Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Pure Essence Fruit, Snatching Food from the Tiger’s Mouth
RUMBLE...
A powerful tremor spread out, accompanied by a terrifying roar that echoed in all directions, audible for ten miles around.
’Two different sounds? Could it be two Demon Beasts fighting? Judging by this display of power, they must be at least at the Innate Realm!’
’This red glow is interesting. When some Treasures are born, strange phenomena occur. Apart from that, this kind of situation can also happen when certain Treasure Medicines ripen.’
’And for two Innate Realm Demon Beasts to be fighting to the death, it’s most likely over some kind of Treasure Medicine.’
Standing at the mouth of his cave, Ning Jiang could see a faint red glow spreading out three miles away.
Of course, the red glow wasn’t too conspicuous. He estimated that anyone more than ten miles away probably wouldn’t be able to see it.
The entire Demon Mist Mountain Range rose and fell, covered with a continuous stretch of towering trees. In such a complex environment, one’s line of sight was naturally obstructed. Unless a phenomenon shot straight into the sky, it was impossible for everyone to see it.
’I’ll go take a look.’
Under normal circumstances, when two Innate Realm Demon Beasts were fighting, an ordinary Martial Artist would get as far away as possible.
But Ning Jiang was bold because of his great skill. Besides, he now had a trump card that was more than enough to protect himself.
「Meanwhile, in a valley eight miles away.」
"What astonishing power. That red glow must be from some kind of Treasure Medicine, which is why two Innate Realm Demon Beasts are fighting over it."
This was a team of over thirty people—the Zhou Family’s Medicine Collection Team.
A fiery look appeared in Li Jie’s eyes. An object that could make two Innate Realm Demon Beasts fight to the death was bound to be extraordinary.
"Miss Zhou, I’d like to go take a look." Li Jie looked at Zhou Lingwei. As the captain of the Guard Team, he still had to ask for her opinion.
Zhou Lingwei thought for a moment, then said, "Go ahead if you want, but don’t take too long. Be careful."
"Thank you, Miss Zhou."
Li Jie activated his Lightweight Skill and rushed forward.
He didn’t bring anyone else with him. Given their Cultivation levels, they wouldn’t be any help and might even become a burden.
’Something good must be appearing! Haha, my luck is great.’
’Whoever dares to compete with me can’t blame me for being ruthless.’
’This thing will be mine!’
Within a ten-mile radius, many Martial Artists saw the faint red glow, and those who believed themselves to be strong enough rushed over.
For a moment, an undercurrent of tension surged through the area.
’Huh? Such dense Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.’
As he got closer, Ning Jiang keenly sensed the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi growing denser.
The source was just ahead.
Ning Jiang couldn’t help but pick up his pace.
Soon, he arrived at his destination.
’This is... a Pure Essence Fruit!’
In Ning Jiang’s line of sight, several dozen zhang away, was a small sapling.
The sapling was just over three chi tall and fiery red all over. It had only about a hundred sparse leaves, but what caught the eye were the two fruits growing on it.
One was the size of a fist, as red as fresh blood, while the other was two sizes smaller and pale red.
The red glow in this area was emanating from that blood-red Pure Essence Fruit.
’The maturation period for a Pure Essence Fruit is ten years. One of them is clearly ripe. As for the other one, its pale red color means it’s probably still two or three years away from being ready.’ Ning Jiang quickly made his assessment.
A ripe Pure Essence Fruit was an Upper Grade Treasure Medicine.
Treasure Medicines, like Treasure Artifacts, were divided into Low Grade, Middle Grade, Upper Grade, and Top Grade.
A Low Grade Treasure Medicine was worth several hundred Primordial Stones, a Middle Grade thousands, an Upper Grade tens of thousands, and a Top Grade hundreds of thousands.
For instance, the Golden Summit Silver Snake Grass was a Middle Grade Treasure Medicine, but it was a rarer variety among Middle Grade medicines, so its value could reach over ten thousand Primordial Stones.
The Ice Spirit Grass that Ning Jiang had taken in the past was a Low Grade Treasure Medicine.
Back then, Ning Jiang’s entire net worth had only been a few hundred Primordial Stones, and Ning Yu’an had barely a thousand, so their Primordial Stones were quickly depleted.
Unlike now, where Ning Jiang carried tens of thousands of Primordial Stones, making him wealthier than even a Middle Innate Realm Martial Artist.
As for the level above Treasure Medicine, that was Spirit Medicine.
’A single ripe Pure Essence Fruit, even if consumed by an Innate Realm expert, has a high chance of helping them break through a minor realm.’
A fervent glint appeared in Ning Jiang’s eyes. Among Upper Grade Treasure Medicines, those like the Pure Essence Fruit that could increase one’s strength were especially expensive for their tier, much like Treasure Armor.
The price of this single Pure Essence Fruit would definitely exceed one hundred thousand Primordial Stones.
Even the unripe fruit would be worth over fifty thousand Primordial Stones.
’If I get this, breaking through to the Postnatal Realm will be a piece of cake.’
Ning Jiang thought to himself. The name "Pure Essence Fruit" came from the fact that it contained extremely pure Primordial Qi.
Unlike Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, which had to be refined to remove impurities, the Pure Essence Fruit required no such process.
"ROAR!"
An irascible roar interrupted Ning Jiang’s thoughts.
The source of the sound was a giant wolf the size of a water buffalo. Its fur was pitch-black, its eyes were red with a hint of green, and it snarled, baring its vicious fangs.
This was an Iron Claw Demon Wolf.
Across from the Iron Claw Demon Wolf was a giant bear with blood-red fur. Its limbs were thick, its claws and teeth sharp, and it snorted heavily. Its body was two sizes larger than the wolf’s.
This was a Strong Barbarian Bear.
Both Demon Beasts were at the Innate Early Stage.
Both were covered in wounds, dripping blood. The earlier roars were the result of their battle. The surrounding area was a complete mess, with shattered trees and cracked earth.
In a radius of several dozen zhang around them, the ground had been completely flattened.
They were over a hundred zhang away from the Pure Essence Fruit Tree. The two great Demon Beasts weren’t stupid; they didn’t want the aftershocks of their battle to destroy it.
As the two Demon Beasts faced off, more and more figures appeared in the vicinity—all of them Martial Artists drawn by the commotion.
Soon, more than a dozen people had appeared nearby.
"Huh? It’s Zhang Yao! Last year she was a candidate for the Ten Great. I can’t believe even she is here."
A woman drew everyone’s attention. She looked to be in her early twenties, her hair tied back simply. She had a commanding, heroic presence, more like a female general, completely lacking the gentleness typically associated with women.
’The Pure Essence Fruit! If I can get it, I’ll definitely be able to break through to the Innate Realm. With the annual gathering approaching, maybe I can even compete for a spot among the Ten Great this year!’
Although a woman, Zhang Yao’s competitive spirit was in no way inferior to a man’s.
’It’s that kid.’ Li Jie, standing on a tree branch, caught sight of Ning Jiang, and a flash of disdain crossed his face.
At the moment, however, he was in no mood to bother with Ning Jiang.
The Pure Essence Fruit had captured the hearts of everyone present.
But no matter who it was, no one dared to act rashly.
Of the two Innate Realm Demon Beasts, the Iron Claw Demon Wolf was known for its speed, while the Strong Barbarian Bear possessed immense power.
Trying to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth in front of them was harder than climbing to heaven.
Even Zhang Yao didn’t dare take such a risk. Although she was known as a candidate for the Ten Great, the gap between the Innate Realm and the Postnatal Realm was enormous. Ten of her combined would still be no match for a true Innate Realm expert.
What’s more, Demon Beasts were even more difficult to deal with than Martial Artists because of their powerful bodies and dense Demon Qi—innate advantages. At the same level, most Martial Artists were no match for a Demon Beast.
Zhang Yao was certain that if she made a move to seize the fruit, she would be sent to the Yellow Springs in the next instant.
"Fortune favors the bold."
Ning Jiang uttered four words. He focused his full attention, waiting for the perfect opportunity, like the most dedicated assassin or a hunter who had set a trap and was waiting for his prey to take the bait.
BOOM!
After a brief standoff, the two Demon Beasts clashed once more, releasing a deafening sound.
SWOOSH.
At that exact moment, a Postnatal Late Stage Martial Artist shot out, his body like a galloping horse as he rapidly lunged toward the Pure Essence Fruit Tree.
He crossed the distance of several dozen zhang in the blink of an eye.
’It’s almost mine!’ A smile was already spreading across the man’s face.
’He’s a dead man.’
Zhang Yao shook her head. The two Demon Beasts, in the middle of their fight, suddenly stopped. Then, their mouths opened, and a spherical orb shot out from each.
Demon Energy Bombs!
They were formed from the Demon Qi inside their bodies, condensed into a ball, and then spat out with unparalleled might.
This kind of technique wasn’t particularly strange. It was like how an Innate Realm master could release their Gang Qi to a distance of a hundred zhang.
A large part of what made Innate Realm experts so powerful was this external release of Gang Qi. To be able to kill enemies from a hundred zhang away with a mere flick of a finger—how terrifying was that?
A Postnatal Realm expert, by comparison, could only project their Postnatal Gang Qi about ten zhang at most.
A Qi Cultivation Realm Martial Artist could only project their True Qi a few steps away, and that projected True Qi would often dissipate in mid-air, its power greatly reduced.
The Demon Energy Bombs were as fast as lightning, crossing the hundred-zhang distance in an instant and striking the man’s body without any deviation.
BANG.
With a loud explosion, the man’s body was blown apart on the spot, leaving not even a complete corpse behind.
"Forget it. I’m not going to fight for it. The Pure Essence Fruit is great, but you have to be alive to enjoy it." Some Martial Artists were terrified by the bloody scene and decided to retreat.
"Hahahaha! To think a Pure Essence Fruit would appear here! I am at the peak of the Innate Early Stage, just half a step away from the Middle Stage. This treasure will surely allow me to break through."
Suddenly, a wild laugh rang out.
The laughter was still several hundred zhang away at first, but two breaths later, the person had already appeared on the scene.
He was a burly, middle-aged man with a square face and extremely thick eyebrows, as if they had been dyed with ink.
"An Innate Realm expert!"
"It’s Chen Wu," someone recognized the newcomer.
"ROAR!"
The Iron Claw Demon Wolf and the Strong Barbarian Bear both sensed the threat from Chen Wu. The two Demon Beasts opened their mouths and attacked him simultaneously.
’Now is the time!’
Ning Jiang had been closely watching the two Demon Beasts’ every move. The instant they opened their mouths, he activated the Ape King’s Demon Power within his Dantian.
A majestic power erupted like a mountain flood, surging out and instantly filling his entire body.
At that moment, Ning Jiang exuded a billowing Demon Qi, as if he were a Demon, not a man!
WHOOSH!
Ning Jiang drew his body taut like a bow. With a powerful burst from his muscles and bones, he shot forward from his spot like an arrow released from its string, exploding with speed.
He was even faster than the Martial Artist who had been killed earlier.
In the blink of an eye, he was beside the Pure Essence Fruit Tree.
With a swift grab, the ripe Pure Essence Fruit landed in his hand.
At the same time, the Demon Energy Bombs spat out by the two Demon Beasts were blocked by Chen Wu.
’That man is dead for sure!’
Zhang Yao shook her head. Ning Jiang’s timing was indeed perfect; he had even managed to snatch the Pure Essence Fruit. She admitted that even she couldn’t have done it.
But how would Ning Jiang escape now?
The speed of an Innate Realm Martial Artist far surpassed that of someone in the Postnatal Realm, and what’s more, there was the Iron Claw Demon Wolf, which was famous for its speed.
"ROAR."
At this, the two Demon Beasts let out enraged roars.
"You’re courting death." Murderous intent glinted in Chen Wu’s eyes.
Instantly, Ning Jiang’s life hung by a thread!
