The very thought sent Zhen Chengxin's heart pounding in his chest.
This—this was the kind of true patron every traveling merchant dreamed of. His trip to Great Yi had been a complete success: not only had he acquired a vast sum of Eternal Coins, but he also had the opportunity to collect large quantities of rare items from within Great Yi.
And he knew full well—Great Yi was not lacking in good things. On the contrary, the sheer number of treasures available was astounding. If one had the will and the means to collect, the harvest would be immense.
They moved up to the second floor.
Though the number of treasures here was smaller than on the first floor, the quality was on a completely different level.
Just looking at the spiritual herbs: every one of them had at least a thousand years of medicinal potency, with some reaching as high as three thousand years.
And the other treasures? No less valuable.
Naturally, the higher the quality, the rarer the item. This was a universal truth—precious things simply couldn't exist in large numbers.
"Your Majesty," Zhen Chengxin began, "everything here on the second floor is of at least Profound Grade, most are magical treasures of excellent quality…"
But Yi Tianxing waved a hand to interrupt:
"No need for introductions. Name your price. I'll buy everything."
He said it as casually as if he were buying snacks at a roadside stall.
"Your Majesty is truly generous! A-Yue, start the appraisal."
Though Zhen Chengxin remained outwardly composed, his heart was pounding wildly.
This level of generosity was simply unreal.
"Master, the total estimated price of the second-floor treasures is 7.758 billion Eternal Coins," A-Yue reported quickly.
It was a truly astronomical figure.
To an ordinary cultivator, that number was so high, even selling themselves for life wouldn't be enough.
And yet—Yi Tianxing didn't even blink.
After decades of operation, the Demon Thought Beads had been converted into Eternal Coins at an ever-growing rate. The sheer number of Demon Thought Beads produced daily had reached the billions.
Combined with the Money Tree—which constantly absorbed wealth and minted Eternal Coins—the empire's wealth had only increased with time.
Even now, with over twenty trillion new citizens added recently, and an explosive demand for Eternal Coins, their value had never declined. Quite the opposite: they had become indispensable.
Eternal Coins were not just currency, they were a core resource for cultivators. They powered runes, constructs, formation arrays—and were embedded in daily life across the empire.
The more, the better.
As for how many Eternal Coins Yi Tianxing personally possessed?
Countless.
Impossible to estimate. To him, numbers like this were trivial.
What mattered was the treasures themselves.
With a sweep of his hand, the Eternal Coins fell like rain.
Moments later, all of the second-floor treasures were swept away, gathered into Yi Tianxing's inventory without hesitation.
Zhen Chengxin willingly lifted the seals—after all, this kind of customer was more than welcome to empty the shelves.
"Your Majesty is certainly bold," said Zhen Chengxin with a smile, "but the third floor… that's where the true elite treasures reside."
"Here, you'll find natural wonders, even Innate Spirit Treasures. But of course, the price will be significantly higher."
After seeing the first two floors completely cleaned out, Zhen Chengxin felt a mix of joy and defiance.
Clearly, Yi Tianxing had found nothing worth noting so far. That was—frankly—a bit insulting to Zhen Chengxin's pride as a four-star traveling merchant.
He had to show that his collection included things even a Divine Emperor would covet.
"Your Majesty, this way please."
"Very well," said Yi Tianxing with a smile."The first two floors were appetizers. Now let's see the main course."
They ascended to the third floor.
This was where Zhen Chengxin kept his true treasures.
The quantity was far lower—but every item glowed with brilliance, like beacons in the dark.
"Your Majesty, look at this," said Zhen Chengxin, pointing at a seed radiating divine light."This is an Innate Spirit Seed, born during the fusion of the Myriad Realms. Once nurtured, it will grow into an Innate Spirit Root."
"Judging by its aura, it may not be top-tier, but it's at least mid- to high-grade. This seed is called the Myriad Spirits Treasure Tree."
This was not just a treasure—it was a miracle.
Though it was only a seed for now, if nurtured to maturity, it would become a true Innate Spirit Root. Such things could take thousands, even tens of thousands of years to fully mature.
But once grown, they provided infinite blessings.
Not everyone had that kind of time.
But a massive power like Great Yi—with its stability and strength—did.
Zhen Chengxin had deduced this from watching the Peach Festival: Yi Tianxing loved cultivating Innate Spirit Roots.
"The Myriad Spirits Treasure Tree… What's its significance?" asked Yi Tianxing, visibly interested.
After all, an Innate Spirit Treasure benefits one person, but an Innate Spirit Root benefits the entire empire.
Like the Immortal Peach Trees of the festival, its influence could be immeasurable.
"From what I've learned," said Zhen Chengxin, "the Myriad Spirits Treasure Tree is a unique Innate Spirit Root."
"Every thousand years, it blooms and produces fruits—not ordinary fruit, but spiritual flesh in the shape of legendary creatures: a true dragon fruit, a phoenix fruit, and so on."
"They're not illusions. They're true spirit flesh—as if you were eating actual dragon meat. No impurities, pure essence, incomparable taste."
Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up.
Spiritual flesh?
This was the ultimate culinary treasure.
Once cultivated, this tree could provide an endless supply of top-tier spiritual meats. Combined with Great Yi's finest chefs—the possibilities were mouthwatering.
His desire was instantly ignited.
A treasure like this must not fall into someone else's hands. To miss it would be a disgrace.
"Very good. I want this Spirit Seed," Yi Tianxing said."But let's be clear—it's still a seed. It's not a full-grown root. Nurturing it will cost me dearly."
"Don't try to extort me. I'm rich, but I'm not an idiot."
Zhen Chengxin nodded sincerely.
"Naturally. I wouldn't dare ruin my reputation as a traveling merchant."
"Now that the world is stabilizing, prices for treasures are also leveling out. This one has enormous potential, so even its minimum price is 10 million Eternal Coins."
It was true—gone were the days when top-tier items could be bought for cheap. The market had matured. Value and price were finally aligning.
Meanwhile…
In the void.
Nine massive figures appeared in a hidden space—the Nine Heavenly Dao Sovereigns who had recently departed from Great Yi.
They were silent.
Oppressively so.
The tension was so great that even a True Spirit Realm expert would risk their spirit shattering under this weight.
"We've lost face. That cannot go unanswered," said the white Heaven Dao coldly."Great Yi and Emperor Yi must be punished, to remind them that our authority is absolute."
"Agreed," said the Golden Heaven Dao.
"Seconded," echoed the Yellow Heaven Dao.
The others joined in one after another.
"Then let us deliver a harsh lesson to Great Yi," said the Blood Heaven Dao, reaching into the void...