A Farmer's Journey To Immortality - Chapter 567: Subbordinates’ Progress P2

Chapter 567: Subbordinates’ Progress P2

The grand hall of Aksai’s palace was bright and calm this morning.

Shafts of sunlight passed through the large crystal windows, scattering soft glows over the Spirit stone tiles. The faint scent of burning incense filled the air, and the sound of Spirit birds chirping outside mixed with the murmured voices of a few subordinates gathered near Aksai’s seat.

One had to say that Aksai palace was an ideal blend of sophisticated architecture and nature’s elements. Even though it looked simple at a first glance, the more one lived inside the more rejuvenated they’d feel.

Aksai sat on a throne-like chair carved from pale jadewood, a simple robe draped loosely over his shoulders. He was speaking in a low voice to a few low-level managers about the new Spirit water irrigation system for the northern farmland when the heavy doors of the hall opened slowly.

Ruan entered, leading two boys beside him.

The elder one, about sixteen now, was tall for his age, his features calm but respectful. The younger one—barely looked to be two years old—held his father’s finger tightly, staring wide-eyed at the shining floor, the tall pillars, and the distant figure of Aksai sitting on the throne. His small mouth opened in awe as his gaze jumped from one glowing Spirit lamp to another.

Ruan stopped a few steps from the dais and bowed deeply. His movements were stiff, and there was a faint tremor in his knees. The years had left their marks on him—his once-dark hair now had silver strands, and faint wrinkles traced his face.

“Island owner Lord Aksai,” Ruan said, lowering his head further. His voice carried respect and a little nervousness.

Aksai looked up at the familiar voice. He blinked, then smiled lightly. The other subordinates glanced back, recognizing the old farmer and quietly excused themselves, stepping away to give space.

“Little Ruan,” Aksai said, his tone warm. “Since when did you start calling me with titles? Aren’t I your big brother Aksai?”

He leaned back in his seat, studying the man and the two children beside him. “Why did you come here? Speak freely.”

Ruan straightened slowly, but he still kept his head lowered in respect.

“Yes, Bee– big brother Aksai,” he said after a pause, his voice a little rough. “I came to pay my respects. It’s been years since you returned from the Duya Forest, and I hadn’t yet brought my sons to greet you.”

He gently pushed his older son forward. “You may remember my eldest, Ruon. You saw him before you left the island. He has grown up now and helps me at the Spirit farms.”

Ruon bowed deeply. “Greetings, Lord— um… un… uncle Aksai.” His tone was careful, respectful.

Aksai chuckled. “Good. You’ve grown taller than your father already,” he said kindly. Then his gaze softened as it fell on the smaller boy hiding behind Ruan’s leg. “And this little one… he wasn’t born when I left, was he?”

Ruan smiled faintly, pride and sadness mixed in his expression. He lifted the boy gently into his arms. “No, big brother. He was born a year after you left for Duya Forest. His name is Ruun.”

The boy looked at Aksai with wide eyes, clutching his father’s shoulder. “He just learned to walk,” Ruan said softly. “This is his first time seeing your palace. He’s… a little overwhelmed.”

Aksai’s eyes softened further. “So it seems.” He waved his hand lightly, and a few small glowing orbs floated down from the ceiling, spinning gently before the little boy. The child’s eyes lit up, and he let out a small laugh, reaching out to catch the floating lights.

Ruan smiled weakly, but his eyes betrayed the weight in his heart. After a long silence, he knelt down, still holding his youngest son in his arms. His elder boy quickly followed, bowing beside him.

Aksai frowned slightly. “What are you doing, Ruan?”

Ruan took a deep breath. “Big brother… you have already done so much for me and my late mother. You gave us a place to live, work, and food to eat. You didn’t have to, but you did. For that, I will be grateful until my last breath.”

He lowered his head further. “But… my time is running out. My cultivation has reached its limit. No matter how much I train, I can’t go beyond the Spirit Refining Realm. My body… it won’t last many more years.”

Aksai stayed silent, watching him closely.

Ruan continued, his voice trembling slightly.

“I don’t want my sons to live like I did—barely surviving like mortals, always at the mercy of the next harvest. Even if we are doing well from the past few years, we are still far away from being called a cultivator family.

I… I want my sons to have a better future than me as Spirit cultivators. So, I came here to ask you… please, accept them as your subordinates. Let them serve you as I have.”

His elder son’s hands tightened into fists, and the younger one blinked in confusion, not understanding the heaviness of the moment.

Aksai’s gaze lingered on the three of them for a long while. Then he sighed softly.

“Ruan,” he said quietly. “You’ve been loyal since the start. Aunt Reta helped me when I had no one, and I’ve never forgotten that. You’ve already repaid me with your work all these years.”

He stood up from his seat and stepped down from the dais, his footsteps echoing softly across the marble floor. He stopped before Ruan and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t take in subordinates for favors. But your sons… they are part of this island’s family. If they wish to follow me, I won’t refuse them. Ruon can begin his training with the farmland overseers next month. I will also provide him with a suitable cultivation technique and some resources.

As for the little one…” Aksai smiled faintly and touched the child’s head, “he can just grow up without worry for now. Let him decide his own future.”

Ruan’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, big brother Aksai… thank you.”

Aksai shook his head gently. “Don’t thank me. You’ve earned this. Rest easy knowing your sons will have a place here.”

Ruan bowed deeply again, unable to speak. His eldest son followed, his eyes shining with determination, while the youngest just clapped his hands, laughing as one of the glowing orbs danced above his head.

The hall was quiet after Ruan and his sons finished bowing. Aksai’s eyes fell on Ruan again. For a long moment, he didn’t say anything.

Then, without moving his lips, he extended his Spirit Sense toward Ruan. A faint ripple of energy passed through the air—soft and invisible.

Ruan didn’t resist. He knew Aksai well enough to trust him completely. The Spirit Sense entered his body and moved slowly through his meridians and dantian, brushing past each Spirit vein with delicate precision.

Aksai’s eyes narrowed slightly. He could feel how steady Ruan’s Spirit energy was—like a calm, unmoving lake. His meridians were old, but not damaged. His dantian was stable, though dim, like a lamp that still burned with effort even as its oil ran low.

Despite the lack of talent, Aksai could tell that Ruan had never slacked in his cultivation. The man’s Spirit base had been tempered through years of work—steady, disciplined, and honest.

Aksai withdrew his Spirit Sense and stood silently for a moment. His gaze softened, but only for a heartbeat. Then, his expression turned serious.

He stepped closer, hands clasped behind his back, and spoke slowly. “Little Ruan, do you want to break into the Foundation Building realm?”

Ruan froze, his eyes widening slightly. He blinked, unsure if he had heard right. Then he gave a bitter smile, lowering his head. “Big brother Aksai,” he said, shaking his head, “which Spirit Refining cultivator doesn’t want to break into the Foundation realm?”

He sighed deeply before continuing. “But we all know it’s not possible for me anymore. My body is old, my Spirit energy no longer grows. My cultivation has been stuck for years now. The only reason I still meditate and train is because it helps me with the work on your Spirit farms. Otherwise, there’s no hope left.”

Aksai listened quietly, walking slowly around Ruan. His footsteps echoed softly in the vast hall. His robe moved slightly with the breeze as he stopped behind Ruan’s shoulder.

“I already know that you won’t be able to break into the 2nd Spirit realm using traditional methods,” Aksai said, his tone calm but sharp. “Even the demonic techniques known across the Dadangar Subcontinent won’t be of any help to you.”

Ruan kept silent, still kneeling with his sons beside him.

Aksai paused before continuing, his eyes glinting faintly. “However,” he said slowly, “I still have my own ways.”

Ruan’s head lifted a little, a faint flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“It’s just that…” Aksai continued, “your life will be at risk during the process. And even if you succeed, you won’t ever be able to go past the first stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. That means, once you break through, your cultivation will stop there forever. You will never have a chance to step into the Core Formation realm or any higher stage.”

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AN: Ruan reached the 9th stage of the Spirit Refining realm in Chapter 244. He failed to reach the Spirit Refining Perfection due to his low Spirit Root Aptitude.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com