Ever-Changing Equations

"Oh! Hello, Uncle Laairo."

Aksai offered him a light bow before answering.

"I want to sell a few goods in Lakir City. What's your purpose, though?" Aksai asked with a smile on his face as well.

"You are not much different from me, either, Uncle Laairo. You also rarely leave your farm. Why are you going there all of a sudden? That too during such, um, let's say, not-so-ideal time?" he asked as he looked at Uncle Laairo carefully.

"Boy, don't you know?" Uncle Laairo lowered his voice to its bare minimum and looked around him carefully before speaking to Aksai in a careful voice that could only be heard clearly by him.

"A late-stage Foundation Builder's inheritance ground has been found in the borders between Wuyum and Ragui County.

Earlier, a fight had broken out between the two clans. I'm sure you know that. But it was not for the reason that was being circulated initially.

Lakir and Wilben clans fought with each other when they discovered this inheritance ground. The dispute over resources was just for the cover.

But something as big as an inheritance ground left by the late Foundation Builder couldn't be hidden from the masses for long. Especially the Purple River Sect, who is basically the big boss of this kingdom. Plus, the manpower of the two clans was also limited.

Thus, the two clans have decided to join hands and cooperate together in order to conquer the inheritance ground before anyone else interferes. The two families are recruiting secretly and going to offer big rewards to the drifting cultivators who participate in this conquest," Uncle Laairo said in a hushed manner.

From the looks of it, he could barely contain the excitement in his heart.

Aksai, on the other hand, was shocked by this development.

It was only two weeks ago that he had learned that the two clans had started battling. A week ago, the territorial battle was in full swing and they were at each other's throats, killing each other to claim the resources of the land.

And it merely took another week for the relationship between them to change again in a completely different direction.

'This world of cultivation is terrifying because of its ever-changing equations,' Aksai shook his head in dejection. Unlike the middle-aged man, he couldn't feel any excitement after he heard the latest news.

He only saw more trouble brewing, which had spread to the nearby county as well.

"It seems you have reached the 4th stage of the Spirit Refining realm," Laairo said as he sensed Aksai's breath.

"Not bad for your age, lad. But you would never be able to reach Spirit Refining Perfection before the age of 50 with that speed. At least not if you depend on your current occupation.

Just like all the other Spirit farmers, you lack cultivation resources that can help you break through the early stages at an optimal time. What do you say, want to go out with me to check the inheritance ground?"

Seeing that Aksai was pondering over his proposition, Laairo chuckled before explaining further.

"Look, I admit that I have my personal reasons to ask you. I knew your father and I know you. I can at least be sure that you won't stab me in the back in the inheritance ground if you were to accompany me. Even with your low-level cultivation, that's a huge plus for me.

We will be following two Foundation Building Experts, so we shouldn't be in so much danger from the demon beasts for the most part. The participation rewards offered by the two clans are generous enough.

Plus, you get to keep around 30 percent of the resources you obtain from the inheritance ground with your own luck and strength. You can sell the things you don't want and exchange them for resources you need at the exchange center set up near the entrance of the inheritance ground.

This is a once-in-a-million chance, boy. Who knows? You might become a foundation-building expert in the future if fate favors you in this expedition.

Some of the Foundation Building Experts we see and know were also poor chaps like us who decided to dream big and take the right steps in the right directions at the right time," Laairo said seriously as he looked into Aksai's eyes.

Aksai smiled after hearing Laairo's words. "Uncle Laairo, I don't think I need extra resources to achieve Spirit Refining. With my current speed, I should be able to break into the 7th stage of the Spirit Refining realm in about 4 years. I'll only be 20 years old at that time. I think I have plenty of time to reach Spirit Refining Perfection before the age of 50."

Laairo snorted when he heard Aksai's words. However, he didn't get angry considering the boy had been raised without his father whom he knew well in the past.

His gaze softened, and he looked at Aksai and sighed. He didn't want to destroy a young man's dream, but he thought it was the job of the older generation to impart the harsh truths of life to the younger generation.

"It's not as easy as you think it is, lad," Laairo said and looked into the distant sky before proceeding forward to explain.

"Even if you manage to break through the 7th stage of the Spirit Refining realm within 4 years, it is not guaranteed that you will be able to reach Spirit Refining Perfection within 30 years.

In fact, the difficulty of progressing into the further stage increases exponentially after you break into the late stages of the 1st realm. I was only 19 years old when I achieved the breakthrough into the 7th stage of the Spirit Refining realm. I thought I was the most talented Spirit farmer of the century at that time.

Even my parents threw a huge feast for the nearby farmers when they learned about it. I managed to obtain the remaining layers of the Basic Greenwood Tantra by signing a relatively easy contract with the Lakir family. Spent my youth working for the family while diligently working to achieve progress in my cultivation.

Do you know what happened after that? I… I got old before I knew it.

I was stuck in the 7th stage for nearly a decade before finally managing to achieve a breakthrough into the 8th stage. It took me more than 20 years to break into the 9th stage, which I achieved after spending half of my savings on a small-realm breakthrough pill.

I haven't progressed much after that. Now I am 47 years old, just 3 years away from the deadline. If I want to have a hope of establishing my foundation, I need to take some risks and obtain my chance now. Otherwise, it would be too late," Laairo said in quite an emotional voice.

Other cultivators who were on the flying boat as fellow passengers couldn't help nodding to Laairo's explanation, as if they were paying close attention to what was being said between Aksai and this middle-aged man right from the beginning.

They also looked at Aksai as if he was a special case even among the country bumpkins like them.