Chapter 140: Genesis

The eleventh year of the Adysu Duchy marked the beginning of the end for the final war that would determine the fate of the world.

Following the awakening of the God of Nature, Adys struck a single blow that shattered the walls of the Imperial Capital, allowing his massive army to march inside. In the depths of despair, King Hadi of the Royal Court burned himself to death within the palace, while the remaining members of the royal family, led by the First and Second Princes, surrendered.

Awed by this display of power and persuaded by the surrender of the princes, the majority of the lords in the central region abandoned their resistance and capitulated. Only a few holdouts remained, but they were systematically pacified by Nadir, who led the army thereafter. With the central region subdued, the only territory left in the known world—aside from the untamed wildernesses teeming with magical beasts and monsters—was the Southern Territory.

However, the Southern Territory had already been severely weakened by the previous tide of monsters. With their king dead and the royal remnants having surrendered, many of the southern lords were inclined to capitulate. They were gradually brought to heel over the course of the following year. With the total pacification of the South, every known corner of the world was unified, and the Adysu Duchy became the new master of the land.

Unlike the dynasties of the past, however, Adys did not choose to partition his vast territories among his clansmen or his subordinate generals as independent city-states. He even adopted a restrictive stance toward his own nobles, stripping them of their autonomy and placing them under legal constraints. This shift was a result of different circumstances and a broader vision.

In previous eras, the vastness of the territory combined with abysmal transportation meant that a decree from the capital could take over half a year to reach the outer domains. Consequently, rulers were forced to partition the land and rely on the nobility to govern. For Adys, such measures were no longer necessary.

Firstly, the gradual spread of ritual practices had greatly accelerated the speed of communication. The once-precious horses, bred through ritual cultivation, had increased in number, significantly speeding up the delivery of information. Furthermore, through the application of natural divine arts and Adys’s decrees, the training of birds for message delivery was realized, further increasing the pace. The spread of the faith of nature also played a vital role in stabilizing the current situation. Under these conditions, the nascent Adysu Empire maintained order and quietly recuperated.

As the world unified, Adys became the Son of the World. The source energy granted by the world increased dramatically, beginning to provide feedback to his true form within the Divine Realm.

In the city of Adysu, which had become the new Imperial Capital, the unification of the world had brought even greater prosperity. Countless merchant caravans traversed its streets, their faces filled with longing as they witnessed the grandeur and vitality of the city.

Inside the palace, Adys, who had been busy processing state affairs, paused for a moment. Though he was twenty-eight years old, he appeared as he had in the beginning—a youth. The immense majesty that once shrouded him had faded, leaving him with an air of ease.

"Finally, is it time for you to be born?" the thought flashed through his mind.

In the next instant, his vast consciousness leapt, transcending countless distances to arrive within the Divine Realm.

Inside the realm, a sense of power began to permeate the space. From beyond the Divine Realm, an immeasurable flow of faith poured in, transforming into pure divine power that nourished the ancient tree at the heart of the realm. The tree was as tall and magnificent as the world itself, its branches swaying gently as it emitted a faint, natural light, carrying with it the fluctuations of the laws of nature. Upon the tree, various fruits were gestating, most of them nearing maturity.

Adys turned, sensing the presence before him. Dozens of nascent, bewildered consciousnesses felt his arrival and began to ripple with intense joy. Sensing these pure emotions, Adys could not help but smile, radiating a gentle wave of warmth before turning his gaze to the top of the tree.

There, a cyan fruit had fully matured, wreathed in traces of source energy and pulsing with energy. A consciousness within it struggled, as if longing to break free and enter the real world.

"Father God..." a voice resonated in Adys’s mind, filled with both innocence and attachment.

The fruit trembled violently. Seeing this, Chen Ming felt a stir in his heart. The world source energy he had accumulated over this period manifested as a streak of purple light, which he directed toward the fruit.

"Little one, you are fortunate," Adys remarked, feeling a twinge of regret as he sensed the depletion of his source energy. These reserves, painstakingly accumulated, were precious; consuming the majority for the sake of this fruit's birth was a significant cost.

Before him, however, the fruit swallowed the purple source energy, and a feeling of deep satisfaction emanated from within.

As the world power around them began to ripple, the fruit emitted a soft glow and began to change. A flash of natural light blossomed, and when it faded, a tiny figure appeared.

It was a little girl with her eyes closed. Perhaps because she was born directly from Adys’s true form, she inherited a portion of his divine essence. Though very young, her features were exquisite, hinting at the peerless beauty she would possess when grown. On her forehead, a faint, mysterious cyan pattern emerged, carrying a trace of divinity.

"Inheriting a portion of natural divinity and the essence of a god, she is naturally extraordinary, is she not?" Adys thought to himself. He looked at the little girl with a sense of tenderness and kinship. He stepped forward, and with a thought, natural elements condensed around them, forming a gown that draped over the child.

"Father God." The little girl looked up at Adys, her large, pale-gold eyes appearing adorable yet tinged with a subtle divine awe.

"From now on, you shall be called Elila—Elila Narba." Chen Ming lifted the girl slowly, a smile on his face as he named her.

"Elila, Elila..." In his arms, Elila laughed happily, her cute face beaming with smiles. A unique aura of nature surrounded her, making everyone who saw her feel an involuntary sense of joy.

Watching her, Chen Ming smiled faintly and looked back at the ancient tree. "It is a pity that, given the current accumulation, it would take far too long for all these fruits to be born."

He considered this, then looked upward. "However, if I can govern the world well and accelerate the growth and even the ascension of the world's origin, the speed of accumulation will naturally increase significantly. But that, too, will take time."