Sirina stood at a distance, watching Aksai choose a cultivation technique for himself.
‘How much longer is he going to take?’ she thought, sighing. It had already been over three hours.
Sirina had to say that Aksai was the most difficult newbie Foundation Building cultivator she had ever dealt with. She was certain that anyone else in his position would have accepted her offer to become her fellow disciple immediately.
‘Hmph! What is wrong with this man? Am… am I not beautiful enough for him? He didn’t even pay attention to me,’ she couldn’t help thinking, a frown forming on her face.
Aksai had been very focused on his cultivation for the past few years. After spending his time with his maids, he had gotten his desires out of the system. As such, he didn’t pay any attention to Sirina on a personal level while interacting with her, which ended up bothering the latter.
After all, Sirina was a striking woman in her early thirties. She stood tall with an apt feminine build, her posture always impeccable. Her skin was smooth and porcelain-toned, giving her an ethereal appearance.
Her hair was a lustrous shade of raven black, cascading in silky waves down to her mid-back, adorned with a few delicately designed silver pins. Her eyes were a captivating shade of violet, sharp and observant, always seeming to see more than she let on.
Her facial features were finely chiseled, and her lips were full and often set in a knowing smile. She wore a simple yet rich-looking robe in the colors and patterns that highlighted her status as Lord Moyun’s disciple—rich purple trimmed with silver.
Aksai, unaware of Sirina’s thoughts, took his time to shortlist the cultivation techniques before choosing a final winner. Satisfied with his choice, he informed Sirina that he’d go with Sun-Moon Duality. He also paid 6,000 spirit stones in exchange.
Although Sirina and Aksai had established a formal agreement, it didn’t mean that Aksai would get a top-quality Foundation Establishment level cultivation technique for free. He was only allowed to buy the technique from Lord Moyun’s collection, and he had to pay a suitable price for it.
‘Maybe I can talk to my elder brother Jaya and ask him to invest in Aksai. I’m sure this man won’t be able to say no to joining us if we give him a taste of some privileged benefits that are only accessible to us as disciples of our master,’ Sirina thought to herself as she greeted Aksai with a smile.
She praised Aksai’s choice and shared a few additional insights about the cultivation technique he had selected.
Upon receiving the sum of spirit stones, Sirina excused herself and went into the inner section of the second floor. The techniques currently displayed for Aksai were only abridged versions of their original counterparts. The complete techniques would only be available after he chose which cultivation technique he wanted to settle on.
Sirina soon returned with a new jade slip in her hand that contained the full version of the cultivation technique. “Here’s your 2nd-order cultivation technique, Sun Moon Duality, Expert Aksai,” she said as she handed the jade slip to him.
“Thank you,” Aksai smiled, bowing as he received the jade slip. He then carefully placed it in his storage ring. After talking some more with Sirina, Aksai took his leave, leaving her alone on the second floor.
Soon, a spatial fluctuation occurred on the second floor, and a man stepped out of an illusory veil. He looked in the direction where Aksai had gone, a contemplative expression on his face. This man was Jaya, one of the early disciples of Lord Moyun and a contender to become his successor.
Jaya was a striking figure with an air of authority and wisdom. He appeared to be in his early 40s, thanks to his well-established cultivation base, despite being over 100 years old.
His hair was a sleek, deep black with a few streaks of silver, adding to his distinguished look. His sharp, piercing eyes were a dark shade of brown, exuding a sense of depth and contemplation.
Jaya’s facial features were chiseled, with a strong jawline and high cheekbones. He wore elegant, flowing robes in deep purple and gold, signifying his high status as one of Lord Moyun’s early disciples. His presence was commanding, yet there was a serene, almost regal quality to him.
“Senior brother Jaya, what do you think of him?” Sirina asked curiously, approaching Jaya swiftly as soon as he revealed himself. Jaya was not only her senior brother but also the leader of the faction she belonged to. His approval was necessary to bring Aksai into their fold.
“It seems you are quite interested in bringing him into our fold,” Jaya said with a slight smile, looking toward the second floor’s exit.
“Of course,” Sirina nodded before clapping her hands in excitement.
“Aksai Everwood is a Foundation Builder with no previous ties to any of our enemies. I’ve heard he is also a 2nd-order talisman maker. They say that he is also a skilled Spirit farmer and Spirit gardener. They say that he is not much of a fighter but it is only natural considering his background as a rental Spirit farmer.
And it’s not like we lack people when it comes to fighting on the frontline. Sometimes a calm person is needed in the rear to support the frontline. We should invest in him. He didn’t like the conditions we offered him, so we can just—”
Sirina was about to continue, but Jaya shook his head, cutting her off. “It is not necessary, junior sister. We don’t need him,” he said, turning to face her, his voice firm.
Sirina, silenced by Jaya’s abrupt refusal, looked at him with obvious displeasure.
“This is not fair. Wasn’t it you, senior brother, who told me to try to recruit some good Foundation Building Experts into our fold? And now, when I finally found one, you are saying no. Why?” she asked, her tone laced with frustration.
Compared to Jaya, Sirina interacted with Aksai more closely. She couldn’t quite pinpoint which quality she especially liked about him. However, her subconscious mind told her that Aksai was the best thing that could happen to their faction.
If only Jaya saw the same things in Aksai as she did…