One shouldn't blame Ji Hao for being greedy. The axe belonged to Saint Pan Gu, and must be taken back.
Pan Heng had been in a deep sleep for long years. Even though Pan Heng world was way less powerful than Pan Gu world, after all, he was a 'saint' who created a world. As the saying went, 'a lean camel is always bigger than a horse'. To kill Pan Heng for good, undoubtedly, Ji Hao would need to take a huge risk.
If it weren't for that axe, Ji Hao wouldn't even want to talk to Green Ginseng!
No matter how much Green Ginseng and his friends could offer, that wouldn't be more important than Ji Hao's own life, would it? Ji Hao was quite satisfied with his current power. The Pan Gu bell for defense, the Pan Gu sword for offense, bringing out the best in each other, with the golden bridge for his protection. By now, Ji Hao had no excessive demands for any other treasure.
He would continue his cultivation step by step, with the great Dao taught by Yu Yu, the immeasurably great natural rewards power earned through the great contributions he made for the humankind, plus his high position as a divine emperor. What else would he be craving for? As Ji Xia said, he could hurry up to finish all kinds of troublesome works and marry Man Man and Shaosi, then have a whole bunch of kids who would laugh and roll all over the ground.
Why would he ever risk his life against a saint who created a world for the safety of Ginseng and the other Pan Heng world creatures?
Because of that axe... He had to take the axe back. He had to make a trip to Pan Heng's sleeping place. Since he had no choice but to go, Ginseng and his friends had to give him a satisfying offer.
Green Ginseng remained silent for a long while. Seriously, he looked at Ji Hao, then slowly nodded and said, "Except for myself and the other old dudes, and the kids who have started knowing things, you can take whatever you like from Pan Heng world."
Green Ginseng looked at Ji Hao honestly and said, "It has never been easy for the other old ones and me to live till now, so we don't want to be thrown into stoves, be cooked into a bowl of soup to nourish someone. Those smart kids are our hope of future, and they can talk, laugh, walk, and run; they look just like you. My friend, do you have the heart to harm them?"
Ji Hao blinked. This old Ginseng did know how to talk. Wasn't he right? Those plants in humanoid shapes, who could laugh, talk, and run, Ji Hao truly didn't have the heart to chop off their limbs to concoct magic drugs.
"So, what good things do you have in Pan Heng world?" Ji Hao asked straightforwardly, "Before I start, I need an upfront payment, also to improve my power conveniently. After all, I am going to kill a saint, a world creator. You better think of some treasures that can quickly, efficiently improve me."
Green Ginseng frowned and pondered for a while, then abruptly clapped his hands and said, "I know! Back then, Pan Heng killed the original owner of the world and devoured his entire body, but left his imperishable heart. When Pan Heng created this world, he merged the heart with the core of this world."
While speaking, Green Ginseng pulled off a beard hair of his and breathed on it. The hair transformed into a small cloud of green mist, spreading out and condensing into a beautiful landscape. A towering mountain stood straight on the ground, with thin streams of five-colored water flowing down its smooth sides, into a large pool by the mountain foot.
With the power of the world core, the imperishable heart made a connection with the Chaos. It had been absorbing the power of creation from the Chaos day and night, generating water, fire, wind, thunder, and other natural powers from it, letting liquified natural powers flow down through the world core. Pan Heng put down his roots in this pool to absorb the pre-world green power form it and strengthen himself.
With regrets, Green Ginseng glanced at the pool and continued helplessly, "This pre-world dew of creation power has a miscellaneous nature. Only powerful beings like Pan Heng can withstand the destructive power contained in it while absorbing the pre-world green power from it to strengthen himself. The other old ones and I once tried to do the same. Aas a result, we nearly lose our minds and detonated ourselves…"
In Ji Hao's spiritual space, the mysterious man laughed out loud, "What a fortune, what a fortune! An imperishable heart? Hah, fortunately, that flying bear has fallen long ago. Otherwise, if I knew about him back then…Hah, what pre-world dew of creation power? Ignorant things, that's called Chaos spirit milk. It's needed for the creation of every world. Ji Hao, if you can absorb this full pool of spirit milk, hehe, no one at your level could ever hurt a hair of you."
But next, the mysterious man cursed sullenly, "What a reckless waste of treasure. The imperishable heart is merged with the core of this crappy world. What a waste, what a waste! If we can loot this world core back to Pan Gu world…" He snorted and continued, "Ji Hao…You will receive the great, immeasurable natural reward again!"
Ji Hao's eyes shone. Receiving the immeasurable natural reward again? He now knew how amazing the natural rewards could be. No one could have too much of that!
"Right? An imperishable heart! It's a powerful thing, that can even improve the original power of a world. If you can bring that treasure back to Pan Gu world, you will not only receive more natural reward power from the great Dao of nature, you can also sell it to Netherworld Priest. That kid will empty his pockets and cry to beg you for the treasure!" The mysterious man laughed, "Since the creation of Pan Gu world, Netherworld Priest has occupied the Netherworld. These years, I can tell that he wants to attain his great Dao with the Netherworld."
"Sadly, the Netherworld doesn't want him…If he wants to attain his great Dao with the Netherworld, he needs to give it a satisfying offer. The imperishable heart, the world core merged with the heart will be the key for Netherworld Priest to truly control the Netherworld." The mysterious man yelled with laughter, "If you can bring it back, ask him for whatever you want."
Ji Hao slowly nodded and said, "Elder Green Ginseng, this pool of pre-world dew of creation, I'd like to try absorbing some. Success or not, I will kill Pan Heng for you. After that, we will talk about the rest of my payment. What do you think?"
Green Ginseng stared at Ji Hao in shock, pointing at the pool as he said, "That's dangerous! Even touching it slightly can make us explode and die. My friend, I am not underestimating you, but it's…" His voice even changed.
Ji Hao smilingly nodded and said in a deep voice, "I'm not silly enough to risk my life, am I?"
Green Ginseng frowned. After carefully observing Ji Hao from head to toe for quite a while, he clapped his hands and said, "Alright, follow me then. But my friend, please, be careful. Don't hurt yourself. We waited for so many years and finally found you, my friend, a natural terminator. If you get yourself killed, there would be no hope for us."
Shaking his head, Green Ginseng continued murmuringly, "We can't really go beg the two who shared the same origin with us, can we?" Green Ginseng clicked his tongue, "Even looking at them from a long distance away made my heart freeze. I don't think we want anything to do with them unless we have to."
Hearing him, Ji Hao laughed in his head. 'You're totally right. Priest Hua and Priest Mu, you better not to have anything to do with them.' Thought Ji Hao.
Following behind Green Ginseng through a teleporting formation composed of eighteen towering trees, Ji Hao soon came to the core of Pan Heng world.