Chapter 683: My Lady, Wait For My Return

The branches and leaves of the ancient tree in the courtyard swayed gently.

Beneath the ancient tree, a couple leaned against each other on a wicker chair, talking. They savored the warmth of the moment.

A few days later, Javier Sinclair left the Ninefold Abyss. With a wave of his hand, he tore open the void, and his figure disappeared within. Only his voice drifted back slowly.

“My love, wait for my return.”

Celeste Grant stood by the riverbank, which was covered in wildflowers. She looked up at the spot where he had vanished and waved. “Alright, I’ll wait for you! My love, please be safe over there.”

His voice came back.

“I will. I’ll be back soon. I’m leaving now.”

As she watched the rift in the void seal shut, Celeste Grant knew he was truly gone.

After Javier Sinclair left, her life returned to its quiet routine.

With time on her hands, Celeste Grant wandered around her new home, trying to figure out what she could do with the place.

Her home was situated at the very core of the ancient tree. The property was vast, resembling a large mountain resort. The buildings were steeped in the weight of ages, and ancient, timeworn Arrays and runes were etched everywhere.

Not far from her door flowed a river, with a small wooden cabin in the middle perfect for fishing on a lazy day. Nearby, a large meadow bloomed with wildflowers. The entire Ninefold Abyss was sealed off from the outside by an Array Barrier, making it the perfect place for a secluded life, free from worldly disturbances.

Looking at the patch of land by her door, Celeste Grant decided to clear two plots for a garden. ‘I can plant things like baby bok choy and pea shoots. They’re best in hot pot when they’re still tender. I could also plant some chili peppers and tomatoes.’

‘Besides, it’s not like I have anything else to do.’

Celeste Grant got right to it.

The next day, she was back at the patch of land overgrown with wildflowers.

‘Since I’m free anyway,’ she thought, ‘it would be nice to plant something here.’

With a light wave of her hand, she used her Magic. Her sleeves fluttered, and two rectangular plots of land were instantly cleared and tilled. The soil here was high-quality Spirit Stream Soil, which meant anything would grow in it without the need for fertilizer.

She waved her hand again.

Small holes appeared in the freshly tilled earth, perfectly spaced for seeds.

Celeste Grant gently raised her hand, and several bags of seeds materialized, floating in the air before her. Her gaze swept over the small bags; they were clearly labeled, so she could identify the seeds at a glance.

With a flick of her finger, the seeds flew out of the bags as if they had a life of their own, landing neatly in each of the holes.

Baby bok choy, peas, radishes, tomatoes, and chili peppers—she planted them all. She had divided the plots into several sections for each type of vegetable. After the seeds were in place, she waved her hand again, and the soil covered them. This was the true advantage of Cultivation. ‘I can get all this planting done without even touching a shovel.’

After planting the seeds, Celeste Grant felt something was missing.

“Oh, right. They need water,” Celeste Grant murmured. She formed a seal with her hands, and water began to swirl around her. With a snap of her fingers, she cast the Rainfall Skill, and a gentle rain began to patter onto the soil.

After watering the seeds, she gently opened her palm. At that moment, an aura brimming with life force began to radiate from her.

She was casting the All Things Rejuvenation Technique.

It was a Wood Element Skill.

In just a moment, the seeds she had just planted began to sprout, their green shoots poking through the soil. The tender sprouts grew taller, and their leaves unfurled.

A moment later, the two plots before her were filled with rows of fresh baby bok choy and tender pea shoots. The tomato plants had already grown tall, flowered, and were now heavy with fruit. Even the chili plants were lush and leafy, dotted with fresh green and red peppers.

Seeing this, Celeste Grant quickly withdrew her Magic.

‘I only meant for them to sprout a little early!’

Celeste Grant wasn’t in a hurry to eat them, so she had been perfectly content to let the vegetables grow slowly. She never expected that using a Wood Element Skill for just a moment would cause them to fully mature. The tomato and chili plants grew remarkably tall in this soil, and their fruits were large and plump.

Her gaze fell upon the rows of tomatoes.

Celeste Grant walked over and plucked one. A faint, refreshing fragrance filled her senses. She took a bite—it was perfectly sweet and sour. A rich surge of Spiritual Energy washed over her.

“This is delicious! You could eat it just like a Spirit Fruit.”

The sensation was like drinking a glass of iced juice on a hot summer day—a pleasant coolness spreading through her entire body. ‘A tomato of this quality… back in the Mortal Realm, even a dying person could extend their life by twenty years just by eating it.’

Her gaze fell on the tender baby bok choy and pea shoots, and she was suddenly struck by a craving for hot pot. She conjured a bamboo basket out of thin air and walked over to the garden. She began picking the vegetables, pinching off the delicate pea shoots. She also gathered some red chili peppers and a few more tomatoes.

“Perfect. Hot pot for dinner tonight.”

Soon, her basket was full.

Celeste Grant returned to her courtyard and set down the basket. Then, she popped over to the nearby Glacian to catch some seafood. After she had cleaned, sliced, and arranged it all on a platter…

…she felt it still wasn’t enough. ‘I’m still missing some fresh meat.’

Celeste Grant brought her fingers together before her eyes and activated the Sound Transmission Skill. “Nerida, bring some fresh demon beast meat over. We’re slicing it for hot pot tonight. I grew some bok choy and tomatoes today, and they’re incredibly tender. When you come, bring Elder Sawyer and the others with you.”

A voice replied in her ear.

“My Lady, you planted vegetables yourself? You could have just let the servants handle that. Or you could have just called me!”

“Haha…” Celeste Grant laughed. “It’s not the same. I’m experiencing the simple, rustic life, and I’m quite enjoying it. I plan to plant more things later. All that land outside is just sitting there otherwise.”

“That’s true. In that case, I’ll garden with you from now on, My Lady. Then, whenever we want vegetables, we can have them at their absolute freshest.”

Hearing this, Celeste Grant said, “That would be wonderful! From now on, we’ll be the Gardening Ghouls.”

“The Gardening Ghouls! Hahahaha.”

Nerida burst out laughing on the other end.

After her call with Nerida, she thought of her son, who was working away from home as a foreman. She took out her phone to give him a video call.

Her son’s handsome face soon appeared on the screen. Celeste Grant looked at him and asked, “Son, what are you up to?”

He leaned closer to the screen, waved, and said with a smile, “Mom, I’m working on some blueprints.”

Through the screen, Celeste Grant could see that her son was on a precipice between towering cliffs. A green miasma drifted about, and the air was thick with black Demonic Qi. It was clearly not a hospitable place.

She looked from her son to the landscape behind him. “Huh? Son, where is this? Do people actually live in a place like that?”

Aaron Sinclair nodded. “They do! Mom, look behind me. This is the core of a Demonic Qi storm zone. Down in the deep valley below live tens of thousands of citizens of the Demon Realm. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed a place this poor existed in our Demon Realm.”