After talking to Austin for a while, the girl wasn't as timid and shy as before. It seemed she was no
longer scared of him. In her eyes, Austin didn't seem so serious now, either.
She stared at him, her eyes round like two saucers as she gnashed her teeth together. "You are awful!
Why did you force me to stop just now? Do you know how dangerous it was? If I had died, my ghost
would have followed you every day and everywhere, just to annoy you to death!"
Austin watched the girl carefully, his face turning grim.
"You cried out when things got dangerous. I know you didn't mean to kill anyone. But if I were a person
without so much power, what would have happened? You wouldn't have been so lucky to find yourself
safe and sound. Likely you would have been dismembered into small pieces by a sword."
Listening to Austin's dreary words, the girl grew frightened, her face turning red. She had no words to
defend herself.
A moment later, she complained in a low voice, "But you shouldn't be so heartless either! People often
say that we should help others when they're in trouble. You are so powerful that nothing can harm you,
so even if I took advantage of it, you wouldn't get injured."
Austin was stunned, realizing that it would be difficult to win this argument.
The girl sniggered. "Okay, it doesn't matter now. I forgive you. Since we have both made mistakes, we
can forgive each other. We're innocent. Let's go back to the start. I didn't introduce myself. My name is
Fanny."
'Innocent? I have saved your life!' Austin thought furiously.
He frowned. He was not convinced at all, but he didn't want to talk to this girl anymore.
"Well, I'm busy. I have to go now," he said, and then turned around to leave.
"Hey, are you going to fight for the celestial energy ginseng? Take me please!"
Austin ignored what she said and kept moving forward.
"Hey, you can't just go and leave me alone on this desolate mountain. If a cruel beast attacked me and
ate me up, wouldn't you feel guilty?"
Seeing that Austin didn't stop to wait for her, Fanny shuffled behind Austin.
"Hey! I'm just a weak girl. I need someone to take care of me. You are so strong, but why are you being
so mean? Are you so unwilling to protect me? What if the gang that attacked me came back?"
...... ......
Half a day later, Austin arrived at the site where the celestial energy ginseng grew.
It was a small valley covering a span of about three acres. Dark red land with countless cracks and
ravines encompassed its length.
Strangely, the peaks around the valley were enveloped with dewy green grass, as well as tall trees with
blossoming flowers. Birds chirped around the scenery, hinting at thriving life and vitality.
Compared to the mountains, the valley looked particularly bleak and barren. There wasn't a tree in
sight. No tracks of grass, only cracked land. However, a small area, more fertile and moist, could be
seen. It was about three square meters wide, smack in the center of the valley.
In the center of the space stood a plant about fifteen centimeters in height, glittering with beams of
multi-colored light.
The plant resembled a small baby with organs and four limbs. Moreover, a penis could be seen on its
underside. It looked to be a boy!
That was undoubtedly the celestial energy ginseng.
Austin stared at the celestial energy ginseng, bathed in eight circles of colorful light, sparkling and
dazzling with intensity. It was an exquisite sight set against the neighboring barren land. The plant was
pure, ethereal and entirely holy.
Besides the eight dazzling circles of colorful light, there was another faint circle shaped by dots of light.
Glancing at the outermost circle of light that seemed a little dark, Austin knew that the celestial energy
ginseng was gathering its ninth circle of light, the appearance of which would indicate the plant's
maturity.
When the celestial energy ginseng was totally ripe, warriors around would try to fight for it. The scuffle
could not be avoided.
No one could be sure they would get their hands on the celestial energy ginseng. Austin could only do
his best to fight for it.
Looking around, he found a large boulder in the valley to hide behind.
Before he could step behind the stone, however, he heard someone coming. A waft of floral, feminine
scent rushed to his nose. Turning around, he saw Fanny follow him to hide behind the stone.
She had been following Austin closely.
Fanny had moved quickly, so she didn't get lost on the way.
Of course, the sole reason she could even catch up to Austin was that he didn't speed up. He knew
Fanny wasn't as strong. It would be dangerous for her to walk all alone in the wilderness. He also
worried that the gang that attacked her would want their stolen things back and chase her.
If left alone, Fanny would be at great risk.
"You are so irritating! The louder I called out for you to wait for me, the faster you walked away. Why
couldn't you just go a little slower?"
As Fanny complained in a tired voice, she massaged her sore muscles here and there, loosening her
clothes unwittingly. She had followed Austin for half a day. Now she was entirely exhausted. With no
energy to realize what picture she made sitting there so casually, she stretched her white feet and slim
arms.
What was most unnerving was how she massaged her small, growing breasts a number of times.
Austin stared at her with curiosity. Was it possible to help her relax by massaging her breasts? He had
never seen someone do this before.
Just then, Fanny raised her head, only to find Austin staring at her chest. Immediately on high alert,
she covered her chest with her hands.
"You lothario, you're not allowed to see my chest!"
Austin, rolling his eyes, turned around and ignored her.
"Humph, you've been exposed! Are you embarrassed? I know you're just pretending to ignore me."
Fanny had no intention to stop scolding him.
But at the same moment, the celestial energy ginseng in the center of the valley attracted her attention.
"So it is true! The celestial energy ginseng can absorb the life energy around it! It's no wonder the land
around it is barren. There's no blade of grass in sight."
Hearing Fanny's words, Austin narrowed his eyes in curiosity.
"Do you mean to say there isn't grass on the land because the celestial energy ginseng has sucked out
the life vitality around it? Is that why the land is so infertile?"
"Yes, of course! Where the celestial energy ginseng grows, the land is barren. It's like a wasteland, no
other life exists on it. You didn't know that? How ignorant of you!"
Fanny raised her delicate face, her voice lilting as she replied smugly.
"The most valuable of nature's gifts are always so breathtaking and mysterious," Austin mumbled in
awe.
"This celestial energy ginseng is seven hundred years old. After its ninth circle of light gathers, it will
have unpredictable efficacy. The warriors of the Mysterious Realm can make great breakthroughs in
their martial arts practice and get to higher levels of power if they consume the celestial energy
ginseng."
Warriors of the Mysterious Realm were some of the most powerful people in the Violet Orchid Empire.
That was to say, if the warriors of the Mysterious Realm had knowledge about the celestial energy
ginseng, they would surely come to fight for it.
However, outside of the Grand Desolation Mountain, these warriors weren't seen generally.
In the valley, the air filled up with a sweet fragrance that tickled the nostrils pleasantly.
It was a fruity aroma that rejuvenated those who smelled it. Something strange was contained in it that
left a person wonderstruck, urging them to muse on it.
But none of the warriors around had the heart to think right now. They stared at the center of the valley
with yearning in their eyes, their gazes unmoving as the celestial energy ginseng gathered its ninth
circle of light.
The fruity fragrance alone lightened their spirits. Its efficacy was obvious. What would happen if
someone finally got their hands on it? How lucky he or she would be!
As Austin inhaled the smell, tranquility dispersed through him from head to toe. "The celestial energy
ginseng is inconceivably valuable," he muttered.
The heartening fragrance in the air was proof of how precious the ginseng was.
'What if I could get it?' he wondered, having set his heart on it.
His eyes were two burning flames of desire.
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