Chapter 217: Serpentine Fruit Lin Feng understood what Longbetham meant.
He had been cultivating the Bemond Mental Guidance Technique recently. His mental power exploded continuously, and its growth was indeed very fast. The original Mental Power Sphere had almost expanded by two or three times.
However, he also seemed to have reached his limit at the moment. No matter how it exploded, his mental power grew very slowly.
This was the limit. If one could not break through to the second level of the Mental Guidance Technique, one could forget about undergoing a life transition. Even if one’s life could undergo a second transition, without the guidance of mental power, one could forget about cultivating a combat body.
He must attain a breakthrough in mental power to the second level of the Mental Guidance Technique. Only then would he have enough mental power to guide the restructuring of his genes and cultivate the combat body.
“Is there any other way to cultivate mental power other than through the Guidance Technique?”
Lin Feng asked in a low voice.
“Of course there are. The Sages of your world actually have very strong mental power as well. They are approximately equivalent to the second level of the Bemond Mental Guidance Technique. Apart from the natural growth of their mental power through life transitions time and time again, they rely on the simplest method, which is using certain miraculous items to slowly increase their mental power.”
“Miraculous items?”
“When you enter the Martial Domain Network’s online shop, the academic panel, the consortium panel, the Freelance Cultivators Union, and so on actually all have such miraculous items, such as this Serpentine Fruit. I do not know how you obtained this Serpentine Fruit. In fact, there are also such Serpentine Fruits in the universe, but they are extremely precious. Often, not even one planet in a few galaxies may produce this Serpentine Fruit.
“After consuming this Serpentine Fruit, it can stimulate the growth of mental power. However, the martial artists in your world do not have Mental Guidance Techniques, so the effect is underwhelming. If you can use it, with the Bemond Mental Guidance Technique, the effect will be very ideal.
“There is also this drop of Ink Poison. It is a highly toxic item that also has a simulative effect on the mind. It is a poisonous liquid extracted from a highly toxic plant called the Ink Tree. With just one drop, even your genes may collapse. Even a lifeform with one life transition cannot withstand it. Only a lifeform that has undergone a second or third life transition can withstand it. However, if you buy it, dilute it, and use it little by little, your body can still manage to tolerate it. It can also stimulate your mental power.
“And this Peacock Pollen…”
Seeing the miraculous items that Longbetham listed one by one, Lin Feng’s expression became very strange.
These strange objects were all very expensive. For example, a Serpentine Fruit actually cost 100 merit value. This was simply unbelievable.
How costly was 100 merit value?
In comparison, the Astra Devourer Technique that Lin Feng had purchased had only cost 100 merit value as well.
In other words, a single Serpentine Fruit was equivalent to the entire Astra Devourer Technique.
If an ordinary Third Level Metamorphic Realm martial artist was the Chief Commander of a base, and did not slay demons, they would only receive 10 merit value a year.
They would have to guard it for ten years for 100 merit value!
In other words, Lin Feng would need to guard the South Mountain Base for ten years to purchase a single Serpentine Fruit. In the past, Lin Feng would not even look at such expensive miraculous items, feeling that they were not of much use.
The introduction on the Serpentine Fruit said that it stimulated the mind and tempered the will. It was somewhat useful for martial artists who wanted to undergo a life transition.
It was actually just as Longbetham had described about increasing mental power. Once mental power was strengthened, life transitions would indeed be slightly easier, but that kind of aid was almost negligible.
The reason why they were so expensive was that these miraculous items could not be cultivated. They were obtained from some dangerous places in the depths of the Outland. Every miraculous item was obtained by some Divine Realm or Transcendent Realm martial artists at the risk of their lives.
For example, there were only three Serpentine Fruits in the academic panel. The consortium faction had slightly more, but there were only five.
Lin Feng finally understood how these Divine Realm or Transcendent Realm martial artists earned merit value. It turned out that they went to the depths of the Outland. They could take risks to explore the ruins, and perhaps obtain some treasures from ancient civilizations.
Else, they could also go to some dangerous areas, where they might obtain miraculous items that grew in the depths of the Outland. Every kind of miraculous item was very expensive, but the buyers were also numerous.
For example, a Metamorphic Realm martial artist might have accumulated for many years, yet still could not undergo a second life transition. If the Serpentine Fruit had an effect on life transitions, no matter how slight the effect, he would give his all and spend 100 merit value for a gambit.
Hence, despite the high prices, there was no shortage of buyers for miraculous items.
“By the way, if you want to buy these miraculous items, it would be best not to buy too many of them. After using a miraculous item for a few times, the effect will weaken until they become useless. Then, try other miraculous items. Perhaps they can help you to break through to the second level of the Mental Guidance Technique.”
Lin Feng nodded. Hence, he bought three Serpentine Fruits first. He had the Hero of Humanity Medal, so he could get a 20% discount. The three Serpentine Fruits cost a total of 240 merit value.
After buying the three Serpentine Fruits, Lin Feng only had 20,107 merit value left.
After waiting for two days, the three Serpentine Fruits were delivered to Lin Feng.
Lin Feng opened the package and realized that the three Serpentine Fruits were entirely green. They appeared curved like tiny snakes, and emitted a fragrance that whetted the appetite.
However, just these three Serpentine Fruits cost Lin Feng 240 merit value. They still felt too expensive to him.
“They’re really too expensive. I hope they work.”
Lin Feng shook his head. If Longbetham had not said that these Serpentine Fruits had a certain effect on increasing his mental power, he would not have bought them no matter what.
“Lin Feng, do you really think that these Serpentine Fruits are expensive? What is 100 merit value worth? How many resources can it be exchanged for? Let me tell you, in the universe, these three Serpentine Fruits would be priceless in value. Even some planetary lifeforms would probably fight to buy them.
“I really do not understand what is going on with your planet. I have looked it up too. It cannot be considered a very large planet. Apart from humans, there are some messy dire beasts. Yet so many miraculous items that are rare even in the universe can grow in it.”
Longbetham actually thought they were very cheap, but from what Longbetham said, Serpentine Fruits were very rare even in the universe.
In fact, other miraculous items were also very rare in the universe, but they all grew on the same planet. This bewildered Longbetham greatly.
“Could there be something special about our planet?”
“Who knows? There is a strange Canopy on your planet. It seems to have been there for a very long time. The only other thing is that it is in a remote place, and almost no one can discover it. If I had not exhausted my energy and encountered a cosmic catastrophe, I probably would never have come to your planet either. Lin Feng, if you ever undergo six life transitions in the future and become a planetary lifeform, you must not give up on this planet. At least investigate this planet properly. You might even get a windfall.”
Lin Feng nodded. However, he had only undergone one life transition now. He was too far away from six life transitions.
“Longbetham, how do I use the Serpentine Fruits?”
“Eat them directly, of course. How else?”
Lin Feng stared at the Serpentine Fruits. They looked a little strange, but since Longbetham said that they could be swallowed directly, there shouldn’t be a problem. Hence, Lin Feng took out a Serpentine Fruit, immediately opened his mouth, and took a huge bite.