For three days, Raju had only one task at hand: to increase the number of Prana strands. He only set aside time for daily routines such as eating and freshening up; other than that, he stayed cooped up in the Inn's room.

At first, the increase in Prana strands was slow, but Raju soon got the hang of it, and the speed increased. He managed to reach 200 strands of Prana in just three days. However, it seemed that it was becoming tougher to increase the number of strands any further.

Raju could replenish a depleted Prana strand within five minutes, but to increase his maximum capacity, it was now taking longer and longer. The initial rate of growth was slow, then it increased, and now it had decreased once again. It felt like he had reached the optimal capacity at which he could function.

Raju could sense that his body was 'full,' and if he wanted to increase his maximum capacity further in an easier way, he had to take some sort of action.

"So it all comes down to the body. And not just the physical body but the Astral body too. And one of the ways to tune the Astral and Physical body is through fighting," Raju thought, realizing the path he needed to take.

"Experience is the best teacher. What a piece of wisdom from the ancients," he mused. With a newfound understanding, he planned to venture outside the city. But first, he had to explore the city itself and become familiar with its specialties.

Raju had no idea if 200 strands were good enough or not. At the moment, he neither knew nor cared. But just out of curiosity, he tried to use the Nakshatra Map. To his surprise, the maximum searchable area increased. Now he could search an area with a radius of around 2000 miles.

"Now I can try to search for a person capable of serving the Abhijit Hall. It may not be the Hall Master, but as a Placeholder, I need someone with power," Raju thought, determination settling within him.

He opened the Nakshatra Map and posed his question: "Give me the name of the person who is within the top 1% in terms of power, yet is unstable and could be helped."

After ten seconds, the Nakshatra Map spat out a name.

[Name - Rana Suryavanshi

Cultivation Stage - Late-Stage Golden Core

Age - 23 years old

Background - 72nd Prince of the Suryavansha Kingdom . . .

Details - . . .]

"What the fuck . . . A goddamn prince of the kingdom? What are the chances?" Raju was astonished, disbelief etched across his face.

As he read through the background and details, he began to understand why the prince found himself in such a place. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity for Raju, one he could seize to establish his sect. While he didn't particularly care about the prince's background, having such a strong ally could act as a shield.

Raju quickly formulated a plan. It was evening, and he intended to execute his plan at night. He ordered dinner, and then waited until nightfall. During the wait, he continued to cultivate, focusing on strengthening his Prana strands.

Time passed quickly, and the clock struck eleven in the night. Raju took out the Dream Palace artifact, a mysterious globe. Within the globe was utter darkness, a void where nothing could be seen with the naked eye.

He placed the Dream Palace artifact on his bed, sat straight, and touched the artifact with both hands, focusing his mind on summoning the Dream Palace.

This was the procedure to enter the mystical realm.

Once he opened his eyes, he found himself inside. The landscape had changed slightly since he'd gathered more strands. A newfound control over the creation of an artificial structure settled in his awareness.

"Now I feel that I can manipulate the space around me and create things. I feel like a master of creation," Raju thought, exhilaration building within him.

He attempted to create a sword, and to his surprise, the sword manifested, exactly as he had envisioned. Thrilled by this success, he experimented further, changing the shape of the sword, which obediently morphed according to his wishes.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Raju then endeavored to discover his limitations within this realm. Within a few minutes, he grasped the constraints. His 200 strands could be used here without limit, making him, in essence, a master of this domain. He couldn't be harmed, yet these 200 strands were a limited power, restricting him from revealing his full potential, for now.

"Doesn't matter. I can be the cool and mysterious type of guy rather than a hot-headed one," Raju decided, opting to mold his character to match his strengths.

Once he had his facts straight, he changed into a flashy outfit. But not the kind you might be imagining. Instead, he donned attire reminiscent of the gods, complete with a crown and jewelry. He looked divine, akin to a god. And that was precisely his aim. He wanted to embody mystery yet also possess tangible form. In his mind, having a shape and identity unknown to others was itself a form of mystique.

He used a transformation mask that altered his looks and body proportions. Now he looked like a 30-year-old man, or rather, a god. Satisfied with his appearance, he prepared to call over Rana Suryavanshi.

———

A few hours earlier.

Rana was living in a palace in the Western part of Sunset City, a residence bestowed upon him by the emperor. Although on the surface it seemed his father was kind to him, everyone knew that he was now out of the race to become the next Emperor.

He had his dinner and was preparing to retire to his chambers. But before that, he went to his study room and wrote his daily diary page. It was a routine that he had started when he was a child. He didn't know why, but he found solace in noting down his daily experiences in a book.

After writing, he looked at the page for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face, and then closed the diary and retired to his sleeping chambers. As he lay in his bed, he couldn't help but think, 'Being a royal is not easy. Maybe extricating myself from this quagmire can help me lead a good life.'

But then another thought arose, 'On the cultivation path, these things are temporary. And even though they are temporary, I can't avoid them. What a headache.' These conflicting thoughts painted a complex picture of his inner turmoil.

'I have been stuck at the Golden Core stage for three years. And that is why my father's favor has waned. That's not what's eating at me, though,' Rana thought, reflecting on what had happened back then. He couldn't help but sigh, the weight of his thoughts heavy on his mind.

In the end, Rana could only drift to sleep, his mind filled with various thoughts. At first, the flurry of thoughts began to slow down. Then, suddenly, he felt himself being pulled somewhere. As a Golden Core cultivator, he understood that a being of great power was drawing him to an unknown place.

He opened his eyes, and what he saw was a vast expanse of clouds. These clouds had a heavenly appearance, and it seemed as if walking on them would cause him to fall. Yet to his surprise, there seemed to be solid ground beneath the clouds, invisible to his eyes.

'What a marvel. Where is this place? I have never seen something like this,' Rana thought, his eyes scanning the scene. Although a bit of fear gripped him, he was at a loss for what to do.

"Rana Suryavanshi," a voice echoed throughout the expanse, "72nd Prince of the Suryavansha Dynasty."

Hearing his name and social status, Rana was shocked to his core. Although people in the capital knew who he was, in Sunset City only the Mayor was aware of his identity. He knew this place must belong to a powerful being, but he thought his identity had been well hidden.

"How do you know me, Sir?" Rana asked carefully, his voice tinged with apprehension.

"Does it matter? What matters is power, doesn't it?" the voice reverberated, filled with an enigmatic quality.

"Power does matter, but it is not everything," Rana replied, deciding to play along with the script.

"Hahaha. Good. You understand this, and yet you crave power. What you need is not power, but revenge. Am I right?" the voice asked, its tone probing and mysterious.

Hearing the being's words, Rana was in for another shock.

Never in his entire life had Rana shared why he always felt conflicted. People around him always thought that he was not aggressive and that he played everything down. Even his father, the emperor, thought the same way. That was why he had been sent here, to this remote place.

But the reality was quite different.

"What you want is the power to crush the person who took the love of your life," the voice reverberated again, taking on a knowing tone. Then, a person manifested in front of him. The figure looked like a god, adorned with a divine crown and jewelry, his smile calming, his demeanor saintly.

But Rana was in no mood to admire this mysterious being. It felt as if his deepest secrets were being exposed, and fear clouded his mind. Panic welled up within him, and he tried to run away, but there was nowhere to escape.

"Calm down, Rana. I am not here to extort you or anything. You want something that I can give, and in return, I want something that you can provide. Equivalent exchange. How does that sound?"

The offer felt like the devil's whisper to Rana, tantalizing yet fraught with danger. Would he take the deal? The question hung in the air as he struggled with his emotions, trapped in this otherworldly realm with a being who seemed to know him all too well.