One down.

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But there were still two more.

Another teammate, hit hard across the side, was now limping and holding onto his druidic form with shaky resolve.

Aksai stepped in to cover him, launching rocks and a few Ice Spears to distract the remaining monsters.

By now, even using his basic Spirit spells was proving difficult, but his life wasn’t in danger, so he decided to keep up the act.

The second core was finally spotted by one of his teammates, buried deep in the creature’s back. Aksai created an opening, focusing his attacks on the creature’s thick, bark-covered arm.

He gritted his teeth as the monster lashed back, knocking him sideways, but he managed to stay on his feet. This allowed his teammate to make a move, aiming precisely at the core.

But Aksai decided to do a bit of kill-stealing. Using Wood Vines, he pulled his teammate aside and, with the counterforce, propelled himself close to the tree monster.

Before it could react, one of Aksai’s meteor daggers was already lodged in the core, which shattered in seconds.

"Grrrrrr!"

The monster let out a final, earthen groan and crumbled to the ground, leaving only one tree creature remaining.

This last one, enraged by the loss of its companions, attacked with twice the fury. Aksai’s final teammate took a hit that sent him sprawling, leaving Aksai alone to dodge the creature’s heavy swings.

He unleashed a series of spells—Wood Vines to bind its limbs, Earth Control to keep it off balance, and an Ice Spear aimed at its torso.

The spear glanced off but cracked enough bark for him to spot the core in the creature’s chest. With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, sword gleaming, and plunged it into the exposed core, splitting it cleanly in two.

The tree monster groaned low, roots shuddering before it collapsed into a heap of branches and bark.

Aksai took a deep breath, assessing his group. His teammates were bruised and battered; one held a bleeding cut on his arm, and another was nursing a painful limp. But they were all alive.

The group gathered themselves in a makeshift huddle, nursing injuries and trading wary glances down the dark path that led to the next stage.

One teammate, grimacing as he applied an alchemy salve to a long scratch on his arm, muttered, "Damn it, even with all our preparations, we’re already in a sorry state just in the second stage. We still have to clear the third stage to even see a hint of the cave’s rewards."

Another teammate, a bit pale, swallowed a Spirit Essence Recovery Pill and let out a sigh. "And it’s not just the third stage—it’s the *things* in there," he said with a low, aggravated curse. "They’re nothing like these tree creatures."

Aksai noted the concern in their voices. Clearly, the third stage was feared for a reason. Keeping his tone casual, he asked, "So, how many stages does this cave have, anyway?"

The group leader glanced over at Aksai with a knowing smirk. "Newbie, huh? I guess it makes sense you wouldn’t know. Truth is," he said, "nobody really knows how many stages there are in here. We just know you get a reward from the cave if you make it through the third stage. That’s the real prize most of us are here for."

Aksai raised a brow, intrigued. "And after that?"

"After the third stage, the cave lets you move forward to the fourth. In that one, you meet up with survivors from the other tunnels," the leader explained, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the other paths that crisscrossed this section of the cave.

"New teams form up there and decide if they’re up for the next few stages. As for going beyond the fourth, only a handful of elites from the major demonic sects have ever made it past the sixth stage—barely."

"Barely?" Aksai asked, genuinely curious.

Another teammate, rubbing a bruise on his shoulder, cut in.

"Barely is right. The ones who tried came out looking half-dead. Even they didn’t push further, and that’s why most of us treat the fourth as a hard limit, especially us initial-stage Foundation Building juniors. Some say there’s a chance to regroup on the seventh stage, like on the fourth, but that’s just a theory."

With a quick look around the group, one of the other injured teammates nodded and chimed in, "Honestly, nobody’s expecting us to do anything heroic here. If we clear the third stage, get some rewards, and make it back, we’re good. And as far as I’m concerned, we should keep it that way."

"Agreed," said another teammate, who was slumping against the wall. "I’ll let the ’elites’ get the glory in the later stages. We can just keep hitting the third stage, grab our loot, and head out. No point risking our necks to go further unless we’ve got a reason."

The group seemed to share a sense of quiet agreement. Most of them looked relieved by the idea of a simple "third-stage exit" plan, and nobody seemed interested in pushing deeper into the cave’s unpredictable depths.

Aksai took in the information, his mind racing as he connected the dots. This place wasn’t just a trial—it was a filter, designed to push participants to their limit, to break down weaker links while letting only the strongest move forward.

The group leader’s explanation, calm and matter-of-fact, reinforced that reality.

"Regrouping with other teams? Does that mean…" Aksai murmured, letting his words trail off purposefully.

The leader’s eyes met his. "That’s right," he said.

"The third stage is significantly more dangerous than the second. Here, it’s not uncommon for participants to suffer severe injuries, sometimes even death. A lot of cultivators have died in the 3rd stage in the past.

Because of this, only a handful of cultivators from each team usually make it to the fourth stage. For most of us, the 3rd stage is our limit.

Of course, if there are not many who want to go back after clearing the third stage, those who decide to proceed further will have a lesser chance of forming stable teams.

This is why they want us to continue forward after the 3rd stage, saying that there are bigger rewards in the later stages. They want everyone to increase the chances of the elite cultivators’ ambitions to conquer the cave."

Aksai processed this. "So, the gathering point is there for the few who can actually survive the third stage? That’s why we were split into these teams of five."

The leader nodded, his gaze intense. "Exactly. We can’t afford to lose the few people who make it past this stage, and they wouldn’t stand a chance alone against what awaits on the fourth.

The gathering point before the 4th stage allows survivors to regroup, forming a stronger team to handle what’s ahead. It’s a strategy to ensure we can make it as far as possible without outright losing everyone.

Anyway, let the elites of the three major demonic sects deal with the 4th stage and beyond. You shouldn’t feel pressured to go past the third stage—you should only go as far as you’re prepared to."

Aksai nodded. He could see that this cave was as much about strategy as it was about strength, something demonic cultivators didn’t often have to consider.

Aksai took a moment to close his eyes and feel the mysterious essence he’d absorbed earlier. His druidic essence felt slightly stronger, and his Spirit spells responded to him more quickly. The essence here was different, almost as if it were alive, reinforcing his abilities in a way he hadn’t experienced before.

*The cave is an ideal training ground for young druids. And there are many places like this here. It seems this holy land was serious about nurturing well-trained druids.*

This place was no ordinary training ground—it was alive with potential, and the deeper he went, the more he knew he’d uncover about his druidic origins.

After taking some time to rest, Aksai’s team finally decided to press onward. They soon entered a wide, circular chamber.

At its center was a massive, raised platform, about 100 meters in radius, etched with complex symbols and formations.

The moment their feet touched the array formation, a low hum vibrated through the air, and suddenly, the symbols etched across the platform began to glow. Pulsing with energy, the array formation’s light grew until it filled the chamber.

Aksai’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. The array was summoning something, and as he focused on the shapes materializing in the air, his shock turned to alarm.

Druid-like spectral figures began to appear, each one adorned in robes, with a telltale corruption twisting their forms—a dark, eerie aura clung to them, and their eyes glowed, exuding malice.

"They… these are corrupted druids!" he whispered to himself, but his voice was lost in the clamor as his teammates reacted to the sight before them.

Aksai could have never imagined that the holy land Torel had some connection with the corrupted druid he had met in the Martial World Dadangar.