Slowly, patterns appeared over the forms of Aksai’s newest experints.
These were Essence Equation patterns that Aksai had never seen before. However, he could decipher parts of them due to his initial mastery of the Heretic Dao.
"I may be stating the obvious, but these things are not natural," Aksai muttered.
[Confird, Master. Their structure shows artificial modification to accommodate Heretic Dao concepts. It is similar to Bloodfiend creation. However, these are forms of undead, unlike the puppets created through normal Bloodfiend techniques.]
Aksai raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at the patterns more closely. He found the similarities Nuri had ntioned, which made him even more intrigued. As the experints continued, Aksai finally understood.
The poison wraiths and poison lichs were like experintal products, created to test how well two different concepts belonging to the Heretic Dao could coexist. Their bodies and souls had been shaped using alchemy techniques from the Heavenly Poison Sect.
"Hmm. Maybe an intermittently active automated Spirit formation has been used to create or maintain them. They are like foot soldiers of this separate dinsion," Aksai said softly. "Not part of the food chain."
This discovery stirred sothing inside him.
He began to compare their creation with his own woodland creatures. The way souls were integrated into bodies. The way bodies were reinforced. The way Spirit essence and soul essence were forced to obey.
New ideas ford in his mind.
"These thods," he said slowly, "can be adapted."
[Insight recorded, Master.]
Aksai leaned back and looked at the glowing roots on the cave walls.
"This place is strange," he said.
He now understood.
This separate dinsion carried a legacy. One side was poison. The other was death itself. Both had been left behind by a Spirit cultivator far beyond ordinary understanding.
Aksai spent the next few days finishing his experints on the poison undead.
He tested their limits, broke their bodies apart, and observed how their souls reacted under stress. Once he had learned everything he could, he ended their existence without hesitation. There was no need to keep them around anymore.
After that, he continued his journey deeper into the separate dinsion.
The land slowly changed as he moved forward. The poisonous plants thinned out, and the ground beca dry and cracked. Soon, abandoned structures appeared in the distance. Broken halls, collapsed towers, and empty courtyards stood in silence, as if ti itself had forgotten this place.
Aksai explored them one by one.
Most of the buildings were useless. Storage rooms were empty. Training halls had crumbled long ago. Even the Spirit formations carved into the walls had lost their power. Whatever value these places once held had already been taken or destroyed.
Eventually, he reached the heart of the region.
A massive pyramid-like structure rose from the ground. Its surface was dark and smooth, with wide stone stairs leading upward. The mont Aksai laid eyes on it, an oppressive feeling pressed down on his chest. His breathing slowed, and his instincts scread a warning.
Zyn stopped moving.
The poison wyvern stood at the foot of the stairs, wings folded tightly against its body. It let out a low growl and refused to move forward. Aksai could feel its emotions clearly. It was not just fear. There was also reverence, as if Zyn was standing before sothing far above itself.
Aksai’s expression turned serious.
"So it’s here," he murmured.
His druidic senses spread out and confird his guess. The strongest concentration of Spirit essence was at the very top of the pyramid. It was dense, ancient, and heavy. There was no doubt in his mind.
The inner sect’s treasury of the Heavenly Poison Sect was up there.
But there was sothing else.
Aksai’s heart tightened as his senses brushed against another presence. It was twisted and strange. It was neither fully alive nor fully dead. Its existence felt broken, yet powerful enough to crush him with ease.
Aksai swallowed hard.
"The fallen dao beast," he said quietly.
The excitent in his eyes faded at once. His grip tightened, and his body stiffened. As tempting as the treasury was, he knew better than to challenge sothing like that in his current state.
He took a slow step back.
"Not today," he said to himself.
His life was worth far more than any treasure hidden at the top of that pyramid.
"Fun’s over. Ti to leave."
Aksai had just turned around to leave when a calm voice sounded in his ears.
"Child, since you have already arrived here, why not climb up? Don’t worry. I won’t harm you. I have been patiently waiting for you."
Aksai froze.
Goosebumps rose all over his body. His breath caught for a mont as his heart started to beat faster. The voice was gentle, almost kind, yet it carried a pressure that made his instincts scream danger.
He slowly looked back at the pyramid.
He did not see anyone, yet he knew where the voice had co from.
"This presence..." Aksai thought, his throat going dry.
He could feel it clearly now. This fallen dao beast was far beyond the 4th Order. It was at least 5th Order, or perhaps even 6th Order. Such an existence was already close to breaking free from the limits of the Dadangar World.
Aksai clenched his fists.
He had thought that the fallen dao beast was weak. That it was barely holding on. That it needed poison undeads as shields and formations as crutches. He had even sacrificed the mbers of the Iron Mountain Sect to wear down its remaining soul.
Yet even after all that, it could still release such a silent and terrifying aura.
That alone sent a chill through him.
"I won’t harm you," the voice had said.
Aksai did not believe it right away.
He continued retreating, step by step, moving as far away from the pyramid as he could. Only when the oppressive pressure eased a little did he stop. His druidic senses told him the truth. The pyramid itself was keeping the fallen dao beast alive. It could not leave that place.
That gave him so room to breathe.
Aksai sat down on the ground and placed his palm against the earth. Green light spread from his hand as his druidic powers flowed into the soil.
The ground trembled.
Roots burst upward, pushing stones aside. In a few monts, a thick plant rose from the earth. A bud ford at its top and quickly grew larger. It blood before his eyes.
From within the flower, a figure stepped out.
It was a woodland clone of Aksai.
The clone was about three feet tall and made of wood and vines. Its face looked simple but clear, and its eyes carried a faint green glow. It stood upright, tilting its head slightly as if it were trying to understand the world.
This form of Aksai’s clone was very similar to the form he had assud trying to explore Aether World Acarnis in the past. However, that form was akin to shapeshifting whereas this form was a lot like Aksai’s woodland fiends, except it was his own Soul Fragnt that was inside the woodland creature.
After becoming a Core Formation Lord, Aksai had started to explore his druidic powers more deeply. He experinted with them often to see if they could be combined with other important techniques that he had learned and mastered.
The woodland clone was Aksai’s own invention. It was created by fusing his druidic powers with soul-related techniques that he had obtained from the ghosts that once possessed the pseudo Lords.
The woodland clone had many limitations. First, it could only operate within a certain distance, which was not enough for any aningful exploration beyond Erald Cove. Second, it required Aksai to create a Soul Fragnt from his own soul, making it nearly impossible to use the technique often or create more than one woodland clone at a ti.
Lastly, the woodland clone had limited power compared to Aksai himself. Although one part of it carried his full consciousness, the other part was dominated by plant life. It was like a small child that held Aksai’s mories. Because of this, Aksai could guide the woodland clone to so extent, but he did not have complete control over it.
Even so, the woodland clone was perfect for Aksai’s current situation. It ensured his safety while still allowing him to test whether he could reach the treasury.
Although he had done a lot of experints during his closed-door cultivation and had tested the idea through Nuri’s virtual analysis and sandboxing, this was the first ti Aksai was using the new and improved woodland clone in a real battle situation.
He had to admit that he was satisfied with the results of his two decades of isolated cultivation, which had allowed him to prepare many hidden trump cards. It was these trump cards that gave Aksai so level of confidence to explore such a place. Otherwise, he would have never tried to snatch such a "sweet pie" from the Iron Mountain Sect’s mouth.
For a brief mont, Aksai almost smiled.
"If this were another ti, I’d say ’I am Grooot,’" he thought.
But he pushed the thought aside.
This was not the ti to joke.
Aksai stood up and pointed toward the pyramid.
"Go," he said softly.
The woodland clone nodded and began walking toward the massive structure. Aksai stayed where he was, watching closely, ready to react to anything that might happen.
User Comments
0 comments from readers