Tang Wan-er and Ye Zhiqiu were both completely shocked. They stared at him, but a moment later Tang Wan-er's shock faded to be replaced with complete contempt.
"Nonsense."
"Huh, how did you know?" Long Chen said, stunned.
Looking at Long Chen's expression, Tang Wan-er couldn't help laughing. Her released laughter was like a peach blossom blooming, extremely alluring.
Tang Wan-er lightly hit him, scolding, "Rascal, you're not allowed to make me laugh. If I laugh too much I'll get wrinkles."
But although she said that, she was still laughing beautifully, her voice like silver bells melodiously tinkling.
Long Chen glanced from Tang Wan-er to Ye Zhiqiu and came to a sudden comprehension. "Ah, no wonder sister Zhiqiu never laughs."
Ye Zhiqiu was momentarily blank before icily staring at him. "You're very dull."
Long Chen awkwardly laughed, "Hehe, it's a joke! Don't be so serious."
Tang Wan-er was already hunched from laughing so much. Long Chen shrugged, putting on a helpless expression, his meaning being that it was she who was laughing at you, not me.
Finally Tang Wan-er finished laughing, feeling that her face had even become sore from laughing so much. Gently rubbing her cheeks, she smiled at Long Chen, "It really is surprising an empty-headed fool like you can be so funny."
"Hehe, I have many good aspects. What, are you interested? If your heart was interested it would be best.
"I trust that with your aptitude and talent, as long as you work hard enough, there will eventually come a day when I will also return your feelings. But remember, you must act quickly.
"The current era is one of intense competition. Those who are early win, while those who are late suffer calamity. Youngsters must be filled with drive. When they see an opportunity, strike like lightning in case it goes by too fast."
Long Chen solemnly said all this like a respected elder patiently teaching his descendants, a bright glow of knowledge covering his face.
Ye Zhiqiu looked at Long Chen strangely. It seemed the current Long Chen was a far cry from her impression of him.
"Hey, can you move your vulgar hand from my shoulder?" Tang Wan-er glanced at him disdainfully.
"Aiya, I was too engrossed. Cough, my bad, it was purely my hand's fault." Long Chen laughed and took back his hand.
"Anyways, Long Chen, we should still split this Profound Spirit Fruit. This is very important to you," said Ye Zhiqiu.
Although Long Chen had said he didn't want it, she was sure he was just joking. Ye Zhiqiu wasn't someone who didn't know her own limits. This Profound Spirit Fruit was too rare. She couldn't take it all for herself.
"Long Chen, you should split it with sister Zhiqiu. For me, this Profound Spirit Fruit doesn't have much use.
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"I was just fighting because I didn't want to let that bastard Lei Qianshang to get it too easily. Furthermore, sister Zhiqiu and I have formed an alliance. And to tell the truth, I also only put in so much effort for you."
Seeing that Long Chen's expression became a bit odd, Tang Wan-er hastily continued, "Hey, don't get any weird thoughts! I was fighting for a competent subordinate, nothing more. I just wanted to raise a powerful helper."
"Wan-er, you're so good to me! How can I repay you? I'm absolutely penniless right now. The only thing of value I have right now is my pure and innocent body. Ah, fine, I'll give it to you," Long Chen sputtered out while he was 'choked with emotion'.
"Scoundrel, are you asking for death?" Tang Wan-er gave him a vicious pinch.
"Ah yes, pinch me as much as you like. In any case, I've already given myself to you. To become one of sister Wan-er's family, even when I die, I will be sister Wan-er's family…" Long Chen's physical body was powerful while Tang Wan-er didn't specialize in strength in that way. Her pinches didn't really hurt him at all.
"Pfft…"
Both Long Chen and Tang Wan-er stiffened for a moment. That was because that sound hadn't been from either one of them. They both quickly turned to stare at Ye Zhiqiu. They saw her covering her face and turning away.
Ye Zhiqiu also knew how to laugh? Both Long Chen and Tang Wan-er stopped whatever they were doing to stare at her.
But when Ye Zhiqiu once more turned back, her face had once more become ice. Shaking her head, she said, "You two are both dull. I'll split the Profound Spirit Fruit now."
She opened the jade case and took out a dagger, about to cut it.
"You must not!" Long Chen was startled. No longer smiling mischievously, he extended his hand to stop her.
"The Profound Spirit Fruit is a natural treasure. It rejects metal, and so if you touch it with that dagger, this Profound Spirit Fruit's energy will drop by more than half," explained Long Chen seriously.
Both of them were surprised. Their families both had extremely great backers and backgrounds. They knew the Xuantian Monastery's trial region would contain a single Profound Spirit Fruit that would mature during the trial.
That was a huge opportunity for them. All five monster-class experts had long since been told that the Profound Spirit Fruit was their greatest opportunity here.
But all they knew about it was that it had an extremely high probability to allow Blood Condensation experts perfectly advance to the Tendon Transformation realm.
As for its taboos and is efficiency, they were completely unclear. And so Ye Zhiqiu had almost commited an extremely grave error.
Seeing how serious Long Chen was, Ye Zhiqiu was given a fright. She had almost ruined a Profound Spirit Fruit. She hastily put away the dagger.
"Then how should we do it?" asked Ye Zhiqiu.
Long Chen replied, "I wasn't kidding. My body is somewhat special and I don't need the Profound Spirit Fruit. Even if I ate it, it would be a complete waste. So, sister Zhiqiu, you can have this entire Profound Spirit Fruit."
Seeing how serious he was now, Ye Zhiqiu and Tang Wan-er both glanced at each other. Tang Wan-er laughed, "Sometimes this fellow's words can be trusted. Sister, please accept it."
Ye Zhiqiu nodded, putting the Profound Spirit Fruit into her ring. She gratefully thanked, "Then I'll thank both of you. Zhiqiu will remember this kindness."
"Okay, now that we've finished dividing the spoils, let's go find a place to eat some fish." Tang Wan-er pulled on Ye Zhiqiu.
Long Chen shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You guys can go, but I'm not coming."
"If you don't come then how will we have fish to eat?" raged Tang Wan-er.
"Is there a mistake here? Why must you eat my fish? Aren't you the one inviting others to eat?" Long Chen was naturally a bit indignant.
"You're my underling, so what's yours is mine. Are you planning on rebelling?" Tang Wan-er said, acting as if that was as it should be.
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"…"
Two hours later, at the end of a mountain valley with a clear pool beside it, the fragrance of fish wafted out.
"Long Chen, you really are capable. You even managed to get Wonder Carps and Queen Bee Honey." Ye Zhiqiu let out an extremely rare bit of praise.
But naturally what Long Chen had brought out was just the ordinary honey with a bit of the Queen Bee Honey added into it to improve the flavor. If he really did just drink the Queen Bee Honey directly just for the taste, he would definitely feel that to be a waste.
As Long Chen cooked more fish, he gave Ye Zhiqiu a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Sister Zhiqiu truly is someone who understands reason. You're not like some people who eat and drink other people's food without saying a single word."
Long Chen glanced at Tang Wan-er as he said that. Tang Wan-er was completely infatuated with the fish and Jade Butterfly Honey.
But her mood was just too good at this moment and she pretended as if she hadn't heard Long Chen's words. She knew he was intentionally needling her. If she became angry, that would just be falling for his wicked plans.
"Long Chen, I can understand why Lei Qianshang hates you. But I'm curious, why did Qi Xin become like a crazy dog as soon as he saw you?" Tang Wan-er asked somewhat puzzled.
"Ah, do you even need to ask? Of course it's because he's jealous of how handsome I am." Long Chen mumbled out with a mouthful of fish.
"I'm talking properly to you! Why are you like this!" Tang Wan-er raged.
"Don't blame me. Normally I'm so proper, but whenever I see you I lose control. I guess I'm just someone who is easy to infect and contaminate," helplessly said Long Chen.
"Scoundrel, you're to the one who's not normal, not me!" How could Tang Wan-er not understand his roundabout insult? She threw her fish bones at him.
Long Chen laughed and dodged. Seeing that she had started to truly become angry, he knew he couldn't take it too far and hastily poured another cup of honey for both of them.
"The Queen Bee Honey you're drinking now was something I obtained with his help." Long Chen told them about how he had 'worked together' with Qi Xin at the beehive. In any case, Long Chen didn't feel that this was something that needed to be hidden.
When Long Chen finished his story, Ye Zhiqiu sighed and shook her head. "Qi Xin really is unlucky to have provoked you."
Tang Wan-er on the other hand had already lost any sense of decorum and was laying on Ye Zhiqiu's shoulder, holding her stomach as she tried to breathe through her laughter.
"Long Chen, you really are too… wicked." Tang Wan-er gasped for breath, her face red with another kind of beauty.
Only now did Tang Wan-er and Ye Zhiqiu understand why Qi Xin had immediately gone so crazy, even if it had been a bit purposeful at the end.
But at the beginning when he had been trembling from rage, that was definitely not faked. Hearing Long Chen's explanation, they now completely understood.
Looking at her laughing, Long Chen couldn't stop himself from evilly saying, "Sister Wan-er, if you can say that again, but a bit more coyly, I would be able to accept it easier."
"Wicked Long Chen, you can't even talk properly for more than a minute before returning to your nonsense. I won't bother with you anymore." Tang Wan-er turned her head, purposely not looking at him.
Ye Zhiqiu suddenly gave him a warning, "Long Chen, although you are powerful, your cultivation base is only at the mid stage of Blood Condensation. You should be a bit more careful.
"Although we've caused Lei Qianshang and Qi Xin to suffer a loss this time, that doesn't mean they're weak. It's just that we all have some apprehensions and don't dare use our entire strength. Don't get overconfident."
Ye Zhiqiu might be an icy person, but she was more reliable than Tang Wan-er. She had given him a warning when seeing him smiling and laughing carelessly all day.
Long Chen paused. "You mean none of you have used your full strength?"
"Yes. Although the Profound Spirit Fruit was important, the core disciple trial is even more important. No one wants to be injured before that time arrives. In just ten more days, that final trial will begin. Whether we can obtain a core disciple position will depend on it," explained Tang Wan-er.
Long Chen nodded. No wonder he had felt as if something was wrong. Even he had suspected that a monster-class expert's strength would not have been limited to that level.
So originally they were all focused on the final trial. That made sense.
Long Chen suddenly asked Tang Wan-er, "Can you summon a wind blade and give me a good look?"