Haitin watched Aksai’s reaction with a patient expression.
It wasn’t every day you learned that someone you knew had such deep ties to two major factions, and even more, was the daughter of a Core Formation Lord and a former spy of Purple River Sect.
Aksai’s brows were furrowed, his mind still processing the layers of the story, trying to reconcile this new information with what he already knew about Nuya.
He stayed quiet for a few moments, taking it all in. Haitin, sensing the need to let it sink in, remained silent as well, giving his friend time to gather his thoughts.
After a long pause, Aksai finally exhaled, leaning back as he muttered, “So that’s why she’s always had this… weird connection to Purple River Sect.
Her mother had cut off her ties with Purple River Sect. so Nuya couldn’t be considered Purple River Sect’s scion. However, she could also not be considered as an enemy.
It… It makes sense now. Still, I’m surprised I couldn’t figure this out on my own even after I took time to study the history of the Dadangar Subcontinent as much as I could.”
Haitin nodded, offering a slight smile.
“It’s understandable, brother Aksai. It’s not the kind of information that’s shared lightly. Most people in the Dadangar Subcontinent wouldn’t even be aware of the Frostbound Lord’s real name, let alone the details of his personal life. He was always referred to as ‘Frostbound Lord’ by the masses, which added to the mystique surrounding him.”
Aksai glanced at Haitin, curious. “His real name is hardly known? But he was one of the Core Formation Lords, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” Haitin confirmed, “but even among the Core Formation Lords, Nael Netherfrost was particularly private. He kept a low profile. For someone of his stature, his public appearances were rare—he had this aloof air about him. That’s why even in upper circles, there’s an air of mystery about him. To the general populace, he’s almost like a mythical figure. Very few knew that he had a family, let alone the details of his marriage.”
Aksai nodded slowly. “That explains a lot. I always thought Nuya was just a drifting cultivator, but it seems like I can’t really underestimate anyone who has managed to enter the Foundation Building realm.”
Haitin’s smile widened.
“Exactly. The marriage of Nuya’s parents was a topic of fascination among the upper echelons when it first happened, but it never reached beyond that. Frostbound Lord and his wife, they kept to themselves. It’s said they were inseparable for about a decade.
Nael Netherfrost—this supposedly aloof, untouchable figure—was completely devoted to his wife. They were rarely seen apart, and it was clear to anyone who saw them together that he had fallen deeply in love with her.
He didn’t meet with other Core Formation Lords during their annual gatherings. Lord Nael even limited his meet ups with other two Core Formation Lords from the demonic faction. Unless it was absolutely necessary he wouldn’t show up at any meetings. He had become completely isolated from the rest.”
Aksai raised an eyebrow. “A decade of peace? That’s unusual for someone of his standing. Especially when he was leasing a major demonic sect.”
“It was indeed unusual,” Haitin agreed, his tone thoughtful.
“But love does strange things, even to the most powerful of us. And for that decade, it seemed nothing could tear them apart. The couple had each other, and by all accounts, he was content. Perhaps even happy, if that word can be applied to a man like him.”
Aksai asked. “So what changed?”
Haitin’s expression grew more serious, though his tone remained casual.
“Wild Devil Lands! You see, after that decade of domestic bliss, an opportunity arose in the Wild Devil Lands—a dangerous but extremely rewarding place for Spirit cultivators seeking breakthroughs or rare resources.
It was the kind of place that drew the attention of powerful figures like Nael. And for a man like him, the temptation was too great to ignore. This was because it seemed to contain 4th Order inheritance. Maybe… even higher.”
Aksai stayed quiet in contemplation but everything that he had heard so far about the opportunity started to make sense.
“No wonder the Sun Ocean Lord and Green Glory Lord are willing to make bold moves in the Wild Devil Lands. So this is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you talked about?”
Haitin nodded. “Exactly. The demonic faction had managed to keep this opportunity a secret for many years. We want to keep on making it remain a secret even in the future as well. But it seems like we are running out of options.
The Sun Ocean Lord and Green Glory Lord are like sharks who have smelled blood from miles away. It wouldn’t be long before they both become impatient and make a preemptive strike. This was why it was important for me to neutralize the threat posed by the presence of both Siya and Lini.
Anyway. Thanks to you, we have already addressed these issues for the time being. Even if we can’t keep the rest of the Core Formation Lords away from this groundbreaking opportunity forever, we can still delay the inevitable for as long as we can. The more time we have for ourselves, the more benefits we will be able to reap.
This is also why I didn’t hesitate to reward you after you provided me with feasible solutions to my problems. You don’t know how much you have contributed to my sect, brother Aksai. Even after offering you many benefits and rewards, it is suffice to say that it is not my loss. I never make deals that I can’t benefit from,” Haitin said as he looked at Aksai.
Aksai simply nodded when he heard Haitin’s explanation. Even after realizing the worth of the help he had provided to Haitin, he wasn’t interested in taking credit. Firstly, he had already obtained enough benefits. Secondly, he had helped Haitin for his own reasons.
“You were saying something about Frostbound Lord,” Aksai reminded. He was interested in knowing things about Nuya.
Haitin didn’t hesitate and spoke freely.
“Yes! The opportunity in the Wild Devil Lands. It’s not a place you go lightly. But Lord Nael, being who he was, saw it as a chance to gain even more power. Perhaps it was ambition, perhaps he wanted to try for the sake of trying. But he decided to go, despite his wife’s concerns.”
Aksai tilted his head. “She didn’t want him to go?”
“Not really,” Haitin replied, shaking his head. “She was against it. She pleaded with him to stay. After all, they had built a life together, and she feared losing him to the dangers that he was bound to face in his attempt to gain something valuable from this opportunity.
But Lord Nael was determined. In this regard, he was no different from the remaining two Lords of the demonic faction. In the end, he went. And that’s where things began to unravel.”
Aksai sat forward, intrigued. “What happened?”
“Well,” Haitin continued, his voice dropping slightly as the tension in the story built,
“Nael Netherfrost never returned. He entered the secret place, and as far as anyone knows, he never came back out. He, like the other two demonic Lords, was stuck in that place.
It was as if he vanished. Some say he perished along with the remaining two Lords, others believe he’s still out there along with the other two, all three of them chasing some elusive breakthrough. But for his wife, it was the end of an era.
And just when his wife decided that she would check out the opportunity to follow after her husband, it was revealed that she had become pregnant.”
Aksai blinked, surprised. “Nuya was born after the Frostbound Lord disappeared?”
Haitin nodded solemnly. “Yes. After Nael’s disappearance, his wife, heartbroken and alone, retreated from public life completely. She also wanted to keep her pregnancy a secret.
After all, the disappearance of the three Core Formation Lords was big news. The righteous faction was suspicious. And various internal conflicts arose within the three major demonic sects. It was a period of unrest.
The Frostbound Sect also had various internal conflicts led by multiple sect elders. Even though Nuya’s mother was a Foundation Building Expert and one of the sect elders, she was in no position to replace her husband. Her initial-stage Foundation Building realm wasn’t worth much when the interests of a major demonic sect were at stake.
What could she do when there were sect elders in the late-stage Foundation Building realm vying for Frostbound Lord’s vacant seat? It didn’t help that she became pregnant at this point, preventing her from taking any severe actions.
As such, Nuya’s mother left the Frostbound Sect briefly so that she could deliver Nuya safely. And for months, when the internal conflicts within the Frostbound Sect was at its peak, she lived in obscurity, far away from the sect’s politics and power struggles.
Nuya’s mother stayed that way until Nuya was born. No one knew where she had gone. But her reappearance in the Frostbound Sect wasn’t unnoticed. This time, she had her newborn daughter with her.”