Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1566: Chapter 1561: Mimicry Mushroom

That’s quite an achievement, isn’t it? A testament to our Heaven’s Commencement Institute’s vibrant research atmosphere.

Fu Qian set the borrowed sword down without making any further moves.

Indeed, shortly after entering the Sword Pavilion, he sensed a certain anomaly—a special aura he’d once encountered during a nighttime inspection with President Cass.

During that experimental mishap, Professor Luo Bu, rarely on night duty, was experimenting with his novel idea of using Demi-God Flesh to cultivate swarms of insects.

To Fu Qian, it indeed seemed like an interesting idea.

Of course, now it was even more intriguing.

Upon close examination, Fu Qian was fairly certain he wasn’t mistaken; he could sense the smell of the fungus that grew from the remains of that insect swarm.

So the question arises, why would this product of the Apocalypse Laboratory connect with the Swordsmanship Department Sacred Land?

It’s truly a question that sparks wild imagination, and aside from mere coincidence, Fu Qian could easily come up with some other theories.

Of course, it’s best if the person involved could personally explain.

...

”Professor Fu...”

The comforting thing is that once again, the vitality of Heaven’s Commencement Institute has been demonstrated.

With semi-long hair, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, Professor Luo Bu looked as lively as ever under the just-setting sun, carefully knocking on the laboratory door, holding a long black item in his hands.

”Professor Luo Bu, please sit, no need to be so formal!”

Fu Qian greeted him with utmost cordiality, though his eyes unabashedly fixated on the gift Luo Bu was carrying.

”Sorry to bother you...”

Professor Luo Bu, hardly surprised by the reaction to his arrival, undoubtedly felt increased pressure, especially when his gaze locked onto the Swordsmanship Department’s collection on the table.

Already displaying a somewhat neurotic demeanor, Luo Bu seemed even more alert for a moment.

And soon showcased the straightforwardness characteristic of a researcher. After a perfunctory exchange, he went straight to the point, unwrapping the gift he brought and laid it out on the table.

Exactly the same.

Professor Fu instantly realized, somewhat impudently noting, that the Broad Sword borrowed from the Swordsmanship Department looked indistinguishable from the gift placed beside it in terms of appearance.

In this magical scene, not only Fu Qian watched with great interest, but even Professor Luo Bu himself remained silent for a moment.

”Sorry for the trouble, sir.”

Yet, he hadn’t forgotten the purpose of his visit, and the next moment he took a deep breath, admitting his mistake.

...

Lowering his stance, proactively visiting, gifting and admitting fault, it seemed that his interim position was becoming steadier by the look of it.

In light of this development, Fu Qian clicked his tongue in slight astonishment.

”Today was just a coincidence, I happened to run into a friend outside the Sword Pavilion.”

Yet as a technical expert turned interim authority, some bad habits were hard to kick.

For instance, he didn’t opt for a subtle rhetorical question like ’what trouble’; instead, Fu Qian got to the point, recounting today’s encounter.

”Considering her rank isn’t high but she has some talent in Sword Dao, I applied to Director Li and was exceptionally permitted to let her observe in the Sword Pavilion.”

”Unexpectedly, I made a discovery first, detecting a familiar scent from this sword, something I had smelled before in your lab... so I borrowed it.”

Fu Qian grasped both swords, overlapping them as he inspected closely.

”I was just about to find you, Professor Luo Bu, to discuss this, and you showed up unexpectedly.”

Regardless of weight or appearance, apart from the faint, scarcely detectable fungal smell on the one I borrowed, no differences could be discerned.

”My lab over there... it can receive some changes related to it...”

It’s evident that as a newly ascended demigod of Heaven’s Commencement Institute, who had fiercely subdued Linghui’s morale before, Fu Qian’s prestige had soared.

Yet seeing no obvious displeasure on Fu Qian’s face, Professor Luo Bu relaxed a little, hesitating slightly before explaining why he came over so quickly.

”Oh? It really has to do with your experiment?”

With his hypothesis confirmed, Fu Qian didn’t hide his curiosity.

”I remember President Cass arranged for someone else to take over and forbade you from contacting those things, didn’t he?”

...

”After confirming there was no problem, it was returned to me under my strong request.”

Noting Professor Fu’s memory was remarkably good, Luo Bu chuckled.

”Of course, I went to the Benevolence Institute folks and had them add an extra layer of protection, maximizing the isolation from the divine patterns’ influence.”

”I see.”

This explanation naturally reminded Fu Qian of this colleague who had fully prepared his defense measures, yet ended up with hyphae growing inside due to pollution from the special patterns formed among the rolling insect mists.

Brother Ah Kai and his people were indeed responsive to any request.

However, others could clearly make such remedies, and yet President Cass seemingly didn’t want to strip away this person’s ownership of the project.

Following the minor mishap, they implemented a solution, simply returning it to the involved party.

President Cass likely didn’t suspect that this gentleman was about to cause an even bigger incident.

”Do you remember when the insect swarm that constantly died after merging with the divine blood and flesh ended up converging into a mushroom?”

Talking about his research, Luo Bu even seemed a bit excited, voluntarily divulging more details before Fu Qian could ask, with even some gestural language involved.

”Not long after that, it fully matured, about this big.”

”Then, subsequently, the insect swarm no longer converged upward; instead, a new one formed beside it... After discovering this, I tried to remove the mushroom, and do you know what happened next?”

”It turned into this sword?”

Fu Qian didn’t seem to find this question-and-answer dialogue inappropriate, even going along with it by raising the object.

”Indeed, it can turn into such a sword, but more accurately, it can become any item.”

Staring at what was in Fu Qian’s hand, Luo Bu’s eyes bore an undisguised admiration.

”Though up until now, I still have no idea how it manages that.”

”But through some special inducement, it quickly assumes the appearance of the contact object, including transcendent items.”

It surely isn’t easy for President Cass to handle such a group all the time.

With his previous guesses confirmed, Fu Qian inwardly let out a long sigh.

”Including the transcendent properties of an item?”

Speaking of that individual who would slip away for a scientific expedition—could it be merely an excuse for taking a lazy vacation?

”No wonder, sir! You immediately grasped the key!”

The casual inquiry left Professor Luo Bu deeply impressed.

”Regrettably, I’ve tried more than once, including borrowing various magical items from other mentors, but it seems to only simulate the appearance...”

”And then you didn’t give up and expanded the range to other institutes?”

”...Yes.”