Aksai and Aron stared in awe at the awakened natal spirit.
She was a stunning satyress, half-woman and half-goat, with two goat-like legs that ended in delicate hooves.
Her shoulder-length curly light brown hair framed her pretty face, with two voluminous bangs cascading down either side.
Her light blue eyes sparkled with an enchanting allure, and her elongated ears twitched slightly. Her rosy, clean skin would turn red at the slightest touch, and she wore a delicate floral crown that added to her enchanting beauty.
Her arms were adorned with green vines, and her fingers ended in sharp claws. She wore a green dress made of leaves and vines, which accentuated her figure perfectly while still maintaining elegance.
She had the perfect feminine figure with a plentiful bust, slim waist, and wide hips. To Aksai, she embodied feminine beauty more perfectly than anyone he had ever met, even surpassing the stunning Nuya.
As soon as she appeared, a potent natural energy radiated from her, making Aksai and Aron feel as though they had taken a long, refreshing nap. Their exhaustion melted away, replaced by a rejuvenating vitality.
Aksai frowned as he looked at her goat-like legs, puzzled by the unfamiliar creature before him. The natal spirit, sensing his emotions and thoughts, smiled warmly.
She raised her hand and snapped her fingers, and her goat-like legs transformed into long and stunning human legs, even more enchanting than those of a regular woman.
‘This natal spirit… She is too powerful with the way she looks. And her presence– its hypnotizing to say the least. She has the potential to kill some men by giving them fervent dreams every night. Some Core Formation Lords might go to war with one another just to get a chance to talk with her.’
Aksai gulped, mesmerized by the breathtaking beauty of the young woman standing before him. She was so captivating that he momentarily forgot what he was doing.
Aron, sharing almost the same memories and emotions as Aksai, was equally entranced. He stood with his eyes and mouth wide open, as if he were seeing a huge movie star from his past life right in his living room, sitting by his bedside right after he woke up.
The potent presence and alluring figure of the natal spirit left both Aksai and Aron speechless.
For a moment, the weight of their previous exertions and the complexity of their situation faded away, replaced by the simple, overwhelming beauty of the being before them.
Aksai and Aron stood mesmerized, still reeling from the natal spirit’s overwhelming presence, when she took the initiative to speak. Her voice was sweet and melodious, each word carrying an elegant grace that matched her every movement.
“Thank you for awakening me from my slumber, master,” she said, offering a graceful bow to Aksai.
The potent nature energy she exuded was so strong that the crops in the Enchanted Everwood Farm began growing at an astonishing rate, as if they had been infused with powerful growth hormones. The transformation in the farm was immediate and breathtaking.
Aksai snapped out of his daze, blinking as he looked at her with introspective eyes. He shook his head, trying to dispel his random thoughts, and then coughed abruptly in an attempt to drive away the awkwardness.
“What is your name?” he asked, his voice thin and strained, sounding almost as if someone had tried to shut him up by choking his neck. It was as if he had been turned into a 10ish years old kid again, losing all his masculine nature.
Aksai immediately criticized himself for being too intimidated. He mustered his courage, clenched his fists, and asked again.
“Hmm… WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” This time, his voice was too deep, almost comically so, unlike his regular tone.
However, Aksai didn’t mind the unnaturalness of his voice this time. He felt an inexplicable urge to always speak to the natal spirit in a deeper voice, just to sound more manly in front of her.
The natal spirit smiled gracefully at Aksai, seemingly unaffected by his emotional fluctuations. Whether she didn’t notice or didn’t care, she stepped forward, closing the distance between them until she was only half an arm’s length away.
“My name is Yelia, my lord. I’m the Artifact Spirit of the Enchanted Everwood Farm,” she said, her voice calm and soothing.
Aksai felt a rush of relief and a tinge of embarrassment. Her presence was calming, and he realized he didn’t need to put on a facade.
He allowed himself a small smile, feeling more at ease in her presence. The rapid growth of the crops around them spoke volumes about her power within the secret dimension, and Aksai knew he had awakened something truly remarkable.
Aron’s eyes narrowed as he processed Yelia’s words, a spark of curiosity igniting within him. “Wait a minute,” he began, his voice tinged with confusion.
“Did you say you’re the Artifact Spirit of the Enchanted Everwood Farm? But shouldn’t you be the Artifact Spirit of the Myriad Worlds Painting?”
Aksai raised his eyebrows, realizing the validity of Aron’s question. He turned to Yelia, sharing his clone’s curiosity. Yelia met Aron’s gaze and smiled, sensing his connection to Aksai and understanding his role as a half-master.
“That’s right,” Yelia replied, her voice calm and melodious.
“The Enchanted Everwood Farm and the Myriad Worlds Painting are two different artifacts that were fused into one by the previous owner. Since you are his successor, you received the fused artifact.
However, even when the two artifacts were fused, their distinct Artifact Spirits could not be merged due to their unique individualities. I represent the Enchanted Everwood Farm aspect of the Everwood family’s treasure, while another Artifact Spirit represents the Myriad Worlds Painting aspect.”
Aron’s face bore the marks of countless questions, his thoughts popping like wild mushrooms after a rainy week. “So, there’s another Artifact Spirit?” he asked, his voice filled with wonder.
Yelia nodded gently, her expression serene. “Yes, there is. However, I would advise you not to wake my elder sister so soon. With your current cultivation base, it would be downright impossible for you to maintain her presence.”
Yelia’s tone was soft and pleasing, as if she were giving suggestions rather than warnings. It was clear that the decision was entirely in Aksai’s hands, but her gentle demeanor made it hard to ignore her advice.
Aksai nodded thoughtfully, understanding the weight of Yelia’s words. “Thank you for the warning, Yelia,” he said, his voice now steadier and more confident. “We’ll heed your advice and focus on strengthening ourselves before attempting anything more.”
To be honest, Yelia didn’t need to warn the now-poor Spirit farmer. Aksai had already given up on doing anything too reckless with the Myriad Worlds Painting after his earlier experience with Yelia’s awakening.
Aksai had lost almost all the Spirit stones he had been hoarding for many years in this single incident to awaken Yelia. The current version of him could only flex his wealth in front of a regular Spirit Refining cultivator who hadn’t seen much of the world.
In short, he was bound to attract criticism from his Foundation Building Experts if he revealed the number of Spirit stones he had on him. Most of them would not be willing to acknowledge their association with him. Even Nuya would probably look at him with judgmental eyes, as if he had spent his wealth on wine, women, and gambling.
Aron had also been drained of his wealth. Despite siphoning funds from the Acarnis World Government and various terrorist organizations, he was now running low on resources, which was an incredible feat considering the amount of Aether Crystals he had before Yelia’s accidental awakening.
Furthermore, the awakening process had put so much burden on Aksai’s soul that he was scared of trying anything similar at this point.
He realized he only came out unscathed because of his clone and the fact that he had sufficient wealth to act as a buffer.
He would have harmed his soul and probably halted all his progress in Acarnis by causing Aron to perish in the process if not for the wealth he had gathered over the years.
If Aksai guessed it correctly, the second artifact spirit slumbering within the Myriad Worlds Painting was even more powerful than Yelia. The amount of Spirit Stones and Aether Crystals she would require would be astronomical.
Plus, the level of pressure her awakening would put on Aksai’s soul wasn’t something he could bear with his current cultivation base in any of his three paths. So Aksai didn’t find it hard to agree to Yelia’s suggestion at all.
Yelia’s smile widened, her eyes sparkling with approval. “I’m here to support you in any way I can, my lord,” she says while smiling brightly at Aron.
Aron scratched the back of his head awkwardly, a shy smile spreading across his face as Yelia smiled at him. He was about to say something when Aksai, looking at his clone with some dissatisfaction, raised his hand.
“No—what—what are you doing?” Aron stuttered, realizing Aksai was up to something. His eyes widened as he figured out Aksai was planning to send him back to Acarnis instead of letting him talk more with Yelia.
Before Aron could voice his resistance, Aksai waved his hand, sending him back to where he came from.
In an instant, Aron disappeared, leaving Aksai alone with Yelia.
Aksai didn’t care that someone would think that he was jealous of his own clone. There was no witness in the secret dimention who could criicize him for his actions anyway.
With a self-satisfied smile, he turned back to Yelia, ready to monopolize his time with her.
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AN: Yelia has been on the book’s cover for a while now. Also, two more chapters coming right up in the next two hours. 🙂