Yang Kai's words were not mere flattery. World Fruits were rare treasures, but he had already obtained quite a few—thirteen Low-grade World Fruits and two Mid-grade ones. There was no need to covet Meng Hong's.
Meng Hong shook his head. "My senior brother, junior sister, and I have all received Brother Yang's protection and benevolence during our time in the Grand Ruins Boundary. Without Brother Yang, we three would likely have met a grim end long ago. Brother Yang also lent us numerous precious artifacts, allowing us to condense the power to open the heavens. Without Brother Yang, where would Meng's current achievements have come from? I have nothing of value on me—only this fruit is worthy of being offered. Besides, this fruit only came into my hands thanks to your fortune. Brother Yang, please do not decline, or I truly will have no face to show anyone ever again."
Seeing that Yang Kai was about to say something more, Meng Hong feigned anger. "Brother Yang, if you decline again, then you look down on me, Meng Hong! This World Fruit—then I simply won't keep it!"
With that, he actually tossed the World Fruit away toward the mountaintop.
Everyone nearby gasped in alarm.
Yang Kai reached out and caught the fruit, then said with a helpless expression, "Brother Meng, out of respect for your kindness, I won't be polite. I'll hold onto this fruit for now. Should the day come when Brother Meng needs it, you're welcome to come and ask for it back."
Though he said this, Yang Kai knew perfectly well that Meng Hong, having made his stance clear today, would never take the fruit back no matter what.
Sure enough, Meng Hong laughed heartily. "I, Meng, have confidence that I can advance to the Sixth Order through my own ability!"
Several dozen people nearby watched the two of them push a Mid-grade World Fruit—worth an astronomical price—back and forth at each other, and were utterly stunned. This was the kind of treasure that even powerful Opens of the Heavens would break their backs fighting over in the outside world, yet here these two were shoving it between them, and it had almost been tossed into the mist.
Yang Kai withdrew everyone nearby back into the Small Divine World, then tallied up his harvest from this expedition.
Sixteen World Fruits—a bountiful haul indeed. The thirteen Low-grade World Fruits could be set aside for the moment. While they held some value, it was not especially high, as they could only help a Low-grade Opener ascend directly to the First Order, with a hard ceiling at the Third Order. The three Mid-grade fruits, however, were an entirely different matter.
The ceiling for Mid-grade World Fruits was the Sixth Order. In other words, they were perfectly suited for a Fifth-order Opener. Treasures of this caliber were nearly impossible to find across the ages.
The only thing that made Yang Kai feel a trace of regret was that he had not obtained a High-grade World Fruit this time. Thinking about it, he couldn't help but laugh at himself—he was indeed being somewhat greedy. Xu Zhen had already said that while the Three Thousand World Trees did produce Three Thousand World Fruits, the vast majority were Low-grade, with only a handful being Mid-grade. As for the High-grade variety, they might exist, or they might not. To have obtained three Mid-grade fruits was already an incredible stroke of fortune.
Beyond the World Fruits, there was one more unexpected harvest.
That was a single root tendril of the World Tree. Earlier, while transformed into a dragon, Yang Kai had shamelessly wound the tendril around his own waist, haggling with the World Tree until the old tree grew furious, severed the tendril of its own accord, and lashed him off the mountain. The tendril had then fallen into Yang Kai's hands.
He had casually tossed it into the Small Divine World at the time. Now, sending his divine sense into the Small Divine World to inspect it, he couldn't help but be startled—the tendril had already burrowed into the earth of the Small Divine World and transformed into a tiny sapling, swaying gently in the wind.
He marveled inwardly. This tendril truly deserved to be called a root of the World Tree. Its vitality was staggering—in such a short time, it had already taken root and begun sprouting branches and leaves.
If that were all there was to it, it would be one thing. The real shock was that Yang Kai could clearly sense the sapling acting like a bottomless pit. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the entire Small Divine World was surging frantically toward it, and as the sapling grew, the laws of the Small Divine World were rapidly becoming more complete, stabilizing the fabric of heaven and earth!
Invisible beneath the surface, the sapling's root system had already expanded to cover over a hundred mu. Countless fine rootlets continued spreading outward at astonishing speed, giving every impression that they would eventually cover the entirety of the Small Divine World.
Yang Kai's heart skipped a beat, and his throat went dry.
If this root tendril of the World Tree could perfect the laws and stabilize heaven and earth within the Small Divine World, what would happen if it were transplanted back to the Star Boundary?
Years ago, when Yang Kai had sought counsel from the Giant Spirit God A Da regarding the survival of the Star Boundary, A Da had spoken only three words: the World Tree. Yang Kai had not been long in the Expanse beyond the heavens, his foundations still unsteady, and he had not yet had time to investigate the World Tree in detail.
Within the Land of No Old, there were three thousand World Trees.
Could these World Trees be the very one A Da had mentioned?
When Xu Zhen had spoken of the Three Thousand World Trees earlier, Yang Kai had already harbored a suspicion. Now, witnessing the state of this sapling, that suspicion was being quietly confirmed.
The World Tree that A Da spoke of very well might be one of the Three Thousand World Trees!
If that were truly the case—if it truly were—then the greatest treasure from this journey to the Land of No Old was not the three Sacred Medicines, nor the sixteen World Fruits he had just obtained, but this root tendril of the World Tree!
Yang Kai felt an almost irresistible urge to throw his head back and roar with laughter. He had searched high and low without success, only to find it without lifting a finger!
But he would need to return to the Star Boundary to verify this first. He had once purchased a star chart at a Star Market and had searched for the Star Boundary's location within it. By comparing his trail of travel and the place where he had parted from Zhang Ruoxi, he had already formed some notion of its position. However, to pinpoint the Star Boundary's exact location, he would need to go there in person to investigate.
After a moment's deliberation, he chose not to suppress the sapling's growth.
Though its growth consumed a terrifying amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, the benefit it fed back to the Small Divine World was equally immense. In this case, the gains far outweighed the costs. As for the spiritual energy consumed, Yang Kai possessed countless Source Crystals—shattering them would be more than enough to replenish the Small Divine World.
After busying himself for a while and finally settling everything, Yang Kai let out a long breath.