Chapter 173 : Abyssal Blood Lotus! Summoning Wenpin and Jia Xu!
Chapter 173: Abyssal Blood Lotus! Summoning Wenpin and Jia Xu!
What was the essence of Abyssal Corruption?
Corruption was still quite different from most Abyssal creatures.
Abyssal creatures encompassed all lifeforms commonly found in the Abyssal Planes, including aberrant monsters such as the Thousand-Eyed Centipede and the Black-Scaled Dragon Horse, or beings born from nightmares, as well as native races and planar denizens that had completely lost their minds—like the Abyssal Undead Citizens.
But only Abyssal Corrupted truly counted as the actual people of the Abyss. Most of these beings bore Fate upon them, and while they had already been utterly corrupted by the Will of the Abyss, they retained a clear sense of self and intelligence.
Could corruption be reversed? Of course!
Although such incidents were rare news even in the Starsea, it did not mean they had never happened. The Starsea had several special methods that could reverse Corruption.
The problem was: unless the Supreme Will of the Stars personally intervened, not only would the cost be astronomical, but the success rate would also be far from ideal. Since ancient times, few Starsea Natives had ever attempted such a thankless endeavor.
Which was precisely why—
When Zhang Zhongjing stated his goal—
Even Hang Yu was taken aback.
Countless Legendary Lords had been born across the Starsea. They had endured tens of thousands of years, wielding power, knowledge, and resources nearly equal to gods.
Likewise, within the myriad Abyssal Planes, there was no shortage of native powerhouses with profound Fate and peerless talent.
Yet even those awe-inspiring beings rarely attempted this.
Zhang Zhongjing might be a Miracle Doctor, but in terms of foundation and cultivation, he was still far from deep enough. For him to boldly proclaim such a grand ambition of curing Corruption was, truthfully, a bit arrogant and naïve.
Of course, it wasn’t that Zhang Zhongjing was unaware of how difficult the goal was. On the contrary—it was precisely this kind of determination and courage to do what seemed impossible that made him worthy of being called a Miracle Doctor, deserving of both respect and admiration.
It could be said with certainty—
His efforts were likely to be in vain.
Even with a hundred years—no, even a thousand—he might not find a viable method.
One reason was that severing and eliminating the connection between the Will of the Abyss and its people was nearly impossible. Another reason was that the Wan City Plane had far too little foundation to provide sufficient resources.
However, if Zhang Zhongjing were to join the territory, assist Hang Yu in its development, and support the Calamity Army in expanding their dominion—then it wasn’t entirely impossible for him to eventually acquire such power and means.
Hang Yu was reassured.
He was never afraid of someone having lofty goals.
What he feared was someone who was truly indifferent to fame and fortune, with no desires, drifting from place to place.
As long as one had a goal, a pursuit, a wish—then they would need help. And only Hang Yu might be able to help fulfill that wish. So recruiting him was practically a done deal.
All in all—
This operation had yielded immense gains.
Not only had the territory discovered an important monster-spawning region that produced dragon beast materials and even Dragon Horse Souls, but they also gained Miracle Doctor Zhang Zhongjing as a potential citizen, along with a trove of valuable loot and materials.
With Zhang Zhongjing, Hang Yu was like a tiger with wings. He would surely make a splash in the Lord Tournament.
If there was one small regret in this operation…
It would be that not enough players had died!
Although nearly half the players had died throughout the operation, the core forces and high-level players—those elites who produced the most Essence—about seventy to eighty percent had survived the recent battle. As a result, the Essence income was a bit lacking.
That meant they might lose a bit on the task’s expenses.
Still, it wasn’t a big problem.
Hang Yu continued observing.
Zhang Zhongjing and the three hundred players began entering the Fissure Grounds.
This so-called Fissure Grounds was actually a narrow terrain similar to a sky crevice—narrow in width, yet stretching a long distance. The Miraculous Herb that Zhang Zhongjing sought was nurtured in the deepest part of this fissure.
Not long after stepping into the fissure—
Everyone’s health began to drop.
【You have been affected by “Abyssal Blood Lotus”, losing 1 HP per second!】
【You have been affected by “Abyssal Blood Lotus”, losing 2 HP per second!】
【You have been affected by “Abyssal Blood Lotus”, losing 5 HP per second!】
【……】
The Calamity Army was shocked to discover that the closer they got to the depth of the fissure, the faster their health drained. They had to use Healing Pills and healing skills to survive—otherwise, they’d face fatal danger within minutes.
At the end of the fissure—
There floated a half-bloomed lotus.
This lotus appeared from thin air, hovering mid-air, growing straight from the void. It had no roots or lotus leaves. Entirely crimson like blood, it gave the texture of a gemstone—hardly resembling a living plant.
Ripples of strange energy radiated constantly from it.
It seemed to be absorbing the vitality of every lifeform within several kilometers.
【Abyssal Blood Lotus】 – Tier-Three Rare Material, Blue High-Quality.
Description: A divine material nurtured from the Essence of a Fallen Old God. It is currently on the verge of maturity.
Hang Yu immediately understood why Zhang Zhongjing had pinned his hopes on it.
He hadn’t expected that in this Nightmare Dreamworld, a Divine Essence Material would actually appear.
So-called Divine Essence was the core origin of god-tier beings. While a god still lived, its essence was constant and indivisible.
Gods were extremely hard to kill—but not absolutely immortal. Some gods, for various reasons, did fall.
When they truly died, that conceptual divine essence would materialize into Essence and scatter—either to be seized by other gods or powerful beings, or drift across worlds, eventually nurturing Essence Materials.
This Abyssal Blood Lotus was one such Divine Material.
Most likely, when some Abyssal Evil God perished, a fragment of its Essence was flung into the Three Kingdoms Plane, and an infinitesimal portion happened to fall within the Wan City Dreamworld, eventually nurturing this unique Miraculous Herb.
Of course, the actual essence content was minuscule—perhaps only a few millionths of the original.
Even so, it was a highly valuable Divine Herb.
To Abyssal Creatures, it offered tremendous benefits. That might be why Shadowstep had been guarding this place. If Shadowstep devoured this Essence Material, it could very well ascend to the next tier.
Hang Yu could roughly infer Zhang Zhongjing’s thinking—he wanted to use Divine Essence as the base to create an antidote that could sever the influence of the Supreme Will of the Abyss and reverse Corruption.
This method wasn’t without merit.
Abyssal Evil Gods couldn’t resist the Supreme Will.
But they could free themselves from the restraints of specific Abyssal Planes or Nightmares.
They could even become new sources of Corruption and build their own systems.
It was said that gods had ranks—some high-authority Abyssal Evil Gods could partially break free from the laws of the Abyss and even resist or defy the Supreme Will.
This Abyssal Blood Lotus was itself a formidable special Corruption Source!
Even more dangerous than the previous Skull of the Crimson Descendant.
If placed in a human city, it wouldn’t take long before the entire population would be affected by the Evil God’s lingering Essence, slowly mutating, going mad, or becoming fanatical cultists—worshipping the lotus as a holy relic.
Zhang Zhongjing’s approach was essentially fighting poison with poison.
He wanted to attempt using the corruptive influence of Divine Essence to cancel out the Will of the Abyss’ corruption on individuals. Such experiments had long existed throughout the Starsea’s billions of years—though their success rate was low, and the cost was high.
“Hahaha! Finally done!”
Ye Li Meng laughed aloud. “Quick, retrieve the herb for the Miracle Doctor!”
“Got it!”
Player Ning Caichen II used Flashstep to instantly arrive before the Abyssal Blood Lotus, reaching out to grab it—only for his hand to pass through without any physical sensation. It was like touching a phantom—an illusory projection.
“What’s going on?”
“Why can’t we take it?”
“Is it fake?”
Zhang Zhongjing replied, “The herb is real—but it hasn’t fully matured yet. It seems to be just a step away!”
The players looked at each other in confusion.
Black-Eyed Rui Ge asked, “So, how can we make it mature completely?”
Zhang Zhongjing said, “This miraculous herb mainly grows by absorbing the powers of life and death. It’s been nurturing for two full Jiazi already. As for when it’ll naturally ripen—I can’t precisely predict. Judging by its current state, it might be as short as a few weeks, or as long as a year or two.”
“What?”
“That long!?”
“How could that be allowed!”
This mission was meant to help Zhang Zhongjing retrieve the herb.
Even the guardian boss Shadowstep had already been killed.
And now the herb couldn’t be harvested for another year or two? Wasn’t that completely unfair?
If it were just about quest rewards, it might be tolerable.
But the key was—if they didn’t get this herb, Zhang Zhongjing likely wouldn’t feel at ease leaving his reclusive life!
Chimera Wraith said, “I think there must be another way. It can’t possibly require waiting that long!”
Little Bell added, “Yeah, there has to be a way, right? Divine Doctor Zhang, do you have any way to make it mature faster?!”
“Heh, no need to ask,” Midnight Pig Slayer spoke up. “Didn’t the Miracle Doctor already say it? This Abyssal Blood Lotus mainly grows by absorbing the power of life and death—so we just need to capture enough living beings and sacrifice them to it.”
Salted Fish Thrust chimed in, “Makes sense. Ordinary lifeforms probably won’t cut it. I bet rare treasures like this usually require human lives to be sacrificed!”
Ye Li Meng nodded, “Well, that’s easy then!”
When Zhang Zhongjing heard the players’ words, his expression immediately changed. Using human sacrifice could indeed accelerate the lotus’s maturity—but with his moral integrity, that was something he could never allow.
Were these Calamity Army soldiers really planning to sacrifice people?
If they truly had such cruel intentions, then they were hardly a righteous army!
Just as Zhang Zhongjing was about to speak out in protest, Midnight Pig Slayer jumped out from the crowd and said, “Sigh, there’s no use guessing blindly. As the saying goes—facts speak louder than words! Let me, Old Pig, test it out personally!”
“Alright!”
“Let’s go with that.”
“Old Pig, off you go to die!”
“Once you’re dead, I shall care for your wife. You need not worry!”
“Old Pig, can you really do this to yourself? Why not let me? Honestly, I’ve been dying to chop off your mutt head for a while now. If you let me do it, your death might even have some meaning.”
“Get lost! Who are you looking down on? Hand me a sword!”
“……”
Midnight Pig Slayer took a large sword from Niu Shisan, and under the teasing chuckles of the other Calamity Army comrades—and Zhang Zhongjing’s stunned gaze—he stabbed himself straight through the chest right then and there.
In the next moment—
Midnight Pig Slayer’s HP drained like a flood bursting through a dam. A wave of life essence poured out from his body, which was quickly absorbed by the Abyssal Blood Lotus. The half-open petals unfurled slightly more.
Upon witnessing this—
The players’ eyes all lit up.
“The flower bloomed!”
“It really worked!”
“We players truly are geniuses!”
“Next is me! I’m tired of playing anyway and was just about to log off for dinner!”
“Hahaha, count me in. Sure, I’ll lose a bit of Essence, but running across this map takes forever. I’d rather die and return. Saves so much time—not a bad deal at all!”
“……”
The Calamity Army members rushed forward to commit suicide in front of the Abyssal Blood Lotus. In no time, a dozen or two players had fallen, and the lotus’s petals clearly had opened much further.
This was insane!
Zhang Zhongjing couldn’t stop them in time.
He was completely dumbfounded!
He had long noticed that these Calamity Army soldiers were a bit… off. They often spoke in strange, incomprehensible ways, and from the beginning, they seemed to lack normal brain function, behaving with abnormal—no, excessive—bravery and optimism.
But no matter how he racked his brain—
He never imagined the Calamity Army would sacrifice themselves to ripen the lotus!
In truth, since the valley was far from the nearest stronghold, players needed at least six hours of travel to return to a town and log off. Even without the sacrificial element, many preferred to simply die and respawn.
Now it was perfect.
They could skip traveling—
And help complete the quest at the same time.
Due to the Heavenly Dao Cube’s “Mental Filter,” Calamity Army members didn’t experience the pain, fear, or trauma of hyper-realistic death. It simply felt like losing a character in a video game.
They weren’t afraid to die or to sacrifice themselves—only to die without value.
As long as the death had meaning—
Even if it merely saved time—
The Calamity Army would not hesitate to take their own lives!
“This must not be allowed!”
“Stop, all of you!”
Zhang Zhongjing had always been one to pity the world and bring medicine to the masses. Seeing the Calamity Army suffer greatly in their battle against Shadowstep had already left him feeling deeply guilty. How could he accept hundreds more dying for his sake?
“Divine Doctor, no need to worry!”
At that moment, Uncle Big Tree came before Zhang Zhongjing.
He said, “The Calamity Army doesn’t truly die—because our Lord will resurrect us!”
Zhang Zhongjing was shocked. “What did you say?”
Uncle Big Tree explained, “Every member of the Calamity Army was summoned from a future timeline by our Lord to save the world. The Lord has granted us the ability to resurrect. Though there is a cost to dying, as long as the Lord exists, we can never truly perish!”
Such a thing—was it possible?
Zhang Zhongjing could hardly believe it.
Wasn’t resurrection the kind of power only the Abyssal Nightmares could grant?
Even Abyssal Creatures could only revive repeatedly within Nightmares—and would lose themselves more and more with each death, eventually becoming deranged and twisted!
But a Starsea Lord…
How could he wield such power?
Uncle Big Tree continued, “Yes, we also pay a price when resurrected. But for the sake of your dream and your ideals, what does a little hardship and loss matter?”
“That’s right!”
“Divine Doctor, don’t worry!”
“We’re all doing this willingly!”
“We’re not afraid of suffering—as long as it means something!”
“Uh… can someone help me? I don’t think I can bring myself to do it.”
“I want to try getting beheaded. Someone strong come give me a hand!”
“……”
Zhang Zhongjing was profoundly shaken by this army’s behavior and abilities!
He had no idea that the players had mental protection mechanisms like “filters” and adjustable pain sensitivity. All he knew was that, even if the Calamity Army truly were immortal and capable of resurrection, the suffering they endured in death was unimaginable to any ordinary person.
In that moment—
He was deeply moved.
The Calamity Army truly was a righteous force!
A leader of such an army… perhaps he truly did have the power to save this world!
In no time, more than 300 players had all committed suicide—including major figures like Black-Eyed Rui Ge and Ye Li Meng. They also wanted to return early and skip the long trek.
Eventually, with only a dozen people remaining—
The Abyssal Blood Lotus had fully bloomed.
It transformed from an illusory state into a complete physical entity.
Uncle Big Tree personally picked the lotus and presented it with both hands to Zhang Zhongjing.
Zhang Zhongjing had finally obtained the Miraculous Herb he had waited for over so many years. But when it finally rested in his hands, it felt unusually heavy.
At the same time—
The players who participated in the mission—
Received the quest completion notification.
Far from feeling any suffering, the players were deeply satisfied. In fact, they felt clever and triumphant, bragging about their wit on the forums immediately.
“Divine Doctor, the herb’s been secured. Isn’t it time for you to step out into the world?”
Uncle Big Tree and the players all believed the top priority now was to bring Zhang Zhongjing back.
This old man’s skills were too powerful. No matter what, he had to stay within the territory. If he returned to Wan City and was exploited by hostile forces, that would be a huge problem.
Zhang Zhongjing stroked his beard. “Of course, this old man keeps his word. Besides, I too would very much like to see—what kind of Lord is capable of creating a unit like the Calamity Army!”
Upon hearing this—
The Players were overjoyed!
Even happier than completing a quest!
However, they also felt a bit troubled. The road back to the territory was long. After all, Zhang Zhongjing was not yet a citizen of the territory and could not use the Blessing Point to teleport. They only hoped nothing unexpected would happen along the way, such as being discovered by the forces of New Wan City.
At that very moment—
The air ahead distorted and rippled.
Finally, it condensed into a glowing portal.
Hang Yu’s heroic and handsome figure slowly stepped out from the portal. At the moment of his appearance, all the Players present were ecstatic, immediately rushing forward to kneel in salute.
“Greetings, my Lord!”
“You’ve all worked hard!”
“It was nothing! For the sake of the territory, the Calamity Army would die ten thousand deaths without regret—this bit of effort is nothing at all!”
The Players had essentially been wiped out again.
Which greatly satisfied Hang Yu.
Just from this single operation alone, he had harvested roughly 2.5 million Essence. Even if he gave out 2 million as rewards to the Players, there would still be a significant surplus—undoubtedly the most perfect outcome.
So this was the Master of Calamity?!
He looked so young!
Yet the intensity of his presence was absolutely shocking.
His strength was likely even greater than Zhang Xiu of Wan City!
Zhang Zhongjing quickly cupped his fists and bowed. “Zhang Ji pays respects to the Lord!”
“Divine Doctor Zhang, there is no need for such formality.” Hang Yu’s gaze fell on the Abyssal Blood Lotus sealed inside the medicinal box and he asked, “Divine Doctor Zhang, how do you plan to use this miraculous herb?”
“This old man believes this item might suppress Corruption, but how to refine it into usable material will require careful study.”
“Your line of thinking is not wrong. But relying on a single piece of Divine Essence is not enough to counter the influence of the Will of the Abyss. You’d need to collect at least three different types of Divine Essence to have a chance at producing the desired effect.”
“What?”
Zhang Zhongjing was slightly stunned.
He did not doubt the Lord’s words.
After all, this Lord possessed knowledge from the Stars.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to see through Zhang’s intent and purpose at a glance.
“Three? This kind of miraculous herb cannot be cultivated. Its birth requires immense fortune. Even obtaining a second one would be as hard as reaching the heavens...”
“Indeed. In this realm, it’s impossible to find a second Essence Material. If Divine Doctor Zhang wishes to produce an antidote to Corruption, he’ll have to seek it in a broader world.”
Hang Yu did not directly extend an invitation.
But Zhang Zhongjing clearly understood the implication.
Hang Yu did not pursue the topic further and instead said, “Divine Doctor Zhang, you have saved lives and upheld virtue, and I hold great admiration for you. That’s why I’ve come personally to welcome you. Please, come to the main city of my territory and allow me to fulfill the duties of a host!”
“It would be my greatest honor!”
Zhang Zhongjing had already begun to consider defecting.
However, he still needed to see for himself what a territory under the Stars truly looked like. Only then could he completely dispel the last shred of doubt and make his decision!
Shortly after—
Luoshui Main City.
When news spread that Zhang Zhongjing was about to arrive at the territory, the Players were all thrilled. They felt the territory had gained a powerhouse in both production and skill instruction, and so they hurried over, eager to catch a glimpse.
“My Lord!”
After returning to the territory—
Zhou Cang brought the Azure Dragon Guard to meet Hang Yu.
“That man Wen Pin is being unruly in the prison. He insists he has something important to report and demands to see you immediately!”
Zhang Zhongjing was slightly surprised at this.
Wen Pin? He was in the territory too—and imprisoned?
Hang Yu felt a little puzzled. According to the original plan, he intended to keep Wen Pin locked up for two or three days before formally meeting him to hear his demands and those of New Wan City. He hadn’t expected the man to be even more anxious than anticipated.
Zhou Cang continued, “He said the Day of Absolute Darkness may erupt in as soon as three days. If we don’t prepare early, great disaster will follow. At that time, both Wan City and Luoshui City will suffer!”
“What?!”
Now Hang Yu was truly shocked.
He had learned through some clues that the Darkness was approaching—
But he hadn’t realized there were only a few days left.
Wen Pin’s revelation of such critical intelligence served, on one hand, to create a sense of urgency and impact, and on the other, was likely meant as a gesture of sincerity in negotiations.
Since that was the case, he might as well meet with him.
He first had Zhang Zhongjing shown to a guest room in the Lord’s Fortress to rest, and then had the Azure Dragon Guard give him a tour of the territory.
“Bring Wen Pin up!”
Zhou Cang: “Understood!”
Hang Yu thought for a moment and added, “That Jia Xu puppet may not be dead yet, but it doesn’t look like it can hold out for long. Bring it up too!”
Previously, Jia Xu had issued Hang Yu a test: if he could find Zhang Zhongjing before all the major forces of New Wan City, he would acknowledge Hang Yu’s ability as a Starsea Lord and consider a potential alliance.
Hang Yu had never agreed to that condition or test. His reason for seeking Zhang Zhongjing was entirely rooted in the needs of his own territory. Now, not only had he found Zhang Zhongjing—he had already brought him into his domain.
Hang Yu was curious to see—
What kind of reaction Jia Xu would have upon meeting Zhang Zhongjing.
Jia Xu was likely the most difficult figure to deal with on the Wan City map. His own power had at least reached the level of a Tier-Three Overlord, and the forces he controlled could not be underestimated.
If he became an enemy, he would be extremely dangerous.
But if he could become an ally—or even join the territory—his value would be immense.
Hang Yu felt Jia Xu’s current state and stance were rather ambiguous. For now, it was unclear what role he truly played within New Wan City. Thus, further probing and understanding were necessary before a more accurate judgment could be made.