The William mansion was never quiet these days. Since that fateful night a month ago when mysterious beings had appeared unannounced, its halls had become a hive of activity. Guards patrolled with twice the vigilance, servants whispered rumors in shadowed corners, and business partners flowed in and out like tides.
But this… this was something else.
A colossal shadow darkened the estate grounds. The servants were the first to see it—an enormous vessel hovering just beyond the manicured gardens, its surface glowing with impossible runes. Their knees buckled under the invisible pressure it radiated. The more they looked, the more it felt like their very souls would crumble.
Panic spread like wildfire.
Guards scrambled to secure the mansion perimeter, weapons clutched in shaking hands. Their radios buzzed with clipped orders to prepare the defense systems and call the military. Guns were loaded, safeties clicked off, but even the veterans among them felt the futility. Their instincts screamed: these weapons would do nothing.
Inside, servants rushed to find William.
William sat in his study, savoring his triumph. Just an hour ago, he had closed another deal with one of the hidden families, his rejuvenated body radiating vitality that belied his true age. In the past month alone, his wealth had multiplied tenfold. The rejuvenation pills those mysterious guests had left him were miracles, the kind of treasure even billionaires would kill for. He had leveraged them to secure deals, turned back his body's clock, conquered rivals, and opened doors to families who had previously dismissed him.
He leaned back in his leather chair, swirling a glass of red wine, thanking the gods for delivering such fortune. His enemies had called him a fading relic; now he stood taller than all of them.
That fragile bliss shattered when his study doors burst open.
"Master William!" a servant panted, face pale. "You must come at once—there's something outside… something enormous!"
Another shouted over him. "It—it's not a plane, sir. Not anything we've seen before. The guards can't even look directly at it!"
His family spilled into the study next—sons, nephews, even his sister-in-law—each wearing the same mask of terror. Their voices overlapped in panicked waves, breaking his carefully built calm.
William slammed his glass onto the table, red spilling across expensive wood. "Enough! Have you all gone mad? What's so terrifying that you come running like frightened children?"
But then he saw their eyes—wide, unfocused, trembling. This was no ordinary scare. His stomach sank.
When they dragged him to the entrance hall and the doors were thrown wide, he understood.
Outside, the colossal ship hovered in still silence, its edges shimmering like heat haze. It was too massive to comprehend, yet it made no sound, no gust, no disturbance save for the crushing weight pressing against their souls. For one dizzying moment, William felt like he was an ant beneath the gaze of a god.
The memory of that night a month ago returned with brutal clarity—of beings who had turned his withered body into that of a thirty-year-old man, of power that eclipsed anything mortal. "is it them?"
His mood soured instantly. Fear gnawed at him, clawing away the triumph he had savored moments before. But he was no fool. Guns and missiles would be useless.
"Stand down," he ordered his guards sharply. "Weapons won't save you today. If you value your lives, do not provoke them."
He smoothed his robes, composed his face, and walked to the mansion's front, heart pounding. Better to meet gods with dignity than cower in panic.
The air shimmered. Lines of light extended from the vessel's base, forming a bridge of glowing runes that touched the mansion grounds. From it, figures descended.
At the forefront strode Master Zuo, his bearing steady, his every step exuding authority that made the air vibrate. Behind him came Su Liana, robes white as starlight, her presence ethereal yet impossibly heavy, like the weight of a thousand storms hidden behind calm skies. At her side walked Karma, his face both familiar and unrecognizable—William blinked, his mind stumbling. He looked like a young master of divine lineage. Is he the same young master whom this lady took back with her?
A handful of guards followed, hovering in the air with effortless ease. Their mere presence radiated an unknown power that made William's security force falter, eyes wide and fingers trembling on their triggers.
Gasps echoed from William's family. "They're… flying…" one whispered in disbelief.
Even William's knees threatened to buckle, though he forced himself to stand tall.
When they finally approached, Master Zuo's calm eyes settled on him. "William." His voice was level, but it carried a weight that demanded respect. "The young lady's party will be staying here for a time. Do not be alarmed."
William bowed his head instantly, swallowing his pride. "Of course, Master Zuo. This house is yours as before. Whatever you require, I will provide. You have my word."
Su Liana's gaze flickered over him, cool and unreadable, before shifting away. Karma, who lingered beside her, watched William, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. He recognized the man, but the rumors of his immense wealth and power felt strange to him now. He couldn't bring himself to speak yet, feeling a deep distance between the two worlds they represented.
Within the hour, the mansion's halls were prepared. With a series of silent blurs, the Su Clan's envoys dispersed. Void Realm guards shot into the sky like shooting stars, Nascent Soul elders vanished with a whisper of displaced air, and the two Sacred Realm titans simply ceased to be there, their celestial power leaving a shimmering afterglow in the air. Their paths were already set on hidden realms and ancient mysteries, a silent ripple of power across the globe.
Su Liana departed soon after, her master Yuan at her side, her vow to find her brother burning in her chest.
But before she left, she lingered in the mansion gardens, her face turned toward the Earth sky.
Her heart was not at ease. She had seen Karma walking beside her, standing in the shadow of powers that could crush him with a flick of a wrist, yet he carried himself with a strange, quiet determination. He was not her brother. She had accepted that truth. Yet… why did her chest tighten whenever she thought of him? Why did she feel a thread of responsibility binding them together?
Her promises warred within her—one to her brother, lost somewhere in this fragile world, and one to Karma, who had spoken of his missing sister with the same desperation which she promised to find. She doesn't have much time and She could let either promise die.
When her master called for her, she schooled her features into calm perfection. "Yes, Master," she answered, bowing low. But as she left the garden, her hands trembled within her sleeves.
Her decision was made: she would find her brother first. But if fate allowed, she would keep her word to Karma as well.
That evening, he found William in the study.
William stiffened, eyes wide at the sight of him. For a heartbeat, he thought this was another envoy. Then, faint recognition dawned—this was the youth from before. But he had changed, radiating calm strength, his presence more refined, more commanding.
"Y-you…" William's voice cracked. "You were with them before… weren't you? Who… what are you?"
Karma smiled faintly, settling into a leather chair across from William. He exuded an effortless confidence, a stark contrast to the old man's nervous energy. "Just a young master on a journey. My apologies for the theatrics earlier; the Su Clan likes to make a grand entrance. As you can imagine, our world is quite different after all."
William's eyes widened. He poured two glasses of wine, his hands trembling slightly, and gestured for Karma to take one. "Your world? So... you really are from different world? And those people... those incredible people... they're from... another world as well?"
"They are," Karma said simply, taking a sip of the wine. For a moment, William looked like a man who had spent his life atop a mountain, only to discover it was a small hill on a distant continent. Karma watched as the illusion of the old man's power shattered, leaving behind a raw, naked fear.
The revelation hit him like a physical blow, shattering the illusion of his own power. The hidden families, the secret societies, his vast wealth—all of it felt utterly insignificant now. He had spent his life believing he was at the pinnacle, only to discover the entire mountain was a small hill on a distant continent.
Karma watched him, a hint of genuine kindness in his eyes. "I've seen the potential here. I know what you've accomplished with the resources you had. But what if we could build a bridge between our worlds? A way for mortals to begin to understand?"
William leaned forward, captivated. "How?"
"Using your technology," Karma explained, leaning back. "Earth's virtual reality is on the cusp of something extraordinary. We can build a game—a simulation of the Astral Vein World. Not as a mere diversion, but as a bridge. The faint traces of spiritual energy leaking into this world will be enough to anchor illusions through formations. It won't make them true cultivators, but it will awaken them. It will prepare them for what is to come."
William's mind raced. This young man knew too much. Far too much. He was a perfect fit for the "young master" he helped find before. It explained his knowledge of the Su Clan's intentions and his otherworldly understanding of Earth's technology. Never once did it occur to him that Karma had been an ordinary Earthling.
William's eyes gleamed with a mix of terror and avarice, his tone changing more respectful. "I will provide the vessel young lord. A company in your name. I'll handle the resources, the production lines, the VR headsets, even full-immersion cabins. My connections will ensure it spreads to every corner of the market. Will that be enough?"
A satisfied smile touched Karma's lips. "It's more than enough," he said. "You build the vessel, and I will personally handle the formations that will bridge our worlds. Your only task is to spread them."
The next day, William was a man reborn, a true titan of industry. He arranged meetings with his top allies and investors, and when they laughed at his talk of "cultivation fantasies," he simply changed the screen to the window. Outside, the silent, impossible ship, unseen by the world's satellites, was all the proof they needed. Their laughter curdled into silence, replaced by a cold terror and a fervent belief. They had no choice but to follow.
A dark, predatory smile touched William's lips. He would keep his enemies in the dark, let them stumble blind until the day he could crush them with powers no mortal could oppose.
Meanwhile, Karma watched silently. He was no longer a hapless traveler or a desperate seeker; he was a bridge weaver, connecting the world of his birth with the realm that now claimed him. A profound sense of purpose settled in his chest, and he knew, with chilling certainty, this was only the beginning.