Chapter 1083: This Can Also Be Competitive?

The three Divine Miracle Fruits were enveloped in spatial energy, preventing their unique aura from attracting the Void Attendants who had already left.

Xu Xiaoshou never hesitated when it came to his own people. Even for a thank you, he could have easily picked some sacred herbs he didn't need from the Shennong Medicine Garden, perhaps even a larger quantity, and given them to the three individuals before him. But he felt that was still too petty.

Xu Xiaoshou believed the Divine Miracle Fruit was the most suitable sacred herb for these three individuals who were below the Half-Saint realm. Transforming all his people into Tai Xu cultivators wielding Saint Power would at least make it easier to fight Half-Saints in the future, wouldn't it? Moreover, if they were to encounter another situation like before, where they needed support against a Half-Saint, Mr. Barren, Xiao Kongtong, and Ye Xiaotian, wielding Saint Power, would definitely be able to play a much greater role than they could now!

"This..."

However, faced with these three sacred herbs, all three of them froze simultaneously. Being exceptionally knowledgeable, they immediately recognized what Xu Xiaoshou held in his hand, and were naturally both shocked and doubtful.

"Divine Miracle Fruit."

Mei Siyan was stunned for several breaths before lifting his gaze. As he looked at Xu Xiaoshou, a thought crossed his mind—"Did you empty the Shennong Medicine Garden?"—but he didn't voice it. Xiao Kongtong felt the same way. He recalled Xu Xiaoshou mentioning "quite a few plants" earlier, thinking it couldn't be that everything planted in the Shennong Medicine Garden was Divine Miracle Fruits, yet the "quite a few plants" of spiritual herbs Xu Xiaoshou harvested just happened to all be Divine Miracle Fruits!

Ye Xiaotian's first reaction was shock; his second was to discreetly observe the reactions of the two beside him, feeling a bit worried. But soon, he realized he had been judging noble men with the heart of a petty person.

Mei Siyan smiled, fanning himself with a paper fan, and said, "I appreciate your kind intentions, but I cannot accept this Divine Miracle Fruit." On one hand, he felt that as a teacher, he hadn't even given his student a welcome gift yet, so how could he start receiving gifts? On the other hand... Mei Siyan originally didn't want to say it, but seeing Xu Xiaoshou's somewhat surprised expression, he could only reluctantly explain, "It's already very difficult for this old man to suppress his cultivation realm; if I touch another sacred herb, I might just achieve Sainthood on the spot, which doesn't align with my wishes."

Xu Xiaoshou:

This reason... is a bit too terrifying.

However, what Mr. Siyan said didn't seem false; considering how he almost achieved Sainthood on the spot earlier, one could tell he wasn't being pretentious.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't insist further, holding the Divine Miracle Fruit, and looked at the other two. Xiao Kongtong thought for a moment and also shook his head, saying, "Keep this for yourself. For an Ancient Sword Cultivator, resources are needed in the early stages, but I don't lack them now. On the contrary, if I consume the Divine Miracle Fruit, it might affect my willpower."

The path of Ancient Sword Cultivation places great emphasis on cultivating the heart. Since he insisted on walking this path, Xiao Kongtong would not be tempted by external objects. He firmly believed he could achieve Sainthood, but not by relying on external objects. The Saint Power he desired could only be attained after he unleashed what he believed to be his most supreme sword strike in the future, and then achieved the position of Sword Saint.

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned by what he heard. Why, as fellow Ancient Sword Cultivators, can you so calmly refuse the Divine Miracle Fruit? Don't you know that two Tai Xu cultivators once paid with their lives for this very thing!

But then he thought... That's right! Those who would sacrifice their lives for the Divine Miracle Fruit could only achieve so much in their cultivation. Who were the two people before him? These were the top cultivators on the continent; not only was their current combat strength unparalleled, but their future path was also a smooth one. While those like Shuang Dai and Hong Dang were already at a dead end, Tai Xu being their peak, they had no choice but to fight to the death for the Divine Miracle Fruit, in a bid for a future. This was a fundamental difference.

"Very good."

Mei Siyan looked at Xiao Kongtong with approval; after learning that this person was not Baxun An, he developed a strong appreciation for his talent. In this world, those who could successfully impersonate Baxun An to such an extent were few and far between. This meant Xiao Kongtong's own sword cultivation strength was beyond doubt, and he was among the best of the younger generation. Therefore, for the future path of this young man, even if Xiao Kongtong chose to accept the Divine Miracle Fruit, Mei Siyan would not let him have his way.

Ancient Sword Cultivators could not gain their strength by relying on external objects, except for Xu Xiaoshou. Mei Siyan certainly didn't look down on Xu Xiaoshou; he simply understood that the path Xu Xiaoshou chose was broader and more difficult. Sword cultivation, spiritual cultivation, body refinement... And even alchemy, spiritual arrays, and other unorthodox paths... If it were anyone else, Mei Siyan would have long thought that person was ruined, having messed themselves up. But Xu Xiaoshou proved through his actions that he could balance all of these; his energy could indeed be distributed among so many paths, he was simply a monster. This world truly had such geniuses. Mei Siyan knew this, so his attitude towards Xu Xiaoshou was "tolerance," while his attitude towards Xiao Kongtong was, "You just stick to your current path; if you dare to mess around, dare to learn from those messy people, practice all sorts of strange things, and thus ruin your perfect sword cultivation talent, then you'll get a beating."

"It's just my original intention, Mr. Siyan, you flatter me."

Xiao Kongtong was first flattered and thanked the sword cultivation senior before him for his praise, then turned to look at Ye Xiaotian, smiling as he said: "Ancient Sword Cultivators don't need it, but for spiritual cultivators below the Half-Saint realm, the Divine Miracle Fruit is definitely the greatest help. I think you need this."

Ye Xiaotian stared blankly as the two beside him refused the Divine Miracle Fruit, for a moment feeling like he was the "petty person." Are you crazy?! So these two are Saints, not even bothering with Divine Miracle Fruits. Am I the only one who really needs this? Just now, I was even worried they'd try to seize the Shennong Medicine Garden from Xu Xiaoshou... For a moment, Ye Xiaotian had a clearer understanding of Xu Xiaoshou daring to so frankly take out three Divine Miracle Fruits, and he gained a clear realization: This guy really wouldn't put himself in danger!

"I..." But he opened his mouth, and Ye Xiaotian found it difficult to accept the Divine Miracle Fruit.

"Take it," Mei Siyan said with a gentle smile. "Spiritual Cultivators truly need resources to accumulate power; even when reaching Tai Xu, they still require a large amount of resources. You have grasped spatial profound meaning, your foundation is excellent, and with the help of the Divine Miracle Fruit, your future achievements will be limitless."

Xu Xiaoshou watched this scene without a change in expression, thinking to himself, "This is too much; it's so competitive that even the Dean finds it hard to speak, when he clearly needs this thing very much." Without another word, Xu Xiaoshou placed the Divine Miracle Fruit into Ye Xiaotian's hand, and at the same time, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Dean, please don't be so polite with me. From the Spiritual Palace until now, the care I've received is far more than just this. This Divine Miracle Fruit is for you, and perhaps it will even benefit me in the future."

"..." Ye Xiaotian remained silent, but couldn't push the Divine Miracle Fruit back. He looked at the three individuals before him, nodded, and said, "Alright, then I won't be polite."

For Ancient Sword Cultivators, the Divine Miracle Fruit was a temptation, but for Spiritual Cultivators, it was a great tonic! After consuming this Divine Miracle Fruit, he would even dare to arm wrestle Huang Quan, as long as the other party didn't drink Saint Blood. The combat power boost from this was more than double. Ye Xiaotian had no reason not to accept it. But he accepted it with a sense of guilt; after all, he hadn't really helped Xu Xiaoshou much on this rescue trip. After thinking for a moment, Ye Xiaotian pulled out a crystal gem with a backhand motion.

"This is... Half-Saint Qualification..."

With this pull, the three people beside him were completely dumbfounded.

Xu Xiaoshou: Half-Saint Qualification? Did I hear that right? This is the crucial item for achieving Sainthood—a Half-Saint Qualification?

"Frightened, Passive Points, +1."

"Where did that come from?" Xu Xiaoshou looked at the Dean in utter shock. "Why go to such lengths, why go to such lengths? I have a ton of sacred herbs in my Shennong Medicine Garden, and I only gave you one Divine Miracle Fruit. There's no need for everyone to be so competitive, right?"

Ye Xiaotian glanced at Xiao Kongtong and let out a long sigh, "He originally tried to trick me, but unexpectedly, those several hundred stone giants were conveniently dealt with by Half-Saint Jiang." Stone giants... Xu Xiaoshou suddenly recalled the massive giants, even larger than Void Attendants, that had followed Xiao Kongtong and Ye Xiaotian when they entered earlier.

"You must have raided their nest, right? You're even more ruthless than I am! You even got a Half-Saint Qualification..." Xu Xiaoshou stared at Xiao Kongtong in utter shock.

"Just a coincidence..." Xiao Kongtong gave an awkward smile, not daring to reveal that it was because curiosity killed the cat, merely chuckling, "Luckily, my resolve was strong enough to pass this hot potato on in time."

"You also know this is a hot potato!" Ye Xiaotian said exasperatedly; it was only because he possessed spatial attributes. If anyone else had taken this thing, they would have long been pounded into mincemeat by the stone giants. Immediately thinking of something, Ye Xiaotian looked seriously at Xu Xiaoshou: "It was before, but now it's not a hot potato anymore. The stone giants have been dealt with, so you won't be in danger holding this."

After Xu Xiaoshou heard this, for a moment he didn't know whether he should accept it or not. He was only a Grandmaster and still had three Throne realms ahead; the distance to achieving Sainthood was too great. Holding this Half-Saint Qualification was no different from not holding it at all. If Elder Sang were still around, he could accept it and instantly gain a Half-Saint-level bodyguard. But now...

Xu Xiaoshou was ambitious; he had seen the Space-Spirit Drop and witnessed Ye Xiaotian's combat power, knowing that the Throne Dao Realm might be the key to his own rise. He also wanted to grasp profound meanings! Perhaps more than one! This was difficult for others, but he had his cheat, and he believed he could do it. And the time it would take from initially entering the Dao Realm to grasping profound meanings would be too long.

Giving the Half-Saint Qualification to himself would be a waste, but it would be different if given to the Dean. He only needed to sever his Dao and pass the Nine Deaths Lightning Tribulation; combined with the Divine Miracle Fruit, he could immediately step into the ranks of the strongest Tai Xu cultivators in the current era, probably even surpassing Water Ghost and Huang Quan. And with the "Half-Saint Qualification" that allowed him to achieve Sainthood at any time, if he wished, the continent would likely witness the birth of a supreme Half-Saint—a Half-Saint who controlled spatial profound meaning. Wouldn't that be world-destroying?

"I cannot take it."

Xu Xiaoshou understood everything and decisively refused, but he was still immersed in shock. What's wrong with this world? The Divine Miracle Fruit, for which Tai Xu cultivators could sacrifice their lives, yet you few are passing it back and forth here. And "Half-Saint Qualification," something so desirable yet out of reach, yet you can treat it as a "hot potato," passing it around. Am I sick, or are you sick...? Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt that there wasn't a single normal person around him. What went wrong?

Ye Xiaotian still wanted to insist. Mei Siyan suddenly spoke up: "That's right, Xu Xiaoshou cannot take it." As soon as these words were spoken, the others simultaneously looked over. Mei Siyan clutched his paper fan, clearly still immersed in the shock of Ye Xiaotian casually pulling out a Half-Saint Qualification, and hadn't fully recovered. But he had a good mindset, quickly adjusted his emotions, and said, "As you all know, sacred objects tend to conceal themselves for self-preservation. However, a Half-Saint Qualification does not. This thing truly is a hot potato; it was so before, and it will be so in the future!"

Staring at Ye Xiaotian, Mei Siyan's expression was very serious as he continued to elaborate: "Without the suppression of a Half-Saint faction or the seal of a Half-Saint ruin, a Half-Saint Qualification that has been unearthed and appeared in the world will subtly attract many powerful cultivators who are about to achieve Sainthood, and will inevitably turn into a disaster in the end."

"This is a destined outcome. Xu Xiaoshou currently faces Tai Xu cultivators alone and may not even have the power to protect himself. He is still far from achieving Sainthood, and holding a Half-Saint Qualification during this time will surely lead to his death by the hand of fate one day."

"You are different."

After a pause, Mei Siyan continued: "Spatial profound meaning: as long as you don't encounter those few specific individuals, even if a Half-Saint hunts you down, you will likely be able to escape, let alone now that you have the Divine Miracle Fruit."

"Therefore, for this 'Half-Saint Qualification,' you are the undisputed best choice as its guardian; you should be able to protect it."

These words made Ye Xiaotian's face turn a bit green, and Xiao Kongtong was equally astonished. In fact, they had never encountered a "Half-Saint Qualification" before, nor did they have a very clear understanding of this item. This was the first time they had heard such a statement from Mr. Siyan.

"So, even without the stone giants' pursuit, it's still a hot potato and will bring danger?" Ye Xiaotian's Adam's apple bobbed; he wanted the crystal gem in his hand even less now. Wasn't this just a death beacon? The pressure on him was immense!

"It's both pressure and motivation," Mei Siyan smiled. He also had a Half-Saint Qualification, but he wasn't afraid of being hunted; this was confidence. Ye Xiaotian, however, did not possess such confidence.

Clutching the crystal gem in his hand, he suddenly turned around, intending to hand it back to Xiao Kongtong, but Xiao Kongtong instantly retreated three paces as if encountering a demon. Regarding achieving Sainthood, Xiao Kongtong had his own ideas. His master hadn't even achieved Sainthood yet, so what was he rushing for? Had he mastered all nine great sword techniques? Had he fully grasped the eighteen sword streams? If not, what was the hurry? Rushing to achieve Sainthood just to reincarnate?

Ye Xiaotian's face darkened; he turned to look at Xu Xiaoshou again, and Xu Xiaoshou also instantly backed away. "Good heavens, not only do I not lack this thing currently, but even if I do in the future, perhaps by then I can already achieve Sainthood by my own power, and Jiang Buyi's Half-Saint Qualification would be a very good option. Why would I take one now and suffer?" Xu Xiaoshou was too clear about his own positioning! Even without a Half-Saint Qualification, he already had a pile of troublesome matters due to Baxun An's arrangements. If he had this thing, what would happen? In the future, every time he went out, he would constantly have to watch out for Half-Saints pursuing him. Half-Saints themselves might not be interested in a Half-Saint Qualification, but they would definitely be interested in having an additional Half-Saint in their own faction! How could Ye Xiaotian not think of this?

He held the Half-Saint Qualification with a bitter expression and turned to look at Mei Siyan: "This..."

"This old man won't take it," Mei Siyan smiled, but his tone turned serious. "Perhaps you should put some pressure on yourself. Though profound meanings are powerful, the foundation is difficult to sever." Ye Xiaotian listened intently. Indeed, as Elder Sang said, he had been comfortable for so long; perhaps he really should hold this Half-Saint Qualification to create some pressure for himself. If I can't win, after gaining the Saint Power from the Divine Miracle Fruit, can't I still run?

"I understand." Ye Xiaotian nodded, no longer insisting on giving away the Half-Saint Qualification, and instead pulled out a jade talisman, handing it to Xu Xiaoshou.

"Take this," Ye Xiaotian said. "As long as you crush it, within the same world, no matter how far away, I can instantly locate you and find you." Ye Xiaotian wouldn't take the Divine Miracle Fruit for nothing. He knew that with Xu Xiaoshou's trouble-attracting constitution, the troubles he encountered in the future would definitely be more dangerous. Even if he went there himself, he might not be able to help much. But when it came to escaping... If spatial profound meaning claimed second place, who would dare claim first? The strongest teleportation array within the Five Domains was no joke; if he broke through in the future, this jade talisman would become an even greater ultimate safeguard for Xu Xiaoshou.

Watching the grinning Xu Xiaoshou unhesitatingly accept the jade talisman and treasure it like a precious item, Ye Xiaotian solemnly warned: "Remember, don't act recklessly just because you have this jade talisman. There are times when even I can't escape."

"It used to be like that, but it will be different after you have the Divine Miracle Fruit. You're too humble..." Xu Xiaoshou chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Dean, I know my limits."