Chapter 534: Thunder Roar Fruit

Boom boom boom.

Amid the mountain range where thunder rumbled ceaselessly, three squads formed up and sped past.

Although the area of the Thunder Roar Mountain Range was sparse in malign energy, the three squads did not let down their guard because of it. On the contrary, the inexplicable disappearance of that one squad made them even more vigilant. After all, none of the students present were fools. They came from various academies, and they were the very cream of the crop. No matter which one of them, placed in their respective countries, would absolutely be considered a young talent with boundless prospects.

So they all understood that in a dangerous place like this, any lapse was a great taboo.

The three captains, whose strength had reached the Tian Zhu Jing realm, had the Eldest Princess at the very front of the formation, Qin Yin Yue soaring through the air to observe the surroundings, and Zhao Zhao Beili of the Skyfire Sacred Academy bringing up the rear. In this way, the formation was naturally protected from all directions.

The squads leapt through the forest, moving at extreme speed.

Yet along the way, as they gradually pressed deeper into the mountain range, Li Luo and everyone else were surprised to discover that they had not encountered any obstruction at all, nor found any trace of aberrations.

This stretch of the Thunder Roar Mountain Range seemed to truly be the only pure land in all of Red Sand Prefecture.

Everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty at this, and could only continue forward cautiously.

And as Li Luo's group carefully pressed deeper into the mountain range, at that moment, somewhere in the darkness of the range...

This place was pitch dark, with extremely Nian Chou Hou Zhong malign energy churning all around. The density of that malign energy even exceeded what was inside Zhenjiang City.

In the darkness, at a stone platform.

A man in black armor lit a stick of crimson incense. The smoke gradually rose, forming a curtain of smoke before him.

"My lord, another squad has entered Thunder Roar Mountain." The black-armored man dropped to one knee, and the voice that came from beneath his visor was low and hoarse.

Within the smoke curtain, a crimson figure seemed to flicker in and out of sight, and a cold voice rang out at the same time: "These brats from the academy alliance truly don't know what's good for them. Since they've come, then take them all. These students are the elite of their respective academies. If they suffer losses, I imagine they'll feel a bit of heartache."

"This raid by the academy alliance came far too suddenly. No one expected them not to mobilize the surrounding powers, but instead to turn Red Sand Prefecture into the arena for that Holy Grail War... but this matter is probably not that simple. Beyond this, they should have some other objective."

"But no matter what they want to do, Red Sand Prefecture is the place I'm in charge of. I won't let them have their way."

"Thunder Roar Mountain is an important arrangement of mine in Red Sand Prefecture. It must not be damaged here. You failed to hold Zhenjiang City. If something goes wrong at Thunder Roar Mountain too, you know the consequences."

Hearing the indifferent, cold words from within the smoke curtain, the black-armored man trembled slightly, bowed and replied: "Rest assured, my lord. Thunder Roar Mountain was personally arranged by you. There will certainly be no mishaps!"

The crimson figure within the smoke curtain nodded indifferently, and then the smoke curtain rippled and gradually dispersed.

"So this is Thunder Roar Mountain."

Li Luo's group stared at the towering great mountain before them. By now they had reached the depths of the Thunder Roar Mountain Range, and this Thunder Roar Mountain before their eyes was the core of the range. The Thunder Roar Tree was located at its peak.

"It's been far too smooth along the way." The Eldest Princess knit her delicate brows slightly and said.

The others nodded as well, brows tightly furrowed, their faces turning solemn. This kind of smoothness instead made them uneasy. After all, the place they were in now was Red Sand Prefecture, ravaged by the Other Calamity, yet here in the Thunder Roar Mountain Range, not a single aberration could be seen... that was truly rather strange.

"If this place really were so harmless and smooth, then where exactly did that missing squad go?" Qin Yin Yue asked.

The group exchanged glances, and silently began circulating their phaseforce.

"Let's go. Regardless, let's head up the mountain and take a look first." The Eldest Princess said decisively.

None of the group raised any objection. They immediately set off and plunged into this towering Thunder Roar Mountain. Their figures leapt through the forest, and an hour later, they reached the peak without any hindrance, and then saw that incomparably massive and spectacular Thunder Roar Tree.

Its silver trunk was as if forged from metal, gleaming with luster. Its vast canopy spread out to blot out the sky, as if it had covered the entire mountaintop.

This spectacular silver giant tree was comparable to the phaseforce trees within the Sacred Academies, which drew secret sighs of amazement from Li Luo's group.

"Still nothing out of the ordinary..." Zhao Zhao Beili's gaze swept over the mountaintop. Here, thunder rumbled endlessly. Thunderclouds churned in the sky above, and bolts of lightning constantly howled down, only to be blocked by the canopy of the Thunder Roar Tree. The force of the lightning seemed to be absorbed into it.

And there was no trace of any aberrations.

The group exchanged glances, finding it truly bizarre.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's golden eyes lifted. She gazed at this towering, spectacular Thunder Tree, and then saw at the center of the canopy, two silver fruits hanging quietly. On the surface of the fruits, thunder-like patterns seemed to emerge, with wisps of Lei Guang constantly leaping across them.

"Are those the Thunder Roar Fruits?" she said.

Everyone's gazes also shot over. They stared at those two silver fruits, a flash of eagerness passing through their eyes.

The reason they had come to Thunder Roar Mountain was, in truth, originally drawn by the fame of the Thunder Roar Fruits. After all, this was a marvel renowned throughout the Black Wind Empire. Refining it could temper the physical body, making it far more powerful. Those with good talent might even be able to use it to cultivate a "Thunder Roar Body," a rather special constitution that could greatly amplify one's own strength.

Even for someone of the Eldest Princess's status, she would not treat such a rare treasure lightly.

The Eldest Princess studied it seriously for a while, then raised her jade hand. A streak of cyan phaseforce shot out, directly plucking those two Thunder Roar Fruits, then wrapping them in phaseforce. They slowly descended, hovering before the group.

Viewed at such close range, within those Thunder Roar Fruits, there seemed to be the sound of thunder rumbling, making them appear all the more wondrous.

"Quite a fine treasure indeed."

The Eldest Princess sighed in admiration, then swept her phoenix-like eyes and smiled: "But there are only two... with so many of us here, how should we divide them?"

The group exchanged glances, their gazes flickering. Especially Qin Yin Yue and Zhao Zhao Beili — these two themselves possessed Tian Zhu Jing strength, and they too had a strong interest in the Thunder Roar Fruits. In terms of strength and status, they clearly also had the qualifications to compete for them.

However, although the two were interested, they did not rashly speak up.

Because they were not fools. The number of Thunder Roar Fruits that had appeared was somewhat eerily off.

The Eldest Princess smiled faintly, her smile seeming rather radiant: "What an interesting number. Two peaches to slay three warriors. I wonder if this is a coincidence, or done deliberately by someone?"

Qin Yin Yue and Zhao Zhao Beili's gazes hardened.

"Does Your Highness mean that this was deliberately set up? The purpose being to make us fight over the Thunder Roar Fruits and turn on each other?" Qin Yin Yue asked.

"Perhaps." The Eldest Princess nodded slightly.

Jiang Jiang Qinge, off to the side, stared at those two Thunder Roar Fruits and suddenly said: "Your Highness, give me one Thunder Roar Fruit to look at."

The Eldest Princess was taken aback for a moment, then waved her jade hand. Cyan phaseforce wrapped around a Thunder Roar Fruit and floated it before Jiang Jiang Qinge.

Under everyone's watchful gazes, Jiang Jiang Qinge directly reached out and grasped that Thunder Roar Fruit. She was silent for several breaths. Just as everyone was puzzled, she suddenly clenched her palm tightly. As her force erupted, she actually crushed this rare and precious fruit to pieces on the spot.

Lei Guang rumbled within her palm.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's sudden action startled everyone. Qin Yin Yue and Zhao Zhao Beili's eyes flashed with a look of heartache, their mouths moved, wanting to say something.

But the next moment, the words they were about to say suddenly froze on their lips.

Because they saw that, as that Thunder Roar Fruit shattered, the leaping Lei Guang gradually turned pitch black, and a dense aura of malign energy emanated from within the fruit's core.

That core of the Thunder Roar Fruit...

Actually hid a malign seed within!

The pupils of everyone present contracted sharply, and a chill slowly welled up from the depths of their hearts at this moment.

This place truly was strange!