Chapter 29: Defeating the Bear King and Harvesting the Heaven-Origin Spirit-Nurturing Fruit Tree

"This guy is truly terrifying. We couldn't even get close due to the sheer force of that spiritual energy impact, yet he dared to engage it head-on." Ling Fengbo gave a wry smile.

The two women felt exactly the same.

"Still, looking at how this stalemate is playing out, it's hard to say if he can actually defeat the Bear King."

The three of them couldn't help but feel a heavy weight in their hearts.

...

Boom!

Following another incredibly intense clash, both the man and the bear were sent flying backward.

Huo Qing stomped his feet, spiritual energy surging wildly into his palms. At the same time, his eyes turned blood-red, and a chilling aura of slaughter radiated from him.

He clenched his palms into fists, the force of his罡 winds swirling around them. A massive fist imprint shattered the air as he unleashed a strike.

"Rakshasa Fist!"

"Come and try this!"

Seeing this, the Bear King’s dense muscles trembled abruptly. It beat its chest with its fists, opened its ferocious maw, and a scorching red glow flickered within before being unleashed in a torrent.

Bang!

A tangible shockwave, resembling a mushroom cloud, expanded rapidly, shrouding the surrounding hundred yards in smoke and dust.

Within the haze, Huo Qing dashed forward once more. His psychic sword flashed out, wreathed in an incredibly sharp aura, as sword beams rained down upon the colossal beast like a fierce storm.

Caught off guard, the Bear King was forced into a steady retreat, and the situation gradually fell under Huo Qing's control.

"Roar!"

The Bear King bellowed, its body radiating a bone-chilling intent to kill, its eyes filled with savage fury as it glared at Huo Qing.

It was actually being suppressed by this tiny human, unable to find a chance to strike back!

No longer content with passive defense, it roared madly and charged. Its fists swelled to several times their original size, and a rain of fist shadows descended like falling meteors.

"Rakshasa Fist!"

"Sword-Winding Slash!"

Huo Qing remained silent, relying solely on brute force to break through.

The battle lasted for a full joss stick's time, and the Bear King finally exhausted its strength under Huo Qing's all-out offensive.

Seizing the opportunity, Huo Qing slashed across its throat, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Boom!

As the Bear King collapsed and died, Huo Qing took deep, ragged breaths, his face pale.

A top-tier Tier 3 spirit beast is comparable to a peak late-stage Heaven Spirit Realm human cultivator. However, in Huo Qing’s eyes, this creature’s thick hide and flesh made it at least as difficult to deal with as a powerhouse who had taken a half-step into the Fusion Realm.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

At this moment, the sounds of air being pierced rang out. Gu Shiya and the others rushed over, staring at Huo Qing in a daze, clearly shocked that he had actually managed to slay the beast.

"It... it's really... over?"

Ling Fengbo’s lips trembled, his heart pounding uncontrollably. Even with the facts laid out before him, he still couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"Huo Qing, are you alright? Are your injuries serious?" Gu Shiya asked hurriedly.

Huo Qing shook his head. Though the battle had been draining, given the recovery speed of his sword-shaped spiritual energy reservoir, it was nothing; he would be back to his peak soon.

Looking into the distance, trees bearing Tianyuan Spiritual Fruit stood tall, radiating a verdant light that made the spiritual energy within everyone’s bodies surge.

"Get ready to dig up the trees."

Huo Qing took a deep breath. If anything could cause such a reaction within him, it was undoubtedly the Tianyuan Spiritual Fruit.

The three of them nodded heavily and spread out quickly. With their spiritual energy churning, one fruit tree after another was collected into their storage bags.

What the three of them did not notice was that on a ridge not far away, a shadow wrapped in darkness flickered past.

Inside a pitch-black cave, several figures in black robes stood. On a boulder in front of them sat a ragged old man.

Without exception, powerful pulses of spiritual energy radiated from them. The weakest among them had reached the mid-stage of the Heaven Spirit Realm.

The strongest, the old man, had clearly reached the half-step Fusion Realm.

"What is the situation?"

The old man coughed lightly, twisting his withered neck, his voice raspy and hoarse.

"Just as you expected, my lord, the pack of Rock-Armored Bears has been completely wiped out by them. They are currently in the process of moving the trees."

Below, a black-robed figure knelt and cupped his hands respectfully.

"Heh..."

The old man let out a faint chuckle and spoke again:

"Truly an incredible youngster. With mid-stage Heaven Spirit Realm strength, he actually managed to slay that Rock-Armored Bear King. How effortless it is to reap the rewards of others' labor..."

"My lord, shall we move in now?"

The old man narrowed his dim, yellowed eyes and smiled:

"No rush. There are many of those Tianyuan Spiritual Fruit trees. Since they are willing to work for us, let them continue. Once they have finished gathering them all, we shall head over..."

"Your foresight is truly profound, my lord..."

As the words faded, the cave fell silent, as if they had vanished from existence.

The gathering work took Huo Qing and his team a full three days, and only half of the massive grove had been cleared.

"To have brought back so many fruit trees is quite unexpected." Gu Shiya’s face was filled with joy; though she looked weary, her excitement was impossible to hide.

"We owe it all to Huo Qing. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have been able to bring back even a single one." Jiang Moying shook her head, knowing full well that without Huo Qing, this mission would have ended in failure.

"No need for such formalities. Since we are teammates, it is only right that I contribute," Huo Qing said with a faint smile.

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing streak of spiritual energy shot toward them. Huo Qing’s expression changed instantly, and he shoved Gu Shiya, who was standing in front of him, out of the way.

He himself also quickly sidestepped.

Bang!

The streak of spiritual energy exploded at their feet, leaving behind a deep crater several feet wide.

"Who's there?!"

Huo Qing’s expression turned grim. He turned his head and saw several black shadows approaching from the horizon.

"Heh, such sharp senses. I didn't expect that while your strength might be lacking, you'd be able to dodge an old man's strike."

The black-robed old man walked forward. His skin was wrinkled, making him look like he was on the verge of death. Although he spoke with a smile, there was no warmth in his expression.

Huo Qing’s face was cold. These people hadn't appeared suddenly; it was clear they had been prepared all along.

Moreover, he sensed an aura from this old man far exceeding that of the Rock-Armored Bear King.

Half-step Fusion Realm.

They had come with ill intent.

Seeing Huo Qing remain silent, the other three looked distressed. The old man chuckled:

"Young ones, I admit my talent was mediocre. I spent my entire life, only to get stuck at the half-step Fusion Realm, still a step away from the true Fusion Realm."

"I have spent my whole life seeking a breakthrough. I wonder if you could see your way to giving me a few of those Tianyuan Spiritual Fruit trees? I promise, I will not harm you."

Hearing the old man's words, the group felt a tightening in their chests. Gu Shiya and the others felt especially anxious, as these black-robed figures gave off an indescribable sense of danger.

The three of them exchanged glances, and then Gu Shiya gritted her teeth, took out her storage bag, and prepared to hand it over to the old man.