Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation

Chapter 458: Celestial Descent Festival (2)

Kyrian watched Lio Han in silence.

The elder slowly rotated the teacup between his fingers, a distracted, almost meditative motion, as if tracing invisible circles across the porcelain’s surface, before leaning back in the dark wooden chair.

The leather creaked softly beneath his weight, a sound that echoed through the silence of the private room. His gaze seemed distant, like someone recalling something he had witnessed several times throughout his life, as if each memory were a pearl on a necklace of years.

“The Celestial Descent Festival…” he began slowly, his voice carrying a solemnity that Kyrian had never heard before.

“It is one of the most important events in the entire Sky Caravan.”

Kyrian remained attentive, his violet eyes fixed on the elder.

“It happens once every… well, to be honest, there is no exact interval. Sometimes fifty years. Sometimes a hundred. Sometimes several centuries.” He paused, letting the weight of the information settle.

“It depends on many factors, the will of the beast, the needs of the Sky Family, the conditions of the world below.”

Kyrian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Centuries?”

“Yes. Everything depends on the will of the Sky Family… and the beast itself that carries this city through the heavens.” Lio Han pointed upward, toward the ceiling, beyond the building, toward the immensity that carried the Caravan through winds and clouds.

‘Azhura’k.’ The name echoed in Kyrian’s mind, causing something to stir within his consciousness, a familiar sensation, like the echo of a recurring dream. That gigantic eye. That voice asking for help. Those dreams that repeated night after night. The infinite darkness and the Black Dots scattered like stars across an empty sky.

But his expression did not change, remaining calm and serene, as if he were listening to a discussion about the weather.

“The Celestial Descent occurs when the beast finally decides to land and rest. For approximately two weeks, the beast remains motionless in some forbidden or forgotten region of the continent.”

“Forbidden region?” Kyrian asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“Almost always.” Lio Han nodded, his eyes shining with the knowledge of someone who had seen things few had witnessed.

“Ancient mountains, where the very peaks seem to whisper secrets carried by the wind. Cursed lands, where Qi behaves strangely, sometimes denser, sometimes thinner, always unpredictable.”

“Forests where no one dares enter, where the trees are older than empires and the shadows seem to have lives of their own. Ruins from forgotten eras, where entire civilizations were swallowed by time, leaving behind only traces of their existence.” He shrugged, a casual gesture that contrasted with the weight of his words.

“No one knows exactly how the Sky Family chooses these places or why. Some say it is to allow the beast to feed on special energies. Others believe it is to keep secrets hidden. But no one is certain.”

Kyrian listened carefully, committing every word to memory.

“During this period, the entire Caravan celebrates.” Lio Han smiled, a smile that lit up his face and deepened the wrinkles around his eyes.

“The four great auction halls open their doors. Treasures from all five regions appear, brought by merchants who traveled for years to be here. Lost techniques from sects that disappeared millennia ago, techniques many believed had been forgotten forever. Legendary weapons once wielded by heroes whose names have been lost, though their legends still endure.”

“High-level pills that only a handful of living alchemists can produce, with effects that defy ordinary understanding. Materials impossible to find under normal circumstances, growing only in places most people will never visit. Artifacts left behind by ancient experts, possessing powers that are not always understood. Rare spiritual beasts from bloodlines many believed extinct.”

The more he spoke, the more excited he seemed, his voice growing faster, his gestures broader, and his energy increasingly infectious.

“It is an opportunity many cultivators wait decades for. Some spend their entire lives traveling, trying to be in the right place at the right time, just for a chance to participate. Others hear stories about the festival from childhood and dream of witnessing it one day.”

Kyrian could understand. The Sky Caravan was practically a world of its own, a complete cultivation ecosystem moving through the heavens. But during the Festival… that entire world seemed to explode with activity.

“Furthermore.” Lio Han continued.

“It is one of the only opportunities for the Caravan’s residents to leave the city and explore the continent. After all, we are normally always flying. Solid ground is a rarity for us. Most inhabitants of the Caravan spend their entire lives without ever touching the land below.”

Kyrian nodded. That explained part of the excitement in the people, the sparkle in their eyes, the energy he felt in the streets.

But then Lio Han became more serious, his expression closing like a door being locked.

“However… the most important thing is the Descent Ceremony.”

Kyrian raised an eyebrow.

“Ceremony?”

“Yes.” The elder rested his elbows on the table, leaning forward.

“On the first day and the last day of the Festival, the Sky Family appears before the public. It is the only occasion when the ruling force of the Caravan openly reveals itself. And normally, one of the family’s descendants begins the festival events, the competitions.”

Instantly, Kyrian remembered the countless conversations he had overheard during the past few weeks. The Heir of the Sky. The woman whom everyone seemed to idolize. It was probably her they were talking about.

“There will be competitions?” he asked.

Lio Han laughed, a warm and genuine laugh that echoed through the room.

“Competitions? My young friend, during the festival, practically everything happens.” He began counting on his fingers, one by one, as if listing treasures from a chest.

“Auctions. Tournaments. Banquets. Technique exhibitions. Alchemy competitions. Formation challenges. Blacksmithing contests. Duels between cultivators. Hunts. Commercial exchanges. Artistic performances. Negotiations between great powers.” The list seemed endless, each item adding another layer of complexity to the event.

“The four auction halls compete against one another to see who can attract the best items and the wealthiest buyers. Merchants bring their finest products from all regions. Experts search for talented disciples. Young geniuses try to display their talent. Old monsters emerge after decades in hiding.”

Lio Han smiled, a smile carrying years of experience and wisdom.

“It is one of the few times when practically the entire Caravan stops thinking only about cultivation. And starts living.”