Chapter 488: Consolidation and a Dream
Chapter 488: Consolidation and a Dream
Kyrian returned to his courtyard late at night.
The streets of the Sky Caravan were still bustling, though far less than they had been a few hours earlier.
The festival’s euphoria had gradually faded as the night wore on, replaced by a pleasant weariness that spread through the city like a gentle tide.
Spiritual lanterns swayed softly in the night breeze, casting golden light across the stone pathways, creating dancing shadows that seemed to have a life of their own.
In the distance, music could still be heard, string and wind instruments intertwining in ancient melodies.
Occasional bursts of laughter echoed from a restaurant or drink stall, where groups of cultivators celebrated the day’s achievements.
The constant activity of the Festival of the Heavenly Descent continued, but now at a slower, more intimate pace.
But here... in his small courtyard... everything was peaceful.
Kyrian slowly closed the wooden gate, the sound of the latch echoing softly through the silent night.
He walked to the center of the garden, his feet finding the familiar path through the darkness. The grass was soft beneath his boots, and the air carried the fragrance of spiritual flowers that bloomed only beneath the moonlight.
The small spiritual tree swayed gently in the wind. Its leaves each shimmered with a silvery glow. The artificial pond perfectly reflected the moon, its surface as smooth as glass, undisturbed by even the slightest current.
It was a quiet place. An oasis of peace in the midst of the busiest city Kyrian had ever known.
Perfect for cultivation.
Without wasting any time, he sat down on the smooth stone he used every day. Its surface was already slightly warm from his constant presence, as though the stone had grown accustomed to his touch.
He closed his eyes.
His third dantian slowly began to rotate. The sensation was familiar now, the continuous flow of energy, the rhythmic spiral movement of Qi.
The small core embedded in his forehead emitted an almost imperceptible glow as it continuously circulated Qi through his meridians.
Lightning Qi flowed throughout his entire body. At first slowly, like a river awakening after a long drought. Then more and more smoothly, more powerfully, more controlled.
The newly formed core no longer showed any instability. The irregularities that had existed during its first days had been smoothed away, polished by time and constant practice.
After the two battles and the long consolidation session the previous night... its operation had become extremely natural.
It was as though that third dantian had always existed, as though Kyrian had been born with it.
Kyrian cultivated for nearly two hours.
He did not attempt a breakthrough. He did not seek to advance to the next stage. He merely consolidated, refining every circulation, smoothing every transition, and strengthening every connection between his meridians.
Each circulation made his control even more refined. The Qi flowed with less resistance, responding to his will more quickly.
It was like sharpening a blade, not a dramatic change, but a gradual improvement that transformed something good into something excellent.
When he finally opened his eyes... the moon had climbed even higher into the sky. Its silvery light bathed the garden, creating a scene of ethereal beauty.
’It’s stable.’
He thought with satisfaction. The core not only worked, it worked well. Better than he had expected after such a short time since its formation.
He slowly stood up, stretching his arms above his head. His muscles were relaxed, his mind clear. The cultivation session had been exactly what he needed.
He entered the room. The space was simple, a wooden bed, a small table, a window overlooking the garden. But it was enough. More than enough.
He removed only his boots, placing them carefully beside the bed. Then he lay down on the simple wooden bed. The mattress was firm but comfortable, and the pillow was filled with spiritual herbs that promoted deep sleep.
He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. The dark wood was smooth and unadorned, a contrast to the wealth that surrounded him outside.
’I wonder if I’ll have that dream again.’
The question arose naturally, just as it had every night.
Ever since he had encountered that enormous eye, ever since he had arrived at the Sky Caravan, his dreams had never been ordinary again.
Before, they had been fragments, scattered memories, meaningless images, the subconscious processing things naturally. But now...
At first, there had only been the eye. Enormous, impossible, a vision that defied comprehension. Then the mysterious female silhouette had appeared, a figure shrouded in shadows whose face remained hidden. Now... not even he knew what to expect.
Kyrian slowly closed his eyes.
A few minutes later... he fell asleep.
...
When he opened his eyes again... everything was darkness.
An absolute darkness, without the slightest variation in shade or depth. It was not the darkness of night, where the eyes eventually adjust and begin to make out subtle shapes.
This was primordial darkness, the complete absence of light, as though the very concept of illumination had never existed.
No sky. No ground. No direction. It was as though space itself had disappeared, leaving only the void.
Kyrian remained motionless for a few seconds, processing the transition. He already knew this place. The sensation of floating within nothingness, of existing in a space that defied the laws of physics.
The feeling returned immediately, as familiar as it was unsettling.
Someone was watching him.
No... not someone.
Something.
Then... far above him... the enormous eye appeared once again.
It was gigantic. Larger than any mountain Kyrian had ever seen. Larger than any formation or structure he could imagine.
The eye seemed to occupy the entire horizon, its presence crushing any notion of scale.
Its vertical pupil seemed to tear through reality itself, a rift in existence that stretched beyond comprehension. Around its iris... hundreds... no... thousands of those tiny black dots remained perfectly still.
Like dead stars orbiting a doomed universe, each one a reminder of something Kyrian could not understand.
The instant he looked directly at that creature... Kyrian’s own eyes changed once again.
The violet disappeared, replaced by absolute darkness. His eyes became completely black. Without the slightest gleam. Without visible pupils, in truth, there seemed to be only a tiny black pupil within each eye socket, as though light itself were incapable of reaching them.
Just as happened every time in that strange dream, ever since he had absorbed that unknown black Qi from the Endless Needles Technique.