Chapter Forty-Nine: The Black Earth Nurtures the Golden Lotus
Qin Chuan hurriedly checked his status panel and noticed a new change under his innate talents.
[Primary Simulation Formation]
Source of Metal: 0/200
Source of Wood: 0/200
Source of Water: 0/200
Source of Fire: 0/200
Source of Earth: 67/200
A quick glance was all it took for Qin Chuan to understand. “Damn, so that’s how it works. I need to gather the five elemental sources to upgrade.”
“I’ve only collected 67 points of Earth Source so far. Looks like I have no choice but to go out and rob people!”
“System, do you have to do this? Forcing me into banditry!”
“Well, there’s nothing to be done. Seems I’ll just have to continue being a robber.”
“Heh, but to be honest, I rather enjoy the life of a bandit.”
Qin Chuan muttered to himself, but receiving no response from the system was nothing new. He could only follow the direction the clay people had fled, giving chase.
Deep underground, in a dim cavern, a mudman nearly two meters tall was endlessly swallowing and spitting out earth.
This earth was obviously different from ordinary soil—smooth, moist, faintly luminous, and seemingly rich in nutrients.
A golden radiance began to brighten in the dark cave, accompanied by a fragrant, refreshing aroma.
If one looked closely, amid the filthy black earth, a golden lotus was being nurtured.
The golden lotus bore five seeds, each glittering with a metallic sheen, clearly nearing maturity.
Excitement shone in the mudman lord’s eyes, and a satisfied smile crept across his face. “It won’t be long now. The golden lotus is almost ripe. After all this effort, I’ll finally reap the rewards.”
Just then, the panicked mudmen returned to the cave and immediately reported to their lord.
“Lord! An intruder has breached our territory. A spirit soldier—he’s killed many of our brothers!”
“What?! Who is this spirit soldier, to dare such insolence!”
The mudman lord was furious, yet also slightly shocked. He knew the strengths of his kind—killing them was no simple feat.
Clearly, this intruding spirit soldier was no ordinary foe.
“Lord, from what we observed, it’s a black longsword, level 15.”
At this, the mudman lord’s eyes lit up with delight. “Level 15? Come, let’s go annihilate him!”
Even if the opponent was extraordinary, a mere level 15 was no cause for concern.
“With my strength at level 17, crushing a level 15 spirit soldier should be child’s play.”
Once the mudman lord’s anger and shock subsided, only excitement remained. It truly seemed his luck was in—just as the golden lotus was about to mature, a delicious spirit core delivered itself right to his doorstep.
Double blessings, indeed.
Meanwhile, Qin Chuan had arrived at the edge of a vast swamp, where bubbles constantly burst on the surface and a foul, decaying stench hung in the air.
Gazing out over the swamp, Qin Chuan muttered, “Looks like their lair is right here.”
Suddenly, the bubbling intensified, and the murky waters began to swirl. Clumps of black mud surged forth, gathering above the surface.
“Ding! Tier Two, Supreme Mudman Lord discovered. Quality: Exceptional. Level 17.”
“Ding! Tier Two, High-grade Mudman discovered. Quality: Exceptional. Level 16.”
“Ding! Tier Two, Top-grade Mudman discovered. Quality: Exceptional. Level 16.”
...
“So, you’re all coming out to find me? Though these mudmen do seem a bit stronger than the previous ones!”
At that moment, both Qin Chuan and the mudman lord were convinced the other was walking into a trap, which made the encounter all the more amusing.
The mudman lord was far bulkier than the others, wielding a massive black club with a formidable presence.
“How dare you, wretched sword, senselessly slaughter my kin! You must be tired of living!” The mudman lord’s voice was deep and imposing, though it had little effect on Qin Chuan.
Feigning innocence, Qin Chuan replied, “I think you’ve got it wrong. I just happened to pass by, and it was your brothers who tried to kill me. I only fought back in self-defense!”
The mudman lord’s gaze darkened as he barked, “It matters not! All who trespass die! All who slay my kin die!”
“Yes! Surrender your spirit core peacefully, and we’ll at least leave your body intact!”
...
“Here we go again,” Qin Chuan grumbled inwardly. “Seems all the lords are obsessed with collecting other spirits’ cores.”
He grinned and said aloud, “If you’d like to offer up your spirit cores, I could be merciful and leave your bodies whole as well.”
“Is this sword’s core defective? He actually wants us to hand over our own spirit cores?”
“He’s got to be spirit-core fried! Does he not see our mighty lord has arrived?”
“That’s right! Our lord is a level 17 supreme mutant!”
“You’re just a lousy sword at level 15, yet you dare act so arrogantly. You’re just asking for death!”
...
The mudmen erupted in angry shouts, as if someone had played a trump card.
The mudman lord stared coldly at Qin Chuan, a cruel smile curling on his lips. “You are the first spirit creature to show such arrogance before me, so...”
“You must die!”
“Earth Vortex!”
With that, the mudman lord swung his massive club straight at Qin Chuan.
At the same moment, a rapidly spinning vortex appeared at Qin Chuan’s feet, instantly enveloping part of his sword body.
Qin Chuan suddenly felt as if he were trapped in quicksand, unable to move, dragged along and spun by the vortex.
“Damn, that’s a pretty powerful skill!”
With a dull thud, the mudman lord’s black club slammed into the vortex, sending mud and water flying.
“Huh? How did I miss? Where did he go?”
“Hey, big guy, don’t bother! I’m right here. Take this!”
Qin Chuan had used a blink to escape the vortex’s grasp and immediately closed in for a basic attack.
The mudman lord, being an offensive type, was quick but not as fast as Qin Chuan.
The strike landed cleanly.
For a brief moment, the mudman lord hesitated. He could switch states to dodge, but that would leave him vulnerable. Yet, considering this was only a level 15 opponent and confident in his own resilience, he chose to take the hit head-on.
His body, forged of black mud, boasted high durability and a built-in effect to dissipate force and reduce damage.
This was his passive skill, Earth Body: Each level increases damage reduction by 5%. Currently level 4.
But the price of taking the hit was nearly unbearable.
Bang! Crack!
Even with 20% damage reduction, the mudman lord suffered explosive damage.
“No! This can’t be!”
A piercing scream tore from his lips as a huge fissure split open across his blackened body.
“Ding! 15% slow effect triggered.”
Once slowed, Qin Chuan was in his element.
Now, the mudman lord was a sitting target, repeatedly slowed by Qin Chuan’s attacks. Only a critical hit or freeze effect was missing to finish him off.
“This is bad! Even the lord isn’t a match for that sword!”
“We can’t just stand by. We have to attack together!”
“Yes, everyone—Earth Vortex, now!”
...
As the mudmen activated their skills, Qin Chuan unleashed one last basic attack.
“Ding! Critical hit triggered—damage increased by 150%.”
Bang!
The sword blow shattered the mudman lord, black mud flying in every direction.
But the scattered black mud began spinning rapidly, about to reform in an instant.
Qin Chuan remained where he was, patiently waiting for the mudman lord to revive so he could finish the job.