Chapter 266: Chapter 253: Nine-Heart Lotus
"Success! Watch me go get these Demon Fruits!"
The Sword Qi shredded the branches and leaves. With a loud laugh, the Seventh Prince transformed into a straight beam of Sword Aura. Wielding immense power, he shot forward and thrust his sword toward the lowest of the Nine-Heart Demon Fruits.
This sword strike was like a giant hand. The seawater parted before it, forming a sphere two to three meters across that shot straight toward the fruit to envelop it.
HUMMM!
Just as the sphere was about to make contact with the pulsating fruit, the water surged. Three Copper Armor People shot out from beneath the tree, one of whom hammered a fist at the Sword Aura.
The force of the punch radiated outward, its immense power forming a tidal wave in the water that crashed against the Seventh Prince’s Sword Aura. BOOM! The seabed trembled violently and seawater erupted. Where the shockwave spread, the surrounding rocks were pulverized, and countless fish and shrimp floated to the surface, reduced to piles of mangled flesh.
CRACK!
At the same time the three Copper Armor People appeared, the entire area within a hundred-meter radius of the Demon Fruit Tree was enveloped by a special power, making escape completely impossible!
"They’re Ultimate Venerable Peak Level Puppets and this is the [Water-Locking Divine Palace Cover]! Be careful, Prince!"
Seeing the puppets suddenly appear, the middle-aged men’s faces fell. They immediately rushed forward.
’Ultimate Venerable Peak Puppets and the Water-Locking Divine Palace Cover?’
Behind the rock, Nie Yun’s expression changed as well.
’The armored men I encountered before were mostly around the Qi Sect realm. Although they fought without fear of death, they couldn’t inflict much damage, which was why I could escape so easily. I never expected there to be Ultimate Venerable Peak Level Puppets next to the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree! And judging from their earlier clash with the Seventh Prince, their strength is no less than Qii Yang’s!’
’The powerful Puppets are one thing, but the key is the Water-Locking Divine Palace Cover!’
’This Divine Palace Cover is like a seal. It can lock down everything in the vicinity. It’s a Secret Technique of the Demon Race. Anyone trapped inside will have their power restricted. Unless you kill the three Puppets, there’s no way to leave!’
’As expected of a place left behind by a Demon Saint. Terrifying!’
’If this group hadn’t rushed in, and I had gone to snatch the Demon Fruits myself, I’m afraid that even as a Soaring Water Master, I would have had a hard time escaping from under this Water-Locking Divine Palace Cover!’
"Break!"
The Seventh Prince saw the Divine Palace Cover before him, a savage look in his eyes. He swung his Longsword rapidly, Sword Qi roaring, intending to break it open. But this was something left behind by a Demon Saint; how could a mere Ultimate Venerable like him possibly break it?
His Sword Qi could normally travel for miles through the seawater, but inside the Water-Locking Divine Palace Cover, its range was reduced to only four or five meters. Its power was drastically diminished.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
His power was weakened, but the Copper Armor Puppets seemed to have their strength amplified. The one in the lead stamped its thick legs on the ground and shot forward like a human cannonball. At the same time, it let out a shrill shriek and threw another punch!
BANG!
This punch was like a phantom, its power piercing through all defenses. The Seventh Prince’s protective Gang Qi failed to block it. A sharp pain shot through his chest and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Seawater immediately flooded into his throat, causing him to choke and splutter.
"You beast! You dare harm the Prince? You’re courting death!"
The middle-aged men finally reached the Seventh Prince’s side. Seeing the Prince injured, they were all consumed by rage. Their palms flashed as they lunged violently at the puppet.
ROAR!
Although the Puppets couldn’t speak and possessed no intelligence, their eyes glinted. They knew to counterattack. With a long roar, the three Puppets struck out as one.
The clash of pure physical strength against the middle-aged men’s attacks sent bubbles churning through the water, making the murky depths boil. For a time, they were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.
’Hmm? The Puppets and the Seventh Prince’s group are locked in a stalemate. This is the perfect chance for me to steal the fruits of the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree... and that other thing!’
Behind the rock, Nie Yun saw that the two sides were fighting to a standstill. An idea struck him, and the corners of his lips curved up.
’To steal the Nine-Heart Demon Fruits, I have to enter the Water-Locking Divine Palace Cover. But with the Seventh Prince and his men fighting the Puppets, I can get away whenever I want. There’s no danger at all!’
’Besides, with my abilities as a Soaring Water Master, as long as they don’t see me with their own eyes, I can just grab the goods and leave in this murky water. Once I’m out of the Divine Palace Cover’s range, no one will be able to harm a single hair on my head!’
Once he made up his mind, he acted. He casually took a set of gray robes from his Dantian and put them on.
’These robes look a lot like Ouyang Cheng’s. Since I’m already planning on framing Qii Yang, I might as well go all out!’
His preparations complete, Nie Yun covered his face, then moved silently, darting toward the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree like a fish.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Hugging the seafloor as he advanced, Nie Yun felt the shockwaves from the battle between the Copper Armor People and the Seventh Prince’s group grow more and more intense. He knew their fight would be decided soon. Without any hesitation, he quickened his pace. Within a couple of breaths, he arrived before the fruit tree. He reached out, and a thick wave of his power enveloped one of the Demon Fruits.
"ROAR!"
The moment Nie Yun plucked a Demon Fruit, the Copper Armor People shrieked. It seemed they had a special connection to the Demon Fruits and had discovered him as an intruder.
"They’re trying to escape! Attack together!"
The battle had churned the seawater into a murky mess. Combined with Nie Yun intentionally hiding out of sight, when the Seventh Prince saw the Copper Armor People shriek and turn to dart toward the Demon Fruit Tree, he thought they were trying to escape. With a long cry, he unleashed the full force of his power in a wild bombardment.
"Where do you think you’re going!"
Hearing the Prince’s command, the middle-aged men didn’t dare hold back, each of them unleashing their strongest techniques.
"AWOOOO!"
Under the frenzied assault, unable to return to the Demon Fruits to protect them, the Copper Armor People’s eyes turned red with anxiety. They traded blow after blow with the Seventh Prince and his men.
Although the Seventh Prince’s side had more people, each individually stronger, they were suppressed by the Divine Palace Cover. The Puppets, though fewer in number and lacking intelligence, were empowered by the cover, moving as freely as fish in water. The battle ebbed and flowed, but the two sides were still locked in a fiery and inseparable struggle.
’Heh heh, since this Seventh Prince is being so cooperative, I won’t be polite!’
Nie Yun clearly hadn’t expected the Seventh Prince to be so cooperative either. He chuckled and reached for a second fruit.
SWIPE! SWIPE! SWIPE!
In less than two breaths, all nine fruits had been tucked away into his Storage Dantian.
’Time to find that other thing! If the legend is true, my strength will absolutely skyrocket. I might even be able to directly break through to the Fourth Layer Great Success of the Spirit Rhinoceros Body Refining Technique!’
Having collected all the fruits, Nie Yun saw that the two sides were still fighting. A thought stirred in his mind, and he recalled that legend.
’Back in Divine Wind City, when I heard Baihua Xiu mention the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree, I recalled a legend from the depths of my memory. Although the nine fruits of the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree are precious, they aren’t the rarest part. After all, once you pick the fruits, another nine will grow in less than a hundred years! As long as the tree doesn’t die, it can continuously produce fruit.’
’According to legend, the "Nine-Heart" part of the Nine-Heart Demon Fruit Tree doesn’t actually refer to the nine fruits, but to a nine-hearted connection within the tree itself... the Nine-Heart Lotus!’ (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
