"How about we put them together and see what happens?" Professor Hu voiced a bold idea.

The other professors looked toward Li Qingyun to ask for her opinion, because among the group, she was the only one who had studied Gu arts.

"We can give it a try, but the biological samples of the flying insects are limited. We can’t throw them all in at once, or we’ll have nothing left to study later." Li Qingyun nodded her agreement, but casually added a reminder.

"Of course. I went through a lot of trouble to find these flying insects; I’m not about to use them up." Professor Hu said as if it were only natural.

As he spoke, he operated the computer again, equipping the mechanical arm with a catcher, then used the controls to precisely capture three of the flying insects.

At this moment the flying insects were wholly absorbed in ramming the glass wall, ignoring the capture attempt, so the capture went very smoothly. He loaded the flying insects into the black vial again; another mechanical arm sealed the cap, then sent it out through the groove at the bottom.

Using the same procedure, Professor Hu placed the black vial into the culture container that housed the black bug. Throughout the process, the black bug paid it no mind, its eyes only on the purple flying insects.

Amid everyone’s anticipation, the cap was opened. The instant it popped, the frenzied black bug suddenly froze, then slowly turned, facing the mouth of the vial.

The three flying insects flew out of the vial, circled once inside the container, then abruptly charged at the black bug. The black bug would not be outdone; it sprang up. Its head swung rapidly, razor-sharp mandibles opening and closing, and in a single move it tore all three flying insects cleanly in half.

"So fierce!" The ultra–high-resolution camera caught the scene of their clash, then magnified it on the big screen; everyone watched with bated breath.

"What a pity." Professor Hu sighed with regret.

Just when everyone thought the purple flying insects had been utterly defeated, Lin Tian’s gaze sharpened. He noticed there was some strange powder clinging to the black bug’s body, and the powder emitted a faint purple fluorescence.

Then something uncanny happened: the purple powder ignited. Looking at those elusive purple flames, like something and nothing at the same time, Lin Tian felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Yes, it carried a trace of the aura of the purple flame, the power of fire—but it was only similar in feel. Lin Tian was certain it was definitely not the true purple flame; otherwise the entire culture container would already have been reduced to ashes.

But the black bug that had gotten the powder on it wasn’t so lucky. Its beetle-like carapace was burned away in an instant; the black bug dropped to the floor, barely clinging to life, likely not going to survive.

"Th-this... what’s going on?" Jiang Xiu Ying exclaimed in shock; in truth, the other professors were no less stunned than she was.

Professor Hu snapped back to his senses and immediately replayed the recording. This time they saw it clearly: those faint, barely visible purple flames, like ghost fire. Without the high resolution of the camera, they might not have been captured at all.

"A substance that burns at room temperature... it could be phosphorus. The ghost lights on graves are caused by spontaneous combustion of phosphorus in bones. What on earth is this purple powder made of?" Professor He analyzed.

"According to the temperature changes detected by the instruments, the temperature barely shifted at the moment it ’burned’. It may not be something as simple as combustion." Professor Hu frowned.

"Maybe it’s mutual generation and mutual restraint?" Watching the professors analyze back and forth, Lin Tian couldn’t help but cut in.

In fact, what he wanted to say was that it was the mutual generation and restraint among the four Zombie Ancestors, which in turn had given these bugs similar attributes. But that wasn’t something he could say outright, so he could only be vague.

"Isn’t that getting a bit metaphysical?" Professor Hu hesitated.

Li Qingyun cast Lin Tian a look and said calmly, "I actually support Lin Tian’s view. In Gu arts, too, there is emphasis on mutual generation and restraint. Water restrains fire, so water can extinguish fire; but if the fire is strong enough, it can in turn counter water and evaporate it."

"Between the purple flying insects and the black bug, which is water and which is fire isn’t important. What matters is that they restrain one another. The black bug’s properties are similar to those of those hair–fine parasites. The purple flying insects might be the key to treating the parasites." Li Qingyun finally drew a conclusion, and that conclusion made the professors’ eyes light up.

"It’s just a pity that the purple flying insects aren’t strong enough. Even three together can’t completely kill a single black bug. They might be lacking something." Lin Tian said lightly, looking at the dying black bug.

Seeing the professors all turn to him, Lin Tian hurriedly added, "Uh, what I mean is, it’s like detoxification. If the antidote’s efficacy isn’t strong enough, it can’t clear the toxin. It’s not a question of dosage, but that the medicine itself isn’t potent enough."

"Maybe we can ’raise’ them like Gu, strengthening the purple flying insects, and then extract the active components." Li Qingyun proposed. As she spoke, she kept glancing at Lin Tian, consciously or not, as if she were addressing him in particular.

That made sense. Among everyone present, only Lin Tian could fully understand these things. Although He Jianhua and the others were professors and experts, they had ultimately never come into contact with those mysterious forces.

"Professor Li has experience with Gu arts. If she puts it this way, she must have her reasons. I think it’s worth trying. Aren’t many experimental results born from thousands upon thousands of ’let’s try it and see’?" Jiang Xiu Ying also voiced support for Li Qingyun’s view.

"All right, then it’s decided. We’ll split up. Lin Tian and Professor Li will work on strengthening the flying insects. Professor Hu and I will extract that purple powder and analyze it to see what substance it is. Elder Jiang, please prepare some related medicines and see if we can synthesize a special drug when the time comes."

"Also, Elder Jiang and Lin Tian may need to go regularly to the affiliated hospital to examine and perform acupuncture on the patients, in case anything unexpected happens. Every additional day we can win is another bit of chance for us."

As the overall head of the lab, Professor He was decisive; once he started giving instructions, everything was arranged swiftly and neatly.

"Uh, before that, we should give these two new species names. In the biological community, naming is a big deal, and it’ll make future reports more formal. We can’t just keep calling them ’flying insects’ and ’black bugs’; that doesn’t fit the rigor of experimental reports." Professor Hu reminded them.

Lin Tian smiled. "These luminous bugs were discovered by you. By convention, Professor Hu, you have priority naming rights."

Once Lin Tian said that, all the professors looked at Hu Yang. Hu Yang wasn’t the bashful sort; he thought for a moment and said, "Their dim purple flames are like ghost fire... let’s call them Ghost Fire Worms."

"Then what about the black bug and those hair–thin parasites? Those two species don’t have names yet either." Professor He asked again.

Then they all turned to Lin Tian. "Lin Tian, you discovered them first, didn’t you? Why don’t you name them?"

For the professors to say this was essentially to give Lin Tian a huge benefit. Having the right to name a new organism meant that this creature’s name would forever be associated with its namer and recorded in the annals of biology—a tremendous honor.

The academic world is also rife with interests and struggles for fame. For professors like He Jianhua and the others to give such an honor to a junior like Lin Tian showed that their breadth of mind was far from ordinary.