They arrived at the gate of the Yang and Yin Garden—a site constructed by Zhao Li and Alessandra following the completion of the Versalkin Palace.
Stopping before the payment counter, they prepared to enter; visitors were required to purchase a ticket to gain access. The Yang and Yin Garden was considered a sacred space, one that all existing entities had collectively prevented the Human Empire from monopolizing.
Previka spoke with excitement, glancing toward her companions. The attendant, however, remained expressionless; he was well-accustomed to high-ranking figures, and the presence of scions from the great duchies—along with one of the wealthiest individuals in the world—was nothing new to him.
"How much is an entrance ticket?"
The attendant studied her for a few seconds before uttering words that, to Previka and Armin, sounded like legendary-tier magic incantations—the kind used for grand-scale theft.
"Admission to the Yang and Yin Garden is 10 platinum coins per person, bringing the total to 50 platinum coins."
The attendant's tone was weary—a result of dealing with countless customers, many of whom were agitated by the exorbitant price, which equated to 100,000 gold coins per person.
Previka was left in shock; it was a sum that could easily fund a luxurious lifestyle for several years. How could one possibly squander it all in a single place?
She turned her gaze toward Yuta—widely regarded as the wealthiest person of all, especially following his recent deal, which had yielded a profit exceeding one million platinum coins. She grabbed his shoulder, looking at him with a pleading expression—a gesture that drew annoyed glances from everyone else, who found her behavior suspicious.
Nevertheless, Yorichi produced a black card—a pass granting entry to the vital zones and the Yang and Yin Garden, allowing him to bring others in without any cost.
The attendant stared at the card, visibly flustered. Such items were exceptionally rare, held only by a select few families; for an ordinary person like him, it was impossible to know who might possess one.
As he examined it, the attendant—who was well aware that Yorichi was the rightful heir to the De Moliar family—felt compelled to verify whether the card was genuine or a forgery.
"Please wait a moment, Master Yorichi De Moliar. It's simply protocol, sir."
Yorichi paid little heed to the man's words, turning his gaze toward Yuta. Yuta appeared lost in thought for a few seconds before casting a sharp, piercing look toward the sky.
Then, shifting his attention back to the group, he remarked—his voice calm, though the words seemed to resonate from deep within:
"When the summer rainy season arrives, no one will enjoy it."
He pulled out his phone for a brief moment, then walked straight into the Yang and Yin Garden. The attendant made no move to stop him—a reaction that left the others quite bewildered. The worker spoke with an uneasy smile as he looked at him, checking the card using a specialized device:
"Lord Yuta, you are granted access to vital areas. The King of the Kingdom of Athrias, Shin Akater William, along with the Duke of the city of Berhais, have authorized your entry into any vital or restricted zone within the kingdom—completely free of charge."
Shock was etched onto everyone's faces; he possessed privileges that not even the scions of the duchies or counties within the Kingdom of Athrias enjoyed.
Among them, Prefika was the most bewildered by the worker's statement.
"How is that possible? Isn't Shin Akater William one of the dukes of the Arcana Empire? How can he be a king, while someone of lower rank—a duke—is also involved? This is strange."
A heavy silence hung in the air for several seconds before Yorichi spoke, looking at her while struggling to suppress a laugh at her ignorance of something known to every single inhabitant of the Arcana Empire.
"In the standard hierarchy, the ranks go: commoner, baron, viscount, count, marquess, duke, king, and finally, emperor."
"My father holds the rank of duke—a status shared by all the duchies—and they all exist within the Empire, which itself functions much like a kingdom."
"As for Shin Akater William, he is the ruler of an entire kingdom. Within this structure, there are various sub-tiers—comprising 23 kingdoms in total. This makes the term 'Human Empire'—or rather, 'Arcana'—quite fitting; its official name is the 'United Human Kingdoms of Arcana,' given that 99% of its population are human." "That is why Yuta's father, Yamirzas, holds the title of Baron in the Arcana Empire and Count in the Kingdom of Athrias. Currently, however, he is a Baron in both the Kingdom of Athrias and the Empire—owing to his position as the head of several technology corporations, as you know. That is why he never became a commoner."
Previka looked at him with annoyance; the whole thing struck her as absurd. Deciding to leave such aristocratic and political matters to them, she chose instead to focus on enjoying the beautiful life—a life that, to her, was nothing short of madness.
"Right this way, sir. You may enter the Yang and Yin Garden."
The attendant spoke respectfully as he handed the pass to Yorichi, and the gate leading into the garden opened automatically.
Overjoyed, Previka exclaimed excitedly:
"Let's go, Beatrice..."
Her expression soured as she glanced around and realized Beatrice was nowhere to be found—she must have already gone inside with Yuta.
Her face turned cold as she stared toward the gate, a faint, murderous intent radiating from her body.
Grey, Yorichi, and Armin looked at her in bewilderment, then continued on their way into the Yang and Yin Garden, choosing to ignore the eccentric *yandere*.
The moment they stepped inside, they felt an immense sense of relief. Their bodies grew completely relaxed, and they found themselves doing nothing more than the simple, natural activities typical of any ordinary human being. The Yang and Yin Garden was considered the oldest and most sacred garden in history; its sacred nature suggests it was created by an unknown entity—though rumors persist that it was brought into existence by a tree originating from beyond their world.
It stands as one of the few places in the realm where *Kuno*—a harmonious fusion of energies—permeates the atmosphere, rather than existing merely as a collection of disparate, unrelated forces.
Anyone who wields *Kuno* is compelled to distribute it with absolute precision throughout their body. Failure to do so invites internal chaos: should *Qi* infiltrate the mana core—or vice versa—the consequences would be catastrophic.
In places like the Yin-Yang Garden, however, such effort was unnecessary; because *chi*, *ki*, and *mana* were all blended together, distributing them became effortless. Once the energy entered the body, it would naturally flow to where it needed to go—unlike outside the body, where one would have to guide it manually.
As they looked up toward a colossal tree standing at the heart of the Yin-Yang Garden, they realized that the soothing energy they felt was emanating from it. Notably, this giant tree bore no fruit—at least, not according to them or anyone who had come before them.
"This is our first visit to the Yin-Yang Garden, isn't it, Yorichi? Yet, doesn't this tree feel incredibly familiar? I can almost sense its texture from here—as if I touched something just like it, a very, very long time ago."
Yorichi said nothing, though he noticed that Armin was gazing at the tree with the same expression as the others—a stark contrast to Previka, whose look was simply that of someone visiting for the very first time.
Yorichi and Grey had been preoccupied with their training—as had Jian Yi and Lucy, whom he had discouraged from coming—while for Tom and Armin, a visit to such a place had been nothing more than an impossible, distant dream, given the exorbitant cost of entry.
They continued on their way in silence; a strange, haunting sense of familiarity held their tongues. The source of this feeling wasn't the garden itself, but the tree. They met up with Lucy, Tom, and Jian Yi, who regarded them with that same familiar, knowing look.
"How are you all doing? Doesn't that tree look familiar? It's just like the one we see so often in our dreams. Hmm... I've forgotten its name."
Yorichi's tone was calm as he looked toward them.
Tom spoke—tears streaming down his face, though he didn't know why, gripped by a strange sense of regret and guilt. With eyes shaped like the Yin and Yang, he gazed at the tree and said:
"The Sacred Tree of Existence—the mother of all beings that live off its fruit. This tree is but one of its branches."
None of them said another word; they simply kept staring at the tree with inscrutable expressions, eventually clearing their minds completely—all while ignoring the mocking gaze of Previka.
Tom then turned his attention to the system window floating beside him. [Quest List]
[Main Quest: Collect the 12 Seeds of Origin
Seeds Collected: 0/12
Quest Duration: Permanent
Failure Penalty: None]
[Sub-Quests
Quest 01: Understand the Laws and Concepts
Quest Duration: Permanent
Failure Penalty: None
Quest 02: Find the Key to the Mansion of Knowledge
Quest Duration: Permanent
Failure Penalty: None
Quest 03: Complete the Fusion
Quest Duration: Permanent
Failure Penalty: Death
Quest 04: Eliminate the Rulers of the Six Provinces and Unify the Fantasy World
Quest Duration: Permanent
Failure Penalty: The story of "The Dragon Angel in a World of Fantasy" will be erased
Quest 05: Unlock the Pavilion of the Yin-Yang Tree
Quest Duration: Permanent
Failure Penalty: None]
Tom remained silent as he gazed at the system interface, his mind drifting back to that day in the city of Yuspeakers.
Flashback
Tom leaped to the top of a tree, looking toward the moon that bathed the entire world in its light, revealing his face.
"I do not know the purpose of my life, but I am certain of one thing: there is someone still waiting for me, even after all these years. It seems that love truly transcends time."
"Zihuaming Hua, wait for me—I am coming for you, just as I promised over 700 trillion years ago." "It has been a truly miserable day. Life is harsh on everyone, no matter who you are."
As Tom was lost in his scattered thoughts, a system interface appeared before his eyes:
[Evolution System, loading...]
[Host, please wait 3 minutes for the loading to complete.]
A faint smile crossed Tom's face as he gazed at the interface. In a calm tone, he remarked:
"It seems Zhao Li and Alessandra kept their promise after all."
Suddenly, a searing, intense burning sensation tore through his back, causing him to collapse instantly to the ground—he was left completely unable to move any part of his body.
The neural signals responsible for movement were blocked; they could not travel along his spinal cord to reach their intended destinations, obstructed by an overwhelming surge of energy that disrupted their path.
His shirt, scorched away across his back, fell to the ground, revealing a massive Yin-Yang symbol. Interwoven within it was the image of the sacred Tree of Existence, marked by twelve small, toe-sized indentations—imprints that had appeared upon his completion of the secret tunnel trial and his subsequent fusion with Zhao Li (the Sacred Yang) and Alessandra (the Sacred Yin).
His body began to convulse violently for several minutes, and he vomited blood profusely. The color of the blood gradually shifted, transforming into a strange, blended hue—a mix of pale gold and deep, blackened violet—a state that persisted for the next thirty minutes. He stood up, feeling a slight dizziness, while his blood—a mixture of crimson, dark violet, and gold—coursed through him.
Several minutes passed before his body began to recover; his strength surged dramatically, and the mark of the Tree—along with the symbols of Yin and Yang—became increasingly distinct.
He turned his gaze back to the system interface, which resembled a scroll depicting the very mark found on Tom's back, rendered in a traditional Chinese artistic style.
[Loading process complete]
[Name: Ji Yao Li / Zhao Li / Alessandra... / Tom
Alias: Currently "Fragelsen"
Physical Age: 15 years
Spiritual Age: Incalculable
Titles: Currently sealed
Race: Primordial Entity
Gender: Transcendent (beyond conventional gender)
Occupation: Former Guardian of the Sacred Tree of Existence;
Student at the Fragelsen Academy
Talent: ????
Incarnation: Sacred Yin-Yang Body (extremely rare), Sacred Yin-Yang Bones (rare), Sacred Yin-Yang Eyes (rare), Body of the Sacred Tree of Existence (?????), Scion of the Sacred Tree of Existence (????)
Primary Pavilion: Yin-Yang Tree Pavilion: The Single Tree [Locked]
Pavilion Type: Main Pavilion
Primary Pavilion: Yin-Yang Tree Pavilion: Sacred Yang [Locked]
Pavilion Type: Main Pavilion
Primary Pavilion: Yin-Yang Tree Pavilion: Sacred Yin [Locked]
Sub-Pavilions: None
Base Power Level: Sovereign Master / High-1
Sub-Power Level:
Mental Power Level: ∞MA
Physical Power Level: High-1
Spiritual Power Level (Dantian): Absolute Transcendent
Spiritual Power Level (Primordial Sea): Level 9
Barrier Points: 000
Contribution Points: 000
A faint smile appeared on his face as he gazed at it, before he collapsed to the ground, unconscious—he was utterly exhausted and drained.
End of Flashback
Tom closed the system window and looked toward the colossal tree. He began walking toward it, ignoring the gazes of everyone else directed at him.
Armin spoke, his tone tinged with concern—none of them were in good shape after entering the Yin-Yang Garden:
"Tom, where are you going?"
Tom did not stop; he simply raised his hand and said:
"There is something I must do. We'll meet in two hours at Dao Long Lake."
Tom's voice remained calm as he glanced back for a few seconds, then continued on his way. Nevertheless, each of them lingered for a few seconds, gazing at him before continuing on their way into the Garden of Yang and Yin. A pleasant sense of relief washed over them once more—a comfort born from the fact that they no longer needed to expend their energy while within this space.
This sense of relief varied depending on the power system each individual utilized—whether it was a singular, dual, or triple-pole system (like those employed by Prefica, Armin, Jian Yi, and Lucy, the latter of whom had finally found inner peace following the assassination attempt at the Versalkin Academy tournament), or even the quadruple-pole system used by Yorichi and Grey.
The intensity of this relief was directly tied to the nature of one's power system; the more primary power systems one possessed, the more profound the comfort. In fact, the sensation was so overwhelming for Grey and Yorichi that their joints went completely slack, leaving them unable to walk for several minutes.
"The Garden of Yang and Yin is absolutely incredible! It feels as though a mountain has been lifted from my back—it's a truly wonderful sensation."
Yorichi spoke with immense joy, now that the strange, intense feeling of familiarity had finally faded from his heart and mind.
"I agree, Yorichi. Though, I must say I envy you; having a quadruple-pole system makes your experience even better than the rest of ours. You members of the De Moliar family are truly fortunate."
Armin remarked with a touch of irony, his gaze drifting toward the tree known as the "Blessing of Versalkin Academy." It was over 300 million years old, and its species and origins remained entirely unknown to the inhabitants of this world. Elsewhere, Tom wandered through the sacred Yin and Yang Garden with such ease that it stood in stark contrast to the garden's own caretakers—who had worked there for years yet still navigated with extreme caution, fearing they might lose their way. The garden was, after all, vast—spanning an area equivalent to six full-sized football pitches.
Tom, however, was different. The garden had been created by his two halves—Yin and Yang, or Zhao Li and Alessandra—and the memories of this place remained etched in his mind. Although he could recall only 6% of his past—all of which pertained to this world, with a mere 0.01% reaching back to his time as Ji Yao Li (during his final days)—these fragments fueled his desire to uncover the truth. He sought to understand the mystery behind the indentations on his back, their connection to those seeds, and the entirety of his own past. A phrase from that day remained firmly lodged in his mind:
"Spring always follows winter; summer follows spring; autumn follows summer; and winter follows autumn. In the same way, power follows worthiness. He who does not know himself has no right to covet absolute power."
And so, his journey became a quest for self-discovery—an attempt to uncover his true identity, both within this fantasy realm and beyond it, when the time finally came to depart.