Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 497: Discussion with the empress

Tom straightened slightly at that, his earlier casual demeanor fading into focus as he said, "Then someone should stay here the whole time," his eyes already shifting toward the entrance as if preparing himself.

Patrick gave a small nod in agreement, his tone calm but firm. "No risks. If she wakes and something happens, we need to be ready."

Lucas looked at both of them, his gaze steady as he gave his instruction. "You two stay," he said. "Guard this tent. No one goes in, no one interferes, and the moment she awakens, you come for me immediately."

Tom placed a hand lightly against his chest, giving a faint grin despite the seriousness. "You don’t even need to say it twice," he replied. "We’ll be right here."

Patrick nodded once more, more reserved but just as certain. "We’ll handle it."

Nyx glanced between them briefly before looking back at Lucas, her tone thoughtful. "And you," she asked, "where will you be."

Lucas stepped toward the entrance, his voice calm as he answered, "Not far. I still have things to handle, but I’ll be within reach."

Selene watched him closely, her expression composed but attentive. "You’re not going to miss it," she said quietly.

Lucas paused just before stepping out, his gaze shifting back toward the cocoon one last time, the faint glow of ice reflecting in his eyes. "No," he said simply. "I won’t."

Lira let out a soft breath, nodding slightly as she said, "Then we’ll leave it to them," her voice carrying a mix of trust and anticipation.

Tom moved closer to the entrance, positioning himself firmly as he glanced at Patrick. "Looks like we’ve got ourselves a front row seat," he muttered.

Patrick’s eyes remained on the cocoon, his tone calm. "Stay sharp," he said.

Lucas stepped out of the tent, the cold fading slightly as he crossed the threshold, though the weight of what was about to happen remained with him. He did not look back again, because he already knew what awaited inside.

Behind him, Tom and Patrick took their positions, the frozen chamber now under their watch.

And at its center...

The cocoon remained still, but not for much longer.

Lucas moved through the encampment with quiet purpose, his steps steady as his eyes searched ahead, and it did not take long before he found the Empress standing slightly apart from the rest, her presence calm and composed in a way that seemed untouched by the tension surrounding the camp. The empress turned the moment she sensed him approach, her gaze settling on him with a quiet awareness that needed no words to acknowledge his arrival.

"You came," she said, her voice smooth and measured, though there was a subtle warmth beneath it.

Lucas inclined his head slightly. "I did," he replied, his tone calm as always.

Her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, studying him in silence before she spoke again. "Tell me," she said, stepping a little closer, her gaze more intent now, "how do you feel."

Lucas already knew what she meant.

"The cleansing," she added softly, as if clarifying what needed no clarification.

He exhaled slowly, his shoulders easing just slightly as he answered, "Better than I have in a long time," his voice steady, though there was no exaggeration in it. "Clearer. Lighter. Like something that was weighing me down is gone."

The empress gave a faint nod, her expression softening just a fraction. "Good," she said. "That means it worked as intended."

Lucas held her gaze for a brief moment, then his expression shifted, the calm giving way to something more serious as he said, "There’s something else."

She did not interrupt.

Instead, she waited.

Lucas continued, his tone steady but carrying weight. "Valerion is worse than we thought," he said. "The usurpers have full control, their forces are organized, and they’re growing stronger by the day."

The empress listened without reacting outwardly, her composure unbroken.

"But that’s not the worst part," Lucas added, his eyes sharpening slightly. "The abyss... it’s already there."

That drew her full attention.

"It’s not approaching," he continued. "It’s over the capital. Covering it. Everything beneath it is under its shadow."

For the first time, a faint shift crossed her expression, subtle, but unmistakable.

Lucas stepped closer, his voice lowering slightly as he asked, "Can you do anything about it."

Her gaze remained on him.

"Your power," he continued. "You’re a Celestial. If anyone can extinguish something like that..."

He did not finish the sentence.

He did not need to.

The question hung between them.

The empress was silent for a moment, her eyes lowering slightly as if considering the weight of what he had said, and when she finally spoke, her voice was calm, but firm enough to leave no room for misunderstanding.

"I cannot."

Lucas’ eyes narrowed slightly.

"Not like this," she continued, lifting her gaze back to his. "Not here."

He did not look away. "Explain."

She exhaled softly, her posture remaining composed as she spoke. "Even if I am a Celestial, my power is limited in the mortal world," she said. "What I can access here is only a fraction of what I truly possess."

Lucas listened, his expression unchanged, though his focus sharpened.

"The abyss you described," she went on, "is not something that can be erased by raw strength alone, especially not with restricted power. It requires a specific counterforce."

"Light," Lucas said quietly.

She nodded.

"Yes. True Light cultivation," she confirmed. "Not the diluted forms practiced here, but the kind only attainable after ascension."

Lucas’ gaze hardened slightly. "So if you ascended..."

Her voice remained calm as she answered. "If I ascend and fully cultivate the path of Light, then yes," she said. "Something like the abyss would not be beyond my reach."

A brief silence followed.

Then Lucas asked, "And now."

Her answer did not change.

"Now, I cannot extinguish it," she said. "Not completely."

He studied her for a moment, then spoke again. "Not completely... means you can still affect it."

She did not deny it.

"I can suppress parts of it," she said carefully. "Weaken its influence in a limited area, perhaps create temporary relief, but I cannot remove it entirely. Not in my current state."

Lucas exhaled slowly, his thoughts moving quickly as he processed that.

"So even the strongest cultivator here..." he said quietly.

"...is still bound by this world," she finished for him.

He nodded slightly.

She stepped a little closer then, her gaze steady as she added, "You must understand, Lucas, ascension is not just a step forward in strength. It is a transformation of existence. Without it, there are limits that cannot be broken, no matter how powerful one becomes in this realm."

Lucas remained silent for a moment.

Then he said, "So the abyss stays."

Her expression did not change, but her voice softened just slightly. "For now."

He looked past her briefly, as if seeing beyond the camp, beyond the land itself, back toward Valerion and the shadow that loomed over it.

Then his gaze returned to her.

"Then we’ll find another way," he said, his tone calm, but carrying quiet resolve.

The empress watched him for a moment longer, something unreadable flickering in her eyes, before she gave a small nod.

"Yes," she said softly. "You will have to."

Lucas’ gaze did not leave hers as he spoke again, his tone calm but pressing for clarity. "Then tell me exactly what you can do right now, not later, not after ascension, but here, as you are."

The empress met his eyes without hesitation, her voice steady and composed. "I can protect a large expanse of land from the abyss," she said. "I can raise a barrier of Light that would suppress its influence within that space and keep those inside safe, at least for a time."

Lucas’ expression tightened slightly, his mind already moving ahead. "For a time," he repeated, his voice low. "So it won’t hold."

"It will not hold indefinitely," she replied. "At the beginning, it would be effortless for me to maintain, but the abyss is not something that remains still. It presses constantly, adapting, bearing down on whatever resists it."

Lucas stepped a little closer, his gaze sharpening. "And the longer you hold it, the worse it gets."

She nodded once. "Yes. The strain would increase rapidly. My energy would be drained at an equally rapid pace, and eventually, I would be forced to withdraw before I exhaust myself completely."

Lucas was silent for a brief moment, then he asked, "If you push yourself, how long can you hold it."

Her eyes studied him carefully before she answered. "Long enough to create an opportunity," she said. "Not long enough to resolve the situation."

Lucas exhaled slowly, absorbing that. "So it buys time, nothing more."

"That is correct," she said calmly.

He looked away briefly, his thoughts shifting toward Valerion, toward the capital buried under that shadow, then he spoke again. "If an ascended Celestial were here," he said, his tone quieter now.

Her voice followed immediately. "It would be over," she said. "The abyss would not withstand true Light cultivation at that level."

Lucas’ eyes narrowed slightly. "Then why won’t they come."

The empress did not look away. "Because they do not interfere with the mortal world," she said. "Not unless it is on the brink of collapse."