Chapter 44 - Blood-Patterned Buddha Heart Lotus
Zhou Wen had wanted to say something when he heard a splash. It was as though a bomb had exploded in the water.
The duo turned their heads and saw a wave rise up from the lotus pond like an erupting undersea volcano. Amidst the wave, a gigantic lotus flower with a diameter exceeded ten meters emerged.
The lotus flower was different from the normal Buddha Heart Lotus. Ordinary Buddha Heart Lotus had petals that were pure white, but this Buddha Heart Lotus had blood vessel-like patterns on their white petals. The patterns were faint, outlining a sitting Buddha’s silhouette. It appeared as though a blood-colored Buddha was sitting on each petal.
Luo Xuan rode on his White-Winged Flying Horse as he dodged the splashes in midair, but some still managed to splattered onto his steed.
The White-Winged Flying Horse neighed in pain as its snow-white hide began corroding away, turning into a bloody, gaping hole. It looked extremely terrifying.
Luo Xuan wore an ugly expression as he struggled to steer the White-Winged Flying Horse towards the bank. If they were to fall into the water, they were doomed.
Real life wasn’t a game. Be it a human or a Companion Beast, death meant death. There were no second chances. It wasn’t like Zhou Wen’s game, which could be repeated after dying.
Luo Xuan wished to escape, but the strange Buddha Heart Lotus had no intention of sparing him. It shot out a lotus seed the size of a basketball that tore through the sky and headed for the White-Winged Flying Horse and Luo Xuan.
Typically, lotus seeds shot out by Buddha Heart Lotuses were green in color, but this lotus seed was like crystal blood. It appeared instantly in front of Luo Xuan.
The White-Winged Flying Horse could no longer dodge in time. Luo Xuan drew his sword and cleaved, sending a beam that sliced through the blood-colored lotus seed. However, before his sword could fully slice through the blood-colored lotus seed, his expression changed.
Almost instantly, Luo Xuan retracted his sword as he tapped his toes on the White-Winged Flying Horse’s back, jumping nearly three meters back like a hawk.
Bang!
At the same time, the blood-colored lotus seed exploded, turning into bloody rain that enveloped the White-Winged Flying Horse.
Following that, Zhou Wen and Li Xuan saw a horrifying scene. The blood landed on the White-Winged Flying Horse like red-hot metal hitting snow. It instantly melted away the White-Winged Flying Horse’s flesh.
In just seconds, the White-Winged Flying Horse’s flesh was completely gone, revealing its white bones. All it could do was let out a tragic neigh before plummeting into the lotus pond. There was zero hope for it.
“Little White…” Luo Xuan yelled out in anger and sadness but to no avail. He was still in danger.
He was at least five hundred meters away from the bank. With the White-Winged Flying Horse dead, he had no means of flying. The lotus pond was no different from the rivers of hell.
Zhou Wen and Li Xuan wanted to help, but they were helpless. They didn’t have any Companion Beasts capable of flight, nor did they have invulnerable bodies. All they could do was stand at the side and watch, unable to do a thing.
As the duo believed that Luo Xuan was doomed, they saw him tap a toe on a lotus leaf, soaring back up as though he was weightless as he stepped towards the next leaf.
“Hey, this pretty boy has quite some skills. He even has a Primordial Energy Skill that imbues alacrity,” Li Xuan exclaimed.
When Zhou Wen saw Luo Xuan leap up from the lotus leaf, he was delighted to see the frail lotus leaf tremble slightly instead of being crushed by him.
“In the dimensional zones in Sunset College, are there places that drop Primordial Energy Skill that imbues alacrity?” Zhou Wen asked Li Xuan.
“Obviously. The most famous one is Dragon Gate Grotto.”
Zhou Wen began planning to visit Dragon Gate Grotto when he had the chance. If he could download the game dungeon at Dragon Gate Grotto, he could grind for one without any worries. Such a Primordial Energy Skill would be extremely useful. Even if he was no match for his enemies, he could always use it to escape.
Boom! Boom!
Luo Xuan used the lotus leaves to leap into the sky, but before he got far, two salvos were heard. More than ten blood-colored lotus seeds enveloped the area, sealing off all of Luo Xuan’s exits, leaving no room for him to dodge.
Although he still had half a sword left, it was useless against the blood-colored lotus seeds. After slicing them apart, their explosive might would only grow stronger.
Gritting his teeth, the clothes on Luo Xuan tore apart, revealing a blue ox tattoo. The next second, it tore out of his body, taking on the form of a blue ox Companion Beast. It appeared in front of Luo Xuan and blocked the blood-colored lotus seeds.
With the blue ox as a shield, Luo Xuan finally found a chance of survival. At that split second, he rushed out of the lotus seed bombardment.
However, his blue ox Companion Beast had taken the hit. Once the seeds exploded, splattering the blood within them onto it, its flesh and blood began corroding. It then plummeted into the pond with a tragic cry.
“That pretty boy, Luo Xuan, sure has plenty of expensive stuff up his sleeves. He actually has two Mortal Companion Beasts. Unfortunately, it still won’t be easy for him to survive. He’s just too far from the bank,” Li Xuan said with a shake of his head.
Zhou Wen ignored Li Xuan as he stared at the lotus pond.
The White-Winged Flying Horse and the blue ox had their flesh corroded, reducing them to a pile of bones as they fell into the pond.
This terrifying scene made Zhou Wen recall his Mutated Skeleton Ant.
The lotus pond and the Buddha Heart Lotus’s bloody liquid seemed to be only capable of corroding flesh. Bones weren’t corroded, so was it possible for the Mutated Skeleton Ant who was already reduced to bone to survive in the lotus pond?
At this thought, Zhou Wen summoned his Mutated Skeleton Ant and commanded it to approach the lotus pond. Then, it extended one of its claw tips into the water.
When the Mutated Skeleton Ant flew out of the back of his hand, it seemed to be made out of blood-stained bones. Its body was filled with bone spikes and it was much bigger than before its evolution. It looked like a skeleton tank, much more ferocious and terrifying than in-game.
“Holy sh*t. What Companion Beast is that?” By the side, Li Xuan jumped in fright from the appearance of the Mutated Skeleton Ant. Then, he realized that it was Zhou Wen’s Companion Beast.
“Skeleton ant,” Zhou Wen answered without much thought as he made the skeleton ant extend one claw into the lotus pond.
“What are you doing?” Li Xuan jumped in fright.
Soon, Li Xuan realized that the skeleton ant was completely fine, despite extending its claw into the water. It hadn’t been corroded by the lotus pond’s water.
Only then did Zhou Wen confirm that his theory was right. The Mutated Skeleton Ant, which was all bone, wasn’t afraid of the lotus pond’s water.
With a command from him, the Mutated Skeleton Ant slowly entered the lotus pond. Nothing happened despite its body being soaked in the water. Clearly, the pond water had zero effect on it.
Zhou Wen was originally worried that the Mutated Skeleton Ant couldn’t swim, but he was immediately relieved when he saw it paddling its claws on the surface of the water and the lotus leaves like a water spider. It crawled at a rapid speed, in no way different than it was on land.