Chapter 17 – The Unseen Hand
The heavy leather-bound scrolls were a lot to carry, but Karma didn't mind. They were his new lifeline. He walked away from the Information Guild with his pockets empty, his mind alight with a thousand new truths. The disappointment of being abandoned by the Su Clan now seemed a distant, foolish childhood tantrum. He had been so proud, so arrogant in his overnight ascent to the Energy Absorption realm, thinking himself a prodigy—a cheat code in this harsh game.
The scrolls quickly corrected his foolishness. He learned that cultivation was a long, arduous grind for most. A mortal, even with good talent, could spend years just to break into the Body Tempering realm. A single breakthrough to a new major realm was cause for a city-wide celebration. But then, he read about the powerful cultivation families. He learned that children of influential clans were often born at the Body Tempering realm, and those of the most esteemed houses could begin life with the power of a Blood Tempering or even Energy Absorption cultivator coursing through their veins. The most shocking revelation was that some incredibly rare geniuses were born at the Qi Condensation realm. His jaw nearly hit the floor. He had just spent an entire day to reach the Energy Absorption realm—a level some infants were born with.
'This was all within the relatively sparse Desolate Lands. What about the entire Eastern Continent? The entire Astral Vein World? The thought sent a fresh wave of awe—and a chill—through him.'
His entire perspective shifted. His recent power gain, while a miracle to him, was nothing in the grand scheme of things. It was akin to a wealthy person using an expensive treasure to boost their cultivation. This thought was not a source of disappointment, but of profound relief. His secret was safe. He could simply say he had found a rare treasure or had a stroke of great luck. He wasn't a freak of nature; he was just a fortunate player in a world where power could be bought. The thought was liberating.
He also learned about the world itself. The city he was in, he discovered, was a minor outpost in a region called the Desolate Lands, a place so starved for spiritual energy that cultivators only came here for experience or to train their battle skills. The true powerhouses, the major sects, and the grand families all resided on the Eastern Continent, a land rich with spiritual energy and boundless resources. The scrolls painted a picture of a world far vaster and more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. He now had a goal, a destination. He would hunt for a week, earn two hundred spirit stones, and buy the full map and information on the Eastern Continent.
Meanwhile, far from the city, inside the Su Clan territory, the serene elegance of the Moonstone Palace was shattered by a single, icy voice.
"You left him behind?" Su Liana's words were not a shout, but a whisper, a tone far more terrifying than a roar. Captain Han, a man who had faced down powerful beasts and arrogant cultivators, knelt on the polished jade floor, his face pale and slick with sweat.
"Young Lady, I searched everywhere for him! I gave the order to return because… because the hunt was a success. We brought back all the beasts, and the other disciples were safe. I… I thought the mortal had simply run away." His voice was a pathetic croak.
Su Liana's eyes, usually as serene as a lotus pond, were now twin points of cold fury. "You thought? I brought him here, a stranger, a human from another world, and you thought he had run away? He was my responsibility. A person I brought here, and you just… left him?"
"My Lady, I told the Patriarch everything. He said that… that the mortal was a mistake. That he had probably taken the first chance to escape. He said…" Captain Han's voice trailed off as he saw the murderous look in her eyes. "He told me not to worry about it, that he would handle the matter."
"My father's will is not an excuse for your incompetence," she said, her voice laced with venom. The air around them grew thick and cold, forcing the other guards to instinctively back away. "He had no one here. He had no spiritual energy. He had nothing. And you, a Captain of the Su Clan, left him to die in the Greenfang Forest, a place where a cultivator would not dare enter without proper preparation."
The guilt she had been suppressing for days—the quiet regret of giving Karma a cultivation technique and letting him leave for the training—now manifested as a white-hot rage at Captain Han. Her father had sent him along with the disciples for training while she was in closed-door training, and she had only just received the news of his disappearance days later. She had been disappointed as a part of her had always wondered if the rumors were true and he had simply run away. But seeing Captain Han's terrified expression, hearing his faltering confession, the truth was clearer than a crystal stream. Captain Han had simply followed a convenient order from her father to not bother with him.
Her voice softened slightly, but the coldness remained. "I made a promise to him. A promise to find his sister in that world he came from. A promise to give him a place to belong. A promise I now realize I have failed to keep. I will not have my word broken by your carelessness, Captain."
Captain Han, trembling, dared to look up. "My Lady… what do you want me to do?"
Su Liana's gaze was fixed on a point far in the distance, a place where the mountains met the sky. "Nothing," she said, her voice full of a new, firm resolve. "You will tell no one of this. Not my father, not the elders, no one. I will not have my failure become a public disgrace. I will handle this myself. In two days, when my training session is complete, I will go to the Greenfang Forest. I will find him, and I will fulfill my promise."
Back in Greenfang City, Karma came to a decision and returned to the hunt. For the next week, the Greenfang Forest became his personal playground. With his new knowledge, he was no longer a panicked novice flailing in the dark. He was a student, a hunter, a silent killer. He hunted with a purpose, his new cultivation technique guiding his every move. Each beast was a stepping stone, a source of spiritual energy to be devoured and a valuable commodity to be sold. With his growing wealth, he moved to a nicer inn, a place with a roaring hearth and a comfortable bed.
He began by hunting beasts at the peak of the Energy Absorption realm. A single, precise application of his Azure Moon Cleave, enhanced by his Devour skill, was all it took. He would watch the beast's defensive aura crumble, its life force siphoned away in an instant, and its body crumple to the ground with a soft thud. He spent hours in this ritual, his strength growing with every kill. The feeling of the spiritual energy rushing into his dantian was a constant, addictive high. In three days, he felt his energy solidify, his cultivation reaching the peek of Energy Refining realm. He was a whirlwind of power, his every move a testament to his devastating new skill.
He then moved on to the Body Refinement realm. The beasts were tougher, their hides like armor, their auras thick and powerful. But his Devour skill made quick work of them, and their cores were even more valuable. He was an efficient killing machine, moving from one hunt to the next without rest, his focus absolute. He spent two more days hunting, his power swelling, his meridians expanding, and his bones humming with a newfound strength. He felt his body shed the last of its mortal impurities, his flesh becoming a vessel for his immense power. He had broken into the Body Refinementrealm and reached the peak in the next two days.
Finally, he set his sights on the most powerful beasts in the desolate region. He moved deeper into the forest, his heart a steady drum against his ribs. He felt the pure spiritual energy from their auras, and a thrill of pure power coursed through him. He fought with a new kind of ferocity, his movements a blur of deadly grace. He wasn't just killing them for money or power; he was honing his skills, learning to use his new power with precision. He spent two more days in this silent battle, and as the sun began to set on the seventh day, he felt it. A final, powerful surge of energy, a cleansing fire that washed through his body and solidified his core. He had reached the Peak of the Blood Refinement Realm. He was a step away from a major breakthrough and would officially enter the true path of cultivation.
He made his way back to the city, his pack heavy with cores and herbs. He sold his haul to the old woman, who looked at him with a mixture of respect and awe. He had not just brought her a few common herbs; he had brought her the cores of powerful beasts, treasures that would keep her shop in business for a decade. He took the money she gave him, a heavy pouch filled with two hundred spirit stones. The cold, unyielding weight of them in his hand felt more valuable than all the knowledge he had gained so far.
He went back to the room on the second floor he had paid for in advance. He planned to rest for the day and go to the Information Guild tomorrow to buy the complete information on the Eastern Continent. He entered his room, a sense of deep satisfaction filling his chest. He was tired, but he was no longer a lost boy. He was a player in this world's game.
He pushed the door open, his eyes on the bed, his mind on the rest to come. He took a step inside, and his breath hitched.
He was not alone.
Sitting in his room, her back to him, was a single, elegant figure. Her snow-white robes flowed in perfect folds, her hair a cascade of black silk, and a faint, ethereal aura clung to her. She turned, her phoenix eyes meeting his.
Su Liana.