A Farmer's Journey To Immortality

Chapter 752: 2nd Aether Beast?

Seralyth’s pupils shrank.

Her fingers twitched slightly, but she did not interrupt him.

“Second,” Aksai went on, “you will have to help me during the process. It may damage your Soul Space. You may not be able to recover from that damage for decades.”

Seralyth’s jaw tightened.

“Third,” Aksai said, his tone steady, “even though I have agreed to help you take revenge on the Mad Immortal, the way and the timing will be decided by me. You may be asked to act for my benefit, even when it has nothing to do with him.”

Silence filled the space between them.

Aksai did not stop.

“Lastly,” he said, “I am weaker than you. My soul essence is far below yours. This trick will need time to work. During that time, you must be patient. You must also accept every risk involved, including the risk of dying.”

He paused and looked straight into Seralyth’s eyes.

“If you agree to these conditions,” he said slowly, “without asking questions for now, I will proceed.”

The air felt heavy.

Seralyth’s face went through many changes. Shock. Pain. Pride. Fear. And then, slowly, resolve. Her gaze drifted to the side, toward where Serya floated quietly, still recovering from the bloodline refinement.

Her lips trembled.

Then she looked back at Aksai.

“I have already died once,” she said softly. “If there is even a small chance that I can stay with my daughter… I will take it.”

She straightened her back and bowed her head slightly.

“I agree,” Seralyth said. “To all of it.”

Her voice did not waver anymore.

Aksai looked at Seralyth for a long moment. He did not rush his answer. His eyes moved over her weak soul form, her tired face, and the anxiety she was trying hard to hide. Only after he was sure did he nod.

“Then you’ll have to do what I say from now on,” he said calmly. “Let’s hope it works.”

He took a long breath, steadying himself.

The next moment, his woodland clone began to fade. Its body turned into faint green light before fully disappearing. Aksai’s true body appeared on top of the Heavenly Poison Pyramid instead. The dark structure hummed faintly beneath his feet.

He stepped forward and gave Seralyth a bow. It was not deep, but it was sincere. He then straightened himself before speaking seriously.

“I’ll explain the process,” he said. “The first step is to brand a Slave Mark on your soul.”

Seralyth did not move. She simply listened and nodded.

“This will be the hardest part,” Aksai continued. “Even if you do not resist at all, it will still be extremely dangerous for me.”

While making Nuri run a few virtual tests, he continued speaking.

“My soul is only at the Core Formation realm,” he said. “I have not even gone through the Nascent Soul breakthrough. You, on the other hand, are a half-step Spirit Manifestation realm being.”

He let out a dry chuckle.

“Between us lie two major realms,” he said. “Nascent Soul and Deity Transformation. I am a weak third-order existence. You are a fallen but still terrifying pseudo sixth-order being.”

Seralyth’s eyes darkened, but she did not look away. It was she who had informed him about her status after all. She knew exactly what Aksai was talking about. Frankly, she was amazed that someone like him was willing to take such a risk at all.

“Even with my unique cultivation path strengthening my soul far beyond normal Lords,” Aksai said, “it still cannot compare to yours.”

Aksai’s Aether cultivation had indeed put his soul through many trials, tempering it to such an extent that even a late-stage Lord would not dare use soul-related attacks on him carelessly.

If Aksai played his cards right and had the assistance of a powerful soul-related artifact, he could even withstand attacks from an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul King. However, that was the absolute limit of his Aether powers and his Aether Beast.

What he was about to do was like a small snake that had just crawled out of its egg trying to swallow a fully grown king cobra. If he did not have his Aether Beast acting as a shield and firewall, he would never attempt this. One mistake would mean his soul being crushed on the spot.

Aksai silently thanked Nuri for laying the foundation that allowed him to use Verdant Elder as a firewall for all his soul-related techniques. Using Verdant Elder as a conduit to brand a Slave Mark on Seralyth also meant exposing Verdant Elder’s soul to all the risks involved.

However, Aksai had already taken several steps beforehand, following Nuri’s instructions, to ensure that his own soul would remain safe at all costs. If things truly went out of control, he was even prepared to discard Verdant Elder’s soul entirely.

That would mean killing his own Aether Beast with his own hands and halting his Aether cultivation. It would also weaken his Qi Shell greatly. But those were risks he was willing to take if it meant gaining a real chance to take possession of a half-step sixth-order Aether Beast in the form of Seralyth.

That’s right.

Aksai was trying to turn Seralyth into his second Aether Beast before sealing her into his Soul Space, so that he could summon her in the future after breaking through the sixth Spirit realm himself. He was also attempting to turn her still-living but nearly vegetative body into a Qi Shell.

However, he was not confident he could pull that off right away. For now, his focus was on turning Seralyth into his Aether Beast.

To do that, he needed to successfully brand a Slave Mark on her soul. Only then could he proceed further. If he tried to turn Seralyth into an Aether Beast without doing this first, even the slightest backlash would cause his soul to scatter and his body to fall into a vegetative state.

Even if his soul didn’t get harmed in the process, his Aether Beast would surely have to pay the price for his mistake. Aksai didn’t want to harm Verdant Elder or discard it unless it was absolutely necessary.

With that thought, Aksai looked straight at Seralyth and spoke grimly.

“Once we start,” he said, “there is no turning back.”

Seralyth closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, there was no hesitation left.

“I understand,” she said softly. “Do it.”

Aksai nodded once more. The Heavenly Poison Pyramid beneath him began to stir.

Aksai took a slow breath and raised his hands. Thin lines of pale purple light spread out from beneath his feet and climbed into the air. They did not look like spirit energy. They were calmer, quieter, yet heavier in feeling.

An Aether formation took shape.

The symbols that formed in the air were strange. They did not glow brightly like normal formations. Instead, they pulsed slowly, as if breathing. The space around them felt tight, as though it was being wrapped layer by layer.

Seralyth watched in silence.

She could tell at once that the formation’s power level was not high. At most, it was equal to a third-order Spirit formation. But something about it made her uneasy. Every line, every symbol, was focused on one thing alone.

The soul.

This formation was made only to deal with souls.

Seralyth narrowed her eyes slightly.

’This is strange,’ she thought. ’I have never seen such a formation before.’

As a half-step Earth Immortal, She had lived for countless years. She had seen formations from many sects and lands. Yet this one felt foreign. It did not belong to this world.

Her doubt deepened when Aksai waved his hand and took out several crystals.

They were purple, but not the same kind of purple as poison crystals or spirit stones. These crystals were deep and clear, like frozen blood mixed with starlight.

Aether Crystals.

Seralyth’s breath slowed.

She could tell what they were similar to. In her long life, she had seen blood crystals made through cruel demonic techniques. Those crystals were born from sacrifice and death. They always carried pain, hatred, and lingering resentment.

But these crystals were different.

There was no hatred in them. No screams. No lingering will.

They were pure.

That alone made her heart tremble.

’What kind of path is this little druid walking?’ she wondered. ’And where did he learn all this?’

Still, she said nothing.

She had already agreed. No questions. No doubt spoken aloud.