Enchanted Everwood farm.
Hour of the Shadow Pig. (05:00 AM – 06:00 AM)
An open space in the middle of the farm.
Aksai was seen sitting in the middle of a multifaceted Array Formation.
This formation had been created by superimposing the Stellar Greenwood Yantra with a simple essence-gathering formation.
Loads of spirit stones had been used to maintain the operation of this formation. There was also a supplementary formation that added extra features to the Stellar Greenwood Yantra.
This supplementary formation featured Brain Bonsai plants in its Array Eyes. The four Brain Bonsai Plants in four distinct directions served as a way for Aksai to enhance his mental acuity.
Each of the Brain Bonsai plants had many human brains attached to them, resembling small fruits hanging from the branches. The brains pulsated visibly, and the veins on them bulged, indicating that they were being used by Aksai through the supplementary formation.
Aksai had his eyes closed and was sitting in a deep meditative position. The Stellar Greenwood Yantra had always provided him with filtered-out wood-element Spirit essence to absorb. However, he knew that it wouldn’t be enough tonight.
That’s why he had superimposed the Yantra with an essence-gathering formation to increase the concentration of the ambient Spirit essence artificially. He had enough wealth to support this extravagant form of cultivation for tonight.
By this point, Aksai had completely assimilated all the cultivation inheritances he had gathered. With his mastery in the 1st-order array formation art, superimposing two array formations together and then pairing them with a supplementary formation wasn’t a big deal.
“Rooted deep, yet reaching far,
With the strength of oak and grace of elm,
Grant me thy power, O guardians of the forest,
As I weave the threads of life, let the wood element rise.”
Aksai chanted the mantra from the Stellar Greenwood Tantra with closed eyes, focusing with utmost concentration and dedication.
Utilizing the automated feature of his neural link fabric, he seamlessly performed intricate mudras, weaving them into mysterious hand gestures.
“From the earth, from the sky, from the heart of every tree,
Gather, the essence of the wood, pure and free,
In the circle of the stars, in the dance of the light,
Let the Stellar Greenwood burn bright.”
Continuing with the mantra from the 8th chapter of the Stellar Greenwood Tantra, Aksai navigated through its complexities.
While he couldn’t fully automate his cultivation sessions due to the intricacies of the late-stage Spirit Refining technique, the neural link fabric lightened his load, allowing him to focus on the core aspects of the practice.
“As the canopy shelters, as the saplings grow,
As the ancient oaks stand tall, let my essence flow,
With the rhythm of nature, with the pulse of the land,
Stellar Greenwood, weave thy magic in my hand.”
With each cycle of mudras and chants, spontaneous Essence Equations formed around Aksai, drawn into his body like metal to a magnet. The Spirit essence within him underwent purification and concentration, enhanced by the cultivation technique’s influence.
“By the wisdom of the trees, by the whispers of the wind,
Let the wood element flourish, let its power be untamed,
In harmony and balance, in unity with all,
Stellar Greenwood, heed my call.”
As Aksai concluded the mantra, the Spirit essence within him reached a critical stage of quality and quantity. Nearby plants swayed with newfound vigor, while crops in his farm surged with rapid growth as if captured in a time-lapse from another world.
At this point, Aksai’s surroundings seemed to come alive with energy. Wisps of green light swirled around him, intertwining with the Essence Equations and forming intricate patterns in the air.
Aksai felt a surge of power coursing through his veins, resonating with the ancient energy of the forest. His Spirit Sense expanded, attuning to the subtle vibrations of the natural world around him.
Suddenly, a profound connection to the wood element surged within Aksai, like the awakening of a dormant beast. He could feel the essence of the forest merging with his own, granting him insight and strength beyond measure.
Under the enhanced effects of the Brain Bonsai technique, Aksai saw visions of ancient forests, and mighty trees stretching towards the heavens. These visions added to the Elemental Attainments he had over the wood-type Spirit spells.
In a blinding flash of green light, Aksai ascended to the 9th stage of the Spirit Refining realm. As he opened his eyes, the Spirit farmer knew that he had reached a new pinnacle in his cultivation journey.
[ The semi-automated cultivation ended at the 33rd cycle due to internal changes.
Updated Spirit Cultivation: 9th Stage Spirit Refining Realm ]
Aksai found a Spectral Notification waiting for him in his vision as soon as he opened his eyes. Initially, he considered dismissing it and rising from his seated position but then decided to review his overall progress.
[ Name: Aksai Alden Everwood
Age: 30 years
Estimated lifespan remaining: 109 years
Spirit Cultivation: 9th Stage Spirit Refining Realm
Intra-stage Progress: 0.00001%
Estimated Time Required to Reach Spirit Refining Perfection: 15 years.
Spirit Sense coverage: Around 15 meters
Spirit Cultivation Technique: Stellar Greenwood Tantra (Need more data to optimize the cultivation technique)
Spirit Root: Wood, Earth, and Water Triple Affinity Spirit Root
Spirit Root Aptitude: Low
Talisman Creation Expertise: 2nd Order (Low level). 1st-Order (high-level)
Array Formation Expertise: 1st Order (high-level)
Alchemy Concoction Expertise: 1st Order (high-level)
Artifact Creation Expertise: 1st Order 1st Order (high-level)
Artifact Forging Expertise: 1st Order (Mid-level. Needs more data to rank up to the high-level. Current estimated progress 66%)
Other cultivation arts expertise: Spirit fish farming, demon beast rearing, Spirit horticulture, Spirit wine concoction, Spirit food cooking, Essence Equation writing (Spirit calligraphy), (due to the lack of data, these cultivation arts are deemed unquantifiable) ]
One had to note that the way of Spirit cultivation increased in its difficulty exponentially as one progressed further.
At first, Aksai was expected to break through into the 8th stage Spirit Refining realm within 10 years using the Basic Greenwood Tantra. This estimated time requirement was reduced by four years when he acquired the Stellar Greenwood Tantra.
Aksai’s 9th stage Spirit Refining breakthrough was supposed to occur within 15 years after his initiation into the 8th stage.
However, he had managed to shorten that time as well by stacking his advantages together.
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AN: Hey everyone! We’ve hit a milestone with 100 chapters on A Farmer’s Journey! Huge shoutout to all you amazing readers who’ve been with Aksai every step of the way. And a big thank you to our top fans – you rock!
As a special treat, I’ll be sharing some awesome plotline-related artwork in the comments section of this chapter. Don’t miss out – be sure to take a peek! Cheers. 🙂