Tian Kai, who had no idea what was happening as he was focused on his cultivation, entered the final stage of integration with the Tree of Life.
The process was now easier because he had the Seed of Life, which began to transform into his heart. The organ underwent intense changes, forming a kind of cocoon. After a few minutes, the cocoon ruptured, leaving behind only a small green pearl that sustained his entire body.
The newly born little tree, upon realizing this, initiated the second stage of the process: merging with Tian Kai's body. Its roots fixed themselves into his bones, creating a bridge that connected the entire interior of the cultivator.
With the remaining energy, the tree began to open the meridians — invisible lines that run through the human body. There were 108 in total, but Tian Kai initially focused on the ones surrounding his heart.
For an ordinary person, such an action would be unthinkable, even suicidal. However, he no longer had a human heart; the pulsating organ in his chest had been replaced.
Guided by his instincts, he manipulated the remaining energy to open the nine meridians around his heart. One by one, they expanded, and in the end, he began to merge them into one.
The pain was excruciating, but Tian Kai endured calmly, not uttering a sound.
After what seemed like hours, the process came to an end. In place of his heart, a green vortex pulsed, storing spiritual energy and distributing it throughout his body.
He had officially reached the second realm of cultivation: Vein Transformation. At this stage, the goal was to form reservoirs of spiritual energy that could be used to perform supernatural feats.
The Tyrant Emperor's veins did not count as spiritual veins, but as innate veins, which are formed from birth and determine an individual's cultivation potential, along with their bloodline, bones, and special physique.
At present, Tian Kai possessed two unique attributes:
Innate veins, formed since birth.
Strange physique, which emerged after absorbing the Tree of Life, creating a non-human heart.
As he slowly opened his blue eyes, awakening from his cultivation state, Tian Kai realized that something was terribly wrong. The place around him was completely unfamiliar.
The sky was tinged with blood-red. In front of him, monster corpses lay scattered across the ground, while a woman sat calmly, drinking tea. It was his master.
Upon noticing that he had woken up, she smiled. "You've finally finished. Congratulations on the breakthrough."
Tian Kai did not respond. He simply pointed at the sky, his question clear.
What is happening?
Even without words, the Empress understood. Lowering her tea cup, made from something completely unknown, she said, "Disciple, the heavens have already begun to interfere in your path. Being teleported here is their intervention."
What...
These bastards are already acting?
He knew that sooner or later, the Heavens would act. He was prepared for it, but... why are these assholes acting so quickly?
Damned...
He cursed inwardly and then communicated mentally with the system.
"System, do you know what these guys want by teleporting me here?"
[The Heavens are angry with you for obtaining the Seed of Life. But they won't attack you directly. Instead, they've made an agreement...
Solve the crime index in the Crimson Heaven, a place in the Lower Realm where the absence of order has caused numerous horrible oddities...
If you succeed, the Heavens won't make your life harder.]
Seed of Life...
Reducing crimes? Am I a judge now, damn it...
Tian Kai had no idea what to do. This left him frustrated.
"System, connect with these bastards and tell them: if they want me to work, they need to offer items that make me immortal. I won't do anything for free. I'd rather be a villain."
[Okay.]
A few seconds later...
[They are angry, but have come to an agreement.
If you solve the problems in the Crimson Heaven, they will gift you the Source of Longevity, which can nurture the Seed within your body, granting you up to ten thousand years of life.]
Good...
Hearing this, Tian Kai calmed down, but still had no idea what to do. He had never been a judge and had no idea how to solve the problems in this Crimson Heaven.
Solve with force?
It was a good proposal, but not very effective. Surely, the same chaos would happen again. Moreover, he didn't even know if he had enough power to fix it.
"System, can you send me back? I'm not risking my life to solve bizarre cases from this place."
[Host, look at the woman in front of you... Even sealed, she is powerful enough to end everything in this realm. That's why the Heavens entrusted this task to you. Right now, you are the only one capable of dissipating this bloodthirsty aura and restoring the dark blue sky.]
Upon hearing this, Tian Kai looked at his master, who was calmly drinking tea... on top of a corpse.
To be honest, he didn't have good feelings toward that woman. After all, she was the one who put a tree in his heart, triggering all these chaotic events.
"Master, have you heard of karma?" He asked as he approached.
"Yes?" The Empress looked up at the young man who was approaching.
"I want to be a good person. Seeing this world, which seems to be drowning in blood, gives me a bad feeling. I want to save it..." He was about to continue when he was interrupted.
"What was your deal with them? Save this place?" Asked the Empress, smiling.
Did this young man think she had lived thousands of years for nothing?
"A source of longevity, which can increase the growth of the Seed of Life, in exchange for ridding this sky of this bloodthirsty aura."
"I see..." She looked at the crimson sky for a few moments. "Good luck..."
This time, she was the one interrupted.
"Master, you need to help me! All of this started because of you! If you leave this disciple alone, he'll die!" Tian Kai was not going to let that woman return to her mansion.
I really am unlucky...
The Empress thought, closing her eyes, but still smiling.
She had been plundered by this disciple, through a Son of Heaven. Woken from her slumber, she was now forced to accompany that disciple in the punishment imposed by the Heavens.
His life was becoming unpredictable...
Because of his Tyrant Emperor Veins, he startled a little newborn tree, which threw a seed into his body.
This journey, accompanying that boy, promised to be quite interesting from now on.
After these thoughts, which lasted no more than a second, the Empress widened her smile even further.
"I will help you, Tian Kai, but not directly. The mystery here is something you need to solve on your own. It's not good for me to interfere too much with your destiny. It will bring..." She looked at him and, teasingly, added: "Karma!"
Tian Kai smiled. Even though the help would be indirect, it already reduced his chances of dying. As for her last words, he knew it was just his master getting revenge for what he had said earlier, trying to trick her.
"Time to become Sherlock Holmes. The Crimson Heaven mystery, here I come!"