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After half an hour of rest, Liu Qi and Zhang Jie had replenished their energy and were fully prepared.
Zhang Jie gently nudged Yang Fan, “Let’s go.”
Yang Fan opened his eyes and stood up with Liu Qi and Zhang Jie, heading northwest.
At this moment, Yang Fan no longer remained indifferent; he had heightened his senses to the utmost, discreetly observing.
During their journey, both Liu Qi and Zhang Jie appeared more cautious than before.
After walking a couple of hundred meters, Yang Fan was the first to catch a whiff of a sweet fruit fragrance.
Could it be the Tianxiang Fruit tree?!
Such an authentic scent!
After progressing several tens of meters, under a gracefully swaying towering tree, Liu Qi and Zhang Jie simultaneously halted their steps.
This tree stood approximately twenty meters tall, not the tallest among the surrounding trees, but with a robust trunk and intricate branches. Densely leafed and sprawling like an opened giant umbrella, it appeared more massive in “stature” compared to the nearby trees.
The tree bore clusters of purple-red fruits, each the size of a fist, hanging abundantly from its branches.
Standing beneath it, one could inhale the sweet and refreshing aroma wafting from the tree!
Zhang Jie glanced at Liu Qi, and both of them seemed somewhat puzzled.
“The Tianxiang Fruit tree?!” Zhang Jie seemed a bit uncertain and quickly checked on his wrist screen, confirming their suspicions.
Although the Tianxiang Fruit tree was rare, after a day and a half of traversing the Shan Hai Jing, it wasn’t the first time the trio had encountered one.
Yet, whether it was Yang Fan, Liu Qi, or Zhang Jie, they all appeared surprised at the sight of this lush Tianxiang Fruit tree.
It was currently the season for the Tianxiang Fruit tree to bear fruit, and the enticing fragrance of the fruits permeated the air. The translucent purple-red fruits were alluring, but all three were well aware that they wouldn’t have the privilege of indulging in these fruits.
The Tianxiang Fruit contains various paralyzing toxins. Consuming it can lead to muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, cardiac arrest for humans. However, these toxins are ineffective against exotic beasts. In fact, many exotic beasts enjoy eating these fruits and actively seek them out.
In such circumstances, the Tianxiang Fruit trees they had previously encountered were usually stripped bare, with not a single leaf left, let alone any fruit.
The lush and abundant state of the Tianxiang Fruit tree before them seemed rather unusual.
Gazing up at the enticing clusters of fruits, Liu Qi, after a moment of hesitation, nodded solemnly, muttering under his breath, “Why is this Tianxiang Fruits so intact?!”
With a heavy expression, Liu Qi stopped, raising his head and gazing towards the northwest direction, lost in thought.
After a moment, Liu Qi snapped out of his reverie and told Zhang Jie, “Wait for me, I’ll pick a few clusters of Tianxiang Fruits.”
Zhang Jie, puzzled, asked, “Why are you picking them? We can’t eat them, and they have no effect on exotic beasts, plus they’re so abundant.”
Liu Qi smiled, “It may not benefit Tianxiang, but it’s useful for him.” With that, he looked towards Yang Fan. “Not just for him, if we encounter others, this could be incredibly effective.”
Since Zhang Jie was already in this together with Liu Qi, he chose not to say anything further.
Yang Fan glared at Liu Qi, who was looking at him with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, completely unfazed by Yang Fan’s anger.
This Liu Qi was despicable beyond measure!
Suppressing his anger, Yang Fan realized that glaring wouldn’t solve anything. What he needed was to think rationally.
When Liu Qi muttered under his breath under the tree, thinking no one could hear, but Yang Fan did pick up on it!
“The Tianxiang Fruit tree is well preserved and is so intact”… It seemed like the information about the Tianxiang Fruit tree wasn’t the first piece of information he received!
While Zhang Jie was still catching up, Yang Fan had already gathered additional information through his sense of smell and sight.
The vegetation here was unusually intact, showing no signs of being trampled or crushed!
Coupled with the large number of Tianxiang Fruit…
It seemed like this guy had reached the same conclusion as himself just now.
He couldn’t rule out that all exotic beasts were like this, but ordinary ones might not dare to approach the Qilin Lair!
The dark aura must be emanating from the Qilin Lair. What could instill such fear in all the animals and plants here?!
What exactly lay within the Qilin Lair?!
Interestingly, Liu Qi, who usually “respects” Zhang Jie, chose not to share this information with him this time…
“Finally showing your true colors? Looks like Liu Qi is preparing to use Zhang Jie as a stepping stone when necessary!” Yang Fan coldly huffed inwardly.
Liu Qi picked a large bunch of Tianxiang Fruits, had Zhang Jie help him pierce the fruits with arrows, and coated them all with Heavenly Fragrance Fruit juice.
After using over twenty fruits and leaving behind four or five, Liu Qi stored them in a woven iron spider silk backpack. He then glanced back at Yang Fan, “Enjoy your meal; you might get a chance to taste this delicacy.”
With the Heavenly Fragrance Fruits prepared, the trio continued their journey.
At this point, Liu Qi’s pace notably quickened compared to Zhang Jie. He forged ahead without thoroughly surveying the surroundings, leaving Zhang Jie no choice but to abandon detailed observation and keep up with Liu Qi.
“Indeed, he must have also guessed that ordinary exotic beasts dare not approach this place!” Yang Fan’s suspicions grew stronger.
After walking another two to three hundred meters, Yang Fan peered through the gaps in the foliage and spotted a dark mist shrouding the area near a rocky outcrop not far ahead.
At the edge of the dark mist, vegetation seemed to halt abruptly, with no plant life visible within the mist’s reach. The stark contrast between the bare black soil within the mist and the leaf-strewn, vegetation-covered ground outside it was striking.
The hazy black mist almost enveloped the solitary rocky outcrop, and directly facing them, there was a pitch-black massive cave entrance, standing seven to eight meters high and four to five meters wide!
“The Qilin Lair!” Yang Fan took a deep breath.
Liu Qi and the others soon noticed the dark mist and the cave entrance.
“Liu Qi, that should be the Qilin Lair up ahead,” Zhang Jie said in a solemn tone, his eyes fixed on the cave entrance.
The pitch-black cave entrance appeared even darker within the thin black mist, resembling a gaping maw.
As the trio reached the edge of the dark mist, Liu Qi halted, turned to Yang Fan, and gazed at him with a slight smirk. “You’re going to have a great time following us, doing nothing, and living a bit longer.”
“Zhang Jie, untie him and take out whatever he has in his mouth,” Liu Qi ordered.
Zhang Jie complied.
As Zhang Jie began untying Yang Fan’s bindings, suddenly, Liu Qi, from behind Yang Fan, struck his calf forcefully with his bow, this time with even greater force, catching Yang Fan off guard.
The intense pain hit Yang Fan, causing him to collapse on the ground.
Without giving Yang Fan a chance to recover, Liu Qi lifted him up. “Don’t blame me for being ruthless. Everything is for survival! I’m just concerned you might pull something, and in such a life-or-death situation, we need to be extremely cautious.”
“With one leg crippled, you won’t be able to run now.”
“Train a soldier for a thousand days, use him in a single moment; now is the time for you to prove your worth.”
Liu Qi’s smile faded, revealing a sinister expression. “You lead the way! Follow our instructions, and if you dare to play tricks, I’m confident you won’t outrun my arrow!”
Liu Qi clearly viewed himself as above others!
Yang Fan suppressed his anger and turned to look at Zhang Jie.
In the moment of hesitation from Zhang Jie, Yang Fan felt increasingly uneasy.
The current situation was worse than he had anticipated; his left leg throbbed with excruciating pain, making it impossible to walk normally even if he endured it.
He needed that Gray Pine Spear now more than ever!
Zhang Jie had completely succumbed to being Liu Qi’s tool. Could he still keep his promise?
Meeting Yang Fan’s gaze, Zhang Jie finally made his decision.
Stepping forward, he swiftly placed the Gray Pine Spear into Yang Fan’s hands, then without waiting for Liu Qi to react, he forcefully pushed Yang Fan, urging, “Go quickly!”
Yang Fan glanced back at Zhang Jie, nodding lightly in gratitude.
Turning back, he looked towards the cave entrance ahead.
With the abyss in front and the devil behind!
Taking a deep breath, Yang Fan gripped the Gray Pine Spear, using it as support as he limped towards the entrance of the Qilin Lair.
[Author’s Note]: Due to a loss of previous drafts, this chapter is being released first, followed by the one missing from yesterday. The rest will be posted around five to six in the afternoon.