“Well… what do you know? The drunkard still makes some sense.”
Ivan said, casting a disapproving glance at Thorn before continuing in a grim voice.
“What you have said is right but it’s only half right. The sellswords won’t attack our base because that’s where we will be at our peak.
What kind of idiot band of mercenaries attacks the enemy on its turf?
If the attack is going to take place, it would take place in a few days whenever we try to leave the island. At least that’s what I’d do if I were to be in my enemy’s shoes.
So what Roran said in the beginning is right. We need to be careful.”
Ivan was a robust man with earth-toned skin and a rugged, weather-beaten face that spoke of his resilience. He was the sixth subordinate Kaelen had. Like his peers, he was also in the late stage of the Spirit Refining realm.
A master of earth-elemental Spirit spells, Ivan commanded the very ground beneath his feet, shaping the terrain to his advantage.
“Then isn’t it even better that we stocked up on supplies today?” Selene spoke, looking at her allies with an assuring smile.
“With the cultivation resources we have gathered from the mainland on this trip, we can easily stay on the island for 6 to 7 months without having to visit the mainland,” she said with confidence.
Selene was an average-looking woman with an ugly scar on her face, silver hair, and luminous eyes that seemed to glow with inner radiance. A master of light-elemental Spirit spells, Selene wielded some formidable Spirit spells.
“Yeah, but all of you are forgetting something very important,” suddenly Darius spoke up, looking at his subordinates with a grim look.
“The news that we received from the Sun Ocean Society might be a week old for all we know. That means if the enemy is planning to attack us, even today will be an ideal choice.
After all, we are all here and not on the base. If I were in my enemies’ shoes, I would attack today.
If I had received the report while I was on the island, I would have never left it in the first place.
Unlike you guys, I don’t want to risk–” Darius was about to continue speaking in a grim tone. However, his expressions suddenly turned ugly when he sensed a sudden movement from the sea water below the ship.
Suddenly, six Spirit cultivators in the late-stage Spirit Refining realm emerged from the water and revealed themselves.
All six of them landed on the ship and the battle between the two groups broke out right then and there, not allowing anyone from Kaelen’s group to have time to prepare.
‘Damn it. why… Why the fu*k did I have to speak and jinx the whole thing? Why am I right all the time with my grim predictions?’
Darius cursed in his heart as he faced off with his opponents with half-baked preparations.
***
One would have to admit that all seven of Kaelen’s subordinates were exceptionally talented. They were covert members of the Sun Ocean Society, nurtured by the sect from a young age.
Consequently, they were free from the blood contracts that bound regular sect members, yet they received treatment akin to—or even exceeding—that of regular disciples.
This was why Aksai had hesitated to join the mission. The Spirit cultivation world and its inhabitants were too unpredictable to base his assumptions on.
Just as Kaelen and his allies were caught off guard, Aksai was surprised to find all seven of Kaelen’s subordinates on board as well. Who would have imagined that Kaelen would essentially compel all his allies to accompany him to the auction event?
According to Nuya’s intel, only three or four of Kaelen’s subordinates were supposed to attend the auction event.
The event, organized by a secret subsidiary organization of the Purple River Sect, was meant to provide Kaelen with a compelling reason to leave the island with some of his subordinates.
Of course, Nuya understood that the intel couldn’t be entirely trusted. Therefore, she decided to overwhelm Kaelen and his subordinates by hiring more late-stage Spirit Refiners than originally planned.
One could say that she had hired Aksai only as a back-up.
Nuya wasn’t foolish enough to engage Kaelen in a frontal clash. She had previously fought with the man and had to retreat without achieving anything.
Plus, she knew that the seven allies he had were also not someone she could just kill on the fly despite her status as a Spirit Refining Perfectionist.
Aksai was not the only one who liked to play it safe. Nuya had also prepared alchemy pills and purchased a set of talismans that allowed her and her allies to conceal their presence, breathe underwater, and travel for miles while submerged.
It must be acknowledged that Nuya had chosen the right battlefield and timed the attack perfectly, thanks to the preparations made in advance.
However, even she couldn’t have anticipated that Kaelen’s decision to bring all his subordinates on board would make her appear less prepared.
Sometimes, an enemy’s stupidity posed a greater threat to their adversaries than the enemy themselves.
***
Chaos reigned on the ship as Nuya and her allies emerged from the sea water, landing on the deck. Despite this sudden turn of events, Kaelen and his seven subordinates from the Sun Ocean Society remained unfazed.
They drew upon their years of experience and faced Nuya’s team members head-on, their weapons at the ready. They also started to cast Spirit spells.
In this clash, it was evident that the two leaders had mutually restricted themselves. Essentially, it boiled down to a battle between five of Nuya’s subordinates and seven of Kaelen’s.
Nuya’s team urgently needed to find a way to even the odds. Without swift action, they risked falling into a severe disadvantage, despite their initial advantage of surprise.
While Kaelen may have been dense in many aspects, his prowess in battle was undeniable. He quickly recognized that even low-level Spirit cultivators could be utilized to disrupt the flow of the enemy’s strategy, tipping the scales in his favor.
The key disadvantage for Spirit Refining cultivators lay in the time and mental preparation required to cast their spells. If the low-level Spirit cultivators could buy just enough time, Kaelen and his subordinates could overpower Nuya’s team members in a matter of seconds.
However, these seemingly insignificant moments were crucial in determining the outcome of the battle.
Nuya needed to capitalize on the element of surprise to eliminate at least two enemies without sacrificing her allies in the opening moments of the skirmish. If successful, victory would likely tilt in her favor.
Conversely, if Kaelen and his allies could withstand the initial assault long enough to prepare their own Spirit spells, their chances of emerging victorious would skyrocket.
***
With victory on the line, Kaelen did not hesitate to put the lives of the low-level Spirit Refiners on the line in order to secure a crucial window of opportunity for himself and his allies.
“Enemy attack! Prepare the can—!” Kaelen’s command was cut short as he witnessed Nuya retrieving a handful of talismans from her storage ring.
With uncanny precision, the talismans darted through the air, attaching themselves to the cannons.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
In the blink of an eye, a series of miniature explosions reverberated across the deck as the runic cannons were obliterated, along with the unfortunate low-level Spirit cultivators nearby. The explosions also damaged the ship’s Formations, bringing it to an abrupt halt.
Nuya once again demonstrated her meticulous preparation in confronting her enemies. Her determination to settle the family feud with Kaelen was palpable.
Refraining from grandiose proclamations or verbal sparring, she opted for direct and decisive action.
Not even a second had passed after the first mini blast rang out.
Without affording Kaelen the chance to intervene on behalf of his subordinates, Nuya unleashed another of her limited-time trump cards—a talisman that transformed into a runic chain. In a swift motion, it snaked through the air and ensnared Kaelen, rendering him immobile.
Two more runic talismans were swiftly deployed, binding Aria and Darius from Kaelen’s team. While these expensive and hard-to-get runic chains lacked offensive capabilities, they effectively restricted the movements of their targets and hindered their ability to cast Spirit spells.
Though the restraint placed on Aria and Darius wouldn’t neutralize them entirely, it provided Nuya’s allies with a momentary respite.
‘Please handle the rest yourselves. Good luck. Ensure everyone survives to savor our victory.’
Nuya conveyed to her allies through a voice communication channel.
“Bi*ch free me this instant. I will fu*king kill you like I killed your clan members.”
With one end of the runic chain in hand, Nuya mounted her flying sword and darted off in a particular direction at breakneck speed, dragging the cursing Kaelen behind her.
In the span of mere seconds, Nuya’s decisive actions set the stage for her allies’ confrontation with Kaelen’s main seven subordinates. With no time to waste, they each selected their adversary and charged forward—a race against the ticking clock.
However, Aksai opted for a different approach. Rather than engaging Kaelen’s subordinates directly, he set his sights on one of the three women Kaelen had brought aboard for “entertainment.”
[Qi Flow Arts]
[Qi Fist Arts]
With a swift motion, Aksai blurred into view before the unsuspecting woman, delivering a devastating blow with his qi-based martial arts that pierced through her chest. The force of the impact created a gaping hole as Aksai swiftly retrieved the woman’s mangled heart.
“Thank you for orchestrating that trap, sending that ‘mongoose’ after me. Consider this your reward,” Aksai remarked with a chilling smile, meeting the woman’s gaze as her vitality rapidly waned.
“It’s you…” the woman’s voice faltered, realization dawning as she locked eyes with Aksai, his cold demeanor contrasting with his unsettling grin. She understood too late that her assailant was none other than Aksai Everwood.
The woman, Juyee, had once acted as an employee of the Mystic Treasures Emporium, colluding with Haisha Lakir to acquire his possessions. Of course, Aksai remembered her. How could he forget his silent enemies? These silent-types were more dangerous in his eyes.
Amidst the turmoil of the two counties, Aksai had postponed settling the score with Juyee, almost forgetting the grudge he held against her.
Yet fate had brought them together on Kaelen’s vessel, sealing Juyee’s unfortunate demise.
Juyee’s life ebbed away swiftly as Aksai’s qi surged through her body, consuming her from within.
The suddenness of Aksai’s actions left both allies and adversaries momentarily stunned, halting the chaos that engulfed the ship’s deck.
‘This patience-driven vengeance brings a certain satisfaction. I guess the Lakir family chapter is closed in my life with this kill.’
Aksai mused inwardly, casting a final glance at Juyee’s lifeless form sprawled across the wooden deck.
‘Hmm. I guess everyone has a right to act selfishly as long as they are prepared to face some consequences. You are not my enemy after your death.
May you find peace in the afterlife. And may your afterlife bring peace to my heart as well.’
The Spirit farmer silently offered a prayer for his fallen foe.
‘Now, who shall be my next target?’ Aksai pondered, surveying the unfolding turmoil with a calculating gaze.
===
AN: Juyee was first introduced in chapter 48.