When Ye Fan and Fair Xuan Xueqi went through to the shimmering blue portal, they were startled that they were sent to the outer of the immortal palace but they were in a red chamber instead.
Or rather, there was a crimson nut that was hovering in the middle of this chamber that caused the entire chamber to turn red.
Fairy Xuan Xueqi gasped with shock as she stared at the crimson nut, "This is the Dao Fruit?!"
Ye Fan was also astonished as he did not expect to find the Dao Fruit in this place.
But he was soon saying, "That's right. The Dao Fruit comes from the Dao Tree and it is also of the earth element. Therefore, this most unlikely place is where the Dao Fruit will also likely to be found."
They also saw that there was another blue portal at the corner of this red chamber and that should be the portal that would lead them out of this place.
Ye Fan began to observe the Dao Fruit keenly and was astonished, "I can feel the mystic concepts of the Dao Fruit with my divine sense. This is the real deal but it seems to be growing?"
Fairy Xuan Xueqi smiled, "To say that it is growing may not be the correct word. It is maturing and has not fully ripen."
"Oh?" Ye Fan asked curiously.
Fairy Xuan Xueqi explained, "It is feeding upon the dead cultivators that are killed in this place to make a final breakthrough to maturity. Then it can be taken. Therefore, we can only wait for it to mature."
Ye Fan nodded, "That means that this Dao Fruit has already descended and everyone is still waiting for the Dao Fruit to descend."
Fairy Xuan Xueqi looked intently at the Dao Fruit before saying, "This dead immortal must really be a powerful immortal in order to create a spatial space to house the Dao Fruit and his immortal tomb."
"We may never get to know who this immortal really is," Ye Fan concluded.
He added, "Since the Dao Fruit is in this place and within the five external palace, there is no point for us to go to the center palace to disturb the final resting place of the dead immortal."
Fairy Xuan Xueqi smiled, "That's true. I just can't figure out why the Dao Fruit isn't at the center palace and will be here? I mean if the cultivators make a careful search, then won't they find out about this secret location?"
Ye Fan sighed softly, "It is human nature to have greed. All the cultivators would be likely to make a beeline to get as far as they could until they could no longer proceed. Many would even be fighting with one another to obtain as many profound treasures as possible."
Fairy Xuan Xueqi smiled wryly, "So we are not greedy?"
Ye Fan smiled, "If you have not given me a saint-step divine sword, I may be tempted too. But…"
He was looking tenderly at Fairy Xuan Xueqi as he smiled, "I am not interested in any of the profound treasures that are in this place except for the Dao Fruit. And I am obtaining this Dao Fruit for my Xueqi so that I can cure you of your afflictions."
Fairy Xuan Xueqi was moved in her heart when she had heard Ye Fan and she looked affectionately at him for a while.
Just like that, the two of them were just standing there and looking at each other tenderly for quite a while until they were suddenly disrupted by an earthquake that shook the entire chamber.
Ye Fan said with a startled voice, "It seems that a trap has just been activated in this place.
"It seems to be," Fairy Xuan Xueqi agreed.
They were actually partially right.
Actually, multiple arrays were now being activated all around the immortal tomb to force the cultivators to enter the immortal tomb and to be feeder for the Dao Fruit.
The earthquake did not happen to just this part of the immortal tomb palace but elsewhere as well.
Ye Fan saw that the Dao Fruit was turning redder and redder with every passing moment and he was slightly shocked, "The number of dead cultivators seem to be increasing at a much faster rate now."
Fairy Xuan Xueqi was also able to see the changes that had occurred to the Dao Fruit and she was also alarmed but she soon said solemnly, "We should be quite safe now…"
But she could not help but worry for her papa who was inside this wonderland as well.
She prayed that he would be alright.
There was nothing for Ye Fan and Fairy Xuan Xueqi to do now but to wait for the Dao Fruit to ripen.
Therefore, they began to meditate to recover their profound strength which they had expended earlier.
Many hours had since passed.
In fact, 30 hours had passed when the Dao Fruit was suddenly glowing with a wondrous light.
Fairy Xuan Xueqi gasped as she jumped up from her meditation, "The Dao Fruit has fully matured now…"
Ye Fan was also delighted; it was because he could finally cure his Xueqi of her afflictions.
He began to grin with delight as he grabbed the Dao Fruit. "Finally. This seems like an extremely long wait for me. Haha…"
Then he tenderly looked at Fairy Xuan Xueqi, "Xueqi, this is for you. I've finally found a profound treasure that can help you."
Fairy Xuan Xueqi looked delighted as well and she smiled to Ye Fan, "Thank you, Ye Fan…"
But all of a sudden, she had used her fingers to stab him with her profound force as he tried to mutter a reply.
This caught Ye Fan completely by surprise and at the same time, Fairy Xuan Xueqi had grabbed the Dao Fruit to pop it into Ye Fan's mouth as he tried to ask why she was attacking him.
Ye Fan tried to cough out the Dao Fruit panicky but Fairy Xuan Xueqi hit him again to force him to swallow the Dao Fruit.
"Why, Xueqi…"
Fairy Xuan Xueqi inhaled softly, "I'm sorry Ye Fan but I want you to have this Dao Fruit instead. As for my afflictions, you don't have to worry for me…"
Ye Fan was in tears and he was trembling; it was not because he was upset with Fairy Xuan Xueqi but he felt that he did not deserve the Dao Fruit more than his beloved Xueqi.
The very reason why he had come to this place was to find a cure for his beloved Xueqi and not because he wanted the Dao Fruit for himself.