Li Ran pinched his chin, watching Yue Jianli fleeing in embarrassment.
"Really lively~ Just a bit small in scale, needs further development..."
Indeed, as he expected.
Yue Jianli was very strong, undoubtedly in a different league from Song Qingsong.
The move she just used, Sword Rain, was definitely not her strongest card, but it was enough to turn an ordinary Golden Core stage cultivator into minced meat!
Li Ran lowered his head, looking at the devastated land beneath him.
Ruined walls and debris were everywhere.
He couldn't help shaking his head. "A woman's destructive power is really something. A well-maintained medicinal garden was turned into this mess..."
Li Ran felt like he forgot something.
"Oh damn, where's Xiao Qingge?!"
He got too carried away just now and forgot about this girl. Could she have been chopped into pieces by the random sword strikes?
Li Ran wandered around the broken ground.
"I'm here!"
Xiao Qingge peeked out from behind a withered tree.
Li Ran breathed a sigh of relief and landed in front of her.
Although she looked dirty, there wasn't a scratch on her body. Even her clothes were intact.
"Your luck is really something. The dense Sword Rain couldn't touch you?" Li Ran exclaimed.
Xiao Qingge smiled and said, "When I saw you guys fighting, I hid behind this Life Fruit tree. No matter how crazy Yue Jianli was, she would subconsciously avoid harming this precious material."
"Smart."
Li Ran gave her a thumbs up.
"Hehe, I'm an expert in running away." Xiao Qingge proudly declared.
Being able to survive alone in the vast mountains for five days required not only survival skills but also flexible thinking and a keen sixth sense.
"You just said, is this a Life Fruit tree?" Li Ran asked.
"Mmm."
Xiao Qingge nodded. "According to the records in the Immortal Material Catalog, the Life Fruit is full of vitality and grows on withered trees, symbolizing the cycle of life and death and the emergence of good fortune from adversity."
"And within a hundred meters around the Life Fruit, not even a single blade of spirit grass can grow because all vitality has been plundered by it."
She didn't recklessly enter the secret realm but made thorough preparations.
"You know quite a lot... So, do you know how to pick this thing?" Li Ran asked.
"Life Fruits are different from other immortal materials. They don't require any special techniques; even ordinary people can easily pick them. However, there is a small requirement for the picker," Xiao Qingge replied.
"What requirement?" Li Ran was curious.
Xiao Qingge blushed a bit and hesitated before saying, "Life Fruits have a strong Yang attribute. Only virgins with their Yin essence intact can pick them; otherwise, they will lose most of their medicinal properties..."
"Such a perverted requirement?" Li Ran assessed Xiao Qingge, "Can you do it? If not, I'll go grab Yue Jianli and let her pick it."
With her cold and indifferent appearance, she surely wouldn't be interested in men, and her Yin essence must be intact.
"I, I can do it!" Xiao Qingge stomped her feet indignantly. "I'm not that kind of casual woman!"
"Alright, please begin your performance."
"Phew~"
Xiao Qingge calmed her emotions a bit and cautiously reached out to pick the fruit.
At the moment the Life Fruit left the branch, the entire withered tree collapsed rapidly, instantly turning into scattered ashes.
Its mission was accomplished.
As for where these dust particles would go and whether they could nurture another Life Fruit, it all depended on fate.
Xiao Qingge held the Life Fruit in her hands, feeling the vigorous vitality emanating from it.
This was the thing she risked her life to pursue, the key to whether she could restore her talent and return to the immortal path.
She looked at the fruit, then at Li Ran, and extended her hand, offering it to him. "It's for you."
"Huh?"
Li Ran was puzzled. "Isn't this what you were looking for? Why give it to me?"
Xiao Qingge shook her head. "This Life Fruit isn't mine; it's yours."
"If it weren't for you, I would have been left dead in the wilderness long ago. I wouldn't have had the chance to enter the secret realm, let alone come this far."
"So, this Life Fruit rightfully belongs to you."
Li Ran scratched his head and said, "But you picked it."
"Even without me, you would have found another way to pick it," Xiao Qingge said. "It's not related to me."
Li Ran chuckled, "Alright, let's say it's mine. Can't I give it to you?"
After spending these days with Xiao Qingge, watching her on the brink of death multiple times but never giving up, her perseverance and strength amazed even him.
Even if it was an adult's beauty, this fruit should belong to her.
Xiao Qingge fell silent for a moment and said seriously, "I still can't accept it."
"Why?" Li Ran frowned. "You went through so much trouble for this, and now you don't want it. Is your brain malfunctioning?"
He really couldn't understand.
Xiao Qingge placed the Life Fruit in his hand, her eyes filled with tenderness.
"The final trial is about to begin, and a fierce battle is inevitable. Although you are very strong, this is the inheritance of an ancient emperor, and it should not be underestimated."
"Song Qingsong is cunning and deceitful, and Yue Jianli is also a formidable opponent. In case something unexpected happens..."
"The Life Fruit in your possession can be a life-saving grace at a critical moment."
Li Ran looked at her gentle expression and suddenly felt a bit choked up. "What about you then?"
Xiao Qingge smiled and gently leaned against his chest, listening to his strong and vigorous heartbeat.
"Only when you're alive does everything I do make sense."
"If you can safely leave the secret realm, and if this fruit hasn't been used, come to Five Yang City to find me."
"I... will be waiting for you."
<+>
If you want to see more of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read the latest post, please go to my
The current chapter in Patreon:
Link to the current chapter: