Art of Creation [Eco-Cultivation Prototype]

If it was truly the case that gaining access to Domain laws was the first step toward forming a true Dao, then surely that knowledge could be leveraged to refine his Venom Domain.

But… would it actually work in practice?

"So, Master Nie," Devor asked, his voice carrying a mixture of hope and hesitation, "can understanding the laws of a Domain help me refine the Venom Domain?"

He clenched his fists behind his back.

If the answer was no—if Domain laws proved irrelevant—then the Portable Garden he had envisioned from the beginning would become little more than a fantasy.

A premature dream born of incomplete understanding. Without that garden, his cultivation path would lose its structure.

Master Nie paused before answering, his tone gentle but thoughtful. "You might be able to use Domain laws to refine your Venom Domain."

Devor's heart stirred.

"But…" Master Nie added, "there's one problem."

Devor's brow twitched. Was there a problem? He silently pleaded for it not to be something beyond his ability to handle.

"What kind of problem, Master?" he asked, keeping his voice calm but alert.

"Even Void Realm cultivators—those with fully formed Domains—don't always understand the full extent of the laws inside them." Master Nie exhaled quietly. "Having access doesn't equate to comprehension. It takes time—long, painful periods of isolation, study, and trial—to understand even a fraction of what the Domain contains."

Devor's expression turned grim.

So even cultivators who had reached the Void Realm, wielding powers far beyond his own, were still grappling with the same fundamental issue he faced?

If they couldn't fully interpret the laws within their Domains, then wasn't he—at the Foundation Stage—doing something bordering on the impossible?

Xiuji, who had been listening in contemplative silence, suddenly spoke.

"If a Domain is the beginning of a cultivator's journey toward creating their Dao… doesn't it make sense that the laws inside would be obscure at first?" he asked. "If Void Realm cultivators could fully understand their Domain's laws right away, wouldn't they be forming their Daos while still in the Void Realm?"

Devor blinked, then nodded slowly. "Exactly! Just because we've tapped into a Domain doesn't mean we've absorbed its full truth. There's a difference between perceiving the law and embodying it."

Master Nie's lips curved into a faint, approving smile. He glanced at both students—first at Devor, then at Xiuji, his gaze lingering a moment longer on the latter.

"He's starting to think like a cultivator who walks his own path," Master Nie mused silently. "Good."

In truth, Xiuji had always been reliable—disciplined, powerful, and clear-headed.

But that very consistency had masked a subtle stagnation.

Progress without introspection often led to plateaus disguised as plateaus. But this conversation had clearly shaken something loose inside him.

"Understanding the laws of your Domain isn't instantaneous," Master Nie said, "It requires isolation, meditation, and… sometimes, transformation. That's why most cultivators take a different approach when refining a Domain."

Devor's ears perked up. "A different approach? What kind?"

"You've already seen it yourself, haven't you?" Master Nie asked. "The Venom Domain you've formed contains many laws you don't yet comprehend. And perhaps, you've assumed that in order to refine it, you must reshape those core laws—build them anew from the ground up."

Devor slowly nodded. "I've felt that. Like the Domain has its own logic. I'm trying to steer it, but it's like swimming against a river's current. If I don't understand the underlying current, I can't guide it where I want."

He fell into thought, one hand absently resting beneath his chin.

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"It's just like math," he said aloud. "If I want the result to be eleven, but the base equation is ten plus six… no matter how hard I try, it'll never match. I need to adjust the foundation, not the final step."

Xiuji frowned slightly. "Math?"

Devor gave a half-smile. "A personal habit… from before."

Master Nie chuckled. "An apt analogy, strange though it sounds. But listen closely—changing the laws of your Domain directly may not be possible at your current level. However… you can still refine your Domain indirectly."

Devor's eyes narrowed. "Indirectly? How?"

Master Nie's voice dropped, almost conspiratorial. "By introducing new anchors—external elements that harmonize with the existing laws, subtly altering their flow. Think of it like planting seeds in specific patterns to gradually change the soil itself."

Devor blinked.

External anchors… like Spiritual Plants? Like how he stabilize venomous fields through garden layout?

"Every Domain is unique," Master Nie said, his tone even and composed. "Each one has its own nature, its own foundation. You could study every law embedded in a senior's Domain and still find it completely useless to your own."

Devor exhaled slowly, a tightness forming in his chest.

It was always like this—whenever he thought he was on the verge of understanding something, a wall appeared. Domains were personal, singular, stubbornly untouchable things.

"But," Master Nie added, his lips curving into a faint, thoughtful smile, "who said you need to change the foundation at all? What if… instead of rewriting it, you add what's missing? Bring it to completion from within."

"Add…?" Devor echoed, his brows furrowing.

"Yes. Add," Master Nie nodded. "Imagine it like installing a new module into an existing formation array. You don't rewrite the array—you simply extend its function. It learns. Adapts. A Domain is not a dead thing, Devor. It is alive. It responds to what you feed it."

Devor's eyes widened slightly.

"Like a self-evolving system…" he murmured, then, before he could catch himself, he added: "Like an AI."

Master Nie raised a brow. "Ai? What's that?"

Xiuji turned his head as well, equally confused.

Devor coughed into his hand, wincing inwardly. He'd used the wrong word again.

"It's... just a metaphor I used a lot in my experiments and studies."

Master Nie chuckled. "Strange metaphors you have. But not inaccurate. Yes, your Domain is something like a learning array. It absorbs meaning and context from what you present it with. Shape the input, and in time, the output shifts as well."

"So instead of forcing the Domain to evolve," Devor said, slowly putting the pieces together, "we can teach it. Give it more refined information to process. And eventually, it changes itself."

"Exactly," Master Nie said with clear approval. "Your Venom Domain is failing to stabilize the evolution of Spiritual Plants not because it's flawed, but because it lacks information. You're asking it to guide transformations it doesn't understand. But what if you gave it that knowledge?"

Devor's breath caught in his throat.

That's it. That's what's missing.

Maybe the problem wasn't his Domain at all. Maybe it was simply underfed—starving for structure, for examples, for truth.

If he could compile every known evolutionary path of Spiritual Plants, organize their affinities, categorize how different venoms interacted with different growth cycles, then his Domain could begin learning—refining itself over time, adjusting its framework to match what he had given it.

Just like a well-tuned garden bed adapting to a new species over successive plantings.

Master Nie turned toward Xiuji, who had stood quietly through the conversation. "As for you—you're still at the stage where you must ask yourself what kind of Domain you even want to form. That vision will decide your path in the years ahead."

"I understand, Master," Xiuji said. His tone was firm, but his gaze had shifted.

He looked toward Devor—not with rivalry or disdain, but with something deeper. Respect. Curiosity.

He had always assumed the title "Divine Disciple" was ceremonial, some symbolic gesture by the Sect to inspire others.

But now he realized Devor had earned it.

Not through raw power or status—but through insight, and a kind of thinking that bent the rules without breaking them.

When the conversation ended, Devor offered a respectful bow and turned to leave. His mind was racing with possibilities. The Portable Garden was no longer a dream. It was a blueprint.

As he disappeared into the distance, returning to the secluded hill where he cultivated, Xiuji turned to Master Nie again.

"Why isn't Devor a Core Disciple?" he asked. There was no jealousy in his tone—only genuine wonder. "With his insight, wouldn't he benefit from more direct guidance from you?"

Master Nie's smile was tinged with something wistful. "Why? Are you afraid he'll surpass you?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," Xiuji admitted honestly.

"He will, if you let him," Master Nie said lightly. "But that's no shame. Competition drives growth, and growth builds legacy."

He folded his hands behind his back and added, "You remember what Devor's profession is, don't you?"

Xiuji blinked. "He's… a Spiritual Farmer."

"Correct. And not just any farmer. He came to the Sect with nothing—no background, no blessings, no hidden bloodline. Just a boy with a shovel, a tattered scroll, and an obsession with plants." Master Nie said.

Xiuji stood silently, processing that.

Master Nie added, "Years passed. No one noticed him. He spent his days among roots and weeds. Then one day, he cultivated a garden filled with Spiritual Plants that should have been impossible to grow side by side—like Fire Lotus and Mistleaf Fern."

"That's…" Xiuji's eyes widened. "Those elements clash. They can't coexist."

"And yet, he made them thrive," Master Nie said softly. "He didn't force them together. He understood them. With careful placement and by introducing other elemental plants to balance the energies, he turned conflict into harmony. That's Devor's strength. The world often overlooks cultivators like him—until it's too late."

Xiuji looked into the distance, toward the path Devor had taken. "And what happens when he reaches the Golden Core realm?"

"Then," Master Nie said with a quiet, satisfied smile, "he will cease to be a gardener. And become a creator."