Chapter 229: Retrieving the Seed, News of the Demonic Marked Ones!
Lin Fan remained calm as he casually waved his hand and retrieved the Xuanwu Heaven-Suppressing Bell.
Ying Huanhuan descended lightly from the tree, hugging her emerald guqin. With a wave of her hand, she stored it away.
"The Desolate Demon Eye is really powerful. You being able to master it… that's actually kind of freakish. Also, that palm strike of yours at the end wasn't weak either," she said, glancing at Lin Fan.
Jiang Kun and Yuan Ling, standing nearby, now looked at Lin Fan with a touch of awe.
After witnessing his terrifying strength and ruthless efficiency, they no longer dared to treat him as just a new disciple.
Lin Fan smiled. "Senior Sister Huanhuan's sonic technique was quite impressive too."
Ying Huanhuan's pretty face flushed slightly.
She had briefly lost focus earlier and nearly allowed the Fire Crystal Ape King to escape.
Swish swish!
As they spoke, the sound of wind slicing through the forest reached them.
Moments later, Yuan Fang arrived with over a dozen disciples in tow.
Seeing everyone unharmed, her tense expression finally relaxed.
"What happened to the Fire Crystal Ape King?" she asked, scanning the area.
"Junior Brother Lin Fan handled it," Jiang Kun replied.
Yuan Ling chuckled and briefly recounted the battle.
"The Desolate Demon Eye?"
Upon hearing its name, Yuan Fang and her disciples were visibly shaken.
As Dao Sect disciples, they were naturally aware of this notorious Desolate Hall martial art.
They just hadn't expected that the young man before them had already mastered it.
"Sister Fang, what about the rest of the apes?" Ying Huanhuan asked.
"All taken care of," Yuan Fang nodded, then turned to look at the distant Immortal Essence Tree, her gaze complex.
She knew—once word of this tree got out, all of Bloodrock Grounds would be thrown into chaos.
Compared to the seed of the Immortal Essence Tree, this entire mining area was worthless.
Everyone now turned toward the dark, ancient tree that had erupted from the ground. Their eyes burned with desire but were filled with caution.
"Judging by the energy of the fruits, they should ripen in no more than five days," Ying Huanhuan said quietly. "Once that happens, we'll know whether this tree has a seed or not."
"Then we wait," Lin Fan nodded. "I have some knowledge of formations—if we have the materials, I could create a barrier to block any leaking aura."
Ying Huanhuan shook her head. "It's useless. As long as there's natural Yuan Power, the birth of an Immortal Essence Seed will always release energy we can't seal."
"And if we cut off the Yuan Power with a barrier, the fruit and seed won't mature properly."
"Fair enough. Guess we just wait then," Lin Fan said with a shrug.
And so, the group set up camp beside the tree, keeping guard as the fruits ripened.
Time passed swiftly.
On the fifth day, the five red fruits hanging on the Immortal Essence Tree glowed brighter than ever—clearly on the verge of ripening.
Lin Fan sat cross-legged near the tree. As the moment approached, he released threads of spiritual power from his Niwan Palace to cover the entire forest.
Nothing within that range could escape his notice.
Suddenly, a pair of small boots appeared before him.
Lin Fan opened his eyes to see Ying Huanhuan standing over him, her hands behind her back, peering down with lively eyes full of curiosity.
"Heard your spiritual power is strong. You're already an Eighth Seal Symbol Master?" she asked with a smile.
"It's alright. You cultivate spiritual power too?" Lin Fan smiled back.
"Yeah, but I've only passed one Wind Lightning Tribulation. Your spiritual sense spreads pretty far," she said with a slight pout.
"The fruit's almost ripe. Better to be safe and stay alert," Lin Fan replied.
"I thought this was just a normal mission… didn't expect it to become such a mess." Ying Huanhuan sat beside him, her dark eyes watching the tree. "Still, I kind of like it this way. If we can bring back an Immortal Essence Seed, it'd be a huge deal for Dao Sect."
She absently ran a slender finger along her chin, her long ponytail swaying over her shoulder as she rambled on about the seed's importance and the fierce competition in the Eastern Xuan Region.
Then, as if remembering something, she shot Lin Fan a sidelong glance. "With your talent, if you had joined Heaven Hall, you'd already be doing great things."
Lin Fan smiled. "I'll achieve even greater things in Desolate Hall."
"Hmph, still full of yourself. Let's see you say that after you comprehend the Great Wilderness Sutra," she huffed.
"I will. But first, let's get this seed back to the sect," Lin Fan said, his eyes locked on the tree's fruits.
"Hey, what are you two talking about?"
Jiang Kun and Yuan Ling had been watching them and couldn't help but interrupt.
"The fruit's about to ripen," Lin Fan said, his gaze sharpening.
Everyone tensed in anticipation.
Buzz…
The five crimson fruits trembled violently atop the tree, the shaking growing faster.
Then, with a sharp twitch, they detached from the branches and began to fall.
With a wave of his hand, Lin Fan created a vacuum of suction and drew all five fruits directly into his storage, transferring them to his system space. But his attention remained fixed on the tree.
Everyone else was watching too.
Even after the fruits fell, the tree's aura didn't fade. Instead, a rich green glow rose from its roots, along with a surge of life force.
Seeing this, everyone's eyes lit up.
Buzz!
The tree trembled again. A speck of green light appeared on the trunk, radiating intense vitality.
"The Immortal Essence Seed!"
Excitement burst from the group.
But then, the tree suddenly shuddered violently, and a thick beam of green light shot skyward, piercing through the forest canopy into the clouds.
The beam expanded until it blanketed the skies with green light, visible for miles.
Seeing this, the excitement on everyone's faces vanished—replaced by dread.
All three disciples wore uneasy expressions.
Swish!
Yuan Fang appeared with her disciples, startled by the eruption of green light.
"I've got bad news," she said. "We detected unfamiliar movements around the mine—likely from the Demonic Marked Ones."
"The Demonic Marked Ones?!"
Everyone's face turned pale.
"Grab the seed first. No matter who comes, they won't take it from us," Lin Fan said coldly, eyes calm.
"Right," Ying Huanhuan steadied herself, stepped forward, and thrust her hand into the pillar of light—grabbing the brightest point within it.
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on January 2, 2026.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1