A Farmer's Journey To Immortality - Chapter 716: Precursor to 22 Years Timeskip

Chapter 716: Precursor to 22 Years Timeskip

The moment Aksai’s Spirit Sense entered the globe, thin lines appeared on its surface.

The Essence Equation runes lit up one after another, glowing with a soft purple light. They moved like flowing water, changing position as they worked through Aksai’s Spirit signature.

A low hum filled the hall. The globe began to tremble slightly.

Then, its aura expanded.

A wave of light spread outward and covered the entire hall. Everyone felt a gentle pressure on their skin, like a breeze brushing past them. No one felt danger, but no one dared to move.

Images started forming in the air above the globe.

At first, they were unclear and broken. A massive ancient tree appeared, its roots twisting through the earth like snakes. Then it faded.

’Must be related to the Demon Tree,’ Aksai thought to himself as he looked at the projected images. The Demon Tree had become a significant part of Aksai’s individuality after he had used it to refine his druidic bloodline.

After the tree, strange beasts followed in the projection.

Some had horns like mountains. Some had wings made of leaves. Others looked half real and half illusion, as if they belonged to a forgotten age.

’Hmm? Is this related to my druidic bloodline?’ Aksai wondered silently. He couldn’t be too sure since he hadn’t explored this particular part of his druidic powers or his individuality.

The images changed again and again. The crowd watched in silence.

Finally, the light slowed.

The shifting shapes gathered into one clear form. A giant turtle-like demon beast appeared in the air.

Its shell looked old and thick, covered in marks of time. Its eyes were calm and deep, as if it had seen countless years pass without hurry. It did not roar or move. It simply existed, steady and unmoved.

Aksai opened his eyes.

When he saw the image, a small smile appeared on his face.

Long ago, before he became a Lord, before his name spread across the Subcontinent, people had mocked him even though he had become an Expert and co-owned an island along with Nina and a few others.

They called him a scared turtle. An island owner who hid on his island and never came out. Back then, those words had followed him everywhere. Even on the island itself.

Aksai knew that the globe focused on this image mostly because of his Aether Beast. But as he looked at the calm turtle in the air, he felt no anger or shame.

This was his nature. He endured. He waited. He survived.

Slowly, he raised his head and looked at the crowd. His voice was clear as he spoke.

“I have decided,” Aksai said.

The hall held its breath.

“My Dao name will be Lord Turtle.”

For a brief moment, there was complete silence. Then, many gazes toward Aksai changed.

Aksai looked around the hall as well, meeting his audience’ gazes.

He could almost read the gazes. Some were curious. Some were confused. A few carried hidden smiles, as if they did not know whether they should laugh or stay silent.

Aksai did not mind. He smiled faintly and spoke again.

“I know what you are thinking,” he said calmly. “Why would I pick a Dao name that was once used to mock me?”

His voice was steady, without anger or shame.

“But to be honest,” he continued, “I never treated it as a mockery to begin with.”

The hall grew quiet.

“People often choose Dao names linked to fierce beasts,” Aksai said. “They do it to show how fierce they are. Others choose names linked to noble beasts to show their pride and status.”

He shook his head slightly.

“But I could never see myself like that,” he said. “I am not fierce. And I am certainly not noble.”

Some guests exchanged looks.

“I see myself as a low-key Spirit cultivator,” Aksai went on. “Someone who likes to cultivate peace and silence. Someone who prefers steady steps over loud actions.”

He paused for a moment.

“And yes,” he added, “it is true that I like to avoid danger whenever I can.”

A few people frowned. Others listened more closely.

“Why should I feel ashamed of that?” Aksai asked. “Why should anyone feel ashamed of thinking about survival first?”

His eyes sharpened slightly.

“Hiding like a turtle?” he said with a light chuckle. “So what?”

The words echoed clearly.

“At least I survived,” Aksai said. “I avoided dangers and lived on. As for those who rushed forward without thinking…”

His voice lowered.

“…their flesh is gone, and their bones are scattered across lands no one even remembers. Some even died by my own hands when I eventually gained an upper hand.”

A faint chill passed through the hall as they were exposed to Aksai’s cold and callous Spirit Sense that leaked out inadvertently as he spoke.

“A turtle hides in its shell when it senses danger,” Aksai continued. “But has anyone ever thought about what happens when it decides to come out and bite?”

He let out a soft, strange laugh.

“Kekeke.”

Some people felt their scalps tingle.

“Avoiding danger does not mean losing your fierceness,” Aksai said. “It means saving it. Holding it back. And releasing it only when the time is right.”

He then relaxed and smiled again. He leashed his aura and spoke further as if changing gears in his speech.

“Anyway,” he said lightly, “I just wanted to package my individuality in a way that feels right to me.”

He looked at the image of the turtle still floating in the air.

“Being called Turtle Lord may not sound heroic,” Aksai said. “It may not sound grand like– say, Lion Lord or even Blackblood Lord.”

He shrugged.

“But I am fine with that,” he said. “I don’t need my individuality to be heroic. I want it to survive the test of time.”

For a brief moment after Aksai finished speaking, the hall was completely silent.

Then, a clear clapping sound rang out. It came from the Purple River Lord.

He smiled as he slowly clapped his hands, his eyes carrying a hint of approval.

“Well said,” he said lightly.

That single sound broke the stillness.

Soon after, other Lords began to clap as well. Some did it with calm smiles. Some did it out of formality. Others followed simply because they did not want to be the odd ones out.

Within a few breaths, the entire hall was filled with applause.

The sound rolled like a wave.

Several Lords spoke up one after another, offering their congratulations.

“A fitting Dao Name.”

“It suits Lord Aksai well.”

“Hahaha. A unique choice from the youngest Lord of our Dadangar Subcontinent in a long time.”

The guests in the audience also joined in.

“Congratulations, Turtle Lord!”

“Truly wise!”

Their voices echoed loudly, filled with praise and respect.

Aksai stood quietly on the platform, his expression calm.

He listened to the applause and the words, but his mind remained clear.

He knew better.

He could not be sure how many of the Lords truly approved of his Dao Name. Some might have found it amusing. Some might have seen it as harmless. Others might have simply clapped to keep up appearances.

As for the people in the audience, Aksai understood them even more clearly.

They were not praising the name. They were respecting the title.

If he had said the words Turtle Lord back when he was only an Expert, it would have been different. The same crowd would have laughed. They would have whispered behind his back. They would have turned his words into jokes.

But now, he was a Core Formation Lord. Because of that, even something simple, even something foolish, became deep and wise in their eyes.

Aksai felt amused by the thought.

Power truly changed everything.

As the applause continued, Aksai’s gaze slowly drifted past the crowd, past the hall, and into the distance. He stopped caring about the noise.

Inside his heart, only one thought remained. How to grow stronger. Everything else was secondary.

After a few hours.

The applause slowly died down, and the loud voices in the hall began to fade.

Time passed without anyone truly noticing.

The music softened. The servants and attendants moved quietly between the tables, clearing empty plates and half-finished cups. The burning Spirit lamps lining the hall dimmed a little, their light turning warm and calm.

One by one, the guests began to rise from their seats.

Some came forward to bow to Aksai one last time. Others exchanged brief words with the Lords before preparing to leave.

The drifting cultivators left with excited expressions, already talking about the Emerald Cove Guild and the missions that would soon be announced. The sect representatives left with thoughtful faces, silently weighing gains and losses.

The Lords remained a bit longer.

They shared a few final words with Aksai, offering polite smiles and casual remarks. None of them stayed too long. One after another, they stepped onto their Spirit ships or entered hidden portals, leaving the platform empty again.

Before long, only a handful of people remained.

The hall that had once been full of noise and pressure now felt wide and quiet.

Aksai stood on the raised platform and looked around.

The grand celebration that had gathered Lords, sects, and countless cultivators had finally come to an end.

He let out a slow breath.

“Finally! I can now concentrate on my long overdue projects.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com