Late at night, Riven finally arrived at the gates of the royal manor. The guards bowed in silent respect, unaware of the storm he had weathered.
He said nothing—only nodded—and made his way inside with slow, aching steps.
By the time he reached his chambers, his legs trembled. He collapsed onto the bed, drenched in sweat, his breath shallow.
"This body… still too weak."
His fingers trembled slightly as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Every muscle ached. His skin burned faintly from the strain. Using even a fragment of the Voidless Flame had nearly shattered him from within.
"If it weren't for my willpower… I'd be a corpse by now."
He closed his eyes. His mind was fogged with exhaustion, yet a flicker of satisfaction remained.
"Henry Ford... he's nothing but ashes now. There will be no trace. No body. Nothing to link back to me."
He turned his face into the pillow, sighing heavily.
"I'll think about the rest... tomorrow."
Within minutes, sleep took him—heavy and dreamless.
Meanwhile, far from the palace—within a sprawling estate that stretched across two miles of manicured land—an atmosphere of elegance and quiet power settled over the Ford family villa.
Inside a lavish sitting room, soft music played from a spirit crystal as two elegantly dressed figures sat across from one another. The golden glow of crystal chandeliers shimmered off their wine glasses.
Darius Ford, head of the Ford noble family, swirled his glass slowly, eyes half-lidded. His expression was calm but regal—danger hidden behind composed lines.
Opposite him, his wife, Marena Ford, sat in silence. Her brows were furrowed, her anxiety hidden poorly behind the glass she cradled.
"I haven't seen Henry since this afternoon," Darius said at last, his voice smooth, deep. "I needed to speak to him about the Eastern trade routes."
Marena frowned, her fingers tightening on the glass.
"I haven't seen him either," she replied softly. "And… I don't know why, but my heart feels heavy tonight. Something's wrong, Darius. I can feel it."
He glanced at her, the faintest flicker of concern brushing his gaze.
But before he could speak, the heavy wooden doors opened.
A butler stepped inside, his expression strained. He bowed respectfully, yet hesitation clung to his posture.
"Master. Madam. Forgive me for disturbing you so late."
Darius raised an eyebrow. "Speak."
The butler swallowed once.
"We've received reports. Young Master Henry... hasn't returned since the auction. We tried to contact him, but he's unreachable. Some of our informants at the Red Lotus Herb Pavilion said he left the hall after clashing with another participant—someone unknown. Since then, there has been no trace of either man."
The room fell silent.
Marena's wine glass slipped from her fingers, shattering against the marble floor. Her face paled instantly.
"What… did you say?" she breathed, voice shaking. "My son is missing?"
Her breath quickened. She stood, clutching the edge of the table to steady herself.
"Henry wouldn't vanish without reason—he's strong and proud. Someone must've done something to him!"
Darius stood slowly, setting his glass down with chilling precision.
"Send every available shadow agent to the Red Lotus Herb area. I want witnesses questioned, memory talismans scanned, everything—no matter the cost."
His tone was still calm—but his eyes were no longer cold. They were burning.
Marena's breathing grew erratic. She coughed suddenly, gripping her chest.
Darius was instantly at her side, steadying her with a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Marena," he said softly, "I'll find him."
But as he turned his gaze toward the large glass window overlooking the moonlit estate, his thoughts were anything but gentle.
"Someone dared lay a hand on my son—the heir of the Ford family?"
"No matter who you are... I'll burn down the entire capital** to find you."
His hand clenched behind his back, veins pulsing faintly.
"Darius Ford does not forget insults."
Outside, the estate's guards were already moving. Dozens of shadow-robed cultivators slipped into the darkness, their task simple: Find Henry Ford!
As night turned to dawn, the disappearance of Henry Ford stirred unease within the Red Lotus Kingdom. No matter how many men were dispatched, no matter how many whispers were followed, not even a trace of Henry remained. It was as if he had vanished into smoke.
When the report finally reached the head of the Ford family, Darius Ford, his expression grew colder than steel. Another order was issued—sharp and unhesitating.
"Find the masked boy seen with Henry during the auction. Search every corner if you must."
The news spread like wildfire.
In every alley and tavern, from noble estates to commoner streets, the incident turned into a sensation. Some were shocked, some whispered with excitement, and others merely watched from the sidelines, uncaring.
And the boy at the center of the storm?
He slept soundly in the royal palace, wrapped in clean sheets and soft silence, his breath steady and undisturbed—as though none of this chaos concerned him at all.
—
When sunlight first pierced his curtains, Riven barely stirred—his body still heavy with the toll of the Voidless Flame.
By the time he finally rose, the palace bells had long since tolled noon. He exhaled, rolling stiff shoulders, and splashed icy water on his face to scour away the remnants of exhaustion. The face in the mirror was calm, but his eyes burned with purpose.
Without ceremony, he summoned his old attendant..
"Uncle Garron," he said, eyes steady, "I want to test something. Is there a cultivation chamber in the palace… one that ensures complete privacy?"
Garron blinked in surprise—though he quickly masked it with a practiced smile. "Yes, young master. There is, though we must first obtain the King's permission. Please wait a moment."
Riven gave a small nod and remained silent.
Minutes later, Garron returned, handing him a jade token and a small pouch. "His Majesty has granted your request—and these Ember Stones are for your use."
Riven accepted both without a word.
Garron guided him deep beneath the palace—down a spiral staircase veiled in dust and silence. They arrived before a massive black-iron gate guarded by two silent sentries. Riven showed the token.
The guards saluted and stepped aside.
"Young master, this is as far as I may go," Garron said respectfully.
Riven stepped forward, his boots echoing on stone. As soon as he passed the threshold, the gates closed behind him with a low, thunderous boom.
The air changed instantly.
It was heavy with spiritual energy, thick and potent. Every breath felt like inhaling power. He walked a few steps and stood still, then closed his eyes for a moment.
"There's a formation here… an advanced one. Strange. That's unusual for a kingdom like this… so where did they get this?"
He shrugged lightly to himself. "Seems this palace hides more secrets than it reveals."
Without wasting time, Riven sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor and retrieved the yellow orb. It still looked unimpressive—pulsing faintly, like a firefly caught in amber.
"Still looks useless…"
He closed his eyes and sank into his consciousness sea.
There, curled up in golden embers, was the Voidless Flame—resting like a sleeping cat. As he approached her with a mental whisper, "Little flame, can you hear me?"
She slowly stretched, her form shifting into that of a glowing young woman, radiant and wild.
She tilted her head, lips curling into a soft smile. "Mm... I can hear you," she said softly. "I've decided on a name for myself. Call me... Kaira."
Riven's eyes flickered in surprise. Something stirred in his chest at the name—something warm, something familiar.
"Kaira…" he murmured. "A good name. It suits you."
She gave a quiet hum of satisfaction and floated beside him, watching the orb through the translucent layers of consciousness.
He offered her a small smile. "You said you wanted that orb. I want to know why."
"This orb… it doesn't belong to this world," she said softly. "It's not even from this realm or dimension. I can sense something sealed within it."
Her tone lowered, "A fragment of flame. Not just any flame… but one older and stronger than me. Ancient beyond belief." Her voice trembled, like a child seeing a forgotten home.
Riven's breath hitched. He held the orb tighter, studying its faint glow.
"Stronger than you? You're a divine flame…"
Kaira didn't respond immediately, her golden lashes lowered as she whispered.
"The universe is vast, Riven. Vaster than Skyren, vaster than the Astral Void Domain… even flames like me are specks in the face of its true breadth. What we know is nothing compared to what exists out there."
Riven fell silent, staring at the orb.
"Could this fragment be a key… to something far greater?"
He clenched the orb gently. "Then this could be a piece of something greater... a key to evolution."
He thought for a moment and then asked, "Kaira, can you absorb the flame within this orb?"
Kaira's expression brightened with a cheeky grin. "Yeah, I want to absorb it. When I first saw it at the auction, I felt a strange connection—like it called to me. Maybe it's linked to my origin. Maybe… I'll evolve."
Golden fire surged from Riven's palm, engulfing the orb. In an instant, it vanished.
Riven blinked. The orb was gone. But when he glanced back at Kaira, it was resting in her hand, glowing faintly.
He raised an eyebrow, suspiciously asked, "How did you do that? Transfer it to my consciousness sea?"
Kaira gave him a mischievous smirk. "Just a little trick~" she teased, clearly enjoying his shock. "Your surprised face is kinda cute."
Riven gave her a long stare but said nothing more. He exhaled and pulled himself out of his consciousness, back into the cultivation chamber. Reaching into his satchel, he retrieved a glowing red-and-white petal..
Snow Fire Petal.
He exhaled deeply, then unwrapped the pouch of Ember Stones.
"If I remember correctly… I need to purify my body and incinerate the damaged Veinroot completely. Only then can a new one grow."
He steadied his breath. His emotions were flat. Resolved.
"Kaira," he said, voice firm, "let the Voidless Flame cover my body. Destroy everything. Purify me. I'm going to regrow my Veinroot."
Kaira's playful demeanor faded. Her golden brows furrowed with concern.
"Riven… your body's still too fragile. The pain will be beyond anything you've—"
"Just do it."
His voice was resolute, leaving no room for argument.
Kaira sighed. "Fine. But don't die on me."
She transformed into the Voidless Flame—pure golden fire and slowly enveloped Riven's body. The heat was unimaginable, enough to reduce entire cities to ash. Yet it moved with precision, purifying—not destroying.
Black impurities oozed from his pores, from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
His face twisted in agony. His muscles trembled. Yet he made no sound.
"Pain is necessary. Growth demands it."
A twisted grin pulled at his lips—unsettling yet strangely mesmerizing, devilish in its allure.
Kaira paused mid-process, watching him. "He's insane… He's gone mad from the pain… but damn, he looks hot."
His body charred like burnt meat. He resembled a blackened corpse. But he wasn't dead—only being reborn.
The flame tunneled into him, flooding his bloodstreams, targeting the Veinroot directly.
The flame coiled around it. Then, with precise wrath, it detonated the damaged root from within.
Riven convulsed.
He swallowed a healing pill—but it barely slowed the agony. He vomited black blood. Chunks of brittle, dry root-like remains spilled from his mouth.
"So… these were my old Veinroots…"
Still, even now, he smiled.
Then—a shift.
But before he could realise—his vision went black.
When he opened his eyes again, an hour had passed.
His body felt... light. Clean and unshackled..?
He flexed his fingers slowly. The pain was gone. His breathing flowed like spring wind. "What… happened?"
Kaira's voice responded gently in his mind.
"You passed out just as I finished. You were unconscious for an hour. I… I thought I lost you."
She didn't admit how her flame flickered wildly when he stopped breathing—or how, for a terrifying moment, she feared she'd burned the only soul that ever accepted her.
Riven looked at his hand, curling his fingers. A faint, golden glow lingered beneath his skin.
His eyes sharpened, a glint of ambition flashing beneath his calm.
"Now that my body is purified…" he murmured, voice low and resolute.
"I can begin experimenting—recreating a new Veinroot. Impossible for others… but not for me."