A Farmer's Journey To Immortality

Grisham stopped moving.

The last earth seal slid into place with a low rumble.

Stone fused with stone, and the final hive entrance disappeared as if it had never existed. Dust fell slowly, and the cave wall became smooth and solid again.

Essence Equation runes slithered over the stones, strengthening the seal. Merely digging through the seal wouldn’t be enough anymore. One needed to destroy the restriction-type runes to exit the cave.

One glance at the runes was enough to tell that the restrictive-type runes were not something Grisham could cast on his own using his late-stage Foundation Establishment realm. A Lord-level Spirit cultivator had to have been involved in this incident who had merely used Grisham as his medium to pull off such a feat.

By this point, only one opening remained. The one Heilam had forced open earlier.

Grisham lowered his hands and let out a long sigh. It was slow and calm, as if he felt regret rather than fear. He turned to face Heilam.

“Sect master,” Grisham said, his voice steady, “sometimes, it is not good to be too observant. It may harm you instead of helping you.”

Heilam’s eyes burned with anger. Spirit essence surged around him like a storm ready to break. It was his way of telling Grisham to prepare for what he was about to face.

Grisham did not step back. Instead, his body began to change.

His pale skin darkened, turning rough and bark-like. Thin lines spread across his arms and neck, like cracks in old wood. His fingers stretched longer, and sharp claws pushed out from beneath his nails.

A deep sound came from his chest as his bones shifted.

Vines burst from his shoulders and wrapped around his arms like living armor. His hair turned dark green and fell in thick strands that moved on their own, swaying slowly like leaves in the wind.

His eyes lost their human look. They glowed faintly, filled with a cold, wild light.

Roots pushed out from beneath his feet and dug into the ground, cracking the stone floor as they spread.

In just a few breaths, Grisham was no longer a human cultivator.

He stood tall as a woodland fiend, half plant and half beast. His body carried the heavy presence of the forest, old and cruel. A strange pressure filled the air, making it hard to breathe.

Woodland fiends were the next-generation variants of Sentient Fiends. They carried the personalities and memories of the bodies they occupied. They could also cultivate Spirit essence on their own, which meant they could grow stronger over time.

Woodland fiends could blend in well with human Spirit cultivators because they carried Spirit signatures that were almost identical to those of the original body owners. This allowed them to be placed inside many organizations as spies without worrying about being discovered through normal means.

What was even more interesting was that they also carried the ambitions of the original owners of their bodies. For example, the original Grisham had studied poison arts and related fields. Because of this, the woodland fiend using Grisham’s identity displayed similar goals, skills, and interests.

Woodland fiends were also equipped with a subroutine Neural Link Fabric. This allowed them to learn faster and excel in almost any field given enough time and resources. They could also use the Neural Link Fabric to refine their Spirit spell casting and improve their Spirit cultivation speed.

Of course, the woodland fiends were extremely loyal to Aksai. They were willing to go to any lengths to complete the tasks he assigned them. Since they were all equipped with the Neural Link Fabric, their loyalty was unquestionable. Even a minor failure in carrying out Aksai’s orders could result in instant death if Aksai wished for it.

Perhaps, the only noticeable downside of the woodland fiends could be that they looked slightly paler than the original body owners. And even though they absorbed the personalities of the originals, they still preferred to act on their own most of the time, which made them somewhat antisocial.

Aksai had upgraded the existing Sentient Fiends into woodland fiends after becoming a Core Formation Lord. At this point, they were as good as real human Spirit cultivators, with absolute loyalty toward him.

The woodland fiends knew that their existence was meant to remain hidden. They carried out Aksai’s orders in silence while acting as the original owners of their bodies. Under normal circumstances, they would rather destroy themselves when exposed than allow the truth of their existence to be revealed.

However, this was not one of those situations. Grisham had been ordered by Aksai to complete certain tasks at any cost. As such, Grisham prepared himself to face the sect master of the Iron Mountain Sect.

Heilam stared at Grisham, shock flashing across his face.

“So this is your true face,” Heilam said through clenched teeth.

Grisham tilted his head slightly, vines shifting along his neck.

“Indeed. This is what I am,” he replied. “The Grisham that everyone in the sect knew died a long time ago. Although a part of him still lives on through me, I cannot say that Grisham is my whole identity.”

Heilam did not wait for another word.

The moment Grisham finished speaking, Heilam raised his hand and unleashed a wave of Spirit power. A heavy force rushed forward like a crashing wall. The ground shook as rocks and broken stone were lifted into the air and hurled toward Grisham.

Grisham moved at once. Thick roots burst out from the ground beneath his feet and pulled his body sideways. The rocks smashed into the cave wall behind him, sending dust everywhere.

Heilam stepped forward, his eyes cold. Flames gathered around his fists as he struck again. Fire shaped like fists flew toward Grisham, burning hot enough to melt stone.

Grisham lifted his arm. Vines wrapped around it, growing thick and dark. The fire slammed into the vines, burning some of them away, but new ones grew in their place almost instantly. Grisham swung his arm, and the vines lashed out like whips.

Heilam blocked with a Spirit shield, but the force still pushed him back a few steps. The vines scraped against his barrier, leaving deep marks.

“So fast,” Heilam muttered.

He formed a hand seal and released a metal-based Spirit spell. Sharp blades of Spirit energy flew forward, spinning and cutting through the air.

Grisham’s eyes flashed. He stomped the ground. Wooden spikes erupted upward, meeting the blades head-on. The blades shattered, but the spikes also broke apart.

Grisham did not stop there. He opened his mouth, and a thick green mist poured out. The mist spread quickly, carrying poison and killing intent.

Heilam waved his sleeve, using a wind-based spell to push the mist aside. At the same time, he activated a soul-based artifact. A low hum filled the air as invisible waves struck Grisham directly.

Grisham grunted as his body trembled. His movements slowed for a moment. But then his roots dug deeper into the ground, and a faint green glow spread through his body.

He raised both arms. The cave walls cracked as roots burst out from all sides. They moved like living snakes, crawling toward Heilam from every direction.

Heilam clenched his teeth and released a powerful burst of Spirit essence. Light exploded around him, destroying the nearest roots. Still, more kept coming.

Fire burned. Wood grew back. Metal cut. Vines wrapped around blades. Poison filled the air, and Spirit power clashed again and again.

Roots, vines, mist, and sharp wooden spikes moved together like one living spell. Each attack looked simple, but every strike carried a clear killing will. It was not just Spirit essence. It was intent pressed into every movement.

Heilam tried to block again. He raised his shield, but it shattered under the pressure. He cast fire, metal, and wind spells one after another, yet they were crushed or swallowed by the woodland power.

Grisham stepped forward calmly. This time, he decided to become a bit serious.

A long wooden frame formed in his hand. Water gathered along its edge, turning into a clear blade that shimmered with cold light. The water did not drip or shake. It stayed firm, sharp, and deadly.

This was not a normal Spirit spell.

It was a spell driven by intent.

Heilam’s chest heaved. Blood ran down his arm. His Spirit essence was close to running dry. He knew he had lost.

Grisham lifted the sword.

The wooden handle tightened in his grip. The water blade rose high, aiming straight for Heilam’s neck.

Then a voice echoed through the cave.

“Stop.”

It was just one word.

Yet the entire cave went silent.

The water blade froze in midair. The vines stopped moving. Even the poison mist seemed to calm down.

Grisham’s body stiffened. The killing intent vanished at once. He lowered the sword, turned his body, and bowed deeply toward the darkness.

“As you command, my liege,” he said.

Heilam’s eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat.

A lone figure stepped out from the shadows.

He walked slowly, his hands behind his back. His presence was calm, yet heavy. With each step, the pressure in the cave shifted.

Heilam recognized him at once.

Aksai Everwood.

The youngest existing Lord of the Dadangar Subcontinent.

Source: .com, updated by novlove.com