Chapter 174: Burning the Body
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Every branch of the Zhuhong fruit tree appeared as if it were forged from steel. When pulled through the air, it emitted a fierce sound. Under such an assault, even a martial artist in the Visceral Tempering realm would be reduced to a pulp in an instant.
Yet, Bacca only shielded his head and charged straight ahead. He cared not if he struck its head or assaulted the branches elsewhere; Bacca was undeterred.
“Sigh, that’s enough. I merely seek a single fruit, not to uproot you. Must you persist like this?”
Perhaps due to the pain, Bacca finally couldn’t help but shout at the Zhuhong fruit tree. However, the tree responded with an even more intense flurry of strikes.
At this juncture, the gap between them was five meters. They were completely within the Zhuhong fruit tree’s central attack zone. The attacks here were so frequent that they made one’s scalp tingle.
Yet, this location was the heart of the Zhuhong fruit tree’s attack, and it was also Bacca’s ideal range for countering.
“You’ve left me no choice. I merely desire a single fruit!”
Bacca suddenly bellowed. His previously three-meter stature grew by over a meter, reaching nearly five meters.
Concurrent with his increased height, Bacca’s formidable strength and his vaunted defense both surged.
Where the Zhuhong fruit tree’s branches had previously lacerated Bacca’s skin with each hit, now they only inflicted minor wounds on his body at most.
Every gash on Bacca’s form was healing at an astonishing pace. Numerous minor wounds were already closed by the time the branches were extricated.
This was Bacca’s authentic combat form, his berserk state. The lone drawback was its substantial energy consumption and somewhat reduced speed.
However, this was the inevitable consequence of the exponential surge in his strength and defense.
Presently, Bacca was a mere five meters from the Zhuhong fruit tree. Speed no longer affected him. Bacca now required immense strength and unyielding defense only.
“Boom!”
Bacca unleashed a punch, obliterating over half the branches before him. Bacca was about to advance when numerous branches ensnared his calves.
With tremendous force, the branches constricted. The dreadful strength could transform refined iron into clay and allow it to be kneaded. Yet, at this instant, these branches caused negligible harm to Bacca’s thigh at most. At best, they inflicted insignificant wounds.
“Bang!”
Resembling the forceful wrenching of steel bars, Bacca shattered all the branches ensnaring his legs with minimal effort. No matter how many branches entwined him, they failed to halt Bacca’s progress.
“I stated my intent—I want solely the fruit!”
Bacca roared in fury, his hands ceaselessly pounding forward. Each punch was profoundly potent. Though the Zhuhong fruit tree’s branches strenuously blocked his strikes, they still crumbled.
The Zhuhong fruit tree seemed to sense peril. Fresh branches burgeoned on each bough. In the blink of an eye, the quantity of branches had tripled.
And this expansion was far from its limit. More branches sprouted. The branches obstructing Bacca had grown so dense that he couldn’t discern the path ahead.
“Roar!”
Bacca unleashed an enraged roar and harnessed his full might. A root on his head abruptly withered. Bacca’s eyes radiated brilliance, and an energy shield enveloped him. With a step back on his right foot, Bacca surged into the tangle of branches.
“Bang bang bang!”
The cacophony of shattering steel reverberated. Bacca relied on this force to rapidly breach the natural barricade and arrive before the Zhuhong fruit tree.
The Zhuhong fruit tree shuddered violently. It hadn’t anticipated Bacca would infiltrate its core. Life or death now lay at Bacca’s discretion.
“I’ve voiced my desire—a single fruit is all I seek!”
Bacca grunted, two jets of air erupting from his nostrils as they collided with the Zhuhong fruit tree. It quivered, on the cusp of relinquishing the fruit, when a colossal hand ensnared a branch.
“Bang!”
Bacca wrenched the tree, both fruit and branches, from their moorings. The Zhuhong fruit tree trembled, yet none could discern if it was in pain or terror.
“I warned you—1 wished solely for a fruit, yet you persisted in this stance. You’ve vexed me!”
As Bacca prepared to turn away, a touch of anger compelled him to kick the Zhuhong fruit tree’s trunk.
The earth quaked violently, the tree recoiling from the blow. Roots ruptured, and before it, soil erupted like a writhing earth dragon.
Having vented, Bacca emitted a cold snort. He retreated on his right foot, clutching a small branch as he hastened toward his dwelling.
Several miles away, the python that had hounded Chen Fei seemed to have gleaned news. It abandoned its pursuit of Chen Fei and surged toward the Zhuhong fruit tree.
Chen Fei ceased his attempts to lure the python further. After so much time, Bacca either prevailed or retreated due to the Zhuhong fruit tree’s superiority.
Regardless of the scenario, Chen Fei retreated to his cave and awaited Bacca.
An hour later, Chen Fei re-entered the cavern to find Bacca had returned. At the sight of Chen Fei, Bacca proudly exhibited the fruit in his grasp.
Approaching, Chen Fei inspected the fruit to confirm that it was the Zhuhong fruit. Then, he glimpsed a green branch at Bacca’s feet, adorned with numerous branches.
“From that tree?” Chen Fei queried, intrigued.
“Yes, it vexed me, so 1 tore down the trunk to retrieve the fruit.”
Bacca affirmed, though a twinge of regret accompanied the loss of one root from his head. These were repositories of his body’s energy, employed only in dire straits.
Even with daily herb consumption, Bacca’s head featured merely a dozen roots. Today’s fruit caused him to forfeit one.
Chen Fei surveyed the head before him, then the truncated trunk below.
The trunk’s texture indicated potential as a mystical ingredient. Chen Fei had witnessed the branches’ might. Conventional metal paled beside them.
It was clear the quality of these branches exceeded expectations, and this excluded the boughs above them. The branches alone harbored superlative quality.
“Interested? Had you voiced your intention earlier, 1 might have procured more.”
Chen Fei grinned, knowing that Bacca may as well be an honest individual.
“Should you express interest, 1’11 accept.”
Chen Fei’s lips curved. How could he continue pursuing other mystical ingredients if the current one didn’t taste good?
“This thing isn’t meant to be eaten,” Bacca chuckled, emphasizing its efficacy in only edible matters.
Of course, due to Chen Fei’s presence, it had become something that could make things delicious. That’s where its true utility lay.
“You seek nourishment from the fruit or savor its taste?” Chen Fei probed.
“There are two methods to consume it?”
Bacca appeared puzzled. Aware of alchemy, a martial artist’s memory he’d absorbed hinted at a connection.
Bacca was slightly taken aback and inquired, “There are two ways to eat it? What’s the difference? I know very little about this, so don’t you deceive me.”
“You made the choice yourself, so what could I deceive you about?”
A smile adorned Chen Fei’s face. There were two paths—you chose one. If you encounter problems later on, it’s your own choice gone awry. What does that have to do with me?
“Explain the difference then,” Bacca requested, nodding in agreement with Chen Fei’s rationale.
“Eating for nourishment entails maximizing the energy within the fruit. Do you know alchemy? It’s somewhat similar to that.”
Chen Fei gestured, aware that Bacca had absorbed a warrior’s memory fragment, granting a rudimentary understanding of alchemy.
As expected, the mention of alchemy prompted Bacca to nod, possessing a limited grasp of the concept. This was due to the martial artist he absorbed possessing scant alchemical knowledge.
Chen Fei nodded, divulging, “Nourishment entails catalyzing the fruit’s energy maximally. Do you know alchemy? It’s somewhat analogous.”
Expecting Bacca’s understanding, Chen Fei was not disappointed.
“That’s nourishment. Yet, the taste is unremarkable. To experience the taste, the fruit must be divided into two layers: the outer part is tastier, and I shall prepare that portion for you. The inner layer shall be mine, and they will be of equivalent weight.”
Chen Fei maintained honesty, albeit omitting one fact: while the outer flesh tasted better, it contained less energy—around 30% of the fruit’s entirety.
Hearing this, Bacca frowned in contemplation.
His just-used head root compelled Bacca to seek energy replenishment. It was a source of comfort amidst this perilous mystic realm.
However, to savor the taste, the flavor was of paramount importance. When seeking the Zhuhong fruit, Bacca prioritized taste. Opting for an unsavory experience seemed antithetical.
After hesitation, Bacca tapped his head roots. He still possessed a dozen or so; sacrificing one held minimal consequence. Better to relish something exquisite first.
“I prefer the tastier option,” Bacca declared aloud.
“Very well,” Chen Fei agreed.
A faint smile graced Chen Fei’s lips as he used his Qi to slice the Zhuhong fruit. He revealed both the flesh and the inner layer to Bacca.
Seeing the parity in size, Bacca’s face broke into a smile. He found Chen Fei to be a trustworthy individual.
Chen Fei proffered the Zhuhong fruit and began concocting. Over two hours later, he presented a stone bowl of medicine to Bacca.
Upon sipping, Bacca’s expression froze, replaced by rapture.
The taste far exceeded expectations. Unlike the two previous medicinal concoctions, this outshone them immensely.
Spotting Bacca’s expression, Chen Fei wore a broader grin. It seemed that compared to the other mystical ingredients before those that came before lacked taste.
Granted, Chen Fei set other mystical ingredients aside. Presently, he focused on refining his Zhuhong fruit.
Previously, refining a Zhuhong fruit required five days. Now, with a mere half a fruit and augmented by supplementary herbs, the duration was notably abbreviated.
A quarter of an hour later, Chen Fei raised his stone bowl, the Zhuhong fruit seamlessly integrated. He tipped the bowl back and downed the contents in a single gulp.
Akin to imbibing a fireball, a scorching sensation engulfed Chen Fei’s entire being..