A Farmer's Journey To Immortality - Chapter 413

Chapter 413: Another Cheat?
“Damn… is… is this what they call living life in an easy mode?

My Argent Body Realm powers sure have given me an advantage over other Spirit cultivators.

I just hope the cave’s mechanism doesn’t think I’ve cheated my way to the top when I finally reach it.”

Aksai muttered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his parched lips. He felt like things had suddenly become way easier after he started using his body cultivation path to clear the test meant to be taken by Spirit cultivators with a sealed cultivation base.

It felt like he was making use of a loophole in the system, which made him feel like he was committing some kind of crime.

Before he could dwell further on his thoughts, a familiar voice echoed in his mind, gentle yet firm.

“My lord, you could have been labeled a cheater if you had used any other external source to clear this round—like an artifact, pill, potion, or Spirit scroll,” Yelia’s voice resonated, calm and reassuring.

“But your body cultivation is a part of you; it is a part of your path as a cultivator. As such, it cannot be considered cheating because you are using your own powers to clear this stage, which is the true purpose of the test.”

Aksai pondered a bit before nodding his head. Yelia continued.

“Even if you had suitable artifacts or external aids, you would not have been able to summon or make use of them during the test anyway. The cave’s mechanism is absolute in its restrictions. You don’t need to worry about it denying you the rightful rewards when you reach the top.”

“Well, that’s good to hear,” Aksai said, a grin breaking through his otherwise pained expression.

With each stair, the silvery Qi pulsed and adapted, creating a barrier against the oppressive heat. His pace quickened as he ascended.

However, something suddenly changed.

After climbing several stairs, the temperature shifted abruptly. The fiery sensation vanished, replaced by an icy chill that cut through the air like knives.

It was as if he had plunged headfirst into an arctic abyss. Frost formed on the edges of the stairs, and his breath came out in visible puffs.

“So that’s why there are so many elemental manifestations on this island.”

Aksai felt the chill settle into his bones, but the silvery Qi held firm. It shimmered and thickened, forming a second, denser layer around him that radiated warmth against the creeping cold.

The wind howled around him, carrying shards of ice that would have torn through any lesser defense, but Aksai pressed on, his silvery barrier acting as an unyielding shield. The higher he climbed, the stronger the elements became.

The stars surrounding the island seemed to twinkle more brightly, watching the challenger’s progress as silent witnesses.

Aksai paused briefly, catching his breath and looking up at the stairs that still stretched into the distance. He took out bite-sized portions of Flesh Pumpkins and started eating them as a way to replenish his lost Qi on the move.

His heartbeat slowed, steady and resolute, echoing the pulse of his silvery Qi.

“One step at a time,” he whispered, and with renewed vigor, he continued his climb.

After a certain number of stairs, another change occurred. Of course, this change was not in his favor.

Aksai felt the sharp winds slicing at him relentlessly, each gust like a blade trying to carve him into pieces. Despite his Argent Realm Body powers and the silvery Qi that flowed through him, bruises and cuts began to accumulate across his skin.

Blood seeped from the shallow wounds, leaving crimson trails that marked his struggle up the endless stairs.

He gritted his teeth as he pressed on, each step feeling like a battle. It wasn’t long before the injuries started to pile up, and Aksai felt like he was enduring a slow, agonizing version of “Death by a Thousand Cuts.”

Even the bark-like protection from his druid transformation, which had shielded him before, now faltered under the relentless onslaught of wind-blades.

But Aksai had something others didn’t—his exceptional druidic healing ability. Unlike traditional Spirit healing that relied on Spirit reserves, his intent-based powers tapped into emotions harvested from the plants at the Enchanted Everwood Farm.

Though he had depleted those reserves not long ago, the farm’s plants had since generated enough fresh emotions related to growth and resilience as they were cultivated inside the Enchanted Everwood Farm.

The Spirit farmer’s bond with the Demon Tree allowed him to draw on this energy, healing the minor cuts almost as quickly as they formed.

It wasn’t perfect; the healing came with a delay, leaving Aksai in a constant cycle of being injured and mended. But it was enough to keep him going.

After more than 60 grueling steps, the cutting winds subsided, replaced by another trial.

This time, it felt as though he was standing in the middle of a torrential downpour, only this rain was invisible and carried the weight of boulders. Each drop that struck him landed with the force of a hammer, testing the limits of his silvery Qi barrier.

Swoosh. Flash. Boom.

Before Aksai could adjust, a deafening roar echoed through the air, and an invisible lightning bolt crashed into him.

“Aaaaargh!”

Pain shot through his body, and for a moment, he wavered, almost stepping back as smoke curled up from where the lightning had struck.

“Damn, this is even more difficult than I thought,” Aksai muttered, staring at the seemingly endless stretch of stairs. His confidence wavered.

“I thought my Argent Body Realm would be enough to clear this seventh stage. But I’m already at my limits, and I’m nowhere near the summit.”

He paused for a moment, chest heaving as he searched for a solution. Pushing through with brute force was no longer an option. He needed something else—another advantage. That’s when an idea struck him like a bolt of inspiration.

“Wait… body cultivation isn’t my only option. I have Aether cultivation too,” he realized, a grin forming despite the pain.