The reason for the discrepancy in strength and cultivation level among the humans here was entirely due to the purple fruit Lin Qian had just seen the human children eating.
Lin Qian had personally witnessed a human child shove a purple fruit with swirling patterns all over it into his mouth before starting his cultivation. The child was eating it with great relish, clearly enjoying the taste.
With a quick step forward, Lin Qian suddenly waved his hand, snatching the purple fruits from the children's hands and crushing them with his soul power, leaving purple juice splattered on the ground. The children stared at him, dumbfounded.
They clearly couldn't understand why Lin Qian had taken their fruit.
It wasn't just the children who were puzzled; Barrett and Liu Fang also looked at Lin Qian in astonishment.
In their eyes, Lin Qian didn't seem like the kind of person who would bully the weak, so why was he now troubling these children?
After destroying the strange purple fruit, Lin Qian grabbed the child who had eaten it, infusing his body with soul power to carefully examine his internal condition.
Once Lin Qian had thoroughly inspected the child's body, he finally understood what had been puzzling him.
"From now on, don't ever eat this fruit again, understand?" Lin Qian said sternly, seeing the child's tearful, confused eyes.
The child looked up at Lin Qian, clearly not understanding why this big brother from the same race would destroy his Strengthening Fruit and forbid him from eating it again.
"Why not? Only by eating more Strengthening Fruits can I grow stronger and contribute to everyone," the child said, his eyes filled with distress as he gazed at the purple juice on the ground. He looked at Lin Qian with a mixture of resentment and anger, and then, with his small fists, he began punching Lin Qian.
Lin Qian didn't pay any attention to the child's blows, letting him hit him as he wished.
Seeing this, Liu Fang was terrified. He hurried forward, pulling the child away and scolding him harshly, "Xiao Jiang, what do you think you're doing?"
Hearing Liu Fang scold him, the child, Xiao Jiang, looked up at him with a pitiful expression. "Uncle Liu, this big brother destroyed my Strengthening Fruit, and now you're blaming me!"
Xiao Jiang was heartbroken. He had expected Liu Fang to stand up for him, but he never imagined that the usually protective Uncle Liu would side with this bad man.
The other children, whose purple fruits had also been crushed by Lin Qian, looked at him with displeasure, clearly resenting him for destroying their Strengthening Fruits.
"Uncle Liu, you know I need the Strengthening Fruit to build my body. Now that this man has ruined it, how will I pass my test? How will I keep cultivating? You have to get me a new Strengthening Fruit!" Xiao Jiang cried, his tears flowing like raindrops.
Liu Fang, desperate to keep the situation from escalating, raised his hand, intending to slap the child. He feared that Lin Qian might lose his temper and kill the boy.
But before Liu Fang could strike, his hand was caught—by none other than Lin Qian himself.
"It's just a child. He doesn't know any better. Don't be too harsh on him. I'm not that petty," Lin Qian said, stopping Liu Fang. Then, he pulled out several crystal bottles filled with a faint green liquid.
Taking out the Strengthening Potion, Lin Qian handed the crystal bottles to the children, instructing them carefully, "Take this as soon as you get home. It's even more effective than the Strengthening Fruit!"
The children, except for Xiao Jiang, curiously approached and took the bottles from Lin Qian, glancing uncertainly at Liu Fang.
Seeing their hesitation, Liu Fang quickly spoke up, "Thank the esteemed lord! This is surely even more effective than what he described."
Hearing Uncle Liu's reassurance, the children immediately believed him. In this settlement, Liu Fang had always been a pillar of support for the humans.
However, Xiao Jiang remained stubborn, still glaring at Lin Qian. "I don't want it! I want the Strengthening Fruit!"
Seeing Xiao Jiang's continued defiance, Liu Fang became even more anxious. But Lin Qian, rather than being annoyed, crouched down to look at the boy and asked with a smile, "Do you know why I destroyed your fruit?"
Xiao Jiang opened his mouth to speak but then hesitated, unable to think of any reason why this stranger would ruin their Strengthening Fruit.
"Tell me, why do you call this purple fruit the Strengthening Fruit?" Lin Qian asked gently.
Hearing Lin Qian's question, Xiao Jiang instinctively began to answer, "Because eating this fruit can strengthen our bodies. That's why everyone calls it the Strengthening Fruit. All kids our age eat it."
"Even at your level, Liu Fang, do you still consume this Strengthening Fruit?" Lin Qian asked, turning to Liu Fang as a possible realization dawned on him.
Not knowing why, Liu Fang suddenly felt immense pressure from Lin Qian's serious expression, and a sense of foreboding filled his heart.
Despite this, Liu Fang answered honestly, "Yes, that's right. The Strengthening Fruit is very effective for enhancing the body, so we use it frequently."
After Liu Fang spoke, Barrett added, "It's not just the humans. The Redhorn Clan, the Dwarves, and the Centaurians all use the Strengthening Fruit as well."
At this point, the human children looked at Lin Qian with a growing sense of respect and awe. For someone like Barrett, as well as Lu Qiao Si and Shi Qiang from the Centaurians, to show such deference to Lin Qian, he must be an extraordinary figure.
"The problem lies precisely here," Lin Qian said after hearing their explanations. Now he finally understood why the humans' strength did not match their cultivation levels.
Curious, Liu Fang stepped forward and asked, "Esteemed lord, what problem? What do you mean?"
Seeing Liu Fang's confusion, Lin Qian sighed and said, "I've found the culprit behind why the humans' strength doesn't match their cultivation level…"
"It's your so-called Strengthening Fruit!"