Chapter 108: The Crystal Fruit

As they stepped into the forest, they immediately felt the dampness in the air. Lin Yi, shielded by his internal energy, remained unaffected. Angel, however, felt sticky and extremely uncomfortable. Having only reached the Hua Jin stage, she had yet to manifest internal energy in her Dantian and could not use it to protect her body.

Lin Yi waved his hand, and Angel felt a gentle breeze pass over her. Instantly, the dampness dissipated, leaving her feeling refreshed.

"Thank you, Mr. Lin," Angel said with a faint smile.

Lin Yi said nothing, his gaze fixed ahead. Following his line of sight, Angel saw an adult grizzly bear standing upright about three hundred meters away, towering at two point four meters. Its mere presence was intimidating. Before the bear stood two figures: the young girl and her grandmother.

"Xiaoyu, this beast is yours," the old woman said, glancing indifferently at the grizzly.

"Hehe, Grandma, three seconds," Xiaoyu said, holding up three fingers.

As she spoke, she moved like a phantom, appearing instantly behind the bear.

*ROAR!*

The giant bear, sensing danger, opened its mouth to roar, but it was too late. Xiaoyu, her fingers slightly curled, leaped into the air and struck the top of the bear's head with a savage blow. With a sickening *squelch*, the bear's head was driven straight into its torso, and the force of the impact caused the creature's lower body to sink deep into the soil. A few droplets of blood splattered onto Xiaoyu’s face, adding a macabre beauty to her expression.

"Hehe." Xiaoyu licked her red lips, her pupils glinting with bloodthirsty excitement. She was savoring the act of taking a life.

Angel shivered nearby. This girl, with her chic appearance, was brutally lethal. A bear of that size had been killed in an instant. Even as a Hua Jin martial artist, Angel would have struggled to deal with such a creature. What exactly was this girl’s level of power? Angel’s expression turned solemn as a sense of defeat washed over her; she feared that if things continued this way, she would fall hopelessly behind Lin Yi.

Suddenly, Xiaoyu looked their way, grinned, gave a thumbs-down gesture, and hurried after the old woman. Angel didn't feel angry this time; instead, she lowered her head in deep thought.

"What's wrong?" Lin Yi asked curiously, noting her low spirits.

"Mr. Lin, am I useless?" Angel asked, looking up.

Lin Yi was surprised, but upon reflection, he realized the girl had been provoked. He chuckled softly, not expecting this usually motivated girl to have such a vulnerable side. "Don't think too much into it. If you were useless, I wouldn't have brought you along," he comforted her.

"Really?" Angel felt slightly heartened.

Lin Yi smiled without adding more. He valued Angel for her competence; as for her strength, it mattered little to him. No matter how powerful someone was, in his eyes, everyone was treated the same.

As they walked, Lin Yi collected various medicinal herbs they encountered. Suddenly, Angel caught a scent. Her nose twitched, and she looked around. "Oh, Mr. Lin, look at the fruit on that tree—it’s beautiful!"

She pointed to a large tree nearby. Ten meters up, a translucent, pale-red fruit hung like a precious gem.

"A Crystal Fruit. Perfect for refining Five-Viscera Pills," Lin Yi mused. The Five-Viscera Pill was used to temper the internal organs—delicate and difficult to refine compared to skin and bone—making the pill an essential aid. A single pill could easily be worth a hundred million.

"Mr. Lin, I'll go pick it for you." Knowing Lin Yi was an alchemist, Angel was eager to prove her worth and show she wasn't holding him back.

"Wait—" Before Lin Yi could stop her, she had already rushed over.

As Angel reached the base of the tree, a *crack* sounded beneath her feet. She looked down and saw, hidden beneath waist-high grass, a carpet of bones—human and animal alike.

"This..." Her pupils constricted. The presence of so many skeletons was wrong. Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. She ducked instinctively as a vine, thick as an arm, whipped toward her like a living creature. *Snap!* The vine struck a nearby tree, leaving a deep gouge. Angel’s heart pounded; had that hit her, her bones would have shattered.

She retreated quickly, but the vine moved with fluid agility, striking again. "Damn it, don't think I'm easy to bully!" Angel’s eyes sharpened as she pulled a sharp dagger from her storage ring. She decided to use this opportunity to hone her combat skills, choosing not to activate the defensive shield on her heart-protector mirror or her ring.

Lin Yi watched from the sidelines, seeing through her intent. As the vine came within a meter, Angel slashed through the air. *Squelch!* The vine was severed in two, and a foul-smelling, deep-red liquid sprayed onto her. The severed vine writhed on the ground like an earthworm, while the main vine retracted back toward the tree.

"Ugh." Angel felt nauseated. Before she could catch her breath, the ground shook, and a dozen more vines erupted from the earth.

Angel’s pupils shrank. Before she could react, her ankles were ensnared. She slashed her dagger, severing the vines around her, but she was quickly drenched in the pungent red liquid. There were simply too many. Just as she cut a few away, others wrapped around her wrists, their strength so immense she could not break free.

"Hehehe, big sister, do you need some help? Your boyfriend looks scared stiff, just trembling over there," a giggling voice teased.

Angel struggled to look toward the sound. It was Xiaoyu. Before Angel could speak, Xiaoyu tapped her toes, moving like a forest sprite, and reached Angel’s side in a flash. Her fingers formed claws, and with a swift, crimson-infused strike, she shredded the vines into pieces. A layer of pale red energy around her body deflected the splattering liquid.

"Thank you," Angel said.

Xiaoyu didn't answer, her gaze fixed on the Crystal Fruit. Clearly, she hadn't come to save Angel; she had come for the fruit. Xiaoyu rushed to the base of the tree, kicked off, and scrambled up like a graceful panther. Just as her hand reached for the fruit, a palm strike flew toward her.

Xiaoyu’s expression changed. She tapped the tree and leaped higher. Looking down, she saw it was Lin Yi who had attacked. The palm strike wasn't powerful, but it perfectly knocked the fruit down, landing it safely in Lin Yi’s hand.

Xiaoyu’s face darkened. She had been caught off guard by his move. "You're courting death!"

She dropped from the tree, her fingers forming claws, and swiped at Lin Yi’s forehead. Had that blow landed, it would have pulverized solid stone. Lin Yi stepped back, and her strike shattered the ground, leaving a gaping hole behind.

Before she could strike again, Lin Yi pivoted and slapped her across the back. Xiaoyu stumbled, losing her balance, and slammed into a tree.

"That hurts!" She rubbed her head, eyeing Lin Yi with newfound caution. He was strangely unpredictable; his energy seemed pitifully weak, yet his movements were agile and his strength immense. *Could he be a master of external hard-body arts?* She quickly dismissed the thought; those took too long to cultivate.

"Hey, you idiot, why are you snatching my stuff?" Xiaoyu demanded indignantly.

"Who said it was yours?" Lin Yi replied, tossing the fruit in his hand.

"How is it not mine? If it weren't for me, you two would have been torn to shreds by those vines!" she huffed.

"We never asked for your help, did we?" Lin Yi said calmly.

"You..." Xiaoyu was seething. If Lin Yi weren't as slippery as a rabbit, she would have crushed him already.

"Angel, let's go." Lin Yi vaporized the fruit to store it.

"Yes, Mr. Lin. Should we find a water source first?" Angel asked pleadingly. She was covered in filth and stench—unbearable for any woman.

Lin Yi nodded.

"Who said you could leave?" Xiaoyu, ignored, felt her face darken.

"We don't need to report our movements to you," Angel replied with a light laugh. This girl was acting far too arrogant.

Suddenly, a cold, aged voice echoed: "I believe I have the authority to make you stop."

"Grandma!" Xiaoyu ran to the old woman, pouting. "They bullied me."

"Very well. Since you dared to upset my granddaughter, I shall break one leg off each of you." The old woman spoke with chilling ease. She raised her arm, and two sharp gusts of energy flew toward Lin Yi and Angel.

*Humph.* Lin Yi let out a soft sound, and the energy dissipated into thin air.

The old woman was stunned. She was a genuine Grandmaster; even a casual strike shouldn't be countered by someone below her rank. "Interesting. It seems this boy possesses a protective artifact." Greed flickered in her eyes. Any artifact capable of blocking a Grandmaster was priceless.

"Young man, if you hand over that treasure and your protective gear, I will spare your life. How about that?" the old woman asked with a sinister smile. The snake-headed staff in her hand seemed to come alive, its tongue flickering and fangs bared, looking utterly malevolent.