Chapter 869: Red Firefly Fruit

A river flowed gently around the academy, winding into unknown darkness beyond sight, at the point where the 'Earth Dragon' terrain met the sky. Following the 'dragon's body', the courtyards stretched out, adorned with ponds, flowers, and trees. They resembled auspicious clouds, enhancing the appearance of the 'Earth Dragon' as if it were soaring through the air.

After studying for over ten minutes, his 'Eye of Insight' felt somewhat dizzy from overuse. Only then did he involuntarily shake his head and stop.

It seemed the "three stars" the other party mentioned weren't actual stars, nor were they about the terrain's layout. Simply looking like this wouldn't reveal them; he needed to study it slowly.

Now that he knew what the 'Earth Dragon' was, with some effort, he should be able to find the "three stars" as well.

Since Wu Yangzi had revealed the treasure's location, he naturally hoped future generations would find it, rather than it remaining hidden.

Withdrawing his focus, just as he was about to fly down, planning to study it another time, he saw a figure flying straight towards him.

"Hu Yaoyao? What are you doing here at this hour?"

His 'Eye of Insight' was not afraid of darkness, and he recognized her at a glance. However, the other party didn't seem to see him in the air. Her figure, moving rapidly, arrived at a high point in the ruins and looked around.

Although her strength had reached the peak of the Chrysalis Seal realm, it was still not easy to find someone in the dark. With a flick of her wrist, a luminous pearl appeared. Using its light, she observed her surroundings.

"Teacher Zhang..." she couldn't help but call out. As an apprentice, she had already started calling him 'teacher'.

Just as he was about to reply, Zhang Xuan's gaze suddenly fell on the luminous pearl in her hand. Its faint light was reflected in a nearby pond, like a star.

"Could it be..." His eyes lit up. He quickly looked at the several ponds in the courtyard. Sure enough, he saw the light of the luminous pearl reflected in the water, echoing each other, as if the Milky Way had inverted.

Looking from above, the 'Earth Dragon' formed by the ruins seemed to be flying in the night sky, supported by stars, exuding an inherent grandeur.

"This mansion has undergone major changes. There are a total of eight ponds now, and the terrain is different from two thousand years ago... For the 'Three-Star Earth Dragon', I need to find the locations of three stars. More than that would be incorrect!"

Wu Yangzi's message mentioned a "Three-Star Earth Dragon." If the light of the luminous pearl reflected in the pond was the so-called "star," then there were currently as many as eight stars. It wasn't that the other party was wrong; rather, the private residence had undergone major renovations, and its original topography no longer existed.

"However, this might stump others, but it won't stump me..." Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

Other cultivators, even if Master Mu came, it would be very troublesome to select the three ponds that existed two thousand years ago from these eight. He was different; his 'Eye of Insight' pulsed, and he could tell at a glance whether a pond was ancient.

It didn't take long for him to identify the three. Connecting the three light spots in the ponds, an intersection point in the courtyard appeared before his eyes. This location was in front of the main hall of the mansion. A huge pine tree stood there, apparently having weathered countless years.

"It seems to be under this pine tree!" Having confirmed the location, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled faintly and flew down from the air, appearing before Hu Yaoyao.

"Why are you looking for me?"

"Teacher Zhang, you're really going all out to find that treasure..." Pointing to the surroundings, Hu Yaoyao's face was filled with a dazed expression. "Didn't you just move in? How did it become like this so quickly? Even if it's for Wu Yangzi's treasure, you wouldn't demolish the entire mansion and turn it into ruins, right?!"

"It's not because of the treasure; it was a small accident..." Zhang Xuan's face was lined with exasperation: "You didn't hear the mansion collapsed and specifically came to see, did you?"

"No, it's... I have something I'd like to ask for your help with, Teacher!" Hu Yaoyao said hurriedly. Although Wu Yangzi had left a treasure, countless of her ancestors had searched for it over the years without finding any trace. She didn't expect to find it herself and wasn't particularly concerned.

"What is it?" Zhang Xuan was curious. Although Hu Yaoyao couldn't cause any trouble in front of him, she was absolutely a powerful figure who could command influence in the academy. Moreover, with her numerous methods, was there anything she couldn't handle?

"To be honest, Dong Xin, Long Cangyue, Xue Zhenyang, and I discovered a treasure. If we obtain it, there's a twenty percent chance it can help us break through to the Half-Saint realm..." Hu Yaoyao gritted her teeth: "Originally, the four of us wanted to take the treasure ourselves, but... the two guardians inside are simply too strong; we're no match for them. So... we hope to get your help!"

"Me?" Zhang Xuan was surprised. He had heard about this matter once before when he overheard a conversation. Dong Xin had mentioned it would mature this month. Calculating the time, it was indeed about to happen.

"Exactly. You have the strength, and you have the methods. If anyone can help us get that item, we really can't think of anyone else besides you..." Hu Yaoyao shook her head. Although the four of them held considerable sway in the academy, encountering this guy was like seeing a ghost. Some became his apprentices, others his grand-apprentices. Dong Xin was the worst off; not only did she become his great-grand-apprentice, but she was also directly expelled. Long Cangyue hadn't taken action and was thus spared.

Originally, three of the four had previous grievances with him, and really didn't want to ask him for help. But the item was about to mature, and if they didn't retrieve it, the two powerful guardians would take it. At that point, they would get nothing, and breaking through their limitations would become even harder!

After much thought, they decided to invite him. Although this guy was a king of destruction, his true abilities were undeniable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have caused three of their four great masters to suffer continuous losses.

"What is it? Something that can increase the chance of breaking through to Half-Saint by twenty percent?" Zhang Xuan was curious. He had been to the Conferred Saint Platform and read countless cultivation breakthrough insights. He knew the difficulty of advancing from the Chrysalis Seal realm to Half-Saint. For geniuses like them, a twenty percent increase already meant a very significant chance.

Biting her lip, illuminated by the luminous pearl, Hu Yaoyao's fair skin and enchanting figure were captivating: "A Saint realm medicinal herb... the Crimson Glow Fruit!"

"Crimson Glow Fruit?" He paused for a moment, then Zhang Xuan's eyes couldn't help but sparkle.

He had heard of this item; it was indeed a Saint realm fruit. It was entirely crimson and, once mature, could emit a glow like fireflies, illuminating its surroundings and appearing very beautiful. This item absorbed the essence of the sun and moon to grow, maturing once every hundred years. It was extremely rare and could not be cultivated artificially. It was absolutely a treasure that one could only stumble upon by chance.

Although consuming this Crimson Glow Fruit couldn't directly lead to a Half-Saint breakthrough, it could indeed increase the chances of one. No wonder the four of them were tempted; even he felt his interest piqued. Although his current cultivation was only at the early Void-Ambling realm, still more than one realm away from Half-Saint, with his cultivation speed, as long as he found a cultivation technique, two or three hours of intense cultivation would be enough to accumulate what was needed.

At the Conferred Saint Platform, he had summarized countless experiences. A breakthrough might not be difficult, but with this item, the effect would definitely be better. After all, he cultivated the Heaven's Path Divine Art, which required a massive amount of spiritual energy for breakthroughs. Although he had obtained a lot of Earth Vein Spirit Liquid in Cloudmist Ridge, it was hard to say whether he would be able to use it at that time. After all, the purity of the spiritual energy in the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid was still somewhat lacking. With this item in hand, it could be said that... the Half-Saint realm was within reach!

"That's right. After our observations, this tree has produced ten Crimson Glow Fruits in total. As long as you can help us get them... we can divide them equally, two for each person!" said Hu Yaoyao.

"Two each?" Zhang Xuan stroked his chin: "Alright, I agree!" He was joining temporarily, so getting two fruits through equal distribution was quite good. Of course, the exact distribution would depend on individual contributions. It wouldn't be too late to discuss it then.

"You agreed?" She had expected him to make exorbitant demands, asking for several more fruits. She didn't expect him to agree so readily, and Hu Yaoyao found it somewhat unbelievable.

"Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "When do we leave?"

"That place is quite far from here. Riding Dong Xin's spirit beast, it would take about three days to reach! That means a round trip would take... roughly seven or eight days!" Hu Yaoyao said: "If you have nothing else to do, we can leave right now!"

"Seven or eight days?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He was to be inaugurated as the new head of the academy in three days. There was a grand ceremony he needed to attend, so he definitely couldn't leave.

"Yes, and that's only if the Crimson Glow Fruits mature within the calculated time. Otherwise, we might have to wait a few more days for them to fully ripen before harvesting..." Hu Yaoyao replied.

"Wait even longer?" "So, wouldn't that take ten to fifteen days? That's too slow! In that much time, I could potentially even aim for Pseudo-Saint. It's really not worth it just for Half-Saint. And most importantly, it would delay my affairs."

"In three days, there's the academy's new head inauguration ceremony. If I leave now, I'll definitely miss it..." Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"Oh, I heard about that. After the old head disappeared, the position has been vacant. Master Mu came this time specifically for that matter. I just don't know who will become the new head... My guess is either Head Lu Feng or Head Zhao Bingxu! They're the most likely candidates." Responding with a sound, Hu Yaoyao shook her head, her red lips curving upwards: "But what does that have to do with us? Anyway, Teacher, you're not even an academy student anymore, so why bother about who becomes the head?" The huge conflict between Zhang Xuan and Head Lu Feng, leading to his expulsion from the academy and even losing his residence, how could the esteemed head of the Prodigy Society not know about it!

"You're saying you're not even an academy student anymore, so why care who becomes the head? What does some inauguration ceremony have to do with you?"

"Well..." Zhang Xuan gave a wry smile. It actually did have a connection, and a significant one at that.

"Make a decision quickly. The Crimson Glow Fruits are maturing in the next few days. If we go too late, I'm afraid it'll be too late!" Seeing that he was still thinking about the head's inauguration ceremony, Hu Yaoyao shook her head.

"How about this: we depart tonight at midnight. Don't ride Dong Xin's spirit beast; it's not fast enough. Let's take mine. That way, we should be able to make a round trip within three days!" Zhang Xuan said after a moment of hesitation. He still needed to attend a banquet now to investigate whether the Saint Realm Bodhi Tree could save Wei Ruyan. Only then could he leave. Dong Xin's spirit beast was at most similar in cultivation to her, merely at the Chrysalis Seal realm, and its speed was ordinary. If they rode Ah Zi, a three-day journey could probably be completed in half a day. This would save a lot of time.

"Your spirit beast? That Violetwing Heavenly Ferocious Beast?" Hu Yaoyao frowned: "Wouldn't its speed be even slower?"