The Sect Master's conversation with Devor had dragged on for hours—long enough for the afternoon sun to begin its slow descent beyond Vinix City.

  Outside, Yulin paced restlessly.

  Five hours.

  Five long, excruciating hours.

  Her mind spun through possibilities. Had the Sect Master reprimanded Devor? Rejected him outright? Or—had he offered him something far greater?

  She had seen it countless times before—disciples stepping into the chamber, their eyes shining with hope, only to emerge with disappointment etched into their faces.

  Would Devor be the same?

  Then—

  The door creaked open.

  Devor stepped out.

  His expression was distant, his gaze unfocused, as if his mind was still entangled in the Sect Master’s words. His movements were slow, deliberate, his posture unreadable.

  Yulin straightened, impatience snapping through her like a drawn bowstring. Without hesitation, she strode toward him.

  Just as she reached him, Devor blinked, shaking off his daze.

  "Well?" Yulin demanded. "What did the Sect Master say?"

  She searched his face, looking for anything—relief, anger, disappointment.

  Instead, Devor exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. "A lot…" he muttered. "He talked about a lot of things."

  Yulin narrowed her eyes. "And?"

  A smirk tugged at Devor’s lips.

  Without another word, Devor slipped a hand into his robe and pulled out a light blue token.

  At first glance, it looked like a standard Outer Disciple token—but something about it was different. A single golden line traced its surface, the engraving unfamiliar. Ancient. Almost… arcane.

  Yulin’s brows furrowed. Her mind jumped to the most logical conclusion. “You weren’t promoted to an Core Disciple? Not even a Inner Disciple?”

  That would be ridiculous. After everything Devor had accomplished, anything less than Core Disciple should have been impossible.

  Devor tilted his head, watching her reaction. “This isn’t a Core Disciple token.” His fingers traced the golden line. “It’s a Divine Disciple Token.”

  Silence.

  Yulin blinked. Divine Disciple?

  She had never heard of such a title—not in the Azure Sky Sect, not in any sect.

  Curiosity burned in her, but before she could ask, Devor was already turning away.

  “I’ll explain on the way back.”

  She followed without hesitation.

  By the time they returned to their residence, Yulin was brimming with questions.

  Devor, still processing the full weight of his new position, took his time explaining.

  Divine Disciples, he told her, were unlike any rank in the sect.

  They held all the privileges of Core Disciples, yet followed a different path—one unshackled from direct tutelage, free to carve their own cultivation journey.

  "In exchange for that freedom," Devor murmured, "I’m expected to rely on my own instincts and decisions."

  Yulin listened intently, letting the weight of his words sink in.

  A disciple without a master? Free from rigid sect doctrines?

  It was unheard of.

  And yet, the more she thought about it, the more it suited him. Devor had always been… unconventional.

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  Then, just as she was absorbing this revelation, he casually dropped something even more unexpected.

  He was starting a gardening class.

  Yulin stopped mid-step. "Wait. You’re… starting your own class?"

  Her voice lifted slightly in disbelief. "You're actually going to be a teacher?"

  Devor smirked. "More or less. The sect already approved it."

  She gave him a skeptical look. "Since when do you enjoy teaching?"

  He chuckled, rubbing his chin. "It’s not just about teaching. Explaining concepts to others refines my own understanding. The more I guide others, the deeper my own comprehension becomes."

  What he didn’t say—what only his system confirmed—was that sharing knowledge granted him Enlightenment Realm Points.

  Knowledge strengthened his foundation.

  And a strong foundation meant limitless growth.

  Yulin fell silent, studying him.

  He was serious.

  The boy she had once known—just another nameless disciple, overlooked and dismissed—was no longer the same.

  As their conversation continued, Devor laid out the privileges granted to him as a Divine Disciple.

  The more he spoke, the more Yulin’s expression changed.

  By the time he finished, she was stunned.

  Even Devor himself was still grappling with the enormity of it all.

  It was overwhelming.

  Just days ago, he had been nothing more than a farmer, tending crops, unnoticed by the sect’s elite.

  Now?

  He had been given status, resources, authority—things he had never even dared to dream of.

  It felt as if he had crossed a threshold, stepping into a world he was never meant to reach.

  Yulin let out a slow breath.

  Then, after a long pause, she spoke.

  "You’ve really grown."

  Devor turned to her.

  She wasn’t looking at him as just another disciple anymore.

  There was something else in her gaze—pride? Admiration? Something unreadable.

  "I always knew you were different," she continued. "That you had your own strengths. But now? You’re truly becoming a dragon among cultivators."

  Devor exhaled.

  Her words carried a weight he hadn’t expected.

  A dragon?

  He didn’t feel like one.

  Not yet.

  But maybe—one day, he would.

  After an hour of conversation, Yulin finally bid Devor farewell and returned to her quarters.

  With his new status, there was no longer a need for her to watch over him.

  The sect itself would ensure that no mere thorn could harm him.

  And yet—

  Even as she left, Devor held back the truth.

  He hadn’t told her about Yiru Fu.

  Her identity was anything but simple. Whether it was him, Yulin, or even the Azure Sky Sect itself, none of them could afford to act recklessly against someone like her—not over something as trivial as a ruined garden.

  Because even with the sect’s backing, there were limits to its protection.

  If delivering justice for Devor meant igniting a conflict with the Fu Empire, the sect would let the matter drop in an instant.

  Strength dictated justice.

  And right now, he was still weak.

  Back in his quarters, Devor sat cross-legged, taking stock of everything he had gained.

  He muttered, "The next few months are going to be insane."

  The Sect Master’s words echoed in his mind.

  Unlimited access to the sect’s knowledge and techniques.

  A monthly quota to request personal training from Hall Masters.

  The ability to seek guidance from specialists in body refinement, martial techniques, array formations, and more.

  This was the foundation of the Azure Sky Sect’s elites.

  Core Disciples already enjoyed many of these privileges, but they had fought, bled, and clawed their way to the top—surviving every brutal trial the sect threw at them.

  It was an unforgiving process.

  And yet, the rewards were immeasurable.

  If word of these benefits spread, countless disciples would throw themselves into the sect’s trials, desperate for a chance to claim them.

  Some would crumble under the weight.

  Others would endure, shedding their weakness and emerging as dragons.

  But in the end, only those who embraced suffering could reach the peak.

  The world of cultivation was merciless.

  A cultivator could remain weak and be slaughtered by the strong.

  Or they could risk everything to seize even the smallest advantage.

  The Azure Sky Sect’s methods were harsh, even unfair.

  But compared to the brutal reality beyond its walls, their approach was merely a child’s game.

  Devor clenched his fists.

  He would not crumble. He would not fall.

  He would use every advantage given to him—until he no longer needed them at all.

  "For now, I need to focus on my cultivation techniques and combat strength."

  Spiritual plants were his expertise, but battle was an entirely different beast.

  He couldn't rely solely on his knowledge of farming.

  If he wanted to compete at the highest level, he needed more.

  Rune Studies.

  Alchemy.

  Both were essential.

  Rune Studies would sharpen his command over Array Formations.

  Alchemy would deepen his understanding of Spiritual Plants.

  Though both disciplines focused on Spiritual Plants, their approaches were vastly different.

  A Spiritual Farmer nurtured plants, ensuring they thrived in their ideal conditions.

  An Alchemist, on the other hand, saw Spiritual Plants as raw materials—things to be broken down, refined, and reforged in the heart of a furnace.

  Devor wanted to understand both worlds.

  "In nature, plants with multiple elemental attributes struggle to coexist. But in a furnace, they can be fused into something entirely new."

  He had already seen the fragile balance between growth and destruction.

  Now, he needed to master it.

  He didn’t intend to become an Alchemist.

  But if he could grasp their methods, he could elevate Spiritual Farming to a whole new level.

  Imagine—creating his own unique Spiritual Plants, designed from the knowledge of both fields.

  A fusion of nature and refinement.

  And with enough mastery…

  He wouldn’t need to compete with Alchemists.

  They would come to him.

  Out of all the privileges the Sect Master had granted him, one stood out above the rest.

  The next level beyond Spiritual Plants.

  Devor had always sensed there was a higher tier, a realm of cultivation far beyond mere crops and herbs.

  And now, the answer was right before him.

  Spiritual Trees.

  The Sect Master had already prepared a special place for him—one that held a Spiritual Tree unlike any other.

  There was something about the words that sent a shiver down his spine.

  It wasn’t just a gift.

  It was an expectation.

  A challenge.

  And this was only the beginning. The Sect Master had told him that, with patience and the right technique, he could forge a bond with certain Spiritual Trees—tapping into their power and making it his own.