Chapter 017: Fire Dragon Divine Fruit

The Star Martial Arts Academy was located in the western part of Mad Cloud City, covering a full hundred acres. The entire complex was resplendent, and the clashing of metal often echoed from within. As the largest martial arts academy in Mad Cloud City, it was brightly lit even at night.

In a certain courtyard, Wang Xing's earlier fury had dissipated. Now his face was pale, a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, and a red palm print was strikingly clear on his cheek. As his gaze flickered, a trace of fear quietly emerged.

“Tell your father what happened!” An old man with a gloomy expression clenched his fists, causing a crackling sound, his deeply lined face twisted with ferocity as he suddenly bellowed. This was the academy's master, Wang Long.

Wang Xing's body trembled violently, fear gripping his heart. He fell to his knees with a thud, not daring to conceal anything, and honestly recounted the events of the past few days.

After a silence of half an hour, Wang Long slowly moved and sat down on a chair, his face like still water, an invisible pressure spreading out.

Seeing Wang Long silent, Wang Xing grew even more terrified. He knew that the calmer Wang Long appeared, the greater the fury within. He pressed his head firmly to the ground.

“Second brother is dead, killed by a waste, haha, killed by that former invalid.” Suddenly, he let out a ferocious laugh, his ruthless aura escalating.

“Father, I will kill him, I will.” Wang Xing, head bowed to the ground, quickly said.

“You useless piece of trash, get the hell back and find Yang Tian. Deploy all personnel and find him for me!!”

The furious roar exploded, and Wang Xing scrambled out.

After a long silence, Wang Long's body began to tremble, his eyes filled with pain and rage, his deeply lined face twisted beyond recognition.

Wang Feng was dead. The Star Martial Arts Academy's influence in Mad Cloud City would rapidly decline, and the title of the city's top academy would have to be surrendered.

At this moment, an endless regret rose in his heart. For the sake of an unknown treasure, not only had the academy's strength regressed, but he had also provoked an enemy with terrifying potential.

…

Late at night, the sky was filled with twinkling stars. Silver moonlight spilled over the earth, draping the entire Beast Mountain Range in a thin silver veil. In the quiet jungle, occasional beast roars broke the stillness, but everything was harmonious.

“Slap… slap…”

The sound of dense footsteps suddenly exploded, shattering the mountain range's tranquility. A group of fierce-looking guards swept through the jungle, their eyes scanning the small river.

“Damn it, five whole days. That kid should have drowned by now, right?” A dark-faced big man searched the jungle for a while, then yawned and cursed.

“Black Three, haven't you seen the young master behind us? Hurry up and search!” Another man glared at him and barked.

“Yes, yes.” The dark-faced man shrank his head, feeling annoyed inside. He gave the jungle a cursory glance and moved forward.

The group of passersby hurried away, never noticing that in the thick grass at the edge of the river, a dark cave was hidden.

His head throbbed. Yang Tian had been unconscious…

Inside his body, the Ancestral Dragon Ring suppressed his heart meridian, preserving a faint trace of vitality.

After an unknown time, Yang Tian's eyelids twitched slightly. He struggled to open his eyes, his dark pupils sweeping around. He slowly exhaled the pent-up breath in his chest.

This was a cave entrance, about a hundred zhang in size. The surrounding stalactites illuminated the entire cavern.

"Cough, cough."

Yang Tian tried to get up, but as soon as he moved his body, his injuries were instantly aggravated, and a heart-wrenching pain shot through his mind. He coughed violently, and traces of blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.

"This is really bad." After examining his injuries, Yang Tian shook his head with a bitter smile. His vital parts had suffered fatal damage, and his qi sea was as still as a dead sea, with no trace of blood or qi flowing.

Lying sideways on the ground, Yang Tian recovered a bit of strength and then sat up cross-legged with difficulty.

Inside the Ancestral Dragon Ring.

The dense essence of heaven and earth entered his nostrils, and Yang Tian's spirit was slightly invigorated. He took a deep breath and couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of the Ancestral Dragon Ring. With such severe injuries, without top-grade healing pills, he would normally have to recuperate for a year or two.

Inside Yang Tian's body, strands of essence irrigated his flesh, and the pain from his injuries gradually dissipated, while the wounds on his skin slowly scabbed over.

"Hoo." After an hour of cultivation, Yang Tian slowly stopped and did not continue. He clearly remembered that his last conscious moment was falling asleep in the small stream, and now he was in a cave.

Always vigilant, he first needed to confirm his current situation.

Yang Tian raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the dark passage ahead. The passage was about twenty zhang long, with smooth rock at the top, clearly naturally formed.

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked forward. When he traversed the hundred-zhang passage, a strange fragrance suddenly wafted out.

"There's a treasure here!" Yang Tian inhaled a breath, and his qi sea, which had been still for a long time, suddenly stirred. Yang Tian took a deep breath, his eyes sparkling with joy.

"This is what they call fortune and misfortune depending on each other." Yang Tian suddenly chuckled, then quickly ran forward. After about half an hour, he arrived at a naturally formed cavern where the air was exceptionally fresh. To his left, a hot spring continuously emitted steam.

At this moment, Yang Tian's gaze was drawn to a small tree ahead. It was a fiery red tree, half a zhang tall, with three fiery red fruits on its branches emitting an intoxicating fragrance. The fruits were the size of fists and faintly radiated a scorching aura.

"It's actually the Fire Dragon Divine Fruit!" After a moment of stunned silence, Yang Tian's face was filled with ecstasy. The Fire Dragon Divine Fruit was a fifth-grade spiritual fruit with a miraculous effect: it could expand one's qi sea.

A person's qi sea is the most mysterious part of the body. Without a qi sea, and without a special opportunity, one could never step into the path of martial arts for a lifetime.

A person's qi sea is fixed at birth. Treasures that can expand the qi sea are auctioned at astronomical prices on the continent. Although the Fire Dragon Divine Fruit is a fifth-grade spiritual fruit, its medicinal effect is astonishing, making it a treasure sought after by everyone on the continent.

Yang Tian walked to the small tree, picked one of the fruits, and put it directly into his mouth.

Boom!

A roar echoed in his ears, and a scorching heat surged within his body, all gathering in his qi sea, which underwent drastic changes.

Yang Tian quickly sat cross-legged and activated the War Heaven Art. The medicinal power of the Fire Dragon Divine Fruit transformed into countless streams, filling his qi sea.

Yang Tian's withered qi sea rapidly filled up, and within ten breaths, it had recovered to its former strength.

"No wonder it's a fifth-grade spiritual fruit—truly extraordinary." Sensing that his blood and qi had fully recovered, Yang Tian smacked his lips, then steadied his mind and gritted his teeth.

Boom! The qi sea roared, and the scorching medicinal power surged continuously, with the essence penetrating the surroundings of the qi sea. Not only did the qi sea's strength increase, but it was also expanded and opened up by this medicinal power.

"Sss." Yang Tian couldn't help but inhale sharply. The pain of transforming the qi sea was such that if one's will wavered even slightly, the qi sea could directly burst, leading to death and the end of one's path.

The medicinal power churned endlessly, with countless red energy bodies traversing the entire qi sea area. Under the tempering of the medicinal power, the strength of the qi sea increased dramatically.