The Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit was a rare treasure renowned throughout the Great Desolation.
Legend had it that the Vermilion Fruit tree was once the resting tree of the Vermilion Bird, the Fire Phoenix. Having absorbed the spiritual essence of the Vermilion Bird over countless years, the fruit contained powerful and pure Fire Yuan. It was not only an indispensable main ingredient for refining precious immortal pills like the Creation Pill, Great Return Pill, and Revival Pill, but also the most potent supplement for replenishing vital essence.
Especially for those who were weak, half-dead, and teetering on the brink of the underworld—even if they were so weak they had only one breath left—consuming a single Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit would restore them to full vigor in no time.
If an ordinary person refined it properly, the gains could even rival a thousand years of arduous cultivation.
Unfortunately.
The reason it was called the Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit was precisely because this fruit only bloomed and bore fruit once every ten thousand years.
One could imagine just how precious such a fruit was.
So precious that even disciples like Bai Ze and Leng Jue, who belonged to the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, had never had the chance to taste one.
Yes.
Neither Bai Ze nor Leng Jue had ever enjoyed one.
After all, this thing was truly rare. Even Eternal Life Pavilion didn't have many. They were typically used to refine various elixirs, as this allowed the efficacy of the Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit to be better utilized. If one were to simply refine and absorb it raw, even if it could rival a thousand years of cultivation, few would do so because it was simply too wasteful—it could be called a wanton destruction of heaven's gifts.
These three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits were treasures that Lixin Xianzi had cherished for a long time, her ultimate reserve.
However.
Today, for the sake of her most beloved High Immortal Qingqing, and for Qiao’er, she was willing to go all out.
Her original intention was to give one to Huode, as a token of gratitude for his life-saving grace towards Qiao’er all those years ago. Another was prepared for Gu Qingfeng, since the Lingyu Sword had once saved High Immortal Qingqing's life, and Gu Qingfeng, as the sword's former master, could be considered half of Qingqing's savior.
The remaining fruit, Lixin Xianzi had planned to give to Gu Qingfeng as a gift if he was willing to part with the Lingyu Sword and hand it over to High Immortal Qingqing.
But.
What Lixin Xianzi never could have anticipated was that the moment she brought out these three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits—before she could even say a word, before she could even sit down—the three fruits she had treasured for so, so long had already vanished into Gu Qingfeng's stomach. From the moment he ate the first to the third, not even a few breaths had passed.
In fact, before Lixin Xianzi could even react, the three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits were gone.
Although these fruits were originally intended for Gu Qingfeng to enjoy, the key point was that she hadn't even opened her mouth to speak, hadn't even mentioned the matter of the Lingyu Sword before they were all devoured.
With the fruits gone, how could she bring up the Lingyu Sword now?
If she brought it up and this fellow refused to give it, wouldn't that mean the three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits were wasted for nothing?
What made Lixin Xianzi utterly enraged was that one of the three fruits was meant to thank Huode for his life-saving grace towards Qiao’er.
Now that they were all eaten by Gu Qingfeng, how could she thank him?
At this moment, Lixin Xianzi felt the world spinning and a splitting headache. Standing there, her delicate frame trembled uncontrollably with anger. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath as if suppressing the fury in her heart, and after a moment, opened them to look at the empty plate. Her heart bled. If it were anyone else, she would have torn them to pieces.
But the one who had eaten the three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits was Gu Qingfeng.
No matter how furious or displeased Lixin Xianzi felt inside, she dared not vent it.
To be precise, it wasn't that she didn't dare, but that she couldn't.
It wasn't out of fear or wariness of Gu Qingfeng, but because she now had a request of him. She had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill and endure.
Since they were already eaten, harboring resentment against this fellow was meaningless.
Beside her, Old Lady Jin Hua and High Immortal Qingqing were also dumbfounded seeing Gu Qingfeng devour all three incredibly precious Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits without even pausing for breath. Especially High Immortal Qingqing—she seemed rather unwell, her beautiful, pristine face appearing to wither and lose its color in that instant.
She knew full well how precious the three fruits were. That's why when Lixin Xianzi decided to take them out, she had objected. It wasn't that she was unwilling, but these three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits belonged to her martial aunt, Lixin Xianzi.
In High Immortal Qingqing's view, if they wanted to thank Huode for saving Qiao’er and thank this Great Master for forging the Lingyu Sword that saved her own life, she would use her own collection of rare treasures. Even if they weren't as precious as the three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits, to express her gratitude, she would do her utmost.
However, Lixin Xianzi insisted on using her own three fruits, and High Immortal Qingqing had no choice but to relent.
Now, before any words could be spoken, this fellow had gobbled them all up in one go.
What to do?
High Immortal Qingqing didn't know what to do either.
"Are there any more of these fruits?"
Gu Qingfeng's voice came through.
"Only three? Didn't really get my fill."
This time, not only did Lixin Xianzi have the urge to kill someone, but even the gentle, kind-hearted High Immortal Qingqing, and even Old Lady Jin Hua—a senior who had cultivated for who knows how many years—felt the impulsive desire to commit murder.
What did he mean, 'only three'?
Didn't get his fill?
What did he think these were?
Rotten apples scattered all over the mountains?
These were the rare treasures known as Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits, which only bloomed and bore fruit once every ten thousand years!
!!
With a bang!
Bai Ze seemed unable to hold back any longer. He slammed the table and stood up, glaring furiously at Gu Qingfeng.
As a disciple of Eternal Life Pavilion, he himself had never enjoyed a Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit. This time, when Lixin Xianzi brought out three, none were for him. He had endured it, knowing that Lixin Xianzi took them out for Qiao’er and to help Qingqing reclaim the Lingyu Sword.
Although he felt using three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits to express gratitude was far too wasteful, Lixin Xianzi was his martial aunt, so he couldn't say much.
Already suppressing a bellyful of fire, hearing Gu Qingfeng remain unsatisfied after eating three and actually wanting more, Bai Ze could no longer endure it.
"Aren't you being a bit too presumptuous, sir? The three fruits you just enjoyed are the extremely precious Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits. Not only did you devour all three in one breath, but you still want more? Do you think those are ordinary fruits? Those were three Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits that my martial aunt went through immense hardship to obtain!"
One had to admit, Bai Ze truly lived up to being a disciple of Eternal Life Pavilion. Despite his inner fury, he didn't say anything too excessive. His manners were indeed quite good.
Lixin Xianzi scolded, "Bai Ze! What are you doing? Sit down!"
"Martial Aunt, I..."
"Sit down, I said!"
Lixin Xianzi glared at him with furious eyes. Bai Ze said no more, snorted coldly, and obediently sat back down.