Lian felt a sensation he had never experienced in all his life, including his existence as Zeke. Those eyes conveyed the peace of a saint but, at the same time, the terror of an enraged demon.
The figure exuded a will so powerful that Lian had to make an effort to calm his mind. However, he immediately understood that this was not a test; the being before him was already dead!
When someone reaches the Divine Origin Realm, their will remains forever connected to the heavens. With the incredible power of that figure, it was possible for a part of their consciousness to remain untouched for eternity.
Even after their death, their desires and will can be transmitted to future generations. Lian had read many legends about this when he was still Zeke. Now, he could believe that this figure was capable of that.
Suddenly, Lian noticed something peculiar. It seemed that the being desired to communicate something to him. It wasn't something he could exchange through words, though.
It was then that Lian's mind began to tremble intensely, as did his soul. A flood of information was injected directly into his essence. It felt like his soul was fracturing even further as a searing pain permeated his entire being.
Lian struggled to stay steady and continued to gaze at the figure. Gradually, it became more translucent and devoid of color. Within a few breaths, it vanished before his eyes. Soon after, Lian's mind collapsed, and he plunged back into darkness.
Back in the real world, Lian abruptly sat up in his bed while his whole body was drenched in sweat as he gasped for breath. He remembered vividly what had happened in his dream. He could recall every detail of that strange world with clarity.
The biggest question in his mind was: why did he feel such a strong sense of familiarity with that figure?
He calmed himself and realized he was alone in the room; Riria was probably splitting her time between taking care of him and his mother. With a sense of relief, he took a deep breath and began to feel the changes in his body.
At the base of his spine, a small red core was active and pulsating frantically. It was constantly drawing in and absorbing Qi from the world into itself, resembling a small cyclone of Qi funneled into his body.
Lian remembered the name of the first gate. It was called "Root Support." Quickly, other information sprouted in his mind as if it had always been there.
This gate represented the earth element of the world. Its initial power would provide a great boost to his vitality. Upon reaching its peak, he would be able to regenerate from a single drop of blood.
Lian was amazed by this new information. That figure had embedded this knowledge into his soul, but it seemed that there was much more hidden. Focusing, he tried to extract everything.
The soul cultivation technique was called "The Seven Cyclone Gates Soul Art"! Each gate corresponded to an element and encompassed aspects of the mind and body of a living being. From the immense power he could achieve with just one gate, Lian realized that no other art could compare to this.
He tried for a long time, but the information about the other six gates and how to open them did not appear. Intuitively, he understood that he had to fulfill certain requirements to open them, and the information for each gate would naturally emerge over time.
"That figure must have transmitted their inheritance and cultivation technique directly to my mind. There must be a connection between him and this continent," murmured Lian to himself.
However, Lian set aside these thoughts and felt slightly excited about his newfound power. He knew that nothing came for free. When he became strong enough, that figure would likely demand something equivalent to the power of that art in return.
For now, with all the knowledge he possessed, Lian could become incredibly more powerful than ever before. In the future, he planned to return to the Divine Plane and settle all his unfinished business.
Determined, Lian directed all his consciousness to the space where the strange seed should be. Upon entering, he was shocked by what he saw. It was no longer a small space that could be mistaken for a storage ring.
The place stretched for hundreds of miles, surpassing in size the entire territory of the Albedo clan. There was no water, plants, or any sign of life. It was a cold and barren land, a desolate desert where no living being could survive.
Mountains of earth and rock rose on the horizon, creating a barren and desolate landscape. The starless black sky contributed to the sense of desolation and emptiness. It was a place devoid of vitality, where solitude and vastness dominated every inch.
Lian immediately sensed the presence of pure and divine earth energy permeating the ground. Remembering the world he had glimpsed in his dreams, he recognized that this Qi was infinitely weaker but similar in nature.
A clear conclusion formed in his mind: the gate he had opened represented the earth element. The seed that had remained silent before suddenly begged him to absorb the Qi of Wunu. The ancestral earth runes in his lineage were likely one of the prerequisites for opening the first gate.
Lian focused his consciousness and mentally ran towards the center of this world, crossing the various mountains that surrounded him. In the heart of this dark environment, a pale divine light shone, illuminating the space around.
The divine seed was no longer just a seed. Now, a small sapling emerged from within Lian, standing only a few inches tall. Four delicate leaves sprouted at the top of the sapling, standing proudly. The earth Qi in this place was extremely intense and pure, enveloping the sapling in a vibrant and revitalizing aura.
As Lian approached the little divine plant, he felt a strange presence manifesting behind it. It was a diminutive entity, trembling as if it were afraid, trying to hide from him.
Upon closer observation, Lian realized that this entity didn't possess a physical body but rather hundreds or even thousands of tiny runes. Each of these runes emitted the purest earth Qi as a powerful energy kept coming from the figure.
Zeke's memories contained nothing that could correspond to this form of spiritual life. However, suddenly, other information flowed into his mind just like before.
The entity before him was a Gnome, an Earth Elemental. It was a spiritual life form that arose from the purest essence of earth energy. It had been born during the transformation of this world when the divine power of the earth concentrated, and now it possessed its own consciousness and desires.
A life had been generated within Lian's body, and he wasn't sure how to react to this situation. He wondered if, by opening other gates, other elemental spirits would emerge and what the purpose of it all would be.
He recalled the dream he had, with the towering tree at the center of everything. He wondered if that little sapling would grow to reach that size and if this small world would expand as he had witnessed.
A mixture of excitement and fear reflected on his face. The art he had been granted had far greater potential and power than he had previously imagined.
Next, Lian took a piece of leather from inside his spatial ring. On it, there was an earth inscription that glowed intensely that he showed to the Gnome. The Gnome stopped trembling and nervously looked at that inscription.
The inscription had been created with the blood of some earth demon beasts. Although its purity wasn't the best, the effect of the inscription was useful in emergency situations.
The Gnome stared at the piece of leather, its eyes filled with nervousness. Lian smiled and approached calmly, holding the inscription in front of the Gnome before stepping back. The Gnome rushed towards the leather, eagerly jumping onto it. Within seconds, everything related to the earth element was devoured, leaving only an empty piece of leather.
Lian watched the scene attentively, noticing that the Gnome's runes seemed to become slightly more intense. He realized that this life form could grow and become even stronger if properly nourished. A smile of happiness blossomed on Lian's face, satisfied with the discovery.
The Gnome looked at Lian and seemed to recognize the smile on his face. The creature, now slightly more intelligent than before, timidly jumped onto Lian's shoulder as if it had never felt fear of him. From the looks of it, a peculiar connection seemed to have formed between them.