Chapter 654 — The Road of the Cosmos

It was not attribute energy, nor time-space force, nor mental or soul power—none of the powers he knew.

"Hmm." Secretary Lily examined the Reincarnation Fruit closely. This fruit was a supergod resource that Ginseng Baby and the others had carefully cultivated over a month. It had taken great effort, and with an auxiliary item bestowed by the Realm King, they had managed to cultivate only two.

One of them Shi Jin had eaten; the other was here.

As Secretary Lily looked at the Reincarnation Fruit, Shi Jin grew uneasy, because he felt that even a supergod-level Reincarnation Fruit would still not be enough.

Because at least in his own case, after eating the fruit, apart from permanently refining his body's innate ability to grow and shrink, he had gained nothing else...

He had not recalled any past-life memories at all.

Yes, the ability to grow and shrink meant the ability to control age at will. After eating the supergod-level Reincarnation Fruit, he not only gained the reincarnation abilities of those divine beasts, but also became more adept at turning himself into a child or an old man.

"A pity." After studying the Reincarnation Fruit for a while, Secretary Lily said regretfully, "Although this is the highest-quality and possibly most effective memory-type resource I've seen since the bounty was issued, I feel that with its power, awakening Her Majesty the Empress's memories will still be difficult."

"Ah, if only you could cultivate a cosmic-treasure-level fruit. That would be even better."

"Hey, what kind of joke is that?" Shi Huan could not help saying. Could that sort of thing really be man-made?

"So you're saying that for two months, we've been wasting our time?" Shi Li said.

"You only had to glance at it to conclude the fruit is useless. Then before sending us off to cultivate it, you should also have been able to judge that even a supergod-level memory resource would solve nothing, no?"

"Exactly." Secretary Lily smiled. "From the very beginning, I knew that the supergod fruit you researched would still be useless."

"And I also knew that all the resources from the bounty were useless."

Shi Jin: ?

Ginseng Baby: ???

In the beast-controlling space, Ginseng Baby was furious. This wicked woman—if she had known all along it was useless, she should not have said so! It had been beaten for nothing so many times, and even that newly joined monkey could beat it.

"Don't get angry yet." Secretary Lily smiled brightly. "Although it is useless now, that doesn't mean it will remain useless after enhancement."

"Cosmic-treasure-level resources can, in theory, only be born innately, like the Source of Transcendence."

"But through acquired effort, it is not necessarily impossible to raise a supergod resource to the cosmic level."

"As long as we find the right method."

"What do you mean?" Shi Li said.

"You have a way to upgrade this Reincarnation Fruit to the cosmic level?"

Secretary Lily said, "This fruit is indeed the resource I've seen in all this time that best meets the requirements. As expected of fellow transmigrators—you really do know what Her Majesty the Empress needs most."

"So next, we will make our modifications to this fruit."

Shi Jin understood her meaning. It was roughly equivalent to raising the quality grade of the Reincarnation Fruit, the same principle as his wish for Teacher Gem Cat to raise the quality grade of the secondhand Source of Transcendence it produced.

Only, how did she intend to do it...

"Have you heard of the Tree of the Universe?" Secretary Lily asked.

What was that...

[Master, the Tree of the Universe is a cosmic-level treasure naturally born in the universe.]

[Although it is called a tree, it is not a life form.]

[Cosmic treasures naturally born in the universe also have grades. The Source of Transcendence, for example, is the lowest-grade cosmic-level resource, while the Tree of the Universe is a relatively powerful cosmic-level resource.]

[They say the Tree of the Universe records everything about a cosmic epoch, from its birth to its destruction. Through that tree, one can become omniscient and omnipotent, knowing all that happens within the universe.]

[It holds within it an unimaginable power over time and space...]

[Why have I never heard of such a thing?] said Shi Tang.

Lin said, [Because in the timeline we come from, the Tree of the Universe was destroyed long ago for reasons unknown. Like the Sixth Cosmic Tier, all traces of its existence have nearly been lost down the river of history.]

[It was only after I arrived here that I combined the information from this side with what we had from ours, and updated my records accordingly.]

Shi Qi turned to Secretary Baihe and said, "Naturally, I know."

"Then that makes things easy. This is a secret I do not share with just anyone. Besides serving as an encyclopedia, the Tree of the Universe has another function. Its power can, postnatally, elevate a supergod-tier resource to cosmic tier."

"It will damage the tree to some extent, but... well, it is the only way I know of to quickly raise this fruit to cosmic tier."

"You mean, next you intend to go find this Tree of the Universe and use its power to raise the Reincarnation Fruit's tier once more?"

"Wrong. Not me. You." Secretary Baihe smiled. "Your time-essence should still hold out in time. Care to make the trip?"

[Master, the Tree of the Universe grows within the Cosmic Sea, but it belongs to the Realm King. It is guarded by the protectors of Xuanxiao Peak, under the Realm King's command. Any Family QI with designs upon the Tree of the Universe will be judged...]

"Do you think I could ever get near the Tree of the Universe?" said Shi Tang.

"You said it yourself, we cannot even defeat an ordinary Xuanxiao Peak... That tree should have protectors, shouldn't it."

Secretary Baihe said, "Naturally I am well aware of that, but I believe you will find a way."

A way... Of course there was a way.

They had been sent by the Realm King himself. Beyond the Time-Space Gem, the Realm King had also prepared no small number of auxiliary tools for them.

Such as energy for starship travel, and a token representing the Realm King's identity...

With that token, the protectors of the Tree of the Universe should let them through.

Only, Shi Jin felt that this Secretary Baihe already knew he had been sent by the Realm King, and was now using him as a tool.

If he were the one to borrow the power of the Tree of the Universe, its protectors might not stand in his way. But if it were her—if it were Chaoneng Zhao—who came to borrow that power, then a conflict with the Realm King would be inevitable.

To avoid any rashness, this Family QI intended to send him instead?

According to the normal course of history, the destruction of the Tree of the Universe—surely that was not Chaoneng Zhao's doing as well?

"Actually, it is still worth going," Secretary Baihe said with a smile. "The Tree of the Universe is said to be omniscient and omnipotent. Do you not wish to seize this chance and put a few questions to it?"

"Miss this chance, and there will never be another."

This Family QI absolutely knew of his connection to the Realm King! Perhaps she even knew that the Tree of the Universe would be destroyed in the future!

Shi Jin drew a deep breath and said, "It is still a bit dangerous, isn't it."

"Since you are so worried, why not let me go with you," Secretary Baihe said. "I will accompany you to the Tree of the Universe. Would that set your mind at ease?"

"If danger arises, then the two of us will face it together. I may be but a weak woman, but Her Majesty the Empress has left a protective art upon my person. Should we meet danger, Her Majesty will surely come to our rescue."

"Chaoneng Zhao... has she still not returned?"