Dashing Student Chapter 1368 1368: Heart's Desire Fulfilled

A child-like giggle, unnervingly clear, resonated from within the dense, thorny thicket.

Zhong Ling trembled, goosebumps prickling her skin. She fearfully pressed herself behind Chen Nan. "Master, who is laughing?"

Chen Nan's gaze remained fixed forward. The numerous vines writhed and swayed like grasping tentacles, the laughter undeniably emanating from their midst.

"Playing tricks!"

With a frigid snort, a sphere of Heaven-Burning Flame erupted from his palm, striking the vines and instantly igniting a raging conflagration.

From the heart of the inferno, the child's voice returned, this time filled with pain. "Wuu wuu... it hurts..."

A flicker of hesitation surfaced within Chen Nan's heart, an unconscious urge to cease his attack. However, his expression shifted abruptly, and he quickly shook his head.

"It can even sway one's heart? If not for my formidable divine soul, I too might have been deceived!" He was taken aback, uncertain of the true nature of the peril ahead.

Unexpectedly, Zhong Ling suddenly darted forward, tears streaming down her face. "Master, you are too cruel!"

Seeing her about to plunge into the flames, Chen Nan reacted swiftly, pulling her back while simultaneously activating the Buddhist Relic.

A gentle radiance of Buddha Light bathed Zhong Ling, momentarily dazing her. Soon, her senses returned, and recalling her preceding actions, she shuddered uncontrollably.

"Master, I..."

Chen Nan raised a hand, shaking his head. "There's no need to say anything more. You were enchanted just now; even I drew perilously close to falling for it."

Realizing its enticement had failed, the unseen entity unleashed its fury. Countless vines erupted from the flames, some rigid as iron, others supple as ropes.

The fierce blaze seemed unable to breach the very essence of these vines.

"Retreat!"

Chen Nan shoved Zhong Ling aside. A thought flashed through his mind, and a verdant glow ascended from his chest, manifesting on the ground as a towering tree.

Crowning the tree was a wooden dwelling, and from its branches dangled countless vines – it was Chen Nan's Spirit Root, the Wood Demon.

Both were of vine-like nature; the confrontation would reveal their relative strength.

The myriad vines intertwined with ferocious intensity, reminiscent of a beast's struggle, some detaching to writhe on the ground.

Rumble!

From beneath the earth, an even greater multitude of vines surged upwards, some thicker than Chen Nan himself, swaying like colossal pythons as they violently assaulted the Wood Demon.

The Wood Demon's branches became ensnared as well, and with a forceful tug, they snapped, releasing specks of green light from the fractures.

Witnessing the Wood Demon struggle against the unknown entity, a surge of anger coursed through Chen Nan. "If flames prove ineffective, then I shall wield my sword!"

With these words, he forcefully stamped the ground, propelling himself forward like a cannonball. Gripping Sword Chenyuan and accompanied by the Flying Locust Daggers, he sliced through the vines instantaneously.

Chen Nan penetrated the vine-laden barrier, Sword Chenyuan projecting sharp Sword Qi, carving a path forward while seeking the controller of these insidious growths.

An increasing number of vines obstructed his progress, each one morphing into sharp wooden spikes, densely aimed at him.

"Wind Blade!"

Chen Nan bellowed, the Wind Pearl within him spinning furiously. Wind from a vast radius seemed to converge into his hands before erupting outwards.

With a swift movement, the myriad wooden spikes were severed. Seizing the opportunity, he advanced further, yet the deeper he ventured, the more numerous the vines became, their forms increasingly resembling sharp blades.

Initially, a single strike sufficed for severance; subsequently, two, then three, then four were required. His advance slowed, and countless vines began to coil around him, constricting with crushing force!

Enveloped from all sides by the verdant tendrils, Chen Nan was completely submerged.

"Ah! Break free for me!"

Gritting his teeth, Chen Nan roared, his body expanding. The ensnaring vines snapped one by one, his hands contorting into claw-like appendages, taking on a demonic aspect!

"I will discover your true nature!"

He snarled, tearing at the vines with savage swipes, nearing a faint light. However, a colossal vine, thick as a pillar, materialized before him – evidently the primary conduit.

"Die!"

With a pointed finger, Hongmeng Origin Thunder streamed from his fingertip, cascading like liquid onto the vine, instantly enveloping their surroundings in a blinding flash of white light.

Rumble!

The thunder crackled. From deep within the vine mass, a barely audible cry of terror could be perceived.

As the white luminescence subsided, Chen Nan observed the colossal vine toppled, charred black, still emitting smoke, as though thoroughly incinerated.

Seizing this opportune moment, Chen Nan navigated past the remaining vines, emerging into an open area. The dense vegetation gave way to a small, tranquil clearing.

Similar to the Blood Jade Ginseng encountered previously, the center of this clearing harbored a piece of spiritual medicine, radiating potent waves of Spiritual Energy and emitting a soft, white luminescence.

A diminutive tree, no taller than a person, stood bare of leaves, a solitary fruit dangling from its branch, its form resembling a newborn infant.

"Hehe... wuu wuu..."

The fruit emitted noises, a confusing cacophony, shifting between whimpers and giggles, while the tree's roots served as its grasping vines.

Chen Nan's eyes were fixed on the fruit, a daring hypothesis forming within his mind: "Could this possibly be... the Xuanyuan Immortal Embryo Fruit?"

He had never encountered such a spiritual medicine before, yet its description, a fruit shaped like an infant and growing on a tree, matched perfectly.

Furthermore, the Xuanyuan Immortal Embryo Fruit possessed the ability to utilize its surroundings for defense, making its acquisition fraught with peril.

Its infant-like shape and the skillful use of its root-vines as defensive weapons were entirely consistent with the documented characteristics of the Xuanyuan Immortal Embryo Fruit.

Most importantly, despite being an Immortal Embryo Fruit, its capacity to imitate human sounds was an exact match for the peculiar fruit before him.

"Doubts are dispelled, what a treasure found." Chen Nan exclaimed in delight, cautiously advancing towards the tree.

Upon further thought, discovering a Xuanyuan Immortal Embryo Fruit in this location was hardly unexpected; if this place was once a flourishing Immortal Dynasty, cultivating rare spiritual ingredients for the Breaking Infant Pill would be a logical undertaking.

The Xuanyuan Immortal Embryo Fruit served not only as a key component for the Breaking Infant Pill but also as an essential ingredient in numerous high-tier elixirs, possessing a wide range of applications.

Producing a jade box, Chen Nan meticulously harvested the Xuanyuan Immortal Embryo Fruit, securing it within the container. The vines appeared to wither instantly, rapidly losing their vitality.

As he prepared to depart, Chen Nan hesitated, his attention drawn back to the tree that had borne the Immortal Embryo Fruit.