Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation Chapter 377 - 378

The fiery Spirit appeared to be comprised entirely of Fire Qi, an exceedingly pure form that Kyrian could sense its quality even from a distance.

Yet, strangely...

The chamber’s temperature remained uninfluenced by its presence.

It was as if the Spirit completely masked its energy. All of its immense power seemed perfectly contained within its translucent form, not allowing even a degree of wasted heat to escape.

‘Absolute control,’ Kyrian mused.

Then, the Spirit spoke.

Its voice resonated, hoarse and deep, filled with reverberations.

It sounded akin to volcanic rocks shattering within molten lava.

"You have arrived."

Kyrian withheld his reply.

The two beings simply regarded each other.

Kyrian scrutinized the Spirit – its form, its Qi, its demeanor.

The Spirit, in turn, observed Kyrian – his eyes, his cultivation level, his aura.

A full minute elapsed in mutual silence.

Both parties seemed imbued with curiosity.

Kyrian had never encountered a Fire Spirit before. He had encountered them in the Blood Library, within the scrolls provided by Dong Zhen. However, reading about a phenomenon and witnessing it firsthand were vastly different experiences.

Then, abruptly...

Kyrian perceived a distinct sensation passing through his body.

It wasn't pain, nor physical discomfort. It was an unusual feeling, reminiscent of spiritual sense, yet distinct.

‘Hot,’ Kyrian thought.

‘Intensely hot.’

The sensation traversed his entire being, from the crown of his head to his toes, across his limbs and torso. It was like an unseen wave attempting to meticulously analyze every facet of his existence.

Kyrian’s brow furrowed slightly.

The experience was unsettling.

Not due to pain, but its intrusive nature. Kyrian disliked being dissected. Who wouldn’t?

However, he offered no resistance.

It was evident that the Spirit far surpassed his own strength. If its intention was harm, such a probing technique would be unnecessary.

Three seconds later, the sensation vanished.

And in that precise instant...

The Spirit’s expression underwent a radical transformation.

Its orange eyes, appearing to hold burning stars within their depths, widened considerably.

"Impossible..." Its voice boomed, louder than before, echoing through the chamber like subdued thunder.

"How can this be?"

Kyrian’s eyebrow lifted fractionally.

"What precisely?"

The Spirit continued to fix its gaze upon him in sheer disbelief, its fiery eyes scanning Kyrian’s form as if beholding an impossibility.

"You are not linked to the Heavenly Will."

A momentary silence enveloped the chamber. Even the magma below seemed to hush, as if the very volcano were paying heed.

Kyrian’s frown deepened instantly.

‘Heavenly Will.’ The term was utterly foreign to him.

"Aside from your peculiar eyes, the origin of which I cannot discern, and the minor mark upon your hand, which is indeed connected to the Heavenly Will..."

The Spirit proceeded slowly, as if carefully formulating each word before utterance.

"The remainder of your being... is entirely disconnected from anything."

"How is such a thing conceivable?"

Kyrian remained still for several seconds.

His gaze drifted to his own hand, towards the subtle mark that invariably pulsed with warmth whenever he perceived natural formations.

He had never understood its nature, only its persistent presence.

He then lifted his eyes once more.

"What precisely is this Heavenly Will?" he inquired calmly.

A flicker of annoyance crossed the Spirit’s features. Perhaps due to Kyrian’s lack of knowledge, or perhaps the necessity of explaining what it considered common understanding.

"Mortals are truly unenlightened."

Its voice reverberated throughout the entire dome, amplified by the chamber’s natural acoustics.

"The Heavenly Will represents the supreme governing principle of this world."

"All existence is intrinsically bound to it."

"Every living entity."

"And every object."

"It is through the Heavenly Will that individuals can cultivate spiritual energy, that Qi finds its flow, that meridians open, and that cores are formed."

The Spirit narrowed its incandescent eyes.

"At least... I had presumed universal connectivity."

"Until I encountered you."

Kyrian absorbed this revelation silently.

He had never encountered this concept before. Not in any text he had studied, nor in discussions with fellow cultivators.

However, then...

A sudden clarity dawned within his mind.

‘If the Heavenly Will is the ultimate law, and mortals exist beyond its purview…’

"Perhaps it is because I am a mortal," he stated equably.

"What?"

The Spirit appeared genuinely perplexed. Its fiery brow knitted, creating wrinkles of pure flame.

"Mortals possess no capacity for cultivation," Kyrian elucidated, his tone even.

"They cannot perceive Qi. Nor can they manipulate it. Qi merely passes through them as if they were non-existent, neither settling nor being absorbed."

"Regardless of their efforts."

The Spirit’s flaming gaze slowly shifted, processing this information.

"...Such beings exist?"

Its voice dripped with pure disdain, the contempt of one unfamiliar with limitations.

"Then those mortals are even more useless than ordinary humans."

But then doubt surfaced again, confusion returning to its flaming face.

"If mortals cannot cultivate..."

"How do you cultivate?"

Kyrian answered without hesitation, his voice firm.

"I possess an Innate Talent."

"It allows me to cultivate differently. It allows me to manipulate Qi even as a mortal. It is an anomaly, an exception to the rule."

The Spirit remained silent.

Clearly processing that information, it was obvious it had never heard of something like this in all its long years of existence.

Finally, after some time, it spoke again.

"I thought you were the perfect heir for Ming Hai."

Its voice now carried uncertainty, something that had not been there before. The conviction it had shown at the entrance had vanished, replaced by doubt.

"Your talent is undeniable. Your eyes... your eyes impress me. And that gray flame... I have never seen anything like it."

"But now... I am not sure."

Kyrian did not react. His face remained expressionless, his eyes fixed on the Spirit’s. He simply continued observing.

The Spirit seemed to be thinking deeply. Its flaming eyes moved from side to side, following some internal pattern of thought.

It clearly did not want to remain trapped in that place for more centuries waiting for another successor. Ming Hai had died eight hundred years ago. The Spirit had guarded his inheritance all that time, alone, waiting.

And Kyrian was absurdly talented.

Even strange.

Even abnormal.

Even as a mortal.

'Perhaps.' The Spirit thought.

'Perhaps this is the best that will appear in the next centuries... I need to try.'

Finally, after a long pause, the Spirit made its decision.

"Child."

"Open Ming Hai’s tomb."

Kyrian immediately approached the coffin.

He did not hesitate. He did not ask why. He simply acted.

Without hesitation, he placed his hand over the red runes.

The Eyes of the Gray Flame appeared, Fire Qi beginning to flow from his eyes into the runes.

Instantly, the thousands of runes lit up.

One by one, in rapid sequence, the ancient inscriptions awakened from their long slumber. Red. Orange. Golden.

The entire altar began to tremble.

The stones vibrated. The ground shook. Even the magma below seemed to move in sync with the runes, as if the volcano itself were responding to the awakening.

Then, a gigantic orange flame exploded from the coffin.

The pillar of fire shot toward the ceiling of the dome, so intense that Kyrian had to close his eyes for a moment. It illuminated the entire bridge, the entire altar, and the entire colossal chamber with a radiance that resembled the light of a rising sun.

The magma below churned violently, gigantic waves crashing against the walls.

The Fire Qi became so dense it felt liquid. Kyrian could feel it in the air, on his skin, and in his lungs. Every breath was like swallowing fire.

Five seconds passed.

Five seconds of intense heat, blinding light, and ancient power awakening.

Then the flame vanished.

As suddenly as it had appeared.

And the coffin lid...

Disintegrated.

Turning into ashes.

It did not crack apart. It did not open. It simply crumbled, transforming into fine particles that floated in the air for a moment before vanishing completely.

Kyrian looked inside the tomb.

And for the first time since entering the Great Volcano...

His expression completely changed.

Surprise.

Because inside the coffin...

It was not merely an ordinary corpse.