Art of Creation [Eco-Cultivation Prototype]

After surviving the brutal aerial assault that Yulin dared to call "training," Devor staggered back to his hilltop residence, his steps uneven and his face pale as paper.

Every step felt like trudging through a swamp of nausea.

"That wasn't flying," he thought grimly, "that was spiritual torture disguised as sword practice!"

Trailing behind him, Yulin hummed a light tune, her expression radiant with satisfaction.

Venom sat comfortably perched on her shoulder, chirping smugly and savoring every second of Devor's suffering.

"Big Brother Devor's face looks like an overripe cabbage," Venom muttered under his breath, struggling to suppress a giggle.

Yulin, catching Venom's comment, let out a light chuckle but said nothing. She was in too good a mood to scold him.

Devor paused halfway up the hill, clutching his stomach and willing the swirling chaos in his mind to calm down.

Just then, Yulin came up behind him and patted him on the shoulder.

"Nice work," she said brightly, flashing him an encouraging thumbs-up. "Thanks to you, I've got dozens of new ideas for improving my Flying Sword Techniques!"

The corner of Devor's mouth twitched violently.

"If that was her holding back," he thought darkly, "then her 'improved' version might just kill me outright."

Still, he forced a strained smile onto his face and gave a stiff reply: "S-Sister Yulin is truly... the best."

Yulin flashed him another sunny smile—one that, to Devor's eyes, looked like a death sentence wrapped in a bow—then cheerfully continued toward the World Tree, Venom still hitching a ride on her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Devor made his way to one of the smaller gardens and sat down cross-legged among the plants.

"Better stabilize myself before I die of dizziness," he muttered internally.

He closed his eyes and slipped into meditation.

Almost instantly, the plants around him stirred.

They leaned gently toward him, their leaves shimmering with vibrant color, their stems standing a little straighter. The faint spiritual resonance in the soil grew richer, more synchronized.

Even without trying, Devor's very presence nourished them, like rain falling upon thirsty land.

Time passed slowly.

An hour later, Devor's breathing evened out. His mind cleared. His blood, which had felt like it was spinning backward inside him, finally stilled.

Opening his eyes, he surveyed the garden.

The plants around him now stood taller and more vigorous, almost like soldiers awaiting orders from their general.

"I almost forgot," Devor thought with a soft sigh, "my energy's still too pure."

Devor's current state—his pure, vibrant energy—was radiating life in a way that no ordinary cultivator could replicate.

Frowning, Devor closed his eyes again. He knew he had to adjust his energy output—specifically, by blending in a trace amount of Venom Mode's chaotic traits.

Not enough to trigger a full transformation, but just enough to roughen the flow and suppress the overwhelming purity.

Carefully, he nudged the smooth, pristine energy toward a slightly rougher pattern—introducing small, controlled distortions.

It wasn't easy.

Maintaining a delicate imbalance without letting the energy spiral out of control demanded focus and precision.

Minute by minute, he twisted and wove his Qi, tempering its excessive vitality.

Nearly half an hour later, Devor finally managed to stabilize it.

Opening his eyes, he released a controlled pulse of golden energy outward.

The nearby plants still responded to his power, but this time, their movements were subtler—more natural, less frantic.

Exactly what he needed.

"I have to keep it like this," Devor thought. "Back when I lost control by Sister Yulin flying sword, my mind and body were thrown into chaos—and my energy reverted to pure form."

But that wasn't all Devor was doing.

This meditative cultivation was also a new kind of training—a critical step toward mastering his Venom Transformation.

Before, shifting into Venom Mode meant transforming his entire body, putting immense strain on his foundation.

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But now, Devor focused on selective transformation—altering only parts of himself, like his hands or arms, while keeping the rest stable and untouched.

It was harder than he'd expected.

It demanded an exquisite balance of control: resisting the full surge of Venom's energy while channeling just enough to empower specific body parts.

"If I can master this," Devor thought, flexing his fingers as faint traces of dark energy rippled across his hand, "then I'll be able to fight without risking my cultivation path collapsing."

He let the transformation fade, stabilizing his Qi once again.

Standing up, Devor stretched and glanced around the training grounds. His gaze landed on a familiar sight:

Venom and Yulin sat around the World Tree, sketching quietly on a piece of parchment.

The atmosphere around his home was peaceful, vibrant, and alive.

Seeing them there—Yulin, Venom, the flourishing World Tree—Devor felt a warmth rise in his chest.

But it was a warmth laced with responsibility.

He closed his eyes slowly, letting a new resolve settle deep inside him.

"It's not enough to build the Venom Domain," he thought, feeling the weight of his ambition. "I need the strength to protect it—and everyone in it."

From this moment on, he vowed to focus wholly on his cultivation, sparing only what time was necessary for his duties.

Between monthly classes, gathering Poison Codex data, and refining the Venom Domain's evolution, every breath and heartbeat would be dedicated to his advancement.

He could already feel it.

Deep within his soul core, the towering mountain—symbol of his cultivation—had grown to nearly six hundred meters.

Stage-6 Foundation Building was within reach.

And beyond that, the legendary threshold of Core Formation Realm.

A critical turning point—where body and soul began to align, laying the foundation for one's true power to emerge.

"I have to push harder," Devor thought, clenching his fists. "The world won't wait for me to be ready."

❄️❄️❄️

The midday sun bathed the hilltop in golden light.

A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, and the cheerful chirping of birds filled the air.

Atop one of the garden trees, three doves perched together, their snow-white feathers gleaming.

Facing them, a rather conspicuous sight:

A slightly oversized purple bird—Venom—stood proudly among the branches.

Clutched in his tiny clawed hands was a shimmering seed.

Venom closed his eyes and concentrated.

A soft hum of energy flowed into the seed—and before the doves' wide-eyed gaze, the seed sprouted and blossomed, unfurling into a brilliant purple flower.

Within seconds, it grew half a meter tall, producing six radiant blossoms, their petals glittering under the sun.

With great ceremony, Venom carefully plucked the flowers—offering one to each of the doves.

Down below, Devor watched the scene unfold, arms crossed and an expression of muted horror creeping across his face.

"No... no way," he thought.

Unable to hold it in, Devor cupped his hands around his mouth and called out:

"You're a tree, not a bird! You can't make offspring with them!"

At his shout, the startled doves dropped the flowers and flapped into the air, circling downward in confusion.

But instead of fleeing, they descended toward Devor—fluttering around him affectionately, cooing as they brushed against his shoulders.

One even nestled against his head as if he were the true prize.

Above, Venom puffed up indignantly, his little bird chest swelling with wounded pride.

"Brother Devor is cheating!" Venom cried dramatically. "He didn't even move, and he stole their hearts!"

The corner of Devor's mouth twitched.

For some reason, the way Venom said it made it sound less like a complaint about lost friends—and more like Devor had shamelessly stolen his "beloved wives."

Even if he could, Devor had absolutely no intention of starting a romantic relationship with those birds!

Rubbing his temples, he let out a weary, hoarse sigh. "Seriously... what exactly has Sister Yulin been teaching you to make you act like this?"

It had already been a full year since Devor had committed himself fully to cultivation.

And over that year, Venom antics had only gotten worse.

At this point, Venom wasn't just acting like a mischievous spirit—he was a full-blown teenager, overflowing with reckless energy and romantic fantasies.

"Only through love can I bring life to this world!" Venom declared proudly, spreading his little wings atop the tree, his tone grandiose and heroic.

Devor stared at him, deadpan. "Yeah, yeah... whatever you say. Anyway, Sister Yulin sent over another food package for you."

At those words, Venom's eyes lit up like a night sky filled with fireworks.

"Another one? Where?!" he chirped, wings fluttering excitedly.

With a swift glide, Venom landed in front of Devor, who handed over a four-layered food box.

Without hesitation, Venom eagerly pried it open—inside was a vibrant collection of special seeds, each infused with subtle energies to enhance flavor, nourishment, and even minor cultivation benefits.

Venom drooled just looking at them.

Devor couldn't help shaking his head in exasperation.

"You're not even a real bird—you're a tree!" he muttered under his breath.

Still, he added more seriously:

"Keep an eye on the place for me. If anyone shows up, tell them I'm busy trying to break through."

"Leave it to me!" Venom declared proudly, patting his chest with his tiny feathery wing in a soldierly manner.

Satisfied, Devor waved his hand, sending out a ripple of gentle spiritual energy to scatter the three doves loitering around Venom, making sure they didn't distract him further.

Then, turning away, Devor made his way back to his residence.

Inside, he activated a simple but sturdy Seclusion Formation, locking out all external disturbances.

"Finally... time to make the next leap," Devor thought, sitting cross-legged on a cushion, feeling the steady beat of his soul world beneath him.

From his spatial ring, he retrieved a colorful, swirling pill—one he had crafted personally through endless refinement, designed precisely for this moment.

"I wonder what kind of system reward I'll earn if this breakthrough succeeds," Devor mused quietly.

Without further hesitation, he swallowed the pill.

Instantly—

A torrent of wild energy erupted inside him, rampaging through his meridians and soul veins like a crashing river.

His entire body trembled—but his mind remained calm.

He had been preparing for this.

Devor's consciousness plunged inward, into the soul world that symbolized his cultivation path.

There, towering before him, stood the great mountain—a magnificent, nearly one thousand meters tall now.

The summit almost touched the ethereal clouds swirling high above, a thin mist of potential gathering at its peak.

And rooted firmly at its very summit...

The Venom Spiritual Tree.

No longer a mere sapling, its trunk was thick, its roots deep, its branches spreading wide across the heavens of his inner world.

The sight filled Devor with awe—and solemnity.

"The path of cultivation isn't just about growing stronger," Devor thought, his spiritual voice steady. "It's about shaping an entire world inside the soul."

This mountain, this tree—they were just the beginning.

To break into Core Formation, Devor would need to take the next step:

Not just building a peak...

But giving birth to a living world inside himself.

A world capable of sustaining itself—where energy circulated naturally, where his soul no longer clung to mere survival, but flourished.

He clenched his fists in determination.

"The mountain has been built. Now, I must awaken it... and bring my inner world to life."

Outside his body, golden energy began to rise from his skin, radiating outward in shimmering waves.

The wind shifted.

The very garden around his home seemed to grow more vibrant, the trees standing taller, the air thicker with vitality.