Accelerated ripening
Lu Heng didn't linger and set off alone in the direction Song Yunzhong had indicated.
The buildings on both sides of the street were dilapidated, broken cement pillars lay across the middle of the road, and broken glass was scattered all over the ground. He walked slowly, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings warily, but he did not encounter any danger along the way.
As I walked, the scenery around me became more and more familiar.
Broken guardrails, collapsed road surface, the blood-soaked ground beneath the bridge arch— Lu Heng stopped and confirmed it.
This is the bridge arch where he previously fought fiercely with the Mutant King Cobra.
The battlefield remains as it was then, or even more devastated.
Lu Heng raised his Wristband. The interface lit up, and he quickly scanned it. No area markers indicating successful BOSS kills popped up, not even a single grayed-out kill record.
Lu Heng's gaze darkened, and a clear sense of disappointment rose in his heart.
What a wasted trip.
However, he didn't dwell on that thought for long, as his gaze was soon drawn to a figure not far away.
The Bone Demon stood there.
Its body was mangled beyond recognition; its left arm was almost nothing but a skeleton, and most of its chest armor was shattered, revealing the dark red muscle beneath. The ground beneath its feet was compacted, and the surrounding area was littered with piles of Zombie corpses, layer upon layer, numbering at least dozens.
Lu Heng understood it at a glance.
The Bone Demon received no new instructions, so it did not autonomously devour the corpses to recover its strength. It simply stood there, guarding the bridge arch, motionless.
Judging from the Zombie corpses scattered everywhere and the battle damage on the Bone Demon, Lu Heng could almost reconstruct everything that happened after he fainted and lost consciousness— the Bone Demon guarded the bridge hole alone, facing wave after wave of hordes of zombies, without retreating or fleeing, and just endured it all.
Lu Heng remained silent for a moment.
"Devour." He spoke, his voice not loud, but the command clear, "Devour all the Zombie corpses around you to repair your body's damage."
The Bone Demon's body trembled slightly, then it moved.
It bent down, grabbed the nearest Zombie corpse, and stuffed it into its mouth. The sound of bones cracking was exceptionally clear under the quiet bridge arch, one crack after another, as the Bone Demon devoured the corpses scattered all over the ground.
Lu Heng stood still, watching quietly.
Strangely enough, if he had encountered the Bone Demon and witnessed this scene, he probably would have felt disgusted, even nauseous. But now, standing here, watching the Bone Demon devour the corpses and repair itself, he felt no discomfort whatsoever.
On the contrary, the more I look at it, the more pleasing it becomes.
It's like watching a loyal soldier licking his wounds on the battlefield, preparing for the next battle.
Time ticked by, second by second.
The Bone Demon swallowed the last Zombie corpse, and its battle damage began to repair itself at a visible speed. The shattered carapace closed up, the broken bones regenerated, and dark red textures were covered with a new shell.
In a short while, the Bone Demon's battle damage was completely repaired, and its condition stabilized significantly. It straightened up and stood in front of Lu Heng, like a silent guardian.
Lu Heng nodded.
"Let's go back."
He turned around, with the Bone Demon following behind, and the two embarked on their return journey.
As Lu Heng passed by that Anomalous Supermarket, his pace slowed.
He stood at the doorway, his gaze peering through the half-closed roller shutter into the shop. An inexplicable, eerie aura seeped out, as if something lurked in the darkness, silently watching the outside world.
Lu Heng's gaze darkened.
The worst-case scenario has come true.
This supermarket is most likely the final boss's stronghold in the entire area. In order to establish a base and solidify the defenses in this area, the strange entities inside the store must be completely eliminated.
This is not something that can be resolved in a short time.
Lu Heng withdrew his gaze, did not go in, and continued on his way with heavy and complicated feelings.
The return journey was unusually quiet. The surrounding Zombie had long been cleared out, and there were no wandering Zombie along the way. Only the heavy footsteps of the Bone Demon echoed rhythmically behind them.
Lu Heng walked to the light screen and reached out to touch it. The light screen rippled slightly, spreading out like waves on the surface of water. He stepped inside, with the Bone Demon following closely behind.
As Lu Heng approached the perimeter of the Shelter, he saw some corpses.
The carcasses of several wild beasts were gathered around the perimeter of the Shelter; they appeared to have all been killed by the Bloodthirsty Vine.
It seems that the Bloodthirsty Vine's outer defenses are more than enough to handle most troubles.
He completely put aside his concerns about external vigilance.
The human and the demon successfully returned to the Shelter.
Lu Heng did not rest and went straight into the Planting Room.
The Planting Room was quiet and warm, with the Purifying Water Lotus standing quietly in the center of the water, its Bronze leaves shimmering slightly. Lu Heng walked to the side, took out the mineral water bottle containing the Star Tear, and carefully poured out the accumulated Star Tears concentrate.
His gaze fell upon the Purifying Water Lotus.
Currently, the only thing that can effectively repair the backlash injuries from the Blood Beast Pill in his body is the Lotus Seed of the Purifying Water Lotus.
He approached the Purifying Water Lotus and observed it carefully. The Lotus Seed were still about a day away from naturally maturing, and the lotus pod was slightly swollen, but had not yet fully split open.
one day.
Lu Heng didn't want to wait.
He looked down at the Star Tear in his hand and made a decision.
He slowly poured all the Star Tear from the bottle onto the roots of the Purifying Water Lotus. The silvery-white liquid seeped into the soil and was greedily absorbed by the roots. The leaves of the Purifying Water Lotus trembled slightly, as if sensing the infusion of some power, and the entire plant began to emit a faint glow.
Lu Heng took a step back and waited quietly.
The ripening process went more smoothly than he had expected.
After Purifying Water Lotus the Star Tear, the lotus seedpod swelled and matured at a visible speed. A silvery-white light spread from the roots all the way to the top of the seedpod, and the entire plant seemed to be bathed in starlight, exuding a soft and pure aura.
Although the lotus seeds are artificially ripened early using "Star Tear," the inherent nourishing properties of the water from the sun, moon, and stars perfectly compensate for the premature ripening. Moreover, the Pure Star Power contained in the Star Tear" also endows the Lotus Seed with an additional layer of special energy.
The lotus seedpod finally split open.
Lu Heng reached out and plucked the fully ripe lotus seed from the Pure Water Lotus.
The Lotus Seed feel warm to the touch, with a faint silver sheen on their surface, like a whole starry sky gathered together.
He activated the Wristband and began the identification process on the Lotus Seed.
The Wristband screen lights up, and the complete data pops up.
[Purifying Water Lotus]
Grade: Bronze Tier
Introduction: This Lotus Seed every seven days. This particular variety was artificially ripened using "Star Tear," and although it doesn't mature naturally, the combined power of the sun, Sun, Moon, and Stars perfectly compensates for any shortcomings of the artificial ripening process, and it is further infused with Pure Star Power. It can purify external pollutants, suppress and dissolve accumulated toxins within the body, deeply nourish the physical body, and effectively repair overexerted and damaged bodily structures. The plant itself can also long-term dispel and suppress any supernatural or eerie presences in the surrounding environment.
[Lotus Seed (Purifying Water Lotus, Bronze)]
Description: Born from the life-giving water of the Three Lights and the Stellar Power, its medicinal properties are perfect and flawless. It specifically repairs hidden injuries caused by overexertion of high-intensity energy, purifies abnormal accumulations within the body, strengthens the foundation, and rebuilds weakened physical functions.
Lu Heng looked at the data on his Wristband, a slight smile playing on his lips.
The medicinal properties are perfect and without flaw.
He gripped the Lotus Seed tightly, turned, and walked out of the Planting Room.
The backlash from the Blood Beast Pill needs to be dealt with.