Chapter 129 Yu Xiaogang, scheming against his disciple and stealing the spiritual fruit!
Meanwhile, on the other side...
The upper realm consists of the Nine Heavens and the Ten Earths.
This is a remote area far from the core. Although the mountains are not as majestic, they are still covered with ancient trees and teem with poisonous insects and ferocious beasts.
The sky is perpetually gray, and the air is filled with a strange stench of decaying leaves and miasma. Occasionally, a few chilling roars of beasts can be heard from the depths.
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang was seen wearing a tattered cloak that reeked of death, walking unsteadily along a thorny mountain path.
Not only that, he was also holding a dry wooden stick that he had picked up at random, and his face was full of unfathomable meaning.
Behind him, the emaciated little beggar with a pale face followed closely.
The little beggar's name was Er Gou, and he was an orphan who didn't even have a name.
Because of his inherently weak constitution, he couldn't even enter the most basic Blood Refining Realm and was a good-for-nothing abandoned by his family.
"Master... Master, where are we going?" Er Gou asked timidly, his stomach rumbling loudly.
"Hmph, you can't rush things."
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang stopped and glanced back at him, then immediately adopted a disappointed expression: "I am using my spiritual power to investigate the surrounding soul beasts... cough, the distribution of ferocious beasts."
"Although this area is barren, it is precisely because of this that you may be able to find prey suitable for your first spirit ring."
In reality, he didn't have any mental power to detect anything.
It's only because he's only level 38 now; a slightly stronger ferocious beast could kill him with a single roar.
So all I can do is wander around aimlessly like a headless fly, hoping for the best.
The two walked for a while longer, and suddenly, a faint fragrance wafted from a bush ahead.
"Um?"
Yu Xiaogang's nose twitched, and his eyes lit up instantly.
This flavor...it's magical!
He then quickened his pace and pushed aside the bushes.
In a crevice of a moss-covered rock, a small tree, about half a foot tall, was growing all alone.
Although the sapling only has a few leaves, a thumb-sized, translucent fruit, as clear as red agate, hangs at the top of its branch.
The fruit was surrounded by wisps of very faint red mist, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary fruit.
"This, this is..."
Upon seeing the spiritual fruit, Yu Xiaogang's breathing quickened, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his face was filled with greed.
This is great stuff!
This is definitely some kind of rare and precious treasure!
If I eat it, my soul power might break through level 40!
but...
However, just as Yu Xiaogang was about to reach out to pick it, he suddenly froze in mid-air.
He remembered that rotten grass that had eaten him until his head turned into a pig's head, yet still clung to the tree and kissed it wildly.
Those unbearable memories were like a thorn piercing his heart, making him tremble.
"Could this thing be poisonous again?"
Thinking about this, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but have second thoughts.
Why do all the plants in this perfect world grow in such strange shapes?
What if these bright red fruits are used to poison mammoths?
Thinking of this, he immediately turned his eyes and looked at Er Gou behind him.
"Ahem, my disciple."
Yu Xiaogang withdrew his hand, put his hands behind his back, and adopted a serious expression as if he were testing his disciple, saying, "Come and see, what is this spiritual plant?"
He was calculating in his mind: this little beggar may be a good-for-nothing, but at least he is a native of this world.
Even if you've never eaten pork, you've seen pigs run; you should know this basic common sense, right?
If it's not poisonous, hmph... then your master won't be so polite.
If this brat dares to eat it first, then don't blame me for cleaning up his own school!
Upon hearing this, Er Gou was also taken aback. He stepped forward to examine the red fruit and scratched his head in confusion: "Master, isn't this the Crimson Blood Fruit?"
"Crimson Blood Fruit?" Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are its effects?"
"Uh...it's not very effective either," Er Gou continued honestly.
"It can slightly increase one's qi and blood strength. Sometimes when the hunters in the village get injured in the mountains and run out of medicine, they will eat this to replenish their blood."
"The taste is sweet and sour, quite delicious."
"Replenishes blood?" Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang felt relieved, thinking that it was good that it wasn't poisonous!
But then he was somewhat disappointed.
Just for replenishing blood? Then it won't be of much use in increasing soul power.
But then I thought about it again, and realized that my body was currently suffering from a deficiency of qi and blood.
If you replenish your Qi and blood, won't your future cultivation be twice as effective?
Even a mosquito's leg is still meat, no matter how small!
This fruit must be mine!
But as a master, he couldn't very well act like a country bumpkin who'd never seen the world before and snatch a wild fruit in front of his disciple, could he? That would be too undignified.
As he pondered, Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up and an idea instantly came to mind.
He shook his head with feigned profundity, then sighed, adopting the air of a wise man who had seen through the world: "So it's just a Crimson Blood Fruit, oh well."
"My disciple, you must remember this."
Yu Xiaogang looked at Er Gou with a serious expression and began to give him a perfunctory lecture.
"Your body is too weak right now; it can't handle any nourishment."
"Although this Crimson Blood Fruit is only a low-grade spiritual fruit, the blood energy within it is still too violent for you in your current state."
"If you swallow it rashly, not only will you not be able to absorb it, but it may also destroy your meridians, turning you into a complete cripple!"
"Huh? Is it that serious?" Sure enough, Er Gou was also startled when he heard this, and quickly withdrew his hand that was about to pick the fruit.
"Of course!" After scaring him, Yu Xiaogang continued to spout nonsense with a straight face.
"The cultivation path I have tailored for you is a unique martial soul fusion method that is unparalleled in this world!"
"What you need is to use your martial spirit as a carrier, inscribe the runes into your spirit ring, and then use that runes to nourish your physical body."
"It's better not to follow this unorthodox method of forcibly boosting qi and blood with external objects!"
As he spoke, he waved his hand dismissively, "Let's go. I don't even want such a low-grade fruit."
"There seems to be an aura ahead that's more suitable for you. The important thing is to hurry up and find your first spirit ring."
"Yes, Master is right!"
Er Gou was completely obedient to his seemingly eccentric master. Hearing this, he nodded hurriedly, no longer glancing at the fruit, and turned to walk forward.
However, just as Er Gou turned around...
Yu Xiaogang, who had been looking disgusted, suddenly changed his expression, and his hand, which had been behind his back, shot out like lightning!
"Whoosh!"
He plucked the ruby-red blood fruit in an instant and stuffed it into his mouth with lightning speed.
(End of chapter)