Going Home

It was dusk when he emerged from the Volcanic Ruins.

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

He turned around and began walking north.

He rode his horse at a leisurely pace, organizing the spoils of his trip as he traveled.

The most valuable item was, naturally, the staff.

He unslung the staff from his back and examined it while riding. The shaft was a deep, dark red, made of a material that was neither metal nor wood. It felt warm to the touch, as if he were gripping the body of a living creature. The magic core embedded at the top was the size of a hen's egg, with flames faintly flowing within; if one looked closely, one could see those flames rotating slowly, never ceasing.

Akes gripped the shaft and slowly channeled his magic power into it. The staff lit up instantly, the core at its tip erupting with a dazzling red light, and a scorching force surged back into his body along the shaft. That power resonated with his own magic, resonated with the Fallen Heart Flame, as if they were one and the same.

"Good stuff."

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

Next was the potion.

He pulled the small crystal bottle from his robes and held it up to the setting sun. The liquid was a ghostly blue with specks of silver light floating within; a gentle shake caused those specks to rotate slowly like a nebula.

Moonlight Spirit Liquid.

That was the name he had given it himself. Judging by the sensation, it should be a treasure capable of enhancing spiritual perception, suitable for use before cultivation or combat. However, the specific effects would have to wait until he returned and studied it properly.

Finally, there was the medicinal pill.

The Nine-Turn Fire Lotus Pill in the wooden box was deep red all over, with golden patterns on its surface. Old Chen had said this thing could significantly boost the magic power of fire-attribute cultivators and even help break through bottlenecks. He believed it, because just holding the box, he could feel the rich fire elements contained within.

With these three items, plus the magic cores he had dug out from the beasts he killed along the way, and the other scraps distributed by the team, this trip to the ruins had been a fruitful one.

Akes pulled back his thoughts and focused on the journey.

The horse's hooves struck the main road, producing a rhythmic clatter.

Five days later, he finally saw the city walls of the capital of the Yulan Empire.

The towering walls shimmered with a greenish-gray hue under the sunlight, and the guards at the gate held long spears, diligently inspecting the crowds entering and exiting. Seeing Akes riding toward them from afar, the captain of the guards brightened and hurried to meet him.

"Lord Akes! You've returned!"

Akes reined in his horse and nodded. "You've worked hard."

"Not at all, not at all!" The guard captain waved his hands hurriedly, then turned and shouted to the other guards, "Clear the way, let the Lord through!"

The commoners at the gate automatically parted to make a path; curious gazes were cast his way, and those who recognized him whispered among themselves. Akes paid them no mind and urged his horse into the city.

Passing through the gate, the familiar streets rushed to meet him. The shops on both sides were the same as ever—selling cloth, sundries, and food—with shouts and calls rising one after another. He slowed his horse, letting it walk on its own, occasionally glancing at the scenes along the street.

Having stayed in the ruins for so long, facing nothing but magma and rock, seeing these bustling street scenes now felt like a lifetime ago.

A child selling candied haws ran past and stopped timidly upon seeing his horse. Akes glanced at him and fished a few copper coins from his robes to toss over. The child caught them in a flurry, then realized what had happened and happily held out a candied haw.

Akes waved his hand and urged his horse away.

After turning two streets, the plaque of the Earl's Mansion appeared in his field of vision.

"The Lord is back!" A servant at the entrance spotted him immediately and shouted the news, while trotting over to take the reins.

Akes dismounted and handed over the reins. Just as he stepped through the main gate, he saw the steward Kaman hurrying out to meet him, an undisguised joy on his face.

"My Lord! You've finally returned!" Kaman walked up to him, looked him up and down to confirm he was unharmed, and only then let out a sigh of relief. "Was the journey smooth?"

"It was alright." Akes walked inside. "How is the house?"

"Everything is well, everything is well." Kaman followed at his side, reporting as they walked. "There have been no major events this month, except that Sir Holman came by twice. Hearing you were out, he said to be sure to notify him when you returned. Also, the accounts for the shop in the North City for this month have been delivered; the profits are twenty percent higher than last month. And..."

Akes nodded as he listened, crossing the courtyard and entering the main house.

"We'll talk about these things later." He sat down in a chair and let out a long breath. "Get me something to eat first; I haven't had a proper meal on the road."

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

Before long, hot food was brought up. Akes did not stand on ceremony and picked up his chopsticks to eat. He hadn't had a decent meal in a month; although he could hunt and roast meat in the wild, it was far inferior to the craftsmanship of his own mansion.

Kaman stood to the side, and only when he saw that Akes had finished eating did he cautiously speak up: "My Lord, how were the gains from this trip?"

"Not bad." Akes picked up his teacup for a sip and leaned back in his chair. "I got a good staff. Have someone make me a stand for it later to put in the cultivation room. Use rosewood, and make the base sturdy."

"Yes."

"Also, I will be going into seclusion for a period of time, the duration is uncertain. Handle the outside affairs as usual; unless it is something extremely urgent, do not disturb me."

"Understood." Kaman acknowledged, then hesitated before asking, "And what about Sir Holman..."

Akes thought for a moment. "Send someone to tell him tomorrow. Just say I've returned and will visit him in a couple of days."

"Yes."

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

The wind blew in from the window, carrying the fragrance of flowers from the garden. This place, where he had lived for several years, made him feel exceptionally relaxed at this moment. In the ruins, even when sleeping, he had to remain vigilant, ready to deal with emergencies at any time. Now that he was back in his own mansion, he could finally let his guard down.

Resting enough, he got up and went to the cultivation room.

Pushing open the door, a familiar scorching heat rushed toward him. With no one using it for a month, the magic array was still running, and the temperature hadn't dropped at all. The patterns on the walls emitted a faint red light, and the entire room felt like a giant furnace.

He took off his outer robe, sat cross-legged on the cushion, and placed the items he had obtained on this trip in front of him.

First, he studied the potion.

He pulled out the stopper, and a cool, refreshing scent wafted out, forming a sharp contrast to the scorching heat in the room. He wrapped a drop of the liquid in his magic power and carefully guided it to the center of his brow—the core of his mental strength.

The moment the liquid touched his brow, he felt the entire world sharpen.

The patterns on the walls, every single carving, were clearly visible; he could even perceive the trajectory of magic power flowing through the grooves. Every speck of dust floating in the air was distinct. The chirping of insects in the distant garden, the position and distance of each one, and even the frequency of their wing vibrations, all flooded into his mind.

This state lasted for about ten breaths before slowly fading away.

Akes opened his eyes, having gauged its value.

This potion could indeed enhance mental perception, though the effect was temporary. It lasted roughly ten to twenty breaths, depending on the dosage. Using it in combat would allow him to anticipate an enemy's attack trajectory in advance or see through stealth-type skills.

Good stuff, but it had to be used at the critical moment.

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

This was the main event.

The pill was entirely crimson, and the golden patterns on its surface flowed under the light as if they were alive. Akes stared at the pill for a long time, probing it with his magic power. The fire elements contained within the pill were so dense they had almost condensed into a physical substance. If he consumed it now, he was seventy percent certain he could break through directly to the peak of the eighth rank, with a chance to even touch the threshold of the ninth rank.

But he decided not to eat it just yet.

He had only recently broken through to the high stage of the eighth rank, and his magic power had not yet stabilized; eating this pill now would be a waste. It was like building a house—if the foundation wasn't solid, problems would arise sooner or later. After some time, when his magic power had accumulated to the peak of the eighth rank and his foundation was firm, using it to charge toward the ninth rank would yield the best and safest results.

He placed the pill back into the wooden box and tucked it away carefully.

As for that staff—

He picked up the staff and injected his magic power, causing the magic core at the top to glow with red light. The temperature in the cultivation room rose abruptly, and the magic array patterns on the walls flickered in response, emitting a humming resonance.

He simultaneously channeled the Fallen Heart Flame, creating a strong echo between the staff and the exotic flame. He could feel that using this staff to cast fire-type magic would increase its power by at least fifty percent. If combined with the Fallen Heart Flame, the power could rise even further.

"Molten Heart." He whispered the name he had chosen for the staff. "From now on, you shall be called Molten Heart."

After putting everything away, Akes began his formal seclusion.

He sat with his five hearts facing the sky, visualizing the Nuwa Diagram. The figure with a human head and snake body in his mind was now so clear he could see every strand of hair. She sat cross-legged amidst the galaxy, with stars slowly rotating around her; each rotation caused a trace of cool energy to seep into the depths of his soul.

His mental strength grew slowly.

The Fallen Heart Flame circulated within his body, tempering his magic power day and night. That cluster of exotic flame hovered in his dantian, constantly breathing fire; with every breath, minute impurities were expelled from his body, and his magic power became purer.

The Five Spirit Wheel also operated at full capacity, absorbing fire elements from heaven and earth and converting them into the purest magic power. He could feel the surrounding fire elements surging into his body like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, becoming his own strength after being converted by the Five Spirit Wheel.

Days passed one by one.

In the cultivation room, there was no distinction between day and night; only the red light from the magic arrays on the walls remained constant. Akes sat cross-legged on his cushion, motionless, like a statue. Only the occasional rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.

When hungry, he ate the dry rations he had brought; when thirsty, he drank a few sips of water; when tired, he meditated to restore his mental state. He had long been accustomed to this life of secluded cultivation, and even enjoyed it to some extent. Watching himself grow stronger day by day provided a sense of fulfillment that nothing else could replace.

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

His high-stage eighth-rank magic power was thoroughly stabilized, even having progressed slightly more than before he entered the ruins. The fusion between the Fallen Heart Flame and his magic power had deepened, and the operation of the Five Spirit Wheel had become smoother. The life-and-death battles in the ruins were indeed more effective than simple seclusion.

He stretched his stiff neck and shoulders, stood up, and pushed the door open to leave the cultivation room.

The sunlight was blinding; he squinted and saw Kaman standing in the garden talking to Old Tom. Old Tom was the gardener of the mansion, a white-haired old man, who was currently pointing at some flowers in the garden while saying something.

"Has the Master finished his seclusion?" Kaman had sharp eyes; he spotted him immediately and hurried over. "You were in seclusion for quite a while this time."

"Only half a month, not that long." Akes took a deep breath of fresh air. "How are things with Holman?"

"Sir Holman came by once more, saying you must visit his mansion; he has something important." Kaman paused. "Judging by his manner, he seemed quite urgent."

Akes nodded. "I'll go today."

In the afternoon, he changed into clean clothes and rode his horse to Holman's mansion.

Holman was lying in the garden sunbathing, with tea, snacks, and fruit set on a small table beside him, looking quite content. Seeing Akes enter from afar, he sat up with a start, his eyes lighting up.

"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 wrong? Why the rush?"

"It's not exactly urgent, just curiosity." Holman leaned in, looking gossipy. "I heard you went to the Southern Volcano ruins? How was it? Tell me, tell me!"

Akes glanced at him, picked up his teacup, and took a sip, briefly recounting the events in the ruins. The stone gate, the restrictions, the fire puppets, the skeleton on the final level—he told what should be told and omitted what should be hidden, giving only a general overview.

Holman's eyes shone as he listened, occasionally exclaiming in wonder and slapping his thigh, regretting his absence. "If I had known, I would have gone too! Such a great ruin, so many treasures, and here I was at home lying in the sun!"

"You couldn't have gone." Akes crushed his hopes without mercy. "You're only seventh rank; going in would have been suicide."

"That stings." Holman clutched his chest, putting on a pained expression, then laughed again. "But seriously, it's good you made it out alive. In a place like that, just surviving is a skill in itself."

Akes nodded.

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

"Hmm, I might go to the O'Brien Empire for a while."

"O'Brien?" Holman was stunned, his wine glass hovering in mid-air. "What for? That's one of the four great empires of the continent, filled with experts; it's not something our Yulan Empire can compare to."

Akes took a sip of his wine. "Just wandering around, seeing the sights."

Holman looked at him but didn't ask further. He knew Akes's temperament; if he didn't want to say, asking was useless. However, he couldn't help but remind him, "The O'Brien Empire is not simple. The people there are inherently warlike and will fight at the slightest disagreement. Be careful when you go."

"I know."

The two drank wine for the afternoon and chatted about trivial matters. Holman talked about the latest gossip in the Imperial Capital—whose son had married, whose shop had run into trouble—and Akes listened, occasionally interjecting a word or two. At dusk, he took his leave.

Riding his horse on the way home, the setting sun dyed the streets gold. Akes thought about his next steps. He had to go to the O'Brien Empire; there were better cultivation resources, stronger opponents, and more opportunities there. But before that, he had to consume the Nine-Turn Fire Lotus Pill to raise his strength another notch.

Returning to the Earl's Mansion, he went straight into the cultivation room.

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