Coming Home

It was evening when he emerged from the Volcanic Ruins.

Akes stood at the foot of the mountain and glanced back. The setting sun had dyed all of Flame Peak a golden red. The stone door had long since closed, blending back into the rock face as if it had never opened.

He turned and headed north.

He rode at an easy pace, sorting through the gains from his trip as he went.

The most valuable was, of course, the staff.

He untied it from his back and examined it as he rode. The staff was a deep red all over, made of neither metal nor wood. It felt warm in his hand, like the body of a living creature. The Magic Core set at its top was the size of an egg, with flames faintly flowing inside. Looking closely, he could see them turning slowly, never stopping.

Akes gripped the staff and slowly fed it his magic. It lit up at once, and the Magic Core at its top burst into dazzling red light. A wave of scorching power traveled back along the staff and into his body. It resonated with his own magic and with the Fallen Heart Flame, as if they had always been one.

"Good stuff."

He withdrew his magic and tied the staff back in place.

Next was the bottle of potion.

He pulled the little crystal bottle from his chest and held it up to the setting sun. The liquid inside was a deep blue, with flecks of silver floating through it. When he gave it a gentle shake, the flecks turned slowly, like a nebula.

Moonlight Spirit Liquid.

That was the name he had come up with himself. Judging by how it felt, it was probably some kind of treasure that enhanced one's perception through spiritual power, suitable for use before cultivation or battle. But he would have to study it more carefully after he returned to find out exactly what it did.

Last was the pill.

The Nine-Turn Fire Lotus Pill in its wooden box was deep red all over, with golden patterns on its surface. Old Chen had said it could greatly increase the magic of fire cultivators and even help them break through bottlenecks. Akes believed him. Just holding the box, he could feel the rich fire element contained within.

With those three items, the Magic Cores he had dug out of the magical beasts along the way, and the other odds and ends his team had divided up, the trip to the ruins had been a bountiful one.

Akes gathered his thoughts and focused on the road.

His horse's hooves beat a steady rhythm against the main road.

Five days later, he finally saw the walls of the Yulan Empire's Imperial Capital.

The tall walls gleamed a bluish gray in the sunlight. Guards stood at the gates with spears in hand, carefully checking everyone coming and going. When the captain of the guard spotted Akes riding toward them in the distance, his eyes lit up and he hurried over to greet him.

"Lord Akes! You're back!"

Akes reined in his horse and nodded. "Thanks for your hard work."

"It's no trouble at all!" The captain hurriedly waved his hands, then turned and shouted to the other guards, "Make way! Let the lord through!"

The people at the gate automatically cleared a path. Some looked on curiously, while those who recognized Akes whispered among themselves. He paid them no mind and urged his horse into the city.

As he passed through the gate, familiar streets spread out before him. The shops on either side were just as he remembered: fabric, sundries, food. Calls from the vendors rose one after another. He slowed his horse and let it walk on its own, occasionally glancing at the street.

After spending so long in the ruins, surrounded day after day by lava and rock, the bustling streets felt almost like another world.

A child selling candied hawthorns ran past. When he saw Akes's horse, he stopped timidly. Akes glanced at him, fished a few copper coins from his chest, and tossed them over. The child fumbled to catch them, then realized what had happened and happily held out a candied hawthorn.

Akes waved him away and rode on.

After turning down two streets, the signboard of the Earl's Mansion came into view.

"Lord Akes is back!" A servant at the entrance spotted him at once and called out to announce his return, then hurried over to take his horse.

Akes dismounted and handed him the reins. As soon as he entered the gate, he saw the steward, Kaman, hurrying toward him, unable to hide his delight.

"My lord! You're finally back!" Kaman came up to him and looked him over, making sure he was unharmed before finally breathing a sigh of relief. "Did everything go smoothly?"

"More or less." Akes headed inside. "How are things at home?"

"Everything's fine." Kaman followed at his side, reporting as they walked. "Nothing major happened this past month. Sir Holman came by twice, though. When he heard you were away, he said to let him know as soon as you returned. Also, the accounts for the shop in the north part of the city came in this month. Profits were up twenty percent from last month. And..."

Akes listened, nodding from time to time as they crossed the courtyard and entered the main house.

"We'll talk about all that later." He sat down in a chair and let out a long breath. "First, get me something to eat. I haven't had a proper meal on the road."

"Yes, yes, it's already prepared." Kaman waved, and a servant immediately went to arrange it.

Before long, steaming dishes were brought in. Akes helped himself without ceremony, picking up his chopsticks and digging in. He hadn't eaten a proper meal in a month. He could hunt and roast meat in the wild, but it was nowhere near as good as the cooking at the mansion.

Kaman stood nearby and waited until Akes had nearly finished before cautiously asking, "My lord, how was your haul this time?"

"Not bad." Akes picked up his teacup for a sip and leaned back in his chair. "I got a good staff. Have someone make a stand for it later and put it in the cultivation room. Make it out of redwood, with a sturdy base."

"Yes, my lord."

"Also, I'm going into seclusion for a while. I don't know how long it'll take. Handle things outside as usual. Unless it's especially urgent, don't disturb me."

"Understood." Kaman acknowledged the order, then hesitated before asking, "What about Sir Holman?"

Akes thought for a moment. "Send someone to tell him tomorrow that I'm back. Say I'll visit him in a couple of days."

"Yes, my lord."

After Kaman left, Akes leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest for a while.

A breeze drifted in through the window, carrying the scent of flowers from the garden. This place, where he had lived for several years, felt especially relaxing just then. In the ruins, he had to stay alert even while sleeping, always ready to deal with the unexpected. Now that he was back in his own home, he could finally let his guard down.

Once he had rested enough, he got up and went to the cultivation room.

As he opened the door, the familiar scorching air rushed over him. The magic array was still running despite a month without use, and the temperature hadn't dropped at all. The lines carved into the walls gave off a faint red glow, making the entire room feel like a giant furnace.

He took off his outer robe, sat cross-legged on the cushion, and laid out the items he had obtained on his trip.

First, he would study the potion.

He pulled out the stopper, and a cool aura spread through the room, sharply contrasting with its scorching heat. He enveloped a drop of the liquid in magic and carefully guided it to the center of his brow—the core of his spiritual power.

The moment the liquid touched his brow, he felt the whole world grow clearer.

Every groove in the lines on the walls came into sharp focus. He could even sense the paths magic followed as it flowed through them. Every speck of dust floating in the air was crystal clear. The chirping insects in the distant garden all came to him: where each one was, how far away it was, and even the frequency of its wingbeats.

The state lasted about ten breaths, then slowly faded.

Akes opened his eyes, now certain of its effects.

The potion really did enhance perception through spiritual power, and the effect was temporary. It lasted around ten to twenty breaths, depending on the amount used. In battle, it could help him sense the trajectory of an enemy's attack ahead of time or see through invisibility skills.

A good thing, but he had to use it when it mattered.

He put the potion away and picked up the Nine-Turn Fire Lotus Pill.

This was the main prize.

The pill was a deep red all over, and its golden patterns flowed under the light as if it were alive. Akes stared at it for a long while, then sent his magic into it to probe its contents. The fire element inside was so concentrated it had almost condensed into a solid. If he took it now, he was seventy percent sure he could break straight through to Eighth Rank Peak, and he might even touch the threshold of the ninth rank.

But he still decided not to take it yet.

He had only recently advanced to the high stage of the eighth rank, and his magic had yet to stabilize. Taking the pill now would be a waste. It was like building a house: if the foundation wasn't solid before he added more floors, sooner or later something would go wrong. Once some time had passed, his magic had accumulated to Eighth Rank Peak, and his foundation had firmed up, he could use it to break through to the ninth rank. That would give him the best and safest results.

He put the pill back in its wooden box and carefully stowed it away.

As for the staff—

He picked it up and fed it his magic. The Magic Core at its top glowed red. The temperature in the cultivation room suddenly rose, and the lines in the magic array on the walls began to flicker in response, vibrating with a resonant hum.

He activated the Fallen Heart Flame at the same time, and it called strongly to the Heavenly Flame. He could feel that fire magic cast with the staff would be at least fifty percent more powerful. Paired with the Fallen Heart Flame, it would become even stronger.

"Molten Heart." He softly spoke the name he had chosen for the staff. "That's what I'll call you from now on."

After putting everything away, Akes began his formal seclusion.

He sat in the Five-Hearts-Upward posture and visualized the Nuwa Diagram. The human-headed, serpent-bodied figure in his mind had become clear enough for him to make out every strand of hair. She sat cross-legged amid the Star River as the surrounding stars slowly revolved, each turn sending a thread of coolness seeping deep into his soul.

His spiritual power slowly grew.

The Fallen Heart Flame circulated through his body, tempering his magic day and night. The Heavenly Flame hovered in his dantian, continually breathing flames in and out. Each breath expelled minute impurities from his body, making his magic purer.

The Five Spirit Wheel also turned at full power, absorbing fire element from the world and transforming it into the purest magic. He could feel fire element from all around him pouring into his body like rivers flowing into the sea. The Five Spirit Wheel converted it into power of his own.

The days went by.

It was impossible to tell day from night in the cultivation room. Only the magic array on the walls shone red without pause. Akes sat motionless on the cushion, like a statue. Only the occasional rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.

When he was hungry, he ate the dried rations he had brought with him. When he was thirsty, he drank a few sips of water. When he was tired, he meditated to restore his energy. He was already used to this kind of cultivation, and even enjoyed it a little. Watching himself grow stronger day by day gave him a sense of fulfillment nothing else could replace.

Half a month later, Akes opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

His high-stage eighth-rank magic had completely stabilized, and he had even made a little more progress than before he entered the ruins. The Fallen Heart Flame had fused more deeply with his magic, and the Five Spirit Wheel turned more smoothly as well. The life-and-death battles in the ruins really had been more effective than simple seclusion.

He rolled his stiff neck and shoulders, stood up, and opened the door to leave the cultivation room.

The sunlight was dazzling, and he squinted. He saw Kaman standing in the garden, talking with Old Tom. Old Tom was the mansion's gardener, an old man with white hair. He was pointing at a few flowers in the garden as he said something.

"My lord, you're out of seclusion?" Kaman spotted him at once and hurried over. "You were in there quite a while this time."

"Only half a month. That's not long." Akes took a deep breath of fresh air. "What's happening with Holman?"

"Sir Holman came by again. He said you absolutely had to visit his residence; he had something important to discuss." Kaman paused. "He seemed rather anxious."

Akes nodded. "I'll go today."

That afternoon, he changed into clean clothes and rode to Holman's residence.

Holman was sprawled in the garden, sunning himself, with tea, snacks, and fruit on the small table beside him. He looked thoroughly at ease. When he saw Akes coming from a distance, he sat up in one quick motion, eyes shining.

"You're finally back! I thought something had happened to you!"

Akes sat down beside him and poured himself a cup of tea. "I was in seclusion for half a month. What's going on? What's so urgent?"

"It's not urgent. I was just curious." Holman leaned closer, looking eager for gossip. "I heard you went to the Southern Volcano ruins. How was it? Come on, tell me!"

Akes glanced at him, raised his teacup for a sip, and gave him a brief account of what had happened in the ruins. The stone door, the wards, the flame puppets, the skeletons on the final level—he told him what he could and kept quiet about what he must, giving only the general outline.

Holman listened with shining eyes, gasping in amazement from time to time and slapping his thigh as he lamented, "If I'd known, I would've gone too! Such a great ruin, so many treasures, and there I was at home sunning myself!"

"You couldn't have gone." Akes didn't spare him. "You're only seventh rank. You'd have gone in and died."

"That hurts." Holman clutched his chest and put on a pained expression, then broke into a grin. "But seriously, I'm glad you made it back alive. A place like that—just surviving is an achievement."

Akes nodded.

Holman poured him a glass of wine. "What are your plans now? Keep cultivating?"

"Yeah. I might take a trip to the O'Brien Empire in a while."

"O'Brien?" Holman froze, his wineglass suspended in midair. "What are you going there for? It's one of the four great empires on the continent, with experts everywhere. It's nothing like our Yulan Empire."

Akes raised his glass and took a sip. "Just going for a look around, see what's happening."

Holman glanced at him but didn't ask any more. He knew Akes's nature; if Akes didn't want to say, asking wouldn't help. Still, he couldn't help warning him. "The O'Brien Empire is no simple place. Its people are warlike, and they'll throw a punch at the slightest disagreement. Be careful if you go."

"I know."

They drank together all afternoon and chatted about odds and ends. Holman told him about the latest gossip in the Imperial Capital: whose son had gotten married, whose shop had run into trouble. Akes listened, occasionally adding a comment or two. At dusk, he took his leave.

As he rode home, the setting sun turned the streets gold. Akes thought about his plans. He was definitely going to the O'Brien Empire. It had better cultivation resources, stronger opponents, and more opportunities. But before he went, he needed to take the Nine-Turn Fire Lotus Pill and raise his strength another step.

When he returned to the Earl's Mansion, he went straight to the cultivation room.

He took out the wooden box and opened it. The Nine-Turn Fire Lotus Pill lay quietly inside, as red as blood. Akes took a deep breath, picked up the pill, and put it in his mouth.