Chapter 25: The Valley Where Time Sleeps
The soil beyond Green Mist Village felt different—less alive, less willing to whisper its secrets. Each step Li Yuan took left faint imprints on cracked earth, the golden sprouts he usually nurtured failing to bloom in his wake.
The Rootsplit Hoe rested across his back, and the Seed of Buried Sun pulsed faintly against his chest, as if uneasy.
Ahead, the land sloped downward into a mist-filled valley where the air shimmered unnaturally, rippling as if seen through water.
The System flickered into his vision:
[New Relic Detected: Stone of Silent Seasons]
[Location: Heart of the Frozen Vale]
[Warning: Temporal Anomalies Detected — Unstable Flow of Time]
Li Yuan exhaled slowly.
"Time doesn't stop for farmers, but I suppose this valley disagrees."
Leaving the Village Behind
Before leaving, Li Yuan had stood before the villagers, explaining his absence briefly.
Budder had stepped forward, placing a wooden hand against his arm.
"Protect soil. Protect sprouts. Will not… let them fall."
Li Yuan had crouched, placing his palm against Budder's wooden chest where faint golden light pulsed.
"The soil listens to you now. Protect it like you'd protect a seedling—firmly, but gently."
Budder had nodded, almost proudly.
Granny Xue had smirked.
"Don't take too long, boy. You may be a god in hiding, but crops don't wait forever."
Li Yuan had simply smiled faintly.
"Crops wait when you plant them right."
Those words echoed in his mind as he stepped deeper into the unnatural valley.
The Valley's Breath
The Frozen Vale was eerily silent.
Tall pine-like trees stood still, their branches heavy with frost despite it being mid-summer. Snowflakes drifted lazily, but some hung frozen in mid-air, refusing to fall completely. A half-buried stone shrine stood near the entrance, cracked runes glowing faint blue.
Li Yuan crouched, brushing his fingers across the frozen soil. It was stiff, unresponsive, as if asleep.
"The soil here isn't dead," he murmured. "It's just… waiting."
The System responded instantly:
[Observation Correct]
[Trial Requirement: Wake the Soil Without Breaking the Valley's Balance]
He looked toward the heart of the valley where a massive stone obelisk stood half-buried in ice, glowing faintly with shifting seasons—one side covered in snow, the other blooming with flowers, another dry and cracked like autumn.
The Stone of Silent Seasons.
But the path to it was far from calm.
The Guardians of Frozen Time
A sudden creak broke the silence.
From beneath the snow, statue-like figures rose slowly, their bodies made of cracked earth and ice, vines frozen solid within them. Their movements were jerky, as if they were being pulled by invisible strings.
The System's warning pulsed red:
[Temporal Guardians Detected — Corrupted by External Force]
[Caution: Time Distortion Will Affect Reaction Speed]
Li Yuan tightened his grip on his Hoe.
The first guardian lunged—and in that moment, time fractured.
The swing came faster than it should have, then slowed mid-arc, then accelerated again unpredictably. The valley itself refused to obey normal rhythm.
Li Yuan's golden eyes narrowed.
"So even time doesn't know how to grow properly anymore."
The Battle of Shifting Seasons
The first guardian swung an ice-coated arm downward, shattering the frozen ground. Li Yuan sidestepped, the movement precise and slow, but his Hoe moved unnaturally fast, roots bursting upward in a spiraling arc.
The roots cracked the guardian's frozen legs, sending it toppling, but before it hit the ground, time snapped backward, the guardian's fall reversing as if rewinding. It stood upright again, attacking immediately.
Li Yuan exhaled slowly. He closed his eyes briefly, focusing—not on the enemy, but on the soil beneath.
His fingers brushed the ground, and his voice was soft:
"The seasons are confused. Let's remind them how to turn."
The Rootsplit Hoe pulsed golden as he slammed it into the soil.
Restoring the Seasons
The ground shuddered, glowing golden for an instant before sprouts burst through the frost, each flower changing colors—green to red to yellow to white—cycling through the four seasons in rapid succession.
The corrupted guardians froze mid-movement, their bodies trembling as roots wrapped around their legs, forcing them to follow the natural flow of seasons. Their icy shells cracked as warmth spread through the soil.
Li Yuan's eyes softened.
"There. You were just seeds waiting too long for spring."
One by one, the guardians collapsed, their corrupted forms crumbling into harmless vines.
The System chimed:
[Temporal Anomaly Stabilizing]
[Trial Progress: 70% Complete]
The Stone of Silent Seasons Awakens
The massive obelisk at the center of the valley pulsed brightly, cycling its seasonal glow faster until finally settling into a soft golden spring light.
Li Yuan approached slowly, pressing his palm against the warm surface.
The System flashed:
[Relic Acquired: Stone of Silent Seasons]
[Ability Unlocked: Season's Whisper – Temporarily accelerate plant growth or slow enemy movements by manipulating seasonal flow.]
The obelisk crumbled into golden dust, condensing into a small stone that fit neatly in Li Yuan's palm. He tucked it into his coat, whispering softly:
"One more season planted."
A Sudden Chill
As he turned to leave, a harsh wind cut through the valley, unnaturally cold. The golden sprouts he had grown trembled, almost recoiling.
The System flickered red again:
[Warning: External Entity Approaching]
[Temporal Distortion Returning – Cause Unknown]
Li Yuan looked up calmly, golden eyes narrowing as a crimson thread shimmered faintly in the sky above the valley.
The Harrower was watching.
Li Yuan sighed softly, adjusting the Hoe across his back.
"So you've come to see how I plant seasons too? Then wait. You'll see more."
Without another word, he stepped out of the valley, leaving only blooming flowers in his wake.
End of Chapter 25