Lingganhu.
Lu Changsheng had followed the system's Treasure Hunting function all the way here.
After reaching his destination, Lu Changsheng scanned his surroundings.
A hazy mist hung over the entire surface of Lingganhu.
This wasn't ordinary mist. It had formed from Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
But Lu Changsheng didn't linger on the mist. His gaze pierced through layer upon layer of it and settled on the center of the lake.
There was a pale yellow flower there.
What really caught Lu Changsheng's attention, though, was the fruit atop the flower.
It wasn't very large, only about the size of a baby's fist, and was pale purple all over.
So this was the Xuanling Fruit?
As the question arose in Lu Changsheng's mind, a transparent Light Screen appeared above the flower and fruit.
[Xuanlinghua: Can dispel distracting thoughts and calm the mind]
[Xuanling Fruit (will ripen in fifteen minutes): Can grant ten thousand years of cultivation and improve one's comprehension]
This is...
Lu Changsheng froze. Did it come with an instruction manual?
No, this was the system's Insight Function?!
After a brief moment of surprise, Lu Changsheng understood.
When he'd first unlocked the system's permissions, he'd focused all his attention on Treasure Hunting and hadn't given Insight much thought.
He'd assumed Insight simply let him learn a few things about others.
But as a transmigrator, he already knew the cultivation levels, Magic Treasures, Trump Cards, and other methods of most of the famous cultivators in Honghuang.
But now, it seemed he'd greatly underestimated the system's Insight Function.
Used well, it might prove remarkably effective in the future!
Then Lu Changsheng turned his attention back to the Xuanling Fruit.
It would ripen in less than fifteen minutes. He'd arrived at just the right time.
All he had to do now was wait for the Xuanling Fruit to ripen, pick it, and return to his cave abode to cultivate.
If all went well, he might even break through to True Immortal.
As he waited, the Xuanling Fruit gradually began to change.
It started absorbing the mist above the lake.
As the mist poured into it, the purple of the Xuanling Fruit deepened.
In a few moments, the mist that had covered the lake had vanished completely.
The purple glow of the Xuanling Fruit grew ever brighter, gleaming like a crystal.
The Xuanling Fruit had ripened!
Lu Changsheng stepped forward, crossed the lake, and arrived at its center in an instant.
But just as he reached out to pick the Xuanling Fruit, a sense of danger welled up inside him.
Driven by instinct, Lu Changsheng immediately activated his magic power and leaped into the air.
The instant he left the lake's surface—
The lake, calm until then, suddenly erupted into monstrous waves.
Lu Changsheng's pupils contracted.
A colossal creature emerged from the towering waves.
It was a giant python. Its body was covered in black scales that gleamed with a chilling light in the sunlight, and its pair of scarlet eyes was enough to make anyone shudder.
"Get lost!"
The cold voice echoed above Lingganhu.
Lu Changsheng's mouth twitched.
Most Natural Treasures in novels had guardians, but the system hadn't warned him about this!
"System, why didn't you tell me about this in advance?"
[With the Host's current permissions, the Treasure Hunting function cannot investigate the specific circumstances of a fortuitous opportunity's location.]
The system's reply left Lu Changsheng speechless.
Forget it. This wasn't the time to dwell on that.
So what if there was a guardian? He'd just have to deal with it.
He was only a Heaven Immortal, but with the divine ability Nine Heavens Thunder Eyes, he could catch a True Immortal off guard and take him down.
If that didn't work, he could bring out Ling Yun Jian, a Xiantian Lingbao. Even a Mysterious Immortal would be no match for him.
As he thought this over, Lu Changsheng activated the system's Insight Function on the Black Python.
[Black Python: Golden Immortal (weakened)]
After seeing the Black Python's basic information, Lu Changsheng nearly cursed aloud.
How was he supposed to fight a Golden Immortal? Was he supposed to give up?
But why had he come here in the first place?
No!
There was indeed a huge gap between Heaven Immortal and Golden Immortal, but the Xuan Sha Mang was weakened.
It might not be impossible to fight it.
Besides, he didn't have to defeat the Xuan Sha Mang. He just had to get the Xuanling Fruit and leave.
Having made his decision, Lu Changsheng turned around at once.
"I'll leave, then."
Seeing Lu Changsheng about to leave, the chill in the Xuan Sha Mang's eyes eased somewhat.
Its body sank lower, as if it meant to return to the bottom of the lake.
But just as it was about to disappear beneath the surface, Lu Changsheng, who had been about to leave, suddenly turned back.
His Heaven Immortal magic power burst forth, and his speed surged to its absolute limit.
He became a streak of light and shot straight toward the Xuanling Fruit.
Unfortunately, the gap between a Heaven Immortal and a Golden Immortal was simply too great.
Before he could reach the Xuanling Fruit, an ear-splitting roar came from the lakebed.
The next instant, the python's thick tail swept toward Lu Changsheng like lightning.
The Xuanling Fruit was within arm's reach, but his instincts told him he had to dodge this attack!
Lu Changsheng retreated at full speed, but the force of the blow still caught him.
He flew backward as if struck by lightning, and a wave of agony spread through his body.
Lu Changsheng was still shaken.
He was lucky he'd dodged.
Otherwise, that single blow would have nearly taken his life.
The gap between a Heaven Immortal and a Golden Immortal was simply too great.
If he'd already cultivated the Indestructible Thunder God Body, things might have been better.
Unfortunately, he hadn't had time to cultivate that divine ability yet.
What should he do now?
The Xuan Sha Mang gave Lu Changsheng no time to think.
Its gaping maw lunged straight at him.
In his desperation, he could only dodge from side to side, in a wretched state.
After a few breaths, Lu Changsheng realized just how vast the gap was between him and the Xuan Sha Mang.
He had no choice but to bring out Ling Yun Jian, this Magic Treasure.
But with his current Heaven Immortal cultivation, he probably couldn't unleash the full power of a Xiantian Lingbao.
So he still had to wait for the perfect moment.
To maximize the power of this sword strike.
Just as Lu Changsheng was about to use the Nine Heavens Thunder Eyes first—
The Xuan Sha Mang, attacking him, seemed to sense something and abruptly halted.
The next instant, Lu Changsheng's pupils contracted.
In front of the Xuanling Fruit at the center of the lake, someone had appeared out of nowhere!
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