Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint

Old Turtle had just mentioned the Thunder Fruit Tree, which was located at the core of this peculiar terrain.

Upon witnessing the exotic terrain of this place, Jiang Ning became more convinced of the tree's existence.

A spark of fervor ignited in his heart.

According to his knowledge,

Thunder Fruit contained the power of lightning.

Consumed by Martial Artists, it could lead to a complete transformation and bodily enhancement.

But its greatest effect was in tempering the viscera and enhancing the Inner Breath.

The older the Thunder Fruit, the stronger its effect, and the greater the increase in Medicinal Power.

Moreover, this item was extremely rare.

The demands that the Thunder Fruit Tree placed on its environment were very strict.

Only in a place where lightning struck all year round could the Thunder Fruit Tree possibly be born.

Such phenomena have practically become legends recorded in books, barely seen in reality.

Unless one ventured beyond Great Xia, to the vast uninhabited regions, into the fierce mountains and treacherous waters, there was a chance to discover such wondrous fruits.

For instance, in the mountains of Southern Ridge, as far as Jiang Ning knew,

members of the Demon Clan had long lifespans, and Great Demons and even Demon Kings from Ancient Times remained in slumber within the wild mountains of Southern Ridge.

Only in such terrifying places untraveled by humans could such unique scenes possibly exist.

Now, however, he was witnessing a similar exotic landscape at the bottom of Luoshui Lake.

The intermittent bursts of lightning here also corroborated Old Turtle's words, lending them credibility.

...

Moving forward,

by controlling a circular area with a radius of three miles underwater, Jiang Ning saw that the exotic landscape extended far beyond his sensory range.

Within the area he could sense, lightning crashed constantly among the rock pillars, with bright arcs flashing by.

"Old Turtle, do you know why such phenomena occur in this place?" As lightning exploded nearby, Jiang Ning asked.

"Your Majesty, I do not know!" Old Turtle replied, then continued, "These phenomena have existed here since I gained my divine cognitive abilities, more than two hundred years ago."

Hearing this, Jiang Ning nodded slightly.

Just then,

his expression brightened.

For in his perception, he saw a purple tree shrouded by layers of underwater rock pillars ahead.

The tree stood two-thirds of a meter tall.

The entire tree was bare without a single leaf, with only three fist-sized fruits hanging from its crown.

At the same time,

Jiang Ning also saw a huge eel coiled under the tree.

Ordinary adult eels were only about three meters long.

But the eel under the tree was six to seven meters long, clearly like Old Turtle under his feet, breaking the bounds of its species to become a demon.

At that moment, Jiang Ning could also see blue Thunder Light circulating within the eel's body.

It flowed slowly from the tail towards the head, circulating over and over again in an endless loop.

The fluctuating Thunder Light also caused the surrounding scene to flicker between light and dark.

After seeing the eel, Jiang Ning looked down at Old Turtle beneath his feet.

The contrast between the two made it clear why Old Turtle could not defeat the eel.

Their auras seemed totally different.

Besides being a bit larger in size, Old Turtle did not exhibit anything extraordinary.

But the eel was different; its body was suffused with Thunder Light, giving off an aura of otherworldliness.

Old Turtle was also lying low, guiding them in the direction of the eel.

Jiang Ning once again turned his attention to the large tree beside the eel.

He compared it to his knowledge.

"Indeed, it is the Thunder Tree!" Jiang Ning confirmed in his heart.

His gaze then fell on the three Thunder Fruits at the top of the tree.

Based on his understanding,

for every additional ten years a Thunder Fruit aged, it would accumulate a Thunder Imprint on its skin.

Each Thunder Imprint represented ten years' worth of Medicinal Power, potentially increasing a user's power by an average of one year.

The variability lay in the differences in one's constitution and absorptive efficiency.

Jiang Ning, from a distance of one or two kilometers, could see with a sweep of his perception that the three Thunder Fruits bore five, two, and nine Thunder Imprints, respectively.

This meant that the three fruits on the Thunder Tree had accumulated Medicinal Power equivalent to fifty, twenty, and ninety years, respectively.

"What a pity!" Jiang Ning shook his head, feeling somewhat regretful.

He regretted that the ninety-year-old Thunder Fruit was not a century old.

Any Heavenly Material that had reached a hundred years in age would undergo a qualitative leap in efficacy.

A ninety-year-old Thunder Fruit didn't stand a chance to be compared with one that had reached a hundred years, as the effects of the two were not on the same level.

"What a pity!" he shook his head again.

A ninety-year-old Thunder Fruit.

If it were left here for some time, perhaps one year or maybe ten, it would undergo a transformation and become a hundred-year-old Thunder Fruit.

But he couldn't wait for such a lengthy period.

And even though the value of a Thunder Fruit was high and could increase one's power, it wasn't worth waiting for.

...

Under the Thunder Tree.

A massive Thunder Eel, six to seven meters in length, suddenly opened its eyes.

It raised its head high like a serpent, three feet off the ground, then looked around vigilantly.

The next moment.

Its blue pupils suddenly contracted.

It saw, behind a pillar of rock, an enormous ancient turtle carrying a man approaching.

Under the soft blue glow emitted by the Thunder Tree, the scene was clearly visible.

Roar—

The Thunder Eel immediately opened its mouth wide and let out a roar in the direction of Jiang Ning.

In an instant.

The fins on its body erected, and streaks of blue light coursed through them.

The previously calm waters of the lake's bottom turned into ripples upon ripples, spreading towards Jiang Ning.

"General Turtle, you dare come here!!"

It can speak after all!

A trace of surprise flashed in Jiang Ning's eyes.

Originally, he thought Luoshui Lake was just an ordinary lake, albeit larger in size and deeper at the bottom.

But now, it seemed clear that some demons had been nurtured within this body of water.

Demons that had awakened their wisdom, possessed demonic power, and racial talents.

Just like the Old Turtle beneath his feet, which had the Innate Divine Ability to manipulate size and control water.

According to Old Turtle's description, this Thunder Eel, known as the Thunder Flood Dragon, had the Innate Divine Ability to unleash explosive lightning.

His gaze fell upon the Thunder Eel and lingered on the blue light surging around its body.

Such a direct stare made the Thunder Eel quite uneasy.

Its gaze immediately fell on Jiang Ning, sitting on the back of Old Turtle.

"Human!" its pupils slit, and a strong lust for killing flashed in its eyes.

As a demon that had awakened its intelligence, it was very aware of the power humans possessed.

It also knew the preciousness of the tree it was guarding.

From a mere ordinary eel, it had achieved its current fortune thanks to the fruits of this tree.

For years, fruit after fruit entered its belly, not only awakening its intelligence, endowing it with wisdom, but also making it the overlord of the surrounding waters, and even the two-hundred-year-old Old Turtle was no match for it.

It was even more aware that once news of this fruit tree spread and reached human settlements, it would inevitably attract overwhelming foes it couldn't resist.

Although this place was a deep-water area of the lake, almost devoid of life, the powerful humans could still reach here.

With this in mind.

The killing intent in its eyes grew stronger.

The next moment.

Roar—

The Thunder Eel no longer hesitated and once again opened its massive mouth, letting out a roar towards Jiang Ning and the Old Turtle beneath him.

With one roar, lightning thundered, instantly spreading across the lake and turning the previously dark lake bottom purely white in an instant.

So decisive?

Jiang Ning was slightly astonished.

Then, he lifted his right hand.

In the water, his strength was at least one level higher compared to on land; in the water, he was truly in his element.

As he raised his hand, the surrounding lake water instantly surged.

Within three miles, the previously still lake water started to move drastically, and undercurrents surged.

Countless rock pillars that had been silent for countless ages, similar to Danxia landforms, suddenly erupted with lightning arcs from the bottom of the lake and the pillars.

In the area where Jiang Ning was, the sudden upheaval of the lake water seemed to cause.

Countless lightnings to burst forth from the lake bed.

With the burst of lightning, the Thunder Tree began to emit a blue-purple glow, absorbing and devouring the surrounding lightning.