"What the hell are you two doing up there?" Ashlock asked Stella and Diana, who were sitting on a vast bone branch of the Divine Flesh Tree. They looked like insects compared to the tree's size, which is why he hadn't noticed them at first. Diana seemed very uncomfortable as she shifted around. Meanwhile, Stella happily swung her legs while surveying the sprawling landscape of his fully formed Inner World.

"Oh! Good morning, Tree," Stella grinned.

"Morning... it was quite the night, huh?"

"I have been trying to talk to my new friend here but haven't had a lot of luck so far." Stella patted the bone branch.

"There is no way this thing will be your friend," Diana grumbled.

"Well... can you be her friend?" Ashlock asked his System.

In the past, the system had remained silent regarding most topics that didn't concern his direct survival or the system's functions. Something like a casual conversation had seemed beyond its capabilities, but since its upgrade, he had noticed a new level of sapience.

[I refrained from revealing my existence to the fate-tied human]

That wasn't an outright no, but it did show some reluctance. Also, 'fate-tied' was a rather odd way to refer to Stella, as that is what Senior Lee had called Stella in the past.

"Now that you mention it, keeping yourself hidden from Stella is probably for the best," Ashlock remembered he still hadn't told Stella about the system's existence as she didn't want to cause him problems. "What should I tell her this tree represents then?"

[The Divine Flesh Tree is your infant soul, created to complete the ascension to the Nascent Soul Realm. If you wished to be reborn in a new vessel, you could plant this tree as a seed in the outside world and transfer yourself to it]

"Huh? This is my second soul?" Ashlock shivered as he looked at the demonic creation, "I thought it was your body?"

[I don't require a physical body, so I would survive even if the Divine Flesh Tree were to perish]

"So what is the purpose of this body besides being my second soul?"

[Deities require a physical body to harness their divine energy. Since I needed access to your divine energy to implement the 'divine stock market' as you call it, I crafted your second soul into a form most compatible with receiving the divine energy. Hence, it was made in the image your worshipers have of you]

"Okay, just to confirm, if that tree were to die, you would be fine?"

[Yes. Though my control over your divine energy would be crippled]

Ashlock didn't like that sound of that. "What is divine energy exactly?"

[The purest form of Qi untainted by anything. Due to its purity, only those with unlimited cultivation potential can hope to harness it. Usually, a deity will be rewarded with divine energy from the heavens when they inspire cultivators and mortals to pursue power]

"The heavens reward me with divine energy for making people want to pursue power? What a strange motive. Actually speaking of motives... what is yours?" Ashlock asked, followed by an uncomfortable silence.

[To assist your growth] the system eventually replied. Since the messages appeared in text form, Ashlock could not infer any tone behind the words.

"So your motives align with my personal growth, then," Ashlock mused. If that were the case, he wouldn't have any issues, as the development of his allies also contributed to his personal growth, so the system was unlikely to do anything to them. "Do you know who or what created you?"

[No, I only know my objective]

"I see. Wait, on that topic, what are you?"

[Once you unlock all nine moons, my existence and your reason for being reborn will become clear. Until then, knowing the truth will cause the collapse of the nine realms and your death along with everyone else]

"Well, that's ominous," Ashlock was surprised the system didn't outright ignore him. "Can you really not give me a clue?"

The system fell silent and never replied.

"No dice, huh. This reminds me of when the Worldwalkers couldn't tell me more about bloodlines without earning the heaven's ire. I wonder why heaven tries to safeguard certain knowledge so much?"

The system did not entertain his thoughts with an answer.

Ashlock didn't want to push his golden finger in this world any further, so he focused on the present situation. The system had been nothing but helpful thus far, and its goals seemed aligned with his. So, until proven otherwise, he planned to continue working alongside it.

"Unlike the cosmic guard in Stella's library, it seems my system understands the dangers of knowledge and knows where to draw the line on how much it's willing to share," Ashlock mused. "Though, I do find it interesting that heaven rewards people for chasing power, and it seems my system does this as well. The more I kill, the more SC I am rewarded. The higher my cultivation reaches, the more the system upgrades. There's even an incentive to reach the next layers of creation with the allure of the divine fragments and nine moons. What a suspicious coincidence."

Ashlock didn't like that he was being kept in the dark, but at the end of the day, he was still just a Nascent Soul Realm spirit tree growing on a desolate mountain peak at the edge of a demonic sect out in the wilderness on the lowest layer of creation. According to Stella, there was a Monarch realm Patriarch out there, and the World Tree dwarfed him in size and cultivation.

"I have so far to go, but the system is helping supercharge my growth to catch up to them as quickly as possible." Ashlock understood his position in the grand scheme of things and his unfathomable potential. With the addition of divine energy, his power would only snowball from here.

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"System, you still there? Could you show me any more upgrades I received for ascending?"

[Certainly...]

[Upgraded {Transpiration of Heaven and Chaos [B]} -> {Transpiration of Heaven’s Divinity [A]}]

[Your cultivation technique was upgraded to be capable of processing divine energy. While cultivating, you will now have a divine aura that blesses the land and increases your spiritual presence]

[As the monarch of an Inner World, your attacks will now carry the weight of your Inner World]

[With the formation of the Inner World and the creation of the Divine Flesh Tree, your maximum Qi holding capacity has exponentially increased]

[Your base cultivation rate has increased a hundredfold, further increased by your connection to the World Tree]

"Um... how normal is this compared to a typical Nascent Soul Realm cultivator's ascension?" Ashlock felt the need to clarify if these upgrades were as ridiculous as he thought.

[As abnormal as it gets. This is the result of my great ideas. You're welcome :)]

"Did you just smile at me... you know what, never mind. With these increases, how long will it take to reach the Monarch Realm?"

[A few years with cultivation alone. As a spirit tree, your soul is far bigger than most, so despite the insane inflow of Qi, a large amount will go to developing your Inner World and growing your soul]

"I see," Ashlock was happy to hear it wouldn't take him decades or centuries. It would seem being able to cultivate divine energy was a more significant boon than he had first thought.

Withdrawing his focus from his Inner World, Ashlock took a moment to feel the changes. His body didn't appear much different as he towered over Red Vine Peak as a tree of black bark, supporting a beautiful canopy of scarlet leaves that gently rustled in the mountain winds. However, even he could tell from a glance there was a certain awe-inspiring grandeur about him that hadn't been there before. If he had to guess, it was the natural presence of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator that also possessed an Inner World and a hint of divinity.

"Looking like a handsome mate," Ashlock chuckled as he praised himself, but he really meant it. His trunk was a blessed sight compared to the monstrosity of flesh and eyes his system had so 'nicely' made for him. The mountain—especially his peak—was also glowing with a divine aura that made the place seem holy.

"Huh, the Voidstorm Aegis barrier is still active," Ashlock noted.

[It constantly drains Qi to stay active but will not fade unless it's dismissed]

"Oh, neat," Ashlock had no plans to dismiss it for now despite the relatively significant Qi drain, as he had spent 500 sacrificial credits to summon it, and the threat of Vincent Nightrose or those people after Stella appearing at any moment still lingered over his head. Once things calmed down a bit, he might dismiss it.

"Say system, are we enemies of the heavens?" Ashlock asked as he began feeling more like a holy tree than a demonic one—assuming he ignored the abomination in his soul.

[Anyone who cultivates Qi will, in time, seek to reach the pinnacle of existence and surpass the heavens]

"Mhm, so that's a yes then."

[Yes :)]

"Stop doing that."

[...No]

"Whatever," Ashlock dismissed the messages and activated his new cultivation technique after taking a moment to take in the surroundings some more. The faint divine aura wreathing his form glowed with intensity and made him look all the more holy, with the rising sun cresting the distant mountain peaks and illuminating him. Well... as sacred as a giant blood-red and black tree that devoured people could look.

"I should have Douglas build some temples around me," Ashlock thought as the view he saw was something out of a painting. "Actually, that's a good idea. If playing into this whole deity shtick will accelerate my cultivation and sacrificial credit gain, then I need to look the part. However, I would need to lean into the demonic image my followers have of me."

Would anyone even want to hang around him if he was surrounded by temples of death and eyes?

Ashlock returned to his Inner World for inspiration and could instantly feel the ridiculous difference from when he had been at the peak of the Star Core Realm. Gushing rivers of Qi and divine energy poured in through his roots and leaves, yet they felt like drops in an ocean as they fed the Inner World, which hardly reacted to the inflow.

"What if I pull on the World Tree's supply..." Ashlock tapped into the leyline and greedily absorbed as much as he could from the untamed Qi wreathing the root. His new capacity for absorbing Qi was immense, but he soon learned there was still a notable gap between himself and the World Tree.

"I doubt the World Tree even notices this loss of Qi..."

Or so he had thought.

His whole Inner World trembled as what could only be described as a howl of pain from a god echoed through his soul.

"Was that the World Tree?"

[I believe so]

"Do you know why she is in pain?"

[No]

"Huh, so you aren't omniscient then."

[I only know what you know and have some knowledge about reality]

The howls continued and were beginning to hurt his mind, so Ashlock deployed {Mental Protection} to shield himself.

"Are you able to translate what the World Tree is saying?"

[I could if you had the skill]

"...Aren't you the one giving me the skills?"

[You can't create something out of nothingness. Power comes at a cost, and for you, power is paid in sacrifices. So feed me, and I will grant you power!]

Ashlock looked down at the forest of flesh trees, each representing a sacrificial credit. Unlike a simple number on a screen, they were a brutal reminder of the lives he had reaped for power. They were also kinda cute, in a weird way.

"Hey, Tree!" Stella's shouts drew his attention back to the Divine Flesh Tree. "Can you let us out now?"

"You can't make a portal?" Ashlock asked.

Stella shook her head, "Nope. This place is sealed tight from the outside world. The spatial plane won't let me see beyond the bounds of your soul. It's as if there's nothing but a void."

"I guess that makes sense. Otherwise, any spatial cultivator could teleport into other people's Inner Worlds. As for your request, my dear daughter, I can let Diana out, but you must stay in here for now."

"What?! But there's nothing here!"

"It's simply too dangerous for you outside right now, even with my Ents guarding you until I know who the people Janus warned you about are. At least for a bit, stay in here. You can cultivate my Qi, and the place is rich with divinity, so you will reach enlightenment faster."

Stella sprawled out on the bone branch like a lazy cat. By her expression, his words seemed to go in one ear and out the other. "But cultivating is so boring, and I can't get myself to focus on it with everything that's happening right now."

"That's fine. I have another task you could help me with."

Stella huffed the hair out of her face, "What is it?"

"The Divine Flesh Tree you are currently lying on is my second soul created in the image my worshipers have of me. The more I am worshiped, the more divine energy I can gather, and the faster I will cultivate."

Stella sat up, and her eyes widened, "And the sooner we can try to save my moth—I mean the World Tree."

"Exactly."

Stella clapped her hands together. "Okay, okay. How can we get more people to worship you?"

"It's all about presentation," Ashlock laughed as he realized he was starting to sound like a villain, "We need demonic temples and a group of devoted worshipers to entice the masses by spreading the word and maybe even handing out some free pills. Only once the name of the All-Seeing Eye is chanted throughout the land will I step into the Monarch Realm."

Stella jumped to her feet, practically bouncing with excitement. "Are we going to run the cult from in here?"

"Yes. Here in my Inner World is where I possess the most power and can pose as a godly being. Until now, my worshipers have only witnessed my powers from afar, and if they discover I am merely a Nascent Soul Realm demonic tree it may shatter their perception of me." Ashlock explained, "I will connect this place with ethereal roots and tell Douglas and Jasmine to come here, as the girl still needs you to train her."

"Oh yeah, Jasmine!" Stella grinned, "She will make a great little cult leader."

"You are way too excited about running a fake cult," Diana smiled.

"Of course I am excited," Stella smugly raised her nose to the sky. "They will all be worshiping Tree after all."