"Huh?" In a screeching halting attempt, Lin Ming smashed against the apple tree's trunk with both legs. The explosion sent ripples across its bark, but the tree remained unmoved and undamaged as a whole. The Archaic Chosen was unable to marvel at this durability as his pupils constricted to their limits, staring into his hand, recalling the previous scene with a fervent frenzy, all while besieged by confusion.
"Someone exe-" The voice was just about to explain as the Chosen crossed the tree's crown boundary. The Chosen from all over were rushing toward Lin Ming, their eyes filled with a maddened glow, ravaged by greed, frustration, and murderous intent. The Astralis Sacred Fruit's details began to wildly spread about during the waiting period, so almost all those with the capability to fight for it were charging at Lin Ming in hopes of seizing this heaven-defying opportunity!
Woosh!
Lin Ming felt a prick of lethal danger as his back hairs stood. His pupils dilated as his eyes filled with astral force, swiftly causing his strained cultivation base to vigorously pump Elemental Origin Astral Force throughout every part of his body, and he let loose a low, guttural roar as he pushed off! His body glowed white as he moved!
BOOM! BOOM!! At his original location, the area was devastated by powerful attacks! They bombarded the tree violently, sending ripples coursing through the bark, but the apple tree's trunk remained unmoved and undamaged still!
"HAND OVER THE FRUIT!" A female Chosen at the Timelord Phase roared. She was remarkably fast as her Radiant Wind Astral Soul went into full effect. She was an exceptional beauty, yet her sharp eyes revealed a type of viciousness that was willing to kill, capable of sending shivers down the soul. Behind her was a cluster of Starlords and absurdly talented Timelords that had all targeted the same fruit!
Lin Ming flew! With Mana Dominance in full effect, Lin Ming could control the ambient mana to envelop him, avoiding the uniquely imposing world power that prohibited flying!
"He's flying?!" The Chosen all screamed in shock, but their eyes blared with relentless ferocity. This was especially so for the beautiful young woman at the lead despite her lower cultivation base!
"Mana Dominance?" The woman landed on the tree trunk, using her astral force to tether herself to the tree's trunk. Then, she tapped into her Origin State Radiant Wind Astral Soul! With a light, airy breath, she shot after Lin Ming!!!
She flew!
Lin Ming's main source of confidence in keeping the fruit and reaching the fruit was his ability to fly, so when he turned back to see the young woman doing the same, his dilated pupils once again constricted instantly! But this shock was a little too early. As he left, a few other Realmlords and Timelords all began to exert Mana Dominance as well!
They flew!!!
The Starlords used their raw starforce to manipulate Wind Force, and they forcefully resisted the world power crashing against them as they followed! At this point, Lin Ming was baffled!
Hastily and urgently, he shouted: "I didn't obtain the fruit!" That young woman was stupendous fast, and she was at his heels in two short moments. It was only after observing her so close as she chased that he realized who she was!
She was the Soul Saint King's disciple!
"Hmph!" She replied with a single throaty sound.
Lin Ming was unable to explain himself; he was too close to the fruit, a mere few feet, and the fruit vanished in a flash of silvery light, so it could have easily been sent into a Spatial Ring using a unique art. It didn't make any sense that Lin Ming wouldn't have the fruit, so neither she nor the others believed him no matter how he tried to explain himself.
WOOSH! WOOSH! BOOM!
The pursuers launched several attacks! Lin Ming erected his Astral Ward as he began to execute evasive maneuvers relying on the trees' branches and chaotic leaves. He was stunned to find Chosen situated protectively over the leaves. Before he could try to think about this oddity, his pursuers kept pursuing!
"Give us your Spatial Ring then!" A chasing Timelord running while tethered to the trunk and branches using the soles of his feet screamed out angrily. A few others echoed his sentiment but also found that Lin Ming was disgustingly agile and hard to hold down.
He had a potently abnormal Spiritual Strength that fought back all their Spiritual Spells aimed at disorientation and disruption!
Lin Ming's expression darkened as he dodged a large wind serpent biting at his waist narrowly. This Soul Saint King's disciple was frustratingly sticky! But how could he possibly give them his Spatial Ring? He had a ton of treasures within, and they definitely exceed the Astralis Sacred Fruit in value.
He'd be a fool to do so.
Did they take him as an easy target?! A surge of anger crashed against his heart with burning intensity.
Na Xinyi looked to the far west at the hectic activity. She, too, was surrounded by cultivators of all types observing her cautiously. Few knew her name, and they were sweating despite not making a single move. While thousands and thousands stood around her, her understated attitude of indifference was terrifying.She even showcased the fruit as it floated in her palm. It was as if she was asking for it to be taken!
The scene was majestic and incredible. A single woman, as gorgeous as a full silver moon hanging peacefully in the starry sky, stood alone against tens of thousands of elites, and they were the ones afraid!
Xue Yifei and Wu Baozhai were still performing their game, reaching their 324th game, yet the tens of thousands of Chosen were strange here. More than half were facing outward, giving off frightening gazes and auras toward the other Chosen!
The air was so tense it was as if a war of Chosen was about to begin. Those hyper-protective Chosen were all here for Xue Yifei! They defended her as she stared at Wu Baozhai, refusing anyone from entering into a certain range! The situation grew awkward too as more Chosen that was initially ready to fight turned sides, defending Xue Yifei with impassioned words such as:
"Fools! You dare try to harm Her Majesty?!
"How impudent! KNEEL AND BEG FOR FORGIVENESS!"
"Truly imbeciles. I'll give my life before any of you can even reach a mile toward Her Majesty!"
The dynamic between the three different areas was insane! Moreover, the sight of tens of thousands of Chosen all occupying leaves while being extremely vigilant and guarded was far too unexpected!!
Those observing from a distance were utterly flabbergasted by the situation. Shockingly though, most of them felt that each situation made ample sense. A few Chosen that hadn't originally decided to not participate rushed toward Xue Yifei's area, ready to join her side.
Others thought the leaves were worth it after seeing how hard Lin Ming was to chase, Na Xinyi's imposing figure, or Xue Yifei claiming a fruit, so they rushed to contest for them. Unfortunately...
Within the first few seconds, hectic and incessant cries of agony resounded as Chosen fell from the tree like fallen stars, crashing to the ground haphazardly. It was extremely shocking! Who were these people exactly?!
Tian Jianghan frowned as he looked at Tian Yinwu with a genuinely shocking light. To be perfectly honest, he fully expected to see three Astralis Sacred Fruits in Tian Yinwu's hands as he flawlessly seized all the gains, but there was only one. Did the Seventh Prince fail? Was that even possible?
As if reading his thoughts, Tian Yinwu calmly said: "I miscalculated." Tian Yinwu's admittance of his failure was said with incredible poise, completely accepting it as his fault. He stood from his seated position.
Tian Jianghan's eyes glistened. Was this Seventh Brother of his going to get serious?
Tian Yinwu's hazel-gold eyes reflected the tall, outstanding apple tree. Then, those eyes of his began to become tainted by a silvery light, potent and seething. It was as if space itself was in turmoil within his gaze. Suddenly, an aura began to spread out from him.
At the base of the tree while conflict raged or built up at the crown of the tree, a beautifully white-haired woman was using a jade shovel to dig at the roots of the tree under an exquisite concealment art. She was nigh-invisible and her actions exerted no signs of activity. Since everyone was focused on the world above, very, very few were looking at the base of the tree.
San Yongli shoveled the dirt, getting her hand and pants dirty without a single care. If it was her before, the spoiled, selfish, lazy version of her before her death, she would find such laborious activity beneath her, but today, she felt a deep swelling of satisfaction as her hard work was being put towards an amazing goal.
"The Astralis Root is mine!" She was determined. The Astralis Root was the life root of this tree, and if it was chopped down at the base it would be this root that provided the essential energies for regrowth. It contained a large quantity of pure Astralis Essence. In fact, it rivaled an Ultimate Astralis Star! In some cases, it might even exceed it!
When it came to nurturing one's World-Bound Star Domain, it was an indescribable treasure.
"You need the root! Even in the World Beyond, this tree is incredibly rare and desired!" The woman in her Sea of Consciousness reminded her incessantly.
"I know!" San Yongli softly grunted as she shoveled more. The woman had told her that the root could be refined, granting a World-Bound Star Domain the unique ability to absorb other stars to grow, a rare ability that was extremely difficult to obtain, while simultaneously enhancing the innate talent of absorbing solar essence by several-fold!
In some ways, it was too heretical and evil!
In other ways, it was too precious and world-shaking!
The root will be hers!
At the other side of the tree, a hooded figure leaned against the tree, observing Na Xinyi from below with a glowing root of gold and white in their right hand. It was roughly the thickness of a large python, extending across nine meters, but rigid and dirty.
"Oh?" There were subtle ripples in space, causing the hooded figure to glance in the distance where Imperial Princes sat. "Law of Space?"
San Luoyang was monitoring the situation with his Ever-Key, reinforcing San Yongli's concealed position so no one would notice her or when the Astralis Root was exposed. A wisp of pride was in his heart as San Yongli dared to go big while everyone went for the obvious bait.
Suddenly, his expression dramatically changed. He shifted his visual imagery to the two princes, and his pupils constricted slightly. "What's this aura?"Tian Yinwu's aura was beginning to cause the immediate air to palpitate. He slowly lifted his two hands toward the east and northwestern areas of the tree, where the three Saintesses were. He grasped softly and slowly, the faintest spatial ripples exuded from his fingers.
Tian Jianghan's eyes brightened as he was deeply excited by the soul-stirring aura!
Xue Yifei and Wu Baozhai's game was almost never- ending. They kept tying as they contested their mental energies to read and beat the other, always ending in a tie. Then, their game stopped.
They looked at the Astralis Sacred Fruit in unison.
"Again?" They both said frowningly. Then, their eyes exuded stronger rays of silvery light, working in perfect, remarkable tandem! They were now determined to give this thieving idiot a backlash!
Na Xinyi's eyes frowned as she looked at the fruit above her palm. "Law Aura?" Her heart sped in pace as she began to circulate her cultivation base, exerting her powers over the fruit, turning it illusory as if it didn't exist. She was using Yin to take substance! A profound aspect of using overwhelming Yin to negate Yang!
Tian Yinwu faintly smiled, his beautifully handsome appearance sufficient enough to awe gods and ghosts alike. With a soft breath, he tapped into a power that Wei Wuyin was absurdly familiar with!
Minor Authority!
Law of Space!
As his grasp reached a certain point, the fruit before the three Saintesses vanished!
Gone!
Disappeared!
And where did they go?!
Tian Yinwu held two fruits in his originally empty palms.
Instantly, he felt three notable gazes sent in his direction. Na Xinyi, Wu Baozhai, and Xue Yifei all simultaneously found him in an instant! Their Spiritual Senses were terrifying! But Tian Yinwu seemed completely unbothered by it all as he gave a handsome smile that made it hard to stay mad at, and pocketed all three fruits openly.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Tian Jianghan stood up and gave excited applause. Without taking a single step, Tian Yinwu had gotten all three fruits!
WOOSH!!!
A figure, graceful and beautiful as could be, soared across the sky!
Na Xinyi was rushing toward Tian Yinwu!!
