After dinner.
Quinn went to the residences of Zhou Li and Xia Lan, and informed them about going out to search for the Blood Zhu Fruit.
Upon hearing this, the two immediately expressed their willingness to accompany him.
Subsequently, the four of them put on thick beast hide coats and left the underground city, venturing into the ice and snow-covered world.
"The Blood Zhu Fruit is a very rare medicinal fruit, but when I was on a mission last year, I saw traces of it more than a hundred li to the south."
"We can go there and try our luck." Quinn led the three of them southward. kanSHuWu.ξà
Traveling through the snow was arduous.
However.
Chen Nan was able to find some small methods to speed up.
When going downhill, he cut four wooden planks and fixed them to his feet, acting like skis, which increased his speed.
This surprised Quinn and the others greatly.
Although this method could only be used downhill.
It could still save a lot of physical strength and greatly shorten travel time.
What should have been a journey of one day and one night.
With the skis, they reached a range of undulating mountains by evening.
The mountains were covered in thick snow, which bent the pine and cypress trees.
Following the memory of where the Blood Zhu Fruit grew, Quinn arrived at a leeward spot in a valley, where a large patch of emerald green plants thrived.
Four blood-red fruits were particularly conspicuous amidst the icy and snowy landscape.
Besides these four ripe Blood Zhu Fruits.
There were also more than ten golden-yellow fruits.
However, these golden-yellow fruits were not yet truly ripe.
Xia Lan smiled and said, "Once the Blood Zhu Fruit turns golden yellow, it's not far from ripening. In at most three days, these Blood Zhu Fruits will all be ripe."
Quinn also smiled, "This mission went much smoother than I expected." As he spoke, he scooped up a large handful of snow, then made it into a snowball, and threw it forward.
At the same time.
Xia Lan drew her bow.
As the snowball landed on the vines of the Blood Zhu Fruit, a slender green snake leaped out.
The snake was about a meter long and as thick as a finger.
Its pair of scarlet eyes emitted a cold, eerie glow.
Especially its purple fangs, which clearly indicated potent venom.
Just as the venomous snake lunged at the snowball.
Xia Lan shot the arrow in her hand.
*Swish!*
The arrow instantly pierced the void, went through the snake's neck, and pinned it to a large tree more than ten meters away.
The snake's body contorted, but it eventually ceased to breathe.
"There should be no more danger now!" Quinn, holding his long saber, cautiously approached and finally plucked the four Blood Zhu Fruits.
"Here, one for each of you." He distributed the Blood Zhu Fruits to everyone and then said to Chen Nan, "The Blood Zhu Fruit is an extremely rare medicinal fruit, containing dense immortal energy."
"Ancient texts record that the immortal energy contained in one Blood Zhu Fruit is equivalent to a year of arduous cultivation for a powerful immortal."
Chen Nan was filled with surprise.
He never expected that a Blood Zhu Fruit could be equivalent to a year of cultivation for a powerful immortal.
He picked up the Blood Zhu Fruit, rubbed it on his clothes, then brought it to his mouth and took a bite. However, he did not swallow it directly but savored its taste.
"This thing doesn't taste good either!" Chen Nan showed a pained expression. It had a fishy sweetness upon entering the mouth, akin to drinking blood.
And there was a sour taste lingering on his lips and teeth.
This was a taste he had never encountered in his travels through the Yin and Yang realms.
Xia Lan looked disgusted. "The Blood Zhu Fruit is a medicinal fruit, how good can it taste? If you don't like the taste, you can give your Blood Zhu Fruit to..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw Chen Nan directly stuff the Blood Zhu Fruit into his mouth and swallow it whole.
And indeed.
Although the taste of the Blood Zhu Fruit was not very pleasant.
Upon swallowing, a faint warm current spread through him.
It was like drinking a bowl of hot ginger soup.
Chen Nan then clearly felt a powerful force stirring within him.
This force was more than twice as strong as his previous power.
"My previous physical strength was comparable to a lower-tier celestial god. Now, I should possess the strength of a mid-tier celestial god."
Chen Nan had a clear understanding of his own strength.
"If I use spells, I can even kill monsters at the Divine General level."
Spells were his greatest reliance.
After all, the Azure Dragon had taught him top-tier divine realm spells.
Those spells were his foundation for establishing himself in the divine realm and traversing the nine heavens.
"Let's build a wooden hut first and wait for the other Blood Zhu Fruits to ripen!" Quinn said. These Blood Zhu Fruits would ripen within three days at the latest, and he intended to wait for them to ripen before harvesting.
Thus, he, along with Chen Nan and Zhou Li, felled several large trees and constructed a simple wooden hut.
At the same time.
Xia Lan prepared dinner.
Dinner was simple, snake stew.
Although the soup was plentiful and the meat sparse, it was delicious.
It could dispel some of the cold in the icy and snowy environment.
Chen Nan asked, "Brother Quinn, do you know of any way to travel to the third heaven?"
Upon hearing this.
Quinn and the other two showed curious looks.
Clearly, they were surprised by Chen Nan's question.
Chen Nan revealed a pained memory, "I recalled some past events. My home seems to be from the third heaven."
Quinn understood and replied, "Before the invasion of the异魔 (Yi Mo - alien demons), each heaven had a Stairway to Heaven, and by ascending it, one could reach the heaven above."
"However, now, the Stairways to Heaven have all been destroyed."
"No one can go to the heaven above."
Chen Nan's heart sank.
It was as if a string inside him snapped.
If he were truly trapped in the second heaven.
How could he traverse the nine heavens, reach the Heavenly Court, retrieve the Three Lives Stone, and awaken the past lives of those celestial gods?
How could he rebuild the Heavenly Court?
At this moment.
Zhou Li's voice rang out, "Although the Stairways to Heaven have been destroyed, there is still a way to reach the heaven above!"
Chen Nan's eyes lit up. "What way?"
Zhou Li said, "As far as I know, the Stairway to Heaven was an ancient scroll. After it was destroyed, the scroll was split into four pieces, which were obtained by four tribes."
"As long as one collects all pieces of that scroll, the Stairway to Heaven can be reopened, thus reaching the heaven above."
Chen Nan nodded slightly.
He had already learned about the background of this world.
After the invasion of the Yi Mo, the common people of the second heaven suffered heavy casualties.
Some powerful individuals formed four tribes.
Wushuang City was one of them.
However...
To collect all the pieces of that scroll.
It would likely be as difficult as climbing to heaven, wouldn't it?
Despite the numerous difficulties.
At least there was a way to leave the second heaven.
What he needed to do now was to consolidate his position in Wushuang City and obtain the scroll piece from Wushuang City.
Suddenly.
A foul, pungent odor seeped into the wooden hut through the gaps.
Upon smelling this stench.
Except for Chen Nan, Quinn, Xia Lan, and Zhou Li's expressions changed.
Their pupils trembled violently, revealing intense unease and fear.
Chen Nan looked out through the gaps, and the scene that met his eyes immediately sent chills down his spine.