Chapter 3552: Thunder Apricot Jade Immortal Fruit

In the Heavenspan Realm, on the Jinlong Continent.

The Tang Clan is one of the two major clans on the Jinlong Continent, revered for its long history and abundant experts.

The Tianming Mountain Range, located in the central part of the Jinlong Continent, serves as the ancestral land of the Tang Clan.

In the middle of the mountain range stands a majestic golden peak. The area above its halfway point is shrouded in a blanket of white mist, obscuring the view of what lies within.

At its summit sits a vast estate, adorned with climbing vines, lush bamboo, and a garden of exotic stones.

A tall elder in golden robes, Tong Yao, Jin Lan, and Chi Huan were seated in a green stone pavilion.

The elder in golden robes possessed a pair of tiger-like eyes that commanded respect without needing to show anger, and his aura was as vast as the ocean.

This was Tong Shan, a late-stage Mahayana cultivator. He had already undergone five Great Heavenly Tribulations and was due to face his sixth within the next eight thousand years.

He could actually consider ascending to the Immortal Realm, provided he could survive the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation. Over ten thousand years ago, another late-stage Mahayana cultivator of the Tang Clan had survived this tribulation and ascended to the Immortal Realm, though a defensive-type Profound Heaven Relic was rendered useless in the process.

Since the Tang Clan's treasury did not possess a second defensive Profound Heaven Relic, Tong Shan lacked absolute confidence and dared not attempt the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation, as failure meant utter destruction of body and soul.

The Tang Clan, with its long heritage, had seen clan members both successfully pass and tragically perish beneath the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation. Compared to ordinary Mahayana cultivators, body cultivators at the Mahayana stage found it easier to survive this tribulation.

"Merely recovering two bottles of Creation Dew is far from enough," Chi Huan stated, frowning.

They had split into two groups to pursue their enemies, eliminating three Mahayana cultivators but losing two of their own and gravely injuring two more. This record was far from impressive.

Ye Xuanfeng had fought against six, killing one Mahayana cultivator and severely wounding another. This feat occurred even with Chi Huan and Tong Yao present; had it been other Mahayana cultivators, their losses would likely have been even greater.

Ye Xuanfeng had self-destructed before dying, destroying both the Profound Heaven Relic and his storage bracelet. They had gained nothing.

"We have already issued a substantial bounty," Tong Yao said gravely. "The Long Clan has agreed to help apprehend them. Other Mahayana cultivators shouldn't be as troublesome."

Ye Xuanfeng had opened a spiritual aperture, possessed profound magical power, had achieved minor completion in his spiritual domain, and wielded a Profound Heaven Relic, making him immensely powerful. If not for Chi Huan possessing the Soul Annihilation True Eyes, they might not have been able to kill Ye Xuanfeng.

"If we could find the Qiankun Bottle, we wouldn't need to bother with them," Jin Lan asked. "Fellow Daoist Tong, how much longer until the Lightning Apricot Immortal Fruit tree matures?"

"Another hundred thousand years or more," Tong Shan said slowly. "None of us can wait that long. If we could acquire a large amount of Creation Dew and use it to ripen the fruit quickly, we would surely pass the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation without issue. The Lightning Apricot Immortal Fruit tree originated from the Immortal Realm; to cultivate it, we had to obtain some Golden Lightning Spiritual Soil. Only then did its growth not falter."

The Lightning Apricot Immortal Fruit blossoms after a hundred thousand years, bears fruit after another hundred thousand, and takes a further hundred thousand years to mature. Originating from the Immortal Realm, it demands very specific environmental conditions. Upon consumption, this fruit can enhance a Mahayana cultivator's physical resistance to lightning tribulations, providing significant assistance in surviving the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation.

Golden Lightning Spiritual Soil is an exceptionally precious spiritual earth, ideal for cultivating lightning-attributed spiritual herbs, medicines, and fruits. Such soil is only found in the Immortal Realm.

Mahayana cultivators of the Tang Clan had obtained some Golden Lightning Spiritual Soil from the Daoist Sanctuary of Heavenly Venerable Xuanling, which was the only way they could cultivate the Lightning Apricot Immortal Fruit tree.

"Fellow Daoist Tong," Chi Huan asked curiously, "can the Lightning Apricot Immortal Fruit truly enable Mahayana cultivators to survive the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation?"

"It can at least increase the chances by fifty percent," Tong Shan replied, his face showing a look of longing. "The Lightning Apricot Immortal Fruit is highly sought after even by True Immortals. The Mahayana cultivators of the Cao Family in the Azurewood Realm find it easier to survive the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation because they also possess something similar. One of our clan members consumed a Lightning Apricot Immortal Fruit, and with the aid of other treasures, easily passed the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation and ascended to the Immortal Realm. Otherwise, we wouldn't have put such immense effort into cultivating this tree."

"Increase the chances by fifty percent?" Chi Huan gasped, her face filled with shock.

"Otherwise, why would it be called an immortal fruit?" Tong Shan continued, his expression turning displeased by the end of his statement. "For True Immortals cultivating lightning-attributed techniques, this fruit can enhance their magical power. For us Mahayana cultivators, it strengthens our physical bodies' ability to withstand lightning tribulations. If we hadn't obtained some Golden Lightning Spiritual Soil from the Daoist Sanctuary of Heavenly Venerable Xuanling, the Lightning Apricot Immortal Fruit tree couldn't have grown successfully at all. You didn't tell this old man sooner; if all the Creation Dew had been used to water the Lightning Apricot Immortal Fruit tree, perhaps the fruit would have already matured!"

"You never revealed the existence of this fruit tree to us," Jin Lan explained with a bitter smile. "We paid a heavy price to obtain that Creation Dew."

The Medicine Clan had painstakingly acquired some Creation Dew, and it was impossible for them to hand it all over to the Tang Clan. If not for the Medicine Clan and the Juan Clan having their strongholds breached and requesting assistance from the Tang Clan, mentioning that Creation Dew could accelerate the ripening of spiritual herbs, the Tang Clan would still have been unaware.

"Let's not dwell on this," Tong Shan said gravely. "Our immediate priority is to find the Qiankun Bottle. Of course, we must also eliminate the cultivators from other realms. You two should contact the major powers in other realms and ask them to help deal with the Ye Family, the Stone Cocoon Clan, and the Luo Family. Having witnessed the Creation Dew's ability to ripen spiritual herbs, I believe they will assist us."

Jin Lan and Chi Huan nodded and agreed.

In the central part of the Wanlong Continent lay a vast, boundless grassland.

Resounding explosions echoed from high in the sky, as various spiritual lights intertwined and waves of spiritual energy surged.

Wang Qingshan fell from high in the sky, his face pale and traces of blood at the corner of his mouth.

Ye Yuhuan piloted the Ice Lion, attempting to escape. They were being pursued by Mahayana cultivators from the Long Clan, so Wang Qingshan, Chen Yueying, and Ye Yunfei stayed behind to cover their retreat while Ye Yuhuan fled with the younger generation.

Wang Qingshan had slain a Mahayana cultivator but was injured by a soul attack from the enemy's spirit insect, his soul wounded.

Before he could even land, a large hand, shimmering with purple light, descended from the sky, striking towards Wang Qingshan.

The purple hand emitted a pungent odor, and faint green smoke rose from the air, indicating its strong corrosive properties.

Wang Qingshan raised his right hand, and a vast, shimmering blue sword-light surged forth, shattering the purple hand.

A foul wind swept past, and a colossal, entirely purple scorpion appeared out of thin air. It had four wings on its back and its tail stinger was inverted, shimmering with a cold purple glow.

This was an eighth-tier spirit insect, the Soul-Devouring Scorpion, capable of soul attacks.

The Soul-Devouring Scorpion let out an extremely bizarre shriek. Wang Qingshan's brows furrowed tightly, feeling as if something heavy had struck his soul.

Seizing this opportunity, the Soul-Devouring Scorpion opened its gaping maw and spewed forth a stream of purple radiance, enveloping Wang Qingshan.

Just then, a stream of yellow radiance descended from the sky, blocking the purple radiance. Simultaneously, spatial fluctuations appeared, and a large hand shimmering with yellow light materialized, striking the Soul-Devouring Scorpion.

With a muffled thud, the Soul-Devouring Scorpion rapidly plummeted towards the ground, as a powerful gravitational force from below pulled its body down rapidly.

Wang Qingshan recovered his senses, opened his mouth, and spewed out a ball of blue flame, which transformed into a colossal blue fire phoenix. The blue fire phoenix collided with the Soul-Devouring Scorpion.

A shrill shriek rang out, as a sheet of blue flames engulfed the Soul-Devouring Scorpion's body.

Innumerous shimmering blue flying swords shot forth, piercing through the Soul-Devouring Scorpion's body. Its corpse transformed into a palm-sized purple jade stone, which shimmered with spiritual light, revealing itself to be a substitute treasure for tribulation.

As the purple jade stone shattered, a purple light flashed in the void a thousand miles away, revealing a slender maiden in a purple dress, her eyes wide with terror.