How was the silk road a source of both stability and innovation? a using the same route for hundreds of years, groups of traders began to form alliances that eventually grew strong enough to challenge local kingdoms. b cities along the silk road gained wealth and power by collecting fees from traders which they used to hire armies of mercenaries to control use of the roads. c across the centuries, trade along the silk road became less about transporting necessities like grain and livestock and more of a source for luxury goods. d although the silk road was always a pathway for trading luxury goods, it also allowed religions like islam and christianity to spread throughout the world.