Xiao Nichang bit her lip, her eyes flashing with resentment. *One day, I'll climb to your position, and then I'll make you regret treating me like this.*
"Prospects? My prospects are already brilliant right now. Sorry, I don't need anything from you." Feng Qing's demeanor didn't seem like that of a divine beast at all; it was far more human-like.
"Young master, I'm afraid that's not quite right. No matter how strong you are, you're just one person. You might not even get the fruit before you're taken down," someone from the Holy Land interjected.
"Whether I get taken down or not seems none of your business. I suggest you leave now, or you might end up as food for these spirit beasts before you know it."
Feng Qing raised a hand, and all kinds of spirit beasts surged forward.
"Divine beast." The crowd swallowed hard and stepped back a few paces, but as the fragrance of the ripening Five Elements Fruit grew stronger, the desperate ones threw caution to the wind.
If you fight for it, you might not get it, but if you don't, you definitely won't.
Finally, someone made the first move, and others rushed in one after another, afraid of being beaten to it.
Still, those charging forward were mostly nobodies, not major powers. Factions like the Spirit Sect and the Holy Land hung back, watching.
"Have you spotted those science-crazed people in this crowd?" Ye Lanshan asked, keeping an eye on their whereabouts while planning to snatch the Twin Fruit.
"They won't come now. We need to wait a bit longer." Ling Chunian shook her head, knowing that group well.
"Is that so? Got it." Ye Lanshan nodded.
"So this is his real strength? Looks like he held back yesterday."
"Yeah, he might be that divine beast who escaped those madmen's clutches and roams the mountains opposing them. If anyone knows those madmen inside out, he's one of them."
Ling Chunian nodded in agreement, a hint of admiration in her eyes as she watched Feng Qing. In this day and age, few could evade those madmen and fight back. He was one of them—the most low-key and mysterious.
"Then he must know those madmen too, right?" Ye Lanshan thought that if Feng Qing wouldn't let them succeed, how could she play the mantis stalking the cicada, with the oriole behind?
"No, he doesn't. The ones coming are newly modified faces. No one outside their circle has seen them. If I hadn't accidentally overheard some secrets and caught a glimpse back then, I wouldn't recognize them either." Ling Chunian shuddered at the memory of what happened. Thankfully, she'd gained this opportunity during the modification process.
But that opportunity came at the cost of Xia Ri and the others' suffering. She didn't feel guilty, though—even if she hadn't encountered the modification, they'd have been found out eventually.
In the Sunset Mountains, their eyes were everywhere. Those who remained undiscovered were few and far between. If there were truly three places to avoid, now that the Mist Forest had dispersed, only two remained that they dared not provoke.
"I see. Honestly, I think Feng Qing is pretty great. If I could bring him into the fold, that'd be perfect."
To be honest, Feng Qing really appealed to her. He was probably the most agreeable and compatible divine beast she'd ever met.
"This divine beast is indeed impressive. He even has ancient divine beast blood in him. If you could contract him, he'd be a significant asset." Ye Yutian had been observing Feng Qing for a while—strong, smart, and gentle-tempered. For Ye Lanshan, he was the best choice.
"But a ninth-tier divine beast, no matter how gentle on the surface, is proud at heart. Making him submit won't be easy." Yue Shu had even followed along.
"I know that. But so what? Even if I can't contract him, we can still be allies."
Ye Lanshan understood the pride of divine beasts. Besides, her own strength was lacking. She'd need to be powerful enough before even thinking about contracting him.
But as the saying goes, an enemy's enemy is a friend. In the face of a strong foe, even enemies band together as allies. They could do the same to fight those madmen.
"They're here. The ones in gray clothes." Ling Chunian looked closely and confirmed it was them.
Now, amid the chaos, those people were sneaking toward the Five Elements Fruit Tree.
The battle had reached a fever pitch, with even the Spirit Sect and Holy Land joining in, along with a few other major powers she didn't recognize.
No one noticed those few, giving them a chance to strike.
But some were mixed in the melee, quietly knocking people out and dragging them away, their expressions and glances like they were hunting for new prey.
"Never forget to grab people for experiments, wherever they go." Ling Chunian now hated those madmen to the core, a pang of regret in her heart.
"I think I need to capture them all. I want firsthand intel, and they can provide it." Ye Lanshan crouched low and stealthily followed those people.
Ye Yutian had no choice but to blend into the crowd, knocking them out one by one and hauling them out.
"Idiots. We've already taken the fruit, and they're still fighting over there." A few muttered mockingly, oblivious to the danger creeping up on them.
"Oh, we're idiots? Then what are you? Thieves, stealing things without a word?" Ye Lanshan snatched the fruit from their hands and stashed it in her space. They stood there dumbfounded, as if not processing it.
"Who are you? Dare to steal our fruit? Aren't you afraid I'll call those people over?" One of them snapped back to reality, furious, pointing at the crowd locked in battle.
"Do you think you have time for that?" Ye Lanshan's hand flashed with something, and their throats were slit in an instant. They collapsed without even reacting, still not understanding how they died.
"What an interesting person." Feng Qing's voice sounded behind her. She turned and tossed a fruit into his arms. "How about we split it fifty-fifty?"
"Hmm? What did you say? Fifty-fifty? I could take it all, so why would I agree to that?" Feng Qing held the fruit, his tone gentle but giving Ye Lanshan the sense he wasn't easy to negotiate with.
"So, you're saying no?" Ye Lanshan mentally calculated the odds of getting the fruit back if he took it.
"Do you think you can outfight me?" Feng Qing's pressure intensified bit by bit, as if he might strike to take it at any moment.