Earth Profound Fruit

In the dense forest, Lin Yiqing stood atop a large tree, his expression grim as he surveyed the boundless sea of trees ahead.

This place lay on the outskirts of Qingyang Town and served as the entrance to the mountain range beyond. Because its unusual shape resembled a rhino horn winding out from the endless mountains, it was also known as the Rhino Horn Mountain Range.

Compared to the depths of the mountains, the Rhino Horn Mountain Range was relatively safe. Many low-level martial artists and mercenaries came here to gather spirit herbs and hunt valuable beasts.

Of course, nothing was ever certain. Demonic beasts from the depths of the mountains occasionally appeared, bringing a storm of bloodshed to the area.

Wild beasts and demonic beasts differed by only one word, but the difference between them was as vast as heaven and earth!

Even a Heaven Origin Realm expert wouldn't dare claim he could escape unscathed if he ran into a demonic beast in these mountains.

Nevertheless, driven by profit, most people were still willing to take the risk and enter.

After all, greater risks came with greater rewards.

During these past few days of cultivation, Lin Yiqing had clearly felt himself growing by leaps and bounds.

But a flower raised in a greenhouse could never become an eagle soaring through the nine heavens!

Only by enduring bloodshed could he transform himself and rise above the chaos of this troubled world!

Besides, although there were some spirit herbs in the Lin Family Back Mountain, they had grown increasingly scarce due to excessive harvesting.

Spirit herbs that had matured for enough years were almost impossible to find, and the benefits they could offer him were dwindling.

After looking around and making sure the area was safe, Lin Yiqing leaped down and began heading deeper into the mountains.

Along the way, whenever he encountered low-level wild beasts, he simply avoided them. Killing without purpose would only attract all the nearby beasts.

That would bring trouble. His target was spirit herbs of a higher grade!

"Rustle, rustle!"

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the low shrubs. In the shadowy forest, it seemed especially out of place.

Lin Yiqing immediately sprang to the treetops, his body tensing as he quietly slowed his breathing.

At the same time, a Refined Iron Dagger slipped from his sleeve. He raised it in front of himself and warily watched the bushes.

"Snort, snort!"

A huge black wild boar with three pairs of vicious tusks slowly emerged from the bushes.

The strangest thing about it was the dense layer of black, blocky growths covering its body, each piece resembling a scale.

"Armor Boar!"

Lin Yiqing couldn't help frowning. This was going to be difficult.

This kind of beast was not only highly aggressive, but its body was covered in hard, horny plates, giving it formidable defenses. It was among the strongest of the wild beasts.

"Huh? Is that an Earth Profound Fruit?!"

Just as Lin Yiqing was about to avoid it, he happened to catch sight of a blue-black fruit, faintly visible among the bushes.

A rush of excitement surged through him, almost too powerful to suppress.

The Earth Profound Fruit was a second-grade spirit herb. He had once seen one from afar in the Lin Family, held in the hands of Second Master of the Lin Family, Lin Mang.

From what he had observed, the Earth Profound Fruit contained earth-attributed Origin Power. Its medicinal effects were gentle, making it ideal for refining pills that nourished the body and bones.

Moreover, the fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm, Bone Refinement, and the sixth level, Marrow Refinement, both involved the bones and torso.

If he could get his hands on this Earth Profound Fruit, it would undoubtedly be of great help to him.

It might even help him successfully produce an Origin Power Seed!

"Phew!"

Suppressing his rising excitement, Lin Yiqing fixed his gaze on the enormous beast before him.

If he wanted to take the spirit herb, he first had to defeat the infamous Armor Boar.

Reversing his grip on the dagger, Lin Yiqing waited for his chance. He crouched and gathered his strength, then suddenly sprang high into the air, plunging toward the Armor Boar's nape like a hawk.

"Chhk!"

The dagger sank into its flesh. Lin Yiqing instantly twisted the blade, slashing hard through the flesh to one side. Then he planted both feet firmly on the Armor Boar's back and used the force to leap back up into the treetops.

The entire sequence flowed together seamlessly. His first hunt sent his blood surging through his veins.

Yet the more his fighting spirit flared, the calmer his thoughts became. There was no doubt about it—he was a born martial artist, with an extraordinary instinct for combat.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Bright red blood sprayed everywhere. The pain in its nape instantly enraged the huge Armor Boar. It wheeled around and charged straight at the tree where Lin Yiqing stood.

"Crash!"

The tree toppled, and dirt flew everywhere. The beast's tremendous strength sent the tree Lin Yiqing had been standing on crashing to the ground.

In that instant, Lin Yiqing had no choice but to dart to another tree.

"With strength like that, if it hit me head-on, I'd be gravely injured even if I survived!"

Lin Yiqing stared at the fallen tree, his pupils contracting.

Trying to beat such a ferocious beast by meeting force with force was absolutely out of the question. He had to use skill to overcome its strength.

"The Armor Boar is huge, but it lacks agility. I can look for chances to wound it and wear it down!"

With that thought, Lin Yiqing immediately changed direction and began leaping among the trees, launching sudden, thunderous attacks whenever he saw an opening.

No matter how powerful a wild beast was, it was still only a wild beast. Find its weakness, and little by little, the scales would tip in your favor until you could kill it.

"A dagger really doesn't do enough damage against a beast like this!"

Lin Yiqing looked at the dagger in his hand and sighed inwardly.

Although he had a Body Tempering Pill, his limited strength held him back. For now, he had no way to safely exchange it for other resources, let alone obtain a high-quality weapon.

He had searched the whole house just to find this dagger!

Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to stab the beast for so long.

Gradually, the Armor Boar seemed to reach its limit. Its huge body began to sway.

Only then did Lin Yiqing drop from the treetops, ready to finish it off.

Perhaps sensing that its enemy had finally come to face it head-on, the Armor Boar suddenly accelerated and charged toward Lin Yiqing. Seemingly boundless murderous fury gathered on its three pairs of tusks.

"First-Grade Martial Art, Roaming Body Steps."

At the instant the Armor Boar charged, Lin Yiqing twisted to the side with an uncanny step, evading its attack.

At the same time, he drove the dagger in his hand into the Armor Boar's eye without hesitation.

"Roar! Roar!"

A piercing scream rang out. With its eye pierced, the Armor Boar seemed to rally for one last stand and went berserk again. It tossed its head, swinging its three pairs of tusks like blades.

"First-Grade Martial Art, Penetrating Fist!"

"Pa-pa-pa!"

Seven sharp cracks sounded from his sleeve in succession. Lin Yiqing's right fist carried tremendous force as it slammed into the side of the Armor Boar's head.

"Bang!"

With a thunderous crash, the entire Armor Boar was knocked off its feet.

"Let's end this."

Looking at the fallen beast, Lin Yiqing pulled the dagger from its eye and plunged it into the Armor Boar's skull!

The blood slowly soaked into the ground, and at last, the Armor Boar stopped moving.

"Phew, it's finally dead!"

Seeing the Armor Boar fall, Lin Yiqing couldn't help panting heavily.

He was only at the fourth level of the Body Tempering Realm. Killing such a powerful beast had been an enormous test for him.

After glancing at the Armor Boar lying nearby, Lin Yiqing turned his fiery gaze toward the bushes.

He parted the shrubs, finally getting a clear look at what lay within. There was an Earth Profound Fruit Tree, about half a foot tall. Its whole form was lush and green, with an unusually slender, whitish trunk that was also remarkably tough. A blue-black fruit the size of a fist grew at its tip.

Hidden among the bushes, it was easy to overlook. If the image of the fruit hadn't been fresh in his mind, Lin Yiqing probably wouldn't have noticed it.

He activated his innate vision. Earth-yellow Origin Energy swirled densely around the fruit, and at its very center, a yellow vortex seemed to turn slowly.

Only then did Lin Yiqing relax. With this fruit, the trip had at least been worthwhile.

And the real combat experience he had gained from fighting the Armor Boar was an equally valuable reward!

Taking out the cloth pouch he carried with him, he carefully placed the Earth Profound Fruit inside and tucked it against his chest. He also pulled up the Earth Profound Fruit Tree, roots and all, then slowly turned and walked toward the Armor Boar's carcass.

The Armor Boar was enormous, and Lin Yiqing couldn't carry it away. Besides, he was in the Rhino Horn Mountain Range, where countless wild beasts roamed. The smell of blood would soon attract others.

The mountains were also a chaotic mix of people. If other martial artists noticed what had happened here, it could easily turn into another case of killing and looting.

A common man was innocent of crime, but his jade would bring trouble. A rookie at the fourth level of the Body Tempering Realm carrying a fourth-grade spirit herb in his arms was a very tempting prize.

Thinking of this, he took a thumb-sized porcelain bottle from his clothes and poured all the pink liquid inside over the Armor Boar's wounds.

Then, without looking back, he sprinted toward the mountain exit.

This was a liquid he had developed early on. It could intensify the stench of blood for a short time.

Once it attracted the fierce carnivorous beasts, the Armor Boar's carcass would soon be devoured.

And since he had pulled up the Earth Profound Fruit Tree by its roots, he believed no one would ever discover the secret of this place.

Besides, even if someone did find it, they would never find him!

A moment later.

Pair after pair of glowing green eyes lit up in the darkness. The area descended into another bloody melee.

But none of this had anything to do with Lin Yiqing anymore.