Ji Xia took out the tree seed and felt the layers of spiritual energy emanating from it, raising the concentration of spiritual energy in the surrounding area by an entire level. This brought smiles to the faces of the gathered ministers, and they quickly realized the value of this tree seed.
A treasure capable of enhancing the spiritual energy concentration was unheard of, even within their broad experiences.
"This is the seed of the Star Ancient Tree. From this day forth, it shall be the National Tree of Tai Cang. It's said that the tree possesses a spirit; you must never show disrespect to this sacred tree," Ji Xia said solemnly.
The Star Ancient Tree's information did not explicitly state whether it had a spirit. However, as a divine object capable of growth, valued at nearly five thousand spirit seeds, Ji Xia knew better. Even his Sun Suppressing Spirit Furnace, which guarded his Spirit Wheel, was not a lifeless object. Even the Golden Crow engravings on the furnace had a spirit of their own.
Thus, Ji Xia warned everyone in advance to avoid offending the Star Ancient Tree. Should the tree eventually grow and devour someone disrespectful, it would create unnecessary trouble.
The ministers all bowed in acknowledgment. Shiyang, however, looked at the ancient seed with a sense of confusion.
He could feel the rich spiritual energy radiating from it, which made him recall a certain treasure from his ancestral land.
"Could it be… the King has made contact with the ancestral land?" Shiyang thought, a sudden idea rising in his mind. But he quickly dismissed it: "The ancestral land shut down after that calamity. It won't reopen for a long time. The King is only twenty years old; there's no way he could've accessed it."
Still, his doubts grew the longer he stayed by Ji Xia's side. No reasonable explanation existed for the King's mysteries.
"How can the ruler of such a small kingdom be even more enigmatic than me?" Shiyang chuckled bitterly to himself.
Ji Xia paid no mind to Shiyang's expression. He released a sharp surge of spiritual energy, which churned into the ground before him. The soil erupted, flying to the sides, and a massive pit appeared.
Without hesitation, Ji Xia approached the tree seed with solemn determination, trying to move it himself into the pit.
Moments later, his face turned awkward—despite his physical strength, which could lift tens of thousands of pounds, he couldn't move the seed an inch.
With no other choice, Ji Xia activated the Golden Crow Yuan Sage Sutra, releasing golden spiritual energy to wrap around the seed. He tried to lift it again—no luck.
Ji Xia frowned, his Spirit Wheel spinning at full power. His vast cultivation surged like a raging river, focusing on the seed. Still… it didn't budge.
The mighty force that could lift entire palaces was rendered useless against this seed!
Ji Xia's face darkened. The ministers around him stared silently at their feet, pretending not to notice his embarrassment.
After a brief cough, Ji Xia glanced slyly at the seed and said loudly, "This seed seems too heavy to plant. Since it's so strange, why don't we roast it and eat it instead?"
The ministers nodded hesitantly. The seed remained unmoved.
A mischievous smile spread across Ji Xia's face. Golden Crow flames coalesced at his fingertip as he continued, "Ordinary fire probably can't roast this seed. Fortunately, I have a divine flame that can burn even stars…"
Before Ji Xia could finish, the seed shuddered violently. In an instant, it slid a full meter into the air before falling neatly into the pit.
The ministers were stunned. Clearly, this Star Ancient Tree's seed was extraordinary—it did have a spirit!
Ji Xia smirked coldly, the Golden Crow flame still flickering on his finger. "Alas, I'm too tired to cover the seed with soil. What a pity."
At that moment, the massive seed shuddered again. It crashed into the pit with such force that the soil along the sides began to collapse, burying itself completely.
Only then did Ji Xia extinguish the flame at his fingertip.
Glancing at the now-buried seed, he turned to the ministers and said, "I summoned you all here for this purpose. From now on, you must treat this seed with utmost respect. Once the Star Ancient Tree sprouts, it will bless Tai Cang."
The ministers bowed in acknowledgment before Ji Xia dismissed them.
Ji Xia remained behind, approaching the buried tree seed with a smile. "Don't be mischievous. I'm your master now—you must behave."
Suddenly, a gentle beam of light shot out from the soil, soft and serene, as if answering Ji Xia: Understood.
Satisfied, Ji Xia nodded and glanced up at the sky. The dark heavens were still devoid of light. The sun and stars remained hidden, leaving no trace.
"I wonder where the sun goes during the Sunless Era," Ji Xia muttered. "Is it blocked by something, or has it disappeared altogether? The Star Ancient Tree will need the power of the stars to grow. Will this affect you?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a dazzling white light erupted from beneath the earth, enveloping Ji Xia completely.
The light seemed extraordinary, flowing into Ji Xia's body. The Sun Suppressing Spirit Furnace emerged from his Spirit Wheel on its own, flames erupting within it. The furnace's fire intertwined with the white light, forming a mysterious power that surged through Ji Xia's body.
The energy coursed through his apertures, merging into his eyes.
His Great Sun Spirit Eyes activated spontaneously. Two suns blazed in his vision, accompanied by two Golden Crows crying out to the heavens. These forces intertwined with the newfound energy, and Ji Xia felt a wave of heat flow across his eyes.
Suddenly, an insight struck him. He looked toward the heavens.
Beyond the dark veil of the sky—
Three suns blazed blood-red, their massive flames roaring. Countless fiery beings writhed within them. Yet the suns trembled, their vast bodies bound by colossal chains!
The suns struggled and shuddered, trying to break free, but they could not. They were shackled behind the veil of darkness.
The chains radiated divine power. Thunderbolts intertwined with the links, waterfalls cascaded from their surfaces, and vines that stretched for thousands of miles grew and withered atop them. Massive stones pinned the chains in place, preventing the suns from moving.
The sight left Ji Xia dumbfounded.
The three suns had not disappeared—they were imprisoned by unfathomable power!
Through the flames and chains, Ji Xia could feel the suns' overwhelming sorrow. They were mourning, anguished, and ashamed.
Unable to rise.
Unable to shine upon the earth.
Unable to protect the living beings below.
In a fleeting moment, the strange power dissipated. Ji Xia's Great Sun Spirit Eyes returned to normal, revealing only distant mountains once more.
But Ji Xia stood there, motionless, his body trembling slightly.
The scene he had just witnessed was so staggering that his entire being buzzed with numbness. He could not move.