Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 273: Off to Valerion 2

Back in the heart of Lechia’s capital, the once-proud palace stood half-ruined. The storm of the Empress’s power had scarred marble, shattered pillars, and left the air thick with the scent of ash and burnt stone. The grand hall, where Ken now stood, had become a command post filled with soldiers and envoys awaiting his word.

A captain knelt before him, his armor scuffed and his breathing heavy from haste. "Lord Ken, we have scoured the entire lower district and the eastern quarters," he reported, voice trembling slightly under Ken’s cold gaze. "There is no trace of Her Majesty or her followers. The city gates remain sealed, but... she’s gone."

Ken’s jaw tightened. He rose from the ornate chair, his crimson cloak brushing against the cracked tiles as he paced slowly to the shattered window. From there, the capital stretched out before him. He closed his eyes for a moment, extending his senses. The air around him shimmered faintly as he tried to detect what his eyes could not see.

Nothing.

He exhaled sharply, his tone edged with grudging respect. "Her aura is gone," he murmured, turning back toward his men. "Completely."

A silence followed. No one dared to speak until one of his advisors...a younger man with short silver hair...stepped forward and asked hesitantly, "Shall we pursue, my lord? If she fled the city, we may still catch her before she crosses the outer lands."

Ken’s eyes flicked to the man with mild amusement. "Catch her?" He gave a short, bitter laugh that filled the ruined hall. "You think you can catch a Celestial who doesn’t wish to be found? Even wounded, even restrained, she is still the Empress of Lechia. Do you understand what that means?"

The young man swallowed hard but didn’t answer.

Ken stepped closer, his voice calm yet carrying the weight of quiet authority. "No. You’ll stay here. The moment you step beyond these walls without preparation, you’ll die before the sun sets. You have no idea what lies between this city and the outer lands."

Ken turned away again, his expression thoughtful, almost calculating. "Let her run," he said finally. "She’s lost her throne, her army, and most of her power. The further she flees, the more desperate she’ll become. And desperation," his lips curved faintly, "makes even a queen predictable."

He walked back toward the throne dais and sat down once more, the air around him humming with restrained energy. "Seal every road leading east and south," he ordered. "Let the hounds prowl the plains, but no one crosses the borders without my mark. The Empress may have escaped the city..." He leaned back, eyes narrowing. "...but she has not escaped fate."

The captain bowed deeply and hurried out with his orders, the hall echoing with his departing steps.

Ken sat in silence for a long while, gazing through the broken window at the city’s smoldering skyline. He could feel the faint trace of her power still lingering in the air, distant now, like the last whisper of a storm moving beyond reach.

"She’s out there," he muttered to himself, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "But she won’t get far."

________

The journey through the borderlands had been long and wearying. A week had passed since they had fled Lechia’s capital, and though the worst of the pursuit seemed to have faded, no one in the group had yet found comfort. The land around them had grown quieter with each passing day, the roads giving way to rocky plains and sparse, mist-veiled hills. The outer lands were beginning to show their face ...wild and untouched by the rule of any crown.

Lucas still lay unconscious, bound carefully to the stretcher the Valerion guards had fashioned from branches and canvas. His breathing was shallow but steady now. The Empress had checked him the previous night and confirmed that his meridians were still recovering from the backlash. His dantian, though damaged, had stabilized enough to give her hope that he would awaken soon. She had said very little since then, only watching over him in silence while the Ice Belle hovered close, eyes clouded with quiet worry.

As they moved along the faint trail that wound through the rocky fields, The Empress was the first to notice something strange ahead. "Look at the ground," she murmured, pointing.

The soil had changed color...dark and cracked, as if something had leached the life from it. Wisps of black mist coiled up from the surface like dying smoke. The faint sound of crackling energy came from beneath the earth, a sinister pulse that made the hairs on their arms rise.

The Empress narrowed her eyes, her celestial senses stirring. "This corruption again," she said softly. "I had hoped it was confined to the lower villages. But it seems to have spread."

Mirielle froze where she stood. Her eyes widened as she stared at the mist, and her lips began to tremble. "No..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "Not again... not here..."

Selene reached for her immediately, gripping her arm. "Mirielle, breathe. It’s just the residue. We don’t know what..."

"It’s the same," Mirielle sobbed, shaking her head violently. "It’s exactly the same! The same stench, the same black marks on the soil..."

Her voice cracked on the last word. She fell to her knees, clutching her face as tears spilled down her cheeks. The others stood around her in uneasy silence. Even the guards, hardened men who had faced battle after battle, looked unsettled by the sight of that blackened soil.

Theron knelt beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You’re safe now," he said quietly. "Whatever happened back then, it won’t happen again. Not while we’re here."

Mirielle shook her head, her sobs coming harder. "You don’t understand... my father... He tried to protect everyone. They all died horrible deaths." She broke off, unable to continue, her voice dissolving into tears.

Nyx crouched next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. "We’ll find what caused this," she whispered. "And we’ll end it. I promise you."

The Empress stepped forward slowly, her gaze fixed on the mist. Her expression was grave. "This corruption is not of mortal origin," she said. "It feeds on Qi... on life itself. The same force that strengthens a cultivator, it consumes. I sensed a trace of it before in the south, long ago, but I never thought it would reach this far."

Captain Varran exchanged a wary look with his men. "Then we should not linger here, Your Majesty," he said firmly. "Whatever this is, it may still be active beneath the ground."

The Empress nodded. "You’re right. Gather everyone. We move before the sun sets."

As the guards obeyed, Mirielle wiped at her eyes, her breath still uneven. Selene helped her to her feet while Lira brushed the dust from her hands. The Empress glanced back once more at the mist curling over the soil, her expression tightening with unspoken concern.