Chapter 31: Heartseed Awakens
The valley was still as dawn crept across the horizon, painting the newly restored soil in soft hues of gold and green. Sprouts pushed through the earth where corruption had ruled for decades, stretching toward the rising sun. The land felt alive again, breathing deeply for the first time in centuries.
Tian Yuan stood quietly in the center of it all, Hoe resting against his shoulder, his golden-red eyes scanning the vibrant ground. His aura had shifted completely—no longer a dissonant clash of life and destruction, but a harmonious rhythm that made even the soil hum in recognition.
The System chimed softly in his mind, the words glowing brighter than usual.
> [Final Relic Awakening Detected]
[Heartseed of Eternal Soil — Location: Undefined]
[Warning: Relic Manifestation Linked to Host's Soul Resonance]
He exhaled slowly, feeling the truth of those words in his very bones. The final relic wasn't something he had to chase; it was something he had to become.
A faint warmth spread through his chest, seeping into the soil beneath his feet. The ground responded instantly—roots spiraling out from where he stood, golden-red energy threading through them like veins. The sprouts around him quivered as if bowing, and slowly, the earth itself began to pulse in unison with his heartbeat.
Inside his mind, Xiao Tianmie's voice, now one with his own, whispered.
"This is what we were meant to be, farmer. Not just a man who heals, not just a god who destroys. Soil and heaven together. This is why the Heartseed calls to you."
Tian Yuan knelt, pressing his palm to the ground. His eyes closed, and his voice softened to a whisper.
> "Then let's wake it."
---
The soil rumbled beneath him, soft at first, then growing louder, deeper. The sprouts trembled, their tiny leaves folding inward as if praying. From the cracks in the earth, threads of golden and crimson light emerged, weaving upward into a spiraling pattern.
The System's voice chimed, almost reverent.
> [Relic Manifestation Progress: 12%... 28%... 46%]
Tian Yuan felt the strain immediately. His body grew heavier, his spiritual energy draining rapidly as the balance he had achieved demanded more to sustain itself. But he held his palm firm against the soil, his aura expanding further, spreading life into the land even as it pulled life from him in return.
The ground split open before him, not violently, but gracefully, as if the earth itself was parting to offer him something sacred. From the center of the newly formed crevice, a single glowing seed rose, spinning gently in the air. Its surface shimmered with the colors of both dawn and dusk, veins of light running through it like rivers.
The System confirmed what he already knew.
> [Relic Manifestation: Heartseed of Eternal Soil Complete]
[Ability: Domain of Eternal Growth — Total control over soil, life cycles, and spiritual fertility within a boundless radius.]
The Heartseed floated toward him, hovering just above his outstretched hand. For a moment, he didn't move, simply staring at it. This was the culmination of his entire journey—the final piece that would decide not just his cultivation but the fate of the world itself.
---
As his fingers closed gently around the relic, something changed. The world seemed to still, the air turning almost too quiet. The soil beneath him vibrated, but not with life—something deeper stirred.
A faint voice, neither his nor Xiao Tianmie's, echoed in his mind. It was ancient, almost like the soil itself was speaking.
"You who are both sower and reaper… you who carry heaven and soil within you… will you nurture or will you erase?"
Tian Yuan remained silent for a long moment, his golden-red eyes narrowing slightly. His grip on the Heartseed tightened, his answer steady.
> "I will nurture. But if anyone dares to take that away…"
His voice hardened, carrying Xiao Tianmie's sharp edge.
> "…I will erase them."
The Heartseed pulsed once, brighter than the sun, then dissolved into his chest, merging completely with his cultivation core. His entire aura shifted again, expanding outward like a great wave. The valley responded instantly—flowers blooming, trees sprouting fully grown, even the sky clearing to a crystal blue.
The System's voice rang in his mind one final time.
> [All Seven Relics Acquired]
[Cultivation Final Tier Achieved: Root of Eternal Balance]
[You are now the Soilkeeper of Heaven and Earth.]
Tian Yuan exhaled slowly, standing. The Hoe in his hand thrummed with a quiet, content pulse, as if it too had been waiting for this moment.
He turned his gaze toward the distant horizon where Green Mist Village lay.
> "It's time to go home."
But just as he stepped forward, the ground trembled violently—this time not from life, but from something approaching. His balanced aura had spread too far, too quickly, and somewhere beyond the valley, he could already sense hostile presences stirring.
He tightened his grip on the Hoe, his golden-red eyes narrowing.
> "Then let them come."
End of Chapter 31