As Kael's golden aura flared, the System's interface pulsed in the corner of Fang Yuan's vision, flooding his mind with the hidden lore of this realm.
This was the Obsidian Iron World, but its name was a lie. Thousands of years ago, it was a lush, vibrant star. But it had been discovered by the Azure Sect from the Higher Realms. They didn't save it; they enslaved it. They planted the "Sacred Obsidian Tree" not to give life, but to act as a Siphon. The tree spent centuries sucking the life force out of the planet, condensing it into a single, concentrated crystalline core: The Heart of the Obsidian.
And Kael? Kael was the "Farmer."
The Starlight Physique wasn't a blessing; it was a tracking beacon. The Azure Sect "bred" heroes in their vassal worlds, feeding them just enough luck to gather the world's remaining essence. Once Kael absorbed the Heart today, he was supposed to be "recruited" by the Sect, where they would eventually harvest the energy from his very body, leaving this world a hollow, lifeless rock.
Fang Yuan was meant to be the "Villainous Sacrifice" to trigger Kael's emotional breakthrough.
"You think you're fighting for this world, Kael?" Fang Yuan's voice was like grinding stone. He didn't even look as Kael launched himself forward, a trail of golden starlight following his fist. "You are just the basket they use to carry the fruit. And once the fruit is delivered, the basket is burned."
Kael's fist struck an invisible wall of dark, swirling Qi inches from Fang Yuan's chest. The impact sent a shockwave that shattered the nearby obsidian roots, but Fang Yuan didn't budge.
"The Azure Sect told you that you were special," Fang Yuan continued, his hand finally closing around the Heart of the Obsidian. The crystal shrieked, its rhythm syncing with Fang Yuan's dark core. "But I've seen the end of your script. You die in a cold laboratory in the Higher Realms, wondering why your 'Gods' abandoned you."
"Shut up!" Kael roared, his golden aura turning a violent, unstable crimson. "I'll save everyone! I'll save Maya! I'll save this world!"
Fang Yuan finally turned his gaze toward the boy. It was a look of pure, clinical pity. "To save a world, you must first own it. And you, Kael... you own nothing. Not even your own fate."
With a brutal tug, Fang Yuan ripped the Heart of the Obsidian from the tree's bark.
The ground beneath them groaned in agony. The twilight sky outside the chamber began to crack, bleeding crimson light as the planet's life support was severed.
[System Alert: World Core Plundered. 70% of World Fate redirected to Host. Initiating 'The Great Devour'.]
"Now," Fang Yuan whispered as the Heart dissolved into his palm, "let's see how your 'justice' handles the weight of a collapsing world."