Aksai pushed forward, but the two figures were relentless.
They flew through the air without the aid of their suits, their movements graceful and deadly.
They dodged most of his attacks, and the few that hit did little to slow them down. He was running out of options.
“Let’s end this stupid chase, shall we?”
The man closed in, his sword ready.
With a flick of his wrist, he launched a flying sword strike that vanished mid-air, reappearing right beside Aksai.
“Aaaaaargh!”
The blade sliced through his legs, and he collapsed to the ground with a cry of pain.
Screeeee!
Before he could react, the woman’s black falcon swooped down, its scream bombarding him with some sort of sound-element spell. His body convulsed as the attack damaged him on a cellular level, internal organs screaming in agony.
The man landed a few meters away, his sword poised for another strike. “Surrender quietly,” he commanded, his voice cold and authoritative. The woman stood behind, her falcon hovering above her, ready to strike at any moment.
Aksai knew escape was impossible. His clone’s power was no match for these two.
Laughing bitterly, he looked at them and said, “Thank you for giving me a warm welcome. Goodbye.”
Activating the restrictive-type Essence Equations his original self had planted, his demon tree guardian form began to change. The wooden body turned into a tree, roots digging into the ground as branches sprouted.
‘This… this is a strange lifeform. Was it really their pet?’
The man and woman watched, realizing too late what was happening. Aksai’s Soul Fragment dissolved within the tree, leaving only a miniature tree version behind, which spontaneously ignited and turned into charcoal.
“Fu*ck!”
The man swore under his breath as he slashed his sword, sending out a final flying sword attack that obliterated the remains of the demon tree.
The woman glanced at her partner, shaking her head slightly. “He chose to destroy himself rather than face us,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration.
The man grunted, sheathing his sword. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s get back.” They turned and walked back to their spaceship, the ramp closing behind them as the vessel took off into the air.
Inside the ship, the man looked back at the burning remnants below. “We’ll find out what he was hiding,” he muttered. “And next time, there won’t be any escape.”
The ship soared into the sky, leaving the charred remains of Aksai’s clone behind.
****
Back in Emerald Cove.
Aksai sat beneath the sprawling branches of the demon tree, its shadow providing a cool respite as he meditated.
The air was calm, filled with the soft rustle of leaves.
His mind was focused, his body relaxed—until a sudden, searing pain shot through his head.
“Aaaaaargh!”
He screamed, clutching his temples, eyes snapping open and turning bloodshot. Sweat poured down his face as his body convulsed.
In response to the pain and the loss of life force, Aksai’s body triggered a druid transformation.
His black hair brightened to a striking copper color, and his eyes turned a glowing golden hue. This transformation was a subconscious defense mechanism, meant to counteract the negative repercussions of his Soul Fragment’s destruction.
“My Soul Fragment was destroyed? So… soon?”
As the pain subsided, Aksai gasped for breath, his chest heaving. The destruction of the Soul Fragment was painful for the original user of the Anahat Soul Splitting Technique. It could give long-term physical as well as mental injuries to the users.
Thankfully, Aksai had the demon tree to rely on.
Plus, it wasn’t like the destruction of the Soul Fragment didn’t gain Aksai anything.
His mind was suddenly flooded with memories and knowledge from his Soul Fragment—images of a technologically advanced world, details of a society that blended high-tech devices with mystical practices, and the powerful presence of the two figures who had pursued his clone.
Aksai’s face turned grim as he processed the information. “No wonder the second-order Everwood farm’s isolation barrier didn’t let me pass through it easily. This world is bad news for me if I try to explore it carelessly once again,” he muttered to himself.
He needed to recover. “My friend, devour some more Flesh Pumpkins. I… I need to recover,” he commanded.
The tree responded, its roots snaking into the ground and drawing nutrients from the specially cultivated pumpkins nearby. As the tree worked, Aksai focused on his meditation, drawing on the energy of the tree and the cultivation resources he had stockpiled.
Days passed in this manner. The demon tree’s energy and the premium-grade resources worked to mend his soul-based injuries.
Gradually, Aksai felt his strength returning. He poured himself into his cultivation practices, allowing the energies to realign and stabilize his essence.
After all, Aksai was not just a Spirit cultivator but also an Argent Body Realm martial artist. As such, he had many ways at his disposal to get himself to the optimal condition more quickly and safely.
With his injuries healed, Aksai set about creating another Soul Fragment. His previous experiences and the fresh memories from his destroyed clone provided a unique insight, allowing him to refine the process.
He channeled his energy, carefully shaping the fragment of his soul. Once it was formed, he sent it into the second demon tree guardian seed.
This time, Aksai didn’t need to breach the isolation barrier traditionally. His connection to Acarnis through the Myriad World Painting allowed him to bypass the barrier entirely.
He focused on the last known location of his previous Soul Fragment, visualizing it clearly in his mind.
With a deep breath, he activated the Myriad World Painting’s powers. The sealed seed vanished from his hand, transported instantly to Acarnis.
Aksai leaned back, exhaling slowly. “Let’s hope this one fares better,” he said to himself, the copper sheen of his hair gradually fading back to black, his eyes returning to their normal hue.
Aksai resumed his meditation, but his mind was now more alert, more cautious. He had learned from his previous mistakes.
This time, he and his 2nd clone would be prepared for whatever Acarnis had in store.