https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-558-Fierce-Battle-Recognizing-Strength/13487524/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-560-Who-Is-the-Hunter-Who-Is-the-Prey-Dark-Shadows-Stir/13487526/
Chapter 559: Supreme Grade Spirit Herb, Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit, Xiao Li, Female Takes Charge
Chapter 559: Supreme Grade Spirit Herb, Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit, Xiao Li, Female Takes Charge
"Indeed, even with all my trump cards, I can't fully contend with the Primordial Soul Realm."
Lu Qing had a rough grasp of his own strength.
Though he still had some hidden aces during the battle with the Primordial Soul Realm wind beast, he estimated that even if he went all out, he wouldn't be able to truly slay it.
A newly born Primordial Soul Realm wind beast, with low intelligence and obvious weaknesses in areas other than raw power, was already a challenge for him to defeat head-on.
If he were to face seasoned cultivators who had trained for countless years, with sharp minds and perfect control over their powers, or the cunning and devious Primordial Spirit Demon Cultivators from the Demon Race, he would likely suffer a crushing defeat, and even escaping with his life would be uncertain.
"Looks like I still need to keep a low profile and continue accumulating strength."
After summarizing his insights, Lu Qing came to this conclusion.
This battle had been highly beneficial. Not only did it help him gauge his strength, but it also honed his sword techniques. His mastery of the Skyshatter Sword became increasingly fluid. Moreover, he sensed a glimmer of understanding in the supreme legacy of the Skyrend Qi Art in his mind.
Indeed, practical combat is one of the best ways to hone oneself.
"Ah Qing, where are we heading next? Should we return to join the caravan?" Xiao Li, Female asked.
"Of course not." Lu Qing shook his head.
He had no intention of going back to see Old Man Qiao and the others. He had agreed to cover their retreat with the plan of leaving afterward. His cultivation had already been exposed, so there was no reason for him to stay with the caravan.
"I'll seclude myself for a day to digest the gains from this battle, then we'll leave." Lu Qing said.
He had chosen a direction opposite to the caravan, crossing the Wildwind Plains and reaching the mountains on the other side. Xiao Li, Female and Wu Xing had no objections to Lu Qing's decision.
The next day, after Lu Qing emerged from seclusion, having restored himself to peak condition, he set out with Xiao Li, Female and Wu Xing.
Before leaving, he used the Perfect Golden Pill's ability to change his appearance, transforming into a young man with an honest look. He also used a transformation talisman to change Xiao Li, Female's fur from gray to a mix of black, orange, and white. As for Wu Xing, there was no need to change, as the little one usually hid in his pocket and rarely appeared in public.
Lu Qing, along with the two little ones, moved through the mountains using his agility. After the previous attack by the strange bird, Lu Qing now rarely flew in the air. His unfamiliarity with the Heavenly Origin World meant he could inadvertently fly over a powerful being and invite trouble.
After leaving the Wildwind Plains, they entered a vast mountain range. Lu Qing traveled non-stop for several hours.
Suddenly, Xiao Li, Female wriggled out of his arms.
"Ah Qing! I sense the aura of a treasure!"
"Hmm?" Lu Qing paused, surprised. "The aura of a treasure?"
"Yes, I feel it. There's a treasure nearby to the left!" Xiao Li, Female said confidently.
"A treasure, huh..."
Lu Qing pondered. He remembered Xiao Li, Female's unique sensing ability, which seemed to react strongly to treasures. Even "Yan" had mentioned that the Nocturnal Spirit Raccoon Clan had exceptional talent in treasure hunting. Given Xiao Li, Female's current strength, anything she deemed a treasure must be extraordinary.
After a moment's thought, he made his decision.
"Since there's a treasure, let's go and check it out."
The deep mountains were rarely visited by people, so they might find a valuable treasure.
Following Xiao Li, Female's guidance, Lu Qing flew to the left. Soon, they arrived at a valley.
"Ah Qing, the treasure is up there."
Xiao Li, Female pointed a paw upward.
Lu Qing looked up and saw a short, strange plant rooted in the crevices of the cliff. More importantly, a deep red fruit, about the size of a fist, grew at the top of the plant.
Seeing the red fruit, Lu Qing's heart raced. Although the fruit did not emit any powerful spiritual aura, his intuition told him it was extraordinary.
He immediately activated his ability. Shortly, a dense purple light emerged from the red fruit, and several data strips floated out.
[Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit: Supreme Grade Spirit Herb, a powerful spirit fruit containing dragon blood, nearly ripe.]
[This vermilion fruit tree was once irrigated with dragon blood, causing it to mutate into a Dragonblood Vermilion Tree.]
[The Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit takes five hundred years to bear one fruit, containing the Essence of Dragon Vital Bloodline.]
[Human cultivators who consume it can increase their lifespan and cultivation, while spirit beasts can have a chance to purify their bloodline.]
...
"Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit, a Supreme Grade Spirit Herb?"
After reading the data strips, Lu Qing's face showed surprise. Xiao Li, Female's sensing ability was indeed correct; this red fruit was a rare treasure. Supreme Grade Spirit Herbs were uncommon even in the Heavenly Origin World, and top-grade spirit herbs were even rarer. Even a Primordial Soul Realm powerhouse would not hesitate to fight for one.
More importantly, the Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit could potentially purify a spirit beast's bloodline, which would be highly beneficial to Xiao Li, Female and Wu Xing.
"Ah Qing, should we pick the fruit now?"
Xiao Li, Female looked at the blood-red fruit with a greedy gaze. Her innate sensing ability told her that the massive medicinal power within the fruit would be very beneficial to her. Wu Xing, too, was wagging his tail, his eyes almost glowing.
"Not yet. The fruit isn't fully ripe. Let's wait a few more days."
Seeing the note indicating that the fruit was nearly ripe, Lu Qing decided to wait. He used a flying sword to cut a cave into the cliff and set up an array to conceal their presence. They stayed there, practicing and waiting for the Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit to ripen.
Three days later, in the middle of the day, Lu Qing, who was meditating, suddenly felt a strong spiritual aura emanating from outside.
"Ah Qing, is the fruit ripe?"
Xiao Li, Female and Wu Xing were also awakened by the spiritual aura.
"It should be."
Lu Qing dispelled the array and went to the cave entrance. He saw the previously calm Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit, which had looked like an ordinary wild fruit, undergoing a dramatic transformation.
A powerful suction force was forming inside the fruit, continuously drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy.
Within a radius of several dozen miles, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was rapidly converging, forming an astonishing spiritual qi vortex around the Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit.
At the same time, a faint medicinal aroma began to waft out of the valley.
This commotion immediately stirred up the spirit beasts and demon beasts within a hundred-mile radius, causing them to grow restless.
Especially those nearby who caught a whiff of the medicinal aroma; they rushed toward the valley as if driven mad.
"Such a potent herb!"
Lu Qing also caught a whiff of the medicinal aroma, feeling his spirits lifted. The speed of the mana within his body seemed to increase slightly.
He couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
After all, at his current cultivation level, his mana was incredibly pure.
Even a peak Core Formation Realm cultivator, with a fully formed golden core, wouldn’t have mana as pure as his.
Yet, a mere whiff of the Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit’s medicinal aroma could stir his mana, clearly demonstrating its extraordinary nature.
"Ah Qing, a lot of creatures are coming to snatch the fruit!"
At this moment, Xiao Li also sensed the spirit beasts and demon beasts rushing toward the valley from outside.
Among them were several with powerful auras, reaching the Core Formation Realm.
"It’s fine. As long as they aren’t at the Primordial Soul Realm, no one can take this fruit from us", Lu Qing said confidently.
However, he still made preparations in advance.
His fingers flicked, sending jade talismans into the valley.
Soon, he heard a series of roars as dozens of spirit beasts and demon beasts, of various shapes and sizes, charged into the valley.
Among them, there were seven or eight at the Core Formation Realm level.
Upon entering the valley, the spirit beasts and demon beasts immediately saw the strange phenomenon on the cliff face.
When they saw the blood-red fruit, their eyes glinted with greed.
Without hesitation, they lunged toward it.
In the process, they began to fight and kill each other.
Some of the weaker spirit beasts were torn to pieces.
The valley was soon filled with a bloody mist.
Among all the spirit beasts and demon beasts, a golden eagle-like flying creature was the fastest.
In the blink of an eye, it reached the Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit, its eyes gleaming with satisfaction as it prepared to swallow it whole.
The other spirit beasts and demon beasts, despite their urgent anxiety, could do nothing.
Just as the golden eagle was about to swallow the fruit, a gray figure suddenly appeared before it.
With a swift swipe of its claw, the golden eagle didn’t even have time to react before its head was shattered.
It didn’t even have time to let out a cry before falling from the sky.
This sudden turn of events left the other spirit beasts and demon beasts stunned.
Especially the few Core Formation Realm spirit beasts, which froze in the air, too frightened to move.
They watched in horror as the golden eagle’s headless body fell to the valley floor, its life force gradually fading away.
All the spirit beasts and demon beasts knew it was dead.
Their eyes turned to the figure that had killed the golden eagle.
It was a small, agile spirit beast with a coat of black, orange, and white fur, resembling a raccoon.
Despite its small size, none of the spirit beasts and demon beasts dared to underestimate it.
Instead, they were filled with fear, their eyes fixed on it.
This fear wasn’t just because the small creature had easily killed the fastest of them, the golden eagle.
More importantly, the terrifying aura it now emitted was overwhelming.
"My things, you dare to snatch?"
At that moment, Xiao Li was surrounded by a fearsome aura, her eyes filled with a deadly intent.
Lu Qing had said that the spirit fruit was in its final stages of maturation. If it was interrupted, its medicinal power could be greatly diminished.
And just now, it was almost swallowed by that foolish bird, which naturally infuriated her.
Feeling the deadly aura emanating from Xiao Li, the remaining spirit beasts and demon beasts all trembled.
But as the aroma from the red fruit behind Xiao Li grew more intense, their fear gradually subsided, replaced by greed and hostility.
"Hmm? Something seems off."
Lu Qing frowned as he observed the spirit beasts and demon beasts.
He knew that among these creatures, the law of the jungle prevailed. If they encountered a significantly stronger opponent, they rarely dared to challenge it.
Yet, these spirit beasts and demon beasts, after seeing Xiao Li easily kill the golden eagle, which was as powerful as any of them, still refused to back down. Instead, they showed greed and hostility, ready to attack her.
This abnormal behavior made Lu Qing feel uneasy.
"Is it because of the aroma of the Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit?" Lu Qing mused.
However, he didn’t intervene, only instructing Wu Xing to assist later.
He wanted to use this opportunity to let the two young ones gain some experience.
Since leaving their hometown, Xiao Li and Wu Xing had made great progress in their cultivation.
However, they had not experienced any significant battles.
Most of the enemies he encountered were too strong for them to handle.
This was a rare opportunity, so he decided to stand back and let them have a good workout.
"Still want to attack me?"
Xiao Li’s anger grew as she saw the hostility in the eyes of the creatures before her.
Just then, a powerful wave of energy emanated from behind her.
The Dragonblood Vermilion Fruit suddenly absorbed all the surrounding spiritual energy.
Then, a blood-red light flashed from the fruit.
An incredibly dense medicinal aroma spread out, instantly filling the entire valley.
"Xiao Li, be careful. The spirit fruit is fully matured, and those creatures are going to go berserk."
Lu Qing’s voice echoed in Xiao Li’s mind.
At the same time, the spirit beasts and demon beasts in the valley, upon smelling the intense medicinal aroma, lost all reason.
Their fear of Xiao Li vanished completely.
Roaring furiously, they lunged at her, intent on tearing her to pieces.
"Perfect timing!"
Xiao Li’s eyes narrowed, and her body vanished.
In the brief moment of confusion among the spirit beasts and demon beasts, a scream of agony echoed.
One of the demon beasts had been sliced into several pieces without even realizing it.
With this scream, a massacre initiated by Xiao Li began.
(End of Chapter)
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