The next day.
Aksai had apparently sent his angry maid Zinnia away somewhere. It seemed far enough, because she didnât come to fight with Reymon anymore.
After all, Aksai didnât want any disturbance today. He had practically conquered Sharang without doing much. It was time to become a loot goblin and take some benefits from the world he was about to leave for good.
At this momentâ
Step. Step. Step.
Reymon walked ahead at a steady pace, guiding Aksai through a long stone corridor that ran deep beneath the Grand Martial Hall.
The air was cool here, untouched by sunlight, and their footsteps echoed softly along the walls. At the end of the corridor stood a large door marked with old runes.
The treasure vault of the Grand Martial Hall.
Reymon pressed his palm against a circular slot, letting a thin flow of his Spirit power seep into it.
The runes lit up one by one. With a heavy rumble, the vault door opened.
Aksai stepped inside and paused for a moment. The treasure vault was largeâfar larger than he had expected. Rows of shelves stretched across the hall, each holding boxes, jars, bags, and sealed containers. A soft golden glow filled the space, coming from the Qi-rich items stored inside.
Reymon raised a lantern. "Master, these are the main resources gathered by the Grand Martial Hall over the years."
Aksai walked to the nearest shelf. Inside a clear container lay a cluster of Bronze level herbsâsmall green plants with threads of Qi dancing around them.
Next to them were Argent level herbs, their leaves silver and faintly shaking as if breathing. On the higher shelf, he saw Aurous level herbsâbright gold in color.
He then turned to another row. There were beast hides from strong Qi beasts, neatly folded and sealed.
Some had strange patterns on them. Others looked like they were cut from creatures that had survived violent storms. Reymon opened a container and showed him a large heart-like organ.
"This belongs to a mid-Argent beast," Reymon explained. "It improves Qi flow if used right in an alchemy creation."
Aksai nodded and took it, storing it silently inside his storage ring. Although he didnât need it to support his Qi foundation as he had already become an Aurous Artist, the ingredient could still be used as a raw item in some of his potion recipes.
Aksai moved on, stopping at another shelf. Here, rows of metal ingots were arranged neatly, each with a faint glow. Some were silver-blue. Some were dark red like cooled lava. Others had tiny sparks flashing across their surface.
"These are Qi-conducive metals," Reymon said. "We use them to forge weapons and tools for our Argent and even Aurous level martial artists. Theyâre some of our best."
Aksai picked up a silver-blue ingot and weighed it in his hand. Its density, the small current of Qi inside itâit felt almost exactly like the Meteor Stone samples he carried. He took two more, then a few dark red ones, and finally a set of metal pieces that looked like crystalized lightning.
âThese things came at the right time. Most of my go-to weapons are damaged. Iâll need these ingots if I want to craft new weapons suitable to my current cultivation base,â Aksai thought to himself and smiled.
He stored some inside his ring without any hesitation.
He sent some other resources directly into the Enchanted Everwood Farm with a casual flick of his finger.
Reymon continued speaking, giving information about each item:
"This plant is used to stabilize broken meridians."
"This hide can block Spirit spells."
"This metal is good for defensive tools."
"That formation is better for channeling Qi."
Aksai listened quietly, collecting only the purest itemsâthe highest quality metals, the rarest herbs, and the best beast parts. He didnât touch anything that didnât meet his standards.
By the time they reached the far end of the vault, Reymon seemed a bit exhausted from explaining so much. Aksai, on the other hand, looked satisfied.
Reymon finally asked, after taking a deep breath, "Master... did you find everything you needed?"
Aksai nodded. "Well... they are enough for now," he said. "They will serve well."
Reymon let out a breath of relief, even though he knew that half the treasures he had shown had already vanished. At least his master had left the remaining half.
Plus, Aksai had given him a way to not only cultivate the Golden Rebirth Fruits in large numbers, but also increase the potency of the fruit by turning it into a special elixir known as the Golden Rebirth Elixir.
This single contribution to Sharang was enough for Aksai to claim the entire vault of the Grand Martial Hall.
Aksai was finally led out of the vaultâs exit, his figure half-lit by the soft glow of the torches. Reymon followed him out and stopped a few steps behind.
Aksai turned around with a calm smile. "Reymon, Iâve told you everything I can for now. The rest is up to you."
Reymon lowered his head and offered a heartfelt gratitude. "Master... thank you."
His voice trembled slightly, though he tried to hide it. After all, he had thought that he would die and lose his dreams and vengeful aspirations. But Aksai had not only spared him but also made him stronger in many ways. He simply regretted the fact that he had to lose more than 3000 of his martial artists to get this far.
Aksai walked forward and patted Reymonâs shoulder. "Donât look so tense. You have a long road ahead, but you finally know which direction to walk in. Thatâs more important than any... I dare say unavoidable loss you may have suffered so far."
Reymon let out a helpless sigh. "Master, my workload... I feel like it suddenly grew ten times bigger. I already have a headache."
Aksai chuckled. "Good. It means you understand the scale of your new goal."
Reymon rubbed his temples. However, Reymonâs frown soon turned into a genuine smile as he thought of something else.