Chapter 710: How Are You the Owner
Garion stared at the deep blue [World Seed] floating in front of Paren, slowly rubbing his chin. "Interesting."
Paren kept one hand raised, carefully stabilizing his [World Seed] in front of him. "Don’t stare at it like you’re looking at some new gym machine."
Garion glanced at him. "I kind of am."
Paren’s mouth twitched. "That is my future [Inner World]."
Garion looked back at the floating seed. "Exactly. A very expensive gym machine."
Paren slowly inhaled through his nose.
He had trained under Garion for five whole years, yet somehow, this bastard could still annoy him with ridiculous ease.
Garion finally stopped examining the seed from every angle and lowered his hand. "Alright. Normally, what do you need to do next?"
Paren’s irritation faded as his expression became serious again. "To break through into the Celestial Realm, I need to absorb world laws from a real world and use them to awaken the foundation inside my [World Seed]."
Garion nodded thoughtfully. "World laws."
"Yes." Paren looked toward the deep blue seed hovering in front of his chest. "A Star Realm cultivator’s [World Seed] already contains the foundation of their cultivation path, laws, comprehension, and future world, but all of it is still incomplete."
He carefully controlled the seed as faint streams of blue light moved across its surface.
"To open it into an [Inner World], I need external world laws to stimulate that foundation. Those laws will help the seed awaken, expand, and gradually establish the structure necessary for an actual world."
Garion listened quietly this time without interrupting.
Paren continued, "I already know how to absorb and refine those world laws. It requires a special cultivation technique, and I’ve been preparing that technique for many years."
He glanced at Garion. "You don’t need to worry about the cultivation method itself."
Garion raised an eyebrow. "Then what exactly do you need from me?"
Paren slowly withdrew his [World Seed], allowing the deep blue sphere to sink back into his chest before looking around the enormous [Divine Training Hall]. "What I need from you is the best possible place to cultivate."
Garion’s interest immediately rose.
Paren continued, "These five years of physical training have strengthened my body enough that I should be capable of enduring the first opening of my [Inner World]."
He flexed one hand before adding, "My condition still isn’t perfect, but compared to five years ago, the difference is enormous."
Garion nodded. "True. You’re no longer a dead office worker."
Paren gave him a cold look. "Thank you for that horrible compliment."
Garion placed one hand over his chest and gave him an exaggerated gentlemanly bow. "You’re welcome."
Paren ignored the idiot and continued explaining. "The real problem now is the environment."
Garion straightened again. "The place I cultivate needs strong world-law activity, dense but relatively stable energy, and enough external pressure to continuously stimulate my [World Seed]."
Paren’s voice became more serious. "If the environment is too weak, there may not be enough stimulation to force the seed to begin opening. If it’s too chaotic, however, the [World Seed] could become unstable before the [Inner World] has even properly formed."
The corners of Garion’s mouth slowly lifted.
Paren immediately noticed.
His brows pulled together suspiciously. "Why do you suddenly look so happy?"
Garion crossed his arms. "Because everything you just described sounds exactly like something God Gym can provide."
Paren stared at him.
For some reason, hearing those words did not make him feel relieved.
Instead, an unpleasant feeling slowly crawled up his spine.
Garion turned his attention toward the system interface and silently called inside his mind.
"Atlas."
Atlas’s response came almost immediately.
[Let me guess. You want the most dangerous suitable cultivation location currently available.]
Garion’s expression became shamelessly pleased.
"Obviously."
[Of course you do.]
Paren had no idea what conversation was happening inside Garion’s head.
He only saw the increasingly interested look on Garion’s face.
That alone was enough to make his bad feeling become much, much worse.
"Whatever this bastard is thinking about... it definitely isn’t going to be good for me."
---
Garion looked back at Paren and casually waved one hand. "Alright. Go rest first."
Paren blinked. "Rest?"
Garion nodded. "Yeah. You’ve shown me your [World Seed], explained your breakthrough method, and somehow survived five years of God Gym. Take a break before we throw you into the next hell."
Paren stared at him for several seconds. "You actually said something reasonable."
Garion clicked his tongue. "Don’t sound so damn shocked."
Paren did not answer, but the suspicious look on his face clearly showed that he did not trust Garion’s sudden kindness in the slightest.
Garion ignored him and gestured toward the exit. "Go. I need to prepare a few things anyway."
Paren hesitated briefly before finally turning around. "Fine. Just don’t prepare anything too insane."
Garion gave him a casual wave. "No promises."
Paren stopped for half a second.
His shoulders visibly stiffened.
Eventually, he decided that asking any further questions would probably only make his mood worse and continued walking toward the exit of the [Divine Training Hall].
Once the doors closed behind him, silence returned to the massive hall.
Garion waited another moment before calling out casually. "Atlas."
A small flash of blue-purple light appeared beside him.
WHOOSH!
Atlas materialized in his usual chibi form, floating in midair with tiny arms crossed over his chest. His expression already looked tired despite the conversation having barely started.
Garion turned toward him. "So? Best place?"
Atlas answered almost immediately.
[Divine Celestial Gym Island No.1.]
Garion gave a small nod.
That answer made sense.
The island was dangerous even to Celestial Realm cultivators and those below.
Its untouched regions were filled with unstable gravity, destructive storms, dense energy, violent natural phenomena, and chaotic zones where numerous world laws constantly interacted with one another.
"Good."
Garion was about to settle on the choice when another thought suddenly crossed his mind.
His brows pulled together.
"Wait."
Atlas looked at him.
Garion rubbed his chin. "Thinking about it again, it can’t be too chaotic, right? Paren said his [World Seed] could become unstable if the environment is too violent."
Atlas let out a tired sigh.
[Don’t worry. Chaotic regions usually form precisely because numerous world laws are overlapping, colliding, and interfering with one another.]
Garion raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn’t that make it worse?"
[For most cultivators? Yes.]
Atlas floated slightly higher.
[That is exactly why most Star Realm cultivators avoid chaotic regions when attempting a Celestial Realm breakthrough. Extracting the world laws they need while resisting countless conflicting laws at the same time is extremely difficult.]
Garion scratched his jaw thoughtfully. "So basically, it’s harder."
Atlas gave him a flat look.
[Extremely harder.]
"Nice."
Atlas’s expression immediately became annoyed.
[That was not a recommendation.]
Garion ignored that completely. "Paren should be able to handle it, though, right?"
Atlas became slightly more serious.
[Probably. You have already trained him for five years. His physical body, energy circulation, mana vessels, recovery ability, soul endurance, and overall foundation stability are vastly better than they were when he first arrived.]
Garion rubbed his chin again. "Yeah, but most of what I trained was his body, right?"
Atlas went completely silent.
The tiny chibi avatar simply floated there and stared at him.
Garion slowly looked back. "What?"
Atlas’s little eyebrow twitched.
[Don’t tell me that after owning God Gym for this long, you still haven’t understood this.]
Garion frowned. "Understood what?"
Atlas raised both tiny hands in disbelief.
[God Gym training is not ordinary physical exercise, you idiot.]
Garion blinked.
Atlas continued before he could interrupt.
[When a cultivator trains their body through God Gym’s facilities, supplements, recovery systems, gravity environments, disaster zones, and specialized equipment, they are not only strengthening muscle.]
Atlas began counting on his tiny fingers.
[Their mana circulation improves. Their energy vessels become more resilient. Their soul develops greater endurance against pressure. Their recovery becomes faster. Their willpower strengthens. Even their cultivation foundation becomes more stable because the entire body becomes better at carrying and controlling power.]
Garion stared at him for a moment. "Oh."
Atlas’s face immediately went blank.
Garion slowly nodded as realization settled in. "So that’s why our customers become so ridiculously strong."
Atlas slapped one tiny hand against his forehead.
[How the hell are you the owner of God Gym?]
Garion chuckled and casually shoved both hands into his pockets. "Because I’m the chosen one."
Atlas stared at him in silence.
[I regret explaining anything to you.]