NOVPUBThe ambient Spirit energy was stirred, drawn in from every corner of the spacious hall.
Even the scattered traces of Spirit essence outside the palace started creeping inward, slowly gathering around Humeyin.
The pill seemed to work even better than Aksai had expected. It not only improved one's Spirit Root but also helped eliminate any inner realm bottlenecks.
Humeyin's Spirit Root must have improved as a result of the pill's deep effect.
And the formation they were powering—carefully tailored to magnify the pill's benefits—had brought that potential forward in the most efficient way.
Both the pill and the formation were responsible for what Humeyin was gaining at this point. If it weren't for the formation, she would have still improved her aptitude, but perhaps achieving an inter-realm breakthrough would not have been possible.
Aksai kept his Mudras steady, but he stole another glance at the monstrous prodigy. She was absorbing more Spirit essence than a regular third-realm Spirit cultivator ever could during a breakthrough.
Suddenly, the ground beneath her let out a soft tremble. Not violent—just a pulse. A deep, distant thrum, like the echo of a temple bell struck in another world.
It meant that the inter-realm breakthrough had been finalized and stabilized. It happened quietly.
And then, Humeyin started progressing in her realm once more. It was as if she had already been in the 6th stage of the Core Formation Realm for a long time and was now starting to get closer to the 7th stage.
Aksai blinked in utter surprise.
"Already? The inter-realm breakthrough wasn't enough?" he whispered under his breath.
His hands kept weaving Mudras, never stopping, but his mind reeled. He could still feel her Spirit essence growing more stable.
No, wait. Her bloodline energy is also changing. It seems this pill hasn't just altered her Spirit Root Aptitude but also allowed her to refine her vessel bloodline.
How did… How did this happen?
Is this because of the trifecta principle of Mind, Body, and Spirit—where improvement in one aspect strengthens the other two?
Aksai had many thoughts swirling in his mind as he looked at Humeyin. He wondered how his own druid bloodline would react if he were to use the Spirit Nirvana Pill.
After a few more minutes, Humeyin's inter-realm breakthrough concluded. She stopped absorbing the ambient mana and began channeling her Spirit essence throughout her body to stabilize the breakthrough.
The pill's effects had been completely absorbed. One could say that the Blackblood Lord's decision to have Aksai and himself maximize the pill's effect had worked greatly in Humeyin's favor. She had received all kinds of benefits from consuming a single pill.
Although the pill's effects had stopped, the secondary benefits were still on their way. Humeyin would be able to progress further in her realm within a few decades, as her Spirit Root Aptitude had been significantly improved—boosting her Spirit cultivation efficiency by leaps and bounds.
Furthermore, it had allowed Humeyin to refine her bloodline, which would help her take control of her special Physique in the future. Her vessel bloodline would enable her to unlock special powers, making her even more powerful than her peers.
Across the formation, the Blackblood Lord remained silent, but Aksai could see the pride in his eyes. Although he was tired and short of breath, he looked deeply satisfied.
It felt as though many of his worries had been put to rest after witnessing his daughter's progress. Clearly, it was a relief for him to know that his legacy in the form of his sect and his kids would not be harmed by other Core Formation Lords because of Humeyin's presence.
Aksai's gaze returned to Humeyin, her body still shining like a sky full of stars.
"She really is a monster of talent," he thought.
But the word "monster" didn't feel right. She looked too peaceful, too beautiful in her own way. Too quiet. And yet, her cultivation climbed like a rising flame in the wind—bright, untamed, and impossible to ignore.
***
Four days had passed since Humeyin's breakthrough.
Hour of Rabbit. (09:00 AM - 10:00 AM)
The sky was covered with thick white clouds when Aksai was summoned again to the Blackblood Lord's palace. There was no fanfare. A servant guided him through the silent halls to the Lord's personal chamber, where an oppressive stillness lingered in the air.
Inside, the chamber was dimly lit, but warm. Thick curtains were drawn halfway, and a soft incense smoke drifted lazily in the corners of the room. Aksai stood at the foot of a large, wide bed carved from ancient blackwood. The sheets were smooth and heavy, a deep red, but the man lying on them looked pale and cold.
The Blackblood Lord no longer had the same overpowering presence. His face was sunken, his hair thinner than Aksai remembered.
The once-bright light in his eyes had dimmed. His limbs were stiff, resting motionless by his sides.
The glass-like artificial heart implanted in his chest—once pulsing with artificial Spirit light—was now faint, and its glow flickered like a dying candle. His aura, too, was unstable, as if a breeze might scatter it at any moment.
Aksai didn't speak. As a druid himself, he could feel it clearly. The man was dying. His life essence was getting scattered from his body at an accelerated rate.
Standing beside the bed was Haitin Blackblood, his expression quiet and serious. At the back of the room, four more figures stood in silence.
Aksai remembered seeing them before—during Haitin's wedding. These were the Blackblood Lord's other children. Unlike Haitin or Humeyin, they had never shown much talent for cultivation.
Despite being raised in a sect filled with resources, they had failed to enter even the Foundation Building realm. They stood with lowered heads and somber faces, trying to be calm in front of their father.
The Blackblood Lord was speaking slowly, voice rough but steady. He was instructing Haitin, telling him about the inner workings of the sect, old allies, hidden threats, and the methods and mechanisms he had prepared over the decades. Things only a true heir should know.
"…When the border elders argue, listen to what they don't say, not just what they do," the old man said. "And if the Spirit Cradle Vault ever refuses your access, the key is in the obsidian lotus I left inside the old east wing…"
Haitin nodded quietly, memorizing every word.
The Lord then asked for his four other children to come closer. They approached one by one, sitting at the edge of his bed or kneeling beside it. Their voices were quiet, their words clumsy, but the father listened carefully to each of them.
He didn't lecture them. He didn't scold or scorn. Instead, he asked about their lives, their dreams, and whether they were eating properly.
Even though he didn't have much to offer them in terms of power, he tried to be a father, not just a sect leader. He encouraged them to take care of each other, to live well, to stay united even after he was gone. And to follow Haitin's lead.
Tears rolled silently down their cheeks. One of them tried to speak, but choked on his words. Eventually, Haitin stepped forward and gently asked them to leave. They obeyed, glancing back at their father one last time before walking out of the chamber.
Just as the door shut behind them, a soft breeze stirred in the room—and Humeyin appeared.
She stood silently by the side of the bed for a second before lowering herself and wrapping her arms around her father. Her body was still almost-invisible and glass-like, her eyes half-closed, and her breathing steady. But tears shimmered in her eyes.
"Father… is there… is there any way we… we can…"
Humeyin spoke with some difficulties. However, she couldn't complete her sentence because she herself knew that it was too late.
"Why ask when you already know the answer. Humeyin dear, I didn't think you'd be so naive. Learn from your elder brother. Look how calm he is. Haha."
The Blackblood Lord leaned forward with effort and placed his hand gently on her back. He didn't say much—just held her close and breathed in her presence. After a while, he looked at Haitin.
Haitin nodded and reached out, gently pulling his sister back. The man could really keep his calm and head composed, unlike his siblings and step-siblings.
Then, the chamber door opened again and two women stepped in.
One was tall, wearing a plain robe with her hair tied back neatly. Her eyes were tired, but warm.
This was the Blackblood Lord's second wife, a cultivator who had long been stuck at the second stage of Foundation Building. She was the mother of the four children who had left earlier.
The other was Jina, the Lord's third wife on paper, dressed more elegantly, though she kept quiet, her hands folded in front of her.
The Blackblood Lord talked to his second wife for a short while. He spoke kindly, thanked her for everything she had done for their children, and asked her to look after them in the future.
She nodded with red-rimmed eyes and left the room silently, wiping her face with her sleeve.
Then, the old man turned his head slightly, looking toward Aksai for the first time.
"My disciple," he said, the faintest smile curling at his lips.
"I kept you waiting."
