Chapter 4: How Did an Extra Fruit Appear on the Tree?

Night fell, and the dim streetlights flickered on simultaneously, providing light for the pedestrians below.

"So full! How does it feel like Su Yue's cooking has improved even more since last time?!"

"Hic... hic..."

Lin Li, having eaten a bit too much, let out a hiccup and strolled leisurely out of the Happiness Garden residential complex.

Today, he had helped Su Yue clear her drain, and at noon, he had enjoyed a wonderful lunch she had cooked herself. He had originally planned to head home right after eating, but after the meal, she had dragged him to stay and play games for a while.

Don't let the fact that Su Yue is an elementary school music teacher fool you; she is actually a gaming enthusiast, mostly playing mobile games, with fewer PC games.

Time spent gaming always flies by. An entire afternoon felt like it passed in the blink of an eye, and before he knew it, it was time for dinner... and well! Lin Li naturally ended up mooching another meal at Su Yue's place.

Just as a full and satisfied Lin Li was walking slowly toward his own residential complex, a large truck pulled out from a street corner in the distance. The truck was carrying a giant wild boar, three meters long and two meters tall...

Pedestrians on the street began to discuss it animatedly upon seeing the giant boar being transported by the truck.

"Wow... what a huge wild boar. To kill an exotic beast this big, the hunter must have at least Tier 2 strength to pull it off, right?"

Heaven is fair.

In this marvelous world where spiritual energy drifts through the air, humans can become practitioners with extraordinary powers by absorbing that energy...

Conversely, ordinary animals living in the wild can also obtain extraordinary power in the same way.

Animals capable of using spiritual energy are collectively referred to by humans as "exotic beasts."

Exotic beasts are far more terrifying than ordinary animals; they are smarter and much more ferocious. If a human appears in their line of sight, most exotic beasts will choose to attack.

Nowadays, the number of exotic beasts in the wild is very high, posing a significant threat to the safety of human cities.

Therefore, some practitioners choose to become hunters to kill these exotic beasts. Practitioners like them, who fight exotic beasts in the wild, are known as "exotic beast hunters."

Exotic beast hunters, who risk their lives fighting these creatures, can earn a considerable fortune while protecting the city.

This is because the meat of these exotic beasts contains something that ordinary chicken, beef, pork, or mutton does not: a trace of spiritual energy.

Consuming this spiritual-energy-infused meat over a long period won't make your cultivation level skyrocket, but it will provide at least some small benefit.

Therefore, practitioners who aspire to break through to higher levels consume this wild exotic beast meat as their staple protein.

Where there is market demand, there will naturally be many people becoming exotic beast hunters to engage in this lucrative business.

With the development of the times, every city has now established an Exotic Beast Hunter Guild, promoted by the local government.

To prevent practitioners who lack the necessary strength from risking their lives in the wild for money, the Exotic Beast Hunter Guild has introduced corresponding regulations.

The regulations clearly state that only practitioners who have reached the peak of Tier 1 are qualified to take the assessment at the Exotic Beast Hunter Guild.

After passing the assessment, they receive a certificate and officially earn the title of "exotic beast hunter," allowing them to engage in the work of hunting exotic beasts. At the same time, they can also obtain various intelligence reports on exotic beasts from the guild.

...

"Such a huge exotic boar, it must be worth a lot of money!" Lin Li watched the truck drive away, silently estimating the value of the giant beast.

Fifty thousand yuan.

A single exotic boar is worth fifty thousand yuan. There are many exotic beasts in the wild; if you have the strength to become an exotic beast hunter and aren't afraid of danger, you can quickly become a wealthy person with significant assets.

As the truck carrying the giant beast disappeared at the end of the street, Lin Li withdrew his gaze and continued walking toward his home.

Before today, Lin Li had given up on the idea of becoming a practitioner years ago, prepared to just live out his life as a "salted fish" at home.

However, with the possession of that magical little island, his once calm heart had been stirred once again.

Although it currently seems that the barren island can only be used to grow vegetables, Lin Li didn't want to use it for that so soon.

He felt that the island must have its own wonders; he just hadn't discovered them yet.

"I've read so many novels in my past life; none of the 'golden fingers' obtained by people reborn in parallel worlds are useless. I refuse to believe my luck is so bad that the one I got can only be used to grow vegetables."

Thinking about the magical island, Lin Li walked quickly toward his home.

...

"According to the latest news from this station, at 10:00 PM last night, a leopard-type exotic beast secretly crossed the defense line and attacked a village on the outskirts of the city. Fortunately, an exotic beast hunter happened to be passing by and killed the leopard on the spot..."

Lin Li sat in the living room, watching the TV quietly, as if the content were deeply absorbing. If one were to observe him closely, they would notice his eyes occasionally darting toward the clock hanging on the wall behind the TV.

Three minutes until ten o'clock. The spiritual energy in his body was almost fully restored.

"Tick, tick, tick..."

Time is moving so slowly!

As the time drew closer to ten, Lin Li, sitting on the sofa, became increasingly agitated.

Time was up. Feeling that the spiritual energy in his body had fully recovered, and as if he were born knowing how to enter that mysterious island, Lin Li focused his mind. A pale golden light bloomed from his body, and he vanished into thin air from the sofa.

"Mr. Li, thanks to you yesterday, otherwise many people would have died in the jaws of that leopard."

"This is what I should do. Killing these abominable exotic beasts is the duty of every exotic beast hunter..."

On the widescreen LCD TV, a reporter was interviewing the person who had killed the leopard the previous night.

The empty living room was devoid of people, with only the sound from the television echoing in the room.

...

"I'm back again... this time I must uncover your secrets..."

After Lin Li appeared on the mysterious island, which was one hundred square meters in size and surrounded by white mist, he muttered to himself.

He looked around, touched and inspected everything, and drank some of the sweet water, but found nothing.

"No way? Could it be that this place really can only be used to grow vegetables?" Lin Li stood on the shore, looking at the white mist in the distance, feeling a bit discouraged.

Just as he was about to leave the island, his eyes caught a glimpse of the ordinary little tree growing in the center of the island. It was because of this inadvertent glance that Lin Li instantly stopped his intention to leave.

"I remember this little tree didn't have any fruit on it before!"

...

(End of chapter)