The familiar presence of my parents entering the Core Region rippled through my awareness. I didn't need to see them to know exactly where they'd go.
Mom headed straight for the garden, like clockwork. Not that she'd been much of a gardener back in Sacramento. A few potted plants on the porch, maybe some tomatoes one summer that didn't quite take. But here, surrounded by acres of spiritual vegetation that practically grew itself, she'd found something that resonated with her.
The food tasted incredible. That was her reasoning every time I asked about it. Spiritual vegetables carried flavors that made Earth produce seem bland by comparison, and when she cooked with them, the results bordered on transcendent. Even simple dishes became memorable.
"You should open a restaurant," I'd suggested last week, watching her prepare a meal that would've made professional chefs weep. "American City has plenty of food stalls, but nothing like what you could offer."
She'd smiled, the kind of smile that said she appreciated the thought but wouldn't act on it. "I don't know, Ben. That seems like a lot of work."
"You're already cooking every day."
"For family. That's different."
I'd let it drop, but the hesitation in her voice stuck with me. Not fear exactly. More like uncertainty about stepping into something public, something that would put her skills on display for strangers to judge. The same woman who'd taught second graders for twenty-eight years suddenly balked at running a restaurant.
Dad's presence settled into the meditation chamber on the opposite end of the palace complex. No surprise there either. While Mom found peace in the garden, Dad found it in cultivation. He'd thrown himself into the practice with the same methodical determination he'd applied to engineering problems for thirty years.
Body Tempering fifth layer already. People in American City had started recognizing him, nodding respectfully when he passed. Not because of me, but because of his own progress. At his age, reaching that level in such a short time marked him as someone with genuine aptitude.
Christine hovered around sixth layer, though I could feel she was close to a breakthrough to seventh. Any day now she'd advance. But lately, she'd been spending more time with Emma than cultivating—shopping trips, late-night conversations that I deliberately tuned out.
It wouldn't last. Already, the average cultivation level in American City was creeping toward fifth layer. Christine's advantage was slipping, and she was competitive enough to notice. Once she realized other fifteen-year-olds were catching up, she'd refocus. Probably with the same intensity that had made her excel at robotics and drama.
Tyler, though. Tyler continued being Tyler.
Independent to a fault, he'd taken the merit points I'd given him as seed money and promptly spent as little as possible. Twenty points for the cheapest apartment in the outer ring, barely furnished, used mainly for storage. The rest went toward basic supplies before he ventured outside the city walls.
Body Tempering fourth layer without ever setting foot in the Core Region. He'd earned every bit of progress fighting spiritual beasts in the forests west of American City, learning combat through trial and error, accumulating experience the hard way.
Impressive, honestly. Most people stayed close to the city, grinding cultivation levels in relative safety. Tyler dove straight into the dangerous parts, testing himself against Beast Soldiers, coming back bloodied but stronger each time.
Of course, I wasn't going to allow him to actually get hurt. I had the Heavenly Dao keeping an eye on him, ready to pull him out of danger in an emergency, but he didn't know that. So every bit of danger he braved, he believed his own life was on the line.
Then my awareness caught on to something that gave me pause. I wasn't angry or anything, more unsure how to handle the situation, really.
Christine entered the Core Region. If that were it, then that wasn't anything to make me think twice. However, Emma also followed right behind her through the secret portal I'd hidden in the rented mansion.
Obviously, Christine was leading Emma here, inviting her in like she owned the place. I would normally be upset if she decided to invite an outsider here, this was more or less a secret place, a cultivation grotto that people would kill for.
But this was Emma we were talking about. I couldn't just kick her out now that she'd come. Besides, if I had to be frank, I liked her a little bit. I mean, our relationship wasn't that strong or anything, but she had a very likeable personality, and she was probably one of the highest quality beauties I'd seen so far. Even if you counted the immortals and Gods in Jihasti's memory, who were almost unreal in their beauty, most of that was only because they had cultivated to such a high level, not because they were inherently beautiful like Emma was.
Her attractiveness went beyond physical features. The combination of Soul, Mind, and Life affinities created something that drew people in without conscious effort on her part. Natural charm manifested as an aura that made strangers want to help her, fans obsess over her, and apparently my sister trust her enough to reveal family secrets.
"Wow!" Emma's exclamation echoed through the palace halls, carried by the spiritual energy saturating the air. "How is it that you have a secret portal to a paradise?"
"Eh heh! This is my brother Ben's place. Do you like it? This is my secret to cultivating so quickly!"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, watching through the Heavenly Dao's awareness as Christine practically bounced with excitement, showing off the palace grounds like a tour guide at Disneyland. Emma's eyes went wide, taking in the impossible architecture, the gardens that defied normal botany, the sheer density of spiritual energy that made the Eastern Region feel like a desert by comparison.
Christine dragged Emma toward the central garden where Mom was tending to a patch of Silverleaf that had somehow ended up transplanted from the Northern Region. The meeting would be interesting.
I stood up and stretched from my cultivation session, feeling the meridians in my arms and legs humming with energy. Meridian Opening third layer was close now. Another week, maybe two at most. The progress felt steady, inevitable.
As my cultivation grew, so did the world bead. The synergistic relationship between us meant every breakthrough I achieved expanded the dimensions inside, while the bead itself refined my physique and aptitude in return. The improvement showed dramatically at my current level—each layer brought noticeable changes to my body and spiritual capacity.
If Jihasti had succeeded in refining the world bead, the dynamic would have reversed. His benefit would have been minimal, a drop in the ocean compared to his existing power. But the world bead would have experienced massive growth, bound to a God instead of a mortal. So why had the Heavenly Dao rejected him?
Intent.
The world bead had seen how Jihasti treated his subordinates. Watched him sacrifice entire worlds for personal gain, discard loyal servants when they no longer served a purpose, crush anyone who showed even a hint of independence. The Heavenly Dao recognized the truth beneath Jihasti's civilized facade and knew exactly what kind of master he would become.
Better to remain dormant for millennia than serve someone like that.
I migrated toward the garden where Mom, Christine, and Emma were sampling fruits. Mom had harvested a selection of spiritual produce, arranging them on a stone table like a buffet. Emma held what looked like a golden apple, her expression caught between amazement and disbelief as she took another bite.
Christine spotted me first. "Hey Ben, you never told me how you gained access to this place! All you said was that this was a friend's place you borrowed, but that's obviously bullshit! Where is this friend?"
I sighed internally. Only a matter of time before questions like this surfaced. I'd told my parents the truth about owning the world bead, but I wasn't ready to reveal it to others yet. Not even Emma, despite Christine's obvious trust in her.
"Of course, who else but the Eastern Region God." I let a note of pride creep into my voice, settling into the lie with practiced ease. "Who else would have a grand palace and garden like this, with such high density of spiritual energy? Let me tell you," I started to boast, "you know that the first portal appeared in San Jose, right at the park near where I live, right?"
"Yeah?" Christine's eyes narrowed slightly, already skeptical but willing to listen.
"Well, I was the first to arrive through the portal and that's where I met the Eastern Region God and became his disciple. Where do you think I learned how to craft pills and artifacts? Do you think all my merit points came from nowhere? No, he saw my potential and decided to nurture me on the spot."
Emma's mouth opened slightly, the golden fruit forgotten in her hand. Mom continued arranging produce, but I caught the slight smile on her face. She knew the truth, of course, and was probably enjoying watching me spin this elaborate story.
"Really?!" Christine practically bounced on her toes. "Call him over so I can meet him!"
"Don't be stupid, he's a God. Do you think he has time to follow the orders of his disciple? I'm lucky to see him once a week, and it's only so he can update me and strictly chastise me about my cultivation and crafting progress. I have to say he's a really strict master."
"Anyway, I only tell you this because I can trust you, but you are absolutely forbidden from telling others. If people found out that I was his disciple, my days would never be calm again."
The truth in that statement resonated despite the lie it wrapped around. Even without claiming to be the Eastern Region God's disciple, running the Heavenly Forge Emporium had already attracted enough attention. Adding fuel to that fire would make normal life impossible.
"Fine! You're no fun."
Christine crossed her arms, pouting in that way she'd perfected over fifteen years of being the youngest sibling. The expression worked on Dad every time, got her out of chores, extended curfews, extra allowance. On me? Not so much.
"You can count on me to keep this all a secret, don't worry!"
Emma's voice carried genuine sincerity, her hand pressed against her chest in a gesture that might've seemed theatrical from anyone else. But the Soul, Mind, and Life affinities made her emotions transparent to anyone paying attention. She meant every word, felt honored to be trusted with something she perceived as significant.
"Anyway, feel free to visit whenever. This is the best place for cultivation, and the food grown here is excellent. Mom cooks with it in the mansion all the time."
Mom glanced up from arranging a cluster of what looked like crystalline grapes, each one glowing faintly with stored spiritual energy. "Ben's right about that. Though I still think regular tomatoes have their charm."
"Mom, these taste like someone distilled summer into fruit form." Christine plucked one of the grapes and popped it in her mouth, closing her eyes as flavor exploded across her tongue. "There's no comparison."
Emma approached the table with visible hesitation, like she was afraid touching anything might break some unspoken rule. Her fingers hovered over a peach that radiated warmth despite sitting in open air.
"Go ahead," Mom encouraged, smiling in that maternal way that put people at ease. "We have more than enough."
Emma bit into the peach, and her eyes squinted in enjoyment. Juice ran down her chin before she caught it with her free hand, laughing at herself. "Simply incredible!"
"Spiritual energy saturates everything here," Christine said, already reaching for another fruit. "The concentration in this garden is probably ten times higher than anywhere in American City. Plants grow faster, taste better, and some of them develop special properties."
"Special properties?" Emma's curiosity sharpened, her Mind affinity probably cataloging information faster than normal conversation would suggest.
"Some boost cultivation speed when eaten. Others help with meridian opening, or body tempering, or spiritual sense development." I gestured toward a vine growing along the garden's eastern wall, covered in purple berries that pulsed with faint light. "Those, for example, enhance mental clarity for about six hours after consumption. Great for studying complex techniques."
"Or cramming for exams," Christine added with a grin.
Mom shook her head, though affection colored the gesture. "You're not using spiritual fruits to cheat on schoolwork, young lady."
"It's not cheating if the resource is available!"
"It absolutely is."
Emma laughed, the sound genuine and unguarded. She'd relaxed considerably since entering the Core Region, the constant awareness of being Emma Sullivan the celebrity fading into just being Emma. Her shoulders dropped from their usual careful posture, her smile reached her eyes without the practiced quality it held during concerts or public appearances.
The transformation was subtle but noticeable. Here, surrounded by impossible beauty and spiritual energy so thick it felt like breathing honey, she could exist without performance. No cameras, no fans, no expectations beyond being herself.
Christine caught my eye, smirking like she'd orchestrated something clever. Which, knowing my sister, she probably thought she had. The matchmaking attempts were getting less subtle by the day.