Chapter 1647: Picking
Zhang Ruochen walked to the edge of the sacred pool and indeed felt an extremely cold, chilling aura rushing toward him. In the pool, the water rippled gently—it was the Extreme Yin Nether Ice Water, capable of freezing and killing beings of the Saint Realm.
Mu Lingxi could not stand the pale-skinned young woman, feeling she was too condescending. She said, “I’m determined to go pick one of those Heart Moon Sacred Fruits and taste what it’s really like.”
Mu Lingxi cultivated the power of Extreme Yin Nether Ice and had already reached a certain level of mastery. She believed she was not afraid of the Extreme Yin Nether Ice Water in the sacred pool.
The young woman appeared very youthful, her skin as white as a snow lotus. A mocking expression appeared on her delicate face. “Overestimating yourself.”
The Eight-Armed Spider King quickly walked over, trying to dissuade Mu Lingxi, explaining the dangers involved. “Miss, the environment above the sacred pool’s surface is strange. No matter how high one’s cultivation, they cannot fly. The Extreme Yin Nether Ice Water cannot be touched—once it makes contact, the sacred qi within a cultivator’s body will freeze solid. If you don’t believe me, look at the bottom of the pool.”
Zhang Ruochen and Mu Lingxi’s gazes fixed on the pool’s bottom.
At the bottom of the pool, four beings were frozen within four chunks of ice crystal, long since devoid of life.
“They all tried to pick Heart Moon Sacred Fruits, unfortunately fell into the pool, and lost their lives here forever,” the Eight-Armed Spider King said with a long sigh.
Zhang Ruochen grew cautious. “Did this happen recently?”
“No.”
The Eight-Armed Spider King shook his head. “These were tragedies from previous Sealing God Platform Conferences. However, because they were powerful in life and were wrapped in Extreme Yin Nether Ice Water, their bodies haven’t decayed, making it look like they just fell in.”
“Now, everyone knows how dangerous this place is. Cultivators without sufficient strength don’t easily take the risk. Even if they do try to pick, they make ample preparations and have companions guarding them. Accidents have become rarer.”
The young woman was eager to see Zhang Ruochen and Mu Lingxi make fools of themselves. She urged them from the side, “Didn’t you just claim you were going to pick the sacred fruit? Why haven’t you made a move?”
“Fine, I’ll go,” Mu Lingxi said without fear, confident that the Extreme Yin Nether Ice Water in the sacred pool could not harm her.
“Wait.” Zhang Ruochen stopped Mu Lingxi.
Mu Lingxi looked at him. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
Extreme Yin Nether Ice Water, like Purifying Divine Flame, could be divided into several levels.
For example, although Zhang Ruochen had cultivated Purifying Divine Flame and reached the peak of the “Mortal Flame” level, encountering Purifying Divine Flame at the “Minister Flame” level would still pose great danger. Mu Lingxi had cultivated the power of Extreme Yin Nether Ice, but that did not mean she could resist all forms of Extreme Yin Nether Ice Water.
“Let me test it first,” Zhang Ruochen said cautiously.
Beside them, the young woman let out a low, mocking laugh, which irritated Mu Lingxi and unsettled her mind.
Zhang Ruochen extended his right hand, pressing down on Mu Lingxi’s wrist to stop her. With his other hand, he sent a stream of pure sacred qi flying into the sacred pool, sweeping toward one of the Heart Moon Sacred Fruits.
The sacred qi, like a long ribbon, flew over the water’s surface, drawing closer and closer to the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit.
The cultivators present all held their breath, their expressions filled with surprise.
Could they pick the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit this way?
The sacred qi was still three zhang away from the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit when it suddenly stopped moving. It had been frozen by the cold, turning into an ice pillar that fell into the sacred pool with a plop.
“So it can freeze sacred qi too,” Zhang Ruochen said, frowning.
Although the attempt failed, no one laughed.
Instead, the surrounding cultivators looked at Zhang Ruochen with a newfound respect.
He was not the first to try using sacred qi to wrap around a Heart Moon Sacred Fruit, but the fact that his sacred qi traveled such a distance before freezing showed its purity far exceeded that of anyone else present.
For other beings, sacred qi would freeze into an ice pillar after just a few zhang, nowhere near Zhang Ruochen’s level.
Zhang Ruochen cultivated the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture* and had repeatedly refined his sacred qi with Purifying Divine Flame. Naturally, its purity was beyond comparison.
The Eight-Armed Spider King recognized Zhang Ruochen’s extraordinary nature and developed a desire to befriend him.
Zhang Ruochen took out a Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifact-level long whip, intending to use it to retrieve a Heart Moon Sacred Fruit. Even if the cold above the water was fierce, it should not be able to freeze a Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifact.
“Wait a moment.”
The Eight-Armed Spider King approached again, warning him, “Brother, the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit is very fragile, and the method of picking it is quite particular. It absolutely cannot come into contact with any of the five elements—metal, fire, earth, or water—otherwise, it will instantly turn into a droplet and fall into the sacred pool.”
Zhang Ruochen’s frown deepened. “So, only a wooden vessel can be used to pick and store the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit?”
The Eight-Armed Spider King smiled bitterly. “Not just any wooden vessel—it must be made from Divine Wood.”
Mu Lingxi’s brows furrowed. “The conditions for picking are that harsh?”
“We should be grateful the conditions are so harsh. Otherwise, the Heart Moon Sacred Fruits here would have been picked clean long ago,” the Eight-Armed Spider King said with a shrug, looking helpless. “Actually, I have one or two methods to pick the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit. But I don’t have a vessel made from Divine Wood on me, so I’m waiting here, hoping to borrow one from another cultivator. Do the two of you happen to have such a vessel?”
Before Zhang Ruochen could respond, the young woman nearby spoke smugly, “My senior brother has a measuring ruler made from Divine Wood. Once he brings it, he can naturally help me pick a Heart Moon Sacred Fruit.”
Those who received invitation letters were either of high status or possessed great personal strength. The young woman’s cultivation was only at the Half-Saint King realm, clearly placing her in the former category.
Mu Lingxi snorted lightly. “A vessel made from Divine Wood isn’t that impressive. I have one too.”
With that, she flipped her palm, revealing a wooden jar in her hand.
The jar was made from wood of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree, but the divine qi of the wood attribute had mostly drained away, making it look rather ordinary.
The young woman let out a mocking laugh. “This is supposed to be a vessel made from Divine Wood?”
The cultivators gathered around stared intently at the wooden jar in Mu Lingxi’s hand but could discern nothing special. They all looked disappointed.
Half of the cultivators gathered here were, like the Eight-Armed Spider King, hoping to borrow a vessel from someone else to pick the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit.
“Once my senior brother arrives, if you all give me a certain amount of sacred stones, I’ll definitely have him lend you the measuring ruler,” the young woman said leisurely and smugly.
“You don’t know quality when you see it.”
Mu Lingxi held the wooden jar in one hand and spread out a pair of phoenix wings from her back, then flew toward the white sacred tree at the center of the sacred pool.
Zhang Ruochen did not stop Mu Lingxi this time.
From his earlier test, he had some understanding of the Extreme Yin Nether Ice Water in the sacred pool. It was dangerous, but it could not freeze Mu Lingxi. Moreover, if she encountered trouble, with Zhang Ruochen standing at the pool’s edge, he could pull her back instantly.
The phoenix wings could not let Mu Lingxi fly over the water’s surface, but they could harness the wind, reducing her body weight. Her toes lightly tapped the water as she quickly reached the base of the sacred tree.
“So she’s an Ice Phoenix. No wonder she’s not afraid of the Extreme Yin Nether Ice Water,” the Eight-Armed Spider King thought to himself.
“Whoosh—”
Mu Lingxi used the wooden jar to cover a milky-white Heart Moon Sacred Fruit and twisted her wrist gently.
“Thump.”
The Heart Moon Sacred Fruit fell into the jar.
The young woman grew a bit nervous but still spoke rudely, “The Heart Moon Sacred Fruit has probably melted inside that jar. The sacred dao rules contained in the fruit will dissipate into the air in no time.”
Mu Lingxi shot her a glare, then moved her feet, intending to pick another Heart Moon Sacred Fruit.
But at that moment, as if something terrifying had happened, Mu Lingxi’s expression changed drastically. She quickly flapped her wings and rushed toward the edge of the sacred pool.
“Splash.”
Zhang Ruochen lashed out with his long whip, wrapping it around Mu Lingxi’s slender waist and pulling her back.
Once on the shore, Mu Lingxi’s complexion recovered, but her heart was still pounding wildly.
“What happened just now?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Mu Lingxi shook her head. “I don’t know. Suddenly, an invisible weight fell on me, nearly crushing me into the pool.”
“That’s strange,” Zhang Ruochen said.
The Eight-Armed Spider King spoke up. “It’s not strange at all—it’s a normal phenomenon. In this Outer Southern Courtyard, each cultivator can only pick one of each type of sacred fruit. If someone tries to pick a second of the same kind, the danger and difficulty increase several times over. The Truth Temple set up this mechanism to prevent a single powerful cultivator from taking all the fruits of one type. I assumed you two knew this common knowledge, so I didn’t warn you earlier.”
“So that’s how it is. I can only blame my own greed,” Mu Lingxi said with a wry shake of her head.
The Eight-Armed Spider King stared at the wooden jar in Mu Lingxi’s hand. White sacred light was emanating from it, and his heart stirred. “Could it be that this young lady’s jar is really made from Divine Wood?”
“Would it be fake?” Mu Lingxi replied.
She held the jar with both hands and tilted it at an angle.
The intact Heart Moon Sacred Fruit lay quietly at the bottom of the jar.
Seeing this, the cultivators present all crowded around.
“Miss, could you lend me the jar? I won’t need it long—just half an hour. I can pay you thirty thousand… no, fifty thousand sacred stones.”
“I’m willing to pay eighty thousand sacred stones.”
“I’ll offer one hundred thousand sacred stones. Lend it to me first!”
…
Nearly ten cultivators present were confident they could pick the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit, and they all lowered their postures, pleading with Mu Lingxi for help.
Mu Lingxi’s gaze shifted to Zhang Ruochen, seeking his opinion.
Zhang Ruochen said, “It’s just lending out the jar—nothing major. You don’t need to pay sacred stones; just take it and use it. But you’ll have to line up. The jar can’t be lent to everyone at once.”
The surrounding cultivators all showed expressions of profound respect.
The Eight-Armed Spider King’s desire to befriend them grew even stronger. “Brother, your noble character and broad-mindedness are truly admirable. But the Heart Moon Sacred Fruit is priceless. Since we’re borrowing your vessel, paying sacred stones is only right. I hope you won’t refuse.”
With that, the Eight-Armed Spider King took out one hundred thousand sacred stones, put them in a storage bag, and handed them to Zhang Ruochen.
To be honest, Zhang Ruochen was quite wealthy and didn’t care about a mere one hundred thousand sacred stones. That was why he had wanted to use this opportunity to build goodwill with the cultivators present. In the future, it might yield even greater returns.
After all, every being who could enter the Sealing God Platform Conference was no simple character.
Now that the other party was proactively offering sacred stones, Zhang Ruochen certainly wouldn’t refuse. One hundred thousand sacred stones was likely a small sum to them, far less than the value of a Heart Moon Sacred Fruit.
In the end, they still owed Zhang Ruochen a small favor.