Chapter 613: Targeting Spirits
The caution that their group showed these plants could be easily considered too exaggerated to others, but they were currently within No Man's Land, and none of them felt any sense of security.
Their current area was making them feel very complicated, and although it appeared to be the most approachable zone they had visited so far, everything seemed fake and staged.
This surreal feeling was enough to make them feel as if all the hairs on their bodies had stood up in horror, and thus they did their utmost to guard themselves.
These plants were the only thing within the whole zone that appeared to contain energy, and the energy they contained was Soul Power.
Under normal circumstances, Soul Power was already difficult to encounter, as it was connected to a person's death and soul, but here they encountered a massive amount of energy without any living beings in sight.
This made them feel even more surreal, as the soul power should slowly diminish after the last death, but even with the current state, each of these flowers seemed to be bursting with energy, making Xue Wei and the others feel complex.
"Okay, I will start now." Xue Wei took a deep breath as he eased his mind and began to delve into the mindless state that accompanied him every time he began to cultivate.
Even if he knew that there was a risk, he was much more calm now that he was the one taking the risk, and he tried to cultivate with full focus.
It was some time since he had last actively cultivated using spiritual energy and he could feel that his body was like a dry sponge that had been plunged into a bowl of water.
The main reason for this extreme effect was naturally the sheer amount of soul power that these flowers contained, and although his mind was blank, a subconscious tremble ran through his heart as the overwhelming amount of energy seemed to tempt him into wantonly absorbing everything without a thought for the consequences.
However, even with this subconscious feeling, Xue Wei kept cultivating. Had it been an ordinary situation, he would have automatically stopped the absorption as any kind of threat would be multiplied many times over while cultivating, but the whole purpose of their experiment was to see if there was any extreme danger with these flowers.
If there was none, then it would be stupid not to let his two companions gobble up all the useful energy for themselves.
Xue Wei's cultivation had slowly settled down. He felt the relaxation and constant improvement of his soul and mind, but there was no danger to him as he kept cultivating. Even by the time he woke up naturally as the flower had run out of energy, there was no danger to him at any point.
"How do you feel?"
The first to ask was Luoluo. Although they had stood by his side the entire time, none of them had noticed anything strange or wrong with Xue Wei; even his facial expressions had been comparable to a stone, utterly rigid with no movements.
"I felt no problems when absorbing the energy. It was easier to refine than usual soul power, and my spiritual energy has increased vastly from what it previously was.
"At first, I felt a strange sense of temptation, but it was quite subtle and not enough to make me pay extra attention.
"I would suggest that either Luoluo or Tianyi try to absorb a flower next. I do not approve of both of them trying at the same time, since the temptation they have felt before is much stronger than mine, and they might become obsessed while cultivating. We have to be able to stop them at any time."
Although Xue Wei was not one who would spend time unnecessarily, he also understood that their strength needed improvements. Although they were in No Man's Land now and wished to leave as soon as possible, they needed strength to leave, and perhaps these flowers could boost their strength.
Even so, he was aware that many things seemed too simple and straightforward, not to mention fake, so he was extremely alert as he made his decision.
Both Luoluo and Bai Tianyi frowned as they understood the severity of the matter. They were both more than willing to risk themselves if it meant protecting the other, but they also knew that they should be completely assured that they had the ability to take on the task. If they were harmed for the sake of one of their companions, even if they felt relieved, their companion would, without a doubt, feel guilty.
"Let me." Luoluo finally made the decision. Even after being locked up for so long and drained for her energy, she was, after all, still an ancient spirit and her foundations could not be easily manipulated. She should be able to withstand the energy more than Bai Tianyi.
"Wait!"
Xue Wei suddenly stopped the young woman before she sat down.
"Let Tianyi. I have a guess, and according to my theory, you might be more influenced than Tianyi is."
Xue Wei's eyes were subtle as he looked at the many flowers surrounding them.
"I was the one who absorbed the first flower, and although I felt a slight temptation, it was not difficult for me to suppress it.
"The reason that I made the first attempt was that I am able to absorb spiritual energy, but I did not feel the temptation, so I would imagine that the more spiritual you are, the more the flower will influence you."
Xue Wei was not certain about the purpose of such flowers, but he felt that there could not be so many coincidences without reason.
"Well, then, I'll give it a go." Bai Tianyi stepped forward and his eyes were solemn as he prepared to absorb the energy within a nearby flower.