Chapter 9: Green Fruit

Lu Xiaotian shivered uncontrollably on the rock, feeling that time was dragging on with agonizing slowness. From time to time, the howl of a wolf still echoed from above the cliff. Lu Xiaotian was unsure if it was the same pack from earlier in the day, but it was now the dead of night, and the mountain winds were too fierce. If he were to force his way up the cliff, a single slip could send him plummeting to the bottom, where there would truly be no chance of survival.

In winter, due to the body's need to maintain warmth, one’s appetite is always much larger than in other seasons. Not long after midnight, Lu Xiaotian’s stomach began to growl again.

Caught between hunger and cold, with nowhere else to find food, he found it truly unbearable. He stood up, intending to pull down a few more withered vines; even if he couldn't eat them, burning them to ward off the chill would be better than nothing.

Fortunately, the green vines on the cliff face had never been harvested, and there were still plenty left. It would be enough to last for a while.

He lit a small campfire, and as he felt the heat radiating from the flames, the chill in his body dissipated significantly. However, fanned by the wind, sparks swirled in the air and drifted away, and the vines burned through quite quickly.

Lu Xiaotian had no choice but to gather more. After cutting another vine with his sword, he gave it a hard tug, only to find that it wouldn't budge.

Curious, he leaned in closer and discovered that beneath this vine, many root-like tendrils had grown, extending deep into the rock face. The hard stone itself had actually bulged slightly, covered in a network of fine cracks. Through one of these cracks, Lu Xiaotian caught a glimpse in the flickering firelight of something resembling a mountain yam. Because it was embedded inside, he couldn't tell how large it was.

This unexpected discovery filled him with joy. He hurriedly used his short sword to carefully pry at the surface rock. The stone seemed to have been loosened by the fruit pushing against it from within, and with little effort, Lu Xiaotian pried away the cracked rock. It revealed a pale green fruit, smooth as could be, and only the size of a goose egg.

It was much smaller than a mountain yam, and Lu Xiaotian couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. If it had been the size of a yam, it might have been enough to fill his stomach, giving him the confidence to outlast the wolf pack on the cliff. But a fruit the size of a goose egg probably wouldn't last long; it was a case of "better than nothing." After his initial disappointment, he couldn't help but marvel at how such a small fruit, which felt soft to the touch, had been able to split the hard rock.

With his previous experience, Lu Xiaotian searched among the vines for a while longer, but found nothing else. He retreated and used his short sword to make a small incision in the green fruit. Under the dancing firelight, a few drops of green juice seeped from the cut. Just the scent of it made him feel a refreshing, soul-soothing sensation.

The fruit smelled delightful. Lu Xiaotian quickly set aside his sword and, unwilling to waste a single drop, licked the juice from the surface. A wave of sweetness bloomed from the tip of his tongue. It was the first time he had ever tasted such a delicious fruit. Driven by hunger and cold, he devoured the fruit, skin and all, in a few quick bites.

It was delicious, but it didn't fill him up. Lu Xiaotian licked his lips, still wanting more. However, just as he was savoring the lingering taste, he noticed that the flesh and juice of the fruit he had swallowed were melting into a mass of green light, coalescing in his stomach. The green light flickered, appearing grand, mysterious, and illusory.

The green light mass spun rapidly, and amidst the flickering glow, it expanded into a vast, ancient, and bizarre space. Yet, this strange and immensely vast space was hidden within Lu Xiaotian’s own abdomen.

Suddenly, a boom echoed in his mind like a thunderclap, shaking his consciousness into a daze.

Lu Xiaotian felt as if thousands of giant waves were crashing and rampaging through his body. A vast, boundless spiritual power seemed ready to burst his body apart at any moment. In his delirium, he could even see a green halo flickering on his skin. His skin began to stretch and crack with fine fissures, like a piece of porcelain that hadn't quite shattered.

The cracks spread like a spiderweb. Blood began to seep from these fissures, and within moments, Lu Xiaotian was covered in blood.

What was happening? Was this green fruit poisonous? A wave of terror washed over Lu Xiaotian; the toxicity was far too violent.

The collision of energy within his body showed no signs of stopping.

Was he going to die?

As Lu Xiaotian suffered in agony, the massive flow of energy within him surged straight toward his sea of consciousness.

With a hum, everything went black before Lu Xiaotian’s eyes, and he lost consciousness, falling into a deep coma.

But it did not end there. Blood continued to seep from Lu Xiaotian’s skin. Yet, none of this blood was absorbed by the mountain rock; instead, it diffused into a thin mist of blood that hovered around his body. Under the reflection of the green halo, it looked incredibly eerie. Suddenly, thunder and lightning flashed, and a massive vortex formed with Lu Xiaotian’s body at its center, drawing the surrounding white mist toward it in a frenzy.

"How did we end up here again?" The blood-dwarf in black robes looked at the small thatched cottage before him, his expression incredibly ugly.

With a flicker, three other figures arrived one after another: the old man in black robes, the bearded man, and the young woman in a green dress. The woman in the green dress said with an anxious expression, "We’ve circled this area seven or eight times now and still haven't found an exit. The maze here is truly formidable. If this continues, we’re going to be trapped here until we die. Old Man Geng, think of something!"

"With a maze this powerful, what could I possibly do? For now, we can only take it one step at a time."

The old man in black robes had a face as gloomy as water. They had been trapped in this place for nearly two months; anyone would be in a foul mood. If it weren't for the fact that they could occasionally find food within this formation, they would have starved to death by now. After all, only those with the power of a Golden Core could abstain from grains and survive without eating.

*Grunt, grunt.*

A series of pig-like grunts echoed.

"Not good, it's the Demon Boars, and there are so many of them!" The bearded man cried out in alarm as he saw the Demon Boars leaping out from the weeds within the mist. Although these Demon Boars were only first-tier demon beasts, equivalent to the strength of the third level of Qi Refining, they were thick-skinned and tougher than some second-tier beasts. First-tier beasts were equivalent to the first to third levels of Qi Refining, while second-tier were mid-stage Qi Refining, equivalent to the fourth to sixth levels. The charging power of the Demon Boars was a massive headache.

"Stop the chatter and just kill them." The blood-dwarf had long since lost his patience. He reached into his storage bag and pulled out two silver discs. With a forceful throw, the silver discs emitted a low hum as they spun and shot toward the oncoming Demon Boars.

A shrill, miserable shriek rang out. *Swoosh—*

The Demon Boars were sliced in two by the serrated edges of the silver discs.

The woman in the green dress extended her hands, and two long purple silk ribbons flew from her sleeves. Stretching several yards, they wrapped around two Demon Boars, binding them tight. With a flick of her wrists, she slammed the bound boars against the ground. With a loud *bang*, two large craters were formed. When she retracted the ribbons, the boars lay on the ground with blood streaming from their noses, mouths, and eyes, twitching a few times before going still.

*Grunt, grunt.*

A giant boar, nearly a yard long with two blood-stained tusks protruding from its mouth and fierce, murderous light in its eyes, leaped out from the mist. Following the appearance of this giant Demon Boar, *swish, swish, swish*, dozens of other Demon Boars of varying sizes, with black bodies and bristles standing up like needles, emerged from the surroundings.

(End of chapter)