A Farmer's Journey To Immortality-Chapter 459: An In-name Master

Besides the scrolls, the space artifact also contained a few miscellaneous items Aksai had picked up from the Holy Land Torel.

These were the items he had no use for. But they would be considered highly valuable by regular cultivators in the Dadangar Subcontinent.

He spoke with the bride and groom for a few more minutes before deciding it was time to leave.

"Alright then, now that I have—"

Aksai was just about to excuse himself, already half-turned to go, when a quiet voice echoed through the Spirit-imbued air. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

"Aksai! Brat, come here."

He froze.

That voice carried weight. Not loud, but it made his back straighten on instinct.

He turned his head.

At the far side of the plaza, under the arched pavilion where important guests were seated, sat the Blackblood Lord.

He was surrounded by the other Core Formation Lords. Even the silent Frostbound Lord was seated there, his icy robe unmoving despite the warm weather.

Aksai felt a faint pressure settle on his shoulders.

The Core Formation Lords were not talking or laughing. They were watching. Waiting.

Aksai took a deep breath, brushing a stray strand of hair from his forehead as a way to appear calm.

He looked back at Haitin, who gave him an encouraging nod. Siya smiled as if to say good luck.

"I suppose it would be disrespectful to pretend I didn't hear," Aksai muttered and straightened his back.

With steady steps, he walked across the open space of the plaza. His footsteps were light, but his heart was heavy.

He had no idea what the Blackblood Lord wanted—but when a Core Formation Lord called, one answered. No matter who you were.

"Hahaha! Aksai brat!" the Blackblood Lord called out in a cheerful voice that rang over the gentle hum of the wedding crowd. "Come over here, don't pretend you didn't hear me!"

The moment Aksai reached the front of the table, the Blackblood Lord grinned widely and patted the table's edge, gesturing for him to stand right there.

"My friends," the Blackblood Lord said, looking around at the other Lords, "this brat here is not bad."

There was a strange glint in his eyes as he looked at Aksai—half amused, half serious. It wasn't clear whether he was praising him or mocking him.

"He's quite pitiful," he continued with a tone full of fake sympathy. "Came from a humble background with no real backing or influence. Thankfully, he ran into my son and became friends with him. Good for him, I say."

Some of the Core Formation Lords raised their brows while others nodded slightly. Aksai simply stood there, quiet, wondering where the old monster was going with all this.

"But I guess that's not his only accomplishment," the Blackblood Lord added with a sly smile. "This brat even came looking for me and the Frostbound Lord in a… cough… let's just say a special place. He handed us a method to break out of that cursed place."

There was a small pause. The Lords were clearly listening closely now.

"Hahah. Don't look at him that way. He was merely a delivery boy. He has no other great talent to speak of," the Blackblood Lord went on, casually waving his hand. "But he did help me escape, and for that, I have decided to make him my last direct disciple."

That made Aksai blink. Even though he had suspected the Blackblood Lord would pull something like this, hearing it in front of everyone still caught him off guard.

The Blackblood Lord leaned back in his seat and let out a long sigh.

"He's got some accomplishments in the Heretic Dao, so I'm hoping he at least becomes a Core Formation Lord someday. I only have a few days to teach him. Let's see if I can benefit from my teachings," he said as if it was a far-off dream, something mildly impressive at best.

'Haah! This old monster is playing too much.'

Aksai stared at him, stunned. The words coming from the old monster's mouth were wild to say the least.

On one hand, he made Aksai sound like a below-average Spirit cultivator with no talent. On the other hand, he casually mentioned he expected him to become a Core Formation Lord—something that only a handful of Spirit cultivators had managed in the last hundred years.

It was a contradiction, but Aksai understood what the Blackblood Lord was doing. This was a kind of humble brag.

By presenting Aksai as an underwhelming talent and then saying he would eventually rise to the 3rd realm, the Blackblood Lord was claiming credit in advance.

Haah! It was my mentorship that he managed to rise above his circumstances.

It was as if the Blackblood Lord had already prepared to turn himself into a ghost after his death and say such words loudly in front of anyone who could hear.

If Aksai really did become a Core Formation Lord someday, it would reflect well on his "master's vision and guidance."

Aksai sighed internally but kept his expression calm. He didn't try to deny anything. In fact, it was probably better that his real involvement in escaping the Holy Land Torel was being downplayed. If people knew too much, it would only bring him trouble.

So, with a slight bow toward the table of powerful Lords, Aksai said politely, "I am honored, Blackblood Lord. I will try not to bring shame to your name."

The Blackblood Lord chuckled again and waved his hand. "You better not, brat. If I end up watching from the afterlife and see you messing around, I'll come back and haunt you."

Some of the other Lords gave quiet chuckles at that.

The heavy tension from earlier had faded slightly. And Aksai, though still a little uncomfortable, felt the mood shifting in his favor.

In the distance, the music from the performers picked up again.

The wedding celebration carried on, but Aksai could already feel that things in his life had started changing for better or worse.