Chapter 179: Evaluation Passed! Senior, Will You Lead The Jiang Continent? (1)
Throughout history, the Chu-Jiang Empire's royal family had frequented the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm, leaving behind a fair amount of written records. These documents were scattered with the downfall of the empire, ending up in the hands of various major factions. Thus, all the Grandmasters participating in the Immortal Realm treasure hunt were well-informed about the two spiritual fruits and the divide created by the Redsoil Mountain Range, which partitioned the entire Immortal Realm into two separate regions.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
"The Chu-Jiang royal family scoured the entire outer region diligently, yet not a single spiritual fruit was discovered," Bu Yu explained to Wu Yuan as they advanced.
"The outer region is filled with numerous common natural treasures. Meanwhile, the inner region, spanning thousands of li, is the sole area where the two spiritual fruits were found."
"It is evident that a peculiar power permeates the entirety of the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm, effectively separating the inner and outer regions," Bu Yu concluded.
Wu Yuan nodded faintly, already aware of this information. Why did Li Yan expend treasures worth 20 million silver taels to secure two spots with Wu Yuan? Because it was worthwhile!
The outer region abounded with countless natural treasures. According to the intelligence from the Cloudstride Sect, a Savant expert could effortlessly acquire over 100 million silver taels worth of treasure. Of course, the prerequisite was that they left the Immortal Realm alive. In the past, when the Chu-Jiang Empire monopolized the entire Immortal Realm, casualties were few, and treasure hunting was the primary objective. However, this time, the outcome might diverge from the past.
Grandmasters like Wu Yuan would engage in combat within the inner region, while the Savant experts in the outer region would also partake in a perilous competition. Despite the abundance of natural treasures in the outer region, their value paled in comparison to the two spiritual fruits found within the inner region.
These two special spiritual fruits were treasures that evoked envy even among Land Rankers! The Redwood Spirit Fruit, once consumed, could significantly enhance the strength of a martial artist. Even ordinary individuals could attain a physical constitution akin to a first-rate Adept without any adverse side-effects. Savant experts who consumed it would acquire a physical constitution comparable to a Grandmaster, while Land Rankers could prolong their peak physical state for an additional decade. Each person could only consume a maximum of two in their lifetime!
In essence, a century-old Grandmaster could prolong their peak combat prowess by two decades with the consumption of two Redwood Spirit Fruits. Wu Yuan recalled the information he had read.
This was the number one reason why individuals like Bu Yu and Chang Dong staked their lives to participate in the treasure hunt.
But while the Redwood Spirit Fruit postponed the deterioration of one’s physical constitution, it was unable to preserve one’s soul from decay or enhance one’s combat abilities. In simpler terms, while the physical constitution of an ordinary person who consumed the fruit would improve, their combat awareness and martial skill level would still require gradual honing.
The Redwood Spirit Fruit is undoubtedly miraculous, but it’s simply a relatively potent natural treasure. It is enough to pique the interest of Grandmasters, but not enough to drive them to madness. The Purplewood Spirit Fruit is the truly mystical treasure.
Dubbed by numerous Grandmasters as the Soul Fruit or Dao Enlightenment Fruit, the Purplewood Spirit Fruit contained a mysterious power that significantly fortified a Grandmaster's soul and enabled a Land Ranker to perceive heaven and earth's power. However, one could only consume three in their lifetime.
According to the records left behind by the Chu-Jiang royal family, if a Great Grandmaster managed to consume three Purplewood Spirit Fruits, their chances of entering the Heavenly Rankings would increase to 30%. This might not appear significant. Yet, in reality, out of the numerous Great Grandmasters that emerged in each generation, only three or four would become Heavenly Rankers at best. At worst, not a single one would make the cut.
The potency of the Purplewood Spirit Fruit surpasses that of the Soul Condensing Pill, but they may not be of much use to me.
When it came to the soul, Wu Yuan believed that even the Heavenly Rankers might not necessarily surpass him. Furthermore, the intelligence he had gathered mentioned that the two spirit fruits of the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm had negligible effects on Heavenly Rankers.
Therefore, Wu Yuan's initial purpose for joining the immortal realm treasure hunt revolved around acquiring Redwood Spirit Fruits for his family, particularly his mother.
My younger sister possesses decent martial arts talent, and with the sect's current level of support, she may not reach the first-rate Adept level, but there is hope for her to become a second-rate Adept, or at the very least, a third-rate one.
He didn’t hold much expectations for his sister's martial arts achievements. Generally, only one out of 100,000 could reach the first-rate Adept level. As for his mother, Wanqin, there was no need to consider the possibility at all.
Once they consume the Redwood Spirit Fruit, my mother's body will undergo a metamorphosis, guaranteeing her a peaceful life till 100 years old. And my little sister? She wouldn't have to spend a great deal of time strengthening her body anymore. If she is interested in martial arts, she could wholly devote herself to honing her skills. Becoming a first-rate Adept won’t be difficult for her, and she might even have a shot at becoming a Savant expert! And if her interest doesn’t lie in martial arts, her existing martial prowess and the support of the Wu Clan would pave the way for a life of wealth and prosperity.
This was the future Wu Yuan had meticulously arranged for his family. Martial artists acted with a clear conscience. If there were more Redwood Spirit Fruits available, he wouldn’t mind helping the Wu Clan produce a few additional first-rate experts, solidifying the clan's position.
As for the sect?
The hierarch would have no trouble obtaining two Redwood Spirit Fruits for herself. I should strive to secure a Purplewood Spirit Fruit for The Rain Hierarch.
Wu Yuan strongly hoped that Bu Yu would enter the Heavenly Rankings.
Furthermore, based on the Rain Hierarch’s personality, even after she achieves a breakthrough, she won’t leave the Central Plains, continuing to guard the sect. This will ensure the safety of the family and clan for hundreds of years. When I venture into the Xin Continent or other distant lands, I will have one less worry.
His path to becoming a qi refiner from the Harmony of Man and Nature stage would thus be free from obstacles. En route to Ly City, he had contemplated his future plans. In his opinion, The Sword Hierarch was far less dependable than The Rain Hierarch.
However, the mysterious Eldritch Chamber presents an unexpected disruption to my plans. I’ll decide what to do after checking it out. Wu Yuan had no idea what the Eldritch Chamber entailed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Wu Yuan, Bu Yu, and Chu Jun reduced their pace to 100 meters per second as they reached the barren hills. They weren't the only ones being cautious, as a few li away, Song Guang and the other Great Grandmasters also proceeded with a similar level of wariness, watching for potential ambushes.
The vegetation in the inner region is much sparser than that of the outer region.
Wu Yuan scanned the vast expanse of the inner realm, his soul sense constantly alert, never allowing any lapse in perception.
The earth, a stark shade of red, resembled a desert. Small mounds rose and fell in succession with the occasional glimpse of dark canyons, like deep scars carved by a saber into the earth. These canyons were not large, the narrowest being around ten meters wide and the widest barely reaching 100 meters. For Grandmasters, they could leap across them in a single bound.
Amidst this desolate landscape where sporadic tufts of grass stretched for li, towering trees rose up like giants, looking somewhat out of place in the environment.
“These massive trees should be the tree demons that inhabit the inner region, possessing terrifying attack power and remarkable vitality on the level of Heavenly Rankers. Don’t provoke them.” Bu Yu warned softly.
Wu Yuan acknowledged this information with a nod.
The three main hazards of the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm were the tree demons, redsoil assassins, and spirit fruit guardians. Among them, the tree demons were the most powerful. However, as long as one kept a distance of three li from them, the tree demons wouldn't attack. Furthermore, their extermination offered little in terms of rewards, and the Chu-Jiang Empire royal family had learned to steer clear of them after suffering heavy losses in their previous encounters.
As they ventured deeper into the inner region of the Chu-Jiang Immortal Realm, Wu Yuan and Bu Yu remained cautious, navigating their way through canyons and hills while avoiding the tree demons.
Before long, they covered dozens of li.
Another canyon. Wu Yuan caught sight of a narrow, dark valley around 100 meters away in peripheral vision.
Whoosh! Just as he prepared to leap across, a sudden eruption of dark red lights streaked through the air like bolts of lightning from the depths of the canyon, aiming straight for Wu Yuan, Bu Yu, and Chu Jun. Each streak of light traveled around three times the speed of sound!
The Grandmasters had been on high alert, slowing their pace and anticipating a sudden ambush the whole time. And so, the moment those three streaks of light materialized, Wu Yuan, Bu Yu, and Chu Jun detected them without delay.
"Get lost!" bellowed the burly Chu Jun, conjuring a massive double-bladed poleaxe in his grip. A weapon of sheer ferocity, it could slash, sweep, spin, and even serve as a makeshift shield in dire moments. Holding the poleaxe horizontally before him, Chu Jun braced himself.
Boom! A thunderous collision ensued, causing Chu Jun's arm to tremble as he was forcefully propelled backward.
Clang! Moonlight flashed as Bu Yu swiftly drew the Moontide Sword just in time to intercept the projectile. The impact redirected the stealth weapon to the sandy ground, stirring up a cloud of sand. The details of the weapon were clear to the Grandmasters: a perfectly smooth, dark red needle-like projectile, no longer than half an inch.
Wu Yuan's figure flickered eerily, shifting an inch to the side in mid-air, narrowly evading the incoming stealth weapon. Though he was unable to harness heaven and earth's power and his Soul Force’s range was limited, his telekinesis abilities remained unimpaired at close range due to his powerful soul.
Redsoil assassins? Impressive stealth skills! Wu Yuan's eyes gleamed coldly.
Despite his formidable soul sense, he had failed to detect their presence beforehand. Nevertheless, as the three needles shot toward him, accompanied by ferocious shockwaves, Wu Yuan instantly discerned the ambushers’ location.
Swish! Wu Yuan's foot barely touched the ground before he shot forward, covering nearly 100 meters in an instant.
Boom! Boom! Boom! A cloud of sand erupted into the sky, then three fearsome figures burst out from the ground. Each of them possessed a human form, standing at around two meters tall. Their faces were concealed behind crimson masks, their bodies draped in light red robes that seamlessly blended with the surrounding earth. In their hands, they brandished identical red sabers, as if forged in an assembly line. The three figures seemed to be carved from the same mold.
"Kill!" The figure at the center bellowed. Only a pair of light red eyes were revealed under his red robes, filled with intense bloodlust.
Swish! Swish!
Like bolts of lightning, the three figures in red robes simultaneously sprang into action, closing in on Wu Yuan from three different directions.
"Careful, Shadow Blade!" Bu Yu and Chu Jun rushed to assist Wu Yuan.
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