Chapter 563: Frostbound Lord's Warnings

Chapter 563: Frostbound Lord’s Warnings

“Are you going to defend Emerald Cove with your current powers?”

Nael Netherfrost’s voice was calm, yet it carried a weight that made the air in the room feel heavier.

It had been a week since Nuya had told Aksai about her departure from the Dadangar Subcontinent.

During that time, they had met several times, each meeting filled with long hours of discussion about the island’s management. Nuya had shown Aksai detailed reports—trade records, merchant complaints, and Spirit resource distribution logs.

She had told him about the smugglers who had started to take advantage of the chaos in the archipelago, and about the new threats emerging from nearby waters.

Aksai listened carefully each time. He had even tightened the Spirit barrier around the Emerald Cove, using the Demon Tree as the formation’s anchor point. But Nuya had warned him that the Kalingoot had been studying the barrier for a while. They might have already found ways to breach it. Nuya guessed that the Kalingoot was only waiting for the right opportunity to reveal their trump cards– most likely in an all-out war against Emerald Cove and Alliance.

Through all those meetings, neither of them spoke again about what had happened that evening in the gazebo. No mention of feelings, no hints of hesitation. They acted as if it had never happened.

As friends who had been through thick and thin together from their early days as Spirit cultivators, they both respected each other’s feelings. They buried that memory under the weight of responsibilities and unfinished tasks.

Now, a week later, her father—Nael Netherfrost, the Frostbound Lord—had arrived to take her away. His presence itself was enough to make the Spirit energy in the air stir faintly. When he stepped into the palace, the cold followed him like an obedient servant.

But instead of leaving right away, Nael had asked his daughter to wait outside. He wanted to speak to Aksai alone.

The two of them sat across from each other in Nuya’s study. Scrolls and ledgers were neatly stacked on one side of the table. Through the open window, the faint hum of the barrier formation could be heard, blending with the sound of the sea breeze.

Aksai leaned back slightly in his chair, the corners of his mouth lifting faintly as he looked at Nael.

“What other choice do I have?” he said after a moment, shrugging his shoulders lightly. “It’s not like I can just go to the Shinayin Empire like you guys and start over from scratch. Unlike you, I know nothing about that place nor do I have contacts there. I don’t know how they would treat Spirit cultivators from a supposedly banished region.”

Nael’s eyes, calm and piercing, didn’t leave him.

Aksai continued, his tone more casual now. “And even if I could go there, I’d probably have a bad taste in my mouth if I left my home just because someone decided to covet it. It’s already happened to me once before.”

He paused, his gaze drifting toward the tall windows that looked out over the Spirit gardens. The sunlight hit the ocean beyond, scattering off the barrier’s faintly glowing surface like tiny shards of glass.

“I’d like to break the cycle of running away this time,” he said softly. “It’s not that I’m desperate to die defending this island, but… until the very end, I’d rather stand my ground.”

Aksai stopped speaking for a moment. His hand reached for the scroll on the table, unrolling it slowly. The parchment made a soft rustling sound that echoed in the quiet study.

“If push really came to shove,” he went on, glancing briefly at Nael, “I’d run to save my own skin. I’m not that foolish.”

There was a faint smirk on his lips when he said that, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Then he turned his attention to the scroll again. It was a map of the southern coastline of the Dadangar Archipelago—one he and Nuya had worked on earlier that week. His eyes followed the lines absently, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

He spoke again, almost as if he were talking to himself now. “Still, I can’t let Emerald Cove fall easily. Too many people have worked hard to build it. Too much has been poured into it. So until the day I’m truly forced out, I’ll keep it standing.”

Nael stayed quiet for a long while, his gaze deep and thoughtful as he studied Aksai’s expression. The faint chill in the air grew a little sharper, though not hostile—just a quiet reminder of the man’s immense power.

“You sound like someone who’s already accepted the cost,” Nael finally said, his tone unreadable.

Aksai gave a faint, tired laugh. “Maybe I have,” he said, still looking at the scroll. “But don’t mistake that for recklessness, Lord Netherfrost. I’m just trying to live without regrets this time.”

Aksai was briefly reminded of his rented farmhouse in the Lakir Estate. He remembered how he was forced to set his own ruined house on fire in order to move on. He sighed and shook his head to shake that memory off his mind.

For a few seconds, silence filled the study again. The waves could be heard faintly in the distance, and the light from the spirit lamp flickered as if swayed by the wind.

Nael Netherfrost leaned back in his chair, his calm blue eyes studying Aksai for a moment before he finally spoke. His tone was even and steady, carrying the weight of experience that came from centuries of dealing with powerful sects and endless politics.

“Let me give you a heads-up,” Nael said slowly. “The Purple River Sect’s third grand elder’s faction might join Kalingoot. And if he joins, the other four sects in the Big Five won’t keep quiet either.”

Aksai’s hand froze midway as he was about to turn a page from the scroll. He looked up sharply, blinking in disbelief. “The righteous sects will join the chaos? And that too from the other side?”

Nael’s lips curved faintly, not quite a smile, more like a knowing expression.

“Not the righteous sects,” he corrected calmly, “but the factions inside them. The sects may carry big names, but they are filled with people chasing their own goals. With the Core Formation Lords of the Big Five focusing all their efforts on the Holy Land Torel and trying to squeeze benefits out of it, their control over their own sects is slipping. And that slip will be seen as an opportunity by those below them.”

Aksai leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as if trying to push away a dull ache. “Why… damn it… why would those old geezers do something as bothersome as that?” he muttered under his breath.

Nael chuckled softly, but there was no amusement in it. “Why not?” he replied.

“Islands like Emerald Cove, with a 2nd Order Spirit Vein, are treasures few can ignore. You’ve got a perfect spot for cultivation, trade, and Spirit resources. To be honest, I’m surprised both the righteous and demonic sides agreed to a truce and let you manage it for this long.”

He paused, looking toward the window where sunlight shimmered across the blue-green waters surrounding the island. His tone turned heavier.

“It only shows how much influence the Haan Di Lord had as a peacemaker. His authority kept these greedy factions in line. But now… he’s injured because of what happened in the Holy Land Torel. Without him to balance things, this unrest in the Dadangar Archipelago was bound to happen.”

Aksai stayed silent for a while, his eyes following the same view Nael was watching. The waves crashed softly against the distant reefs, but all Aksai could feel was a storm slowly brewing beyond the horizon. He could almost sense it now — the shifting alliances, the rising greed, the taste of blood and ambition in the air.

He sighed again and leaned forward, placing the scroll down. “So, it’s already starting then,” he said quietly. “The peace we had here… it’s just a pause before the real fight begins.”

“It’s good that you are aware of the situation,” Nael said. After a brief pause, he added further.

“Um…. I don’t want to only give you bad news,” he said, leaning slightly forward, his fingers tapping the wooden armrest of his chair. “If it’s any consolation—my Frostbound Sect has decided not to support Kalingoot anymore.”

Aksai lifted his head, surprised. “You’re pulling out?”

Nael nodded. “Yes. I’ve already sent word to my elders and disciples. We’ll stay neutral this time. The Blackblood Sect may partially side with Kalingoot to fish in the troubled waters, but they won’t take action against you personally—provided you do the same.”

Aksai’s shoulders eased a little, though the worry didn’t leave his face. “That’s… better than I expected.”

Nael gave a small shrug. “It gives you a bit of breathing room, at least for now,” he said.

“With two of the three major demonic sects not opposing you outright, you might have some peace—until the real conflict begins.

Once a full-fledged war breaks out between the Alliance and Kalingoot, things will get messy no matter where you stand. It all depends on how the situation unfolds… and how you react to it.”