As Aksai stood there facing Haitin and his group of twenty-plus Foundation Building experts, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of the power imbalance.
The reality of how deep the roots of the major sects ran was hitting him harder than ever.
He’d always known that someone like Haitin, with a major demonic sect behind him, would have immense resources and support, but seeing it firsthand was a different story.
Aksai had always seen Foundation Building Realm cultivators as an almost mythical echelon, something only a few could dream of achieving. He remembered how the Lakir Clan, with just one Foundation Building expert, had dominated an entire county.
To most, even a single Foundation Building expert was like an unstoppable force—one that could crush any opposition with ease.
But here was Haitin, casually surrounded by more than twenty of them. Twenty three to be exact. And all of them were at least mid-stage Foundation Building Experts.
It was like using a missile to hunt a rabbit. “Overkill” didn’t even begin to describe it. Aksai couldn’t help but shake his head at the absurdity of the situation.
In a world like this, a drifting cultivator like him, with no sect or powerful organization backing him, was basically an ant compared to the likes of Haitin.
‘Overbearing, huh?’ Aksai thought with a bitter chuckle. But what seemed overbearing to him was probably just another Tuesday for someone like Haitin.
The more Aksai reflected, the more he realized that Initial Stage Foundation Building experts, who were revered by mortals and small-time cultivators, weren’t much in the grand scheme of things.
They could dominate a backwater county or bully Spirit Refining cultivators, sure, but put them against a seasoned expert? The gap was immense. Aksai had seen it too many times now to deny it.
After all, it wasn’t like Aksai hadn’t killed Foundation Building Experts before. Although some gave him trouble, it wasn’t like it was completely hopeless.
In the past, Aksai had chosen his targets well. He schemed and used various advantages he had to come out on top. He had even killed a late-stage Foundation Building old man by using the Druid’s Curse on him.
However, Aksai realized that the cases in the past only highlighted the fact that he was smart and resourceful. He wasn’t a powerhouse.
Veteran Foundation Building experts weren’t just powerful because of their cultivation alone. They were stocked with rare talismans, potent artifacts, and powerful defensive and escape treasures.
And when you added the backing of a major sect, those trump cards became even more ridiculous. Someone like Haitin probably had resources and connections Aksai couldn’t even imagine, let alone access.
Why did Aksai had to wait for the right time in order to kill the demon lady who wasn’t even that high in a demon sect ladder? It was because no matter how insignificant she might seem in the eyes of someone like Haitin, she was still connected to a major demonic sect. Some of her Spirit Spells and talismans would have caused Aksai a lot of troubles if she was given the opportunity to use them on him.
Aksai’s own situation was stark in contrast. He was a lone wolf—no sect, no cultivation clan, no deep pockets full of secret treasures. He hadn’t joined a sect because it wasn’t his style. He didn’t trust the rigid structures and the politics.
He also hadn’t been lucky enough to stumble across some ancient expert’s treasure trove or hidden cave. Rather, he avoided those things just because they were known to attract troubles.
What he did have was his body cultivation—an advantage he’d relied on ever since he learned to jump between worlds through the Myriad Worlds Painting.
In the past, his Argent Body Realm had given him the edge he needed, especially when facing weaker cultivators who relied too much on their flashy spells. He could power through most things with sheer brute force.
But lately, as he encountered more and more powerful opponents, he could feel that edge slipping away.
His physical strength, while formidable, was becoming less of a trump card and more of a liability as he faced opponents with not just powerful cultivation but also endless resources and tricks up their sleeves.
He needed to create a perfect opportunity for him to make use of the Argent Body Realm. For example, he waited for the demon lady to get exhausted in her battle with the righteous faction cultivators before making his move.
However, would he be allowed to always create the right kind of setting for himself? Would he be always able to trick his opponents? Till how long will he have to rely on petty tricks to get rid of someone like the demon lady? What if he had to face someone even stronger than her?
Aksai didn’t believe that his luck was formidable. It was only a matter of time before he failed to trick his opponents into well-laid traps.
Even if Aksai were to always stay vigilant of his opponents, it wouldn’t work all the time. What if there was someone strong enough to not care about his traps and petty tricks?
The Druid’s Curse should be of some help to him if and when he faced an opponent he couldn’t beat. However, that mysterious ability also had its limits. And overusing that ability was disastrous for his future path.
Aksai might turn into a grandpa one day if he relied on the Druid’s Curse too much to get rid of someone like Haitin. Even if he killed Haitin, he had 23 Foundation Building Experts behind him. How could he kill those Experts? Even his long lifespan wouldn’t be able to support the Druid’s Curse to work on all of them at the same time.
Aksai wasn’t one to blame his circumstances or the path he’d chosen. He hadn’t progressed much in his body cultivation after reaching the Argent Body Realm, sure, but that wasn’t entirely his fault.
His trip back to the Marialt World Sharang had been delayed for various reasons, and he hadn’t had the chance to advance his body cultivation properly. Still, it was clear that relying on that path alone wouldn’t be enough going forward. At least not until he resumed his Argent Body Realm path and made some progress in it.
That’s why he had started looking into Soul Cultivation. He figured that if he could cultivate his soul, he might find the edge he was looking for.
But there was a catch—this path heavily relied on the cultivation of an Aether Beast, and getting one wasn’t exactly easy. Duya Forest was his only real shot at it.
Aksai’s clone in the Soul World was also stuck in a rut because he was yet to get an Aether Beast for himself. The clone had problems of his own. Plus, he was only a clone and couldn’t help the main body get an Aether Beast himself.
It was like a vicious cycle.
To get a good job, you need experience. However, experience can only be gained after getting a good job. How could one get out of this vicious cycle?
***
Aksai thought he had everything planned out. Enter the Wild Devil Lands, make the deal with Haitin, get to Duya Forest, and grab an Aether Beast. Simple, right?
Except now he was caught in the middle of something much bigger than he ever anticipated. The cold war between Haan Di and the demonic faction was escalating, and somehow, Aksai had found himself in the crossfire.
Looking at Haitin now, with his unsettling smile and casual confidence, Aksai’s mind was full of complicated thoughts.
On one hand, he had to admire the sheer power Haitin wielded—how effortless it seemed for him to summon more than twenty Foundation Building experts like they were nothing.
On the other hand, Aksai couldn’t ignore the fact that he was standing on a very thin line. One wrong move, and he could end up like his teammates—pale-faced, bound, and helpless.
‘So, what now? If it was earlier, I would have passed through this siege easily. If my team wasn’t split, Haitian might not have personally come here. He would have only sent his minions.
He would have been content in acting out with me– putting pressure on Haan Di through us. But now– I don’t think he will give me that choice. Not that I could have done something to change this.
I can always retreat to Everwood Farm if things become too dangerous for me. However, if that happens I’ll never be able to come back to Dadangar for a very long time.
Martial World Sharang and Aether World Acarnis are both good worlds with a good foundations of their own. However, they are all minor worlds when put against the whole of Dadangar. I’ll never be able to make much progress in my Spirit cultivation path if I were to leave Dadangar.
I… I really don’t want to leave my homeworld if I can help it.’
Aksai thought to himself and sighed, eyes scanning the demonic forces as they stood at attention, waiting for Haitin’s next move.