Chapter 115
Everything at the scene suddenly came to a standstill.
Little Lu Li, who had been clinging tightly to Su Ci, couldn’t help but gulp. His round red eyes stared blankly at the scene before him.
What was wrong with these plants?
Why did they stop moving just because Su Su told them to? Was this like Number Five’s ability to control other living things?
In contrast, A-Yan remained much calmer.
He had seen something very similar happen before—back in the nursery garden when the Starlink Fruit Trees had gone into a frenzy.
The halted demonic flowers began to stir again after a moment. However, unlike their previous excitement and frenzy, they now seemed… uneasy?
Lu Li blinked, doubting the emotional fluctuations he was sensing.
Weren’t these plants under Su Su’s control? Was their unease because they were afraid of Su Su?
Su Ci, for his part, didn’t react much. He merely gave a light stomp of his foot.
The movement wasn’t forceful and didn’t harm the plant beneath them that had lifted them up. Yet, as if realizing it had done something wrong, the plant slowly began retreating into the ground.
This shift triggered a chain reaction.
The densely packed demonic flowers in the field began emitting a rustling sound, almost like they were collectively scolding the plant that had lifted Su Ci and the children, shifting all the blame onto it.
The plant beneath their feet withdrew even faster.
However, Lu Li didn’t feel much disturbance. Once he was back on solid ground, the once-chaotic land had smoothed out entirely, leaving only a few cracks visible.
It was hard to tell if the plants beneath the ground were of the same species as the vivid, sinister demonic flowers.
Just as Lu Li thought all the strange occurrences had ended, he noticed something changing in the flower field.
The plants started converging toward the center, their stems, leaves, and vines twisting together while petals flew into the air. After a brief flurry of movement, everything quieted down once again.
The butterfly that had escaped the spider web earlier had somehow returned to the flower field. It flapped its wings and gracefully rose from the flowers, heading back toward them.
Although Lu Li didn’t recognize this creature, it didn’t stop him from appreciating its beauty—though he couldn’t help wishing it were a bit smaller.
As the butterfly drew closer, its massive size made Lu Li feel increasingly insignificant. A trace of fear crept into his heart, but when he noticed what the butterfly was holding, curiosity quickly replaced his fear.
The butterfly was carrying a demonic flower.
It struggled slightly, its flight unsteady, but eventually, it managed to bring the flower over their heads.
The butterfly didn’t come too close. Just as Lu Li felt the faint breeze from its flapping wings, the butterfly dropped the blood-red flower gently down toward them and then flew back toward the flower field.
The crimson demonic flower drifted softly as it descended.
The plants remaining in place fell silent once again, as though holding their breath in anticipation. It felt as if they were intently and expectantly watching Su Ci and his companions.
Little Lu Li instinctively tilted his head up, gazing at the descending demonic flower.
He had a feeling that this was a gift from the plants to Su Su.
So… could it be that their intense reaction earlier had actually been a way of welcoming Su Su?
Sure enough, when Su Ci extended his hand, allowing the fully bloomed demonic flower to float above his palm, the plants began writhing excitedly once more.
They swayed and twisted, their petals and leaves rubbing together to produce a rustling sound, as if shouting, “Look, look! He accepted it!”
The joyful and celebratory emotions filled the entire flower field, completely dispelling the earlier eerie atmosphere.
Even the worms that had scurried away stopped to glance back. Though their eyeless faces lacked features, their confusion was somehow palpable.
Lu Li relaxed entirely, tilting his head to look at the demonic flower. Up close, he could see the intricate patterns on its petals, their supple texture—seemingly fragile but actually incredibly tough.
Even the sharp mandibles of the massive worms couldn’t tear through the petals.
However, something puzzled Lu Li. The demonic flower seemed to contain some kind of liquid, gently swaying within the petals.
The flower was enormous to him, with a diameter of at least 30 to 40 centimeters, floating in mid-air, making it impossible for him to discern what was inside.
Noticing his curiosity, Su Ci lowered his hand, allowing the flower to descend gently to the ground. It stopped a couple of centimeters above the earth.
Lu Li stood on tiptoe to peer inside.
The flower contained a thick, viscous liquid. Colored red by the petals surrounding it, it emitted a faintly sweet fragrance.
“Su Su, what is this?” Lu Li asked curiously.
“It’s nectar,” Su Ci replied.
“Nectar?” Lu Li remembered the explanation about honey candies that Xiao Xuewei had given him, which had mentioned something called “honey.”
He couldn’t help but ask, “Is it edible?”
Su Ci nodded slightly but then turned his gaze back to the demonic flowers.
After concentrating all their nectar into this one flower, the demonic plants had noticeably wilted, yet their emotional fluctuations remained warm and enthusiastic.
Having been stopped from using their life force to rapidly bear fruit, the plants had found another way to offer their gift to the Earth Spirit.
Faced with such pure intentions, it was hard not to be moved. But…
Su Ci glanced down at Lu Li, who was gulping and gazing longingly at the nectar. Yet he didn’t immediately share it with him.
Because…
This nectar was laced with intense resentment. Regardless of its taste, even for Su Ci, consuming it would likely influence his mental state.
Raising his hand, Su Ci cast a purification spell over the nectar.
A radiant light appeared, and the nectar brimming with intense resentment was gradually purified, removing the impurities within.
By the time the purification spell was complete, the nectar within the demonic flower had turned a pale pink. Its texture was more transparent and refined, and even the fragrance it emitted was fresher and more pleasant.
The flower itself, which had served as the container, was also affected by the purification spell. The unsettling aura it once radiated vanished entirely.
After finishing this process, Su Ci gently lifted his hand and used his fingertip to scoop up a small amount of nectar, bringing it to his lips.
The sweet taste spread across his palate instantly, accompanied by a unique floral fragrance that evoked a sense of pleasure.
“Not bad,” Su Ci remarked.
With those two simple words, the previously drooping demonic plants seemed to regain their energy, standing upright once again.
A-Yan, standing beside Su Ci, felt as though he could hear faint, joyful laughter echoing around the valley. The laughter, youthful and pure, reflected the plants’ happiness.
Lu Li, watching Su Ci and the nectar in the flower, swallowed hard again.
Still, he obediently stayed by Su Ci’s side, slipping his hand into his pocket to feel the candies that Xiao Xuewei had given him. It’s okay, he thought. I still have candy, and candy is sweet too.
Then, he heard Su Ci say, “You two can try it too.”
Lu Li tilted his head up. “Really?”
“Mm.” Su Ci nodded. The nectar, originally filled with powerful resentment, had been transformed by the purification into spiritual energy. Moreover, the demonic flower nectar had unique benefits—it could nourish the soul and repair physical damage.
Both effects were particularly suitable for A-Yan and Lu Li.
Lu Li didn’t need any further explanation, and A-Yan’s body still carried numerous hidden injuries. Furthermore, his diligent practice of heavenly script consumed a great deal of spiritual energy. With this nectar, A-Yan wouldn’t need Su Ci to frequently use his soul power to maintain and nourish his spirit.
Lu Li didn’t know about the nectar’s benefits; he was simply eager to taste it and see if it was as sweet as he imagined.
Following Su Ci’s example, he was about to dip his finger into the nectar when A-Yan stopped him.
“Wait.”
A-Yan pulled out two small spoons from his spatial button and handed one to Lu Li.
“Use this.”
Obediently, Lu Li took the spoon and, standing on tiptoe, scooped a small amount of nectar from the flower.
The nectar was thick and sticky, forming a long thread as he lifted the spoon. Lu Li instinctively twisted the spoon, neatly wrapping the thread around it before putting the spoon into his mouth for a big taste.
The sweetness, several times stronger than candy, exploded in his mouth. Lu Li’s eyes lit up with delight.
So sweet! So delicious!
A-Yan had a similar reaction. Without access to candies in Su Ci’s spatial button, the only sweetness he had tasted before came from Star-chain Fruits. The nectar’s sweetness completely redefined his understanding of flavor.
This is amazing! A-Yan thought. Maybe we can use this nectar for cooking in the future.
Su Ci glanced at the two of them, finding their expressions amusing.
However, as his gaze shifted back to the demonic plants, a headache started to form.
Demonic plants, like spiritual plants, were living beings, but they were far more aggressive and often thrived in areas with heavy contamination.
Resentment, in a sense, could be considered a form of contamination.
Thus, the current barren earth provided an ideal environment for demonic plants. Unable to derive enough nutrients from the soil, they absorbed energy from resentment and the life around them.
Despite their seemingly obedient and enthusiastic behavior toward Su Ci, he didn’t underestimate them.
At that moment, the clustered demonic plants dispersed once more. Their twisting stems and vines pushed forward the remains of the giant spider Su Ci had cut apart.
The spider, sliced twice by the wind blade, was neatly divided into four large chunks.
Looking at the massive spider, Su Ci realized it wouldn’t be easy to bring it back whole. “Leave me the legs and the spider silk. You can have the rest,” he said.
Unlike the small spiritual sprouts, these demonic plants were far more intelligent. As soon as Su Ci spoke, they dragged the remains of the spider back into the flower field, leaving the legs and silk behind for him.
Still savoring the floral sweetness of the nectar, spoon in his mouth, little Lu Li suddenly witnessed the demonic flowers reveal their brutal side.
A few of the largest demonic flowers opened their petals wide and enveloped chunks of the giant spider’s remains, leaving only the spider’s long legs sticking out.
The massive flower buds began to writhe, producing chewing sounds as they consumed their prey. After a moment, the swollen buds started to shrink, as if swallowing the spider’s body.
The spider legs, now disconnected from the main body, dropped to the ground. Then, the flowers that had devoured the spider’s remains began spitting out bundles of spider silk.
The remaining demonic flowers, which hadn’t participated in the feast, moved their vines and leaves to deliver the eight spider legs and the sticky bundles of silk to Su Ci.
“Plop—”
Lu Li’s spoon slipped from his mouth and fell to the ground.
He stood there with his mouth slightly open, stunned by the grisly scene unfolding before him.
Just moments ago, the obedient behavior of the demonic plants, combined with their gesture of offering nectar to Su Ci, had made him think these seemingly intelligent plants were quite endearing…
But in just a matter of seconds, they shattered his understanding.
Lu Li felt completely unnerved.
The demonic plants, however, seemed entirely unaware of how horrifying their actions appeared. After all, hunting giant spiders was just part of their daily life.
The plants tolerated the worms nibbling on their leaves because the butterflies helped collect nectar and pollinate their flowers. But more importantly—
The butterflies also served as bait to lure in giant spiders.
In truth, even if Su Ci hadn’t intervened earlier, the butterfly might not have been in any real danger, as countless demonic plants below had been lying in wait.
Now, having offered Su Ci the spider legs and silk he needed, the sentient demonic plants resumed their efforts to please him.
For instance…
Lu Li felt a faint movement by his feet. Glancing down, he saw a slender vine stretching out from the flower field, gently picking up the dropped spoon and holding it out to him.
Staring at the vine, Lu Li couldn’t help but recall the earlier scene of the flowers devouring the giant spider in big gulps. His whole body tensed.
With trembling hands, he reached out and took the spoon.
Once he had the spoon in hand, the delicate vine released it, brushed affectionately against his small hand, and then retreated back into the flower field.
Lu Li’s ears twitched, and the fur on his tail stood on end.
He had no doubt that if he hadn’t entered the flower field with Su Ci and had instead wandered in alone, these vines would have dragged him into the flowers without hesitation.
Just like they had consumed the giant spider moments ago, they would have devoured him.
The very thought sent a shiver down Lu Li’s spine. The plants’ attempt to be friendly now only made their proximity feel even more chilling.
Overwhelmed by a sense of unease, he instinctively moved closer to Su Ci. Pressing tightly against him, Lu Li felt comforted by the protective aura emanating from Su Ci, the only thing that made him feel safe amidst the surrounding sea of predatory flowers.
A-Yan wasn’t as frightened as Lu Li, but his gaze toward the demonic plants was filled with caution and vigilance.
He understood that these plants favored Su Su. If he and Lu Li were alone, there was no guarantee that the demonic plants wouldn’t turn on them.
Given his current strength, his only reliable option for dealing with them might be to teleport away…
If he planned to venture into the red mist in the future to search for his lost memories, this approach wouldn’t suffice. The monsters hidden in the red mist were bound to be even more terrifying and dangerous than this flower field.
A-Yan clenched his fists, feeling an even greater urgency to improve his abilities.
Su Ci seemed to notice this but didn’t comment. Instead, he placed a hand on the heads of the two young ones, gently ruffling their hair in a comforting gesture.
“Let’s head back.”
They had been out since morning, and at least an entire day had passed. They needed to return to the nursery before nightfall. As for now…
Looking at the eight spider legs, bundles of spider silk, and the nectar filling half of a demonic flower, the trip had been quite fruitful.
As for the other issues—they could be dealt with in time. There was no need to rush.
These demonic flowers were far too aggressive, heavily influenced by resentment, and would need time to be gradually reconditioned.
Su Ci didn’t intend to eradicate them completely in one go.
The demonic plants had absorbed vast amounts of resentment, essentially stabilizing and transforming it. While their method wasn’t as thorough as purification spells, it was a way for them to gradually erode the resentment with their own existence.
This explained why the concentration of red mist in this valley was significantly higher than in other places.
Su Ci couldn’t deny the contribution these demonic plants made to the land. In their own way, they were preventing the spread of resentment.
Plants were incredibly adaptive. Both demonic and spiritual plants originated from ordinary plants that had adapted to their environments. Their differences were merely the result of the conditions they had been forced to endure.
With this understanding, Su Ci maintained an optimistic outlook. If the environment gradually improved, this sea of demonic flowers could one day transform into a field of spiritual blooms.
With that thought, Su Ci walked to a clear patch of ground and began channeling his soul energy to inscribe a teleportation array.
While the journey here had taken some time, returning would be much simpler. By inscribing the teleportation array and linking it to the nursery’s array, they could return instantly.
As Su Ci worked on the array, several more giant spiders were drawn to the commotion.
The demonic plants reverted to their seemingly harmless, beautiful state. A few butterflies appeared out of nowhere, dancing gracefully among the flowers, luring the giant spiders closer.
And once again, the demonic plants began their feast.
Watching the demonic plants devour the giant spiders with such ferocity, A-Yan pulled out the work manual that had been hiding in his clothes, pretending to be lifeless.
Pointing at the bundles of sticky, viscous spider silk, he said, “Little Manual, food.”
The fledgling book spirit ignored him completely. It wriggled free from his hand and burrowed back into his clothes, trembling slightly as if it had been thoroughly frightened.
A-Yan patted the work manual through his clothes to comfort it, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips, betraying his amusement.
Having teased the book spirit, it was time to deal with the spider silk.
A-Yan retrieved a sturdy, waterproof container from his spatial button. Its exact material was unknown, but it was highly durable.
He didn’t attempt to touch the spider silk directly.
The liquid secreted by the demonic flowers during their feeding was clearly highly corrosive. Only the spider silk’s exceptional toughness had allowed it to withstand the flower’s secretions.
Still, A-Yan couldn’t help but wonder—could the work manual, which could absorb spider silk, resist this corrosive liquid? He made a mental note to test this theory in the future.
Extending a hand toward the spider silk, A-Yan pointed at it in midair. The silk disappeared from its spot and reappeared inside the container.
This was another spell A-Yan had developed on his own.
It didn’t even require the use of rule power. Just as he could teleport himself without relying on heavenly script, he had adapted teleportation for use on objects.
The spell consumed minimal energy, and after eating that spoonful of nectar earlier, he felt warmth spreading through his body, as though his strength had significantly increased.
One by one, A-Yan teleported the spider silk into the container, sealed it, and stored it in his spatial button.
Meanwhile, Su Ci had finished inscribing the teleportation array and was ready to depart.
As for the oversized spider legs, their size wasn’t much of an issue. Just like the work manual could shrink, a simple transformation spell reduced the legs to a manageable size.
However, items resized with transformation spells couldn’t be stored in spatial buttons. So, Su Ci placed an empty container on the ground and loaded the shrunken spider legs into it.
Watching from the side, Lu Li decided he wanted to help. After all, he had carried spiritual water containers before when they found the little wild grass.
He walked over and reached out to lift the container holding the spider legs. But…
“Ugh—ahh—!”
Lu Li exerted all his strength, his little face turning bright red with effort, but he couldn’t lift the small container even an inch.
He let go of the container, breathing heavily and questioning his life choices.
Under his watchful gaze, Su Ci effortlessly lifted the container, reminding Lu Li of the image that had once left him in awe for a long time.
He stared blankly at Su Ci, once again feeling the overwhelming power of the caretaker.
