The barren realm was no longer lifeless.
Green patches spread like spilled paint across the soil, and the Purging Trees glowed faintly, their roots sinking deep, sucking away corruption and releasing soft wisps of divine qi.
Tian Yuan stood at the center of it all, wiping the dirt from his hands as the System's upgraded voice rang out again.
> "Ding! Boss! Random Mission Incoming! Grow the Seven-Colored Spirit Fruit Orchard! Completion Time: 3 years… unless you actually work harder for once!"
Tian Yuan looked at the glowing seed packets appearing in his hand.
"Three years is fine."
The System groaned.
> "You're hopeless! Other gods might notice if you're too slow, you know!"
Tian Yuan calmly crouched, pressing a seed into the soil.
"If they notice, they notice. I'm not racing anyone."
The System muttered something about lazy farmers under its digital breath, but Tian Yuan ignored it.
---
The Beasts Begin to Change
Near the Spirit Orchard, the five divine beasts lounged in their usual spots, but tonight something was different.
The White Serpent's silver scales shimmered unusually bright, glowing lines spreading across its body like veins. The Azure Tiger yawned, but its claws flickered with faint blue lightning, while the Black Wolf's fur shimmered as if shadows clung to it unnaturally.
The System beeped in excitement.
> "Boss! Evolution Warning! The divine qi is changing them faster than expected. At this rate, some of them may… well, grow legs and start talking like humans."
Tian Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, though his expression remained calm.
"If they want to evolve, let them. But they'll have to choose that path themselves."
The Flame Sparrow chirped angrily, fluttering onto his shoulder.
The System chuckled.
> "Looks like this little one definitely wants to talk. Probably just to yell at you for being lazy."
Tian Yuan didn't answer, but his faint smile betrayed mild amusement.
---
The Puppets at Work
The humanoid puppets were busy moving around the orchard. One meticulously polished a stone path for the orchard ("Master, we can't have dirt on such divine land!"), another scolded the Azure Tiger for scratching a tree, while the third puppet kept reorganizing the seeds for no reason.
The System sighed dramatically.
> "Boss, you basically have five free butlers and you still do everything yourself. You could just sit back, drink tea, and let them do the hard work."
Tian Yuan planted another Spirit Fruit seed without looking up.
"A farmer doesn't abandon his land just because he has workers."
The System went quiet for a moment before muttering softly.
> "…Sometimes you really sound like a proper god."
---
The Hidden Threats
Far beyond his realm, in the deeper heavens of the Upper Realms, faint whispers began to stir.
> "Did you feel that?"
"Impossible. That land was dead. But… I sense qi… pure qi."
"We should investigate. If a new realm is forming, we must take it before it fully matures."
The voices faded, unaware that Tian Yuan's realm was sealed. No one could enter without his permission.
The System, however, buzzed nervously.
> "Boss… they're starting to talk. At this rate, by the time your Purification hits 50%, they will come."
Tian Yuan calmly pressed another seed into the soil.
"Then I'll be ready."
The trees glowed brighter, as if agreeing with him.
---
A Quiet Night
As night fell, the orchard bathed in soft divine light. The White Serpent coiled near him, breathing softly, while the Golden Tortoise slowly dragged itself toward the Purging Trees as if inspecting them.
The System, unusually quiet, finally spoke in a softer tone.
> "Boss… you know, for someone who can destroy mountains with a flick of his hand, you're strangely patient."
Tian Yuan looked at the orchard, his calm golden eyes reflecting the faint glow of the Spirit Fruits.
"A farmer doesn't rush growth. The soil decides when it's ready."
The System laughed softly.
> "You really are different, Boss. Fine, let's see if you can keep that same calm when the gods come knocking."
Tian Yuan didn't reply, only stood and watered the newly planted trees, his movements steady.
The realm was growing. Slowly. Surely. And soon, it would no longer be hidden.
(END OF CHAPTER)