Art of Creation [Eco-Cultivation Prototype]

Devor ascended the long, winding path back to the Cultivation Hall Tower, hoping to speak with Master Nie.

Yet when he arrived, the Hall Master was nowhere to be found.

A passing attendant informed him that Master Nie had already returned to Dragon Peak—one of the sacred mountains where the Sect's Hall Masters and Elders resided in quiet seclusion.

With no other choice, Devor adjusted his robe and began the arduous trek to Dragon Peak.

The base of the mountain was guarded by several stern-faced cultivators clad in azure and silver armor.

These weren't ordinary disciples—they were members of the Sect Enforcement Division, a group tasked with defending the sect's most sacred locations.

Ordinary disciples would be turned away here.

But Devor's status as a Divine Disciple—of only one in the entire Azure Sky Sect—granted him special privileges and freedom of movement that others could only dream of.

The guards simply nodded and stepped aside without a word.

Devor offered a polite nod before stepping onto the long stone stairway, flanked by winding dragon statues and cascading spirit streams that shimmered with faint blue light.

As he climbed, he passed through areas layered with protective formations and natural energy fields.

The Qi here was pure, dense, and charged with the lingering presence of powerful cultivators—an ideal place to temper one's soul and spirit.

When he finally reached the summit, a cool breeze rustled his robes.

Master Nie's residence stood on the western cliffside: a majestic estate with sprawling courtyards, its roof tiles dark and glossy like obsidian, and intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes adorning the outer walls.

Just behind the estate was a sprawling garden—alive in every sense of the word.

Rare plants and flowers shimmered in silver hues, their leaves humming in tune with the surrounding energy, while blooming flowers—some of which Devor had only read about—breathed out thick waves of medicinal Qi.

Devor could feel it even from here. The very air pulsed with life force.

He waited quietly by the front steps until a graceful maid, dressed in sky-blue silks, approached him.

She bowed respectfully, inquiring about the purpose of his visit before retreating to inform Master Nie.

At that moment, Master Nie stood within the garden, his hands folded behind his back, observing a lone figure meditating before him.

That figure was Xiuji—his eldest disciple, now in the Nascent Soul Realm, and once considered one of the most promising cultivators in the sect.

Master Nie had sensed Devor's arrival the moment he stepped onto the summit, but he chose not to acknowledge it right away.

Instead, he watched Xiuji in silence for a while longer.

"He's stable, but stagnant. Growing too comfortable in his success..." He sighed softly.

In recent years, Xiuji had slowed down—perhaps due to pride, or the natural arrogance that came with rising power.

But in the world of cultivation, stagnation was a slow death.

"That's enough," Master Nie said calmly, his voice like a quiet breeze. "You've been slacking off for the past year."

Xiuji's eyes opened. His long lashes twitched slightly, but his face remained impassive.

He stood, bowed deeply, and said, "I've done my best, Master."

"No, you haven't."

The reply was curt. Cold. But fair.

Xiuji's fingers curled slightly at his sides, but he said nothing more.

Just then, the maid returned, about to speak—only for Master Nie's voice to preempt her.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Bring the boy in."

With a silent bow, she turned and left again.

Xiuji raised an eyebrow. "A visitor?"

"Yes," Master Nie replied, turning away from the garden. "Devor Li. The sole Divine Disciples."

Xiuji blinked. "The one with the Venom Garden?"

Master Nie nodded. "The same."

"I've heard… interesting things about him," Xiuji said, his tone neutral. "They say he's doing something unprecedented with spiritual flora and domain construction. Some even say he's trying to build his own Dao."

Master Nie didn't deny it.

"For now, he's exceptional," he said. "And if you continue to stagnate, he may surpass you—perhaps not in the next few years, but certainly within the next few decades."

Xiuji's gaze sharpened.

He had always assumed his place among the sect's elite was unshakable. But now…

Devor?

He had heard whispers, yes—of strange experiments, unique domain cultivation, spiritual plant manipulation, and a growing resonance with natural laws far beyond his stage.

And now, Master Nie was taking him seriously?

Interesting.

A few minutes later, the maid returned, leading Devor through a polished stone corridor to the inner courtyard of the estate.

The garden's aura intensified with each step, pulsing softly like the heartbeat of a slumbering beast.

There, beneath the shade of a thousand-petal Spirit Bloom tree, stood Master Nie and the man Devor had seen earlier—tall, elegant, and radiating quiet strength.

Devor halted and bowed deeply. "Disciple Devor greets Master Nie."

His posture was disciplined, respectful—deferential without being timid.

Master Nie inclined his head. "This is my eldest disciple, Xiuji," he said, gesturing to the man beside him. "If you have the ability... look after him in the future."

Devor blinked, surprised.

Look after him?

Even from a few meters away, he could feel the pressure radiating from Xiuji's core. That wasn't just strength—it was refinement, honed over decades.

"If anything, I'll be lucky if he doesn't kill me with a sneeze." Devor thought wryly.

"Greetings, Senior Xiuji," Devor said with sincere deference, bowing low.

Xiuji responded with a faint smile, a spark of amusement in his gaze. "Greetings, Junior Devor."

He wasn't the least bit offended by Master Nie's unusual introduction. In fact, he found it... curious.

Master Nie turned back to Devor, his eyes sharpening slightly. "Since you came all this way... did you find your answer?"

Devor shook his head. "No, Master. I was hoping to learn something new."

"Something new?" Master Nie raised a brow.

At this point, Devor's grasp of cultivation techniques went deeper than most Core Disciples. What more could he possibly be after?

"I wanted to ask about a specific aspect of cultivation..." Devor began, then hesitated.

He glanced at Xiuji, who was now watching him with polite interest.

The presence of another powerful cultivator made him second-guess the wisdom of speaking freely.

Xiuji tilted his head. "Something wrong?"

Master Nie remained silent but observed intently.

Devor held Xiuji's gaze for a moment longer. Then, with a breath, he stepped forward and spoke.

"Senior Xiuji... have you already touched upon the power of laws?"

The question hung in the air like a thunderclap.

Master Nie's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained composed. "What kind of law power are you referring to?"

Devor furrowed his brows, searching for the right words. "Senior Xiuji's energy... it's different. Unique. Just being near it, my body felt out of alignment. It was as though my movements and breath stopped following my intent. Like something—some law—was tugging at me."

Xiuji's calm demeanor faltered for a heartbeat.

He sensed that?

He hadn't activated any techniques. Not even released a shred of intent.

And yet this junior disciple could detect the subtle influence of his Void-Tethering Method—a law-aligned technique that disrupted bodily control and rhythm.

"How did you know?" Xiuji asked, his voice quieter now. There was no threat in it—only a spark of interest that hadn't been there before.

Devor quickly bowed again, more deeply this time. "Forgive me, Senior. I didn't mean to overstep."

Master Nie spoke at last, folding his hands behind his back. "Xiuji's cultivation technique is... unique."

"That's an understatement," Xiuji thought.

Still, what surprised him more was Devor's sensitivity—an awareness honed not through brute force or spiritual pressure, but through instinct.

Devor raised his head, voice steady. "It's a foundation for a Void Realm ability, isn't it?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Xiuji's features.

He's not just sensitive. He's perceptive.

Maybe Master Nie wasn't joking when he said this boy could surpass him someday.

"You noticed?" Master Nie nodded slowly, his gaze unreadable. "That's correct. But for someone at your current stage, there's no need to dwell on Void-level laws. You're still far from the Golden Core stage. Too far."

"But that's why I came," Devor replied, voice calm but intense. "I need guidance—not to wield it, but to prepare. I want to understand how to structure a Domain, how to instill will into it, and most of all... how to refine an imperfect Domain."

Silence fell again.

Master Nie's gaze sharpened.

He's serious.

"You haven't even finished refining your cultivation technique," he said. "And now you want to learn how to shape law-based domains? You're rushing into something that most cultivators don't even attempt until the Nascent Soul stage. The soul must mature before it can resonate with laws."

"I understand, Master Nie," Devor said, then added softly, "But... the Venom Domain in my garden is already the manifestation of my Dao Embryo."

Even Xiuji's expression froze at that.

So the rumors were true...

"The Domain has formed," Devor continued, eyes alight with quiet fervor. "But the laws within it are incomplete. I can feel it. It's unstable—not because the energy is wrong, but because the structure lacks clarity. If I want to awaken its full potential, I must begin refining its core principles. I need to understand the will of a Domain—and how to align it with the Dao Embryo I've formed."

A slow breath escaped Master Nie's lips.

This wasn't just talent. It was ambition. Vision.

Devor's words meant only one thing:

His Dao Embryo wasn't borrowed, inherited, or modeled after a preexisting path. It was self-created.

A rare and dangerous road—one that often led to ruin.

But when it succeeded... it birthed legends.