Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 800

Since they were Nascent Soul cultivators, they were hardly afraid of the gale caused by the explosion. They floated in the air, watching the ship explode. Before they could even grasp the situation, the Spirit Cloud Ship was completely destroyed.

Yet, when they couldn’t find anything around them, they all wore puzzled expressions.

“Elder Brother Lee, who attacked us?”

“Everyone, look down!”

In response to Xiao Hong’s question, the cultivator answered coldly with a dark expression. At his words, the others hurriedly looked down.

Finally understanding the situation, Xiao Hong and the others sighed softly, while Han Li narrowed his brows. There was a hidden clearing among the various colored giant trees, and in the center of it, a massive plant, about 30 to 40 zhang [approximately 100-130 meters] tall, was growing.

And on either side of the giant plant, massive creatures were facing off.

One was a giant lizard, about 50 to 60 zhang [approximately 165-200 meters] in size, with bright red, coral-like horns growing on its head.

Facing it was a savage-looking Manhuang giant, with yellow hair flying about, holding a jet-black wooden club.

Moreover, countless silver-white eyeballs of varying sizes were attached to the giant’s body and limbs, casting an eerie gaze.

Han Li was startled and used his spiritual sense to examine the giant plant between them in detail.

‘That is!’

Sharp leaves protected fruit that looked like purple grapes.

The fruit was about the size of a fist, and the round shell was filled with transparent juice. When he scanned the inside of the fruit with his spiritual sense, he found a small dragon-shaped seed inside.

The tiny dragons emitted pure spiritual energy as if they were alive, giving off a comfortable feeling.

“Zhi Dragon Fruit!”

As Han Li recalled the identity of the fruit, Ye Ying shouted first. Nong Dong, Xiao Hong, and the cultivator also recognized the fruit and showed signs of joy.

“Isn’t that the main ingredient for the Ascension Dragon Pill [a pill used by Void Refinement cultivators], a spiritual medicine that only Void Refinement cultivators can use! It only bears fruit once every 30,000 years, and even if eaten raw, it can grant about 60 years of cultivation. To see the Zhi Dragon Fruit here! Moreover, it looks like it has just ripened, so if we can harvest them, it would be incredibly fortunate.”

Xiao Hong murmured, her eyes sparkling. Ye Ying and Nong Dong also seemed tempted.

What did it mean that it was the main ingredient for making Void Refinement-level pills? It meant that even Void Refinement cultivators would be desperate to obtain it.

It could not be obtained at a normal auction and was only traded secretly among Void Refinement cultivators. Even the blood of the True Spirit, a pill ingredient used in the late Nascent Soul stage, was incredibly popular at auctions and was never successfully bid on.

The pills used in the Nascent Soul stage and the pills used in the Void Refinement stage were only one realm apart, but their effects were worlds apart.

If they were to bring the Zhi Dragon Fruit to a Void Refinement cultivator, they would surely be delighted and exchange it for a large amount of spiritual pills used in the Nascent Soul stage.

The fact that Han Li and his group had discovered the Thunder Gu and the Zhi Dragon Fruit so soon after entering the Manhuang World was incredibly fortunate. Usually, even if one stayed in the Manhuang World for decades, it was a rare opportunity to encounter such a chance.

“Let’s first take a closer look at the situation below!”

The cultivator said with a cold snort.

“The giant is a Heavenly Eye Tribe giant from the Manhuang giants. Judging by the silver-white color of its eyeballs, it must still be a minor. And as for the lizard, it looks unremarkable, but since the Heavenly Eye Tribe giant is wary of it, it must be formidable. Both of them probably possess the strength of the early Void Refinement stage.”

Han Li opened his mouth slowly as he examined the two monsters. He had diligently studied the scriptures related to the Manhuang World while staying in the Heavenly Star City, so he recognized the giant confronting them below at once.

Even if he hadn’t said it, Xiao Hong and Nong Dong would have known, but they were reluctant to miss an opportunity that might only come once in a thousand years.

Whoosh~!

But then, a strange sound came from somewhere, drawing everyone’s attention.

At the end of the sky, about seven or eight giant insects were rushing towards them, emitting various glows. Han Li narrowed his brows, but after scanning them with his spiritual sense, he immediately returned to his original expression.

The insects were two zhang [approximately 6.6 meters] in size, but their energy was not strong, so they were not a great threat. Nong Dong, who was beside him, was also not afraid and was ready to kill them if they approached.

But then, something shocking happened.

As the giant silkworms were about a hundred zhang [approximately 330 meters] away from them and were about to pass over the giant lizard, the lizard’s mouth suddenly opened, and something was ejected with a whoosh.

Then, one of the giant silkworms, which had been flying with a fierce momentum, disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Whoosh!

The silkworm group was startled and circled in place, buzzing with anger. But that didn’t change anything, and the next silkworm disappeared in succession.

Nong Dong and Xiao Hong, who were watching this, also changed their expressions. Han Li narrowed his eyes, and a navy blue light flickered deep within his pupils.

The moment the next silkworm disappeared, he was finally able to grasp the truth with the divine ability of the Brightsight Spirit Eyes. Surprisingly, a transparent tongue extended from the lizard’s mouth and pierced the abdomen of the giant silkworm at an incredible speed, pulling it into its mouth.

The movement of the long tongue was so fast that it looked as if the silkworm had disappeared in mid-air. After devouring all the giant silkworms in an instant, the lizard lay on the ground without moving.

“It seems to be a mutated ancient beast. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to launch such an attack. The Spirit Cloud Ship must have also been damaged by that beast’s tongue.”

Nong Dong sighed, realizing that it was the lizard’s doing, after contemplating what kind of secret technique to use.

“We are also here, so why did it only eat the silkworms and leave us alone?”

Ye Ying tilted her head, asking as if she couldn’t understand.

“Who knows? Maybe we are too small to bother eating, or maybe the giant silkworms are its staple food.”

Xiao Hong answered with a calm smile.

“That doesn’t mean everyone is thinking of just leaving the Zhi Dragon Fruit behind, right? Even if I had seen the Zhi Dragon Fruit alone, I wouldn’t have given up like this.”

The cultivator still couldn’t hide his greed as he looked at the fruit between the giant plant’s leaves.

“The lizard and the giant below both have Void Refinement-level strength. Elder Brother Lee, you are quite bold, aren’t you?”

Ye Ying chuckled as she looked at the cultivator.

“If there was only one, I wouldn’t have touched it. But the situation is different now.”

“Ah, what Elder Brother Lee means is…”

Ye Ying immediately understood his intention.

“That’s right. The mutated beast is strong, but the Heavenly Eye Tribe giant, which has not yet reached adulthood, is also formidable. If the two fight, they might both be severely injured, or one of them might die. If we step in at that time, there will be plenty of opportunities.”

“How do you know when to move? The standoff could last for days or even weeks.”

Nong Dong clapped his hands in agreement, but Xiao Hong shook her head worriedly.

“Haa, that’s true. We can’t stay here for long since we have an important mission…”

Nong Dong glanced at Ye Ying lightly and nodded.

“We have to carry out our mission, but we can spare this much time. It’s the Zhi Dragon Fruit, after all! We have to be willing to delay our time.”

The cultivator said firmly, as if it was absurd to leave like this.

“It’s not something you should insist on. Even if they fight each other and are severely injured, if they counterattack with their lives on the line, we could also suffer casualties. Then, our mission would be disrupted, wouldn’t it? Instead of that, it would be better to leave this place before getting caught up in unnecessary trouble.”

Nong Dong was also tempted by the Zhi Dragon Fruit, but he didn’t want to take unnecessary risks because of the important mission. So, he changed his mind after listening to Xiao Hong.

“Yes, no matter how I think about it, it seems foolish to seek treasures here right now! Judging by the fact that the Heavenly Eye Tribe giant is only confronting the lizard, it might be waiting for support from other giants. The fact that the lizard isn’t attacking first might also mean it has other plans. If we wait here and get surrounded, it would be a disaster, wouldn’t it?”

Xiao Hong frowned, reinforcing her dissenting opinion.

“I don’t know about that, but I must take that Zhi Dragon Fruit with me.”

Suddenly, Ye Ying interjected, siding with the cultivator. At her words, not only Xiao Hong and Nong Dong but also the cultivator were taken aback.

With this, the pros and cons of staying here to seize the Zhi Dragon Fruit were split 2 to 2. At the same time, the four people’s gazes turned to Han Li.

‘This is bad.’

Han Li sighed inwardly and stroked his chin.

“Everyone would agree that we can take a slight risk for a spiritual fruit of this grade. However, as Fellow Daoist Xiao said, we can’t drag this out for too long. Even if reinforcements don’t come, since the spiritual fruit is ripe, it’s only a matter of time before it attracts the attention of other powerful beings. We must finish this within three days to avoid any problems.”

Han Li said calmly.

“Three days. Is that possible?”

Xiao Hong looked at Han Li meaningfully and shook her head. Ye Ying and the cultivator also wanted to say something, but even they thought three days was impossible.

“It would be impossible if we waited for them to fight each other. But if we move, it’s not entirely impossible. For example, we could lure them somewhere else, or we could provoke them.”

Han Li smiled lightly and shared his thoughts.

“What Elder Brother Han means is…”

Nong Dong’s expression changed.

“Indeed, if we do that, we can finish things quickly.”

“It might be difficult to lure them elsewhere, but it seems possible to provoke them into killing each other?”

The cultivator said happily, and Ye Ying also smiled and agreed.

“If it’s something that doesn’t involve taking a big risk, I agree too.”

Xiao Hong looked at Han Li and changed her mind, and Nong Dong also hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

“…Since everyone has agreed, I will follow along as well. But there must be a clear plan.”

“Don’t worry. Our lives are precious too, aren’t they?”

The cultivator smiled happily, pleased that things were going his way.

“Do you have any plans?”

“We can hide our forms and approach both sides, then launch a surprise attack. They will think they were attacked by the other side.”

The cultivator said casually in response to Nong Dong’s question.

“It’s easier said than done. We don’t know how strong the spiritual senses of the two beings are. If our stealth is discovered, we will be in great trouble.”

“If that’s the problem, I have two Void Concealment Talismans. If we activate the talismans with all our power, cultivators below the mid-Void Refinement stage won’t be able to see through them easily.”

This time, Xiao Hong shook her head, expressing her unease, and Ye Ying chuckled.

“If it’s the Void Concealment Talisman from the Silver Inscription Sect, it will definitely be effective. Then, just in case, instead of going ourselves, let’s use my two Silver Dragon Puppets. Each of them has the strength equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator, so we can attach the talismans to them and launch an attack.”

Nong Dong smiled at the welcome news and stepped forward.

“Then, that would be perfect. If the puppets fail, it would be good to split up and lure the lizard and the giant. One person with fast escape techniques should stay behind and seize the Zhi Dragon Fruit when the opportunity arises. Even if the lizard and the giant have Void Refinement-level strength, they won’t be able to chase us if we are determined to escape. Of course, the cultivator who takes the spiritual fruit must have very fast escape techniques. That way, they can avoid the lizard’s tongue.”

Xiao Hong rolled her eyes and thought, preparing for the possibility that the provocation might fail.

“What Fellow Daoist Xiao said makes sense. But the person who stays behind at the end will not only have a huge risk but also the possibility of taking the Zhi Dragon Fruit for themselves and running away, so we should keep that in mind before using that method.”

The cultivator said the last words with a cold glint in his eyes.

“There is definitely such a problem. Then, is there anyone who wants to stay behind at the end? Those who volunteer must also provide a way to reassure the rest of the cultivators.”

Ye Ying asked leisurely. At the girl’s words, the faces of the other four people became strange.

*