Moon Spirit Fruit

At that moment, Lin Zisheng merely glanced at Ye Lin before hurrying toward the Inner Sect, as though he had some urgent business.

"Senior Brother, how many Inner Sect elders does our sect have?"

Ye Lin asked offhandedly.

Zhao Li glanced at Ye Lin, then spoke.

"Our sect has only nine Inner Sect elders, and they're all experts in the late stages of Foundation Establishment."

After finishing, Zhao Li pursed his lips and looked around. Only after confirming that no one was nearby did he lean toward Ye Lin and whisper,

"By the way, I heard a little rumor. Don't tell anyone else, but apparently our sect has another incredibly mysterious Inner Sect elder, one with the peak cultivation of the Golden Core Realm."

"But she spends all her time in seclusion, so no one can confirm if it's true. And apparently, this elder is a woman."

"I don't know if it's true, but don't go spreading it around."

After Zhao Li finished, Ye Lin nodded.

"Of course. I was just curious."

"So there really is a mysterious Tenth Elder at the Golden Core Realm?"

Ye Lin wondered silently. An Inner Sect elder at the Golden Core Realm was frankly absurd.

In other sects, a Golden Core cultivator could already serve as a Grand Elder.

"Junior Brother, we're here."

Hearing Zhao Li, Ye Lin looked ahead.

Dark Moon Pool lay on the outskirts of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

"This is the place. The villages down below get their water from Dark Moon Pool, but a few days ago, three Rock Crocodiles at Qi Refining Level 9 suddenly appeared in the pool."

"That cut off the water supply to several villages. Our job is to kill those three Rock Crocodiles."

"Junior Brother, you'll keep one occupied while I deal with the other two. Be careful."

Zhao Li spoke to Ye Lin with a serious expression.

Dark Moon Pool was a pool roughly fifty meters across. Three crocodiles, each eight or nine meters long, were sprawled along its banks.

These were no ordinary crocodiles. The Rock Crocodiles' scales were a dusty yellow, and their defenses were astonishing.

And these were Rock Crocodiles at Qi Refining Level 9. Without spirit treasures to help them, Qi Refining cultivators could hardly penetrate their defenses.

"Senior Brother, these Rock Crocodiles have practically invincible defenses. I'm afraid the two of us won't even be able to break through them, right?"

Ye Lin turned to Zhao Li beside him.

"Don't worry. I came prepared. For this mission, I specially borrowed my senior brother's spirit treasure."

Zhao Li drew a Long Sword from behind him. It was unmistakably a Yellow-Grade High-Tier Longsword.

"Junior Brother, I'm going in first. Just keep one of them occupied. Once I've killed the other two, I'll come help you."

As soon as Zhao Li finished speaking, he charged at the three Rock Crocodiles. The beasts, basking in the sun, spotted the stranger and began stretching their limbs before crawling toward him at astonishing speed.

Ye Lin didn't hesitate either. He leaped forward and punched one of the Rock Crocodiles, drawing its attention at once.

"Three Rock Crocodiles at Qi Refining Level 9. Even without a Long Sword to help me, I can kill them with ease."

Ye Lin thought as the Rock Crocodile forced him back.

Over on Zhao Li's side, the Yellow-Grade High-Tier Longsword was like a godsend. He had already killed one Rock Crocodile and was locked in a fierce fight with another.

If I take a hit from the Rock Crocodile and fall to the bottom of the pool, I can come back up after taking the treasure. Zhao Li won't suspect a thing.

A plan suddenly occurred to Ye Lin.

When the moment seemed right, he raised his arm to block the tail of the Rock Crocodile before him. In the next instant, the beast's tail sent him flying, and his body plunged into the pool and vanished beneath the surface.

"Junior Brother!"

Zhao Li had just killed the Rock Crocodile in front of him with a single sword strike. Hearing the commotion, he turned and immediately saw Ye Lin knocked into the pool by a Rock Crocodile's tail.

"Damn it!"

Zhao Li cursed and charged at the Rock Crocodile with his sword.

Ye Lin, meanwhile, was already swimming toward the bottom of the pool.

Once he reached the bottom, Ye Lin immediately spotted the Moon Spirit Fruit, shining brightly.

"It's almost ripe? Now I know why those three Rock Crocodiles came here."

Looking at the Moon Spirit Fruit, Ye Lin thought to himself.

The Moon Spirit Fruit was clearly almost ripe, and Demon Beasts were far more sensitive to natural treasures than human cultivators.

The three Rock Crocodiles above had surely come for this Moon Spirit Fruit.

"Now you're mine."

Ye Lin swam over, grabbed the Moon Spirit Fruit, snapped it off, and put it in his Spatial Ring. Then he swam back toward the surface.

"Damn it! Die!"

Zhao Li tried every way he could to finish off the Rock Crocodile in front of him, but the beast refused to give him an opening. It kept him locked in a stalemate, and he couldn't kill it quickly.

Just then, Ye Lin burst through the water and reached the shore. The Rock Crocodile that had been preparing to attack Zhao Li spotted him and crawled toward him instead.

"Time to finish you off."

Ye Lin watched the Rock Crocodile. While Zhao Li remained locked in a stalemate with the other beast, a blazing red flame appeared on Ye Lin's right fist. He punched the Rock Crocodile squarely on the head.

Its entire head was driven straight into the ground. The earth caved in, and blood poured from its seven orifices. Its life force vanished.

Meanwhile, Zhao Li had also finished off the incredibly cunning Rock Crocodile he was fighting.

"Junior Brother, are you all right?"

Zhao Li came over with his Long Sword in hand and asked with concern.

"I'm fine. I got careless and was knocked into the pool, but luckily, this Rock Crocodile was injured. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been a match for it."

Ye Lin shook his arm. Zhao Li looked at the Rock Crocodile's corpse and nodded.

"True. A Qi Refining Level 8 cultivator fighting one at Qi Refining Level 9 is too much of a stretch. I should have thought that through. Still, at least we succeeded."

"Come on, Junior Brother. We can go claim our reward now."

"All right."

Ye Lin stood and clasped his hands toward Zhao Li. Then, after quickly dealing with the Rock Crocodile corpses, the two headed straight back to the Azure Cloud Sect.

At the Azure Cloud Sect, Ye Lin waited outside the Mission Pavilion while Zhao Li went inside to turn in the mission.

Zhao Li soon came out, beaming.

"Junior Brother, here. This is the twenty-five Low-Tier Spirit Stones I promised you."

Zhao Li tossed Ye Lin a cloth pouch.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Ye Lin took the pouch and clasped his hands toward Zhao Li.

"It's nothing. I'll head off to cultivate now."

Watching Zhao Li's back, Ye Lin couldn't help but feel touched. What a good senior brother.

Then Ye Lin headed for his residence.

As for Zhao Li, because he'd completed the mission quickly and with excellent results, he received an extra five Low-Tier Spirit Stones...

After reaching his residence, Ye Lin shut the door and took out the Moon Spirit Fruit and Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Should I break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm now?"

Looking at the two treasures before him, Ye Lin fell into deep thought. He could break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm right now, and with the Foundation Establishment Pill's help, he would definitely become stronger than an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"No. I should check the Scripture Depository first."

To be safe, Ye Lin put away the treasures and headed for the Scripture Depository.

Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm was no small matter. A towering building rose from level ground; only with a solid foundation could he build it.