Chen Rui tried to bring the leftover fruit seed into Star Garden. The pivotal fairy flew over to take care of it. As he thought, there was a system prompt: Unknown plant, takes 10 days to mature. The plant will automatically wilt once the fruit is plucked. Its seed can be used for replantation, uses 10 energy powder a day. Current status: immature.
It seemed like the devil pomeg fruit was similar to the aura fruit tree. The overflowing aura of the demon fruit was less than the aura fruit, and it provided half the aura that an aura fruit tree provided. Besides the aura, it was great at keeping the mind awake. Sure enough, it was something very rare.
Chen Rui thought about the “the plant will wilt once the fruit is plucked…” from the system prompt and ate the remaining fruits while plucking more fruits. It was quite reminiscent of Master Wukong disrupting the immortal peach garden back then. Unfortunately, there was only one “peach tree” and a dozen or so “immortal peaches”.
Just like he thought, every time he plucked a fruit, a part of the devil pomeg tree wilted. After the last fruit was picked, the devil pomeg tree had completely withered, its life essence could no longer be felt from its dried branches.
Chen Rui let out a huge burp. A pleasurable “cleansing” effect enveloped his whole body, as if his mental strength and five sense went through some kind of subtle change.
This pleasure could be felt once more after ten days because those seeds were already planted in the Star Garden. After planting five seeds, he gave the rest to the pivotal fairy for safekeeping.
The devil pomeg fruit was an unexpected harvest. As of now the devil pomeg trees in the Luray Valley were dead. Today, Chen Rui had already achieved his biggest goal. Immediately, he quickly ordered the Scarlet Guards to leave the Luray Valley immediately, “Brothers, the enemy’s reinforcements are coming. Let’s first disperse and retreat, then assemble in the north of Town Leia to concentrate on breaking through, there will naturally be reinforcements by then!”
With the fruit tree in hand, the plan was close to success. As for reinforcements on the north side, that was what “Barnacle” said. It had nothing to do with Chen Rui. For all he knew, when the time came, the “higher-ups” may send reinforcements.
As soon as the guards heard his orders, they quickly began to retreat. On the way, they encountered defense forces led by Ross as expected. The two sides engaged in a dogfight. Chen Rui quietly <Camouflage> as one of the defending team, “hunting” the Scarlet Guards while heading “on the way” toward Town Leia.
At that moment, in the mansion of Town Leia’s mayor, the banquet guests had already left the hall, and they were being contained in the courtyard. Old Kander tried to channel his own power, controlling the toxin that was about to trigger in his body. He felt his mind become dizzier. Large droplets of sweat dripped from his forehead. Even the dragon’s incense that usually refreshed his mind became ineffective.
“Mayor! The Scarlet Guards have retreated from the Luray Valley; they encountered Ross’s defense forces on the way.”
Old Kander’s mind awoke. He nervously asked, “How is the devil pomeg tree?” “What devil pomeg tree?” The reporting guards clearly did not know the secrets of the Luray Valley.
Kander became anxious. “Idiot! The thing we guard in the Luray Valley!”
“About this… I didn’t receive any reports about that.” “Idiot, go find out!” Despite how the ominous feeling in his heart grew closer, Old Kander still held onto a sliver of hope.
After a while.
“Mayor! Master Lax has already captured Ross back!”
Old Kander hurriedly said, “Hurry! Ask him to bring Ross here!”
Larks grabbed Ross as he walked in. Ross saw Old Kander and said quickly, “Mayor, I am in the midst of leading the defense forces to hunt the Scarlet Guards. Why did you dismiss my duty?”
“Hunting? You are covering for them!” Old Kande gasped heavily as he went up to Ross and gripped the lapels of Ross’s shirt, “Tell me! Just what poison did you use? What is the antidote?”
“Mayor, I don’t know what you are talking about?” Ross was completely at a loss.
“Even now, you still dare pretend!”
A loud slap landed fiercely on Ross’s face, and he was immediately stunned. Even though Ross was already an intermediate High Demon, but he was utterly defenseless against the power of a Demon King. If Old Kander did not need to force him to name of the antidote, he would have taken his life with this slap.
“Ross, I can forgive you about hiding the purple heart; I can forgive you for colluding with Barnacle to secretly take Naliyi, but you must give me the antidote!” Old Kander’s snoring even outside the yard People have heard it.
Ross only now realized how big the charges on his head were. He immediately cried injustice, “I have nothing to do with Nali or Zi Yanxin anymore! Colluding with Barnacle is even more unlikely! I must be getting framed!”
Kander slapped a letter onto his face. Ross looked up immediately. His expression was getting uglier. “Mayor, please believe me, I can face Culia directly in court!”
At this very moment, someone else came to report, “Mayor, Master Robert found Barnacle in the stronghold of the Scarlet Guards. When he tried to arrest, he was seriously injured when Barnacle resisted arrest. At the same time, he found Culia’s dead body in the stronghold, who was probably killed by Barnacle. Barnacle has now fled.”
“Very good,” Old Kander looked at Ross with his gaze became more and more gloomy, “Now the dead cannot bear witness. If you don’t hand over the antidote immediately, then go face Culia in front of the Demon God!”
Seeing Old Kander’s murderous look, Ross only felt more wronged than he ever felt. He quietly gnashed his teeth. Culia and I have nothing against each other. I hardly see him. How could he frame me for no reason!
This curse was indeed effective, as Culia was now “dead”.
The dead couldn’t bear witness now. Based on Ross’s understanding of Old Kander, those unwarranted charges would completely be charged on him.
“Culia’s” letter wrote only a few words.
Barnacle started a revolt on Old Kander’s birthday and took something important with him. Ross and Barnacle colluded to secretly poison Old Kander and take Naliyi away. They even went ahead and planned to steal the mayor’s position. Culia knew about the scheme that Barnacle and Ross planned, so he was being hunted by Barnacle. Thus, he asked for Old Kander’s protection.
It was that simple. Just a few simple words could send Ross into an abyss of eternal doom.
The Scarlet Guards had been in Town Leia for two years. Ross knew about the infighting between two cliques, but he never expected it to involve him. He cursed incessantly in his mind, This bastard Culia! So what if you and Barnacle had grievances, why did you have to drag me down!
Until now, Ross knew that no matter how much he tried to explain, he would still be considered as covering up. It seemed like he had to come up with another plan to save his own life.
At this very moment, another urgent report arrived, “The devil pomeg tree in the Luray Valley has withered and its fruit has disappeared! We found out by interrogating the Scarlet Guard captive that Master Baoliu captured. It is very likely that Barnacle took the fruit!”
Old Kander became enraged and immediately coughed up a mouthful purple blood. He fell onto the ground, emitting a gust of corrosive purple smoke. The power of the toxins inside the body could be seen, but Old Kander couldn’t be bothered by this anymore.
It was over; it was all over!
The devil pomeg tree was very special, and it could not be transplanted at all. Once it left the ground where it grew, everything including the fruit would wither, otherwise it would have been transplanted to the Emperor a long time ago. The devil pomeg fruit must also be plucked and preserved according to a special method. It was said that only the royal family of the Dark Shadow Empire knew the secret method. If not the fruit would lose its effect within five minutes after leaving the fruit tree!
Then how did Barnacle know this secret method?
There may be some doubts about this matter, but now the devil pomeg fruit tree is dead; everything is meaningless! Even if Barnacle were recaptured, nothing can be done anymore!
The Emperor’s people are arriving soon, and when the time came… not only the mayor’s throne, but also my life and even the entire family… It is really all over!
All Old Kander felt was the world spinning. He coughed up another two mouthfuls of blood and felt the strength supporting his body collapse completely. The poison that was previously suppressed now spread through his whole body. As he was about to crumple, Larks who was beside him rushed to his aid, holding him up.
Ross suddenly moved and teleported.
He instantly appeared at the door of the hall. As Larks was about to chase him, he heard Ross shout one word, “Antidote!”
As soon as he said that, he threw a bottle of medicine aside. Larks quickly teleported to catch the antidote. At the same time, he loudly ordered the guards to intercept Ross. Larks brought the bottle to Old Kander.
Old Kander took it and sipped it, trembling, but spat out another mouthful of blood. He tightly grabbed Larks’ hand, “This is just an ordinary antidote!”
“Notify the whole town, kill Barnacle and Ross on sight…” Old Kander gasped a few breaths. His mind felt as heavy as a stone; he could no longer speak. Purple smoke rose from his hands, body and the surface of his skin were beginning to corrode into ash.
In the midst of the smoke, as if a familiar voice could be heart: My soul will curse you forever, until your dirty old body decays into ash…
Ross already unleashed all his potential to the limits. He couldn’t assess his injuries, simply fleeing from the mayor’s mansion. At that point, Old Kander’s killing order had not spread completely yet. No one along the way stopped Ross. They were merely watching the captain of the defense forces run wildly in shock. However, the town was already chaotic enough today. Maybe they thought that there was an emergency situation.
The act of tossing “antidote” in front of everyone already confirmed his “crime”. However, he could not afford to care anymore. Staying at the mayor’s mansion was a death sentence. He must survive if he wanted to get his innocence and power reinstated. This situation was very confusing, and it was very likely that there was another culprit behind it. While Ross escaped, he cursed the bastard that framed him using vile language.
There was someone running toward him. This man was wearing a cloak with his real face covering up, but his attire was commonly seen in the Demon Realm. He rushed toward Ross as if something urgent happened.
Ross instinctively felt a sense of danger. Although his combat power was not the best among the intermediate High Demons, and he was only promoted to the captain position of the defence force mainly by bootlicking and even betraying his fiance. Nevertheless, he was still a High Demon.
The sense of danger got closer and closer. In an instant, the strength in Ross’s entire body condensed, his strong will to survive enhancing his powers beyond his level. The moment the two men passed by each other, Ross instantly teleported to a spot further ahead.
The man stopped slightly, then he began to run again without turning back.
From the perspective of the imp standing by the roadside in front, Ross teleported in front of him. His body was still maintaining a running stance. Due to inertia, his body was slightly tilted forward, and his lhead suddenly fell to the ground.
Ross’s corpse fell to the ground, his fresh blood staining the ground, a horrified expression on his face.
The imp was so scared he let out a shout, and the man in the cloak had already disappeared.
In fact, the man in the cloak heard that Barnacle fled north and went to the north of the town to find that main target. He did not expect that Ross was capable of escaping from the hands of Old Kander, and he never expected to bump into Ross on the way there.
Perhaps he was guide by the destiny; the woman in the flame; the drop of tear that a blazing fire could not melt.
Without any hesitation, he used all his strength and swung his sword.
This strike did not actually touch Ross. Only a gust of invisible sword qi swept past Ross’s neck.
But that was enough.
One strike, and Ross was beheaded.
This was his way of paying tribute to the teardrop in the flame.
He was no longer a powerless weakling whose life or death lay in the hands of others. Of course, he could not change nor was it possible to change this world where it was survival of the fittest. Whether it was this world or another world, it was the same. He merely utilised his own strength to do the things that he felt he had to do, even if these things were ridiculous or superfluous in the eyes of others. This was him, a human born again in Demon Realm.
Ross was dead; only Barnacle was left.
After completing this task, it was time to return to Dark Moon to face the test of Arux. Before that, Chen Rui did not intend to see Athena. Once he passed the test of War Contract with single focus, he decided to investigate the life event in depty with her.
Barnacle’s mood at this moment was even worse than that of Ross. Culia’s body was found in the Scarlet Guards’ stronghold. Before comprehending the situation, Robert surrounded the stronghold with an army of people. Previously, this Robert even had drinks with him, but now Robert had turned his back on him. Then Robert found Culia’s body upstairs and immediately ordered them to arrest him.
Of course, Barnacle wouldn’t fold his hands for capture. In the midst of conflict, he injured Robert and fled with several captured members. On the way, he joined some Scarlet members who had retreated from the Luray Valley, and they muddle-headedly went along with him to flee to the north of the town. On the way, Barnacle asked for the full story, and his face suddenly turned pale with fear.
The situation was that he probably killed Culia himself.
He received an order from the “higher-ups” to lead the Scarlet Guards to attack Luray Valley.
He successfully completed the task. Now, he was leading the remaining members to successfully retreat to the north exit of Town Leia.
Yes, he was indeed “leading” the members to “retreat successfully”. The question was, why did he have to run away with these people? As the “protagonist”, he knew nothing about the things that happened earlier.
Wasn’t I going to attend the town mayor Old Kander’s birthday banquet today? How did it become like this!