A Farmer's Journey To Immortality

Aksai smiled at Ivy as he adjusted the cloak on his shoulders. His hair looked a little longer.

His eyes had a deeper gleam.

The evolved Bluewind Eagle gently moved aside, revealing its back where Aksai had been riding it.

“L-Lord Aksai?” Ivy’s hands dropped, the sphere almost slipping from her grip. Her eyes blinked fast as she stared at him in disbelief. “You… You’re back?”

Aksai chuckled. “Of course I’m back. And I brought gifts.”

He looked at the beast next to him. “This one will soon have a family settled here on our island.”

The demon beast let out a low rumble, then bowed its head slightly toward Ivy—as if greeting her.

Ivy stood frozen for another moment, then suddenly remembered to breathe. She lowered her sphere completely and let out a long breath.

She smiled, her eyes moist. “Welcome home, my lord.”

Aksai patted Ivy’s head with a smile on his face. The two started talking. Aksai asked her various questions related to the island, and in return, Ivy asked him about his journey to the Duya Forest.

Soon, Aksai led Ivy to his palace’s backyard.

He walked slowly through the long rows of his vineyard, his hands clasped behind his back. The sunlight filtered through the thick vines, casting a soft glow over the land.

The Spirit grapevines swayed gently in the warm breeze. Each vine pulsed faintly with Spirit energy, giving off a healthy and strong aura. Clusters of grapes, glowing in different shades depending on their type, hung heavy under the broad leaves.

“The Black Ember Grapevines here were more prone to heat exhaustion,” Ivy explained, pointing at a section of darker grapes.

“So I arranged special elemental runes around this part of the vineyard and had the farmers water them twice a day using dew collected before sunrise. It’s helped maintain their sweetness and mana density.”

Aksai nodded, not interrupting her. His eyes slowly moved from one row to another, watching the rental Spirit farmers at work. They were busy trimming vines, inspecting Spirit leaves for disease, or casting small maintenance spells on the soil.

Despite their low cultivation levels, their movements were practiced and calm.

For a split second, these rental farmers reminded Aksai of his past, which brought a mirthless smile to his face. However, he didn’t say anything and let Ivy continue.

“The White Spirit Dew Grapes in that area over there,” Ivy continued, pointing to another section with silver-green grapes, “are extremely sensitive to over-irrigation. So we’ve limited their water supply and instead spread a thin mist of ice-element Spirit water every other day.”

Aksai looked over his shoulder at Ivy.

“Hmm. You’ve done a fine job so far.”

Ivy looked down with a shy smile, her fingers tightening slightly around the scroll. “I just followed your notes, my lord.”

They continued their walk, eventually reaching a large building at the back of the vineyard.

It was the wine crafting hall—a wide and clean space made of Spirit wood and reinforced stone. A faint herbal fragrance filled the air as the scent of fermented grapes lingered near the entrance.

Aksai had built this place using his own Spirit spells and druidic powers before leaving for the Duya Forest. He had already built a winemaking facility before, but this one was even more advanced.

Inside, a few trusted alchemist workers and apprentices were moving between wooden barrels, Spirit cauldrons, and glass vials. Bottles filled with deep red, violet, and gold-colored wines sat neatly in rows on shelves.

“This way,” Ivy said, leading Aksai to a special chamber where several glowing barrels sat in a closed room protected by an array formation. “These are the batches for Bacchus’ Blessings.”

Aksai raised an eyebrow as he looked around. “They’re glowing brighter than before.”

Ivy smiled proudly.

“Yes, my lord. While you were away, Bacchus’ Blessings wine became even more popular. Some traveling merchants said it’s been selling well even in the outer regions of Yidia Kingdom and along the northern coasts of the Rokur Kingdom.

We finally have more markets. Hehe. We finally have diverse markets to sell our wines to, apart from the Neutral State Haan Di.”

Aksai looked surprised. “That far already? You’re diversifying the supply chain.”

“Yes,” Ivy said with a nod.

“As per your instructions, we didn’t just stick to the original blend. I followed your notes and started producing five more variants.

Each of them is infused with a specific elemental essence, so the effects differ based on the elemental affinity of the Spirit cultivator who drinks it.”

Aksai walked up to one of the barrels and lightly tapped the side. The wine inside glowed a gentle green.

“That one’s Earth Resonance,” Ivy explained. “It boosts the stability of earth-element Spirit cultivators during their breakthroughs. The red-gold one beside it is Flame Drift—it helps fire-element users recover stamina faster after intense battles.”

Aksai chuckled softly. “You gave them names too?”

“I did,” Ivy admitted, a little embarrassed. “I thought it would make them easier to market.”

“You thought right.”

They moved further inside, where two more barrels were being sealed.

“That’s Mist Serenity and Arc Storm,” Ivy said, pointing to a pale-blue and violet brew.

“One calms mental fatigue for water-element cultivators. The other boosts reaction speed for those with lightning affinities.”

Aksai turned to look at her. “And the fifth?”

“Ah, that’s the hardest one,” she said.

“We call it Neutral Bloom. It doesn’t enhance anything, but it acts like a calming elixir, helping cultivators balance their inner energies. It can be used by anyone, but it’s especially useful for those who are too close to deviation during cultivation.”

Aksai stood quietly for a while, then placed a hand gently on Ivy’s head.

“You’ve done far more than I expected, Ivy. Haha. I left a vineyard for Bacchus’ Blessings. But you’ve turned it into a wine-making heaven.”

Ivy blinked up at him, her expression softening. “Only because you trusted me to do it.”

They both stood there in the wine chamber for a few moments, watching the faint glow of the barrels light up the room like Spirit lanterns.

Aksai looked around with a thoughtful look on his face.

“Ivy, while I was in the Duya Forest, I had some ideas for new blends of Bacchus’ Blessings.”

Ivy’s eyes lit up. “Oh? Tell me, my lord!”

“I was thinking,” Aksai began, “of a ‘Sunpetal Nectar.’ It would need a bright, uplifting feel. I found these.”

He reached into a small leather pouch at his belt and pulled out a handful of dried, golden petals that shimmered faintly.

“These are from the Sunpetal Bloom. They grow in areas touched by the pure light of dawn. Plus, I brought these Sunpetal seeds.”

He held out a tiny, iridescent vial.

Ivy carefully took the seeds and petals, examining them with keen interest. “Sunpetal Nectar… I love the sound of that!”

“Then there’s ‘Moondew Whisper,'” Aksai continued, producing another small bag. This one contained silvery, translucent leaves that seemed to glow softly.

“These are Moondew Leaves, gathered from plants that only bloom under the full moon. They have a calming, almost mystical energy.

And for our farm, these Moondew plant cuttings will be essential.” He handed her a wrapped bundle of delicate stems.

“Moondew Whisper,” Ivy murmured, holding the leaves close. “Perfect for meditation blends.”

Aksai then pulled out a small, intricately carved wooden box.

“And finally, a ‘Shadowbark Elixir.’ This one is trickier. It requires these dark, almost black bark fragments.”

He revealed pieces of wood that seemed to absorb the light around them.

“They come from the Shadowbark Tree, deep in the most ancient parts of the forest. It enhances inner resilience, but it’s potent. And these,” he said, offering a few hard, dark seeds, “are the Shadowbark seeds. They’ll need a special, shaded corner in the Spirit farm.”

Ivy’s eyes widened at the sight of the Shadowbark. “These are truly unique, my lord. Each of them is a rare find in the Duya Forest. And yet, you brought them all. They will be a challenge to cultivate, but I’m excited to try.”

Aksai smiled, pleased with her enthusiasm.

“I knew you would be. Cultivating these Spirit herbs will be essential to creating new blends.

And the new blends will add even more depth to our collection. It’s good that we’re finally selling our wine outside the markets of Haan Di. But that’s not the end.

We need to be ready for the future. We need to create wine blends that can even sell well in the lands beyond the Duya Forest one day.

And with your skill, Ivy, I have no doubt they’ll be even more successful than the others.”

Aksai then led Ivy to a smaller, more secluded chamber within the wine-crafting hall. In its center stood a single, large wooden vat, intricately carved with swirling patterns.

“Ivy,” Aksai began, his voice dropping slightly.

“While the cultivation of specific Spirit herbs is vital, I also mulled over another method in the Duya Forest—a way to imbue the wines with properties directly, using Spirit spells.”