Despite the Grand Abbots words, John remained calm. If he was not worthy of the World Dimension Seed, then no one was. If that was the case, then the World Dimension Seed was impossible to obtain, and there was nothing he could do about it.
The Grand Abbot studied John, noticing his calmness, and nodded to himself in approval. His gaze shifted back to the World Seed as he continued answering John's questions.
"While this type of World Seed is the rarest, in the vast expanse of the cosmos, there are many of these types of seeds," the Grand Abbot continued. "Such worlds are the most coveted, and many terrifyingly strong powers have established themselves on such worlds. They harvest these world seeds regularly, helping their young geniuses who manage to obtain it thrive."
"Wait," John spoke up. He was surprised to hear the Grand Abbot speak about other worlds so casually, as if he had been to such worlds before, but that didn't surprise John too much. He had already known about the existence of other worlds from his true mother, and could also tell there was much more to the Grand Abbot than he revealed.
"If there are other worlds that regularly harvest such World Dimension Seeds, then why is this one still unclaimed? Surely it can't be that hard?" John asked.
The Grand Abbot smiled, like the smile of a parent when asked a basic question from their child.
"The powers that do so are some of the pinnacle powers of the universe," the Grand Abbot replied. "And thus their geniuses are at the pinnacle as well. Their geniuses cannot be compared to the geniuses of a backwater world like this."
John frowned, his suspicions confirmed.
'So this world truly is weak when compared to what's out there,' he thought. And yet, he was struggling against the powers of this world, some of them strong enough to make him see almost no hope forward at all.
"But that is only half of the reason," the Grand Abbot continued. "As a World Dimension Seed grows, it becomes stronger, and thus its requirements grow as well. The World Dimension Seeds obtained by those powers are periodically harvested, before the seeds grow to a level that even their geniuses cannot obtain."
The Grand Abbot shifted his gaze from John to the seed.
"This World Seed, however, has been growing for over half a million years, unclaimed by anyone that entire time."
John's eyes went wide.
Half a million years! He could hardly fathom such a timeframe.
"And thus, it has grown to a level that it may be impossible for anyone to obtain," the Grand Abbot said, his gaze narrowing slightly, as if he were troubled by this fact. "If outside powers were to learn of this unclaimed World Seed, it would bring a calamity to this world without a doubt, as all would seek to obtain it."
"How would that bring a calamity?" John asked. "The seed can be taken without a problem, so wouldn't they just come, take it if they could, and then leave?"
"No," the Grand Abbot shook his head lightly. "For one to be recognized by a World Dimension Seed, they must also be born of it. And so the powers that would descend on this world would establish themselves permanently here, raising geniuses with the hopes of claiming the World Seed. It would be a boon to them, but a calamity to everyone else."
John frowned. So many potential headaches, and now he had another one. The Grand Abbot said only those born of the World Dimension Seed could obtain it, and that was a big problem. He was not born from this World Dimension Seed, but was instead born on another world entirely.
'Is this going to stop me from obtaining it before I can even try?' John thought, his worry growing. That would be disastrous.
"What does a World Dimension Seed even do for a cultivator?" John asked. The Grand Abbot said it was an incomparable heavenly treasure, but it if's purpose was useless to John, then he would not concern himself with not being able to obtain it.
"That you will find out once you ascend to the World Expansion Realm," the Grand Abbot answered vaguely. John frowned. That didn't help at all.
"And what if I'm not born of this world? Is there any chance to still obtain the World Dimension Seed?" John asked, unsure if he should say such a thing. Reveal such a secret.
But he had no choice. If the World Seed denied him for this reason, the Grand Abbot would no doubt figure it out at that time. He needed to know if there was a way to obtain the seed despite his situation.
The Grand Abbot's eyes widened with surprise. He had not expected this at all.
"Not of this world?" the Grand Abbot said. "Then what world are you from?"
"I don't know," John shook his head, "but I know that I was not born of this world. That is as much as I can tell you."
The Grand Abbot fell silent, staring at John for a while. He sighed, as if disappointed by what John had told him.
"Then it is most likely futile for you to even try to obtain the seed," the Grand Abbot said with much disappointment. John felt his heart sink.
"The only other way to receive its acceptance is to be part of this world for a long time, nurtured by the energy it releases into the world," the Grand Abbot said, sighing. "But by the time one had been accepted by the World Seed, they have either advanced beyond the World Expansion Realm, or are too untalented to be accepted by the Seed. Either way, it is futile."
The Grand Abbot sighed again and shook his head to himself.
"We best be leaving then," he said to John. "The World Dimension Seed does not like the presence of outsiders, and it will not tolerate your presence for much longer. If you move any closer to it, it will smite you instantly."
He placed his hand on John's shoulder, as if about to teleport them both out of the realm.
"Wait," John exclaimed, his heart racing with hopeful anxiousness.
The Grand Abbot paused, staring at him.
"How long would I need to live on this world to be accepted by the World Seed?" John asked firmly.
"At least ten thousand years, if not more," the Grand Abbot said, not sure why John would even ask such a thing.
John's smile widened, surprising the Grand Abbot. Why would he smile when he had just learned he could not even try to obtain one of the most heavenly treasures in existence.
"Then there's no need to leave," John said, his tone firm yet joyful. The Grand Elder narrowed his gaze, skeptical.
"Child, you will be killed by the World Dimension Seed if you attempt to obtain it as an outsider," he warned.
"But I'm not an outsider anymore," John said, a wide smile on his face. "After all, I've lived here for hundreds of thousands of years already."
The Grand Abbot scowled at John, a rare sign of disapproval on his usually calm face. This was not the time to joke around, nor was this the place to desecrate with such crash jokes either.
He was about to chastise John and forcefully remove him from the world, but John moved forward towards the World Dimension Seed without warning. The Grand Abbot's eyes went wide.
"Child! Stop!" he said, his words cutting off before he could finish. John moved towards the seed, quickly passing the area of sure death for outsiders, and moving within.
There was no rejection from the World Dimension Seed. It welcomed John as one of its own.
"How is this possible?"