All Things Are Contracts - Chapter 237: The Golden Sacred Fruit
Chapter 237: The Golden Sacred Fruit
Facing the Disaster Beast’s gruesome corpse, Zhanyue couldn’t imagine how much suffering it had endured before death. However, it was better that Yunyao had vented her anger on it rather than on him.
Zhanyue stepped forward and summoned the Silver Moon Armor, but the expected reaction didn’t occur. The armor didn’t actively absorb the Disaster Beast’s blood as it had last time; it didn’t react at all.
“Are those bugs picky eaters?” Zhanyue could only think. But if they wouldn’t absorb it, what could he do? Perhaps this Disaster Beast’s blood meant nothing to them. “Well, we can’t expect such good fortune every time.”
“There’s also the Disaster Beast’s eye,” Yunyao handed one to Zhanyue, “But I feel it’s just an ordinary eyeball, nothing special about it.”
Although they had both completed the task, this time there was no reward at all.
“By the way, where’s that mirror?” Zhanyue suddenly remembered. The Mirror-Hugging Monkey’s power came from the mirror, not itself.
“Shattered,” Yunyao said flatly. “After I killed the monkey, the mirror turned to dust. We really didn’t get any benefits this time.”
“Ah, completing the task is good enough. Let’s go, we should return to the Spirit Eye Clan’s territory and check on them,” Zhanyue sighed.
In the Spirit Eye Clan’s territory, passing through the cemetery, Chief Ming Guang carried a bamboo basket to the jumbled stone area.
“Ancestor, come out for your meal.”
As always, he personally brought food for the ancestor. He took out plates of vegetables and fruits from the basket, placing them on the stone table as usual. The single eye on Chief Ming Guang’s face was filled with worry. He wondered how those two young people were doing.
The Spirit Eye ancestor dragged his heavy chains over, devouring the food ravenously as usual. However, as he ate, he suddenly paused, seeming to remember something, and froze in place.
“Ancestor, please eat. Is today’s food not to your liking? These are all your favorite vegetables and fruits,” Chief Ming Guang said, concerned at seeing the ancestor motionless.
“How long have I been mad?” the ancestor suddenly asked.
“About… thirty years,” Chief Ming Guang answered. Even though the Spirit Eye Clan’s lifespan was two to three times that of humans, and their powerful members lived even longer, thirty years was still a very long time.
“You’ve had a hard time these thirty years,” the Spirit Eye ancestor said.
“Ancestor, what are you saying? You’ve protected our clan for far more than thirty years. Taking care of you is our duty,” the chief was speaking when he suddenly froze, his body trembling violently, his single eye filled with shock.
“Ancestor… you… you’ve recovered?” Chief Ming Guang asked in a shaky voice, hoping for the answer he wanted.
“Yes,” the Spirit Eye ancestor formed a hand seal. Soon, the steel needles sealing his cultivation were all expelled from his body. He then easily broke the chains binding his limbs, freeing both his body and mind.
“Congratulations, Ancestor!” Chief Ming Guang knelt and kowtowed, his eye full of tears. The clan had been on the brink of extinction, and he couldn’t bear this responsibility. Fortunately, the ancestor had finally regained his sanity. With him around, many things would be much easier. He then thought, could it be that those two young people had solved the problem?
“Let’s go back. Soon, we should have honored guests arriving,” the ancestor said.
Not long after they returned to the clan territory, the Spirit Eye ancestor and Chief Ming Guang were waiting at the entrance.
Seeing the previously disheveled old man now standing there in clean clothes, Zhanyue and Yunyao understood that with the Disaster Beast’s death, the Spirit Eye ancestor had also returned to normal.
“Honored guests, please come in,” the Spirit Eye ancestor said to the two. It was hard to imagine that this dignified old man had been in such a state before. However, the fact that he had survived being hit by the divine light showed his strong will and survival instinct. Perhaps the Spirit Eye Clan’s situation had made it difficult for him to end his life, no matter how self-deprecating he became.
“This old man’s life and the fate of the Spirit Eye Clan have been preserved thanks to you two. We’ve prepared a celebratory feast inside. Please, take your seats,” the Spirit Eye ancestor said.
Almost all members of the Spirit Eye Clan had gathered. Today was even more lively than any previous celebration, with every household hanging red tree fruits as festive decorations. Even the sacred tree was adorned with colorful ribbons. Most importantly, Zhanyue noticed there wasn’t a single snake in the clan territory. It would have been quite a sight if everyone had brought out their snakes. Chief Ming Guang seemed to be very considerate, knowing Yunyao feared snakes, and ensured not a single snake appeared at the celebration.
During the feast, many Spirit Eye Clan members got drunk for the first time, indulging freely. They had been living under great pressure due to the Disaster Beast’s threat and the sacred tree’s decline. Now that the Disaster Beast was eliminated, their territory was free from worry.
After the banquet, the Spirit Eye ancestor led the two to a treehouse and had Chief Ming Guang bring a tray. On the tray were two golden fruits shaped like pears, gleaming with golden light, clearly extraordinary items.
“For your great kindness, our Spirit Eye Clan has no way to fully repay you. Please accept these two sacred fruits,” the Spirit Eye ancestor said.
“These… are these the legendary fruits that can awaken the Spirit Eye Clan’s bloodline talent? They probably won’t work for us, right?” Zhanyue asked, puzzled.
“Ordinary fruits wouldn’t work, but these two golden fruits are from the first-generation sacred tree. Even ordinary people would benefit greatly from eating them. These fruits don’t rot for ten thousand years. Since the first-generation sacred tree has long withered, once eaten, they’re gone forever. We don’t have many left in our clan, so we can only offer these two fruits to thank you. I hope you won’t find them lacking,” the Spirit Eye ancestor explained.
“Not at all, not at all,” Zhanyue quickly accepted one. He had been curious where these fruits came from, as the sacred tree had nothing on it. So they were remnants from the first-generation sacred tree. It seemed the Spirit Eye Clan had been farsighted, leaving themselves a backup plan.
Yunyao also took one. Her intuition told her that this item would greatly benefit her eye techniques as well.
“Do you two plan to continue dealing with the other Disaster Beasts?” the Spirit Eye ancestor asked.
“We came back for this very reason. We wanted to know if the Spirit Eye Clan has any clues about other Disaster Beasts and divine artifacts,” Zhanyue nodded and replied.
The Spirit Eye ancestor turned his head towards the north, recalling, “If you go north, there’s a desert. In the center of the desert is a huge oasis, where a race called the Dune Clan lives. They should also possess a divine artifact. However…”
“However, what?” Zhanyue pressed.
“The Dune Clan has a peculiar temperament, not as easy to deal with as we are,” the Spirit Eye ancestor said.
“Peculiar temperament?” Zhanyue expressed confusion. How peculiar could they be?
“The Dune Clan looks like giant standing lizards. They’ve always disliked contact with outsiders. At the same time, they’re extremely powerful, so generally, no one dares to approach them. They’re very belligerent and quick to anger. Their clan members are either fighting or on their way to a fight…”
Having obtained this information, the two decided to spend one night with the Spirit Eye Clan before setting out on their journey.
In the treehouse, the two took turns guarding each other as they consumed the golden sacred fruits. They felt their eyes brightening, becoming incredibly clear and bright. Their vision far surpassed what it had been before, and their eye techniques also improved significantly.
“It seems this time’s reward wasn’t on the Disaster Beast itself, but rather these golden sacred fruits,” Zhanyue said happily. It hadn’t been a wasted effort after all.