บท 138: Chapter 138: The Earthcore Soul Fruit
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After parting ways with Xue Mei and the other girl, Mo Yu, accompanied by Qing Lin, set out on the road to the Ten Thousand Mountain Range. His visit to Dawn Sun City was primarily to fulfill Master Frank's request, and now that the task was complete, there was no reason to linger.
Although Mo Yu noticed the faint affection in Xue Mei's gaze, his ambitions lay far beyond fleeting romance. With aspirations to break through the lower planes and journey to the Great Thousand World, Mo Yu wouldn't allow himself to be hindered by emotional entanglements.
Xue Mei was indeed beautiful, her cold temperament unmatched by anyone. However, though she had feelings, the young man had no heart to reciprocate.
Seeing that Mo Yu chose to keep her by his side, Qing Lin's lips curved into a sweet smile. As expected, Young Master still cares for me the most.
Glancing at the girl grinning foolishly beside him, Mo Yu gave a slight smile before heading toward a nearby herbal shop.
Today's gains far exceeded his expectations. Not only had he successfully refined the Fire Binding Net, but he also obtained some crucial information about a Heavenly Flame. His heart was filled with joy.
Walking along the street with Qing Lin, Mo Yu entered a herbal store and purchased some insect repellents and basic healing medicine.
These repellents would prove helpful in the Ten Thousand Mountain Range—though he could easily kill powerful magical beasts, the swarming mosquitoes would be a persistent annoyance.
The healing medicine was unnecessary for Mo Yu himself, given his robust constitution, but it was prepared for Qing Lin, whose current strength was still too weak.
After gathering the necessary supplies, Mo Yu noted the dimming sky and decided to set off the following morning.
He spent the evening with Qing Lin wandering through the streets of Dawn Sun City, appreciating the foreign scenery. He also purchased a map of the Mu Lan Empire, much to the delight of the young girl. They finally settled in a luxurious inn for the night.
As the night slowly passed, the scorching sun rose again, draping Dawn Sun City in its intense heat.
Mo Yu stretched lazily as he stepped out of the inn. After Qing Lin insisted on helping him dress, the two left the inn together.
Standing on the road near the city gate, Mo Yu carefully inspected his belongings one last time. Patting Qing Lin's head gently, he began his journey toward the Mu Lan Empire.
"Ten Thousand Beast Flame, here I come!"
A few hundred meters outside the city gate, Mo Yu glanced around to ensure no one was nearby. A faint light flickered on the Demon Frost Beast Ring on his right hand, summoning Zi Huo.
Qing Lin gasped, covering her small, rosy mouth in shock as Mo Yu seemingly conjured a powerful magical beast from thin air.
The summoned creature, Zi Huo, was enormous—five to six meters long. Its entire body was covered in violet crystalline scales, with a terrifying, fanged beast head. The massive wings on its back blazed with purple flames, exuding a dreadful aura.
Though Qing Lin had heard about her young master's powerful fourth-rank magical beast, seeing it in person was entirely different.
The strongest beast she had encountered back in Stone Desert City had been no more than a top-tier second-grade magical beast. Compared to this fourth-rank beast, the difference was immense.
However, unlike a wild magical beast, Zi Huo didn't act arrogantly. After scanning its surroundings, it licked the blood of a wild boar from its lips, but dissatisfaction flickered in its blood-red eyes, clearly annoyed at being disturbed.
When it noticed the "tiny human" beside Mo Yu, the dissatisfaction quickly faded. The beast's gaze softened as it affectionately rubbed its massive head against Mo Yu.
In Zi Huo's mind, Mo Yu's identity as its master had already taken root.
Mo Yu wasn't surprised to see the wild boar meat in the beast's mouth. To make Zi Huo's life more comfortable inside the Demon Frost Beast Ring, Mo Yu had stocked it with various live beasts for it to hunt and eat at leisure.
Rather than following the practices of beast tamers on the Shen Xiao Continent, who kept their beasts locked away, Mo Yu preferred to let Zi Huo roam freely when possible. If given the chance, he intended to find a Transformation Pill that would allow Zi Huo to take human form.
In its transformed state, Zi Huo could travel more conveniently and cultivate more efficiently. Mo Yu was also curious to see how powerful the beast could become in its human form.
However, the Transformation Pill was a seventh-grade pill, and alchemists of such caliber were scarce across the entire Northwest Continent. It was a long-term goal.
Seeing how close Zi Huo was to Mo Yu, Qing Lin's admiration for her young master deepened even further.
"To tame a fourth-grade magical beast—Young Master is truly incredible!"
"Qing Lin, this is Zi Huo, my magical pet. Get to know each other," Mo Yu said, gesturing toward the beast.
"Oh… okay, Young Master," Qing Lin replied, a bit startled. She quickly composed herself and greeted the enormous beast in a soft voice, "Hello, Zi Huo. I'm Qing Lin."
"Roar!"
Zi Huo's eyes twinkled mischievously as it let out a friendly growl, acknowledging her greeting.
In its simple worldview, it already regarded Qing Lin as its "mistress."
Though the beast couldn't yet speak, its intelligence was on par with that of a human child. It had begun to understand basic social interactions.
Mo Yu chuckled at the exchange, not taking it too seriously. He patted the beast's side, and Zi Huo immediately understood the signal. It crouched down, extinguishing the flames on its wings.
"We're heading to the Ten Thousand Mountain Range next. Riding Zi Huo will make the journey much faster," Mo Yu explained. He lifted Qing Lin onto the beast's back before leaping up himself.
Compared to Xiao Yixian's first-rank beast, Blue Eagle, Zi Huo was superior in both power and speed.
Standing steadily on the beast's back, Mo Yu pulled out the map of the Mu Lan Empire he had bought the previous day. The Ten Thousand Mountain Range was marked on the far eastern side of the empire.
With a command from Mo Yu, Zi Huo soared toward the eastern horizon.
The Mu Lan Empire was far larger than the Jia Ma Empire. Even with Zi Huo flying day and night, it took them nearly half a month to travel from the empire's western region to the northeast.
On a small hill, Mo Yu stood beside Qing Lin, frowning at the map in his hands.
They had been exploring the Ten Thousand Mountain Range for over ten days. Fearing that Zi Huo's presence would attract unwanted attention, Mo Yu and Qing Lin opted to travel on foot within the forest.
After days of walking, they finally neared the area marked by a flame symbol on the map. However, despite searching all day yesterday, Mo Yu found no trace of the Heavenly Flame.
"Could it really be in the northern part of the range?" Mo Yu muttered, raising the map and frowning bitterly.
He had already explored the eastern and western parts, but neither had any signs of the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Flame. It seemed increasingly likely that the flame was hidden in the northern region.
"Young Master, are you really going to the northern part of the range?" Qing Lin asked anxiously. She had learned of their goal and the information from Liu Ye during their travels, and worry filled her voice.
The Lizard-Serpent Tribe harbors a sixth-grade king-level magical beast, posing a considerable risk.
"I have no choice. I need the Heavenly Flame. Although it's dangerous, it's not insurmountable. What's wrong, Qing Lin? Are you afraid?" Mo Yu chuckled, shaking his head.
He trusted Qing Lin completely—otherwise, he wouldn't have shared this information with her. His teasing words were just meant to provoke a playful response.
Qing Lin, however, took it seriously. Her expression froze for a moment before she puffed her cheeks in frustration. "Qing Lin isn't scared! I'm just worried about your safety, young master. If you're going, I will accompany you. I won't let you die before me."
Although she was still small and slender, her voice was resolute, and a determined gleam shone in her eyes.
Mo Yu was momentarily taken aback, then smiled apologetically. He patted Qing Lin's head out of habit and continued walking deeper into the forest.
After another half-hour under the scorching sun, Mo Yu and Qing Lin decided to rest. Just as they were about to sit down, Mo Yu's brows twitched, and he turned his head toward a nearby hill.
There, a disheveled figure stumbled down the slope. Losing balance, the man rolled down, landing near them in a heap of dirt.
Mo Yu furrowed his brows as he watched the man collapse at his feet.
Qing Lin's eyes flashed with concern. After receiving a nod of approval from Mo Yu, she stepped forward and retrieved a bag of water from her spatial ring. She carefully poured the water over the man's face.
The cold splash jolted the unconscious man awake. His eyes widened in alarm at the sight of Mo Yu and Qing Lin but relaxed when he realized they meant no harm.
Mo Yu glanced at him indifferently, then turned to leave. If not for Qing Lin's kindness, Mo Yu wouldn't have bothered. On the Dou Qi Continent, kindness often went unrewarded—more often, it led to betrayal, like the fable of the farmer and the snake.
Seeing Mo Yu leave, Qing Lin hurriedly took out two more bottles of water and placed them beside the man before following closely behind her young master.
"Wait, young brother!" the man called hoarsely, his voice cracking as Mo Yu walked away without hesitation. "Please, help us! Our mercenary squad was ambushed by a rival group. We're in desperate need of reinforcements. Could you send for help at Lannister Town?"
"I don't have time." Mo Yu's voice remained cold and detached. His steps didn't falter.
There were countless deaths across the continent every day—should he intervene in all of them? If mercenaries chose to venture into the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, they should be prepared to face the consequences.
"Young brother!" The man gritted his teeth and dragged himself forward, shouting with all his might. "Please, help us! Our captain's daughter is with us! If you save them, the Mountain Demon Mercenary Group will reward you handsomely!"
Mo Yu kept walking, unaffected by the man's pleas. Lannister Town was a small settlement at the foot of the mountain range, as marked on Liu Ye's map. Although some mercenary groups operated there, their strength was barely above that of the Qing Shan Town, where Xiao Yixian had lived.
What could a mere mercenary group with a Da Dou Shi at best offer him?
Just as the man's expression darkened in despair, his voice rang out again, filled with urgency: "We found an Earthcore Soul Fruit! If you bring reinforcements, I'll convince our captain to give you half of the gold we earn from selling it!"
At those words, Mo Yu abruptly stopped. A gleam flashed in his eyes as he turned back. He strode toward the man, whose face lit up with hope.
"Did you just say… Earthcore Soul Fruit?" Mo Yu asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
The Earthcore Soul Fruit was no ordinary item—it was a rare treasure capable of enhancing one's soul strength. And mentioning it inevitably brought to mind the even more coveted Earthcore Soul Essence.
The Earthcore Soul Essence was a precious natural treasure, highly sought after by alchemists. Its allure lay in its ability to refine and temper the soul—soul forging, to be precise. It could cleanse impurities from the soul and elevate its level.
In the original story, Xiao Yan had relied on Earthcore Soul Essence to break through to an eighth-rank soul!
Although the Earthcore Soul Fruit was not as potent, it still possessed the ability to enhance the soul's level.
Currently, Mo Yu's soul strength was already at the peak of the third rank. If he consumed the Earthcore Soul Fruit, he could break through to the fourth rank in one go!
A fourth-rank soul, combined with Mo Yu's mastery of soul techniques, would enable him to contend with even a Dou Ling expert.
The thought filled Mo Yu with excitement.
"Yes, it's the Earthcore Soul Fruit! Our captain's daughter discovered it in a hidden canyon. But on our way back, we encountered those damned Berserk Lion Mercenaries. A fight has likely already broken out," the man said bitterly.
Mo Yu retrieved a small bottle of healing ointment from his spatial ring and tossed it to the man. "Apply this. Once you're ready, take me to your squad."
The man stared in disbelief. "You… want to go there? But the Berserk Lion Mercenaries have over thirty members, and three of them are eight-star Dou Shi!"
"Young brother, it's better if you go to Lannister Town to inform the mercenary group. They'll send reinforcements immediately—it's not far from here!" the man pleaded desperately.
"Stop wasting time." Mo Yu's voice was cold. "If you wait for your captain to arrive with reinforcements, everyone will already be dead."
The man hesitated, studying Mo Yu's handsome yet enigmatic face. His aura made it impossible to gauge his true strength.
With a bitter smile, the man applied the ointment to his injured leg. His body trembled as he stood up, pointing toward the hill. "It's just beyond that ridge..."
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