Absorption

As soon as the heavy Coldrock Bear's body pressed against the outer wall of the water tank, the tender green branch in the water instantly came to life.

The tender leaves, which had been swaying gently with the current, suddenly unfurled, and the slender roots extended rapidly along the water's surface. Countless transparent roots, as fine as hair, pierced through the water's surface and silently adhered to the bear carcass's fur.

There was no wind, no unusual movement, and even the sound of flowing water seemed to have faded.

The next instant, the visible depletion began.

The Coldrock Bear's firm, plump skin and flesh shrank and collapsed at an extremely rapid pace. All the essence contained in the subcutaneous flesh, fat, fascia, and internal organs was completely extracted by the roots, regardless of size. The entire body seemed to have been hollowed out by an invisible force, with the flesh peeling away layer by layer, leaving only the hard bones and rough skin to maintain the original outline.

The process was incredibly fast.

In just a few breaths, the once whole and plump corpse of the ferocious beast was completely drained of all its vitality and nutrients.

All that remained on the ground was a complete bear skeleton, tightly wrapped in a dry, dull bear skin, empty and devoid of any warmth or flesh.

Lu Heng, who had been watching the whole thing, narrowed his eyes and subconsciously opened his mouth slightly, a genuine and indescribable shock rising in his heart.

He had hunted wild beasts and seen strange creatures devour each other, but he had never seen such a clean, thorough, and complete method of consumption, leaving not a single trace.

The flesh and blood essence of an entire adult Coldrock Bear, its massive beastly body, was completely devoured in one gulp by this newly sprouted lotus.

Before the shock had subsided, a gentle and clear thought once again entered Lu Heng's mind—a message of growth conveyed by the Purifying Water Lotus.

Its foundation is still shallow and its initial rank is low. Its biggest advantage is that it can rapidly level up in the early stages by relying on a massive amount of high-energy nutrients.

Provided there is sufficient energy, it can break through its current limitations in a very short time and quickly grow to the Black Iron Tier, or even advance to the Bronze Tier.

However, this rapid growth is only possible in the early stages.

After surpassing the Bronze Tier, its growth pace will slow down completely. Each level advancement requires a long period of energy accumulation and slow nourishment. It can no longer rely on a single large feeding to achieve a leapfrog growth. It can only take one step at a time and steadily accumulate energy to advance.

This peculiar growth logic is both straightforward and bizarre.

This Purifying Water Lotus does the opposite of what others do—it first relies on sufficient resources to quickly cultivate its self-defense capabilities, and then lies dormant for a long time to develop at a low level.

Lu Heng stared at the tender green leaves swaying gently in the sink, and his mind calmed down.

A very clever growth pattern, and best suited to this desperate situation.

Survival is everything. Quickly build up your basic level to have the minimum self-protection and support abilities, and then slowly develop and grow. This is much more reliable than slowly and gradually dying.

My mind is completely clear.

He stopped paying attention to the energy storage process of the Purifying Water Lotus, looked away, and raised his hand to light up the survival Wristband on his wrist.

Bear bones and hides left on the ground cannot be used directly. With their intact original skins, they are difficult to store and process, and long-term storage will breed moisture and putrefaction. Only by decomposing the Wristband can they be transformed into standardized, usable, and easy-to-store materials.

A pale blue light screen flashes, indicating that the decomposition function has been activated.

The dim light enveloped the shriveled bear skin and the intact skeleton. The rough fur and hard bone were peeled away, shaped, and transformed layer by layer in the light and shadow, and all impurities were removed, leaving only the pure leather material and high-density bone.

A few seconds later, the decomposition ended.

The Wristband's Storage Space automatically categorizes and organizes items, neatly storing a pile of usable, high-quality survival materials in a clean and efficient manner, without any waste.

Lu Heng lowered his eyes to look at the Purifying Water Lotus silently accumulating energy in the pool, and sighed inwardly.

This little thing is far more domineering than any ordinary spiritual herb or low-level beast I've ever seen in the Frost Forest.

It starts by devouring a Black Iron Tier ferocious beast, instantly filling its energy reserves. Its growth mechanism is bizarre, and its devouring efficiency is terrifying. It's no exaggeration to say that it's a living father figure currently being raised in the Shelter.

But it is truly weak.

The tender shoots are just beginning to grow, completely defenseless, and all their strength is built on the foundation of sufficient energy supply.

Lu Heng suppressed his surprise and resumed his usual pragmatic and calm thinking.

Let's set aside for now its bizarre constitution and the incomplete secrets of the Six Lotuses.

Now that we've figured out its growth pattern, let's follow its rhythm.

In addition to quarrying, exploring territory, and patrolling for ferocious beasts, the subsequent explorations and forest searches had a new clear objective: to search for all high-energy resources, the remains of ferocious beasts, and energy crystals to continuously feed the Purifying Water Lotus.

First, feed it well so that it can quickly break through the Black Iron and reach the Bronze, thus developing a solid ability to survive.

Once it has established itself at a stable base level, then you can slowly and patiently level it up and develop it over the long term.

Water murmured among the Planting Room in the stone cave, and tender green lotus branches took root quietly in the water, silently absorbing the massive essence of the ferocious beast they had just swallowed, quietly accumulating the power for their first transformation.

Lu Heng straightened up, composed himself, and prepared to go out to continue the unfinished quarrying work.

The crisis of snowmelt and water seepage is still looming, and the reinforcement of the Shelter is of utmost urgency. This unexpectedly acquired Gold Tier potential spiritual plant has become his most unexpected trump card and source of confidence in this Frost Forest.