novelzi Chapter 160 Lotus of Creation
Chapter 160 Lotus of Creation
as luo xiuyuan entered the vortex, biggs was there, ready to take care of him.
luis, however, stepped out of the place and began to wander.
using the vortex mini map, he quickly pinpointed luo li's location.
she was far away.
luo li lay on a hilltop covered in vegetation and seaweed, her delicate hands crossed behind her head as she stared blankly at the massive stars scattered across the sea of stars.
"what are you thinking about?"
silently, luis sat beside her.
"when i was a child, i often lay on the rocks and looked at the stars," luo li began softly. "at that time, i asked my mother why our tribe was always fleeing and fighting. she told me it was for survival."
a tear slid down her cheek.
"i asked her what the meaning of life was. she said it was to continue the cycle—just as she gave birth to me, i would give birth to the next generation, and so on. she told me that was the meaning of life.
and then... my mother passed away."
at this, luo li broke into sobs.
luis hesitated, then gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"everything will pass," he said softly. "in ancient times, humanity survived countless hardships.
i believe that your people, the mermaids, will also find hope and see the light of day."
hearing this, luo li lifted her head and stared at him with red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes.
"do you think he'll die?" she asked.
"don't worry," luis said, shaking his head. he then turned his gaze upward to the vast starry sky.
"everyone dies eventually."
his words seemed to comfort luo li as much as they did himself.
she cried for what felt like hours. eventually, exhaustion overcame her, and she fell asleep in luis' arms.
looking down at her tear-streaked face, luis felt a pang of pity in his heart.
--
an hour later, luo li stirred and slowly woke up.
when she realized she was lying in luis' arms, her pretty face flushed slightly. but then, as a thought crossed her mind, her expression turned pale.
as a member of a signatory race under the subsidiary contract, luo li could feel the faint connection between herself and luis.
"master," she murmured awkwardly.
luis shook his head. "no need for that. just call me by my name."
but to his surprise, luo li's expression turned unusually firm.
she shook her head and said resolutely, "etiquette cannot be abandoned, and rules cannot be broken. since my mermaid race is a subsidiary race of the hartmann family, from today onward, you are my master.
but before that, i want to have one last moment of freedom."
her eyes sparkled with a mix of longing and determination as she looked at luis.
"luo li, let me ask you—can the lotus of creation absorb your true essence?"
"yes," luo li said with a nod. "but unfortunately, this spiritual plant has no other purpose besides absorbing a cultivator's true essence. the essence it absorbs is stored temporarily and then gradually converted into nutrients for its growth."
luo li spoke as if it were a matter of course.
"it doesn't work at all!"
luis nodded thoughtfully and reached out to pull at one of the lotuses of creation. taking a deep breath, he applied force to uproot it.
to his surprise, the lotus didn't budge.
though he hadn't used his full strength, his basic strength was already formidable.
intrigued, luis increased his effort, and after a brief struggle, he managed to pull the lotus out along with its roots.
holding the lotus of creation in his hand, luis noticed that it had not returned to its original white color.
"every time you inject your true energy into it, how long does it take for the energy to dissipate?" he asked curiously.
luo li shook her head. "it doesn't dissipate—it just gets absorbed by the lotus."
"what if i prevent it from absorbing the energy?"
luis' voice carried a slight tremor of anticipation.
luo li tilted her head, looking timid but thoughtful. "then i guess the energy would just be stored in the lotus... but can it really store energy like that?"
"hmm, maybe," luis murmured.
he carefully observed the lotus, his eyes catching the faint dots of starlight scattered across its white petals.
the sight reminded him of the star sea layer in the underwater world of the ten thousand star sea.
acting on instinct, luis channeled a stream of vortex energy into the lotus of creation.
in an instant, the starlight on the lotus's surface grew brighter.
the more vortex energy he injected, the more brilliantly the lotus glowed.
however, no matter how much energy luis poured into it, the lotus of creation absorbed it all like a bottomless container.
after a long while, the lotus finally reached its limit, shining brightly with an almost blinding radiance.
luis couldn't help but be shocked as he sensed the enormous amount of energy stored within the lotus.
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without the infinite supply of vortex energy from the mysterious vortex within him, the lotus of creation would have been impossible to fill with the true essence of even the most powerful qi refiners.
luis's mind was racing. this spiritual plant was truly extraordinary. if it could be integrated into the human body as an energy reservoir, it could more than double the true essence available. while it might not mean much for him, it could be life-changing for the hartmann family and their allies.
"master, this is so beautiful," luo li said softly, her voice filled with wonder as her eyes sparkled like the stars above.
luis turned to her, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"do you want it?" he asked, holding out the radiant lotus of creation.
her gaze lit up with excitement as she eagerly reached for it, her hands trembling slightly with anticipation.
but as her fingers neared the lotus, luis gently took her wrist, his touch firm yet soft. he pulled her closer, their breaths mingling in the cool night air.
"luo li," he murmured, his voice low and tender.
before she could respond, luis leaned in, brushing a soft kiss against her cheek.