At first glance, the gourd appeared dark gold, exuding an aura of mystery. It looked more like an exquisite artifact than something naturally grown on a gourd vine. A unique aura radiated from it.
"Today, I am honored to meet the King and join the Great Yi Dynasty. I possess no other treasure except this gourd, which I discovered atop Gourd Mountain. It is called the Three Radiance Gourd, capable of absorbing the essence of the sun, moon, and stars. It can slowly produce Three Radiance Divine Water within, a miraculous substance that nourishes all life. It is a rare treasure of heaven and earth. However, its only flaw is that the accumulation process is too slow. Even with continuous absorption of solar, lunar, and stellar essence, it takes three months just to condense a single drop."
Lu Wenjun looked at the gourd in his hand, a mix of reluctance and bitterness on his face. The gourd required no effort to maintain, yet the wait for a single drop was painfully long. Still, the effects of the Three Radiance Divine Water were astounding.
Just one drop, when dripped onto a gourd vine, could instantly increase the age of its fruit by 300 years.
It was natural for him to be reluctant to part with it.
However, given the times of great catastrophe, and with his decision to join the Great Yi, he ultimately resolved to offer this treasure as tribute in hopes of a better future.
"Three Radiance Gourd, capable of condensing Three Radiance Divine Water... Truly an extraordinary treasure."
Yi Tianxing was also secretly amazed upon hearing this.
Such a treasure was undoubtedly a peerless rarity.
It was known that Three Radiance Divine Water was among the most top-tier divine waters in existence.
The Three Radiance Divine Water came in three forms: golden Sunlight Divine Water, white Moonlight Divine Water, and violet Starlight Divine Water. The Sunlight Divine Water could erode flesh, blood, and bone. The Moonlight Divine Water corroded soul and spirit. The Starlight Divine Water dissolved true spirit and divine sense. Each was an incredibly mystical substance.
However, when these three merged into one, they became the most miraculous healing elixir in the world. Its effects on spiritual plants and herbs were beyond imagination.
One drop alone could enhance a herb's medicinal potency by 300 years. That spoke volumes about its extraordinary nature.
Legend had it that when the Ginseng Fruit Tree of Zhenyuan Daxian was once uprooted and nearly destroyed, it was revived only through water from Guanyin's jade purification vase. That water was, in truth, Three Radiance Divine Water. If even a primordial spiritual root could be saved by it, its efficacy was beyond doubt.
Lu Wenjun, lacking the strength and insight, had failed to recognize the full potential of the Three Radiance Divine Water. Otherwise, he might have been even more reluctant to part with it. Most crucially, the Three Radiance Gourd was currently only a Yellow-tier treasure. If its grade improved, the production rate of divine water would surely increase. With enough of it, one could create countless miracles—not only accelerating the growth of spirit herbs, but even wielding it for defense and offense.
"This treasure is truly extraordinary. Are you certain you wish to present it to the King?"Yi Tianxing gave Lu Wenjun another look and spoke slowly.
If Lu were to change his mind now, Yi Tianxing wouldn't force the issue. As precious as the gourd was, it wasn't worth losing face or forcibly robbing a subordinate.
"I am certain. This is my heartfelt offering."Lu Wenjun answered firmly.
"In that case, I shall accept it."Yi Tianxing nodded, not declining further. He genuinely liked this Three Radiance Gourd, and nurturing it would surely bring tremendous benefits in the future.
Of course, such a priceless gift should not be received without return. After a brief thought, he spoke again:
"Today, Lu Wenjun, Governor of Gourd Town, has pledged loyalty and offered a rare treasure. As reward, he is hereby granted the right to select one high-grade cultivation technique, one battle technique below Earth-tier, and one life diagram construction method from the Sutra Pavilion. Additionally, he shall receive 300 First-Grade Yin-Yang Pills, 10 Second-Grade Yin-Yang Pills, 1,000 Tiangang Pills, and 300,000 Eternal Coins."
To receive a gift requires giving one in return. If he were to accept such a treasure without offering anything back, the world might see it as cold and opportunistic. But this generous reward would impress the public with his magnanimity.
A high-grade cultivation technique alone was a rarity in other factions. In Gourd Town, for instance, Lu Wenjun, although a cultivator, had only trained in a basic method called Everlasting Spring Technique, and had only reached the Life Aperture Realm. He had yet to step into the Life Diagram Realm, primarily due to the lack of conditions found only in the Great Yi.
With abundant resources and a complete system, the Great Yi had everything—techniques, treasures, pills, and more. The kingdom's prosperity stemmed from its centralized accumulation of resources harvested even from the wilderness.
Given that he'd reached the Life Aperture Realm without superior techniques or resources, Lu Wenjun's achievement was already admirable.
Now, with access to elite techniques and cultivation resources like the Yin-Yang Pills and Tiangang Pills, his breakthrough into the Life Diagram Realm was all but guaranteed. He would finally become a true powerhouse.
In times of chaos, Lu Wenjun understood that true strength was the only lasting assurance.
Because he knew the value of these rewards, he trembled with emotion. A strong sense of belonging toward the Great Yi Dynasty welled up in his heart. In the end, all things were illusions—only benefits were eternal.
Just obtaining a high-grade cultivation technique was something money couldn't buy elsewhere.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generous grace. I, Lu Wenjun, vow to serve the Great Yi with my life and charge ahead on your behalf!"
Lu Wenjun bowed respectfully.
This time, there was a clear and genuine sincerity in his tone—far deeper than before. He had truly integrated into the system of the Great Yi.
"No need for such formality."Yi Tianxing replied calmly with a light smile.
In the court hall, many ministers looked on with envy. The reward was no small matter—it was a royal favor indeed. It was clearly linked to the treasure Lu Wenjun had presented.
After more discussions, the court session ended, and the ministers dispersed.
…
Soon after, the resolutions made during court were swiftly put into action. Once He Shen returned to Nameless City, he promptly responded to the envoys of the foreign tribes. These envoys then quickly returned to their respective clans.
Thanks to the teleportation arrays, their round trips were fast.
All major tribes received the news almost instantly.
Rock Fortress City.
In an ancient foreign city dominated by the Winged People, many of them had gathered.
At the center stood a middle-aged Winged Man wearing a crown and radiating authority. His face twisted in anger, and with a palm strike, the stone table before him shattered into pieces.
"Outrageous! The Great Yi is utterly bullying us!"
His voice echoed with fury.
"Just for some low-grade grain, they demand rare specialties in return—and the prices are ridiculous. Do they think their food is made of spiritual rice or celestial treasures?! In the past, even at the trading markets, 2 Eternal Coins could get us 100 catties of basic grain. Now look at the price!"
His anger was not without cause—the price hike was outrageous.
Common miscellaneous spirit rice contained barely any spiritual energy and had no benefit to cultivation. It was just for basic sustenance. Even 2 Eternal Coins seemed expensive before. But now?
Looking at the new pricing list brought back by the envoys made his blood boil.
20 Eternal Coins for 100 catties of miscellaneous spirit rice.
What was this? A tenfold increase.
Even standard spiritual rice didn't cost that much. Yet this was just basic grain—hardly rare or valuable—being sold at premium prices. It was as if they were being taken for fools.
Even a fool would know the price was absurd.
"But the problem is," another Winged elder sighed bitterly, "only the Great Yi humans have a stable supply of grain. And now, grain equals life—it's more precious than gold. They've seized upon our weakness. Whether we like it or not, we have no choice but to buy it."
Right now, no other force was willing to sell such life-saving goods. Like it or not, they were at Great Yi's mercy.
"We also need Eternal Coins—large amounts. Otherwise, our warriors' strength will stagnate, or worse, diminish. Eternal Coins and Crystal Coins are now vital cultivation resources."
With the world's natural energy turning chaotic, cultivation had become difficult and even dangerous. Eternal Coins could serve as a stable energy source for cultivation. That made them invaluable.
"So what now? Do we agree or not? Our grain reserves can only last another half month—one month at best with strict rationing. That's our limit."
One Winged elder could only smile bitterly.
Before, they looked down on ordinary grain. Hunting beasts sufficed. But now the beasts had either died or gone into hiding. Hunting had become nearly impossible. The only stable source of food was trade with Great Yi.
"It seems... we have no choice but to trade our specialties for their supplies."
Though unwilling, the Winged chieftain could only sigh in defeat.