Aksai felt as if there was smoke coming out of his head as he tried to process Yelia’s words.
A 6th-order treasure! It was too shocking.
After the initial surprise came joy. He was beyond happy that he had managed to inherit such a treasure from his old man.
Even if his father hadn’t given him much while alive, Aksai felt as though he had received the biggest blessing from him. He was truly grateful.
No, not just from his father—his ancestors had blessed him too.
Following the joy came relief. He was relieved that he had taken painstaking measures to keep his core secret hidden. He had always been careful not to let anyone know he had access to the Enchanted Everwood Farm. Now, learning that the Everwood Farm was a 6th-order treasure, he felt that his efforts had been more than worth it.
But then, relief turned to fear. Aksai felt as if he was holding gold bricks while walking through a den of thieves and robbers. Previously, he had feared that the Core Formation Lords in the Dadangar subcontinent might covet the Everwood Farm and harm him if they ever discovered its existence.
Now, Aksai realized he had severely underestimated the Everwood Farm. Forget about the Core Formation Lords—even the Nascent Soul Kings or Deity Transformation Gods from the Shinayin Empire wouldn’t hesitate to cross the Eternal Beast Dynasty and come to the Dadangar subcontinent if they ever learned about it.
Aksai didn’t know much about Nascent Soul Kings or their capabilities, but he understood that the difficulty of possessing an artifact increased exponentially with its rank.
He knew that the Dadangar subcontinent was pitifully lacking in resources for Core Formation Lords, making it natural for them to fight over any 3rd-order cultivation resources that appeared.
There were many legends about the Shinayin Empire, which lay beyond the Eternal Beast Dynasty. Though Aksai couldn’t be sure of their authenticity, it was said that the Shinayin Empire was a blessed land for Core Formation Lords and even Nascent Soul Kings.
However, Aksai knew one thing: even in the Shinayin Empire, obtaining 4th-order artifacts wouldn’t be easy—especially any time-space-related artifacts.
Moreover, Yelia mentioned that the Enchanted Everwood Farm was a 5th-order artifact on the verge of becoming a 6th-order treasure. This led Aksai to a shocking realization.
Firstly, the Enchanted Everwood Farm was a growth-type artifact, meaning it could upgrade itself once certain conditions were met. Being close to becoming a 6th-order treasure suggested that Aksai could potentially upgrade the farm’s rank in the future, provided he had the right resources. Relatively speaking, upgrading its rank seemed within reach.
Of course, Aksai knew he was far from even having the capability to plan for such things. It was like gazing at the moon and dreaming of stepping on it when he had just learned to walk.
Furthermore, what a Foundation Building Expert considered easy and what a 5th or 6th realm Spirit cultivator considered easy were entirely different. What was easy for them was something he couldn’t even imagine achieving in his wildest dreams. However, these reality checks didn’t stop Aksai from fantasizing about upgrading the rank of the Everwood Farm one day.
Secondly, Aksai noticed that Yelia didn’t regard the Everwood Farm’s rank as particularly high or exceptional. This was odd, given that she was supposed to be the natal spirit of the farm. The only reason she might downplay its significance would be if she knew the rank of the Myriad Worlds Painting was much higher.
When Aksai thought of the Myriad Worlds Painting and its rank, he froze in his place and swallowed nervously. He didn’t dare dwell on its rank, feeling that even thinking about it might create ripples in the cause-and-effect fabric of the entire world.
No wonder Yelia was hesitant to talk about the Myriad Worlds Painting. Firstly, she was not the natal spirit of the Myriad Worlds Painting. It wasn’t her job to say anything about such a heaven-defying artifact.
Secondly, knowing in-depth about these things would definitely make Aksai feel an inferiority complex in his mind. Although he had confidence to pass any Dejection Demon test– he couldn’t be 100 percent sure.
Aksai felt like an ant in charge of a sugar cube the size of a house. While he was happy about the size of the sugar cube, he was too small to eat it and too weak to carry it anywhere.
Fortunately, the Myriad Worlds Painting and Everwood Farm had fused together, and this fusion artifact didn’t place many demands on Aksai for its maintenance. It was easy to carry for him and inconspicuous.
Unless he disappeared from people’s eyes right when they were in front of him, nobody would know that he was carrying such a rare treasure.
The Enchanted Everwood farm was truly a gift that kept on giving without attracting any form of calamity on its owner. As long as Aksai was careful, he wouldn’t have to worry about the artifact attracting malicious intents from anyone else.
***
Aksai was so deep in thought, lost in the whirlwind of revelations, that he hadn’t realized he was standing with his mouth wide open.
It wasn’t until Yelia chuckled and said, “Hehe. My lord, you might want to close your mouth. Although there aren’t any flies here, you might develop a bad habit by processing shock with your mouth wide open,” that he snapped back to reality.
Embarrassed, Aksai quickly shut his mouth and coughed to shake off the awkwardness. His thoughts were still racing, but he managed to compose himself. After a moment of pondering, he looked at Yelia and asked.
“Yelia, you told me normal people can’t practice intent-based cultivation techniques. Does that mean that the corrupted druid I fought wasn’t normal? Or did he just have a special cultivation technique that made him… well, abnormal?”
Yelia didn’t hesitate to answer.
“It’s likely a bit of both in the case of the corrupted druid. First, he definitely wasn’t normal—he had a demon seed inside him. That alone would make anyone quite abnormal.
Secondly, his cultivation technique was special. It didn’t just amplify his abnormality; it actually allowed him to control it and make it work for him.
But you shouldn’t focus too much on those things. You are not a corrupted druid and you shouldn’t walk on his path.
What’s important now is for you to become a true druid by harnessing the emotions of the plants around you. You will eventually come to know what you are looking for in the future,” she explained, her tone steady and reassuring.
Aksai nodded thoughtfully. Yelia’s words made sense, and he knew she had his best interests at heart.
Yelia then gestured for Aksai to sit down. “Alright, enough thinking for now. Sit cross-legged on the ground,” she instructed. Aksai complied, settling into a comfortable position. Yelia moved to stand behind him, placing her hand gently on his back. “Close your eyes and focus,” she added softly.
Aksai did as he was told, closing his eyes and clearing his mind as best he could. He could feel the warmth of Yelia’s hand through his robes, a soothing presence that helped him center his thoughts.
Yelia took a deep breath and closed her eyes as well. She began the intricate process of altering Aksai’s bond with the Myriad Worlds Painting, the key to unlocking his ability to harvest the emotions of the plants within the Everwood Farm.
The air around them seemed to hum with a gentle energy as Yelia channeled her power into the bond. Like she had previously stated, she was trying to use the God Spark in the Myriad Worlds Painting as a conduit to allow Aksai to harvest the emotions of plants.
This way, Aksai wouldn’t have to change his cultivation technique. And at the same time, the artifact itself would allow him to walk on the path of harvesting the emotions around him.
Aksai could feel something changing inside him, a subtle shift in his connection to the Myriad Worlds Painting.
It was as if a door was slowly being opened, revealing a new path that had always been there but was previously hidden from his view.
He could sense the faint echoes of the plants’ emotions—feelings of growth, nourishment, and contentment—beginning to flow toward him, like a gentle breeze carrying the scent of fresh earth and blooming flowers.
The sensation was unlike anything he had experienced before. It was calming, almost meditative, and it made him feel more connected to the world around him. He could sense the life within the Everwood Farm more clearly now, as if he was attuning himself to the natural rhythms of the land.
Minutes passed, though it felt much longer to Aksai as he sat there, letting the new energy settle within him. He could feel Yelia’s presence guiding the process, ensuring that everything was aligned properly.
Finally, Yelia opened her eyes and slowly withdrew her hand from Aksai’s back. The humming in the air faded, leaving behind a serene silence.
“It’s done,” Yelia said softly.
“Your bond with the Myriad Worlds Painting has been altered. You can now begin to harness the emotions of the plants.”