Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 49 - 47: Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruit

The tranquil seafloor.

"...Little Junior Brother, are you done?"

"Almost."

"...Little Junior Brother, are you tired?"

"I’m fine. I don’t need to rest for now."

"...Little Junior Brother, how much longer can you last?"

"About another half an hour, I think? We should head back a bit early, just in case something unexpected happens."

"Alright, we’ll do as you say."

...

Beneath the Glazed Yellow Umbrella, the two women’s soft, pleasant voices occasionally rang out.

The three of them had now arrived at a gently sloping area dozens of miles wide. As far as the eye could see, the ground beneath them was covered in fine, white sand that shimmered with a faint light.

Ling Changqing was patiently sifting through the sand, pulling out arm-length Seven-gilled Eels, whose smooth luster resembled jade, from deep within the sediment.

These creatures were called Seven-Gilled Jade Star Eels, a type of deep-sea treasure. Whether used in medicine or cooked as a delicacy, they were an excellent find.

After clearing the entire sandy expanse, Ling Changqing had caught nearly a hundred eels and stored them in his Storage Pouch.

After silently checking the rate at which his Luck and Fortune were being consumed, Ling Changqing decided to make one last sweep before heading back.

"Little Junior Brother, I think I’ve found something good, but..."

Ling Qiyue trailed off, hesitating.

"What is it?"

Ling Changqing turned his head to look at her.

Ling Qiyue pointed a few thousand feet away, toward a dark valley formed between a few undersea mountains. Countless massive, twisted vines grew there, swaying with the deep-sea currents.

Despite the distance, a ferocious, bloodthirsty aura emanated from them, palpable and real, making Ling Changqing’s scalp tingle.

"Those must be... Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vines, right?"

Tang Qiu Yao’s soft, charming voice trembled slightly. "Those vicious things grow Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruit. If we could harvest a few, they could be used as the main ingredient for one type of Foundation Establishment Pill!"

Over tens of thousands of years, through repeated research and experimentation by generations of Pill Masters, more than one Pill Formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill has been discovered.

The most common main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill is the Profound Spirit Life Creation Fruit, which must be at least three hundred years old to meet the requirements.

However, this ingredient is now almost completely monopolized by the major powers. It, along with its supplementary ingredients, is rarely seen on the open market.

A Foundation Establishment Pill refined using the fruit of the Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vine as the main ingredient, combined with other necessary supplementary resources, has a success rate of about thirty percent for achieving Foundation Establishment, which is not considered low.

However, the Deep Sea environment is far from safe for Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Level. Moreover, the Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vine is by no means an easy foe. As a result, it is rare to see Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruit of sufficient age for sale on the market.

To put it simply, for lower-level Cultivators, any material related to refining a Foundation Establishment Pill is incredibly difficult to obtain.

"It should be possible. Let me try, okay?"

Ling Changqing said, glancing at the two women.

"No, that’s too dangerous! We’re not confident we can suppress it!"

Tang Qiu Yao shook her head in opposition. No matter how good the fruit was, it wasn’t worth risking their lives for.

Ling Qiyue pondered for a few breaths before saying softly, "There might be a clever way. These things feed on large sea fish and Sea Beasts from the Deep Sea. Once they’re full, their reactions become relatively sluggish."

"Like a python after it has eaten?"

Ling Changqing immediately understood. After a snake has eaten its fill, its aggression does indeed decrease for a short period.

If the Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vines share that trait, then it’s worth a try.

"Alright then, let’s give it a try."

Tang Qiu Yao relented. As long as their Little Junior Brother’s safety could be guaranteed, it was worth taking some risks.

And so, the two women circled the surrounding waters. Using sneak attacks to knock out their prey, they seized opportunities to hunt and kill dozens of massive sea fish and a few Dragonhorn Manatees, which they sealed in Profound Ice before putting them into their Storage Pouches.

Then, with Ling Changqing in tow, they slowly approached the edge of the Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vines’ active area. They opened their Storage Pouches and began tossing out the prey, one by one.

In its starved state, the Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vine reacted with incredible speed. A Dragonhorn Manatee was tossed over, and it was instantly ensnared by more than ten terrifying tentacles covered in sharp bone spurs, which tore open its flesh and began to greedily suck its blood and meat.

A chill went down Ling Changqing’s spine as he watched. In a direct confrontation, it would take at least eight or ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators working together to deal with so many Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vines.

Soon, all that was left of the Dragonhorn Manatee was its hide and skeleton. All its flesh, blood, and organs had been turned into nutrients for the Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vine.

One after another, the prey was tossed over, allowing the cluster of Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vines to feast to their hearts’ content.

Just as they had expected, once the last few prey animals had been completely devoured, the reaction speed of the Deep Sea Spirit-Devouring Vines slowed considerably. The vines themselves, originally blackish-green, had turned a vivid blood-red.

"Okay, now’s the time!"

Ling Qiyue whispered.

Ling Changqing acknowledged her and slowly swam over, escorted by the two women.

A moment later, he was standing beneath a main vine as large as a giant tree. He spotted a fist-sized, blood-red fruit on its surface and carefully reached out, using his power to pull it toward him.

The fruit looked like a large ruby, its skin enveloped in a layer of pure crimson light. It gave off a faint, fragrant aroma. This was the Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruit.

A newly sprouted Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruit is merely the size of a grain of rice. Only those over three hundred years old reach the size of a fist.

Because the fruit was difficult to preserve after being picked, Ling Changqing placed it in a Cold Jade Box, sealed it with a Profound Ice Technique, and then put it into his Storage Pouch before starting his search for the next one.

Countless vines and fleshy, thorn-covered tentacles danced slowly all around him. A faint, eerie hissing occasionally reached his ears, making him feel as if he were in a demon’s realm.

Ling Qiyue and Tang Qiu Yao nervously watched their surroundings, ready to strike with their full power at the first sign of trouble.

Ling Changqing didn’t dare to delay either. His eyes darted nervously between the vines, and whenever he found a suitable target, he deftly moved in to pick it.

Time slipped by quietly. A nameless sense of crisis grew stronger in his heart, telling Ling Changqing that he couldn’t stay here much longer.

’This is the sixth one...’

He calculated silently, planning to find one more and then leave.

"...Little Junior Brother, shouldn’t that be enough?"

Ling Qiyue asked uneasily.

"Just a second."

Ling Changqing replied, placing the seventh Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruit into the Cold Jade Box. The three of them then turned and swam away quickly.

Behind them, a fleshy tentacle as thick as a thigh seemed to have finally reacted. It coiled and struck like a venomous python, but it hit nothing but water.

"That was close!"

Tang Qiu Yao looked back, her heart still pounding with fear. If they had been even a step slower, they would have been entangled and unable to escape.

"Alright, let’s go back!"

Ling Qiyue said. The two women flanked Ling Changqing, one on each side, and steered the Glazed Yellow Umbrella to ascend at high speed. Within a dozen breaths, they broke through the surface of the water.

It was now the middle of the night. Three bright, full moons hung in the sky above a vast, profound ocean of stars, mysterious and magnificent.

Tang Qiu Yao released her Flying Ship. It carried the three of them into the air and flew at high speed toward Zenxin Island.