Chapter 90: Failed Cultivation
The activation of the enormous taming formation caused a chain reaction throughout the miniature cultivation world that even Clayne had not fully anticipated. What originally began as a simple precaution rapidly evolved into something far greater.
The Mother Mantis crystal continued radiating its strange attraction force while the heavenly tribulation continuously tempered it.
Every pulse released by the crystal spread throughout countless regions, reaching forests, oceans, mountains, deserts, underground caverns, forbidden lands, and ancient territories that had remained untouched for thousands of years.
The creatures that answered its call were not ordinary beasts.
Many of them had lived longer than entire kingdoms. Many possessed bloodlines inherited from ancient eras. Some had slept for centuries. Others had hidden themselves from the cultivation world while quietly accumulating power. Yet regardless of their origins, the attraction exerted by the crystal proved nearly impossible to ignore.
As more and more powerful demonic beasts entered Silent River Hill, the enormous taming formation spread across the territory like an invisible net. Green runes emerged beneath mountains. Rivers illuminated with spiritual light. Forests resonated with strange fluctuations. Every creature stepping into the territory unknowingly entered the formation’s influence.
At first the beasts resisted.
Some attempted to flee. Some unleashed devastating attacks. Several enormous creatures tried to break free through brute force. Unfortunately for them, the formation had already absorbed the experiences and modifications left behind by countless experiments.
More importantly, it had been empowered by his original world.
The difference between ordinary cultivation resources and the things Clayne continuously introduced into the miniature world had already become obvious.
The formation was no longer normal.
One by one, the powerful beasts were subdued. One by one, connections formed. One by one, their resistance weakened. And one by one, they became part of Clayne’s growing army.
The first few captures had excited him. The next ten made him optimistic. The following twenty made him ambitious. Soon, the number exceeded thirty. Then forty. Then fifty. Then sixty.
The creatures varied greatly in appearance.
Some resembled colossal wolves covered in scales.
Some possessed multiple heads. Some appeared as giant serpents. Others resembled humanoid beasts. Several looked more terrifying than anything Clayne had ever seen in the real world.
Many possessed cultivation levels that surpassed the Ascendant experts he had previously crushed.
Yet despite all that power, they continued falling into the formation.
Kiarma herself observed the process with complicated emotions.
As one of the earliest beasts captured, she had the clearest understanding of the situation.
Initially she had resisted.
Now she merely watched.
Every time another Ascendant-level beast entered the territory, she could almost predict the outcome.
At first the newcomers arrived confidently. Then they sensed the giant. Then they sensed the formation. Then panic followed. Soon afterward they joined the growing ranks beneath the Deity. Even Kiarma found the situation difficult to believe.
The cultivation world viewed Ascendant beings as supreme existences.
Entire continents revolved around them. Kingdoms rose and fell beneath their influence. Sect ancestors feared them. Yet now dozens of them were being gathered together like livestock.
Eventually, Clayne frowned.
The number was impressive.
Yet not impressive enough.
He carefully counted.
Then counted again.
His expression became dissatisfied.
Under twenty originally.
Then dozens more.
Yet after all this effort, he still possessed fewer than a hundred.
The number felt too small.
The warning left behind by the Ascendant cultivators continued lingering in his thoughts.
A few dozen beasts would not be enough.
If future cultivators continued discovering the Tiny World, then he needed deterrence.
Real deterrence.
The kind capable of making entire continents hesitate.
The kind capable of making sects avoid Silent River Hill altogether.
His goal was simple.
Spread them.
Scatter them throughout the cultivation world.
Create enough uncertainty that nobody would dare investigate too deeply.
A hundred powerful beasts.
Perhaps even more.
Only then would he feel comfortable.
His gaze eventually landed on Kiarma.
Among all the creatures currently under his control, she remained the strongest.
Without hesitation, Clayne summoned her.
The gigantic face beyond the heavens shifted slightly.
Immediately, Kiarma appeared.
Despite her immense cultivation, she lowered her head respectfully.
The sight would have shocked countless cultivators.
A peak Ascendant demonic beast showing such respect toward another existence.
"Almighty Deity."
Her voice contained genuine reverence.
Unlike the cultivators who had begged for mercy earlier, Kiarma had witnessed enough to understand that resistance was meaningless.
Clayne thought for a moment before speaking.
"Can all of you disperse?"
Kiarma blinked.
"Disperse, my Lord?"
"I want you spread throughout the world. Act independently. Avoid appearing connected."
Kiarma quickly understood.
A thoughtful expression appeared on her face.
"That can be done."
She lowered her head again.
"The cultivation world is vast. Many of us already possess hidden territories and identities. If necessary, we can easily conceal our relationship."
Clayne nodded.
That was exactly what he wanted.
The more uncertainty created, the safer Silent River Hill would become.
Soon afterward, Kiarma departed.
The other beasts followed. Some vanished into forests. Some disappeared beneath oceans. Others retreated into mountains. Yet more continued arriving. And every time another powerful beast appeared, Clayne immediately activated the formation.
Hours passed.
The collection continued growing.
Eventually another fifty Ascendant-level demonic beasts joined his ranks.
The number finally reached a level that satisfied him somewhat.
Not enough.
But significantly better.
Meanwhile, above Silent River Hill, the heavenly tribulation reached its conclusion.
The dark clouds that had covered the heavens for so long finally began gathering their final strength.
The Mother Mantis crystal floated quietly within Clayne’s grasp.
Golden lightning surged through the clouds.
The surrounding space trembled.
Then the final thunderbolt descended.
The strike eclipsed all previous attacks.
Its brightness illuminated the entire miniature world.
Its impact shook mountains and rivers.
The heavens themselves seemed to roar.
When the lightning finally faded, silence followed.
The crystal remained intact.
Its yellow-green glow had become extraordinarily pure.
The attraction force vanished. The clouds dispersed. The heavenly tribulation ended. For the first time in a long while, Clayne could move freely again.
He immediately picked up the crystal.
The nearby beasts remained silent. Many of them stared at it with longing. But they are not that disappointed. Even the residual spiritual energy leaking from the crystal was enough to benefit their cultivation.
Several weaker Ascendant beasts felt themselves improving simply by remaining nearby.
The treasure had clearly become extraordinary.
Naturally, Clayne wanted to use it himself.
Back in the real world, he sat down cross-legged.
The crystal rested within his hands.
A dense wave of spiritual energy immediately flowed into his body.
At first everything felt normal.
The spiritual energy entering the crystal surpassed anything he had absorbed previously.
Compared to spiritual energy from chips, dried fruits, strawberries, or ordinary resources, the difference resembled comparing a river to an ocean.
The quantity alone was absurd.
The quality was even more shocking.
His cultivation immediately reacted.
The energy flowed through his meridians.
His flesh absorbed portions of it.
His bones absorbed portions of it.
His organs absorbed portions of it.
The process seemed perfect.
Then something strange happened.
The spiritual energy kept increasing.
And increasing.
And increasing.
Clayne frowned.
His body should have been benefiting.
Instead, he began sensing resistance.
At first the sensation was weak.
Almost unnoticeable.
Then it became stronger.
The crystal continued releasing spiritual energy.
Yet less and less seemed to enter his body.
A large portion simply circulated around him.
Another portion escaped.
Some seemed to dissipate entirely.
Clayne immediately focused.
Perhaps he had made a mistake.
Perhaps his circulation method was wrong.
He tried again.
The result remained the same.
The crystal continued overflowing with spiritual energy.
His body continued rejecting part of it.
The more he cultivated, the more obvious the problem became.
Soon he could no longer ignore it.
The energy wasn’t being fully absorbed.
It wasn’t that his body lacked capacity.
It wasn’t that his cultivation had reached a bottleneck.
The sensation felt different.
Almost as though the crystal possessed something his body could not properly process.
Or perhaps...
Something his body fundamentally lacked.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
The frustration gradually grew.
Every cultivator dreamed of possessing such a treasure.
Yet despite holding it directly in his hands, Clayne could not use it properly.
By the end, he slowly opened his eyes.
His expression had become complicated.
The crystal still contained enormous amounts of spiritual energy.
Enough to drive countless cultivators mad with greed.
Yet somehow, for reasons he did not understand, he felt as though the treasure was being wasted on him.
There was simply too much spiritual energy.
And for some unknown reason, his body refused to fully accept it.
