Taking the Initiative

When they realized Lu Chen had not followed them, the two were frightened out of their wits and immediately turned to look behind them. Then they witnessed a scene so terrifying it nearly scared their souls away.

"Damn it, why did he go out?"

"It's over. He's the genius the Witch Doctor Master told us to look after. What do we do? Should we go save him?"

Panic filled the hearts of the two barbarians.

They could hardly be blamed for panicking. By the dim moonlight, they could clearly see that the gifted youth who had been patrolling with them had actually stepped beyond the Totem Pillar's protective range.

Human blood vitality and souls were great nourishment to evil entities. Only by remaining within the protection of the totem could one avoid their attacks.

While on patrol, no matter what sounds they heard or cries for help they encountered, they were never to leave the Totem Pillar's range. This was something the Clan Chief and the old witch doctor had repeatedly emphasized.

But now, A'Chen had actually stepped beyond the Totem Pillar's protection. That meant he could be attacked by evil entities at any moment.

No, it was no longer a matter of any moment. Even as the two barbarians stood there in shock, an evil entity had already sensed Lu Chen's vigorous blood vitality and charged at him at top speed.

It was a Human Head Fireball that had been lurking nearby. It wanted to absorb human blood vitality and souls, yet feared the Totem Pillar's deterrence, so it had constantly drifted around the boundary, bobbing up and down like ghostfire.

Now that it sensed "food" voluntarily stepping outside the Totem Pillar's range, it rushed toward Lu Chen in delighted impatience, leaving an afterimage behind.

That sight also erased any thought of rescue from the two barbarians behind him.

"It's all over. Once that fireball enters his body, he'll die immediately."

The Human Head Fireball was one of the strange entities recorded by the village. Though it looked like a crimson fireball, it gave off no warmth. Instead, it was extremely cold and sinister.

When it came close, ordinary humans would lose blood vitality and feel weak. If they remained near it for too long, they would inevitably fall seriously ill.

What was most terrifying was that it could pass through a person's flesh like a phantom and enter the human body. Once it got inside, the fireball would burn away and absorb all the essence of a human's flesh and blood.

Knowing what the Human Head Fireball was capable of, the two men believed Lu Chen was doomed.

Yet just when they thought Lu Chen was certain to die, what happened next completely exceeded their expectations.

The Human Head Fireball charged at A'Chen, but at the instant it drew near, A'Chen suddenly raised the longsword in his hand and thrust forward.

The iron sword was wielded like a club, instantly piercing through the Human Head Fireball. Dark red blood appeared on the iron blade.

"Sizzle, sizzle..."

Illuminated by that blood-red light, the Human Head Fireball burst apart like fireworks.

"He actually dispersed a Human Head Fireball outside the totem's range. He's so strong."

Seeing the Human Head Fireball collapse so easily, the two were genuinely stunned.

A barbarian's blood vitality could indeed restrain evil entities, but normally, it took a large amount of blood vitality to have any effect. Yet Lu Chen had destroyed the Human Head Fireball with only the blood vitality staining his weapon. Of course they were astonished.

But this was only natural.

Though they were both Barbarian Blood Warriors, the quality of Lu Chen's blood vitality was completely different from that of ordinary barbarians. Possessing the Barbarian King Bloodline, the masculine yang energy contained in Lu Chen's blood was more than ten times that of others. That was why the Human Head Fireball before him had dissipated so easily.

However, even after the fireball dispersed, Lu Chen did not relax. He continued to watch his surroundings warily.

"I killed a White Wanderer-level Evil Soul before, and the system notified me that I had gained two hundred Experience Points. But now that this Human Head Fireball has burst apart, the system hasn't given me any notification. That Human Head Fireball isn't dead yet."

How could Lu Chen relax after remembering that?

Sure enough, Lu Chen soon noticed that the flames scattered by the Human Head Fireball had not vanished. Instead, they were gathering in one spot.

The sight made Lu Chen's eyes turn cold.

"As expected, it wasn't that simple."

Though he was thinking, Lu Chen's hands did not slow. Raising the iron sword casually, he delivered a Mount Hua Cleave directly at the spot where the Human Head Fireball was gathering.

With a boom, accompanied by an explosive crack through the air, Lu Chen struck the Human Head Fireball apart again with a single blow.

This time, after the Human Head Fireball shattered, it did not gather nearby again. Instead, quite a few flame fragments rushed toward Lu Chen, seeming intent on converging upon his body.

The shattered flame fragments rapidly gathered around Lu Chen. As the flames drew close, Lu Chen noticed something.

Though the flames were crimson, they carried little warmth. On the contrary, they were exceedingly cold and sinister.

"If an ordinary person had this cold energy invade their body, they would at least fall seriously ill."

"More tragically, if the flames successfully gathered inside their body, all of that person's flesh and blood would be burned away by the Human Head Fireball. After absorbing human flesh and blood, the Human Head Fireball would grow again."

"As expected of an evil entity."

"Still, this kind of cold energy is useless against me."

With that thought, Lu Chen's heart suddenly pounded. Driven by the violent beating of his heart, the blood in his body began to flow at tremendous speed.

The rapid circulation of blood made Lu Chen's body heat up and turn red. This was the outward sign of activating the blood vitality within his body.

Once his blood vitality was fully activated, the cold flames were melted away by his blood vitality before they could even approach him.

However, although Lu Chen dissolved most of the shattered crimson flames, quite a few flame fragments still gathered together nearby.

But compared to before, the flames that gathered again were much smaller. At the same time, this Human Head Fireball felt fear. The moment it finished gathering, it abruptly moved to the side, as if trying to flee.

But since it had dared attack Lu Chen, how could Lu Chen let it go? Taking several large strides, Lu Chen rushed to the Human Head Fireball's side and swung the iron sword in his hand, blasting it apart once more.

This time, after the fireball was shattered for the third time, it could no longer gather again. Yet all of the exploded crimson flames rushed toward Lu Chen.

Of course, Lu Chen's vigorous vitality made it impossible for it to invade his body. Before it could even approach his skin, it was dissolved by the blood energy surrounding him.

However, as he watched the Human Head Fireball dissipate, there was little joy on Lu Chen's face.

Especially after the system notification sounded, his expression turned even colder.

The system indicated that the host had destroyed a remnant soul and obtained fifty Experience Points.

"A remnant soul, fifty Experience Points? I remember that even White Wanderer-level Evil Souls grant two hundred Experience Points. What I just destroyed wasn't even the lowest-level White Wanderer-level Evil Soul."

Thinking that merely a remnant soul could revive three times and consume some of his own blood energy—and that, if his blood energy had not been so abundant, the Human Head Fireball could even have revived within a human body—

All of this gave Lu Chen a deeper understanding of just how dangerous this world was.

While Lu Chen was troubled by how difficult Evil Souls were to deal with, the two barbarians on the other side finally came to their senses. They hurriedly called out to him and pulled him back within the range covered by the Totem Pillar.

Only then did the two men, still shaken, begin scolding Lu Chen.

"Damn it, why did you go out there? If those flames had entered your body, even if you didn't die, you'd have fallen seriously ill!"

"Don't be so impulsive next time."

Lu Chen said nothing in response to their reprimands. He understood that they meant well.

Of course, the two barbarians did not scold him too harshly. After all, the battle just now had already demonstrated Lu Chen's strength.

Although Lu Chen's physical attacks had been nearly useless in that fight, the Human Head Fireball's attacks had been unable to harm him either. That alone was enough to earn their admiration.

After all, what ordinary barbarians feared most when facing strange entities was having them enter their bodies.

At that point, everything they had could be seized by sinister beings with bizarre abilities.

Lu Chen's performance just now had at least shown that his blood energy was exceptionally abundant—abundant enough that he did not fear ordinary strange entities possessing him.

And for barbarians who had few martial techniques and relied solely on their bodies to fight, being strong and possessing abundant blood energy meant being powerful.

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