In the Dao Pavilion, a red-haired woman stood near the counter at the entrance. Her youthful beauty was overshadowed by a face etched with worry. She had the air of someone who was familiar with hardship.
This woman was none other than Emberine. Caelum had briefly met her the previous evening when Boros' group was searching for their missing friend, Kaleem.
"I would like to purchase the [Vermilion Wheel] movement technique," she said to the clerk behind the counter.
"May I see your sect token?"
Emberine retrieved a token from her pouch and handed it over. The clerk held it against some sort of device.
"You do not have the required 500 Family Contribution to purchase the manual," he stated matter-of-factly.
Emberine's eyes widened. "500? But I saw someone purchasing it for only 250 a few days ago!"
The clerk gave her a disdainful look, as though she were ignorant of the obvious. "That's the rate for members of the Goldheart Family, not for an outsider in her trial period like you. If there's nothing else, stop wasting my time."
Emberine's chest tightened as humiliation washed over her. A few other people browsing near the entrance noticed this interaction. Some glanced at her with pity, while others sent mocking glances her way.
With no other options, Emberine left the Dao Pavilion with heavy steps. On her way back to the residential area, she found a stone bench and just sat on it. Her mind was racing with several chaotic thoughts.
She retrieved a letter from her pouch - she did not possess a spatial storage ring. Her trembling hands unfolded it. Even though she knew the contents of the letter, she hoped, irrationally, that the words might have somehow changed.
They hadn't.
"20 spirit stones. I swear I'll win this time."
The message, scribbled in terrible handwriting in the Common Language, offered no additional context. Not that Emberine needed it.
Spirit stones were extremely valuable. For mortals, daily transactions involved gold, silver, and copper coins. Yet a single spirit stone could allow a middle-class family to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
Why were spirit stones so valuable? It was because cultivators could use them to increase their cultivation speed. A grade-1 spirit stone could enhance cultivation speed for anyone in the Foundational Realms, which encompassed all stages up to the Qi Condensation Realm.
Cultivators generally didn't save spirit stones like mortals might save money. Instead, they used most of them to quicken their cultivation progress.
As she stared at the letter from her father, Emberine's hands tightened, crumpling the paper. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
'I'm sorry, mother. I don't know how much longer I can continue like this.'
She wanted to scream, to unleash her frustration into the world. But she held it all back, swallowing her emotions.
Part of her wished she could abandon her father entirely and live her own life. Yet, for some reasons, that wasn't an option.
'I hate my pathetic excuse of a father. I hate the Goldheart family too. I hate them all!' she seethed inwardly.
She had affinity with the Fire Element. She thought that joining the Goldheart family would allow her to soar. But how could it be so easy? The Goldheart family wasn't a charity. Everything they did was calculated for their own benefit.
While she was trying to stifle her sobs, a man's hand landed on her shoulder.
"Hey, Ember. Are you all right? You seem down."
She recognized the voice instantly. Her body stiffened. Rising abruptly from her seat, she put several steps of distance between herself and the newcomer. With her back to him, Emberine clenched her fists, trying to calm herself down.
"Kaleem… please don't touch me without my permission again."
Yes, the man was Kaleem—the one who had supposedly been missing. Clearly, he was now found.
Kaleem's face darkened briefly with anger at her words, but he quickly composed himself and adopted a neutral expression.
"All right, all right. I just saw you looking upset and thought I'd try to help. No need for the attitude."
Emberine rolled her eyes, exasperated. "I don't need any comforting. I was just enjoying the sunlight before heading back to the residential area. I'm leaving."
Much to her dismay, Kaleem began walking alongside her. "Great. I'm heading there too."
'I'll just tolerate this until I get to my room,' she thought with resignation.
However, she didn't have to endure Kaleem's presence alone for long. A loud, familiar voice called out, breaking the tense silence between the two of them.
"Hey! What are you two up to?"
Emberine turned to see a stunning blonde-haired woman approaching, her every movement exuding a seductive charm. It was Lyssandra, another member of Boros' friend group and, unfortunately, the closest thing Emberine had to a friend within the Goldheart family.
Obviously, there was no way a group of friends who gathered around a man like Boros could share healthy interpersonal relationships.
* * *
In the golden glow of the setting sun, Caelum walked back to his room from the library.
Although the information regarding their minor realm's true name intrigued him, it wasn't an immediate priority.
'Velma Aylin… Runemasters…'
Cultivators had countless secondary professions to pursue—alchemy, cooking, formations, divination—the list went on endlessly.
Runemastery, however, stood apart. It was different. It was special.
Unlike most other professions, it wasn't something one could master simply through diligence and constant studying. It required an innate talent or the means to acquire such talent.
'There's a legend that a pinnacle Runemaster can peer into the deepest mysteries of the Heavenly Dao itself.'
'But finding this Velma person won't be easy. And even if I do find her, there's no guarantee she can help. I don't think the World Devouring System can be compared to an average Heavenly Gift.'
As Caelum mulled over these thoughts, his gaze landed on a peculiar trio.
It was Lyssandra, Emberine, and a man he didn't recognize.
Just as he noticed them, they noticed him. Lyssandra raised a hand to wave energetically.
Caelum waved back, deciding that a brief conversation wouldn't hurt. Building connections was always valuable.
As he approached, he greeted them. "Hello. What are you all up to? Weren't you searching for your friend Kaleem yesterday?" His gaze lingered on the unfamiliar man, silently seeking confirmation of his guess.
"This is the Kaleem we were looking for!" Lyssandra exclaimed.