Chapter 965: Treatment P5: Mroot Yaksha Transformation

Selene leaned back slightly in her chair as she continued.

"The territory controlled by the Shinayin Empire is almost ten times larger than Orveth. After all, Orveth is only a separated portion of the greater Shinayin Continent.

"The Duya Forest, the Eternal Beast Dynasty, and the Shiju Mountain Ranges have kept the two regions apart for countless years."

She tapped the crystal lightly against her palm.

"Orveth may look large to us, but compared to the main territory of the Shinayin Empire, it is only a relatively small corner of the continent."

Aksai listened quietly.

Selene continued.

"Then there is the difference in the number of powerful cultivators."

She smiled faintly.

"Here in Orveth, having a few Lords scattered across the various regions is already enough to make them major figures. In the Shinayin Empire, Lord-level cultivators are far more common."

"Not necessarily everywhere," she added. "But common enough that a newly arrived Lord wouldn’t attract nearly as much attention simply by existing."

Aksai nodded slightly.

"That is one of the reasons."

"There is more."

Selene’s expression became thoughtful.

"The eight imperial factions don’t control every inch of the Empire either. There are distant regions, independent territories, secluded sects, smaller kingdoms, and places where the influence of the major factions is considerably weaker."

She spread her hands.

"For someone trying to disappear, that is practically heaven."

Aksai smiled faintly.

"Assuming they can get there."

"Of course."

Selene’s smile widened.

"And assuming they don’t make a fool of themselves after arriving."

She placed the crystal back into her storage ring.

"Still, if someone from Orveth enters the main territory of the Shinayin Empire and adopts a different identity, the imperial cultivators should have little reason to continue pursuing them."

She glanced at Aksai.

"They might have records of us. They might even know some of our faces and even Spirit Signatures. But once we cross into that enormous territory, finding one particular Lord among all those cultivators becomes an entirely different problem."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"It would be like a school of fish escaping from a small pond and entering a wide-open lake."

Humeyin listened quietly from the side.

Selene continued.

"The imperial cultivators can afford to sweep through Orveth because there are only so many places to search. Their targets are limited, and the regional powers are easy to identify."

"But the moment those same people enter the main Shinayin Empire..."

She shrugged.

"They become one among countless others."

Aksai finally nodded.

"Well... you are not wrong. I’m indeed planning to go to the empire. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it for some time now but never really bothered to act on it until recently when the imperial invaders gave me a reason to."

Aksai picked up the empty teacup and turned it between his fingers.

"The longer I stay in Orveth, the more dangerous it becomes. There is no benefit in remaining here simply because this place is familiar."

"I don’t need authority. I don’t need followers. I don’t need a reputation."

He leaned back.

"I only need a place where nobody cares who I am."

Then Aksai looked toward Humeyin before speaking further.

"I think all the native Lords of Orveth should enter the empire’s territory if they cherish their lives."

Selene’s expression became solemn.

Aksai continued.

"Our status wouldn’t be anything special there."

He paused before adding,

"But at least we’d be safe from prosecution as long as we’re prudent enough."

Humeyin immediately understood what he meant.

Her circumstances were somewhat different from those of the other native Orveth Lords.

She wasn’t merely an ordinary native cultivator fleeing the imperial invasion.

She was a member of the Blackblood Sect.

And through her bloodline, she possessed an even deeper connection to the wider world beyond Orveth.

Selene followed Aksai’s gaze toward Humeyin.

For a moment, the intelligence operator’s expression became complicated.

Then she slowly nodded.

"The Blackblood clan indeed had plans to return to the Eternal Sea through the Shinayin Empire but this was not how we imagined we’d have to leave. Then again... this might indeed be the safest option for all of us."

Humeyin lowered her eyes toward the empty teacup in her hands.

She didn’t say anything but there was a faint understanding in her eyes.

Selene then glanced at Aksai before speaking further.

"The reason I asked about your destination is because of the latest report regarding the Wild Devil Lands."

Her expression became slightly more serious.

"It is a region you will have to pass through no matter which route you take toward the mainland. As an ally of our sect, I should give you a heads-up."

She then turned toward Humeyin.

The moment their eyes met, Selene gave her a grim nod.

That single gesture was enough to confirm what Humeyin had already begun to suspect.

"The Mroot Yaksha Sect has finally decided to show open hostility and break the peace treaty it had with the remaining two demonic sects (Chapter 457).

"It has joined hands with the Ouz Kingdom’s royal faction and attacked the territories of both the Blackblood Sect and the Frostbound Sect."

Humeyin’s fingers tightened around her teacup.

Selene continued.

"The Wild Devil Lands were already chaotic by nature. But the chaos unfolding there right now is on an entirely different scale."

She paused.

"And that isn’t even the most shocking part."

Selene’s gaze shifted toward Aksai.

"The previously presumed dead Yaksha Lord, Yasen Yaksha, has emerged again."

Aksai’s expression changed.

"He has also reached the False Nascent Soul Realm."

The words landed heavily inside the reception hall.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Humeyin’s eyes widened.

Shock appeared on her face first.

Then came anger.

And beneath that anger was something much colder.

Silent killing intent.

The killing intent wasn’t directed at Selene.

It was directed toward a name that had just resurfaced from what everyone had believed to be the grave.

Yasen Yaksha.

Aksai, meanwhile, felt a familiar headache begin to form behind his temples.

He slowly raised a hand and massaged them.

"Of course..."

His voice carried a hint of exhaustion.

"Of course something like this had to happen."

He closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Selene.

"But... how the fu*ck did the Mroot Yaksha Sect pull this off?"

"The royal faction as a whole should be opposed to the sects. That’s practically the foundation of this entire war."