ACC Chapter 7 My Farm (2)

They had been strips of fragmented DNA in the lab, ones I had extensively gone to great lengths to sew together, giving them traits that shouldn't have been within any normal maize.

Now here they were, having rewarded me with their growth. The stems were as wide as me, making me relieved of the fact that I had given each plant about ten square meters of space.

They were of a vibrant green, with dewdrops containing a ratio of water and water-attuned elemental energy hanging off their long sharp leaves. The Sun's rays caused a beautiful melody of colors upon striking the drops.

"None have reached the threshold, right?" I asked Kasoli while scrutinising the plants. With a thought, I pulsed my aura, causing the plants to instinctively arc away as if perceiving me a threat.

"Just instincts."

His answer made me question what it would take for intelligence to bloom in these plants. So far, no one had been able to uncover the conditions that allowed a normal spiritual plant to evolve into a demon by awakening its intelligence, but I still had to make sure. Why? Because these plants were enjoying resources at the level of a Nascent Soul cultivator. That alone was enough to significantly increase the probability of an awakening.

Of course awakening would be a joyous thing as it would allow me to own a plant demon. Well, owning would a stretch because every being with intelligence was deemed to be a citizen, but I would have a chance to research the phenomenon up close.

Many tree demons were either exclusively protected within the Demon empire, or under tight restricted access. I had been given the chance to meet a few because of my nature affinity, but prohibited from research. Even just a minor DNA sample had been refused!

"Why haven't they awakened? Its different, but I sense some sort of pressure from these plants."

Lily questioned me in curiousity. There was this cuteness that drew me in when she adopted that expression, but I hurriedly dismissed my daze as I knew that she must have calculated every tiny muscle movement just to get a reaction out of me.

For a moment, a trace of pity was born in my heart. Her origin was most probably the cause of her current self. It had made her tough, yet also untrusting and calculative.

"Many platforms orbiting this star are farms. Though most simply grow Core Formation and Foundation Establishment grade plants, there are a few others on the same level as my farm. But, only one farm has managed to produce a plant demon! Only a single one! And the surprising thing is that the plant that awakened was in the Foundation Establishment farm! With how long the plants have been growing, it has already been deduced that such a thing happening is below 1%."

"The pressure you are feeling is real though. If any of these plants manage to awaken, they will instantly give birth to a nascent soul, plus a core, thereby becoming Nascent Soul stage demons."

We trudged through the garden, taking the time to leap over the root sytstems of the plants, without causing damage to any. We even masked our auras, preventing the radiation from contaminating the atmosphere.

The ground was wet, not to the point of mud, but watered enough to feel as if it had just rained.

"Kasoli, with your omnipresence within this garden, is there anything of note apart from the mutation?"

"What's interesting is the development of microorganisms..."

"How so?"

"They are evolving at a very high speed. I believe that in a few decades at the most, we might have our first disease spreading pests with the capability of infecting even this strain of maize."

"Decades, isn't that too long a timeframe?" Lily asked in genuine curiosity this time.

"Just like plants, organisms too, have to face their own challenges to be capable of consuming, parasiting and infecting anything above their own stage. If what Kasoli here is implying is true, then they must be at the cusp of breaking through the Foundation Establishment barrier. But even that barrier might take over five years before a sufficiently strong strain is born, capable of breaching it."

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"Oh! I didn't know about that. Then, do they develop their own micro-cores upon reaching the Core Formation stage, or something else...?"

"No, they don't develop any sort of core, just becoming a bit bigger. Though, their resilience does reach such a stage."

"If they did develop cores, then this world would really be a different one. Heheheh..." Chuckled Kasoli.

There was the occasional shadow, brought up by the presence of a leaf in the path of the Sun's rays. And the humid air was somewhat uncomfortable with long exposure because of the concentrated spiritual energy in the air.

But I was happy with this. It made me feel as if I was at home. The plants were resonating with my core at fundamental level that made me feel as if I was within comrades, or children.

Focusing on the feelings being invoked within, I stopped engaging in conversation, leaving Kasoli to satisfy Lily's curiosity while I took in deep breaths, allowing my nostrils to pick up on a veritable of scents, from the earthy smell, to the water attributed spiritual energy, to the scents being scattered into the air by the plants themselves. Then there was the faint smell of wood spiritual energy, emanating from the plants themselves, tickling my nerves, providing a rejuvenation within my mind as if injected with a drug.

This was something I could go on enjoying for the rest of my life if my being didn't desire other things. But who didn't desire other things? There were very few people who could really say that they were content with what they had. And even if you were, outside forces always intervened to change that status quo.

The Universe simply didn't want anyone or anything to be still. They had to be in constant flux.

"Reed, did you once again get caught up in your thoughts?"

"Kasoli, you know me better than that. This place is a tranquil sanctuary for me. You can't even fathom what I had to go through before appearing here."

"Oh! Ah! I see. You were set upon by a crowd. Sorry about that."

"It isn't your fault. I just have to get used to it, yet I just can't seem to."

"Isn't it better you stay the real you? That is the best way to seek the Dao."

"The Dao... Only we at this stage have a rudimentary start to grasping something as great as that."

"You mean the deity arts?"

"Deity arts?"

"Ah! I had forgotten that we had another among us. Miss Lily, this is confidential information that can only be accessed after you breakthrough. There are very few monsters like your boss here."

"I am not a monster. Just a lucky guy. Anyway, Lily, it will be better if you ascend first."

"Okay."

She answered with much enthusiasim. Did that give her even more motivation to ascend? Ah, she has the compulsive disorder to have everything within her grasp. This secret must have lit a fire under her.

"Don't make the mistake of hastily advancing before making sure that you have made ample preparations to battle the Extradimensional devils."

"Extradimensional devils... Has the research to locate their dimensional coordinates bore anything?"

"Nikolai is a man way over his head. Our technology has advanced to the point of creating pocket dimensions...but we still have zero grasp over higher dimensions, where I believe those devils exist."

"Nah, it might simply be some special dimension capable of housing soul-like beings." Kasoli refuted.

I didn't argue with him as I knew that his theory bore more merit. Why? If it was a higher dimensional world, then every single cultivator would have died upon trying to assail the Nascent Soul stage.

Another silence enveloped us before an exclamation from Lily dragged my attention back to her, specifically where her gaze was. I had already noticed the phenomenon, though it hadn't been important for me to bring up.

"Lily, hasn't the cultivation world already amazed you enough? These are just water attuned spiritual energy droplets being attracted by something."

There was some exasperation in my words. What was the woman trying to do? Wasn't she being too obvious with her intentions? Had her intellect somehow devolved?

"Its simply too beautiful!"

The words of jest that had been just on the cusp of being uttered were swallowed back into my throat at her honest words. I hadn't been paying the scenery any more attention than necessary, so I hadn't taken the time to admire the ocean of droplets above us being attracted in the direction we were headed.

Every thought was stifled for a moment as I took it in. The way the refracted light created the illusion of being underwater was truly one of a kind.

"Mr. Kasoli, does this always happen?"

"It only came about because of the mutation."

For a moment, I was entranced by the scene of Lily's visage painted with child-like wonder.

"Have you never enjoyed such scenery?" The question simply rolled off my tongue.

"There's cultivation, managing the clan, and then even your affairs. Luxury is something only those retired, can enjoy."

"Its just about setting some boundaries. Just admit the fact that you are a work addict."

"No, its about responsibility." Her time shifted to one of professionalism.

"Everyone has responsibilities, miss Lily. You just have to find a balance. If you don't, then there is a chance of failing your tribulation. The devils take your weakness or something close, and use it against you. For you, it will be the workaholic version without a doubt." Kasoli's words caused her to pause.