Chapter 540: Side Effects

Yelia was quite surprised as she sensed Aksai’s Aether Essence becoming more refined and denser at the same time.

Previously, he had consumed the Celestial-grade Anaadi Soul Nourishing Pill rather hastily, preventing him from tapping into its full benefits.

However, this time he was prepared and had made various arrangements. As such, the results were far more prominent. Not to mention, his Aether cultivation had also improved by another realm, thanks to his newly acquired Aether Wisp.

Thus, Aksai decided to consume the pill right after he was done with most of his critical tasks.

Just consuming the Celestial Grade alchemy item not once but twice made him a unique cultivator all across Dadangar in a lot of ways.

Aksai wouldn’t have been able to consume another Anaadi Soul Nourishing Pill in such a short time, no matter its grade. After all, alchemy items had their own set of visible and hidden consequences, which could affect the user’s cultivation foundation either temporarily or for a long time. The side effects of such pills varied, but they existed in some form or another.

Furthermore, the effects of any alchemy pill would keep diminishing after repeated use until eventually, they stopped offering any real benefit. This was because, over time, cultivators’ bodies developed a tolerance to such pills.

Usually, Celestial-grade alchemy pills and potions did not have side effects. And their repeated use typically did not cause any harm, aside from diminishing returns.

But who would prefer to have diminished returns for such precious items? Certainly not someone like Aksai.

There was only one way to counter this: by enhancing the effects of the original Celestial-grade alchemy item so that it could bypass the body’s built-up tolerance. By surpassing the pill’s original potency, the enhanced alchemy item would not only avoid side effects but also provide greater benefits than the first use.

This was why Velia had given Aksai another Celestial-grade Anaadi Soul Nourishing Pill, along with guidance on how to enhance its effects. Of course, he had to pay for the pill by completing certain tasks for the Holy Land Torel—tasks only he could perform, as the sole person capable of entering and leaving the isolated space unnoticed.

But that wasn’t something Aksai needed to worry about at the moment.

***

A few minutes later, Aksai consumed the pill.

The benefits had kicked in. At this point, it was time to brace for the side effects.

Aksai sat in his meditative posture, eyes closed, body still. But soon, sweat started to form on his forehead. His breathing grew heavier. A low hum of energy filled the room as a deep purple aura began to rise from his body.

It was his Aether essence—dense and wild. It surrounded him like smoke, twisting and dancing in the air. The aura began to affect the space around him. The wooden floor creaked, and small Spirit lamps flickered as if reacting to the power being released.

Sometimes, too much purity was as bad as too much impurity. It was especially the case for Aksai who was not a traditional Aether cultivator. He had taken a shortcut by acquiring an Aether Wisp using the modified method. This shortcut had added to the misery he was about to face.

Aksai’s body trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth.

He knew this wasn’t part of the pill’s original effect. These side effects had come from the outside materials he had added to enhance the pill. Spirit herbs, rare Aether stones, and his own modified runes had made the pill stronger—but also more dangerous.

He could feel sharp pain coursing through his veins and nerves. His Soul Space twisted under the pressure. His chest rose and fell rapidly. Then, he coughed, a splash of dark red blood staining his lips.

Still, he didn’t give up. He focused harder, locking his will in place. “Just a little more…” he whispered in his mind.

But the pain kept increasing. His head throbbed. His spine burned. His thoughts began to blur as his soul writhed under the weight of the rampaging energy.

Just then, Yelia stepped into the room.

Without hesitation, she walked up behind him and sat cross-legged. She placed one palm gently on his back. Her hand glowed with soft green light as her wood-element Spirit essence flowed into Aksai’s body.

Her Spirit essence wrapped around Aksai’s chaotic Aether flow like a soft net, calming it down slowly. The wild purple aura began to settle. His breathing slowed. The blood he had coughed up dried on his lips, but he no longer looked pale.

Yelia closed her eyes and focused. She whispered a chant under her breath. The spell regulated Aksai’s heartbeat, repaired small cracks in his meridians, and relieved the pressure on his soul.

Minutes passed in silence.

Aksai leaned slightly backward.

“I owe you one,” he murmured weakly, a faint smile on his lips.

“My liege, it’s not over yet,” Yelia said.. She just kept her hand on his back, making sure everything inside him was slowly returning to balance.

The purple Aether aura around Aksai flared again—but this time, it didn’t rage. It flowed with rhythm, like a strong river guided by gentle banks. Yelia’s presence had done more than just heal him. It had shifted the leftover power of the pill toward Aksai’s Aether Wisp.

Aksai’s breath deepened. His whole body warmed up, and inside his Soul Space, the Aether Wisp—his tortoise-type beast, the Verdant Elder—began to glow with a rich, emerald light.

The changes came fast.

From the very beginning of the early stage of the Wisp Mastery Realm, Aksai’s Aether cultivation started to rise quickly. He crossed through the early thresholds with ease. A flicker passed through his Soul Space as his foundation deepened. He reached the boundary of the minor realm within Wisp Mastery—then shattered it like a shell.

The aura around him exploded outward before pulling back in, denser than before. He had entered mid-stage Wisp Mastery Realm.

Above him, a faint spectral image of the Verdant Elder appeared again. The massive tortoise glowed from within, its shell turning darker, more detailed. But what caught Aksai’s attention was its tail. The single snakehead at the end had split. Now there were two snakeheads—both glowing and alive with their own energy.

The evolution was clear.

But as the Wisp evolved, the pressure on Aksai’s body grew worse.

His breathing turned sharp again. His bones creaked. His skin burned from inside. His Aether meridians—still adapting to the new realm—began to crack in places. Aksai groaned through clenched teeth.

Even with his eyes closed, sweat poured from his forehead. His hands trembled. This wasn’t just a cultivation breakthrough. It was forceful growth—too fast, too soon.

His body couldn’t keep up.

Yelia noticed the change instantly. She frowned, increased the flow of her calming Spirit essence, and used another layer of healing spells.

“Don’t push it,” she whispered, placing her second hand on his back now. “Let your body catch up.”

Aksai didn’t reply, but her words reached him. He steadied his breath again, trying not to fight the changes but accept them—slow them down where possible.

The Verdant Elder let out a deep rumble in the spectral space above him, sensing its master’s struggle. It lowered its heads as if to protect him, wrapping its long snake-tails around Aksai’s Soul Space, helping stabilize it.

The Spirit farmer’s robes stuck to his back, and his face was pale, though there was a faint smile on his lips. He had reached a new minor realm, but it had cost him.

Behind him, Yelia looked at him with worried eyes. Her Spirit essence had calmed his soul, but she could still feel the strain left on his body.

“You need something else now,” she said softly.

Aksai opened his eyes halfway, still catching his breath. “What do you mean?”

Yelia reminded him.

“The Blood Spirit Elixir you have in your storage ring,” she said. “You need to drink it.”

The Blood Spirit Elixir was also one of the rewards Aksai had received from the Holy Land Torel. Aksai summoned the vial without thinking.

He looked at the vial with raised eyebrows. “Isn’t this supposed to be used by Spirit cultivators to increase their cultivation speed?”

“Yes,” Yelia nodded. “It’ll enhance your Spirit essence flow and help your Foundation Building Realm cultivation. But that’s not why I want you to take it.”

Aksai looked at her, confused.

Yelia sat down beside him, her tone calm but firm. “Most Spirit cultivators only focus on Spirit essence. They ignore the Qi flowing through their bodies. It stays dormant, never used. But you’re not like them.”

She readjusted her hand placement on his back before speaking further.

“You’re also a body cultivator. Your Qi and body cultivation are just as important. This elixir will stir the dormant Qi in your body. It will strengthen your mortal shell—your muscles, bones, blood, everything.”

Aksai’s eyes slowly widened. He understood what she meant now.

“You’re saying it’ll help me bear the strain from the pill?” he asked.

Yelia nodded. “Exactly. Your Aether essence grew too fast, too pure. Your body wasn’t ready to contain it. But if your body becomes stronger, it’ll be able to carry the load. You’ll be able to control the Aether better and stabilize your cultivation.”

Aksai held the vial up and looked at the crimson liquid.

“Spirit, Body, and Mind,” Yelia said quietly.

“The three main paths of cultivation. When one grows too fast, the others suffer. But when all three rise together… you reach a balance.

You have an advantage over the other Spirit cultivators because you are walking on all three main branches of cultivation. Others can’t handle the side effects of such a pill, but you can.”

===

AN: The Blood Spirit Elixir was introduced in chapter 420.

Not all snakes lay eggs. Some species, like boa constrictors and garter snakes, give birth to live young.