Long Yu and his teammates soon reached the place of carnage, almost a dozen lay dead there as they scouted the place from a hiding place they found near the scene. Seeing no enemy present they slowly approached the place as they neared the saw the reason of the carnage.
A single fruit hang from the tree, which caused the carnage. Everyone except Long Yu practically salivated at seeing the fruit. A somewhat oval shaped white fruit, with a single purple long strip running around the fruit exactly at the middle, upon closer inspection Long Yu noticed that the line was not as continuous as it looked from the distance but as if it was formed by placing short line one after another. He looked at the leaves to find it had reticulate venation.
Ayesha: "No way it is a single strip enlightenment fruit."
Single strip enlightenment fruit is type of fruit which comes from a family of fruit commonly referred to as 'Enlightenment fruits', basically it enables a person to enter into a state of enlightenment. The lowest quality is a single strip fruit to the highest tiered 9 strip fruit, and the main part is that each of them has an odd number of strips.
Long Yu frowned, "I do not think that it is a 'Enlightenment fruit', but 'Everlasting Peace Fruit'."
Ayesha: "Ah what fruit, I never heard such a fruit, go and learn about herbs and medicinal plants before trying to make up something like that.", she finished in a mocking tone before she turned towards others, "Well sisters let us harvest it for ourselves who knows what our esteemed 'Alchemist' might cook up next."
Everyone except Veronica laughed at that as they mocked Long Yu, who at that point had half a mind to let them consume it, because unlike the 'Enlightenment fruit', the 'Everlasting Peace Fruit', is a highly poisonous fruit used to create poison strong enough to kill even immortals, but since it looks so familiar to a single strip 'Enlightenment fruit', people sometimes make mistake thus killing themselves.
Being the kind hearted kid he is he tried to dissuade them again, "The 'Enlightenment fruit' is always perfectly round, the strip running down is continuous without any break and its leaves always have parallel venation. So that fruit over there is not a 'Enlightenment fruit', but 'Everlasting Peace Fruit'. It is highly poisonous fruit that is used to concoct poison that can even kill immortals."
Koyuki sighed, "Listen kid it is good to be greedy, hell even we feel greedy from time to time, but we are currently teammates so please control your greed it is disgusting."
Veronica's thought ran in different directions spending some time with him she knew one thing clear Long Yu does not have any mean or evil bone in his body he would never trick or harm any innocent, "Sorry but I will support him in this, I trust him with my life and he has yet to fail me."
Ryofu: "Well that means we will have more pieces of the fruit for us then.", she smiled snidely at them.
Helen: "Ayesha her is an upcoming genius alchemist of our sect someone who is even acknowledged by our Sect Leader, and you pipsqueak is speaking about some fancy fruit like you have seen one, I doubt you have seen either of them."
Long Yu has seen both the fruits, he had seen the 'Everlasting Peace Fruit' in the herbarium his master gave him excess to, he may not have full access as some stuff is dangerous for him to handle at his current level of strength, but that does not mean his master did not show him any of those she has stored there. As for 'Enlightenment fruit', well his mansion has a couple of them planted in the garden area and unlike this low quality fruit the trees present in his garden are all Seven stripped ones.
He tried to stop them but before he could speak they were forced to dodge a hail of arrows.
A group of 6 people had attacked them, both the teams glared at each other, until Koyuki shouted out, " I know there are more of you get out here.", and soon enough a group of 12 more people came out of hiding. Long Yu inwardly frowned, what a big mistake he had made, he had lowered his guard down and allowed these people to get a drop on them. But he also noticed that the shadow was still keeping an eye on them, he inwardly sighed as he will now have to show his skill set to him, oh how he wished his entire team was with them at least he could warn them of their little stalker but his current team was already grating on his nerves.
An obnoxious fellow spoke out, "Well well look what we have here boys a few pretty flowers and an 'Enlightenment fruit', seems to be our lucky day."
The laughed at that until one of them spoke, "Oi women we are respected Gentleman so why don't you leave your belongings and scram and we won't harm you."
Before Long Yu's teammates could reply another person spoke out, "Captain it is him the kid who humiliated and caused death of your junior apprentice brother."
"Oh so that pompous fool fell because of him, oh well child if it were normal circumstance I would have a thanked you, but unfortunately if showed your head to our master he will be even more elated so if you want to blame someone blame your luck kid.", spoke out a tall lanky 50 something old man with long white beard and bald headed.
Long Yu: "Your brother who are people speaking about?"
"Che youngsters these days, hah I give up they have worst memory than us old man, well brat my junior brother Moguu who died because of in the forest biome."
Long Yu frowned put his hands on his chin as if deep in thought, "Ah I remember now, the idiot who claimed to be an alchemist, so he was your junior apprentice brother, ah how silly of me to not recognize you old timer after all both of you are trying to imitate as if you are some wise knowledgeable person with that long beards and robes.", he spoke as if he was discussing weather.
Normally Long Yu does not like insulting someone but this person rubbed him the wrong way, his older sisters were very powerful, much respected and more importantly they were older than him, in normal case someone of his status would not have the right to glance at them let alone speak with them, yet those same persons helped him a lot, showed him many interesting things, played with him like they were his friends and were same age as him, told him stories, protected him when he was in danger and now this person comes and looks happy that his brother is dead. He was infuriated at seeing such vile person in front of him, someone who spat on the face of the relationship he had with his beloved older sisters, he will never forgive him.
The man has a vein throbbing on his head, how this impudent brat dare to insult him he will skin him alive and use him as a lab rat till the day he died. "Bring me that impudent brat to me alive. I will show him what happens when you disrespect your betters."
Soon a terrifying aura consisting of mostly 7th rank Zifu Disciple and couple of 8th and one of 9th rank entered the fray.
Koyuki quickly spoke in a whisper but her teammates all heard clearly, "Listen during the fight I want one of to snatch the fruit and make a run for we are near the end of the garden and as soon as we make inside the second half of the trials will begin this people will not be able to follow us then as a single path only allows a single team so keep your eyes open and make a break for it."
They soon faced them, Long Yu quickly unsheathed his sword and joined the fray and in remarkable show of agility which looked as if he was doing a combination of dancing and sliding on the ground he dodged but at the same time he hit them using the sword to deflect the enemies attack he went for the palm strike, and because of his height he got a couple of them where the sun doesn't shine causing them to collapse in agony, soon he was the one nearest to the fruit tree, he activate his skill 'Jade Hands', as he plucked the fruit he shouted at the bald man, "Ok enough I have the fruit but if guys do not stop I will eat it myself.", he knew that most of the people has shaky knowledge at best thus he gambled that this idiots would also mistake it as 'Enlightenment fruit'.
The bald man, "You blasphemous fool let go of the 'Enlightenment fruit', or I will damn you for eternity."
Long Yu: "Then call your men back, and make them stay at least 20 meters away from us.", the bald man hesitated, "Well what are you waiting for I am going to eat it, ahhhh", he made a motion as if he would swallow it.
Bald man, "Ok you win everyone pull back, quickly back at least 20 meters."
Soon his men retreated back and stood near him, Long Yu noticed that during the confrontation the men he touched were almost evenly placed among the crowd some of them were injured but mostly lightly, he frowned when he looked at his teammates who compare to others looked worse for wear.
Long Yu: "Here is the fruit now stop chasing us.", as he casually tossed the fruit towards the bald man.
Kyouki was furious at the whole situation and now their idiotic teammate surrendered the fruit to the enemy, "You idiotic child, how dare you give away the fruit to them, I will spank you so hard that your great great grandchild will feel it.", she could not help but howl out towards Long Yu with anger.
The bald man watched the fruit sailing towards him with a wide smile, 'I do not know how he defeated my junior brother but this child is idiotic, oh well losers are beggars but winners are kings.'
As soon as he caught the fruit a loud shout came to his ears, "ACTIVATE", soon they all felt a jolt of electricity course through them paralyzing them, and they fruit exploded as dense purple cloud surrounded.
Meanwhile Long Yu ran while shouting out, "RETREAT, RETREAT", as he ran as if devils were themselves after him, his teammates knew this was the only chance as they ran.
After crossing almost a hundred meters they stopped and turned, his teammates were horrified as they saw they seen in front of them, their attacks were all on ground only a couple spasmed, they were foaming and were turned blackish purple from head to toe, as blood leaked from all the orifice, the most horrifying thing was except the tree which bore the fruit everything within a few dozen meters from the epic center of the blast had wilted and died.
Ryofu: "Long Yu what did you do with the fruit?"
Long Yu: "Nothing this fruit is very volatile as such if touched wrongly it explodes releasing its toxins, as I said before 'Everlasting Peace Fruit' is highly poisonous, and it would take a long long time before anyone could safely enter the blast center. Well let us leave we are wasting time."
As they left a couple of people arrived at the scene and one of them spoke, "What an interesting child, put him at the top of the list Master would be truly pleased to have someone like him."
"So true brother so true, unlike the rest of trashes this child is not only genius but also cunning and resourceful. He has greatly talented more than some who are many times his age. I wonder if he has some 'Divine Body' but what if he has a good background then??"
"I also wonder if he has a Divine Body well master himself will arrive here so he will determine, and even if he has a great background I doubt they will have someone to stop a peak level Dao-Father."
"So true so true, well let us get moving we still have a quota to fulfill we still have to mark a couple of more people."
"Yes let us leave."
With that both the people left the clearing, leaving behind all those poison covered bodies to become fertilizer for the 'Everlasting Peace Fruit' tree.