A Thousand Plans, Ten Thousand Calculations, Yet I Overlooked the Emperor’s Child!
Though Jiang Yuqiong had only just been born, he possessed unparalleled divine strength.
With a casual swing of one arm, he could unleash at least tens of millions of jin of force!
His tiny hands gave a gentle knead, and the Purple Flame Phoenix Blood Fungus crumbled into a pile of powder, which he sprinkled around the tea tree's roots.
Then he uncorked the Earth Spirit Holy Milk and poured it down.
The warriors from Hidden Sword Mountain, Jade Cauldron Holy Land, Fu Long Divine Dynasty, and others watched with hearts pounding and jaws dropping.
Everyone was silently screaming inside!
Those were holy medicines!
And the Emperor's child was using them as fertilizer?
Was there no justice left in the world?!
This… this was beyond wasteful!
It deserved divine retribution!
The Saint Ancestors were on the verge of losing it!
Among the crowd, Ji Cunye's old face twitched uncontrollably.
His family's painstakingly amassed treasures, cherished beyond measure, were being used to fertilize a tree?
This was like carving chunks out of his heart and draining his blood!
"This little brat!"
"Wu Xu, hold me back—I'm afraid I'll end up spanking him!"
At that moment, even Su Qingshuang felt the urge to give his little bottom a smack.
Jiang Wu Xu didn't even hear her, his eyes locked on Jiang Yuqiong, chest heaving violently, hands clenched so tight they cracked.
"This little punk!"
"Two rare holy medicines—at least enough to extend Granny's life by another decade!"
"And you just wasted them like that!"
Jiang Wu Xu roared inwardly, the veins on his forehead bulging like thick beans.
He was livid!
But not long after, his boiling anger quickly subsided.
His eyes flickered.
The ground beneath them glowed as the powder of the Purple Flame Phoenix Blood Fungus and the Earth Spirit Holy Milk vanished at a visible rate.
Their medicinal energy was entirely absorbed by the Ancient Tea Tree of Enlightenment.
On its branches, the 108 leaves shimmered brilliantly, growing robustly, becoming ever greener and more crystalline.
The patterns etched upon them grew clearer, with wondrous power flowing along their veins.
Each trace seemed to align with some invisible order.
Layered together, they sparked an explosive surge of the charm of the Dao!
"Buzz buzz buzz…"
Suddenly, a humming sound rippled outward.
The tea tree unleashed divine light, vibrant and multicolored, enveloping half the mountain peak in a hazy glow.
The cosmos seemed to sing with the sounds of the Great Dao, resonating with heaven and earth.
Jiang Wu Xu, Su Qingshuang, Grandmother Xi, and the others stood within it, feeling dazzled and entranced.
"Rumble!"
Even those farther away felt their internal energies stir uncontrollably, rumbling within them.
That tiny tea tree seemed to tug at their own Daos.
"Is this… the terrifying divine tea recorded in the ancient texts?"
"Just standing near it has this effect."
"What would happen if we picked the leaves and brewed a cup?!"
Chu Feixian swallowed hard, speaking in awe.
The others shared the same thought, their hearts racing with desire.
A single leaf could be a monumental opportunity—Saint Ancestors might glean a new Dao from it.
A step further beyond their already towering heights!
No one could resist such temptation.
But it belonged to the Emperor's child, and none dared to shamelessly beg for a share.
Jiang Yuqiong didn't notice their gazes; his eyes were fixed on the tea tree.
"Now that's more like it!"
"Those two holy medicines might be subpar, but repurposed well, they're not bad!"
"In a little while, the enlightenment tea should be ready to pick!"
Boosted by the two holy medicines, the enlightenment tea was growing rapidly.
All that was left was to wait.
Jiang Yuqiong nodded in satisfaction, then kicked his legs, launching himself into the air.
He latched back onto his mom's neck, casting a disdainful glance at Ji Cunye in the crowd.
That look made Ji Cunye's heart skip a beat.
Before he could react further, an elder from Huangchu Holy Land let out a mocking laugh.
"Ji Cunye!"
"Earth Spirit Holy Milk, Purple Flame Phoenix Blood Fungus, and that pile of scrap metal—that's what you're using to buy your life?"
"Is your miserable hide really worth so little?"
As his words fell, others joined in with cold sneers.
Ji Cunye's treasures were indeed extraordinary.
But that depended on who they were for!
Clearly, the Emperor's child wasn't impressed!
Knowing full well the Frost Emperor and Saint Ancestor Wu Xu might not care for them, he'd tried to use them to sway the child!
Instead, he'd overplayed his hand and ended up slapping his own face!
What a laughable blunder!
Facing the crowd's mockery and disdain, Ji Cunye's face turned green.
Beside him, the Emperor of Jinghong, Su Kuangren, and the Longevity Mu Family elders also trembled, their expressions strained.
They'd planned to follow Ji Cunye's lead, offering treasures to buy their lives.
Now it was clear—doing so would only bring more humiliation!
They carried some remarkable items, but combined, they couldn't hold a candle to that Ancient Tea Tree of Enlightenment.
The Emperor of Jinghong and the others gave bitter smiles, their hopes crumbling!
Today, it seemed, they'd have no way to explain themselves.
Seeing their reactions, Jian Lingtian spoke again, his voice grave.
"Everyone, stop wasting your efforts!"
"You ignored the demonic threat and even plotted to assassinate a Heavenly Emperor—this is an unforgivable sin that demands a blood price!"
Emperor Batian, He Mengchang, and others' eyes gleamed with renewed ferocity!
"You dared to flaunt your ancestors' deeds and wave the banner of human righteousness to pressure us!"
"With madmen like you alive, you're nothing but endless trouble for the Three Thousand Dao Domains!"
"Frost Emperor, Saint Ancestor Wu Xu, why not end it here today and slaughter this pack of thieves once and for all?!"
One strong voice after another rang out.
The crowd snapped out of it.
They'd nearly been led astray by that old dog Ji Cunye!
In an instant, killing intent surged skyward, crashing down on Ji Family, Mu Family, Jinghong Divine Dynasty, and the others like rolling waves.
The Emperor of Jinghong, Ji Cunye, Su Kuangren, and the rest trembled violently.
They fell to their knees one by one, kowtowing repeatedly, wailing in despair.
"Spare us, Frost Emperor!"
"We truly know our wrongs!"
"If you spare my miserable life, I'll erect longevity tablets for the Frost Emperor and Saint Ancestor Wu Xu, worshipping them for the rest of my days!"
"Oh, right… and the Emperor's child too!"
Jiang Wu Xu and Su Qingshuang gazed at them coldly, as if watching a troupe of clowns.
"Now you beg for mercy!"
"Didn't you realize you brought this on yourselves?!"
Jiang Wu Xu's face was pale as he turned to his wife holding Jiang Yuqiong, his gaze softening slightly.
But his mouth still curled into a cold smirk.
"If not for my son Yuqiong ensuring his mother avoided her weakened state,"
"Who knows—today, you old dogs might've actually succeeded!"
At that moment, the crowd's expressions varied.
But hearing Jiang Wu Xu's words, they all froze, then gasped in unison.
Eyes turned toward him in shock.
What was that?
The Frost Emperor avoided her weakened state because of the Emperor's child?
What was going on?
In an instant, everyone stood dumbfounded, their minds buzzing with confusion.
No one could make sense of Jiang Wu Xu's statement.
Except Ji Cunye!
He'd been kowtowing and wailing, his cries shaking the heavens, but they stopped abruptly.
He lifted his head, staring blankly.
Gazing at the glowing infant in the Frost Emperor's arms, Ji Cunye's thoughts spiraled.
Then, at a certain moment, it was as if lightning struck him, and realization dawned.
"So that's it! So that's it!"
"I've always prided myself on flawless planning, yet today I've fallen flat!"
"Never in a million years did I imagine that, after all my calculations, I'd overlooked the Emperor's child!"
Ji Cunye wailed inwardly in despair.