"What? That can't be true!" Liu Fang and the others were utterly shocked by Lin Qian's words. They had always relied on this fruit to enhance their bodies.
And now, Lin Qian was telling them that the very thing they had been using to boost their strength was actually the culprit behind their lack of power!
"For the Redhorn Clan, Dwarves, or Centaurians, this purple fruit being called a Strengthening Fruit isn't wrong. For your three races, consuming this fruit indeed helps strengthen the body and aids in cultivation." Lin Qian paused and sighed. "But for humans, this isn't a Strengthening Fruit—it's a Spirit-Consuming Fruit!"
Hearing this, Liu Fang's face turned pale as a terrifying thought crossed his mind, but he still forced himself to ask, "Respected lord, what effect does this fruit have on humans?"
Lin Qian's expression turned cold as he pointed to the purple juice on the ground. "This fruit is called the Spirit-Consuming Fruit for a reason. For humans, consuming it places a heavy burden on your meridians and dantian."
"The medicinal properties of the Spirit-Consuming Fruit accumulate in the walls of the meridians and dantian, making them thicker. This causes your meridians and dantian to be much smaller in capacity compared to normal humans." Lin Qian sighed as he explained to Liu Fang.
The Spirit-Consuming Fruit also existed within the territory of the Hua Xia Empire, so Lin Qian was well aware of its harmful effects on humans.
Every human body is unique, and different races have different physical constitutions. What may be beneficial for one race can be detrimental to another.
Therefore, for the Redhorn Clan, Dwarves, and Centaurians, this fruit might be a beneficial tool for strengthening their bodies, but for humans, it's a poison they should never touch.
But in this underground world of the Ancient Forest, where this fruit grows abundantly, all races have been consuming it. With no normal humans around for reference, the humans of this underground world have always believed that their weakness was due to their race.
In reality, it was all because of the Spirit-Consuming Fruit.
"Because of the Spirit-Consuming Fruit, your meridians—where soul power circulates—become narrow, and your dantian, which stores soul power, has a much smaller capacity. While your physical body may be in line with your cultivation level, your soul power is underdeveloped, resulting in weaker overall strength."
"If you stop consuming the Spirit-Consuming Fruit, the disparity between your cultivation level and strength will disappear. Additionally, for those who have already been affected, as long as you can find a way to remove the remnants of the fruit's effects from your meridians and dantian, you can return to normal."
After hearing Lin Qian's explanation, Liu Fang's face lit up with excitement.
He now understood that humans weren't inherently weak. Their weakness was simply due to consuming this poisonous fruit.
If it weren't for Lin Qian arriving in this underground world, they would have continued to eat this so-called Strengthening Fruit.
Now that they knew there was a solution, it meant that humans would finally be able to overcome their current weakness.
Barrett, standing nearby, also understood the implications of Lin Qian's words. If the humans in the Ancient Forest returned to their normal strength, it would drastically improve their power.
Their collective strength would significantly increase.
Meanwhile, little Jiang, who had been listening, was still in a daze.
Even though he was young, he could understand the conversation between Lin Qian and the others.
"So, the Strengthening Fruit I cherished is actually poison for humans!" Little Jiang's small mind struggled to comprehend this overwhelming information. It took him a long time to snap out of his daze.
At that moment, Lin Qian walked over to Jiang again, crouched down, and patted the boy's head. He handed him a vial of the light green Strengthening Potion. "I guarantee this will work much better than the Spirit-Consuming Fruit."
Jiang took the vial from Lin Qian, bowed deeply, and carefully tucked the potion into his pocket.
He couldn't wait to go home and try it out to see if it was as effective as Lin Qian claimed.
"Respected lord, is there a way for those of us who already have a significant amount of the Spirit-Consuming Fruit's effects in our bodies to recover?" After the children happily ran off, Liu Fang nervously asked Lin Qian.
Hearing Liu Fang's question, Lin Qian confidently replied, "Of course, I have a way. As for the details, it's not convenient to share right now."
Liu Fang nodded repeatedly. Such a critical matter couldn't be divulged easily, and he understood that Lin Qian would have his reasons for withholding the details.
But in his heart, hope had already blossomed.
Lin Qian was nothing short of a savior for the humans. Liu Fang believed that with Lin Qian's help, the humans of the Ancient Forest could finally shed their reputation as the weakest race.
"You should spread the word about the dangers of the Spirit-Consuming Fruit," Lin Qian advised Liu Fang before turning to Barrett and the others. "You should reassure your people as well. I'll be wandering around on my own, so don't worry about me."
With Lin Qian's reassurances, Barrett and the others nodded earnestly and went off to handle their respective tasks.
They weren't concerned about Lin Qian's safety—given his cultivation level, there was no one in the settlement who could pose a threat to him. They left him to explore the settlement freely while they attended to their duties.
Barrett assigned one of his clansmen to spread the news about the Spirit-Consuming Fruit and then headed to the center of the settlement to report to their leader.
Meanwhile, Lin Qian wandered leisurely through the settlement, observing how the four races lived together harmoniously. It was a fascinating sight, and he felt it was an excellent model for how the Hua Xia Empire could integrate other races in the future.
As Lin Qian explored the settlement, he suddenly received a message from within the Hua Xia Empire.
He checked and saw that the one who had sent the message was none other than his prime minister, Zhuge Ming.
When Lin Qian opened the interface, Zhuge Ming's face appeared, trembling with excitement.
Lin Qian couldn't help but wonder if Zhuge Ming was so excited that he might have a seizure.
"What has you so excited?"