“Aaaaaaargh!”
As Aksai drank the primer liquid, the transformation began almost instantly.
A searing pain erupted throughout his body, causing him to double over in agony.
The bloodline assimilation process was brutal, assaulting both his body and soul with relentless intensity.
The neural link fabric started sending out spectral notifications about the whole process to Aksai even though he couldn’t pay attention to it anymore. Aksai had already programmed the neural link fabric before he drank the primer liquid. As such, it didn’t have to ask for Aksai’s permission to do anything. It could act on its own as per the situation.
[Assimilation with the druid bloodline has begun. No deviation from the initial process has been found.]
Aksai’s muscles ruptured at various points, and internal injuries manifested rapidly. Bones cracked and broke at multiple places, fracturing at unnatural angles.
[ cellular changes are taking place at the nucleic level. Old helix patterns in the cells are getting replaced with the genetic code of the druid bloodline. ]
Blood poured from all seven of his orifices, and his skin turned an extreme red as if he had been dipped in boiling water. Sweat drenched him, and his heartbeat skyrocketed.
[ Dangerous levels of heart beasts. Still, within an expected range for the bloodline assimilation process. ]
The pain stretched his soul from various directions, pushing his mind to the brink of what it could handle. His nails elongated into claws, and a layer of wood and bark began to harden over his skin, covering his entire body.
“Aaaaaaargh!”
His eyes turned beastly, with vertical pupils and a yellow hue, while fangs emerged in his mouth. This monstrous transformation lasted for a couple of minutes, pushing him to his limits.
[ Bloodline assimilation completion: 40%. Elapsed time: 20 minutes]
[ Bloodline assimilation completion: 50%. Elapsed time: 25 minutes]
[ Bloodline assimilation completion: 70%. Elapsed time: 32 minutes]
[ Bloodline assimilation completion: 90%. Elapsed time: 38 minutes]
Gradually, the transformation shifted.
Aksai’s body and soul began to accept the refined druid bloodline. The bark-like skin started to chip and crumble away, shedding like snakeskin. Beneath it, a soft, supple, and youthful skin was revealed, pale with rosy hues, reminiscent of an infant’s.
His amber eyes turned yellowish golden, and his black hair brightened to a vibrant copper color. Runic tattoos in dark blue adorned his torso and limbs, glowing with latent power.
His physique, already impressive from years of martial arts, was enhanced further. His torso became more muscular, his arms bulked up, and his legs transformed into powerful pillars of strength.
[ Bloodline assimilation completion: 95%. Elapsed time: 45 minutes]
As the transformation progressed, Aksai’s face began to change as well. The brutal process that had marred his features with pain now reshaped them into a more handsome and chiseled visage.
His cheekbones became more defined, and his jawline sharpened, giving him a strikingly regal appearance. His eyes, now a yellowish golden, added an otherworldly vibe to his face.
Aksai’s ears elongated and took on an elf-like shape, a clear mark of his new druid bloodline. Because the Spirit farmer had refined the bloodline he had obtained from the corrupted druid, he looked more druid-ish than the dead druid himself.
This change added an otherworldly elegance to his features, making him look majestic and distinctly different from regular humans and even a majority of Spirit cultivators.
At this point, Aksai couldn’t be regarded as a regular human anymore. After tapping into his bloodline transformation, his presence as a druid was unmistakable.
The vitality radiating from his body was palpable, far surpassing that of ordinary mortals and even some of the most talented Spirit cultivators of his generation. It was as if he had obtained some kind of special physique.
[ Bloodline assimilation completion: 99%. Elapsed time: 69 minutes]
The runic tattoos on his torso and limbs glowed with latent power, enhancing his majestic appearance. His torso, now more muscular, and his arms and legs, bulked up into powerful pillars of strength, contributing to his commanding presence.
He now appeared as a mysterious druid, distinguished from the rest of humanity by his enhanced physicality, the radiant vitality coursing through his veins, and the unmistakable mark of his refined druid bloodline.
Aksai’s entire stature increased, giving him the appearance of a strangely calm berserker brimming with vitality. The transformation had not only altered his appearance but had also elevated his physicality and even soul in every aspect.
“It… it looks like it’s finally over.”
Aksai slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the haze of the intense transformation.
The pain that had wracked his body moments ago had subsided, replaced by a sense of newfound strength and vitality. He took a deep breath, savoring the feel of the air filling his lungs, and then rose from his meditative position with a fluid grace.
“I… I have changed alright.”
He wanted to check out the changes within him. However, a notification appeared in front of his eyes that managed to hog all his attention.
[The druid’s curse has been lifted. Current estimated lifespan: 178 years]
“One…. one seventy-eight years! What in the world—”
Aksai was tongue-tied when he looked at the spectral notification highlighting his estimated lifespan, which had been recalibrated after his acquisition of the druid bloodline.
“This druid bloodline is great. Not only has it lifted the druid’s curse off of me but has also increased my lifespan. I can live almost as long as a Foundation Building Expert now while I’m still in the Spirit Refining realm,” Aksai murmured to himself, a mix of shock, relief, happiness, and excitement in his tone.
Aksai could have never imagined that the Spirit bloodline he had obtained after almost 14 years of planning would allow him to break new ground in Spirit cultivation.
After all, a Spirit cultivator was bound by the limitations of their lifespan, which played a huge role in one’s ability to break into the next Spirit cultivation realm.
Aksai had ceased to be a regular human by becoming a druid.
However, as long as he survived, there was practically no bottleneck that could stop him from breaking into the 2nd Spirit cultivation realm.