Chapter 326 - Heartmoon Sacred Fruit

Chen Fan surveyed the four mountain paths before him. He picked one of them at random and walked forward quickly.

Moving through the clouds and mist, he found himself enveloped in a sea of white, with only the stone bridge beneath his feet visible.

The mist gradually dissipated, and the sight of several ancient trees greeted him.

They had black trunks and green leaves. Each trunk was so thick that it would take ten adults wrapping their arms around it to circle it while their lush green leaves emitted a radiant, almost sacred glow.

Chen Fan’s eyes lit up, and he mumbled, “These millennia-old trees are prime materials for forging treasures. And these leaves’ vitality aura... If I dilute the Fountain of Life a hundredfold, their vitality would be comparable. The leaves are also quality materials for refining elixirs.”

Chen Fan felt somewhat emotional, thinking this was indeed the trial ground of an enormous, ancient sect.

A mere trial ground had such ancient trees. They might even become spirits if they grew for another ten thousand years.

Chen Fan didn’t do a thing to these ancient trees, as they weren’t all that useful to the current him.

These ancient trees weren’t beneficial to him. He wasn’t lacking weapon treasures. As for the tree leaves, although they had rich vitality auras, they were far from comparable to the Fountain of Life.

Chen Fan walked a few more steps, and his field of vision opened up and became clearer. He discovered that these tall ancient trees were growing everywhere. The first few trees he saw earlier seemed unimpressive now.

All of a sudden, Chen Fan heard noises ahead.

The sounds weren't those of demon beasts but rather of human activity.

“Someone is here!” Chen Fan’s eyes narrowed, a light flickering within. He quickly walked over.

Someone being on this bizarre mountain with him wasn’t surprising.

After all, thousands had entered the Nebulous Mysterious Realm, each discovering their own opportunities. Anyone who came across this peculiar mountain would inevitably feel an urge to explore it.

Gradually, a swathe of grand yet dilapidated buildings appeared before his eyes.

Beneath an ancient tree loomed a colossal green stone door towering a thousand feet tall. Beyond it lay a stretch of ruined walls extending indefinitely.

Broken walls, shattered tiles, rusty ancient palace halls, collapsed halls...

This bizarre mountain seemed to be a core area where many Nebulous Divine Palace’s disciples likely came to train.

Chen Fan pressed forward. Soon, he spotted around twenty figures gathered around a small lake, their cultivation levels all at the upper ends of the Yuanfu realm.

The lake, merely two hundred meters wide, had a white ancient tree at its center. Its trunk, branches, and leaves all gleamed with a moon-white hue. It looked like it had been carved out of jade.

The tree had a single fruit growing on it. It was like a round, bright moon and emitted bright moonlight.

The fruit’s fragrance had spread to the surrounding thousands of feet. A single whiff of its fragrance could refresh people’s minds.

Chen Fan looked surprised to see the fruit. “Heartmoon Sacred Fruit!”

Heartmoon Sacred Fruits were incredibly precious objects. A Heartmoon Sacred Fruit could raise a Yuanfu realm martial artist’s cultivation level by a small realm, and even Core Formation realm experts could use it. Its rarity would undoubtedly incite frenzied battles if brought to the outside world.

Everyone around the small lake turned and looked at Chen Fan when they heard his surprised gasp.

“Another one is here.”

“Hoho, he is merely at the seventh level. What difference can he make? All he can do is watch.”

After looking at Chen Fan once, they faintly smiled and turned away, ignoring him.

A lean, blue-clothed youth walked over and smiled. “Impressive observation, brother. You recognized the Heartmoon Sacred Fruit at a glance, that too from so far away.”

Chen Fan glanced at him. Among the group, his cultivation wasn't particularly remarkable. Like Chen Fan, he was also at the seventh level.

“You flatter me.” Chen Fan smiled. He asked, “Why haven't any of you taken the fruit yet?”

Chen Fan felt puzzled. A treasure as precious as the Heartmoon Sacred Fruit would typically lead to fierce competition among the people.

That Heartmoon Sacred Tree had only one fruit left, yet none of them made a move. They all gazed at it as if in a trance, leaving Chen Fan bewildered.

“Does the lake have some sort of guardian demon beast? Is that why you are hesitating, brother?”

The blue-clothed youth smiled bitterly and said, “That’s not it. It's not that we don't want to take the sacred fruit, but rather, we lack the strength to do so.

“That Heartmoon Sacred Tree had borne three sacred fruits. Two of them were picked away by two monstrously powerful figures, leaving this last one behind.”

“It bore three Heartmoon Sacred Fruits?”

Chen Fan was shocked because ancient texts state that a Heartmoon Sacred Tree could only produce a single fruit.

The blue-clothed youth said, “The Nebulous Mysterious Realm is no ordinary place. Let alone the Heartmoon Sacred Fruit, but even the rarer Ghost King Fruit Tree can bear multiple fruits here."

“There's a Ghost King Fruit Tree here?!” Chen Fan was astonished.

A short distance away, a young woman with snow-white skin glanced at Chen Fan and laughed coldly. “Even if there are Heartmoon Sacred Fruits and Ghost King Fruits, only capable and strong martial artists can pick them. Those without strength can only watch.”

“Is it challenging to pick it?”

Chen Fan walked toward the small lake, staring at the moon-white sacred tree in the lake's center, and inhaled the faint fragrance of the fruit. He felt a soothing sensation throughout his body, with some of his hidden injuries even improving slightly.

The young woman looked contemptuously at Chen Fan and said, “So many of us here have already tried and failed to pick it. So, you tell me, is it difficult or not? I advise you not to try, or you might fall into the sacred lake. The dark nether cold water of the lake will turn you into an ice sculpture.”

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The blue-clothed youth also smiled and said, “Brother, this fairy has a point. The Heartmoon Sacred Fruit isn’t something you can pick just because you want to. It’s impossible to resist the invasive cold energy of the dark nether cold waters without strength comparable to the top ten rankers of the Influential Figures Leaderboard. Even Core Formation realm experts would be in serious trouble if they fell into the lake.”

Chen Fan walked over to the sacred lake’s side. Indeed, he sensed a frigid qi rolling toward him.

“I want to give it a try.” Chen Fan smiled lightly.

The young woman, with skin as fair as a snow lotus, watched Chen Fan's actions and flashed a mocking expression. “Overestimating yourself.”

That blue-clothed youth quickly walked over and tried to dissuade Chen Fan, warning him of the dangers. “Brother, the surface of the sacred lake is peculiar. No matter how high your cultivation, you can't fly, and the dark nether cold waters are deadly. Contact with it freezes the primeval force and vessel within a martial artist. If you doubt me, just look at the lake's bottom."

Chen Fan shifted his gaze to the bottom of the lake.

Four martial artists lay frozen at the bottom, transformed into clusters of ice crystals resembling sculptures devoid of life.

“The four of them were all at the ninth level. You will die here if you fall into the water while trying to pluck the fruit.” The youth let out a long sigh.