"A peach pit with innate Dao Rhythms and unending vitality…This is a seed of an Innate Spiritual Root,"Yi Tianxing said, eyes gleaming, his tone solemn.
His vision pierced the truth with ease—This wasn't just some sacred relic.If successfully cultivated, it could blossom into a true Innate Spiritual Root—an entity with world-shaking power.
The difficulty lay in nurturing it to sprout.
"I obtained this during the fusion of the myriad realms,"Liu Bei said with a deep breath, his face filled with resolve."It descended from the heavens—a gift of fate.If cultivated, it will become a Celestial Spiritual Root."
"What kind of root?"Yi Tianxing asked, intrigued.
He knew well how fearsome an Innate Spiritual Root could be.
For instance, the Holy Spirit Fruit Tree of the Holy Spirit Race—Said to be born from the fall of a deity and the devout prayers of countless believers.Its fruits, shaped like hearts, were purple, alive, and miraculous—Some purely refined one's physique and bloodline, while others contained the pure willpower of all beings:Love, kindness, evil, lust, war, joy, sorrow...Each could bring miraculous fates upon consumption—True love, redemption, divine blessings.
Such treasures were national artifacts—capable of anchoring a race's destiny.
Yi Tianxing himself had one in his internal Celestial Garden: the Five Elements Treasure Tree.
Formed from five elemental trees, nurtured by the sacred sun-tree Ruo Mu,It had grown into a true Innate Spiritual Root.
But its growth was agonizingly slow—5,000 years to bloom, 5,000 to bear fruit, and another 5,000 to mature.Each yield? Thirty-six fruits—no more, no less.Those who consumed them would gain the Five Elemental Treasure Body, one of the most supreme physiques.
Even with the Immortal Dew of Life and Reincarnation Holy Liquid, its growth could only be slightly accelerated.
Thus—one could never have too many Innate Spiritual Roots.
"This one,"Liu Bei said carefully,"is the Heaven-Fortune Longevity Peach (天运寿桃).It was born from the collective destinies of sworn brotherhoods—A seed infused with the luck of fortune, prosperity, and longevity."
"If grown, it becomes the Heaven-Fortune Peach Tree,and bears fruits that increase lifespan, amplify one's fate, and bring profound blessings.The full extent of its power… is unknown. Only cultivation can reveal its true nature."
Liu Bei's eyes were full of longing.If he could have grown it, he would never have parted with it.
But he couldn't.
Not only was the process unbearably long—12,000 years total—He lacked the confidence and resources to bring it to fruition.
Even if he technically could now, the waiting made him falter.
"A tempting treasure indeed,"Yi Tianxing smiled calmly,"But even so, if you mean to trade it for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei,then I must refuse.They are not items for exchange—they are free men."
"If you wish to persuade them, I will summon them now."
As he spoke, a signal passed through his mind.
In truth, Yi Tianxing had arranged this meeting deliberately—Their conversation had not been silenced, and every word had reached the ears of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei waiting outside.
Nothing was hidden.
A moment later, the two brothers entered.
They looked at Liu Bei—and the sorrow in their eyes was clear.
"Your Majesty. Big Brother."
"Brother," Zhang Fei said, voice firm,"Forgive us. We… choose to stay with Great Yi."
It wasn't about the Heaven-Fortune Peach Seed anymore.It was about respect, freedom, and decades of loyalty.
Their hearts were already deeply rooted in Great Yi.
"Sigh…"
Liu Bei's expression twisted with grief.
Tears shimmered in his eyes.
He had not expected his sworn brothers to refuse him again,even after he had offered the most sacred treasure he possessed.
"If that is so… I ask Your Majesty to care for my brothers well.I must return—there is much left to handle in Shu."
He turned to go, hand over his face, sorrow thick as mist.
"Brother Liu, wait,"Yi Tianxing's voice rang again.
Liu Bei paused and turned.
"That Innate Spiritual Seed you brought…Are you still interested in parting with it?If so, I would gladly offer a price worthy of its value."
Liu Bei blinked.
"What does Your Majesty mean?"
"Exactly what I said,"Yi Tianxing smiled,"I am truly interested in that seed.If you cannot cultivate it, let me do so.Name your price:Innate spirit treasures, top-tier cultivation techniques, divine abilities, heavenly materials, supreme pills…Or even—population and military forces."
He spoke slowly—especially toward the end.
Each word struck Liu Bei like thunder.
When Yi Tianxing uttered "population" and "military,"Liu Bei's entire body trembled with shock.
For a fate dynasty, population was the true cornerstone of national strength.More people meant more fate, more power, more future.Even more so—elite troops were the blood of a dynasty's survival.
In the current era, with realms stabilizing and factions solidifying,gaining population through conquest was no longer viable without causing widespread backlash.
Natural reproduction took time and resources.It required security, food, shelter—everything.
That made what Yi Tianxing offered all the more astonishing.
"Population and soldiers? That… that's impossible to trade…"Liu Bei said, stunned.
"Why not?"Yi Tianxing replied coolly."Of course, they do not come from Great Yi,but from the Divine-Demon Battlefield—Former Eternal Night human slave soldiers, now cleansed of all corruption."
"They are of pure human bloodline, their minds as blank as white paper.Gentle by nature, physically robust, all at least at the Life Aperture Realm.I've used special means to remove Eternal Night's control.If you are willing, I can trade you a batch."
Liu Bei was visibly shaken.
What he had come to offer as a bargaining chip…had become Yi Tianxing's opportunity to buy something even greater.
"How many?"he asked, voice quivering.
His tone was no longer filled with pride or sorrow—Only the urgency of a ruler faced with a once-in-a-lifetime offer.