“Only three left?” Li Kuanglan took a while to react, her heart plummeting from the rollercoaster of emotions to the abyss, but with a small, almost unacknowledged, flicker of joy.
“Yes, just the last three,” Ji Tianqing affirmed.
“Is there any chance we could find more?”
Ji Tianqing shook her head. “Look at those natives; plucking their fruits is like robbing their parents. You can tell there aren’t many. They’re like mad dogs. To escape, I had to cut down the tree.”
“You…” Qian Ye was at a loss for words. With the tree gone, it seemed they wouldn’t be getting more white fruits.
“Why did you go back to their den today?”
“I went to see if there were any other good things. I didn’t expect to slip up and alert the guards. If you hadn’t come, I would have used this.” She pulled out a primordial force grenade and tossed it playfully.
Qian Ye didn’t react, but Li Kuanglan’s face changed drastically upon seeing the dark red special coating and the golden insignia. “Put it away! If you want to play, I don’t want to die with you!”
Ji Tianqing chuckled, tossing the dark red grenade high, and seeing Li Kuanglan’s murderous gaze, stuck out her tongue, stashing the grenade in her storage space.
“What’s so special about that thing?” Qian Ye asked humbly.
Li Kuanglan shot Ji Tianqing a glare and explained, “These dark red grenades are made from a special alloy. The alloy itself is dark red and can only contain King-level primordial force. Look at the insignia—it’s the mark of the King of the Extreme. That means it’s sealed with the power of the King of the Extreme. If it explodes, it’s like a casual strike from him.”
Qian Ye immediately understood why Li Kuanglan was so tense. No matter how special the material, sealing King-level power must be extremely precarious. This grenade might explode at the slightest touch. At that point, it would be interesting. Qian Ye wasn’t sure he could survive a casual blow from the King of the Extreme, and Li Kuanglan would certainly die. Only Ji Tianqing, with her many treasures, might have a way to avoid death.
Ji Tianqing smirked, “Don’t worry, that one was fake. I have plenty of these.” As she spoke, she produced four more dark red grenades.
Qian Ye’s face paled instantly, staring intently at one, not daring to move. He could sense an immense power within, enough to topple mountains and seas, and the slight fluctuation made him want to run.
Ji Tianqing pouted, “Your eyes are too sharp, no fun.” She put away the real and fake grenades.
These grenades, real or fake, were useless to ordinary people but had a powerful deterrent effect on those who knew their value. If someone recognized them, they’d run as far as possible. But in their panic, they might show a weakness that Ji Tianqing could exploit. In front of her, even a small mistake meant defeat.
Having these, Ji Tianqing held the upper hand against equals. Even if the grenade only contained a fraction of the King of the Extreme’s power, no one wanted to be struck by him.
Qian Ye thought, and Li Kuanglan instantly understood, her face changing, teeth gritted, “You little wretch! Was this intended for me? No wonder you bet so much!”
Ji Tianqing looked regretful, “If I’d known the Great Vortex would open, I would have fought you first. I told you, you can’t beat me, but you didn’t believe me.”
“Using such a thing, shame on you?”
Ji Tianqing was nonchalant, “What’s there to be ashamed of? If you can, get some too!”
“You…” Li Kuanglan fumed. If she could get such weapons, she wouldn’t be so helpless. After a long pause, she said, “Once I pass the Divine General Heavenly Gate, I’ll deal with you!”
Such weapons were effective against those below Divine Generals but not much use against them. At least Li Kuanglan wouldn’t, like now, think of running when seeing a dark red grenade. She lacked Qian Ye’s True Vision to discern real from fake.
As night fell, the three felt their consciousness slowing, losing interest in banter. When vital energy is low, interest in anything fades. Then, a warm current arose in their stomachs, spreading throughout their bodies.
Qian Ye felt an incredible warmth, revitalizing his muscles and speeding his blood flow. He felt like he’d eaten and bathed in hot water, every pore expanding. His Dark Gold Blood Qi was unusually active, continuously moving through his blood core.
In this half-dream state, Li Kuanglan’s body, filled with ferocious power, reappeared in his mind, every detail clear. Suddenly, his body responded, rising to the occasion.
Unprepared, Qian Ye hurriedly focused, but his body remained uncontrollable. Seated in a circle, each cultivating, this would be embarrassing if seen. Despite their intimacy, Qian Ye couldn’t accept it, especially with Ji Tianqing present.
He tried several times to suppress his body’s reaction, but it was futile. Pretending nothing happened, he secretly observed the two women, hoping they wouldn’t notice.
Li Kuanglan’s breathing quickened, sweat on her brow, looking unusual. Familiar with her, Qian Ye knew she was affected. She opened her eyes slightly, glaring at him.
Ji Tianqing seemed unaffected, but Qian Ye saw her surface primordial force subtly disturbed, her appearance slightly blurred. She wasn’t as calm as she appeared.
Qian Ye knew this was due to the white fruit. It seemed to stimulate life force and primal desires.
His primal urges grew stronger, waves assaulting his reason, making him want to lunge at them. Li Kuanglan might not resist, which made it harder for Qian Ye to resist. He even thought Ji Tianqing watching might heighten the excitement.
Despite his efforts, thoughts flooded his mind. Thoughts of Ji Tianqing, what she truly looked like, her figure, whether she was as fiery as Li Kuanglan.
This situation was escalating. Li Kuanglan’s subtle movements brought back memories of their recent intimacy.
A spark lit in the center, a flickering rose-gold primordial force flame, illuminating Qian Ye’s changing face. This dawn-flame dispelled the chill and burned some of the desire. It wasn’t much help, but better than nothing.
This was Qian Ye’s last resort. If it failed, he’d leave, returning at midnight.
Fortunately, the night’s cold began to overwhelm the fruit’s effects, stabilizing their states. Though vitality slowed, the reduction in primal urges lagged. Qian Ye remained like a powder keg, ready to ignite. Thus, the white fruit’s true purpose was as a unique aphrodisiac, accelerating vitality being secondary.
As the primal urges subsided, Qian Ye remembered a similar scent, identical to the four-armed woman’s mist. The mist was far less potent, causing desire only in the daytime. Near midnight, Qian Ye struggled with the white fruit, proving the four-armed sacred object lived up to its name.
Qian Ye wondered how Ji Tianqing discovered the fruit’s properties and learned to use it to endure the cold.
But now wasn’t the time. Midnight approached, the world’s frigidity overpowering the fruit. Li Kuanglan and Ji Tianqing activated their secret techniques, struggling. Ji Tianqing was present, and Li Kuanglan clearly didn’t want to use their old method with Qian Ye.
“Come closer, relax, and don’t resist me,” Qian Ye said.
Li Kuanglan moved next to him, followed hesitantly by Ji Tianqing. They sat close, knees touching.
Qian Ye’s blood core pulsed strongly, synchronizing their hearts. With this, they felt relieved, activating their techniques, easing Qian Ye’s burden.
Midnight passed, the cold receded, and they resumed cultivation. In this strange vortex, every bit of power increased their chances of survival.
At dawn, Qian Ye exhaled a long breath, ending his practice. He gained much, his luminous chapter accelerated, and the fifth primordial force vortex was nearly complete. In ten days, he might open a sixth.
Qian Ye guessed the Song Ancient Scrolls’ luminous chapters were tailored to the vortex, enhancing his progress. Perhaps the creator of the scrolls was inspired by the vortex. Regardless, it was a sacred place for Qian Ye.
Li Kuanglan and Ji Tianqing also benefited.
Yet, all faced a new problem, unsaid. With no more white fruits, what would they do tonight?
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