Chapter 980: Eventuality P4: Rumaal, Anaah, and Mirelle

Aksai’s name had appeared at the end of the trio’s resource-intensive investigation.

A cultivator from the Orveth Subcontinent.

A mid-stage Lord and, according to their intelligence, the man responsible for Kalina’s death.

The moment they learned Aksai’s identity and his background, the three Lords had immediately begun traveling toward Emerald Cove Island.

They had barely stopped since.

At least, that had been the plan.

"Of course," Anaah muttered bitterly, "we had to be delayed again."

Rumaal’s expression became awkward.

"That was an accident."

Anaah slowly turned toward him.

"Your old injury suddenly awakening in the middle of our journey was an accident?"

"Yes."

"Right when we were getting close to Orveth? Right when we were in the middle of the dangerous Duya Forest close to the Eternal Beast Dynasty?"

"I couldn’t control it."

"You could control your "thirst" when you were courting Kalina."

Rumaal’s face darkened.

"Anaah..."

"And now you’ve delayed us once again for several more days because you needed to stop at some random inhabited island and treat that injury. Tell me, do you want that thief to get away from us? Do you want us to die by King Runiye’s hands?"

"Haah! Can you not stop complaining now? It was a serious injury."

"I know."

Anaah gritted her teeth.

"That’s why I didn’t kill you."

Mirelle covered her mouth, hiding a faint smile.

Rumaal pretended not to notice. He had a genuine reason to take a few stops before their destination. Unfortunately, every passing day increased the possibility that their target would disappear.

Anaah looked toward the distant horizon.

Emerald Cove Island was somewhere ahead.

She clenched her fists.

Please still be there, you bastard. I will thank you for killing Kalina by giving you an easy death. Also, don’t you dare to give those jade slips to someone else.

That was her greatest concern. The jade slips had to be recovered.

Whether Aksai Everwood was alive or dead was secondary. Whether Kalina had died for a reason or because she had simply been unlucky was also secondary.

The only thing that mattered was recovering what Kalina had "borrowed" from her husband. If Aksai had already fled Emerald Cove Island, then their investigation would have to begin all over again.

Anaah’s expression became increasingly grim.

What face are we supposed to show King Runiye if those jade slips are gone?

Rumaal seemed to have the same thought.

He looked toward the horizon and sighed.

"I still don’t understand how she managed to fool me so thoroughly."

Anaah gave him a cold look.

"That’s because you were too busy imagining her becoming your third wife."

Rumaal opened his mouth, halting mid-flight, and then closed it a moment later before resuming his pace. There was no defense against that. But that didn’t stop him from wearing a bitter expression as he muttered a few cuss words under his breath.

Anaah glared angrily at her husband the moment Rumaal opened his mouth. But since she couldn’t prove that those cuss words were directed at her, she could only bite her lips in frustration before looking ahead and increasing her flying speed.

A few hours passed in silence as the trio flew over the boundless sea with no change in scenery.

For the first time in a while, Rumaal’s ears were finally free from his wife’s scolding.

Unfortunately, that peace didn’t last long.

Mirelle, who had been quietly observing the horizon, suddenly narrowed her eyes.

"Wait."

Rumaal and Anaah immediately became alert.

"What is it?" Rumaal asked.

Mirelle simply pointed toward the distant horizon.

A few miles ahead, a massive group of cultivators was flying across the sky.

There were dozens of them.

No—

Hundreds.

They moved in an organized battle sword formation, their robes fluttering in the sea wind. Most of them carried swords, either at their waists or strapped across their backs. Their Spirit Essence was restrained, but the sheer number of cultivators made their presence impossible to ignore.

More importantly, they weren’t flying toward Emerald Cove Island.

They were moving in a completely different direction. It seemed they were tracking something or someone.

Rumaal’s eyes narrowed.

"That’s a lot of people."

Anaah’s expression became cautious.

"Are they from the Empire as well?"

"Most likely. I haven’t seen natives of this subcontinent with such auras surrounding them."

Rumaal slowed down as his expression suddenly changed. His eyes locked onto the figure leading the enormous group.

The man was flying several dozen meters ahead of the others. He looked relatively young, perhaps in his thirties by mortal standards.

He wore a simple dark-blue robe, his long black hair tied behind his head with a white jade clasp. His features were sharp and handsome, but there was nothing particularly intimidating about his appearance.

It was his aura that was frightening.

Even from several miles away, the trio could sense it.

Sharp.

Cold.

Restrained.

It was as though a heavenly sword had been placed in front of them and then deliberately sheathed. Yet even while sheathed, its presence was impossible to ignore.

Anaah’s expression immediately became solemn.

"A true sword cultivator."

Rumaal didn’t respond.

He didn’t need to.

He had already recognized it.

The man leading the group was a genuine true sword cultivator. And judging from the quality of his Sword Intent, he was no ordinary one.

But that wasn’t what truly shocked them.

Rumaal’s pupils contracted.

"Half-step Nascent Soul..."

The words escaped his mouth in a low voice.

Anaah’s expression became even uglier. The man had already taken his first firm step toward the next Spirit realm.

He was a Half-step Nascent Soul cultivator.

A Half-step Nascent Soul cultivator was fundamentally different from someone who had become a False Nascent Soul cultivator.

A False Nascent Soul cultivator had already walked down a dead-end path.

Their transformation might grant them power comparable to the next realm, but they had sacrificed their future potential in exchange.

Unless something extraordinary happens, a False Nascent Soul couldn’t become a true Nascent Soul cultivator in their lifetime.