Although Saint-grade Heavenly Treasures possessed all sorts of extraordinary abilities and bore fruits and leaves with different effects, they still needed to absorb the essence of heaven and earth to do so. As the entire universe gradually collapsed, they could no longer absorb enough of that essence. Naturally, they could no longer bear fruit as before or provide cultivators with a steady stream of vitality.
For example, the Ginseng Fruit Tree could no longer provide cultivators with a steady stream of vitality. It could not even grow ripe Ginseng Fruits anymore.
Although the Phoenix Soul Fruit Tree was the foremost among all Saint-grade Heavenly Treasures, its condition had not lasted much longer. It had been unable to bear ripe fruit for hundreds of thousands, even millions, of years. That was why Ling Tian had not given Phoenix Soul Fruits to Shi Wei and the others. The cultivators around Ling Tian no longer needed them, and they would not be raising disciples anymore. Most importantly, Shi Wei and the others had outstanding potential and aptitude. If Ling Tian had any Phoenix Soul Fruits to spare, he would naturally give them some. That way, they would have a better chance of breaking free from the Lord of the Universe's restraints when they joined forces in the future.
Learning this, Shi Wei and the others were bitterly disappointed. They realized they would probably never get the chance to consume Phoenix Soul Fruits and be reborn through nirvana. Even though Ling Tian still had two Phoenix Soul Fruits, that changed nothing. They had seen Ling Tian's strength and had no confidence they could seize the fruits from him—not even Shi Jia and Shi Lei, who had both reached the Near-Saint Nineteenth Heaven.
Chi Xue took the opportunity to recruit Shi Wei and the others.