Chapter 650 – The Fruit of Wisdom (1/2)

Li Qingshan sat down with his legs crossed in a tree hole near the canopy. He chanted something softly as he devoted all of his attention to casting a technique. Even with his ability to control water, using the Spiritual Rain technique over such a large area was not an easy feat. He required the accompanying incantations.

The spiritual qi in his dantian receded like the tide as the cloud constantly grew thicker. Sunlight was unable to pass through anymore, and it obviously went from white to black. Rain filled with spiritual qi constantly accumulated; it was like a sponge filled with water, waiting for a satisfying rainstorm.

As for Hua Chenglu, she arrived at the very bottom of the great banyan tree. The roots of the great banyan tree and the sun vines twisted and entangled with one another. Very soon, she found a suitable location and pressed her hands against the roots of the sun vines, using the Method of Springtime Bloom to produce a rainbow-like glow from her hands.

The sun vines that resembled dragons in size trembled under this small force. With their instinct to absorb spiritual qi, they accepted all of this power, and the trembling constantly intensified.

Basically no technique could harm mature sun vines, but the objective of this power was not to attack but to impel. Like how people immune to poison were still vulnerable to aphrodisiacs, blooming and fruiting as plants ran deep within their instincts.

Hua Chenglu’s spiritual qi was completely drained very soon. Immediately, an aerial root wrapped around her, channeling pure wood spiritual qi into her body.

The sun vines developed flower buds first. A while later, golden sun flowers bloomed resplendently. The glow they produced was as radiant as the sun.

The Great Banyan Tree King said, “Alright, I feel much looser now. Thank you! The nectar from the sun vine flowers is very precious to you, so go collect some!”

Hua Chenglu eased up and smiled. Ever since she entered the Great Banyan Tree King, she finally saw light again. It had only been a few days, but it felt like an entire lifetime.

Li Qingshan also received the Great Banyan Tree King’s message. His chanting stopped, and with a swoosh, the “sponge” in the air seemed to be violently wringed out. Rain poured down, sprinkling on every leaf before flowing down along the bark. The sun vine flowers bloomed even more resplendently under the dark rain.

Li Qingshan arrived outside the tree hole. He saw Hua Chenglu busying about from flower to flower like a butterfly. The Great Banyan Tree King’s voice rang out in his ears again, “Come take your gift!”

Li Qingshan arrived at the end of the path and saw a pitiful little flower on a thick branch. It seemed to be composed of thousands of fluffy stamens, white in the centre and fading to red on the edges. It did not stand out very much, completely unable to compare with the Great Banyan Tree King’s colossal body or the huge, resplendent sun vine flowers.

“Is this the gift?”

“Don’t rush, don’t rush!”

Time seemed to speed up. The colour of the tiny flower deepened before turning into a tiny fruit that went from green to yellow.

Of course, it still did not stand out very much.

“Pick it quick,” the Great Banyan Tree King said, urging him. His voice sounded rather lethargic.

Li Qingshan extended his hand and picked the fruit. He fiddled with it in his hand. “Thank you, fellow, but is this fruit edible?”

He checked it with his soul sense, but he did not sense much spiritual qi inside. Instead, it gathered another type of power, which was a powerful will similar to soul sense. He had absolutely no idea what it was for.

“Li Qingshan, give me the fruit in your hand, and I’ll forget about all the grievances between us!”

Si Qing’s voice suddenly rang out from the sky, and it sounded a little urgent. When he saw the banyan tree bloom and fruit, even his eyes widened. The Fruit of Wisdom!

He had once requested the Great Banyan Tree King submissively exactly for this Fruit of Wisdom. The Great Banyan Tree King had always been known for his wisdom. The fruit he produced could not allow cultivation to advance drastically and skyrocket, but it did contain a crystallisation of the Great Banyan Tree King’s wisdom, able to unlock the wisdom and ability to comprehend within people.

This was different from the brainwashing and instillment of the Wisdom Imbuement technique. Instead, it was enlightenment and development, similar to the “A Blow and a Shout” from buddhism. The effects of this blow would vary. If regular people received it, their minds would clear up a little at most. It might not even have any other effects. However, it had wondrous effects on cultivators whose cultivation had halted due to a bottleneck.

In order to undergo the third heavenly tribulation and reach the realm of kings, Si Qing obviously needed a Fruit of Wisdom very much, but the Great Banyan Tree King denied his request. The mental effort and energy required to produce a Fruit of Wisdom was even more than performing Wisdom Imbuement ten times.

Li Qingshan had only killed a few burrowing mites and cast a technique, yet he received such a generous reward, which made Si Qing even more envious.

Hearing Si Qing’s words, Li Qingshan obviously understood that this was something good, so he immediately shoved it into his mouth and chewed away. The taste was much more sour and astringent that he imagined it to be, but as soon as he thought of Si Qing’s ugly expression, his mood immediately took a turn for the better. He leaned against the branch and ate happily.

Si Qing’s expression did become as ugly as he imagined it to be. After Li Qingshan provoked him time and time again, he had already run out of patience. Li Qingshan was only a measly Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet he used Gu Yanying as his backing to behave so arrogantly.

“Li Qingshan, you will definitely die!”