Aksai’s rise in the potency of 3rd Order Spirit essence was not sudden or explosive.

Instead, it grew step by step, like a tide that kept rising without stopping. By the fifth day, the pressure inside his body reached a peak.

Aksai’s brows furrowed slightly as the gathered energy surged through him. His dantian trembled, and the flow of Spirit essence inside him became faster and heavier. It felt like something inside him was pushing against a barrier.

He did not resist it. Instead, he guided the energy calmly, letting it gather and compress again and again.

The poison lake around him reacted as well. The surface shook, and thick fumes rose into the air. Even Zyn, who was standing at a distance, lifted its head slightly as it sensed the change.

Then it happened.

A soft but clear shift occurred inside Aksai’s body.

The barrier broke.

The gathered energy rushed forward and settled into a new state. The gaseous Spirit Core had reached enough concentration to turn into a liquid-state Core. His aura changed in that moment, becoming deeper and more stable than before.

Aksai had broken through.

He had reached the 4th level of the Core Formation realm, stepping into the mid-stage as a Lord.

A faint wave spread out from his body, causing the surface of the poison lake to ripple outward. The energy around him slowly calmed down after that, but the change in him remained.

Aksai let out a slow breath.

He could feel the difference clearly. His control over Spirit essence had improved, and his body felt stronger and more refined. Even his senses seemed sharper.

But that was not all. As the breakthrough settled, something else began to change inside him.

The Poison Beast Curse that Arkaal had placed on him started to react. Instead of staying as a hidden threat, it merged with the power of his second heart.

The Druid’s Poison Heart beat once more, this time like the sound of the drums.

A faint green light flickered inside his chest. Slowly, that power spread outward and formed a small mark over the area of his second heart. It was not large or flashy. In fact, it was so small that it could easily be missed.

It looked like a thin green line, faint and quiet. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

But Aksai could feel what it truly was. It was a new Qi Shell Tattoo.

He already had one on his back—the Verdant Elder’s mark in the shape of a turtle demon beast, covering a large part of his body. Compared to that, this new mark was tiny and incomplete.

Still, it carried a unique presence.

Aksai understood why.

This mark was linked to Seralyth and the Poison Beast Curse. Since he had only turned her heart into his second heart and not her full Dao Body into a complete Qi Shell, the tattoo remained small and undeveloped.

Even so, it held great potential. Aksai could feel it clearly. It was like a seed that had just been planted, waiting to grow into something much greater in the future.

He slowly opened his eyes.

The poison lake around him had changed a lot. A large portion of its essence had already been absorbed. The water looked thinner and less dense than before. Zyn noticed that Aksai had awakened and let out a low sound, as if acknowledging his success.

Aksai looked at his hands and then at the surface of the lake. A faint smile appeared on his face. In just a few days, he had not only improved his cultivation but also turned a dangerous curse into something useful.

"It’s about time for that fellow’s return. I should be prepared."

Aksai then looked around him. The poison lake that once bubbled with thick fumes had changed a lot. The dark green color had faded, and the heavy poison essence was almost gone. What remained now looked closer to clear water, with only a faint trace of poison left in it.

A small smile appeared on his face.

The result was better than he had expected. The Druid’s Poison Heart had worked far more efficiently than he had imagined. Not only had it absorbed the poison quicker than his estimates, but it had also turned it into an exceptionally pure energy that strengthened him from within. It also felt like his druid powers were strengthened a bit.

For a brief moment, Aksai allowed himself to enjoy that feeling. Then his expression returned to normal. He knew he could not stay careless.

Without wasting time, he started suppressing his cultivation base. The strong aura that belonged to a mid-stage Core Formation Lord slowly receded and hid itself deep within him. Layer by layer, he pushed it down until only a small portion of it remained visible.

In the eyes of others, especially Arkaal, he was still supposed to be a 2nd level Expert from a week ago.

However, he could not pretend to have made no progress at all. That would only make Arkaal lose interest in him. So Aksai carefully adjusted his aura to show a reasonable level of improvement, something that would seem impressive but not impossible.

’Hmm. This much should be enough. Enough to attract attention... but not enough to raise suspicion,’ he thought calmly.

After making sure everything was in place, Aksai stepped out of the lake. The wet ground beneath his feet gave off a faint hiss as the remaining poison reacted to his body.

Zyn, who had been guarding him all this time, lowered its head slightly as Aksai approached.

Aksai raised his hand and gently patted the Poison Wyvern’s head.

"You did well," he said in a low voice.

The beast let out a soft sound in response, clearly pleased.

In the next moment, Aksai waved his hand and sent Zyn back into the Enchanted Everwood Farm. The large figure of the wyvern disappeared quietly, leaving Aksai alone in the cave once again.

The silence did not last long.

Aksai’s eyes shifted slightly as he sensed a strong presence approaching from deeper within the cave. The air itself seemed to grow heavier, carrying a faint poisonous aura along with it.

There was no need to guess who it was.