[ Basic Greenwood Tantra 18th cycle completed with a revised edition.
Real-time optimization: 5.6%
No loop exit condition was found. Beginning 19th cycle. ]
During sleep, Aksai subconsciously felt that his body was burning despite the chilly weather outside.
Although his farmhouse provided some comfort with the fireplace, it shouldn’t make him feel as if he were on fire unless he somehow sleepwalked into the pit.
After a few more minutes.
[ No loop exit condition found. Beginning 20th cycle. ]
“Damn it. What’s happening to me?” Aksai spoke subconsciously as he loosened his long Practitioner’s robe around his waist and took his arms out first, exposing his bare chest.
If one were to look at his somewhat scrawny build at this point, one would see that it had been inflamed. His muscles were relaxing and contracting as if they were breathing, and his skin turned red as if he was having a fever and an allergic reaction at the same time.
[ No loop exit condition found. Beginning 21st cycle. ]
Aksai’s body was drenched in sweat at this point. One could faintly see that his aura was leaking through his skin, coating his entire body in a green, yellow, and white translucent sheen.
[ No loop exit condition found. Beginning 22nd cycle. ]
[ No loop exit condition found. Beginning 23rd cycle. ]
[ No loop exit condition found. Beginning 24th cycle. ]
Snap!
The experience felt like a mini bomb had detonated inside his ears.
His muscles relaxed before contracting suddenly as he started absorbing and refining the ambient Spirit in a half-sleeping state. By the time he opened his eyes and got up, a Spectral Prompt was awaiting his attention.
[The automated cultivation ended at the 27th cycle due to internal changes.
Updated Spirit Cultivation: 7th Stage Spirit Refining Realm
Updated Spirit Sense coverage: Elementary (radiation through touch and host anatomy)]
“Hm? I broke through?”
Aksai rubbed his eyes as he looked at the blurred prompt. He shook his head and read the contents again just to make sure. Jubilant, he sat straight up and got into a meditative pose once again before closing his eyes.
He used his Spirit Sense to confirm that he had indeed reached the 7th stage of the Spirit Refining Realm. His drowsiness went away in a snap as he felt the surge of Spirit circulating within his body like never before.
“All my hard work. It was worth it,” he said and sighed with emotion. One could question what kind of hard work Aksai was talking about when he had basically achieved a breakthrough during his sleep. To them, he only had one thing to say– mind your damn business.
By breaking into the 7th stage of the first realm, he had officially left his father behind. The 6th stage was supposed to be the first dividing line between casual Spirit farmers and real cultivators after all. It wasn’t easy to break into it.
Aksai felt hungry and thirsty right after the excitement in his heart subsided. He also felt like he needed to take a long bath because of all the sweat and smell sticking to his body.
However, he put all those things on the back burner and got up. Leisurely walking towards the windows that only had wooden plies acting as bars, he welcomed the morning light on his body and saw his green farm.
“Who said farming life is boring? I’ll kill for a life like this. For a sight like this.”
Aksai said to himself and stretched his arms wide. The rays of the morning sun were giving much-needed mental energy to him. It was as if he had become a plant that lived for the sun and died a little every night in its absence.
Of course, Aksai didn’t say his last statement figuratively but actually meant it. Even though he was still “inexperienced” with girls in his second life, he had his first kill.
A few years back, a bunch of mortal robbers who did not know better attacked Aksai when he was out of the Spirit fields, visiting a mortal town on his own.
Aksai got scared when he got jumped and used the cultivators’ methods to tackle them, which worked surprisingly well. Or to be precise, too well. Even more than Aksai had initially intended.
Needless to say, those robbers never robbed anyone after that. Aksai ran away like there was a rabid dog chasing him after seeing the mess he had created. He didn’t even stop to look at his first kill site.
Of course mortal or a cultivator, killing was never easy. And you always remember your “first time”.
Aksai needed some time to mentally recuperate from that incident. He wasn’t a killer in his past life, after all. It took him some time to be psychologically ready to keep pursuing the path of immortal cultivation.
After living a life of terminal illness in his past life, Aksai had come to believe that the whole “confiding things with someone you can count on” never really worked. At least not for him.
It was much easier for him to seal his emotions inside his heart and channel their power into doing productive work. He felt that some of his dead father’s habits had been passed down to him as he immersed himself in relentless work to cope with the storms in his heart.
Aunt Reta never knew that there was a killer teenager living beside her and her 10-year-old son.
The only person whom Aksai could confide his secrets with had died, and there was nobody else who could take his place. Not even the caring next-door aunt.
***
After refreshing himself, Aksai changed into clean clothes. With only two pairs at his disposal, he took the time to wash the ones worn the night before. Following that, he started preparing a satisfying breakfast for himself, a small celebration for the breakthrough achieved in his sleep.
Since there was nobody else to share the moment with, Aksai decided to treat himself. Not that he complained; he had grown to appreciate the solitary life on the farm.
Drawing upon his newly attained Spirit cultivation prowess, Aksai selected ingredients and dry spices infused with a bit of Spirit energy. The food, technically not mortal, was produced and processed on his own Spirit farm. Besides being a culinary delight, Spirit food also had the added benefit of aiding his cultivation.
The aroma of the seasoned dishes wafted through the air, the vibrant colors hinting at the infusion of vitality. The eggs, cooked to perfection, emanated a golden glow, reflecting the essence of the morning sun. Aksai carefully garnished them with herbs and vegetables, each element contributing not only to the flavor but also enhancing the Spirit energy.
The fragrance of the freshly brewed tea revealed a blend of herbs known for their harmonious balance with the Spirit network.
As Aksai sat down to savor his creation, he could feel a gentle surge of energy, a testament to the fusion of culinary artistry and Spirit cultivation. Just as he was about to dig in, a noise from outside interrupted him, calling his name.
“Tenant number 4532, Aksai Alden Everwood, come forward and receive your annual salary,” a deep, manly voice announced. Aksai’s expression changed multiple times upon hearing the voice. In the end, he shook his head and controlled his frown before muttering to himself.
‘The mongoose has arrived.’