Chapter 121: Searching for the Heavenly Origin Fruit

Xiao Cheng looked at Liu Yiyi’s face, as cold as frost, and frowned. No matter how he looked at her, Liu Yiyi was still the same Liu Yiyi—her appearance, cultivation, even her aura were exactly as they had been yesterday. The only difference was that her green dress had been replaced by white. She was undoubtedly the same person, yet the Liu Yiyi before him acted as if she did not recognize him.

“Thank you for your kindness, but I have my own plans,” Xiao Cheng said calmly. Though his words contained gratitude, there was no hint of sincerity in his expression.

He knew that the Zhongling Sect sending someone again to advise him was well-intentioned, but he disliked their commanding tone. He appreciated their goodwill but did not want to be coerced. Kindness given and kindness received were two different matters; he hated being threatened.

“You…” Liu Yiyi’s expression grew colder.

She hadn’t expected an ordinary person to show no fear in the face of her intimidation and to speak so nonchalantly about having his own plans.

“Hmph, didn’t you hear that beast just now screaming? You’re just an ordinary person. Once that monster finds you, no one will answer your calls for help. You’ll regret it too late. The Zhongling Sect can’t protect you all the time!”

“Thanks again for your concern, but I don’t need your protection,” Xiao Cheng said deliberately, each word measured. He had originally thought Liu Yiyi was a decent girl, but her condescending attitude now made him feel averse.

“That beast is beyond your imagination. Don’t think just because you’ve seen the world that you can dismiss it. You have guns outside, right? Don’t get any illusions. My master said even guns are useless against that beast. I advise you to cherish your life and leave early.”

Liu Yiyi assumed Xiao Cheng’s confidence came from having a gun, so she spoke to dispel his illusions.

Xiao Cheng smiled faintly. Half an hour ago, he had seen the demon python with his own eyes and even clashed with it. An ordinary person would have died with regret on the spot. He admitted Liu Yiyi was right—guns were useless against this beast. With such a massive body, a bullet couldn’t cause real harm.

Her words puzzled him. From what he knew of Liu Yiyi yesterday, she was ignorant of the outside world and shouldn’t know about guns. Yet her speech now was logical and coherent, completely unlike the naive Liu Yiyi he had met before.

Could this “Liu Yiyi” be someone else entirely?

Though suspicious, Xiao Cheng didn’t bother to ask. Why should familiarity matter upon meeting?

“I know my limits.”

Xiao Cheng didn’t want to argue further. He needed to search quickly for the Fate Primordial Fruit. In his previous life’s memories, Mu Hongru had obtained the fruit around this time. The fruit’s ripening period was very short—only about fifteen days—and he didn’t want to miss it.

Limits? Liu Yiyi looked him up and down. Xiao Cheng had nothing special about him, a frail and ordinary man. Where was this “limit” he spoke of? Even her master had no limits when facing the giant python. How could an ordinary person be so arrogant?

In any case, the point was made. Whether Xiao Cheng stayed or left, lived or died, was no longer the Zhongling Sect’s concern. They had done their best. Liu Yiyi paid no further attention and left the lakeside, riding a sky lantern.

Liu Yiyi’s coming and going didn’t disturb Xiao Cheng much. Everything was proceeding according to plan. He had to find clues about the Primordial Fruit quickly. His clan had many matters waiting—the mole in Wang Qiyi’s camp, his sister-in-law’s forced marriage, his grandmother’s grand birthday. He couldn’t afford to waste time here.

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Xiao Cheng circled Mirror Water Lake and arrived at the foot of Divine Maple Mountain. Using his divine sense to scan the surroundings and a telescope to inch by inch examine the mountain cliff face.

He searched for two to three hours, covering the entire cliff but found nothing. The cliff was sheer, like carved by a knife, with no vegetation and no caves.

He rubbed his sore neck, deep in thought.

In his past life, it was said that Mu Hongru was just an ordinary man when he obtained the Fate Primordial Fruit, and it was at Divine Maple Mountain. Yet now, knowing the fruit was here, with his cultivation at Foundation Establishment Stage, Ninth Rank, and quasi-Golden Core divine sense, he couldn’t find the slightest trace.

What kind of luck did Mu Hongru have to obtain the fruit? Finding no clues from the demon python’s movements, Xiao Cheng began speculating on how Mu Hongru acquired it.

What was Mu Hongru’s purpose in coming here? Surely not just to search for the fruit. Was he traveling? Or something else?

No matter his purpose, how did an ordinary man wrest the fruit from the demon python? This was what baffled Xiao Cheng most. Without innate cultivation, he couldn’t expect to get anything from the demon python, much less the fruit.

Moreover, if the fruit was ripe, the demon python would surely harvest it first, leaving nothing for Mu Hongru.

This suggested the fruit’s growing place was unique—humans could reach it, but the demon python could not. What kind of place was this?

Comparing the differences between the demon python and humans, Xiao Cheng concluded the fruit likely grew inside a cave.

Mu Hongru was an ordinary man. Even if he climbed the cliff, the demon python’s abilities would allow it to follow. The only difference was size—the demon python was at least ten times thicker. So a cave with a very small entrance that a person could enter but the demon python could not was the only possibility.

With this conclusion, Xiao Cheng focused all his attention on searching for caves. Yet after thoroughly searching Divine Maple Mountain, he found none. If no caves existed on the cliff face, could the cave be underwater?

Xiao Cheng shook his head, dismissing this idea. Mu Hongru was an ordinary man; he couldn’t have stayed underwater long.

Just as he was puzzled, Xiao Cheng heard a faint rustling in the air. Looking up, the midday sun was dazzling. A sky lantern floated slowly overhead, carrying a woman dressed in green. Judging by its trajectory, she was coming to find him again.

Xiao Cheng frowned. This was endless. They had warned him once last night, once again in the morning, and now this? He felt extremely annoyed.

But this time, Liu Yiyi was different—she carried a bamboo basket.

The sky lantern descended slowly. Liu Yiyi’s expression was relaxed, with a playful smile, occasionally sticking out her pink tongue.

Watching from a distance, Xiao Cheng was taken aback. Liu Yiyi’s moods changed thrice daily. This playful and cute demeanor was closer to the Liu Yiyi he remembered—the one he saw last night.

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The sky lantern neared the ground. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew fiercely. With a loud rustle, the lantern was blown far away over Mirror Water Lake. The thin string tethering the lantern broke.

The string was meant to guide the lantern. Once broken, it became a headless fly, wildly tossed by the wind.

“Ah—”

A scream echoed from above. The thin, fragile paper of the sky lantern tore open a large hole. Unable to withstand the wind, the bamboo frame of the lantern shattered instantly.

Xiao Cheng had felt yesterday that carrying people on a sky lantern was unsafe. He hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

Seeing the lantern ripped apart, Xiao Cheng realized the danger and rushed toward where it might fall. He didn’t claim to be a good man, but he couldn’t stand by and watch someone die. Moreover, the Zhongling Sect’s repeated warnings were their goodwill, and respect should be reciprocated.

But everything happened too fast. After only a few steps, the lantern disintegrated, and Liu Yiyi plummeted rapidly from the sky, her hoarse scream dragged out.

With a loud splash, the still lake surface erupted.

“It’s a relief she fell into the lake—oh no! Into the lake...” Xiao Cheng ran to the shore, watching Liu Yiyi fall into the water. Though she wouldn’t die from the fall, his heart tightened at the thought of the demon python lurking in the lake.

When Xiao Cheng reached the shore, ripples spread across the water, but there was no sign of Liu Yiyi—only a misshapen bamboo basket.

The basket swayed on the water. Inside were two broken clay jars. The contents spilled out—white rice and some vegetables.

Xiao Cheng stared at the basket, suddenly understanding. Liu Yiyi hadn’t come to make him leave; she had come to bring him a meal…

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[Second update completed. A third update will arrive later tonight. Rolling on the ground, begging for votes. Thank you all for your support!]