This was the Sacred Medicine A Ku that Grape and Little Mushroom had mentioned before?
Yang Kai's expression shifted as he studied the Sacred Medicine A Ku, and he couldn't help but find the situation both amusing and exasperating. The Sacred Medicine's appearance was truly wretched—and he had no idea what miraculous properties it possessed.
Just then, A Ku let out a heavy sigh: "My life is so bitter!"
That long, drawn-out sigh seemed as though it would drag out all his internal organs.
Yang Kai felt his mind shudder. An irrepressible wave of melancholy surged up in his heart, and suddenly everything seemed utterly devoid of interest. What did it matter that he had wasted over a dozen years in the Land of No Elders and collected unimaginable wealth? It was nothing more than a pile of lifeless objects sitting in his spatial ring.
What was the point of fighting tooth and nail to find Primordial Spirit Fruits in the Land of No Elders? In the end, it would only benefit Zhu Jiuyin, and he himself wouldn't get to eat a single slice.
What return would he get for breaking free from the Boundary's constraints, venturing beyond it, and narrowly escaping death multiple times? By the time he found the World Tree, the Star Boundary might have already completely collapsed—its billions of living souls long since dissipated into nothingness.
...
All the negative emotions hidden deep within his heart surged up in unison with the Sacred Medicine A Ku's sigh, nearly drowning his consciousness completely.
His forward-rushing body gradually slowed, and his direction of travel lost its combative purpose.
On Yang Kai's shoulder, Pu Baixiong's roots covered his face as he sobbed uncontrollably: "From now on, I, Pu Baixiong, will have to change my name to Pu Ninety-Nine-Xiong! How can I ever show my face in public again? Just let me die!"
Little Mushroom plopped down on Yang Kai's shoulder and burst into loud wailing, crying and shouting all at once: "What am I even crying about? I'm so heartbroken! Waaaaaah..."
Yang Kai grunted and bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. The taste of blood spread through his mouth, and the Warm Spirit Lotus, safeguarding his soul, finally restored his clarity of mind.
He broke into a cold sweat and gazed warily at the Sacred Medicine A Ku.
This thing was truly bizarre. No wonder Little Mushroom had been so wary of it before, saying that every time it saw A Ku, it felt unbearably bitter. Now he could see for himself that this was indeed the case.
That sigh had sounded perfectly normal, yet it possessed a strange power that stirred up the darkest recesses of each person's heart, making it impossible to maintain composure.
The young man who possessed A Ku had a fair complexion and appeared not much older than Yang Kai. At this moment, his face was dark as he punched A Ku on the head and said through gritted teeth: "Shut up! When I tell you not to talk, don't you talk!"
A Ku shrank its head under the blow, its wrinkled face growing even more miserable, and let out another heavy sigh: "But I really am so bitter..."
The young man stumbled in mid-flight, nearly plunging headlong to the ground. Without even glancing at Yang Kai, he fled rapidly into the distance.
Only after the young man had gone far did Yang Kai let out a long, heavy breath. Grape and Little Mushroom gradually recovered as well, wiping the corners of their eyes, blinking blankly—neither knowing why they had been so heartbroken just moments before.
"Did we just run into A Ku?" Pu Baixiong asked in alarm.
Yang Kai nodded gently, gazing toward the distant mountain. That young man seemed to be heading toward the same destination. Yang Kai had only found this place so quickly thanks to Pu Baixiong's guidance. The young man, on the other hand, must have been guided by A Ku.
If that was the case, then the group who had obtained Sacred Medicines would surely be guided by their own as well, and they would probably all gather here before long.
"I knew it! Running into A Ku never leads to anything good! That thing is nothing but a jinx!" Pu Baixiong cursed loudly.
"Are you certain the fruit tree is on that mountain?" Yang Kai asked.
Pu Baixiong said: "Certain! The Old Tree has always been on that mountain—it's never moved!"
Yang Kai took a light breath. "Looks like we'll have to go and meet this A Ku." With those words, his figure flickered as he sped toward the mountain.
The destination wasn't too far, but it wasn't exactly close either—a full two thousand li.
Along the way, Pu Baixiong kept reminding him: "Master, you absolutely must be careful! Running into A Ku never brings anything good. Did it say anything to you just now?"
Yang Kai replied: "No. It just said it was bitter."
Pu Baixiong finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, good. If it had said something to you, that would have been bad."
Yang Kai didn't understand, but he didn't feel the need to press further.
An hour later, Yang Kai was gradually approaching the tall mountain when suddenly his expression shifted, and he fixed his gaze on the summit. What he saw made his eyes widen—perched atop the peak stood what appeared to be a towering fruit tree, its canopy spreading wide enough to shade heaven and earth. It was enormous, covering the entire mountain, its grandeur staggering.
The Primordial Spirit Fruit Tree!
Yang Kai's eyes lit up at the sight. Pu Baixiong had been right—the Old Tree had indeed taken root here. As long as he could snatch a single Primordial Spirit Fruit, he could exchange it for the safety of Yue He and the others. And that had been his primary objective in entering the Land of No Elders all along.
What made Yang Kai frown with suspicion, however, was the faint, almost imperceptible pulse of World Power he sensed from the mountaintop! Where on earth had that World Power come from?