Stella carefully sidestepped the encroaching lake of void Qi originating from Ash as she walked over to Diana.

The black-haired girl appraised her with her usual dull grey eyes devoid of emotion. She seemed to stare straight into her soul, "You got stronger." She said with her usual dry tone.

"So did you," Stella replied, her attention still fixated on Diana's lips, trying to peer past them to see the fangs. Eventually, she just decided to ask straight up to break the awkward silence caused by her staring, "Since when did you have fangs?"

Diana's eyes widened a little, and she sealed her lips shut. Stella squinted her eyes at the girl's odd behavior.

What's up with her? Why is she acting like this?

Stella then noticed Diana running her tongue along her teeth behind her sealed lips.

Once she had finished, she grinned, showing a distinct lack of fangs, "What fangs? Is there something on my face?"

Stella rolled her eyes, "Diana, I'm not delusional. I saw your fangs."

Diana pouted.

"Just tell me, okay?" Stella sighed, "When have I ever left you in the dark before?"

Diana seemed to think for a while and then awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, "I'll show you later." Her eyes seemed to dart between Douglas, looking up at them from the ground while taking deep breaths, and the Mystic Realm.

Stella genuinely smiled at Diana, "If it's uncomfortable, you don't need to tell me. Just let me know whenever you are ready."

But I really want to know right now... look at me being considerate. I hope Diana doesn't shy away from me now. Please say yes, please, please...

"Sure," Diana nodded, "Thank you, Stella. I have a lot on my mind right now, but you will be the first to know."

Yes! Stella gave herself a mental pat on the back.

***

Ashlock listened in on the conversation between Stella and Diana and felt a sense of relief. "So I hadn't gone crazy. She really did have fangs."

Since nothing drastic had occurred since Diana last fought her heart demons, it had gone to the back of his mind, but there was a lot of mystery surrounding Diana.

First, she manifested a demonic form obscured by her haunted mist when she fought with Bob to expel the demonic Qi from her system. Secondly, Larry had said there was something ancient smelling about Diana and Stella.

"But if she doesn't want to share, that's fine too." Ashlock wasn't worried. Even if Diana turned out to be a crazed demon unable to resist slaughter, he would just transport her to the wilderness and keep an eye on her occasionally. Diana was very important to him and was also one of Stella's only friends. So he wished the best for her.

Ashlock was broken from this trail of thought by feeling multiple pairs of hands gripping one of his many vines. "Are these the Redclaws?" He sure hoped so. Otherwise, he was about to bring out some undiscovered alien species.

Pulling back that particular vine that felt very dry, as if all moisture had been sucked out, three Redclaws came flying out.

The Grand Elder, Amber, and Elder Mo landed with varying degrees of gracefulness, but Ashlock wasn't paying attention. He was more concerned about where the other two Redclaw Elders were.

Standing up and brushing himself off, it seemed the Grand Elder shared his concern as the aged man glanced around, "Where are Elder Brent and Margret? We searched for them throughout the pocket realm but couldn't find them anywhere, so we assumed they arrived before us?"

Stella shook her head, "We haven't seen them."

Ashlock quickly sent his black vine back into the Mystic Realm and tried to return to that fire Qi pocket realm and search for the missing Elders. He had no control over which pocket realms his vines ended up in as he had sent in over a hundred vines, and there was no way there were that many pocket realms with people in them, so it was totally random and dependent on his luck if he managed to get a vine to someone.

Or so he thought... but that theory didn't make sense, considering he found and pulled out his sect members within a few minutes of each other. "This Mystic Realm sure is a mystery... an annoying mystery if it kills my people."

Focusing on that black vine, he suddenly felt a damp climate. "Nope, not this one..." He pulled it out and then ended up in a cold environment. He repeated this process a few more times and eventually felt a dry climate, but it felt different from the one where he had found the Redclaws.

While this was happening, the Grand Elder was getting restless on the mountain peak due to his missing Elders.

"Don't worry. The Patriarch will find a way to save them." Stella reassured them, "He is very reliable."

The Grand Elder let out a nervous breath, "I... have full faith in the Patriarch's capabilities."

Ashlock certainly didn't have the situation under control and really wished Stella wouldn't put him on the spot like that. Sometimes, her almost zealous faith in him became dangerous to his reputation.

While he continued searching the Mystic Realm, he felt the sun slowly climb the sky overhead, and the second the sunlight sneaked past his canopy and hit the Mystic Realm, he saw the celestial glitter that represented the shards to the pocket realms within the fog begin to vanish as if they were reactive to the sun.

"On the dawn of the seventh day, the Mystic Realm closes," Ashlock murmured as he tried to send more black vines into the Mystic Realm and desperately searched around but had no luck.

Looking into the fog closer, Ashlock watched as each pocket realm vanished under the sunlight and was surprised when a giant worm segment popped out from the Mystic Realm, followed by another and then another.

"What the fuck," Ashlock couldn't help but swear as everyone stumbled back at the sudden appearance of the worms. Some were frozen solid in ice, and others seemed charred like they had been deep-fried in lava.

Ashlock sent in his void lake and tendrils as he had kept the skill active this time. Some worm segments were still alive as he saw earth Qi ripple across their skin upon sensing a threat, but most were utterly unmoving and devoid of Qi, making them easy to devour. However, they were each around a hundred meters long, making them hearty meals.

[+280 SC]

[+263 SC]

[+127 SC]

[+198 SC]

"Not much Qi compared to the worm that had been attacking Douglas," Ashlock noted as he saw the sacrificial credits flow in, "But still a substantial amount. I believe it's due to all of these being nothing but Qi-filled meat, as any semblance of a Star Core in any of these is long gone."

"Hey, that's the worm I encountered right before I returned here," Stella said while pointing to a worm coated in a silver metallic sheen. It didn't seem to be moving, and the charred flesh within its malformed mouth seemed like something had fried it alive.

[+134 SC]

Ashlock devoured it and then was about to move on to the next one when the Grand Elder stepped forward, "Patriarch, please wait."

Pulling his void lake and tendrils back, Ashlock watched as the Grand Elder drew his sword and approached the worm. This one was more active than the others and had a semi-formed mouth filled with half-broken brittle teeth. The thing seemed to be convulsing as if trying to throw something up.

Surrounding his sword in crimson flames, Ashlock felt the weight of the Grand Elder's heightened cultivation as he slashed down against the worm's side. The attack was blocked by earth Qi, but the Grand Elder didn't relent. The attacks kept coming until the earth Qi rippled away by the tenth overhead slash, and he cleanly sliced through.

To Ashlock's surprise, two humans with fire Qi blazing around their bodies emerged from the hole. They looked haggard as they gave the Grand Elder a grateful bow.

"What in the nine realms happened to you two?" the Grand Elder looked between the almost unrecognizable visage of Elder Brent and Elder Margret.

Elder Brent staggered a few steps before collapsing to his knees and seemed to kiss the ground with tears of joy.

"We were both cultivating back where you left us," Elder Marget said, "But then this worm came out of nowhere and ate us. We cut ourselves out multiple times, but every time we escaped, it would heal and chase us down. Without our fire Qi keeping us safe from the digestive fluids and poison, we would be dead."

Elder Brent added while lying on the floor, "We are both in the Soul Fire Realm. We never had a chance against a Star Core threat while running across a seemingly endless desert. We tried heading toward you but never made it in time."

The Grand Elder crossed his arms and frowned, "I should apologize then as it was my idea to split up. I searched the entire area with my spiritual sense and couldn't even detect a fly, let alone a Star Core Realm worm."

Elder Margret looked like she was about to say something but then refrained. Elder Brent, on the other hand, shook his head and laughed, "No, Grand Elder, we were simply too weak. This was our fault."

Ashlock was certain they were trying to help the Grand Elder save face, as they were currently in the presence of the Ashfallen Sect. The trio continued to speak for a while, and eventually, they got to their feet and went to talk with Elder Mo, who was holding a very impressive hammer surrounded by ghostly flames.

"You got an inheritance?!? From an immortal smith?!?" Elder Brent looked like he had eaten shit by his facial expression.

"That's right!" Elder Mo chuckled while showing off the hammer, "I can now utilize spirit fire to imbue my will into weapons! Imagine my vigor and battle spirit living inside your blade!"

"Alright, I take it back," Elder Brent glared at the Grand Elder, "You should have come back to get us. You really left us to almost perish in a desert because you were greedy for an inheritance?"

The Grand Elder blinked and seemed to find the sudden change in Elder Brent's opinion on spending the last month or so being chased down and inside a worm's stomach rather hilarious as he burst out laughing.

While the Redclaws were conversing, Ashlock resisted asking about the inheritance as that could wait for later and kept an eye on the Mystic Realm.

It was rapidly shrinking as the sunlight made the pocket realms vanish. "If I built a hut to shade the Mystic Realm from the sun, would it always stay open? Actually, even better idea... I should plant a tree right in the middle of the Mystic Realm to provide shade, and then I can overtake it with {Progeny Dominion} and enter the pocket realms too. That should work, right?"

But that would have to be for next time. For now, Ashlock let the Mystic Realm fade away as he wanted to ensure all worm segments were brought out. The last thing he wanted was for one of the worm segments to remain in the pocket realm, grow super strong over time, and then kill one of his sect members the second they stepped foot in its territory the next time he used the Mystic Realm.

Just as the Mystic Realm was about to fade away, he was glad to see three more worm segments suddenly appear. Seeing a colossal-sized worm that could rival the size of a whale materialize out of thin air was a bizarre sight.

Moments later, the Mystic Realm ceased to exist, and he saw in his skill list that it had gone on cooldown for a month once again.

"So these are the last few segments of that giant worm." Ashlock noted as he identified the two most active worm segments, "I should eat these two and then sign in. Best to keep some sacrificial credits on hand to fuel my void skill."

After attacking the two worm segments, which Ashlock suspected had come from an earth Qi realm as they were far more reformed and full of Qi than the last few, he also devoured the worm that had swallowed the Elders.

[+430 SC]

[+390 SC]

[+398 SC]

"System, sign in!" Ashlock said with excitement.

Idletree Daily Sign-In System

Day: 3522

Daily Credit: 1

Sacrifice Credit: 3630

[Sign in?]

"Holy shit... three thousand credits?" Ashlock gawked at the number for a long time. Was this the highest number he had ever seen? "I won't get an SS grade draw, right? I don't know if my body could handle it with my current cultivation realm."

He refused to believe a single Star Core Realm threat could result in this many sacrificial credits. "Actually, it's also strange that the Mystic Realm pulled the worm apart and sent it to different pocket realms... was the worm not one creature but multiple working or attached together?"

Each worm segment seemed to have the ability to be cut off from the others and still thrive. Humans and other monsters Ashlock had encountered had a single soul core or beast core within their body that provided them with Qi converted into their affinity. Yet each part of this worm seemed capable of producing Qi independently.

While pondering these ideas, Ashlock killed the last worm segment left with his void tendrils as he knew the void part of his {Consuming Abyss} skill would vanish the second he signed in and ran out of sacrificial credits.

Wrapping his black vines around the corpse just to make sure it didn't suddenly come back to life somehow and kill him while he was briefly distracted, Ashlock finally said the words...

"Sign in."

[Sign in successful, 3630 credits consumed]

[Upgraded {Root Puppet [B]} -> {Necroflora Sovereign [SS]}]

Ashlock read the system notification and was at first glad to see that one of his more outdated skills was getting an upgrade as he couldn't even remember the last time he had a use for root puppet, but then his brain froze when he saw the [SS] beside the upgrade.

Within moments, knowledge of the {Necroflora Sovereign [SS]} skill flooded his mind.

"Wow... this sure is quite the upgrade." Ashlock whistled in his mind as he reviewed the knowledge. Rather than spend all day thinking about his newest skill, he decided to try it since there was a corpse right before him.

Activating {Necroflora Sovereign} caused a black root to emerge from the ground, much to the interest of everyone watching. The root then entered the worm's mouth just like with {Root Puppet}, but this time it was different.

There were no hair-thin roots to take control of every inch of the body. Instead, the root tip opened up and deposited a single pitch black seed.

Both the Grand Elder and Stella instantly drew swords from their spatial rings and pulsed their Star Cores as if on instinct.

"Tree, what in the nine realms was that?!?" Stella asked urgently as spatial flames coated her sword. "The feeling of imminent death washed over me."

The Grand Elder nodded at her side, "Me too. It felt like death itself had a grasp around my neck."

'I'm testing a new technique,' Ashlock wrote on his trunk.

Stella and the Grand Elder translated his words aloud for the others to hear. Everyone exchanged a weary glance as those weaker than the Star Core Realm seemed to shiver in fear rather than feel the instinctual need to fight something. As if their bodies instinctually knew they could only cower in fear.

'You're welcome to go down into the mine if you don't want to stay and watch,' Ashlock offered as he felt the {Necroflora Sovereign}skill move into its next phase... the reawakening.

Everyone shook their heads, clearly eager to see the result of an immortal's new skill.

Ashlock had debated sending them away, but he had already let them try his fruit and truffles and even enter the Mystic Realm. At this point, the only secret he wanted to keep from the Redclaws was that the immortal they idolized was actually the demonic tree right behind them.

"Anyway, now comes the fun part if my knowledge of the skill is correct." Ashlock laughed evilly as the seed emitting pure death Qi bloomed within the worm.

Restrained by his black vines, the worm corpse began to metamorphose into black wood. Before his spiritual sight, the worm's corpse began to fight against the black vine restraints, so Ashlock released them and allowed his new creation to stand up.

At first, it looked like a tree, but slowly it split up, and two thick legs and arms became apparent, and then finally, a maw and two empty eye sockets that ignited with his lilac soul fire.

He had created a twenty-meter-tall Enta humanoid tree monster from the worm corpse, and by the looks of it, the titan was in the Star Core Realm. It loomed over everyone, only almost matching Ashlock in height.

An immense pressure suddenly blanketed the area, causing everyone but Stella and the Grand Elder to struggle to stand. The Ent lit up with spatial flames roaring from every gap between the twisted roots that made up its body, making it look like an aflame demon lord about to take its throne.

Ashlock noted that his root remained connected to the monster but knew he could disconnect it and let the Ent roam free. However, its body would decay slowly over time depending on the realm of the corpse used to make the Ent.

"But for a Star Core Ent... it should be able to roam around for a month at least without my Qi."

That aside, the Ent could always return to him or one of his offspring under this {Progeny Dominion} skill to reverse the decay.

So if managed well, Ashlock now had an eternal Star Core servant that he could dispatch into battle without worrying about it dying, as it was nothing but a mindlessly reanimated corpse.

"The immortal never ceases to impress me." The Grand Elder muttered under his breath as he lowered his sword. "This is truly a servant befitting one such as him."