Chapter 1343: Seizing Treasures in the Chaos
A disorganized slaughter broke out at the shores of the Blood Lake.
Wild torrents of resonant power undulations swept across the field, mingled with pained screams and inhuman wails.
This change had come about too abruptly and few managed to react in time before they were cut down by their friends.
Broken limbs and fresh blood dyed the ground.
Even the squads from the Bloodlines of Heavenly Emperor Qin and Zhao were no exception. Their members were corrupted by the curse and many were seriously injured.
Qin Zhenlin and Zhao Xiuyuan's had faces that were steely green as they forcefully suppressed the corrupted individuals.
This was what infuriated them. They had no time nor attention to spare on obtaining the high-grade Foundational Spirit Treasures.
Meanwhile a single area remained unblemished within this chaotic region. It was where Li Luo and the Golden Dragon Bank's squads were at. They formed a defensive line that warded off all the corrupted from sowing chaos amongst their ranks.
Most importantly, because none of their own had turned against them, their situation remained stable and there were no casualties.
Lu Shuanglu, Zhang Cuicheng and the rest of their squad watched the chaos unfold and brutality ensued with expressions that turned pale. This was a scene that they were extremely familiar with.
At this point, they truly believed in Li Luo's words.
At the same time, they couldn't help but to reach out and gently touch their eyes, even taking out mirrors to inspect their eyes.
"Don't look anymore. Ever since the Black Pupil Ghostly Curse was discovered by us, it has chosen to act more discreetly. It will grow secretly and when the time is right, erupt with intensity to erode your minds." Li Luo casually said as he watched them.
Lu Shuanglu unwillingly turned towards the fifth-grade middle aged male Duke as she asked. "Uncle Wang, can you sense the source of the corruption within your body?"
The one addressed as Uncle Wang bitterly smiled as he shook his head. "I didn't feel a thing."
"This Black Pupil Ghostly Curse should be something created by a King. Dukes would find it difficult to detect it." Li Luo continued.
"A King? An Other King? Within the World End's River Treasure Domain, there shouldn't be any of them!" Lu Shuanglu's expression turned ugly as she exclaimed.
"It might not be an Other King. It could have been created by a conspiring King stage expert." Li Luo continued.
"Other than an Other King, just what sort of King stage expert would dare to do such a thing?" "The World End's River Region is the gateway to the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent. If anything happens here, it would doom the entire continent! No wait..." At this point her voice stuttered as her expression turned heavy.
She spat out three words. "Origin Reversion Institute!"
As someone from the Golden Dragon Mountain, Lu Shuanglu had a deep understanding of the Origin Reversion Institute. Thus she understood the modus operandi of these secretive individuals.
Zhang Cuicheng similarly frowned. If the Black Pupil Ghostly Curse stemmed from the Origin Reversion Institute, that would mean that the plot they were hatching within the World End's River Region was not small. That said all of the four Heavenly Emperor Bloodlines had Kings watching over this area and yet they still dared to act wantonly?
Lu Shuanglu fell silent with a bitter smile. "How unlucky of us. I had assumed this was just another normal mission to exchange for goods but in the end, I've fallen right into the middle of a disastrous catastrophe."
Every opening of the Treasure Domain in the past would have members of the Golden Dragon Bank Headquarters being responsible for gathering Foundational Spirit Treasures. She was the lucky one who had been chosen this time and had never expected such danger to befall her. What else could she say but to bemoan her luck?
At the same time her curious gaze fell upon Li Luo. This Black Pupil Ghostly Curse remained undetected even in the face of a fifth-grade Duke and yet Li Luo had noticed it. Furthermore he was even capable of purifying and removing it. This seemed almost unbelievable.
This brat did have some ability. It was no wonder why Qing'er worried over him.
"Then what do we do now?" Lu Shuanglu asked as she continued watching the scene before her.
Unknowingly, the Greater Heavenly Resonance stage Li Luo had become the decision maker and core of the two parties.
His gaze flickered as he thought. However he suddenly turned towards the middle of the Blood Lake where the four blood crystal like corals were at and he grinned. "Actually, isn't this the best time to seize the treasure?"
Zhao Xiuyuan and Qin Zhenlin couldn't extricate themselves from the thorny situation their squads were in. The True Devil Other had also been injured by them and thus no one could stop their squads from obtaining the high-grade Foundational Spirit Treasures.
Jiang Qing'e, Li Foluo, Li Tingyue then chimed in, "We'll retrieve the treasures."
The Blood Lake hid many strange and weird Others. The beautiful faces were just a single type of True Devil Other and thus they had to dispatch their strongest elites to obtain it.
Li Luo nodded his head as he flashed Lu Shuanglu a smile. "I'll have to trouble you to restrain the corrupted experts."
The area affected was gradually expanding and more and more corrupted individuals were turning their way. Thus they needed the assistance of the Golden Dragon Bank to restrain them. Furthermore they had someone no weaker than Zhao Xiuyuan on their side which was enough to stabilize the situation. Lu Shuanglu naturally did not object. In fact it seemed safer to stay close to Li Luo in this situation after all.
Thus Jiang Qing'e and the other two directly shot towards the center of the Blood Lake, emitting boundless amounts of resonant power and erasing the beautiful faces that floated atop the surface of the lake.
Jiang Qing'e was particularly impressive as her sacred light resonant power swept across, it seemed to even purify the lake water itself, turning it clear.
In just a few moments, the trio had reached the heart of the lake.
A blood red vortex suddenly formed and a gigantic face floated atop the surface once again. It opened its mouth and black fangs could be seen jutting out as it spat out a pitch black stream of corruption.
That said this attack wasn't of much concern to them. As they joined hands, their resonant power formed a massive beam which smashed the Other apart.
Jiang Qing'e then waved her hand as light resonant power transformed into a humongous hand which reached out towards all four high-grade Foundational Spirit Treasures and grabbed all of them.
With the treasures in hand, the trio retreated.
The disturbance they created did not elude Zhao Xiuyuan nor Qin Zhenlin's senses. However they could only shout out in fury, "You dare!"
They were just about to take action to stop them but the moment their resonant power suppression lessened on their corrupted squad members, they immediately started to act up, breaking out of the seal and rushing towards them with a roar.
The two could only retract their resonant power and continue to apply pressure on their corrupted squad mates.
They could only stare blankly as the trio snatched the four high-grade Foundational Spirit Treasures before their very eyes, regrouping with the rest of their squad.
Their eyes turned gloomy from utter rage.
Who would have expected that all of the benefits would be monopolized by the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li?
Jiang Qing'e continued to keep the Foundational Spirit Treasures wrapped up in her resonant power, letting it float before them.
Li Luo then flicked a finger as a single Foundational Spirit Treasure which was wrapped in resonant power flew towards Lu Shuanglu as he grinned. "Since we were lucky to meet, I'll share this with you. I hope you don't dislike it."
"You're giving us a share?" Lu Shuanglu was a little taken aback. The Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li were the ones who had taken action and their side barely contributed. Furthermore, if not for Li Luo's reminder, their situation would be no better than the other squads.
"You've helped us ward off the corrupted and that's also an important contribution. How can I let you work for free?" Li Luo explained.
Lu Shuanglu turned towards the others in the Golden Dragon Bank who were also pleasantly surprised. No one had expected to receive these treasures so easily.
It looked like the good feelings toward Li Luo had increased quite a bit.
"Then we won't be shy." Lu Shuanglu nodded in the end. However she glanced at the Foundational Spirit Treasure with a look of awkwardness. If nothing had happened before this, she'd definitely receive the treasure without much objection, perhaps even fiddling with it for fun. Unfortunately, now that she knew it was cursed, she was a little reluctant to even touch it.
"You can first seal it away before its purified. After I help you purify it, you should be able to touch it." Li Luo smiled as he reminded her.
Lu Shuanglu hurriedly took action as she possessed quite a few items that could help with that.
When Li Luo saw this, he smiled in his heart. He had managed to form a good relationship with Lu Shuanglu and Zhang Cuicheng and this might mean he could have a connection with Golden Dragon Mountain in future. At that point in time, he might even be able to assist Lu Qing'er.
She had used a favor owed to her to help him, so he naturally had to return the favor.
"Ah?" As Li Luo was still lost in his own thoughts, Jiang Qing'e suddenly let out a surprised cry. As Li Luo was about to ask what had happened, his expression changed.
They seemed to have heard a barely perceptible sound of a flute coming out from the void. Li Luo then discovered that wherever the sound of the flute transmitted, the corrupted would leave the battlefield in droves, as though they had been possessed. They seemed to have been attracted to something, rushing into the depths of the blood mist.
This scene caused Li Luo's eyes to shrink.
Was the black hand behind the curtain beginning to direct the show?