Rise of The Abandoned Husband

After the Man with the Mustache left to gather materials for the array platform, I spent the evening reviewing everything I knew about mystic realms. If there really was one hidden near Jade Moon Villa, it could be our salvation—a sanctuary from the Veridia City Martial Guild and a resource we desperately needed.

The next morning, Clara bounded into the main hall with her usual energy, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Are we going somewhere special today?" she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.

I nodded. "I'm taking you to the Spiritual Spring. It's time you learned to use the Coffin for cultivation."

Her face lit up. "Really? You're going to teach me?"

"It's not exactly teaching," I explained as we walked through the villa grounds. "The Coffin responds to dark energy. Since you're a pure dark energy body, you should have a natural connection to it."

Clara skipped alongside me. "Will I get super strong like you?"

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "That depends on how hard you work. Cultivation isn't easy, even for those with natural talent."

We arrived at the secluded clearing where the Spiritual Spring bubbled from the earth. The water sparkled with energy, creating a misty glow around the small pond it formed. Beside it stood the black Coffin, its surface etched with ancient symbols that seemed to shift when you weren't looking directly at them.

Clara approached it cautiously. "It looks... scary."

"It contains powerful dark energy," I said. "Don't be afraid of it. Remember, darkness isn't inherently evil—it's just another form of power."

She nodded solemnly. "What do I do?"

"Sit beside it and place your hands on the surface," I instructed. "Close your eyes and feel the energy inside. Let it recognize you."

Clara sat cross-legged next to the Coffin, her small hands resting on its obsidian surface. As soon as she touched it, the symbols flared with crimson light.

"It's warm!" she gasped.

"That's good," I encouraged. "Now focus on drawing that warmth into yourself. Imagine it flowing through your hands and into your body."

Her face scrunched in concentration. For several minutes, nothing seemed to happen. Then suddenly, she flinched.

"It burns!" she cried out.

"That's normal at first," I assured her. "Your body needs to adapt to the energy. Try to control your breathing."

Clara gritted her teeth, her determination evident. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she struggled to maintain contact with the Coffin.

"It's too much," she gasped after another minute. "It feels like it's tearing me apart from inside!"

I frowned, concerned. "We can stop if—"

"No!" she interrupted fiercely. "I can do this. I want to be strong!"

Her resilience impressed me. Most adults would have given up by now, but this child refused to surrender.

Suddenly, the crimson light surrounding the Coffin intensified, pulsing like a heartbeat. Clara's expression shifted from pain to surprise.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "It's... changing. It doesn't hurt anymore."

I watched in amazement as the light seemed to flow from the Coffin directly into Clara's body. Her skin took on a subtle glow, and the air around her vibrated with energy.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Powerful," she whispered, eyes still closed. "Like I could do anything."

What happened next astonished even me. The flow of energy accelerated, streaming from the Coffin into Clara at an alarming rate. The symbols on the black surface began to dim as their power transferred to her.

"Clara, that's enough for today," I said, alarmed by how quickly she was absorbing the energy.

She didn't respond, seemingly entranced by the cultivation process.

"Clara!" I said more forcefully.

Her eyes snapped open, and for an instant—just an instant—I saw something ancient and terrifying in them. Then it was gone, and she was just Clara again.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked innocently.

I hesitated. "No, but you're taking in too much energy too quickly. It could be dangerous."

She reluctantly pulled her hands away from the Coffin. "I feel different. Stronger."

"You've done well for your first attempt," I said, studying her closely. The connection between Clara and the Coffin went beyond normal compatibility. It was as if they recognized each other, like old friends reuniting after a long separation.

This confirmed my suspicions about her connection to the "masked woman." But what exactly was that connection? Was Clara a vessel? A reincarnation? Or something else entirely?

"Can I try again tomorrow?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes, but we'll need to be careful about how much energy you absorb at once," I replied. "Now rest here while I check something."

While Clara sat recovering from her first cultivation session, I turned my attention to the Spiritual Spring itself. Something about it had been nagging at me since we arrived. There was a familiar quality to its qi—reminiscent of what I'd experienced in Gyeon City.

I knelt beside the spring, dipping my hand into the crystal-clear water. The energy that rushed through my fingers was unmistakable—concentrated life force with traces of spatial distortion. My heart raced as I realized what this might mean.

Bringing a handful of water to my lips, I tasted it carefully. The flavor confirmed my suspicions—sweet with an underlying current of power that left my tongue tingling.

"It's here," I murmured to myself. "A mystic realm entrance."

This was no ordinary spring—it was connected to a hidden realm, one that likely hadn't been accessed in centuries. And based on the lack of any ownership markings or barriers, it appeared to be unclaimed.

An ownerless mystic realm. The possibilities made my head spin.

Such a find could change everything. Mystic realms contained resources far beyond what was available in the mortal world—herbs, minerals, spiritual beasts, and cultivation environments that could accelerate my progress exponentially.

More importantly, it would give us a sanctuary where the Veridia City Martial Guild couldn't reach us. A place to hide, train, and prepare for the battles ahead.

But how to access it? Most realm entrances required specific keys or techniques to open.

I circled the spring, examining every detail of the surrounding area. There were no obvious mechanisms or formation arrays—nothing to indicate a conventional entrance. That meant the portal was likely sealed by purely energetic means, requiring a specific type of qi manipulation to unlock.

This was where my knowledge fell short. I'd need to consult the records from the Celestial Craft Pavilion or wait for the Man with the Mustache to return. His experience with ancient sites might prove invaluable here.

Still, the discovery filled me with hope. If we could access this realm before my duel with Broderick, it could provide advantages the Guild wouldn't anticipate. And if things went badly with Dominic Ashworth afterward, we'd have a place to retreat.

I was so absorbed in my plans that I almost missed the change in Clara's cultivation. Glancing over, I saw that she'd placed her hands back on the Coffin and was once again drawing in its energy—at an even faster rate than before.

"Clara!" I called out. "I told you to rest!"

She didn't respond. Her eyes were closed, her face serene despite the torrent of dark energy flowing into her. The symbols on the Coffin were now significantly dimmer than before, indicating she'd absorbed nearly half its stored power in just one day—a feat that should have been impossible.

I moved to intervene when a sudden change in pressure made my ears pop. The air around Clara darkened, forming a shadowy cocoon that obscured her from view.

"Clara!" I shouted again, rushing toward her.

Before I could reach her, a bone-chilling roar erupted from within the darkness—a sound no human throat could produce. The shadowy cocoon pulsed, expanding outward with such force that it knocked me back several steps.

That cry wasn't Clara's. It was something else—something ancient and powerful.

My blood ran cold as I recognized the sensation washing over me—the same presence I'd felt when Clara had put on the mask. The masked woman was manifesting again, here and now.

The darkness continued to expand, trees around us bending away as if fleeing from something terrible. The roar came again, louder this time, filled with rage and hunger.

I drew on my cultivation, golden light enveloping my body as I prepared to face whatever was emerging. If the masked woman fully manifested through Clara, I had no idea if I could stop her—but I had to try.

"Clara!" I called out one more time, desperation in my voice as I charged toward the darkness. "Fight it! You have to fight it!"

The darkness suddenly contracted, imploding toward its center with a sound like thunder. Then, from within that swirling void, came another cry—but this one was different. This one was unmistakably Clara's.

And it was a cry of pure terror.