Art of Creation [Eco-Cultivation Prototype]

The gray veil hovered over the garden, pulsing faintly, as if it were a living thing.

Devor's excitement soared.

It wasn't the golden barrier he had formed during the competition, but he had successfully created an energy veil once again.

And that alone was invaluable.

For the Poison-element plants thriving in this environment, this energy was like a second sky—an atmosphere attuned perfectly to their needs.

As thrilled as Devor was, the Venom Spiritual Tree stood in silent contemplation.

It could feel it clearly.

The garden's energy had transformed, its quality so extraordinary that even Venom itself found it irresistibly precious.

And as Devor examined the veil, his attention absorbed elsewhere—

The Venom Spiritual Tree, with the quiet mischief of a thief, reached out and absorbed just a trace of the gray energy.

A mere sliver.

But the moment it did—

A small tremor ran through its massive trunk, sending a low, resonant vibration through the otherwise silent garden.

Devor immediately froze.

His senses, finely attuned to every shift in his garden's balance, instantly registered the change.

He turned.

His sharp gaze locked onto the trembling tree.

The gray veil overhead had already been unstable, flickering on the edges of collapse.

And now—

It had grown even thinner.

His expression darkened, his voice sharper than a blade.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

The Venom Spiritual Tree stiffened.

Even without words, it could feel the weight of his fury.

"Didn't I already tell you not to absorb the energy barrier if it appears?!" Devor's frustration bled into his tone, his emotions raw and unchecked.

The gray energy veil was fragile, still in its formative stage.

Even the slightest energy loss could destabilize it completely.

Hadn't Venom understood?

Hadn't it known how much effort this had taken?

The Venom Spiritual Tree trembled, a wave of guilt washing over it.

But Devor wasn't done.

"We've worked so hard for this, and now, thanks to you, all of our effort is on the verge of being wasted!" His voice was colder now. "It just needed a little more time! Can you not control yourself for once!?"

A flicker of anger flared in Devor's chest, and for the first time—

The Venom Spiritual Tree felt fear.

It had never seen Devor like this before.

Never heard his voice laced with this much frustration, this much betrayal.

"If you don't want to cooperate," Devor snapped, "you should've said so from the start."

His tone was razor-sharp, cutting deeper than any blade.

"I can find another Spiritual Tree to do this instead!"

The Venom Spiritual Tree shook violently, its energy rippling outward in a frantic plea for forgiveness.

If it had a human body, it would have thrown itself at Devor's feet, begging for another chance.

But Devor didn't even look at it.

He simply let out a cold snort, his anger refusing to subside.

In truth, the tree had taken only a fraction of the gray energy—just enough to taste it.

A mere curiosity-driven impulse.

And if Devor had been thinking more clearly, he might have realized that the tree had been careful—that it had absorbed just enough to understand the energy, but not enough to truly damage the barrier.

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But he wasn't thinking clearly.

Because Devor carried scars—scars from past failures that refused to heal.

Years ago, his first garden had been destroyed, and with it, the gardens of other senior sect members—including Yulin and Liara.

The rage he had felt then, the helplessness, the bitter taste of loss—

It had stayed with him.

Even after he had learned who was truly responsible, he had been powerless to act, forced to swallow his fury for his own survival.

And now—

It was happening again.

If the gray veil collapsed, he could rebuild it.

But if someone else was responsible for its failure—

That was another story entirely.

And so, Devor let his anger spill over onto the Venom Spiritual Tree.

For several long minutes, the tree continued to tremble, as though caught in an endless storm.

And Devor—

Did nothing.

He stood there, his expression dark, scanning the garden with a terrible weight pressing down on him.

The Venom Spiritual Tree soon began to feel exhaustion creeping in.

The tremors weakened, growing fainter until they were barely perceptible.

It dared to look at Devor again.

But there was no warmth in his gaze.

Just a cold wall of silence.

And for the first time—

A deep, unfamiliar sadness settled within the tree.

An aching, lingering loss.

It couldn't put into words what had just been broken between them.

But it knew one thing for certain—

From this moment on, Devor might never trust it the same way again.

And that thought was more painful than anything else.

The Venom Spiritual Tree had always understood strength, survival, power.

But now—

For the first time in its existence, it understood something far more profound.

What it meant to share a bond with a human cultivator.

A bond that, no matter how much it might want to—

It could never sever or forget.

Deep within Devor's soul, in the deepest recesses of his being, a jade pattern of deep purple shimmered faintly.

Its intricate design pulsed with a subtle rhythm, as if responding to something unseen.

At its center, an unfinished, somewhat rough painting of the Venom Spiritual Tree flickered with a sudden glow.

The image began to sharpen, growing more vivid and intricate, as though it were on the verge of breaking free from its confinement.

Neither Devor nor Venom noticed the change.

Even if Devor had been aware, his current level of cultivation would have made it impossible to witness the transformation directly.

Within the jade pattern, the tree's depiction continued to shift—its form becoming so lifelike that it seemed moments away from stepping into reality.

And then—

Something unexpected happened.

The painting ceased to be just an image.

It transcended its previous form, materializing into a true entity within Devor's soul realm.

Had Juyin been present to witness this, he would have been utterly speechless.

This was the perfection he had spent decades searching for—the true connection between a cultivator and a Spiritual Tree.

A connection that wasn't just spiritual affinity or a contractual link.

It was something far deeper.

A manifestation of absolute trust.

There was only one possible explanation for why this had happened—

The Venom Spiritual Tree had completely submitted to Devor.

It had, of its own free will, offered itself to him, willingly placing its very essence under his control.

This was akin to the eternal bond between a cultivator and a Sacred Beast.

An unbreakable link, one that allowed shared power, shared will, and shared fate.

But even among legendary bonds, what had formed between Devor and Venom was unprecedented.

Rather than a symbolic contract, the Venom Spiritual Tree had fully manifested within Devor's soul.

And that—

That was something no records had ever spoken of before.

In the real world, Devor continued tending to his garden, completely unaware of the monumental change that had just occurred.

Unless he actively called upon the Venom Spiritual Tree's power, now more fluid and easily accessible than ever before, he would have no way of sensing the transformation.

Likewise, the Venom Spiritual Tree remained oblivious.

Its thoughts were consumed with guilt, preoccupied with trying to ease Devor's anger.

That day, Devor and the tree barely exchanged words.

Again and again, Venom attempted to communicate, but Devor ignored it, throwing himself into his work—

Trimming the plants.

Adjusting the garden's energy flow.

Ensuring the gray veil remained stable.

By nightfall, Devor returned to his residence without saying a single word to Venom.

The Venom Spiritual Tree did not rest that night.

It couldn't.

A deep, aching sadness settled within its being.

Devor's silence weighed on it more than any words of anger ever could.

It had never desired anything before.

It had simply existed, its will shaped by the environment and the energy around it.

But now—

For the first time, it wanted something.

It wanted Devor's trust back.

It wanted to be acknowledged again.

Meanwhile, Devor sat in meditation, attempting to calm his restless mind.

His anger, which had burned so hot and sharp just hours before, had begun to fade.

In the quiet solitude of the night, the realization struck him—

"I overreacted." Letting out a slow breath, he steadied his thoughts.

He had been too harsh.

Too caught up in old wounds, in memories of past failures.

What Venom had done wasn't a true betrayal—it had merely been curious.

And yet, he had let his emotions twist his judgment.

"I should have explained myself instead of lashing out." Shaking his head at his own shortcomings, Devor refocused on his cultivation, using meditation to clear his heart and mind.

When dawn arrived, Devor made his way back to the garden.

The moment the Venom Spiritual Tree sensed his presence, it trembled.

And then—

It lowered itself slightly, a wordless gesture of apology.

Devor sighed.

"You didn't make a serious mistake," he admitted. "I was too harsh yesterday."

Venom shook more intensely, insisting it had been entirely at fault.

Devor's gaze softened.

"You could've just asked me first, you know?" His voice was quieter now. "I have… a certain trauma when it comes to failure and destruction caused by others."

At those words, Venom's trembling became more pronounced.

It was trying to reassure him—trying to say, in its own way, that it would never be the cause of his loss.

Devor chuckled softly.

A faint, almost reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"How about this—" He took a step closer, resting a hand against the tree's rough bark. "I tell you my story."

Venom stilled.

"From my days as a mere mortal… to the cultivator I am now."

A pause.

Then—

Venom trembled with enthusiasm, clearly eager to hear it.

And so, Devor began to speak.

He told Venom about his journey, his struggles, and the path he had walked.

He spoke of the mountains he had climbed, the barriers he had shattered, and the failures that had nearly broken him.

But most of all—

He spoke of Yulin.

Again and again.

With every mention of her name, Venom grew more curious.

She was someone important to Devor.

Someone he admired, respected, and cherished.

Venom listened in silent fascination.

And deep within its being—

A small, unexpected desire took root.

For the first time, it wanted something beyond survival.

It wanted to be part of Devor's story.

It wanted to be someone he would speak of, too.

Someone whose name would be woven into the legends he told others.

Someone who mattered.