Cultivation: But Not a Game-Chapter 67 - 32: Millennium Vermilion Fruit, One-Horned Python
But what Su Yu wanted was not this, but the Millennial Zhu Fruit Tree itself.
If it could be cultivated and kept alive, he could continuously harvest Millennial Zhu Fruits in the future.
Many people might not understand the difference between a Millennial Zhu Fruit Tree and a Zhu Fruit Tree, thinking that a Millennial Zhu Fruit Tree is just a Zhu Fruit Tree that has grown for over a thousand years.
The answer: yes, and no.
A normal Zhu Fruit blooms in thirty-three years, bears fruit in thirty-three years, and ripens in thirty-three years, taking a total of 99 years.
Generally, if no one picks it after it fully ripens, the Zhu Fruit will naturally fall when overripe, and the fruit tree will decay and disappear. The following year, a new Zhu Fruit Tree will grow in its place.
This means it cannot last forever.
Only with a very small probability, due to some special factors, does a Zhu Fruit Tree not drop naturally after the fruit ripens, but continues to incubate and transform into a Millennial Zhu Fruit after absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi for over a thousand years.
At this time, whether the Millennial Zhu Fruit is picked or falls naturally when overripe, the Zhu Fruit Tree will still decay and disappear.
However, if the Zhu Fruit Tree is struck by lightning and does not die, and the power of the Celestial Tribulation or another special force infiltrates the tree to change its essence, it can survive as a Millennial Zhu Fruit Tree.
Such a surviving Millennial Zhu Fruit Tree will produce Millennial Zhu Fruits once they mature in the next bloom, without needing to spend thousands of years to incubate slowly.
Like the normal Zhu Fruit, it blooms in thirty-three years, bears fruit in thirty-three years, and ripens in thirty-three years, yielding thirty-six Millennial Zhu Fruits in 99 years.
If planted in a special magic orchard that can adjust the flow of time, it can mature in just over a dozen years. Imagine how valuable that would be.
Su Yu currently lacks a Spirit Vein and a high-level spiritual farmer, but that doesn’t stop him from preparing in advance.
First, he needs to get hold of it, then plant it when he settles down and has his own spirit cave.
At this moment, Wei Xia went to speak with Ding Lingyu for a moment and then came over to Su Yu and said:
"Mr. Su, let’s go check the spirit cave and see that One-Horned Python."
"Let’s go."
The two ascended into the air, flying towards the underground cave in the valley, diving into it.
Through a long underground passage, their view quickly opened up, revealing an underground space about two kilometers in diameter.
The massive arched ceiling was covered in vine plants, adorned with countless points of light like fireflies illuminating the underground. The ground was full of rugged stones, with a water pool over a kilometer in diameter at the center, and in the middle of the pool was a small island shrouded in spiritual mist, faintly revealing a massive creature coiled at the edge of the island.
"The Zhu Fruit Tree is there."
Su Yu’s gaze focused on the center of the small island, where the spiritual mist was forming a swirling vortex, and in the center stood a Zhu Fruit Tree about five or six meters tall.
The tree trunk was stout, and the bark looked like layers of stacked scales, with a purplish color, transformed into a Millennial Zhu Fruit Tree, perhaps from absorbing something.
The tree bore sixteen fist-sized fruits of an orange-yellow color, with some places already tinged with red, just a step away from maturing into the blood-red color of Zhu Fruits.
Su Yu took a gentle sniff, detecting a faint fragrance lingering in the air.
"It’s ready to mature any time now."
He turned his gaze to the Python coiled by the island, its total length about a hundred meters, covered in thick azure scales, with a single horn on its head and a skull quite unlike that of a typical snake, seeming a bit like a flood dragon.
Checking its attributes:
One-Horned Python (Elite): Level 116, Aquatic Race, She Hui.
Attributes: Qi and Blood 1.72 million, Demonic Power 30,000, Attack Power 12,000, Speed 600 km/h, Demon Skill: Water-type spells, Devour, Walking Flood Dragon Skill.
"Not quite up to the level of a flood dragon."
This creature is just an elite monster, not a boss. It doesn’t have the boss template boost and has limited strength. With so many of us teaming up, we can take it down.
The two observed for a while, confirming there was nothing else in the underground space, then returned.
Upon exiting the cave, they found not only Cao Ze and Lan Yiyi had arrived but also He Shoucheng, including his girlfriend.
Su Yu waved at him, just flying to the mountaintop when he saw Cao Ze looking over and asking:
"I heard you also want the Zhu Fruit?"
"Zhu Fruit Tree branch."
"Same thing!"
He looked eager:
"Last time, I lost due to a restricted environment during the minor test. It’s been bothering me since. Now that we’re here to distribute the Zhu Fruit, how about a spar?"
"Of course!"
Su Yu replied fearlessly:
"But my means of attack are powerful; I might not be able to hold back. If you die under my sword, don’t blame me."
Cao Ze was just about to agree, but Ding Lingyu immediately stopped him after hearing:
"Don’t act just yet; we can talk after the Zhu Fruit is secured."
"Alright then."
Both agreed.
Finishing these matters, Ding Lingyu looked at the sky and said:
"It’s about time."
"Is there anyone else you know who will come over?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"In that case, let’s begin."
He soared into the air towards the center, with one person each flying out from the other two mountaintops, representing the Thunder Eagle Association and the Sword Spirit Pavilion, gathering together for discussion.
Shortly after, he returned and said to everyone:
"In a moment, the three teams will join forces to hunt the Python. Whoever lands the final blow gets a 20% share of the profits. The loot distribution is random, purely by luck. Do any of you have questions?"
Everyone shook their heads:
"No objections."
"What about the Zhu Fruits? How will they be divided?"
Some of the newcomers weren’t aware of the distribution plan, so Ding Lingyu explained:
"The Sword Spirit Pavilion takes 6 fruits, while we and the Thunder Eagle Association each get 5 fruits."
"Why do they get the most?"
"Because they are the strongest."
"Who says so?"
"Although we’ve never fought, most of the time in the past, the Sword Spirit Pavilion was indeed slightly stronger than us."
At this moment, Wei Xia cleared his throat and said:
"Just now, on the way here, Su Yu single-handedly took down the second-ranked Lan Feiyu and Leng Hong of the Sword Spirit Pavilion."
"Hmm?"
Ding Lingyu brightened up and looked at Su Yu:
"Really?"
"To be precise, I was ambushed by Lan Feiyu and Leng Hong, and Su Yu came to kill Lan Feiyu. Also, so far, Su Yu has already claimed fourteen heads."
Everyone looked at Su Yu in awe, Ding Lingyu pondered for a moment, then decisively punched his palm:
"If that’s the case, the Sword Spirit Pavilion can’t claim much of an advantage in strength."
"Wait for me; I’ll negotiate again."
He then flew toward the small mountain occupied by the Sword Spirit Pavilion, negotiating with the leader over there.
He had only spoken a few words when the Thunder Eagle Association’s side also flew over, resulting in a heated discussion among the three parties.
After a while, Ding Lingyu returned with a smile:
"It’s settled; the Zhu Fruits will be evenly distributed, with five fruits for each party. The extra one goes to whoever performs the best on site. Additionally, the Zhu Fruit Tree is ours; we only need to give each of them a branch."
Su Yu said nothing as long as he got a branch himself.
They had seen that the Zhu Fruit Tree had six branches; besides the main trunk, there were five branches for sharing.
"Notification: Ding Lingyu invites you to join the team. Do you accept?"
Su Yu glanced at the notification, accepted the invitation, and entered a group that included everyone from the Thunder Eagle Association and the Sword Spirit Pavilion.
Everyone joined a team, allowing them to prevent friendly fire, enabling everyone to focus fully on the boss fight.
Once everything was ready, the temporary leaders entered the cave first, with others following suit.
Inside, the three guilds positioned themselves in three directions.
So many people entering the cave caught the attention of the One-Horned Python on the island. It raised its head to gaze upward, slowly expanding its body, and let out a series of threatening hisses.
"Once in position, act freely!"
"Be careful not to affect the Zhu Fruit Tree."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone raised their defense treasures, and then the colors of treasure light varied, flames and frost flew together, thunder and lightning rumbled.
"Boom!"
Wei Xia struck first, wielding a thunder hammer down, a ’crack’ exploding, a huge lightning bolt smashed onto the One-Horned Python.
This seemed like a signal; in the next second, thirty to forty various magical treasures fired in unison, sizzling and thundering, instantly engulfing the One-Horned Python.
"Hiss!"
The One-Horned Python hissed painfully, turned, and plunged into the adjacent lake, its massive body intertwining in the lake water, stirring the water, which rose quickly.
"Walking Flood Dragon Skill, Whirlpool!"
In almost the blink of an eye, the lake water submerged the island, forming a massive whirlpool.
