[Yin Ice Spirit Fruits]
"Don't you recognize me anymore, bro?" Jian Ning said as he saw Jian Shi arriving near the spirit tree.
Jian Shi's expression quickly changed from domineering and doubtful to incredulous and shocked. Hundreds of questions swirled in his mind.
How did we find each other so quickly? And under such circumstances?
Why did he arrive before me? He seems to have been here for a few minutes already. Did he discover this place before me? But shouldn't the snow tiger be protecting this spirit tree? Or is that snow tiger guarding another treasure that I haven't seen?
"Hello, Earth calling!" Jian Ning said, standing up and waving his hand in front of Jian Shi's shocked face.
Seeing Jian Ning's hand moving back and forth, creating small gusts of wind, Jian Shi snapped out of his incredulity and put his questions aside.
'Let's focus on the present moment. We mustn't forget that the fruits of this spirit tree will soon be ripe, so we need to think of a way to share them,' Jian Shi thought as he was about to speak.
"Good to see you, brother Ning. It looks like you also discovered this spirit tree. Who would have thought we'd reunite so quickly and with such luck?" Jian Shi said while examining the fruits.
Yin ice spirit fruits!
Although these fruits aren't exceptionally rare, they are very important for people with an ice body or dormant yin attribute. Even if they have an awakened body, they remain very useful.
'It's a shame these fruits are the opposite of my primary fire attribute, but luckily I can use them to make pills like the Tian Ling Flame pill to enhance my fire talent,' Jian Shi thought, realizing the origin of the fruits.
If Jian Ning heard his thoughts, he would surely be shocked—not because Jian Shi was an alchemist, but because he was thinking of concocting such a difficult pill as the Tian Yan Flame.
"Brother Ning, since you discovered this tree first, how about you take four fruits and I take three?" Jian Shi suggested.
Jian Ning raised his eyebrows, a bit surprised.
'This guy goes straight to the point. Although it's logical to split the fruits this way, it's unfortunate that my power far surpasses his, so I naturally won't hold back,' Jian Ning thought, recalling what Ling had told him earlier.
He needed five fruits to be sure of enhancing his talent. Though he only needed to add a few W.E to complete it, he didn't want to waste his W.E on something he could gain without spending.
"You see, brother Shi, these fruits can also be useful for wind attribute cultivators, so I think it would be logical for me to take five and you to take two," Jian Ning said with a smile.
In reality, Jian Ning didn't need to ask for his opinion. In the wild, when fighting over treasures, even blood brothers kill each other, not to mention adopted brothers. Though Jian Ning would never go that far...
After all, in this world, strength is king. Killing isn't taboo or a punishable act by society; on the contrary, it's a proof of strength.
"Alright, I accept," Jian Shi replied without much hesitation. In truth, he was quite satisfied with this deal, as one mustn't forget that Jian Ning had acquired rank 5 cultivation. Even though Jian Shi didn't know exactly which layer, even a rank 1 acquisition was enough to pressure him.
Not to mention that Jian Shi knew very well his brother's talent with the sword. So he knew he had little chance of winning without using several of his hidden cards, and this is assuming Jian Ning was only at rank 1 acquired and not higher.
Jian Shi didn't think much further and sat cross-legged under the spirit tree, not far from Jian Ning, focusing on cultivation.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for stealing the luck of the son of fortune, +50 luck points]
A notification resonated in Jian Ning's mind to his great pleasure.
Who would have thought that taking the predestined luck of the son of fortune would grant me luck points in addition to the original gains! Well, Jian Ning had thought of it!
"Alright, might as well cultivate while waiting."
[Ding, congratulations to the host for cultivating for one minute, +41 cultivation points, +40 W.E]
[Ding, congratulations to the host for cultivating for one minute, +41 cultivation points, +40 W.E]
[Ding, congratulations to the host for cultivating for one minute, +41 cultivation points, +40 W.E]
...
~~ 30 minutes later ~~
[Ding, congratulations to the host for cultivating for one minute, +41 cultivation points, +40 W.E]
Whoosh!
An aura explosion occurred as the color of the yin ice spirit fruits turned darker, like a beautiful midnight blue.
Jian Ning and Jian Shi suddenly opened their eyes, almost simultaneously.
The yin ice spirit fruits are ripe!
"This aura explosion will surely attract powerful high-rank 1 monsters, maybe even a low-rank 2 monster," Jian Shi explained as he quickly stood up.
"We quickly take the fruits and then flee," Jian Ning replied calmly.
After all, he had great talent in wind and lightning, so his attack and escape power were top-notch. Moreover, he wasn't afraid of low-rank 2 beasts at all. Even if he encountered a peak rank 2 beast, he wouldn't fear.
Feeew!
Jian Ning swiftly took five fruits, and Jian Shi quickly followed, taking the remaining two fruits.
Roar!
A huge roar was heard as an enormous brown bear appeared. The bear was over seven meters tall with claws as sharp as a cleaver, blood-red eyes, and a bestial aura emanating from its body.
A low-rank 2 bloodthirsty bear!
This monster is comparable to a rank 2 or 3 cultivator. It is known for its enormous explosiveness, its claws capable of slicing a rank 1 monster in half with one swipe, and its defense is practically unbeatable in its rank. Only rare monsters specializing in defense, like the turtle, have better defense.
A solemn gleam appeared in Jian Shi's eyes.
He wasn't sure if he could defeat it. Even using his hidden cards, he might not come out unscathed.
"Brother Ning, run quickly! I'll hold it off!" Jian Shi shouted as an aura surrounded his body and began to ignite. This fire was like armor protecting Jian Shi.
Jian Ning looked at him with a bit of perplexity. This guy wants to protect a rank 5 acquired cultivator who masters sword intent and a lightning artistic conception known for its strong attack.
Although his perplexity quickly turned into appreciation, this kid apparently held family in high esteem.
If Jian Shi heard what Jian Ning thought, he would surely spit out a mouthful of blood.
But Jian Ning stopped daydreaming and focused on his opponent.
"One strike is enough to kill it," Jian Ning said silently as he drew his sword from his spatial ring.
His sword had a beautiful scabbard made of rare wood from a centuries-old tree, and its blade was made of 70% fine iron and 30% various rare minerals. It was a gift from his father for his fourteenth birthday.
Slash!
A sharp sound echoed through the forest as a sharp sword intent sliced the bloodthirsty bear's head off.
Thud!
The bloodthirsty bear's head fell to the ground as Jian Ning appeared behind it.
Blood spurted from the neck of the dead monster while its lifeless body collapsed. The blood continued to flow from its body as the last gleams of life faded from the monster's eyes.
All the monsters watching around, hoping to fish in troubled waters, fled. Even the cultivators participating in this test abandoned their hopes, quickly giving up the idea when they saw Jian Ning's killing intent.
Jian Ning walked calmly towards the lifeless bloodthirsty bear and, with a precise cut, severed one of its paws. The sharp sound of bone and flesh being cleaved echoed through the air, drawing the shocked gaze of Jian Shi and a mysterious figure hidden among the trees.
"Come out right now if you don't want to end up like this bear," Jian Ning commanded in a powerful voice, cutting off any words Jian Shi might have uttered. With a disdainful gesture, he flung the freshly severed paw towards the woods on his right, the limb thudding heavily against the ground.