The crystalline fragments surrounding Astralis and me sparkled as we materialized in the heart-space once more. The unusual environment seemed even more stable than during our previous meeting, yet still fragments of crystallized time and space drifted through the void like snowflakes, each one containing glimpses of the Starhaven Realm—mountains, rivers, cities, and people, all suspended in perfect moments.

Astralis stood before me, but unlike our previous encounters, his demeanor now seemed almost... friendly? Perhaps our transaction had improved his mood, or maybe he was simply pleased with the infusion of blue sun energy I'd provided to the realm's stabilizing trees.

I felt a sudden stirring within my inner world, a sensation like roots unfurling and reaching outward. The Genesis Seed, sensing the proximity of the World Tree Origin Soil, was growing restless. The sensation wasn't painful, merely insistent, like a child tugging at a parent's sleeve.

"Are you going to use that?" Astralis asked, gesturing toward the bag of soil clutched in my hand. "Or just admire it all day?"

I smiled faintly. The inner world spirit's impatience was almost endearing, though I remained wary of his motives. "Just considering the best approach," I replied.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the bag with me to the Cultivation World, which meant I would need to use the treasure now.

With a deep breath to steady myself, I brought the bag closer to my chest.

Without conscious direction, fine, thread-like roots began to emerge from my spiritual body, extending outward through my fingertips. They coiled around the bag, then penetrated the fabric as if it were mist rather than solid matter. A warm pulse of energy radiated from the point of contact, and I could feel the Genesis Seed's satisfaction as it began to draw in the ancient soil's essence.

"Fascinating," Astralis commented, floating closer. "That's an unusual cultivation method you have there. Almost looks like... a symbiotic relationship between cultivator and technique." His childlike head tilted to one side. "I don't believe I've seen anything quite like it before."

I kept my expression neutral, making no response. The inner world spirit's curiosity was understandable, but I had no intention of providing him with more information about the World Tree Sutra or the Genesis Seed. Knowledge, in the cultivation world, was power, and Astralis had already demonstrated his willingness to scheme against me given the opportunity.

"Not feeling talkative?" Astralis pouted, the stars in his hair dimming slightly. "And here I thought we were becoming friends."

"We've made a mutually beneficial arrangement," I replied diplomatically. "I wouldn't call that friendship."

The heart-space rippled around us as the last of the World Tree Origin Soil was absorbed into my spiritual form. Within my inner world, I could sense the Genesis Seed pulsing with newfound vitality. The soil's ancient energy was already being distributed throughout my inner landscape, enriching the foundation and preparing it for the next stage of development.

"The soil integration is proceeding perfectly," Azure's voice echoed excitedly in my mind. "The Genesis Seed is distributing it across all four quadrants simultaneously. I'm already seeing microorganisms forming in the garden section, primitive but functional."

"That quickly?" I thought back, surprised.

"This isn't ordinary soil," Azure explained. "It contains complete biological systems in dormant form—fungi networks, bacterial colonies, even seed embryos waiting for the right conditions. The Northwest mountains are already developing moss patches, and the garden quadrant's soil structure has improved tenfold in mineral content and water retention capability."

As he spoke, I could sense the changes myself.

"However," Azure continued, "we still have significant environmental issues to address before advancing to complex lifeforms. The temperature fluctuates wildly between the quadrants, there's no proper day-night cycle beyond the movement of our suns, and we lack a stabilizing magnetic field. Unless you want any sentient beings we eventually create to be completely different from humans, likely strange beyond comprehension, these systems need to be established."

I considered this as the last of the World Tree Origin Soil disappeared into my spiritual body. The question of creating life, particularly human-like life, was one that had fascinated cultivators since the immemorial times. High-level cultivators invariably created human-shaped beings, like Wei Ye or the inhabitants of this realm, in their inner worlds rather than unique alien forms. Some claimed it was because humans were the chosen ones of the heavens, specially designed for cultivation.

Stolen novel; please report.

This belief was backed by ancient texts that spoke of humans as the "crown jewel" of creation, possessing the perfect balance of spiritual and physical essence. That the human form itself was a microcosm of the universe: the head representing the heavens, the feet the earth, the five main organs corresponding to the five elements. This perfect symmetry, they claimed, made humans uniquely suited to understand and manipulate the forces of creation.

While I wasn't convinced of humanity's cosmic favoritism, there was undeniable evidence that the human form possessed advantages in cultivation. The meridian system of humans was remarkably efficient at channeling energy, their minds capable of the abstract thought necessary for comprehending Dao principles, and their bodies adaptable enough to withstand the rigors of transformation.

If I were to create truly alien beings within my inner world, perhaps creatures with completely different biological structures, multiple consciousness centers, or exotic sensory systems, I would need to devise an entirely new cultivation system tailored to their unique physiology. Such a system would be untested, potentially inefficient, and would almost certainly place limitations on how far these beings could advance.

And those limitations would inevitably extend to my own cultivation. The relationship between an inner world and its creator was symbiotic, the achievements of one fueled the advancement of the other. If my creations couldn't progress beyond certain cultivation boundaries, neither could my inner world fully develop, ultimately placing a ceiling on my own potential.

I thought about the Celestial Sovereign and the Starhaven Realm. He had created the Rouqi Cultivation System specifically for his inner world inhabitants. Rouqi was essentially a diluted form of true qi, less potent but more stable and easier to manipulate. It had served its purpose well enough, allowing the realm's inhabitants to advance through nine cultivation tiers, but it was fundamentally limited compared to the energy systems of the main cultivation world.

Could I do better?

With both red and blue sun energies available to me, perhaps I could create a dual cultivation system, one that allowed my future inner world inhabitants to harness solar energies without suffering the madness that typically afflicted cultivators in the Two Suns World.

I could potentially establish cultivation paths that mirrored my own journey, creating beings that could harness different energies for different purposes: red sun for power and blue sun for creation.

But such ambitious plans would require meticulous environmental engineering first. Without stable temperatures, consistent day-night cycles, and proper magnetic fields, any sentient life I created would evolve in response to chaotic conditions, likely developing in ways incompatible with efficient cultivation systems.

"We'll address those issues when the time comes," I replied to Azure. "Creating sentient beings can wait until after the tournament."

"Agreed," Azure said. "For now, we should be quite pleased with our progress. The World Tree Origin Soil is exceeding my expectations. At your current cultivation stage, simply having a properly habitable environment for basic lifeforms is a tremendous achievement."

Before I could respond, Astralis cleared his throat, drawing my attention back to the crystalline space. "Well," he said, clasping his hands behind his back in a gesture that seemed oddly adult for his childlike form, "the trees should be fine for another year or two, thanks to your contribution. The stabilization effect is significantly stronger this time."

"And the survival of the realm?" I asked. "Has the timeline changed?"

The inner world spirit shrugged his small shoulders. "Hard to say with certainty. These processes aren't linear. But I'd estimate we've added at least another century to the Starhaven Realm's lifespan. Possibly more if Han Renyi or another cultivator manages to reach Tier 7 within that timeframe."

A century might not seem long to an immortal being like Astralis, but it represented significant breathing room for the inhabitants of this dying world. And perhaps more importantly for me, it bought time for the Genesis Seed's gradual annexation process to continue without disruption.

"Would you be willing to continue our transactions in the future?" I asked, keeping my tone casual. "There may be other resources that would benefit my cultivation, and I could provide more blue energy in exchange."

"I'd love to, truly I would,” Astralis sighed, stars in his hair dimming slightly. “But the Starhaven Realm doesn't have many treasures left, at least not on the level that the sellers at the Nexus would be interested in. The Celestial Sovereign collected most of the truly valuable items during his lifetime, and those that remained have been gradually consumed to slow the realm's decay over the millennia."

"So that means I shouldn't expect any transactions anytime soon," I stated flatly.

He nodded, though his expression remained cheerful. "Unfortunately, yes. But!" His eyes brightened suddenly. "Now that you have the Ethereal Link Technique and the coordinates, you could connect directly yourself. No need for me as an intermediary at all!"

I gave a noncommittal hum, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. The idea of connecting directly to the Celestial Trade Nexus before reaching the Life Realm was about as appealing as jumping into a pit of starving tiger beasts.

"Why don't you give the technique a try now?" Astralis suggested, his voice honeyed with false concern. "It's safer under supervision, after all. I can help when something goes wrong."

Before I could call him out on his transparent scheme, Astralis turned his face slightly to the side and whispered, "It's more like I can take advantage when something definitely goes wrong. Once his mind breaks from the connection, I'll have unlimited access to his blue energy!"

I suppressed a smile at the inner world spirit's predictable duplicity. "I appreciate the offer, but I need to return to my realm. I've been away long enough."

"Yes, yes," Astralis said, making a dismissive motion with his small hand. "But remember, whenever you're ready to try out the technique, you know where to come."

With that final invitation, he waved his hand, and the crystalline heart-space around us began to fracture. Reality itself seemed to crack and fall away, and I felt myself falling into the darkness.