The craze was almost immediate. I barely made it three steps toward the door before the first wave of customers flooded through, their identity tokens practically glowing from checking the shop's updated inventory. Merit points transferred in rapid succession as Rachel handled the transactions with practiced efficiency.
"I'll take one!"
"How many can I buy?"
"Do you have any in red?"
The questions came fast, overlapping each other as cultivators crowded the counter. Rachel maintained her composure, explaining the limitations and requirements with patient repetition. Meridian Opening realm minimum. No flight within city boundaries. Remote control requires mental focus and practice.
I slipped out through the back entrance, leaving her to manage the chaos.
Of course, as soon as Christine heard the news, she dragged Emma over to find me in the palace. I'd barely settled into one of the reading alcoves when they materialized through the private portal, Christine's eyes already sparkling with that particular brand of determination I'd learned to recognize.
"Ben! Flying swords! We need them!"
I pulled two from my storage ring before she could launch into whatever argument she'd prepared. "Here."
Christine snatched both blades from my hands, passing one to Emma without ceremony. "Come on, Em! Let's go try them out!"
Emma barely managed a grateful glance in my direction before Christine grabbed her wrist and bolted for the exit. No thank you. No acknowledgment. Just pure, unfiltered excitement propelling them both toward the palace grounds.
I chuckled and walked to one of the exterior balconies, watching the two figures shrink into the distance as they raced toward the open plains beyond the garden. Christine's laughter carried on the wind, bright and carefree.
My gaze drifted upward to the twin moons hanging in the azure sky.
Before, these celestial bodies had been nothing more than elaborate illusions, projections created by the world bead to establish this realm as distinctly separate from Earth. I'd wanted something memorable, something that would immediately telegraph to anyone who looked up that they stood on a different world entirely. Twin moons accomplished that goal beautifully.
But now, with the world bead's continued growth and evolution, those projections had solidified into actual physical satellites orbiting the planet below.
The first moon gleamed like polished ice, its surface a pristine white marbled with pale blue veins. Frost crystals seemed to shimmer across its face even from this distance, and I knew from my connection to the world bead that its temperature hovered near absolute zero. The second moon burned with deep crimson and orange hues, its surface appearing almost molten as heat waves distorted the air around it.
They orbited close together, impossibly close by any conventional physics. The ice moon should have melted. The fire moon should have cooled. Instead, they maintained their extreme temperatures through some symbiotic balance, each one feeding off the other's energy in a perpetual cycle. The boundary between them created a thin line of perfect equilibrium where neither heat nor cold dominated.
The Heavenly Dao had outdone itself with this creation.
I leaned against the balcony railing, watching Christine and Emma finally activate their swords in the distance. Two figures rose into the air, wobbling slightly before finding their balance. Christine shot forward with reckless confidence while Emma maintained a more cautious approach, gradually increasing her altitude.
The twin moons hung above them like silent guardians, impossible and perfect.
Christine's voice carried across the distance, her excitement barely contained as she soared in wide circles.
"Ben! We should fly to the moons! How far do you think they are?"
Emma's response came immediately, her tone carrying that particular mix of amusement and exasperation I'd heard her use before. "Chris, those are in space. We'd suffocate before we got halfway there."
"But they look so close!"
"They're literally outside the atmosphere."
I smiled, shaking my head. Knowing Christine, if she realized the sun hung much further away than these moons, she'd probably suggest visiting that too. Distance and danger rarely factored into her decision-making process when something caught her interest.
Emma's pragmatic streak served as a necessary counterbalance. The moons might appear closer than Earth's single satellite, but they still existed beyond the breathable atmosphere. Neither of them possessed the cultivation level required for space travel. That wouldn't come until much later, realms beyond what most cultivators in the Eastern Region could even imagine.
I pulled my awareness inward, focusing on my identity token. The virtual space materialized around my consciousness as I accessed the forums.
The discussions exploded across multiple threads, all centered on a single topic.
Flying Swords at Heavenly Forge Emporium!!!
Did anyone manage to buy one?
Twenty-five thousand merit points... worth it?
Meridian Opening requirement confirmed
I scrolled through the posts, watching speculation and anticipation build with each new comment. Screenshots of the shop's inventory appeared multiple times, cultivators documenting the moment they'd spotted the new listing. Arguments broke out over pricing, functionality, and whether the investment made sense for cultivators who hadn't reached the required realm yet.
Rachel had followed my instructions perfectly. Twenty swords sold per day. No exceptions.
I'd crafted five hundred total, which meant the current stock would last roughly three weeks if demand remained constant. The artificial scarcity would maintain interest and prevent the market from flooding immediately. People wanted what they couldn't have, and limiting availability made each purchase feel more significant.
The irony wasn't lost on me. Most cultivators in American City hadn't reached Meridian Opening yet. The average cultivation level still hovered around Body Tempering seventh layer, with only the most dedicated or talented individuals breaking into the next realm. Early purchases served no practical purpose beyond bragging rights and future-proofing.
Yet the swords sold out within hours every single day.
I found threads dedicated to showing off recent acquisitions. Cultivators posed with their new weapons, displaying them like trophies. The blades gleamed in photos, their pale blue metal catching light beautifully even while inactive. Some people admitted they'd purchased purely for status, wanting to be among the first to own one regardless of whether they could actually use it.
Others planned more strategically, calculating exactly how long until they'd reach Meridian Opening and timing their purchases accordingly. Spreadsheets appeared in some threads, tracking merit point accumulation rates and breakthrough timelines.
The community had developed its own economy, its own social hierarchy based on cultivation progress and resource acquisition.
I pulled my awareness back to the physical world, watching Christine and Emma continue their aerial practice. They'd improved already, their movements becoming smoother and more confident with each passing minute.
The twin moons hung above them, impossible destinations for now.
But someday, perhaps not too far in the future, Christine would make that journey. And knowing her, she'd drag Emma along for the adventure.
I dismissed the forum threads as Sarah's message materialized in my vision, the text appearing through my identity token connection.
"I just heard you crafted flying swords, got a back door for me? I know you have more than just the few you sold in your shop!"
A second message followed immediately.
"Also, I plan to venture far from the city this time, I am almost Meridian Opening realm. Your flying sword would be put to good use, I assure you!"
I leaned back against the balcony railing, considering the request. Sarah Carter had proven herself invaluable over the past weeks. When I'd first hired her as the Eastern Region God, her role had been straightforward: distribute identity tokens to newcomers entering American City. Stand at the monument plaza, hand out tokens, explain the basic rules.
Simple. Direct. Manageable for one person.
But as portal anchors spread across Earth and the population flooded into the Eastern Region, that simple task had exploded into something far more complex. Sarah hadn't flinched. She'd adapted, expanded, built an entire organization from scratch to handle the influx. Now she managed teams in all six cities, coordinating token distribution, answering questions, resolving disputes, and ensuring every newcomer understood the merit system before they wandered off into danger.
The Eastern Region God had rewarded her accordingly. Her merit point compensation had increased dramatically, enough that she could pay her subordinates directly without dipping into personal reserves. She'd earned every point through sheer competence and dedication.
Of course, that left her with an interesting problem. She'd quit her CEO position on Earth, some high-powered corporate role managing a company whose name I vaguely recognized from financial news. Moved entirely into American City. Built her onboarding organization with ruthless efficiency. And then discovered she had almost nothing to do personally.
Her teams ran themselves now. Protocols established, procedures documented, training materials distributed. The machine operated smoothly without constant oversight.
So naturally, she'd turned her attention to cultivation.
Body Tempering ninth layer already. Nearly breaking into Meridian Opening realm. Impressive progress for someone who'd started just over a month ago. She'd purchased a complete equipment set from Heavenly Forge Emporium, sparing no expense on quality defensive artifacts and a perfectly balanced longsword. Her combat style leaned tactical rather than aggressive, prioritizing preparation and analysis over reckless charges into danger.
With her skill at management and investigation, Sarah had very quickly identified me as possibly the strongest cultivator in the Eastern Region besides the God himself. The observation wasn't difficult to make. I ran the only successful crafting shop in American City. My inscription classes drew hundreds of thousands of subscribers. The equipment I produced surpassed anything else available in the region by several orders of magnitude.
She'd started visiting Heavenly Forge Emporium more frequently after that realization, insisting to Rachel that she needed to get in contact with me directly. Rachel had resisted at first, citing my preference for privacy and my unpredictable schedule. But Sarah possessed that particular brand of persistence that eventually wore down most obstacles.
Eventually I'd agreed to meet her, and we'd added each other's contact information.
Until now, most of her messages had been related to what craft I would reveal next, as well as cultivation advice. She asked intelligent questions, the kind that demonstrated actual understanding rather than surface-level curiosity. Which inscription techniques would be most valuable for defensive formations? What materials should she prioritize gathering for future breakthroughs? How did elemental affinities affect combat effectiveness at higher realms?
I'd answered what I could without revealing too much about my actual knowledge base.
As for me, I also had yet to really venture outside the city. Not counting my travel throughout the world bead using the power of the Heavenly Dao. Teleporting between regions, observing from the meditation chamber, crafting in the Core Palace—none of that qualified as actual exploration. I hadn't truly used my own strength in real combat, hadn't tested my abilities against spiritual beasts or navigated dangerous terrain on foot.
The prospect held a certain appeal.
I pulled up my identity token and crafted a response to Sarah.
"Once you break through to Meridian Opening, I'll go with you beyond the city walls. I'll provide a flying sword then."
The reply came almost immediately.
"Deal! I should break through within the next two days. I'll contact you then."
I dismissed the message interface and returned my attention to the palace grounds. Christine and Emma had landed near the garden, their flying swords deactivated and stored away. They walked toward the palace entrance, still chatting animatedly about their aerial practice.
My messaging hadn't gone unnoticed, apparently. Christine materialized beside me on the balcony with that uncanny timing she'd perfected over the years, her expression bright with curiosity.
"Who are you talking to?"
"How do you know I'm talking to someone, and not just posting a forum post?"
Both Christine and Emma, who'd followed her sister through the doorway, gave me a look like I'd asked the dumbest question imaginable.
"Your face is completely different," Christine said. "When you're reading forums, you look bored or amused. When you're talking to someone specific, you get this focused expression."
Emma nodded her agreement. "It's obvious, Ben."
I frowned, mentally reviewing the past few minutes. "I wasn't making any faces."
"You absolutely were." Christine crossed her arms, her grin widening. "So who is it? Tyler? Mom and Dad? Some secret girlfriend you haven't told us about?"
"Sarah Carter. She invited me to venture outside the city once she reaches Meridian Opening realm."
Christine's eyes lit up immediately. "Wow, is this going to be your first time venturing outside the city?!" She didn't wait for confirmation before continuing. "Alright! Emma and I are coming with you!"
"Chris, he didn't invite us—"
"We're coming," Christine repeated, her tone brooking no argument. "Ben needs backup, and we're already at higher cultivation levels than most people in American City. Plus, we have flying swords now!"
Emma glanced at me, her expression caught somewhere between apologetic and resigned.
I shrugged. "Fine. The more the merrier, I suppose."