The guardian vanished.
His final words lingered in the silent sanctuary.
"Do not trust everyone who smiles at you."
Lin Yuan stood quietly before the empty crystal pedestal.
The Green Spirit Sapling had changed again.
It now stood nearly twice as tall as when it first awakened. Five emerald leaves shimmered with vitality, and delicate golden veins ran throughout its trunk. The emerald flower had become even more radiant, releasing a gentle stream of life essence with every breath.
His cultivation had also stabilized at the Sixth Stage of the Body Tempering Realm.
After offering a respectful bow toward the place where the guardian had stood, Lin Yuan turned and walked toward the entrance.
The Emerald Python was still waiting outside.
Seeing him emerge, it let out a low hiss.
Lin Yuan smiled.
"Thank you."
The enormous python lowered its head once before turning back into the forest.
Within moments, its massive body disappeared among the ancient trees.
As Lin Yuan made his way back through the ruins, the Green Spirit Sapling suddenly became restless.
Its leaves trembled.
Not with excitement.
With warning.
Lin Yuan immediately stopped.
Someone was nearby.
A cold voice drifted through the trees.
"You have excellent instincts."
A man dressed entirely in black stepped from behind a broken pillar.
His face was hidden beneath a dark mask, leaving only a pair of sharp eyes visible.
He carried no weapon.
Yet the pressure he emitted was greater than any academy elder Lin Yuan had encountered.
The masked man looked at him for a moment before speaking again.
"So..."
"You are the one."
Lin Yuan's heart sank.
The guardian's warning had come true far sooner than expected.
"Who are you?"
The masked man ignored the question.
Instead, he glanced toward the sanctuary behind Lin Yuan.
"The seal opened."
"The guardian disappeared."
"You entered alone."
He slowly nodded.
"That means the inheritance has chosen its successor."
Lin Yuan remained silent.
He could not reveal anything.
The masked man laughed softly.
"Relax."
"If I wanted to kill you..."
"...you would already be dead."
His words were neither arrogant nor threatening.
They were simply true.
Lin Yuan could feel it.
The gap between them was immeasurable.
"Then why are you here?"
The masked man's gaze became distant.
"I've spent thirty years searching for this sanctuary."
"But it refused to acknowledge me."
He looked back at Lin Yuan.
"Tell me."
"What did you receive?"
Lin Yuan answered calmly.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
The man's eyes narrowed.
For several breaths, neither of them moved.
Then...
The masked man sighed.
"I expected that answer."
He raised his hand.
A jade token flew through the air.
Lin Yuan instinctively caught it.
The token was black, with a silver crescent moon engraved upon it.
"If you wish to survive..."
"Keep that token."
"When the day comes that you have nowhere left to go..."
"...break it."
Before Lin Yuan could ask another question, the masked man's figure blurred.
A gust of wind swept through the ruins.
He was gone.
Not a trace remained.
Lin Yuan stared at the token in his hand.
Who was he?
Friend?
Enemy?
Or something in between?
The guardian had warned him not to trust those who smiled.
Yet the masked man had never smiled once.
Meanwhile, far beyond the Verdant Secret Realm...
Inside a magnificent palace floating above the clouds, dozens of elders stood in solemn silence.
At the end of the hall sat an old man wearing robes embroidered with countless stars.
His eyes slowly opened.
"The sanctuary..."
"It has awakened."
One elder stepped forward.
"Patriarch..."
"Should we send people?"
The old man nodded.
"The Origin Seed has finally appeared."
"The balance of the cultivation world is about to change."
He slowly rose from his throne.
"Send the Seven Sky Envoys."
"Find the successor..."
"...before the Temple of Eternal Night does."
Thousands of kilometers away, unseen by Lin Yuan, two ancient factions had begun moving at the same time.
One sought to protect the bearer of the World Tree.
The other sought to erase him before he could grow.
And Lin Yuan...
Still believed he was only competing to qualify for the Four Academy Tournament.