For the next six hours in the pavilion, Luna focused on recovering from the damage done to her soul in the form of backlash.

As expected, it was far worse than anything she had endured before. Then again, at least she was doing something. With each trial, it felt like she was drawing closer to understanding the true extent of her power.

Each time she recovered, she tried again. And each time, the world responded. The stronger essence gradually began to enter her body in waves, merging with her piece by piece. The pain had long stopped feeling like pain. It was more like electricity coursing through her veins—numbing, relentless.

Hours bled into days. The agony dulled, but her soul kept changing. She didn't leave the pavilion once. She spent nearly all her time meditating in silence, seated by the cherry tree that marked her ancestor's resting place.

Eventually, three days passed. And because Luna hadn't yet adjusted to this world, it felt like a week had gone by. She hadn't truly slept in all that time, and without access to her full superhuman endurance, her body ached with exhaustion.

"Lunaris Feng."

Raiden's voice echoed through the pavilion. He stood at the threshold, hands clasped behind his back.

"…you look..." He paused as he studied her. Her tattered uniform still held dried blood. Her eyes were sunken, and her lips cracked like old parchment. She looked like someone who had gone through a war. "…a bit well," he finished with a hint of irony.

"I expected you to give up and walk out. I did the same thing, you know."

Luna gave a small smile, even with her dried lips. "Then you underestimated my will. I get it now. I am stronger."

Raiden didn't respond right away. Instead, he reached into his robe and pulled out three small marble-like spheres.

"Then let's test it."

Raiden didn't wait to act. He whispered something under his breath, and the marbles shimmered and vanished.

In a second, Luna's instincts flared, and the exhaustion written on her face disappeared. She sensed the first one coming and snatched it from the air with a sharp movement.

The moment her skin made contact, the sphere turned searing hot. Too hot. She winced and released it as it vanished again.

Crack!

Another marble appeared out of nowhere and slammed into her side, instantly cracking one of her ribs. It hit with the force of a cannonball, sending her flying across the pavilion and slamming her into the far end.

She gasped, curling slightly from the pain.

Immediately, her mind had already caught on to an error she was making, 'I can only sense them when they're close....when they materialize.'

Her eyes darted around, scanning frantically for any signs of essence. She knew the spheres carried a stronger kind of energy, and the only way she could stop them was by controlling that energy.

Before the third marble struck, Luna threw out her hand, and she released a command filled with raw desperation and sheer will.

"STOP!"

The word rang out like a blast. Everything halted. Even the air itself seemed to freeze. The marbles shimmered in place, suspended in midair before breaking into dust.

Raiden, who had been watching closely from a distance, felt something strange ripple through him. His limbs stiffened, his breath caught, and his body froze, as though the command had reached into him as well.

A flicker of disbelief crossed his face.

Had she just used… Great Communication?

He was about to say something, but Luna was already unconscious by the time his focus returned. She had used the last of her strength to stop the spheres. That was enough for him because they could only be stopped by commanding the essence within.

He sighed and walked into the pavilion and carried the unconscious Luna back to her room.

***

After leaving Luna to rest, Raiden rushed out of the Juniors' wing to the Southern Wing, where all the watchers and Saint Class ascenders resided.

The massive silver doors opened, revealing the Southern Wing of the Astral Vigil Castle, a place said to have been created by the previous ruler of this world.

A cold hush fell over him as he crossed the threshold. This part of the Castle only existed to those of the Saint Class. Its rules, just like everything in this castle, could be controlled by its Ruler, which in this case was the Dream Lord.

The corridor ahead of him stretched wide like a throne path, illuminated by hovering crystal lanterns that pulsed with so much spectral light that you could think this part of the castle received sunlight. Their glow shimmered in golden hues, casting overlapping shadows that danced like ghostly guardians along the onyx-marble walls.

"This place is always so depressing."

Etched on the walls were celestial carvings, prayers to the heart goddess, writings from people who once lived in the dreaming before it became a broken realm and a place where so many creatures had picked as hunting grounds for human souls.

The floor was a mirror of polished black, reflecting both the lanterns and the starry sky above the Astral Vigil. It was a beautiful sight, but staring too long at the boundary might cause problems for mortals.

"Hello, I have something to report to my fellow Watchers. It's about Lunaris Feng."

No one responded.

He let out a tired sigh and proceeded further into the Southern Wing. To his left and right were tall alcoves guarded by veiled statues, each radiating a unique pressure.

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Some wept steam, others leaked threads of essence like invisible tendrils probing the air. These were not mere monuments. They were sanctified relics created by the Dream Lord and humans who once walked this realm.

Raiden paused when he passed a coliseum-like chamber. Inside, figures moved, most of them cloaked in subtle majesty, practicing impossible forms. Their blades bent space, and their Qi cracked the sound barrier as they sparred.

One of them looked his way. It was just a glance, but his body reacted instinctively.

Raiden forced a cough, and the fighter only smirked and returned to his fight.

A few minutes later, Raiden arrived at a secluded area that resembled an outdoor garden. There was a proud estate nestled beside a lake reflecting the stars. This was one of the many luxury zones reserved only for those who had reached a certain level of power here in the Astral Vigil.

"Master," he called, stepping up to the entrance and knocking on the massive double doors.

"…Master Vivi. I have something important to discuss. It's about Lunaris."

"What about her, you ungrateful bastard?" a shrill, aged voice snapped from behind the doors. "They already told you...you can't take back that Watcher title you added to yourself."

"It's not about that…" Raiden quickly defended himself. "It's about the fact that she used Great Communication."

"Great Communication? Are you sure you didn't just imagine that crap?" the voice fired back. "I know you and your problem with beautiful women."

Raiden, already simmering, growled and slammed his fist against the door. That was a bad idea because the door didn't budge, but the backlash hurled him backward with a force that sent him flying. He flailed midair, nearly crashing into the lake behind him before stopping himself with a sudden burst of energy, hovering just inches above the water.

"I swear, Master Vivi, if you don't open this door—"

"…you'll do what, hehe?" the voice cackled. "I am your master. You haven't visited me once since you became a Saint. I have every right to be angry. Now, shoo off and find something better to do. I already have a better apprentice. I don't need you."

Raiden let out a sharp breath through his nose and returned to the entrance. He raised his hand again.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Master Vivi… please." His forehead rested against the wood, voice low with weariness. "Just this once."

There was a pause. Then, without a word, the heavy doors creaked open.

Two figures stood silently at the threshold.

One of them was a small, elderly woman with long silver hair cascading down her back. Her bronze skin was weathered but still warm in tone, and her face was full of tight wrinkles carved by age and emotion. Her coffee-brown eyes locked onto Raiden, and the resentment they held was palpable.

She didn't speak. She didn't need to.

Raiden swallowed, his stance straightening under her gaze. For all his power, he still looked like a scolded child.

Standing beside her was Anna, now noticeably more composed. Her usual warmth was replaced by a calm, almost stoic presence.

"Master…" Raiden bowed. "It's about Lunaris."

Old Vivi barely glanced at him. Instead, she turned to Anna. "Go on with practicing the enchantment. Remember, use Zenshi to influence the Qi around you, not control it. Let it respond."

Anna gave a respectful nod and walked silently toward the small battle stage at the center of the estate. Her footsteps were light, but there was confidence in her stride.

Vivi turned back to Raiden.

"Well? How is she?" he asked.

"Powerful. Very powerful. She should avoid the False Path entirely; she's not suited for it. Her artifacts are strange, almost divine. And more importantly… she's already aligned with Balance." She exhaled. "She's going to be an incredible apprentice."

Vivi chuckled softly after another thought crossed her mind. "I like this year's picks. The Star-Touched siblings… the soon-to-be Witch of Chaos… this stubborn little prodigy… and the inheritor of the Heavenly Supreme, who happens to be Feng Zheng's daughter. If they'd existed centuries ago, maybe the world wouldn't be in the flaming shitstorm it is now."

"Everything has its time, Master."

"Don't call me that." Vivi gave him a sharp glance. "You're a Fourth Gate Saint now. You've earned the right to use my name. Call me Vivi."

Raiden nodded reluctantly. "Right… Vivi."

She folded her arms. "So what do you mean she used Great Communication? You're sure?"

"Yes." He hesitated, then added, "Last I checked, that technique is restricted to people who've fully harmonized with Qi. It's not something a newcomer, even a gifted one, should be able to tap into."

"Lunaris was already familiar with Qi. Her body remembered, even if she didn't. As long as she remains in the Dreaming, she is hidden from those searching for her. But while she stays, she will experience Singularities that would help her body remember faster."

"Is that what Lord Aaron wants?" Raiden asked, arms crossed.

"There's more," Vivi said with a sigh, "but I won't reveal his plans, mostly because he doesn't tell them to me. I've known that man for over fifty years, and he still hasn't revealed a single damn thing."

Vivi Armstrong was one of the oldest beings in the Astral Vigil. Like Aaron, she had once been sent to sever the Dreaming from the outside world. And like him, she chose to stay.

Raiden had met her after surviving his first trial. She was a Fifth Gate, King-Class Ascender with unfathomable control over essence and a master of high sorcery.

"But you're a Council member."

She frowned, then raised an eyebrow. "And that means I'm supposed to know everything?"

"…Technically, yes."

He gave her a shrug and a sheepish grin.

Vivi rolled her eyes. "You Idiot. Just keep watching her. Her growth is good for all of us, especially for this realm. Anna here has already proven her worth to me."

They both turned their eyes to the indoor battle stage.

Anna stood at its center, a glowing blue crystal pulsing in one hand. Her other hand was outstretched, fingers trembling slightly as she manipulated something in the air. It was small, almost invisible, but it demanded her full concentration.

Sweat streamed down her face as she struggled to keep a single feather suspended in midair by weakly manipulating the concept of Space.

"Isn't that too complex for her?" Raiden asked, narrowing his eyes.

"You're the one who said she should reach Saint Class before the other candidates arrive," Vivi replied without looking at him. "I'm just making that happen. No training wheels. Straight to the action."

She smiled, a flicker of excitement in her eyes.

"This is her first time manipulating the concept of space," she added. "You couldn't lift the feather for three weeks." She shot him a smug look. "Anna will be flying in less than that."

"You seem impressed."

"I have to thank her 'mysterious' master for that," Vivi admitted. "He's already familiarized her with Qi. Makes my job much easier."

She paused, watching closely as Anna's arm shook.

"The Feather of a Scarlet Owl is unique. It's immune to the space aspect of the universe. That's why Scarlet Owls can't fly. To lift it, you don't just push or pull—you have to think around it. Rewrite the law. Bend it. We cultivators need to understand that though we're limited, we are also connected to Life. That means that we can always tap into other laws and bend them without breaking them. I believe that is what makes us humans the deadliest beings in all realms."

As she spoke, Anna managed to hold the feather aloft for a few more seconds, then collapsed to the ground, exhausted and gasping for breath.

As expected, she didn't faint, even after burning through all her Zenshi in one go. Her body trembled, but she forced herself upright and turned to the pair watching her from the edge of the training stage.

'They're stupidly strong.'

Anna could tell at a glance. It was not just strength or presence. Something about them bent the air around them, distorted how the world responded. And yet, they produced no Zenshi. None that she could sense.

That made it worse.

Whatever power they wielded, it didn't rely on the same systems she was used to in the Mortal Realm. It felt deeper, older, and beyond the reach of conventional cultivation.

She had only met Master Vivi a few days ago, and already, she understood something critical: this place, the Astral Vigil, was the key. The key to the truth behind both realms. And possibly, the end of the lies she'd grown up believing.

"That's enough for today," Vivi finally said, smiling with the confidence of someone who had seen hundreds rise and fall. "You can follow him to meet with your partner. She has also passed her first test."

Anna blinked at that. 'Of course she did. Ascender Lara is quite a special one.'

Vivi's voice softened, just slightly. "As your watcher, I'll be seeing you again soon."

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