Jasmine Azure, The Starfall Saintess.
His fiancée.
'She's one of them?!'
It all clicked. Her rare talent. Her potential. Her otherworldly beauty, the family pressure. The timing.
Kyle promptly activated one of the techniques Jihriel had gifted him. The heavenly spiritual eye technique.
He probed for her rank. Kyle's eyes widened slightly. Internally, his heart thundered.
She was at the peak of the Qi condensation realm! Only a sliver away from advancing to the next realm!
'Why didn't I think of it before? Her name, her appearance, it's exactly as written in the novel. I need to be more observant in the future, or opportunities will pass by right in front of me.'
She was not just important. She's one of the key figures in the entire novel. A female supporting character!
But outwardly, he smiled calmly.
"I see," he said. "That's… amazing."
She blinked at his genuine tone. "You're not upset?"
"I'm proud," he said honestly. "You deserve to shine, Jasmine. I would never take that way from you."
Her eyes softened. "Thank you."
Kyle, meanwhile, had already begun plotting like a madman inside.
The Twilight Sect… that's the entry point. The turning point. The place where the world starts to change.
Where it all began. He would be a fool to pass up the opportunity to be in the thick of things.
And now, he had a direct line to it, through her.
He smiled to himself.
Fate may have given him a broken body before. But it also handed him a front-row seat to destiny.
And he'd be damned if he didn't use it.
Kyle's gaze drifted to the sky.
Their conversation eventually quieted. Giving way to thoughtful silences. The koi pond glimmered nearby, catching fragments of light, fleeting, just like the moment itself.
Jasmine looked down at her hands, then back at Kyle. "I should go. My father will be waiting. It was nice... seeing you and all."
He nodded, though a part of him wished she could stay a bit longer. "I can say the same." He said, getting up from his seat.
Together, they walked back along the garden path, through the stone arch, and toward the manor's entrance courtyard where a sleek, elegant carriage awaited, adorned in soft purple and white, the crest of House Azure etched into its side.
Four guards stood waiting, dressed in muted gray leathers, each armed, each one of them was at least a mid-stage foundation establishment expert at least.
One in particular man made Kyle's instincts flare, his hairs standing on end. He was standing closest to the door of the carriage, glancing over as they approached.
He was a peak foundation establishment cultivator.
Jasmine slowed near the steps, her eyes lingering on the familiar surroundings. "I don't know when I'll be able to visit again… but I'll try to do so before leaving. That reminds me, your birthday is in two weeks, isn't it? So I will definitely come."
"Oh? You are right, then see you soon." She nodded. Kyle stepped closer beside her. "Just focus on yourself and your own strength. I have plans of my own, and if all goes to plan, I'll have a little surprise for you soon." He whispered to her, but those around them could hear them anyway, and he knew it.
She gave him a look, part amused, part touched. "Oh, what could that be?"
He grinned. "It won't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" He smirked.
Then, before she could talk him into spilling, he gently reached forward and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
Jasmine froze for a breath, startled, then slowly relaxed into the hug, soft arms closing around his back, her cheek pressing to his shoulder.
"I'll wait," she whispered.
"I'll find my way to you," he whispered back.
Behind them, Nuna, who had followed with quiet footsteps, blinked in surprise. Her soft lips parted faintly as the corners of her eye twitched in disbelief.
'Since when did the young lord and Lady Jasmine become so...close…?'
Across the way, the guards remained composed, almost. Kyle's eyes flicked toward them just in time to catch a momentary crack in one of the escort's faces.
The third from the left, tall, with dark brows, narrowed his eyes and scowled, barely for a second, before shifting back to perfect indifference.
Kyle filed the reaction away, inwardly smirking.
'So that's how it is, huh? Someone's hiding a little too much affection for their mistress. Or someone may have sent them to observe.' He thought.
There was barely concealed bloodlust in the air, but if anyone else noticed, they did not say anything.
With practiced grace, Jasmine withdrew from the hug and stepped lightly into the carriage.
Her head peeked out one last time. "Take care of yourself, Kyle."
"I will, you too," he said, eyes locked onto hers.
Twappp!
Then the reins snapped.
The horses neighed softly, the wheels turned, and the carriage began to roll forward down the cobbled road. A final flick of violet robes behind the window pane.
Kyle stood there, his hands behind his back, watching as the vehicle disappeared around the bend.
Only when it was out of sight did he release a long, steady breath.
Nuna, still standing quietly behind him, hesitated for a moment. "Should I prepare food for your return?"
Kyle's lips curved into a light, unreadable smile. "No need, Nuna."
He turned to face the manor, his voice light, almost airy.
"I have too many plans to eat right now."
Nuna tilted her head. 'He looks...more focused, or am I imagining it?'
Kyle walked slowly back toward the inner hall, his mind already moving a mile a minute.
'I need to get into that sect.'
That much was clear.
Jasmine's destiny was intertwined with some of the most important events in Heavenly Ascension.
The Twilight Sect was the launchpad of a generation. His knowledge of the future, limited though it was, gave him the one thing this world didn't expect from him: an edge.
But there was a problem.
The Twilight Sect didn't accept applicants. Not normally.
It wasn't like other sects that held open examinations. Entry required a recommendation from a core disciple, elder, or a direct invitation from one of the secondary professions Pavilion Halls.
In short? It was Impossible for someone known as a cripple with no cultivation. But he was not a cripple anymore, except the world didn't know that, not yet at least.
And so…
Kyle's smile widened slightly, the glint in his eyes sharpening.
'Let's make some noise, shall we?'
His next stop, The Titans' Tournament in the capital in two months. It was a tough challenge, trying to catch up to his peers in two months.
But he had never been one to shy away from a challenge.
If the road is easy, you're likely going the wrong way. He told himself.
So long as the information about the dual cultivation technique in his mind was true, combined with his sword skills, Kyle was assured of his success.