Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 626 It Turns Out to Be a Peach

This demonic star dropped a total of seven treasures.

The first item was a seed about the size of a pigeon's egg, pure white and flawless. It had a perfect heart shape, and its surface was smooth and warm, as if it were carved from the finest mutton-fat jade, with a soft and pure halo flowing endlessly across its surface.

Xiao Jie could sense that the seed was faintly emanating a powerful and pure spirituality.

Pure Immortal Peach Seed (Nine Heavens Sacred Object)
use:????

Item Description: A primordial spirit seed originating from the Nine Heavens Peach Garden. Although the Demon Star has fallen into darkness and become twisted and mutated, a trace of longing and yearning for its former pure essence still remains deep within its heart. It stripped away and condensed this last unpolluted primordial power, transforming it into this spirit seed, embodying its faint hope of returning to purity and being reborn.

The second item was a strange peach, as large as an adult's head, with a bright red color.

What's most unsettling is that the peach's smooth skin is covered with countless fine, raised, dark red lines. These lines pulsate slightly like the capillaries of a living creature, and you can even vaguely see the liquid flowing within them, exuding a contradictory aura of intense vitality and eerie malevolence.

【The Peaches of Immortality (A Rare and Precious Treasure)】

Consumable: Increases your lifespan by 300 years, increases strength by 9, stamina by 7, agility by 8, constitution by 13, and spirit by 3.

Item Description: A twisted fruit grafted and forced to grow from the legendary Nine Heavens Peach. Lacking pure spiritual energy and sculpted by immortal techniques, its form has undergone a horrifying transformation, becoming a grotesque and monstrous existence. Nevertheless, its flesh still contains the vast and boundless life force of the original peach, which can greatly extend the lifespan of the consumer and significantly strengthen their physical foundation.

The third item was a wooden slip with a deep color and an ancient texture. The surface of the slip was densely engraved with countless tiny characters and patterns, each as fine as a mosquito's buzz, using some ancient secret method. These characters were not static, but rather moved and changed slowly on the surface of the slip, as if they were alive.

【The Hundred Demon Soul-Forging Slip (Demon Book Wooden Slip)】

Reading it allows one to comprehend the myriad mysteries of sorcery recorded within.

Reading requires: Master of Sorcery, Comprehension 50.

Item Description: A demonic star raged for millennia, devouring and merging the blood essence and primal demonic power of countless powerful demons within Canglin Prefecture. It fused their remaining will, memories, and innate abilities into a single, condensed form, ultimately creating this strange wooden scroll. It encompasses a vast array of secret techniques, forbidden spells, and even bloodline inheritances from various demonic schools, making it an unparalleled treasure for exploring the origins of demonic arts.

The fourth item is a long-handled hoe with a simple and elegant design. The hoe is made entirely of black jade, and the blade is not metal, but rather gleams with a diamond-like luster. However, the design of this farm tool is somewhat surprising.

Jade Hoe (Long-handled Weapon/Rank 6 Divine Artifact)

Attack power: 128.

Equipment requirements: Strength 120, Level 40.

Weapon Effect 1: Slice Gold and Cut Jade (Passive). Your attacks have an additional 200 points of armor penetration, ignoring armor type.

Weapon Effect 2: Earth Shaping Power. Increases your Earth spell level by 1, up to the Immortal level, and increases your Earth spell power by 280 points.

Item Description: This is a standard tool provided by the Earth Sculptor, who is responsible for cultivating the divine soil and regulating the earth's veins within the Nine Heavens Peach Garden. It is used to turn over the primordial earth and guide the chaotic energy of the land. Although it takes the form of an agricultural implement, it is a divine tool, fallen to the mortal realm, and is thus an indestructible and infinitely versatile divine weapon.

The fifth item is a vase about one foot tall, carved entirely from the finest mutton-fat jade. The vase has smooth, rounded lines, and its surface is engraved with cloud and water patterns. A faint, fresh, and moist mist emanates from the mouth of the vase, as if it contains an endless spring of sweet water.

【Sweet Dew Bottle (Magic Treasure/Grade 5 Divine Artifact)】

Spirituality +30.

Equipment requirements: Spirit 100, Level 40.

Equipment Effect 1: Heavenly Rain. Summons a life-giving rain of life force to descend from the sky, dispelling all negative magical effects within a hundred-foot radius and restoring 100 health points per second to friendly units within the area for 30 seconds. (Cooldown: 30 minutes).

Equipment Effect 2: Water Control Power. Increases your water spell level by 1, up to the Immortal level, and increases your water spell power by 320 points.

Item Description: A standard magical artifact used by the Rain-Gathering Official in the Peach Garden to collect dew and send down spiritual rain to nourish the Peach Tree. It can summon life-giving rain, and when used on mortal plants and living beings, it has the miraculous effect of promoting growth, healing wounds, and purifying impurities.

The sixth item is a uniquely shaped staff. The main body of the staff appears to be formed by two peach wood branches with subtle purple veins spiraling together, naturally formed, with the staff gradually narrowing from top to bottom. Most striking is the top of the staff, where several vibrant green peach leaves miraculously grow, as if they had just been broken off the tree.

Purple-Patterned Immortal Staff (Staff/Rank 3 Divine Artifact)

Attack power: 95 (blunt).

Spell power +120.

Equipment required: Scattered Immortal Realm.

Weapon Special Effect 1: Immortal Fruit Formation. Automatically gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the surrounding area, randomly condensing a spiritually powerful immortal fruit at the tip of the staff. The more abundant the spiritual energy, the higher the grade and efficacy of the immortal fruit. (Cooldown: 7 days).

Weapon Effect 2: Nine Heavens Divine Wood. Increases your wood-type spell level by 1, up to the Earth Immortal level, and increases the power of your wood-type spells by 360 points.

Item Description: This staff is crafted primarily from the spiritual branches of a superior-grade purple-veined peach tree. Purple-veined peaches are among the finest of peaches, naturally capable of absorbing the pure energy of the heavens and possessing vast spiritual power. A staff made from this material resonates deeply with the power of natural plants, greatly enhancing the caster's control over wood-based spiritual energy and the power of their spells.

The last item was a small, unremarkable pile of black soil, but what the demon star dropped was certainly not ordinary.

【Nine Heavens Breath Soil (Materials/Innate Spiritual Objects)】

Item Description: Legend has it that this is supreme divine soil originating from the primordial chaos, high above the nine heavens. This soil was born of nature, containing the inexhaustible energy of creation, never diminishing. A single handful of this vital soil can transform into mountains, nourishing all things. It is a supreme material for cultivating the spiritual roots of heaven and earth, refining earth-based treasures, and constructing blessed lands and grotto-heavens; it is extremely rare and difficult to find in the world.

Seeing these items fall, Xiao Jie was somewhat taken aback. A peach spirit seed? A monstrous peach? And a jade hoe, a sweet dew bottle… Why is this scene starting to resemble a farm or orchard? Could it be that the strange and powerful demon star that nearly destroyed an entire province was actually… a peach spirit?
"Ah!" He suddenly realized. The oval shape of the demon star's core, rounded at one end and pointed at the other, with its surface covered in wrinkles resembling the cerebral cortex, had seemed strangely familiar. Now, connecting the fallen items and thinking about it carefully, the shape of that thing was clearly a peach pit magnified countless times and mutated!

Moreover, judging from the names and descriptions of these dropped items, this demonic star was not only a peach in the past, but also a peach that grew in a certain "Peach Garden"! It is just unknown what kind of changes it experienced, which led it to be stranded in this world of Kyushu and transformed into its current terrifying form.

He quickly recalled the game's background and past information, trying to piece together a reasonable explanation. Based on the game's opening cinematic and some scattered information, it seemed that a force similar to the mythical "Heavenly Court" once existed in the so-called "Great Thousand Worlds," but "the gods have fallen, and the immortals have gone into hiding." Could this Peach Demon Star have been one of those who, during that earth-shattering upheaval, managed to escape the collapsed Peach Garden and ended up here?
If this conjecture is true, wouldn't the composition and figures of the "Heavenly Court" in this vast world be highly similar to those in ancient Chinese mythology? Since there is a Peach Garden, could there also be a Jade Emperor, a Queen Mother of the West, or even... a figure like the Monkey King, Sun Wukong?
At this moment, Xiao Jie felt a strong sense of unease.

At the same time, a deep sense of worry welled up in his heart—if even the mighty Heavenly Court in mythology could not withstand the so-called "Demon Lord" and collapsed, then wouldn't he, a mere wandering immortal, be utterly insignificant if he were to face the Demon Lord in the future? This heavy responsibility of saving the world was far too burdensome.

If I were to go into this vast world by myself, wouldn't I face a near certain death?
As his mind raced with chaotic thoughts, he suddenly sensed something and looked up to find Wentian Wuji also looking at him. Their eyes met in mid-air, and for a moment, they both saw a tacit understanding in each other's eyes. It seemed that he wasn't the only one who could connect these clues to this point.

At this moment, the system's pickup order was also displayed: Su Zhiqing - Lin Xuance - Xiao Jie - Wu Qingyue - Hong Fuqitian - Supreme Emperor.

Xiao Jie was quite pleased, as his ranking among the immortals was finally not at the bottom anymore—he was even one place higher than Wu Qingyue, not bad at all.

Su Zhiqing's gaze swept over the seven treasures, and after a moment's thought, she chose the highest-grade 'Purple Pattern Immortal Staff'. This choice was not unexpected; a third-grade divine artifact, and a magic-type weapon at that, was far more valuable to Su Zhiqing than the other items.

When it was Lin Xuance's turn, this Demon-Slaying True Man pondered for a moment, but instead of choosing a divine artifact or magic weapon, he ultimately chose the 'Pure Peach Spirit Seed'.

Perhaps in his view, the symbolic meaning and future potential of this seed, which embodies the hope of "returning to purity," are more important than a ready-made artifact.

Next up was Xiao Jie. He chose the 'Ten Thousand Demon Soul Forging Slip' almost without hesitation.

Possessing the talent of all-encompassing demonic abilities, he can unleash the innate demonic arts of all demon races. To him, this demonic book is even more valuable than ordinary divine artifacts.

When it was Wu Qingyue's turn, this martial immortal who proved his Dao through strength looked at the remaining treasures, scratched his head, and seemed somewhat conflicted. The 'Sweet Dew Bottle' was clearly for magic users, the 'Sinful Peaches of Immortality' could increase lifespan but did not directly improve strength much, so it was practically worthless to an immortal, and the 'Nine Heavens Breath Soil' was of unknown use.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally chose the 'Black Jade Hoe', which looked the heaviest and was somewhat similar to his fierce style.

"Hey, from now on, I won't have to ask anyone for help when I'm building my cave dwelling or leveling the ground!" He laughed to himself, trying to console himself.

Next, it was Hong Fu Qi Tian's turn. Looking at the remaining three treasures—the 'Sinful Peach of Immortality', the 'Sweet Dew Bottle', and the 'Nine Heavens Breath Soil'—Hong Fu Qi Tian's face showed an extremely conflicted expression.

Undoubtedly, the 'Peach of Immortality' is the most important item for his current situation, directly adding 300 years to his lifespan, enough to pull him out of his near-death state. He can even unleash his 'Divine Summoning Technique' more freely in the future, without constantly worrying about running out of lifespan. However, compared to the other powerful artifacts, the peach's function seems so singular. Besides increasing lifespan and basic attributes, it has no other miraculous effects, making its value arguably the lowest.

However, for him, who was on the verge of death and could die of old age at any moment, survival was the top priority. He had no time to think about the long term. He gritted his teeth and finally chose the 'illegitimate peach'.

It's alright, as long as I have enough lifespan, I can unleash my full potential at will, and I'll always have a chance to get good stuff. I comforted myself with the thought of being blessed with great fortune.

Without the slightest hesitation, the Supreme Emperor directly chose the 'Sweet Rain Bottle'. Although the dragon he transformed into belonged to the metal element, dragons are born with the ability to control water, so this magic weapon was quite compatible with him. In comparison, the 'Nine Heavens Breath Soil', whose specific usage was unknown, was not within his consideration for the time being.

Finally, Su Zhiqing made her move again and took away the 'Nine Heavens Breath Soil' that no one else had chosen.

The loot was quickly divided up, leaving the onlookers envious and practically drooling. These were divine artifacts! Normally, a single orange legendary item would be enough to cause a major guild to fight tooth and nail, but now several even stronger divine artifacts had appeared, with such powerful stats and incredible effects! In comparison, the orange weapons that were once considered the ultimate pursuit seemed rather dim under the brilliance of these true divine artifacts.

As soon as Hong Fuqitian got his hands on the 'Sinful Peaches of Immortality', he couldn't wait to eat them.

Almost the instant he swallowed it, Hong Fuqitian in reality immediately felt a scorching and powerful torrent of life burst forth from his abdomen and surged to his limbs and bones!
His once withered and loose skin quickly became full and firm, as if inflated; deep wrinkles were smoothed out at a visible speed; his hunched back straightened; and his cloudy old eyes became clear and bright again. His thin body instantly transformed into a strong and robust physique.

In the blink of an eye, Hong Fuqitian, who was originally white-haired and decrepit, miraculously returned to the appearance of a young man in his twenties who was full of vitality. Only his white hair remained the same color, as if recording that "life-threatening" experience.

Feeling the changes in his body, Hong Fuqitian in front of the screen was so excited that he jumped up from his chair. "Hahahaha! Youth! Passion! Vitality! I can feel it, I can feel it again!" Tears streamed down his face.

"congratulations!"

"Awesome!"

"Wow, the legendary peaches of immortality! They're amazing!"

The surrounding players gathered around to offer their congratulations.

Those who had previously urged him to use the séance to "spend his life" were now smugly boasting about their "foresight."

"Alright, Mr. Fu! You have to treat us!"

"Exactly! We absolutely have to treat them! It has to be at least a seafood feast!"

"Haha, no problem! It has to be arranged!" Hong Fuqitian was in a great mood and readily agreed.

In fact, Hong Fuqitian was not the only one who was going to treat everyone.

"Esteemed immortals, fellow Daoists, and righteous heroes returning home!" Master Xiaoyue stepped forward from the crowd and bowed deeply to everyone, a rare expression of relief appearing on his usually cold face.

"Now that the demonic star has been vanquished, the evil miasma that has plagued Canglin Prefecture for a thousand years is finally beginning to dissipate. This land can finally see the light of day again and regain its vitality. As the governor of Canglin Prefecture, Xiaoyue, on behalf of the thousands of people of Canglin Prefecture, thanks you all for your great help and for turning the tide!"

She straightened up, her gaze sweeping over the three immortals and the numerous players. "I shall hold a grand banquet to reward you all for your bloody battle today. Please do not refuse; come with me back to the city and we shall drink a toast of victory together!"

Su Zhiqing smiled and said, "How could we miss Sister Xiaoyue's banquet? The battle is over and we need to rest, so let's go and have a look."

Lin Xuance nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiaoyue is too kind. Now that the demon star has been eliminated and Canglin has been stabilized, we need to celebrate to reassure the people. It would be impolite of us to refuse."

Wu Qingyue laughed heartily, "I'll definitely go if there's good food."

The three immortals, Longhua, Qingfeng, and Mingyue, also cupped their hands and smiled, saying, "Since the governor has invited us, we will certainly attend the banquet. It is a good opportunity to drink and chat with all the immortals and fellow practitioners and discuss the future reconstruction of Canglin."

As for the players, they certainly couldn't miss out on such a great opportunity.

One hour later, in Giantwood City, at Howling Moon Palace:

Rows of long wooden tables were laid out, laden with various delicacies characteristic of Canglin Prefecture: roasted, golden-brown, glistening meat legs of ferocious beasts; rare birds steamed with medicinal herbs; colorful platters of exotic fruits; and fragrant, mellow liquor brewed from local specialty grains.

In addition to the three immortals, four true immortals, and players who were qualified to attend the banquet, King Longxiang, the governors of various states, and the main generals of the allied forces were also present.

This banquet marks the conclusion of this large-scale story event. Players are prompted that they can choose whether to participate, but only if they have sufficient merit points. Only players ranked in the top 100 in terms of merit during the event received an invitation to attend.

However, for most gamers, attending such banquets offers little in terms of actual gameplay benefits, aside from allowing them to immerse themselves more deeply in the game's storyline, become familiar with important NPC characters, and catch a glimpse of the legendary immortals.

After all, those tempting-looking delicacies can't be truly tasted through a screen; they can only restore your stamina and provide a few temporary buffs.

However, for players like Wentian Wuji, Haomie, and Anran, who were "reborn" into the game world and possessed real senses, the situation was completely different. They could truly savor the unique flavors of these fine wines and delicacies. This banquet, however, was a great treat for everyone who had eaten so much of his simple food in Ginkgo Village.

This can be considered a unique perk they enjoy after being "reincarnated" into the game world.

Xiao Jie was also quite satisfied with the food and wine before him. The banquet at Xiaoyue Palace used the finest ingredients from Canglin Prefecture. Various rare birds and beasts, as well as wild game, were carefully prepared, resulting in a raw and delicious flavor, rich in spiritual energy, which even made his immortal body feel very satisfied.

He was enjoying his meal when he suddenly saw Long Xing Tianxia not far away, holding a wine glass and toasting Lin Xuance, Su Zhiqing, and Wu Qingyue in turn.

Xiao Jie suddenly had a thought, remembering that he still had a storyline quest, "[Canglin Bloodline, Harmony of the Nine Provinces]," to complete. He couldn't handle this alone; to get the various provinces to form alliances and interact with Canglin Province through marriage, he needed corresponding government decrees, which meant he had to ask Long Xing Tianxia for help.

He put down the animal bones in his hand, picked up his wine cup, and walked over. He put his arm around Long Xingtianxia's shoulder and said with a smile, "Brother Long Xing, busy, huh? How about helping your brother out?"

Long Xing Tianxia was taken aback at first; the way he was addressed as "brother" was a bit unfamiliar to him.

However, he immediately realized that the other person was an immortal, and calling him "brother" was already a sign of respect.

"Haha, Brother Feng, what are you saying! Just tell me what you need! As brothers, we'll go through fire and water together without hesitation!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jie couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Wow, the ruler of this country has such high awareness; his posture is so natural and smooth."

“That would be perfect,” Xiao Jie said directly. “Previously, in order to persuade Xiaoyue Zhenren to bring Canglin Prefecture to join Longxiang, I promised her a condition: to facilitate large-scale intermarriage between the demon descendants (demons) of Canglin Prefecture and the human race of other prefectures, to promote bloodline integration and cultural identity. How about it? This should fall under the jurisdiction of your kingdom's administrative system. Can you handle it?”

"You're too capable! It's nothing!" Long Xing Tianxia immediately assured him. "Brother Feng, you made this promise for the sake of Longxiang's territorial expansion and stability. As the king, it's my duty, both publicly and privately, to accept this task! Don't worry, I'll arrange it right away, issue a decree, strengthen the marriage alliance, and establish a special agency to handle this matter..."

"Turn around?" Xiao Jie looked at him with a half-smile.

Long Xingtianxia immediately understood and quickly corrected himself: "Oh no, look at my memory, now! Arrange it now!"

This is just a game, and the implementation of many policies does not require the complex procedures of reality.

Long Xingtianxia directly opened the government affairs system interface. It's unclear what he did, but a few minutes later, Xiao Jie heard a clear system notification.
[System Notification: You have completed the story quest "[Azure Forest Bloodline, Harmony Across the Nine Provinces]" and have earned 300 Karma Points.]

Haha, not bad, not bad! Xiao Jie was overjoyed. Counting the 400 karma points he got from completing the [Immortal Aid to the Underworld] quest and the 300 karma points he got from defeating the demon star, plus these 300 points, he had a total of 1000 karma points! This was a huge fortune.

Once he finishes the "Cataclysm of Reincarnation" quest, he'll gain another 500 Karma Points. With these 1500 Karma Points, he can go to the seventh, eighth, or ninth floor of the Scripture Pavilion and learn a few powerful immortal techniques.

Although I have advanced to the True Immortal realm, my magic pool is still somewhat inferior to that of other immortals, so this is a good opportunity to make up for it.

Speaking of the [Calamity of Reincarnation] quest, we also need Long Xing Tian Xia's help. Encouraging childbirth and increasing the population also requires the ruler's cooperation. However, that quest is a long-term project that needs time to accumulate; it can't be rushed.

"Haha, well done, Brother Longxing! You're a true brother, you're awesome!" Xiao Jie was in high spirits and patted Longxing Tianxia's shoulder hard. "If there's anything you can't handle in the future, just tell me! Your brother Feng is a celestial being, after all, I can protect you. It's hard to say in the game, but if anyone dares to cause you trouble in real life, I can take care of it for you!"

Upon hearing this, Long Xingtianxia's smile widened, and he quickly raised his wine cup: "Hahaha, then thank you for your kindness, brother! Come, let me toast you, brother, wishing you a prosperous path to immortality and that you will soon achieve the Great Luo Immortal position!"

(End of this chapter)