In the quiet afternoon of the palace, a gentle breeze blew through the orchard, giving off a refreshing fragrance. Punya was summoned to the laboratory located near the eldest prince's quarters. The room was decorated with shelves full of glass bottles containing colorful substances, and a wooden table full of various fruits that had been cut and experimented on until they were no longer in their original shape.
When the large wooden door was pushed open, Li Cheng stepped in with Punya. His eyes shone with a thoughtful look as if he was making a decision.
"Li An, come and meet Punya. She is someone I think can help you with your research this time," Li Cheng said in a solemn tone.
The young man who was busy at the laboratory table looked up. Li An's face was solemn. His dark eyes reflected determination and curiosity.
"I am pleased to meet you," Li An said. His tone was deep but serious. "You are an outsider who has been allowed to enter this orchard. That means you have something special."
Punya felt the pressure in his tone. She nodded softly. "I only have a slight ability in understanding the taste of fruits. I hope I can help you with your work."
"A slight ability?" Li An smiled faintly. But there was a hint of expectation in his eyes. "If that's what I think, we might discover something that can change everything about the power of the fruit."
Li Cheng stood beside him with his arms crossed. He looked at Li An carefully and said to Punya straightforwardly, "Li An is an expert in fruit power experiments. But you have to be careful… He often pushes his experiments too far. Sometimes, he goes beyond the bounds of safety."
Li Cheng's words made Punya feel a little uneasy. She turned to look at Li An who was intently taking notes.
"Every experiment has risks," Li An said without looking up from his notebook. "But if we don't take risks, we will never discover anything new. I know that the fruits in this orchard still have many secrets that have yet to be revealed."
Punya looked at Li An hesitantly. "I will help as much as I can, but we have to make sure that your experiments will not harm the orchard."
"You are right," Li An replied with a faint smile that was full of admiration. "But trust me, we can do great things if we work together."
From afar, Xiao Yang stood watching the whole scene in the dark. A faint smile appeared on his face. He clearly looked interested in the relationship between the two.
"Li An… you are still someone I see potential in," Xiao Yang muttered to himself. "Perhaps I should find a way to pull you into my plan. You and Punya could be of great help to me…"
The atmosphere in the laboratory began to quiet down. Punya and Li An prepared for a new experiment, with Li Cheng standing as a controller to keep them from going overboard, and Xiao Yang waiting for the right moment to make a move.
--
In a medium-sized laboratory filled with the aroma of fruits and chemicals, Punya and Li An were standing in front of a set of sophisticated experimental equipment. On the table were two brightly colored fruits that emitted a faint glow. The Sun Orange gave off a warm golden glow like the sun, while the Moonlight Pomegranate gave off a cool silver glow.
"I told you, these two fruits have opposite powers, and their tastes are different. It could cause big problems," Punya said in a worried tone.
"You are too scared," Li An replied indifferently. "Experiments require courage. If we can combine their powers, we might be able to create powers that no one has ever thought of before!"
Punya shook his head slightly. "I think we should start with a small… experiment, just to be safe. Don't you agree?"
"There's no time!" Li An announced, adjusting the experimental instrument to be ready for use. He picked up the two fruits and placed them in the energy slot.
As soon as the energy of the Sun Orange and Moonlight Ruby began to collide in the experimental instrument, a humming sound was heard, along with the unstable energy, emitting golden and silver light alternately in the air.
"Li An! Stop this now!" Punya shouted loudly.
But Li An was still focused on the instrument. "It's about to work! I almost did it!"
Suddenly, the clashing energy became uncontrollable. Golden and silver flames shot out of the instrument, like lightning, spreading throughout the room.
The door to the laboratory was pushed open with force. Li Shan entered just in time. He saw that the situation was about to escalate out of control.
"Punya, get back!" Li Shan shouted. He used the energy from the fruit in the garden, creating a transparent green energy shield around Punya.
"I will try to reduce the impact force, but I need time!" he said as he walked between the device and Li An.
At the same time, Wen Qing appeared. She used the "Lightning Mango" fruit to create a wave of lightning to stop the spreading energy, but the two forces clashed and caused a small explosion.
"Get out of here, everyone!" Wen Qing shouted, standing up to fight the clashing forces.
Mei Lin finally arrived. She held the Black Lotus Fruit in her hand and used its power to create a dark water curtain that spread out over the laboratory. The cold water filled with magic power reduced the spreading energy and extinguished the flames caused by the explosion.
Everything began to calm down, only the gasps of everyone remained. Li An stood in the middle of the room, his face looking guilty but still filled with regret.
"What are you thinking, Li An!" Li Cheng stepped forward, his gaze cold. "Your experiment almost destroyed everything in this orchard! I told you to be careful, but you ignored my warning."
Li An lowered his head, not responding.
Pun Ya looked at Li An with mixed feelings. She understood his passion for science, but such stubbornness could lead to disaster.
"I will not allow this to happen again," Punya said firmly. She turned to look at Li An. "If you want help, I will, but I will not let you experiment recklessly again."
Li An looked at her with a guilty gaze, but also with determination.
As everyone began to clean up the lab, Xiao Yang, who was standing at a distance observing, smiled. "It seems that I have a new tool for my plan."
--
The night in the Fruit Palace was quiet. The only sound was the wind blowing the leaves and the moonlight streaming in through the tall windows. In the small library filled with science textbooks and old notebooks, Li An was sitting under the light of the lamp. His hand was opening an old textbook, but his eyes were fixed on the fruit he had placed on the table.
There were soft footsteps at the door, before the figure of Xiao Yang in a dark robe appeared. His face was full of confidence and a sly look in his eyes.
"Did I disturb you at this hour of the night?" Xiao Yang asked in a gentle tone.
Li An looked up and nodded slightly. "What important matter did you come to see me for at this time?"
Xiao Yang stepped closer. A small wooden table separated them. "Have you seen the true power of these fruits that will allow us to change the world?" He spoke, picking up a sun orange that was still glowing faintly from his previous experiment.
"The power is beyond anyone's comprehension, but you should be the only one who can truly see its potential, Li An," Xiao Yang continued with a sly smile.
Li An paused for a moment. He looked at Xiao Yang hesitantly. The ambition in the Second Prince's eyes made him feel uneasy.
"What do you want from me?" Li An asked, his tone calm but cautious.
Xiao Yang chuckled. "I only want you to cooperate with me. If we use your knowledge along with my plan, we can raise the power of this realm and… perhaps change both dimensions forever."
Li An frowned. "I am interested in scientific research, not politics."
"But you know that your research will never progress if I am not behind it," Xiao Yang replied in a calm but confident tone. "You know that I am the only one who can provide you with all the resources, including the forbidden fruit. And unlimited support."
Li An froze again. Although he was suspicious of Xiao Yang, the words of the Second Prince were not something he could easily reject. His passion for science pushed him towards a path full of risks.
"I will consider it," Li An finally replied.
Xiao Yang smiled faintly, before speaking in a warm but profound tone, "You will not regret it later, Li An. When we have achieved something that no one has ever imagined, you will receive the honor you deserve."
After Xiao Yang left, Li An remained silent in the library, his eyes filled with confusion between scientific determination and suspicion of the Second Prince's intentions.
Meanwhile, Punya and Li San sat in a small room near Punya's dormitory. The sound of the night wind gently hit the window.
"I feel that Li An has started to change," Punya said, crossing her arms, her face full of worry.
"I feel the same way," Li San replied. "And I am sure it has something to do with Prince Xiao Yang."
"Then what should we do?"
"We have to keep an eye on them. And find out more about what the Second Prince is planning," Li Shan said with a firm tone.
In another part of the palace, Mei Lin and Wen Qing were planning to deal with any unexpected events that might occur.
"We have to be prepared. If Xiao Yang or anyone else tries to misuse the fruit, I will not hesitate to protect the orchard with everything I have," Wen Qing said with a determined look.
Mei Lin nodded. "I will help you, but we have to be very careful, because our enemies are not ordinary people."
The tension in the palace began to build, and the schemes hidden in the shadows began to unfold. But in those shadows, there were people who were willing to protect everything they loved, even if it meant risking their own lives.