92: Chapter 92 Taking the Vermilion Fruit, Separation, Stone

Liu Kun's footsteps faltered, his expression shifting rapidly.

He knew that with Murong Bai's words, there was little point in continuing the chase, and he might not even catch up.

He cast a resentful glance toward the valley entrance before turning his fury toward the second crimson sun vermilion fruit that Bai Yu was fighting for.

Seeing this, Bai Yu knew the situation was no longer in his favor. He snapped his iron fan shut and drifted backward, unexpectedly giving up the fight.

With a few flickers of movement, he also vanished at the valley entrance, seemingly pursuing Ye Chen and the others.

Ultimately, the second crimson sun vermilion fruit was obtained by Liu Kun.

The third fruit was snatched away by another formidable Core Disciple amidst the Chaos.

Three of the five Crimson Crystal Fire Rhinos died in the melee, while the other two were heavily injured and on the verge of death.

The fierce struggle for the vermilion fruits temporarily came to a close.

However, the blood and Chaos within the valley did not dissipate for a long time.

Ye Chen and his three companions sprinted all the way, putting distance between themselves and Chi Yang Valley until they entered a relatively hidden crimson stone forest.

Only after confirming no one was following did they finally stop.

"Pfft!"

Ye Chen could no longer hold on. He spat out a large mouthful of blood and staggered against a rock, his face as pale as paper.

The blade wound on his back was deep enough to see bone. Fire poison had invaded, causing an unbearable burning pain.

Forcibly activating the Primordial Chaos Destruction Stab and tanking a hit from Liu Kun had also shaken his internal organs, leaving him with severe injuries.

"Brother Ye!"

Zhao Feng and the other two rushed to support him. Duan Tianya took out his best healing Medicinal Pill and gave it to him.

Liu Qingqing also brought out some golden sore ointment and carefully treated the wound on his back.

"I'm fine, I won't die."

Ye Chen panted as he pulled the crimson sun vermilion fruit from his robes.

The gold-red fruit radiated a warm glow and an intoxicating fragrance in his palm.

Just holding it made him feel as though the fire poison in his body was being slightly suppressed.

"I finally got it."

Ye Chen looked at the vermilion fruit, a flash of relief in his eyes.

With this, there was hope of alleviating Lin Qingxue's bone-eroding pill poison.

"Brother Ye, we owe it all to you this time! Otherwise, forget the vermilion fruit, it would have been hard to even escape in one piece."

Duan Tianya spoke with lingering fear, yet he was also incredibly excited.

They had actually snatched food from the tiger's mouth and secured a crimson sun vermilion fruit!

Zhao Feng also remarked with emotion.

"I admire Brother Ye's courage and strength. Without Brother Ye today, this fruit would certainly have been unattainable."

Looking at Ye Chen's pale face and the shocking wound, Liu Qingqing's eyes were filled with respect and fear of what might have happened.

"It was the result of everyone advancing and retreating together."

Ye Chen shook his head and carefully placed the vermilion fruit into a jade box, applying several Seals before stowing it away.

"We shouldn't stay here long. Liu Kun, Golden Flame Peak, and the others likely won't give up easily. We need to leave the Crimson Sun Mountain Range as soon as possible and find a safe place. I need to heal my injuries and deal with this vermilion fruit quickly."

"Alright!" The three of them nodded.

Ye Chen swallowed the Medicinal Pill and regulated his breathing for a moment to stabilize his injuries.

Then, the four of them didn't linger, quietly departing in the opposite direction of the Crimson Sun Mountain Range.

They needed to leave this place of conflict first before making further plans.

...

Not long after they left, at the entrance of Chi Yang Valley.

Murong Bai watched the direction where Ye Chen's group had vanished, a meaningful smile curling his lips.

"Ye Chen, you really didn't disappoint me. Consider this vermilion fruit an investment. I hope you can grow a bit faster so that you can stir these waters even more."

His figure flickered, and he also vanished from the spot.

In the distance, a white figure.

He stood quietly atop a crimson mountain peak, gazing far toward the direction Ye Chen had left.

His wooden face still bore no expression.

Only in the depths of those calm eyes was there a nearly imperceptible ripple.

It was Bai Chen.

The scene shifted.

After leaving the Crimson Sun Mountain Range, Ye Chen's group searched for several days.

Finally, in the northeastern part of the Secret Realm, near an area called 'Quiet Moon Lake', they found a hidden natural karst cave.

This place was rich in moisture and the Spiritual Qi was gentle. It was far from Chi Yang Valley and relatively safe.

Deep within the karst cave, an underground river flowed, making the air humid and fresh.

Ye Chen set up the most Advanced 'Stealth Illusion Formation' from the poison doctor ring at the cave entrance.

He then had Zhao Feng and the others set up early-warning Restrictions at different locations inside the cave before finally feeling a bit at ease.

He sat cross-legged on a dry, flat bluestone. The wound on his back had been properly treated and bandaged by Liu Qingqing.

The shock to his internal organs had also stabilized significantly under the care of the Medicinal Pills and Hunyuan True Essence.

However, the fire poison contained in Liu Kun's blade strike was extremely tricky; it had settled in his wound and Meridians, constantly eroding them, and needed to be expelled as soon as possible.

"The priority is to deal with this crimson sun vermilion fruit and then fully heal my injuries."

Ye Chen took out the jade box containing the vermilion fruit.

The gold-red fruit lay quietly inside, emitting a warm glow and a surge of vitality.

Directly consuming the crimson sun vermilion fruit would certainly yield the greatest benefits.

However, the extreme Yang spiritual power within it was too overbearing. With his current heavily injured body, he might not be able to withstand it, and it could very well lead to self-immolation.

The best way was to combine it with other medicinal herbs to refine it into 'red sun yin-resolving powder', which would have a gentler medicinal effect.

It would be easier to absorb and could maximize its effectiveness in neutralizing cold and yin toxicity.

But he was not proficient in the Dao of Alchemy, and he didn't have the other supplementary herbs for refining the 'red sun yin-resolving powder' on hand.

Although Elder Li had made a promise, distant water could not quench a nearby thirst.

"It seems I can only take the risk and directly refine a portion of it."

Ye Chen pondered.

He needed the extreme Yang power of the vermilion fruit to neutralize and dissolve Liu Kun's fire poison, as well as to nourish himself and accelerate the recovery of his injuries.

As for neutralizing the poison of the 'bone-eroding pill', perhaps only a portion of the medicinal power would suffice, and the rest could be taken back to Elder Li for processing.

He no longer hesitated and used a jade knife to carefully cut off about one-third of the crimson sun vermilion fruit.

The remaining majority was sealed back in the jade box and put away.

Even this one-third would be enough to make an ordinary Wheel Sea Realm Cultivator's body explode.

"Brother Ye, consuming it directly is too risky!"

Seeing this, Zhao Feng couldn't help but advise.

Duan Tianya and Liu Qingqing also looked worried.

"It's fine, I know what I'm doing."

Ye Chen nodded to the three of them, gesturing for them to step back.

He first took a few Medicinal Pills to stabilize his Meridians and protect his heart, then began to circulate the Hunyuan One-Qi Art.

He adjusted his state to its peak before placing that third of the crimson sun vermilion fruit into his mouth.

The fruit melted the moment it entered his mouth.

It transformed into an indescribable torrent—hot as lava yet filled with surging vitality—that crashed into his body!

In an instant, Ye Chen felt as if he had swallowed a small sun. Burning pain radiated through his internal organs and every bone and limb!

His skin instantly turned crimson, wisps of white steam rose from his head, and his whole body looked like a cooked shrimp.

"Ugh... ah..."

Ye Chen let out a muffled groan. His body trembled involuntarily, veins bulged on his forehead, and his teeth were tightly clenched.

This extreme Yang spiritual power was several times more violent than that of the golden toad fruit!

If he hadn't been prepared and protected his heart with Hunyuan True Essence, he might have been burst or incinerated in an instant.

He dared not be careless and pushed the Hunyuan One-Qi Art to its limit.

He guided that violent extreme Yang torrent into his Meridian circulation.

Simultaneously, the Ice Lotus Imprint shone brightly, emitting pure cold qi in an attempt to neutralize the scorching heat.

Inside his Dantian, that Dark Red Ember also seemed to be stimulated, its flickering accelerating.

It released an even more active warm current of vitality to assist in the redirection and absorption.

The Qi of Primal Chaos encompasses all things.

Under the guidance of this chaotic and balanced power,

the violent extreme Yang spiritual power began to be stripped away, tamed, and integrated into Ye Chen's own true essence bit by bit.

Everywhere it passed, the fire poison entrenched in his wounds and Meridians was rapidly melted and dispelled, like snow meeting a scorching sun.

His damaged Meridians and organs, nourished by this surging vitality and extreme Yang spiritual power, also healed and regenerated at an astonishing speed.

However, the process was excruciatingly painful.

The conflict of ice and fire, the intertwining of life and death, played out frantically inside Ye Chen's body.

He had to remain conscious at all times, using his powerful willpower to maintain the circulation of his technique and the delicate balance of several different forces.

...

A day and a night passed.

The crimson hue on Ye Chen's body gradually faded, and his aura changed from violent to steady and long.

Beneath his skin, a jade-like luster faintly flowed.

One could even hear the faint sound of his blood rushing like a river.

The wound on his back had already scabbed over and fallen off, leaving only a faint red mark.

The invading fire poison had been completely cleared. His internal injuries were also about seventy or eighty percent healed.

What surprised him most was that,

after refining the extreme Yang spiritual power from this portion of the crimson sun vermilion fruit,

his Wheel Sea was not only completely stabilized at the third layer Early Stage, but it had even taken a large step toward the Middle Stage!

In his Ice Fire True Essence, the fire-attribute portion had been greatly enhanced and purified.

It reached a new, more stable balance with the ice attribute.

His Hunyuan True Essence had also become even more pure and thick after absorbing this high-quality extreme Yang spiritual power, its quality improving significantly.

Furthermore, Ye Chen felt as though his Physical Body had also undergone a tempering.

Its strength, toughness, and recovery ability had all increased considerably.

The crimson sun vermilion fruit truly lived up to its reputation as a natural treasure!

"Whew—"

Ye Chen let out a long breath of turbid air that carried a faint gold-red fiery aura, and he slowly opened his eyes.

In the depths of his pupils, ice-blue and gold-red light intertwined.

There was even a hint of chaotic color, his gaze bright and sharp, his spirit and Qi fully restored.

"Brother Ye, you succeeded?!"

Duan Tianya, who had been guarding by his side all along, said in surprise.

Zhao Feng and Liu Qingqing also breathed a sigh of relief, their faces breaking into smiles.

"Mm, it was just luck."

Ye Chen nodded, feeling the abundant power within his body and his completely refreshed state, his heart surging with excitement.

Though this time had been perilous, the harvest was immense.

Not only were his injuries fully healed, but his cultivation had progressed, and the quality of his True Essence had improved.

More importantly, he had obtained the key item to neutralize the poison of the bone-eroding pill.

"That's wonderful!" Duan Tianya clapped his hands.

"Now that Brother Ye has recovered, we can rest easy."

Zhao Feng said with a smile.

Liu Qingqing also spoke softly.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Ye."

"These past few days, thank you all for your hard work in acting as my Protectors."

Ye Chen cupped his hands to the three of them in thanks.

During the time he was refining the vermilion fruit, the three of them had taken turns keeping watch, never leaving his side. He kept this friendship in his heart.

"Brother Ye, what are you saying? Without you, we would have died in Chi Yang Valley long ago."

Duan Tianya hurriedly waved his hand.

"Next, what are Brother Ye's plans?"

Zhao Feng asked.

Ye Chen pondered for a moment before saying,

"The main goals for my entry into the Secret Realm have mostly been achieved. However, there is still some time before the Secret Realm closes, and such Opportunities are rare. I plan to explore the nearby areas to see if I can gain anything else. What about you?"

Zhao Feng and Duan Tianya glanced at each other, then Zhao Feng said,

"Our original goal, the 'Water Cloud Lingzhi', hasn't been found yet. We plan to try our luck at the 'Misty Swamp'. Junior Sister Liu also seems interested in several types of Spiritual Plants in the swamp. I wonder if Brother Ye would like to come along?"

Ye Chen thought for a moment and shook his head.

"The environment of the Misty Swamp is special, and I am unfamiliar with the area; I fear I would become a burden. Furthermore, I have some private matters to attend to."

"Why don't we part ways for now and agree on a meeting point? Before the Secret Realm closes, we can head to the exit together. How about it?"

The private matters he spoke of were, naturally, his desire to try and find clues regarding the Shadow Fiend or his parents' whereabouts on his own.

He also wanted to explore other places in the Secret Realm that might be useful to him.

While there was safety in numbers, it was sometimes inconvenient.

Hearing this, although the three of them felt some regret, they understood.

Duan Tianya said,

"Very well. Let's agree to meet in twenty days near the ruins of the 'Ancient Teleportation Array' in the southeastern part of the Secret Realm. That is marked as a relatively safe area on the map and is not far from the exit."

"Good, it's a deal."

Ye Chen nodded.

The four of them exchanged their knowledge of other areas in the Secret Realm and the dangers to watch out for.

Ye Chen distributed some extra Medicinal Pills and Talismans to the three of them, keeping only the necessities for himself.

Then, the four left the grotto and parted ways by the shore of Quiet Moon Lake.

Watching the receding backs of Zhao Feng and the others, Ye Chen withdrew his gaze.

He identified the direction but did not leave immediately. Instead, he carefully scouted the surroundings of Quiet Moon Lake first.

Quiet Moon Lake was quite large, its water clear and shimmering with ripples, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds in a pleasant scene.

Many Spiritual Plants grew by the lakeshore, but their rank was not high.

Under a secluded willow tree by the lake, Ye Chen found a broken stone tablet half-buried in the soil.

The writing on the tablet was blurred, but it was faintly recognizable as ancient Seal script.

It recorded that this place seemed to be the ruins of a small ancient Sect called the 'Quiet Moon Nunnery', which had long since vanished in the passage of time.

"Quiet Moon Nunnery..."

Ye Chen searched his memory but had no impression of it.

He carefully scanned the stone tablet and the surrounding ground with his Divine Sense but found nothing unusual.

Nor did he find any traces of secret rooms or Immortal Caves.

It seemed it really was just an ordinary ruin.

Ye Chen felt slightly disappointed and was about to leave.

However, his gaze suddenly fell upon an inconspicuous, moss-covered pebble by the lake.

The shape of that stone was nothing special.

But with Ye Chen's powerful Divine Sense, he vaguely sensed something inside the stone.

There seemed to be an extremely faint and subtle fluctuation of spiritual power that was different from the surrounding environment.

Moreover, it carried a hint of faint cold qi, which was out of place with the pure and spiritual aura of the lakeshore.

"Hmm?"

Ye Chen's heart stirred. He stepped forward and brushed away the moss on the stone.

The stone felt icy to the touch, no different from an ordinary pebble.

He tried to inject a sliver of Hunyuan True Essence.

*Buzz...*

Inside the stone, that subtle fluctuation of cold spiritual power seemed to be triggered, strengthening slightly.

At the same time.

The black token engraved with the ghost-faced 'Fiend' character, which Ye Chen kept close to his person and had obtained from Qingxi Valley, also vibrated slightly.

It emitted an extremely faint, cold aura.

It produced a faint resonance with the fluctuations inside the stone!

"This stone is related to the Shadow Fiend token?!"

Ye Chen's heart jolted, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes.

He immediately increased the injection of Hunyuan True Essence while focusing his Divine Sense to carefully probe the interior of the stone.

This time, the sensation was much clearer. Inside the stone,

There seemed to be a miniature, extremely secretive Seal or imprint, emitting an Evil Qi of the same source as the Shadow Fiend token.

This Formation seemed to have functions for positioning, messaging, or perhaps even surveillance!

Could it be that this place was a secret contact point for the Shadow Fiend within the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm? Or,

Was it some kind of marker they left behind?

Ye Chen's expression turned grave.

He took out the black token and tried to bring it closer to the pebble.

As the two drew near, the sense of resonance grew stronger, and the cold Formation inside the stone

Also seemed to be activated, beginning to operate slowly as if recording or transmitting some information.

"Not good!"

Ye Chen immediately withdrew the token.

At the same time, he surged his Hunyuan True Essence, forcibly invading the interior of the stone to disrupt and destroy the miniature Formation that had just started up!

He didn't know the specific function of this Formation, but it certainly wasn't anything good.

*Chirp.*

A slight sound, as if something had snapped, came from inside the stone.

The cold fluctuations vanished instantly, and the stone returned to being ordinary, with no further abnormalities.

Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief, but his mood grew even heavier.

The hands of the Shadow Fiend had actually reached into the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm controlled by the Tianyun Sword Sect.

Why did they leave a marker here?

To act as a rendezvous, to transmit information,

Or... did they have other schemes?

Ye Chen carefully checked the surroundings.

He scanned the lake bottom and further areas with his Divine Sense but found no more similar markers.

It seemed this was just an isolated point.

"I must leave here as soon as possible. It's possible the Shadow Fiend people have already sensed the fluctuations from just now."

Ye Chen did not linger. With a flash of his figure, he left Quiet Moon Lake.

He sped away in the opposite direction from Zhao Feng and the others.

He had originally planned to explore the Secret Realm more to find Opportunities.

But now that he had discovered traces of the Shadow Fiend, it gave him a strong sense of crisis.

Inside the Secret Realm, there was not only internal competition within the Sect.

There was also the Shadow Fiend, a mysterious assassin organization lurking in the shadows. He had to be even more careful.

"The priority now is to increase my strength and ensure I can leave the Secret Realm safely."

Ye Chen calculated in his mind. He had obtained the crimson sun vermilion fruit, but he still lacked the red sun yin-resolving powder refined by Elder Li.

However, he might be able to try it himself.

Using the remaining vermilion fruit and the medicinal Materials on his person, combined with the harmonizing ability of the Hunyuan True Essence,

He could grope his way toward creating some medicinal powder that could alleviate the poison. Even if the effect was poorer, it could serve as an emergency measure.

Additionally, his cultivation still needed to be consolidated and improved. The Spiritual Qi in the Secret Realm was dense, making it a sacred land for Cultivation.

Ye Chen chose a direction and headed toward a dangerous place marked in the Secret Realm called 'Gale Gorge'.

Sharp Protective Aura winds blew there year-round, and the environment was harsh; few Disciples were willing to go there.

Perhaps he could find some special Body Refining Materials or a place suitable for honing his movement and sword techniques.

...

Several days later, Ye Chen arrived at the outskirts of Gale Gorge.

Even before drawing near, he could hear the sound of the wind ahead, like the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves.

On both sides of the canyon were bare black rock walls, eroded by the wind into countless holes.

Inside the valley, wild winds whistled, kicking up sand and stones everywhere, making visibility extremely poor.

Within the wild winds was sharp Protective Aura; when it blew against the body, it felt like the cut of a knife.

"What a great place for Body Refining and honing movement techniques!"

Ye Chen was delighted rather than alarmed.

After he Cultivated the Hunyuan One-Qi Art, although his Physical Body was strong, it lacked systematic tempering.

The winds here could be used to polish his Physical Body while practicing movement and sword techniques in a harsh environment.

He circulated his Hunyuan True Essence to protect his body and walked step by step into Gale Gorge.

As soon as he entered, the violent winds rushed at him, making his clothes flap loudly and causing a stinging sensation on his exposed skin.

He steadied his lower body and slowly moved forward against the wind.

The deeper he went, the more violent the wind became, and the Protective Aura within it grew increasingly sharp.

Like countless tiny wind blades, it constantly cut at his protective true essence and Physical Body.

Ye Chen was forced to deploy his Phantom Step and sword techniques.

He shifted and dodged within the wild winds, swinging his sword to block those particularly sharp wind blades.

At the same time, he guided slivers of Protective Aura to merge into his Hunyuan True Essence, attempting to temper his Physical Body.

This was an extremely slow and painful process.

But he bore it with pleasure.