Adrian watched the distant parade unfold across the spatial lanes.
For a brief moment, it reminded him of the time he paraded the entire Milky Way Galaxy, dragging the Aethelian Emperor through the void. The scale and context were different, yet at their core, they were not entirely dissimilar. Power demonstrated publicly. Reputation solidified through spectacle.
At the end of it all, every sect, every empire, every cultivator fought for survival and position within an unforgiving universe.
Thirty minutes passed quickly.
A new notification appeared before them.
› Lane Clearance Granted. Resume Standard Navigation.
The ship's engines engaged once more. The dense congregation of vessels ahead began to disperse in an orderly manner, each vessel reintegrating into the flowing spatial currents. Within minutes, the lane resumed its previous rhythm, streams of traffic accelerating smoothly.
Adrian turned away from the viewport.
"Get some rest." He did not direct the statement toward anyone in particular. "We reach the destination tomorrow."
Marivelle inclined her head slightly and withdrew without comment. Hestia lingered a few seconds longer, her gaze resting briefly on the fading war procession before she too exited in silence.
Adrian eventually returned to his chamber as well.
The remainder of the journey passed without incident.
...
Nearly a full day later, the vibration beneath the deck shifted again. This time it was not congestion but a controlled recalibration of trajectory.
Adrian opened his eyes immediately and rose. He made his way back to the command deck.
Hestia was already present, standing before the viewport. Marivelle stood a short distance behind her, hands clasped behind her back.
Beyond the viewport, the spatial lane had widened significantly, and traffic density had increased to a level Adrian had only previously witnessed near the UNI-Hub. Massive trade convoys, escort fleets, independent merchant vessels, and sect warships intersected across regulated streams without collision. Between the lanes, large-scale spatial traffic control formations shimmered faintly, stabilising distortions caused by the immense volume of movement.
"We are close," Hestia said.
The ship advanced further, and soon an entire star system came into view.
At first glance, it resembled any other system. However, at its centre floated a colossal artificial structure that dominated the entire region, dwarfing nearby celestial bodies.
Its surface expanded outward in layered tiers, vast enough to rival many planetary diameters. Towering spires rose from its upper strata, each emitting faint veiled distortions that rippled across space. Defensive formations were etched across multiple altitudes of the structure, separated by precise intervals. Between those bands drifted patrol fleets in disciplined rotation.
Adrian's gaze sharpened slightly. "This is their headquarters?"
"Yes." Marivelle stepped forward, "The Thousand Veils Sect does not anchor itself to a natural world. That entire structure is their headquarters. It was constructed over millions of years. The outer tiers function as trade and residential districts, primarily for visitors. The inner layers house disciples and elders."
Adrian studied the immense structure carefully. In the Milky Way Galaxy, he had seen the Nexus Hub, which in some ways resembled this concept. However, the scale here was significantly greater. The crimson vital sect's headquarters he had visited had only been built upon a planet. Even the Origin Construct back home was built upon a celestial body. This was something else entirely.
"Planets provide natural gravity, atmosphere, and resource ecosystems," Marivelle continued. "However, they are inherently limited. Their structural integrity is bound to natural formation. Even reinforced with formations, the base material remains planetary matter."
"To overcome that limitation, they constructed this. Every layer is forged from high-density void alloys. Its defensive framework was integrated during construction rather than added afterward. It can withstand sustained divine-level bombardment far beyond what most planetary headquarters could endure."
"But the maintenance cost is astronomical," she added. "The energy required simply to sustain its spatial stabilisation could support dozens of lesser minor sects for millennia. Only the four strongest upper minor sects within Andromeda operate headquarters of this scale. Even the Everlasting Pill Sect remains anchored to planets."
Hestia listened to Marivelle's explanation. She knew from prior reports that Adrian was new to the Andromeda Galaxy and unfamiliar with many of its structural hierarchies. So, she too joined the conversation, "At our current stage, we cannot even imagine constructing something like this. But one day, we will reach that level."
Adrian nodded once. Their vessel approached the structure and entered a designated traffic lane. Surrounding ships reorganised automatically, granting their vessel a priority vector.
Ahead, docking platforms extended outward from one of the outer tiers. Each platform was large enough to accommodate entire fleets rather than individual ships. The arrangement reminded Adrian strongly of the UNI-Hub.
Their vessel crossed through a translucent barrier. The moment they passed through it, an artificial sky came into view overhead. The interior environment replicated open atmosphere completely, breathable air, dense ambient mana, and diffused light that came from no single source but illuminated everything evenly. The resemblance to the UNI-Hub sharpened considerably.
Their ship glided smoothly toward an assigned platform within the inner layer, aligned precisely with the docking surface, and settled with a controlled hum. The hatch opened.
Outside stretched a wide concourse constructed from dark, polished alloy.
A formation of cultivators awaited at the far end of the concourse. At their centre stood a tall humanoid figure whose aura radiated far more strongly than those around him. Adrian could not determine his exact authority percentage, but the pressure he emitted suggested at least High Rule Stage.
Adrian stepped forward as Hestia exited the vessel behind him.
"Elder Kaevryn of the Thousand Veils Sect," the tall figure introduced himself, inclining his head. He did not bow deeply, yet neither did he remain rigid. "Sect Leader Hestia. The Thousand Veils Sect welcomes you."
His gaze acknowledged her Peak Rule Stage presence.
Only then did his eyes shift to Adrian. He did not recognise the face or his exact race. But he felt the aura immediately, the distinct resonance of Crimson Vital Dominion surrounding Adrian like a second skin. A faint shock crossed his expression before he could suppress it, because what he felt from Adrian was not a lesser echo of Hestia's presence. It mirrored hers, completely.
Another Peak Rule Stage cultivator? What exactly has the Crimson Vital Sect been hiding?
His gaze moved past Adrian and landed on Marivelle. He recognized her immediately. He had negotiated contracts with her before, back when she represented the Everlasting Pill Sect. Seeing her now standing with the Crimson Vital sect raised questions he had no intention of voicing in an open concourse.
Betrayal and shifting allegiances were not uncommon in the universe.
Hestia broke the silence, "Elder Kaevryn. I appreciate the reception."
She did not introduce Adrian immediately. Timing influenced perception, and she was waiting for the proper moment.
"This way," Kaevryn said.
The cultivators behind him parted into two aligned rows without a single verbal instruction, forming a clean corridor through which the group could walk.
Hestia stepped forward first. Adrian followed half a pace behind her. Marivelle maintained appropriate distance behind them both, neither pressing close nor drifting too far.
They soon approached a towering spire rising from the structure's centre. Even from the exterior, Adrian sensed a far greater concentration of Rule Stage cultivators within its layers than he had encountered anywhere inside the Crimson Vital Sect.
Kaevryn guided them through two lifts before they arrived at a pair of towering doors.
Kaevryn turned slightly, "The Sect Leader is expecting you."
The doors parted without sound.
Beyond them lay a chamber shaped like a grand conference hall, its walls curving upward into a high dome. Within that dome, a projection of the surrounding star system rotated slowly in midair.
At the centre of the chamber sat a single figure.
Tall, dark robes, seated without apparent tension. He looked, at first assessment, entirely unremarkable. Humanoid and middle-aged in appearance, his composed hands resting on the table before him. His presence, divine concept aura, and everything that should have announced a Peak Rule Stage sect leader, was absent and completely suppressed. Adrian could sense nothing from him whatsoever, not even the faint baseline resonance that most cultivators leaked unconsciously.
That absence was itself the answer.
Kaevryn stepped forward and inclined his head, "Sect Leader. Sect Leader Hestia of the Crimson Vital Sect has arrived."
The seated figure's gaze shifted. It moved to Hestia first, resting there for a moment. Then it moved to Adrian. It stayed there longer than it had on Hestia.
Finally, he spoke, "Sect Leader Hestia. It is good to finally meet you. The Andromeda Galaxy requires peak stage cultivators such as yourself."
His gaze settled on Adrian once more, "And I see that the Crimson Vital Sect is different from what it portrays to the universe."