Over the next few days, the Poison Element Garden was finally ready to be offered to the Venom Spiritual Tree.

  Devor had spent countless hours ensuring that everything met his exacting standards—though his demeanor was relaxed, he was unyielding when it came to quality.

  Each plant had been carefully positioned within the formation, their roots linked in a complex network, designed to maximize energy transfer while maintaining balance.

  Now, the final test remained.

  Standing before the Venom Spiritual Tree, Devor exhaled calmly.

  "I'm going to open the formation and link it directly to you," he said, his voice even.

  The tree’s trunk trembled slightly—an acknowledgment that it understood.

  Devor continued, "Remember what I told you before? Don’t absorb too much at once—take it in slowly."

  A second tremor.

  Satisfied, Devor formed a specific hand seal, channeling his Spiritual Essence into the formation’s core.

  The barrier shimmered, shifting like rippling water, before parting—

  Opening a direct energy pathway to the Venom Spiritual Tree.

  Instantly, the toxic elemental energy surged forward, crashing against the tree’s senses like a tidal wave.

  And then—

  A deep, primal hunger awoke within the tree.

  It wanted to devour it all.

  The tree’s leaves rustled wildly, its trunk vibrating with barely restrained greed—

  But just as it was about to lose control—

  "STOP!"

  Devor’s voice cut through the surge of power like a blade.

  The tree froze.

  "If you destroy this garden," Devor warned, his voice sharp, "I’m not making another one. You can forget about the plan I mentioned before."

  The tree’s leaves trembled—this time, not from hunger, but from fear.

  It had begun to understand consequences.

  With visible effort, the Venom Spiritual Tree restrained itself, forcing its energy intake to slow, measured sips—just as Devor had instructed.

  Devor nodded slightly, his expression serious.

  But inwardly—

  He let out a quiet sigh.

  "I didn’t think it would actually listen."

  Spiritual Trees were notoriously slow in developing consciousness.

  Compared to humans, the Venom Spiritual Tree’s awareness was no different from that of a young child.

  And yet—

  In just a few weeks, it had already learned control, developed reasoning, and responded to commands with understanding.

  Most cultivators would have taken years to achieve this level of interaction with a Spiritual Tree.

  Yet Devor had done it without specialized techniques or external aids.

  He had simply spoken to it.

  Treated it as an equal.

  And the tree had responded in kind.

  Thirty minutes passed.

  Devor observed the energy balance in the garden shifting—a clear sign that it was time for the second step.

  "Now," Devor said, looking up at the Venom Spiritual Tree, "You can’t just consume—you have to nurture as well."

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  There was no tremor of acknowledgment this time.

  Instead—

  The tree answered with its actions.

  A pulse of deep purple energy rippled outward from its trunk—

  Dark, thick, and potent with venomous essence, it surged into the garden like a silent invasion.

  The energy coiled around the plants, swallowing the entire formation in darkness—

  Yet, rather than withering, the plants absorbed the energy greedily, refining it within themselves.

  Devor watched, intrigued. "It worked."

  Rather than being a passive receiver, the Venom Spiritual Tree had begun contributing to the cycle.

  After ten minutes, Devor raised his hand. "That’s enough."

  Instantly, the Venom Spiritual Tree ceased its output, the swirling purple energy retracting back into its trunk.

  "Now, you wait," Devor instructed. "The plants need time to refine your energy—to turn it into something more palatable for you."

  The tree obeyed.

  Devor’s lips quirked into a small smirk.

  "At least now, you’re not just taking without giving," he said. "Think of them as chefs preparing a meal for you. You provide them with raw ingredients, and in return, they’ll keep making food for you every day from now on."

  The tree’s trunk trembled more intensely, as if excited by the idea.

  It was truly learning.

  To any other cultivator, Devor’s approach would have been absurd.

  Spiritual Trees were meant to be cultivated, not taught.

  Yet to the Venom Spiritual Tree, Devor’s methods were nothing short of a revelation.

  For the first time, it was not simply a stationary entity, passively soaking up energy from the world.

  It was actively participating in its own growth.

  This…

  This was a path to true evolution—

  A way of life it had never even dared to dream of before.

  And because of that—

  It had begun to truly follow Devor.

  Not because of the Venom Seal—

  Not because of forced obedience—

  But because it wanted to.

  The first stage of the process was complete.

  Devor smiled to himself, pleased but not yet fully satisfied.

  He had originally planned to use Spirit Stones to fuel the formation, ensuring a steady supply of energy for the plants within.

  However—

  Venom had proven unexpectedly cooperative.

  By willingly cycling its own energy into the garden, it had solved the resource issue entirely.

  "A rare moment of effort," Devor mused, glancing up at the towering tree.

  But the true test wasn’t feeding the tree—

  It was making sure it could distinguish what nourished it best.

  "Next," Devor said, his voice calm, "I want to hear your thoughts on the energy you absorbed from the garden."

  If he could gather constructive feedback, he could further refine the energy inside the garden to better suit the Venom Spiritual Tree’s needs.

  Of course—

  Venom had no real understanding of what made energy "good" or "bad".

  But as a Spiritual Tree, it shared a deep connection with nature, possessing an innate ability to recognize what was beneficial and what was harmful.

  A simple measure was comfort—if the tree felt satisfied, it meant they were on the right path.

  Since the Venom Spiritual Tree couldn’t speak, Devor had to rely on a series of yes-or-no questions.

  The tree would respond with:

  One tremor for yes.

  Two tremors for no.

  Through this process, he needed to analyze its answers, identify patterns, and refine his questions into even more specific categories.

  The back-and-forth exchange could go on endlessly—

  Until Devor uncovered the precise details he sought.

  One by one, he posed his questions.

  And one by one, the Venom Spiritual Tree responded, its subtle tremors carrying its silent thoughts.

  Time slipped away.

  Before Devor realized it, the afternoon had faded into evening.

  Yet he was still far from drawing a complete conclusion.

  However—

  A few things were already clear.

  "So, you're saying the food here isn’t as good as what Senior Juyin gave you?" Devor asked.

  The Venom Spiritual Tree trembled once—confirming the statement.

  Devor let out a small sigh, shaking his head.

  "Of course, the energy in this garden can’t compare to what Senior Juyin provided."

  "If we put it into perspective—"

  "Senior Juyin served you a full-course feast…"

  "While I’m only offering you snacks—ones you have to ration at that."

  At that moment—

  The tree shook more than five times—

  A reaction that was not part of their established communication system.

  It was something Venom only did when it was truly dissatisfied.

  "You want to eat but don’t want to put in the effort?" Devor’s tone shifted—carrying a hint of mockery.

  "How are you any different from the tiny plants in this garden?"

  "They exist only to be harvested and consumed by you."

  "Do they hold any real meaning in this world?"

  The tree shuddered slightly.

  Then—

  It fell silent.

  A stillness spread across the garden.

  Devor exhaled slowly.

  He knew he had struck a nerve.

  But this was a necessary lesson.

  "You’re not happy with my method," Devor continued, his voice steady.

  "But I’m showing you a path forward."

  "If you truly want to understand what life is—this is part of it."

  "Not everything you want will come to you just because you desire it…"

  "Or because you think it’s good for you."

  The Venom Spiritual Tree remained motionless.

  Like a child sulking after being scolded.

  Devor folded his arms, gazing up at the silent tree.

  "Did I push too hard?"

  Venom had been so excited at first—only for that excitement to turn into complaints when it realized the energy wasn’t as rich as what Senior Juyin had provided.

  "Like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum."

  But he had already spoken his mind.

  There was no taking it back now.

  If he backtracked, it would only weaken his stance, making it harder to establish trust and discipline in the future.

  After a brief pause, he exhaled.

  "I’m heading back to rest," Devor said calmly. "We’ll continue this tomorrow."

  He turned away, gathering his belongings.

  "Remember—"

  "I can’t change you completely."

  "But I can guide you."

  "If your goal is to live freely in the future…"

  "You’ll have to rely on yourself—not me."

  Without another word, he walked away.

  As Devor’s footsteps faded, the Venom Spiritual Tree remained still.

  It did not tremble.

  It did not shake.

  But something unfamiliar stirred within its consciousness.

  A strange feeling—

  Not hunger.

  Not instinct.

  Something else entirely.

  For the first time—

  The Venom Spiritual Tree didn’t just want to absorb energy.

  It wanted to understand.

  It wanted to grow.

  And deep within its ancient roots, a tiny golden spark flickered—

  The first glimmer of something more.

  A thought.

  A desire.

  A path to evolution.