A few days later. Within Everwood Palace's underground facility.
Aksai reached a critical juncture in his recent batch of experiments.
In the dimly lit chamber, Aksai stood amidst a few stone platforms, each adorned with mysterious Essence Equations.
Upon these platforms rested prisoners, their bodies tense with anticipation and fear as they awaited the experiment's commencement.
In their vulnerable state, stripped of clothing, the prisoners exchanged nervous glances, sweat beading on their foreheads in frustration and fear.
"What... What are you going to do to us? ANSWER ME!" screamed one prisoner, a scar-faced middle-aged martial artist apprehended by the city guards a few months ago for his heinous crimes against women.
With a bright smile, Aksai casually replied, "I want to use your bodies for science and my cultivation path."
Success is not measured by the destination alone but by the journey you undertake to reach it. So, keep striving, keep believing, and know that every step forward, no matter how small, brings you closer to the summit of your aspirations.