In a sunlit room made from interwoven and overlapping golden wood, a group of white-cloaked cultivators sat crossed-legged in silence around a shimmering crystal tree that supported thousands of tiny golden balls on its branches like fruits. Divine energy swirling freely through the room was pulled in and circulated by the cultivators, making their veins glow like a web of golden thread through their skin.

A door to the side of the room opened, and a tall, slender man gracefully strode in, followed by two attendants who didn't dare raise their heads. His long flowing hair that cascaded down the back of his robe was like strands of golden silk, while his eyes were narrow and his gaze piercing.

"Council, how goes the hunt for the lost child?" The man addressed the room.

One of the old monsters let out a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. "Chairman, there was a development."

"Speak freely."

"Very well," the cultivator stood up and bowed, "The lost child, Stella Crestfallen, was found. However, it appears she has connections to an upstart cult. We received a kill request from the inquisitors," the man straightened up and met the Chairman's gaze, "the council decided to agree."

"What!?" The Chairman glared around the room, "Retract that order right now! Stella may be a heretic, but she was the only successful example from our decades of work."

"The order has already been sent. It cannot be recalled now," the cultivator shrugged. "Sorry, Chairman. Maybe it's time to say goodbye to your failed experiment and move on."

"I see what's happening here," the Chairman glared at all the cultivators in the room who refused to open their eyes or greet him. "You will all come to regret this."

"Whatever do you mean, Chairman?" The cultivator said with a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Don't be too harsh on them for not giving you face. It's hard managing the empire, you know?"

"Of course, I know. I was the one who founded it, lest you forget," The Chairman turned on his heel to leave the room, "Be careful who you dare to make an enemy councilman—"

An explosion occurred in the room as a dozen golden balls on the crystal tree branches disintegrated simultaneously.

Every single councilman's eyes snapped open. Something terrible had just happened.

"How many did we lose?" the cultivator shouted, joining the others in circling the crystal tree.

"All of them," another cultivator replied while stroking his beard, "every inquisitor we sent after Stella Crestfallen has perished."

***

Ashlock was astounded. Not because of the Celestial Order cultivators who had snuck in with the crowd as worshipers—he had flagged them as suspicious when he detected their peak Star Core cultivation and hints of divinity likely from the consumption of World Tree sap. No, he was astounded because of how easily they died. There had been a dozen of them, decked out in artifacts and wielding swords wreathed in divine energy. Yet, in the face of his {Voidstorm Aegis [S]}, they fell faster than flies.

"Thank the gods I decided to hold this service inside my Inner World," Ashlock mused as he opened small portals and collected the falling swords, "I doubt they would have fallen as easily if I tried to fight them outside."

Inside here, he truly was a god as the void lightning also carried the entire weight of his Inner World without restraint. So they weren't just struck with void Qi, but also all the daos from his Inner World all at once.

Those foolish Celestial Order cultivators never stood a chance of challenging him inside his own soul.

Stella stepped back after her show of force and let Elysia continue the service alongside the Mystshroud family. They planned to use their mystic Qi to fill the people's minds with visions that were on theme with the All-Seeing Eye, but it seemed like their efforts would be in vain.

Divine energy was already flooding into the Divine Flesh Tree from the thousands of people here after witnessing him effortlessly deleting so many powerful cultivators.

Nothing like an overwhelming show of force to get people to take you seriously.

"Looks like we got our answer to who is hunting you down," Ashlock said to Stella, who was leaning against Willow on the Bastion.

"The Celestial Order." Stella bit her lip, "The bastards who are hurting the World Tree."

"Yeah, from their words, it seemed they wished to bring you home, but your ties to me made them change their mind."

"Home?" Stella snorted. "My home is here. I don't need a bunch of tree-torturing freaks to drag me back somewhere else."

"I thought you wanted to go to the Celestial Empire?"

Stella nodded, "I do, but with you. We will save my mom together."

"Mhm, I do suppose it's hard to deny the World Tree was involved in your birth somehow at this point with the Celestial Order hunting you down, combined with the rumor the Celestial Warden shared and all the other clues we have gotten." Ashlock sighed, "What a mess, but fret not. I planned to help the World Tree, and we will do it together."

Stella sighed wearily, "Thank you, Tree."

"You're welcome. At least we now know who your father tried to warn you about. Of course, the Frozen Star Sect or the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion could also be sending people after you as well. But hopefully not for now."

Stella let out a long sigh and rested her head against Willow, "Then what should I do now, Tree?" she said while looking up into Willow's canopy, "Hide forever?"

"Well, tomorrow morning, the Mystic Realm opens up." Ashlock replied as he hummed in thought, "That should keep you occupied for a while. After that... I don't know. All we have planned is the tournament we are holding for Darklight City, which I bet will be a lot more interesting after we have gifted the ability to cultivate to so many mortals."

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"I doubt it will do much," Stella said, pushing herself off Willow. "We made hundreds of pills from a single spirit root improvement truffle. All you gave these mortals was false hope and maybe extended their lifespans a little. Cultivation is already an expensive endeavor, and there is a need for constant pills, Qi-gathering formations, and technique manuals made all the worse with barely functioning spirit roots. None of them will have a chance at making it as cultivators."

"That was the plan from the start," Ashlock explained, "We gifted them the chance to become cultivators. For those dedicated to the cult, we will reward them with endless pills and techniques. Effectively, we will raise a devoted army of cultivators whose faith in me further empowers myself and the Ashfallen Sect."

Stella clasped her hands behind her back. "Excellent. It's about time all these mortals freeloading off us in Ashfallen City became useful and worth the headache they gave us."

"It's a good relationship. I gave them salvation from Slymere. A new city, free food, and protection. I even gifted them the chance at something the heavens had deemed them unworthy of and offered a path to power under the All-Seeing Eye, all in return for their faith."

Stella nodded, "Benevolent as always, Tree."

"I try my best," Ashlock chuckled, and their conversation died down. There wasn't much more to discuss regarding the Celestial Order, as Stella would be heading into the Mystic Realm soon. After that? They would figure it out.

"I doubt they can send more people for a while, but I'm sure a dozen of their people perishing at once is bound to raise some alarm," Ashlock sighed as he returned his focus to the service, "I will have to keep an eye out and maintain my {Voidstorm Aegis} for now."

While Ashlock was thinking up defensive measures, the service continued. Elysia, alongside the other members of the Mystshroud families, flooded each island with Mystic Qi. They then summoned abominations from their imagination, with many clearly inspired by their experience in the forest where Ashlock broke their minds.

Ashlock didn't find the whole show that impressive, but he bet to the mortals it was absolutely enthralling compared to their usually mundane lives. He couldn't imagine going from digging up dirt in a field to being drawn through a portal, fed a load of pills, and then told to stand and watch as so much unfolded.

Hours passed, and Ashlock was beginning to feel sleepy.

"Elysia, wrap the service up," Ashlock told the girl, who was far too into it and had even tried summoning Pluto, but the Worldwalker was either unable to or refused to enter Ashlock's Inner World.

"Awww, fine." Elysia did as instructed while Ashlock did the annoying part of opening a hundred portals across the land to get the mortals back to where they lived.

Once his Inner World was empty, he turned off his {Voidstorm Aegis} as running two at a time was an immense drain on his Qi reserves. It was a shame to have spent 500 sacrificial credits on it, only to have to dismiss it so soon, but it had served its purpose—maybe a little too well.

"I still can't believe they all died instantly like that. If I had known I held such unbelievable power in my Inner World, I would have just crushed them with my presence and devoured them."

Though more cost-effective, there was the argument that such a death would have been far less impressive and resulted in less reverence from his followers. From then on, if his followers were watching, he had to follow the rule of cool. The more flashy he made the enemy's deaths, the better.

"Am I going to need to bring in sacrifices?" Ashlock suddenly realized. Today should be a one-off event, as he doubted that the Celestial Order would be stupid enough to send more cultivators just to die in the same way. He would need targets if he wanted to stage more impressive demonstrations of his powers. "Maybe I could ask my sect members to haul some monsters from the Mystic Realm back here?"

Putting on a show for his new worshipers aside, maybe he should inspect the reward for all his effort.

"I had around 800 credits this morning, which had passively grown from the 600 I had last week. After spending 500 on the {Voidstorm Aegis}, I would have gone down to a mere 300."

Ashlock glanced down at the forest of flesh trees surrounding the Divine Flesh Tree. It looked like a lot more than 300, and the amount of divine energy pulsing through the land was immense.

"This inflow of divine energy is nothing like before the service despite the cult's marketing efforts," Ashlock mused. "Everyone in Darklight and Ashfallen City knew of my existence, yet the returns were minuscule compared to tonight."

Ashlock opened his system to check the new number. From 300, he had gone to...

Idletree Daily Sign-In System

Day: 3625

Daily Credit: 59

Sacrifice Credit: 1637

[Sign in?]

"My number of credits increased by five times," Ashlock mused. "System, if I had 5000 credits, would it have also increased by five times?"

[No. Do you think your little display of power in front of a load of mortals generated enough divine energy to grow 20000 flesh trees?]

"Fair point..." Ashlock sighed. At least that confirmed that he wasn't being that heavily punished for not saving up more credits before the service. Having more would definitely be better, but it seemed there were diminishing returns.

If that was the case, he wanted to upgrade something.

[Directly upgrading the skill {Consuming Abyss [B]} will consume 1276 credits]

It was a bit expensive, but it was one of his most used skills, and in the past, he had increased its effectiveness with void Qi. Making it the skill at the top of his list to be upgraded, even over his mutations.

"Upgrading it now won't leave me with many credits, but I am bound to devour a lot of monsters in the Mystic Realm tomorrow, and my sacrificial credits will passively grow as my infamy spreads throughout the land."

[Are you sure you want to upgrade this skill?]

"Yes System, do it."

[Upgraded {Consuming Abyss [B]} -> {Abyssal Devourer [A]}]

Most of the forest of flesh trees below him withered away to dust as he spent his sacrificial credits.

Information regarding the skill flooded his mind. His beloved Consuming Abyss skill now had many new features alongside its new name, Abyssal Devourer.

His thorn-covered vines now had a corrosive aura that he could activate at will for no cost, which devoured the Qi of anyone nearby and fed it back to Ashlock to replenish his Qi reserves.

"This feature would have been handy against the Lunarshade Grand Elder," Ashlock sighed as he recalled that battle. If he had this feature back then, he could have devoured the Lunarshade Grand Elder's infant soul, which he dared to wear as armor.

"Though this other feature... system, can you explain it to me?"

[Targets impaled by your void tendrils experience a draining effect, where their life force and Qi are slowly consumed, healing you and restoring your Qi reserves. This can significantly weaken enemies over time and bolster your strength]

"I see this upgrade comes with a theme of devouring people alive," Ashlock yawned and dismissed the system messages. He was exhausted and wanted to sleep under the nine moons.

***

Sam returned to the village with his worldview shattered. Witnessing the immense tribulation that had occurred over Red Vine Peak a week ago was one thing, but something about it still felt disconnected. It had been hard for him to fathom the level of power that would incite such a tribulation, but now he felt he understood a little more.

That otherworldly eye in the sky that had gazed down at them through a rift was no short of a godly being in his eyes. If its priestess—his Master—could instantly wipe out so many powerful cultivators with a flick of her fingers, what cultivation level could the All-Seeing Eye possibly possess?

The mood in the village was ecstatic; his father, along with the others, eagerly gathered around the campfire with their cult cloaks still on to discuss the experience.

Sam meanwhile faded off into the darkness and returned to his hut. While his head was still buzzing with pills and heavenly enlightenment, he wanted nothing more than to meditate and train. He was not in awe nor terrified by what he had seen tonight.

Instead, it motivated him to strive to improve even more. Whatever cultivation level those from the Celestial Order possessed, it was too weak for this world. He wanted to reach many realms higher than that and then some more.

Nothing would stand in his way. Not even his Master's disciple, whom he would face in the upcoming tournament.