Chapter 359: Are Fire Dragon Fruits Really That Different?

Every two years, the Grain Seed Competition turned Star College into a sea of joy, as contestants and curious onlookers flooded in from all directions.

This year, due to famine, the entire plane had been suppressed for a long time, with no grand celebrations; even the Harvest Festival had been abolished after the Harvest Goddess's followers suffered hunger.

It was said the Harvest Goddess's followers had been sold by Anthony to another plane—His Holiness Anthony's methods toward heretics were truly cruel… merciful. No wonder he was the Pope, the divine messenger on earth.

From now on, without the Harvest Festival, the biennial Grain Seed Competition would likely become the largest event.

Perhaps it was a year's worth of pent-up desire to let loose, or perhaps because there were no other events to draw crowds—this year, far more people came to the Grain Seed Competition.

For over ten days, people had been arriving nonstop by every means possible: some by boat, some on flying mounts, some walking, some riding horses—all pouring in from every direction.

Even the Drop Dragon Lake saw many travelers who, upon arriving, were astonished to find a city had appeared there.

Though Meishencheng had gained some fame among landowners and nobles over two years, its influence on ordinary people was virtually zero—when people couldn't even eat, no one cared about a city a thousand kilometers into the desert that promised beauty.

So when some arrived by boat, they found the river blocked.

On a luxurious shallow-draft boat, a mage activated an amplification magic array and shouted: "Who are you? By what right have you blocked the East River?"

"I'll tell you this—the East River belongs to everyone. No one has the right to block it. Remove the barrier immediately, or I'll burn your pathetic city to ashes. Meishen? Who the hell can call themselves a god these days?"

At the dock, Ange and his group were preparing to depart. Ange's plan was simple: ride his "horse" there, ask Xiludi for directions, or just teleport directly.

After all, it wasn't far. They could wait until the competition day.

But he'd underestimated the enthusiasm of the crowd.

First, Lisa came over, helping him dig trenches, build ridges, weed, and sow seeds—sweating profusely, her clothes soaked and clinging to her skin. To an outsider, it looked like she was trying to seduce Ange.

Finally, Negril couldn't take it anymore and told her to spit it out, or just… let it go.

"My lord, take me to the Grain Seed Competition!" Lisa said, her eyes gleaming.

"Star College is right here. Can't you go yourself?" Negril asked, surprised. It wasn't a big deal.

"Going alone isn't the same. It's the Grain Seed Competition! The first stage is food tasting—I want to eat from start to finish!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Wait, wait—you sound like a child begging their parent to take them out. And you're a lich. How can you eat?"

"I can! I can!" Lisa hurriedly said, extending her damp little tongue and flicking it around her lips.

"The Noble Tree Shepherd can bless the tongue, restoring its pre-death sense of taste. As long as I don't swallow, I can feel the flavor. I haven't eaten in over a thousand years. Please take me."

"Tree Shepherd? Pre… how did you end up with it? Did you offend it?"

Lisa shook her head. "It seems to like Xiao Bu. Lately it's been playing with Xiao Bu, blessing the straw owl, then pulling out its straw—making the owl scream in pain."

"... t actually does such boring things." Negril didn't know what to say. How could this thing have the same vile personality as it?

"So I thought—if it can make an owl scream in pain, maybe it can restore touch, taste, and pain for a lich? I brought a bottle of insect ash liquid to it, and it happily blessed my tongue."

Negril was astonished. "You actually connected those two things?"

"Hehe." Lisa chuckled. "Lord of Knowledge, I've thought of other things too—like elderly clients whose senses have dulled. Could the Shepherd bless them to restore sensitivity? That could lead to… marital harmony. It's a huge business."

Negril was lost until Lisa awkwardly explained further, then suddenly understood. He slapped his hip and said: "You mean erectile dysfunction! What 'marital harmony'? What nonsense."

Once he understood, Negril's mischievous streak returned. "Want to try it?"

Lisa clapped her hands. "Great! Let's try it. You know it well, so you go. We'll offer thirty thousand magic crystals per package. It's settled."

Lisa ran off, shouting over her shoulder: "My lord, I'll pack my bags. Don't forget to wait for me!"

Negril stood stunned for a long moment, then cursed: "Ku Bada!"

Conning others was a prank. But being conned? The fun became theirs.

Soon after, Lu Se came running, Xiao Bu came, Liu came, Zi Hai and Da Wu came, Asdoria came too…

Their group swelled to twenty or thirty people, all eager to sightsee and refusing to be stuffed into a space. They had no choice but to depart early and take a boat.

As soon as they reached the dock, they were shouted at.

Asdoria opened her eyes, glanced once, and said coolly: "Fire Grand Mage."

Though her eyes were healed, she'd been blind for centuries and had grown accustomed to this life—she rarely opened them.

But once she opened them, enemies were in trouble—because a Truth Mage's gaze had locked onto them.

The little angel raised a finger: "Aow!" and moved forward, but Ange held her back.

Zi Hai stepped forward two paces, pulled out a leather scroll amplifier, and bellowed: "The river is blocked. You may disembark here and take a camel to your destination."

Around Drop Dragon Lake were vast rice fields. Though harvested, their scale remained—they didn't want too many people seeing them.

The Grand Mage on the other side refused. He'd come by boat precisely to enter Drop Dragon Lake, turn west into the West River, then sail along the coast northward—comfortably reaching his destination.

Take a camel? He'd have to trudge through the desert for days. What if he missed it?

"Oh? A mountain giant? Or a green giant? Don't think your size lets you block rivers. Who authorized this? Open it now, or I'll burn your pathetic city."

After shouting, the Grand Mage paused. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself. Listen well: Infernal Fire Tower, Fire Grand Mage, Flame Dragon Destroyer, Kassim Eda!"

Ange's group exchanged glances.

"What's this? Do mages greet each other like this now? Flame Dragon Destroyer? Infernal Fire Tower?" Negril asked, surprised.

Lisa leaned over. "A lava-based magic tower in the south. Flame Dragon Destroyer is probably his nickname."

Lu Se's eyes gleamed. "So cool. Too short though. Should I pick a longer one for myself?"

"Isn't your nickname Sweet Cabbage Sword Saint?" Negril asked.

One strike, Lu Se sank into a corner, sulking and drawing circles.

While they whispered, Asdoria floated upward. The entire world dimmed. All elements froze, obedient as dust motes.

"Truth Mage. Element Dead Zone. Your name doesn't matter—you're not worthy to know it," Asdoria said coolly.

The once-arrogant Flame Dragon Destroyer's legs buckled. He collapsed onto the deck.

Asdoria glanced at Kassim's luxurious shallow-draft boat, then at the dock's worn-out little boat. Suddenly she asked: "My lord, shall we switch boats?"

My… lord? Who could be greater than a Truth Mage, an Element Dead Zone? Kassim followed Asdoria's gaze…

None of them knew how to be polite. As soon as Asdoria mentioned it, they swarmed onto the luxury boat, shoving Kassim into the corner.

"Raise the barrier rope. Depart! You there—cover your eyes."

Lu Se turned his bitterness into mischief, personally guarding Kassim, glancing at him while conjuring tiny grinding tools from his aura to file his nails.

"Aura… aura into… sword? High-rank Sword Saint? Who… who are you people?" Kassim trembled.

"You want to know?" Lu Se glanced at him, took a deep breath, and declared: "I am the Dragon-Embossed Steel-Core Silver-Threaded Magic-Engraved Earth-Covered… Dual-Blade Shatterer · Arbiter's Blade · Sweet Cabbage Sword Saint, Lu Se."

When Lu Se finished, Kassim's mouth hung open wide enough to swallow an orange.

"So… so long. So cool. No—I need an even longer, cooler one." The male need to win. Kassim had completely forgotten he was a prisoner, sitting cross-legged, frowning as he brainstormed a new title.

Maybe he didn't forget—he had to. A high-rank Sword Saint stood guard. An Element Dead Zone was on board. And someone even the Element Dead Zone called "my lord." What else could he do but forget?

Since he couldn't see outside from the deck, he stopped bothering to cover his eyes. The boat drifted slowly into Drop Dragon Lake, turned into the West River, and sailed straight into the sea, then northward.

Though flying took only a few hours, the boat trip took two or three days. They arrived at Star Republic the day before the competition.

At the dock, a massive carriage from Death Star Oberli, pre-arranged, waited at berth three. Like a cleansing spell, no one was within ten meters.

Star Republic was a nation built around Star Magic College. Everyone here had deep ties to the college.

Oberli, the Head of Discipline, was the discipline head of every citizen. Wherever she appeared, the fear of her, etched into their marrow, awakened—far more effective than any cleansing spell.

Seeing her emblem, people instinctively lowered their voices: "Is someone important coming? The old lich herself picking someone up? Rare."

But lately, Oberli had her own troubles—some bold students had sent her love letters.

No way around it: after her reanimation, she was a pink, adorable little girl. Hard to connect her with the thousand-year-old lich. Back at the college, she had to cover her face with a cloak.

As long as no one saw her face, she remained the terrifying Head of Discipline.

A luxurious shallow-draft boat slowly docked. The moment its passengers stepped ashore, the boat shattered into splinters and sank.

Oberli looked at the pale-faced Lu Se, Kassim, Zi Hai, Da Wu, and Lightning. "What happened? Attacked on the way?"

Lisa replied awkwardly: "We were worried about time, so we sped up a bit."

"Sped up until the boat broke apart? How fast were you going?" Oberli asked, stunned.

"Fast enough to almost fly," Lisa sighed. "I just realized dead people get seasick too. I'm a bit dizzy now."

"Dead people get seasick too—it's sensory disorientation. Your senses are used to stable ground. On a boat, it's different. Of course you'll feel off—but better than the living. At least you won't vomit." Oberli turned her gaze to Ange.

Ange looked confused. "Can't fly."

Negril snapped: "I told you this is a boat, not Jielisi's ground-effect airship. Look—you broke it. How are we going to pay for it?"

At the mention of payment, everyone turned to Kassim.

Kassim shook his head frantically: "No no no—" Before he could say "pay," Ange pulled out three fire dragon fruits.

"Fire element. Compensation. This." Ange said.

He could now grow fire dragon fruits. Kassim was a fire mage—he'd find them useful.

Kassim gasped, swallowing the word "pay," and forced a smile: "No need, you're too kind, far too kind."

He snatched the fruits to his chest.

Other things could be refused—but fire dragon fruits? Those enhanced fire element affinity.

Though not expensive, they were hard to get. Rare finds, usually consumed internally.

His magic tower had one fire dragon fruit tree, tended by four people on rotation, yielding at most thirteen fruits a year.

He'd never sell such fruits. If he had to, he'd charge ten times market price—at least, only if he were desperate.

These three fruits were worth ten times his shattered boat. If he could, he'd trade again and again.

Satisfied. To Ange, fire dragon fruits were worthless. After compensation, they left.

Watching them depart, Kassim murmured excitedly: "I struck gold." He licked the fruit's skin. Instantly, pure fire elements surged into his tongue as a warm stream.

Kassim shuddered. Steam poured from his open mouth, yet he felt no heat.

"My god, this affinity and purity—far superior to my tree. Are these really fire dragon fruits? How can fire dragon fruits differ so much?"

His eyes darted. He suddenly realized something and rushed after them—but Ange's group was gone.

He sighed regretfully: "Oh no, I should've bought more."