Chapter 443: He Meets an Old Friend in a Strange Land

The Saintlan race, established by the Duke of Saintlan after he rebelled from humanity, retained some inherent human ideologies.

Hierarchy, for instance.

While the sense of hierarchy wasn't as clear or strong in places like Fenghai Commandery and other enclaves, it was a different story in the Imperial Capital Region. The Saintlan race, being largely unified and interconnected, also harbored a deeply entrenched sense of hierarchy within every member's consciousness.

Members of the Saintlan race were categorized into six strata based on their lineage. The top two strata were known as 'Noble Scions,' the middle two as 'Warrior Scions,' and the bottom two as 'Slave Scions.' For instance, the King of Tianding Nation held the fourth stratum, and his son shared the same status.

In the Saintlan race, one's lineage held immense importance and was exceedingly difficult to alter, unless an individual's cultivation reached a truly extraordinary level. This was because higher lineages were believed to possess superior bloodlines, granting them more resources and thus a greater likelihood of producing powerful individuals. The power to elevate lineage within the Saintlan race was akin to controlling its very core, a privilege held exclusively by the Black Heaven Temple.

A Black Heaven Temple existed within every dynasty. The Black Heaven Idol itself was a gift from the Temple. Such lineage elevation was considered a Black Heaven's Blessing. Those who received this blessing would find their aura becoming more akin to the Black Heaven race. Consequently, for countless years, under the subtle influence of the Black Heaven race, members of the Saintlan race harbored an intense desire for lineage elevation.

This was precisely why the King of Tianding Nation felt such profound upheaval within his heart at that moment. Despite his earlier numerous doubts, witnessing his own son receive the blessing firsthand caused his conviction to waver. The alteration in aura was undeniably real, and he well knew that not every Black Heaven member possessed the ability to bestow blessings upon others. Only powerful individuals within the Black Heaven race or cultivators from the Temple could achieve such a feat.

The Black Heaven race had deities. The Saintlan race understood this clearly, as did other races, though most were reluctant to acknowledge it. Nevertheless, it remained a fact. The Black Heaven deities slumbered on the Red Moon, worshipped by their people for generations. Protected by their deities, the Black Heaven race saw the emergence of God Attendants, which in turn led to the establishment of the Temples. These individuals were the true rulers of the entire Black Heaven race and represented its highest echelon.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, the King of Tianding Nation took a deep breath and bowed in deep reverence. Upon his departure, he immediately ordered the collection of Profound Sky Demonic Moon Pills and contacted other city-states to re-allocate the True Immortal Ten Intestine Fruits from this harvest.

However, the process was far from smooth. The other thirty-five city-states did not share his strong conviction. They found the matter simply too incredible, recalling that countless false Black Heaven members had arrived over the years, and none had proven genuine. Given this skepticism, the King of Tianding Nation decided not to immediately report the matter to the dynasty. He intended to wait for confirmation from the other city-states before making an official report. After all, even with 99% certainty, if a problem were to unexpectedly arise, not having reported it meant he could resolve it himself without consequence. But reporting it, only for it to be false, might implicate him and leave him liable for negligence.

And so, time steadily passed, and seven days quickly elapsed. While a large quantity of True Immortal Dao Fruits wouldn't fully mature for another two days, scattered fruits were already ripe for harvesting in the outer regions of the True Immortal Ten Intestine Forest. Concurrently, various foreign races who had infiltrated through different means were actively pursuing their goals. Some succeeded, others failed, and the daily patrol teams from the thirty-six city-states consistently apprehended numerous foreign intruders.

Their fates varied: some were executed and displayed as warnings, hanging from the Ten Intestine Canopy in the sky, while others were either punished and expelled or imprisoned, depending on the circumstances. Nevertheless, given the high value of the Dao Fruits, a considerable number of cultivators continued to infiltrate.

The Captain, upon realizing that some of the Dao Fruits had begun to mature, could no longer suppress his inner desire. He consulted with Xu Qing, and they decided to make their move. Xu Qing shared the same sentiment. Though they had been residing in the imperial palace, seemingly safe, the reality was fraught with immense danger. While Xu Qing was confident in his identity, he harbored lingering concerns about whether he could truly deceive powerful adversaries if encountered. Nothing, after all, was absolute. Moreover, the Ethereal Concealment Talisman on his person was steadily fading. Therefore, time was of the essence.

Thus, on the morning of the eighth day, Xu Qing and the Captain departed the imperial palace. Accompanied by Prince Muyie himself and a retinue of guards, they headed towards the outer reaches of the True Immortal Ten Intestine Forest.

“My Lord, this is our Saintlan race’s True Immortal Ten Intestine Forest. The fruits in the deeper areas are not yet ripe, so entry is currently impossible,” Muyie stated respectfully outside the forest, his eyes filled with reverence. “The interior of the True Immortal Ten Intestine Forest is perpetually shrouded in a terrifying pressure, making it impassable. This pressure only dissipates when the fruits fully ripen.”

During this time, Muyie had been kneeling before Xu Qing's palace almost daily, perpetually ready to be summoned. It could be said that he was now the most loyal individual to Xu Qing within the entire Tianding Nation. This loyalty stemmed from two factors: Xu Qing had elevated his lineage, and the foreign substance integrated into his body originated from Xu Qing. Thus, his address of 'My Lord' was fitting.

Xu Qing sensed the familiar foreign substance within Muyie's body and gave a slight nod. He then gazed at the seemingly endless, dark forest before him, before lifting his eyes to the ten massive trees in the distance, whose winding trunks soared skyward, creating a massive canopy. Even now, he struggled to comprehend that these trees were believed to have formed from the intestines of a Calamity Immortal tribe member who had ascended to immortality.

“My Lord, for the next few nights, I advise you not to perceive this area. In the past, during the period after the True Immortal Ten Intestine fruits formed, a peculiar aura would always permeate this place. Perceiving it can lead to an invasion of one’s senses and be harmful to oneself.”

Upon hearing Muyie's words, the Captain, who was walking ahead, asked curiously, “Harmful? How so?”

“Sir, it causes hallucinations. Records show that some individuals, after witnessing what they believed to be a Calamity Immortal tribe member ascending to immortality, went mad, disemboweled themselves in imitation, and subsequently died,” Muyie explained respectfully.

The Captain's eyes lit up, clearly intrigued. He approached a tree, reached up, plucked an eye-like fruit from it, and placed it into his storage bag. This area was part of the True Immortal Ten Intestine Forest's periphery, and numerous eye-shaped fruits hung on the trees, some open, some closed.

“The fruits with open eyes signify they are ready for harvest,” Muyie explained from the side.

Watching the Captain relentlessly gather the fruits, Xu Qing spoke calmly, his hands clasped behind his back. “What is the total number of Dao Fruits in this area?”

“My Lord, the Dao Fruits, which appear once every century, number approximately three hundred thousand,” Muyie swiftly replied.

Xu Qing’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. After a quick calculation, his mind became increasingly active, considering each fruit was worth ten thousand military merits. Beside him, Qingqiu’s thoughts also churned, as she too was well aware of the item's immense value.

“Muyie, have your people collect them for me,” Xu Qing suddenly instructed.

Muyie immediately acknowledged, turned, and signaled all his attendants to approach the open-eyed fruits, dispersing to begin harvesting. With their large numbers and practiced movements, they harvested quickly. Within a short time, they had picked over a dozen, and Xu Qing watched as this scene, his heartbeat almost uncontrollably quickened. This amounted to hundreds of thousands of military merits!

Noticing the longing in Qingqiu's eyes, Xu Qing suppressed his inner excitement and spoke blandly. “You go and pick some too.”

Qingqiu immediately dashed off, heading straight for the fruits. Her cultivation had been unsealed by Xu Qing a few days prior, but wary of her causing trouble, he had withheld her own storage bag, providing her with an empty one for temporary use instead. Watching Qingqiu’s retreating figure, a faint smile touched Xu Qing’s lips, though it vanished quickly as he turned his gaze towards the Captain.

At that moment, the Captain's eyes gleamed uncontrollably as he moved with incredible speed, snatching one Dao Fruit after another, muttering words no one else could hear as he rapidly harvested. Xu Qing glanced over, surmising that the Captain was undoubtedly counting his military merits.

‘Senior Brother lacks composure. What’s there to count?’ Xu Qing mused, secretly shaking his head with his hands clasped behind his back.

Before long, Muyie respectfully presented twenty-five harvested Dao Fruits. Xu Qing took them, placed them into his storage bag, and murmured to himself, “Two hundred and fifty thousand, secured!” He then watched Muyie continue harvesting, observing the Saintlan cultivators, and silently calculated in his mind, ‘Two hundred and sixty thousand, two hundred and eighty thousand, three hundred and ten thousand…’

Xu Qing no longer worried if the Captain's actions at that moment would expose them. After counting for nearly half an hour, the mature fruits in this particular area were completely depleted. They had harvested over a hundred fruits. Just as they were about to move to another area, a commotion echoed from the distant forest.

Muyie immediately became alert, rushing to Xu Qing's front as if to shield him. He ordered the surrounding Saintlan guards to investigate the commotion. A short while later, someone returned.

“Reporting, My Lord, it’s the Yuncong Nation patrol. They’ve apprehended several foreign infiltrators. Among them was a descendant of the Calamity Immortal tribe who proved difficult to capture; they only managed to seize him after a joint assault just now.”

‘A descendant of the Calamity Immortal tribe?’ Xu Qing recalled the Captain and others mentioning that the True Immortal Ten Intestine Forest was formed from the last surviving member of the Calamity Immortal tribe who had ascended.

“My Lord, pure-blooded Calamity Immortal tribesmen no longer exist, but many mixed-blood descendants are present within Saintlan City. We typically do not execute these cultivators; instead, we mostly imprison them until the harvest period concludes, and then release them.”

As Muyie was explaining, footsteps approached from a distance, accompanied by low growls echoing.

“By what right do you seize me? I am a descendant of the Calamity Immortal tribe! This is where my ancestor ascended to immortality!”

“I came here to take a few of my ancestor’s Dao Fruits. What justification do you have to stop me? I’m not taking many; I only want thirty!”

“If you dare lay a hand on me here, I will die before your eyes, letting my blood spill upon my ancestor! When my ancestor awakens, he will surely be enraged with all of you!”

As the voice rang out, the Captain's gaze became fixed, and Xu Qing also had a faint glint in his eyes.

Soon, a group of Saintlan cultivators, not from Tianding Nation, passed by Xu Qing and his group, escorting seven or eight infiltrated cultivators. Upon seeing Xu Qing and the Captain, the Saintlan cultivators’ expressions shifted. Having also heard about the two, they hastily paid their respects. Among the seven or eight cultivators they were escorting, one young man exuded a distinctly unusual aura. Notably, on his brow, there was a winding, twisted totem resembling a snake or intestine.

He was currently speaking loudly, his face contorted in indignation. His gaze swept over Xu Qing and the others, and upon recognizing the Black Heaven race, he momentarily froze. However, the very next instant, upon seeing Qingqiu beside them, his body trembled slightly. He quickly regained composure, though, continuing his loud curses while accelerating his pace.

Qingqiu averted her gaze, her expression unwavering, as if she didn't recognize him. The Captain scoffed inwardly, narrowing his eyes.

Xu Qing’s gaze swept across, and he murmured to himself, “Ning Yan… he actually came here?”