Chapter 30: One Name, One Will
The Harrower's claws sliced through the valley air, its killing intent suffocating, heavy enough to crush stone. Li Yuan dodged again, but slower this time, his breaths uneven. His golden roots shattered as fast as he summoned them, and the corrupted soil beneath his feet burned with every step he took.
The System flashed warning after warning in his mind.
[Vital Energy Falling — 43%]
[Relic Synchronization Unstable]
[Recommendation: Full Power Engagement Required]
Xiao Tianmie's voice roared inside his mind, no longer mocking or calm, but sharp with urgency.
"You can't keep running! Stop resisting me, farmer! Merge with me, and we can end this thing before it eats us alive!"
Li Yuan's grip on the Rootsplit Hoe tightened, his golden eyes locked on the Harrower, who was crouching, ready to pounce again. His body screamed with exhaustion, his soul trembling under the crushing spiritual pressure.
"If I merge with you… if I let you in completely… will I still be me?"
The voice in his mind paused for a heartbeat, then spoke softer.
"You'll be both of us. No more pretending you're just a farmer. No more pretending I'm just a god who destroys. Together, we're something new. That's the only way."
The Harrower roared, leaping forward with terrifying speed, its massive claw raised to crush him. The ground cracked under its weight, and in that instant, Li Yuan made his choice.
The Tear of Withered Roots pulsed violently, synchronizing with the Bloom of Forgotten Dawn, their combined energy flooding his body. His golden eyes flared crimson, then golden again, cycling rapidly as if both sides fought for control.
Li Yuan stood still, closing his eyes just as the Harrower's claw descended. In that split second, he was no longer in the valley.
He stood in a vast, silent void, his soul's inner world.
Across from him stood Xiao Tianmie—calm, cold, his crimson eyes staring at him with an expression that was neither hostile nor kind. He looked exactly like Li Yuan, only sharper, dressed in divine robes torn and stained with old blood.
The farmer faced the god.
For a moment, neither spoke. Then Xiao Tianmie stepped forward.
"This has gone on long enough. You've been pretending to be just Li Yuan, the humble farmer. But you're also me. And I…" his gaze softened slightly, "…I am you."
Li Yuan stared at him, silent for a long moment. Finally, he extended his hand.
"No more fighting, then. No more me versus you. Let's finish this together."
For the first time, Xiao Tianmie smiled—not cruelly, but calmly, almost proud. He clasped Li Yuan's hand firmly, and in that instant, their souls began to merge.
Golden light erupted around them, twining with deep crimson, spiraling upward like two great roots finally intertwining into one tree. Their voices echoed together, one soft and patient, one sharp and commanding.
"From this moment… there is no farmer and no god. Only us."
The light grew brighter, their forms blending into one. When it faded, Li Yuan opened his eyes—no longer fully golden, no longer crimson, but a balanced golden-red glow that pulsed with both life and destruction.
The valley exploded with energy as he returned to reality. The Harrower's claw struck where he stood, but this time, he didn't dodge. He raised his Hoe, now glowing with both golden roots and dark crimson vines spiraling around it in harmony.
The impact sent a shockwave across the land, but Li Yuan stood firm, the ground beneath his feet blooming with life even as cracks spread outward.
The Harrower growled, its hollow voice echoing in disbelief.
"You… are not the same as before."
Li Yuan's new aura surged, neither overwhelming nor chaotic, but perfectly balanced—calm yet suffocating. His voice carried both his patient warmth and Xiao Tianmie's sharp edge.
"You're right. I am not the same. I am no longer Li Yuan, the farmer… nor Xiao Tianmie, the god."
He stepped forward, roots bursting from the ground—golden vines for life, crimson for destruction, moving together in perfect harmony. The Harrower tried to retreat, but the ground itself bent to his will now, trapping it in place.
Li Yuan swung his Hoe, his voice calm but absolute.
"Remember this name, Harrower. I am Tian Yuan—the balance of soil and heaven."
The Hoe struck, releasing a shockwave of golden-crimson energy. The Harrower screamed as the roots and vines coiled around it, draining its corruption while restoring the land. The creature's body began to crumble, its hateful energy consumed by the balanced force tearing through it.
With one final strike, the Harrower's form shattered, dissolving into ash that scattered into the wind.
The valley grew silent. The once-decayed soil began to pulse with new life, green sprouts breaking through as if breathing for the first time in centuries.
Li Yuan—no, Tian Yuan—lowered his Hoe slowly. His golden-red eyes softened, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Inside his mind, Xiao Tianmie's voice was no longer separate. It was his own now, speaking as one.
"We did it. And this time… we're finally whole."
The System flashed before his eyes.
[Cultivation Breakthrough Achieved]
[Stage Unlocked: Transcendent Root – Final Tier]
[New Relic Awakening Imminent: Heartseed of Eternal Soil]
Tian Yuan looked up at the sky, feeling the last relic calling to him.
"One more to go."
End of Chapter 30