Veinspire City was a jewel suspended between heavens and earth.
From the outer districts, the city seemed to literally float—terraces of pristine white jade connected by elegant bridges of light, each level woven with faint arrays that pulsed like the complex, crystalline veins of a single, living organism. Above it all, the central spire rose like a needle into the twin suns, the shimmering heart of the eastern continent's power.
Karma stood before the massive gate, cloak pulled low, watching the ceaseless flow of merchants, zealous disciples, and heavily armed guards. The air, thick with condensed qi, smelled of sweet incense, raw thunder-stone, and relentless ambition.
City of 9.2 million cultivators, seventy-two major sects represented, four powerful guilds, and one overworked system complaining bitterly about the noise, Mira relayed internally, her voice a precise, calming counterpoint to the street's cacophony.
He smiled faintly. "It feels profoundly alive."
It feels overwhelmingly loud. And Host, you are faintly glowing under that cloak. Suppress your aura before someone notices you're a walking treasure chest recently infused with chaos.
He drew a sharp breath, tightening the threads of Devour until his intense aura folded completely inward, and stepped into the dizzying energy of the city.
The Exchange
Noise swallowed him whole—markets that sold everything from luminous soul crystals to dense beast marrow, flying carriages streaking overhead on qi lines, and paper talismans fluttering like countless artificial birds. Cultivators argued over the true value of spirit-stones, scholars loudly recited ancient mantras, and street vendors shouted blessings that promised luck for only ten copper coins.
Karma moved like a ghost through the sensory overload, finally stopping before a small, elegant courtyard where the rich scent of crushed medicinal herbs drifted from open shutters.
This was the Azure Apothecary Guild—one of the few neutral sanctuaries in the city, and the very place where the Azure Edge Pavilion often commissioned their sensitive medicinal work. He stepped inside the cool, quiet hall.
The guild hall was silent compared to the bustling street. Rows of pristine glass jars lined the walls. Behind the long counter stood an elderly man with eyes sharp enough to slice paper.
"Traveler," the man said without looking up from his ledger, "what do you seek?"
"I came to deliver materials," Karma replied, setting his heavy satchel down. "Special commission—Silvernight Lotus. Nine complete specimens, preserved."
The man finally glanced up, true, intense interest flickering across his expression, recognizing the sheer difficulty of the task. "Nine? From the Corridor? You're either a complete fool, Young Man, or… incredibly lucky."
"Perhaps both," Karma said, pulling one crystal vial free. The lotus inside pulsed faintly, luminous with captured starlight despite days of travel.
The old man inhaled sharply, his professional mask dropping for an instant. "Pristine condition… not a single wilted vein. Do you understand the significance of this delivery?"
Karma nodded. "They are for the Azure Edge Pavilion. Their healers have been desperately searching for them."
That earned him a long, measuring stare. "Are you seeking favor from the Pavilion's Prime Disciple Candidate? Or perhaps trying to court the lady herself?"
"Neither," Karma said, his denial blunt and immediate. "I simply made a promise."
The apothecary hesitated, then gestured for an assistant to carefully take the nine vials. "We will ensure they are delivered immediately through proper, secure channels. The Su Clan—the family of the Pavilion's prodigy—has posted several frantic notices. Young man, why do you think the Pavilion is looking for this particular item?"
Karma shook his head, prompting the man to continue.
"Their young miss requires these for a soul-stabilization ritual."
Karma's pulse quickened, a flicker of genuine concern crossing his features. "A ritual?"
The apothecary leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "The Soul Mirror Ceremony. They are desperately attempting to restore her fractured spiritual sea—the Pavilion's great genius. It's dangerous, ancient work. Few ever survive the process fully intact."
Karma looked up sharply. "When is this scheduled?"
"Three days from now," the old man said, confirming the tight window. "It will take place inside the Azure Edge Manor's inner sanctum. Only master healers and high-ranking Pavilion members will be permitted anywhere near."
Karma inclined his head slowly. "Then I am just on time."
The Prodigy's Gamble
He left the guild and wandered deeper into the high city, listening to the ambient noise. Every tavern, every high-end marketplace whispered the same rumor: the Azure Edge Pavilion's prodigy had tragically fallen—her cultivation base shattered during a recent teleportation storm. The sect was desperate to restore her mind before rival Overlord Factions scented weakness. The frantic search for the Silvernight Lotus was a desperate race for the Pavilion to save face and their genius.
So the Eastern Overlord Sect is gambling with her soul. Typical high-level medicine: high-risk, high-reward, Mira observed, the detachment in her voice highlighting the gravity of the situation. A noble act on your part, Host, but the debt is now paid.
"She saved my life before I even realized I owed her," Karma murmured, a deep conviction settling over him. "This is my turn to stand for her. If the Soul Mirror fails, what happens to her?"
Spiritual sea collapse. Memory loss at best. Complete disintegration of her spirit core and subsequent death at worst. If her core essence disintegrates, even the most profound resurrection arts cannot rebind her fragmented identity.
Karma closed his eyes and felt the twin pulses in his chest. The green crystalline lotus thrummed softly, while the black petal shimmered faintly at its edge, alive but rigidly restrained.
"Then we won't let it fail."
Are you planning to walk into an Overlord Sect's sacred ritual and fix their powerful medicine yourself?
He smiled faintly. "Something exactly like that."
Of course you are. Because subtlety died the day you were born.
"Subtle enough to get the cure and survive the assassins," he countered, his eyes gleaming with faint, restrained lightning under the moonlight.
The Path In
Night fell over Veinspire. From the quiet solitude of the rooftops, Karma watched the vast city breathe, feeling the palpable darkness gathering at the edges. Several cloaked figures moved through the alleys below—Azure Edge retainers by their faint embroidered emblem—speaking hurriedly with specialists.
You could stay out of this, Host. Deliveries done, debt officially paid.
"This isn't about debt, Mira. It's about standing in the storm when she can't."
A noble sentiment. Then we will need two things: access to the impenetrable Azure Edge Manor. And a completely flawless plan that doesn't end with you impaled by their security guards.
Karma took a breath of the qi-laden air. "We'll make one."