68: Chapter 68 Consuming the Extraordinary Fruit Leads to Breakthrough to Mid-Stage Second Rank!

Lin Tian rushed toward the spot where the fireworks ascended, his Perfection-level footwork allowing him to traverse the mountain forest as if walking on flat ground.

Before long, he arrived at the gathering point on the edge of the forest.

Senior Sister Chen Yu, Lie Yun, and several other Imperial Guard recruits had arrived one step earlier. Seeing Lin Tian, Senior Sister Chen Yu nodded slightly, while Lie Yun cast a gloomy glance at him before looking away.

Soon, the last few people arrived. Instructor Gao, the middle-aged instructor in charge of this mission, scanned the ten slightly exhausted people with electric eyes and asked in a deep voice: "How is it? After days of searching, have you found any traces of Chief Constable Liu Heng?"

"Reporting to the instructor, there were no abnormalities within fifty miles to the southeast."

"The mountain forest on the west side has been searched, with no results."

"We found several traces of suspected human presence on the north side, but they were old, and it is impossible to determine if they were left by Chief Constable Liu Heng."

Everyone shook their heads one after another, their tones tinged with helplessness and fatigue. The range of Heifeng Ridge was too vast, and the mountain forest was dense; finding one person was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Lin Tian also blended into the crowd, shaking his head with a calm expression: "There were no results from the search in the northeast direction; Chief Constable Liu Heng was not seen."

Instructor Gao frowned, looking at the young but exhausted faces before him, and fell silent for a moment. The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

"Instructor Gao, should we continue to search deeper?" Senior Sister Chen Yu asked, feeling that this kind of aimless dragnet search was too inefficient.

"Yes, Instructor, what important thing did that Chief Constable Liu Heng steal? Is it worth such a big fuss?" A Disciple from the Baiyun Martial Arts Hall couldn't help but ask out of curiosity. This was also a question in the hearts of many.

Instructor Gao glanced at the Disciple but did not answer directly, only saying slowly: "Several days have passed. If Chief Constable Liu Heng is not hiding in this mountain forest, he has likely already fled far away by now. Our scope of duty is limited to Heishan City and its surroundings. Since there are no results here, there is little point in continuing the search. As for what he stole..."

He paused, seemingly weighing his words, "According to the Magistrate, it is an ancient map, suspected to be a map to a Treasure Trove. The Magistrate did not explicitly state what it contains. Enough, let's leave it at that for now. Withdraw the team, return to the city!"

He said no more, waved his hand, and turned to walk toward Heishan City first.

Although the crowd had doubts, they were relieved that they could finally end this boring and fruitless search, and they hurriedly followed.

Returning to the Jinyiwei Company Office in Heishan City, after a simple report, Instructor Gao did not say much, only letting everyone disperse to rest and wait for further arrangements.

As for the matter of Chief Constable Liu Heng, since he was not found in their jurisdiction, it was considered closed, and subsequent matters would be taken over by the Imperial Guard or government officials from other places.

Lin Tian left the Centurion Office with the crowd, feeling a little relieved in his heart. It seemed that the Yamen, at least the Imperial Guard, had not yet linked Chief Constable Liu Heng's disappearance to him, and no one had even mentioned the "red blood vermilion fruit."

Returning to the Lin Family Mansion, after a brief exchange with his parents and younger sister, Lin Tian returned to his quiet backyard.

After several days of trekking in the mountains and being mentally strained, even he felt deeply exhausted.

He did nothing, just collapsed and slept. This sleep was extremely deep, lasting until the sun was high in the sky.

Waking up the next day, he felt refreshed and full of energy. He did not rush to consume the vermilion fruit.

Although an Opportunity is good, one must be cautious.

He knew very little about this item. If he swallowed it rashly, and the medicinal power was too overbearing, or if there were unknown taboos, he might suffer instead. Furthermore, having just returned from "searching for a fugitive," if his strength suddenly skyrocketed, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.

"I need to figure out the background of this item first, then proceed slowly." Lin Tian made up his mind.

For the next few days, like other colleagues who "cared" about the case, he went to the Imperial Guard Yamen when he had nothing to do, or lingered in the tea houses and wine shops in the city, seemingly chatting but actually secretly listening for news.

Sure enough, the matter of Chief Constable Liu Heng stealing the map and fleeing had fermented over the past few days and spread among the low-level officials and the marketplace in Heishan City, with various versions of rumors flying everywhere.

"...Have you heard? That Chief Constable Liu from the West City County Yamen committed theft while in charge and stole an incredible map to a Treasure Trove!"

"Isn't that right! It is said that the map is a relic from a previous dynasty, marked with a Heaven-Defying Treasure Trove! Gold, silver, and jewels are piled up like a mountain!"

"Hey, what gold, silver, and jewels! I heard from a clerk at the Yamen that it might be some kind of Heaven And Earth Treasure that can greatly increase one's cultivation! The Magistrate had just obtained the map and was thinking about how to send someone to retrieve it to honor his superiors and seek a promotion, when his subordinate raided his nest! The Magistrate has been green in the face for the past few days!"

"That Chief Constable Liu Heng is also daring. Now it's great, he's wanted by the whole city, let's see where he runs!"

"He's been running for days, and there's no sign of him. I'm afraid he's long gone with the map..."

Rumors were flying, but there was no definitive statement about what the "Treasure Trove" map specifically pointed to.

Lin Tian listened patiently. Combined with Chief Constable Liu Heng's self-talk before death, he had roughly determined in his heart that the "red blood vermilion fruit" was the "treasure" recorded on the map, and the Magistrate originally intended to use this item to bribe his superiors. This further confirmed the preciousness of this fruit.

After observing for a few more days, seeing that everything was calm and no one had linked Chief Constable Liu Heng's disappearance to the strange fish in the pool, and even less to himself, the last trace of doubt in Lin Tian's heart dissipated.

The time had come.

That night, in the backyard of the Lin Family Mansion, the doors and windows were tightly closed.

Lin Tian sat cross-legged in the center of the quiet room and took out the wooden box he had kept close to his body. Opening the lid, that strange fruit, red as blood and containing inner brilliance, appeared before his eyes again.

He did not swallow it directly but took out a sharp small knife and carefully cut off a piece about one-tenth the size from the edge of the fruit.

He placed this small piece in a clean jade dish and crushed it into an extremely fine powder with Internal Energy.

He took a small jade gourd he had prepared, which could be sealed, poured the powder in, and injected half a gourd of clear mountain spring water, then tightly plugged the stopper and shook it gently to mix it evenly.

The powder dissolved upon contact with water, and the clear water quickly turned into a faint, almost colorless liquid. Only by bringing it close and sniffing carefully could one detect a trace of an extremely faint, strange fragrance and life aura that originated from the same source as the fruit.

"In this way, I can consume it slowly. This not only maximizes the absorption of the medicinal power, avoiding waste or being unable to bear it, but it also won't easily arouse suspicion." Lin Tian pondered.

He put the remaining large half of the fruit back into the wooden box and put it away, then picked up the jade gourd, pulled out the stopper, and took a small sip.

The liquid entered his throat, cool at first, and then transformed into a warm but incomparably vigorous heat flow, which rushed into his limbs and bones!

Wherever this heat flow passed, his Meridians felt comfortable, and his qi-blood became surging and passionate as if injected with a powerful force!

The strength that had been consumed by the day's cultivation was replenished in just a few breaths, and even more so!

His spirit was also lifted, and his eyesight and hearing seemed to have become a bit sharper.

"What strong medicinal power!" A sharp light shone in Lin Tian's eyes. He didn't dare to neglect, immediately put down the gourd, sat in the five-heart-upward position, operated the Perfection-level Five Elements Stance, and guided and refined this powerful and pure qi-blood force.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Lin Tian finished his cultivation and sank his consciousness into the System to check himself. Although he had expected it, the result still made him happy:

Name: Lin Tian

Cultivation: Second Grade Martial Artist (Early Stage)

Martial Arts:

Five Elements Stance (Perfection 1000/1000)

Metal Element Fist (Perfection 1000/1000)

Wood Element Fist (Major Achievement 700/1000)

Wind-Chasing Footwork (Perfection 1000/1000)

Water Element Fist (Major Achievement 100/1000)

Xiuchun Saber Technique (Proficient 100/500)

In just one day, the proficiency of Wood Element Fist, Water Element Fist, and Xiuchun Saber Technique grew, actually comparable to three days of hard training!

More importantly, he could clearly feel that his total qi-blood had a significant, solid improvement, and his Foundation was more vigorous. He was energetic during cultivation and recovered extremely quickly. The effect of this "red blood vermilion fruit" dilution was far better than the best qi-blood powder!

"At this speed, it won't take long before I can make a Breakthrough!" Lin Tian's confidence greatly increased.

From then on, he stayed behind closed doors, spending most of his time in the backyard of the Lin Family Mansion for hard training.

He practiced the stance to temper his qi-blood, practiced fist techniques and saber techniques, and when he was tired, he drank a sip of the diluted spiritual liquid in the gourd.

With the help of the Heaven-Defying medicinal power of the red blood vermilion fruit, his cultivation progressed at a speed visible to the naked eye, his qi-blood became more vigorous day by day, and his understanding of martial arts also rose accordingly.

Half a month passed in a flash.

In the quiet room, Lin Tian slowly finished his cultivation, the sound of qi-blood surging throughout his body like a tide, only subsiding after a long time.

He opened his eyes, the divine light in his pupils was shining, his aura was heavy and steady, and he was like a different person compared to half a month ago.

Name: Lin Tian

Cultivation: Second Grade Martial Artist (Middle Stage)

Martial Arts:

Five Elements Stance (Perfection 1000/1000)

Metal Element Fist (Perfection 1000/1000)

Wood Element Fist (Perfection 1000/1000)

Wind-Chasing Footwork (Perfection 1000/1000)

Water Element Fist (Perfection 1000/1000)

Xiuchun Saber Technique (Major Achievement 275/1000)

Cultivation Breakthrough, stepped into the Second Grade Middle Stage! The Metal, Wood, and Water Element Fists were all at Perfection!

Xiuchun Saber Technique also stepped into the Realm of Major Achievement!

At this moment, his qi-blood was so vigorous that it far exceeded that of an ordinary Second Grade Middle Stage, with comprehensive improvements in strength, speed, reaction, and endurance.

If he were to face an opponent like Chief Constable Liu Heng again, he wouldn't need to perform the Three Element Combination Attack. With just the Perfection-level fist techniques and Major Achievement Xiuchun Saber Technique, supplemented by the Perfection-level footwork, he would have full confidence in killing him head-on!

That red blood vermilion fruit had consumed nearly one-third of its volume by now. Lin Tian sealed it back up and put it away carefully.

"Breaking through too quickly is not entirely a good thing. I need to settle down, stabilize my Realm, and consolidate my Foundation. I will not touch the remaining strange fruit for now."

Lin Tian knew the principle that too much is as bad as too little. He prepared to slow down, fully master the surging power, and further comprehend and practice the essence of the Three Element, and even more element, combination attacks in the True Explanation of Five Elements Combined Strike.

"It's been a long time since I went to the guard station to report for duty. I should go and make an appearance, and by the way, pick up this month's qi-blood powder."

Lin Tian got up and changed into a clean dark black light garment. Although he had the red blood vermilion fruit, the Imperial Guard's share could not be wasted; saving it could be used for other purposes or given to his family.

He left the Lin Family Mansion and walked unhurriedly toward the Jinyiwei Company Office in the north of the city.

Just as Lin Tian was heading to the Imperial Guard Yamen, in the back hall of the West City County Yamen in Heishan City.

Magistrate Zhou Wenhai, a man of about fifty with a thin face but currently frowning, was pacing irritably. Below, several trusted constables stood with their hands down, not daring to breathe.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!" Magistrate Zhou Wenhai stopped abruptly and smashed the teacup in his hand on the ground, porcelain shards splashing everywhere, "It's been a full half month! Neither living nor dead! A map, a Chief Constable Liu Heng, just disappeared into thin air?!"

"My Lord, please calm down!" The leading old constable braced himself and said, "My subordinates have tried their best to search. We have looked for all the places we could find inside and outside Heishan City, and even secretly inquired about several nearby black markets and mountain strongholds, but there is no news of Chief Constable Liu Heng. This person... I'm afraid he has fled to another place."

"Fled? With that map, where can he flee to?!" Magistrate Zhou Wenhai gritted his teeth, his eyes full of unwillingness and heartache.

That animal skin map was something he had obtained by accident many years ago. After studying it for a long time, he was able to roughly determine that it pointed to a place in Heifeng Ridge where there might be a "red blood vermilion fruit" that could cleanse the marrow and greatly improve a Martial Artist's qi-blood.

He had intended to find a reliable person to retrieve it secretly, so he could use it to curry favor with his superiors and pave the way for his official career. Who would have thought that it would be stolen by his most capable Chief Constable Liu Heng!

"Map... Map..." Magistrate Zhou Wenhai muttered to himself, a flash of determination in his eyes, "Chief Constable Liu Heng cannot be found, but the location of the Treasure Trove... maybe not!"

He looked up abruptly at the old constable: "Although I haven't fully memorized the details of the map, I still have an impression of the terrain features of that location. Pass the order, assemble thirty good hands, carry strong bows and crossbows, and prepare more medicine to repel snakes and miasma and deal with water beasts! I want to personally take people to go to that Heifeng Ridge!"

"My Lord, you want to go personally? This... the mountain forest is dangerous, I'm afraid there will be accidents!" The old constable was shocked.

"I can't care so much!" Magistrate Zhou Wenhai waved his hand to interrupt, "That 'red blood vermilion fruit' is extraordinary; perhaps there is more than one! If Chief Constable Liu Heng has already succeeded and fled, it is his luck. If he hasn't succeeded yet, or has encountered an accident... then the treasure might still be in its original place! I must go and try! Go and prepare quickly, set off secretly tomorrow morning!"

"Yes..." Seeing that the Magistrate had made up his mind, the old constable dared not persuade him anymore and hurriedly bowed and retreated.

Magistrate Zhou Wenhai stood in front of the window, looking at the direction of Heifeng Ridge, his eyes hot and gloomy.

"Chief Constable Liu Heng... red blood vermilion fruit... my things are not so easy to take!"