With Jack and his army leading the way, the trio embarked on their journey to locate the elusive research center and find the flower. Traversing through the deserted streets of the apocalyptic city was made easier by the presence of the formidable army, who cleared their path by swiftly dispatching every zombie that crossed their way.
Finally, they reached the research center, its exterior presenting an unassuming facade like any other research facility in the world. Despite its ordinary appearance, a sense of anticipation hung in the air as they approached the entrance, knowing that within these walls lay the potential key to their survival. With cautious steps, they entered the building.
Feng Lou furrowed his brow in confusion as he focused on his heightened senses, noticing a distinct absence of any signs of zombies within the building.
"Strange," Feng Lou muttered to himself, a perplexed expression crossing his face.
"What happened?" Jiang Xiaoyan, who was right beside him, inquired, sensing his unease.
"Nothing," Feng Lou replied evasively, choosing not to reveal the full extent of his abilities. He brushed past the topic, his attention shifting back to the task at hand.
"Where was the flower before it went missing?" Feng Lou inquired, directing his question to the general.
"It was in the basement of the C wing, if I remember correctly," Jack responded after a moment of consideration, his brow furrowing with recollection.
"Let's go there then," Feng Lou declared decisively. As he spoke, Jack immediately took the lead, guiding the group towards the C wing.
As they reached the entrance to the basement of the C wing, a heavy metal door stood before them, its surface marred with scratches and signs of forced entry. Jack signaled to his men to stand guard outside as they prepared to enter.
With a creak, the door swung open, revealing a dimly lit stairwell leading down into darkness. Feng Lou's keen senses detected a faint, lingering energy emanating from below, hinting at the presence of something significant.
Descending the stairs, they entered a vast underground chamber, filled with rows of shelves and equipment covered in dust and debris. Amidst the clutter, they spotted a lone pedestal in the center of the room, illuminated by a soft glow.
Approaching cautiously, Feng Lou discovered the source of the light—a small, delicate flower nestled atop the pedestal. Its vibrant colors seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, casting an ethereal aura in the dimly lit chamber.
"General, the flower is right there. Are you sure your men properly looked for it?" Feng Lou questioned, his gaze fixed on the mesmerizing bloom as he awaited Jack's response.
"What are you talking about? There's nothing on the pedestal," Jack replied, his tone laced with suspicion.
"What?" Feng Lou exclaimed in surprise, his brows furrowing in confusion as he realized that nobody else could see the flower. A sense of unease crept over him as he contemplated the implications of his solitary perception.
Was it because he was from another world that he could see the flower, or was there some other sinister reason behind his unique perception? Feng Lou contemplated the possibilities, his mind racing with questions and uncertainties.
With cautious steps, he began to approach the flower, his senses on high alert.
As Feng Lou continued to approach the flower, Jack, realizing that Feng Lou could actually see it while others couldn't, quickly issued orders to his men. "Put up some defensive measures," he commanded, his tone urgent as he anticipated potential threats lurking in the shadows.
His men swiftly sprang into action, erecting barricades and setting up defensive positions around the chamber, their weapons at the ready as they braced themselves for whatever unknown dangers lay ahead.
As the soldiers hurriedly set up defensive measures, Feng Lou finally reached the flower and tentatively touched its delicate petals. In an instant, a surge of malevolent gray energy erupted from the flower, engulfing him and seeping into his body.
A cacophony of sinister thoughts flooded his mind, each one more malevolent than the last. "I should just destroy this world, it's worthless. The next one will be better," whispered one dark impulse. "I should kill these people and feast on their corpses," murmured another.
*ding*
Suddenly there was a ding in his mind, It was the chaos bell, its resonant chime cutting through the darkness like a beacon of clarity.
In an instant, the malevolent gray energy coursing through his body was drawn towards the chaos bell, disappearing into its depths as if swallowed by a voracious void. Feng Lou's mind cleared, the sinister thoughts dissipating like smoke in the wind, leaving him shaken but unharmed.
After composing himself, Feng Lou felt a subtle message from the chaos bell resonating within his mind. It informed him that the evil grey energy he had just encountered was known as death qi. This ominous energy is utilized by cultivation experts to practice death techniques, basically dark arts that manipulated the essence of death itself for their own power.
After Feng Lou absorbed this information, his mind raced with the implications of what he had just experienced. The presence of death qi hinted at darker forces at play, ones that posed a grave threat to the world and its inhabitants.
As Feng Lou processed the revelation from the chaos bell, another message resonated within his consciousness. The ancient artifact informed him that it had been able to analyze the essence of the death qi and learn a few fragments of the death law from it.
However, the chaos bell posed a question to Feng Lou: should it impart this newfound knowledge to him? This decision carried weighty implications, as delving into the dark arts of death cultivation could potentially alter his own destiny and moral compass. It was a choice that would shape his path forward in ways he could not imagine.
Thinking about the potential danger, Feng Lou told the chaos bell to not impart the death law yet.
As Feng Lou surveyed his surroundings, he was met with a scene of shock and devastation. The soldiers around him were visibly shaken, some even lying motionless on the ground. It became clear that they had been affected by the death qi when he touched the flower, and its malevolent influence had proven fatal for two of them.
A pang of guilt gnawed at Feng Lou's conscience as he realized the unintended consequences of his actions.
"General, I think we should return immediately," Feng Lou said, his voice tinged with urgency and concern.
Jack, still visibly shaken by the encounter with the death qi, took a moment to regain his composure. After a deep breath, he nodded in agreement. "You're right. We need to regroup and assess the situation," he replied, his tone firm despite the lingering unease.
The group began to make their way back through the corridors of the research center, their minds heavy with the weight of what they had witnessed.