Aksai blinked, his brow furrowing as he tried to process what Haitin was saying.
“What do you mean, brother Haitin?” he asked, his voice tinged with both shock and curiosity.
Haitin glanced over at Lini before turning back to Aksai, his expression calm but knowing.
“The presence of both Siya Solaris and Lini Lowanfield in the Wild Devil Lands at the same time is no coincidence,” he began slowly, letting his words sink in.
“It’s connected to how the Haan Di Lord got severely injured. The Sun Ocean Society’s Lord and the Green Glory Palace’s Lord both know something about it. So, instead of coming here themselves in a more direct manner, they sent their disciples—pawns in a larger game.”
At this, both Siya and Lini’s faces shifted. First to shock, then to a more hostile disbelief. They both stood stiff, anger simmering just below the surface.
Lini, the proud and talented disciple of Green Glory Palace, couldn’t believe her master—someone she admired and trusted—would treat her as nothing more than a tool.
Meanwhile, Siya Solaris, the daughter of the Sun Ocean Society’s Core Formation Lord, felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Why would her own father send her into such a dangerous situation if he knew that chaos was brewing in the Wild Devil Lands?
Haitin could see the doubt and outrage in their eyes. He chuckled softly. “You two overestimate yourselves,” he said, shaking his head slightly.
“I’m not denying that you hold important positions within your sects. Under normal circumstances, your safety would be a priority. But this is different. The Core Formation Lords are playing a game for something far more valuable than the lives of a few Foundation Building disciples.”
Neither Lini nor Siya met Haitin’s gaze now, but their silence spoke volumes. It was as if, deep down, they had known all along but hadn’t wanted to admit it. Haitin leaned back slightly, giving them a knowing look.
“Let me ask you,” Haitin continued, his tone casual, almost like he was talking about the weather. “You’ve both met Core Formation Lords. Do you really think they see us—Foundation Building cultivators—as their equals? Even with all the respect they show you, do you truly believe that your lives hold the same weight in their eyes as their own ambitions?”
A heavy silence fell over the group. The wind rustled the leaves of the trees nearby, but no one moved. Lini and Siya both stared at the ground, refusing to answer. They didn’t need to.
Haitin let out a soft sigh.
“Look, I’m not going to dive too deep into the specifics, but know this: the only reason Core Formation Lords act like this is when there’s something they want. And right now, there’s something in the Wild Devil Lands that even they are willing to fight over.
Do you know what that means? It means there’s a possibility that a big war might break out. And the funny thing is– it might not be a demonic vs righteous faction this time. Instead, it would be defenders vs attackers.”
Lini’s mouth tightened into a thin line. She had always believed that her master saw her as more than just another disciple. After all, in her generation, she was one of the most talented among his disciples. But now, hearing Haitin’s words, the gnawing doubt she had buried deep inside began to surface.
Could it be true? she wondered. Was I sent here just for her master to gauge the Wild Devil Lands’ waters?
Siya’s reaction was even more visceral. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, the knuckles turning white. To think that her father—her own father—would send her into the Wild Devil Lands knowing full well the dangers, all for the sake of some hidden agenda, was too much to accept.
Her father was distant, yes, but this? This was betrayal.
Haitin, noticing their expressions, continued smoothly.
“Let’s be real here. The Dadangar Subcontinent doesn’t often produce anything worth the attention of Core Formation Lords. Only the secret realm that is managed by the Big Five Sects holds some value as it produces 3rd Order resources. But the quantity and quality of the resources clearly isn’t as much as the Core Formation Lords want it to be.
Most of the resources we cultivate here aren’t even enough to make them bat an eye. But every now and then, something big comes along.
Something valuable enough that even the most powerful cultivators will sit up and take notice. And when that happens, do you really think they wouldn’t be willing to make sacrifices? Even if that means putting you two at risk?”
Aksai, who had been listening carefully, was beginning to understand the bigger picture. “So,” he said slowly, “under the orders of Siya’s father, her sect sent Siya to Duya Forest… not knowing the full extent of the situation. And then Green Glory Palace caught wind of it and sent Lini to join her… as backup?”
“Exactly,” Haitin said, nodding in approval.
“Siya was sent by her father, the Sun Ocean Society’s Lord. the Sun Ocean Lord didn’t mind if Siya were to get apprehended by the demonic faction or detained by Haan Di. He didn’t care if the fight between Haan Di and the demonic faction were to break out. He was happy with just participating in the war– the side he chose to support or oppose didn’t matter to him either.
Haan Di Lord’s luck in choosing his disciples is truly terrible. These disciples didn’t understand that Siya’s safety didn’t matter to the Sun Ocean Lord at all. They thought that they could manage to manipulate a Core Formation Lord by attacking his daughter and pinning the blame onto the demonic faction.
But how could manipulating a Core Formation Lord be this easy? Do they think that a Core Formation Lord is a braindead idiot? A cultivator of that caliber can only be manipulated if he wants to be manipulated.
The best kind of manipulation is when people who are getting manipulated think that they are in charge of the situation as everything is going according to their plan.”
Haitin smiled wickedly as he looked at the two damsels in distress.