For the next couple of days, Jaya did everything she could to speak with Jalen, but he was infuriatingly elusive. Even her patience was wearing thin.
"Just give up on the kid," Walford sighed. "He's strong and proud. There's no way he'll help us."
"You've been saying that since we met him," Jaya snapped. "But we won't know if he will help us unless we ask."
"He won't give you the opportunity to ask. Every time he senses us nearby, he vanishes. He used formation spells on his cabin to keep people out and block sound. He's making it very clear—he doesn't want to be disturbed by anyone."
"You're such a pessimist," Jaya muttered, rolling her eyes.
__
On the morning of their arrival, the ship finally docked at the glowing harbor of the Rale continent, after nearly a full month of crossing turbulent waters. The city shimmered in the distance, wrapped in sunlight and mystery.
Jaya lingered on deck, eyes combing the crowd for any trace of Jalen. Nothing.
With no other choice, she and Walford disembarked and headed toward the royal palace to prove that she'd managed to keep her seal safe within the time frame required to move on to the next task of the royal challenge.
__
Meanwhile,
Jalen kept his aura suppressed, his first technique of his spirit wind art Breath Like Dust blending him into the crowd as if he belonged there. No grand entrance. No aura flares. Just soft footsteps and sharp eyes.
The royal capital of Bellini—one of the fifty autonomous states of the vast Rale continent—was unlike anything he'd seen. Even Ember Fall City felt like a village beside Bellini's grand spires and sprawling breadth. Floating platforms soared overhead like rivers in the sky. Streets rippled with energy, not just from spirit tools or cultivators, but from the density of life.
It was crowded, yes—but not chaotic. Cultivators and citizens mingled freely, dressed in silks, leathers, ceremonial cloaks, and merchant rags. The markets overflowed with treasures:
Rare roots and herbs said to grow in dimensional gardens Beast crystals imbued with remnants of ancient spirits Formation scrolls etched with scripts Jalen had never encountered Essence beads harvested from mana storms far beyond the Reign continent
Peak Imperial Realm Guards patrolled calmly, their high-grade spirit spears glowing with defensive enchantments. Yet the city's aura was far from oppressive—this was a capital built for strength and scholarship.
Eventually, Jalen slipped into a public library with quiet curiosity. The structure was colossal: polished jade columns, floating bookshelves, and corridors that stretched into dimensional folds.
There, he dove into study.
Jalen learned that the Rale continent was composed of fifty autonomous states. One of them was completely sealed off—cut from maps and memories, its existence erased from public records. Even the texts refused to document it, as if merely naming it risked dire consequences.
Of the remaining states:
Ten stood above all others, said to surpass the combined might of the entire Reign continent. Bellini was among these top ten—fortified by elite sects, spiritual legacies, and cities that each breathed power in distinct forms:
Ironvale Fortress, nestled against the mountain border with Tellina, was a steel-hearted bastion of weapon forgers and tactical cultivators. Sunmere, gleaming on Bellini's eastern coast, radiated knowledge and healing arts, home to spirit researchers and elemental innovators. Draymoor Hollow, hidden deep in misty valleys, catered to rogue sects and beast tamers—those who walked ancient paths untamed by imperial rule.
Fifteen other states rivaled the might of Reign continents top factions—some even slightly stronger, boasting sect alliances and political influence. The remaining twenty-four states mirrored the strength of the current dominant powers on the Ruona continent, rich in culture and cultivating tradition, though not nearly as fearsome as the top tier.
None of the rankings or alliances particularly moved Jalen.
What did capture his interest, tucked inside a dust-covered tome, was a passage about a Mystic Ground at the border shared by three powerhouse states: Bellini, Raylan, and Tellina.
It was rumored to hold:
Two Flaming Supreme-Grade Spirit Tools. A sprit flame seed and a high grade flaming cultivation method. Three legendary armors: Flame, Ice and Earth types.And most tempting of all… a pool of Mysterious Blue Flame said not only able to temper the body and increase qi powers but it is also connected to ancient celestial beasts. Not just any beast a royal bloodline flame dragon.
Jalen paused.
Dragons were nearly myth. Their cores and eggs pulsed with condensed Qi—capable of raising cultivators by entire realm levels. Their rarity made them targets... and legends.
The Mystic Ground was said to be deadly, even to cultivators above Spirit Fusion. Cursed formations, shifting space, and beasts untouched by modern sects. But the danger didn't deter him.
He thought briefly of Rana. She'd treasure a Supreme-Grade flaming spirit tool—especially with her already awakened Spirit Fire. The Legendary armored equipment might be an extra protection to keep her life if she run into strong enemies. But his main interest is the pool. He'd need it to push beyond his current limits if he was going to face threats of a higher realm.
Without hesitation, Jalen closed the book, exited the library, and headed toward the wild center—eyes locked on destiny veiled in flame.