In the great capital of the Holy Spirit Empire, the heart of power beat in rhythm with the solemn footsteps echoing throughout the Sacred Palace.
Inside the Throne Hall, the atmosphere felt almost unreal due to the overwhelming density of Qi. Every breath filled both lungs and mind with a vibrant, pure energy, almost liquefied, undeniable proof that this place truly stood at the pinnacle of cultivation within the Holy Spirit Empire.
The magnificent hall was bathed in a heavenly glow filtering through enormous translucent vaults. Divine rays slid across sculpted arches, revealing sacred patterns, golden angel feathers, radiant runes, and ethereal dragons frozen in stone. The pale jade floor reflected every silhouette like an astral mirror, giving the impression that one walked upon the boundary between the mortal world and the higher realms.
Upon the main platform, the Holy Spirit Emperor sat upon his sanctified jade throne. His immaculate robes, surrounded by a faint radiance, embodied purity and divine authority. Yet despite the unquestionable majesty he exuded, a deep exhaustion weighed upon him. His shoulders remained straight, but burdened, as though carrying an invisible weight. His eyes revealed an ancient weariness.
Even his sacred aura, radiating the power of a cultivator who had reached the Eighth Level, Body Destruction, seemed to tremble ever so slightly.
Standing beside him were two guards of the Order of the Shining Heavens, motionless like guardian statues. Their brilliant white armor was adorned with divine golden patterns so exquisitely crafted that they seemed engraved by celestial artisans themselves. Each perfectly fitted plate overlapped elegantly, carved with spiritual symbols and graceful curves that almost appeared alive. Their elongated helmets, decorated with golden arabesques, concealed their faces entirely, revealing only a calm, upright, and unwavering presence.
Before him, advancing with a mixture of respect and solemnity, stood his minister: a man with a carefully trimmed red beard, his sharp eyes filled with concern and duty. The very same man who, a few months earlier, had received Mo Tian's report—the demonic cultivator—and punished him accordingly.
There were no advisors, no scribes, and no audience. Only the Emperor, his guards, and his minister.
Kneeling, the minister raised his head and delivered his report.
"Your Majesty, according to our informants, they managed to escape the Living Tomb. Unfortunately, they are severely wounded and may not survive the journey to Glory City."
The Emperor listened without uttering a single word, immense sorrow visible in his eyes.
"With some luck, they should have reached Hope City by now. If so... perhaps we will finally receive good news," the minister continued.
Rising to his feet, he withdrew a map from his robes and approached the Emperor.
"The war will not be delayed much longer."
Spread before the Emperor was a map of the Empire. Several cities along the borders were marked with crimson crosses.
Stonepass City.
Windscar City.
Coldstep City.
...and Hope City.
...
Located within the territory of the World's First Sect, the Sparking Clouds Sect, perched atop the tallest mountain and far removed from the Three Empires, an unusual silence reigned.
Inside a pavilion hidden high among the peaks, an ancient cultivator remained perfectly still, his eyes fixed upon a curtain of floating light. Countless thin, trembling lines, like strands of an invisible destiny, endlessly intertwined before him.
He watched.
Then suddenly...
One line changed color.
Another grew thicker.
A third vanished completely.
The old man's breathing tightened, as though struck by an impossible truth.
"...Disaster... Fate has changed."
His gaze was lost within the now unstable web, as though the world itself had just strayed toward its end.
...
Meanwhile, in Hope City, Akeno had barely returned to the resting hall when he saw Liu Mei and the others hurriedly preparing to leave as quickly as possible.
"Hurry! We have to leave this city immediately!" Liu Mei barked at those who had only just awakened.
They rearmed themselves and changed into the clothes the branch had provided to replace their bloodied and torn garments before moving toward their unconscious companions to carry them.
After confirming that the manual they had obtained inside the tomb was still among their belongings, Liu Mei let out a sigh of relief.
"Please forgive me, Miss Liu."
Pausing briefly, Liu Mei turned around and saw a young man, far younger than herself, calling out to her.
"Yes?"
Seeing that she had no intention of stopping, Akeno followed beside her as he continued speaking.
"I am the Vice Branch Master of the Thousand Lotus Branch here. I can see that you're in a hurry, and I assure you that we'll do everything we can to provide you with horses so you can leave the city as quickly as possible."
Liu Mei was delighted to hear those words, feeling an enormous weight lifted from her shoulders.
Although she had declared they would leave on foot if necessary, she had never truly meant it.
They were all still injured. Some were unconscious. Glory City was over a month's journey away even for a healthy cultivator. In their current condition, reaching it within two months would already be a miracle.
Akeno paid no attention to her visible relief and continued in a more serious tone.
"However, we still need you to answer a few questions.
We know that you were pursued by a squad of Beastmen from the Chaos Empire, all at the Muscle Purification stage. We don't need to know what you found or what happened over there.
But we do need to know exactly what we may have to face because of you."
Liu Mei fell silent. Her gaze drifted away, lost somewhere between the floor and the memory of the beastmen's smiles as they hunted her down.
Akeno stared at her without blinking, his arms crossed. His tone was not impatient, but there was nothing gentle about it.
Then Liu Mei looked at Akeno, slowly sizing him up from head to toe.
How old is this kid? she wondered.
She couldn't help but think of her younger brother.
If she refused to answer, what could a child like him possibly do?
She was a member of the great Liu Clan of Glory City. To some boy from a forgotten town at the edge of the Empire, her name alone should have inspired fear.
"I don't think I need to—"
Akeno calmly raised a hand, interrupting her.
"I see. In that case, I'll simply contact the Thousand Lotus Sect in Glory City and inform them of my concerns. I'm sure they'll be delighted to learn that the Liu Clan secretly sent a squad outside the Empire on a mission no one was informed about."
Liu Mei froze.
Her heart tightened, and a cold sweat ran down her back.
Akeno continued mercilessly.
"Glory City is one of the greatest cities of our glorious Empire. But it's also a dangerous place. The Sect Elders are particularly sensitive to this sort of... clandestine activity. Some of them even have bloodlines tied to the great clans of Glory City. If word were to reach those clans... can you imagine the consequences?"
Liu Mei imagined them all too well.
The hypocritical smiles of the other clans.
Their so-called allies eagerly taking advantage of the slightest weakness.
If the wrong Sect Elder learned about the mission before the Liu Clan did—that survivors were returning from a dangerous expedition—their enemies would immediately assume they had obtained something valuable.
They would gain the advantage of time.
Enough time to send their own people to intercept the survivors before the Liu Clan could.
Her stomach tightened.
The way she looked at the young man changed completely.
No...
He wasn't just some kid.
He was the Vice Branch Master here.
She drew a difficult breath.
"...Very well. I'll tell you."
"When we entered the Beastmen's territory, we only encountered a single patrol. Just one. But they spotted us... and from that moment on, they launched a hunt."
"We spent days running, fighting... hiding."
Her voice grew quieter the longer she spoke.
"We lived like that for months. We never provoked any major Beastmen clan. We simply... survived."
"The last Beastmen squad chasing us was probably nothing more than a hunting party assigned to track us down."
Akeno let out a relieved sigh.
Standing at the entrance of the room, Branch Master Fang Qin had listened to the entire conversation while carefully observing Liu Mei's expressions and sensing any trace of deception.
"Then everything should be fine," Akeno said.
"As long as you didn't offend one of the great Beastmen clans, there shouldn't be any further attacks. They rarely pursue enemies very far beyond their own territory."
Liu Mei nodded gently, although the weight on her heart had not lessened.
"I'll have some men prepare horses for you. They'll be ready in fifteen minutes. Until then, try not to jostle your unconscious companions too much."
Liu Mei nodded again, silently staring at the floor.
But once Akeno had left the room...
A thought suddenly struck her.
The exhaustion vanished from her face, replaced by pure shock.
"The Beastmen squad that had been chasing us should have been completely wiped out by that demonic cultivator...
Then... how could he possibly have known they even existed?"
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Hey everyone, I want to keep writing but I don't have the time or inspiration... I'm getting back into it a bit, but I have a lot of other projects, so don't expect too much. Thanks to those who are still reading.
I'm posting this because I still like the story I'm writing and because I think I received a power stone.