Chapter 944: Preparing to Leave P4

Aksai slowly walked beneath a canopy of vines and reached out to touch one of the ancient pillars.

He was already more than 120 years old at this point. He had been the island owner of the Emerald Cove Island for almost half of his age. Time had flown by while he took his own possessions for granted.

He had lived here for so long by mortal standards, yet somehow, he had never truly looked at it. Or rather, it’s been so long since the last time he explored his own palace dwelling carefully that it almost felt like he was seeing things for the first time.

He had always thought of the Shamrock Sanctuary Palace as simply another place that belonged to him—a residence, a place to cultivate, receive guests, and rest after dealing with the endless affairs of Emerald Cove Island.

He had never consciously thought of it as a home.

But now that he was preparing to leave, he found himself noticing all the little things he had previously taken for granted: the faint fragrance of Spirit flowers drifting through the corridors, the sound of water flowing through the garden channels, the vines that had slowly grown around certain pillars, and the Spirit trees that had stood quietly outside his windows while he cultivated.

Aksai’s life had always been occupied by something else. Cultivation, island affairs, trade, resources, planning—there was always another problem waiting for him.

Even when he wasn’t cultivating or dealing with the island’s affairs, his leisure time had usually been spent enjoying good food and the company of his palace maids.

Those had been pleasant moments. He remembered the laughter, the food, and the occasional conversations that had nothing to do with cultivation or survival.

At the time, he had simply considered them small moments of relaxation between more important matters.

However, he felt like he never really appreciated the beauty of his own dwelling until this point. It was something like someone only appreciating their old home when they were about to leave town for better opportunities the next day.

Aksai stopped beside a Spirit tree and looked up at its branches.

He suddenly wondered how many times he had walked beneath that same tree without ever bothering to look at it.

How many mornings had passed? How many evenings? How many years had quietly slipped away while he was busy chasing the next breakthrough, the next resource, or the next opportunity?

He had always believed that he was building a foundation for his future.

And perhaps he had.

But somewhere along the way, he had also built a life around his island. This island was a part of that foundation on which he grew as a mid-stage Lord. How could his foundation remain intact if the island was to be taken away from him?

Aksai remained silent for a long time.

He had never been particularly sentimental. As a cultivator, he understood better than most that everything was temporary. People died, territories changed hands, organizations rose and fell, and even cultivators who reached realms far beyond ordinary mortals eventually disappeared into the river of time.

He had always accepted that reality.

Yet acceptance didn’t make parting painless. Even though he acted tough in certain situations, he wasn’t a heartless person. He only killed when necessary and only unleashed violence when it was his safety and well-being on the line.

Aksai had only acted in self defence when the imperial cultivators attacked his island for their own selfish reasons. He had only let the Sun Ocean Lord get killed by the imperial cultivators because he had implicated him in a conflict he didn’t want. And he had only faced and killed Kalina because she was trying to ambush the Purple River Lord who was in alliance with Aksai.

In all these situations, Aksai had never been the aggressor. And yet, his act of self defense was going to attract more trouble for him. Who could provide him justice in this case?

Aksai knew. Nobody.

Wasn’t this his own fault that he was so weak?

Now, knowing that he would soon have to leave Emerald Cove Island behind, every familiar sight seemed to carry a different weight.

The gardens he had walked through countless times appeared more vibrant. The Spirit trees seemed taller, the flowing streams sounded clearer, and even the sunlight falling through the vines felt unusually warm.

Aksai’s gaze lingered on everything.

He wasn’t sure whether he was memorizing the palace or saying goodbye to it.

Perhaps both.

"Funny..."

He smiled faintly.

"I spent so much time building this place, yet I never really stopped to enjoy it."

His gaze drifted toward the distant halls.

For years, he had walked through those halls believing he would still be here tomorrow.

Now, tomorrow itself felt uncertain.

Perhaps that was what made everything appear so precious.

Aksai chuckled softly.

"Maybe it’s human nature to appreciate things only when they’re about to be taken away from us..."

His smile faded.

"...if they haven’t already been taken away."

He didn’t know how long he stood there.

Eventually, Aksai continued walking.

He passed through every familiar section of the Shamrock Sanctuary Palace one final time, committing its appearance to memory.

He didn’t know whether he would ever return.

Perhaps one day, he would come back and find the palace exactly as he had left it. Perhaps someone else would be living here. Perhaps the entire Emerald Cove Island would look completely different.

Or perhaps there would be nothing left to return to.

Aksai didn’t let himself dwell on that thought.

He simply kept walking.

When he finally reached the end of his exploration, he stopped and took one last look at the magnificent palace.

For a brief moment, he felt a strange reluctance to take another step.

This place had witnessed his growth. It had sheltered him through countless nights of cultivation, given him somewhere to rest after dangerous expeditions, and served as the place where he planned his next move.

But now he had powerful enemies coming, and no matter how reluctant he was to leave, Emerald Cove Island could no longer provide the safety it once had.

Staying here, on the other hand, not only put himself and others in danger but also meant the island’s foundation would get damaged as a collateral.

He could only protect this little sanctuary of his by leaving before the storms arrived.

Aksai also remembered his own rental farmhouse in Wuyum County at this point. The circumstances and stakes were different in both cases, but one could say that the result was somewhat the same– Aksai having to leave his dwelling.

"I at least hope I don’t have to set this home on fire too before leaving. I... I don’t think I have it in me to destroy this dwelling too with my own hands. Not this time."

Aksai quietly exhaled and shook his head.

"Take care."

Strangely, there was no regret in his voice. Not really.

The choice had already been made.

He just voiced it out loud to cement it further.