Chapter 124: Consuming the Heavenly Origin Fruit

Upon seeing this line, Xiao Cheng immediately guessed that this must belong to the Zhongling Sect’s Heart Scripture.

Xiao Cheng studied the scripture once and let out a soft exclamation of surprise. This "Zhongling Yunhua Scripture" was no simple matter; while it did not compare to the "Nine Profound Immortal Scripture," it was still a level higher than the "Five-Unity Heart Scripture."

The Heart Scripture was composed of three parts. The first part, the "Zhongling Scripture," was suitable only for female cultivators. The second part, the "Yunhua Scripture," was tailored for male cultivators. These first two sections were not particularly extraordinary; they could only be described as standard, respectable heart scriptures.

The third part, however, was the masterstroke. To be precise, it was an incredibly profound technique for dual cultivation. The individual cultivation methods for men and women in the first two parts were undoubtedly meant to pave the way for this dual cultivation technique, which was the true crux of the Zhongling Yunhua Scripture.

"When the golden wind and jade dew meet, they surpass all others in the world!"

Ordinary dual cultivation methods merely established a bridge between the male and female cultivators to create a Yin-Yang circulation. This technique, however, went further, possessing an ability to graft true energy from one to the other.

To put it bluntly, when two people practiced this dual cultivation, one could merge both their true energies together. With this method, one person could, under certain conditions, possess the true energy intensity of two people. Although it would eventually be returned, possessing the combined strength allowed for a forced breakthrough.

Both parties could swap roles to achieve such forced breakthroughs.

Of course, this forced breakthrough was not without limits; it could only occur if the combined true energy of the two reached the required threshold for advancement.

It was truly a technique that seized the fortunes of heaven and earth. How many cultivators were stuck at bottlenecks, unable to advance even an inch? This dual cultivation method removed all such barriers; as long as time was spent cultivating and the true energy reached a certain intensity, advancement was guaranteed.

Furthermore, this method did not just share true energy; it could also transfer pain. For instance, if one party were wounded and near death, the other could use the dual cultivation to share half of that pain, turning a fatal situation for one into a manageable, albeit severe, injury for both, allowing them to survive.

However, this dual cultivation method seemed to be restricted to those practicing the Zhongling Yunhua Scripture.

Xiao Cheng felt a bit puzzled. If the Zhongling Sect possessed such a profound scripture, it should not have been obscure in the cultivation world; becoming a major sect should have been easy. Moreover, based on his conversation with Liu Yiyi yesterday, the sect had no male cultivators at all, which was strange. Could it be that the Zhongling Yunhua Scripture had been lost?

Xiao Cheng nodded; that would explain everything. It also accounted for how Mu Hongru had become the master of the Zhongling Sect in his previous life. He must have obtained the Heavenly Origin Fruit and this jade plaque, making his ascension to the sect master position a natural outcome.

No wonder Liu Yiyi had immediately thought of "dual cultivation" when she saw that erotic film yesterday; it was a matter of family tradition.

Xiao Cheng did not dwell further on the jade plaque. The Zhongling Yunhua Scripture was of little use to him; his own Immortal Scripture was sufficient. He hung the plaque at his waist and took out the Heavenly Origin Fruit.

The goal of this trip had been the Heavenly Origin Fruit. Despite the twists and turns and even near-death experiences, he had finally obtained it. What was the "Heavenly Origin Fruit of Creation"? It was the spiritual fruit that allowed Mu Hongru to advance from zero to the Golden Core stage in just three years. The word "Creation" was not just for show.

Xiao Cheng searched the entire cave dwelling, finding no signs of danger. He checked on Liu Yiyi, who remained unconscious, and then moved to another stone bed.

The cave was extremely secluded and undoubtedly an excellent place for cultivation. Without delay, Xiao Cheng decided to consume the Heavenly Origin Fruit immediately.

He placed the fruit in his mouth and bit down. A vast wave of heat instantly radiated from it, burrowing into his throat like a ball of fire and rolling downward.

This scorching current, like molten lava, did not stop in his stomach but flowed into his internal organs and then spread to his limbs and bones.

"Ah—" Xiao Cheng let out a muffled groan. He, who had not even frowned when shot, could not help but cry out now, a testament to the agony.

He had known from the start that body reshaping was an incredibly painful process. After all, it was akin to being reborn; how could it not be painful? Yet, this agony exceeded his expectations. As the scorching current coursed through his body, it felt as if it were burning everything to ash.

Within seconds, Xiao Cheng was drenched in sweat. Just then, another current appeared within him: his own true energy.

His true energy, possessing immense healing properties, clashed violently with the Heavenly Origin current.

This true energy, derived from the Nine Profound Immortal Scripture, was fierce and unyielding. It refused to tolerate the Heavenly Origin energy and began to fight back. The two currents refused to yield to one another.

Xiao Cheng frowned, realizing that his Immortal Scripture was too heaven-defying. It could not be suppressed even by the Heavenly Origin energy of such a high-grade spirit fruit. Had he been practicing a different heart scripture, the Heavenly Origin energy would likely have easily suppressed his own.

The two currents clashed incessantly within him. The Heavenly Origin energy worked to reshape his body while simultaneously fending off the counter-attacks of his true energy. As time passed, the true energy gradually began to lose ground. But that was not all; Xiao Cheng suddenly felt a surge of extremely fierce Pure Yang energy erupting from his "Gate of Life," joining his true energy in the assault on the Heavenly Origin current.

Where did this Pure Yang energy come from? The true energy and Heavenly Origin energy were expected, but this was strange. It was as if this energy had been sealed within his Gate of Life, waiting for this gap to slip out.

This was definitely not his own Pure Yang energy; he had never encountered it in his previous or current life. Xiao Cheng could not fathom its origin. With the appearance of this energy, his lower body immediately reacted, causing his trousers to bulge impressively. Following this, his thoughts began to grow chaotic.

Xiao Cheng shook his head, struggling to remain clear-headed, but it was in vain.

"Could this be a necessary part of the process for consuming the Heavenly Origin Fruit? Right, it’s similar to a system upgrade. Since it’s upgrading the system, the system must be shut down first!"

With this realization, Xiao Cheng relaxed slightly, ceasing his resistance to the changes. His sea of consciousness descended into a chaotic mess, and he gradually lost all reason.

...

I do not know how much time had passed when Liu Yiyi’s long eyelashes fluttered, and she suddenly opened her eyes, sitting up and looking around in a daze.

She remembered clearly: she had been bringing food to Brother Xiao when a great wind blew, destroying the Kongming lantern. She had fallen into the lake, and then... there was no "then." She had no memory of what followed.

But there were demon pythons in the lake. Falling in, there should have been no chance of survival!

Where am I? Why am I still alive?

Liu Yiyi looked at the strange surroundings, her beautiful brows furrowed. Then, she saw the "big mobile phone" resting on a stone nearby. Her eyes lit up, and she hurried over to turn it on. When the bright light met her eyes, she smiled happily.

Seeing that the phone was intact, she walked a few steps west to the cave entrance and found a pool. Looking closely, she saw the water rippling. Through the water, she caught a glimpse of a giant python body swimming past from the side, its dense scales making her scalp tingle.

"Ah—" Liu Yiyi’s eyes widened, and she let out an involuntary scream. Fearing she might attract the snake, she quickly covered her mouth and ran in the opposite direction. This was her first time being so close to a demon python.

After running twenty or so steps, Liu Yiyi stopped beside a stone bed, staring blankly at the person lying there.

Xiao Cheng was lying flat on the stone bed. His exposed skin was a dark purplish-black, his veins bulging like earthworms. His expression was one of extreme pain; his lips were pale, his teeth clenched, and his vacant eyes stared at the cave ceiling.

"Brother Xiao, wake up! What’s wrong with you?" Liu Yiyi pushed at Xiao Cheng, calling out in desperation.