A Farmer's Journey To Immortality

Chapter 719: Assassination?

Aksai slowly brought his cultivation to a complete stop.

The last traces of Spirit essence settled inside his body, calm and steady.

The cave beneath the palace returned to silence, broken only by the faint dripping of water and the soft rustle of roots from the Demon Tree above. He opened his eyes and exhaled.

“It’s time to stretch my legs,” he said quietly.

With a single thought, the formations beneath him powered down. The glowing lines faded, the runes sank back into the earth, and the cave returned to its natural state. Aksai stood up, adjusted his robes, and walked toward the passage leading upward.

Step by step, he left the underground cave behind.

When he finally emerged inside the palace, warm sunlight greeted him. The halls were clean and wide. The moment he appeared, soft footsteps echoed from ahead.

Around thirty maids quickly gathered in the main hall.

They were all young, graceful, and well trained. Their robes were neat, their posture perfect.

These were not the same maids who had served Aksai in the past. Those women had grown old over the years and had already retired, living peaceful lives on Emerald Cove. After all, a period of twenty-two years was not small in the eyes of mortals and low-level cultivators.

This new group was different.

They had been carefully chosen after strict training. Most of them were winners or runner-ups of the annual competitions held across Emerald Cove. Only the best were allowed to serve inside the Lord’s palace.

At the front stood two women.

One wore violet-colored robes and had sharp, calm eyes. The other stood beside her with a gentle expression but a firm presence. They were Violet and Zara.

The rest of the maids naturally stood slightly behind them.

To these young women, Zara and Violet were not just seniors or head maids. They were true Experts.

In the Dadangar Subcontinent, even early-stage Foundation Establishment Experts were treated as leaders of small factions. Mid-stage Experts were often recruited as elders by well-established sects.

Yet here, two such Experts stood quietly as maids, waiting on Aksai.

That fact alone carried heavy meaning.

It made the new maids understand something clearly.

Aksai’s status as a Core Formation Lord was far greater than they had imagined.

Most of them dreamed of serving in Aksai’s palace and making use of the Lord’s resources to progress further in their cultivation. Some even dared to imagine that one day they would leave their status as maids behind, depart from Emerald Cove, and establish their own presence on the mainland after becoming Experts.

However, after seeing Aksai standing together with his two head maids, they began to wonder if their dreams and aspirations were shallow. Did they really need to leave their status and maids behind in order to grow as Spirit cultivators?

Zara Violet stepped forward first and bowed deeply.

“Welcome back, my Lord,” she said with respect. “Congratulations on ending your close-door cultivation.”

Zara followed right after her and bowed as well.

“We welcome your return, my Lord,” she said warmly. “Congratulations on achieving a small breakthrough in your cultivation.”

The rest of the maids reacted a moment later, following their lead. They knelt or bowed together in neat lines.

“Welcome back, Lord Aksai!”

“Congratulations on your breakthrough!”

“We welcome your return, my Lord!”

Their voices were clear and sincere.

For many of them, this was the first time they had ever seen Aksai.

He had been in close-door cultivation for almost twenty-two years. Some of these maids had not even been born when he entered isolation. To them, Aksai had always been a distant figure, almost a legend spoken of during training.

A few of them had even wondered if Aksai was a real person or something the island administration had made up to intimidate forces from the mainland. After all, there were always a few sellers of conspiracy theories and a lot of buyers.

Yet now he stood right in front of them.

Young. Calm. Handsome.

Time had barely touched his face. His presence was gentle, yet it carried a deep pressure that made their hearts beat faster. At first, they were simply stunned by his appearance. Then, slowly, awe turned into reverence.

Aksai smiled before speaking.

“Thanks for your well wishes, everyone,” he said calmly. “You may rise.”

The maids stood up in perfect order.

Aksai looked around the hall and let out a small breath, as if finally relaxing.

“First things first,” he said with a faint smile. “Prepare me a proper meal. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten real food. I… I am famished for food and good company. Kekeke.”

The tension in the hall eased at once.

Zara Violet smiled and bowed. “As you wish, my Lord. Thankfully, one of the Sentient Fiends gave us a heads-up. We have already prepared ingredients in case you ended your cultivation today.”

Zara clapped her hands lightly. “Move quickly. Prepare the main hall.”

The maids responded at once. Some rushed toward the kitchens. Others began arranging tables and seats. Their movements were smooth and practiced, showing the results of long training.

Aksai sat down at the head of a long table. A few moments later, jars of Bacchus’ Blessings Wine were brought out.

This was a special blend that only Aksai and important guests of Emerald Cove were allowed to enjoy. The fragrance alone made his stomach rumble.

Zara poured the first cup herself and handed it to him.

“To your safe return, my Lord,” she said.

Aksai raised the cup and chuckled. “Hahaha. What safe return? I only cultivated inside the safety of my cave. Are you mocking me, dear Zara?”

Zara’s face turned red as she hurriedly replied, “That’s… that’s not it, my Lord. But even close-door cultivation sessions are not exempt from accidents. For example, Spirit essence deviation can occur if you—”

Aksai laughed and cut her off. “Hahaha. I know. I was just messing with you. Anyway… here’s to being alive and hungry.”

The maids laughed softly, some covering their mouths. The atmosphere quickly grew relaxed.

Aksai took a sip of the wine. It was rich and warm, spreading through his body. He leaned back slightly and let out a satisfied sigh.

“Come,” he said casually. “Sit and drink with me. I’ve been talking to rocks and trees for years. I need real people now.”

The maids exchanged glances. Seeing Zara and Violet take their seats without hesitation, the others followed, sitting a little farther away at first.

As the wine flowed, laughter slowly filled the hall.

Aksai joked about his time in isolation, about how he had started seeing shapes in the hanging vines of the Demon Tree. He teased the younger maids when they grew nervous and praised them when they answered confidently.

The new recruits slowly relaxed. Some even dared to ask him questions.

Soon, the meal was served.

Large trays were placed on the table, filled with fresh seafood. There were Spirit fish with shimmering scales, roasted sea beasts, steamed shell creatures, and bowls of rich soup made from rare ocean herbs. Every dish carried strong Spirit energy.

“These were caught by your subordinates from the nearby seas,” Zara said. “They were prepared today.”

Aksai’s eyes lit up.

“Good,” he said. “Very good.”

He began eating without restraint. Due to Emerald Cove’s location, the island’s seafood consumption was always high. Over the last twenty-two years, it had grown even higher because of the Emerald Cove Guild.

The Emerald Cove Guild often released missions related to capturing large quantities of special Spirit fish and other Spirit resources found in the sea. Drifting cultivators liked these missions due to their low risk and high reward.

As a result, the island’s overall Spirit fish yield had risen greatly, especially rare fish that were difficult to capture. The drifting cultivators were willing to carry out such missions for days or even weeks on end because they fetched them greater contribution points.

Emerald Cove had even started supplying the mainland with these fish as tonics for low-level Spirit cultivators, earning greater profits than before.

As such, it was no surprise that Aksai could enjoy a batch of rare and precious seafood that could make the eyes of low-level Spirit cultivators turn red with envy and greed.

Because of his Argent Body realm, Aksai’s appetite was far greater than that of ordinary cultivators. He ate large portions, yet his movements remained calm and natural. The maids watched in surprise as dish after dish slowly emptied.

Aksai did not eat in silence.

He asked the maids where they were from, how they joined Emerald Cove, and what they liked to do when they were not training. He listened as they spoke, sometimes laughing, sometimes nodding.

When one of the new recruits spoke nervously, he gently joked to ease her fear. When another boasted a little too proudly, he laughed and encouraged her anyway.

The hall felt warm and lively.

As he drank and ate, Aksai’s thoughts drifted.

Many Spirit cultivators believed that life was only about cultivation. They locked themselves away, chasing power day and night. But to him, that felt empty.

The whole point of Spirit cultivation was to live longer.

But what use was a long life if one never truly lived?

If a person spent centuries meditating in silence, cutting off emotions and joy, then those extra years were nothing more than empty time.

Aksai smiled as laughter echoed around him.

This moment mattered.

Eating good food. Drinking good wine. Talking and laughing with people around him. This was life.

And this was why he cultivated. To live longer, yes—but more importantly, to live fully.

Aksai was in the middle of laughing at one of the maids’ stories when a sudden chill ran down his spine.

The hair on his back stood on end.

It was not his Spirit Sense that warned him. The hall felt calm. There were no strange waves of power. No killing intent.

And yet, deep inside, his druidic instincts screamed danger.

Fatal danger.

Source: .com, updated by novlove.com