Art of Creation [Eco-Cultivation Prototype]

With Master Nie's guidance still echoing in his mind, Devor returned to his quarters carrying a rare sense of clarity.

The puzzle that had gnawed at him for weeks now had a shape—and perhaps, finally, a solution.

He shared it first with Yulin.

To his surprise, she didn't question it. If anything, she seemed… unsurprised.

"It sounds plausible," Yulin said, arms crossed, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "If Domains really are self-evolving, then feeding yours proper data could be the key. You should try it."

Her calm support reassured him, but he needed more than validation. He needed precision.

So Devor turned to Nyuru.

If anyone could help guide the evolutionary direction of Spiritual Plants, it was her.

While Devor had the talent and intuition for growing raw materials, Nyuru was a specialist in processing—refining, distilling, transforming raw herbs into powerful medicinal compounds.

They spent hours reviewing samples harvested from the Venom Domain. Every leaf, root, and spore held unknown potential—some dangerous, some astonishing.

"If you want to guide your Domain's evolution," Nyuru said, running her finger gently over a vine laced with shimmering purple veins, "you'll need to categorize which plants contribute positively to cultivation… and which might destabilize the ecosystem."

Devor nodded. "That's what I'm hoping you'll help me with. I want you to be the first to process every harvest. You'll learn their properties—and I'll learn what the Domain reacts to."

Nyuru blinked in surprise. "You want me to oversee all the Domain's outputs?"

"Exactly," he said. "You're better suited to identify patterns in alchemical or toxicological behavior. And maybe, between the two of us, we can shape it into something greater."

She stared at him for a moment, then smiled faintly. "You really are serious about this."

Devor's only answer was a slight grin—and a hand already sketching a new harvest cycle.

Later that evening, Yulin returned holding a folded letter sealed in red wax.

"Forly sent this," she said, handing it to him. "Aoyun dropped it off earlier. Said he couldn't stay."

Devor's eyes widened. "Senior Aoyun… I completely forgot about him."

"It's not your fault," Yulin said lightly. "You've had your hands full. Besides, you're a Divine Disciple now. He's only an Inner Disciple."

Devor tilted his head slightly. "Still, that was thoughtful of him. I don't know much about him, honestly."

Yulin gave a small smile. "Not surprising. He keeps to himself. Most people don't even know he's the Sect Master's nephew."

Devor blinked. "Wait, what? Aoyun's the Sect Master's nephew?"

She nodded. "Yep. But he never talks about it. Doesn't want any special treatment. Says power given is power wasted."

Devor found himself nodding in appreciation. "I respect that."

He opened the letter and read quietly. As his eyes moved down the page, the light in them slowly dimmed.

Yulin noticed. "What is it?"

Devor held the parchment a moment longer, then exhaled.

"He asked me," he said, voice low, "if someone who stains himself with the blood of others every day is still worthy of tending a peaceful garden."

Yulin raised an eyebrow. "He still wants to be a Spiritual Farmer? After everything?"

"He's fighting a curse that warps his qi and poisons his mind," Devor said, folding the letter carefully. "But even so, he still remembers the dream we talked about. A little field. Quiet mornings. Planting things that heal, not harm."

There was silence between them.

Then Yulin said softly, "Do you think he can still be saved?"

Devor's hand tightened into a fist. "There's no rule that says a killer can't become a gardener. If someone's willing to learn, they deserve the chance. Even if they're bleeding."

Without hesitation, he pulled out ink and brush. His reply was short but powerful.

"If a man walks through blood but still dares to plant seeds, he is already closer to peace than most cultivators will ever be. If you want to learn, then learn. Even the gods won't stop you."

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He also included a note—cryptic, but promising—that he'd begun experimenting with a method that might ease the effects of the curse.

But when he went to seal it, a simple problem struck him.

Where was Forly now?

There was no return address. Aoyun had vanished again, as elusive as always. Devor sighed. "I don't know where to send this."

"Give it to me," Yulin said, gently taking the letter from his hand. "I'll find a way."

Devor looked up at her, grateful. "Thank you."

After she left, he returned to the workroom, where Nyuru was surrounded by twisting vines and softly glowing petals.

The Venom Domain's latest harvest was spread across the table—plants unlike anything found in nature. All of them newly born, unique to Devor's evolving Domain.

They were alive in strange ways. Some pulsed faintly, others moved with the rhythm of breath, their leaves shifting in time with Devor's presence.

He joined Nyuru, who looked up briefly, eyes gleaming with focus.

They began to discuss the implications. But soon, it became clear that Devor had outpaced even her.

Five minutes in, he was identifying circulation patterns in the energy cores of plant bulbs, estimating how long each would maintain efficacy, and even predicting what secondary mutations might occur during the next Domain cycle.

Nyuru stared, realization slowly dawning.

He wasn't just a cultivator with a green thumb anymore.

He could read a Spiritual Plant the way a skilled healer read meridians—every flow, every pulse of energy mapped clearly in his mind.

"He's no longer just growing plants," she thought. "He's shaping a new system of cultivation. A fusion of farming and Dao. A new path entirely."

After a long discussion with Nyuru that left her pensively sketching energy-flow charts across a parchment wall, Devor rose from his seat.

He let her be—Nyuru was at her best when tangled in riddles—and made his way outside toward the heart of the Venom Domain.

The spiritual haze around the area had grown thicker in recent weeks, but it no longer felt oppressive.

Rather, it felt alive—intentional, almost watchful. As if the Domain itself were listening.

Devor stopped before the towering form of the Venom Spiritual Tree.

It stood tall and imposing, its bark a deep, rich violet that shimmered subtly in the light. The leaves, equally dark in hue, rustled with a faint, unnatural stillness.

There was no clear scent—just an indistinct trace of something medicinal overpowered by a quiet, lurking toxicity.

He reached out, resting a hand gently against the trunk.

"How's your cultivation going?" he asked softly. "Is everything running smoothly?"

A beat passed. Then, as though joy were bubbling up through the roots, a cheerful voice echoed in Devor's mind—bright and youthful, carrying no hint of corruption despite its poisonous nature.

"I've already started refining the energy inside my body! It hurt a bit at first, but I figured out how to avoid the painful spots. After that, everything went great!" The tree's voice—Venom, as it had chosen to be called—was as excitable as ever.

Devor chuckled and rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe that pain was your body's defense mechanism. Trees aren't like humans—you don't have much freedom to adapt your internal flow. So your body naturally directs the energy along a preset route."

He paused, eyeing the strange, shifting patterns along the tree's bark—unpredictable, almost volatile.

"In your case," he murmured, "a Qi deviation wouldn't just injure your meridians. It could kill you instantly."

Spiritual Trees were a rarity. Ones with true self-awareness—even rarer still.

Unlike human cultivators, who could learn from sect records or ancestral teachings, trees like Venom had no elders, no lineage, no predecessors to warn them of the dangers. They cultivated alone, in isolation.

"I need to talk to you about something," Devor continued, brushing a speck of ash off one of the tree's leaves. "There's a complication with the Domain. Its energy could help you evolve… but the path isn't fixed. It's random. Chaotic, even. We can't predict if your next stage will help or harm you."

Venom's voice suddenly perked up in his mind, bright and eager. "Oh! That reminds me, Brother Devor! I forgot to tell you something really important!"

Devor raised an eyebrow, instantly alert. "What is it?"

"I noticed that normal energy needs to pass through very specific channels—or it hurts me. Really badly," Venom explained. "So I started mapping the painful areas inside my body and guiding the energy around them instead of through them."

Devor nodded slowly, but Venom kept going, his tone brimming with pride.

"But I didn't use the Domain's energy right away," he continued. "I stored it up for about a month—just kept gathering it without pushing it into my body. Then, when I finally started using it… some of those painful spots didn't hurt anymore!"

Devor froze. "You mean… your body adapted?"

"Uh-huh!" Venom said, clearly pleased. "At first, the energy burned. But now, those same places feel warm and strong! It's like… my body changed to match the energy."

He stepped back, studying the tree more closely. The leaves had darkened at their edges but retained a vibrant core glow—signs of minor toxicity purification. Interesting.

Devor raised an eyebrow. "Wait… are you still absorbing the same limited amount of energy I told you to use back when the Venom Domain was first forming?"

The trunk gave a nervous shudder, and Venom's voice turned sheepish. "Was I not supposed to? I-I'm sorry, Brother Devor! I didn't mean to disobey!"

Devor sighed and rubbed his temples. "No, no—you didn't do anything wrong. You were following what I said. I just forgot to tell you that the Domain's fully stabilized now. It's not fragile anymore."

Venom hesitated. "But… you said drawing too much could cause it to collapse…"

"That was true back then," Devor said, his voice softening into a smile. "You were careful. You did exactly what I asked. I just didn't update the instructions when things changed. That one's on me."

There was a beat of silence—then an explosion of joy through their bond.

"Really?! Then I can finally cultivate at full power! Yes!"

Devor chuckled as he watched the leaves tremble in glee.

"You're evolving along a very particular path," he said. "If energy used to hurt you in certain areas but now it doesn't… that might be a sign. A sign that this is your true direction. Your body is building resistance, not just tolerance. That's rare, even among beast cultivators."

"Should I keep going, then? Push further?" Venom asked, a trace of uncertainty creeping into his usually confident voice.

Devor nodded slowly. "Yes. But not because I said so. Always remember what I taught you—your path should be yours. Not mine. Don't rely on me for every decision. Whether you flourish or wither, it should be from choices you make."

There was a pause. Then Venom replied, voice quiet but unwavering: "I remember, Brother Devor. And I will."

Devor exhaled and stepped back, gazing at the Venom Spiritual Tree with a quiet pride.

"He's not just a cultivation construct anymore," Devor thought. "He's becoming someone—someone with instincts, values, curiosity. A cultivator in his own right."

That was what Devor wanted most. Not another obedient follower. Not a tool. But someone capable of walking forward, even without him.

And someday… maybe someone capable of standing beside him when the great storms of the cultivation world began to stir.