Back in Cloudspire Metropolis, Karma let out a long, shaky sigh of relief as Su Liana's presence faded from sight. Only then did he realize just how tightly his nerves had been coiled, a spring ready to snap. Breaking into the Qi CondensationRealm had changed everything. The world was now a tapestry of auras, and every cultivator he encountered carried an edge of danger, like a blade humming beneath flowing robes. But none unsettled him as much as Su Liana.
When he looked at her through his newfound perception, she wasn't a person; she was a force of nature. It was like staring at a boundless ocean—immeasurable, with depths so profound they seemed to stretch into eternity. His instincts, a primal scream in his mind, warned that if her calm façade ever broke, his very existence would be annihilated without a tremor. A cold sweat traced a path down his spine, a testament to the sheer terror of her power.
I should thank the stars she doesn't see me as an enemy… yet.
He thought of the lie he had spun—a flimsy tale of finding a manual in a cave, a desperate cover for the truth of his sudden rise. Su Liana hadn't dismissed it. Instead, she had confirmed it as a genuine cultivation manual. Later, Mira's cool voice had explained what he held. A Void-grade cultivation manual, she had said, one designed to help cultivators reach the Void Realm, a stage so impossibly far that his current reach was nothing more than a fleeting thought.
But this manual was not his true foundation. The real source of his power lay in the mysterious method granted by the green orb—an inheritance that not even Mira could identify. Compared to the void manual, the orb's method was a sealed box of shadows, deeper and more terrifying than either of them could grasp. He decided to keep the manual as a useful distraction. It was a perfect story, explaining his progress in the eyes of others. But deep in his heart, he knew the truth: his real path lay in the Dao of Devour.
Stepping into Qi Condensation had brought another change. Mira herself had regained fragments of her lost abilities. Her tone had shifted, no longer just a mechanical voice in his head, but one with a hint of life. She could now identify and classify everything around him: the beasts he hunted, the manuals he read, the techniques he observed. As long as they were below a certain threshold, she could pull their secrets apart and whisper the details into his mind.
And as you grow, Master, so will I. My strength is tied to yours.
Karma couldn't help but grin. Every victory, every hard-won step forward, didn't just feed his own growth—it nourished Mira as well. It was a bond that felt both empowering and profoundly lonely, a shared secret in a world that sought to break him.
Still, his mind wandered back to the forest, to that moment when Su Liana had appeared above him, her aura vast and suffocating. A cold tremor had run through him, stealing the air from his lungs. For one terrifying instant, he had thought she might have seen it—his ability to devour the essence of beasts. But she hadn't reacted. She hadn't noticed.
That was when Mira had revealed another truth: the method from the orb was not only profound, but cunning. It masked the traces of his Dao entirely, leaving nothing for others to sense. To the outside world, his devouring was indistinguishable from ordinary cultivation.
Dao. The word was a fire in his mind. Here, in the Astral Vein World, what Earth had only called "concepts" or "laws" were known as Dao—truths gifted by the universe itself. To walk a Dao was to seize a fragment of cosmic authority, to wield it as one's own. And his Dao was hunger itself. To devour. To take. To make the world his.
Karma clenched his fists as he gazed at the towering spires of Cloudspire Metropolis glittering in the distance. For the first time since arriving in this world, he no longer felt like prey scrambling in the dark. He had a path now—a dangerous one, yes, but a path uniquely his. I'll climb higher. I'll grow stronger. And one day, even the depths of that ocean won't drown me.
Back in the Su Clan
The Hall of Authority glowed faintly under the runic lanterns, each light reflected on jade pillars carved with scenes of ancient battles and heavenly beasts. Yet beneath that grandeur, Su Liana's heart felt heavier than the marble throne her father sat upon. Her mind spun, tangled in the three threads of her life. On one side, her brother—Su Chen—her blood, her duty, her promise to herself. She had to find him, no matter what dangers lay in the mysterious world of mortals. On the other, Karma's face surfaced—his stubborn resolve, his vow to find his little sister. She had promised him, too. Duty, loyalty, and the weight of her own word pulled at her, and all those paths led to the same place—Earth.
She bowed deeply, first to her master who now sat beside her father. The towering figure of Grand Elder Yuan, his hair white as snow yet his face unlined and radiant with power, dominated the hall. His presence alone bent the air, and though he smiled gently, there was a vastness in his gaze that made even her father lower his head in reverence.
"Disciple Su Liana greets Master," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.
A faint chuckle left his lips. "There's no need for formality, Liana. Come, sit. It has been too long since I saw my disciple outside the Pavilion walls."
She offered the greetings expected of her—asking when he had arrived, whether his travels were smooth, small courtesies meant to veil her deeper worries. Only after the silence stretched did she dare voice the question that pressed against her chest. "Master, with envoys being dispatched, what is the Pavilion's stand on the mortal world of Earth? Is the sect preparing to act?"
Grand Elder Yuan's eyes, bright as starlight, studied her face. "The Pavilion is not moving. It was your clan who proposed this expedition, Liana, not us. A mortal world's value is limited unless something truly extraordinary surfaces there."
Su Liana's breath left her in a quiet sigh of relief. Her heart eased. At least, Earth would not be crushed under the Pavilion's heel… not yet.
She turned toward her father. "Father, then I request to be included in this expedition."
Before Su Qingyuan could speak, her master waved a hand. His smile was soft, but his words carried unshakable authority. "Even if your father refuses, I would personally take you with me, my disciple. I have my own reasons to look upon that world with my own eyes." His gaze sharpened suddenly, the weight of mountains behind it. "Also… I hear you found a certain little boy. Bring him. I find him… interesting."
Su Liana's eyes widened. A tremor ran through her. Her master already knew—of Karma, and their recent encounter. Nothing escaped his gaze. She lowered her head, masking her turmoil, and bowed once more. "Yes, Master."
Her father remained silent, watching with a mixture of unease and resignation. Even as Patriarch of the Su Family, before a Pavilion Grand Elder, he could only acquiesce. When she stepped out of the hall, the cold night air hit her face, yet her mind burned hotter than ever. She had no more time to hesitate. Within a week, they would set foot on Earth again. She needed to find Karma, to tell him the truth, to prepare him.
Meanwhile, Karma wandered the bustling streets of Cloudspire Metropolis. Skyships docked at soaring towers, cultivators in flowing robes trading spirit herbs at roadside stalls, qi-smiths hammering weapons that pulsed faintly with light. As he pushed through the crowd, the communication talisman tucked at his side suddenly flared, glowing faintly green. Heart pounding, he pressed it against his palm. Her voice flowed into his mind, calm yet carrying a trace of urgency.
"Karma, listen carefully. The Pavilion has decided to send envoys to Earth. My father and clan are preparing the expedition. My master has taken the initiative… and has invited you to join us."
The words crashed over him like a tidal wave. His breath hitched, the world seeming to tilt on its axis. Earth? They were sending envoys to Earth? And he… he had been invited by her Master? A cold dread coiled in his gut. Why? He was a nobody, a discarded mortal. Why would someone so powerful care? But beneath the fear, a different feeling ignited—a dangerous, brilliant opportunity.
Karma clenched the talisman, whispering back. "Earth… they're really going back?"
"Yes," came her reply. "We leave in a week. Be ready."
The talisman dimmed. He was alone, his mind a maelstrom of fear and possibility. He clenched his fists. A dangerous, brilliant opportunity. He would walk the path back to Earth. Mira's voice whispered, her tone both sharp and gleeful. Well, Master... looks like fate just dragged you back to your homeworld. Will you walk as prey, or as predator?
Karma lifted his eyes to the distant spires glowing under the night sky. His hands clenched into fists. A week. One week to prepare. And then, he would walk the path back to Earth.