The Art of Chaotic Divinity-Chapter 1161: Heavens Illusory Fruit

A group of attendants dressed in pink walked up the stairs in graceful formation, each carrying a silver tray. They moved elegantly until they reached the center of the hall, where the Inner Sea geniuses had gathered.

"Haha! It's time for the annual Heaven's Illusory Fruit Banquet. These fruits ripen only once a year, and this is the only chance we have to taste them!"

Jian Chen laughed as he stepped forward. The other Inner Sea geniuses quickly followed, surrounding the attendants with eager expressions, their gazes fixed on the trays.

Each tray held a single green fruit that gave off a faint, refreshing fragrance. Just inhaling it made one's mind feel clear and light.

The Heaven's Illusory Fruits were personally cultivated by the Illusion Heart Queen. Eating one could greatly nourish and strengthen a cultivator's spiritual consciousness.

The leading maid in pink spoke softly, "Honored guests, these Heaven's Illusory Fruits were specially prepared by the Illusion Heart Queen for your enjoyment. If you wish to taste them, please make payment in elemental crystals of equivalent value."

As she spoke, she produced a storage spirit ring. Payment was required before anyone could sample the fruits.

Although the geniuses clearly wanted to taste them, few dared to act first. They hesitated, whispering among themselves, unwilling to spend so freely.

Ling Feng glanced to the side and couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. No wonder these snobbish Inner Sea geniuses had such conflicted expressions. It turns out the price of these Heaven's Illusory Spirit Fruits is completely...

A rip-off! Mhmm, a very obvious rip-off!

The fruits came in various sizes. The largest were as big as a fist, while the smallest were no larger than grapes, and their prices differed accordingly.

The biggest and roundest Heaven's Illusory Fruit was priced at two hundred thousand elemental crystals. Even the smallest grape-sized ones cost ten thousand each.

While the fruits indeed enhanced the soul, such prices were outrageous. Even the Inner Sea geniuses found it difficult to justify spending that much on a single fruit.

But the Illusion Heart Queen had a monopoly. Heaven's Illusory Fruits could only be found here on Heaven's Illusion Island. Knowing the pride of her guests, she set the prices as she pleased. After all, none of these geniuses wanted to lose face in front of others.

As expected, the crowd exchanged uneasy looks. No one spoke, but each was clearly weighing how much they could spend without appearing cheap.

They could afford the cost, yet spending tens of thousands of crystals on one fruit was painful even for them.

Seeing the awkward silence, Jian Chen gritted his teeth, then forced a laugh. "Haha! I'll start, then! I'll take the biggest one. Everyone, feel free to choose for yourselves!"

He picked up the largest fruit and reluctantly transferred two hundred thousand crystals into the maid's storage ring.

Once he set the example, the others could no longer back down. They followed one after another, each pretending to be generous.

To save face, they avoided the cheaper fruits entirely, with most choosing ones worth over a hundred thousand. No one dared to touch those below fifty thousand.

"Honored guest, and you?"

The pink-clad attendant approached Ling Feng with a polite smile.

Ling Feng glanced at the fruits. They were indeed beneficial, though their prices were absurd. After a brief thought, he decided to buy two. One for himself and one for Tuoba Yan. The amount meant little to him. His Supreme Black Diamond Card from the Tianmeng Chamber of Commerce held more wealth than most empires, and the treasures he had taken from the Tianluo Ancestor alone were worth several million crystals.

Just as he was about to pay, Jian Chen chuckled and stepped forward. With a smile directed at Tuoba Yan, he said, "Miss, the Heaven's Illusory Fruit is a rare delicacy. Why not pick one, and I'll pay for it? Consider it a friendly gesture."

As he spoke, his eyes slid toward Ling Feng with a mocking glint. His expression said plainly: Poor fool, I have money. Do you?

Tuoba Yan didn't even look at him. Her gaze stayed on Ling Feng as she said calmly, "No need. He'll buy it for me."

"Hmph!"

Jian Chen's fists tightened. Her disregard stung him, but he dared not cause trouble inside the Hall of Heroes. He could only glare at Ling Feng, waiting to see what kind of humiliation he would bring upon himself.

Ling Feng smiled faintly, ignoring the provocation. He casually picked two of the smallest fruits and transferred twenty thousand elemental crystals to the maid's storage spirit ring.

The maid gave him a graceful bow and left with the tray.

However, upon seeing Ling Feng select two spirit fruits worth ten thousand each, Jian Chen couldn't help but sneer, "Hmph, as expected, you truly are a pauper. Tsk tsk tsk, Miss, aren't you ashamed to be standing next to such a poor, stingy man?"

The surrounding geniuses burst into sycophantic laughter.

"Young Master Jian Chen, not everyone can be as generous as you, spending hundreds of thousands like it's nothing."

"That boy must have used some trick to gain the lady's loyalty. Otherwise, how could someone like her follow him?"

"Women these days only care about looks. That kid just happens to have a decent face. If you want a real man, someone like Young Master Jian Chen, with wealth and influence, is the right choice!"

...

Their jeers made Tuoba Yan's face flush with anger.

Ling Feng, however, looked completely calm. He shook his head with a faint smile. "Since when does spending a few hundred thousand crystals make someone rich? Some people clearly don't understand what wealth means."

Jian Chen's expression turned cold. He gave Ling Feng a sharp glare and said mockingly, "You dare talk big after buying the cheapest fruit?"

"Anyone can waste money like a fool," Ling Feng replied, lightly tapping the table. "But watching someone act proud about it is the real comedy!"

He looked at Jian Chen with quiet amusement, as if watching a clown perform on stage.

Jian Chen snorted. "A poor man pretending to be noble. Pathetic."

Just then, a slightly older maid came up the stairs carrying a covered tray. Unlike the earlier attendants, her bearing and attire showed she held a higher status.

She stepped to the center of the hall and said with a bright smile, "Honored guests, the fruits served earlier were ordinary-grade Heaven's Illusory Fruits. This time, the Illusion Heart Queen has personally cultivated a top-grade Heaven's Illusory Fruit. Please, take a look."

"A top-grade Heaven's Illusory Fruit?"

The Inner Sea geniuses exchanged surprised glances. None of them had expected such a rare item to appear this year.

Ling Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. For the first time, he was genuinely intrigued.

If the fruit truly lived up to its name, perhaps it was time to show these so-called geniuses who among them was the real pauper.