Floor 110 opened beneath a sky full of unopened buds.

The ground was an orchard, but unlike the Red Orchard of Chosen Children, this place was quiet. Thousands of young trees grew in orderly rows. Each tree had a name plaque, but many plaques were blank. Some trees were protected by cages. Some were tied to stakes. Some were overfed with glowing liquid. Some were left dry.

At the center stood the Eleventh Gate, wrapped in branches.

A panel appeared.

[Floor 110: Eleventh Gate — The Future Orchard]

[Main Mission]

Open the Eleventh Gate without stealing the future of the young trees.

[Trial Themes]

Protection.

Ambition.

Talent timing.

Parental fear.

Child choice.

[Warning]

Those who love children may still steal their futures by deciding too much.]

Qin Mo looked uncomfortable.

"This gate attacks good intentions."

Qin Yuheng nodded.

Those were often the hardest.

The first trial showed parents who caged trees to protect them from storms. The trees survived but never grew strong roots.

Qin Yuheng removed the cages, built windbreaks instead, and allowed controlled exposure.

First lock opened.

The second trial showed elders pouring excessive growth liquid into promising trees. They became tall quickly, hollow inside.

He stopped the overfeeding and used Patient Growth tools.

Second lock opened.

The third trial showed neglected trees declared "ordinary." They withered because no one gave basic care. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He restored equal foundational support.

Third lock opened.

The fourth trial showed children forced into family ambitions. A sword tree tied into spear shape. A healing tree forced to bear war fruit. A shadow tree painted gold.

Qin Yuheng cut the shaping wires.

Fourth lock opened.

The final trial showed Qin Yuze and Qin Xue’er as trees.

Qin Yuze’s tree burned crimson, eager to grow into a spear.

Qin Xue’er’s tree shimmered with silver-blue light, branches reaching toward stars and moon.

The gate asked:

[Define their future.]

Qin Yuheng’s eyes cooled.

"No."

The gate waited.

He continued.

"I prepare soil. I protect roots. I remove thieves. I do not define their final shape."

The fifth lock opened.

Then the guardian appeared.

[Future Orchard Guardian]

[Level Equivalent: 68]

[Type:

Protective control / ambition theft / fear cage authority]

The guardian looked like a kind elder made of branches and chains.

It did not speak cruelly.

It spoke gently.

"Cage them before enemies reach them."

Qin Yuheng refused.

"Feed them power before rivals surpass them."

Refused.

"Choose their path before they choose wrongly."

Refused.

"Hide them forever."

Refused.

"Use them for the family. The family protects them."

Qin Yuheng’s voice became cold.

"The family does not own their futures."

The battle began.

The guardian’s attacks were protective cages, ambition grafts, fear roots, and golden family chains. Qin Yuchen cut cages. Qin Lian severed fear roots. Qin Mo broke overgrowth arrays. Qin Yuheng used the Living Values Compass to distinguish protection from possession.

At the final moment, the guardian trapped Qin Yuheng in an illusion: Qin Yuze dead because he was allowed to fight; Qin Xue’er stolen because she was allowed outside.

The fear was sharp.

But fear could not become law.

Qin Yuheng used the Continue Path Crystal.

Their futures remained unwritten.

He shattered the illusion and pierced the guardian’s heart.

The branch chains fell.

The Eleventh Gate opened.

[Future Orchard Guardian defeated.]

[Child futures preserved as open paths.]

[Eleventh Gate cleared.]

[Final Evaluation greatly increased.]

The settlement reward was SSS.

Key rewards:

[SSS Grade Open Future Child Protection Seed]

[SSS Grade Protection Without Possession Crystal]

[SS Grade Talent Path Soil Stabilizer]

[SS Grade Fear Cage Severing Thorn]

[SS Grade Family Ambition Purification Water]

When Qin Yuheng returned and explained the trial, Mu Qinglan’s eyes softened.

"Good," she said. "Remember this when Xue’er grows."

Qin Wanshan nodded.

"Remember it when Yuze asks to fight."

Qin Zhengyuan added, "Remember it when the family asks too much of you."

That final sentence struck deeper.

Qin Yuheng was also a child of the Qin family.

Older now.

Stronger.

But still someone whose future could be stolen by love, fear, duty, or ambition.

The Protection Without Possession Crystal was installed near the House of Living Roots Crystal.

The Qin family protection system gained another principle:

Protect futures without owning them.

This was perhaps the hardest rule for powerful families.

But the Qin family would need it if it wanted to rise without becoming another cage.