Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation Chapter 541: Conversation with Gao Ziyue

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Previously on Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation...
Kyrian impressed his master with his rapid progress in blacksmithing, creating three swords in a single day. His master noted Kyrian's exceptional learning speed and predicted he would soon study spiritual weapons. Kyrian reflected on the shared principles between forging, alchemy, and cultivation, feeling his third dantian stabilize as a result. He then returned to his courtyard to cultivate and assimilate his new insights before preparing for rest.

Kyrian fell asleep much faster than he had expected.

The calming herbal tea was still pleasantly warming his stomach, a comforting sensation spreading from the center of his abdomen throughout his entire body, when his consciousness began to drift away.

There was none of that slow transition between wakefulness and sleep, nor the strange feeling of gradually sinking into unconsciousness that usually accompanied falling asleep.

It was almost instantaneous.

One moment...

He was still silently staring at the wooden ceiling of his small rented house, his violet eyes tracing the natural grain of the wood, the tiny cracks that told stories of years of use.

The next... Everything disappeared.

Infinite darkness enveloped him once more, like a cloak of black velvet closing over his consciousness. The physical world dissolved, and he was pulled into the depths of his own subconscious, to the place that was already beginning to feel familiar.

Azhura’k’s domain.

The same endless black expanse as always, an ocean of darkness that seemed to stretch beyond the limits of human comprehension. No ground, no sky, no stars, no point of reference. Only an absolute void that appeared to extend infinitely in every direction.

There was no light, yet Kyrian could see. There was no sound, yet he could hear the silence. There was no temperature, yet he could feel the coolness of that place. It was a paradoxical existence, a space that defied the laws of the physical world.

At the center of that silent universe remained the colossal presence Kyrian already knew well.

The enormous golden eye.

So gigantic that even a small portion of its iris was larger than entire mountain ranges. Its surface was as smooth as polished glass, yet it held depths that seemed to contain entire universes.

The golden iris pulsed slowly, radiating an ancient, mysterious pressure impossible to comprehend. It was like standing before a slumbering deity, a being whose power transcended all mortal understanding.

Kyrian slowly opened his violet eyes. He breathed the nonexistent air of that place.

Strangely... There was no longer any fear.

No longer that uncomfortable feeling of being trapped in an unfamiliar place, nor the anxiety that arose before the incomprehensible. After visiting it several times, Azhura’k’s domain no longer felt hostile.

Quite the opposite.

Now there was only a quietness that was difficult to explain, a peace beyond words. A silent tranquility that wrapped around his soul like a warm blanket.

And... A small sense of anticipation.

Something that made his heart beat slightly faster, an expectation he could not quite put into words.

Without wasting any time, Kyrian began walking.

Soon, his steps turned into a steady run, his feet finding invisible support with every stride. The movement was fluid and natural, as if he were running across an unseen plain.

He already knew the way.

Or perhaps... The domain itself was guiding him.

It did not take long.

Shortly afterward...

A familiar silhouette appeared before the gigantic golden eye.

Gao Ziyue.

She remained exactly as she had the previous times. One delicate hand rested gently upon Azhura’k’s enormous iris, as though she were caressing a living creature. Her slender fingers moved in nearly imperceptible patterns, tracing circles and lines across the golden surface.

The shadows still completely enveloped her body, a thick, dark mist covering her like a cloak. The black fog concealed her face, her hair, and even part of her presence, making it impossible to discern any detail of her true appearance.

When she noticed Kyrian approaching...

She slowly turned around.

"You came earlier tonight."

Her voice remained exactly the same. Calm. Gentle. And carrying that subtle weariness that never seemed to leave her, as though she bore the weight of centuries upon her invisible shoulders.

Kyrian walked forward until he stopped a few meters away from her.

"I believe the herbal tea I prepared made me fall asleep faster."

A faint smile appeared on his lips, a gesture he could not completely suppress.

"So I arrived earlier."

She gently tilted her head, a movement filled with natural grace. The gesture gave the impression that she was smiling behind the mist, an expression Kyrian could sense even without seeing it.

"Sit down..."

Her voice echoed softly through the void.

"There are no chairs here... but the void is usually generous."

Kyrian nodded.

He naturally sat down upon that invisible ground, his muscles relaxing after the day’s exertion.

To his surprise... It was as solid as stone.

Gao Ziyue remained standing for a few seconds.

Then... She sat down as well.

Still close to the gigantic golden eye, her hand continued to rest gently upon its iris, tracing tiny, almost imperceptible movements across its surface. The contact seemed comforting to her, an anchor amidst the emptiness.

Silence settled between the two.

But this time... It was not uncomfortable. Quite the opposite.

Especially for Gao Ziyue.

Throughout all the time she had been trapped within that domain, she had always been completely alone. There had been no voices. No conversations. No companionship other than Azhura’k, whose presence was immense, yet relatively silent.

Having another person there, even if they remained silent, was an entirely new feeling. Kyrian’s presence filled a void she had never even realized existed.

And... Curiously, it was pleasant.

Beside them... Azhura’k’s enormous eye pulsed slowly.

As though it were silently observing a conversation that had not yet begun.

After a few moments... It was Gao Ziyue who broke the silence.

"May I ask you a few questions?"

Kyrian answered immediately, his voice carrying a sincerity that needed no effort.

"Of course."

She remained silent for a few seconds, organizing her thoughts.

Then she asked,

"You... where did you really come from?"

Her voice carried genuine curiosity, almost childlike in its purity.

"I can clearly see the Bone of Heaven inside your body."

She observed Kyrian through the mist, her unseen eyes fixed upon him.

"It is something extremely rare. Almost no one is born with it."

"And those who are... usually belong to the oldest and most powerful families in the world."

She paused briefly, as though carefully choosing her words.

"But..."

"I haven’t heard any news of a new Bone of Heaven bearer being born in recent years."

Kyrian reflected for only a moment.

For some reason... He felt he should not hide anything from her.

Even he could not explain why. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of the domain, which seemed to encourage honesty. Perhaps it was Azhura’k’s presence, whose ancient nature rendered lies meaningless.

Or perhaps...

Perhaps it was simply her. He simply... wanted to answer honestly.

So he spoke calmly.

"I wasn’t born with it."

Gao Ziyue’s silhouette seemed to stiffen, her posture suddenly becoming rigid.

"You weren’t born with it?"

"No."

Kyrian answered naturally.

"It was implanted into me a few months ago."

The silence that followed seemed even deeper than the void of that domain itself. The darkness itself seemed to condense around them, as though the universe were processing that information.

Gao Ziyue remained completely motionless.

Several seconds passed before her voice emerged again.

"Implanted...?"

There was unmistakable astonishment in her tone, an incredulity that went beyond words.

She let out a small disbelieving laugh, a sound balanced between admiration and shock.

"You..."

"Are unbelievably lucky."

She paused again.

"And unbelievably brave."

Kyrian raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Brave?"

"Implanting a Bone of Heaven into someone who wasn’t born with it..."

Her voice became serious, filled with warning.

"Almost always ends horribly."

"The body rejects it, the meridians shatter, the Qi runs rampant."

"I’ve heard stories of people who exploded from the inside during the process. Others completely lost their minds. And some simply lost their souls."

She slowly turned her face toward him again, the mist shifting with the movement.

"And yet... you’re here. Whole. With the Bone of Heaven functioning perfectly."

Her voice carried a curiosity she could not hide.

"How did that happen?"

Kyrian took a deep breath.

The memories of that day remained vivid in his mind, carved into his soul like scars. The pain. The scorching heat that seemed to melt his bones from the inside out. The sensation that his body would be torn apart, ripped in half by forces beyond his comprehension.

It all felt as though it had happened only yesterday.

"It wasn’t exactly my choice at first."

He answered honestly.

"During a certain situation... an ancient Fire Spirit implanted the Bone of Heaven into my body."