Chapter 958: Choices P8: Premature Harvesting

Jeena looked at the three Experts again.

"From today onward, you three will be my disciples."

The three women couldn’t help but smile and be excited even under the duress of incoming troubles.

Having a genuine Core Formation Lord as their mentor was an opportunity that most Foundation Establishment cultivators could only dream of.

Violet and Zara had already received considerable guidance from Aksai over the years, but neither of them had ever formally belonged to a Lord’s lineage.

Ivy, meanwhile, was especially relieved.

Her master was leaving but he had arranged for another Lord to guide her in his absence.

She bowed toward Jina.

"I, Ivy Elbak, greet Master Jina. It’s my good fate to have you as my master."

Jina smiled and nodded.

"Hehe. You are quite polite. I can see why Lord Aksai took you in as his apprentice. Good. I accept your bow as your master."

Aksai then turned toward Naisha.

"Naisha, I want you to accept Goren and Vienna as your disciples as well."

Naisha could also sense it coming. As such, she nodded without hesitation.

"Of course."

She looked toward the two.

"You two will be my disciples from now on."

Goren and Vienna immediately stepped forward and bowed.

"Disciple greets Master. It’s our good fate to have you as our master."

Naisha’s lips curved into a gentle smile.

"Good. I hope you won’t tarnish your association with the Emerald Cove Island and especially with Lord Aksai in the future."

The two men smiled before nodding.

Aksai watched the scene with satisfaction.

Under normal circumstances, accepting a disciple was a serious matter. There would be a proper ceremony, the presentation of disciple gifts, and perhaps even a banquet to formally announce the new master-disciple relationships.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have that luxury anymore.

"Since we’re short on time, we’ll skip the formal ceremonies for now," Aksai said. "You can complete them later when things have settled down."

Jina and Naisha nodded.

Aksai then raised his hand.

Several storage pouches appeared in the air.

He had prepared them beforehand.

With a casual wave, the pouches flew toward their respective recipients.

One went to Jina.

Another went to Naisha.

The remaining ones went to Ivy, Violet, Zara, Goren, and Vienna.

The five Experts caught their respective pouches and immediately sensed the rich resources contained within.

Aksai hadn’t been stingy.

Especially with his Lord-level subordinates. Their pouches contained precious 3rd Order resources, cultivation materials, talismans, and various life-saving trump cards.

He had prepared the pouches with each person’s circumstances in mind.

Apart from their own cultivation resources, Aksai had included enough resources for Jina and Naisha to properly guide their new disciples.

In fact, he had even prepared the disciple gifts that Jina and Naisha were supposed to give their disciples. As such, there was no reason to waste time searching for suitable treasures after leaving the island.

Aksai had simply taken care of everything beforehand.

As for the five Experts, they had also been handsomely rewarded.

Unless something unexpected occurred, the resources inside their pouches were more than enough to help them survive the coming turmoil and continue their cultivation.

Aksai looked at the group before him.

These were the people who had stood beside him for years.

He couldn’t guarantee what the future held for them but at least, he could give them enough to face it.

"Use these resources wisely."

His voice was calm.

"And don’t throw your lives away unnecessarily."

The seven Stars and two Kalingoot Supremes nodded solemnly.

"Yes, Lord Turtle."

Aksai’s gaze settled on Jina and Naisha once again.

"Jina. Naisha."

The two lady Lords immediately looked toward him.

"Coordinate with your new disciples and head to Kalingoot’s headquarters."

Jina nodded as she already guessed what he was going to ask them to do. Naisha waited for the rest of his instructions.

"Take the remaining core members of Emerald Cove Island’s administration with you as well. Once you reach Kalingoot, empty its current treasury."

Aksai’s voice remained calm, but there was no room for misunderstanding in his words.

"After that, select the most trustworthy members of Kalingoot and take them with you. Get rid of all your communication means with the remainder of the Kalingoot and retreat into the deepest parts of the Dadangar Seas."

"I don’t want Kalingoot’s people gathering together in some obvious location. Spread them out if necessary. Find somewhere sufficiently remote and stay there until the situation becomes clearer."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"If the imperial cultivators eventually learn about Kalingoot and set their sights on the organization, there should be as little left for them to find as possible."

Aksai gave a faint smile.

"At worst, they’ll only get the leftovers."

Jina and Naisha exchanged a glance before nodding.

"Understood, My Lord."

They didn’t question his decision.

Kalingoot was valuable, but it was no longer worth risking everything to preserve its current territory. Plus, the trade with the mainland was practically halted not just for the Emerald Cove Island but for all the islands capable of doing trade. It meant that Kalingoot itself did not have many sources of income left.

If the imperial factions eventually discovered that Aksai had been controlling the organization from the shadows, Kalingoot would inevitably become another thread leading back to him.

It was better to abandon everything that could be abandoned before that happened.

The grand hall gradually became quieter.

Several groups of people began leaving after receiving their respective assignments.

Some went to prepare their families.

Others went to gather resources or organize evacuation routes.

The newly appointed disciples followed Jina and Naisha, while several members of the island administration accompanied them to prepare Kalingoot for its retreat.

Aksai watched them leave one group at a time.

There was no point in delaying.

He had already ordered the island’s Spirit resources to be harvested as well.

Everything currently being cultivated on Emerald Cove Island was to be gathered, regardless of whether it had fully matured.

Normally, such an order would have been considered wasteful.

Many of the Spirit plants had yet to reach their optimal harvest period. Harvesting them early meant losing part of their value, while some might even be damaged during the rushed collection process.

But Aksai didn’t care.

A slightly smaller profit was still a profit.

Waiting for everything to mature only to have the island occupied or destroyed before the resources could be harvested would leave them with nothing.

In the current situation, certainty was more valuable than perfection.

Aksai had already spent enough time thinking about the island’s future.

Now, he only wanted to make sure that whatever could be taken away was taken away.

The arrangements had only just begun.

But Emerald Cove Island had already started preparing for its final days under his rule.