Amidst the lush expanse of the spiritual garden, Devor stood before the Heavenly White Lotus, now nearly half a meter tall. Its pristine petals shimmered with an ethereal glow, exuding a sacred aura that pulsed with pure spiritual energy. A soft, soothing fragrance drifted through the air, as if the essence of the heavens itself had condensed into this one extraordinary bloom.

  Nearby, Nyuru watched him, arms crossed. “This feels just like when you cultivated the Fire Lotus Archon,” she mused, her voice calm yet laced with meaning. “But even though they’re only one grade apart, the gap between Earth-Grade and Sky-Grade is like the distance between heaven and earth.”

  Devor nodded, his gaze steady. “I know,” he said. “But this time, I’m ready. I won’t make the same mistakes.”

  Above them, Versti hovered in midair, his piercing gaze locked on Devor. “Remember, death is not an option in this competition,” he warned. “If your body can’t handle the strain, I will step in.”

  Devor met his stare with a faint smile. “I have no plans to die, Captain.”

  Taking a slow breath, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. At once, the Five-Dragon Cultivation Technique stirred to life, drawing in energy from the surroundings in a steady, rhythmic flow.

  "This world… it’s strange," Devor thought as he sank deeper into meditation. "The golden energy above this garden isn’t just the result of spiritual harmony. It’s more than that… It’s a manifestation of my power in this world."

  Devor had spent enough time here to recognize the pattern. The golden mist hovering over the garden wasn’t just a random phenomenon—it bore an uncanny resemblance to his own Spiritual Essence. But one question lingered.

  Why did this happen here and not in the Main World?

  The answer was becoming clearer. This realm didn’t just suppress a cultivator’s strength—it unlocked a potential they could never reach elsewhere.

  No one, aside from Nyuru, knew what he was attempting.

  Suddenly, the golden mist above the garden stirred, swirling into a slow-moving vortex. Thin streaks of energy stretched downward, converging at the top of his head. Devor guided the energy inward, letting it flow through him, refining it with his cultivation technique before channeling it into his heart.

  From deep within his core, another stream of golden energy emerged, extending toward a nearby plant. It wrapped gently around its stem before branching out, linking to the next one. One by one, the plants became connected, an intricate web of energy weaving through the entire garden—an unbroken current of life flowing between them.

  This was a technique from Essence of Nature, usually meant to sacrifice Spiritual Plants, siphoning their power for cultivation. But Devor wasn’t using it to take—he was using it to give.

  The Heavenly White Lotus wasn’t just any plant. Every stage of its growth had to be meticulously controlled. A fully matured Sky-Grade Spiritual Plant was rare for a reason.

  And Devor intended to see it bloom.

  High above, Qiun hovered with the others, arms crossed as he watched the scene unfold. “What if he fails?” he asked. “Does that mean we’re done for too?”

  Reeva frowned. “Nyuru has enough supplies to last at least a month. Even if he fails, we keep going at our current pace.”

  Meanwhile, the golden energy pulsed through the garden’s network, growing stronger as it siphoned the vitality from the surrounding plants. Lush green leaves dulled, their vibrant hues fading to lifeless gray. Petals withered, stems shriveled, and the energy sustaining them flowed toward a single focal point—the Heavenly White Lotus.

  At the garden’s center, Devor trembled under the crushing pressure. This technique wasn’t meant to be used on such a scale.

  "Absorbing the life force of so many plants at once… it’s too much!"

  A sharp pain shot through his chest.

  “Guh—!”

  The energy raged through his meridians, a violent surge threatening to tear him apart. His Five-Dragon Cultivation Technique fought to stabilize the flow, but the force was overwhelming, like a storm battering against a dam about to break.

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  Up in the sky, Versti’s eyes narrowed. “He’s pushing too hard. If his meridians rupture—”

  “He knows the risk,” Nyuru cut in, though her voice lacked its usual certainty.

  Despite the overwhelming strain, the Heavenly White Lotus began to respond. Its petals pulsed with light, its stem trembling before stretching upward, inch by inch. It was working.

  But something was wrong.

  The energy within Devor started to resist. Some of the plants, not yet fully drained, instinctively clung to their essence, disrupting the flow. The golden energy coursing through his body twisted chaotically, spiraling out of control.

  A sharp taste of iron filled his mouth as blood trickled from his lips.

  "No… I can’t stop here!"

  His body trembled, his vision blurred—but he refused to yield.

  Gritting his teeth, he forced the Five-Dragon Cultivation Technique to spin faster, desperately filtering the rampant energy threatening to tear him apart. His meridians screamed in protest, stretched to their limit. Yet slowly—bit by bit—he adapted.

  And then, something changed.

  The wild energy raging inside him, once on the brink of destruction, suddenly shifted. The crushing pressure melted into a radiant warmth, seeping into every pore. It was as if a long-sealed door had finally opened, breaking the barriers that had held his cultivation back.

  "A breakthrough…?"

  Above, Versti and Qiun immediately took notice.

  “He’s not just cultivating the Heavenly White Lotus,” Qiun murmured, eyes widening. “He’s using this process to temper himself—to force his own ascension. He’s not just sacrificing his strength… this is his chance.”

  A surge of refined energy burst from Devor’s body. Though his skin was still streaked with blood, his aura had changed—deeper, sharper, brimming with newfound power.

  But before he could take it in, the Heavenly White Lotus trembled violently. A burst of sacred light flared from its petals, sending shockwaves rippling through the earth.

  Devor’s gaze snapped to the flower, now shining with a brilliance beyond anything he’d ever seen.

  "It’s not over yet…" he whispered, focus sharpening.

  The lotus pulsed, its glow intensifying as if reaching for something beyond the mortal plane.

  Its stem stretched taller, petals unfurling in radiant splendor—clear signs of nearing full maturity. But as it grew, a crushing pressure descended upon the garden, an invisible force pressing down like an unseen hand.

  The world itself was resisting its growth.

  The flower’s roots trembled beneath the weight of the unknown force. The air crackled with tension, and the energy surging through the soil turned wild and erratic—like a caged beast struggling against its bonds.

  Seated at the garden's center, Devor's breath came in ragged gasps. His body trembled, sweat dripping down his temples as the crushing force around him grew stronger.

  "Guh-"

  Blood seeped from his pores, tracing thin crimson lines down his skin-the toll of unbearable internal pressure. Every breath burned like fire in his lungs, and every attempt to steady the raging energy inside him only worsened the pain.

  "I won't stop here...!"

  Gritting his teeth, he poured even more of his life essence into the Heavenly White Lotus, ignoring the searing agony tearing through his body. If he faltered now-if he hesitated for even a second-everything he'd sacrificed would be for nothing.

  But the world itself resisted.

  The spiritual pressure spiked.

  The surrounding plants cracked and withered, their roots lifting from the soil. Some shattered instantly, crumbling to dust as their spiritual essence was ripped away.

  Blood trickled from Devor's nose... then his ears... then his eyes.

  His chest heaved, his breath ragged and uneven. His vision blurred at the edges, darkness creeping in. But still, he held on.

  And then-

  BOOM!

  A deafening roar split the sky.

  Above, dark clouds churned into a spiraling vortex, lightning crackling within—wild, erratic—before converging on a single point.

  The Heavenly White Lotus.

  Now towering over a meter and a half, its presence was undeniable.

  Bolts of golden-blue lightning gathered above it, pulsing with divine judgment.

  Devor’s breath caught. He could feel it.

  This wasn’t just a natural phenomenon.

  This was a trial from the heavens themselves.

  Then—

  CRACK!

  A blinding arc of divine lightning struck the heart of the lotus, engulfing it in waves of radiant electricity. The earth trembled beneath its might, shockwaves rippling through the garden.

  And then—slowly—

  The petals unfurled.

  From deep within the flower’s heart, a sacred light emerged. This was no ordinary Spiritual Energy. It was something greater—pure, undiluted Dao essence, a power few in this world had ever witnessed.

  The Heavenly White Lotus had fully bloomed.

  But Devor—

  His body had reached its absolute limit.

  Blood poured from Devor's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all at once. His breath was barely a whisper, his consciousness slipping, teetering on the edge of oblivion. It felt as though every organ had been torn apart, his meridians shredded beyond recognition.

  Above, Versti moved in an instant.

  With a sharp motion, he formed a series of intricate hand seals, sending streaks of glowing runes toward Devor's failing body. The symbols merged, forming a protective barrier-

  And then-

  Devor vanished.

  He had been forcefully removed from this world.

  He had lost the competition.

  But his team had gained something far more valuable than they had ever imagined.

  Despite the weight of Devor's sacrifice, there was no time to hesitate.

  Nyuru stepped forward, her movements swift yet deliberate, and approached the fully matured Heavenly White Lotus.

  Around her, the garden lay in ruins. Hundreds of plants had been reduced to ash, their essence drained. The golden energy that had once blanketed the sky had faded into a thin, barely visible mist.

  She reached out, her fingers grazing the petals of the legendary flower-

  And in that moment, realization struck.

  "This..."

  This was no longer the Heavenly White Lotus they had planted.

  What lay in her hands was something far greater.

  Something impossible.