Eighteen people stood up and gathered into two groups, all eyes fixed on the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit atop the mountain, while also warily watching the nine people opposite them.
"Haha, the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is about to mature." Zhao Qinghai smiled lightly, his eyes slightly gloomy as they landed on the nine people opposite him.
"Then it depends on skill to snatch it. There are nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits, destined that half of us here will not be able to get them." Feiying Lingfeng spoke lightly, his handsome face looking fervently at the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit atop the mountain.
"Everything depends on skill." Zhao Qingtian spoke indifferently, as the true qi inside his body began to circulate. He must obtain the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit.
"How come he still hasn't arrived?" Yun Hongling focused on the distance, worry deepening in her eyes.
Atop the mountain, the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits continued to emanate void-emptying energy fluctuations, the color slowly turning blood-red at an extremely slow pace.
The eighteen people waited under the mountain in silence, yet an aura was silently rising among them. The true qi in each person was circulating, waiting for the final moment to burst forth. None present were weaklings, all representatives of the younger generation, and this momentum was evident.
Inside the cave, a beautiful figure and five demonic beasts had already appeared outside the energy pool: Cuiyu, Little Dragon, the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Jiao, the Blood Jade Tiger, the Taiyin Rabbit, and the Ni Lin Peng.
In the energy pool, violent energy churned intensely, the waves crashing like boiling water.
"Monster King, your boss is really terrifying, breaking through for three days straight," Ni Lin Peng said in surprise, watching the energy inside the pool.
"Hmph, of course." Little Dragon now spoke human language, circling around Cuiyu's shoulder. His body shimmered with a yellow light, an invisible aura constantly exuding pressure.
"Could it be that dual cultivation of spirit and martial arts has such an effect? This speed of breakthrough is indeed terrifying," Cuiyu watched the pool, her beautiful eyes full of surprise.
"Sss sss!"
In the energy pool, a massive vine suddenly shook as a stream of light surged along it.
"Boom!" The entire mountain also shook violently at this moment.
"The Holy Fruit is about to mature," Ni Lin Peng said, looking at the vine.
"Why hasn't the boss come out yet?" Little Dragon's eyes turned slightly nervous. The boss came for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit, after all.
"He should be coming out now." Cuiyu watched the pool, feeling through her heart that the energy inside had reached a peak, the previously boiling surface now calming down.
"What a strong aura." The Blood Jade Tiger spoke deeply, sensing a massive energy about to erupt from the pool.
"The boss finally came out." Little Dragon's eyes were tightly fixed on the pool.
"Bang!"
Just as Little Dragon finished speaking, the previously calm surface of the water exploded as if a ten-thousand-pound boulder had been thrown into it, blasting numerous milk-white water columns straight up to the cave ceiling. The water columns burst open, and finally, Cuiyu and the demonic beasts quickly formed a light circle to avoid being affected.
"Roar…"
As the water columns burst forth, a long howl sounded, bringing up a spray of water that hit the cave ceiling, causing shallow cracks to appear on the darkly glowing rocks.
"Whoosh!"
A figure in a green robe suddenly leaped out from the pool, carrying tremendous true qi, breaking through the water surface, hovering in the air above the pool for a moment before landing on the ground.
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"Seventh level of Martial Soul."
Cuiyu's beautiful eyes widened in shock, sensing the aura released by the figure in the green robe, her face showing absolute astonishment. In less than a month, this person had broken through so fast, from the fifth level of Martial Soul directly to the seventh level.
"Finally broke through." Li Lin's mouth curved into a satisfied smile. Everything was as he had anticipated; the spirit force broke through first, using the energy gathered from the breakthrough, he executed the Devouring Power, achieving continuous breakthroughs.
"Peak of the Seventh level of Martial Soul, peak of the Seventh level of Spirit Soul." Feeling the abundant true qi and spirit force inside his body, along with the continuously strengthening soul pill, his soul also benefited from this energy, making Li Lin absolutely satisfied.
"Now facing Zhao Qingtian again, I am confident I can absolutely contend with him. Last time I contended with Zhao Qingtian, I was only at the fourth level of Martial Soul, but now at the peak of the seventh level, my strength has increased several times. Contending again, I should be able to do it."
"Boss." Little Dragon spoke human language, quickly moving to Li Lin's shoulder.
"Little Dragon, have you broken through to the fourth stage and condensed a demon pill?" Observing Little Dragon now, his body size unchanged but with scales shimmering with a faint flowing light, an invisible pressure revealed, and now Little Dragon could speak human language, Li Lin instantly knew Little Dragon had reached the fourth stage.
"Boss, I've broken through to the fourth stage, but it's not a demon pill I've condensed, but a spirit pill," Little Dragon's voice said in Li Lin's mind, seeming not wanting others to hear.
"How could this be, are you a spirit beast?" Li Lin asked in surprise.
"I don't know either. I feel like I'm both a demonic beast and a spirit beast," Little Dragon said.
"Sss sss!"
In the pool, another stream of light surged along the vine to the rock top, the entire mountain shaking again, a massive energy pressure becoming even more intense.
"Monster King, the Holy Fruit is about to mature," the Dual-Headed Water-Fire Jiao said.
"Martial Spirit Holy Fruit." Li Lin looked at the vine in the pool, the infinite energy being continuously absorbed by the vine, allowing the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit to appear.
"Is Miss Bailin not coming out yet?" Li Lin frowned slightly, waiting for Bailin to help him snatch all the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits.
"Monster King's boss, Bailin Monster King is at a critical moment of breakthrough, already instructing us to help compete for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit," Ni Lin Peng said to Li Lin.
"What Monster King's boss, my boss, naturally is your boss, from now on you...," Little Dragon's eyes turned, then said to Ni Lin Peng and the four fifth-stage demonic beasts, "From now on, just call him master."
"Yes, Monster King," the four fifth-stage demonic beasts nodded in response.
"Then let's go out," Li Lin smiled slightly, with Ni Lin Peng and the other four fifth-stage demonic beasts making a move, especially the Taiyin Rabbit and Ni Lin Peng, one a mid-fifth-stage demonic beast, the other a late-fifth-stage demonic beast, their strength was enough to compete for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits.
"Master, there's an exit ahead that leads directly to the outside world, please follow me," Ni Lin Peng said."
Lin'er, are you planning to take these demonic beasts to compete for the Martial Spirit Holy Fruit?" Cuiyu's voice transmission reached Li Lin's ears.
"Indeed." Li Lin also transmitted back. After reaching the Martial Soul level, Li Lin could already perform voice transmission, which was not an extraordinary method. Those at the Martial Soul level could basically perform this step.
"Do you plan to take all the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits?" Cuiyu asked in surprise, seeing the lineup of four fifth-stage demonic beasts, the eighteen disciples of Yunyang Sect couldn't contend.
"I won't take them all, I'll leave one for you and Hongling, I only want seven." Looking at Cuiyu with a slight smile, Li Lin transmitted again: "Remember, keep everything secret, don't let anyone find out we are cooperating with the demonic beasts."
Cuiyu was momentarily stunned, not expecting Li Lin to actually plan to take all the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits. This would likely disappoint all the other members of the Yunyang Sect, probably making the entire sect's strong members dumbfounded when they leave the secret realm.
"Boom!"
The ground shook, along with the mountain, as the giant vine on it, along with the leaves, flashed with light, the space filled with even richer energy, the oppressive air currents slowly swirling.
Atop the mountain, the nine small fruits turned increasingly blood-red, their rich energy emitting a kind of magic that made those who saw them unable to resist wanting to take a bite.
"The Martial Spirit Holy Fruit is about to mature." Everyone watched the nine Martial Spirit Holy Fruits on the mountain, their fervent gazes growing more intense.
At this moment, everyone's minds were focused on the Martial Spirit Holy Fruits on the mountain, waiting to make their move at the first opportunity. Therefore, when two figures appeared a hundred meters away, no one noticed their arrival.
"It seems I arrived just in time." A faint voice spread...
With the appearance of this voice, all eighteen people turned their heads, looking towards the back. Everyone's expression changed, but the most significant changes were seen in Zhao Qinghai, Zhao Qingtian, Zeng Chuxiong, and Yun Hong, though Yun Hongling's expression changed for a completely different reason than the others.
"Haha, Li Lin, I thought you wouldn't make it in time. It looks like we have two more competitors," Zhandao Qu Dao looked at Li Lin with a big smile, his eyes full of fighting spirit.
Cuiyu looked at Qu Dao but could only smile helplessly. Only two more competitors? Several fifth-stage demonic beasts haven't shown up yet. The Martial Spirit Holy Fruits already have an owner.