A Farmer's Journey To Immortality

Chapter 566: Subbordinates’ Progress P1

The Frostbound Lord asked Aksai if he planned to leave Emerald Cove and go to the Shinayin Empire.

Aksai replied that he would eventually leave Emerald Cove after breaking into the Core Formation realm. But he had no immediate plans. He wouldn’t rush.

Only after he had exhausted every option to grow in the Dadangar Subcontinent would he think about going to the Shinayin Empire, or beyond. The Frostbound Lord approved of Aksai’s thinking. He also said he hoped to see Aksai again in the future.

They spoke casually for a while. The Frostbound Lord asked short questions and Aksai answered them briefly, all while looking back down at the scroll he had been reading.

“Alright. And about my daughter… Do you really like each other or if it’s just a fling?” Nael suddenly asked.

Without thinking, Aksai answered.

“Oh I like her. I already confe–”—and immediately regretted it. Only then did he realize why the usually aloof Frostbound Lord had been so talkative. Aksai swallowed. The Core Formation Lord had a way of drawing the truth out of people.

The Frostbound Lord laughed.

“Don’t worry, lad. I’m not angry. In fact, I like that you and my daughter are close. When I asked why she was reluctant to leave Emerald Cove last week, she wouldn’t tell me. So I had to ask you in a roundabout way.”

He sighed and then spoke more plainly.

“I know what that old fool Hayaat Blackblood did. He secretly betrothed his daughter Humeyin to you, hasn’t he? She is like a daughter to me as well. If I wasn’t worried about Nuya’s future, I wouldn’t have tried to separate you two. I might have respected her choice.

Anyway… thank you for looking after my daughter in my absence.”

With that, the Frostbound Lord produced a bundle of gifts: several 2nd Order and even a few 3rd Order array disks, potions, and alchemical devices like Nethergem Bombs.

Aksai stared. He knew each item could be a trump card in the future.

“Isn’t this a bit much?” Aksai asked, smiling weakly.

The Frostbound Lord’s gaze turned sharp and cold, but it was not aimed at Aksai. He breathed in deeply. “Kalingoot tried to assassinate my daughter a few days ago. If my situation were different, I would have struck back personally. But I can’t be here.

If I were to take actions personally, it would attract the attention of other Core Formation Lords of both the righteous and demonic sides, which would then hinder my well-planned silent exit from the Dadangar Subcontinent.

So I’m giving these to you. Use them against those maggots. Squash them as hard as you can.”

He rose and began to walk toward the study’s exit. Halfway there he paused. “Thanks once again for freeing me from the Holy Land Torel. No matter what I do to help you, I feel like I still owe you one.

I think that’s why they say freedom is priceless. One can’t really pay the price to someone who has liberated them from their shackles.

Let’s meet again if fate allows. We’ll see where destiny takes us, yes?

Haha. Farewell, boy.”

With that, the Frostbound Lord vanished into thin air. A chill and a ring of ice were left where he had stood.

Aksai looked at the empty space the lord had just left and memorized his words. Then he eyed the 3rd Order trump cards on the table and murmured, “Well… don’t blame me if I use them all.”

***

A day later.

The night was calm on Shamrock Peak.

The Spirit trees glowed faintly under the moonlight, their branches swaying with the gentle breeze that carried the scent of Spirit herbs from Aksai’s farmland.

A circle of runes shimmered faintly on the ground—a 2nd Order Spirit Gathering Array, carefully modified and reinforced by Aksai himself. At the center of the array sat Ivy Elbak, her body covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

Aksai stood behind her, his robes fluttering slightly as the Essence Equations within the array began to hum. His gaze was calm but sharp, filled with focus. He could feel the turbulent Spirit Essence within Ivy’s body. It was dense and rich, but still unsteady—like a lake on the verge of overflowing.

“Steady your breathing,” Aksai said softly. His voice was low but carried clearly through the flow of Spirit Essence.

“Don’t resist the flow. We often subconsciously try to force the Spirit essence to mold our way in such events. This habit is good when you are cultivating normally. But a breakthrough requires a bit of chaos inside your Spirit veins. Embrace that chaos. Guide it. Let it form its own path.”

Ivy nodded weakly. Her body trembled, veins glowing faintly with spiritual light. She had waited years for this moment, for this one step that would decide whether she would remain a Spirit Refiner or ascend to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

She was already given a Foundation Establishment Pill by Aksai before leaving the Emerald Cove. However, Ivy failed to achieve a breakthrough even after consuming the pill.

She would have been gravely injured and her cultivation base might have been affected if she hadn’t taken the pill. As such, Ivy decided not to do things on her own and risk her life. Instead, she decided to wait for Aksai to return home.

The last time she had tried on her own, she had nearly crippled her cultivation base. This time, she trusted her master completely.

Aksai slowly extended his right hand, placing it over the crown of her head. Spirit light flowed from his palm—a steady stream of green-tinted essence, pure and warm.

His own Spirit Essence entered her meridians, guiding the wild surge within her body toward her dantian. The array beneath them pulsed brighter, the air heavy with the scent of Spirit energy.

Minutes passed like hours. Ivy’s face twisted in pain as her body shook violently. The energy within her was far too fierce for her frail body to handle. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Aksai frowned slightly.

“Her cultivation is stable and her preparations are complete. But… there’s a scar left on her psyche because of her failure last time,” he muttered under his breath.

He increased the output of his own Spirit Essence, steadying her channels with his own energy. The array responded to his control, pulling even more Spirit Qi from the air and directing it toward Ivy.

But even with his help, her body began to collapse under the pressure. She coughed violently, blood splattering the glowing runes.

Her breathing grew shallow, her aura flickering like a dying flame.

Aksai sighed. “Stubborn girl,” he said softly. “You refuse to let go of your instincts even now.”

He lifted his other hand and pressed two fingers gently against her forehead. A small pulse of energy spread out, sealing her senses—sight, sound, touch, everything. Her body relaxed instantly, and her struggling essence stilled.

Then Aksai closed his eyes. His Spirit Essence shifted—no longer the sharp energy of battle but something deep and natural. A faint green light wrapped around his body as he decided to use his druidic powers. He placed his palm gently on Ivy’s back.

Soft, verdant energy flowed into her, carrying the vitality of nature itself. Leaves rustled in response even though there was no wind. Life Essence entered her Dantian, soothing her broken channels and nurturing the unstable Spirit essence. Slowly, the chaotic energy began to harmonize, shaping itself into a new foundation.

The runes of the array pulsed one final time before dimming.

Silence fell.

Aksai withdrew his hands and watched as Ivy’s breathing steadied. The glow around her body softened, her aura smooth and firm—no longer scattered, no longer wild. She had done it.

When she finally opened her eyes, dawn had begun to break. Pale sunlight touched the Spirit fields around them. She looked at her hands, then felt the new strength coursing through her veins. Her Spirit Essence had changed—it was denser, purer, flowing easily through her meridians.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned to face her master.

Aksai stood a few steps away, his expression calm as always, though there was a trace of fatigue in his eyes.

Realizing what he had done for her, Ivy immediately knelt on the ground, her head bowed low. Her voice trembled.

“Thank… thank you, Master,” she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Aksai watched her for a moment, then gave a small smile. He raised his hand slightly, and a gentle breeze lifted her up from the ground.

“Get up,” he said quietly. “You did well. The rest is your own path to walk. And don’t let your guard down just because you have become a bit stronger than your past self. There’s a storm coming for Emerald Cove.

It’s good that you have entered the Foundation Establishment realm but don’t think that you’d be safe from dangers now. On the contrary, our enemies will paint a bigger target on your back now that you have become a threat.

Rest well for a few days. And don’t tell anyone yet that you have succeeded. Not even to your underlings. Do you understand?”

Ivy wiped her eyes, still overwhelmed by emotion. She nodded firmly, the joy and gratitude in her eyes shining brighter than the morning sun.

===

AN: Ivy Elbak was first introduced in Chapter 169. She reached the 9th stage of the Spirit Refining realm in Chapter 243.