"Plop"—with that sound, his whole body collapsed at the edge of the cliff, yet an indescribable sense of relief surged in his heart.

　　At that moment, amid the fierce wind rushing toward him, he caught a faint, exotic fragrance. The scent seeped into his heart and lungs, instantly invigorating his weary spirit.

　　A narrow stream of clear spring water trickled from the mottled cliff face, winding down through moss-covered crevices, cascading onto a jutting rock, and scattering into tiny droplets.

　　Amid swirling mist, there grew a short, thick, dark green, and peculiar tree. Its shape was strange, with strong roots and several crooked branches jutting outward. Hanging from the thickest branch was a luscious, crimson, and almost dripping exotic fruit, radiating an aura of vitality.

　　It was precisely this ripe and beautiful fruit that emitted a refreshing, enchanting fragrance. At first glance, it made one's mouth water and sparked an intense urge to take a hearty bite.

　　"Scarlet Flame Spirit Fruit?" A flash of brilliance appeared in Mark Brooks's tired eyes, and his heartbeat quickened. He excitedly pumped his fist, overjoyed—this, this was a "second-grade rare treasure," worth thousands of gold.

　　Truly, heaven never seals off all paths. At this moment, his exhaustion vanished without a trace, his spirit soared, and he felt an indescribable exhilaration. Obtaining this spirit fruit would bring about so many changes for him, possibly even altering his current predicament and bringing immeasurable change to his family.

　　With this single Scarlet Flame Spirit Fruit, he could render great service to his clan. Let alone exchanging it for one Meridian-Nourishing Pill—even ten or eight would be no problem.

　　No, no, no. If he was going to trade, he might as well exchange it for a third-grade spirit pill that could heal leg injuries. Though it might not fully cure his elder brother, there was a chance it could help him get out of his wheelchair and stand up again, to live like a normal person.

　　Calm down, he had to stay calm—it was not yet time to celebrate.

　　Mark Brooks took several deep breaths, forcibly suppressing his excitement. He knelt devoutly on both knees, took out a jade-green box he had prepared long ago, and with utmost care, picked the Scarlet Flame Spirit Fruit.

　　The spirit fruit felt slightly hot to the touch. Within the translucent fruit, a refined scarlet aura flickered, crystal clear and captivating, with a refreshing fragrance. It truly deserved to be called a second-grade rare treasure—even its appearance was outstanding.

　　The Scarlet Flame Spirit Fruit was an extremely rare natural treasure with a wide range of uses. It could be combined with various auxiliary materials to refine spirit pills that tempered the meridians and body, with endless marvelous effects. However, within its potent medicinal properties, there was a trace of heat poison. It had to be processed before consumption, or else the fire poison would invade the body, and if not treated in time, the consequences would be severe.

　　After gazing at the treasure longingly for a few moments, he carefully placed it into the jade box and tucked it into his chest.

　　Judging by the time, if he didn't hurry, the entrance to the small paradise would soon close. If he couldn't get out before then, he would be in big trouble.

　　He drank a few mouthfuls of the crisp, icy mountain spring water, which revived his spirits a bit. Then he began to climb down. Descending was much harder than climbing up, and he went through another round of thrilling, life-and-death moments.

　　It took more than two hours before Mark Brooks finally reached the foot of the mountain. The feeling of solid ground beneath his feet was comforting. After a whole day, his clothes were already in tatters. His legs and arms were completely spent, trembling uncontrollably.

　　But all of it was worth it for the Scarlet Flame Spirit Fruit. With excitement in his heart, he started heading toward the entrance fissure.

　　"Crash—" The rocks beneath his feet trembled slightly, and some loose stones tumbled down. The frequency of tremors in the 'small paradise' was increasing, a sign that the entrance and exit space was becoming more and more unstable.

　　If the spatial fissure closed, he would be trapped here.

　　The entrance was not far away, resembling a vertical human eye, with waves of light flowing, appearing mysterious and eerie.

　　Mark Brooks was secretly delighted—once he left the small paradise, he would be safe.

　　Immediately, he circulated the pale blue mysterious energy in his qi sea, and dashed toward the spatial fissure like an arrow. His body was as light as a feather, and with a single leap, he could cover more than ten feet.

　　Dozens of feet could be crossed in just a few breaths at his full speed.

　　But fate is unpredictable, and a sudden change occurred. Someone appeared ahead, instantly putting the elated Mark Brooks on high alert.

　　A scorching gust of wind swept down, accompanied by a triumphant, sinister laugh: "Mark Brooks, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

　　Mark Brooks's heart tightened. Looking up, he saw a tall youth in brocade robes, striking down with a palm like a hawk swooping on a rabbit. Faint, thin red flames flickered in his palm, radiating intense heat.

　　This move, 'Blazing Flame Palm,' was fierce and domineering, with heat waves surging—it was clear he had reached the 'beginner' level. Evidently, this person had put considerable effort into his mysterious techniques.

　　At such a critical moment, Mark Brooks's mind became even clearer.

　　His body halted abruptly, front leg bent, spine straight. The toes of his back foot dug into the ground. With elbows crossed below, he assumed a defensive bow stance. Around his arms, a faint, almost invisible blue mysterious energy spread out.

　　This move was precisely from the 'Green Wood Art' mysterious technique that Mark Brooks cultivated. The classic defensive posture, 'Evergreen,' symbolized the green wood taking root in the earth—firm and resilient, unyielding to wind and rain, standing tall for ten thousand years.

　　With a "boom," palm and elbow collided.

　　Pale red flames rippled out like tiny waves, scattering in all directions.