"Fragment? Spirit?" Hearing Grandma Huo's words, Lin Qian furrowed his brow even more deeply, his confusion growing. He didn't understand.
Could it be that this space was a fragment of something—perhaps a soul artifact? And Grandma Huo was the spirit of this soul artifact, inhabiting the fragment?
Once the idea took root in his mind, Lin Qian couldn't shake it. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
"So, this space is actually a fragment of a soul artifact, and Grandma Huo, you are the artifact spirit residing within this fragment?" Lin Qian voiced his guess, hoping to confirm his theory with Grandma Huo.
Instead of answering directly, Grandma Huo chuckled and countered with a question, "What do you think, child?"
Seeing that she had turned the question back on him, Lin Qian smiled. "Since Grandma says so, it seems likely. To still give birth to you after being shattered, this soul artifact must have been extraordinary."
"Hahaha…" Grandma Huo laughed softly, shaking her head as she responded, "No, no. While this is indeed a fragment, it is not a fragment of a soul artifact."
Lin Qian's eyes flashed with realization. "Then I understand. It must be a fragment of a Yuan Artifact. I wonder which human master was able to forge such a powerful Yuan Artifact."
Hearing this, Grandma Huo laughed again and said, "No, I'm not the spirit of a Yuan Artifact either. Child, you haven't flattered me this time."
Grandma Huo's playful response made Lin Qian smile bitterly and shake his head.
He had thought that if Grandma Huo was the spirit of a Yuan Artifact, praising the artifact would flatter her. But unfortunately, he was entirely wrong.
This only deepened Lin Qian's curiosity. What exactly was this fragment? And what kind of spirit was Grandma Huo?
Seeing Lin Qian's bewildered expression, Grandma Huo decided not to keep him in suspense any longer. She spoke directly, "The fragment I'm referring to is the entire Soul Martial Continent, and I am the Earth Spirit of this fragment."
"..." Lin Qian fell silent after hearing her explanation. Though he wanted to understand, the revelation stunned him.
The fragment was actually the Soul Martial Continent itself?
How could that be possible?
However, Lin Qian quickly composed himself. Looking at Grandma Huo, he asked, "Grandma, if the entire Soul Martial Continent is a fragment, then what exactly is it a fragment of?"
After posing the question, Lin Qian watched Grandma Huo closely, observing her reaction.
It was clear that Grandma Huo had no intention of hiding anything from him. She promptly explained, "The Soul Martial Continent is a fragment of the Xuan Yan Star in the Celestial Realm."
...
Grandma Huo's words left Lin Qian speechless, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at her.
The Soul Martial Continent is a fragment of the Xuan Yan Star from the Celestial Realm?
In other words, the Soul Martial Continent was once part of the Celestial Realm.
What shocked Lin Qian even more was the revelation that the Celestial Realm existed at all. Could such a place really be real?
But then Lin Qian quickly shook his head, looking at Grandma Huo. "That's impossible. If the Celestial Realm truly exists and the Soul Martial Continent is a fragment of a Celestial Star, then the beings on the continent should be considered mere mortals."
"A fragment of a Celestial Star should be incredibly strong. So why is it that during the ancient wars, those so-called mortals were able to wreak such havoc on the Soul Martial Continent, leaving it in ruins? If it's truly land from the Celestial Realm, it shouldn't be possible to damage it..."
As Lin Qian spoke, he suddenly stopped, his thoughts freezing in place.
He remembered the underground world, where the deeper one went, the harder the land became.
At the same time, Lin Qian recalled the strange ruins beneath the Western Continent, whose durability had been beyond comprehension.
Moreover, the level of cultivation civilization in those ruins was far more advanced than anything on the Soul Martial Continent. Lin Qian began to piece things together and gain some understanding.
Now, Lin Qian realized why the Dark Lord had been so intent on conquering the Soul Martial Continent. The Dark Lord must have known that the continent was a fragment of Celestial land.
That was why he had gone to such lengths to try and seize control of the Soul Martial Continent.
When Lin Qian looked at Grandma Huo again, his expression became complicated. This old lady was, in essence, the spirit born from the entire Soul Martial Continent.
"How strange... The Soul Martial Continent should be considered a star by now, right? But can a star produce something like an artifact spirit?" Lin Qian was perplexed.
Seeing Lin Qian's confusion, Grandma Huo responded matter-of-factly, "After all, this was once part of the Xuan Yan Star in the Celestial Realm, part of its land. Since it's a Celestial object, it naturally possesses properties beyond the ordinary. So why couldn't it give rise to an Earth Spirit?"
"An Earth Spirit..." Lin Qian glanced at Grandma Huo, then at the fire tree, slowly beginning to understand.
Now, Lin Qian understood why the fire tree gave him such a strong sense of danger. It, too, must have originated from the Celestial Realm, which explained the immense pressure it exerted on him.
Afterward, Lin Qian sought more detailed explanations from Grandma Huo, asking her to elaborate on what an Earth Spirit truly was.
Grandma Huo patiently explained.
All things have a spirit. Since the Soul Martial Continent was a fragment of Celestial land, it eventually gave birth to a spirit. This type of spirit, born from an entire world, was called an Earth Spirit.
An Earth Spirit could greatly enhance the concentration of spiritual energy in the world and could manipulate the star's energy to form defensive barriers, protecting the land.
However, an Earth Spirit's role was limited to defense. It couldn't do much beyond that and would spend most of its time in a dormant state.
From Lin Qian's perspective, Grandma Huo, as an Earth Spirit, seemed more like a protective mascot. Her primary function was defense.
But Lin Qian soon learned that without Grandma Huo's protection, the Soul Martial Continent would have already been reduced to ruins.
The Dark Lord had been eyeing the continent for a long time. If it weren't for Grandma Huo's full defensive efforts, preventing him from entering, the Soul Martial Continent's inhabitants would have long been slaughtered.
"But now, I can no longer hold on. So I've decided to see if you can become my master," Grandma Huo said, startling Lin Qian with her unexpected words.