The night sky stretched endlessly above as Tian Yuan walked through a desolate valley, each step deliberate, the old Hoe slung across his back like a silent companion. The stars shimmered faintly, but there was a strange stillness in the air, as though even the heavens were holding their breath.
The six relics he carried pulsed faintly inside his storage ring, their combined energy thrumming like a heartbeat that didn't belong to him.
The seventh and final relic—the Seed of Creation—awaited. A relic that was whispered about even in the oldest cultivation texts, spoken of as the very essence of life itself.
But finding it meant venturing into a place even Xiao Tianmie had once avoided.
---
The Silent Journey
The path stretched across an empty expanse of dead soil. No grass, no life, just dust swirling under the cold moonlight.
Xiao Tianmie's voice rumbled in his mind, amused yet dark.
> "This place hasn't changed. Even I didn't bother planting anything here… too much death in the ground."
Tian Yuan didn't slow his steps. "Then it's the perfect place to start again."
The god inside him chuckled. "Farmer to the end. You're either brilliant… or insane."
Tian Yuan said nothing, though his golden eyes burned faintly. His every step left soft, glowing footprints—his life aura pushing back against the dead earth ever so slightly.
---
The Garden of Ashes
After hours of walking, the valley opened up to a vast crater, its edges charred black as if burned by divine fire.
At the center lay a single dead tree, massive and twisted, its branches curled like broken fingers clawing at the sky. Around it, the soil was cracked and lifeless.
But beneath that dead bark, Tian Yuan could feel it—a faint pulse, almost like a seed waiting to awaken.
> "So this is where you've been sleeping," he whispered.
The Hoe on his back vibrated, reacting to the relic.
But as he stepped forward, the air split with a sharp hiss, and the temperature dropped violently.
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The Keeper of the Seed
From behind the dead tree, the ground cracked open, and a figure rose—its body cloaked in ash and black mist. Unlike the other guardians, this one radiated not hatred, but sorrow.
Its hollow voice echoed in the valley:
> "Soilkeeper… why do you seek this seed? Haven't you taken enough?"
Tian Yuan's calm eyes locked onto it. "I seek to give life, not take it."
The guardian's head tilted, its hollow sockets staring.
> "Lies. Every time this seed awakens, life is born… and then devoured again. That is the cycle you started long ago, Riftbreaker."
Xiao Tianmie's laughter rumbled in his mind.
> "They still blame me for what they did with it. Pathetic."
Tian Yuan tightened his grip on the Hoe. "I'm not him. This time, I'll grow it differently."
The guardian's ash-like form swirled violently, its voice breaking into a roar:
> "Then prove it… in blood!"
---
The Final Guardian's Test
The guardian lunged, its body shifting into a storm of ash blades. Tian Yuan slammed the Hoe into the cracked soil.
Golden roots burst upward, but the ash sliced through them instantly, turning them to dust.
Xiao Tianmie's voice growled.
> "You can't win holding back. Stop pretending to be a saint, Farmer!"
Tian Yuan's eyes flashed crimson for an instant, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to let Xiao Tianmie take full control.
Instead, he knelt briefly, placing his palm against the ground.
> "If this soil is dead, then I'll make it live now."
The ground pulsed beneath him. His aura surged—not just golden life force, but a perfect mix of life and death energy, balanced for the first time since his merging with Xiao Tianmie.
The ash storm slowed as small sprouts began pushing through the cracks beneath it, glowing faintly in the darkness.
The guardian hissed, confused, its attack faltering.
Tian Yuan rose, Hoe glowing faintly, his voice calm but carrying a divine weight.
> "You wanted proof. Watch closely."
He swung the Hoe once, and roots infused with crimson and gold burst upward, wrapping around the guardian.
But instead of tearing it apart, the roots pulsed softly, green sprouts blooming across its ash-like body.
The guardian froze, its ash turning into soil, its dark mist softening into a faint green glow.
Its hollow voice trembled:
> "…Life… from death… after all this time…"
The guardian slowly dissolved into glowing motes, its final whisper almost peaceful.
> "Plant it well… Farmer."
---
The Seed of Creation
The dead tree at the center of the crater cracked open, glowing from within.
A small, simple seed floated upward, its surface a swirl of green and gold, pulsing like a tiny heartbeat.
Tian Yuan reached out and caught it gently. For a moment, the valley itself shuddered, the soil cracking—and small sprouts began growing in the dead ground all around him.
The seventh relic—the Seed of Creation—was his.
Xiao Tianmie's voice whispered softly in his mind, quieter than ever before.
> "You… actually did it. You grew something here."
Tian Yuan stared at the seed, his expression unreadable.
> "One field at a time."
---
The Sky Trembles
The moment he placed the seed into his ring, the sky above cracked with a deafening boom.
A pillar of golden and crimson light shot upward from the valley, piercing the clouds. The air vibrated violently, and the heavens themselves seemed to open, swirling with divine energy.
The ground beneath his feet trembled.
> [System Alert: All Seven Relics Acquired — Ascension Sequence Initiated]
Tian Yuan stared up at the swirling heavens, the wind tearing at his robes. His aura surged uncontrollably, golden and crimson swirling together.
Xiao Tianmie's voice was silent this time, as if even he was watching.
The earth beneath him split, and countless roots erupted, spiraling upward into the sky as if trying to pull him toward the heavens.
Tian Yuan took a deep breath, his calm voice steady despite the chaos around him.
> "So… it's time."
The soil beneath him pulsed once more—alive, grateful, and reluctant to let him go.
With a final step, Tian Yuan rose into the sky, roots spiraling around him like a divine crown as the heavens swallowed him whole.
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End of Chapter 39