Chapter 117 : The Origin Tree
Chapter 117: The Origin Tree
Shaosheng Year 435.
Nearly twenty years had passed, and Anxi Prefecture had undergone monumental changes.
（Please remember, Taiwan Novel Network is super thoughtful, 𝑡𝑤𝑘𝑎𝑛.𝑐𝑜𝑚 is super convenient, offering the fastest chapter updates.）
Its current prosperity was in no way inferior to the most fertile lands of Guanzhong.
This mighty prefecture, which had risen in the western lands of the Empire, had, in merely two decades, achieved earth-shaking development.
The most striking transformation lay in its explosive population growth.
Today, the number of living citizens under Anxi Prefecture’s rule had surpassed the hundred-billion mark—reaching an astounding twelve billion and three hundred million!
These twelve billion and three hundred million people were not evenly distributed.
Roughly seven billion resided in the vast eastern prefecture, while the remaining five billion three hundred million had taken root in the newly developed western region.
The key that allowed the eastern prefecture to sustain such an immense population was none other than the vital pass lying across the northern border—the gap within the Ridge of the Burial Dragon.
That mountain rift, widened all those years ago, had for over twenty years continuously drawn abundant moisture from Guanzhong into the inland.
Year after year, the nourishing clouds and vapors, combined with Xu Guangqi’s meticulous planning of irrigation, water storage, and soil improvement,
as well as Jiang Zhaoming’s “embellishment” and refinement, had finally brought about a fundamental transformation to the eastern lands.
The once barren deserts and impoverished grasslands had long vanished without a trace.
Looking far into the distance, one could now see endless fertile plains, teeming with vitality.
The life-bringing waters drawn through the Ridge of the Burial Dragon flowed into interlacing rivers and channels, like gleaming silver veins that nourished boundless greenery.
In the hilly regions, terraced fields spiraled upward along the slopes, forming colossal green stairways that seemed to reach the clouds.
Across the plains, waves of ripening rice rolled like golden seas under the wind.
Cotton fields spread out like white clouds, while orchards dotted the land between them, their branches heavy with fruit, filling the air with a sweet and tempting aroma.
Villages and towns were scattered like stars; cooking smoke curled upward, and human voices filled the air.
Apart from Ronglu County, where the natural conditions remained the harshest and still required years of cultivation,
the other nine counties of the eastern prefecture had changed so completely that, without historical records, no one would believe this place had been desolate wasteland fifty years ago.
This earth-shaking transformation—this vibrant and prosperous landscape beyond the frontier—
had finally earned Anxi Prefecture yet another resounding title after “Golden Prefecture”: “Jiangnan Beyond the Pass.”
Over these years, Jiang Zhaoming had ceaselessly used various Divine Artifacts of Fortune and special resources of the main plane to transform the very constitution of the people of Anxi.
Now, Anxi truly deserved to be called a land of outstanding talents and spiritual richness; the overall quality of its populace had reached remarkable heights.
In the early years, when Anxi Prefecture had only about three hundred million people, merely forty million could reach the Flesh Refining Realm, and just over one million attained the Tempering Bones Realm.
Now, among its 12.3 billion citizens, 2.8 billion had reached the Flesh Refining Realm, while over one hundred million were in the Tempering Bones Realm.
Among them, 4.6 million elite cultivators had surpassed the Blood Refining Realm.
Of those 4.6 million elites, nearly four million served as soldiers or reservists in the army.
The proportion of Blood Refining Realm warriors serving as soldiers in Anxi Prefecture was the highest in the entire Great Zhou.
The key to this success lay in Anxi Prefecture’s recruitment policy.
Throughout the Great Zhou, the matter of Body-Tempering Demon Crystals was no longer a secret.
However, Jiang Zhaoming maintained extremely strict control over this resource; few knew of its true origin.
The only condition under which Body-Tempering Demon Crystals were made available was—one had to become a soldier of Anxi Prefecture.
Thus, any martial artist aspiring to reach higher realms would, without exception, choose to enlist.
As more and more joined the army, Jiang Zhaoming raised the recruitment threshold repeatedly—
from the initial Fourth Layer of the Tempering Bones Realm, up to today’s Eighth Layer.
Even with such high requirements, the number of active soldiers in the Anxi Army, excluding garrisons, still exceeded ten million.
Unfortunately, despite this vast base of powerful soldiers, the number of commanding officers remained less impressive.
After all, Anxi Prefecture was still in a period of rapid growth, and those beyond the Divine Power Realm required time to mature.
Thus, even though Anxi had numerous Blood Refining Realm warriors and Jiang Zhaoming personally used the Fortune-Appraising Treasure Mirror to discover talents,
the number of Divine Power Realm generals in Anxi Prefecture had only just reached 2,119, while there were 69 at the Myriad Phenomena Realm.
As for those at the Golden Body Realm, apart from Jiang Zhaoming, Yue Fei, Lilian, Wan Donglai, and Sangjie Jiacuo, six others had newly joined their ranks.
Among them was Xiao Hongye, who had reached the late stage of the Golden Body Realm, along with five top-tier clan experts from Guanzhong.
This was because, as Jiang Zhaoming’s status continued to rise, many clans within the empire chose to stake their fortunes on him—relocating entirely to Anxi.
It was thanks to these noble families, second only to the Divine General’s Mansion, that Jiang Zhaoming could acquire so many high-level forces.
At present, three of the most powerful Guanzhong families had officially pledged allegiance to him.
Foremost among them was the Chen Clan, with three Golden Body Realm experts overseeing it.
The Huang Clan and the Fang Clan each possessed one Golden Body Realm Patriarch.
As for how Xiao Hongye had managed to break away from her father’s direct military command to join Anxi Prefecture,
aside from her own firm resolve, Jiang Zhaoming had also paid a heavy price in negotiation—
offering vast quantities of Spirit Crystals and precious Body-Tempering Demon Crystals.
He did not begrudge this investment; in fact, he willingly offered an annual tribute of five million Spirit Crystals to his Emperor Father.
For Jiang Zhaoming, who possessed abundant mineral wealth across the main plane, this was no unbearable cost.
Rather, it acted as a form of invisible “insurance,” granting Anxi Prefecture a crucial safeguard.
If, in the future, he were to encounter unpredictable dangers on the main plane,
this ongoing tribute would at least ensure that his father would extend a helping hand swiftly when needed.
Beyond personnel changes, Anxi Prefecture’s military organization had also undergone a vast transformation.
Its four strongest armies were now the Anxi Army, the Pacifying Rebels Army, the Jingjue Army, and the Yutian Army.
As for the Black-Armored Army, the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry, and the Queshe Army, they had encountered various issues over the years and gradually retreated to secondary positions.
The main reason for this was that the commanders of those three armies had all advanced in strength—
yet, ever since Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, and Zhao Shuijiao had broken through to the Myriad Phenomena Realm, they seemed to have hit an invisible wall and could progress no further.
Jiang Zhaoming was astonished to discover that he could no longer alter the Life Fate or Innate Talents of these generals.
Even Yue Fei, after reaching the peak of the Golden Body Realm two years ago, found his cultivation completely stagnant.
Jiang Zhaoming speculated that this might be closely related to Yue Fei’s current condition.
He vividly remembered how Yue Fei’s Fortune Blessing once clearly displayed the word “Incomplete.”
Thinking back now, Cheng Yaojin and the other generals must have encountered the same problem.
After careful research, Jiang Zhaoming finally discovered the reason why their cultivation could advance no further—
it was because their Origins were incomplete.
To resolve this issue, Jiang Zhaoming began searching within the River of Fortune for a useful Divine Artifact.
Soon after, Jiang Zhaoming found such an artifact in the River of Fortune and, with a strand of red fortune, fished it out.
【Divine Artifact · Origin Tree】: A sacred tree from the Heavenly Spirit Plane, capable of bearing Origin Fruits. Consuming the Origin Fruit could restore one’s origin or strengthen the very essence of their origin.
Though the Origin Tree appeared exceedingly rare and costly, Jiang Zhaoming believed that a Divine Artifact of this level from the River of Fortune must certainly possess extraordinary properties.
He carefully planted this exceptionally precious Origin Tree in the central Courtyard of the Prince of Anxi’s Mansion,
beside the already deeply rooted and flourishing Spirit-Gathering Treasure Tree.
Just as he had for most days in the past decade, Jiang Zhaoming once again came to sit beneath these two miraculous treasure trees.
Crossing his legs, he began his daily cultivation routine, never once interrupted by thunder or storm.
In the past ten years, except for occasional journeys to the main plane to handle important affairs, most of his time had been spent here, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth beneath these two trees.
With the combined divine effects of both treasure trees and the reinforcement of the powerful Spirit-Gathering Formations meticulously arranged throughout the Mansion,
the spiritual energy within this courtyard had become so rich and pure that it could rival the City of Sunlight during the awakening of the Kingdom of Sunlight, when it was bathed in divine radiance.
Jiang Zhaoming was immersed in the wondrous state of breathing and circulating spiritual energy through his meridians, when suddenly he sensed an anomaly in the surrounding flow of energy.
His mind stirred slightly as he opened his eyes and cast a precise gaze toward the Origin Tree.
The sacred tree was swaying gently without wind, its branches and leaves trembling with a faint but distinct resonance, as though announcing something.
Among its lush foliage, a single azure-blue fruit was glowing faintly, radiating deeper and deeper light—its aura pulsing with life and origin.
「After waiting so long, one has finally matured.」
A flicker of anticipation flashed through Jiang Zhaoming’s eyes. Reaching out with an airy motion,
the blue fruit seemed to be drawn by an unseen force and landed steadily in his warm palm.
The moment it touched his skin, an indescribable fragrance flowed into his senses.
With only a light inhale, Jiang Zhaoming felt a surge of pure and overwhelming joy rise from the depths of his soul, as if a parched heart had been bathed in a spring of life.
He suppressed the urge to swallow it immediately and, with a thought, sent a telepathic message summoning Cheng Yaojin.
About half an incense stick’s time later, Cheng Yaojin’s towering figure hurried into the courtyard.
Before he could even salute, Jiang Zhaoming extended his hand, offering a fruit that shone with a dreamy blue halo and emanated an aura of profound mystery.
「Your Majesty, this is—」
Cheng Yaojin stared at the strange fruit he had never seen before, confusion crossing his rugged face.
「This is the ‘Origin Fruit’ borne by the Origin Tree.」
Jiang Zhaoming explained calmly: 「It contains the power of origin and creation. Perhaps it can repair the damaged foundation within you and help you break through your bottleneck—to elevate your cultivation even further.」
At these words, Cheng Yaojin’s burly frame trembled slightly.
He knew well how the deficiency in his origin hindered his progress, and he understood the priceless nature of any Divine Artifact capable of touching one’s very essence.
A rush of inexpressible emotion surged in his chest. Kneeling down on one knee, he lowered his head deeply before Jiang Zhaoming.
「This subordinate—thanks Your Majesty for this immense grace!」
Jiang Zhaoming merely nodded slightly, signaling that formality was unnecessary and urging him to consume it quickly.
As the first trusted general he had summoned into this world,
it was only natural, in Jiang Zhaoming’s eyes, that Cheng Yaojin should receive the first mature Origin Fruit.
Under Jiang Zhaoming’s focused gaze, Cheng Yaojin hesitated no longer.
He carefully lifted the Origin Fruit and, in several bites, consumed it entirely—savoring every drop of its divine juice, leaving not a trace wasted.
The instant the fruit entered his body, a transformation erupted.
An immense, unrestrainable surge of pure Origin Energy burst forth like a volcano awakening after ages of slumber, raging through every vein and bone in Cheng Yaojin’s body.
His pores expanded wide, releasing a tremendous suction force.
The dense spiritual energy within the courtyard, nearly thick enough to liquefy, instantly turned into visible white whirlwinds, swirling madly into his body.
Cheng Yaojin let out a muffled groan as his bones crackled like exploding beans.
The muscles under his garments bulged violently, his skin glinting faintly with a metallic sheen.
His aura, once stabilized at the early stage of the Myriad Phenomena Realm, surged upward like an unchained dragon.
Mid-stage… late-stage—his aura climbed without hindrance, unstoppable, smashing through barriers until it struck the peak of the Myriad Phenomena Realm.
The entire courtyard trembled with turbulent energy drawn by his furious absorption,
forming small-scale spiritual storms that circled his blazing body like a furnace.
Watching the overwhelming transformation taking place, sensing the heart-shaking intensity of the aura’s rise,
even Jiang Zhaoming—well-versed as he was—could not help showing astonishment.
The potency of the Origin Fruit was utterly domineering—its effects immediate and overwhelming.
When the violent fluctuations finally settled and the aura stabilized firmly at the peak of the Myriad Phenomena Realm, Cheng Yaojin slowly opened his eyes.
Brilliant light shone within his gaze, as if stars were being born and extinguished in his pupils. His entire spirit had been renewed, emanating a mountain-like steadiness.
He seemed to still be savoring the immense strength and subtle comprehension surging within him, until Jiang Zhaoming’s calm voice brought him back.
「General Cheng, how do you feel?」
Jiang Zhaoming asked with concern.
Cheng Yaojin bowed again, his voice loud yet trembling slightly with uncontrollable excitement—and a trace of bewilderment.
「Reporting to Your Majesty! This subordinate feels that all old injuries are gone, and my origin is overflowing like never before! My cultivation has not only stabilized at the peak of the Myriad Phenomena Realm but—there is this feeling———that I might yet go even further! And———」
He paused briefly, a strange gleam flashing in his eyes.
「Moreover, I seem to have regained many long-lost memories…」
As Cheng Yaojin recounted them, streams of information about the Saint Tang Plane poured into Jiang Zhaoming’s mind.
In addition, Cheng Yaojin spoke of numerous insights into the Golden Body Realm, and even fragments of understanding from the Profound Core Realm.
Hearing his narration, Jiang Zhaoming’s eyes sharpened, and Cheng Yaojin’s fortune data appeared before him.
【Cheng Yaojin · Life Fate: Heaven’s Mandated Auspicious Star (Mystic Crimson Life Fate – Fatal strikes have a chance to deflect; in moments of peril, unexpected aid or divine timing often intervenes.)
Innate Talents:
“World-Breaking Calamity Crusher” (Red Talent – When leading elite troops, awakens the “Soul of the Inner Army,” increasing overall attack and defense by 40%. The troops’ morale is stirred by the general’s emotions, growing fiercer under adversity. Soldiers obey the commander’s orders unconditionally, achieving perfect formation transitions.)
“Axe-Cleaving Mountains and Rivers” (Red Talent – Possesses supreme affinity for long-axe cultivation, granting overwhelming combat power.)】
As Jiang Zhaoming observed these transformations in Cheng Yaojin’s Life Fate and Talents, he couldn’t help but look sideways in surprise.
He had never expected that replenishing one’s origin could bring about such profound changes.
Before this, Cheng Yaojin’s Life Fate and Talents had only been of the blue level.
Yet after consuming a single Origin Fruit, they had risen to the same tier as Yue Fei.
The true worth of this fruit far exceeded Jiang Zhaoming’s imagination.
Lifting his gaze toward the few still-unripe Origin Fruits on the tree, anticipation filled his heart.