10: Star Fruit

[ Star Fruit (Epic): Blooms in a hundred years, bears fruit in a hundred years, matures in a hundred years. Consuming it can improve the potential of beasts below Gold Rank, and it has miraculous effects on beasts of any attribute! ]

The small tree on the island in the middle of the lake was barely over a meter tall, yet it seemed to be the only thing in this central lake.

The two fruits hanging on the tree were entirely flowing with starlight.

An Epic-grade Heaven And Earth Treasure, the Star Fruit!

A treasure sufficient to make even Platinum Rank experts fight until they were battered and bloody was now presented before them.

"Star Fruit!"

A cold laugh filled with greed broke the deathly silence.

Qin Yue's eyes were now filled with scorching desire.

She licked her lips, her gaze sweeping over Lu Yuan and Yun Qianqian, as if she didn't see them at all.

"Yun Qianqian, Lu Yuan, consider yourselves lucky to be able to see such a treasure with your own eyes."

She raised her chin arrogantly, "Now, get lost immediately. Shi Lei and I will take these two Star Fruits."

Shi Lei, standing beside her, didn't speak, but simply took a step forward.

His Earth Bear let out a low roar.

"You want them? Who do you think you are?"

Yun Qianqian exploded on the spot, directly shielding Lu Yuan behind her.

"In a Secret Realm, whoever gets it first keeps it. Besides, we discovered this thing first!"

"Yun Qianqian, don't be ungrateful!" Qin Yue's face darkened.

"I know your Dark Ranger has five-star potential, but it's currently only at Black Iron high-rank! With Shi Lei and me working together, do you really think you can get the upper hand?"

"What's more," Qin Yue's gaze turned to Lu Yuan.

"You still have to drag along such a dead weight. Besides glowing, what else can his ball of light do?"

"Say that again!" Yun Qianqian was so angry her small face turned red.

Lu Yuan, however, gently pressed down on her shoulder.

Yun Qianqian was stunned and looked back at him.

Seeing that there wasn't the slightest bit of tension on Lu Yuan's face, he even smiled at Yun Qianqian, signaling her to calm down.

This calm and indifferent demeanor made Qin Yue and Shi Lei opposite them feel inexplicably annoyed.

What is he acting like?

"Hey, you surnamed Lu, what kind of skill is it to hide behind a woman?" Shi Lei mocked.

"If you have guts, come out yourself!"

"Sure." Lu Yuan spoke, stepping out from behind Yun Qianqian.

"Since you want it so much, go ahead and take it."

"What?" Qin Yue was stunned.

Shi Lei also frowned, not understanding what Lu Yuan was up to.

"What? Scared?" Lu Yuan's tone carried a provocation.

"The Epic-grade treasure is right before your eyes, within easy reach; you aren't scared, are you?"

"What a joke! What do I have to be afraid of!"

Qin Yue was enraged by his attitude.

She snorted coldly and ordered the Flame Witch beside her.

"Go! Get the fruit from that tree and bring it back to me!"

Flames surged on the Flame Witch's petite body, turning into a streak of fire that shot straight towards the island in the middle of the lake.

However, the moment it was about to touch the silver lake water.

Sizzle—!

The surface of the lake seemed to come alive, and silver chains made of energy burst out from the water, instantly binding the Flame Witch.

"Chirp!"

The Flame Witch let out a shrill scream, and the flames on its body rapidly dimmed and extinguished the moment they touched the silver chains.

"How can this be!" Qin Yue's expression changed drastically.

She could feel that her beast's energy was being frantically drained by that lake water!

"Come back!" She hurriedly ordered.

But the silver chains were incredibly tough; no matter how the Flame Witch struggled, they didn't budge an inch.

"Earth Bear, Rock Spike!" Shi Lei, who was on the side, reacted quickly and immediately commanded his beast to rescue.

The Earth Bear stomped hard on the ground, and several sharp stone spikes rose from the ground by the lake, slamming fiercely into those chains.

However, these stone spikes, which were enough to pierce through steel plates, turned into powder the moment they hit the chains.

"It's useless."

Lu Yuan's voice now reached Qin Yue and Shi Lei's ears.

"This Moonlight Lake is itself a natural energy field."

"Any energy body that does not belong to the light attribute will be treated as an intruder once it approaches, and will be suppressed and devoured. The more intense your attacks, the stronger its backlash will be."

What Lu Yuan said was the answer given by the Beast Taming Encyclopedia.

Qin Yue and Shi Lei's expressions were ugly to the extreme.

They finally realized that they had been played by Lu Yuan from the very beginning!

"You! You knew all along?" Qin Yue pointed at Lu Yuan, shaking with anger.

"I warned you just now; you just didn't listen." Lu Yuan shrugged, looking innocent.

"Pfft, hahaha..." Yun Qianqian, standing beside him, finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Oh my, some people really are simple-minded and not even physically developed. My A Yuan told her to go get it, and she actually went!"

"You!" Qin Yue was so angry she almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

"A Yuan, what do we do now?" After Yun Qianqian finished laughing, she leaned in close to Lu Yuan.

Although she firmly believed that Lu Yuan must have a way, she still couldn't help but ask.

Lu Yuan didn't answer immediately but cast his gaze towards his shoulder, where the "Primordial Light" was quietly floating.

Through the power of the contract, he issued a command with his thoughts.

The next second.

The outline of the "Primordial Light" moved slightly.

Hum—

A circle of soft purple-gold halo spread out from it.

This halo rippled across the silver lake water.

Immediately after, the originally violent Moonlight Lake miraculously calmed down.

The silver chains binding the Flame Witch instantly loosened and docilely retracted back into the water.

After being rescued, the Flame Witch immediately returned to Qin Yue's side, the flames on its body having dimmed to the point of being non-existent.

Before they could recover from their shock.

On the calm lake surface, a small silver bridge made entirely of solidified moonlight extended from under Lu Yuan's feet, leading straight to the island in the middle of the lake.

The whole process was filled with a sense of sacred and harmonious beauty.

"This... how is this possible?" Shi Lei stammered.

Qin Yue also stood frozen on the spot.

Her Flame Witch was treated as a mortal enemy.

Yet Lu Yuan's "ball of light" could make this lake bow down in submission and take the initiative to pave a path for him?

What kind of beast is this!

Lu Yuan didn't spare them another glance; he took the hand of the admiring Yun Qianqian beside him and stepped onto that bridge of moonlight.

The two walked side by side as if walking on flat ground, step by step towards the easily accessible Epic-grade treasure.

On the lake shore, Qin Yue and Shi Lei could only watch helplessly, lacking even the strength to be jealous.

In the face of absolute, incomprehensible power, any petty thoughts appeared pale and ridiculous.

Lu Yuan walked to the Star Fruit tree and reached out to pluck the two fruits.

The fruits felt warm and smooth in his hand, with majestic energy circulating in his palm.

Without the slightest hesitation, he casually handed one of them to Yun Qianqian beside him.

"Ah? For me?" Yun Qianqian was stunned for a moment and subconsciously waved her hand, "No, no, you got this, I didn't do anything..."

"Take it, your Dark Ranger will need it after it advances."

Looking into Lu Yuan's eyes, she could no longer say any words of refusal and obediently put away the Star Fruit.

"Th-then okay." The young girl's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, her small face slightly flushed, "Thank you, A Yuan."

"Silly girl." Lu Yuan rubbed her head and put away the remaining fruit as well.

He planned to give this one to the Primordial Light.

After doing all this, the two turned around, stepped on the bridge of moonlight, and returned the way they came.

When they walked back to the shore, the bridge quietly dissipated, and Moonlight Lake returned to its original state, as if nothing had ever happened.

Lu Yuan and Yun Qianqian didn't even bother to look at those two again and walked straight towards another direction in the forest.

"A Yuan, where are we going now?"

"To the bottom of the lake."