnants and soil; the enormous root's bas-relief face had completely vanished.
"That trap, however, clearly took quite a bit of thought!"
Leilin looked at the black passage previously used by the Mist Tree root as a trap. Inside, a dense layer of charred termite corpses was piled up.
It seemed they hadn't died from the genetic collapse Leilin had pre-programmed, but from the trap within the passage.
And where the Mist Tree root had originally been coiled, another passage, this one bronze-colored, was revealed.
It appeared to be constructed from something resembling ceramic, with a very rough surface that nonetheless possessed a unique aesthetic.
Near the passage, there was a line of text in the Ancient Byron Language: "Laboratory Number One Passage! Top Secret! Unauthorized Entry Strictly Prohibited!"
The blood-red lettering gave Leilin a chilling sensation.
"This material..."
Leilin reached out and touched the bronze-colored ceramic wall. His senses told him the material was extremely hard, and it felt similar to the weeping blood alloy he had seen in the Dylan Garden—it seemed designed to block soul fluctuations.
"If this is what I think it is, then something truly formidable is locked inside here!"
Leilin's sense of unease grew to its peak.
He tilted his head, thinking for a moment. Instead of rashly entering, he found an open space and began pulling various materials from his clothes, inscribing a strange magical array in the garden. The array looked bizarre, resembling an inverted "L" symbol. In the end, Leilin even etched a similar symbol onto his own robe.
"Looks like I'm really terrified of dying!" After setting up the array, Leilin's inner tension eased. He gave himself a self-deprecating laugh before stepping into the passage.