Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation

Chapter 348: A Visit (2)

Kyrian observed the five young people standing in front of the door to his room with a completely neutral expression.

His snowflake-shaped eyes glowed in the dim corridor, the cold energy emanating from his body making the air around him visibly cooler.

He assessed each of them in seconds.

All of them were in the final stages of the Qi Liberation Realm, the eighth stage or peak of the realm, from what he could sense. Their auras were stable and solid but clearly inferior to his.

None of them showed hostility or murderous intent. On the contrary, what Kyrian perceived was a mixture of expectation, cautious respect, and a hint of anxiety.

It was not an ambush. It was a visit with a purpose.

"Help?" Kyrian repeated, slightly furrowing his brow.

The word sounded strange to his ears. He had been in the City of Red Smoke for only two days. He knew no one there. He had no allies nor enemies. It was strange that someone would seek him out specifically.

"For what? And why me?"

The tall young man in the scarlet robe stepped forward, making a respectful bow. Kyrian recognized him, he was the same young man who had been sitting at a distant table in the restaurant the night before.

Kyrian had seen him in his peripheral vision while eating but had not paid attention. Now, he was standing right in front of him.

The young man raised his head and spoke, his voice firm despite the respect his posture showed.

"I believe you have already heard that today several different groups will depart from the city toward the outskirts of the ancient Great Volcano in search of Ming Hai’s tomb."

Kyrian did not respond verbally. He simply nodded once. He had been at the square the previous day, had seen the four elders on the black stone stage, and had heard the announcements about the joint expedition. It was the main topic in the city.

"We are part of one of those groups." the young man continued, gesturing to the other four.

"We came to ask if you would be willing to help us in the exploration."

"Why me?" Kyrian repeated the question, more directly this time.

The five young people exchanged quick glances. The leader hesitated for only a second before answering, his eyes fixed on Kyrian’s.

"I saw you last night at the restaurant. All of us noticed. The pure ice Qi that you emanate... is extremely rare in this region. Here, almost everyone cultivates the Path of Fire. It is what we have in abundance, volcanoes, lava, and heat. Because of that, all our techniques are focused on fire."

He paused, organizing his thoughts.

"As we approach the Great Volcano, the temperature and dangers increase drastically. The heat is not just uncomfortable, it weakens defenses and attracts fire beasts that live along the slopes. Even with our protection techniques based on the Path of Fire, it will be difficult to endure as we advance deeper into the intermediate area or even closer to the volcano."

Kyrian listened in silence, his snowflake eyes registering every word.

"But with someone like you, capable of controlling cold and emanating ice Qi... our work in exploring the surroundings would be greatly facilitated. You could neutralize part of the extreme heat, create breathing zones for the group, and perhaps even weaken some of the fire beasts we will encounter, since ice is a natural weakness of theirs."

The young man looked directly into Kyrian’s eyes.

"That is why we came to hire you. It will not be for free. We will pay a fair amount in mid-grade spirit stones, five hundred stones per day of exploration, plus a bonus if we are the first to find something relevant. And the amount can increase if your help proves more useful than we expect."

Kyrian remained silent for a few long seconds.

Five hundred mid-grade spirit stones per day was a respectable amount for many. But money was not what weighed most in his decision.

He had planned to finish exploring the city today and leave tomorrow or the day after. Dong Zhen’s map had several cities marked, and the Central Territory was still far away.

However...

The idea of simply walking through the same streets again no longer seemed so appealing. The City of Red Smoke was interesting, but he had already seen the essentials. The markets, the districts, the lava fissure. Another day there would be repetitive.

Seeing the Great Volcano up close, on the other hand... that was different. It was not a detour, it was an experience. An opportunity to observe an extreme environment, to perhaps learn something new. And all of it being paid for.

Besides, there was the matter of the inheritance.

"If we find Ming Hai’s tomb." Kyrian asked, his voice calm

"How will the inheritance be divided?"

The young man in the scarlet robe answered quickly, as if he had expected the question.

"Obviously you will have your share. The four great forces of the City of Red Smoke keep their word, they have a reputation to maintain. The inheritance will be divided proportionally according to the contribution of each group and each individual. Those who contribute to finding the tomb and the inheritance will receive generous rewards. Techniques, treasures, spirit stones, and even positions of prominence within the sects, if they so desire."

Kyrian thought for a few more moments, his cold expression unchanged.

The proposal was reasonable. The young people seemed sincere. There was no poison in their words, nor any apparent hidden motives. Just a group of average cultivators trying to increase their chances of success by hiring someone with a complementary ability.

Kyrian did not need the money. But the experience of exploring an active volcano seemed interesting.

In the end, he decided.

"Alright. I accept the proposal."

The five young people broke into relieved smiles. The tension they carried on their shoulders seemed to dissolve instantly. The leader made another bow, deeper this time.

"Thank you very much. You will not regret it."

One by one, they introduced themselves, giving their names and the forces they belonged to. Kyrian did not care much about most of them, names of people he would probably never see again after this expedition, but he memorized those who seemed more important.

The leader, the tall young man in the scarlet robe, was Pan Zheng, a disciple of the Mountain Flame Sect, one of the four great forces organizing the expedition. The other four were his companions from his sect or allied forces.

"Call me Kyrian." Kyrian replied simply after the introductions.

The five found the name strange, different from the common names everyone had, shorter, sharper.

Some raised their eyebrows, others exchanged glances, but no one commented. Perhaps it was a title or a cultivation name he had adopted. It was none of their business.

"Alright. Follow me, Kyrian." Said Pan Zheng, turning toward the corridor.

"I’ll introduce you to the rest of the group. Then we will depart immediately for the Great Volcano. We have already wasted too much time."

Kyrian nodded and followed the five out of the Golden Ash Pavilion.