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Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Fourth Level of Innate Stage

Zhong Shan had long known about the existence of spiritual fruits in the world. Back in the Flaming Fruit Cave of the Kaiyang Sect, there was a powerful spiritual fruit that was surely much stronger than this one.

"Blood Bodhi?" Zhong Shan asked, frowning.

"Zhong Shan, Zhong Shan, put me down! These are Blood Bodhi fruits. If I eat one, my injuries will heal immediately. Plus, they contain a lot of fire energy. Maybe, just maybe, I could break through to the tenth level of the Innate Stage!" Tian Ling\'er exclaimed excitedly, her eyes fixed on the thirteen Blood Bodhi fruits.

Hearing Tian Linger\'s words, Zhong Shan\'s eyes lit up. Blood Bodhi?

Gently, he released his hold and carefully set Tian Ling\'er down from his back.

As her feet touched the ground, the initial excitement in Tian Linger\'s heart inexplicably turned into an empty feeling, a sense of loss flooding her for no apparent reason. She frowned and quickly shook her head. What was happening?

"Can Blood Bodhi be eaten raw?" Zhong Shan asked, looking at the red fruits.

"Of course, you can eat them too. But you\'re only at the third level of the Innate Stage. Eating one might be very painful, though the benefits would be significant. You should only eat one at most," Tian Ling\'er explained promptly.

"Pain?" Zhong Shan looked at Tian Ling\'er curiously.

"It\'s because the energy is too potent for you. The energy surge will be painful. My father said that while Blood Bodhi isn\'t considered an extremely rare spiritual fruit, its formation is very peculiar. They grow at volcanic craters, but not all craters have them. There are many factors involved, though I\'m not entirely clear on them. There are thirteen here. According to my father, I need to eat eight to reach the tenth level of the Innate Stage, and it will also heal my injuries. This is wonderful," Tian Ling\'er explained excitedly.

"Are there any side effects? Will it hinder future cultivation?" Zhong Shan asked seriously.

"Uh, for you and me, there won\'t be any," Tian Ling\'er thought for a moment before replying.

"Why?" Zhong Shan frowned. Why emphasize only the two of them? Would it not work for others?

"Because Blood Bodhi is a yang-attribute spiritual fruit. You practice the Great Sun Divine Technique, so there\'s no problem. I practice the Lihuo Divine Technique, so I\'m fine too," Tian Ling\'er explained immediately.

"Alright, I\'ll stand guard for you. You eat first," Zhong Shan said.

"No." Tian Ling\'er suddenly objected.

"Huh?" Zhong Shan frowned.

Looking at Zhong Shan, a determined look flashed in Tian Ling\'er\'s eyes. "You eat first this time. I\'ll stand guard for you."

Carefully observing Tian Ling\'er\'s serious expression, Zhong Shan smiled faintly and said, "Alright."

Gently, as instructed by Tian Ling\'er, Zhong Shan reached out and plucked a Blood Bodhi.

The Blood Bodhi was as hot as boiling water, but Zhong Shan, at the third level of the Innate Stage, was naturally not afraid of it. He grabbed it, exerting force to pull it off.

"Snap!"

The Blood Bodhi was plucked.

"Ssssss..."

A series of hissing sounds followed as the vine that had been holding the Blood Bodhi quickly withered and dried up. The yellowing vine shriveled and fell away.

"Once the Blood Bodhi is picked, the vine becomes useless," Tian Ling\'er explained from the side.

Nodding, Zhong Shan leaned against the wall and sat cross-legged. He looked at the Blood Bodhi in his hand and resolutely opened his mouth, swallowing the fruit quickly.

The moment the Blood Bodhi entered his stomach, it transformed into a powerful, scorching heat, as if it were roasting Zhong Shan from the inside out.

Pain. The pain was intense. Unlike the external pain he had experienced before, this time it was internal, spreading from within. In an instant, Zhong Shan\'s body was filled with fiery energy. Just one Blood Bodhi made his body feel like a furnace, his skin flushing a fiery red.

Sweat poured down his face, but Zhong Shan knew this was a rare opportunity. He frantically circulated the Great Sun Divine Technique, guiding his true qi through his meridians in continuous cycles.

He realized that he had been careless. He shouldn\'t have listened to Tian Ling\'er, who, in her naivety, didn\'t fully understand the situation. The energy within the Blood Bodhi was overwhelming—so much so that if another person at the third level of the Innate Stage had taken it, they would have been incinerated by the energy.

If it weren\'t for his constant practice of the Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Technique, making his internal organs exceptionally resilient, he would have exploded on the spot. Even so, Zhong Shan felt as though his entire body was on the verge of bursting.

He activated the Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Technique again, pushing himself to his limits. He had to absorb this energy within an hour, or he would die from being overwhelmed by it.

Tian Ling\'er watched in astonishment as Zhong Shan\'s veins bulged and his muscles suddenly swelled. She had no idea what was happening, only that Zhong Shan seemed to be in immense pain. She held a towel, wanting to wipe the sweat from his forehead but afraid to disturb him.

Zhong Shan continued to focus on his breakthrough, circulating his true qi over and over, constantly refining and gathering it. He knew he was fighting for his life. If he couldn\'t refine the Blood Bodhi\'s energy within an hour, it would be the end for him.

Persisting, he finally broke through just as there was only a stick of incense time left.

The fourth level of the Innate Stage—he had reached it.

Relieved, Zhong Shan continued to stabilize his new level, consolidating his breakthrough. After another stick of incense time, he felt the pain subside. The aftermath of the Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Technique still lingered, but everything was fine now. Despite having only about thirty percent of his true qi left at the fourth level, he wasn\'t worried. In a day or two, he would be fully recovered.

Gently opening his eyes, Zhong Shan saw Tian Ling\'er.

"Zhong Shan, how are you? The energy was immense, wasn\'t it?" Tian Ling\'er asked excitedly.

Looking at her, Zhong Shan could only sigh inwardly. The energy was indeed immense, almost too much to handle.

"Yes, I\'ve reached the fourth level of the Innate Stage. Now it\'s your turn. But I suggest you eat them one by one because the Blood Bodhi\'s energy is extremely potent," Zhong Shan advised, nodding.

"The fourth level of the Innate Stage?" Tian Ling\'er\'s eyes sparkled with joy as if she had been the one to break through.

"You wait here," Tian Ling\'er said quickly.

She swiftly picked eight Blood Bodhi fruits, and the vines withered immediately, making a sizzling sound.

Following Zhong Shan\'s instructions, Tian Ling\'er ate the fruits one by one. However, to Zhong Shan\'s amazement, after the eighth one, she said, "It\'s not enough, Zhong Shan, give me one more."

With a mix of admiration and astonishment, Zhong Shan picked another Blood Bodhi for her, and even added an extra one. Only then did Tian Ling\'er close her eyes and begin her breakthrough.

Ten. She consumed ten Blood Bodhi fruits.

Looking at Tian Ling\'er and then at himself, Zhong Shan marveled at the vast difference in their true qi and true essence. He recalled hearing that Tian Ling\'er had already reached the ninth level of the Innate Stage more than half a year ago.

Zhong Shan sat patiently, watching Tian Ling\'er\'s skin glow with a faint red light. The red glow accentuated her smooth, fair skin, giving her an almost ethereal radiance.

He did not explore the deeper parts of the cave, knowing it was not the right time. Instead, he waited patiently for Tian Ling\'er.

Her breakthrough took significantly longer than his.

An entire day and night passed before Tian Ling\'er finally opened her eyes.

As soon as she did, her eyes formed crescent moons of joy.

"Zhong Shan, the tenth level of the Innate Stage! I\'ve reached the tenth level!" Tian Ling\'er exclaimed, jumping up and down, grabbing Zhong Shan\'s sleeve in excitement.

Watching her bounce around, Zhong Shan smiled. He noticed that the injuries on her legs had completely healed during her breakthrough.

"Good, good," Zhong Shan said with a smile, allowing himself to be shaken by her excitement.

"Zhong Shan, let\'s go deeper inside. There might be more treasures in this cave," Tian Ling\'er said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Zhong Shan.

"Let\'s wait for another day," Zhong Shan replied.

"Wait another day?" Tian Ling\'er asked, puzzled.

"Yes, rest for a day before we go further. And are you really going to go in like that? Find a place to change your clothes," Zhong Shan suggested.

Tian Ling\'er looked at herself and realized she was indeed in a sorry state. For some reason, she suddenly cared very much about how Zhong Shan saw her.

"Really? Then you go outside and don\'t peek while I change," Tian Ling\'er quickly said.

Smiling and shaking his head, Zhong Shan walked out of the cave. Waiting another day wasn\'t just for Tian Ling\'er\'s appearance; he also needed more time for the aftereffects of his Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Technique to subside.

Not long after, Tian Ling\'er emerged, looking lovely in a fiery red outfit.