Chapter 374: Navigating the Sects of Cloudspire
Even though she was supposed to be keeping watch, Zae Zin Nim couldn't help thinking about Kai. Was he getting into trouble? Had sending him to the Bloodcoral sect been the right choice? It seemed like a good place for him, but his luck was so awful, and he cared so much about random people, she was afraid he would somehow become embroiled in a problem.
There was no word, of course, so she and Omilaena had made their own landfall on Cloudspire and worked their way inward. Currently she sat atop a building in Blueblade City, governed by the sect of the same name. She'd chosen them as a neutral destination because their sect had a powerful Sky Soul, making them a rival to her father. They were also large enough that they welcomed merchants, dominating trade on the southwestern part of the continent with their alchemical skills.
Unfortunately, even though they had exchanged their Rosemount gold for solid Cloudspire taels, they had not been able to purchase anything that could allow her to break through the 999 Power barrier. There were rumors of such, but they were either limited to inner sects or restricted to auctions that wouldn't take place for many months. Omilaena was searching further while Zae Zin Nim cultivated.
At least she had been able to get pure Cloudspire qi again, so cultivation was a relief. She could even ignore the fact that Sky Soul was so far away as to be unattainable in the near future, or at least she could forget it most of the time. The important thing was that she was making progress again. The long plateaus of cultivation had their advantages up against a barrier like this.
"What has you moping?" Omilaena swung up onto the roof beside her and slid closer. "I thought you were glad to be back in the land of cultivators."
"I'm just... worried about Kai." It felt strange to say, but who could Zae Zin Nim tell if not her wife? "He isn't used to a place like this. Lots of sects don't treat peasants well and I'm afraid he'll get involved in something."
"From the looks of things, the peasants here know their place. Would they even listen to him if he tried to start a revolution?"
"No, but he might not know that."
"Give him a bit more credit, Zin Nim." Omilaena slid against her side and wrapped an arm around her waist. "And even if you don't trust his judgment, trust his strength. How many cultivators below Sky Soul do you think have a chance against him?"