Chapter 155: Spirit Fruit (Combined)

"Song Yan?!"

His eyes narrowed in an instant, and a bad premonition arose in his heart.

As it happened, he had been standing nearby watching the day Song Yan fought Kong You on the sword-testing platform.

Three streams of sword light had reduced Kong You, who was at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, to a state of complete helplessness. That scene was still vividly engraved in his memory.

"Oh? I've actually been recognized?"

Oddly enough, a sliver of subtle satisfaction welled up in the young man's heart.

However, the cultivator dressed in martial attire did not hesitate for a fraction of a second, immediately hurling three talismans toward Song Yan.

Then, he turned on his heel and fled.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three successive fiery explosions whipped up violent turbulence of Qi throughout the ancient forest, startling flocks of crows into the air.

Taking advantage of the turbulent Qi waves and thick smoke generated by the explosions, the martial-clad cultivator scrambled into the distance.

"No chance of victory at all!"

He had entered the path of immortality nine years ago. While he possessed no extraordinary talents, there was one trait that had consistently kept him out of serious trouble.

Self-awareness.

This person was simply not someone he could defeat.

Yet, even though he had made what he believed to be the most correct choice with the swiftest reaction possible, he still seemed unable to escape his predetermined fate.

Suddenly, amidst the howling wind by his ear, a gentle, calm chuckle sounded.

"Ho ho, Senior Brother, you and I hit it off at first sight. Why are you in such a rush to leave..."

Before the words fully faded, a warm palm had already landed on his shoulder.

"Since parting is imminent, let your Junior Brother here see you off."

Even though this man had prepared himself for a fierce battle, he turned completely pale with horror at that moment.

The hand Song Yan rested upon his shoulder emanated surging sword Qi from within his wide sleeve, effortlessly extinguishing the three balls of flame driven by the spirit talisman without the slightest obstruction.

Casually, it tore through his protective spiritual barrier, yet left him unharmed.

This meant the opponent was completely unafraid of any sudden counterattack at close range.

He roared in terror within his heart: "Is he really strong to this extent?!"

Was he truly strong to this extent?

In truth, not quite.

As the saying goes, when narrow paths meet, the courageous prevail. Had he fought Song Yan head-on in a fair one-on-one duel,

even if he still ultimately lost, the outcome would never have been so vastly different and thoroughly crushing.

The reason for this perception was actually because he had chosen to evade the sharp edge from the very beginning.

In front of a sword cultivator, to blindly attempt escape...

Seemed to differ very little from courting death.

The jade plaque at his waist had already been severed by a surging strand of sword Qi and was now held in the other's hand. A stream of spiritual inscriptions drifted from it, tracing a graceful arc through the air before merging into Song Yan's jade plaque.

This jade plaque was specially crafted and could not be stored in a cosmos bag; acquiring it was enough to eliminate the opponent.

Almost simultaneously, the cultivator's figure vanished from the grotto-heaven secret realm.

Shortly after, he reappeared on the plaza at the peak of Sword-Wiping Peak.

"..."

His expression remained somewhat dazed, as if finding it all hard to believe. It took a long time for him to recover his senses.

Standing in place, he thought long and hard, finally attributing this sudden defeat to sheer bad luck.

"My fortune is lacking..."

The scenes unfolding within the Sword-Wiping Realm of the Lesser Grotto-Heaven were projected into the sky above the sword-testing platform and the other four mountain peaks for the assembled disciple-cultivators and elders to observe.

However, since the restrictive barrier had not yet contracted and the area was still vast, small-scale battles occurring on the periphery rarely attracted much attention.

Realizing that his helpless defeat had gone largely unnoticed, the martial-clad cultivator hurriedly made his way to the spectator seats and found a quiet corner to sit down.

Then, focusing his gaze, he began searching for Song Yan's figure within the illusory projections.

...

Meanwhile, having safely bid farewell to the unfamiliar senior brother, Song Yan found that the number of spiritual inscriptions on the jade plaque at his waist had changed.

"Two."

Regrettably, when he took out the map once more, the marker belonging to that other cultivator had already vanished.

It seemed he was a fellow disciple belonging to the pacifist faction, who had likely retreated far away from this vicinity.

No matter; his destination was that lake anyway.

The lake was not particularly far from the central zone and generally made for a suitable temporary resting place.

Within the Sword-Wiping Realm, aside from the naturally occurring spiritual treasures, the sect elders had also placed something particularly interesting inside.

Specialized teleportation talismans.

These items were scarce, but could potentially appear anywhere within the entire Sword-Wiping region.

Their function was that upon activation, the talisman would instantly transport the bearer to a random safe zone within the restricted boundary.

This was primarily designed to allow disciples with lesser cultivation to survive longer within the grotto-heaven realm.

If one were fortunate enough to acquire such a talisman, they could make an emergency departure upon encountering danger.

Song Yan also wished to search around and see if he could secure one.

This was hardly exclusive to the weak; he had distinct plans of his own for it.

Imagine, once the restrictive barrier shrank to its smallest area, clashes with various late-stage Qi Refining senior brothers would become inevitable.

Possessing such a specialized teleportation talisman would allow him to quickly extricate himself from chaotic melee combat within a short time and regroup.

"..."

Recalling the powerful figures participating in the Sword-Wiping event, he actually wished to properly cross swords with every single one of them.

Yet, among the people he had witnessed within the sect, which one made him feel unfathomable?

The first image that surfaced in his mind was the face of a young girl.

Xiang Zhaoling.

The scene of those two cultivators at the seventh and eighth layers of Qi Refining perishing instantly outside the Spirit Stream Marketplace resurfaced before his eyes.

Originally, relying on his current two forms of sword Qi and his natal flying sword, he felt confident facing any disciple. Only when facing her did he feel completely uncertain.

"If I were to face those two now, could I accomplish it as cleanly and neatly as she did?"

If he employed his Sword Dao True Essence, perhaps barely.

But it certainly wouldn't be as effortless and casual as she made it look.

Every single one of the spirit insects and spirit beasts she commanded was extraordinary.

Most terrifyingly of all, no one seemed to understand the true extent of her strength.

Other cultivators in the sect, when speculating about the so-called top twelve disciples, never seemed to mention her at all.

"If I truly cross paths with her within the grotto-heaven realm, I must proceed with caution."

He reined in his stray thoughts, discerned his bearings for a moment, and stepped forward to depart.

The Sword-Wiping assembly had just begun, the restrictive barrier had not yet started contracting, and there were no markers of other cultivators nearby.

Without even activating his Floating Cloud Intent, Song Yan simply walked leisurely in the direction of the lake.

"Just how vast is this grotto-heaven realm..."

"A thousand people entered, yet one hardly bumps into anyone else around."

"Truly wondrous..."

...

Clear River Terrace, Grotto-Heaven Realm.

Beside the previously tranquil Clear River Lake, more than a dozen figures were locked in a chaotic melee.

"Junior Sister from Lotus Nether Peak, don't let those bastards from Forgetful Mountain seize our spiritual fruit!"

"What kind of dog feces are you spouting?! We discovered this vermilion fruit first! What the hell does it have to do with you? Stop trying to cozy up to us, damn it!"

The cultivators from Forgetful Mountain refused to yield an inch either. "Stop wasting breath on them, actions speak louder than words!"

"Junior Sister Wu! Your faction has already plucked one spiritual fruit; the three of us factions should take one each, why resort to a massive brawl?!"

"Stop yapping! They're all ours!"

The female cultivator from Lotus Nether Peak possessed a rather fiery temper and showed no intention of backing down.

Not only was she hurling curses, but her language grew increasingly harsh. No matter how good the composure of the disciples from Same-Haze Peak was, it was difficult not to feel a surge of anger.

For a time, spells flew and magical artifacts danced across Clear River Terrace.

Yet, although the spell-casting of these dozen-odd people was dazzling, they deliberately avoided a certain spot by the lakeside.

Three identical spiritual herbs grew closely together in a cluster.

Two of them each bore a deeply crimson vermilion fruit.

These spiritual fruits were grown from a spiritual flower known as "Yu Ji."

They were also commonly known as Beauty Fruits.

There was a grand background to these fruits, accompanied by a rumor of uncertain veracity.

Legend had it that in the ancient era, there was a pair of immortal companions within the cultivation world of the Chu State.

Due to certain circumstances, the male cultivator was driven to his death by enemies by the banks of the Wujiang River.

Unwilling to live alone, the female cultivator drew her sword and took her own life.

Both were powerful grand cultivators, and their blood spilled onto the banks of the Wujiang River, nourishing the unknown flowers growing there and causing profound transformations.

To commemorate the female cultivator, the flower was named after her—"Yu Ji," commonly known as the Yu Beauty.

Every part of the Yu Beauty flower held value.

Whether petals, spiritual fruit, flower nectar, or even grass leaves, all were indispensable ingredients for refining Beauty-Preserving Pills.

Among them, the spiritual fruit and nectar could not even be replaced by other herbs with identical medicinal properties.

Thus, they were exceptionally precious.

The Yu Beauty flower and its fruits were renowned spiritual flora of the Chu State spreading far beyond its borders.

After all, a single elixir could preserve youth without aging for a decade.

Few female cultivators possessed the detachment to remain entirely indifferent to their appearance.

Among male cultivators, quite a few equally valued their personal grooming and appearance.

In the cultivation world, the price of pills capable of preserving one's appearance always remained exorbitantly high.

Often, they were simply priceless and unavailable on the market.

As for these Beauty Fruits, the marketplace auction price for each single one hovered around four hundred and twenty spiritual stones.

Right here, there were three complete ones.

And one of them had already fallen into the cosmos bag of the Lotus Nether Peak female cultivator.

"Rustle, rustle..."

"Rustle, rustle..."

While the battle raged fiercely over here, three figures emerged from the bushes not far away.

"Senior Brother Li, Senior Brother Sun," Gu Qingqing whispered softly, "when are we going to make our move?"

Li Qing风 raised a hand, signaling her to remain calm. "No rush, let's observe a little longer..."

"Oh."

"..."

Sun Zhenfu, however, felt somewhat restless at this moment.

He felt that a real man should carry a sense of righteousness, and hiding in the shadows to prepare an ambush seemed somewhat improper.

"Ahem... Junior Brother Li."

Sun Zhenfu hesitated, stopping and starting, but finally spoke up. "Shouldn't we... perhaps go find Junior Brother Song first instead..."

The Sword-Wiping assembly did not prohibit forming teams, but generally speaking, disciples with lower cultivation traveled in groups.

The reason was simple: they had little chance of seizing top rankings and merely sought to linger longer within the Lesser Grotto-Heaven realm to gather some precious spiritual treasures.

"Old Song? Why look for him..."

Sun Zhenfu was somewhat puzzled. "Well, naturally because the four of us traveling together allows us to look out for one another."

Li Qing风 pondered, his expression tangled and conflicted.

Then he waved a hand. "Forget it, let's not travel together with Old Song."

"This... why is that?"

Li Qing风 sighed. "That kid is freakishly bizarre. With his seventh layer Qi Refining cultivation, I always feel like he could trade blows with inner sect disciples at the ninth layer..."

"Perhaps he might actually give it a try and charge into the top twenty-two."

Recalling the figure on the sword-testing platform that day, Gu Qingqing nodded in strong agreement. "I think so too, I believe in Senior Brother Song."

A hint of hopeful anticipation flickered in Li Qing风's eyes.

"We'd better not hold him back..."

He sighed softly. "If we really sought him out, given his character, he would inevitably want to help us."

"This Sword-Wiping assembly is full of powerful figures... If he still had to look out for our safety, it would only burden him instead."

Sun Zhenfu froze slightly, then nodded.

Li Qing风 was entirely correct.

No matter how they tried to decline, traveling together with Junior Brother Song's chivalrous heart would inevitably lead to him taking care of them at every turn.

Yet he was only at the seventh layer of Qi Refining after all!

It was already remarkable enough that he could stand on such a stage to compete with those geniuses and powerhouses.

If he still had to expend mental energy worrying about them as friends, it would surely prove exhausting.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, Li Qing风 grew somewhat agitated and slapped his thigh, giving Sun Zhenfu and Gu Qingqing a considerable fright.

"Besides! Which of us brothers is a mediocre talent?"

"We can't always rely on Old Song to bail us out..."

Hearing this, even the usually upright and serious Sun Zhenfu felt a stirring of competitive spirit.

"Well said."

"Exactly!"

"Therefore..."

Li Qing风 raised a single finger with dramatic gravity.

"If we run into Old Song, not only can we not tag along with him, but we must also let him know we are no cowards!"

Gu Qingqing nodded repeatedly, her expression filled with resolve.

She seemed ignited by Li Qing风's rhetoric. "That's right! We must let Senior Brother Song know that Qingqing is no coward either!"

Gu Qingqing clenched her dainty fists, her heart brimming with determination.

While she deeply respected Senior Brother Song, she never wanted to be forever regarded as a junior sister in need of protection.

"Good! That's the spirit!"

"Senior Brother Li, what should we do then?"

"Let's think of a way to trick him! Let him experience the harsh realities of the world!"

"Great! We'll..."

"..."

"Huh?"

Gu Qingqing blinked in confusion.

She turned her head to look at Sun Zhenfu beside her, seemingly seeking validation from this older brother figure.

Brother Sun similarly turned his head to look at Gu Qingqing with utter bafflement; the two exchanged wide-eyed stares, neither understanding what nonsense Li Qing风 was spouting.

"Senior Brother Li... can we even beat Senior Brother Song?"

Li Qing风's old face darkened as she brought up a sore subject. "Tsk, call you stupid and you fail to prove clever."

"?"

"Who said anything about beating him."

Sun Zhenfu was the first to react. "You mean, use *that* item?"

"Oh!"

Gu Qingqing remembered as well.

"Precisely, precisely."

Li Qing风 smiled sinisterly. "When we run into him..."

He produced a red talisman glowing with spiritual light from his cosmos bag.

"We'll just find an opportunity to slap this onto him and teleport him straight out."

"Wow~"

The two chimed in back and forth, as though the scheme to prank Old Song had already achieved total success.

Infected by the eccentric atmosphere, Sun Zhenfu smiled softly as well.

Having grown up under his parents' extremely "upright" upbringing, where matters of right and wrong had to be strictly delineated, he nevertheless felt no sense of discomfort regarding the "conspiracy" concocted by Li Qing风.

"Being able to teleport Senior Brother Song to a safe zone and prevent him from depleting his state too early is quite good too..."

Perhaps this was simply the way of getting along as friends between him and Senior Brother Song.

The three of them enthusiastically refined the details of their "conspiracy," ensuring every step was assigned to a specific person.

At that very moment, the dispute on Clear River Terrace appeared to be drawing to a close.

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