Counterattack of a White Lotus that was Reborn into an Apocalypse

Lian Hua was holding baby Lian Yu, trying to soothe him. Baby Lian Yu had been left by his mom for quite a long time. He grasped onto Lian Hua’s hair tightly, refusing to let go. Although Lian Hua wanted to stay with his wife, this little baby also needed comforting.

“You, such a well-behaved child, should sleep well,” Lian Hua said, stroking Lian Yu’s sparse hair, with a tone of advice. Interrupting mom’s love affair wasn’t good for a kid.

“Psh, I don’t want to sleep! Dad, you’re just making excuses. You don’t want to be with your son, you just want to be with mom. Wah, how could my dad be so indifferent to me?” Lian Yu tugged at his hair forcefully, causing Lian Hua to grimace in pain. To pacify the little one, Lian Hua had no choice but to accept his fate.

Lian Hua set aside the freshly cooked red bean congee to cool. Xiao Ma had already run away early on to avoid getting caught in the heat; that little rascal deserved to be stripped of its feathers.

A massive surge of energy emanated from where Xia Zhi was resting, nearly knocking the baby Lian Yu out of Lian Hua’s hands.

“What’s going on?” Lian Hua held Lian Yu tightly, jumping up from the ground in one swift motion.

“Why is there such a huge energy surge?” Lian Hua watched in disbelief as the grass bed he had carefully prepared for Xia Zhi was torn apart, the water wall shredded to bits, and faint flashes of lightning crackled incessantly around Xia Zhi’s body.

Hastily, Lian Hua retreated with Lian Yu, moving out of the range affected by the thunder and lightning.

“What in the world is happening?” Lian Hua scratched his head in distress. He wanted to get closer for a better look, but layers of lightning struck him directly without any reservation. This wasn’t some playful banter with Xia Zhi; it was a solid hundred thousand volts.

Lian Hua paced outside for at least two hours, waiting for the lightning to subside slightly. He figured Xia Zhi was meditating. He planted a circle of protective poisonous vines from a distance.

Through the purple electric sparks, Lian Hua could still make out Xia Zhi’s figure sitting cross-legged. Waves of pure energy emanated from Xia Zhi’s body. Lian Hua’s heart sank; advancing at this moment was not a good sign! They were currently in the open wilderness with no shelter. If Xia Zhi advanced here, he would become a tempting target for mutant creatures.

Lian Hua discreetly surveyed his surroundings. Many mutant beasts were already showing signs of restlessness. Lian Hua released a cage, allowing its core to completely envelop the area where Xia Zhi was meditating. The imposing aura of the fifth-level mutant plant suppressed some of the lower-level mutant beasts.

Lian Hua, feeling uneasy, added an additional layer of poisonous vines outside the cage. He planted a circle of miasma mushrooms and set up a misty water barrier, doing his best to conceal Xia Zhi’s scent. Even Lian Yu, the little baby, sensed the seriousness of the situation. He obediently stayed inside the inner protective circle with the milk deer. Xiao Ma was also summoned back to ensure Lian Yu’s close protection.

Despite his efforts, Lian Hua remained unsettled. He exhausted his internal energy to plant a circle of tall, dense trees on the outermost layer. If any mutant beasts attempted an attack, they could at least be intercepted.

After completing these tasks, Lian Hua’s face turned pale from exhaustion.

On the first day, only first and second-level mutant beasts surrounded the protective circle. Lian Hua, in order to prevent them from gaining ground, wielded his vines to kill them all, contributing a batch of low-level beast crystals.

On the second day, a group of zombies appeared. Lian Hua’s heart skipped a beat. Zombies were usually scarcer in the wilderness compared to cities. Their presence indicated tough times ahead. Lian Hua dealt with this group of zombies as well, collecting a large pack of low-level cores. Lian Hua didn’t care if they could replenish his energy; he absorbed them while fighting, utilizing the absorption ability inherited from Lian Yu’s original body, which proved to be quite effective here.

On the third day, a swarm of mutant crows appeared, densely packed together. Fortunately, they were not high-level; even the highest-ranked ones were only at level four. With the help of the cage, Lian Hua managed to exterminate the crows. However, in the chaos, Lian Hua’s clothes were torn to shreds, and he lost several chunks of flesh to pecking. To conserve energy, he let the wounds heal on their own and wrapped himself in a cloak made of hair.

On the fourth day, a massive horde of mutant insects attacked, overwhelming Lian Hua and throwing him into a frenzy. To prevent them from infiltrating the inner circle of protection, Lian Hua forcefully overextended his energy to create a sturdy mesh, intercepting these mutant insects, some of which were longer than his arms, and systematically killing them.

Xiao Ma also helped by burning down quite a few of them alongside Lian Hua.

On the fifth day, waves of advanced zombies, including mutant zombies, attacked. Among them was a level-four fire-element zombie. Lian Hua traded blows and managed to defeat it, but by the time this wave of zombies was dealt with, Lian Hua could barely stand. However, seeing the children and Xia Zhi within the protective circle, he gritted his teeth and rose again.

On the fifth and sixth days, Lian Hua transformed the area within a radius of seven to eight kilometers from Xia Zhi’s location into a paradise of mutant plants. These plants were seeds he had collected under Lian Yu’s guidance over time. After nurturing them in his dantian, they all mutated, possessing formidable killing power. Although lacking the intelligence of the cage, they still counted as half of Lian Hua’s pets. Until their energy was depleted, they would dutifully guard the area.

Lian Hua had no time to rest at all. He had to remain vigilant against sudden attacks from the ground and the sky, while also replenishing the mutant plants’ energy and repairing the damaged ones. He was kept busy every moment. The advanced mutant beasts had gained some intelligence and would send minions to harass them unpredictably.

Xia Zhi was still advancing. He had become like a piece of meat on display; anyone who devoured him could advance and grow stronger. Who would be willing to leave? Even though the outskirts of this place were stained black with blood and piled high with corpses, the mutant beasts refused to retreat.

Lian Hua piled up all the corpses in the outer circle and scattered a type of fungal spore. These spores, once grown, absorbed the energy from the corpses, providing a continuous supply to Lian Hua and the surrounding mutant plants. This was what enabled Lian Hua to persevere, to the extent that he even had no time to dig for crystals anymore.

Swish! Lian Hua swiftly cleaved down a level-four mutant wolf that was advancing towards him. The wolf’s blood splattered all over his face. This group of mutant beasts surrounding Lian Hua was the strongest among them. Their leader was a level-five mutant wind wolf, formidable indeed. Lian Hua had clashed with it before, but neither could overcome the other. The wind wolf, intelligent as it was, didn’t confront Lian Hua directly but sent its subordinates intermittently.

After dealing with the corpses, Lian Hua tossed them directly into the jungle of mutant plants. Vines shot out and entwined around the wolf carcass, which disappeared completely within minutes.

It had been half a month, and Lian Hua hadn’t closed his eyes for a moment. His eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. He and the plants had absorbed so many corpses that he had already entered the mid-stage of foundation building. However, it seemed that his mid-stage of foundation building was still not as formidable as Xia Zhi’s. At least he couldn’t use magic treasures or wield flying swords yet.

After repelling today’s assault from the beast horde, Lian Hua sat down heavily on the ground. He wiped away the dripping blood and pus from his face, his expression blank as he surveyed the surrounding high-level mutant beasts, all of them restless and eager.

Lian Hua’s gaze was somber. The mutant plants he had unleashed had gorged themselves on blood, and now they were all ferocious, their green branches tinged with the color of blood. There was no longer any need for fungal spores to handle the corpses; these plants would devour anything they ensnared, be it zombies or mutant beasts.

“Dad, you can’t keep going like this. These mutant plants have absorbed too much blood. If you can’t control them, they might turn on you,” the milk deer carried Lian Yu’s small body and squeezed out from the circle of mutant plants. These plants were also showing signs of restlessness towards their own kind. Lian Hua rubbed his temples; he was really reaching his limit.

“It’s okay,” Lian Hua forced a smile, the combination of his weary expression and blood-soaked appearance giving him a distorted look. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine once your mom completes his advancement.”

“Dad…” Lian Yu’s baby looked up with teary eyes.

Lian Hua wanted to pat its head but realized how dirty he was. He withdrew his hand; he didn’t even have time to tend to his wounds, let alone clean himself up.

“By the way, how’s the basket¹I was originally going to change this to cage but since it was translated as basket by the old translator, I might as well just keep it as that. Lemme know if there are parts where I used cage instead of basket and I’ll edit it once I have time.?” Lian Hua casually changed the subject.

“The basket is fine. I don’t allow it to consume so much blood, so its consciousness is still clear”

“Alright, Lian Yu, be a good boy and go back in. Guard your mom,” Lian Hua said as he noticed the wind wolf approaching again, ushering Lian Yu back inside.

“Xia Zhi, if you don’t complete your advancement soon, your dear companion might end up exhausted. While it’s not uncommon for cultivators to seclude themselves for half a year, I’m almost at my limit. Please hurry up and finish!” Lian Hua sighed as he looked at the occasional flashes of purple light in the circle of plants.

Lian Hua splashed water on his face, trying to refresh himself, and shook his water blade, preparing to face the incoming challenges.

The wind wolf observed Lian Hua, and Lian Hua observed the wind wolf. He could be considered a sixth-level esper now, but he knew better than to underestimate this wolf, especially with some level-four and level-three subordinates behind it. Lian Hua didn’t want to end up in a situation where both sides suffered losses, especially at the expense of these lower-level wolves.

The wind wolf observed the weary human before it. It had been guarding this place for many days now, yet this human still stood firmly in its way. It sniffed the tempting scent in the air, determined to obtain whatever lay inside. Once it consumed what was inside, it could advance to the sixth, seventh, or even higher levels, perhaps even achieving a humanoid form. It was tired of waiting. Many of its subordinates had already been lost, and if it waited any longer, it might be overshadowed by other powerful beasts.

Both Lian Hua and the wind wolf knew that this was their final battle. Lian Hua felt fortunate that, during this period, none of the mutant beasts or zombies that came except the wind wolf had surpassed level five. Beyond level five, both zombies and mutant beasts became extremely formidable, representing not only an increase in strength but also an enhancement in intelligence.

Lian Hua gripped the water blade tightly in one hand and held onto his anesthetic spores in the other. If he could incapacitate the wolf, that would be ideal.

Locked in a tense stare-down, the wind wolf unleashed a gust of wind blades first. Lian Hua blocked them with a water wall and swiftly conjured vines to encircle the area, aiming to hinder the wolf’s swift movements.

Lian Yu lay on the milk deer’s back, anxiously watching the vine forest. The occasional sounds emanating from within made him want to cry. Why hadn’t Mom come out yet? Lian Yu’s green eyes swirled with worry as he secretly made a decision, directing the milk deer towards Xia Zhi’s location.

Xia Zhi remained seated inside. The spiritual energy within his body surged chaotically. He hadn’t expected that the cultivation session with that fool would trigger such a violent reaction in his spiritual energy. He had intended to suppress it, knowing he hadn’t reached the foundational stage yet. However, the reality was grim, and he was left with no choice but to forcefully initiate the foundational stage. He was fully aware of the crisis outside, but he was powerless. The unleashed spiritual energy outside was immensely attractive to those creatures, and he was anxious. However, he couldn’t even enter the space, and he had nearly fallen into madness.

That fool outside was undoubtedly at the end of his rope by now. Xia Zhi knew the extent of that fool’s abilities. Sensing the imminent eruption of wooden energy around him, he gritted his teeth so hard they almost cracked. Foundational stage, foundational stage—Xia Zhi gathered his spiritual energy once more, condensing it into liquid form, the hallmark of entering the foundational stage. The meridians echoed with the sound of unbearable bursts, and blood trickled down Xia Zhi’s lips.

Another failed attempt left Xia Zhi’s eyes tinged with blood. Suddenly, a gentle yet immense energy surged from outside his body. Xia Zhi shuddered as this energy swiftly repaired his damaged meridians. It quickly merged with the riotous spiritual energy in his dantian, calming it down. Xia Zhi felt puzzled but seized the opportunity to convert all his spiritual energy into liquid form.

“Mama,” a green-haired, green-eyed chubby baby appeared in his consciousness. The baby held up its chubby hands, tears welling in its eyes. “Mama, please go save Dada! Dada is dying, Mama, waaaah, please save Dada!”

Xia Zhi was startled, and the chubby baby disappeared. He opened his eyes, and a purple light flashed from his pupils. He lowered his head and found a chubby baby sleeping in his arms, tears still wetting its cheeks.

Tenderly, Xia Zhi lifted the baby and glanced towards the edge of the plant forest. The space was accessible now. Xia Zhi took out an exquisite small sword, exhaling deeply. The sword rapidly enlarged, and with a step, he ascended upon it. A streak of purple light flashed, and Xia Zhi appeared at the outskirts.

Xia Zhi’s pupils contracted as his gaze swept across the area, filled with broken vines, shattered mushroom fragments, scattered flesh, and holes left by battles. The soil had been stained black with blood. Numerous creatures lurked around, but as Xia Zhi’s aura radiated outward, they quivered with trepidation. The tempting scent that had attracted them vanished, replaced by the overwhelming presence of the newcomer. Sensing the formidable power, the mutant creatures retreated cautiously.

Xia Zhi released his spiritual power to scan the area, growing increasingly astonished. He wondered how that fool had managed to endure. Where had he run off to now?

Suddenly, Xia Zhi spotted a cluster of wolf corpses. They lay torn apart, impaled, or entangled by vines, clearly the result of water blades and wooden thorns. Xia Zhi leaped off the flying sword and staggered towards the wolf corpses. The splattering blood stained the surrounding broken trees, and the wolves that hadn’t died yet convulsed in agony.

From the mouth of one wolf that hadn’t yet perished, Xia Zhi extracted a piece of green fabric. That fool had been wearing this. Xia Zhi tightly clenched the fabric, now soaked with blood, unsure if it was human or wolf blood.

Xia Zhi dispatched the dying wolf with a bolt of lightning, violently moving aside the carcasses and vegetation, hoping to uncover something beneath.

He had never felt so panicked and helpless. Could that fool also be leaving him? From the moment he saw that fool, he knew it couldn’t be the cunning Bai Lianhua. He had kept the fool around initially with a playful attitude. Who knew the fool would dare to run away? Xia Zhi was determined to bring him back. Watching the fool act foolishly by his side every day had brought him joy, and even the fool’s face had become less irritating to him.

The fool was weak and clumsy, sometimes mistaking his goodwill for something else, which infuriated Xia Zhi to the point of wanting to strike him down with a bolt of lightning. However, the fool was genuinely trying to make a living and improve his abilities. He smiled every day, despite his shortcomings. Sometimes, Xia Zhi couldn’t stand seeing the fool smiling at others, so he kept him close, even enticing him with chicken legs. Reflecting on it now, Xia Zhi wondered how he could have done such embarrassing things back then.

But when the fool looked at him with adoration, Xia Zhi couldn’t help but feel a surge of good mood. Even though he used to dislike that face, now he found it tolerable. Watching the fool go to great lengths to please him, eagerly anticipating each day to witness the fool’s different attempts to win him over, Xia Zhi found life amusing. Since life was amusing with the fool around, he couldn’t let him go. Fortunately, the fool knew his boundaries, showing disdain towards Bai Yi and meeting Xia Zhi’s expectations in that regard.

But when his pet was manipulated by a woman, he truly wanted to kill her at the time. However, upon reflection, he decided to let the fool handle it himself. He believed that the fool wasn’t so easily killed. Later, when he went to the capital, he waited for the fool to come to him. However, the fool disappeared for so long that he was losing patience. Finally, he went out to look, following the advice of an old sage to visit the Cloud City base.

Sure enough, the fool was still a fool, and he actually found him. At that moment, he couldn’t ignore the sudden impulse in his heart. The child the fool was holding almost made him lose control, but upon further thought, it couldn’t have been the fool who had the child with a woman. The moment he saw the child, he realized it was actually his and the fool’s child. At that moment, he was genuinely moved. In his previous life, he had no children, and his parents and brother were disappointed in him. In this life, this fool helped him make up for his regrets.

When that idiot kissed him, he suddenly felt tired and didn’t want to refuse. He also wanted to find someone who genuinely cared for him, even though Jiang Huai was attentive to him, his eyes lacked the sincerity of that idiot. He wanted to try accepting this idiot, even if the idiot was very weak. But this idiot truly had eyes only for him. Let him be weak; he just needed to be strong. Besides, the idiot didn’t seem resigned to weakness.

So, he immersed himself in the idiot’s gentle kiss, lost in his embrace. If you dare betray me, I’ll make sure you can’t live, can’t die! When the idiot completely possessed him, Xia Zhi said this in his heart.

Love what you read? You can support me on Ko-Fi~

• 1
  I was originally going to change this to cage but since it was translated as basket by the old translator, I might as well just keep it as that. Lemme know if there are parts where I used cage instead of basket and I’ll edit it once I have time.