Chương 2: A Young Man

In a penthouse apartment in one of the world's largest and most luxurious skyscrapers, a young man gazed attentively at the horizon.

Though thick clouds obstructed his view and cold winds rippled his long white cloak, he didn't seem to mind. His posture exuded both wisdom and solitude, making it seem as if he belonged to this place and yet was apart from it.

"Two hundred years..." he murmured without turning around. "We've been here for more than two hundred years, and with such short lifespans, they've built such an impressive society..."

"Why does it seem you're still not impressed, Master?" a voice came from behind him.

An older man sat in a luxurious armchair, dressed in the same white robe as the young man, holding a book in his hands. His long red hair, streaked with gray, shone in the sunlight, but his golden eyes were brighter than the sun.

"Indeed, they have no cultivation at all," the older man sighed.

"After living thousands of years, very few things can impress you, Master," the older man said with a slight smile. "For a world without Qi, they've achieved great deeds: mortals here can live up to a hundred years, and they live almost in peace. Those projectile weapons truly impress me! It's remarkable that their technology has such power. It could even kill a careless Body Tempering Cultivator or above!"

"That's nothing compared to what true power can achieve!" the younger man scoffed, turning around to reveal a large black star on his white robe. "Even so, I want to meet the God responsible for this creation. This place is clearly flawed, a mistake! I can't sense any trace of his existence!"

"Why would that matter? He clearly ignored this place after its creation or died in the process," the red-haired man said, lowering his eyes back to his book.

"Well, I guess you're right... Still, why would my sister say that my destiny lies here?"

"I dare not question the Oracle's remark. Don't forget, she was always right… It was we who were short-sighted," the red-haired man replied as he flipped through the pages of his book.

A strange silence settled between them for a long time.

"But I wonder... what would the people of this world create if they had Qi?" the red-haired man murmured to himself while reading.

"That's it!" the younger one exclaimed, a huge smile spreading across his face. "You're a genius, Leo! Come with me!"

"Thanks, Master, but..." the older man looked at him, perplexed.

However, the younger one didn't wait for an answer and vanished into thin air as if he had never been there.

"It seems his boredom is gone," Leo said to no one in particular and smiled.

Suddenly, he disappeared as well. With no support, the book he was holding fell to the floor.

On the cover, it read: The Inventions That Changed the World.

*********

Inside a huge cavern, thousands of kilometers beneath the earth, one would expect darkness, but instead, the place was filled with light from the flowing magma. Hundreds, if not thousands, of diamonds and other precious minerals embedded in the cave walls and rocks glowed in shades of red as the magma light flashed between them. The sight was beautiful yet deadly.

In the center of the cave, the floor was made of black rock, seemingly unaffected by the temperature as the river of magma flowed around it. Above it, a strange star-shaped formation emitted small particles of cold white fog.

Suddenly, two figures appeared out of nowhere, floating above the hot magma, clearly unaffected by it. They both wore white garments with a black star in the middle, and neither accessories nor weapons could be seen on their bodies. Strangely, their robes were also unaffected by the heat that could disintegrate any clothes instantly.

The younger man had short black hair and bright blue eyes that perfectly complemented his bony nose and small lips, creating an impression of nobility.

Without hesitation and without even glancing at the rich minerals around, he floated directly to the formation.

Alarmed, Leo asked, "Do you really intend to do what I'm thinking, Master? You know you'll lose most of your cultivation, don't you?"

"Yes, I know..." he turned around and smiled at Leo. "Perhaps I should have created a world long ago. Now I'm just taking a small shortcut!"

Leo smiled back. That was his master's way; once he set his mind on something, it was impossible to stop him.

"There are indeed hundreds of ways of cultivation as a God. Are you sure you want to restart yours?" Leo asked cautiously.

The man nodded. "Just like you said, my friend: the Oracle is always right! Besides, I have no fear with you by my side!"

Leo laughed and reassured him. "We don't know exactly what your sister meant... but I'll always protect you, just as you did for me in the past."

The men shook hands. Their friendship, forged through the years, was stronger than rock, sometimes even stronger than blood ties.

"Thanks!"

With a wave of his hand, the black-haired man dissipated the cold white fog, clearing the view. The star-shaped formation revealed intricate details and symbols never seen before. However, as he examined it meticulously, he noticed a few flaws in its geometry. Some parts were flashing small black dots, as if corrupted.

"The God who drew this was clearly inexperienced..." he pondered to himself.

Even though he wasn't a World God yet, he had a fair share of knowledge about it, as many had tried to convince him to create a world himself.

In the middle of the formation, a withered black seed stood, looking like an old fossil. If the formation worked as it was supposed to, it would supply the seed with energy until it sprouted. But now, the seed looked more like a stone than a living thing.

[Just as I thought, it's broken and the Yggdrasil seed has withered. This world will die in a few hundred years... they were very lucky to have made it this far.]

He carefully held the seed in his hands. Its black surface was rough yet soft, giving an odd sensation when touched. After that, he sat in a lotus position with the seed still in his hands and closed his eyes to channel all his power into the world.

The man breathed slowly, inhaling and exhaling. Suddenly, huge chunks of what looked like dense white fog streamed from his fingers to the seed in his hands. The fog was so thick it almost seemed liquid.

Suddenly, as if he had activated some mechanism, the cave trembled, and a massive black vortex emerged from the star-shaped formation. Qi surged from his body, drawn towards the formation and the seed. Unfortunately, it was his own cultivation being drained.

One might not fully grasp the process, but for the man, it felt like a part of his body was being torn apart. The pain was akin to amputation, yet he didn't flinch.

Leo watched uneasily, cold sweat dripping from his neck.

In mere seconds, the black seed transformed into lush greenery, a small tree sprouting from it. Simultaneously, the formation healed itself, no flaws visible anymore. Blood gushed from his nose, and he grew paler by the second.

"Cough!" He spat red, staining his once-white robe.

He had successfully restored and taken control of the world. However, he faced a heavy backlash: he was now severely wounded, his God Cultivation almost gone!

Finally, the vortex ceased, and from the seed emerged a small, beautiful bud. Golden in color, it was as tiny as a finger, with only one leaf. Yet, it emanated an aura as though containing the entire universe.

Feeling dizzy, he rose and planted the bud at the center of the formation.

Leo approached, admiring the tree. They knew the Yggdrasil would symbolize the world's strength from now on. Seeing Leo smile, the young man spoke:

"Now we can consider this a real world..."

"I can't wait to see it grow many leaves!" Leo agreed.

"Me too... but for now, I have a mission for you, my friend," the young man said, blood staining his teeth red. "Go to the surface and spread as many low-grade cultivation techniques as you can... That thing they call 'internet' might be useful for that, I admit. If you wish, you can establish a Sect or train disciples... Just ensure they follow the path of cultivation."

"You can count on me, Master!" Leo saluted.

"Ah... don't forget to keep watch outside. I'll be recovering here for some time."

Without waiting for a reply, the young man sat and began to meditate. In his injured state, he sensed something new: it felt as though thousands of ants were crawling on his skin.

He knew what it meant; he wasn't hallucinating. This sensation indicated his connection with every form of life in his world. With but a thought, a God could control everything! However, most World-Gods he had encountered before wouldn't interfere or harm lifeforms unnecessarily, as it disrupted the planet's balance. Everything in life had its equilibrium, and for a World-God, maintaining it was crucial.

"Yes, Angareus, I'll do everything in my power to protect you," Leo said, saluting in respect.

With that, he vanished, determined to fulfill his mission as swiftly as possible.

****

Autor's note: After a few months break, I came back and noticed that the writing style was not the way I wanted it to be and the chapters needed a few changes. The plot will be the same nonetheless, but read the old chaps with that in mind.

Thanks!