C39 Red Fruit

In the Hunting Ground, Wei Lulin approached the Hunting Competition without lofty ambitions, and neither Wei Ying nor Lulin himself had pressured him to secure a high ranking.

Yet the prospect of a substantial reward was enticing to Wei Lulin, particularly the chance for the top three to train at the Hidden Dragon Pavilion. Although the thought thrilled him, Wei Lulin felt no overwhelming pressure; he was determined to give it his all, knowing that making it into the top three would be ideal, but not disastrous if he didn't.

Naturally, the lure of a vast quantity of Spirit Stones meant that, at the very least, Wei Lulin was intent on securing a spot in the top ten.

The route to the final marked location on the map wasn't too distant, so Wei Lulin made steady progress while keeping an eye out for Magical Beasts along the way. After half an hour without spotting even a Low Rank Grade Ten Magical Beast, Wei Lulin grew suspicious.

Fortunately, the last landmark was just a kilometer ahead, allowing Wei Lulin to set aside his doubts and proceed stealthily towards his goal.

A few hundred meters further, Wei Lulin made an unexpected discovery: a hidden natural valley within the Hunting Ground. The valley wasn't particularly large, spanning only a few thousand square meters, but it was home to at least a dozen massive Magical Beasts.

The good news was that, despite their numbers, the Magical Beasts were of manageable grades. Aside from the five Middle Rank Grade Ten beasts at the forefront, the rest were Low Rank Grade Ten, posing little challenge to Wei Lulin.

The sight of so many Magical Beasts gathered in the valley instantly sparked Wei Lulin's curiosity. He hastened his steps, advancing several dozen meters, until his eyes locked onto the very heart of the valley.

"Red Fruit!" he whispered in awe upon seeing the five Middle Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts encircling the peculiarly shaped small tree at the center. Luckily, the Magical Beasts' attention was fixated on the Red Fruit, leaving Wei Lulin unnoticed as he spoke softly from the valley's edge.

With his hand covering his mouth, Wei Lulin's gaze lingered on the Red Fruit at the valley's core, his face betraying a flicker of delight.

It's no surprise that Wei Ying left behind such a cryptic remark; he was referring to the Red Fruit.

The Red Fruit is a High Rank Grade Ten Spirit Fruit, abundant in spiritual Qi and capable of aiding martial artists in unblocking their meridians and acupoints.

In addition to the twelve primary meridians, the human body contains eight extraordinary meridians, obstructed by various acupoints. Among these, sixteen acupoints are particularly crucial. Opening just one can facilitate a breakthrough to the Qi Refining Stage Level Four.

The potent energy within the Red Fruit can do more than just unblock acupoints; it can clear six in one fell swoop.

Should Wei Lulin secure the Red Fruit, he could ascend to the Qi Refining Stage Level Four in no more than an hour.

Moreover, Wei Lulin possesses the unique abilities to copy and paste.

With access to the Red Fruit, Wei Lulin is confident that within half a day, he could elevate his cultivation to the pinnacle of Qi Refining Stage Level Four. By then, his prowess would rival that of experts at the Qi Refining Stage Level Seven.

Crucially, once Wei Lulin advances to the Qi Refining Stage Level Four, he can begin training in advanced footwork and martial techniques. Coupled with his Basic Blade Technique, his capabilities are set to soar to new heights.

Wei Lulin gazed at the Red Fruit nestled in the valley, meticulously strategizing.

Approximately half an hour remained until the Red Fruit ripened. In the meantime, Wei Lulin focused on rejuvenating his Spiritual Force and steadying his mental state. He allowed the magical beasts in the valley to engage in combat, biding his time to harvest the Red Fruit.

Choosing a well-concealed spot optimal for action, Wei Lulin concealed himself, lying in wait for the perfect moment to claim the Red Fruit.

Time seemed to fly for Wei Lulin as he concentrated on restoring his spiritual Qi. His Spiritual Force within Wei Lulin's Dantian had barely reached Level Eight when the magical beasts in the valley erupted into turmoil.

The pandemonium was triggered by the exotic aroma of the ripe Red Fruit, which drove the Low Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts into a frenzy. In their madness, the beasts showed no fear of their High Rank counterparts.

Dozens of Low Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts began to furiously besiege the five Middle Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts. Despite the vast disparity in their strengths, the sheer number of Low Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts compensated for their losses; as soon as one fell, another would immediately take its place. Consequently, the five Middle Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts found themselves in a dire predicament.

Wei Lulin, concealed just outside the valley, was meticulously timing the unfolding events. Eventually, he reluctantly acknowledged that he needed to intervene sooner than planned.

Wei Lulin had initially intended to wait until the magical beasts within the valley had settled their conflict before he swooped in to reap the rewards. However, the Red Fruit was somewhat unique.

The ripening period of the Red Fruit was brief, lasting no more than half an hour. If not harvested within that window, the fruit would naturally drop to the ground. Eventually, it would transform into a seed, lying dormant for thirty years before sprouting anew.

The battle had been raging for over twenty minutes by now. Nearly twenty Low Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts had been slain, but only one of the Middle Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts had perished. At this pace, the Red Fruit was likely to hit the ground before the beasts concluded their clash.

Wei Lulin resolved to act!

He had been reluctant to engage, but if there were no other options, Wei Lulin was prepared to strike decisively.

After a few more minutes, another Middle Rank Magical Beast fell, and a potential opening emerged on the eastern front. Without a moment's delay, Wei Lulin, with his steel blade in hand and channeling all his Spiritual Force, charged towards the Red Fruit like a bullet.

The sudden emergence of a human caught the Magical Beasts off guard. They ceased their infighting and turned their full attention to launching an assault on Wei Lulin.

Wei Lulin's incredible speed meant that by the time the Magical Beasts reacted, he was already less than thirty meters from the Red Fruit.

Only seven Low Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts stood in the thirty-meter stretch before him. Wei Lulin brandished his steel blade, and with the backing of his formidable Spiritual Force, even the most basic blade techniques became devastatingly effective.

The seven Low Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts were no match for Wei Lulin. In mere seconds, he had breached their defenses and reached the Red Fruit Tree.

Wei Lulin slashed with his knife, and a bright Red Fruit tumbled into his hand.

He tucked the Red Fruit into a cloth bag within his robes but didn't flee the scene. Instead, Wei Lulin gripped his steel blade and charged directly at the swarm of magical beasts.

Firstly, Wei Lulin sought to use these magical beasts to further sharpen his blade skills and enhance his combat experience.

Moreover, Wei Lulin needed to replicate the Red Fruit, as well as the Qi Increasing Pill and Dantian Cultivating Pill, which required a substantial amount of power. To him, the bodies of the several dozen magical beasts present represented an inexhaustible source of energy.

The previous skirmish had already claimed the lives of more than half of the magical beasts, and Wei Lulin had swiftly slain seven more. Now, fewer than twenty remained.

These twenty magical beasts were not only severely depleted of strength but also bore numerous wounds. Confronted with the ferocious Wei Lulin, they were virtually defenseless. Even the three Middle Rank Grade Ten Magical Beasts proved no match for him.