Chapter 48: Sickly Second Floor

Ignorant to the disturbing undercurrents brewing in the Labyrinth, Darcel's team were all fresh and ready for the second floor.

They were currently taking the time to observe the Labyrinth's floor after getting transported by the portal.

And, shockingly, the trio could admit at least this Labyrinth doesn't lack a total change in scenery. The current floor they were on was painted in a full sickly green molting color that wasn't all too pleasing to the eyes.

Further adding to this floor more unsightly appearance was the strange-looking plants seemingly growing from the walls. If one didn't take the time to notice, these wall plants could be mistaken as alien designs.

Aniela could even swear these wall plants were slightly moving!

Yet squinting her eyes hard enough, she couldn't exactly tell if it's merely her vision playing tricks on her, even with her enhanced vision.

Smiling to herself over this oddity, Aniela turned around to Darcel and Hao Cao. With hope blazing in her eyes, she told them, "Mnh, this floor looks sure is strange, but let's take a first glimpse at our new challenges!"

That hopeful, expectant tone in her voice was, to a degree was similarly shared by Darcel and Aniela.

With all of their genius talent and prowess, it's a mere waste to not find anything to expand it on.

Forming two small smirks on their faces, Darcel and Hao Cao nodded at Aniela. Simultaneously, they all spread out their Spirit Senses, feeling out the general waters of this floor.

Uniquely to them, the speed at which they can extend their Spirit Sense is amazingly swift. Using only seconds, the trio managed to cover a couple of miles on the floor.

A couple of miles that didn't really get the trio thirst for battle running. In slight disappointment, they retracted their Spirit Senses.

Shrugging his shoulders, Darcel was the first to say,

"I didn't go far, yet the strongest I can sense was fifth level Nascent Core energy. To think this Labyrinth would have such a disparity in weakness compared to previous legends we've heard about."

"On the flip side, though, Darcy, it won't be a complete bore up here! Plus, this floor just means we're getting warmer to the true excitement!" Aniela, of course, still acted bright in the face of slight disappointment.

Mirthfully smiling to herself, Hao Cao was slowly coming accustomed to the boundless confidence of the duo. She couldn't even say much on it, though, since their bold charm was rubbing off on her.

Still, they can't waste the opportunities on this floor. Giggling softly to get their attention, Hao Cao told them, "Fufu~, no matter if our odds are still overwhelming, we can't pass up the resources on this floor. It's quite literally related to our levels."

Looking over to her, Darcel agreed in his mind. Though they were standing around and talking, he wondered why none of the floor monsters came at them yet.

But then again, these floors are massively wide.

Pushing this thought down, Darcel smirked and began tenderly stroking Aniela's head, telling her, "Well then, for this floor, let's have this ditzy girl use her whimsical intuition. I have to admit it's begrudgingly useful." As Darcel talked, he recalled the multiple instances where Aniela's intuition actually helped them.

And immediately, Darcel's words and actions caused an energetic start in Aniela.

Feeling the unending warmth pour into her head by Darcel's hand, she raised her cute little nose in the air while also gaining a lovable proud smirk.

"Hm! No need to ask Darcy. I already predicted you would call on me for this." Watching their small interactions, Hao Cao pleasantly smiles as it was genuinely amusing.

Although she did have a curiosity about Aniela's intuition since it wasn't like her abilities weren't crazy enough.

In just a split second, Aniela pointed her hand down a hallway where the plants on the wall were growing far more intensely. Boldly, she claimed, "Down here! There's a door with plenty of resources for us."

"That was….instant. Lead the way then."

Darcel spoke as he reluctantly stopped stroking Aniela's addicting soft, lushes hair. Hao Cao also didn't have a problem with Aniela taking the lead.

Nodding to each other, the trio all took one causal step towards the hallway.

And with this one step, in sync, their foot sunken into one ordinary green tile that looks no different from the rest.

Exasperatedly, their heads snapped back to each other. None of them could believe that with just one step, they seriously activated a trap.

Yet above them, they all heard and sensed the swirl of energy.

'Hua!'

Glancing above them, the trio witness the ceiling glowed in a ghastly green color. And out from this glow came raining down numerous, vicious-looking sharp sickly green spikes of Nascent Qi!

"Make haste and follow!" Aniela hurriedly told her teammates. Even as they could simply block the trap, she still had a bit of caution since it was a Nascent Core trap.

A weary sentiment shared by Darcel and Hao Cao. Before the trap could reach them, the trio all poured Nascent Qi in their legs, and without warning,

'Swish!'

Blasted off running with lightning-like speeds! From behind, they heard the crashing of stone as the energy spikes pierced into the ground.

Yet none of them divided their attention as Aniela swiftly led their group.

Though the trap didn't stop at their initial spot. While running, the trio cleanly avoided mass clusters of sickly green energy spikes that continually poured down on them.

Yet during their run to not get skewer, none of three spotted several changes happening on the walls.

The seemingly moving plants on their all began to shimmer a bright green glow down this hallway.

Rays of green glow refracted in the trio's vision.

At the last second, they all finally took notice of the dazzling green glow walls. However, it was all a second late as,

'Hua, Hua, Hua!'

Several plant beings in the shape of humans sprang off the walls in an ambush! From a few meters in front and on both their left and right sides did they get surrounded.

When appearing, the plant monsters immediately thrust their hands out and blasted out numerous vines at the trio.

At such close range quarters, the plant monster vines would need a single second to wrap them up!

For any other group with sixth level Nascent Core leader, this entrapment would've been dangerous. The aura of these plant monsters mainly rivaled the level of fourth and fifth Nascent Core prowess!

Yet the trio remained steadily calm. Hao Cao showed off instantaneous reaction speed, already forming purple lightning around her hands.

'Pa!'

Like an electric pop, Hao Cao clapped her hands together, causing purple electricity sparks to fly around them.

Before any of the vines could reach them, a dazzling purple lightning barrier securely wrapped the trio up. In the barrier, the trio's momentum didn't slow down at all.

Effortlessly, Hao Cao's lightning barrier shredded any vines that got close to them. And the plant monsters that appeared in front also got sliced to bits by the overwhelming lightning barrier.

Seeing her prowess more clearly now, Darcel and Aniela could definitely conclude Hao Cao has some exceptional understanding of the lightning element.

No other average sixth level Nascent Core cultivator could instantly wipe off numerous fourth and fifth level ones simultaneously.

Running like no tomorrow, this plant chase went for a few exhilarating minutes.

Until finally, Aniela pointed at a specific spot on the plant infested wall. In front of this wall were even more plant monsters looking slightly taller than ones from before.

Their aura was similarly sharper than the previous plant monsters. All of their auras evened out a strong fifth level Nascent Core Prowess.

A freighting fiery black glow ignited at the tip of Aniela's finger. Mobilizing her Nascent Qi, the air burned to intense degrees!

'Sssch!!'

Torrents of an overwhelming black flamethrower spewed out Aniela's finger and straight towards the blocked door.

It came as no surprise to the trio when Aniela's black fire melted away the plant's monster and blasted a massive hole through the covered wall.

Rushing into the room, the ceiling trap from earlier had finally stopped chasing them. Yet, before the trio could breathe a sigh of relief at that, they all felt their bodies get tightly squeezed!

Their eyes shot towards the center of the room, where they sensed the most potent aura yet since coming to this Labyrinth. What held this aura was an exotic looking plant monster.

It reminded the trio of the venus fly trap plant, only this one was enormous! The skin was still in that same putrid green color of this Labyrinth floor, spewing out repulsive vibes.

And at the top of this monster was its giant ferocious-looking mouth, spouting menacingly sharp green teeth. From its mouth as well dripped disgusting sickly green fluids that melted into the floor.

Inside the barrier, the trio was taken in for a slight shock.

The vines covering them were extraordinary! Not only did it somehow manage to drill through Hao Cao's lightning barrier, but it also seemed like this monster had an endless stem of vines.

Moreover, the dog pile of vines seemed to have this suppression property on their Qi's. Hao Cao shredded the vines off with her purple lightning, but it was less potent than before.

Plus, every time she shredded a vine, multiple ones wrapped around her in place. Darcel and Aniela didn't act yet since an effect that could slightly suppress Qi was a bit interesting.

That is until the trio felt their bodies get violently tugged on.

Slowly but surely, this plant monster was trying to pull them into its agape revolting fluid mouth. Alas for the beast, Darcel decided to end things.

A shimmering black glow sparked from Darcel's bloodline arm. Mighty power spewed out in frantic waves from Darcel. Hao Cao and Aniela saw their world darken as a Darkness barrier had covered them up.

The vines on them suddenly couldn't move anymore. Using his same bloodline arm, Darcel pointed to the venus flytrap monster. Tremendous Nascent Qi swirled there, causing the room to reach burning degrees.

Instantly forming at the tip of Darcel's finger was a long glowing line of ferocious black flames. Unwaveringly, Darcel simply said,

"Fiery Slice."

'BOOOOM!!'

Darcel's martial skill blasted straight from his hand and into the venus fly trap monster mouth, causing utter destruction!

Raging black flames exploded everywhere in the room.

In a dominating fashion, the venus flytrap monster was burnt to ashes along with its unending supply of vines. Though in precise control, Darcel made it, so his fire didn't melt everything in the room.

Snapping his hand, Darcel made the Darkness barrier vanish. And what greeted the trio was a hefty sum of resources right where that venus flytrap monster used to be.

They spotted a vast sum of red energy crystals and numerous red beast cores of the Nascent Core realm. The trio's eyes lit up like stars as Hao Cao also snapped away her lightning barrier.

"See? See?! I told you this level, even with it still being weak, would undoubtedly be a bit more exciting!" Aniela passionately said as everything that just transpired was a wild rush of experience.

"Tricks really can come in any sort of sizes or levels," Darcel remarked while recalling that unique suppression feeling of the venus flytrap monster.

Taking the lead and walking up to the crystals, Hao Cao sweetly smiled at the duo, telling them,

"And I'm sure we'll have a lot more tricks and excitement coming our way. For now, shall we collect our hefty sum of rewards~?"