Chapter 574: Maids' Growth & Limitations of the Devil Tree Formation

Chapter 574: Maids’ Growth & Limitations of the Devil Tree Formation

Shuan rubbed his forehead and muttered in a complaining tone.

“This… this is not fair. Why did I have to leave Emerald Cove and risk my life so many times if I could have just stayed here and become an Expert with master’s help?”

A soft laugh echoed behind him. “Oh, little Shuan, still as dramatic as ever.”

Zara, Aksai’s second maid, walked into the hall, her long hair flowing behind her. She also carried the steady presence of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. She joined Violet by Aksai’s side, standing gracefully like two guardian spirits beside the throne.

Zara smiled gently at Shuan.

“You don’t have to be envious of us. Although we reached this level with master Aksai’s help and resources, our growth will be limited because of it. You, on the other hand, have earned your strength through real experience. Your true potential is still ahead.”

Shuan nodded, though his lips twitched as if he still wanted to complain.

Aksai straightened his back and looked at the four of them—Ruan, Shuan, Violet, and Zara. His tone became calm and serious.

“If everything goes well, there should be two more Foundation Establishment Experts from Emerald Cove joining us soon,” he said. “But for now, what we have here—a total of five Experts—will be the core strength of Emerald Cove.”

He paused, his gaze turning sharp and focused. “You all know a war is coming with Kalingoot. It’s about time we talked about our responsibilities and the guidelines we must follow.”

Everyone’s expression turned serious after hearing Aksai’s words. Everyone except one young man.

Shuan raised his hand slowly, waiting for Aksai’s attention. Aksai, who was still seated on the throne with his usual calm expression, gave a small nod, signaling him to speak.

Shuan looked around the hall, glancing at Ruan, Violet, and Zara, all standing with serious faces. The heavy mood in the room made him scratch his head awkwardly.

“I don’t know why you guys look so serious?” he said, trying to sound casual. “I agree that we shouldn’t underestimate Kalingoot. But don’t we have the defensive formation set up by the master protecting the island at all times?”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “I’ve checked its performance myself.”

As he spoke, he gave a bitter smile and rubbed his injured shoulder, still sore from his earlier sparring. “I have to say that it performs better than expected. Even the defensive formations set up by the Big Five Sects shouldn’t be more effective than what we have here,” he said with confidence and looked toward Aksai.

Aksai listened quietly, resting his chin over his hand again. Then he sighed and smiled faintly.

“You don’t get it, little Shuan,” Aksai said softly, his tone patient but firm. “The ability to handle one or two Foundation Establishment Experts isn’t a big deal for the type of defensive formations being talked about here.”

He straightened up a little on the throne, his eyes sharp as he explained further.

“Of course, making an intruder fight against two or even three Second Order puppets is enough to isolate and contain a threat to some extent. That much, the formation can easily handle.”

He paused and tapped the armrest lightly with his finger.

“However,” he continued, his voice turning colder, “what if there are ten such intruders? Or fifty?”

The hall grew quiet.

“What if,” Aksai said slowly, looking straight at Shuan, “a hundred Foundation Establishment Experts decide to invade Emerald Cove all at once, attacking from every direction just to overwhelm the formation?”

He leaned forward slightly. “Even the strongest defensive system will fail if the number of enemies keeps rising beyond what it was built to handle. In that case, the formation becomes practically useless.”

Shuan’s smile faded. He rubbed the back of his neck, realizing the gravity of what Aksai was saying. Ruan crossed his arms, nodding quietly, while Violet and Zara exchanged glances but stayed silent.

Aksai leaned back on his throne, his eyes slowly sweeping across the four Foundation Establishment Experts standing before him. Each of them had a different expression on their face.

After a long silence, Aksai exhaled softly and said, “I think it’s time you all understand the real situation we are in.”

His calm but heavy voice echoed through the grand hall.

“Cultivating Second Order puppets is not easy,” he said, raising his right hand slightly. “We only have about thirty of them so far. And if we take into account the average strength of the intruders we might face, these thirty puppets would only be able to neutralize around ten Experts at the same time.”

The four of them exchanged uncertain glances.

Aksai continued, his tone becoming more serious. “Do you really think the top brass of Kalingoot would be foolish enough to make it easy for us to defend ourselves? Do you think they would try to intrude one by one like the good boys and girls they are?

Plus, it’s been several decades since the formation has been active. I have been told that they already have information about the formation — at least to some extent.”

He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. “Even though I’ve modified the formation recently to make it more responsive and lethal, I can’t remove its biggest weakness. We simply lack enough Second Order puppets. And that’s something no modification can fix.”

Shuan gulped quietly, feeling the weight of Aksai’s words.

“Not to mention,” Aksai said, his eyes narrowing, “Kalingoot might have already developed their own countermeasures. Trump cards designed to weaken the formation even further.”

He gave a small wave of his hand. “Now, don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying our formation is useless. Maybe it really does perform on par with those built by the Big Five Sects. But our circumstances…” He paused, then shook his head. “…are completely different from theirs.”

Aksai stood from his throne and slowly walked down the steps as he spoke further.

“Firstly,” he said, his voice calm but sharp, “the formations set up by the Big Five Sects are practically never tested. At least not anymore. Nobody dares to intrude into their lands in the first place. Their name alone acts as a shield. And even if someone insane enough tries to attack them, they wouldn’t have the numbers needed to overwhelm those formations.”

Aksai then turned his gaze toward Shuan with renewed interest before speaking further.

“And even if that impossible situation did happen, the Big Five Sects could strengthen their formations further using their elders and grand elders — veterans who have cultivated in the Foundation Establishment realm for decades. They can act as live operators for the formations, pushing their power to another level.”

Aksai’s voice softened but carried a clear trace of frustration. “We… We don’t have that kind of luxury. Even with all my efforts, I only managed to nurture four Foundation Establishment Experts.”

He spread his arms slightly, pointing toward the four of them. “You are the only ones I can rely on. How do you think that compares to the Big Five Sects with their armies of Experts and hidden elders?”

Shuan lowered his head, his expression turning serious. Ruan clenched his fists silently.

“Secondly,” Aksai went on, “unlike those Sects that are protected by their reputation, Emerald Cove is an easy target. Kalingoot, on the other hand, has built a fearsome reputation by conquering island after island — islands that were once members of the Alliance.”

He stopped pacing and looked toward the sea-facing window behind his throne. The light coming through reflected faintly on his face.

“Sometimes,” he said slowly, “reputation alone can change everything — how your enemies see you, and even how your allies treat you. With each conquest, Kalingoot’s reputation grows. And with that, more and more rogue cultivators will choose to side with them, hoping to join in on their victories.”

He turned back toward the four.

“You still don’t know the viciousness and hunger of the rogue cultivators. Plus, they are not a small bunch. With the Devil Lands in complete chaos these days, they will surely step out and try to find opportunities in the seas.

That means we’ll be facing an overwhelming number of intruders — and that’s the real threat. Not a single powerful enemy, but hundreds of them coming together.”

Aksai’s eyes darkened. “Our defensive formation has plenty of First Order puppets. They’re effective against Spirit Refining cultivators, yes. But against Foundation Establishment Experts?” He paused. “Completely useless.”

He gestured with his hand, as if swatting away invisible insects. “Those puppets will just become cannon fodder. Once a few Experts manage to slip past the Second Order puppets, they’ll go straight for our Spirit farms, our vineyards, our herb gardens and greenhouses — all the sources that keep Emerald Cove alive and rich.”

He looked directly at Shuan. “Their goal isn’t to destroy the formation or kill us outright. It’s to cripple us financially — to make Emerald Cove bleed slowly.”

The hall fell silent. The only sound was the faint hum of spiritual energy that flowed through the palace walls.

Finally, Aksai’s expression softened slightly, though his tone stayed serious. “So tell me, little Shuan — how do you plan to deal with such problems… with a mere Second Order formation?”

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AN: Violet was on the cusp of breaking into the 9th stage of the Spirit Refining realm in chapter 243.