Cultivation World Dadangar.
Hour of the Rat. (06:00 AM – 07:00 AM)
A few hours later.
As the half-destroyed ship sailed towards the Emerald Cove, Aksai and Nuya stood side by side on the quarterdeck, the salty breeze tousling their hair.
The aftermath of their intense battle with Kaelen’s subordinates left Aksai’s clothes torn and his muscular physique exposed from the waist up.
‘Is… is he a body cultivator as well? No wonder he managed to take care of three of Kaelen’s subordinates all by himself.’
Nuya couldn’t help but steal a surreptitious glance at Aksai’s rugged form, her gaze drawn to the intricate network of faded scars that crisscrossed his torso.
‘Up close, his presence feels so different from his usually aloof and peaceful nature. If I didn’t know him for the last 12 years, I wouldn’t be able to call him a Spirit farmer at this point. It feels more like I’m standing beside… besides a quiet beast.’
Despite the seriousness of their situation, Nuya found herself captivated by the raw presence emanating from Aksai’s battered frame.
His demeanor was calm and composed, his amber eyes reflecting a quiet determination that could send a shiver down his opponent’s spine.
As Aksai scanned the horizon with unwavering focus, Nuya’s gaze lingered on the sinewy muscles of his arms, the tension in his jawline as he clenched his fists.
In that moment, she couldn’t help but admire the warrior standing beside her, his presence commanding respect and admiration.
Though they faced uncertain times ahead, Nuya felt a surge of confidence knowing that Aksai was by her side.
***
“Fellow cultivator Aksai, you hid your strengths really well,” Nuya said, looking at Aksai intently. Her blue eyes glowed a bit as she continued.
“I’m glad that you agreed to be a part of this operation. This squad that I had gathered might have lost members if it wasn’t for you,” she said, sighing as she thought about Jamon’s unfortunate demise in the operation.
“I was just lucky enough to kill those people. Plus, the victory didn’t come cheap. I had to use a lot of my trump cards I’d probably never be able to get back,” Aksai sighed, shaking his head.
He kept looking ahead at the newly appearing sunrise and the shimmering seawater as he continued.
“Have you planned what you are going to do about some of the “biased” mortals and low-level Spirit cultivators that are there on Emerald Cove?” he asked, subtly diverting the conversation from him and onto the next objective of their operation.
Nuya’s expression hardened as she spoke.
“What is there to think of? All of Kaelen’s allies and subordinates will die without any exception. I can’t offer them pardon.
Frankly speaking, it would not be too difficult to control the mortals even if they were loyal to their masters. But it would be a headache to weed out the potential threats in the form of low-stage Spirit Refining cultivators,” Nuya explained.
“So we have to get our hands dirty instead of offering pardon,” Aksai asked in a serious voice.
“Indeed, fellow cultivator Aksai,” Nuya spoke with confidence and determination. “Our actions today will act as a deterrence in the hearts of the mortals and low-level cultivators for years on end. That period will be enough for us to have our complete hold over the island,” Nuya explained her plan with a determined face.
Nuya wasn’t a cold-blooded murderer like Kaelen was. However, she also wasn’t someone who would forgive her enemies. She wasn’t naive to think that Kaelen’s subordinates would drop their rebellious streak just because their leader had died at her hands.
Since she had decided to own the island that previously belonged to her enemy, she had already considered ruling over the island with an iron fist.
Instead of trying to buy the loyalties of the workforce associated with Kaelen, Nuya decided to build the workforce on the island from scratch.
Of course, in the beginning, Nuya would face some difficulties in managing the island if she chose to eliminate all of Kaelen’s subordinates from the island. However, she would never have to worry about any potential threats in the long run.
Aksai smiled as he looked at Nuya, approving her stance in his mind. He nodded at her before adding further.
“I suggest we let fellow cultivator Nimiya act as a backup for me. Since she has just lost her husband, we shouldn’t make her take part in some intense fights,” Aksai said calmly.
Aksai knew from his talk with Jamon that Nimiya was pregnant. The main reason the couple decided to take this risk was to pave the way for their child.
By becoming the co-owners of an island with a Spirit vein, they had planned to support their child’s cultivation journey to the best of their abilities.
Both Nimiya and Jamon had given up on establishing their foundation. After Nimiya got pregnant, they decided to pass on their legacy to the child.
However, who could have imagined that Jamon would die before he was even able to see his unborn child’s face?
Aksai had a good rapport with both Nimiya and Jamon. The two would often talk on various topics every time they met during the private exchange meetings. Before the battle commenced, the guy had even offered to help Aksai in case he was in a pinch.
At that time Jamon wasn’t aware of Aksai’s battle potential and had only good intentions for him. Although he had tried to take advantage of Aksai initially during their first meeting, he had compensated by offering Aksai more than he needed in their subsequent transactions related to the exchange of cultivation resources.
Thus, Aksai decided to make sure that Jamon’s wife and his progeny inside her belly survived the operation. By putting her as a backup, he had basically conveyed to Nuya that he was ready to shoulder the couple’s share of responsibilities as well.
“Fellow cultivator Aksai, it is quite difficult to understand you,” Nuya added as she looked at Aksai curiously. “But since it’s you, I would agree to it,” she said with a light smile on her face before looking at Nimiya from the corner of her eyes.
On the deck behind Nuya, Nimiya had stopped crying but she looked distraught. She was no use as a frontline fighter in their upcoming part of the mission anyway. As such, Nuya didn’t feel like she had made a bad choice.
“It seems we are about to reach our destination,” Nuya mumbled as she looked ahead and the blurred view of a distant island suddenly appeared in her vision.
“Fellow cultivator Aksai, are you ready to carry out the purge?” Nuya asked as she stepped forward and looked ahead.
A sword appeared in her hand as her aura changed, radiating a coldness laced with killing intent.
“Haha. Let’s see who kills the most, shall we?” Aksai smiled as he stepped forward as well.