Aksai’s Scarecrow puppets struck fear into the hearts of both his enemies and allies as they were effectively utilized in battle.
He also dispatched some of his Scarecrow puppets to guard the palace entrance. Consequently, those who attempted to flee after Lin Sahu’s defeat met their demise.
The martial artists of the Temple of Guardian realized too late that they had been lured into Everwood Palace by Aksai’s strategy. It was akin to entering a purgatory from which escape seemed impossible, at least while they remained alive.
Aksai and his Scarecrow puppets launched a vicious attack for a reason. The Spirit farmer aimed to instill fear in his allies, ensuring they never thought about betraying him ever again.
Aksai employed fear as a tool of psychological control to keep his allies in check. Just like what Lin Sahu had done, albeit in a better way than her to some extent.
Once Aksai had demonstrated his power, he withdrew his Scarecrow puppets, allowing the palace guards to confront the remaining enemies.
This presented Aksai with an opportunity to train and strengthen his forces. He capitalized on Lin Sahu’s assault to unlock the latent combat potential of his martial artists. After all, he needed all the help he could get when he attacked the corrupted druid. He needed trained martial artists who could charge with him at the city center.
It took approximately half an hour for the chaos in Everwood Palace to subside. The once-green garden grass was now stained red with the blood of fallen martial artists. Numerous areas lay in ruins from the explosive qi-based attacks, with the lingering scent of blood pervading the air.
As the palace guards prepared to celebrate the apparent end of the battle, Aksai redirected their focus to the Temple of Guardian’s base, instructing them to follow him. He aimed to obliterate the Temple of Guardian and seize its Martial Intent Diagram.
Aksai and his cohorts swiftly seized control of the Temple of Guardian’s base, leaving more bloodshed and lifeless bodies in their wake.
Only after attacking the Temple of Guardian’s base did Aksai realize that Lin Sahu and her allies were in desperate straits. They had suffered heavy losses during a failed attempt to procure food supplies from a particularly dangerous zone.
A group of late-stage Spirit Refining level tree devils had caught them off guard, dealing a severe blow to Lin Sahu’s organization.
Consequently, Lin Sahu launched an assault on Everwood Palace, seeking to absorb the martial artists and resources under Aksai’s command. However, she hadn’t anticipated the plan backfiring on her.
***
While his subordinates and allies were settling the matters outside after a fierce battle, Aksai swiftly located the martial arts school’s treasury.
It was supposed to be securely sealed with qi-based mechanisms to prevent unauthorized entry. However, Aksai effortlessly bypassed the protection mechanisms using Spirit-essence-based talismans and Spirit spells.
Before long, Aksai stood in the enemy’s treasury room.
“Hehehe. Finally found it,” Aksai remarked as he picked up a worn-out-looking tome made of various light brown parchments bound together with a dark red rope. This tome was the Martial Intent Diagram related to Guardian’s Qi that Aksai had been seeking for quite some time.
What was the Martial Intent Diagram?
It was a set of diagrams, unlike anything Aksai had ever seen before. These diagrams bore a resemblance to the famous “Vitruvian Man” painting from Aksai’s previous world but with a profound and mysterious twist.
They depicted the intricate flow of qi within the human body during the execution of Guardian’s Qi techniques. Each diagram showcased the precise manipulation of qi energy at a minute level, illustrating how practitioners could control and direct their qi to enhance their defensive capabilities to the fullest.
“I… I get it. So that’s how it is,” Aksai muttered, gaining profound insights into Guardian’s Qi as soon as he laid his eyes on the Martial Intent Diagram. Yet, many questions remained regarding the depictions in the diagram set.
But that wasn’t all.
Aksai could also faintly sense that studying these diagrams had stimulated his Third-Eye Gate. It was as if these diagrams held a certain intent that affected him on a psychological level, making him aware of various intricacies related to Guardian’s Qi consciously, subconsciously, and even unconsciously.
Studying these diagrams briefly, Aksai marveled at their complexity and depth. They revealed secrets of Guardian’s Qi that he had never before comprehended, unlocking new levels of understanding and mastery.
As he glanced at each diagram, he gained insight into refining his techniques and improving his ability to protect himself and others.
“Haha. This… This Intent Diagram fell into my hands at the perfect time. Now I know for sure that I need to acquire all the remaining Martial Intent Diagrams as well,” Aksai thought to himself as he stored the worn-out book in his storage space.
Aksai needed to delve deeply into studying the Martial Intent Diagram to fully comprehend it. Then, he needed to apply the concepts he had gained from the diagram into practice, aligning his body with the refined martial arts’ qi-flow. Only then could he unlock mastery-level Guardian’s Qi for himself.
“It’s time to secure the remaining Martial Intent Diagrams. And I cannot be passive in acquiring them. I must instigate conflicts myself if I have to obtain them,” Aksai thought to himself, his eyes narrowing with a cold glare.
The Martial Intent Diagrams were bound to become invaluable tools in Aksai’s quest for martial prowess. They could serve as guides, aiding him in harnessing the full potential of his mixed martial arts and elevating his combat skills to unprecedented heights.
Ultimately, mastering these martial arts could facilitate Aksai’s smooth transition into the Argent Body Realm. Why would he not do anything and everything in his capacity to get a hold of them?
***
A year passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Aksai devoted all his energy and efforts to acquiring the remaining Martial Intent Diagrams. He used ration supplies as bait and his growing power as a deterrent to subdue the remaining martial arts schools.
Master Wen Wei, who had taught qi-based sword arts to Aksai, challenged him to a death duel to determine ownership of his school’s Martial Intent Diagram.
Leveraging his skills as a mixed martial artist, Aksai emerged victorious against Jin Jolan. Despite his victory, he spared Jin Jolan’s life and obtained the Martial Intent Diagram for Sword Qi Arts. he also assured that his school would receive a fixed supply of food every month to sustain the school’s fighting force.
Master Jin Jolan’s School of Flowing Winds capitulated entirely to Aksai’s demands when he promised ample food supplies for its people. Aksai smoothly obtained the Martial Intent Diagram for Qi Flow Arts.
In dealing with Lin Lan of Lotus Pavilion, Aksai pursued a different approach. He offered her months of food supplies for her entire school in exchange for a mere glance at the Martial Intent Diagram for White Golden Palm Arts.
Lin Lan readily agreed, assuming Aksai wouldn’t glean much from a brief examination of the diagrams. However, Aksai utilized methods from his home world to capture the Intent imbued in the diagrams. He then recorded the actual diagrams using his neural link fabric.
However, not every acquisition was without resistance. Aksai was forced to kill Master Zen Hao from Dragon’s Roar Academy to obtain the Martial Intent Diagram for Qi Fist Arts.
Aksai didn’t want to kill too many citizens trapped inside Devil’s Den, fearing retaliation from the corrupted druid due to the dwindling numbers of his prey. However, sparing Zen Hao was not on the table due to his stubbornness.
In just one year, Aksai employed every tool and method at his disposal to acquire multiple Martial Intent Diagrams. He also dedicated his free time to studying them. Whenever Everwood Palace or his allies needed food supplies replenished, Aksai would return to his home world Dadangar, restock, and return to Martial World Sharang.
The thorough study of Martial Intent Diagrams proved invaluable for a mixed martial artist like Aksai. Thanks to this study, he achieved Bronze Body Perfection within a year, needing only a final push to enter the Argent Body Realm.
Once Aksai ensured he was thoroughly prepared and had amassed sufficient force, he decided to besiege the Grand Martial Hall.
His primary objective was the Martial Compendium it safeguarded. Mastery of the Martial Compendium would accelerate Aksai’s body cultivation journey, allowing him to reach the coveted Argent Body realm.
Aksai determined that achieving the Argent Body Realm was necessary before confronting the corrupted druid. He wanted to be absolutely sure of his survival before he decided to attack the true puppet master of the tree devils.
This was the final step in the meticulously laid plan he had been crafting for some time.
