Chapter 352: Brother Meng Eats the Fruit, a Final Breakthrough

“Looking for the egg of the Flame Astral Behemoth?”

Leoux’s words reminded Ling Jiu that he had nearly forgotten about the egg of the Flame Astral Behemoth that he left behind on Whitehole 1.

“How long has the egg of the Flame Astral Behemoth been on Whitehole 1, Leoux?” He felt a little embarrassed.

“We went to Whitehole 1 and put the egg of the Flame Astral Behemoth there on July 7th, 2059. It’s August 9th, 2074 today,” Leoux replied. “That is to say, fifteen years and 26 days have passed on Earth. The time flow on Whitehole 1 is one hundred and thirty times that of Earth, and so the egg of the Flame Astral Behemoth has been on Whitehole 1 for exactly one thousand nine hundred and fifty-nine years, three months, and four days.”

“One thousand nine hundred and fifty-nine years? I can’t believe that we have left it on Whitehole 1 for so long. This is…” Ling Jiu was a little embarrassed. “I wonder how it is now and if it could still remember me.”

“Why don’t you take a look?”

“Why not?” Ling Jiu nodded. “But I still have stuff to do before going there.”

“What is it?”

…

Birch Wood Village, Chang’an Base City.

Birch Wood Village was a villa-only, upscale neighborhood where only the rich and the arcanists could afford to live in Chang’an Base City.

In the garden of Zone A’s villa No.13, Meng Lijun was watering his Arcana tree.

Since the government called on the people to start planting Arcana trees, Meng Lijun, an Arcanist, had wasted no time in cleaning up the garden to plant Arcana saplings.

After half a year, the Arcana saplings had grown sturdily under his care, becoming taller day by day. Now, they had begun to produce Gene Arcana.

The Arcana trees produced little Gene Arcana, so Meng Lijun did not want to keep the Gene Arcana to himself. He often came to the garden with his two-year-old daughter. He knew he had hit the ceiling in his self-cultivation and saw no chance of going any higher, so he hoped to lay a strong foundation for his daughter instead.

Meng Lijun believed that as long as his daughter was immersed in Gene Arcana from a young age, her physique would improve, and she could awaken her Arcana later.

Besides, experts had mentioned on TV that the Gene Arcana on Earth was becoming increasingly richer. Humans were getting stronger and stronger physically, and the probability of awakening Arcanas was climbing in a linear fashion.

The competition would only get more intense in the future, and Meng Lijun did not want his daughter to fall behind from the get-go. So, these few Arcana trees were important to him.

“You really care for the plants, eh, Brother Meng?” A greeting suddenly rang out.

“Yeah, I’m watering them,” Meng Lijun instinctively replied.

However, after that, he found the voice familiar yet strange.

He looked up and saw a young man standing and smiling at him not far away.

“C-Captain Ling Jiu?” Meng Lijun was taken aback. “How-How come you’re here?”

Meng Lijun could not believe his eyes. Since he and Ling Jiu had only worked together for a short time, they had rarely seen each other.

Later, as Ling Jiu got stronger and his status got higher, they never contacted each other again. He thought that Ling Jiu had forgotten him.

He did not expect Ling Jiu to visit. This was really…

“I was passing by, and I thought why not drop by to see you.”

Ling Jiu smiled, pointing at the thriving Arcana trees with a smile. “It looks like you really take good care of these Arcana trees.”

“You bet. These are my babies.” Meng Lijun put down the watering pot. “Please come inside. You are my VIP now. It’s my pleasure to have you here.”

“That’s so kind of you, but I’m still who I am, just like before.”

When Ling Jiu entered the villa, Meng Lijun’s wife was at a loss the moment she recognized Ling Jiu. Luckily, Ling Jiu came to her rescue.

“Relax, Mrs. Meng. I’m just dropping by to see Brother Meng. I’ll go in a while.”

Even so, Meng Lijun’s wife still served him some tea and fruit.

“Have some tea, Captain Ling.”

“Thank you.”

Ling Jiu took a sip. “How have you been doing all these years, Brother Meng?”

“I have been doing great. We followed you and made a lot of money back then,” Meng Lijun said with emotion. “Later, disaster struck Lantian Base City, and my entire family perished. We stayed in the wilderness, escaping the catastrophe. But we got disheartened and came to Chang’an Base City. I spent the money I made in the previous years to buy some real estate. I have been living here in retirement ever since. Everyone started to have their own families, and now, I spend time with my children and go back to the office to train new recruits when I have time. It’s a laid-back lifestyle.”

“Glad to hear that.”

Next, the two of them chatted for a while. As they mentioned the other members of the Tempest Squad and the Dragon Squad, they learning about the situation of a few others.

Before leaving, Ling Jiu took out a Dimensional Pocket.

“Captain Ling, this is…”

“There are thirty Casmodor fruits here. An ordinary person can become a stellar being just by consuming one fruit. Please distribute three to each family.”

Ling Jiu then teleported away as he finished speaking.

“The Casmodor divine tree?”

“One Casmodor fruit is enough to make a stellar being?” It knocked the socks off Meng Lijun. He could not believe what he had heard. “Th-There-There’s such a magical fruit?”

“Where is Mr. Ling, honey?”

Just then, Meng Lijun’s wife came out with their son.

“He left,” said Meng Lijun absentmindedly.

“Left? Why didn’t you ask him to have dinner?” Meng Lijun’s wife complained. “He came all the way here. You should have asked him to stay. He is the famous Ling Jiu!”

Meng Lijun shook his head with a forced smile. Ignoring his wife, he opened the Dimensional Pocket and saw 30 fruits that were as large as durians.

He took one Casmodor fruit out cautiously and ate it with excitement.

He had never doubted Ling Jiu’s words nor was he worried that Ling Jiu would harm him. The gap between them was so great that it would be unthinkable for Ling Jiu to want to deceive or harm him.

Half an hour later, Meng Lijun was suspended in the air, feeling a powerful energy surging inside him. His strength had increased multiple times, and he could not hold back his excitement.

“An Ultimate Arcanist! I have finally become an Ultimate Arcanist! I didn’t know that I would one day become an Ultimate Arcanist too.”

His wife was even more agog than him. “H-Honey, you-you’ve become…”

“Yeah, honey, I’ve finally become somebody thanks to Captain Ling. I couldn’t have done this without Captain Ling.”

After a long time, the couple calmed down. Just as Meng Lijun took out his mobile phone to make a call, his wife asked, “What are you doing, honey?”

“I’m calling Chen Feng and the others to come over for the fruits,” Meng Lijun said without thinking.

His wife gritted her teeth hesitantly.

“Honey, there are so many of those fruits here. Can you keep one for my brother?”

“Don’t even think about it.”

Meng Lijun glared at her. “Captain Ling said, three fruits are to be given to each family. I have to hand over the remaining twenty-seven to Captain Chen and the others. You better perish the thought of getting an extra. Besides, we and our daughter have one each. I will make sure that you two eat it in front of me. Are you thinking of giving one to your smart-aleck brother? If he were to become a stellar being, I don’t know how many people would suffer because of him.”

“I was just asking. Do you really have to say that? Who am I to say otherwise since it’s Ling Jiu’s orders?”

“It’s just so you know.”