Haitin’s reasoning was as sharp as ever—callous, calculated, but fair.
The man was covering all his bases. Whether Aksai succeeded or failed, Haitin would still benefit in one way or another.
After a long pause, Aksai finally spoke, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You really don’t leave any loose ends, do you?”
Haitin laughed, his voice light and casual.
“Let’s just say I’m investing in you, brother Aksai. The Heretic Dao isn’t for everyone. If I fail to crack the problem I have using Mao’s inheritance, I’ll have to rely on you in the future.
But for you to help me later, I need to help you now. You could say I’m playing the long game.”
Aksai nodded. “I’ll do my best to make good use of these jade slips. And if I make any breakthroughs… I’ll let you know.”
Haitin leaned back, his expression thoughtful as he continued.
“To be honest, if it were any other kind of inheritance than the Heretic Dao, I would’ve also chosen to monopolize the information. I mean, I could’ve used it to train many cultivators in my sect, building them up with the Heretic Dao as a foundation. Spreading it to someone not from my sect is a potential danger.”
Haitin paused, watching Aksai’s reaction before continuing.
“In fact, many years ago, when Mao was first making a name for himself, my sect attempted to train a few of our own in the Heretic Dao. Both he and my sect obtained these inheritances at the same time from the same source.
However, Mao got the technique before us and fled, preventing us from knowing more about him until it was too late.
By the time we discovered Mao had the Heretic Talismanic Inheritance, the three Core Formation Lords from the demonic faction had already disappeared from the public eye.
We had no way of forcing Mao to give us the remaining piece of the puzzle without paying a hefty price. It was a very sensitive time for the demonic faction for various reasons. The disappearance of the three Core Formation Lords had affected us a lot.
So, we contacted Mao and made a deal with him. His Talismanic inheritance for alchemy inheritance of the same series. Even though he couldn’t practise the alchemy himself, he could make use of the insights.
But before we could complete it, you intercepted and killed him.
I’m glad you came to the Wild Devil Lands, which led to us meeting. Otherwise, it would have taken much longer for us to track you down. Things wouldn’t have gone this smoothly if we’d let events unfold on their own.”
Haitin didn’t say it outright, but Aksai understood. It seemed that just like the righteous faction, the demonic faction could have eventually tracked him down whenever they wanted to after paying a certain price. It was just that the current situation wasn’t favorable for them to launch such a high-stake mission outside their territories.
However, who would have thought that Aksai would end up getting stuck in the Wild Devil Lands? If the demonic faction had caught him in possession of Mao’s inheritance, they would have likely become enemies.
Meeting Haitin and exchanging information peacefully was a fortunate turn of events for Aksai despite the initial conflict. There was indeed a fortune hidden in misfortune.
With these thoughts running through his mind, Aksai stayed silent, listening intently.
“At one point,” Haitin continued, “we had over a dozen Foundation Building Experts practicing the Heretic Dao. We thought we could unlock its potential by shaping it to fit our needs.”
“What happened?” Aksai asked, genuinely curious.
Haitin smiled, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Most of them lost their original temperament. Their cultivation talent withered as they delved deeper into the Heretic Dao. It was as if the further they went, the more they had to sacrifice.
Those who managed to retain their sanity, their original selves… they didn’t make much progress. The Dao resisted them, as if it demanded a complete transformation—shedding one’s old self to embrace something entirely new.”
He shook his head slightly.
“That’s the essence of the Heretic Dao, brother Aksai. Those unwilling to let go of their old selves are bound to fail. Those who do… well, they risk losing everything.
After all the trial and errors in the past– we have come to a conclusion. Only those with stable soul power can practice the Heretic Dao without suffering severe side effects.
The only reason I dared to dabble in this path is because of my innate soul talent, bloodline powers, and the support of an entire major demonic sect standing behind me. That said, even these advantages wouldn’t have convinced me to practice the Heretic Dao if I wasn’t forced by my need to crack a certain problem.”
Aksai considered this in silence. He was beginning to understand why Haitin wasn’t afraid to share this inheritance—why he didn’t feel the need to keep it to himself or his sect. The Heretic Dao wasn’t just a powerful set of techniques. It was a trial, a gauntlet that could break those who walked its path.
Haitin continued, his voice still calm but with a subtle undercurrent of challenge.
“That’s why I’m taking a gamble on you. It would be narrow-minded to think that only my sect—or those within it—are capable of handling the Heretic Dao. How could we hope to monopolize something we don’t fully understand or control ourselves?
It would be foolish to try. So why not spread it wider? Perhaps someone else can walk this path further than we ever could.
Sometimes, you have to let things take their course, even if it means accepting a little chaos. Besides, the Heretic Dao isn’t something you can cage. It needs to be free to evolve, to transform, and maybe the right person will unlock its full potential.”
Aksai absorbed Haitin’s words, reflecting on how different this approach was from what he’d seen in the righteous sects. If it were someone from the orthodox side, they would have hoarded the knowledge, keeping it under lock and key, using it as leverage to control their disciples.
The righteous faction built itself on such foundations—knowledge as power, power as control. The more exclusive the knowledge, the greater the control.
But here was Haitin, someone from the demonic faction, a group often painted as ruthless and secretive, talking about sharing knowledge.
Not out of charity, of course, but out of practicality and a willingness to take risks.
Aksai absorbed Haitin’s words, understanding his perspective more clearly with each passing moment.
Haitin’s willingness to share the knowledge of the Heretic Dao came with conditions, and Aksai realized that this generosity had its limits. If Aksai had been part of the righteous faction, Haitin would have never even considered making a deal.
The Heretic Dao, dangerous and unpredictable as it was, couldn’t be allowed to fall into the hands of those whose ideals clashed so deeply with the demonic way.
More importantly, Aksai understood that Haitin had been testing him all along. The Jaishin Lake incident wasn’t just about Haitin making seemingly over-the-top demands from Aksai—it was about analyzing his mindset, gauging his temperament.
Haitin wasn’t going to invest in someone who lacked the mental fortitude or the right outlook to practice the Heretic Dao. Aksai could now see that the choices Haitin had forced him to make earlier were part of a subtle but deliberate test.
Only when Haitin saw that Aksai’s mindset aligned with what was necessary to walk the path of the Heretic Dao did he decide Aksai was worthy of this investment.
Haitin seemed to let Aksai ponder this for a moment before speaking again, his voice smooth but slightly more businesslike now.
“Brother Aksai, by giving you the Heretic Alchemy Inheritance and Heretic Array Formation Inheritance, I’ve already fulfilled half of what I owe you. However, there’s still more to this exchange.
You can ask for any other techniques or Spirit spells you desire.
Or perhaps a rare 2nd-order treasure—whether it be defensive, offensive, or supportive, I’m willing to meet your request. As long as it’s within a reasonable limit, I will fulfill it,” Haitin assured, his tone calm but carrying a sense of finality.
Aksai could tell that Haitin had already achieved a significant part of his goal by acquiring the Heretic Talismanic Dao from him.
The deal was, in Haitin’s eyes, nearly complete. Yet, there was still that lingering sense of urgency, as if Haitin wanted to wrap things up and move on to the next phase of his plans.
‘It seems that the opportunity even the Core Formation Lords covet has something to do with the Heretic Dao. The inheritance he obtained from me seems more valuable than I initially thought. Should I have extorted more from him?’ Aksai briefly pondered, but quickly dismissed the thought.
Even though the Heretic Talismanic Inheritance would undoubtedly grant Haitin numerous advantages, speeding up his progress on a problem he had been working on, Aksai wasn’t in a position to fleece Haitin for more benefits.
‘Perhaps the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he’s offering will give me a better understanding of what exactly is happening in the Wild Devil Lands.’
Aksai mused as he glanced at Haitin.