Mu Qian finally understood how this Earth King had managed to grow to the eighty-thousand-year level.
He had seen this kind of fruit in the Extreme North Core, where the Snow Maiden had picked plenty and let him eat them like ordinary fruit.
Star Fruit Trees had extremely stringent growing conditions. They needed to absorb the darkness element in the air to grow, and to bear fruit, they also needed to absorb a vast amount of starlight.
A single Star Fruit often took an immense amount of starlight to ripen.
Even in the Far North, they only appeared during the polar night.
"I always thought these things only grew in the Far North. I can't believe there's one here, too." Mu Qian looked up at the northern sky.
The Star Fruit Trees he'd seen in the Far North had grown in vast clusters, and every tree had stood twenty meters tall. They had borne so much fruit that Mu Qian could have eaten it for every meal.
The Star Forest did indeed provide the immense starlight that Star Fruit Trees needed to grow. But compared with the darkness element and the polar night, it still fell far short.
No wonder this Star Fruit Tree had grown so small. It had only managed to bear a single Star Fruit.
Wait. There were signs that another Star Fruit had once grown on the treetop, but it looked as if it had been eaten a long time ago.
The one who had eaten it was most likely this Earth King.
Mu Qian couldn't help turning his gaze toward Zhu Zhuqing, a promising idea forming in his mind...
Seeing his strange look, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flickered with confusion. "Mu Qian, do you know what this fruit is?"
Mu Qian nodded with a smile. "Zhuqing, you've probably always wondered how I can have a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. I can tell you the answer now: I've eaten lots and lots of these fruits."
Mu Qian wasn't exactly lying. Star Fruit really could strengthen the body and raise the maximum age of a Spirit Ring a Spirit Master could withstand.
And the effect was quite remarkable!
Other people might not know that, but Mu Qian did. He had once eaten Star Fruit as if it were ordinary fruit—and had eventually grown rather tired of it.
"Zhuqing, it looks like we have no choice but to face this Earth King. With the Star Fruit, your ability to withstand a Second Soul Ring will improve greatly."
"Then you'll be able to get at least a thousand-year Second Soul Ring!" Mu Qian said excitedly.
He knew that sincerity was repaid with sincerity, and he genuinely wanted to help this strong-willed girl become stronger.
"Really?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened. Mu Qian's excitement was contagious, and she couldn't help feeling overjoyed.
"Of course." Mu Qian said, "This kind of fruit is incredibly rare. Even with all the starlight in the Star Forest, only one has grown here. That shows just how demanding its growing conditions are."
"We're getting it today, no matter what. If we miss this chance, there won't be another Star Fruit Tree anywhere on the continent outside the Far North."
Zhu Zhuqing gazed at Mu Qian's bright, spirited eyes, her own eyes shimmering with a strange light.
He's going to all this trouble just to help me...?
"But that Earth King..." After her joy and gratitude, Zhu Zhuqing looked at the powerful Spirit Beast sleeping nearby and couldn't help feeling that the path to strength was so difficult.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me. But Zhuqing, I hope you'll keep what you're about to see a secret." Mu Qian spoke mysteriously.
"What kind of person do you take me for? I'd never betray a companion." Zhuqing stared at him with a hint of displeasure, as if she resented his mistrust.
"How could I? Of course I trust you." Mu Qian patted Zhu Zhuqing's head.
A girl had even disregarded what others might think and followed him here. What reason could he have not to trust her?
Having decided to act, Mu Qian calmed himself and began to consider his options.
He should have asked the Snow Maiden for some life-saving trump cards before leaving the Far North. Then he wouldn't have been so helpless against an eighty-thousand-year Spirit Beast.
Mu Qian sighed. It was too late for regrets now.
As he studied the Star Fruit Tree nearby, inspiration suddenly struck, and he came up with a plan.
While Zhu Zhuqing watched in confusion, Mu Qian crossed his hands and rapidly changed the seals. Then he swept both arms out.
A beam of purple-gold light burst from his body and vanished among the trees in a flash.
As soon as he was done, Mu Qian turned and put an arm around Zhu Zhuqing's waist.
A dense surge of Soul Power appeared around him. The Wood Element nearby stirred wildly, completely concealing their presence.
A faint blue-gold light gleamed in Mu Qian's eyes. His Spiritual Power surged out, forming an invisible barrier to protect himself and Zhu Zhuqing.
At the same time, a thunderous roar shook the forest. Terrifying spiritual pressure seemed to rise from the depths of their bloodlines, and an overwhelming tide of Spiritual Power swept out in an instant.
The roar hadn't come from the Earth King, but from the shadows of the dense woods nearby.
"Another Spirit Beast?" Zhu Zhuqing leaned naturally into Mu Qian's arms. Her long black hair fluttered in the wind, and a hint of fear showed in her expression.
Mu Qian shook his head, confident. "Don't worry, Zhuqing. Stay calm."
Seeing the boy's composed expression, Zhu Zhuqing's racing heart settled.
The tremendous commotion instantly woke the sleeping Earth King. The bloodline pressure filled its small eyes with terror. It paced back and forth, its enormous pincers trembling uncontrollably.
"Roar..." The Earth King let out a strained growl, its eyes darting about as if it were thinking like a human.
In the end, its desire for the Star Fruit overcame its fear. It leaped up and rushed toward the sound.
The Star Fruit was simply too tempting.
The Star Fruit could speed up its growth and strengthen its body, helping it face the Heavenly Tribulation that might come.
The first Star Fruit had let it grow to its current age. If it ate a second, it would have a better chance of becoming a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!
"Now!"
Mu Qian murmured. Dragon Wings spread from his back once more, and the mysterious runes turned green in an instant. The Wood Element in the forest was drawn into motion.
The Star Fruit Tree also belonged to the Wood Element. Under Mu Qian's control, it was uprooted and whisked in front of them.
A flash of light, and he stored it in the Starry Sky Ring.
The Starry Sky Ring was of a high rank. Beyond its vast internal space, it could even hold living creatures, as long as they weren't too large.
Little Flower was inside the Starry Sky Ring right now.
"Go!" Mu Qian cried, taking Zhu Zhuqing with him as he shot forward.
His sharp Dragon Wings sliced through the trees. Ancient trees that had grown for countless years fell silently, leaving only clean cuts behind.
By now, the Earth King had finally come to its senses.
There was no sign of its enemy anywhere in the forest.
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