“This bloodline refinement process is like applying for a medical procedure that requires me to have a permanent address.”
Aksai mused to himself, smiling lightly as he drew parallels between his current world and his previous life.
“I can’t really apply for the procedure if I don’t have a permanent address. Thankfully, I have the Myriad Worlds Painting, which is like a recreational vehicle that can go anywhere and yet still act like my home.
And if the Myriad Worlds Painting is like an RV, then the Everwood farm inside it is like a custom deck job someone added later on, giving it a personal touch,” Aksai let his thoughts wander as he sat cross-legged in the middle of the plateau and closed his eyes.
“I can live my nomad life for later. It’s time I park my RV here and get some well-deserved benefits of the regular residents,” he murmured before beginning the spatial anchoring process.
Aksai adjusted his breathing, the Myriad Worlds Painting resting in his hands.
He then took a deep breath and began the spatial anchoring process, his mind focusing on the task at hand.
The isolation dimension of the 2nd-order Everwood farm slowly started to connect with the plateau. As he concentrated, the terrain of the Everwood farm appeared around him in a semi-transparent form, like a blurred, phantom-like image.
Behind him, the 15-meter-tall demon tree began to materialize, its ghostly form casting a shadow over Aksai.
“Slow and steady.”
He took a deep breath once again, summoning his energy and willpower to continue the intricate process. A series of space-element Essence Equations emerged from the Myriad Worlds Painting, each one shimmering with ethereal light.
These equations merged with the periphery of the plateau before disappearing, forming a link between the two planes.
More and more Essence Equation runes formed and followed the same procedure. The phantom image of the Everwood farm and the demon tree behind Aksai grew more substantial with each passing moment.
The forms became less ghostly and more solid as the process progressed.
“This… this should be enough. Haah!”
Finally, with a final surge of energy, Aksai completed the spatial anchoring. The link between the isolated dimension and the plateau was well-established.
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
The demon tree appeared behind Aksai in its full glory and immediately began to dig into the fertile ground of Shamrock Peak with its tentacle-like roots.
Aksai was covered in beads of sweat, his breath labored, and the Spirit essence within his body nearly depleted. Despite his exhaustion, a smile spread across his face as he turned to watch the demon tree take root on the plateau.
“Haah! Look… look at it go. It seems… this tree had become claustrophobic by staying inside Everwood farm.”
Right after its appearance in Emerald Cove, the demon tree resumed its rapid growth. It grew taller and wider, its trunk turning a dark red, and its leaves becoming gray. Its branches spread wide, creating a dense canopy. Various wood vines hung from its branches, touching the ground.
From its initial 15-meter height, the demon tree grew to 25 meters within a minute, gaining an additional 10 meters. It began to exude a grim aura, and soon, a gray fog-like barrier formed around the tree before spreading outward in all directions.
“This… I know what this is.”
Aksai immediately recognized the barrier. It was the same isolation barrier the corrupted druid had used to turn Serenity Peak City into a Devil’s Den.
“So… So I can use it as well– the Devil’s Den. And this time, I’m the owner of the den and not a prey like the last time.”
A smile broadened on Aksai’s face as he realized he could control the area of effect of the Devil’s Den with a mere thought, thanks to his connection with the demon tree.
With a sense of accomplishment and anticipation, Aksai observed the transformation. The demon tree stood tall and imposing, its presence dominating the plateau.
Aksai spread his hands and controlled the area-of-effect of the Devil’s Den effectively. He overlapped the swirling dark-gray fog barrier with the isolated barrier he had already erected around the plateau.
By stacking the two barriers together, Aksai ensured the presence of the Devil’s Den was masked while enhancing the safety of his secrets.
“Now time to test if the portal to the otherworld can be summoned in Dadangar or not.”
With a flick of his finger, Aksai produced another light-gray fog-like wall 10 meters in front of him.
Thanks to the successful linking of the isolated dimension of the Everwood farm with the plateau, Aksai could make anything inside the Everwood farm appear in Dadangar or send it back to the Everwood farm with just a thought.
The light-gray fog-like wall he summoned this time was the isolation barrier of the Everwood farm, a thin veil separating him from the second world he had long wished to visit.
“Good. It seems I can do everything I wanted from right here, sitting under this demon tree,” Aksai thought as he confirmed many things at once. With a thought, he made the 2nd-order veil disappear and looked around.
“The demon tree will keep growing from now on. Its roots will eventually reach all over Shamrock Peak in a few months,” Aksai thought as he rested his back against the tree trunk.
“Hehe. Give this tree a few years, and it will spread its roots all over Emerald Cove. I’ll be able to roam the entire island when that happens,” he murmured, various plans forming in his head.
“Soon, I’ll be able to spread the Devil’s Den all over Emerald Cove, bringing the entire island under my command,” Aksai narrowed his eyes as his thoughts wandered.
“When that happens, this island will become my stronghold. Let’s see who dares to challenge me on my home turf then,” he chuckled.
At this time.
Kin. Kin. Kin.
“Hm? You need food?” Aksai suddenly received a telepathic message from the demon tree. He turned around, caressing its trunk. After a moment’s thought, he snapped his fingers, making loads of Flesh Pumpkins appear around the demon tree.
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
The hanging wood vines of the demon tree burst into action, piercing the Flesh Pumpkins and extracting their life force and nutrients.
The Flesh Pumpkins were Aksai’s own invention, mimicking the flesh of various demon beasts. They served as ideal nourishment for the demon tree in the absence of its “regular food.”
“Be on this vegan diet for now. We’ll soon find a solution for your ‘other’ needs,” Aksai murmured as he watched the demon tree devour the Flesh Pumpkins.
“Now, it’s time to practice this technique for real,” Aksai’s expression turned solemn as he brought out an old tome from his storage ring. This was none other than the Anahat Soul Splitting Technique.
After ensuring all preparations were complete, Aksai decided to start the procedure right away.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Aksai encouraged himself before opening the tome, his eyes sparkling with determination.