Spirit's Awakening: The Path of Lightning and Water-Chapter 339: Starpoint City, Stellanora Kingdom

A large river meandered gracefully below Lassim as he folded space with each step of [Storm’s Dance] along its path.

Though he traveled high above the riverbanks, his keen eyes scanned the terrain below, looking for signs of civilization or a passerby so that he could make sure he was following the correct river.

He’d checked the map twice now and as fairly certain it was correct, but the map was still a bit vague near the coastline and he hadn’t known if the delta he’d followed inland led to the correct river.

It was now only a single day since he’d left the Tempest’s Cradle and arrived at the Veridian continent, having spent only the single previous night teleporting and condensing space above the Southern Seas.

The morning sun was still rising and hung low in the sky as it continued to rise, casting a golden hue over the water’s surface.

As he approached a bend in the river, a lone figure caught his attention.

Moving steadily on-foot along the riverbank was a Spirit Warrior, their blue-and-gold robes shimmering faintly in the sunlight. The metallic sheen of the fabric and the way it caught the light struck Lassim as oddly familiar and brought a smile to his face.

He slowed his pace, deactivating the miniature storms around his feet from [Storm’s Dance] and descending gracefully until he hovered a short distance away.

The Spirit Transcendent stage Spirit Warrior stiffened, clearly sensing the overwhelming and stormy spiritual pressure Lassim exuded before recognizing the Lightning Sect’s robes and emblem.

Despite this, they maintained their composure but their hand inched cautiously toward the hilt of their elemental spirit weapon, an unusual sight—a sword kept in a scabbard at their waist.

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"Good morning," Lassim said calmly as he landed a respectful distance away. "I was hoping you could confirm I’m heading in the right direction. This river leads to Starpoint City, correct?"

The Spirit Warrior hesitated, their gaze flicking between Lassim and the distant horizon.

Up close, Lassim could see with his eyes and spirit sense the crest emblazoned on their robes—a majestic round insignia centered on the chest and mirrored on the back.

At its core, a radiant sphere of light gleamed softly, encircled by runes representing fire, water, nature, metal, wind, lightning, day, and night.

The design was unmistakable, though its sharper lines and richer hues suggested a slightly different iteration of the Myriad Spirit Academy crest he once knew; likely the Myriad Spirit Sect’s actual emblem.

"Yes Senior, this is the Sapphire River," the Spirit Warrior replied with a slight bow of the head. "Follow it upstream, and you’ll reach Starpoint City. It’s about a three day’s journey for me if I headed there, but Senior will probably get there much faster since you can fly."

Lassim inclined his head slightly, giving thanks, "Thank you! That’s all I needed to know."

As he turned to leave and take to the sky once more, he couldn’t resist a final glance at the crest. "You’re from the Myriad Spirit Sect?"

The Spirit Warrior nodded, their posture relaxing slightly before they puffed out their chest with a bit of pride. "Ah, so the Senior brother from the Lightning Sect knows about the number one sect in the Veridian Continent! I am! Though, I’m from a branch far outside the headquarters in the Aurora Kingdom…"

"That’s nice. I was once a student at the academy, but…" Lassim confirmed, "But I went towards the Lightning Sect instead. Hopefully we meet again someday."

The Spirit Warrior blinked in surprise but said nothing more. Lassim took off into the air to leave, activating [Storm’s Dance] and launching himself back into the sky.

The cultivator’s presence, though brief, stirred a wave of nostalgia within him. The idea of visiting his homeland and possibly even seeing the Headmaster was further implanted in his mind.

As he sped toward the horizon, Lassim mused quietly, "I wonder how much has changed in just a few short years…"

~~~

Not even more than 6 hours had passed when the first glimpse of Starpoint City took Lassim’s breath away.

Built upon a series of massive, elevated platforms that spanned the width of the Sapphire River, the city was an architectural marvel. Towering structures of blue and silver rose high into the sky, their designs intricate and elegant, while silver lined, mana-powered gondolas glided gracefully along the waterways traversing underneath the platforms below.

Lassim could see how the city had harnessed this natural resource, with arrays and conduits that silently turned gorgeously opulent water wheels. The entire city was beautiful.

Despite the city’s grandeur, Lassim’s spirit sense quickly noticed signs of unrest as he approached. The streets teemed with people, but their movements were hurried, their expressions wary as they looked from left to right and were cautious not to bump into anyone accidently.

Merchants stood behind their stalls, trying to sell their unsold amounts of minerals and ores, with tense postures. They had unique setups where they had a single ore on display stands accompanied by holographic screens that accurately showcased the number of that particular mineral or ore in their inventory, but their enthusiasm seemed muted.

Unlike traditional city gates, Starpoint’s entry points were decentralized and designed to accommodate both river and air traffic. Floating checkpoints—suspended mana barriers in the form of faintly glowing runic arches—had been installed above the docks to regulate those arriving by flight.

He descended toward one of the primary entry docks, where a steady flow of small mana-driven boats and gondolas ferried passengers and goods from the surrounding areas. There were also many other spirit warriors that came flying at the same time as Lassim.

The docks themselves were bustling with activity—though, unfortunately there wasn’t much unloading of crates that one might expect for a trade city. Instead, the main traffic was just travelers arriving with various levels of heated intensity or anger. The guards were quite numerous and stationed at key points to oversee the new arrivals.

Lassim approached and a pair of guards hovered nearby on small, disk-like constructs that seemed to radiate a unique restraining pressure that Lassim felt against his skin. Their armor glinting with the silver and blue of the Stellanora Kingdom’s colors. They glanced up as Lassim approached, their expressions sharpening as they took in his robes and restrained but stormy and violent spiritual pressure.

One of the guards directed his disc to meet Lassim, "State your name and purpose."

"Lassim of the Lightning Sect," he replied, "I’m here to meet representatives of the Duskvale Mining Company regarding a contract that’s currently placed on hold."

The guard nodded, having heard similar stories for several days now since the Steel Snake Sect began their collaborations with the kingdom’s nobles. His gaze briefly flicked to the insignia on Lassim’s chest—a bolt of Sect Master Volten’s unique Defiant lightning. He gestured to his partner, who activated a mana-infused slate and began logging Lassim’s details.

"Welcome to Starpoint City," the guard said after a moment with a slightly more respectful tone.

"You’re cleared to proceed. The Duskvale Mining Company’s headquarters are in the central district. Follow the Sapphire River upstream, and you’ll find the main platforms. Be aware—tensions in the city have been... heightened. I’d best recommend you avoid any confrontations or adding to them as well if you value that contract of yours."

Lassim inclined his head, "Thanks, I’ll be careful," then carefully flew past the checkpoint and toward the heart of the city.

His steps didn’t carry him far before a heated argument broke out near a line of businesses. The raised voices cut through the noise of the crowd, drawing glances from passersby. Most quickly turned away, clearly unwilling to linger and risk becoming involved.

A group of well-dressed merchants stood in front of a warehouse bearing the insignia of a mining company, with one man completely red in the face with a vein on his forehead popping out as they faced off with a trio of Steel Snake Sect disciples.

Clad in dark green robes embroidered with coiling serpentine designs, the disciples exuded an unsettling and standoffish confidence.

"The Quarry’s allocations have already been decided," one of the Steel Snake Sect disciples said to the man, "Your company is free to submit a new request through the proper channels as has been outlined."

"That’s nonsense!" the red-faced merchant barked. "We’ve held our most recent contracts with The Quarry for over a decade! Your sect’s interference is choking our business, and the nobles are too busy counting your bribes to care!"

The disciple’s eyes narrowed before giving way to a subtle smirk, "Perhaps your business wasn’t strong enough to survive a competitive market. It would be a shame if you had to find work elsewhere."

The tension in the air was palpable as the lead merchant was growing angrier and the man’s employees approached from behind him. One of the men in his group placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "Come on Marc, we’ll request for a champion and win the rights back. Don’t risk it. The guards are paid off too."

As if on cue, a pair of city guards slowly approached and stood nearby as they monitored the exchange. While they seemed poised to intervene, their hesitance betrayed an underlying unease—whether from the Steel Snake Sect’s growing influence, the mining company merchant’s words or the volatile nature of the situation was unclear.

Lassim observed the scene from a distance, his steps unhurried as he passed by.

He had no intention of involving himself in the dispute, but the atmosphere was telling. The Steel Snake Sect’s grip on Starpoint City was tight.

He turned his attention back to his route, blending into the crowd as the argument continued behind him as he searched for the Duskvale Mining Company’s office.

If this was the state of affairs in the capital, it was no wonder Dorian had sounded so exasperated during their last conversation. That’s when he remembered he had Dorian’s contact rune, pausing to pull out his communication disc to inform him of his arrival.