Liang Chen had no answer to his question, nor would he ever be given an answer. This was simply how the cultivation world was, many people would kill and even betray their closest friends just to slightly increase their chances of raising their cultivation. After all, the weak could only follow the unreasonable demands of the strong, only when you had strength could you decide anything, only then could you control your own life.
The groups of Tian Shentu and Zhao Daiyun quickly made contact with the guardian Demonic beast, starting a battle that cracked the earth and boulders all around them. While Liang Chen's group was quietly making their way forward, doing their best to avoid any battles, they quickly spotted other groups attempting the same tactic.
When the various groups that were trying to sneak forward spotted each other, a fearsome glint passed through their eyes. It was clear that if they continued to sneak like this, there was a good chance that one of the other sneaking groups that had started before them would reach the target before them. In that case, they could only join in on the fray, killing the other sneaking groups before they could get any closer to the lotus. Seeing the various groups charging at each other, Lei Qiang's expression twisted as he drew his halberd and called out in a loud voice.
"Tch, of course they had the same plan as us. Change of plans once more! Charge forward and try to break through, protect Chen so that he can attack freely!"
They were now closer to the lotus than they were to the exit of this area, so they could only risk it and charge forward, as charging backward meant they would have to fight through a larger number of people. As to what they would do if they managed to get a hold of the lotus, they would have to leave that question to when they actually managed to acquire it.
Even more battles quickly broke out as the groups that had previously focused on sneaking forward joined the hell that was unfolding around them. Sun Xia and Tang Chao quickly listened to Lei Qiang's orders, taking up formation around Liang Chen and defending him from attacks, giving him free rein to wreak havoc.
Thanks to the Elemental Lotus, the entire area was filled with dense lightning energy, it was the perfect environment for Liang Chen. He didn't even need to use Spirit Stones to refill his withering energy, he could simply absorb the lightning energy that was all around him, even using it as a conduit to strengthen his own attacks.
All the lightning he absorbed coursed through his body, sinking into his flesh, muscles, bones, and his Ascended Tower, reinforcing them. His Ascended tower, which was golden in color and covered in a scaly pattern that continuously changed between emerald and violet in color, grew more and more corporeal as lightning sank into it. But even with all the lightning that sank into it, there were no signs of another floor being added to the tower, no signs of his cultivation rising.
Liang Chen knew why it was like this, knew why his cultivation hadn't shown any signs of rising despite all the lightning he had absorbed after entering this stone forest. The reason was that his Ascended Tower was not built up solely out of lightning, it was also built out of poison. No matter how much lightning he absorbed, he would also have to absorb just as much poison if he wanted his cultivation to increase. So until he could get his hand on poison that was not only strong enough but also plentiful enough, his cultivation would not rise.
As he felt that it was better to have more range right now, Liang Chen pulled a spear out from his interspatial ring. He focused on delivering quick stabs with the spear, only attacking through the slim gaps that appeared between the bodies of Sun Xia and the others whenever they moved. Each stab was accompanied by the sound of muffled thunder and arcs of dancing lightning that was golden with a faint hint of azure, lighting up the area around him in a spectacular show.
The speed of the group slowed down now that they were fighting, wading through heaps of corpses with the stench of blood stinging their noses. But while Lei Qiang and the others scrunched their noses, Liang Chen unknowingly started to hum, humming a cheerful tune that his mother had taught him when he was only a few years old.
Not only did Liang Chen fail to notice that he was humming, he didn't even notice the fact that his lips curled into a grim grin, blood splattering his face. He was surrounded by death and blood, flesh and corpses, the perfect place for his bestial instincts to thrive. And since Liang Chen was so focused on the task at hand, he failed to even notice the fact that his bestial instincts were somewhat dictating his actions
But Liang Chen had already fought his bestial instincts for a while, so even with them unknowingly dictating some of his actions, his mind was still mostly clear, his morals were still there. He killed anyone who truly came at him with the intent to kill, but he left those who were unwilling or hesitant alone, hitting them with the handle of the spear and pushing them away as he gave them a warning.
"Leave this place before you die an early death."
His merciful words drew a stark contrast from his grim grin and cheerful humming, but none of the people he spared would take the time to tell him this, quickly fleeing now that they had been given the chance. Tang Chao and Sun Xia were not too pleased with Liang Chen letting several people leave alive, as that meant there were more people left that could steal the lotus from them. But in the heat of battle, they could only turn a blind eye and accept it.
Blood continued to pour, not even the heavy rain able to wash it all away. Over a thousand people had arrived for the lotus, but now, after a mere ten minutes of fighting, more than half of them had all died, perishing so that someone else could have a slight chance at either getting richer or stronger.
Liang Chen was certain that right now, in this area, to the other people fighting, the lives of everyone else had lost all worth, becoming nothing but a farce. For a short second, he could not help but let out a weak and dry chuckle at how little a life was seemingly worth, compared to what he had previously believed. Someone took advantage of this short moment where he was distracted, an arrow whizzing through the gap between Sun Xia and Lei Qiang, piercing into Liang Chen's waist and quickly returning him to reality. Two more arrows came whizzing, but Lei Qiang quickly blocked them, one with his halberd and the other with his arm. He grit his teeth to endure the pain, quickly barking out another order.
"Xia, protect Chen's back! We can't afford to have him get any more injured now that we are so close!"
No matter how hard they tried to protect Liang Chen, it was impossible for them to block all the attacks, so several wounds had already appeared on his body, the arrow piercing into his waist being the largest of the wounds. Sun Xia quickly switched places with Tang Chao, taking up position a little to the right of Liang Chen's rear.
The groups of Tian Shentu and Zhao Daiyun were still fighting the crab, suffering heavy losses, but managing to inflict wounds on the beast in return. The Demonic beast was far stronger than it had first seemed, so all of the strongest people were forced to work together in an attempt to bring it down. Thanks to that, Liang Chen's group had managed to get very close to the Elemental Lotus, only a few hundred meters away from it. With the goal so close, Lei Qiang took out several large Spirit Stones from his interspatial ring, handing them to the rest of the group as he let out a heavy breath.
"Last push, everyone stay focused and don't get caught off-guard!"
The last few hundreds of meters would be the hardest, as everyone would disregard everything and launch reckless attacks. Lei Qiang sent one last look at the members of his group, wondering if all of them would be able to make it through this alive, or if one of them would fall before it was over.
The others quickly absorbed the Qi within the Spirit Stones, refilling their dwindling reserves as they prepared themselves. Their preparations only lasted for a short moment before they dashed forward at their highest speed, competing with the other groups over who could run faster, launch their attacks faster and stronger.
Lei Qiang and the others did their best to block attacks, but there were still quite a few that somehow managed to slip through their defenses, landing on Liang Chen and staining the ground with his blood. Lei Qiang glanced at Liang Chen with worry, but to his surprise, Liang Chen's face was completely calm, as if the pain from the attacks wasn't bothering him in the slightest. Had he trained his mind to such a level that pain no longer bothered him?
Before Lei Qiang could get an answer to his question, the group arrived within fifty meters of the Elemental Lotus, the dense energy refreshing their bodies and mind. Thanks to the fact that their group was excellently balanced, they were the foremost group, the group closest to claiming the lotus.
But that also meant that they had to face the collective attacks of the other group. A flurry of attacks was launched at them from behind, heading directly for Tang Chao and Sun Xia, who were defending the rear. The two matched eyes once more, giving each other a short nod. As if they had planned it ahead of time, both reached out and grabbed onto the backs of Liang Chen and Lei Qiang, calling out in a loud voice.
"You block that for me!"
They grabbed onto them tightly and exerted all their strength, and thanks to the fact that neither Liang Chen or Lei Qiang had expected it, they were able to throw the both of them behind them, right in front of the oncoming attacks. Being betrayed and thrown so suddenly, Lei Qiang could not help but call out in a dumbfounded voice.
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"Xia, Chao?!"
Sun Xia and Tang Chao completely ignored the shout of Lei Qiang, quickly crossing the last few meters and reaching the boulder that contained the Elemental Lotus. Sun Xia shattered the shell that surrounded the lotus, quickly shouting at Tang Chao.
"Grab the lotus, we need to flee fast, and don't forget my cut!"
It was not hard to realize that Tang Chao and Sun Xia had at some point come to an agreement that they would rather share the money they would get from selling the lotus between the two of them, rather than splitting it into four portions. Liang Chen's expression turned a bit downcast at the actions of the two of them, a regretful mutter sounding out.
"Really, how saddening."
They had not spent a lot of time together, but they had fought and bled together, so it would be a lie if Liang Chen were to say that he did not have some warm feelings towards Tang Chao and Sun Xia. Had it not been for their actions now, he felt that they could have become good friends in the future. But sadly, they valued money more than they did friendship. But not everyone was like Sun Xia and Tang Chao. Seeing the attacks that were quickly approaching Liang Chen, Lei Qiang quickly let out a loud shout.
"Chen, dodge!"
Lei Qiang forcefully stabilized his body, stomping the ground and dashing forward, moving right in between Liang Chen and the oncoming attacks. Sun Xia and Tang Chao had betrayed them, but Lei Qiang came from a long line of military leaders, morals and solidarity were deeply ingrained in his bones. No matter what, betrayal was one of the things he would adamantly refuse to do. Even now he upheld those morals, doing his best to defend Liang Chen, just like he said he would when they first started charging.
He braced himself to forcefully intercept the attacks with his own body, but it was at that moment Liang Chen moved into action. Lightning exploded out from his body, his aura and strength rapidly rising. But with the release of the lightning, bloody cracks started to appear on Liang Chen's body, his flesh splitting apart as arcs of lightning poured out from the wound. Just looking at it made Lei Qiang cringe with pain, but Liang Chen's face was still completely calm, if a bit downcast.
He grabbed onto Lei Qiang with his bloody arms, holding him tightly as he stomped on the ground, turning into a blur as he shot forward, far faster than he had ever been before. The attacks that had been coming straight for them completely missed their mark, Liang Chen and Lei Qiang almost instantly reaching Tang Chao and Sun Xia.
Liang Chen let go of Lei Qiang, stretching out his arms and grabbing onto the necks of Tang Chao and Sun Xia. The two were completely shocked at the change, Liang Chen had simply acted and moved far too fast, they didn't even have the chance to react.
They once worked together, but now Tang Chao and Sun Xia had betrayed them, showing that they were more than willing to kill Liang Chen and Lei Qiang if they had any incentive to do so. And because of that, the only mercy Liang Chen would show them was a quick and merciful death, his poison flooding their bodies and eroding their hearts and brains, instantly shutting them down and causing their bodies to collapse and fall down from the boulder.
With the two of them dead, the Elemental Lotus was directly in front of Liang Chen and Lei Qiang, allowing Liang Chen to get his first glimpse of the item that had caused such an absurd amount of death.
Even though it was called a Two-Petaled Elemental Lotus, it looked just like a normal lotus. The only difference was that half of its petals were a light azure in color, while the other half of the petals were a light cyan in color. The petals slowly rotated around the lotus, the Qi around it so dense that it almost turned into a fine mist. But even with the lotus directly in front of him, Lei Qiang's eyes were locked on Liang Chen, his mouth muttering in disbelief and shock.
"You... Chen, how did you...?"
He had seen Liang Chen fight, he even thought very highly of Liang Chen, not only because of his strength but also because of the morals he had shown so far. But the strength he had shown so far was nothing compared to what he had shown now. The aura that radiated from his body made even Lei Qiang feel fearful, so he was certain that he would fare no better than Sun Xia if he were to try and fight Liang Chen.
Had he hidden his strength previously? What other explanation was there for him to suddenly explode with such strength? Liang Chen ignored the shocked gaze of Lei Qiang, nudging the lotus with his foot for a short moment before he shook his head and spoke up, pointing at a small open path to the north that could be used to flee.
"Qiang, you should flee, there is no way for us to keep this lotus, it will only bring death."
When Liang Chen shook his head, the skin on his neck cracked open, lightning and blood pouring out. Liang Chen had no intention of explaining how he had suddenly gotten so strong, mostly because right now really wasn't the time for it.
The secret behind Liang Chen's sudden explosion of strength was one of the two ideas he had come up with earlier, the one he had thought up when he saw the Lightning Quartz. The Lightning Quartz was in truth just highly concentrated lightning energy that had solidified. If it were to shatter and be released, it would release horrific amounts of energy in every direction.
Since the Lightning Quartz could do so, why shouldn't he be able to do the same? That was the insane thought that struck him when he touched the Lightning Quartz, an idea that could only be called reckless and dangerous. But to the weak Liang Chen, even if the idea was reckless and dangerous, he found it worth to grab onto it.
He had quickly moved into action, using his own Qi to dig a hole into his own flesh, carving out a hollow area right beneath his heart, much like a second dantian. Once the hollow area was complete, he started to pour lightning energy into it, concentrating and compressing it until it suddenly formed a tiny seed. The tiny seed was exceedingly strange, no matter how much lightning energy he poured into it, it would not grow larger, nor would it shrink when he drained the lightning within it. Even when he drained all the lightning in it, the seed simply turned dim, it did not vanish. The seed also seemed insatiable, no matter how much lightning he poured into it, it would always be ready to accept more. He was uncertain why it was like this, but he took advantage of the situation.
His original plan had been to carve several such hollow points in his body, filling them with lightning and detonating them when he was in dire need, using the violent energy that was released to temporarily force his strength to rise. But with this strange lightning seed, there was no need to carve several hollow points, just the one was enough. And he didn't even have to detonate all the lightning, he could choose how much he wanted to detonate, choosing how much he raised his strength. He wasn't certain what to name it, so he simply gave it the temporary name of Lightning Seed.
But the technique was still in its infant state, so Liang Chen had barely any control over it. When he activated it just now, all the lightning was released in an uncontrollable fashion, overloading his body and causing it to slowly break down, hence the cracks in his flesh. This, of course, brought with it maddening amounts of pain. But luckily, Liang Chen had already activated another one of the techniques he had been working on, another technique that could only be called insane and dangerous.
How could Liang Chen fight so recklessly during this battle, not even batting an eye when he was wounded, as if the pain meant nothing to him? That was because before the battles even began, Liang Chen had poisoned himself. He had flooded his own body with poison, numbing his nerves to a state where he was unable to feel pain. This not only allowed him to ignore any wounds, but it also helped him release more strength, as he was no longer limited by his own subconsciousness. He hadn't come up with a proper name for this technique either, so he gave it the temporary name Poison Soul.
But just like his Lightning Seed, this Poison Soul technique was still in an infant stage, so he was unable to use it properly. He had used too much poison, not only losing all sense of pain but even losing all sense of touch in his body, almost causing him to lose control of it. But for the moment, it had worked well enough, he could focus on working out the kinks in the future.