Ji Xia made up his mind, his thoughts flickering as his consciousness avatar dissipated instantly. The surrounding environment distorted and gradually reformed.
In the blink of an eye, Ji Xia found himself in a profound, tranquil, and awe-inspiring realm. Countless streams of light and mysterious radiance flowed past, each encapsulating a divine artifact.
Without hesitation, Ji Xia summoned the Cheng Tian Net, which still stored the divine artifacts he had selected during his previous visit but had left unredeemed due to insufficient spirit seeds.
The first item on his list was naturally the Pulse-Forging Crystals.
The Pulse-Forging Crystals significantly enhanced Tai Cang's overall strength. Currently, the city of Tai hosted a full contingent of 11,000 soldiers, with another 1,000 stationed in the distant Cang City, totaling 12,000 troops.
These crystals were consumable and sufficient for a population of 10,000 to use for one month. When Ji Xia left Tai Cang last time, he had left behind a supply of these crystals, which had now nearly run out. Thus, his first task upon entering the sacred tree space was to redeem more.
"Unless a better and more cost-effective divine artifact appears, the Pulse-Forging Crystals must not be interrupted. Even for transcendent experts, these crystals provide subtle benefits. With prolonged use, it might even be possible to cultivate an army of Ninth Heaven warriors," Ji Xia thought to himself.
He knew, however, that after the Seventh Heaven, the efficacy of the crystals diminished significantly. While it might be possible to cultivate Ninth Heaven troops, the process would undoubtedly be lengthy, potentially taking two to three years.
For most nations or races, forming such a powerful army in a few years would be astonishing. Yet for Ji Xia, this pace was still too slow.
The endless wilderness was rife with dangers and calamities of all kinds. Developing slowly only increased the risk of annihilation.
For instance, Ji Xia vividly recalled seeing the bug-tooth tribe—tens of thousands strong—devoured in mere bites by a Spirit Mansion-level great demon.
What if such a demon descended upon Tai Cang?
The people of Tai Cang might survive a few extra bites due to their numbers, but ultimately, there was little difference between them and the weak bug-tooth tribe.
To a human, what difference does it make whether they crush a slightly larger beetle or an ant underfoot?
Having redeemed the Pulse-Forging Crystals, Ji Xia retrieved another glowing point of light.
[Firefly Lamp of Brilliance | Required Spirit Seeds: 120]
Details:
Crafted from the abdomen of fireflies on Mount Olympus, combined with a translucent glass shell.When used, it illuminates an area of 300 zhang in diameter with a gentle, pervasive light.Requires an energy source for operation.
This seemingly mundane divine artifact, resembling a classic European wall lamp with an added handle, might not seem worth 120 spirit seeds. However, under Tai Cang's unique circumstances, it was worth at least 500 spirit seeds!
With Tai Cang facing a period of darkness and freezing cold due to the upcoming solar blackout, normal development was hindered. This lamp could illuminate a small area, enabling the construction of housing for the Intercalary Valley people and facilitating other essential activities.
At the very least, if Tai Cang citizens ventured out and froze to death, this lamp could be used to locate their bodies.
"Too bad I can only redeem one. Otherwise, I'd exchange for dozens and use them as streetlights," Ji Xia thought.
[Zongfang Incense of Insight | Required Spirit Seeds: 1,800]
Details:
A favorite of high-level alchemists and mystics during the Xian Qin era.Emits a fragrance that significantly enhances comprehension and memory when burned.Up to nine can be redeemed, respecting the mystic's reverence for the number nine.
"Significantly enhances comprehension and memory!"
Ji Xia remembered the description of the Fortune Fruit he had once redeemed, which also included the phrase "significantly enhances." That fruit had granted him the Great Sun Spirit Furnace, saving his life and proving invaluable on multiple occasions.
"I still have thousands of martial arts manuals. With this incense, I'll be able to study them much faster."
"Those manuals could greatly enrich Tai Cang's martial heritage," he thought.
Currently, Tai Cang's soldiers all practiced a basic technique called Tiger Essence True Technique. While effective, it was far inferior to more profound methods like the Starry Secret Manual.
If Ji Xia could integrate the knowledge from those manuals and develop a new, more potent technique tailored for Tai Cang, the army's power might rise significantly.
[Stone Spirit Warriors Illustration | Required Spirit Seeds: 2,500]
Details:
A mystical artifact commonly used by alchemists.Activating the illustration summons 30 Stone Spirit Warriors.The warriors are massive, slow-moving, but immensely strong.
Ji Xia redeemed this artifact with future development in mind.
Currently, much of the heavy lifting and resource gathering fell to the Tai Guard. However, as soldiers, they needed time for training and drills. While occasionally assigning them such tasks was acceptable, relying on them long-term would be unwise.
With 30 Stone Spirit Warriors and the support of Tai Cang's able-bodied citizens, the soldiers could focus on honing their combat skills.
After redeeming four divine artifacts, Ji Xia had only 12,000 spirit seeds left. Taking a deep breath, he finally retrieved a radiant glow from the Cheng Tian Net.
[Seed of the Divine Fruit | Required Spirit Seeds: 12,000]
Details:
Redeeming the seed will allow the Divine Tree to nurture a Divine Fruit.Once matured, the fruit will produce a random deity.
At last, Ji Xia could redeem the long-awaited seed of the Divine Fruit. Though it still needed time to mature, it was a significant step forward.
Holding the luminous glow of the Divine Fruit seed in his hands, Ji Xia declared, "Redeem the Seed of the Divine Fruit."
Golden light radiated from his body, fragmenting into countless shards that enveloped the glow. The glow broke free, shattered into fragments, twisted, and disappeared into the void.
Ji Xia shifted his focus to the Divine Tree. Before him, a green gourd larger than a man hung from the tree, emitting a faint, radiant glow.
"A gourd? When it matures, will it produce a Calabash Brother?" Ji Xia chuckled, his eyes brimming with hope.
"Grow well, little gourd!"