Aksai could amass a substantial amount of profit simply by utilizing his supposed expertise in Spirit seeds.
There was a possibility that he might be recruited by the Purple River Sect for his adeptness in identifying and cultivating the enigmatic Spirit seeds, making him highly sought after for his ability to enhance their quality.
However, Aksai had no intention of disclosing his secrets. He had no desire to join a sect only to be confined to farming within their territories under the vigilant eyes of sect elders. Nor did he wish to attract attention from local powers.
Why should he allow others to profit from his abilities?
Moreover, there was a risk that some inquisitive individuals might pursue him to learn about how he developed the extraordinary ability to identify Spirit seeds given his humble background.
After comprehending the true worth of the Myriad Worlds Painting, Aksai dared not be careless. While there was a slim chance of encountering a Foundation Building Expert if he aligned with local powers, the same likelihood increased many folds if he were to join the Purple River Sect.
Although he believed that the Myriad Worlds Painting could remain undetected by anyone below the Nascent Soul Kings due to its peculiarities, he preferred not to leave anything to chance. He would rather avoid trouble if the rewards didn't justify the risks.
The only cultivation resource that could potentially sway Aksai's decision to join a faction was a suitable cultivation technique. As for other resources like artifacts and miscellaneous items, Aksai was confident in his ability to acquire them through his own efforts.
Aksai also believed that accumulating vast wealth was the key to achieving the seemingly impossible. With sufficient wealth and power, he could obtain a suitable cultivation technique in the future without being tied down by an organization's self-interests.
It was just that he couldn't use the might of the organization behind him like the other well-established cultivators. He would have to develop his wealth and might on his own if he were to retain his freedom and the ability to grow as a cultivator at the same time.
***
"Including the two 2nd-order Spirit seeds I acquired this time, I now possess a grand total of five 2nd-order Spirit seeds," Aksai remarked aloud as he stowed away all the Spirit Seeds he held in his palm inside his storage ring.
"There are two 2nd-order Spirit Seeds that I can comfortably cultivate in the Everwood farm. However, the remaining three are different," Aksai began pacing around his farm as he ruminated.
"In addition to the five 2nd-order Spirit Seeds, I also have various 1st-order Spirit seeds that can be cultivated both inside and outside the Everwood farm. Some of these Spirit Seeds might require a better Spirit Vein to thrive.
However, with the farming techniques I've acquired, it shouldn't be too challenging to cultivate them in the rental farm," Aksai pondered and reached a decision.
Ideally, Aksai would have preferred to cultivate all the premium-grade Spirit seeds within the Everwood farm alone. However, the two acres of land in the isolated dimension weren't sufficient to grow various types of Spirit crops simultaneously.
Certain Spirit plants couldn't be grown too close to each other due to their conflicting elements and attributes. Some required special conditions that couldn't be replicated within the Everwood farm's isolated environment. Additionally, Aksai's Spirit bloodline experiments also occupied a significant amount of space.
Moreover, Aksai needed to create a cover story to demonstrate that the Spirit seeds he received from his neighbors were being planted on his rental farm. Therefore, he didn't have the luxury of growing everything within the isolated dimension.
"Hmm. I will have to start planting these Spirit seeds from tomorrow. Three of the 2nd-order Spirit Seeds will be planted inside the Everwood farm while the rest will be stored away until I find a better Spirit Vein.
Apart from a few special Spirit seeds, the rest of the 1st-order Spirit seeds will be planted outside on the rental farm," Aksai decided and pondered for a while before he had another thought.
"Show me my alchemy expertise," Aksai suddenly halted in his tracks and spoke aloud. In the next moment, a Spectral Screen materialized in his vision.
[Alchemy Concoction Expertise: 1st Order (Mid-level. Requires more data to advance to the high-level. Current estimated progress: 57%)]
"Once I attain sufficient expertise in 1st-order alchemy, I can begin crafting various pills and elixirs. That would be the most optimal utilization of the produce I acquire from my farming endeavors," Aksai mused, contemplating multiple ideas simultaneously.
Aksai wasn't content with merely selling his products through various covert and overt channels. He aspired to become a certified alchemy expert, eliminating the need to procure pills and elixirs from others.
This way, he could avoid selling premium-grade cultivation produce to outsiders, which was bound to attract covetous gazes. Secondly, it was very costly to buy elixirs and Spirit pills from famous shops.
Aksai could address two headaches at once by becoming an alchemy expert. It would also create a sustainable synergistic effect with his Spirit farming abilities, allowing him to grow his Spirit plants according to his alchemy skills and needs, and vice versa.
After all, every alchemy expert could become a Spirit farmer with their skills related to preprocessing raw ingredients. However, almost no Spirit farmer could call themselves an alchemy expert due to the time, effort, and resources required to become one.
No Spirit farmer had the background to become an alchemy expert. However, Aksai was different with the resources he produced on the Everwood farm and various perks provided to him by the neural link fabric.
"When I visit Wilben City, I will also try to find a 1st order alchemy inheritance," Aksai resolved, clenching his fists. "I'm sure it will cost me a lot, but it will help me in the long run. It's an investment in my future that will pay dividends later."
For the time being, Aksai stopped worrying about obtaining a complete cultivation technique of the Basic Greenwood Tantra.
Firstly, his speed in the 7th layer was too slow. He didn't think getting his hands on even the Advanced Greenwood Tantra would significantly improve his cultivation speed.
Secondly, there were too many risks involved in acquiring the complete cultivation technique for a Spirit farmer like him. He also couldn't just change his cultivation technique midway.
Even if he were to ask in Wilben City, he knew that it would only attract trouble for him in some way or the other.