Chapter 301: A Deal, Gathering of Heroes at the Foot of Xuanling Mountain!
When the members of the Gu Clan saw Lin Fan looking their way, their expressions subtly shifted, and unease crept into their hearts.
After all, the Wei Clan's group had just been wiped out by Lin Fan and his brother!
Compared to that Wei Clan team, their strength was a notch weaker.
They were terrified that they might somehow offend Lin Fan and end up sharing the same fate.
Gu Yan took a deep breath to compose herself, then spoke to Lin Fan, "Young Master Lin, rest assured. We won't breathe a word about what happened earlier."
Lin Fan said casually, "I'm not too worried about information leaking. No need to be nervous, my brother and I are both easy to talk to. I just have a few questions."
Easy to talk to?
You wiped out an entire group from the Wei Clan at the drop of a hat—that's your idea of easy to talk to?
The Gu Clan members couldn't help but think this inwardly, though none of it showed on their faces.
Gu Yan asked softly, "May I ask what Young Master Lin wishes to know?"
Lin Fan said, "Just now, you mentioned the Life Xuanling Fruit. Where exactly is it located?"
"The island we're on is called Xuanling Island. At its center lies Xuanling Mountain, and the Life Xuanling Fruit grows in the deepest part of that mountain," Gu Yan explained without hiding anything she knew.
"In addition, based on the information we've gathered, there are many spirit beasts in Xuanling Mountain. At its peak, there is even a Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon with strength at the Minor Mastery level of the Life Xuan Stage standing guard."
Lin Dong, who stood to the side, couldn't help but show a flicker of excitement in his eyes upon hearing this.
He had recently broken through to the Eight Yuan Nirvana Stage by luck within the Domain of Otherworldly Demons. If he could obtain the Life Xuanling Fruit, it would surely help him further enhance his cultivation.
Suddenly, Lin Dong thought of something and asked, "That Wei Song from earlier—he was after the Life Xuanling Fruit too, wasn't he?"
Gu Yan nodded. "Yes, and not just the Wei Clan. I fear many other factions will show up as well, all hoping to seize the Life Xuanling Fruit."
"Heavenly treasures naturally attract competition," Lin Fan said with a faint smile, unconcerned. "Everyone will have to rely on their own skills when the time comes."
"With the strength of the two Young Masters Lin, I'm sure it'll be no problem at all to obtain two of those fruits," Gu Yan said flatteringly.
Lin Fan simply smiled in response and said nothing.
Lin Dong, on the other hand, asked, "Miss Gu Yan, earlier Wei Song mentioned the Wei Clan and the Evil Wind Cave—what sort of forces are they?"
Having just arrived in the Tianfeng Sea Region, they'd already tangled with these two powers. Lin Dong, being cautious by nature, wanted to learn more about them.
Gu Yan immediately gave them a rundown of the Wei Clan and Evil Wind Cave, and also provided an overview of the major powers in the Tianfeng Sea Region.
"Thank you," Lin Dong nodded and then asked, "Miss Gu Yan, do you happen to have a map of this Chaotic Demon Sea?"
He recalled seeing a map in the Symbol Master Tower that indicated the second ancestral symbol was hidden somewhere in the Chaotic Demon Sea.
If he had a map, he could compare and locate the symbol's position.
"Young Master Lin must be referring to a nautical chart," Gu Yan replied. "The Chaotic Demon Sea is vast and divided into many sub-regions. The Tianfeng Sea Region is just one of them."
"I don't have a complete chart, only a map of the Tianfeng Sea Region. After this matter with the Life Xuanling Fruit is settled, you're both welcome to visit the Gu Clan. We do have a full chart back at the clan."
As she spoke, Gu Yan pulled out an ancient scroll and handed it to Lin Dong.
"Thank you," Lin Dong said, accepting it and scanning it with his spiritual power. However, he didn't find the location of the ancestral symbol, and a hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes.
At that moment, Lin Fan said, "You all seem to be headed to compete for the Life Xuanling Fruit as well. Since we're new here and unfamiliar with the routes, would you mind if we traveled with you?"
"It would be our honor," Gu Yan replied quickly.
Having witnessed the strength of Lin Fan and Lin Dong firsthand, she lowered her stance considerably in their presence.
Lin Fan smiled. "If there are extra Life Xuanling Fruits, I'll help you secure one. In exchange, your Gu Clan can provide us with a complete sea chart. How about that?"
The chart was part of it, but Lin Fan's true interest lay in the matter of the Desolate Tower.
Once they reached the Gu Clan, the clan would surely invite them to serve as external reinforcements. That would be the perfect opportunity to bring up access to the Desolate Tower.
Though the tower itself held little value to Lin Fan personally, it was crucial for the Spirit of the Ancestral Stone to recover.
Compared to that, the Life Xuanling Fruit didn't matter much.
Gu Yan was overjoyed upon hearing this. "Young Master Lin, your generosity is beyond words. Once we return to the Gu Clan, the full chart will be offered to you immediately."
"Heh, no need for all the formalities. Let's keep moving," Lin Fan said with a light smile.
Gu Yan, of course, had no objections.
And so, Lin Fan and Lin Dong continued the journey with the Gu Clan's convoy.
Every member of the Gu Clan treated the brothers with utmost respect—even reverence.
After all, they had witnessed their strength with their own eyes.
As they drew closer to the heart of Xuanling Island, the number of other groups appearing in the area also began to rise.
By the time they reached the foot of Xuanling Mountain, a large number of people had already gathered there—none of them weak, by the look of it.
The arrival of the sizable Gu Clan group drew many gazes.
"Oh? The Gu Clan is here too?"
"That's Gu Yan in the lead, right? I heard she's already got one foot in the Life Xuan Stage. She must be here to fight for the Life Xuanling Fruit to make her breakthrough."
"Heh, that won't be easy. Everyone here is eyeing that fruit like hungry wolves."
"True, Gu Yan may be strong, but she's still lacking a bit. If Gu Yuntian had come, that'd be another story."
"…"
Despite the murmurs from the crowd, Gu Yan's cold, elegant face didn't betray any emotion. Her sharp eyes swept across the crowd, and her brows furrowed slightly.
It seemed there truly were many powerful individuals vying for the Life Xuanling Fruit this time…
Lin Fan and Lin Dong had stepped out of the carriage by now, also scanning their surroundings.
A moment later, Lin Dong's gaze sharpened slightly. He whispered, "So many powerful auras… Even among the Eight Great Super Sects in the Eastern Xuan Region, few from the younger generation could match this."
Lin Fan chuckled softly. "But in the Eastern Xuan Region, they don't have the two of us."
Lin Dong scratched his head a little sheepishly. "Compared to you, Brother Lin Fan, I've still got a long way to go."
At that moment, Gu Yan began pointing out notable figures to the two of them. "The people in the northwest are from the Haiyun Sect. The one in front is Han Tao, the number one prodigy of the younger generation in that sect. His strength is at the half-step Life Xuan Stage."
"Over in the southwest… there's another tricky one," Lin Dong noted, turning his gaze in that direction.
Lin Fan followed his line of sight and saw a figure in grey robes sitting quietly atop a massive rock.
He was alone—clearly a lone wolf. To come here solo and still dare to compete for the Life Xuanling Fruit, he clearly wasn't someone to be taken lightly.
Gu Yan looked at the gray-robed man with a grave expression. "That's Mo Zhan, the One-Armed Man. He's not affiliated with any faction, but he's quite well-known in the Tianfeng Sea Region. He's also at the half-step Life Xuan Stage."
"Rumor has it he once fought a strong cultivator who had reached Minor Mastery of the Life Xuan Stage. Not only did he escape unscathed, but he even injured his opponent…"
"Not bad," Lin Fan commented casually with a smile.
Gu Yan continued to introduce other notable figures, including leaders of the Black Dragon Pirates and other top-tier cultivators.
"Xuanling Mountain is shrouded in poisonous miasma. We'll have to wait until noon to enter… Once we're inside, the battle for the Life Xuanling Fruit will officially begin…" Gu Yan concluded, gazing up at the towering peak and offering a final reminder to Lin Fan and Lin Dong.
The brothers exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.
Then, they all waited quietly for the appointed hour…
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