Bomb Fruit (Third update, Request Collection, Request Recommendation)

After looking over the three options, Xiao Xie directly chose the third. This way, if he drew a Devil Fruit he liked in future lotteries, he would be able to eat it himself. Besides, the enhanced Bomb Fruit had considerable potential.

"Ugh! Fuck! This tastes awful!" Xiao Xie cried out as he bit into the enhanced Bomb Fruit. It tasted unbelievably bad, like unwashed intestines. Absolutely disgusting!

Fortunately, only the first bite of a Devil Fruit was needed. The rest would become useless; even if someone else ate it, they would not gain the Devil Fruit's power.

Xiao Xie blew out a breath and activated the Bomb Fruit's ability with a thought. "Bang!" An explosion immediately erupted in the air. However, having just eaten the Bomb Fruit, its power was still weak and needed further development. At present, Xiao Xie's Bomb Fruit was only about as powerful as ordinary TNT, but he believed that one day, he could develop its explosive force to the level of a nuclear bomb—or even beyond.

Half an hour later, after familiarizing himself with the Bomb Fruit's ability, Xiao Xie left the Worship Space and brought Arno to the Back Mountain to begin training. Although he had eaten the Bomb Fruit, Xiao Xie knew that only with greater personal strength could he bring out more of its power. Neither Devil Fruit development nor Dou Qi cultivation could be neglected.

Half a month later, in the forest outside Utan City, a Level Three Magical Beast, a Great Strength Bear, was leisurely enjoying the afternoon sun when a fist-sized stone suddenly flew toward it.

"Art is explosion!" With a loud shout, the stone flying toward the Great Strength Bear suddenly expanded. "Boom!!" A thunderous blast rang out as the entire stone exploded. Driven by the shockwave, the flying fragments pierced through the Great Strength Bear's tough hide.

"Boom!" The massive three-meter beast was blown to death before it could even react, crashing heavily to the ground.

"Arno, let's have bear meat today!" Xiao Xie skillfully dug out the Great Strength Bear's Magic Core, then said to Arno.

"Yes, Young Master." Arno immediately went to prepare the bear meat for lunch.

"With my current strength, I should be able to fight a Fourth Level Magical Beast. As long as it isn't one with especially tough skin and flesh, I could blow even a Fourth Level Magical Beast to death just by throwing bombs." Xiao Xie assessed his strength and found that Devil Fruits really were formidable. He had only begun to develop its abilities, yet he could already kill enemies above his level. It was no wonder that people who ate Devil Fruits neglected improving their own strength; enhancing Devil Fruit abilities was far easier than improving oneself.

Xiao Xie's current bombs could easily kill Level Three Magical Beasts, which corresponded to Great Dou Shi-level experts. Yet Xiao Xie himself was only a Dou Shi. More importantly, his bombs could injure Fourth Level Magical Beasts, but human bodies were far more fragile than those of magical beasts. If he launched a sneak attack, Xiao Xie could even kill a Dou Wang-level expert. However, Dou Wang-level experts could already condense Dou Qi Wings to fly, making them very difficult to kill.

All things considered, Xiao Xie's own cultivation was at the level of a Two Star Dou Shi, but with the Bomb Fruit's offensive power added in, he was already no weaker than a Dou Ling-level expert. His overall strength could now be considered Dou Ling-level.

After finishing a delicious meal of roasted bear meat, Xiao Xie took Arno back. Xiao Zhan had told him that guests would be arriving at the clan today, so as the Xiao Clan's Fourth Elder, Xiao Xie had to attend.

"Lord Arno, the Clan Leader has summoned the Fourth Elder to the Guest Reception Hall!" a servant said to Arno, who was standing guard outside the door.

"The Young Master is bathing. Wait," Arno replied expressionlessly.

"Yes!" The servant who had come to deliver the message could only wait respectfully after hearing Arno's words. He did not dare show Arno any disrespect; quite a few members of the Xiao Clan had already been taught a lesson by Arno.

Ten minutes later, Xiao Xie, dressed in a white robe, pushed open the door and walked out. The servant immediately led Xiao Xie and Arno toward the Guest Reception Hall.

The hall was spacious and filled with quite a few people. Seated at the very front were Xiao Zhan and three elderly men with indifferent expressions. They were the clan's elders, and their authority was no less than the Clan Leader's.

The moment Xiao Xie and Arno entered the hall, it fell silent. Everyone's gaze focused on Xiao Xie. With a calm expression, Xiao Xie walked over and sat in the vacant seat beside the Three Elders. When Xiao Zhan and the Three Elders saw Arno following behind him, they were slightly taken aback. They could sense a threat from Arno; this man was definitely at the Great Dou Shi level, the four of them thought to themselves.

Xiao Zhan glanced at Arno and asked Xiao Xie, "Fourth Elder, who is this?"

Xiao Xie smiled. "He is the guard my teacher arranged for me, Arno."

Upon hearing Xiao Xie's words, Xiao Zhan and the others showed expressions of realization. They had previously been guessing whether Xiao Xie had a master behind him; otherwise, how could he have suddenly advanced from Dou Qi Level 6 to a Two Star Dou Shi?

"Fourth Elder, then where is your master? Why not introduce him to us?" the First Elder asked.

"My master is an alchemist. He happened to pass through Utan City, saw that I had talent for alchemy, and accepted me as his disciple. He has already left Utan City, but he left behind a guard for me—Arno," Xiao Xie explained convincingly.

"An alchemist!" Xiao Zhan and the other three exclaimed in surprise upon hearing Xiao Xie's words.

"Fourth Elder, then are you already an alchemist?" Xiao Zhan asked expectantly.

"I am already a Second Grade Alchemist. I simply haven't taken the examination yet," Xiao Xie said indifferently.

Xiao Zhan and the others could not remain indifferent after hearing that. Although it seemed somewhat unbelievable, the four of them chose to believe him.

Xiao Zhan asked Xiao Xie, "Fourth Elder, since you are already a Second Grade Alchemist, would you be willing to refine some medicinal agents for the Xiao Clan?"

"Yes. From now on, the Xiao Clan can provide the medicinal ingredients, and I will refine some medicinal agents for the clan. However, I will need half of the refined medicines as commission. That is the usual payment for an alchemist," Xiao Xie said.

"That is no problem. I will prepare two sets of ingredients. One set will be yours, and the rest will belong to the Xiao Clan. We will have to trouble the Fourth Elder more in the future," Xiao Zhan quickly replied. Half the yield was nothing; the important thing was that he was an alchemist. Half the yield was merely the minimum condition for an alchemist to make a move. Ordinary people had to meet many more conditions to hire one, which was why Xiao Zhan agreed so readily.

"You are too polite, Clan Leader. I am also a member of the Xiao Clan. This is what I should do," Xiao Xie said with a smile.

"The Fourth Elder truly understands reason!" Upon hearing Xiao Xie's words, the First Elder and the others eagerly flattered him. The status of a Second Grade Alchemist was enough to make them throw away all dignity.

After chatting with Xiao Zhan and the others for a while, Xiao Xie turned his gaze toward the three unfamiliar people seated opposite him. They must have been the distinguished guests Xiao Zhan had mentioned yesterday.

His slightly puzzled gaze swept over the three strangers. Among them was an elderly man in a moon-white robe. The old man wore a broad smile and appeared full of vitality. His somewhat narrow eyes occasionally flashed with sharp light, while the seven stars embroidered on his chest indicated that he was a Seven Star Great Dou Shi.

Beside the old man sat a young man and woman, both dressed in the same moon-white robes. The young man appeared to be around twenty. With his handsome face and tall, straight physique, he was quite charming. Of course, the most important thing was the five golden stars embroidered on his chest, which represented his strength: a Five Star Dou Zhe!

The young man's gaze remained fixed on the girl beside him. Her beauty surpassed even Xiao Mei's by a few degrees. Within the Xiao Clan, perhaps only Xiao Xun'er, who was like a green lotus, could compare with her.

Green jade earrings hung from the girl's delicate earlobes. As they swayed slightly, they produced a crisp jade chime, lending her an abrupt air of nobility.

Furthermore, beside the girl's exquisitely developing chest were embroidered three golden stars. A fifteen-year-old Three Star Dou Zhe.

Nalan Yanran has come to break off the engagement? Xiao Xie thought as he looked at the three of them. Although Xiao Yan's talent has returned, is Nalan Yanran still planning to break off the engagement? Interesting. I can use this opportunity to earn another wave of Worship Points.

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