Vaelira imdiately shook her head after hearing her father’s words.
"No. You obviously cannot go."
Vanar frowned.
Vaelira continued calmly.
"The Overlord Alliance is already preparing for the upcoming territory expansion war."
"You only managed to avoid getting drafted because your close-door cultivation status was confird long ago before the announcent."
Her golden eyes beca sharper.
"The mont the Alliance discovers that you have ended your seclusion, your isolation permit will imdiately expire."
Vanar’s expression darkened. He naturally understood what that ant.
The Eternal Sea was peaceful only on the surface. Behind that peace was endless competition between the city-states. Wars over territory, resources, sea routes, ancient ruins, and Spirit veins happened constantly.
The Overlord Alliance maintained order. But at the sa ti, it also forced powerful city-states to contribute manpower and military strength during large-scale expansion wars.
And as a Deity Transformation God, Vanar was one of the strongest war assets Ignis City-State possessed. The Alliance would never allow him to remain idle if they discovered he had already ended his cultivation retreat.
Plus, this territory expansion war was extrely dangerous. Every Overlord was very fond of their lives. Although they liked to enjoy the benefits that ca from their positions in the Alliance, they did not want to risk their lives doing Alliance’s tasks.
Vanar wasn’t any different either. He wanted to enjoy the benefits his city-state enjoyed while ensuring his security. Joining the upcoming war no different from suicide.
As such, it wasn’t wise to not make use of the isolation permit to avoid forced conscription.
Vanar narrowed his eyes.
"You an... you want to go there alone?"
Vaelira nodded calmly.
"Yes."
Vanar rejected the idea instantly.
"Absolutely not."
The flas around the pool surged violently again.
"The Alliance’s laws only apply within the Eternal Sea. As soon as you cross the Shinayin Boundary, our enemies will target you imdiately."
His voice beca colder.
"Do you think those vultures would miss the chance to pressure Ignis City-State by targeting my daughter?"
Vaelira did not get angry after hearing his refusal. Nor did she behave like a spoiled genius who thought the world revolved around her.
Instead, she slowly closed her eyes once again. A faint golden glow appeared around her pupils. The surrounding fire essence beca strangely calm.
Vanar stayed silent. He knew she was using her divination technique again.
Several monts passed.
Then Vaelira slowly opened her eyes. This ti, her gaze looked much more stable.
"I have a solution. Give three Nascent Soul cultivators as guards. That will be enough."
Vanar frowned deeply.
"Three Nascent Soul Kings?"
Vaelira nodded.
"Don’t worry. We will not leave imdiately. We will secretly cross the Shinayin Boundary only when the timing becos safe."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"That could take several months. Perhaps even a few years."
Vanar’s eyes narrowed.
"And until then?"
"Ask the guards to remain on standby," Vaelira answered calmly.
Her tone sounded extrely confident. Almost as if she had already calculated every possible danger beforehand.
Vanar quietly stared at his daughter for a long ti. The more he looked at her, the more complicated his emotions beca.
Vaelira truly resembled him. Yet at the sa ti, she far surpassed him in certain aspects.
Especially in matters involving fate, calculation, and long-term planning.
Eventually, Vanar sighed heavily once again.
"You already made up your mind, didn’t you?"
Vaelira smiled faintly.
"Yes."
Vanar rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"Haah... sotis I wonder whether I’m the father or you are."
Vaelira’s lips curled upward slightly.
"You are still the father."
Vanar snorted.
"Doesn’t feel like it."
Despite his complaints, the anger on his face had already disappeared completely.
Instead, his expression slowly turned serious.
"My dear, you know that you are not as complicated to read as you make yourself out to be, right? I know that you want to use this opportunity to travel beyond my influence and experience so form of freedom.
"But... I don’t mind. I was once a young and hot-blooded cultivator too. So I understand how you feel.
"That being said, don’t forget the main reason why I have allowed you to go there. If you truly want to investigate this matter as a way to get rid of the boredom of staying here, then I’ll prepare everything personally."
Vaelira nodded calmly. She didn’t mind that her inner desires had been seen through by her father. She simply replied,
"Thank you, Father."
Vaelira then took her leave. It seed that she had finally decided to break through her bottleneck and beco a Nascent Soul King.
She had already made preparations beforehand. It was only a matter of ti before she beca a 4th Spirit Realm cultivator. The advancent was an effective way to ensure her safety. It would also help her unearth more details about who stole the Void Water Pond.
Vanar stared at the bubbling elental pool silently for a while, thinking about his daughter before his thoughts drifted toward many other matters.
Then he muttered under his breath.
"A Fate Anomaly..."
The flas around him flickered strangely.
***
Back at Dadangar Subcontinent.
The salty breeze of the Erald Cove Island drifted calmly through the open palace windows.
The sound of waves crashing against the distant cliffs mixed together with soft music coming from the spirit instrunts placed around the hall. Warm golden lights illuminated the spacious dining chamber, giving the entire place a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.
Aksai leaned lazily against his chair while holding a crystal wine cup in one hand.
The dark red liquid inside the cup swayed gently.
Bacchus’ Blessing #43. One of the finest spirit wines currently available on Erald Cove Island. Its rich aroma alone could calm the nerves and slowly nourish the body.
A faint smile rested on Aksai’s face as he took another sip. After doing the exploration of the Heavenly Poison Sect for more than 10 years and infiltrating the royal faction, he was finally relaxing properly.
Aksai’s head maids were busy doing their own thing. They had more or less graduated from their status as maids and beca a part of the island’s administration, which kept them busy.
Between the island’s tasks and their own cultivation, the head maids hardly had ti to entertain Aksai whenever he was free. That task was relegated to newly hired young blood maids.
Several beautiful maids surrounded the table while serving him food and wine carefully. So of them stood quietly nearby while others chatted with him casually.
One of the maids with long silver-blue hair softly placed a plate in front of him.
"My lord, this is the Spirit Crab at prepared using the Frostleaf herbs you brought back last month."
Aksai glanced at the dish and felt curious. The fragrant steam rising from the plate slled excellent.
"Looks good," he said before taking a bite.
The rich taste imdiately spread inside his mouth.
Aksai nodded with satisfaction.
"Hmm. Not bad at all."
The maids nearby giggled happily after hearing the praise. Another maid with soft brown hair poured more wine into his cup before speaking shyly.
"My lord, the chefs were nervous all day because they heard you were returning today."
Aksai chuckled lightly.
"Why? Am I so terrifying monster?"
The maids exchanged glances before one of them answered honestly.
"When my lord disappears for years and suddenly returns covered in the aura of poison and death... it’s difficult not to worry."
Aksai paused briefly before laughing softly.
"That’s fair."
The atmosphere inside the hall beca even lighter afterward. So maids spoke about small matters happening around Erald Cove Island. Others reported various improvents made across the guild territory while he was gone.
Aksai listened quietly while eating and drinking leisurely.
However—
Despite the peaceful atmosphere outside, his mind was not truly relaxed. Deep inside his Mind Palace, various thoughts were moving constantly.
The events in the Kaan Kingdom had already ended.
Arkaal’s apothecary was destroyed completely.
The hidden underground gu insect farm had vanished without leaving aningful traces behind. Even Gu Poison King Qishan’s cave abode had been destroyed using the 4th Order formation itself.
Aksai had carefully altered the entire scene beforehand. The clues left behind painted only one picture.
A failed poison experint. An accident caused by the Gu Poison King himself.
Even Prince Arven and the newly recruited royal faction mbers stationed nearby had died in the destruction.
No loose ends remained.
At least, that was what Aksai originally believed.
He slowly swirled the wine inside his cup while his eyes narrowed slightly.
His Aether Clone had already contacted him several tis after returning to Erald Cove Island.
The clone who specialized in Fortune Telling Arts had sensed sothing unusual.
Soone had attempted to peek into Aksai’s fate shortly after the Void Water Pond had been stored inside the Enchanted Everwood Farm. That alone was enough to unsettle him slightly.
Aksai had taken many precautions. He had used spatial distortions. Destroyed clues. Planted fake yet seemingly legitimate evidence.
Even the Enchanted Everwood Farm’s fortune-based formations naturally interfered with most divination techniques.
Yet despite all that—
Soone still noticed sothing.
That ant the other side was not simple.
’Trying to divine my actions? My clone is special because of the Aether cultivation path. So it’s not sothing an ordinary Lord can do.
’Is it another Nascent Soul King from the royal faction?’
Aksai thought about various possibilities and discarded them one by one before finally arriving at an unsettling thought.
’Soone from the Shinayin Empire? Or even beyond it?’
’If... IF it’s soone from there, the one who noticed my actions might not be a simple King. Is it... a Deity Transformation God?’
The Spirit Farr’s paranoia and overcautious nature once again led him to a valid conclusion.
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