Chapter 597: Chapter 597: The Man-Eating Flower
âFinally here, huh?â
Song Jian stood below the black pyramid, gazing upward;
Upon getting closer, the enormity of this black pyramid was felt even more, like a small mountain, the pyramid eerily suspended in mid-air. This gripping sensation made oneâs heart palpitate.
âSong Jian, howâ¦how do we climb this?â Anna asked, her brows furrowed, staring anxiously at the looming shadow overhead.
âThere must be a passage to get up there, letâs look for it.â Song Jian responded.
Soon, both of them found a wrecked transportation aircraft nestled in a hollow; the engine on the left wing of the plane was severely destroyed, revealing a huge hole. The fuselage was filled with fractures, half of the cockpit was embedded in the hollow. After the crash, the aircraft caught fire, leaving burnt marks all over the plane.
Luckily, the fire stopped, possibly due to rain or some other reason, preserving most of the aircraft intact.
âThis appears to be a plane used to transport personnel and supplies to the baseâ¦â Song Jian said, pointing out the label which read âCarrier 152â on the surface of the aircraft.
âWhat a pity that it is no longer operational,â said Anna in disappointment.
âLet me see if I can find some useful things,â said Song Jian before climbing into the wrecked aircraft.
Not long after, Song Jian emerged with a small black metal box from the remains of the plane.
âThis is a recognition device for the base. As long as we approach the base, it will automatically open the gate.â Revealed Song Jian, holding up the metal box.
âBut how are we going to get up there?â Anna furrowed her brow.
âIâll go up first to check it out. You wait here.â Just as Song Jian finished speaking, a pair of metal wings unfolded from his back, and with a flap, he soared towards the pyramid above.
Soon, Song Jian reached the bottom of the pyramid. The base of it appeared to be made from a giant sheet of iron, not a single crack was visible. Even when he tried to feel for any joints with his hand, there was no trace of them.
Song Jian hovered around the pyramid base, and when he reached the lower left-hand corner, a section of the base melted away like ice and snow, revealing a large hole.
Song Jian perked up, flew towards the hole. Once Song Jian entered, the opening quickly restored itself, leaving no trace behind.
Upon entering the base, Song Jian stood before a metallic hallway, a pair of steel wings slowly disappearing from his back. Embedded sidelights emitted a soft glow on either side of the corridor. It appeared that some basic facilities of the base were still operational, even without human control.
Being unfamiliar with the base, Song Jian had no choice but to wander aimlessly. The structures within the base were all interconnected by corridors, much like a spiderâs web.
Initially, Song Jian managed to draw some rudimentary maps, but as he ventured deeper into the base, it got overwhelming. The base was as vast as a medium-sized town.
With Song Jian delving further into the base, it was evident that the baseâs defensive forces strengthened significantly. Puppet Beasts appeared one after the other in the corridor. The Puppet Beasts consisted of various races, but they all shared the same characteristics â vegetation covered their bodies, and their movements were controlled by these plants.
The narrow metal corridor was rather convenient for Song Jian; most of these Puppet Beasts were at levels 26 to 29, and posed little threats to Song Jian. This only contributed to Song Jianâs battle experience.
Even though he lacked a map, Song Jian could rely on his instincts and ventured deeper into the base. After an hour, he reached the heart of the base.
It was much more chaotic here compared to the entrance, with corpses and bloodstains everywhere. The Puppet Beasts vanished, and in their place, towering man-eating flowers replaced them.
Roots of these carnivorous plants had evolved into an existence resembling octopus tentacles, which moved freely across the ground. Tube-like bodies still grown with leaves, but at the top was a gigantic mouth, filled with double layers of sharp teeth. Long tongues stretched out from the mouths, swayed as they moved along. It was a rather disgusting sight.
The levels of these carnivorous plants ranged from 28 to 29, with occasional ones at level 30. During attacks, they continually lashed at their victims with their tongues and when the victimâs Vitality Points dropped to a certain level, they would suddenly snap up the target.
Upon seeing the slimy tongues of these carnivorous plants, an offensive odor drifted over. Song Jian looked sick and had no intention of going near these abhorrent creatures.
His vertical eye at the center of the brow opened, sending out a silver column of light, which struck the nearest man-eating flower.
With the dazzling light flaring, the man-eating flower let out a shrill cry and started moving towards the source of the silver light.
Watching the Vitality Points of the man-eating flower drop drastically, Song Jian displayed a cold smile; with a powerful stomp on the ground, a sharp, fang-shaped energy cluster sprang forth towards the man-eating flower. The energy cluster exploded upon impact, reverberating loudly.
For a moment, the nauseating odor in the corridor intensified. The attacked man-eating flower sprayed out pungent liquid from the wound, its Vitality Points plummeted drastically.
Light Strike!
Spiritual Sword Control Technique!
â¦
Song Jian stepped back leisurely, swinging the Invisible Sword Qi around casually as if it cost him nothing. The golden Sword Qi exploded, immersing the whole corridor in a golden hue.
Man-eating flowers let out mournful cries, their volume gradually lowering over time. Unable to get near Song Jian, their Vitality Points hit zero, collapsing lifelessly onto the cold ground, leaving only a withered corpse.
Song Jian sliced his way through, and soon, he spotted an open room filled with control panels and equipment. His eyes lit up immediately.
âThis should be the central area of the base, perhaps the control center of the entire base!â speculated Song Jian, heading towards the room ahead.
Arriving at the entrance, Song Jian kicked the partially ajar door wide open, startling the man-eating flowers and Puppet Beasts in the room.
Song Jian immediately summoned the Abyssal Phantom Clone and activated the Immortal Sword Body. He charged into the room and after about ten minutes, he had eliminated all the creatures, leaving traces of foul-smelling fluid from the man-eating flowers stained on him.
After clearing the room, Song Jian proceeded to the largest control panel;
â¦