The Dao Realm's citadel was silent.
Golden banners drifted above the black sea of clouds, the light of a thousand floating suns flickering across the marble terraces. Yet inside the grand meditation chamber, only a single candle burned—small, steady, and enough to outshine all else.
Tianxu sat cross-legged before it, eyes half-closed, his will sinking deep into the stillness of the Dao.
He had not meditated since the day Jian Wuya descended.
That brief meeting lingered like a blade at his throat. Not fear—no, Tianxu feared the clarity of that man's gaze. Jian Wuya had looked at him once and spoken his cultivation aloud as if reading a scroll.
Half-step to Immortal Ascension.
Even though Tianxu had hidden his foundation with layers of seals, Jian Wuya had seen through it with a glance. That alone said everything.
"A man who sees that deep," Tianxu murmured, "must already stand one step higher than sight itself."
He could accept that. A powerful figure from upper realm should be at-least this strong. What troubled him was the offer that followed.
"Bring your entire realm under my sect. I'll grant you elder status in the Pavilion, and your prodigies—will have an opportunity to be disciples of my sect."
At first it had sounded almost generous. But the more Tianxu thought, the more it reeked of subtle conquest. One sect governing an entire world? One man standing above every race of the Dao Realm?
His jaw tightened.
He was no fool. The Heavenly Vein Domain, though distant and silent these million years, was still a sky higher than all. If those immortals ever descended and found his realm bound under another's sigil—under a sect—they would erase it without hesitation.
Not yet. Not until he knew the truth behind this Astral Vein World, most importantly Azure Edge Pavilion: its strength, its enemies, its place in the cosmic order. Not until he understood the man named Jian Wuya.
He opened his eyes, golden light flashing within. "I will wait a year," he said quietly. "Let Renji see their mountain. Let me see through their masks."
The candle's flame bowed as if in acknowledgment.
Two weeks later, the Dao Realm hummed with quiet anticipation.
Sky-ships carved of white crystal hovered over the imperial plaza, their hulls engraved with shifting runes of passage. Ten prodigies—chosen from every great clan—stood ready, their eyes bright with equal parts pride and fear. At their head, Renji, his golden hair bound, his expression unreadable.
In the distance, the rift shimmered like a sun caught in water. The bridge between realms awaited.
Far below, in a very different kind of hall—glass, steel, and neon—Karma leaned back in his chair as his team's dashboard filled with glowing metrics.
The VeinLink Pods had shattered every record. Government contracts, private clients, universities—all demanded access to "cultivation simulation." And though each pod cost a fortune, they sold faster than they could build them.
Anna's excited voice buzzed through the speaker, "That's another fifty units pre-ordered by the European coalition!"
Karma managed a small smile. "Good."
He ended the call, exhaling slowly.
Success felt hollow.
Even with all this power, he had not found his sister.
For months he'd searched—through archives, networks, underground data streams. He'd bribed mercenaries, hired private satellites, traced whispers through refugee registries. Nothing.
Until last night.
A small packet of data, anonymous, encrypted, had slipped into his system. It contained a single image—a silhouette, timestamped months ago, location scrambled but hinting at somewhere within an ancient temple with glowing ruins.
A clue.
Maybe the first real one.
He stared at the image on his monitor. "I'm coming for you," he whispered.
The air behind him shimmered—soft, silver, and unmistakably otherworldly.
He turned.
Su Liana stood there, her robes flowing with faint lunar light, eyes calm as ever.For a moment, the cold efficiency of his lab felt like a shrine.
"Lady Su," Karma greeted, rising quickly. "You're back sooner than I thought."
She studied him quietly, gaze flicking to the half-assembled pod behind him."You've done well," she said. "Grand Elder Yuan was correct to trust you. Your technology… it bridges minds almost as cleanly as our spirit arrays."
Karma gave a tired chuckle. "Thank you. The world calls it progress; I call it stress."
Her lips curved faintly—almost a smile. "You'll have time to rest. We're leaving soon."
"Leaving?"
She nodded. "The preparations are complete. In three days, the younger generation of the Dao Realm will travel to the Azure Edge Pavilion. You're to accompany us."
Karma blinked. "To the Astral Vein? Again?"
"Grand Elder Yuan wants you there," she said simply. "You were part of the bridge's creation; your insight into mortal thought will aid the Pavilion's research. And…" Her gaze softened just enough to betray concern. "You will be safer under our eyes than alone here. Not every realm welcomes peace."
Karma hesitated. He thought of his company, his friends, the Earth slowly healing from fear. Then he thought of the image on his screen.
A shadow. A chance to find her. But to do any of that, he needs strength.
"I'll go," he said quietly. "There's… something I need to gain there anyway."
Su Liana's brows lifted, but she didn't pry. "Then prepare yourself. The journey through the rift still tests even seasoned cultivators."
He managed a faint grin. "What about mortals with motion sickness?"
That earned him a small laugh—soft and genuine. "Then you'll have the most unforgettable headache of your life."
When she left, the room felt colder.
Karma looked once more at the holographic skyline of his company—millions of orders, countless dreams—and then at the single photograph beside his keyboard: he and his sister, years ago, laughing in the rain.
"Guess I can't stay home," he murmured.
He began shutting down the systems one by one.
Outside the window, the rift pulsed faintly in the sky—a scar turned bridge, a promise turned test.
Far beyond, in another world, Tianxu sat in his silent hall and whispered to the void:
"Let them go. Let them see the heavens. And when they return… I'll decide whether heaven deserves to rule us."