The calamity of Tai Cang has temporarily drawn to a close.
Ji Xia's consciousness transformed into a human figure, gazing at the massive black trunk of the divine tree in his mind. A wave of excitement surged within him.
The power of the Yin Soldier Nest and the Vengeance Sword had been fully demonstrated during the battle against the Dog-headed Kingdom. And these two divine objects were merely the fruits that sprouted from the first layer of the divine tree's branches. Ji Xia had a strong premonition that the higher up the tree one went, the stronger the divine objects it bore.
Perhaps the planets he had glimpsed on the higher branches of the divine tree truly existed.
"I wonder when the divine tree will bear its next fruits?" Ji Xia mused, stroking his chin.
It seemed as though the tree could sense his thoughts. A sudden surge of consciousness entered his mind, and a flow of information began to fill his awareness.
[Decayless Divine Tree Open Level: Beginner
Current Divine Tree Spirit Seeds: 230
Would you like to enter the first layer of the Decayless Divine Tree?]
Ji Xia was taken aback. So this divine tree was called the Decayless Divine Tree? What were Spirit Seeds, and how could they be used?
He pondered for a moment, his curiosity piqued, and confirmed, "Enter the first layer of the Decayless Divine Tree!"
The immense, mysterious tree before him seemed to shrink by a hundredfold. The world around him began to shatter like a broken mirror, only to rapidly reassemble in an instant.
He stood motionless, sensing the vast aura of the Decayless Divine Tree as the surrounding scenery constantly shifted. Finally, he found himself in a place of profound darkness, with numerous strange flickering lights and points of brilliance scattered around.
It felt like he was in the boundless expanse of the universe. Ji Xia felt minuscule, yet paradoxically, he also felt as if he were the master of this place.
Streams of light and points of brilliance seemed to acknowledge his arrival, swirling around him with joyful enthusiasm, leaving him in awe.
"Is this the first layer of the Decayless Divine Tree? And what are these streams and points?" Ji Xia thought, his mind filled with questions. Just then, a light point slowly drifted past him.
He focused, and although the point was small, it contained a strange, thumb-sized creature wrapped within it. The creature was a beautiful, ethereal woman with jet-black hair, but what was unsettling were the eight spider legs protruding from her back, tipped with sharp, dark barbs, curled into a cluster.
A stream of information entered Ji Xia's mind.
[Creature Name: Spider Demon, Luo Xinfu
A powerful spider demon known for its venom and allure.
Required Spirit Seeds for exchange: 600]
"Luo Xinfu? One of the most famous demons in Japanese mythology?" Ji Xia muttered, puzzled. "Spirit Seeds for exchange? Does this mean that if I have enough Spirit Seeds, I can exchange them for Luo Xinfu, and she will grow from the Decayless Divine Tree?"
Ji Xia clicked his tongue in amazement and shifted his gaze to another point of light. This time, the point contained a jade slip wrapped in cloth, with four characters written on the fabric.
[Divine Object Name: Heavenly Mechanics Jade Slip
Upon activation, grants a glimpse of one's personal destiny.
Required Spirit Seeds for exchange: 3000]
"3000?" Ji Xia recalled his paltry 230 Spirit Seeds and silently looked away.
Another stream of light flew past him, and within it, a regiment of soldiers stood in perfect formation. They wore silver armor and carried plain swords, standing solemnly with an imposing presence.
Ji Xia's eyes lit up. "Indeed, there are divine objects like the Yin Soldier Nest. Although we just annihilated 6,000 of the main force from the Dog-headed Kingdom, Tai Cang hasn't lost too many troops. The Yin Army still numbers 800. But the Dog-headed Kingdom's strength far surpasses ours, and with over 2,000 elite troops and tens of thousands of hunting soldiers, Tai Cang could still face annihilation if we're careless."
[Divine Object Name: Heavenly Saint Right Guard Army Camp
The strongest military force under the command of the Heavenly Saint Emperor, equipped with powerful weapons and exceptional strength.
Required Spirit Seeds for exchange: 6000]
Ji Xia looked at his meager 230 Spirit Seeds and felt a moment of silence.
"It seems that the Yin Soldier Nest and Vengeance Sword are like beginner's gifts. With only this many Spirit Seeds, it would be a pipe dream to exchange for the Heavenly Saint Army Camp."
"By the way, how do I actually obtain more Spirit Seeds?" Ji Xia wondered aloud.
*[Ways to Obtain Spirit Seeds:
Gather the emotions of living beingsSlay living beingsRedeem living beingsDestroy nationsAnnihilate racesBreed new racesDestroy civilizations...]*
A series of information flooded Ji Xia's mind. As he processed it, he could not help but feel speechless.
"Gathering emotions, slaying beings, redeeming beings—those are understandable. But destroying nations? Annihilating races? Breeding new races? Destroying civilizations?" Ji Xia's thoughts were conflicted.
"Does the divine tree want me to become a ruthless tyrant, like Genghis Khan, conquering the world?" he wondered. He couldn't fathom the kind of power required to annihilate an entire civilization, so he decided not to dwell on it further.
"I wonder what 230 Spirit Seeds could exchange for..." Ji Xia mused, closely examining the streams of light and points that drifted past him. He finally selected three light points.
These three light points hovered in his hands, and though he hesitated, there was still a sense of excitement.
230 Spirit Seeds may not be a lot, but there were still objects in the first layer of the divine tree that could be exchanged for, and Ji Xia couldn't help but feel thrilled.
"This Spirit Gathering Rune really is a pleasant surprise."
[Divine Object: Spirit Gathering Rune
A low-level rune used in myths to gather spiritual energy and accelerate cultivation. It can be implanted into the body.
Required Spirit Seeds: 180]
Ji Xia had already fought on the barbarian battlefield and understood the importance of cultivation. Cultivators could wield limitless power, but the original owner of this body had almost no foundation in cultivation. The prince was already 19 years old. Although it wasn't too late to begin cultivating now, it had wasted a lot of valuable time. There was a significant gap between him and his peers who had been cultivating from a younger age.
The Spirit Gathering Rune could help bridge that gap, and although Ji Xia didn't know how much faster his spiritual energy would accumulate with the rune, he had an inexplicable confidence in the divine tree's products.
The second and third items left Ji Xia in a dilemma.
[Divine Object: Brilliant Light Armor
A strong armor capable of withstanding powerful attacks and providing the wearer with extraordinary energy.
Required Spirit Seeds: 50]
[Divine Object: Spirit-Absorbing Gourd
Absorbs souls of beings who have died within three days, storing them in an unconscious state for one year.
Required Spirit Seeds: 50]
Both of these divine objects required 50 Spirit Seeds, and together with the 180 needed for the Spirit Gathering Rune, it would perfectly consume all of Ji Xia's current Spirit Seeds.
The dilemma for him was which to choose.
In terms of practicality, the Brilliant Light Armor was far more useful. For someone like Ji Xia, who was still weak, having a piece of defensive equipment was essential. Moreover, the armor would also provide extraordinary energy to its wearer, making it all the more tempting.
As for the Spirit-Absorbing Gourd...
When he saw it, Ji Xia suddenly thought of the revered Tai Cang King, whom all the citizens of Tai Cang respected and would even die for.
From what the citizens said, the King, Ji Shang, had been severely wounded while battling a general from the Dog-headed Kingdom. Later, when the Celestial Calamity struck, he remained focused on Tai Cang, tirelessly working and neglecting his injuries, leading to a slow decline in health.
The Prince's destruction of the Tai Cang Jade was the final blow that caused Ji Shang's heart to fail.
Ji Xia respected this man, but also felt a tinge of guilt. He knew that Ji Shang's death wasn't his fault, yet he couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility. Perhaps the Prince's memories were silently affecting him.
It was like living in an ancient civilization and coming to this boundless wasteland, with no sense of unfamiliarity or discomfort, even when killing someone.
After thinking long and hard, Ji Xia made his decision with a firm resolve.
"The Brilliant Light Armor can be exchanged at any time, but the King's soul will be lost if it exceeds the time limit for the Spirit-Absorbing Gourd."
"Perhaps I will find other divine objects later to revive the King or allow him to exist in another form."
"I will exchange for the Spirit Gathering Rune and the Spirit-Absorbing Gourd."
A faint golden light radiated from his body, transforming into strange seeds that covered the light points corresponding to the Spirit Gathering Rune and the Spirit-Absorbing Gourd.
The two light points flew out of Ji Xia's hands, expanding rapidly. Then, they vanished from the first layer of the Decayless Divine Tree.