Aksai took a deep breath, savoring the crisp, revitalized air of the cave.
“First, let me change to my regular form.”
With a thought, he reverted back to his original appearance. His druid form was retracted, leaving him looking like the Aksai he was used to seeing in the mirror.
First things first, he thought. He cast a few simple Spirit spells, feeling the ease with which his Spirit essence responded.
A cleansing spell whisked away the grime and sweat from his skin, leaving him feeling fresh. Another spell tidied up the remnants of his breakthrough attempt, restoring the cave to its pristine state.
“Why… Why do I feel like I’m sensing this world around me for the first time? Or was this world always so bright and it was only now that I could process its beauty for it is?” Aksai asked himself and smiled.
He then donned a new set of clothes. The fabric felt smoother against his skin, and his movements felt more fluid and effortless. The long robes he put on afterward completed his transformation back to the composed, understated cultivator he was known as.
Aksai marveled at the changes within him. “I’m definitely different from any ordinary Foundation Building Expert,” he mused, flexing his fingers and feeling the Spirit essence surge in response. The ease at which he could cast Spirit spells was astonishing. It was as if the Spirit essence itself recognized his will, flowing more freely and powerfully than ever before.
Aksai performed some martial arts in the cave just to get the hang of his new status as a Foundation Building Expert. And he had to say that he loved every minute of it.
He felt lighter, more nimble. His body seemed to move with a newfound grace, and his mind was sharper. His cognitive abilities had been enhanced, allowing him to process information with remarkable speed and clarity.
His Spirit Sense extended to cover up to a 100-meter radius around him, a vast improvement from his previous range.
Even his neural link fabric had been upgraded. The speed at which it analyzed the world around him had increased significantly. Data flowed in and out with seamless precision, giving him an almost instinctive understanding of his surroundings.
“I had heard that most Foundation Building Experts could only have a Spirit Sense range of up to 80 meters and their lifespan would only increase by one fold, allowing them to live up to 200 years. Compared to them, my foundation as a Spirit cultivator is much more profound. The druid bloodline has a hand to play in it, no doubt. But my body cultivation path has also played its role,” Aksai thought to himself as he tidied his hair.
“No wonder the Foundation Building Experts are treated like lords even by the Spirit Refining Perfectionists. The way I feel right now, I can take on even tens of them without breaking a sweat,” Aksai thought to himself. If he were to fight with those seven Spirit Refining Perfectionists at this point, he knew that he would come out unscathed from the battle.
He stood in the center of the cave, a small smile playing on his lips. He could sense every blade of grass, every stone, and every drop of water within his Spirit Sense’s reach. The world felt more alive, more connected to him.
“All my preparations and investments were worth it,” Aksai quietly said to himself. He clenched his fists and added, “This is the power and clarity I’ve been striving for.”
Aksai was eager to see the changes inside the Everwood farm and the Myriad World Paintings. However, he didn’t dare teleport there directly.
After all, he was in White Mountain City, protected by the 3rd-order Array Formation. What if his teleportation fluctuations triggered some mechanism of the formation and alerted a Core Formation Lord? What if the formation left a residual mark on him before he teleported to his familiar isolated dimension?
There were too many variables and risks inside White Mountain City. Even though Aksai had recently achieved a breakthrough into the Foundation Building realm, he was just a slightly bigger ant in the grand scheme of things.
Aksai decided to go outside the White Mountain City first before checking out the Everwood farmhouse. The Spirit farmer in Aksai was a patient man. He wouldn’t take unnecessary risks just because he had achieved some semblance of success.
***
A few hours earlier.
Aksai’s breakthrough had created a storm of Spirit essence outside his cave. The normally tranquil area erupted with energy, drawing the attention of the caretaker of the 2nd-order caves, an old man who looked to be in his 80s.
He watched in awe as Aksai’s cave was suddenly surrounded by deep, lush vegetation. Mist and spring water fountains appeared, creating a breathtaking scene outside the cave.
“This… I have seen my share of breakthrough phenomena when it comes to the Foundation Building breakthrough events. But this… this somehow feels different.”
The caretaker, a Foundation Building Perfectionist himself, was shocked by the sheer amount of ambient Spirit essence Aksai had managed to arouse with his breakthrough. He felt as if Aksai was some great cultivator, far beyond the norm. The spectacle was unlike anything he had seen before, and it filled him with a mix of admiration and envy.
As the cave’s restrictions were lifted and the giant stone serving as the door was pushed aside, Aksai stepped out with an air of elegance and newfound power. The caretaker, still reeling from the sight of the transformation outside the cave, quickly scurried over to greet Aksai.
“Honored Expert Aksai Everwood,” the caretaker said, bowing deeply. “Congratulations on your breakthrough.”
Aksai chuckled at the caretaker’s subservient attitude. Earlier, the same caretaker had treated him like an insignificant nobody. He hadn’t even paid attention to what Aksai looked like before handing him the access token for the rented cave after receiving payment.
However, Aksai couldn’t blame the caretaker for this earlier behavior or his changed behavior now.
After all, this caretaker must have seen thousands of drifting Spirit Refining Perfectionists trying their luck by renting out the 2nd-order caves.
How many of them succeeded?
Only one in a million would manage to become a Foundation Building Expert.