The morning mist above the high mountain ranges gradually gave way to a vast, golden haze as the Floating Cloud swept out of the Devil's Throat. Below the soaring spirit-galleon, the rugged, desolate peaks of the western border smoothed into rolling green hills, winding emerald rivers, and endless, prosperous farmlands.
For three days following the utter destruction of Raven-King Xue Dragon, the voyage across the Cloud-Pass Mountains proceeded in absolute, uninterrupted tranquility. No sky-pirate, wild beast, or rival vessel dared to approach within ten miles of the Central Merchant League's flagship. News of the mysterious master aboard the Floating Cloud—who had shattered a Stage-4 Middle pirate king into frozen dust with a casual flick of his finger—had already travelled ahead on the wind, casting a silent, reverent shadow along the trade route.
Inside the Sovereign Cloud Suite, Xiao-Yue knelt by the massive crystalline spirit-glass window, her chin resting on her small hands. Her big, dark eyes reflected the breathtaking panorama expanding before her.
"Brother Li-Wen! Look down there!" she gasped in awe, pointing her finger toward the horizon. "Are those real houses? They look like endless rows of tiny shiny bricks!"
Li-Wen stood smoothly behind her, his tall frame erect, his wrapped heavy blade resting across his back. His dark, abyssal eyes looked past the cloud banks toward the vast plain ahead.
There, stretching across the horizon as far as the eye could see, lay the Central Imperial Capital—the heart of the continent's power, wealth, and martial legacy.
It was not merely a city; it was a colossal titan carved from granite, jade, and ancient magic. Surrounded by four concentric rings of towering, hundred-foot walls made of reinforced black basalt, the Capital spanned over three hundred miles in diameter. High above its central district hovered five massive floating islands, tethered to the earth by glowing golden energy pillars—the ancestral seats of the high royal families and the Supreme Martial Council.
Sprawling avenues wider than riverbeds intersected the city, lined with towering multi-tiered pavilions, grand alchemical guilds, and bustling trading plazas. Even from thousands of feet in the air, the density of spiritual Qi rising from the city was palpable—a thick, shimmering mist of purple and gold that bathed the entire metropolis in a soft, immortal glow.
HUMMM...
As the galleon crossed the outer defensive perimeter of the Capital, the ship's bronze turbine arrays slowed their pitch. The massive silk sails gathered, and the vessel began its long, elegant descent toward the Central Merchant League's private sky-dock.
Down on the upper landing platform of the League's grand sky-dock, a massive welcoming party had already assembled.
Dozens of high-ranking guild directors, elite elders in embroidered silk robes, and line after line of heavily armored guards stood in rigid formation. News of the flagship's arrival—and the extraordinary guest it carried—had reached the League's High Council two days ago.
As the levitating gangway settled onto the white marble platform with a soft click, Vice-President Lin Xuan was the first to descend, his face beaming with pride and relief. Right behind him walked Li-Wen and Xiao-Yue.
Li-Wen walked with unhurried, measured steps, his simple dark coat contrasting sharply with the opulent surroundings. Xiao-Yue held his broad hand tightly, her small silver hair ribbons fluttering in the gentle breeze as she looked curiously at the grand crowd.
Immediately, an elderly man with a long white beard and robes woven with golden thread stepped forward, bowing deeply with cupped hands. This was Elder Chen, one of the three Chief Directors of the Central Merchant League.
"Welcome to the Central Imperial Capital, Senior Li!" Elder Chen spoke in a booming, respectful voice. "Vice-President Lin has informed us of your tremendous assistance during the crossing. The League is eternally indebted to your presence!"
Li-Wen's expression remained as smooth and unruffled as an ancient glacial lake. He raised his hand slightly in a cold, polite gesture.
"I was merely securing my own journey," Li-Wen said faintly, his low voice carrying a quiet authority that made the surrounding guild elders bow their heads even lower. "There is no need for grand fanfare."
Elder Chen straightened up, his eyes filled with profound admiration. A true powerhouse who could erase a Stage-4 master effortlessly, yet remained entirely unbothered by fame or flattery—this was the hallmark of an absolute sovereign.
"Understood, Senior," Elder Chen said quickly. "As promised, we have prepared the quietest and most secure sanctuary in the Capital for your stay—the Dragon-Vein Bamboo Estate located in the city's serene Southern Mist District."
Lin Xuan stepped forward with a polite smile, presenting a small, carved jade key-talisman. "Senior Li, the estate is situated directly above a minor spiritual spring, completely isolated from the noise of the commercial avenues. It is equipped with a high-grade concealed array to ensure absolute privacy for you and Young Lady Xiao-Yue."
Li-Wen accepted the jade talisman, feeling the calm, pure spiritual energy flowing through it.
"Very well," Li-Wen replied.
Within half an hour, a luxurious carriage drawn by two majestic, winged spirit-steeds swept down from the sky-dock, gliding smoothly through the high-altitude avenues of the Central Capital toward the Southern Mist District.
Sitting inside the spacious velvet interior, Xiao-Yue looked out the carriage window with unbridled fascination.
The sheer scale and prosperity of the Capital was unlike anything Imperial Sun City could offer. On the streets below, common vendors sold Grade-2 spiritual fruits as everyday snacks. Young cultivators wearing the uniform robes of legendary sects rode on tamed spirit-beasts, their swords humming with refined energy. Giant bronze cauldrons stood at the corners of major intersections, burning rare incense that cleansed the air of dust and impurities.
However, as Li-Wen looked out at the bustling metropolis, his divine perception detected the subtle, underlying currents of power that governed this magnificent city.
Every corner of the Capital was saturated with hidden eyes and spiritual scans. High-level cultivators—Stage-4 elders and even terrifying Stage-5 Martial Sovereigns dwelling on the floating islands above—maintained a constant, silent watch over the city.
In a place like this, strength was the only true currency. The rules were stricter, the aristocratic clans were far more ruthless, and the competition for rare resources was fiercely cutthroat.
To completely stabilize Xiao-Yue's Fire-Lotus bloodline, Li-Wen thought inwardly, his fingers lightly tapping the wrapped hilt of his heavy blade, I will need Grade-5 spatial herbs and the ancient refining techniques of the Central Pill Guild. But her awakening energy must remain hidden until the time is right.
He glanced down at Xiao-Yue. The gentle warmth radiating from her small body was steady, but deep within her meridians, the dormant Fire-Lotus energy was gradually maturing, like a tiny lotus bud waiting for the summer sun to bloom.
The carriage soon turned off the main commercial avenue, entering a secluded, stone-paved valley surrounded by tall, verdant bamboo forests.
The noise of the bustling city vanished instantly, replaced by the soft rustling of bamboo leaves and the peaceful melody of a trickling mountain stream. The air here was noticeably cooler and richer in spiritual Qi, carrying the crisp, refreshing scent of morning dew and ancient stone.
The carriage came to a smooth halt before a grand, rustic gate constructed from dark iron-bamboo and white jade.
This was the Dragon-Vein Bamboo Estate.
Li-Wen stepped out of the carriage, holding Xiao-Yue's hand as she hopped down onto the cool cobblestones. Lin Xuan and the carriage driver bowed deeply, leaving the jade key-talisman in Li-Wen's hands before quietly withdrawing, giving the pair absolute privacy.
Li-Wen channelled a sliver of his Qi into the jade talisman. The iron-bamboo gates parted smoothly, revealing a stunning, spacious courtyard.
The estate featured a single-story main pavilion built from aromatic spirit-wood, surrounded by a peaceful lotus pond, stone walkways, and a private training yard lined with tall, whispering bamboo. At the center of the pond stood a small white marble pavilion, directly above the bubbling mouth of a natural spiritual spring.
"WOW!" Xiao-Yue's eyes lit up as she ran across the stone walkway, looking down into the clear lotus pond where several golden spirit-fish swam lazily under the floating leaves. "Brother Li-Wen! Look at the shiny fish! They have tiny golden whiskers!"
Li-Wen walked over smoothly, his dark eyes surveying the perimeter of the estate.
With a sweep of his sleeve, he released five silver array flags from his spatial ring. The flags shot out like lightning, embedding themselves into the four corners of the estate and the center of the bamboo forest.
HUMMM...
A faint, translucent barrier of dark-blue frost energy flared briefly around the entire estate before melting into the air.
This was the Frost-Domain Isolation Array. It not only concealed the true level of spiritual Qi inside the yard, but it also completely masked Xiao-Yue's Fire-Lotus heat signatures from any external spiritual scans or probing divine thoughts from the floating islands above.
Once the array was locked in place, Li-Wen walked over to the marble pavilion in the center of the pond.
Xiao-Yue was already sitting on a stone bench, watching the golden fish while swinging her legs happily. Her small leather pack and wrapped wooden sword lay beside her.
Li-Wen sat down cross-legged across from her, his broad blade resting against the stone table.
"Xiao-Yue," Li-Wen spoke softly.
"Yes, Brother Li-Wen?" She turned her head, her face full of innocent curiosity.
"We have arrived in the Central Imperial Capital," Li-Wen said, his low voice steady and calm. "This city is vast, and many powerful people live here. Over the next few days, I will be searching for special herbs to strengthen your body."
Xiao-Yue nodded obediently, her small expression becoming serious. "I understand! I will stay inside the estate and practice my breath control like a good girl!"
Li-Wen reached out, his broad palm gently stroking her soft silver hair. "You may play in the garden, but when we go out to the markets, you must keep your Fire-Lotus warmth hidden deep inside your chest, just as I taught you."
"I remember!" Xiao-Yue puffed out her small chest proudly. "Keep the little sun asleep inside my tummy so nobody notices!"
A faint, rare smile touched the corner of Li-Wen's lips. "Correct."
As twilight began to fall over the Central Imperial Capital, painting the towering floating islands in shades of deep violet and shimmering bronze, Li-Wen stood alone on the roof of the main pavilion.
The evening wind rustled his dark coat, bringing with it the distant, vibrant hum of the three-hundred-mile metropolis.
He closed his eyes, extending his divine perception into the vast sky. Within his dantian, the Ancestral Northern Rune Slab vibrated with a subtle, unprecedented intensity.
It was reacting to something deep within the Capital—a distant, ancient resonance that hinted at the presence of long-lost northern legacies, hidden deep beneath the city's ancient vaults.
At the same time, Li-Wen felt a faint, cold trace of instinctual danger. The peace they enjoyed in this quiet bamboo estate was merely the calm before a grand storm. In a city governed by ruthless ancient clans and scheming alchemical guilds, the path forward would inevitably be paved with blood and steel.
Li-Wen slowly reached back, his calloused fingers resting on the wrapped hilt of his heavy blade.
"Let the storm come," Li-Wen whispered into the gathering darkness, his dark eyes glowing with a cold, unyielding star-like brilliance.
The journey in the Central Capital had officially begun.
See you in next chapter...