NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 127
"Brother, Brother Lu, wait a moment. Shall we discuss this again?"
When Lu Ming heard the Blood Flesh Mother Tree's desperate plea, a realization dawned upon him.
It was panicking. It was terrified.
But what did that have to do with Lu Ming?
"If you knew this would happen," he scoffed, echoing an ancient proverb, "why did you act as you did?"
Lu Ming's relentless assault continued, his blade a whirlwind of destruction as he carved deeper and deeper into the Mother Tree's trunk. He seemed determined to hack away at it until it fell.
The Blood Flesh Mother Tree's heart sank to the depths of despair. The failure to replicate Lu Ming's power wasn't just a setback; it was a catastrophic blow to its entire plan.
The issue wasn't merely the absence of a Lu Ming clone, although that was a significant loss. Even without it, the Mother Tree would still reign over Nanxiang, still hold its position as the second most powerful being in the city.
The true problem lay in the fact that, in its pursuit of Lu Ming's power, the Blood Flesh Mother Tree had irrevocably offended him. The malicious intent it had displayed couldn't be easily dismissed with empty words.
If the Mother Tree had successfully replicated Lu Ming's abilities, it wouldn't have cared about any perceived offense. It could have simply created a clone, eliminated Lu Ming, and moved on.
But that wasn't the case.
The Mother Tree's failure had made it a laughingstock.
"Brother Lu, it was all a misunderstanding!" it pleaded, its voice filled with desperation.
"Are you trying to fool me again?" Lu Ming retorted angrily, his saber flashing in the sunlight. "There's no misunderstanding here. Just accept your fate!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Lu Ming's relentless strikes continued, each blow echoing through the air like thunder. The damage was severe, the insult to the Mother Tree's pride even greater. The creature's energy reserves dwindled with every attack.
Recognizing Lu Ming's unwavering resolve to destroy it, the Blood Flesh Mother Tree retaliated.
From the crimson matrix, a wave of roots and tendrils erupted, lashing out at Lu Ming like a furious storm. Simultaneously, a horde of humanoid monsters emerged from behind the tree, swarming towards Lu Ming, their lives expendable in their desperate bid to drain his stamina.
But were these tactics effective?
Not particularly.
The root system was formidable, but Lu Ming's sword qi effortlessly sliced through any that dared to approach. Moreover, he sensed that regrowing the severed roots drained the Mother Tree's energy further, making the tactic counterproductive. In essence, attacking the roots was no different from attacking the trunk itself.
The same held true for the humanoid monsters.
Furthermore, while the Gris Klass Ents possessed the strength of a Tier 5 creature, the previous encounter had demonstrated that they were no match for Lu Ming.
What truly concerned Lu Ming about these creatures was their ability to escape and regenerate, making them difficult to capture and eliminate.
However, with Lu Ming as the aggressor and the Ents trapped in a defensive position, they couldn't easily flee, minimizing the trouble they could cause.
Lu Ming, seemingly unfazed by the onslaught, stood his ground like another towering tree, his sword a whirlwind of destruction as he carved into the Mother Tree's trunk. It was as if he were engaged in a test of endurance against the monstrous plant.
Lu Ming couldn't discern the Mother Tree's thoughts, but he found himself strangely enjoying the challenge.
His Basic Sword Technique rapidly progressed from Lv19 to Lv20, then to Lv21 (0/2000).
Training against living opponents yielded greater proficiency gains than practicing on inanimate objects. Combat, in turn, was even more effective than sparring.
Lu Ming's every strike was focused and intense, resulting in a significant boost to his skill proficiency.
The entire morning passed in this intense training disguised as combat.
Only when his stamina dipped dangerously low did Lu Ming finally lower his sword, panting heavily.
He surveyed the scene around him, the ground littered with severed roots and the corpses of humanoid monsters.
He then looked up at the Blood Flesh Mother Tree. Its once vibrant crimson hue had faded considerably.
Its branches drooped listlessly, and its overall appearance resembled that of a defeated contender. The heads adorning the branches were far less animated than before, their expressions now downcast and weary.
"I'm tired," Lu Ming declared, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
But his words triggered a reaction from the beleaguered Blood Flesh Mother Tree. A branch extended towards him, its human heads pleading in unison.
"Can we stop now, Brother Lu?" they begged. "I promise we won't provoke you again. If I go back on my word, may lightning strike me down!"
Lu Ming scoffed. "You're full of lies, kid. Don't bother with empty promises. Anyway, wait for me. I'm going home for a meal and a nap. We'll continue this in the afternoon."
If the Blood Flesh Mother Tree were the Nexus in League of Legends, Lu Ming was the relentless hero, unafraid of turrets and super minions, determined to destroy it. He would fight when he wanted, retreat when he needed to.
Even if the enemy Nexus could regenerate, could it do so faster than Lu Ming could inflict damage?
Lu Ming's strategy was set, and he intended to follow it through.
Wasn't this just a battle of attrition?
The Mother Tree's health bar might be massive, but it was useless if Lu Ming could damage it without breaking a sweat.
The Blood Flesh Mother Tree was in despair, unable to find a way out of its predicament.
As Lu Ming prepared to leap away from Linhai County, he unexpectedly paused, turning back to address the Blood Flesh Mother Tree with a solemn tone.
"Before I leave," he declared, "I want to have a brief chat with you."
"About the topic we discussed earlier," he continued, his voice unwavering. "You claimed that my life revolves solely around training, that it's dull, meaningless, and devoid of purpose. You also said that protecting myself isn't a valid goal, and that striving for strength is a futile dream."
"Now," Lu Ming said, raising his voice, "I'm here to tell you that you're wrong."
He drew his battle sword and gently tapped the Mother Tree's trunk, his gaze unwavering.
"Striving for strength is a goal in itself! It's a dream!" he proclaimed. "If I hadn't focused on becoming stronger, I wouldn't possess the power I have now. And if that were the case, the outcome of our encounter today would be drastically different."
"I acknowledge that you have goals and dreams," Lu Ming conceded, "and they may seem grand and noble."
"But what good are they?" he challenged. "Aren't your dreams about to be shattered by someone like me, someone with a supposedly meaningless life?"
Lu Ming's voice hardened as he delivered his final blow.
"My dreams may seem pointless to you," he declared, "but these 'pointless' dreams can crush your lofty, grandiose ambitions."
"My life isn't just about gaining strength," he continued, his eyes blazing with determination. "I can also gain strength by defeating you."
"Now, I ask you," Lu Ming's voice boomed through the air, "are you convinced?"
The Blood Flesh Mother Tree felt as if its nascent consciousness had been shattered. It watched helplessly as Lu Ming soared into the sky, effortlessly traversing the distance out of Linhai County.
It took several long moments for the Mother Tree to regain its composure.
Suddenly, a wave of rage swept through the creature, the countless heads on its branches bursting into a furious chorus.
"I refuse to accept this!" they screamed.
"Why am I defeated by someone like you?!"
"I'm not convinced! I won't accept this!!"
Provoked by Lu Ming's words, the Mother Tree's true feelings bubbled to the surface. Its previous pleas for mercy and surrender had been a facade, a desperate attempt at self-preservation.
Deep down, it had always viewed Lu Ming as a simple-minded machine, endlessly repeating the same mundane routines. He was too predictable, too easy to underestimate.
And now, its dreams of dominance had been shattered by this seemingly unremarkable human.
"Ahhhhhhh!" The Blood Flesh Mother Tree's cries of anguish and frustration echoed through the desolate landscape. It had been utterly defeated, its pride and ambition crushed.