CHAPTER 101 — The Truth Behind the Devourer
Cloudsky Sect was quieter than usual that evening—not peaceful, but tense, like a bowstring pulled too tight. Though reconstruction efforts continued, everyone sensed the shifting tides of fate. A war the likes of which hadn't occurred in a thousand years had begun its slow march toward the heart of the world.
Lin Xuan stood alone on a cliff overlooking the main sect grounds, spear strapped to his back, sunlight flickering in his pupils. The horizon was dyed in twilight gold, but to him, the colors seemed muted. Warnings echoed in his mind. Visions of the massive abyssal hand replayed behind his eyelids.
He wasn't afraid—but he needed answers.
With a thought, he entered his inner earth.
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1. A Meeting Between Sun and Saint
The world inside him had grown again—forests flourishing, mountains stabilizing, rivers carving themselves into natural paths. Life was embryonic here, hesitant but awakening. The saint's reconstruction efforts had brought the land a step closer to a true minor world.
Saint Shengyuan appeared moments after Lin's arrival.
He bowed slightly.
"Young Master Lin. I sensed your spirit ripple—you seek counsel."
Lin nodded.
"Saint Shengyuan, I need to understand something. Aurora hinted at it, and the Abyssal Ancestor as good as confirmed it…"
He looked toward his inner horizon, where the celestial sapling pulsed with gentle green-gold light.
"…Why me? Why is the Abyssal Ancestor so fixated on devouring me?"
Shengyuan sighed—a deep, ancient exhale filled with the weight of forgotten eras.
"Then it is time you learn the truth."
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2. The Birth of a World Is a Divine Feast
Saint Shengyuan walked alongside Lin, leading him to the newest continent—still half-formed, its laws shimmering like dew.
"When a world is born," Shengyuan began, "it is like a celestial infant—overflowing with potential yet lacking structure. Its laws are young. Its essence is pure. Its will has not yet awakened."
He gestured at the sky.
"Your inner earth, Lin Xuan… is exactly such a world."
Lin frowned. "So?"
"Such a world," Shengyuan said gravely, "is the most sought-after cultivation resource in existence."
Lin's breath caught.
The saint continued:
"A mature world like the one we live in has ancient laws, a hardened will of heaven, and protections woven over eras. Even demigods cannot devour one without catastrophic backlash."
"But your world—"
Shengyuan pointed at the inner earth's horizon, where the sun Lin forged still burned weakly compared to his true solar systems.
"—is young, raw, unclaimed, unstructured… and most importantly—unprotected."
Lin's fists tightened.
"So the Abyssal Ancestor wants it… as fuel?"
Shengyuan nodded solemnly.
"Yes. Devouring a young world would grant him enough law essence to ascend from pseudo demigod to true demigod. And once he becomes a true demigod, no being in this realm could stand against him."
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3. The Saint Reveals the Real Danger
Shengyuan continued walking, his voice low.
"Your existence is… unprecedented. A mortal cultivator becoming a World Forger while still in mere Nascent Soul realm? That defies all cosmic rules."
Lin narrowed his eyes. "Then how does he plan to devour me? I won't allow it."
Shengyuan's expression darkened.
"You misunderstand.
The Ancestor doesn't need to devour you.
He needs to devour your world."
Lin froze.
"If he corrupts your inner earth, its laws will rewrite themselves into abyssal laws… and with it, he will gain a private domain—a foothold to descend fully."
A shudder ran down Lin's spine.
"And me?"
"Once your world is corrupted," Shengyuan said, "your soul will collapse. You will become hollow… an empty shell eaten from within."
Lin's jaw clenched.
"So I'm not his meal. My world is."
"No," Shengyuan corrected softly. "You are both."
He stopped and looked Lin in the eyes.
"You, Lin Xuan, are the bridge to a growing cosmos. He wants to devour a young world and its world-forger simultaneously. Doing so would elevate him beyond demigod… possibly into true godhood."
Lin exhaled slowly.
"That's why he whispered to me."
Shengyuan nodded grimly.
"You are his perfect prey."
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4. Why Lin's World Is So Tempting
The saint motioned toward several phenomena:
A. The Vine-Heart Sapling
"It carries primordial life law. A natural treasure born from the Titan Vine. Devouring it would grant the Ancestor dominion over vitality."
B. The Binary Solar System
"You forged dual suns from abyssal lightning and celestial fire. That fusion alone contains enough energy to birth a main-world star."
C. Dragon-Bai's Sovereign Bloodline
"A dragon recognized your world as home. Where a dragon roots itself, world potential multiplies."
D. Shengyuan's Presence
"A Saint rooted within a world adds stability and power."
Shengyuan's voice deepened.
"All these factors combined make your inner world priceless… and dangerous."
Lin felt something heavy settle in his heart.
"So my rapid growth… is both opportunity and curse."
"Yes."
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5. Lin's Fearless Decision
Lin stood silently for a moment, watching Aurora flit near Dragon-Bai as the companion beast slept, golden sparks flickering around his tiny form.
Finally, Lin smiled—a small, confident smile.
"I see."
Shengyuan blinked. "You are not angered?"
"I've never been afraid of being hunted."
Lin stepped forward, letting his aura shimmer.
"If the Abyssal Ancestor wants to devour me… then I'll make sure I become too large to swallow."
The saint's eyes widened.
"You… are terrifying."
Lin shrugged.
"Only to my enemies."
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6. Shengyuan Adds One Final Warning
"As long as your world lacks a Heavenly Will," Shengyuan warned, "it remains vulnerable. A mature world births a consciousness that maintains balance and protects from external invasion."
Lin looked toward the sky of his inner earth, thoughtful.
"How does a world birth its will?"
"By expanding its laws, gaining inhabitants, hosting civilizations, weathering calamities, and accumulating time. Only then does the world condense a Will of Heaven."
Lin nodded slowly.
"Then I'll accelerate it."
Shengyuan hesitated.
"…How?"
Lin smiled slightly.
"By upgrading it."
The saint nearly choked.
"You— You can't just upgrade a world into birthing its own Heavenly Will!"
"I can try," Lin said. "And if I fail, I'll build the foundation it needs."
Shengyuan rubbed his temples.
"You are… either a genius beyond reason, or a madman."
Lin chuckled.
"I prefer both."
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7. Final Scene — A Promise Made
Lin walked toward the glowing horizon.
"Tell me one thing, Shengyuan. How long would my world need to evolve before it becomes impossible for the Abyssal Ancestor to devour it?"
Shengyuan answered honestly:
"At least one full evolutionary cycle… equivalent to a world reaching its first divine age."
Lin's eyes narrowed in resolve.
"Then I'll reach Soul Transformation. Strengthen Dragon-Bai. Help you regain Saint peak. And evolve this world again."
He lifted his spear, which glowed like a newborn sun.
"And when the Abyssal Ancestor reaches for me again—"
He pointed the spear upward.
"—he will lose that hand."
The glowing sky trembled faintly, as if echoing his vow.
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