Chapter 265: Chapter 252: The 7th Prince
The Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree, one of the Holy Trees of the Demon Race, was lush with branches and leaves, its entire form a brilliant emerald green. Its nine fruits resembled nine hearts, pulsing in unison. With every beat, the seawater formed a vortex and gushed in wildly. The surrounding Spiritual Qi slowly gathered, nourishing the fruits until they were as crimson as a real heart.
If he hadn’t known how miraculous the fruits of the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree were, Nie Yun would have suspected that the tree itself was alive.
Before he could even get close to the tree, several long, thin branches suddenly shot out sideways, lashing straight toward him.
SWOOSH!
The branches parted the seawater, creating a wake. It was as if a master Swordsman had unleashed a torrent of Sword Qi, sealing off all of Nie Yun’s escape routes.
’So this is what they mean by being nourished by living creatures? No wonder it’s called a Demon Fruit Tree. It really lives up to the name!’
Controlling the water currents, Nie Yun slid aside and dodged the branches’ attack.
The Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree didn’t grow by absorbing nutrients from the soil. Instead, it survived by killing passing creatures, much like the Cannibal Grass on land. The moment Nie Yun drew near, it instantly sensed his life force and attacked!
The attack power of the Demon Fruit Tree’s vines was no weaker than that of an Ultimate Venerable Peak Powerhouse. If Nie Yun weren’t a Soaring Water Master, he would have been in a wretched state. Even so, it would still be incredibly difficult to get close enough to pick the fruits!
’It’s this much trouble for me to get close, even as a Soaring Water Master. I wonder how many subordinates the Demon Wing Cloud Armor Beast King had to sacrifice just to collect eighteen fruits...’
Nie Yun shook his head, thinking of the eighteen fruits he had obtained from the Beast King.
Given the Beast King’s strength and size, it would have certainly been killed had it tried to approach the tree and harvest the fruits itself. It must have sent in countless subordinates as cannon fodder to have successfully obtained so many.
"Your Highness, this is the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree!"
Just as Nie Yun was contemplating how to approach the demon tree again to retrieve the fruits, he suddenly heard a faint voice in the distance. Startled, he stirred the water with a flick and quickly hid behind a rock.
He had just gotten himself hidden when he saw a vortex of water spinning rapidly to one side of the Demon Fruit Tree. Several figures emerged from within it.
"Mm, good. Seeing the Demon Fruit Tree means that thing should be very close now!"
A young man with his hands clasped behind his back emerged from the center of the group. He gazed at the giant fruit tree before him, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
This young man’s aura was condensed, his True Qi contained just beneath his skin. The seawater above his head converged into a vortex of energy. One look was enough to tell he was using a special Talisman that allowed him to walk underwater!
A Talisman that allowed one to walk freely underwater defied the laws of nature. Only a Secret Realm Powerhouse, one who could seize the very workings of creation, could craft such a thing. To be able to produce such a Talisman to enter this place spoke volumes about this person’s identity and status.
Of course, such a Talisman was still inferior to the special talent of a Soaring Water Master.
"I said this thing was always meant for you, Your Highness! Look, the fruit tree is completely unharmed. That brat Qii Yang obviously never made it here. Heh heh, since that’s the case, let’s clean the place out. He can arrive full of excitement and go home crying!"
"Of course. That brat Qii Yang has always competed with the Young Master, thinking he’s all that! He probably never dreamed that the Seventh Prince has been aware of his every move. To be frank, he’s the one who led us to this place!"
These people, including their noble young master, were all Ultimate Venerable Peak Powerhouses. Their auras billowed in waves, and their strength was comparable to that of Qii Yang, Mu Qing, and Mu Xia. Listening to their conversation, Nie Yun deduced that, like Qii Yang, they must all be from the Divine Holy Empire.
The Divine Holy Empire was vast and rich in resources, unlike the little Divine Wind Empire. It had abundant wealth and experts as numerous as the clouds. An Ultimate Venerable Powerhouse held a very high status in the Divine Wind Empire and could be ennobled as a King or Marquis, but in the Divine Holy Empire, they were merely considered common nobility.
"Hmph. That brat is so arrogant. Just because he stands out from the common crowd, he thinks he’s the number one genius in the Divine Holy Empire. He really doesn’t know his place!"
The Seventh Prince sneered.
"The guy must have a screw loose. To this day, he still hasn’t figured out who really runs the Divine Holy Empire. Daring to steal the spotlight from the Prince... he’s truly courting death!" The first middle-aged man snorted in a fawning way, then continued, "Your Highness, there’s no one around. Why don’t we just kill him quietly..."
"No!" The Seventh Prince cut the middle-aged man off before he could finish. "That old codger from the Qii Family may not have reached the Heaven-Seizing Creation Secret Realm, but his Cultivation is so profound that he has grasped A Thread of Life. Qii Yang is his own grandson; he’s certainly left him with plenty of countermeasures. If we kill him rashly and word gets back to the Imperial Capital, it will be a huge blow to my bid for the throne!"
"Yes, yes. I was reckless!" Hearing the rebuke, the middle-aged man retreated hastily, thoroughly startled.
"We can’t kill him, but we can certainly humiliate him! The fool doesn’t know life from death. Instead of supporting me, he supports my brother—that’s already a capital offense. The moment I ascend the throne will be the day he dies!"
A murderous glint flashed in the Seventh Prince’s eyes as he let out a cold, continuous sneer.
’The Seventh Prince... and he supports his brother? It seems the power struggle in the Divine Holy Empire is far more intense than in the Divine Wind Empire!’
Behind the rock, Nie Yun listened to their conversation and seemed to grasp the situation. He was just mulling it over when his eyes suddenly lit up. ’Since those two are at odds, I can let them fight each other while I swoop in and reap the benefits!’
"Your Highness, the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree attacks automatically on approach. How are we going to pick the Nine-Heart Fruits?"
"Don’t worry, I came prepared. It’s just one Demon Fruit Tree. Just watch what I can do!"
With a long cry, the longsword on the Seventh Prince’s back leaped into his palm. With a flick of his wrist, his Sword Aura bloomed into an intricate pattern, shooting forward like a firework.
Though both used a sword, the moment the Seventh Prince attacked, it was clear his skill was leagues beyond Muu Shengxue’s. The flashing Sword Aura was captivating, too brilliant to follow with the naked eye.
"The Great Compassion Meteor Sword Technique!" the first man to speak exclaimed. "I never thought Your Highness would have actually cultivated this ultimate Swordsmanship—one ranked in the top thirty of the Divine Holy Empire’s Martial Arts—to the Great Achievement Realm!"
"His Highness is a peerless genius. He has a photographic memory when it comes to cultivating Martial Arts. It’s no surprise he could master this Swordsmanship!" the second man said with a laugh.
"Legend says that once unleashed, this technique can produce ten thousand streams of Sword Aura, each as powerful as a meteor. Now that His Highness has reached the Great Achievement Realm with this Swordsmanship, he could probably earn a spot on the Qi Sea Continent’s Ultimate Venerable Celestial List!"
"That’s a given. The Young Master was already in the top ten of the Ultimate Venerable Earth List. His power increased dramatically after his recent seclusion, so getting on the Celestial List is to be expected!"
While the two were talking, the Seventh Prince’s Sword Qi clashed with the sprawling branches and vines of the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree. A series of sharp CRACKS and SPLASHES rang out as severed branches and shredded leaves drifted down, tumbling away on the current.
