Chapter 167: Competitors

Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Competitors

A crisp chime broke the quiet stillness of Rowan’s second-floor bedroom at Sunny Vale. Sitting at his desk after ensuring his mother and father were comfortably settled for an early night’s rest, Rowan turned toward his glowing monitor.

A gold-embossed digital seal from the Imperial Family hummed on the screen, marking an incoming high-priority, encrypted transmission. Unsealing the file, Rowan was greeted by a confidential dossier sent directly by High Command ahead of the Global Awakener’s Tournament.

It was a comprehensive participant list detailing every empire’s chosen prodigies across all divisions. As Rowan scrolled down to the Herbology & Non-Combat Cultivation Division, his sharp eyes landed on several key rivals highlighted in bold red text—the Crown’s flagged top-tier international threats:

The Ding Dynasty — Master Cultivator Tian Yu: A prodigy who had successfully cultivated legendary ancestral flora, producing top-grade Golden Ginseng and Celestial Snow Lotus of exceptional quality that nearly reached S-Grade mana purity.

The French Frontier — Master Truffières Gabriel Bernard: A world-renowned culinary harvester whose top-tier white and black truffles were exclusively imported to every 3-Michelin-starred restaurant worldwide.

Rowan leaned back in his chair, a relaxed, knowing smirk touching his lips as he adjusted his Enchanted Straw Hat.

Tian Yu’s near-S-grade snow lotus and Gabriel Bernard’s world-famous truffles were undeniably impressive achievements backed by ancient regional traditions and global culinary monopolies. To the rest of the world, these master cultivators represented the absolute pinnacle of botanical perfection.

However, Rowan casually glanced over toward the Hoe of the World-Tiller resting against his desk. None of those global prodigies had harvested crops enriched by the subterranean leylines of [Domain: The Virgin Soil], nor had they nourished their soil with a Lv. 5 Breath of Eden or watered their fields with the pure, divine essence of the World Tree.

Closing the classified document with a calm tap of his mouse, Rowan stood up and stretched. The global tournament was shaping up to be far more interesting than he originally thought—and he fully intended to show the entire world what true, uncorrupted primordial cultivation looked like.

***

Downstairs in the warm kitchen, the rich aroma of toasted grain and brewed tea filled the morning air as Rowan joined his parents for breakfast. Martha sat comfortably at the head of the table, sipping warm herbal tea and enjoying a slow morning while Arthur reviewed the official website dashboard on his trade tablet.

Just minutes prior, the public statement had gone live across Eden International’s official portal:

Official Notice: Eden International Operational Update

To our valued patrons and partners:

Owner-Founders Martha and Arthur Vance will be taking a well-deserved break from daily storefront operations to prepare for the arrival of their new child.

Eden International will continue operating at full capacity without interruption. Our flagship location is now staffed by a newly appointed, vetted team dedicated to delivering the pristine standards and high-purity produce you rely on.

"The site notices are already filled with warm congratulations and well-wishes for your mother, Rowan," Arthur smiled, showing the tablet screen with a relieved, proud expression.

"The new store clerks passed every imperial background sweep with pristine marks. They’re already on-site in the commercial district, prepping the misting cases and opening the registers."

Finishing his breakfast, Rowan tipped the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat and headed out the back door to the fifty-acre fields behind their homestead. Guided by his Lv. 5 Breath of Eden and the Hoe of the World-Tiller, he harvested dense rows of Starlight Sun-Tomatoes, plump Azure Dew Berries, and crisp vitality greens pulsating with uncorrupted life force.

Moving into the staging bay, Rowan carefully packed the harvest into sturdy wooden crates custom-lined with soft, protective cotton.

Before latching each lid shut, he lightly misted the crops with a fine spray of Primordial Spring Water, sealing in their vibrant mana density and morning crispness. Once sealed, he loaded the entire batch into the waiting refrigerated transport van, tipped the driver, and sent the vehicle off toward the flagship store.

Standing beside his parents on the porch as the van passed through the protective threshold of the Imperial Grand Array, Rowan felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

For the first time since founding Eden International, his mother could rest comfortably at home without worrying about store operations, knowing their business was thriving, their home was secure, and their future was firmly locked in place.

***

A high-ranking imperial physician, hand-picked by the royal family to oversee the Vance household, arrived at Sunny Vale carrying a suite of advanced diagnostic arrays.

Beginning with Arthur, the doctor initialized a full spiritual and physical scan. As the blue diagnostic runes swept over Arthur’s chest, the physician’s hands began to tremble, his eyes widening in complete disbelief.

The shattered, scarred mana channels that had crippled Arthur were gone. In their place stood a flawless, glowing network of completely healed mana circuits, pulsing with abundant, pristine vitality.

The endless consumption of Rowan’s A-grade domain crops and the regular doses of Primordial Spring Water had not merely repaired his foundation—they had entirely rebuilt it to perfection.

Turning his attention to Martha, the physician ran a gentle vitality scan. The results were equally extraordinary: Martha’s body was in absolute peak condition, her physical channels overflowing with pure life force that perfectly nourished her and the growing baby.

The doctor left the estate shaking his head in awe, marveling at a level of familial health usually reserved for royal bloodlines.

Flexing his hands and feeling the effortless hum of mana surging through his chest for the first time in fifteen years, Arthur stepped out onto the porch. A familiar, long-dormant spark ignited in his mind—a brief impulse to pick up his old weapon and head back into the Tower to test his restored strength against high-tier beasts.

However, as he looked back through the window, his eyes settled on Martha smiling softly while resting her hand on her bump, and Rowan adjusting his Enchanted Straw Hat after another successful harvest.

With Eden International booming across multiple districts and a new child on the way, Arthur smiled warmly to himself. The desire to climb faded entirely, replaced by absolute contentment.

He made the quiet, unshakeable decision to never step foot into the Tower again. His true calling wasn’t conquering floors—it was protecting his family, enjoying his newfound health, and nurturing the peaceful life they had built together at Sunny Vale.