Lu Yi and Han Juan, fearing that Chen An might pull some last-minute stunt, had arrived early at the outer sect to wait.
Although Lu Yi had appeared calm the day before, deep down, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. After all, the Zhu fruit was a legendary immortal fruit. Even though it wasn't ripe yet, if they could get their hands on it, it would be an unimaginable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Soon, as Chen An's figure came into view, the last bit of tension in Lu Yi's heart vanished.
He even smiled faintly, thinking to himself that a mere outer sect disciple like Chen An would never dare defy his orders.
In reality, Lu Yi was unaware that Chen An wasn't even an outer sect disciple—he was just a servant. And today, it was the two inner sect disciples of Ling Fu Sect, Lu Yi and Han Juan, who were going to die at the hands of this servant!
"Kid, what's that smell on you? Are you wearing perfume or something?"
As soon as Chen An arrived, Han Juan immediately caught a strange fragrance in the air. It was so pungent that even Han Juan, being a woman, could hardly bear it. Her face was filled with disgust as she looked at him.
At that moment, Chen An had a grass twig in his mouth. Seeing Han Juan's look of distaste, he felt a bit awkward and quickly explained, "Sister Han, there are many poisonous insects in the back mountains. The smell on me comes from a repellent powder I made. Would you like me to put some on you as well, just in case?"
After saying this, Chen An took out the twig he had been chewing and added, "This powder, when mixed with horse manure grass, ensures that no poisonous insects within fifty paces dare approach."
"This mortal thing is for you to keep," Han Juan waved her sleeve dismissively. "Cultivators have spiritual energy protecting us. No ordinary poison can get close!"
Her disdain was evident as she recoiled from him, unwilling to even acknowledge the grass twig.
Seeing this, Chen An awkwardly stepped aside, not daring to say more.
It was Lu Yi who stepped forward and ordered that they should head to the back mountains quickly, or else they would miss the opportunity if it got too late.
Upon hearing Lu Yi's command, Chen An hurriedly nodded, his face full of humility, not daring to offend him.
This expression made Lu Yi gradually relax. He even found himself shaking his head and laughing softly as he watched Chen An lead the way ahead.
"I thought this kid might try some tricks, but I was overthinking it. With someone like him, who's so scared of death, what kind of tricks could he pull?"
With that, Lu Yi and Han Juan followed Chen An deeper into the back mountains of the Ling Fu Sect.
Since few people went to the back mountains usually, there were no real paths, and the three of them had to move through dense forests.
Every once in a while, Chen An would stop to check the direction, seemingly trying to find the right path. However, no matter how hard he looked, they couldn't find any road.
"Kid, we've been walking in this back mountain for so long and still haven't found that fruit tree. Are you trying to deceive me and Lu Yi?" Han Juan couldn't stand the long trek any longer and snapped at Chen An.
Chen An, looking genuinely lost, stared back with a confused expression. He seemed to be muttering to himself as if he were genuinely lost.
The three of them had been in the mountain for hours, and by now it was midday.
Though all three were cultivators, their cultivation levels were still low. After such a long walk, and with no real road underfoot, they were starting to feel exhausted. Lu Yi and Han Juan were even feeling out of breath, unable to keep up.
Seeing this, Lu Yi reluctantly ordered a break to regain their strength before continuing the search for the Zhu fruit.
"Absolutely not, Lu Yi! I can sense that we're close. Why not push through and get the fruit now?" For the first time, Chen An didn't follow Lu Yi's order.
However, Lu Yi, eager to find the fruit as quickly as possible, didn't argue. After a moment of hesitation, he bit down on his teeth, helped Han Juan up, and continued following Chen An.
"Chen An, why does it look like you're not even tired after walking through this forest for so long?" Lu Yi suddenly noticed something strange and asked.
In response, Chen An explained that he grew up at the foot of the mountain, and from an early age, he'd followed his family up the mountain to gather herbs. He was already accustomed to such difficult terrain, so he seemed unaffected.
"Don't worry, Lu Yi. I'm getting more familiar with this place. I believe we'll soon reach our destination."
With Chen An constantly encouraging them, the three walked deeper into the forest. As time went on, Lu Yi and Han Juan grew weaker, and after another two hours, Han Juan collapsed to the ground, unable to move, completely drained.
At that moment, Lu Yi finally realized something was wrong. Even if she was exhausted, Han Juan, as a cultivator, shouldn't have been unable to stand at all.
Her current state could only mean one thing.
Poisoned!!
"Lu Yi, what are you waiting for? Let's go! The Zhu fruit is right in front of us, and your great fortune is within reach!"
Chen An's voice was cold and eerie, and when Lu Yi heard this, a chill ran through his heart.
Only he and Han Juan should have known about the Zhu fruit. How did Chen An know? And more importantly, while even he was struggling to stay on his feet, Chen An seemed unaffected. Wasn't the answer already obvious?
"Despicable!! You dare poison me!" Lu Yi yelled in rage. He quickly retrieved a sword from his storage bag and thrust it toward Chen An's chest.
But Chen An simply shook his head helplessly, "How can you still not understand? Now, I am the knife, and you are the fish!"
With these words, Chen An's eyes flashed with cold light.
His body tightened, like a predator ready to strike its prey, locking onto Lu Yi.
Lu Yi's sword strike, with all his might, appeared slow and full of openings in Chen An's eyes. If he wished, he could think of a hundred ways to kill Lu Yi.
But in the end, Chen An chose the most reliable and effective method!
**Shattering Mountain Strike!**
He instantly channeled his spiritual energy from his dan tian. At the same time, Chen An felt an overwhelming and terrifying force gathering in his palm.
This power was incredibly violent, carrying with it an aura of destruction, as though it could obliterate everything in its path!
**Boom!**
Before the sword even reached him, the gust of wind from Chen An's strike hit first.
Using the Shattering Mountain Strike, Chen An struck Lu Yi in the abdomen. The immense force exploded upon impact, and Lu Yi's face immediately showed a look of shock, which soon turned into fear. His eyes bulged out, then exploded!
**Poof!**
With the power of the Shattering Mountain Strike, Lu Yi was completely