Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Ferocious Bloodshade Fruit

Jiang Feng knew that the journey back would certainly be much smoother than his arrival, but he never expected it to be so effortless, so free from obstacles.

The demonic beasts within the enigmatic forest, combined, could raze cities and destroy nations. Thousands upon thousands of wolf spirits, fierce beasts soaring in the sky; even masters who had entered the Void Underworld realm might not escape with their lives. Yet these creatures, who usually ruled the forest with tyranny, making themselves kings of the mountains, scattered in terror at the sight of Jiang Feng, as if mice had seen a cat, fleeing in panic at the first opportunity.

Jiang Feng was bewildered. “Why are they so afraid of me?”

Within his sea of consciousness, Jue and Gui Yue were busy dividing their respective territories, each preoccupied, neither sparing a moment for Jiang Feng’s confusion. Fortunately, Jue was somewhat closer to Jiang Feng, and offhandedly remarked, “Perhaps you’re too ugly. You scared them.”

Jiang Feng was speechless.

Left without an answer, he withdrew from his sea of consciousness, glancing up at the beasts flying higher than himself. He was about to approach for a closer look when he noticed the demonic beasts seemed soulless, darting about wildly; some, in their chaos, collided and fell like severed kites. Yet the terror in their eyes did not escape Jiang Feng’s notice. All the beasts that feared him first gazed at his chest before fleeing in panic. Suddenly, it dawned on him: within his clothes was the Blood Fiend Fruit.

It must be the aura of the Blood Fiend Fruit that made these beasts sense danger.

Only then did Jiang Feng realize he had not properly examined the aura of this fruit—was it as fierce and domineering as the Plum Sword?

He reached into his clothing and pulled out the Blood Fiend Fruit. After all, the forest was full of demonic beasts; no one would notice his possession of Underworld Soul Power.

A small stream of Underworld Soul Power seeped from his palm into the Blood Fiend Fruit. He was startled. When he had first encountered the Blood Fiend Tree, he’d only crudely sensed the fruit. Now, with just one in hand, he could focus intently on its patterns and the power hidden within.

“Hm?” He murmured softly, immediately noticing something different.

This Blood Fiend Fruit had yet to awaken its intelligence and thus did not know how to restrain its aura. Sensing the Underworld Soul Power from Jiang Feng’s body, it became lively and exuberant, enthusiastically releasing its own power in response, as if echoing Jiang Feng. In that instant, Jiang Feng understood the fruit’s strength.

The moment its Underworld Soul Power surged forth, Jiang Feng’s vision blurred; the surroundings became afterimages, his speed incredible, fierce winds howling from all directions, whipping up a whirlwind as if caught in a tornado!

His ears and eyes were filled with roaring winds, so fierce he could not open his eyes, the world seemingly stripped of all sound.

“What astonishing speed!” Jiang Feng was aghast. If not for his body’s reconstruction with the Ice Soul Liquid, it would have collapsed under such velocity.

In that moment, Jiang Feng finally grasped what it meant to move with the speed of lightning—such velocity defied imagination. His flesh trembled violently, pain stabbing everywhere.

“Wind Demon Star Step? That’s the supreme Underworld technique of the Wind Demon clan. You’d best be cautious!”

Jue finally regarded Jiang Feng seriously, issuing a sharp chant. Though Jiang Feng could hear nothing, Jue’s voice resonated within his sea of consciousness, echoing from his mind.

His speed was like explosive lightning. The Blood Fiend Fruit seemed to revel in the extreme pace, continuously radiating Underworld Soul Power. Dim light flared from it, filling Jiang Feng with awe and dread.

“How do I stop?” Jiang Feng’s nerves were stretched to the limit; his mind felt as though it would burst, unable to focus under such extreme speed.

Fortunately, within his sea of consciousness, Gui Yue’s soul power was substantial. Suddenly, her shadow appeared, and with a breath, she spat out an icicle—a beam of eternal light that illuminated the entire sea of consciousness.

His mind cleared, vision sharpened, and the pain in his body eased slightly. He let the icicles melt into Ice Soul Liquid, soothing his body.

Seeing she had steadied Jiang Feng, Gui Yue spoke, “Quick, use your Underworld Soul Power to force the fruit’s power back!”

Jiang Feng did not hesitate. He rolled in midair, arms, legs, back, waist, hips, shoulders, neck—all moved in concert, each part surging with Underworld Soul Power, flashing around the fruit. A series of crackling explosions enveloped it.

The fruit, delighted in the chaos, was forcibly subdued. It reacted in anger, jolting with tremendous force, knocking Jiang Feng to the ground.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, Jiang Feng hit the earth, his spine arched, palm and feet twisted, striking the ground. Instantly, his leg kicked skyward—this was the Kuei Star Kick from the twenty-five steps!

Using the rebound, he launched a series of kicks in midair, Underworld Soul Power surging from his soles like a centipede climbing a tree, segment by segment, aimed at the Blood Fiend Fruit.

“Even an unintelligent Blood Fiend Fruit possesses such extraordinary power,” Jue observed, full of praise, his demeanor calm and confident in Jiang Feng’s abilities.

Yet, even without awakened intelligence, the fruit had a natural sense of danger. It chose to flee, vanishing like lightning, disappearing from Jiang Feng’s sight in a blink.

“Ice Soul Torrent!”

Gui Yue’s voice rang out again. From the starting point of Jiang Feng’s sea of consciousness, three silver streams appeared, twisting like dragons—powerful and vigorous. With a swish, the silver dragon split into countless smaller streams, rapidly spreading through every meridian.

Immediately, his skin felt the energy of the silver streams, like serpents intertwining with muscle, granting endless strength.

If Jiang Feng’s Shadow Dance Soul-Shattering Steps once possessed only the speed of sound, now, empowered by the silver streams, his speed rivaled that of light, increased more than tenfold. His sea of consciousness, illuminated by icy shards, became twice as sensitive!

In that instant, it was as if he wore a suit of hardened armor. Even the sharpest steel spears, he felt confident he could withstand.

Jiang Feng moved like lightning, his body taut as a needle, the fierce speed tearing the air and forming a brief vacuum!

Now his body moved faster than his thoughts. In a flash, he spotted the Blood Fiend Fruit darting among the trees.

“Ice Cascade!” Gui Yue’s voice shifted. Outside Jiang Feng’s body, a torrent of silver water appeared, pouring down like a miniature waterfall. Then the water split, forming a spider-like net that instantly ensnared the fruit, trapping it in place.

Jue’s lazy voice drifted in, “Little ghost, he can handle this himself. Why meddle?”

“I told you, stop calling me ‘little ghost’!” Gui Yue protested, but capturing the Blood Fiend Fruit herself gave her satisfaction. She quickly turned from Jue to address Jiang Feng, “Boy, this Blood Fiend Fruit is good. Name your price.”

“Name my price?” Jiang Feng was stunned, his delicate features showing shock, cursing inwardly at having a greedy companion.

Gui Yue nodded, her hands moved, and the thread-thin Ice Soul Liquid in Jiang Feng’s body instantly flowed back to her, leaving nothing behind. Deprived of energy, Jiang Feng plummeted, landing in a human-shaped pit.

“Senior, at least warn me before reclaiming your power!” He knew she wouldn’t give the Ice Soul Liquid for free, but hadn’t expected her to withdraw it so abruptly, leaving him dizzy and aching, no better than being buried in sand.

“I didn’t expect your body to be so frail. This Blood Fiend Fruit contains the Underworld Soul Power I need,” Gui Yue said coolly, earning Jue’s disdain. Jiang Feng saw Jue winking at him, as if urging him not to give it up.

Jiang Feng was caught in a dilemma. If he gave Gui Yue the fruit, what would he do if Yi Chen made things difficult for Wang Yingying?

“Unwilling?” Gui Yue looked at him, then smiled, offering a deal. “What if I trade you the Ice Soul Torrent?”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Feng was baffled, having forgotten what the Ice Soul Torrent even was.

Gui Yue glanced at him sideways, withdrawing her power. “It’s the powerful energy you just experienced.”

The recent scene replayed in Jiang Feng’s mind. He believed that if he mastered the Shadow Dance Soul-Shattering Steps, his speed would far surpass the fruit’s. At that moment, what he needed most was such formidable muscles and flesh!

As they spoke, the net formed by the ice cascade had already bound the Blood Fiend Fruit. Jiang Feng, almost unconsciously, gestured, and the fruit returned to his hand, its radiant blood glow shining like jade.