Divine Level Witch Doctor

After a fierce battle, Zhao Yuan and Xiaoyang lay exhausted on the ground, panting for breath. They were both completely worn out.

Xiaoyang was fine; its hide was tough, and it hadn't suffered any injuries. Zhao Yuan was a different story. The violent struggle had once again ruptured the capillaries all over his body. Bruises and blood spots appeared in many places, and some blood even seeped through his skin, staining his clothes red.

Fortunately, they were only superficial wounds and nothing serious, so Zhao Yuan didn't pay them much mind. He was too busy replaying the recent battle in his head.

At first, Zhao Yuan's use of the Mountain-Breaking Fist was still clumsy. But as the fight wore on, honed by real combat, he found himself using the Martial Skill with increasing ease and proficiency. He wouldn't dare say he had achieved true mastery, but he was at least adept at it now.

'It truly lives up to the "Mountain-Breaking" part of its name. The way it applies and unleashes force is just insane!' Zhao Yuan thought with a gasp. With this Martial Skill, he could actually go head-to-head with Xiaoyang and not lose. If that wasn't incredible, what was?

After resting enough, Zhao Yuan climbed to his feet and finally noticed that the surrounding trees had suffered considerably from their battle.

The thinner trees were mostly snapped in two. The thicker ones were also covered in marks from heavy blows. At a glance, it looked as if an excavator had plowed through the area.

Zhao Yuan stood up, took off his blood-soaked long-sleeved shirt, and used it to wipe the sweat and blood from his body.

Thankfully, he had stored his jacket in his Storage Ring before the fight started; otherwise, it would have been ruined! With his current means, he naturally wouldn't feel bad about one jacket, but wearing a torn one or returning in a brand-new one would definitely arouse suspicion and cause trouble.

Tossing aside the ruined shirt, Zhao Yuan took out a bag of Blood Circulation Soup from his Storage Ring Space. He used it like Safflower Oil, slathering it over his bruised areas and rubbing it in vigorously. In just a few moments, the bruises disappeared.

It was a good thing Lu Qing and her father didn't witness this scene. If they had, their eyes would have popped out of their heads!

In their eyes, Blood Circulation Soup was practically a Body Refining Elixir, yet Zhao Yuan was using it like common Safflower Oil. This was an outrageous waste of a precious item!

But what could they do? Zhao Yuan could afford to be extravagant.

After his simple treatment, Zhao Yuan took a new long-sleeved shirt from his Storage Ring and put it on. No one would likely notice if he changed his underclothes, especially since Zhao Yuan's new shirt was identical in color and style to the old one—the guy had specifically bought a dozen to prepare for situations just like this.

When he was done, Zhao Yuan glanced at Xiaoyang, intending to use some Blood Circulation Soup on it as well. But upon closer inspection, the creature was just a little tired and had no injuries. He couldn't help but sigh in admiration, 'As expected of a Mountain Spirit. Its physical constitution is so tough, it's truly enviable!'

He could barely match Xiaoyang in strength now, but his physical durability was far weaker. He had to keep working hard on his Cultivation.

Just then, the Little Red Fox that had been hiding in the bushes saw that they had stopped fighting. It darted out and dashed toward Zhao Yuan.

Catching a glimpse of something rushing toward him from the corner of his eye, Zhao Yuan reacted without thinking, spinning and lashing out with a kick. Just as his foot was about to connect with the Little Red Fox, he finally got a clear look at what was lunging at him. Since he didn't sense any Killing Qi or hostility from it, he quickly pulled his strength back.

The top of Zhao Yuan's foot stopped right beside the Little Red Fox's head. Another inch, and it would have struck the creature.

The Little Red Fox was terrified by this sudden turn of events. It had just seen Zhao Yuan fighting fiercely with Xiaoyang and knew this human's strength was no less than that of the four-meter-tall monster. If that kick had landed, it would have been killed for sure.

PLOP. A fiery-red fruit that the Little Red Fox had been holding in its paws fell to the ground. Luckily, the forest floor was covered in decaying leaves, so the fruit wasn't damaged.

The Little Red Fox snapped out of its shock and quickly raised its front paws in a gesture of surrender, letting out urgent yelps as if trying to explain to Zhao Yuan that it meant no harm.

'Well now, an intelligent little fox.' Zhao Yuan clicked his tongue in wonder. He had grown up in these mountains, hunted in them plenty, and seen his fair share of foxes, but this was the first time he had ever encountered one as clever as this Little Red Fox.

He pulled his foot back and waved a hand at the Little Red Fox. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Take your fruit and go."

But then, something unexpected happened.

The Little Red Fox picked up the fruit but didn't run away. Instead, it took a few steps closer to him, held up the fruit in its paws in a gesture of offering, and once again let out a series of urgent yelps.

Zhao Yuan was stunned. In disbelief, he pointed to himself and asked, "You want to give this fruit to me?"

It was unclear whether the Little Red Fox understood his words or his gesture, but it nodded its head repeatedly. Then, mustering its courage, it took a few more steps forward, placed the fruit by his feet, and then darted away. It didn't go far, however, stopping about seven or eight meters away. It turned back and watched him with its intelligent little eyes.

Seeing Zhao Yuan make no move, the Little Red Fox grew anxious and started yelping again. It even mimed the action of picking up the fruit several times, as if to say, 'What are you standing there for, you idiot? Pick up the fruit!'

'What's going on?' Zhao Yuan was baffled. He couldn't figure out why this little fiery-red fox would give him a fruit—he had no idea that, by a strange twist of fate, he had saved the Little Red Fox's life, and the little creature was here to repay his kindness.

Certain that the Little Red Fox meant no harm, Zhao Yuan bent down and picked up the fiery-red fruit.

After examining it for a few moments, Zhao Yuan noticed that the fiery-red fruit had a peculiar shape. Its skin wasn't smooth but was covered in a pattern resembling Snake Scales.

"Huh?"

Zhao Yuan couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise, because he felt he had seen this strangely shaped fruit somewhere before.

After a moment of thought, he remembered. 'It was in the *Spirit Medicine Atlas*. I think there was a record of this fruit in there.'

The items recorded in the *Spirit Medicine Atlas* were all extremely rare and had strange effects. For this fruit to be included in it, could it also be a Spirit Medicinal Material with peculiar properties?

Zhao Yuan quickly opened his Information Leaf, brought up the *Spirit Medicine Atlas*, and began to flip through it rapidly.

After a bit of searching, he indeed found an illustration identical to the fruit, with a description next to it: "Diospyros lotus Fruit. Red in color, oval, and shaped like a persimmon. When consumed by humans, it lightens the body and strengthens the physique. When consumed by beasts, it enhances intelligence and wisdom."

"It really is a Spirit Medicinal Material!" Zhao Yuan was astonished. He hadn't expected to have such a streak of good luck today. First, he had obtained the Mountain-Breaking Fist from the Information Leaf, and now a little fox had inexplicably presented him with a Spirit Fruit.

'Could this be a reward for saving Xiaqiao Village and punishing Mage Zhang? Good deeds really are rewarded!'