Don't Be Soft-Hearted

"Don't tell me you're still putting on an act!?"

Zi Yuan couldn't help but roll her eyes at Qin Feng, her youthful face already brimming with boundless charm.

"You wouldn't get it!"

Qin Feng had absolute confidence in himself. Whenever a protagonist entered a dungeon, the more people that followed along, the more unexpected dangers would arise.

In the end, only a handful would escape, trembling with lingering fear, spreading tales of the protagonist's show-off process.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A burst of frantic fighting rang out nearby. No need to guess—someone was fighting over a treasure.

Since this ruin had been sealed for so long, many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures had grown inside. After Qin Feng and Zi Yuan entered the forest, they'd found some too.

But all of it was common stuff, nowhere near worth fighting over.

"Wanna check it out?"

Qin Feng tested the waters, earning an excited nod from Zi Yuan as she bobbed her little head.

To make sure he wouldn't be recognized, Qin Feng smeared some dust on his face and clothes, looking travel-worn and nothing like a Young Master from a wealthy family.

Soon—

The two sneaked over to the scene. Several factions were already locked in a bloody battle, with dozens of corpses littering the ground. The earth itself was stained red with blood.

Not far from them was a vine, bearing dozens of small, nipple-shaped fruits that flickered with a red glow.

"It's Blood Bodhi!"

Zi Yuan nearly screamed in excitement, barely controlling herself by pinching Qin Feng's arm.

Her reaction wasn't unreasonable—Blood Bodhi was incredibly rare.

If Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were ranked into four grades—Heaven, Earth, Mystic, Yellow—then Blood Bodhi was Heavenly Rank, and a rare variety at that.

Consuming it could heal injuries, boost one's cultivation, and strengthen the foundation and vitality.

The most miraculous part was that it could be used without limit.

Unlike items that lost effectiveness after the first use, this was a treasure that cultivators

dreamed of.

But once Blood Bodhi was harvested, its vine would wither rapidly, making it impossible to cultivate or transplant. Only those with great Auspicious Qi could encounter it—another reason for its extreme rarity.

"That's too much!"

Qin Feng looked at his reddened arm, claiming he never held grudges—he usually settled scores on the spot.

"Ow, ow, easy, easy!"

Before Zi Yuan could react, her thigh was pinched by Qin Feng.

With several factions locked in battle ahead, she had to grit her teeth and stay silent, shooting Qin Feng a pitiful look to show she was truly sorry and would never pinch him again.

"I'll let you off this time!"

Qin Feng let go. He had to admit, the feel was pretty nice.

Ahem, getting off track!

The factions ahead were all very strong. Not only were there Spirit Martial Realm cultivators, but also Entering Dao Realm ones. Even with his recent breakthrough to Transcendent Realm, third layer, and using all his Trump Cards like the Supreme Bone and Invincible Twin Pupils, he was no match for them.

Unless he used the max-level Red-haired Old Monster Experience Ticket—but using that on these nobodies was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

"What a bratty Younger Brother!"

Zi Yuan muttered in grievance, tears nearly spilling from the pain.

But the next second, she forgot the pain.

Qin Feng fixed his gaze on the Blood Bodhi ahead, reached out, and grabbed one from a distance—actually pulling a fruit over.

"How did you do that!?"

Zi Yuan quickly rubbed her eyes. Confirming she wasn't mistaken, her big, sparkling eyes turned to Qin Feng, full of stars.

"Secret!"

Qin Feng had no intention of

explaining. Confirming that his long-distance grab worked, he started frantically harvesting the Blood Bodhi. The vine, once full of fruit, visibly thinned at an alarming rate.

But the more Zi Yuan watched, the more uneasy she felt. That move seemed awfully familiar.

As if realizing something, Zi Yuan's pretty face flushed bright red. This scene was strikingly similar to the night of the missing Dudou.

In other words, the culprit that night wasn't Lin San—it was the little brat Qin Feng.

She'd thought he was just a clueless kid, but now it was clear he knew far more than she did.

"What a pervy little brother. No wonder Auntie said men are all no good!"

Zi Yuan muttered with a red face, then inexplicably recalled Auntie's next line: "But men do have one good thing." She had no idea what that meant.

"What did you say!?" Qin Feng turned his head and asked.

"Nothing!"

Zi Yuan's face was flushed red as she casually said, "Is it really okay to take this much?!"

"Don't be soft-hearted!"

With the mindset of taking whatever he could, Qin Feng didn't plan on leaving a single one for anyone else.

"Wait, stop fighting, all of you!"

The battling factions also sensed something amiss. The vine that had been covered in Blood Bodhi was now down to just a few, and it showed no sign of stopping.

One by one, they vanished before their eyes, until the last one disappeared, and the vine withered along with it.

"Who? Who did this!?"

The factions were furious, their Minor Universes completely out of control.

They had fought for so long, sacrificed so many brothers, and ended up with not a single Blood Bodhi to show for it.

Who could accept that!?

"Who are you people!?"

A group spotted Qin Feng and Zi Yuan trying to make a getaway and immediately surged forward in a massive wave, surrounding the two.

"Just a couple of brats in the Transcendent Realm!"

The crowd looked at their cultivation levels with disappointment, not believing that a Transcendent Realm could strip every last Blood Bodhi right under their noses.

"Wait!"

Someone frowned, studying the dust-covered Qin Feng. He felt the kid looked very familiar.

"What are you looking at? Do you even know who my big brother is!?"

Qin Feng showed no sign of panic, instead speaking with arrogant disdain: "I'll scare you to death just by saying it—my big brother is none other than the famous Changkong Sword God's successor, Lin San. He and I are sworn brothers, different parents but the same bond."

"Lin San!!"

The factions immediately gasped. They were no strangers to Lin San.

Known as the First Sword in a Hundred Years and the successor of the Changkong Sword God, he had recently fought a battle with the Eldest Young Master of the Qin Family, Qin Feng, who possessed an Emperor's Talent.

He was a renowned prodigy shaking the world, a hot contender in the Great Era of Contention, and backed by Heavenly Heart City.

Unprovokable, unprovokable!!

"Sworn brothers, different parents but the same bond!?"

Zi Yuan couldn't help but roll her eyes, realizing Qin Feng really could spin a tale.

Seeing the crowd cowed, Qin Feng didn't miss the chance to fan the flames: "I'll even tell you this—this ruin was opened by my big brother three days ago. The Blood Bodhi is stuff he didn't even want. If you offend me, imagine the consequences yourselves!"

The crowd exchanged glances, directly ignoring the last part.

They had heard from the Wei Hu Gang disciples that a man named Lin San had indeed opened the ruin, so they could basically confirm Qin Feng was telling the truth.

In other words, could it be that Lin San had found some supreme treasure in the ruin, to the point where even a treasure like the Blood Bodhi was beneath his notice?

Whoosh!!

The crowd scattered like startled birds, scouring the ruin for Lin San...